Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-16
BOOM DAYS IN MICHIGAN
Attempts to Build the Metropolis of the
West
When Port sheldon Was Expected to
Take the Place Chicago HOLDS
Brought to an End i'm 1888.
special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

years ago Sault Ste. Marie indulgel for a
brief spell in many iridescent dreams, sold
real estate four miles out in the country
at urban prices, and measured city prop
erty by the fractions of square foot. But
the 500 is an Isolated case, the excep-
ton to the rule that Michigan is not
state Of "booms." The older inhabitants
of the state. those who can recall the ever Is
of three score years, can look back upon a
period when Michigan was as full of air
castles any land Of fable AMI romance
when the most gorgeous bubbles were as
numerous as the trees of the forest. when
the state was thickly dotted, in prospect.
with thriving cities and busting villages.
GichiSan's Entry Into the Union.
Michigan came into statehood on
boom" of gigantic proportions. II was in
1885,, and at that time a Widespread west
ern fever prevailed in the eastern states.
Michigan, Ohio. Indiana and Illinois were
pictured as lands of hope and bright
promise. and with the hardy pioneers in
search Of homes came many SPECTATORS
who dreamed of speedy wealth from the
rise in land values. The land Office in De-
troit was besieged and the stirring scenes
OF the OkI4h-rna opening were enacted with
slightly different stage settings, but with
the same spirit manifested. Tine popuia-
ton Of the new state, according to the
census Of 1897. numbered II4,O5l, and tbs
people were ElaSSei Chiefly N the southern
tier Of counties, with Detroit as the center
o. commercial activity and the seat of gov
e-nfnent- Among them prevailed that same
speculative fever which ragged liz other parts
OF the country. and every body imagined
that the road to immediate and magnificent
wealth was straight and short, and that he
was on il. 1T the head of ,he first state
government was Stevens Thomson Mason
Elrslnian. who mad come here as secre-
tary 10 the territorial governor. and him
sell acted as governor in the absence of the
chief executive. When he came to Michi-
gan as secretary he had Just passed his
eighteenth birthday and when he entered
upon his duties as the INST governor elected
Dy the people OF the state he barely
twenty-five years old. He was the young est
governor this or any other state elected
10 the office. he was not only young but
he was handsome and enthusiastic and i'm
petuouS, ana IN common with every body
else believed that the boom then on had
ccine 10 stay. Under the original constitu-
uOn OF the state, adopted in those boom
Gays internal Improvements shall be
cOuraSed Dy the government OF this state"
and the members OF the early legislat Tres;
al enthusiasts, were eager 20 enter lspon
the improving work and were free in vot-
Ing public money in aid of these enterprises
Railroads, 70 be constructed by the slate
were projected, and the work was begun on
thee different lines. Two canals across
the state TO save the iong voyage around
Clemens may stiil be seen traces Of the
early digging TO- one OF them. \ state
DapAing law was enacted. and under il
BANK were established at every cross road
many OF them having printing press ard
a stout boy to work it as the only capital
W hiie the state was pushing forward the
plchc improvement Is. and lpon them law
IsIHls millions OF money. indiTtiIals and
sS ACIcates were engaged in castle building
ON an equally elaborate scale Cilies were
laid out and villages We're plated and in
MAN. an caster. city q thriving business
was done IN selling corner lots in these
western Wilderness metrOpoli5eS In the
course of time the boom cOllaDSed The
wildcat banks in the woods went TO the
EGH aud the currency issued by them be-
came as worthless as it really was. The
state WENT out OF the internal Improvement
business Ind repudiated some of the bonds
Issued for the railroad and canal business.
The boom cities in the forests collapsed
anu disappeared; and the people OF that day
knew what hard times were
About thirty miles from here on the
snCTe OF LAKE Michigan, ldlf way between
Grand Haven and Holland, will stiIl he
seen a relic OF the boom" days An old
frame building. battered by the storms of
many winters. without windows and far
gone in decay. stands in a grove of second
growth timber. and around il will be seen
an occasional old stump. and il the visitor
will look closely he may find traces of what
was once sidewalks and streets The place
IS deserted. and the only visitors are the
hunters who pass that way on summer
picnic parties The old building Is all that
IS LETT of what was once Port Sheldon de-
signed to be the metropolis Of the west.
in the building of which thousands of dol
lars were spent, and whose coilapse figured
IN national scandal.
The Port sheldon Enterprise.
In 1885 a number of New York and Phil
adelphia capitalists formed joint stock
company, with a design IF founding u city
In western Michigan. They had ample cap
ital in hand and plenty more to fall back
upon The reserve. in fact, was the United
states Bank of Philadelphia, and a few
years later, when the charter OF the bank
expired and its affairs were wound M
among Its nominal assets were found a
large block OF the Port SkeiIon stock thus
confirming President Jaeksons srIs;.icions
mat the institution was GOTTEN. The NOV
ing spirit in the Michigan city enterprise
was Alexander X. JaudOn of Philaiielphia
ana ne associated with himself in it a num-
Der OF other capitalists, generously letting
then IN on the ground floor Detroit was
then the metropolis of he eastern part
OF the state, and they PROPOSED to make
fort SheidOn the western empcriurn
Grand Haven. at the mouth of Grand river
was first selected as a site. but the field
there was already in the possession Of the
Grand Haven Company" in which Rev
v m VI Ferry, father of ex-senator Tnos
W. Ferry, was the active AMI resident
member. and the old company refJse,I to
let Tue new enterprise in. The Port Shell
don company then selected a site half way
between Grand Haven and Holland. az the
mouth OF Pigeon lake. In the fall of .S37
operations We're begun in earnest Vessels
tosdet with provisions and Supplies bring
hiS bCiiOlrS materials and houses really to
put together. were sent around by the lakes
from EuHalo, and with the materials were
sent forty men. including 4 fun staff of
directors. sUperinteEdents. surveyors en-
S1neers and architects. The winter was
spent IN clearing the land and erecting
buildings, and at the end If tie ,irSr six
months l6D acres of land hal been cleared
fifteen H-St-claSS frame buildings had been
erected. a saw mill was in operation and a
general store was opened, with a stock
OF goods, which included silks, velvets and
fine fabrics. During the next summer a
Splendid hotel was erected at a cost of
sOppp. 1t was 90 by ~. shree stories high
and the rosy hopes for the future were. the
only reason for its existence, as guests ar
rived scarcely once u month 20 partake
or Its hospitality. The saw mIl was en-
l2rSsG ami represented an investment OF
S2o,Cp, and $1u.UD was eXpenlaI IN 1Os t,s
TO Grand Haven. y beautiful yacht was
purchased, Ca,el the Nemee and a beat
house was erected and equipped With row
boats Tor pleasure. An elegant map of thu.
City and harpOr was engraved. 1t showed
city Of IL blocks. with twenty-foyr lots
u the block Seven lots we're reserved for
churches. one for a fish marx t. two for
general markets, four for a railroad four
Tor a city nall and one for q school house
\ railroad was laid cut With piers from
Pigeon lake to Lake Michigan. and il was
q Il