The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1902-11-15
THE STORY OF A PIONEER.
Containing Many Interesting Incidents Of the Early History
Of Crystal Falls
by Martin Rosan.

house on the corner lot now occupied
by +. w. Cole. He commenced the
erection Of honse just as soon as he
had enough cleared to permit OF the
work and that house. or rather its
descendant. remains today distinguished
as the first residence in Crystal Falls.
am speaking now Of Crystal Falls
proper and have no reference to the
little community over at the Saw mill
where there were few small
'slacks"
While the townsite promoters were
busy getting the plat ready the mill
end of the Crystal Falls Iron Co. was
hustling along the erection Of the old
saw mill The machinery for this
mill was secured at Florence and
hauled by team to the location. A
few pieces of ii came by sleigh but the
greater part OF il came here In May,
hauled on contract by man named
Hall. | helped Mr., Hall load the
machinery at Florence and came with
him TO the mill site. The mill was
ready to operate about the middle of
July and operated the remainder of
the year saving out lumber and
timoers for the building Of the town.
In addition to the Briar Hill mine,
mention of which have made, there
were in operation when came here
the old Crystal Falls and the Fairbanks.
properties rpon which work had Leen
started before came. VIM. Morrison
had charge of these properties
About the same time that came
here an other pioneer explorer came To-
these parts, Captain Frsnk Raher
Mr. Raher secured an option for the
company that he represented on VIVA
is now the Great Wetsern mine aud
spent some time testpitting about the
swamp that existed on the property
Later in the season | think it was
in September, Mr.. Raher sent Pat
Clancy with a crew of men 20 continue
work upon the property Mr.. Clancy
and his co. workmen started row Of
test pits and in the second one they
met the ore This was the first ore
found on the Great Western property
and the Clancy that found il is the
same Paddy Clancy that still re-
sides about here.
These ore finds served to liven the
INTEREST in the place and the stories If
the finds that went out brought many
fortune hunters to the camp, for it was
then but a mining camp and a small
one at that. They also served te
stimulate the sale Of town lots and
bindings were put mp as rapidly as
men and material could be secured.
nave already stated that Tim
Bowers place was the first The
second was the old camp now owned
by Hugh Sullivan This building was
erected by a couple Of tie contractors
who were getting out ties for the
coming rairload and when they
abandoned it Yankee moved in and
has owned it ever since so that his
statements that he has lived on the
land he claims squatters title to fol
twenty years" Is literally true.
understand that the land owners have
made an arrangement with him re-
Gently by which he gets the use Of the
land for the balance OF his natural life.
The third house was put up by Tony
Harding down in the swamp near
where the Gersky residence is. A
little later the buildings began to go
up thick and fast VIM. Doucet's old
opera house, my building on lot s5,
Stolberg's saloon building were started
next and at about the same date
The winter of 1881 and SO was not
a very exciting one. Everyone in the
camp was in an expectant mood.
waiting for the railroad to TO enter
the town. The road rested that winter
at the point where the Florence road
crosses the tracks near the foot of
Railroad lake. The depot was in an
old box car that was side tracked there
and the supplies for the camp and
machinery for the mines had TO be
hauled from that place. Work was
prosecute as best IL could on the
grading du. ing the winter 80 that good
progress was made on the road by the
time spring opened and the rails were
laid into the town in July month OF
1882.
The year 1882 was very lively one
in the camp, The mines began 10
ship, the Fairbanks first, and people
were iocking in to buy and build.
The buildings starred the year before
were completed and before mid sum.
mer the town bossted Of a store kept
by Joseph Lave and managed by A.