A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 36

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 36

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The largest grapery in the state is lo- cated in this township. It is owned by the Lakeside Vineyard Company and is located in sections 21 and 28. upon the lands belong- ing to this company, five hundred and twen- ty-five acres having already been set out to grapes. This enterprise is elsewhere re- ferred to in the chapter on fruit culture.

Along the lake shore the soil is sandy, but a considerable portion has been devoted to the culture of fruit and made remuner- ative.

The first person who actually settled in the township was Luman Northrup of Ham- burg. New York, who had settled in New Buffalo in 1836 and was collector there in 1839. In 1840, he located in section twenty- three and built a cabin and saw mill. This mill he operated for about twenty years when he sold it to Henry H. Pike. His residence most of the time, however, subsequently was at New Troy. He was a man of great natural strength and sagacity. and practiced law before justices of the peace. He died about the year 1868.

The next person to settle in the township was Richard Peckham, who had emigrated from New York and settled in New Buffalo in 1842. During the following year he lo- cated in section twenty, in Chikaming town- ship. He was supervisor of the township in 1857 and 1870. For four or five years he manufactured grain cradles and rakes, the factory being located at New Buffalo.

In 1836. Moses Chamberlain of New Hampshire, made a trip to southern Michi- gan and visited New Buffalo. While there he purchased five quarter sections of land located within the present limits of Chika- ming and Three Oaks. Three of these were situate in Chikaming in sections fourteen and twenty. No settlement, however, was made on these lands till 1840 when Henry Cham- berlain, a son of Moses, now living at Three Oaks. located in section twenty and built a

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cabin. Mr. Chamberlain lived there about one year. Further reference will be made to Moses Chamberlain and his family in con- nection with the chapter on Three Oaks, with whose early settlement and history they were most prominently connected.

Henry Chamberlain has written a sketch of his first visit to these lands which he has kindly furnished me. As it gives a clear idea of the condition of the country at the time and of the timber which then grew in the forests of Chikaming, I here subjoin his sketch.

"Father was the owner of the northeast quarter of section twenty; the southeast quarter of section fourteen; and the north- west quarter of section twenty-three, town- ship seven, range twenty.

"On the 24th day of September, 1844, my brother-in-law, Hale E. Crosby, David H. Cotrill, who that summer came from Ver- mont to New Buffalo, and myself, went land looking. We went with Richard Peckham, who had a small clearing on the northwest corner of section twenty, township seven, range twenty, near the lake shore. A flat bottomed boat, about twenty feet long and five feet beam, towed by a horse which was ridden by a boy, was the means of transporta- tion. A tow line one hundred feet or more in length, was the connection between the horse and the boat, the boat being kept the proper distance out from shore by a long steering oar. This boat was owned by Mr. Jacob Gerrish and was used for transporting, when there was need and the lake was smooth, products to and merchandise from Michi- gan City and other points a short distance along the shore. We arrived at Peckham's before noon, helped unload the lumber. and took dinner with him in his log cabin. There was a small clearing on the place and an orchard which had been set three years be- fore. Peckham was a bachelor, a native of New York State, about forty years of age. He did not live on the place, but was there a part of the cropping season. He had a

shop at New Buffalo and his principal busi- ness was the manufacture of grain cradles.

"After dinner we made a start, Mr. Crosby carrying the knapsack with the food, Mr. Cotrill the axe, and I my rifle for which I found no use. We followed the north line of section twenty to the northeast corner, and thence went down the east linc for a half ntile. Returning, we went east on the north line of sections twenty-one and twenty-two. This was a difficult line to follow as it had not been reblazed since the government sur- vey in 1826, and it required care to find the old blazes. When at the southeast corner of section fifteen, we found the line between sections fourteen and fifteen had been newly blazed by some land looker. We followed it north to the north line. On section fifteen, I think it was the southeast quarter, we for the first time saw a grove of poplar trees. Standing in one place we counted within sight, fifty-two large trees. They were from twenty-four to thirty-six inches in diameter, and would average three to four twelve-foot logs to the tree. Cotrill, who had had some experience as an estimator of timber, thought there was enough timber to make fifty thousand feet of boards on less than a half acre. We retraced our steps to the corner and then went south on the line be- tween sections twenty-two and twenty-three, and took a view of the northwest quarter of section twenty-three. The land seemed fair. There was but little saw timber on this line north of the river. Once in a while we saw a good ash, oak, or poplar, and there were some black walnut trees on the river bot- toms. When we came to the river, we divested outselves of our clothing and waded through the stream. When we reached the bluff on the south bank, it was nearly dark, and we were preparing to camp for the night. I had heard that there was a house on this section, but did not know its location. While we were discussing the matter I noticed an indistinct trail and suggested that we follow it as far as we could before dark. We did

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

so and soon saw the outlines of a clearing ahead of us. Reaching it with some diffi- culty, we discovered a log cabin, but no one answered our hail. The latch string was out and we opened the door and entered. We kindled a fire, dug some potatoes, got some pork from the barrel and cooked and ate our supper. There were two good beds and everything was neat and clean. We retired, and in the morning got our breakfast and left for our day's work. Before our de- parture, however, we left a shingle on which we wrote of our doings. This was the resi- dence of Lumon Northrop, on the southwest corner of section twenty-three, and it was the only house in what is now the township of Chikaming, the Peckham shanty only ex- cepted.

"We then went east on the south line of sections twenty-three and twenty-four until we struck the New Buffalo and New Troy road. The land looked well, and while there were no groves of saw timber, there were many good trees scattered all along this line.

"The Troy road, as we called it, com- menced at the village of New Buffalo and followed along south of the river, crossing the south branch near the south end of sec- tion six, township eight, range twenty ; thence northeasterly and northerly to New Troy; and thence to Berrien Springs, the county seat. It was brushed out all the way and the timber in the center was cut away. The streams were bridged with logs or puncheons, and nearly half the distance was corduroyed. No part of this road west of Troy is now in use with the exception of less than a mile from the center of section eighteen, township seven, range nineteen to New Troy. We then went north along the road to New Troy where we found a few houses, mostly unoccupied, and two saw mills which were out of repair. There were two or three houses on the road near Troy, the only one which I can recall, having been that of Phineas E. Stratton.

"At Troy we ate our lunch. We had

taken enough from home to last until our return and as we had had two meals at Northrop's we were well supplied. It had been our intention to have gone to the south- east quarter of section fourteen, township seven, range twenty, but as the river was in the way. we abandoned it.

"The tracing of the old lines which had not been re-blazed, was slow work; often we made not more than a mile in an hour. Some one reading this account may not un- derstand the method of marking section lines and corners. For their benefit, I will briefly describe it :

"The lines were run by a compass and measured with a chain. At the section cor- ners, a tree standing on each section was marked with a marking iron. If it was a smooth tree like the beach, it was done on the bark; if not, the bark was cut away to the wood. The marks were like the follow- ing : S. 27, T. 7, S. R. 20 \V .: S. 28, T. 7, S. R. 20, WV .; S. 34. T. 7, S. R. 20 W .; Sec. 35, T. 7, S. R. 20 W. This indi- cated sections 27, 28, 34 and 35, township 7 south, range 20 west. A stake was placed at the true corner and witnessed by a cut at the roots of two trees. The stakes were gen- erally decayed at this time. The section lines were known by the blazes on the trees ; that is, on all trees near the line, a piece of bark was cut out on each side. It most cases these had grown over and scars only were left. If a tree was on the true line, it was called a sight tree and three small notches were cut on each side. The half mile post, indicating quarter sections was found by the mark on a tree near to it .- 14 S.

"We started for New Buffalo, following the Troy road. The weather was very fine. It had been a dry fall up to this time, and these favorable conditions continued until the 17th of the next January, with mild sunny days and no freezing nights.

"Walking as fast as we could, in due time we reached the house of William Ham- mond on the southwest quarter of section

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thirty-four, township seven, range twenty. He had a comfortable log house and barn and a clearing of forty acres well fenced, all of which had been plowed. Upon reach- ing this house we were very thirsty and Hammond sent his boy to a spring for water. It was clear, cold and sparkling. I drank a dipper full before stopping to taste and then spoiled eggs was what I thought of-it was sulphur water.

"On our way home we passed only one house, which was on section one, town- ship eight, range twenty-one, until we neared the village of New Buffalo. Although we were tired, it had been a long and a pleasant tramp.

"The stream and the timber which we had seen impressed Cotrill, and the next year he purchased the north half of the south- west quarter of section twenty-three, town- ship seven, range twenty. Soon after he built a saw mill which under different own- ers, continued in use until say about 1865. It was once burned down and rebuilt. In later years it was generally known as the Northrop Mill."

Alfred Ames, a native of Vermont, came to New Buffalo in 1843. In 1844 he com- menced clearing a piece of land in section thirty, where he built a cabin and commenced to live with his wife the next year. The farm which he cultivated was afterwards known as the "Clay Bank." Mr. Ames was a prominent man and held various local of- fices in the township of New Buffalo which then included Chikaming. He died in 1864.

The wife of Mr. Ames, whose maiden name was Mary Fisher, was an authoress of some note and for many years contributed articles both in poetry and prose for maga- zines and journals of the day. The first school in the township was taught by Mrs. Ames at the house of her husband in the year 1847.

In 1845, William Miller, a native of Ohio, settled on section thirty. His son, John C. Miller, became a prominent man in the

community, was supervisor for five terms and elected a member of the State House of Representatives in 1862. He died a few years since.

Other settlers who located in the town- ship about the same time were Truman A. Clough, George Garland, Zalmon Desbro, Arnold Pratt, Richmond Horton and Tobias Ray. Mr. Ray built a saw mill on what was known as Ray's creek about 1847.

P. B. Andrews, a native of Pennsyl- vania, located in Chikaming about 1841. He had settled at St. Joseph at a very early day and was a machinist and engineer. In 1832 he built the engine for the steamboat "Newburyport," the first steamboat which ascended the St. Joseph river. About 1851, Mr. Andrews and J. C. Miller built a steam saw mill on section three. This mill was operated by them till about 1860.

Between 1847 and 1854 three brothers, John W., James and Joseph N. Wilkinson, all natives of Virginia, came to New Buffalo. James was a physician and practiced his pro- fession at that village. Joseph and John set- tled in Chikaming and the Wilkinson broth- ers went into the lumbering business in 1854 and built a steam saw mill in section nineteen with a pier six hundred feet long running into Lake Michigan. Subsequently, other piers were built known as Greenbush and Pike piers and also a horse railroad running into the woods. An immense business was carried on for several years at this point which was known as Wilkinson's station. The company made purchases of land until it had acquired twenty-five hundred acres of land and for several years employed from fifty to one hundred and fifty hands, most of whom were engaged in the woods. The place was afterwards known as "Lakeside."

About the year 1854 Silas Sawyer, of Ohio, built a steam saw mill near the site of the station now known as Sawyer. He was a man of determined energy and for a few years he did an extensive and profitable business but became embarrassed during the

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financial panic of 1857 and suffered heavy losses. In 1873 lie moved to Dallas, Texas. He was the first supervisor of Chikaming township.

Shortly after John F. Gowdy and Frank Gowdy, natives of New York, settled in the southwest corner of the township. While living in Chikaming, Franklin Gowdy was extensively engaged in getting out wood and lumber and shipping to the Chicago mar- ket. The Gowdys in connection with others, built a large pier near the New Buffalo line to facilitate the shipping and handling of wood and lumber, and a mill was built at the same time. This point was called Union Pier. In 1861 Franklin Gowdy purchased a large tract of land in New Buffalo town- ship a short distance south of Union Pier and made that his home. Mr. Gowdy be- came prominent in the history of New Buf- falo and was supervisor of the township for several terms, and has held various local offices. He is now residing upon his farm in the northwest part of New Buffalo town- ship. Dr. F. M. Gowdy, a prominent phy- sician of St. Joseph, is a son.

In 1862. Clement Goodwin and his nephew, Richard M. Goodwin, settled in Chikaming and erected a saw mill and brick store at Union Pier. In connection with the pier, a horse railroad was built into the woods. Clement Goodwin died about 1871, and the business was subsequently carried on by Richard M. In addition to his other business, the latter carried on the manufact- ure of handles, at Union Pier. Richard Good- win became one of the most prominent men of the township and was supervisor in 1893.

In 1861 Oliver R. Brown erected a steam sawmill in section two and for sev- eral years carried on an extensive business. This was near the present site of Sawyer. A horse railroad was built by Brown to the Fuller Pier on the lake at the edge of Lake township.

About 1856 two brothers, John M. and Edmund Glavin, natives of Ireland, pur-

chased farms and settled in the township. John had been liberally educated in the sci- ence of civil engineering and previous to his settlement in Chikaming, had been em- ployed as a civil engineer by various rail- road companies. He was supervisor of Chikaming for three terms. In 1865 he moved to the northern part of New Buffalo township where he lived till his death a few years since. He was a man of ability and energy and held various important official positions. He was supervisor of New Buf- falo for eight terms, county surveyor for three terms and a representative to the state legislature from 1866 to 1868.

His brother Edmund acquired large tracts of land, owning over eight hundred acres at the time of his death, which oc- curred about two years since. He was a justice of the peace and also town treasurer for many years.

The eastern portion of the township was not settled till much later than the portion which lies near the lake. It remained a wilderness except as it was penetrated by lumbermen, till about 1860.

During that year Albert Drew purchased four hundred and eighty acres in sections twenty-five and twenty-six. Mr. Drew was born in Cass county of this state in 1834 and was a son of one of the earliest pion- eers of that county. He studied law in his early years but was never admitted to the bar. He acquired, however, quite a reputa- tion as a practitioner before justices' courts. He lived on his farm till his death a few years since. He was a man of native ability and held various official positions. He was supervisor of the township for eight terms and county surveyor for four years.

His brother-in-law, Charles C. Sherill, settled in the township in 1861. He was a prominent man for some years in the com- imunity but did not live in the township for many years. He was a treasurer of the town- ship for seven years. A son, Marcus L., was supervisor in 1883.

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Captain W. A. Keith has been a prom- inent man in the community. He was first elected supervisor in 1872 and has held the position for eleven different terms. He was elected a representative to the state legis- lature in 1882. He is still living upon his farm.

In 1864 Patrick Gleason, a native of Canada, located on section twenty-nine, where he lived till his death a few years since, at an advanced age. His son, John Gleason, became a prominent man in the community and has been supervisor for three terms.

Among others who were prominent in the early history of the township were George Montague, Oliver P. Newkirk, D. Van Nordstrand, Truman Clough, B. J. Rogers, G. A. Orris, F. and J. Pulsifer, Horace Wilcox, H. P. Nourse. Some of these parties remained in the township but a short time.

CHURCHES.

The Union Pier Baptist Church was or- ganized in 1869 and consisted of members of the Wilkinson and Gowdy families and some others.

An Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized about the same time in the south- east corner of the township, and a church edifice built in 1869. The church member- ship was composed of German families of the township of Chikaming, Three Oaks and Weesaw. This church is still in exist- ence.

The township was mostly a dense wild- erness till about forty years ago. The most

rapid increase of population was between 1860 and 1870, during which period the pop- ulation trebled. A considerable German ele- ment settled in the southeastern portion thirty or forty years ago. The southwest portion of the township is thickly settled and divided up into small holdings. Consider- able attention has been given of late years to fruit culture.

The following named persons have been supervisors of Chikaming township at the dates designated.

Silas Sawyer 1856

Richard Peckham 1857

J. C. Miller 1858

Geo. Montague 1859-1860

J. C. Miller

1861-1862

J. M. Glavin

1863-1865

J. A. Wilkinson

1866

J. C. Miller

1867-1868

O. P. Newkirk 1869

Richard Peckham 1870

O. P. Newkirk

1871

W. A. Keith

1872

A. L. Drew

1873-1879

D. Van Nordstrand

1880

W. A. Keith

188I

John Gleason

1882

M. L. Sherrill

1883

A. L. Drew

1884

WV. A. Keith

1885-1890

John Gleason 1891-1892

R. M. Goodwin 1893

R. P. Hoadley 1894-1895

W. A. Keith

1896-1898

E. J. Willard

1899-1902

M. D. Franklin 1903

Clarence Wilkinson 1904

Daniel Zeiger 1905

CHAPTER XXV

GALIEN TOWNSHIP.

The township of Galien is bounded on the north by Weesaw township, on the east by Bertrand, on the south by the state of Indiana and on the west by Three Oaks.

The township originally belonged to Ber- trand township, but was detached and an- nexed to Weesaw in 1837. In 1844 it was erected into a separate township, and at the township election that year, William Burns was chosen supervisor, Daniel Bellinger, clerk, and Samuel Garwood, treasurer.

The township is well watered by the Galien river and various branches of that stream. The surface was originally covered by a magnificent forest of thick timber, con- sisting mainly of whitewood, black walnut, ash, beech and maple. The trees grew to a large size and the "Galien Woods" became famous in the early days for its timber re- sources. This dense forest of valuable tim- ber spread into the adjoining townships of Weesaw, Three Oaks, Chikaming and New Buffalo, and constituted the most extensive forest of valuable timber in the county.

The lands in the township were largely owned by mill proprietors in other townships before permanent settlement to any consid- erable extent was made, and the population developed slowly till after the year 1850. The population in 1845 was only 141.

The township has one village, Galien, which lies at the intersection of the Michigan Central Railroad and what has been known

as the Vandalia Railroad. The latter road has lately passed into the control of the Van- derbilt system and is practically a part of the Michigan Central. The village was incor- porated in 1879 and has a population of over four hundred.

The first actual settlers in the township appear to have been John P. Johnson, Sam- uel Garwood and Jas. H. Wilson. Johnson settled in sections 19 and 20 in 1834 and was a prominent man in the early settlement of the township, but removed to Iowa at an early day. Garwood settled in section II sometime prior to 1836. A small lake in the northeast part of that section was named after him "Garwood Lake." He was the first treasurer of the township. He also re- moved to Iowa at an early day.

James H. Wilson, a native of Virginia. came to Galien and settled in section I in 1836. In the following year he built a saw- mill on his lands. This was the first sawmill built in the township and for many years this mill did an extensive business. Mr. Wilson died several years since at an ad- vanced age. He was the treasurer of the township for seven terms.

James Edson settled in section 13 in 1836. The first township election was held at his house in 1844. William Burns lo- cated in section II shortly after and became the first supervisor of the township.

Alvin Emery settled in section 22 at a

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

very early day and built a sawmill on Sopes creek. He was supervisor in 1845. A brother, Moses Emery, settled in the town- ship at about the same time.

John Unrugh settled in the township about the same time.

Peter Critchett, a native of Pennsylvania, settled in Buchanan township in 1836. In 1840 he located in section 4, Galien town- ship, where he lived till he removed to Galien village in 1883.

William Huston settled in the township in 1840. He lived but a few years after his first settlement. A son Richard is now liv- ing.

In 1844, only forty-four votes were cast at the presidential election. About this time the township began to be more thickly settled.

In 1847, four brothers from Ohio, Asher, Noah, David and Alison Spicer, all settled in the township. A. G. Spicer was at one time the owner of 320 acres in section seven, which E. K. Warren, of Three Oaks, now owns.

In 1849 or 1850 William Valentine, with his family, came from New York and set- tled in Laporte county, Indiana, near the state line. In the next year he moved to section nineteen, in Galien township, where he built a sawmill. He lived here till his death in 1875. He was supervisor in 1856. His widow, Samantha Valentine, is now re- siding with a daughter, Mrs. Brown, at Co- loma, and is ninety-five years of age.

A son of William Valentine, William H., located in Three Oaks township a few years after his father's settlement and still resides here. Another son, George M., is a prominent attorney of Benton Harbor, and former prosecuting attorney. The other children of William Valentine living in the county are Andrew P., of Berrien Springs ; Mrs. Nancy J. Brown, of Coloma, and Mrs. Julia Jeffries, of Three Oaks.

In 1849, George Partridge, a native of New Hampshire, settled in section II. He

subsequently removed to the village of Galien and for many years carried on a gen- eral store. He was a prominent man in the community and supervisor of the township for several terms.

Henry Smith, a native of Ohio, settled in the township in 1845, was supervisor in 1849, and shortly afterwards removed to Oregon.

The following named persons settled at an early day : Perry Noggle, D. D. Hinman and W. K. White. Noggle located in sec- tion II and was supervisor for several years. Dr. Hinman was a physician located in the village, and also a supervisor of the town- ship. White was a farmer who located in section 9, and was also supervisor at one time.

The village of Galien was laid out by George A. Blakeslee in 1861, and was in- corporated in 1879. Mr. Blakeslee, who was the founder of the village, was a native of Pennsylvania, and came to the township of Galien in 1853. Here he operated a saw mill on the present site of the village in what was then a dense forest. Shortly after- wards he established a store of general mer- chandise. He purchased several thousand acres of land in the vicinity. This land was heavily timbered and furnished logs for Mr. Blakeslee's sawmill. For sev- eral years he was engaged in the manufact- ure of handles, manufacturing over one mil- lion five hundred thousand handles per year. He was the president of the village, for many years continuously from its organiza- tion, and a prominent leader of the Republi- can party in the county. He was a man of great native strength of character and en- ergy. He died in 1890. Edwin A. Blakes- lee, senator in the State Legislature from 1897 to 1901, and now a member of the State Board of Pardons, is a son of George A. Blakeslee.

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A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 36

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