Earnest P. Bicknell

Earnest P. Bicknell. National Director of Relief Operations, The American Red Cross. , Ernest Bicknell was appointed National Director of Relief Operations for the American Red Cross following its 1908 re-organization. He started his job on October 1st and his first challenge was the Metz fire. Along with President J. D. Hawks and D&M Railroad employees, Bicknell oversaw the distribution of relief supplies and lumber for the construction of shacks to house the homeless. , As quoted in The Metz Fire of 1909, on October 20th he wrote that, “...Nothing is more important now than getting up shacks for the homeless. The style of shack which has been adopted is 14x16 feet with three small rooms. Two fixed bunks, one over the other, are built into each of the two small rooms. The wall of the shack is of rough lumber, the boards put up and down and covered entirely with tar paper. The roof is of the same construction as the walls. It is said to be possible to keep comfortably warm in a shack of this description in a Northern Michigan winter. It is estimated that about 165 shacks will be required...” , In order to be usable, burned trees needed to be cut and sawed within a year. Bicknell was proud of the fact that $900 of Red Cross relief funds were used to reopen a saw mill to process lumber. In his book Pioneering with the Red Cross he wrote, “...By this means the farmers saved their lumber and obtained what was necessary to rebuild their homes. The sawmill man regained his ability to serve the community and after his free service he was entitled to make a reasonable charge for his services. By this simple cooperative scheme, the most important step toward the rehabilitation of the neighborhood was taken with a minimum of outside intervention and with everyone cheerfully doing his own part toward society...” , Ernest Bicknell was the great uncle of the long time mayor of Rogers City, Beach Bicknell Hall. He was in charge of overseas operations for the Red Cross before, during, and after World War 1, and remained active in Red Cross national and international operations until his death in 1935.