William Jennings Bryan is pictured. (Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress)

MARQUETTE — Today, as we reach the fevered last days of the 2024 presidential campaign, we look back at the 1896 presidential campaign in Marquette. The campaign took place during an economic depression known as the Panic of 1893, marked by low prices, low profits, high unemployment, and violent strikes. Economic issues, especially tariff policy and the question of whether the gold standard should be preserved for the money supply, were central issues.

The candidates that year, Republican William McKinley and Democrat William Jennings Bryan, used different techniques for their campaigns.

McKinley operated a front porch campaign from his home in Canton, Ohio, with large delegations of Republicans travelling to his home to hear him speak from his front porch. One day, forty special trainloads arrived, and he made sixteen speeches. Most of the local campaign events were undertaken by candidates for state offices and prominent local politicians.

The Republicans got started in Marquette in late September, renting the Casino rink on east Main Street until the election. They formed a McKinley club and named officers. The first big rally was held in the rink on Oct. 1. There were only 660 seats and the crowd that overflowed the place was estimated at over 1,000. Newspaper reports noted that 200 women attended, described as “a pleasing novelty in a campaign rally audience,” at a time when women still didn’t have the right to vote.

Another move made to increase interest was the organization of a bicycle club, part of the National Wheelman’s McKinley Club. At the initial local meeting, sixty-four people signed up, which soon grew to over a hundred. The object was for the bicyclists to act as an honor guard for important candidates in street parades.

While McKinley was holding audiences on his front porch and relying on local organizations to rally the vote in places like Marquette, Bryan was busily touring the country. One historian stated that he travelled 18,000 miles in three months, including appearances in Marquette County on Oct. 14 during his swing through Michigan.

The Democrats got off to an early start in the county, though there were first actually three parties to be combined into one. In early October, the Democratic and Union Silver parties met in Ishpeming in two separate conventions and organized into one party to support Bryan. They established their joint headquarters in the L’Huillier block on Washington Street. The local group was enthusiastic hearing that Bryan would tour the Upper Peninsula during his swing through Michigan.

The night before Byran arrived, both parties held packed rallies at their respective halls. There was no hall large enough for the anticipated crowd to hear Bryan, so the morning of his arrival, a big stand was built on an empty lot on west Superior Street (now Baraga Avenue), about one hundred feet west of the train depot which stood on the north side of that street. There was no procession or parade planned, as everyone was more interested in what the candidate had to say, and his time was limited.

On his way from Iron Mountain, Bryan’s special train stopped off in Ishpeming. He was escorted from the train to the veranda of the Nelson House, just west of where the present Mather Inn stands, where he gave a short address to several thousand people. His train also stopped in Negaunee, and he spoke briefly from the rear platform.

Upon arriving in Marquette, he and his wife were escorted to the platform, which was covered with bunting and illuminated by a row of “extra-large high-powered incandescent 50 and 75 candlepower lights.” The crowd, including many from out of town, was estimated at over 7,000, the largest political demonstration in Marquette up to that point. They packed as closely as possible around the stand.

In the days before loudspeakers of any kind, there were hundreds of spectators who couldn’t hear his hour-long speech, especially as the crowd went wild with almost constant applause. But at least they could all see him. Bryan’s special train left late that evening for St. Ignace, enroute to Lower Michigan.

By election day, telephones had been installed in all the wards, so that returns went out quickly and people wandered the streets practically all night, waiting for the latest count. In spite of the enthusiasm for Bryan’s rally, Marquette County voted strongly Republican. The following night, there were impromptu parades in all three cities, with bands, cowbells and other noisemakers.

The Marquette Republicans decided to have a more formal ratification parade that Friday night. The streets downtown were muddy, so those who were on foot used the sidewalks, leaving the streets for men on horseback or in carriages. There was a band, several floats, men and boys carrying red flares, torchlights and banners. As the procession went up Front Street, it was preceded by a streetcar pulling a flat car on which several men were setting off fireworks. And with that, the presidential campaign of 1896 ended.