USA > Michigan > Hillsdale County > History of Hillsdale county. Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 77
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Samuel S. Curtiss, Inspector of Election. Resolutions were passed, I. To raise a fund of $50 to be used to pur- chase necessary books for recording the town business, to pay wolf-bounties, and to build a pound; II. To pay a bounty of $2 for every wolf's head, with the ears and skin entire thereon, that should be killed in the town before the next town-meeting ; III. To build a pound 25 feet square and 6 feet high, of rough logs, to be furnished with a good door and padlock for the same. Eason T. Chester, Benja- min C. Bradley, and Samuel S. Curtiss were the committee appointed to see to the building of the pound.
The following officers were then elected for the ensuing year : Supervisor, James Fowle; Town Clerk, Benjamin Fisher ; Town Treasurer, Samuel S. Curtiss; Justices of the Peace, James Fowie, four years; George C. Lewis, three years ; Samuel S. Curtiss, two years ; and Eason T. Chester, one year; Assessors, Eason T. Chester, James Holcomb, Benjamin C. Bradley ; Commissioners of High- ways, James Holcomb, Samuel Seamans, Benjamin C. Bradley ; Collector, Oliver R. Cole; Constable, Oliver R. Cole; School Inspectors, Samuel S. Curtiss, Murray Knowles, Benjamin C. Bradley ; Directors of the Poor, Samuel Seamans, Joseph M. Hills; Pound-keeper, Gurdon Chester. At the conclusion of the canvass of votes the meeting adjourned till the first Monday in April, 1840, to meet at the house of Eason T. Chester.
The following summer, among the accounts audited was a bill of $11.50 for building the pound, of $3.50 for books, and of $10 paid for the killing of five wolves.
At the first general election, held in the fall of 1839, the poll-list comprised 25 names. This number was increased to 30 the following spring, and in 1842 had risen to 42. At the last election, Nov. 5, 1878, the poll-list exceeded 460. During the early years of the town's existence the political struggles were between the Democratic and Whig parties, and the elections were attended with varying results, but generally favorable to the Democrats. Upon the organ- ization of the Republican party, however, after a short struggle, the Democrats became hopelessly in the minority. In the bringing about of this change the " United Ameri- cans," or "Know-Nothing" societies, took a somewhat promi- nent part, although their existence was but brief. The man to whom the honor belongs for first moving for the organi- zation of the Republican party in Camden is Thomas Fitz- simmons, who has lived to see that party perform a service to the country that will immortalize its name in the pages of the world's history. The Republicans of Camden con- tinued to be in the majority until the National Greenback party was organized. In the election of last spring, that party swept the town by a majority of 162 votes. This fall its majority has fallen to 80.
On the question of licensing the sale of intoxicating drinks this town has uniformly expressed itself as favoring the traffic; but the sentiment of the town has undergone a change, and it is now believed to be strongly in favor of restrictive legislation.
During the war for the suppression of the Rebellion Cam- den did its full share, by furnishing men and money, to carry it forward to a glorious and successful issue. We publish elsewhere a list of those who donned the blue and
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HISTORY OF HILLSDALE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
served their country in its time of need. It is a glorious record, and one to which every true patriot will point with pride and satisfaction. The town voted, at several special meetings held for that purpose, to pay every recruit credited to this town the sum of $100, as a town bounty. Part of the sum thus voted was raised by tax, and bonds to the amount of $2700 were issued for the remainder.
The first attempt to found a village was made at South Camden. About the year 1848 one James Corslet came there and put up a log house on the northwest corner of the three roads centering there, and opened a tavern for the accommodation of travelers and the convenience of the public. Through a somewhat inordinate fondness for, and a more or less immoderate use of, the fluids there kept, he became unfitted for the management of the business; the care of which consequently devolved upon his wife. She proved herself fully competent, and carried on the business with such success that eventually poor James was almost utterly ignored by the public, and the place was known far and near as " Granny Corslet's tavern." And so well were people pleased with her manner and the accommodations furnished that it has often been remarked that " Granny Corslet was the best man that ever_kept the house." A small stock of goods was placed in a room at the rear of the tavern by a man named D. B. Hawley, and offered for sale. With the exception of the store built and kept by Nelson Palmer, in 1846, near his residence, this was the first store opened in Camden. About four years later the hotel was torn down and replaced 'by a frame building, which was built by Almon M. Mallison. It is still stand- ing, is used as a tavern, and bears on its sign the name of the " Travelers' Home." The store was moved to a new building on the opposite corner, and was kept there some time. Subsequently another building was erected for a store, which stands on the south side of the street, facing the road to the north. A furnace was built at a date sub- sequent to the building of the first hotel. It was owned by a Mr. Phelps. It has passed through several hands, and is now owned by C. W. Brown, and is doing a small business in the line of plow- and custom-work. The village did not attain any size, and consists of the hotel, furnace, store, and about a dozen dwellings. The south part of Camden was formerly known as " Euchre Street," probably because of the fondness for that fascinating game mani- fested by the people there, and was subsequently, on account of some circumstance not known to the writer, invested with the name of "Crampton." By this name it is quite generally known at present. Sometimes letters destined to this locality bear that direction. The post-office, which was established a few years since, is called South Camden, and is at present located a mile and three-quarters west of the corners.
A mile north of South Camden is the first and only tannery in the town. It was built by A. J. St. John in 1866; uses oak-bark in the tanning process, and has a capacity for turning out from 1000 to '1500 hides per year. A currying-shop is attached, and all the leather tanned is finished up into harness and upper leathers. It is now being run by Charles & Walter St. John, sons of the former proprietor. A quarter of a mile east of the tannery
is the first steam saw-mill that was started in this town. It was built by a Mr. Parrish, and is now owned by Hazen & Chester, and does considerable business in custom-sawing and in the manufacture of shingles and lath. There are three other steam saw-mills in Camden. The Briggs mill, in the east part of the town, was built by Ford & Rice about thirteen years ago, and is now owned by R. M. Briggs. The Cooney mill is in the southwest part of the town, and is of more recent origin. The third is at Montgomery.
The village of Camden was first started on the flat along the river. The mill, school-house, and a few dwellings com- prised all there was of it previous to 1850. Then Olney Seamans built a tavern on the lot next south of the resi- dence of Dr. Guy, and a few years later a store was started by Joseph Tucker. The tavern burned down some five or six years after it was built, and about 1860 the store was sold to Nathan Alvord, who enlarged it and kept a fine stock of goods, continuing in the business several years. In 1867 the first plat of the village was made, and a tract of some 30 acres in extent, owned by Eason T. Chester, Orson D. Chester, and Nathan Alvord, was laid out into streets and village lots. In 1871 there was talk of the building of a railroad from Mansfield, O., to Allegan, Mich., which was to pass through this place, and, the project receiving active support from the citizens of this and other towns along its proposed route, in 1872, the road-bed was purchased and graded through this town. The route selected led a little south of the village, on the higher ground, and it was de- cided to change the site of the business part of the village to the still higher ground south of the railroad. In pursu- ance of this determination, Mr. Hiram Bell and Mr. Eason T. Chester decided to plat a tract of about 25 acres lying south of the railroad and west of the main road. This was done in the fall of 1872, and the plat was called " Bell and Chester's addition to the village of Camden." Subsequently, William Miller recorded a plat of about 45 acres lying on the east side of Main street, and extending along that street till it reached the first plat. Building was immediately begun, and several stores and dwellings were put up. Since the panic of 1873 the growth has been slow,-a fact which may also be partially explained by the failure of the railroad, which is still a vision of the future. The village now contains a hotel, built in 1873, by C. R. and W. Lackey, a Methodist Episcopal church, a fine brick school-house, erected in 1873, at a cost of nearly $3500, six stores, two wagon- and blacksmith-shops, one saw- and planing-mill, one saw-mill, one fine grist-mill, and about 30 dwelling- houses. Its present population is about 200. In days gone by some facetious individual fastened upon this lo- cality the title of " Henpeck," and though it has long since outgrown any fitness of the name it still clings to it.
Previous to 1869 the site of the present village of Mont- gomery was as wild and uncultivated a piece of land as the town contained. It was then an " oak opening," and was rather looked upon as almost worthless land compared to the rest of the town. But the Fort Wayne, Jackson and Saginaw Railroad came stretching its iron sinews through the town, and people began to look about them to select a point for a station that would best accommodate the farmers
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HISTORY OF HILLSDALE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
of the section. At last the place was selected, and immedi- ately the spirit of enterprise that has so quickly developed the Western States made itself manifest here. Tracts of land owned by Israel Shepard, G. B. Hewitt, R. B. Teach- out, and Joshua Dobbs, aggregating more than 80 acres, were surveyed into village plats and thrown into the market. These lots were quickly sold to a large number of mechanics, laborers, and business men, and they erected houses and shops and stores upon them, and a thrifty village sprang up as if by miracle.
The first place of business was opened by A. P. Kellogg, as a hardware- and grocery-store, and this was followed by O. M. Hayward, with a dry-goods and grocery-store, and soon after this Joshua Dobbs opened an extensive general store, dealing in dry-goods, groceries, hardware, crockery, clothing, boots and shoes, etc. The first hotel was built and opened in 1870, by William Hakes. The steam saw- mill was built by D. & M. Orewiler, in 1872, and is still owned and worked by them. In 1874 a joint-stock com- pany was formed for the purpose of manufacturing Strunk's patent window-blinds. A shop was erected and fitted up with the necessary machinery, a steam-engine put in, and operations commenced. After running two years the busi- ness was found to be unprofitable, and work was stopped and has not been resumed. The building is now used as a hardware-store. Two physicians settled there soon after the village was started. Their names were Dr. George L. Guy and Dr. J. M. Merry. Dr. Guy subsequently removed to Camden. Dr. C. E. Miner was the first physician at that point.
Though popularly designated as " Frog-eye," the village was named by Wm. R. Montgomery, then register of the county, after himself, in return for which favorable distinc- tion he recorded the plat without receiving any fee.
At present Montgomery contains 6 stores, 3 carriage- and blacksmith-shops, 1 steam saw-mill, 2 meat-markets, 1 hotel, 1 school-house, the railroad buildings, and nearly 100 dwell- ings. Its population is about 300. It is one of the most important shipping-points along the line of railroad from Jackson to Fort Wayne, sending off an annual average of 200,000 bushels of wheat, besides large quantities of other grains, pork, hogs, cattle, lumber, and produce of all kinds.
The first preaching of the gospel in this town was during the winter of 1839, when Rev. Mr. Smith, a Methodist itinerant, held services at E. T. Chester's house. Meetings were held occasionally by the Baptists at an early day, they being preached to by Hezekiah Barber, a resident of this town. They did not, however, organize a regular church. The Methodists continued their meetings, and about 1841 the Conference sent a circuit preacher named Rev. Isaac Bennett to this section, and he preached here for some time. Rev. J. H. Peitzel, who had been a missionary among the Indians, also preached here several times. In 1854 the first regular class was formed, and among the members were Dr. and Mrs. James Cough, Joseph and Maria Seeley, John and Huldah Myers, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Huggett, Mr. and Mrs. John Bean, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Fitzsimmons, Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey Haynes, Mr. and Mrs. Zebulon Parker, Mrs. Joseph Ricks, Mrs. Harvey Seeley, and Mrs. James Buchanan. Rev. William Doust was the first regu-
lar preacher, and he was sent here by the Conference of 1854. Since that time regular weekly meetings have been held, at the school-house until the church was completed, and since that time in the church. The same minister has preached here that was stationed at Reading through these years. Revivals were experienced during the pastorate of Rev. Wm. Doust, Rev. Noah Fassett, and Rev. Taylor.
Dr. James Cough was the first class-leader. The first board of trustees was elected in 1869, and was composed as follows, viz., Zalmon H. Gray, Thomas Fitzsimmons, John B. Alward, Nathan Alvord, Eason T. Chester, S. W. Shue- feldt, John Myers. The six last named, and William McCluckion, constitute the present board. Nathan Alvord is the secretary of the board, and J. B. Alward is the treasurer, and also the secretary of the Quarterly Con- ference. S. W. Shuefeldt is the class-leader and steward.
A Sabbath-school has been connected with the church since 1854. Joseph Seeley was the first superintendent, and M. L. Perego is the present incumbent. John B. Alward is the secretary. The school is in a prosperous condition, and numbers about 75 members.
The church edifice, which was and still remains the first and only church in this town, was erected in 1873, finished in 1874, and dedicated to the worship of God in December of the latter year. It is a handsome brick building, 35 feet wide by 53 feet long, with a handsome spire, but not yet supplied with a bell. It cost about $4500, and will comfortably seat about 400 people.
But little temperance work was done in Camden outside of that incidental to the teachings of the church until a few years after the close of the war, when a Good Templars' lodge was organized. This was prosperous for a time, but finally became disgraced by the practices of some of its members, and after an existence of a year or two it went down. Matters rested thus until the " Red Ribbon" move- ment was inaugurated at the West, and then the subject of temperance reform began again to be agitated here. Sun- day afternoon, May 27, 1877, Harvey Iddings, son of Rev.
Iddings, of Reading, delivered a forcible temperance address at the Methodist Episcopal church, and at the close of the meeting a pledge was circulated among the audience, and a large number of signatures obtained. A meeting was then appointed for the following Tuesday evening, the object of which would be the organizing of a "Temperance Reform," or " Red Ribbon" club. At that meeting the organization was perfected by the election of the following officers, viz. : President, Frederick Chester ; Vice-Presidents, Gillman H. Derr, Hiram Bell, Martin Fast ; Secretary, John B. Alward ; Financial Secretary, M. L. Perego ; Treasurer, Samuel Persons. Several com- mittees were appointed, among them one to draft a set of by-laws, which were, at a subsequent meeting, presented and adopted. The club has held regular semi-monthly meetings since its organization, which were addressed by speakers from abroad, or selected from its members, and has steadily prospered, adding new names to its roll of members from time to time, until it now contains about 220 names. The present officers, who were elected Dec. 26, 1877, and hold their offices one year, are as follows, viz. : President, Parley Brown; Vice-Presidents, M. L. Perego, L. H.
HISTORY OF HILLSDALE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Storer, A. Lawton ; Secretary, Guy Chester; Financial Secretary, Martin Fast ; Treasurer, Clinton St. John.
The first Masonic society was organized in Camden in 1865. Some time early in the summer of that year a peti- tion was presented to the Grand Lodge of the State asking for a charter for a lodge. A dispensation was granted by the Grand Master, and the lodge was instituted and worked under the dispensation until the meeting of the Grand Lodge, when it was regularly chartered as " Camden Lodge, No. 245, F. and A. M." The first election of officers was held Dec. 16, 1865, and the following were chosen, the first four of them having acted in the same positions under the dispensation, viz. : W. M., George N. Mead ; S. W., G. S. Crane; J. W., Frederick Chester ; Sec., James C. Bradley ; Treas., Orson D. Chester; S. D., Samuel Miner ; J. D., Jacob Stambaugh ; Stewards, Gillman H. Derr, H. T. Crane ; Tyler, William Kunkle.
The hall over Charles R. Lackey's store was fitted up for a lodge-room, and the meetings were held there until the store was burned, when the lodge lost all its property. Busi- ness meetings were then held at different times, but no initiations or other work was done until the present store, owned by Mr. Chester, was erected. Then a hall in the third story of that building was fitted up for a lodge-room, and has been used by the lodge since that time. The regu- lar meetings are held on that Thursday evening of each month which falls nearest to the time of the full moon. The lodge numbers between 70 and 80 members. The fol- lowing are the present officers : W. M., George N. Mead ; S. W., Frederick Chester ; J. W., Nathan Alvord ; Sec., Gill- man H. Derr; Treas., William Kunkle; S. D., A. A. Bax- ter; J. D., Philip Shook ; Stewards, Henry Spaulding, Christopher Myers; Tyler, William Stahl.
The fraternity of Odd-Fellows has very recently estab- lished itself in this town, the first society of that brotherhood having been instituted on the 25th of May last, by Deputy Grand Master L. C. Tillotson, of Hillsdale, assisted by Past N. G. Witter J. Baxter, of Jonesville.
The first and present officers are: N. G., John B. Alward; V. G., Jonathan Fast ; Sec., William A. Saunders; War- den, Martin Fast; Conductor, David A. Erwin ; O. Guard, Andrew J. Longstreet.
The lodge is called " Camden Lodge, No. 312, I. O. O. F.," and is working under a dispensation until the Grand Lodge meets and the charter is issued. It has been prosperous, and now numbers 42 members. Its meetings are held at Masonic Hall.
We give a list of the principal town officers, compiled from the records :
SUPERVISORS.
1839-40. James Fowle.
1841-42. Eason T. Chester.
1843-44. Benjamin C. Bradley.
1845-48. Eason T. Chester.
1849. James Fowle.
1867. Thomas Fitzsimmons.
1868. Almon Day.
1869. Zalmon H. Gray.
1870. Walter Young.
1871-72. Charles B. Johnson.
1873. John B. Alward.
1874-77. A. J. Wigent. 1878. Andrew A. Baxter.
TOWN CLERKS.
1839-1841. Benjamin Fisher.
1842. Murray Knowles.
1843-44. Francis D. Young.
1845-46. Erastus Keyes.
1847-48. Murray Knowles.
1865-66. Nathan Alvord.
1867. Jirah I. Young. 1868. Nathan Alvord. 1869. Wm. Chester. 1870-71. James C. Bradley.
1853. Benjamin B. Holcomb.
1854-55. David C. Tyrrill.
1856. Samuel Whaley.
1857. Talma H. Brooks.
1875-76. James C. Bradley.
1877-78. John B. Alward.
TREASURERS.
1839. Samuel S. Curtiss.
1840-42. Benjamin C. Bradley.
1843. Levi Hills.
1859-60. James M. Hagerman.
1844. Oliver R. Cole.
1845-46. Benjamin Fisher.
1846. John G. McWilliams.# Benja. B. Holcomb.t
1847-49. Joseph Seeley.
1850. Richard Huggett.
1867. Robert Masters.
1851. Orlando Patee.
1852. Daniel Van Etten.
1853-54. Frederick Chester.
1872-73. Lewis H. Stover.
1855. Edwin R. Stewart.
1874-76. Lorenzo B. Davis.
1877-78. Albert Walls.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
1839. James Fowle (4 years).
George C. Lewis (3 years). Samuel S. Curtiss (2 years). Eason T. Chester (1 year).
1860. Benjamin A. Hagerman
(f. t.). Almon Day (v.).
1861. Frederick Chester.
1862. Parley Brown.
1840. James Holcomb.
1841. Benjamin C. Bradley.
1842. Timothy H. Wilkinson.
1843. James Fowle.
1844. James Holcomb.
1845. Benjamin C. Bradley.
1846. Salmon Whaling.
1847. Samuel Whaley.
1848. James Holcomb.
1849. Eason T. Chester (f. t.). Joel Campbell (v.).
1850. Murray Knowles.
1851. Wm. Palmiter.
1852. Alonzo E. Richmond.
1853. Eason T. Chester (f. t.). Elisha Y. Palmer (v.).
1854. Parley Brown.
1855. Almon Day.
1856. Alonzo E. Richmond.
1857. Frederick Chester.
1858. Parley Brown.
1878. Wm. Chester (f. t.).
Thomas E. Cooney (v.).
COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS.
1839. James Holcomb.
1842. Morgan McCarty. Chester Hills.
Thomas McKnight.
1840. James Holcomb. George C. Lewis.
Samuel Seamans.
1841. George C. Lewis.
Samuel Seamans.
Benjamin C. Bradley.
1844. George Swiger. Benjamin Fisher. John Trim, Jr.
Appointed vice Fisher.
t Appointed vice Mc Williams.
1855-56. Eason T. Chester.
1857. Frederick A. Seymour.
1858. Daniel Van Etten.
1862. Thomas Fitzsimmons. 1863-64. Zalmon H. Gray. 1865-66. Almon Day.
1850. Wm. R. Montgomery.
1851. Eason T. Chester.
1852. Wm. R. Montgomery. 1853. Zalmon H. Gray.
1854. Wm. R. Montgomery.
1877. C. P. Taylor.
1859. Wm. H. Billings.
1867. Orlando C. Curtiss.
1868. Andrew J. Wigent.
1869. Frederick Chester.
1870. Judson B. Haynes.
1871. John G. McWilliams.
1872. Samuel W. Miner.
1873. Dr. James Cough.
1874. Thos. Fitzsimmons (f. t.). Enoch B. Teachout (v.).
James Oliver (v.).
1875. John G. McWilliams (f. t.). Gilman H. Derr. Wm. Chester (v.).
1876. Loftus Stanton.
1856. Richard Huggett.
1857. Zalmon H. Gray.
1859-60. Nathan Alvord.
1861-62. Eli Alvord.
1863. Nathan Alvord.
1864. Joseph Seeley.
1849. Benjamin B. Holcomb. 1850-51. Elisha Y. Palmer. 1852. Parley Brown.
1872. John B. Alward.
1873-74. Andrew A. Baxter.
1858. Stephen Fitzsimmons.
1857. James Fowle.t
1858. Wm. R. Worden.
1860-61. James C. Bradley .?
1862. Zebulon W. Parker.
1863-64. Charles B. Johnson.
1865. George C. Crane. 1866. Wm. Chester.
1868-70. Charles R. Lackey.
1871. Wm. Chester.
1863. Charles Cooney.
1864. Benjamin A. Hagerman.
1865. Frederick Chester.
1866. James D. Fitzsimmons.
1859. Eason T. Chester. Samuel Seamans. 1860-61. Zalmon H. Gray. Benjamin C. Bradley.
1843. Jeremiah Peck. Samuel Seamans. Thomas McKnight.
# Vice Gray, resigned.
¿ Appointed to fill vacancy, and re-elected.
309
310
HISTORY OF HILLSDALE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
1845. Jeremiah Peck.
Richard Huggett. Philander Wilkinson.
1846. Richard Huggett. Joseph Seeley. Nahum Shaw.
1847. W. P. Kingman (3 years). J. G. Mc Williams (2 years). Joseph M. Hills (1 year). 1848. Joseph M. Hills (f. t.). Philander Wilkinson (v.).
1849. Almon Day.
1850. Benjamin B. Holcomb.
1851. Richard Huggett.
1852. Thomas Fitzsimmons.
1853. Orlando Patee.
1871. Silas W. Huggett (f. t.). Lorenzo Saunders (v.).
1854. Edward Huggett.
1872. E. P. Teachout.
1855. William Miller.
1873. H. B. Spicer.
1874. William Franks.
1857. Jesse Tucker.
1875. Robert Masters.
1858. Elisha Y. Palmer.
1876. No record.
1877. Adam Beaver.
1878. Adam Beaver.
ASSESSORS.
1839. Eason T. Chester.
James Holcomb.
Benjamin C. Bradley.
1840. Eason T. Chester. Benjamin C. Bradley.
1840. James Holcomb.
1841. Eason T. Chester. James Holcomb. Benjamin C. Bradley.
COLLECTOR. 1839-41. Oliver R. Cole.
OVERSEERS OF THE POOR.
1839. Samuel Seamans. Joseph M. Hills.
1847. John Lords. Chester Hills.
1840. Samuel Seamans.
1848. Samuel Cough.
Joseph M. Hills.
James Holcomb.
1841. Samuel Seamans. George C. Lewis.
James Corslet.
1842. James Hall.
1850. James Corslet. Gordon Chester.
1843. James Hall.
Chester Hills.
1855. Daniel Van Etten. Elisha Y. Palmer.
1844. George C. Lewis. Chester Hills.
1856. Daniel Van Etten. Almon M. Mallison.
1845. John Lords.
1857. Almon M. Mallison.
Chester Hills.
Andrew Brannan.
1846. Samuel Seamans. Chester Hills.
1858. Samuel Whaley.
George Cummings.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
ANDREW J. WIGENT.
Martin Wigent, the father of our subject, was born and reared in Onondaga Co., N. Y. In early life was married to Miss Mary M. Bartholomew, of the same county.
In April, 1834, he emigrated with his family to Ohio, and settled near Toledo, where he remained about four years. He then removed to Michigan, and purchased of the government eighty acres of wild land, in what is now known as Reading village, and on which now stands the depot of the Fort Wayne, Jackson and Saginaw Railroad in
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