The Escanaba Daily Press from Escanaba, Michigan • Page 1

Thursday, July Area salutes nation's 200th year A history of Escapaba By JEANETTE E. BRAYAK The history of dates back to the middle when the Chicago and North Woatorn Railroad began to purii Its Una through the wilderness hr tween the new county seat of Escanaba and Negaunee Early recordi are vague; but, according to them, a-Mr. Elliott was one of the first local managers of the Western Union. It wss between that Ore Dock Number 1 was completed at Escanaba and operations commenced in July of 1888. R.

A. Oonnsily, Master Mechanic and bulldsr of the dock, also built hotel sod boardng house, the first frame In Escanaba. Perry and Wells, railroad contractors, erected two other small buildings and general store, marking the beginning of a prosperous community. The first white child in Escanaba, Martin L. Dinn, was born in the year 1883.

Prior to 1884, mail was carried from Green Bay to Flat Rock by sailing vessels. During the year 1884, regular service was begun with steamships making daily trips. These steamers were the SWAN, the SARAH VAN EPP and the SAGINAW During the winter, mail was carried from Green Bay to Marquette by means of dog teams, most of the carriers being half-breed Indian. During 1884, practically the only contacts Escanaba had with the outside world, besides the steamers, were the infrequent visits of the stage coach from Green Bay, mail carried by the Pony Express and occasional visiting ships. Two such ships were the FAUN and the DA YON, small side-wheel boats minus pilot houses.

Most of these early excursion made two round trips dally, except on Sundays when a trip was also made in the evening. If a week-day evening was especially pleasant, the steamer blew her whistle three times, a signal for a crowd to gather and take a moonlight cruise. The first poet office was organized in Escanaba in 1884 and was located across from the present House of Ludington. Later, it was moved to drug store nearthe site of the Hoyler Building. Since that time, it was moved several times before reaching its present location in the 500 block on, Ludington Street.

In 1171, a new building was constructed off Lincoln Rood, near the Delta Plaza Shopping Mall. When the post office was first established, was spelled It was changed to its present form in June of 1875. Escanaba is an Indian word probably meaning Point. The first building of note was the Tilden House, named for Samuel J. Tilden, a prominent New Yorker who was a candidate for the Presidency In 1878.

At that time, Mr. TUden owned some mining properties in the Uppsr Peninsula. The Tilden House was the community center of town and the finest hotel around. It was located on Tilden Avenue, now Third Street, the main street of the village in 1884. The TUden Hpuse was opened to the public on Christmas Day, 1884.

In 1888, Escanaba was Incorporated as a village, and in 1887 a lighthouse was erected at the extremity of the peninsula known as Sand Point. Since that time, the lighthouse has been in constant service, guiding vessels away from the sandbar near the point. Captain John Terry was the first keeper of the light but died soon after his appointment, and his widow was placed in charge. In 1888 the building was destroyed by fire, and Mrs. Terry perished with it.

Escanaba acquired its first fire fighting equipment in 1878 with the purchase of a steam engine and several hundred feet of hose. Prior to that time, a bucket brigade provided the only fire protection to the village. The first fire department was organized in 1882. The St. Francis Hospital was founded in 1883 when the Sisters of the Third Order of St.

Francis in Peoria, Illinois, came to Escanaba to assume charge of the Delta County Hospital. In February, 1884, the first nursing staff arrived. The hospital remained in charge of the county until 1913 when the Sisters purchased the hospital and planned construction of new building which was completed in April of 1915. In 1981 a large addition was made to the old hospital. In 1971, further changes were made in organization and many modernizations have been effected.

An intensive care unit was added recently. The year 1887 saw the introduction of the first telephones, crude and clumsy contraptisons, to Escanaba. Service was only local, no long-distance lines. George Finch began another exchange in 1889 which continued for a few years. The Bell Telephone system completed its toll lines through the Upper Peninsula the same year, also completing the rebuilding of the Escanaba Exchange located on the second floor of the Fogarty Building, now occupied by the Daily The Michigan Bell Telephone Company is now located at 210 South 10th Street in a modern building, and the dial system has replaced the Hie First National Bank of Escanaba is Delta oldest; it was organized in 1871 as a private bank by C.

C. Royce. A new building was dedicated in 1971. The Escanaba National Bank was organised as a private bonk In 180 under the leadsnhip of John K. Stack and John Corcoran.

It was later renamed the Northern Michigan National Bank. The State Bank of Escanaba was organised as a result of the reorganisation of the Citizens Bonk, a private banking hotae under the management of Percy L. Catlett snd son. The first president of the reorganised bank was O. B.

Fuller in November, of 1984. A new State Bdfik building was erected in 1988. Tbeoe banks have also built additional buildings to further public. history is marked by several major fires, themoetdeetructive snd spectacular being the burning of Ore Dock Number 3, Ore Dock Number 4 snd the Reiss Coal Cock in 104. The I.

Stephenson lumber yards were burned in 180, the steamer NAHANT and ore docks in the early a fire which destroyed ten buildings in the 800 block of Ludington Street in 1897, and a fire in 180 that started in the blueberry plains, present site of North Escanaba. It was feared that the fire would spread to the large oil tanks situated near there. Consequently, all ore boats which came into the Escanaba harbor for the next several days were held over and reservations made on them for every person living in Escanaba. Fortunately, the fire was checked; and it was not necessary to evacuate the town. The moot recent fire of large scope occurred in 190, when several buiklinp were burned in the 700 block of Ludington Street.

An ordinance of 1888 which sounds amusing now read: horses, aaaes, mules, cattle, goats, swine and geeee are hereby prohibited from running at large within the limits of the City of The ordinance continues, provision of the foregoing Jection shall not be deemed to apply to milch cows during the Eli P. Royce planned and laid out the village of Escanaba and practiced law there ixitil 1894. He was the dean of the bar of Delta County. He also was a candidate for Circuit Judge, opposing Claudius B. Grant and served as prosecuting Attorney and Mayor of Escanaba.

Other prominent members of the bar in those early days were John Power, A. R. Northrup, t. D. Mead, Ira C.

Jennings, C. D. McEwen, John Cummlskey, Newton C. Spencer, and Judd Yellind. The Postal Telegraph and Cable Company opened its first office here in 180 in the old post office Mr.

E. F. Carter was manager until 1900 when Frank Lang succeeded him. An early shopping center Julias Greeaboot, on left la vest, was an early leader in the Eecaaaba business community. His store, was located laiiglaa Street an the site now occupied by the Clark service station.

Note the high-button shoes displayed on racks an either side of the entrance. Early Escanaba industries were: Chicago and North Western, (the old being the first locomotive on the Escanaba Negaunee line), the tie-treating (riant, ore docks, Escanaba Manufacturing Company, (largest wooden butter dish, pie plate and clothes pin factory in the world), National Pole Company, (manufacturers of telegraph and telephone poses), Stegath Lumber Company, Chatfiekl Brass and Iron Works, Oliver Iron Company, Erickson and Btssell, (dealers in timber products), Mashek Chemical and Iron Company and the Richter Brewing Company. Shoe Store, established in 1900, is the oldest, exclusive shoe store in Delta County which is still in business. The great-great- great grtandfatber of John Peterson, founder of the Escanaba store, was engaged in hand shoe-making in Sweden in the 17th century. There was also Erickson's Store which carried shoes and P.

A. Aronson also had a shoe store. Another early industry was the Birdseye Veneer Company, which is now dismantled; and, in later years, the Escanaba Paper Company and, still later, The Hamiachfeger Corporation. The Delta County Road Commission was organized in the late 1890's and consisted of five members: James S. Doherty, Jules Edouin, Frederick J.

Merriam. Peter Groos and John Gunderson. Clerk of the Board was O. V. Linden.

The first meeting was held in September of 1896 This yesr was a very busy one for the new commission, as their principal problem was to lay out a system of county roads. The commissioners were divided in the matter of the location of a road from Escanaba to Gladstone and remained in session four days before finally reaching an agreement. Escanaba first football team was organized in 1893. Rugby football was played, coached by James Todd who had learned the game in Canada. Members of the first Escanaba team were Lyman Mert McRae, George Winter gripped al Stolli la the century as where Harbor Tewer ChrtoUMO lights Downtown scene and the smoke from the city's steam plant.

The old pootofflee in the lower right, buSt In 190, at that time had only two stories. The third alary was added same years later. ''4 Eastwood, Frank Walters, Gene Longley, Ed and Bili Bartley and Harry Long. They played their first game against Ford River, and the defeated them badly A return game was played, and this time the Escanaba team showed great improvement; for the score was a tie. American football was first played in Escanaba in 1897 Escanabe High School played two games: they beat Iron Mountain 36-0 and lost to Menominee 46-0.

The first grade school constructed in Escanaba was the Franklin School, which was built in 1882. The second school built was St. Joseph School in 1884 The first school was destroyed by fire in 1914 and the present structure was then erected. In 1891 St. School was built.

The Barr School was constructed in 1898 and since torn down. The old Washington School was built in 1899. The Jefferson School was built in 1902 and has been succeeded by the New Jefferson. The John Lemmer School was named after an outstanding superintendent of schools and was built in 1954. New parochial schools were also built: St.

in 1951, St. Thomas in 1955 and St. in 1963. The Escanaba Senior High School was built in 1906, and the Escanaba Junior High School in 1931. St.

parochial school contained both grade school and high school until 1954 when Holy Name High School was constructed. The new Escanaba Area Senior High School was opened in 1963. In 1971, Holy Name was closed as a high school but remained in operation as a parochial grade school for Escanaba Thus, there is now only one high school serving the city, the Escanaba Area Public High School Cloverland Commercial College opened in 1905 and closed in 1961. Bay de Noc Community College began in 1983. St.

Joseph's Church is the pioneer church of the city, the first public service being held in the open on the lake shore in 1869. The church was built in 1873. St. Church was founded in 1888 and St. in 1901.

The First Presbyterian Church was the first Protestant church in Escanaba and was orgaryed by Rev. G. W. Lloyd in 1864 as a Sunday School The present church was built in 1899. In 1870 the First Methodist Church was organized with the Rev.

William Mahon of Marquette as pastor The first building was erected in 1873 St. Stephen's Episcopal Church was begun in 1877, the German Lutheran in 1889. the Swedish Mission or Evangelical Covenant in 1890, the Swedish Methodist in 1899, the First Baptist in 1893, the Norwegian-Danish Lutheran in 1901. the Calvary Baptist in 1902, the Christian Science in 1912 and the Bethany Lutheran in 1913. St.

built a new church in 1963, St. Thomas in 1955, followed by St. Other Protestant churches erected since then are: Assembly of God, Hiawathaland Baptist, Church of Christ, Church of Christ Lakeside, United Church of Christ Calvary Lutheran. Christ the King Lutheran. Immanuel Lutheran, Salem Evangelical Lutheran, United Pentecostal, Salvation Army, Seventh- Day Adventist.

Central United and First United Methodist. First entertainments in Escanaba were held in the Masonic Hall, located formerly at Tilden Avenue, or Third Street. The Opera Grand was erected at the corner of Ludington and Tilden. D. A.

Oliver and C. C. Royce built the roller rink at First Avenue and Fourth Street. The south end of the rink was used for roller skating and the north end as an opera house. Later the house was purchased by P.

M. Peterson and was known as Opera House. Still later, it was known as Coliseum. Other show houses were the Daisy, operated by W. E.

LeDuc, the Lincoln, managed by Mr and Mrs. Ed Specht and located in the 600 block of Ludington Street, the Bijou, the Grand and Theatre The Delft Theatre was built in 1914, the Strand Theatre was renamed the -Michigan Theatre and remodeled in 1930. One interesting incident to be recalled about the old of the Peterson Opera House was the annual showing of Harriet Beecher classic, Cabin Escanaba boys vied for the honor of leading real, live bloodhounds in order to get free tickets for the show. George Harris wss one of the pioneer liverymen of Escanaba. He operated bis business across from the present House of Ludington.

Other liveries were the West End, owned by Tom McDonough and Joseph Beauchamp; the City Livery operated by Tom Richie; and the Third Ward Livery operated by Marc Pepin, M. Main and John Haring.The West End Livery was very popular with the young men of those days who were courting their best girls, because this livery boasted a Stanhope rig with a white team of horses and white harness Transportation was cheap then the minimum charge was 91 00 $1.50 for an afternoon and $2.00 for an entire day. The West End Livery was the last one to go out of business in 1928. It was then operated by Phil Maynard in the building presently occupied by Sayklly Store. The first blacksmith shop in Escanaba was established about 1888 by Joe Derry on the site of the Main Hotel, the present Peterson Hotel! One of the first smithies was Joe Londo.

Others were Charles dergeon, C. E. Knutson and Tim Meiers. Joe Boyer was one of the blacksmiths in Escanaba. In the early history of Escanaba, streets artra named after the wL.

22 daughters of the members of the Nelson Ludington Company. The main street was called Ludington Street, as it is today. The streets md avenues were called by feminine names as Charlotte, Mary, Jenny, Fannie aid Sarah streets. Later they were named numerically. Many amusing incidents occurred in those eariy when the numerous lumberjacks in this area led imbibed too freely.

A brakeman on the NW Railroad running betweoa here and Ishpeming la reported to have related story: As the train waa moving slowly along the tracks, he noticed that It hit something sligbtfy. Upon stopping and investigating, he discovered It was a tipsy lumberjack who said, hit me again! I to Am Escanaba Daily Press.