The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1913-11-22
VANDERCOOK TELLS
OF BARACA COUNTY.

G. E. VanderCook, writing in the
Evening Wisconsin. says in part:
L'Anse is throwing off its spell of
years of business activity. In its his
tory, since the early Catholic fathers
first came, it has been an Indian camp,
fur trading post, the location of
Methodist and Catholic mission In the
old days it had its big sawmills and
numbering industry giving employment
to hundreds of men. For number of
years L'Anse was the terminal point
for the entire copper country for the
railroad which was extended from
Marquette. Ir. the summer months
steamer took the traffic left by the
railroad and carried it into the mining
section. Stage and freight lines did
the same during the winter months.
Here the railway company erected ex-
tensive ore docks and train loads of
iron came from the mines located near.
Michigamme. Those were boom days
for L'Anse. Business lots sold for
$1,000 to $4,000 each and the future
was deemed full of promise.
The railroad, after a few years, was
extended up into the copper country
proper, the mills finished with their
cuts of pine, business languished and
where once there was thrift and enter
prise, could be seen the evidences of
towns decline.
This is the picture not uncommon Of
many towns, the prosperity of which
depend upon the fitting changes of
business conditions. Here was to be
found one of the oldest points of set
tlement in the entire northwest with
undoubted advantages in resources and
location. The extension of railroad
and diverting its traffic sufficed to deal
a blow it has to}ren years to recover
from. Now change has come to the
old town for new spirit governs the
situation.
Between Keweenaw Bay on the west
and Huron Bay to the east, there is a
peninsula, big in acreage, upon which
most excellent varieties of fruit have
been growing ever since the early mis-
sionaries brought the seed. There is
nothing experimental about it, for the
results are here to be shown. East of
Huron bay and on the northeastern
borders of Baraga county are the Hur-
on mountains. This closes in the
northeastern portions of Baraga coun-
garded as the best fruit land in the
western part of the upper peninsula.
Much of the territory is still heavily
; timbered with hardwood and hemlock,
but the lumber operators are annually
cutting immense tracts and this land is
ready for the farmer. The adaptable
ity OF the soil for general farming pur-
poses is undoubted, and the yields re-
ported and products shown are prac-
tical demonstrations of what is being
done.
The attention of the citizens here Is
directed toward securing farm devel-
ment. There are excellent roads thru
the settled portions Of tie county, with
schools and churches. The lumber con-
Germs afford labor throughout the en-
tire year.
''If no mines had ever been developed
in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan we
would have today country rich as an
empire in agricultural achievements. I"
declared John o. Maxey, president of
the Barags County National Bank.
Instead Of helping this country. the
fact is, mining has kept us back.
don't care what has been taken out in
the way of mineral wealth or stripped
from the land in timber values, our
real wealth will be found in the pro.
ductivity of our farms. know this
country. have tYamped over it under
all conditions and during my residence
here have watched what the farmer ID
doing. Just ss soon as we get the tim
Der off and place the land in the hands
of men who will work them, we will
come to an understanding of their
value.
1--WE can grow anything here In
grasses, grains, fruits, that can be
grown In In any section of the north
west. and in addition. we. can grow
better varieties and bigger crops. For
over sixty years the old Catholic mis-
sion across the bay has been farm
experimental station in the hands ol
Father Faust. We have enough farm
development now, enough fruit culture
and general farming. to prove ouI
claims"