History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 102

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 772

USA > Michigan > Eaton County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 102
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 102

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"The years 1836 and 1837 brought quite a number of new inhabit- ants,-J. P. Wuodhury, Caleb Woodbury, Dr. Samuel Clark, Robert Jarvis, Samuel Higgins, Ephraim Follett, Elial Bond, George S. Avery, Albert Avery, Hermen Jervis, Capt. James W. Iliekok, Wil- liam R. Carpenter, Willard Davis, George S. Browning, John T. Ellis, Sylvester Andrews, and others net reeolleeted. This year [1836] the first district school was taught by Ilepsebeth Hutchinson. The next year (1837) the school was taught by Willard Davis, Esq., the first male teacher in the township. Mr. Davis not only taught the school, but on the Sabbath days preached to the assembled people at the log school-house. This township has from the beginning been well supplied with local preachers. Mr. Asa Phelps, Willard Davis, Sylvester Andrews, Henry Robinson, and Simeon D. Barden, all officiated in holy things on the Sabbath.

" Capt. James W. Iliekok arrived at Bellevue, en route to his farm about four miles east of the village. In going from the village to his farm, with his wife and effects in a lamber wagon drawn by an ox- team, a small tree by the roadside leaned across the road, and in passing it Mrs. Ilickok put up her font to fend it off. She came in contact with the tree, and the result was the breaking of her limb. The captain, as soon as be aseertained the situation of his wife, har- ricd baek to the village for assistance. Men soon collected and hur- ried to where the lady was; made a rude litter, and, placing Mrs. Iliekok upon it, brought her back to the village, to the residence of John T. Hayt. Dr. Carpenter, an old and skillful surgeon, soon set the limb, and made her as comfortable as the cirenmstanees would permit. She recovered in about nine weeks. In the mean time she

was confined of a son, the first male child born in the county." Ile was named Isaac E. Crary Iliekok, and was afterwards clerk of Eaton County. I forgot to mention that the first female ehild born in the county was Sarah Fitzgerald, daughter of Reuben Fitzgerald, now the wife of John Spaulding,-horn iu October or November, 1834.

" In A.D. 1835, William C. Fonda built a large hoat, similar to the canal-buats, and about as large as those used on the New York canals, for the purpose of beating lime down Battle Creek inte the Kalamazoo River, and selling the same at all points on the river wherever wanted. The first trip down Battle Creek with the boat convinced the enter- prising proprietor that beating lime down the ereek was a peer husi- ness. The heat, after incredible hardship, was navigated down stream into the river, when it was capsized and the lime destroyed. This ended canal beat building at Bellevue.

"Some of the citizens of the village were very fond of fun, and in- vented all manner of games to get up a goud time. No matter how severe the pastime might be apon their mortal caskets; no matter how hard they kicked each other's shius with their great, heavy stoga boots ; even if they skinned the shin-bone from the instep to the knee- pan in their gentle sports, it was fun ; the hardest and most seica- tifie kieker would bring down the house with rounds of applause. After diverting themselves sufficiently with such pastime, they would wind up with eating a pull of waxed mnaple-sugar, raisins, nuts, or raw eodfish. washed down with a horn of rye; then they would sepa- rate for the night, slapping each other with their hard, flat hands aside the head or knocking uff each other's hats, bid good-night, and go home shaking their sides with laughter, feeling that they had en- joyed a niee time. About this time J. P. & Caleb Woodbury started a grocery on the corner opposite the Union Hotel, on Main Street; B. F. & J. F. Ilinman opened a store on the corner where Mr. Bough- ton's store now stands; Abner Carpenter and his brother, William R., opened a store er grocery on the site of the present store of Gage & Hughes; Maj. Elial Bond opened a grocery near the store of Mr. Ford. Messrs. Woodbary and the Messrs. Ilinman erected large ash- eries, and manufactured saleratus very extensively for several years. The Messrs. Woodbury started a tannery, which was run for several years by John T. Hayt, manufacturing considerable leather, which was in turn made up into boats and shoes. David Lacas commenced the painting and chair-mannfaetaring business. Ilis work was eonsid- ered excellent and elegant, always finding a ready market. Ile pros- eented the business for several years, hut died suddenly. Mr. Edward Kingsbury continued the furniture-manufactory, carrying it on for several years prosperously. Isaac E. & John B. Crary erceted a flouring-mill, with twe runs of stone. Iliram Ovenshire built a steam saw-mill east of the village, near the residence of his parents, and manufactured great quantities of lumber, which found ready sale. Another steam-mill was erected on the bank of Battle Creek, west of the village, near Sylvanns Hansiker's residence Soon after this dry - goods-, hardware-, and drug-stores, and various mechanie shops were opened. Maj. Bond erected the Eagle llotel, which he kept for several years. It was noted for its neatness and good fare. By this time the village had grown eunsiderably ; the surrounding country bad become tolerably well settled ; niee, improved farms dotted the township in every direction ; school-houses were built and good schools were sup- ported in all the districts; and a general prosperity attended all business prudently eondueted.

" The first settlers of Bellevue were from the States of New York, Massachusetts, and Vermont,-a hardy, industrious, intelligent, and enterprising people. Being poor, they came to the wilderness to better their condition and grow up with the country. Through the enterprise and intelligence of such people the State of Michigan has been brought from a wilderness, inhabited by the Indians, to eiviliza- tion and refinement. Seattered all over the State are evidences of prosperity equal to any State in the Union.

" The Methodist continued to be the most numerons religious society, and had received large aecessions by the immigrations to the township during the past years. The Presbyterians were inereased, also, and organized a church of twenty-seven members. The Rev. Calvin Clark, of Marshall, organized the first charch. The principal lahab-

# The date of this birth was Sept. 7, 1836. Tbe son grew to useful- ness and held numeroas important positions in the euunty. llis death oeeurred Jan. 30, 1879. Capt. lliekok settle on seetion 19, in Wal- ten township.

7.00

Warren Streeter 5.00

Reuhen Fitzgerald. 15,00

James Kimberly .. 10.00

Thomas Kipp.

James Cuykendall 1.00

A. Il. Ilaze.

40S

HISTORY OF EATON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

ilants of the township at this time were Ephraim Follet, Samuel Ilig- gios, James Hoxie, Charles Comings, Michael W. Walker, Zidex Morehouse, James Luscomb. Alanson Mench, George S. Avery, John Spaulding. Daniel Spaulding, Oliver Jennings, Ira Tillotson, Levi Kirkham, Eli Cushon, Lewis L. Ives, William Viele, John Sargent, Samuel Campbell, Zenin Brooks, Willard Brooks, Reuben Fitzgerald, Sylvanus HIunsiker, James Kimberly, Simeon B. Bardon, Jntnes Ilolden, Mr. Cook, Aaron White, Jefferson Willis, Timothy Haskell, Reuben Ilaskell, Chester G. Sprague, Isnne Beers, Michael Grobe, Iloratio Hall, Herman Jervis, John Beers. Norman S. Booth, Benja- min Wilson, Jeremiah Woodbury, Caleb Woodbury, Franklin F. llin- man, John F. llinman, llenry Ilintunn, John T. llayt, John B. Crary, Dr. Seneca II. Gage, Roswell Hughes, David Lucas, William R. Car- penter, Abner Carpenter, Dr. Carpenter, Duvid Judson, Russell Slade, James Dewey. Dr. Samuel Clark, George S. Browning, John T. Ellis, Elial Bond, Albert Avery, Calvin Phelps, Asa Phelps, Lawrence Camp- bell, Stephen Woodbury, Martio S. Brackett, Heury Ifolden, Ezekiel Blue, Juhn Evans, Harrison Sprague, Charles Ilunsiker, Iliram Ovenshire, Nathan Lepper, Jerry Spicer, James Hill, Daniel Mnson, Edward M. Kingsbury, Peter Reed, Samuel Andrews, Sylvester M. Andrews, Samuel Reynolds, Abel Giles, Lewis Morgan, Norman Shum- way, Peter Doriemer, Nicholas Doriemer, besides others I cannot rec- ollect.

" The people of the township had no other place to meet for worship or for lectures but the district school-house, und, although that was a large one,-two rooms twenty four by twenty,-it could not hold the people without grent inconvenience, and all felt the need of n church. Meetings were called to devise n plan upon which all would unite und build n house of worship, und to necommodate the different religious bodies as they might occasionally need. Several plans were sub- mitted, but nothing definite wns agreed upon, as most of them would give one sect the predominance. At length a plan was suggested that all could unite upon : it was to build by a joint stock company. Each stockholder was to receive the amount of his stock in pews. Out of compliment lo the most numerous sect in the township, it was to be called a Methodist church. Means were raised sufficient to build what is now known ns the Methodist church, and complete the same, free from debt, by said company. The pews nmubered und appraised, each stoekholder had the privilege of bidding them in to the amount of his stock."#

The village was wonderfully excited, about 1851, over the performances of a negro mesmerist, many aseribing his power to the ruler of the infernal regions, and all alike beiog influenced in some way. Not long after a young lady, sixteen years of age, from Angusta, Kalamazoo Co., created a second great excitement by her performances under the alleged influence of spirits, and the Devil was a second time brought to account. Afterwards a Baptist minister settled in the township, and the numbers of that denomination were augmented, and a church was finally built, costing 85000, their meetings having been originally held in the school-house.

"The Episcopalians at an early day sent n missionary to preach nt Charlotte and Bellevuc. They held meetings alternately in those places for nhout two years, without much visible fruit in Bellevue."

During the Presidential campaign of 1840 the citizens of Bellevue gathered " from near and from far" on the night previous to the day on which Lewis Cass was to speak at Marshall, and the next morning wended their way in proccs- siun to the latter city, where they took an active part in the ceremonies of the occasion. The " great Democratic party" of Bellevue was drawn to and from Marshall by ox-teams, mostly from necessity, but partly, perhaps, to show to the world that although great they were not proud.

Most of the men who established business-houses in

Bellevue at an early day departed as soon as other villages more likely to become of importance were ready to receive them, and the future of the place was long shrouded in the mist of uncertainty, and it began to wear a decidedly dilapi- dated appearance. But the advent of the Peninsular Rail- way infused new life; new business-men came; the village prospered finely, and its future was assured.

A fine Union school building was in time erected to take the place of the old structure, which was insufficient for the needs of the district, and it was called, at the time of its completion, one of the best of its elass in the State. About the same time Messrs. Sibley & Mann, of Marshall, pur- chased the water-power and mill-grounds at the village, and erected large grist- and saw-mills .; An extensive furnace was also built by Harte and Henry Robinson. Mr. Wil- liam Viele later crected a steam planing-mill.

John F. Hinman, an early merchant in Bellevue, and later a resident of Battle Creek, also furnishes some inter- esting reminiscences, many of the facts being taken from his diary. His article was also published in the Charlotte Republican, May 28, 1869. Mr. Hinmao wrote:

" I enme to Bellevue on the 14th day of August, A.D. 1838, and in company with my brother went into the mercantile business. Belle- vue at that time hnd a grist-mill, a saw-mill, and, in fact, was the county-sent of Eaton County, where ' His Honor, Epaphroditus Ran- som,' dealt ont justice, as I have since learned, in small doses to some of the inhabitants of snid county. But people in other parts of the county soon began to think that Bellevue was getting along too fast, and an effort was made which succeeded in removing the county-seat, together with Judge Ransom's court, from Bellevue to Charlotte, where it still remains.

" In the early history of Bellevue n good many quite laughable things happened, and as the town was made up of funny characters in part, this commodity-fun-was considered nearly equal to legal tender."

Mr. Hinman relates several amusing anecdotes. On one occasion a Methodist preacher named Reynolds, in com- pany with another man, went " huckleberrying" in a swamp near Mr. Ackley's, and returned with their receptacles well laden, but no one could ascertain from them the exact loca- tion of the bountifully-yielding bushes. Mr. Hinman and Mr. Brackett determined to watch them and find out, and followed them to the swamp, where they separated and went around in opposite directions. All their calls elicited no response,- the wily pickers were "mum." Ere long, however, Mr. Ilinman discovered some bushes which were bent down with the weight of the berries upon them, and caught a handful and put them in his mouth. He coughed slightly, and some one near him called " halloo !" No answer from Mr. Ilinman, who continued to cough in spite of all efforts to the contrary. The minister, for he it proved to be, became frightened, pounded on a tree, and shouted " ste- boy !" several times, and finally broke and ran at his tallest speed out of the swamp and on to Mr. Ackley's, where, as soon as he could speak, he asserted that a very large bear had chased him out of the swamp ! Brackett and Hin- man soon came together, enjoyed a good laugh, and secured a fine lot of berries. Rev. Mr. Reynolds preached else- where the next year.

One of the characters of the village in 1838, and after,

. The building and grounds soon beenmne the property of the Meth- o dists, who have continued exclusively to occupy them to the present.

+ This in 1852.

409

BELLEVUE.

was a man named Lucas, who was " smart" both mentally and physically. He was an inveterate joker, a crack shot, a sharp card-player, and a good specimen of a sporting man generally, and no one ever " got the better of him." A fa- mous gambler, named William Thornton (afterwards hung in California), and known as " Lueky Bill," was at one time completely " taken in" by Lucas in a game of poker, of which the latter professed considerable ignorance, but which game resulted in his winning all the money " Bill" had, about $100.

Capt. John B. Crary, Mr. Meech (a tavern-keeper), Sylvanus Hunsiker, Esq., and " Old Esquire Phelps" were men of peculiar temperament, and are all recollected by some of their transactions in the lines of their business. On the 14th of December, 1839, a party, consisting of J. P. Woodbury, Amos A. Grant, William B. Hill, John F. Hinman, and others, went on a bear chase down the creek, and finally succeeded in treeing and killing the animal, the fatal shot being fired by Mr. Hill from a fine rifle, which Mr. Hinman afterwards won from him on the election of Harrison to the Presidency. Very many of the early set- tlers of the township have laid their armor by and departed, after years of toil and privation, reverses and successes, to a realm where they are no longer " pioneers."

The records of the County Pioneer Society contain the following facts regarding the township of Bellevue :

Sylvester Day, a native of Wayne Co., N. Y., came to Michigan in 1836, in company with his father, Ira Day, and two other children of the latter, Samuel and Asenath Jane Day. The latter, although not yet eleven years of age, was the housekeeper for her father and brothers. On the 2d of October, in the year mentioned (having left New York about the Ist of September), they set- tled on seetion 1 in Bellevue township, having been pre- ceded only in that vicinity by one family, that of Ruloff Butler. The journey from Detroit was made with an ox- team, and occupied eighteen days' time. The nearest grist- mill was located at Marshall, Calhoun Co.

Martin S. Brackett, an early settler of this town, was a native of Elbridge, Onondaga Co., N. Y. When but eighteen years old he had charge of the construction of nine miles of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, in the employ of his brother. He afterwards became a civil engineer and performed valuable service in building other canals, and also studied law. In the spring of 1838 he settled in Bellevue, where he spent his remaining days. He offici- ated as deputy clerk at the first term of Circuit Court held in the county (fall of 1838), Judge Ransom presiding, and was soon after admitted to the practice of law. Ile served three terms as county clerk, three years as prose- euting attorney, and was prominently identified with polit- ical matters. His death veeurred Feb. 14, 1877 .*

Capt. Renben Fitzgerald was born in the State of Maryland, in the year 1800. His title was acquired from holding the position of captain in the militia. When he settled at Bellevue he was accompanied by his wife and three children. They arranged their wagon-box for a shelter, and fixed up an addition to it, using the whole for

a shanty until something better could be provided. The old wagon with iron axle-trees used by the captain was in existenee until within a very few years. The lumber used in building his barn was brought from Marshall upon it, drawn by four yokes of oxen. He went with two wagons, but one broke down, and the entire quantity, consisting of green oak boards, was transferred to the other. Numerous Indian huts were standing in the vicinity of Capt. Fitzgerald's home, covered with elm bark, and as the Indians were gone he naturally presumed they would not need them any more, and took off quantities of the bark and roofed his barn with it. The red men returned, however, and were very indig- nant at his procedure. To coneiliate them it was necessary to send to Marshall for an interpreter, who explained mat- ters, and the gift of sundry provisions quieted their anger. The captain had unwittingly been a trespasser, but it took considerable time and a long argument to convince the Indians that such was the ease.

The burial-ground of the Indians was at the western boundary of the present corporation of Bellevue, and within comparatively recent years boys have made excavations and unearthed numerous trinkets which had been buried with the dead warriors. The plain on which Bellevue stands was used by the Indians as a planting-ground, and traces of their corn-hills were seen for a number of years after the settlement by the whites.

The pioneers of this locality, whenever a task of any kind was to be performed, or a birth or raising occurred, " made a bce" to see that everything was done in " ship- shape," and those days were enjoyed by all, despite their distance from old home seenes and the hardships of a life in the wilderness.

Capt. Fitzgerald died July 20, 1873; his widow is still living, as are also several of his children. One son, A. E. Fitzgerald, is engaged in the hardware business at Bellevue. One daughter is living who came to the place with the family in 1833.

Sylvanus Hunsiker, from Owaseo township (eight miles from Auburn), Cayuga Co., N. Y., visited what is now the township of Bellevue in the spring of 1833, and located land for himself, Reuben Fitzgerald, and James Kimberly. Fitzgerald occupied his the same year, and Hunsiker and Kimberly moved in the year following. The old farm of Mr. Hunsiker is now owned by his son, Syl- vanus Hunsiker, the father having died in 1855. Mr. Kimberly removed to Iowa, in which State he is now living. The three were all from the same neighborhood in New York. Four of Mr. Hunsiker's children are now living in Bellevue, -- Mrs. F. E. Andrews, Henry A. Hunsiker, Mrs. J. P. DeRiemer, and Sylvanus J. Hunsiker. One younger, married, is living in Kentucky. One daughter was born in the family in 1836 or 1837, and S. J. Hun- siker's birth occurred in 1839.

The elder Hunsiker at one time procured a lot of trees " up north," on the Thornapple River, and took them to Indiana, where he traded them for pigs, chickens, etc., which he brought home. The chickens laid, and Mrs. Hunsicker used some of the eggs to make a custard-pie, which was a delicacy the family had not enjoyed since leaving New York. The pie was left out to cool and the

* From obituary notice in Charlotte Republican, Feb. 16, 1877. 52

410

HISTORY OF EATON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

family sat down to dinner. When ready for the pie Mrs. Hunsiker went out after it, and to her great dismay dis- covered that the old sow had found it and eaten it up. Then was there mourning in the household, and Mrs. Ifun- siker " sat down and wept." They had managed to eat their dinner in order to allow the pie to cool, and when the force of their disappointment was realized it may be in- ferred that at the next town-meeting some votes were cast against allowing hogs to be " free commoners."

Ephraim Follett, from the State of Connecticut, came to Bellevue township in 1836 and located on section 9. He died in 1864, and the old farm is now owned by his widow and two sons, O. S. and Willard Follett.

Sylvester M. Andrews, born in the State of New York in October, 1801, was early licensed as a Methodist Epis- copal preacher and in 1835 was ordained deacon. In 1836 he removed to Bellevue, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred Aug. 15, 1861.

Anson Ackley, also a prominent member of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church, was born in New York in 1797, and settled in Bellevue in 1834. Ile died in 1865.

James Ovenshire, from Yates Co., N. Y., removed to Michigan about 1832, and for several years lived on the line between the counties of Lenawee and Washtenaw. In 1839 he removed with his family to Eaton County, and settled in the township of Kalamo, on a farm. He is now deceased and his son Charles occupies the old place. An- other son, Hliram, is engaged in milling at Bellevue, where he has lived most of the time since the family came to the county. He owns a farm north of the village, upon which in 1854 he built a steam saw-mill, which was burned in 1859.

April 22, 1838, Lewis L. Barnes and Susanna Butler were married by Calvin Phelps, justice of the peace, and on the 10th of May following, John B. Crary and Susan Jarvis were united in matrimony by the same man.

RESIDENTS IN 1844.

The following is a list of the resident taxpayers of the township and village of Bellevue for the year 1844, accord- ing to the assessment-roll on file in the county treasurer's office :

Sylvester M. Andrews," James Andrus, James Andrews, George S. Avery, Albert G. Avery, N. S. Booth, Ransom Bigshee, Joel Barker, Lysander Brooks, M. S. Brackett, Marcus Bingham (fur- nace), Lewis Barnes, Ruloff Butler, Luther Brown, S. D. Barden, Tobias Born, Eli Cushing, Wm. R. Carpenter, Robert Campbell, Sanford Chaffee, John B. Crary, Samuel Campbell, Win. Collins, Samuel Clark, Saml. Clark, M.D., Chas. Cummings, E. B. Cum- mings, Leonard Cummings, Campbell & Grant, Otis Dye, Amaziah Darrow, Jr., Jacob Deriemer, Satnuel Darrow, Asa Day, Sylvester Day, Samuel Day, Levi Depny, Isaac DuBois, Daniel Evans, James Evans, Ephraim Follett, John Farling, Fitzgerald & Wood- bury, Reuben Fitzgerald, Jost Garous, Sencca II. Gage, Wmn. N. Grant, De Witt C. Griffith, Robt. J. Grant, Elliott T. Gregg, James B. Grant, Sylvanus Hunsiker, Henry Hunsiker, Timothy Has- kell, Heirs of Reuben Haskell, John Hart, Holder Hart, John T. Hart, Henry D. Hall, John Hackett, Henry Harris, David D. Hall, Henry Hughes, B. F. & J. F. Hinnans (store) ; Julius Hyde, James HToxic, George F. Holden, Robert M. Havens, Lewis L. Ives, Ashley E. Ives, Claus Inselman, Jacob Inselman, Joseph Jackson, David Judson (turning-shop), Oliver Jennings,

Robert Jarvis, Harvey Judson, James Kimberly (lime-works), E. M. Kingsbury, Sidney S. Ketchum, Levi Kirkham, James Luscomb, David Lucas, Charles Lowell, Alanson Meech, Daniel Mason, Zadok Morehouse, John Martins, John W. Mountjay (grist-mill and privilege), Emory Olgar, David Olgar, Charles Ovcashire, Calvin Phelps, Jonathan M. Parsons, John L. Reed, Peter Reed, John Ryan, John Reynolds, Samuel Reynolds, Aa- drew W. Rogers, Phineas Spaulding, John Sargeant, Martin Spaulding, Reuben Swift, Jobn Spaulding. Daniel Spaulding, Willis Spaulding, Ilarrison Sprague, Choster G. Sprague, Norman Shum way, Uriah Shapley, II. II. Thompson, Harmon Turril, Levi Taylor, M. W. Walker, Justin P. Walker, Harmon P. Wells, Aaron White, Wm. H. White, Frederick West, Thomas J. Willis, Caleb Woodbury, Jr., J. P. Woodbury & Co. (store, saleratus- shop, and shoe-shop; also, ashery and taodery), Caleh Wood- bury, J. P. Woodhury.

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History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 102

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co. Number of Pages: 772

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 772