USA > Michigan > Van Buren County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 90
USA > Michigan > Berrien County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 90
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1852 .- B. F. Pennell, Supervisor ; D. G. Brown, Town Clerk ; Sam- uel M. Washburn, Treasurer; Union Pennell, Justice of the Peace; D. B. Mead, School Inspector.
1853 .- Samuel M. Washburn, Supervisor; Wm. S. Pierce, Town Clerk ; Union Pennell, Treasurer; Samuel Stratton, Justice of the Peace ; B. F. Pennell, School Inspector.
1854 .- Benjamin F. Pennell, Supervisor ; Wm. S. Pierce, Town Clerk ; Union Pennell, Treasurer; Otis Stearns, John J. Knapp, Justices of the Peace; Thomas Morley, School Inspector.
1855 .- B. F. Pennell, Supervisor ; Robert Eaton, Town Clerk ; Union Pennell, Treasurer ; Daniel Holmes, David Beard, Justices of the Peace; B. F. Pennell, School Inspector.
1856 .- B. F. Pennell, Supervisor; Wm. H. Streeter, Town Clerk ; Union Pennell, Treasurer and Justice of the Peace; A. B. Herman, School Inspector.
1857 .- B. F. Pennell, Supervisor ; Robert Eaton, Town Clerk ; Union Pennell, Treasurer ; Daniel Oyler, Hiram Wells, Justices of the Peace; B. F. Pennell, Robert Eaton, School Inspectors. 1858 .- B. F. Pennell, Supervisor; Benjamin McDaniels, Town -Clerk ; Union Pennell, Treasurer; Benjamin McDaniels, Job Gaunt, Justices of the Peace; W. W. Fuller, School Inspector.
1859 .- Theodore A. Hoskins, Supervisor; Wm. S. Pierce, Town Clerk; Union Pennell, Treasurer; B. F. Pennell, School Inspector; M. M. Paddock, John Brown, Justices of the Peace.
The records from 1859-67 are missing. From the latter year to 1879 the officers have been as follows :
1867 .- Ebenezer P. Morley, Supervisor; Reuben M. Shafer, Town Clerk ; Samuel Smith, Jr., Treasurer ; Richard V. Clark, Thomas J. Osborn, School Inspectors ; John C. Marks, Jus- tice of the Peace.
1868 .- Ebenezer P. Morley, Supervisor; W. W. Kempton, Clerk ; Samuel Smith, Jr., Treasurer; William S. Morley, Justice of the Peace; Peter Smith, School Inspector.
1869 .- Alonzo Sherwood, Supervisor ; W. W. Kempton, Town Clerk ; Samuel Smith, Jr., Treasurer; Henry Searls, Justice of the Peace ; John S. Painter, School Inspector.
1870 .- Alonzo Sherwood, Supervisor ; W. W. Kempton, Town Clerk ; Samuel Smith, Jr., Treasurer ; Burr Benton, Justice of the Peace; William R. Gondar, School Inspector.
1871 .- Benjamin C. Sandford, Supervisor; Arnold W. Pierce, Town Clerk ; L. Francis, Treasurer ; B. C. Sandford, Justice of the Peace ; Union Pennell, School Inspector.
1872 .- Benjamin C. Sandford, Supervisor ; Arnold W. Pierce, Town Clerk ; Lothrop Francis, Treasurer ; Levi Logan, Justice of the Peace; William Spooner, School Inspector.
1873 .- George Pierce, Supervisor; Henderson Ballengee, Town Clerk ; Lothrop Francis, Treasurer; John T. Beckwith, Justice of the Peace ; Evan L. Fitch, School Inspector.
1874 .- E. P. Morley, Supervisor; A. W. Pierce, Town Clerk ; Austin Adams, Treasurer; Otis Stearns, Justice of the Peace; Al- vin Morley, School Inspector.
1875 .- E. P. Morley, Supervisor ; A. W. Pierce, Town Clerk ; Hen- derson Ballengee, Treasurer ; Alvin Morley, Superintendent of Schools; Otis Stearns, School Inspector ; James E. Bor- den, Justice of the Peace.
1876 .- George Pierce, Supervisor ; A. W. Pierce, Town Clerk; H. Ballengee, Treasurer; L. H. Dunning, Superintendent of Schools ; Reuben Shafer, School Inspector; Milton Morley, Justice of the Peace.
1877 .- George Pierce, Supervisor ; A. W. Pierce, Town Clerk ; Gott- lieb Hagerly, Treasurer; Daniel Holmes, Justice of the . Peace ; Joseph M. Rogers, Superintendent of Schools; Wil- liam R. Gondar, School Inspector.
1878 .- George Pierce, Supervisor; Gottlieb Hageley, Treasurer ; A. W. Pierce, Town Clerk; Otis Stearns, Justice of the Peace ; Joseph M. Rogers, Superintendent of Schools; Peter Smith, School Inspector.
1879 .- John T. Beckwith, Supervisor; A. W. Pierce, Town Clerk ; Peter Smith, Treasurer; James E. Borden, Justice of the Peace; George H. Riley, Superintendent of Schools; An- drew J. Norris, School Inspector.
NEW TROY VILLAGE.
About 1836, Solomon and Hiram Gould located the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 7, and the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 8, and built a saw-mill at what is now the village of New Troy. It was known as the " North Mill." Nelson Willard, of Buffalo, N. Y., Joseph G. Ames, of New Hampshire, and Ezra Stoner, a native of Maryland, bought an undivided half of the land and the water power, and built on the other side of the stream a mill which was known as the " South Mill."
At that time the residents of the village were Solomon Gould and wife, Hiram Gould and wife, William H. Gould, and the mother of the Goulds. Stoner and Ames were single men. Timothy Atkins, Charles McCracken, Sidney S. Ford, and Alanson and John Pidge were also residents.
MRS. G. F. PENWELL.
G. F. PENWELL.
RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. G. F. PENWELL, WEESAW TP., BERRIEN Co., MICH.
357
TOWNSHIP OF WEESAW.
Phineas E. Stratton lived a short distance from the settle- ment.
The village of New Troy was platted in 1837. The lots were divided between Goulds, Willard, Stoner, and Ames, the mill property known as the " mill reserve" being held in common, each occupying their mill-sites. Solomon and Hiram left the village about 1838. Joseph G. Ames was supervisor in 1839, and the same year bought a farm on Terre Coupée Prairie, in Bertrand, where he was super- visor in 1841 and member of the Legislature in 1844. He afterwards moved to New Buffalo, and thence to Three Oaks, where he died. Ezra Stoner was the first township clerk, but soon after left there. The mill property became virtually abandoned. It came afterwards into possession of Luman Northrop and Francis Finnegan, and was for many years the subject of litigation, which ceased when, in 1853, it came into the possession of the Morleys, who re-erected a saw-mill on the site of the Gould mill. The lumber manufactured by the Gould mill was rafted down the river to New Buffalo, and lightered to vessels on the lake.
Edward Hill, son of Alpheus Hill, started the first store, and soon after kept a tavern. Anson Hays started the first public-house.
The post-office was established about 1860. Ambrose A. Morley was the first postmaster, and was succeeded by Dr. C. Bostwick, George B. Hiller, and Charles Smith, who is the present postmaster. The village now contains about 170 inhabitants, 35 dwellings, a public hall, a church, post-office, hotel, school-house, four general stores, a drug- store, two blacksmith-shops, wagon-shop, wooden ware-fac- tory, saw-mill, grist-mill, and one physician.
HILL'S CORNERS.
This settlement is located at the intersection of sections 1, 2, 11, and 12, and was first settled upon by Alpheus Hill in 1846. A post-office was started in 1854, with Wm. S. Pierce as postmaster. He was succeeded by Elijah Strong, Charles Beard, and Aaron E. Gardner. It has since been removed. Henry Searles settled near the Corners in 1845. Hiram Wells also settled here the same year. The settle- ment now contains a store, a church (Baptist), post-office, blacksmith-shop, and a few dwellings.
SCHOOLS.
The first school of which anything can be learned was taught in Troy about 1842, by Miss Louisa Hill, now of Laporte, Ind. It was taught in a log house standing on the bank where Ambrose A. Morley's barn now stands. The first record of schools is in 1843, when the districts were recorded as given below : district No. 1, composed of sections 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 ; district No. 2, of sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, both in township 8, range 19; district No. 3, of sections 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 34, 35, and 36, in township 7 ; district No. 4, of sections 19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33, same township ; district No. 5, of sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, and 18; district No. 6, of sections 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, the last two being also in township 7; dis- tricts No. 3, 4, 5, and 6 were in what is now Galien.
A new school district was formed Jan. 29, 1846, com- posed of sections 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, 33, 34, 35. The township was redistricted June 19, 1847.
Sarah Ogden was examined and received a certificate to teach school in District 5, Dec. 26, 1843. William M. Willson received certificate Dec. 5, 1844, and John John- son, Jan. 13, 1845.
The following school report was recorded Aug. 5, 1853 :
Scholars. Money Rec'd.
District No. 1 ..
44
$28.75
" 2.
18 17.71
3
44
28.75
The township was redistricted March 20, 1854. The apportionment of mill-tax for schools May 1, 1855, was as follows :
Scholars. Money Rec'd.
District No. 2 (fractional with Lake).
3
$1.20
"
“ 5
23
9.16
" 6 ..
22
8.76
" 1.
35
13.94
" 3.
32 12.75
"
" 4 (fractional with Buchanan)
24
9.56
Totals ..
139
$55.37
The school report for 1879 shows as follows : number of children of school age : District No. 1, 70; No. 3, 144 ; No. 4, 51 ; No. 5, 55; No. 6, 36; No. 7,50; No. 8,62.
Value of school-houses : District No. 1, frame, $3000 (Hill's Corners) ; No. 3, frame, $4500 (Troy) ; No. 4, frame, $500; No. 5, frame, $1300; No. 6, frame, $400; No. 7, frame, $1000; No. 8, frame, $100. Districts Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are whole districts, and 1 and 4 are fractional.
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
Methodist Episcopal Church of New Troy .- As early as 1840 preaching was held occasionally in this section by the Rev. William Morley, of Portage Prairie, and a class was soon after formed. No organization was perfected for several years, and preaching has been only occasional. In 1863 the present church was built. The society now has three classes, and numbers about 75 members. They are sup- plied with preaching by the ministers having Dayton and Galien in charge. Their names will be found in the history of the Dayton Church, in the township of Bertrand.
The Baptist Church of Weesaw .- A meeting was held in the school-house at Berrien, Feb. 8, 1845, for the pur- pose of consultation as to the propriety of organizing a Baptist Church. It was decided to call a council, and let- ters were sent out to different churches to meet on Satur- day, February 22d, at ten o'clock. Meeting was called, but as no delegates appeared it was adjourned until March 29th, when the council convened,-Elder Pratt, of South Bend ; Elder Price, of Cassopolis ; Elder Stecker, of Edwards- burg; Elder Tenbrook, of Niles; and brethren Deacon J. Rudd, J. Warren, J. B. Corey, B. D. Townsend, and others. Sermon by Elder Pratt. It was unanimously agreed to organize a Baptist Church, to be known as the First Baptist Church of Berrien.
The constituent members were John S. Foot, Clark Boss, John B. Nixon, Morris Frost, Union Pennell, Oliver Spaulding, Adna Hinman, Hiram Wells, Levi Logan, Thomas Freed, Silas Stearns, Julia Foot, Nancy Nixon, S. M. R. Nixon, Catherine Green, Amanda S. Pennell, Jo-
358
HISTORY OF BERRIEN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
anna Spaulding, Ruth Hinman, Juliet Frost, Sabey Frost, Amy A. Carpenter, Wealthy Wells, Martha Caton, Caro- line Logan, Mary Boss, Elizabeth B. Pennell, Zilpah A. Stevens, and Sarah Freed. John S. Foot was chosen deacon Aug. 11, 1845.
The society held their meetings for several years at school- houses in the different parts of the country, and in 1854 it was decided to build a house of worship at Hill's Cor- ners. This was done, and the edifice was first used June 3, 1854. It was called Galien Church for several years, and in 1876 the name was again changed to the Baptist Church of Weesaw. The first pastor was Daniel B. Mead, who commenced his labors in June, 1848. He was succeeded by the Revs. John Master, S. L. Bulis, A. E. Simons, D. D. Joslyn, William Simons, Charles D. Manley, Joseph Goodrich, B. P. Russell, Moses M. Meacher, R. H. Spaf- ford, and Charles A. Smith, who is the present pastor. The present membership is 36.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
GABRIEL F. PENWELL
was born Oct. 3, 1826, and is a son of A. C. and Sarah Penwell. His father was born December, 1797, in New Jersey. His mother, Miss Sarah Rope, was a native of North Carolina, was born Nov. 20. 1801, and married Mr. Penwell in Indiana in 1825. To them were born ten chil- dren, Mr. G. F. Penwell, the subject of this sketch, being the oldest. He remained at home with his father, assisting on the farm until twenty-one, when he was married to Miss Eda Ann Morris. After marriage Mr. Penwell moved to Missouri, remaining there about two years, and during that time buried his wife and the two children who were born to them. He then settled in South Bend, Ind., where he was again married, in 1852, to Miss Rebecca Reeves. In the spring of 1858 he came to Michigan, settling in the town of Galien ; he engaged in the lumbering business, and built a mill the same year. Mr. Penwell was divorced from his second wife, and in June, 1855, was again married, this time to Miss Harriet Harner. They have had ten children, four now living. This wife died Aug. 19, 1874, and, Dec. 31, 1874, Mr. Penwell was again married to Mrs. Maria J. Dutton, widow of the late George Dutton, a native of Mich- igan. She was a daughter of Salem and Harriet Taylor.
Mr. Taylor was a native of Kentucky, Mrs. Taylor, of Ver- mont, and were married in South Bend, Ind., in 1837,- Mrs. Penwell being the oldest in a family of nine children. Mrs. Penwell had four children by her first husband, Mr. G. D. Dutton, only two of whom survive, burying her hus- band and the other two during the year 1869. In politics Mr. Penwell is an unswerving Democrat. Socially, he is affable and genial, possessing an ardent attachment to friends, and gives to deserving objects with an open hand. Since he came to Michigan in 1853, he has by industry and perseverance accumulated considerable property, successfully carrying on farming and lumbering, owning at one time two thousand two hundred acres of land in this town. He is at present the proprietor of the handle-factory shown in his sketch, is still enjoying good health, and has every reason to feel gratified over his eventful and successful life.
GEORGE BOYLE
was born Dec. 3, 1835, in Lake township, of this county. His father's family consisted of thirteen children. His parents were Germans, and came over to America about 1831, settling on a farm, where George first learned to love the life of a farmer. He assisted his father on the farm until he was twenty years old. At that time he married Ann, daughter of Mary and John Husted, settling on a farm of seventy-five acres, given him by his father, in Oronoko township. He sold this land in 1864, and bought where he now resides. His first purchase was one hundred and fifty-one acres, to which he afterwards added one hundred and two acres, making for himself a home of which any man should be proud. This farm has been well managed, he being one of the largest and best farmers in this part of the country. His early educational advantages were limited. In politics he is a Republican, in religion a liberal.
Mr. and Mrs. Boyle have had seven children, viz. : Samantha L., born May 12, 1858, died Oct. 10, 1859; Thomas E., born Aug. 1, 1859 ; Laura A., born June 27, 1861; Sarah A., born June 29, 1864; Ira G., born Oct. 17, 1869; Melvin G., born July 12, 1874; Myra M., born Aug. 19, 1876.
Mr. Boyle has been a successful business man. His capital has been his health, his industry, and his ambition. With a proper use of these no man could fail. These qualifications were just what was required in a new country, and by their practical application his success was insured.
COURT HOUSE AND COUNTY OFFICES, VAN BUREN CO., PAW PAW, MICH.
VAN BUREN COUNTY .*
CHAPTER XLVI.
ERECTION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY -LOCATION OF COUNTY-SEAT.
Erection, Boundaries, and Organization of the County-Location of the County-Seat-Organization of Townships-Township Changes.
THE early history of Van Buren County, which is syn- onymous with that of the Indians who roamed through its forests, is given in the chapters devoted to both counties which begin this volume, while the account of its settlement by the whites is to be found in the various townships; this and the following chapters are devoted to those matters which concern Van Buren County at large, but have no connection with Berrien County.
The county of Van Buren was formed by an act of the Legislative Council of Michigan, approved Oct. 29, 1829, which created no less than thirteen counties at once, viz. : Washtenaw, Ingham, Easton, Barry, Jackson, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Van Buren, Hillsdale, Branch, St. Joseph, Cass, and Berrien. Eight of these were named after the President, the Vice-President, and the six cabinet officers. This county, it is hardly necessary to say, took its name from Martin Van Buren, of New York, subsequently Pres- ident of the United States, but then just becoming prom- inent in national politics, having been called to the office of Secretary of State by President Jackson on his inauguration in the month of March preceding. The section (of the act before mentioned) erecting and bounding this county reads as follows :
"SEC. 8. That so much of the country as is included within the following limits, viz. : beginning where the line between ranges 12 and 13 west of the meridian intersects the base line, thence west on the base line to the shore of Lake Michigan, thence southerly along the shore of said lake to the intersection of the line between townships 2 and 3 south of the base line, thence east between said townships to the intersection of the line between ranges 16 and 17 west of the meridian, thence south on the line between said ranges to the intersection of the line between townships 4 and 5 south of the base line, thence east on the line between said township to the intersection of the line between ranges 12 and 13 west of the meridian, thence north on the line between said ranges to the base line, be and the same is hereby set off into a separate county, and the name thereof shall be Van Buren."+
The formation of a county at that period, however, by no means necessitated the exercise of the usual functions pertaining to a county, or even made it certain that there
were any people living within boundaries designated by the Council or Legislature. It merely indicated that in the opinion of the State authorities the territory described in the act would make a good county at some future time.
On the 4th of November, 1829, the Governor of the Territory approved an act of the Legislative Council tem- porarily attaching Van Buren and several other counties to Cass County for judicial and legislative purposes. The following day, Nov. 5, 1829, the territory of Van Buren County, already described, with a large territory lying north of it, and several survey townships of Cass County, were formed into the township of Penn. On the 29th of March, 1833, the north part of that portion of Penn lying in Cass County was formed into the township of Volinia, and the territory of Van Buren County was attached to it for township pur- poses. That territory was formed into the township of Lafayette on the 26th of March, 1835. The details in relation to these changes are given in the sketch of the organization of the townships.
It was not until the year 1837 that the people of Van Buren County were deemed sufficiently numerous to justify them in assuming the responsibilities of local self-govern- ment. On the 18th day of March in that year an act or- ganizing the county was approved by the Governor of Michigan, which had then become a State. The sections pertinent to our history read as follows :
"SEC. 2. That the county of Van Buren be and the same is hereby organized, and the inhabitants thereof entitled to all the rights and privileges to which by law the inhabitants of the other counties of this State are en- titled.
"SEC. 3. All writs, prosecutions, and other matters now pending before any court, or before any justice of the peace, to which the said county is now attached for judicial purposes shall be prosecuted to final judgment and execu- tion; and all taxes heretofore levied shall be collected in the same manner as though this act had not passed.
"SEC. 5. The Circuit Court for the county of Van Buren shall be held for one year from the first day of No- vember next, at such place as the supervisors of said county shall provide in said county, on the first Monday in June and December in each year, and after the first day of No- vember, 1838, at the seat of justice in said county.
"SEC. 8. There shall be elected in the county of Van Buren on the second Monday of April next all the sev- eral county officers to which by law the county is en- titled."
The act by its terms went into effect on the first Monday of April, 1837. The first election of county officers was held, in accordance with the law, on the second Monday of
* By Crisfield Johnson. + Territorial Laws, vol. ii. page 736.
359
360
HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
April, 1837. The following officers were elected : Wolcott H. Keeler and Jay R. Monroe, Associate Justices ; Jere- miah H. Simmons, Judge of Probate; Samuel Gunton, Sheriff ; Daniel O. Dodge, Treasurer ; Nathaniel B. Stark- weather, County Clerk ; Jeremiah H. Simmons, Register of Deeds ; Junia Warner, Jr., John R. Haynes, and Hum- phrey P. Barnum, Coroners; Humphrey P. Barnum, Sur- veyor.
In the September following, at a special election, Andrew Longstreet was elected sheriff in place of Samuel Gunton, resigned, and Joshua Bangs, treasurer, in place of Daniel O. Dodge, resigned.
Not only was the county formed seven and a half years before its organization, but a county-seat was provided for it more than a year previous to that event. In 1835 the Governor, acting under a general law, appointed three com- missioners-Charles C. Hascall, Stillman Blanchard, and John W. Strong-to locate the county-seat of Van Buren County. These commissioners selected the site of the present village of Lawrence as the proper place for the county-seat. Deacon Eaton Branch, of Lawrence, says the commissioners stuck the stake designating the site of the court-house in the centre of the public square in the village of Lawrence.
Whether there was some informality in the proceedings or whether it was necessary to pass a supplementary act we know not, but on the 28th of March, 1836, a law was enacted authorizing the Governor to confirm the action of the commissioners, which reads as follows :
"SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of Michigan that the Governor be and he is hereby authorized to issue his proclamation confirming and establishing the seat of justice of the county of Van Buren at the point fixed for said seat of justice in said county by Charles C. Hascall, Stillman Blanchard, and John W. Strong, commissioners appointed for that pur- pose, as appears by their report on file in the office of the Secretary of State; provided that the proprietors of said seat of justice for said county shall pay into the treasury of this State the amount advanced from the Territorial treasury for said location, with interest thereon from the date of such advance, and shall produce the certificate of said payment to the Governor within sixty days from the passage of this act."
But when the county was organized most of the few in- habitants lived in the western part, and Paw Paw was more convenient for them than Lawrence. Moreover, few and poor as were the accommodations at Paw Paw, they were still fewer and poorer at Lawrence. So, as will have been observed, section 5 of the act organizing the county provided that the Circuit Court should be held at such place as the supervisors might direct until the 1st day of Novem- ber, 1838, and after that at the seat of justice of the county.
At the first meeting of the supervisors, on the 27th of March, 1837, a resolution was adopted (quoted under the head of " Organization of the County") which " decided that the courts of said county be held at the school-house in the village of Paw Paw."
On the 18th of March, 1838, an act amending the act organizing the county was approved, which reads as follows:
"SEC. 1. That all Circuit Courts to be held in and for the county of Van Buren previous to the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and forty, shall be held at such place within the said county as the Board of Supervisors for said county shall direct.
"SEC. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force on and after the first day of November next."
At the meeting of the supervisors on the 25th of Octo- ber, 1838, the board adopted the following resolution :
" Pursuant to an act entitled 'An act to amend an act to organize the counties of Ionia and Van Buren,' approved March 18, 1838, the supervisors of said county of Van Buren decided that the Circuit Court for said county shall be held at the school-house in the village of Paw Paw."
The courts were accordingly held at the place designated during the two succeeding years. As the time approached when the county business was to be done at the legal seat of justice,-viz., at Lawrence,-it was found that the weight of influence was still in favor of keeping it at Paw Paw. Petitions to that effect were accordingly sent to the Legislature, and that body was persuaded to pass, and the Governor to sanction, the following law :
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