Built in 1923. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023.
“The Herman and Hattie (Ely) Besser House is a two-story bungalow home located at 403 South 2nd Avenue in Alpena, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2023.”
Wikipedia article Herman and Hattie (Ely) Besser House, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 12 National Register listings published here for Alpena County · listed in 2023 · category: Building · built in 1923.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 60 fires within 5 miles of Besser, Herman and Hattie (Ely), House between 1992 and 2020, burning about 38 acres in total. 2 started naturally. 2 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 17 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 14 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 10 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 7 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 5 |
| Natural | 2 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Smoking | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 September 1995 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 2 September 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | ALPENA TOWNSHIP FD 18N1075 - 2018 |
| 3 July 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | 1.0 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | ALPENA FIRE DEPARTMENT 0704 - 2020 |
| 21 July 2002 | Natural | under an acre | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | not named |
| 2 July 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | ALPENA FIRE DEPARTMENT 0000686 - 2018 |
| 18 July 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | ALPENA FIRE DEPARTMENT 0000759 - 2018 |
| 30 June 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | ALPENA TOWNSHIP FD 018N745 - 2018 |
| 21 June 1995 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | not named |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Besser, Herman and Hattie (Ely), House: 3 producers, 1 plant, 1 past producer. 4 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Cement Rock. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpena Plant | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Plant | ||
| Alpena Quarry | Cement Rock | Producer | 1908 | |
| Limestone Quarry-National Gypsum | Stone | Producer | ||
| Alpena Co Pit Re Glancy Inc | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Klein Pit & Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Alpena, the town this property stands in, in 25 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 14 thunderstorm wind, 10 hail, 1 lightning. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2005 | Lightning | Alpena | 1 hurt | A nearby lightning strike at a campground shocked a man who was taking down an awning. He was taken to a local hospital for observation. |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | $50,000 | A barn was blown over on Hubbard Lake road. |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | $50,000 | A garage roof was blown over onto a car by thunderstorm wind. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | $10,000 | Several trees were downed. |
| April 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | $5,000 | Strong thunderstorm winds uprooted several large trees near Highway M-32. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | $3,000 | Several trees down in Washington Avenue Park. Social media pictures included uprooted trees and a blown over portable toilet. |
| June 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | $3,000 | A tree and a few large tree limbs were downed on 2nd Avenue and on Sable Street, near the northern city limits of Alpena. |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | $500 | A 12-inch-diameter tree was blown over on Long Rapids Road within two blocks northwest of the city limits in Alpena. A wind gust was estimated at 50 mph. |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | $500 | A 12-inch-diameter tree was uprooted on fair street in the city of Alpena. |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | $500 | A 15-inch-diameter tree was uprooted on Dow Road in the city of Alpena as reported by a student volunteer. |
| August 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | $500 | Several large trees were uprooted by thunderstorm wind. |
| August 2025 | Hail | Alpena | - | Multiple reports of hailstones up to 2 inches in diameter near El Cajon and Misery Bays on the Lake Huron coast east of Alpena. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | - | Report from social media of a tree snapped at its base, downing wires and a power pole. Rainfall report from the Alpena area of 2.41 inches of rain with thunderstorms with standing water in yard. |
| July 2016 | Hail | Alpena | - | Some damage done to area crops, including wheat and soybeans. |
| July 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | - | Numerous trees and utility lines were downed. |
| May 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | - | Strong thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees and powerlines countywide. |
| August 1993 | Hail | Alpena | - | A spotter reported dime-size hail on Franklin Street in the city of Alpena. |
| June 2008 | Hail | Alpena | - | no account filed |
| July 2007 | Hail | Alpena | - | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Hail | Alpena | - | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Hail | Alpena | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Hail | Alpena | - | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Hail | Alpena | - | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Hail | Alpena | - | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Alpena | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | IOOF Centennial Building | 0.2 miles | 2015 |
 | Bingham School | 0.3 miles | 2020 |
| Alpena Central Historic District | 0.4 miles | 2025 | |
 | Alpena County Courthouse | 0.6 miles | 1983 |
 | Alpena Light | 0.7 miles | 2006 |
 | Fishing Tug Katherine V | 1.6 miles | 2003 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 100009278 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Alpena County | All 12 listed properties in this county. |
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