Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-05-17


way tetween the two points, now
known as North and South points,
they would have found narrow,
winding river, but they would not
have found any representative Of
the Saxon race 10 welcome them.
This river has been named after
the bay and is now known as
Thunder Bay river. II they had
rowed up the river about q mile,
they would have found their course
barred by rapids, which, by the
formation Of O dam, has since been
turned into o valuable power
Could they ever have imagined
that, on both sides OF the river,
there would have been brick blocks,
stores, churches, mills, and numer-
Gus fine dwelling houses; that the
watery places at the entrance Of
the river would, in the course Of
time, be converted into solid land
and covered with mills and other
buildings; that those low, sandy
banks would be bounded by docks
and marked by hugh piles of lum-
ter, and on that water to the left,
as they entered, would be erected
that magnificent structure known
as the Fletcher Housea We do
not think they did, for, although
those early navigators were sa-
gacious and far-seeing men, they
would not have entertained ideas
that would have seemed to them
nothing but fantastic creations of
the mind.
Instead Of the enerjectic Saxon
or adventurous Celt. they may have
seen a few wild Indians; in place
of houses, churches, stores, and
hotels, they may have observed a
wigwam or two, and instead of
fashionable women, they may have
noticed u few Indian women en-
gagged in performing the drudgery
of their lives, while their lords and
masters, the noble redskins, passed
their time in fishing, hunting, loaf
ing, and, of course, fighting
Where, now, can frequently be OBJ
served the stately steamer or ma
iestic harque, then were only the
frail bark canoes of the red-man
where streets are now laid out,
then were only the lofty pine and
the thick growth of underwood.
and where, now, the noise and
hustle of stirring city is heard,
then resounded only the voices Of
nature. All was solitude; hun
dreds of miles away from the ring
Of civilization unknown and un-
sought after was the state Of Alpe-
ma at that time.
But these things have come to
pass, man came, saw, worked and
conquered, and from the wilds OF
nature he has carved with his hands
tho fruit Of cizilization, so that
where once was only wilderness,
now stands the germ of what soon
promises to be- q large and pros
perous city, and one that Michigan
will yet he proud to own. 1t is
land that is dear to many of us.
and toward which our heart clings
so strongly. And no wonder either,
for here is the scene Of life's strug-
giles; here many Of Alpena's cons
and daughters battled adversely;
here they made their first attempt
a. independence, and many can
look around and say proudly, /
came, l worked, I conquered
There is not point, place, or To-
colity but which is engraven on
the minds of some of our citizens
by the remembrances Of their past
struggles. They can remember
when such and such q brick block
was but a tract of land covered
with trees and underwood; they
oft tell incidents about this or that
person; how such and such thing
was accomplished, or some mirth-
full remembrance Of the first settle
ment, for these scenes are still fresh
in the minds Of many Of our citi-
zens, and for them to look back, it
must seem but few weeks since
the first steps at civilizing Alpena
commenced.
We have no classic histories 10
tell no fabulous incidents to note
down; no romantic and dreamy
accounts Of primitive life, and we
have no stirring deeds OF revolu-
tionary times to record. Indians