USA > Michigan > Kent County > History and directory of Kent County, Michigan > Part 3
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Among other pioneers who settled in various parts of the township, were Noel Hopkins, Baltas Schaffer, Peter Schlick, James Snowden, Sherman Pearsall, John B. Colton, A. B. Toms, Thompson Kasson, Joseph Hipler, John Ellis, Edward Wheeler, Hervey Wilder, Joseph Bullen, Moses Ramsdell, John J. Downer, Hiram Stevenson, Artemus Hilton, Henry S. Church, Charles Anderson, Francis Greenley, and the Boyds, Denisons, Meads, Brewers, Davenports, and Cordes, all of whom came before 1850; and most of them yet remain to enjoy the fruits of their early labors and sufferings.
Many and varied were the privations endured by these early settlers. We who have never been pioneers cannot fully appreciate the sufferings, the trials, and hardships which were their lot. Think of a journey to Grand Rapids with an ox team, over rough roads, with a grist for the mill; of a return in the night with its many perplexities, now and then losing the indistinct road, with a consequent delay of an half hour: of finding trees blown across the way, preventing further progress until they have been removed by the use of the ax, and so on througli the list.
Again imagine the loneliness of a family coming from a thickly settled part of the country, and making a home in the wilderness, with no actual neighbors; with no schools; with no churches; and in fact with no associations except those of their own fireside. Little time can be spared for social intercourse even at
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
home. The round of duties consumes each day but the Sabbath, which is to them indeed a day of holy rest.
We would not wish to be understood to intimate that there are no enjoyments connected with such a life, for downright satisfaction is always the result of manly toil. Situated, as the pioncer is, in an unbroken forest, with every stroke of the ax, and with every effort made toward improvement, he seems to be hew- ing out a little world of his own. Every acre added to the cleared space adds more than its proportionate amount of pleasure to the soul of the laborer. He looks forward to the time when his broad acres shall be seen clothed with the rich yellow grain of a plenteous harvest. He walks by faith and not by sight. The " sweet bye and bye " is anticipated, and that is what incites him to labor and to endure.
Then again much pleasure is found in the little visits which they are occasion- ally favored with. That peculiar community of feeling which is the characteristic of persons in depressed circumstances, is enjoyed by pioneers, and early settlers. in an unusual degree. There is a mutual dependence of one upon another, felt by everybody; and this never fails to beget a spirit of friendship between them.
ORGANIZATION.
Alpine was united with the township of Walker, until the year 1847. Its first independent township meeting was held at the School House in the southeast corner of the township, on the 5th day of April, 1847: which resulted in the election of the following named persons as officers : Supervisor, Edward Wheeler ; Clerk, C. D. Shenich : Treasurer, Casper Cordes ; Justices, Wm. H. Withey, John Coffee, John Colton. and John Tuxbury. The next annual meeting was held at the house of Edward Wheeler, near the center of the township. Soon after this a small log School House was erected on the corner of Mr. Wheeler's farm, one-half mile cast of the center, and was used as a place of holding township meetings until about the year 1860, when a nice, frame, Town Hall building was erected on the northeast corner of section twenty-one.
THE PRESENT OFFICERS
of Alpine are Supervisor, Isaac Haynes; Clerk, Hanson Rogers; Treasurer, Charles Dole; Justices, John Coffee, Warren Bailey, Charles Waterman, and Hollis R. Hills.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
Alpine-which is said to have derived its name from the supposition of many of the carly settlers, who were near the streams, and in the eastern part of the township, that it was chictly timbered with pine-is very different from what its name would indicate to a stranger. There was, originally, considerable pine along the larger streams, and in the northeasterly corner of the township. At one time, seven saw mills were situated on Mill Creek, and were doing a brisk busi- ness : but now there is hardly enough pine left to sustain three.
The source of Mill Creek is Cranberry Lake, which is situated on the line be- tween Kent and Ottawa counties, extending into section six of Alpine. From there to Pickerel Lake on section ten Mill Creek is but a small rivulet. We mention this as the main stream : however there is another branch about the
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
same size, which comes in from Sparta, and unites with the former near the north line of section nine. From Pickerel Lake to its mouth it is fed by several small streams, one of which comes from Downer Lake on the southeast quarter of sec- tion ten. The main stream passes about one and one-half miles north of the center of the township, thence southeasterly until it unites with Grand River in the southwest corner of Plainfield. For a distance of five or six miles from its mouth, the water power is sufficiently good for manufacturing purposes. Along this stream is a series of small swamps, extending nearly the whole width of the township from cast to west, and bordered on either side by clay bluffs, rising in some places to a height of sixty or seventy feet.
North of this, and extending into Sparta, is a ridge of high, rolling, timbered land, which is as good as can be found in the county, for farming purposes, fruit growing, etc. On the south is a similar ridge, which divides Mill Creek on one side from Indian and Sand Creeks on the other.
One branch of Indian Creek rises near the center of the township, and the other in the western part. These branches unite in the north part of section twenty- cight; thence the stream flows south into Walker, crossing the south line of Alpine near thic center.
One branch of Sand Creek rises in the Western part of Alpine, and flows south into Walker, and thence west into Ottawa county. Another branch of the same stream lias source in a small lake covering about ten acres, situated on the line between sections twenty-eight and twenty-nine.
Minnie or New Boston Lake is situated on the east line of section twelve. and extends east into Plainfield. The lake and surrounding swamp cover about forty acres. A number of years ago a saw mill was erected on the north side of this lake, and an effort was made to build up a burgh, which was christened New Boston ; but like many other enterprises of a like nature it never went much beyond the paper plat.
THE SOIL
of the beach and maple timbered portions of Alpine-which comprise about two- thirds of the township-is generally clay or loam. Indeed Alpine is a township of good land, well adapted to the production of both grain and fruit. The good looking orchards, and the loads of nice apples, peaches, plums, pears, etc., as well as the excellent yields of wheat and other grain, speak for themselves. The soil of the pine timbered portions is sandy, but it grows fair crops when well culti- vated and improved. Among the largest and best farms in the township, are those of Solomon Wright, A. Downer, Mrs. James Snowden, Judson Buck, L. N. Dennison, David Herrick, Richmond Gooding, and Eberhard Cordes, each of which comprises two hundred acres or more.
MILLS AND MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS.
Colton's Saw Mill, built in the year 1845 by Colton and Phillips, situated on the south side of section thirteen, is now owned and operated by Gidcon Colton. This mill is capable of cutting nearly a million fect of lumber per year ; but on account of the scarcity of pine does a comparatively small business.
The Saw Mill situated on the northicast corner of section twenty-five, commonly
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
called Withey's Mill, is manufacturing large quantities of shingles and some lum- ber. It is owned and operated by Aaron Leland.
Stonehouse's Steam Saw Mill, situated on the northeast corner of section twen- ty-five, was erected by Jolin Stonehouse in the year 1868, on the site of an old water power mill owned by him, and which was destroyed by fire in the year 1867. The new mill is turning out large quantities of shingles, also some lumber and lath.
Ellis & Brown's Grist Mill, situated on section thirteen, on Mill Creek, is doing a good custom business.
The Wolverine Pump Works, S. N. Edie, Proprictor, are situated on section thirty-six, one-half mile northwesterly of Mill Creek Post-office. This establish- ment was crected in the year 1868. It is located on a small branch of Mill Creek, whose waters give it motive power. The shop is furnished with facilities for manu- facturing five thousand pumps per annum.
Orrin Gee owns and operates a small Brick Yard on the south side of section thirty-one.
There is a water power Cider Mill situated on Mill Creek, owned and operated by Gideon Colton, which is worthy of notice. The mill is so built on the bluff at the side of the stream, that the apples can be unloaded from the wagon into the hop- per at the top, where they are ground, below which they are pressed, then bar- reled and loaded into wagons at the foot of the bluff without necessitating the lifting of a pound.
SCHOOL HOUSES.
District No. 1 is in the center of the township. Its first School House was built on the farm of Edward Wheeler, on the north side of section twenty-two. The present School Building was erected in the year 1861, and is a substantial frame structure. It stands on the south side of section fifteen, one-half mile east of the Town Hall.
District No. 2 has an old wooden building, commonly known as the Coon School House.
District No. 3 (fractional with Wright,) has a nice, brick building situate on the north side of section thirty. It was crected in 1868 at an expense of $1,000.
District No. 4 (fractional with Sparta,) has a small frame house, known as Rouse School House, situated on the north line of section three.
District No. 6 (fractional with Sparta), has a school house in the northicast corner of section five. It was erected in the year 1864, at a cost of about $1200.
The school house iu District No. 7 (fractional with Plainfield), known as the Colton school house, situated on the south side of section thirteen, is a neat frame structure. It was erected in the year 1869, at an expense of $950.
District No. 8 has a small, frame house, known as the Pearsall school house, which was erected in 1851, on the northwest corner of section twenty-eight.
District No. 9 (fractional with Plainfield), has a very old building, known as the Withey school house, situated on the northeast corner of section thirty-six.
District No. 10 (fractional with Wright), has a small frame house, known as the Boyd school house, standing on the southwest corner of section eight. It was erected in the year 1856.
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
District No. 11 has a small, wooden building, which was erected in the year 1855, and used until the year 1869, when the Roman Catholics of the district, with the aid of those of surrounding districts, erected a building of their own at at a cost of $1500, in which they now have a German-English school. The de- serted building is situated on the south side of section twenty six, and the new one at the center.
District No. 13 (fractional with Walker), has a nice frame building, known as the Johnson school house. It was erected in the year 1859, and stands on the south side of section thirty-four.
District No. 14 (fractional with Sparta), has a small, frame building, which was erected in the year 1852, and is known as the Englishville school house. It is located on the north side of section one.
District No. 15 (fractional with Walker), has a small, frame building, known as the Monroe school house.
CHURCHES.
The Alpine and Walker Baptist Church is a good frame building, 36x56 feet in size. It was erected in the year 1859 on the south side of section thirty-three, at a cost of probably $2000.
The Roman Catholic Church, situated on the north side of section thirty-four, was erected in the year 1849, at a cost of about $1500. It is a frame structure 26×46 feet in size.
HOTELS.
The Alpine House, which was erected in the year 1867 by M. Crill, is a large, commodious, frame building, situated on the south side of section thirteen on the Sparta Center road. This is located in the midst of a little cluster of houses, sometimes called Coltonville. They have a postoffice known as Alpine, also two or three shops, and not far distant on the same section, are the grist and saw mills heretofore described. The "Brick Inn," erected by Josephi Bettes, in the year 1862, on the site of the old " Log Inn," is now owned and kept by Wash- ington Heath. It is located in the south part of section thirty, on the Newaygo State road.
BOWNE.
Bowne is the southeastern township of Kent County. It is bounded on the north by Lowell, on the east by Campbell, Ionia county, on the south by Irving, Barry county, and west by Caledonia. The surface of the township is rolling in the south part, the western part is mostly timbered openings, while the eastern part is beech and maple land, and is rather level. It is all rich and excellent soil, and well adapted to all kinds of agricultural pursuits. And, although compara- tively new, is fast being developed into fine farms. It is watered by the Cold- water, or Little Thornapple, which enters the township on its eastern boundary on section thirty-six, and flows in a westerly direction through the township, leaving its western boundary on section thirty-one. This is a very rapid stream and would afford five or six mill sites within the limits of this township, only two of which are improved. One on section twenty-nine, occupied by Patter- 5
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
son's saw mill, and one on section thirty-six, occupied by Richardson's saw mill. In the western part of the township is a small stream flowing from the north, called Harris Creek, on which Hon. A. D. Thomas has a grist mill with two run of stone, driven by an overshot wheel with a fall of thirty feet. In the eastern part of the township is another small stream called Duck Creek, which affords in the northeast corner of the township water power for a saw mill, owned by Jaspar Kuykendall.
In 1836, Mr. Jonathan Thomas, of Ovid, New York, entered a large tract of land in the southwestern portion of this township, and, in 1837 came on to im- prove it, bringing with him Mr. Frederick Thomson and family, who still reside in Bowne, Mr. Israel Graves and family, and Mr. William Wooley and family. They came by water to Toledo, 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 now owned by A. D. Thomas. The first house they built, and the first within the town, is still standing, and is preserved by Mr. A. D. Thomas as a relic of the past and as a contrast with the present. It is 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 sick soon after he arrived, and was sick most of the time until the next winter, when his son-in-law Mr. 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 Kalamazoo. He was obliged to go a few miles beyond there and buy wheat, bring it back to Kalamazoo and have it ground. Mrs. Thomson says there were a great many Indians on the Coldwater when they moved there. They found them good neighbors when they were sober, but when they could get " fire water " they were quarrelsome, and occasioned trouble at times. One came to their house one day when Mr. Thomson was away from home, and sat down in the rocking chair before the fire and rocked himself over into the fire-place, she 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 lot 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, she says, 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 got the best dinner she could under the circumstances, setting her table with the nicest spread and dishes she had. The chief ate his meal alone at her house and seemed much pleased, 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 they were left alone, seven miles at first, from any white neighbors. One time Mrs. Thomson
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
remained alone eight days. Mr. Thomson went to Kalamazoo to mill, and while there his oxen strayed away, and before he could find them and get home, eight days passed by. She remained at home until nearly noon the last day, when the suspense became so great she could not bear it any longer, and she started, on foot, for the nearest neighbor's, "Leonard's," seven miles distant. After proceed- ing about half way she met a white man. He was very much surprised at meet- ing a woman under such circumstances, 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 his losing his cattle, and that he was on the road and would be along before night, and as it was very warm advised her to either go back or wait until her husband came along, and when she told him " No," she 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 meeting, and afterward, when there got to be population enough so that preachers used to come among them, Mrs. Thomson says she used frequently to entertain three or four at a time in their little log shanty, twelve by fourteen fect square.
In the spring of 1838 Messrs. Malcolm and John McNaughton commenced "breaking " on seetion twenty. They broke up forty acres that year and put it into wheat. In the fall of 1838 Messrs. Roswell Tyler, Norman Foster and J. G. Beach settled at the centre of Bowne. They came from Detroit with teams, ciu Gull Prairie, and were about ten days on the road. Mr. Tyler and another man came through from Jackson on foot, following 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 we have been able to get, we find James II. Truax, Jared Miller, William Stewart, Daniel C. MeVean, Abraham Lowe, and Messrs White and Cobb, who settled at different times ranging from 1840 to 1845.
SCHOOL HOUSES.
There are eight school houses in Bowne, all frame buildings, situated on sections 29, 28, 24, 12, 7, 4, 22 and 20. Bowne is well supplied with
POSTOFFICES.
Containing three, viz : Bowne, Alto, and Harris Creek. The Bowne postoffice, James C. Johnson, P. M., is located at Bowne Center. Alto postoffice is situated near the centre of section four, and kept by David M. Skidmore. Harris Creek postoffice, Wilbur S. March, P. M., is on the southwest part of section twenty- nine, near Thomas' Mills.
LAKES.
Foster Lake, on seetion 24, is a fine sheet of water about a quarter of a mile in length. On the northwest corner of section 23, near the residence of Stephen Johnson, is a small lake called Putnam Lake. A small lake near the centre of section 10, is known as Number Ten Lake. Campbell Lake is a handsome lake, about half a mile in length, on section 19. In the north part of the township are several large swamps, interspersed with small lakes or ponds : one range lying on sections 1, 2, 3, and 4, and one lying on sections 5 and 8.
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
ORGANIZATION.
The township of Bowne was organized in the year 1848, by the election of the following named gentlemen as the
FIRST TOWNSHIP OFFICERS:
Supervisor-Roswell C. Tyler; Clerk-Daniel C. McVean ; Treasurer-Justus G. Beach ; Justices of the Peace-Jared Miller, Norman Foster ; Assessors- Abijah Poole. John A. Campbell ; Commissioners of Highways-Loren B. Tyler, James H. Truax, Asa. R. Tyler. School Inspectors-Jared Miller, William Gib- son. Overseers of the Poor-Roswell F. Tyler, John Underwood. Constables- Salmon E. Platt, Henry C. Foster.
TOWNSHIP OFFICERS IN 1870.
Supervisor-Abner D. Thomas. Clerk-Abel Ford. Treasurer-James M. Nash. Justices of the Peace-Stephen Johnson, Benjamin J. Lee, Levi Stone, Henry D. Francisco. Commissioners of Highways-Loren B. Tyler, Henry D. Francisco, William H. Stone. Constable-Oliver A. Stone.
BYRON.
The township of Byron is situated in the extreme southwestern part of Kent county, with Wyoming on the north, Gaines on the east, Dorr, Allegan county, on the south, and Jamestown, Ottawa county, on the west.
The surface of it is rolling, being covered with gently rolling swells and small knolls, with the exception of a swamp which commences on section thirteen and extends in a southwesterly direction into Allegan county. This swamp varies from eighty rods to one mile in breadth, and is mostly timbered with tamarack and cedar. The extreme southwestern part of the township is somewhat broken, but not enough so to injure its value for farming purposes. The soil varies from argillaceous to sandy ; but is what is generally known to farmers as either clayey or sandy loam. The surface of some of the creek bottoms is underlaid with marl or " bog lime," while the "big swamp " is a bed of muek, in many places of several feet in thickness. On section twenty-one, on the farm of S. S. Towner, is a small swamp timbered with tamarack, through which the track of the northern branch of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad passes, which has several times sunk so as to engulf the road bed. This swamp is probably the site of a lake which has become covered with a coating of vegetable matter of suffi- cient thickness to support trees of from fifty to sixty feet in height.
This township is composed of what is known as " timbered lands," comprising within its limits nearly every variety of trees known in this climate, viz. the Oak, Elm, Basswood, Whitewood, Sugar and Soft or White Maple, Blackwalnut, Butter- nut, Sycamore, Pepperage, Beech, White and Black Ash, Hickory and Bitter Wal- nut, Pine, Cedar and Tamaraek. And in some very favored localities a few Hack- berry trees are to be found. Of shrubs nearly all that flourish in this State are found, and in the rich hollows of the heavy timbered lands the Paw Paw flourishes to a considerable extent.
Byron is quite well watered by Buek and Rush Creeks, and the springs and
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
numerous small streams that form these creeks. One branch of Buck Creek rises in the extreme southeastern corner of the township, flows a north westerly direc- tion for some distance, and then north by east until it leaves the town on its northern limits at the center line of section one. Another branch rises in Dorr, Allegan county, and flows northeasterly through the " big swamp " until it forms a junction with the main stream.
About the center of section twenty-six is a small lake called "Mud Lake." Rush Creek rises near the center of the township and flows in a northwesterly direction, leaving Byron very near its northwestern limits.
Go back with me reader for a space of thirty-four years, to the summer of 1836. Byron was then an unbroken wilderness. The ruthless hand of the white man, armed with that terribly destructive weapon, the axe, had never been laid on natures beautiful forest that crowned the hills and shaded the vales. As the God of nature created it so the grand old forest stood. But the axe, the Pioneer's great weapon, as honored as his rifle, was soon destined to be heard in its depths. During the summer of this year Mr. Nathan Boynton located a farm on section five, and selected a place to build a house on a little knoll near the banks of Rush Creek. Mr. Boynton returned to Grandville and was taken sick, but in August or September sent his brothers, Messrs. William and Jerry Boynton to build a house for him. All the guide they had was the section line. This they followed until they came to the line between the present townships of Byron and Wyom- ing, where they, not knowing that there was a variation in the section lines of the different ranges of townships, lost the line and were sometime finding the place Nathan had selected for his dwelling. Having found the spot they went at work to erect a house. Listen reader while we give you the description Mr. William Boynton gave us. It was built of small logs, such as they could carry and put up, the roof was of small basswood, split in two parts and gutters cut, with an ax, in the flat side. One tier of these was laid with the flat side up and the other with the flat side down, so that the outside edge of the upper tier fitted into the gutter of the lower. The floor and door of the house were made of plank, or as woodsmen usually call them " puncheons," split from basswood trees. The fire place was built of clay, which Mr. Boynton says he mixed by treading with his bare feet, and was built up with small twigs; while the chimney was built of split sticks laid up in the same kind of mortar. This fireplace and chimney were used, and did good service for a goodly number of years. Such was the first house erected in the township of Byron.
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