ALCONA TOWNSHIP,
Its Farming and Other Interests
Alcona, August 20, 1877
Dear Review:--As our Supervisor has not complied with your request to furnish you a report of the number of acres which each farmer owned and also the amount of improvements made, I shall endeavor to give you the names of all the actual settlers and the amount of land assessed to each, according to the best of my knowledge: [Includes]
Wm. Eningham, 20; R. W. Fester, 40; P. Silverthorn, 225; A. T. Scarlett, 80; G. VanBuren, 320; Wm. Craven, 40; Robert Hood, 40; Jas. Milligan, 80; Elison Milligan, 80; D. McArthur 40; D. Crounce, 40; Wm. M. Dodge, 80; A. Compe, 40; Jos. Yuill, 80; Robt. Scarlet, 120; Beard & Co., 108; Fred Card, 80; F. Dekett, 40; Wm. Hill, 120; Chas. Larson, 80; N. McNally, 80; John McGuire, 1/2; Jas. Fleming, 40; E. Domney, 80; Robt. Johnson, 80; Thos. McGregor, 40; Thos Fleming, 80; W. Richie, 40; L. LaFrance, 40; D. McNeil, 80; A. McDonald, 80; H. A. Nestle, 80; Wm. Henson, 80; Mrs. Towner, 40; Uriah Emerson, 20; Anthony Hugel, 40; Richard Jones, 40; Joseph Taylor, 40; Stephen Baxter, 100; A. Campbell, 80; R. B. Ludington, 80; John Milligan, 80; Wilson Milligan, 80; James Pyne, 80; J. Crounce, 40; N. Nichols, 80; Jas. Scarlett, 80; Alex Yuill, 80; A. Bondwill, 40; G. W. Balch, 1; Elizabeth Carle, 140; Sam Hill, 211; Erastus Lee, 40; Js. Martin, 40; D. Mulholland, 40; A. Packard, 40; Beard & Co. farm, 210; D. Duggan, 80; Wm. E. Towner, 80; Wm. McVeigh, 40; S. C. Nestle, 40; Wm. Pyne, 40; John LaFrance, 40; Jno. McDonald, 40; Dunk McArthur, 40; J. Richie, 40; Robert Lee, 40; G. A. Weingardner, 40.
Residents of Town 29, Range 8.
Samuel Auken, 80; S. Elsmorth, 80; John Brown, 80; Frank O'Dell, 80; J. McDonald, Jr., 80; J. Anderson, 80; J. P. Brackely, 80; Jas. McDonald, 80; Fred Phiffer, 80; W. J. Lockwood, 80; A. McCollum, 80.
Pierceville, or Black River, is in town 28, Range 9 east, and contains a shingle mill employing sixty hands, and has ten or twelve houses for the accommodation of the employees, and a Store. Alger & Co. also have ware and dwelling houses for the use of the firm in their lumber operations. The village of Alcona has a saw mill, post and telegraph offices, one warehouse, two hotels. W. F. Carle and Co. run a store. There are eleven dwelling houses for the use of bosses and mill men, and several shanties in the village. In my estimation there are eight hundred acres [later amended to 1800 acres] of cleared land, under cultivation, in the township. I am informed that there is a firm in Alpena going to put logs into Roe's Lake this winter, and open up communications to Hubbard Lake, to run their logs thence to Alpena. Roe's Lake is eight miles from Alcona on a direct westerly course, with a road most of the way; and Hubbard Lake is about eleven miles from the saw mill in Alcona, due west, with about four miles of road to open up and a few hills to grade, two bridges to build, and crossways to make over three swamps. There are numerous other small lakes in the township, and all well stocked with fish. There is one small lake in Town 28, Range 8, and there are tow apple trees, about a foot in diameter, that have had apples on every year for the last five years, as my informant says. Some of the settlers of Town 28, Range 8, are experienced hunters, and say there is any amount of game--they send fur direct to New York. The land is good for farming purposes and will in time be a fruit growing region, and a perfect paradise for mossbacks. With fish in the lakes, deer and other game in the wood, and plenty of fruit growing, the farmers will be all 'hunki dori.' More anon.
Hermit of Roe's Lake.