A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 23

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 23

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When the American settlers arrived, the Burnetts had disappeared. The Burnett set- tlement was in no way permanent and left no considerable marks of civilization.

A permanent American settlement did not commence till 1829. In 1828 the Carey Mission treaty was made by which the Potta- watomies ceded to the United States govern- ment all their lands except about fifty sec- tions west of the St. Joseph river and situ- ated within the present limits of Bertrand Niles and Buchanan townships. Calvin Britain, a son of Gen. Calvin Britain, of Jef-

ferson county. New York, who had em- igrated from New York to Carey ( Niles) in 1827, was at this time engaged in teaching at the Carey Mission. Foreseeing the future importance of the point at the mouth of the St. Joseph river, he hastened to pre-empt land at this point. In this he was joined by Augustus Newell and in 1829 the two pre-empted lands upon which the business portion of St. Joseph is now built. Newell at once built a log house on the bank of the river, into which he and his family moved. Britain was a single man and made his home with Newell. This house was also used for a time as a tavern. In 1831 Newell built a pioneer hotel building, near the pres- ent site of the Whitcomb House. This was the first hotel erected in St. Joseph and was called the "Mansion House." Newell died in 1832.

In 1831 Britain laid out a village on the south side of the river and called it Newbury- port. In 1834 the name was changed to that of St. Joseph, the name given to the early mission and to the river by the French priests. In the records of this mission it is designated as far back as 1712 as "the mis- sion of St. Joseph of Lake Michigan." This name was given by the French priests in honor of the memory of St. Joseph, the pa- tron saint of the Catholics of Canada. Major Britain, shortly after he settled an New- buryport, built a warehouse and also en- gaged in the purchase and sale of real es- tate. The village lots were sold rapidly and a flourishing settlement soon grew up. Major Britain resided at St. Joseph till his death in 1862. and held many important of- ficial positions in the state and county. He was a member of the legislative council of Michigan territory in 1835, lieutenant gov- ernor of the state in 1852, the first senator to the State Legislature from this county in 1835. a member of the lower house in 1851 and county treasurer for one term. He never married. In 1837, his father, General Calvin Britain. from New York, came to St.

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Joseph, and resided there till his death. Major Britain's sister was a prominent teacher at an early day, and for several years had charge of a select school for young ladies at Niles, which was largely attended by pupils, and was deservedly popular.

In May, 1829, Daniel T. Wilson, who had been engaged in the tannery business at Niles, came to St. Joseph and engaged in boating on the river. He was for several years captain of the "Matilda Barney," a steamboat which was built in 1833 and plied between St. Joseph and Niles and occasion- ally went as far as South Bend.

The father of Mr. Wilson also came the same year with his family, which included a young lady by the name of Pamelia Ives. In 1829 this lady was married to Calvin Bartlett, who had also moved to St. Joseph in 1829. This was the first marriage in St. Joseph and was performed by Major Tim- othy S. Smith, a justice of the peace at the Mansion House.

On the 21st day of January, 1830, a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett named Amos Carroll. Captain Amos Carroll is now living near Dayton and enjoys the dis- tinction of being the first white child born in Berrien county who is now living. Amos ran away from home in 1840 and became a sailor on the lakes. He continued boating till 1882, when he removed to a farm one mile from Dayton in this county, where he new resides. In 1853 he became captain of the "Magic," a sailing vessel owned by the Ferrys of Grand Haven. Subbsequently he became the captain of steamboats running on Lake Michigan. Captain Bartlett has been a freeholder of the county since 1852.

Major Timothy S. Smith was promi- nently connected with the early development of St. Joseph. He came from Ohio to Carey (Niles) about 1825 and became a teacher in the Carey Mission. In 1827 he moved to Royalton township, built a home and moved into it with his family. William Huff also settled near Major Smith in 1828, and these

two men were the earliest pioneers in the northern part of Berrien county. They both removed subsequently to the village of St. Joseph. Major Smith removed to New Buffalo in a few years and was light house keeper there in 1839. In 1849 he removed to California. Mr. Huff engaged in mer- cantile business at St. Joseph, built the Per- kins house in 1840 and was the first super- visor of the township, a position which he held several terms. He died in 1853 at St. Joseph and his family shortly after removed to California. A son, Lucius, is now living in California. He was born at or near St. Joseph in 1830 or 1831, and is one of the very oldest persons now living who were born in this county.

In 1829, Fowler Preston, a contractor and builder from Massachusetts settled in St. Joseph. He was sheriff of the county in 1835, supervisor in 1840-41 and 42 and mar- shall of the village of St. Joseph for several terms. He resided at St. Joseph till his death in 1843.

His son, Wallace A. Preston, was born at St. Joseph in 1842, and is still living there. He was president of the village in 1850 and mayor of the city in 1893. He has been engaged for many years in the lumber and planing business.

Mr. Wallace Preston has preserved two ancient documents transmitted by his father, which are worthy of mention. One is a com- mission signed by Lewis Cass, governor of the Territory of Michigan, dated the 23rd day of June, 1831, appointing Fowler Pres- ton captain in the militia of said territory. The official oath taken by Captain Preston appears on the back of the commission, signed by him and administered by T. S. Smith, justice of the peace.

The other document is the original mus- ter roll of Captain Preston's company, which is transcribed in full.

Fowler Preston, Captain; Benj. C. Hoyt, Lieut .; Edward Smith, Ensign; Na-

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thaniel B. Starkweather, Ist Sergeant ; Horace Godfrey, 2nd Sergeant; John Mc- Call, 3rd Sergeant; Jehiel Enos, 4th Ser- geant ; Calvin Bartlett, Ist Corporal; Jacob Shoemaker, 2nd Corporal; M. P. Bennett, 3rd Corporal; Joseph Feather, 4th Corporal.

Privates enrolled or enlisted-Asaph S. Preston, Jeremiah Wilson, Amos, Farley, Samuel Farley, Joseph Smith, Marcellus Finch, Sylvenus Loukers, John Charles, John Smith, Dan'l Dingley, Jas. Galasby, Martin Huffmann, Martin West, Sam'l Sales, Wm. Arrison, Jacob Miller, John Lowden, John La Valley, Clark Jackson, Jos. Brittain, Wm. Wilson.

I hereby certify this list to be correct and the men not discharged by me.

Niles, M. T., June 20, 1832. Capt. F. Preston.

It is worthy of note that besides the cap- tain, several of this company became prom- inent subsequently in the history of the county. Among them were Jehiel Enos, Benjamin C. Hoyt, Edward Smith, Horace Godfrey, Calvin Bartlett, Joseph Feather and Amos Farley.

It appears from an account published in a California paper some twelve years ago, that the first settler in St. Joseph township was Captain Edward Smith, and that he lo- cated on the "Burnett Orchard" now owned by the heirs of Captain S. G. Langley.

Captain Smith, according to this account, came from Ohio to Carey (Niles) in 1825 and worked for a time for William Kirk. In 1826 he went to the fur trading station of the Lorillard's at South Bend and had charge of the business for two years when lie went down the river and located "or squat- ted" on the Burnett Orchard.

He was an ensign in Captain Fowler Preston's company of militia and served in the Black Hawk war. He was a captain of some of the river steamboats, among which was the " Algoma." He went to California in 1853 and died there in 1894 in his nine- tieth year.

If the above account of Captain Smith's

settlement be true, he was the pioneer set- tler in St. Joseph township instead of Major Britain. It is very probable however, that he came after Britain, but possibly the same year.

Benjamin C. Hoyt came from New Hampshire to St. Joseph in 1829 and en- gaged first as an Indian trader in a log house and subsequently in the mercantile business. He afterwards established a bank, which was the leading bank in the northern part of the county for many years. He was an active and energetic man, engaged in nearly all of the important enterprises of the place in its early history. He was president of the vil- lage during six terms and supervisor of the township in 1843 and 1844. He removed to Mississippi in 1872 where he remained sev- eral years. He returned in 1892 to St. Joseph where he died in 1903 at the ad- vanced age of ninety-six. At one time he was quite wealthy and was one of the lead- ing citizens of the place for many years.

His daughter, Sophrona, who married F. A. Potter, the present supervisor of the sec- ond ward of St. Joseph, and for many years a prominent merchant, was born at St. Joseph in 1836 and is now living with her husband at that place.

In 1830. L. L. Johnson settled on the lake shore a mile north of the village. He subsequently removed to Wisconsin. About the same time came John Wittenmyer, who became a prominent merchant of St. Joseph. He enlisted in the American army during the Mexican war and became a colonel. He died shortly after his return from the war.

Dr. Amos S. Amsden. a native of New York, appears to have been the first physician in the village. He located here in 1832 and died in 1849. He was the first justice of the peace in the village.

The first attorney in St. Joseph was Thomas Fitzgerald. He was a native of Herkimer county, New York. served in the war of 1812 and was wounded at the battle of Lundy's Lane. He was appointed light-

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

house keeper at St. Joseph in 1832, when he removed to St. Joseph. He resided at St. Joseph till about 1847 when he removed to Niles where he died in 1855. He occupied many prominent official positions in the state and county. He was a member of the legis- lature in 1838, a bank commissioner about the same time, first president of the village in 1834, subsequently supervisor of the town- ship, judge of probate of the county, and in 185I was appointed United States senator to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of General Cass. He was a man of great na- tive strength of character, and of sterling qualities of mind and heart.

His son, Jerome B. Fitzgerald, was a prominent attorney and died at Niles in 1878. He was a senator in the legislature in 1847 while living at St. Joseph, prosecut- ing attorney in 1849 and recorder of the city of Niles for several terms. He was an able lawyer but preferred the more quiet de- partments of the profession.

In 1832, Edward P. Deacon from Penn- sylvania and William McKaleb from Mary- land, came to St. Joseph and together built a saw mill that year. In 1833 these men built a steamboat called the "Matilda Bar- ney." This was the first steamboat which successfully plied the river between St. Joseph and Niles.

The engine was built by Philip P. An- drews, Leverett Plumb acted as engineer and Daniel T. Wilson was captain. The boat ran on the river for about ten years, and did an immense business. A boat called the Newburyport had been built in 1832, but ran aground on her first trip at Ber- rien Springs and was badly damaged.

Deacon shortly after removed to Boston, Massachusetts, and became a millionaire. McKaleb in a few years returned to his native state. Mr. Andrews afterwards lo- cated in Chikaming township.

Curtis Boughton came from Ohio in 1832 and settled about a mile south of the village of St. Joseph on the Niles road. For

several years he was the owner and captain of vessels which ran on the lake between Chicago and St. Joseph. The first boat which he ran was the "Drift" in 1833. This was followed by the "Bancroft" and "Henry W. King." He was half owner in the Hic- cocampus which sunk in mid-lake in Sep- tember, 1868.

He was a pioneer in the business of peach growing, being second to Mr. Parmelee as has already been stated. In 1849 Captain Boughton set out one hundred and thirty trees of choice budded fruit. In 1852 hie set out sevevacres, purchasing his trees at Cleve- land. In 1855 he commenced the business of shipping peaches and for several years, carried on a successful business in this line. In 1835, he received as high as eight dollars per basket containing about three pecks.

Captain Boughton died in 1896. He was supervisor in 1870. His son, James C., the only surviving child, is the present janitor of the Berrien county court house.

In 1832, the Kingsley brothers, George W., Edward and Benjamin, who were masons by trade, came from Utica and set- tled in St. Joseph. George died in 1876. His widow is still living with her daughter in Benton Harbor. Three children are now living, Edward H. and Charles E. of St. Joseph and Mrs. L. T. Burridge of Benton Harbor. Edward H. was a supervisor of the city of St. Joseph for some years and is en- gaged in the furniture business. A daugh- ter of Benjamin married James A. Canavan. Edward was a bachelor.

Thomas Conger who settled in St. Joseph in 1834 was the second attorney who came there. He is said to have been a lawyer of ability. He was probate judge from 1834 to 1836, district attorney in 1836-57 and register of deeds in 1842. He married a daughter of Eleazer Morton and in 1849 removed to Sacramento, California, where he became a judge.

Joseph W. Brewer came to St. Joseph in 1834 and engaged in boating. He was the

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first pilot of the steamboat "Davy Crockett" and afterward captain. He was also captain of the steamboats Niles, Indiana and Porter, was regarded as a very safe and skillful boatman, and often ran up the river as far as Three Rivers in high water. For a time he lived on a farm but in 1840 settled in St. Joseph.

He was a justice of the peace continu- ously from 1853 till his death in 1889 or a period of thirty-six years. He did an im- mense business and was recognized as able and impartial in the administration of his office.

A daughter is now living at St. Joseph and is the wife of Captain J. J. Drake, a prominent citizen of that place, who has been referred to elsewhere.

Hiram Brown came from Rochester, New York, in 1834. as a representative of the firm of Griffith & Company, merchants at Rochester who built a warehouse at St. Joseph about this time and also the steam- boat known as the "Davy Crockett" hereto- fore referred to, which was constructed at Erie in 1834. Mr. Brown engaged in the forwarding business and in 1834 made the first shipment of wheat ever made to Chi- cago from St. Joseph. He continued in the business till 1848 when he removed to Chi- cago, where he lived till 1862 when he re- turned to St. Joseph. He was clerk of the village for several years and collector of the port for about twenty years. He died in 1883.

Four children are now living, viz : Mrs. Thomas Northcote of Luray. Virginia : Wil- liam Brown of Chicago; Mrs. M. B. Rice of St. Joseph, and H. L. Brown of St. Joseph.

Mr. Brown was a man of liberal educa- tion and culture and frequently contributed articles to the newspapers on various sub- jects. He wrote out a manuscript of con- siderable length entitled "Incidents of the Life of Hiram A. Brown" which contains a description of St. Joseph as he found it when

he first arrived there in 1834. His son, H. L. Brown, has kindly allowed me the use of this manuscript and I herewith quote from it. He says, "I arrived in St. Joseph on the fourth day of July, 1834, and found the place quite as new as I expected. There was a small population, and less com- fort. There were twenty or twenty-five fam- ilies in all. besides a number of young men without families. The buildings consisted of two warehouses on the bank of the river, one of which I accepted, and another oc- cupied by Britain and Hatch, about twenty buildings occupied as residences, none of which I think were finished. one public house on the bluff kept by a man by the name of Gould, another log building under the bluff kept by Jeremiah Wilson; four small stores and one steam saw-mill. There were two small steamboats running on the St. Joseph river, the Matilda Barney and David Crockett, and the old steamer Pioneer had just been brought round to run between St. Joseph and Chicago, but it was wrecked and went to pieces about ten days after I reached the place.

"The road leading out of the place was next thing to impassable by teams and the principal means of ingress and egress was by water, if by land on foot or on horseback. "There were also some three or four keel boats capable of carrying about twenty-five or thirty tons each. that were pushed up the river with poles. manned by six to twelve men each. These boats used to ascend as far as South Bend and occasionally farther up to Mishawaka, Elkhart, Mottville and Constantine, although not often.

"The bar at the mouth of the river did not permit vessels to come into the harbor ex- cept a few of very light draft. They came to anchor off the mouth of the river and re- reived and discharged cargoes with lighters.

Between St. Joseph and Berrien there were only five or six families, viz: T. S. Smith at Royalton. John Pike. Jehiel Enos. William Williams and a man by the name

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of Purdy. Pitt Brown kept a public house at Berrien and I think Edward Ballinger had a small store there. The elder Kimmel occupied a farm now occupied by the Shakers.

"During the years 1842 to 1847 inclusive, a large amount of flour was shipped down the river and a better class of steamboats than formerly were engaged in the traffic, and additional keel boats or barges con- structed. A large quantity of flour was also floated down the river on arks. These were cheap and rudely constructed crafts, built solely to float their cargoes down the river, when they were broken up and sold for re- fuse timber. They were usually built of white oak planks from one and one half to two inches thick, sixteen feet wide and forty feet long, with sides that allowed them to draw about twenty inches or two feet of water and capable of carrying about two hundred and fifty barrels of flour each. Two of these were coupled together, one behind the other, and with long sweeps at each end were guided down the current of the river and generally reached their distination safely.

"In 1836 the work of putting down piers of oak filled in with stone commenced at the mouth of the river and during that season the entrance to the river became not only safe, but easy, admitting the larger class of vessels then navigating on the lakes."

After depicting the depression which followed the financial panic of 1837 and the collapse of the "Wild Cat" banks, Mr. Brown says : "The entire river commerce which had been the chief element of prosperity was completely destroyed, and for a period of more than ten years was totally abandoned. Nearly the entire population left, and that portion of the county near the town ceased to attract any attention.'

In this manuscript Mr. Brown recites an incident which illustrates the religious condi- tion of the people of St. Joseph during the early settlement. In 1838 or 1839 Rev. Hi-

ram Kellogg was appointed president of Knox college at Galesburg, Illinois, and while on his way to assume his duties, stopped at. St. Joseph over Sunday, arriving by stage at the Mansion House kept by Judge Daniel' Olds. He ascertained that there was 10 church in the place, and moreover found the people pitching quoits and engaged in other pastimes which indicated a total disregard of the Sabbath day. He then inquired of the landlord if there was any person in the place who feared the Lord. The landlord replied in his bluff, off-hand way, "Well, I guess not," but after a moment's hesitation said, "I don't know, but I think Hiram Brown fears him a little." Judge Olds then directed Mr. Kellogg to Mr. Brown's residence where Mr. Kellogg narrated the above incident. Mr. Kellogg made his home with Mr. Brown during the remainder of his stay in St. Joseph, and Sunday afternoon preached in the white school house to an audience most of whom had not heard a sermon for years.

In 1834, Hiram Barnes came to St. Joseph with his wife and son, afterward Captain M. C. Barnes. For some years M. C. Barnes was engaged in steamboating. He retired from this business in 1883, and be- came engaged first in the drug business with E. S. Curran and subsequently in the jewelry business. In 1887 he and Warren Ballin- ger built the St. Joseph and Benton Harbor Street Railway. Captain Barnes was presi- dent and general manager until the railway was sold to a Chicago party. Captain Barnes died during the past year at the age of seventy-five years.

In 1835 Dr. Tolman Wheeler, who had settled in Niles in 1831, came to St. Joseph. About the same time John K. Porter also settled in St. Joseph. These two gentle- men went into partnership in the forwarding and commission business and in lake and river transportation. They owned a line of boats and for several years did an immense business. Dr. Wheeler was president of the village three terms and a supervisor. He

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

removed to Chicago about 1850 and died at that city some years ago at an advanced age.

Mr. Porter was a native of New York. As an illustration of the extent of business done by Porter & Wheeler, it may be stated that on April 29. 1841, this firm had twenty-five thousand barrels of flour and pork at the mouth of the St. Joseph river. About 1850 Mr. Porter went to California where he remained three years and then re- turned to his native state where he died in 1866. He was postmaster of St. Joseph in 1838, president of the village from 1837 to 1841, commissioner of internal improve- ment in 1846 and a regent of the university.

He was a man of great executive and business ability. He was known as the "Boatman's friend," and was a man who was universally esteemed for his honesty, gen- rosity, and public spirit.

Among the early settlers were Edwin Richardson, J. F. Lord, Robert Hollywood, Daniel Murphy, R. B. Duncan, S. R. Rus- sell, Asaph Preston, Sol. Smith, A. M. Brownell, William Axtell, Isaac Pangborn, and also the Olds, Martin, Stewart, and Johnson families, and Captain S. G. Lang- .ley.

Mr. Richardson was one of the earliest school teachers of the place, and in 1834 taught in the first school house erected there. This was a log house. Mr. Richardson was subsequently county register of deeds.

Captain S. G. Langley was a native of Massachusetts and a sailor on the ocean till 1832 when he came to St. Joseph. The first vessel which he sailed after his arrival was the brig "Napoleon." He shortly after sailed the first propellor on the lakes, called the "C. B. Bachus." He afterwards built and partly owned several steam brigs which sailed on the lake. He purchased of some .of the Burnett heirs the lands upon which John Burnett settled in 1780 and which is now owned by the Langley heirs. Captain Langley died suddenly on board of one of his vessels. "The Favorite," in 1870. He

was a brave and efficient seaman and received at different times medals as a token of ap- preciation of heroic service in saving and rescuing the crews and passengers of other boats which had been disabled by storm or fire. His widow died during the last year.

Daniel Olds, a militia colonel, came from Ohio to Niles in 1829 and commenced keep- ing tavern at the "Council House" in 1830. He was the first chief justice of the county court, a short lived court of the pioneer days, and held the first session of that court at Niles in July, 1832. He settled in St. Joseph about this time and kept the Mansion House. After October, 1832, the county court was held at Newburyport (St. Joseph). The list of grand jurors for the December term, 1832, shows the names of the following prominent old settlers of the county: A. S. Amsden, N. B. Starkweather, John Witten- myer, William Huff, T. C. Abbe, B. Webb, Calvin Bartlett, Jehiel Enos, Timothy S. Smith, Benjamin C. Hoyt, Amos Farley, O. P. Lacey, S. Ford. L. Cavenaugh, Henry Lemon, Garrett Sherrat, Pitt Brown, Martin Hoffman. Nearly all of these men were leading, representative men of the day.

This county court was abolished in 1833, re-established in 1847 and finally abolished in 1853.

In this connection some reference may be made to the circuit court. The first term of this court was held at St. Joseph in Octo- ber, 1833. Courts were first held in the log school house. Subsequently they were held in what was generally known as the "Old White School House." still standing. The first judges were William A. Fletcher, presi- dent judge; Talman Wheeler and Amos S. Amsden, associate judges. These associ- ate judges were generally known as side judges, and this system lasted but a few years. Judge Fletcher resided in Detroit and was a very able jurist. He was suc- ceeded in 1837 by Epaphroditus Ransom, of Kalamazoo. who held his first term in St. Joseph in April of that year. He was sub-

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A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 23

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