USA > Michigan > Cass County > History of Cass county, Michigan > Part 71
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The soil of the township varies in localities, but consists principally of sand and gravelly loam. The land generally produces good crops and amply repays the toil of the farmer. The timber on the lower level, which originally was heavily timbered, consisted of ash, beech, basswood, elin, maple, whitewood, black
walnut, white and yellow oak, with some scattering pine. The upper level, or hills, was principally covered with oak, hickory and black walnut.
PRE-HISTORIC.
Only one mound is known to exist in the township, and that is situated on Section 16, on the farm of Mrs. E. O. Taylor, and lies partly on the road near Twin Lakes.
Garden beds have been found on Section 22, abont eighty rods north of the center, and also on the north- east quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 27. These have been obliterated by the plow.
REMAINS OF A MASTODON.
In June, 1853, the remains of a mastodon were discovered by William Griffis on his land. A dam across a little brook (which afforded power to a saw- mill) was carried of in a freshet, which washed away a portion of one of the banks of the stream, and, un- dermining an old tree, under the roots of which were found the bones of a large animal, consisting of a jaw- bone about four feet in length, a tooth which weighed some four pounds, a fragment of a tusk about one foot long and four inches in diameter, and a rib bone.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The first settlements in what is now Wayne Town- ship were, from all accounts, made in 1833. It is difficult to accord precedence to any one, though at the present time the location of the Wrights on Sec- tion 24 is believed to be prior to that of any other settler. Joel . C. and Elijah W. Wright, with their families, came from Butler County, Ohio. They settled first in La Grange, then moved into Volinia, and finally settled in Wayne, on Section 24, on land entered by Joel C. Wright. The first election held in the town- ship was at his house. Elijah W. Wright possessed the first brick-yard. Both families moved to Mis- souri, where Joel C. died. Elijah W. moved after- ward to Iowa; his son Milton is living in the northern part of La Grange. Jacob Zimmerman, Cornelius Hig- gins, Frederick Hurtle, came in nearly at the same time with the Wrights, and settled in the eastern part of the township.
Frederick Hurtle and wife, who may be classed with the earliest settlers, came from Hamilton County, Ohio, in 1833, and settled first on Section 24. He lived on his land nearly one year before making this entry, which he did March 19, 1834. His wife was daughter of Cornelius Higgins.
Cornelius Higgins, with a large family, left Darke
JAGOB H. ZIMMERMAN.
JACOB H. ZIMMERMAN.
A peculiar interest attaches to the life of Jacob H. Zimmerman, from the fact that he was undoubtedly the first settler of Wayne. He was born near Au- gusta, Ga., in February of 1800; when six years of age, his parents removed to Preble County, Ohio, where he was reared, and where he was married to Miss Elizabeth Newton. She was of English descent, but was born in Pennsylvania. When a child, her parents removed to Preble County, from whence they emigrated to Michigan. In 1832, Mr. Zimmerman came to Cass County, and settled on Young's Prairie, where he remained until his removal to Wayne. In in every respect. the early part of 1833, he took up land, and was
identified with the development of the township and its interests until 1874, when he returned to his old home in Ohio, where he is now living, at the advanced age of eighty-two years. He reared a family of two children-George and Mary Ellen. She was born in Preble County in 1830, and was but two years of age when the family emigrated to this county. She was married in 1852 to Charles G. Hadden, who died in 1875. She is living on the farm first settled by her father. Mr. Zimmerman was a man possessed of many admirable qualities. He was a prominent mem- ber of the Methodist Church, and an exemplary man
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
County, Ohio, to emigrate to Michigan, in the fall of 1833. He had selected his land in 1832, making a location on Section 25. He entered more land in 1834, so that his farm consisted of some two hundred acres. His daughter, Sarah, married Frederick Hur- tle. The family moved to Iowa about twenty-five years ago.
In 1830, Jacob Zimmerman came to Cass County with Hon. James Newton, on a prospecting tour. In 1831, he came back with George Newton, and raised a crop of corn and potatoes on Young's Prairie. In 1832, he entered land on Section 36, and in 1833 came with his family and settled on his land. His wife dying, he returned to Ohio in 1867, and remained there. His daughter, Mrs Mary Hadden, lives on the homestead.
The first entry of land in the township was made by Josiah Johnson, June 22, 1831, on Section 35. The land was selected by Johnson and his son-in-law, George Laporte in 1830, but as the land was not yet ready for entry, he left the money and returned to Ohio. In October, 1834, Mr. Johnson and two daughters, and George Laporte with his wife and three children, moved from Harrison County, Ohio. Both families camped in their wagons until a log cabin could be put up near the banks of Jones' Lake. They were assisted in their work by the Indians, a large number being in camp in the neighborhood. The first clearing was three acres, upon which a crop of corn was raised. Mr. and Mrs. Laporte are yet living on their farm ; two sons are living in Dowagiac; the eldest son is living in Iowa.
Mr. Laporte's grandfather, George Laporte, came from France with Gen. La Fayette, and was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, after which he settled in Maryland ; from there he emigrated to Ohio, and was one of the first settlers of Harrison County.
William Ferrel, accompanied by his wife and three sons, came from Hamilton County, Ohio, in the fallof 1834. He entered land on Section 24. They stopped a few weeks with Fredrick Hurtle until a log cabin could be erected for their comfort and shelter. Squire Ferrel was one of the first Justices, and held various offices. Of the three sons who came from Ohio, William is living on the homestead, Charles on Section 35, while Sylvester went to Illinois. Mrs. Ferrel is living with her son in Pine Grove. Mr. Ferrel died on the farm December 15, 1848. Jacob Hurtle is of German parentage, and was born on the ocean, during the voyage of his father and mother to the United States. The family settled in Hamilton County, Ohio, from which place he emigrated with his wife and son John to Cass County in 1834. They came with an ox team, arriving in Wayne Township
in September. He first located land in Section 23. Of eleven children, ten are now living. Mr. and Mrs. Hurtle moved to Dowagiac in 1873.
James Kirkwood came from Ayrshire, Scotland. Previous to his coming to this State, he lived two years in Saratoga County, N. Y., and two years in Portage County, Ohio. He entered land October 26, 1835. In March, 1836, he began work by clearing his land and putting up a log cabin ; it stood in front of his present house, which was built in 1859.
Abram Weaver with his wife and family came into Wayne in 1834, and settled on Section 1. Their son, James B. Weaver, was the Greenback candidate for President in 1881. The family removed to lowa about 1844.
Richard V. V. Crane originally came from New Jersey; he moved with his wife and family from But- ler County, Ohio, and settled on land which he entered May 19, 1834. He was prominent in all the affairs of the township, holding the office of Township Clerk for twelve years. He was also elected an Associate Judge of the County Court. He was one of the first Justices of the Peace. About the year 1856, he removed to Jersey County, Ill., with a por- tion of his family, where he died January 19, 1875.
Another settler from Butler County, Ohio, was Samuel Squier, he located on Section 35.
John Shookman came with his wife and family from Ohio in 1834 and settled on Section 12, on the farm now owned by James Watson, where he remained un- til his death. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was stationed at Fort Meigs. His son, Eleazer, a blacksmith by trade, married a daughter of Isaac Thompson. He moved into Indiana and there de- ceased. David Eck was from Pennsylvania. He entered eighty acres on Section 2, in 1834; a miller by trade. He lived in the township until 1865.
Obadiah Ourant, the pioneer blacksmith of Wayne, brought his family, consisting of his wife and three children, from Crawford County, Ohio, in 1836, and located on land bought of Albert Warren. He set up his forge near the northwest corner of Section 35. Mr. Ourant started for California, but died on the way in 1850. Mrs. Ourant lived on the farm until 1868, when she moved to Dowagiac, where she now resides.
Col. Artemus Ellis, wife and family, emigrated from Madison County, N. Y., to Geauga County, Ohio, and from thence, in 1837, to Cass County, arriving in the fall, and settled on land bought of Albert Warren. Mrs. Ellis died the next year, and was the first per- son interred in the White Burying-Ground. Col. Ellis was a soldier in the war of 1812. The family went back to Ohio, being discouraged by the sickness
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
which prevailed in the fall of 1838. Those in health were in constant demand to care for those who were sick. A. C. Ellis, son of the Colonel, resides on Sec- tion 31.
In the spring of 1834, Jesse Greene, with his wife and five sons and five daughters, moved to Cass Coun- ty, settling first in the woods, within a mile of Young's Prairie. While living there, he was busy in making a clearing and putting up a house of hewed logs on the land which he had entered in 1833, on Section 26. Having been a merchant in Ohio, he brought his goods to this State, and June 27, 1835, he was licensed as a merchant, and paid a tax of $4.81. May 29, 1835, he entered eighty acres adjoining his first entry, where he built a dwelling house. His death occurred very suddenly, he dropping dead from a load of wheat while en route with it to St. Joseph.
The pioneer settler of the lower plateau or western part of Wayne was John De Maranville, who came with his wife and children from Whitmanville in the year 1835. In September, 1834, he entered 160 acres on Section 17. On this land he built his cabin, on the highest bank of Lake Alone. The site of the cabin and land now form a part of the farm of H. H. Taylor. James P. Wiley was the second settler in this part of the town. He came from Huron County, Ohio, with his family, in the year 1836, and settled on land in Sections 17 and 20. In connection with farming, he carried on the coopering business ; he sold out in 1865 and removed to Southern Illinois.
the residence of her daughter in Kalamazoo, Decem- ber 31, 1875, aged eighty-nine years.
Early in July, 1837, William W. Loomis settled upon the southeast corner of the northeast quarter of Section 31, now within the corporate limits of the city of Dowagiac. He at once began to erect a frame house and barn; they were the first frame buildings in the township.
Another pioneer settler and the ninth in the list of those who came into the western part of the township, was Aaron Cook, from Onondaga County, N. Y. He built a log cabin on land which he entered May 26, 1836. A small lake in the tract on Section 30 bears his name. He died in 1846.
Julius A. Barney, in company with his brother Henry and uncle John Barney, came from New Haven, Huron County, Ohio, into Wayne Township, in 1835. In June of that year, he located and entered land on Section 10. He and his brother returned to Ohio, leaving their uncle who built a log cabin near a large spring, on what is now the Hatfield farm. In 1837, Mr. Barney, in company with his brother Henry and brother-in-law, Micajah Ludlow, with their families, bid farewell to their old home in Ohio on the 10th day of June, and arrived in Wayne on the 27th. On arrival, they began living in the log cabin, which had been vacated by John Barney on his re- moval to his land in Silver Creek.
His first work was to clear two and a half acres, which, the next spring, was planted to potatoes ; on this land he also planted an orchard, having procured the trees in South Bend, Ind. He next contracted to have fifty acres broken up ; this was put into wheat. The crop harvested was threshed out by cattle on a hard ground floor. A part of this crop was marketed at St. Joseph, in the winter of 1844, at 52 cents per bushel.
In the latter part of the summer of 1836, Luther P. Blood, of Livingston County, N. Y , and Timothy B. Colton, of the same county, with Wells H. At- wood, under the guidance of John Woolman, Sr., found their way into the western part of Wayne ; Blood entered 240 acres on Sections 19 and 20, he returned to New York, sold out and never returned. Colton entered land on Sections 19 and 20. Wells Mrs. Barney, who was in poor health, died in the fall of 1837. In 1839, Mr. Barney married a daugh- ter of Cyrus Gage. A daughter of this marriage lives in Hamilton, Van Buren County. His second wife dying, he subsequently married a lady in Ohio. A son and two daughters are living in New Mexico. H. Atwood, of Middlebury, Genesee Co., N. Y., after making a location and entering his land, returned to New York for his family, consisting of his wife (Sally Kelly) and five children. They arrived August 31, 1836. That fall and winter he put up his log cabin, and inclosed his entire quarter-section with a good Henry Barney, Jr., accompanied his brother and uncle on their prospecting tour in the year 1835. October 20 of that year, he entered lands on Sections 9, 15 and 22. He then returned to Ohio, where he remained until June, 1837, when with his wife and rail fence. Mr. Atwood continued upon his farm until the spring of 1850, when he removed to Dowa- giac, where he died in 1866. He was the third set- tler in the western part of the township. Early in the year 1837, Parley A. Pooler came in from Ohio, one son, and, in the company of his brother and and took possession of the vacant cabin of De Maran- | brother-in-law, set out for their new home. He set- ville. He soon after built his cabin on Section 20, tled on his land in Section 15, now owned by Z. A. adjoining the land of his son-in-law, J. P. Wiley. Tyler, where he put up a log cabin, a few rods west of the frame house which he erected in 1849. He : remained on the farm until his death in 1851. His This made the fourth settlement in the neighborhood. He died on his farm in 1866. Mrs. Pooler died at
JOHN S. GAGE.
JOHN S. GAGE.
Among the early settlers of Wayne, perhaps no one has been more promi- nently connected with its development or has identified himself more largely with its best interests then John Storm Gage, the immediate subject of this biography. He is a descendant of Thomas Gage, an English sea captain, who' with his two brothers, came to this country about the year 1700 Thomas settled in New England and reared a family of six sons -- Elisha, Ebenezer, Anthony, "toses, George and Mark. The sons settled in the vicinity of southeget Putnam County, N. Y. Ebenezer married Miss Grissel Elwell, and reared a family of seven children-Chloe, Deborah, Justus, Eli, Jeremiah, Ira and Samuel. Justns, the grandfather of the subject of this memoir, married Mary Benjamin, by whom he had a family of nine children, six sons and three daughters. Cyrus, the elder. was the father of John S., and was born in 1784 in Dutchess County, N Y. And married Miss Mahsla, daughter of Peter Wilsis, of his native county, where she was born September 16, 1785. They had a family of six children-Peter B., ('barles C., Justus C., John S., Annis and Caroline M. In 1819, Cyrus and his family left the place of their nativity for De Ruyter, Madison County, N. Y., from whence they removed the year following to the town of Scipio, Cayuga County. N. Y., where they resided until their removal to Wayne, in September of 1839, The journey was made with a team and occupied twenty-three days, the family, consisting of the parents, John S. and his two sisters. A large portion of Wayne was at this time a wilderness, and the last three miles of the journey was made by the assistance of a pocket compass. Shortly after their arrival, John started for Detroit, where a portion of their household goods had been stored. A journey of this kind at the time was no holiday affair, fourteen days being occupied in completing the round trip. The first winter was attended with many privations and hardships; the family lived in a log house with a " shake" roof, which was 80 open that every fall of snow, if attended with a slight wind, would cover the upper floor. Mr. Gage relates that it was his custom, on going to bed, to place his clothing underneath it to avoid the necessity of digging them out of the snow in the morning. On one occasion his mother's cheeks were so badly frosted that the skin peeled off. John received such advantages ns were afforded by the common-school of that day, but completed his education in that other school in which the teachere are observation and experience.
At the age of seventeen he commenced teaching, his first effort being in Canngs, Seneca County, N. Y., and among his pupils was Blise Caroline L., daughter of John and Esther Ketchum House, whom he married in August of
MRS. JOHN S. GAGE.
1844. Four children had been born to them-Annis A., Cyrus J., Ira B. and Ins C., the latter died September 5, 1862.
Mrs. Gage was born in April of 1821, in Seneca County. After coming to Michigan, his services were again required as a teacher, and he taught the first school in what has since been known as the Gage settlement, receiving the very moderate compensation of 62 cents per day, and received his pay in the labor of his patrons.
In 1840, he commenced the improvement of his farm, and in Jannary of that year cut the first tree; this beginning, however humble in itself has been prolific of grand results, and to use a well-worn simile, was the corner stone of his fortune. By industry, perseverance and business acumen he has been able to make repeated additions to the little hole in the wilderness until he now owos one thousand acres of valuable land ; his home farm which is known as the " Centennial Bowlder place" is one of the most attractive and beautiful places in the township, and is the result of his own industry. The attention of Mr. Gage has not been wholly engrossed by his agricultural operations. Heiesmong those inventors who have given to American farmers the benefit of patient in- vestigation and study in the perfection of improved agricultural machinery. In 1860-62, he received letters patent for the justly celebrated Roller Grain Drill which has gone into very general use wherever its merits are known. He has also taken an active interest io political matters, and has occupied many posi- tions of trust and responsibility, the duties of which he has discharged to the satisfaction of his constituents and with credit to himself. Originally a Whig, he joined the Free-Soil movement and upon the formation of the Republicao party joined its ranks and helped organize the party in Casa County, and was their first candidate for the Legislature.
In 1844, he succeeded his father as Supervisor of the township, holding the position for two terms. He also served his townamen as School Inspector for a number of years, and officiated as County Superintendent of the Poor for two terms. The life of Mr. Gage has been marked but by few incidents, save such, as occur in the lives of most successful business men. Commencing life in a new country with only his natural resources as his capital he has conquered success in all departments of life and is one of whom the Latin phrase " Faber auce fortune" is eminently applicable.
This sketch would not be complete without further montion of the elder Gage, who, during his life time, was one of the prominent citizens of the town- ship; he was a man highly esteemed for the possession of many admirable traits of character, and his name is prominent among the early settlers of the town- ship, where he died in July of 1847.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
wife and youngest son died some three years later. Three sons enlisted in the army, going into one of the numerous organizations raised in this country. Davis M. and Willis died while in the service, and are bur- ied in Southern graves. Henry L. was Register of Deeds for four years, being first elected in 1873. He died on his farm in Silver Creek in 1881.
Micajah Ludlow came from Plymouth, Huron County, Ohio, in June, 1837, and settled on Section 22. This land had been previously located by Henry Barney, Jr. He came with his wife, son and daugh- ter, and in company with his brothers-in-law, J. A. and H. Barney, Jr. His daughter was united in marriage with Mr. Chester C. Morton. Mr. Ludlow remained on his farm until his death in 1853; Mrs. Ludlow died in 1852. The farm is now owned by C. C. Morton.
During the winter of 1837, Luther P. Blood sold to Justus and Ebenezer Gage the 240 acres of land which he had located in Wayne Township the sum- mer before. They arrived in Cass County on the 3d day of June, 1837. They had been informed by Jehiel C. Saxton, the County Surveyor, of the gen- eral character of the section of country to which they were going. The country as presented to their view is related as follows:
" Directly in front of us to the north, from two to four miles away, lay the long green belt of low-ground timber, now in full leaf (the oak-trees of the lower pla- teau not yet leaved out), coming down from the east inclosing our little settlement with a semi circular bend toward the southwest, in the middle of which winds the dark, sluggish waters of the North Branch of the Do- wagiac Creek. This belt of low land is about twenty- five miles long and from two to four miles wide, and was generally known in this part of the State as the ' Big Da-wa-ga-awk Swamp.' Mr. Atwood offered them room in his small cabin until they could build one for themselves, and kindly accompanied them back to Whitmanville for their families. The three families comprised eight adults and seven children, fifteen in all, crowded into a log cabin 16x22 feet."
Justus Gage assisted in establishing the Agricult- ural College, and labored hard for its prosperity. He assisted in organizing the Cass County Agricultural Society, and was one of its first Presidents. He also delivered the address before the State Agricultural Society in 1852. He was greatly interested in edu- cational matters, and held the position of School In- spector of Wayne at twelve different times. In 1850, he was made Director of the school in Dowagiac, and under his management the union school system was introduced. He took a very active part in founding the Universalist Church in Dowagiac, and was one of
its most efficient and munificent officers, and was a licensed preacher of that denomination. He had re- tired from his farm and been a resident of Dowagiac several years before his death, which occurred January 21, 1875.
Joseph Spencer, with his wife and daughter Fran- ces, left Madison County, N. Y., September 7, 1837, and arrived at what was to be their future home, on Section 7, October 16. They came from Detroit with teams, coming in by way of Kalamazoo. The first cabin of logs was a temporary affair, and stood back of the present frame dwelling. While engaged in erecting his first habitation his family remained a few weeks at Keelerville, in Van Buren County. He had to get along as best he could in the new settlement, and had been stacking his wheat for five or six years and threshing it with cattle on a small floor. He built a barn in 1843. That winter was very cold, with deep snow ; that fall had a good crop of wheat in the girdlings. January, 1846, he says : " Produce has been low, but we have raised good crops and make a slow advance toward a comfortable home." The new house was built in 1854. Mr. Spencer not only converted wild lands into an excellent farm, but erected good and substantial buildings and made every improvement necessary to constitute it one of the best homes in the township. He died at his home on February 27, 1881. Mrs. Spencer is living with her son, Edward R., on the homestead.
Philo B. White came from the town of Caroline, Tompkins County, N. Y., and arrived in Michigan in June, 1836. He purchased lands from second hands on Section 27. Having examined his purchase, he returned to New York. He returned with family the next year, and leaving them at Battle Creek, he. in company with his brother, proceeded to the land he had located. They arrivedl on the ground on Thurs- day, September 8, 1837. The next day they went to McIntosh's saw-mill for lumber to build a plank cabin. As there were no roads, the route lay through the woods marked by blazed trees. Soon as the lum- ber was on the ground and the nails had been bought at Whitmanville, at 16 cents a pound, Mr. White, being a carpenter by trade, began the building, which was of one and a half inch plank, set vertically and battened ; the shed roof was of boards and battened. The dimensions of the mansion was twelve by twenty feet. The window sash was procured of Albert War- ren. The fire-place had a clay back and was finished out through the roof with a stick chimney. He paid $5 per thousand feet for lumber. He cleared that fall by girdling seven acres, which in the spring was put into oats and corn. Owing to the sickness pre- vailing in the summer and fall of 1838 in nearly
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