Tag Archives: Manistique

Sheriff John McCanna – (1882-1885)

Posted on

John McCanna, Sheriff of Schoolcraft County (1882-1885).
Photo Courtesy of Sue Cucchiarella.

        The early history of law enforcement in Schoolcraft County is closely tied to the McCanna family. The family patriarch, Henry McCanna was born in 1822 in county Donegal, Ireland. McCanna immigrated first to Canada before settling in the Vermont/New York area in the mid 1840s.  Henry married Nancy (Anna) O’Kane in 1845 in Sandy Hill, New York. Ten children were born to this union, eight of whom survived into adulthood. Read More...

Will Montgomery and the “Sunday Sun”

Posted on
William F. Montgomery, Editor of the “Sunday Sun” Photo courtesy of Susan Cucchiarella

William F. Montgomery, Editor of the “Sunday Sun”
Photo courtesy of Susan Cucchiarella

           During the late 1880’s Will Momtgomery and the Sunday Sun, provided an alternative newspaper voice to that of the more established Semi-Weekly Pioneer. The spirited newspaper rivalry between the Sun and the Pioneer lasted just four years, but was one of the strangest ever recorded.

           Will Montgomery was born on August 31, 1857 in Kokomo, Indiana—the eldest of four children born to Seymour and Elizabeth Montgomery.  Montgomery’s father was a respected newspaper editor in Mishawaka, Indiana. By age 11, Will had joined his father’s business as a typesetter at the Mishawaka Enterprise. Read More...

Manistique’s U.P. Championship Baseball Team – October 1923

Posted on
The above photo of the Manistique championship baseball team by E.O. Brault appeared in the October 4, 1923 edition of the Pioneer Tribune.

The above photo of the Manistique championship baseball team by E.O. Brault appeared in the October 4, 1923 edition of the Pioneer Tribune.

           Manistique had a marvelous baseball team back in the early 1920s. During the summer of 1923 the team played a total of 31 games and finished with a record of 22 wins and 9 losses. Twenty-five games were played against Upper Peninsula teams and 6 games were played against traveling African American teams including the Illinois Giants from Chicago and the New York Royals.  The Manistique club won 19 of 25 games played against the Upper Peninsula teams and went 3-3 versus the traveling teams from New York and Chicago.   Read More...

America’s Entry into World War I – April 1917

Posted on
World War I veterans Scott Creighton (left ) and Alex Creighton (right)

World War I veterans Scott Creighton (left ) and Alex Creighton (right)

           April, 2017, marks the 100th anniversary of America’s entry into World War I. Many of Schoolcraft County’s young men answered their country’s call to defend freedom abroad, and 27 of them made the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefields of France. The Schoolcraft County Historical Society would like to honor the memory of those soldiers who served in the Great War, and especially those who sacrificed their lives for freedom, through a public display of their photos and biographical information. We are asking the public for their assistance in obtaining photos of the World War I soldiers from Schoolcraft County who lost their lives in the “war to end all wars.” We would also welcome photos of others who served. If you have a photo, letters or newspaper clippings concerning these soldiers, please contact the historical society by using the Contact Us tab at the top of this page, or write us at P.O. Box 284, Manistique. We would like to scan copies of those photos so they could be included in the exhibit. Read More...