Edwin Cookson – Pioneer Lumberman

1880s image of Edwin Cookson. Photo courtesy of Anthony Perkins

1880’s image of Edwin Cookson. Photo courtesy of Anthony Perkins

            Edwin Cookson was born in Greenfield, Maine, in May of 1854. He was the second oldest child in a family of six boys and 2 girls. His parents, Joseph and Maria Cookson owned a farm in Greenfield, but all of their sons worked as loggers and river drivers in Maine.

            During the early 1870’s Edwin Cookson migrated west to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. There in 1878 he responded to a “Help Wanted” ad posted in the Oshkosh papers. Ebenezer James was seeking laborers to work at the James Brothers sawmill east of Manistique. Read More...

Central School Essay Contest – 1924

The Central School building was erected in 1882 with an initial enrollment of 76 students. It was replaced by the new Junior High building in 1931

The Central School building was erected in 1882 with an initial enrollment of 76 students. It was replaced by the new Junior High building in 1931

        During the fall of 1924, the Manistique Women’s Club sponsored an essay contest at the Central School concerning the early history of Manistique. They hoped to kindle an interest in local history among the community’s young people. The Pioneer Historical Society had just been organized a year earlier, so there was little written material available for research. But the students had an even better source of information to draw upon—the pioneers themselves. Many of Manistique’s earliest settlers were still alive and residing in the area. The essays that the students produced are a treasure trove of information, but leave us wishing for even more. The winning essays were read before a school assembly at the Central School and were later published in the local paper as follows: Read More...