Antoine Ephrem Cartier
Antoine Ephrem Cartier (1836-1910) was a businessman famous for helping develop the beginnings of Ludington, Michigan, in the nineteenth century.
Biography
Antoine was born in the Trois Rivieres regional county municipality, Canada, of Quebec area on May 16, 1836. He was baptized in Maskinongé village on May 17. As a boy he was a laborer on the family farm in Canada, however had no interest in agriculture. Since much of his time was needed on the family farm, he received little schooling.
In 1852, when Antonine was 16, his father died. He moved away from the family farm in Canada and went to Chicago in the fall of 1854. There he became a laborer involved with lumber. He stayed there just a few months and then moved to Manistee, Michigan. At first he was a logger driving and directing logs down the Manistee River. Later he did this also on the Pere Marquette River at Ludington.
Marriage and family
Antoine married Eliza N. Ayers in Manistee on December 3, 1859. They moved from Manistee to Ludington in 1877 with their family of 8 children. There was a ninth child, a daughter that died in infancy.
Ludington House
Antoine built a Victorian style home at the northeast corner of Ludington Avenue and Lavinia Street near downtown Ludington in 1878. Presently it is a Bed and Breakfast called "Ludington House". [[File:Antoine's home 1880.jpg|thumb|250px|left|
Antonine Cartier's Ludington house,
c. 1880 sketch]]
[[File:Antonine Cartier house 2010.JPG|thumb|300px|left|
Antonine Cartier's Ludington house,
June 2010]]
Genealogy and family line
Antoine's father is John Baptiste Cartier Jr. John Jr. was a farmer born at Bancoure, Canada, near Three Rivers City. His father John Baptiste Cartier (Sr.) was an emigrate from France to Canada. Records show he lived to 108. Antoine's mother's name was Rosalie (Courchine) Cartier. Antoine's siblings were eleven boys and three sisters. Of as 1895 there were only 4 siblings living besides himself.
Antoine can trace his family line back 400 years to Jacques Cartier, the famous French explorer who claimed what is now Canada for France. There is an extensive detailed family history genealogy self-published by Morgan E. Cartier (Antoine's grandson, Warren Antoine Cartier's son) on display at the "Ludington House" that shows his family line going back to Jacques Cartier. Antoine Ephrem Cartier's father is Jean Baptiste Cartier II (1790-1846); whose father is Jean Baptiste Cartier (1757-1816); whose father is Francois de Salles Cartier 1725-1763); whose father is Guillame Cartier II; whose father is Guillame Cartier; whose father is Julian Cartier (1618-1665) being the first in the family line to be a Canadian; whose father is Claude Cartier (1586-1642); whose father is Jehan Cartier (1563-1598); whose father is Francois Cartier (1542-1575); whose father is Allaine Cartier (1509-1574); whose father is Raoulette Cartier (1489-1562); whose father is Jacques Cartier (1491-1557), being the famous French exployer who claimed Canada for France; whose father is Etienne Cartier (1467-1549); whose father is Jacques Jamet Cartier (1458-1509); whose father is Jean Cartier (1428-1488). Jacques Cartier is the 12th great-grandfather of Antoine Ephrem Cartier.
Businesses
Antonine became a partner in the Dempsey-Cartier firm of Manistee in 1873 with Jim Dempsey. The Dempsey-Cartier firm purchased and renovated the Green & Millmore sawmill of Manistee and made lumber from northern Michigan white pine. They changed the name of the company to Cartier & Dempsey.
Sometime around 1877 Antonine purchased the Stanchfield mill and considerable timerland and property around Ludington. In 1882 the mill was sold to Butter's Company. Antonine then purchased the shares of the Cartier mill owned by William Allen and George Goodsell and developed the Cartier Lumber Company by 1892.
Approximately 1878 Antonine was a partner with D. L. Filer in the large lumbering firm Cartier & Filer. It operated a sawmill and store. As of 1882 Antonine was half owner of Danaher & Cartier (a shingle mill business) and a member of Dempsey, Cartier & Company at Manistee.
Antonine became a large stockholder in the Northern Michigan Transportation Company from 1904 to 1910.
His business axioms were simple.
Politics
Antoine was a mayor for Ludington in 1880 and 1881. He was also a member of the city council for 4 years in Manistee. Antoine supported the Democratic party.
Religion
The Cartier family line has been of the Catholic faith for hundreds of years. Antoine's faith was also Catholic and he supported the local Ludington parish St. Simon church of which he was a member.
Cartier family original proverbs
[[File:Cartier Coat of Arms.jpg|thumb|
Cartier Coat of Arms]]
- A poor workman faults his tools.
- Do not throw an opportunity over your shoulders.
- Never buy anything you cannot use, no matter how cheap it is.
- When I cannot walk, I'll crawl. When I cannot crawl I'll roll; but I'll get there.
- And it is wisely written - arise from your sleep with a smile on your lips and a song in your heart.
- I have never seen a successful man who lies in bed in the morning.
- It is true - you are not fully dressed until you have put on a smile.
- If you owe a dollar, pay it. If someone owes you, collect it.
- The world's work starts at 8 A.M. Get at it!
- Always have a leaning post - always! If you have no one to lean on, you have to be IT. And when you are IT, you are alone and it is tough.
- All mankind are heir to troubles and no one is interested in yours, so keep them to yourself.
- I would sooner come to a decision and be wrong, than vacillate.
- A Gentleman takes two cocktails before dinner. Period.
- Quit moaning and count your Blessings.
- Never be afraid of anyone or anything.
Death
Antoine died March 1, 1910 and was buried in the Pere Marquette cemetery at Ludington on March 4.
References
- Cabot, James L., Images of America - Ludington 1830 - 1930, 2005, ISBN 0-7385-3951-1
- Cartier, Morgan E., Cartier Genealogy 1957
- Page, H. R., History Mason County, Michigan; 1882; biography of Antoine E. Cartier
- Powers, Perry F., A History of Northern Michigan, Lewis Publishing Company (Chicago) 1912
- Ludington Record Appeal obituary article, p. 1 & 10, March 3, 1910 "City Mourns Chief Citizen"