Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2016 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Rachel Fuller for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== History of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan The Western Historical Company, Chicago - 1883 A. T. Andreas, Proprietor [337] EAGLE HARBOR ------------ Eagle Harbor is located sixteen miles west of Copper Harbor and is a good steamboat landing. It was first occupied by the Eagle Harbor Mining Company, who worked a party of men there in the summer of 1845, a MR. SPRAGUE being agent. The 17th of October following, MR. F. HOPKINS, still a resident of the town, arrived with a company, thirteen in all, and lived in a tent. He arrived at Copper Harbor the night DR. HOUGHTON was drowned, and laid to there four days on account of the memorable storm of October 13, 1845, which deprived the copper region of its most able and accomplished explorer. Men were then work- ing for the Eagle Harbor Mining Company, and everything for the mines was landed and the groceries and general provisions kept there. At that time, there was one house in the place, constructed of rough logs and covered with "shakes" - thin strips split from logs. The village plat was afterward made by MR. SLAUGHTER, who laid out the town. During these early times, intemperance ran riot when parties of miners congregated there, and fights and brawls were matters of fre- quent occurrence. Eagle Harbor was opened with a channel thirteen and a half feet deep, in 1877, and is a fine refuge for vessels, except in a severe northeast wind. The Government appropriation used in opening the harbor was $90,000. The new light-house and range lights were built at the time the channel was opened - a tower on shore and house 1,000 feet in range inland, each fitted with marine signal lens lantern lights. The Eagle Harbor Light-House stands upon a projecting point of rocks on the west side of the harbor. A large, high rock which former- ly stood on that point, by the side of the old light-house, has been blasted away to make room for the present light-house, materially changing the aspect of the place from former days. The light is of the fifth order, fixed white and varied by flashes, and is distinctly visible twelve and a half miles. The first piers were built by EDWARD TAYLOR, the pioneer settler of Eagle Harbor, in 1844, and a small log warehouse was erected with the ground for a floor. This was afterward purchased by JAMES BAWDEN, and a small frame warehouse, since removed and used as a shoe shop, erected. This was purchased by MR. CHARLES KUNTZ and moved to its pre- sent location, in 1855, to give room for the large building afterward destroyed by fire. Additions were also made to the dock, to which improvement have been added from time to time, forming the present pier and dock. A two-story warehouse had been erected and filled with grain and pro- vision for the winter supply, in 1860. Some lime was stored upon the lower floor. So much weight had been stored in the building that the timbers gave way and settled until some of the lime reached the water and set fire to the building, which, with all its contents, was des- troyed, on the night of November 10, 1860. The eager citizens, seeing their provisions for the winter thus ruthlessly destroyed, would have rushed forward to rescue at least a portion of it, but were kept back from doing so by the determination of BAWDEN, the clerk, who told them to "keep back as there was powder stored there." Many lives were doubtless saved by his keeping the crowd at a distance, for soon the entire structure was rent and scat- tered by a terrific explosion. The citizens stood appalled. Winter was at hand and their supplies had been destroyed. JUDGE WILLIAM P. RALEY, the leading merchant and warehouseman, immediately started for Detroit, chartered the steamer Planet, purchased and loaded his supplies and started back with them. On the voyage they encountered such a terrific storm that all the cargo on deck had to be thrown overboard to save the vessel. Arriving at Marquette the 24th day of November, the thermometer stood 12° below zero, and the snow was two feet deep. After a tedious struggle with the elements, the remaining cargo was finally landed at Copper Harbor and the vessel safely returned to the Sault. At the present time, some eight to ten thousand tons of freight are handled annually at MR. RALEY's docks. On the opposite side of the bay, the Central Mining Company built a dock and warehouse for the use of the mine. There are two church edifices in the place - The Methodist Episco- pal Church, which was erected in 1846-47, and the Catholic, built in 1849. A fine schoolhouse was erected on the southwest side of the harbor in 1872. There are ninety-six children of school age in the district, with an average daily attendance in the winter of forty. They pay from $60 to $70 per month for a male teacher. The first lodge of Odd Fellows in the Upper Peninsula was Houghton Lodge, No. 68, I.O.O.F., instituted at Eagle Harbor, in October, 1859, with F. HOPKINS, formerly a member of No. 3 Lodge, Pontiac, Mich., ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [338] First Noble Grand. This lodge was afterward removed to the Cliff Mine, and became extinct. Keweenaw Lodge, No. 82, I.O.O.F., was instituted at the Harbor October 14, 1863. Has a present membership of sixty-three, and $1,683 in the treasury. Regular meetings. The first merchants in the place were JOHN SENTER and his partner. The first schoolhouse was built in 1853 or 1854. The first school was a private enterprise. It was opened by a MR. KEELEY in a log building between where CAPT. CONNER's house and GEORGE RICE's house now stand. A MR. WALLACE was the first teacher after the district was formed. The first sermon was preached in the place by REV. JOHN H. PITEZEL, of the Methodist Mission. The first services of the Catholic Church in recent times were held by FATHER BARAGA, of the BARAGA Mission. HIRAM JOY was keeping a log boarding house in Eagle Harbor in 1846. This was purchased by CHARLES KUNTZ in 1848. At that time there were four buildings in Eagle Harbor. ED TAYLOR and a company of men came to this point and wintered on the shore between Copper Harbor and Eagle River, in the winter of 1842-43. In 1844, MR. TAYLOR came to Eagle Harbor and built a log tavern, where the present hotel stands, which was afterward burned down. Another structure was erected and additions made, a part of which was also burned, January 17, 1852, the frame dining-room and kitchen being saved from the devouring flames by the most strenuous efforts and the favorable turn of the wind. The front of the present large hotel was soon erected by JAMES BAWDEN and the place again put in order. It is in good repair and in the largest hotel in Keweenaw County, having thirty-six rooms. It was purchased by JAMES RASEWARN, its present proprietor, and has been kept by him since June, 1881. The principal merchants are FOLEY Bros. & Co., STEPHEN COCKING and JOSEPH DAHN. FOLEY Bros. & Co. have been established in general merchandise since 1854. Average stock, $15,000. They also have a branch store at Red Jacket, carrying an average stock of $40,000. MR. COCKING has been in trade since 1879, carrying $2,000 in general merchandise. He is also keeper of the Harbor light. JOSEPH DAHM established in 1867 - hardware and tinware. [Transcriber's Note: the surname DAHN/DAHM is exactly as it appears in the book and is not a transcription error.] =========================================================================== If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access more of our growing collection of FREE online information by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/ ===========================================================================