USA > Michigan > A history of the northern peninsula of Michigan and its people, its mining, lumber and agricultural industries, Volume I > Part 62
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construction on the Michigan side, of a large mill that a few years later became the property of the Kirby-Carpenter Company. Leaving a more detailed mention of these mills for a time, we pass on to mention chron- ologically the establishment of other mills that came to the Menominee locality.
In 1857 William E. Bagley und William N. Boswell built a shingle mill on the shore of Green bay, the present location of the Menominee Spice Mills, and n little to the south of Pengilly street.
In 1858. Anson Bangs built a small water-mill on Little river, abont five miles north of the then village of Menominee. In 1860 Simon Strauss built a mill upon the shore of Green bay, on the site of the re- cent mill of Ramsay & Jones, and just north of the Lumberman's Na- tional Bank building.
In 1861 Henry Nason commenced the construction of a shingle mill on a small island in the Menominee river, between Tebo island and the Michigan shore, near where the railway bridge of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company now stands, but this mill seems to have been fated. for, starting to run in the spring of 1862, it burned down in July of the same year, the fire having started while the men were at dinner.
In 1863 R. Stephenson & Company built the first mill that a few years later became the property of the Ludington, Wells & Van Schaick Company.
In 1866 mills were built on the Wisconsin side of the river by Wil. liam McCartney and by the Hamilton Merrymun Company, and one was built on the Bay shore, at Ingallston, abont twelve miles north of Menominee, by Judge E. S. Ingalls and his brother. Charles B. Ingalls.
In 1867. Daniel Wells, Jr., before mentioned as having been aboard the first steambont that tonched at the port of Menominee, together with Andrew Stephenson and Lonis Gram, built the mill that a little later became the mill of the H. Whitbeek Company, in Marinette.
In 1872. Mellen Smith, father of the present town of Mellen, built a shingle mill on the Bay shore in the town of Ingallston, a short distance from the first mentioned Ingallston mill, but soon thereafter moved it back into the interior, where, at Wallace, then called Section 16, he owned and operated one miHl after another for many succeeding years, being the first to run an exclusively railroad mill in this county.
In the same year, 1872, William E. Bagley and Egbert M. Copp built a planing. sash and door mill in the village of Menominee, where the bayon of the river sets in close to Ogden avenne, this mill having been located on the north side of Ogden avenue und west from where the French Catholic church now stands.
In 1874. Lemoyne. Hubbard & Wood, who then owned the mill already mentioned as having been purchased by them at Cedar river. built another mill at Spalding, a station on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, where that road crosses the Cedar river, and, in the same year Sumner A. Benjamin built a shingle mill on the same railroad at a point eighteen miles north of Menominee.
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NORTHERN MICHIGAN CEDAR CAMP.
John Quimby
EARLY HUNTING SCENE Dr. John Hall Charles Quimby
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In 1875 John W. Wells began the construction of the mill on the Bay shore that soon thereafter became the property of the Girard Lum- ber Company, was run for many years under the personal management of Mr. Wells, and is now about to be superseded by the modern mill of the J. W. Wells Lumber Company, at present being constructed. Men- tion has been made consecutively of the earlier mills to enter the lum- ber erusade, and many of those mentioned stayed in through the race, while some fell by the wayside at various stages.
Following the construction of the Wells mill on the Bay shore, in the northern part of the village of Menominee, other mills were con- structed in that vicinity, including those of the Menominee Bay Shore Lumber Company, Augustus Spies, Peters & Morrison, Blodgett & Da- vis Lumber Company, Menominee River Shingle Company, and there was also constructed on the Bay shore, a little to the south of where the Leisen & Henes brewery now stands, the E. P. Barnard saw-mill, all of which, together with additional mills constructed by the Kirby-Carpen- ter Company, and the Ludington, Wells & Van Schaiek Company in Michigan, and the Sawyer-Goodman Company in Marinette, have acted their respective parts in the drama that has been played to the tune of the humming of the saws.
SETTLERS OF THE EARLY MILLING DAYS
Before describing more in detail the various mills that have been active for considerable periods of our history, we will digress to make brief mention of the coming upon the scene of some of the settlers of the early milling days. Other than those very early settlers already mentioned, there had come to the river, in 1842, Alexander Longbury; in 1846 JJacob Kern; in 1849 John Breen, Adolph Wilson, Daniel Corry and Morris Hanley; and there came in 1850, the brothers. Thomas, Bartley, James. Daniel and Michael Breen, with their mother, John Corry and sister Catherine, Louis Hardwick, Josiah R. Brooks and his father, Nathaniel Brooks; in 1851. George W. Lovejoy, who is remem- bered by many as "the gunsmith;" in 1852, Gilbert Morean; in 1853. John N. Theriault, who was for many years a familiar character as the leader of "Theriault's Band," a string band of three pieces in which Therinult played (by car) the first "fiddle." Alfred B. Stryker, the second, and the genial John JJ. Farrier, the bass-viol. In 1854 came Nicholas Gewehr, and either that year or in 1853, Henry Newberry and his son William P. Henry Newberry built the third house in the vil- lage and the fourth on the Michigan side; JJohn Quimby and Andrus Eveland having preceded him in the village, and Charles MeLeod hav- ing built "above the village." Henry Newberry was one of those un- fortunates who perished in the great fire of 1871, on his farm near Pesh- tigo, and William P., the son, who survived that trying experience, now lives at Chardon, Ohio.
In 1855, John Hanley, who later became sheriff of Menominee county, Daniel Nason, Alanson F. Lyon, William G. Boswell, William
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Huckeman, and Henry Bade, Sr., with his family, and Frederic and Henry Sieman, added their number to the pioneer settlement, and Messrs. Hackeman, Bade and the two Siemans, that year or the next, located on furms and started the now prosperous Birch Creek settle- ment about six miles north of the city of Menominee. Samuel Abbot, who is well remembered as the first, and for many years the local post- master, and express agent ; Henry Nason, a veteran in the mill busi- ness and who has had numerons municipal offices, and who now, at a ripe old age, is a respected eitizen and a justice of the peace of the city of Menominee; Andrew MeIves and Albert W. Boswell came in 1856, the year when work began in the construction of a number of the prom- inent saw-mills.
Thomas Caldwell came in 1857, and Judge Eleazer S. Ingalls in 1859, though on his first arrival he settled on the Bay shore on the Wis- consin side and on the picturesqne site at the month of Little river. Samuel M. Stephenson and William Holmes arrived in 1858, and Mr. Stephenson promptly became interested in the mill that soon thereafter passed to the Kirby-Carpenter Company, while Mr. Holmes became ac- tively engaged in the affairs of that company as superintendent of its woods und logging operations, and remained with the company until he entered the logging business upon his own account. Leon Cota, Frank Eggert and Louis Dobeas eume in 1861; the latter being then but a young lad found his home with the family of Judge Ingalls, later be- came the first mail carrier in the village of Menominee, and is now a prosperous merchant in the village of Ingalls, which place he named in honor of the judge, whom he has always highly respected and revered, and at which place he was the first postmaster. William Lehman, the veteran blacksmith, the music of whose hammer and anvil made promi- nent and popular in early days, the corner of Main street and Ogden avenne, where the Spies building now stands, came in 1862; he was thereafter closely identified with municipal affairs, and is remembered as an honest and honorable justice of the peace, whose sense of justice sometimes reached farther than the provisions of the law, as is shown by a well remembered incident of his court, and many years ago, as follows: A man came to his office and made complaint against an- other, charging the other with having assaulted and beaten him. The judge issued a warrant, and, on the arrest of the accused, proceeded to a trial without the intervention of any lawyers for either the people or the defense. Concluding from the testimony that the defendant and the complaining witness had been engaged in a mutual quarrel, he found them both guilty and fined each five dollars, and half the costs, which were paid. Many other instances could be recited to show the sense of actual hard-headed justice that controlled the life of this re- spected citizen, but the one is sufficient.
To name all the people that came after active construction and operation of saw-mills begun would be now impossible, but it has been our aim to name all the very early ones, and some of those of the second
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series who have taken prominent part in local enterprises and munici- pal affairs. Other comers will find mention in connection with the de- velopment of the locality in its varions municipal, business and social aspects.
As for many years lumbering was the principal business within the county and the mainstay of its people, a brief description of the mills that were then operated, with mention of citizens that were associated. seems of historical importance. Following the mill first built at Cedar river. the ownership of which has already been traced to the present time. it will be attempted to make mention of the others, especially of the early ones, in the order of their coming.
MARINETTE LUMBER COMPANY
The mill built by the New York Company in 1856, near the month of the river, is said to have cost $80,000 for its construction, nd, aside from being the first of the large mills on the river, it and its successors have remained prominent throughout the great Iumbering period of our history. Its original builders fuiled to meet with success, and, in 1858, mude an assignment for the benefit of their creditors. The property was then operated for two years by Hosmer & Fowler, through their agent, Hiram Fowler, when, in 1860, it was purchased by Charles and Henry Wells, of Pennsylvania. The following year Henry Wells sold his interest to JJesse Spalding (owner of the Cedar River mill) who, assisted by Augustus C. Brown, put the mill upon a paying basis. The mill was twice prnetically destroyed by fire, but promptly rebuilt. first in 1869 and again in the great fire of 1871. Ahout 1865, II. H. Porter, alrendy mentioned as associnted with Mr. Spalding, and as hav- ing later been general manager of the Chiengo & Northwestern Rail- way Company, purchased an interest in the property and brought his capital and influence to bear in increasing the success of the enterprise.
In 1872 the Menominee River Lumber Company was organized as a corporation and took over the title and management of this property. und it numbered among its stockholders such prominent men as Hon. Philetns Sawyer, of Oshkosh. snecessively member of congress and United States senator from Wisconsin; Jesse Spalding. H. HI. Porter. W. D. Houghteling. H. Williston. O. R. JJohnson. F. B. Stockbridge. Michael Corry and Dan Corry. This company acquired about 100.000 acres of timber lands, mostly in Menominee county, so that, although its mill was on the Wisconsin side of the river it was largely identified with and conducted most of its logging operations in Menominee county. Two of the stockholders were early settlers on the river. Daniel Corry having come to Marinette in 1847 and Michael Corry in 1855, and these two gentlemen were instrumental in selecting the lands that have pro- duced the corporation's dividends.
The mill constructed following the fire in 1871 had capacity for man- ufacturing abont twenty-five million feet of Inmber annually, and it was kept in operation by the last named company until they had man-
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ufnetured all their timber into lumber, when it passed to the hands of the Marinette Lumber Company.
THE N. LUDINGTON COMPANY
The N. Ludington Company, having begun the construction of its mill in 1856, had it ready for operation in 1857. The stockholders in the company at that time were Nelson Ludington, of Chicago; Harrison Lndington, later governor of Wisconsin, and Daniel Wells, Jr., of Mil- waukee, above mentioned. In 1858 Isaac Stephenson, later member of congress and now United States senator from Wisconsin, became owner of the Harrison Ludington interest and one-half the N. Ludington in- terest, making the total interest of Mr. Stephenson three-eighths of the entire capital stock. This has been a fortunate mill and has never suf- fered the fire losses common to most saw-mills. The company acquired nearly 100,000 acres of land. located on both the Michigan and Wiscon- sin sides of the river, and its mill is still in operation, with a capacity of over twenty million feet of lumber per annmn.
THE KIRBY, CARPENTER COMPANY
The introduction of the Kirby, Carpenter Company is next in order. and its history is that of the greatest Inmber corporation in the penin- sula, and one of the largest in the world. Soon after active operations were begun, in 1856, in the construction of the "old mill," there ap- peared npon the scene two gentlemen who are in large part responsible for the great success attained by this corporation, which, from a modest beginning, grew to mammoth proportions; they were the late Hon. Sam- uel M. Stephenson and our present highly respected citizen, llon. Wil- liam Holmes. Their connection with the concern began very soon after their coming, abont 1858 or 1859. They were the resident managers, and the others in interest then lived in Chicago. Mr. Stephenson was general manager of the company's affairs and Mr. Holmes was the woods-superintendent for over twenty-five years of the company's early netivity ; during which time the most of its large land-hollings of about 125,000 aeres were acquired, and its three mills were constructed. Dnr- ing that part of the company's history but little of its Inmber was kept in Menominee for seasoning, but the company maintained large yards in the city of Chicago, and the himber was transported thither, mostly by boats; for which purpose the company owned and run the propeller "Favorite" which, under the command of the genial Capt. Thomas Hutchinson, familiarly known and well remembered by all Menominee citizens of those days, with its tow of three barges made three weekly trips to and from Chicago, carrying about 1,200,000 feet of lumber each trip. To enable the propeller to make such good time extra barges were supplied, for loading and unloading while the propeller was going to and fro, almost as regularly as the motion of a clock. The whistle of the steamer was always a welcome sound, and it, as well as the captain's hearty yet kindly voice, will always remain vivid and pleasant memo-
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ries to those who enjoyed the Menomince of those days. Another person, of the very many connected with that company who might well be men- tioned, was Hon. William Somerville, the company's efficient book- keeper. His was always a pleasing countenance and a hearty welcome. He is entitled to credit for having devised and kept a system of books especially adapted to the complicated branches of the company's large business. He remained with the company through all the years of its greatest activity, and did not long survive the work. He acquired the prefix of "Hon." by being for many years probate judge of the county, which office he filled with honor. One of the branches of the company's business during this portion of its career was the running of a mam- moth store from which it supplied not only its own employees, but many of the independent townspeople as well. Its mercantile trade is re- corded for the year 1875, as having been $113,197.04. which is proba- bly a fair average of its annual transactions. In the eighties the com- pany began to change its policy, and hy degrees abandoned its Chicago yards and piled, dried and finished its lumber at Menominee. Messrs. A. A. and W. O. Carpenter, and Mr. S. P. Gibbs, the secretary, removed to Menominee, and the business has largely increased in volume. Mr. Peter A. Van Bergen was a prominent figure in the company's affairs, having general charge of all matters pertaining to the machinery of its mills, and Mr. Roland Harris, another well remembered citizen, was connected with the company as head-sawyer from the time of his eom- ing in 1859,
A good description of the company's business in its later years was written in 1899, and is as follows :
For years the name of the Kirby, Carpenter Company has been synonymous with all that stands for progress, enterprise and magnitude in the lumber business. It is one of the oldest and most extensive in Michigan, and with possibly one or two exceptions is the largest lumber plant in the United States. Wherever lumber enters as a factor of trade or commerce, the Kirby, Carpenter Company is known and accorded a leading position. Started originally in 1852 by Abner Kirby, who lo- cated as a homestead the island upon which the old mill now stands, the first mill was built in 1856 by Mr. Kirby, and the business was increased in 1858 when Samuel M. Stephenson joined fortunes with Mr. Kirby, and the firm became A. Kirby & Co. Four years later, in 1862, A. A. and W. O. Carpenter entered the firm, which then changed its name to Kirby, Carpenter & Co. Articles of incorporation of the Kirby, Car- penter Company were filed in April, 1872, the capital stock being placed at $500.000. The officers and directors of the company at the present time are as follows: President, A. A. Carpenter; vice-president, S. M. Stephenson ; secretary and treasurer, S. P. Gibbs; and a board of di- reetors composed of the following gentlemen: A. A. Carpenter, S. M. Stephenson, W. O. Carpenter, S. P. Gibbs, S. A. Kent. B. M. Frees and A. A. Carpenter, Jr., while J. H. Patterson has immediate charge of the logging operations as well as the superintendency of the manufacturing department.
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The company's extensive plant-mills, yards, etc .- covers some sev- enty aeres bordering on the Menominee river, with several miles of dock- age facilities. There are three saw-mills, locally distinguished as the "old." "new" and "brick" mills. The "old" mill was built in 1853, the "new" in 1867, and the "brick" mill in 1884. The latter has a eapac- ity of 100,000 feet per day of ten hours, the new mill has a capacity of 300,000 feet, and the old mill is capable of turning out 150,000 feet in the same length of time, making a grand total of 550,000 feet of lum- ber for the three mills. The mills are supplied with the latest and most improved machinery, and ent in the aggregate about 100,000,000 feet of lumber each season. In connection with each mill is a lath and shin- gle mill, which combined aggregate a daily eut of 85.000 lath and 200 .- 000 shingles. The company deals largely in dressed lumber, per- haps more so than any other concern on the river. and to prepare this for market there is one large planing mill with sixteen machines, con- sisting of planers, monlders, matchers, etc. It has facilities for dress- ing 200,000 feet of Inmber per day, and is run to its full capacity. In connection with this mill are seven dry kilns that kiln-dry during each season 10,000,000 feet of lumber. Besides putting in about 20,000,000 feet of logs each season with its own men, the company contracts with jobbers for large quantities which are delivered to the river landings or cars for driving or shipping, as the case may be.
The company has piling room for fully 60,000,000 feet of Inmber, besides extensive sheds in the yards for protection from the weather of dressed or planed lumber. Much of the prodnet of the mills is trans- ported by boat during the season of navigation, while shipments by rail continne thronghont the year. A total of from ninety to one hun- dred million feet is shipped each season. three-quarters of which goes by rail and the remainder by water.
The company has facilities of its own for filling nearly every needed requirement of the vast plant. A machine shop, in charge of R. Lavine, master mechanie of the company, contains among other things, five first- class lathes, two planers, a shaper and a drill press. all driven by a 16x42 Corliss engine, which also furnishes power for the electric light plant. A carpenter shop, fitted up with drill press, large planer, circular saw, jig saw, lathes, etc., a blacksmith shop with three fires and horse-shoeing department connected ; and a gristmill for grinding all the feed needed for the horses, are essential parts of the vast establishment. In the shops practically all the mill machines, wagons, sleighs, ete., are made, and all repairs attended to.
All of the company's buildings are lighted by electricity furnished by a fine plant on the premises, consisting of four incandescent and two are light dynamos, with a capacity of 800 incandescent and sixty are lamps.
A complete private fire system is also owned by the company, which is directly in charge of Captain Charles Lindberg. but under the general supervision of Chief Collins of the city department. It consists of six
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hand hose carts, equipped with 4.000 feet of cotton hose, 550 feet of which is three and one-half inches in diameter, the largest made. There are two large fire pumps-one in the machine shop and the other in the brick mill-the first having eight and the other ten-inch suetion, which draw water directly from the river and connect with large mains run- ning in all directions throughout the yards, and having twenty hose connections. Both pumps are always ready for use night and day, all the year around. Besides this protection the city department has twen- ty-seven hydrants on the grounds. Twenty-two alarm boxes located at different points of the yards connect with the city's fire-alarm system. but are entirely independent of it in management and service. The company's water mains are connected with those of the city water works, so that assistance can be rendered in case of necessity. Such aid was given during the burning of the Leisen & Henes brewery several years ago, and again in 1895 at the time of the "big fire." Besides Cap- tain Lindberg the company employs fourteen men to man the fire ap- paratus, who are subject to call at any time during the day or night.
In addition to the many other buildings on the company's premises there are five large barns on Kirby street, where are sheltered all the horses used about the mill, and in the immediate vicinity of the plant the company owns nearly one hundred tenement houses, occupied prin- eipally by employes. Many of these houses are among the handsomest in the city, while all of them are large, roomy and well constructed.
A description of the company's mammoth concern would be ineom- plete withont mention of the fact that several fine farms are owned by it, which furnish hay and grain for the stock, as well as pasturage for the same during the summer months.
The shipping facilities for the products of the Kirby, Carpenter Company's vast business are of the best and amply sufficient. The grounds are reached by the tracks of the Chicago & Northwestern, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, Ann Arbor, and the Menominee & St. Panl railroads, while the half mile of river front allows the rapid load- ing and despatch of many vessels nt all hours during the season of navigation.
The business of the company is of inestimable value to the city of Menominee, as from 900 to 1,000 men are employed the year around.
After having harvested fortunes for its several stockholders this great corporation finished cutting its timber and closed its mills with the dawn of the twentieth century, and after consuming several years to dispose of its diversified property interests finally elosed its office and ceased to exist about the year 1908. The bniklings of its mammoth mills and store passed to the hands of the Carpenter Cook Company, and are now largely utilized in the diversified manufacturing interests of that company.
The mill built by William E. Bagley and William G. Boswell, in 1857, as already mentioned, was totally wrecked by an ice shove from the bay in the spring of 1861, at which time it was owned by Henry
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