A history of Pickford Area Pioneer Families Daniel Morrison

Mr. Nettleton Wins Applause

(From the Evening News)

Something new was added to the carnival this year, when one of the oldest men in the Upper Peninsula kept the audience spellbound while telling them jokes and repeating Indian poems he had remembered from his youth. Some of the people were disappointed because Mr. Nettleton did not display any of his stunts but the majority of the people realized that this "grand old fellow" is nearing the century mark.

The Orange And Blue

(Composed by Barney Nettleton)

I with my statute labor just finished today, I met Joe Barton coming home on the way;

I inquired for his welfare, wife, children and all. He said, "Come, view the painting in our Orange Hall."

We do not assemble for strife or contention, nor think that our order should grant us a pension, But to

show to the world that we’re loyal and true, For we are the knights of the Orange and Blue.

Now we have a master Sir Allen by name; when it comes to the test you will find he is game.

And there's our financer, Frank Watson also, when a bill's to be paid he never says no.

And there's our chaplain; he is Scotch to the core - - now for such members I wish we had more.

He's always so jolly, kind-hearted and true, you know he's a knight of the Orange and Blue.

If sickness or sorrow should come on a pace, to help out a brother we're all in the race;

We'll show to the world that we're loyal and true, We'll extend him our hand thru the Orange and Blue.

There's the rose and the shamrock and thistle you see, Means three little islands that lie in the sea.

There's faith, hope and charity that unite us all, like brothers we meet in our Orange hall.

I think I will finish and come to a close; I am not a scholar as everyone knows.

Last twelfth of July did great credit to all, and long may we meet in our Orange hall.

Boys Given Farewell

(Newspaper clipping from November 20, 1917)

A farewell in the way of a social function was held in the Orange Temple Tuesday evening in honor of the boys who have left for military work. The boys drawn are: Pickford Township - Andrew J. Smith and Ford Bawks (the latter has been temporarily exempted); Marquette Township - Anarew S. Cowell, Otto L. Hillock, George A. Slater and William H. C. Wise.

The boys were in good spirits and while the thoughts of leaving home and the uncertainty of the future could not heap but enter into the minds of all, the boys were brave and showed their willingness to serve the country.

Evangelists Shelldrake and Shivas who are holding special meetings here went to the hall and made a few remarks in the way of encouragement and admonition to the departing boys. The boys seemed to deeply appreciate the kindliness of the evangelists.

Charles Otto Van Sickle was born in Lexington, Sanilac County, Michigan, on September 29, 1876. He married Nellie Weston and they had one daughter, Eva. He entered evangelistic work and was given a local preacher's license, supplying the Pickford M. E. Church, which comprised the appointments of Rockview, Stirlingville, Bethel, Stalwart, and Zion. He died May 3, 1912. The following poem about him is by Mrs. John Steele.

In Memory Again the grim reaper of death has appeared and taken from our midst a pastor so dear; It's Rev. Otto Van Sickle, aged thirty-five, who has passed over to the other side. With the bereaved ones our sympathies mingle, for their great sorrow and their loss, But we commend them to the Father who doeth all things for the best. They have lost a loving father and a husband kind and true, We have lost a friend and pastor who was loved and respected by all those he knew. He was a faithful Christian worker, while on this earth he dwelled, For he fought the fight, the victory he won, and he's entered into his test. He was not afraid to die, death had lost its venom sting, And out great loss was his gain; All glory to Great God our King. He's now dwelling in that city with its streets of pure gold, And its walls are all of jasper; Oh, half of its beauty has never been told. Oh! think of that home over there, by the side of the river of life. There is never night over there, For Jesus Savior is the light. That city is ours by redemption, It was bought by the blood of the Lamb. And those that are washed and forgiven can enter into that promise land. And then we will meet Brother Van Sickle, and all those that have gone before, And there never will be any more parting, when we meet on that golden shore.

John Daley Recalls Old Times In Pickford

(From a news clipping of Dec. 10, 1936.)

John Daley, of Parkhill, Ontario, one of the first pioneer settlers of Chippewa County, in a letter to the editor of the Evening News, tells of his early experiences in this county. Mr. Daley's letter is as follows:

I have been taking your paper for 35 years and have missed but two copies. I was one of the first settlers in Pickford 55 years ago. Pussy Day carried the mail with dogs from the Sault to St. Ignace through the woods before the trail was cut through for stages. There was a stopping place at the huckleberry patch, one at Pine River, and one at the Carp River.

The first preacher was Mr. Donaldson, who walked over the survey line, to four miles north of Pickford, then to Blair's settlement and then to Stirlingville. I walked through the ox trail through the swamp with Sandy Hill. There were no bridges then; there was no Pickford then, only his barn and house. He came from Bayfield, Canada. Lots of people followed to Pickford and took up homesteads and settled about 1,000 acres. Hank Pickford had a little boat with which he brought things to his store. He had a sawmill.

I cradled five acres of wheat in one day and helped to stack some. Duncan McKenzie and Erastus Fleming bound some. Then Hugh Blair and Robert Beacom brought a horsepower thresher and did the threshing. Judge Smith had a tread mill at the foot of the Munuscong. When the Meridian was opened Frank Taylor hired the mail carrier, then George Tabor. McKee's kept the halfway house. Imagine in and out with the open stage with things for the store. They carried mail to Cedarville on their backs. Long John White cut the road to Cedarville. He carried a stove from the Soo to his homestead on the Meridian. He also drove a team of mules for the Pat Galliget camp over the sand plains up Pine River where Tom Lawless was foreman and Pat was there.

Duncan Muckmorton and I rode horseback through from Pickford to Newberry 53 years ago. There was no railroad but the one from St. Ignace to Marquette. I saw the fitst train go over it twelve miles up from St. Ignace. Twenty miles from St. Ignace stood the kilns where wood was bumed into charcoal to melt iron ore. Men cutting wood were paid a dollar a cord, twenty a month for labor the year round.

The Mackinac Company had five lumber camps paying thirty dollars a month. They had their own teams, mules, and horses. They had a storehouse about St. Ignace for wild hay and corn.

The Miles brothers came from Saginaw and started to lumber at Kinross. They paid $30 a month. They also built a mill at DeTour. I was there with a team at $2 a day. They cut 100,000 board feet a day. I helped to take out their drive. Also Robert Crawfotd of Stalwart cooked for McKniff's drive when Andrew Wilson of Pickford was foreman.

Will Brown, Charlie Wilson, and Barney Tillen were rafting the logs to the mill across Mud Lake to the Island. When the tug was coming back with the boom sticks they lost them. We had quite a time finding them. The sea was so the water would fly' over us but we poled them so the tug got them. That is pioneer days.