"History of the Northern Peninsula of Michigan and its people." Menominee Co, MI

************************************************************************ 
USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in
any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or 
organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or 
the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof 
of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file
permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net 
*********************************************************************** 
This file and be found at http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/menominee/menominee/history/h23610.txt


"History of the Northern Peninsula of Michigan and its people." by Alvah L. 
Sawyer. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1911.

Indexed & compiled by Angie Wesch hilavery@hotmail.com

Copyright © 2001 by Angie Wesch. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. 

Use the Find command in your Brower to locate the surnames on each of the
pages. Page numbers from the book are included should you wish to refer
back to the original work.

Surnames found on this page: ALGEYER, BADE, BARIL, BARKER, BARTELLS,
BEATSON, BEBO, BEECHNER, BELFREY, BERGVALL, BLOMQUIST, BOWERS, BRADNER,
BROCK, CALDWELL, CARLEY, CORRY, CRAWFORD, DELANGHARY, DEMILLE, DOBEAS,
DUNHAM, DUQUAIM, EARLE, ESTERBROOK, GARRIGAN, GOLDBERG, GRANT, HAMILTON,
HARTER, HAYWARD, HOUTE, JEAN, JOHNSON, KELL, KESSLER, KUENZEL, LANDON,
LANDREE, LANDSBOROUGH, LIENNA, LINDQUIST, LOTH, MARSON, MATHEYS, MCINTYRE,
MEYER, MILLER, MUELLER, NELSON, NIEMAN, PARMENTER, PAULSON, PERRIZO,
PETERSON, PIPCORD, PRINCE, RADFORD, REED, ROLL, ROSENBERG, SAWBRIDGE,
SCHUTTE, SEIMAN, SERVAIS, SHAMPO, SMITH, STAUBER, WACHTER, WENG, WERLINE,
WILKINS, WILSON, WINTHER, WITMEYER, WOESSNER, ZEISER

VILLAGES OF THE COUNTY
Outside the city there are numerous thriving villages and hamlets, and the
county takes great pride in its rapidly advancing agricultural interests.

BIRCH CREEK
The hamlet at Birch Creek is the first north of Menominee, and has been
mentioned as the location of the first farming settlement by the BADE and
SEIMAN families in the very early days. A little later Lavier ALGEYER
joined the earlier pioneers and the families of these settlers are well
represented in the locality at present. It is distinctively a farming
community with thrifty farms, a fine school, church, cheese factory,
blacksmith shop and store. The soil of its farms is rich and ranges from a
rich clay loam to a sandy loam with clay sub-soil, and with black muck in
the low lands.

WALLACE
Wallace is another farming settlement and is located on the Chicago &
Northwestern Railway sixteen miles north of Menominee. Its pioneer settler
was Mellen SMITH, before mentioned as having located the first interior
mill on the line of said railway after its construction north from
Menominee. The mill has gone the way of many others, and the business
interests are represented by SCHUTTE Brothers who deal in general forest
products and merchandise, and Herman BEECHNER, who has the store formerly
occupied by Mellen SMITH. The village is within Mellen township and has no
separate organization. It is supplied with a church and a good school and
surrounded by a prosperous and growing farming community.

pg. 603

INGALLS
Ingalls is a prosperous little village on the same railway nineteen miles
north of Menominee. This unincorporated village is a part of Mellen Twp and
its history dates back to 1858, when Thomas CALDWELL first began clearing
what is now the home farm of Louis DOBEAS. In 1860, Jesse HAMILTON started
the farm at the mouth of the Little river which is now a part of the
power-plant property of Menominee and Marinette Light and Traction Company,
which important industry is mentioned more in detail elsewhere in this
work. Of other early farmers Amos LANDON came in 1866; John B. MILLER in
1868; Albert GRANT in 1870; Charles E. MCINTYRE, John BEBO, and Olver
SHAMPO in 1874. Andrew LINDQUIST and Mose LANDREE built the first mill in
1877 and it burned in 1882. In 1879 Louis DOBEAS started the first store
and secured the location of a post office. He opened it in his store, in
the little log cabin that had been constructed by Thomas CALDWELL. In this
cabin Mr. DOBEAS resided with his family and there kept the store and
post-office and laid the foundation of his present extensive and prosperous
business.

In 1880 Norwood BOWERS built a mill here but it burned and in 1883 Ira
CARLEY and E. L. PARMENTER constructed a mill and began lumber operations
in earnest. In 1892, Mr. CARLEY acquired the sole ownership and has since
conducted the business individually. At present he is cutting about one and
one-half million feet of lumber per annum from mixed timber including
hemlock, tamarack, cedar, maple, beech, elm, ash and birch. The capacity of
his mill is 28,000 feet of lumber, 50,000 shingles, and 8,000 lath. In
addition to his mill Mr. CARLEY conducts a large general store and has a
very fine stock farm, and is a breeder of thoroughbred Jersey and Polled
Angus cattle and fine horses.
Louis DOBEAS, already mentioned, has a large general store, with extensive
warehouses for the storage and handling of farm products, and besides deals
extensively in real estate.

E. A. BARKER also has a general store, Hans PAULSON a meat market, Joseph
BARIL a blacksmith shop, and George BROCK, a livery stable. A substantial
farming community furnishes an important backing for the business portion.

CEDAR RIVER
Cedar River is the oldest settlement on the Bay shore, and has been
mentioned as having had the pioneer saw-mill of the real estate lumbering
era, and the history of that mill has already been traced tot he firm of S.
CRAWFORD & Sons, who now own and operate it. Its cut in 1910 was sixteen
million feet of lumber, principally hemlock, tamarack, and white pine, but
with some white cedar, basswood, elm, ash, maple, birch and spruce. The cut
of the shingles during the same year was fourteen million, and of hemlock
and fine lath five and on-fourth million, and the gross value of the cut
about $235,000, besides a large amount of bark, poles, posts, ties and pulp
wood. The mill has a daily capacity of 100,000 feet of lumber, 150,000
shingles, and 50,000 lath in ten hours. The company has an up-to-date
logging outfit including traction and road en-

pg. 604

gine and cars with steam loader, etc. This Company also owns and operates a
large general store and is practically the owner of the village. There is a
good hostelry called the American Hotel, and one general store belonging to
Jacob ROSENBERG, while the government maintains a light-house station at
this point.

NADEAU
The village of Nadeau is located about thirty-six miles north of Menominee
on the Chicago & North-Western Railroad, and was named for its founder,
Barney NADEAU, Sr., who was appointed the first postmaster there in 1880,
and who built a mill, established a business in general merchandising and
was a dealer in lands and general forest products. His sons, under the firm
name of NADEAU Brothers, have succeeded to the business, which is quite
diversified and comprises the running of two farms in one of which there is
one hundred acres cleared and in the other, three hundred acres and on
which they raise registered Jersey and Polled Durham cattle. They continue
to operate the mill and cut about three million feet of mixed lumber and
three million cedar shingles per year, besides dealing in other forest
products. They also have a large well stocked general store.
Gideon T. WERLINE is a prominent citizen and was last year a candidate for
member of congress for this district. He has recently retired from
mercantile business and deals in real estate. He is also president of the
Powers bank.

Mr. S. J. MATHEYS deals in general merchandise and farm implements and
operates a small mill in the neighboring village of Carney.
August JEAN located here about twenty-five years ago as a carpenter and
cabinet worker, but now conducts a small custom saw and planing mill and
manufactures sash, doors and mouldings. The village has a blacksmith in the
person of Joseph SERVAIS, while Louis KUENZEL conducts a cabinet shop and
does a painting and decorating business.

CARNEY
The village of Carney is a railway station in Nadeau township surrounded by
a good farming country, and is a substantial agricultural village. Peter
GARRIGAN is a representative man of the village and a general dealer in
real estate. O. E. BLOMQUIST is postmaster and conducts a general store.
David GOLDBERG also has a general store; R. T. ESTERBROOK a meat market and
Jule DUQUAIM is the village blacksmith; while the Hotel Girard furnishes
good accommodations to the public.

BAGLEY
The village of Bagley is also a rural settlement and has a store owned by
Henry WACHTER.

STEPHENSON Page Index
The village of Stephenson is the largest settlement in the county outside
the City of Menominee and is an incorporated village within the township of
that name. It has formerly had quite extensive sawmill interests but the
last mill has given way to what is destined to make this a permanently
substantial town - her agricultural surroundings.

pg. 605
It has a High School and fine churches. Its general merchants are W. B.
WINTHER, David GOLDBERG, Frank LIENNA, Mrs. A. N. LOTH and Carl BERGVALL.
Dr. Edward SAWBRIDGE is proprietor of a drug store and engaged in the
general practice of medicine. Charles DEMILLE & Son have a hardware store
and blacksmith shop. The village has a flour mill, a creamery, a good bank
and a weekly newspaper. The latter is the Stephenson Journal, of which
Messrs. WOESSNER and MARSON are proprietors. The Stephenson Bank was
organized in 1902 with a capital stock of $20,000.00 and does a thriving
business. Dr. Edward SAWBRIDGE is president and W. B. WINTHERS, vice
president. There are also in the village two livery stables kept by Fred
BARTELLS and William CARLEY.

DAGGETT
Daggett is another village in the township of Stephenson which in addition
to its agricultural surroundings, has quite a business settlement. PERRIZO
& Sons are among the early settlers and have a large general store, operate
a saw-mill at Talbot, and do a large general business in the various kinds
of forest products. Other dealers in general merchandise are- John DUNHAM &
Son, WENG and Son, and NELSON Bros. The KESSLER Land Company deals in
lumber and cedar products, as do also the firm of NELSON Brothers above
mentioned. Dr. R. D. LANDSBOROUGH is engaged in the general practice of
medicine and has a drug store. The village also has a creamery and is the
location of a Standard Oil Station.

POWERS
Powers is a junction point on the Chicago & North-Western Railway where the
Menominee Range Branch leaves the main line. Charles E. BRADNER is one of
the very earliest settlers and has a general store. William CORRY is a
dealer in agricultural implements. KELL Brothers conduct a hardware store
and George PRINCE has an undertaking establishment. The Powers Bank was
organized under the state laws October 26, 1910, with a capital stock of
$20,000.00, and has deposits of $60,000. G. T. WERLINE is president,
Nicholas PETERSON, vice president, and F. J. WITMEYER, cashier. The
Fontanna Hotel is a popular stopping place at this junction point.

SPALDING
Spalding, once the location of one of the large saw-mills of the Spalding
Lumber Company, is now left without a mill and is a rural station with two
stores, of which Nicholas PETERSON and Frank BEATSON are proprietors. The
village also has a creamery and hotel, the Spalding House.

WILSON
At the village of Wilson in the town of Spalding, M. HARRIS, Jr., is
postmaster and conducts a general store. William BELFREY deals in general
merchandise and meats, and the National Pole Company maintains a branch of
its business.
pg. 606

HARRIS
In the township of Harris, the village of Harris has one store, which is
conducted by Michael HARRIS, ex-member of the legislature from this
district. In addition to his mercantile business Mr. HARRIS handles general
forest products, and the output of Tuttle Shingle Mill at Indian Town. The
forest product business conducted by Mr. HARRIS is quite extensive and
amounts to about $10,000 in a single season. Mr. HARRIS has been a resident
of that locality since 1875. George DELANGHARY was appointed the first
postmaster of Harris in 1880, but resigned three years later, since which
time the office has been held by Mr. HARRIS or his son. The postoffice was
first called DELANGHARY, but the name was changed to Harris in 1900. Mr.
HARRIS has been supervisor from his township for many years and is vice
president of the Bark River State Bank.

INGSTALLSTON
In the township of Ingallston, on or near the Bay shore, are several saw
mills including that of Wolfgang STAUBER, and that of HAYWARD Brothers, the
latter of which is at Zeiser Bay. The Arthur Bay mill and store are the
property of Charles ZEISER, while about four miles inland from that point
is a mill owned and operated by Frank ALGEYER. The products of these
various small mills other than a supply for the local demand, are shipped
by water from the various Bay shore points.

NATHAN
On the Wisconsin & Michigan Railroad the village of Nathan is in the center
of a growing farming community, and Charles WILKINS is there a dealer in
merchandise, lumber and general forest products. Eugene HOUTE is proprietor
of a hotel and there is a blacksmith shop and meat market. At Natham
Junction, a branch of the railroad runs to Muscano Inn, a popular outing
place on an island of that name in the Menominee river.

FAITHORN
Faithorn is the junction of the Wisconsin & Michigan with the Minneapolis,
Sault Ste. Marie and Atlantic Railways. Mr. George HARTER and his son
Clarence own practically all the business in the village, including the
saw-mill, quite a large general store and a hotel. Some of the best farms
in the county are in the vicinity of this village.

CEDAR
Cedar is a station on the Menominee Range branch of the Chicago &
North-Western Railway, and here Charles JOHNSON is postmaster and conducts
a well stocked general store from which he supplies a large and growing
farming community.

HERMANSVILLE
The village of Hermansville was founded in 1878 when C. J. L. MEYER of Fond
du Lac, Wisconsin, started a saw and shingle mill for the purpose of sawing
up the pine and cedar timber on lands purchased by him. Mr. MEYER operated
this mill until 1883, sending most of the product to Fond du Lac to stock
his sash and door factory. In 1883, Mr. MEYER organized the Wisconsin Land
& Lumber Company, which acquired the

pg. 607
mill and land holdings, he being the principal stockholder. In 1886 and
1887 the company began plans and experiments to utilize their hardwood
timber. Up to this time there had been little, if any, hardwood cut and
practically no maple had been used for flooring. In the early stages of
manufacture of maple flooring, it was customary to match the lumber as well
as possible with the machines then on the market and after it was laid to
traverse and cross plane it to bring it to a uniform surface. This was not
only very tedious, hard work but was too expensive to admit of its general
use. The machinery used for the hard rock maple of the Upper Peninsula
developed so many defects that flooring shipped in long strips had to be
cut into short pieces when laid, and a large percentage thrown away. The
idea was conceived of cutting out all the defects at the factory and
shipping nothing but clear or serviceable flooring, all of which could be
used. As no machinery was then made that would successfully worn the hard
rock maple, a series of experiments in machine building was undertaken
which resulted in the special machinery now producing the justly celebrated
I X L maple flooring. All the difficulties of uneven matching were overcome
and these machines now produce a flooring whose uniformity of machine work
has not been equaled by any other make. In 1887 the company built a second
saw-mill and commenced the erection of a large maple flooring factory.
In 1889 the company became involved in the failure of C. J. L. MEYER at
Fond du Lac and Chicago and for two years was in the hands of an assignee
for the benefit of its creditors. But in 1892 a settlement with the
creditors was made and the property returned to the Wisconsin Land & Lumber
Company, who operated it during the following three or four years under
considerable difficulty.

In 1896 Dr. Geo. W. EARLE acquired practically all the bonds and stock of
the Wisconsin Land & Lumber Company and its progress has been steadily
upward ever since. Up to this time the company was operating under the laws
of Wisconsin, but in 1900 the present organization was effected under the
laws of Michigan with a capital stock of $1,000,000 fully paid in. The
company owned over 60,000 acres of land,: which was selected for its
hardwood timber and much of which is uncut; besides controlling much
additional stumpage, and last year it purchased the large holdings of the
William MUELLER Company, so that it can readily see a supply for its mills
for more than twenty-five years to come.

In addition to the I X L maple and birch flooring, the company handles all
the pine, hemlock, tamarack and cedar timber, cedar posts, poles and
pilings, spruce and hemlock pulpwood that grows on the land they cut each
year. These amount to an enormous traffic. Over ten thousand cars were
loaded for shipment and received loaded with logs and other forest products
last year. The company owns practically all the buildings in the village
and takes pride in keeping the village clean, and beautifying the grounds.
They have planted shade trees and have endeavored in every way to make the
village attractive to other employee and a credit to the county. For the
past twenty years the company has

pg. 608
been selling its lands to settlers after the timber has been removed, and
has settled several hundred families. These lands were in most instances
sold on small payments and long time, and the results have been very
gratifying. In addition to its very extensive lumber business, the company
maintains a large general store, and is developing some fine farms. George
W. EARLE is president and Edwin P. RADFORD general manager of this company.
The firm of NIEMAN, PIPCORD, and ROLL have a large general store at this
place and are doing a thriving business. A very substantial and rapidly
growing farming country adds much to the trade of this manufacturing
village. The village is unincorporated and is a part of the township of
Meyer, so named in honor of the founder of the Wisconsin Land & Lumber
Company.

GOURLEY
Gourley is a milling station, on what is locally termed Indian Town Branch,
a branch of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company. This station is at
the point where the railroad crosses Cedar river, and here is located a
mill of the Mashek Lumber Company for the manufacture of both lumber and
shingles. This company is a prominent institution of Delta county, but
comes to Menominee county for a considerable portion of its product.

LA BRANCH
La Branch is a station on the Metropolitan Branch of the Chicago &
Northwestern Railway Company, which is now the scene of a branch of the
business of the Wisconsin Land & Lumber Company of Hermansville, that
company having recently acquired the plant and extensive timber land
holdings of the William MUELLER Company which formerly operated here.

WHITNEY
Whitney is a station on the Metropolitan Branch of the Chicago &
Northwestern Railway, and the location of the woods branch of the business
of the National Pole Company which has its main business at Escanaba, Delta
county. H. W. REED is manager of the company's business at this point,
where, in addition to its lumbering interests it conducts a large store.
This is also the center of a large area of very rich farming land in which
many fine farms are being developed. The National Pole Company has a very
fine farm at this place, and in addition to a fine apple orchard
theretofore started, it has this year planted several hundred trees.