USA > Michigan > Alpena County > Centennial history of Alpena County, Michigan > Part 8
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unimposing appearance. In 1866, three church edifices were in construction-Catholic, on Chisholm street; Congregational, on Second street, and Episcopal, on Washington avenue. These will be noticed in another chapter. The increase of population, the erection of dwellings, public buildings and places for doing business, depended largely on the enlargement of the improve- ments made for the manufacture of lumber, and followed them as rapidly as could be expected. Most of the buildings were substantial structures, either as business places or dwellings; and many of the residences were spacious, tastefully made and commodious. At this time, a large portion of the business of the village was transacted on Water street, and the leading mercantile firms were as follows: Benjamin C. Hardwick, on Water street, dealer in dry goods, groceries, clothing, boots and shoes, crockery, hardware, etc. L. M. Mason & Co., mer- chants and lumber dealers; store on Water street; miscellane- ous merchandise. A. W. Comstock & Co., on Second street, near the bridge, carried a fine assortment of miscellaneous goods. A. F. Fletcher & Co., on Water street, dry goods, ready made clothing, boots, shoes, etc. Mason, Doty, Luce & Co., lumbermen and merchants; store on Fletcher street; car- ried a large assortment of miscellaneous merchandise. Hopper, Davis & Co., dealers in dry goods, groceries, clocks, jewelry, etc., on the west side of Water street. Mason, Lester & Co., lumbermen and merchants; store on Water street; a large as- sortment of miscellaneous merchandise. Bolton & McRae, dealers in choice groceries, provisions and liquors, on the cor- ner of Dock and Fletcher streets. William P. Maiden, the first physician and surgeon in Alpena, opened the first drug store, on the corner of Second and River streets, and carried a fine assortment of goods in his line. F. N. Barlow and J. H. Noxen, under the firm name of Barlow & Noxen, introduced the first hardware store in Alpena, on the corner of Second and River streets; carried a fine assortment of hardware, iron,
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stoves and tinware. Martin H. Minton and John Creighton, manufacturers of and dealers in boots and shoes, and harness, on Second street. Wm. West, shoemaker and dealer in boots and shoes, on Second street. H. Hyatt, this year-1866- built the first bakery, and commenced the business of baking. It was known as the Eagle Bakery. He also erected a build- ing and opened a meat market, near his bakery, on Water street. Although both of these improvements were much needed and duly appreciated by the people, yet the village was not large enough to make the business very lucrative. The upper rooms of this building were nicely fitted up for a Masonic hall, and this was the first one occupied by the Masonic fraternity in Al- pena. At the door of this hall, many excellent citizens knock- ed and were admitted, and brought from darkness to light, and presented with the tools and instructions whereby they could work out the problems of life, on the square and compasses, with temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice, and to travel on the level of time, toward that Divine Architect Who has made all things well, and Who uses neither trestle-board or patterns, and never made a mistake. Besides the business places already mentioned, Alpena had a number of mechanical establishments, great and small, five public houses, only two of which could be honored with the name of "hotel." These were the Union Star Hotel, owned and kept by J. R. Beach, and the Alpena House, owned and kept by Julius Potvin. Both houses were well managed, and were rivals for business; were favorites with the public, and a satisfaction to the business men of the place. Alpena also possessed one or two billiard rooms, and a number of drinking places. We will now leave the village for a time, to look after the surroundings.
In 1862, John Trowbridge & Bros. lumbered a large quanti- ty of short logs, and put them into the North Branch of Thun- der Bay river; and the same season built a small shingle mill, propelled by water, near the dam, in section 1, town 31 north,
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of range 8 east, and a boarding house near the same. In 1863, the Trowbridge Bros. lumbered long timber, from section 16, town 31 north, of range 8 east, and in the autumn of the same year, undertook to raft it to market. They proceeded to make cribs of the long timber, and load them with short logs. When the raft was nearly finished, and which contained about two and a half million feet of lumber, a furious storm arose, which lasted long enough to tear the raft to pieces, and scatter the timber in every conceivable disorder along the shore of the bay. They then built a small steam sawmill, near the first point east of Alpena, and about two miles distant, and subsequently known as Trowbridge Point. Here they cleared a small piece of ground, made a dock, and erected a number of buildings. They spent the season of 1864 in removing the logs from the bay shore to the mill, and sawing them, and which cost them nearly as much as the logs were worth, resulting in a large loss to the parties. In 1865 and 1866, Trowbridge Bros. built a large water mill, at the dam, for sawing lumber, and made a tram railway from the mill to their dock at the point, and being about seven miles in length. The mill run one muley saw, one six- feet circular saw, one shingle machine, and a lath machine. Up to this time, little or no attention had been paid to tilling the soil. Indeed, it was almost the universal belief that the land was too poor, and the climate too arctic to produce good erops, and that it never could be a good farming country.
In an article published in the Pioneer, in November, 1866, headed "Our Prospects," and written over the signature of "Don Pedro," is the following: "The question is this; you have all heard it, so do not look for anything new. What is there to sustain Alpena when the lumbering is done with, but farming? and will that pay for the undertaking, or, in other words, reward the laborer? Reader, this is a question which comes home to the bosom of all who have an interest in the fu- turity of Alpena; and it is one that should be agitated and
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pushed forward for one sole and particular reason; that is, the lumbering must surely come to an end, and then there must be some other resource to fall back upon, or Alpena will then soon sink into decay, and the tenements now so rapidly going up, will become but stables for the wandering kine. Fruits will not generally become a source from which we shall ever reap much benefit, although Prof. Winchell has even gone so far in his geological statements as to declare that the best fruit coun-
try in Michigan is from this latitude, extending to the Straits. But let that be as it may, there is no one who will deny the fact that this is a first class grazing country." Then, after admonishing the people to raise hay and stock, he says: "All kinds of roots, so far as I can ascertain, grow in large quanti- ties and of good quality. The cereals do quite well, but not enough so to warrant a cultivation of them." The writer has answered the same question many times, by stating what he now writes, that there is good farming lands enough in the county to support Alpena, when the pine timber is exhausted; but the question need not fret the questioner, for he will be in his grave long before lumbering ceases to be an industry of Alpena. It was truly refreshing to many, at that time, to learn that the country was not totally barren, and absolutely worth- less, when stripped of its pine timber, and that the timber would last longer than one decade; and hence the importance of Don Pedro's discovery and announcement, "that this is a first class grazing country." The writer cultivated some land, at Devil river, and raised good crops; but this was attributed to its peculiar situation, the abundance of manure, and the ex- tra care and cultivation.
In 1861 or 1862, Alexander Archibald and Thomas Murray purchased a piece of land, on the rapids, below Broadwell's mill, of Elisha Taylor, of Detroit; built a house and barn, and moved his family there; cleared four or five acres of land, and sowed it with oats and grass. They harvested a very good
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crop, and were satisfied with their experiment, and would have proceeded to make the first farm in the county, had not the property changed into the hands of Mr. Broadwell, with whom they were at enmity, and they abandoned the contract and the place. Mr. Broadwell also cleared and cultivated with success, a few acres near his mill.
In 1860 or 1861, a man known by the name of Antwine, cleared a few acres of land and tilled it, at the confluence of the North Branch with the main river, and about the same time, G. N. Fletcher selected a piece of land, in section 29 or 30, town 31 north, of range 7 east, and had from ten to fifteen acres cleared. He sold or rented the same to John King, who mov- ed on to it with his family, and stayed two or three years. King raised large quantities of potatoes and bagas. and sold them by the quantity, or sleigh load. This was the first pro- duce raised in the county, and sold by the quantity. This seems to be all that was done in the farming line, up to and in- cluding 1866. In the future of this chapter, it will be impos- sible to follow in detail the rapid growth of the village; and I shall notice, only in a general way, those that do not introduce some new industry, or necessarily promote other improvements.
In 1867, the business men of Alpena began to feel their financial strength, and the want of larger facilities for transact- ing their business. Their harbor deficient, their roads bad, their docks, warehouses and business places too small. A "Harbor Improvement Company" had been organized, and con- siderable work had been done in the way of building piers and dredging, yet the water on the bar was too shallow to admit large vessels and steamers, and the company resolved to extend the piers into twelve feet of water, during the winter of 1867 and 1868; and this was expected to remove the harbor difficul- ty. The only roads, at this time, connecting Alpena "with the rest of the world," during the winter season, was the East Sag- inaw and Au Sable River, and the Duncan, Alpena and Au Su-
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ble River State roads. These were passable for teams, only during the season of frost and snow, and then they were very rough and uncertain. Through their Representative, the Hon. J. K. Lockwood, the people obtained an additional grant of swamp lands, by the Legislature, for the further improvement of said roads, and to build a bridge across the Au Sable river, the details of which will be found in the chapter on communi- cation. No new mills were built in the village during the year 1867, but the mechanic's ax, hammer and saw were heard in every direction, finishing up and enlarging mills, docks, ware- houses, hotels and dwellings commenced the last season, and erecting new dwellings and places for doing business. Mason, Doty & Co. made a large extension to their dock, and Jenney & Harrington made valuable improvements in theirs. Messrs. Bolton & McRae erected a large and substantial building, on the corner of Dock and Fletcher streets, for a grocery and pro- vision store. A two story building was finished, on Second street, opposite the drug store, to be occupied by John Creigh- ton, for a shoe shop. A large hotel, on Second street, to be known as the Burrell House, was in process of construction. It was finished and opened as a public house, in August, 1871, with considerable formality, Judge Sutherland, Member of Con- gress, the Hon. D. May, Attorney General, Hon. J. K. Lock- wood, and city officials, being present, and Mr. McLain being proprietor. Many dwellings might be mentioned, but the fol- lowing must suffice: Josiah Frink, a fine dwelling, on Maine avenue, near Deacon Hitchcock's; S. Boggs, a dwelling, and J. W. Lane, a dwelling, on Second street. This year-1867- David D. Oliver built a large steam sawmill, at Ossineke. This mill was one hundred and twenty feet long, aud forty feet wide, and designed to run one six-feet circular saw, for cutting long timber or cants, as desired, and a gang so arranged as to cut round logs or cants. It was intended to work each side of the mill independent of the other, or together. as required, and for
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that purpose two sets of machinery were necessary. Oliver not being able to finish the mill with a gang, and finding that the engine was able to run two large circular saws, put a circular in place of the gang, which did good work. Subsequently, the property went into the hands of Cunningham, Robinson, Haines & Co. They not knowing the design of Oliver, put into the mill the gang, and retained the two circular saws, thereby crowding the mill with saws, which the stream was not able to supply with logs.
The year 1868 gave a new impulse to mill building. A young man of good business capacity, stern integrity, and per- severing industry, came from the State of Ohio, to Alpena, and purchased a site for a steam sawmill, on the north side of the river, next to the bay. Backed by a father who was a man of means, and who declared that "Frank was a good boy," he com- menced the erection of a mill, near the end of the north pier, and then out in the bay. This was an undertaking of consid- erable magnitude, and was a very important improvement to Alpena. It extended the limits of the town, and gave a better appearance to its front. It would give permanency to that side of the pier, as the offal from the mill would soon fill in and about the pier, and make it solid and free from the attacks of the waves from the bay. The pier would be an advantage to the mill, for with a very little modification and expense, it could be used as a dock for piling and shipping lumber. This mill was commenced in 1868, and finished in 1869. It run one large circular saw and one muley saw, and a lath mill. It had a capacity to cut about five million feet of lumber per season, and about eight hundred thousand pieces of lath. It employed about twenty-four men, and is known as the Gilchrist mill. A lumber and shingle mill combined, was built this year-1868 -- on the north side of the river, and named the Chamberlain mill, by A. F. Fletcher & Co. It run one large circular saw. which is capable of cutting two million feet of lumber per sea-
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son, besides doing the necessary work for the shingle machine. For the manufacture of shingles, it run one- Valentine double cutter, one Evarts single. cutter, and one hand machine. It also run a lath mill, edgers, slab saw, and cant slasher. Its capacity for shingles is about twelve millions per season, and five hundred thousand pieces of lath. The manner of working up the timber in this mill is very economical. The logs are first taken to the circular saws, and all the upper qualities of lumber taken off. The balance of the logs are cut into cants of proper size for shingle bolts, and then passed to the cant slasher and cut into blocks for the shingle machines. The only objec- tion to cutting timber in this way, is, that some of the shingles are cut with the grain of the wood, instead of being cut across it. The mill employs about forty persons, men and boys. The company also built a large dock for piling and shipping their products. Bewick, Comstock & Co. commenced to build a shingle mill and dock, on the south side of the river, above Second street. It was not finished until 1869. It run one Valentine double cutter, and one Evarts single cutter. The logs are cut into blocks with a drag saw. The daily cut of this mill is about seventy thousand, and it gives employment to about twenty persons. A small shingle mill was built in 1867 or 1868, by Hagerty & Co., on the bay shore, near Campbell & Potter's dock. It run one single cutting machine, with a ca- pacity to cut two or three million shingles per season, and em- ployed eight persons. A. H. Doty built a shingle mill, on the north side of the river. It run two single cutting machines, with a capacity to cut about six million shingles per season, and gave employment to thirteen persons. At what date this mill was built, the writer is not able to give. In regard to the first shingle mill erected in Alpena, the writer has passed over until now, not being able to get the particulars. J. S. Minor. under date of March 16th, 1878, to the writer says: "The first shingle mill was built by G. S. Lester; run a Valentine
/
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machine; twenty men; twelve million; and since destroyed."
The rapid increase of mills caused a corresponding increase in the cutting of timber. In the spring the river was packed with logs for miles, so that those having logs in the rear would have to wait for them until the logs in the front had been mov- ed. Every one having logs to drive, in the spring, was anxious to get in ahead on the drive of logs. This sometimes caused contention and strife. Some mills were compelled to be idle in the spring, on account of the jam of logs in the river, unless logs were wintered over in their booms; and it became neces- sary that some arrangement should be had whereby logs could be delivered at the different mills, during the summer season. as they were needed. On the 25th of April, 1868, a number of citizens of Alpena met at the office of L. M. Mason & Co., and organized the Thunder Bay River Boom Co. The capital stock of the company was $10,000, in one hundred shares of $100 each. Officers were elected as follows: President, B. F. Luce; Secretary and Treasurer, S. Mitcbel Noxen; Directors, B. F. Luce, P. M. Johnson, Wm. H. Potter, E. Harrington, and S. Mitchel Noxen.
If civilization means a great number of wants and their sup- ply, then Alpena had reached a high state of civilization, for her wants were many, and as soon as one was satisfied, another stood ready to claim attention. Prior to 1867, all machinery and foundry work for the mills at Alpena, was done at Detroit or Saginaw, and sometimes a small break caused a serious de- lay. A foundry and machine shop was very much desired by the mill owners, but this question stood in the way: Is there work enough to make it pay? David Crippen was the first man that undertook to answer the question. He was a prac- tical machinist, and by hard work and prompt attention to the wants of his customers, he has been able to answer the ques- tion in the affirmative. He came to Alpena in 1867, erected a foundry and machine shop, built up a trade, and made the busi-
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ness a success. The visit of the "Fire King" will be noticed in the chapter on fires.
A fruitful source of mortification and regret to the people of Alpena, was a deficiency in accommodations for visitors, and this led to the erection of the Fletcher House. This want was felt, more or less, from the time of the incipient village, to the opening of that house. To meet this desideratum, Samuel Boggs, in 1867, commenced the erection of a large and commo- dious hotel, on the north side of Dock street, near the river. It was finished and opened in 1868, and known as the Huron House, and became a competitor for business, with the Star Hotel. Both of these houses run expresses to the boats, and the traveling public was pleased and satisfied. But this state of things lasted only until 1871, when both hotels were swept away by a fire, the details of which may be seen in the chapter on fires.
In 1868, Dr. Wm. P. Maiden built a three story building, on the corner of Chisholm and Second streets. He designed the first story for a drug store, the second story for offices, and the third for a Masonic hall. The Alpena House, destroyed by fire January 1st, 1868, was re-built, on the site of the old one, in 1868 and 1869, and will be noticed in the chapter on fires. The frame of the Union School house was raised in August, 1868, the details of which are given in the chapter on education.
In 1865, the oil excitement reached Alpena, and in the Thun- der Bay Monitor of April 8th, we find the following:
"NOTICE .- The stockholders of the Alpena Oil Company will meet at the Court House, on Friday evening, April 14th, at 7 o'clock, to organize, and transact such other business as may lawfully come before them.
"MARTIN H. MINTON, " _. FAIRCHILDS, "E. K. POTTER, "D. R. JOSLIN,
"Stockholders."
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D. D. Oliver, of Ossineke, made this company a proposition, that, if they would locate the well at Squaw Point, on lands belonging to him, he would contribute $1,000, and would deed the company five acres of land, provided they should find any- thing valuable. This proposition was accepted by the first stockholders, who agreed with the writer, that Alpena was too near the dip of the rock, or edge of the basin, to find much brine or oil. Subsequently, men became stockholders, who had more property interests in Alpena than knowledge of geology, and either thought or pretended to think, that oil could be found in Alpena as well as in any other place, and this divided ideas and interests delayed the operations of sinking a well until in Jan- uary, 1869, when new arrangements were made to feel into the "bowels of the earth," for oil, salt, or whatever might be of value. The first work in putting up the derrick and necessary buildings was done in January. The location selected was near E. Harrington's mill. In March, 1869, Mr. Hagerty, who had a contract for sinking the well, reported the lithological struc- ture for 643 feet, as follows:
1st. Various strata of sand, gravel, bowlders, 30 feet.
2d. Limestone, 2
3d. Quartz rock containing considerable copper ore, 18
4th. Shale, 4
5th. Soapstone,
33
6th. Limestone, 7
Total,
64g feet.
After this, but little attention was given to the structure or kind of rocks, but generally limestone, with some layers of shale and soapstone. At 600 feet, a vein of mineral water was reached, which flowed with such force as to keep the borings clear, without pumping. The well was sunk to a depth of 1,185 feet, and when the tubing was put in, in 1870, it was dis- covered that the drill had stopped in a solid rock of salt. The
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brine was very strong, but could not be obtained in paying quantities. It was supposed by some that, by letting the water flow upon this bed of salt, it would soon dissolve and form a reservoir for brine, of sufficient size to establish a business in salt making. But this kind of rock does not dissolve as readily as manufactured salt, (chloride of sodium,) for, mixed with it is often sulphate of lime, (gypsum,) chloride of calcium, mag- nesium, etc., which renders the rock hard, and not easily dis- solved. The proprietors, G. N. Fletcher, Wm. Jenney and E. Harrington, being disappointed in regard to obtaining brine, turned their attention to the mineral water. Mr. Fletcher sub- mitted a quantity of the water to Dr. S. P. Duffield, a practical chemist, of Detroit, Mich., for a quantitive analysis, with the following result:
ANALYSIS.
Specific gravity,
1.012
IN A GALLON.
Bicarbonate of soda,
15.736
Bicarbonate of lime,
55.136
Bicarbonate of magnesia,
62.920
Bicarbonate of iron,
1.840
Sulphate of lime,
30.056
Silica and aluminum,
3.088
Chloride of sodium,
68.256
Organic matter and loss,
.928
237.960
Total mineral constituents, 237.032 grains.
Sulphurated hydrogen gas, 3.91 cubic inches.
Carbonic aicd gas, a trace.
Another well was bored by Mr. Hagerty, in 1874, on the east side of Thunder Bay river. At 700 feet a vein of very soft water was struck, which flowed the full capacity of the well. At 950 feet a mineral vein was reached; and at 1,050 feet salt rock. It is somewhat remarkable, and to be regretted very
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much, that a minute and detailed record of the geological char- acter of the several strata of rock was not made. It might have led to valuable results.
The first hardware store was started by Barlow & Noxen, in 1866. Mr. Noxen soon left the firm and J. J. Potter stepped into his place, and with Mr. Barlow built up a large trade. In March, 1869, Mr. Barlow retired from the business and E. K. Potter filled the vacancy. The firm soon was changed to Potter Bros. & Co., and so re-organized, the business was well managed and is now one of the largest mercantile establish- ments in Alpena.
The same year, Mr. Barlow commenced to build a clapboard mill, on the south side of the river, near the pier, for the pur- pose of cutting clapboards and door stuff. It run one clap- board machine and sapper. Subsequently, it was changed to a shingle mill, running one double and one single machine. Had a capacity to cut 100,000 shingles per day, and employed twenty-seven persons. It was owned in 1876 by Edward White, and valued at $8,000.
In 1870, the people of Alpena had become exceedingly prosperous, in the general acceptation of the term in this coun- try-people are prosperous according to the accumulation of wealth, over and above paying their expense of living. To show how prosperous the people are, we have only to show their surrounding conditions and influences, and their accumu- lation and increase of property and population, and we can do this in no better way than to show the acts and statistical re- ports of the people themselves, or through their representa- tives.
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