Compiled by Ryan Schlehuber (Photograph courtesy of Curtis Historical Society)

Where Watson’s Marina now stands used to be the Sherbrook Mill in downtown Curtis in the early 1900s. Lumbering was the backbone of the local economy in the early years, and the lakes were used to float logs to the mill in Curtis. There they were sawed into lumber and shingles, which were then shipped by rail to major markets. 115 Years Ago

Saturday, November 1, 1890

The game warden should visit this section and put a stop to the unlawful custom of hunting deer with dogs, so extensively carried out this season.

D.C. Dunn and son, Willie, killed five deer last week.

Portage Township column –– Ex-supervisor Fawcett has added 12 head of two-year-old steers to his stock farm.

90 Years Ago

Thursday, November 4, 1915

Bois Blanc Island - John LaPrairie, former treasurer and lumberman of Bois Blanc Island, and A.L. Todd of the same place each own a drove of a hundred hogs, more or less, which during the summer season are allowed to run wild about the island. Every now and then they would round up their droves to see how they were coming, and every time they did so they found that the number had decreased. The mystery of what was becoming of the porkers was solved last week when Thomas Anderson, Patrick Dufina, and Fred Vieu were discovered in the act of skinning a good sized hog which they had shot and were in the act of preparing for market. Complaint against the three was made and they were arrested and brought to this city Saturday by Deputy Sheriff Charles Bible and placed in the county jail.

LaPrairie and Todd said they had lost altogether about 76 hogs, but the gang denied having got away with that number, although they said it was large. The matter was fixed up by allowing the gang to pay the sum of $185, and were given until December 15 to effect a settlement. If the money is not forthcoming at the appointed time the men will be taken on a criminal charge.

The Anti-Saloon League will today launch their Upper Peninsula campaign, a big meeting being scheduled to take place in Escanaba when the dry leaders are expected to gather in force. A four-session program has been arranged, Prosecuting Attorney Prentiss M. Brown of this city being scheduled to speak at the afternoon session. His subject is “The Amendment.” The big gun of the meeting will be Congressman Frederick Landis of Indianapolis.

Gould City column –– November 12, Friday is the day for the Ladies Aid bazaar in the Maccabee hall.

The Good-Hope Sunday school at the Blanchard school reports an attendance of 26 last Sunday and 28 at the preaching service that followed it.

Les Cheneaux column –– The H.P. Hossack & Company’s mill is still running indefinitely, having some work to clean up which has taken longer than was expected.

Several loads of hay from Robert Walker of Pickford have been shipped via Cedarville this week consigned to the Golden Rule Livery, St. Ignace.

50 Years Ago

Thursday, November 3, 1955

Equipment broke ground this week in preparation for the construction of a new building for Saul’s Department Store. The site is the lot between Hoban Hardware and McNamee’s cleaning shop, where 20 years ago the original Saul’s was destroyed by fire.

An unfortunate accident took the life of a one-year-old Rexton girl when the child fell from the cab of the family truck when the door flew open and a wheel of the truck ran over her.

35 Years Ago

Thursday, November 5, 1970

Prentiss M. Brown Jr., a partner in the firm of Brown and Brown Attorneys at St. Ignace, and a 1948 graduate of Albion College, has been named a vice president of the Albion College Board of Trustees, according to Fred S. Neuman, president of the board.

Among the many behind-the-scenes preparations for a Tri-Centennial Celebration is the designing of the flag and emblem. Late last spring the St. Ignace Tri-Centennial committee selected Mr. Leon Ruder, art instructor in the St. Ignace schools, to conduct a contest to obtain designs for an emblem, and a flag for next year’s event.

The well-known Silver Sands Resort, on US-2 West, has been sold by owners John and Jean Talkowski and George and Barbara Yshinski, to Phillip and Lillian Holian of Dearborn.

The St. Ignace Saints, led by the running of sophomore Ed Lester with 122 yards in 14 carries and two touchdowns, downed the Gaylord Blue Devils 30-6 in a Michigan Huron Shores Conference game in Gaylord Oct. 30. For St. Ignace, this was their second win in seven games, and a happy event after three consecutive losses.

Les Cheneaux column –– Mrs. W.S. Buehler and children were driven to Detroit on Saturday by Mrs. Buechler’s parents, Capt. and Mrs. Clifford MacLean of Island Eight. Traveling by air to the West Coast they boarded a plane at Travis A.F.B. for Honolulu, where they will join U.S. Naval Cdr. W.S. Buehler, who is on the staff of the Commander in Chief of the Pacific.

Les Cheneaux Historical Association met at the home of Richard Nye, acting president of the association. The group sponsors the historical museum now in its third year; located on Cedarville Bay near the former Hossack store.

15 Years Ago

Thursday, October 25, 1990

Cranes and crew are at work this month on stone rip rap for an addition to St. Ignace’s waterfront boardwalk in an area between the Arnold Dock and the Galley Restaurant.

Art Della-Moretta of St. Ignace, owner of the Quality Inn Straits Breeze Motel, was given an Upper Peninsula Gold Award recently at the U.P. Tourism and Economic Development Conference for his contributions to the development of the U.P. tourist industry.

Julie Lockhart, a Pickford junior, was crowned Carnival Queen at the Pickford Halloween Carnival Saturday, October 27. Her escort was Brent Beacom.

Pickford, with a convincing 39-6 win over Northern Central October 26, secured the number one spot in Region One for the high school football playoffs, and a chance to bring back to the Eastern Upper Peninsula the trophy that Rudyard captured last year as the top Class D team in the U.P.

Landon Snyder, son of Brian and Sandy Snyder of St. Ignace, took first place in his age group at regional Punt-Pass-Kick competition October 20 in Petoskey. He will compete Sunday, November 4 in the Pontiac Silverdome against other eight-year-olds prior to the football game between the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins. Other are competitors and their places in Petoskey were: Andy MacDonald, third, nine-year-olds; Colleen McLafferty, third, 10-year-olds; Charlie Pierson, second, 11-year-olds; Anthony Sheridan, third, 12-year-olds; and Matt Collins, fourth, 13-year-olds.