The Lumber Barons of Michigan

The Lumber Barons of Michigan

Learning Target

I can learn the names and the background of the Lumber barons of Michigan.

• The white pine made Michigan the leading lumber -producing state from 1860-1910
• men called “Shanty boys” cut down the trees
• men called the “lumber barons” made huge amounts of money by operating these companies that cut the trees.
• The trees were transported into sawmills, cut in boards and shipped across the Mid-west, mainly to Chicago.
• In the late 1870’s loggers began using railroads to transport these logs to speed the process up.
• Most of the best pine had been cut down by the early years of the twentieth century.

Charles Hackley

Wellington R. Burt

Charles Hackley was one of the famous Lumber barons, making up to $6,000,000, that’s a lot of money! He the most famous lumber baron and philanthropist of Muskegon, Michigan. He built the city of Muskegon, Hospitals, Schools, Athletic fields, Parks and Libraries! In the picture below is one of the houses he had built.

Wellington R. Burt was another famous lumber baron, he made up to about $100,000,000. He built the city of Saginaw, Michigan. He was known for a will, after he died. In that will, his children received relatively small amounts of $1000 to $5000 each, except for one favorite son who received $30,000 annually, and one daughter who got nothing. His secretary received $4,000 annually, more than most of his children, while a cook, housekeeper, and coachman and chauffeur (a person employed to drive a private or rented automobile) each received $1,000 annually.

William Montague Ferry

Charles Mears

William Montague Ferry first started a mission in Mackinac Island, trying to convert Indains to Chirstianity. He moved to Grand Haven and built a cabin which he lived in for a while, he made buisnesses called Ferry & Son Sawmill. Later he moved to Montague and had more buisnesses. He had a great lumbering sucess making about $338,668.

Charles Mears was another well-known lumber baron of Michigan. He built and operated a sawmill, owned several farms, and kept a store. He came back down south and settled in the area of Whitehall, Michigan. Mears purchased about 40.000 acres of land, construct and operate 15 mills, and build five harbors along the western coast of Michigan to transport of his lumber. Mears was known as the "Christopher Columbus of the West Coast."

Quiz!

Main Idea!

What Lumber baron built the city of Muskegon?

Charles Hackley!

Michigan's lumber business was huge. Michigan was the lead producing lumber state in 1860-1910. Lumber barons were men who operated the companies that cut the trees. Some of Michigan's most famous lumber barons were Charles Hackley, William Montague Ferry, Wellington R. Burt and Charles Mears.

What did Lumber Barons do?

They operated the companies that cut the trees

Michigan was leading lumber -producing state in what time?

1860-1910