A History of Northern Michigan and Its People, Volume I, Part 36

Author: Perry F. Powers
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 597


USA > Michigan > A History of Northern Michigan and Its People, Volume I > Part 36


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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In 1881 the original water works were built and during that year also were graded the village schools under the laws of the state. The first principal under the graded system was Thomas H. Clayton.


Petoskey was incorporated as a city in 1896. In 1902, the year of the removal of the county seat from Harbor Springs to Petoskey, a substantial court house was built by the city at a cost of $40,000 and leased to the county for fifty years. The offices between the munici- pality and county are divided, headquarters for the fire department being in the basement of the building. The city owns its $100,000 electric light and power plant, as well as its water works. Its $85,000 water works plant, with one hundred and fifteen pounds pressure, forces an abundant supply through thirty miles of mains. Petoskey has a dozen miles of sewers, two public hospitals and brilliantly lights the business sections of her streets with the Tungsten arch system.


As a residence and business town Petoskey presents an appearance of elegance, comfort and prosperity, with broad thoroughfares, solidly- built stores and thoroughly-stocked stores, a well-equipped public li- brary and a modern system of popular education. Its central and four ward schools enroll about 1,100 students and carry a teaching force of more than thirty competent instructors. The Central High, Sheri- dan, Lincoln, Howard street and Edgerton schools are all high credit marks to Petoskey.


The church history of Petoskey extends back to the old Bear creek mission established in 1852. Soon afterwards the Presbyterian society was organized, which evolved into the First Presbyterian church of Petoskey. Rev. George W. Cole, a Methodist missionary, came among the Indians west of Petoskey in the winter of 1874-5. The early his- tory of Catholic mission work in this locality has been given, the pres-


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ent church dating from July, 1881. Catholics, Methodists, Presbyte- rians, Seventh Day Adventists, Lutherans, Hebrews, Episcopalians, Christians, Menonnites and Christian Scientists are now all represented by more or less vigorous societies, some of the houses of worship being both elegant and architecturally imposing.


Petoskey numbers among its industries manufactories of lumber, maple flooring, pulp paper. flour, leather, lime cement, lath, cedar ties


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CHY HALL, PETOSKEY, MICH,


N G. COOK PUK


and blocks. A large plant for the salting of cucumbers was added in 1911.


The city has two good banks-the First National and the First State, the former with a capital of $100,000 and the latter of $50,000.


The First National was organized in 1878 and incorporated in 1900. It represents the first bank established in Emmet county, which was opened in May, 1878, by P. B. Wachtel. From his father and others, who had come to Petoskey, Mr. Wachtel learned something of the vil- lage while he was a resident of St. Mary's, Pennsylvania. Having a taste for banking. he decided to experiment at this far-northern place which was then considered but a raw settlement in the Indian country. Accordingly in May, 1878, he arrived at Petoskey and established his bank in a little frame house on Mitchell street. His capital was small,


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but Mr. Wachtel and his enterprise "took," for his deposits at the end of the first year of business amounted to $17,000!


HARBOR SPRINGS


Harbor Springs is a prosperous, attractive and interesting village of over two thousand inhabitants located on one of the finest harbors in the Great Lakes region formed by the projection of Harbor Point across the northern part of Little Traverse bay. Nine miles across the bay, a little east of south is Petoskey, and between these two points, along the extreme eastern shores of that beautiful and noble body of water are Bay View, Kegomic, Menonaqua Beach, Roaring Brook, We- quetonsing and other charming resorts which have made the region famous. Harbor Point is southeast of Harbor Springs, and beyond it are Wildmere Springs, Emmet Beach and Idylwilde, completing a con- tinuous stretch of picturesque and homelike cottages, parklike grounds and splendidly improved tracts of shore lands. The Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad enables the visitor to make a delightful tour of in- spection near the sunny shores of Little Traverse bay. Harbor Springs at one extremity of this noble garland of activity and beauty and Petoskey at the other, share alike the prosperity and the enjoyment which attach to this section of the Little Traverse region. It is the small bay formed by Harbor Point that gave the place its Indian name of Wequetonsing, a name afterward appropriated by the resort to the east.


The village was permanently christened with its present name when it was incorporated in 1881. During the earlier periods of its history it was known as Little Traverse.


Harbor Springs takes its name from its harbor, known as one of the finest on the great lakes and from its beautiful springs of pure water, boiling and bubbling up in every part of the village. The analysis of this water, as made by Professor Kedzie, shows it to be even a purer water than the famous Waukesha or Bethesda waters of Wisconsin. Pipes are driven to a depth of from one hundred and seventy-five to two hundred feet and by gravitation the water raises from fifteen to twenty feet above the surface, where it is piped into the houses and cottages, thus giving a never-ending supply of the purest water at no cost except that of installation. The municipal water supply is obtained from these flowing wells and is likewise of the same quality.


Owing to its excellent harbor, the steamship "Northland," the finest passenger steamer on the great lakes, owned by the Great North- ern Railroad Company, makes Harbor Springs the only port of call on the east side of Lake Michigan, while many other steamers, in- cluding the "Manitou." ply between Chicago and Harbor Springs.


It is this excellent boat and railroad service, together with the pure water and invigorating air, that makees Harbor Springs such a leading center of the resort region. and here are found people from


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nearly every state in the Union, who have their summer homes and enjoy the best there is in nature at nominal expense.


The authentic as well as legendary history of the place is full of interest. Pieces of ancient crockery have been found here indicating that it was once a stopping place of the extinct race of Mound Build- ers on their journeys from Mexico to the Lake Superior mines. It is not known that it was ever in very early times an important Indian village, but it has unquestionably been a camping ground much fre- quented. It was in this quiet retreat that several of the noted chiefs of the war of 1812 spent their declining years, and here for years they assembled their people by hundreds to receive their annuities from the general government.


We have already shown in the general history of the county, that about the year 1827 the Catholics removed from Seven Mile Point to Little Traverse, and built a church of cedar logs and covered it with bark. This was built by Rev. Father Peter De Jean who was the first resident priest at this point. Twelve or fifteen years later a more modern house of worship was erected beside the old log church. Among the acts of Father De Jean, worthy of remembrance, may be mentioned his founding of a liquor law which prohibited the use and sale of liquor, and which was rigidly enforced until about the year 1854.


The year 1853 is the earliest point of continuous operations related to the present village. Prior to that time Mackinac traders had sent goods to Little Traverse at various times for the purpose of trading with Indians, but none remained any considerable length of time. In the fall of 1853, Richard Cooper, afterward a citizen of Charlevoix, arrived at Little Traverse on the trading schooner "Eliza Caroline," and opened a store for Captain Kirtland. He had previously been engaged in fishing at Beaver islands, but had returned to his home in Genesee county, New York.


At the time of Mr. Cooper's settlement at Little Traverse the fish- ermen had already established themselves at several points on the northern part of Lake Michigan, but there were none at that place. That same fall, however, was marked by the arrival of Charles R. Wright, Albert Cable and James Moore. Wright and Cable at first stopped on the point and the others in the village and for years fishing was one of its leading industries. Some who came in those early days to fish remained to become identified with the permanent growth of the village and the region. Associated with the fishermen were always a number of coopers who generally had a shop near the fish shanties; thus cooperage was the first manufacture of Little Traverse. Small trading establishments, like that of Captain Kirtland under the man- agement of Mr. Cooper, also sprang up at various points, drawing their custom from both the fishermen and the Indians. A few small vessels, or "hookers," found a lucrative trade in going from place to place, selling supplies and whiskey and purchasing fish. It is said that the Captain never indulged in the sale of liquor, at least that he never sold it to the Indians; which is to his credit. Joseph Pyant was one of the best known early traders, who often "made" Little Traverse. He


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THE NEW YORK


CHEQUETONSING HOTEL


COLONIAL HALL


CLUB HOUSE at HARBOR POINT


ROARING BROOK INN


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SOME PLACES OF ENTERTAINMENT AT HARBOR SPRINGS


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was of the noted Mackinac class, finally located at Little Traverse in 1855, was sheriff of Emmet county in 1858-64 and 1868-70, and served two terms as register of deeds.


A postoffice was established at Little Traverse in 1861, but the great tide of immigration came in 1875-6 when all the lands of the county were thrown open to settlement. Real estate and professional men located, the fish dealers commenced to build new docks, a sawmill was erected by W. E. Parker on the bay shore, the Harbor Springs Repub- lican was born and the Methodists organized their first regular society.


The progress of the place was continuous and normal; other news- papers came into the field and helped the village along; Mr. Parker extended his interests both as to lumber manufacturing and general merchandizing; business houses carrying special lines of goods joined the procession, in 1880 railroad connection was secured with Petoskey, and by 1881 the people were ready and entitled to be incorporated under a village form of government. And more, visitors to the Little Traverse region had discovered the advantages of the village as a re- sort center. The movement had started at Harbor Point, several years before, in the form of what was known as the Lansing resort, and re- ferred to in the incorporating act of Harbor Springs as the Harbor Point Association. Its grounds were excluded from the village site.


The act incorporating Harbor Springs was passed by the legisla- ture in the winter of 1881, and the first charter election in April of that year resulted in the choice of C. D. Hampton for president of the board; E. Bement clerk; E. J. Palmer treasurer; W. H. Miller as- sessor ; Merritt Scott constable; W. W. Bowen, W. E. Parker, N. Hin- man, J. M. Burbeck, I. Canby and E. H. Martindale, trustees.


Ten years after its incorporation Harbor Springs had reached a population of more than a thousand and it has since about doubled It is an up-to-date village, with good water, electric light, clean well- paved streets, and a thorough system of public schools. A community of noticeably intelligent people it has naturally given much attention to its educational institutions, and its schools are of the best.


Harbor Springs supports two good weekly newspapers and Metho- dist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Lutheran and Episcopalian churches. Both Catholics and German Lutherans have large parochial schools, and the former have long maintained the Convent of the Sis- ters of Notre Dame.


As to the status of the village from a trade and an industrial point of view-it has in operation manufactories of lumber, hoops, staves, iron, furniture and boats, and is quite a point of shipment for produce, grain, maple sugar and fish. Banking accommodations are furnished by the Emmet County State Bank, organized in 1905, of which William J. Clarke is president and James T. Clarke cashier.


As stated, Wequetonsing and Harbor Point, are small resorts and virtual suburbs of Harbor Springs-the former on the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad adjoining the village on the east and the latter on the peninsula to the southeast.


Wequetonsing, as originally laid out in 1877, comprised eighty


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acres of land donated by the citizens of Harbor Springs. The enter- prise originated and was founded in this wise. In the summer of 1877 Revs. McCord of Allegan and Essex, of Elkhart, visited all the points along Grand Traverse and Little Traverse bays, with the idea of se- lecting a location for the establishment of a resort where worn-out


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WILLIAM J. CLARKE


and sweltering humanity could repair to recover health and enjoy rational recreations.


After an impartial survey of all points, they decided that Little Traverse possessed greater advantages than any other place and so reported to the synod which met that fall. In accordance with this report it was decided at a meeting held in Elkhart in the fall of 1877 to accept the gift of the citizens of Harbor Springs of the eighty acres of land situated on the harbor shore. An association was then and there formed for the purpose of improving the grounds and selling or leasing lots to parties desiring to put up cottages.


In the spring of 1878 work began on the grounds, numerous lots


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were sold and a large boarding-house erected. On July 17, 1878, the grounds were formally dedicated, Hon. Schuyler Colfax delivering his famous address on Abraham Lincoln. The organization was not fully completed until the summer of 1879. August 6th a business meeting was held and L. H. Trask elected president; H. H. Pope, secretary ; H. H. Dennis, treasurer. Streets have been laid out and a number of cottages erected in that year. The original site has since been in- creased, and the erection of cottages and beautifying of grounds have been constant.


The Indian name of this place was Wa-ba-bi-kang, meaning a white gravelly shore, but the association evidently did not consider this as musical as the one adopted and the founders of Wequetonsing were right.


Harbor Point was at first called the Lansing Resort from the cir- cumstances which brought it into existence. In August, 1878, a party of Lansing people visited the spot and camped out. They were so de- lighted with the location and the many advantages it possessed, that before they left they began making arrangements for the purchase of the Point of Rev. Father Weicamp of Cross village, the owner of the land. They were successful in their negotiations and proceeded with the necessary steps of establishing a permanent resort. On August 28, 1878, a stock company was organized under the statute for park associations and the first officers were as follows: President, B. F. Simon; secretary, N. B. Jones; treasurer, Eugene Angell. The orig- inal stockholders numbered nineteen and the capital stock was $2,500, but so popular did the resort become that the capital stock was subse- quently increased to $10,000. The grounds were laid out with winding walks and drives, the underbrush cleared away. A hotel, dock, boat and bath houses were built, and each year improvements have been added and new cottages erected until now everybody who delights in restful scenery and invigorating recreation is a friend to Harbor Point.


BAY VIEW


For thirty-six years Bay View has been the home of the Methodist Camp Ground Association and this fact founded it and is the striking feature of its history. Sometime in September, 1875, the citizens of Petoskey first learned that the Methodists of Michigan were desirous of selecting a site somewhere in the state for the purpose of holding annual camp meetings and establishing a summer resort. Soon after a committee consisting of ten leading members of the Methodist Epis- copal church from different parts of the state was appointed to select a suitable site for this purpose, and in November of that year decided on locating at Bay View, at that time a dense forest. The land was then owned by a number of individuals, but Petoskey people, well knowing what an advantage it would be to them to have a permanent state camp ground at that locality at once took hold of the matter, and by liberal donations on the part of citizens enough money was raised by subscription to purchase the three hundred and thirty acres of land.


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the price paid being nearly $3,000. The Grand Rapids & Indiana Rail- road Company agreed to furnish money to buy this land, providing payment for so doing would be guaranteed. which was done by a few leading citizens and as fast as the money was collected it was paid over to the company.


W. G. Hinman, of the land department of the Grand Rapids & In- diana Railroad Company selected the site chosen, and to this gentle- man. II. O. Rose, Abner S. Lee, Archie McMillan and a number of other leading citizens. is due much credit for the part they performed in establishing this institution. The railroad company also did much


WOODLAWN AVENUE, BAY VIEW


toward furthering the project. It was first deeded to J. M. Matheney and by him to the Michigan State Camp Ground Association of the Methodist Episcopal church. By the conditions of this deed the asso- ciation agreed to hold an annual camp meeting on these grounds for fifteen successive years, and during that time to expend in erecting cottages, laying out streets, parks, grading and in other ways improv- ing the grounds, not less than $10,000. These conditions, as is well known, were far more than met by the association. In 1876 the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad was extended to the camp grounds, where the first meetings commenced on August 1st. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. E. H. Pilcher, president of the association.


Bay View is now one of the most prosperous resorts around the bay. nearly seven hundred cottages, two large hotels and numerous rooming houses standing upon the beautiful grounds of the Methodist Camp Ground Association. Its affairs are managed by the Bay View


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association and are in no way subject to the city government of Petos- key. The resort has provided not only everything necessary for mental and religious exercises but for general relaxation and recreation, in- cluding boating and fishing and a swimming pool and bowling alley. Nothing has been neglected to make the name Bay View fragrant with pleasant and invigorating influences.


OTHER VILLAGES AND STATIONS


Cross village, on Lake Michigan in the western part of the county, is little more than a historic memory. A huge wooden cross, several times replaced, has stood at this point since the establishment there of the first Catholic mission for the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. From this fact, the town was first named La Croix and in 1875 changed to Cross village, although it has never been incorporated. In 1869 a postoffice was established there, and it is still on the list, but does not add much to Uncle Sam's receipts of the postal service.


Alanson is quite a brisk little village, settled in 1877 and located on Crooked river about a mile north of Crooked lake. It is a station on the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad, has a sawmill and wooden ware factory and is the trading center of a thriving farming country.


Levering, on the Grand Rapids & Indiana line twenty-four miles southwest of Petoskey, is the shipping point for a good farming, live stock and fruit country. It has a graded school, a bank, several good general stores, a stave factory and other evidences of growth.


Brutus, a station on the same road several miles to the north, was the pioneer settlement of what is now Maple river township, its founders, who came there in 1874, having been A. S. Lee and D. R. Sherman. A postoffice was established the same year.


Above Brutus is Pellston, another postoffice and station on the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad, which was founded by William H. Pells, of Paxton, Illinois, in 1882. A few years before he had com- menced to purchase considerable tracts of land in the central portion of Emmet county, on one of which he platted Pellston.


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CHAPTER XII


ANTRIM COUNTY


VILLAGES AND COUNTY'S POPULATION-HISTORIC AND PREHISTORIC- ABRAM S. WADSWORTH, THE COUNTY'S PIONEER-JAMES MCLAUGHLIN -FIRST BURIAL IN THE COUNTY-ELK RAPIDS A FACT-EARLY COUNTY AFFAIRS-ANTRIM COUNTY ORGANIZED-FIRST COURT HOUSE AND JAIL-COUNTY SEAT MOVED TO BELLAIRE-BELLAIRE, PRESENT COUNTY SEAT-ELK RAPIDS OF TODAY-MANCELONA-CENTRAL LAKE -STATIONS AND POSTOFFICES-ORGANIZATION OF TOWNSHIPS.


Antrim county includes the main stretch of the eastern shores of Grand Traverse bay. Torch, Round and Elk lakes, with Elk river and other connecting streams, extend into the county almost as far as its main northern line, forming with the Bay a long peninsula which juts out from the main body with a very narrow neck at Eastport.


The largest and prettiest of these lakes is Torch lake, eighteen miles long and from one to two miles wide with a water surface of thirty square miles. It is said to be several hundred feet deep and lies par- allel with the Bay, but flows in the opposite direction south and emp- ties its waters through Torch river and Round lake into Elk lake, which also lies parallel with the Bay; thence the accumulated waters of all the rivers and lakes pour through Elk river into Grand Traverse bay, forming one of the largest and best water powers in Northern Michigan. The scenery about Torch lake is harmonious and picturesque.


The river Jordan rises in Warner township and waters the north- eastern sections of the county, the scenes along its courses being restful and beautiful.


The county embraces five hundred and eighty-one square miles of land surface and fifty-five square miles of lake surface. Of this area there are four hundred and twenty-five square miles, or fifteen sections of land, on which there are rivers and running streams. The whole country is abundantly watered, excepting a couple of townships in the southeastern corner in which there are springs but no large creeks.


Clam, Grass and Intermediate lakes discharge their waters through rivers bearing the same names, into the east side of Torch about six miles from the south end of it. These lakes and streams abound in fish, and during the season sportsmen come from all parts of the coun- try to enjoy the rare sport that is here afforded.


Antrim county lies in the belt which formerly was heavily timbered


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SCENES ON THE RIVER JORDAN


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with hardwood. This has been nearly all cut by lumbermen who are now offering the land for agricultural purposes. As all the heavy tim- ber has been removed the lands are easily cleared and made ready for cultivation. Watered abundantly, they are well adapted to the raising of peas, beans, and seeds, and all root crops such as potatoes and sugar beets. It is also a fine grass and forage country, with pure water ev- erywhere and a bracing climate tempered by the presence of Grand Traverse bay and Lake Michigan. Cattle raising and dairying are therefore bound to succeed, while the raising of apples, the small fruits and berries is a profitable and established industry.


The Intermediate chain of lakes which lies almost wholly within the county extends from Elk Rapids, on the East arm of Grand Traverse


VEGETABLE GARDEN : EIGHTY ACRES OF RADISHES


bay. to Echo, in the northern part of the county, a distance of almost seventy-five miles. The shores of these lakes, as well as of the arm, rise in a series of terraces from the water and there is no better farm and fruit lands in the county than are to be found in these districts. The entire area of 314.000 acres is more or less rolling, with some rough land and considerable tracts of muck soil. Fully ninety per cent of the acreage is considered tillable, with more than one-third already in farms.


The county is traversed by four railroads-the Grand Rapids & Indiana, Pere Marquette, Detroit & Charlevoix and East Jordan & Southern-thus giving travellers and shippers excellent facilities.


VILLAGES AND COUNTY'S POPULATION


The four villages of Antrim county are all situated on or near its chain of lakes, with the exception of Mancelona in the southern por-




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