Donken, Michigan history, part I.

Donken, Michigan history, part I.

Donken (Mich.)

Lumber camps.

Donken, Michigan history, part I.

Barritt, Amy, 1984-

fw03832, Floyd Webster Historical Photograph Collection, Kingsley Branch Library, Kingsley (Mich.)

Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City (Mich.)

Undated

Webster, Floyd, 1920-

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fw03832

Donken, Elm River Township, Houghton County, Michigan

Typed black text on white paper.

Donken, Michigan. The main street of Donekn was typical of the many company-owned lumber and logging towns of the early Nineteenth Century. The men's sleeping quarter (far left) held approximately 20 cots. A woodshed for the boarding house was the next building up the street. The boarding house was next door. Behind the full front porch was a large room with tables for about 40 people at one end and the cooking room at the other end. Behind that was the bedroom for the John H. Fewlass family and a second room for hired help. The building also included a large walk-in ice box for meat storage. The next house was the home of James Calvin and Julia Ann Fewlass Pease. Pease was a sawyer and millwright at the mill. Just beyond the short fence was the pump house. Water had to be carried from this site. The Model-T Ford belonged to Raleigh Howells.

The school house was located beyond Case's home (upper right). The first building on the right was the company store, which allegedly sold everything from dry goods to illegal alcohol. Next to the store was a small building used by the company bookkeeper, the store clerk and as a post office. Next to the post office was the Steve Winowielski Home, and next to that was the barn the barn (sic) for the 10 or 12 horses used at the mill.