In the News... Built in a Day

 According to this article from the June 11, 1913 edition of the Nevada State Journal (Reno, NV), a 250-mile stretch of the future US-23, between Bay City and Mackinaw City, was built in ONE day by the hardworking citizens of Northeastern Michigan.

EIGHT THOUSAND JOIN IN ROAD WORK
Alpena, Mich., June 10. --


Eight thousand business and professional men and farmers in Northeastern Michigan made road laborers of themselves and constructed more than 250 miles of roadway between Bay City and Mackinaw City.  Where there had been at sunrise mile after mile of corduroy road, sand holes and swamps [by] night fall found an almost unbroken stretch of leveled highway.  The new roadway forms a part of the state highway from Detroit to Mackinaw City.  The stretch built yesterday passes through 48 townships.  Four thousand teams and 750 automobiles participated in the great bee.  The women of the country also did their share of the work, 500 of them being engaged in the task of feeding the workers along the route.

From the modern perspective, it's pretty mind-blowing to think about - every man between Bay City and Mackinaw City voluntarily sacrificing an entire day to accomplish such a big task.  Can you imagine what we could accomplish today if we were all willing to donate our time and work together for just one day?  

The First World Boy Scouts Jamboree - 1920

While spending hours searching through passport records, I noted that several of them were for a few preteen boys, and a scoutmaster, who were attending a Boy Scouts Jamboree in England in 1920.  I figured this jamboree must have been a big deal with 8 boys and 2 scout leaders attending (according to a letter attached to one application, though I can only find evidence of 1 scout master and  5 boys.) So, with my mind gone off on a tangent, as it usually does, I decided to see if there was any information on the gathering.

As it turns out, the boys were participating in the very first ever "World Boy Scouts Jamboree," which was held at Kensington Olympia in London.  8,000 scouts from 34 countries were in attendance, and the event took place from July 30, 1920 through August 8, 1920. 

I was able to find passenger records indicating that the boys traveled to England on the Titanic's sister ship, the Olympic of the White Star Line.  The Olympic had, just that year, returned to civilian service after serving as a military transport during WWI, and held the title of being the only merchant ship to attack and destroy an enemy submarine when it shot missiles at, rammed, and sunk a German U-boat in 1918.

The Olympic in her "dazzle camoflauge" during wartime service

Traveling aboard the Olympic with Scoutmaster James Bennett, 31, were: 

Ray Curtiss, 13, of 248 Washington Ave

Frank Scanlon, 14, of 136 State St

Howard Broad, 15, of 712 4th St

Archie Goodburne, 15, address Lockbox 123

Eldred Hall, 17, of 411 Tawas? St

(For photos of the fine young lads, please see "Passport Photos from the Past" a few posts down)

The ship arrived in the port of Southhampton, England on July 15, 1920.  From there, they would have spent two weeks sightseeing until the jamboree began two weeks later.

The jamboree was held at the Kensington Olympia, in a glass-domed arena that had been filled with a foot of dirt and turfed over to allow the boys to pitch tents and camp.  Another camping spot along the Thames River, where a few thousand of the boys were stationed, was flooded and evacuated in the middle of the night.  The two-week event was filled with activities, flag salutes, and speeches from world scout leaders.

 For excerpts from the 1920 Jamboree book, including the day-by-day itinerary, click here

After the jamboree, the boys toured France and Belgium before returning to America aboard the Haverford, which sailed from Liverpool on August 15 and arrived in Philadelphia on August 26.  The Haverford, another White Star Line vessel, had also served as a military transport during WWI and was attacked by German U-boats twice before being purchased by White Star in 1920.

It is really neat to see how a few young scouts from Alpena were able to participate in such a huge world event - I'm sure it was quite the ordeal and source of pride for the town back in 1920.

---

 

Treasure Box Thursday!

Hello Folks, it's that time of the week again!  I'm always amazed that each week, there are indeed new items online waiting for me to share with you!  Hope you like this batch of fun area antiques for your treasure box!

Alpena Hatpins

Hatpins were popular during the Victorian times, to add a personal touch to the giant feathery hats of the day.  These two happen to be from Alpena!

More Hatpins

 Mich-E-Kewis Beach Postcard

Imagine a time when one could pull their automobile right up to the water and park on the sand!  Looks like a good time was had by all.

"Typical Lumber Scene" Postcard

I can't lie - I look at this very impressive sleigh load of 4113 logs and several men, and all I can do is feel bad for the TWO horses pulling the whole darn thing!

D. Des Jardins & Son Advertising Souvenir Plate

Advertising plates were quite common in the first half of the century - this one likely dates to pre-1920.

That's all for this time!  Check back again soon for some new finds.

Maps, Maps, Maps!

Part of the fun of history and genealogy, for me anyway, is imagining what life was like for my ancestors and those around them.  The census records, death certificates, and other written evidence of our ancestor's lives are great - but I like to have something a little more tangible.  So I've gotten into the habit of creating custom Google Maps (marking locations of people and places on a real satellite image) to see the big picture of the world our ancestors lived in.  Who were their neighbors? What did their land look like? Where did they attend church and school?

I've already posted a map of the Metz Fire of 1908, which can be found a few posts down.

Another project that is very near completion and has been quite an undertaking, is the schools, churches, cemeteries, post offices, stores, and more of Presque Isle County as found on the 1903 Plat Map.

View Presque Isle County in 1903 in a larger map

The ladies from the Presque Isle GenWeb website, who have contributed so much to the project, went around taking photos of many of the sites on the map so I could add them. A photo will pop up for many of the schools, churches, and cemeteries you click on. A huge thank you goes out to BJ and Janet who helped with this!

Another project I'm just starting which is sure to be a long time coming is actually platting out all of Presque Isle and Alpena Counties - recreating the property lines of 1903 and placing markers on the exact location of the homes. So far, only Sections 1 - 12 of Belknap Township, Presque Isle are complete. Please check back periodically for new additions. On the sidebar to the left, residents are arranged by section, and if you click on a name it will take you to their home on the map. The map works best at about 2/3 of the way zoomed in.


View 1903 Belknap Twp Homesteads in a larger map

If you want to find out where your ancestor lived, but it's not on the map yet, check out Historic MapWorks which has an amazingly good zoomable scan of the 1903 Alpena, Presque Isle, and Montmorency Plat Book I'm working from.  Please leave a comment if you have any questions, corrections, or want to find out where your ancestor lived.  I'd be glad to help!

Alpena Co - 1918 Death Records Transcribed!

Over this week I transcribed all of the 1918 death records from Alpena County found on Seeking Michigan and compiled them into a database which can be found here.  Presque Isle County is up next and should be completed by the end of next week.

Information included in the database is city/township of death, date, name, name of father and mother (when available), and cause of death.  Maiden name, if available, is shown in parentheses after the married name. Information is only as accurate as written and transcribed - I tried my best!  Additional information, including place of birth, address, spouse, place of burial, and more can be found by visiting Seeking Michigan and searching for the (free!) actual death certificate.

Why only 1918, you ask?  1918 was the year of the great Spanish Influenza pandemic (also known as La Grippe), in which many Alpena and Presque Isle residents, most of them healthy young adults, lost their lives.  One family hit particularly hard was that of James Arbuckle, who lost his wife, a son, a daughter, and a grandson to the flu.

The numbers are astounding:

For the year, there were 304 death certificates available (*not all are included, May-August is especially sparse.) Of those 304 deaths, 107 were caused by influenza, making up 35% of the total number of deaths for 1918.  This figure may be elevated due to the absence of records from the summer months during the "eye" of the influenza storm, but is generally in line with the national rate of 32%.

Before October, when the second and most deadly wave of the epidemic hit, the death rate for the county averaged 24 deaths per month.  But in October, when the epidemic was at its worst, there were 56 deaths - a mind-blowing 233% increase over the January-September average.  78% of the deaths for October were caused by influenza.  And November wasn't much better, with 51 deaths.

By December, the flu was still rampant but the worst of the epidemic had passed - the number of deaths was down to 36, with 44% of the deaths being influenza-related.

The second highest percentage of deaths, at about 20%, sadly belonged to infants who made up 61 of the 304 total deaths.  Of those 61 infant deaths, 13 were stillbirths, 10 were premature births, 10 were caused by influenza, 6 were caused by cholera (of which there was also an outbreak in October of that year), and 5 were caused by eating/stomach related issues.

Leading causes of death for 1918 (based on the available information):

Influenza - 107 (35%)
Infancy-related - 61 (20%)
Heart Disease - 20 (6%)
Accidental - 17 (5%)
Cancer - 12 (4%)
Tuberculosis - 8 (2%)

Can you imagine living in a time where the flu caused 35% of deaths, and infants made up 20% of deaths, yet heart disease and cancer only made up 10% of deaths combined?

By comparison, here are current US figures, as released in 2002:

Heart Disease - 28.5%
Cancer - 22.8%
Accidental - 4.4% (virtually unchanged)
Infant Deaths - <1%

During the recent H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak, the P&I (pneumonia & influenza) death rate rose to 7% at its very worst. Once you comprehend the full magnitude of the Spanish flu outbreak, it's a little easier to understand why the medical community was so concerned about the swine flu.

I hope you enjoyed learning about this difficult time in our history, and hopefully some of you were able to utilize the records.  Have a great weekend!

Treasure Box Thursday!

Time for another new batch of antique and vintage memorabilia from the Sunrise Side! You can click on the links to find where to purchase, or click on the photos for a larger image.

Half-pint Ox-Bow Farm Milk Bottle

Currently available on eBay, this milk bottle from Alpena's own Ox-Bow Farm is old enough to have been turned purple by the sun.


1907 Postcard - Alpena Harbor

Sure looks different than the harbor of today, don't you agree?  Instead of being filled with smaller sporting vessels, the harbor is filled to the brim with large steamers.


Very Old Postcard - Second Ave

It seems there are many postcards of Second Avenue in Alpena floating around, but this is my favorite of all those I've seen.  This one seems to date back to pre-1910.


Humorous Postcard - Kissing Couple

Cute postcard from the late Victorian era - I bet this one was seen as quite "bawdy" in those days!


Lumbering Days Postcard

Seeing the millions of logs clogging up the Thunder Bay River back in the lumbering days never ceases to amaze!  You can see Thunder Bay Island Lighthouse in the background, dwarfed by the piles of lumber at the mouth of the river.

That's it for now!  Visit again soon for more new (old) items found around the web!

Postcards to Pearl French

An online postcard shop is currently selling several postcards addressed to Pearl French, born December 4, 1892 to William Charles and Jane French of Dafoe, Long Rapids Twp. They document a span of years and chronicle the times in which Pearl lived.

Postmarked Jan 17-1908


Miss Pearl French
RFD #2
Dafoe, MI


Dear Pearl,


How are you anyway?  I heard you were not feeling very good.  I hope you will soon be able to come down and stay for awhile with us.  Answer soon,


From Katie Friend


This postcard was send to Pearl when she was a young lady of seventeen.

July 8, 1910


Miss Pearl French
Point Aux Pines, Mich

Hello candie kid, I am enjoying myself, am going to Hillman on excursion Weds, and Gladys also.

Ans(wer) soon,
A.L. Friend
Jean Shell 


This postcard is from Pearl's mother, Jane French - likely right after Pearl left Alpena for Detroit.

Miss Pearl French
74 Adams Ave West
Detroit
Michigan 


Jan 6 1915


Hello Pearl we been looking for a letter every day hope you are not ill again how is your neck Richard is able to be out but his legs bother him some.  We are all about the same as when you were home hoping you are well. I got a letter from Ethel she got her ? but Elmer has not any work yet she says there is 10,000 men out of work in Portland. 


from Mother

The "Ethel" Pearl's mother Jane is referring to is Pearl's sister Ethel French who married Elmer George Hibbs in 1910.

Pearl later followed her sister out west and married Ralph K Smith in Vancouver, Washington on August 9, 1918.


 This postcard is from Pearl's friend, Mrs. Thomas Coombs

Dafoe, Mich July 14 (1916) -

Dear Young Friends,

Got home 10:30 Monday evening stayed at your mother's had supper was very tired but felt better after supper.  Rich & Lizzie & Helen came down.  Never was so happy to hear Alpena called out for I was so tired but I am feeling good now. Thanking you and Myrtle for your kindness. As ever your friend,


Mrs. Thomas Coombs



This postcard is postmarked October 11, 1918 at the onset of WWI.

My Dear Pearl


You will think I am ? answering your own ? Postal but I have been busy curing fruits and vegetables and I have a girl boarding with me and going to school. What do you think of the war? Is it not dreadful? William my son has enlisted from Pontiac. At present he is in Camp Robinson Military Barracks Wisconsin. I may never see him again. Ever your friend, E A Ward

Tombstone Tuesday: Daniel and Sarah Carter

Photo by Myra Herron

Daniel and Sarah Carter and their daughter Mary were the first permanent white settlers in Alpena, arriving on November 26, 1856, according to Bob Haltiner in "The Town that Wouldn't Die." This beautiful marker is a fitting tribute to these "pillars" of our community.

Our Civil War Heroes - Alpena

There were several old Civil War soldiers residing in our area in 1890, when the government took a census of the veterans. 25 years after the war, most still had severe complications from injuries sustained during the war, which are documented in these records. Those who escaped serious injury certainly still suffered the emotional scars of the death, starvation, disease, and cold that was their life during their time in the war. Please join me in remembering the courage and sacrifices of these men and their families as you read over their names and the casualties sustained.

ALPENA COUNTY -

Alpena - 1st Ward
Alfred W Smith, John H Ansell, William M Keand, Bowman Marsh (widow of), John J Clark, Frank White, Cephus C Miller, John L Cook, Charles F Neff, William D Rose, Edwin Wyman, Hugh Alexander, Herman A Kimball, Samuel Metcalf, John A Smith (enrolled as Andrew Smith), Charles A Lester, Chester M Denning?, Thomas C Lester, Thomas G Spratt, Albert C Rice, Charles L Maltz, Wallace F Wilshire, Daniel Wentworth, Frank Emerick, Don A Hecox, George L Robinson, Robert J Kelley, James M Rice, Thomas H Hunt, James Lewis, James J Plunkett, Nelson J Miller, William P Maiden, John A Kelley, Charles B Greely, Daniel M Coy, Fred A Barlow, Charles L Babcock, Monroe Klock (past mayor of Alpena)

No disabilities reported

Alpena - 2nd Ward

John D Patter, Amarossa? M Chaffer, Andrew Simmons, Arthur Irwin, Louis Partridge, Thomas Hardy, Dyer Wilson, James Whalen, James M Clifford (widow of), Edward A McDonald, _ Ashe (widow of), John McCash, Thomas Belknap, Robert Halloway, James H Hughes, corporal, James J Patter, 1st Lieutenant, William Demons, Hendrick Yigeon?, corporal, Rheuben W Platt

James Clifford suffered from prolapsus ani (prolapsed rectum) and Ashe disappeared during service. James H Huges had a crippled left leg. James J Patter was a prisoner for over a year but escaped.

Alpena - 3rd Ward

John Carr, Moses Charbonneau, Joseph Glennie (widow of), Martin Tyler, corporal, Frank H Northrup, George A Robinson, William J Hoey, sergeant, Philip Embry, Thomas Phillips, corporal, Courtance? Demerese, 1st sergeant, Daniel Carr (widow of), Denton Selleck, William H Phillips, Yeb Knight, Edward A Avery, Daniel Barker (widow of), George Johnson, William W Kennedy, David Reddick, John C Wallace, Thomas White, Lewis White

The bones in John Carr's left leg were shattered. Joseph Glennie died in Chattanooga Hospital 4 weeks after being fatally injured.

Alpena - 4th Ward

David Kindt, William Hamilton, Mark Andrews, John Troquor, Conrad Wessel, Louis VanSype, William Smith, Edward H Sine, John C Sheahy, William Whitlin, James Trodden, Henry C McKenzie, Albert W Wheeler

William Hamilton was shot in the right foot, Mark Andrews had a hernia or rupture, John Troquor had chronic rheumatism, and Conrad Wessel had an injury to the right side, making him physically incapable of labor. Louis VanSype abandoned his regiment. William Smith was injured in the right side, disabled and poor with a large family. Edward Sine lost 2 fingers on his right hand and was old, feeble, and in indigent circumstances (impoverished). John Sheahy was in poor health and incapable of hard labor and "of steady habit." Henry McKenzie was industrious but poor with a large family.

Green Township

Thomas Mc?, James L Shearer?, James Norolan, James Kimball, corporal, Simon Hawley, Horatio? A Green, George W Rose, Cornelius Spain, engineer/mechanic, Samuel J Nichols, Charles H Davis, John P Wentworth, Richard Scot, Ambrose Bryant

Thomas ? had chronic bronchitis, James Shearer had malanal poisoning (from malaria or typhoid fever), James Norolan had resulting liver and spleen disease, James Kimball had chronic diarrhea and injury of right leg, and Simon Hawley had chronic diarrhea. Horatio Green had pneumonia of the lungs, George Rose had heart disease, Cornelius Spain had chronic diarrhea, and Samuel Nichols had chronic diarrhea, malarial poisoning, and rheumatism. Charles Davis suffered from chronic constipation received while in prison at Bell Island, VA. John Wentworth had chronic diarrhea and Richard Scot was shot in the head and left shoulder.

Hubbard Lake Township

Simon Noble, Hiram Bennis, Warner Willsworth, John Ellsworth, Martin Begumin?, John Suefaul?, John Gooley

Simon Noble had inflammation of the lungs, Hiram Bennis had weak eyes, Warner Willsworth had chronic disease 8 years, Martin Begumin had a gunshot wound in the hip, John Ellsworth had weak eyes and throat.

Long Rapids Township

Benjamin D Atwood, John Samhain? alias John McClure, Gilbert A Smith, Thomas C Adams, David R Martindale, Daniel Hibner, George W Brown, John Snyder

Benjamin Atwood suffered a dislocated ankle and a gunshot wound to the hip, and Gilbert Smith had chronic diarrhea. Donald Hibner had piles (hemorrhoids) and chronic diarrhea. George Brown also had chronic diarrhea.

Maple Ridge Township

Peter Degloppa?, Lorenzo D Wyman, Joseph Kurtz, Soloman Erens

Soloman Erens had an injured back.

Sanborn Township

Robert A Tolan, George Plud?, Charles Bellmore, Oliver W Bressette

All four men had chronic diarrhea, and Robert Tolan also had kidney disease.

Wilson Township

Jacob Mushafer?, William M Barney, Oliver Hines, James Benson (Mary King, widow, remarried), Joseph Bartrow, John Ash, James Chamfrie?, Noble M Breckinreed, Anthony Kizar?

Jacob, Oliver, Joseph, James, and Anthony all suffered from rheumatism and William had chronic kidney disease.

If one of your ancestors is one of these men, be proud and grateful for the sacrifices they made to keep this great country together. I'd be glad to find more detailed records for you on any of these men - just ask!


*** Please leave a comment if you have any additions or corrections. With many of the entries misspelled and poorly written, they can be very hard to decipher.

Follow Friday: Seeking Michigan

***"Follow Friday" is a theme where the blogger posts about another blog, website, or other resource that may be valuable to other readers of their blog.

Today, I'd like to share a wonderful source of information for those interested in Michigan history and genealogy. The government-sponsored website is called Seeking Michigan and contains millions of documents and photos chronicling our state's rich past.

Perhaps the resource most useful to genealogists is the large collection of millions of death records from the years 1897-1920. These are actual images of the death certificates themselves, which are a wealth of information such as birth date, death date, name of parents, cause of death, place of burial, and more. Doing a general search can be a bit tricky but the "advanced search" tool is very helpful.


Also useful to genealogists are enlistment records, manuscripts, and photos of Michigan Civil War soldiers. I have yet to explore these, but the images look great. There are also early photos, maps, and WPA (New Deal Program) Property Details.



Great resources for those interested in Michigan's history are oral histories, early documents, a collection of 400 pieces of sheet music by Michigan composers, information and photos of the Governors of Michigan, architectural sketches and photos,photos and postcards of the Lighthouses and Lifesaving Stations of Michigan, and a "Main Streets" postcard collection featuring postcard images of Michigan's downtown areas.



There are several pages worth of printable historic photos and postcards from our area lighthouses available.



Or, if you're feeling nostalgic, check out the "Look" section which has pleasant pictures and stories of days gone by by the archivists of the State of Michigan. (That will be me someday!)


I hope you have as much fun exploring this site as I do! Happy Friday all!

The Resort Days

Our area is well-known as a tourist destination, and many of our outlying areas and lakes were exclusively resort areas long before permanent, year-round, settlement. Here are some postcards of the early resorts of our area. Some of them are long gone and forgotten, and some are still around.

ADRIAN RESORT HOTEL - Long Lake



Doesn't this place look grand? I can find no mention of this place in any of my books or online. There are no Adrian property owners along Long Lake in the 1903 Plat Book. Since this photo was taken in summer 1908, I can only guess that Mr. Adrian dumped his life savings and months of back breaking labor on this beautiful place, just in time for it to be destroyed by the Metz Fire a few months later in October.


BIRCH HILL HOTEL - Grand Lake



This hotel was built in the late 1890s and opened in 1901, owned and built by Joe Kauffman, brother of George F Kauffman who built the Fireside Inn. It was in operation until the 1960s. I'm not sure of the exact location on Birch Hill though I would assume it's on the site of the current Birch Hill Resort.


FIRESIDE INN - Grand Lake



This resort was built by George F Kauffman in 1908, at the pleading of his wife who had saved up $350 to build it. He was at first reluctant because his brother Joe already owned the Birch Hill Hotel and he did not want to compete with him, but eventually he caved in. They used their $350 along with the unlimited free timber around them and their own labor to complete the hotel. This resort is still in operation today, and I worked there every summer during my high school years.


PRESQUE ISLE LODGE - Grand Lake



This hotel was built in 1920 by Newell A Eddy, Jr - partially as a place to showcase the family's handmade furniture which fills the Lodge today. It was the 4th resort to be erected at Grand Lake. Despite being closed for a number of years, the resort re-opened several years ago and is a very popular inn for tourists and event venue for locals.


Two other resorts I can't find much information or any photos on are the Grand Lake Hotel and the Colony Bar. The Grand Lake Hotel was owned by Bliss Stebbins, and was eventually split up, then converted into a private residence. I know nothing of the Colony Bar other than it was one of the 4 original resorts on Grand Lake.

Treasure Box Thursday: Metz Fire Newspaper

Yesterday, while surfing eBay for old objects from our area, I came across this October 16, 1908 edition of the Fitchburg Daily News in Massachusetts. It's a real, over 100 year old newspaper from across the country, and the devastation that had hit our area was the main story. This would be a great add to someone's treasure box!

Alpena's Red Light District?

In searching for information about someone else I was posting on, I stumbled across Alpena's own little red light district...in 1910! I was always under the impression that such things would have been outlawed by those times in our small moral community, but apparently I was wrong.

On the 1910 census, two neighboring houses can be found in which the occupation of all the ladies is listed as "prostitute." The first home was located at 410 River St, very near the Civic Theatre. The madam was Belle A.(Salt? Sath?) She was born in about 1880 in Michigan and had previously been married for 6 years with no children born. Her "soiled doves" were Marie E Driscoll, 22, and Stella Tower, 22.

The next home on the census was 115 N 5th Ave, owned by madam Edna M Arman, 26. Her girls were Anna G Lemire, 22, Grace E Morrison, 27, Anna M (Heins?), 25, and Florence L Dawson, 21. Anna and Florence had both been previously married with no children born. This home is still lived in today.

Another place of business for the "ladies of the night" was at 202 Minor Street, which is also currently occupied. (I am so curious to see if the current owners of these homes know anything about their home's interesting past!) The madam at this house was Francis Moran, 35, of Canada. Her girls were Mildred Springs, 24, and Mabel Howard, 29.

If there were this many cathouses still in operation in Alpena in 1910, I'm very curious to know how many were around back in the town's boom-iest, in the 1880s and 90s. I'll definitely be checking that out next.

UPDATE: In scouring the 1880 and 1900 censuses for all Alpena females between the ages of 20-30 who were single, I could find no record of any soiled doves residing within city limits...or perhaps they were just better at hiding it in those days. It's also a possibility they all remained out at the lumber camps, and the practice hadn't made its way into town yet. I know they were around - any place filled with young single men who spend all day working hard in the woods and their nights getting liquored up is bound to have a few questionable ladies about.

Alpena Memorabilia on eBay

You'd be surprised at the amount of Alpena memorabilia floating around on eBay. Pages and pages of historic items in great condition, and many times at great prices. If you're like me, and love to fill your home with old treasures, maybe there's room in your house for one of these nostalgic pieces.

Glass Beer Bottle from John Beck's Brewing Company



John Beck operated a Brewery in Alpena from about 1885-1918. From 1891-1918, the brewery was known as "Beck Malting & Brewing Co" so this bottle likely dates back to pre-1891.

LaPine & Cook Cabinet Photo - Victorian Woman



eBay is a great place to look for old photos of your ancestors. Maybe somebody will recognize this pretty young lady from the Victorian era.

Red Rose Dairy (Richard Weise Farm) Milk Caps



This listing is for 20 unused vintage bottle caps from fresh milk straight from Richard Weise's farm! Richard was a lifelong Alpena resident, born in about 1896. These milk caps are likely from the 30s-50s.

J Chas Wood Druggist Bottle



J Charles Wood was a druggist from Canada who came to the United States in 1883. In 1910, he was living at 404 Chisholm Street with his wife May. This bottle likely dates sometime between the late 1880s and early 1920s.

I'll share some more cool Alpena finds again soon! Hope you enjoyed these little treasures from the past.