USA > Michigan > A history of the northern peninsula of Michigan and its people, its mining, lumber and agricultural industries, Volume I > Part 48
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 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67
The road was first proposed, in the former year, by Heman B. Ely that the ore from the iron mines might be shipped, via Marquette, to the large furnaces situated in the coal fields of the lower lakes. Al-
Digiized hy Google
411
THE NORTHERN PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN
though the project was regarded by some as visionary. it was supported by John Burt and others, so that Mr. Ely had a survey made in 1852, and immediately after the passage of the general state railroad law, in 1855, the enterprise was incorporated as the Iron Mountain Railroad, with Mr. Burt as president. Cornelius Donkersley was its first super- intendent and so remained for many years. In the following year the enterprise was strengthened by the accession of Joseph S. Fay, of Bos- ton; Edwin Parsons, of New York; Lewis H. Morgan, of Rochester, New York, and other capitalists, who furnished the necessary funds to complete the road to the Lake Superior mine. at Ishpeming, to which place it was completed in 1857. Mr. Ely did not live to see this work finished, as he died suddenly at his home in Marquette, in October, 1856.
The Iron Mountain Railroad was subsequently merged into the Bay de Noquet & Marquette Railroad, which, as the Marquette & On- tonagon, extended its line to Lake Michigamme, and in 1872 was consol- idated with the Houghton & Ontonagon. under the name of the Mar- quette, Houghton & Ontonagon, which extended from Marquette to L'Anse, and has, these many years, been but a link in the great sys- tem known as the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic.
After the Jackson, the Marquette Iron Company was the second in the field, and the first in the Marquette distriet. It was organized, in 1848, by A. R. Harlow and Robert J. Graveraet, of Marquette, and Ed- ward Clark, then of Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1849. '50, under the superintendeney of Mr. Harlow, the old Marquette forge was built near the lake shore just south of Superior street (noted by Mr. White, as one of the misfortunes of the place). In July, 1850, the Marquette Company's forge was completed and commeneed to make blooms, but in March, 1853. the newly organized Cleveland Iron Mining Company (proprietors, Dr. M. L. Hewitt, of Marquette, and John Outhwaite and Samuel L. Mather, of Cleveland) succeeded to the property and fran- chises of the old Marquette Iron Company, and immediately after the completion of the Iron Mountain Railroad built a trestle work and pier for shipping ore. This was the commencement of the present great ore docks. The Jackson, the Lake Superior and the Cleveland companies were engaged in mining and shipping ore for several years before any other concerns, and for this reason are still sometimes called the "three old companies."
ORE PIERS BUILT
In 1864 the Peninsula Railroad, of which Charles T. Harvey may be called the originator, was completed from Negaunee to Escanaba. Up to that year the Jackson Iron Company shipped its ore to Marquette over the trestle work and pier known as the long dock, or Jackson doek. Each of the three old companies thus had its special pier for shipping ore. Until 1865 the railroad company had no pier of its own, either for ore or merchandise, but in that year the Iron Mountain road built a combination pier on the site of the present ore dock of the Dulnth
Digiized hy Google
412
THE NORTHERN PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN
South Shore & Atlantie. This was burned in the great fire of 1868, but the railroad company afterward purchased the Lake Superior Com- pany's pier and rebuilt it exclusively for merchandise, reconstructing another for ore on the site of the pier which had been burned.
GREAT FIRE OF 1868
A period of great prosperity for Marquette was checked by the dis- astrous conflagration of June 11. 1868. The fire started near Front street in the shops of the Marquette, Houghton & Ontonagon railway in a pile of waste. The pumps could not be used, and the fire burned along Front street to Baraga avenue on the south, and to Washington street on the north, and on the west it burned in places as far back as Third street; following down the old Cleveland track it left the Tre- mont House, later the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantie railroad depot. It crossed Front street and burned everything between the lake shore, Front street from Baraga avenue to Washington street. It destroyed the Marquette, Houghton & Ontonagon Railway Company ore dock,
CLEVELAND ORE DOCK, MARQUETTE
the M. H. & O. merchandise dock, and the dock extending from the shore to the Grace furnace and the old trestle along in front of that dock. The damage was estimated at one million and a half dollars, and the insurance at about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. So great was the heat, the wind blowing from a little west of south that Mr. White was forced, in order to save his house on Ridge street, oppo- site the end of Cedar street, to eover the roof with wet blankets.
This apparent calamity to Marquette was in truth a benefit. The fire destroyed a number of old and dilapidated buildings, which since then have been replaced by handsome stores. The people would never have voluntarily abandoned the wooden buildings, and they would have remained as long as they had held together, an eye-sore to the city.
But neither fire, nor money panics, nor financial stringeneies, nor industrial depressions, have been able to permanently check the on- ward march of Marquette, as her prosperity is still chiefly based on her splendid advantages as an outlet, and a partial consumer, of the vast product of the iron mines whose output has steadily inereased from year to year.
Dighodiny Google
413
THE NORTHERN PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN
ORE TRAFFIC AND OTHER BUSINESS
The total shipments of ore from the Marquette range, about fifty per cent of which has passed through the port of Marquette for the past thirty years and even a larger proportion prior to 1880, are as follows, for purposes of general comparison the statistics being sub- stantially given by decades :
1856 7.000 tons 1890 .2,993,664 tons
1860 116,000 tons
1902 3,868,025 tons
1870
856,000 tons 1909 4.256,172 tons
1880 1,430,863 tons
This immense traffic is now handled by the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic, the Lake Superior & Ishpeming and the Marquette & Southeast- ern roads. Marquette is the general headquarters of the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic, whose eastern termini are at St. Ignace and Sault Ste. Marie. It penetrates the copper country to Laurium, with a branch which leaves the main line at Nestoria ; by another branch to the mines of the Gogebie range it obtains its share of traffic in that iron field. Mar- quette is also the home office of the Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railway and the Marquette & Southeastern, which connects with the Munising Railway at Lawson. The city is now the outlet for more than 150 iron mines in the Marquette range, or district, the largest and most conven- ient ore dock (lighted by electricity and provided with the most modern machinery) being that owned by the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad.
A large business at Marquette is conducted in the dealing of lumber, cedar posts, and poles for telephone and telegraph lines. There are also several extensive dealers in mining, mill and lumbermen's supplies, and the general mercantile establishments are well stocked and prosperous. The trade and commerce of the place are floated through three well-con- ducted banks-the First National, Marquette National and the Marquette County Savings. The first named institution was organized by Peter White in 1862, its basis being his private hank founded in 1853.
A slight digression is made at this point to note more in detail the construction of the Detroit, Mackinac & Marquette line to St. Ignace (Marquette & Southeastern). For a number of years Marquette had longed for an eastern outlet. The only route of travel when the lake was closed was by way of Chicago, and parties wishing to visit the lower peninsula were required to go through Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana in order to reach their destination. The feeling grew so strong that there should be rail communication between Marquette and Detroit that the people bent every energy to obtain it. The question seemed to depend upon a grant of land from the state, a bonus to those who would build the necessary road from Marquette to St. Ignace, the Michigan Central would supply the remaining link. Who could obtain this grant? Who could go to Lansing, and represent the needs of the people in such a way
Digiized hy Google
414
THE NORTHERN PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN
that the legislature would heed the cry and give the necessary land. By common consent, the faces of the people were turned towards Peter White as the one and one only who could fill this breach, but he was a Democrat ; but no matter said the people whether he is a Democrat or a Republican, he is the man to do this duty.
Mr. White was nominated for state senntor on the Democratie ticket for this purpose and this alone, against Dan HI. Ball and almost unnni- mously elected. This was all that was asked of him. he might act with his party on party measures, but everything was to be subservient to the railroad. After arriving at Lansing Mr. White introduced a bill to grant land in aid of the construction of the Marquette & Mackinac rail- rond on March 26, 1875. The committees on railroads and public lands of both house and the senate gave him a hearing; as a matter of course the grunt was obtained, and thus a fund crented which resulted in the completion of the line to St. Ignace in December, 1881. The first regular train from Marquette arrived at St. Ignace on the 18th of that month, and both Peter White and Marquette were credited with another good work.
VILLAGE AND CITY
The first plat of Marquette was made for the Cleveland Iron Mining Company in August, 1854, and recorded before Peter White, register of the county. It represented that part of the city extending back from the bay to Fifth street and north from a line sonth of Fisher street to a line half a block north of Spring street. The thirty-six aere addition ex- tending from the north side of the original plat, north of Ridge street, was laid off during the same year for M. L. Hewitt, Ed. Cook, John Burt, Charles Johnson and Eliza T. Duncan of the Cleveland Iron Company, and Harlow's two additions, Hewitt's addition, Burt & Ely's addition and Penny & Vaughn's additions were all made prior to the incorpora- tion of Marquette as a village by the state legislature in 1859. All the records of the village were destroyed in the fire of 1868.
The great fire of 1868, which swept over so large a territory of Mar- quette village, had a stimulating effect in the establishment of adequate water works and fire systems. On April 5, 1869, less than a year after its occurrence, the villagers voted in favor of a $100,000 loan for the purpose of constructing a system of water works. On account of some technicality the vote was considered illegal, but $50.000 was voted in the following August, and a contraet was made with the Holly Manufac- turing Company to supply the village with pumps of 2,000,000 gallons daily capacity. In the following month the authorities contracted with T. T. Hurley to build an engine honse on the light house reservation near the harbor breakwater, and from that time Marquette's good water system has been established.
Until November, 1869, the fire department of Marquette was purely voluntary; that is, its good citizens turned out to extinguish a fire if it was convenient and they felt like it. But the big fire made them ponder
Digiized hy Google
415
THE NORTHERN PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN
the matter, and on the 13th of the above named month the council di- reeted the board of fire and water commissioners to re-organize the "de- partment" and appoint a chief engineer. That was the beginning of its present paid and modern system.
In this all-important year for the birth of public institutions-July 17, 1869, the village council granted the Marquette Gaslight Company the right to ereet its buildings and lay its mains, and before the close of 1869 the village was lighted by gas.
The city of Marquette was incorporated under authority of a legis- lative aet approved February 27, 1871, being set off from Marquette township and divided into three wards. The first municipal officers. elected April 3rd of that year, were: H. H. Safford, mayor; Arch Ben- edict, recorder; F. M. Moore, treasurer; John G. O'Keefe, school in- spector and justice of the peace; Jacob Dolf, constable; and T. T. Hur- ley. P. C. Parkinson and James M. Wilkinson, aldermen,
"The "Queen City of Lake Superior" is rightly named, for it is, by far, the best built, handsomest and wealthiest city on the southern shores of the great inland sea. The city lies upon a well defined inlet of Lake Superior, called Marquette bay, and is built on and between hills. Its business portion is situated on an almost level area in the valley, while the main residence portion is on several plateaus seventy-five to a hun- dred feet above lake level. The streets are finely paved and lined with broad stone or cement sidewalks; its stores are substantial and its resi- dences pleasing, while its public buildings are striking evidences of its high municipal standing. Nearby are beautiful parks, picturesque drives and walks, as well as the stately buildings of the Northern State Normal School and the Upper Peninsula State Prison, or, as it is of- ficially known. the State House of Correction and Branch of State Prison in Upper Peninsula.
The growth in population may serve to indicate the advancement of the city in other respects. Starting in 1852 with a population of about two hundred, in 1860 it numbered within its borders 1,664, including half-breeds and Indians. The census of 1870 disclosed the presence here of 3.880 people. The increase during the following decade is found to be somewhat below the former record, and very much less than that be- tween 1880.90. dne doubtless to the stagnation in iron caused by the severe panic of that decade, which affected no district in all the land as it did this one. The enumeration of 1880 gave to Marquette city 4,690 people, all told. It bonnded to 9,093 in 1890; was 10,058 in 1900 and 11,503 in 1910. The city is divided into five wards, with population as follows, neeording to the ceusus of 1910: Ward 1, 2,684; ward 2, 1,613; ward 3, 1.949; ward 4, 2,620; ward 5, 2,637.
HARBOR AND WATER POWER
Marquette's splendid harbor has largely contributed to her growth, and to its fine advantages contributed by nature have been added the skill of engineers and the resources of the national government. Dredg-
Dgiized hy Google
- 1
1 1
LIGHTHOUSE POINT AND PRESQUE ISLE, NEAR MARQUETTE
Dlg ized by Google
417
THE NORTHERN PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN
ing has been systematically prosecuted for years, until today vessels of the deepest draught can enter the harbor with safety. The original plan for a breakwater 2,000 feet in length was extended to 3,000 feet and com- pleted in 1894. A project for a concrete superstructure to the present breakwater, to cost $232,936.71 was approved in 1890 and the construc- tion of this massive monolithic structure was commenced and prosecuted during the season of 1895. The design of this work was original with the United States engineer officer of the Lake Superior district and con- stituted a radical departure from the old lines of engineering precedent, both in this country and abroad. It was constructed with two 45 de- gree parallel slopes to the sea and a vertical face on the harbor side; with a banquet 8 feet wide and parapet 6 feet in width, with respective elevations of 6 and 10 feet above the mean lake level. A closed gallery throughout the entire length of the structure enables the lighthouse keeper to reach the onter light without danger in stormy weather. This novel method of construction not only met the requirements of condi- tions which demand a sea wall of great permanence and stability, but presented a pleasing appearance. The harbor protected by this break- water is of ample capacity and depth to accommodate vessels of the deepest draught, and in addition to the heavy traffic to and from this port is much used by vessels traversing the lake us a harbor of refuge during storins.
The city water works are located on the shore of the lake just out- side the breakwater, the intake pipe running out into the harbor a dis- tance of seven hundred feet. The control of this public work, as well as of the electric light and power plant, is in a board. independent of the common conneil. During the year 1890 the works were improved and enlarged to a daily enpacity of 6,000,000 gallons, with a view of meeting the probable requirements of the city for the following twenty years.
On Dead river the municipality owns nearly five hundred acres of land, embracing several large water powers. The first of these was in- proved in 1889, when the city put in its own electric light plant, a little over three miles ont from town. The plant has been a complete success from the start. A double Leffel wheel of 300 horse-power was installed, working under a head of twenty eight feet. This operated two are and one incandescent dynamos. The plant went into operation in Novem- ber. 1889; within a year the full capacity of the machines had been renched. and in 1891 the 750-light incandescent was replaced by a 1,500- light machine, to which 4,000 lights, 16 candle-power, were connected. Since then the supply of the plant has been increased from time to time to keep pace with the growing requirements of the city.
A third power in the city property was leased in 1896 to the Mar- quette Valley Mining Company, by which was operated a 100-barrel process flour mill.
Both below and above the city property are fine water powers, some of which have been utilized by locut and eastern capitalists. These lie
Val. 1-27
Digiized hy Google
418
THE NORTHERN PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN
substantially along the northwest city limits, and greatly add to the ad- vantages of Marquette as a manufacturing center. The Forestville falls, just above the city property, are the source of a particularly valuable water power, and for nearly six miles the river is a succession of falls. Below the city property is the water power and plant of the Lake Su- perior Powder Company. So that Dead river may be written down as not only intensely picturesque, but as valuable in dollars and cents and furnishing a material contribution to the present prosperity and future industrial growth of Marquette. A prosperous present-day factory es- tablished in this section is operated by the Presque Isle Sash and Door Company, whose plant is on Island Beach. Earlier enterprises, which have endured and developed, are the Lake Side Iron Works and the Lake Shore Iron Works. The former enterprise was started in 1886 and from a small beginning has grown to a large manufactory of steam en- gines, mill machinery for wood and stone, and all kinds of mining ma- chinery. The Lake Shore Iron Works, established in 1890, turn out much the same class of products.
Within the city limits, at the mouth of Dead river, is also the Dead River saw mill, completed in 1889 as a branch of the Cleveland Saw Mill & Lumber Company, at a cost of $100,000. It is one of the big plants of the region.
Marquette as a city is accommodated by fine electric service, which not only covers the corporate territory but extends to Presque Isle. The franchise of the Marquette City & Presque Isle Railway Company was secured from the common council, in 1890, and about five miles of tracks were laid the first year. The power station is located at the mouth of Dead river near the saw mill.
Marquette is represented in the journalistic field by two newspapers -the Mining Journal and the Chronicle. The latter is a bright evening paper, comparatively young, while the Mining Journal is the oldest paper in the Upper Peninsula, being established at Copper Harbor, in 1846, and identified with its development have been some of the strong- est men of the state. The Journal (then the Lake Superior Journal), moved to Sault Ste. Marie in 1848 and there published under the same title, without break in volume or number. It made its appearance at Marquette in the fall of 1855, since it has been simply The Mining Jour- nal. On June 2, 1884, appeared the first number of the Daily Mining Journal. A. P. Swineford had been identified with the paper since 1868, and as editor and part owner since 1870. In 1885 he was ap- pointed governor of Alaska by President Cleveland and in 1889 dis- posed of his interest in the Journal to J. M. Longyear, and the Mining Journal Company, Limited, was organized. Since that year there has been no change in the general management of the paper except that Mr. Longyear's interest has been purchased by N. M. Kaufman. A. Hornstein, its treasurer and manager, is one of the veterans and pillars of the paper, James Russell's interest in the Journal having been pur- chased of Mr. Hornstein in 1882, when the paper was being conducted under the name of A. P. Swineford & Company.
Digiizedby Google
419
THE NORTHERN PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN
PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND MARQUETTE STATUE
As Marquette is the county's seat of justice, the city contains the county court house and jail-the latter building too large for its needs. The county buildings cost about $250,000.
On Washington street, until the late nineties almost exclusively a resident street, is situated the Custom House, a fine, brick building, three stories in height, and erected at a cost of $100,000. Occupying the entire first floor of this building is the postoffice. On the floor above are located the Customs office and the United States Land Office for this distriet. The third floor is given up to the United States circuit court, and in the tower, overlooking the city, the bay and the lake beyond, is the Signal Service station.
Just west of and almost overshadowing the federal building is the handsome city hall, in which are luxuriously domiciled all the municipal departments.
On the same street is a fine opera house, probably the best north of Milwaukee and east of Duluth. It was erected in 1890 at a cost of about $75,000. The audience room is furnished with all the modern improve- ments in the way of lighting, heating and ventilation. There are four stores on the ground floor ; the second story, not used for the opera house proper, is rented for offices, while the entire third floor is leased to the Masonie bodies, who have fitted it up in a style not equalled in the state outside of Detroit.
Marquette has eight schools, among the most imposing of which are its High School, a massive brown stone structure valued at $100,000 and the Heman B. Ely school of similar construction.
The Peter White Library is, as its name implies, a memorial to its lamented "first citizen," although the building was completed several years before his death in 1898. In 1872 Mr. White gave the city of Marquette four thousand dollars to be used in founding a public library. A board of trustees was appointed to invest the fund and use it for its designated purposes. On August 12, 1879, Mr. White gave the trustees the building formerly used as a city hall on Spring street, just baek of the First National bank. He provided that the second story of this building should be fitted up and used as a library, the recorder to be. librarian, and the books to be drawn once a week, and provided that the common council so long as it gave room to the library might occupy the ground floor of the building for a city hall. In 1886 he fitted up a room for the library in the First National bank building at a cost of $1,800 and gave this room rent free, provided the city paid a librarian that should keep the library open six days in a week, the funds to carry on the library being contributed from time to time by Mr. White. On Jan- uary 12, 1892. he presented to the city the Thurber building and lot Nos. 134 and 136 Washington street, estimated to be worth at that time $20.000, a bill having been passed in the meantime making the library a department of the city. Since then the Peter White Library has in- creased in efficiency, erected its own building on the corner of Front
Digiized hy Google
EEE
Dgszed by Google
PETER WHITE PUBLIC LIBRARY, MARQUETTE
421
THE NORTHERN PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN
and Ridge streets, and is more than ever appreciated since the death of its generous founder.
The most striking work of art in the city is the great bronze statue of Father Marquette which stands on a natural rock pedestal at the foot of Ridge street. It is a replica of the marble statue, completed by the Florentine sculptor Gaetano Trentanove in February, 1896, and deposited in Statuary Hall, or the Hall of Fame, as one of Wisconsin's representatives of the immortals. The bronze reproduction at Mar- quette was unveiled with elaborate ceremonies, July 15, 1897, the dis- tinguished sculptor himself being present.
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.