Knechtel Collection

    Unknown young woman from the Linke or Knechtel Family.

    The Fletcher Office Building was originally a bath house built by the Alpena Magnetic Sulphur Springs Company in 1892. Mineral water was supplied by a 1,276 foot flowing well on the property. It was

    This captured WWI German submarine was part of a traveling exhibit in 1919. It is docked in this image at the Thunder Bay Milling Company dock in the Thunder Bay River. A WWI tank was also on exhibit

    Lighting or Heating Device possibly used in the Taber Tannery.

    The Taber Tannery was built in 1895 on the north side of Thunder Bay River, near the Ninth Street Dam and railroad, close to the hemlock extract works. It was named the Alpena Hide and Leather Tanner

    Preparing to demolish the Taber Tannery chimney. As businesses came and went, it became necessary to demolish buildings and clear land. The easiest way to demolish a chimney was with dynamite. The br

    Arthur Linke at Tractor Show, Alpena County.

    Arthur (Art) Linke, 1890-1963, was long identified with Linke's Flower Ship & Greenhouses. He was a great collector of Alpena memorabilia and much of his massive collection was given to the Besser Mu

    Arthur Linke and friend riding in a circa 1910 vehicle in July 1962.

    A family at what looks to be Starlite Beach on Lake Huron. Huron Portland Cement is in the far distance of left.

    Country store in Alpena County with Texaco gas, Royal Crown Cola, and an IGA. Typical of country stores that dotted Alpena County, this store offered a little bit of everything.

    This downtown fire was located on the west side of Second Avenue between Chisholm and Rivers Streets in the early 1920s next to the Hanover Block (now Center Building). The fire seems to have origina

    Railroad logging crew in front of a Lake Shore Michigan Southern Railway car.

    Once done by horses, the steam loaders made loading logs onto railroad cars much easier. The horse-drawn piece of equipment shown on the right is a "big wheel." The big axle allowed it to be driven o

    People in front of a logging camp during the winter could be family visiting or cooks with their helpers and chore boys.

    Loading or unloading logs on a Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway car.

    Logs were easier to transport during the winter on ice roads. A sprinkler wagon sprinkled water on the road to freeze into an ice path for the horse teams to pull a log sled.

    Arthur Linke Historical Museum business card. Arthur Linke was a great collector of Alpena memorabilia. Much of his massive collection was donated to the Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan.

    Lemuek G. Dafoe business card. This man had a varied career including lumbering, trial lawyer, member of the State legislature, Alpena Postmaster, and Mayor of Alpena (1910-1914). This card shows him

    Correspondence from the Elliot Company to Arthur Linke regarding an antique music machine.