The Pullman Inn, a converted Pullman rail car used as a tavern and restaurant, was installed by Frank Vallier in the 1930s on the property where the Driftwood Restaurant and Sports Bar now stands in St. Ignace. (Photographs courtesy of Velma June Gustafson) 115 Years Ago

Saturday, August 9, 1890

Word was received here from Trout Lake yesterday to the effect that a man named Addson had been cut in two by a train on the South Shore road. Coroner Cooke went up this morning to hold an inquest. Addson was a former employee of the furnace company.

This is the interior of the Pullman Inn, a rail car converted into a tavern in St. Ignace. It was called a “beer garden” at the time, in the 1930s. The man on the right is owner Frank Vallier. The valuable cow belonging to W.B. Vance fell into the water work trench on Burdette Street last Saturday night and broke her neck.

Contractor Burdette is making good headway in extending the water mains on Burdette Street. This week he unearthed the skeletons of a number of departed braves.

90 Years Ago

Thursday, August 12, 1915

John Lipnitz of Allenville is offering his fine farm for sale, as he intends entering other business. Anyone wanting to get an improved farm in the heart of a fine agricultural country will do well to investigate. The Enterprise last week had it the Paul Lipnitz farm that was being offered, but this was an error.

Les Cheneaux column –– Mr. G. A. Young, district superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League of the U.P. gave a lecture in Young Brothers’ hall Sunday evening. Every seat was filled and much interest shown. Great appreciation has been expressed and approved of Mr. Young’s discourse.

50 Years Ago

Thursday, August , 1955

Members of the special committee appointed by Gov. G. Mennen Williams will meet in St. Ignace at 2 p.m. Friday afternoon to “explore the areas in which the committee might be helpful in obtaining employment for state ferry crewmen following discontinuance of use of the ferries operating between the lower and upper peninsulas.”

The committee was appointed by Gov. Williams last month following a meeting of representatives of state ferry employees and the state civil service commission which resulted in averting a strike at the Straits of Mackinac. Gov. Williams said he believed that wage disputes and differences between the employees and civil service commission could be traced largely to the worry about unemployment of ferry workers after the Straits bridge is built.

A Charleston, West Virginia family, hitch-hiking from their former home to Duluth, Minnesota, after 12 days on the road “went broke” and were stranded in St. Ignace all day Sunday.

Their plight was recognized by Mrs. Vernon Thompson, who launched a campaign for food to feed the seven people, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wyatt and their five children, the oldest eight years old and the youngest a three-month-old babe in arms.

Mrs. Thompson obtained a few monetary donations and sufficient food to feed the hitch-hikers. She then contacted the welfare department, which appealed to the Salvation Army in the Soo.

The local representative of the Salvation Army who works here all season, investigated the situation and recommended funds for breakfast and bus fare to Duluth. As a result, the Wyatt family were en route to Duluth Sunday night.

Births : Aug. 3 –– A daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Kaminsky. A daughter to Mr. and Mrs. John Lahaie. Aug. 5 –– A daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Sorenson. Aug. 6 –– A daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Grondin, Moran. Aug. 7 –– A son to Mr. and Mrs. John Fenlon. A son to Mr. and Mrs. Robert St. Andrew.

35 Years Ago

Thursday, August 13, 1970

The 13th annual Mackinac Bridge Walk will get under way a half hour earlier than usual, at 7:30 a.m. on Labor Day morning, Monday, September 7. Once again, Governor Milliken will participate in the walk.

Informed sources within the area tourist trade report that last Tuesday was the busiest day of the year. Rumor had it that boats to Mackinac Island had to leave some passengers on the docks for later runs.

Les Cheneaux column: A mass on Wednesday, August 5, marked the second anniversary of the formal dedication of Our Lady of the Snows church. Co-celebrants of the mass were the Rev. Fr. Edward J. Wenzel and the new pastor, Rev. Anthony Polakowski, former chaplain of Holy Cross Monastery and V.A. Hospital, Iron Mountain.

15 Years Ago

Thursday, August 9, 1990

From the fudge shops on Mackinac Island to the motels in St. Ignace, tourist operators are complaining of a slow season, despite an increase in numbers of vehicles crossing the Mackinac Bridge and other indicators of increased travel.

There is a general perception that business is not good as in past years, said Rita Hodgins, president of the Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association. This view, however, may be the result of false expectations by the industry about the volume of travelers, she said.

One of the reasons that business owners may think their figures are down this year, suggested Hodgins, is that there has been tremendous growth in tourist facilities over the last year, which means there is more competition for tourist dollars.

A gasoline-like odor near the Mackinac County Road Commission garage in Hessel led to the discovery of a leak in an underground pipe that may have drained fuel oil into Hessel Bay through a storm ditch. Ten to 20 yards of soil have been removed and the contaminated soil is being taken to the Rudyard landfill.