The 1850’s are considered to be the pioneer days of Great Lakes shipping. The industry grew quickly during the second half of the century.
The unofficial start to the shipping season began as soon as the ice in the Straits of Mackinac had begun to thaw and was dispersed to a point where ships could safely transit between Lakes Michigan and Huron.
Throughout the years there has been a great variety of industry, commerce, and business in our regional economy. From the fur trade to lumber, from paper manufacturing to tourism and everything in between, the local economy has been as complex as it is diverse.
But even from those earliest days there have been committed individuals who have made it a personal and professional goal to make the area grow and prosper. While organizations like our local Chambers of Commerce come to mind, they are but one of the many groups that have existed in our area over the years with a goal of securing a sound economic present and future for those of us who call this area home.
Fort Mackinac,
Mackinac, Michigan
1883 January 1883
14th
I am ten years old today. We had turkey and other good things for dinner. The ground has been covered with snow all winter. The Straits are full of ice except in one place between here and Round island. We can see boys skating near the docks. The Algomah has been fast in the ice near Mackinaw City since yesterday afternoon. The chimney in the church smoked so badly we would not have Sunday school. We have been at this post since April 23rd 1882. I was born at Camp Date Creek Arizona.
Today it seems that we are often hearing about changes to the postal service, yet the mail is something that we often just take for granted. We go to our mailbox or post office box, pick it up, and are on our way. When we need to mail a letter we go to the nearest collection box and drop it in, or put it in our mailbox and put up the flag. Not so long ago, however, the process was much less streamlined.
One Sunday afternoon during the unseasonably warm weather in early October, I joined some friends for a leisurely cruise on the Inland Route. Sailing from Cheboygan to Burt Lake, we enjoyed the waterway at a time when many had already pulled their boats out for the season. A gorgeous day with hardly any traffic – it seemed like a shame, but then again who would have imagined such pleasant weather that late in the year?
The Christmas season is a time rich with traditions and fond family memories of years gone by. One tradition most identified with the holiday season was brought from Germany centuries ago, the warmth and glow of a decorated Christmas tree. Today, one can buy a Christmas tree almost anywhere, but over a century ago in a big city, like Chicago, it could be a real challenge. Balsam Fir, Scots Pine and the other assorted evergreens that most people wanted for a Christmas tree didn’t readily grow anywhere near the sprawling concrete and brick metropolis on the south shore of Lake Michigan. However, those trees flourished at the north end of the lake. Logging companies, looking to make a profit from their land, soon started cutting the 5 to 8 foot trees to sell to sailing captains willing to haul them by the boat load back to the Chicago area. This practice proved so profitable that, by the early 1870’s, it had spawned an entire industry.
It seems hard to believe, but after a warm summer and an incredible start to the fall, temperatures are gradually cooling down outside and the days are getting shorter. The leaves are nearly gone, and pumpkin pies and apple cider have appeared in many of our homes. It can only mean one thing – fall is here and winter is on its way.
Winter, of course, has always been a part of life here. The changes in the seasons may seem dramatic to us (from 90 degree days in the summer, to days with wind chills of -20), but it has always been something that those of us who live here have to deal with. But how we have handled extremes in winter weather has changed dramatically throughout the decades.
I have heard many a longtime resident say, “we don’t get the snow around here like we used to.” Even I remember there being much more snow when I was younger. Looking at photographs of the area from times past we should have no reason to doubt this. We really did get more snow then!
Local history is composed of many different facets. From important former citizens to big events to any number of hugely varying components, local history can be a field that goes way beyond the obvious. The story of the USS Cheboygan County is one such component. It has no connection to local history other than the name – but a naval vessel which once held that name is, by default, a part of our local history. She proudly served in the United States Navy during World War II, participating in the invasion of Normandy in June 1944.
As mid-summer afternoons on northern Lake Huron go, August 9, 1865 wasn’t anything special. A light rain fell, and a fresh easterly breeze made the lake surface dance on light choppy waves. The Civil War had been over for nearly five months and the Northern States were still morning the assassination of President Lincoln.
Hope was in the air along with steady rain, as the S. S. Pewabic headed south down the lake. Built in 1863 by Peck and Masters of Cleveland, OH for the Superior Transit Co., the Pewabic had a length of 200.25 feet, a beam of 31 feet and a depth of 12.42 feet.
Even in 1936, as Americans were just starting to shake off the effects of the depression, the most dominant mode of transportation was the automobile. President Roosevelt’s public works programs had helped to create a vast network of newly constructed roads, and families were beginning to travel again. And trucks were transporting materials from coast to coast and border to border.
