USA > Michigan > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan > Part 1
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ST. CLAIR COUNTY
MICHIGAN
EB 2 S136 H6 73
HISTORY 1
OF
ST. CLAIR COUNTY,
MICHIGAN,
CONTAINING
AN ACCOUNT OF ITS SETTLEMENT, GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCES; AN EXTENSIVE SKETCH OF ITS CITIES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES-THEIR IMPROVEMENTS, INDUSTRIES, MANUFACTORIES, CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND SOCIETIES; ITS WAR RECORD, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, PORTRAITS OF PROMINENT MEN AND EARLY SETTLERS; THE WHOLE PRECEDED BY A HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, AND STATISTICS OF THE STATE.
ILLUSTRATED.
CHICAGO: A. T. ANDREAS & CO. 1883.
ulver Hage Moyne 2ª
PRINTERS 18 &120 MONROE ST
CHICAGO C
1
1
PREFACE.
I N these pages an effort has been made to treat the history of the county in a full and im- partial manner. With the exception of the first chapters-a concise history of Michigan -- the work is distinctively local. The story of the French and American pioneers is very fully treated; so also is that of the old and new settlers of the county.
The biographical history has been compiled from the most certain sources.
A large sum of money, much labor and time have been expended on this section of the work. Even after the notes were made by the township historians, they were rewritten, sub- mitted in many instances, again placed on the type-writer, and mailed for revision and appro- val to the parties interested.
The plan adopted in the arrangement of subjects and the minuteness of description pur- sued render the work a most valuable record book. All things relating to the State are dealt with in the chapters of Michigan history, which form, as it were, an introduction to the gen- eral history of the county. The latter is carried down from the earliest times, treating fully and impartially every item of interest connected with the county. In searching old documents and French pamphlets, the writer arrived at new facts which, on account of their connection with the St. Clair region, are introduced into the history of the county, rather than into that of the State.
The reminiscences of early settlement were compiled from writings in possession of the Pioneer Society, or from facts related by old settlers. The papers by Mrs. B. C. Farrand, Rev. O. C. Thompson, Moses F. Carleton, Samuel Carleton, William Grace, Judge W. T. Mitchell, Dr. Taylor, U. S. A., and Aura P. Stewart were of material assistance; while the offices of the County Clerk and the Register of Deeds yielded up a mine of facts of great value. The introduc- tion of anecdotes is to the personal history of the county just as important as that of legends is to the general history, and on that account they find a place in this work.
To the members of the Historical Committee of the Pioneer Society, and also to the editors of the Times, Commercial and St. Clair Republican, all of whom placed the files of their jour- nals at our disposal, we desire to extend our sincere thanks for the material aid rendered us in the compilation of this work. The manuscript copy of the general history was submitted to the Committee early in September, 1882, and on the 29th of that month the work of correcting er- rors in dates, names and events was completed.
Throughout the pages of the general history, a desire to deal fully and fairly with the sub- ject cannot fail to be evident. Regarding township and city history, much has been done to- ward rendering it a plain story of men and events. While the general history of the coun- ty contains almost every important item of township history, there are many facts and names, so identified with the townships, as to necessitate a sketch of each division of the county. In the compilation of such sketches, official records were solely relied upon, for the reason that in the accompanying biographies, the most interesting facts are brought to light, founded on the au- thority of the persons concerned.
WESTERN HISTORICAL COMPANY.
CHICAGO, JUNE, 1883.
£
CONTENTS.
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
PAGE.
The Aborigines.
17
The First Immigration.
18
The Second Immigration 19
21
The Tartars
French Exploration and Settlement. 22
The Recent Discoveries of St. Ignace.
LaSalle's Travels
Detroit 35
The French and Indian War
38
National Policies
42
British Policy
44
American Policy 44
Ordinance of 1787 45
Pontiac's Siege of Detroit 48 50
Eclipse of the Moon, 1881.
164
Botany and Zoology
THE INDIANS.
The Otchipwe Invasion 177
The Miamis and Pottawatomies. 179
The Hurons .: 179
The Chippewas. 181
Death of the Indian Megish .181
Drowning of Indian Refugees. 181
182
Chief Wing.
183 184
O-Ge-Ma-Ke-Ga-to.
Black Duck Murders a British Indian,
187
Okemos
Indians in 1812.
192
Distinguished Early Visitors
193
Manners and Customs
194
The Game of La Crosse
195 196
An Indian Village
197
Gen. St. Clair's Letter
200 201
Treaty at Detroit
201
The State Public School. .111
Institution for Deaf, Dumb and Blind. 112 Asylums for the Insane. 113
Penal Institutions 113
The State Prison of 1880 114 State Reform School. 115
The Land Office-State Library.
116 State Fisheries. 118
Pioneer Society of Michigan 118
First State Historical Society. 126
State Agricultural Society 126 The Pioneer Funeral 210
State Pomological Society 126 State Firemen's Association 126
State Board of Public Health 127 Iron and Steel Industries 127
The Vessel Interest. 131
Growth of Forty Years 131
131 Leading the Van
HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.
EARLY HISTORY 133
Origin of the Name St. Clair.
139
TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY. 142
Lost Names of Western States. 144 Superficial Materials .. 146
Subterranean Channels 150 Retrospect ..
Marshes
PAGE. 152
Magnetic Wells ..
153
Mineral Waters. 153
The Salt Spring of 1797.
153
Soil
154
Archaeological 155
158
Climatology and Meteorology
Disease 162
163
The Black Days. 164
Inundation of 1827 164
Tornado of 1835.
The Meteor.
164
164
The Comet
Expeditions of Harmar, Scott and Wilkinson. 53 The Storm of July 6, 1879 165
Expeditions of St. Clair and Wayne
Gen. Wayne's Great Victory 54
Hull's Surrender
Perry's Victory Close of the War.
The Tecumseh War.
62
The Black Hawk War 66
The Toledo War.
The Patriot War
The Mexican War.
The War of 1861-65
79
Administration of Gen. Cass.
82
Gen. George B. Porter's Administration
89
Administration of Gov. Horner. 91 State Officers .. 97
Political Statistics 101
Fur Traders and Slave Owners. 103 Slavery in Michigan 103 Sale of Negro Man Pompey 106 Public School System. 106 State University 107
State Normal School. 108
Agricultural College .. .108
Other Colleges.
109
Charitable Institutions 111
201
Otchipwe Nagamon
202 203 203 204
Reign of the Cholera.
PIONEER MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. Pioneer Mothers.
207
The Old Whipping-Post ..
207 208 209
Evening Visits
209
Nuptial Feasts
210
The Old Post Office
Retrospect 211
FRENCH PIONEERS.
La Salle and Hennepin 212
215
Pioneer Land Buyers of St. Clair.
219
Squatters' Claims. 220
220
Private Claims in St. Clair.
225
Northern Claims
233
La Riviere du Vases and Maconce Reserves.
235 237 238
THE PIONEER SOCIETY
Assessment Roll in 1821
239
St. Clair Pioneer Society
244 Summer Meeting of 1882 245
Water Reservoirs. 150 MORAVIANS, MORMONS AND GERMANS 246
78 John Riley
184
Early Traders and Interpreters.
188 189 189
Joseph Reveur
The Small-Pox
200
Treaties with the Otchipwes.
Treaty at Washington
Cession of Lands
Indian Oratory
Seasons of Sickness
The Copper Product. 128 Private Claims
The Products of a Year 128 Michigan in 1805. 216
Land Board, Detroit District-1807.
221.
Claims Along St. Clair River to Milk River
161
Mounds of St. Clair County
29 34
The Big Snows. 163
167
Revolutionary War.
56 58 59 61
Political History
66 74 78
Cum-e-kum-e-non
vi
CONTENTS.
PAGE.
The Moravians.
PAGE. 247
Mormonism.
249
Conclusion ...
401
The German Immigration of 1845. 251
Hollanders ..
252
PIONEER REMINISCENCES AND SKETCHES
253
Roll of Attorneys
406
Trial of Abbott
408
Trial of Collins. 408
Judges of the Circuit 409
Reminiscences 409
THE PRESS.
The St. Clair Whig
413
The First Mill on Black River
263 263
Incidents of Early Settlement
263
Port Huron Times
418
Port Huron Journal.
419
The Tribune ...
420
Flugal's Reminiscences
The St. Clair Banner
420
Early Lake Navigators
299
The St. Clair Republican
421
Marine City Reporter
422
The Fort Gratiot Sun Other Papers.
428
RELIGIOUS HISTORY
424
MARINE OF THE LAKES
431
Ship-building
432
Lighthouses
442
FINANCES AND STATISTICS.
443
Decennial Census ..
445
Military Expenditures.
416
Dealers in Spirituous Liquors 447
Social Statistics
448
International Comparisons. 448
A Pair of Pioneer Letters 449
Poor-House and Farm. 449
Schools 450
COUNTY ASSOCIATIONS. .
Medical Society 452
Farmer's Mutual Fire Insurance Society. 453
City Village Insurance Company. 454
Agricultural Society 454
FIRST INDUSTRIES. Fur Traders. 456
The Pinc. 458
Cutting the Key Log. 459
The Saw-Mill Changes 460
The Oil Well Boom 464
A Retrospect 467
ROADS AND RAILWAYS 469
Railroads 470
Reminiscences of the Northern Railroad. 475 Grand Trunk 480
Port Huron & Northwestern 480
Apportionment of State Taxes. 483
PORT HURON. Geology 484
Early Patents
486
Indian Reserve.
486
Supervisors 486
Justices of the Peace 487
Bounty for Wolf Scalps. 488
489
Early History
494 495
Port Huron in 1826.
497
Sale of Building Lots.
497
Twenty-seventh Michigan Infantry 384
Twenty-eighth Michigan Infantry. 385
Twenty-ninth Michigan Infantry 385
Thirtieth Michigan Infantry. 385
First Michigan Cavalry 386
Second Michigan Cavalry 386
Fourth Michigan Cavalry
Fifth Michigan Cavalry.
390
The Progressive Party of 1865 ..
507
The War of 1861-65. 508
The Cause of Temperance. 508
City Hall and Court House 509 511
The Custom House and Post Office
City Water-Works 519
Postmasters and Revenue Collectors 520
The P. H. & N. W. R. R. Depot. 521
The Iron Bridge 521
Telephone Exchange 522
522
The Port Huron Relief Committee
522
Our Country's Defenders. 400
The Guards.
400
Phil Sheridan's Horse. 401
COURTS AND BAR ..
402
The First Four Villages.
253
The Pioneers of Port Huron
257 259
Wheeler's Reminiscences
260
The Couriers' Settlement.
262
Soldier Settlers. 263
The Relief of Fort Gratiot by Brown.
The Port Huron Commercial
415
Reminiscences of Judge Bunce 265
Memoirs of Aura P. Stewart 272 297
303
ORGANIC HISTORY.
St Clair Township ..
Old Court House Grounds
321
Macomb County Erected ..
322 323
First County Seat War.
Acts of the Commissioners.
329
County Poor House Troubles.
332
Supervisors' Board. 333
County Commissioners. 334
Township and City Organization. 334
Prosperity of the County. 336
POLITICAL HISTORY. 337
340
County Elections.
MILITARY HISTORY.
The War for the Union 359
Military Statistics. 361
General Officers 361
Record of Commissioned Officers. 362
First Michigan Infantry
367
Second Michigan Infantry 367
Third Michigan Infantry. 367
Fourth Michigan Infantry
368
Fifth Michigan Infantry 369
Sixth Michigan Infantry 371
Seventh Michigan Infantry
371 371 372
Tenth Michigan Infantry
372
Eleventh Michigan Infantry
Twelfth Michigan Infantry. 373 374
Thirteenth Michigan Infantry.
374
Fifteenth Michigan Infantry 374
Sixteenth Michigan Infantry 375
Seventeenth Michigan Infantry 375
Eighteenth Michigan Infantry. 375
Nineteenth Michigan Infantry 375
Twentieth Michigan Infantry 376
Twenty-first Michigan Infantry 376
Twenty-second Michigan Infantry 377
Twenty-third Michigan Infantry 383
Twenty-fourth Michigan Infantry 383
Twenty-fifth Michigan Infantry 383
Twenty-sixth Michigan Infantry. 384
After the Crisis ..
498
Organization of the Village. Organization of the City.
498 499
City Officers from 1858.
500
Financial
The Saw-Mill ('ity
The Press
International Spelling Match.
506
388 Fire of 1854.
506
Seventh Michigan Cavalry. 390 Fire of April 21, 1866
Eighth Michigan Cavalry 390
Ninth Michigan Cavalry. 391
Tenth Michigan Cavalry. 391
Eleventh Michigan Cavalry 392
First Michigan Engineers and Mechanics 392 First Light Artillery 392
Other Military Organizations. 395
First Michigan Colored Infantry 396 Soldiers' and Sailors' Convention. 396 Veterans. 397
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Reunion 400
The Congregational Church 523
The Baptist Church 526
412
The Port Huron Observer.
413
Pioneer Sketches
320
4222
321
Establishment of St. Clair County
The Division of the County into Townships 324
324
Eighth Michigan Infantry ..
Ninth Michigan Infantry
373
Fourteenth Michigan Infantry
Port Huron City 488
Topographical
Fur Traders.
503 505
Third Michigan Cavalry. 387 388
501
Sixth Michigan Cavalry.
508
Societies
St. Clair County Court ..
403
St. Clair Militia, 1805-11
vii
CONTENTS.
PAGE. 529
The Catholic Church. Grace Episcopal Church. 531
Methodist Episcopal Church .. 532
Other Churches. 533 Justices of the Peace.
Schools 533
Ladies' Library Association.
535
The Lotos Club 539
Shakesperian Class. 541
The Port Huron Literary Club. 542 Tremble Creek
542
The Opera House
542
Hospital and Home Society.
542
Good Templars
542
Masonic .. 543
Odd Fellows. 543
Knights of Honor. 543 Early Land Buyers 732
A. O. U. W
544
Other Societies
545
Boat Club.
545
Fire Department 546
546
Manufacturing Industries.
546
Meteorological
549
Biographical
FORT GRATIOT TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE.
Organic
Land Buyers 606
Fort Gratiot 60G Biographical Sketches.
History of the Post
War of 1812
The Fort in 1832.
613
Military Reservation
614
Gratiot Light.
616
Establishment of the Village
617 619 625
Charles P. Edison
St. Paul's Mission
626
Biographical Sketches.
629
ST. CLAIR TOWNSHIP AND CITY ..
636
Organic ...
Supervisors.
Justices of the l'eace.
Early History 638
St. Clair City
639 641
Pioneer History
643
St. Clair Militia
644
Historical Reminiscences
The First Newspaper
The Fire Department
647 648
The War Period
649
Congregational Church.
650 657
Episcopal Church
657
Methodist Church
658
Catholic Church
659
The Protestant Methodist.
659
Schools 660
Social, Benevolent and Commercial Societies. 661
Secret Societies 662 Business Organizations 664
The Oakland House 664
Biographical Sketches. 667
COTTRELLVILLE TOWNSHIP AND MARINE CITY.
Early Land Buyers 687
Reminiscences 687 Justices of the Peace
The Division of Cottrellville. 691 Supervisors.
692
Justices of the Peace. 692
Marine City. 693
Salt Well
694
Biographical
786
Newspapers 694
Religious 694
Centennial Year.
696 697
Stave Manufacturing 697 Biographical Sketches 697 CLAY TOWNSHIP.
First Land Buyers 709
Justices of the Peace. 710
Biographical Sketches 714
CHINA TOWNSHIP 717
The Pioneers 718
Early Land Buyers 719
Justices of the Peace 720 H. Whiting
Biographical Sketches
EAST CHINA TOWNSHIP.
Supervisors. 725
725
Biographical Sketches.
726
IRA TOWNSHIP.
728
Indian Reserve
729
Justices of the Peace
729
Biographical Sketches 730
CASCO TOWNSHIP. Early Land Buyers 731
Supervisors. 731 Justices of the Peace 731
COLUMBUS TOWNSHIP.
733
Biographical Sketches.
733
KIMBALL TOWNSHIP. Early Land Buyers 734
Supervisors
735
Justices of the Peace 735
735
551
CLYDE TOWNSHIP
738
The First Land Buyers
739
605 Supervisors
739
Justices of the Peace
740
BURTCHVILLE TOWNSHIP
746
Supervisors
Justices of the Peace
747
Biographical Sketches 747
GRANT TOWNSHIP. Early Land Buyers. 748
Supervisors 748
Justices of the Peace
748
Personal Sketches
749
BROCKWAY TOWNSHIP
Supervisors 755
Justices of the Peace 755
Biographical 756
EMMETT TOWNSHIP.
Supervisors 760
Justices of the Peace 760
Personal Sketches
760
RILEY TOWNSHIP
Early Land Buyers.
763
Supervisors
763
Justices of the Peace.
763
Memphis
763
Biographical.
BERLIN TOWNSHIP.
Supervisors 767
Justices of the Peace 767
Biographical Sketches .. 768
MUSSEY TOWNSHIP. Supervisors 769
Justices of the Peace 769
Capac Swamps 769
Capac Village 770
Biographical
771
LYNN TOWNSHIP. Supervisors. 779
Justices of the Peace. 779
Personal History 780 WALES TOWNSHIP.
Supervisors
781
782
Biographical
782
KENOCKEE TOWNSHIP
Supervisors
786
Justices of the Peace
782
GREENWOOD TOWNSHIP.
Justices of the Peace
787
Biographical
787
PORTRAITS.
James Beard
513
Z. W. Bunce. 561
William Jenkinson
577
C. McElroy 657
C. G. Meisel 529·
G. C. Meisel. 529
Nelson Potter
753
William Stewart.
5935
Supervisors
719
673.
644
First County Seat War.
644 646
Official Roster
First Baptist Church
637 637 698
Nomenclature
607 611
747
Official Roster.
Hotels.
Personal Sketches
730
The Musical Society
Samuel L. Boyce. 496. Supervisors 710
John Howard 545 Religious 710
785
Schools 694 Supervisors 787
Shipping Interests.
762
740.
Thomas A. Edison
PAGE. 720
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1
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
CHAPTER I.
THE ABORIGINES.
Scientists have ascribed to the Mound Builders varied origins, and though their divergence of opinion may, for a time, seem incompatible with a thorough investigation of the subject, and tend to a confusion of ideas, no doubt whatever may exist as to the comparative accuracy of conclusions arrived at by a few of the investigators. Like the vexed questions of the Pillar Towers and Garden Beds, it has caused much speculation, and elicited opinions from so many antiquarians, ethnologists, and travelers, that little remains to be known of the prehistoric peo- ples of America. That this continent is co-existent with the world of the ancients can not be questioned. Every investigation, made under the auspices of modern civilization confirms the fact and leaves no channel open through which the skeptic can escape the thorough refutation of his opinions. China, with its numerous living testimonials of antiquity, with its ancient, though limited, literature and its Babelish superstitions, claims a continuous history from antediluvian times ; but although its continuity may be denied with every just reason, there is nothing to prevent the transmission of a hieroglyphic record of its history prior to 1656 Anno Mundi, since many traces of its early settlement survived the Deluge, and became sacred objects of the first historieal epoch. This very survival of a record, such as that of which the Chinese boast, is not at variance with the designs of a God who made and ruled the universe ; but that an antediluvian people inhabited this continent, will not be claimed ; because it is not probable, though it may be possible, that a settlement in a land which may be considered a portion of the Asiatic continent, was effected by the immediate followers of the first progenitors of the human race. Therefore, on entering the study of the ancient people who raised these tumulus monuments over large tracts of the country, it will be just sufficient to wander back to that time when the flood-gates of heaven were swung open to hurl destruction on a wicked world ; and in doing so the inquiry must be based on legendary, or rather upon many circumstantial evidences ; for, so far as written narrative extends, there is nothing to show that a movement of people too far east resulted in a western settlement.
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HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
THE FIRST IMMIGRATION.
The first and most probable sources in which the origin of the Builders must be sought, are those countries lying along the eastern coast of Asia, which doubtless at that time stretched far beyond its present limits, and presented a continuous shore from Lapatka to Point Cambodia, holding a population comparatively civilized, and all professing some elementary form of Boodhism of later days. Those peoples, like the Chinese of the present, were bound to live at home, and probably observed that law until after the confusion of languages and the dispersion of the builders of Babel, in 1757, A. M .; but subsequently, within the following century, the old Mon- golians, like the new, crossed the great ocean in the very paths taken by the present representatives of the race, arrived on the same shores, which now extend a very questionable hospitality to them, and entered at once upon the colonization of the country south and east, while the Caucasian race engaged in a similar movement of exploration and colonization over what may be justly termed the western ex- tension of Asia, and both peoples growing stalwart under the change, attained a moral and physical eminence to which they never could lay claim under the tropical sun which shed its beams upon the cradle of the human race.
That mysterious people who, like the Brahmins of to-day, worshipped some transitory deity, and in after years, evidently embraced the idealization of Bood- hism, as preached in Mongolia early in the thirty-fifth century of the world, together with acquiring the learning of the Confucian and Pythagorean schools of the same period, spread all over the land, and in their numerous settlements erected these raths, or mounds, and sacrificial altars whereon they received their peroidical visiting gods, surrendered their bodies to natural absorption or annihilation, and watched for the return of some transmigrated soul, the while adoring the universe, which with beings they believed would be eternally existent. They possessed religious orders corresponding, in external show at least, with the Essenes or Theraputæ of the pre-Christian and Christian epochs, and to the reformed Theraputæ or monks of the present. Every memento of their coming and their stay which has descended to us is an evidence of their civilized condition. The free copper found within the tumuli; the' open veins of the Superior and Iron Mountain copper mines, with all the modus operandi of ancient mining, such as ladders, levers, chisels and hammer- heads, discovered by the French explorers of the Northwest and Mississippi, are conclusive proofs that those prehistoric people were highly civilized, and that many flourishing colonies were spread throughout the Mississippi Valley, while yet the mammoth, the mastodon, and a hundred other animals, now only known by their gigantic fossil remains, guarded the eastern shore of the continent, as it were, against supposed invasions of the Tower Builders who went west from Babel ; while yet the beautiful isles of the Antilles formed an integral portion of this continent, long years
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HISTORY OF MICHIGAN.
before the European Northmen dreamed of setting forth to the discovery of Green- land and the northern isles, and certainly at a time when all that portion of America north of 45 deg. was an ice-incumbered waste.
Within the last few years great advances have been made toward the dis- covery of antiquities whether pertaining to remains of organic or inorganic nature. Together with many small but telling relics of the early inhabitants of the country, the fossils of prehistoric animals have been unearthed from end to end of the land, and in districts, too, long pronounced by geologists of some repute to be without even a vestige of vertebrate fossils. Among the collected souvenirs of an age about which so very little is known, are twenty-five vertebra averaging thir- teen inches in diameter, and three vertabræ, ossified together measuring nine cubical feet; a thigh-bone five feet long by twenty-eight in diameter, and the shaft fourteen by eight inches thick, the entire lot weighing 600 pounds. These fossils are presumed to belong to the cretaceous period when the Dino- saur roamed over the country from east to west, desolating the villages of the people. This animal is said to be sixty feet long, and when feeding in cypress and palm forests, to extend himself eighty-five feet, so that he may devour the bud- ding tops of those great trees. Other efforts in this direction may lead to great results, and culminate probably in the discovery of a tablet engraven by some learned Mound Builder, describing, in the ancient hieroglyphics of China, all those men and beasts whose history excites so much speculation. The identity of the Mound Builders with the Mongolians might lead us to hope for such a consum- mation ; nor is it beyond the range of probability, particularly in this practical age, to find the future of some industrious antiquarian requited by the upheaval of a tablet written in the Tartar characters of 1700 years ago, bearing on a subject which can now be treated only on a purely circumstantial basis.
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