90 YEARS AGO

The St. Ignace News

Thursday, February 13, 1919

If any one county would be more benefited than another by the adoption of the proposed $50,000,000 bond issue for good roads in Michigan, that county is Mackinac.

The money from sale of bonds and from the Government will enable the State Highway Department to cover the two peninsulas with a network of paved roads.

A number of Mackinac boys are in the Third Division, now comprising a part of the Army of Occupation. Among these are Sergt. I.H. Paquin, John Brawley, Gould City; Lawrence Redmond and Paul Hecox of St. Ignace and perhaps others.

Sergt. Thomas J. Grant of [St. Ignace], long reported missing, is among those whose bodies are buried on French soil, according to official word received by his mother, Mrs. Jake Sheber, recently. For his bravery in action, he was twice cited and was given the Croix de Guerre.

It has been known for some time that certain members of the Mackinac Island and state park commission have been anxious that the state secure entire control of the Island by the purchase of the private interests thereon. These members have succeeded in getting the governor and members of the legislature interested in the project with the result that a movement has been set on foot to carry it out.

The weather continues fine, no snow, no ice, and nothing to do but sit around and look pleasant while discussing the pipe dreams emanating from the state capitol.

Mrs. George Connors [of Curtis] brought a cow from Germfask Saturday.

Anthony Hamel [of Les Cheneaux] is cutting ice near the Hossack dock, where the ice is about 16 inches thick.

L.A. Gustafson [of Brevort] is busy threshing peas. Says he expects to have about 50 bushels.

Fishermen began to haul ice Monday. Axel Movalson being the first one to begin operations.

A bill has been introduced in the legislature, changing the open season for deer from November 15 to December 15. Upper peninsula residents are against the change, the only ones seemingly in favor of it being a few lower peninsula hunters.

Thos. Wilson has purchased the Litchard blacksmith, of which he has been in charge since it opened for business.

50 YEARS AGO

The Republican-News

& St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, February 12, 1959

Albert R. Highstone, prominent St. Ignace businessman for more than the past half century, passed away at one o'clock Tuesday afternoon in St. Luke's hospital, Marquette. Death was attributed to a cerebral hemorrhage.

He served as city treasurer from 1913 to 1915 and about the same time organized the first Boy Scout troop in the upper peninsula. "Bert" was elected mayor of St. Ignace in 1922 and served until 1928. During his terms of office the streets were paved, and telephone and electric light poles removed from the main street to the back alley.

He was reelected in 1951, but his state of health forced his retirement at the end of that year. It was in 1922 that Bert broached a proposition which eventually led, in 1923, to the establishment of the state ferry system.

He continued his drygoods store until 1956, when he turned over the business to his son, Warren, and together they planned and built the new store adjacent to the former store building.

Resolutions citing the reasons for the State of Michigan to abandon the state docks to the City of St. Ignace and the city's proposal for operation of the waterfront facility were approved by the common council in special session

on Monday night. Alderman Roy Carlson, presiding as mayor pro temp, said, "This dock property is essential to St. Ignace and the state should abandon the property to its rightful owner, the city, without any cost to the city."

Lahaie Insurance Agency, operated since 1951 by John F. Lahaie, has been sold to Cheeseman Insurance Agency of St. Ignace, it was announced yesterday. Present Lahaie customers will be served through the Cheeseman agency, which has been established here since 1938. Henry B. Cheeseman and Dell F. Ahlich are the agents.

Primary elections will be held in at least five districts in Mackinac county next Monday. Only one contest is seen in St. Ignace, and that is on the Republican ticket, where Alderman Roy A. Carlson and Raymond J. "Pete" France are seeking the nomination for the office of mayor.

Reports of mountain lion tracks in the area have added interest in Michigan's first organized "archers only" bobcat hunt to be held by the Michigan Bow Hunters in Les Cheneaux the weekend of February 28-March 1.

Bradley Transportation Co. offered an out-of-court settlement of $660,000 to survivors of the 33 men lost in the sinking of the S.S. Carl D. Bradley in Lake Michigan last November.

The proposed new lock at Sault Ste. Marie should be large enough to accommodate ore carriers up to 1,100 feet long, giants of the Great Lakes, designed to keep the Midwest steel industry competitive.

35 YEARS AGO

The Republican-News

& St. Ignace Enterprise

Thursday, February 14, 1974

The Mackinac Bridge Authority today announced the election of Charles T. Fisher III as chairman. Mr. Fisher, president of National Bank of Detroit, has been a member of the Authority since 1967. In the post of chairman, he succeeds Prentiss M. Brown, who has held that position from 1950, when the Authority was created, until his death last December 19.

St. Ignace High School will host the Class C District Tournament Number 113.

Norman Wixson is retiring after forty years in education and presently holds the title of Deputy Superintendent of the Eastern Upper Peninsula intermediate school district.

The Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw assisted the Chief Wawatam back to St. Ignace Monday on her return trip from Mackinaw City, where she encountered heavy ice.

The Michigan Lottery returns to the Upper Peninsula for a weekly drawing Friday at 9:45 a.m., at the National Guard in Sault Ste. Marie, and one of the contestants in that day's Super Drawing will be Mrs. Dolphis LaLonde, a resident of St. Ignace.

Mrs. LaLonde, an 88-year-old widow with 10 children, 35 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren, and one great-greatgrandchild, is guaranteed a minimum of $10,000 by advancing to the Super Drawing and could win as much as $200,000.

15 YEARS AGO

The St. Ignace News

Thursday, February 17, 1994

A Mackinac Island man was presumed to have died early Tuesday morning when a 3,500- pound Bombadier tractor in which he was riding fell through thin ice off British Landing. The enclosed tractor was being used this month to haul hay from St. Ignace to the Island over the ice bridge. The man's name is being withheld until the next of kin are notified.

St. Ignace residents' water lines were freezing faster than city crews could thaw them last week, prompting emergency planning and another plea: Keep your water running day and night.

The Michigan State Police Post at St. Ignace has its first detective in some 17 or 18 years. He is Detective Sergeant Robin Sexton, an Ypsilanti native who previously served five years as a detective with the Sault Ste. Marie Post.

Seniors Megan Fowler and Leonard Thomas have been named February's students of the month for LaSalle High School in St. Ignace.

The St. Ignace School Board last week bowed to teachers' demands for raises that reward tenure, thus avoiding a court case on the matter.

Fawn Moeller, of Cedarville, received a U.S. Postal Service commendation from Cedarville Postmaster Virginia Wisner for saving the life of Carl Malmquist, who was pinned under a supposedly parked car that rolled back on him as he walked down his steep driveway at his home on Island No. 8.

The 17-year-old wrestling program of St. Ignace LaSalle High School, which has had several brother combinations, this season has its first brother-sister duo - Nathan and Rachel Geldner.

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.