A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 22

Author: Coolidge, Orville W
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1314

USA > Michigan > Berrien County > A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan > Part 22

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The Reddick Hardware Specialties is owned by W. A. Reddick. The business was established in 1880. The goods princi- pally manufactured are wire potato scoops, flesh forks and wire doll beds. The number of hands employed is thirty-five, wages range from five to twelve dollars per week. A considerable export trade is done with Eng- land and Australia.

The National Printing & Engraving Company was organized in Chicago in 1876. In 1901 the manufacturing plant was re- moved to Niles and large buildings were erected. This company makes a specialty of theatrical printing, including lithoghaph- ing, wood work and type work. It is the only concern in the United States which does all the work necessary to fit out a theatrical company complete in this line.

The company employs from one hundred to one hundred and twenty-five hands, some of whom are artists and receive handsome wages.

The officers are, E. H. Macoy, president ;

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

J. D. Barton, vice president; E. H. Macoy, Jr., secretary and treasurer; Frank R. Sleyer, superintendent. The home of the latter is in Niles.

The Niles Steel Tank Company, a suc- cessor of the Freeland Manufacturing Com- pany, was organized in 1906. The company manufactures steel tanks and is now increas- ing its business. The officers are, L. E. Wood, president; E. E. Wood, vice-presi- dent, and J. W. Wood, secretary and man- ager.

The National Rawhide and Belting Com- pany was organized several years ago and manufacturers surface tan belts, oak tan belts and various other articles. Recently it passed into the hands of Chicago parties, who propose to materially increase the busi- ness. The officers are, T. J. Shant, presi- dent; L. C. Ehler, secretary and treasurer.

A foundry was established at an early day by W. J. Welling, with whom was sub- sequently associated his son, Allison. They were engaged for a short time in the manu- facture of plows. Since the death of W. J. Welling, his son, Allison, has carried on the business on Front street and has recently erected a large brick building.

Another important industry lately intro- duced is the National Wire Cloth Company, which manufactures wire cloth.

BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS.

One of the most important industrial fea- tures in the life of the city has been the or- ganization and development of Building and Loan Associations. The first company, the Niles Building and Loan Association, was organized in 1891. Since then six ad- ditional companies have been organized and all of them so far have been remarkably suc- cessful and managed with great economy and ability. Four of these companies have matured, realizing an interest income of from nine to ten per cent. As a result of the organization of these companies about

three hundred and fifty buildings, mostly res- idences, have been put up within the last fifteen years. The average duration of these companies has been eleven years. The losses incurred have been trifling and no other city in the state has been more successful in the management and development of this class of companies.

The presidents and clerks of the village of Niles were as follows :

Presidents.

Erasmus Winslow 1839

Jacob Beeson

Wm. B. Beeson 1840

Geo. Goodman 1841

John K. Finley 1842

1843

C. K. Green

1844

Wm. Graves 1845

Jasper Mason

1846

A. J. Clark

1847

R. C. Paine

1848-1854

J. K. Finley

1855

Elijah Lacey

1856-1858

Mayors of the City.

Elijah Lacey 1859

R. W. Landon 1860-1862

H. M. Dean 1863

A. S. Howard.

R. W. Landon 1864

1865

E. J. Bonine. 1866

J. Geltmacher 1867

E. J. Bonine 1868

F. L. Muzzy 1869-1872

R. C. Paine. 1873

S. G. Krick 1874

Wm. Graves 1875-1876

R. T. Twombly

1877

G. W. Platt

1878

S. G. Krick

1879

F. M. Gray ..

1880-1881

Benj. Frankenberg

1882

Cholwell Knox

1883

T. G. Beaver.

1884

W. I. Babcock

1885-1886

G. W. Dougan 1887

E. J. Bonine

1888

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

T. G. Beaver. . 1 889

O. W. Coolidge 1 890-1891

W. T. Dougan. 1892

J. E. French. 1893

E. C. Woodcock.

1894-1895

F. W. Richter

1896-1897

WV. J. Gilbert.

1898-1899

F. N. Bonine. 1900

Z. L. Baldwin

1901-1902

C. R. Smith. 1903

(Resigned before expiration of term).

L. E. Wood 1903

( Acting Mayor).

L. H. Beeson . 1904

Matt. Stoll

1905-1906

Clerks.

G. W. Hoffman 1839-1842

Jas. Brown 1843-1844

Theo. Fowler 1845

David Aitken 1 846

G. S. Babcock. 1847

G. W. Hoffman 1 848

L. B. Taft . 1849

W. H. Jones. 1850

Thos. Fitzgerald 1852-1853

Theo. Fowler

1854

T. T. Glenn 1855

R. W. Landon

1856-1858

Recorders.

W. B. Gray 1859

W. C. Fish. 1860-1862

Theo. Fowler 1863

T. G. Beaver. 1864

J. B. Fitzgerald 1865-1868

J. H. Fairchild 1 869-1870

J. H. Richardson 1871-1772

E. G. Houghland. 1873-1874

W. J. Gilbert. 1875-1876

J. H. Richardson 1877-1880

Worth Landon 1881-1886

Geo. Lambert 1887-1888

Worth Landon 1 889-1892

Z. L. Cooper . 1893-1897

Clerks.

L. J. Morgan 1897-1905

Carl Whetstone 1905-1906

The following is a list of the supervisors of the city of Niles, since it was incorpor- ated :

R. W. Landon 1859

C. I. Kellogg. 1860

M. V. B. Charles 1861-1864

W. B. Gray 1865

Joel Loomis 1866

D. O. Woodruff 1867-1869

Geo. N. Bond.

1867-1869

W. J. Edwards

1870-1874

R. K. Charles

1870-1871

S. H. Griffin

1872

R: K. Charles 1873

1874-1876

J. P. Howlett WV. A. Reddick. 1875-1876

J. A. Lambert 1877

M. A. Davison

1877

WV. A. Reddick 1878

Frank Brownell 1878

J. C. Brown 1879-1882

M. A. Davison

1879

J. P. Howlett. ISSO

C. L. Barron . 188I

G. A. Lambert 1882-1886

Wm. Stone IS83

J. M. Babcock 1884-1890

J. A. Peck 1887-1899

S. S. Beall. 1891-1906

H. S. Forler 1897

J. E. Harder 1897

J. M. Babcock 1 898-1906

W. S. Smith. 1899-1906

Dan'l. Sheehan 1900-1902

J. A. Peck 1903-1906

The following named persons have ! served as postmasters, commencing at the dates mentioned :

Obed P. Lacey, acting postmaster .. 1828

Isaac Gray. commissioned. 1830

Obed P. Lacey. . 1831

Titus B. Willard. 1833

Cogswell K. Green 1835

Zebulon P. Mason 1836

Edwin N. Bridges 1837

Rufus W. Landon 1838

Jos. C. Larimore. 1841

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

S. W. B. Chester

1845

Edwin S. Jewett. 1869

Noah Brookfield

1849

Evan J. Bonine.

1873

Geo. Goodman

1851

Wm. J. Edwards. 1885

W. H. McOmber

1853

Lawson A. Duncan

1889

Francis Quinn

1861

Jas. M. Babcock.

1893

Harvey Palmer

1863

Edwin S. Williams (died in office) .. 1897

Wm. J. Edwards

1867

Carmi R. Smith, present incumbent .. 1903

CHAPTER VIII

NILES TOWNSHIP.

In the meantime, while Niles was begin- ning to merge into a small hamlet, the lands in the vicinity were being cleared. The soil of the township is mostly fertile, productive and well adapted for cereals. A large por- tion was originally covered with heavy tim- bered lands, black-walnut grew in abund- ance upon some lands in the northwestern part and some farmers, who kept their black- walnut trees till prices became high, rea- lized handsome sums from the sale of them. The St. Joseph river, which runs in a meand- ering course through the township for a dis- tance of nearly fifteen miles, is hemmed in for considerable of the way by high and pic- turesque bluffs, still covered with trees.

The first entries of land in Berrien county were made in 1829. as the survey of the county was not made till that year, and no land sold prior to that time by the United States government.

The first entries in Niles township were made by the following named persons. Wil- liam Justus, Elijah Lacey, Ephraim Lacey, Stephen and Samuel Salee, Joseph Stephens, John Ritter, Alexander Rogers, Jacob Mil- ler, Joseph Bertrand, Jr., and Leon Bou- rasas. Some of these entries were made for village purposes. It is also to be observed that the entries often do not show the date of actual occupancy. Lands were some- times occupied long before the entry was

made, and often not till some time after- wards.

Among the earliest of the settlers was Stephen Salee, who located in 1828 on the banks of the St. Joseph river about a mile northwest of Niles. Mr. Salee was a Polander who fought against Napoleon dur- ing his disastrous Russian campaign of 1812, and came to this country shortly after. He came to Niles from Preble county, Ohio, where he had been engaged in mercantile business. His journey was made with a wife and two children in a covered wagon, loaded with three barrels of whiskey, a sack of coffee and other necessaries of those days. He built a large log cabin, in which he re- sided and also carried on a store. The first wedding in the township occurred here, one William Barlow being the bridegroom and Pitt Brown, a justice of the peace of Ber- rien township, the officiating magistrate.

Eli Ford, who had emigrated from Indi- ana to Pokagon Prairie in 1826 or 1827, constructed a flour mill on Dowagiac creek, in 1828, on the site of what was afterwards known as the "Yellow Mill." It was the first grist mill run by water power, which was built in Berrien county. The first bolter con- sisted of a bridal muslin dress which Mrs. Ford furnished. This grist mill for some- time had a large patronage of farmers from Pokagon, Beardsley's and other prairies in

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

167

Cass county. A saw mill was soon after built by Mr. Ford, at about the same site.

In the same year Cornelius Sparks and his wife, whose maiden name was Susanna Stevens, located in section 15 in the bend of the river, near Salee. Mr. Sparks was a native of North Carolina, but emigrated to Indiana in 1814, where he lived till he moved to Berrien county. Mr. Sparks died in 1862.

Mr. and Mrs. Sparks were the parents of eleven children, three of whom were born in Michigan. Some mention of this remark- able family should be made. The ages of seven of these children have ranged from seventy-five to ninety-one and the descen- dants of Cornelius Sparks and wife now number several hundreds.

Wilson Sparks, a son, enjoys the dis- tinction of being the second oldest native born resident of Berrien county now living. He was born in Niles township April 19, 1830, is now living at Benton Harbor, and is still well preserved for a' man of his age. He has resided in Benton Harbor for twenty years. He has a vivid recollection of the Indians who came to his parents' house to trade berries for something to eat. Their papooses were tied to a flat stick. He states that the lot now occupied by the Dean drug store was once offered to his father for fif- teen dollars.

Among other children of Cornelius Sparks and wife, may be mentioned : Joseph, who was born in North Carolina in 1814 and died at Buchanan the past year in his ninety-first year. He was a prominent citi- zen and held various local offices.

Mary (Parks) who died in 1904 in her eighty-fifth year. Ira, who died in 1905 aged seventy-eight years, at Buchanan. His widow whose maiden name was Elisabeth M. Ford, is still living. Ira Sparks was, like his brother Joseph, a prominent citizen and held various local offices.

Levi, who was for many years a promi- nent citizen of the county and senator in the state legislature in 1873, died in 1900 in

his seventy-seventh year. He was a leader in the Republican party for many years, but drifted into the Greenback party and finally became a Democrat. He was a forci- ble speaker and a strong man in a political convention.

Elizabeth, who married Burton Jarvis and died in 1896 in her seventy-fifth year. Cynthia, born in 1834 and died in 1900. Spencer, David and Anna all died many years ago.

John Kinzie, from Ohio, came to Niles in 1828 and in 1829 built a dam and saw mill on Kinzie creek, about four miles north- east of the present city of Niles. This was shortly after sold to Henry Lardner.

In 1829 Joseph Stevens, a native of North Carolina, located one hundred and sixty acres in section seven. This was the first purchase from the government, in the township. Mr. Stevens subsequently pur- chased two hundred and forty acres.

In 1831, John Hunter located in section twenty-four. He died many years since. A daughter, Mrs. Samuel Weaver, is living at Buchanan.

In 1831 and 1832 Benjamin Churchill, John Stone and William T. Noel settled in the township. The latter was from Vir- ginia and a daughter of his married Jacob Geltmacher, of Niles.

In 1832, Hezekiah Bradbury and his wife, Lucy, natives of Ohio, located in sec- tion two, south of Niles, with a family of seven children. The farm passed to Simeon, the son of Hezekiah. Simeon lived on the farm with a maiden sister, Sarah, until his death in 1882. Sarah is now living at Springfield, Ohio, in her ninety-fifth year.

Another brother, Diodorus, who came with his father, died in 1901. Two chil- dren are now living in this vicinity, Mrs. Amos Foote and Mrs. P. S. Kemper.

In 1830, Isaac Griffin moved from New York and located one mile east of Niles. With him came Henry Starkweather, then a boy thirteen years of age. Mr. Stark-

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

weather subsequently became a prominent farmer and large land owner in Niles town- ship. His death occurred in 1892. His widow, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Long, came to Niles in 1832 and is still living here. A son, Frank Starkweather, has been a prominent auctioneer, a member of the common council of Niles, and was the Republican nominee for sheriff for the pres- ent year.

In 1832, Thomas R. Martin settled on section five in the northern part and lived there till he died. He was supervisor from 1867 to 1871.

In 1835, Jacob Lambert, with his wife and children, came from Virginia and located on a farm belonging to William T. Noel, north of Niles. Mr. Lambert died in 1856. His son, James A. Lambert, is now living in the city of Niles and is in his eighty- seventh year, still active and able to work upon his farm on the outskirts of that town. James moved into the village in 1850 and for a time was in the cooper and lumbering business. In 1871 in partnership with John Rice and A. J. Griffith, he went into the man- ufacture of wagons, putting up a large brick building on Front street which cost twenty-five thousand dollars. The business proved a failure in a few years. He has been a member of the common council and active in local affairs. Mr. Lambert is a spiritual- ist in religious belief. His son, George A. Lambert, is a prominent attorney of Niles.

In 1832 Hardy Langston, a native of North Carolina, located on section twenty- four, purchasing eighty acres of the govern- ment and eighty acres of a private party. He was one of the very earliest settlers of the St. Joseph valley, having settled on La Grange prairie, on the banks of the Dowa- giac creek, in 1828. Here he built the first sawmill erected in Cass county. He died many years since. Five children are now living in and near Niles. Hiram. Frank, Mary E. Bell, Melvina Bell and Mrs. Duffy. The Langston children still own the land

purchased by their father seventy-four years ago.

In 1838, Henry Lardner, a native of Pennsylvania, and a graduate of the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania, came to Niles and purchased of Colonel James Glenn the lands and water power at the intersection of Dowagiac and Kinzie creeks in the north- eastern part of the township. Here in com- pany with two cousins, William and Lyn- ford, he erected a woolen mill which they carried on for some years. In addition to this business they operated a saw mill which had been previously established at this site. Henry Lardner was a man of great natural force and strength of character. He was a supervisor of his township several terms. He died in 1852. He was an active member and founder of the Episcopal church at Niles.

His son, Henry Lardner, now living in the city of Niles, was born in 1839 and was for some years director of the Union school district of Niles and has been identified at different times with manufacturing interests. In 1861 he married Lena B. Phillips, an author, who has been referred to elsewhere.

In 1830, Joseph Bertrand, son of the old Indian trader, built a flour mill on Bertrand creek, now known as the "Brandywine." This was afterwards converted into a dis- tillery by William McOmber. This was burned down and a new one was re-built and the business carried on for several years by David Gitchell.

In 1836. John J. Hamilton, with his wife and infant son, Edward. L., came from the state of New York and located on section fifteen. He died some years since and his son Edward in 1876. Our distinguished congressman, E. L. Hamilton, now serving his fifth term in congress, and re-nominated for the sixth term, was a son of Edward.

One son of John J. Hamilton, John. is now living near Berrien Springs. Another son. Asa, died some years ago.

Uriah Stebbins came to Niles in 1839. Many years since he purchased a farm known

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

as the Knox farm about a mile east of the city. This he still owns, although living now with his children. He was for many years the foreman in the brick mill of Lacey & Badger. He is still active and vigorous although in his seventy-seventh year.

George S. Hoppin, one of the oldest set- tlers now living in the township, has lived in this township for 62 years with the ex- ception of a few years spent in South Dakota where he has a large farm. His father, Thaddeus Hoppin, a native of Massachu- setts, emigrated to Michigan in 1844 and during the next year located upon the farm upon which George S. now lives, adjoining the present limits of the city of Niles on the south. Five of the children of Thaddeus went to California over fifty years ago, viz. : Nathan, Thaddeus, Clarissa Evarts, John and Charles. Mrs. Evarts is still living in California.

George S. Hoppin was supervisor of the township in 1859 and1872. In 1846 he cul- tivated a piece of land about a half mile west of his home upon which an old fort and mis- sion had been located. The earthworks of the fort had not then been ploughed up and old apple trees, still bearing, were growing on the land. The trunk of one of these apple trees, which he measured, was three feet in diameter, evidencing that the tree had been planted long before the first white settlers came here.

Lewis Storms, a native of New York, came to Niles in 1844 and shortly after lo- cated on a farm of two hundred and fifteen acres in Niles township where he lived till his death.

His son, Edmund, was supervisor of Niles township for several years, county treasurer from 1887 to 1889, and is now assistant postmaster in the city of Niles.

In 1844, Samuel Thompson, who had been a grocer in the city of Glasgow, Scot- land, emigrated from his native land and set- tled in section thirty-three, where he lived till his death in 1882 in his eighty-fifth

year. He was a typical Scotchman of great native good sense and sagacity. He was one of the founders of the Farmers' Fire Insurance Company of Berrien and Cass counties, and the president of it for many years. He held various local offices in the township. His wife, who survived him, lived to be ninety-five years old. A son, Samuel C., also a native of Glasgow, has been a supervisor of Howard, Cass county, for many years. Another son, James B., has been supervisor of Niles township for ten different terms, and was a representative to the state legislature in 1893. All of the Thompsons have been Democrats in politics and Presbyterians in religion.

Among the early settlers of Niles town- ship should be mentioned Abner Kelsey, a native of Kentucky, and his wife, Margaret. Although they did not move into Niles till 1846, they had settled in Cass county at an early day and were pioneers of that county. They settled two and a half miles north of Niles on their removal to Berrien county.

The first election for township officers after the organization of the county was held April 2, 1832. The township then embraced the whole county. Jacob Beeson was elected supervisor, Cogswell K. Green, clerk, Thomas K. Green and Alamanson Huston justices of the peace, and Eben Griswold constable. A few days later, Griswold re- signing, Joseph Bertrand, a half-breed and son of the old Indian trader at "Parc aux Vaches" was elected constable and collector. Bertrand appears to have been somewhat prominent in the early history of the town- ship, but removed west to join the Potta- watomies in 1858.

The following named persons have been supervisors of the township of Niles :

Jacob Beeson 1832-1833

Elijah Lacey 1834

Jasper Mason 1835

Wm. F. Noel 1836-1838

J. N. Brown 1839

O. P. Lacey. 1840

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

Geo. Goodman

1841

T. R. Martin 1867-1871

O. P. Lacey.

1842

G. S. Hoppin

1872

Henry Lardner

1843

W. B. Davis

1873-1875

H. B. Hoffman.

1844

A. J. Star .

1876-1877

G. N. Bond

I845

W. B. Davis.

1878

Jas. Aldrich

1846-1848

Purnell Johnson

1879

J. W. Butterfield

1849-1850

Wm. B. Davis .

1880

Wm. Graves

1851

H. A. Edwards

1881-1883

R. C. Paine.

1852-1854

E. B. Storms.

1884-1886

D. O. Woodruff

1855

E. P. Ely.

1887

Thos. Comins

1856

J. B. Thomson.

1888-1892

R. W. Landon

1857-1858

F. A. Tichenor

1893-1894

G. S. Hoppin.

1859

Milton Hatfield

1895

B. C. Sanford.

1860

F. A. Tichenor

1896-1898

Jeremiah Ballard

1861-1865

J. B. Thomson

1899-1904

G. E. Tichenor

1866

F. C. Franz

1905-1906

CHAPTER IX

ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP AND CITY OF ST. JOSEPH.

The township of St. Joseph is triangular in shape and is bounded on the east by Ben- ton township, on the south by Royalton and Lincoln townships and on the west by Lake Michigan. It is the smallest township in the county, containing but a trifle over seven sections.

The city of St. Joseph is delightfully lo- cated on the shore of Lake Michigan, while the river surrounds it on the north and east. The main portion of the city is situated on an elevated plateau, rising to a considerable altitude above the lake and river. The breezes from the west wafted over the lake in summer time materially modify the tem- perature of the atmosphere and render the place almost always comfortable in warm weather. The great lake, stretching far be- yond the horizon of vision, under the shifting play of light and shade, sun and cloud, with its gorgeous sunsets, furnishes a panorama of enchanting views to the lover of natural beauty.

The settlement was first called Saranac. In 1831 it was changed to Newburyport and 1 1833 received its designation "St. Joseph," after the name of the river. The river was called the river of the Miamis by LaSalle, but the French missionaries shortly afterwards named it St. Joseph, after the patron saint of the Catholics of Canada. It was not named as many have supposed, after

any person of that name, as no priest or per- son so named ever lived on the St. Joseph river.

The present site of St. Joseph is where the feet of white men first trod the soil of Berrien county. The landing of LaSalle and his company in 1679 has already been described.

As has already been related a fort was built in 1690 by La Salle, called Fort Miami. How long this fort existed it is impossible to tell from any authentic records. The fort known as "Fort St. Joseph," during the French occupation, was located near the . present site of the city of Niles.

A mission was established at the mouth of the river among the Miamis, shortly after La Salle's arrival and continued to exist among the Pottawatomies after the removal of the Miamis, a few years later. The mis- sion was an important one.

When La Salle left the mouth of the river for the Mississippi he appears to have left a garrison. A colony of Canadian French settled here at an early day and were here during the early part of Burnett's set- tlement. Why and when they removed away does not appear. When the American settlers arrived they had disappeared. They consisted mainly of French hunters and trap- pers and assistants of the mission.

A trading post appears to have existed

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

at St. Joseph as early as 1763 and probably much earlier, conducted by Frenchmen.

This, however, was abandoned and not resumed till the advent of William Burnett, a native of New Jersey about the year 1780. Reference has been made to Burnett's settle- ment in a previous chapter.

William Burnett died about 1811, leav- ing seven children by his wife Kawkema, the sister of Topinabee, the hereditary chieftain of all the Pottawatomies. These children were all educated at a Catholic institution at Detroit. By the Chicago treaty six sec- tions of land lying in the towns of Benton. St. Joseph and Sodus were reserved to these children. One of them, John, continued as an Indian trader after his fathers' death, and carried on a large business. He died about the year 1823 heavily in debt. Another son, James, acquired title to what is called the "Burnett Orchards." This was purchased in 1865 by Captain Langley and now be- longs to the Langley heirs.

A portion of the Burnett reserve was sold to Judge Benjamin F. Fish by children of Nancy. Burnett, these children having in- herited their mothers' share.

A daughter of Rebecca Burnett, Martha, married Francis Palms, lawyer in Detroit. Palms acquired a large fortune which upon his death passed to the son of this marriage, Frederic F. Palms, a millionaire bank presi- dent and president of the National Loan and Investment Company, located at Detroit.

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A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 22

Author: Coolidge, Orville W Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1314

Author: Coolidge, Orville W
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1314