USA > Michigan > Marquette County > Beard's directory and history of Marquette County with sketches of the early history of Lake Superior, its mines, furnaces, etc., etc > Part 14
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New York
450,780
Lake Angeline
295,747
Edwards
121,077
Iron Mountain
16,594
Barnum
126,977
Foster
73,781
New England
108,809
Washington
308,919
Champion
234,867
Cascade
39,240
Grand Central
14,755
McComber
44,153
Parsons
1,896
Winthrop
25,027
Saginaw
19,160
Negaunee.
11,687
Iron Cliffs red ore
. 874
S. C. Smith
13,445
Republic
11,025
M. & P. Rolling Mill
6,772
Allen.
8,707
Wilcox & Bagaley
4,426
Mather
2,288
Green Bay
7,633
Franklin
2,007
Albion
1,100
Pittsburg & Lake Superior
1,160
Michigan
1,227
Quartz.
718
Excelsior
756
Williams
447
Shenango
197
Pendill
127
Michigamme
141
Carr
18
Harlow
83
Sheldon
7
Total
5,567.373
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239
MINES AND FURNACES OF LAKE SUPERIOR.
THE ORE SHIPMENTS.
The following is a statement of the shipments of iron ore and pig iron from Marquette for one week in August, 1873, and the total shipments thus far this season :
COMPANY.
Previously
Reported.
Past week.
TOTAL.
Iron Ore.
Cleveland
41,463
1.833
43 296
Lake Superior
67,773
5,838
73,611
Champion.
31,329
2.461
33.790
Lake Angeline
5,197
935
6,132
Washington.
19,575
1,103
20.678
Edwards.
18.493
1.883
20,376
McComber
15,435
1,628
17.063
Winthrop
1,996
263
2,259
Republic.
37,932
6,869
44.801
Albion.
954
232
1,186
Keystone.
5 709
423
6,132
Shenango
3,748
3,748
Himrod hematite
1,077
1,077
Burt Hematite.
3,088
128
3,216
Kloman
9,818
1,304
11,121
Total
263,587
24,900 288,487
Pig Iron.
Champion furnace
1,875
34
2,217
Morgan furnace.
1,804
91
1.895
Michigan furnace
1,683
1.683
Greenwood furnace
1,127
87
1,214
Bancroft furnace
1,747
743
2,490
Grace furnace.
2,288
180
2,468
Collins furnace.
483
455
938
Iron Cliff furnace
60
60
M. & P. Rolling Mill.
100
100
Total
11,167
1,898
13,065
Total ore and pig iron
274,754|
26,798 301 552
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240
MINES AND FURNACES OF LAKE SUPERIOR.
The following is a statement of the shipments of iron ore and pig iron, from the port of Escanaba, up to and including the 20th day of August, 1873 :
IRON ORE.
Mine.
Gross tons.
Jackson
67,736
New York
38,803
Cleveland
40,652
Angeline
18,882
Barnum
31,559
Foster
17,297
Cascade
14,988
McComber
5,104
Grand Central
5,223
Smith
7,526
Green Bay
932
Winthrop
13,577
Wilcox & By
6,356
Section 18
794
Emma
6,042
P. & L. S.
11,950
Carr
1,431
Gribben
1,427
Saginaw
18,822
Burt Hematite
5,297
Howell Hoppock
1,239
Total iron ore
315,177
PIG IRON.
Pioneer
3,117
Deer Lake
1,990
Escanaba Furnace
485
Total pig iron
5,592
Total ore and pig iron
320,769
Statement of shipments from the port of L'Anse up to and including August 20, 1873 :
Spurr Mountain
21,230
Michigamme
17,310
Total
38,540
Statement of the total shipments of iron ore and pig iron from the Lake Superior iron district up to Aug. 21, 1873, (ex- clusive of ore to local furnace) :
IRON ORE.
Gross tons.
Marquette
288,487
Escanaba
315,177
L'Anse
38,540
Total
642,204
PIG IRON.
Marquette
13,065
Escanaba
5,592
Total,
18,657
Total ore and pig iron,
660,861
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APPENDIX.
A STRANGER'S IMPRESSION OF MARQUETTE COUNTY.
The compiler of this, the first Directory of Marquette county, feels very loth to cut loose from his readers without recording on these conclud- ing pages his own impressions, crude though they may be, of this wonder- ful, rich and beautiful region, located in one of the most wonderful, rich and beautiful States of the Union.
Wonderful for its great expanse of pure sweet waters, magnificent scenery, and early associations. Rich in silver, copper, iron and other minerals, made beautiful in its natural scenery, splendid location, and the purity and healthfulness of the prevailing atmosphere.
Seated on the verandah of Coles' Lake View House, we command a range of the spacious harbor of Marquette. A harbor 900 feet above the level of the sea, and 600 feet above the cross which surmounts the spire of Trinity church, New York. A harbor alive with all manner of steam and sail craft, which annually bear away to the busy world below, over a mill- ion tons of the purest and richest of iron ore.
A harbor that sends forth every year products equal in value to the foreign commerce of France, or Italy. Listen to the continual rumbling of the ore trains, (laden with the rich yields of innumerable mines far away into the interior, ) as they swiftly follow one after another, through the city out on to the great trestle docks, into whose pockets they deposit their precious burdens, from whence it is poured into the hold of many vessels, and is thence distributed to consumers throughout the world. See in front of the city, and along the border of the broad lake the blaze of great furnaces, roaring night and day with the continued fires that reduce the ore to marketable iron. Behold the extensive wharves, loaded with thousands of tons of coal and merchandise for home consumption. Look on the fair city itself, the growth of only a few years, its fine churches, convenient school-houses, substantial banks, elegant residences, and attract- ive business houses, and after inhaling a draught of the pure bracing air, you find yourself intoxicated with the many delightful and attractive sur- roundings.
"The stranger who arrives at Marquette at night would have no diffi- culty in believing that he had reached a stirring business town. A light- house directs the mariner to the little bay, appropriately enough called Iron Bay, upon whose borders the city is situated. The government breakwater that reaches for a thousand feet across the entrance, has a num- ber of lights to show the situation. Every vessel at anchor under its shel- ter, at times reaching the number of fifty, has a lamp in the rigging, and the long ore docks, high over all, have rows of gas lights. As if this were not enough in the way of illumination, at the right hand and the left of the bay two gigantic furnaces send forth from their tall stacks a flickering flame that sheds a wave of light far over the waters."
Here are located the U. S. Custom House, where were registered during the season of 1873, up to Sept. 23, vessels representing 380,917 tons. Adding to the above a large number of vessels of which no official record is kept, and we have the tonnage of vessels arriving at Marquette at over 400,000 tons.
The U. S. land agency is also located here, and under the courteous
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APPENDIX.
and able management of Mr. Ambrose Campbell, does a large and thriving business. The operations of this office alone for the last five years would make a very interesting book.
Although Marquette, as metropolis of the great mining region of the Northwest, is greatly interested in mineral productions, yet there are many other branches of industry which have grown and now thrive within her limits. Without any intention on our part, or any desire on the part of its citizens to indulge in or be the recipients of adulatory puffing, we cannot go further without mentioning, for the benefit of many readers who have never visited this region, and who desire so to do, some of the enterprises and in- dustries of the citizens of Marquette. We commence with a brief notice of the " Marquette Rolling Mill and Beecher Furnace," which we copy from a late number of the MINING JOURNAL.
MARQUETTE AND PACIFIC ROLLING MILL COMPANY.
The plant of the Marquette and Pacific Rolling Mill company embrac- es twenty-four acres of land with 1,400 feet of water front on the bay of Marquette, with a blast furnace, a muck bar train of rolls, a merchant bar train, eight puddling and one heating furnaces, a branch track connection with the Marquette, Houghton & Ontonagon railroad, and about five hun- dred feet of dock, which extends into the bay and has a good depth of water on both sides for the receipt and shipment of freights.
This is a very valuable property, and in its present working condition promises to become the plant for a rail mill and a nut and bolt factory, as well as for the manufacture of pig iron and muck and merchant bar on its present scale.
The stock of the company is $500,000, of which $247,000 has been paid and invested in the works leaving $253,000 to be sold if the company may think best. Last fall the works were stopped, the furnace first con- structed having burned out. It was a stone stack, of primitive style, but it has been replaced by a large iron shell furnace with two Player hot blast ovens, each with 48 pipes, and the simple hot blast formerly in use. The arrangement for the use of these ovens is interchangable, so that one, two or all of them can be used, as may be desirable. The advantage of this arrangement is apparent to all furnace men. The work, in boiler capaci- ty, Otis hoist, and every auxiliary belonging to a furnace is first class. In short the old stack, with its fixtures, has been disposed of entirely, and the new one with its appliances, is of the most modern style, and first class. The furnace has been in blast something over three weeks, «verag- ing up to Monday last twenty-five tons of No. 1 bituminous foundry iron per day. This week she has been fully burthened and promises hereafter to make at least thirty-five tons per day. The name of the furnace has been changed to the " Beecher," and the work is in charge of Mr. John Fisher, a founder who is known as one of the best in the country.
THE ROLLING MILL.
This department of the work resumed operations a few days ago, Aug. 1873, and has been averaging nine tons of muck iron per day, with eight furnaces, though later thirteen tons were rolled at a single turn, the 'boys' having concluded to see how the 'old thing would work ' put it up to its greatest capacity. It is expected to put this department on double turn within a short time, when, of course, the product will be doubled, and average nearly twenty tons per day.
The merchant train embraces some twenty-four different sizes of iron, and heating furnaces will be added just as they may be necessary to sup- ply the local demand for merchant iron. Of late they have been making some bolt rod, on special orders, which is far superior in strength and gen-
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APPENDIX.
eral quality to iron which is usually put upon the market for this purpose. It is not intended to make merchant bar and hold it in stock, but all deal- ers and consumers in this region can be supplied by this mill with any grade or size of merchant iron which they may have use for.
The; mill is to be known as the Marquette Rolling Mill. It is in charge of Thos. Jewell, Esq., late of the Wyandotte mills, who is a gentle- man of large and thorough experience.
A portion of the property belonging to this company is the Rolling Mill hematite mine, on the Negaunee hematite range, which has always been acknowledged to be one of the finest, hematite mines in this district, James Bale, Superintendent. The dock and grounds are under the super- vision of Geo. L. Beecher. Mr. Beecher has the authority of the compa- ny to put the premises in complete order, and the plan embraces a fence in the water front as well as one to separate the iron works from the high- way, and to erect such buildings and make such external improvements as will put the plant in complete order, and make it express by its appear- ance just what the owners desire, thrift, order, system and prosperity. The stockholders have selected W. L. Wetmore, Esq., President, Peter White, Esq., Secretary, and Wm. W. Wheaton-late of Detroit-Treasurer and General Agent, with Chas. Jenkins as Assistant Agent. Mr. Wheaton enters upon his work with a zeal and energy which foretells success, and there is the best of reasons for believing that the old Marquette and Pac- ific "Iron Works-now the Beecher Furnace and the Marquette Rolling Mill-has entered upon a career, with nearly one hundred men employed, which will, before the expiration of twelve months, give work to three or four hundred men.
Next in order comes the very extensive foundry and machine shops of D. H. Merritt, Esq.
These shops occupy a large area of river front, and are well supplied with all the modern and improved machinery necessary to carry on a busi- ness of this kind in all its extensive details. Boilers of any capacity, en- gines of any power, and machinery of any description, can be turned out of these extensive shops, equal in workmanship and design to anything that can be procured in other cities.
These works have grown up step by step, and are a standing monu- ment of that zeal, enterprise and liberality which characterize the citizens of Marquette.
In this connection the establishment of Jas. Picands & Co., wholesale dealers in heavy hardware, etc., may be mentioned, as a proof of the de- mands and needs of this rapidly increasing country.
To such an extent has the growth and wants of this region been brought, that it. was deemed necessary by Messrs. Picands & Co. to establish a large branch house in Ishpeming, although a glance at the variety and completeness of the stock at Marquette would seem to convince any one that the demand must indeed be enormous to equal the supply already on hand in their extensive warehouses.
The prosperity and high commercial standing of this house is only one of the many instances where success has attended the honorable efforts of competent and liberal business men commencing and growing up with a new country. Marquette is peculiarly favored with this class of citizens. We could make a book filled with the lives of men who have gone to Mar- quette poor, and in a few years have passed through an honorable and enterprising career to immense wealth. In fact we had a desire to publish in this work the business career of a few of Marquette's prominent citizens, but their well known modesty and natural delicacy of feeling in regard to being " put in print," or made conspicuous, forbade us in indulging in any remarks where only deserved eulogium might appear to them, like com- pliments bordering on flattery.
IV
APPENDIX.
Marquette has its car-shops and round-houses for the uses of the Mar- quette, Houghton and Ontonagon R. R., very complete, well managed and giving employment to a large number of men. There is quite a large sash, blind and door factory, supplied with lumber from several saw mills advantageously located throughout the county. Also, several prominent building firms, and we believe a large company for that purpose is now being organized, with Mr. Alfred Green, a well-known and competent architect and builder of Marquette, as President, or general manager. In short, all the trades may be said to be represented here by competent and skilled workmen, it being a notorious fact that whatever a Marquette man or woman wants, that want must be supplied with the best.
There are two banks located here, the 1st National, with a capital of 400,000 dollars, and the Citizen's bank, with a capital of $200,000. The First National has just completed a magnificent building, (of Lake Su- perior stone), which not only affords large accommodation for office and store room, but is an ornament to the city.
Both of these banks do a large, safe and profitable business, and enjoy, to the greatest extent, the confidence of their depositors and the public generally. One feature of this section of the country may be mentioned here ; we mean what are called "generalistores." One of these stores, Pen- dell & Beatty, deal in almost everything consumable, and employ about fifty clerks.
Watson & Sons, variety store, comes under the same head, and carries an immense stock of different kinds of goods absolutely bewildering to enumerate. The business done by these firms is really enormous.
Another one of the features of Marquette, extensively patronized by all the tourists visiting the region, is the store or museum of Mr. T. Mead, where can be found some very fine mineral specimens, consisting of silver, copper and iron ores, crystals, agates, etc., etc., etc., many of the products of Indian industry, in the way of birch canoes, bead work. etc Here, also can be found the papers and magazines published throughout the country. Mead's, especially in the summer season, is the great resort and head quarters for strangers seeking the amusing, useful, and marvel- lous in and around Lake Superior.
Marquette is rather famous for its handsome and intelligent women, and there are very few cities outside of New York where the ladies display better taste in dress and general make up than here. It requires some judgment and capital to cater to the fastidious wants of these belles, but a visit to the large dry goods house of Wetmore & Co. would satisfy any one that they need not go out of Marquette to be suited in anything in this line, from the most expensive laces and dress goods to the cheapest of every day wear.
As the city grows, different lines of business become exclusive, and as a proof of the growth of Marquette we have been somewhat particular in calling attention to the different business houses of Marquette. The house of H. M. C. Earl, with a branch at Ishpeming, for the exclusive sale of Boots and shoes being among the most prominent.
The grocers carry as fine and well assorted a stock in their lines as can be found in any large city ; Earl & Co. doing the leading business, while the jewelry business as represented by Mr. Conklin, cannot be exceeded for same amount of capital invested, in any city in the Union.
One of the most complete drug stores, including a fine laboratory and manufacturing department it has ever been our good fortune to visit, is located in Marquette. The business done by this house, taking into consideration the size of Marquette, is something wonderful, and is only another proof of my before asserted fact, regarding the enterprise and business tact prevalent in Marquette, to whose citizens it would be un- necessary to mention the name of H. H. Stafford, as proprietor of the
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APPENDIX.
above store, he being so universally popular and well known that we are at a loss to say whether there is another drug store in the city or not.
There are several well stocked and prosperous retail hardware and house furnishing stores, represented at one end of the town, by Messrs Scoville & Johnson, and at the other end by Mr. B. Neidhart. These houses do a large and prosperous business, and enjoy the confidence and esteem of their fellow-townsmen and customers. Several fine clothing houses, and an extensive furniture firm, known as Wyckoff & Mahon, two very extensive and largely stocked livery stables, command a large share of the public patronage. One of the most elegantly arranged photograph galleries in the West, presided over by Mr. B. F. Childs, is located here, and during the summer months is crowded with tourists inspecting and purchasing stereoscopic views of Lake Superior's magnificent scenery.
The hotels here (and Marquette needs more) are well kept, reasona- ble in their charges, and afford accommodations that will compare favora- bly with any hotel in the country.
A business, profession or calling, as the case may be,peculiar to this region, is that of the iron expert. These gentlemen must necessarily pos- sess qualifications of a rare nature. They are called upon to make ex- plorations, assay ores and report upon their qualities, examine titles, pay taxes, make collections, etc. There are several firms of this kind in Marquette, whose advertisements appear in the front part of this work, and to whom we can refer as worthy of all and every confidence that may be reposed in them.
Enright & Spencer represent the harness business in Marquette, and supply large demands on their stock from all over the Lake Superior re- gion.
It is from this port that the celebrated varieties of brown, mottled and clouded sandstone, which for beauty, durability and adaptability to general building and ornamental purposes is unequalled by any other stone. See advertisement on pages 27 and 119. While the slate from the Quarry, represented by W. L. Wetmore as President, is of a quality and fineness absolutely equal, if not superior, to any other slate in the market.
We must not forget to mention the MINING JOURNAL, to whom we are under too many obligations to pass lightly over.
Perhaps there has been no one cause more than another which has tended to enhance the interest in mines and mining affairs as much as this great mining organ of the Northwest. Too much praise cannot be bestowed upon this Journal, for the enterprise, ability, and business man- agement exhibited by its proprietors. Their corps of editors and attaches is large, complete and very competent. Their outfit in presses and type is of the most improved class and quite extensive. In their job rooms they turn out as good work as is ever done in the average of first class printing houses ; and lastly, they publish a 12 page Journal, finely printed on good paper, ably edited, and which no one interested in anything pertaining to iron or minerals should be a day without. In connection with the office is a bindery equal in its appointments to any emergency.
We have dwelt somewhat on the business interests of Marquette, and although we know that we have not done it full justice, yet we cannot but wish we had the space, ability and power to introduce all the business men of Marquette to the notice and consideration of business men of other cities.
The writer of these lines had necessarily much and frequent inter- course with the commercial men of Marquette, and never in a single in- stance met with anything except the utmost courtesy, forbearance, patience and liberality, (for it is not always pleasant to be bored for subscriptions, advertisements, and general information). The impressions made upon his
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APPENDIX.
mind are of the pleasantest, and we say to any one seeking new fields for labor if you are looking for a place where, by your industry and business qualifications, you desire to add to your own store, and the prosperity of your adopted city, go to Marquette. Any man of this description will be received with open arms, and he will find friends at every turn. To the invalid or tourist, needing a few weeks recreation, we recommend them by all means to seek the pure air and splendid climate in and around the fair city of Marquette.
Sailing over the broad, clear waters of Lake Superior, trolling for the large 30 pound lake fish, beating the mountain streams for speckled trout, visiting the rolling mill, furnaces, mines and other objects of interest will serve to pass away several weeks in an amusing and profitable man- ner. The hotels here are well kept, very comfortable and charges reason- able, and amongst other attractive features we call attention to the follow- ing sketch, from the Mining Journal, of the new park and cemetery :
"The people of Marquette are remarkably well favored with the grand in nature-in the hills and valleys, the swift-flowing river and the rivulet, the expanse of lake and stretch of shore line, the rising plain and unnumbered tints of foliage, by which the city is surrounded. It would be difficult to select a point which offers a greater diversity of striking and beautiful scenery, in the midst of a moving commerce which is asserting itself as the most powerful in the world. A finer picture never covered the canvass of an artist than is presented by Marquette from the center of the bav, with the docks, and ships and steamers in the foreground, bust- ling with life, and the city dropping from the highland to the right and left on both sides of the bay, with a horizon of hills to the extreme right and left and in the back ground. As a vessel advances toward this scene an irresistible emotion, influenced by beauty, creeps over the soul of the be- holder, and as the heart dilates with quickened pulsation he feels that words are useless-the vision is sufficient.
"Upon disembarking and passing through the busy streets and moving up the broad avenues, the effect of the impression is not removed, but rather intensified by the surroundings, in fine residences with lawns and foliage, the continuous view of harbor and lake below, and the hills which crown the highlands back of the city. But we are to have a still more beau- tiful picture to look upon than all of these. Passing up Washington ave- nue to Seventh street, we find on the right of Washington a grove of pines, dark, tall and as symmetrical as the masts of ships, covering the entire front of Washington between Seventh and Eighth streets, and extending back on a gradual incline to the depth of half the square, and then climbing a higher but not an abrupt elevation, they intermingle with ma- ples, low evergreens and beech, when, at the crown of the hill, the di- versity of the foliage is almost entrancing. Here, by returning the exam- ination toward Washington street, there will be found eight acres of as beautiful park grounds as could be desired, which, when completed with lawns, and drives, and fountains, and the undergrowth of vegetation more completely cut out, will not only be made a charming landscape, but over and through which the life and bustle of the city can be seen, with the top- masts of the shipping in the harbor and Lake Superior in full view in the distance.
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