Students gather in front of the former Moran school for a class picture. Moran’s first school, an 18-foot by 14-foot building in Allenville, was lost to a fire. The second school was in an old saloon in Moran. The building pictured here was built in the late 1920s or early 1930s. It is now the municipal building for Brevort Township. John Roggenbuck was the contractor, constructing the building for $648. (Photograph courtesy of Kirk and Julie Lipnitz) Looking Back

115 Years Ago

Saturday, December 27, 1890

Today’s snow storm gives us good sleighing and it looks as if it has come to stay.

Married – In this city (St. Ignace), on the 20 inst. [of the present month] at the residence of F. Gunther, by Justice Rutherford, Frederick Mahl, to Miss Annie Schlehuber, both of St. Ignace.

There is a law that goes in effect January 1st which requires all freight cars in this state to be provided with some sort of safety couplers, and Commissioner Rich has notified the companies about it.

Report of the city schools for the month closing December 19, 1890:

• Number enrolled: LaSalle, 272; Third Ward, 142; First Ward, 56.

• Average number of pupils in each room: LaSalle, 45; Third Ward, 41; First Ward, 25.5.

• Number of times teachers have been tardy: LaSalle, 0; Third Ward, 5; First Ward, 2.

Third Ward School Student Roster: 8th Grade Fred Chapman, Edward Reavie, Fred Shaver; 7th Grade Bert Wood; 6th Grade Carrie Bacon, Ella McKay, Phillip Duval, Nettie Wood; 5th Grade Nettie Burgess, Laura Faut, Albert Kruger, Fred Kruger; John McHugh; 4th Grade Joe Archombeau, Henry Derusha, Lavina Derusha, May Faut, Peach McHugh, Leda Renaud, Maggie Reavie, Eve Tremblay, Selma Fallquest; 3rd Grade Isaac Bouch, Walter Fillus, Ralph Gleason, George Hammell, Arthur Hammell, Willie Kruger, Herbert Murray; 2nd Grade Clara Hecke, Fred Pond, Elmer Hoy, Rose St. Onge; 1st Grade Frank Amyott, Stella Derusha, Isaac Lajoie, Fred LaDuke, Louis Latoundresse, Earnest Murray, Henry Pond, Antoine Renaud, Mike Reagon, George Smith, Minia Renaud, Kate Smith, Harry Wood.

“Why is it,” asked a citizen of a reporter on a city paper, “that newspapers make so many misstatements?”

“Well,” said the reporter of 20 years experience, “the papers have to tell, as most of the news, the stories that men like you tell them. It is a moral impossibility for nine out of 10 men to tell a thing as it really was. Some may tell it as it seemed to them, but what one man will swear to as the truth, the next will characterize it as a lie.”

90 Years Ago

Thursday, December 30, 1915

John Morrison of St. Ignace died Wednesday night. He was a veteran of the Civil War, having been a member of Company 3, 26th Massachusetts Infantry.

Thirteen-year-old Loretto Gallagher was attacked by vicious dogs Tuesday afternoon, bitten about the legs and had her clothes torn nearly off her. Her cries were overheard by people in the vicinity, who rescued her from the brutes. The little girl was coming down town when near Murray Brothers store on Goudreau alley, she was attacked by two dogs, who pulled her down when two other canines joined in the fray.

After her rescue she was taken home and received medical treatment. Marshal McLean succeeded in rounding up three of the brutes, which he shot, and the fourth will meet a like fate if the officer can locate it.

The work of raising the hotel of Capt. W.P. Robertson at Mackinaw City was completed last week by Contractor Hudson of Cheboygan. The entire building was raised 10.5 feet, so as to permit another floor being built, which will make it a three-story hotel.

The captain will have it ready for the summer season of 1916 and will cater only to the first class trade. He is aiming to care for the auto trade that will go through Mackinaw City as the result of the auto road around the boundary of the lower peninsula.

In a fire that destroyed the residence of Gus Bazineau at Harrisonville, Mackinac Island, at an early hour Wednesday morning, Mr. Bazineau lost his life. Mrs. Bazineau succeeded in escaping from the building in her night clothes by jumping from the second story window.

Harrisonville has been the scene of a number of fires during the past two or three years, four residences having burned there.

Learning that a rink is established in St. Ignace, Alvin Hossack of Cedarville has issued a challenge to play a Snows team against any hockey septet this city can get together.

Curtis column The merrymakers had a most enjoyable time at Brown’s pavilion Christmas eve. There was a large crowd in attendance.

Moran column Mr. John Luepnitz, the popular school teacher of the Santigo school, greeted Moran friends Sunday.

50 Years Ago

Thursday, December 29, 1955

Heavy ice continuing to form in the Straits of Mackinac may curtail the state ferry schedule before the scheduled date of January 2. Captain George Lloyd, superintendent, said Monday that though the boats are now providing hourly departures from both ports, the ice continues to form and may halt the City of Munising before its scheduled lay-up on January 2.

Work on the Mackinac Straits bridge came to a stand-still last week and is closed down for the winter months.

A long, hot summer, an early winter, winds of hurricane force, erection of the bridge towers, a heavy highway accident toll, two featured swims at the Straits, and great progress in remodeling and construction in the area marked the headline highlights for 1955, according to the review of The Republican-News files.

St. Ignace firemen hustled out to the Sunset Ridge trailer park about 1:45 p.m. Sunday to extinguish a blazing turkey. The Wallaces, who have a trailer in Jim Campbell’s attractive park, had their turkey baking in a gas oven catch fire as grease dripped onto the gas flame. They slammed shut the oven door and called the department, who found the turkey some burnt, but little but smoke damage done.

Moran column A capacity crowd filled our auditorium Wednesday evening to see our Christmas program. Our spacious 12-foot by 30-foot new stage was used for the first time, with newly decorated background and improved lighting. It has a seating capacity of over 145.

35 Years Ago

Thursday, December 31, 1970

The New Year’s Eve Tricentennial Ball, to be held at the old Walker Furniture Store Building, will be a gala event, according to Mary McGraw, chairman, Jerry LaNoo, co-chairman, and Bob Sposito, committee member. The ball will be the first official event to celebrate St. Ignace’s 300th birthday, 16711971. The orchestra for dancing will be The Kings, from Engadine.

Much of the state’s prime farmland may be wiped out by sprawling cities in the next 30 years. That is the main worry of B. Dale Ball, director of Michigan Department of Agriculture.

Cigarette commercials will be banished from the airwaves in another few days. A sign of the times.

15 Years Ago

Thursday, December 27, 1990

The opening of some trails to off-road vehicle use in the Search Bay area has raised anger of members of the Les Cheneaux Chamber of Commerce’s Search Bay Committee.

Helen Marks and Eldon Patten were given certificates of appreciation in recognition as heroes for their successful effort to save the of life Nicholas Roberge of Sault Ste. Marie from a heart attack he suffered during a hockey game at Lake Superior State University.

Both George Tamlyn, a custodian for the U.S. Post Office in St. Ignace for 20 years, and Mary Jane St. Louis, a magistrate for the 50th District Court in St. Ignace for 21 years, have retired.