Remembering Our Ancestors Through Genealogy

A History of Iron County Michigan by Jack Hill Published in 1955, "A History of Iron County Michgan" gives the history and other interesting facts about this Upper Peninsula county. The book was originally printed in two columns. In order to improve the readability of the pages on a web browser it was converted to single column by combining every two original lines. With this exception the transcription was done without changes or corrections. Chapter 21 - Atkinson Township

112     HISTORY OF IRON COUNTY, MICHIGAN     Chapter XXI   ATKINSON TOWNSHIP      As the available government lands in the lower end of the Iron river watershed were occupied, the homestead seekers were forced to new frontiers on isolated tracts that by chance still remained in public ownership. This movement reached the Beechwood district to the west in 1885 with the arrival of the Claus Alnes, Gust Lindahl, Olaf Nelson and Lars Anderson families. These were soon follow- ed by the Jens Larsen family.    At the same time, settlement of the lands in the vicinity of Gibbs City was under way where the LeRoy, Raymond, Ross and Mc- Coleman families had made their homes, Mr. McColeman being the local agent and cruiser for the Portage Lake Ship Canal and Iron Company.    About the year 1887, the Metropolitan Lumber Company under the direction of J. K. Stack and Henry M. Atkinson, secured ex- tensive pine holdings from the Canal Company along the North and South Branches of the Paint River. A large saw-mill was con- structed on the north bank of the river about one mile below the confluence of these streams, the work being done under the super- vision of Mr. Atkinson who remained in direct management of operations. A village of some forty to fifty structures grew rapidly on the flat north of the mill and was named Atkinson in honor of its founder.    Town Hall, Library in Saloon    Several years of agitation for the formation of a separate town- ship which was referred to as Hemlock Township culminated in another division of the original Township of Iron River with the launching of the new Township in 1892. The name however was changed to Atkinson. Following   HISTORY OF IRON COUNTY, MICHIGAN     113   an irregular election held in October of that year which was declared void, Township functions did not become operative until the election of new officers at the ensuing spring elections.    Those elected at that time were David B. Henley, supervisor, Dr. Charles H. Golden, clerk. Fred Payer, treasurer, John Enright, highway commissioner, Fred Schedeker, overseer of highways, John McKenna and Edward Heustis, school inspectors, George B. Ehrenkrook, Oliver W. Kyle, George Sauer and John Sensiba, justices of the peace, George Darling and Alex Hay, members board of review and Cyrus H. Sensiba, Henry Sullivan, Frank Kirby and Charles Erickson, constables. David B. Henley was the company bookkeeper and held the office of supervisor for ten con- secutive years.    The first meeting of the Township Board was held on April 27. Among other business transacted was the rental of an old saloon building formerly occupied by John McKenna from the Metro- politan Lumber Company for the sum of ten dollars per month for purposes of a town hall and library. As the library funds were currently used for other purposes, the library failed to become a reality. Dr. C. H. Golden was appointed Township Health officer.    At the second meeting of the Board held on July 14, a resolu- tion was adopted to raise one thousand dollars for contingent pur- poses and an equal amount for highways. Village improvement was also approved when bids were to be invited "for the improve- ment of Bates Avenue in the town of Atkinson. The street is to be graded 16 feet wide with an elevation of one foot. Stumps to be moved to the outside edge of sidewalk, this to be done the remaining distance from the line dividing the Metropolitan Lumber Company's property from Mr. John McKenna's land, west in a straight line down to the Paint River."    In the month of October, the contract for the first bridge across the Paint River along the section line was awarded to Thomas Sensiba for the sum of $650.00. Up to this time, the mill dam had served as a bridge. Sidewalks were also constructed by the Lumber Company at a cost of $480.00.    At the spring elections of 1894, a total of 129 votes were cast. This appears to have been the maximum number of votes cast in any election during the life of the township. At this time most of the traffic was to the nearest point on the main line of the railroad at Uno and mail was delivered daily by carriers. During this year, the township was organized into a single school district when two trustees were elected to serve with the township clerk and the two school inspectors as a Board of Education.    In the school year of 1894-95, the township had a school enroll- ment of 48 and divided as follows: Uno district 5, Beechwood 15, Atkinson 28. The curriculum included "Shelden's" reading, "Swinton's" spelling, "Spencerian" writing. "Fisk's arithmetic, "Har- per's" geography, "Reed, Kellogg & Long's" grammar and "Steel's" physiology. School operating expenses for the year totalled $821.55. Of this sum, $778 was expended for teachers salaries, $7 for repair of schools, $24.50 for fuel and $12.05 for incidentals. The only school structure of the period remaining at this time is the Raymond school, a log structure situated several hundred feet west of the Gibbs Fire Lookout tower on the premises of Rudy Smith. This school was placed into service about the year 1898.    In the record of April 6, 1896, we again encounter the trail of versatile Lafayette McQuown who was so intimately associated with the early history of western Iron County. At this time he was chosen an inspector of the election and served as moderator at the an- nual meeting.    The road leading west from Beechwood railroad station to the homesteads of Gust Lindahl and others on section 3, was con- structed during this year. The   114    HISTORY OF IRON COUNTY, MICHIGAN   specifications called for a cleared width of 33 feet of which eight feet through the center was to be stumped and grubbed level. The work was performed by Olans Alnes for the sum of 40 cents per rod of a total of $288.    In the summer of 1898, the sudden death of Township Clerk Her- man E. Icks created a vacancy that was filled by the appointment of Edward H. Sensiba. Years later Mr. Sensiba was elected County Treasurer where he served with distinction for a quarter century, and until his defeat in 1950.    On April 29, 1899, Dr. Edward M. D. Libby was appointed health officer of the township. Dr. Libby a graduate of Rush Medical School of Chicago in the class of 1898, arrived in the village in the month of November of that year. In addition to his duties as company doctor and health officer, Dr. Libby was an active member of the school board. In the pursuit of his profession, he made the acquaintance of Dr. R. H. Sturgeon of Iron River whom he joined in medical practice in the Mercy hospital of that village in the year 1900. Dr. Libby continued to serve the district faithfully until his untimely death in an automobile accident in the year 1939.    The Metropolitan mill was the heart of Atkinson township. From its offices, all governmental functions were analyzed and di- rected. The mill was the largest in the county, an honor which it has continued to maintain. At the height of operations, four band saws were in operation day and night. When the mill was destroy- ed by fire in the year 1900, it is reported that some forty million feet of lumber was piled for seasoning in the vast yards on the flats to the north and northeast of the mill. Miraculously all the lumber was seved. As most of the timber holdings had been ex- hausted, the mill was not rebuilt, temporary milling machinery merely being added for the further manufacture of the lumber stocks before shipment.