USA > Michigan > Kent County > Grand Rapids > Grand Rapids and Kent County, Michigan: History and Account of Their Progress from First. Vol. I > Part 40
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Walter Chipman settled on Section 2 in Algoma township, in 1854. He was born in Rensselaer County, New York, Aug. 7, 1820. He graduated with high honors at Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., in 1839. He read law in Troy and Lansingburg, and was admit- ted to the bar in 1842. He practiced until 1846 and then entered the war against Mexico, in Company A, First New York regiment. He was discharged at Monterey, Cal., in 1848. He was in San Fran- I-20
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cisco when there were but twelve buildings in the entire place, and while there he helped frame the constitution of California. In 1851 he went to South America, Cork, London, and Havre, and back to New York in 1852. In 1854 he came to Algoma township and fol- lowed lumbering for several years, and made a farm in the woods.
CHAPTER XXVII. BOWNE TOWNSHIP
ACT OF THE LEGISLATURE-BOUNDARIES-SURFACE AND NATURAL RE- SOURCES-FIRST LAND PURCHASED-JONATHAN THOMAS-FIRST TOWNSHIP ELECTION AND OFFICERS-EARLY CONDITIONS-LIST OF SUPERVISORS.
The Michigan State Legislature, on March 15, 1849, created the township of Bowne by the following official enactment: "That town- ship number five north of range number nine west, in the county of Kent, be, and the same is hereby set off from the township of Cale- donia, and organized into a separate township by the name of Bowne, and the first township meeting therein shall be held at the school house in district number one in said township." The township of Lowell joins Bowne on the north, the eastern boundary meets Ionia county, the southern boundary is the line that separates Kent and Barry Counties, and the township of Caledonia is on the west.
The surface of the township of Bowne is, part of it, somewhat broken and hilly. It is rolling in the south part, the western part was originally mostly timbered openings, while the eastern part is beech and maple land, and is rather level. The drainage of the town- ship is principally toward the south. The territory is well watered, the principal stream being Coldwater River, which flows from east to west through the southern part of the township, and its tributaries, of which there are several. These streams are all fed by many spring branches, thus affording good water power for the early mills which were established along their banks. Natural conditions in the township were favorable in early days to the existence of all kinds of game, ferocious animals, and occasional venomous reptiles. These were found there in great numbers by the white settlers, and Bowne was a favorite hunting ground for the Indians at a still earlier date. The soil of the township varies from a rich dark loam to a mixture of sand and clay, the former being highly valuable for the raising of all kinds of cereals, corn, oats, and barley, especially, and all the land of the township is made to yield profitable returns to the own- ers. Stock raising and fruit culture are among the principal indus- tries, and these afford good margins of profit.
The people are, as a class, industrious and hospitable, and pos- sess some of the best farms in the county. The first land purchased of the government was by Jonathan Thomas, who left the town of Ovid, N. Y., in 1836, entered a large tract of land in the southwestern part of Bowne township, and, in 1837, came on to improve it, bring- ing with him Frederick Thomson and family, Israel Graves and fam-
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ily, and William Wooley and family. They came by water to To- ledo and thence to their destination with ox teams, making the trip from Toledo in about two weeks. They proceeded to build houses and clear up the farm afterwards owned by A. D. Thomas. The first house was of logs, about twelve by fourteen feet square, without any chamber, and with only one door and one window and a "shake" roof. Near this Mr. Thomas built two other houses and a small log building for an office for himself. Mr. Thomas was taken ill soon after he arrived, and was ill most of the time until the next winter, when his son-in-law, John Harris, came and they fixed a bed in a sleigh and he started for his home in New York. They made the whole distance with a sleigh, dragging through Northern Ohio in the slush and mud. During the first summer, when they got out of provisions, Mr. Thomas, although quite ill at the time, had his bed fixed in a wagon, and taking his whip, started his ox team for Kala- mazoo. He was obliged to go a few miles beyond there and buy wheat, bring it back to Kalamazoo and have it ground. There were a great many Indians on the Coldwater when these people moved there. They were found to be good neighbors when they were so- ber, but when they could get "fire water" they were quarrelsome and occasioned trouble at times. One came to the Thomson home one day when Mr. Thomson was away and sat down in the rocking chair be- fore the fire and rocked himself over into the fireplace. Mrs. Thom- son pulled him out of the fire and he became enraged and attempted to stab her, but when she picked up an axe and told him she would kill him if he did not leave, he beat a retreat. Another time, a num- ber of Indians came up on their ponies, when the men were gone, and ordered Mrs. Wooley to get them something to eat. She ran to her door and called to Mrs. Thomson, who went over, as brave as could be, and talked to them. The old chief ordered her to go back to her wigwam and get him something to eat. She obeyed, trembling with fear all the time, and prepared the best dinner she could under the circumstances, setting the table with the nicest spread and dishes she had. The chief ate his meal alone at her house and seemed much pleased. He told her she was a "brave squaw," and that they would not harm them then, but after a certain number of moons they were going to kill all of the whites in the country. The other families that came with them soon became discouraged and went back, and the Thomsons were left alone, seven miles at first from any white neighbors. On one occasion Mrs. Thomson remained alone eight days. Mr. Thomson went to Kalamazoo to mill, while there his oxen strayed away, and before he could find them and get home, eight days passed by. Mrs. Thomson remained at home until nearly noon the last day, when the suspense becoming so great she could bear it no longer, she started on foot for the nearest neighbors, seven miles distant. After proceeding about half way she met a white man. He was very much surprised at meeting a woman under such circum- stances and inquired of her where she was going. She told him, and inquired if he had seen or heard of her husband. He told her of her husband losing his cattle, that he was on the road and would be along before night, and as it was very warm he advised her either to go back or wait until her husband came. When she told him no, she
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would never stop until she had seen her husband, he said that he was a bachelor, but if he could find a woman who would endure as much and as bravely for him he should certainly marry. They used to see many wolves and bears, but never felt much fear of them. For some years they went to "Scale's Prairie" to attend meeting, and after- ward, when there was population enough so that preachers came among them, the Thomsons frequently entertained three or four at a time in their little log shanty, 12x14 square. In the spring of 1838, Messrs. Malcolm and John McNaughton commenced "breaking" on Section 20. They broke up forty acres that year and put it into wheat. In the fall of 1838, Roswell Tyler, Norman Foster, and J. G. Beach settled at the center of the township. They came from Detroit with teams, via Gull Prairie, and were about ten days on the road. Mr. Tyler and another man came through from Jackson on foot, fol- lowing what was called the Clinton Trail. At this time there were no settlements nearer on the north than Ada and Lowell. Among the other early settlers whose names have been preserved, we find James H. Truax, Jared Miller, William Stewart, Daniel C. McVean, Abraham Lowe, and Messrs. White and Cobb, who settled at different times, ranging from 1840 to 1845.
The first township election was held April 2, 1849, and of all the settlers then in Bowne, fourteen received township offices. With the exception of Peter White, Abraham Lowe, William Stewart, John Cobb, William Wooley, Israel Graves, Frederick Thomson, and Jonathan Thomas, all of the early settlers were candidates for one or another of the various offices which the township offered. The suc- cessful ones were as follows: Supervisor, Roswell F. Tyler; clerk, Daniel C. McVean ; treasurer, Justus G. Beach ; justices of the peace, Jared Miller and Norman Foster; assessors, Abijah Poole and John M. Campbell; commissioners of highways, Loren B. Tyler, James H. Truax and Asa R. Tyler ; school inspectors, Jared Miller and Wil- liam Gibson; overseers of the poor, Roswell F. Tyler and John Un- derwood; constables, Salmon E. Platt and Henry C. Foster.
The early settlers of Bowne had many things to contend with. It was said that the land was too low or the water was too high, and there was no way to get the surplus off. The land was heavily tim- bered and it took much labor to fit a small piece for cultivation. When the crops commenced to mature, wild animals and birds were early on hand to gather their share. Small clearings were made, but, be- ing surrounded by dense timber, very little air was moving, and the sun beat down on them with intense heat. The roads through the woods seemed to have no bottom, and long pieces had to be covered with logs, rails, and brush, in order to make them passable. The streams had to be forded, and the settlers went to mill, to church, and to visit each other, with ox teams and lumber wagons.
They did not listen to the sweet sounds of the organ or piano, but to the howls of the wolf, which could, it appeared to the listener, multiply himself until one would appear to be ten, and ten one hun- dred; also, to the hoot of the owl, that flew so noiselessly that in the night one would not be aware of his presence till the hoot broke with startling effect near by, warning the listener that if a chicken could be reached it would be missing in the morning. But through the in-
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domitable courage and persevering efforts of the early pioneers, this has all been changed; the woods have disappeared, the roads have become smooth and pleasant to travel. The wild animals and de- structive birds have also disappeared, the log cabin is gone, and fine farm dwellings and large and productive orchards and small fruits of all kinds have taken their place; but the pioneers have removed to that house not made with hands.
The following is a list of the supervisors of Bowne township from the time of its organization down to the present: 1849, Ros- well F. Tyler ; 1853, A. C. Hill; 1854, Daniel C. McVean ; 1857, James H. Truax; 1859, Luke Strickland; 1862, Jared Miller; 1863, Luke Strickland ; 1865, James H. Truax; 1868, Abner D. Thomas; 1871, A. Lewis Coons; 1873, Abner D. Thomas ; 1875, W. T. Remington ; 1876, A. Lewis Coons ; 1877, Abner D. Thomas; 1880, David M. Skid- more ; 1881, James C. Johnson ; 1886, Martin A. Holcomb ; 1887, Peter J. Sinclair ; 1889, William E. Davis ; 1890, Peter J. Sinclair ; 1892, Ben- jamin J. Lee ; 1893, Frank L. Colson; 1895, William E. Davis; 1902, Levi G. Skidmore; 1904, William E. Davis; 1905, Peter J. Sinclair ; 1915, Henry A. Johnson, present incumbent.
W. T. Remington was born in Dutchess County, New York, Aug. 16, 1835. He was liberally educated in the public schools of Hudson, N. Y., where he acted as monitor through the grades. His first enterprise in business was as clerk in a drug store, and afterward in a general assortment store. He next entered the employ of Stone & Pomeroy and assisted in the preparation of a map of Philadelphia and vicinity. He came to Wayne County, Michigan, and engaged in clerking for a time, and was then associated with L. C. Bailey, his father-in-law, in a saw-mill, which interest continued until Mr. Bai- ley gave place to another son-in-law. In 1869 Mr. Remington sold out and interested himself in agricultural pursuits. He served as su- pervisor of Bowne township and was actively interested in raising troops for the Civil War.
David M. Skidmore was born May 1, 1828, in Livingston County, New York, and with his parents came to Kent County in 1846. For a time he was postmaster at Alto, and he held the positions of drain commissioner, highway commissioner, school inspector, supervisor, etc., in the township, and he was the owner of 360 acres of good land. He enlisted in November, 1863, in the First Michigan Engineers and Mechanics, and went out as second lieutenant, being later promoted to first lieutenant, and he was with Sherman in his memorable march to the sea.
James C. Johnson was born in Erie County, Pennsylvania, Jan. 2, 1840. He was reared on his father's farm and received a common school education. He located in Bowne township by accident. He had been prospecting through Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota, and when near Lowell on his homeward route remembered a friend in the vicinity and, procuring a lay-over ticket, left the train, and after a brief search found his friend in Bowne. The country pleased him and he located land in the year 1861. Soon afterward he yielded to a con- viction of duty and enlisted in the cause of his country. He was en- rolled in Company M, Ninth New York cavalry. He served but a short time and was mustered out on a general order from the war de-
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partment. He returned to Michigan and, in the fall of 1862, enlisted in Company M, Sixth Michigan cavalry, as buglar. He was in the fa- mous battle of Fredericksburg, but soon afterward was taken ill and became an inmate of the hospital, from whence he was discharged from the service for disability and returned home, but was unable to resume business on his farm for a year. He was zealous in working for the prosperity of the community to which he belonged, and was active in the erection of a church at Bowne Center, and in the estab- lishment of a daily mail. He was postmaster at Bowne Center six- teen years and filled many other public positions in his township with credit to himself and satisfaction to his fellow-citizens.
Martin A. Holcomb was born in Paris, Portage County, Ohio, Jan. 27, 1826. At the age of eighteen he began to work at wagon and carriage making, which he continued until 1850, when he went to California to make a swifter fortune in its gold fields. He operated chiefly in Calaveras County, mining and plying his trade. In 1854 he returned home, and the same year bought 160 acres of land in Bowne township. He enlisted in his country's service, in Company I, Twenty- sixth Michigan infantry, and was wounded at Spottsylvania, after which he was not in active service. He was discharged in 1865. Aside from being supervisor, he held the position of township treasurer two terms, commissioner of highways, and served as census enumer- ator in 1880.
CHAPTER XXVIII. OAKFIELD TOWNSHIP
BOUNDARIES-FIRST SETTLEMENT - FIRST TOWN MEETING - EDUCA- TIONAL INTERESTS-PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY-LAKES-EARLY MILLS -FIRST OFFICERS-A BEAR STORY-LIST OF SUPERVISORS.
Oakfield, formerly a part of Courtland township, lies twenty-one miles northeast of Grand Rapids, having Spencer township on the north, Montcalm County on the east, Grattan township on the south, and Courtland township on the west. The first settlement was made within its territory, June 5, 1838, by William R. Davis, who located on Section 19. There seems to have been no one, save himself and family, to break the solitude of the wilderness until June, 1839, when Isaac Tower, Stephen S. Tower, and William Thornton, who after- ward became sheriff of Kent County, with their families moved in and became comparatively near neighbors to the hitherto lonely pio- neers, Stephen S. Tower and Mr. Thornton locating on Section 29 and Isaac Tower on Section 30. There were no more settlements un- til April, 1842, when Thomas Crinnion located on Section 18, and David J. Gilbert on Section 19, in September of the same year. In 1844 Sheldon Ashley selected a beautiful home on Section 36, and in 1845, three brothers-Harry, Giles, and Eric McArthur-located re- spectively on Sections 33, 32 and 34.
Giles McArthur was born in Portage County, Ohio, Jan. 26, 1821, and lived there until thirteen years old; then in Cuyahoga County until nineteen. He remained with his parents until of age, and on
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Feb. 5, 1844, married Miss Harriet E. Newcomb. He then came to Michigan with his brother, Eric, and first bought forty acres of land in what is now Oakfield township, at sixty-seven cents per acre. Giles then returned to Ohio for his bride, whom he brought to the wilder- ness. Their first house was a neat log cabin, one of the best in the township; they improved their land, resided on it four years, then sold and bought 120 acres in Section 32, and their first house there was also a log cabin. The implements used on the farm were rude, of schools and churches there were none, but still their pioneer life was happy.
Morris Hart on Section 8, Nathaniel W. Mack on Section 12, John Davis on Section 32, Levi White on Section 21, James Elsbey on Section 31, William Peterson on Section 20, and Benjamin Potter on Section 21, may be mentioned as among the settlers of 1846 and 1847.
William Peterson was born in Saratoga County, New York, in 1808, and came to Michigan in 1834. He was a cooper by trade, but in 1846 settled in Oakfield township, where he located 160 acres of State land and became a farmer. His first habitation here was a log cabin, with a stick and mud chimney, the smoke from which was a curiosity to the red men who in that day yet roamed the woods, fre- quently stopping at Mr. Peterson's cabin for a meal, or to barter their game-such as deer and bear-for such articles of food as flour or bacon. In this township Mr. Peterson passed the remainder of his life, dying an honored and respected citizen, Aug. 6, 1888.
At one time this township was organized under the name of Wabasis, but by a subdivision of the territory it was again incorpo- rated with Courtland, and finally was permanently organized under the name of Oakfield, through the influence of Sheldon Ashley, in March, 1849. Its first town meeting was held the first Monday of April, 1849, at a little log school house in District No. 1, on Section 29. This was the first school house in the township, but the log cabin was replaced in 1852 by a frame structure, 36x26 feet in size. This was the famous District No. 1 that, so it is claimed, educated and sent forth more and better teachers in the early days than any other dis- trict school in the county. It was known as the White Swan School. Oakfield now has seven district school houses, two of which are in fractional districts. The educational interests of the township are, and always have been of paramount importance in the minds of the people. The first school in the township was organized with but six pupils-all the children then in the township-and was kept in a pri- vate house, with Miss Sarah Davis, who afterward became Mrs. Al- mon Thompson, of Courtland township, as teacher. When a school house was finally erected, Harry McArthur was installed as teacher, and to his earnest labors many, not only in Oakfield, but in adjacent townships, owed much of their advancement in knowledge.
The physical geography of this township presents us with a roll- ing surface, quite frequently broken with lakes and ponds, with a soil much too sandy in the northern part, but a rich clay loam in the more southern portions, peculiarly adapting it to wheat culture, wool growing, and dairying, besides the ordinary production of corn, oats, potatoes, and buckwheat. Of wheat, large quantities of excellent
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quality annually find their way from this township to the markets east and west; and as to wool, Oakfield has some of the best flocks and carries some of the finest clips to market of any township in the county. The dairy is receiving more and more attention and it pays exceedingly well, where care and capital are expended. Horticulture has received a share of attention and the returns in apples, pears, peaches, grapes, cherries, currants and strawberries show that Oak- field, in fruit raising, may become a peer of any of her successful sis- ter townships. The timber was originally mainly oak, but, scattered over the township, there were some fine groves of pine which were rapidly decimated by the lumberman's axe and saw.
On Sections 1 and 2 was early discovered a very fine bed of marl lime, so pure as to be cut from the bed in squares, dried and placed immediately in the kiln for burning. To facilitate the mining of this bed, a chain of lakes on Sections 1 and 11 were drained. Their nat- ural outlet was through Stack's Lake, which emptied into Black Creek; but, by dint of engineering, an outlet was effected into Wa- basis Creek, from the head of the Horseshoe-a large lake on Sec- tion 2-which was thus rendered nearly dry. Besides those already mentioned, there are several small lakes that demand but a passing notice. Of such is Scram's Lake, and Addis' Lake closely connected with it, lying on Sections 17, 18, and 19; the Zeigenfuss Lake on Sec- tions 11 and 14-the outlet from which forms the north branch of . Wabasis Creek ; and also a number of little lakes on Sections 33 and 34, the principal of which is Flat Iron Lake. But Long Lake, about one-half mile long and one-eighth wide, situated on Section 34, can- not be thus lightly passed by, for on its frozen surface, in March, 1843, occurred the first death among the whites of this township. Orin Gilbert, brother of Rev. David J. Gilbert, in endeavoring to reach his brother's house from Cook's Corners, was overcome by fatigue and cold and perished on this lake. Soon afterward, Tahanah, an Indian, in passing on the trail, discovered him lying on the snow. The wily Indian did not approach him, but, after circling several times around the prostrate form to make sure that he was dead, sped away to con- vey the sad intelligence to his friends. Ever after, the Indians called this "Dead Man's Lake."
Wabasis is much the largest lake in the township, or even in the county, being two miles long. It is very irregular in shape, but it is said to average nearly one mile in width. It has excellent fishing grounds, and at certain seasons of the year-though they are caught at no other time, and even then are only found in particular places- whitefish are caught in considerable quantities. How they come there no one can tell, and where they disappear to is equally a mystery. The Wabasis abounds with pickerel. The lake projects into Sections 29, 33, and 34, but lies mainly on Sections 27 and 28. It was named in honor of the Indian chief, Wab-ah-see (White Swan), who fell under the displeasure of his people for selling their lands, and also, as they supposed, for secreting and retaining the gold received for the purchase. To obtain this, they deferred his death and banished him to the shores of this beautiful and romantic lake. By some the gold was supposed to be hidden on its shores, and many have sought for it by torchlight and by sunlight, but with equal lack of success. Fail-
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ing to extort money, and maddened by the loss of their hunting grounds, the big chief, Ne-ogg-ah-nah, with almost fiendish subtlety, induced Wab-ah-see to go beyond his limits and, in a drunken frolic, killed him with a firebrand. His broken skull is said to have been sent to a museum in Connecticut by a Mr. Hall, of Plainfield.
The first saw-mill in the township was built by John Davis, about the year 1846 or 1847. It was located on Beaver Dam Creek, a small stream running into Wabasis Lake. Three times it was swept into ruins by the freshets, and as often repaired or rebuilt by the in- domitable perseverance of its owner. But at last, patience and capital alike gave out and a steam mill was erected in its stead. That was long since dismantled, and desolation reigns where sterling enter- prise once presided.
The Lillie steam shingle mill was built in 1861, on Section 3. It was burned April 17, 1868, and was rebuilt in the same year. The Addis shingle and cider mills were located on the northwest quarter of Section 20, and were built in 1869, with John Addis as proprietor. The Oakfield shingle mill was located on Wabasis Creek, on Sec- tion 15, near the Oakfield grist mills, which were established in 1864. This creek, which is the outlet of Wabasis Lake, here becomes quite a stream, emptying into Flat River in Montcalm County. Near this mill a little village, consisting of a store or two, a blacksmith shop, and half a dozen dwellings, sprang up and for a number of years was the only business center in the township. A postoffice was established there in 1874 and was given the name of Oakfield Center, although the place is quite commonly known as "Podunk." The postoffice has been discontinued and rural mail delivery is now had from Green- ville. Its industries at the present time are confined to a flour mill and a general store. With the building of the Grand Trunk Railroad through the northern part of the township, a station was established on Section 6, and it has achieved some distinction as a trading center. The name of the place is Harvard, it has a postoffice, a hardware store, billiard hall, a resident physician, a warehouse, and a general store, besides a few other industries, and its population is about 70. A postoffice has also been established on Section 3, with the name of Lincoln Lake, on the line of the Grand Trunk Railway, and it con- tains a general store.
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