A PEEK AT THE PAST
Pioneers of Days Gone By
by Leonard DeFrain

In 1845, 160 years ago, a man by the name of Hiram Whitcomb sailed from Port Huron to the Allen's Creek settlement, where he purchased the Allen Mill property from Mr. Robertson. He first believed the stone on the property to be ideal for a grindstone quarry, but samples proved it unsatisfactory for this purpose, so he continued operation of the mill. There was no dock at the mill site, so his lumber products had to be rafted out to the sailing vessels anchored off shore in the deeper waters.

Supplies had to be brought up by boat from Port Huron; the trip often taking two or three weeks. They would sail during the day and go ashore at night, then continue in the morning if the weather was favorable.

Mr. Whitcomb sold to Albert Gilchrest in 1854 and the Whitcomb family moved to Marine City. The mill burned in the 1864 fire and the property was returned to Mr. Whitcomb, who sold to Pack, Jenks & Co. the same year.