MANITOU COUNTY. 395 



Vineyards, 2 acres : grapes sold in 1883, 100 pounds. 



wine made in 1883, 100 gallons. 

 Nurseries, 4 acres; products sold in 1883, $250.00, 

 Market garden products sold in 1883, $2,981.00. 



MANITOU COUNTY. 



This county was set off and organized by an act of the Legislature, approved 

 February 12fch, 1855, which provided that the several islands in Lake Michi- 

 gan known as the Beaver group, the North and South Fox islands, and the 

 North and South Manitou islands, should be organized into a separate county 

 by the name of Manitou. The act provided for the election of the proper 

 officers on the third Tuesday in April of that year, and also authorized the 

 supervisors to locate the county seat, which was accordingly located at the 

 village of St. James, near the northern extremity of Beaver island. 



Manitou is an Indian word, signifying Great Spirit. 



The earliest settlement within the limits of Manitou county was made by 

 Burton, Lord & Co., upon South Manitou island, in the year 1836, for the 

 purpose of supplying cordwood to passing steamboats. (R. Kitchen, post- 

 master. South Manitou.) 



The same authority also states, in effect, that the first fruit trees planted 

 on this island were about ten apple and ten plum trees, which were planted 

 by Burton, Lord & Co., in 1852. These trees are yet healthy and productive. 



About twenty apple and two pear trees were planted in 1858 by Putnam 

 Burdick. Although this second lot of trees have not been cared for, they 

 are all yet alive and bearing fruit. 



In 1862 the residents upon the island availed themselves of the provisions 

 of the homestead law, and about fifteen homesteads were entered, mainly by 

 English, Irish and Germans. Since then fourteen fine orchards have been 

 planted, including apples, pears, cherries, plums and also grapes, the orchards 

 varying in size from two to four acres. They have been planted only with 

 reference to home consumption. 



These orchards are now fully in bearing, affording the inhabitants a good 

 supply of fruit. 



Plums and cherries are remarkably successful and very productive. Pears 

 also are very healthy and thrifty. Peach trees winter-kill, although the low- 

 est temperature known to have occurred upon the island is only thirteen 

 degrees below zero. S. R. Boardman, formerly of Chicago, and the owner 

 and manager of a stock farm upon North Manitou island, supplies the fol- 

 lowing information respecting it: — 



North Manitou island is next to the most southerly of the group of islands 

 which constitute the county of Manitou. It lies in about the latitude of North- 

 port, and thirteen miles from the shore of Leelanaw county. It is about eight 

 miles long and five miles wide. The soil is sandy loam, in some places rolling. 

 Originally it was heavily timbered with maple, beech, birch, elm, cherry and 

 basswood, interspersed with hemlock, and occasionally a mammoth pine. 

 Along the water courses are considerable quantities of white cedar (arbor 

 vitge?) and balsam fir. Perhaps one-half the timber had been cut long since,. 



