The Flood Of 1920-Palm Sunday (March 28th, 1920) Manistique, MI-The most catastrophic event to occur in Manistique other than the fire of 1883 was the flood of 1920. Floodwaters began pouring over the flume walls in the early morning of Palm Sunday, March 28, 1920. The immediate cause of the flood was an ice jam on the Driggs River that backed the river up. When the jam broke, the water and logs in the river rushed into the Manistique River. Since the winter had an exceptional snowfall along with warmer than normal temperatures and several days of rain, the rivers draining into the Manistique River were already swollen. With the torrent of water, a west bank wall broke, causing water to rush over the flume walls and into the west side of Manistique all the way down Deer Street and Chippewa Avenue.
Tag Archives: City of Manistique
Manistique Water Tower And The Efforts To Save It
The historic water tower was built in 1921 and 1922 by a local contractor Fridolph Danielson. A native of Sweden, Danielson came to Manistique in 1897.
From 1922 to 1966, the historic water tower and pumping station served Manistique. The new pumping station station was located at Intake Park. With some renovations, the water tower became the home of the Manistique Hall of Justice from 1966 to 1968.
In 1968, the Chamber of Commerce installed a circular drive around the tower and made it their home for only a couple of years. The tower began its down-hill slide with a leaky roof and episodes of vandalism.
The first effort to get it names to the National Register of Historic Building’s began in 1979. It was names to the state register of historic sites in 1980.
City Council Passes Resolution To Bond For Water And Sewer
In 1905, Manistique City Council passed a resolution to bond for water and sewer. A 16-inch wooden pipe was run from Brewery Dam on the Indian River to Weston Avenue. The below picture is from November 1905 on Cedar street, showing the blasting involved to install sewer and water lines.
Originally the water supply for Manistique was from artisan wells drilled at different points within the city.
The above picture shows how wells were drilled. Water had to be hauled from the artisan wells to the homes for cooking, drinking, and washing. Several draymen hauled water to residents, hotels, and businesses. Mondays, being wash days, kept the draymen very busy.
Ann Arbor Car Ferry No. 4 Sinks To Bottom Of Manistique Harbor Slip On May 29th, 1909
Car Ferry “turtled”
Ann Arbor car ferry No. 4 sinks
in the slip Saturday evening.
Twenty-four cars wrecked
Loss will greatly exceed $100,000
The apron was also damaged.
The Ann Arbor car ferry No. 4, while being loaded at this port Saturday night turned turtle and went to the bottom of the slip, port side downward. It contained 24 cars, loaded with iron ore, in all about 1,200 tons.
The ferry, which is constructed of steel, is 270 feet over all and 52 feet beam, is in command of Capt. Fred Robertson, and Thos. Hardkins is chief engineer. The crew numbered twenty four men and Mrs. Wilson, cabin maid and her daughter, Miss Wilson, waitress.