Looking Back
Compiled by Ryan Schlehuber

Members of the St. Ignace fire department stand in front of City Hall, which was on the lake side of State Street near the Favorite dock in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Today's city hall was built in 1940. The steam engine behind the men, with its stack smoking, is pulled by a two-horse hitch and decorated with American flags. The bell on top of the former City Hall is now displayed in front of today's City Hall. The sign on the second floor of the building under the window to the far right says "A.J. Gennell, Public Notary, Real Estate Dealer." Mr. Gennell, who served as city clerk from 1888 to 1890, may be the man in the window holding the sign. The flag at the far right, below the sign, says "St. Ignace, Mich., Fire Department." Note the fireman at left with the flagpole holster.

115 Years Ago

The St. Ignace News

Saturday, April 30, 1892

The furnace will start up Monday next.

The first of the week, while assisting a schooner, the tug Saugatuck backed under the schooner's jib-boom and broke her flag staff and bent her smoke stack.

It is reported that there was quite a time last Monday evening at Hessel's, Les Cheneaux. Dancing being the pastime. After 12 o'clock, supper was served at Ely Bessette's home.

The barrel factory started up Monday morning. On Tuesday, staves for over eleven hundred barrels were made. When things get running properly, the capacity will be 3,000 barrels per day.

The record of the first year of the present Democratic administration in Michigan has been made. In three penal institutions alone - Jackson, Ionia, and Marquette - it has saved the people over $85,000.

The Soo Tribune has been sold and is now a part of the plant of the Soo News. This leaves the newspaper field to the two original papers, the Democrat and News.

Thomas Smith of Portage township was a visitor at the News office Saturday. Mr. Smith informed us that the Portage people are anxious that their territory be made part of Luce county as they are at present too far away from their county seat. When the proposed new railroad is constructed and communication established between Whitefish and Newberry, the matter will be thoroughly canvassed and a petition presented to the proper authorities, asking to be annexed to Luce county. Some of the people live over 75 miles from St. Ignace, the county seat of Mackinac. If they were part of Luce county, they would be within 22 miles of the county seat. - Newberry News

William Saulson left for Detroit on Tuesday, to take up his residence there. Mr. Saulson has been a resident of St. Ignace for more than 10 years, during which time he amassed a snug sum of money and property and every dollar of it was earned honestly. In addition to attending strictly to business, he also served the city faithfully in various capacities, first as alderman, then mayor [for one year], and for the past three years, he was president of the water board, his term expiring today.

The Wade Leroyle Musical Comedy Company will appear at Highstone's opera house next Wednesday evening, May 4th, in the laughing hit of the season, entitled "Squabbles."

90 Years Ago

The St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, May 3, 1917

Wilson Newton of Gould City passed away at his home on Wednesday, April 25, after an illness extending over the past two years. The deceased was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wilson Newton, pioneer residents of the county, and was born on St. Helene Island December 26, 1859. He was employed with his father in the general merchandise business. The store was destroyed by fire with a heavy loss to the Newtons and never was rebuilt.

He later moved to Newton township, named in his honor, where he has resided for the past 25 years, being engaged in farming, general merchandise business, lumbering, and, at the time of his death, was postmaster of Gould City.

The fire department responded to an alarm Wednesday morning, smoke being discovered coming out in volumes from the Beveridge blacksmith shop, which has been closed for several months. The damage is nominal.

Mackinaw City has but one saloon since Tuesday, instead of four, as formerly. Three dealers decided to quit now rather than risk being closed up during the year. The proprietor of the one place has raised the price of beer to 10 cents and whiskey to 15 cents per.

Prosecuting Attorney Brown and Sheriff Benjamin have been requested by U.S. Attorney General Gregory to assist in the enforcement of the regulations as set forth in President Wilson's proclamation of April 6, 1917, as to alien enemies. Both of these officials are on the job and will do their duty.

Les Cheneaux column - The Hossack mill is again in operation, having started for the season last week.

The Elliot House will be managed

this season by Harry Blumenstiel, John Beach remaining

on his place near Flowers Creek. Mr. Blumenstiel sold out his printing business in Cincinnati a year or so ago and will try his hand at hotel management. He has been one of the owners of the Elliot for some years, the firm style being Beach & Blumenstiel. All wish the new manager luck.

50 Years Ago The Republican-News & St.

Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, May 2, 1957

Members of the Upper Peninsula Weekly Publisher's association will hold their summer convention in St. Ignace June 15.

St. Ignace high school Saints baseball champions of the Little Eight conference on Tuesday unleashed their bid for a title repeat by defeating the Rudyard Bulldogs by a score of 8-2 behind the four-hit pitching of Tom Johnson, who himself singled twice in two official trips to the plate.

St. Ignace Mayor A.G. Phillips has invited Capt. Villiers of the Mayflower II to "sail down the St. Lawrence Seaway to the Straits of Mackinac and visit the world's greatest bridge." Phillips dispatched a cablegram last week to Capt. Villiers, who with his ship, is sailing the Atlantic en route from England to the United States. The boat is a replica of the original Mayflower.

Straits Construction Company plans to soon start installation of a new water line along Graham Avenue.

McGregor Oil Company's depot station is taking on a new look. Workmen are completing a resurfacing job on the exterior, which gives a porcelain cream color finish to the station.

Leslie Therrian, local contractor, is busy this week putting brick facing on the broad side of the Stop and Shop.

The tanker Polaris and the freighter O.S. McFarland swiped sides about a mile west of the Straits bridge Saturday, but neither was badly damaged.

35 Years Ago The Republican-News & St.

Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, May 4, 1972

The Arnold Line ferry Mackinac Islander, which opened the season with its first run last Thursday morning, was stuck in the ice just south of the railroad dock on its return to the Island at 4 p.m. Monday. Capt. Paul Allers said that the force of windblown drifting ice caught them, forcing the ship into windrow ice, piled in some places to three and four feet high.

The open house honoring the Ursuline Sisters on the occasion of their 75th year in St. Ignace and sadly marking the closing of the St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic elementary school here at the end of the school year in June will be held at the Convent building this Sunday, May 7, from 2 to 5 o'clock.

15 Years Ago

The St. Ignace News Thursday, April 30, 1992 While candidates for the U.S. presidency have left many voters yawning, this year's race for chairman of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has brought three men forward in what looks to be a hot contest. Running are Bernard Bouschor, Michael Lumsden, and John "Jack" Kibble.

Peter J. Della-Moretta, who helped build the Mackinac Straits Hospital and Health Center, will be honored by friends, relatives, and associates May 2 as he celebrates his 100th birthday May 4.

After 24 years, two locations, and more than 174,000 hours in The Stop party store, Charlotte and Howard Everson have retired and sold the business to George Water.

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.