Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2013, 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. =========================================================================== PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY, MICHIGAN by Florence McKinnon Gwinn Huron County Pioneer & Historical Society, 1922 [page 39] CHAPTER III EARLY TOWNSHIP HISTORY A VANISHED VILLAGE The vanished village of Port Crescent was situated at the mouth of the Pinnebog on a bluff overlooking the bay. The peculiar crescent shaped line of the bay which forms a natural harbor gave the town its name. Not only was this town a great lumber center but also a noted fishing point for herring and white fish. EAKINS & SOULE did a large business in this line at one time. They also owned a salt block. Another one was owned and op- erated by BENNETT HASKELL. Each company had a saw mill and a general store in connection. The two hotels were kept by WILLIAM CARTER and WILLIAM McCOY. A drug store by F. W. SELLARS, M. D.; a meat market by GEORGE MEADER. Two of the best docks in the county were built here and a regular line of steamers and freight vessels came to this port. The pioneer miller of Huron County lived here, CHRISTIAN SCHLEGELMILCH, who owned the first grist mill. He came to the village in 1866 and determined to build a mill on the Pinnebog river which project he carried into effect. It ran by steam power. Three months after the first mill was built it was burned down, but he immediately rebuilt the structure and manufactured flour that was noted for its excellent quality all over the county. A carriage and wagon shop was conducted by KLEBBA and afterward by MUTART. Another early pioneer in this vicinity was REESE WILLIAMS, who spent much of his time hunting. J. W. KIMBALL was the builder of the BENNETT HAS- [page 40] PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY KELL saw mill. This mill cut the first lumber on the Pinnebog river. Dr. JAMES EAKINS was the pioneer physician of Hume township, coming there in 1869. People often walked 15 to 20 miles to secure his services. No telegraph or telephone in that period. Dr. SPOHN was any early settler here. THOMAS SINCLAIR took an active part in affairs of those days. One of the important lumbering firms was WOODS & Co., who conducted an immense business and opened a camp at the mouth of the Pinne- bog before Port Crescent came into existence. The history of a clerk they had by the name of HOLMES con- stitutes quite a romantic chapter in the history of the county. CHAS. D. THOMPSON, of Bad Axe, gave this is full in a splendid article, written about the "Broken Rocks" country a few years ago. Today all that remains of Port Crescent is the story of its vanished glory. It reads like some mythical legend of the past and the peo- ple who once walked its busy streets are either in the "eternal world" or scattered over the face of the earth. Mr. THOMPSON mentions the sand dunes along the lake shore and says: "The only opening between Port Austin and Caseville is the Pinnebog opening at Port Crescent. The sand here has peculiar constituents which make it valuable for use in smelting copper and in the manu- facture of glass. Shipments from Miss HASKELL'S dock are made by boat to the copper smelters of the Upper Peninsula and Tonawanda, N.Y. and to the glass fac- tories at Detroit and Cleveland. Otherwise the sand plains back are of little value. About three and a half miles further up the shore we come to LOOSEMOORE'S Point. There are several small islands near the shore and the scenery is beautiful. There is a tradition that a pot of gold was buried here by the Indians many years ago. No one has ever found it, however. The point takes its name from a former owner who lived here in a large, loosely built building which was called "LOOSEMORE'S Castle." Still further up are the BABBITT Quarries. Here we find sand stone which in former years was shipped to Detroit for build- ing purposes. These quarries are not worked now. ===========================================================================