USA > Michigan > Cass County > History of Cass county, Michigan > Part 45
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Having made up his mind to emigrate to Michigan, he at once commenced to dispose of his effects, and to get ready for the long and difficult journey. His wife, equally ardent, and resolute as himself, cordially co- operated with her husband in the work of preparation.
On the 17th day of May, 1825. all preparations being complete, Putnam with his wife and child, a little daughter two years of age, now Mrs. Ziltha Jones, began their journey. They had a wagon to which were attached three yoke of oxen, a horse, and had sev- enteen head of cattle. Aside from himself, wife and child, the party consisted of Abram Townsend and his son Ephraim, and Israel Markham. There had been continual rains, and the roads through the heavi- ly-timbered lands were nearly impassable, and although the oxen were fresh and strong, they only accomplished seven miles the first day. At night a fire was built, and Mrs. Putnam soon had a comfortable supper for the whole party. The oxen were unyoked, and, while they were turned loose to feed, the travelers made their beds under the wagon, and, after the fatigue of the day, all slept soundly during the night. Mrs. Put- nam was up early in the morning and had breakfast ready by the time the cattle were collected and the oxen yoked, and, at 8 o'clock, were ready to resume their journey. The rain, which had fallen all day, increased to a violent storm; they had made about a half-dozen miles and then the whole party, chilled and wet, took refuge from the storm in the wagon. The next morning, Mrs. Putnam was the first to be moving. She built the fire and prepared a warm breakfast for the wet and hungry people. Refreshed by their meal of good coffee, hot bread and fried bacon, in good spir- its, and, full of hope, they started again on their jour- ney through the mud. After a halt at noon, to rest the weary oxen and to take their own dinner, they toiled on through the wet clay till night, when they encamped by a blazing fire. The next day was but a repetition of the preceding one, and, at night, they put up at the house of a frontiersman, by the name of Johnson, who had settled in the wilderness and was beginning a new farm.
After four or five days of diligent labor and constant struggle, they reached the then very small town of Urbana. The road from this place to Fort St. Mary, on the river of that name, runs across a flat country, low, heavily timbered with beach and elm. Owing to the heavy spring rains, it was in a terrible condition ; much of it was miry ; but few settlers, as yet, had ven- tured to locate in this forbidding locality. There was no way of getting round it, the only course led across it, and so our travelers set out again on their journey, and at night camped in the woods. The next day was cold, gloomy and rainy, and when about half way to the fort, they had to descend a short but steep hill, and Mrs. Putnam and child, for safety, got out. When near the bottom of the hill, the wagon, in its rapid descent, struck a log, which was almost concealed in the mud, the axle broke and the wagon, a complete
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wreck, settled down to the ground. This was late in the afternoon, and Mr. Putnam, being aware that a settler's house was within two miles, placed his wife and child on the horse, and set out through the driv- ing rain, hoping to reach the cabin of the settler before it became dark. This they did, and drying their dripping clothes before a fire of logs burning in a fire- place, without a chimney, and occupying the entire side of the cabin, and after partaking of a comforta- ble supper. they forgot, in sweet slumber on their rude beds, all the cares of the day.
Early in the morning, Putnam returned to the scene of disaster, and set about repairing the broken axle. A suitable tree was selected and cut, and from it the broken part was replaced by a new axle, and by night the whole party were at the cabin, where Mrs. Put- nam was waiting. Despite their ill-fortune, not a murmur was heard, or a regret expressed ; their ardor was not at all dampened by the unfortunate mishap ; they only talked of the success in repairing the wagon, and consoled themselves with the fact that it was un- doubtedly stronger than before, and would stand the heavy test that awaited it in the Black Swamp, that most appalling and impassable of all the thoroughfares of the West. The next morning, Mrs. Putnam again had the party ready for an early start. The mud was up to the bellies of the oxen, and the wagon often sunk to the axle, they dragged themselves wearily along until night, and camped by a cheerful fire and ate their frugal meal with a relish which perhaps they had not known at home.
The next day, they reached what was then known as " Old Fort St. Marys." It consisted of a few scattered buildings, and though small, was a town where travelers could find shelter and rest. It now be- came evident to the Putnams that the wagon was over- loaded, and that it could not be hauled to Fort Wayne, as the oxen's feet had become sore ; a Shawnee In- dian, who could speak English, happened to fall in with the travelers, and from them learned of their difficulty. He told them that in one day, he could make a bark canoe that would carry the entire party, with all their goods, in which they could float down the St. Mary's to Fort Wayne, a distance of sixty or eighty miles. He was so confident of being able to successfully carry out his proposition, and the plan appearing feasible, two of the party accompanied the Indian to the woods, cut down a large elm tree, and from it took the bark to the length of twenty-five or thirty fect. The ends were carefully shaved down to a proper thickness, and were then brought together and tied with a strong rope made of bark ; before this was fully done, and while the work was in prog- ress, the rude vessel was kept in proper shape by
means of transverse sticks, giving the whole the form of a large canoe seven or eight feet wide, and two feet deep. It required but a day for the construction and launching of the craft, and, after being laden, it proved the statement of the Indian " that it would carry all they had, and more, too," to be correct.
The next morning, Townsend, accompanied by his son, embarked in the canoe and floated off down the river, leaving Putnam and Markham to pursue their journey alone. They set out with the wagon and cat- tle, and after a tedious journey of five or six days over the low, flat country, with its clayey soil, arrived in Fort Wayne on the 4th day of June. Here they found Townsend, who had arrived safely some days before, and who was anxiously watching some miles out of town for the arrival of his friends. They put up at the house of William Rockhill ; the goods were carefully stored away, and the cattle turned loose to feed and recruit, it being evident that it was not pru- dent to attempt to pursue the journey further, owing to the condition of the cattle's feet ; they agreed to stop until the 1st of August, giving the cattle time to recover before proceeding further. Townsend had some business at Sandusky, which he now wished to attend to, and he proposed that he and his son and Markham should return, leaving Putnam and his wife to care for the cattle, and pledging his word to return by the 1st of August, and proceed on their way to Michigan. Accordingly, the three embarked in a canoe and went down the Maumee River to Fort Meigs, and from thence on foot to Sandusky. Put- nam, not desiring to remain idle in the interim, tended a field of corn, for his host. Rockhill.
He next made a trip to the Wabash River, at a point about thirty miles distant from Fort Wayne, to transport thither two adventurous hunters by the names of Slate and Calloway, with their traps, fishing tackle, canvas and provisions. They were setting out for a long excursion, expecting to be gone until the following spring, and for this service agreed to send Putnam a barrel of flour by the way of the lakes and St. Joseph. The last of July they commenced mak- ing preparations for their final departure, the first of August being the time appointed by Townsend for his return. From day to day, he anxiously waited, but in vain, and at last, on the morning of the 9th of Au- gust, wearied with delay, and knowing that the season for cutting hay for the cattle was rapidly passing away, by resolved to wait no longer. He had gone but a short distance, however. before he was delighted to hear the well-known voice of Townsend, hallooing for him to stop. After a brief consultation and explanation, they returned and gathered their cattle together, and once more resumed their journey.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
They crossed the St. Joseph at the mouth of the Elk- hart, and following the track by the way of Cobert's Creek and Beardsley's Prairie, they reached in safety the cabin of William Kirk, which then stood about sixty rods east of the present railroad depot at Niles.
On the following day, Baldwin Jenkins and Mr. Kirk piloted Putnam and Townsend through the woods to Pokagon Prairie, a distance of six miles, where they examined the ground and selected places for farms. They found small bands of the Pottawato- mies living on the prairie, where they cultivated, in their rude way, small patches of corn and beans. Among them was Pokagon himself, one of their prin- cipal chiefs. They explained to him their wish to settle there and cultivate land. He objected to this, saying that his corn would be destroyed by their cattle, that they would move off in the fall to their hunting grounds, and then the whites could come on and build their houses.
The whole party returned, and, upon consultation, Putnam and Townsend concluded to drive their cattle back to Cobert's Creek, a mile east of the place where Edwardsburg now is, and there cut hay and winter them.
Putnam now returned with his wagon and oxen to Fort Wayne, and in a few days thereafter, all arrange- ments begin made for the final removal, he left Fort Wayne with his family on the 16th day of October. Allowing himself to rest for a week, Putnam, with a yoke of fresh oxen, which he borrowed from Mr. Kirk, and accompanied by Edward Smith, set out again for Fort Wayne in search of his cattle that had strayed away. He found them near South Bend.
He purchased a barrel of flour and ten bushels of corn, and, after a brief delay, again set out to return, and reached Mr. Kirk's safely after a week's travel. He remained with Mr. Kirk until the 18th day of November; he then moved to a shanty twelve feet square, covered with bark, and without floor or chim- ney, which Mr. Markham had put up for his conven- ience while cutting hay during the summer. Poor and uncomfortable as was this hut, they remained in it until the 22d of January, 1826, when they removed to the new and more comfortable cabin which Putnam had built. The new one, however, was not a paragon of convenience, as it had neither floor, door nor windows. These were afterward supplied, the material for the floor and door having been hewed from a log, and cut with a saw, as at that time there was not a saw-mill in the Territory. The cabin, however, was made comfortable and warmed by a huge fire, which was kept going day and night.
Early in the spring of 1825, Baldwin Jenkins, in company with Benjamin Potter and his wife, who
was a niece of Mrs. Jenkins, started for the new country. After a tedious journey they arrived near the site of the present city of Niles. Mr. Potter settled one mile north, on the Sumnerville road. Mr. Jenkins succeeded in putting in a small patch of corn in what was then known as the " Old Indian Fields," his only implement being a hoe. After getting in his corn, he, in company with a man by the name of Coon, started down the St. Joseph River in a canoe to ascertain the navigability of the stream.
During the season, he cultivated his corn and cut a quantity of hay on the present site of Niles. In the fall he returned to Ohio, rented his property, and, on the 1st day of November, with his family, which con- sisted of his wife and seven children, started for his future home in Pokagon. Ilis equipment consisted of thirty five head of cattle, including three yoke of working oxen, five hogs, a wagon, household goods, etc., etc. On the 10th they arrived in Fort Wayne, Ind , where he laid in an extra stock of provisions, and pushed on, arriving at Wolf Lake on the 15th day of November.
On the night of their arrival at this place, the snow fell to the depth of ten inches, in consequence of which Mrs. Jenkins got into the wagon to ride for the first time, she insisting upon walking, in order that more of the necessary articles for their future home might be carried. They arrived at Squire Thompson's on the 18th, and the following day reached Mr. Potter's when he learned that the Indian ponies were destroying the corn he had planted in the spring. Here he remained until the crop was secured. This detention deferred his arrival in Pokagon until the 24th, six days later than that of Putnam.
The location of Mr. Jenkins was a short distance north of Sumnerville, where he utilized an Indian wigwam as a place of abode during the winter.
At this time there were but nine families in Cass and Berrien Counties, excepting the mission-two in the former and seven the latter, and comprising a population of about sixty persons.
The winter of 1825-26 was replete with privations and hardships for the families of Putnam and Jenkins. The hay which Jenkins had made in the summer was burned by the Indians while he was gone for his family, leaving nothing on which to winter his cattle, and meeting one of the Markhams, who wished to move out in the spring, he made an arrangement with him to take his oxen back to Ohio, using them on his return in the spring. Putnam was better supplied with hay, and from him Jenkins obtained a quantity, and by felling timber for them to bronse on, most of them lived through the winter, which was a severe one, the snow falling to the depth of two feet. Hc
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
was obliged to carry all the grain for their breadstuff on his back to the mission, a distance of nine miles, where it was ground in a hand-mill, with the exception of what was pounded at home in a wooden mortar. The trip during the severe weather required two days.
The family of Putnam was scantily supplied with provisions ; their stock of flour was soon exhausted, they could get but few vegetables of any kind and they had but little meat. Their food consisted chiefly of boiled corn, and for weeks in succession they subsisted mainly on this scanty fare. A little parched corn pounded in a mortar, and thus reduced to flour and made into a " Johnny cake," was a luxury. Now and then a fish was caught, or wild game obtained from the Indians.
During the winter, the Putnams and Jenkins con- ducted a vigorous campaign against the wolves, and thirteen of these ferocious animals were killed. The fat obtained from the carcasses was used in making soap.
The winter, while it was quite severe for a time, was fortunately of short duration. Early in March, the snows disappeared, and the balmy air indicated the near approach of spring.
Immediate and vigorous preparations were made for sugar-making. Both families manufactured a large quantity which materially added to their comfort. Putnam obtained a supply of bacon and cornmeal from the Mission, and the family regarded the "win- ter of their discontent " as having passed.
On the 28th of March, an accession to the family was made in the person of Isaac Duckett, who, by a previous arrangement, had come to assist Putnam in putting in a crop. He brought a yoke of oxen and some provisions, and, shortly after his arrival, they commenced making rails and soon had a sufficient number to inclose forty acres.
Putnam had brought from Ohio the iron portion of a plow, Duckett made the wood work and attached it to the fore-wheels of a wagon. Five yoke of oxen were used as a team, and some time in the latter part of April the first plowing was done. The plow worked admirably, and in two weeks six acres had been broken. Pioneer plowing was attended with much difficulty, the roots of the prairie grasses were tough and strong, and soon dulled the shear. Putnam had foreseen this diffi- culty, and had brought with him from Ohio a small grindstone; on this the irons were sharpened. The operation was a tedious one, as it required a half day of diligent labor to complete the work, but, when donc, it was, as Putnam afterward remarked, "as good as new."
A small piece near the cabin was plowed for a gar- den which Mrs. Putnam fenced and cultivated with
her own hands; like a thrifty housewife she had not neglected to bring her seeds. The corn and potatoes for planting they obtained from the people of the mis- sion, for Mr. McCoy most readily assisted them, giving them credit until they found it convenient to pay. The season was favorable; nothing untoward happened. The Indians were peaceable, and, by the month of June, they had vegetables of the earlier kinds, and by Au- gust they had a full supply of the products of the gar- den. Their cows had supplied them with milk and butter, and, before the end of September, Putnam had 350 bushels of corn ripe in the field, and his cattle and hogs were fat; in fact, he was a full-handed farmer. In the meantime, his neighbor Jenkins had not been idle; he had made substantial improvements, and had raised a bountiful crop, and, with that liberality which was one of the salient points in his character, was ready to assist those who needed his aid. The pioneer summer was prolific of events. Squire Thompson, the pioneer farmer of the St. Joseph Valley, had joined the little settlement-he was the advance guard of the host that in a few years filled this part of the State. In the fall of 1822, he visited the region in the vicin- ity of the Carey Mission; arriving before the comple- tion of the buildings, he spent a few days in examin- ing the country, and returned to Union County, Ind., from whence he came. In the spring of 1823, he returned to the mission, and, after a few days' survey. made choice of a location and built a cabin on the banks of the river. He cleared and planted several acres of land, and returned for his family, which con- sisted of his wife and four children. They remained without neighbors during the winter, but early in the spring of 1824, William Kirk, an old acquaintance of his, emigrated from Indiana, and, for a time, lived in the cabin with Thompson ; from this place, Thompson removed, as before stated, to Pokagon, settling on Sec- tion 20, where he resided until his removal to Califor- nia about 1850.
In April, Abram Townsend returned from Ohio, and the July following, Gamaliel and his family, in company with the Markhams, Israel, Sr, Israel, Jr., Samuel, Lane and Ira Putnam arrived. Townsend built a cabin on his land which adjoined that of Put- nam's, and during the larger part of the summer was engaged at the mission. During the winter he fenced forty acres and in the season following, planted twenty acres of corn. Israel Markham and his son, Israel, Jr., settled in land adjoining that owned by Uzziel Putnam. The elder Markham was a black- smith by trade, and the first one that carried on a shop in the county. It is related, that, on one occa- sion, a man came from Beardsley's Prairie with a plowshare to be sharpened, for which Markham
JOHN RODGERS.
MRS. JOHN RODGERS.
RESIDENCE OF JOHN RODGERS, POKAGON, MICH.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
charged 37} cents, which he objected to as being too much. Markham admitted that the price was high, but told him that it was a necessity, as he was obliged to have money to buy seed wheat. Ira Putnam also located in the immediate vieinity.
There was now quite a little settlement, and Poka- gon Prairie was rising rapidly in prominence as one of the favored localities of the West. Immigration con- tinued even during midsummer, for, on the 12th of August, 1826, Uzziel Putnam, Jr., came to town, being the first white ehild born within the present limits of Cass County. The first summer in Poka- gon's history passed pleasantly, Nature seemed dis- posed to render all the assistance in her power. the Indians were kindly disposed, and the small plantings in the spring had yielded ample returns, and the autumn found the settlers amply supplied with pro- visions for the subsistence of their families and with comfortable cabins.
The suceess of those who had settled in the vieinity of the Mission and on the prairie, had been carried East, and many, on the strength of the representations made, eame to investigate for themselves. During the summer, several had visited the township; among the number was Lewis Edwards, from Warren County, Ohio. He made a location on the south side of the prairie, being the one previously occupied by Pokagon for garden purposes. He hired Gamaliel Townsend to build a eabin upon his land, and during harvest time was employed at Carey Mission. For his services there, he received three bushels of wheat, which Uzziel Putnam put in for him on shares. From this, sixty bushels of excellent wheat was harvested the next season, and which was the first crop of wheat grown in Cass County. In the fall, he returned to Ohio to make final preparations for the removal of his family, and on the 18th of January, 1827, left his old home in Warren County. His household goods were loaded in a covered wagon, and drawn by by a yoke of oxen and span of horses.
Owing to the cold weather and deep snow, the journey was attended with much inconvenience and privation. At Fort Wayne, he was joined by William and Jesse Garwood; the track was unbro- ken and their progress was difficult, as the snow was two feet deep and the weather extremely cold. To Mrs. Edwards it was a trying time ; her little daugh- ter was a babe of one year, and it was with some difficulty that they kept from freezing. In crossing the Elkhart Bottoms, the hounds of one of the wagons was broken. A rude sled was constructed, upon which the contents of the wagon were placed. The following morning the Garwoods started with the wagon, Mr. Edwards going to the river in search of
corn, leaving Mrs. Edwards in charge of the sled, with no companion but their trusty dog. Previous to his return, she was startled by the growling of the dog, and looking up beheld three Indians. One drew a long knife, and sticking it into a eoal from the eamp fire, lit his pipe. Seeing that she was not intimi- dated in the least, they took their departure. The journey from Elkhart to where Edwardsburg now is, a distance of ten miles, occupied two days. On their arrival at the cabin of Mr. Beardsley, who was the only settler in that portion of the county, they con- cluded to wait for better weather, and with him they remained four weeks. Their arrival was a fortunate occurrence for Beardsley, as he was entirely out of fuel, and as his boys were gone to Ohio with the teams for goods, had no means of obtaining a supply, owing to the deep snow. They arrived in Pokagon the last of March, and for two weeks were the guests of Mr. Putnam, when they moved into the cabin built the previous summer. Mr. Edwards immedi- ately entered into the improvement of his home and the development of the township, with that energy and determination that was prominent in all his opera- tions. He resided in Pokagon until his decease, and during his lifetime was one of the successful farmers of the township. He was the first Collector and the first Justice of Cass County. An amusing story is told in connection with his first term as Magistrate, that goes to show something of the character of the man. Shortly after receiving his appointment, he was called upon to officiate at a wedding, and in order that he might be able to perform the ceremony with credit to himself, he undertook to commit his part of the programme to memory, but fearing that it might fail him at a critical time, made a copy of the core- mony, which he placed in his pocket. Arriving at the house, he found the parties waiting for the knot to be tied, and acting on the principle that business should precede pleasure, he ordered them to take their positions. Everything progressed favorably until his treacherous memory failed to respond, much to his discomfiture, the bewilderment of the bride and groom, and to the amusement of the wedding guests : but he was soon master of the situation, for, drawing the copy from the depths of his pants pocket, he com meneed where he had left off, and read in a loud tone of voice the remainder of the ceremony.
In June, 1827, the elder Townsend eame with his family, which consisted of his wife and daughters, Mary, Eliza and Amy, and his son-in-law, Abram Loukes. He lived with his son, Gamaliel, until the following year, 1828, when he moved to La Grange, and located upon the prairie which for many years bore his name.
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