Looking Back
Compiled by Ryan Schlehuber

115 Years Ago

The St. Ignace News

Saturday, July 2, 1892

The Marley building on Truckey Street is being torn down.

At W.H. Wood's confectionery store is the place to get ice cream, fresh candies, and cool drinks.

The new sidewalk on Goudreau alley is completed and it is a good job. T.A. Wilson was the contractor.

T.J. Cravens is moving again and is now located in the Hall building, near the railroad crossing.

Advertisement - The Beautiful Arabian Stallion "Abdullah" Will Make The Season of 1892 at the Barn of A.F. Stuart, St. Ignace, Mich. Abdullah stands 15 hands high, and weighs about 1,200 pounds. He is nearly five years old, and his color is pure white, with rich brown or liver-colored spots after the manner of all thoroughbred Arabian horses.

The steamer Remora will give an excursion to Les Cheneaux on the 4th. Fare for round trip only 60¢. She leaves Chamber's Dock at 7:30 a.m. and at the Furnace dock at 8 a.m., returning by Mackinac Island at 6 p.m. Ice cream will be served on board and at the Muscalonge Hotel.

The burning of Chicago will ever furnish food for thought. It marked a new era in the history of the city. Within twenty years, Chicago has sprung from the ashes, ruin and desolation into the grandest than ever, "The Queen of the North and the West." Stats: No. of acres burned per hour - 125; No. of buildings destroyed per hour - 1,000; No. of people rendered homeless per hour - 6,000.

90 Years Ago

The St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, July 5, 1917

St. Ignace yesterday enjoyed one of the best 4th of July celebrations in years, and the credit is due to the progressive spirit and civic pride of the members of the Gateway City band. Everything passed off in a manner that called forth highest praise for the management.

The Soo Times says: Irving R. Lord and Charles J. Miller were here from Milwaukee this week investigating the Soo-Snows railway proposition. Both men are interested with local capitalists in this enterprise.

Barney Nehls of the Snows offers a good home and $50 a month the year around to a man and wife as caretakers of his property. He would prefer a Swede, middle aged, and one who can milk a cow. No one with a large family is wanted.

Liquor advertising or liquor soliciting by letter, postal card, circular, newspaper, or publication of any kind is now barred from the mails by "Act of Congress" when addressed to one in dry territory.

That the road from St. Ignace to the Soo via the Snows will be passable for automobiles sometime during the month of July now appears probable.

A large number of our people are enjoying the beauties at Brevort Lake while out for a day's pleasure.

Tom Martin of Allenville is the possessor of a new buggy, an outfit that is the envy of the township.

The Moran barbershop now has a complete electrical shaving outfit, nearly all of the housewives are supplied with electric toasters and irons, and other electric utensils, and the Hotel Moran is talking of putting in an electric waiter. If this thing keeps on, we look to see the town acquire the name of the electric city.

The Snows column - The Red Cross is being organized in Hessel.

Joseph Drake and a friend are occupying the Drake cottage on Boot Island.

The Woods Craft Shop is open for the season. There are many new features.

The cruiser of C.K. Benedict was put in the water last week and is being prepared for use by the Cedarville Boat Co.

50 Years Ago

The Republican-News

& St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, July 4, 1957

Berth for the buoy tender Sun Dew from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, was sought in a letter presented to the city council Monday from the U.S. Coast Guard office, Cleveland, Ohio.

"It appears the coast guards desire dock facilities, parking space, business office, suitable and adequate living facilities in the city, adequate schools, hospital, churches, electric power, and water supply," explained city attorney Prentiss M. Brown. "The coast guards not only desire to station the Sun Dew in St. Ignace to handle its operations from Grand Traverse to Thunder Bay, but proposes a group headquarters indicating a further assignment of other units to this area."

"Before the Bridge," a monumental history-directory of the St. Ignace area, came off the press July 1 after two years of research and compilation by author Emerson R. Smith, who is the president of the Michilimackinac Historical Society.

35 Years Ago

The Republican-News

& St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, July 13, 1972

Archaeologists digging at the Marquette Park site in the fourth week of a 10-week study have discovered what they believe to be the pit referred to in the writing of Fr. Jacker, a mission priest who served here in the late 1800s.

In Fr. Jacker's writing, an early foundation was discovered on the property then owned by David Murray when a barn was being built on the site. Jacker then proceeded to dig to a two or three foot level and, according to his writings, found what he assumed to be the remains of Fr. Marquette, and several other artifacts from the same time period. The discovery of the pit lends credence to Fr. Jacker's report and with this in mind, the monument was dismantled and research efforts this week centers around the base of the monument in the hope of finding structural evidence of the original Marquette mission referred to by Fr. Jacker.

15 Years Ago The St. Ignace News

Thursday, July 2, 1992

Mary Tamlyn will remain as administrator of Mackinac Straits Hospital for 12 months and Ronald Westman will be retained as an hourly-pay consultant, the hospital board decided June 24.

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, the unconventional automobile designer and creator of "Rat Fink," the fly-infested character still popular after more than 30 years, was one of the many featured guests of St. Ignace's 17th Antique Auto Show.

Most Popular Antique Car award went to "Woodie," a 1953 Buick, owned by Michael Baker of Flushing.

Gary Olsen was named St. Ignace Lion of the Year at the club's dinner meeting June 22 at Memories Restaurant in St. Ignace.