USA > Michigan > Mason County > History of Mason County, Michigan > Part 63
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A. L. FAULKNER is a native of Oneida, N. Y. He came to Manistee in April last, from Rochester, N. Y., where he was in charge of the printing department of H. H. Warner & Co. for one year. He began work at printing in 1872, and has continued at this business ever since. In May last he became a member of the firm of Thompson & Faulkner, as stated above.
EDWARD B. EATON, millwright, is a native of New York State, and came to Manistee in 1862, and followed the trade of house carpenter about eleven years. He then bought a farm in Mason County, and worked it until about 1879, and then traveled as sales- man for a lumber company until 1881, when he resumed his trade. . Last Fall he engaged with the firm of Filer & Sons, as millwright, and is in their employ at the present. Mr. Eaton has a wife and two children, and resides at Filer City.
HARVEY HELGESEN, dealer in groceries and general merchan- dise at Freeland, Manistee, is a native of Norway. He came to this country in 1881. and in last February opened his store. He is an industrious merchant, and does a large business. In the season he deals extensively in berries, and is one of the heaviest shippers in the city.
J. L. SORENSON, proprietor of the Sorenson House, is a native of Denmark, and came to this country in 1866. After stopping in Wisconsin a few months, he came to Manistee and opened a board- ing house. In 1871 he built a two-story frame building, sixty-six by sixty feet in size, on River Street, and started a hotel and saloon. In 1874 the building was burned, and he immediately rebuilt of brick, on a much larger scale. In 1881 he built a large addition, twenty-eight by eighty feet, which is used as a saloon. Mr. Soren- son has prospered in Manistee, and is liberal in the use of his money to aid any good enterprise. He has a fine property on River Street, which is yearly growing more valuable. A view of his hotel may be seen upon another page in this work.
C. D. GRANNIS is a native of the state of New York, and came to Manistee from Kalamazoo County in 1878. He has charge of
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the telegraph lines in this district, and is also division superintendent of telephones. He built all the lines in this section of the state from 1871 to 1878. The line to Manistee was built in 1871. He placed the telephone exchange here in May, 1880. He has been in charge of the telephone lines since 1878.
EDWARD J. CADY came to Manistee in the Fall of 1872, from Muskegon. He is a native of New York State, and at Muskegon was employed in a printing office. In 1862 he enlisted in the army at Lockport, N. Y., as a member of the Nineteenth Independent Battery, and served until the close of the war. It was soon after that he went to Muskegon. In 1874 he started the Manistee Advo- cate, and continued its publication until last Spring, when he sold it to its present editor, as elsewhere explained. Mr. Cady is a veteran printer, having been a member of the craft since 1857.
JAMES MCANLEY, proprietor of the National House, on the North Side, came to Manistee in 1865. His father, John McAnley, came here at that time, and two years later started a hotel, after- wards known as the Washington House. He died in 1877, and James continued the business. The past season he has rebuilt the house, and now has a three-story building, sixty-two by seventy-two feet in size, and supplied with all the conveniences for a hotel. He also changed the name to the National House. He has a good barn connected with the house, and does a large business.
JOHN C. FRANCK is a native of Norway, and came to Manistee in 1872. The first year after coming here he worked in a shingle- mill. In 1878 he went into the employ of Louis Sands, and has remained with him ever since, acting in various capacities. For some time he has been in charge of Mr. Sands' store on River Street, and is very successful in the management of that business. Mr. Franck is a man of excellent business habits, and a good citizen.
HARRY MEE is a native of Canada, and came to Manistee in 1868, and engaged in business as timber broker, which business he still continues. He has been uniformly successful in his opera- tions, which have reached a large magnitude. He is a liberal- minded citizen, and ready to take part in all enterprises which have any merit. He has a handsome family residence at the corner of Maple and Fourth Streets, which was remodeled last year and sup- plied with all the modern improvements.
L. B. LONG, of the firm of Delbridge, Long & Hubbell, is a native of the state of Pennsylvania. At an early age he learned the carpenter's trade by working with his father, who was a car- penter and builder. In 1867 he came to Manistee from Grand Rapids, and for a time was foreman of a sash, door, and blind fac- tory. Afterwards he engaged in business as contractor and builder, and has done a large amount of the work on the principal buildings in the city. In the Spring of 1881 he formed a co-partnership with Messrs. Delbridge & Hubbell, in the planing mill at the north end of the bridge, the style of the firm being Delbridge, Long & Hub- bell. The firm are extensive contractors, and Mr. Long devotes his time to superintending outside work. This firm built Union Hall, which was burned last Summer, and have the contract for rebuild- ing it.
F. B. BALDWIN is the senior member of the firm of Baldwin, Pierce & Co., the most extensive clothing merchants in Manistee. Mr. Baldwin is a native of New Jersey. For some time he resided at Muskegon, where he was engaged as salesman in the clothing store of Mann & Pierce. In the Spring of 1881 he came to Man- istee, and opened one of the finest clothing stores in Northern Michigan, the style of the firm being Baldwin, Pierce & Co. Mr. Baldwin is the only resident member of the firm, and he has already demonstrated his natural aptitude for this branch of trade in the
splendid business which he has already built up. Mr. Baldwin is second lieutenant of the Manistee Light Guards.
AUGUST PFEIFFER is one of the old settlers of Manistee. He is a native of Germany, and came to this country in 1847. He came to Manistee from Wisconsin in 1857, and has resided here ever since. He has worked at lumbering most of the time, but since 1874 has been employed as bridge tender, and, on account of his faithful and efficient service, is retained in that position.
JOHN McGUIRE was born in Ireland in 1838. He came to this country when twelve years of age. In 1857 he came to Manistee from the state of Maine, and went at work in the woods. His first logging was within the limits of what is now the city of Manistee. He has always continued at lumbering in various capacities. He is an industrious man, of thrifty habits, and has done his full share in clearing the forests from this region of country.
DAVID HUGHES was born in Canada in 1885. In 1864 he came to Manistee, from Quebec, and has resided here ever since. He be- gan work at lumbering when fourteen years of age, and has followed it ever since. Mr. Hughes is a hard-working man, of steady habits. and is a good citizen.
WILLIAM BROWNRIGG, deputy marshal of the city of Manistee, is a native of Ireland, and came to this country in 1865. In 1872 he came to Manistee from Wisconsin, and went at work in the woods. He held the office of deputy sheriff from 1877 to 1880, and has been deputy city marshal since the Fall of 1881.
SAMUEL BURCH was born in London, England, in the year 1821. At an early age he exhibited a marked taste for music, and it was decided that he should enter upon a musical career. In due time he graduated at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and also at the Royal Conservatoir in Paris. About 1837, he came to America and traveled through many of the States, giving lessons in music. He became quite noted for his proficiency, and some of the most dis- tinguished families in the country have furnished him pupils. At the breaking out of the war he was in the South, and from 1862 to 1865 was in the commissary Department at Nashville, Tenn. After the close of the war he returned to London on a visit; and after an absence of about three months returned to this country and settled in Manistee. Here he followed his profession for some time, but having opened a small store soon after coming here, the increasing business soon claimed his attention, and he was obliged to abandon teaching altogether. Since that time he has followed the mercantile business, which of late years has included drugs and confectionery. Mr. Burch has been a very successful man, and has accumulated a handsome property.
RICHARD BROOKS, of the firm of Brooks and Sweet, is a native of Canada, and came to Manistee in the Spring of 1878, and for four years was logging in the woods, and then engaged in the manufacture of lumber. For about three years he was a member of the firm of Davies, Blacker & Co. Last Spring the present firm of Brooks & Sweet was organized. They purchased the shingle mill of R. R. Blacker & Co., one of the best in Manistee. Mr. Brooks has charge of the business of the firm, and is a practical and successful business man.
J. A. BUCKLEY, of the firm of Bedford & Buckley, is a native of Canada, and was, for several years, engaged in the lumber busi. ness, a portion of the time in Wisconsin. In 1874 he came to Manistee from Chicago, and since that time has been in the lumber commission business, superintendent of the boom company, and in the Spring of the present season went into the lime, stone and coal business with Mr. S. Bedford, the firm being Bedford & Buckley.
S. BEDFORD, senior member of the firm of Bedford and Buck- ley, is a native of England, and came to this country in 1862. He
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first located at Muskegon, where he was engaged as steamboat agent for several years. In 1872 he came to Manistee and was steamboat agent here for several years. In March last he went into the lime, stone and coal business, with J. A. Buckley, the firm being Bedford & Buckley. The firm do a very large and prosper- ous business.
WILLIAM NUNGESSER is a native of Germany, and came to this country in 1846. At the breaking out of the war he was in Wis- consin, and enlisted in 1861 in the Twelfth Wisconsin Infantry as & private, and was promoted to captain. He served until the close of the war, and never missed a roll call nor received a wound. He re- ceived his discharge in 1865, and in 1869 came to Manistee. In 1871 he went into the furniture business with Jacob Lucas, the firm being Lucas & Nungesser. Mr. Nungesser is one of the reli- able business men of Manistee, and an excellent citizen.
JACOB LUCAS was born in Germany in 1839. At the age of sixteen years he came to this country to work out his own destiny, as many another has done. The first ten years of his residence in America was spent in various places, among others New York, Buf- falo, and Milwaukee. In 1866 he came to Manistee, then only a small village, and started the first barber shop here. He was a young man of industrious and thrifty habits, and gradually worked his way along until 1871, when he went into the furniture business with William Nungesser, the fifm being Lucas & Nungesser. This firm has done a prosperous and steadily increasing business, until it now ranks among the best in the city.
SUBURBAN TOWNS.
The city of Manistee is so situated that almost the entire interests of three townships center in and about it. These town- ships are Manistee, Filer and Stronach. The country in each being new and until quite recently almost entirely covered with timber, they have only small interests outside of lumber. The statistical information concerning these townships is given with the general county statistics, and their mill interests appear with the Manistee lumber interests.
MANISTEE TOWNSHIP.
is one of the three original townships, and its early history has already been given, being inseparably connected with the early history of the county. It is bounded on the north by Onekema, east by Brown and Stronach, south by Filer and Stronach, and west by Lake Michigan. The township contains thirty-five square miles. There are both clay and sand soil. In the north part of the town is considerable hard wood.
The poorhouse is located in this town, about three miles from the city. The city of Manistee is situated in the southwest corner of the township.
FILER TOWNSHIP
is located just south of Manistee City in the extreme southwest part of the county. It embraces about thirteen square miles, with a frontage on Lake Michigan of four miles. It is bounded on the north by
Manistee, east by Stronach, south by Mason County, and west by Lake Michigan.
The soil is sandy loam, and is especially adapted to fruit raising.
There are four school houses in the township. The lumber interests are elsewere mentioned. .
Filer Town and Filer City are both the outgrowth of the vigor and enterprise of the well known lumber firm of
D. L. FILER & SONS.
Delos L. Filer, the founder of this firm, was during his life one of the most remarkable business men upon this shore. A partial biography of Mr. Filer, covering his business career at Ludington, from 1869 to the time of his death, appears in the history of the city of Ludington. While he was a very conspicuous figure in the early history of Manistee, yet it seems appropriate, and, in fact, necessary, to speak of him and the firm he founded in immediate connection with the town and village which they developed.
Mr. Filer's first connection with Manistee was in 1853, when he came here from Racine, in the employ of the Canfields, in whose employ he had been at Racine. He was a poor man, well towards middle life. Soon after coming here the natural business ability and energy of the man began to grasp hold of the opportunities here afforded for making money. He began making plans for future execution, and laid the foundation of his subsequent enterprises and fortune by purchasing pine and lands as he had opportunity.
About 1858 or 1859, in company with the late L. G. Smith, he bought the Bachelor mill, and in 1861 or 1862 bought the Mc- Vickar estate, which with his previous purchase covered nearly two- thirds of the present city of Manistee. In 1866 he sold out his Manistee interests, and the firm of D. L. Filer & Sons was established, the sons being E. Golden, and Delos Warren Filer. About 2,500 acres of land, known as the Norton lands, lying south of Manistee, and extending back from Lake Manistee, were purchased. The mill still operated by the firm was built and commenced run- ning in 1867.
At the time they began operating at this point, the whole region was a dense forest, and was reached from Manistee by a log- ging trail which extended along quite a distance back from the lake and came out at the head of the lake, some distance above the site of the present mill.
The following year Filer Township was organized and Filer City was platted. About this time Mr. D. L. Filer purchased the Ludington interest at Ludington, and in 1869 removed there and until his death devoted his attention to the interests of the Pere Marquette Lumber Co., of which he was president, and in that con- nection appears an elegant steel portrait of Mr. Filer and a biography of his life.
No change has ever been made in the style of the firm, although since Mr. Filer's death the firm has really been composed of the two sons, E. Golden and Delos Warren Filer.
E. GOLDEN FILER was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., and came to Racine, and from thence to Manistee, with his parents. In 1862 he enlisted in the army and remained in the service until 1864, when he returned to Manistee, and in 1866 went into active business, as already stated. He was married at Racine, Wis., December, 1865, to Miss Julia Filer. In 1869 the ground upon which his elegant residence in Filer Town now stands was logged, and in 1870 he built a frame house, which was totally destroyed by fire in 1875. He immediately built the elegant and costly brick residence which has since been the family home. A fine lithographic view of the house and grounds appears upon another
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page. It is delightfully situated upon high ground, commanding a charming view of the lake and surrounding country, and in all its appointments denotes refinement and wealth. Mr. Filer has large fruit interests, mentioned elsewhere.
DELOS WARREN FILER the other member of the firm, was also born in Jefferson County, N. Y., and came with the family to Manistee, and entered active business in 1866, as stated. He was married at Manistee, in February 1867, to Miss Carrie Paine. In 1878 he built the beautiful residence in Manistee, which is the family home, and of which a fine lithographic view is given in another place. The interior finish of the house is very rich, and is furnished with exquisite taste and elegance.
Both these gentlemen are model business men, and among the most esteemed citizens of Manistee County. Although left with large fortunes they have never relaxed their close application to business, and their habits are as industrious as though they had no fortune. They have done much to develop the township in which their interests are located, and have already made Filer City a thrifty village. They pursue a policy that is liberal and enterprising and which never fails to bring rich results. Their mill, which has been greatly enlarged and improved, cuts about 16,000,000 feet of lumber and 7,000,000 feet of lath a season. They own a large quantity of standing pine, and are worthy successors of their father, whose business career is their pattern, and whose memory they cherish with a devotion greatly to be admired. A view of their mill property is given in this work.
Statistical information respecting Filer Township is given in the tables that appear elsewhere.
GURDEN GRAVES, engineer at the sawmill of Filer & Sons, is a native of New York State, and came to Manistee in 1855, and was engineer in the sawmill of John Canfield. He has followed engineering ever since that time, and is one of the veterans in the service. In 1860 he went into the employ of Filer & Sons, and has been in continuous service for this firm to the present time. Mr. Graves has a wife and three children-two boys and one girl.
FREDERICK BALSAM, is a native of Prussia, and came to this country in the year 1868. In 1869, at the age of eleven years, he went into the employ of the firm of Filer & Sons, and has remained with them ever since. For some time he has had general charge of the work about the mill, and is a very trustworthy and efficient . man. He resides at Filer City.
W. G. BAUMGARDNER, saw-filer, at the sawmill of Filer & Sons, is a native of Center County, Penn., and came to Manistee in 1878, from Chicago. After working a month for the Stronach Lumber Company, he engaged with the firm of Filer & Sons, and has continued in their employ ever since. He has a wife, and owns a residence in Filer City. Mr. Baumgardner is a practical mill- wright as well as a saw-filer.
RICHARD HOFFMAN was born in Ontario, Canada, in the year 1840. In 1865 he came to Michigan, and located at Traverse City. In 1870 he came to Manistee, and in March, 1871, succeeded S. W. Fowler as editor and proprietor of the Manistee Times. He continued to publish the Times until May, 1874, when he sold to App. M. Smith. In 1876 he removed to Filer City and taught the school until March, 1882. Since that time he has been in the employ of Filer & Sons, in their store. Mr. Hoffman has a wife and three children.
STRONACH TOWNSHIP.
The town of Stronach is one of the three original towns into which the county was divided at the time of its organization in 1855. The record reads that the inhabitants of Stronach met pursuant
to law at the store of James Stronach, April 2, 1855, and organized by choosing the following persons officers of the day: S. C. Bryant, moderator; Andrew C. Sherwood and Adam Stronach, inspectors; Levi A. McKee and John Stronach, clerks.
It was voted that a tax of $40 be raised for contingent purposes. The election of township officers resulted as follows: Super- visor, Andrew C. Sherwood; clerk, John Stronach; treasurer, Adam Stronach; justices of the peace, Elden S. Bryant and Horace Butters.
The total vote was twenty-two.
In 1878 the total vote cast was ninety-six.
The present officers of the town are as follows: Supervisor, Paul Camine; treasurer, W. R. Thorsen; clerk, Charles A. Fisher; justices of the peace, Alfred Johnson and Peter Paggeott.
The principal history of this township has already been given in the general history, as it was here that the first mill was built, and lumbering operations first begun.
At Old Stronach Town are the mills of Paul Camine, elsewhere mentioned.
Paggeotville, or Stronach Village, as now called, is located at the head of Lake Manistee, and is principally made up of the inter- ests of the Stronach Lumber Co.
The township is the largest in the county, embracing 137 square miles, and takes in a large part of the pine regions of the county.
The land is mostly sandy loam, and is adapted to fruit-growing. It is well watered by the Little Manistee River, Pine Creek, and the South Branch River. Most of the inhabitants of the town live in the west part, near the City of Manistee.
BEAR LAKE TOWNSHIP.
This township is in the second tier east of Lake Michigan, and, as a whole, is the best township in the county. It embraces thirty-five square miles. The soil is mostly of a light sandy loam, with occasional streaks of clay, and is exceedingly productive when well worked. There are a large number of excellent farms in the township, and many of the farmers have accumulated a handsome property. More farms have been cleared up and been put in good condition in this town than in any other town in the county.
EARLY HISTORY.
During the Winter of 1864-'65, the tract of land including the present towns of Bear Lake and Pleasanton was set off from the Brown town region, as the Town of Bear Lake. The first election was held at the house of S. Anderson, in the Spring of 1865, and the following officers elected :
Supervisor, S. Anderson; town clerk, H. N. Hanaford; treas- urer, D. E. Sibley; justice of the peace, J. A. Austin; highway com- missioners, A. A. Cooper, R. F. Smith, William Probert; school in - spectors, G. R. Pierce and Jerome Hulburt; constables, James Probert and Hiram Walker; directors of the poor, J. B. Mason and Darell Hollister.
About the first beginning in what is now Bear Lake Township, was made in 1868 by .
RUSSELL F. SMITH,
now a resident of Bear Lake village.
Mr. Smith was born in New York State in 1880, and came to Summit County in 1848.
September 3, 1855, he was married at Medina, Ohio, to Miss Harriet L. Crooks, of that place.
Having heard something about the Grand Traverse region, he visited it in the Summer of 1868, From Traverse he walked to
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Bear Lake, following the Indian trail, and being favorably impressed with the appearance of the country, returned to Traverse and en- tered 172 acres of land bordering on Bear Lake. He then returned to Ohio, to bring his family to this wilderness world. August 20, they left their home in Ohio, and came by boat to Portage Lake. Leaving his family with a fisherman, he armed himself with a loaf of bread, an ax, and a compass, and started to find the place of their future home, and mark the route, for all that region was a trackless forest. While working his way along, he was surprised at the sound of voices, and soon came upon a man drawing a hand-cart loaded with provisions, and a lady with a baby carriage. They proved to be D. E. Sibley and family, who were seeking their homestead on the north shore of Bear Lake, almost opposite the one located by Mr. Smith. This was Saturday. An evergreen bower was put up, and Mr. Smith returned to Portage for his family. He got a pair of oxen, a horse and sled to transport their goods, and she wrapped her babe in a shawl and walked the whole distance.
The first religious services ever held in the town were held at their camp soon after their arrival. A Rev. Mr. Thompson, mis- sionary to Africa, came along and word was sent out to settlers some miles away that he would preach a certain evening, and quite a gathering was the result. A large fire was built near the evergreen bower, and the audience, seated upon logs, or upon the ground, lis- tened to the tidings of the gospel of peace. It was in God's great cathedral, without pulpit or cushioned pew, yet no preacher ever was surrounded by more inspiring circumstances, or spoke to a more appreciative audience.
The first work before them was to build a log house. Mr. Smith chopped the trees and got the logs in readiness, and then got help from a Norwegian settlement some ten or twelve miles away, to pile them up. This old log house still stands in Mr. Smith's yard, just back of his present house, and a lithographic view of it may be seen upon another page.
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