“The Bradley House”
The expansive home that
houses the Presque Isle County Historical Museum was built in 1913 and
1914 by George Radka, a local contractor. The home is a “craftsman
style,” or “arts and crafts style” bungalow. There are many craftsman
style homes in Rogers City, but this is by far the largest.
George Radka died
very unexpectedly in December of 1914. The following year, Mrs. Radka—the
former Isabel Larke—sold the home to the Michigan Limestone & Chemical
Company, which had begun operating a limestone quarry at Rogers City in
1912. The home became the residence of Carl D. Bradley, who was at that
time the General Manager of both Michigan Lime’s Calcite Plant and the
company’s Calcite Transportation subsidiary. Calcite Transportation
operated the self-unloading steamer Calcite, built in 1912.
Michigan Limestone
made some modifications to the house after they purchased it. Two maid’s
rooms, with an adjoining bathroom, were added, another bathroom was added
upstairs, and the kitchen was enlarged. Another large bedroom was also
added upstairs, and the porch on the 4th Street side of the
house and the two-car garage were built. The yard was also fenced, and
extensive landscaping was done.
By the time the
alterations had been completed, the home had seven bedrooms, four baths,
and three sun porches. While that might seem excessive for the three
members of the Bradley household, the Bradley’s also entertained many
visitors in their home. Mr. Bradley was reportedly not enamored with the
accommodations at local hotels, so persons visiting Calcite were often
invited to stay with the Bradley’s.
Interestingly, the
yard was much smaller then. The house had been built at the very back of
the lot owned by George Radka. There was just enough room behind the
house for a driveway that led from 4th Street to the garage.
On the other side of the driveway was the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank
Reinke, Sr. That home was eventually purchased by Michigan Lime and moved
to Calcite Road, creating a backyard for the Bradley house. The pipe
sticking out of the ground near the 4th Street side of the
backyard was the water line to the Reinke house.
Bradley
lived here with his wife and son Frederick, who was then a high school
student. In 1920, United States Steel purchased a controlling interest in
Michigan Lime, and they made Mr. Bradley president of the company. He
also served as president of the company’s fleet. The fleet was then made
up of three freighters, the Calcite, W. F. White, and
Carl D. Bradley. They operated as the Bradley Transportation Line,
named in his honor.
Carl D. Bradley
died very unexpectedly in the spring of 1928, while vacationing in
California. He was only 68 at the time. Shortly after his death, Mrs.
Bradley moved back to Chicago, where the Bradley’s had come from.
John G. Munson, who
had been Bradley’s vice-president, took over as President of Michigan
Limestone and the Bradley Fleet. Munson, his wife, and their son and
daughter occupied this home from 1928 until 1939. Following Bradley’s
death, U.S. Steel purchased all of the stock of both Michigan Limestone
and Bradley Transportation, and they operated those companies as
subsidiaries. In 1939, U.S. Steel promoted Munson to vice-president for
raw materials, and the Munson’s moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
headquarters for the giant steelmaker.
Irvin L. Clymer
replaced Munson at Calcite. He and Mrs. Clymer lived in this house from
1939 until 1950, when he left to head all of U.S. Steel’s limestone
operations.
By that time, U.S.
Steel had reorganized its holdings, and moved the offices of Michigan
Limestone and the Bradley fleet to Detroit. The operations at Rogers City
became U.S. Steel’s “Northern District.” Joseph Valentin, a Rogers City
native and long-time Calcite employee took over as manager of the Northern
District. He and his wife Josie and sons Joe, Junior and Jim lived in
this home from 1950 until poor health forced his retirement in 1957.
When John Suliot
replaced Valentin as head of U.S. Steel’s Northern District in 1957, the
company built a new, modern home for him and his family on Lake Street.
The homes on Lake Street, along with adjoining homes on First Street, and
homes in the area of South Second Street, had all been built by Michigan
Limestone for occupancy by company employees. The residents of the homes
on Lake Street were all managerial or technical employees at the plant or
on ships of the Bradley fleet.
With no further
need for the stately old home, Michigan Limestone offered it to the county
for use as the Presque Isle District Library. It served as the library
from 1957 until they outgrew the house in 1980.
Michigan Limestone
then offered to donate the historic building to the Presque Isle County
Historical Museum. In 1973, the Historical Society had purchased the
former Schmekel residence at the corner of Second Street and Erie Street
for use as a museum. That museum opened on November 29, 1977.
The museum opened
in its new location here in the Bradley House on August 6, 1981. While
the building is now the “Presque Isle County Historical Museum,” it is
commonly referred to in the community as “The Bradley House.” Why that is
the case is unclear, but Bradley was the first head of Michigan Lime to
live in the house, and he lived here longer than any of the other Michigan
Lime personnel. Perhaps even more importantly, Mr. Bradley has always
held a special place in the hearts of Rogers City residents. Much of the
success of Michigan Lime and Bradley Transportation is credited to his
leadership. He was also an active community leader and generous supporter
of activities that benefited local residents. Then, too, the tragic
sinking in 1958 of the ship named in his honor indelibly linked Bradley to
the people in our small community.