History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 67

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 67
USA > Michigan > Berrien County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 67

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).

ORIGINAL ENTRIES OF LAND IN NILES TOWNSHIP.

The following list is of the persons who made original entries of government land on the several sections of Niles township :

Section 1 .- Jesse Jones, B. Jenkins, A. Rogers, P. and D. W. Ritchie, F. Bronson, D. B. Howley.

Section 2 .- John Stone, C. Bordens and E. Huston, J. and J. W. Nye, J. Nye, Peter Nye.

Section 3 .- J. and J. W. Nye, William Ganwood, Ward, Olcott & Co., James Slater, Shelah Willis, Green and Renard, - Hannon. Section 4 .- D. Redding and J. S. Griffin, T. R. Martin, R. E. Ward, Ward, Olcott & Co.

Section 5 .- William Lemon and T. R. Martin, S. Johnson and Henry Rice, N. Hawkins, John Johnson.

Section 6 .- C. Campbell, C. Pidge, Henry Rice.

Section 7 .- William Iredell and William T. Noel, J. Stephens and D. P. Pidge, Joseph Stevens.

Section 8 .- W. T. Noel, William Johnson, Luke Webster, and B. Lane.

Section 9 .- Ward, Olcott & Co., William T. Noel, J. Corner, T. B. Owen, S. Johnson, B. Lane, - Bronson.

Section 10 .- T. Olcott, Robert Fowler, - Beck, W. A. Perkins, C. Anderson, - Bronson, S. Johnson, W. Rensler, H. J. Slater, - - Williams.

Section 11 .- H. J. Slater, J. Mason, C. Jewett, J. Vessey, J. Wil- liams, J. Hartrich, John Ritter.

TOWNSHIP 8 SOUTH, RANGE 17 WEST .*

Section 1 .- W. M. Wray, H. G. Heath, J. Grove, N. Bacon, T. R. Grove, L. R. Stafford, Jr., John Redding, A. Griffin, Nicholas Weber, B. B. Kercheval.

Section 2 .- J. Bertrand, R. Benson, S. Bradbury, Bacon Wheeler, J. R. Finch, H. Bradbury, N. Weber.

Sections 3 to 10 .- Joseph Bertrand.

Section 11 .- Bacon Wheeler, H. B. Hoffman, Lewis Horton, J. Sils- bee, C. K. Green.

* Formerly that part of Bertrand east of the St. Joseph River.

Section 12 .- J. D. Dutton, C. K. Green, L. R. Stafford, J. Bertrand, Jr., L. R. Stafford.

Section 13 .- George Johnson, Robert Nixon, George Johnson, Otis Jones, A. Bennett, H. B. Hoffman, J. B. Finch, -- Mason.

Section 14 .- J. Silsbee, Madelaine Bertrand, Leon Bourassas. Section 15 .- Madelaine Bertrand.

Section 22 .- Madelaine Bertrand.

Section 23 .- M. Bertrand, Bacon Wheeler, B. B. Kercheval, J. R. Weaver.

Section 24 .- D. Ingalls, J. Aldrich, W. Truitt, J. Nixon.

TOWNSHIP 7 SOUTH, RANGE 18 WEST.

J. L. Kinzey, J. Johnson. Section 1 .- J. L. Kinzey, Edward Legg, J. Strymer, - Snyder and Section 2 .- John Snyder.

Section 12 .- C. Sparks, J. Legg, Joseph Stevens.

Section 13 .- W. Garner, A. Price, J. Stevens, J. Noel, S. Babcock.

Section 24 .- B. Lykins, D. Brown, W. Broadhurst, Ralph Camp, N.

Cotton, J. Carberry, B. Chandler, R. Camp, W. Cotton.

Section 23 .- John Hunter.

Section 25 .- W. Broadhurst, J. Stephen.

Section 12 .- D. B. Hawley, J. Vessey, E. Huston, J. Redding, G. and

W. Boon, John Ritter and Eli Ford, G. McCoy, James Kirk, - Bronson.

Section 13 .- J. Carberry, S. Benson, H. Heath, D. Fisher, Eli Ford, Jacob Beeson, H. Chilson, A. Smith, Beeson & Co., John Marks, William Kirk.

Section 14 .- Eli Ford, S. Salee, Horace Parsons, John Raher, and R. Snodgrass.

Section 15 .- J. Hickman, S. Johnson, John Johnson, N. M. Beck.

Section 16 .- School lands.

Section 17 .- David Hopkins, Alex. Price, Thomas Lough, J. Sharp, and D. Brown.

Section 18 .- J. Comer and A. Price, William Garwood, R. Babcock and Isom Stevens, Joseph Stevens and D. Brown.

Section 19 .- D. Brown, William Broadhurst, W. Bronson and T. Voor- hees.

Section 20 .- Rummel & Keck, James White, H. Rice and Benjamin Chandler.

Section8 21, 22, 27, 28, 33, 34 .- University lands.

Section 23 .- Stephen Salee, E. Lacey, Adam Smith, Ralph Snod- grass, E. and E. Lacey, T. K. Green, R. Clark, Joshua Comley. Section 24 .- John Willson, A. Charles, William Justus, P. Clark, H. Langston, H. J. Slater, M. Willson, J. Ribble.

Section 25 .- A. T. Rogers, G. Shurtes, A. Huston, J. Hoyt, Jr., and William Liston.

Section 26 .- Joshua Comley, - Lacey, G. Fosdick.

Section 29 .- F. H. Ives, William Cotton, H. Ferguson, F. N. Pen- well.

Section 30 .- William Broadhurst, A. Bronson, F. Voorhees, - Perry, J. Willett.

Section 31 .- A. Chambers, B. Pittman, B. Martin, J. Van Buskirk.

Section 32 .- A. Moore, J. Chambers, T. J. Buckell, W. Carton.

Section 35 .- B. G. Parnell and D. T. and D. Wilson, D. Willson, Jr., A. Griffin, Joseph Bertrand, Jr.

Section 36 .- William Loston, A. Huston, A. Griffin, J. W. Griffin, N. Bacon.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

Soon after the land was surveyed in this part of the Ter- ritory, emigrants began to come in and locate. Among the first was one Stephen Salee, a Polander, who, after fighting in the Russian campaigns in 1814, emigrated to Preble Co., Ohio, where he kept a store, and in the late summer of 1828 loaded his household goods and his stock of merchandise, and, with his wife and two children, started for the West again, passing through Fort Wayne and South Bend. They came through the place which is now Niles, with their covered wagon loaded with three barrels of whisky, a sack of coffee, and other goods, and settled on section 23, about a mile and a quarter below the city. There Salee built a large log cabin, for both store and dwell-

TOWNSHIP OF NILES.

265

ing, and there he lived and kept store for many years .* He is well remembered by the old citizens, and his sons still live on the place. About the same time, and from the same place, emigrated John Kinzie, with his wife and eight chil- dren, of whom William Kinzie, then seventeen years old, was one. They followed the track made by the missiona- ries, and came through what is now the city of Niles, where there was then but one cabin. This was owned by Eli Bonnell, and stood near where Montague's hardware-store now stands, on the south side of Main Street. Above, on the river, near where the old brewery stands, and a few rods from the creek that flows into the river at that place, Abram Teitsort had a cabin. At his place the family stopped and drew water from his spring, and after a short rest passed on to the grove on the bank south from the Lacey dam, where they remained about two weeks in a vacant cabin. This was in September, 1828. Mr. Kinzie removed from this place to Pokagon Prairie before Walling, Lacey, Gray, and Justus came in. In 1829, at the place where Kinzie Creek crosses the county line, he built a dam and a saw-mill, which was in this township. In 1830 it was sold to George Boon, and passed from him to Lardner, who erected a full- ing-mill. The dam is still used.

William Kinzie married the daughter of Joseph Grice, who emigrated from Preble Co., Ohio, and settled on Po- kagon Prairie in 1832. He was one of the volunteers in the Sauk war, and marched to Chicago with the troops. In 1847 he moved into Niles, and has since been a resident of the city, except a short time at Buchanan.

Neil Sparks, in October, 1828, emigrated from Indiana and located on the bend of the river near Salee, on section 15. He had two sons, Levi and Spencer, and a daughter, who married Britain Jarvis.

Joseph Stephens, a native of Rowan Co., N. C., removed to Wayne Co., Ind., when sixteen years of age, and after- wards lived five years in Kentucky with his grandfather. In 1828, in company with eight others, he went on a pros- pecting tour through Western Michigan, and on the return passed up the St. Joseph valley and visited the mission. Cor- nelius Sparks, one of the party, moved out to this town- ship that fall and settled in the bend of the river. At the urgent solicitation of Sparks, he again visited here in 1829, and at that time left money with John Johnson to enter land for him. The 160 acres he purchased was the first sale in this region in Western Michigan. He moved his family in 1830. He entered land from time to time till he had 400 acres, and has given all his children good farms, and has 320 acres of valuable land left. He is still hale and hearty at seventy-five years of age.

John Hunter emigrated to this county and settled, in 1831, on section 24, in the bend of the river, where Mr. J. Jones lived afterwards. He was a Methodist, and a class was formed at his house in 1832. He died in 1835. His son, Thomas J. Hunter, lived in Buchanan, and another son, A. G. Hunter, is living in Niles township.

Benjamin Churchill came to St. Joseph in 1830, and in 1831 selected land on section 24, near Mr. Hunter, and

where A. W. Bachelor now owns. He afterwards moved to Buchanan township, where he died. Darius Jennings married a daughter of his. Mr. Hunter was called by the Indians Mu-qua, meaning Bear, and Mr. Churchill Chee- chueh, meaning Crane.

John Stone emigrated in 1832 from Huron Co., Ohio, and located 600 acres on section 2. At that time there were no settlers between his location and Niles. The cross- roads were not laid out until 1853 or 1854.

Veazie and William Broadhurst came in a year or two after Mr. Stone.

Daniel Brown located in the western part of the town- ship in the spring of 1830, but sold out in the fall to Wil- liam Cotton, who lived there many years. John Comer, about 1833, settled on section 9, where R. A. Walton lives. J. J. Hamilton settled in 1836 on section 15; P. D. Law- man on section 16; Joseph Stevens on section 12; and Henry Rice on section 6.

William T. Noel, a native of Virginia, emigrated to this township in 1831, located lands on sections 7, 8, and 9, and settled where Dennis Clark now lives. In 1858 he left the country and emigrated to Texas, where he died.

Simeon Bradbury emigrated to this township in 1832, and settled on section 2, township 8, and range 17, on the farm where he still lives.

Timothy H. Ives emigrated to this township in August, 1835, from Tioga Co., Pa., with his wife and eight chil- dren, and settled on section 29, on the bank of the river, in the reservation. The family lived there until 1878. Francis, a son, is now living in Niles.

Obadiah R. Weaver emigrated from Rhode Island to Jamestown, N. Y., and in 1818 to New Castle, Ind. In 1834 he came to Bertrand, remained a few days, and went to Berrien Springs, built a store for Edward Ballengee, and in the fall returned to Bertrand village and located a lot near the centre of the village. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade, but was in the mercantile business for some time there. About 1840 he moved to Hamilton, Ind. One of his sons, Philander M., married Derinda, the grand- daughter of Daniel Russell, who kept the first hotel at Ber- trand village. Philander settled in Indiana until 1850, and moved to Niles township, where he lived ten years, and in 1860 moved to Buchanan. He was killed in a rail- road accident at the crossing in the village of Buchanan, Oct. 8, 1874. Mrs. Weaver still resides in that village. Daniel Russell came to Bertrand in 1836. He was a native of Connecticut ; moved to New York State, where he mar- ried, and remained until he came to Bertrand, where he kept the first hotel. He lived there until his death. He had but one son, Daniel, who settled in Indiana two miles from Bertrand village, remained thirteen years, and took up 100 acres on the northeast quarter of section 18, where he still lives. He has one son, Julius, living at Buchanan, and another, Edwin, who lives at Paw Paw. A daughter, Mrs. Philander M. Weaver, lives at Buchanan.

EARLY MILLS AND MILL-SITES.

In the fall'of 1827, Eli Ford came from Ohio to Pokagon Prairie. There was at that time no flouring-mill in the west- ern part of the State, and the settlers were much in need of

* The first wedding in the township occurred at his house. It was of William Barlow. Pitt Brown, of Berrien, a justice of the peace, performed the ceremony.

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

one. Mr. Ford being an ingenious man, though not a miller or a mill-wright, determined to build a mill, provided the settlers would assist him. A site was selected for a dam on the Dowagiac Creek, at the site now occupied by the Cas- cade Mills. Money and labor were subscribed, and work was commenced early in the winter. The mill was a log build- ing, and but one run of small stones were used. These were made for Mr. Ford by a Mr. Cronin from stone found in this section. In 1878 one of the stones made by Mr. Cronin for Mr. Ford in 1827, was obtained from the farm on. Dowagiac Creek, and is in possession of Mr. Hutton, a miller at Sumnerville, Cass Co. It was a bowlder, and, with the exception of the facing and furrows, is in its natural shape.

Mr. Ford was assisted in the construction of the mill by David Ford, a mill-wright, from Pittsburgh, Pa. The first grist was ground in the spring of 1828, although the mill was not entirely finished. The bolt was supplied from muslin taken from a dress of Mrs. Ford, and from these primitive sources the first water-power mill in the county, and the first flouring-mill in Western Michigan, was started, and grain from long distances in all directions came to this mill. Soon after this was completed a saw-mill was erected, using water from the same race.

The flouring-mill passed through successive changes, and is now known as the " Cascade Mills," which have four run of stones, and are owned by Badger & Barnard.

In 1829, Ephraim Lacey and his sons, Elijah and David, purchased the water-power on the Dowagiac Creek, now occupied by the Linden Mills, and erected a saw-mill.

The following entry is found in Elijah Lacey's day-book : "Oct. 5, 1829, To-day A. Thornbery and E. Chalfant commenced work at the saw-mill." " April 7, 1830, To- day Noah Brookfield commenced tending the saw-mill." The books are headed, first, "St. Joseph," then "The mouth of the Dowagiac," and still later " The Dowagiac Mills."

Timber was immediately sawed for the construction of a flour-mill, which was finished in the fall of 1830. The raising of this mill was a great event; men were few, and the first attempt was unsuccessful. A call was made throughout the country for reinforcements, and a few days later men gathered from different parts and the building was raised, but it required a jug of whisky to put the last bent in its place. Obed P. Lacey was the red-ribbon man of the settlement, but he was chosen to go to the vil- lage for the whisky. On his return, when near the mill, he hid the jug in the bushes, and returned without any. This caused dissatisfaction, and some went away ; but it was soon brought forth from its hiding-place, and, under its ex- hilarating influence, the last bents went up with a will. The stones were manufactured out of the common bowlders of the section. The winter of 1830 was very severe, the race was frozen solid, and the settlers were obliged to return to hominy.

This mill was afterwards sold to Putnam, and passed to G. A. Colby, then to Badger, who afterwards sold a half in- terest to Mr. Barnard, by whom it is at present owned, and known as the " Linden Mills."

In 1847 what is known as the "Volant Mill" was erected, by S. K. Finley, with four run of stones, on the banks of the St. Joseph River, but receiving its power from the Dowagiac. It was sold by Mr. Finley to James M. Hale, and by him to D. & W. K. Lacey, in 1871. They, in 1875, removed the machinery of the Depot Mills to the Volant Mill, increasing the equipment to seven run of stones.

In 1850, Elijah and David Lacey and Jacob Geltmacher built the Depot Mills, and in 1855 the same firm built the Dacota Mills. In 1863, Mr. Geltmacher purchased the entire interest of the Dacota Mills. In 1875 the Depot Mills were dismantled and removed to the Volant Mills. The water for the Volant and Dacota Mills is supplied from the same dam.

In 1829 a dam and mill was built by John Kinzie on Kinzie Creek where the county line crosses the creek. It was sold in 1830 to George Boon, afterwards to William Bacon, and then to the Lardners, who erected a fulling-mill. The dam is still used.

A flouring-mill was erected in 1830 by Joseph Bertrand on Bertrand Creek, now called the Brandywine; William Ray was the mill-wright. The location was where the wagon-road now crosses the old dam. It was afterwards sold to William McOmber, and was changed to a distillery. McOmber ran it for five or six years, when it was burned, but was soon rebuilt.

Moses Finch built a saw-mill in 1831 at the mouth of the same stream. It was purchased by Maj. J. D. Dutton, and changed into a flour-mill with three run of stones. It afterwards passed into the hands of Cephas Mills. Both mills are now gone.

EARLY ROADS.

The commencement of the survey of a road from St. Joseph to Niles was made May 9, 1831, by Samuel Marrs, deputy surveyor, at the request of John Pike and Julius Brown, commissioners of Niles township. The road com- menced at St. Joseph and passed through Royalton, Oro- noko, Berrien, and Niles townships, to Niles. The survey was accepted by the commissioners June 4, 1831.

A road was surveyed from the Indiana State line through Bertrand to Niles, and recorded July 18, 1831.

This road began at the corner of sections 11 and 12 in range 2 east, of town 38 north, in Indiana, running north to Bertrand's Mills, intersecting the road from Newbury- port to Niles on Main Street.

A record bearing the same date shows the survey of a road from Pokagon to Niles. Beginning at the town line at end of road laid out by the commissioners of Pokagon township, Cass County, running south, intersecting Main Street at Fifth.

Also a road intersecting the road from Indiana State line to the village of Niles ; and one running from the east end of Main Street to the corner of G. Shurtes' farm.

Several appeals were made this year. One dated July 20, 1831, was signed by William B. Beeson, T. B. Willard, Abner Stitson, George Fosdick, Henry Drew, Jacob Beeson, A. Huston, Jacob L. Kinzey, William Justus, Thomas Denniston, Hiram Chilson, Erasmus Winslow, Garrett

TOWNSHIP OF NILES.

267

Shurtes, Joshua Comley, Eber Griswold, Adam Smith, and Morgan Wilson.

. The judges examined the several routes and ordered the two last vacated, and a new route to be surveyed, and declared it to be the public highway. The first route, from Bertrand's Mills to Niles, was ordered discontinued and vacated Aug. 27, 1831.

ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNSHIP.

The territory that originally formed the township of Niles embraced all within the limits of Berrien County.

On the 29th of October, 1829, Berrien County, with others, was set off, and November 5th of the same year the township of Niles was erected, and it was provided " that the first township-meeting shall be held at the house of William Justus, in said village," that is, the village of Niles .*

An act was approved by the Territorial Governor, June 9, 1832, setting off from the township of Niles the townships of Berrien and St. Joseph, which townships in- cluded all the territory in the county of Berrien lying north of a line running from the east line of the county of Berrien directly west along the north line of the pres- ent townships of Niles, Buchanan, Weesaw, and Chicka- ming.

The township of Bertrand was set off from Niles town- ship March 23, 1836, and Buchanan, March 11, 1837 ; and on the 9th day of March, 1850, " all that part of the township of Bertrand which is east of the centre of the St. Joseph River, in township 8 south, range 17 west, be and is attached to the township of Niles."

The first township election after the organization of the county was held on the 2d day of April, 1832. At that time the township embraced the whole county. Jacob Beeson was elected Supervisor ; Cogswell K. Green, Town- ship Clerk ; Thomas K. Green and Alamanson Huston, Jus- tices of the Peace ; Eber Griswold, Constable.

A few days later a special election was held, and Jo- seph Bertrand was elected constable and collector for the township, to fill a vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Eber Griswold.

The original records of the township of Niles are lost. The names of the town clerks are gleaned from the school records from 1832 to 1861 as follows :

1832, Cogswell K. Green; 1837, H. W. Griswold; 1838, Daniel Symmes; 1839-40, Jonathan Brown, Deputy Town Clerk ; 1841, John O. Palmer ; 1842, Jonathan Brown ; 1843, George W. Good- man, Deputy Town Clerk; 1844, George Goodman; 1845-46, David Aitken ; 1847, R. R. Gibson ; 1848, David Aitken, Deputy Town Clerk ; 1849-50, Thomas T. Glenn, Deputy Town Clerk ; 1851-55, Thomas T. Glenn ; 1856, George W. Hoffman; 1857, Thomas T. Glenn ; 1858-60, Hiram Brown; 1861, Benjamin F. Fish; 1862-63, no record; 1864-65, Joseph S. Bacon; 1866, Clinton Noble; 1867-68, William B. Davis; 1869, Samuel C. Thompson; 1870, John Stayton ; 1871, Samuel C. Thompson; 1872-73, Jehu Stayton ; 1874, Samuel C. Thompson ; 1875, John H. Young ; 1876, William Hildebrand; 1877, Amos T. Riddle; 1878-79, Samuel C. Thompson.

The supervisors from 1832 to 1839 were :

1832-33, Jacob Beeson ; 1834, Elijah Lacey ; 1835, Jasper Mason ; 1836-38, William F. Noel ; 1839, Jonathan N. Brown.

* Territorial Laws of Michigan, vol. ii. p. 786.

The following-named persons were justices of the pecae from 1832 to 1841 :

1832, Thomas K. Green, Alamanson Huston ; 1834, T. B. Willard, Levi Mason ; 1836, Joseph Stevens, William B. Beeson; 1837, John Varnum, Levi Mason, Isaac V. Comings; 1838, Samuel Hunter; 1839, Jonathan Brown, George Fox; 1840, Hiram Weese ; 1841, Jonathan Brown.

The following-named citizens of Niles have represented their district in the Senate and House of Representatives :

SENATE.

3d Legislature, 7th District, Vincent L. Bradford, 1838-39.

5th

Elijah Lacey, 1840-41.

10th

5th

Joseph S. Chipman, 1845-46.

17th

19th

Royal T. Twombley, 1853.

18th

Rodney C. Paine, 1855.

20th

18th Franklin Niles, 1859.

21st

" Elijah Lacey, 1861.

22d

Rufus W. Landon, 1863.

25th

16th

Evan J. Bonine, 1869.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

1st Legislature, Cogswell K. Green, 1836.

4th

Thomas Fitzgerald, 1839.

8th

Obed P. Lacey, 1843.

10th

John Graves, 1845-46.

12th

Richard P. Barker and James Shaw, 1847.

15th

Samuel Street, 1850.

16th

John W. Butterfield, 1851.

17th

Harrison W. Griswold, 1853.

20th

William B. Beeson, 1859.

22d

66 Nathan Fitch, 1863.

23d

66 Evan J. Bonine, 1865-67.

25th

¥ Julian M. Seward, 1869.

26th .

John F. Coulter, 1871.

27th

Evan J. Bonine, 1873.

The last census (1874) gives the following statistics, re- ferring to the township of Niles : Population of the town- ship, 1795 ; taxable land in Niles township, 25,746 acres ; improved land, 19,009 acres ; crops raised in 1873, wheat, 68,492 bushels; corn, 110,610 bushels ; other grain, 15,547 bushels ; potatoes raised, 12,580 bushels ; hay cut, 1661 tons ; wool sheared, 10,737 pounds ; pork marketed, 304,840 pounds ; butter made, 40,548 pounds ; apples raised, 40,045 bushels ; acres in orchards, 758; cap- ital invested in flouring-mills, $48,000; barrels of flour manufactured, 25,850; value of flour, $155,100; capital invested in saw-mills, $5000; lumber sawed, 320,000 feet.

SCHOOLS.

Titus B. Willard was undoubtedly the first school-teacher at Niles. He taught in his double log house, in the sum- mer of 1830. School was kept a short time, in the sum- mer of that year also, in a log house that had been occupied by the Wilsons in the fall of 1829. That school was at- tended by Henry Justus, John Wilson, Emory Huston, and others. This place was bought, in 1830, by Rowland Clark, and is now owned by Mrs. Brethschneider. In the spring of 1832, Malvina Huston taught school in a house belonging to Col. Alamanson Huston, situated on Main Street, and now occupied by Alonzo W. Platt. School was broken up in May by the quartering of Gen. Williams' cavalry in the school-house. William B. Gray, of Niles, attended school at that time.

The first school-house was erected in the fall of 1833,

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HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

on the northeast corner of Sycamore and Third Streets. Richard C. Meek was the first teacher in this house. The building was used for religious worship and public meet- ings, as well as for school purposes. In 1841 it was sold to John Tibbetts, who removed it to the corner of Sixth and Sycamore, where it is now used as a dwelling-house. A brick school-house, 30 by 38, with accommodations for 80 pupils, was erected on the same ground in 1846. John Phelps was the first teacher. The ground was sold to Jerome B. Griswold in 1867, and the proceeds were de- voted to the construction of a school-house for colored chil- dren, on the corner of Cass and Fifth Streets.

In April, 1836, a school was opened by A. B. Brown and W. N. Nevin, for teaching English branches, and the Latin and Greek languages. June 6, 1836, Miss Kennedy also advertised to open a female academy.

On the 16th day of September, 1837, a special town- meeting was held at the house of Boswell and Babcock, in the village of Niles, for the purpose of electing three school inspectors, and at this meeting George Goodman, John G. Bond, and William T. Noel were elected to that office. On the 20th of the same month the inspectors elected met and organized by choosing John G. Bond chairman. At that meeting the township was divided into five school dis- tricts. During the year Districts Nos. 3 and 5 were divided, and three new districts were laid off and organized.

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History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 67

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