World War I Memorial
Mineral Well Park ~ Original Site ~ Petoskey MI
Memorial later moved to Pennsylvania Park
11 November 2018 is the 100th anniversary of the END of WWI in 1918.
Eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918...
The Armistice was signed between the Allied Forces and Germany...
Eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918...
The Armistice was signed between the Allied Forces and Germany...
Photo Below Labeled: "Drilling Petoskey's first mineral well"...
On the 1913 Sanborn Maps the footprint for the Mineral Bath House was labeled:
"FORMERLY MINERAL BATH H. VACANT."
Photos Below: A booklet titled "Petoskey's Colorful Past A Historical Sketch of the City" on page 31 explained: "Bear River Gazebo (Mineral Well Park) West Lake Street ~ Built in 1915 the current Gazebo replaced a wood pavilion which surround the well in 1890 and provided a place for people to fill their water jugs. A bath house stood behind the pavilion where visitors could bathe away their ills in the highly acclaimed mineral waters. Though the bath house lost popularity around 1900, the mineral well continued to attract visitors from all over the country. In 1917, Vice-President Marshall and his wife spent a month in Petoskey and went to the well daily to partake of the 'health-giving' waters. Luxury hotels encouraged their guests to use the well during their stays.
The Gazebo is constructed of reinforced concrete, wood and shingles. Service clubs and private construction companies restored the structure in 1981."
11 July 1916 Petoskey Evening News Article Below: In reply to (see article above) Dr. Crotser's asking for exclusive rights to sell the Mineral Well Water... People, at one time in disgust when Mr. Cushman had ownership, "filled the well full of stone, iron and every other thing too numerous to mention until the beautiful flow of water had stopped."
Postcard Below: This must have been taken after 1939 when this new concrete fountain was installed as noted in the 1 June 1939 article and photo posted below.
The hard-to-read writing below the photo above is transcribed as well as possible as follows:
"Supplants Historic Fountain
New Concrete Fountain at Mineral Well Park
"Supplants Historic Fountain
New Concrete Fountain at Mineral Well Park
Remember the tall silk stove pipe hat worn by our important personage the honorable Vice President Thomas Marshall?
It brings back memories of the old Mineral Well Park with it gushing sparkling health giving ?. That was the reason for his visits here.
The large concrete fountain next to Bear River inactive for the past few years has been supplanted by the neat concrete fountain shown above.
The other historic monument to our pioneer located just west of the above is to receive the same treatment which will greatly improve the appearance of the park. ~ Review Photo Engraving"
It brings back memories of the old Mineral Well Park with it gushing sparkling health giving ?. That was the reason for his visits here.
The large concrete fountain next to Bear River inactive for the past few years has been supplanted by the neat concrete fountain shown above.
The other historic monument to our pioneer located just west of the above is to receive the same treatment which will greatly improve the appearance of the park. ~ Review Photo Engraving"
Mary Jane Doerr has written a book Bay View: An American Idea in which she described President Wilson's Vice President Thomas R. Marshall summering many years in Petoskey. Part of Doerr's work is posted on the Hemingway Society website.
Please do not copy the photos on this site, many of which have been submitted by private individuals...
just come back and visit the site often to view the photos.
just come back and visit the site often to view the photos.
Memorial Day 1923 ~ Dedication of the Plaque in Honor of WWI Veterans
Three Photos Below:
Allan McCune a successful Petoskey businessman and local historian donated several of his albums to Petoskey's Little Traverse Historical Museum.
One of his albums included these photos of the
1923 Dedication of the Plaque in Honor of WWI Veterans.
1974
Only a trickel remained of Mineral Well Park...
Only a trickel remained of Mineral Well Park...
The World War I Memorial plaque rests on the huge rock, on the left, in each photo above taken 20 May 2011 by Karla Howard Buckmaster. This interesting memorial site is directly across from the Petoskey City Hall, and next to an historic pavilion which includes a mineral well that enticed early 1900 visitors for the supposed health benefit of the mineral water. This was the original site of the World War I Memorial presented as a gift of The Federation of Women's Clubs May 30, 1923. Mrs. W.G. McCune, 714 Lake Street, Petoskey was chairman of the placing of the memorial to the men of Emmet County who gave their lives in their country's service in the World War. The plaque also refers to the surrounding elm trees of 1923 in Mineral Well Park:
"THE ELM TREES IN THIS PARK WERE PLANTED IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE YOUNG MEN OF EMMET COUNTY WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THEIR COUNTRY'S SERVICE"
1917 THE WORLD WAR 1918
IN MEMORIAM

Joseph Aniwiski [Anaweski]
Paul L. Bathke
John Serell Benjamin
Ray C. Bonter
George Wallace Budlong
William H. Campbell
Carl Charles Carlton
Henry Robert Herriman
Paul Howland Hogle
Dewey Holmes
Stanley Hoover
James Gale Inglis
Alexander Kagebitang
Wesley N. Keller
Irvin Earl Kurbursky
Edward Leo
Alva J. Ludlow
Frank Lumpp
John Lumpp
Barney Max
Walter E. McPhail
Jonas E. Misinine
Clayton Murray
Harry A. Parrish
Loraine M. Pope
Harry Andrews Potts
Herman Raumer
Burr Schmalzried
Gerald H. Scott
Chester Atkins Smith
Leo M. Smith
Zygmont Smyczek
George Stanley Sweeney
Marion Dewey Thompson
Carl O. Weaver
Paul Melvin Wingate
Marion C. Wyland
Paul L. Bathke
John Serell Benjamin
Ray C. Bonter
George Wallace Budlong
William H. Campbell
Carl Charles Carlton
Henry Robert Herriman
Paul Howland Hogle
Dewey Holmes
Stanley Hoover
James Gale Inglis
Alexander Kagebitang
Wesley N. Keller
Irvin Earl Kurbursky
Edward Leo
Alva J. Ludlow
Frank Lumpp
John Lumpp
Barney Max
Walter E. McPhail
Jonas E. Misinine
Clayton Murray
Harry A. Parrish
Loraine M. Pope
Harry Andrews Potts
Herman Raumer
Burr Schmalzried
Gerald H. Scott
Chester Atkins Smith
Leo M. Smith
Zygmont Smyczek
George Stanley Sweeney
Marion Dewey Thompson
Carl O. Weaver
Paul Melvin Wingate
Marion C. Wyland
Click PLAY to begin the slideshow below:
The slideshow below,
which may be paused for reading, includes the obituaries for the 31 of the 37 names on the 1923 WWI memorial, in alphabetical order, as listed on the above plaque.
The slideshow below,
which may be paused for reading, includes the obituaries for the 31 of the 37 names on the 1923 WWI memorial, in alphabetical order, as listed on the above plaque.
Regarding the slideshow of obituaries above: No obituaries were found for the following four names listed on the plaque. If anyone has a document about the following men, please contact the webmaster.
Max/Barney No obituary [Possibly buried in Grand Rapids, Michigan]
Raumer/Herman Edward No obituary [Later found burial at Saint Nicholas Cemetery, Emmet County, Michigan. He was born in Cross Village.]
Smyezek/Zygmont No obituary
Irvin Earl Kubursky’s name was spelled on the plaque with an “I”, but in his newspaper death notice, an “E” began the spelling of his name.
According to the 22 March 1923 Levering Local news article posted farther above: This memorial was for the Emmet County World War I Heroes who gave their lives in their country’s service during the World War. The names included only those who lost their lives during the time of American participation in the war, up to and including 22 November 1918, and the listed names were sent March 19 (Year not named) to the firm designing the plaque. Many of the memorialized died due to influenza, often followed by pneumonia, (one from tuberculosis) never having seen battle. They had been called, however, and were in service to the country upon death.
The local Petoskey American Legion was named after Carl Weaver who had been killed in battle while in France.
Max/Barney No obituary [Possibly buried in Grand Rapids, Michigan]
Raumer/Herman Edward No obituary [Later found burial at Saint Nicholas Cemetery, Emmet County, Michigan. He was born in Cross Village.]
Smyezek/Zygmont No obituary
Irvin Earl Kubursky’s name was spelled on the plaque with an “I”, but in his newspaper death notice, an “E” began the spelling of his name.
According to the 22 March 1923 Levering Local news article posted farther above: This memorial was for the Emmet County World War I Heroes who gave their lives in their country’s service during the World War. The names included only those who lost their lives during the time of American participation in the war, up to and including 22 November 1918, and the listed names were sent March 19 (Year not named) to the firm designing the plaque. Many of the memorialized died due to influenza, often followed by pneumonia, (one from tuberculosis) never having seen battle. They had been called, however, and were in service to the country upon death.
The local Petoskey American Legion was named after Carl Weaver who had been killed in battle while in France.
Obituary Below: Melvin C. and LaVina (Brown) Wingate were the parents of Paul Wingate whose name was on the WWI plaque on the big rock in the park.
Repair of Mineral Well Site
AFTER Removal of World War I Memorial
World War I Memorial
Pennsylvania Park ~ New Site
See Photo Of Men In 1918 On Steps Of Petoskey Courthouse
Funds were raised to move the WWI memorial from Mineral Well Park to a "higher-visibility site such as the downtown park, where people could more easily view the record of veterans' sacrifices." The Bear River Park, however, is a highly visible park, and was the original home of the WWI memorial.
WWI Memorial Moved to Pennsylvania Park
Private fundraising secured $4,000. toward the relocation of the WWI monument from the previous Bear River Mineral Well Park site shown in photos above. The Petoskey News Review reported that J&R Building Movers and Richie Construction helped with the moving. The cut rock still needed to be installed at the time of this above photo.
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WWI Memorial AFTER New Setting In Pennsylvania Park Petoskey Michigan
The inscription, written below, on the plaque in the photo above, on the WWI memorial
no longer applies to the trees in Pennsylvania Park
because this plaque was first placed on the site of the Mineral Well near the Bear River.
"THE ELM TREES IN THIS PARK WERE PLANTED IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE YOUNG MEN OF EMMET COUNTY WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THEIR COUNTRY'S SERVICE"
no longer applies to the trees in Pennsylvania Park
because this plaque was first placed on the site of the Mineral Well near the Bear River.
"THE ELM TREES IN THIS PARK WERE PLANTED IN GRATEFUL MEMORY OF THE YOUNG MEN OF EMMET COUNTY WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THEIR COUNTRY'S SERVICE"
All newer photos on this page were taken by Karla Howard Buckmaster.