A Window into Midland s Past: Ketcham, Wright were county lumbermen
Compiled by Gary F. Skory
Dec. 31, 2020
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Wright and Ketcham headquarters in Lincoln Township. (Photo provided/Midland County Historical Society)
EDITOR S NOTE The Midland County Historical Society is partnering with the Midland Daily News for A Window to Midland s Past, which will feature historical pieces in print and online at ourmidland.com. This particular piece was compiled by retired historical society director Gary Skory from the 1884 Biographical Album. It was originally published on Sept. 16, 1993.
The magnificent stands of virgin white pine trees, which were found throughout Michigan during much of the 19th century, attracted attention of lumbermen and speculators, alike, from other states. Many of the “lumber barons” who settled in the Saginaw Valley migrated from the eastern states, where pre-Civil War lumbering activity had already wiped out thousands of acres of prime s