The following news story and photos were taken from Kathleen Firestone’s book, “Suttons Bay, Peshawbestown and Bingham Shores of Grand Traverse Bay.”
As the century was approaching 1900 and forestland was diminishing, lumber hauling on the Great Lakes was slowing rapidly. Lumberjack John Steimel was still cutting trees or the Steimel mill. His cousin Gregory Steimel, Jr., launched his tug in the bay each spring and pilled it out in the fall. Henry Snohr, Jr., was building a new house on the north end of town, between Deuster Creek and the road to Lake Leelanau (M-204).
Lars Sogge was enjoying his new U.S. Citizenship, as Henry Smith and wife were arranging furniture just shipped in from Milwaukee. Children were being educated at the big brick schoolhouse on Broadway Street, and Lars Bahle’s store was stocked with Christmas gifts and winter clothes. John Deuster’s Park Hotel housed and fed tourists, transients and locals.
