Rays Feed Mill Bark River Mi
Escanaba Daily Press staff
The Bark River Depot was built in 1892 by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. Looking east, the boardwalk shown was built to accommodate passengers. The passenger train ran through the late 1960s. (Photo courtesy of the Delta County Historical Society via the Escanaba Daily Press)
BARK RIVER — Bark River Township is commemorating its sesquicentennial this 4th of July weekend and is extending an invitation to everyone to join in the community's 150 years.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the celebration will take place this year with an extended celebration in 2022.
This year's festivities will include opportunities to learn the history of Bark River at the Bark River Senior Center Saturday, July 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. and on Sunday, July 4, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., EST.
Film footage of past 4th of July parades, the old ski hill, a 1950s football game and some activities in the original town hall with be shown at intervals in the senior center. There will also be a continuous PowerPoint slideshow of photos of Bark River and the surround area from the turn of the last century. Visitors will be invited to help identify people in old photos as well as historical church and school pictures.
In a separate room at the senior center there will be exhibits and memorabilia from local businesses past and present, farms and homesteads, churches, schools, sports teams and community organizations. On the grounds outside the building, antique farm machinery and equipment and a variety of old race cars will be on display.
Because the celebration includes the communities of Schaffer, Perronville, Harris, Hannahville and Wilson, the displays will also highlight memorabilia from each of those communities. The Delta County Historical Society provided many of the pictures that will be on display, with additional memorabilia being provided by residents.
There will also be a scavenger hunt for children. Children will be encouraged to located certain items or do math calculations based on clues. Prize drawings will be held for the children who participate.
The annual Independence Day parade will also be held on July 4, beginning at noon at Ray's Feed Mill and ending at the senior center. Food and refreshments will be available during the afternoon, with live entertainment by the Peltier Brothers. Fireworks will be at dusk.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was limited time available for the sesquicentennial celebration's organizing committee to gather historical information. The committee is seeking more information for an extended celebration in 2022, which will also feature historical displays during Independence Day celebrations. Anyone with information is asked to call 466-7422 or 466-2839
Plans for 2022 include a homecoming, an all-school reunion, a special parade, commemorative keepsakes, a community choral presentation, and a sesquicentennial quilt.
While the organizers feel the township's history is something best experienced, there's a lot to say about the area. Historically, the Village of Bark River — originally called "Barkville" — is said to have derived its name from the abundance of bark found in and near the river by railroad surveyors that were establishing a new rail route. The area was first settled in 1871, when the Chicago and Northwestern railway began construction on the link connecting Menominee and Escanaba.
The railroad, logging and the charcoal industry brought settlers to the area. Lumbermen supplied fuel wood for trains as well as wood for railroad ties, and the charcoal industry transformed lumber into charcoal at four dry kiln yards. As these jobs waned, farmers began tending the land that loggers had cleared of hardwood tracts.
Some of the early settlers were Potawatomi, originally from Missouri, who made their way to the area that is now Hannahville.
In 1880, the Delta County Board of supervisors granted a petition from early settlers to break off the area that would become Bark River from Ford River Township. Prior to that, Barkville residents had to travel to Ford River to vote.
Source: https://www.miningjournal.net/news/2021/07/bark-river-township-marks-150-years/
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