Early History of
Charlevoix, Michigan By Robert R. Ware
The Ottawa Indians were here when the White Men arrived.
1721 Father Charlevoix (a French Canadian missionary)
came here in 1721.
1846 James Jesse Strong brought the Mormons to Beaver
Island.
1852 Fisherman came to the mouth of Pine River.
1853 The Battle of Pine River, July 13, l853 (after
which the fishermen moved out).
1854 Geo. Preston and family moved into the deserted
cabins of the fishermen from
Beaver Island followed by Galen B. Cole and family who
arrived from South Fox Island in a small schooner called the
"Dolphin".
1855 Mr. John S. Dixon and family arrived in May at
the mouth of Pine River in the little schooner "Emeline" together
with Mr. Wolcott and Frank May, a young man who had been hired as a helper at
Northport. The Captain fearing an attack from the Mormons pulled out and sailed
away. It took three days for the men to clear the brush and logs from the south
river bank so they could pull a small boat up against the rapid current. This
boat was loaded with supplies and a quantity of lumber. They finally dragged
the boat up stream and tied it to the river bank on the north side just where
the stream leaves Round Lake.
1867 In June the tug "Commodore Nut" built
in Buffalo, NJ. arrived with four scows built in Northport. After considerable
trouble the tug and scows made their way into Pine Lake. This was the first
steam boat to enter Pine Lake via the ditch that had taken from early spring to
make. Piles were driven on either side of the cut and for some distance into
Pine Lake to indicate the channel. (See photo at Ed Edwards.) Richard Cooper
ran a boarding house for the Al Fox & Co. which afterwards became the first
hotel, the Fountain House.
1872 A mass meeting was held to discuss the matter of
opening Pine River for navigation. Contract was made with A. Stickney for
dredging Pine River which was begun in July. All prior dredging had been done
by the tugs and the river current. A cut between Round and Pine Lakes 35 feet
wide and 12 feet deep was made by an appropriation of $1,000 by the Board of
Supervisors.
1877 The first Government appropriation for dredging
of Pine River was in July 1877. Dr. Levi Lewis was the Pioneer Physician who
came to Charlevoix in the spring of 1870 and was active until his death Dec.
29, 1930.
History of the
Belevedere Club
1878 The Charlevoix Home Association wee formed in
the spring. H.W. Page, President from Kalamazoo, Mich. Samuel Brooks, Secretary
and Kendall Brooke, Treasurer both from Kalamazoo, Mich. They bought 25 acres
of Land for $625. Six cottages were built that spring; S. A. Gibson on Lot 9;
Kendall Brooks on lot 10; H. W. Page on lot ll; J. L. Sebring on lot 12; F.
W.Wilcox on lot lb; I. W. Fisk on lot 17. They also built a substantial pier
with l4 ft. of water for boats to land on the south bank of the channel at west
end. An 8 stall bath house on Pine Lake and sunk a good well with ice cold pure
water all for the sum of $1600. When the news of this new resort, in the heart
of the Pine Woods country became known over 100 persons visited Charlevoix;
some lived in tents, others found board and room in private homes.
1879 The Association purchased 25 acres more land
from H. J. Stockman Just north of the original 25 acres. In October of that
year, they bought 25 more acres. In these early days you had to come to
Charlevoix by boat or stage as the nearest railroads were at Petoskey or
Traverse City. The steam boat "Thomas Bryant” made all stops around Little
Traverse Bay from Harbor Springs: to Petoskey, then
direct to the Belvedere dock. The "Lue Cummings"
made all the stops in Grand Traverse Bay from Traverse City to the Charlevoix
City docks. The larger steam boat: "Champlain" came up from Chicago
with freight and passengers, stopping at most all ports from Ludington north.
The larger steam ships could not come up the Pine River to the City dock and
had to land their passengers and freight on
the north pier just above the mouth of the river, west of
the Fountain City House.
1882 S.S. Fountain, 1000 ton steamer was first large
boat to enter Round Lake and in the new channel.
1883 E. C. Ware and family came up from Chicago an
the Champlain and were landed on the outer pier. They rented a cottage from J.
L. Sebring On lot #54. The cottage was rebuilt in 1904 and remodeled at which
time most all of the cottage people ate at the hotel. In 1930 the cottage was
remodeled to accommodate ehe grandchildren and now the great grandchildren
enjoy the same old cottage.
1885 Many new cottages had bee built (see postcard by
Ralph Prim amt Ed Edward has) also note the new cut and the old River where the
Pine River did flow.
1892 The new Belvedere was in operation under the
management of Col. G. Edwin Dunbar. This same year the Pere Marquette Railroad
was completed from Traverse City to Bay View.
A list of some of the steam boats in Charlevoix:
North Star
to East Jordan
Walter
Chrysler to East Jordan
The Hum to
East Jordan
The Gordon
to Boyne City; Gem Weaver Capt; L. Guard, owner.
Thomas
Fryant Little Traverse Jay
Lue
Cummings Grand Traverse Bay; burned at the dock 8; rebuilt, renamed.
City of
Boyne to Boyne City
Large Steam Ships:
Champlain
from Chicago - 3 to 4 days, docked on North Pier by lighthouse; burned June 16, 1887 on
Fisherman's Island reef; 22 lives lost; rebuilt and named City of Charlevoix.
City of Charlevoix; Lawrence; Petoskey,
Illinois; Missouri; City of Grand
Rapids; Manitou; North America;
South America;
Beaver Island Boats;
Gazell,
1879; E.L. Hackley; Elva; Mary Margaret; North Shore; M. McCann
Tug boats in Charlevoix;
Minnie
Warren; A. Anafhe; Caroline; The Green;
L. A. Rawson; J.H. Martin; J. L. Higgie; Neal Avery; E. L.
Wheeler; Frank Geiken; J.W Parmiles;
Sailboats in the Belvedere Bayou:
Amy 1st,
Helen 2nd, Argo 3 owned by D. L. D'ege. Lady Ann owned by J.I. Dissette; Sylph owned by E.C. Ware; Pif Paff owned by Jack
Ward; Edith owned by Don Osborn; Squaw owned
by Gardner Bros Blue Mackinaw owned by Patsie Flanagan;
and June Girl owned by
C. O. Roemler.
Schooners in and out of Charlevoix:
The Luckey,
Rosa Belle, Ida, Peoria, Vega, Black Hawk, St. Paul, Ottawa, and Meadow.
The new hotel had two bathtubs on the west end of the 1st
floor which could be used by appointment only. If’ you could not get in, you
could get a key for one of the bath stalls from the hotel clerk and take your
bath in Pine Lake. Most cottages at that time had a back room with a small coal
stove where afternoon tea could be made. Also hot water could be heated for a
hot foot bath if the lake was too cold. The hotel also had a bowling; alley on
the west end. Swimming, sailing; tennis and baseball were the main sporting
activities. The Belvedere baseball team was a good one. Don Osborn, the
pitcher, was a "knock out”. The hotel ran a large dining hall in charge of
an experienced caterer, wherer most of the Club members ate at a cost of $7.00
per week board. They ate what was put on the table. The fishing was very good
with Lake Trout, German Brown and Rainbow in the streams and Steelhead, Bass,
Pike and Perch in the lakes; also the large Lake Trout.
Most every cottage had a rowboat to get over to the village.
Some had a canoe. There were several horse drawn busses running between the
hotel and the village for 10¢ a ride or 15¢ to Lake Michigan beach where people
found agates, Petoskey and many other pretty stones that they would have cut
and polished and made into rings, etc. There were also picnic rides to Mt. Mcsauba
on the north shore of Lake Michigan where the U.S. Government had a tall wooden
tower for surveying. Some indians lived in the 1ittle adjacent valley and old
Chief McSauby charged 25¢ to climb up to the top of the tower.
There were many ox teams still in use in the logging
business and John West who owned the cottage on Lot 210 gave a Pole ride instead of a hayride. The
long poles were chained on to a lumber wagon which was drawn by a team of oxen.
The first motive power machines were the naptha launches.
The "Cupid" was owned by W. H.
Aldrich, Lot 109 and one owned by Don Boudeman, Lat 209,
"The Jane”.