Today, just as when I moved to Pellston in 2007, I believe Pellston has more potential than any other small town in northern Michigan. My family’s Pellston roots go back to 1914 when my grandfather Dewey S. Adams graduated from Pellston High School at the age of 16. But, the reason why my family moved up to Levering in the late 1800’s is tied to the deadliest natural disaster in Michigan’s history.
In 1881 my great-grandfather George Adams was 8 years old and lived in Bad Axe, MI when the “Great Thumb Fire” broke out. As the flames rose in every direction George’s job was to keep the hand-pump well flowing. His family and others who lived nearby were working non-stop to keep blankets dowsed with water so embers from the surrounding flames would not cause their log home to catch on fire. As soon as a wet blanket was brought up to the roof, another was bone dry and in need of being dowsed again. As George worked tirelessly to keep the well running a mother bear and her cub emerged from the burning forest and sought refuge from the intense heat within a few feet of the well and George. Scared yet undaunted George pumped the well and the bears eventually moved on back into the inferno. After the Great Thumb Fire exhausted itself out, the landscape was left in charred ruins and George’s family decided to move northward to Levering. George had a healthy respect of fires and bears for the rest of his life so he became a stone mason. His many works still stand today and include homes in and around Carp Lake, Cross Village, Levering as well as what is now the fireplace in the dining room of the Douglas Lake Bar.
George’s son, Dewey Sylvester Adams was born in Levering in 1898 where he attended school until 8th grade when he had to begin traveling by train from Levering to Pellston to continue his education. Once Dewey graduated from Pellston H.S. he earned a teaching certificate from Ferris State. Soon after as the U.S. entered “The Great War” Dewey enlisted. Upon returning he found a job opportunity in Flint, MI with General Motors. When the Great Depression began to set in Dewey’s manager asked everyone “Who could afford to feed their family if let go?” Dewey volunteered to step down knowing he could move his family back up to Mackinaw City and work on his brother-in-law’s farm. However, Dewey would learn too late that his brother-in-law had sold all the farm equipment just one day prior so there was no work to perform. Dewey and Iva Adams adapted rather than give up. They began baking loaves of bread for 7 cents to make enough money to buy the materials to sew their own clothes. Once past the depths of the Great Depression a night shift position opened up in the Buick plant where Dewey had been a foreman and he worked diligently until he retired.
Dewey and Iva had six children including my father James Adams who enjoyed spending summertime in Mackinaw. Like many his age in the early 1950’s entrepreneurship was a common activity and selling newspapers or washing windshields for the massive long lines that would form South of the Straits of Mackinaw waiting to take a car ferry to the U.P. was a financial opportunity James liked. The fondness of these memories brought James back up north as soon as he could return to his roots. I, too, find life in northern Michigan to be more fulfilling which is why I bought a commercial and residential property in Pellston.
Today, my business has sales in all 50 states plus over 50 countries. It brings dollars into Pellston from all over this great country and the world. I know which businesses will benefit from locating in Emmet County. Politicians do not create jobs, free enterprise does. Prospective investors need to know about the opportunity and potential that exists here. Emmet County needs to be marketed better. An overarching strategy is needed to do the things that make this county an attractive and economical community to live, work and play. A leader who knows being centrally located among dozens of travel destinations means business owners can reach multiple markets efficiently. Having close proximity to the Pellston Regional Airport means packages can reach over 350 million customers overnight even if the order comes in as late as 5pm EST. Having school districts that prepare students to be adaptive to changing business needs and today’s technology means employers won’t have to look far to find prepared workers. The potential for higher wages, stable employment and affordable housing exists for the residents of Emmet County. It takes leadership with the right background and the right plan to make this happen for the benefit of today’s Emmet County residents and for those who move here in the future.