Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-05-08
UP NORTH.
Something About the Three Northern
Counties of the s.OwerIPeninsula-
The Villages THE Adyantuges-eor
Farming Purposes

Counfies of the s.OweriPeninsuIa-
The Villages -The Adyantage.-for
Farming Purposes
Correspondence of the Adrian Times.
CHEB0YGAN, April 24.--In my last let
ter, spoke somewhat at length of Che
bOygan as being the center to which a
large portion of these three northern
counties are tributary, and where their
inhabitants must get their supplies and
find market for their produce. In this
propose to speak briefly of other towns.
and the soil, the timber, and the price of
land suitable for farming purposes.
Just across the river. and located with
in about one and a half miles of ChebOy-
gan, is
DUNCAN CITY,
famed for its being the site of one of the
first saw mills i'm the northern mart of
the state, and where are now located
two saw mills, Zone of them new and tbe
best in northern Michigan); a store.
where is kept everything family wants,
a school house, machine shops, &c. A
village whose inhabitants are entirely
engaged in making lumber, and owned
and operated by Thompson Smith. South
east of Duncan City, distant about 40
miles, is
ROGERS CITY,
the county seat of Presque Isle county.
1t is pleasantly situated on Lake Huron.
has fair-sized court house, i'm which is
the Jail, county offices, etc.; a saw mill,
two hotels, two churches, a school house,
and sundry stores and machine shops.
CRAWFORD'S QUARRY,
located on Lake Huron, has good har-
Dor and is formidable rival of Rogers
City, both i'm size and prospects. Eighteen
miles below this is Presque Isle, place,
Mr.. Editor, that you and large number
of your readers who personally frequent
Grand lake, are better acquainted with
than | am, so need not describe it.
At the west of us on Lake Michigan
is the flOurishing Village of
PETOSKEY,
famous for its being the location of the
Methodist camp ground and the present
termination of the Grand Rapids & In
diana railroad. 1t is the county seat of
Emmett county, beautifully situated on
Little Traverse Bay. 1t is the business
center for thriving farming country
around it. As it has been so often visit
ed, and is so we'll known to the people of
the southern part of the state, Ineedssay
nothing more in its praise.
LITTLE TRAVERSE
is situated about four and half miles
north of PetOskey on the opposite side of
the bay, has one of the safest and most
cOmmOdiOus harbOrs on the lakes, and is
the place near which the Presbyterians
have located their camp grounds. 1t is
about to be connected with PetOskey by
railroad, as the G. R. q |. r. r. is run
ming branch from PetOskey to Little
Traverse to connect with the latter road.
OTHER VILLAGES.
Cross Village, about ten miles further
north, and Mackinaw City, at the ex-
treme northern part of the lower Penin-
sula, are villages of some note, particu-
larly the latter, which is at the point
on the south side of the straits, where
the Marquette & Mackinaw railroad is
to cross. Besides these there are places
OF business springing up i'm the interior.
At the head of Indian River, near
where the j. L. & S. R. r. is expected to
cross, store has been started, where a
large amount of general merchandise is
sOld-there is also another store started
on the south side of Burt lake, and doing
good business.
LIE COILs
Underlying nearly all of the three
northern counties about which l have
been writing, is lime rock, varying in
thickness from few inches to twenty
feet, and in depth below the surface of
the soil of from forty feet to places where
it crops out, as at CrawfOrd's Quarry and
at Black lake, and few miles south of
it in Presque Isle county, and in Little
Traverse Bay, Emmett county. Besides
limestone is found i'm large quantities in
the shape of shell rock, undergoing de-
composition in many places, and scatter
ed very generally through the surface of
the soil, which is of great variety, vary
ing from light sand. with very little
vegetable mold on top of it, and little or
no timber, to the heavy clay with deep
and rich vegetable mould, and timbered
with heavy maple and beech. Near the
shore of the great lakes, and extending
back from them distance of three to six
miles, the land is usually light sand or
cedar swamps, and worth little at present
for farming purposes
TIMBER,
Back of this and along the streams,
pine is found in large quantities, and
still back of this, or interspersed through
it, is the rolling, maple and beech farm
ing land. The proportion that these
three kinds of land bears to each other is
about 0ne-half hard wood or good farm
ing land One-fOurth pine land, some of
it good for farming purposes, and one
fourth plains and swamp, with little
value for agricultural until thoroughly
drained and reclaimed. The country is
generally rolling, and well watered, ris-
ing to an elevation of 600 or 200 feet, 45
or so miles south of the straits of Mack
inaw, the streams all have rapid cur
rents. and abound in good mill sites,
which cannot be other than advantage
Gus to the future settlement of the coun-
try.
GOOD FARM LANDS,
timbered with beech and maple, laying
within 10 to II miles of ChebOygan, or
any one of the principal villages spoken
of, or near the line of the proposed rail
road, are held at from 50 to So per acre.
according to the quality of the soil, lOca-
tiOn, &c. Further back, lands can be
bought for less price. There is yet some
good state land that can be had at 81 %
to 81 per acre; agricultural college lands
for So per acre, and school lands for 81
per acre. All these lands can be bought
on "time payments" by paying one.
fourth or One-third cash down. There is
also some fair lands belonging to the
United States, and subject to homestead
entry. But nearly all the best lands are
reserved by the state for school and ag
ricultural college purposes, by railroads
or owned by private individuals. The
best and most extensive tract of farm
lands that / know of, lays south of Black
Lake in Presque Isle and ChebOygaI
counties. There are $4,000 or 10000
acres of land there that is unsurpassed