USA > Michigan > Mason County > History of Mason County, Michigan > Part 49
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"Mr. Ramsdell became at once a leading man in public affairs, and there have been but few enterprises having in view the material, mental or moral improvement of the community in which he has not been active. In 1866 he was active in the organization
of the Manistee Bridge Company. In 1867 became one of the corporators of the Boom Company. During the same years he advocated the erection of the union schoolhouse, and became the contractor himself. During the war he was one of the most active in raising funds to secure enlistments, and has been ready to take hold of anything that promised to enhance the importance of Manistee.
"Perhaps I may as well say here what is necessary about the legal fraternity of Manistee. Mr. Ramsdell was followed in the same year by W. W. Carpenter, (now of Howell, Mich., who remained but a short time and migrated). Next came in 1865 Capt. George W. Bullis, seeking an opening to practice, as well as to recuperate a physical system broken down by hard service in the army. Next in order in the Spring of 1867 came Daniel W. Dun- nett, a young graduate of Ann Arbor, who remained about three years and migrated to Kansas. In May, 1867, came E. E. Benedict, and in July B. M. Cutcheon, the one joining in partnership with Mr. Ramsdell, the other with Mr. Bullis.
"In 1868 S. W. Fowler located at Manistee in the double capac- ity of editor and attorney. Alexander H. Dunlap followed the same year, followed by C. H. Marsh and N. W. Nelson, in 1869, and by Dovel in 1871, and Morris and McAlvay in 1872.
"I am aware that it does not become us lawyers to blow our own trumpet, but on my own reponsibility I undertake to say, that I do not believe that there is a town in the state, that, taking its whole history, can show a more public-spirited, temperate, courteous, high- toned bar than that of Manistee.
"MANISTEE IN THE WAR.
"We come now to the war period. Manistee at this time was a spot in the wilderness, but, nevertheless, the 'shot heard round the world' was heard even here. Communication was slow and infre- quent; the mails arrived once a week, brought overland from Grand Haven by John Blanchard. Thursday was universally known as mail day. Here, as everywhere else in the North, the fires of patri- otism were kindled. Recruiting officers, not only from the lower part of this state, but from neighboring states, visited Manistee to recruit their companies from the mills and the woods. Many of the first recruits went to Chicago to enlist, and among them Mr. J. H. Shrigley, who enlisted in the Chicago First Light Battery. Many from Manistee entered the old Third Michigan Infantry, but the largest number that enlisted in any one organization, entered the Sixth Michigan Cavalry, Company I, 33.
"The adjutant general's report shows that the whole number that enlisted in Michigan organizations from Manistee County was eighty-eight; eleven from Stronach, ten from Brown, the rest from Manistee-composed of Manistee town and city, and Filer. But this is no fair criterion of the part Manistee took in the war; for, beyond doubt, nearly, if not quite, as many enlisted in other states as our own.
"I wish I had time and space to enroll here the whole list of brave men who answered to their country's call; but I must forbear. Many of them sleep on battle fields; many more sleep at Anderson- ville and Belle Isle. In that roll of honor in the capitol at Lansing are the names of some Manistee men, the peers of any in patriotism and gallantry.
"There are two among them of whom I would especially speak, partly because I knew them well in the army, and partly because they paid with their lives the full measure of devotion to their coun- try. They are Lieut. and Adj't Jacob F. Seibert and Lieut. and Adj't James F. McGinley.
"The first, Adj't Seibert, was my tent mate at the time he fell -- shot through the body at the battle of Poplar Spring's Church, Sep-
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tember 30, 1864. IIe was German by birth, served in the Prussian army, in the body guard of the Crown Prince. He was every inch a soldier. He enlisted in July, 1862, in the Twentieth Michigan, as a private, in Company .A.' He had been, and was, I think, at the time, deputy county clerk and register of deeds. He and E. Golden Filer enlisted together. Seibert was a splendid clerk, and they were so anxious to secure his services at brigade headquarters that he lost chances of promotion he might have had. It was my pleasure, as commander of the regiment, to promote him to sergeant. sergeant major, and finally to first lieutenant and adjutant of the regiment. In the first action after he received his commission, he was killed by my side, in an almost hand to hand encounter in front of Petersburg. We buried him on a grassy knoll, where he fell, with a ceder tree at his head.
" 'He lies like a warrior, taking his rest, With his martial cloak around him.'
"The general commanding named one of the forts in front of Petersburg in his honor, and that is perhaps his most appropriate monument.
"Lieut. McGinley went out in the old Third. He greatly dis- tinguished himself by his cool daring and marked courage, and was one of the hundred men of Birney's division who received the Kearney Cross, a medal of honor, struck in honor of Gen. Phillip Kearney, and which was held in our army in almost as high esteem as the cross of the legion of honor in the French army. This cross he wore with great pride and honor, and after being transferred to the old fighting Fifth, he was promoted to first lieutenant and adju- tant, for gallantry. I visited him at his quarters and parted from him the evening before his death. He fell at the battle of Hatchie's Run, in front of Petersburg, October 27, 1864, while leading his men with his accustomed gallantry. I hope the time may yet come when these two brave men, and their comrades who fell, may receive some fitting memorial at the hands of the people of Manistee.
"Besides the promptness of the men in enlisting, those who remained at home did their full shares in raising subscriptions and voting bounties, and assisting those who went. Seventy-seven hundred dollars was raised by subscription in one day to pay bounties to the volunteers, and nearly as much more was raised by vote of the town, and this out of a population of only one thousand souls. War meet- ings were held, speeches made, and feeling ran high. Nor were they always particular about the place and manner of holding their meeting. On one occasion a war meeting was called in "Hans & Tom's" saloon, which stood where A. H. Dunlap's block stands. The crowd was dense and the atmosphere, or that which served the purpose of an atmosphere, was denser. Among the speakers on this occasion was our excellent fellow-citizen, Dr. Ellis, who mounted a beer barrel in an atmosphere so redolent of tobacco smoke and whisky that you could cut it with a cheese-knife and shovel it out on a spade, and addressed the assembled crowd.
"What greater evidence could I give of the patriotic fervor of the time? Manistee, the babe in the woods, performed her part well in saving the nation, and it forms an honorable page in her history.
"FIRE OF 1864.
"1864. While the war was still raging, and I believe just twelve years ago to-day, Manistee was visited by her first great fire which came out of the woods just south of where Jack's boiler shop now stands, and burned through to the river, destroying the old McVickar & Co. mill, belonging to D. L. Filer, adjoining Bedford's dock, and many of its appurtenances. On the same day the fire caught in the upper part of the village, in the vicinity of the Bachelor mill, and the old county jail was burned to the ground.
"The original jail was a block house, built of square timbers,
ironed together. The county did not rebuild on the old site, but sold that site and acquired the present site in 1866.
CLOSE OF THE WAR-GROWTH.
"1865 to 1869. With the close of the war came the return home of the veterans and great numbers of the soldiers, starting anew in life, sought a settlement in a new country where land was cheap and large interests to develop. The period from the year 1865 to 1869 was marked by no especial incidents of note, but during that period came a more rapid growth and development than at any previous period. Large numbers of homesteaders came in and the splendid forests of Northern Manistee began to resound the sturdy blows of their axes.
"Openings were made in the forests; farms began to appear; the pine timber interest took a wonderful impulse at the close of the war. With the revival of general industry and trade came an increased demand and an increased price for lumber. New mills sprang up on every hand. The river and harbor were improved. The piers were commenced; the swing-bridge was constructed; the Boom Company organized; the Union School opened; churches started; commerce expanded, and by the Spring of the year 1869 Manistee blossomed out in a full blown city, with a special charter, a mayor, a common council and four wards; cutting the old town of Manistee in two, leaving Manistee town on one side, and Filer on the other. This was indeed a period of unexampled prosperity.
"At the close of the war there were only the three original townships in the county-Manistee, Stronach and Brown.
"In 1865 Bear Lake was added; in 1867, Onekama and Pleason- ton; in 1869, Manistee city, Filer and Marilla; in 1870, Springdale and Arcadia.
"There was once a town by the name of Cleon in the northeast corner of Manistee, but she got married to Wexford, and took her history with her.
"1867. When the present writer landed at Manistee, now almost exactly nine years ago (July, 1867), almost the whole of Manistee was in the vicinity of Canfield's store.
"The postoffice and a general store were in Dr. Ellis' resi- dence.
"Ramsdell & Benedict occupied as a law office the present office of the Boom Company.
"In the next building, beyond, now occupied as a tenement house, were Bullis' law office, the office of the only newspaper, the judge of probate's office, the justice of the peace's office, insurance office, the office of the assessor of internal revenue, and a harness shop.
"Next door was the American House, then kept by John Bennett, the only hotel in Manistee.
"The county treasurer's office was in Ramsdell & Benedict's office, and the prosecuting attorney's and circuit court commissioner's was in George W. Bullis'.
"The only meat market was back of Dr. Ellis' barn, and the only news and cigar stand was kept in a small building just opposite Otto Bauman's old stand.
"Green's steam mill then stood just above the bridge, and a row of wooden buildings was going up in that vicinity.
"The frame of the Tyson House was partly up.
"The Tyson & Co. red mill was building, the Gifford & Ruddock mill; Taylor & Wing mill (now Salling's), the Wheeler & Hopkin's mill (now Peters'), the Dennett & Dunham mill, and others, were built that year (1867). The Filer mill was built in 1866, or com- menced that year; the Stronach Lumber Company's mill was not built till some years after, I think 1869 or 1870. By 1871 the number of mills had increased to twenty-one.
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"Those were flush times in Manistee. Lumber brought high prices. The influx of population was immense. The demand for labor was correspondingly great.
"Three hundred buildings of various grades went up in Man- istee in the year 1867. The population doubled twice between 1866 and 1870, and this prosperity continued almost unabated until the great fire of 1871.
"The first serious drawback was by the fire of 1869.
"Christmas night that year, the Tyson House, the finest hotel Manistee ever had, was burned, and all the rest of the block, from what is now the city bank to the Tyson & Sweet store.
"The loss was about $100,000. The place of the Tyson House has never been filled, and that fire was a serious and permanent drawback to the prosperity of the young city. * * * *
" THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT.
" This sketch would be wholly incomplete without some men- tion of the great temperance movement of 1874.
" This is too recent to justify extended description. But I may say that it was one of the most remarkable phenomena ever wit- nessed in the city or any other country.
" For thirty-five nights the largest assembly room in the city was packed to suffocation with an eager throng full of a strange and wonderful enthusiasm. More than two thousand signed the temper- ance pledge, and many hundreds of them keep it to this hour.
" This building in which we gather to-day is the enduring mon- ument of that great movement.
" I hope to see, in the not far-off future, this building completed and dedicated to all that is beautiful and good and true. I hope to see here established by the liberality of our citizens a complete read- ing room, with its appurtenance. And after that a noble public library, amply endowed by some of our wealthy citizens and freely devoted to the elevation of the laboring classes of Manistee. Let us all help on the consummation of that much desired end.
" Too much cannot be said in praise of the self-denying zeal and noble devotion of the women of Manistee to their work. Let us all lend them a hand, and with a God bless you from the heart, * and a greenback from the pocket, speed them on their way. *
" CHURCHES.
" As already stated, the first religious work at Manistee was performed by the Jesuit missionaries, and the first religious house was the Jesuit mission house on the north side near the site of the Humble mill, opposite the north channel. Next was erected the mission house at the mouth near the present lighthouse, which I am informed was a Protestant mission; by whom established, I have not been able to satisfy myself.
" 1859. The first Evangelical Church organized was the Meth- odist; they began to have worship about 1869.
" 1862. In 1862 they commenced the erection of their meeting house on the same site still occupied. Their first pastor was a clergy- man by the name of Baird. He remained some time and was suc- ceeded by Rev. Mr. Steele. Holden N. Green was for a long time one of the main workers in this church.
" 1861. The Catholics first began to have regular worship in 1861, a priest by the name of Father Tucker visiting here occasion- ally and preaching in Michael Fay's Hotel, which stood on the north side, and, I believe, is the same now occupied as a boarding house.
" 1863. In 1868 they erected the wooden church recently de- molished on the north side, but for a long time were without a reg- ular priest. In 1869 Father Henry Meuffles came here, and since that time the church has been greatly strengthened and enlarged. During the present year the old church has been demolished, as in
1875 the congregation had moved into their new brick building on the south side.
" 1862. The Congregational Church was organized in 1862, July 20, in the old schoolhouse, by Rev. George Thompson, a re- turned missionary. Its pastors have been Revs. John McLean, Her- man Geer, John B. Fisk, Joseph F. Gaylord. Until 1869 this so- ciety worshipped in the old schoolhouse and in Ellis Hall.
" POPULATION.
" The first separate return of population of Manistee County was in 1860, and the census of that year reports the population at 975; in 1864 it was 1,674, in 1870 it was 6,084, and in 1874 it was 8,471. The population at the present time may safely be placed at about 10,000.
" REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT.
" 1855. The representative district to which Manistee belonged in 1856 included the entire lower peninsula north of the south line of Manistee County, excepting the counties of Alcona and Iosco. In 1865 the district embraced twelve counties beside Manistee; in 1871 it was simmered down to Mason and Manistee, and in 1875 Manistee was constituted a district by itself.
" FINIS.
" But it was long since time to bring this sketch to a close. It needs condensation, pruning and correction. I have done the best that I could in the brief time at my disposal, since my appointment working largely nights when tired out and nervously prostrated. I am conscious that there must be some inaccuracies. But I trust it will be found in the main correct.
" The generation of pioneers of Manistee is fast passing away. The places that now know them will soon know them no more for- ever.
" Before they pass away the facts connected with early history of the county should be gathered in some reliable and complete form.
" To accomplish this a Pioneer Society should be organized at once.
" And each of these pioneers should contribute from the fund of his knowledge toward the future and worthy history of Manistee.
" If my feeble efforts shall have this effect to awaken a new in- terest in the subject and lead to more thorough investigation, and fuller facts, I shall be satisfied.
" Fellow citizens, the past is gone beyond recall. The future is ours, to shape it at our will. Let us aim to make the name of Manistee as bright as our river, as evergreen as our forests, and as everlasting as this inland sea."
SCATTERING NOTES FROM 1864 TO 1868.
For a Christmas present in 1864, the ladies of Manistee pre- sented each of the soldiers' families with a barrel of flour, and the gift was twice blessed.
The news of President Lincoln's assassination, April 15, 1865, was received in Manistee by vessel from Chicago. The mills were immediately stopped, and all places of business closed. Private res- idences and public places were draped with mourning, and an im- mense mass-meeting was held at the Methodist Church. Prayer was offered and remarks made by Rev. O. A. Thomas. He was fol- lowed by Hon. T. J. Ramsdell, who delivered an appropriate address and presented resolutions which were adopted. Buta few days pre- vious another meeting had been held in the same place to rejoice over the final victory of the Union armies.
In September the editor of the village paper reported the ap- pearance of Mr. John Canfield's fruit garden as follows: One plum tree seven feet high, of the Purple Damson variety, had over a bushel of fruit; a single limb ten inches long, having forty-five perfect
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plums, averaging four and a half inches in circumference, the small- est way, and five inches the longest; a Standard Bartlett pear tree eight feet high matured eighty-five pears, weighing one-fourth of a pound each. There were other samples of fruit showing equally well.
In June the new bell for the Methodist Church arrived, and for the first time in the history of the place suitable notice of the time of Sabbath worship was served upon the denizens of Manistee.
It was in June of this year that the first strawberry church fes- tival made its adventin Manistee. The ladies of the Congregational Church made a very successful experiment and enriched the treasury of the society to the amount $230.
In July the propeller " Barber" commenced making regular trips between Manistee and Milwaukee, and immigration was greatly in- creased. During one week forty persons came here to locate.
In April, 1866, sixty emigrants had arrived in Manistee since the opening of navigation. They came to secure homesteads. Wages in the mills ranged from $35 to $40 a month for sawyers, $28 to $30 for experienced mill hands, and about $14 for green hands. Butter was selling at 40 cents, eggs 20 cents, beef-steak 15 cents, maple sugar 20 cents.
July 11th, Canfield & Bros. steam sawmill at the mouth of the river burned. Loss $30,000; insured for $15,000. This was the third mill belonging to Canfield & Bros. that had burned within three years. The new store building of this firm, opposite Dr. Ellis' residence, was completed this month. It was an immense building for those days. William Magill became connected with the firm of Canfield & Bros., in the lumbering business.
THE BRIDGE.
Prior to 1866 there was no bridge across the river, but for a good many years a ferry was kept up where the bridge now is. In April, 1866, the Bridge Company was organized. The stockholders were T. J. Ramsdell, John Canfield, M. Engelmann, D. L. Filer, Charles Secor, and L. G. Smith. John Canfield was president and T. J. Ramsdell secretary. A bridge of the Howe Truss pattern was built at a cost of $6,000. This bridge was maintained as a toll bridge until the fire of 1871, when it was burned. After the fire the site and franchises were sold to the county. The city then re- ceived the franchises and $2,000 from the county, and built the ele- gant iron bridge still in use, at a cost of $14,000.
A correspondent of the Detroit Free Press visited Manistee in the Summer of 1866, and in a letter to that paper said:
"Manistee village and vicinity contains about 1,100 souls, and is located between Lake Michigan and Lake Manistee. It is the county seat, has ten saw mills, eleven stores, seven blacksmith shops, two churches, two schoolhouses and a union school building of brick, 30x60, with wing 11x32, which will cost, when completed, $15,000. It also has one sash, door and blind factory, one tannery in process of construction, and several lath and picket-mills. There had been a flouring mill here, but it burned down. It has nine docks, and a printing office, publishing the Manistee Gazette. The propeller ' Barber' runs from here, tri-weekly, to Milwaukee; besides some twenty sailing crafts, which run to various points on the lake. The amount of lumber annually shipped from here is sixty million feet. A bridge is nearly completed across the Manistee River, of the Howe Truss pattern, with a turn-table, one hundred and twenty feet long, and when done will cost $12,000. Brick making is about to be started, and this is a good point for a foundry and machine shop, and a tub and pail factory. Fruit-raising is a good business here, as peaches, pears, apples, grapes and plums do well. We were shown by Hon. T. J. Ramsdell a fruit orchard on the bluff above the village, containing all the above-named kinds.
The trees were thrifty and were well loaded with fruit. Four men are planting 100 acres of trees just south of the village."
In the Fall of 1866 the first barber-shop was started by Jacob Lucas, who put up a building for that purpose near the bridge.
George W. Bullis had purchased Mr. Black's farm for the pur- pose of going into fruit growing.
McKee & Sibbens had just started up their sash factory and grist mill.
H. N. Green had just completed a large building near his mill for a dry goods store.
In November of 1866 the village editor, reviewing the work of the Summer and Fall, had this to say :
" Many dwelling houses have been erected in Manistee during the past seven months, as well as stores and shops innumerable, be- sides three or four sawmills now being finished. Our town has, during the past season of navigation, taken a stride forward far be- yond the expectations of the most imaginative minds, and we expect to see, before the snows of many Winters fall, Manistee applying to the Legislature for a city charter. Our idea may be considered rad- ical, nevertheless, if the business of our town continues to double each year, as it has done for the past two years, such will be the case. The class of men arriving here now, and making this their business point, are those calculated to benefit the place, as well as themselves; and this is true, as new business firms are springing up in all parts of the village. And what better proof should we have of the pros- perity of our town than the great advance in value of real estate. Lots near the river that were selling a few months ago for $250, are now valued at $500; and other village lots have increased in value, according to their locality. Manistee will continue growing, and property will continue to enhance in value; and we would say to outsiders-those of a speculative mind and who are desirous of a good business point-to come to Manistee. There is a chance here for smart, active business men."
At the beginning of 1867 there were seven dry goods stores and a hardware store. Three new mills were building, and several new store buildings. The Boom Company was organized this year. The whole of Manistee was in the vicinity of the Canfield store. In October the Tyson was opened. The building was 80x98 feet, three stories high, and cost $20,000. W. S. Hunn was landlord, and F. F. Campau clerk.
MANISTEE IN 1868.
JANUARY .- S. W. Fowler succeeds Rice & Wentworth in the proprietorship of the Gazette .- January 8 was the coldest day of the season, mercury dropping to 8' below zero.
FEBRUARY .- Organization of the Masonic lodge .- Death of Robert R. Rice.
APRIL .- First trip of the "Manistee."-Destruction of the "Sea Bird" by fire .- Green & Bros. sawmill blown to pieces by explosion of boiler; eleven men killed and several others injured; loss of prop- erty, $24,000 .- Miss Hannah Boch burned to death by her clothing taking fire while burning rubbish in her father's yard .- Organization of I. O. G. T. lodge .- Consolidation of Goodrich and Engelmann lines.
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