USA > Michigan > Alpena County > Centennial history of Alpena County, Michigan > Part 10
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Although Alpena was considered a very healthy place, yet it sometimes happened that people died there; and it therefore became necessary to have a place to bury them. For this pur- pose, and to locate and establish the first cemetery in the city of Alpena, Daniel Carter, in July, 1873, donated to the city, ten acres of land, from the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 21, in town 31 north, of range 8 east. We too often find cemeteries located so near growing towns, that they soon become surrounded with buildings; become a nui- sance, and have to be moved. This one, however, is located near the western limits of the city, on the Section Line Road, so called, and so far away that it never will be reached by the buildings of the city. It is located on a sandy plain, covered with spruce pine trees, and when properly improved will be a very peaceful spot to repose this "mortal coil," when the spirit that gave it life has left it and gone to higher spheres. The only objection to it is its homogeneousness. 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.
124
IMPROVEMENTS.
Directly after the great fire of July 12th, 1872, the City Fa- thers passed an ordinance, establishing a fire limit, which was very much opposed, as being unnecessary in so small a town; but it had this good effect, that it caused parties on Second street to re-build with brick, and gave an impulse to the struc- ture of such buildings as gave permanency and beauty to the place; and from this time until 1876, brick buildings were the order of the day. In 1873, A. McDonald erected a fine brick block, on Second street, and in the same or following year, Potter Bros. & Co., F. S. Goodrich and Chas. C. Whitney built large brick stores, on Second street. In 1875, Pack and Black- burn erected fine brick stores, and in 1876, Deacon Hitchcock built the brick Centennial building, on the site of the old court house. Other large and substantial buildings were erected on the burnt district, during this time, the details of which the writer has not been able to reach.
CHAPTER V.
FIRES AND FIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
Alpena has been a great sufferer from fires. Perhaps no place of its age and population has been visited by the fire king so often, and with such terrible effect, as Alpena. In 1860, an extensive fire run through the woods adjoining Alpena, destroy- ing much valuable timber, both standing and made into flat and square timber, and destroyed a large mill frame belonging to G. N. Fletcher, and one of the mill frames made by John Cole, in the winter of 1858 and 1859.
In 1862, another fire from the woods, destroyed Lockwood & Minor's new steam mill, shortly after being enclosed, and burn- ed, also, a number of small buildings, the loss being consider- able for Lockwood & Minor at that time.
In 1863, the large steam mill belonging to Smith & Cham- berlain, was destroyed by fire, resulting in a loss to the owners and to the place, that cannot be estimated. The property was valued at $30,000. It was thought by many, at the time, to have been the work of an incendiary. A shingle mill, built and owned by Thomas Robinson, in 1866, and running in con- nection with the shingle mill, the first planer brought to Alpena, was destroyed by fire, in 1867. This was a ruinous loss to Mr. Robinson, as he had placed in it all the means he had; was without insurance, and was unable to re-build. Another shingle mill, built in 1866, and owned by Hopper & Davis, was burned soon after Robinson's. This fire so crippled their business re- lations that for a long time the mill was not re-built; and the damaging result to their future prosperity could not be esti- mated. And still another shingle mill was destroyed by fire. but I cannot state the time. This mill was the first of its kind erected in Alpena, and was built by G. S. Lester. A tar fae-
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FIRES AND FIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
tory, owned by Martin Minton, was submitted to the flames. Some other fires occurred between 1863 and 1869, the particu- lars of which the writer has not been able to procure. Soon after the burning of the shingle mill and planing mill of Thos. Robinson, Scott Doane, Moses Bingham and J. B. Beers form- ed a co-partnership, for the purpose of carrying on the general planing business, and making doors, sash and blinds, on the north side of the river, near the bay. On the 1st of June, 1868, Beers retired from the firm, and the business was continued by Doane & Bingham. They run a surface planer and matcher, a large molding and sash machine, and other auxiliary saws and machinery. At this time, a demand arose among the lumbermen for grinding feed, and Mr. Bingham, being a prac- tical miller, as well as an excellent mechanic, resolved to sup- ply the want. The firm soon started a feed mill in connection with their sash factory, capable of grinding three hundred bushels of feed per day. All went on well until the 3d of May, 1869, when the fire king, which seemed to have had his head- quarters near Alpena in those days, burned the upper story of their sash factory, together with a quantity of dry lumber.
Since 1866, some daring experimenters in farming had rais- ed, contrary to expectations, a large quantity of wheat, and they wished to have it made into flour. The firm determined to meet the exigency. They soon enlarged, and changed their feed mill into a grist mill, with a bolt and other machinery for making flour with success. This gave great encouragement to the farming interest. The firm was now doing excellent work, and progressing finely, until October 1st, 1870, when the fire king made them a serious visit. Not to be foiled again by "that hose," this time HE started the fire in the engine room, and in a few minutes the factory and mill were in flames. Nothing was saved, nor had they any insurance. For years of labor they had only a mass of blackened ruins and disappoint- ed hopes. But they possessed intrinsic value in themselves,
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FIRES AND FIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
and had the confidence, esteem and sympathy of the people. By their persevering toil and fair dealing, they had built up an industry which the people of Alpena could not afford to see blot- ted out. The Alpenians never allowed a necessary institution to die, and that which they needed they always made strenuous efforts to obtain. Meetings were held by the people, and ar- rangements soon made for money and credit for the firm, so that they could commence at once to re-build on the site of the old factory; and in June, 1871, they came out with a new edi- tion, revised and enlarged by the authors. It would seem that "His Fire Majesty" took particular delight in destroying the public houses of Alpena, for every one erected prior to 1872, was given to the flames, except the re-build of the Alpena House, the first one being destroyed on the 1st of January. 1868. This was a large loss to Julius Potvin, the proprietor. who, as soon as he had recovered a little from the daze occa- sioned by the fire, commenced to re-build a larger and better house, on the site of the burned one, and soon had it ready for the accommodation of the public.
In 1863, a court house was finished, by Deacon Hitchcock, according to a contract between him and the Board of Super- visors, and was known as the "Deacon's Court House." This was burned in 1870, under circumstances which gave rise to suspicions that it was the work of an incendiary; but no proof of the fact could ever be elicited.
In the summer of 1870, the dwelling of Fulton Bundy was given to the flames, and a "right smart" fire it was. And in February, 1871, another fire occurred, which consumed the foundry and machine shop of David Crippen, valued at $5,000. and insured for $2,000, together with a boarding house belong- ing to Lockwood & Minor, and valued at $1,800. and insured! for $1,000.
The north side of Dock street had been built up with good buildings. Next to the river, on the north side, was a large
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FIRES AND FIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
and commodious public house, owned and occupied by Samuel Boggs, called the Huron House, and on the opposite side of the street was a large building, used as a store and storehouse, owned by J. C. Bowen, and occupied by Folkerts & Butter- field. On the northeast of Dock and Fletcher streets was the store and residence of Bolton & McRae. On the opposite cor- ner was the Union Star Hotel, and next to it, north, was the Evergreen Hall, so named by the ladies of Alpena, for the taste- ful manner in which J. R. Beach, the owner of this and the Star Hotel, had decorated it with evergreens for some festive oc- casion. Moses Bingham owned and occupied a large dwelling, on the next lot north of Evergreen Hall. At this time, busi- ness on the east side of the river began to assume a lively ap- pearance; the bridge was in fair condition, and the hotels run carriages to the boats, for passengers, so that visitors to Al- pena could find good accommodations. "But a change came over the spirit of their dreams," the powers that "dominate be- hind the scenes" had engaged the fiend to destroy their prop- erty and bright anticipations, for on the 9th day of April, 1871, about noon, the alarm of fire was given, from the billiard saloon of Guild & Clewley, in the Beebe block, situated near the cen- ter between the Huron House and Bolton & McRae's store. It was soon discovered that all the buildings on that side of the street would be destroyed, as everything was very dry, and the village had no engine or any organized fire company, so every- thing was in confusion, as might be expected, under the cir- cumstances. It was soon seen that the most that could be done, was to save what of the furniture and goods they could, and let the fire burn itself out. Accordingly, the people got two light- ers from the opposite side of the river, on which they piled the contents of the buildings nearest the river, and carried them beyond the reach of the fire; but many of the goods and fur- niture of the Star Hotel and other buildings in the vicinity, were carried into the streets and there burned before they could
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FIRES AND FIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
again be moved. When the fire reached Bolton & McRae's store, the wind was blowing quite fresh, and soon carried the flames across the street, to the Star Hotel and other buildings in the vicinity, which soon became a heap of ruins. The prin- cipal buildings destroyed in this fire, were the Huron House, owned and occupied by Samuel Boggs, and valued at $10,000. He had an insurance on the property of $2,000 only, and this was for the benefit of Benj. C. Hardwick, who then held a mortgage on the same. The Star Hotel and Evergreen Hall, owned and occupied by J. R. Beach, and valued at $12,000. He also had a small insurance of $3,000 on his buildings, for the benefit of T. Luce & Co. Those parties were the greatest sufferers by this fire. The small insurance only paid the in- debtedness on their property, and left them nothing with which to re-build. For their industry and enterprise, they had noth- ing left but the lots and blackened ruins, and the furniture sav- ed from the fire; but they were both good mechanies, and of cheerful and hopeful dispositions, and not being easily discour- aged, they soon gathered up what they had and commenced work, in hopes to retrieve their losses; but the destroyer was still on their tracks, as the sequel will show. The building occupied by Folkerts & Butterfield, and owned by J. C. Bowen, was valued at $4,500, and insured for $3,000. The goods of Folkerts & Butterfield were covered by insurance. The building owned by Henry Beebe, valued at $3,500, had no in- surance. The dwelling of Moses Bingham, valued at $2,500, with no insurance. Both of these losses were severe, but did not fall with such crushing weight upon Mr. Beebe, as he had means to re-build, as it did on Mr. Bingham, who had so re- cently sustained a heavy loss in the burning of the Doane, Bingham & Co. sash and blind factory. The building and goods of Bolton & McRae were fully insured, which prevented a ruinous disaster to them and much loss to the place. Others sustained losses, which the writer is unable to particularize.
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FIRES AND FIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
The city felt a severe loss in the destruction of Evergreen Hall, as it deprived the people of any hall suitable for holding public entertainments, and the city was again without hotel accommo- dations for the traveling public.
There is an old saying: "There is no great loss without some small gain," and this may be applied in a very small way in this case. It taught the people of Alpena, and the new- ly made "City Fathers," the extreme necessity of organizing a fire company, and procuring a steam fire engine; and this busi- ness must have been among the first of their official acts, for in May, 1871, the first fire company was organized, by electing the following officers:
Foreman-A. L. Power.
Assistant Foreman-Fred. Buchanan.
Secretary-G. W. Hawkins.
Treasurer-L. B. Howard.
G. W. Hawkins, J. T. Bostwick and William Johnson were appointed a committee to draft a constitution and by-laws.
NAMES OF MEMBERS.
A. L. Power,
A. W. Comstock, James Walker,
Fred. Buchanan,
S. S. Meade, A. D. Stout,
Geo. W. Hawkins,
J. T. Bostwick,
Henry Nipbee,
L. B. Howard,
N. Carpenter,
Roland Galbraith,
Geo. Plough,
E. G. Johnson,
Andrew Guyld,
Theo. Luce, Will. Hitchcock, George Jones,
Thos. H. Lester,
Wmn. Johnson,
James Murray,
Fred. Smith,
John Kesten,
William Wall,
C. E. Wilcox,
Geo. Speechley,
Frank Northrop,
A. F. Fletcher,
H. S. Seage,
Burt Buchanan,
Abe Crowell,
E. C. Chamberlain,
Richard Campbell, John Vance, Douglass Scott,
S. A. Aber,
M. McCollum,
Ed. Thomson,
John Dunford,
R. Bradshaw,
James Ambrose, Johnson Woods, Thomas McGinn,
Jarvis R. Watson,
M. McLeod,
R. J. Kelley,
John D. Potter,
James Woods,
Daniel Thompson,
J. R. Beach,
C. A. Jeyte,
Heman Kimball,
C. C. Whitney, John Kerns,
H. Broadwell,
Thos. C. Lester, Benj. Haywood,
Wm. Edwards.
D. G. Aber,
J. J. Potter, H. Jacobs,
Alex. Taylor, A. W. Mather,
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FIRES AND FIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
On the 4th day of July of the same year, a well uniformed and equipped fire company, with a steam fire engine, was, for the first time, paraded in Alpena, and his Honor, Mayor Seth L. Carpenter, addressed them in a very appropriate speech. The engine and company were named after an old chief of the Thunder Bay band of Indians-Sog-on-e-qua-do. His name is mentioned in the first chapter.
Soon after the destruction of the Star Hotel, J. R. Beach rented the American House of Gelos Potvin, and commenced again to keep a public house, as they were at this time much in demand. He opened some time in May, and in October of the same year, was again compelled to flee before the devouring flames. This time his loss was not large, as he saved most of his furniture; but he lost his business, and no man can be thrust out of business without sustaining considerable loss. Only a part of the house was consumed, as the fire company was promptly on the ground, and did good service. The suc- cess of this engine led the people to suppose that they were safe from the attacks of large fires. But the fire king was laughing to think what a "big smoke" he would give them the next season, and show them how utterly inadequate was such an engine to quench his wrath, when once fairly kindled.
In the spring of 1872, we find Mr. Beach proprietor of the Burrell House, but the same destroyer was still on his tracks, and followed him there, and he was again burned out in the big fire, this time losing all he had.
Soon after the loss of the Huron House, Mr. Boggs purchas- ed some property of Dr. W. P. Maiden, on Second street, and commenced to erect a hotel called the Sherman House. He had scarcely finished and opened it, before it was swept away in the great fire-the fire being particularly severe on the hotels.
The account of the great fire we shall give as we find it in the Alpena Pioncer Extra, of the date of July 13th, 1872.
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FIRES AND FIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
ALPENA BURNED !
Loss of Property $200,000-Insurance $80,000.
Sixty-Five Buildings Burned-Four Persons Burned to Death, Others Badly Burned.
At fifteen minutes to five o'clock yesterday afternoon, July 12th, the barn in the rear of the Sherman House, a house re- cently opened, and owned and occupied by Samuel Boggs, was discovered to be on fire. The alarm was given, and the engine in position promptly, but there was some delay in getting up steam. The fire being among hay, spread with fearful rapidity, and in an incredibly short time the Sherman House and Good- rich's jewelry store were enveloped in flames. The engine commenced to play, but the wind blowing fresh from the north- west, carried the fire with astonishing rapidity across the street, into the row of business houses on the south side of the street. Crowell & Godfrey's building, the Burrell House, McDonald's building, Blackburn's building, the Huron House, Maltz's res- idence, and the barns and offices, etc., in that block, were soon all ablaze. Mayor Pack's residence and office were burned. Potter & Bros'. hardware store, McDade & Gavagan's hotel, and Comstock's mill and boarding house were burned. Aber's building and furniture rooms, and the whole row of houses on the north side of River street to Luce's mill. The fire raged until about six o'clock, before its limits were confined, when it had destroyed about three and a half blocks, containing about sixty-five buildings. Among the heaviest losers were Potter & Bros., Anspach & Co., C. Burrell & Co., A. Pack & Co., George L. Maltz & Co., P. McDade, F. S. Goodrich, Charles C. Whit- ney. These might not have been the greatest sufferers, as many lost all they had. The Alpena Weekly Argus office was entirely destroyed. But the saddest record we have to make, is the burning to death of three persons, and badly burning of
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FIRES AND FIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
three others, one of whom has since died. Mrs. Westbrook, keeping a millinery store, on Second street, perished in the street, in front of her store, and could not be rescued until nothing but her bones remained. The bones of two others, supposed to be men, have been found. George Westbrook, son of the milliner, was so badly burned, in trying to rescue his mother, that he has since died. A sailor named Kelly, and George Westby, Barlow's engineer, are very badly burned. Doubts are entertained of Westby's recovery. One of the men burned is supposed to be John Lavin. The county papers were saved.
We subjoin an imperfect list of sufferers and their losses, as hastily estimated:
Loss. $S,000
Insurance.
A. Pack & Co.,
$4,300
C. C. Whitney,
11,000
5,000
Samuel Boggs,
8,000
5,000
Aber Bros.,
5,000
F. S. Goodrich,
8,000
4,000
Mrs. H. G. Westbrook,
1,000
Potter Pros.,
16,000
11,000
Anspach & Co.,
15,000
5,000
A. L. Power & Co.,
10,000
2,500
McCollum & Co.,
4,000
1,000
P. McDade,
3,500
2,400
J. Gavagan,
2,000
McDougal,
800
H. Eaton,
2,500
1,800
Mrs. Minton,
2,500
J. W. Hall,
2,500
1,500
C. Golling,
4,000
2,500
Wm. McMaster,
2,500
1,800
Mrs. Murray,
2,500
Geo. L. Maltz,
3,000
2,000
-
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FIRES AND FIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
McDonald,
Loss. $2,500
Insurance. $1,000
T. Lalonde,
1,200
800
R. Ambrose,
2,000
1,000
C. T. Paxton,
1,000
1,000
T. H. Hunt,
400
400
G. N. Blackburn,
4,000
2,900
Clewley & Woods,
1,000
Crowell & Godfrey,
3,500
2,500
Burrell & Lee,
10,000
4,000
J. R. Beach,
4,000
Wm. VanInwegen,
5,000
1
J. S. Minor,
500
500
Engine House,
1,500
J. C. Chisholm,
3,500
2,000
Odd Fellows,
400
200
J. W. Creighton,
2,000
1,200
William Todd,
2,000
1,000
J. C. Park,
1,200
600
J. C. Reed,
500
Dr. Maiden,
2,000
L. Doyle,
4,000
2,500
M. M. Viall,
4,000
C. Wurst,
500
Goodnow & Dow,
9,000
And a number of others.
The county papers were saved.
This last paragraph can be explained by saying that, soon after the court house was destroyed by fire, in 1870, the court and county offices, and the court and county records were re- moved to rooms in the Potter block, on Second street, and had again to pass through the uncertainties of a large fire; but they were all saved.
The experience of the last fire convinced the city officials
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FIRES AND FIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
that their fire department was too small to work successfully against a large fire. In July, 1875, at a special meeting of the Common Council, a resolution was passed, for the purpose of purchasing one of Silsby's No. 4 size rotary steam fire engines, for the sum of $5,850, with hose cart and hose. The engine was soon after purchased, and a fire company organized, called Alpena No. 2. 'Robert Oliver was appointed First Engineer.
Soon after this, a change was made in the management of the fire department. And now they had the engines and a proper organization, there was a scarcity of water; and large tanks had to be made in various parts of the city, for a supply. These tanks proved to be only a partial success, as the water was muddy, and many of them with a scanty supply. It is hoped that not far in the future, the city will be well supplied with water from the river or lake; and until this supply of wa- ter is had, but little progress can be made against fires, as the following will show:
In June, 1875, E. Harrington's house and barn were burned, valued at $4,500; insured for $3,000; Robert Napper's black- smith shop and wagon factory, valued at $6,000, and insured for $1,500; H. J. Eaton's residence, valued at $3,000, and in- sured for $2,000.
On February 25th, 1876, Henry Beebe's block was a second time destroyed by fire. Building and stock valued at $12.000, and insured for $4,000. Michael O'Brien lost his stock of boots, shoes, leather, etc, valued at $4,000, and insured for $1,000; and soon after this the residence of Dr. Jeyte was de- stroyed, valued at $4,000, and insured for $2,300. On the last day of November of the same year, the Myers block, so called. and the oldest building in the city, was burned. How it caught fire was a mystery. Some other fires occurred, the details of which the writer has not been able to obtain. This chapter is the most gloomy and thankless of any in the history of Alpena. but it affords some food for careful thought and study.
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FIRES AND FIRE ORGANIZATIONS.
In looking over the list of sufferers by the several fires, you will find that those who needed insurance the most, had the least, and some had no insurance at all. Our fellow citizens, Samuel Boggs, J. R. Beach, Thomas Robinson and others, are poor men this Centennial year, simply because they did not keep fully insured; and Mrs. Westbrook and son probably owe their shocking and untimely deaths to the same cause. Many not only lost their property by the fire, but being without in- surance or means to re-build, they were swept out of a lucrative and monopolized business worth to them many times the value of the property they lost. It is impossible to reach the exact value of property destroyed by fires in Alpena, between 1857 and 1876, but we can approximate very nearly, and keeping within the bounds of certainty, we have the very nice sum of $342,900. In 1875, the assessed valuation of property in Al- pena city, was $906,640, so that, by these firgures, one-third of the entire accumulations of the people for eighteen years, had been destroyed by fires. About $100,000 of this loss has been paid back by the insurance companies, leaving a dead loss upon the industry of the people, during that time, of twenty-five per cent.
CHAPTER VI.
COMMUNICATION.
MAIL .- Long before the writer came to Thunder Bay, and probably since the establishment of the military posts at Sault Ste. Marie and Mackinaw, a mail route had been established between these points and Saginaw, and carried along the west shore of Lake Huron, on the backs of men or on sledges drawn by dogs, and for that reason the mail is placed in this chapter, before steamers or roads. The conveyance of the U. S. mail was entrusted to the care of Frenchmen and half-breeds, and was carried on their backs, but mostly on what they called a trainaud, and drawn by dogs over the ice and snow. The trainaud was made of two flat pieces of oak, maple or birch wood, about one-half inch thick, six or seven inches wide, and from nine to fourteen feet long. These were fastened together with cross-bars, and nicely turned up at one end. On this the mail was placed, with their camp and provisions, and fastened to the trainaud with cords attached to the cross-bars. The dogs were placed tandem, or one before the other, and attached to the trainaud by long traces. The dogs were generally large, mus- cular animals, well trained for the work, and capable of much endurance; and in early times were often very fancifully har- nessed. The harness consisted of a buckskin collar, with hames of some bright metal, and extending about six inches above the neck of the dog, and turned with a whorl at the top, in which was suspended a nice little bell. The straps were all made of black leather, with large housing of red broadcloth, when the dog was of a dark color, and blue when the dog was of a light color. The housings were fringed with a long yel- low fringe, and nicely worked with beads all over. The men were rapid travelers, making trips from Bay City to Sault Ste.
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