USA > Michigan > Cass County > A twentieth century history of Cass County, Michigan > Part 27
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Only five years younger in years at the time of his death was the late Dr. Alonzo Garwood, whose professional connection with Cass county was only a little less than that of Dr. Tompkins. Coming to Cass county in 1850, the close of a long life came July 1, 1903. He
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was born October 15, 1824, in Logan county, Ohio, pursued his studies under the direction of a physician in his native county, later attended, under the preceptor system, the well known Starling Medical College, and on his graduation came directly to Cassopolis. Dr. Garwood gave considerable attention to public affairs, especially local school interests, and was of such political prominence that he was sent to the state senate in 1857. He was surgeon of the 28th regiment, Michigan infantry. during the Civil war.
The list of Cassopolis physicians, past and present, is a long one. There was Richard M. Wilson, an early representative of the Eclectic school, who was here in the fifties. Alonzo B. Treadwell, well rement bered by many in the county, began practice in the year that Dr. Wilson left, and continued for ten years, until his death in 1874. He had a varied career, was largely self-educated, served in the army, and died in the prime of years. For awhile he was partner with Drs. Tompkins and Kelsey. The latter, William J. Kelsey, father of the present Dr. J. H. Kelsey, had high professional connection in this county, and was a man of acknowledged ability. He was born in this county in 1839, and was a graduate of Rush Medical College in 1865.
Other names that occur are those of Drs. Robert Patterson, Fred- erick F. Sovereign, F. P. Hoy, J. D. Mater, each of whom remained but a short time.
Dr. James S. Stapleton, born in Cassopolis in 1867, graduated from Hahnemann Medical College, in Chicago, and located in his native town, where he remained until his removal to Jones, where he die 1 August 13, 1898.
Oliver W. Hatch, born in Medina county, Ohio, July 28. 1825. came to Mason township, Cass county, with his parents, in 1837. attended the early district schools and also a select school taught by the late Judge H. H. Coolidge at Edwardsburg. and received his medical edu- cation by private study, at the LaPorte Medical College and at Rush Medical College in Chicago, where he spent his last term in 1848. He practiced at Georgetown, Ill., three years, then at Mishawaka, Ind., six months, after which he located in Mason township and was a practicing physician there until 1903, when he retired and moved to Cassopolis, where he still resides, being the oldest physician in the county.
Dr. Bulhand, who died at Union September II. 1905, was noted for his sympathy and strength of character, as well as his ability as a practitioner. He was absolutely frank, and never used his profession
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except according to its own ethics and the standards of personal integ- rity. He retired before his death, having practiced about twenty years, and lived on his farm in Calvin.
Down at Edwardsburg Dr. Israel G. Bughee for many years com- bined his professional duties with business and official affairs. He was born in Vermont in 1814, studied medicine in Cass county and in a New York medical college, and practiced in Edwardsburg from 1840 to 1860. He died in 1878.
Among the contemporaries of Dr. Bugbee were Dr. Alvord, Dr. John Treat, Dr. Enos Penwell, and several others. Within the last four years there died in Edwardsburg Dr. John B. Sweetland, whose con- nection with that village lasted forty years. A graduate of the Uni- versity of Buffalo and a first-class physician, he was just as much a man of affairs. He served as a private and a surgeon during the war, was politically active and represented this county in the legislature, and his versatile character also led him into journalism, becoming editor and publisher of the Edwardsburg Argus. Dr. Sweetland was born in New York in 1834.
Another Edwardsburg physician, now deceased, was Levi Aldrich. He was born in Erie county, New York, January 27, 1820, and gradu- ated in medicine in 1849. He located in Edwardsburg in the early sixties, and remained there till his death.
Dr. Robert S. Griffin, born in Erie county, New York, September 25, 1828, came to the village, and at the age of nineteen years began the study of medicine with Dr. Lockwood, and afterwards attended the Medical college at LaPorte, Ind., and at different times practiced a number of years in Edwardsburg. He died there December 27, 1905.
The Cass County History of 1882 states that fifty physicians had practiced in Dowagiac from the time of its establishment as a village. Many have located there since that date. Manifestly no complete record of these could be here compiled. The majority remained a more or less brief time, and of these only the names are preserved.
The first Dowagiac doctor seems to have been somewhat of an original character. It is related that, in a case of fever where the patient was not expected to live, he summoned Fred Werz, the village fiddler, to the bedside and commanded him to remain there day and night and fiddle his most inspiriting tunes when the patient had sink- ing spells. The doubly afflicted one recovered. This story notwithstand- ing. Dr. Thomas Brayton was a much loved physician. He began
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practice in the village about the middle of the last century and con- tinued until his death in a railroad accident during the sixties.
Another eccentric practitioner was a Dr. Jarvis, whose ability as a drayman was as conspicuous as his skill in setting bones. It is said that for some time he drove a bull or steer to his vehicle instead of a horse.
Dr. C. W. Morse, now deceased, was for a number of years in practice at Dowagiac, and part of the time was in the drug business.
Few of the old-time doctors were better known than Dr. C. P. Prindle, who died at Dowagiac August 2, 1876, at the age of fifty-one years. He obtained his education and professional training in his native state of New York, and came to Michigan to find his field of labor about 1850. Finally, in 1855, he located at Dowagiac and practiced there until his death. He was a rugged and forceful character, both in his profession and as a citizen. Like Dr. Tompkins, he spent much of his time in the saddle, and wherever and whenever duty called him he went without thought of his personal convenience. He had a deep dislike for ostentation and superficial learning, and in practice, as in his per- sonal relations, was direct. earnest, and withal sympathetic. The esteem in which he was held is shown by the fact that during his funeral the stores and business houses of Dowagiac were closed.
A physician who attained high rank in his profession was William E. Clarke, now deceased, who spent some of the younger years of his career in Dowagiac. He went to the army from this town, had an eventful record as a surgeon, and after the war moved to Chicago.
The first representative of the eclectic school of medicine in Dowa- giac and Cass county was Cyrus J. Curtis. Born in New York state in 1819, he died at Dowagiac April 21, 1875. He studied medicine and was a graduate of the Worthington Medical College of Ohio, and prac- ticed in various parts of the country until December, 1864, when he located at Dowagiac. Here he restricted his practice to the treatment of chronic diseases. The names of those who were associated with him in practice for varying lengths of time indicate several other well known Dowagiac physicians; these were S. T. McCandless. D. B. Sturgis. William Flora, Linus Daniels, H. S. McMaster, and his son, E. A. Cur- tis.
The medical profession of the early days had few regulations, either imposed by the state or inherent in the fraternity. The strict code of professional ethics which now governs with greater power than
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any system of law had been scarcely formulated at that time. There were no requirements as to length and extent of preparation. Anyone who had enough faith in his own knowledge and skill could set himself 11p> in practice. Herbs and roots supplied the materia medica which, according to certain formulas, were decocted by certain persons for the healing of man or beast, and several of these so-called "herb doctors" achieved some distinction in the county. One of these was Dr. . A. J. Boughton, whose practice extended over a large territory. "Dr." Whitehead. an Indian "medicine man," who located at Dowagiac in the sixties, practiced the "herb art" among such persons as relied on that form of healing.
James D. Taylor was a homeopathic practitioner in Dowagiac from 1858 until his death in 1871. Dr. J. H. Wheeler, who practiced in Dowagiac from 1867 to 1877, the year of his death, was an early settler of the county, having come here in 1835. He was a surveyor, and began the study of medicine during his leisure hours. Other Dowagiac physicians whose work here has been closed by death or removal, were I. V. Rouse, deceased; E. C. Prindle, son of Dr. C. P. Prindle, who has located elsewhere: E. A. Curtis. now of Chicago, besides those whose connection with the city was transient. Dr. Edward S. Stebbins, now (leceased, located here in 1868, and devoted much of his time to special- ties, particularly the then new science of electro-therapeutics.
Each of the smaller villages has had its medical representatives. In Vandalia the first physician was Dr. A. L. Thorp, who settled there in 1849, and whose death occurred in Mishawaka, Indiana, only a few years ago. The doctor who was longest in practice in Vandalia was Leander Osborn, who was born in 1825 and who died in June, 1901. He taught school in early life, received his impulse to study medicine from Dr. F. J. Bonine, and completing his studies in Rush Medical College, he began practice in the village in 1853. He was also interested in politics, being in several local offices, and in 1866 was elected to the legislature.
In Pokagon the principal former representatives were John Robert- son and Charles P. Wells. The former was born in New York in 1825. and, coming to the county in 1848, practiced at Sumnerville and Pokagon until failing health compelled him to abandon active work. Dr. Wells was born in New York in 1834, and his father was one of the first set- tlers of Howard township in this county. He was a graduate of a Cin- cinnati medical college. and in 1865 located at Pokagon. where he had
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the first drug store in the village and carried on his practice for many years.
At Jones there was Dr. Thomas L. Blakeley, who, after three years' service in the war of the rebellion, took up the study of medicine, and in 1872 located at Jones, being the first physician of that place. He also conducted a drug store. Otis Moor, deceased, a graduate of the Rush Medical College in 1872, was for some years located at Williams- ville.
The personnel of the medical profession of Cass county at this writing is as follows :
Cassopolis-T. W. Anderson, M. H. Criswell, Fairfield Goodwin, Marion Holland, G. A. Hughes, J. H. Kelsey, W. C. Mccutcheon, H. H. Phillips, and Dr. R. H. von Kotsch.
Dowagiac-William W. Easton, George W. Green, George R. Herkimer, J. H. Jones, W. J. Ketcham, S. H. McMaster, C. M. Myers, William E. Parker, Clarence S. Robinson, M. P. White.
Marcellus-C. E. Davis and Ernest Shellito.
Vandalia-S. L. Loupee, E. C. Dunning, Otis E. Newsom.
Edwardsburg-E. W. Tonkin and E. B. Criswell.
Pokagon-Charles A. Morgan and William A. Skeler.
Jones-C. C. Fenstermacher, J. V. Blood.
Union-Edgar A. Planck.
Penn-J. C. Huntsinger.
Wakelee-Edward Wilson.
Calvin-John Harris, U. S. Kirk.
Adamsville-William F. Lockwood.
In Cassopolis Dr. Anderson is probably the ranking physician in point of seniority. Dr. Criswell (see sketch ) has been located here since 1900, although he has practiced in the county much longer. Dr. Good- win, now retired from active practice, was captain of a company of Michigan cavalry in the rebellion and did not complete his medical edu- cation until after the war. He began his practice in Cassopolis in 1874. and has been active in business, especially in real estate, as well as in his profession. He built Hotel Goodwin and is its landlord.
Dr. Holland, who came to Cassopolis from Edwardsburg in 1895, was a graduate of the medical department of the State University in 1875, and from the dental department in 1877. He located in Edwards- burg in 1880 and conducted a drug store in connection with a general practice.
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Dr. G. A. Hughes, who has practiced here for the past thirty years, was reared in St. Joseph county, this state. He is a specialist in eye, nose and throat diseases, besides a general practice.
J. H. Kelsey, the successor in practice of his father. Dr. W. J., was born in Cassopolis October 3, 1878, graduated from the medical depart- ment of the State University and has since practiced in Cassopolis.
W. C. Mccutcheon, whose sketch will be found elsewhere, has been practicing in Cassopolis since 1894. He was prepared at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons at Kingston, Ontario, and gradu- ated from Queen's University. On coming to Cassopolis he was a part- ner of Dr. Goodwin for a time, and has also served two years as county physician.
Dr. H. H. Phillips, who is one of the oldest practicing physicians in the county, was born and reared in New York, served in the Civil war from Minnesota, and from that state came to Cass county in March. 1866. He has been engaged in general practice since the spring of 1868. and until ten years ago was located at Vandalia.
Dr. P. H. von Kotsch is a recent addition to the ranks of the pro- fession in Cass county.
Dr. W. W. Easton, who has been a resident of Cass county nearly all his life, and in Dowagiac since 1880, was born in Silver Creek township in 1853, attended Notre Dame University and graduated from Bennett Medical College in 1877.
Dr. George R. Herkimer, homeopath at Dowagiac, was born at Niles in 1866, attended Albion College and the University of Michigan, and since graduation from the Hahnemann College at Chicago in 1890 has been located in Dowagiac.
Dr. J. H. Jones, who was born in New York in 1861 and caine to this state at twenty-one, taught school and graduated from the Uni- versity of Michigan in 1893, and since 1804 has been practicing in Dowagiac.
Dr. W. J. Ketcham, born in New York City in 1850, came to this county in 1860, read medicine with C. P. Prindle, graduated from the medical department of the University of Michigan in 1875, and after several years' practice in Volinia located permanently at Dowagiac.
Dr. H. S. McMaster was born in New York in 1842. Served in the war, studied at Alhion College, prepared for his profession in several " schools, finally graduating from Bennett Medical College of Chicago. and located at Dowagiac in 1871, being the first city physician there.
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Dr. C. M. Myers, who was born in Pokagon township in 1864, studied at Valparaiso, taught school in country and town, and followed a year's private study with three years in the Chicago Hahnemann Med- ical College.
Dr. Clarence S. Robinson is another Cass county alumnus of the Bennett Medical College, from which he was graduated in 1880. He then located at Volinia and in 1894 in Dowagiac. Dr. Robinson was born in Wakarusa, Indiana.
Dr. M. P. White, who has practiced at Dowagiac since 1886, was born near Wakelee, this county, was a student at the Valparaiso Nor- mal. and graduated at the medical department of Northwestern Univer- sity. He began practice at Wakelee.
Dr. W. E. Parker has been practicing in Dowagiac for nearly twenty years. Born in Jefferson township in this county in 1854. he studied with Tompkins and Kelsey, and in 1879 graduated from Rush Medical College. He practiced in Cassopolis four years and in Three Rivers five years, and since then has been in Dowagiac except one year. In 1891 he graduated from the Post-Graduate Medical School of Chicago, where he specialized in the diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat, and gives attention to this branch besides his general practice.
At Marcellus Dr. C. E. Davis is the senior physician. He was born in Ohio in 1846, came to Cass county in 1861. served in the Civil war, and in 1869 began practice, which was interrupted by two years of study in the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated in 1873. He has been located in Marcellus since 1874.
Dr. Charles A. Morgan of Pokagon has been established in that vicinity since his graduation from the medical department of the State University in 1871. He is a native of Wales, came to Cass county when seven years old, and took part in the war of the rebellion.
Dr. Donald A. Link, whose death occurred by drowning in On- tario August 15. 1906, was born in that province of Canada October 22, 1865, studied medicine at McGill University and graduated from Detroit College of Medicine in 1895. after which he came to Cassopolis. He spent two years in the Klondike, and on his return in 1900, located in Volinia, where he practiced till his death.
The majority of the physicians in the smaller centers are young men who have recently located in practice, although this statement in no way reflects upon their ability and standing in the profession. As indicated
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in the list above given, all portions of the county are represented by medical men. Calvin township, with its large colored population, is served by two colored physicians.
The practice of dentistry is no longer a subordinate branch of a regular physician's practice, but has attained the rank of a separate pro- fession. Its requirements in the way of natural ability and technical preparation are constantly being raised, so that the dentistry of today compares with that of twenty years ago about as the delicate work of the watchmaker compares with that of the blacksmith. Cass county's representatives in this profession are the following named: Cyrus H. Funk, Farnum Brothers ( S. A. and S. J.), C. W. Martin, of Cassopolis.
Physicians of this day acknowledge and appreciate the value of pro- fessional association. The bonds of common interest and mutual help- fulness are being drawn more closely in the numerous organizations whose membership is drawn exclusively from the ranks of the profession. The Cass County Medical Society was established some years ago as an independent body, but has in recent times been affiliated with the State Medical Society and. thereby, also with the American Medical Associa- tion. Thus it has the same constitution and by-laws as all similar so- cities in the counties of the state.
Dr. E. A. Planck of Union is the president of the Cass County Medical Society for 1906; the secretary is Dr. Mccutcheon of Cassopo- lis. The society meets once each three months, their time of meeting being technically defined as the last Thursday following the full moon in December, March, June and September. It is the general practice to have papers on two medical subjects read at each meeting, followed by discussions. Important cases are often brought up for clinical discus- sion. The membership of the society includes a majority of the active practitioners in the county.
Though the present system of co-ordination of county medical so- cities and their affiliation with the state and national central bodies is of comparatively recent date, the history of medical organization in Cass county goes back more than half a century. The first medical so- ciety in the county was organized in August, 1851. Of course, similar objects have been proposed as the practical purposes of such societies, whatever their date, namely, the advancement of the professional stand- ard, social intercourse and the establishment of a schedule of charges for services.
The officers of the first Cass County Medical Society were: Pres-
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ident, Dr. D. E. Brown; vice president, Dr. Henry Lockwood; secre- tary, Dr. Alonzo Garwood; treasurer, Dr. E. Penwell; standing commit- tee, Drs. I. G. Bugbee, J. Allen and B. Wells.
This first organization in time ceased its functional activity. More than twenty-five years from the date of its founding another society was formed. The first officers elected, for the year 1877-78, were: Presi- dent, Dr. W. C. Morse; vice presidents, Drs. A. Garwood, L. Osborn. R. Patterson : secretary, Dr. W. J. Kelsey; treasurer, J. B. Sweetland.
The charter members of this society, besides those just named, were : Drs. L. D. Tompkins, F. Goodwin, J. Robertson, Edward Prindle, H. H. Phillips, Otis Moor, W. J. Ketcham, O. W. Hatch.
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CHAPTER XX. THE CASS COUNTY BAR.
The bar of Cass county has never lacked men of distinction by reason of sound ability, depth of learning, forensic skill, and active, virile character. Such men have honored the profession, have upheld the dig- nity of law and its institutions, and have been the strongest guarantee of healthful progress in all the lines of human activity. So broad is the field of modern jurisprudence, so peculiar and vital its expression and practice, that its ablest representatives are by no means confined to one locality, nor any one locality necessarily without several leaders in coun- sel and court practice. It is not our purpose here to state the distinctive merits of the various representatives of the county bar, both past and present, but rather to mention briefly those who have represented their profession, if not always in an eminent degree, at least with that share of success and honor which has made their names worthy of record in the history of the county.
While the pioneers of the Cass county bar have, of course, passed away, there are those of the present members to do them honor because of personal and professional association during the intermediate genera- tion while the first lawyers were going to their decline and the younger legal aspirants were attaining seasoned and successful activity. Two names are mentioned as the "first lawyers" of Cass county, designating men who were not less useful in civic and business life than in the law.
The first of these, Alexander H. Redfield, was born in Ontario coun- tv, New York, October 24, 1805. \ college-bred man, having spent three years in Hamilton College and graduating from Union College in 1820, he studied law and was admitted to practice in the supreme court of New York in July, 1831. and in the following month arrived in Cass county. As elsewhere related, he was one of the original propri- etors of the site of Cassopolis, helped lay out the village and secure the location of the county seat, and was the first postmaster. He took part in the Black Hawk war as a colonel in the Michigan militia. He was a business man as much as a lawyer, and his operations in real estate took an increasing amount of his time and attention. He was also drawn
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into the swirl of politics. In 1847, after sixteen years of residence in Cass county. he was elected to represent the fourteenth district in the Michi- gan senate, and his subsequent removal to Detroit deprived Cass county of its first lawyer and one of its ablest pioneer men of affairs. There- after, until his death in 1860, he was almost continuously devoted to public and political activity. Mr. Redfield was noted for his method- ical business and professional habits, and his ability to pursue a rigid routine of details was given as a chief cause of his success.
Associated with .1. H. Redfield in the formative events of Cassopo- lis' early history was another native of New York state, but a somewhat earlier settler of Cass county. Born in Oneida county in 1803, Elias B. Sherman came to the territory of Michigan in 1825, was admitted to the bar in Ann Arbor in 1829, and in September of the same year made his first acquaintance with Cass county. He and MIr. Redfield were attor- neys in the first court of the county. He was the only prosecuting at- torney the county had during the territorial period of Michigan. He was appointed to the office in November. 1829, and at the first popular elec- tion after the granting of statehood in 1836 was chosen to the office by general suffrage. He was the leading county official during the first years. He held the office of district surveyor six years, from 1830, and, dating from his appointment in March, 1831, was Cass county's probate judge until 18.40. He was more of a trusted and honored public official than a lawyer, and in later years directed much of his attention to farm- ing. His death occurred November 14. 1890.
In those years of historical beginnings the judicial circuit of which Cass county was a part embraced a varying number of counties, at one time practically all of southwestern Michigan. The first court of any kind held in Cass county was the two days' session of the circuit court held in August, 1831, at the house of Ezra Beardsley in Edwardsburg. Those were the days when the lawyers used to ride on horseback from one county to another on the circuit, put up at the hotel and attend the session of court. They used to tell stories and have jolly times. These peregrinations of the court were accompanied by a large force of lawyers, and it thus happened that many lawyers from adjoining counties were almost as well known professionally in Cass county as the few who had their residence in the county. Naturally the Cass county bar was numer- ically very small during the decade or so following the organization of the county and the establishment of the first courts.
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