USA > Michigan > Bay County > History of Bay County, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 7
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In 1841 James McCormick removed to Portsmouth, now South Bay City, and in company with his son, James J. McCormick, pur- chased B. K. Hall's interest in the old Portsmouth steam mill, for- merly built by Judge Albert Miller and others, and commenced the manufacture of lumber. This was the second mill built on the Sag- inaw River. James McCormick shipped the first cargo of lumber that ever went out of the Saginaw River. It would run 60 per cent uppers, and he sold it in Detroit to the late James Busby, brother-in-law of the late James Fraser, for $8 per thousand-one-third down, and the bal- ance on time. The vessel was the" Old Conneaut Packet, "Capt. George Raby, and the cargo consisted of 40,000 feet. Clear lumber was then selling at the mill for $10 in store trade, as there was no money in the country. So you see lumbermen did not get rich in those days.
They only opened the way for those that came after them to make their fortunes. The early pioneers came into the valley twenty years too soon to get rich. But then, again, what would our beau- tiful Saginaw Valley have been to-day but for the perseverance, the privations and the hardships of these early pioneers ?
James McCormick and his son, James J., continued the man- ufacture of lumber up to the year 1846, when James McCormick died. He died at the old homestead, April 2, 1846, deeply regretted by all the old pioneers. His wife continued to live at the old home- stead, dispensing her hospitality to all who came, as there was but one public house in the lower end of the valley, at this time. She lived here until 1854, when her children insisted she should break up housekeeping and live with them the rest of her days, which she did. She died at her daughter's, Mrs. John Malone's, in the town- ship of Taymouth, Saginaw County, July 22, 1862, beloved by all who knew her.
Her remains, together with her husband, James McCormick, have been removed to Pine Ridge Cemetery, where a suitable mon- ument has been erected by friends to those old pioneers' memory, with the following inscription :
TO THE MEMORY OF JAMES AND ELLEN McCORMICK,
Pioneers of the Saginaw Valley. They pitched their tent in the Wilderness in 1832, and planted a vineyard; but the Mas-
ter called them hence e'er they gathered the fruit!
" An honest man is the noblest work of God!"
Judge Albert Miller also writes as follows :- " I knew James McCormick from the time he came to Michigan until he died, and upon perusal find the foregoing sketch to be a correct review of his life. He was a man who possessed rare natural gifts, and integrity and benevolence were conspicuous traits of his character. I have reason to remember him kindly for his many acts of kindness, and noble traits of character."
ROBERT MCCORMICK, eldest son of James McCormick, is yet liv- ing, and is a farmer in Illinois.
JOSEPH, the second son, was never identified with the Saginaw Valley, having left Albany when a boy, in 1831, for Kentucky, where he was a heavy contractor for many years. He died in Kan- sas some years since.
SARAH, the third daughter of James McCormick, is the wife of Medor Trombley, of South Bay City, one of the pioneers of Michigan, having been born in the state; also of Bay County, having settled in what is now Bay City, in 1835.
ANN, the fourth child of James McCormick, married John Malone, a farmer of Taymouth, Saginaw County, and resides on the same land he entered from the government, nearly fifty years ago, ten miles from East Saginaw.
ARCHIBALD L. McCORMICK, who was the first white male child born northwest of Grand Blanc, Oct. 31, 1832, was the fifth son of James McCormick. He removed to Illinois, and went into the mer- cantile business. After the breaking out of the Rebellion, he enlisted in the Fifty-second Illinois Regiment, and was promoted to orderly sergeant. At the battle near Island No. 10, he was pro- moted to second lieutenant. At the battle of Stone River he took command of his company, and for bravery on the battle field in capturing a battery, he was promoted to captain. He was soon after taken prisoner, but was exchanged, after fearful suffering. He came back and reported for duty. He asked leave to go home to recruit his health, as he was almost a walking skeleton, and also to get recruits to fill up his company, which was granted. He soon recovered and with his company filled with new recruits, he reported for duty, and joined the army on its march to Atlanta. At the bat-
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HISTORY
OF BAY COUNTY.
tle of Kenesaw Mountain the enemy had a masked battery which was making sad havoc with our troops. Gen. Bradley sent for Capt. McCormick to take that battery, saying he took the battery at Stone River and he knew he would take that. He took the battery, but fell on the breastworks, pierced with seven balls, a martyr to his country.
ANDREW V. McCORMICK, the youngest child of James and Ellen McCormick, was the first child born in what is now the Township of Taymouth, Saginaw County, December 20, 1836. In 1854 lie went to Illinois and commenced farming. He also enlisted in the Union army and served until just before its close, when he was wounded and retired from the service. He is now a wealthy farmer in Kansas.
ELIZABETH, the second daughter of James McCormick, married Orrin Kinney, a farmer, a well-known citizen of the Saginaw Valley, and an old pioneer, being identified with all of its early develop- ments. They still live on their farm, within the present limits of Bay City, surrounded by their children and grandchildren.
JAMES J. Mc CORMICK.
The following biographical sketch of the late James J. McCor- mick is by Judge Albert Miller, who was his intimate friend for forty years :
"James J. McCormick, third son of James McCormick, was born near Albany, N. Y., in January, 1817, and was in the fifty-sixth year of his age at the time of his death, which occurred in Bay City, November 25, 1872.
"My first acquaintance with Mr. McCormick happened in this wise: - In the Summer of 1832 I started on foot, from Saginaw, for a journey to Detroit, having with me a draft on James Abbott, of Detroit, upon which to raise money to purchase some land from the government; but when I arrived at Flint, I learned that my draft had not been properly endorsed, and that I should have to return to Saginaw and get the endorsement before I could raise the money on it. While at Flint I was introduced by the late E. R. Ewings, Esq., to Mr. James McCormick (father of the late J. J.), who, although a stranger, kindly volunteered to loan me the money, so that I could proceed to Detroit and purchase the land I was anxious to secure. Mr. McCormick's family at that time resided in Detroit, and he was about sending his son, James J., to Detroit, with a one-horse wagon, and I was offered a free ride, which, under the circumstances, was highly appreciated; for at that time there was no public conveyance on any portion of the road between Saginaw and Detroit. In pass- ing over the road on that journey with James J. McCormick, a familiar acquaintance was formed, which ripened into a strong friendship for each other, which lasted wh le time lasted, with him, and the severance of which is a great grief to myself. Afterwards the family removed to the Flint River, and engaged in farming. James J., being the eldest son at home, bore the brunt of the hard- ship in supplying the family with the necessaries of life, every arti- cle of which, that was not produced from their own farm, had to be transported either from Flint or Saginaw, sometimes in a canoe, sometimes on horseback, and at other times, when neither of the above mentioned modes were available, the men were obliged to carry them on their own backs. James early evinced a good business talent, and for some time previous to becoming of age, transacted all his father's business. While the family resided at Pewanago- wink, James J. went to Kentucky, where he was engaged with an elder brother on a railroad contract. While there he became acquainted with Miss Jane Shelton, an amiable young lady of pre- possessing appearance, whom he married and brought with him on his return to Michigan. After his return he resided a short time at Pewanagowink, before removing, in 1841, to Portsmouth. At that
time there were but few families residing in this vicinity; but the business enterprise of the Messrs. McCormick soon made a change in the appearance of the place. They repaired the old Portsmouth mill, and commenced the manufacture of lumber, and not finding a ready sale for it, they erected buildings for different persons in this vicinity, on contract, furnishing all the materials, and by that means used up considerable of their lumber. They erected buildings for James G. Birney, Joseph Trombley, Medor Trombley and Capt. Joseph F. Marsac. The ground upon which J. J. McCormick built his palatial residence was purchased, with a small house upon it, from Capt. Marsac, and paid for by erecting buildings for the Captain on other lands. In 1846, James McCormick, Sr., died at Ports- mouth; and after that James J. carried on business for himself, till 1848, when the writer bought an interest with him in the old mill, and we were connected in business till the Spring of 1849.
"It was during the last mentioned period that the writer became more fully acquainted with the industry, integrity, and sterling man- hood of the late deceased. During the whole course of our intimate business relations there was never an unpleasant word passed between us. We labored then with our own hands, each taking our turn at the saw with our employes, and attending to our business matters while they were asleep; but there was never a time when Mr. McCormick was not willing to bear his full share of the burden, neither do I know of an instance where he desired to appropriate more of the proceeds of our joint labor to himself than he was will- ing to concede to me. Mr. McCormick was ambitious, and when the news of the discovery of gold in California first reached him, he became anxious to participate in the golden harvest that awaited those who would brave the dangers and undergo the hardships nec- essary to be endured by those who would reap it. The dangers, privations and hardships of the journey had no terrors for him, his only misgiving being in leaving his wife and children behind; but, after making provision for their support during his absence, he pro- cured an outfit, consisting of a yoke of oxen and a wagon, on which was loaded the necessary articles to be used on his journey, which he ferried across the Saginaw River on a raft of flattened timber, about the middle of March, 1849, and thus started alone to traverse the then almost unknown track across the continent to the Pacific Slope. He joined some acquaintances on the way, with whom he journeyed a portion of the distance, but was separated from them before reaching their destination, one of whom, Mr. Alfred Goyer, of Genesee County, he met, after having been in California a year, at a spring, where they were both watering their horses. They did not recognize each other till after inquiries were made as to their for- mer residences, when they learned each other's identity.
"After that I believe they remained together, and returned home in each other's company after an absence of two years and a half, or thereabouts. I know but little about Mr. McCormick's suc- cess in the mines. I know he brought home some money with him, with which he commenced the lumber business, building a mill near his late residence, at which he has been successfully engaged in the manufacture and sale of lumber till about the year 1871, when he sold his mill to Mr. Webster. Mr. McCormick's first wife died in 1854, leaving three children, one daughter and two sons, two of whom survive their father,-the daughter, who is now the wife of Mr. Bassett, of the firm of Bassett, Seed & Co., and the youngest son. Mr. McCormick's eldest son, at the breaking out of the Rebellion, entered the army of the Union, where his health was impaired, in consequence of which he died, in 1867. Mr. McCormick married, for his second wife, Miss Matilda Wayne, who died in 1880.
"Mr. McCormick was a member of the first Council of Bay City, and was mayor of the city in 1869. In 1868 he erected the McCormick Block, on Water Street. He was also part owner of the
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HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY.
Opera House. Few men had more personal friends, and his death left a vacancy difficult to fill. He was a prominent member of the Masonic Order, and had received the highest degree possible in this country."
WILLIAM R. McCORMICK, another son and one of the very early pion- eers of the Saginaw Valley, and Bay City, was born near the city of Al- bany, N. Y., August 16, 1822. He came with his parents to Michigan in 1832, and first settled at Flint, Genesee County. In 1834 his par- ents removed to Saginaw County and settled near the Indian village of Pewanagowink, where he helped his father on the farm up to 1837. For a short time after his parents removed to this place there were two other settlers, a Mr. Hayden, and Mr. Nelson, but they soon removed to Saginaw; then their nearest neighbors were Messrs. Charles and Humphrey McLeans, of Pine Run, some fifteen miles off.
So all the playmates William had when a boy were the young In- dians. He often joined them on their hunting excursions, and became so familiar with their language, that, in the Fall of 1837, he was employed by Messrs. Coburn, Dixon, and others, as Indian in- terpreter and clerk in their store, at Green Point, at the mouth of the Tittabawasse River, for trading with the Indians for furs, in op- position to the American Fur Company at Saginaw. While at this point he read everything of book kind he could find in that outpost of civilization, and while here he improved all his leisure time he could, to acquire an education. After remaining here for some time, the company failed, not being able to compete with the exten- sive firm of the American Fur Company, which was backed up by John Jacob Astor, of New York City.
After the company had failed he returned home to help his father on the farm another year, when he wanted to do for himself. He wanted to go to Illinois to his brother's, as he had got tired of liv- ing in the wilderness, where he could not get an education or make any money; but his father objected, saying it was a long journey and he would have to stage it most of the way. So, to compromise with him he got a place in Saginaw, with Maj. Mosley, who lived in one of the block houses inside the old fort, where he was to do chores night and morning for his board, and go to school through the Fall and Winter. In the Spring of 1838 he returned home again to help his father on the farm. In June, 1839, after the Spring work was all done, he again asked his father to let him go to his brother's in Illinois, and he again objected. This worked on his mind so much that he determined to go, let the consequences be what they might. So in his father's absence, he got his clothes, put them in a pack on his back, and with what little money he could raise he started on foot. He went to Detroit, and then took the old Chicago road, which he followed as far as Laporte, Ind., when he left it and turned south to Valparaiso, when his money gave out and his feet became so sore traveling that he could go no further. Here he went to work until his feet got well, when he started again for Vincennes, Ind., near where his brothers lived. This was a long tramp.
The next Winter his father made his sons a visit, and William returned home with him with a span of horses and a wagon. It took eighteen days travel for the return trip home. He remained with his father on the farm until 1841, then with his father removed to Ports- mouth, now Bay City, where he remained until 1846, when he was offered a situation with a wealthy uncle East, where he married a Miss Angelica Wayne, of Albany Co., N. Y., and after some years returned to Bay City, where he has since resided. In 1860 a com- pany was formed in Portsmouth, of which Mr. McCormick was one of the stockholders, to bore for salt. Mr. McCormick was elected superintendent and secretary, with full power to proceed with the work to see if salt water could be found. It proved to be a success.
Salt water was found at the depth of 600 feet, and the manufacture of salt was soon commenced. This was the first salt well in Bay County. Afterwards Mr. Mc Cormick turned his attention to the in- spection of lumber, which he followed up to 1873, when he was offered the deputy state salt inspectorship, which he held up to 1882, since which time he has turned his attention to the care of his real estate. No man is better known in Bay County than Mr. McCormick, the oldest pioneer living in the Saginaw Valley, except Judge Albert Miller. He has filled many positions of trust and responsibility, to the entire satisfaction of the state and county, and is yet a hearty, jovial old gentleman. He has lived to see Bay County grow from one house to a population of over twenty thousand inhabitants. He still resides at the old home he built many years ago, corner of Mc- Cormick aud Twenty-third streets, surrounded by his children and grand-children, with the comforts of life around him.
In 1832 Mr. McCormick made a journey from Flint to Saginaw, in company with one Col. Marshall. During this trip the Indian propensity for fire-water was illustrated by a young son of the forest, who assisted them in getting their canoe across a shallow place in the river, and in return for his kindness was given a pull at the canteen. The party proceeded with their journey, and after going a distance of about twelve miles, halted for dinner. Just as they had settled down to their meal up came the Indian who had assisted them in the morning. Upon inquiry it was found that he had come the distance of twelve miles for another drink of whiskey. While at Saginaw, Col. Marshall wanted to go to the mouth of the river, and Mr. McCormick accompanied him. Of this trip, he says: "As we proceeded down the river, in our canoe, we found great quantities of ducks; the river was fairly black with them. We met an Indian who had killed thirty-seven at seven shots with a 'squaw gun.' The first house we saw after leaving Saginaw was a two- story log house below where Carrollton now stands, called the Mos- by House. The next house we came to was a small log house on the bank of the river, near where the Wooden Ware Works now stand, at South Bay City. This was occupied by a Frenchman named Masho, who had married a squaw, and had a large family of chil- dren. We continued down the river two or three miles, and came to a little clearing on the bank of the river, where we found a log house standing near the present corner of Water and Fourth Streets. This was where Leon Trombley lived. These were the only two houses where the city of Bay City now stands."
Mr. McCormick has devoted a great deal of time and careful attention to the collection of early history pertaining to the Saginaw Valley. He has a large portfolio of manuscript, which he has pre- pared at leisure, and which contains a large amount of valuable and interesting history relating to the Saginaw Valley during the last fifty years. A number of his sketches are given in this work, and will be found faithful and interesting representations of pioneer life. He has six children, all living in Bay City.
H. W. McCormick is a lumber dealer and inspector, and has been in business here about fourteen years.
W. J. McCormick is a lawyer, in good practice, and Louis H. is a lumber inspector.
The eldest daughter, Matilda, is the wife of Mr. F. B. Ches- brough, an extenseve lumber manufacturer; and the two other daugh- ters, Hattie and Addie, live with their parents.
THOMAS ROGERS was born in Scotland, October 16, 1804. His father emigrated to Canada in 1818, and settled some five miles north of Toronto, where Thomas learned the trade of blacksmith and machinist. Here he married Miss Elizabeth Wilcox, Novem- ber 13, 1828, where he lived until the Patriot war broke out, when he and his brothers espoused the side of the Patriots. His brothers were arrested and taken to Kingston and put in confinement in the
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HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY.
fort as prisoners of war, or rebels. Shortly after, one of the brothers scaled the fort and made his escape to the United States. Shortly after, the two other brothers were released and returned to their homes. Thomas, the subject of this sketch, came to Michi- gan in 1836 or 1837. At Detroit he met our old fellow pioneer, Harvey Williams, now of East Saginaw, who employed him to go to Saginaw to help put the machinery in a mill that the Messrs. Williams were then building at Saginaw City, which was the first inill on the Saginaw River. After working here for some time, Mr. Rogers was employed to go to Portsmouth, now South Bay City, to put the machinery in a mill that was then building there by Judge Miller, now of Bay City, B. K. Hall, and others. This was in the month of October, but what year it was we have no record, but think it was in 1837 or 1838. The next July he started back for his family and removed them to Portsmouth, where he moved them into a little log house on the banks of the river, which stood where Albert Miller's upper salt works now stand. After running the mill a short time, the hard times came on, and the mill was shut down as there was no sale for lumber, and the mill remained still for some time, when B. K. Hall sold his interest to James McCormick & Son. When Mr. McCormick removed his family from his farm above Saginaw and commenced running the mill, again, Mr. Rogers was employed to put the machinery in order and to do the blacksmith work. Prior to this, Judge Miller had got a mail route established between Portsmouth and Saginaw, and the mail came once a week. Judge Miller was postmaster and Mr. Rogers was deputy. Mr. Rogers did the machine work in the mill besides carrying the mail once a week to and from Saginaw. He was to have the proceeds of the office for carrying the mail, which did not consist of over three or four letters and two or three papers at a time. In the Summer he went in a canoe and in Winter he carried it on foot, walking on the ice, making about twenty-eight miles travel to and from Saginaw, which was not a big paying con- tract. Nevertheless, it was kept up for years, until settlers became more plenty, when Mr. Rogers was relieved and the government established a regular mail route to connect with the regular Winter mail to and from Sault St. Marie and Mackinaw, which was brought to Lower Saginaw with dog trains over two hundred miles, by half breed Indians. After James McCormick bought the mill Mr. Rogers continued carrying the mail and doing what little blacksmith work there was to be done for the few settlers. Mr. Rogers removed from Portsmouth to Lower Saginaw, now Bay City, in 1842, and built a small house on what is now the corner of Center and Water Streets, where the Shearer Block now stands, and built a blacksmith shop on the opposite side of Water Street, where the Griswold Block now is, where he worked at his trade many years. In the Summer of 1852, Mr. Rogers went up alone on the prairie some three or four miles above Bay City to cut prairie hay, and was there taken sick with the cholera, where he would have soon died had not Orrin Kinney and Archibald McCormick, who were returning home from cutting hay, found him. They soon made a litter of two poles and a blanket and brought him home, but he only survived a short time. He died August 9, 1852, much respected by all the old pioneers who had shared with him in his joys and sorrows, and in the trials they had all passed through. Mr. Rogers was a sincere Christian in the latter part of his life. He left a wife and seven children, viz .: Peter L., Hial B., Ester, Bettie, John A., Ellen and Thomas J. Peter L. is at Deadwood, D. T; Hial B. died in 1867; Ester is the wife of Capt. Riley M. Burrington, of Bay City; Bettie is the wife of Charles B. Cottrell, of Bay City; John A. is at AuGres, Mich., engaged in the shingle and mercantile business; Ellen is the wife of F. W. Lankenau, of West Bay City; and Thomas J. is now in Texas.
And now in regard to this noble man's wife! I fear I am in- adequate to do her justice. It would take a better pen to portray her many acts of benevolence, her many acts of womanly devotion to suffering humanity and to the pioneers and their families in the hours of sickness and death in those early days that tried men's souls.
Mrs. Elizabeth Rogers, wife of Thomas Rogers, was the daughter of an eminent physician, Dr. Wilcox, of Watertown, N. Y., who afterward moved to Toronto, Canada. She was born November 12, 1809. When a young girl she attended her father's office and filled his prescriptions. She became a great student, and to such an extent did she pursue the study of medicine that at the age of eighteen she was often consulted by her father on different cases, and it was that which fitted her in after years to be of such great benefit to the settlers of the Saginaw Valley. At the age of nineteen she became the wife of Thomas Rogers. After residing for a time near Toronto, she came with her husband to Michigan in 1837-'38 and settled in Portsmouth, now South Bay City.
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