USA > Michigan > Mason County > History of Mason County, Michigan > Part 50
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JUNE .- Green's mill rebuilt .- Shipment of 4,800 live pigeons to Buffalo .- New dock built by R. Barnes & Co.
JULY .- The people of the village receive new notions of met- ropolitan life by the visit of Miller's Atheneum, being the first theatre in Manistee .- Two cases of sunstroke.
OCTOBER .- Worst storm of the season on the 5th inst .; many vessels disabled along the shore; no mail for six days .- New light- house tower at the end of the south pier .- Burning of the old board- ing-house of Messrs. Canfield, at the mouth of the river.
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HISTORY OF MANISTEE COUNTY.
NOVEMBER .- Ninety-six Republican majority at the village elec- tion .- First snow of the season on the 17th inst.
DECEMBER .- The "Manistee" made her last trip of the season on the 7th inst., and the sawmills shut down for the season.
During this Fall about 50,000 fruit trees were received at Manistee.
During the year there were 2,600 arrivals and 2,600 departures from the port of Manistee.
There were shipped from the port of Manistee during the sea- son 150,330,000 feet of lumber.
At the beginning of the Fall of 1868 there were nine hotels, thirty-six stores, a foundry and machine shop, boiler works, a sash, door and blind factory, two large ice houses, one brick-yard, one bank, and other business places, such as boot and shoe shops, boarding-houses, saloons, carpenter and paint shops, etc. The lawyers were T. J. Ramsdell, E. E. Benedict, George W. Bullis, Byron M. Cutcheon, D. W. Dunnett, S. W. Fowler, A. H. Dunlap.
The physicians were Drs. L. S. Ellis, Mobach, Smith and Shurly.
Dr. Ellis was postmaster, and also had a dry goods and gro- cery store.
T. J. Ramsdell was county treasurer, collector of the port and United States revenue collector.
George W. Bullis was county prosecuting attorney and deputy revenue assessor.
The Times was the only newspaper here, and was published by S. W. Fowler.
There were five church organizations, one fine brick union school building, three small schoolhouses and three halls. Prof. Charles Hurd was principal of the union school, and Miss Aldrich, Miss Haight, and Mrs. Stansel, assistants.
SAWMILLS AND LUMBER.
There were twenty-one sawmills, having an aggregate capacity for cutting 1,508,000 feet of lumber in twenty-four hours, or nearly 500,000,000 feet in year. The actual cut for 1867 was 110,400,010 feet of lumber, which brought, on average, $5 per thousand. The review of the sawmills at this time is as follows:
First in order comes the mill of Messrs. Canfield & Bros., at the delta of the river, built in 1866, its capacity 110,000 feet in twenty-four hours. This mill has cut in the last year 9,500,000 feet of lumber. Two mills were burnt down, and this is the third, built on the same site.
Second. Green & Bro's. mill, near the bridge; built in 1863. Capacity, 100,000 in twenty-four hours; cut 10,000,000 last year. This mill was blown up last April, with a loss of eleven lives and over $20,000 worth of property. But it was rebuilt and put to running in about twenty days, and will cut more lumber this year than it did last.
Third. Messrs. Tyson & Co.'s mill; built sixteen years; oldest mill in the county. Its capacity is 50,000 in twenty-four hours; cut, last year, 6,000,000.
Fourth. N. Engelmann's lower mill; built in 1865; capacity, 50,000 in twenty-four hours; cut 7,000,000 last year.
Fifth. N. Engelmann's upper mill has a capacity of 200,000 each twenty-four hours, and cut 12,000,000 last year.
Sixth. Shrigley & Canfield's mill; built in 1966; capacity, 100,- 000 in twenty-four hours; cut 8,000,000 last year.
Seventh. Magill & Canfield's mill; capacity, 160,000 in twenty- four hours; cut last year 5,000,000.
Eighth. Tyson & Co.'s new mill; capacity, 100,000 in each twenty-four hours; has been running but three months, and has cut 4,000,000.
Ninth. Tyson & Co. had a mill burnt down November 14, 1867, valued at $50,000. It had a capacity for cutting 90,000 feet in twenty-four hours, and cut 14,000,000 last year. It is expected a mill will be erected in place of the one destroyed.
Tenth. Ruddock & Gifford's new mill; capacity 120,000 in twenty-four hours.
Maxwell, Pundt & Co.'s mill; capacity, 80,000 in twenty-four hours, has run but a short time, and cut about 3,000,000.
Twelfth. Wheeler & Hopkins's mill; capacity, 80,000 each twenty-four hours.
Thirteenth. Leach & Russell's new mill; capacity, 40,000 in twenty-four hours.
Fourteenth. J. M. Hoffman's new mill; capacity 35,000 in twenty-four hours.
Fifteenth. Taber & Bro.'s mill; capacity, 60,000 in twenty-four hours. .
Sixteenth. Filer & Son's new mill; capacity, 100,000 in twenty- four hours; cut 8,500,000 last year.
Paggeott & Thorson's new mill; capacity, 100,000 in twenty- four hours.
J. Yhelm's new mill; capacity, 25,000, cut 1,000,000 last year.
Nineteenth. Moffat & Skilling's mill; capacity 20,000 in twenty- four hours.
Twentieth. Paggeott & Thorson's upper water mill; capacity of 40,000 in twenty-four hours; cut 5,000,000 last year.
Twenty-first. Paggeott & Thorson's lower water mill; capacity of 20,000 in twenty-four hours; cut nearly 5,000,000 last year.
INCORPORATED AS A CITY.
An informal meeting of citizens was held at the office of the county clerk, January 8, 1869, to consider the question of securing a city charter. It was decided to have Manistee incorporated after the general plan of the charter of Bay City, and to include all of Sections 11 and 12 and 1 and 2 lying west of Manistee Lake, and the northeast quarter of Section 13, the line to extend into Manistee Lake fifty rods from the shore. It was also decided to divide the city into four wards.
The matter was taken to Lansing, and the charter granted by the Legislature the first week in March. On the 12th inst. there was a people's caucus and a Democratic caucus, and on the 13th the Republicans held a caucus.
The first charter election was held on the 15th inst., and resulted in the election of the following ticket:
Mayor, George W. Robinson, 115 majority; recorder, J. L. Taylor, 124 majority; treasurer, M. Fay, 88 majority; marshal, L. S. Johnson, 102 majority; justice, S. S. Conover, 130 majority.
Aldermen: First Ward, C. M. Danforth, F. McCormick; Sec- ond Ward, B. Milmoe, B. M. Cutcheon; Third Ward, Joseph Baur, A. E. Cartier; Fourth Ward, S. W. Hopkins, N. Norman.
Supervisors: First Ward, W. B. Horton; Second Ward, T. J. Rumsdell; Third Ward, Peter Jones; Fourth Ward, W. S. Kendall.
Constables: J. E. O'Connor, S. S. Glover, A. S. Jenkins, Geo. S. Allen.
The whole number of votes cast was 441.
The board of canvassers for the city met at the office of the county clerk, March 18, and declared the result of the first charter election as above stated. The board was composed of W. B. Hor- ton, S. W. Fowler, B. W. Kies and W. S. Kendall.
The first meeting of the common council was held at the office of M. S. Tyson & Co., March 23, and the amount of bonds to be
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HISTORY OF MANISTEE COUNTY.
given by the recorder, treasurer and street commissioner fixed. At the second meeting, which was held March 30, the following officers were elected :
Street commissioner, George A. Shackelton; city attorney, D. W. Dunnett; city surveyor, H. S. Udell; harbor master, J. S. Taylor.
At the end of the year the aldermen voted themselves $50 . each for their services, and still there was money left in the treasury.
The treasurer's report of receipts and expenditures for the year ending March 7, 1870, was as follows:
RECEIPTS.
Saloon licenses $4,400.00
205.00
Hotel licenses.
160 00
Ten-pin licenses.
20.00
Peddlers' licenses
7 00
Auctioneers' licenses.
5.00
Concert licenses
69.00
Butchers' licenses.
100.00
Dray licenses
110.00
Fines by justices
645.65
Pol !- tax
1,779.00
Highway tax.
493.00
Total
$8,494.65
EXPENDITURES.
82.349.41
Highway purposes
817.43
Police force
92.90
Pound ..
154.03
. Clerks, rent and room
510.92
Sheriff and jail fees
1,672.95
Salaries.
123 50
Hooks and ladders.
70.78
Eight aldermen.
400.00
G. W. Robinson's traveling expenses in connection with river and harbor improvement.
200.00
Office rent of recorder and making tax roll.
100.00
J. McGregor, for destruction of building by fire.
175.00
B. M. Cutcheon, for drafting ordinances.
37.50
Record books and stationery 61.87
57.90
M. S. Root, board of crazy woman.
2 00
Sibbens & Co., ballot-boxes ..
25.00
Reward for recovery of body of H. Field.
200.00
Salary of supervisors. 180.00
S. W. Fowler, printing. 147.90
Tribune printing.
2.87
Total ..
$7,381.96
Balance in hands of treasurer.
$112.69
THE PRESS OF MANISTEE.
Soon after the breaking out of the war, a young man who was a native of North Carolina was pressed into the service of the Con- federate army. He was a mere lad, not more than fifteen or six- teen years of age, but of the genuine metal. He remained with his company until taken prisoner by Union soldiers and confined at Fortress Monroe. There he took the oath of allegiance to the Fed- eral government, and was set at liberty. He came North to Chi- cago, and there fell in with some men who were coming to Stronach town to work at lumbering. He was a printer by trade, but not choosing to go into an office at that time, he joined the party, and upon arriving at Stronach went at work. His name was Robert R. Rice.
This was in the Summer of 1864, and during that season the subject of starting a local newspaper had been agitated. A stranger
came to Manistee, and succeeded in inducing a number of the citi- zens to club together and buy material for a printing office. The material was purchased in Milwaukee,and consigned to some one of the gentlemen interested in its purchase. About the time the material ar- rived it was discovered that the party who proposed to take charge of the office was a dissolute adventurer, and he was immediately dropped. Mr. T. J. Ramsdell, who had taken a leading part in the project, learned that there was a printer at Stronach, and at once went there to see him. He found the young man, Robert Rice, and was favorably impressed with his appearance. After a brief consultation it was arranged that Rice should take charge of the material and start a paper.
Those were primitive days. The field was vast but sparsely occupied. The entire population of the whole county was but 1,674, but the newspaper enterprise had good backers, and experience proved their wisdom in the choice of an editor and publisher.
The office was "set up" in a small board shanty, situated at the north side of the sand hill, east of the Canfield mill. From this building, on the 17th of December, 1864, the first number of the Manistee Gazette was issued. It was a modest appearing, five column folio, well arranged and clearly printed. In his salutatory the editor announced his faith in the future prosperity of Manistee, and stated his political creed to be that of the Republican party.
During 1866 Mr. Ramsdell erected a frame building just west of where the Boom Company's office now stands, and upon its com- pletion the printing office moved "out of the old house into the new."
.About 1867 M .. Rice found his health failing, and took in a partner, but it soon became evident to him that he had but a little while to live, and the 1st of January, 1868, he sold the office to S. W. Fowler, then of Jackson, who changed the name of the paper to the Manistee Times, and enlarged it to six columns.
Mr. Rice died at the residence of T. J. Ramsdell, February 12, 1868, at the age of twenty-three years. His life was short, but eventful. The few years in which he was associated with the inter- ests and people of Manistee, brought many friends to his side who sincerely mourned his death.
In 1869 another paper, called the Tribune, was started, and was edited for a short time by George W. Clayton, of Ludington. He was succeeded by John E. Rastell, who continued it for a couple of years, when the paper was suspended, and he left Manistee.
In March, 1871, Mr. Fowler sold the Times to Richard Hoff- man. About this time the first Democratic paper was started, and called the Standard. Its publisher was O. H. Godwin. This was burned ont in the October fire, and was not again published until April, 1872, when it was re-established and continued until Septem- ber, 1874, when it was sold to S. W. Fowler. He had previously retaken the material of the Times, and upon his purchase of the Standard consolidated the two under the name of the Times and Standard, which paper he still continues to publish.
Mr. Hoffman continued the publication of the Times until March, 1875, when he sold it to Appleton M. Smith, of Toledo, Ohio, who published it until last Spring, when he sold the office to its present proprietor, F. J. Hilton.
During the political campaign of 1874, a small paper, called the People's Advocate, was started and issued for a short time, and then suspended. In the Spring of 1875, a Democratic paper, called the Advocate, was established by E. J. Cady, who continued its publica. tion until last Spring, when he sold an interest in the office to Mr. V. W. Richardson, of Milwaukee, and subsequently sold his remain- ing interest to S. C. Thompson, the firm being Richardson and Thompson. The name was also changed to Democrat.
The political complexion of the newspapers is as follows:
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Billiard licenses
6.00
Circus licenses
495.00
City tax
Office rent and furniture for marshal . .
Printing and binding charter
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HISTORY OF MANISTEE COUNTY.
Times, Republican; Democrat, Democratic; Times and Standard, Greenback, or Independent.
These papers have always been conducted with full average, ability and enterprise, and have received liberal support from the people of the city and the county.
MANISTEE RIVER IMPROVEMENT COMPANY.
Prior to 1870 no logs had been put into the Manistee River east of the county line. The river was obstructed by a great number of ancient jams, many of them of immense size, and hundreds of years old. The consequence was that all the vast amount of pine upon the headwaters of the Manistee was comparatively valueless, because there was no way of getting it down to where it could be manufactured into lumber. The work of removing these jams was too great to be undertaken by a single individual or as a private enterprise, and it was therefore decided to organize a river improvement company.
March 5, 1870, George W. Robinson, D. D. Ruggles, William Wheeler, Robert Risdon, B. M. Cutcheon and George W. Bullis met at the law office of Bullis and Cutcheon, and agreed to organize a company, under the provisions of the statute, for the purpose of clearing the river and improving navigation from the east line of Manistce County to the headwaters of the river, so as to make it practicable for running logs and navigation of all kinds of water craft.
March 16 another meeting was held, and articles of association adopted and signed. The capital stock was $100,000, divided into · shares of $100 each.
The incorporators were George W. Robinson, William Wheeler, Robert M. Risdon, Daniel D. Ruggles, Niel Leitch, Horace Butters, Byron M. Cutcheon and George W. Bullis.
The term of existence was fixed at thirty years.
The first directors were George W. Robinson, Robert M. Risdon, Byron Cutcheon, William Wheeler and Horace Butters.
The officers were: President, George W. Robinson; secretary and treasurer, B. M. Cutcheon.
On the 9th of May the directors met and adopted by-laws. The surveys were made, plans adopted, and work commenced the same year.
In 1872 tolls were, for the first time, fixed by the board of con- trol, consisting of the governor, state treasurer and auditor general. These tolls, above the actual and necessary expense of conducting the organization, were applied to carry forward the improvement. In this way the work has been carried on, and the company has expended about $60,000. From 1878 to 1880 the company was involved in litigation as to its right to collect tolls. The result of this litigation was favorable to the company, and put an end to trouble with reference to tolls.
The present officers are: President, R. G. Peters; treasurer, T. J. Ramsdell; secretary, B. M. Cutcheon.
THE VANDERPOOL-FIELD TRAGEDY.
In the days gone by, Manistee has had its share of tragedy and calamity, and the consequent notoriety that comes from such events. Humanity is always shocked by the occurrence of tragic events, and their impress upon the memory of those familiar with their scenes anfl circumstances can scarcely be effaced. The place where a great tragedy has been enacted becomes invested with historic interest which the changes of time are impotent to destroy. If the act of
murder was enveloped in awful mystery, or was attended by circum- stances peculiar in any way, then the tragedy has wider notoriety and is more firmly lodged in memory.
The Vanderpool-Field tragedy occurred in Manistee, Septem- ber, 1869, and because of the mystery surrounding it, and the cir- cumstances that followed, the place achieved a notoriety that was almost world-wide. Many persons, to-day, remember the name of Manistee in connection with that awful tragedy, who know nothing else of the vigorous city that has grown here since that memorable time, and among the first things that will be brought to the notice of the stranger visitor will be that historic event.
Any history of Manistee that did not contain a faithful account of the Vanderpool-Field tragedy and the trial of the accused, while, possibly, fairer in its contour, would be strangely wanting in com- pleteness. A very correct and comprehensive account of this notable affair was published in pamphlet form by Dr. L. S. Ellis, an emi- nent physician of Manistee, and from that we copy as follows:
"On the east shore of that great inland sea known as Lake Michigan, eighty miles north of Muskegon, and in nearly the heart of what is known as the finest belt of Michigan, lies, beautifully situ- ated, the embryo city of Manistee, containing about 4,500 inhabit- ants. The city lies mostly along the south bank of the Manistee River, stretching away nearly two miles from the great lake. Some- thing over three-quarters of a mile from Lake Michigan, near the bridge, and in about the heart of Manistee City, is a building owned by Judge Beecher, of Adrian. It is built on the bank and partly over the river, with doors in front opening upon the sidewalk, and windows in the rear overlooking the water. Prior to 1869 the west half of this building was occupied by R. R. Beecher as a news depot and stationery depot; the other half as a shoe shop. This building of unpretending appearance, thus nestled in the business center of Manistee, is supposed to have been the scene of the awful tragedy that gave rise to the present narrative.
"The victim, Herbert Field, who was murdered September 5, 1869, was the partner of the prisoner, George Vanderpool, and under the firm name and style of Vanderpool & Field, had occupied the west part of this building for banking purposes for several months prior to the supposed murder.
" LIFE OF HERBERT FIELD.
" Herbert Field, son of Stephen Field, formerly of Lewiston, Me., was aged twenty-one years and two months. In early child- hood Field had some very narrow escapes of his life. Thrice was he saved from drowning by being drawn from the water by the hair of the head. Once from the premature discharge of a rifle while loading, which nearly cost him his eyes and life. Again, from fire communicated to his bed while asleep, by which he was nearly suffo- cated and dangerously burned. At thirteen years of age he left home at Lewiston for Washington; he visited its numerous places of interest; joined a Maine regiment encamped near Richmond, Va .; borrowed money of a soldier acquaintance to meet his expenses and returned home, and worked as a 'newsboy' till a sufficient sum of money had been earned to pay the soldier and settle other accounts. " Field then engaged on board a Government transport carry-
ing supplies to the Union army at New Orleans. On February 5, 1863, at the age of fifteen, he sailed from Boston, in the 'John Tucker,' bound on a South American and European voyage. Harshly treated and poorly fed, living on condemned army stores; near Cape Horn the ship encountered a terrific storm, which continued fifteen days, exposing the men to continual unrest, cold and hunger, and almost superhuman effort to save the storm-driven ship from total destruction. The passage from Boston to Valparaiso was made in ninety-three days in much peril and suffering. While at Valparaiso
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he availed himself of every opportunity to visit the city and surround- ing country, as he received permission from the proper authorities, and made himself acquainted with the manners and customs of the people and things of general interest. Here he obtained permission of his captain to leave and ship on board a brig bound to San Fran- cisco, though refusing to give him a discharge, which the captain claimed he could not do lawfully.
"Field left, taking lodgings at a hotel, where he was arrested as a runaway, thrown into prison and handcuffed, with some of the vilest wretches he had ever seen-thieves and murderers-not one of whom could speak English, suffering the miseries of his incarcera- tion three weeks, and all by the cruelty of the captain, for having left the ship without a legal discharge, though advised to do so by the author of his imprisonment, taking advantage of his youth and ignorance of law. He soon found and improved an opportunity to leave the John Tucker, and enlisted in the navy, on board the United States flagship 'Lancaster,' commanded by Admiral Porter, in the service of which he continued nine months, visiting many South American cities, and gathering what useful knowledge came within his reach.
"Leaving the 'Lancaster, Field shipped on board an English barque bound for Liverpool; touched at Queenstown, Ireland; thence . sailed for Russia, touching the coast of Scotland. While in the Baltic, was shipwrecked near Riga, and in half an hour after his escape from the vessel she sank to rise no more. Here he lost $180 in gold, and all his clothing. Was then taken in charge by the Con- sul, and sent to London, where he stopped six weeks, visiting places of interest and importance. Then shipped for Boston, arriving home in the Autumn of 1865, and seemed to his friends as one raised from the dead, not having heard from him for a year or more.
" Field then commenced a course of study at the commercial college, Auburn; finished the same, and in the following Spring went to New York, in search of a business situation; finding none which suited him, he shipped again for an island of the Caribbean Sea, in search of guano; returned home in Autumn; wrote a lecture of his travels in South America, which, by the request of friends, he delivered at Central Hall, Lewiston, to good acceptance.
" The same lecture was subsequently delivered by Mr. Field to a large audience at Manistee, Mich., realizing some $50, which was donated for the purchase of a Sunday-school library. Miss Hill, a lady of some fifty-five years, being much interested in the lecture, and its author, at Central Hall, offered to aid Mr. Field in obtaining a better education, which offer was accepted, and study commenced at the Edward Little Institute, but soon abandoned from failing health.
" In the twentieth year of his age, December, 1868, he com- menced the banking business at Manistee, Mich., in company with Vanderpool, his alleged murderer. In this movement he had the consent and pecuniary assistance of Miss Hill to the amount of sev- eral thousand dollars. She styled herself his 'aunt,' and was rec- ognized as such at Manistee, where he met his untimely and most cruel death.
"In the early part of December. 1868, Mr. Vanderpool made his way to Manistee, and soon became known there as a young man who, in company with Mr. Field, proposed to start a bank in the place. Arrangements were accordingly made, and on the 12th day of De- cember the First Bank of Manistee was opened for business. And it is but justice to him who has been convicted of the murder of his former partner, and is now suffering the penalty of that crime within the walls of the State Prison, at Jackson, to say here, though Van- derpool, as yet, was the only representative of the new banking firm in Manistee, it was generally understood, through his own repre- sentations, that his means were small, but his experience in the
business was the offset of the larger capital of his partner, who was represented as the moneyed man.
" Upon opening his place of business, Vanderpool immedi- ately selected, or rather hunted up, a small-sized, ordinary one-and- a-half-story dwelling-house, rented it, and with his young wife commenced keeping house, apparently in an economical mode, and lived for some time in a quiet, unostentatious manner, though ming- ling quite freely in society, making the acquaintance of the citizens of Manistee in a very proper and favorable manner. Having thus commenced business, the great want of a banking house in the place gave this new firm im mediately a real business, and while the business men of the village and the vicinity knew the capital of the new bank was not large-in fact, rather small for such a busi- ness-yet they understood Vanderpool's means was mostly obtained on his own credit, from men in the neighboring town, Muskegon, and Mr. Field having a credit whereby he obtained all of his means. This, together with their fair and prompt dealings, tended to very soon build up for them a good business.
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