Scripto | Transcribe Page

A Story of Traverse City, Michigan and some of the early settlers Written and illustrated by The Artist Aldrich Farsky. Printed in 1908 in the National Czech publication Amerkian Kalandar. Translated into English in 1977 by Mr & Mrs. Edward Van Leishout, Mr. William E. Votruba"

Page 2 "Foreword This is a narrative about the rural and city communities of the Grand Traverse and Northwestern regions of Michigan and the Czech people who were so instrumental in the early struggle of the pioneer settlers who developed this fairy- land. The original story appeared in a Czech newspaper, "Svornast", August Geringer, Editor. The write up was in the 1908 year book, Kalendar Amerikan". The illustrations are photos of oil paintings by academic artist Oldrich Farsky, who was also the author, having written it in the Czech lan- guage which has been translated into English. Much has been written and read about the Northern and Southern regions of Michigan and those dwelling in both city and country. First of all we are speaking of a strip stretching many miles north and south along the shore of Lake Michigan, which grants us an unforgettable number of memories, with its con- tinuous fruit belt, it deserves to be called "Paradise on Earth." Observing these well kept orchards, in any season we become aware of their exceptional beauty. In the month of May we have the lovely sight of many blossoms, while summer brings its reward for the fruits of hard labor. Fall is the time when everything is prepared by nature for the rigors of winter, protected in the natural way against all perils. And winter? Our eyes are amazed with its blanket of storybook white turning the entire outdoors into a magical sight.

-1-

Willing hands were largely responsible for this earthly paradise, and we must not fail to give a large part of the credit to the honest, hard-working, Czech people who con- tributed so much toward making this the beautiful land that it has become. The orchards, which can be seen along Lake Michigan's shore, are now the property capitalistic owners who have become wealthy raising fruits and other crops on the land they bought from the original settlers. These now rich land owners find it unnecessary to resort to hard work so they enjoy themselves riding in fancy carriages or Autos while touring their properties to view the beautiful productive orchards. The lands are now dotted by clusters of fine farm build- ings and large spacious homes. We wish to familiarize the reader with this area for we believe it will be of great interest. Many years ago speculation in wood was feverish because there was much profit to be made from harvesting the plentiful white pine, and no one worried about the rape of the land. No one gave a though to the destruction of irreplaceable forests. The nearer they were to cities, like Chicago, the greater the profit for the lumbering industry, and ready availability of cheap water routes and low cost labor increased those undeserved profits. Most of the labor was made up of immigrants who were sold on the idea by heartless selfish agents who signed them up with agreements to work for a specified time for small wages, which were to be paid monthly or twice a year, and they had to work like

-2-

slaves because they had no one to intercede for them. It seems not to have been enough that the companies made millions while their poor, abused, hard working, laborers were ill paid. They can also be blamed for wasting carelessly much fine timber; which could have been used by their workers; or turned into additional cash. To this day the sad remains of fine trees bear silent witness to their greedy wastefulness as they lie decaying in the ground. As you progress Northward in Michigan you cannot help being aware of the increasing jumbled mess of slashings, which were often set on fire by the lumber barons, or were touched off by a bolt of lightning; causing great forest fires whose smoke might block out the sun as far away as Chicago, should the wind happen to be from a northerly direction. Many lumbering towns were abandoned after being the victims of such

a fire, or after the trees ran out. 

Logs were floated down streams to the saw mills; a con- siderable number would snag or sink to the bottom from which they could later be retrieved and sold back to the original owners. We can still see signs of these activities in the city of Manistee. Today vegetable gardens, orchards and farm crops, occupy the fertile lands which were once ruled by the monarchs of the Michigan forests-- the great white pine. Those who homesteaded or bought land in the early days were lucky, as it was being offered at a very low price, or could be homesteaded by clearing some of the land and building a cabin on it out of the trees that were not considered good enough for lumber. These farms produced great quantities of

-3-

fruits, vegetables and grains, but potatoes were the main crop and were sent to all parts of the country bringing welcome cash every year. Many were too cautious and were afraid to invest in the land that was dotted with huge, partly burned, stumps, which later became an asset because they produced turpentine. The swampy lowlands were a breeding place for large frogs whose legs were greatly desired as a delicacy. It was quite a sight to see men and boys parading toward the best places, carrying a pail in one hand and a spear in the other. These frogs were very much like the ones we knew in Czechy. This was part of the Boardman river valley - since flooded to become known now as Boardman Lake. Next in importance for income were the berries, red and black raspberries, black berries and blueberries. Whole fami- lies would pick them in season and many thousands of pounds were preserved, or sold fresh in the villages. Wild fruits were also pressed out and the juice made into wine which was tastier than that sold in the stores.

-4-

Another source of pleasure and food was fishing for trout. These were protected by law so there would always be a goodly supply and the flavor was unbelievable. The season for them ran from May 1st until the end of August with a limit of 50 per day. All fish taken had to be at least 6" long; smaller ones had to be returned to the steam. Fish could be given as a gift but could not be sold. People came great distances for the fun. Those more affluent had the fanciest of gear. The Grand Traverse streams were a favored fishing ground. The fishermen who were good sports, and observed the law, left a favorable impression and were often recognized for their expertise by the local newspaper. If their catches were outstanding they were awarded plaques on which their prize catch was mounted. In the bays we find Mackinaw trout, Rainbow, Lake trout, Bass, Whitefish, Cisco, Menominee and Perch. The more adven-

-5-

turous fishermen go farther from shore and are rewarded with larger fish, some weighing upwards of 35 lbs. The trout are the most attractive with their many colored stripes and spots. Some of the fish are so large and strong that they can capsize a small boat being determined not to be caught. Fishing in the Great Lakes is safer from large boats excepting when you are caught in a severe storm. Safest of all is fishing through the ice which is accomplished by cutting a large hole. Nothing is more frustrating than to catch or spear a prize fish and fine the hole too small to get it out. Some fishermen construct a small cabin, called a coop, to be placed over the hole -- then with a small kerosene heater to make it comfortable, in the often zero weather, and a potion to warm up the inner man; and with a few merry companions the time passes quickly. For large fish, suckers were often used for bait, although shiners were preferred. Cisco were often caught by what was

-6-

termed chugging, that is, bobbing the hooks on which have been placed pearl buttons. To prevent the wind from blowing the coop away, (including the fishermen with-in), it was necessary to wet down the surface of the ice around it, thus anchoring the coop securely when it became frozen. It was interesting to watch fish from the coop's darkened interior. Many winters the season would extend over a period of two or more months. While fishing was probably the most popular ice sport, ice skating and ice sledding were enjoyed by many. We will now speak of Traverse City which is the heart of this region. Here is a beautiful city in an attractive setting of forested green hills on three sides and the blue waters of Grand Traverse on the other. There are numerous small well-kept homes and many fine summer cottages as well as stores and factories with-in the city. The wide streets often have cement sidewalks and some are paved with brick, and are lighted by gas or electric lights. The lovely yards are covered by green lawns, flowering shrubs, trees, gardens and flowers of all kinds. In the early days most residents desired to keep the factories, streetcars and other transportation, (used in the big cities) away, thus preserving the natural beauty, for who could improve on nature? The greatest proponent of this was the now deceased millionaire Hannah who was engaged in many enterprises from lumbering to banking. Never-the-less the common people soon realized that industry was needed, for without, there would be no wages and the merchants soon found that without wages there would be no need for stores.

-7-

So they revolted against those who wished to keep the city unchanged. Soon many factories were operating. By this time over 300 Czech families were living here and some had established stores such as jewelry, clothing, harness making, and bakery. There were also Czech doctors, lawyers and other professional men. Sad to say there is only one Czech names street, (Bohemia, later renamed Locust), and that it did not exactly please the Czechs as it was one of the less desirable streets. It would have been better had it been given a different name. There are now three banks - three railroads, 5 small and one large hotel, 2 opera houses, several club houses and a post office, besides churches of every denomination. They must have thought is great sinners to have built so many. The schools are on large lots in pleasant residential areas and are surrounded by green lawns and tall trees, some or which are White and Norway pine, certainly deserving the attention of the visitor. The children are well disciplined, a refreshing change from those in larger cities like Chicago. Although wages are smaller, people are happier. The city was lucky enough to receive a fully stocked library located on 6th Street at one end of Hannah park, which runs along the Boardman river. A gift of the Carnegie Foundation, it is visited, and made use of, by all the people. The Grand Traverse County Courthouse occupies a tract between Washington Street and the river and the entire setting is a sight to behold. the interior is well appointed with

-8-

the walls being decorated with fine paintings. To the southwest side of the city are the State Hospital buildings, clustered on several thousand acres, which are farmed extensively by the employees. Fine vineyards mark the hills, while vegetables, farm crops, and fruit grow on the flatter ground thus furnishing a plentiful supply of food for all. Land not used for agriculture is pastured by a herd of prize holstein cattle which easily walk away with the first prizes at any fair they enter. This herd furnishes all of the dairy products needed for many people. The grounds are wel land- scaped with shrubs, trees and flower beds of every variety. Considering the availability of transportation, especi- ally water, which is also needed for industry, factories have not moved here in any great numbers. Twice as many could have been accomodated. There are saw-mills which prepare the logs for sash, window, door, furniture and other wood shops. These also produce bowls for the kitchen and crates, boxes and baskets for fruits and vegetables. Besides these there are factories for the manufacture of candy, starch, vinegar, cider, soft drinks as well as plants for fruit and vegetable canning, iron working, and beer brewing. There are two grist mills and many small industries. Both gas and electricity are produced for industry and home use.It would also be suit- able to mention ware-houses for storage of canning company products, vegetables, potatoes, grain and lesser farm products.

-9-