History’s Gem of the Month – Article about Seagull (Lost) Island, Grand Marais Bay December 2017
April 2018
History Gem – 1932 Petition submitted by the Grand Marais Womens’ Club to the Burt Township Board
After the railroad closed in 1910, the population in Grand Marais declined from thousands of people down to just a few hundred. Since there were no roads yet, the only way to get to Grand Marais was by ship, during the non-winter months, or by an over-land stage. Finally, M77 was completed in the mid-1920s that made life in Grand Marais a bit better. Just when things were improving, the depression hit. Those living in Grand Marais had to be self-sufficient and survived by fishing, hunting, and gardening. Many families also had cows to supply their families with milk and meat. However, most families did not have yards big enough to coral their livestock, so the cows were allowed to roam around town. The free-roaming bovine created friction when they knocked down fences around gardens and consumed neighbor’s gardens.
The oldest club in town today is the Grand Marais Women’s Club. Back in 1932 women in this club took action and created a petition to try to remedy the situation. The text of the petition is below.
The Grand Marais Women’s Club
Grand Marais, Michigan
September 5, 1932
To Chairmen of the Township Board of Burt Township
Gentlemen:
We, the undersigned qualified voters submit the following petition to have all cattle, horses, mules and pigs kept off of the streets in the town of Grand Marais, and Burt Township.
We believe for the future of Grand Marais, that the above animals on the streets are detrimental to the town in general. Gardens have been destroyed, fences broken down, and complaints have been made by tourists that they were unable to sleep on account of the cow bells.
We believe by bringing more tourists to town we will not only increase employment but also increase the sale of milk products and farm produce, which will help the owners of said cows and keep the town in a sanitary condition.
Mrs. J. Spencer
Mrs. A. J. Goupille
Otto Newberg
Mrs. A. Newberg
Mrs. A. Mattson
Mrs. Joe DesJardin
Mrs. Edward Erickson
J Rainthir
Mrs. Jas H. Buckland
J.H. Buckland
Pearl Martin
Mrs. A. S. Tulloch
E. J. Spencer
Irene Endress
Herman Wood
Isabelle McCall
Mrs. Donald McCall
Mrs. J Plant
Joe Plant
Mrs. Chas Duval
Mrs. R. E. Schneider
Mr. R. E. Schneider
A Goupille
Mr. Torrzes
Mrs. Torrzes
Kathleen Richards
Bernice Bennett
Etta Barney
Pearl Masse
Agnes Petitpren
Henry J. Petripren
M Thoupsow
J Thoupsow
Denise Thompson
Grace Chilson
Marie Petitpren
Chas Goodman
Ambrose Graham
May Meldrum
Ray Meldrum
Clarence Nettleton
Violet Nettleton
Mrs. M. Propst
Manley Propst
Chas Propst
C. J. Power
Mrs. C. J. Power
Hilda Peterson
John Peterson
Mrs. Mary C Demsey
Fred Demsey
Mrs. Irene Rathburn
D. M. Rathburn
Mrs. Elizabeth McDonald
Mr. Robert McDonald
R. J. Cook
Marner Keating
G. S. Hill
F. G. Petripren
John A. Peterson
Oiva Erickson
John W. Williamson
Mrs. J. W. Williamson
Mrs. Jay Lee
Jay Lee
Mrs. E. J. Gross
E. Gross
J. E Sayen
Mrs. J. E. Sayen
Mrs. D. H. Pratt
Geo S. Denny
Fred W. Denny
Cecelia Cherrette
Mrs. Elizabeth Nettleton
Mr. G. E. Nettleton
Geo S. Butler
Mrs. Wood
Ora Endress
Margaret M. Soldenski
G. S. Tullock
Mrs. Larson
Mrs. Frank Vaudreid
Charles Dunol
Mr. Frank Vandersal
Mrs. Mary Petripren
Janice Thomas
H. T. Richards
B. J. Trudell
Jean Trudell
Vivian Trudell
Lily B. Waggoner
Allen Tweedy
Alice Tweedy
Mrs. Florence Butler
Paul Reynolds
Mrs. Eldon Reynolds
Mr. Jesse Jones
Mr. A. L. Phoenix
Mrs. Mae Phoenix
NOTE: The signatures on this petition were written in pencil. Although efforts were made to correctly interpret the handwriting, I apologize in advance for any errors.
History's Gems Archives
May 2007
(The Telescope Story)
June 2007
(The Story of the Grand Marais "Meteor")
July 2007
(Hints on Hunting Glacial Agate Article)
August 2007
(Lake Superior Origin from 1957)
Fall 2007
(Tourist Information from the 1920s)
December 2007
(Lake Superior Editorial)
January 2008
(Grand Marais Tourist Signpost)
February 2008
(Unusual Wedding Invitation)
March 2008
(1915 Rules for Teachers)
April 2008
(Cedar Stump article from 1962)
May 2008
(Old Postcards)
June 2008
(Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Proposal Proposal Proposal-Part 1)
Summer 2008
(Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Proposal Proposal-Part 2)
Summer 2008
(Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Proposal Proposal-Part 3)
October 2008
(Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Proposal Proposal-Part 4)
November 2008
(Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Proposal-Part 5)
December 2008
(Agate Leaflet from 1927)
January 2009
(Old Postcards)
February 2009
(Snowstorm Article from 1988)
March 2009
(Lake Superior Agate Poem)
Spring 2009
(History of M77)
July 2009
(Axel Niemi Photo)
August 2009
(Ship Travel on Lake Superior)
September 2009
(Hints on Hunting and Finding Agates)
Fall 2009
(Hints on Hunting and Finding Agates Part 2)
February 2010
(The Story of Grand Marais Part 1)
February 2010
(The Story of Grand Marais Part 2)
April/May 2010
(The Story of Grand Marais Part 3)
June 2010
(Box of Rocks Gets Diploma)
July 2010
(Shipwrecks at Agate Beach)
August/September 2010
(1958 Detroit News Article about Axel Niemi)
Fall 2010
(Reprint from the Douglas Houghton Expedition)
Winter 2011
(Old Postcards and Pictures)
Spring 2011
(1905 Grand Marais Article)
September 2011
(Michigan Log Marks)
March 2012
(John Keating)
January 2012
(Axel Remembered)
March 2012
(John Keating)
June 2012
(The Shark: Post 1)
September 2012
(The Shark: Post 2)
March 2013
(The Shark: Post 3)
August 2013
(All That Glitters. . .)
November 2013
(Excerpts from The Grand Marais Herald)
April 2014
(Souvenir View Book of Sault Ste. Marie)
September 2014
(Michigan Beach Stones)
February 2015
(Michigan’s Mystic Dunes)
June 2015
(Vintage Grand Marais Photos)
November 2015
(Gitchee Agomowin)
June 2016
(Grand Marais Poems)
March 2017
(Logging Era Photos)
July 2017
(Jonas Hill Letters)
December 2017
(Seagull (Lost) Island, Grand Marais Bay)
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Gitche Gumee Museum.
E21739 Brazel Street
Grand Marais, Michigan 49839
