Looking Back
Compiled by Ryan Schlehuber

A view from the water of Cedarville's downtown in the 1920s or 1930s demonstrates the number of businesses, including docks, boat shops, and storage sheds, that filled the waterfront along Hodeck Street. Clark Township is now in the process of looking at ways to revitalize its core village areas of Cedarville and Hessel, focusing on historic development and traditional businesses within the community. (Photograph courtesy of the Les Cheneaux Historical Association)

115 Years Ago

The St. Ignace News

Saturday, August 13, 1892

The St. Ignace dancing school members gave a hop Thursday evening.

County Deputy-Sheriff Stuart took Louis Holte, a soldier at Fort Mackinac, to Marquette yesterday to serve a ninety-day sentence for assault and battery.

Our columns are so crowded with advertising this week that we found it necessary to crowd local news into as small a space as possible.

City Clerk Gennell has been instructed by the council to strictly enforce the collection of poll and dog tax. All interested should get to the front, and save trouble.

Fire Engines For Sale - The city of St. Ignace offers for sale, on reasonable terms, one Silsby steamer, and one Eaton & Prince steamer, both in first-class order. For further particulars, call on or address. A.J. Gennell, City Clerk.

Mr. Victor Matteson on Sunday last, killed a large lynx on Marquette Island.

The closing Karnival by the Basel Co., at Orth's opera house last Saturday night, was a much greater success in every way than the one given the evening previous.

90 Years Ago

The St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, August 16, 1917

Neil Sorenson, driver for the City Fuel & Supply Co., took an involuntary bath Saturday morning when Ed. Reavie's Ford car took a dive off Chambers' dock and landed in 13 feet of water, right side up. Fortunately for Neil, he managed to get out of the car at the same time it struck the water, else serious consequences might have ensued, as the top was up. He succeeded in getting out uninjured.

Men exempted from military service under the conscription act will be entitled to wear buttons with the inscription "Exempted, U.S."

Miss Bessie Lyman, who is making a great success in managing the Hotel Lyman at Gould City, was a visitor in St. Ignace last Thursday, accompanied by Miss M. Sly.

The Dixie Highway between St. Ignace and the Soo will be marked by 200 official signs, the order for which has been placed with a Covington, Ky., factory.

The Snows column - There will be no ball game next Sunday on account of the Woodsmen's services in unveiling a monument at the cemetery.

Next Sunday, the Woodsmen will unveil the monument erected at the grave of Amos Fornier in Cedar Cemetery.

The Wilamena, a sloop rigged cruiser, was in last week and Friday went aground on a bar near the Snows hotel dock.

50 Years Ago

The Republican-News

& St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, August 15, 1957

A five-year-old girl, whose parents were enroute to Flagstaff, Arizona, was badly burned here Monday morning as her clothing caught fire as she and other children were playing with matches in a tent located on the Lake Shore Mobil Trailer Park on the Pte. LaBarbe Road.

Omar Breyer and 52 fellow workmen look like flies. They might see red when they read that description, but it would be a relief, because they see green all the time - five miles of green. Omar is one of the painters who brush and roll the first of what will be hundreds of barrels of paint to complete the Mackinac Bridge.

Nearly 2,000 persons crowded the shores of Moran Bay and encircled Father Marquette Park here Sunday to witness the annual pageant depicting the landing of the noted Jesuit here hundreds of years ago, and to attend the field mass and the blessing of the new lifesize, white marble statue of the Jesuit missionary.

Pfc. Charles Izzard, whose family lives in Pickford, practices with the Ryukuy Islands' All-Star softball team on Okinawa, where he is preparing for the Army Forces Far East and Eighth Army Softball tournament to be held in Seoul in August. Izzard is a 1953 graduate of Pickford high school.

Fifth Army headquarters in Chicago is being directed by U.S. Army officials to survey the possible need for maintaining ferry service between the upper and lower peninsulas as a defense measure in the event damage occurs to the new bridge at the Straits of Mackinac.

An evening of thrills for hockey enthusiasts was the main attraction for the Les Cheneaux Lions and their guests at the last regular meeting when Fred Huber, publicity director for the Detroit Red Wings, gave an interesting talk along with a movie of the 1956-57 playoffs.

35 Years Ago

The Republican-News

& St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, August 17, 1972

Memorial plaques are going up all over the state and indeed, all along the route of I-75 highway from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, into the State of Florida, according to J.F. Oravec, engineer of Maintenance Operations, Michigan State Highway Department. In 1969, the 50th anniversary year of the American Legion, the Governors of Legislatures of all the states along the I-75 route were petitioned by the Legion to dedicate I-75 as an American Legion memorial.

Underneath a portion of the walkway which was removed to permit digging of a trench extending south from the original digging at the Marquette site, George Sabo III and Cherie Scheick took out part of the wall and floor of the 17th century cellar which had been previously dug out by Father Jacker. The same area shows at least three pit disturbances indicating earlier digging. From this cellar they also found catlinite or pipestone beads, which were most probably brought here from Minnesota, a Jesuit ring, and many other 17th century artifacts.

The 268-member Les Cheneaux Islands Association, founded in 1923, has as its prime objectives water safety, placing of navigation aides, safeguarding of island and mainland property, and community improvement.

The Abraham Bullard two-story frame home on Pickford Avenue, Hessel, said by town historians to be built in 1870, fell to the wreckers axe on Thursday of last week.

Some 75 Les Cheneaux Yacht Club members and their guests attended the buffet diner at the club following the three-day regatta races. Mrs. Donald Neal of Marquette Island and Woodland Park served as dinner chairman.

15 Years Ago

The St. Ignace News

Thursday, August 13, 1992

Mackinac County Prosecuting Attorney Prentiss Brown III, Cheboygan attorney Thomas North, and Newberry attorney Peter Tazelaar are candidates for newly vacant judgeship of the Sixth Probate District.

In a room full of contractors, with the Mackinac Bridge seen through floor-to-ceiling windows, bids were opened last week for construction of a new 8,515- square-foot Michigan State Police Post at the Bridge.

St. Ignace Utilities Superintendent Les Therrian and Assistant City Clerk Renee LeCount have opened a new St. Ignace fitness center in a building formerly occupied by a restaurant, an unemployment office, and most recently, a chiropractor's offices. The fitness center, called Bedrock Gym, opened August 3.

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.