Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-07-15

DECAY AND DEsOLATioN IN
NORTH MUSHROOM.
Was Once a Thriving Place, but an
EVIL influence Seems 90 Have Fol.
lowed IL from the First-story OF
Its Decline. sIs..s
An I,l.st.rred Town.

-
There is probably no village in Michi-
gan In which the ravages Of time are 30
apparent as in the city of North Mus
kegon, situated on the north shore OF
Muskegon Lake. From 1884 to 1886 the
city had reached its zenith, and contained
a population Of 1912 souls. To-day the
population is less than 400, and Of the
600 houses less than 100 are occupied.
In 1884 there were IL monster saw mills,
one box factory and two single mills
In operation. Then the valuation of real
and personal property was $64Q, 700. To-
day it is but $4,000. During the lum-
bering season of 1884 the sum of $157 900
was paid in wages: in 1897 1t will be less
than $4,000. The only industries are one
saw mill, property of Cow Il Campbell,
and the Frank Alberts single mill.
The city is beautifully situated on a
bluff that rises from 40 to 90 feet above
the level Of Muskegon Lake. Those ia
miiar with it's rise and fall are reminded
of the Deserted Village" by Oliver Gold
smith
Sweet Auburn, loveliest village Of the
plain,
Where health and plenty cheered the la
boring swain,
Where smiling spring its earliest visit
paid,
And parting summers lingering blooms
delayed"
The bluff extends from east to west
about three miles, and experiments have
proven this elevation to be one of the
best fruit producing sections on the east
shore Of Lake Michigan, particularly in
the culture Of grapes. The blighting
frosts that often visit the lowlands in
spring and autumn are seldom felt here.
Onc-half mile north of the shore of Mus
kegon Lake is Bear Lake, beautiful
sheet of water covering about 200 acres,
from which the city is supplied with wa
ter by pumps. This lake is connected with
Muskegon Lake by Ruddiman Greek, at
the western limits Of the city,
Notwithstanding its favorable location
and healthful surroundings strange ia
tally has seemed to follow the city from
the first. When the saw mills were in
operation accidents horrible In their ma
ture were frequent. In 1888 the boilers
in Lynch's saw mill exploded, killing one
man and injuring many others. In the
summer of 1880 n large fly wheel in one
of the mills burst, killing a man named
Dennison, injuring several others, and
damaging the mill and machinery. In
1885 the box factory boilers exploded,
killing two men and seriously wounding
five others. In 1893 Mrs. Bridget Clark,
of New York State, who was visiting her
son, fell on a defective sidewalk and re-
ceived permanent injuries. She sued the
city for $1,000 damages and in the Cir
cult Court was given verdict for 81 500.
The city of North Muskegon fought the
suit through the Federal Court in Gin
cinnati, and that tribunal affirmed the
judgment. The Mayor and Council were
afterwards ordered by the Court to pro-
vide for paying the judgment by taxation
levied FOR the purpose.
Since the mills departed many houses,
occupied and unoccupied, have been food
for flames, while others have been torn
down or removed across the lake on large
scows TO the sister city. The few mer-
chants i'm North Muskegon do thriving
business with the many farmers who pass
through the city on their way to Mus
kegon.