USA > Michigan > Van Buren County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 96
USA > Michigan > Berrien County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 96
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One of Mr. Abbe's sons was a settler upon section 12, where he died in 1858. His widow still lives there. Elisha Abbe, another son, lives near the place his father occupied.
Reason Holmes opened a frame tavern on the Territorial road, in section 1, during 1836. He had been living on Genesee Prairie, and buying a piece of land in Antwerp of Cyren Burdick, built a frame house which he called a tavern, and as such kept it a half-dozen years or more. After discontinuing his tavern-stand, Holmes devoted his attention to farming, and lived on his farm in section 1, until he died. His tavern building was the first frame dwelling put up in Antwerp.
As Samuel Millard kept tavern on the same road, just over the line in Kalamazoo County, there were within a stretch of less than three miles three taverns between Abbe's and Dodge's ; at Paw Paw there was none.
MILLS AND MILLERS.
The pioneer miller of Antwerp was Samuel O. Mills, who in 1836 put up a saw-mill on section 26, through
PHOTOS. BY J. H. PRATER.
J. R. BANGS.
MRS. J. R. BANGS.
RESIDENCE OF J. R . BANGS, ANTWERP, VAN BUREN CO., MICH.
381
TOWNSHIP OF ANTWERP.
which flows a tributary of the Paw Paw River. In 1849 Wells sold the mill to Charles Whalley and D. Longcoy, who in 1852 transferred their interest to Ira Carpenter. In 1855, however, Carpenter was compelled to relinquish the property, under an unsatisfied mortgage, to the Samuel Wells estate, represented by Hezekiah Wells. In the same year the Cowgill Brothers bought the mill, and operated it until 1856, when J. S. Cowgill became sole proprietor. In 1865 he tore it down, and in that year, upon about the same site, Cowgill, McKeyes & Co. put up a fine flouring-mill, at a cost of about $15,000. In 1866 they built near there a saw-mill, which was destroyed by fire. The grist-mill is now carried on by C. D. Lawton.
John Bingham built in 1838, on section 21, the second saw-mill in the township. The site and power are now oc- cupied by George H. Rix's fine grist-mill, containing three run of stones.
In 1858, Solomon and Benjamin Phillips built on the same stream the pioneer grist-mill. Their successors in the ownership of the property have been J. P. Hutton, Josiah Hopkins, and D. C. Coleman, the latter being the present owner. .
Powell & Houck built a steam grist- and saw-mill at Lawton. In 1873 both mills were burned. Powell & Co. rebuilt the saw-mill, and are now engaged in the restoration of the grist-mill. A steam saw-mill, built by Dr. John Shanklin and Peter Mott at Lawton in 1853, blew up in 1856. It was rebuilt at once by Dr. Shanklin and N. H. Bitely, and in 1869 was destroyed by fire.
The fine grist-mill near the Paw Paw line, owned by E. O. Briggs and operated by A. Sherman and Briggs, was built by Asa Lamphear in 1869, and in 1872 sold to E. O. Briggs.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.
Antwerp is one of the seven townships of Van Buren organized under act of the Legislature approved March 11, 1837, and was named by Harmon Van Antwerp (then the most aged inhabitant of the township) after Antwerp in Europe. It contained then an area of six miles square, and has since then had no change in its territory. At the first township-meeting, held on the first Monday of April, 1837, at the house of Philip Williams, Joseph Woodman was chosen Moderator, Samuel O. Wells, John A. Lyon, and John K. Bingham, Inspectors, and Philip Williams, Clerk of the Election. The officers chosen were: Supervisor, Andrew Longstreet ; Clerk, John K. Bingham ; Assessors, Theophilus Bangs, Reason Holmes, Joel Tomlinson ; Com- missioners of Highways, Joshua Bangs, Jesse Abbe, Joel Tomlinson : Constable and Collector, John Hill; Directors of the Poor, Jesse Abbe, Patrick Johnson. At a special meeting held May 4, 1837, John Cooper, Reason Holmes, Joseph Woodman, and Philip Williams were chosen Justices of the Peace, and John Cooper, Samuel O. Wells, and John A. Lyon, School Inspectors.
The names of those who have been elected annually from 1838 to 1880 to the offices of supervisor, clerk, treas- urer, school inspector, and justice of the peace are given here :
1838 .- Supervisor, M. L. Fitch ; Clerk, J. K. Bingham ; Treasurer, John Hill; School Inspectors, M. L. Fitch, John Hunt, E. H. Niles ; Justice of the Peace, Jos. Woodman.
1839,-Supervisor, T. Bangs; Clerk, J. K. Bingham ; Treasurer, Ly- man Taylor ; School Inspectors, L. A. Fitch, John Hunt, Reason Holmes; Justice of the Peace, John Cooper.
1840 .- Supervisor, T. Bangs; Clerk, E. B. Dyckman; Treasurer, J. Tomlinson ; School Inspectors, E. B. Dyckman, Joseph Gil- man, L. A. Fitch.
1841 .- Supervisor, T. Bangs; Clerk, E. B. Dyckman; Treasurer, Joshua Bangs; School Inspectors, M. L. Fitch, John Hunt, L. A. Fitch.
1842 .- Supervisor, Joshua Bangs; Clerk, Silas Breed; Treasurer, I. S. Borden ; School Inspectors, Silas Breed, John Hunt, L. A. Fitch ; Justice of the Peace, Joseph Gilman.
1843 .- Supervisor, T. Bangs; Clerk, Silas Breed; Treasurer, I. S. Borden; School Inspectors, John Hunt, M. L. Fitch ; Justice of the Peace, William Spencer.
1844 .- Supervisor, I. S. Borden ; Clerk, P. Harwick ; Treasurer, Th. Bangs; School Inspectors, John Hunt, M. L. Fitch ; Justice of the Peace, L. A. Fitch.
1845 .- Supervisor, P. Harwick; Clerk, P. Williams; Treasurer, L. Lawrence; School Inspector, M. L. Fitch; Justice of the Peace, C. M. Morrell.
1846 .- Supervisor, Joshua Bangs; Clerk, P. Williams ; Treasurer, L. Lawrence; School Inspector, James Murray ; Justice of the Peace, M. L. Fitch.
1847 .- Supervisor, John Hunt ; Clerk, Silas Breed; Treasurer, L. Lawrence; School Inspector, Jos. Gilman; Justice of the Peace, W. B. Spencer.
1848 .- Supervisor, John Hunt; Clerk, J. A. Sheldon; Treasurer, Hiram Green ; School Inspector, L. A. Fitch; Justice of the Peace, A. Longstreet.
1849 .- Supervisor, P. Harwick ; Clerk, J. A. Sheldon ; Treasurer, Hiram Green ; School Inspector, J. Gilman ; Justices of the Peace, S. Breed, H. Lincoln.
1850 .- Supervisor, L. A. Fitch ; Clerk, J. A. Sheldon ; Treasurer, A. F. Moore; School Inspector, W. B. Mack; Justice of the Peace, J. Gilman.
1851 .- Supervisor, H. Harwick ; Clerk, J. A. Sheldon; Treasurer, A. F. Moore; School Inspector, J. J. Woodman ; Justice of the Peace, H. Green.
1852 .- Supervisor, D. Van Antwerp ; Clerk, W. B. Spencer ; Treas- urer, A. F. Moore; School Inspector, Morgan Fitch ; Jus- tice of the Peace, A. Longstreet.
1853 .- Supervisor, P. Harwick ; Clerk, W. B. Spencer; Treasurer, A. Thompson ; School Inspector, O. H. P. Sheldon; Justice of the Peace, S. Longstreet.
1854 .- Supervisor, John Hunt; Clerk, J. J. Woodman ; Treasurer, A. Thompson ; School Inspector, M. L. Fitch; Justice of the Peace, W. Fox.
1855 .- Supervisor, John Smith ; Clerk, J. J. Woodman ; Treasurer, A. Thompson ; School Inspector, O. H. P. Sheldon ; Justice of the Peace, H. Green.
1856 .- Supervisor, John Hunt; Clerk, A. H. Thompson ; Treasurer, N. B. Mckinney ; School Inspector, J. E. Sweet; Justice of the Peace, H. Lincoln. -
1857 .- Supervisor, John Hunt; Clerk, J. J. Woodman ; Treasurer, N. B. Mckinney ; School Inspector, James Murray ; Justice of the Peace, S. Longstreet.
1858 .- Supervisor, N. H. Bitely ; Clerk, J. J. Woodman ; Treasurer, A. R. Wood; School Inspector, J. E. Sweet; Justice of the Peace, G. P. Smith.
1859 .- Supervisor, L. A. Fitch ; Clerk, J. J. Woodman ; Treasurer, H. Cross, Jr .; School Inspector, A. C. Glidden ; Justice of the Peace, P. H. Varney.
1860 .- Supervisor, John Hunt; Clerk, J. J. Woodman; Treasurer, R. S. Griffin ; School Inspector, N. H. Bitely ; Justice of the Peace, G. R. Chapin.
1861 .- Supervisor, Henry Fitch ; Clerk, A. Flummerfelt; Treasurer, C. G. Harrington ; School Inspector, H. H. Miller ; Justice of the Peace, S. Longstreet.
1862 .- Supervisor, L. A. Fitch; Clerk, G. W. Lawton ; Treasurer, E. P. Mills ; School Inspector, A. C. Glidden ; Justice of the Peace, R. S. Armstrong.
1863 .- Supervisor, O. H. P. Sheldon ; Clerk, W. O. Fitch ; Treasurer, N. B. Mckinney ; School Inspector, E. P. Mills; Justice of the Peace, N. B. Howell.
382
HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
1864 .- Supervisor, L. A. Fitch; Clerk, W. O. Fitch; Treasurer, N. B. Mckinney; School Inspector, A. C. Glidden; Justice of the Peace, O. H. P. Sheldon.
1865 .- Supervisor, Orrin Buck ; Clerk, E. S. Dunham; Treasurer, P. I. Bragg; School Inspector, C. D. Van Vechten ; Justice of the Peace, S. Longstreet.
1866 .- Supervisor, J. J. Woodman; Clerk, L. E. Fitch ; Treasurer, N. B. Rowe; School Inspector, I. M. Hayden; Justice of the Peace, C. Durkee.
1867 .- Supervisor, A. C. Glidden; Clerk, Charles Kelsey ; Treasurer, N. B. Rowe; School Inspector, J. H. Breed; Justice of the Peace, N. B. Howell.
1868 .- Supervisor, N. B. Mckinney ; Clerk, Charles Munger; Treas- urer, L. C. Fitch ; School Inspector, W. B. Gorham ; Justice of the Peace, O. H. P. Sheldon.
1869 .- Supervisor, John Ihling; Clerk, Charles Munger ; Treasurer, Charles Kelsey ; School Inspector, E. S. Dunham; Justice of the Peace, J. L. Parker.
1870 .- Supervisor, John Ihling; Clerk, Charles Munger; Treasurer, J. Smolk ; School Inspector, J. Kellard; Justice of the Peace, C. M. Morrill.
1871 .- Supervisor, N. B. Mckinney; Clerk, Charles Munger; Treas- urer, J. Smolk ; School Inspector, F. J. Cowgill; Justice of the Peace, L. G. Hunt.
1872 .- Supervisor, J. McKeyes; Clerk, C. L. Eaton ; Treasurer, N. H. Bangs; School Inspector, C. H. Fisher; Justice of the Peace, A. C. Glidden.
1873 .- Supervisor, L. A. Fitch; Clerk, M. C. Joiner ; Treasurer, F. L. Churchill ; School Inspector, W. B. Gorham; Justice of the Peace, A. C. Glidden.
1874 .- Supervisor, John Smith; Clerk, L. C. Fitch; Treasurer, F. L. Churchill ; School Inspector, M. H. Cross; Justice of the Peace, C. M. Morrill.
1875 .- Supervisor, F. B. Adams; Clerk, C. S. Adams; Treasurer, E. Durkee; School Inspector, B. V. Love; Justice of the Peace, N. B. Howell.
1876 .- Supervisor, J. McKeyes; Clerk, J. A. Gates; Treasurer, J. W. Johnson; School Inspector, F. Rice; Justice of the Peace, L. Bathrick.
1877 .- Supervisor, J. McKeyes; Clerk, J. A. Gates ; Treasurer, F. B. Adams; School Inspector, O. J. Graves; Justice of the Peace, I. M. Hayden.
1878 .- Supervisor, J. McKeyes; Clerk, J. A. Gates; Treasurer, J. S. Buck ; School Inspector, O. J. Graves ; Justice of the Peace, C. M. Morrill.
1879 .- Supervisor, J. McKeyes; Clerk, C. S. Adams; Treasurer, D. D. Nobles ; School Inspector, E. W. Green; Justice of the Peace, L. C. Fitch.
The township board for 1879 was composed of Juan McKeyes, C. S. Adams, I. M. Hayden, and Lysander Bathrick. The school inspectors were E. W. Green, C. H. Lawton, and C. S. Adams. The justices of the peace were L. Bathrick, I. M. Hayden, C. M. Morrill, L. C. Fitch.
LAWTON VILLAGE.
In 1849, Nathan Lawton, of Watertown, N. Y., owned the land upon which the business portion of Lawton is now located, and when the place was selected for a station on the Michigan Central Railroad, Mr. Lawton laid out a town there. When in 1851 a post-office was about to be estab- lished there, Col. Andrew Longstreet, upon an application to that end, christened it Lawton, in honor of its proprietor. Mr. Lawton had previously donated ten acres of land for railway-depot buildings, which were erected in 1848. The station was known as Paw Paw, and sometimes called South Paw Paw, but after the creation of the post-office, Lawton was substituted, for station and town. Mr. Lawton, for whom the place was named, was at no time a resident of Michigan, although two of his sons-George W. and
-
Charles D .- have been citizens of Lawton village for many years.
When the Michigan Central Railroad was being con- structed at the point now called Lawton, then a wilderness of bramble-bushes, Henry McNeil opened a store in a log cabin on the west side of what is now Main Street, near the line of the road. McNeil supplied the railway laborers with store goods, but dealt chiefly in whisky, of which the railroad hands consumed large quantities. He made considerable money at keeping store in Lawton, and re- moved to Minnesota. Andrew Longstreet, who had been living near the village on a farm, moved into it shortly after McNeil opened his store, and took possession of an unoccupied railroad laborer's shanty that stood on the cor- ner now occupied by Ford & Dalton's store. Mr. Long- street also started a shoe-shop on the west side of the street, opposite his house. While McNeil was keeping store there, Gilbert Johnson, of Paw Paw, opened a store near McNeil's, and called it " The Farmers' Headquarters." From that out the village began to grow.
Horace Sebring put up a hotel where the Robinson House now stands, but soon sold out to R. S. Armstrong, who died in the hotel in 1863. Hight & Smith succeeded as landlords, and sold out in 1866 to George W. Robin- son & Brother, who in two weeks after coming into posses- sion were burned out. They at once rebuilt the present Robinson House, of which George W. Robinson is landlord.
Next to Johnson in the order of succession as to store- keepers were John McKinney, William Selleck, Livingston McNeil, - Leonard, Fairbanks & S. Kiver, W. H. Smith, George P. Smith, Smith & Ingalls, Dr. Root, Wil- liam & Charles Munger, N. B. Mckinney, and others. Although it grew, Lawton grew slowly in its infancy, and in 1854, when Mr. Nathan Bitely located in the village, it contained Sebring's Hotel, two stores, a saw-mill, two or three frame residences, and a half-dozen log cabins. After that, however, its progress was more rapid.
With the establishment of the works of the Michigan Central Iron Company, in 1867, Lawton took a decided step forward in respect to both business and population, and during the iron company's existence the town reached a population of 2000. When the company ceased opera- tions at Lawton, in 1875, the village lost many of its in- habitants, and numbers now about 800. A union school house erected at this place in 1867, at a cost of $10,000, is a feature of considerable local pride. It is a handsome and commodious brick structure, contains four departments, in- cluding a high school, and has an average attendance of 219 pupils.
The mercantile trade of the town is represented by Ford & Dalton's general store, B. J. Desenburg and J. S. Cow- gill's grocery-stores, Kinney, Adams & Co. and C. S. Adams' hardware-stores, Juan McKeyes and J. R. Doolittle's drug- stores, and L. Stern & Co.'s dry-goods store. The village manufactories are noticed elsewhere.
The Lawton post-office was established in 1851, and Andrew Longstreet appointed postmaster. His successors in the office were Henry McNeil, Livingston McNeil, A. H. Thompson, Richard Finley, and N. B. Mckinney. Col. Longstreet, who had been absent from Lawton some
MRS. N.L.SURDAM
.N. L. SURDAM.
RESIDENCE OF NATHANIEL L. SURDAM, ANTWERP TP, VAN BUREN CO., MICH.
383
TOWNSHIP OF ANTWERP.
years, was reappointed shortly after his return, and suc- ceeded Mr. Mckinney. Longstreet continued in the office until his death, in 1871, when he was succeeded by Wil- liam H. Smith, who was succeeded, in 1879, by Otis Rider, the present incumbent.
Lawton Village Incorporation .- Oct. 15, 1858, the Board of Supervisors of Van Buren County passed a resolu- tion incorporating the village of Lawton, and included within the village limits the following territory : the north half of the southeast quarter and the northeast quarter of section 32, together with the following-described parcels of land, to wit : commencing on the south side of the Michigan Central Railroad, where the quarter-line running north and south through section 32 crosses said railroad, and running south on said quarter-line twenty rods ; thence west thirty- six rods and nine feet to the south line of the Michigan Central Railroad ; thence in a northeasterly direction along the south line of said road to the place of beginning. Also all that part of the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 29 known as Baker's and Thompson's addition, and the west half of the west half of the north- west quarter of section 33. Also a piece of land thirty rods in width, taken from the east side of the northwest quarter of section 32, extending from the Michigan Cen- tral to the north line of said section, and a piece thirty rods wide east and west and fifty rods long north and south, in the southeast corner of the southeast quarter of the south- west quarter of section 29.
The first election was ordered to be held in the village school-house on the first Saturday in December, and George P. Smith, John McKinney, and Calvin Durkee were ap- pointed inspectors of said election.
At the first election, held Dec. 4, 1858, the aggregate number of votes cast reached 75. A full list of the per- sons annually chosen since 1858 to be president, clerk, treasurer, and trustees is given below, viz. :
1858 .- President, Calvin Durkee; Clerk, N. B. Mckinney ; Treasurer, A. H. Thompson ; Trustees, N. H. Bitely, Henry D. Lesure, Samuel Longstreet, John Munson, Platt Nims, James W. Wager.
1859 .- President, Calvin Durkee ; Clerk, N. B. Mckinney; Treasurer, M. H. Smith ; Trustees, James W. Wager, Jesse S. Smith, John Munson, N. H. Bitely, Samuel Longstreet, Thomas D. Ward. .
1860 .- President, Samuel Longstreet; Clerk, N. B. Mckinney ; Treas- urer, G. D. Johnson ; Trustees, N. H. Bitely, G. P. McNeil, Jesse S. Smith, C. P. Harrington, C. H. Maxwell, George P. Smith.
1861 .- President, Andrew Longstreet; Clerk, R. H. Finley ; Treas- urer, J. S. Smith ; Trustees, William Fairbanks, James W. Wager, M. H. Smith, E. B. Aldrich, H. V. Harwick, N. H. Bitely.
1862 .- President, J. S. Smith ; Clerk, R. H. Finley ; Treasurer, B. F. Engle; Trustees, Thomas Scott, George W. Lawton, H. D. Lesure, George H. Schriver, Harlow Robinson, George W. Dye.
1863-64 .- No record.
1865 .- President, N. B. Mckinney ; Clerk, George P. Smith ; Treas- urer, Edward Root; Trustees, Andrew Longstreet, William H. Smith, N. B. Rowe, Charles D. Lawton, H. V. Harwick, Lucius K. Robinson.
1866 .- President, William H. Smith ; Clerk, Edwin S. Dunham ; Treas- urer, William J. Mckinney ; Trustees, H. V. Harwick, N. B. Rowe, C. D. Lawton, Edward Root, E. D. Simmons, A. W .. Townsend.
1867 .- President, William H. Smith ; Clerk, E. S. Dunham ; Treas- urer, N. B. Mckinney ; Trustees, C. B. Lawton, N. B. Rowe, William Munger, J. L. Parker, M. H. Smith, S. C. Day.
1868 .- President, Henry Ford ; Clerk, William J. Mckinney ; Treas- urer, Andrew Longstreet; Trustees, F. B. Adams, Calvin Durkee, L. T. Moore, Edwin A. Smith, Leonard Waldron, Charles M. Morrill.
1869 .- President, Henry Ford; Recorder, James Atwell; Treasurer, Andrew Longstreet ; Trustees (for one year), Stephen Jones, Orrin Robinson, James H. Conklin (for two years), David W. Powell, John W. Morrill, G. D. Johnson.
1870 .- N. B. Mckinney ; Recorder, James L. Parker; Treasurer, A. L. McElheney ; Trustees, George W. Robinson, Robert Lamoreaux, and Orrin Robinson.
1871 .- President, D. W. Powell; Recorder, J. D. Monroe ; Treasurer, L. G. Halsted ; Trustees, F. B. Adams, G. B. Hill, T. J. McKinney.
1872 .- President, Robert Lamoreaux ; Recorder, Charles M. Morrill ; Treasurer, R. S. Griffin ; Trustees, Dudley Thornton, L. L. Halsted, Lucius Baker.
1873 .- President, N. H. Bitely ; Recorder, Charles M. Morrill; Treas- urer, James S. Cowgill; Trustees, M. H. Smith, L. L. Hal- sted, Charles D. Lawton.
1874 .- President, N. H. Bitely ; Recorder, George P. Smith ; Treas- urer, James S. Cowgill; Trustees, John Jefferson, John Pelton, George W. Robinson.
1875 .- President, L. L. Halsted ; Recorder, C. S. Adams; Treasurer, N. B. Mckinney ; Trustees, Henry Stearns, N. B. Rowe, C. D. Lawton.
1876 .- President, Joseph C. Ford ; Recorder, C. S. Adams; Treasurer, B. J. Dusenbury ; Trustees, Robert Lamoreaux, Juan Mc- Keyes, J. W. Johnson.
1877 .- President, J. C. Ford; Recorder, C. S. Adams; Treasurer, Henry Stearns; Trustees, W. W. Robbins, C. D. Lawton, G. W. Robinson.
1878 .- President, J. C. Ford ; Recorder, C. S. Adams ; Treasurer, M. H. Smith ; Trustees, H. C. Watson, C. G. Harrington, Lucius Baker.
1879 .- President, Henry Ford ; Recorder, J. W. Johnson ; Treasurer, Myron H. Smith; Trustees, Henry Stearns, A. B. Jones, Louis Waldorff.
Lawton Manufactures .- Besides the mill interest at Lawton, there is the extensive cooper-shop of John May- hard, in which 10 men are employed in making barrels; a plow-point factory, carried on by J. L. Wilcox; and the fanning-mill works of Smith & Walker. This latter estab- lishment was founded in 1861, at Lawton, by Bonsteed & Smith, and in 1862 that firm was succeeded by W. H. Smith, who in 1870 took in Mr. Walker as a partner. From 10 to 15 men are employed, and from 500 to 700 fanning-mills are manufactured annually, beside a consider- able number of fruit-boxes and meat-safes.
Ledyard & Aldrich were engaged at Lawton from 1856 to 1873 in the manufacture of fanning-mills, of which they produced about 300 yearly.
Michigan Central Iron Company .- The works of the Michigan Central Iron Company at Lawton, although tem- porarily abandoned, resounded a few years ago with „the hum of busy industry, and entered conspicuously into the elements of Lawton's then prosperous progress. During the nearly eight years' continuous existence of its active history the company contributed largely to the business and population of Lawton, and the discontinuance of its works was a severe check to the prosperity of the village.
As to the origin of the enterprise, the following narration will be found of interest. Early in the year 1867, Maj. Joseph Walker while passing westward, stopped at Lawton to visit C. D. and George W. Lawton, and incidentally
- 384
HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
there arose a discussion touching the fact that Lawton ought, by reason of the presence near there of excellent timber-land, to be a good manufacturing point, and beyond that a peat-bed on the Mckinney farm promised to prolong the supply of fuel even when the timber should be ex- hausted. This peat-bed had been purchased by Gen. Q. A. Gillmore, of the United States army, with a view doubtless to probabilities similar to those contemplated by Walker and the Lawtons.
The discussion referred to, speedily developed into an earnest interest in the subject, and when Walker left, it was with the understanding that the matter would not be allowed to rest there. Walker happening soon to call on Maj. T. D. Brooks, engaged in mining iron in the Lake Superior country, mentioned the Lawton subject to him, and was told that the most profitable project to be suggested in that connection was the manufacture of iron. Not only that, but he promised to take an interest in the business, and the result of the matter was that Walker, Brooks, and the Lawtons decided to undertake the organization of a company to make iron at Lawton. Walker accordingly proceeded eastward and interested Gen. Gillmore and other army officers so far that in the same year (1867) the Michigan Central Iron Company was organized, with a capital of $150,000. Gen. Gillmore was chosen president, and Samuel Cantrell treasurer, while among the stock- holders were Gens. Grant, Barnard, Porter, and others in the military service,-Gen. Grant being still one of the stockholders to the extent of $5000. About 1500 acres of timber-land besides Gillmore's peat-bed were bought by the company, works were erected at Lawton, extensive docks constructed at Michigan City, and the business so pushed forward that on Dec. 24, 1867, the works were started, under the management of Henry Ford, a practical iron manufacturer. The ore, obtained at Lake Superior region, was landed on the company's docks at Michigan City, and transported over the Michigan Central Railroad to the works. About 150 hands were employed at the works and in clearing land, and for nearly eight years the enterprise was industriously and profitably maintained.
In April, 1875, however, depression in the iron trade led to what was intended to be only a temporary cessation of manufacture, but which has proved to be a suspension to this time. The company is, however, intact as an organi- zation, and latterly there has been earnest talk among the directors looking to an early resumption of the business. Gen. Gillmore is still the president, and D. Van Nostrand secretary of the company. The property owned by the corporation is a valuable one, and includes the Lawton works, 2500 acres of land, and 600 feet of dock at Michi- gan City.
The Lawton Foundry .- Messrs. Wright & Agnew put up at Lawton in 1870 a foundry of considerable size, and in that year began the manufacture of castings, school furniture, etc., and employed from 10 to 15 men. They sold out in 1872 to Hill, Elmore & Co., who ceased opera- tions in 1875. Since that time the foundry has been idle, except upon periodical occasions of no particular business moment.
Lawton Railroad Station .- The following table shows
the shipments (by car-loads) at Lawton Station, of flour, grain, lumber, and live-stock for the six months ending Dec. 1, 1879 :
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