A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 27

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 27

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George H. Murdock, Jr., a son of the late George H. Murdock, practiced law at Berrien Springs for several years, and was the author of an annual Insurance Digest, but recently removed to St. Louis.

MERCANTILE BUSINESS.

The first store in the village was carried on by Thomas Love and Edward Ballingee in 1831 in a log house. They subsequently built a frame store at the west end of the bridge.

In 1836 or 1837, this firm sold out to Andrew J. Murray and John Wittenmyer. Murray was a physician who came from Pennsylvania in 1836 and practiced his pro- fession first at Berrien Springs and next at St. Joseph. He moved to Niles in 1848. He was a man of liberal education, of great native ability and had a large practice. He was a member of the legislature in 1849.

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

Murray and Wittenmyer were followed by William G. Ferson, subsequently a promi- nent merchant of Niles. He sold out to Benjamin D. Townsend, who after a few months sold the business to his clerk, James M. Platt. Mr. Platt carried on a general store for over thirty years and did a heavy business. He died in 1878.

Dr. Kephart carried on a general store and drug store for many years.

William Dougherty brought a stock of goods to Berrien Springs from the city of Washington in 1838, and opened up a gen- eral store. This he carried on with some interruption till 1865 when he retired from mercantile life to a farm near the village.

EARLY HOTELS.

The first hotel was built by Pitt Brown, in 1830 or 1831, on the river bank below the hill. He was a popular landlord- and his hotel became famous.

The first tavern on the hill was built by John DeField. After Mr. DeField's death, his widow and son, John DeField, carried on the hotel for many years. This hotel became the favorite resort of attorneys for over forty years.

John DeField retired from the hotel business many years ago and is now living on a farm in Benton township.

The first saw mill was erected by George Kimmel on Lemon creek in 1831.

The ferry across the river was built by Pitt Brown in 1831. The bridge across the river was not built till 1844.

The most important work of internal im- provement in the county is now under way at Berrien Springs, where the preliminary steps for constructing a dam and power house capable of developing an immense power, have already been taken.

The Berrien Springs Power & Electric Company has been organized to build a dam at Berrien Springs, Michigan, near the head of Pardee Island. The officers of this com- pany are Charles A. Chapin, president. Fred

A. Bryan, vice-president and general man- ager, A. B. Ayers, treasurer, and George Kephart, secretary.

They propose to build a dam and power house at Berrien Springs approximately twenty-one feet high which will develop con- tinually from two thousand to eight thou- sand horse power. This will be operated in conjunction with the dams at Buchanan, Michigan, Twin Branch, Indiana, and Elk- hart, Indiana, and a large steam plant at South Bend. This means that with a proper steam relay to take care of low water periods in the river, Berrien county will have about eight thousand electrical horse power de- veloped at Buchanan and Berrien Springs. To develop a similar amount of energy in one year by coal would require approxi- mately one hundred and seventy-five thou- sand tons.

In addition to the value of these dams from a commercial standpoint. a lake half a mile wide and several miles long will be formed above Berrien Springs, which will have many advantages for Berrien Springs from the resort standpoint.

The above figures relative to the equiva- lent amount of coal which this water power is equal to, are perhaps a little above the average, but they represent the value of the river under a good stage of water. The value of the two dams could be expressed in more practical terms by stating that the power derived from them is equivalent to about fifteen cars of coal per day for cach working day in the year.

The interior of the township of Oronoko began to be settled two or three years later than "Wolfe's Prairie."

In 1831 Hezekiah Hall settled on the bank of the river north of the present vil- lage of Berrien Springs.

In 1832 Henry Freed and his family, Samuel Summers and Joseph Feather emi- grated from Pennsylvania. Freed and a son, Abram, settled in sections twenty-three and twenty-four.

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

Joseph Feather, who was a carpenter, first emigrated from Pennsylvania to St. Joseph where he worked for Fowler Pres- ton at cabinet making. He removed to Berrien in 1833, and located upon a farm south of the village.

William Lemon was one of the early settlers of Berrien township, and moved in- to Oronoko in 1835, and purchased the saw mill of George Kimmel. He died in 1851. He was one of the most prominent of the old settlers and was supervisor of the town- ship for several terms. One of his daugh- ters married John Tate, another Comfort Pennell and another George Ewalt.

Joshua Feather, of Pennsylvania, was the pioneer of what is called the Feather settlement in the northwest part of the town- ship, where many of his descendants still reside. He settled on section seven in 1837. Three of his children are now living, two sons, David T. and Joshua,, and a daughter, Mary Ann. Two of his children, John H. and Lafayette, died some years ago. The names of the children of John H. are Rufus A., Franklin P., Henry A., Wm. J., Mary C., Anna L. French, Adlina A. French, Julia M. Bliss and Harriet.

The Feathers, together with other set- tlers, organized an Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1860, under the charge of Rev. John Boon, and in 1873 built a church edifice in the Feather neighborhood. The Feathers belonged to that class of in- teresting people known as "Pennsylvania Dutch," more particularly described in the chapter on Betrand township. The family name in Pennsylvania was "Vedder," but upon the removal to Michigan the name was corrupted and changed to Feather. Some of the Feathers, on their arrival in Berrien county, could not speak intelligible English. Other families of "Pennsylvania Dutch," besides the Feathers, settled in Oronoko township shortly after. These settlers were generally thrifty farmers and excellent citi- zens, and their descendants are now numer-

ous. The region which these people settled and cleared up was a dense forest of grow- ing timber consisting of white wood, black walnut, ash and other valuable timbers. The white woods grew to an immense size. W. A. Feather informed the writer that some years since, he measured a white wood tree in this locality. which was fifteen feet in circumference. As the tree grows to a great height with little diminution in diame- ter, it can be readily conceived that the lumber that could be produced from such a tree would at this time be worth several hun- dred dollars.

In 1834 Abel Garr came from Indiana and located in section twenty-one, nearly in the center of the township. Mr. Garr was supervisor in 1843. He died several years ago. His widow and daughter, Martha, now occupy the place, consisting of three hundred and twenty acres, and called the "Excelsior Grain and Fruit Farm." There is still growing on this place a noble forest of valuable timber, perhaps the most valua- ble of any in the county. The growing timber alone upon this place is estimated to be worth at least fourteen thousand dol- lars.

Jesse Helmick, known among the early settlers as "Judge Helmick," came from Ohio on horseback in 1835 and located in the southeast part of the township. He was a blacksmith by trade and for some time carried on his calling as well as his farm. He was an associate judge of the county court for some time, and supervisor of the town- ship in 1847 and 1848.

In 1836 Oliver Spaulding came from New Hampshire and settled on section twenty-six. He came by way of the Erie canal to Buffalo, thence by steamboat to Detroit, thence by stage to the St. Joseph river. In 1860 he removed to Royalton.

During the same year, John and Lewis Storick came from Pennsylvania, traveling overland.

In 1835, Samuel Winslow, his wife, a

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

son Ezra and two daughters came from New Hampshire to Oronoko township. Henry Tudor, who had married one of the daughters, accompanied them, with seven children.

Wilson located in the southeastern part of the township. Samuel Tudor, a son of Henry, located shortly after in section twen- ty-four. The father died in 1836.

Jonathan Knight came from Ohio in 1836. He was a chair maker by trade, but after working a few years at his trade, lo- cated upon section eleven.

Amos Gray came into Michigan as far back as 1829 and was engaged as a mill- wright in northern Indiana and southern Michigan. In 1837 he settled at Berrien Springs, where he was employed as a car- penter till 1844, when he removed to a farm, where he lived until he died. He was county surveyor in 1854.

Bethuel and Ebenezer Farly came to Oronoko in 1833 with their father. Bethuel and his father settled on a farm, while Eb- enezer became a boatman and subsequently captain of the "Mishawaka" and other boats which ran on the river.

In 1835 a party of several emigrated together from Bedford county, Pennsylva- nia. It included Jacob Statler and family, Josiah and Tobias Whetstone, Abram Small, J. G. Schultz, Eliza Whetstone and George Schell. A son of Abram Small, Adam, was supervisor in 1847, and settled in section sixteen. Schultz located in sec- tion twenty-eight and became the owner of five hundred and fifty acres of valuable lands. His descendants still live on the lands purchased by Mr. Schultz. Josiah Whetstone was supervisor for four terms.

Joseph S. Barnard, the father of Lyman A. Barnard, emigrated from Ohio to La Grange Prairie in 1828 and was one of the oldest settlers of that county. In 1833. he came to Oronoko and settled on a farm sev- eral miles west of Berrien Springs. In 1832, lie was chosen associate judge of the

circuit court. He was supervisor of the township from 1840 to 1842. He was a man of rare intelligence and public spirited. He died in 1852.

Among the other old settlers who came in the early thirties were George Brong, a blacksmith, Stephen Wood, a carpenter, Bun Benton, Jacob Akerman, John Arm- strong, James M. Watson, who was a skill- ful engineer and for many years a justice of the peace.

In 1836 George Ewalt and George Es- sick came to the village from Pennsylva- nia. Ewalt was a carpenter and worked at his trade for a few years when he moved upon a farm west of the village.

Mr. Essick kept a hotel for a time and afterwards became a tinner.

CHURCHES.

The first church organized in the town- ship was Methodist Episcopal and was or- ganized in 1835, under the pastorate of Rev. Richard Meek. Worship was carried on in a school house untill 1845 when a church edifice was built in the village.

A church of the United Brethern was or- ganized in 1844. Thomas L. Wilkinson was the class leader. It was a strong church at the outset and embraced many prominent settlers.

As the Pennsylvania German element was large in the township no less than three Evangelical Lutheran churches were in ex- istence at one time, one at Berrien Springs, one in the Feather settlement, and one in the southwest part of the township.

The Evangelical Association established a church in 1854 in the northwest part of the township. This was also composed largely of persons of German descent. The doctrines and discipline of the church are similar to those of the Methodist Episco- pal denomination and the origin of this sect was due to a revolt from Lutheranism in Pennsylvania in 1749 under the lead of

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

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Jacob Albright. The church is now strong in certain parts of the county.

SUPERVISORS OF ORONOKO TOWNSHIP.

The following named persons have served as supervisors at the dates desig- nated :

Edward Ballingee 1837

Wm. Lemon

1838-1839

Jos. S. Barnard.

1840-1842

Abel Gard

1843

Z. Fisher

1875-1878

William Lemon 1844-1845

Harry Stemm

1879-1880

G. B. Avery 1846

Jesse Helmick 1847-1848

Wm. Lemon

1849

John Garrow 1850

Josiah Whetstone

1851-1854

L. A. Barnard.

1855

Jonathan Knight 1856

R. L. Dudley 1857-1858

C. F. Howe

1859-1860 C. D. Nichols 1861

Jos. W. Howe I862-1866

Adam Small

1867

J. P. Vedder

1868-1869

J. W. Howe

1870

A. Van Patton 1871

J. W. Howe

1872

C. F. Howe 1873-1874

Z. Fisher 1881-1883

Alfred Bowles 1885

WV. H. Sylvester 1886-1890

M. S. Bedinger 1891-1892

Ira R. Stemm. 1893-1906

(Present Incumbent).

CHAPTER XII

BERTRAND.

THE "DESERTED VILLAGE."

This village which now has a population of less than fifty was once a prosperous frontier town with a population of nearly one thousand. It is now situated in the township of Niles, but from the time of the organization of Bertrand township to 1850 it belonged to the latter, and its early history is properly connected with Bertrand township. Its location was on the bank of the St. Joseph river four miles south of the present city of Niles.

Prior to the organization of the village it was known by the French name of "Parc aux vaches" or "cow pasture." In 1833, David G. Garnsey, who laid out a portion of the Chicago and Detroit road, conceived the idea of establishing a village at this point. It was on the line of the old Indian trail running between Chicago and Detroit, which was early used by the mail and mili- tary service of the government, and subse- quently as the main line of the old Chicago road.

In 1833 a joint stock association called the Bertrand village association was formed, of which the following named persons were stockholders: John M. Barbour, David G. Garnsey, Dr. Ingalls and Ira Converse of the state of New York; Joseph H. Williams of Vincennes, Indiana, and Joseph Bertrand, the Indian trader, located at this point. In

1833, Alonzo Bennett, a surveyor and prom- inent old settler, made the survey and laid out the village on a grand scale for those days. The plat embraced nearly a mile square, containing about one hundred and forty blocks and one thousand and two hun- dred lots. Mrs. Madeline Bertrand, the In- dian wife of Joseph Bertrand, held the In- dian title, and her conset, as well as that of President Jackson, was obtained for the establishment of the village. The western boundary of the town terminated on the bank of the St. Joseph river. The streets running north and south were named after presidents of the United States and promi- nent national characters. A rush of settlers into the new village commenced and in 1836 it contained seven dry goods stores, three hotels. three groceries and a .warehouse. The buildings. however, were nearly all cheap and poorly constructed. The most imposing structure was a large four story hotel. known as the "Steamboat Hotel." erected by Joshua Howell, the grandfather of Marshall Howell, a leading attorney of southwestern Michigan, now residing at Cassopolis. In a few years afterward, this building was taken down and floated on a raft to Berrien Springs, where it was re- erected into a building which was occupied for a long time by Dr. Philip Kephart as a

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

drug store and subsequently as a hotel called the Oronoko. This structure was burned down a few months since.

The village lots were offered for sale in 1836, but instead of selling them to the highest bidder, the association bid them in and held them at exhorbitant prices. This policy on the part of the founders, proved to be the beginning of the downfall of the place. Settlers were drawn to Niles by the more liberal spirit of her people, and the ruin was complete when the Michigan Cen- tral Railroad was projected through Niles. John M. Barbour was a man of unusual ability, and the head of the organization. He removed to New York in a few years and became a prominent judge in that state. While here, however, he established an un- enviable reputation as a grasping speculator. After the close of navigation one year, he purchased all the salt along the river and held it until he raised the price to $12 a barrel.

The place was named after the old In- dian trader, Joseph Bertrand, a Frenchman from Canada, who located at this point about the year 1780, and to whom refer- ence has been made in a previous chapter.

The oldest continuous resident of the vil- lage was probably Darwin C. Higbee, known as "Squire Higbee." He settled in the village of Bertrand in 1833 and lived there till his death in his ninetieth year, in 1902. He was postmaster of that village for over fifty years, and for many years a justice of the peace. His widow now lives at Bertrand.

The first church edifice erected in Ber- rien county, after the Indian missions had practically disappeared, was built in 1831, in Bertrand township. It was built of logs near the village of the Indian Chief Po- kagon. The pastor in charge at this time was Father Badin, a French Catholic priest. In 1837 this church was supplanted by a new brick church edifice erected in the vil- lage of Bertrand by the Catholics. This

building is still standing, although the build- ing has not been used for many years. A Catholic cemetery was established on the same grounds with the church and was used by the Catholics of the vicinity till about fifteen years ago, when new cemetery grounds were laid out in Niles.

This ancient church and burial grounds are located in a handsome grove of magnifi- cent oak trees, upon a bluff commanding a most charming view of the St. Joseph river. The cemetery and interior of the church are both in a dilapidated condition, the walls, however, of the latter being intact. The oldest inscription in the cemetery which is intelligible is that upon the grave stone of Madeline Bertrand, who died in 1845, and who was the wife of Joseph Bertrand.

In 1884, Father Sorin, who had founded the college of Notre Dame in 1843, near South Bend, established a convent at Ber- trand for Sisters of the Holy Cross. Their first home was a small frame building, rent- ed of Mr, Bertrand. Their first work in- cluded the teaching of a few children of the neighborhood, the care of several orphans, and the laundry work of the students of Notre Dame. In 1845 a new building was constructed and in a few years the commun- ity developed into a school known as St. Mary's Academy. Mrs. Stineman, now liv- ing at Niles, attended this school about 1853. At that time it was flourishing and attended by a large number of pupils from the sur- rounding country. This academy continued till 1855, when the buildings occupied by the sisters were removed from St. Mary's at Bertrand, to the new St. Mary's, near the college of Notre Dame, and the sisters, twenty-five in number, were transferred to the latter institution. Thus it will be seen that St. Mary's, now famous as a great edu- cational center of female instruction among the Catholics, had its beginning in the hum- ble St. Mary's Academy of Bertrand. It was at Bertrand that Mother Angela, who was the Mother Superior of the present St.

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

Mary's for over thirty years, began her suc- cessful career in educational work. After a liberal education both in this country and in France, she took charge of St. Mary's Academy at Bertrand early in 1854. Marie Eliza Gillespie, for such was the baptismal name of Mother Angela, was born of Scotch-Irislı lineage, in Pennsylvania in 1824, and was an own cousin of James Gillespie Blaine, with whom in early life she had been a school mate. She was a woman of charming personality, of brilliant attainments, and is said to have strongly re- sembled her gifted cousin in certain mag- netic and mental traits of character.

Bertrand village was for many years the "Gretna Green" of Berrien county. It is situated only about a mile from the state line, and parties living in Indiana, desiring to be married without a license which was required in Indiana, hastened in large num- bers to a justice of the peace at Bertrand to tie the nuptial knot. One justice of the peace, "Squire Rice," derived no inconsid- erable income from this class of business for several years. A license law in Michi- gan put an end at length to this profitable industry at Bertrand.

The township is bounded on the north by the townships of Buchanan and Niles, on the east by the St. Joseph river, on the south by the state of Indiana, and on the west by Galien. The township originally extended to the Cass county line on the east, but in 1850 that portion which lies east of the St. Joseph river was set off to the township of Niles.

A considerable portion of the land con- sists of prairie and burr oak openings. The prairie is known as Portage prairie. A narrow belt of timber cuts into one portion of the prairie and the smaller portion has sometimes been called "Little Portage." The prairie lands embrace about three thou- sand acres. Both the prairie and burr oak lands are very rich and productive. The land lying on the St. Joseph river, for a short

distance is rough and hilly, but the surface of nearly all the township is level or but slightly rolling. The amount of poor land is very small. For many years Bertrand was the banner township in the state in the pro- duction of wheat. In 1878, the production was one hundred and twenty-five thousand bushels. The township is about ten miles long from east to west, and three and three- fifth miles wide north and south. It em- braces two ranges.

It was organized in March, 1836, by act of the legislature, and then embraced Galien township. The first township elec- tion was held at Union Hall in the village of Bertrand in April, 1836. At this elec- tion, Frederic Howe was elected supervisor, James H. Montgomery, town clerk, Joshua Howell, John De Armond and Alanson Hamilton, justices of the peace.

By the Carey mission treaty of 1828, already alluded to, all but about five sec- tions of land in Bertrand township were as- signed to the Pottawatomies, embracing some of the choicest lands in Michigan. The reservation also embraced all of the pres- ent township of Niles. lying south and west of the St. Joseph river, and eight or ten sec- tions in Buchanan, in all containing about forty-nine sections. Upon this valuable tract of land were collected all the villages of the Pottawatomies of the St. Joseph valley, when the early settlers arrived, except a few who came prior to 1828. These villages were quite numerous in Bertrand, and some of these have already been described. These lands were not open for sale to settlers till after the treaty of Chicago in 1833.

The first settlement in the township ap- pears to have been made by Nathan Hat- field. Mr. Hatfield came from Wayne coun- ty. Indiana, to the Carey mission in 1828 and located upon Portage prairie in section twenty, range seventeen, on the state line. The larger part of his farm was in Indiana but he built his house on the Michigan side, and in 1829 went back to his old home and

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

brought back his family to his new residence. The Indian village of Pokagon was located near his farm. He died many years ago.

Milton Hatfield, a former supervisor and prominent farmer of Niles township, who is now residing in the city of Niles, is a son of Nathan Hatfield.

The next settlement made in the town- ship was made in 1831 by Benjamin M. Redding, a native of Virginia, who, how- ever, at an early day had settled in Ohio. He located in section seven on the site of the present village of Dayton, outside of the Indian Reservation, and built a log resi- dence and saw mill. He moved into his residence with his family in 1832.

The saw mill was located on the edge of the "Galien Woods" and for some years did a large business. Other settlers located afterwards at this point, and the place was known as "Redding's Mill" till 1848 when the name was changed to Dayton. In 1837, Mr. Redding moved to Niles and resided there most of the time till his death in 1877. He was eighty-six years old at the time of his death.

The first Protestant Church in the town- ship was organized at his house in 1833. It was a Methodist society of which he was chosen leader. He had a family of twelve children, only one of whom survived him, James H. Redding, who died several years since.

The widow of James, Mrs. Jane Red- ding, died recently at her farm near Day- ton, at an advanced age.

David Vanderhof and Charles Wells, natives of New York, moved together into the township in 1834. Mr. Vanderhof set- tled on section seven, and for two or three years kept a store on his farm. He died in 1875, aged over ninety years, leaving two children living in this county, Thomas, a resident of Bertrand, and Mrs. J. W. Post, of Buchanan. Thomas died many years ago. Mrs. Post died recently at an advanced age.

Charles Wells and his family, consisting of a wife and seven children, settled on sec- tion seven, range seventeen, and subse- quently on section thirteen. The sons of Charles Wells, Francis and Joseph, became prominent land owners in the township. Both of them died several years ago. The widow of Francis is still living. Isaac Wells, another son of Charles Wells, has resided for many years at Dowagiac.

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A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 27

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