Alcona Statistics.
Editor Review:
There are 1720 inhabitants in the township of Alcona. There were 54 children born during the year ending June 1, 1884, including one pair of twins, a boy and girl. There were 12 deaths; one was shot for a bear and two others killed, the rest died from diseases. There are seven school districts and eight school houses in the township. There are three churches and one parsonage. We have men in the township from all parts of the world--from Poland, Germany, France, Spain, the British Isles and South America. There are some Swedes and Norwegians settling around Hubbard Lake, and they are making considerable improvement clearing land and erecting hewed log houses: they appear to be industrious and a hard working set of people. In my estimation the Hubbard and Roe Lake region of Alcona will be the garden spot of the county. What are wanted are good roads to Harrisville and Black River. There is no outlet for them only on Alger, Smith & Co.'s railroad. To come out with a team they have to go to Ossineke, thence south to Black River and Harrisville. The inhabitants at Roe Lake want a school district, as there are quite a number of children. The land is good all through that section of country for farming purposes, and the crops are second to none in the county. There is a steam flat bottom tug on Hubbard Lake used to tow logs to the mouth of the lake, from there they are floated to Alpena. There were about 12 men employed at $2.75 per day when I was there, and it would take about six weeks to gather up all the logs.
Yours truly,
D. Mulholland.