Metz Township in Posen in Presque Isle County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Distributing Relief Supplies
Site No. 8
| | Metz Fire Historical Site | |
Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 23, 2023
1. Distributing Relief Supplies Marker
A massive relief effort was mounted to provide the survivors with the necessities of life. Railcars loaded with goods donated from throughout Michigan's urban areas were delivered to Metz at no charge by the D&M Railway. In this photo, survivors are lined up to receive relief supplies. Many appear to be wearing clothes they received in a prior distribution. Among the clothing distributed were stylish dresses and hats donated by the ladies in the upscale Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe.
In addition to clothing, the relief trains brought in donations of farm equipment, lumber, furniture, hay and other livestock feed, seed to allow the farmers to plant crops in the spring, medicines, bedding, carpets, and livestock. So much was sent to Metz, in fact, that whole boxcar loads of goods were eventually diverted to other communities in the area that had been burned over.
Erected by Metz Township, the Metz Fire Centennial Committee, and the Presque Isle County Historical Museum. Made possible by Community First Fund of the Presque Isle Electric & Gas Cooperative, Community Foundation
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Railroads & Streetcars.
Location. 45° 17.068′ N, 83° 48.004′ W. Marker is in Posen, Michigan, in Presque Isle County. It is in Metz Township. It is at the intersection of County Route 441 and Railroad Street, on the right when traveling north on County Route 441. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2046 Railroad St, Posen MI 49776, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Michigan Lower Peninsula and in one of the Lake Huron Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Relief Shacks (here, next to this marker); Metz After the Fire (a few steps from this marker); Metz D&M Depot Before the Fire (a few steps from this marker); Earnest P. Bicknell (a few steps from this marker); Metz Before the Fire of 1908 (a few steps from this marker); The Metz Fire of 1908 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Metz Fire (within shouting distance of this marker); In Memory of Our Common Ancestors (approx. 5.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Posen.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 23, 2023
2. Distributing Relief Supplies Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 25, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 25, 2024, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 249 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 25, 2024, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
