Decoration Day Celebration – May 30, 1885

Posted on May 25, 2016January 3, 2019

The above is a rare photo of Manistique’s Civil War veterans getting ready for a patriotic holiday celebration. Pictured from far right: John Gayar, Henry Brassel, Amos Hill, George W. Rice (partially hidden behind Hill) and Wright E. Clarke (buttoning coat), On the far left, the men with insignias on their hats are David Blair (left) and William Wood (Right).

Decoration Day – 1885

Manistique’s first celebration of what was then known as Decoration Day, took place on Sunday, May 30, 1885. The citizens of the town were stirred from their sleep at the rude hour of 3:00 A.M. by the ringing of hammers and anvils announcing Decoration morn. In the forenoon the streets became crowded with horse drawn wagons and carriages, as pioneers from the country arrived to celebrate the holiday. By noon, the stirring martial music of the Cornet brass band was heard echoing down the avenues. Read More...

Essay Contest 2nd Prize Winner – Stephanie LaFoille

Posted on May 23, 2016May 23, 2016

Manistique High School Junior Stephanie LaFoille receives her 2nd Prize award of $150.00 from Rebecca Peterson of the Schoolcraft County Historical Society for her essay “Businesses in Schoolcraft County.”

In writing her essay, Stephanie used resources on the web, but also talked with her family including her grandmother, parents, aunts and uncles. The following are excerpts from her prize winning entry.

Businesses in Schoolcraft County

Entrepreneur was a word to describe the LaFoilles; in a short amount of time, they had 10 children, all following in the footsteps of their father. Hildreth, Harrison, Henrietta, Harry, Hazel, Homer, Helene, Harvey, Harold and Hera were all names of future business owners. Homer grew up to open a bar where the current St. Vincent De Paul’s is standing on Cedar Street. Harrison opened up an ice cream parlor near where the modern Jacob’s Dentistry stands on the corner of Cedar Street. This was known as a hangout for high schoolers on lunch break. Whether they were getting a bite to eat, or sharing a sweet treat, everyone seemed to love and enjoy the parlor. Hildreth opened up a motel on Main Street, where an apartment building occupies today. Helene had a beauty shop, and the location of this is unknown. [Their father] Delor owned a peanut/popcorn stand that he brought to a new location daily, selling hot peanuts and freshly popped popcorn to support his large family. All of these businesses were long-lasting and successful. Read More...

Essay Contest 1st Prize Winner – Logan Kraatz

Posted on May 16, 2016May 16, 2016

Manistique High School Senior, Logan Kraatz, is congratulated by Larry Peterson of the Schoolcraft County Historical Society. Logan won 1st place in the recent essay contest and received an award of $350. He will attend the University of Michigan in the fall.

Historic Siphon Bridge and River Flume

By Logan Kraatz

Anyone traveling through downtown Manistique is sure to cross the Siphon Bridge and massive paper mill flume. This bridge crosses the concrete flume and Manistique River. Not only are these structures cool to look at, they also fill a very important part in the history of Manistique. Many will just look at them and think nothing more. However, some will look at them and instantly be filled with questions. Questions like: why are they here, what did they do, what happened to them, and why were they needed? Manistique is divided east and west by the Manistique River. The river was an obstacle for citizens as well as a source of power and industry for the town. Naturally a bridge had to be constructed to connect the two sides. The first bridge to fill this need was the “Red Bridge.” It was a simple wooden flat bridge constructed in the mid to late 1800s. The bridge was condemned in 1890 and replaced by a [metal] bridge dubbed the “Iron Bridge.” This bridge was ultimately replaced by the siphon bridge and scrapped to be used for other projects. Read More...

John Ira Bellaire – Retailer, Conservationist and Historian

Posted on May 7, 2016November 16, 2022

John Ira Bellaire

Manistique booster, John Ira Bellaire was born in Indiana in November of 1871. His family moved to White Pigeon in northern Lower Michigan when John was still a young child. There his parents, John and Agnes Bellaire purchased a small farm and struggled to support a growing family. John worked on the farm helping his father until he reached his eighteenth birthday, when he went out on his own.

Bellaire took advantage of every opportunity he could to attend school. He worked at odd jobs on weekends, including splitting wood to earn money for books and tuition. During the summer he worked as a clerk in a grocery store. Once school started in the fall he continued working before and after school. He was finally able to graduate in June of 1891. After obtaining a 3^rd grade teaching certificate, Bellaire taught for one year at a school near South Boardman, Michigan, in Kalkaska County. Read More...