Pickford’s Main Street, as it looked in the early 1900s, had a wooden boardwalk that was often muddied when it rained on the clay-based street that ran through the town. This photograph is one of a collection displayed at the Pickford Historical Museum in the old Lippsett hardware building on Main Street. The building will be open during Hay Days this week. (Photograph courtesy of Pickford Historical Society) 115 Years Ago

Saturday, August 2, 1890

The diamond drill is working night and day in the vicinity of Point Aux Chein, and some very rich deposits of gypsum have been located.

An 1890 population census by Geo. A. Newett of St. Ignace : Ten years ago the population of the 12 counties then comprising the peninsula was 86,417. By the census just taken the 16 U.P. counties, four new counties having been set off since the last census have 174,235 people. This is a gain of 102 percent. Mackinac County population: 7,575; St. Ignace population: 2,756, Sault Ste. Marie population: 5,176

90 Years Ago

Thursday, August 5, 1915

The hay crop in Mackinac County is one of the biggest on record. The weather is hindering haying operations to considerable extent but it is believed that the greater portion of the crop will be gathered in good shape. W.J. Porter, who has 30 acres, says that his crop beats anything he ever saw and he lived for a number of years in Chippewa County, touted as the banner hay county of the state. It has nothing on Mackinac, however. Indeed, when this county is fully developed as Chippewa, the latter will not be in it with this section from an agricultural viewpoint. The man who purchases Mackinac County lands now is sure a winner, as developed farm will be worth a fortune in the near future.

Since our first forms containing J.D. Erskine’s Ford automobile advertisement went to press, we have received from him a new schedule of prices. Runabouts now sell for $390, touring cars for $440, and town cars for $640.

A peculiar incident took place about two miles south of Rexford on the South Shore the other day. Conductor W.J. Annear was in charge of the passenger and as he looked through the window on the sand plains he saw about half a mile away a young deer coming with all his speed in the direction of the train. The animal’s mouth was open wide and his eyes were dilated as if with fear. So frightened was he that he dashed headlong into the train, striking the break beam of the baggage car with such force as to break its neck.

50 Years Ago

Thursday, August 4, 1955

The report of the local unemployment office for June shows that the number of wage and salary workers in St. Ignace is 500 above that of June, 1954. Employment was expected to increase another 200 during July and August.

All-time traffic records for a 24-hour period were broken at the Straits of Mackinac Saturday, July 30. During the 24-hour period from midnight Friday to midnight Saturday, the Michigan State Ferry fleet handled 9,776 automobiles and trucks and buses, far bettering the previous high of a little over 9,000 hit on the same Saturday a year ago.

Clarence C. Eby, creator of Eby’s Indian Village and developer of Castle Rock, has launched a new enterprise this year, which is proving an added attraction to tourists in this area. “The Curio Fair” is located just west of St. Ignace on the Scenic Highway and, while not yet completed, has many attractions for the traveling public, which will include a tall look-out tower.

Brevort Lake column : Staff Sgt. and Mrs. T.E. Wagner and daughter, Christine, are vacationing at one of the Johnson cottages. Mrs. Wagner is the former Joan Kozlowski. The Wagners have just returned from England where he was stationed for three years. Staff Sgt. Wagner will spend the next two years at the Kinross Air Force Base.

35 Years Ago

Thursday, August 6, 1970

The Pee Wee football teams are now equipped with their own cheerleaders. After try-outs August 1, 12 girls were selected. They are Diana Everson, Cindy Veliski, Patrice Mackin, Laurie Taylor, Mary Jo Bishop, Mamie Pope, Patty Ritzert, Caroline Brown, Judy Sorenson, Theresa Horan, Judy St. Louis, and Patty Pope.

A planning survey to determine the most feasible type of highway along the US-2 corridor in the Upper Peninsula is under way, the Department of State Highways reports. The US-2 study, to develop guidelines for a high mobility backbone route, is one phase of a three-part study. The other two phases involve different types of routes in related areas of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Men in Service : Navy Seaman Apprentice Irvin M. Schlehuber Jr., of Moran, has returned to Norfolk, VA., after a six-month deployment in the North Atlantic aboard the USS Steinaker destroyer.

15 Years Ago

Thursday, August 2, 1990

In two long days of work last week, another link was made between Michigan’s two peninsulas with the laying of two electrical cables, each more than 22,000 feet long and each nearly 3.5 inches in diameter, across the Straits of Mackinac.

Pickford Community Days’ parade marshal is two-year old Brian McDonald. His family includes Jonathan, Curtis, Aaron, and his parents, Irwin and Carol.

Two LaSalle High School students, Chris Matson, 17, and Tim Leveille, 17, both of St. Ignace, recently scored holes-in-one on the 125-yard, par three seventh hole at the St. Ignace Golf Club.