USA > Michigan > A History of Northern Michigan and Its People, Volume I > Part 50
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57
Thunder Bay island had now grown to be a large fishing station, numbering thirty-one fishing boats and one hundred and sixty persons, whose catch of fish in 1846 was a little over twelve thousand barrels. In the summer of 1847 Mr. Oliver purchased the Devil river mill prop- erty of Jonathan Burtch, and moved thither late in the fall of the same year. Mr. Oliver, in fact, was the first merchant, first productive lum- berman, first county surveyor, first probate judge and until his death was of all the early pioneers foremost in the hearts of the people at large. His name is also well preserved in his "Centennial History of Alpena County," from which many of the early incidents here nar- rated are gathered.
In later years the affections of city and county were divided between Mr. Oliver and Daniel Carter, the latter locating in the Thunday bay region some ten years after Mr. Oliver's coming, but becoming identified from the first with the founding and advancement of the city. Mr. Car- ter came to the Thunder bay region in the summer of 1853, in com- pany with George N. Fletcher, a St. Clair lumberman, to look over the pine lands in that locality. Mr. Fletcher returned after a few weeks, leaving Mr. Carter to continue the investigation. The visit resulted in his permanent settlement. Mr. Carter came on a steamboat to Black river island and got over to what is now Alpena on a sail boat. He found here an old man named Walter Scott and wife, who were living in a shanty. Scott's house and an old cooper shop standing near the river were the only buildings worthy of the name in that locality. There was a little board building standing on what is now River street which Mr. Scott had built for a saloon when he found there was a pros- pect of people coming thither to settle. When Mr. Carter brought his family in November, 1856, the building was a mere shell and innocent of a window or pretense of one. But Mr. Carter fixed it up and it became not only the family home but was the hotel of this region. Often it was filled to overflowing, but its guests always found a good bed and a tempt- ing meal. There was a small clearing around the house, which was the family and hotel garden; the rest of Alpena was covered with trees and brush. The Carters had no neighbors until the following summer, when the family of James Irvin arrived.
In 1858 Mr. Carter was appointed postmaster and held the office until 1861. He followed land hunting until 1862 when his health failed, and he had to give it up. He then followed fishing about three years. In 1860 he built a house on the lot afterward occupied by his residence and which at that time was in the woods. In 1857 he was appointed supervisor and held the office fourteen years. He was one of the prime movers in getting the county organized and took a leading part in its
Hosted by Google
464
HISTORY OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN
affairs. He was justice of the peace several years. He built ten miles of the state road in Montmorency county, which he finished in 1882. Daniel Carter continued to reside in Alpena until his death January 13, 1897, in his eighty-fourth year.
James K. Lockwood, of Port Huron, was another lumberman who became associated with George N. Fletcher in the purchase of pinelands in the Thunder bay region. In 1855, having already secured pine lands in this vicinity, they purchased 450 acres of land lying upon both sides of Thunder Bay river, and bordering on Thunder bay. They made the purchase of Erastus Baily of Wisconsin, and the price paid was fifteen dollars per acre. Mr. Lockwood soon after formed a partnership with John S. Minor, and sold an interest to J. Oldfield. Mr. Fletcher retained his one-half interest. This purchase was made for the purpose of getting sites on the river, in order to build mills to cut their pine.
In the fall of 1856 Mr. Fletcher again visited the site of Alpena. After 1859 his home was in Detroit, but no individual contributed so much to the upbuilding of the place and the region as George N. Fletcher. Although not continuously "on the ground," as his interests were both large and much extended, his money and enterprise first opened the channels of trade at Thunder bay and were potent in making Alpena a real city. His money and counsel were behind the first saw- mill, and in 1858 he was active in the construction of the dam. The ultimate success in improving Alpena harbor was due to him; he was the leader in opening up the salt deposits and mineral springs, while the water works, telephone, electric lights-everything which spelled ad- vancement to the city-always had a hearty friend and helper in him. He never failed, further, to have alert personal representatives-often relatives-to carry out his plans. Mr. Fletcher died on November 5, 1899. aged eighty-six. As stated by a friend and admirer "the founder of Alpena and about the most widely known man in Northern Michi- gan. Also the founder of many of Alpena's permanent industries. He erected the Fletcher house in 1871-2, and has to his credit two pulp mills and the paper mill, besides many other industries."
Mr. Lockwood, on the other hand, stayed closely by the work in hand. In connection with the manufacture of lumber he took a leading part in laying out the town which he made his headquarters and in 1862 brought his family to reside at Alpena. He was supervisor, member of the state legislature, founder and president of the Alpena Harbor Company. organizer of the Alpena & Southwestern Railroad Company, president of the County Agricultural Society, founder of local churches and schools, and a friend and helper of the city and the county who was heart-to-heart with all their activities and ambitions. He died at Put- in-Bay, Ohio, July 9, 1882, in his sixty-fourth year.
These four-David Oliver, Daniel Carter, George N. Fletcher and James K. Lockwood-were the strong characters which laid the foun- dation for the future of the Thunder bay region and especially of Al- pena city.
Hosted by Google
465
HISTORY OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN
VILLAGE OF FREMONT BORN
In October, 1856, when Samuel Carter got ready to go after his family who were waiting for him at St. Clair he started for Thunder Bay island, intending to take the first steamboat which passed that place. When he arrived at the island he found George N. Fletcher, J. K. Lockwood, J. S. Minor, E. A. Breakenridge and J. Oldfield, who, were on their way to the mouth of the Thunder Bay river to survey the lands there. Mr. Carter joined the party although, being a strong democrat, he disapproved of the Fremont election flag which had been voted as the proper thing by Messrs. Fletcher, Lockwood and Breaken- ridge, republicans. "As soon as the party had landed at the little clearing near the mouth of the river," says one of the many accounts of the incident which is pronounced the "advent of politics" into the Thunder Bay country, "they commenced making preparations for rais- ing their Fremont flag. They cut a good-sized cedar pole, nailed the flag to the top end of it, and then endeavored to raise the flagstaff and plant it in the ground so that the emblem of their political faith might wave defiantly above the newly named village of Fremont. The flag- staff was not very heavy and if it hadn't been election time the party of Fremonters could easily have set it up right; but being somehow or other affected by the water they had imbibed, they were unable to man- age; so they requested Mr. Carter, who had during this time been look- ing on, to help them. Mr. Carter refused, declaring that he wasn't going to help them raise a Fremont flag; and going a little way from the party sat down and watched the performance. Several times the Fremonters succeeded in nearly raising the pole, getting it almost up only to have it tumble down again, but they were determined to suc- ceed, and, after several futile attempts, the Fremont flag waved proudly above their heads."
ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY
In February, 1857, mainly through the energy and efforts of Mr. Lockwood, the legislature passed an act organizing the county of Alpena, the act being approved on the fourteenth of the month. Fre- mont was named as the county seat. The counties of Alpena, Oscoda, Montmorency and a portion of Presque Isle were attached to Cheboygan for judicial purposes.
The first board of supervisors for Alpena county was created by a special act of the legislature, the members being Daniel Carter, of Fre- mont, Harvey Harwood, of Thunder Bay island, and D. D. Oliver of Devil river. They were authorized to act as a board of county can- vassers, as well as a board of supervisors and were to hold their offices until the towns were organized, and to fill any possible vacancy on the board.
After being notified of their appointment, about the first of June, 1857, the members of the new board met for business and organized by making Daniel Carter, chairman, and having no county clerk, D. D.
Vol I-30
Hosted by Google
466
HISTORY OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Oliver was made secretary. Mr. Harwood soon moved out of the county and left the chairman and secretary to have it their own way.
In August, 1857, the schooner "John Minor" sailed into Thunder Bay river bringing Addison F. Fletcher, who came in the interest of G. N. Fletcher, and who superintended the construction of a rough board store, which was located on Water street at or near its junction with Second street, the schooner having brought the lumber for that purpose. Mr. Fletcher took an active part in the early affairs of the county, being the first clerk of both the city and the county. At one time he owned the best property in the village of Alpena; but he never had much faith in the large growth of the place.
In September, 1857, Joseph K. Miller came to Fremont, and with him, a number of other settlers. He was middle aged, well educated, a good business man, very strict in his habits, a hater of all stimulants and a Bostonian. Soon after his arrival he was appointed to fill the vacancy in the board of supervisors, caused by the departure of Harvey Harwood. With proper technicalities the board then proceeded to organize the township of Fremont, which comprised Alpena county proper and all of the territory attached to it for judicial purposes.
On the 4th day of November, 1857, as provided by the organic law, the first election took place in Alpena county and the township officers entered upon the duties of their several offices as soon as they could be qualified, there being no person in the county who could legally ad- minister the oath of office. The officers elected were as follows:
Sheriff, William R. Bowman; county clerk, A. F. Fletcher; county treasurer, J. K. Miller; register of deeds, J. K. Miller ; county surveyor, D. D. Oliver; circuit court commissioner, David Plough; coroner, A. F. Fletcher. At the general election held in November, 1858, the entire number of votes cast in Alpena county was thirty-five.
The first business of the year 1858 was to secure a postoffice. There were but few settlers here, but their letters were just as precious to them as though the population numbered thousands. An office had been established in Tawas City, and also at Au Sable. The postoffice was established in January, 1858, with Daniel Carter as first postmaster. The first mail arrived January 17, 1858, and it was a very important event to the settlers then in Alpena. The postoffice was known as Fre- mont ; afterward at the request of the citizens, the name was changed to Alpena, then to Thunder bay, and finally to Alpena again. This name it still bears, as the postal authorities got tired of so much changing. The United States mail was in charge of Indians and half breeds on the route between Bay City and Sault Ste. Marie. The mail was drawn on a train by three dogs, the course being around the shore, and they drove up in front of the postoffice kept by Daniel Carter, with much ceremony. The mail came once a week in winter and in summer the only chance for the mail to get to Alpena was the good fortune that some traveler had business below, when the postmaster would give him an order for the mail. Every person who went in the vicinity of a post- office where Alpena mail might be lying was supposed to consider him- self under solemn obligation to constitute himself the mail carrier.
In 1858 the courthouse was located in the second story of Miller,
Hosted by Google
467
HISTORY OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN
Fletcher & Company's store, which stood about on the later site of the Myers block at the end of the bridge on the corner of Second and Water streets. It remained there until the new courthouse was built. This new building was constructed by Deacon Hitchcock, who took the county bonds and negotiated them on condition that the Congregational church might have the privilege of using the court room on Sundays. The building stood near where the Centennial block was afterward built on Second street. It was completed in 1863 and was destroyed by fire De- cember 12, 1870. Rooms were then fitted up on River street, which were used until the completion of the more substantial courthouse in 1882.
The people became dissatisfied with the name Fremont-some of them good Democrats like Mr. Carter-and a petition to the legislature was followed by action. in February, 1859, which made the county seat at the mouth of the river, Alpena.
In the preceding fall Lockwood and Minor had inaugurated the first lumber aperations on Thunder Bay river, and in the spring of 1859 Obed Smith and Harman Chamberlain, of St. Clair county commenced the work of building the first steam sawmill in Alpena county. They pushed forward the work with vigor and in August or September of the same year sawed the first boards. The first work done by this mill was to cut the logs belonging to the firm of Lockwood & Minor, which work occupied the balance of the season and part of 1860. Lockwood & Minor followed in the succeeding year with another steam sawmill and in 1862 with a third. A dam across the river had been constructed by the Trowbridge brothers in the fall of 1860, so that Alpena, which was never incorporated as a village, took on the semblance of a very busy lumber town during Civil war times.
About the year 1863 the Thunder Bay River & Harbor Improvement Company was organized with a capital of $20,000. James K. Lockwood was the president. Work was done and about eight feet of water se- cured when the capital was exhausted. George N. Fletcher then pur- chased the stock at fifty cents on the dollar, reorganized the company and expended $50,000. With that expenditure piers were built and a channel dredged with eleven and one-half feet of water. He then com- menced charging tolls as authorized in the charter and continued to do so about four and one-half years, when the charter was annulled by the legislature, causing a loss to Mr. Fletcher of about $40,000. Since that time work has been done by the government and the channel has a depth sufficient to float the deep-draught freight boats of the lakes.
A TURNING POINT
The year 1864 was certainly a turning point in the fortunes of Al- pena. At that time there were on the north side of the river the Old- field and Fletcher mills, Boggs Hotel, two boarding houses, a group of shabby buildings known as Salt block and about a dozen private dwelling houses; on the south side, the Lockwood & Minor, Island and Lester mills and three barn-like stores. When the spirits of the town were at their lowest ebb, as is so apt to be the fortunes of the individual,
Hosted by Google
468
HISTORY OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN
there came a decided reaction; for from the year 1864 really dates the commencement of Alpena's substantial growth. In that year Lester, Long & Company built a steam saw mill on the east side of River street which run one large circular saw and a lath mill, capacity about two million feet of lumber and one million pieces of lath employing about twenty men. They also built a boarding house near the mill. In this year, although the "Home Mill" belonging to Lockwood & Minor was destroyed by fire involving a heavy loss to them, it was rebuilt the same season. The Thunder Bay Dam Company's dam was finished in 1864, and a large water mill built on the east side of the river by John Old- field. It employed about forty men. Messrs. Doer & Fairchild erected a manufactory for making tar and turpentine from pine stumps and many hundreds of these were made into tar, turpentine and charcoal. They sold their interest to Martin Minton who, in 1865, built another factory at Ossineke. The first bridge was built across Thunder Bay river also in this year.
In 1865 Wm. Jenney and Elisha Harrington built a steam sawmill which when completed was the largest of its kind in Alpena county, run- ning one gang, one large muley saw and two large circular saws, with lath machines, edgers, slab saws, etc. They also erected a large board- ing house and a few dwellings. This property changed hands and in 1876 belonged to Hilliard, Churchill & Co. In 1864 the Smith & Cham- berlain mill was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the year 1865 on the same site. In 1876 the property was purchased and belonged to Folk- erts & Butterfield.
The First Congregational society of Alpena commenced in 1865 the erection of a large and beautiful church on the north side of Second street ; a wooden structure costing about $6,000.
Two large hotels were built in this year-1865-one by J. R. Beach, called the Union Star hotel, and the other by Julius Potvin and known as the Alpena house.
In 1866 E. P. Campbell & Co. built what was known as the Camp- bell & Potter mill, located a mile and a half west from the mouth of Thunder Bay river. At or about this time, G. S. Lester, under the firm name of C. Thompson & Co., erected a large shingle mill, using the tram road and dock of E. P. Campbell & Co. for shipping purposes.
In 1866 two more shingle mills were built, one on the north side of the river. near the bay, by Thomas Robinson, who introduced the first planing machine into Alpena county. Prior to this all lumber had to be dressed by hand and proved very expensive. The other shingle mill was built by Hopper & Davis on the north side of the river and near Chisholm street. Both of these were burned, the former in June, 1867, and the latter is not known.
In 1864 or 1865 the board of supervisors made a contract for clear- ing Jessie square, and erecting a suitable building for a jail. It was built on Chisholm street and made of two inch planks, doubled and fastened with spikes driven close together. It had three or four cells, two light rooms for prisoners and ample rooms for turnkey and family.
So the building and busy operation of sawmills went on through the war period and after, one of the largest outside mills being erected by
Hosted by Google
469
HISTORY OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN
David D. Oliver at Ossineke, in 1867. The main building was one hun- dred and twenty feet long and forty feet wide.
A. F. Fletcher, Comstock and others continued active and in 1868 a new industry was founded. In that year a number of the business men of Alpena made up a fund to bore for salt, but the arrangements were made so late in the season of 1868 that navigation closed before the machinery for drilling could be got up from below, and it had to be brought through by land. After getting the drill at work, slow progress was made in consequence of the hardness of the rock and a defective boiler. After piercing different strata of sand, gravel and boulders, the operator came to a rock at the depth of thirty feet. The first strata of rock was limestone, and this was about two feet thick. He then came to a layer of quartz eighteen feet thick. In this quartz he found a con- siderable quantity of copper ore. The next was four feet of shale. Beneath this was three and one-half feet of soap-stone when he again struck limestone and so on for some 400 feet, when a vein of mineral water was struck which flowed with great force. In August, 1869, brine was found at a depth of 1,100 feet, and the work of putting in tubing commenced. But in May, 1869, the investigation of H. L. Harrison of East Saginaw and A. F. Fletcher determined the magnetic qualities of the water, as well as their mineral, and in July, 1872, the Fletcher House was opened to the public to take advantage of the curative powers of these waters. Since then many visitors have been attracted to Al- pena by her magnetic springs.
The remarkable increase of population for some years after 1864 is told in the census figures; in the year named the local enumeration gave Alpena 674 inhabitants, its population in 1870, according to the state census being 2,756.
FIRST YEARS AS A CITY
As stated, Alpena was never incorporated as a village. It remained under township organization until the spring of 1871, although an at- tempt had been made to incorporate as a village in 1863 and as a city in 1868 and 1869. In the meantime, in 1867, Ossineke township had been organized-the only one outside of Alpena.
In the winter of 1871 the matter of city incorporation was earnestly presented to the legislature, petitions carrying three hundred names being presented to that body in March. On the 29th of that month the act providing for municipal incorporation was approved, and on the first Monday of the following months were elected Alpena's first city officers-Seth L. Carpenter, mayor; A. L. Power, treasurer; Donald Mc- Rae, comptroller ; A. Hopper, recorder. Mr. Carpenter had been a citi- zen of Alpena since 1868 and had been county clerk the preceding year. He was a Maine man, a lawyer, able and popular.
One of the first movements of the city government was to organize a fire department, for, like all lumber towns, Alpena had already been visited by several disastrous fires. On the 4th of July, 1862, a conflagra- tion had spread from the adjoining pineries and swept through the settlement taking buildings which it ill could spare, including a par-
Hosted by Google
470
HISTORY OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN
tially completed mill of Lockwood & Minor. A worse one had oc- curred in April, 1863, and in December, 1870, the court house and other buildings were destroyed. Then came a bad fire in April, 1871, shortly before the first city election, which swept away many buildings and turned one hundred people out-of-doors. On the following 19th of May a meeting of citizens was held to organize a fire department, and on the 30th the city council passed the ordinance which made it a part of the municipal government. But the "department" with its one little steamer, was as an infant in the hands of the great conflagration of July 12, 1872, which caused a loss of four lives and $200,000 in property. Sixty-five of the best business houses and dwellings were burned to the ground. and not a few deaths afterward resulted from injuries re- ceived during the terrible and heroic fight with the flames. Other con- flagrations have since occurred, but that of July 12, 1872, is still re- corded as the great fire.
Prior to 1872 all banking business for Alpena was done in Detroit. On the 1st of March, 1872, Charles Bewick, Andrew Comstock and Will- iam B. Comstock organized the Alpena Banking Company, with A. W. Comstock as cashier. In April of the same year George L. Maltz and J. L. Whiting organized The Exchange Bank with Mr. Maltz as cashier. These banks brought a large amount of currency into the city, supply- ing the needs of the business men of Alpena and became very important institutions of the place. A large hotel was erected this season by George N. Fletcher, under certain arrangements with the people of Alpena, and called the Fletcher House-mention of which has been made.
In July, 1873, Daniel Carter donated to the city ten acres of land to be used as a cemetery, located near the western limits of the city. The first white person buried in this cemetery was a man by the name of Peter Duclos, and the first Indian buried there was Pe-na-se-won-a-quot, son of the old chief Sog-on-e-qua-do.
In 1874 congress appropriated $20,000 for building a lighthouse at the mouth of Thunder Bay river and also established a life saving sta- tion on Thunder Bay island. In 1881 the life-saving station on Middle island was completed.
WATER AND LIGHT
The first efforts toward the construction of water works were made in August, 1877, when the common council entered into contract with W. P. Hanchett to lay a large conducting pipe to the city from the south branch of the river. In the following October a contract in fur- therance of the enterprise was entered into between the city officials and the Alpena City Water Company. The pump house at the dam and the entire first system was placed in operation in September, 1879, but it was not until the fall of 1880 that the water supply was drawn from the bay. In December. 1886, the new pumping works on Thunder bay were placed in commission, from which dates the present-day system.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.