USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > History and biographical record of Lenawee County, Michigan, Volume I > Part 6
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But when was unscrupulous ambition ever arrested by simple
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
appeals to the eternal principles of justice and right? Governor Lucas, by virtue of an act of the Ohio Legislature, passed in 1835, called out a body of his militia to protect the Commissioners appointed to survey the boundary line, and to take possession of the "disputed territory" on behalf of Ohio, by force if resisted.
Information soon reached Tecumseh, by express, that the Commis- sioners of Ohio were actually running the boundary line on our southern border, at the west end of the "disputed territory," and had, by a rapid movement, proceeded as far east as about fourteen miles due south of Adrian. Affidavit of the facts had been made by the express before a magistrate, agreeable to the provisions of an act of our Legislative Council, passed February 12th, 1835, entitled “An act to prevent the exercise of foreign jurisdiction within the limits of the Territory of Michigan." The sheriff of our county, James Patchin, being sick, Deputy Sheriff Colonel William McNair, assisted by General Brown, who was the agent of the Territory to watch the proceedings of Ohio, soon gathered a posse. Among them, besides Brown and McNair, were Stillman Blanchard, John Robinson, Moses Wright, Sumner Spofford, O. Hough, Benjamin Baxter and about twenty more, whose names are forgotten. The posse was stregthened in Adrian by a few recruits, mustering in all about forty armed men, who by a rapid march, surprised a division of the surveying party of Ohio, with their military escort, while comfortably refreshing them- selves in a house in the wilderness, owned by a man named Phillips. They had not the least suspicion that the Wolverines were on their trail.
While our posse quietly surrounded the house, Colonel McNair and Judge Blanchard entered. The Judge, with his customary politeness, took off his cap and after making his best bow, civilly requested them to surrender to his friend Colonel McNair, sheriff of Lenawee county. Assuming a belligerent attitude, Colonel Hawkins fiercely demanded by what authority they presumed to arrest the legal officers of the powerful State of Ohio. Judge Blanchard immediately replied, " By the authority of the Legislature and Executive power of Michigan ;" and in order to make it more emphatic, in a loud voice, so that the outsiders might hear him, Colonel McNair exclaimed, " By virtue of the posse of Wolverines here present we will arrest you." In an instant the Ohioans leveled their pieces and threatened to shoot our two friends. At this critical moment the posse gave a shout that took the pluck out of the invaders, they made a dash for the door and took to their heels, having learned, perhaps, from Hudibras that
" He who fights and runs away, May live to fight another day, But he who is in battle slain Will never live to fight again."
As they were fleeing for the woods a few guns fired over their heads by order of General Brown, brought some of them to a stand. The
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
surveyor and eight of the party were captured and brought to Tecumseh, to be dealt with according to law.
The Ohio commissioners were, at the time, in another house not far from that of Phillips. They, with the remainder of the armed force, frightened at the report of fire-arms, left their friends to take care of themselves and fled into the woods where they could not be found. Thus ended the first scene of this border drama.
The second was played at Maumee, and is well described by Colonel Hascall, who witnessed the performance, in the following extract of a letter we will take the liberty of printing :-
MONROE, April 28, 1835.
DEAR SIR :- I have returned to this place from Ohio, having left here on Saturday last, with dispatches from the Executive of Michigan to His Excellency, Robert Lucas, Governor of Ohio. I found him at Maumee, accompanied by a military force, consisting of about five hundred men, commanded by a Colonel Brush. I immediately learned from the Governor that the object of this great military array was for the protection of the Ohio Commissioners, who were then engaged in running the line in dispute between Ohio and Michigan, which he was determined should be run, whatever might be the consequences; to use his own language-" peacefully if he could-forcibly if he must."
About this time one of the Commissioners arrived, bringing intelligence that he had made his escape from an armed force, supposed to be the Sheriff and his posse, from the county of Lenawee, that soon after he started he heard the report of guns, and supposed the most of the party were taken or killed.
Soon after, another of the Commissioners arrived with a more favorable report, that the Commissioners had succeeded in making their escape, and but nine of the party were arrested, among whom were three Colonels, viz: Fletcher, Scott, and Hawkins. Colonel Hawkins is also a member of the Senate of that State. This was unexpected to His Excellency, for he had just stated to the United States Commissioner and myself, that not one of the men would be taken alive, and that he had sent a surgeon and assistants to take charge of the wounded and dead.
As much as it is to be regretted that Ohio will even attempt to enforce the act of her Legislature, extending her jurisdiction over a part of our Territory, and that after being advised by the law officer of the General Government that the same is unconstitutional, still I was somewhat amused at witnessing the safe arrival of General Taylor, (one of the Commissioners). Paint, for your own amusement, a General making his escape from a powerful enemy-that is, the Tecumseh posse-through a most dismal swamp, the water, most of the way, up to his middle, for the distance of twenty-five miles, in the dead of night-and you will be able to form a distant idea of the martial appearance presented by General Taylor on his arrival at Maumee. Before I left Maumee it was generally under- stood that an order was issued for ten thousand men.
Thus the curtain closed over the second scene. This eventful drama was now transferred to Toledo, where the third scene was enacted.
Governor Lucas declared that a court should be organized at Toledo on a certain day, to extend the civil jurisdiction of Ohio over the "disputed territory," and that he would have on the ground 10,000 armed men from Southern Ohio if required, to protect the sittings of the court.
Michigan, on the other hand, by order of her Governor, a day or two before the expected arrival of the troops from Ohio, sent to
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
Toledo a detachment of 1,500 as determined men as ever shouldered a musket or fired a rifle, under the command of the now venerable General Joseph W. Brown.
As commander of the forces of Michigan in the Black Hawk expedition, General Brown had acquitted himself to the entire satisfaction of the Territorial and National authorities. As com- mander of the Toledo expedition he performed his duties equally well, and secured all that was designed by the expedition, which was to prevent the Executive of Ohio, from trampling upon the rights of the people of Michigan.
Having learned that something more than braggadocio was required to scare the Wolverines of Michigan into submission to his boasted " million of freemen," Governor Lucas halted his troops outside of the coveted territory, and without the range of our fire, which movement was speedily followed by the return of the militia of Ohio to their homes, and also terminated the brilliant military career of that renowned warrior and commander of the army and navy of a great State, Governor Robert Lucas, of Ohio. And thus ended the third scene of the drama.
The fourth and last scene was played in the halls of our National Congress. What Ohio could not obtain by threats of violence, she secured by her political strength and by legislative intrigue. Ohio, with her many votes in Congress, was politically strong; Michigan, without a vote, was politically weak. The disgraceful scenes were then witnessed in our National Capitol of yielding to the arrogant demands of Ohio, and " breaking," in the language of that noble old man, John Quincy Adams, "the nation's plighted faith to the toil- worn pioneers of Michigan." When the act was consummated, despoiling us of our lawful territory, universal indignation prevailed in Michigan, especially among the citizens of this valley, who were more immediately interested in the result. The feeling was openly expressed in no measured terms. We had a right to regard it as a sacrifice of political weakness to political strength, of principle to power, and of common honesty to degraded partisan expediency.
There was no merit in the act of Congress giving us in exchange the Lake Superior district, for this was before the discovery of its wealth of mines and minerals, and it was regarded on all hands as almost worthless. But it was an admission on the part of Congress that the attitude of Michigan was right, and as such, a public tribute of respect for a people who had so manfully defended their soil from the attempted aggression of a powerful neighbor.
ADRIAN.
FACTS, DATES, AND FIRST EVENTS.
EPTEMBER 7th, 1825, Addison J. Comstock purchased of the United States 480 acres of land, on which the greater part of Adrian now stands. Mr. Comstock afterwards returned to the State of New York, and was married to Miss Sarah S. Dean, February 14th, 1826, when the same spring he returned to Michigan with his wife, and stopped at the "Valley " with his father until he could build a log house, on the same ground where Joseph C. Jones now lives, on the bank of the river. He also built another log house for his hired man, John Gifford, which was located, unfortunately, in the street directly in front of where the Gibson House now stands.
June 28th, 1826, Mr. John Gifford purchased from the United States, eighty acres of land, lying in the present Second ward. Mr. Gifford, with his family, moved into the house built for him, by Mr. Comstock, on the 10th day of August, 1826. A few days later Mr. Comstock and wife occupied their new house; hence it is that Mrs. Gifford claims to be the first female resident of Adrian, by a few days, which is true.
December 26th, 1826, Elias Dennis purchased of the United States the eighty acres of land, known for a long time as the Dennis property, and at a later date sold by the heirs to L. G. and A. S. Berry, who platted, the same and it is now known as L. G. and A. S. Berry's southern addition to Adrian. This same year Mr. A. J. Comstock built a saw-mill just north of the present Maumee street bridge.
Noah Norton came to Michigan in the employ of Darius Comstock, in the year 1826, and stopped at the " Valley." In the year 1827 he came to what is now Adrian, and built a house on land now owned by the Wells' estate, just east of the Gibson House. Mr. Norton after. wards emigrated to California where he died.
The first child born in Adrian was Leander Comstock, son of Addison J. and Sarah S. Comstock, born August 9th, 1827, who died October 8th, the same year, and was the first to be buried in what is now known as the old burying ground. The second death was
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
Mrs. Elias Dennis, in the spring of 1828, and the third was John Gifford, buried in the same grounds.
October 23d, 1827, James Whitney purchased four hundred acres of land of the United States, on the west side of the river, and returned to Orleans county, New York, to close up his business, with the intention of moving to Michigan the next year.
FIRST ELECTION OF TOWN OFFICERS.
At a township meeting, held at Darius Comstock's, in the township of Logan, county of Lenawee, and Territory of Michigan, on the twenty-eighth day of May, A. D. 1827, pursuant to the act, the following persons were elected for township officers :
Elias Dennis, for Moderator of said meeting; Addison J. Comstock, for Township Clerk; Darius Comstock, for Supervisor ; Noah Norton, Warner Aylsworth, Cornelius A. Stout, Commissioners of Highways ; Patrick Hamilton, Milo Comstock, Abram West, Assessors; Patrick Hamilton and Abram West, Overseers of the Poor.
SECOND ELECTION.
The following is a copy of the proceedings of an election, held at the house of Darius Comstock, on the first Monday in November, 1827 :-
At an election held in the town of Logan, for the purpose of choosing members for the Legislative Council, held November 5th, 1827, the following votes were given :
For Darius Comstock 22
For Wolcott Lawrence 24
For Laurent Durocher 15
For Peter P. Ferry
10
PATRICK HAMILTON, ABRAM WEST, ¿ Inspectors of Election. A. J. COMSTOCK,
On the thirty-first day of March, 1828, Addison J. Comstock laid out, platted, and recorded the original plat of the village of Adrian, as follows :-
I, Addison J. Comstock, do hereby give, grant, and convey the land represented in the within town plat, for streets and other public uses, to the people of the county of Lenawee, to be by them held for the uses and purposes therein named and expressed, agreeable to the statute of the Territory of Michigan, approved April 12th, 1827, entitled, " An act to provide for the recording of town plats," and for no other purposes.
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN. ,
Signed and sealed this thirty-first day of March, in the year eighteen hundred and twenty-eight.
[ L. S. ] ADDISON J. COMSTOCK.
I, Caleb N. Ormsby, do certify, that on this thirty-first day of March, 1828, personally came before me, the above named Addison J. Comstock, and acknowl- edged that he executed the above for the uses and purposes therein mentioned.
C. N. ORMSBY, J. Peace.
A true registry and record, entered Tuesday, the first day of April, A. D., 1828, at eleven o'clock, A. M.
GEO. SPAFFORD, Register of Probate.
The plat contained forty-nine village lots, commencing near the river and running east as far as village lot thirty-four, on which William A. Whitney now resides. The street from Main street to the river was called St. Joseph street, and has never been legally changed, and the street east from Main, was called Maumee.
The village of Adrian was named by Mrs. A. J. Comstock, after a Roman Emperor.
The Reverend John Janes delivered the first sermon in Adrian, at the house of Noah Norton, in 1827.
THIRD ELECTION.
At the annual town meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Logan, held at the house of Addison J. Comstock, on the 7th day of April, A. D., 1828, pursu- ant to the act, the following persons were elected for town officers :
David Bixby, Moderator of said meeting; Darius Comstock, for Supervisor ; Addison J. Comstock, Town Clerk; P. Hamilton, A. West, E. Dennis, for Assessors ; C. A. Stout, W. Aylsworth, N. Norton, Commissioners of Highways ; Allen B. Chaffee, for Collector; A. B. Chaffee, for Constable; Joseph Pratt and Lyman Peas, for Overseers of the Poor; J. Gifford, Nathan Pelton and Nathan Comstock, for Fence Viewers; David Bixby, for Overseer of Highways for District No. 1; Lyman Peas, for Overseer of District No. 2.
[Signed.]
DAVID BIXBY, Moderator.
A. J. COMSTOCK, Town Clerk.
Also, the following votes were given for County Officers :- Addison J. Comstock received twenty-one votes for the office of County Treasurer, Noah Norton received eighteen votes for Coroner.
LOGAN, April 7th, 1828,
Noah Norton, Warren Aylsworth, road commissioners, and Anthony McKey, surveyor, laid out and established about fourteen roads, from November 26th, 1827, to December 11th, 1828.
The first doctor who settled in Adrian was Caleb N. Ormsby, who came in the spring of 1828.
The first brick made in Adrian, was made this year by Noah Norton.
June, 1828, James Whitney returned to Adrian with his family, and immediately built a log house on his farm which he had purchased the year before, and directly where the late H. V. Hart, Esq., resided. His farm was bounded on the north by what is now known
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
as the Tabor farm on the south by section line running east and west through the center of Adrian College, on the east by Burton Kent's east line, and on the west by land of the late Nathaniel Raymond. The original farm was owned by Mr. Whitney until 1833, when he being desirous of removing to a new country, and having cleared up about two hundred acres of the heaviest timbered land in the county, sold his farm which has since been known as the Rowley, Scott, or Winans and Underwood farms, and all east of Scott street extending to Burton Kent's east line, which now is pretty well covered with buildings. The north half of the college buildings stand on the old farm.
The 4th of July, 1828, was the first celebration of the kind, held in this village. It was truly a great day for Adrian. Large prepara- tions were made, and at an early hour the people began to assemble around the stand, erected for the occasion under a white oak tree, nearly where W. S. Wilcox's store now stands, amid the roar of an anvil, until it was estimated that from thirty to forty persons had arrived, when Addison J. Comstock read the Declaration of Indepen- dence and Dr. C. N. Ormsby delivered the oration, after which the Marshal of the Day, Noah Norton, formed the procession and " proceeded through the principal streets " (through hazel brush) to the house of A. J. Comstock, where dinner had been prepared by Mrs Comstock, assisted by the ladies of the village.
After dinner, regular and volunteer toasts were given. The writer of this remembers but one, which was given by the Marshal of the Day, Noah Norton, as follows :-
"O, Tecumseh ! Tecumseh ! how often would we have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not."
It is unnecessary to say that this brought down the house. Bonfires and no dance in the evening ended the festivities of the day. The Marshal was extremely fortunate in borrowing a pair of shoes of Mr. Eleazer Baker, a boarder of his, otherwise he could not have performed the duties assigned him that day. As it was Mr. Baker could not celebrate.
In the summer of 1828, Isaac Dean, father-in-law of Addison J. Comstock, commenced building the Exchange, where the Lawrence House now stands, and in the fall of the same year his family came to Adrian.
FOURTH ELECTION.
At an annual town meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Logan, convened at the house of Isaac Dean, in the village of Adrian, on the sixth day of April, 1829, the following persons were chosen for town officers for the ensuing year :
Nathan Comstock, for Supervisor ; Addison J. Comstock, Town Clerk ; Patrick
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Hamilton, Abram West, Curren Bradish, Assessors; Cornelius A. Stout, Collector; Cornelius A. Stout, Nathan Pelton, Constables ; Warren Aylsworth, Noah Norton, Nelson Bradish, Commissioners of Highways ; Joseph Pratt, Darius Comstock, Overseers of the Poor ; Overseers of Highways, District No. 1, Cornelius A. Stout ; District No. 2, Isaac Dean ; District No. 3, Daniel Walworth; District No. 4, Milo Comstock.
Voted at the same time that the Overseers of Highways be fence viewers for said town.
Voted that all boars be restrained from running at large in said town, under a penalty of two dollars,-(ought to be enforced now).
The following votes were given for county officers: Thomas Sackrider received thirty votes for Coroner ; Addison J. Comstock received forty votes for Treasurer. Attest : A. J. COMSTOCK, Town Clerk.
This same year, 1829, Addison J. Comstock and his father-in-law, Mr. Isaac Dean, built the red grist-mill. Before, this the settlers were obliged to go to Tecumseh, Saline or Monroe to mill. The writer saw the first work the old red mill ever did.
June 2d, 1829, Abijah Russell purchased thirty-five and sixty one-hundredth acres of land of the United States, and in May, 1831, sold the same to Richard M. Lewis, - consideration eighty dollars. This land was known as the Lewis fraction for many years, until James Berry purchased it and cut it up into city property, a few years since. The land purchased by Messrs. Comstock, Gifford, Dennis and Whitney comprises nearly all on which Adrian now stands.
This year, 1829, a post-office was established in Adrian, A. J. Comstock postmaster. The first quarters receipts were nineteen cents.
The first school in Adrian was kept in the house of Noah Norton, by Miss Dorcas Dean, in the year 1828-9. The same year (1829) a good frame school-house was built near the lands now owned by Daniel Welch, on the west side of South Main street.
This same year Dr. E. Conant Winter opened a dry goods store in the front room of Dr. Ormsby's house, which, until recently, stood on the south-west corner of Maumee and Winter streets, where Ira Metcalf's store now stands. He afterwards built a large wooden block opposite where the Lawrence House now stands. For many years he was a successful trader with the whites and Indians. The latter trade he monopolized until Phelps, the Indian trader came, after which it was divided. Endorsing paper, and the credit business, was the cause of reverses, and not any lack of business capacity. Never have we had a man among us possessed of more energy and perseverance than Dr. Winter. Had he possessed the faculty of saying "no" he would have been the richest man in Lenawee county. Certainly no man had a better opportunity.
The same year Rufus Merrick opened a cabinet shop in Mr. Winter's block, and in 1832 built a shop of his own.
In 1830, the United States census was taken, and in this district, Lenawee and Hillsdale county, by Musgrove Evans, assistant to the Marshal of Michigan, which will appear by the following schedule of "the whole number of persons within the county of
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
Lenawee, and Territory of Michigan, the first day of June, 1830." (It will be remembered that Hillsdale county was then included with Lenawee). Mr. Evans' returns shows the whole number of inhabitants in this district to be as follows :-
Hillsdale
75
Tecumseh 771
Logan 500
Blissfield
145
Total 1,491
The following is a complete list of names of the "F. F's.," or heads of families of Logan district, which included several townships, as returned by Musgrove Evans, Assistant Marshal, September 27th, 1830 :-
Darius Comstock, Catharine Fay, Alpheus Hill, Cornelius A. Stout, George Scott, Allen Chaffee, Jonathan Harnard, Elijah Brownell, Anson Howell, Samuel Todd, Cary Rogers, James Whitney, John Wood, Pliney Field, Addison J. Comstock, Charles Morris, Hannah Gifford, Robert Smith, Josiah Shumway, Patrick Hamilton, John Walsworth, Daniel Smith, Milo Comstock, D. Torrey, Davis D. Bennett, John Powers, Anson Jackson, Lyman Peas, Silas Simmons, Lewis Nickerson, Nelson Bradish, William Edmonds, Curran Bradish, Levi Shumway, Daniel Gleason, Samuel Davis, Stephen Fitch, Aaron S. Baker, William Foster, Elias Dennis, Nathan Pelton, Turner Stetson, William Jackson, John Arnold, Nathan Comstock, Betsy Mapes, Joseph Pratt, Abram West, Thomas Sackrider, Daniel Odell, William H. Rowe, Moses Bugbee, Samuel Weldon, Jeremialı Stone, David Wiley, Noah Norton, Ashur Stevens, Samuel Burton, John Comstock, Joseph Beals, John Murphy, Samuel S. L. Maples, David Bixby, Charles Haviland, Benjamin Mather, John Chapman, Jacob Brown, Jacob Jackson, Job S. Comstock, Elijah Johnson, Samuel Carpenter, Cassander Peters, William Brooks, Josiah Baker, Seth Lammon, N. W. Cole, Reuben Davis, John Fitch, Daniel Walsworth, Nehemiah Bassett, Ephraim Dunbar, Isaac Dean, C. N. Ormsby.
Eighty-three noble men and women, bold adventurers in a new territory, generous-hearted to a fault. Not one, we believe, out of the number is now living within the city limits. To undertake to say which of those eighty-three men performed their part best, would be a difficult task. It is enough to say that all worked to make it pleasant for each new settler, and although nearly all of them are dead they still live in the hearts of those who knew them.
In the fall of 1830 Isaac French came to Adrian ; his first purchase was lots thirteen, fifteen, and thirty-four, on the original plat. He built a hotel on lots thirteen and fifteen, which he kept successfully until 1836, when he sold to Pomeroy Stone. This is the corner now occupied by John G. Mason and others.
In the year 1831 Mr. Turner Stetson built the house now known as the Gibson House. In those days it was the custom to give each building, after the frame was up, a name. The name given to this
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
building by Elias Dennis, father of David B. Dennis, now of Coldwater, was "The Key to Adrian."
New settlers were occasionally arriving, some with families and others without. When a new house was raised anywhere in the neighborhood all turned out to assist. At one time, when nearly every man was absent from the place, a large number of Indians made their appearance in our streets, which caused much alarm among the ladies and children, for the reason that the Indians got gloriously drunk, and made the place hideous by their yells. No serious damage was done, however.
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