USA > Michigan > Van Buren County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 127
USA > Michigan > Berrien County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 127
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Mr. Lee says he used to get sugar for his family by plowing for Pee Pee Yah, an old Indian, who had a farm on section 22. The Indians were always well supplied with sugar, but could not master the business of plowing. Lee did not get much sugar for a day's plowing, and what he did get he had to divide with Asa Hinckley, to pay for the use of the latter's horses. Mr. Lee used to take his dinner with him when he went to plow for Pee Pee Yah. One day, at noon, he discovered that dogs had captured it. Marching briskly into Pee Pee Yah's house, he told the squaw that as her dogs had devoured his dinner, he must have some from her. The old woman handed him a wooden ladle, pointed to a large kettle full of stewed corn, and told him to help himself. He began to eat, when presently the dogs came up and joined him in the repast, dipping in with their mouths where he used the ladle. He rapped them sharply with the ladle, but they insisted upon keeping him company, and as he was desperately hungry, and was
assured by the squaw that it was according to the etiquette of the house for the dogs to eat out of the same dish with the family, he proceeded to complete his meal, and soon got so that he did not much mind his canine messmates.
Pee Pee Yah was said to have been once a prominent chief of the Pottawattamies, but had turned farmer, and had bought of the government a quarter of section 22, which is known to this day as the Pee Pee Yah farm. There were in the township other Indians who owned small pieces of land, but Pee Pee Yah was the only one who ever approached the dignity of being a farmer, and his farming was at its best confined to the cultivation of a little soft corn and the boiling of sugar. He was, however, regarded by the other Indians as a superior sort of creature, and was much respected by them. When the government was endeavoring to procure the removal of the Indians of this vicinity to the West, he conceived the idea that it would seek to remove him, despite the fact that he was a land-holder, and therefore fled to Canada with his squaw and child. He died in Canada, and the squaw then re- turned with her child to Paw Paw, and reoccupied the farm. She afterwards sold it, however, to John R. Baker, and moved to Hartford township.
LATER SETTLERS.
John Sherwood, now living in the southern part of the township, was a settler about 1840. David Woodman (2d), who came with his father, Joseph Woodman, to Antwerp in 1835, located land on section 20, in Paw Paw, in 1841, and has made his home there since that time.
Jonas Harrison came with his family from New York in 1846, and located with his son, William H., on 40 acres in section 16. He took up a farm himself on the same sec- tion in 1847, and lived in the township until his death, in 1864. Of his sons, William H. lives in Kalamazoo, Al- bert resides on section 16, in Paw Paw, and Aaron lives south of him, on the same section. About the time Mr. Harrison settled in Paw Paw there were living in his neighborhood Henry Wilson, A. R. Wildey, Joseph Luce, E. Tyler, - Mitchelson, William K. Butler, Riley Wood- man, and A. Hemingover.
Henry Wilson, who located in Adrian as early as 1837, went from there in 1840 to Pennsylvania (whence he had migrated), remained there until the spring of 1846, and then came with his family to Paw Paw. He took up 40 acres on section 16, and has lived upon it until the present time.
In 1848, Philip Sherrod came from Western Pennsyl- vania to Paw Paw, and after working for farmers until 1851 bought a farm on section 29 of Nathan Lawton, and has lived there to this day. H. Cuddeback, a sailor on the lakes, came to Michigan with his father, Sylvester Cudde- back, in 1849, and located land on section 28. The father settled on the farm, but the son returned to a life on the water, which he followed until 1851. He then became a farmer upon the place he still owns, his father removing subsequently to Lawrence, where he now lives.
David Woodman, who came to Michigan in 1834, settled in Antwerp in 1838, and in Paw Paw in 1858, where he still lives, at the age of eighty-seven. Thomas B. Irwin
1
OLD HOME
ALBERT HARRISON
MRS. ALBERT HARRISON.
RESIDENCE OF ALBERT HARRISON, PAW PAW TP, MICHIGAN.
505
TOWNSHIP OF PAW PAW.
came to the State in 1843, located in Lawrence in 1846, and in 1864 removed permanently to Paw Paw village. E. A. Thompson, who located in Paw Paw village, his present home, served between 1855 and 1859 as Deputy Secretary of State.
THE CROOKED PAW PAW.
Before the days of the Michigan Central Railroad, when the subject of water transportation between Paw Paw and Lake Michigan was one of much importance, the Paw Paw River was utilized, after a fashion, as a highway for flat- boats, although it is generally believed that flat-boating on the Paw Paw was never a paying business. As early as 1833, however, the Paw Paw was regarded as navigable, and the settlers entertained strong hopes that a part of the stream at least might be profitably used by steamboats.
In the spring of 1833 the Territorial government, de- sirous of promoting easy access to the river, authorized the construction of roads connecting the "Forks of the Paw Paw" (the supposed head of navigation) with Schoolcraft, Big Prairie Ronde, Adamsville, Little Prairie Ronde, Gun Prairie, and Barry County. "The Landing," near Law- rence village, came, later, to be a place where considerable freight was received for shipment down the river. In 1840, I. W. Willard, of Paw Paw, built two large flat-boats, loaded them with flour from his mills at Paw Paw, and dispatched them to St. Joseph. The boats were the " Daniel Buckley," commanded by A. R. Wildey, and the " Wave," in charge of William H. Hurlbut. They made the trip, but occupied so long a time and met with so much difficulty, on account of low water, etc., that the venture was not profitable. Other efforts to utilize the shallow stream as a water highway proved similarly unsuccessful, and although there was for a time considerable flat-boat traffic from Paw Paw to St. Joseph, the general verdict was decidedly unfavorable.
In 1848, however, interest in the matter was revived by the passage of an act of the Legislature appropriating 10,000 acres of land for the improvement of the Paw Paw, with a view to make it navigable, at least for flat-boats; but the scheme miscarried, and the Paw Paw remains what it was, -only a mill-stream.
There are among the residents of the county many well- known men who used to " flat-boat it," and one is at no loss to gather a bountiful chapter of stories illustrative of life on the " raging Paw Paw" when the lusty boatmen poled their craft along its sinuous course and over its numberless sand-bars. Mosquitoes were the bugbears of a boatman's existence, and by day as well as by night waged incessant warfare upon the river-rovers, whom at times they drove well-nigh distracted. William M. Lyle says he once shipped as cook on board a Paw Paw flat-boat, and used to find the mosquitoes so thick that they would settle in swarms on the meat frying in the pan. Unable to get rid of them, he always fried them with the meat, or at least with the gravy, and served the food in that way. The boatmen never found fault, probably because it was mosquitoes and beef or nothing.
FOREST ADVENTURE OF A PIONEER.
About the year 1836, Edwin Mears, a young man living in Paw Paw village, set out in midwinter with a half-dozen
companions on a hunting expedition. In the course of the day young Mears found himself separated from his com- rades, and despite his persistent efforts and shouts he could neither find them nor the way homeward. So he wandered through the woods four days and nights, half-dead with cold and hunger, and at the end of the fourth day found himself on the shore of Lake Michigan. There he discovered an abandoned hut, and in it a few grains of oats, which he ate with great avidity, for he had had no food since leaving Paw Paw, four days previously. His sufferings from cold and hunger were intense, and he had about made up his mind to perish there when he heard human voices, and was rescued by a party sent out in search of him when it was found that he did not return home. He was in a most unfortunate condition, and for a time after being taken home it was thought he would die, but he at last rallied, and long survived to recount his painful experience. It is said that a few years afterwards Mr. Mears' rifle was found at the foot of a beech-tree.
INDIAN SKULLS.
Skulls and other human bones have frequently been turned up by the plowshare, especially in the southern por- tion of the township. Indian burying-grounds are known to have been laid out, on sections 21 and 22, on the latter of which Pee Pee Yah had a farm, and there were within the recollection of many of Paw Paw's present citizens as many as two-score of Indian graves there.
ORGANIZATION AND FIRST TOWN-MEETING.
The township of Lafayette (now Paw Paw) was formed by act of the Legislative Council on the 26th day of March, 1835, and included the whole of Van Buren County, which was then temporarily attached to Cass. The first township- meeting was held at the house of D. O. Dodge, on the 4th of April, 1836, when Peter Gremps was chosen Supervisor ; Daniel O. Dodge, Town Clerk ; Edward Shults, Collector. By an act of the State Legislature, approved March 11, 1837, Lafayette (or Van Buren County) was divided into seven townships, of which the present Paw Paw retained the old name of Lafayette .*
The first meeting of the new township of Lafayette (created under act of March 11, 1837, giving Van Buren County separate jurisdiction) was held at D. O. Dodge's tavern, in Paw Paw village, on the first Monday in April, 1837. Levi H. Warner was appointed Moderator, and there were present D. O. Dodge, Town Clerk, and Peter Gremps, Supervisor. The polls being duly opened the fol- lowing freemen voted : Joseph Luce, R. Currier, E. L. Barrett, Peter Gremps, D. O. Dodge, William Eckler, E. Jones, John Barber, A. Buys, John Hughes, E. Mears, L. H. Warner, J. K. Pugsley, Edwin Barnum, D. Thorp, J. Barnes, D. Barker, A. G. Hinckley, H. Gray, C. G. Har- rington, R. Hinckle, John Lyle, E. Shults, T. B. Colton, William Prater, Lorenzo Cate, M. Hoskins.
The following officers were elected : D. O. Dodge, Super- visor ; Edwin Mears, Township Clerk ; L. H. Warner, J. H. Simmons, J. K. Pugsley, and E. Barnum, Justices of
# The name was changed to Paw Paw by an act of the Legislature approved March 15, 1867.
64
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HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
the Peace; Joseph Luce, J. H. Simmons, and L. H. War- ner, Highway Commissioners ; J. H. Simmons and L. H. Warner, School Inspectors; Rufus Currier, Edward Shults, and Edwin Barnum, Assessors ; Charles G. Harrington, Collector; C. G. Harrington, Myron Hoskins, David Thorp, and L. A. Grout, Constables ; E. L. Barrett and Asa G. Hinckley, Directors of the Poor.
At the second township-meeting, held April 2, 1838, at the house of H. Wilder, the voters were John Barber, Rodney Hinckley, James Cate, D. O. Dodge, Edwin Bar- num, Zethan Warner, Hugh Jones, Joseph Luce, L. D. Cate, Levi T. Ball, William Eckler, Charles G. Harrington, John Hughes, David Barker, L. H. Warner, Henry Gray, L. A. Grout, Williamson Mason, H. Read, Henry Rhodes, Peter Gremps, James Conklin, Francis Jones, S. C. Buys, E. L. Barrett, Archibald Buys, William Prater, R. E. Churchill, Joseph E. Roys, Charles Ivison, E. R. Hays, Martin Liscomb, H. Robinson, A. A. Greaves, A. G. Hinckley, and David Thorp.
At that meeting it was voted to raise upon the taxable property of the township money enough to purchase and fence one and a half acres of land for a burial-ground.
TOWNSHIP CIVIL LIST.
A list of the persons annually chosen by the township from 1838 to 1880 to be supervisor, treasurer, clerk, and justice of the peace is given below :
1838 .- Supervisor, J. H. Simmons ; Clerk, H. Wilder ; Treasurer, C. G. Harrington; Justice of the Peace, J. K. Pugsley.
1839 .- Supervisor, Joshua Bangs ; Clerk, J. H. Simmons ; Treasurer, Joshua Bangs; Justice of the Peace, Joseph Luee. 1840 .- Supervisor, J. H. Simmons ; Clerk, J. H. Simmons ; Treas- urer, George Smith ; Justice of the Peace, F. H. Stevens. 1841 .- Supervisor, Peter Gremps; Clerk, L. H. Warner; Treasurer, George Smith; Justice of the Peace, Loyal Crane.
1842 .- Supervisor, Peter Gremps; Clerk, G. H. Baker; Treasurer, George Smith.
1843 .- Supervisor, S. J. Foote; Clerk, A. Crane ; Treasurer, F. R. Lord; Justice of the Peace, J. Shevarts.
1844 .- Supervisor, J. B. Barnes; Clerk, A. Crane; Treasurer, L. H. Warner ; Justice of the Peace, D. O. Dodge.
1845 .- Supervisor, J. K. Pugsley ; Clerk, A. Crane ; Treasurer, A. J. Goodrich ; Justice of the Peace, J. H. Simmons.
1846 .- Supervisor, I. W. Willard; Clerk, Abner Hayes; Treasurer, Edmund Smith; Justice of the Peace, S. H. Blackman. 1847 .- Supervisor, Loren Darling ; Clerk, Elisha Durkee; Treasurer, J. B. Barnes ; Justice of the Peace, D. Woodman (2d). 1848 .- Supervisor, Benoni Hall; Clerk, Elisha Durkee; Treasurer, J. H. Simmons ; Justice of the Peace, James Crane. 1849 .- Supervisor, Benoni Hall; Clerk, Edmund Smith; Treasurer, H. W. Rhodes ; Justice of the Peace, J. H. Simmons.
1850 .- Supervisor, F. H. Stevens ; Clerk, Edmund Smith ; Treasurer, A. C. Kimball; Justice of the Peace, S. J. Foote. 1851 .- Supervisor, J. K. Pugsley ; Clerk, G. B. Sherwood ; Treasurer, 0. F. Parker ; Justice of the Peace, A. Heminover. 1852 .- Supervisor, F. H. Stevens; Clerk, G. B. Sherwood ; Treasurer, B. D. Thompson ; Justice of the Peace, John Reynolds. 1853 .- Supervisor, G. B. Sherwood; Clerk, J. M. Longwell; Treas- urer, N. P. Conger ; Justice of the Peace, J. H. Simmons. 1854 .- Supervisor, Elisha Durkee; Clerk, E. Mather; Treasurer, N. P. Conger ; Justice of the Peace, James Crane. 1855 .- Supervisor, Edwin Barnum; Clerk, B. D. Thompson ; Treas- urer, A. Stewart ; Justice of the Peace, David Webb. 1856 .- Supervisor, R. Avery ; Clerk, George Voke; Treasurer, G. S. Cogswell ; Justice of the Peace, L. B. Sheldon.
1857 .- Supervisor, Edwin Barnum ; Clerk, T. R. Harrison ; Treasurer, Thomas A. Granger; Justice of the Peace, Calvin Cross.
1858 .- Supervisor, Edwin Barnum; Clerk, E. B. Butler; Treasurer, James H. Prater ; Justice of the Peace, T. E. Hendrick.
1859 .- Supervisor, Charles Selleck ; Clerk, A. J. Sartore; Treasurer, E. A. Sheldon ; Justice of the Peace, J. H. Simmons. 1860 .- Supervisor, L. B. Sheldon ; Clerk, A. J. Sartore; Treasurer, G. W. Ocobock ; Justice of the Peace, O. D. Glidden. 1861 .- Supervisor, G. J. Hudson ; Clerk, T. H. Stephenson ; Treasurer, T. W. Melcher; Justice of the Peace, George Young.
1862 .- Supervisor, J. K. Pugsley ; Clerk, T. H. Stephenson ; Treas- urer, Russell Parker; Justice of the Peace, T. E. Hendriek. 1863 .- Supervisor, Charles Selleek ; Clerk, J. J. Roe; Treasurer, Ed- win Cate; Justice of the Peace, E. M. Glidden. 1864 .- Supervisor, Loyal Crane; Clerk, S. II. Blackman ; Treasurer, G. S. Lane ; Justice of the Peace, H. P. Sanger. 1865 .- Supervisor, Charles Selleek ; Clerk, A. J. Sartore ; Treasurer, G. S. Lane; Justice of the Peace, A. W. Nash. 1866 .- Supervisor, Charles Selleek ; Clerk, E. M. Glidden ; Treasurer, J. W. Free; Justice of the Peace, T. E. Hendriek.
#1867 .- Supervisor, E. M. Glidden ; Clerk, A. J. Sartore ; Treasurer, J. W. Free; Justice of the Peace, E. M. Glidden.
1868 .- Supervisor, O. D. Glidden; Clerk, Joseph Kilburn ; Treasurer, John Pelton ; Justice of the Peace, W. H. Randall. 1869 .- Supervisor, J. L. Ross; Clerk, John Knowles; Treasurer, II. L. Eggleston ; Justice of the Peace, A. H. Herron. 1870 .- Supervisor, E. O. Briggs; Clerk, A. M. Harrison ; Treasurer, H. L. Eggleston ; Justice of the Peace, T. E. Hendrick. 1871 .- Supervisor, E. O. Briggs ; Clerk, A. M. Harrison; Treasurer, R. Rogers ; Justice of the Peace, S. H. Blackman. 1872 .- Supervisor, E. O. Briggs ; Clerk, A. M. Harrison; Treasurer, R. Rogers; Justice of the Peace, Wm. R. Butler.
1873 .- Supervisor, Edwin Barnum; Clerk, W. H. Mason ; Treasurer, R. Rogers; Justice of the Peace, C. E. Galligan. 1874 .- Supervisor, E. O. Briggs ; Clerk, W. H. Mason ; Treasurer, R. Rogers ; Justice of the Peace, D. Woodman (2d).
1875 .- Supervisor, E. O. Briggs; Clerk, W. HI. Mason ; Treasurer, Charles Selleck ; Justice of the Peace, S. H. Blackman. 1876 .- Supervisor, E. O. Briggs; Clerk, W. H. Mason ; Treasurer, J. J. Forsyth ; Justice of the Peace, John Knowles. 1877 .- Supervisor, J. W. Free; Clerk, W. H. Mason; Treasurer, A. C. Lindsley ; Justice of the Peace, K. W. Noyes.
1878 .- Supervisor, J. W. Free; Clerk, R. I. Jarvis ; Treasurer, A. C. Lindsley ; Justice of the Peace, W. H. Mason.
1879. - Supervisor, D. Woodman (2d); Clerk, W. H. Mason ; Treas- urer, Charles Selleck ; Justice of the Peace, S. H. Blackman.
PAW PAW VILLAGE.
The first settlement in the present township of Paw Paw was made upon the site of Paw Paw village in the year 1832, when Rodney Hinckley located upon a farm in the northern portion of the present village. In that year, also, Pierce Barber, of Prairie Ronde, began the erection of a saw-mill on the river at the west end of the village. Mr. Barber soon sold his interest in the mill to Job Davis and Rodney Hinckley, who, however, soon disposed of it (in 1833) to Peter Gremps and Lyman J. Daniels.
These gentlemen came hither on a prospecting tour in that year, bought the mill property, improved it, purchased considerable land in the vicinity, and laid out upon it a village which they called Paw Paw. Daniels lived in Schoolcraft, and at no time became a settler in Paw Paw. Gremps, who came from the Mohawk Valley, in New York, to find a mill-site in the West, returned to his home after purchasing the Paw Paw property, and did not settle per- manently on his new possessions until 1835, when he moved into a cabin just west of the saw-mill. Edward Shults, Mr. Gremps' nephew, came out from New York with his uncle, and worked for the latter in his saw-mill.
* Township name changed to Paw Paw.
RESIDENCE OF G. F. HARRINGTON , PAW PAW TP., MICHIGAN
507
TOWNSHIP OF PAW PAW.
While Mr. Gremps was absent in the East, his partner, Mr. Daniels, was busy looking after the saw-mill and de- vising means to further the interests of the new village. He thought there ought to be a tavern, especially as the Territorial road was likely to pass through Paw Paw, and so one day in 1834, on meeting in Schoolcraft Daniel O. Dodge, who had been teaching school in those parts, he offered to give him an entire block in Paw Paw, and build a board house for him, if he would come on and keep tavern in it. Dodge agreed, and in the same year opened an inn, which became one of the most famous in this part of the State. Meanwhile, Enos L. Barrett had located land north of the village, but lived in a board shanty on one of Gremps' village lots. David Thorp was also on the west side of the river, where he occupied a building, in which he lived and operated a turning-lathe.
Shortly after Mr. Gremps' permanent settlement he sent to Stone Arabia, N. Y., and invited Dr. Barrett (a resident of that place) to come out to Paw Paw and set up practice. Barrett came, and lived in a cabin just west of Dodge's tavern. Dr. Barrett was the first physician of Paw Paw. He was sorely afflicted with phthisis, and after three or four years' practice at Paw Paw removed to Kalamazoo, where he ended his days.
Early in the summer of 1835, Mr. Gremps concluded that there ought to be a store in the village, and so he sent word to Edward Legrave, of Kalamazoo, that he wanted a carpenter capable of building a good store. Legrave found Williamson Mason (a carpenter from Wayne Co., N. Y., who had been in the West working at his trade since 1832), and induced him to go over and build Gremps' store. Mason started with three hands on Monday, July 6, 1835, and on the evening of that day reached Dodge's tavern, which was so full of people that he and his com- panions were compelled to sleep in a couple of abandoned shanties on the west side of the river. In them, too, they lived while they were building the store, which was erected in a short time, though in good style for that period. It was, of course, the first store in Paw Paw, and it stood west of Dodge's tavern, where Phillips' blacksmith-shop is. Mr. Gremps moved his family into the back part of the building before it was entirely finished, and soon afterwards stocked the store with goods which he had brought from New York, and began business in it, with Edward Shults as his clerk.
After completing the store, Mason and his fellow-work- men built a dwelling-house for Mr. Gremps just opposite, which is still known as the Gremps house.
Mr. Mason, who is yet a resident and manufacturer at Paw Paw, says that when he came to the village, in July, 1835, it contained on the east side of the river Rodney Hinckley's house, Dodge's tavern, and Dr. Barrett's cabin ; on the west side, Gremps & Daniels' saw-mill, David Thorp's turning-shop, and the two shanties occupied by Peter Gremps and Enos L. Barrett.
Soon the need for a blacksmith began to make itself felt. Rodney Hinckley had put up a blacksmith-shop, but little work if any had been done in it. When blacksmithing was needed, the settlers went either to Schoolcraft or St. Joseph. So Peter Gremps said to Williamson Mason,
" We must have a blacksmith." Gremps thought he could get Craig Buys, of St. Joseph County, a brother-in-law of Rodney Hinckley, and empowered Mason to promise Buys the gift of a shop if he would come. Buys did come, and occupied a shop which Mason built for him on a lot west of Dodge's tavern. Buys plied his trade there about six years, and then moved to Ohio.
The first shoemaker of Paw Paw was Charles G. Har- rington, who is now working at his trade at Lawton. Mr. Harrington came from Kalamazoo in 1836, and opened a shop in Paw Paw, in a building put up by Williamson Mason, just east of where the Dyckman House now stands. Mr. Mason also built the first school-house in the village, in the fall of 1836, its location being on Gremps Street . north of Main Street. Rodney Hinckley, of whom men- tion has been made, finally moved to South Haven, where he died.
Madison Eastman, a carpenter, settled in the village in 1835. He afterwards removed to Decatur, but returned to Paw Paw, and died there.
The first foundry in the village was started by Calvin Hawley, who was also one of the first carriage-makers in Paw Paw. His widow, a sister of the late Edwin Bar- num, still lives in the township.
Peter Gremps, the founder of Paw Paw, came West, as already observed, in 1833, to find a location for a mill, and while stopping at Schoolcraft discovered one John Dero- sier, who piloted him to Paw Paw, as a place certain to suit him. Gremps at once entered considerable land in the neighborhood, returned East, and came again in 1835, with his family. Mr. Gremps never lived out of the village after that. He built the first store, and was the first mer- chant and first postmaster. After a busy career, he lived during the latter years of his life in peaceful retirement, dying upon the old homestead in 1874, at the age of seventy-three. Two of his children-Mrs. Alonzo Shults and Peter H. Gremps-are now residents of the village. Edward Shults, his nephew, who came to Paw Paw in 1834, and who was Mr. Gremps' right-hand man in busi- ness for many years, caught the gold fever in 1849 and migrated to the Pacific slope, where he still lives.
Myron Hoskins, a carpenter, who came to Paw Paw in 1836, still lives in the village. William Prater, also a car- penter, came in the same year. J. H. Simmons, a cabinet- maker, came in 1836, and was the first who worked at that trade. He became a man of some mark, served as county surveyor and judge of probate, and lived in the village until his death. William Engle, who now lives south of the village, came in 1840, and followed the business of coopering. Richardson Avery, a carpenter, came to Paw Paw in 1835, and died in the village in 1875.
Public-Houses .- Daniel O. Dodge's tavern in Paw Paw village, on the Territorial road (known also as the Paw Paw House), was a place of considerable importance from its erection in 1834 ; and later, when stage-coaching and other means of travel made the Territorial road an important highway, the old Dodge tavern was held in high esteem by those who traveled on that thoroughfare. It was an humble board shanty with four rooms, and measured about 16 feet by 24. Dodge's tavern was enlarged in 1835, and
508
HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
in 1836 was rebuilt. Mrs. Dodge was a famous cook, and gave the house great repute. The stages changed horses at that point, and for many years travel on the Territorial road was exceedingly brisk. It is said that Dodge had at one time as many as a hundred people at breakfast, and that Mrs. Dodge did the cooking for all of them.
The tavern stood on what is now the south side of Main Street, at the western end opposite the bank, and for a year or more was almost hidden by trees. Trees, indeed, were so plentiful in Paw Paw, even after the village was laid out, that travelers frequently rode through it without knowing there was a town there, and searchers for the vil- lage often asked at Dodge's where Paw Paw was. Dodge sold the tavern to Horace Wilder, but being afterwards forced to take it back, carried it on until it was destroyed by fire. Mr. Dodge continued after that event to live in the village in retirement until his death. His widow and a son, Thomas, now live in Lawton.
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