USA > Michigan > Kent County > History and directory of Kent County, Michigan > Part 7
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Crooked Lake, lying on sections 20, 21 and 29, is one mile long, quite irregular in shape, and is noted for its Islands. Round Lake, a pretty sheet of water, on section 21, is one half mile long, and about the same in width, and contains about 80 acres. This lake and Crooked Lake discharge their waters through Seely Creek into Flat River.
Slayton Lake is another small, but beautiful sheet of water, lying on section 23. It takes its name from one of the early settlers whose residence is near its shore.
Musk-Rat Lake, on sections, 4, 5, 8 and 9, is one mile and a half long, and about one-fourth of a mile wide, on the average. It contains about 230 acres, and is bountifully stocked with fish. The kinds caught in it are black, rock and silver- bass, pickerel and muskelonge.
Pine Island Lake, lying on sections 3 and 10, one mile and a quarter long, and three eights of a mile wide, is the most beautiful of them all. Pine Island, from which the lake takes its name, lies on its bosom like a gem on the wave. The far sweeping lake with its picturesque shores and forest crowned isle, as seen from the home of Mr. Converse Close, near it, fixes the gaze of the beholder like some enchanted scene, of which we sometimes dream.
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
Grattan has no water course of any note, except Seely's Creek, the outlet of nine of its principle lakes. It is an insignificant stream, averaging no more than two rods wide, yet, with its numerous, and inexhaustible fountains, supplying water power sufficient for three grist mills and one saw mill, in its short course of half a dozen miles. It takes its rise in a small lake on section 15, just north of the State Road, three fourths of a mile east of Grattan Center, running north one and one quarter miles, through Pine Island Lake, west one and one quarter miles through Musk-Rat Lake, south-east one and one quarter miles through Wolf Lake, where it appears as a small stream running thence due east, passing within 60 rods of its source, and debouching in Flat River, at the village of Smyrna, in Ionia county. It was named after Munson Seely, a young hunter, who, in early days camped upon its banks and pursued the chase through its adjacent forests.
In 1850, Edward Bellamy and Nathan Holmes, brothers in-law, formed a part- nership, and erected a grist mill upon the stream, near its embouchure from Wolf Lake, on section 16. This was the nucleous of Grattan Center. The mill is now owned by J. A. Adams & Bros. This place is the only business center in the town. It has twelve or fourteen dwellings, one hotel, one cabinet shop, one wagon shop, one cooper shop, two blacksmith shops, one paint shop, one drug store, two dry goods stores, and a fine new church. (Baptist, C. C. Miller, Pastor.) It was erected in 1868. It is built of wood, painted white, costing $5,400.
The Grattan Union School House, a white, two story, frame building, with two departments, is located here, on a beautiful eminence just east of the village. The Metropolitan Cheese Factory, is located just west of here, and its enterprising pro- prietor, Capt. B. Madison, is opening up an apparently prosperous business for himself and the farmers for miles around, by this new branch of industry. Grat- tan Center is situated in a fine rural district, and its proprietors are wide-awake and enterprising, but altogether too far away from railroads for their own con- venience, or comfort. Within the past year, the place has suffered a severe loss in the sudden death of its esteemed citizen W. L. Atkins, a long time merchant, and efficient business man of the town.
As early as 1848. the Catholics erected a small church in their cemetery, on sec- tion 32, dedicated to St. Patrick. In ten years their congregation had become much too large for the seating capacity of the ho use, and it was moved upon sec- tion 31, and converted into a School House, and a new and commodious edifice erected on an eminence one fourth of a mile west of the old site.
This building, while undergoing repairs, was accidentally burned in 1868. Im- mediately, scores of teams were put upon the roads hauling lumber preparatory to the building of a new church, which is now in process of erection, and when completed will be an honor to its builders, and an ornament to the town. It is 136 by 50 feet in size ; has a tower 168 feet high, and is lighted with massive windows of stained glass, which show with pleasing effect.
The congregation is very large, and their annual pic-nic for the benefit of the church has become an " institution" of Grattan. It is noted for its tastefully ar- ranged, and bountifully supplied tables, and the hosts that congregate. Father Rivers is closely identified with the early history and prosperity of this people, but J. P. McMannus is now the resident priest.
Besides the Union School, Grattan has but four district school houses, but, as
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
would at first seem, its educational interests are not neglected, as it is completely surrounded by fractional districts.
In 1843, the first settlement was made within the limits of the town, by Dennis and John McCarthy, on section 30, and Richard Giles, on section 32. In 1844, Luther B. Cook built the first house north of Seely's Creek, on section 12. The same year, William Smith, also settled on section 12. Converse Close, on section 11; Jared Watkins, on section 13; Henry Green, on section 13 ; Anthony King, Alan- son King on section 1; Volney W. Caukin, on section 9; Michael Kennedy, on section 19; and William McCarthy, on section 30. Prominent among the settlers of 1845, we may mention John P. Weeks, located on section 25; Orson Nichoson, on 4ºc- tion 2 ; William Byrnes, on section 27, and Anson Green, on section 14. In 1-46 Russel Slayton, located on section 14, and Dudley Newton, on section 17. Among the settlers of 1847, we find Martin Mason, located on section 23. Of these old settlers, most reside where they first located, but Anthony King, Russel Slayton and Orson Nichoson, are dead. Marshal King, son of Alanson King, born Decem- ber, 1844, is supposed to be first white child born in the town. The first death occurred in the fall of 1846, in the family of a Mr. Springer, then living on section 15. Isaac Springer, an interesting little boy of five years, was the first victim, but in less than 18 months, five of the family were laid side by side, and now sleep on the very spot where the Union School House stands.
There are many interesting personal experiences incident to the early settle- ment of a new country, which the limits of this work will not permit us to record, but the circumstances attending the first wedding in this town are so peculiar, we may not omit to mention it here. A widely known, and highly esteemed couple, still residents of the town, wished to get married, but there was no functionary in that part of Kent, vested with authority to perform the ceremony. A well known Justice of Ionia county, chanced to be visiting at the house where the par- ties were, and their dilemma was made known to him. Of course he had no jurisdiction in Kent, but the county line was only half a mile away, and a walk through the forest, was proposed and agreed to. The Justice took his stand in Ionia county, and the bride and bridegroom, protesting they would not leave the town to be married, joined hands just over the line, and in the presence of a few friends, gathered beneatlı the grand old oaks, on the pleasant afternoon of July 28, 1844, the twain were made one to their own gratification and the gratifi- cation and amusement of their friends here, as elsewhere.
In those early days, the settler, with his axe, cut the way for his future home, and in the absence of stores, grist mills and saw mills, supplied, by his own in- genuity, the actual necessities of himself and family. To-day, all the conveniences of civilized life are at his hand, and the well cultivatedl farms, and the more than ordinary wealth displayed in dwellings and out buildings, are highly significant of the sobriety, enterprise, and consequent prosperity of the people.
Grattan has not only maintained an honorable position in the county, but has also made its record among the dignitaries of the State. Of its first set of officers, Hon. Volney W. Caukin has once represented the Twenty-ninth District, at Lan- sing, and Hon. Milton C. Watkins, its first Supervisor, has been Representative, also Senator in the State Legislature, and now holds an appointment under the United States Government.
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
LOWELL.
This township lies north of Bowne, and south of Vergennes. It is one of the eastern tier of townships in Kent county, being bounded on the cast by Boston, Ionia county, and on the west by the township of Cascade.
Its soil, timber and productions are greatly diversified. The soil of the south half is mostly clay or loam, lies very high, and is generally level and well adapted to farming purposes, and on account of its elevation, an excellent fruit section.
The north half is considerably broken; by Grand River, which erosses the township from east to west, at an average distance of one mile from the north line, and Flat River, which comes in from Vergennes, on the north, and enters Grand River about one and one half miles west from the county line, of Kent and Ionia counties. The river bottoms, from half a mile to a mile in width, are heavily timbered with elm, ash, soft maple, etc., and when cleared make good meadow lands. Next back of these bottoms, on either side, rise the sand and clay bluffs, which line these streams throughout the greater part of their course in the county. In some places they rise to the highth of nearly 200 feet, and are usual- ly covered with oak, some time quite heavy, but in other places only what is com- monly known as " openings," the timber being light, and the ground covered with a small growth of oak, interspersed with hazel, and other shrubs. These bluffs, somewhat broken by many small brooks which come in from both sides, extend back an average of about a mile on each side, which, on the north side brings us about to the township line, and on the south to the high level tract be- fore mentioned. This latter is partially watered by some small lakes, the largest of which is Pratt Lake, covering about 300 acres on the north part of section 25, near the east line of the township, and about three miles south of Grand River. It is named in honor of William Pratt, who settled on the north side of it about the year 1850. Bareis, or MeEwing Lake, on the east part of section 32, is nearly one mile in length, but quite narrow, its greatest width being less than 80 rods. It extends from the northeast to southwest. On the northwest corner of the same section is a pond of about ten acres, called Morse Lake. Between them, and on the south part of the same section, is a small lily pond, hardly to be called a lake. Stoughton Lake is a small lake of 4 or 5 acres, near the center of section 35, and has a tamarack swamp of about 20 acres on the east of it. There is also a small lake of 3 or 4 acres, and a swamp of about 15 acres on the south side of section 22. A swamp of some 300 or 400 acres lies west of Pratt Lake, on section 26. On the south side of seetion 33, and extending over the line into Bowne, is a fine marsh of about 40 acres. From Pratt Lake and the swamp already mentioned, to this marsh is a ravine through which is a stream of water in wet seasons, but which dries away in ordinary weather, leaving the lake without any visible out- let. The people along the line have recently petitioned the County Drain Com- missioner to open this natural water course deep enough to form a living streanı, to the south line of Lowell township, from which it would flow into a small stream which runs to Thornapple River. Aside from the sources already men- tioned, and some few smaller ponds and swamps, water can only be obtained in this part of the township by digging a depth of 50 to 100 feet. The timber of this southern part was originally sugar maple and beech, interspersed with
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
very large red and white oaks. This township is well supplied with stone for building purposes, and in some parts they are used to some extent for fencing, especially in the northwest corner of the township, and various other places north of Grand River. Fine gravel beds also abound throughout the north part, and the soil is quite gravelly along the road leading down the river from Lowell vil- lage.
PIONEERS.
In the year 1829, Daniel Marsac came from Detroit, and went among the In- dians in the vicinity of the present village of Lowell, as a trader, although a re- gular trading post was not established until 1831, when Mr. Marsac built a log hut on the south side of Grand River, near the present site of J. Kopf & Co.'s ex- tensive chair works.
What changes a few years have made ! When Mr. Marsac first pitched his tent within the borders of Kent county, then an almost unbroken wilderness, the only roads were the Indian trails, and the only means of navigation was the canoe, or " dug out," as it is sometimes called ; or, for more extensive transportion, a raft made of poles, or small logs, fastened together. We do not need to speak of the railroads and other facilities for travel now, as the reader can easily comparc the present with the past.
In the spring of 1835, a family by the name of Robinson, numbering in all 44 persons, set out from the State of New York, and arriving at Detroit, embarked on a small vessel for Grand Haven via Mackinaw. On the 7th day of June of that year they reached the mouth of Grand River, and, putting their household goods, etc., on rafts, and " paddling their own canoes," made their way up the river and settled in Kent and Ottawa counties, principally the latter, in the vicinity of Blendon. These were only a part of the Robinsons. Rix Robinson had been trading with the Indians at Thornapple-now called Ada-for several years prev- ious to this, and had one son by the squaw whom he had taken for a wife soon after he came there. A year later, in 1836, another brother, named Lewis, came with his family and settled on the west bank of Flat River, in the south part of what is now the village of Lowell. He was soon followed by Rodney, a brother from the Blendon settlement, who remained one year with Lewis, and then re- moved up the river into the present township of Vergennes, where he and another brother, Lucas, have made good farms. Philander Tracy-a relative of the Robinson family, who now resides at Grand Rapids, and is generally known as Judge Tracy, also came from the State of New York, and was for some time with Lewis Robinson. The timber for their first log hut was cut two or three miles up Flat River, and floated down by the help of Indians, who were always friendly to those who used them well.
There were good and bad Indians, as well as good and bad whites. One Indian, named Negake, who was not, however, a member of either of the tribes then oc- cupying this portion of the State, but a renegade from some Eastern tribe, who had taken up his abode with the Pottawotamies, caused the whites some trouble, and was reported to have killed one of the Government Surveyors some years previous, when an attempt was made to survey and throw into market all lands up to the 43 degree of latitude, which parallel cut across a bend in the river in this
9
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
township, and took a strip about a mile in width on the north side, to which sur- vey the Indians objected. Subsequently the river was made the frontier line, and no lands north of the river were put into market until August, 1839.
A tract of land lying on the east side of Flat River, was set apart as University lands. In 1836. Luther Lincoln, from Grand Rapids, formerly from the south part of the State, where he had been quite a wealthy man, came and settled on a small lot of this University land, and built a log house, which was afterwards used by Don A. Marvin, as a tavern. Mr. Lincoln and Rodney, and Lucas Robinson, helped the Indians to fence in a tract of about 100 acres, on the east side of Flat River, and about one mile from Grand River, for a planting ground, to prevent any trouble on account of their letting their cattle run at large on " Uncle Sam's Domain," as the cattle would have been likely to destroy their crops, and this would naturally have led to hostilities.
Mr. Rodney Robinson states that the Indians were usually good neighbors, and even Mr. Lincoln-whose mind was somewhat wandering, and consequently led him into some trouble with the early white settlers, always got along finely with the Indians, and when, on account of some " unpleasantness " with the whites he was obliged to leave this point, he went up the river a long distance and erected a saw mill, right in the midst of the Indian country. They were often employed to work for the early white settlers, and generally well paid, although it was usually best to pay them in provisions and other necessaries, rather than in money, for, if they got money, many of them would go off to places where they could get liquor, and' come home drunk, when they would be quarrelsome and dangerous neighbors, until the fire-water and its effects were gone. No liquor was allowed to be sold to them in this vicinity if the settlers could prevent it, although itinerant traders would sometimes undertake to sell it to them in order make it easier to cheat them in their trades.
In 1837, Charles Newton, Matthew Patrick, Samuel P. Rolt, Ira A. Danes, Wil- liam Vandeusen and Mr. Francisco-nearly all of whom were from New York, settled along the north side of Grand River, on the old Grand River Road, from two to five miles west of Flat River. This road came from lonia, by the way of Fallassburg-at which point the first bridge was built across Flat River, in 1840, previous to which the river was forded-and passed about two miles west of the mouth of the river, thence along down Grand River, near the side of the bluffs.
The following bit of school romance is introduced without any apology : In 1837 the people of this vicinity organized a School District, including all the set- tlers on Flat River, and being the only School District between Grand Rapids and Ionia. They erected a log school house in 1838, in the north part of the pre- sent village, on the west side of Flat River, and employed Miss Caroline Beard, from New York State, to teach the first school that summer. The following win- ter the district furnished a cook-stove and provisions, and Miss Beard lived in the school house and kept the school. Caleb D. Page, who had taken up a piece of land near the Fallassburg of later days, took matrimony into his head and Miss B. to his heart, and the bonds of wedlock were entered into by this couple in the school house.
In 1839, William B. Lyon and Ransom Rolf, also from New York, settled on the
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
same road, near those previously mentioned. At the time of the sale of lands in this tract, (previously mentioned as occurring in August, 1839) the Indians at- tempted to enter and hold the land they had been tilling, under the pre-emption laws, but, as the agent knew nothing about whether the red man could hold land by those laws, the matter was referred to the General Land office, and, while waiting the decision, Philander Tracy attempted to gain possession by erecting a small hnt on it, and sowing the field to oats, which were destroyed by the In- dians. His papers which had been granted were afterward revoked, and, al- though the decision was that Indians could not enter lands in their own name, they lent money to a Frenchman by the name of Nontah, and he bought the land, and afterward, failing to pay back the money, he gave them a deed of it.
The lands were afterward found to be a part of the " University Grant." and so also was the land taken by Lincoln. When Mr. L. left here, he sold his claim to Daniel Marsac, who, in 1847, platted it under the name of " the village of Dans- ville," which name it retained until about the year 1855. In 1850 Mr. M. sold his claims to Edwin Avery, of Ionia, who then paid the State and obtained a com- plete title to the same. John B. Shear and some others, came in about the year 1844, and settled in or near the present village of Lowell. In December, 1846, Cyprian S. Hooker, formerly from Connecticut, came from Saranac, Ionia county, where he had been a pioneer and almost the only settler. Mr. Hooker erected the first tramed house in the township, which was also the first in the village. IIis lumber was brought from Saranac. He commenced his house on the 18th day of December, 1846, and on the ensuing Christmas moved into it with his family. This would be called quick work even in these days of steam and electricity. Said house is the one now owned and occupied by Robert Marshall. In 1847 Mr. Hooker erected the grist mill on the east side of Flat River, now owned and since enlarged by William W. Hatch, who erected another large mill on the west side of the river in 1867. When Mr. H. first erected his mill it was run by an overshot water-wheel-water being brought by means of a race, a distance of about 40 rods from the Island in Flat River. In 1849, Mr. Hooker constructed the dam across the river just below Bridge street. In 1849, the first sermon ever preached in . Dansville, was delivered at the house of C. S. Hooker, Esq., by Rev. S. S. Brown, a Congregational Minister. Mr. Hooker also had the job of building the first frame school house in the village, which was the first in the east part of the coun- ty. It was built in 1850 and stood on the present M. E. Church site. Soon after this a Sunday School was established by the agent of the Congregational Union Society.
The Lowell post office was established about the year 1848, and took its name from the township, which was organized about this time, and which seems to have been named on account of its prospects as a manufacturing point, although the village was still called Dansville. After Mr. Avery bought Mr. Marsac's claim, he added some territory to the original plat, making in all about 100 acres. In 1854 Messrs. Richards & Wickham platted nearly 100 acres on the west side of Flat River, which they named
LOWELL.
About the same time Chapin & Booth's addition to the village of Dansville was
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
platted, containing about 30 acres, and lying on the east of the original plat, but within a year, by common consent, the whole village was called Lowell, since which the following additions have been platted, and called Additions to the Village of Lowell ; Fox's Addition, lying north of R. & W.'s plat on the west side Flat River, containing 52 acres, platted by James S. Fox. Lee's Addition, on the north of Avery's plat, east of Flat River, containing 48 acres, platted by Peter Lee in 1868. Snell's Addition, on the west and south of R. & W.'s addition, contain- ing about 50 acres, platted by Mrs. Caroline Snell in 1869. Ellsworth's Addition, lying north and east of Lee's addition, contains 60 acres, 20 of which are within the present corporate limits of the village of Lowell, and the remainder in the township of Vergennes, platted by A. M. Ellsworth in 1870.
An act to incorporate the Village of Lowell passed the State Legislature in 1859, but for some reason the village was not then organized. It was re-enacted March 15, 1861, and the organization completed in the summer following.
FIRST VILLAGE OFFICERS.
President-Cyprian S. Hooker. Recorder-Charles A. Blake. Treasurer- Simeon Hunt. Marshal-J. Chapman. Assessor-Cyrus Hunt. Trustees-Wil- liam W. Hatch, J. B. Shear and Arvine Peck.
PRESENT VILLAGE OFFICERS.
President-Morris R. Blodget. Recorder-John Huggins. Treasurer-Clark M. Devendorf. Marshal-Robert Marshall. Trustees -L. B. Lull, Jolm C. Scott and Simcon Hunt.
The village proper now contains 1,503 inhabitants, according to the census of 1870. During the past four years some fine brick buildings have been erected, among which are the large two story block on Bridge street, west of the river, containing five stores below, and a large hall and offices above ; Lee's Block, two story, which contains two stores and a hall above; King's Block, now used by Joseph Amphlett as a carriage factory, and Graham's Block, three story, contain- ing two stores, printing office and other offices, and which was erected almost en- tirely by Mr. Graham with his own hands. Besides the brick stores there are. some very good wooden buildings. The village contains in all between 30 and 40 stores, besides the usual number of meat markets, restaurants, etc. There are two hotels: The Clifton House, part brick, kept by Charles Morse, and the Franklin House, a large frame building, kept by C. C. Parks.
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