USA > Michigan > Calhoun County > History of Calhoun county, Michigan, With Illustrations descriptive of its scenery > Part 54
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77
John Main came from Bergen, Genesee county, New York, in 1837, and settled on section 29, in Clarendon county. He had been out in 1835 and located his land. He lived on his farm until 1869, when he removed to Tekonsha village, where he is now to be found. The first winter he stayed in Clarendon he taught school, and in June, 1838, went back to New York and married, and returned with his wife, who is also yet living. Mr. Main has been connected with the Presbyterian church of Clarendon and Tekonsha ever since its organization.
THE FIRST PHYSICIAN
in Tekonsha was Dr. Ezekiel Allen, who came in 1836. He was a very success- ful practitioner, and became a prominent man in the neighborhood, as the list of township officers will show. Dr. Henry Proctor followed Dr. Allen, becoming the second physician in the place.
Dr. Campbell Waldo came from Cayuga county, New York, about 1833-34, and located a farm in Albion township, near Albion village. He was accompanied by his wife, one son, and four daughters. He lived for some time upon the farm, and then moved into the village, where he was frequently called upon, for consul- tation mainly, in cases of sickness. He was a very successful physician of the allopathic school, and had practiced many years in the State of New York before he came west. He was one of the first physicians who settled in Calhoun County. He built a saw-mill in Eaton county at an early day, and owned some four hun- dred acres of land in its vicinity. He finally purchased the mill-site at Tekonsha, and also became the owner of a considerable portion of the village lots. About 1850 he built the grist-mill now standing, and also started a store, a cooper-shop, and numerous other institutions. He was also interested to some extent in prop- erty in the village of Burlington. After losing his eyesight entirely, he went back to Albion, and died there at the house of his son-in-law, W. V. Morrison, in 1866, aged nearly eighty years. He was the originator of a select school at Tekonsha (in which his son, C. G. Waldo, taught), and was a liberal contributor toward all enterprises for the public good. Before leaving New York he was a member of the lower house of the legislature of that State, and after coming to Michigan was elected to the State senate in the fall of 1849, from the senatorial district comprised by the counties of Calhoun, Eaton, Kalamazoo, and Branch. He also held numerous township offices.
One son was born after the family came to Michigan, and of the six children four are now living in Calhoun County. C. G. Waldo is. a prominent citizen of Tekonsha, and his brother, G. P. Waldo, resides in Marshall, owning also a resi- dence in Tekonsha. He has also been prominently connected with the affairs of the township. One daughter, Rena A. Waldo, now Mrs. Chester Ingersoll, re- sides in Marshall, and another, Melissa, is the wife of William V. Morrison, of Albion. C. G. Waldo, at Tekonsha, is the proprietor of a large addition on the west side of the village, upon which are many elegent residence sites, which are fast becoming valuable. Mr. Waldo lives in the southwest part of town, in a tasty residence, and has been for a long time a prominent character in the village and township, both politically and socially.
Mrs. William H. Kerr, living with her husband two miles west of the village, was born in Windsor, Windsor county, Vermont, May 26, 1818. Her maiden name was Mary Barker. In the fall of 1837 she came with her uncle, Joseph Hemanway, to Tekonsha. They left home the 7th of October, came by team to Troy, from which point they took a packet-boat on the Erie canal to Buffalo, thence by boat to Toledo, and from Toledo to Tekonsha by team, the latter part of the journey occupying five days, and it was necessary to go ahead of the team in many instances, and measure the mud with a pole, before they dared to push
·William H Kim
Mary Kis :.
L
RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM H. KERR, TEKONSHA TP., CALHOUN CO., MICH.
1
1
4
HEMAN J. ELLIS.
JOHN ELLIS.
MRS. JOHN ELLIS.
RESIDENCE OF JOHN ELLIS, TEKONSHA TP., CALHOUN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
149
HISTORY OF CALHOUN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
forward. The family consisted of five persons, including Miss Barker. She is now the only one of them living. She was married to William H. Kerr on the 19th of February, 1840.
When Mr. Hemenway and his family arrived at Tekonsha they went into the " Tekonsha House," then about completed, and kept it for some time for Samuel Hemenway, the proprietor, and brother of Joseph. Joseph Hemenway died in 1853, and his wife in December, 1852.
At one time, Dr. John Greaves, of Marshall, started from Singapore with about fifteen thousand dollars of " wild-cat" money, and on the way out in the stage, a couple of persons, who knew he had it, got off, cut the trunk away from the stage, and rifled it of its contents; coming on to Tekonsha, where they hid the money in the stable of the "Tekonsha House" and "put up" at the hotel. A hog, while rooting around in the barn, happened to uncover the money, and the doctor thus recovered it. He gave Mrs. Joseph Hemenway a hundred dollars of it, and told her to " get rid of it as soon as possible." He also gave consider- able of it away to other persons, because he probably thought he could not use it all himself before it became utterly worthless, and it might do some good if divided up.
Occasionally a drunken or excited Indian would make himself troublesome and frighten the ladies badly. One day an intoxicated savage came into the house, drew a knife, and ejaculated, " White man steal my pony ; me kimapoo you !" (kill you). Miss Barker ran from the house, badly frightened, but the Indian did no further violence.
One of Mrs. Joseph Hemenway's sons, William Logan (by her first husband), served in the Mexican war, and afterwards died while on his way home. Another son, Richard R. Hemenway, died from a disease contracted in the army during the Rebellion. They are all buried in the cemetery on the " windfall," section 29.
WASHINGTON LODGE, NO. 7, F. AND A. M.,
was chartered January 11, 1855, and organized with a small membership. The first officers were Theron Hamilton, W. M .; Oscar L. Coles, S. W .; Andrew Miller, J. W. Their lodge-room is in the frame building built by them in 1867 or 1868, the upper story of which they now own. The present membership is seventy-five (March 28, 1877). Formerly it was one hundred, but a new lodge was formed at Burlington, which took some of them away. The present officers are A. D. Eldred, W. M .; Charles Henderson, S. W. ; John E. Deidrick, J. W .; William Young, Treasurer ; J. M. Failing, Secretary ; C. M. Cogswell, S. D .; S. H. Shedd, J. D .; L. R. Mills, Tyler; A. J. Robinson and William H. Kerr, Stewards; William Young, Chaplain. The lodge-room is neatly fitted up, and the lodge itself is in a flourishing condition, despite the decrease in its membership by the formation of the new lodge at Burlington.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
As early as 1832-33, Methodist itinerants preached in the "Tekonsha charge," some years before Michigan was admitted as a State. Some of the first preachers of this denomination were Revs. Elijah Pilcher, E. Crane, Jonah Zimmerman, Alvin Billings, William Young, John Ercanbrack, David Thomas, and others, whose circuit embraced an area of territory from Jackson county on the east, to nearly one-fourth of Calhoun county on the north, to the State line on the south, including the whole of Branch county, and on the west about one-fourth of St. Joseph county,-about the size of a presiding elder's district at present. The first presiding elder, as early as 1836, was Rev. Henry Colclazer. The circuit was first known as " Coldwater mission," and was afterwards changed to " Burlington cir- cuit," first as a four weeks' and afterwards a two weeks' charge, and connected with Marshall district (Rev. Elijah Crane, P. E.). It was traveled successively by Revs. S. A. Osborn, M. Hickey, I. Bennett, N. Fassit, O. Mason (who died before he came on the charge, October, 1850), I. C. Abbott, T. H. Jacobs, F. S. Root, C. Mosher, and A. A. Dunton, after which it was made a two weeks' charge, and Rev. W. G. Stonix appointed to it. The appointments at this time were Burlington, Clarendon, Tekonsha, Lyon Lake, and Eckford. Mr. Stonix was followed by Revs. I. E. Smith and L. Gee. In 1857, Rev. G. D. Palmer was sent, but was removed by the presiding elder, and Rev. I. Odell appointed as his successor. In 1858, Rev. A. T. Ayres was appointed, but was removed, and Rev. M. I. Smith ap- pointed in his place. In 1859, during the latter's appointment, a new class was formed at South Newton, and the circuit again made a four weeks' charge. Revs. A. Billings and M. M. Steele were appointed, and preached at the following places: Burlington, South Newton, Emmett, Tekonsha, West Girard, Clarendon, Lyon Lake, and Eckford. In 1860 it was changed back to a two weeks' charge, and Rev. J. I. Beal appointed. Rev. S. A. Osborn was again appointed for 1861 and 1862. He died in 1862, and was buried in the Clarendon cemetery. Rev. Mr. Kelso, of Missouri, succeeded him, and supplied the charge the balance of the year. Rev. E. C. Chambers was appointed in 1863, but did not come to the work, and
Rev. Joseph Jennings supplied the charge. In 1864, the name of the charge was changed to Tekonsha, and Rev. R. Sapp appointed. Rev. N. L. Brockway had charge in 1865, and Rev. G. W. Tuthill in 1866-67. At the conference of 1867, the circuit was again divided, and Eckford and Lyon Lake appointments assigned to Marengo charge, leaving Burlington, Tekonsha, and Clarendon as a separate charge. Rev. M. I. Smith was again appointed. During this year (1867) the foundation of the church at Tekonsha was laid, and the building was completed and dedicated December 7, 1869. Its cost was about thirty-one hun- dred and fifty dollars. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. G. B. Jocelyn, D.D. The building is thirty-six by sixty feet in dimensions, and will seat about five hundred people. It is the first one the society has ever erected, meetings being first held in the red school-house, a mile and a half north of town, in the school-house in the village, and in the old town hall. When the church at Tekonsha was built the old church in Clarendon was abandoned, and is now offered for sale, while its congregation joined the one at Tekonsha.
Rev. James W. Reid was appointed September 15, 1869; Rev. C. H. Ellis came next, September 13, 1870. The pastors since Mr. Ellis have been Revs. A. H. Gillett, I. R. A. Wightman, Aaron Hunsberger, M. S. Merritt, G. C. Draper, and E. L. Kellogg, the latter being the present pastor. The present membership of the Tekonsha congregation is one hundred and twenty-eight. When the church was originally organized it had a very small membership. The present appoint- ments on the charge are Tekonsha and Lyon Lake, the latter congregation having a beautiful church on section 23, in Fredonia township.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
was organized March 24, 1847, by Rev. Lewis Mills, a delegate from the pres- bytery of Marshall. Mr. Mills became the first pastor, and gave one-half his time to the church at Tekonsha, and the other half to the one in Clarendon. The Tekonsha congregation organized with eight members, as follows : George H. French and Sarah D. French, his wife (now of Homer), Simeon Owen and Eliza his wife, Erastus Allen, Sarah D. Southworth (now of Marshall), Duncan Mc Vane, and David Owen. The Clarendon church afterwards merged into the one at Tekonsha.
Mr. Mills preached about one year, and was followed by Rev. Justin Marsh, who had charge about four years, and was succeeded by Rev. Samuel Sessions, who came in 1851. March 25, 1855, Rev. A. W. Bushnell was installed pastor, and was followed by Rev. James Walker, February 21, 1858. July 3, 1868, Rev. E. Roke took charge, and stayed but a few months. Rev. W. W. Collins was installed January 2, 1869, and afterwards died. March 1, 1871, Rev. James Dubuar came, and preached for the congregation about nine months. Rev. Archibald M. Shaw took charge April 13, 1872, and was followed December 5, 1874, by Rev. Alfred Bryant. The present pastor, Rev. Peter McMartin, came in July, 1875, and took charge of the congregation on the 2d of October of that year. The membership on the 1st of April, 1877, was seventy-six.
A Sabbath-school has been kept up from the organization of the church. Its first superintendent was John Main. At different times it has possessed libraries, but at present papers are taken instead.
The congregation first held meetings in an old store fitted up for the purpose, which was also used by other denominations, although the property belonged to the Presbyterians. The frame church now standing was built in 1853, at a cost of something over a thousand dollars. It is surmounted by a spire, and will comfortably seat about two hundred and fifty persons.
THE REGULAR BAPTIST CHURCH
of Tekonsha was organized July 19, 1838, with the following members : A. N. Bradley, William Doolittle, Hermonia Chandler, Asinah Tyler, Huldah Crippin, Permelia Stone, Phoebe Dean, Sallie Bradley, Mary Eldridge, Rev. John South- worth, Polly Henry, William Cooper, Deborah Cooper, Malina Rogers, Oliver Southworth, Ruth Rogers, Mrs. H. Bartlett, Sylvanus Hemenway, Benjamin F. Rood, Oliver Olney, Phebe Shedd, Lydia Annis, Samuel Fuller, Polly Fuller, Olive Southworth, Robert Rowley, Mary Olney, Sarah Fengle, Rev. John S. Twist, Desire Twist, Christina Johnson, Elias Wood, Eli Stone, Jonathan Holt, Oliver Holt, Sophronia Enos, Harrison Loomis, Phebe Loomis, Amy Bidwell, George Brace, Amanda Brace,-total forty-one.
The first church clerk was A. N. Bradley. The present clerk is Harvey Ran- dall, to whom we are indebted for the items regarding this church.
The pastors have been as follows : Revs. John H. Southworth, George Warren, Mr. Bronson, John S. Twist, John Withall, Mr. Burrows, S. E. Perring, John Seage (?), Thomas Robinson, H. C. Beals, Mr. Prentice, A. M. Buck, John Fer- ris, J. H. Crooker, J. W. Wynant, J. P. Hunter, and the present pastor, J. H. Crooker, a second time in charge.
The frame church now standing was dedicated May 25, 1870. It is thirty-
150
HISTORY OF CALHOUN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
eight by sixty-one feet in dimensions, surmounted by a tasty spire, and cost thirty- seven hundred and forty-nine dollars and sixty-three cents. The present member- ship is in the neighborhood of one hundred and twenty-five or thirty.
A FREE-WILL BAPTIST SOCIETY
was organized May 10, 1869, with twenty-six members. The first pastor was Rev. F. P. Auguer, and the first deacons Noah Dean and Nelson Williams. Meetings were held a short time, but no church was built, and finally the organi- zation was allowed to run down to such a degree that it at last disbanded, and at present no meetings are held by that denomination.
The church buildings of Tekonsha are tasty and ornamental structures, and their spires are the first objects seen on approaching the village. The fine brick school building, the elegant residences, and the substantial business blocks are all evidences of thrift and enterprise among her citizens. The town is growing rapidly on the north, and will soon be built up continuously as far north as the railroad.
Before the organization of the Presbyterian church in Clarendon township, a CONGREGATIONAL church had been organized, probably about 1834-35, with a small membership. It only existed a few years, however, and finally merged into the Presbyterian.
EARLY SETTLERS, ETC.
Ranodyne Shedd was born in Plymouth, Windsor county, Vermont, and left that State when about sixteen years of age, and came to Warren county, New York, locating near Lake George. In the spring of 1835 he came to Michigan, staying through the summer in Marengo township, Calhoun County, and remov- ing in the fall to Tekonsha. In the spring of 1836 he located land just south of the village. When he came he was accompanied by his wife and one child, a daughter. They lived for some time in the village, in which Mr. Shedd had built the second log house. He now lives east of the town on section 26, where he owns a large farm, which he has become the possessor of after long years of hard labor, and is comfortably well off in this world's goods. He is the father of eleven children, of whom seven are now living, all in Tekonsha township except one son, whose home is in Girard, Branch county.
When Mr. Shedd came through from New York he brought his family and household effects in a wagon, drawn by a team of horses, and came all the way by land via northern Ohio. The trip occupied five weeks, as the roads in many places were exceedingly bad.
At the first election held in Tekonsha, Mr. Shedd was elected justice of the peace, but failed to qualify. A young man named Walter North, not aware of that fact, went to him with Miss Amanda Wilder for the purpose of getting married, but as Mr. Shedd could not legally perform the ceremony, they went to Homer, twelve miles away, and were married by Milton Barney, Esq. The first marriage which was consummated in Tekonsha township was that of Alexander C. McCreary and Eliza Dean, which occurred during the winter of 1836-37. Levi Merrifield and Samantha Smith were married at nearly the same time.
The first white child born in the township was George R., a son of Ranodyne Shedd, and lived to be about eighteen years old. His birth occurred probably in 1836. The next white child was Robert Gleason.
The first death was that of the wife of Oliver Matteson. Mr. Matteson was a native of Bennington county, Vermont, but afterwards lived in Genesee county, New York. In 1834 he settled the farm, on section 28, now owned by S. S. Granger.
John J. James came at the same time, and located on the place which is now the property of Rufus Osborn, on section 29. Mr. James afterwards removed to the village. He was originally from New Jersey.
Up to the year 1835 the township remained sparsely settled, but during that year numbers came in, locating principally in the southern part, seeming to prefer the valley of the St. Joseph to the higher lands on the north. They made a wise choice, as the appearance of the country in which they reside to-day will testify. The land west of Tekonsha village was originally covered with heavy timber, but a terrible storm at some time previous to its settlement had prostrated most of the timber, and the track of it is still known as the " windfall."
John Kerr came originally from Monmouth county, New Jersey, and in 1831 located at Rochester, Monroe county, New York. Moved afterwards to Byron, Genesee county, and in June, 1835, came from that place to Michigan. Four sons and one daughter accompanied him, the eldest, William H. Kerr, being then twenty-three years of age. He was born in Monmouth county, New Jersey, Sep- tember 13, 1811. When the family came from New York they made the trip from Byron to Buffalo by team, and thence by boat to Detroit. Leaving Detroit by team, they brought their goods as far as Dearborn, where they became obliged to leave part of them on account of bad roads. William Kerr says he "made a
pleasure trip back for them afterwards with an ox-team." The famous Cottonwood swamp, which was the terror of emigrants, is said to have contained but one mud- hole, but that was the entire extent of the swamp! The Kerrs followed the old Chicago turnpike as far as Coldwater, Branch county, and thence came by section lines direct to the village of Tekonsha. At that time the trees along the old " Terri- torial road" were marked with the letter " H" for highway, in order that travelers might not lose their way. This road had but just been laid out west of the Clar- endon township line, and a few teams had been through, and made a track. At that time there were very few settlers between Homer, or Barneyville, as it was then called, and Union City, and only three of them in Tekonsha,-Timothy Kimball, on the site of the village, and Oliver Matteson and John J. James on the west. In Clarendon and Burlington townships there were more. These were on the route taken by the " Territorial road."
When William H. Kerr arrived in the township with his father and the rest of the family, he was possessed of a wagon and fifty cents in money ! He afterwards sold the wagon to John Stevens for forty-five dollars, borrowed six dollars extra of him, and with the amount started for Kalamazoo, and in the land-office there located the forty-acre lot on which he now resides, it being the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 29. He only secured this forty by quick work, as another party, knowing Kerr had his eye upon it, started to locate it himself. Mr. Kerr heard of it, and by walking night and day got in ahead, and secured his land. This was in July, 1835. Mr. Kerr has since purchased con- siderable land in the neighborhood, and although having been once burned out is now living in a neat residence on the old place, and is happy and contented. February 19, 1840, he was married to Miss Mary Barker.
After he located his land a log house was built, in which the family lived for seven years. For the improvements which John Kerr made his son William gave him one hundred and sixty acres of land in Kalamazoo county, to which he after- wards removed. He and his wife both died at their son's residence, John Kerr's death occurring February 28, 1859, at the age of seventy-seven years, and his wife's (Margaret Kerr) January 12, 1864, when she had reached the age of nearly seventy-eight years. A son, John D. Kerr, died September 20, 1852.
William H. Kerr prepared the timber for the old Smith & Goodrich saw-mill at Tekonsha, helped dig the race, and worked in the mill. He also prepared the timber for the Waldo grist-mill, built in 1850. He made the first grain-cradle in the township, and did the first turning.
Among the numerous settlers who came into the township this year were Luther Wilder, Lewis and Levi Merrifield, Horace Merriman, H. C. Lee, Lewis Fuller, Elisha Russell, John Smith, Lewis Gleason, John B. Robbins, Eli and E. J. Stone, and Daniel and Luther Walling.
In the spring of 1836 Rufus and Cornelius Osborn came from Rochester, New York, with a team of horses, being fourteen days on the way,-eleven from Ro- chester to Detroit, and three from Detroit to Marshall, at which latter place they arrived May 3, 1836. On the 4th they came to Tekonsha and looked out their lands. Cornelius then took a horse and started for Bronson, via Marshall, to lo- cate their places. On the 7th of May they bought a plow and went to their farm, where, on the 8th, they began breaking up land. On the 8th of February, 1837, Rufus Osborn, with his widowed mother and three sisters, removed to the farm on which he now resides, on section 29. Cornelius Osborn is now living in California.
Parley Dean came from near Penn Yann, Yates (then Ontario) county, New York, in 1835, leaving home the last day of September. He brought with him his wife and five children, three sons and two daughters. The family arrived in Michigan in October, and during the succeeding winter lived in Lima, Washte- naw county. In March, 1836, Mr. Dean came to Calhoun County, and hired Eli Stone to build him a log house on the place where he now lives. In July of the same year he moved his family from Lima, and settled on the place. He purchased three eighties of government land on section 20. He had served a year in the war of 1812, being with the troops "along the line" in the neighborhood of Buffalo, New York. For nearly twenty years he and his family lived in the log house which was first built. At present he lives with his wife in a frame house built in 1849. Mr. Dean was eighty-five years old on the 18th of Octo- ber, 1876, and Mrs. Dean passed her eighty-fifth birthday January 15, 1877. Their children are all living except the oldest son, Nelson Dean, who died April 30, 1870. All the rest except one daughter, Elizabeth, reside in Tekonsha township. It is indeed a rare occurrence to meet with a couple as aged as are Mr. and Mrs. Dean, who have for so many weary years braved the storms of life together. Never, probably, has each grown old in the sight of the other; and with an almost equal number of sunsets upon their heads, they linger yet in the land to which they came forty-one years ago. They have lived to a ripe old age, and calmly await the coming of the "reaper, whose name is Death," to gather them to their ancestors who have passed to the "other side." Their lives have
S. S. GRANGER
MRS. S.S. GRANGER
MARSH HARVESTE
RESIDENCE OF S.S. GRANGER , TEKONSHA TP, CALHOUN CO., MICH.
NELSON DEAN
MRS. MARY E. DEAN.
RESIDENCE OF MRS. NELSON DEAN, TEKONSHA TP, CALHOUN CO, MICH.
.
151
HISTORY OF CALHOUN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
been useful ones, and may the closing scene be attended with the peace which they have earned.
The farm now owned by J. B. Bliss was settled in 1836 by David Watson, who, with his father and his brother William, all located in the township. The Watsons were from Wayne county, New York, and David and William were both married when they came to Tekonsha. David Watson and family now live in Albion township.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.