In this new location Al's father engaged in a variety of trades, including lumbering, land speculation, farming, and carpentry. Seeking a way to make money, he built a tall observation tower beside their home. Tourists paid a fee to climb the tower and enjoy the expansive view of the Lake Huron area. But the tower was never a great money maker.
Al, the youngest child in the family, was rather sickly and a great concern for his mother, who had already lost two children in infancy and a third before Al's first birthday. He had three older brothers and sisters, only one still living at home.
Al didn't attend public school for very long. Instead, his mother, a former schoolteacher, taught him at home. She organized lessons and an extensive reading program for her son. He loved to read and was especially interested in science and in what was going on in the world outside of Port Huron.