Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2012, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= U.S. Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. 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 19 Complete History of Alpena County ________________________ During the year 1871, some very important changes took place in the county, while the number of mills was increased by the erection of the Alpena Lumber Co.'s saw mill. The most important change was the incorporation of the city of Alpena. This was done by act of Legislature No. 249, and approved March 29, 1871, the following territory forming the corporation: The southwest quarter of section 13; the south half of sections fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen; the whole of sections twenty-one, twenty-two and twenty-eight; the west frac-tional half of section twenty- four, and fractional sections twenty-three, twenty-six and twenty-seven, in township thirty-one, north of range eight east. This territory was on both sides of the river, and was taken from the township of Alpena. It was divided into three wards; the first and second wards comprising all the land on the south side of the river, and the third all that which lay to the north. The dividing line between the first and second wards was as follows: Commencing at a point in the centre of Thunder Bay river, opposite a line between lots seven and thirty-seven, in block eight; thence along said line to Third street; thence along the center of Third street to Washington avenue, and thence west on said avenue to the centre of Thunder Bay river. The city was entitled to the following officers, who were elected by the people; Mayor, Comptroller, Recorder, Treasurer, three Justices of the Peace, two Aldermen from each ward, one Supervisor from each ward and three Constables. The Comptroller, Recorder and Aldermen held office two years; the Mayor, Treasurer, Supervisors and Constables held office one year and the Justice of the Peace three years. The Mayor, Recorder and Aldermen constituted the Common Council of the city of Alpena, and they had the power to appoint the following officers who held office one year; City Attorney, Marshall, Street Commissioner and Engineers of fire departments, besides such other officers as the Council thought necessary. The Council had power to remove any officer, "except Mayor, Recorder, and Justice of Peace, for corrupt or willful malfeasance or misfeasance in office, or for willful neglect of the duties of his office, or for any violation of any of the ordinances of Common Council, by a vote of two-thirds of all the Aldermen elect." The Common Council had full controll of the city finances, interests, etc., and had power to pass such orders, by-laws and ordinances as they deemed proper, only that the legislation of the Council must not conflict with the laws of Michigan. The first election in the city of Alpena took place on the first Monday of April, 1871, and resulted in the election of the following officers. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 20 Mayor - S. L. Carpenter Treasurer - A. L. Power Comptroller - Donald McRae Recorder - A. Hopper Aldermen - J. H. Stephens, Geo. Richardson, H. S. Seage, Ira Stout, Sam'l Boggs and G. H. Davis Supervisors - Alex. McDonald, 1st ward; James J. Potter, 2nd ward; James McTavish, 3rd ward. The county now consisted of the county of Alpena, and the townships of Alpena and Ossineke, there being six representatives on the Board of Supervisors. Noble M. Brackenreed was the first supervisor of Alpena township after the incorporation of the city. June 29th, 1871, J. C. Viall first commenced the publication of the ALPENA WEEKLY ARGUS as the representative of the Democratic party in Alpena. Previous to this event the Pioneer had been the only newspaper in the country; it had been in existance for some years, being first known as the Thunder Bay Monitor. We have been unable to ascertain the date when the Monitor was first issued. Mr. A. C. Tefft, the present editor and proprietor, assumed controll of the Pioneer, October 12th, 1867. The Pioneer represents the Republican party in Alpena county. The propeller Wenona arrived at Alpena, August 11th, 1871, on her first trip, Capt. L. R. Boynton being in command. October 3rd, 1871, Lodge No. 170. I.O.O.F., was established, and during the same month the first brick business block, that of Bolton & McRae, was finished - This building is situated on Block street, near the river, and forms a very imposing appearance. The injunction business, which of late has been a very prominent feature in elections, originated about the latter part of the year 1871, owing to the exorbitant school taxes which were levied about that time. There is no doubt but that considerable of the school funds were mis- applied, and to such an extent had the taxes been raised, that nearly all the largest tax payers formed a union for the purpose of preventing further unreasonable burdens being placed upon them. This union was termed the "Klu Klux," and the members comprising it investigated very closely the affairs of the county. Thirty-three of the principal tax payers got out an injunction to restrain the Treasurer from collecting the school tax which they claimed had been assessed illegally. This was the commencement of the injunction business, and the struggle, so far, has been for the purpose of making the injunctionists pay the taxes still due from them. The injunction movement was a good thing for Alpena; it brought the officials to their senses; it aided very much in preventing further abuses of official trust, and the result, to-day, is that they city schools -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 21 orders are at par. The object in view by the injunctionists was a good one, and they accomplished their object, but, as one of our leading citizens publicly remarked, "the object for which the association was formed having been attained, it was now their duty to pay their share of the public burdens." On this subject, however, there is considerable difference of opinion. Another very important feature of the times was the struggle between the authorities and a number of liquor dealers, which is supposed to have resulted in the burning of the city a little later. The authorities were determined that liquor should not be sold in Alpena, and consequently arrested every one who was found selling the forbidden liquors. To such an extent was the prosecution carried on, that if a person scented in the least of liquor, he was arrested and ordered to tell where he got it, and if he refused to give the information, as was generally the case, he was committed to jail for contempt of the court. This of course created a very bad feeling in the community, and the question was carried into the spring elections, resulting in a very lively contest between the parties, with the odds in favor of temperance. The county of Presque Isle which so far had been attached to Alpena county, was in 1871, organized into a separate county, leaving Alpena county in its present shape. The first banking firms in Alpena were organized April 1st, 1872, and consisted of two firms, Bewick, Comstock & Co., under the name of the Alpena Banking Company, and the Exchange Bank of Geo. L. Maltz & Co. Both these firms had plenty of business, and at present appeart to be firmly established. They have aided considerably in building up the city, and have proved a great benefit to the citizens of this place. We have now come down to Alpena's great affliction, viz: the great fire of July 12th, 1872, when in a few hours fifteen acres in the business part of the town was laid waste by the fire-fiend, and caused a loss to the citizens of $175,000. The principal losses, as given by the Pioneer were as follows: W. Van Inwagen ............6,000 C. Golling ................5,000 R. Ambrose ................3,000 F. S. Goodrich ............9,000 J. C. Chisholm ............3,700 A. P. A. .................. 500 E. J. Dane ................1,000 Wm. McMaster ..............3,500 Capt. Harrington ..........2,000 Dr. A. Warner .............1,000 Bewick, Comstock & Co......2,000 A. McDonald ...............3,500 Sam'l Boggs ...............8,000 A. Pack & Co...............8,000 C. C. Whitney ............11,000 Mrs. H. G. Westbrook ......1,000 J. C. Reed ................1,000 Stevens & Turnbull ........1,000 Mrs. Murray ...............2,500 Dr. Maiden ................2,500 Potter Brothers ..........16,000 A. L. Power & Co..........10,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 22 Galbraith & McCollum ......5,000 P. McDade .................4,000 John Gavagan ..............2,000 H. J. Eaton ...............2,500 Mrs. Minton ...............2,500 Odd Fellows ............... 400 J. W. Hall ................4,800 J. W. Creighton ...........2,500 Geo. L. Maltz .............3,000 T. Lalonde ................2,000 C. T. Paxton ..............1,200 G. N. Blackburn ...........4,000 Clewly & Woods ............1,000 Crowell & Godfrey .........4,300 Burrell & Lee ............10,000 J. R. Beach ...............5,000 Engine House ..............1,500 M. M. Viall ...............4,000 Wm. Todd ..................2,000 J. C. Park ................1,500 L. Doyle ..................4,000 Goodenow & Dow ............8,000 With the exception of the societies we have given no losses except those of $1,000 and upwards. Thirteen of those enumerated had no in- surance on their goods and buildings, the rest were partly insured. With their usual energy our business men set to work, and in a few months several fine brick blocks were erected on the burnt sites of the wooden buildings. The office of the ALPENA WEEKLY ARGUS had been entirely consumed by the fire, but in forty-five days from the time it was burned out, a new printing outfit was received, and the ARGUS again appeared with its weekly account of the doings of the people. The ARGUS office had no insurance upon its stock. The brick blocks built were the McDonald block, the Potter block, the Pack block, F. S. Goodrich's store, C. C. Whitney store, J. T. Bostwick's store, and Charles Golling's brick block. Some of the buildings mentioned were not erected until some time after the fire. One result of the great fire was the establishing of the fire limits, and the withdrawal of the business center from Water street to Second street. The fire is supposed to have take its origin from the whisky strife, and the whisky men were charged with burning the city. A detective was employed to ferret out the matter, and a few arrests were made, but the trials failed to prove the charges. About fifteen months before this event a fire occured which destroyed the business portion of the Third ward, burning the Star hotel, Evergreen Hall, Bolton & McRae's store, Beebe's buildings, and Bogg's hotel. The loss amounted to many thousands of dollars. - Bolton & McRae erected their present brick block on the site of the burned one; Gillett & Co. built a brick store on the site of the Star, and H. Beebe replaced his by a large wooden building which was burned down February 21st, 1876. The ALPENA WEEKLY ARGUS of June 14, 1876, says: With what distinctiveness do many of our citizens remember the great fire in 1872, alluded to on our first page, when nearly all of the business portion of Alpena, south of the river, was swal- lowed up by the fiery elements, and sixty- five buildings laid in ashes within three --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 23 hours time, from the first outbreak of the raging flames. Even now it makes us shudder as those sad recollections are brought to our mind; to think of the loss of life, the destruction of property, the ruination of business, and men who were, ten minutes before the event, con- sidered well to do, and in prosperous circumstances, rendered homeless and penniless by the great disaster. Yet the citizens of Alpena were always an energetic and thriving people, and not hesitating to mourn over the ruins of the property they had accumulated in the past, they began immediately making preparations for the construction of more substantial buildings for business purposes, and in a short time was seen the hurry and bustle of mechanics as they labored faithfully on the brick and wood structures that now adorn the streets of our prosperous and thriving city. Great changes have been wrought since that dreadful fire, and instead of the wooden business houses, we have now, magnificent structures of brick in which a great deal of the business of the city is done. At the time of the fire there had been but little done in the county in the farm- ing line, but many of those who lost their all by the calamity, and not having heart or means to make another com- mencement, turned their steps toward the country, sought out lands, cleared, cultivated, and in due time they reaped a reward highly gratifying, as the yields of their soil was and is still much in excess of what any one had expected of Alpena lands. The example has since been followed by many others who do not regret their undertaking, and who now have no desire to return to city life, as they feel that they are doing better by farming than they possibly could by following the uncertain pursuits of life in the city. July 23rd, 1872, the shingle mill of Bewick, Comstock & Co., was burned down. Loss about $15,000. Insured for $5,000. This mill was one of the best shingle mills in the city. The present mill was erected on the site of the old one during the winter of 1873-74. ==========================================================================