By Charles H. Yates
Maskego
was the name first given by legislative act to a township of County of Ottawa,
organized in December, 1837. The
following March the act was amended by changing the name to Muskegon. The first township election was held April
2, 1838 in the house of Newell and Wilcox.
This
was said to have been the first frame house in the community, on the large lot
east of Damm Hardware building on Ottawa street. This lot extends to East Western avenue and
facing the avenue is a fairly large frame building that was originally the
boarding house for the C. Davis
and company mill. This is the site
of the Newell and Wilcox house.
Old
inhabitants of Muskegon recall it as the O’Harrow place, as it was
occupied by R. O’Harrow and his wife many years. Mr. O’Harrow was superintendent of
the Davis mill and operated the boarding house. He was an alderman from the First ward in
the first city council in April, 1870.
Some
of the last sawmill operations in Muskegon were carried on on the north side of
E. Western avenue, across from the old O’Harrow place, and west to
Ryerson creek, on land now occupied by the Muskegon Lumber company. Mills were located there from 1853 until
1910.
These
operations were carried on by men prominent in the business and civic life of
Muskegon.
Chauncey
Davis, first mayor in
1870 in partnership with two others, erected a mill in 1853 facing Western
avenue where Eastern avenue intersects.
He retired in 1880 and Joshua Davies and Son became owners. In May, 1181, they installed electric lights
in the mill. The mill was acquired by
John Torrent, who in addition to having an interest in several mills was
active in politics and was mayor on two different occasions. Frank Alberts and Son bought the mill
from Torrent.
The
mill burned and was rebuilt and operated until the summer of 1910, when it
again burned.
Frank
Alberts was active in other business and public life, also serving as
mayor.
FIRE!
The
city was aroused about 3 a.m. Thursday, April 20, 1871, as whistles, bells and
cries, sounded a fire alarm. A fire had
started in the oil room of Gustin’s
drug store next to the
northwest corner of Western avenue and Terrace street. In a short time six buildings were destroyed
or damaged with loss of $16,000.
On
May 10, 1871, Mr. Gustin had preliminary work started for erection of a
three-story brick block that still is on the corner where the suburban buses
now have a terminal. The two-story
building adjoining it on the west was erected by L.A. Waldron, a boot
and shoe dealer, who had burned out.
The Herman Vos building west of Waldrons was ready for
occupancy in April, 1881.