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1867-2017 Ten Sections 1867-1881 1882-1896 1887-1911 1912-1926 1927-1941
1942-1956 1957-1971 1972-1986 1987-2001 2002-2017
Special 150th Anniversary Edition • Thursday, October 26, 2017
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Ludington daily newS/SECTION 1
| THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017
www.ludingtondailynews.com
Letters News gton Daily in d u L e th s, g st 150 year in informin le o r l “For the la ta n e act s that imp an instrum e u d s e y is la e p th s ha overing ge of unty and c ued covera n ti n o c ’ s Mason Co New toric unity. The eep this his k to t h the comm g fi the higan, dger, and best in Mic e th the S.S. Ba ly n o rint g, was not time for p in g il in a g s l n e e s ll s a ve g a ch vorn and erica. Durin r Patti Kle o but in Am it d E g in ave , Manag egnoche h B e v te journalism S r dito ta anaging E implemen d n a p Former M lo e v lly de elessly to both digita r h ti c a d e e r k r ’ s o w e New ns on expand th gratulatio n o C strategy to . ia d e ary! gh print m l annivers ia n n te and throu n e quic and g your ses productive s a e r celebratin a s r ea next 150 y been!” I hope the these have s a e v ti a inform izenga, an Bill Hu m s s e r g n Co District) R-Zeeland gressional n o C d n 2 ’s (Michigan
Wher ea anniv s, the Ludi ngton ersary Daily this y News ear … and w is cele herea bratin s and e t h g its 1 e Daily vents 50th N h ews h since ere as bee 1867 … n the record and w of peo herea ple s the comm h istory unity, of by the comm the Daily N and w ews is unity h … a stor is the ereas the c y of th ommu Daily e News nity is a integr nd vic and w a e l to ev versa h erythi … about ereas the fo ng tha our lo cus of t ca impor t tant lo l citizens f he Daily N ew ro cal bu siness m what ha s is local n and w ew s been … h and re s peopl ereas the c mains o e turn an ing to mmunity n it for ewspa and w n per is ews … h as var cover ereas the D ied as age in aily N the to and ews is beyon worki There n d this fo miles g to lead lo this m re be it res t cal ne o ne. ol il ws Daily estone and ved, the Ci ty of L News a p p r eci an ud comm unity. d its staff f ates the eff ington rec o or its o comm rts of the L gnizes itmen uding ton t to ou r
like to ould just w I , n a ig n Daily e of Mich late the Ludingto t a t S e h t of atu endous On behalf ortunity to congr at a trem h W his . y p r p a o s ment to t rous niver it n a take the m h t m 0 o c 5 their 1 vering e nume News on our unwa kable. Despite th Y ! t m, n e m r sh journalis ema r t in ly r u p r accompli t f o ur lives munity is he world pacting o great com t have impacted t im s e u s is tha rive. s on the changes inue to th and focu t n n o io c t d a n ic nd out a your ded ou to sta y d n an e lp e has h s has bee w e N y il Da ounty. nce, the Mason C e r t e is t x a e e r s g out it ton and talented Through r Luding mensely o f r im la d il n p a g f local absolute d-workin ghtful coverage o r a h e h t people’s o u so many Thanks t your tho f , o ff t a r t s a p n l the ts o n essentia mmer concert or a journalis e m o c e always as b s a su ou could y matters h o matter if it wa , n o t g Ludin s. N over it. daily live usiness in b w e n here to c t a e f b o o g t in s open y New will n the Dail what you ur depend o d n a e n have do ud of yo that you re so pro ll a a y r it o f n of your u u Thank yo do. We as a comm o be a beneficiary 50 to dt er 1 so blesse or anoth continue f n s e s e e b c c e u v ha inued s work and you cont h is w e W efforts. beyond! years and st, All the be
erWall urt Vand C e iv t a t resen State Rep t tric 101st Dis
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017
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| Ludington daily newS/SECTION 1 www.ludingtondailynews.com
A man with a plan
Ludington’s beginnings influenced by newspaper founder James Ludington By Paul S. Peterson Special to the Daily News
J
ames Ludington’s connection to the city bearing his name started with a loan default. Ludington was living in Milwaukee in 1854 when he loaned money to George W. Ford to open a sawmill here. Five years later, Ludington found himself the owner of the saw mill when Ford defaulted on the loan. As the prosperous local lumbering industry continued to grow, the village increased in size and population, and a post office, boarding house and general store were erected. Ludington eventually teamed with Col. John M. Loomis, from Chicago, to purchase land in the pine tree-rich area. Ludington recognized that a local newspaper was needed to accomplish two major goals: getting the county seat moved from fellow lumber baron Charles Mears’ Lincoln Village — the current site of Epworth and Lincoln Hills Golf Club — and changing the village’s name from Pere Marquette to Ludington. A major public relations effort was in order. Ludington sailed to Milwaukee and contacted a friend in printing who recommended George W. Clayton for the newspaper job. Quick to take up the publisher role, Clayton, a lean, tall Yankee veteran of the Civil War, built a house on the northwest corner of Ferry and Court streets and opened the Mason County Record. The first edition of the weekly Record was published on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 1867, and the paper started an unbroken lin-
James Ludington
James Ludington recognized that a
local newspaper was needed to accomplish two major goals: getting the county seat moved from fellow lumber baron Charles Mears’ Lincoln Village — the current site of Epworth and Lincoln Hills Golf Club — and changing the village’s name from Pere Marquette to Ludington. eage that later took the name of Ludington Daily News. The densly-forested area’s population at the time was about 300 people.
Jeff Kiessel | Daily News
Ludington became the Mason County seat in 1873 and offices were moved from what was known as the village of Little Sauble. The current Mason County Courthouse was built in 1893-94, the fourth structure to serve as Mason County’s courthouse since the county was established in 1855. “The History of Mason County,” gives an account of the landscape. “There is an ocean of pine timber lands on the Pere Marquette River and its tributaries. It comprises at least 2,500,000,000 feet of timber. A large portion of this timber lies within 25 miles of the mouth of the river, and the trees are in large clusters, which are easy of access.” The area was desolate. In the book “Mason County: 1850-1950,” local lumberjack John Jameson, who was working for the Danaher lumbering company 40 miles up the river from Pere Marquette, recalls in a letter to a friend on Dec. 22, 1867, “It is almost like being out of the world to be here, as it is nothing but woods, and the only company that we
have is the howl of wolves, the leaping of deer and the smoke of Indian wigwams.” At the end of 1872, the Mason County Record kept steady by printing reports on the growth and the business interests of the area. “Probably no other town in the state of Michigan has attracted so much attention or offered as great inducements to settlers during the past 18 months, on account of its favorable location, its advantageous manufacturing facilities, its rapidly increasing business industries and its flattering promises of future growth, as the Village of Ludington. These inducements have brought here men of enterprise and industry from all parts of the state and from other states, who, tired of the
Congratulations to The Ludington Daily News on 150 years of community support!
monotony of dull business in other localities, have come to add their energy in building up the business interests of our thriving village.” The year 1873 was a busy one in the village. S.F. White, S.D. Haight and P. Ewing presented a charter before a public forum, which voted to name the village Ludington and organize it into four wards. The county seat was moved from Lincoln to Ludington — a victory for its namesake. Through a healthy lumber industry, the population had grown to about 1,000. About the same time, 200 new buildings were erected, including a courthouse and three new saw mills, and $10,000 was alloted to streets and soon, the roadbed of the Flint &
Pere Marquette Railway was graded to the village. The first Ludington fire department was organized by Bennett J. Goodsell, with M.J. Danaher serving as assistant engineer. The department consisted of one hand engine company with 60 members and a hook and ladder company with 20 members. The village continued to prosper. Horace F. Alexander erected the first brick building at the corner of Loomis and Charles streets. The two-story building, with sturdy brick walls and a stone foundation, housed a drug store and the village’s first telegraph office. In 1881, Alexander would also introduce telephones to the area. The Mason County Record was not without its competition. In 1873, a second weekly newspaper, the Ludington Appeal, began printing under the direction of Will B. Cole from Pontiac. Another weekly, the Ludington Democrat, was established in 1878. For nearly a decade, the solidly Republican Record and the Democrat traded barbs and insults that today would border on libel. The Village of Ludington continued growing both in business numbers and health and its population, which increased almost 80 percent — from 4,190 to 7,517 — between 1880 and 1890. Boosting that growth, in 1882, the Flint & Pere Marquette Railway commissioned two 145-foot steamers, the No. 1 and No. 2. The bustling Village of Ludington’s prosperity would be checked, however, by a devastating disaster and a period of rebuilding.
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Ludington’s original newspaper — the Mason County Record — prints first issue Tuesday, Sept. 17 under the direction of George W. Clayton
Pere Marquette Lumber Co. organized by D.L. Filer, John Mason Loomis, James Ludington, Edward E. Foster, and Luther H. Foster
Patrick M. Danaher and David A. Melendy start the firm Danaher and Melendy and erect a steam sawmill on a millsite on Pere Marquette near the head of the inner lake
Big Sable Point Lighthouse opens along shores of Lake Michigan north of Ludington
S.F. White, S.D. Haight, P. Ewing present a charter to a meeting of citizens to establish the City of Ludington and organize it into four wards; name of Ludington adopted, with one dissenting vote
County seat moved from Village of Lincoln (Epworth/ Lincoln Hills area) to City of Ludington
200 new buildings erected, including a courthouse and three new saw mills; $10,000 spent on streets; roadbed of the Flint & Pere Marquette Railway was graded to the city
1867 U.S. Senate votes 35-19 to remove Pres. Andrew Johnson from office, one vote short of the two-thirds needed to do so
Did you know?
In This
First telegraph service established here
Era
Did you know?
First fire department organized by Bennett J. Goodsell with M.J. Danaher assistant engineer consists of one hand engine company with 60 members and a hook and ladder company with 20 members
Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad initiates cross-lake service from Ludington to Sheboygan, Wisconsin; 175-foot John Sherman first vessel to enter service
In This
Era
Yellowstone National Park is a national park spanning three states — Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. It was established by Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, making history as the first official U.S. National Park to be designated — and possibly the first in the world. The park came In This under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service in 1917, which itself formed in 1916. Yellowstone measures 3,468 square miles, and features not only one of the nation’s largest high-elevation lakes, but the Yellowstone Caldera — the largest super-volcano on the continent.
Did you know?
Era
Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872.
The price of flour was 9 cents a pound in 1872, but dropped to 6 cents a pound by 1881.
The Great Chicago Fire devastated the bustling city in 1871, killing more than 300 people. Another 100,000 residents were left homeless after the blaze, which destroyed 17,000-plus buildings. The same month, October, Manistee saw a destructive fire and a town in Wisconsin called Peshtigo lost 1,000 residents to a blaze, according to the History Channel.
Proudly serving the craft and floral world from Ludington since 1946 The United States grew by 586,412 square miles in 1867 when Alaska was acquired in 1867. The land was purchased from Russia for $7.2 million according to the U.S. Department of State.
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Luther H. Foster, superintendent for James Ludington’s lumbering business, shot and killed by a burglar in his home
Flint & Pere Marquette Railway charters vessels from Goodrich Line to run between Ludington and Milwaukee
1881 Population increases almost 80 percent from 4,190 to 7,517
U.S. cavalry under Col. George A. Custer is wiped out by Native American forces at the Little Big Horn River in Montana
In This
Era
Life Saving Station constructed on Pere Marquette Lake below the channel
1867 — The size of the United States grew tremendously with the purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, according to the U.S. Department of State. The new property, which was formally transferred Oct. 18, 1867, was a gain of 586,412 square miles. 1869 — A golden spike was used May 10 in Promontory, Utah, as the ceremonial link to join two railroad lines into America’s first transcontinental railroad. 1871 — The Great Chicago Fire burned the city in Oct. 8 through 10, 1871, killing an estimated 300 people and left another 100,000 people homeless after more than 17,000 buildings were destroyed. Manistee also burned that month and a fire in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, killed more than 1,000, according to the History Channel.
Telephones introduced by Horace F. Alexander
1872 — Yellowstone National Park was established. 1876 — Lt. Col. George Custer and 262 of his soldiers of the U.S. Army’s 7th Cavalry were killed in battle with Sioux and Cheyenne June 25 and 26 at the Little Bighorn, according to the National Park Service. 1877 — Colorado is granted statehood. 1881 — President James Garfield was assassinated on Sept. 19 in Elbberon, New Jersey. Vice President Chester Arthur then became president.
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Mason County Record Sept. 24, 1867 T
his is the second edition of the Mason County Record, published on Sept. 24, 1867. The weekly publication started printing under the direction of James Ludington to try and get the county seat moved from Lincoln village to Pere Marquette village, which would eventually be renamed Ludington. The Mason County Record, which was the first newspaper in Ludington, through mergers of several weekly and daily newspapers, was reformed as the Ludington Daily News in 1902.
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| Ludington daily newS/SECTION 1 www.ludingtondailynews.com
Claud Taylor | courtesy photo
Stearns Camp 3, where many at the turn of the century found employment. This photo was taken about 1910 as lumbering was beginning to wind down. The historic Chinnery’s Rollway, housed on Conrad Farms, marked the bustling lumber industry in early Ludington, which pulled in workers and settlers to and kept the small village prosperous through the late 1880s. Mason County Historical Society | Courtesy photo
Enduring through tragedy
Rampant rebuilding efforts follow Ludington’s devastating, village-razing fire of 1881 By PAUL S. PETERSON Special to the Daily News
I
Ludington’s early residents were left in horrified awe after the fire of 1881, which devastated the once lively village downtown. Rebuilding efforts began swiftly, though, and six months later, joy and prosperity had returned to early Ludington, according to accounts in the Ludington Democrat newspaper.
t couldn’t have been a better day to be a kid — or adult — in Ludington. The circus was in town. It was a Saturday and very warm for the 11th of June, and in 1881, there were few distractions to upstage a circus complete with trained animals, graceful trapeze performers and, of course, the big top.
The severity of the
quickly spreading blaze took hold and
volunteer firefighters were joined by townspeople, mill workers and even circus hands in fighting the flames.
It brought some muchneeded joy. The village was suffering from a rapidly spreading diphtheria epidemic. By nightfall on the 11th, a large part of the town would be in ashes, with grieving townspeople piling salvaged belongings on newly vacant lots where many spent the night. A brisk southwest wind bolstered the colorful circus parade as it moved up Ludington Avenue, headed for a large field behind Pere Marquette Lumber Co. on West Foster Street. Shortly after 11 a.m., a passerby noticed smoke coming from the basement of a West Loomis Street bakery. He sounded the alarm, but most of the firefighters were distracted, watching the parade. By the time the hand-drawn pumper arrived, flames were shooting out of the wood-frame basket and smoke was billowing out of the saloon next door. The severity of the quickly spreading blaze took hold and volunteer firefighters were joined by townspeople, mill workers and even circus hands in fighting the flames. The fire seemed near under control when one of the two fire hoses parted. By the time it was fixed, the wind-fanned fire had spread further. The wind increased to
Mason County Historical Society | Courtesy photo
near-gale force, sending burning embers as far west as the 400 block of Robert Street, north to Court Street, east to Harrison Street and south to Loomis Street. The wind-driven fire moved so quickly that few businesses or residences could be saved. The office of the weekly newspapers Record-Appeal and the Methodist, Congregational and Episcopal churches were lost in the blaze, along with the village fire station, city council office, school and music hall. By 5:30 that afternoon, the devastating fire was reduced to hot embers. Rolling clouds of black smoke, however, continued to fill the sky. In total, more than 100 buildings were destroyed, including 48 businesses, 18 residences and eight barns. Among the ashes were the remains of the Mason County Record offices — the Ludington Democrat, however, escaped the flames. The fire caused about $200,000 in damage. “The History of Manistee County” recounts the aftermath of the blaze. “As the smoke rolled away and unveiled the burned district and its surroundings, the utmost confusion prevailed. Every vacant lot in the vicinity of the fire for blocks around was covered with remnants of some mercantile stock or the household furniture of some unfortunate. Wearing apparel and cooking utensils were scattered in confusion, and groups of men, women and children, who had been driven from their homes by the fire demon, were
guarding what little effects they had saved from their late homes. “Heaps of half-burned furniture and household goods were scattered through the streets in every direction, and as night threw its sable mantle o’er the earth, teams, carts and conveyances of all kinds were busily employed in conveying the remnants
saved from the fire to some friendly shelter. “During the conflagration, and while the property of many of our citizens was being destroyed or removed to some place of safety, the thief was abroad in the land, and goods of all kinds were stolen and secreted by men and boys, whose names should grace the register of Jackson
state’s prison or the house of correction.” But the village and its residents weren’t about to give up. That Sunday evening, a town meeting was held that would determine Ludington’s future. The decision was unanimous — rebuild what was lost. John Fannon, who owned a saloon on South James
Street, had men and material ready to build bright and early Monday morning, and a “spacious new saloon at a cost of $3,000 was started.” Reconstruction was taken up with gusto by the remaining Ludington residents. According to “The History of Manistee County,“ the Democrat reviewed the situation six months after the blaze.
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Ludington daily newS/SECTION 1
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