Looking Back: Telegraph repairs, temperance movement and tax debates
CHARLEVOIX — One hundred and fifty years ago, the May 16, 1874 Charlevoix Sentinel reported that “The cable across the Straits has been repaired.” A cable across the Straits of Mackinac? A quick internet search was no help, but it has to be assumed this was a telegraph cable, laid before 1874 and now not in top condition.
Telephones had yet to appear up north. Tourism to Mackinac Island had begun in the 1850s, thus a connection to the outside world was apparently deemed a necessity.
Once again, the scourge of demon run had raised hackles in the settlement. Something had to be done about it. “TEMPERANCE.—The spirit of the temperance reform seems to have reached Charlevoix at last. A temperance concert was given at the schoolhouse on Wednesday evening, at the close of which the preliminaries for the opening of the crusade here were inaugurated. A meeting will be held on Monday evening to take more active measures. We say Godspeed to any movement which will be likely to bring about a reform on this question. The people of Elk Rapids have commenced on the rum-sellers in earnest, and but one saloon now remains open.” And why would that be, if the temperance movement stalwarts had gotten their knickers all in a twist, hatchets raised on high?
In the same issue, Willard again resorted to one of his favorite methods of communicating his opinions to his audience — a letter to the editor composed by himself to sometimes look like it came from another community, but always signed with a cryptic signature, in this case “Common Sense.” At times the signature was “X.Y.Z.” Again he addresses the concern throughout Charlevoix County regarding the taxation of all to support the waterways passing through Charlevoix whose existence, and subsequent necessary upkeep and improvement, helped support the economy of the whole Lake Charlevoix region.
There were those, especially farmers and homesteaders far inland who could not reason why they had to be dunned to support something that did not directly affect them, that they themselves rarely if ever saw, never used, and never would.
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“Will the Money Raised for the Improvement of Pine River be Thrown Away?” began the letter of several hundred words. Willard is very straightforward in explaining why he can understand the opposing points of view, and emphasized that taxation for any purpose always benefits some more than others, such as “a land highway.”
“A free school is a public benefit,” he said, an investment in all our futures. The original cutting, then dredging and improvement of both our channel waterways over the last five years might have left some things to be desired, but those flaws were, or would be, remedied with taxation help. Every dollar expended now will result in something better, based on experience and knowledge gained.
“The burdens and the advantages are not distributed by a perfectly even hand,” said Willard. “Our Board of Supervisors, and the State Board of Control have, in accordance with the general sentiment, indicated by their action that this is our highway (Charlevoix’s two channels). Let us show by their votes that we agree with them. We believe that the great laboring class should go in heartily for all public improvements, and that in this direction they cannot well go amiss.”
One hundred years later, the May 8, 1974 Charlevoix Courier reported that a new, basically French restaurant called Tres Bon would be opening at 217 Bridge St., the former Roman Revival Charlevoix State Bank building still next to Cherry Republic. The new place would be “an experience in European cuisine” open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Offered would be dinner entrees Steak au Poivre, Rock Lamb Bougueriere, and Madallion [sic] Boeuf Provengal [sic], and 20 varieties of crepes for breakfast.
Seating 82, the restaurant offered two private dining areas up front, with a private loft above behind the street façade. The entire place had been rewalled with barnwood for a rustic atmosphere. Dominique Panton from Paris was chef, previously having worked at the Desert Inn in Las Vegas.
But Charlevoix wasn’t French enough, even if our name was. Tres Bon didn’t even last long enough to be listed in the telephone directory. Not long after, Village Inn Pizza moved in for a much, much longer occupancy.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Looking Back: Telegraph repairs, temperance movement and tax debates
