The same year we went to Traverse City a family came from Chicago. The
next week the man's wife died, being very sick when she came. In six
weeks after the little baby died, leaving three more children. Mr.
Churchill was sick himself. Mother brought them all home. A neighbor,
Mrs. Hillery, took the oldest girl of nine and kept her all winter.
There were two little boys left, Frank aged seven, and George aged five.
Father and mother adopted little Frank, so I now had a little brother
for company. Mr. Churchill left the next June for Chicago, taking
Amelia and George with him, promising to write us often. We never heard
from him again, and always felt anxious to know what became of the two
children. Little Frank was very happy with us.
Mr. Greilick and family now came. They built a steam mill near Mr.
Norris, about two miles west of Traverse City, on the shore. After we
were in Traverse City three years we moved to Greilick's mill. Frank and
I used to walk around to the city to school on the shore road. The road
was pleasant and very close to the water most of the way. There were no
churches in Traverse City then, but Sunday was kept just as sacred as
though the people had churches to go to. Sometimes religious services
were held by a minister that came from Chicago, going around among the
settlers. There were also no saloons in Traverse City. Mr. Hannah kept a
large number of men to do his logging in the camps in winter. No liquor
was sold nearer than Old Mission and very little being sold there. A
drunken man was seldom ever seen in Traverse City in those days. In the
camps there was always many accidents and deaths from falling trees and
accidents in the mills. Dr. Goodale being the only doctor was kept very
busy at times, my mother helping him often. The life at Traverse City
was a busy one for us all. We were very happy with our neighbors, often
going to Bower's harbor in summer time in our own boat to visit friends.
Rumors many times reached us about the Mormons and their doings on
Beaver Island, and at one time everybody feared they were coming to
Traverse City to drive the Gentiles away. Mr. Hannah set watchmen to
guard the place by night for a long time, and the fishermen were more
unsafe than ever, and were making an appeal to the Government for
protection.
[Illustration: THE OLD MORMON PRINTING OFFICE. NOW THE GIBSON HOUSE.
AT SAINT JAMES, BEAVER ISLAND, MICHIGAN.]