USA > Michigan > Ionia County > History and directory of Ionia County, Michigan: containing a history of each township: the name, occupation, location, and post-office address of every man in the county, 1872 > Part 4
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There is a small church on the southeast corner of section thirty-four, belonging to the German Baptists, a people who attend to all the ordinances, including washing of feet.
There are a few old and well-improved farms, among which are the Nash's, Whit- ney's, McCormick's Charles Darby's, and Nathan Todd's ; but most of the farms are comparatively new, as will be seen from the fact that in 1849, when the town was organized, there were but fourteen voters and now there are near three hundred.
In addition to the mill heretofore mentioned on Duck Creek, there is a steam mill on the northwest corner of section sixteen, owned by Robert Skidgel and Mark Shank. A small store on section seventeen, owned by J. Gibson, and one on section twenty- three, owned by William Hewit, constitute the mercantile interests of the town.
On the north side of section ten is a cheese factory, where the milk from near a hun- dred cows is made into cheese, of a quality not surpassed in Ionia county, if in the State; the cheese being rich and tender, free from that tough, leathery quality which the cheese from many of our factories possesses.
While the inhabitants of the town have heretofore been deprived of the close prox- imity of railroads, and have had to depend on Lowell, Saranac, and Hastings for their markets, they indulge the hope that at no distant day there will be a road through their town, which will place them on an equal footing with other towns which have hereto- fore had the advantage of them in this respect.
DANBY.
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D ANBY is the southeast corner township of Ionia County, lying south of Portland and east of Sebewa, and is bounded on the east by Eagle, in Clinton County, and on the south by Roxand, in Eaton County. The first white settler was Abijah F. Shoff, who came and settled on a small plain on the southeast part of section one, in 1834. He lost his wife in 1838; she being the first white person buried in the township. Mr. Shoff afterward moved to Portland village, and died there.
In 1835 Chauncey (or Chancellor) Barringer settled on a piece of land belonging to A. S. Wadsworth, on section five; and, in 1836, Asher Kilbourn settled on a piece of land belonging to a man in Detroit, by the name of Jones, on section eight, on the west side of Grand River. William Kronkrite also came and built a shanty and did some chopping in 1836, and moved in with his family in March, 1837, on section twenty- two. Charles G. and Willard L. Brooks also came in the spring of 1837, and settled on section three, where they still reside. They, with their families, and W. R. Churchill and family, of Portland, had quite an adventurous journey from Jackson to Portland in a scow-boat, on Grand River, in April, while the river was at full banks, and came, apparently, near finding a watery grave in its turbid waters, once running against a jam of trees and flood-wood, and once running upon rock, where they were held fast for some time. In 1840, or about that time, John D. Brown and Nathan H. Wyman came in from the the south with ox teams, coming from Indiana ; they having formerly moved from the north part of Vermont, near Burlington, to Indiana. John Compton settled on the northeast quarter of section thirty-three in the fall of 1837. Wm. Kronk- rite and Chester Gleason, who came in with him, were obliged to live on herbs, or in other words greens, for two weeks, having no other provisions except the milk of one farrow cow for the two families.
Isaiah G. Frost was also one of the first settlers, arriving on section eleven July 14, 1838, where he still resides. But being elected Treasurer of Ionia county soon after, he moved to Ionia, where he lived four years, during two terms of office. Charles Ingals and his father were also among the first settlers of this township.
This township was attached to Portland till 1845, when it was organized, and it was proposed to call it Brookstown, but it was ascertained that there was already a town in the State by that name, and it was decided to call it Danby, that being a short and easy name.
The inspectors of election, at the first election held April 7th, of that year, were Abijah F. Shoff, Willard L. Brooks, Wm. Kronkrite, and Lorenzo Sears ; John Compton acting as Clerk. The whole number of votes polled was nineteen. The officers elected were as follows : Supervisor, Abijah F. Shoff; Clerk, John Compton; Treasurer, Charles G. Brooks; Justices of the Peace, Mathew Davenport, William Kronkrite, Henry Jones, and Lorenzo Sears; Commissioners of Highways, Willard L. Brooks, Oscar P. Shoff, and Elkanah Drake ; School Inspectors, William Kronkrite and Oscar P. Shoff; Overseers of the Poor, Alpha David and Willard L. Brooks; Constables, Elkanah Drake and Alpha David; Assistant Assessor, Willard L. Brooks.
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF IONIA COUNTY.
PRESENT TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.
Supervisor, Washington T. Triphagen ; Clerk, J. Warren Peak; Treasurer, Isaiah G. Frost; Justices of the Peace, Addison Rice, Jonas C. Stockwell, George B. York and J. Warren Peak; Commissioners of Highways, Gardiner S. Allen and James H. Bare; School Inspectors, Isaac N. Brooks and William Hixson; Constable, James Rice. At the present time the voters number between two hundred and fifty and three hundred.
This township is divided into two parts (nearly equal) by Grand River running from the southeast to the northwest, cutting eighteen sections in its course, and affording water-power sufficient, when improved, for a large amount of manufacturing.
The Looking Glass River also runs across the northeast corner of section one, and Sebewa Creek runs across sections thirty-one and thirty, then into the town of Sebewa, and back again into Danby, on section eighteen, emptying into Grand River.
This is an excellent township of land, there being scarcely any waste land in the town. The surface is generally gently undulating, with some level portions or small plains, and a small portion might be called abruptly undulating, with small hills and valleys, though but very little is steep enough to be washed by heavy rains; and along the river, even, there is very little that would be called high bluffs, like what are found farther down the river. The soil is generally what might be termed sandy loam, though small portions are sandy and some more clayey. On the northeast side of the river is openings with oak and such other timber as generally grows on such land ; while on the southwest is timbered land, beech, maple, etc. There are quite a number of well-improved farms and many more fast improving. Among those most advanced may be mentioned those of Charles G. and W. L. Brooks ; I. G. Frost; the Shoff farm, owned by William Alderman, of Muir; Alden J. Potter ; Asa C. Davis; and on the south and west arc John Compton's, Gardner S. Allen's, the Wyman's, Henry Holli- day's, and Lawrence Sandborn's ; also, James H. Barr and Harrison Rich. But most of the farms are comparatively new, and many of the people live in log houses which will in time give place to better ones.
There are two small lakes in this town; one on the southwest part of section thirty- two, and the other on the southwest part of section thirty-four, both well stocked with fish,-pickerel, bass, etc. The one on section thirty-four is on the farm of Samuel S. Kelley, and is called Craydimon's Lake. It covers about sixteen acres. There is a small stream running from this lake to Grand River.
There is a tamarack swamp on the south line of section thirty-one; but most of it is in Roxand, in Eaton County. There is also a small spruce swamp on section thirty- four ; and these, with a small marsh near Chester Davenport's, are about all that we saw in our travels in the township, that could be called waste land.
There are seven school districts organized in this township, with a neat and com- modious school-house in each, with the exception of one.
There are two blacksmith shops in this town ; one of which is on section thirty-four, owned by Samuel S. Kelley, and one on section thirty. There is also a mill on section thirty. But most of the inhabitants do the main part of their trading and marketing in Portland.
An interesting feature in the history of this town is the fact that a large company of Indians remained long after the first white settlers came in and commenced operations, and that many of them were converted to Christianity during their stay here. Their principal camping-ground was on Grand River, in the southeasterly part of the town. The missionary labor among them was conducted by the Episcopal Methodists, and
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF IONIA COUNTY.
the first man who came among them to preach, or, as Mr. John D. Brown says, attempted to tame an Indian, was Manasseh Hickey, who came among them for the first time when they were quite drunk; and having been told by the rum-sellers that this man was coming, and that his teachings would be degrading to them, they were very abusive, so much so that he left and went into the woods to pray. He, however, left his interpreter with them, who talked with them, and they became more peaceful; and Mr. Hickey went back at a proper time and talked to them, and they were pleased with him, and the door was thus opened for the preaching of the gospel among them. John Compton, being a local preacher, labored more or less among them in connection with Hickey. He also taught school for them one month in the spring, during which time the ice went out of the river, and he was so punctual to get there every day,-some- times having to cross the river by going from one cake of ice to another,-that the Indi- ans called him Te-cum-a-gaw-she, which means, wade right through the river. They had built a school-house during the winter, in time to have one month schooling before the sugar season commenced, which was the reason the school was taught at this time. The Indians also built a small meeting-house, but they have since then (about sixteen years ago) moved to Isabella county, where the United States Government has provided for them. They were estimated to number about five hundred in Danby, in 1837. Their chiefs' names were Dayomack and Manuquod; Dayomack being the elder and Manuquod the younger chief.
This town has one railroad, the Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan, running across the northeast part of the town. The Marshall road is expected to cross the west part, running north and south, and another is expected to run east and west through the south part, or a little south of the center. So that with an enterprising and intelligent population, and all these facilities, they will ere long stand in the front rank and side by side with many other towns which have heretofore been in the advance.
EASTON.
THE township of Easton is bounded on the north by Orleans, east by Ionia, south by Berlin, and west by Keene. Sections 33, 34, 35, and 36 of the original town- ship, and also the greater part of sections 25 and 26, with a small fraction of 27, and about half of section 32, lying south of Grand River, form at present a part of Berlin.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The surface of the western part of the township is quite level, while in some parts of the central and southeastern portion it is gently undulating, but in no place hilly enough to interfere much with cultivation. The soil is generally good, the timber being heaviest in the western part of the town. The timber of the eastern and central portions is to a great extent that usually found on what are called " oak openings," and " timbered openings," while that of the western part is mostly beech, maple, elm, ash. basswood, and other timbers peculiar to the heavy-timbered lands of the county. The heavy and light timber are separated by Timberland Creek, the division being very abrupt. On this is heavy timber ; on the east oak openings. There is a small swamp on section seventeen, embracing about forty acres, extending east and west. This swamp is the source of Timberland Creek, which flows a little east of south through sections seventeen, twenty-one, and twenty-eight, emptying into Grand River, divid- ing through its whole course the timbered land from the oak openings. There is no other swamp of considerable size in the township, but the northwest corner is in a swamp which embraces a part of four townships. Mill Creek flows into Grand River on section twenty-seven, and furnishes power for Bellamy's grist-mill on that section.
Easton was organized into a township in 1843.
EARLY SETTLERS.
The first settlers of Easton were Erastus Yeomans, now a resident of Ionia village ; yet in that part of it comprised in the township of Easton, Alfred Cornell, with his sons, Thomas and Alfred, Jr., and Horace Case. Mr. Thomas Harrison Conner came into Easton in February, 1835, and located on section twenty-six. The old log house which had been begun by Horace Case, and was finished by Mr. Conner, is yet stand- ing, and is the oldest building now standing in Easton, and also one of the oldest in the county. At the time Mr. Conner came into Easton there were only the Cornell, Yeo- mans, and Case families in the township. Mr. Conner's brother, Jared, and Mr. James Crawford came at the same time. Two years after, the Dexter colony settled in Ionia. Mr. Thomas H. Conner was on the first steamboat that came up Grand River, an account of which is found in other parts of this book.
William Winslow arrived in the spring of 1835, and located on section four. One year from this date his brother Ezra came, and located on the same section. Ezra Winslow died in 1842, being the second death occurring in the township, as near as we can learn. Mr. Wm. Winslow says that there was but one house in the town when he came. Mr. Simon Welch also came in 1835, locating on section nineteen. Elijah
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF IONIA COUNTY.
Doty and family came during the same year. Among those who came to Easton in 1836 is John North, who is still living, but who, not being anxious for historic fame, refused to give our agent any details of his pioneer experience. Mr. Richard M. Bishop located on section eight in the same year. In 1857 he was accidentally shot and killed. He was sitting on a log eating his dinner, when a hunter shot him, sup- posing he was aiming at a deer. Mr. Joseph Barker located on section seventeen in the spring of 1837. He contrasts the present high prices for labor with the times when he worked for seven years for $10 per month, and relates many interesting stories of pioneer hardships. One night, while he was sleeping in an open shanty, a large bear came within four feet of the open door, but finally retired, much to his relief, without seeking a nearer acquaintance.
Mr. George W. Dexter came into the township in the fall of 1837, and in 1838 located on section twenty, bringing with him a family of eight children. At this time there were but four families in the west part of the town. Mr. Dexter was the brother of Samuel Dexter, the founder of Ionia. He remained in the town till the time of his death, which occurred in 1848. Death at that time carried off six out of twelve of that family in the short period of three years. One of Geo. W. Dexter's sons, Smith G. Dexter, to whom we are indebted for these facts, still resides on section thirty. Mr. Russell Locke came into lonia in October, 1837. At this time there were no bridges across Grand River, although the stringers were laid for one, across which Mrs. Locke walked. Mr. Locke was on one occasion chased from his place into Ionia, a distance of five miles, by a pack of wolves, and on another occasion a flock of them surrounded the wagon in which he was sleeping, and commenced pawing and howling, but finally left him to his rejoicing over the narrow escape. William Mussel- man came into the township in 1837, and located on section seven. William Fleming came in the fall of 1838.
Mr. Isaac Finch located on section twenty-eight in the fall of 1839, thirty-three years ago. He paid $90 for two teams to bring his goods from Detroit. At this time there was but one store in Ionia. In the winter of 1843 he kept his cattle for six weeks on "browse." Mr. Finch is now eighty years of age, and in the possession of all his faculties, enjoying good health.
The first fruit trees planted in this part of the Grand River Valley were set out by Mr. Geo. Case, about the year 1835, as near as we can determine, on section twenty-six, on the farm now belonging to Mr. James B. Sanford. Mr. Case was drowned in June, 1836, while attempting to ford the Thornapple River on horseback, where the bridge now stands. In the early days when this orchard began to bear, the scarcity of fruit of all kinds rendered the depredations of passers-by a common occurrence. But even their voracious appetites were not always craving enough to devour its fruit, which was some of it of a very inferior class. One day a depredator, after deliberately filling his pockets to their utmost capacity, upon tasting his ill-gotten prize, as deliberately emptied them again, greatly to the delight of the concealed proprietor. Mr. Sanford, who came into Ionia in 1839, gives us some interesting facts about those early times. Ionia was called Ionia Centre, while Prairie Creek was called Ionia. These, with what was known as Otisco, were the three rival places for the county seat. Dr. Lincoln was at that time shoemaker and schoolmaster for the colony, while Judge Yeomans was postmaster for the entire county. The Land-Office clerks who boarded with Judge Yeomans, would bring the moneys of that office home with them tied up in their handkerchiefs, and hide them away in the stairway. Ionia was supposed by some people living in the older States to be quite a village. One man, in the State of New York, paid $500 for a lot in Washington Square, Ionia, and on looking for his lot found it in the midst of a swamp.
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF IONIA COUNTY.
Noah Bishop came into Easton in the fall of 1842, locating on section eighteen, and, if we are rightly informed, Henry H. Haynor and his son Isaac B. Haynor came about the same time. William Dildine located on section ten in 1843, in the neighborhood of William Kitson, William Fleming, and A. Stephens. Mr. Charles Reynolds came about the same time. In the spring of 1843 the first township meeting was held. Ben- jamin Conner and Augustus Savage came in 1844. Benoni Holcomb located on sec- tion one in 1848. Hon. Shiverick Kellogg located on section seven in 1849. Even at this date the western part of the township was very new. There was no road out from Mr. Kellogg's place, except a wagon track cut out by himself, for some distance. Mr. Kellogg has taken the assessment of his township for eight years, and now repre- sents the Western District of Ionia county in the State Legislature.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
Easton has no extensive school buildings. The schools are located on sections thirty, ten, seven, five, eleven, and that of District No. 1, in the outskirts of Ionia village.
The Methodists have erected a good wooden church building on section eight, at a cost of $3,000. This is the only church edifice in the township.
TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.
The following are the names of the township officers for 1872 : Supervisor, William D. Arnold ; Clerk, Marshall T. King ; Treasurer, William Rice; Justices of the Peace, Luman H. Colton, Silas Sprague, S. M. Stebbins, Stephen T. Minard.
KEENE.
TS one of the western tier of townships in the county ; is bounded on the north by Otisco, on the east by Easton, on the south by Boston, and on the west by Ver- gennes, in Kent County.
The soil and timber of the township are somewhat diversified. The eastern part is timbered with beech, maple, etc., and a soil, generally of clay or loam, somewhat roll- ing in the southern portion, but generally quite level, and in the northeastern part of the town somewhat marshy. The soil in the western part of the township is lighter, especially in the vicinity of Flat River, is timbered largely with oak, and in great part consisted of what is known as oak-openings. Flat River, the only important stream in the township, enters Keene from Otisco, at the western part of section five, leaves it again at the north of section seven, after a short curve in the adjoining township of Vergennes, re-enters Keene, and making a short circuit, finally leaves it at the southern part of section eighteen. Near the line between sections six and seven it is spanned by a fine covered bridge, built in 1869 at a cost of $2,000. There are two small lakes in the township, each of a few acres in extent, which are situated, respectively, on sections ten and twenty-two.
This township was an unbroken wilderness until late in the fall of 1837, when two young men, named Orran Owen and Charles Hickox came from Monroe county, New York, built a shanty on section twenty-five, and commenced chopping. Edward But- terfield from Oakland County and Cyrus Rose from Easton, commenced work about the same time, and on February 2d, 1838, Mr. Butterfield brought his family into the town- ship and settled on section twenty-five, and was therefore the first settler. Mr. Rose settled on section thirty-six in December following.
Among the settlers of 1838 are James Monk, who came from Canada and settled on section twenty-six, in March of that year; Morton Reynolds, also from Canada, who settled on section twenty-seven in April ; John Follett, also from Canada, who settled on section thirty-five; John Connor, from Oakland County, who also settled on section thirty-five ; James Chrysler, from Canada, who settled on section twenty-six ; Samuel Wells, from St. Lawrence County, New York, who settled on section twenty-three in May, and Dexter Cutler, who in June settled near the bank of Flat River.
Of this number Messrs. Owen, Rose, Follet, and Cutler now reside in the township. Messrs. Monk, Chrysler, and Wells, in the adjoining township of Boston. Mr. Butter- field died March 29th, 1846; Mr. Hickox in 1870; and Mr. Connor was killed by a falling tree, in September, 1851. William Lott, now of Bowne, Kent County, settled in Keene in 1838 or 1839, and for some time kept a public house.
The first birth in the township was that of Berilla, daughter of Morton and Alvira Reynolds, on May 17th, 1838. The settlers of 1839 were Philip Monk, James Baird, and Elisha Sprague, all from Canada, and who came previous to August 5th, the time of what is known as the " land sale." Prior to this time the settlers had squatted on the lands which they wished to purchase, but could not, for the reason that they had
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF IONIA COUNTY.
some time before been withdrawn from market. The settlers of Keene organized themselves into a club to prevent their lands being taken by speculators, and chose Asa L. Spencer, of Otisco, as their agent. The remaining settlers of the year 1839 were David and Stephen Shaul, from Herkimer County, and John L. Covert, Jenison Henry, and Simon Heath, from Orleans County, N. Y. Mr. Covert now resides in Vergennes, Kent County. The Messrs. Shaul soon removed to Canada. Mr. Monk died in 1863, Mr. Baird in 1864, Mr. Sprague in 1869. Mr. Henry was killed by the fall of a tree, March 18th, 1851. The first death in the township was that of Mary, wife of Robert Rose. A daughter died soon after, and Mr. Rose returned to Canada without locating in the township.
The settlers of 1840 were Thomas Beattie, his son Nathaniel, Joseph Brown, Zelotero B. Frost, Ephraim Abbott, Stephen Sparks, Henry V. N. Covert, Nathaniel Davenport, Prindle Hubbell, and Detos Gibson. Of this number, Messrs. Frost, Covert, Gibson, and Davenport now reside in the township, and Nathaniel Beattie is a resident of Ionia. Prindle Hubbell died in 1855, Thomas Beattie in 1856, Joseph Brown in 1857, and Ephraim Abbott a few years since. In January of 1840 occurred the first wedding in Keene. Mr. Alvin Butterfield was married to Miss Ilena Phipps, by George Dexter, Esq., of Easton.
The territory embraced within the present township of Keene formed a part of Otisco, for political purposes, until the spring of 1842. The first measures to secure an independent organization were taken at the general election in 1841, when a petition was circulated, praying the Legislature to organize the township of Keene, which was done at the following session of the Legislature. The name of the new township was proposed by E. Butterfield, Esq., Keene being the name of his native township in New Hampshire. After the organization of the township was effected, that portion of its territory lying northwest of Flat River remained attached to Otisco until the year 1869, when it was united to the remainder of the township of Keene. That part of Boston which lies north of Grand River, was for several years attached to Keene.
The first annual meeting in the township was held at the house of Nathaniel Beattie, on Monday, April 4th, 1842. John L. Covert acted as Moderator; Edward Butter- field, Aaron Hardenbough, Nathaniel Beattie, and Ephraim Abbott as Inspectors, and Simon Heath as Clerk. There were thirty-nine votes cast at the election, and the following board of officers elected : Supervisor, Asaph C. Smith ; Township Clerk, Cyrenus Day ; Township Treasurer, Samuel Wells; Justices of the Peace, John L. Covert, Joseph W. Sprague, Aaron Hardenbough, Zaccheus H. Brower ; Commissioners of Highway, Henry V. N. Covert, Asa R. Phipps, George W. White; Associate Assessors, John C. Court, Elisha Sprague; School Inspectors, Simon Heath, James Chrysler, Asaph C. Smith ; Overseers of the Poor, James Baird, Granson L. Hall ; Constables, John N. Butterfield, Prindle Hubbell, George W. White, - Sprague. Among the others not yet mentioned, who have acted an important part in transform- ing this part of the great wilderness into one of the finest agricultural townships of Grand River Valley, may be named Ira Pinkney, Philip D. Marble, Francis Potter, and many others who were pioneers in various parts of the township, and many of whom still remain to enjoy the fruits of their former energy and perseverance in the midst of privation.
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