MANISTEE COUNTY. 365 



MANISTEE COUNTY. 



Manistee county was laid off by act of the Legislature, approved April Ist, 

 1840, and was organized in pursuance of an act approved February 13th, 

 1855. 



The county seat is at the city of Manistee, which was first settled about the 

 year 184G, and became an incorporated city March 15th, 1869. 



The name is Indian, and in their language is understood to signify the 

 spirit of the waters. 



The county lies in the lower Manistee basin, although the river Aux Bees 

 Scies (Betsey river) makes a short detour across the north line of the county. 



The elevation varies with the location, from fifty to probably two hundred 

 feet above Lake Michigan. 



The original settlements were for lumbering and for purposes more or less 

 directly connected with that interest ; but as early as during the seventh decade 

 the incidental experiments in fruit growing had demonstrated the favorable 

 character of the climate, and the planting of fruits had been commenced on a 

 more extensive scale. Plums were found to be especially successful and to 

 be mainly free from the maladies which frequently attack them further south. 

 Apples and pears also were very successful, and even peaches, on suitable 

 localities, were grown with more or less certainty. 



S. W. Fowler, i& "History of Michigan Horticulture," says the first fruit 

 trees were planted in the county in 1849, by James Stronach, Sen., at a small 

 place known as Old Stronach. Some of these trees yet remain, near the first 

 framed house built in the county. 



Eobert Kisden planted the first plum orchard in the county about the year 

 1869. (This orchard is spoken of elsewhere.) 



Later D. L. Filer & Sons planted over three thousand peach, plum, and 

 other trees, which now yield them a large revenue. 



Planting has increased, till now (1880) there is a thriving orchard on 

 nearly every farm. 



The first nursery was commenced at Bear Lake, by James M. Fairbanks, 

 1868, His death occurred a few years after, when the business was discon- 

 tinued. 



The secretary of the Bear Lake Farmers' Club says in 1871: "The potato 

 beetle made its appearance here, but did no damage. There is not much fruit 

 raised here yet, it being a new county, but the prospects are good. I never 

 saw better quality than was to be found in the samples shown at our fair last 

 fall." 



The following letter is given entire : 



Manistee, Mich., May 27th, 1887. 

 President T, T, LYON : 



Dear Sir — Your letter respecting History of Horticulture is at hand. I have con- 

 ferred with Mr. Mukantz in regard to the matter and he assures me he will give it the 

 necessary attention. With us horticulture is yet in its infancy and largely experimen- 

 tal. Until within a very few years our people paid but little attention to anything 

 except the rapid slaughtering of the pine forests, and the quickest and most successful 

 way of converting them into money. But lately, as these forests have melted away 

 under tlie blows of the woodman's ax, and men find it mox'e difficult to obtain em- 

 ployment in this branch of business, they naturally begin to turn their attention to 



