In 1868, when a youth of nineteen years of age, Mr. Bahle decided to seek his fortunes amongst a newer civilization and accordingly set forth for the United States. Immediately after arriving in this country he located at Northport, Leelanau comity, Michigan, where he worked for other people, being employed for some time in a ship-yard in Wisconsin.

In 1871 he removed to what is now known as the village of Suttons Bay. He hired an Indian to haul what goods he possessed one mile into the country, where he located upon a tract of eighty acres of wild land, which he cleared and raised to a fair state of cultivation. He gradually drifted into the lumbering business and later turned his attention to mercantile affairs. In 1885 he owned a general store in Suttons Bay and a number of years later the same was changed into a clothing and dry-goods store, which has grown in size and patronage until to-day it is one of the finest establishments of its kind in the county.

In politics Mr. Bahle is aligned as a loyal supporter of the principles of the Republican party and he has ever been on the qui vive to do all in his power to advance the general progress and development of this section of the grand old Wolverine state.

In 1888 he was appointed postmaster, by President Harrison, and he gave out the first money-order issued in Suttons Bay. During President Cleveland's second administration Mr. Bahle was replaced by a Democrat in the post office but when the Republicans again came into power he was reappointed to the post mastership, in which connection he has served most faithfully and well to the present time, in 1911.

Indeed, Mr. Bahle is running the office in such a shape that he is quite willing for an inspector to call at any time. Although not American born his citizenship in the land of his adoption has ever been of the most loyal and public-spirited order and he holds a secure vantage ground in popular confidence and esteem! He is connected with various social and fraternal organizations of representative character and he and his family are members of the Lutheran church, in the different departments of whose work they have been most active factors.

In the year 1876 Mr. Bahle was united in marriage to Miss Olene Engebregtson, of Norway, and to them were born ten children, namely: Maret, Gena, Esten, Emma, Lena, Marton, John, Otto, Nellie and Thomas.

Maret is the wife of Peter Pedlerson, who is now manager of Mr. Bahle's store at Suttons Bay; Gena is the wife of Ed Grasser, who is engaged in agricultural pursuits in the vicinity of Suttons Bay; Lena married Carl Garthe, a farmer of near Northport; Esten is first officer of the Pere Marquette Car Ferry, No. 17; formerly he was second officer of car ferry. No. 15 and saw the first distress signal waved from the fated No. 18, which sank in Lake Michigan in 1900. Esten was in the boat which was sent to succor those in danger, the same being swamped on the high seas, and his life being saved by reason of the three life preservers which he had fastened to his body.

Emma is a teacher in the Bay City schools; Martin is a wheelsman on the Great Lakes on the Manistee boat; John remains at home; Otto is a machinist in some auto works in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Nellie and Thomas remain at home, being students in the local grade schools.

Mrs. Bahle was summoned to the life eternal in 1898 and in 1899 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Bahle to Miss Emma C. Weir, of Muncie, Indiana. Prior to her marriage Mrs. Bahle was a popular and successful teacher in the public schools at Muncie. To this union one child has been born — Louis, whose birth occurred on the 29th of December, 1900.

A HISTORY Of NORTHERN MICHIGAN and its Peoples
Powers, Harry F.
pp. 721-2