USA > Michigan > Cass County > History of Cass county, Michigan > Part 43
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THE DISASTROUS FIRES OF 1864 AND 1866.
On the 2d day of January, 1864-during one of the severest and coldest snow-storms ever known in this latitude-a devastating fire occurred, destroying over one-half of the business portion of the town. It was first discovered in a two-story frame build- ing owned by Wells II. Atwood. The lower story was occupied by Andrews & Cooper as a grocery store, the upper by T. J. Martin, as a barber shop. Here the fire was first seen, and it was supposed to have originated from a defective chimney. The wind was blowing a gale at the time, and the flames soon spread to the adjoining buildings. The property de- stroyed by the fire was estimated at from $30,000 to $35,000. The fire engine was rendered almost use- less from freezing. and before it could be put in work- ing order every building between the southeast corner of Commercial and Front streets and Huntington's drug store, at the intersection of Becson street, were burned to the ground. The buildings destroyed were as follows : The building in which the fire originated -two-story frame ; a two-story frame building owned and occupied by D. Larzelere & Co., with dry goods, groceries, etc. ; building valued at $3,000; no insur- ance; a two-story building occupied by Mr. Sturgis as a dry goods store, building owned by a gentleman in New York ; valued at $3,500; no insurance. Next door north of Mr. Sturgis' store was a small structure, occupied by Henry Michael as a gun shop. This was pulled down as was also a small structure next door north. The razing of these two buildings
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and active exertions of the citizens with wet blankets prevented the further spreading of the flames in this direction. The building next south of where the fire started was owned and occupied by William Griswold as a grocery store; building and goods valued at $5,500; no insurance. The next was a two-story frame building, owned by John Denniston, and occu- pied by A. G. Townsend & Bro. as a bakery. Goods saved ; no insurance. South of this was a building owned by J. Denniston and occupied by D. Pond as a confectionery shop. Then came a building owned by Eastern parties and occupied by A. N. Alward as a book store and T. Campbell as a jewelry store, from which the goods were partially saved. The next was a two-story frame structure owned by J. G. Howard, who occupied the lower floor with a drug and book stock. In the second story was a saloon kept by E. Pattison. Then came N. B. Hollister's two-story building, the lower portion being occupied with a stock of drugs owned by Mr. H., and the upper story of which was used by S. Bowling as a Justice's office. To the north of this, on the corner of Commercial and Front streets, was a two-story structure, owned by Gideon Gibbs, the occupants were Jones & Gibbs, dealers in dry goods, in the rear, on Commercial street, being the post office. The upper story was occupied by Dr. Armstrong, dentist ; J. J. Van Riper, lawyer, and O. B. Dunning, photographer. This building was insured for $1,200, being the only one insured out of the twelve destroyed.
The fire broke out about 8 o'clock Saturday morn- ing, January 2, and raged with fury all day, and until no more material was left on the north side of Front street to be consumed.
The fire of January, 1866, occurred upon the 7th of the month, which was Sunday. It was dis- covered at a little before 3 o'clock in the morn- ing after it had been burning at least half an hour. The fire had evidently broken out in the store of the Messrs. Stebbins, but within a very brief time extended north to Lyle & Co.'s store, which it consumed, and then made its way across the alley to Jones & Flinn's, sweeping out of existence the whole block of frame buildings on Commercial street, from which most of the goods, bowever, were saved. The flames also spread from Stebbins' store westerly, along Front street down to Harley's gro- cery, where it was arrested by pulling down Denman's Bank building, and by throwing water on Harley's building with pails. The engine was worked unceas- ingly and well, but the torrent of water was not judi- ciously directed, and was wasted on buildings which there was no hope of saving. Men, boys, and even a few ladies worked to extinguish the flames, and to
save goods from the burning buildings. It is remem- bered that among others, William Patton, James Hed don, James A. Lee, Joel H. Andrews, Thomas Foster and Dr. C. P. Prindle, rendered valuable services. As is usual in fires of similar extent occurring in the night, there were several exciting incidents. No lives were lost but a number of persons who had their places of dwelling in what was known as the Ex- change Building, owned by Messrs. Jewell, Comstock, Dickinson, Hirsh and Lybrook, narrowly escaped being enveloped in the flames.
So far as can be ascertained, the losses occasioned by this fire were as follows : On Front street, Messrs. Stebbins' store and goods, $10,000; insured for $3,000; F. H. Ross' store, $2,500; insured for $1,100; Daniel Lyle & Co., goods, $6,000; no insurance ; F. M. Smith, merchant, loss, $6,000; no insurance ; McEwin, saloon keeper, $800; no insur- ance ; Messrs. Lombard, boots and shoes, loss, $7,000 ; insured for $4,500; Stephens & Co., grocers, loss, $2,500; insured for $1,000; Exchange Building, owned by Jewell, Comstock, Dickenson, Hirsh and Lybrook, $3,000; Lyle & Rogers, banking house, $500; Howard's store, loss, $3,000, insured for $1,000; loss on goods about $8,000, insured for $4,000; B. Cooper's store, loss $800: insured for $500; Cooper & Johnson, grocers, loss small ; cov- ered by insurance ; Arthur Smith's harness-shop ; loss about $250; fully insured. Mrs. King, who owned the building, lost about $800; Munger and Dewitt lost on their saloons about $800; Mr. Denman's loss on the old Stebbins' store, and the bank building was about $800.
On Commercial street, the principal losses were : E. Jones, of the firm of Jones & Flinn, store, $1,200, insured for $800 ; loss on goods, $400 ; fully insured ;. W. McNab, billiard saloon, loss, $800; no insurance ; Peck & Co., grocers; loss on building, $900; in- sured for $800; loss on goods, $300; fully insured ; Merwin & Coney, loss on building, $700; insured.
The total amount of the direct losses was not far from $50,000, and the insurance did not greatly exceed one-third of that sum, or, in other words, was about $17,000.
BURIAL PLACES.
Very early in the history of the village, a piece of ground, near where the Union Schoolhouse now stands, was set apart for a burying ground. It was in this lot that the remains of Bogue Williams, the first per- son who died in the community, were interred. Sev- eral other persons were buried there, but after the elapse of a few months, the fast growth of the village made it obvious that a larger burial ground, farther removed from the nucleus of the settlement, would
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
very soon be needed, and, accordingly, Patrick Hamil- ton, the ever beneficent proprietor of the northern part of the town, donated the piece of land now known as "the old cemetery." The Dowagiac Cemetery Association, organized in accordance with the law, February 21, 1851, had the control of this burial- place, and divided it into 210 lots, nearly all of which have been disposed of and occupied by the mortal remains of those who have passed over to the silent majority. The first deed of the society recorded in the books conveyed a burial lot to Patrick Hamilton. This was upon the 8th of March, 1852. Upon the same day deeds were made out to M. T. Garvey, Dr. L. R. Raymond, David H. Wagner, Philip Ilardman, J. W. Maitland, Silas T. Ilowell and Thomas Bray- ton. Shortly after this time, the remains of several persons which had been interred in the first burying- ground were removed to the new one.
The association had as its officers, in 1851, the fol- lowing persons, viz .: President, S. R. Henderson ; Treasurer, I. S. Becraft ; Collector, Strawther Bowl- ing ; Sexton, H. C. Hills, and Clerk, Dr. L. R. Ray- mond. The organization has been maintained, and, even now, remains in existence, although it has but few duties to fulfill.
The new Riverside Cemetery was laid out in 1870, the first deed of a lot being given in November of that year, and the first interment made upon the 6th of the same month-the body of Louis Reshore, removed from the old cemetery. In 1879, the whole number of interments in Riverside Cemetery was 334, of which 151 were re-interments of remains originally deposited elsewhere, principally in the old village burying- ground.
Riverside Cemetery consists of a tract of land in the southern or southeastern part of the corporation, which will be ample for the purpose intended for many years to come. It was platted and arranged by Mr. Hale, of Niles, and originally divided into 1,400 lots. The larger divisions are denominated blocks and parks. There are ninety-eight of the former, and twenty-one of the latter. The natural charm of the location has been supplemented by very tasteful work of the landscape gardener, and the cemetery is one of the most appropriate and beautiful resting-places of the dead possessed by any similar town in Michigan.
DOWAGIAC UNION FAIR ASSOCIATION.
The Dowagiac Union Fair Association was organ- ized in 1879 with the following officers and Directors, viz. : President, Daniel Lyle, of Dowagiac ; First Vice President, Abram Fiero, La Grange; Second Vice President, George Bedford, Silver Creek ; Treas- urer, John Cady, Pokagon; Secretary, John F. Tryon;
Dowagiac. Directors, James A. Lee, Dowagiac ; C. W. Vrooman, Dowagiac; Baltzer Lybrook, Silver Creek ; Samuel Johnson, Wayne; Henry Richards, Pokagon ; Gideon L. Wilbur, La Grange; James Atwood, Dowagiac.
The society was successful from the very start. The grounds at present in use, consisting of twenty- one and a half acres, situated on Division street, or the Cassopolis road, were purchased of the heirs of James Andrews, for about $55 per acre, and fitted up for the holding of the first fair, which was a very creditable exhibition, and attended with pecuniary success. The grounds and buildings cost the society $5,150, and the premiums and miscellaneous expenses amounted to $1,000 more. To meet this outlay, the stockholders paid in the first year $6,000.
The second year, about $1,100 was laid out on the grounds and buildings, and paid premiums, amounting to $1,900. The total receipts of the fair were $3,- 282.85, and the Treasurer had a balance left of over $300
The society is, at present, composed of about two hundred and seventy-five stockholders, and the amount of stock is over $3,300. The grounds and buildings are now estimated to be worth from $12,000 to $15,000. An excellent half mile track is one of the features notable among the improvements. The buildings are well arranged and tastefully built. Floral Hall, in the form of a cross, measures one hun- dred and five feet each way. The other structures are of a similar scale of commodiousness, but the society has not yet all of the accommodations in this line which it needs, and additional buildings are soon to be erected.
The officers for the year 1881 were the following : President, Daniel Lyle, Dowagiac ; Vice President, Elias Pardee, Dowagiac; Treasurer, John Cady, Pokagon ; Secretary, John F. Tryon, Dowagiac. Directors, Abram Fiero, La Grange ; C. W. Vroo- man, Dowagiac; R. J. Dickson, Pokagon ; Erastus Osborn, Hamilton; Henry Richards, Pokagon ; Gideon S. Wilbur, La Grange ; James Atwood, Do- wagiac.
The following are the by-laws of the society :
SECTION 1. This association shall be known as the Dowagiac Union Fair Society.
SEC. 2. The object of this association shall be the encourage- ment of Agriculture, llorticulture, the Mechanic and Household Arts.
SEC. 3. The officers of this society shall consist of a President, Vice President, a Treasurer and Secretary, who shall be elected annually ; seven Directors, who shall hereafter be elected for two years, and until Their successors shall have been duly elected and signified their acceptance.
SEC. 4. The election of officers shall be held at the annual meeting on the last Saturday of October in each year, at 2 o'clock
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
P. M., in the city of Dowagiac. The President, Secretary and Directors, or a majority of them, ahall conduct the election, which shall be by ballot.
SEC. 5. The official term of the officera so elected shall com- mence on the first Monday of January following, and all officers so elected shall signify their acceptance, in writing, to the Secre- tary, prior to that time, otherwise the board may assume the office to be vacant.
SEC. 6. When any office shall become vacant by non-acceptance, or by the death, resignation or removal of the incumbent, the Board of Directors may appoint to fill vacancy for the nnexpired term
SEC. 7. An annual fair shall be held by this society at such time as may be designated by the Board of Directors.
SEC. 8. There shall be regular meetings of the Board of Directors on the first Saturday of June and the last Saturday of October in each year, at 10 o'clock A. M. The Board of Directors may call special meetings upon giving ten days' notice.
SEC. 9. The President shall annually, at a meeting in October, appoint from the Directors an Executive Committee, a Committee on Premiums, and Judges, and a Committee on Rules and Regu- lationa, each composed of three members, who shall be standing committees, and discharge the usual duties, and such other aa may be required by the Board of Directors, and the President shall be ex officio a member of these several committees, and assist them in the performance of their duties.
SEC. 10. The President and Secretary of the society ahall per- form the duties which naually appertain to their respective offices, and such as may be required by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer shall receive all moneys of the society, and pay ont the same only on ordera signed by the President and Secretary. He ahall annnally, at the meeting in October, aubmit to the Board of Directora a detailed financial report for the preceding year ; and, at the time of the annual election, he shall furnish the Secretary with the names of the members entitled to vote.
SEC. 11. At the meeting in June, the President shall classify the business by departments, and assign to each department such superintendent and assistanta as he may think proper, and the board shall adopt the rules and regulations to be observed during the succeeding fair.
SEC. 12. One dollar entitles any person to the privilege of an exhibitor, without which they cannot make an entry for a pre- mium. The exhibitor's ticket ia not of itself a card of admission, bnt the purchaser will receive with it four admission tickets, or one season ticket good for one person only. Admission tickets will be sold for 25 cents each
SEC. 13. Exhibitora will be required to pay 25 cents as an entry fee on each additional entry over the first, provided no person shall be required to pay an additional entry fee on any article in casa the premium offered on said article be $1 or less. Such entrance fee must be paid at the Secretary's office at the time of entry.
SEC. 14. No officer of the society shall be entitled to compen- aation for his services, except the Secretary, who shall receive a salary of $50 per annum, and his necessary disbursements.
SEC. 15. The Viewing Committeea shall be assigned by the Board of Directors at the meeting in June. Should vacancies occur, they may be supplied by the Superintendent of Divisions.
SEC. 16. A majority of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum to transact the ordinary business of the society.
SEC. 17. These By-Laws may be amended only by a vote of two-thirds of the memhera present at an annual meeting of the society.
PHILO D. BECKWITH.
Philo D. Beckwith was born in the Township of Pike, Allegany County, N. Y., March 6, 1825. This section was at this time a new country and was a portion of the " Holland purchase." His father, Stephen Beck with, was a cooper by trade. He mar- ried Miss Narcissa, daughter of Daniel Beach, an early settler in an adjoining township. The elder Beckwith died at the age of forty, his wife at the age of fifty. At the age of nineteen, Philo D. was mar- ried to Miss Catherine M. Scott, who was three years his junior. Five years subsequent to their marriage, the young couple decided to come West, and the autumn of 1844 found them in Detroit with stout hearts but slender purses ; in fact, Mr. Beckwith was obliged to dispose of a small quantity of cloth in order to liqui- date his indebtedness at the hotel and pay his fare to Ypsilanti. The winter of 1844-45, he spent in Yysilanti and in the spring went to Battle Creek, where he found employment in a woolen factory. Here he remained four years, when he went to work in a machine shop. In 1851, he removed to Michi- gan City, where he was engaged in the shops of the Michigan Central Railroad. The following year he came to Niles, and after a few months came to Dowa- giac and built a small iron foundry, which he opera- ted with the assistance of one man. In 1858, he bought a small tract of land on the creek, of Justus Gage, and built a foundry which he ran for nine years, and when he commenced the manufacture of " The Roller Grain Drill" during this time, it was only by the most rigid economy and untiring energy and industry that he was able to avert financial ruin. In 1858, he invented and commenced the manufact- ure of " The Round Oak Stove," in connection with the drills. The stoves soon found an extended sale in this and adjoining States, and in 1868, he built the nucleus of the works as they now exist. From this time he began to reap the reward of his years of toil and persistent effort, and he now gives employment to about sixty men. Mr. Beckwith is a gentlemen of whom the Latin phrase, " Faber suce fortuna" is emi- nently applicable. Commencing life with only his natural resources for his capital, he has conquered success in all departments of life. Mr. Beckwith has identified himself largely with the best interests of Dowagiac. He was President of the village before its incorporation, and in 1881 was elected Mayor.
FRED H. ROSS.
Fred II. Ross was born in Essex, Essex County, N. Y., August 3, 1834. IIe was the son of Henry II. and Susannah Ross, who reared a family of eight
HON. H. B.WELLS.
MRS. H. B.WELLS.
HON. HENRY B. WELLS.
Henry B. Wells was born in Hartwick, Otsego County, N. Y., February 4, 1829. llis parents. Worden and Julia ( Baker) Wells, were natives of Rhode Island, and reared a family of nine children, six boys and three girls. The elder Wells in early life fol- lowed the voeation of a saddler and harness maker, but later became an extensive manufacturer of lasts and boot trees : he was successful in his business op- erations, and was possessed of many admirable traits of character. He was an Abolitionist of the old school, and a man of decided opinions in everything. In 1835, he came to Michigan with his family, and settled in the town of Charleston. Kalamazoo County. where he still resides. Henry was at this time six years of age : he received such advantages for educa- tion as were afforded by the log schoolhouse of the early days, and remained at home until the death of his mother, which occurred when he was fourteen years of age. when he went to live with a man by the name of Tubbs, with whom he remained two years. when he commenced life as a farm hand, working dur- ing the summer and attending the district school in winter. In 1848. he came to Cass County, and the following year made his first investment in land in
Wayne Township, where he has since resided. He has identified himself prominently with the best inter- ests of his township, and has occupied many positions of trust and responsibility. In 1860, he was elected Supervisor, and continued to serve his fellow-towns- men in that capacity until 1866, when he was elected to the Representative branch of the Legislature, which position he filled with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents, who recognized in him an able exponent of Republican principles. For fifteen years he was a resident of Dowagiac, where for a short time he was engaged in merchandising. In company with Mr. Z. Jarvis, he built the present grain elevator, and for several years was extensively engaged in the produce business.
In 1854, he was married to Miss Phebe E., daugh- ter of Cary Carr, of Wayne. Mrs. Wells is a native of Yates County. N. Y., where she was born in the town of Barrington October 9. 1837; four children have been born to them, two of whom are living : Alice, wife of H. B. Tuttle, of Michigan City. Ind., and Elbert C. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wells are consist- ent members of the Congregational Church of Dowa- giac, and among the representative families of Wayne. they hold a prominent position.
ELIAS JEWELL.
ELIAS JEWELL.
The family from which Mr. Jewell is descended was originally from Holland, and according to family tradition the progenitors were three brothers, who emigrated from Holland to this country about the time of the Revolutionary war. One of the brothers, whose name was John, was the grandfather of Elias ; he reared a family of three boys and three girls, the eldest of whom, the father of Elias, bore the patro- nymic of his father ; he was born near Monmouth, N. J., where his father had settled shortly after his arrival in this country. Ilere, in a region made historic by one of the decisive battles of the Revolution, he grew to manhood's estate, imbibing, as it were, from the very atmosphere, those principles that distinguished the men of those days. About 1798, he was married to a Miss Catherine Reed, and in 1811 Elias was born. Six years subsequent to this event (1817), the family removed to Butler County, Ohio, then a new country, and settled in the vicinity of Middletown, where the elder Jewell purchased a farm, and where he resided until his decease, which occurred in his seventy-first year. Elias received such advantages for education as were afforded by the primitive schools of that day, and remained with his father until 1837, at which time he started for Michigan. A brother, lliram. one of the first settlers of La Grange, had emigrated in 1830, and the fall of this year found Mr. Jewell a member of his brother's family, with whom he resided several years ; he purchased a new farm on MeKen-
MRS. ELIAS JEWELL.
ney's Prairie. In 1843, he was married to Miss Hannah Compton, of Niagara County, N. Y., where she was born in 1821. Mr. Jewell lived in La Grange many years, and was intimately connected with its development. In 1854, he was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who had been the part- ner of his joys and sorrows, and had shared with him the privations and hardships of his pioneer days. Two children had been born to them-Osce and Augustus-the former of whom died in 1862, in which year he was again married to Mrs. Cordelia (Lampson) Hough, daughter of Solomon Lampson, of Washington County, N. Y., where she was born 1831. Six years subsequent to her birth, the family removed to Wayne County, N. Y., and in 1844 came to Cass County and settled in La Grange. By this union there have been two children-Carrie and Ar- thur. Two years after his last marriage, Mr. Jewell disposed of the farm which had been his home for so many years, and removed to Dowagiac, but city life was not congenial, and in 1866, he removed to his present residence, in Wayne. The life of Mr. Jewell has been an active one, his early surroundings were such as to develop habits of industry. perseverance and economy ; these qualifications, coupled with a firm desire to succeed and correct habits, have been productive of a rich reward, and Mr. Jewell is enjoy - ing, in the evening of his days, a well-earned compe- tency and the respect and esteem of all those with whom he has been brought in contact.
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children. The elder Ross was a lawyer of marked ability, a contemporary of Silas Wright, and occupied many prominent positions. Fred H. received a colle- giate education, graduating at Burlington College in 1852. After his graduation, he entered the office of his father, and commenced the study of the law, but was obliged to abandon it on account of his eyes. In 1854, he came West, stopping at Detroit, where he entered a large hardware house as porter. From De- troit, he came to Kalamazoo, where he remained but a short time, when he removed to Dowagiac in the autumn of 1860, and engaged in the hardware trade. Mr. Ross is emphatically a self-made man, and his success is attributable wholly to his own efforts. He has identified himself prominently with the growth and development of Dowagiac, and for many years has been one of its most prominent merchants. In 1859, he was married to Miss Francis J., daughter of F. L. Dixon, of Burlington, Vt. Two daughters have been born to them-Francis M and Susannah D. In his religious affiliations, he is an Episcopalian, and in politics a Republican.
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