A grand view of the St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church altar in the late 1920s or early 1930s. In the background, standing with his arms folded, is Father John Holland, who served in St. Ignace from 1914 to 1941. Yvonne O'Rourke, a long-time member of the congregation and sister of Father Willam Goudreau (pictured here as a teenager, on the left side, in back, the tallest one of the group), remembers the wonderful singing voice of Father Holland. Joe Perry, now deceased, is also identified in the photograph. He is in the group on the right, in the back row, the tallest one in that group. Father Goudreau, now 88 years old, is a Jesuit missionary in India. The other boys in the photograph are unidentified. (Photograph courtesy of Mario Calcaterra Jr.) 115 Years Ago

The St. Ignace News

Saturday, May 28, 1892

Died: In this city [St. Ignace] Tuesday, May 24, ex-mayor Martin Jamieson, aged 37 years, 9 months, and 24 days.

Deceased was a native of Canada, being born near Niagara Falls. He came to St. Ignace with his family about 11 years ago and embarked in the meat market business with the late Jasper Bezeau, which was successfully carried on for a few years, when Mr. Bezeau retired and Mr. Jamieson continued the business, which was known as the City Meat Market.

In the spring of 1889, he was elected Mayor of the city and served one full term, declining a second nomination.

About two years ago, deceased was attacked by an affection of the glands of the throat, which baffled the skill of our best local and outside medical talent. Although not confined to the house for any length of time until the beginning of the present year, he was a great sufferer, but always lived in hopes of recovery - even on the day of his death he tried to assure the friends about his bed that he was getting better, little dreaming that in a few short hours he would pass away.

Wm. M. Fenton Post No. 258, St. Ignace, Department of Michigan, G.A.R., will assemble at Post Headquarters on Sunday, May 29, at 9:30 a.m. [for Decoration Day services], preparatory to marching to the M.E. Church to attend divine service as enjoined upon all posts by National and Department General Orders.

The new Les Cheneaux Hotel is rapidly nearing completion. James Kittlewell, of Port Huron, has had charge of the job, and his work shows him to be a skilled mechanic.

Advertisement - To the People of St. Ignace: I have purchased a horse and cart and will call at your homes every week prepared to supply you with the best kerosene oil in the market, as cheap as you can buy it in the city. I will also deal in choice groceries! And defy all competition in quality and price on butter and eggs. I receive a fresh supply of each every week, direct from farmers in Southern Michigan. With every dollar's worth of goods, I will give a present of a dozen first-class clothes pins. I will pack and deliver free to depot or docks all orders from boat people or country customers. - George Sayles, St. Ignace, Mich.

In Conrad Bros. City Bakery store window is a small building made of bars of soap. It is well worth seeing. Eugene T. Conrad was the architect.

The entertainment by the "Little Trixie" company at Highstone's Thursday evening delighted quite a large audience. It is a first-class show.

President Preston and "Shake" Gallagher of Mackinac Island were in St. Ignace Thursday.

Louis Paquin is building a shingle mill at Epoufette. It will run by water power.

90 Years Ago

The St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, May 31, 1917

Every feature in connection with the Memorial Day exercises in this city characterized the intent of the declaration and the spirit of the country's momentous times. It was nearly 2 o'clock when the marshal of the day, Wm. H. Coon, gave the command to the parade to start from the city hall on its march to the pavilion. This was an inspiring sight to the throngs that lined the way.

First came the color bearers, then the band followed in order by the Grand Army, members of army and navy, boy scouts, Red Cross nurses, members of the fire department, speakers of the day and others who were to take part in the exercises, hundreds of school children all waving an American flag and decorated with patriotic badges, citizens in autos, carriages, and on foot.

The difference between Memorial Day and Decoration Day was thus defined by Hon. B.H. Blackburn in the Atlanta Journal: Memorial Day, he explained, was of southern origin and was adopted two years before Decoration Day was adopted in the north.

Victor Shoberg and a gang of men at work on the Islington dock recently, putting in some new spiles. The Elliot dock is also receiving some needed repairs.

The Mackinac County Chapter of the American Red Cross society was formally organized at a large and enthusiastic meeting held in Moose Hall in St. Ignace Monday afternoon and the drive to secure a thousand members will soon begin.

The Memorial sermon delivered by Rev. Father Mockler at St. Ignatius Church to the Grand Army last Sunday morning was one of the most eloquent tributes ever paid to the heroes of the Civil War and was listened to with the closest attention by a congregation that filled all available space in the edifice.

St. Ignace is now prepared to make repairs to all classes of gasoline and other smaller craft. Charles Johnson, the blacksmith and ship builder, has constructed a marine railway capable of accommodating craft up to the size of the freight boat Rhine, which was the first boat to be hauled out on the railway and which is now being recaulked.

St. Ignace never felt the need of a local laundry more than now. The Marquette laundry has been getting most of the work from this city for a long time.

50 Years Ago The Republican-News &

St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, May 30, 1957

Bells, boxes, and bolts from the far corners of the nation are arriving at the site of the world's largest suspension bridge. But, despite all the out-of-state activity, the $100 million bridge linking the two peninsulas will look like Michigan from every angle. The administration building and the giant anchor blocks of the bridge itself are stone from Drummond Island. Bridge crewmen have been surfacing the bridge. The surface is Portland cement, manufactured in Petoskey.

Members of the Zion Lutheran Church and their friends will join on Sunday in ground breaking ceremonies for the new $72,000 Lutheran church to be built in the First Ward.

State police are continuing their investigation of the story of Frank Shocko that he dumped the body of a woman missing since 1953 into Lake Huron near Cedarville. A man was brought from Lansing for questioning as a material witness, and was released.

The remodeled and redecorated Belle Isle Inn opened for business again this week with Gregory Gyftakis a owner-manager.

Mr. and Mrs. L.C. Brown, formerly of Kalamazoo, have opened a new eight-unit motel on a site a mile east of Brevort on West US-2.

The Pittsburgh line ships the Phipps and the Affleck "brushed" in the foggy Straits of Mackinac about 5:30 a.m. Sunday. The accident occurred about a mile west of the Mackinac Bridge. Plates buckled slightly, but both ships continued on, the Phipps with coal to DeTour.

The fire department was called to Cobblestone Cafe shortly after 6 p.m. Monday evening to extinguish a blaze in the roof caused by a neon sign. The damage was limited to a small hole in the roof.

Threatening skies failed to dampen the enthusiasm of several hundred residents of Les Cheneaux who gathered Saturday to see pretty 18-year-old Rita Smith of Les Cheneaux high school christen a big Bradley Transportation Line Great Lakes steamship in honor of Cedarville.

35 Years Ago The Republican-News &

St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, June 1, 1972

The LaSalle High School Class of 1972, the 81st class to be graduated from the school, numbers 95 including two foreign-exchange students from South America. Senator Robert Davis, Class of 1950, has expressed his pleasure and gratitude at being asked to address this year's graduates Friday evening, June 2.

St. Ignace's Dave Donovan and Greg Shimkovitz were named most valuable track athletes for this year, Ed Lester was awarded the athlete of the year honor, and Ron Bomia was given the best defensive player award for basketball.

Advertisement - St. Ignace Theatre - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It's Love and Laughter...Ever After! Walt Disney presents "Lady and the Tramp." A blue-ribbon belle collars a footloose back-alley rover!

15 Years Ago

The St. Ignace News

Thursday, May 28, 1992 Setting a world's record (as far as we know) for the largest pasty ever baked, Bill Ogle and his crew at Paul Bunyan Pasties on West US-2 served up a Memorial weekend meal large enough to satisfy even the restaurant's namesake. At 223 pounds, this year's pasty beat Ogle's former record of 215 pounds with ease.

An organizational meeting for a planned St. Ignace snowmobile club will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, June 1, at the Howard Johnson Lodge duPont, just west of St. Ignace. Officers will be elected, committees will be selected, and a name for the club will be chosen, said organizer Jane DeWitt.

Former State Representative Bar Stupak (D-Menominee) has added his name to the growing list of candidates for the seat in the U.S. House of Representatives currently held by Congressman Bob Davis.

Cedarville kept the Class D girls Upper Peninsula track and field title in the Eastern Upper Peninsula by capturing the championship in Marquette Saturday, May 23.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The St. Ignace News is seeking original prints or reprints of old photographs depicting areas in the Eastern Upper Peninsula to be scanned into the archives and for the Looking Back column. Photographs to be loaned or donated to the Michilimackinac Historical Society can also be dropped off at The St. Ignace News.