History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 115

Author: D.W. Ensign & Co. pub; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, D. W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 821

USA > Michigan > Van Buren County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 115
USA > Michigan > Berrien County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 115

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Burrell A. Olney, James Spinnings, and Thomas Conklin arrived in Hartford on the 14th of March, 1837, their land having been selected previously on part of the southwest quarter and west half of section 33. Mention is made of the selection of land and their first few weeks' labor together on another page. After the separation on the 1st of May, each commenced for himself. Mr. Spinnings lived with Mr. Olney, and died May 2, 1841, his being the first death in the township. By the 1st of June they had cleared six acres of timber and planted it to corn and potatoes. Mr. Olney returned to Jefferson Co., N. Y., and in the September fol- lowing returned to the farm with his family, and for about a year did the work of the farm without a team. In the fall of 1838 he purchased a pair of oxen, which were used about ten years in the clearing up and logging incident to all new land in a timber country. He is a man of great phys- ical energy and business ability, and has kept pace with the progress of the country. He left the farm about fifteen years ago and formed a partnership which became the firm of Swain, Olney & Co., in the village of Watervliet, entered into a large lumbering business, and is to-day engaged in buying grain, wool, and other produce. He is connected with his son Horace and Edwin R. Olds.

In 1837 or '38, George Washington Springer settled 58

near the southwest quarter of the township. His occupa- tion was hunting, trapping, and fishing. He was noted for his success as a hunter and for telling stories which had a Munchausen flavor, and of which Springer was generally the hero. He moved away after about five years.

Rufus Sayers, of Wayne Co., N. Y., was one of the sur- veying-party who surveyed this section of country, and in 1836 he located the northwest quarter of section 24 and made arrangements with - Wetherby to clear 20 acres, for which he was to receive an eighty-acre lot. Wetherby made a clearing, built a log house, and lived there for a time, but soon left it. Sayers returned to New York, and in 1843 exchanged the land in Michigan with a neighbor, Horace Dowd, for land there, placing the value of this land at $5 per acre. Mr. Dowd, who was a native of Massa- chusetts and had emigrated with his father's family to Wayne Co., N. Y., in 1828, came in the spring of 1844 to the farm he had purchased, with his family, consisting of his wife and three children. The farm was in a neglected condition, and about the first thing done was to burn the log cabin, which was nearly rotted down. Saplings had grown up in the clearing, and the place was as rough as at first. He was active in the organization of the Baptist Church in Hartford, and died July 4, 1870. His widow and sons, Jefferson S., Henry H., and daughter, Mary L. (now Mrs. A. H. Brown), all live on or near the first set- tled farm.

Robert Wilcox and Henry Miner, about 1837, settled on section 17,-Wilcox, where Z. K. Stickney now lives, and Miner across the road. They remained but a short time.

Smith Johnson settled on section 17, and in 1843 sold to William Thomas, a native of Washington Co., N. Y., who came to Hartford in 1843, and bought 50 acres on section 17, of Smith Johnson, where he still lives. He married a daughter of Ira Allen. He was elected to the Legislature in 1875, to fill a vacancy caused by the death of B. J. Geckley ; was supervisor in 1844, and has held the office of justice of the peace for many years.

Caleb Johnson, brother of Smith, lived adjoining, and removed to Illinois about 1844. One Snay, a French Canadian, lived near the Johnsons for a few years. In the fall of 1837 William Everett and his son Richard B. came in and settled on section 26, in the southwest quarter, and Peter Williamson lived adjoining; the latter still lives on the place, Everett in Keeler. Alexander Newton settled on section 13. In March, 1839, Joseph Ruggles, with his family, emigrated from Huron Co., Ohio, in a wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen, and settled on the southeast quarter of section 31, where H. S. Jennings now lives.

In 1839, Alvah De Long, a native of St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., settled 40 acres in the northeast quarter of section 29, purchased of Ferdino Olds, where J. D. Robinson now lives ; later, he bought the pine woods on the school section, and commenced the manufacture of shingles. Afterwards, in 1846, he bought the Stow property, and in 1850 he moved to California, where he died. His brothers, Asher and Allen De Long, own the property, the latter living on the farm, the former in the village of Hartford. Francis De Long, the father of the above, came to this town and

458

HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

lived with his sons. He was a Revolutionary soldier, and died in the one hundred and third year of his age.

Ira Allen, a native of Vermont, emigrated to near Buffalo before the war of 1812, and was a soldier in the army at the time the British crossed to burn Buffalo, where he was wounded. He afterwards moved to Michigan, settling on the river Raisin, where he remained two years, then return- ing to New York. In 1835 he removed to Ann Arbor ; to Lawrence in 1837, and to Hartford in 1839, locating on the north half of section 21, where James Beny now lives. He died about 1875, and was buried in the village cemetery. Four children are living,-Ira W., who opened a store at the village in 1855, and has been in business from that time to the present; Mary, the wife of William Thomas ; Lucy, the widow of James Griffin ; and William, who lives in California.

Josiah Hill settled on the east part of section 13. He was also from St. Lawrence County, and with Cornelius Williams bought out Alexander Newton.

Charles P. Sheldon, a native of Watertown, Jefferson Co., N. Y., came to this township in the fall of 1841; he was the first settler north of the Paw Paw River, and located on section 2. At that time remnants of the Potta- wattamies and of the Ottawas lived near him, including Commodah, a war-chief of the Ottawas, with his sons, Pix- waxie, Paw Paw, and Nottawawas, also Watbimneto and his family, of the Pottawattamies. Mr. Sheldon returned to New York, and in the spring of 1842 brought on his family. The following spring he was elected supervisor, and during that year succeeded in getting a vote of the people to build a bridge across the Paw Paw River on sec- tion 10. He filled the office of supervisor several terms, and was justice of the peace eleven years consecutively. In 1852 he was elected from this county as representative for the session of 1853-54. He moved to Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa, in 1855, and has since served that State in the Legislature.

The only road cut through this township was the old Watervliet road that ran from Paw Paw to St. Joseph, and was used as a mail-route. This was cut through in 1837 by the commissioners of Lawrence.

In the fall of 1836, 32 men, 28 of whom were Canadian Frenchmen, came to Watervliet from Jefferson Co., N. Y., in the employ of Smith, Merrick & Co., to work on the im- provements they were then making in the construction of mills, digging a race, and clearing land, on the spot where, eight years before, Duncan & Summer had their mill. The old race was cleaned of sand and was enlarged. Of this party were Felix Rassett, Sirell Rassett, A. P. Pinney, and Edward Eber. Soon after their coming in A. P. Pinney purchased large tracts, among which were section 13, and four eighties on section 17. In 1841, Felix Rassett pur- chased of Mr. Pinney the northeast quarter of section 17. A short time after, Sirell Rassett bought where Z. K. Stickney now owns, and Edward Eber on section 16; Eber went to California about 1860, returned, and now lives in the village. Felix Rassett built a frame house on the Watervliet road, in the fall of 1843. He now keeps the Rassett House in the village of Hartford.

The next spring Bartholomew Showrie settled at what is

now the village. He remained several years, and removed to Kansas. In that year occurred the first wedding, and it was quickly followed by two others. Thomas Kemp, of Bangor, was married to Mehitable Cone, a sister of Mrs. Ferdino Olds, on the 22d day of September, 1844, at the house of Mr. Olds. About the same time James Griffin and Lucy Allen, daughter of Ira Allen, and Edward Eber and Abigail Mellen were married at the house of Ira Allen, on the farm now occupied by James Beany. William Thomas and Thomas Conklin were present, and both being justices of the peace, each married a couple. The bridal parties went to Watervliet, joined Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kemp, and held a wedding-feast together.

The Allen lands, located by John Allen in 1835, passed to a Mr. Grant, and subsequently became the property of the Ostrom Company, of which Courtlandt Palmer was the principal and Bela Hubbard, of Detroit, agent. In 1852, Job Dunham, and John and Lyman McNitt purchased of the Ostrom Company 240 acres on section 15, the west half of northeast quarter and northwest quarter. Mr. Dunham sold the west half of the northwest quarter to Andrew Bartlett ; John McNitt sold the east half of the northwest quarter to one Percival; Lyman McNitt sold to James Griffin the south half of the west quarter of northwest quarter, and to Griffin and Almon A. Olds the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter.

In 1854, Roswell Hart, a native of Connecticut, emi- grated to this place, having purchased of Courtlandt Palmer, of New York, the northwest quarter of section 15 and the contract of James Griffin. A part of the Hart farm is in the Olds addition. Mr. Hart was supervisor from 1871 to 1874, inclusive. In 1875, Mr. Hart moved to the southeast quarter of section 14, where he still resides.

During the year 1844, Ralph Taylor and his sons, How- land C. and Emory O. Taylor, and three sisters, natives of Rutland, Jefferson Co., N. Y., settled on the south half of section 4, and Austin Beaman, of St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., on land adjoining on the west. Howland C. Taylor lives now on the northeast quarter of section 20, and Emory O. Taylor in Wayne, Cass Co. Paul Weibar lived north of the river, also in the southwest quarter of section 11.

Fabius Miles, a native of Watertown, Jefferson Co., N. Y., taught school in that place for twelve years, and emigrated to this town in May, 1844, locating 300 acres on the west half of section 12, intersected by the river. On the northwest quarter of the section a water-power was fitted up, and improved in the autumn of that year. The first saw-mill in the township was built at this place, and completed about April 10, 1847.

Mr. Miles was supervisor in 1852, member of the Legis- lature of 1859-60, and has filled other positions with credit. He still lives on the farm he first settled. Wright, a son, is living in Colorado.

Abram Yates came with Roswell Hart from Monroe Co., N. Y., at the same time, and settled on the east half of the southwest quarter of section 15, where Clark Sampson now lives. He now resides in Watervliet.

Melville Hathaway in 1854 lived in the village, on the corner where now stands the Masonic block. He was lost on the steamer " Hippocampus," in Lake Michigan.

459

TOWNSHIP OF HARTFORD.

Harlow Griffin, a brother of James, lived on the site of the old Day Spring office.

Hilliard in the fall of 1854 came to the village of Hart- ford, and settled on section 15. He was one of the party that formed the original plat of the village, in 1859. He still lives in the village.

Truman Stratton, a native of Vermont, emigrated from Chautauqua Co., N. Y., in the spring of 1858, and purchased on the west side of centre line of section 16.

ORGANIZATION AND TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.

When this part of the Territory of Michigan was divided into counties, in 1829, the territory now called Van Buren County was set off and attached to Cass County for judi- cial purposes ; and the township of Lafayette was formed March 25, 1835, comprising the territory of Van Buren County .*

By an act approved March 11, 1837, this township was divided into seven towns, of which Lawrence was one, and included the present towns of Lawrence, Hartford, and Arlington. At the same time the township of Covington was formed, and included Keeler and Hamilton. In 1838 these townships were organized from that town; and Keeler also embraced in its new organization town 3 south, range 16 west (now Hartford), but in the spring of 1840 this was set off and made a separate township. It was first intended to be called Hartland (after the town Mr. Olds came from), but there being another of that name in the State, it was called Hartford, at the suggestion of Mr. B. A. Olney. The township was organized by an election of officers in April of that year, this first town-meeting being held at the house of Smith Johnson, in section 17.

The records of the township were destroyed by fire in June, 1877. The following list of officers is obtained from the records of the Board of Supervisors for the years given :

1840 .- Supervisor, Joseph Ruggles; Town Clerk, Burrell A. Olney ; Treasurer, Joseph Ruggles ; Justices of the Peace, Alexander Newton, Richard B. Everett, Smith Johnson, Burrell A. Olney.

1841 .- Supervisor, Joseph Ruggles ; Town Clerk, Burrell A. Olney ; Treasurer, Joseph Ruggles ; Justices of the Peace, Richard B. Everett, Smith Johnson, B. A. Olney, Josiah Hill.

1842 .- Supervisor, Burrell A. Olney ; Town Clerk, Joseph Ruggles; Treasurer, Richard B. Everett; Justice of the Peace, Ira Allen.

1843 .- Supervisor, Charles P. Sheldon ; Town Clerk, R. B. Everts ; Treasurer, B. A. Olney ; School Inspectors, Freeman Rug- gles, C. P. Sheldon, B. A. Olney ; Justices of the Peace, R. B. Everett, Joseph Reynolds.

1844 .- Supervisor, Charles P. Sheldon ; Town Clerk, William Thomas; Treasurer, Thomas Conklin; School Inspector, C. P. Shel- don; Justice of the Peace, William Thomas.

1845 .- Treasurer, Sylvester G. Easton; Justice of the Peace, B. A. Olney.

1846 .- Supervisor, William Thomas; Town Clerk, William Thomas; Treasurer, Sylvester G. Easton ; Justice of the Peace, C. P. Sheldon ; School Inspector, Aaron P. Hammond.

1847 .- Supervisor, Burrell A. Olney ; Town Clerk, William Thomas; Justice of the Peace, R. B. Everett ; Treasurer, S. G. Easton; School Inspector, Fabius Miles.

* Prior to the organization of Lafayette township the territory of Van Buren County, part of Cass, and land still north was embraced in Penn township, which was organized Nov. 5, 1829, and which ter- ritory was a part of St. Joseph township, organized April 12, 1827.

1848 .- Supervisor, B. A. Olney ; Township Clerk, Martin Ruggles; School Inspector, Howland C. Taylor; Treasurer, William Thomas; Justice of the Peace, Austin Beaman.

1871 .- Supervisor, Roswell Hart; Town Clerk, N. Thomas. 1872-74 .- Supervisor, Roswell Hart.

1873 .- Supervisor, R. Hart; Town Clerk, Nathan Thomas; Treas- urer, H. M. Olney; Justice of the Peace, A. H. Chandler ; School Inspector, O. D. Hadsell.

1878 .- Supervisor, Lyman Bridges; Town Clerk, Thomas J. Johns ; Treasurer, George H. Moore; Justices of the Peace, Albert H. Tuttle, Livara MeNitt; Superintendent of Schools, James M. Lamb; School Inspector, William W. Shepherd.

1879 .- Supervisor, Lyman Bridges; Town Clerk, Henry Spaulding ; Treasurer, Thomas J. Johns; Justices of the Peace, J. E. Packard, Charles Mortimer ; Superintendent of Schools, J. M. Rowe; School Inspector, Luther Sutton.

POST-OFFICES AND POSTMASTERS.

The first mail-route through the township was established in 1854, from St. Joseph to Paw Paw, and passed through the village, but no mail was delivered there, and the near- est office was at Watervliet. The mail was carried on horse- back for about a year. In 1855, one Dolph carried the mail, and this year the office was established at Hartford Centre, with James E. Griffin as the first postmaster. The mail contract was successively taken, after Dolph, by Sam- uel Wolcott, James Griffin, and Harvey Tamblin. At this time passengers began to be carried. William Thomas and - Fairbanks also had the contract for a short time. . Jacob Crager took the contract about 1864, and has held it to the present. The route, which at first was from Paw Paw to St. Joseph, has been shortened from time to time until now it extends from Lawrence to Hartford. The postmasters since the appointment of Mr. Griffin have been M. F. Palmer, W. A. Engle, Nathan Thomas, and the present incumbent, J. W. Travis.

THE VILLAGE OF HARTFORD.

About 1844, in the spring, one Bartholomew Showrie came to this place, purchased of A. P. Pinney a part of where the village now stands, erected a small log cabin, and cleared a small piece of land east of where the furni- ture-store of M. Boynton stands. He afterwards built a frame house, and still later removed to Kansas.

The only road was the road from Paw Paw to St. Joseph. A few years after his arrival, Martin Ruggles entered land from the State on section 16, and built the cabin afterwards occupied by Truman Fowler, which was near the present residence of Dr. M. F. Palmer. About 1852, Francis Wilkes, a bachelor, came to the place, and with Fowler erected a frame house on the south side of Main Street, corner of Centre, and put in a few goods and more whisky. James Griffin, with his wife, lived in the back part of the store. Thaddeus Drew was also here occasionally, but he was the traveling man of the party. At this time the place became somewhat notorious, and was known by the name of " Bloody Corners." The inhabitants, consisting of Fowler, Wilkes, Drew, and a few others, were always in active pursuit of horse-thieves, which were almost, but never quite, caught. About- 1854-55 a better class of set- tlers began to gather at the Centre, and Roswell Hart, a native of New York, and Ware Hilliard, a native of New Hampshire, settled here, followed soon by Truman Stratton, John H. Van Ostrom, and James Wolcott.

460

HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

In 1855, Antoinette Stoughton (now Mrs. Hurlbut) taught the first school in the village; the same year, Ira W. Allen and Willard Stratton built a store where the old Day Spring office stands, about 14 by 20, and one story high, and put in a small stock of goods. Dr. M. F. Palmer, in June, 1857, opened an office and commenced the practice of his profession. Benjamin Randall opened a blacksmith-shop on South Centre Street, west side. O. H. P. Baker (better known as Alphabet Baker) is said to have kept the first tavern, in part of what is now the Rassett House.

Cyrus Boynton, in the fall of 1858, opened a store in the Rassett House, and put in two cases of boots, several sacks of coffee, and a few dry goods. His store was the general resort for the long winter evenings.

The growth of the village was very slow until about 1870, when the building of the Chicago and West Michi- gan Railroad was an incentive to a more rapid settlement, and the village increased until at the present time it has a population of about 800. The business part of the village was nearly destroyed by fire in June, 1877, thirteen busi- ness places being burned. But it has steadily and healthily grown since, and now contains two churches (Baptist and Methodist), a brick school-house, the brick dwelling of Orson Olds, a brick hotel, Odd-Fellows' Hall, Masonic Hall, Reynolds' block, and thirteen business places in other blocks; five dry-goods stores, two groceries, two hardware-stores, two drug-stores, five blacksmith-shops, two wagon-shops, post-office, school-house, newspaper-office, two cabinet-shops, three millinery-stores, harness-shop, and stave-factory, two cider-mills, two saw-mills, two sash-, door-, and blind- factories, two markets, a lumber-yard, one flour- and feed- store, two livery-stables, one jewelry-store, two restaurants, one boot and shoe-store, three insurance-offices, one hair- store, two warehouses, depot, telegraph- and express-office, two lawyers, and four physicians.

Village Incorporation and Officers .- Efforts had been made for several years to perfect the incorporation, but were not successful until 1877 ; the charter being granted April 1st of that year. The territory comprised the east half of section 16 and the west half of section 15. The officers were to be a president, recorder, six trustees, and a treasurer. The first election was held at the office of C. H. Engle, April 16, 1877, and the officers elected for 1877, '78, and '79 are as follows :

1877 .- President, John W. Hubbard; Trustees, Henry P. Phelps, Edwin R. Olds, Valentine I. Stratton, William Bennett, George H. Morse, Russell W. Stickney ; Recorder, Levi S. Warren ; Treasurer, Volney E. Manley.

1878 .- President, George H. Morse; Trustees, Henry P. Phelps, Ed- win R. Olds, Valentine I. Stratton, William Bennett, Albert H. Tuttle, Henry Spaulding; Recorder, Levi S. Warren ; Treasurer, Volney E. Manley.

1879 .- President, Marvin L. Edmonds; Trustees, William Bennett, Albert H. Tuttle, Henry Spaulding, Arthur H. Young, Thomas J. Johns, William L. Pierce; Recorder, Levi S. Warren; Treasurer, Volney E. Manley.

Plats and Additions .- In the fall of 1854, Ware Hil- liard, a native of New Hampshire, purchased a part of the land on which the village of Hartford stands. At that time Roswell Hart lived north of the village, on section 15, where

Eber Hart, a nephew, now lives, Mr. Hart having settled there the spring previous. Bartholomew Showrie lived in a frame house on the southeast corner of Watervliet road and Centre Streets, near the Rassett House ; he had lived there since about 1843 and '44. Fowler lived in a log house near where M. F. Palmer now resides. Francis Wilkes lived in a frame house near the southwest corner of Watervliet road and Centre Streets ; he afterwards sold to Truman Stratton. In March, 1859, Truman Stratton, Ware Hilliard, John H. Van Ostrom, James Smith, W. W. Shepherd, Roswell Hart, and M. F. Palmer laid out a plat of land for a village, which was surveyed by Sylvester McNitt, and contained a total of 47.96 'To'0 acres.

The first addition is known as Van Ostrom's, and is de- scribed as the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 15, containing about 3,28 100 acres ; also a strip of land adjoining, and on the east of original survey, 4,2% chains wide, extending to Main Street and the south half quarter-line running east and west through section 15, con- taining about 7 acres.

Hilliard's addition is dated Dec. 15, 1870, and is the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of northeast quarter of section 16, excepting the railroad grounds, and contains about 8 acres.

A. E. Reynolds' addition bears date May 30, 1871 ; com- prises the west half of the southwest quarter of the south- west quarter of section 15, and contains 20 acres.

Truman Stratton's addition is dated May 3, 1871, and comprises the west half of northeast quarter of southeast quarter of section 16, lying south of Main Street, and 3} line of said sections ; it contains 14 acres.

Allen, Huntley, and Stickney's addition, which bears date of Feb. 2, 1872, lies south of the centre of Main Street and west of the east & line of section 16, is 10,85 chains square, and contains 10 acres ; besides 6 rods wide through the same, owned and occupied by the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad Company.

E. R. Olds' addition is dated Jan. 4, 1875 ; it lies in the northeast part of the village, is a strip of land 4 chains wide from the south side of the southwest quarter of north- west quarter of section 15, except a piece of land on the west of same 4-62, chains wide, and contains 6,1, a i's acres.

Freeman Stowe's addition (dated Jan. 4, 1875) lies in the southwest part of the village, and is a strip of land 4 75 chains wide off the west side of northeast quarter of south- east quarter of section 15; it contains 10 acres.

Hilliard's second addition, dated May, 1875, contains 10 acres.

The Warren addition was made Feb. 23, 1876, and con- tains 16 8 9 10 0 acres.

The whole number of lots in 1875 was 383, embracing an area of 134 acres.

A Union School was organized and commenced in the village of Hartford about the year 1860, and the brick school building was erected in 1873.

SOCIETIES AND ORDERS.

Floida Lodge, No. 309, F. and A. M .- This lodge was instituted Jan. 17, 1873, with E. C. Hurd as Worshipful Master; Thomas J. Johns, Senior Warden ; and James C.

I. H. P. Sheeps

18|78

RESIDENCE OF HENRY P. PHELPS, VAN BUREN CO., MICH.

461

TOWNSHIP OF HARTFORD.

Crandall, Junior Warden. They number at present 60 members. The present officers are George Moore, Wor- shipful Master; John P. Van Ostrom, Senior Warden ; Volney E. Manley, Junior Warden; James Lamb, Sec. ; Thomas J. Johns, Treas.

Benevolence Eastern Star Lodge, No. 46 .- This lodge was instituted as Benevolence Lodge, No. 46, Oct. 3, 1877, with Mrs. Allie Manley as Worthy Patron. In October, 1878, it was changed to Benevolence Eastern Star Chapter ; and the number was changed to No. 19 in October, 1879. The present officers are Mrs. Allie Manley, W. President ; Jessie Thomas, Vice-President; Mrs. Bertha Reinhard, Sec .; and Mrs. Hortense Stickney, Treas.

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History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 115

Author: D.W. Ensign & Co. pub; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Johnson, Crisfield Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia, D. W. Ensign & Co. Number of Pages: 821

Author: D.W. Ensign & Co. pub; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, D. W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 821