USA > Michigan > Van Buren County > A history of Van Buren County, Michigan a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests Volume I > Part 42
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Chauncey Abbott settled on section twenty-three in 1840. Bridget Finley, with her six children, located on section twelve in 1839. Messrs. Fauzdik and Campbell settled in the same neigh- borhood at about the same time. S. B. Fisk, a millwright. located in the town in 1844. Amasa Tenney came in 1840, buying a farm of A. S. Downing. Samuel Mills purchased land on section thirty- four, in 1843, where he lived until his death in 1860.
Alva T. Stevens was a settler in 1837, afterward removing to Kalamazoo, but eventually returned and made his home on lands he had entered during that year in Almena and Antwerp, where he continued to reside until his decease in 1865. The early settle- ments above mentioned were all on the south side of the "big swamp."
The pioneers of this township did not meet with the trials and hardships that were incident to the settlement of some other parts of the county. The lands were not so heavily timbered, consist-
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ing largely of "oak openings" through which it was comparatively easy to travel, even before there were any laid-out highways. Paw Paw was close at hand, and even at that early day there were to be found there many of the conveniences of a new civilization.
The year 1838 was noted for being a very sickly year. Fever and ague, that then prevalent disease throughout the entire state, was more than usually in evidence. It is said that at one time there were but three persons in the town who were in their ac- customed good health ; Mrs. Isaac Barnum, Horace Bonfoey and a colored man named Henderson. These looked after the sick and it may well be believed that they had little spare time for anything else.
SETTLEMENT IN THE NORTHERN SECTIONS
In the northern part of the township the first settlement was made by Nathan Williams and his son-in-law, John Condon. They first located on section twelve, in 1836. The next year they crossed what was then the "big swamp" and located on section four, where they remained for nearly thirty years when they re- moved to the state of Iowa. David Showerman and Jacob Cur- rier came soon after Mr. Williams. Showerman worked in a Paw Paw saw-mill for a couple of years and then settled on section seven, in Almena. on what is still known as the Allegan road, and there, after a time, he opened a tavern. He died in 1863. Currier was a machinist by trade. He also settled on section seven, built a small shop and lived there until his decease in 1843. His widow married the late William Markillie, who came to Waverly in 1843 and to Almena in 1845. They occupied the Currier farm, which, under Mr. Markillie's skilful management, became one of the finest pieces of property in the entire county.
James Ketchum came to the township in 1843; Henry Campbell, from the state of New York, arrived in 1838, but settled in Waverly where he remained until 1844, when he located on section eight, in Almena, where he spent the remainder of his days. He died in 1872. Thomas Clark came to the town in 1846 and the next year settled on section eighteen. Silas Breed, who first settled in the township of Columbia and after whom the village of Breeds- ville was named, became a resident of Almena in 1851, having purchased a place on section seven of John Crowell, a settler who preceded him. Mr. Breed was a man of prominence in the affairs of the township and served as its supervisor for many years. He died in 1878. One of his sons, also named Silas, is still a resident on the old farm.
J. W. Stoughton, while not among the earlier settlers of the township, was a very early inhabitant of the state. He came to
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Michigan with his father in 1824, when he was a lad of but four years. He located in Almena about 1854 and settled on a farm that had been previously occupied by Josiah Hopkins, where he lived the remainder of his life. His son, Warren M. Stoughton, is now the treasurer of Van Buren county.
The first birth in the township was a child of Elder Junia Warner, and this same child was likewise the first person that died in the township, the year of its birth and death being 1836. The second birth was that of a son to Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Currier. His fond parents named him George; he grew to manhood and spent his entire life in Almena.
The first couple that were married within the limits of the town- ship were Alonzo Cobb and Mary Newcomb, who began their hymeneal voyage on the 17th day of October, 1837, Esquire Charles M. Morrill being the party that launched them on the matrimonial sea.
The first saw-mill, that built by Jonas Barber in 1835, passed into the hands of Edwin Mears of Paw Paw, and afterward was sold to a company composed of Charles M. Morrill, Nathaniel Livermore, Jacob Currier and Thomas Brown. The property afterward came into the possession of Daniel O. Dodge of Paw Paw and was known as the Dodge mill. At a later date Walter Wise undertook to utilize the power in the manufacture of paper, but the venture did not prove a success.
The first and only grist-mill in the township was built in 1859, by Stephen W. Fisk and for a considerable number of years was owned and operated by him and was known as Fisk's mill, but its owner becoming financially embarrassed, the plant passed into other hands and is now called Miner's mill, from the name of the pres- ent proprietors. It is located at the village of Almena on a small branch of the Paw Paw river.
CHURCHES
There are three church buildings in the township-the Free- will Baptist, the Methodist Episcopal and the Brethren, com- monly called the Dunkard.
The Free Will Baptist church of Waverly, as it is called, al- though the house of worship is located across the line in the town- ship of Almena on what is called Covey Hill, was organized in 1843, with thirteen members, to-wit: Mr. and Mrs. Harviland Thayer, Mr. and Mrs. Jonah Austin, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Haynes, Jeptha Waterman, Lucy Herron, Lucinda Aldrich, Elizabeth Brown and Polly Marble. Rev. Peter Haynes was the first minister and for a time meetings were held at private
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houses and then at a schoolhouse until 1866, when the present meeting house was built. The present membership of the church is sixty-five. Rev. R. O. Thompson, of Gobleville, is the pastor.
The Methodist church was organized in 1853, with but five members, Mr. and Mrs. Philip N. Teed, Mr. and Mrs. James North and Ann Smith. The Almena schoolhouse was used as a place of worship until 1869, when the present church building was oc- cupied, it having been dedicated in December of that year. The church is now under the care of Rev. Alex. T. Luther, pastor of the Methodist church at Paw Paw. It has a membership of twenty- eight.
The Brethren or Dunkard church is in a state of suspension at the present time. Their church building is situated on section twenty-seven.
There was formerly another church society at the village, but it has practically disbanded and their house of worship has been sold to the Maccabees, who occupy it for their hall and who have quite a flourishing organization.
The hall of Waverly Grange, No. 37, Patrons of Husbandry, like the Free-will Baptist house of worship, is situated on Covey Hill, in the township of Almena and now has about forty members.
SCHOOLS, SUPERVISORS, ETC.
The first school taught in the township was in the Warner set- tlement and the first teacher was Elizabeth Merry, a sister-in-law of Rev. Junia Warner. The following statistics of the public schools of the township are taken from the official school reports of 1911: Number of children of school age (between the ages of five and twenty), 304; number of volumes in school libraries, 579; number of school houses, 8; value of school property, $6,050; ag- gregate number of months school taught, 66; paid for salaries of teachers, $2,855. During the year 1911, the several school districts of the township were apportioned the sum of $2,194.50 from the state primary school fund.
The first town meeting in the township was held at the New- comb school house on the first Monday in April, 1842. (At this time the township included what was afterwards set off and or- ganized as the township of Pine Grove.) The following named officers were chosen: Supervisor, Charles M. Morrill; township clerk, Junia Warner; township treasurer, Henry Barnum; high- way commissioners, John A .- Ranney, Benjamin Eager and Green H. Brown; assessors, Willard Newcomb and Freeman Hall; school inspectors, F. C. Annable, Roswell Cook and Junia Warner; con- stables, Russell Bonfoey, Asahel S. Downing, Thomas F. Brown
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and Green H. Brown; directors of poor, Horace Bonfoey and Willard Newcomb; justice of the peace, Jacob S. Currier.
The following named gentlemen have served the township in the office of supervisor: Charles M. Morrill, Samuel Turner, J. A. Ranney, Green H. Brown, Henry Barnum, J. B. Hudson, F. C. Annable, Silas Breed, Chauncey B. Palmer, Stephen W. Fisk, Warren F. French, James H. Darling, William H. Stevens, Philip N. Teed, Benton W. Hipp, Joshua B. Breed, Rufus M. Waite, Levi A. Brown, John C. Kennedy and Walter A. Brown (present in- cumbent). Of the foregoing named supervisors, Messrs. Ranney and Stevens each served three years; Supervisor Waite, four years; Supervisor L. A. Brown, five years; Supervisor Kennedy, seven years; Supervisor French, twelve years; Supervisor Silas Breed, seventeen years.
Almena is one of the three towns in the county that are not touched by a railroad. For the southern part of the township, Mattawan on the Michigan Central, and Paw Paw, on the Fruit Belt line, are the nearest stations, and for the northern part, Ken- dall and Gobleville on the Kalamazoo and South Haven line.
While there has been, according to the census figures, a mate- rial decrease in the population of the township during the past decade, there has been at the same time, quite a material increase in the assessed valuation of the property of its citizens, indicating that they are prosperous from a financial stand point. Some of the very best farms in the entire county are located in the town- ship, and while the inhabitants are not engaged in the culture of fruit to as great an extent as in some of the near-by townships, yet there are numerous fine orchards and vineyards to be found in some localities, and its citizens are as prosperous and progressive as those of any of her sister townships.
CHAPTER XIX
TOWNSHIP OF ANTWERP
GENERAL DESCRIPTION-RAILROADS, PROPERTY AND POPULATION- EARLY SETTLEMENT-SETTLERS OF 1836-8-SETTLERS IN SOUTH- ERN ANTWERP TOWNSHIP-POST OFFICES, ROADS AND HOTELS- PIONEER MILLS-TOWNSHIP ELECTIONS AND OFFICIALS-EDUCA- TIONAL STATISTICS-GLEN SPRINGS TROUT HATCHERY-VILLAGE OF LAWTON-VILLAGE OF MATTAWAN-RETROSPECT.
The township of Antwerp is one of the seven original townships of Van Buren county, and is the only township in the entire county that remains as originally organized without having undergone either a change of territory or name, or both. It is said that it was named by Harmon Van Antwerp after the city of Antwerp in Europe, but one can hardly resist the conclusion that there was a little personal pride in the selection of the name. All he had to do was to drop the "Van." .
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
It is one of the eastern tier of the townships and is bounded north by Almena. east by Kalamazoo county, south by Porter and west hy Paw Paw. It is officially designated in the United States sur- vey as township number three south, of range number thirteen west. It is situated in the midst of the famous fruit belt of south- western Michigan, and while it was originally largely devoted to the production of the various kinds of grain indigenous to this region, its inhabitants are now more extensively engaged in horti- culture, especially in the production of grapes, there being several thousand acres of vineyards within its boundaries, and the annual production of that delicious fruit amounting to millions of baskets. Other fruits, such as peaches, apples, cherries, plums, pears and berries of various kinds are also produced in great abundance. In- deed, the business of fruit culture has very largely superseded all other kinds of husbandry.
There are two villages in the township, Lawton and Mattawan, the former only being incorporated. There are not many of the Vel. 1-26
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little gems of lakes that beautify the landscape in various sections of the county to be found in Antwerp. Its principal stream is the east branch of the Paw Paw river, which enters the township near its southeast corner and crosses it diagonally in a northwesterly direction, uniting with the east branch of the same stream in the village of Paw Paw, about a half mile west of the east line of the township. There were formerly two very good water powers on this
A GLIMPSE OF THE GRAPE INDUSTRY, NEAR LAWTON
stream, one of them on section twenty-one and the other on section eighteen, almost in sight of the village of Paw Paw. Neither of these powers is in use at the present time. The mill and dam that stood on the site of the former have entirely disappeared. The mill that occupied the site of the latter has been removed, but the dam is kept in repair and the power, most likely, will be again put to use at some future date.
RAILROADS, PROPERTY AND POPULATION
Two railroads pass through the township, the main line of the Michigan Central and the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago line, better known as the "Fruit Belt" line. Both these roads pass en- tirely across the township, intersecting at the village of Lawton. The Central enters the town on the east one mile north of the center line and runs in a southwesterly direction, leaving the town very near its southwest corner. The Fruit Belt running in a southeast- erly course enters the township on the west line of section nineteen and reaching Lawton, changes to a northeasterly course and prac- tically parallels the Central to the city of Kalamazoo, which is the
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eastern terminus of the line. It is anticipated that this line will be electrified in the near future, in which event there will be a con- tinuous electric line across the state from Detroit to South Haven. This latter road had its beginning in the construction of what was called the Paw Paw Railroad, a four mile line between Paw Paw and Lawton, which under various names has been extended to South Haven on the west and to Kalamazoo on the east, making a line fifty-five miles in length.
The soil of Antwerp consists largely of a sandy loam, generally fertile and productive, in some localities, however, bordering on quite a light sand, and in other places clay and gravel prevail. The surface is generally level, although there are some quite con- spicuous elevations, the principal of these being south of the village of Mattawan and one in the northeast corner of the town.
On the first tax roll of the township, made in 1837, the total amount of the tax levy was $172.60. The valuation of property does not appear on the roll, but the tax levied on the lands was uniformly one and a half cents per acre. There was no assessment of personal property. In 1911 the township was assessed at the sum of $955,000, and the taxes levied were $21,653.33. According to the census of 1910, the township contained a population of 2.320 souls. It ranks fourth among the townships of the county in point of population and fifth in point of wealth.
EARLY SETTLEMENT
On account of the comparative ease with which lands in the town- ship of Antwerp could be converted into tillable farms, it was set- tled much earlier than some other portions of the county that were covered with heavy timber. Most of the lands of the town con- sisted of "oak openings," and it was practically free from low or swampy lands. Crops could be planted in many places with very little clearing away of brush or trees, and the virgin soil needed but to be tickled with the rude implements of the pioneer to pro- duce the necessities of life in abundance. Even before any roads were laid out, traveling through the town in almost any direction was a matter of no great difficulty. There was very little under- brush or other obstructions in the way and the settler could drive almost anywhere without having to cut a road before him. The woods were like orchards, in that a person could see round about for a considerable distance.
There seems to be a difference of opinion as to who was the first settler in Antwerp. It was either Joel Tomlinson or Joseph Wood- man. Mr. Tomlinson settled on section twenty-two, in the month of December, either in 1834 or 1835; the year is uncertain. There
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is no question of the date at which Mr. Woodman came. He made his home on section seven, on the 10th day of May, 1835, and there is little doubt but that to him must be ascribed the honor of having been the first settler in the township.
Mr. Woodman was a minister of the Gospel, being an ordained minister of the Methodist church. He died in the month of April, 1879. The Woodman family have borne a prominent part in the affairs of Van Buren county. The late Hon. Jonathan J. Wood- man, Elder Woodman's youngest son, was a member of the Michi- gan legislature for twelve successive years, a speaker of the house for four years of such service, and was one of the United States commissioners to the Paris exposition in 1878. He was prominent in the agricultural matters of the county and state and served as master of the State Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, and also as master of the National Grange. He died at his Antwerp home just outside the limits of the village of Paw Paw, on the 13th day of July, 1904. His widow, Rev. Olivia J. Woodman. a minister of the Universalist denomination, still occupies the homestead.
The incoming pioneers, following the route of the Territorial road, which was opened in the summer of 1835 and which crossed the northern part of Antwerp, naturally chose the line of that highway on which to plant their future homes.
In the spring of 1835, Joshua Bangs, Silas Breed and Elder Jonathan Hinckley started from Monroe county. New York, for Michigan, on a land-looking expedition. They journeyed overland as far as Silver Creek, Ohio, and found the traveling so bad that, to use Mr. Bangs' own words, "One of us drove the team, while the other two footed behind, carrying rails with which to pry the wagon out of the mud holes." They continued their journey by way of the lake from Silver Creek to Detroit, where they again took to the road, their objective point being Grand Rapids. At Marshall they overtook Joseph Woodman and his family, who was headed for the same location. Ascertaining that the land office was located at Bronson (now Kalamazoo), they halted there and were per- suaded to change their route to Van Buren county. Woodman and Bangs visited the township of Antwerp and being pleased with the outlook concluded to locate there instead of looking farther. Bangs entered lands on sections five and seven adjoining those selected by Woodman on the latter section. Bangs settled on his new location in the fall of the same year, some months after Woodman had taken up his residence on the lands entered by him. He had been back to the state of New York after his family and on his return he was accompanied by Dr. Levi Warner, Joseph Luce, Theophilus Bangs and John Hill. Warner and Luce settled in the adjoining township of Paw Paw. Joshua Bangs resided on his Antwerp farm
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until he was elected county treasurer at a special election held on the 20th day of Setpember, 1837, when he moved to Paw Paw. He held that office for four years after which he returned to his farm. Nominally, he was the second treasurer of the county, but really the first, as Daniel O. Dodge, who was elected in the spring before, failed to assume the duties of the office. Mr. Bangs died in Feb- ruary, 1883.
Philip Moon, of New York, settled on section five in 1835. He died in 1856. His son, Horace W., who came out with Joshua Bangs, was formerly a resident on section sixteen, the present fruit farm of Messrs. Rowland & Shaefer and known as "Fairview Fruit Farm."
Peter Moon was also a settler in 1835. Elder Samuel Gilman became a resident on section five in 1838. He sold his farm to E. H. Niles and moved to a place on section six, where he lived the re- mainder of his life. His son, Joseph Gilman, who succeeded him in the ownership of the place, died in 1884.
Theophilus Bangs, who came to Antwerp with his brother, Joshua, settled on section nineteen, where he lived for about thirty years, when he moved to Paw Paw and died there.
Among the early land-lookers of Michigan was John Hunt, of Vermont, who first visited the township of Antwerp in 1835 and was so well pleased with the outlook that he entered a tract of 160 acres on section one. He returned to Vermont after making his entry and did not become a settler until 1837. Mr. Hunt and his family proceeded to Buffalo by canal and finding that they could not easily embark at that place, he engaged a man and team to carry his family and goods to Silver Creek, thirty-six miles distant, where he was told he would find a steamer for Detroit. The roads were knee deep with mud and the driver of the team was drunk and finally abandoned them in the woods when only about half way to their objective point. Finally after three days they reached Silver Creek and found the steamer. They disembarked at To- ledo, and eventually after a journey of three weeks duration, reached Kalamazoo. "When I left Vermont," said Mr. Hunt, "I had $800 in money, but when I got to Michigan I had $300 less, a pretty stiff price to pay for a journey that can now be made in thirty-six hours." As an evidence of the cost of the necessaries of life in those "good old days," Mr. Hunt paid $55 for a second hand cook stove in Kalamazoo; "and," said he, "it was about as big as a warming pan." Mr. Hunt spent the remaining years of his life on his Antwerp farm, dying some years ago at a ripe old age.
Among the more conspicuous and well known early settlers of the township were Samuel Lull; Anthony Corey, who settled on the
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site of the present village of Lawton; Hiram and Robert Morrison, the latter of whom settled on section eight where he lived until his death which occurred on the 8th day of September, 1907; Ly- man Taylor, Patrick Johnson, Harman Harwick and Peter Har- wick, his son; Silas F. Breed, the founder of the village of Breeds- ville; the Weldins, the Hathaways and John MeKinney, who was county treasurer from 1842 to 1846. Peter Hinckley settled on section four in 1835 and sold to E. B. Dyckman in 1838.
SETTLERS OF 1836-8
The year 1836 brought many settlers into Antwerp. Among them was Wells Gray, who located on section two. He built the usual log cabin, which had a loose board floor, and one day when a huge blacksnake crawled through between the boards, his wife was so frightened that she declared she would not live there and her husband, having to choose between the serpent and his wife, wisely chose the latter and sought a new location, selling his claim to Rea- son Holmes and taking up a new one on section seven. Mrs. Gray died not long afterward. Mr. Gray married again and spent his days on his farm where he died in 1867.
Among other settlers of 1836 were Samuel Longstreet and his brother Andrew. The latter was the second sheriff elected in the county. The first was Samuel Gunton, who was elected in the spring of 1837, but did not accept the office. Mr. Longstreet was elected at the same special election at which Joshua Bangs was chosen as county treasurer, so that he was, in point of fact, the first officer to serve as sheriff. He held the office for four years. He died in the village of Lawton in 1871.
Morgan L. Fitch was also a pioneer of 1836. He bought four eighty acre tracts on sections one, two, eleven and twelve, and also an eighty on section three for his brother, Lyman C. Fitch, who became a settler of the town the succeeding year. Morgan L. was elected and served as a member of the Michigan legislature in 1851, and Lyman C. was elected state senator in 1855. The former died in 1883, and the latter in 1900.
The elder brother, Morgan, related an incident that occurred during his trip from Western New York, his former residence, to Michigan, that shows that the science of "graft" was not wholly unknown, even at that early day. On his arrival at Detroit he found that all the seating capacity of the stages from that city to Kalamazoo had been sold for six days in advance. Not caring to make the journey of about one hundred and fifty miles on foot, he managed, after a search of three days, to purchase a horse which he rode over the route, and so at least escaped the task of carrying
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