Looking Back: A perilous bridge and millions of fish eggs
CHARLEVOIX — One hundred and fifty years ago, the Saturday, Dec. 13, 1873 Charlevoix Sentinel reported that schoolmaster Prof. Page said the needed seats for the village school had been purchased and would arrive the following week. It had recently been reported that the school season had just opened without them. Where did the 70 or so kids sit in the meantime? And a professor in charge? Or was that just an honorary, polite title?
“The weather during the past week has been varied by snow, rain, cold, warm, sunshine, cloudy, moonshine, darkness, pleasant and disagreeable. Surely, all have had an opportunity of being satisfied.” Sounds suspiciously like the weather we just went through.
“COL. MANSFIELD’S REPORT. Just as we go to press, we have been shown a copy of Col. Mansfield’s report of his examination of Charlevoix harbor. The expectations of our people concerning this report (for pier construction and always needed channel dredging) are fully realized. In a full, yet concise manner, he sets forth the situation of our river and harbor, correcting the errors of the former survey and report, in a manner that must be eminently satisfactory to our people. He recommends an immediate appropriation of $75,000 if the improvement is undertaken. Col. Mansfield has reported justly, and our benisons are upon him.”
Mansfield, of the U.S. Corps of Engineers, became a champion of Charlevoix from the moment of his first arrival in June of 1873 to evaluate the completion of a dredging project. He at once saw the erroneous conclusion of the 1868 report made by a Major Wheeler when we requested federal funds to help cut our two channels. Wheeler claimed the expense required would be prohibitive, but we went ahead and did it ourselves the following year, for less than $1,500. Mansfield admired everything he saw that we had done up to 1873, and became a true friend and booster of Charlevoix for several years.
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“The work already done is the result of the commendable spirit and energy of the people who seem to be thoroughly in earnest," he said, as recorded in the Traverse Region 1884 book. In 1876, Mansfield recommended another appropriation of $30,000 for constant maritime upkeep. That initial $75,000 would be the equivalent of just over $19 million today. At least $10,000 of the 1876 recommendation was appropriated, along with the elevation of Charlevoix into being made an official “port of entry” by the federal government. We were now a Government Harbor under the watchful eye of Washington, a situation that exists to this day.
A recent Looking Back reported on the dilapidated, dangerous condition of our wooden lower channel drawbridge. Sentinel editor Willard A. Smith was getting mighty upset. “Dangerous.—Those upon whom devolves the duty of highway repairs are guilty of gross neglect in leaving the old bridge in a shape which imperils the life of man and beast. No obstruction is placed across it, and a stranger entering town on a dark night, would be certain to precipitate himself into the river. A narrow escape from such an accident occurred to a Cheboygan gentleman on Thursday night. Let this matter be attended to!”
Fifty years later, the Dec. 12, 1923 Charlevoix Courier reported that the local federal fish hatchery, whose large 1917 building is still at Lake Michigan Beach, “... Is Now A Busy Place. Force of Twelve Take Care of 127,000,000 eggs.” When it opened in 1917, the hatchery was said to be the largest of its type in the country, if not the world. The lengthy, highly detailed article goes on to say the place was caring for 54,000,000 lake trout eggs and 73,000,000 whitefish eggs, plus how they are raised and cared for before planting in the big lakes.
As the J. B John did over several winters, “BIG FREIGHTER TIES UP TO WILBUR DOCK.” That area is now the Beaver Island Boat Company/City dock.
“The big gray boat tied up at the Wilbur dock is the J. B. John, of Michigan City, belonging to the Petoskey Transportation Company, which is affiliated with the Petoskey Portland Cement Co., and is being used by them as a cement carrier and general cargo boat.” The Portland Cement Co. once occupied the land now covered by the tremendous Bay Harbor resort west of Petoskey.
“She is an all-steel boat at 2,172 tons, originally built for ocean traffic at Wallsend, England, and was operated several years prior to her arrival on the Great Lakes as a cargo boat between New York City and Genoa, Italy. The big freighter arrived in the harbor Friday and will lay up here for the winter in the position she now occupies. A huge chain cable will hold the big vessel to her moorings in safety throughout the severest blows of the late fall and spring.”
Finally, a big golden anniversary congratulations to Village Graphics, founded 50 years ago this month as a subsidiary of Cinema III before being spun off as its own business entity. May it continue to fulfill our printing needs for another half century.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Looking Back: A perilous bridge and millions of fish eggs
