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Go 977.401 J13h 1164722
1. ..
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
E ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01052 2214
HISTORY
OF
JACKSON COUNTY,
MICHIGAN;
TOGETHER WITH SKETCHES OF ITS CITIES, VILLAGES AND TOWNSHIPS, EDU- CATIONAL, RELIGIOUS, CIVIL, MILITARY, AND POLITICAL HISTORY ; PORTRAITS OF PROMINENT PERSONS, AND BIOGRAPHIES OF REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN,
EMBRACING ACCOUNTS OF THE PRE-HISTORIC RACES, ABORIGINES, FRENCH, ENGLISH AND AMERICAN CONQUESTS, AND A GENERAL REVIEW OF ITS CIVIL, POLITICAL AND MILITARY HISTORY.
ILLUSTRATED.
CHICAGO: INTER-STATE PUBLISHING CO. 1881.
BLAKELY, BROWN & MARSH, PRINTERS, 155 & 157 DEARBORN ST., CHICAGO.
DONOHUE & HENNEBERRY, BOOKBINDERS, ISO & IS2 MONROE STREET., CHICAGO.
PREFACE. 1164722
As local history is more interesting and profitable than general, and as the time has arrived when the publication of county histories can be made self-supporting, the publishers of this volume selected Jackson county as a good field; and they have indeed found it a pleasant one, for the county has had an interesting history, having always been one of the chief counties of the great Peninsular State. In matters of general public interest and progress, Jackson county has ever taken a leading and prominent position. Here have lived men who have taken an important part in the affairs of State and in molding the political sentiments and destiny of the country. This county has been the scene of conflict between some of the most gigantic intellects of the nation, as well as the birthplace of many business, philanthropic and party enterprises.
This history appears none too soon. The pioneers have nearly all passed away. Here and there we see the bended form and whitened head of some of these veterans, but they constitute not more than one in twenty of the early pilgrims. We have faithfully interviewed them, and obtained what facts we could. Accurate history is most difficult to write; many things are differently told by different persons, and if nineteen-twentiethis of the five hundred thousand data in this volume are correct, there may still be twenty- five thousand errors.
To obtain a glance at the scope and merits of a volume, it is nec- essary to study critically the title-page and table of contents. By looking carefully at the latter, one will learn how to use the work, -where to look for any given class of items. In this volume, notice particularly that the townships are arranged alphabetically, and the biographies also alphabetically, in their respective town- ships. A number of personal sketches will be found under head of Jackson city, as many of the parties reside in or near that place.
As one of the most interesting features of this work, we present the portraits of numerous representative citizens. Many others.
2
PREFAOE.
just as deserving, of course; we did not select; but those we have given constitute a good representation, and they are all men of high standing in the community.
The task of compiling this history, which has assumed propor- tions much larger than we had expected, has been a pleasant one, although laborious and expensive; and we desire here to express our hearty thanks to those who have so freely aided us in collecting material. To the county officials, pastors of Churches, officers of societies, pioneers, members of the Pineer Society and es- pecially the editors of the press, we are particularly grateful for the many kindnesses and courtesies shown us while laboring in the county. But most of all we wish to thank those who have so liber- ally and materially aided the work by becoming subscribers.
INTER-STATE PUBLISHING COMPANY.
CHICAGO, May, 1881.
CONTENTS.
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
Mound-Builders
17 State University 89
Large Cities.
20
State Normal School. . 90 90
Indians ..
21
Agricultural College
Manners and Customs.
22
Other Colleges. 92
European Possession.
24
Charitable Institutions
94
Detroit.
State Public School. 94
National Policles
State Reform School 95
Ordinance of 1787.
Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, and the Blind 96
French and Indian War.
39
Massacre at Michilimackinac.
41
Asylum for the Insane, at Kalamazoo. 96
Siege of Detroit.
4-4 46
Penal Institutions.
Tecumseh
50
State Agricultural Society
98 98
Hull's Surrender.
57
State Fisheries.
98
Perry's Victory
58
State Firemen's Association
99
Close of the War.
60
State Board of Public Health.
Political.
62
State Land Office 100
Administration of Gen. Cass.
65
State Library 100
Geo. B. Porter
74
Banks. 101
The "Toledo War."
76
Geology 107
Administration of Gov. Horner.
79
Newspapers 109
Michigan as a State.
80
Population. 108
Administrations of the state Governors .. 82
State Officers 109
War of the Rebellion. 88
Topography.
111
A. Retrospect.
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
TOPOGRAPHICAL, ETC. 117
Boundaries, Area and Population 117
Lakes and Streams .. 117
Pre-eminence. 119
Geology.
119
Sanitary.
128
October in this County 129
I29
Archæology
CHAPTER II.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS. I33
Ante-Pioneer History 133
Baptiste, the trader 134
The Story of the Flood 13-4
The Council Fire. 135
An Indian Killed by a Stag. 136
The Indian Babes. 136
The American Pioneers 139
Necrology 154
CHAPTER JII.
EXPLORATION AND FURTHER SET- TLEMENT. 166
Poetry in Prose 166
The Pioneers' First Survey. 168
The Fourth of July. 168
Horace Blackman's Story 169
Making a Location 169
Off to Monroe. 170
Legislative Watchfulness 170
Arrival at Grand River 172
Reporting the Name 172
First Conventional Body. 174
New Settlers Seeking Privileges 174
The White Captive. 175
The Village Blacksmith. 176
The Mill-Builders 176
Brevities. 177
First Postmaster. 178
Change of Name of the Village. 178
Mayo as a Mail-Carrier I78 Hon. George B. Cooper 178
The Republic Forever. 179
Early Manufactures .. 179
First Merchants. 180
Organization of the County. 181
The First County Road
182
A Year's Labors 183
The First Purchasers of Land 184
Washington Irving.
186
Jacksonfans Dealing with the 18th Cen- tury.
18T
Other Patentees
188
CHAPTER IV.
REMINISCENCES OF EARLY SETTLE- MENT 192
Jackson County in 1930 192
Hon. David Adams. 195
John L. Moore. 197
Reminiscences:
By Rev. Asahel A. King. 198
By Mrs. Ranney. 201
By Marvin Darrill. 202
By Mrs. M W. Clapp 203
By W. W. Wolcott 205
By Col. M. Shoemaker. 209, 217,
244
By Jacob Cornell. 213
The Indian Friends 212
Wolves and Whisky 214
By Hon. Jonathan Shearer 211
By Hon. Fidus Livermore 215
Various Dates
24 7
Personal Interest and Enterprise 176 A Little Story 25 I
.. Pontiac. 97 97
American Revolution
Okemos.
56
Pomological Society.
99
Public School System 88
27 30 34
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER V.
JACKSON PIONEER SOCIETY 252
Organization.
253
First Meeting.
253
Second and Third Meetings.
254
Fourth Meeting.
255
Fifth
66
Judge Johnson's Welcome.
258
Col. Shoemaker's Address.
261
"The Brave Pioneer," by Mrs. N. H.
Pierce
263
Earned Honors. 266
Sixth Meeting 267
Seventh
66
268
Address of President Bingham.
269
CHAPTER VI.
TRANSACTIONS OF THE SUPERVI-
SORS
273
The Legislature Organizing the Coun- tłes.
Township Meeting, 1831.
275
Jackson County Organized
275
in 1832
276
Transactions 1833-'51.
278-299
1852-'80.
299-302
Court-House.
300
Jail. 301
Poor-House.
301
CHAPTER VII.
THE COURTS OF EARLY TIMES 303
Seat of Justice Established. 303
Pioneer Courts. 303
First Session, 1833.
Second 4
306
307
Sessions 1846 to 1881. 310
County Officers ...
311
Justices of the Peace
315
CHAPTER VIII.
POLITICAL 317
Our Whig Citizens. 319
Log-Cabin Raising. 319
Political Foes .. 320
66
Poetry, 1840
320
Off to Fort Meigs.
320
A Defeated Candidate
320
The Last Friend. 321
Inquiries and Answers.
321
Complimentary
321
A Conclave Studying County Interests. 322
Location of the Capital 323
Under the Oaks. 324
An Inquiry.
324
Jackson, its Progenitor ..
3:25
The Free Democratic Convention at Jackson
First Republican Convention. 329
326
Results of a Prohibition Convention 330
Honest Money League.
The Jacksonites.
331
331
Election Returns.
332
CHAPTER IX.
THE WAR FOR THE UNION 340
Number of Volunteers 341
Ladies' Aid Society .. 342
Jackson Military Talent ..
Regimental Histories.
343
344-390
Jackson Soldiers Assist in Making the First Capture 345
Col. Shoemaker and the 13th 359
Battle of South Mountain. 362
Poem on Same ..
363
Soldiers Buried in Jackson County.
391
Present Military Organization
392
Conclusion.
394
Memorial Day, 1880.
395
CHAPTER X.
WAR MEMORIES
397
Our Ancestors in the Revolution. 397
Soldiers of 1812. 398
The Sac War.
398
The Toledo War
401
Jackson Light Infantry
401-2
The Barry Horse Guards.
Mexican War
403
The Old Jackson Grays 403
Jackson Silver Grays. 403
Jackson Grays at Bull Run 404
Death of Pomeroy ..
406
Col. Shoemaker's Reminiscences of Lib-
by Prison ..
408
Picket Duty as it should he
413
W. W. Van Antwerp
414
Surprise of the Rebels.
415
The 6th Infantry.
416
CHAPTER XI.
The Press.
420
Jackson Citizen. 421
Weekly Patriot. 422
Liberator
423
Saturday Evening Star
423
Other Papers
423
Schools.
Railroads
424
Banks
427
430
Agricultural Society
432
Jackson Horse-Breeding Association 443
CHAPTER XII.
A SERIES OF HISTORICAL TRUTHS ... 446
The Treacherous Corporation. 446
A Letter Home 450
Death of Abel Fitch.
451
The Victim of the Conspirators.
452
The Strike of 1877 ..
452
A Terrible R. R. Drama.
460
A Romance in Real Life.
461
The Indian's Captive. 462
Murder
461
Drowned. 467
Run Over by the Cars 468
Deaths by other Casualties 470
Fires.
473
Storms and Lightning.
474
Miscellaneous 476
A Strange Suit.
479
A Retrospect.
4×1
The Present
482
CHAPTER XIII.
THE CITY OF JACKSON. 483
Fifty-two Years Ago. 483
The Leading Highways 484
Seeking Privileges .. 484
Early Officials.
485
Vote of the City from 1857 to 1880. 493
Old-time Description of the Village. 495
The Modern Builders 495
Business Blocks, Public Buildings, etc. 497 Postoffice. 496
499
Public Schools
500
The Churches 512
Freemasonry in the County. 523
Odd-Fellowship 533
Good Templars.
Reform Club
536
537
Other Societies.
538-551
Manufactories, etc
551
Fire Department.
402
257
273
CONTENTS.
Farmers' Mut. Ins. Co.
566
Early Bar of the County 569
Water-Works 566
State Prison .. 571
Gas-Works 568
...
First Events.
577
Statistics.
568
Biographical Sketches .. 579
TOWNSHIP HISTORIES AND BIOGRAPHIES.
Blackman
762
Parma 1007
Columbia.
776
Pulaski
1023
Concord
825
Rives
1032
Grass Lake
843
Sandstone 1050
-
Hanover.
878
Spring Arbor -1059
Henrietta.
896
Springport I078
Leont.
908
Liberty
937
Napoleon
959
Norvell.
991
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Map of Jackson County 14 & 15
Pontiac 61
Hieroglyphics of the Mound-Builders 19
Hunting Prairie Wolves in an Early Day 67
Eastern Asylum for the Insane at Pontiac 73
La Salle Landing at the Mouth of St. 843 Joseph River .. 25
State Public School, at Coldwater. 81
Indians Attacking Frontiersmen 31
The Capitol, at Lansing 91
Gen. George Rogers Clark. 37
University of Michigan 102-3
Gen. Arthur St. Clair. 43
State Prison 114
Trapping.
49
Spring Arbor Seminary .1059
Tecumseh
55
PORTRAITS.
Adams, Cyril.
911
Kennedy, W. E. 948
Anderson, R. H.
731
Kennedy, Mrs. Clara 949
Austin, A. K.
.1003
Marsh, Samuel T. 929
Belden, Eugene H.
875
Mattice, Charles. 985
Belden, John ... 839
Morrison, Patton 677
Blair, ex-Gov. Austin.
245
North, Dr. Jno. D 347
Calvert, Dr. Wm. J.
279
Perry, L. G 857
Carmer, J. V.
267
Reed, Willard. 1039
Clapp, William
893
Richardson, J. L 575
Cradlt, E. S.
417
Robinson, D. J.
541
Dean, Horace ..
435
Root, Amos .. 523
767
Eggleston, B. F.
489
Eldred, H. B ... 453
643
Vaughn, S. S .. 713
Gorton, Aaron T 1075
Waldo, Leonard S 1021
Gould, James. ..
609
Wood, Charles. 381
Humphrey, Gen. Wm
313
Wood, Jonathan 399
Hyndman, Dr. D.
471
Wood, Lincoln
749
Jones, Dr. L. M.
803
Shoemaker, Col. Michael.
131
De Lamater, A. H.
785
Russell, Alfred.
Tunnicilff, Dr. J. 505
Gibson, W. A., M.D
Summit. 1098
Tompkins 1116
Waterloo.
1132
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YRIETTA
CHIGAV
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
Michigan! If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you, in Michigan. Every visitor at St. Paul's church, London, is over- awed with the magnificence of that structure, the work of Sir Chris- topher Wren. He wants to know where the remains of Wren are now; in the crypt of the church they lie, where the following is engraved upon the headstone: Si monumentum requiris, circum- spice,-If you seek a monument [of Wren], look around [and behold the work of his brain in this mighty building]. The State of Mich- igan has appropriately adopted for her motto this expression, with a slight alteration, thus: Si queris peninsulam amænam, cir- cumspice,-If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look around you. And indeed Michigan may as justly feel proud of its resources as Great Britain, of St. Paul's church,-yea, and infinitely more. What with her substantial foundation in agriculture throughout the southern counties, in horticulture throughout the lower peninsula, and especially the fruit belt along her western boundary, in piner- ies in the central portion of the State, and with her crown of iron and copper in the upper peninsula, tipped with silver, she stands the real queen of the utilitarian world.
It is a pleasure to write the history of such a State. Contrast this pleasant task with writing and studying the histories of States and empires which we have been taught to ponder and revere from our youth up, histories of European countries cobwebbed with intrigue, blackened with iniquity and saturated with blood. What a standing, practical reproof Michigan is to all Europe! and what a happy future she has before her, even as compared with all her sister States!
Now let's to our chosen task, and say first a few words concern- ing the prehistoric races, observing, by the way, that the name " Michigan " is said to be derived from the Indian Mitchi-sawg- yegan, a great lake.
MOUND-BUILDERS.
The numerous and well-authenticated accounts of antiquities found in various parts of our country clearly demonstrate that a people civilized, and even highly cultivated, occupied the broad sur- face of our continent before its possession by the present Indians;
2
18
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
but the date of their rule of the Western World is so remote that all traces of their history, their progress and decay, lie buried in deepest obscurity. Nature, at the time the first Europeans came, had asserted her original dominion over the earth; the forests were all in their full luxuriance, the growth of many centuries; and naught existed to point out who and what they were who formerly lived, and loved, and labored, and died, on the continent of America. This pre-historic race is known as the Mound-Builders, from the numerous large mounds of earth-works left by them. The remains of the works of this people form the most interesting class of antiquities discovered in the United States. Their character can be but partially gleaned from the internal evidences and the peculiarities of the only remains left, -the mounds. They consist of remains of what were apparently villages, altars, temples, idols, cemeteries, monuments, camps, fortifications, pleasure grounds, etc., etc. Their habitations must have been tents, structures of wood, or other perishable material; otherwise their remains would be numerous. If the Mound-Builders were not the ancestors of the Indians, who were they? The oblivion which has closed over them is so complete that only conjecture can be given in answer to the question. Those who do not believe in the common parentage of mankind contend that they were an indigenous race of-the West- ern hemisphere; others, with more plausibility, think they came from the East, and imagine they can see coincidences in the religion of the Hindoos and Southern Tartars and the supposed theology of the Mound-Builders. They were, no doubt, idolators, and it has been conjectured that the sun was the object of their adoration. The mounds were generally built in a situation affording a view of the rising sun; when enclosed in walls their gateways were toward the east; the caves in which their dead were occasionally buried always opened in the same direction; whenever a mound was partially enclosed by a semi-circular pavement, it was on the east side; when bodies were buried in graves, as was frequently the case, they were laid in a direction east and west; and, finally, medals have been found representing the sun and his rays of light.
At what period they came to this country is likewise a matter of speculation. From the comparatively rude state of the arts among them, it has been inferred that the time was very remote. Their axes were of stone. Their raiment, judging from fragments which have been discovered, consisted of the bark of trees, interwoven with feathers; and their military works were such as a people would erect who had just passed to the pastoral state of society from that dependent alone upon hunting and fishing.
The mounds and other ancient earth-works constructed by this people are far more abundant than generally supposed, from the fact that while some are quite large, the greater part of them are small and inconspicuous. Along nearly all our water courses that are large enough to be navigated with a canoe, the mounds are almost invariably found, covering the base points and headlands of the
19
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
bluffs which border the narrower valleys; so that when one finds himself in such positions as to command the grandest views for river scenery, he may almost always discover that he is standing upon, or in close proximity to, some one or more of these traces of the labors of an ancient people.
The Mound-Builder was an early pioneer in Michigan. He was the first miner in the upper peninsula. How he worked we do not know, but he went deep down into the copper ore and dug and raised vast quantities, and probably transported it, but just how or where, we cannot say. The ancient mining at Isle Royale, in Lake Superior, has excited amazement. The pits are from 10 to 20 feet in diameter, from 20 to 60 feet in depth, and are scattered through- out the island. They follow the richest veins of ore. Quantities of stone hammers and mauls weighing from 10 to 30 pounds have
I
O
7
P
HIEROGLYPHICS OF THE MOUND-BUILDERS.
been found, some broken from use and some in good condition. Copper chisels, knives and arrowheads have been discovered. The copper tools have been hardened by fire. Working ont the ore was doubtless done by heating and pouring on water,-a very tedions process; and yet it is said that, although 200 men in their rude way could not accomplish any more work than two skilled miners at the present day, yet at one point alone on Isle Royale the labor per- formed exceeds that of one of the oldest mines on the south shore, operated by a large force for more than 30 years. Since these ancient pits were opened, forests have grown up and fallen, and trees 400 years old stand around them to-day.
Mounds have been discovered on the Detroit river, at the head of the St. Clair, the Black, the Ronge, on the Grand, at the foot of
20
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
Lake Huron, and in many other portions of the State. Those at the head of the St. Clair were discovered by Mr. Gilman, in 1872, and are said to be very remarkable.
LARGE CITIES.
Mr. Breckenridge, who examined the antiquities of the Western country in 1817, speaking of the mounds in the American Bottom, says: "The great number and extremely large size of some of them may be regarded as furuishing, with other circumstances, evidences . of their antiquity. I have sometimes beeri induced to think that at the period when they were constructed there was a population liere as numerous as that which once animated the borders of the Nile or Euphrates, or of Mexico. The most numerous, as well as con- siderable, of these remains are found in precisely those parts of the country where the traces of a numerous population might be looked for, namely, from the mouth of the Ohio on the east side of the Mississippi to the Illinois river, and on the west from the St. Francis to the Missouri. I am perfectly satisfied that cities similar to those of ancient Mexico, of several hundred thousand souls, have existed in this country."
It must be admitted that whatever the uses of these mounds- whether as dwellings or burial places-these silent monuments were built, and the race who built them vanished from the face of the earth, ages before the Indians occupied the land, but their date must probably forever baffle human skill and ingenuity.
It is sometimes difficult to distinguish the places of sepulture raised by the Mound-Builders from the more modern graves of the Indians. The tombs of the former were in general larger than those of the latter, and were used as receptacles for a greater number of bodies, and contained relics of art, evincing a higher degree of civilization than that attained by the Indians. The ancient earth- works of the Mound-Builders have occasionally been appropriated as burial places by the Indians, but the skeletons of the latter may be distinguished from the osteological remains of the former by their greater stature.
What finally became of the Mound-Builders is another query which has been extensively discussed. The fact that their works extend into Mexico and Peru has induced the belief that it was their posterity that dwelt in these countries when they were first visited by the Spaniards. The Mexican and Pernvian works, with the exception of their greater magnitude, are similar. Relics common to all of them have been occasionally found, and it is believed that the religious uses which they subserved were the same. If, indeed, the Mexicans and Peruvians were the progeny of the more ancient Monnd-Builders, Spanish rapacity for gold was the cause of their overthrow and final extermination.
A thousand other queries naturally arise respecting these nations which now repose under the ground, but the most searching investi-
21
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
gation can give us only vague speculations for answers. No histo- rian has preserved the names of their mighty chieftains, or given an account of their exploits, and even tradition is silent respecting them.
Following the Monnd-Builders as inhabitants of North America, were, as it is supposed, the people who reared the magnificent cities, the ruins of which are found in Central America. This people was far more civilized and advanced in the arts than were the Mound- Builders. The cities built by them, judging from the ruins of broken columns, fallen arches and crumbling walls of temples, palaces and pyramids, which in some places for miles bestrew the ground, must have been of great extent, magnificent and very pop- ulous. When we consider the vast period of time necessary to erect such colossal structures, and, again, the time required to reduce them to their present ruined state, we can conceive something of their antiquity. These cities must have been old when many of the ancient cities of the Orient were being built.
INDIANS.
The third race inhabiting North America, distinct from the former two in every particular, is the present Indians. They were, when visited by the early discoverers, without cultivation, refine- ment or literature, and far behind the Mound-Builders in the knowl- edge of the arts. The question of their origin has long interested archæologists, and is the most difficult they have been called upon to answer. Of their predecessors the Indian tribes knew nothing; they even had no traditions respecting them. It is quite certain that they were the successors of a race which had entirely passed away ages before the discovery of the New World. One hypothesis is that the American Indians are an original race indigenous to the Western hemisphere. Those who entertain this view think their peculiarities of physical structure preclude the possibility of a com- mon parentage with the rest of mankind. Prominent among those distinctive traits is the hair, which in the red man is ronnd, in the white man oval, and in the black man flat.
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