USA > Michigan > Bay County > History of Bay County, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 77
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The postoffice was established in 1872, and E. B. Knight was the first postmaster. He was succeeded in 1875 by C. H. Rhodes, who still holds the office.
Dr. W. B. Abbott is the village physician, and N. C. Hartingh the lawyer.
The Pinconning Times is the local newspaper. It was started in March, 1883, by E. J. Dunn.
The Spring of 1883 finds the village in a very flourishing condi- tion. Many new buildings are in process of construction, and nearly every lot of the original plat has been sold. It is the intention of the Pinconning Manufacturing Company to plat an addition to the village during the year 1883.
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PERSONAL SKETCHES.
C. H. RHODES was born at Marcellus Falls, Onondaga Co., N. Y., in 1844; came to Michigan in 1865; engaged in the woolen bus- iness at Grand Rapids, afterwards at Vassar, remaining there four years as superintendent of the Vassar Woolen Mills. Came to Pin- conning in 1875, and engaged in general merchandise business, do- ing a business of over $100,000 yearly. Also has a branch store at Linwood, nine miles nortli of Bay City, on the railroad. Has held the position of postmaster and express-agent at Pinconning during the past seven years. Resides in Bay City.
THOMAS H. CLIFF was born in Montreal, Canada, January 18, 1850. When about ten years old went to Painesville, Lake Co., Ohio. Attended school there until about eighteen years old, when he learned the blacksmith's trade. Came to Bay City in 1870, work- ing at his trade there for three years, then came to Pinconning, and engaged with Van Etten, Kaiser & Co., the founders of the town, as foreman in their blacksmith department. Kaiser, selling his interest to Geo. Campbell, the firm was known as Van Etten, Campbell & Co., until their failure in 1878, when the Bank of Commerce took the property, which has since been sold to Schott, Garish & Co., Mr. Cliff remaining as foreman through all the above changes, till December, 1881, since which time he has been engaged in farming, having purchased a farm of ninety-three acres in Sections Twenty- two and Twenty-three, near the Michigan Central Depot, Pinconning, where he now resides. Was married to Miss Helen Anderson, of Romeo, Macomb Co., Mich.
WILLIAM MALONE, one of the proprietors of the Pinconning Stave Works, was born in Ireland, and went to Canada with his parents when an infant. At fourteen years of age he came to the Saginaw Valley and began to work his own way in the world. Being pos- sessed of plenty of energy and a desire to get ahead in the world, he easily found something to do. He began work in the stave business in 1869, and has followed it ever since. He was five years in the business at Kawkawlin, and for a time at West Bay City. In the Fall of 1881 he came to Pinconning, and in October, 1882, formed a company with W. H. Ford, of Chicago, and they purchased the stave works as elsewhere stated: Mr. Malone is an active member of the Presbyterian society, and interests himself in all matters that pertain to the welfare of the place. He has a wife and two children.
JAMES POWRIE, proprietor of the Pinconning House, is a native of Scotland, and emigrated to Canada in 1869. In 1875 he came to Pinconning, and was in the store of Mr. C. H. Rhodes about a year. In 1876, in company with J. H. Whitney, he built the Pin- conning House, and kept it a year. In the latter part of 1877 he went to Bay City, and was in charge of the jail as deputy sheriff until 1879. He was then in the employ of Gustin, Merrill & Co., wholesale grocers, until 1881, when he was appointed a member of the police force, where he served until the Spring of 1883. He then
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272
HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY.
came to Pinconning and leased the Pinconning House, of which he is now proprietor. Mr. Powrie is a popular landlord, and is doing a fine business.
WALTER FERGUSON, blacksmith, was born in Canada, and came to the States in 1876. He first located at Bay City, where he worked at his trade. In 1880 he came to Pinconning, and soon after bought a building and opened a blacksmith shop. He is a good workman and does a prosperous business. Mr. Ferguson is a member of the Good Templars, and Chosen Friends, and is a good citizen.
WHITE FEATHER
is a station on the Mackinaw division of the Michigan Central Rail- road in Section Eleven, Town Seventeen north, of Range Four east. It is on the White Feather stream, so named by the Indians. James Lomas built a mill here in 1874, and afterward sold it to the White Feather Lumber Company. It was operated by them until 1878, when it burned, and was not rebuilt. C. Ives built a shingle mill here about 1874, and it burned two years later. There was formerly a postoffice at this point, but it was discontinued. It is now only a farming settlement and a railroad station.
Town Seventeen north, of Range Three east is entirely covered with standing pine. In Town Seventeen north, of Range Four east, are two good farming settlements. The Cliff settlement, about two and one-half miles from the village of Pinconning is filling up rap- idly. The first start was made there by Mr. Thomas Cliff in 1875, but most of the settlers have come in since 1880. There are now about seventy families. At White Feather are a number of good farms.
The supervisor of the township is L. A. Pelkey; clerk, Duncan McDougall; treasurer, Edward Jennings.
TAXES FOR 1882.
Contingent fund 400 00
Bridge fund
500 00
Highway fund, $ of 1 per cent 1881. 875 12
Statute labor tax do do 1882. 1,128 95
School District No. 1.
300 00
do
do 2 400 00
do
do 3. 350 00
do do 4. 350 00
The total vote of the township in 1882 was 287.
Total equalized valuation of real and personal estate in 1882 was $185,650.
Population in 1874 was 453; in 1880, 738, and in 1882 about 1,300.
There are three schoolhouses in the township; total number of children of school age in 1883, 237.
MOFFAT AND MASON.
The above named townships were organized by the Board of Super- visors in 1874, Moffat sending Alvin N. Culver, and Mason sending Henry M. Smith, as representatives on the County Board. The former is bounded north and west by county line, east by Clayton and Rifle River, and south by Deep River. Mason is bounded north by county line, east by Au Gres, south by Arenac, and west by Clayton. Both townships were heavily timbered and had large quantities of pine. This portion of the county was settled largely by soldiers who took up Government lands.
Moffat occupies the northwest corner of the county. Alvin N. and J. W. Culver, Patrick Reardon and L. D. Teachout, were among the early settlers. In 1880 the population of the township was sixty-nine. In 1882 the equalized valuation of real and per-
sonal estate was $52,315. The total vote in 1882 was thirty- four.
The population of the township is chiefly engaged in lumbering.
The Mackinaw Division of the M. C. Railroad extends through the township in a northwesterly direction. Culver and Wells are the two stations. At the former are two saw mills, postoffice, etc. At Wells there are depot, schoolhouse and a few other buildings. This is the only schoolhouse in the township,
Around Culver the soil is a clay loam; the balance of the township is sandy.
J. W. Culver is township treasurer; P. Reardon, supervisor, school inspector, justice of the peace and assessor. Charles M. Cline is clerk.
The taxes levied in Moffat for 1882 were as follows:
Contingent fund $ 400 00 School District No. 1 } Teachers' wages. 250 00
dc
do Contingent. 25 00
PATRICK REARDON, present supervisor of Moffat, is a native of the county of Cork, Ireland. He came to the United States in 1858 and lived in the Southern States, part of the time in St. Louis, Mo., until the breaking out of the War of the Rebellion, when he came north. For a time he kept a hotel in Wenona, now West Bay City. He afterwards bought and settled on a farm in the town- ship of Moffat. Since living in the township he has been a justice of the peace six years, school inspector four years and treasurer for the school district six years. The last two offices he (1882) now holds. In 1881 he was elected supervisor, and in 1882 was re-elected. He was married to Mary T. Reardon, of Toledo, Ohio, in1869. They have had seven children, five of whom are now living.
The township of Mason was erected by the Board of Super- visors at a meeting held Oct. 15, 1874, and comprised the territory of Town Twenty north, of Range Five east, which was a part of Arenac. The first township meeting was held on Monday, April 5, 1875, at the house of Theodore Morse, and Henry M. Smith, Fletcher E. Carscallan and Frederick Vincent were inspectors of election.
Mason had a population of 112 in 1880 and the total vote in 1882 was thirty-seven. Clayton Chatterson is the present super- visor.
The tax levy in Mason for 1882 was as follows:
Contingent fund . $ 300 00
Highway fund 465 00
Statute labor tax 935 00
School District No. 1. 250 00
do do 2 320 00
JOHN McMILLAN was born in the county of Glengarry, Ontario, and came to the United States in 1865. He lived in East Saginaw, Mich., for five years and then removed to Bay City, where he re- mained about two years. In the Fall of 1873 he bought a farm in the township of Mason, Bay County, and since then has followed the occupation of a farmer. He was treasurer of the township from 1875 to 1877 inclusive, and also superintendent of schools for two years. In 1880 he was elected supervisor, which office he held until the Spring of 1883. He was married to Margaret A. Monroe, a native of the state of Maine, of Scotch parentage. They have a family of five children.
PETER HANLON, lumberer, was born in Ireland, April 6, 1848, and came to Deerfield, Mich., in 1856. He enlisted in the Tenth Michigan Cavalry, Company F, in 1863, and served nearly three years. He took part in the second battle of Franklin, and in the battles of Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, the siege of Atlanta and several other conflicts, and was honorably discharged in November,
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HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY.
273
1865. After leaving the army he came to East Saginaw and spent some eight years in that region. During the last eight years he has resided at Maple Ridge. He has forty acres of land in Section Seven in Mason, with sixteen acres cleared, and with buildings and other home improvements. He has been township treasurer in Mason and also in Clayton. He was married to Miss Mary Monroe, of Clayton, May 8, 1876. They have two children, Mary Belle and Alice. He has lately visited California and Puget Sound. He thinks California the most desirable for men of large capital, but Puget Sound preferable for the laboring class. Wages are better and produce cheaper. He received there, last season, $90 per month for chopping.
JOHN BEATON, carpenter and joiner, was born in the Highlands of Scotland, Dec. 27, 1832. He left Scotland when seven years old and came to Cape Breton, learned his trade there and followed it for some years. Leaving there he spent a year in Marblehead, Mass. From there he came to Flint, Mich., in 1869. A year later he came to Maple Ridge, Bay, Co., where he now resides. He has forty acres of excellent land on Section Seven, in Mason, has thirty acres improved and some buildings thereon, but he still occupies most of his time in his avocation as builder.
FRASER TOWNSHIP.
The township of Fraser was erected by act of Legislature in 1875 and comprised the territory of Township Sixteen north, of Range Three east, and Township Sixteen north, of Ranges Four and Five east. The first township meeting was held on the first Monday of April, at the house of William Michie, and William Michie, Albert Neville and B. W. Merrick were inspectors of election.
Next to Pinconning, Fraser is the largest township in the county. It is bounded north by Pinconning, east by Saginaw Bay, south by Kawkawlin and Beaver and west by county line.
The Mackinaw division of the Michigan Central Railroad passes through the eastern portion of the township.
The population in 1880, according to the census, was 300.
Total valuation of real and personal estate $80,650.
The first supervisor was William Michie. Present supervisor, William J. Hodder.
The statistical report of the township of Fraser shows sixty-six farms, twenty-six births and twelve deaths, in 1882. Diphtheria was the prevailing disease in the majority of cases.
The township is rapidly filling up with settlers, and the east half of the township already has several good farms.
William Michie, Albert Neville and B. W. Merrick are among the early settlers in the township.
There are five school districts in the township, and general im- provements are being made as fast as possible.
TAXES FOR 1882.
Contingent fund. $ 1,000 00 450 00
Highway fund.
200 00
School District No. 1 ) Teachers' wages do do
Contingent
130 00
School District No. 2 ) Teachers' wages
315 00
School District No. 3 ) Teachers' wages and contingent. .
350 00
School District No. 4 ) Teachers' wages.
240 00
do do
( Contingent. 25 00
School District No. 5 ) Teachers' wages
180 00
do
do
" Contingent.
30 00
BIOGRAPHICAL.
WILLIAM FITCH, a hardy and early Pioneer of the town of Fra- ser, was born in the township of Bayham, in the county of Elgin, in 1830. In his early life he did not have the advantage of schools, but managed to get a fair education. In 1846 he started out for himself, and went aboard of a vessel as a hand before the mast, and acquired in his apprenticeship a knowledge of seamanship. When he was about twenty-one he was put in command of a vessel on Lake Erie. He was aboard of the Henry Watson when she col- lided with the Brig Giddings on Lake Erie, when by his bravery, and the help of a boy, he saved the boat and took her into Buffalo, and was promoted to captain. He is a man that has been able to turn his hand to any trade, and has been successful. He has endured many hardships, yet was never deterred from undertaking anything he wished to do because it seemed difficult. Fail was not in his book. He had a barn to build, and he hewed the timber and framed it, and raised and finished it without any help. The build- ing is 38x28 feet, and sixteen-foot posts, size 10x10 inches. He cleared the heavy timber with which his land was covered by his own single-handed labor, and though he broke a leg and an arm he kept on at work till he has a good farm. He lives in a large log house, which he raised with the help of a pair of oxen only. On May 2, 1849, he married Miss Margaret Gallagher, of Norfolk County, Canada. She was born in New Brunswick in 1831. When Mr. Fitch went to Fraser there were no roads and no teams, and he had to back his provisions three and a half miles, through mud and water, but he had the strength to do it. At one time he took a barrel of flour in two bags on his shoulders, and carried it home, three and a half miles. He went to Bay County in 1868, and settled in the township of Fraser in 1875.
WILLIAM H. HATTON was born in the city of Buffalo, N. Y. in 1827, When quite young he went with his parents to Wood- stock, Canada, and from there to London, Canada, and in 1851 went to Port Sanilac, Mich., and in 1874 went to the township of Fraser, Bay County. In 1851 he married Miss Elizabeth Gilmore, of the township of Ramsey, Canada. Miss Gilmore was born in 1836 and is the mother of nine children, four living. George W. Hatton was born in 1853, married in 1877 to Miss Elizabeth Pettit. Miss Pettit was born in St. Mary's, Canada, in 1853, and has three children: William J. Hatton was born in 1858; Irene F., born in 1864; Katie N. born in 1871. Mr. Hatton is keeping a hotel at state road crossing station on the M. C. R. R., and is also engaged in lumbering, and keeps a general grocery store, and is the post- master of the place. The office is named Michie, after W. Michie, one of the first settlers of Fraser, who was murdered in 1882, a short distance from his house.
FRANCIS GALLAGHER was born in the Province of New Bruns- wick, March 12, 1833. He moved to Blenheim, Canada, in 1840, and in 1875 came to Bay City. He purchased a farm in the town of Fraser, where he now resides doing business as a grocer. He has recently held the office of township treasurer for two years. Mr. Gallagher was the first settler in his locality.
BINA CHUTE was born in Elgin County, Canada, June 19, 1838. He came to Bay City in 1863 and was employed by McDowell & Park for three years, and then started in the saloon business. In 1869 he purchased a farm in Fraser Township, Bay County, and built a hotel upon the premises, which he runs in connection with his farm. He is also township treasurer and school director of his district.
WILLIAM J. HODDER was born in Somersetshire, England. In early life he followed railroading. He was at one time a freight conductor on the Great Western Railway, running between Liver-
Bridge fund.
270 00
O
274
HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY.
pool, Wolverhampton, Buildwass, etc. After that he was pilotman on the Metropolitan Railway, one of the underground railways in London, England. In 1867 he came to the United States and was for a short time a brakesman on the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad. After living in Detroit about three years he came to the Saginaw Valley, living in East Saginaw and Bay City until 1878, when he bought a farm in the township of Fraser, and since that time has settled down as a "granger." Shortly after going to Fraser he was elected township clerk, serving until 1881, when he was elected su- pervisor, and in 1882 was re-elected. In 1872 he was married to Ellen Belleisle, of Detroit. They have had a family of ten children, seven of whom are now (1882) living.
N. H. RYON was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in 1848, where he lived until he was seventeen. He enlisted in the Union Army and served till the close of the war. In 1866 he went to Huron County, Mich., and in 1882 went to the town of Fraser, Bay County, and bought eighty acres of land in Section Thirty-four, where he resides. In 1874 he married Miss Roxana Smith, of Huron County. Miss Smith was born in Brockville, Canada, in 1856, and is the mother of three children. Mr. Ryon was in the battles of Win- chester, Cedar Run and Fisher Hill, and was in Grant's campaign when General Lee was taken.
JAMES TRYON, an early settler of Bay County was born in Oneida County, N. Y., in March, 1851. When six years old he went to Ohio. When he was sixteen years old he started in life for himself, and went to Indiana, and was there four years. In 1873 went to Kawkawlin, and taught school one year; then went to Pinconning as a clerk and was there one year. On April 22d he went to the village of Linwood to run a general store for C. H. Rhodes. In 1882, October 18th, he married Miss Agnes Schmidt, of Kawkawlin.
P. L. SHERMAN was born in New Bedford, Mass., in 1844. He went to sea when young and followed it till 1879, in which year he went to Bay City and started business as a lumiberman in company with Nathaniel Howland. Their mill is located in Linwood, on the M. C. R. R., in the township of Fraser. In 1871 he married Miss Howland, of Dartmouth, Mass. They have one child. Mr. Sherman is general manager of the company's business. Their saw mill is new, having been built in 1882, and has a capacity of 19,000 feet per day. Their stave mill has a capacity of twenty cords of bolts per day.
SUSAN TRUDO KINGSTON was born in the township of Banks, Bay Co., Mich., March, 1860, and in 1877 married Mr. Stewart Kings- ton, of the Province of Quebec, Canada. Mr. Kingston went to Bay City about 1873, and shortly after bought a farm in Section Thirty, in the township of Fraser. The forest was in its primitive state, but he and his wife were young and ambitious, and they put their "shoulder to the wheel" with the determination to make a home out of the wilderness where they could rest in the "sear and yellow leaf" of life. They succeeded in making a home, but Mr. Kingston did not enjoy the fruits of his labor very long, for on April 1, 1882 he died, leaving his young wife and two children to mourn his loss, and to struggle with fortune as best they could. Sarah Kingston, their eldest, was born May 29, 1879; Stewart, born .March, 14 1881.
LINCOLN AND WHITNEY,
The two townships above named were organized by the Board of Supervisors, in the year 1880, and are the youngest township or- ganizations in the county. The organization of these two town-
ships gave the Board of Supervisors thirty-four members; two more than the membership of the State Senate.
Lincoln comprises all of Township Eighteen north, of Range Three east, and twenty-four Sections of Township Eight- een north, of Range Four east. It is bounded north by Deep River, east by Standish, south by Standish and Pinconning and west by county line.
The effort to secure a division of Standish Township, and or- ganize a new one, was met by strong opposition from citizens of the territory remaining in Standish. The proceedings of the Board of Supervisors with reference to this matter, were as follows:
At the October session of the Board in 1879, the following ap- plication was presented :
"We, the undersigned, citizens and freeholders of the town- ship of Standish, do hereby petition your honorable body to set off from said township of Standish and erect into a new township, to be called Lincoln, or some other name that may be suitable to you, the following territory, to-wit :- Entire Township Eighteen north, of Range Three east, and enti:e Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seven- teen, Eighteen, Nineteen, Twenty, Twenty-one, Twenty two Twenty-three, Twenty-six, Twenty-seven, Twenty-eight, Twen- ty-nine, Thirty, Thirty-one, Thirty-two, Thirty-three, Thirty-four and Thirty-five, in Town Eighteen north, of Range Four east, being all of Town Eighteen north, of Range Four east, except the east tier of sections. And your petitioners will ever pray, etc.
"Dated Standish, October 13, 1879.
"Signed, Peter M. Angus and thirteen others."
Moved that it be referred to committe on organization of towni. ships. Carried.
At the same meeting another petition as follows, was pre- sented :
"There having been an application filed and published accord- ing to law, by the freeholders and citizens of the village of Standish, for the erection of a new township, consisting of the following terri- tory :- All of Town Eighteen north, of Range Three east, and Town Eighteen north, of Range Four east, excepting the east tier of sec- tions, to be known as the township of Lincoln, which would deprive the township of Standish of railroad connection, tli. refore, the free- holders and citizens of the township of Standish would respectfully ask your honorable body, that in setting off said proposed township of Lincoln, as proposed in the petition published, adding to the township of Standish the following sections off from Town Eight- een north, of Range Four east, Sections One, Twelve, Thirteen, Twenty-four, Twenty-five, Thirty-six. We would ask your honora- ble body and the petitioners from the village of Standish, if consist- ent with your view, to set off the proposed town of Lincoln on the following form: - All of the Town Eighteen north, of Range Three east, and all of the Town Eighteen north, of Range Four east, ex- cepting Sections Twenty-four, Twenty-five, Thirty-six, Thirty-five, Twenty-three, Twenty-six, thereby securing to the township of Standish a station on the railroad.
"Signed, M. D. Bourassa and fifty-three others."
On motion the same was referred to the committee on organi- zation of townships.
This petition was followed by a protest from citizens of Stan- dish, as follows:
"We, the undersigned, freeholders of Standish, do respectfully protest against a division of our town at present; ninety per cent of our people are opposed to it. The whole object is to make more officers and therefore more taxes. A visit through the town and a talk with all the people, would convince you that they want no di-
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HISTORY OF BAY COUNTY.
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vision. Therefore, we pray to allow us to remain as we are for the the present.
Standish, October 8, 1879.
"Signed, Jerome Davis and thirty-seven others.
"At a meeting held at Saganing, October 10, 1879, the free- holders and citizens of the fractional Township of Eighteen, Five east, set forth the following reasons why the new township of Lin- coln should not be organized.
" Resolred, That the move to set the new town of Lincoln off Standish is merely for political purposes, and not for any good that can be derived from said division.
" Resolred, That there being now three towns in the township of Standish, from which we derive or support, these towns com- prising eighty-seven sections and three-eighteenths, four being full towns and 18-5, being a fraction of fifteen sections, less than one-half of a township. By adding to it the six sections as pro- posed by the new town of Lincoln, would raise it to twenty-one sections, less than three-fourths of a township. Therefore, we, the freeholders and citizens of the fractional Town of 18-5 and of the new territory that is proposed to add to said fractional, do pro- test against the organization. The citizens claim that the erection of said township would at once throw an expense of from $500 to $2,000 on the township of Standish which would so increase the taxes that it would be impossible for the people to maintain a living, let alone trying to clear up their farms and paying for their land. "The above in due form we present to the Board of Supervisors for their consideration.
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