Pequaming, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Pequaming is an unincorporated community
in L'Anse Township
of Baraga County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The geographic coordinates are 46°51′07"N 88°24′01"W.
Originally home to Chippewa
tribes, the site was named for "Pequa quaming," a narrow neck of land almost surrounded by water. The point at Pequaming is in the shape of a bear; the head is called Picnic Point; the tail at the lumberyard, the legs are the two sand beaches, and the back is the shore line.
In 1877, Charles Hebard and H.C. Thurber purchased a large tract of land on Keweenaw Point, favored especially for its deep, protected harbor and easy access to timber. The mill began its operations with a capital of $200,000, with stock owned mostly by the Hebard and Thurber families. The mill site was initially leased from David King, chief of the local Chippewa tribe, and then purchased from his heirs after his death. The company purchased the town site from Mrs. Eliza Bennett in 1877.
The mill operated under the name of Hebard and Thurber until the partnership was dissolved; Herber became sole proprietor and renamed his company Charles Hebard and Sons.
At its peak, the company employed a force of two hundred men in the mill, and three hundred in the surrounding woods, and had a stumpage of 100,000 acres (400 km²) of timber lands in Marquette
, Baraga
, Houghton
, and Keweenaw
counties. The company owned the buildings and surrounding land, but was known as the "lumberman's utopia" because rent and water were free, and wood could be obtained from the mill for a very small sum per load. The town included the mill, a company store, offices, boarding houses, hotel, livery stable, bath houses, churches, schools, parks, a band and orchestra, ice rink, and over 100 houses.
The Pequaming mill was the first large-scale lumbering and milling operation in the Lake Superior
region, and in the years between 1880 and 1900, the mill cut an average of over 30000000 board feet (70,792.1 m³), 25000000 board feet (58,993.4 m³) in boards and 7000000 board feet (16,518.2 m³) in lath). When officials realized the white pine supply was nearly exhausted, they switched to hemlock and cedar. The pine was made into 1x4 lumber, the cedar into shingles, and hemlock into lath; other products included rail ties and hemlock bark for tanneries. For shipment, the products were loaded into box cars, which were placed onto scows and towed across the bay to Baraga
, and then shipped by rail to their destinations. The original sawmill operated until 1887, when it burned in a fire of unknown origins, and was replaced by a larger mill within 60 days.
When Charles Hebard died in 1904, his sons Daniel and Charles inherited the company and continued operations. "The Bungalow" was constructed in 1913.
In 1923, the Hebards were approached by Ford Motor Company
, who wanted to purchase their timber stands only. Mindful of Pequaming's future, the Hebards convinced Ford to purchase the mill and surrounding town as well, and entered into secret negotiations with the hope of completing the sale before operations began. On September 8, 1923, Ford Motor Company purchased the mill and surrounding town for the sum of $2,850,000; the purchase included the double band sawmill, lath and shingle mills, 40,000 acres (160 km²) of timber land, 30000000 board feet (70,792.1 m³) of lumber, 3000000 board feet (7,079.2 m³) of cut logs, the town land and buildings, the railroad, and towing and water equipment.
Renovations on the mill began, and entailed removing the lath and shingle mills, alterating the eastern face, dismantling the old burner, and adding a new powerhouse on the west side that housed a 1000 hp triple expansion marine engine from a World War I
Liberty boat. After repair and refitting, the sawmill reopened on September 24, with a work force that received $5 per day for an eight-hour shift instead of the previous $3.50 for a longer day.
By the end of February 1925, Ford had connected the Hebard railroad to the Ford railroad in L'Anse
, allowing each plant to specialize in one type of wood. Lumber from the Pequaming mill was generally shipped by water to plants in Dearborn
, Edgewater
, and Chester
, mostly in the form of crating lumber. The better grades of lumber were sent by rail to Iron Mountain
for use in the auto manufacturing plants. During its peak, the sawmill provided flooring for floorboards, truck boxes, and wood panels for station wagons.
By 1933, car sales has decreased enough, due to the Great Depression
, that the demand for lumber was nearly nonexistent. As the mill was idled during that period, Henry Ford
created other work for residents by establishing a cooperative farm east of town. As an additional measure, the company store adjusted its food prices and donated clothing and shoes to employees and their families. Ford also used the town as a model for his theories on self-reliance and education; he established a vocational school in his summer home (to be used during the school year), and also opened four one-room elementary and intermediate schools in September 1935. In 1937, the company built a high school, which contained state-of-the-art home economics food and clothing labs and a library, as well as the first fluorescent lights in a Michigan school.
In 1935, the company decided to ship its products by truck, and instituted "just in time" shipping for its logging operations. After the United States
entered in World War II
, the company's ships were diverted, which resulted in the lumber being trucked to L'Anse and then shipped by rail. However, a shortage of truck tires and increased shipping costs prompted the company to close the mill on October 9, 1942, with the last logs sawed on October 28. Many employees were offered jobs in L'Anse, and the town was eventually abandoned.
Early buildings still in existence today include the water tower, the company store, Henry Ford's summer home and guest house (the "Bungalow"), several houses, and the ruins of the sawmill powerhouse. Today the area boasts many new homes and summer residences.
A post office operated here from May 17, 1880, until January 31, 1944.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in L'Anse Township
L'Anse Township, Michigan
L'Anse Township is a civil township of Baraga County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 3,926. Mount Arvon and Mount Curwood, the highest and second highest points in Michigan are located in the township....
of Baraga County
Baraga County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 8,746 people, 3,353 households, and 2,223 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 4,631 housing units...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The geographic coordinates are 46°51′07"N 88°24′01"W.
Originally home to Chippewa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
tribes, the site was named for "Pequa quaming," a narrow neck of land almost surrounded by water. The point at Pequaming is in the shape of a bear; the head is called Picnic Point; the tail at the lumberyard, the legs are the two sand beaches, and the back is the shore line.
In 1877, Charles Hebard and H.C. Thurber purchased a large tract of land on Keweenaw Point, favored especially for its deep, protected harbor and easy access to timber. The mill began its operations with a capital of $200,000, with stock owned mostly by the Hebard and Thurber families. The mill site was initially leased from David King, chief of the local Chippewa tribe, and then purchased from his heirs after his death. The company purchased the town site from Mrs. Eliza Bennett in 1877.
The mill operated under the name of Hebard and Thurber until the partnership was dissolved; Herber became sole proprietor and renamed his company Charles Hebard and Sons.
At its peak, the company employed a force of two hundred men in the mill, and three hundred in the surrounding woods, and had a stumpage of 100,000 acres (400 km²) of timber lands in Marquette
Marquette County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Hiawatha National Forest * Huron National Wildlife Refuge* Ottawa National Forest -University:Northern Michigan University is a four-year university, established in 1899, located in Marquette, Michigan, on Michigan's Upper Peninsula...
, Baraga
Baraga County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 8,746 people, 3,353 households, and 2,223 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 4,631 housing units...
, Houghton
Houghton County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Keweenaw National Historical Park * Ottawa National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 36,016 people, 13,793 households, and 8,137 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile . There were 17,748 housing...
, and Keweenaw
Keweenaw County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,301 people, 998 households, and 604 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 2,327 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
counties. The company owned the buildings and surrounding land, but was known as the "lumberman's utopia" because rent and water were free, and wood could be obtained from the mill for a very small sum per load. The town included the mill, a company store, offices, boarding houses, hotel, livery stable, bath houses, churches, schools, parks, a band and orchestra, ice rink, and over 100 houses.
The Pequaming mill was the first large-scale lumbering and milling operation in the Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
region, and in the years between 1880 and 1900, the mill cut an average of over 30000000 board feet (70,792.1 m³), 25000000 board feet (58,993.4 m³) in boards and 7000000 board feet (16,518.2 m³) in lath). When officials realized the white pine supply was nearly exhausted, they switched to hemlock and cedar. The pine was made into 1x4 lumber, the cedar into shingles, and hemlock into lath; other products included rail ties and hemlock bark for tanneries. For shipment, the products were loaded into box cars, which were placed onto scows and towed across the bay to Baraga
Baraga, Michigan
Baraga is a village in Baraga County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,285 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Bishop Frederic Baraga....
, and then shipped by rail to their destinations. The original sawmill operated until 1887, when it burned in a fire of unknown origins, and was replaced by a larger mill within 60 days.
When Charles Hebard died in 1904, his sons Daniel and Charles inherited the company and continued operations. "The Bungalow" was constructed in 1913.
In 1923, the Hebards were approached by Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, who wanted to purchase their timber stands only. Mindful of Pequaming's future, the Hebards convinced Ford to purchase the mill and surrounding town as well, and entered into secret negotiations with the hope of completing the sale before operations began. On September 8, 1923, Ford Motor Company purchased the mill and surrounding town for the sum of $2,850,000; the purchase included the double band sawmill, lath and shingle mills, 40,000 acres (160 km²) of timber land, 30000000 board feet (70,792.1 m³) of lumber, 3000000 board feet (7,079.2 m³) of cut logs, the town land and buildings, the railroad, and towing and water equipment.
Renovations on the mill began, and entailed removing the lath and shingle mills, alterating the eastern face, dismantling the old burner, and adding a new powerhouse on the west side that housed a 1000 hp triple expansion marine engine from a World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Liberty boat. After repair and refitting, the sawmill reopened on September 24, with a work force that received $5 per day for an eight-hour shift instead of the previous $3.50 for a longer day.
By the end of February 1925, Ford had connected the Hebard railroad to the Ford railroad in L'Anse
L'Anse, Michigan
L'Anse is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Baraga County. The population was 2,107 at the 2000 census. The village is located within L'Anse Township....
, allowing each plant to specialize in one type of wood. Lumber from the Pequaming mill was generally shipped by water to plants in Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
, Edgewater
Edgewater, New Jersey
Edgewater is a borough located along the Hudson River in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 census, the borough had a population of 11,513...
, and Chester
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
, mostly in the form of crating lumber. The better grades of lumber were sent by rail to Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain, Michigan
Iron Mountain is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,154. It is the county seat of Dickinson County, in the state's Upper Peninsula....
for use in the auto manufacturing plants. During its peak, the sawmill provided flooring for floorboards, truck boxes, and wood panels for station wagons.
By 1933, car sales has decreased enough, due to the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, that the demand for lumber was nearly nonexistent. As the mill was idled during that period, Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
created other work for residents by establishing a cooperative farm east of town. As an additional measure, the company store adjusted its food prices and donated clothing and shoes to employees and their families. Ford also used the town as a model for his theories on self-reliance and education; he established a vocational school in his summer home (to be used during the school year), and also opened four one-room elementary and intermediate schools in September 1935. In 1937, the company built a high school, which contained state-of-the-art home economics food and clothing labs and a library, as well as the first fluorescent lights in a Michigan school.
In 1935, the company decided to ship its products by truck, and instituted "just in time" shipping for its logging operations. After the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entered in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the company's ships were diverted, which resulted in the lumber being trucked to L'Anse and then shipped by rail. However, a shortage of truck tires and increased shipping costs prompted the company to close the mill on October 9, 1942, with the last logs sawed on October 28. Many employees were offered jobs in L'Anse, and the town was eventually abandoned.
Early buildings still in existence today include the water tower, the company store, Henry Ford's summer home and guest house (the "Bungalow"), several houses, and the ruins of the sawmill powerhouse. Today the area boasts many new homes and summer residences.
A post office operated here from May 17, 1880, until January 31, 1944.