125 YEARS AGO

St. Ignace News

October 7, 1884

A light sprinkling of snow fell here on Sunday forenoon.

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Mackinac Island is to have a new $50,000 hotel next season. Work will be commenced on it shortly.

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Winter passenger rates on the steamer Algomah went into effect last week. The fare to Mackinaw City is now one dollar.

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Republican county convention, October 16th. A good ticket is necessary, to cope with the nominations made by the Democrats.

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While the editor of the Republican [newspaper] was at the Island recently he secured some valuable (?) information for the readers, about the “fancy drinks” dished up at a certain saloon there, and devotes about a column of space in his last issue to the subject. He should have added to the article the degrading effects these “slops” have on the men who partake of them, or stated what benefit they are to the public.

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At a boarding house in this city a man is confined to his room through love-sickness. His best girl left the city some time ago and he has been laid up ever since.

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The lady who left a parasol in the Public Library a week ago last Saturday, can have the same by applying to E. H. Hall.

125 YEARS AGO

St. Ignace News

October 10, 1884

The man reported love-sick at a boarding house in this city in our last issue, was removed to the Poor Farm yesterday morning.

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Luke Marley’s dwelling was on fire at one o’clock to-day, but it was quenched before much damage was done. You ought to seen how quick the firemen and engine were on hand.

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For the school month ending Sept. 26th, the teachers’ reports show the following average attendance: First Ward, 67.7; Central, 175.5; Third Ward, 90.75.

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While John Patterson was excavating on his lot in the first ward last Monday making a potato pit, he came across two skeletons. He also found part of a silk handkerchief and about a quart of blue beads, each bead being about an inch long. He didn’t make his potato pit in that spot.

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The soldier who was hit in the face by Cadotte at the Island a couple of weeks ago, and reported dead by several papers, has so far recovered as to be able to get down to the village occasionally.

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R. W. Biggins and his brother went out to the shoals in a row boat on Wednesday afternoon. While they were fishing there a gale set in and they could not reach this shore. They drifted with the wind, fetching up at Mackinaw City, returning that night on the steamer Algomah.

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A telegram was received here yesterday, stating that Hubert Cascadden, whose family reside in this city, was lost off the barge Agness on Lake Huron last Wednesday, but gave no particulars of the accident. The deceased had been a respected citizen of this city for about two years, was about 35 years of age, and leaves a widow and four small children in poor circumstances. Much sympathy is felt for the bereaved family.

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John Becker is again a Supervisor of Brevort township. He was chosen on Tuesday last in the place of Jas Conners, who has been a non-resident of the township for some time.

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Allenville Dots. – Wm. Schuler has just received word of the death of his child in Canada. The mother and little one was visiting among friends. . . . There is quite a business being done here lately in the sale and shipment of potatoes and rutabagas to points along the line. D., F. & Co. have already disposed of 2,155 bushels. . . . The ousting of Supervisor James Connor is considered illegal, and the move all through is looked on as an outrage, and the community generally are very much dissatisfied at the manner in which it was done and intend to kick.. . . The new school house will be completed next week. 28 double patent adjustable seats have been ordered from the Union School Furniture Company, of Battle Creek. No pains will be spared to make the building convenient and comfortable for school and other purposes for which it is intended.

90 YEARS AGO

The St. Ignace Enterprise

October 9, 1919

The old wooden bridge across the Carp River let go without any warning at 2 o’clock in the morning Tuesday and went into the river, The cause was the giving away of the embankment on which one end of the bridge rested. No one was on the bridge at the time.

The bridge was moved last week a few feet from its former position to make room for the new concrete and steel structure now being erected by Contractor A. S. Decker. It is the belief that the recent rains so loosened the embankment that caused a slide.

Quite a village has spring up at the Carp since the bridge work started. Mr. Decker and family are housed in a neat temporary home and there are several other houses for the men and families of those employed on the job.

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If Mackinac county chooses to keep a game warden of its own, exclusive of the warden that the state maintains, the county must foot the bill. Heretofore the fees received from the deer licenses have sufficed to are for the salary of any such official, but that will not be the case in the future. . . .

Deer licenses to resident hunters cost $1.50. Of this amount the county clerk keeps 25 cents for his work year 25 cents went to the county treasurer. Under the new ruling the state will get $1.25 for every license issued.

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The annual fair of the Brevort Agricultural Association is being held at Allenville this week. Clear cool sunshiny weather has marked the first two days and in points of interest and attendance the fair promises to break all previous records. It is being held on the new grounds, which attracts favorable comment from all visitors. The new half mile oval race track is the greatest surprise and it is pronounced one of the best in the peninsula.

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A. S. Deker, the bridge contractor is advertising for 50 men and 25 teams for work at his Carp River job. Men are offered $4.50 per day or $3.00 and board. Teams from $8.00 to $10.00 per day.

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“So far, the law passed by the last legislature licensing auto drivers is a farce,” says the Crystal Falls Diamond Drill.

“It has brought into the state treasury a few thousand dollars, has made some extra jobs and has cost drivers about a dollar each, but it hasn’t checked an iota the reckless drivers from handling cars.

“The fault is not with the law, but in the way it is administered. The securing of a license is a mere formality. Anyone an get a license who has the price and takes the trouble to go to the police officers for their endorsement.

“Imagine a sheriff turning down an applicant for a drivers license, especially if that sheriff has any future political ambitions.”

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What school wants a colored map of “The New Europe?”

Uncle Sam offers one free to every school room that has the pep to go after it.

Distribution has been arranged by the War Savings Organization in the Ninth Federal District . . .

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William Derusha, U. S. lightkeeper at large, who was stationed at Eagle River during the past summer spent Monday in the city He was enroute to Detroit, having been transferred to the Detroit river station Rockwood, a new station. Mrs. Derusha will continue to make her residence at Charles where she is postmistress, for the winter.

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While Michigan is gone dry and bids fair to remain so indefinitely, the fight is not yet over and may be continued for another year or two. The wets claim that public sentiment is hanging, not only in Michigan but in a number of other states, and that it is but a question of time before the manufacture and sale of light wines and beer at least will be allowed.

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From Mackinac Island: An accident that came near resulting in the death of two Island residents took place last Friday. Eugene Lapine and Anthony Corrigan were engaged in painting the tower on the Edward Cudahy residence at the Annex when the scaffold on which they were standing gave way without warning and both fell to the hard ground below, a distance of fifty feet. That both were not instantly killed is miraculous. Lapine received two very bad scalp wounds besides other injuries about the head and body. He was unconscious for six hours and lost considerable blood before Dr. Bogan, who was at once summoned, arrived. The doctor sewed up the wounds and administered treatment and the patient is doing nicely. Mr. Corrigan was more lucky, and although bruised up considerably there were no bones broken and will soon be able to resume his labors.

50 YEARS AGO

The Republican-News

and St. Ignace Enterprise

October 8, 1959

“On this, the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the county road law, Michigan’s county system has virtually become an orphan in the roaring campaign for expressways and slick super-highways,” said Louis C. Litzner, Jr., county highway superintendent.

Under present financing, the total program within Michigan’s county road system will require at least 30 years to place it in adequate condition, he added.

“In Mackinac county there is need to replace nine bridges and build 592 miles of road,” Litzner said. “The 1960-61 program provides for the construction of one bridge and 13 miles of road. The fact is that without special assessments, township millage and township surplus funds there would have been no local road construction during the past eight years.

Litzner explained that the total revenues from the state motor vehicle fund for all purposes in Mackinac county amounts to less than $300,000 annually. This is used for construction and maintenance of roads, purchase of equipment and all other expenses. He said the cost for a blacktopped county road runs between $25,000 to $40,000 per mile.

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Dennis Schmiedeke of Plymouth, son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Taylor of St. Ignace and architect of the new Gros Cap school, has been kept busy in prize-winning construction in lower Michigan.

Schmiedeke is a partner in the architectural firm of Hawthorn and Schmiedke of Detroit, designers of the lavish Cloverlanes bowling alley to open in 1960 in Livonia.

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Keith Wilson, executive director of the Michigan State Waterways commission, told the city council Monday that a goal of the commission will be new industry here possibly utilizing State Dock No. 3.

The waterways commission gains control of the three abandoned state ferry docks here the first of the year. Wilson said the commission will meet here with local authorities on Oct. 23 “to get your thinking on the proposed plans for utilization of the three docks.”

“At present we are considering leasing Dock 1 to two separate users, carrying passengers to and from Mackinac Island. There will be two slips for one and two for the other,” said Wilson.

“At dock No. 2 we propose to let the city develop the waterfront, expanding the area and providing recreational boating facilities. The commission will probably spend $10,000 for the facilities. This will include provision for gasoline, water and electricity. . .”

Wilson went on to explain that the commission is trying to find a use plan for Dock 3, something that will invite industry here.

“We’re willing to recommend sale of the dock to a new industry,” said Wilson. “We do not intend to lease it to passenger carriers. The highway department wants the dock land, most of it, for a site for a centralized maintenance building and organization. They say they will move from St. Ignace altogether if they don’t get it. The property would include the Goulding house and leave nothing but the docks for us and an access road. We don’t want to give it to them and would rather have a new industry at that site. . . . We don’t want to drive them from your city, but I’m sure we can get good commercial use of this site for a plant or factory which needs water-borne materials, so we don’t have a desire to let the highway department use it unless you people say so.”

30 YEARS AGO

The St. Ignace News

October 11, 1979

An urban reared young man who preferred small towns to practice family medicine, Dr. Herbert E. Hamel came to St. Ignace 32 years ago from Detroit as a general practitioner, and he concludes, upon his retirement at the age of 62, that for him and his wife, Jean, those 32 years in St. Ignace have been rewarding, full of satisfying accomplishings, and family-community cohesiveness.

Dr. Hamel closed his practice October 1.

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St. Ignace Area Schools have 978 students in classes this year, including 60 from Moran Township, according to the annual head count taken last week.

Superintendent Jerry Gallagher told members of the Board of Education Monday night that the enrollment count was down from last year’s count.

St. Ignace schools have, not counting the Moran enrollment, from 915 to 918 students.

That is down from 964 last year, Gallagher said. The Moran students cannot be counted for state aid purposes, he explained, since Moran Township pays a per capita cost for those 60 students.

In another tally, taken by Principal Ron Dahms of LaSalle High School, the percentage of graduating seniors to go on in higher education was found to be 43 percent.

Of the 98 graduates in 1979, and the 5 students receiving certificates, the survey also showed that 6 had entered military service, 38 were employed, 14 were unemployed, and 3 had married. Forty-five entered 16 colleges or universities.

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All clubs, local organizations, businesses, and individuals who are in support of keeping the Mackinac Straits Hospital in St. Ignace in operation are asked to meet at the Mackinac County Courthouse, Wednesday, October 10, 7 p.m.., for a “Save Our Hospital” meeting.

Questions will be answered pertaining to the fund-raising drive for the financially suffering hospital.

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Clinton Fair, Mackinac County Commissioner and member of numerous councils and committees in the Upper peninsula has resigned from all his connections owing to his health.

Four bids are now being reviewed for the Mackinac County Housing Projects set for Engadine and Curtis, by architects Straub, Van Dine Associates, of Troy.

Mackinac County was allotted 48 units, evenly divided between the two towns. The project for each consists of 14 units of Senior Citizen housing and 10 units of low-income housing.

30 YEARS AGO

The Weekly Wave

October 4, 1979

Final state approval of a $76.8 million contract has cleared the way for work to begin this month on a new high-level freeway over the Saginaw River at Zilwaukee. The bridge will rise 125 feet above the river. . . . Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 1983, allowing the dismantling of the exiting bridge.

The four-lane drawbridge must be raised more than 900 times a year for river traffic, causing long backups and safety hazards for traffic on heavily traveled I-75.

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As skipper of the 15-foot yawl, the Nonsuch, Claiborne Skinner, Jr. of Hessel Point Road, as no hesitancy in claiming to be navigator of the smallest craft on the Upper Great Lakes this past summer.

Claiborne Jr. recently docked at the family pier after a 1,300 mile, seven-week solo cruise through the upper lakes, including Georgian Bay, Manitoulin Island, and the picturesque French River, much of the course following that of the illustrious French voyageurs.

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A written set of guidelines to be followed by zoning enforcement officers when processing building permit applications has been approved by the Clark Township Board.

The board, at the suggestion of township supervisor John Griffin, determined that a set order of procedure for building permit application processing be written out to clarify the responsibility of both the zoning enforcement officer and the applicant.

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Contract talks between the Pickford Board of Education and Pickford School teachers will be resumed on October 23. The last mediation session, held on September 13, ended when the teachers rejected what had been termed as the last contract offer from the board.

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As a step forward in combating the rising costs of home heating and the fast-approaching Northern Michigan inter, Hilma and Albert Lindberg are building an energyefficient, underground home.

This underground abode, completely designed and, for the most part, built by the owners, commands a magnificent view of the cross-topped steeple of the Our Lady of the Snows Church, and a view of Hessel Harbor.