Hunters' vehicles in Mackinaw City wait to board a car ferry across the Straits of Mackinac in 1927. Harry and Grace Teysen started a small stand near the dock in 1926 peddling hamburgers. Their son, Ken, who lives in Mackinaw City today, remembers cars being lined up at times from Mackinaw City to Cheboygan (16 miles) for more than 20 hours. The dock held up to three miles of cars. By 1939, the ferry operation expanded from two car ferries to five, the dock was expanded from two lanes to six, and departures were more frequent, leaving every half hour instead of every hour and a half. This photograph was taken by Ray Johnson of Johnson's Studio and Camera Shop of Cheboygan, a family-run operation that has been in business since 1892. Mr. Johnson's grandson, David, runs the business today. (Photograph by Ray Johnson. Courtesy of Michilmackinac Historical Society) 90 YEARS AGO

The St. Ignace News

Thursday, October 31, 1918

Tonight is Halloween. The Enterprise trusts that the young people of the city will engage in no destructive enterprises, as has sometimes been the custom in past years. The wanton destruction of property is inexcusable under all circumstances and well bred people will not be guilty of wanton acts. But, as a warning, we advise residents to the fact to tie fast their gates.

The disease now occurring in this country and called "Spanish influenza," resembles a very contagious kind of "cold" accompanied by fever, pains in the head, eyes, ears, back, or other parts of the body, and a feeling of severe sickness. In most cases, the symptoms disappear after three or four days, the patient then rapidly recovering; some of the patients, however, develop pneumonia or inflammation of the ear, or meningitis, and many of these complicated cases die. Whether this so-called "Spanish" influenza is identical with the epidemics of influenza of earlier years is not yet known.

Health officer Darby says that the public schools will not be allowed to reopen until such time as all fear of the spread of the influenza is past. Every precaution to keep the epidemic under control and from spreading is being taken by the health department and the public is warned to observe the rules laid down by the health board.

Mrs. John Terrien died Wednesday of Spanish influenza. Mrs. Terrian leaves a husband and two children, a girl of six years, and a day-old baby boy. The community sympathizes with Mr. Terrian and children in their loss.

It looks as if the Cedarville- Pickford road is to remain impassable all winter, or at least to be in its present torn-up condition. Our system is wrong to allow such a condition as this. Not more than a mile or two of such a road should be allowed to be torn up at a time. The Stalwart road is fairly good but this is a long way around.

The Standard Post and Tie Co. have closed their rafting operations for this season. They have met with much success in their water operations during the summer, their losses being comparatively nil.

50 YEARS AGO

The Republican-News

& St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, October 30, 1958

The Michigan Public Service commission has granted to North Star Lines of Grand Rapids a permit to operate common carrier motor bus service between St. Ignace and Grand Rapids.

Ten young Mackinac County men leave here Nov. 12 to report to the armed services in Milwaukee. In the group will be two who will be inducted for military services. They are Curtis E. Smith, a St. Ignace volunteer, and Robert Meyer of Engadine.

Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Conrad of Grosse Pte. Woods, a suburb of Detroit, have purchased the Ellsworth Motel owned by Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Ellsworth of St. Ignace.

Funeral services were solemnized Wednesday morning at nine o'clock for Charles J. Mulcrone, 77, long-time civic leader and resident here for 75 years, who passed away at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, in Community Hospital, Lincoln Park, where he had been a patient for 10 days previously.

Active in business and civic affairs, Mr. Mulcrone held responsible positions such as vice-president of the Grand Hotel Co., director of the First National Bank, St. Ignace; served as city engineer on the board of public works, and as mayor and supervisor. He also owned and operated the former Gateway City Garage, constructing and occupying the building which now is known as the state ferry warehouse.

The Moran Rebels basketball team from the Brevort township school won their first game Friday evening against Trout Lake. The score was 45 to 31.

Dr. Edward Pfau of the Michigan State University Extension department, Marquette, together with Arnold Arntzen and Walter Arntzen, spoke to a wellattended meeting of the Mackinac Island P-T-A on Thursday, giving the results of the panel study of the Island's educational needs, particularly recommending that the old school building be abandoned and a new one built.

"I would find it most impossible to teach in it," Dr. Pfau said, giving several reasons for abandoning it. First, it was built in 1822; second, the site is far too small, only 65 feet by 250, where seven acres are needed for 150 youngsters, and there is no possibility of expansion except by sacrificing Marquette Park, which would not be desired.

Advertisement - "Trade In Your Old Mattress; We Need Them For Sale To Hunting Camps; We'll give you $10.00 trade for your old Mattress or Box Spring Regardless of Condition." - Hal Smith, St. Ignace.

35 YEARS AGO

The Republican-News

& St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, November 1, 1973

The St. Ignace Saints wrapped up their 3rd straight conference championship Friday night at Petoskey by defeating the Northmen 21-6. The rushing attack was again led by Butch Calcaterra, with 150 yards on 26 carries. He also led receives with four catches for 96 yards.

Sixty-four rally teams from Europe, Canada, and the United States are making final preparations for America's longest and meanest event, the Sports Car Club of America's Press on Regardless International Rally in Michigan, Nov. 1-4. Following a special stage on Belle Isle in Detroit, the rallyists will begin their 1,700-mile journey, to be run in three legs of approximately 17 hours each, with the two "overday" stops in St. Ignace. It will conclude in Alma on Nov. 4, the route including 84 special stages, 10 of which are open to spectator viewing.

Two well-known "ladies of the lakes" have closed out 70-year Lake Michigan careers and are heading for Italian scrap yards. The Edward H. Anderson, the former City of Cheboygan, and the City of Munising, built in 1906 and 1903, respectively, have been towed out of Washington Island on the first stretch of a towing run that will take them to scrap yards in Genoa, Italy. Both ships were owned by Edward Anderson of the Washington Island Storage Corp., where they ended active duty as potato boats for over a decade.

Robert Benser and Frank Nephew are erecting a building on Market Street, former site of the Dewey Hall, near the Chicago Riding Stable, to be used for the Michigan State Liquor Store [Mackinac Island].

15 YEARS AGO

The St. Ignace News

Thursday, October 28, 1993

Suzie and Harvey Bentley renovated the facade of their establishment, Bentley's Cafe, which renovation was funded, in part, by lowinterest loans sponsored by the Downtown Development Authority [St. Ignace].

Mackinac County voters are being asked November 2 to decide if there should be a 39-bed addition to the Long Term Care Unit at Mackinac Straits Hospital in St. Ignace.

Researchers early this week were looking for a body of a Lansing man missing and presumed drowned while fishing on South Manistique Lake Thursday, October 21, during severe storm winds.

Leonard Trankina has been named the new director of the Mackinac Island Chamber of Commerce. Trankina, general manager of the Lilac Tree Hotel since it opened in 1991, replaces Jennifer Dafoe, who resigned in August to pursue other interests.

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.