City of Morenci

North Street, Morenci, Michigan. Looking north from West Main Street S. S. Beatty store (in Mace Bldg.) on Northeast corner. W.R. Ackland Blacksmith Shop east side north of alley. Worth shop south of alley. Southworth in brick building on west side. (1898)

W. Main Street, Morenci, Michigan. Looking west from Sponsler’s or Stephenson’s prior to 1911. Mace house on north side of street. (1898)

West Main Street, Morenci, Michigan. Looking east from Foundry corner. New city hall, with bell tower, on North (left) side. (1898)

West Main Street, Morenci, Michigan (south side), looking east from L.K. Gay’s bakery. Prior to 1911 and after 1902.

W. Main Street, Morenci, Michigan (north side). Spence Maloney’s Saloon, E. B. Rorick & Co. Parade float – after 1902 (in front of present-day Sipel Bldg., 224 W. Main)

1912 Homecomers’ Parade. Going east on West Main Street – near North Street

American Brick & Tile Yard. West Main Street (later the site of Morenci Rubber Products).

Homecomers’ celebration, 1912, Morenci, Michigan, taken at night.

Parade – prior to 1916. Cline & Awkerman Lumber Company float turning on to North Street from West Main Street. Hardware store, Roscoe Wilson’s store, G. W. Gust store, Gates Clothing store on south side of W. Main Street.

Mill Street, Morenci, Michigan – after 1908, looking north from Porter’s barn. Kellogg & Buck in distance. New barn built after 1916 fire there.

Main Street, north side, looking west. Taken from Stephenson’s Jewelry store location. (Shea Tax office building)

1912 Homecomer’s Parade Prize Winner. W.M. Cornelius entry in a Ford. Taken at corner of N. Summit and W. Congress Streets. W.M. Cornelius, driver, Elizabeth Thompson, Alleyne Smith, Alline Scott, Janet Stockwell, Walter Hill. Missing from picture Frances LaRowe, Richard Cornelius.

Rural Free Delivery, U.S. Mail – started in 1896. Ben Colegrove, carrier.

Old steel-frame bridge on W. Main Street over Bean Creek, looking northeast to Anderson’s Creamery. Replaced Nov. 1949.

West Main Street, south side. Mrs. Ellen Oldfield and her sister crossing the street. Other buildings: Lewis R. Rorick Harness Shop; Killin Hat Shop; Flour and Feed Shop (later Brasher dentist office & Rex Theater ), Scofield’s Store, extreme right.

Centennial Celebration July 4, 1876, at corner of West Main and North Streets. Abraham Babcock walking tight-wire from Rorick’s Hardware (Bank Bldg. site) to former Mace Bldg. N.E. corner. Morenci Exchange sign and village pump in street. Bakery and the grist mill in distance.

Riverside Garage, James Green owner. Former roller skating rink north side of West Main Street. Part of Porter Lumber Company buildings today. Tractors in front (Trevor Smith in photo).

Ohio Dairy Company. Building became part of Parker Rust Proof. South side view.

Carrie Murfitt and Josephine Killin of the Killin Hat Shop.

Frank Blair and Mrs. Blair with helper Sam at desk of Hotel Saulsbury registering a guest.

Bean Creek springtime flood at John Palmer’s sawmill (present day Wakefield Park near West Main Street bridge).

Killin Hat Shop after remodeling. (Photo related to #19) W. Main Street, South side, east of Rex Theater. Building torn down in 1940.

Hotel Saulsbury. Owner, Frank Blair, standing second from right. Others were traveling salesmen.

Original meat market that stood on site of Knoblauch’s Market, built by Alfred Whitman April 14, 1856. This picture taken in 1882 show Andrew Stephenson (donor of South or Stephenson Park), Val Houseman, Charles Chase, Marve Davison, Unknown, William Murfitt (father of Carrie and Ida Murfitt), and Samuel McFarlane, the owners and operators of the market, Elva Plummer, Spencer T. Snow, proprietor of the Morenci Exchange Hotel, Frank Reader, Horatio Wilson, an early settler, Duane Downer, Unknown, Unknown, Freeman Smalley (on the scaffold), Charles McFarlane (in the delivery wagon).

Charles Chase, the shoe cobbler. Father of the late Maude Chase, Morenci historian.

Carrie and Ida Murfitt at corner of West Congress and Mill Street. Kellogg & Buck Flour Mill to left rear. Covered railroad bridge of L.S. & M.S. Railway over Bean Creek (Tiffin River) prior to July 1908.

Morenci Business Women Group at its “Doll party”. 1935. Ida Murfitt, Gerry Ranger, Carrie Murfitt, Alice Ranger, ___________, Verna Adams, ___________, ___________, ___________, Dora Goff, _____________, Mamie Anderson, Hazel Butts, Alberta Hoffman, Theda McCurdy, Blanche Shields, Leone Boley, Elsie Clapp, Bernice Siders, Blance Hyslop, _________, Fern Foster, _____________, _____________, Alice Guss, Louise Gardiner, Doris Smith, Betty Goodyear, Margaret Hoffman, ___________, Doris Shaffer, Nellie J. Gardiner.

An elementary grade picture. Lillie Anderson, teacher. Gladys Young, Helen Osgood, Velma Evans, Howell Osgood, Carl and Jim Price, Richard Hoffman, _____ Johnston, Margaret Hoffman, Gerald Hoffman, Harold Hoffman, ________, Johnston, Amos Jones, Duane Jones, Jim Smith, Edna Smith, L. Colegrove, Gertrude Poucher.

Layton-Thompson house at 132 W. Congress Street. Built in 1872 by great-grandparents to the Reppert Brothers. The Laytons celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary here. D. S. Williams’ Lumber Yard in rear, also corner of Berry house in center rear. Woodshed and rear of Juna Chase house at left. One of the Murfitt girls on bicycle.

Scofield Casket Mfg. Company and employees – now city parking area on Baker Street. Iva Helms, Bess Deyo, L. Tuttle, Lydia Rock, Dora Shaffer, Max Smith, Pete Hause, E. Schofield, Jap Gephart (with Tilley the cat), Rose Koon, Artie Siders.

Kellogg & Buck Parade float looking toward Bean Creek railroad bridge (New York Central). “Pat” Sager the driver. 1925 photo.

Congregational Church 100th Anniversary observance. Taken in front of Stair Gymnasium before banquet, May 12, 1958. Dale Moore, Josephine Kellogg, Nellie Thompson, Henry Geisler, Margaret Buck, Mary Blanchard, Esther Tuttle, Art Buck.

Parker Rust Proof Company and employees. 1941. Top Row (l-r) Wesley Lake, Louis McLaughlin, Harley Smith, Harry Bell, Walter Sanborn, Fred Schmidt, Allen Bailey, Amos Anderson, John Brink, Charles Wenzel. First Row (l-r) Wilden Stubbins, Claude Metz, Albert Willet, Matt Green, Janet Shultz, Mary Jane Baer, Virginia Lutton, A. Clair LaRowe, Raymond Sampson, Walter Grieder, Friend Shaffer, Frank Bates, Ray Tuttle.

Morenci High School Class of 1923. Photo taken Oct. 7, 1919 in freshman year. 1st left, top row, Alberta Hoffman. 4th from left, 3rd row, Ewart “Nim” Blair. 4th from right, 3rd row, Delbert Cottrell. 5th from left, 2nd row, Velma Ruth Clark. 2nd from right, 2nd row, Leota Ashley. 1st from right, front row, Kenwood Morningstar. 3rd from right, front row, Maxwell Smith.

Knights Templar, Adrian Commandary, sitting on front porch steps of Dr. C. A. Blair’s house at 128 North St. Members from Morenci, Top row (l-r) Hoig Gay, Ernest Schofield, ______________, ______________, ______________. Center row (l-r) ______________, Milan Smith, E. B. Butler, Wm. Ackland, ______________, Claude Lee, Harry Allen. Front row (l-r) ______________, Dr. Older, Dr. Charles Blair, ______________, Ira Metcalf, Winfied Scott.

Interior of Red Apple Restaurant (late 1940s). Former LaRowe Hardware building on north side of West Main Street.

Morenci High School teachers in front of Stair Gymnasium. Photo about 1943. Top row (l-r) Henry Geisler, ______________, Ross Cox, ______________, Lyle Eggleston, Rex Riley. Middle row (l-r) Hattie Lang, ______________, Gertrude Van Havel, ______________, ______________, Catherine Garrow. Front row (l-r) _____________, Rita Chappell, Marie Johnson Butler, Minnie Green, ______________, ______________, ______________.

South side of West Main Street. Oldest business district photo known to be in existence. Civil War period in 1862-1865. Buildings (l-r). Shephard’s Bakery. David Haight’s Drug Store (small bldg.-1853; still in use. George Smith Residence N. Summit). J. P. Cawley Merchandise. Hagamon & Garlick (Morenci Drug – built in 1862). J. P. Richard’s Dry Goods (built in 1862- former Decker Hardware).

Spring flood of Bean Creek at Porter Lumber Yard.

Grist & Saw Mill (stood on site of Stair Auditorium). In 1846 the mill was moved to this site from Baker’s Corner (Rendel oil tanks now). Was originally built by Jacob Baker. Moved by Franklin Cawley. Sold to Ezra Gillis. Burned in1896.

West Main Street looking east – preparing Toledo & Western road bed. 1902.

Laying track from Toledo & Western corner of Summit and West Main Street in 1902. The team of white horses as seen owned by Clark Jones, father of Raynor Jones.

Celebration after Chicago & Canada Southern Railroad finished the “Big Cut” to North Street, July 22, 1871.

Stair Auditorium. Built in 1907 – demolished in 1968.

Toledo & Western Railway depot and freight house, 1901-1902.

General store at Ontario, Medina Township (near John Hawkins farm, White Pine Hwy. at railroad crossing).

Morenci police officer Peter Stetten in civilian dress (late 1920s). Died at age 83 in 1947.

Peter Stetten, Morenci’s friendly policeman in the 1930s. (photo taken in front of Green’s Mobil Oil Station, southwest corner of Baker and W. Main Streets.

Pete Stetten’s Blacksmith Shop at turn of century, located on Baker St. Pete seated at left.

Crabbs & Rorick Dry Goods Store built in 1889. Later Winzeler’s 5c.-$1.00.

Pegtown Mill, Medina Township built in 1837. Concrete dam remnants still can be seen just north of bridge.

Poker Club. L-r clockwise. – Leon Knox, Marvin Clark, Clare Fauver (standing), Charles Figy, Elmer Bringman, Clyde Smith (standing), Dr. J. Monroe, Wm. Rorick, G. H. Gerlach (standing), Clarence Fellows, Martin Swaney, Sam Berlin, Robert Paine.

Hook & Ladder Company, Morenci Fire Department, organized in 1871. See photo #153. Front row (l-r) Bill Price, Dan Goodyear, Perry Warner, Theo Drake, Bert Beck, Tom Cochran, Leander Baker, Walter Armstrong, Bert Osgood, Wm. Metcalf, Wm. Drake, Bill Royce. Dog is Leander Baker’s. Single ladder on left – Newell Covert. Left center ladder, top down – Cliff Willis, Ed Smith. Center ladder, top down – George Kimes, Orin Miles, Bert Beaverman. Right center ladder, top down – George Glazier, Dan Staniger, Lenn Palmer. Right single ladder, top down – Vern Whitney, Dell Harmon.

Morenci Volunteer Fire Dept. Photo in 1919. Front of truck – Frank Sharr. On back (l-r) Roy Sebring, Earl Smith, Bill Gates, Milt Morningstar, Ben Robinson, Homer Wilson. Standing (l-r) – Slim Holland, Oliver Onweller, John Beadle, Ward Fogelsong, Irwin Warner, Gordon Peltz, Bert Osgood, Pat Whaley.

Morenci Volunteer Fire Dept. (l-r) – Carl Van Valkenburg, Harley Goodyear, Marion Brink, ______________, Ken Kibler, Lynn Fauver, Charles Smith, Blair Miller, ______________, ______________, ______________, Charles Fink, ______________, Ward Fogelsong.

Morenci Volunteer Fire Dept. Mayor Burton Deyo – Councilmen Doyte Rich, Robert Gardiner, Arthur Buck, D. L. Bancroft.

Morenci Volunteer Fire Dept. Chief Ward Fogelsong, Ken Kibler, Lynn Fauver, Carl Van Valkenburg, Charles Smith.

Morenci Volunteer Fire Dept. (Drivers cannot be identified in photo).

Morenci Volunteer Fire Dept. Mayor Burton Deyo – Councilmen Matt Green, Doyte Rich, Arthur Buck, W. Rozine.

Morenci Volunteer Fire Dept. Chief Harley Goodyear, Charles Smith, __________, Marion Brink, Carl Van Valkenburg.

Standard Oil Co. in 1933 parade. Pat Whaley owner and driver, George Sproull, Roscoe Mercer. Year 1900 probably signifies beginning of Standard Products.

The “Little” School – kindergarten, first and second grades. Built in 1902 on Union St.

Morenci High School built in 1907, razed June 26, 1970.

“Little” School after addition. School built in 1902; addition in 1926.

View of American Brick and Tile yard.

Laying of cornerstone of new Methodist Episcopal Church 1914.

First Baptist Church at the northeast corner of Summit and Locust streets. Parsonage at right. West side and rear of J. P. Cawley house. Built in 1852, razed in 1970.

Mill Street side of Ohio Dairy Company. Addition to north not yet added.

Morenci Exchange Hotel, northwest corner Main and North streets. 1871 photo. Structure burned in 1888.

Hotel Saulsbury in 1921. Traffic control structure in center of street. Had to drive around light to make a turn.

Bert Osgood’s Gas Station and Cider Mill on North Street at Coomer. Later Rendel Oil Co.

Osgood’s Cider Mill with sorghum press at side. North Street at Coomer, later Rendel Oil Co.

Cider Mill at an earlier date. Built about 1870.

Clark’s Gas Company, south side West Main St., opposite former Mill St. entrance.

Freed & Swaney Garage, prior to 1925. (l-r) ________, _________, __________, Delorah Paine, Mart Swaney, Charle Freed. Later the Porter Lumber Company location.

Hill Brothers Garage (Walter and Louis) built in 1910. Current Morenci Car Wash site. Second largest auto sales garage in Michigan for size at the time.

Morenci Garage on North Street.

Neilingers Junk (also egg business), Baker Street. Later owned by Charlie Fay. Lester Terry in wagon. Photo June 1909. Note billboard advertising “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in the distance at Stair Auditorium.

LaRowe Hardware Company, first location south side of Main Street where bank building now stands.

Swaney’s Ford Garage and gas station. Main Street, north side. Built in 1926. Later a bowling alley and the post office.

An excursion on the New York Central Railroad, one of last runs for the old steam engine. Passenger service to Morenci ended in 1938 and freight service in the 1970s.

The Observer printing office on North Street. A. E. Allen, owner, standing second from right in rear.

The operating room Hal C. Blair Memorial Hospital — the first private hospital in Lenawee County.

Dr. C. A. Blair’s home and Hal C. Blair Memorial Hospital, built in 1908. Home at 128 North Street, hospital just north of the newspaper office. The home was built in 1900.

Orchard Alley looking toward Main Street. View of west side about 1930. Later the site of the Morenci Home Telephone Company and later the city offices and police department.

Morenci Steam Laundry, northeast corner of North and West Locust streets. Mr. A. A. Abbott in doorway. Burned Jan. 21, 1919.

Blanchard Hospital (the second location) in the former home of Dr. H.L. Older. The first one was located in an old dwelling on the side of a city parking lot, east of the Village Inn.

The Morenci Band. North side of W. Main Street, west of the hotel, about 1901. Musicians are the same as in the following photo.

Morenci Band in 1901. South side of West Main St. in front of old Scofield Furniture Store. Left to right: Harve Seigfried, Hervey Luke, Harry E. Allen, H. H. Spencer, Millard George, C. A. Wilson, Judge Burton Hart, ___________, Lou Reppert, Milton War, William Scofield, Frank Brower, Bert Beck, Bert Osgood, Clarence Brower, Luther Gay. Center: Charles Todd and Donald Crabbs (young boy). Standing in front: Jake Glime.

The “Village Senate.” North side of West Main Street, east of Seebald Building. A gathering of some “cronies” on a warm spring day. Site is an open area between corner store and Allen Jewelry. Fire in January 1912 destroyed previous building. Civil War veteran John Hanna (father of Olive Stephenson) – third from left. Civil War veteran William Onweller (father of Florence Anderson) – fourth from left. Sam Humphrey, retired merchant, is shown second from left. Photo taken between 1914 and 1915.

West Main St. on a winter day about 1913, looking east from what later became Meyer's Furniture Store.

Dr. G. H. Gerlach’s veterinary offices, the west side of North Street (IOOF Building). Window display. Later the Dunbar furniture and auction business.

Dr. C. A. Blair’s residence (built in 1900) and office and Hal C. Blair Memorial Hospital (built in 1908). Southeast corner of Locust and North streets.

W. W. Crabbs residence at 120 N. Summit Street. Mrs. Crabbs and daughter Hazel. Mr. Crabbs in buggy.

Stair Auditorium under construction in 1907.

Oak Grove Cemetery mausoleum under construction 1908. Razed in 1952.

Fire of January 1912. Northeast corner of North Street and West Main Street.