USA > Michigan > Kent County > History and directory of Kent County, Michigan > Part 8
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MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHIMENTS.
Hatch & Craw's grist mills are two large framed mills containing three run of stone each, and capable of grinding 50,000 barrels of flour per year, besides doing a large custom business. Water power.
The Lowell Woolen Mill, erected by Blodgett Brothers, in 1867, is a good, framed building, now owned by M. R. Blodgett, and does about $20,000 worth of business per year. Water power.
Wilson, Gardner & Co. have a steam planer, sash, door and blind factory, erected in 1868, and are doing a good custom and shipping business.
Avery & Johnson have a planer and sash, door and blind factory, which is doing an extensive custom business, and shipping largely both east and west.
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
This factory runs by water power, and was erected in 1868, on the site of their mill which was destroyed by fire the previous year. In connection with this mill is a machine for the manufacture of wooden eave troughs-a new invention of Mr. E. W. Avery.
FORT'S WESTERN MEDICINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
E. M. Fort, the patentee of these medicines, commenced business a few years since on borrowed capital, paying therefor at the rate of 15 per cent. interest. Many of our readers will remember having seen his pleasant face on the streets of the various towns and villages of Kent county, when he was selling his reme- dies at retail. The business had increased so rapidly and become so popular in Lowell, that in March, 1870, some of the leading capitalists of the town joined him, and established the above-named stock company with a chartered capital of $100,000, making Mr. Fort the secretary and business manager, with the assist- ance and advice of a board of directors. Since that time they have branched out, and are rapidly introducing it in the adjoining states, and money invested in the company's stock must prove exceedingly profitable. Parties who know best, think it will soon pay a dividend of 30 per cent. as the sales are already immense and largely on the increase ; these preparations being acknowledged to be among the best medicines in the market, their popularity having gained for them the endorsement of the widely known and popular drug house of Farrand, Sheley & Co., of Detroit, generally admitted to be the largest wholesale drug house in Michigan, who have purchased a large amount of the capital stock of the com- pany, and are acting as their agents for Detroit.
Boyce & Nash have a shop for the manufacture of agricultural implements, axes, etc., making about 150 dozen axes per year, and manufacturing in all about $6,000 worth per year.
Joseph Amphlett's carriage factory is quite an extensive establishment, turn- ing out about 100 carriages and wagons per year.
CHURCHES.
The Methodist Episcopal church building is a fine brick structure 40x60 feet in size, completed and dedicated in 1859. It stands on a little rise of ground on Bridge street, east of the business part of the village. Cost over $8,000, includ- ing furniture. Near this is the unpretending Baptist church, which is a good, little framed building, erected in 1859. During the present season this church has been tastefully fitted up and newly painted. The Congregational church on the west side of Flat River is a good looking, framed building, 40x56 feet in size, erected in 1838 at a cost of $2,500. There are also two or three church societies and a Masonic Lodge and a Good Templar's Lodge, which meet in halls.
SCHOOLS.
There is a good, framed school-house 36x54 feet in size, and two stories high, which was erected in 1862 at a cost of about $2,000. It is being repaired the present season, but is small for the size of the district, which takes in quite a large extent of territory, and a larger building will soon be required. There is one ward or branch school in connection with this district, which is the old dis-
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
trict No. 1, of the township of Lowell. This branch school is located on the south side of Grand River, in the vicinity of the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad depot, where a village called Segwun was platted by William Chesebro, about the time the railroad was built, but which is seldom known by that name.
MILLS AND FACTORIES.
On the above-mentioned plat is the steam saw mill of C. T. Wooding, erected in 1866 by Knapp & Tucker, and capable of cutting 20,000 feet of lumber per day; also, the cider and vinegar manufactory of E. R. Peck, erected in 1869, and capable of grinding 18,000 bushels of apples per ycar. In this vicinity is also quite a collection of small houses, mostly occupied by laborers in the above- named establishments and on the railroad. Near at hand and a little east of the depot is the extensive chair factory of John Koph & Co., which has a small cluster of pleasant looking buildings around it, and has withal an appearance of thrift and neatness. This building was erected in 1858, by Seth Cogswell, and the machinery is run by an overshot waterwheel, water being obtained from a small spring brook which rises about two miles south and comes in through a gorge in the hills.
About amile distant is the large grain cradle and bed bottom factory of E. W. Tucker. His first mill was a three-story frame building 30x40 feet in size, erected in 1862, in connection with which is a new mill or shop 35x50 feet, erected in 1868. In the one item of grain cradles they have facilities for manufacturing 1,200 dozen per year, besides bed-bottoms and harvesting implements, such as hay-rakes, etc. This is also run by an overshot water-wheel. From 20 to 60 hands are employed.
At the head of this stream, and about two miles south of the depot, is a fine bed of marl, on the farm of Alexander McBride, from which Mr. McB. has manufac- tured $4,000 worth of lime within the past four years.
THE GRAND RIVER NURSERIES.
N. P. Husted, proprietor, are situated about five miles southwest of the Lowell depot. He commenced planting in 1862, putting out about 40,000 apple trees, 40,000 peach trees, and other stock, since which time he has been gradually increasing until now he sets 300,000 apple and 300,000 peach and other stock every year. Besides this he is giving considerable atten- tion to ornamental stock. The nurseries now cover 130 acres, all closely planted, and the amount of sales is nearly $50,000 per year. From 30 to 60 hands are employed. He is also turning his attention to orchard culture, having at present 1,000 four-year old peach trees, over 500 apple trees, 400 pear trees, 200 plum trees, and 4,000 grape vines ; also, a good assortment of small fruits. The soil is a clay loam, which is well adapted to the growth of hardy, sound, nursury stock and profitable orchard culture. There are now over 15,000 orchard trees in the immediate vicinity, all of which have been set within a few years. Peaches have borne well every year.
EARLY SETTLERS SOUTH OF GRAND RIVER.
Among the pioneers in this part part of the county was George Post, who came from Connecticut in 1842 and settled on the northwest corner of section 23, at the
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
crossing of the territorial road from Portland to Grand Rapids, and the one from Battle Creek via Hastings, to the trading post then established by Daniel Marsac at Lowell. He was the first, and for three years the only settler south of the pres-, ent line of the D. & M. Railroad, within the township. In 1843, Mainard Chater- don, with his wife and family of three sons and three daughters, came from Cal- houn county, Michigan, (formerly from the state of New York), and went nearly to the southwest corner of the township, on section 31, where his widow and the three sons and one of the daughters still live, and have nice farms. In 1848-9, Harrison Wickham, Peter Hornbrook, Charles Gordon, Mr. Monk, and Mr. Mon- tague settled in the south and southwest part of the township, followed in 1850 to 1854 by John Brannan, William Pratt, John Yeiter, Jacob and Christian Loyer, George Acker, Jacob Yeiter, James Easterby, James Wallace and William Proctor, most of whom were from Ohio, and of Dutch descent, and nearly all of whom are now wealthy farmers, having good farms and buildings.
ORGANIZATION.
The township of Lowell was organized in 1848, being previously a part of the township of Vergennes, which originally included all of the east part of the county. The first township meeting was held at the house of Mr. Timothy White.
FIRST TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.
Supervisor-Cyprian S. Hooker. Clerk-Timothy White. Treasurer-Henry Church. Justices-C. S. Hooker, Daniel McEwen, Samuel P. Rolf and Ira A. Danes.
PRESENT TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.
Supervisor-Robert Hunter, Jr. Clerk-John Huggins. Treasurer-Webster Morris. Justices-Robert Hunter, Jr., Simeon Hunt, Joseph W. Sprague and Matthew Hunter.
NELSON.
The township of Nelson is one of the northern tier of townships, and is bounded on the north by Pierson, in Montcalm county, on the east by the township of Spencer, on the south by Courtland, and on the west by Solon.
Twenty years ago this township was an unbroken wilderness where wild ani- mals made their homes but little molested by man, and twenty years is a short time in which to make a history. But the stalwart men who are now cutting down its forests and converting the timber into lumber, while at the same time fitting the soil for the growth of grains and fruits are doing a good work, which, if it offers few salient points for the historian, is still of immense value to man- kind. If he who causes a blade of grass to grow where there was none before is a public benefactor, the world must owe much to those who open the wilderness to the uses of man.
We are informed that William H. Bailey was the first white settler in Nelson, having settled there in 1851, some time in July of that year. He still resides in the township on section 8. We are glad to have sold him a copy of this history, and have no doubt he will feel a justifiable pride when he reads the long list of
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
residents who now point him out as that honored individual " the oldest inhabi- tant." Mr. John S. Jones moved into the township during the same year, and is said to be the second settler. He now resides on section 33.
Among the early settlers, although we did not learn the date of their coming, were Jolin M. Towns, Josiah Towns, N. R. Hill, D. B. Stout, H. M. Stanton, George Stout, Andrew Stout, Riley Smith, Samuel Punches, Joseph MI. Clark, Andrew S. Tindall, Johu N. Tindall, John Dean, Elisha Dean, H. D. Streeter, Thomas Almy, Mr. Ream and his two sons, Bradford Bailey, James Bailey and Joseph Wood.
Wm. C. Benjamin, a bachelor, came to this town several years ago with a " pocket full of rocks," from California, purchased a fine farm, and improved and beautified it. He also repented of this lonely state, married an intelligent lady and became the father of two children. Last summer, at the close of harvesting, in which he had worked hard, he committed suicide by cutting his own throat,- it is supposed in a fit of temporary insanity. This sad tragedy cast a gloom over the entire community where he lived.
ORGANIZATION.
Nelson was organized as a township by the Board of Supervisors on the 13th day of October, 1854, and the first township election was held at the house of Charles H. Leake on the first Monday of April, 1855, George Hoyle, John S. Jones and George N. Stoddard, being Inspectors of Election. The following were the
FIRST TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.
Supervisor-George Hoyle. Clerk-George N. Stoddard. Treasurer-Charles H. Leake. Justices of the Peace-Samuel Punches, Simpson Anderson, Cyrus Stillwell, Harlow H. Stanton. Commissioners of Highways-Smith Barrett, Har- low H. Stanton, Moses E. Ross. School Inspectors-Harlow H. Stanton, Ithiel R. Smith. Constables-Bradford Bailey, Josiah D. Townes, Amos Bessey, Peter D. Buck. Overseers of Poor-Church Bailey, Joseph Wood.
From this election we take a step of fifteen years and present the names of the
PRESENT TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.
Supervisor-Mindrus H. Whitney. Clerk-Brownell S. Simmons. Treasurer --- David B. Stout. Justices of the Peace-Brownell S. Simmons, Mindrus H. Whit- ney, Jason R. Squires. Commissioners of Highways-Jason R. Squires, Stephen Ferner, Nathaniel Hughey. School Inspectors-Orlon Smith, Nicholas R. Hill. Constable-William A. Dean.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
Pine timber predominates in this township, and in the northeast corner there are many large cedar and tamarack swamps. But the soil, although in many places light, as the presence of pine denotes, is still very productive, where, as is generally the case, beech, maple and other hard wood trees are mixed with the. pine. For fruit raising this town promises to be one of the best in the county. Its streams are Black Creek, in the northern part of the township, and Little Cedar and Big Cedar, in the western part. Pine Lake is a fine sheet of water, covering some 100 acres on sections 26 and 35.
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
SCHOOL HOUSES.
The school house in District No. 1, known as the Clark School House, is located in the center of section 8, and is a fine framed building, painted white.
The school house in District No. 2, is a plain framed structure, standing near the northwest corner of section 20. It was built in 1869.
The school house in District No. 3, a large white, framed building, was erected in 1869. It stands on the southeast corner of section 23.
District No. 4, has a good, white, framed school house on the west line of section 34. It was erected in 1867 and is known as the " White Dove " school house.
The Cedar Springs school houses, used for a graded school, are described in the history of
CEDAR SPRINGS,
which village is located partly in this township and partly in Solon, its descrip- tion being given under the latter head.
OAKFIELD.
Oakfield, formerly a part of Courtland, lies twenty-one miles northeast of Grand Rapids, having Spencer on the north, Eureka, in Montcalm county, on the east, Grattan on the south, and Courtland on the west.
The first settlement was made within its territory, June 5th, 1838, by Hon. Wmn. R. Davis, who located on section 19. There seems to have been no one save himself and family to break the solitude of the wilderness, till June, 1839, when Mr. Isaac Tower, Stephen S. Tower and William Thornton, (ex-Sheriff of Kent county,) with their families, moved in, and become comparatively near neighbors to the hitherto lonely pioneers. Stephen S. Tower and Mr. Thornton locating on section 29, and Mr. Isaac Tower on section 30. There were no more settle- ments till April, 1842, when Thomas Crinnion located on section 18, and David J. Gilbert on section 19, in September of the same year. In 1844, Sheldon Ashley selected a beautiful home on section 36, and in 1845, three brothers, Harry, Giles and Erie McArthur, located respectively on sections 33, 32 and 34. Morris Hart, section 8; Nathaniel W. Mack, section 12; John Davis, section 32; Levi White, section 21 ; James Elstley, section 31 ; William Peterson, section 20, and Benjamin Potter, section 21, may be mentioned as among the settlers of 1846 and 1847.
At one time the town was organized under the name of Wabasis, but by sub- division of the territory, was again incorporated with Courtland, and finally per- manently organized under the name of Oakfield, through the influence of Sheldon Ashley, in March, 1849. Its first town meeting was held the first Monday of April, 1849, at a little log school house in district No. 1, on section 29. This was the first school house in the town, but the log cabin was replaced in 1852, by a frame structure thirty-six by twenty-six feet in size. This is the famous No. 1, that has educated, and sent forth more, and better teachers, than any other district school in the county. It is known as the White Swan School. Oakfield has six other district school houses : noteworthy among these is the Horton School House, a large frame edifice, painted white. It was crected in 1868, and is used as a church,
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
as well as for school purposes. It is located on sections 17 and 18, just across the road from the Horton Cemetery, beautifully situated on the southwest corner of section 8. There is no Union School in the town ; but its educational interests are, and have always been of paramount importance in the minds of its people. Its first school was organized with but six scholars-all the children then in town and kept in a private house, with Miss Sarah Davis, now Mrs. Almon Thompson of Courtland, as teacher. When a school house was finally erected, Mr. Harry McArthur was installed as teacher, and to his earnest labors many, not only in this town, but in adjacent towns, owe much of their advancement in knowledge.
CHURCHIES.
Religious societies among the people of Oakfield have reached a highly ad vanced, and truly enviable position, if we may be allowed to judge of moral status by success, and pecuniary prosperity. It has three very fine church edifices, and all its places of worship are well attended.
The First Baptist Church of Oakfield, is a fine frame structure, located on sec- tion 36. It was built in 1863. and has a fine bell. It cost about $2,200, and the honor of its erection is largely due to Shelden Ashley, one of the oldest inhabi- bitants of the town. C. C. Miller is the present pastor.
The Second Baptist Society of Oakfield was organized in April, 1865, with some 40 members, under the ministration of Rev. C. C. Miller, pastor, and Stephen S. Tower, Henry Rich, Thomas Jones, Nathan R. Squiers and William R. Jones, Trustees. The house belonging to this Society-the Second Baptist Church, of Oakfiehl --- a fine frame building, dedicated January 14, 1868. stands upon on acre of ground purchased from the farm of Robert Olmsted, in the southeast corner of section 19. It is 36 by 56 feet in size, and has a tower 95 feet in height, which is furnished with a very fine toned bell that cost $400. The whole cost of the church was $4,150, of which the citizens of the City of Grand Rapids generously donated over $500. It has an organ, and an excellent choir under the efficient leadership of Mrs. Samuel Tower. Rev. C. C. Miller, is the pastor.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church, of Oakfield, is also a very fine frame building, located on the south line of section, 9, one fourth of a mile away from the Second Baptist Church.
The total cost of its erection closely approximated $4,500. It was dedicated April 14, 1869, and is yearly supplied by the circuit with a pastor.
The physical geography of this town presents us with a rolling surface, quite frequently broken with lakes and ponds, with a soil much too sandy in the north- ern part, but a rich clay loam in the more southern portions, peculiarly adapt- ing it to wheat culture, wool-growing, and dairying, besides the ordinary pro- duction of corn, oats, potatoes and buckwheat.
Of wheat, large quantities of excellent quality, annually find their way from this town to the markets east and west ; and as to wool, Oakfield has some of the best flocks, and carries some of the finest clips to the factories. of any town in the county.
The dairy is receiving more and more attention, and pays exceedingly well, where care and capital are expended.
Horticulture is in its infancy here as in many other towns ; but on some farms
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
it has received a share of attention, and the returns in apples, pears, peaches, grapes, cherries, currants and strawberries, show that Oakfield, in fruit raising, may become a peer of her successful sister towns. The timber is mainly oak; but, scattered over the town, there were some fine groves of pine, which are fast being decimated by the lumbermen's axe and saw.
On sections 1 and 2 there is a very fine bed of marl lime, so pure as to be cut from the bed in squares, dried and placed immediately in the kiln for burning. To fa- cilitate the mining of this bed, a chain of lakes on sections 1, 2 and 11 were drained. Their natural outlet was through Stack's Lake, which emptied into Black Creek ; but, by dint of engineering, an outlet was effected into Wab-ah-see Creek, from the head of the Horse Shoe-a large lake on section 2-which is thus rendered ncarly dry. Of this marl deposit George and John Banks are proprietors.
Besides the above, there are several small
LAKES
that demand but a passing notice. Of such is Scram's lake, and' Addis' lake closely connected with it, lying on sections 17, 18 and 19; the Zeigenfuss lake on sections 11 and 14-the outlet from which forms the north branch of Wab-ah see Creek ; and also a number of little lakes on sections 33 and 34, the principal of which is Flat-Iron Lake near the residence of Harry McArthur, Esq. But Long Lake, about one-half mile long, and one-eighth wide, situated on section 34, cannot be thus lightly passed by, for on its frozen surface in March, 1843, oc- curred the first death among the whites of this township. Orin Gilbert, brother of Rev. D. Gilbert, in endeavoring to reach his brother's house from Cook's Corners, was overcome by fatigue and cold, and perished on this lake. Soon after Tahanah, an Indian, in passing on the trail, discovered him lying on the snow. The wily Indian did not approach him, but, after circling several times around the prostrate form to make sure that he was dead, sped away to convey the sad intelligence to his friends. Ever after, the Indians called this "Dead Man's Lake."
Wab-ah-see, or Wabasis, as the white people call it, is much the largest lake of the town, or even of the county, being two miles long. It is very irregular in shape, but it is said to average nearly one mile in width. It has excellent fishing grounds, and at certain seasons of the year -- though they are caughit at no other time, and even then, are only found in particular places -- whitefish are caught in considerable quantities. How they come there no one can tell, and where they disappear to is equally a mystery.
The Wab-al-see abounds with pickerel, and a gigantic specimen of this variety of fish has frequently been seen by seekers of the finny spoil, so immense in its dimensions as to excite almost as much wonder as the periodical appearing of the fabulous sea-serpent. Wab-ah-see projects into sections 29, 33 and 34, but lies mainly on sections 27 and 28. It was named after the Indian chief Wab-ah- see (White Swan), who fell under the displeasure of his people for selling their lands, and also (as they supposed) for secreting and retaining the gold for the purchase. To obtain this, they deferred his death, and banished him to the shores of this beautiful and romantic lake. By some the gold is supposed to be hidden on its shores, and many have sought for it by torchlight and by sun- light, with equal lack of success. Failing to extort money, and maddened by the
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HISTORY AND DIRECTORY OF KENT COUNTY.
loss of their hunting grounds, the big chief, Ne-ogg-ah-nah, with almost fiendish subtlety, induced Wab-ah-see to go beyond his limits, and, in a drunken frolic, killed him with a firebrand. His broken skull is now in a museum in Connec- ticut, having been sent there by Mr. Hall, of Plainfield.
The Oakfield grist mills, containing two run of stones, erected in 1864, is lo- cated upon section 15, on Wabasis Creek, the outlet of the lake, which becomes quite a stream, emptying into Flat River in Montcalm county.
The first saw mill in town was built by John Davis, about the year 1846 or 1847. It was located on Beaver Dam Creek, a small stream running into Wab- ah-see Lake. Three times it was swept into ruins by the freshets, and as often repaired, or rebuilt. by the indomitable perseverance of its owner. But at last, patience and capital alike gave out, and a steam mill was erected in its stead. That has since been dismantled, and desolation now reigns where sterling enter- prise once presided. No inhabitant of Oakfield and adjacent to towns, who may read these pages, shall be allowed to forget, for lack of a record here, the history of the old mill on Beaver Dam Creek, or the vicissitudes of its cheery and brave-hearted owner, who snapped his fingers in the face of the jade, Fortune, when she made faces at him, and went whistling away to the tune of " Old Ragged," despite all adversity. (The foregoing quaint cognomen will be under- stood by every old-time business man of Kent county.)
The Lillie Steam Shingle Mill was built in 1861, on section 3. It was burned on the 17th of April, 1868, and rebuilt in the same year. The Addis Shingle and Cider mills are located on the northwest quarter of section 20, and were built in 1869; John Addis, proprietor. The Oakfield shingle mill is located on Wab-ah- see Creek, adjacent to the grist mill spoken of above. Near these mills a little village, consisting of a store or two, a blacksmith shop, and half a dozen dwell- ings, has sprung up within a few years. This is the only business center in the town.
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