Fork Township Nameless Village June 21, 1894 Evening Bulletin
"What is to be the name of Mecosta Counties new village?"
interrogated a reporter of this paper to-day of a gentleman known to be interested in a new village and lumbering industry. He replied he could not say at present, but permitted the following information tio be given out; The village will be on the north branch of the Chippewa river, twenty-five miles north-east of Big Rapids, and in Fork township, and will stand on a large tract of timber land just purchased by a company maily of Grand Rapids capitalists. The river is to be dammed at the forks, and a large saw-mill erected thereon, the company owning about 25,000,000 of timber. Contracts have also been made for a depot and office by the D.L. & N, railroad, while other parties will put up a shingle mill, stave and heading mill, and a battery of coke ovens. Surveyors are now at work, the village that is to be is being platted and in a few weeks will contain about one hundred population. As there is no other village between Evart fourteen miles one way, and Mecosta fourteen miles another, the company expects, with several years' work before them to build up quite a town.
Evart Review - September 28, 1894
Together with Mr. V.R. Davy, we visited the new town site, for the present nameless, that has been platted at the fork of the Chippewa river, in Fork township, Mecosta county. The plat is laid on the south-west quarter of then north west quarter of section 28, covering a part of forty mof the 160 acres. The location is good, the land level and elevated, with the two streams forming boundaries on the south and east. The D.L. & N. R'y Co. have agreed to extend the Mecosta branch, which is already built to within four miles, the the track to enter the town site and run along the north side of the plat with side tracks to the mil sites at the west end. The river is being dammed about twenty rods below the junction of the north and side forks, which forms a rapid stream of good size. The dam will furnish a ten foot water head, but at present only eight feet will be utilized, which which will furniah abundant boomage for logs for saw mills and factories. Plato and Renwich, now doing business in Orient township, have secured a most desirable mill site on high land above the dam, with several acres of level land for a mill yard. This live firm has taken time by the forelock, as it were, and secured the right to floatage in both streams, sso they control all timber run down the same. This firm is also the first on the ground with a new building; and they are putting up a 20 x 60, two story store building, which will be ready to be occupied in a few weeks. S.R. Hage and sons, of Fork, are also erecting a 20 x 50 feet store building in which he intends to sell hardware. P.W. Bartlett has a small building filled with goods of general character, including dugs, etc.,especially the latter and he enjoys the distinction of being the pioneer merchant. Dr. Frank Barry, owener of the plat and promoter of the town, kindly enlightend us as to the advantages of the location. The surrounding is a good farming country well settled and developed; there is estimated to be standing within the radiant of eight miles 125 million feet of standing merchantable timber, principaqlly of hardwood varieties. It is the intention of the promoter that the timber be manufactured before shipment, for the accomplishment of which mills and factories of various kinds will be erected, says Dr. Barry. At the present the embryo town has no hotel or boarding house though strangers and workmen are well taken care of at the farm home of Mr. John Miller, the well known lumberman, which is some distance away, but the weary and hungry traveler is well repaid for going out of the way for the extra attention he receives there. The town was named "Plato: by Dr. Brry. in honor of G.H. Plato, but as the government objected to the name owing to the similarity to other postoffices in the state, the town remains without a name. The town is distance from Evart 16 miles, square corners, and about the same from Rodney, on the D.L. & N. R'y, the nearest trading points.
EVENING BULLETIN
Dr. F. Barry, of the embryo city of Barryton, in Fork township, was in town today. When he was last there, nineteen buildings were up or in course of completion. Mr. Barry had a letter from general manager Heath in which he promises to have the iron laid to Barryton by October 15 next, therby giving direct railroad connection from Mecosta. The doctor is quite enthusiastic about the new town, says the dam has been made, timbers are being cut for the saw mill, the machinery purchased, and the structure will be put up so that cutting can go on the coming winter.
