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Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================= Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Page 13 Complete History of Alpena County ________________________ ALPENA IN 1864 In 1864 the population had increased to 674, and the village began to assume a more civilized appearance. In August of the same year, Lockwood & Minor's mill burned down, but was rebuilt during the summer, and started sawing October 20th. This mill was known as the Home mill, and is now owned by Bewick, Comstock & Co. The other mills built during the year 1864 were the Lester mill, now known as Mason, Luce & Co., built by G. S. Lester, and the Oldfield water mill, built by John Oldfield. The latter mill is now owned by Richardson, Avery & Co. Besides the saw mills there was a small tar factory owned by a person named Doer, which was burned down during the latter part of the summer. Mr. Lockwood was very unfortunate in his early struggles, having been twice burned out, but with an unfaltering determination to succeed, he cleared away the smoking ruins of his mill and erected another in its place. Mr. Lockwood was, and is yet, one of our most energetic citizens; confident of Alpena's success, he was every ready to aid any project that would ensure prosperity to the place. The same remarks are true as regards Mr. J. S. Minor. At the spring election of 1864, sixty-nine votes were cast, and among other motions passed by the electors on that occassion, was one for raising $1,000 by tax, for the purpose of erecting a bridge over the river. Mr. Obed Smith had the contract. This bridge was afterwards replaced by a super-annuated floating concern, which disgusted the citizens so much, that it was removed and the present fine structure erected in its place. Alpena had to furnish her proportion of soldiers for the purpose of suppressing the rebellion, and about thirty of her citizens were taken at various times for that purpose. Among those who went from Alpena to the battle fields of the South, were J. D. Potter, Moses Bingham, Arthur Irwin, Denton Sellick, James Whalen, John Ellsworth, John Kaufman, and Solomon Evans. At a special election held June 23rd, 1864, it was voted, unanimously, to raise one hundred dollars for each volunteer, either by loan or bond. About June, 1864, the steamer Forest Queen with a large number of passengers on board, arrived at the mouth of Thunder Bay river. There had been some extensive fires in the woods, and both bay and lake were covered with a dense smoke. It thus happened that although the Forest Queen was close to Alpena, yet the city could not be seen, and the passengers who had expected to get a view of their future home as they approached, -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 14 were disappointed. The Forest Queen had hardly got anchored when boat loads of mill hands came out to pay her a visit, and to get, what was of far more interest to them, something to drink, for it must be borne in mind that spiritous liquors were not allowed to be sold in Alpena. It was no unusual event when a steamboat with a saloon on board anchored off the river, for the mill hands to leave their work and go out to her - the mill in the meantime being left to take care of itself. The Forest Queen, as was usual with the occassional steamboats that came to Alpena, had more passengers on board than she could provide sleeping accommodations for, and at least seventy men were forced to sleep on the floor. A sofa was considered a luxury and the fortunate possessor was much envied. Among other passengers were Geo. N. Fletcher and family, J. R. Beach, William Pulford, Timothy Crowley and family, Miss Lockwood, and the writer of this sketch. None of the newly arrived settlers were much impressed by the appearance of the town as viewed from Miller's dock. Where was the city they had heard so much of during the past week or so? The people did not call the few saw mills and houses that were scattered about at wide intervals a city? Wasn't the main city further up river? No, the few houses and mills constituted all there was of Alpena in 1864. The new settlers considered themselves sold and there was no concealing the fact that they were much disgusted at the prospects before them. In what place were the brick stores, paved streets, fine residences, and churches that form component parts of a city? They were in the future and existed then only in the imaginations of the enterprising founders. The city at that time, as we remember it, consisted of Oldfield's mill, Fletcher's mill, Boggs' hotel and a group of buildings known as salt block, two mill boarding houses, and less than a dozen private dwelling houses, on the north side of the river; the south side being represented by Lockwood & Miner's mill, the Island mill, the Lester mill, three barn looking stores, a court house, and about twenty or thirty dwellings or boarding houses. The only respectible private residence was a building owned by Mr. Murray, situated on the lot now owned by Maltz & Co., on Second street. The site of Bolton & McRae's brick block was then un- occupied, its chief decorations being burnt pine stumps. Wages averaged from $35 to $40 per month and board; money was plentiful and the only liquor allowed to be sold openly, was Wahoo bitters and Sam's "fighting cider." Many of the residents will probably remember -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 15 the fighting cider, for it was a common saying among the boys that a smell of the fighting cider forty rods off would cause a man to show his pug- nacity. Although whiskey, etc., was not allowed to be sold openly, yet, if a man wanted a drink and was willing to pay accordingly for it, he could get it. For a certain money consideration a man would be informed where, at the side of a particular stump, in such and such a place, he could find a bottle of the ardent liquor embedded in the sand, and a number of bottles were thus found. How they came there is of course a mystery, for it is something out of the course of nature to grow glass bottles full of Canada whisky with the duty unpaid. The only amusements were dancing and sail boat excursions to some of the islands. The principle diet was pork, beans and black-strap for breakfast; beans, pork and black-strap for dinner, and a sort of medley for supper. The above diet was further embellished by cookies, and salt mule (as the beef was termed) and, occassionally, a feast of hot rolls. Later in the summer, we remember attending a patriotic meeting, held in the court house, the object being to get volunteers to represent Alpena at the battle fields in the south - the call was not in vain. There was no regular steamboat communication between Alpena and the lower ports, as the Columbia was taken off the route some time before, but near the latter part of the summer of 1864, the propeller Genesee Chief began to make regular trips between Alpena and Detroit, and thus inaugurated a regular steamboat communication during the season of navigation. Among the passengers who came up on the Chief on one of her early trips, were a number of ladies, who at present are residents of this city. One of the ladies was the fortunate possessor of a keg of beer, and wishing to have a social time, she invited some of the other lady passengers to join with her and spend an hour or so in a friendly sort of manner. The invited guests eagerly accepted, and when they were all assembled, the word was given for the expected keg of beer to be brought up. But alas! some thirsty mortal had discovered the keg sometime before and had drank all the contents, thus leaving the expectant ones beerless. There was no social gathering that evening, and each of the guests betook herself to her stateroom to mourn over the great affliction. There were no doctors in Alpena at that time, and when one of the boys was so unfortunate as to get mangled by the saw, he was forced to go below in order to get his wounds properly dressed. We remember one person who had the misfortune to have all the fingers -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 16 taken off his hand by the edger saw. The wound was dressed as well as possible by some of the townsmen, and the unfortunate man was placed aboard a sail boat and taken over to Thunder Bay Island, and put aboard the first steamer that passed. As soon as he got to Detroit, his hand received the first surgical treatment since the time of the accident. One day as we were working on the lumber pile in front of Fletcher's mill (now Folkert & Butterfield's), we were much surprised to see a gentleman in an officer's uniform step on the lumber pile and commence shoving the boards aboad a vessel that was being loaded. Mr. Geo. N. Fletcher was scaling. The officer worked a short time and soon after set up a sign with J. B. Tuttle marked upon it. Of the mills built during the year 1865, Mr. Geo. F. Lewis in his history of Alpena says as follows: "In 1865 the Harrington steam saw mill, the largest and best in the Alpena district, was built; the steam mill above the dam owned by B. H. Campbell & Co.; a large water mill five miles up the river, owned by H. Broadwell; another large water mill two miles above the latter, owned by J. Trowbridge & Brothers, who built a steam saw mill on the bay the same year, and L. M. Mason & Co. completed the first water mill commenced by Lockwood in 1858, putting in a mulay saw, two shingle and one lath machines." Some changes have taken place since Mr. Lewis wrote the above. The Harrington mill is now owned by Hilliard, Churchill & Co., and still continues to be the best, and other improvements introduced by the present firm is their furnace for burning slabs and other mill refuse. The water mills of Broadwell and Trowbridge have not been running for some time, and the steam mill built by Trowbridge on the bay shore has disappeared entirely. During 1865 the following act was passed by the State Legislature: SEC. 1. That there shall be laid out and established, by the commis- sioners to be appointed by the Governor, upon the most direct and elegible route, being the places hereinafter designated, the follow- ing State roads: * * * * * * * * * SEC.21 - A road from Duncan, in Cheboygan county, to Sauble river, in Iosco county, via Alpena, to be known as the Duncan, Alpena and Sauble river State road. ==========================================================================