Joseph Fine (June 13, 1895 – October 4, 1969) was a businessman and politician in
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette ( ) is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,629 at the 2020 United States Census, which makes it the largest city in the Upper Peninsula. Marquette serves as the seat of government of Marquett ...
. Born in
Lithuania
Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
, Fine became a citizen of the United States and lived most of his life in Marquette. In the 1960s he was active in city politics. Offices he held included mayor, city
commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
, and member of the Board of Light and Power. His legacy includes Marquette's Board of Light and Power, which operates a municipal
power station
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid.
Many p ...
for the city. Over a period of more than 40 years he ran a series of businesses in Marquette. The most notable was a popular but unusual
tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern that h ...
. One of the unusual aspects was that women were not welcome, which helped minimize disputes among patrons. At the time of his death, a local newspaper referred to him as "one of the city's best known merchants." He was also active in or supported a number of fraternal, religious, and other civic organizations.
Early life
Fine was born June 13, 1895, in the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. In 1913, he immigrated to the United States, settled in
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, Massachusetts, and worked in a factory. In 1916, he moved to Marquette, Michigan where his brother Samuel "Sam" Fine and uncle Abraham "Abe" Fine lived. Joe Fine joined the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and served from 1918 to 1919. The war ended before he was deployed to Europe. His service helped him earn his United States
citizenship
Citizenship is a "relationship between an individual and a state to which the individual owes allegiance and in turn is entitled to its protection".
Each state determines the conditions under which it will recognize persons as its citizens, and ...
.
Family
In 1933 Fine married Ruth Wolfe. The couple's first child, Bernard, was born in 1935. Their second child, Lithia, was born in 1938.
Business activities
At the time of his death, a local newspaper characterized Fine as "one of the city's best known merchants." He operated businesses in Marquette for more than 40 years.
One of Fine's first jobs after moving to Marquette was working with Sam in a slaughterhouse owned by Abe. Starting in the mid-1920s, Fine and Sam operated a
grocery store
A grocery store ( AE), grocery shop ( BE) or simply grocery is a store that primarily retails a general range of food products, which may be fresh or packaged. In everyday U.S. usage, however, "grocery store" is a synonym for supermarket, a ...
.
In 1934 Fine left the grocery business, purchased a tavern in downtown Marquette, and renamed it "Joe's Tavern." A newspaper advertisement from that year included the following:
Around the time of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Fine discontinued meals and made other significant changes to the way he operated the Tavern. By the 1950s, Joe's Tavern was unusual enough to attract the attention of a major newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, more than 400 miles away. One of the most unusual features of the Tavern was that women were not welcome. This helped prevent conflicts in the Tavern. Fine was quoted, "This way we get along pretty good." Another unusual aspect of the Tavern was that it was only open from 7 a.m. to 7 pm. Opening early allowed workers from the night shift to get some drinks before heading home. Commenting on the early closing time Fine said, "If a fellow decides to stay out late, his wife knows he's not here. And this way the bartenders and I get a chance to get home for dinner, too." Fine also provided only a few chairs in the bar, intended for those who were old or infirm. With most patrons standing, the
bartenders
A bartender (also known as a barkeep, barman, barmaid, or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but ...
could more easily identify the unsteady people who had imbibed too much. Yet, these unusual characteristics did not detract from business. With low prices, a strong sense of camaraderie, and dedicated bar staff, Joe's Tavern was a popular place. Typically its 57-foot bar was busy with both blue- and white-collar customers.
In 1962, Fine sold the Tavern. But he could not remain inactive for long. During the remainder of his life he operated a series of businesses in Marquette, including a
newsstand, cigar stand,
hobby shop
A hobby shop (or hobby store) sells recreational items for hobbyists.
Types Modelling
Classical hobby stores specialize in modelling and craft supplies and specialty magazines for model airplanes (military craft, private airplanes and airliners), ...
, and another bar.
Public offices
In 1961 Fine entered city politics, running for Marquette city commissioner. He was re-elected to another two-year term in 1963. In 1964, the commissioners voted Fine the mayor. Fine simultaneously served on the
Marquette County Board of Supervisors.
Fine was instrumental in the formation of the Marquette Board of Light and Power, which operates the city's municipal power plant. He was also elected a charter member of the Board and upon re-election served as the Board's chairman.
Regarding Fine's public service, a local paper stated the following:
Other civic activities
Fine was also active in or supported a number of religious, fraternal, and other civic organizations. During 1952–1953 he participated in the formation of the first Jewish temple in the area. Despite being Jewish, he also supported local churches. When asked about that he said, "I figure as long as I am able to give something to help build a church—any kind of church—it must be a good cause and this must be a good country." In 1962 he was elected commander of the Marquette
American Legion
The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...
post. He also participated in the
Free and Accepted Masons
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, the
Elks Lodge
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City.
History
The Elks began in 1868 as a soci ...
, the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political and non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Order of Odd ...
, and the
Kiwanis Club
Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. Since 1987, the organizatio ...
.
[.]
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fine, Joe
1895 births
1969 deaths
American Freemasons
People from Marquette, Michigan
Mayors of places in Michigan
Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States
20th-century American politicians