A Child of the Sea; and Life Among the MormonsWilliams, Elizabeth Whitney
History
A Child of the Sea; and Life Among the Mormons
Williams, Elizabeth Whitney
Beaver Island (Mich.); Latter Day Saints -- Michigan; Strang, James Jesse, 1813-1856
The city had changed, no traces were left of my old home. The mill pond
was filled in and streets and buildings were in its place. Strangers
were in the places where once we children had run our races down the car
track to the dock. The house where I had last visited my father, had
been removed and another built in its place, but the little gurgling
brook was still singing its cheerful songs and the flowers were blooming
on its mossy banks. The beautiful forest trees had been cut down and a
city was made where once the wild strawberries and June roses grew, even
the Company's garden where we school children used to go and ride the
horses around the field, was all changed into a city. While there I
found where my three school friends were, the Rice girls. I had thought
them dead, but happy was the meeting after thirty-six years of
separation, and every summer since they never fail to make a little
visit to the light-house, where we again live over the old days.
Although there are silvery threads among the gold of our hair, we feel
our hearts are young when speaking of the old school days.
Since I left my island home I have never returned but once. The short
time I was there were precious hours to me, and though I cannot go I so
often see it in memory as it was when nature had put on her most lovely
garments of green; when June roses were in bloom filling the air with
fragrance with the friends of my younger days. Such pictures can never
fade from memory.
I always feel a deep interest in the prosperity and welfare of the
island people. My present surroundings are all that could be wished for,
and the light-house on Harbor Point is the place that is dearest to me.
A few of the old pioneers of the island are Capt. Manus Bonnar, who owns
and runs the Hotel Beaver; Mr. and Mrs. James Dunlevey have a fine,
large dry goods store; Mr. James McCann has another with general
merchandise; Mr. William Gallagher is the pioneer pound-net fisherman of
the island; Mr. William Boyle and several others are in business.
Several outside people have invested in land and in the near future
expect to have a resort with daily boats running to main land in the
summer months. No more healthful place can be found for rest and
recreation than the fair and beautiful Beaver Island.
RESORTS AROUND LITTLE TRAVERSE BAY
The growth of many resorts around little Traverse Bay have been
wonderful since my coming to Harbor Point light-house. Bay View with its
summer schools of music, paintings and works of art, with its splendid
gospel teachings and quiet restful places where people come to rest the
tired brain from a busy city life. It is an ideal place for summer rest.
Petoskey is a beautiful little city built upon a hillside. It has many
advantages of pure air, beautiful views of the water on the bay and Lake
Michigan. With its boats and railroads nothing more is needed for
comfort.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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