The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1899-11-25
LOOKING BACKWARD.
ny IeRoME u. scnwAnrz.


Pa e, 81 q 81 ssA eca-ssa.sl a. m Coy
Eighteen years il IL vory long time to
sccns but short timo indeed and when
the events that trnnspircd In ~ little
community like ours pnss Tor review
before our minds cyo wo marvel at the
swiftnoss oi time. While there are not n
great many events 10 record that will
bc oI interest to people OF otbor COM
munitics yet these events, taken coli
cctiycly, form completed whole that
has much interest to any one connected
with this city either by present or past
ties. Ana then, the reviewing OF them
serves 10 clinsc away tho dark clouds
that comes over ones path onco IN a
while. So il has been 10 mo and will
doubtless be To many others who read
this narrative ON Thanksgiving day
1899.
| IL was about Thanksgiving time 1881
| that the first tree was cut which wns to
mark the present location al our little
city. DIR. A. l.. Bond, thon OF this city
but later Of Iron River, had previously
erected u little exploring camp across
the Paint river where now tho chicken
coop OF William Jnmos stands. This
little camp was tho habitation of the
Drawn and muscle that Showed up" tho
orc deposits ~ the Paint River and
(old) Crystal Falls mines, n humble be-
ginning OF the immense mining intcrerts
that centre about hero today. w. III.
A Morrison was in chnrgo of another OK
plorat ton that lead To the finding of the
Fairbanks. Later came tho Shaicr,
.-uAputystowp, Junictta. KimhalI and
u T'h'f fi-in sf.r-i.l succession. tho greatest
strain in mining them tcIne upon the
: man that furnished Tho nomenclature. !.
for every outcrop,w whether jasper or ore
was eagerly seized upon by the oxpiorr
To whom "all outcrops looked aliko." lt
: was in 1882 that the Great Western
: mine was discovered by s. ID. IIollister,
ST.. an| Geo. Runklo. Work was begun
about this time upon the Caledonia
mnc-thc iorcrunner of tho present
7 Mansfield mine. The chcckcrcd career
OF jlll OF these properties would make
interesting reading but, ns hnvc been
cautioned TO stick ns closely by Thanks
( giving as possible, | must leave that
branch for another time. It wns the
| discoveries OF these orc bodies that led
| the Crystal Falls Iron company to lay
i out u town. Tho location oi tho town
E WAS in the nature OF n compromise, tho
! the original intention Of tho townsitc
1 people hcing to locate tho town on the
e edge OF Runklo Lake, but this idea did
not suit the Joliet Steel company which
\ concern was at that time working the
! Shufcr nino and they took stops to
! plat n town near their property. Finally
[ tho two interests got together md
agreed to place the town hall why bo-
+ tween. The lnnd on tho hillside
WAS the only piece avaiIabis ut tho
. time 40 IL was purchased md plated
Q Thus was u twin citynvoidcd nnd tho In
o tegst of all concerned conferred mt one
/ placc, n fdct thnt wo hnto reason To bc
1 thankful for. The principal settlement
! then was ia tho vicinity of tho old
K saw mill Tho mill wns built more FOR
& the accommodation 81 tho settlers than
+ for general lumber business but tho de-
J. mand proved 60 great that in 1882,
4 under the management of Mr.. Elmorc,
a il became quite IN institution. Mr..
b. Elmorc WINS the builder OF tho famous
|. ccdar castle, now tho residence oi L.. r..
@ Damn, ON the beautiful hill just north Of
1 the mill, u picturesque spot indeed and
i one thatviSItors TO tho city never inil TO
n scc. This cnstlc hns frequently bc,n de-
J., scribcd in Milwnukconnd Chicago papers.
g Aside from the mill, Mr.. Doucets stores
Il and boarding house was tho most i'm
I portnnt building and II wns Ia this build
n Ing that The first Crystal Falls baly WAS
a born now Miss Stella Doucot. Runklo and
s Lcopulds store was the noxt important
n building, containing post office. with
Miss ,lulH Runklo M the first post
: muster. The mnil was brought hci o
n overland from Florence, Wis. A large
y boarding house wns built nonror to the
h mill and il was la this boarding house
L. that the first Thanksgiving fcnst was
y spread in Crystal FulIs, the boys having,
n tho day previous, received u quarter oi
. fresh beef from Florence dclicacy tia Z
u was far more Of n treat 10 them than Is