USA > Michigan > Alpena County > Centennial history of Alpena County, Michigan > Part 9
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The population of Alpena proper, in 1864, was 674, and in 1870, according to the state census, was 2,756, an increase of 459 inhabitants yearly. The vote cast in 1864 was 69, and that in 1870 was 519, a yearly increase of 75 votes. This
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verifies the statement, before made, that Alpena dates its pros- perity and rapid growth from 1864.
From its organization to 1864, six years, it had accumula- ted only 69 voters, while from 1864 to 1870, six years, it more than doubled that number each year.
The valuation of property, as made by the Board of Super- visors, and as shown by the census, was made upon the town of Alpena, which, in 1860, comprised the whole county. When the towns of Ossineke and Corles were organized, in 1867, it materially changed its territory. Alpena was again metamor- phosed in 1871, by the organization of the city, and again changed by the organization of the towns of Wilson and Long Rapids. A large portion of the accumulation of wealth be- longed to the village of Alpena, and when connected with other territory and subject to such changes, the figures of the su- pervisors fail to express fairly the rates of increase of values in the village.
In 1868, the equalization of the assessment rolls were as fol- lows:
Alpena,
$700,000.06
Harrisville,
524,379,25
Alcona, 230,013.02
Ossineke,
137,961.89
Unorganized territory,
620,505.37
Total,
$2,217,359.59
In 1870, the several tax rolls were equalized at the following amounts:
: Alpena,
$769,917.24
Ossineke, 142,660.00
Unorganized territory, 576,152.66
Total, $1,488,729.90
The two years above have been selected: First, to show the change in value by a change in territory, and second, to select two years in which no change had been made in Alpena
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territory. But this shows only the ratio of values for the two years, is found to be $69,917.18.
In July, 1862, Congress enacted a law, imposing a tax of five per cent on all incomes over and above one thousand dol- lars net, and now, by giving a list of persons in Alpena, who paid an income tax in 1866 and in 1868, and the amounts on which they paid their tax, will better show their increase of wealth than any estimates made by the supervisors.
The following is the income tax lists (exclusive of legal ex- emptions) for Alpena county, for the years 1866 and 1868, as furnished by E. B. Chamberlain, assistant assessor, 15th di- vision, 6th district :
1866.
1868.
Henry Bolton,
$966.62
Henry Bolton,
$578.24
Samuel Boggs,
926.00
A. W. Comstock,
1,500.00
Andrew W. Comstock,
500.00
Wm. B. Comstock,
1,500.00
Wm. B. Comstock,
500.00
James Cavanagh, 3,007.88
John Campbell,
240.00
Josiah Frink,
200.00
James Cavanagh,
283.84
A. F. Fletcher, 500.00
Alexander H. Doty,
900.00
Thos. H. Hunt,
1,500.00
Temple Emory,
2,000.00
Elisha Harrington,
7,213.00
Addison F. Fletcher,
781.34
Jas. K. Lockwood,
3,957.50
John W. Glennie,
136.65
Benjamin F. Luce, 4,290.00
Elisha Harrington,
8,676.55
Donald McRae, 578.23
Benj. C. Hardwick,
1,162.00
Henry R. Morse, 313.73
Thos. H. Hunt,
800.00
S. Mitchell Noxen,
2,631.80
Phineas M. Johnson,
781.34
Charles Oldfield,
2,631.80
Edward Sachpell,
600.00
James J. Potter, 613.05
Benjamin F. Luce,
2,356.66
William H. Potter, 6,375,00
Donald McRea,
743.34
William P. Maiden,
293.00
William Norris,
341.00
S. Mitchel Noxen,
4,656.91
John Oldfield,
4,531.91
Chas. Oldfield,
4,531.91
D. D. Oliver,
9,795.00
William H. Potter,
2,600.00
Edward K. Potter,
230.00
It may not be uninteresting, to some of the readers of this
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book, to show, in this place, the various circumstances that conspired favorably for the growth of Alpena, and that which exercised the largest influence, was the then so called "de- preciated greenback."
Most of the wealth of Alpena, in 1864, was in her immense forests of pine timber, and the accumulation of wealth by the people depended mostly upon the low price and easy purchase of those lands. For the purpose of settlement and drainage of the swamp lands, the Legislature, in 1859, passed a home- stead law, by which any settler or occupant of eighty acres of swamp lands, upon making application to the Commissioner of the Land Office, was entitled to a certificate of purchase, con- ditioned that the settler should live on the land continuously for five consecutive years; that within three months from the date of such certificate, the settler should file with the Commis- sioner of State Land Office, a certificate from the Supervisor of the township in which the land is located, together with his own affidavit, that he is in actual possession and occupancy of such land; that he shall not cut or carry away any valuable timber, except upon lands cleared for cultivation-complying with these provisions and proving the same at the expiration of the five years, he would be entitled to a deed of the land from the State of Michigan.
In 1862, Congress also passed a homestead law, by which any person, male or female, being the head of a family, or a male twenty-one years of age, and a citizen of the United States, or had declared his intention to become a citizen, and who had always been faithful to the government, and by pay- ing a small register fee, was permitted to select and occupy one hundred and sixty acres of land, from any of the United States lands, subject to entry, at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, and that, by living on the land for five consecutive years, and making proof of this to the Register of the Land Office of the district, where the land belonged, was entitled to a patent of the land from the United States.
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In 1862, Congress established a Department of Agriculture at Washington, D. C., and in 1863 made a grant of lands to the several states, to aid them in establishing an Agricultural College in each state. Some of the states selected their lands, while others, being remote from the land districts, put their certificates on the market, and sold them for what they could get, being always less than one-half their cash purchasing value at the United States Land Office for lands.
For the purpose of drainage and reclamation of the swamp lands, the Legislature, in 1859, made a law granting swamp lands to aid in making roads and bridges, and in 1861 appro- priated about four hundred thousand acres for that purpose. Subsequently a large portion of the swamp lands have been used in the same way. The law provided that, if the contract- or elected to take lands for the construction of any road, as soon as his contract was accepted by the Board of Control, he had a right to select a portion or all the lands called for by his contract, and the Commissioner of the State Land Office would withdraw them from the market and hold them during the life of the contract; that whenever the contractor finished two miles or more of the road, and it was accepted by the local road com- missioner, he was entitled to receive deeds of so much land as he was entitled to per mile for making the road.
As soon as the contract was accepted by the Board of Con- trol, the Swamp Land Commissioner credited the contractor with the amount of the contract. This was called "unmatured scrip."
As fast as the contractor finished his road and had it accept- ed by the Road Commissioner, he was credited with so much "matured serip," on which he was entitled to deeds. This scrip was transferable by an order from the contractor, drawn on the Commissioner of the State Land Office. This serip was placed upon the market and sold at a low figure, sometimes for less than one-half its purchasing value for land.
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Besides these substitutes for cash, in the purchase of pine and other lands, were "bounty land warrants," issued to all persons who had been soldiers in the service of the United States. Those issued to soldiers of the war of 1812, were in the State of Michigan exempt from taxation for three years after the date of the patents. During the years 1865. 1866 and 1867 the prices of those substitutes, in the hands of middle men or brokers, ranged about as follows:
Land warrants of 1812, 40 acres, $ 40 to $ 48
Land warrants of 1812,
80 acres, 88 to 94
Land warrants of 1812, 120 acres, 109 to 115
Land warrants of 1812,
160 acres, 134 to 140
Agricultural college serip, 160 acres, 104 to 108
Swamp land scrip, on the dollar, fifty to fifty-two cents.
It may not be without interest to some of the readers of this book, to notice the condition of the currency of the country, at this time.
Hon. E. G. Spaulding. in his history of the greenback, ,on page 198, says: "Gold and commodities continued to ad- vance in price. On the 15th of January, 1864, gold was $1.55; on the 15th of April, $1.78; on the 15th of June, $1.97, and on the 29th of June, $2.35 to $2.50, which showed that the legal tender notes were only worth forty cents on the dollar in gold. The next day, the 30th of June, 1864, Mr. Chase resigned the office of Secretary of the Treasury. At this time the inflated paper issues, outstanding, were over $1,100,000,- 000, and in a few days thereafter, gold reached its highest quotations, $2.85, or more accurately speaking, greenbacks de- preciated until they were worth in gold thirty-five cents on the promised dollar, at the board of brokers, in the city of New York."
It may be well to examine this point a little, to ascertain whether gold appreciated, or as it is asserted, "that green- backs depreciated." Facts support the allegation that, among
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the business men and laboring classes, in. the United States, gold appreciated, the same as other property. Foreigners, and those basing their values on gold, claimed that the greenbacks had depreciated, but this was a fact, only when the greenback was taken out of the United States. Gold and foreign curren- cy, not being used as a legal tender, became property, and with it fluctuated in prices.
In 1864, a gold dollar would buy, say $2.50 in greenbacks, and in 1876, it would buy only $1.12. Now, the greenback would buy as much government land, in 1864, as it would in 1876. The taxes, State and county, were no more on the dol- lar, in 1864, than in 1876, and the greenback dollar would pay as much tax in 1864, as it would in 1876, and the greenback dollar would pay as much debt, in 1864, as in 1876. The gold dollar could not force the payment of any more taxes or debts, in 1864, than it could in 1876, nor could it buy any more gov- ernment land, unless it was exchanged for legal tender.
Surely there was no depreciation shown by these facts, and if the people had to pay high prices for what' they purchased, they also received high prices for what they sold, whether that was labor, lumber, iron or merchandise. All these circum- stances combined to make it extremely easy for any person to become the possessor of a piece of pine land, which was rap- idly increasing in value. Many, who had gold or Canada cur- rency, exchanged it for "the depreciated greenback," receiv- ing two dollars or more for one, and then purchased scrip or land warrants, at about fifty per cent below their value, for land, making it cost the purchaser from twenty to thirty cents per acre, iu gold. Many, in this way, were becoming wealthy, who did not appear on the income tax list, or add much to the figures of the Supervisor. These conditions extended to Al- pena and her surroundings, and was applicable more or less to all the Northern States.
The following quotations from the Alpena Pioneer, of vari-
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ous dates, will give you a better idea of the condition of things about the village, and the thrift and activity of the people, than any report made by the writer:
May 8th, 1869.
James Hunt has laid the foundation for an upright to his house.
Charley Cornell is making his lots look much better by clear- ing them up.
M. B. Spratt and Frank Starbird are improving the appear- ance of their houses, by new fences.
J. B. Tuttle has bought a house on State street.
J. H. Stevens has purchased the next lot, and has the lum- ber on the ground for building. Will it be safe for two law- yers to live so close together ?
Deacon Hitchcock is erecting a feed store, next to Hueber's meat market.
Kesselmeyer has bought the residence of Robert Carnes, and has raised a two story building for a barber shop, grocery, etc.
Dr. Maiden's new office and fence are a great improvement to his premises.
W. M. Sutton has traded houses with E. K. Potter, and is building an office between his house and Dr. Maiden's.
E. K. Potter has a large pile of lumber on the site of the old drug store. We expect to see a hardware store there before long.
J. W. Hall is building a cabinet shop for our friend Aber; also a dwelling house; and Mr. Todd a tailor shop. and dwell- ing house, making that corner look lively.
May 15, 1869.
We are pleased to see the improvements going on in the way of paint and shade trees. The idea of getting shade trees in this sand is quite discouraging, but when it proves success- ful, the beauty of the improvement more than repays the trouble.
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J. S. Minor is entirely refitting the residence purchased of Leroy Bundy, and building a fence.
W. H. Phelps has erected a very convenient and substan- tial dwelling on Third street. Ira Stout is finishing another for himself by its side, while the street is being extended south of the section line bridge, and five or six new buildings going up, the owners of which we did not learn. Going back to Chisholm street, we found a new fence, nearly finished, around Rev. Mr. Barlow's house, also preparations for building on John Blakely's lot. (Wonder if this isn't a shadow, which a future event casts before. ) The new coat of paint, on Mr. Mortimer's house, improves the appearance of this corner, and we observed some timbers on the site of the old Alpena House, which was burned down last New Year's.
On Lockwood street, several buildings are going up, which causes our village to gradually creep towards Campbellville. We learn that Henry Potter intends to make an addition of forty acres to the village, this spring.
November 20th, 1869.
Burrell's Hotel is improving very fast in its appearance. Its new coat of paint, and its blinds, making it one of the most presentable buildings in town. Z. M. Knight has covered his. new store and is finishing it up. It will show a neat front to Water street. Abe Crowell is building a tasty residence near the Court House, which, with Mr. Chisholm's new house on the opposite side, makes that street look more attractive. From our window we can see the goodly proportions of Mr. Gilchrists' new residence, beautifully located on the banks of the river. On Chisholm street, Mr. Potvin's hotel makes glad the waste place, where the old one burnt last New Year's. This new building needs another story to make it look well. John Blakely's cottage gives a very sunny appearance to that side of the street and makes a very desirable cage for the bird he caught this week.
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The progress of agriculture, from 1866, was more than a doubtful experiment. The writer, having been correspondent of the county of Alpena for the Agricultural Department at Washington, from 1863 to 1870, and compelled to make monthly returns to the department, during that time, his at- tention was called to that department of industry, perhaps more than any one in the county, and as he traveled over the country, in making surveys and exploring for pine lands, he naturally noticed the soil and its adaptation to raising farm produce, and he became early convinced, by observation and experiment, that there was but very little fault in the soil or climate, and that the application of intelligent labor, would place Alpena county among the best agricultural districts in the State.
In the fall of 1865, the writer located the southeast quar- ter of section twenty-five, in town thirty-one north, of range six east, and the southwest quarter of section thirty, in town thirty-one north, of range seven east, being the first burnt lands purchased, for farming purposes. He sold these lands to Dr. J. B. Truax, H. Sawyer and H. King.
Some time in 1866, Sawyer, for defending J. K. Miller and G. N. Fletcher, against the attack of some drunken men, was the next day assailed by a mob, headed by one Crawford, whom Sawyer shot and killed instantly. For this he was ar- rested, tried, and bound over to the Circuit Court, and sent to Saginaw to jail, as there was none in Alpena, by the same class that assailed him, but he never had a trial, as the people re- fused to appear against him. More about this affair in the chapter on temperance.
In consequence of this sad affair, Sawyer and Dr. Truax surrendered their contracts and left the place, while Mr. King paid for his land and became the first permanent farmer in the county.
The writer subsequently sold the Truax quarter section to
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N. M. Brackinreed, in 1868, and the Sawyer lot to Pardon Buell, for farming purposes. This became the nucleus of a settlement.
In 1867, Charles B. Greely and George B. Erskine com- menced to clear a farm in section nineteen or twenty, in town- ship thirty-one north, of range six east. The land was densely covered with large sugar maple, beech and hemlock timber, and it required a good ax, a strong arm, much will power, and persevering industry to make a large farm in this place. For- tunately, they possessed all these requirements, and constantly the sound of the ax and the crash of falling timber, could be heard, until a large piece was ready to be piled into log heaps and burned. This was done, and the ground was planted with potatoes and baga turnips, and Mr. Greely reported that the first crop brought them over one thousand dollars, besides what they used for the family and seed. This was the largest sale of farm produce that was raised in the county. The chop- ping, clearing, and planting continued until 1871, when they found that, from being the possessor of a good ax . each, and some other "traps," in 1866, they were now the owners of a farm of two hundred acres, and more than one-half of that cleared, with a good house and barn, etc., good teams, wagons. and farming implements, and this mostly made from the land. Their prospects, at this time, were exceeding prosperous, but a dark cloud suddenly came over their sunshine.
About two years prior to this, Mr. Erskine brought to his forest home a charming bride, a lady of about twenty-four summers, and who by her industry, cheerful disposition, and accommodating spirit, made her endearing to her husband, and his home bright and cheerful, and won for her the kind regard and respect of all that knew her.
In June, 1870, she went to the State of Maine, to visit her mother, and while there, died, soon after giving birth to a son, that also died at, or soon after. its birth. When the sad news
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of the death of his beloved wife and darling son, reached Mr. Erskine, it gave him such a shock, and cast such a gloom over his once happy home, that he could not bear the thought of living there longer, and Mr. Greely, sympathizing with him, they sold the farm and came to the city.
In 1876, the property belonged to Mr. Emerson, having passed through several parties.
Soon after Messrs. Greely and Erskine commenced their farming, they were followed into the woods by Mr. Kimball, who located a farm on the south side of them, and Mr. Green, who located near them on the northeast, while A. R. Rich- ardson commenced to clear a large farm, a mile or so east of them, and who soon had a large clearing, with a good frame house and barn. This formed the beginning of another settle- ment.
About the same time, 1866 or 1867, James A. Case and William Hawley commenced to clear farms on Thunder Bay river, in section thirty-one, in township thirty-two north, of range seven east, and John Mainville and one or two others, located in section twenty-eight, of the same town and range, and while Mr. Case was debating with himself, whether farm- ing there would pay, and the probability of any more settlers, Mainville was disputing his rights with a family of beavers, for the occupancy of an old beaver pond. This, with Antoine's clearing, at the mouth of the North Branch, was the first set- tlement in this township.
In 1867, James Demster, William Pulford, David Dunn, and a few others, settled on homesteads, a few miles east of Alpena city, and about the same time, E. Woodruff and Alex. Macaulay and others, settled on and near Partridge Point.
Richard Naylor commenced farming about three miles north- west from the city, and a few other settlers at other points, so that, in June, 1869, the writer reported to the Department of Agriculture, at Washington, thirty-six farmers in the county.
ยท
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In 1870, the Rev. F. N. Barlow commenced to build a large steam sawmill, and booming grounds, out in the bay, near the south pier. He commenced the work, by running a large crib around an area of the bay, sufficiently large to hold his logs, and drove piles for the foundation of his mill, out in the water, to be filled in around it with the refuse from the mill, which was afterwards done. This mill was finished in 1871, and run one large circular saw, one of J. B. Wayne's iron gangs, two patent edgers, one gang lath mill, one drag saw, two clapboard saw- ing machines and one sapper, for clapboard bolts. It had also, in connection, a planing mill, with one large iron planer, and a clapboard planer, one re-sawing machine, two ripping saws, and one butting saw. This mill gave employment to, from forty- five to fifty men, and was valued at fifty thousand dollars. The refuse from the mill soon filled all the places, that refuse could be used to advantage, besides making steam. A large wrought iron refuse burner was made, ample in capacity, for burning the accumulations, together with machinery for conveying the refuse, directly from the saws to the burner.
This property changed owners several times, passing from Mr. Barlow to George Prentiss & Co., and from them to the Alpena Lumber Co. In 1876 it is owned by Mr. Churchill.
The city of Alpena is indebted to the thrift and business push and capacity of Mr. Barlow, in this enterprise, for the large and important extension of territory, the stability of her harbor improvements, the accumulation of fifty thousand dol- lars of wealth to the city, and the addition of, at least, one hun- dred inhabitants, and while Mr. Barlow got more experience out of the operation, than money, yet it was a permanent good for the place.
In 1871, A. R. Richardson built, on Maine street, the first brick dwelling in the city. Soon after the fire, in April, Bolton & McRae built a large, three story and basement brick block, on the corner of Dock and Fletcher streets, being the first brick
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store in the city. This year a telegraph line was extended from Bay City to Alpena, and will be noticed in the chapter on com- munication.
Events in history take place in regular succession, the same as the events in a person's life, and it is impossible for any event to take place before its antecedent. So with the growth of Alpena. Among its first wants were streets and roads, and as soon as these became well made, horses and carriages were in order, and needed; and people who could not keep a horse and carriage, borrowed, or hired of those who had, until a liv- ery stable became necessary, as one of the appendages of the city. J. R. Beach was the first one in the city to keep horses and carriages for hire. In 1871, McDade & Co. built and maintained a livery stable, on the corner of Washington avenue and Second street.
In the winter of 1872 and 1873, John S. Minor built his new mill, on the old disputed middle ground. It was planned for two five and a half feet circular saws. In 1876, he employed twenty-four men, and cut, with one circular saw, five and a half million feet of lumber.
Prior to 1872, all the banking business for Alpena was done in Detroit. But very little currency was taken at Alpena, for the reason that there was no safe place for deposit. Mill men in Alpena checked out of Detroit banks, and payees generally spent a large portion of the money in Detroit; and this dwarfed the trade of Alpena, and kept it without money. On the 1st of March, 1872, Charles Bewick, Andrew W. Comstock and Wil- liam B. Comstock organized The Alpena Banking Co., with A. W. Comstock as cashier. In April of the same year, Geo. L. Maltz and J. L. Whiting organized The Exchange Bank, with Geo. L. Maltz as cashier. These banks brought a large amount of currency into the city; supplied the needs of the business men of Alpena, and became very important institutions of the place. A large hotel was erected this season, by George N.
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Fletcher, of Detroit, under certain arrangements with the peo- ple of Alpena, and called the Fletcher House. It is situated on the bay shore, and occupies the whole space between Water and River streets, one front of one hundred and forty feet fac- ing the bay; one front of one hundred and forty feet fac- ing Water street, and fifty-one feet fronting on River street, the whole being forty-five feet wide. The building is three stories high; the first story fifteen feet, the second story four- teen feet, and third story twelve feet, and surrounded by a mansard roof and observatory, which commands a view of the bay, with its islands and various points. This house is warm- ed by steam, and lighted with gas manufactured for the pur- pose. It is intended to be, in all its arrangements, a first class hotel.
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