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1850s
|
Harrison Averill operates a
sawmill on the creek that dumps into the northeast corner of Lower
Herring Lake. |
1854
|
Sam
Gilbert describes life in the Arcadia area: The area between
Manistee and Grand Traverse Bay had only five white families with homes, two
"bachelor roosts," and a number of Indian farms. One of them was a 40-50 acre farm that
included much of what is Arcadia today. |
1866
|
A few families
settle on what they called Bar Lake (named for the sand bar separating the lake from Lake
Michigan). Among the first
settlers: John Kirchmeyer and G. W. Boss.
The Turnersport Pier Co. builds a pier in Turnersport,
later called Pierport, for the
purpose of shipping lumber across Lake Michigan to
Wisconsin.
Henry
Starke purchases his first parcel of land in the area. By 1883 he
would own about 2,000 acres in northern Manistee county including much
of the land in what would become Arcadia. |
1867
|
More
settlers arrive: Michael O'Rorke,
Wm. Quimby, and Seymour Calkins |
1870
|
Arcadia
Township is organized. W. H. Cotton is elected the first Supervisor. Local industry: Farming, dairy products,
and maple sugar. A
log
school opens on the Manke farm. Silas Overpack of Manistee
begins building and selling big wheels. Lumbering can more readily be
performed throughout the year. |
1871
|
C, W, Perry settled in
Turnersport, took possession of the Turnersport Pier Company property,
and built a log cabin close to the pier where he could run his shipping
business.
Turnersport is renamed Pierport. |
1872
|
Pierport: "A warehouse has been
built on the pier, and a white light is kept up. The light has an
elevation of 24 feet from the water." -- Manistee
Times. July
3, 1872 |
1873
|
C. W. Perry builds a store at
Pierport. |
1874
|
Henry Huntington opens a
steam-powered sawmill on Sprague's creek near Pierport
about four miles south of Arcadia near the Lake
Michigan shore. It employs five people.
Pierport: "The
school house is already completed
except plastering. It is built near Pierport P.O. and Perry's Pier and
is 20 X 30 feet with 11 foot ceilings." -- Manistee Times
& Standard. November 28, 1874.
"Arcadia can now boast of a store and
tavern, [now] that Mr. H. W. James has his buildings completed at
Arcadia Corners on the state road equidistant from Manistee to
Frankfort." -- Manistee Times & Standard. December
19, 1874. |
1875
|
Harriet Quimby is born most
likely in Arcadia Township (May 11).
Pierport: "The new
school house at Pierport was built by C. W. Perry and presented to
the district at $300. The building is lathed, plastered and well
finished in every respect, and would ordinarily cost $600. ... The
following buildings have been built in the last 4 months: Hull & Cole, 2
houses and one barn; E. A. Johnson, house and barn; C. W. Perry,
warehouse; O. C. Patch, house; B. Crabb, blacksmith shop."
-- Manistee Times & Standard. January 30, 1875. |
1876
|
George Dwyer opens a sawmill at
Pierport. He sells it a year later to C.W.
Perry. "Arcadia will build a new school house in District No. 1, 24 X 36 with a brick basement. It will be the first one in Manistee County out of Manistee City."
-- Manistee Times & Standard. January 22, 1876. |
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