100 Years of History: L'Anse-Skanee Centennial

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A RAY OF SUNSHINE IN THE LOGGING & PULPWOOD INDUSTRIES

PETTIBONE MICHIGAN CORPORATION BOX 368 •

BARAGA, MICHIGAN o Phone 353-6611

THIS HISTORICA L BOOK IS PUBLISH ED BY THE PAGEANT DIVISION OF THE BARAGA COUNTY HlSTORICAL SOCIETY, INC. A NON-PROFIT CORPORATION OF BARAGA COUNTY, MICHIGAN

TRIIlUTE IS PAID TO THE VILLAGE OF L'ANSE AND TllE COMMUN ITY OF SKANEE IN BARAGA COUNTY ON THE IR I OOth ANNIVERSARIES

TH IS PUBLICATION IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO THE PIONEERS OF HISTORIC BARAGA COUNTY

Editor - Bernard J. Lambert Associate Editor - Mrs. Agnes Demaray SaJes Manager - Mrs. Kathryn Brisson

CONTENTS The Founding of L'Anse

5

Skanee: Its Early Days .

21

Baraga County Historical Pageant · 1970

26

The Timber Era

31

L'Anse, 1881 .

38

Baraga County Newspapers

41

The Railroad Comes To L'Anse

47

The Fire of 1896 .

49

The Finnish Sauna

57

Firemen's Tournament and Centennial Program

75

Photo Credits Baraga County Histo rical Socie ty, Inc. Qcm Brisson Bruce Deter Mrs. 0. W. Been Dr. Ma tti Kau ps Wesley Pe rron

Cover Pho tograph Frontier Woman Mrs. Isabelle Chosa by Charles Eshbach

Printed by Glo be Publishing - Ishpe ming, Michiga n - Moy, 197 1

IT IS A PLEASURE FOR THE L'ANSE VILLAGE COUNCILMEN TO CONG RATULATE THE RESIDENTS OF L'ANSE and SKANEE ON THE OCCASION OF THEIR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS

Councilmen photographed at time of installation of new officers: from left, standing - John Patrick Tembreull, Jack Lattrel, Theodore Rolof (retiring member). Paul Van Abel, Joseph Brogan, William Menge and Clerk, G. Glen Sands. Seated - President, Ted Ku bit. Absent were Patrick Ellico and Howard Almli (retiring member).

THE FOUNDING OF rANSE Bernard J. Lambert The Village of L'Anse came into exist · ence after il was announced that the head of Keweenaw Bay would be the terminus of the Houghton and Ontonagon railroad . This news electrified the residents of the area, especially those living on Portage Lake and the Keweenaw peninsula ; they were only one step away from receiving the advantages of rail service. The benefit s to the mining interests of the Copper Country were incalculable. For passengers it meant convenient communication with the outside world. In February, 187 1 an enthusiastic correspondent of the Portage Lake Mining Gazette wrote: A railroad from the head of Keweenaw Bay, leading out into the world, is a consummation devout ly to be wished. . .I expect to hear within t11e next eighteen months the whistle of the locomotive of a regular passenger train at L'Anse, and tJ1e shout - "AU aboard for the East and South." New iro11 fields will be opened up; the smoke of the blast furnace will darken the air all along the shore, from L'Anse

BERNARDJ. LAMBERT Mr. Lambert is President of the Baraga County Historical Society, Inc., and President of the Bishop Baraga Foundation, Inc.

to the head of Portage Lake, and tJ1e white sails of tile iron fleets will enliven the blue waves of Keweenaw Bay . .. there is no better harbor on the whole chain of lakes. It developed that this correspondent was not a prophet but much of what he predicted came true. In little more than eighteen months the railroad was com· pleted. The railroad brought another method of travel to the western end of the Upper Peninsula. It arrived years later than promised but was the cause of much jubilation when track laying was completed. Before the railroad , the residents were compelled to travel by boat or stage· coach. And they had one other means of contact with the outside - the telegraph! In December of 1864 it was announced that in a short time a stagecoach line would be in operation between Houghton and Marquette . Only "four miles of tlrn road between Marquette and L'Anse re· main to be cut out" before teams can begin their runs. The work was contracted to Timothy T. Hurley of Marquette who subsequently made major improvements to the road. The first stagecoach over this route arrived at L' Anse when the inhabit· ants were assembled at Jackson's hotel for a New Year's dance. The driver and passengers were greeted with shouts of joy. Stage riding on the shores of Lake Superior in the I 860's proved to be a con· venience, but there were dangers incident to this method of travel. On one trip overland a pack of wolves, eight or ten in number , followed the stage so closely that the driver had to lash them with his whip to ward them off. Some of the passengers were so alarmed that they lay on the bottom of the sleigh and hid themselves under robes. Undoubtedly, there were many incidents of this kind. Keeping the stage route in passable condition was an annual problem of considerable proportions. Either the road and bridges needed frequent repairs or a

new bridge had to be built. The Board of Supervisors, because of limited funds, did not keep the road in good condition. Private individuals were requested to make contributions and "tlle citizens of L'Anse subscribed $200.00." At this time all the area presently within the boundaries of Baraga County was a part of Houghton County. Not only was passenger service a subject of conversation among the inhab· itants around Keweenaw Bay - the de· livery of mail was of equal concern . TI1e stagecoach route offered new opportun· ities for faster service and Hurley's Stage Line brought mail deliveries almost regularly . After two months of operation the stage made three trips per week; a short time later mail was delivered daily. Unfortunately, it was not continued on a daily basis. During the winter Hurley took advantage of the ice on Keweenaw Bay and made the entire trip from L'Anse · to Portage Lake over the frozen surface. He boasted that he could carry mail from Green Day to L'Anse in just three days.

OATS of various types: steame rs, sailboats, barges and schooners, ' plied the waters of ~~~~~~ Lake Superior and Keweenaw Bay carrying passengers and supplies. On trips down the lake they were loaded with copper ore from the mining districts. Some vessels were used as excursion boats, when not engaged in other business, and L'Anse was one of their favorite mooring places. Captain Ben dry, of Baraga, took passengers from Portage Lake to L'Anse for a nominal fee on his steam tug, John Eley. The trip to L'Anse took four hours. Fishing parties sometimes camped at the head of the Bay fo r several days and it was not unusual for a group to catch 1,000 fish . " ... for a pleasant trip, easy, good fi sl1ing, L'Anse is unexcelled .. .good continued on page 8

5

COMPLIMENTS OF

CELOTEX CORPORATION

6

HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS to

Village of L'Anse in Baraga County and its stalwart citizens

on the occasion of their

100th Anniversary 1871 - 1971

. . . Since 1858 it has been our pleasant privilege t o herald and record in printer ' s ink the progress and contributions of the village and its residents for the benefit of posterity . .

. . May we continue to grow together .

The Daily Mining Gazette Serving the Copoer Country Since 1858

7

accommodations can be had al the house of Messrs. Shaffer or Jackson, the house of the former being but a few rods from Fall River, one of the best trout streams in the country." L'Anse, no longer a fur trading center became a haven for tourists. During the latter part of 1865 nearly aU the telegraph poles were in place and wire was being strung "at the rate of five or six miles per day." Work on the North· western Telegraph Line was completed about the first of March, 1866, but even then it could not be used. "The telegraph wire has been up and ready fo r use ...but no operator or instruments have arrived yet. The superintendent says that the company did not wish to send an operator up until the wires arrived as they would have to pay him wages for doing nothing. The result is: no operator, two weeks wages saved, and two weeks business lost. No great economy that." The line was put in operation when connections were made at Houghton. The Gazette announced that a public demonstration would be held and that they would issue an "extra" containing the answers to the despatches sent from Portage Lake. Preparations were made to hoist flags as soon as the first words were received over the wires. Resident s from both sides of Portage Lake were asked to congregate at the Douglass House for the great event. Despatches sent to various cities in the United States and Canada were quickly acknowledged. Without question, another milestone in the history of the area had been reached. To some it was incomprehensible that news could be reported from other parts of the country in a matter of minutes. But as quick as the people were to celebrate the arrival of telegraphy, they were just as quick to condemn the system . Less than two months after the line was in operation ..."Of all the confounded nuisances introduced into this country, we think the new telegraph is pre-eminent. It has been , nominally , in operation for forty-five days, twenty of which it has been of no more use than a tow string, not even fit to scare crows with." In early days all the area around L'Anse Bay was called L' Anse; it was known as L'Anse, East Side and L'Anse, West Side. Not until the Township of 13araga was organized. in early 1869, was a more definite distinction made. At that time more white people resided on the Baraga side of the bay. In fact, a ft er Baraga township was separated from L'Anse township, many doubted if there were enough white men in L'Anse to fill the township offices. Thomas Jackson, owner 8

of the Jackson House, stoutly replied to the rumor by declaring that there were sixteen while men in L'Anse township. In at least one election the Indians were not permitted to vote. Late in 1866 a telegraph office was opened at L'Anse (west side); H.S. Ming was in charge . When the post office was established at Baraga, in 1869, it was located in the telegraph office at Bendry's landing. The post office department called the place Brisrol but apparently this name was not acceptable because everyone referred to the west side of the bay as Baraga. Many years prior to the comi11g of the railroad, prospectors came into the southeastern end of Houghton County (L'Anse area) to determine the extent of the copper and iron ore deposits. 1l1e official government survey, taken in the l 840's gave some valuable leads. Tests revealed, however , that copper could not be profitably worked, but prospects for the development of iron mining looked very promising. These findings were highly advertized, no doubt with an end to interest men with capital. Discoveries of slate, quartz, sandstone, plumbago and peat were also made, and interest in the vast pine and hardwood forests intensified. ,......~,,,·, N THE spring of 1871, Jacob Houghton, an experienced railroad man, and chief engi~~~;;~~"-:=; neer for the Houghton and Ontonagon railroad, came to L'Anse to lay out a preliminary route from the eastern end of Lake Michigamme to the Bay of L'Anse. After an examination of the terrain he was convinced that a good route could be established, without steep grades, and at low cost. A few months later a contract was let for the construction of the railroad, and men were hard at work cut ting a path through the wilderness. Houghton's early optimism was somewhat dampened when rock cuts had to be made, dips and valleys filled, and trestle work built. A serious shortage of men worried the officials of the construction company and they advertized for 1,000 laborers and 300 teams of horses. Work was guaranteed for one year. Laborers were paid at the rate of two dollars per day; wages for teams was four dollars and fifty cents a day. The company charged the men four dollars a week for board . When construction was in progress some of the men tried to organize a strike but

were promptly fired . The steamer Meteor, a first class vessel, brought one of the largest loads of freight and passengers up the lake that year, and on this trip discharged fifty men at L'Anse to help with railroad construction. By the first of August more than five hundred men were employed, and others arrived with every boat that docked. Some worked on the roadbed while others were scattered in the woods getting out ties . Crews were placed over the entire route in an effort to get as much work done as possible before the first snowfall . In September, the first cargo of iron, consisting of 500 tons of rails, arrived. It was enough to lay almost six miles of track, and on the 27th of the same month ,track laying was commenced. It was a busy year for the officers of the Houghton and Ontonagon railroad: in addition to building a railroad, they engaged men to uncover the mineral wealth to the south, near the Marquette county line; a contract was let to begin construction on huge ore docks; they hired a surveyor lo plat a new town; constructed a merchandise dock, and let another contract for the dredging of the mouth of the Falls River. Many suggestions were offered as a name for the new town site, one of them being Fall River. And then Iron City was proposed and widely publicized. But a majority of the owners had other ideas and decided to call it L'Anse. The editor of the Marquette Journal, after visiting L'Anse, wrote: The new town is at the mouth of Fall River, on the east side of the bay, at the point where it begins to curve around to the west, and the site is one of the prettiest possible to the imagination. l11ere are sev· eraJ distinct and separate plateaus rising one above another, the lower one being from twenty-five to forty feet above the water of the bay. On the first of these is situated the new town, which now consists of about fifty buildings, some of them very substantial, and all erected since the first day of August. On the opposite side of the bay there is a considerable settlement, including a saw mill, while a little farther north on the same side is the Catholic Mission, which has been maintained for many years. On the east side, some two or three miles below the new town is the Methodist Mission, at which point there is also a considerable settle· continued on page 12

Part of L'Anse as it appeared in 191 2.

Broad Street about 1915. Notice the railroad track in foreground which led to various lumber camps in the area. 9

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Iron River, Michigan Area Manager

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SMORGA SBORD Dinner -

5-9

l lillto1J I lo11se Resta1ur111/ on U.S. 41 overlooking L 'A nse on beautiful Keweenaw Bay SERVING FI NE FOOD

Specializing in FRESH LA KE SUPERIOR TROUT & WHITEFISH JIOME MA DE SWEDISH RYE & PASTR IES

Adjacent to Mo te ls

Air Co nditioned to Yo ur Co mfo rt 11

ment , principally composed of civ· ized Indians. Fall River is a stream of considerable volume, and is so named from the fact that it fall s nearly a thousand feet in a distance of ten or twelve miles, being in fact a succession of falls and rapids from its source to its delta. The last of these falls or rapids are within what will ultimately be the corporate limits of the city of L'Anse, forming an inexhaustible water power, and one that can be easily utilized. The stream is alive with trout, and wiU in itself be a great attraction to summer visitors and tourists. By the first of August , 1871 , lots were offered for sale, and buyers were quick to purchase. Some sold for as much as $2,000 .00 each. Platting of adjoining properties was promptly considered. Prosperity had come to the head of Keweenaw Bay! A flurry o f unprecedented activity and excitement aro und the Bay accompanied the founding of L'Anse. Businessmen from the Copper Country and Marquette opened branch establishments in the growing town. The rapidity with which sto res and dwellings went up was almost unbelievable . In less than seventy days sixty buildings were erected. Some would not wait to build; instead they had entire buildings transported to L' Anse. Mr. Samuel Lloyd, of this village [Houghton] , has commenced operations prepa.ratory to putting his house on scows and taking it down to the town of L'Anse. A large building on Torch Lake is also being prepared for removal to that town, and' we learn that an effort will be made to bring down the large store at the Huron mine, formerly occupied by Sutton & Co., and ship it to the town of L'Anse. In the summer of 187 l several general merchandise stores, a general hardware and iron warehouse, three bakeries, a shaving and hair dressing salon, paint shop, tobacco and cigar store, several hotels, dance hall, railroad office, bank , and many other business establishments were opened to the public. Smith and Harris' store was the first to open its doors. Peter Crebassa, early fur trader and first postmaster of L'Anse (1 852), moved his office from the Methodist mission to the new t own. A railroad warehouse, 36' x 160', was built on the merchandise dock and received cargo fro m the stream of vessels 12

arriving in port. Steady shipments of rails came into the bay ; two locomotives and several flat cars were included. 111e railroad company was not without its problems. Rainy weather, lasting several weeks, hampered construction. One of the boarding houses on the line was completely destroyed by rue, and a number of men were seriously burned. A week later another building and all its contents were lost in a fire . Despite such adversity, however, the work was pushed forward and the gap between Lake Michigamme and L'Anse slowly closed. To enforce the Jaw in frontier towns was difficult, and L' Anse was no exception. Saloons provided ample provisions of "bust head;" quarreling and fighting became the order of the day, especially after the railroad payday. "A jail , or lock-up , is needed here badly." A deputy sheriff had to transport prisoners to Houghton by boat or stagecoach, but business was so brisk at times that not all culprits could be apprehended . By the middle of November, L'Anse had a lockup, and it was hoped that the appearance of such a facility would be of some help in deterring crime. In January, 1872, more than half of the work on the thirty five mile roadbed was complete, but the company had to secure an extension of time from the Railroad Board of Control because track laying had not been completed on the first ten miles. They were running behind schedule, so it was determined not to suspe nd work during the hard winter months ahead. The snow was deep, and the temperature often dipped from ten to fifteen degrees below zero. Still , nearly 1,000 men labored to make up the lost time. The shriek of the locomotives, Groton and Keweenaw, and the rattle of the construction trains were heard day and night.

ITH THE return of spring the building boom at L'Anse continued, and from early l·~irJ£!~~~ morning until late at u night the sound o f hammer and saw echoed throughout the village. There was so much activity that there was " . . .not lumber enough at L'Anse to meet the demand." Many new residences were erected, a pop factory, business establishments and a cigar factory. Work on the ore dock began soon after the opening of navigation. Construction cost was es timate d at $50,000.00. The dock was to contain

approximately 60,000 feet of timber and 425,000 fee t of pine lumber. Prosper Roberts furnishes the timber from the banks of the Stur· geon; T. W. Edwards the pine lumber, and Moralee and Olds the hard wood plank. . .These docks are to have forty vessel and three stean1boat pockets, with a loading capacity for two vessels and one steamboat simultaneously ... The future of L'Anse looked bright. The town was hailed as the new iron center of the Midwest. The railroad was completed in December of 1872 with Chief Engineer, Jacob Houghton and Foreman, Harvey Selden receiving plaudits from the inhabitants of the area. By this time the Marquette and Onto nagon railroad had merged with the Houghton and Ontonagon and the line was known as the Marquette, Houghton and Ontonagon railroad. The ore dock was ready to supply waiting vessels with valuable iron ore. "The amount of iron ore which will be shipped from here will probably exceed both Marquette and Escanaba ..." Newly opened mines to the south supplied the raw materials. Navigation, a century ago, was often fraught with danger. " The schooner Cambridge, of Detroit, loaded with iron ore from L'Anse to Cleveland , is reported sunk 28 miles north of Marquette . . ." Schooners, steamers, propellers, barges and other vessels visited the busy port of L'Anse, several of them arriving on the same day . Plans were made to build blast furnaces. " It is believed that large furnaces will be erected at this point during the coming season ..." The L'Anse Furnace Company incorporated in 1873, and another group intended to incorporate, but the Panic of J 873 put a sobering touch on all investments and these plans never materialized. However, the ship· ment of ore continued, in limited quantities, for a few years, and then the ore dock lay idle. It was destroyed in the fire of 1896. Many businessmen closed their doors during the Panic and moved out of the area. But others stayed, hoping that better days were just around the corner. L'Anse was not to be the great iron metropo lis that many anticipated, but the logging and lumbering industry was about to brace the economy and promise better times for the future. L'Anse could look forward to another boom. Most of the information for this article was obtained by reading old issues of the

Portage Lake Mining Gazette.

L'ANSE AFTER THE TURN OF THE CENTURY

13

William Ruona

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L'Anse, Michigan

L'ANSE

LANSE PHARMACY IRVING NORDSTROM

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

ESTABLISHED IN 1931

Walgreen Agency I 949 GIFTS - SOUVENIRS STATIONERY - ALL OCCASION CARDS COSMETICS - SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Werner Mattso n, Registered Pharmacist - 1930 Suzanne Ma ttson Brown, Registered Pharmacist - 1962 L'ANSE 14

524-7470

Tom C. Brown, Registered Pharmacist - 1968

F.W .

SCHWALM

Stop In At

EARLY AME RICAN FURNITURE Stihl Chainsaws Sales & Service M-38 6 Miles West of Baraga

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FOR A GIFT THAT IS SURE TO PLEASE Susan & Karl Presslein , Prop .

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524-7403

L'Anse, Michigan 49946

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Home Cooking Homemade Bread & Rolls Italian Spaghetti - Homemade Pizza Cecelia Costelli · Mgr.

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Jeep Sales • One Stop Automotive Repair

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Sal es

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L' Anse, Michigan

H U R ON

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MLEKO CONSTRUCTION CO .

GENERAL CONTRACTORS Residential & Commercial We Build Camps - Homes - Stores - Motels - Etc. 13ARAGA CA LL US NOW 353-62 16

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11

L'Anse

Fishing and Hunting Paradise 23 Years Serving The Public

LAC VIEU X MOTEL &

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ON KEWEENAW BAY - U.S. 41 Housekeeping Cabins - 10 Unit Motel 524·7224 L'ANSE, MICH. Eunice and Bob Tonk in

15

PORTAGE LAKE DEVOTED TO THE IMPARTIAL GATHERING AND DISSEMlNATION OF RELIABLE MININC

'.he best of clay for making brick is found at the head of L'Anse Bay.

is a

great natural seapon. /

The head of L' Ange Bay is just the place

fo r the location of forges for making charcoal bloom and bar iron.

I

L'Anse 15· bewi/d ' em to tlie c ered With

inc·d

ornmg event.

CUT-OUTS - 1871-72 16

MINING GAZETTE NTELLIGENCE, lNTIMATELY RELATED TO ALL THE MINING DISTRJCTS OF LAKE SUPERIOR

L'An se, too is

baseball club;,

going t

o

h

ave its rival

I

I

W~tefish

bakes are society at L'Anse. a new feature in

I

I"

Shaffer's hotel, at L'Anse, is just fille...d from cellar to garret.

r

I

Wood butchers are in their glory at L'Anse.

I

'There is now, Wh ?ne .charm a the Peo ic}} is foun b?vr livin

a

'

anyone's b ?o much t t all tisiness btit 7~~8ed to elr own.

. f

~

I The village election.

'\

.J L'Anse wants a lock-up. -

of L'Anse has

;;di~ first

\

/

-

Peopl.e, lumber' horses and miscellan stuffJUSt flow into L'Anse. eous

.

· ·m Houghton Certain classes of mecharucs chief among which are housecount y, e painters plasterers and carpenters, at .\ doing a' land -office business at L'Anse.

I

I

I

Various types of humanity L'Anse.

I

_. L'Anse This is the year 1871 [ Have you bought a lot? A f'Irst-cL

I

Dou~as ass hotel buiJt s Hotise .' after the at L• in LI sty/ Anse. i-ioti,,i. e of th 6'' 1on is e to be

17

INVOLVED WITH THE UPPER PENINSULA THROUGH COMMUNITY SERVICE!

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Baraga County Motor Company FORD - MERCURY DEALER S

W. 0 . Haanpaa 524-6488

L'Anse

MARQU E TTE. MICHIGAN

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18

L'Anse, Michigan 49946

ERWIN BOQI{KEEPTNG ANO

Arnold J. Keskitalo

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E CONOWASH

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Broad Street

J. A. Erwin

Box 461, Baraga, Michigan

L'Anse

Phone 353·6213

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ORCHARD ED PA RTANEN SHOE REPAIR 132 Center St.

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L'Anse . Michigan

Reasonable Rates

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WATTON COOPERA TI VE STORES General Merchandjse Watton & Covington, Michigan

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PARKSIDE RESTAUR ANT & BAKERY Calumet, Michigan

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JOE BIANCO PETERLIN BROS. I NC. HEA TING and PLUMBING Calumet, Michigan L 'A NSE

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19

This photo, taken abo ut 1895, shows the first town hall in Skanee which sometimes was used as a schoolhouse.

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SPORTSMAN'S BUCKHORN BAR

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L'ANSE, MICHIGAN Hancock, Michigan

20

SKANEE: ITS EARLY DAYS Man1i11 C. Hanson

Huron Bay domina1es 1he scenery of the Skanee area. Anyone coming into the bay by boat will see severaJ rugged Red Rock bluffs, scenic Point Abbaye, the sculptured Huron Islands and the majestic Huron Mountains. Several clear water streams come tumbling from the high· lands to pour their waters into Huron Bay. It was in this area, late in 1871, that a colony arrived. The Portage Lake Mining Gazelle recorded the incident: A number of inteUigent Swedes, under the guidance of a gentleman named Capta in Been, have settled on the east shore of Huron Bay. A large tract of land has been secured by tJ1em, and it is their intention to cultivate the soil and engage in other lines of industry which shall embrace fumiture making and the manufacture of fine Brussels lace. During this same year, men of enter· prise began considering the possibility of opening slate quarries near Huron Bay. and it was predicted that the " ...almost unknown name of Huron Bay will become familiar to everyone as the name of the

MARVIN C. HANSON Mr. Hanson, of Skanee, was employed by the University of Wisconsin Extension Service until his recent retirement.

grea1est slate producing district of 1he United Stales." Quarrying of slate would not begin until the following year. The new settlement of Skanee was named after a • ...,.,....

f

BAR.AG.A COUN1_;Y DEMOCRAT. \'OL. 2 ?'O. 1.

40

BARAGA. M:ICl:L. SATURDAY.

S~MBER 15~94.~-=---

RATE $1.50 PER YEAR.

''t't . . .

INK, PAPER, AND HOT WORDS: BARAGA COUNTY NEWSPAPERS Donald Chaput

The hlstory of the press in the Keweenaw Bay region is pretty much the hlstory of Sylvester Kinney and the L'Anse Sentinel. Yet, there were other newspapers in Baraga and L'Anse, all of them interesting, most of them cager for an editorial fight. The town of L'Anse was an ancient Indian settlement, but in the early I 870's rapid growth took place. It was the western end of the Marquette, Houghton , & Ontonagon Railroad ; iron ore deposits and good building slate were discovered nearby. 111ese facts, plus the town's location on Lake Superior, meant for many people the beginning of an Industrial Age. In 187 J rumors of a "firstclass journal" were heard in town. In April of 1874 the area's first news· paper began publishing, appropriately called Tile Industrial Age. The pub· lisher was Joseph C. Waldron . The Po rtage Lake Mining Gazette (Houghton) welcomed the new paper, saying that

DONALD CHAPUT Mr. Chaput, a native of Hubbell, is Chief Historian for the Michigan Historical Commission. His most recent book is "The Cliff: America's First Great Copper Mine," published this year by Sequoia Press of Kalamazoo.

L'Anse had a great future, and Waldron had a fine printing plant. A year's subscription for the Age was $3 . Waldron's hope for the future was only luke-wam1; in August he offered the paper for sale, '\vishing to change my vocation." Sometinle in late 1874 the paper folded, mostly due to poor business conditions in the entire lake region. In late 1875 Charles King of Ishpeming came lo Lown Lo revive the Age. Along with King came Sylvester Kinney, who had a varied background as lumberman , lawyer, and printer. A new name was given to the paper, and the first issue of the l 'Anse News came off the press on December I , 1875 . 111e Gazette again welcomed a new competitor, stating that the paper was "in the hands of practical men." L'Anse was again being boomed as a manufacturing and shipping center. Kinney bowed out to King in 187 6, and in May, 1877, the L'Anse News died, having lasted only a little longer than the 111d11strial Age. The printing equip· ment was sold to the Houghton Gazette. Our man Kinney had moved to Michlgamme, and he still had newspaper ambitions. New iron mines there made him tltink of Michigamme-mining and L'Anse-shipping. Planning to take advan tage of the "wave of the future," Kinney started a new paper at Michigamme, entitled the L '.Anse and Michigamm e Bee in April, 1880. The new paper was twelve pages, three columns per page. Kinney soon found that the two-town plan didn't excite anyone , so in May, 188 1, he moved the paper to L'Anse. Here he vowed to make the Bee the "best looking little paper on the lakes, even if we never lay up a cent." Yet, the name Bee got more laughs than subscript ions. Kinney-turned· businessman changed the name of the paper to the Lake Superior Seminel in January of 1882. Soon his eight-page weekly had a circulation of 500. Kinney ran a decent local newspaper

for the next decade, earning a solid reputation in his field. A near disaster struck the paper in January of 1894; a fire destroyed the entire back portion of the Sentinel office. Kinney laughed off the event , calling it a "baptism of fire." He pledged that the paper was "still in the ring, and comes up smiling for another bound with the world ." By this time the name of the paper was the L'Anse Sentinel. Yet , maybe Kinney's optimism was a sltield for other thlngs. Late in that year he published his " Valedictory," announcing that the newspaper had been sold to John Campbell. Kinney expressed pride in what he had been able to do with the Sentinel in fourteen years. 'Ille first years were hard, he wrote, but the completion of the railroad from L'Anse to Houghton in 1884 and the development of the Nester lumbering interests in Baraga at the same time caused the Sentinel to gain in influence. Printers' blood was in hjs veins, though, and Kinney moved to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and then to Green Bay, where he was a journalist and printer. In July of 1895, while on an excursion with his family on Green Bay, Kinney had a heart attack, fell from a steamer, and was drowned. Newspapers in the town of Baraga, across the bay from L'Anse, were numerous but short-Lived. L'Anse over the years was able to support at least one paper, largely because it was the county seat. Baraga's newspapers, on tbe other hand, lived and died according to the general economic situation. The first paper in Baraga was the Baraga Counry News, started by Albert E. Quinn in August of 1887. 111e writer has not been able to examine copies of this paper, and other records of it are rather sketchy . Some accounts for early J 893 refer to it as the News, while others call it the Baraga County Democrat. In that year the paper was suspended, and the continued on page 43

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