A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 37

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 37

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In 1880 George A. Blakeslee established a banking business conducted by himself and son in connection with the store. This busi-

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

ness has been carried on in recent years by Edwin A. Blakeslee and Charles A. Clark, who married a daughter of George A. Blakeslee. Mr. Clark is now serving his sixth term as supervisor, and has been chair- man of the board of supervisors.

Among some of the prominent men who settled early in the township were Capt. S. A. Denison, Andrew Shearer, Timothy Smith, Capt. B. R. Stearns, Albert Clark, Henry Renberger and Cyrus Thurston.

Albert Clark was a native of Massachu- setts and settled in Galien in 1863. He was a man of ability and supervisor in 1867. He died in 1893. Charles A. Clark, previously referred to, is a son.

Captain Denison was an officer in the Union army during the Civil war and lo- cated upon a farm in Galien township short- ly after the close of the war. Here he lived till his death about two years ago. He was supervisor from 1871 to 1875.

B. R. Stearns was an officer in the Twelfth Michigan Regiment during the Civil war and shortly after its close settled in Galien, first locating on a farm. He sub- sequently kept a hotel in the village and en- gaged in other pursuits. He was supervisor from 1877 to 1887, sheriff of the county from 1887 to 1891, and a representative to the State Legislature in 1879.

Andrew Shearer settled in the village of Galien at an early date and engaged in the business of shoe making. He is still living in the village. He was supervisor from 1897 to 1900, and has held various local offices.

Cyrus Thurston settled in the township in 1855, and was prominent in the organi- zation of the church of the "Latter Day Saints." For many years he taught school. farming in the summer and teaching in the winter. In early life he had attended the State Normal School. He died a few years since at an advanced age.

Henry Renberger settled in the town- ship in 1851, living upon a farm till his

death in 1876. J. . 1. Renberger, a former supervisor of the township, is a son.

Zachariah Kinne, a native of New York. located in the township in 1865 and became a heavy land owner, acquiring about six hundred acres. He was an ordained min- ister of the Free Will Baptist Church, al- though he seldom preached.

The first steam sawmill in the township was built by Clapp & Cheney in 1851. In 1853, this passed into the hands of George A. Blakeslee. The Wolverine Handle Fac- tory was first started by the firm of Smith & Montross in the mill of Mr. Blakeslee. In 1868, Richard Montross, a member of that firm, built a factory for the manufact- ure of handles. For many years this es- tablishment did a heavy business employing over forty hands. Mr. Montross is still liv- ing at Galien.

CHURCHES.

The church of the Latter Day Saints was established at Galien by George A. Blakeslee, shortly after his settlement. They believe in the teachings of Joseph Smith and original Mormanism, but repudiate the doc- trines of Brigham Young and do not coun- tenance polygamy. They have no affilia- tion with the so-called Mormons of Salt Lake City. Mr. Blakeslee for many years prior to his death had the entire charge of the finances of this denomination and occa- sionally preached.

The Church of the Disciples was organ- ized in 1859 by Rev. William Roe.

The German Lutheran Church was or- ganized in 1866.

A class in the Methodist Church was or- ganized in the village in 1871.

The following persons have been super- visors of the township of Galien at the dates designated :

Wm. Burns 1844

Alvan Emery 1845

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

Wm. Burns

1846

W. K. White 1868

Alvan Emery

1847

Geo. Partridge

1 869-1870

Henry Smith

1849

S. A. Denison 1871-1875

J. P. Johnson

1850-1852

Geo. Partridge 1876

Perry Noggle

1853-1855

B. R. Sterns

1877-1887

D. D. Hinman

1856-1858

Melvin Smith

1888

Perry Noggle

1859-1860

Hiram Russ 1889

Geo. Partridge

1861

Melvin Smith 1890

Perry Noggle

1862-1863

J. A. Renberger

1891

Geo. Partridge

1864

Timothy Smith

1892-1894

W. K. White

1865

E. A. Blakeslee

1895-1896

Geo. Partridge

1866

Andrew Shearer

1897-1900

Albert Clark

1867

Chas. A. Clark

1901-1906

CHAPTER XXVI

HAGAR.

This township is situated in the north- ception of the year 1901. Mr. Kingsland west part of the county, and is small in area, had previously served four years, making in all nineteen terms. containing only about twenty sections. It is bounded on the north by Van Buren county, on the east by Watervliet, on the south by Benton and on the west by Lake Michigan. The lake bends in to the east- ward about four miles from its southwest to its northwest corner.

It was originally a portion of St. Joseph township, but was set off as a separate town- ship in 1846. It was the latest township to be settled up and as late as 1854 contained but 269 inhabitants. Its history must nec- essarily be brief.

Emigration began to pour in between 1860 and 1870, and between these two periods, its population was doubled. In late years, it has gone into fruit culture exten- sively, and one of the largest orchards in the county is situated in the northern part of the township owned by William Mueller.

At the first township election in April, 1846, Alfred Sensebaugh was elected su- pervisor ; William C. Allen, clerk; William Scott, treasurer, and Rosswell Curtis, jus- tice of the peace.

The township is noted for having had but two supervisors for the last twenty- seven years, with the exception of one year. E. L. Kingsland served from 1879 to 1893 continuously. J. S. Caldwell has served from 1893 to the present time, with the ex-

The first person who located in the town- ship was Henry Hawley, a Canadian, who. in the spring of 1839, entered one hundred and sixty acres in section twenty-three and lived on it with his family but a short time. He became dissatisfied and left the county before making any improvements except building a log cabin.

The first permanent settler was Charles Lamb, of Vermont, who located on section twenty-three in the summer of 1839. He died in 1846. In the winter of 1839, Ma- thias Farnum, who had settled in St. Joseph in 1836, and worked at his trade as a car- penter and builder, located in section thir- teen. He ran a sawmill for a few years in Van Buren county, where he had purchased three hundred and sixty acres of land. He lived for a few years in Benton Harbor, but returned to his farm some years before his death, which occurred in 1884.

Mr. Farnum and Alex. Fitch built a steam sawmill in the forties. This was the first sawmill in the township and for many years the only one.

James Bunday, from Ohio, was the third settler who located in section fourteen in 1831. A log school house was built upon his lands shortly after his settlement. This was afterwards supplanted by a good struct-

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

ure known as the "Bunday School House." This school was the only one in the town- ship for several years. Mr. Bunday lived on his farm till his death in 1872.

The next settler was William McCrea who settled in 1838 in St. Joseph. In 1841 he located in section fourteen, Hagar town- ship. He lived here till 1849 when he was killed by the fall of a tree.

The daughter of Mr. McCrea, Mary Jane, who married Thomas Muldoon, was the first white child born in Hagar. She was born in May, 1841. Alfred Sense- baugh came shortly after. He was a minis- ter and the first supervisor of the township. In 1845, Isaac Finch moved to Hagar with his family among which were his sons, Isaac, Jr., and Alexis, who purchased lands. Isaac Finch died in 1853.

About this period, A. S. Bishop, Philip Farney, Benjamin Harris, Uriah Harris, Asabel Hayes, Sylvanus Cook, Stephen Cook, J. T. Wisner, Jeremiah Smith, Ros- well Curtis, James Stewart, William Scott, and Robert Merriford settled in the town- ship.

Mr. Bishop was a native of New York, first settled in Bainbridge township, but re- moved to Hagar in 1848. He became a prominent man in the township and was su- pervisor for several terms.

Stephen Cook acquired a large tract of land and became supervisor of the township.

Scott and Hayes were supervisors.

CHURCHES.

The first church organized in the town- ship was the Methodist Episcopal which was established in 1859. The Congregational- ists combined with them for some time, a Methodist minister preaching part of the time and a Congregationalist minister at other times.

A Free Will Baptist Church was organ- ized in 1863, which after a few years seems to have been dissolved.

A Christian Church was organized in 1877 by Rev. Reason Davis.

The first school teacher in the township was Matilda Irwin, who taught in 1844 in a log school house, subsequently supplanted by a good structure known as the Bunday school house.

The largest fruit orchard in Hagar and one of the largest in the county is located in the northwest part of the county and is owned by William Mueller. The whole farm consists of five hundred and sixty-five acres, of which one hundred and sixty are fruit bearing. There are one hundred and twenty acres of peach bearing trees, ten acres in grapes and the remainder in apples, pears, plums and cherry trees.

Among the prominent men who came later, but resided in the township, should be mentioned E. L. Kingsland and Josiah Cald- well.

E. L. Kingsland moved into Hagar in 1865, but began work there by labor for Stephen Cook for $14.00 a month. He sub- sequently purchased the farm of Cook and still owns it. Mr. Kingsland was supervi- sor of the township from 1867 to 1870 and from 1879 to 1893, or nineteen terms alto- gether. For several years he was chairman of the Board of Supervisors. He was the county superintendent of schools from 1871 to 1875, serving two terms. He was elected to the State House of Representa- tives in 1892 and re-elected in 1894. He was liberally educated and has been a promi- nent leader of the Republican party in the county. He is now residing in St. Joseph.

Josiah Caldwell, the present supervisor, has also held that position, for many terms, from 1893 to 1900 and from 1902 to the present time.

His father, Joseph Caldwell, was one of the earliest pioneers of Berrien county, pur- chasing a piece of land on the Paw Paw river in Benton township in 1834 and locat- ing on it in 1835. He acquired some six hundred acres in Benton and Hagar town-

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

ships. Josiah Caldwell many years ago moved upon a portion of his father's land in Hagar and has been a representative farmer and fruit grower.

The following have been supervisors of Hagar township :

A. Sinsebaugh 1847

Wm. Scott 1848

I. K. Finch

1849-1852

Geo. Johnson 1853-1855

Asabel Hays 1856

G. S. Andrews 1857

Sprague Bishop 1858-1863

Stephen Cook

1864

Albert Swift

1866

E. L. Kingsland 1867-1870

H. N. Sheldon 1871

G. S. Andrews 1872

H. N. Sheldon 1873

A. S. Bishop 1874

H. N. Sheldon 1875

DeWitt Guy 1876-1878

E. L. Kingsland

1879-1893

J. S. Caldwell

1893-1900

F. M. Eaman

190I

J. S. Caldwell

1902-1906

ORVILLE W. COOLIDGE, the author of the historical sketch in this volume, was born at Edwardsburg, Cass county, Michi- gan, October 9, 1839. He graduated in the literary department of Michigan University in 1863 and at the Cambridge Law School in 1865. In the latter year he went into the practice of his profession with his father, Henry H. Coolidge. In 1870 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Berrien county. In 1890 and 1891 mayor of the city of Niles. and in 1893 judge of the second judicial circuit of Michigan. He was subsequently re-elected in 1899 and 1905 and is now serv- ing his third term.

In 1867 he was married to Katie, daugh- ter of Moses Pettengill. a prominent marble dealer in Niles. Three children were born to this union, all of whom are now living. viz. : Claudine, who has been a teacher : Clarence, who is an attorney in Chicago; and Orrill, who is the present librarian of the Carnegie library in Niles.

The parents of Mr. Coolidge were early

pioneers of western Michigan. Henry H. Coolidge, the father, was born in Leominster county, Massachusetts, and was educated at Amherst College. From 1833 to 1836 he taught music at Montreal. In the latter year he came to Niles and clerked for a time in the dry goods store of G. W. Hoffmann. During the next year he removed to El- wardsburg. Cass county, and was married to Sarah AA. Mead, the daughter of Henry Mead, who had emigrated from Chautauqua county, New York, to Beardsley's Prairie in 1837. Subsequently Mr. Coolidge studied law and became prosecuting attorney of Cass county in 1852. In 1859 he removed to .Niles. In 1867 he was chosen a member of the State constitutional convention, and in 1872 circuit judge of the Second judicial circuit of Michigan. The latter position he held for six years, when he resigned and resumed his practice, which he continued till a few weeks before his death in 1884. His widow died a few months after.

Three children survived : Orville W .. Helen E., who died in 1903, and Emily M .. who married Charles A. Chapin, now of Chicago.

Henry H. Coolidge was a man of great native strength and force of character. As a lawyer he excelled in the careful prepara- tion of his cases for trial and was never taken by surprise. He had an immense practice before he occupied the bench. As a judge he acquired the respect and esteem of the attorneys by his ability and impartiality, and by his courtesy to the members of the bar. He was a Republican politically, and was a delegate to the convention under the oaks at Jackson in 1854 when the Repub- lican party was first organized.

He was an active member of the Pres- byterian Church for forty-five years, always attending and frequently addressing its de- votional meetings when at home. He was a teacher in the Sunday-school and for many years before his death had a large Bible class of adults.

He was fond of music, having for many years taught music. In his earlier years he conversed fluently in the French language. which he learned while teaching among French families at Montreal.

Q. Nowledge

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

JOHN E. DE MOTT. John E. De Mott is a prominent and well known early settler, who has been a witness of the coun- ty's developement from a pioneer epoch in its history to the present day of progress and prosperity, and as the years have gone by he has contributed to the sum total of busi- ness advancement through his connection with farming interests. He resides on sec- tion seven, Niles township, where he has a good farm property. His birth occurred in Orleans county, New York, August II, 1830. His father, Thomas De Mott, a na- tive of Madison county, New York, was born March 4, 1800, and was of French de- scent. A farmer by occupation, he devoted his entire life to the tilling of the soil and removed from his native county to Orleans county, New York, where he died on the 30th of December, 1861, when in his sixty- second year. He married Miss Lucy Worth, a native of New York, born March 5, 1798. She lived to be about forty-eight years of age, passing away on the 10th of June, 1846. They were married March 12, 1828, and be- came the parents of five children, three of whom reached adult age.

John E. De Mott is the only member of the family now living. He was reared in his native state, acquired his education in the district schools and in an academy, and thus having more than the ordinary school privi- lege, he afterward engaged in teaching school, entering upon the active work of the profession when about nineteen years of age. In 1849 he came west and taught school in Berrien county, being one of the early edu- cators of this part of the state. He after- ward returned to his native place and was married on the 6th of April, 1853, to Miss Catherine Herkimer, a daughter of Jacob and Mary (Swobe) Herkimer. Mrs. De Mott was born in Montgomery county, New York, and was a distant relative of General Herkimer of Revolutionary fame and one of the distinguished citizens of the Empire state. Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. De Mott remained residents of Orleans county, New York, until 1855, when they removed to Berrien county, Michigan, lo-

cating first on Portage Prairie, where they remaining for a year. They afterward lived upon a rented farm in Niles township and about 1861 Mr. De Mott bought the farm where he now lives. He engaged in teaching school in the winter months for about five years and was thus early associated with the educational development of this part of the state. The summer seasons were devoted to the work of the fields and throughout the intervening years he has continued his agricultural pursuits and is now the owner of two hundred and forty acres of well improved land, his being the banner farm of the township. He has added to his possessions from time to time as his financial resources have increased and he has carried on his farm work in keeping with modern ideas of progress and improvement in agricultural lines.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. De Mott have been born eight children: Thomas E., a promi- nent farmer of Niles township; Luella J. and Lizzie C., both of whom are deceased ; Anna B., the wife of Henry L. Sanford, of Oswego county, New York ; Lucy Mary, de- ceased ; Mary Alice, the wife of George M. Rowlee, a farmer of Niles township; Lottie, the wife of Charles E. Fisk, of Chicago; and Harry J., also of Niles city. All were born in Berrien county with the exception of Thomas, whose birth occurred in Orleans county, New York, before the parents re- moved to Michigan.

Mr. De Mott has been closely identified with the work of making Berrien county what it is today and has resided within its borders for about a half century. He and his wife are well known as worthy pioneer citi- zens here and they have celebrated their fifty-third wedding anniversary. They are members of the Presbyterian Church at Bu- chanan, Michigan, in which Mr. De Mott has served as elder and trustee, and in the work of the church he has taken an interested and helpful part, doing all in his power to promote its growth and extend its influence. He votes with the Democracy and served as supervisor by appointment. He has also been school inspector and public affairs are

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

to him a matter of deep interest and concern, lie manifesting at all times a public-spirited citizenship that promoted active co-operation in measures for the general good.

MITCHEL ALEXANDER, living on section six, Niles township, where he has a good farming property, was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, May 10, 1831. His father, A. M. Alexander, was also a native of that county, born in the year 1799, of Scotch parentage, his grandfather having been a native of Scotland. On leaving the Keystone state he removed to Vermilion county, Indiana, and afterward became a res- ident of Miami county, Ohio, where he lived until coming to Berrien county, Michigan, in 1845. He located in Buchanan township and in the latter part of his life devoted his ener- gies to farming but was a wagon-maker by trade and followed that pursuit in his earlier years. He married Sarah Ann Van Pelt, a native of Trenton, New Jersey, born in 1799, and a daughter of Joshua and Frances Van Pelt. The death of A. M. Alexander oc- curred in 1899 when he was in his ninetieth year, and his wife passed away in 1881, when in her eighty-second year. They were the parents of nine children, three sons and six daughters, of whom two died in infancy.

Mitchel Alexander was a youth of about fourteen years when he came with his par- ents to Berrien county and his education was continued in the district schools of Niles township. He remained at home until after he had attained his majority and the occupa- tion of farming became very familiar to him, as he assisted in the work of field and meadow. On the 15th of October, 1858, he made arrangements for having a home of his own by his marriage to Miss Rosina Snyder, who was born at what is now Buchanan township, September 4, 1836. She is a daughter of John and Phebe (Maddren) Snyder, very early settlers of southwestern Michigan. Her father was born in Penn- sylvania and her mother in North Carolina and their marriage was celebrated at White Water, Indiana. It was in the year 1828 that Mr. Snyder came to Berrien county and entered land on what is now section two,

Buchanan township. This county was then an almost unbroken wilderness, in which there were large tracts of timber land through which no roads had been cut, while the streams were unbridged and the work of civilization and development scarcely begun. Mr. Snyder soon removed his family to the farm, where he built a log house and in true pioneer style began life, sharing in the hard- ships, privations, experiences and pleasures incident to a settlement upon the frontier. He continued to give his attention to general ag- ricultural pursuits for many years with the result that he developed a good farm prop- erty, upon which he remained up to the time of his death at the age of eighty-three years. His wife was seventy-eight years of age at the time of her demise. In their family were ten children, six daughters and four sons, all of whom reached adult age and were mar- ried. Mrs. Alexander was the fourth of the ten children. She has been a life-long resident of Berrien county and has been familiar with its history in the different phases of development and growth for many years.

At the time of their marriage, the young couple located in a little log house just west of their present home in what is now Bu- chanan township. They remained there for seven years, at the end of which time he traded his farm for the place which is now his home and the only move that he has ever made is when he took up his abode on this farm in 1866. His time and labors have been devoted untiringly to the development and cultivation of his land and as a farmer he is energetic and enterprising, making a good property through his close application and untiring effort.

Mr. and Mrs. Alexander have no chil- dren of their own but have reared a niece. The present farin comprises seventy-seven acres of land, which is rich and productive, having been brought under a high state of cultivation. In politics he is a Democrat where national issues are involved, but at local elections casts an independent ballot. Fifty-five years have come and gone since he located in Berrien county and many changes have been wrought by time and

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY

man. He has borne his full share in the work of agricultural progress and as the re- sult of his untiring effort is now a substan- tial farmer with good property interests that yield him a comfortable living.

GEORGE HANLEY is a prominent and successful farmer living on section 27, Buch- anan township. He was born in Tompkins county, New York, December 25, 1843. His father, Peter Hanley, was a native of Ireland, where he remained until about twenty-two years of age. He married then and came to America in 1836, attracted by the broader business opportunities and advantages of the new world. Hoping to benefit his finan- cial condition he bade adieu to friends and native country and sailed for New York. He located in Tompkins county of the Em- pire state, where he followed farming until he made his way westward in 1848, at which time he located in Fulton county, Ohio, where he spent his remaining days, dying at the age of sixty-five years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Nancy Judge, was also a native of Tompkins county, New York, and her last days were passed in Ohio, she being sixty-four years of age at the time of her demise. By her marriage she has be- come the mother of ten children, one daugh- ter and nine sons, but only five of the num- ber reached years of maturity, while four are living at this writing, in the summer of 1906.

George Hanley, the fourth child and fourth son in the family, was seven years of age when his parents removed to Fulton county, Ohio, where he resided until seven- teen years of age. In that time he acquired a good public school education. When a youth of seventeen he enlisted in behalf of his country in October, 1861, as a member of Company A, Sixty-seventh Ohio Volun- teen Infantry, joining the army as a private. He served until the close of the war and was promoted to sergeant. His military experi- ence brought his much arduous service. He took part in the battle of Winchester, Vir- ginia, under Generals Shield and Jackson, and on the 13th of April, 1862, was in the engagement at Mount Jackson, Virginia,

and the 4th of July of the same year he met the enemy in battle at Harrison's Landing; was at Morrison's Island, South Carolina, July 10, 1863 ; at Fort Wagner, South Caro- lina, July 18, 1863; at Chester Station, Vir- ginia, May 10, 1864; Bermuda Hundred, Virginia, July 19 and 20, 1864; and in the charge in front of Petersburg in 1865. The same year he took part in the engagement at Sailor's Creek and was in many lesser bat- tles. After the surrender of Lee he was mustered out on the 9th of May, 1865. He never sustained a wound although he was in many hotly contested engagements and at the close of the war but seven of his com- pany of one hundred and ten men returned. Mr. Hanley served for four years and two months and the only time that he was off active duty was two weeks spent at Craney Island, Virginia. With this exception he was on daily duty during the war and was never neglectful of any task assigned him. An intrepid soldier, brave and fearless, he made a splendid military record. He re-en- listed in October, 1863, in the same com- pany and regiment and at the close of the war he came to Berrien county, Michigan, in 1865. He bought a farm in Niles town- ship at the bend of the river, two miles from Buchanan, where he spent twenty years, de- voting his time and energies to general agri- cultural pursuits. In 1885 he sold out and bought another farm three miles northwest of Buchanan, on which he lived for about fourteen years. He then purchased his pres- ent farm, on which he located. He still owns the farm north of Buchanan, however, and thus has two valuable properties in this county.

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A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan, Part 37

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