The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-09-08
Ford Purchases
Hebard Holdings

taste and proper regard for the
comfort of their employees, they haye
built up a tasty and neat village.
Oak and Norway have been spared
and all natural advantages have been
made available to beautify and i'm
prove Pequaming, till they have pro-
duced hamlet around their mill that
rivals many attractive resorts. Long
years ago it was the chosen spot
where small band of the Chippewa
Indians resided.
The corporation was first organ
under the Michigan laws with an au-
thorized capital Of 100000 paid in.
The officers were Charles Hebard,
president: Edward w. Hebard, vice.
president and H. C. Thurber, secre-
tary and treasurer. In 1882 Charles
Hebard purchased the Thurber inter-
ests and in 1885 the corporation was
organiged as Charles Hebard & Sons.
In 1905 the firm changed to Charles
Hebard & Sons, Inc.
The present population Of Pequam-
ing is 600, all housed in the company's
homes and paying a rental of s1.00
per year. Electric light and water is
furnished at cost. Coal strikes and
wood famines are unknown there. A
large wagonload Of hardwood can be
purchased for S1.75, and the company
doctor takes care of the sick at a
charge Of $3.50 per month for mar
ried men.
The Ford Motor Co. is at present
employing about $50 men at L'Anse.
In addition to its payroll the payrolls
of the contracting firms engaged here
and others, total perhaps $500 per
day. Eighteen miles of logging rail-
road are being built, and a wharf
one-half mile long is being construct
ed along the harbor front by the Ford
company. The sawmill is operating
two shifts and the dry kilns are
about to be put in operation. The
Hebard purchase follows the sale Of
the Stearns & Culver tract of timber
and mill to Ford.
Owing to their location, the Hebard
holdings will be operated in connec-
tion with the L'Anse plant. The
town here now presents a scene of
industrial activity unsurpassed in the
history of northern Michigan. Hun
dreds Of new families are seeking
homes here. Although one hundred
new houses have been erected here
this summer yet temporary structures
like tents, camps, taxpayer shacks,
must be utilized until builders have
come up to the demand for better
places in which to live. When Mr..
Ford came to Y'Anse in January, '23,
the town had population Of 1900;
it now has at least three thousand
and if all of the families Of those on
the Ford payroll could find accommo-
dations here there would be a popu-
lation of at least 10000 Docks to
handle shipments of raw materials
to Detroit were announced by Mr..
Ford when he was at L'Anse in jan
uary and in addition to these there
are persistent rumors that the Ford
company plans an extensive industri-
al development at L'Anse. The devel-
opment to date is far in advance of
anything expected when the opera.
tions here were taken over, but as
L'Anse has an excellent harbor, it /:
reasonable to suppose that is will
soon command the attention Of the
country as another place where nature
with the help of man has become the
hub Of vast industrial development
Hubert A. Brennan Of L'Anse rep.
resented the Ford Motor company
and Rees, Robinson & Petermann, The
Hebard company in the recent sale
Negotiations have been in progress.
since March.