A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 24

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 24

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).

------.

179

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

sequently chief justice of the supreme court of the state, and in 1848 became governor. He was a Democrat, but strongly anti-slav- ery in his convictions, which he did not dis- guise. A son, Major Ransom, now resides in St. Joseph and has been a member of the common council.

No court house was built at St. Jo- seph, but a jail was built in 1834 by the sheriff of the county, Fowler Preston. This was built of hewed logs, and was eighteen by twenty feet in size. The actual cost was $191.56.

R. B. Duncan and John Martin became prominent merchants in the village.

The following is a list of voters of the village in 1835: Amsden, Axtell, Brown ( Hiram), Brownell, Bartlett, Britain, Boughton, Conger, Chauncey, Duncan, Deacon, Emerson, Fitzgerald (Thomas), Harris, Hoyt, Hough, Hollywood, Johnson (Benjamin), Howe, Kingsley (George), Lord, Captain Martin, R. B. Martin, Fowler Preston, A. S. Preston, Pike, Rogers, Rich- ardson, Russell, Wheeler, Wittenmyer, Wil- son (Daniel), Pangborn, Weaver, Wells, Solomon Smith.

Among the principal merchants who came a few years later, may be mentioned James E. Stevens, J. E. and J. B. Suther- land, B. F. King, F. A. Potter, C. C. Sweet, W. B. O. Sweet, George and Ed. F. Platt, Charles Stewart, J. Jacobson, James Forber, T. T. Ransom, Z. Rice and son, George E. Smith, H. M. Zekind, E. C. Pal- mer, E. D. Crane, M. and A. Shephard.

John Forbes is the present mayor of the city.

For many years ferry boats ran between St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. Then fol- lowed a horse railroad. A few years aft- erward the railway passed into the control of Colonel Worth Bean, a native of Ken- tucky, who had been previously connected with the management of street railroads. In 1892, Colonel Bean introduced electric- ity as the propelling power, and also furn-

ished light and power to both cities. The new corporation was called the St. Jo- seph and Benton Harbor Electric Railway and Light Company .. The railway system was gradually extended in the cities of Ben- ton Harbor and St. Joseph until it now embraces about ten miles of track. The company still furnishes light to the citizens of Benton Harbor. For some years the en- terprise met with considerable difficulties and at one time an application was made for a receiver by some of the stock holders on the ground of its insolvency, but the credi- tors opposed the application and the appli- cation was denied. The company survived its troubles and has been successful, the business having been immense, especially in the summer time. Colonel Bean recently disposed of his interest in the concern to Chicago parties. Henry Mason, however, superintendent under Colonel Bean, retained the management under the new proprie- tors.

Captain Nelson W. Napier came to St. Joseph about 1836 while quite young. He was a sailor during all his active life and at the age of twenty-one was captain of a steamboat on the great lakes. On Octo- ber 15, 1880, the steamer "Alpena," which plied between St. Joseph and Chicago and which he commanded, went down near Hol- land with a crew of about thirty persons and about thirty passengers in a terrific gale. Not a single person was saved.

The following verses taken from a poem written by Captain Whiting upon the oc- casion of the loss of the Alpena commemor- ate the virtues of Captain Napier :

"A braver seaman never trod Supreme upon the 'peopled deck ;' True to his wife, his friends and God, He perished in the Alpena's wreck."

"Of stalwart frame and giant mold, Yet still of aspect calm and mild, Confronting danger he was bold, Yet gentle as a loving child."

180

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

The following children of Captain Nel- son W. Napier are now living : Nelson W. Napier of St. Joseph, Edward Napier of San Francisco, Frank and Arthur of St. Joseph. A daughter, who died some years ago, was the former wife of Dr. McLin, a prominent physician of St. Joseph.

The family is a sea faring one, nearly all of whom have been captains or important officials of steamboats on the great lakes. Frank has been deputy sheriff and clerk of St. Joseph.

In 1837 Daniel Murphy, a native of Ire- land, settled in St. Joseph township and en- gaged in farming. His son John is now living on a farm on the lake shore drive, a short distance south of the city. and has been engaged for many years in fruit cult- ure. He is now one of the oldest residents of the township, having come with his father there sixty-nine years ago.

A little later came Warren and Daniel Chapman, natives of New Hampshire. Warren Chapman was engaged for some years in the forwarding and commission business. He became a prominent figure in the political history of the county and was a senator to the state legislature from 1865 to 1867, two terms. He was also supervisor of the township for several years and presi- dent of the village. He was a man of abil- ity and sterling qualities.

Daniel Chapman was supervisor of the township for seven years and judge of pro- bate for two terms. He was a man of strict integrity and natural sagacity.

The commercial importance of St. Jo- seph began about 1836. The harbor was improved by the government that year. Numerous boats of different kinds began to ply on the river. The speculative spirit be- gan to develop and in 1836 a firm of east- ern capitalists. G. S. Hubbard & Company. purchased a large tract of land lying be- tween the Paw Paw river and the lake. which they platted into lots and called North St. Joseph. A large amount of money was

expended in levelling down the sand hills, building docks and making other improve- ments. A town of large proportions was contemplated and places for an academy, a court house and other public buildings were designated. A warehouse and other build- ings were built, but the location was bad, hard times soon came on and the project be- came a failure. On the south side of the river, lots at this time were held at fabulous prices and the growth of the village was seri- ously retarded by a narrow policy of high prices which drove away prospective buyers. to other points.

The era of wild cat banks began at this. period and their collapse stopped the growth of the town as well as that of others. The "Commercial Bank," one of these wild cat banks, was established in 1837, of which Talman Wheeler was president. The bank went to pieces in a short time and its bills were never redeemed.

While the growth of the town was re- tarded, the commerce on the lake and river seems to have increased year by year till the completion of the Michigan Central rail- road to Niles in 1848. In 1846 shipments from St. Joseph were as follows :

Barrels flour

129.333

Bushels wheat 263,116

Casks whiskey 2.721

Lumber ( feet)

1,500,000

Until 1843 more wheat and flour werc. shipped from St. Joseph than from Chicago.

The original western terminus of the Michigan Central railroad as designated by the state legislature was St. Joseph. But in 1846 the state sold the railroad to a firm of Boston capitalists, who in 1847. changed the route and located it through Niles and New Buffalo, to Chicago. The people of St. Joseph were seriously disappointed and a still further decline took place. In 1854 the population was only 703. About 1865. however, a radical change occurred. Set-

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

tlers began to come into the village and sur- did a heavy collection and foreclosure busi- rounding country in large numbers. The ness. He died at Salt Lake City in 1872. population from 1860 to 1870 increased from 1358 to 2994. In the meantime the fruit industry had developed and became profitable.

In 1869 the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad Company was organized. Seven directors were elected, Hon. A. H. Morrison, Warren Chapman, B. C. Hoyt, Curtis Boughton, George Bridgman, David Ballentine and Robert A. Conolly. Mr. Morrison was made president and was the leading genius in the enterprise, having secured the aid of James F. Joy, of Detroit, a prominent railroad magnate. A large amount was donated by St. Joseph and other townships and in January, 1870, the road was completed from St. Joseph to New Buffalo. In the next year it was extended north and soon became a part of the Chi- cago & West Michigan Railroad.

Mr. Morrison had charge of the railroad for six years. He was for many years prominent in political and industrial life and was a man of great energy. In 1856 he was a member of the State Senate and a member of the House in 1860. He was also collector and assessor of internal rev- enue for the second district of Michigan. His later business projects proved unprofit- able and he removed to Chicago some years before his death. For several years he was a prominent leader of the Republican party in the county.

A brief reference to prominent profes- sional men, who are deceased, is fitting.

Damon A. Winslow came to St. Joseph in 1844. He devoted himself mainly to chancery practice and also to editorial pur- suits. In 1869 he published a pamphlet con- taining a short sketch of St. Joseph history and advertising the fruit interests. He sub- sequently removed to Allegan county where he died.

Charles W. Ormsby, a native of New York, came to St. Joseph in 1861. He

George S. Clapp was a native of Ohio, a graduate of Berea College and came to St. Joseph in 1862, where he soon acquired an extensive practice in his profession. He was a strong lawyer and became noted as a successful trial advocate. He was an all around lawyer, intimately acquainted with all branches of the law, and by tireless in- dustry and ability rose to the front rank of his profession.

He was prosecuting attorney of the coun- ty from 1875 to 1881 and was twice a candi- date for circuit judge for which position he was eminently qualified. Through the freaks of politics, however, which sometimes are inscrutable, he was defeated.

In 1882, he removed to Niles where he lived till his death in 1895. He was at times city attorney of St. Joseph and of Niles. Politically he was a Republican. He was originally a Methodist but several years be- fore his death united with the Presbyterian church at Niles. He was fond of music and was for many years chorister of church choirs in Methodist and Presbyterian churches.

Calvin B. Potter, a native of New York, came to St. Joseph, after serving in the Civil war, in 1866. He was a man of original force and genius, and especially excelled in his command of legal diction, being clear, terse and happy in the use of choice Anglo- Saxon words. He was an able attorney, al- though sometimes prone to be too theoretical. He was a representative in the state legisla- ture in 1874 and city attorney of St. Jo- seph for a time. His powers of sarcasm were strong and he occasionally used them with telling effect. He died about three years ago in Salt Lake City. Politically he was a Democrat, but decidedly independent and courageous, sometimes openly support- ing Republican condidates for important positions. Theodore J. De Puy, a native of Pennsylvania, came to St. Joseph in 1869.

182

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

He was a fluent speaker and quite entertain- ing and amusing in his speeches before a jury. He removed to Los Angeles. Cali- fornia, where he died several years ago.

The first physician who appears to have located at St. Joseph was Dr. B. Y. Boyd of Kentucky, who came in 1834, but re- mained but a few years. Dr. Talman Wheeler and Dr. Amos G. Amsden were physicians by education but did not practice their profession after locating in St. Joseph. Both of these men engaged in other pursuits and were prominently connected with the early history of St. Joseph.

Dr. L. S. Lillibridge came in 1836. He was a skillful physician and a supervisor of the township in 1845. He removed to Cali- fornia in 1849. Dr. David B. Crane came to St. Joseph in 1852. He was a fine scholar. an accomplished linguist and was called a "Walking Encyclopedia."

Dr. Corydon Parker from New York came in 1849, but died after two years prac- tice. His brother Dr. Reuben D. Parker came in 1857, but retired from active prac- tice in 1871. He accumulated considerable property in real estate. He died about two years ago.

Dr. Lyman Collins, a native of New York, came in 1860. He practiced about ten years and then devoted himself mainly to fruit culture.

The oldest physician in continuous prac- tice now residing in the city is Dr. A. H. Scott. In 1867 he commenced the practice of his profession at St. Joseph, where he soon acquired a large practice and reputa- tion as one of the most skillful physicians and surgeons in southwestern Michigan. He was president of the village for three terms.

The oldest practicing attorney is N. A. Hamilton, who commenced practice in St. Joseph in 1870. He has served four terms as prosecuting attorney and two terms in the legislature. L. C. Fyfe was admitted four years later. He was a member of the

legislature for two terms, and has held various local offices. Both of these gentle- men have deservedly stood at the front of their profession in the county.

EARLY COMMERCE AT ST. JOSEPH AND ON THE RIVER.

Most of the main facts here presented with regard to early navigation centering at St. Joseph and on the St. Joseph river. are gleaned from an article written by A. Ellis, in 1880.

Before the building of the Michigan Central Railroad through the southern part of the county, the St. Joseph river was the medium of transportation for merchandise and agricultural products between the east and southwestern Michigan and northern Indiana. In the early history of the white settlements, merchandise came from New York City by the Hudson river to Albany, thence by the Erie Canal to Buffalo, and from Buffalo by sailing vessels to St. Joseph. where the merchandise was loaded into keel boats, flat boats, arks and other craft, pro- pelled by oars and poles, which ascended the river for nearly one hundred and fifty miles. In turn flour, wheat and other products were conveyed east by the same route. The arks were especially used for the transportation of grain and flour.

It appears that sailing vessels came to the mouth of the river as far back as Burnett's settlement as Mr. Burnett, in his account books, speaks of a number of vessels from which he received merchandise and to which he delivered cargoes of furs, hides and maple sugar. It appears also that the Carey mis- sion received its supplies from sailing vessels at the mouth of the river. The amount of business done by these early boats was im- mense. By 1840 as many as sixty keel boats were traversing the river. The for- warding business conducted at St. Joseph during these days was the most important and profitable business carried on at that

183

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

point. Merchandise was received for inland points as far distant as Kalamazoo. The harbor at St. Joseph was originally difficult of access. The St. Joseph river entered into the lake considerably south of its present mouth and near the light house on the bluff. A sand bar, making out into the lake from the mouth of the river, often pre- vented loaded vessels from getting into har- bor and lighters were frequently used to unload the cargoes and convey to land or to the river boats. The harbor piers were not commenced till 1836. Steam navigation commenced about the year 1832. The first steamboat was the "Pioneer" which arrived by lake at the mouth of the river in 1831. In 1834 she grounded on the bar at the mouth of the river and being caught in a sudden gale, while in this condition broke to pieces.

The same year Captain Curtis Boughton employed the material from the wreck of the "Pioneer" and built the schooner "Drift" which he ran between Chicago and St. Jo- seph for several years.

Captain Boughton was afterwards the owner and commander of several lake ves- sels among which were the "Bancroft" and "Henry W. King."

side-wheel steamer called the "Chicago" was built in 1835, and made regu- lar trips between Chicago and St. Joseph for several years. Then followed the steamers "G. W. Dale," the "Huron" and the "Cham- pion." The latter boat was commanded by Captain Edward B. Ward, who made a fortune in the lake transportation business, owning a large number of boats. Passengers came from the east by stage and took the boat for Chicago and western points at St. Joseph. Frequently a dozen stages would come into St. Joseph in one day loaded with passengers.

Upon the completion of the Michigan Central Railroad to Chicago in 1849, the business of these lake boats seriously de- clined and the commerce of St. Joseph for several years was comparatively trivial. The

development of the fruit industry subse- quently created a demand for lake trans- portation again both for freight and pas- sengers. The business- has increased enor- mously during the past twenty years. A reference to this business is made in con- nection with the chapter on Benton Harbor.

During the prosperous period of lake navigation, various boats beside those named plied the lake between St. Joseph and Chi- cago, and prominent among the captains who commanded the boats were Captain Nelson WV. Napier, Captain S. G. Langley, and Captain Amos Bartlett.

Many disasters occurred in the days of early lake navigation. In September, 1868, the "Hiccocampus," commanded by Captain Henry Brown, went down in mid-lake. It was overloaded with a heavy cargo of peaches, against which the captain is said to have strenuously, but fruitlessly, protested to the owners. Some thirty passengers were drowned and boat and cargo destroyed.

In October, 1880, the steamer "Alpena" went down near Holland, as has already been related, in a terrific gale. Not a single person was saved.

In January, 1896, the steamboat "Chi- cora," a fine boat belonging to the Graham? and Morton Transportation Company, went down in a terrific gale near the eastern shore as is supposed. It was commanded by Captain H. M. Napier. There were only four passengers, among whom were James Clark, former United States marshal of the western district of Michigan, sheriff and un- der sheriff for many years and also J. F. Pearl, a prominent druggist of St. Joseph. Nothing further was heard of the boat, pas- sengers or crew.

It appears that ship-building was com- menced at St. Joseph in 1832 by Deacon & McKaleb and subsequently by Griffith & Company. Dr. L. A. Barnard in 1832 built a fifteen-ton sloop at LaGrange, Cass county, hauled it by oxen to Niles and there launched it and went down the river. It

184

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

was called the "Dart" and ran between St. Joseph and Chicago.

The navigation of the river by steam- boats continued about twenty-five years. The first steamboat to navigate the river was the "Newburyport," which ran up as far as Berrien Springs. This was her only trip.

The next boat was the "Matilda Barney" a stern-wheeler built by Deacon & McKaleb at St. Joseph in 1833. This boat ran for several years and did a prosperous business. Captain Daniel T. Wilson commanded and Ebenezer Farley was pilot.

The "Davy Crockett" commenced run- ning on the river in 1834 and was owned by Griffith & Company. Pitt Brown was cap- tain and Joseph Smith pilot. In 1835. after doing a prosperous business, she ran upon a rock near Berrien Springs, broke in two and sunk.

The "Pocahontas" a larger boat than the preceding, was built by Wheeler & Porter. forwarding merchants at St. Joseph. Eben- ezer Farley commanded.

The "Indiana," built by Captain John McMillan in 1843. was the largest and swiftest boat which had yet run on the river. Under Captain Brewer she often made the run from St. Joseph to Niles and back again to St. Joseph, a distance of one hundred miles. between sunrise and sunset.

The "Algona" was built by Wheeler & Porter and made her first trip on the river in 1845 under Captain Edward Smith. She was more costly than any preceding boat, but inferior in power and speed to the "Indiana."

The "Algona" and the "Indiana" gen- erally towed the keel boats up the river to their loading places, from whence upon re- ceiving their cargoes, they floated back to St. Joseph.

The "Mishawaka" was built soon after the "Algona" and was commanded by Cap- tain Hamilton Smith. She had on each side two wheels about five feet in diameter, and

placed about sixteen feet apart and over these ran an endless chain on which were fastened the buckets or paddles. The boat was an unusually fast one, but the propelling apparatus was continually getting out of order and broken and it was found necessary on account of this fact, to discard the end- less chain system and substitute the ordinary paddle wheel.

About the same time the "Niles." a side wheeler, was built by William B. Beeson, of Niles, under command at first of Captain Darius Jennings. Captain Jen- nings was an admirable captain and a man of unusual intelligence and information. This boat ran several years and was one of the most successful on the river. Cap- tain J. W. Brewer. another intelligent and popular captain. succeeded Captain Jennings.

The "Michigan" was built shortly after the "Niles" and she plied mainly between Mottville and St. Joseph. For some time she was under the command of Linus F. Warner. subsequently a major in the Civil war and sheriff of Berrien county.

In 1849 the "Niles" was purchased by the Michigan Central Railroad Company. and this boat together with the keel boats for two or three years brought freight from Constantine and lower points to Niles. where the freight was elevated by steam power into the company's warehouse, a structure one hundred feet high, which had been built on the river bank at the Niles bridge. From this building the freight was transferred to the railroad.

A new boat was built about 1849 for the upper river trade and named the "John F. Porter." after the forwarding merchant at St. Joseph, who was called by the river men "The Boatman's Friend." This steamer was one hundred and eight feet keel. sixteen feet beam. four feet hold and eighteen inches draft of water, with two engines of forty horse power. Under command of Captain Brewer, this boat plied between Con-

185

HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

stantine and Niles till 1851, when the Michi- gan Southern Railway was completed to South Bend and the upper river commerce was practically at an end. The boats then engaged in the transportation business on the river were mostly sold and transferred to other rivers.

The "Schuyler Colfax," commanded by Captain Ezekiel Reynolds, ran between South Bend and Niles some time after. Be- side these boats, the steamers "St. Joseph," commanded by Captain Charles F. Howe and the "Pilot," commanded by Capt. John Mc- Millan, ran for some time on the river.

It is to be noted that during the period of river navigation, referred to, the water in the river was much higher than at pres- ent. Owing to the draining of the marshes and the cutting down of the forests, sources of supply of water have been cut off and any surplus water has been carried off rap- idly instead of gradually.

The harbor and pier at St. Joseph have recently been greatly improved and extended as a result of liberal appropriations by Con- gress obtained by the energy of a live con- gressman, E. L. Hamilton.

The south pier is now two thousand six hundred feet long and the north pier two thousand nine hundred feet long. The last extensions finished within the past year, were one thousand feet on the north and one thousand eight hundred on the south pier.

The site of the Lighthouse Depot was es- tablished in 1899. This structure was built in 1901 and 1902. Captain Lloyd Clark, a brother of the famous commander of the "Oregon," Rear Admiral C. E. Clark, had charge of the work of construction and on its completion was appointed custodian, a position which he still holds.

The harbor is three hundred and fifteen feet wide at the entrance and two hundred and sixty feet at the inner end of the piers. The Chicago and West Michigan Railroad, through some bad management, was allowed

to cross the river almost at its mouth. The draw bridges are each about one hundred feet long. The river at its mouth spreads into a basin over eight hundred feet wide.

The light house was established on the bluff near the former mouth of the river in 1831. The present edifice was erected in 1859. Captain Daniel R. Platt has been the keeper of this light house for several years.

The United States life saving station was established about 1875 as a volunteer sta- tion. It was made a full station by the gov- ernment in 1879. Captain W. L. Stevens has been in charge of the station since No- vember, 1879. At present there are seven surfmen in the crew, who are engaged at service in drill and patrol every day in the week, except Sunday. One man is stationed in the lookout on the government pier night and day. The buildings consist of one large boat house, one dwelling house, one mess room for the crew, one summer kitchen and one small boat house. The station is equipped with one thirty-four foot life boat, one twenty-eight foot surf boat, two breach apparatus complete. All of the signals, in- ternational code and the Morse wigwag signaler are had by all the crew.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 24

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