A History of Boyne Businesses – Part 3
By: Edward May III, Historian
THE IRON AND CHEMICAL COMPANY
Boyne City Furnace of the Lake Superior Iron and Chemical Company made their first run in January 1904 since which time it has operated constantly until September of this year. It was then decided to give the plant an entire overhauling and add several improvements. They started again on December fifth. They employ 60 men with a payroll of about $3000 per month and have a daily output of 80 tons of pig iron. They are equipped with the modern devices for unloading ore from their boats, have their own lighting plant, modern office building and laboratory, are beautifully situated on lake shore and in fact the entire plant, outside and in, has an appearance that General Manager, J.D. Dunn can be proud of.
MICHIGAN TANNING & EXTRACT COMPANY
The Boyne City Tannery was built by W. S. Shaw [William Sutherland] in 1901 and has been added to from year to year until it is now one of the largest, if not the largest, sole leather tannery in the world. Their annual output is twelve million pounds of sole leather, and they employ over two hundred men. The plant is composed of ten buildings and covers five acres of land. They use many thousand cords of hemlock bark each year besides thousands of gallons of an extract made of hemlock bark by a plant at Escanaba, Michigan. Mr. Shaw has spared no expense in perfecting the Boyne City Tannery as well as several other tanneries he is interested in. A system of tracks makes a network through the yards and their own locomotives do their switching and handling of cars to the B. C. G. & A rail yard. Their own electric light plant lights their buildings as well as one block of modern dwelling houses owned by the company. While time and money has not been sparred to perfect the tanning industry, the Boyne City Tannery has not lost sight of the outward appearance of their plant. They are beautifully situated on the lake front and their yards, lake frontage and modern office buildings always look neat and attractive. While Mr. Shaw’s interests are numerous and scattered over several states he maintains his home in Boyne City and is always to be depended on to help any undertaking that is for Boyne City’s good. C. Turner is superintendant in charge and much of the success of the tannery is due to his energy and cleverness.
THE E. J. OLSON ASHERY
The Ashery of E. John Olson has been established about two years and now has a capacity of four barrels of potash per week. Mr. Olson is planning to enlarge on an improved scale. He is at present working four men and two teams and has a payroll of about $300 per month.
THE RAILROAD MACHINE SHOP
One of the most interesting industries of our city is the car shops. On November 11, 1910 the old wooden shops which had been built on and remodeled many times, burned to the ground and the railroad company immediately began the present shop which is fireproof- constructed of brick and steel. This shop not only does all the work of the railroad, but does all kinds of machine and boiler work for mills, factories and steam boats. They build and repair all their own cars except the building of the coaches.
Eleven locomotives are inspected daily and five hundred flat cars must constantly be kept in repair besides the coaches and motor car. Sixty men are employed with a payroll of about $3000 per month. In the south end of the shops is a separate, steam heated, well lighted, designing room. Pattern makers shop, conductor’s room and master mechanic’s office occupy the north end of the building. The lathes, boiler shops, foundry and car rooms are most conveniently arranged. A traveling crane of ten ton capacity is used. The largest lathe will handle castings up to eighty four inches in diameter and a new planer 48 x 48 x 12 is just being installed. All supplies are kept in a storeroom in charge of a keeper.
Lathes and machines of all kinds are run by electric motor. The only steam used is for heating purposes and fans are now being installed for the purpose of equal heat distribution. C.D. Hilton who has been connected with the shops for eight years is master mechanic and general foreman.
VON PLATEN LUMBER PLANT
The G. VonPlaten Lumber plant is a strictly modern mill cutting hardwood and hemlock lumber. Mr. VonPlatten has fifty men employed in his mill and about fifty in the camps, with a monthly payroll of about $6,000. Practically their entire output is sold at wholesale. The main mill building, office, yards, lake frontage and all parts of the plant presents a neat, attractive view that speaks much of Mr. VonPlatten’s ideas of order and superintendent I. VanLeuven’s ability. Several men are working for Mr. VonPlaten now who have been with him for twenty years. Vacancies occur in his force only by death. His men never quit. Thanksgiving every man with a family is presented with a turkey and at Christmas every child is remembered with an attractive present. If you want hospital experience go down to his plant and abuse Mr. VonPlaten to any one of his employees.
W. H. WHITE COMPANY, MILL NO. 1
Mill One of the W. H. White Company is commonly known as the “Big Mill.” It was completed about two years ago and is perhaps the most up-to-date hardwood mill in the country. It is a double band mill with a band re-saw and has a daily capacity of 75,000 feet of hardwood or 100,000 feet of hemlock, besides about twenty five cords of eighteen inch stove wood, four foot wood and pulp wood. Lumber is produced with the least possible expense and the work done by the machinery is a delight to see the experienced lumbermen and a wonder to the novice.
The mill was built and machinery was installed under the supervision of E. J. Fulghum. Sixty men are employed with the pay roll of about $35,000 per month.
W. H. WHITE COMPANY’S MILL NUMBER 2
Mill Number Two of W. H. White Company is known as the shingle mill manufacturing cedar shingles and cedar ties only. Owing to the fact that cedar is cut from the swamps only during the winter months this mill runs about four months each year. It has a capacity of 160 thousand shingles per day and turns out about 120 ties daily. Fifty three men are employed. John Griffin is the foreman in charge.
W. H. WHITE COMPANY MILL NUMBER 3
Mill 3 of W. H. White Company is a double band mill employing 53 men and with a payroll of $3300 per month. Besides the rail shipments during the winter this mill has in its yards about eight million feet of lumber when navigation opens. Besides fuel for the boilers to drive a 550 horse power engine. Mill 3 produces 38 cords of stove wood daily. G. L. Poquette is superintendent.
W. H. WHITE COMPANY, MILL NO. 4
Mill four of the W. H. White Company is their flooring plant and planning mill under the supervision of E. J. Fulghum, who is a capable man of many years experience in the manufacture of hardwood lumber. Their average output is 21,000 feet of flooring per day and they do all kinds of planning work, supplying the wholesale and retail trade. Fifty-five men are employed with a monthly payroll of about $3500.
THE WOLVERINE DILWORTH HOTEL
The creation of the Wolverine-Dilworth Inn began in 1911, when Boyne City was a booming lumber town located on Pine Lake (renamed Lake Charlevoix in 1926). Boyne’s population neared the 6,000 mark and numerous business visitors came to the area. The city was a working man’s town with a number of hotels and saloons to quench the thirst of the mill hands, dock-wallopers and lumberjacks.
As a result of the town’s growth, the leading citizens of Boyne City decided a grand hotel possessing unique style and elegance was in order. The Boyne City Hotel Company was formed and stock was sold. On October 7th, the 46 stockholders chose the name “Wolverine” for the building. The grand opening was held February 1, 1912. Two hundred and forty patrons entered the Wolverine and dined in its elegance.
Decades later in 1935, Wesley and Kathryn Dilworth purchased the hotel and renamed it the Dilworth Hotel. The hotel developed a reputation for the area’s best food and it quickly became a favorite dining spot. The Dilworth Hotel was a popular spot for thousands of regular visitors to “Boyne Country” ski hills and resorts, as it is today.
In 1946 the Dilworth’s sold the hotel as a result of the nationwide effects of World War II. However, the name and the legacy have remained.
The Wolverine Dilworth In is the only remaining hotel of the six original hotels from Boyne City’s lumbering era. The Inn serves as a reminder of an era gone by. As a result of the Wolverine Dilworth Inn’s historical significance, the Inn was registered as a National Historic Landmark on February 13, 1986. To receive this honor, the Inn’s exterior was reconstructed as it was originally constructed in 1912- complete with the surrounding veranda. The Inn will now remain a historic site for all to enjoy for years to come.
WOODENWARE COMPANY
The Badger Woodenware Company’s plant was built in 1907 but has been under its present management two years. Twenty-eight different kinds of wooden house-hold necessities are manufactured. Practically the entire output is shipped to Butler Bros. Of St. Louis, MO. Sixty men are employed and $3200 is the monthly payroll. In addition to the manufactured products, fifteen cords of wood are in the yards daily for sale as stove wood. C. E. McCutcheon is superintendent and general manager.
Note: The above information and material was gleamed from many area news publications and articles available from internet searches.
It is presented for your enlightenment and edification.
Edward May III
Curmudgeonly Historian
