On November 5, a letter from me appeared in The St. Ignace News. It concerned a historic city family (the Maloneys) who somehow had lost title to what was once known as Maloney Hill. After writing the letter, I thought, “Well, that’s that.”

However, the Maloney name recently and unexpectedly re-entered my life as I sat leisurely reading the December 17 issue of your paper. On page 20 under the heading, “Looking Back” 125 years ago, December 19, 1884, paragraph 10 contained these startling words: “Coasting on Maloney Street and Goudreau Alley is prohibited by city council. Boys, take heed.”

There! Do you see that word, street? Maloney Street! Not only did this unlucky family lose claim to their hill, they’ve lost an entire street. We’re not talking some cutesy pie cul de sac here. But a city street, complete with stop signs, intersections, and the occasional culvert!

What we must consider now is this: Did the Maloneys over the years suffer other losses? For instance, was there was once a Maloney Bay? A Maloney Island? A Straits of Maloney? Was St. Ignace itself ever known as St. Maloney? It’s entirely fair to consider such possibilities, given the fact the Maloney name, when it precedes geographical locations, has an alarming habit of mutating into something else.

Though it’s too late to save the Maloneys, this sort of thing should never happen again. The City Fathers must issue a proclamation calling for an Activation of Legislation for the Cessation of Mutations of Locations (ALCML). And the sooner the better.
Margaret Merriman
Marquette