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Pinconning: Bay's Big Village (1886)
Describes progress being made in village of Pinconning.

Transcribed January 2005.

Bay City Tribune - Tuesday, April 27, 1886. BAY'S BIG VILLAGE. ------------ Twenty miles to the north of Bay City is situated Pinconning the most prosperous village of northern Michigan. Even this early to the season many rapid strides may be noticed. W. G. Cogswell’s shingle mill is almost completed and with office and shops fills quite a gap. S. Dingle has added a handsome cottage which is far advanced. R. Humphrey’s new residence is a vast improvement to the old which was removed to make room for improvement. T. S. Joslin’s neat residence looms up in the west side and close to it is Mr. Warren’s new building which will be quite a handsome new edifice. B. Champman has added a residence to the south side while two neat residences those of Mr. Smith and Mr. Defresney ornament the east. A. Rhodes has purchase a lot and is only waiting for material to begin his residence. Joseph Foote has sold his premises to John Cain and will erect a new building at once. Those already begun or almost completed are but a few of the many to be added the present season. Another feature marking the prosperity of the place is the disposition of citizens to purchase the property which they had heretofore occupied as tenants, and now whole lines of buildings which two years ago were all occupied by tenants are occupied by owners. Surrounding Pinconning are thousands of acres of as good land as can be found in Bay county. That within a few miles of the village is all taken up by settlers, and small but neat houses and five to ten acres of clear land is to be found on almost every forty, which but recently was covered by the beech, maple, oak, ash, elm, basswood and occasional pine, and still there are thousands of untenanted forties inviting the industrious settler, to be had at from $3 to $7 per acre, on easy terms with but a few dollars down. The roads are being rapidly pushed forward so that market is always accessible. During the winter season the lumbering affords employment to men and teams and our mills supply labor in summer. Municipal matters go on, notwithstanding the change of officers. Already Health Officer Bingham is on the war path, raiding fifty yards and dirty alleys, giving notice to persons who seem indifferent as to the health of themselves or neighbors, and that all violations will incur a sure retribution. Mr. Vealy is acting street scavenger, and accumulated rubbish of the past winter is fast disappearing. Mr. Philpot is putting his new machinery in order, and in a few weeks expects to turn out first class brick by the thousand. He has spared no expense to put a good article in the market. Dr. Brown’s new stave mill three miles south, is almost ready for operation. Death, which has not often visited our village, has called the wife of Ralph Duso away, leaving a family of small children and many friends to mourn her loss. Consumption was the cause . Alonzo Shafer, who has been ill for some time is slowly improving. Charles Starks led the blushing Miss May Lambert to the hymeneal alter, and the nuptial tie made two hearts glad; and the Rev. M. Hill has brought a co-worker to the vineyard, whose pleasing manner will gain many friends.