The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-06-21
..IILDERNESS 4OYEARS AGO;
I NOW IT is aCL 0vERL. and"
NEWBERRY VILLAGE SHOWS The MARVELLOUS
development UPPER MICHIGAN HAS
Accomplished IN TWO DECADES
ThRIVES IN MIDST OF RICH FARM LANDS where
Only FORESTS FL0URISHED BEFORE
The following article appeared in

The following article appeared In
The Detroit Free Press OF Sunday:
Two score years ago that vast ter
ritory north of the Straits of Macki-
nav was a wilderness, rich beyond
the dreams of Monte Cristo in min
eral and timber wealth, as yet unde-
veloped, but richer far in an agricul-
tural potency of which even the hardy
pioneers never conceived. Today the
Upper Peninsula is still a seemingly
inexhaustible store of iron and copper.
The timber is by no means played out.
But the agricultural wealth Is begin
ming to come into its own-and where
farmers are there can be no wilder
ness.
The development Of Upper Michigan
-"Cloverland" they are beginning to
call 1t, since a million blades of grass
are growing now where none grew be-
fore-is almost past the belief Of
those who can only take the word OF
the pioneers as to what conditions
were before. But listening to those
pioneers and looking about, one has
convincing testimony. And ever the
marvel grows.
The village of Newberry, official seat
Of the county Of Luce, is typical Of the
whole of "Cloverland"
Thirty-seven years ago there was no
Newberry-no wide-avenued, green
lawned, boulevard-lamped town, SO
spick and span and polished that 1t re-
minds one of the freshly-scrubbed boy
ready for Sunday school. There was
just a mark on a rude map-a survey
'or's plan Of railroad which showed
the present site Of Newberry as the
place where iron ore could more pro-
fitably be brought to the wood than to
have the wood taken to the ore. That
was the year the crews of big hardest
ed "navvies" were pushing through
Cloverland's first railroad.
The Naming of Newberry.
The town had name before 1t ac-
tually came into existence-before it
was a town-in honor of John S. New
berry. of Detroit, father of Truman
H. Newberry, secretary of the navy
under President Roosevelt and now
commander of the third naval district
and Republican candidate for United
States senator. Mr.. Newberry, senior,
with his associates, was contributing
his quota to the future welfare of the
Upper Peninsula and the state of
Michigan. He was helping build that
first railroad. The names of the other
directors of the company had been
given to other specks on the survey
or's maps. 1t was his turn here.
Thus, when the construction trains
had pushed through to the north and
rough pine-slab depot, with the loca-
ton of the Vulcan iron furnace staked
out a few yards away, Newberry,
Michigan, became a reality. A few
shacks sprang up around the depot.
Lumberjacks and iron workers came
in from the south. A hardy tradesman
or two established a store and a rude
lodging house Eventually trains came
from the north bearing the rich Lake
Superior ore. Timber was "toted" in
from the surrounding forests. The fur
mace went into operation and the saw
mill began tearing through the logs.
The town was established.
Despite the evidences of mineral and
timber wealth, Newberry was not
founded as prospective wealth-pro-
ducing city. The founders were more
public-spirited citizens than that. They
saw years farther ahead; into that fu-
ture when thousands of good Ameri-
supported by that land which then
looked so hopeless with it's almost i'm
penetrable mattings Of forest trees.
This whole eastern and central Sec
ton of Upper Peninsula wilderness
was conquered with the idea that
sometime 1t would become the rich
farming land it is today.
A Task for q Giant.
John s. Newberry and his associates
of the old days were given grant
for building that first railroad, the old
Detroit. Mackinac & Marquette, ito
run 1876 miles from st. Ignace to Mar
ouette harbor." The land was timber
ed-heavily in some places, less heavily
in others-but 1t was all swamp; a
broad belt running northwest through
the natural swale OF the north coun-
try. Cleaned and drained, 1t was GER
tain to become a veritable garden, but
the cleaning and draining was such a
task as only a business giant would
undertake.
For many years the people of New
berry were far too busy turning out
pig iron and lumber to pay much at
tention to farming, but today the smil-
ing countryside gives proof of the
soundness of the vision Of those pio-
neers. For Newberry today is, with q
few notable exceptions. a type Of the
unusually prosperous country town.
One Of the exceptions Is the big iron
furnace, with its accompanying chem
zeal works and sawmill, that rears its
stacks heavenward. down near the de-