History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 97

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 97
USA > Michigan > Berrien County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 97

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).

Month.

Flour.

Grain. Lumber. Live-Stock.

June

July .

August ..

September

October

November.

Total

160

Lawton Lodge, No. 216, F. and A. M., was organized Jan. 10, 1867, with Grove C. Love as Master, H. F. Robinson as Senior Warden, and John Ihling as Junior Warden.

The Masters since the organization have been G. C. Love, H. Jackson, Charles Munger, John Ihling, George D. Boies, Frank B. Adams, Henry Ford, and H. C. Watson.

The officers Jan. 1, 1880, were H. C. Watson, W. M. ; Henry Ford, S. W .; Elijah Warner, J. W .; J. W. John- son, Sec .; M. H. Smith, Treas .; C. S. Adams, S. D .; Or- rin D. White, J. D .; James Babcock, Tiler. The lodge has now a membership of 60, and is in a flourishing condi- tion. Regular sessions are held in Masonic Hall, Lawton.

Lawton Lodge, No. 83, I. O. O. F., was organized in 1861, and has now a membership of 28, although it had in 1870 100 members. The officers are W. D. Kinney, N. G .; C. G. Harrington, V. G. ; D. W. Powell, Sec .; J. L. Wil- son, Treas. Sessions are held in the I. O. O. F. building, Lawton.

Monitor Encampment, No. 16, I. O. O. F., domiciled in the I. O. O. F. building at Lawton, was organized in 1864. The present membership is 16, and the list of officers as follows : T. D. Ward, C. P .; W. D. Kinney, S. W .; C. G. Harrington, J. W .; R. N. Still, H. P .; D. W. Powell, Scribe; N. V. Finch, Treas.

Court Van Buren, No. 6, Ancient Order of Foresters, was organized Nov. 3, 1878, with a membership of 19. D. W. Powell was chosen C. R .; Juan McKeyes, V. C. R. ; and J. W. Johnson, Rec. Sec. . The court has now a mem- bership of 26, and is officered as follows : J. Gillespie, C. R .; N. V. Finch, V. C. R .; J. W. Johnson, Rec. Sec. ; M. H. Smith, Treas. ; H. B. Janes, S. W .; J. D. Tillou, J. W. ; Robert Janes, S. B .; B. J. Desenberg, J. B. The regular meetings are held in Masonic Hall every Tuesday evening.

MATTAWAN VILLAGE.

While the Michigan Central Railway was in course of construction, Nathaniel Cheseboro, the attorney for the rail- way company, bought 40 acres of land on a portion of the site of the village of Mattawan, laid out a town, and called it Mattawan, after a village on the Hudson River in New York.

In 1848, Charles W. Scott made material additions to the plat, and really did all the work towards pushing the town to the front. He donated land to the railway com- pany for depot purposes, conditioned that Mattawan should be made a regular stopping-place, but as the company ig- nored that condition subsequently, he sought to recover pay for the land, but without success. Elias Kinney and D. B. Webster made additions to Mattawan, and the march of enterprise set in as if fruitful results were destined to follow.

MR. JASON A. SHELDON.

MRS. JASON A. SHELDON.

JASON A. SHELDON.

The gentleman whose name heads this sketch is worthy of conspicuous mention. He was born April 15, 1799, in Stephentown, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., and is one of a family of ten children. His father, Benjamin, was born in Dutchess Co., N. Y .; his mother, Elizabeth Gardner, was born in Newport, R. I., and both were of English descent. Jason's father was a Baptist minister. His grandfather was one of the first settlers of Stephentown township. Benjamin remained there until 1816, when the family moved to Western New York, and settled in what was called "the Genesee Country," latterly known as Orleans County, where Benjamin died in August, 1832. When about fifteen years of age Jason com- menced assisting on the farm, and working at any- thing else he could find to do, until 1820, when he hired out on the Erie Canal, under the supervision of Major Adams, discharging each and every duty faith- fully. He soon became foreman, which position he held three years. June 1, 1823, being then twenty- four years of age, he married Miss Sabrina M. Glid- den, in the town of Clarendon, Orleans Co., N. Y. Her parents were natives of the Green Mountain State, where she was born June 4, 1799. To this marriage were born six children,-five sons and one daughter, viz .: Oliver Hazard Perry Sheldon, born Dec. 12, 1824, now married and living in Paw Paw ; Ellen Adelia, born Oct. 10, 1826, died when two years of age; Asa Glidden, born Sept. 15, 1828, died June 15, 1857, in his twenty-ninth year; William S., born Nov. 22, 1830, now living in Ant- werp township; Job G., born May 1, 1833, lives in Prairie Ronde, Kalamazoo Co .; Benjamin Clark, born Sept. 7, 1835, lives on part of the old home- stead.

After leaving the canal Mr. Sheldon chose farming as his vocation, improving some wild land which he had previously purchased. In 1845 he sold his

farm, and with his family came to Michigan, set- tling in Antwerp township, on section 7, which is one mile east of Paw Paw village. His farm at first only contained one hundred and twenty acres, to which he afterwards added one hundred and seventy-five acres, improving his farm until 1854, when he sold a part of it to Mr. Chapin, divid- ing the remainder between his children. Since then he has lived on the interest of his money. There was no sudden accession of wealth, but slowly the work was carried forward year by year amid the severest hardships, until, in the lapse of time, ease and comfort have been reached. In January, 1879, Mr. Sheldon was bereft of his loving and faithful companion, who is kindly remembered by many friends.

In politics he is a Republican, though in early days a Democrat, representing his party in New York as supervisor for several years, also as justice of the peace. He represented his party in Michigan as judge of the County Court for one term, when the Court was changed to Circuit Court. He has also been town clerk and justice in Antwerp four years. He had only ordinary educational advantages, never attending any but a common school ; yet, by making good use of the advantages within his reach, he has ac- quired a practical knowledge sufficient to enable him to do any ordinary business. Himself and wife were both members of the Free-Will Baptist Church since 1833, both joining at the same time.

Mr. Sheldon and his brother, William, who resides with him, are the only ones left of their father's once unbroken and happy family. Mr. Sheldon's mother died at her old home in New York, March, 1845, at the good old age of eighty- four ; and when the lamp went out, they laid her in a sunny nook, where the marble marks her quiet resting-place.

385

TOWNSHIP OF ANTWERP.

The first house of any importance built on the village- site was a grocery-store, put up in 1850 by one John Cronkhite. He sold the place to Rev. J. J. Bliss, a Cana- dian, who came along that year, and making his residence on the ground-floor, opened a store in the second story. This building occupied the corner upon which the Front Street brick block stands. It is now standing upon the same lot as "Charity Hall." Bliss built also the warehouse near the railway, now owned by Morgan L. Fitch. He was a railway switch-man and preacher, as well as a trader, and divided his time between selling goods and preaching, first the Protestant Methodist and afterwards the Free-Will Baptist doctrine. Bliss sold his business to Henry Fitch, whose successors were Morgan L. Fitch and C. D. Van Vechten.

There was no hotel in the village until 1855, when J. F. Parmenter built the Antwerp House, on Front Street. George Conklin put in a new front and called it the Willard House. He was the landlord when the building was burned, in 1873. Henry Durkee built a hotel on the corner, near the present post-office, and called it the Union House. It was burned in 1866, and then Durkee put up the hotel now kept by Chauncey Bonfoey,-the only one in the village at present.

A post-office was established at Mattawan in 1850, when Rev. J. J. Bliss was appointed postmaster. Postmaster Bliss' duties were not very heavy, nor was his mail volu- minous, since he found that a cigar-box was quite large enough to serve him as a receptacle for all the letters sent to the office. Mr. Bliss' successors in the office to the present have been John Smolk, James Murray, Raper Ward, Abel Brown, L. C. Fitch, S. S. Rascoe, and Isaac Stewart.

About 1869, Mattawan enjoyed an era of considerable prosperity and carried on an extensive business as a ship- ping-point for great quantities of lumber, which were sent in from mills north of the place. The population numbered at that time about 800, and the little town was flushed with signs of material prosperity. The completion of the Chicago and West Michigan Railroad, however, soon diverted the lumber shipments elsewhere, and Mattawan suffered a reac- tion. The village population is now (Jan. 1, 1880) about 400. The chief business interests are represented by Mor- gan L. Fitch (warehouse), E. Moore (general store), George H, Goodrich (hardware), and the grocery-stores of Stewart & Co. and L. C. Fitch.

Mattawan Lodge, No. 268, F. and A. M., was organized Jan. 13, 1870, with Thomas H. Briggs as W. M., C. D. Van Vechten as S. W., and Clinton Fitch as J. W. The lodge has now a membership of 50, and is officered as follows : James McCarter, W. M. ; D. W. Miller, S. W .; C. Bonfoi, J. W .; Isaac Birdsall, Treas .; C. O. Nash, Sec. ; John Eves, S. D .; George Tillou, J. D. ; James Day, Tiler.

SCHOOLS OF THE TOWNSHIP.

The first school-teacher in Antwerp was Ann, daughter of Daniel Van Antwerp, and the first school-house the log cabin of Joshua Bangs, on section 7, in the second story of which, in 1837, Miss Van Antwerp taught a subscription

school one term, and had perhaps a dozen scholars. Miss Van Antwerp married P. N. Smith, and now lives in the township, on section 9. After that first season a slab school- house was built, and did duty for some time near where the fine school-house on section 7 now stands. Lawton and Mattawan have each an excellent graded school and a hand- some brick school-house, the one at Lawton being one of the best in the county.

Following is a statement of the condition of the schools of Antwerp, as per school report for the year 1879 : Whole number of districts, 9 (of which 2 are fractional) ; total en- rollment of children, 618; total average attendance, 374; whole number of teachers employed, 20; amount paid for teachers' wages, $2331 ; value of school property, $16,600. (District No. 4 is not included, because not reported.)

The school directors of the several districts at the date of the report were as follows : District No. 1, E. C. Towers; No. 2, Daniel Morrison ; No. 3, Charles Race; No. 4, Reuben Clum; No. 5, J. Sheldon ; No. 6, A. Harwick ; No. 7, C. R. Williams ; No. 8, M. H. Smith; No. 9, R. W. Brown.

The township was divided into four school districts May 4, 1837, and on July 25th of the same year two ad- ditional districts were formed. Feb. 26, 1839, primary- school money to the amount of $14.08 was received from the Van Buren County treasurer and apportioned : $8.32 to District No. 5, and $5.76 to District No. 6.

The annual report of the board of school inspectors, made March 11, 1839, showed that there were six dis- tricts, that only two reported, and that the books in use were Cobb's "Elementary Spelling-Book," " First-Class Book," " Smith's Grammar," " Adams' Arithmetic," " Eng- lish Reader," and " Olney's Geography." The first record of the selection of the school-teachers appears under date Dec. 5, 1843, when James Duncan, W. B. Mack, and Joseph Gilman were examined and approved as teachers.

Annual reports of the schools were made to the school inspectors regularly, but from 1838 to 1844 no complete report from all the school districts was received in any year, and the actual condition of the schools during that period cannot, therefore, be ascertained.

CHURCHES.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Lawton is the pioneer religious organization of the town, and dates the period of the formation of its first class back to 1855. There were but 8 members in that class, but it grew rapidly, however, and flourished as the years passed on until in 1869 the church membership numbered 215. The first pastor was Rev. S. Simmons, and the first class-leader Har- vey Barker, of Porter, who was also a local preacher, and exceedingly zealous in behalf of the church. In 1860 the church was in charge of Rev. T. T. George, and included the classes of Lawton, Porter, Centre, the " Valley" class, and those of Marcellus and South Porter. Mattawan was afterwards included and set off in 1867. In 1860, Andrew Longstreet was leader of the Lawton class, which then in- cluded among its members Jason Atwell, William Powell, Calvin Durkee, William L. Barker, and Chauncey Hol- lister.

386

HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

The church worshiped in the Lawton school-house until 1862, when the church edifice now in use was erected. It is a commodious frame structure, with seating capacity for 300 people. The present pastor is Rev. T. T. George. The leaders of the Lawton class to the present time have been Harvey Barker, Andrew Longstreet, William Barker, Henry Ford, James Wager, T. D. Ward, James Drowley, William Powell, William Harper, Walter Fredenburg. The officers of the church at present are : Trustees, W. S. Har- per, T. D. Ward, Jason Atwell, Henry Ford, James Drowley, George Worden, and Harvey Harper. The stewards are T. D. Ward, W. S. Harper, Jason Atwell, and James Drowley. The class-leaders are William S. Harper and Walter Fredenburg. The recording steward is T. D. Ward. The Sabbath-school numbers about 100 pupils, and is in charge of Nathaniel Atwood (superintend- ent) and 10 teachers.

The First Baptist Church of Lawton was organized Nov. 11, 1865, in the Lawton school-house, by Rev. E. S. Dunham. Twelve members were on that occasion received into the church, to wit : E. S. Dunham and wife, Thomas Barker and wife, M. D. Williams and wife, John Stearns and wife, Jonathan Baughman and wife, Cynthia Smith, Helen M. Williams. Upon being organized, the church was attached to the Kalamazoo River Association. Rev. Mr. Dunham preached about a year, and was succeeded by Rev. Hezekiah West. Since Mr. West's time the church has been compelled to depend upon supplies. The Rev. Mr. Dunham, now living in Lawton, has been connected with the church since its organization, and has from time to time occupied the pulpit, serving altogether about five years. Mr. Dunham has been an active minister in the Baptist Church in Michigan since 1849, and has only lat- terly retired from the calling. The church membership is now about 60, and although dependence has long been upon supplies, preaching has always been enjoyed at least once each Sabbath. The Sabbath-school is in a flourishing condition, with an average attendance of 70, G. N. Birdsall being the superintendent. The church edifice now used was built in 1867. The officers of the church are Thomas Barker, Deacon ; G. N. Birdsall, Clerk. Mr. Barker has been a deacon since the date of organization.

First Presbyterian Church .- Dec. 15, 1868, Rev. Calvin Clark, a Presbyterian missionary, assisted by Revs. E. F. Toof and William Fuller, organized the First Presbyterian Church of Lawton, at a meeting held in the Methodist Episcopal church of that village. Their first meeting was

1 held in the morning, when 12 members were enrolled, to wit: Daniel Van Antwerp and wife, Harriet Van Antwerp, W. A. Twichell and wife, Theodore Perry and wife, R. S. Griffin and wife, O. G. Badlan and wife, and Mrs. Solo- mon Phillips. At an evening meeting on the same day Mrs. Jeannette Morrill, Mrs. Mary Abbott, James M. Wells, and Geo. W. Lawton and wife were added to the membership. The ceremony of organization closed with the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, administered by Rev. Calvin Clark. Rev. John Kelland was called to be the first minister, and for some time thereafter the congregation grew in strength, but when the Iron Company's works discontinued operations many of the members (who were

employees of the company) moved from the village, and of course their withdrawal checked the church's progress. The organization has, however, prospered fairly, and in- cludes at present a membership of 30. During Mr. Kel- land's time services were held twice each Sunday, while the sessions of the Sabbath-school were held each Sabbath. Preaching is now enjoyed, however, but once a month, Rev. Theodore Marsh, of Paw Paw, supplying the pulpit. The society has never owned a church edifice. A public hall served at first, and later a building purchased by a few members of the society and converted into a chapel was and is still used, in common with members of the Protest- ant Episcopal faith. The church trustees are Freeman Rice and C. M. Morrill.

A Protestant Episcopal Church was organized several years ago in Lawton, but the membership was small, and the organization was discontinued after a brief season. Episcopalians in Lawton have, however, had periodical religious meetings in the village, and have managed to have occasional preaching. Rev. George P. Shetky, of Paw Paw, supplies them with preaching at present, and holds services once every three weeks in the Presbyterian chapel at Lawton.

First Methodist Episcopal Church of Mattawan .- In the absence of the early records of this church the date of the organization of the Mattawan class can only be vaguely given as about 1854. The place of the organization can, however, be stated as the Fitch school-house, north of Mat- tawan, and the name of the first pastor as Rev. Mr. Jones. Worship was held at the Fitch school-house two years, when the place of meetings was transferred to Mattawan. At that time the class was attached to the Lawton Church, and among its members were Lyman Lawrence and wife, Charles Scott and wife, Jacob Ward and wife, - Cobb, James Murray and wife, Raper Ward and wife, Mrs. Merritt Gates, and - - Green. In 1866 the present church edifice was erected, and in 1867 the class was set off from the Lawton circuit. The charge of which Mattawan is a part includes, besides that class, the classes of Almena and West Oshtemo, and has a membership of 117. The class-leader at Matta- wan is Elbridge Reed ; the pastor is Rev. S. C. Woodward ; the trustees, Bryan Stainton, E. B. Wright, David Brown, Philo Reed, Joseph B. Ford, Truman Bailey, and S. C. Hiscock ; the stewards are W. S. Plumb, Elbridge Reed, and Bryan Stanton. Church services, as well as Sabbath- school sessions, are held every Sunday.

First Congregational Church of Mattawan .- At a church council held July 2, 1867, at the house of J. J. Johnson, for the purpose of organizing a Congregational Church in Mattawan, there were present Rev. Anderson, of Augusta ; Rev. E. Strickland, of Dowagiac ; Rev. E. Cleve- land, of Lawrence; Rev. E. Hastings, of Paw Paw; and Rev. W. H. Hubbard, of Schoolcraft. The church was organized, and the following members received : J. J. John- son and wife, W. O. Elmore and wife, Charles Kelsey and wife, Josiah Hopkins and wife, Luther J. Hopkins, Wm. Ward and wife, Milo Ward, Samuel Ward, O. P. Morton and wife, S. N. Mygatt, Louis Hitchcock, A. Kellogg, Mary A. Van Winkle, and Stephen Morton. Josiah Hop- kins and Charles Kelsey were chosen deacons, and the

387

TOWNSHIP OF ANTWERP.

manual of the Kalamazoo Congregational Association was adopted, with a few alterations. The pastors of the church in their order of service are given as follows : Revs. Q. A. McFarland, Thomas Jones, Jonathan Crain, G. Dangra- mond, J. H. Williams, D. W. Comstock, and I. N. Tomes. Upon the organization of the church a Sabbath-school was also formed, and in 1869 a house of worship was built. The church membership, which is now 25, was at one time upwards of 80. Rev. I. N. Tomes, the present pastor, preaches every Sunday. The deacons are W. B. Gorham and W. B. Ward; the trustees, Peter Harwick, W. B. Ward, and Scott Glidden ; and the clerk, W. B. Gorham.

A Close Communion Baptist Church was organized in Mattawan, at the house of N. B. Howell, in 1867, with 18 members. Up to the close of 1878 preaching was supplied from Kalamazoo as often as once every fortnight, and ser- vices were held in the Methodist church, a public hall, the school-house, and other convenient places. The member- ship is now but 10, and since the close of 1878 the mem- bers have not met for public worship.

A Universalist Church was organized in 1873, with 16 members, by Rev. Asa Countryman, a Michigan missionary, at the house of C. D. Van Vechten. Mr. Countryman preached for the church a year, and during the ensuing two years Revs. Jacob Straub and - Mason preached once a month. After that the membership became reduced, and since 1876 no public services have been held.

FRUIT CULTURE.

Four years ago Antwerp township was not esteemed a region peculiarly adapted to the cultivation of such fruits as the peach and grape, and what was done in those depart- ments was upon a very limited scale. At this time, how- ever, the peach and grape culture is one of the important features of the township's industries, and promises more- over to expand in a very important way in the near future. Indeed, this valuable interest seems to be just developing, and among those who are urging it forward the opinion holds, and with much sanguine faith, that the fruit trade of Antwerp and the neighboring country will soon be far greater than at present.

The oldest peach orchard in the township is that of Nathan H. Bitely, who has been marketing the fruit for about twenty years, or since 1860. Mr. Biteley has also one of the largest vineyards in Antwerp. Messrs. L. L. Halstead and L. Baxter have old orchards, but a large ma- jority of those now cultivated are but four years old.

Early in 1878 the fruit-growers in the neighborhood of Lawton moved for the organization of a society which should be devoted to the encouragement of their interests, and in April of that year, accordingly, the Lawton Pomo- logical Society was formed, with N. H. Bitely as President, C. D. Lawton, Secretary, and A. B. Jones, Treasurer. The original membership of 40 has swelled to 50, and, according to the first defined purpose, includes fruit-growers of the townships of Paw Paw, Antwerp, and Porter, although there are also a few members from Decatur. It is estimated that fully 50,000 bearing peach-trees are owned by mem- bers of the society, while their vineyards and beds of small fruits are constantly expanding in area.

Lawton is the shipping-point whence in 1878 between 50,000 and 60,000 baskets of peaches and 30 tons of grapes, besides much other small fruit, were forwarded, Mr. C. Engle, a fruit-grower, of Paw Paw, himself shipping 7000 baskets of peaches. Antwerp is likewise a strong apple-producing region, and in the light of late important progress as a fruit-belt may confidently count upon a valu- able commercial future.

RAILWAYS IN ANTWERP.

The Michigan Central Railway, passing through the township between the east and southwest, was completed in 1848, and created the two flourishing villages of Lawton and Mattawan. The Paw Paw Railroad, connecting the villages of Lawton and Paw Paw, was chartered April 25, 1857, but the company seeking to ignore Lawton by inter- secting the Michigan Central Railroad between Lawton and Mattawan, were by the latter corporation denied the privi- lege, and having thus uselessly expended their capital the company abandoned the undertaking. In November, 1866, there was a reorganization, with an increased capital, and then the line was completed as it now exists.

388

HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

LITTLE

MRS. LYSANDER BATHRICK.

LITTLE

LYSANDER BATHRICK.

LYSANDER BATHRICK

was born May 18, 1812, in the town of Scipio, Cayuga Co., N. Y., and was the seventh in a family of nine chil- dren,-five sons and four daughters. His father, Stephen Bathrick, was born in Massachusetts, May 25, 1778. His mother, Catharine (Bachelor) Bathrick, was also a native of that State, her birth occurring Aug. 28, 1776, and her marriage with Stephen Bathrick being celebrated Dec. 25, 1799. Mr. Bathrick and his wife both died in the State of New York, the former Dec. 24, 1854, and the latter June 29, 1839. Of their family, six members are now living.

Lysander Bathrick passed his youth on his father's farm, after the manner of farmers' sons in those days, attending the winter terms in the district school, and assisting on the homestead through the summer months. After he became of age he hired his services at monthly wages, and with the money thus earned paid for one winter's tuition at Brock- port College. Feb. 20, 1838, he was married to Miss Phebe Salisbury, whose parents, Joseph and Phebe (West- brook) Salisbury, were born in Pennsylvania. She was a native of Monroe Co., N. Y., in which her birth occurred, July 28, 1819. The fruit of this union was four children, Rosina A., born March 9, 1839 ; Miranda A., born June 19, 1842; Pratt L., born May 15, 1848; Burt D., born March 23, 1862. These are all living. In 1841, Mr. Bathrick settled on a farm in Orleans Co., N. Y., and in 1866 sold it and came to Michigan, locating at Battle Creek, Calhoun Co. In 1869 he removed to Antwerp township, Van Buren Co., where his wife died, August

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History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 97

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