Tag Archives: Cedar Street

Peter Zimmerman’s Cigar Factory – Est. 1891

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Peter Zimmerman standing behind the counter of his Cigar Factory Shop. Lyle Kotchen Collection

Peter Zimmerman standing behind the counter of his Cigar Factory Shop. Lyle Kotchen Collection

        Peter Zimmerman was born in Rauenberg, Germany on May 18, 1861.  As a young man, he learned the art of cigar making in his father Henry’s factory, in his home town of Rauenberg. In 1883, Peter emigrated from Germany to New York where he found employment in the cigar industry.  From New York, Zimmerman moved first to Ohio, then to Kenosha, Wisconsin. While living in Kenosha in 1890, Mr. Zimmerman met and married Mamie Gales. The couple came to Manistique in 1891, where Zimmerman opened a very successful cigar factory. Mr. Zimmerman was a skilled and prosperous businessman who was extremely popular and well respected in the community. Read More...

Blumrosen Store Closes After 43 Years In Business – Nov. 1923

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The A & P store occupied a portion of the former Blumrosen building, moving there from River St. in 1929. The building is still in existence today on S. Cedar Street.

The A & P store occupied a portion of the former Blumrosen building, moving there from River St. in 1929. The building is still in existence today on S. Cedar Street.

            Moses Blumrosen and his brother Bernard were born in Russian occupied Suvalk, Poland in the years 1862 and 1864 respectively. The brothers immigrated to the United States in 1872 and arrived in Manistique by boat in the spring of 1880. Hardworking and ambitious, they went into business selling clothing and dry goods. The Blumrosen’s first store was located on the future site of the A. S. Putnam drug store and was little more than a shack. Old timers claimed that the original store was built with lumber costing less than two dollars. Determined to become successful, they traveled to nearby communities peddling goods from their backpacks.  Gaining a reputation for quality and honesty, their business grew and prospered right along with the booming lumber town. Read More...

Manistique’s “Big Fire”

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The fire on Friday, September 15th, 1893, was called Manistique’s “Big Fire”. The Fire began on South Walnut Street and spread to both sides of Cedar Street. Since all the buildings except one on Cedar Street were wood, the devastation was extensive. The fire on the West Side of Cedar Street stopped only because Blumrosen’s store was brick. Due to the wind and power of the fire, the volunteer fire department fought if for five hours, trying to stop it from consuming the residential district. Had it not been for an evening rain, the entire town would been ashes. Losses from the fire were around $75,000 (several millions in today’s dollars). As a result of this fire, the city passed an ordinance saying all buildings in the downtown area were to be brick buildings. Read More...