Cheboygan in Cheboygan County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Jail and Sheriff's Residence

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2018

1. Jail and Sheriff's Residence Marker (side 1)

Inscription.
This structure served as the Cheboygan County sheriff’s residence and jail from 1880 to 1969. The building originally had seven cells. Faced with overcrowding, the county built an additional sixteen cells in 1912. During the local lumber boom (1860-1920) drunken rowdy lumbermen sobered up in the jail. The inmates often did chores in exchange for their bed and meals prepared by the sheriff’s wife. In 1972 the building became a museum devoted to Cheboygan County history.

Of all the lawmen who lived in this building, Sheriff Frederick Ming (1865-1943) was the most notorious. He was a farmer, a veterinarian, and a state legislator who fought for the tuberculosis sanatorium in Gaylord. As sheriff, however, in October 1900, Ming forced the Burt Lake Indian people from their homes at Indian Village and stood by with his deputies while land speculator John McGinn burned the village in a land grab. The burnout left most of the Indian people homeless and impoverished.

Erected 2005 by Michigan Historical Commission, Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number L2056.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Law Enforcement • Native Americans. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1880.

Location.

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45° 38.368′ N, 84° 28.96′ W. Marker is in Cheboygan, Michigan, in Cheboygan County. Marker is on South Huron Street south of Court Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located on the grounds of the old jail house, beside the sidewalk on the east side of the building, near the northeast corner. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 404 South Huron Street, Cheboygan MI 49721, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Old Cheboygan County Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Jacob J. Post House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Cheboygan's Beginnings (approx. 0.4 miles away); St. Mary Church (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cheboygan.

Regarding Jail and Sheriff's Residence. National Register of Historic Places (1999). This building currently houses the Historical Society Museum of Cheboygan County. Cheboygan County’s two-fisted sheriff, Frederick Ming (1865–1943) was the most notorious of the nineteen lawmen who lived here. During

Jail and Sheriff's Residence Marker (<i>side 2</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2018

2. Jail and Sheriff's Residence Marker (side 2)

Ming’s six years as sheriff, "no bully was big enough to stay out of jail if Ming decided to furnish him with room and board."

Also see . . .
1. Burt Lake Burn-out. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on February 24, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

2. A Bitter Memory: The Burt Lake Burn-out of 1900. Mackinac Journal PDF:
Negonee – 106 years old: This aged woman walked from the Indian Village at Burt Lake, when it was burned by order of the sheriff, to Middle Village, where she soon died. The depopulation and dispersion of the Burt Lake Indians forms one of the darkest pages of American history and proves the utter failure and weakness of the government’s Indian Policy in the past. (Submitted on August 15, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Jail and Sheriff's Residence Marker (<i>tall view; 1880 County Jail in background</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2018

3. Jail and Sheriff's Residence Marker (tall view; 1880 County Jail in background)

Jail and Sheriff's Residence Marker (<i>wide view; showing east side of 1880 jail building</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2018

4. Jail and Sheriff's Residence Marker (wide view; showing east side of 1880 jail building)

1880 Cheboygan County Jail and Sheriff's Residence (<i>northeast corner</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2018

5. 1880 Cheboygan County Jail and Sheriff's Residence (northeast corner)

1880 Cheboygan County Jail and Sheriff's Residence (<i>north side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2018

6. 1880 Cheboygan County Jail and Sheriff's Residence (north side)

1880 Cheboygan County Jail and Sheriff's Residence (<i>southeast corner view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2018

7. 1880 Cheboygan County Jail and Sheriff's Residence (southeast corner view)

1880 Cheboygan County Jail (<i>masonry & window detail</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2018

8. 1880 Cheboygan County Jail (masonry & window detail)

1880 Cheboygan County Jail and Sheriff's Residence (<i>northeast corner view</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 23, 2018

9. 1880 Cheboygan County Jail and Sheriff's Residence (northeast corner view)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 24, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 15, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 339 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 15, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 7, 8, 9. submitted on September 3, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.