Bay County, Michigan - Chapter 6: Creation and Growth of the Cities. Townships and Villages, 1905 (part 2 of 2)

Owing to the location of the village near the mouth of the river, the land lies low and required, first of all, much drainage, before roads and fields became useful to the settlers. Woodside avenue, through the village and east to the county line, was one of the county's earliest and best stone roads, replacing planks. Fine cross roads run north and south from Woodside avenue to the Center avenue stone road. The old horse car system came early to Essexville, furnishing easy though somewhat slow communication with the business center of Bay City some three miles away, as judged by the standard of 1905, when modern electric cars speed over the same route every 20 minutes.

The first school house in Essexville was built in 1870, JMiss Corbin, teacher. In 1879 it was destroyed by fire, and immediately replaced by the commodious and well-arranged, twostory brick school, which has ever since furnished ample opportunity for the ambitious children of the village. As might be expected, the large and prosperous settlement of Holland and Belgian farmers, largely increased by immigration during 1873-75, soon erected their own church and parochial school house, which are to this day two of the prominent landmarks and seats of learning and worship in Essexville. The tall spire of St. John's Catholic Church is visible for miles around and on a quiet Sabbath morning the sweet chimes of the bells in the church belfry bid the community to worship. Well may the German poet, Theo. Koerner, sing:

Essexville was for some years a field for missionary effort by the churches of Bay City. In 1870 the Methodist Episcopal Church established a mission, and in 1872 Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church established a mission and later built a chapel. In 1879 Rev. J. B. Dawson, a Congregational missionary, organized the now prosperous Congregational society, with a house of worship at Essex and Langstafif streets, dedicated in 1883. The First Baptist Church of Essexvillle, on Dunbar and Langstaff streets, has prospered in recent years. Rev. W. P. Lovett in March, 1905, resigned the pastorate, having accepted a call to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Holy Rosary Academy, a three-story preparatory school adjoining St. John's Catholic Church and School, was destroyed by fire on March 10, 1904, and one of the Sisters of St. Dominic, enfeebled by age and infirmities, died two days later at Mercy Hospital, as a result of jumping from the second story and exposure in the bitter cold night, The Sisters lost all their personal property, as did a number of pupils from out of the city who slept there. Owing to the lack of modern fire-fighting apparatus, Essexville has lost thousands of dollars worth of property and a number of industries in recent years. Holy Rosary Academy is being rebuilt in March, 1905, but on Lincoln avenue, within the city limits, where fire protection has ever been eft'ective.

Essexville has from its infancy been the home of a number of flourishing fraternal and benevolent societies. Lighthouse Lodge, No. 235, I. O. O. F., was organized July i, 1874, with nine charter members and has to-day a large membership. This lodge and Elmira Lodge, No. 102, Rebekahs, own the Odd Fellows' Block on Woodside avenue in Essexville. The Knights of the Modern Maccabees, Ladies of the ^Modern Maccabees, Modern Woodmen of America and Independent Order of Foresters have thriving lodges in the village. The Maccabees have their own hall on Woodside avenue. The Hampton Band is the leading musical organization of the village. In 1882 Essexville had a "Reform Club", which had its own hall on Woodside avenue, S. W. Green being president. Evidently the desired reforms were accomplished in time, for the "Reformers" as an organization have long since passed from view. The work of enforcing law and order and accomplishing reforms now rests entirely with the minions of the law, - Justice W'illiam Felker, the village marshal and the sheriff's office, - and the law-abiding villagers cause them little trouble. Roving tramps and inel)riates cause most of the arrests.

Essexville has for years had the post office of Hampton township. Although rural free delivery has in recent years provided a more speedy and modern mail service, still the post office continues to do a prosperous business for "Uncle Sam," under the able management of Dr. E. F. Crummer.

Tlie Bay City Boat Club four years ago gave up its old club house in Essexville and built a modern club house a half mile nearer the mouth of he river. It is situated near the last bend of the Saginaw, commanding a fine view of the bay and of the summer resorts to the north and west, and the power and sailing yacht regattas held during the summer are over a course that is visible from the broad and shady verandas of the club house, and are always enjoyed by the villagers of leisure.

The business section of the village stretches for nearly a mile along Woodside avenue, and is gradually expanding to meet the requirements of the increasing population, especially in the rural sections tributary to Essexville. In 1882 the village had i apiary, i blacksmith, I boarding house, i shoemaker, i druggist, 3 grocers, 2 hotels, i ice dealer, i livery, i meat market, i saloon and i wagon-maker. In 1905 we find all these places of business more than doubled, the saloons showing the largest increase in numl)ers. There are now several large general stores, a hardware, dry goods and shoe store^ photographer, music teacher and three practicing physicians.

Like other business centers of the valley, the industries of the village have undergone a complete change in the last 15 years. Carrier & Company built the first sawmill in 1867, with a capacity of 8,000,000 feet of lumber per year. The Rouse mill was built by J. M. Rouse in 1870-71. In January, 1878, his sons, - E. F. Rouse and William B. Rouse (the latter now village president), - took charge of the mill, which then cut 12,000,000 feet of lumber annually, built a salt-block in connection, producing 90 barrels per day, and operated it so long as the supply of logs held out. The lumber statistician of 1879 also counted the McEwan mill as part of Essexville. and while it has been within the limits of Bay City its employees came largely from this village. Then came the mill of J. R. Hall and the shingle mill of S. A. Hall, and still later Boyce's mammoth sawmill and salt-block brought new life and business to the bustling lumbering community. Then came the $2 tariff on Canadian logs and with a single stroke of the pen at Washington, the lumber industry of the western shore of Lake Huron and on Saginaw Bay was totally destroyed. One by one Essexville's sawmills closed down, were torn down, removed or fell a prey to the fiery elements. Penniman & Courval's shingle mill near the mouth of the river is all that remains of this once booming lumbering cotnmunity.

In 1898 Essexville profited by the experiments with sugar beets carried on for a term of years by Hon. Nathan B. Bradley, C. B. Chatfield, Rev. William Reuthert and other pioneers of that now flourishing farm and factor)^ industry, the Michigan Sugar Factory being buih under the stimulus of a State bounty that year. This was the first beet sugar factory in Michigan; it was incorporated in 1897, capitahzed at $200,000, and with these officers: Thomas Cranage, president; Hon. Nathan B. Bradley, vice-president; E. T. Carrington, secretary-treasurer. In December, 1898, the Bay City Sugar Company was incorporated with a capital of $600,000, being officered as follows : W. L. Churchill, president; Capt. Benjamin Boutell, vice-president; Eugene Fifield, secretary-treasurer. By January i, 1900, this mammoth five-story sugar-house began its first beetslicing campaign. The question of refuse molasses from these factories was solved a year later when the Michigan Chemical Company was organized by Pittsburg capital, and the following summer the first high-proof spirits were manufactured, the government taking most of the output for use in its manufacture of high-power explosives.

These, with the chicory factory on Borden avenue, since burned down and consolidated with the Center avenue factory, just south of the corporate limits of the village, and a number of large fishing institutions, comprise the present industries of the village. Many of the villagers have turned their attention to cultivating sugar beets during the summer, finding employment in the sugar and chemical factories in fall and winter. The Boyce Coal Company was organized in 1899, A. A. Boyce. president; G. J. Boyce, secretary-treasurer, with offices on Pine street. The erection of the Hecla cement plant just across the river from Essexville, w'ith a capitalization of $5,000,000, furnished employment to hundreds of villagers, and, when the concern settles its internal troubles in the courts, will prove a bonanza to Essexville and its inhabitants. The Essexville coal and wood vard built bv William B. Rouse two years ago, and now operated by Charles Gardner, fills a long-felt want. The population of Essexville was 1,639 ^^'^ 1900.

The dividing line between Greater Bay City and Essexville is about the center of Woodside avenue, east of Atlantic street, and many of the \-illagers are looking forward to the time when their community will form a ward of the great city. The main objection is the bonded indebtedness of the city, while Essexville has not one dollar of bonded debt. But this might be arranged on a mutually satisfactory basis, and the consolidation would at once give Essexville access to the municipal lighting plant, the water-works, with the much needed fire protection, the High School, for which the villagers must now pay extra, permanent pavements, improved drainage, and all the other modern advantages of an up-to-date city. That many of the villagers see this union of village and city in the not very far future is proven by the defeat of the proposition to bond the village for $50,000 for a village waterworks plant, at the election on March 13, 1905. Consolidation will give them this water service, then why erect a separate plant? The dividing line is slender, the social and business interests closely interwoven, and ere long all the people residing on both sides of the Saginaw River, for five miles from its mouth, will comprise one city of more than 50,000 inhabitants, and Essexville is destined to be one of the busy wards of the greater city.

The village election held on March 13, 1905, was one of the most spirited in the annals of Essexville, and more remarkable because only one candidate of the Democratic ticket won out, after that party had ruled the destinies of the village for years. Following was the vote:

Assessor

Village of Kawkawlin. - One of the prettiest and most enterprising hanilets in Bay County is situated on the banks of the placid river, which gives it its romantic Indian name. The earliest settlers clustered about the quaint little water-mill built by the late James Eraser, and later operated by O. A. Ballou & Company, Frederick A. Kaiser's steam-mill, and the ford used by the Indians in their travels. In 1855 this village consisted of the two mills, five cottages, two log huts, several Indian wigwams, and one hundred million mosquitoes to the square mile. The pioneer Kaiser and his sturdy German wife never had any altercation at the dinner table, because they always had to keep muffled, to prevent being devoured by these winged demons of the swampy river bottom! Thomas Munn, Edward McGuinnes, Michael McGuinnes, Cromwell Barney, John Sutherland, the late Dr. T. A. MacTavish, Jans Jacobsen, Amos Wheeler, Calvin E. Bedell, Edwin M. Parsons, Carl Schmidt, George A. Schultz and John C. Westpinter, who came in 1852, were among the home-builders of this village in its pioneer days.

The fellow-citizens of genial "Tom" Munu know that there could not have been many dull moments in the village, while Tom was there, and the pioneers tell many amusing stories of pioneer life on the "raging" Kawkawlin. One in November, 1873, a lovesick and not overly bright young fellow wandered into the settlement, and before the week rolled around had received the icy mitt from all the young women of the town, to whom he proposed in short order. A fun-loving Scotchman thought he saw a chance to relieve the mosquito season. A beardless boy of feminine looks was togged up, Mr. Masher duly introduced, and the weird courtship duly started. A fellow named Smith made some insulting remark to Mr. Masher's "girl" one evening, and next morning a warrant was secured before a fake justice, a mock trial was held, and Smith fined $15, to the delight of Mr. Masher. To settle matters he proposed to marry, and before night the fake justice had tied the knot. Then Smith bobbed up to spoil the wedding ceremony by demanding another trial, which was duly held next morning and Smith acquitted. In the same instant another fellow stepped forward to claim his wife, now Mrs. Masher, and the "girl" was promptly arrested for bigamy, to Mr. Newlywed's horror! But his horror became aggravated when some wag tore off the "girl's" bonnet and other toggery. Tableau ! Mr. Masher was set adrift on the Kawkawlin and drifted out of sight forever, but never out of mind in the settlement!

In 1 86 1 the first school was opened in a little frame building, and Miss Carrie Chelsea, now Mrs. C. C. Faxon, of West Bay City, w^as the first teacher. The venerable lady has achieved in the 44 years since passed a foremost place for philanthropy, and earnest work in the missionary and temperance field. The post office was established in 1868 and D. Stanton was the first postmaster. The Presbyterians and Methodists held church services about 1863, and 10 years later substantial church edifices graced the thriving village. Social Lodge, No. 148, I. O. O. F., was organized December 13, 1871, two members being admitted by card, and seven by initiation. It has grown continually since then, and with the Pine Grove Lodge of Good Templars, shares the honor of being the earliest fraternal and benevolent organizations in the village. The Knights of the Maccabees, Gleaners, Independent Order of Foresters, Modern Woodmen of America and Masons have strong lodges in

In 1862, O. A. Ballon, A. M. Switzer and Dr. W. E. Vaughn, the latter still a resident of Bay City, operated for a few years a chemical plant for the manufacture of hemlock extract. It was the predecessor of a number of large chemical plants erected in Bay City since. Kawkawlin has had several gentiine earthquakes, owing to the tendency of the H. H. Thomas dynamite plant, just south of the village, to create a terrific noise and a rocking of the universe, whenever it takes one of its periodical flights into space and minute particles ! \\'indow glass for miles around is at a premium on such occasions, and, more unfortunately still, a number of lives have been lost by these terrible explosions.

The village has suffered a ntmiber of times owing to fierce fires raging through the remaining forests and underbrush of the vicinity. One of the most destructive fires occurred on March 25, 1880, when the handsome home of the oldest pioneer, Frederick A. Kaiser, was destroyed by fire caused by defective flues in the heating apparatus. Mr. Kaiser was in Bay City on the eventful morning, and his son and hired men were at work. About 10 o'clock a son-in-law. living over a mile distant, looking toward the Kaiser home, saw flames and smoke pouring from the roof. Mounting a horse he rode the animal under the whip the entire distance, the exertion killing the faithful beast. Most of the furniture was saved but the house, valued at $16,000, was totally destroyed.

Just south of the village, in a beautiful grove of forest kings, on a little bluff overlooking the river and valley, facing the fine stone road, is "Riverside Farm," one of Bay County's prettiest and most famous ranches. It is the homestead of the Marston family, and was for vears the beloved retreat of the late Hon. Isaac

IMarston, justice of the Supreme Court from 1875 to 1883, being chief justice in 1880 and 1 881. He also filled, by appointment from Governor Bagley, a vacancy that occurred in the office of Attorney General of Michigan, this being prior to his elevation to the bench. "Riverside Farm" has for years had the distinction of being one of the model farms of the entire country, and is far-famed for its large herd of blooded cattle, mainly Jerseys. The Judge has a worthy successor at "Riverside Farm" in his son, Thomas Frank Marston, who served for years on the State Board of Agriculture, being president of the board during the administration of Governor A. T. Bliss, and has lately been reappointed to this board by Governor Fred M. Warner.

Like Frankenlust on the southwest, Williams on the west and Portsmouth and ]\Ierritt on the southeast of the county, Kawkawlin is noted for its hospitality. The dust and smokebegrimed employees of factory and workshop in Bay City know and have no greater recreation, than a drive over the fine roads, where macadamized stone has replaced corduroy, mud and finally plank roads, to the cozy, wellstocked and hospitable homes of the villagers and farmers of Kawkawlin.

Pin CONNING Village. - "Pinconning: Change cars for jMount Forest, Bentley and Gladwin." Such is the stentorian announcement of the pleasant-faced conductor on the "Mackinaw Flyer" of the Michigan Central, as the train pulls into the pretty village on the Pinconning River. We are 18 miles from Bay City. The trunk line to the Straits of Mackinac runs due north, the Gladwyn Branch almost due west to Mount Forest, and then northwestward to the county seat of Gladwin County. As the townships to the north of Bay City are

The village dates from 1872, when Frederick A. Kaiser and George H. Van Etten built and operated the first sawmill there. They built a unique railroad of 3 by 5 maple rails for 18 miles into a timber belt that gave 140,000,000 feet of lumber. They platted 100 acres on both sides of the railway; the streets running north and south were named : Waters, Warren, Kaiser, Manitou and Van Etten, while those running east and west were numbered from one to six. With the later additions, these are the streets of the village to-day. A large general store was started by the firm, and a post office established. Pinconning township now has rural free delivery advantages, but the post office is still in much demand. George Barie is the popular postmaster of Pinconning.

With the falling of the last pine tree in that lumbering section, the palmy days of the village ended for a time. The mills were wiped out by fire or torn down and removed nearer their timber supply. But the settlers followed the lumber jack, and ere long Pinconning took a new and permanent lease of life, so that in 1887 it was incorporated and reincorporated in 1891. In the census of 1900 it had 729 inhabitants.

The business section of the village has been repeatedly wiped out by fire, but, as often Pinconning rose from the ashes and always with more pretentious hotels, stores and homes. The fine brick school was destroyed by fire in 1904, and in 1905 an even more modern and handsome brick and stone school has replaced it. The Maccabee Hall is one of the conspicuous two-story structures, and furnishes ample auditorium space for the public meetings and entertainments of the village. The first church was the Indian mission at the mouth of the Pinconning River. In 1884 the Methodist

Episcopal and the Presbyterian Church were buih. and ahnost every denomination is represented in this httle hamlet. Women's chibs and social organizations assist in furnishing diversion and enlightenment for the progressive villagers.

Practically every line of retail trade is represented in the village, the stores are wellstocked and well-kept, and the enterprising merchants know the value of paint in keeping things looking bright and new on the outside, and clean within. Two hotels and several taverns provide for the comfort and good cheer of transient visitors and industrious villagers. The fraternities are well represented in Pinconning, there being lodges of Masons, Odd Fellows, Alaccabees and Modern Woodmen.

Edward Jennings, proprietor of the shingle, heading and stave mill, the only survivor of the palmy days of lumbering here, has held about all the positions of trust and responsibility in Pinconning village and township. In 1904 he was village president. On !March 13, 1905, the following union ticket was elected without opposition : President, A. Grimshaw, hardware merchant ; clerk, H. C. Mansfield, grocer; treasurer, W. A. [McDonald, grocer; assessor, George Deremer, musician and tonsorial artist; trustees, - Alex. Lenhoff (clothing merchant), George Hessling (harnessmaker) and Edward Jennings (lumberman).

Auburn. - About 10 miles west of Bay City, exactly midway to Midland, on the splendid Midland stone road, is one of Michigan's prettiest country hamlets. Well-kept stores and comfortable homes, inviting taverns and bus}' shops, cozy schools and dignified houses of worship, are clustered here, providing many of the diversions and ethics of life, and all its munity about the village, the stump-puller has long since given way to the up-to-date sowing and reaping machines. In 1883 there were two churches (Methodist Episcopal and Catholic), the Auburn House (a fine brick hotel owned by W. P. Root), the fine store of Ira E. Swart, a blacksmith shop and two saloons. The pioneer, Ira E. Swart, joined the great majority eight years ago. The place has known many changes in the two decades intervening between 1883 and the present time.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of 25 years ago is still a landmark in Auburn, but the little Catholic Church has been replaced by St. Joseph's Church, a brick structure, 40 by 65 feet, and modern in every respect, at a cost of $10,000. The town hall is located in the heart of the village, furnishing an ample meeting place for the residents of Williams township. Just across the way is the office and cozy home of the veteran physician of the village. Dr. John P. Snyder, and Smith's drug store fills a long-felt want in the community. John Nuffer's cheese factory and general store, and the elevator and general store of C. A. Kern are among Auburn's substantial business institutions. August Constantine presides at the Auburn Hotel and James Green at the Bay City Hotel. The merry music of hammer and anvil is heard from early morning until late each day, where George Clark and the Hemingway Brothers operate their respective smithies. Interspersed with these busy institutions are the comfortable and well-kept homes of the villagers.

Here, too, the townspeople of Bay City find a breathing place, a source of rest and recreation after the day's work or the week's work is done. Sleigh-ride parties in winter, bicycling, coaching and auto parties during summer find Auburn a jolly good place to visit. The village folk enjoy these visits, and practice fraternity and benevolence within their own Httle community. We find here tlie Auburn Post, G. A. R., a reminder that WilHams township furnished rather more than its quota of men when our country needed them most, and active lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Modern Woodmen of America, Independent Order of Foresters, Gleaners, and leading "Farmers Club" of the county. Verily these worthy villagers know the town-meeting, love its associations, and profit by the lessons of progress and charity there espoused, worthy descendants of the idyllic New England village, whose memory Auburn brings vividly to mind. And verily here too we find :

"IcEBURG, U. S. A." - This is the famous fishing village, located from three to 30 miles north of Bay City, which appears each winter as if by magic, on the icy surface of Saginaw Bay. Just as soon as the ice on the bay is thick enough to sustain the weight, commercial fishermen, and men from every walk of life who happen to be out of employment, rig up their shanties on sleds, each shanty being provided with a stove for a heating, and a cot for sleeping purposes, and a box to hold provisions. Hundreds of these fishing shanties are moved out on the ice, their location depending upon the feeding grounds or runway of the finny tribes, and for from three to four months the fishermen are busy spearing fish. Fish buyers drive out each day and buy the catch. This picturesque and transient community has been named "Iceburg, U. S. A." The season of 1904-05 brought out some 350 men, and while the catches for December and January were light, February and March proved bonanzas. Expert spear fishermen made from $5 to $10 per day. The ice for January, February and March, 1905, was three feet thick.