FIRST "SAFETY" BICYCLE IN TOWN

"I had the first 'safety' bicycle in town."
- Will E. Hampton

Mr. Hampton sold bicycles to many people in Charlevoix, and when enough were owned a club was formed. A piece of land was obtained in the east end of the Crouter addition and a third mile track built, the first track in the state exclusively for bicyclists. Many race meets were held, with crack riders from Detroit, Grand Rapids, and other cities.

Mr. Hampton won his share of medals, lamps, and other prizes. One contestant at these races, a Tom Cooper of Harbor Springs, went on to become the world's champion cycle rider.

(In the above picture Mr. Hampton is on the second bicycle from the left.)

THE J. L. HURD COMPANY

What is now the city dock was once the location of the Joseph L. Hurd Co. The original buildings and dock were constructed by Fox & Rose, where they operated the first general store in the area. When they built their new store on Bridge Street, just up the alley from the dock, which was called the "Mammoth" store, the old building and dock were taken over by the Hurd Co. They used them strictly for freight and passenger business from the boats.

THE J. L. HURD COMPANY

A COMPANY GOES DOWN WITH ITS SHIP

The J. L. Hurd Co. owned a ship named the JOSEPH L. HURD, an old wooden vessel built in Detroit in 1869, of 592 tons. She was a passenger boat that had been converted into a lumber and freight carrier. She was involved in a collision with another ship, the CAYUGA, comparatively new, a 1939 ton steel freighter 290 feet long.

On May 10, 1895, the JOSEPH L. HURD was heading for Chicago with a load of lumber and freight. The CAYUGA had left Chicago the day before with a load of flour and other merchandise, bound for Buffalo. Traveling at full speed in a fog, she was inviting trouble. Though both ships were signaling constantly, there was a mix-up in the passing signals. The two steamers collided at full speed several miles south of Skilligalee light, off Charlevoix. The JOSEPH L. HURD struck the CAYUGA abreast of her forward hatch on the starboard side. The bow of the JOSEPH L. HURD was so firmly imbedded in the CAYUGA that the forward motion of the latter broke it completely free. The forward bulkhead of the JOSEPH L. HURD was till watertight and she made it part way to Harbor Springs, after picking up the crew of the sinking CAYUGA. However, she started to leak badly, and the captain was forced to sun her onto the beach. The only casualty was the cook of the JOSEPH L. HURD, who drowned when he tried to swim ashore.

(In making a futile attempt to raise the CAYUGA, which was 106 feet down, divers discovered the bow of the JOSEPH L. HURD was still imbedded in the sunken ship.)

The JOSEPH L. HURD was sold by a U.S. Marshall for $750.00 to the Smith & Leathem Wrecking Co., who raised it and converted it to a lumber barge.

After this disaster the J. L. Hurd Co. went out of business. The dock and facilities were purchased by Capt. O. E. Wilbur, a famous skipper of the lakes, who ran the business for many years. When the city took over the dock the whole waterfront was in a sadly run-down state. Improvement of the waterfront began here.