Heritage Trail
US-23 from Mackinaw City to Standish...
History of Presque Isle County
The history of Presque Isle County is interesting in that the area has gone through several transformations since its first non-native settlements were established in the 1860’s.
The county got its name from the boot-shaped peninsula located sixty-five miles southeast of the Straits of Mackinac.
Early fur traders and Voyageurs named the area Presque Isle, French for “almost an island.”
The natural harbor and portage located there were important landmarks during the early European presence on the Great Lakes. It wasn’t until the early 1860’s that the Francis Crawford family struck out from Presque Isle Harbor to an area just southeast of the present day site of Rogers City. The Crawfords established “Crawford’s Quarry”, the first permanent European settlement in the county at a site that is now home to the Carmeuse Lime and Stone Calcite operation. They attempted to sell the exposed limestone for construction material, but it was unsuitable due to its soft and flaky composition. The Crawfords supported themselves by selling firewood to passing steamers, and their small settlement prospered.
Shortly after the Civil War, a survey expedition led by William Rogers and Albert Molitor determined that the timber resources in the area were worth exploiting. Some time around 1870, Rogers and Molitor, the illegitimate son of King William of Wurtemburg (now part of Germany), formed the Rogers Molitor Company and persuaded the first white settlers to come to the area to work in the forests and develop the lumber industry. The settlement was known as the Village of Rogers even though Mr. Rogers seldom, if ever, visited the place (the town would later be named Rogers City).
In 1871, both Rogers City and Presque Isle County were incorporated, with Rogers City named as county seat. About ten years later, Merritt Chandler and Thomas Shaw settled the area that is now Onaway, Michigan, lured by the untapped virgin forests. Their settlement likewise prospered and by the end of the nineteenth century, both Rogers City and Onaway were growing towns.
However, by that time the timber resources were quickly dwindling and Presque Isle County saw its first metamorphosis. The limestone that the Crawford family tried to sell for building stone was found to be of superior chemistry, and efforts were initiated to exploit the vast deposits. Several individuals who had made their fortunes in the timber business formed the Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company and operations were begun in 1912 at the Port of Calcite. That facility eventually became the world’s largest limestone quarry, and is still in operation today under the ownership of Carmeuse Lime and Stone.
In 1901, Edward J. Lobdell, who had operated various manufacturing enterprises in Massachusetts and Ohio, relocated his business to Onaway in order to be closer to the lumber upon which his American Wood Rim Co. relied. AWR was a leading producer of wooden bicycle rims and the business was expanded to include steering wheels for the fledgling automotive industry. They were so successful, that at one point, it was estimated that over 60% of the world’s steering wheels were made in Onaway, and the town’s slogan was “Onaway Steers the World.” That all came to an abrupt end when significant portions of the plant were destroyed by fire on January 14, 1926. Within a week, Onaway’s population plummeted from nearly 3,000 inhabitants to less than 2,000. The only remaining building from that operation, the old main office, can be seen today on State Street, adjacent to the Onaway Outlook building. It is now home to the Onaway Masonic Lodge.
By this time, the Michigan Limestone and Chemical Co. in Rogers City had become the largest supplier of metallurgical limestone to U.S. Steel Corporation, and Rogers City was growing rapidly as a result. The county’s economic fortunes became more closely linked with the steel industry when, in 1954, another limestone quarry was opened midway between Rogers City and Alpena. Presque Isle Corp. was a subsidiary of several of U.S. Steel’s competitors. It was sold to LaFarge Corporation in 2000, and remains today as one of the world’s largest limestone producers.
Due to the county’s close association with the steel industry, and its proximity to the Great Lakes, many generations of its residents have earned their livelihood by sailing on Great Lakes freighters. This has led to Rogers City adopting the moniker “The Nautical City.” Two shipwrecks, the Carl D. Bradley in 1958 and the Cedarville in 1965, resulted in the loss of 43 men, 35 of whom were from Presque Isle County. A memorial to them is located adjacent to Lakeside Park in Rogers City.
An historical feature that is unique to Presque Isle County is the Ocqueoc Outdoor Center, one of the few surviving Civilian Conservation Corps camps from the 1930’s, and one of only a handful nationwide that remains in regular use. The facility, originally known as Camp Black Lake, is located adjacent to Ocqueoc Lake about three miles of US 23 North and is available for rental through the MSU Extension Office in Rogers City.
Brochure and additional information is available at
http://www.msue.msu.edu/portal/default.cfm?pageset_id=28530&page_id=529000&msue_portal_id=25643
There are several other points of interest and historical museums located throughout Presque Isle County. Please take time to visit these sites during your stay in our county. You’ll be glad you did.
Points of Interest and Museums
Onaway Courthouse and Museum
20774 State St.
Onaway, MI 49765
(989) 733-2874
http://www.onawayhistoricalmuseum.com
Presque Isle County Historical Museum
176 W. Michigan Ave.
Rogers City, MI 49779
(989) 734-4121
http://www.thebradleyhouse.org
Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum
367 N. Third St.
Rogers City, MI 49779
(989) 734-0706
http://www.gllmm.com
Presque Isle Township Museum Society
4500 E. Grand Lake Rd.
Presque Isle, MI 49777
http://www.keepershouse.org/society.htm
Millersburg Historic Depot and Museum
Located on Luce Street in Downtown Millersburg
Adjacent to the Alpena – Cheboygan Trail
Elowsky Mill
3 miles southwest of Posen at the intersection of Leer Rd. and Long Lake Hwy.
http://www.visitpresqueislecounty.com/html/attractions.html
Presque Isle District Library
http://www.pidl.org
Quarry View
One mile south of the Rogers City limits on Business Rt. US-23
Harbor View
Located between the Little League fields and Carmeuse Lime and Stone facility on Calcite Road – Rogers City
Forty-Mile Point Lighthouse and Park
Seven miles north of Rogers City on US-23
http://www.40milepointlighthouse.org
Metz Fire Historical Marker
Located in the Village of Metz, on County Rd. 441 9 miles south of Rogers City
http://www.metzfire.com
There is a small but thriving arts community in Presque Isle County. Artisans specializing in painting, sculpture, woodworking and textiles are located throughout the county. In addition, there are several business establishments that cater to artists and patrons of the arts.
The Old Museum
Art supplies and Used Books
Located at the corner of Erie St. and Second St.
Rogers City, Mi 49779
The Painted Lady
112 S. Third St.
Rogers City, MI 49779
(989) 734-4466
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/The.Painted.Lady.Rogers.City.MI.989-734-4466
Domaci Gallery
169 N. Third St.
Rogers City, MI 49779
(989) 734-3035
http://www.hammondbay.com/domaci/index.html
Rogers City Theater
253 N. Third St.
Rogers City, MI 49779
(989) 734-3861
Sundown Fiber Mill
20098 State St
Onaway, MI 49765
989-619-4560
Train Doctor Hobby Shop
1576 River Rd.
Millersburg, MI 49759
(989) 733-2101