The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1921-08-19


century has elapsed since / first ar
rived in the town Of Baraga to serv'
as principal and teacher Of the Bara
ga district school. 1t was while thu
engaged and later otherwise EN-
ployed that / became personally ac
quainted with some choice pioneer
characters from whose lips ] heart
the story of pioneer struggles ant
pioneer achievements. My subse'
quent sojourn in this section OF the
upper peninsula has brought me into
contact with some of the more i'm.
portant happenings in the business
world, either as participant or en-.
locker, and it from these various
sources that ! draw for my fund of
information concerning my reminis-
cences Of Baraga county in the eight
les.
Since by the very nature of my sub
ject retrospection is required, and for
the fullest possible expression OF
which the personal proncun, is de-
manded, trust you will pardon its
unavoidably frequent recurrence.
The first intimation ! ever had that
Keweenaw Bay had a place on the
map Of Michigan came to me through
my uncle, Josiah w. Begole, who was
Governor Of the State in the year
1888. / was then staying with him
at his home in the city of Flint, at
tending high school. The Governor
had lust returned from L'Anse and
Houghton, whittier he had been on
official business.
It will be remembered that in the
early Seventies that the village OF
L,Anse was the boom town of the
upper peninsula. Political and eco
nomic activities were quite marked.
It was in 1873 that the village OF
L'Anse was incorporated; it was in
1875 that the county of Baraga was
set off from the county of Houghton;
and it was in 1872 that the M. II. q
O. ailway extended its 'Ine from
Michiggamme to L'Anse, making TINS
village its extreme western terminus.
During the summer the transporta-
tion service between the Copper
Country and "below" was done very
largely by water, but during the long
winter months freight and passengers
we're carried by sleighs to and from
L'Anse and Houghton. Indeed, it is
said that the highway between these
two latter points was literally lined
with sleighs hauling heavy copper
ingots to L'Anse and returning load
ed with supplies and commodities for
the people of the Copper Country.
Those engaged in staging passengers
between L'Anse and Houghton en-
loved a remunerative business.
So long as this lack of railroad
communication between L'Anse and
Houghton existed (from 1872 to
1881. literal horsepower stage
and freight service was in operation,
which afforded employment to large
number of worismen, particularly
during the winter season. But after
the lapse cf decade of this priml-
tive mode of transportation, the M.
H. & o. Railway, taking advantage OF
a railroad land grant, extended its
line from L'Anse to Houghton. What
the latter town won the former lost.
Indeed, the construction of the rail-
road to Houghton from LAnse was
a severe business blow to the aspira-
tions of the Keweenaw Bay people.
Some lost faith so completely in the
future Of L'Anse that they scurried
away therefrom as rodents from a
sinking ship. Others, though de-
pressed, yet not dispirited, stayed by
the village, and ! am inclined to be-
lieve that those who remained Jared
fully as well. if not better, than those
who deserted the village in her mis-
fortune, for L'Anse has always been
a substantial business center.
After having inspected the newly
constructed railroad, and having
found that it complied with the re-
quirements Of the act, my uncle, Jo-
siah w. Begole. Governor, accepted it
in behalf of the State Of Michigan,
and signed and sealed the deeds con-
veying the land grant to the M. H.
& o. Railroad. Thus it was in con-
nection with an enterprise that meant
larger, freer life for the Copper
Country and a smaller narrower one
for L'Anse that ! first heard Of the
existence of Keweenaw Bay and its
beautiful environs.
Hitherto had known Keweenaw
Bay only through others. but fate
decreedthat ] should learn Of this
place at first hand.
In the year Of President Cleve-
lands first inaugural--1ss5-I was
engaged by Anthony Girard, James