  A HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE OF SOUTH ARM- AND THE EARLY PIONEERS OF THAT REGION
These are two villages located upon opposite sides of the south arm of Pine Lake at the head of the Arm. They are thirteen miles west of Boyne Falls and fifteen miles South of Charlevoix. The Arm at this point is about three-quarters of a mile across, though considerably narrower at the particular point spanned by the bridge which connects these two villages. The Arm is navigable for the largest lake vessels, and during the season of navigation there are ample facilities for travel and transportation. The Jordan River empties into the head of the Arm. This stream is navigable for logs fifteen miles and is heavily timbered on both sides with pine, hemlock and hardwood, which must be manufactured into lumber at this point. The land when tile timber is removed will make good farms for the production of fruit, hay, cereals and potatoes.
The VILLAGE OF SOUTH ARM lies upon the west side of the Arm. The first industry at the head of the Arm was lumbering, which was carried on by the firm of Nelson, Redington & Co. The name of "Nelsonville" was given to this locality, and in May 1869, a post office was established about a mile from the present site of the village, and Mr. D. C. Nettleton, now of Charlevoix, was postmaster. At an early day, Amos Williams had squatted in this vicinity as well. Mr. Nettleton kept the post office a short time, and then removed to Charlevoix. The office was removed to Intermediate. At this time Charlevoix County was just beginning to be settled. Pine River was only a diminutive settlement, and the "head of the Arm" was far away in the wilderness.
In the spring of 1867, a young man with his entire worldly possessions packed upon his back, made the journey on foot from Pine River, where be had spent the winter, to the head of the Arm. He was unmarried, and the location, which he selected, was a solitary one- it was indeed in the depths of the wilderness. The individual referred to was Mr. Isaman, now the pioneer of this point, and of whom we give a brief sketch herewith:
SOLOMON G. ISAMAN, the pioneer of South Arm village, is a native of Allegany County, New York. In 1862 he went to Illinois and in the summer of 1864 enlisted in the army and was in service until January 1866. In the fall of 1866 he came to Charlevoix County, and the following spring located on eighty acres of land in Section 22, Town of South Arm. He was unmarried at that time and brought his worldly effects from Pine River on his back. He built a small log house a short distance from where his store now stands. The first few years were spent in clearing land, getting out cordwood, etc. About the year 1873 he began his mercantile business. His first store was a primitive affair, and consisted of a few articles in one corner of his old log house. A little flour, some pork and perhaps a few other articles comprised his stock in trade. After two or three years he built a small store at the dock, where he continued with his business. Mr. Empey, now postmaster at East Jordan, was the next to carry on a store at the village. Mr. Isaman was the first postmaster, and held the office from 1874 to 1877. The place was first called Nelsonville. The exact location of Nelsonville, however, was about one mile west from the present village of South Arm. Mr. Isaman now owns 170 acres of land at the village and about 200 acres more in other localities. He has been successful in his business operations and has acquired considerable property. It has all been accumulated by his own exertions. He has a wife and three children.
In 1874, W. F. Empey, now postmaster at East Jordan, came here and put up a store building on a lot purchased of Mr. Isaman. This was the first store building and the first building with a shingle roof at this point. About this time Mr. Cole moved here from Intermediate, and is still a resident of the place.
E. A. H. COLE, proprietor of the Eagle Hotel, village of South Arm, is a native of the state of New York, and is one of the early settlers of the Town of South Arm. In the summer of 1867 he removed from Iowa to South Arm and settled upon a homestead on Section 20, near the point called Intermediate. In 1874 he moved to the village of South Arm and engaged in the mercantile business. He continued that business until 1882, and the following spring built the Eagle Hotel. He was postmaster at South Arm from 1877 until the spring of 1888. He had also been postmaster at Inter- mediate before moving to the village. He has held the office of supervisor several years and that of justice of the peace about ten years. He has a wife and one child.
HENRY B. STOHLMAN, postmaster at the village of South Arm, is a native of Germany and come to this country in 1847. In the spring of 1876 he removed from Hillsdale County, Michigan, to the Village of South Arm and engaged in the mercantile business with E. A. H. Cole. In 1882 Mr. Cole withdrew from the business and Mr. Stohlman has continued alone. In June 1883, be was appointed postmaster to succeed Mr. Cole. He has also held the office of town clerk and other local offices. He has a wife and two children.
JAMES A. KEAT, Judge of Probate for Charlevoix County, is one of the early settlers of the town of South Arm. He is a native of the State of New Hampshire, and in 1867 settled upon a homestead in Section 82, South Arm- having removed to this place from the state of Iowa. He worked on his land for several years and then gave his attention to the study of law. He was admitted to the bar in 1879, and has been engaged in practice since that time. He has lived in the village of South Arm since 1877. He was supervisor of the town several years, and is now in his first term as Judge of Probate.
We find mention made of the place in May 1882, as follows: The village of South Arm lies on the west side of the head of the south arm of Pine Lake. The village plat is very nearly level and is but a few feet above the lake water level, and is owned by S. G. Isaman, who also keeps a general store and deals largely in bark, wood, ties, shingles, lath and pine lumber. Besides Mr. Isaman's, there are two other general stores kept by Eugene A. H. Cole and Henry B. Stohlman. William H. Purdy has recently put in a stock of drugs, and Samuel Whitford is their blacksmith. James A. Keat, one of the prominent lawyers of the county and also judge of probate, resides here. The Methodist Church here has a parsonage, and at present is occupied by Parson Smith, one of the most earnest religious workers in northern Michigan.
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