The late George Saunders (far left) stands with his derrick crew during the construction of the Mackinac Bridge, which opened in November 1957. Derrick operators were responsible for lifting steel beams and personnel more than 100 feet in the air, manipulating 14 levers to operate the derrick’s 160-foot boom. (Photograph courtesy of Richard Saunders) 115 Years Ago

Saturday, November 29, 1890

Chicken thieves did a wholesale business Thursday night. They visited the coops of Mr. Mulcrone, L. Pauly, C.H. Wilber, and C.S. Carr and made good hauls at each place.

The steamer Lawrence , of the Northern Michigan Line, was in this morning on her last trip.

J. Burnett and Co., plumbers, are now located in the place known as the Maloney building, just west of Snyder’s livery barn, their old quarters having become too small for their increasing trade.

We witnessed a disgraceful spectacle last Sunday on our streets. A small boy, about 14 years of age, was staggering along the sidewalk under the influence of liquor, using nasty and profane language. There’s a chance for a little missionary work here in Newberry. –– Newberry Independent

John R. Foley arrived on Friday from St. Ignace and will remain in this city permanently. Mr. Foley will be employed in the photo gallery, which will probably be opened by the Foley Brothers in the new building on Haghitt Street near the corner of Carpenter Avenue. –– Iron Mountain Range

Ex-Congressman Seymour, of Sault Ste. Marie, has received assurances from the Secretary of War that he will recommend an additional appropriation of $120,000 for the building of the new Fort Brady at the Sault. Mr. Seymour left for Europe this week.

Why can’t St. Ignace have a skating rink this winter? Now that we have water works a rink could be kept in good order through the whole season at a small cost.

We hope to see our enterprising young men take immediate action in the matter. A rink, properly run, would pay. A.F. Stuart could make a success of such an enterprise.

90 Years Ago

Thursday, December 2, 1915

The Mackinac Transportation Co. issues a warning in this issue of The Enterprise, announcing that prosecution will follow any further thefts of coal from their storage cars on the tracks.

The Butterfly theatre, which is temporarily closed, will open for business again in about 10 days.

H.D. Whitewell has an idea of what the city should do with the pavilion property owned by the city. His idea is to convert the property into golf links. The game is no longer considered a fad by hundreds of men and women residing in the cities, it has become a necessity and a part of their existence. Mackinac Island has long had its private golf links. An association is constructing public links to be ready for play in the spring. Petoskey, Charlevoix, and other nearby resorts advertise their principal attractions. So that it becomes apparent that if St. Ignace is to be in the running and successfully bid for the summer resort trade, it must get in the swim and provide the sort of amusement demanded.

George Litchard is anticipating the approach of the freeze up by clearing his ice house of sawdust preparatory to filling it with congealed aqua pura at the proper time. He also intends taking some of the kinks out of the building before putting in a fresh stock of ice.

A Rapid River hunter has returned from the chase with a deer that was minus both front legs. Both front legs of the deer had evidently been torn away, near the knees, by a bullet fired by some hunter at least a year ago. Over the stumps of the mutilated legs heavy callouses had been formed and the hunter who found the animal in the woods claims that it could make remarkable speed.

Curtis column –– Six teams passed through Curtis Thursday enroute for Manistique.

The ball given at Brown’s pavilion Thanksgiving was largely attended. There were some fine looking masks shown, as well as some horrible creatures.

About 10 of the party sat down to dinner at Hope Hinds Thanksgiving. It was a merry party, too. The tables were decorated with pink and white geraniums and fairly groaned with good things to eat. It was during the middle of the first course that his skunkship put in an appearance and broke up the party. The diners suddenly stopped eating and began hitting the high spots for safety. Finally, the odoriferous animal was gotten rid of, but the event had spoiled the day. Too bad.

50 Years Ago

Thursday, December 1, 1955

The Associated Press reports that George R. Saunders of St. Ignace takes pride in his reputation as a mudslinger. In his occupation as a derrick operator on the Straits Bridge, it’s a work of distinction.

Since 1953, Saunders probably has moved more Straits mud than any human in history. He was one of the first derrick operators hired when Merritt-Chapman & Scott started construction of a pipeline across the Straits.

Comparisons of big game counts that were tallied at the State Ferry Docks in 1954 and 1955:

1955: Deer –– 10,962; Bear –– 151; Foxes –– 13; Coyotes –– 43; Bobcats –– 30; Wolves –– 7

1954: Deer –– 10,037; Bear –– 202; Foxes –– 12; Coyotes –– 43; Bobcats –– 27; Wolves –– 9

Winds clocked at from 30 to 40 miles per hour with gusts at 50 stranded approximately 1,200 hunters in St. Ignace on Tuesday night of last week and at the same time interrupted the homeward trek of persons returning for Thanksgiving. The blow came up in the afternoon and by five o’clock the state ferries were seeking shelter in the lee of Mackinac Island and in St. Ignace harbor.

Snow on Sunday and again on Monday brought about six inches to keep the pre-Thanksgiving blanket intact and give an appearance of total winter. The thermometer dropped to 18 above zero Monday morning and to 10 the next night.

Eighty-six deer were killed on Bois Blanc Island during the first five days of the season, according to Captain Ray Plaunt of the island mail boat.

35 Years Ago

Thursday, December 3, 1970

Michael “Chipper” Huskey, LaSalle High School’s powerful linebacker, has been named to second-team All-State by Associated Press sports reporters. This is the sixth consecutive year that St. Ignace has placed at least one or more players on All-State football teams.

Jim St. Louis, 20, registered Tuesday morning as the first voter to be registered in Mackinac County, and possibly the first in the Upper Peninsula. St. Louis was picked to be the first by a new county organization, “The Young Polititions,” which will be an “educational, political, and service organization.” St. Louis registered as a ruling by Attorney General Frank Kelly that young men and women ages 18 to 20 can do so immediately.

The new Walker Furniture Store, although open for the past few weeks, will have its “official” opening tomorrow and Saturday, December 4 and 5 and will also begin a Grand Opening Sale, which will continue through December 12. Still using the slogan “Fine Furniture Since 1880,” the store is one of the largest retail furniture marts and by far the largest retail business establishment in St. Ignace.

As expected, considering the bucks-only regulation for the 1970 deer hunting season, coupled with unfavorable weather, the auto-worker strike, and doubtless other factors, the number of hunter vehicles which crossed the Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula this year was much below the corresponding number for 1969, and the deer counts at the bridge were much lower this year, as well.

15 Years Ago

Thursday, November 29, 1990

Santa Claus received the key to the city from St. Ignace Mayor Pro Tempore Gary Olsen November 1. With a wave of his hand, Santa then bid the community Christmas tree to be lighted.

Part of the Downtown Development Authority’s $183,000 budget this year and next year is designated for a boardwalk, under construction across a parking lot north of the Arnold Dock. A “back room” exhibit will also be added to the Ojibwa Museum and may help the city start to implement its waterfront plan in 1991.

Former high school football rivals, Jeff Izzard of Cedarville and Randy Fountain of Pickford, met again on the gridiron as the Northern Michigan University Wildcats and the Ferris State University Bulldogs played to a 14-14 tie in October. Mr. Izzard plays for Northern and Mr. Fountain plays for Ferris.

Ow. That’s how it must have felt when Gretchen Torsky had to shave her legs Wednesday, November 21, after the Trojans lost to Big Bay de Noc in the regional finals the night before, 55-53. She wasn’t going to shave her legs until her team lost in the finals. Superstitions, however, were not the curse, as the Trojans just couldn’t make the lay-ups early in the game.