Manistique; as with many towns in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; became a boomtown as interest in natural resources made its westward movement. The area was first populated by Native Americans and occasional fur traders. Fr. Frederic Baraga made his appearance in the early 1800s bringing Christianity; but development of the area did not begin until the latter part of the 1800s. With the eastern United States� timber gone; Manistique was discovered in the 1870s and the timber rush began. Until the early 1900s; Manistique was a boomtown with sawmills; subsidiary companies; and supporting merchants and services. Once the timber was cut; the companies moved westward to find more timber and Manistique was left behind. As time went along in the last century; Manistique retained a few industries; but its primary focus has become serving as a mecca for tourism.
#327562 in eBooks 1998-10-16 1998-10-16File Name: B0099HZQI6
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Debora TaylorGreat book for anyone from Rhode Island. It is very nostalgic.0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy michaelWGreat Book!!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Americana lost. out heritage is vanising one park at a time.By William P. RomjueAs a former New England resident I was able to visit three of these wonderful old amusement parks before they were bulldozed. This book tells the story and history of Americas oldest amusement parks. My fovorate was Rocky Point Park of Rhode Island. the SECOND oldest amusement park in America. Rocky Point had a good run. opend in 1847 and lost to economic changes in 1995. The first Presidential telephone call was placed at Rocky Point by President. Rutherford B. Hayes to Alexander Grahm Bell in Providence. George M. Cohen first performed "Yankee Doodle Dandy" at Rocky Point. The Three Stoogies made many appearances at Rocky Point. These amusment parks were invented by the Trolley Companies. They built the parks on Trolley Routes to promote their services and boost ridership. The parks were originally called "Trolley Parks" and most major cities had them. Coney Island got its start from a Trolley Service in New York. This book also contains many old photographs of the New England parks. An awsome read about some historical old amusement parks. great book!
