USA > Michigan > Cass County > History of Cass county, Michigan > Part 23
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WILLIAM J. KELSEY M. D.
RESIDENCE OF HON. JOHN B. SWEETLAND M. D. EDWARDSBURG, MICH.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
when he reached the plains, and was free from it until he came East upon a visit. He returned to the Pacific Slope, and now resides at Los Angelos, Cal.
POKAGON AND SUMNERVILLE.
The physicians at present residing at Pokagon are Dr. C. P. Wells, Dr. Charles A. Morgan and Dr. John Robertson. Dr. Henry Leeder (now deceased) formerly practiced in the vicinity, residing between Pokagon Village and Sumnerville. Dr. James Leeder now resides at the latter place.
Dr. John Robertson was born in the town of Ar- gyle, Washington Co., N. Y., September 25, 1820. In 1835, he moved, with his parents, to Onondaga County, of the same State, and, in 1844, commenced reading medicine with Dr. Isaac Morrell, in that county. He attended the Medical Institution at Pitts- field, Mass., and graduated at Castlets, Vt. In the summer of 1848, he came to Michigan, and settled in Sumnerville, where he practiced his profession for ten years very successfully. In 1850, he bought property in what is now the village of Pokagon, and built the residence where he still resides. He has had an ex- tensive practice, but has been compelled recently to abandon it, because of failing health. It has been said of Dr. Robertson, by a friend: "Whenever his patrons or strangers required his aid, he never refused to go, no matter how dark and stormy the night, how bad the roads or whether the mercury stood a hundred degrees above or thirty below zero."
Charles P. Wells was born in Conquest, Cayuga Co., N. Y., May 26, 1834, and came, with his parents, Jonathan and Sylvia P. Wells, to Niles, Mich., in June, 1835. They soon after purchased land previously entered by Arthur Johnson, on which was four or five acres of "slashing," and a log cabin, situated one and a half miles east of Niles and near "Yankee street," in Section 31, Howard Township, Cass County. There they settled, and, in 1836, erected the third frame dwelling in the township, and remained for many years. The subject of this sketch entered upon the study of medicine November 1, 1852, in the office of the late Dr. Joel Loomis, of Niles, and completing the usual course of study under his preceptor and at the medical college, graduated at Cincinnati, Ohio, May 13, 1856, and during the following summer, en- gaged in the practice of his profession at Plymouth, Ind., and, after several seasons of travel, mostly in the Northern States and Territories, came to Pokagon in November, 1865, and, associated with. A. L. Abbott, a merchant of the place, opened the first drug store ever kept in the village, of which he subsequently became sole proprietor, and has continued the business unin- terruptedly, in connection with his practice, and may
be counted the oldest and only dealer remaining in any branch of trade that was here when he came. May 21, 1870, he was married to Josephine V., daughter of Benjamin Curtis, of Berrien, Berrien Co., Mich.
Dr. Charles A. Morgan, born in Wales in the year 1841, came with his parents to Michigan in 1848, and the family settled in Cass County, near its west- ern border. He worked upon his father's farm until 1861, when he entered the army. Ile served until the close of the war, and was taken prisoner at the battle of Pittsburg Landing. Soon after the close of the war, he attended Kalamazoo College, where he studied until 1868, in which year he entered the office of Drs. Bonine & Dougan, in Niles, and began to read medi- cine. He graduated from the Medical Department of the State University in 1871, and established himself in practice at Sumnerville soon afterward.
ADAMSVILLE.
Henry Follett, one of the earliest and most noted medical men of Cass County, was born in Eastern New York November 5, 1789; went to Cayuga County at an early age ; studied medicine with Dr. Pitney, of Auburn, and served under him in the war of 1812, as assistant surgeon, being stationed at Niagara. He commenced the practice of medicine after the war, near Weedsport, Cayuga Co., N. Y., and soon afterward moved into Weedsport. He was married on the 26th of February, 1816, to Mary Wells.
In 1836, he started with the family, consist- ing of his wife and six children, for the far West, journeying from Niagara through Upper Canada to Detroit, and thence to Adamsville, in this county, arriving in the latter part of Angust. He at once commenced the practice of his profession ; in 1838, moved onto a farm a mile and a half east of Adams- ville, and there continued practice until his death, which occurred December 14, 1849.
BROWNSVILLE.
Dr. Phineas Gregg, of Brownsville, was born in Ross County, Ohio, on the 31st of March, 1800. He has been a life-long member of the Society of Friends. In 1812, the family moved to Knox County, in the above State, and Phineas was there married, in 1827, to Lydia Carpenter, who was born in Vermont in 1806. They moved to Logan County in 1834, and thence to Brownsville, Cass Co., Mich., in the year 1848, where they are both still living at this writing. The Doctor commenced the practice of medicine on botanic principles in Ohio, but since coming to Michi- gan took up the Eclectic system.
K
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
JONES.
Thomas L. Blakeley, of Newberg (Jones' Station), was born in Niagara County, N. Y., July 5, 1839. When a small boy, the family removed to Huntington County, Ind., where his parents died. In 1857, he removed to Vandalia, Cass County, where he lived un- til 1861, when he enlisted in Company E, Eleventh Regiment, Michigan Volunteer Infantry. In 1865, he returned from the war and located in Buchanan, Ber- rien County, where he married, July 1, 1866, Mary J. Batchelar. They removed to Nicholsville, in this county, in 1869, and there the Doctor began the practice of medicine in accordance with the Eclectic system. In 1872, they removed to their present home, Jones' Station. Dr. Blakley was the first physician who located there. In 1873, he opened a drug store, which he carries on in connection with his practice. He was elected Justice of the Peace on the ticket of the National Greenback party in 1879.
WILLIAMSVILLE.
Otis Moor was born at St. Joseph, Mich., July 12, 1847. He moved with his parents to Chicago in 1852, married Miss Mary Conkey, of that city, in 1866 ; graduated from the Rush Medical College in 1872, moved to Williamsville, Cass County, in the same year, and has since continued to practice there. Dr. Moor has been twice elected as Justice of the Peace, and is at present Superintendent of Schools of Porter Township.
MARCELLUS.
H. Carbine has been in practice since 1871, when he came from Decatur, and has had considerable suc- cess. In partnership with him is F. Grant, a gradu- ate of the State University, who has been in the village about a year.
C. E. Davis came to Cass County in 1861, from Huron County, Ohio, where he was born in 1846. His father's family settled in Howard Township. Dr. Davis enlisted, February 22, 1864, in Company A, of the Twelfth Michigan Infantry, in which he served two years. He studied medicine with Dr. A. J. Mead, of Niles, and began practice in the spring of 1869. In 1871, he went to Philadelphia, and took a two years' course of lectures in the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1873. In the following year he located at Marcellus.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE PRESS.
First Newspaper Published in Cassopolis-The National Democrat and the Vigilant-History of the Dowagiac Press-The Republican and the Times-Papers in Edwardsburg-Marcellus-Vandalia.
CASSOPOLIS.
"THE first newspaper established in the county was
the Cass County Advocate, the first number of which was issued March 11, 1845. It was a small but well-printed sheet, issued as a weekly, and bore at the column head the name of E. A. Graves, who was editor and proprietor. In politics it was Demo- cratic. Abram Townsend purchased the paper in 1846, but failed to build it up to a prosperous condi- tion. In 1850, it fell into the hands of Ezekiel S. Smith, Esq., who removed it the same year to Do- wagiac.
The National Democrat was established by a stock company in 1850, and the first number published March 17. George B. Turner was the first editor of this journal, and conducted it with ability, making a lively, spicy paper, which nevertheless did not lack solidity of character and dignity of journalistic tone. H. C. Shurter was the publisher for the company. In the spring or summer of 1854, the paper was pur- chased by G. S. Bouton, who sold out to W. W. Van Antwerp upon September 5, of the same year. While the paper was owned by Mr. Van Antwerp, it was edited by Daniel Blackman, Esq., now of Chicago. In 1858, the original stock company again became the owners of the Democrat, and employed Blackman as editor and H. B. Shurter as publisher. During the next three years, the office was not in as prosperous condition as was desirable, and in 1861 it came under the Sheriff's hammer. The purchasers were Pleasant Norton, D. M. Howell and Maj. Joseph Smith. It was transferred by them to L. D. Smith, who managed it during the first two years of the war. In March, 1863, it again became the property of Messrs. Norton, Howell & Smith, and for a short time was edited by Maj. Smith. C. C. Allison had been employed as publisher in 1862, and upon May 5, 1863, bought the property. He has since been its owner, and has personally edited the paper and managed the office. The Democrat, under his control, has been enlarged and improved from time to time, and made a valuable, local news- paper, as well as a political factor of much influence. The Democrat has always been an advocate of those principles which its name would indicate.
An ephemeral and unremunerative journalistic en- terprise was inaugurated in 1846, in the publication of the Literary News. This paper was a small sheet, devoted, during its short existence, to social gossip and humor.
HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY. MICHIGAN.
107
The Cassopolis Vigilant was established as a Re- publican newspaper on the 16th of May, 1872, D. B. Harrington and M. H. Barber being its projectors. It was purchased by C. L. Morton and W. H. Mans- field, on the 28th of February, 1873, and in July, of the same year, Mr. Mansfield became the sole pro- prietor. He continued the publication alone until 1876, when he associated with himself James M. Shepard. This gentleman, in 1878, purchased Mr. Mansfield's interest, and has since that time managed the paper alone. The Vigilant, has been and is a live, cleanly, well edited newspaper, and it receives the hearty support of the people of Cass County.
DOWAGIAC .*
The first paper published in Dowagiac was one re- moved from Cassopolis, by the proprietor, Ezekiel S. Smith, in 1850. It was called the Cass County Ad- vocate. The building containing the office was situ- ated on Front street, nearly opposite the northern terminus of Beeson street. Mr. Smith soon disposed of his interest to L. P. Williams, who changed its title to Dowagiac Times and Cass County Republican. In 1854, Mr. Williams returned from a short busi- ness trip to find the building containing the office de- stroyed by fire. He made no effort to resurrect the paper, and abandoned the field.
In 1854, Mr. James L. Gantt established the Dowagiac Tribune, and continued its publication until 1859, when he sold the good will of the office to W. H. Campbell. During the previous year, W. H. Campbell and N. B. Jones had established another newspaper entitled the Republican, and the last- named paper now occupied the field without op- position. Mr. Gantt removed his printing material to Mackinaw, published a paper there a short time, and finally removed to Baltimore, Md. The cause which led to the establishment and final success of the Republican was, that the course of the Tribune be- came very distasteful to the Republicans of the county, and in January, 1858, a meeting of the county officers and leading Republicans was called to con- sider the matter. Overtures were made to Mr. Gantt to either dispose of the paper or to allow a committee to select an editor, in which case the expense would be paid, but all offers were rejected. It was then de- cided to establish another paper which would more clearly represent the views of the party. Thereupon, negotiations were entered into with Jones & Camp- bell, of Jackson, Mich., and the Republican was es- tablished. The co-partnership continued but three months, when Mr. Jones retired. The committee which was instrumental in establishing the Republican
consisted of Justus Gage, Jesse G. Beeson, W. G. Beckwith, Joshua Lofland and William Sprague, of Kalamazoo. The last-named gentleman had pre- viously represented the district in Congress, and was then engaged in business in Dowagiac. Mr. Camp- bell continued the publication of the Republican until January, 1865, when Mr. Charles A. Smith pur- chased the office and published the paper for a period of about two years. While the paper was under Mr. Smith's administration, it continued to prosper, was ably edited, and, being the official organ of the county, was well patronized. It still maintained the old-time out-and-out Republican principles, and did every- thing in its power to aid the Union cause during the dark days of the rebellion. It was a journal of wide- spread influence, and an advocate upon which the party could with safety depend. Mr. Smith was quite
REPUBLICAN HEJOBO> PRINTING OFFICE
REPUBLICAN
BAKER-CO.
young at the time, being but little more than twenty- one years of age, but having learned his trade in the same office, and having studied the desires and pecu- liarities of the citizens of the county, and, being withal, a firm and unflinching advocate of Republican princi- ples, managed to furnish his readers with a good, sound, local paper. Mr. Joseph B. Clarke, a promi- nent lawyer, and yet a resident of the city, and a brother of "Grace Greenwood," frequently con- tributed political articles which were highly appre- ciated by the readers of the paper. He was a man of great talent, and his writings always had the same painstaking precision which characterize his legal practice, in which profession he was a jurist whom few equal and fewer excel. Mr. Smith, wishing to engage in another branch of business, disposed of the office to Mr. Jesse J. Roe, of Buchanan, Mich., who retained the same but a few weeks, when he sold the
*The history of the Dowagiac press le by Mr. O. J. Greenleaf.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
concern to its founder, Mr. Campbell. Mr. Roe was not a practical printer, and knew little about the business, which was doubtless the cause of his retire- ment after three weeks' experience. Mr. Smith is at present, we understand, residing in Chicago, having been a resident of that city some dozen years. Soon after his arrival in that city, he became editor of the Real Estate and Building Journal, and in one year became half-owner of the same concern. He was con- nected with the Journal as its editor four years in all. It was a large twenty-four-page paper. He is, we believe, now engaged as proof-reader for the large printing house of Culver, Page, Hoyne & Co.
In 1868, the paper was sold to H. C. Buffington, under whose management the name and politics remained unchanged. Mr. Campbell later removed to Minneapolis, Minn., where he still resides. He was a practical printer and formerly worked on the Lockport (N. Y.) Democrat.
Mr. Buffington continued the publication of the Republican until September of 1875, when it was purchased by Richard Holmes and C. J. Greenleaf. Mr. Holmes was a practical printer of many years' experience, he having once owned half-interest in the La Porte (Ind.) Herald, and he had also served Mr. Buffington some years as foreman of the office. Mr. Greenleaf had been a resident of the village some years, and had acquired a local repute as a writer of some ability.
About a year after Mr. Buffington had retired from the Republican, he again entered the newspaper field by the purchase of the Van Buren County Republican, located at Decatur. By the influence of influential politicians, he was appointed Consul at Chatham, Can., which office he still holds. Under the management of Holmes & Greenleaf, the Republican paid much atten- tion to purely local matters, and was fairly successful. In August, 1880, Mr. Holmes disposed of his interest in the office to his partner, and in the next month Mr. Greenleaf sold the office to Mr. R. N. Kellogg, of Ellsworth, Kan. Of the former proprietors, Mr. Holmes formed a co-partnership with Mr. Kellogg, under the firm name of Kellogg & Holmes, but soon retired, and again resumed work before the case as foreman of an office. Mr. Greenleaf turned his whole attention to the photographic trade, in which he had been engaged many years. Mr. Kellogg had been engaged for some years in the publication of the Ellsworth (Kan.) Times, but hearing of the lively little city in Michigan, he sold out and determined to locate there. Under his management the name was changed from the Cass County Republican to the Dowagiac Republican, and the paper changed from a seven-column folio to a six-column quarto. It has
recently been changed back to a seven-column quarto.
Mr. Buffington purchased the Van Buren Repub- lican of Mr. W. M. Wooster, who then turned his eyes longingly on the journalistic field at Dowagiac. He therefore purchased the material of the Lawrence Advertiser, and removed it to Dowagiac. September 1, 1880, he issued the first number of the Dowagiac Times. The paper claimed to be independent in poli- tics, but before the experiment became an assured success, Mr. Wooster met with a severe accident on the railroad, inflicting such injuries that he was forced to abandon his work. On March 15, 1881, the mate- rial and good will were purchased by Mr. A. M. Moon, of the Marcellus News. Mr. Moon had been pub- lishing the News for nearly four years, and, moving part of the material to the Dowagiac office, he contin- ued the publication of the Times, changing its politics from Independent to Democratic. Careful attention is paid to local news, and the enterprise promises a fair degree of success. It is a five-column quarto in size.
Among the more ephemeral ventures in the Dowa- giac journalistic field might be mentioned a paper called the Herald, published by Samuel N. Gantt soon after the commencement of the rebellion. The sol- diers demanded its suppression, and its editor, deem- ing discretion the better part of valor, announced its suspension by order of Gen. Burnside.
The Monitor, started in 1875 by C. W. Bailey, had a short and deservedly unsuccessful career of a few months only. The first daily ever issued here was, on Monday evening, April 22, 1861, by William H. Campbell. Only a few numbers were issued. November 11, 1879, Ward Brothers, of Port Huron, started the Cass County Daily News. It was a little leaflet about 14x20 inches in size, and expired after a troubled existence of eighty-nine days.
EDWARDSBURG.
The publication of a newspaper was commenced in this village, by M. M. Edminston, December 3, 1874. It was called the Edwardsburg Index, and the first issue was printed in Mishawaka, Ind. This paper was suspended September 25, 1875, and the portable property of the office, together with the proprietor, disappeared suddenly. The Index has been described as "neutral in politics and destitute of religion." William A. Shaw began the publication of the Ed- wardsburg Argus October 5, 1875, and, not long after, If. B. Davis became its editor. He sold out to F. M. Jerome. The paper continued to be neutral in politics until 1878, when Jerome formed a partnership with G. F. Bugbee, and it was made a supporter of Democracy. Dr. John B. Sweetland took charge
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
of the paper February 6, 1879, since which time it has " been neutral in nothing, independent in every- thing." It has been liberally sustained, both by sub- scription and advertising patronage, and deservedly, for it has been a well-conducted local newspaper.
MARCELLUS.
The first newspaper in this village was the Messen- ger, started, in 1874, by S. D. Perry. The paper was not remarkably successful, and the material used for its printing and publication soon passed into the hands of the Goodspeed Brothers, of Volinia. They re- sumed the issuance of the paper, under the name of the Marcellus Standard, with R. C. Nash as manager. The Standard passed over to the silent majority of local papers in August, 1876.
Upon July 13, 1879, A. M. Moon brought out the first issue of the Marcellus News. It was established as an independent journal, but, eight months later, made an organ of the Greenback party. In March, 1881, Mr. Moon removed to Dowagiac, taking the machinery and material of the News, and purchased the Dowagiac Times, which he has since conducted. Mr. Moon had quite a large experience in newspaper making before coming to Cass County, having been connected with the Lawton (Mich.) Tribune, with the Bee Keepers' Journal and Agriculturist, with his father, establishing Moon's Bee World at Rome, Ga., and holding a position, more recently, on the Bee Keepers' Journal, published by H. A. King, in New York.
The News, at present published in Marcellus, and a bright, newsy sheet, was established by C. C. Alli- son, proprietor of the Cassopolis National Democrat, upon December 24, 1881, and is now published by Messrs. Allison & Parker.
VANDALIA.
The Vandalia Journal was first issued June 14, 1881, by William A. De Groot, an old and expe- rienced printer, who had started a paper of the same name at Constantine in 1876, and subsequently re- moved to White Pigeon, where he remained in busi- ness until coming here. The Vandalia Journal was established as a six-column folio, and soon afterward made a five-column quarto. -
CHAPTER XVII.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD AND THE KENTUCKY RAID.
The two Lines of the Underground Railroad which formed a Junction in Cass County-Station Agents and Conductors-Their Methods Sples sent out from Kentucky to find Fugitive Slaves-Kidoapers foiled in Calhoun County-Warnings sent by Friends to the Cass County Colored Colonies-Raid of the Kentuckians in August, 1847-Incidents-The Raiders' Plans frustrated by the Aboli- tionists and other Friends-Riot and Bloodshed narrowly Es- caped-" Nigger Bill" Jones, the Baptist Minister and the Negro Baby - Excited Condition of the Public Mind - Legal Pro- ceedings In Cassopolis-Negroes discharged from Custody and Spirited away to ('anada-Suit against the Fugitives' Friends by the Kentuckians.
T THE so-called Kentucky raid, which grew out of the workings of the " Underground Railroad," was a very unique and interesting episode in the his- tory of Cass County, and one which produced some far-reaching results.
The Underground Railroad, as it has been happily called, from the dark, mysterious nature of its opera- tions, was organized and carried on by a few hundred, or perhaps thousands, of earnest philanthopists, scattered through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois- and Michi- gan. Its founders and operators were men who en- tertained a firm conviction that human slavery was a sin, and that it should, therefore, be combated. They assisted many thousand fugitive slaves in their journey toward the north star and freedom. The railroad which afforded transportation to the poor blacks, was one of many ramifications, a vast system of routes, each one of which extended from some point on the border of the Slave States to the Canada line. Two of these routes, one from the Ohio River and the other from the Mississippi, formed a junction in Cass County. The first of these was known as the " Quaker line," and the other as the " Illinois line." Of the latter, John Cross was the projector. It was put into opera- tion in 1842. The " Quaker line," so called because almost entirely managed by the Quaker settlers in Indiana and Michigan, was opened to travel prior to 1840. Every Quaker settlement along the line was a station. At all of them were afforded rest, refresh- ment and that retirement from publicity which was always grateful to the colored traveler.
In Cass County, the houses of Ishmael Lee, Stephen Bogue, Zachariah Shugart and Josiah Osborn (all Quakers), were stations of much importance. W. S. Elliott, conductor, brought fugitive slaves through to these men from L. P. Alexander, agent at Niles, and they were sent onward toward Canada by way of Flowerfield, in St. Joseph County, and Schoolcraft, in Kalamazoo County. William Wheeler was the agent at the former, and Dr. Nathan M. Thomas at the latter station. William Jones, of Calvin, known as "Nigger Bill," and Wright Modlin, of Williams-
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
ville, were famous " nigger runners," and made fre- quent trips to the Ohio River, and sometimes to Kentucky soil, for the purpose of assisting and guid- ing fugitives to freedom. The number of runaway slaves who passed through Cass County, prior to 1848, and who were given aid in one way or another by the Abolitionists, was probably not less than fifteen hundred. Dr. Thomas, of Schoolcraft, estimated that he had assisted at least a thousand upon their way, and he by no means received all who journeyed through this county.
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