History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 105

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 105
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 105

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).

" Before Benton was settled there was a dingonnl road marked through from Spicerville, running northwest aerosa Enton, across the Buthwest corner of Benton, and through Chester and Sunfield. This

was built by tho United States under Territorial rule, and was called the Clinton rond, or old Clinton trail. The settlement of Benton was several yenrs later than that of the other townships, and the getting in with their teams and ' housen stuff' seems to have been compara- tively ensy. In the wny of hardship and suffering Benton has no his- tory. Everything seems to run to bear stories and fun at the raisings and logging-bees.

" Merrills Freeman was the smallest man who attended raisings, and could outlift every other man there. At the raising of Emory Beadle's barn, in 1844, there was a large hewn stick of green cherry timber forty feet long. Freeman thought he could lift it. Says Jim Taggart, ' Little rooster, you enn't do it!' Merrills took hold and raised it with apparent ease. Then all the Inrge, stout men, one after the other, walked up and tried, but none of them could lift it. This was the first frame barn built in Benton.

" Ira Bailey, an old gander-shanked genins, who played the violin and was the most awkward appenring man in town, made their music for them at the dances and n great deal of their fun for them upon all Decasions. With his thick, heavy, stoga boots ou he could outrun or ontjump the best of them. On election day, when the voters went from Benton up to the Cannda settlement to vote, Tyler Cogswell was there, who, by his friends, was considered a fleet runner and a safe man to bet drinks on. The Benton boys managed to get up a race between Bailey and Cogswell, apparently the most ill-matched pair that ever ran together. Cogswell wns light and quiek and a fleet runner; Bailey, with his immense, heavy boots and long legs, slammed along by the side of him nud beat him. This eaused much mirth and astonishment. Cogswell said, 'This is the first time I was ever benten by such a looking customer as you are.' Says Bailey, 'Yon consider yourself spry, but I can bent you in a short roce ns well as n long one. I can carry the benviest rail on Walker Nichols' rail fence and bent you in a ten-rod race.' Ile went and pulled out the heaviest rail to be found, went back of the seore and took a running start, and as ho came up to the line they both went on together. The heavy rail had gained such an impetus that it brought Bailey and his boots out ahend, and he was afterwards known in those regions as 'rail Bailey.' He lived awhile on section 19, a part of the Hovey settlement, but his elenring is now ngain grown up to woods. This Hovey settlement, commenced in 1840 by llosey flovey, n surveyor, was upon sections 19, 20, 28, and 29, and was for a long time the principal part of Ben- ton.

"Henry HI. Hatch moved in and built on section 28 in 1840. His daughter, Gertrude Ilatch, horn in 1841, is said to be the first whito child born in the township. Frank Bailey, son of B. F. Bailey, born in 1841, was the first white male ehild.# Bennjah Claflin was their first mail-carrier. He enrried the mail from Jackson, through Spicer- ville and Benton, to Grand Rapids by the old Clinton trail. The nearest approach which this important mail mnde to Charlotte was William Southworth's post-office in Eaton, about six miles enst. A few miles of this old Territorial road yet remain in that part of Eaton. Mr. Claflin carried this mail through once a week, and had boles excavated in the ground along the route, within which it was his enstom to retire with the mail-bag to pass the night.

"James Taggart, a man well known throughout the county for his rough frankness and honest worth, moved in during the year 1842, having been in and located in 1840. Although n very positive and decided Demoerat, all parties have scemed to take pleasure in voting him into town offices.

"Japhet Fisher, the first settler, being alone in hie part of tho town, ereeted a good-sized barn of heavy logs, every one of which be raised to its place alone, carrying them up on heavy ladders a noteh at n time and laying them properly in their places. Japhet was fond of going barefooted, especially to logging-bees, whero great savage thistles are npt to abound. To test the toughness of his feet, Jim Taggart would station or push him on a Inrge bull-thistle. Japhet, with his full, rosy cheeks, laughing, talking, and lifting, would seem perfectly unconseious of the fact that his bare foot wns crushing the fangs of ono of those savage thistles, and that all were looking to see him eithor wince, or look down, or move his foot to some inoro comfortable place. Those pioneers were all ne tough and

* Asa Fisher, son of Japhet Fisher, was born in 1839 or 1840, but his mother went to her mother's in Chester at the time, as thore were no noighbors to assist.

419

BENTON.

hardy as Japhet's feet, and as sunshiny and unconscious of it all the while.

" A portion of Benton was cleared and settled so late that it derived valuable assistance from the portable steam saw-mill. By the aid of this modern improvement a great portion of its timber has proved a source of revenue to the township. The old pioneer method was to log up and burn, gather the ashes, leach them, boil down the lye to black salts, and haul the salts to Bellevue or Eaton Rapids, where they were man- ufactured into pearlash or saleratus and shipped East. Now, by the aid of a portable steam saw-mill, the timher on the land can be made to pay for the land and for clearing, and a handsome profit besides. Whole farms in Benton are fenced with black-walnut rails, which timher would now he used for the manufacture of the most valuable furniture. A few years ago Mr. George N. Potter cut a dead old black- walnut tree, hollow at the hutt, from which he realized over $1200. This tree had a peculiar gnarl, or curl, which was the same from the tips of the roots in the ground to the tips of the limbs in the air. Even the stump and the roots were dug out, and worked into veneer- ing for musical instruments. Even the saw-dust and bark of black- walnut are now utilized by being ground up, mixed with some ingre- dient and pressed into moulds, forming knobs, handles, and splendid carving. Hundreds of such trees, because they would not split easily into rails, were doubtless treated as nuisances and consumed by fire. Mr. Potter had sold the land on which this tree stood to a settler. Thinking there might be some value in the tree, he had intended to reserve it, but forgot it. As time passed along and the demand for black- walnut increased, he recollected this old dead tree and thought he would try to secure it. He went to the vendee of the land and selected a quantity of standing timber in its vicinity, and hantered for a purchase at a low price, not even noticing this old king of the forest. Finally tho timber-seller told Mr. Putter that he would let him have the timber which he had selected, if, in the bargain, he would agree to get out of the way that old dead black-walnut. This seemed hard, but George finally submitted, and the first hard work he did was to cut and draw out the old nuisance. In ahout a week he began to receive visits and letters from dealers, and offers of $1000 and up- wards for the tree. He was so faithful in the performance of his contract to the very letter that he went back and took away the stump and large roots.

"You will remember how Erastus Ingersoll toiled in Delta to dam . Grand River to gain the power for a mill. What a memorable event it was when they sawed the first board ; the slow and painful process of gigging hack the logs with crow-bars and hand-spikes; how eagerly Genet Brown took five slabs and carried them for miles into the woods to help roof his shanty ; how the next spring-freshet swept away the dam and undermined the mill. It was a great event when, in the winter of 1837-38, William Wall, of Eaton, hauled through from Spicerville the first load of Iumher ever brought to Charlotte. It was for flooring the Eagle Block Hotel, where they afterwards held their Circuit Court and dances, something as they do now in Sampson Hall. The old-fashioned steam saw-mill was hailed as a great stretch of improvement, because a mill could be huilt away from the river and mill-pond. But for those they put up. strong, heavy frames, with no idea of moving. For such a mill 3000 feet of sawing was con- sidered 'a great day's work, and earned it the reputation of being a smart mill. The first saw-mill erected in Benton was a portable-mill, which was the first mill of the kind brought into the county. This was in 1866. Benton was then heavily timbered. The credit of this- then hold-enterprise is due to Mr. George N. Putter. The first cost of this mill was $3300, everything on the ground. It was warranted by his contract to cut 10,000 feet per day. No one believed the yarn, and George was considered crazy. The mill was in operation five days after it landed at Hovey Settlement, and cut 10,600 feet the first day and 14,600 feet the second day. Ed. Snyder had charge of the saw, and Henry Collins was engineer. At the end of ninety-one days it had cut $4700 worth of lumber. Allowing $800 for the cost of starting and running it, the ninety-one days' work netted Mr. Potter $600, after paying for the mill and expenses, besides giving the sur- rounding country, from trees plucked from the hurning, $4700 worth of lumher. No man ever hewed with his hroad-axe better puncheons for flooring than Uncle Jonathan Searls; but the day of puncheons has gone. It was far less labor to hring in and set this portable-mill than it was for William Wall to haul the Eagle flooring from Spicer- ville to Charlotte. The railroad now pioneers the way into the heavy- timbered counties north of us; next goes the portable steam saw-mill,

rattling ont lumber enough in a few days for the building of a city. To the logging-hee, to the log cabin with its roof of shakes or troughs, pioneering has now forever bade good-hy."

Japhet Fisher, the first settler in the township, had come to Michigan directly from the city of New York, and reached Benton about Feb. 4, 1837. lle arrived in the State in September, 1836, and during the winter was em- ployed in getting out timber by a man who had contracted to build a mill for John Allen at Richmond, Allegan Co. Mr. Fisher had no family of his own at the timc. He earned $266, which he used to purchase land, besides paying $49.75 to one of the settlers at Charlotte for a bar- rel of flour and half a barrel of pork. He was employed for a short time by Jonathan Searls in finishing the latter's house.

During the summer of 1837 Mr. Fisher raised potatoes and corn upon his place in Benton, although most of the season was spent in Charlotte. He was married in 1838, and in 1839 or '40 had a son born, who would have been the first white child born in the township but for the fact that Mrs. Fisher went for help to the residence of her mother, in the township of Chester, where the youthful pioneer drew his first breath. He died at the age of four- teen years.

The records of the County Pioneer Society contain the following facts relating to the township of Benton :

Bennett I. Claflin, a native of Windham, Greene Co., N. Y., first came to Michigan in November, 1837, and on the 4th of July, 1842, twelve days after his marriage, re- moved to Benton township, Eaton Co. Mrs. Claflin was born in Plainfield, Otsego Co., N. Y.

William Quantrell, a native of Norfolk Co., England, came to Eaton County May 14, 1841, and soon after pur- chased of R. T. Cushing (an early settler in Carmel town- ship) eighty acres of land in the northwest part of the township of Benton. Not long after settling upon it he began the manufacture of brick,* and from his yard the bricks were purchased which were placed in some of the prominent structures in Charlotte, among them the Arcade, Sherwood, and Saunders Blocks. Mrs. Mary A. Quantrell was the third daughter of Jonathan Searls, who settled in Eaton County, Nov. 2, 1835, and who was the first post- master at Charlotte. Mrs. Quantrell, when a child, at- tended the first school in the latter place, taught by Jane Gallery, of Eaton Rapids, and was one of the oldest pupils therein.

George N. Potter, born in the town of Ira, Cayuga Co., N. Y., settled with his parents in Saline, Washtenaw Co., Mich., in October, 1830. His father carried him on his back from Detroit to Saline, and his mother followed on foot. In November, 1844, the family removed to Benton township, Eaton Co., and settled on section 23,-the site of the present village of Potterville. Mr. Potter, Sr., died in August, 1846. While living at Saline he built the first frame house erected in that place.

F. W. Higby, who was born in West Turin, Lewis Co., N. Y., came to Benton township with his father, John Higby, Oct. 14, 1841. In May, 1853, he entered the

# This business is still continued.

420

HISTORY OF EATON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

employ of David Stirling, of Eaton Rapids, as clerk, and in 1856 began business for himself at that place. Re- moved to Charlotte in 185S.

J. M. Taggart, a native of Sharon, Hillsboro' Co., N. H., came to Michigan in 1839, and located in Calhoun County, removing subsequently to Benton township, Eaton Co., where he now resides.

Lorenzo Hatch, a native of the State of New York, came to the township in 1840 and purchased eighty acres of wild land, upon which he made some improvements and returned to New York. In 1842 he moved upon his pur- chase with his young wife, who died in 1864. Mr. Hatch was again married, in 1866, to Miss Charlotte Childs, of Eaton Rapids, who survived him. Ifis death occurred in Charlotte, Feb. 25, 1876.

Moses Fox, from Elba, Genesee Co., N. Y., settled in Benton township in 1840, where he still resides.

RESIDENTS IN 1844.

The following taxpayers were residents of the township of Benton in 1844, as shown by the assessment-roll for that year : Charles W. Jacobs, Russell Walker, Amos P. Nichols, John Ludowick, Orrin Moody, Benjamin F. Bailey, Samuel Gilbert, George Crofoot, P. G. Hough, William Cobb, Estes E. McIntyre, William H. Taylor, Moses Fox, John Higby, William Stone, Benjamin Lan- ders, Elijah B. Cobb, Hosey Hovey, Daniel Slayton, James M. Taggart, Lorenzo Hatch, George Walker, Jonas J. Bellows, William Quantrell, Japhet Fisher, Samuel Stod- dard, Scripter F. Richardson, Asaph Landers, Bennett J. Claflin, Emery Beadle, Wilber Beadle.

ORGANIZATION OF TOWNSHIP .- LIST OF OF- FICERS.

The Legislature of the State of Michigan enacted, March 9, 1843, that "all that portion of the county of Eaton designated by the United States survey as township No. 3 north, of range 4 west, be, and the same is hereby, set off and organized into a separate township by the name of Tom Benton, and the first township-meeting shall be held at the house near Henry Hatch's, in said township." March 19, 1845, the Legislature enacted " that the name of the town- ship of Tom Benton, in the county of Eaton, shall be, and the same is hereby, changed to Benton."

From the records of the township the following facts are gathered :

"The first annual meeting for the township of Tom Benton was held, in accordance with an act of the Legislaturo organizing such township, at the school-house near H. II. Ilatch's, on the third day of April, A.D. 1843. Meeting called to order, and Asaph Landers ap- pointed moderator ; R. F. Bailey, Hoscy Hovey, Il. II. Ilatch, aod Samuel Lamb were appointed inspectors, and Benjamin Landers clerk, of lowaship election.

" Voted, That we clect two assessors to assist the supervisor in taking the assessment.

"The following were elected by ballot as officers for the ensuing year :

" For Supervisor, Benjamin F. Bailcy.

" For Clerk, Benjamin Landers.

" For Justices of the l'eace, Samuel Stoddard, for the term of thrco years; Ilosey Huvey, for tho term of two years; Asaph Landers, for the term of one year.

" Commissioners of Highways, Ilosey Hovey, Amos P. Nichols, Bennett I. Claflin.

"Sebool Inspectors, Hosey Hovey, for one year; Estes E. McIn- tyre, for two years.

" Directors of the Poor, Asaph Landers, Benjamin F. Bailey.

" Treasurer, John Iligby.

" Assessors, Jobn Iligby, Asaph Landers.

"Constables, Jonas G. Bellows, Amos P. Nichols, Samuel Gilbert, Stephen Davis.

" Officers elected riva voce :

"Overseers of Highwnys, Samuel Shepherd, Orrin Moody, Bennett I. Claflin.

" Poundmaster, Orrin Moody.

" Voted, That the poundmaster's barn-yard be the pound; that we raise a tax of thirty dollars for the support of town poor; that we raise a tax of ten dollars for the purebase of books and stationery ; that we raise a tax of forty dollars for school purposes ; that the super- visor is instrueted to vote against the building of a court-house and jail the present yesr ; that this meeting be adjourned to meet at this place on the first Monday of April next.

" April 3, 1843.

" BENJAMIN LANDERS, "Clerk of Township Election."

The following is a list of the principal officers of the township from 1844 to 1879, inclusive:

SUPERVISORS.

1844, Benjamin F. Bailey ; 1845, Benjamin Landers; 1846, Linus Potter ; 1847, Benjamin Landers; 1848-49, Morgan Thomas; 1850-52, Benjamin Landers ; 1853, O. B. Green ; 1854, Benjamin Landers; 1855-56, James M. Taggart; 1857-58, Benjamin Lan- ders ; 1859, E. E. McIntyre; 1860-61, James M. Taggart; 1862 -63, Bennett I. Claflin ; 1864-65, James M. Taggart ; 1866, Ben- jamin Landers; 1867, James M. Taggart; 1868, James MeCon- nell; 1869-70, Charles H. Brown; 1871, Bennett I. Claflin ; 1872 -74, Michael V. Hamill; 1875, James M. Taggart; 1876-77, J. F. Burked; 1878-79, W. Z. Mitchell.

TOWNSHIP CLERKS.

1844, Benjamin Landers; 1845-47, William Hammond; 1848, Ilosey Hovey ; 1849, Philetus G. Ilough ; 1850-52, Estes E. MeIntyre; 1853, Benjamin Landers : 1854, Hiramu R. MeIntyre ; 1855, Horace O. Biekford; 1856-57, Jacob B. Cook; 1858-59, Lorenzo Hatch; 1860-63, Orlando Waller; 1864-66, Lorenzo Hatch; 1867, James MeConnell; 1868, Seth Ketebam; 1869, William H. Abels; 1870, L. M. Garliek ; 1871, I. R. Jameson ; 1872, Lorenzo Hatch; 1873, Oscar Williams; 1874-79, Hobart D. Merritt.

TREASURERS.

1844-45, Jobn Iligby ; 1846, Benjamin Landers; 1847, Estes E. Mc- Intyre ; 1848-49, George P. Merrill; 1850, Bennett I. Claflin ; 1851-52, Lorenzo Ilatch; 1853, Georgo N. Potter; 1854, Delos Merrill; 1855, Henry R. Warren ; 1856-58, Thomas II. Brown ;* 1859, Asmph Landers; 1860-66, Edward Marshall; 1867-68, Lemuel MeIntyre; 1869, Bennett I. Claflin ; 1870-71, Lorenzo Ilateb ; 1872-73, Nelson O. Merritt; 1874-75, J. W. Gladdiog ; 1876-77, Thomas Spears; 1878-79, N. O. Merritt.

JUSTICES OF TIIE PEACE.

1844, A. Landers, B. I. Claflin ; 1815, J. M. Taggart, Linus Potter; 1846, B. I. Claflin, Wm. II. Taylor; 1847, G. P. Carman, Morgan Thomas ; 1848, Austin P. Walker; 1819, Asaph Landers; 1850, Benjamin Landers, Ilonry Abel, James McConnell; 1851, Wilbor Beadle, Emanuel Do Graff; 1852, Hiram R. Mcintyre; 1853, A. Landers, HI. P. Richardson ; 1854, Otis B. Green, Thomas II. Browo; 1855, no record; 1856, II. R. MeIntyre; 1857, R. Walker ; 1858, Thomas II. Brown; 1859, Benjamin Landers; 1860, David Verplanck ; 1861, Russoll Walker; 1862, Edmund W. Hunt; 1863, J. Squier ; 1801, David Verplanck, J. McConnell, Abraham

* Asaph Landers appointed to fill vacancy, Nov. 9, 1858.

421

BENTON.

De Cow, Andrew Verplanck ; 1865, Hiram Merrill; 1866, C. H. Brewn, Jehn F. Whcaten; 1867, P. G. Ilough, Rowland Paine; 1868, IIenry Baughman, Delos Merrill ; 1869, James G. Ford, Charles Street; 1870, Thomas H. Brown; 1871, John F. Squier; 1872, William C. Niles, Lorenzo Hatch ; 1873, Anson G. Mills; 1874, J. B. Norton ; 1875, S. R. Fenn ; 1876, T. II. Brown, N. O. Merritt; 1877, C. N. Streeter ; 1878, Ilerbert Wollar; 1879, R. . L. Pancoast.

The following township officers were elected for the year 1880: Supervisor, V. D. Murray ; Town Clerk, H. D. Merritt ; Treasurer, J. W. Nixon ; Justice of the Peace, Thomas II. Brown; Superintendent of Schools, O. N. Lumbert ; School Inspector, Amos Claflin ; Commissioner of Highways, D. B. Wigent ; Constables, Alvin Quantrell, J. S. Rose, George Blossom, Henry Horner.

But few of the persons who attended the first township- meeting of Benton are now living, and but a very small number are yet residents of the township. Each year les- sens the number and thins the ranks of the pioncers, and in a comparatively short time all will have passed to the land whither their friends have preceded them.

VILLAGE OF POTTERVILLE.

Mr. Foote, in his Centennial address in 1876, thus spoke of this place :

" Potterville, a new and enterprising village in Benton, on the Chicago and Lake Huron road, three miles east of the llovey settle- ment, is almost solely the product of the improved method of using the timber of the forest, instead of working it into black salts, to be hauled off by the aid of oxen to Bellevue, there to be applied on old store dehts at llinman's or Woodbury's. This place, platted and re- corded in 1868, by R. D. Phelps and Charles H. Brown,# is new (1876) manufacturing frem natural resources, from what was once a dead waste, more than any other town in the county. It was named from Linus Potter, the father of James and George, and includes what was once his farm.

"Linus Potter, having lost his property by financial reverses, in Saline, Washtenaw Co., instead of giving up and committing suicide, pushed boldly into the woods with his family of seven children, de- termined on pulling off his coat and going to work. This, by the by, is the history of some of our best pioneers and best blood. From wealth and luxury they passed through the furnace of affliction, and came here determined to work. Linus Potter came in 1844; his boy, George N. Petter, was then eighteen years of age. They came in by way of the Pray settlement, in Windsor, from which they cut a road through, four miles, to his location on section 23, the present site of Potterville. They had but just settled down in their Jog house when all the seven children were taken severely sick with the mcasles,-all in ene room, and no physician nor near neighbors. Eighteen months after moving in Linus Potter died, leaving his widow and seven chil- dren (five boys and two girls) upen a wild of 120 acres of heavily- timbered land. George, then about nineteen, was the eldest. With the well-knowo energy and courage of the Potter family, the boys went te werk with their axes, and did remarkably well. George soon purchased forty acres on ercdit, and with nothing but his axe went at it, cleared it, paid for it, purchased more and more, cleared and paid for that ; always energetic, bold and enterprising, always driv- ing, frugal and temperate, he has become what he is to-day, as we all knew him."

The first start given to the village was in 1868, when George N. Potter built a saw-mill and a boarding-house for the hands. The latter was afterwards converted into a

hotel, and known as the " Gladding House." It was finally changed into a farm-house, and is now occupied by Mr. Potter as a dwelling. The saw-mill, which was in the same locality (southeast part of the village), was destroyed by fire, and a second one was built near the present railway- station. After being in operation but five days the boiler exploded, killing one man. It was again rebuilt, and the third mill is yet standing. Mr. Potter has been interested in all the manufacturing establishments of the place.

In 1871-72, Mr. Potter built the present brick block, near the station. It contains three commodious store- rooms, and the balance is fitted up as a hotel, to which the name of the builder has been given. G. N. & J. W. Pot- ter established a general store in the south part of the vil- lage about 1868, and now occupy one of the rooms in the brick block. A man named Mills had previously opened a small grocery, but the Potter store was the first of impor- tance in the place.

The first blacksmith-shop in the village-which was also the first in the township-was built by George N. Potter, who employed a man to work in it. A planing-mill was also built, which was afterwards converted into a furniture- factory and finally burned. The factory was rebuilt, and is now the property of G. N. & J. W. Potter. About sev- enty-five persons are given employment in it, and 125 hard- wood bedsteads are manufactured daily from about 7000 feet of lumber. A stave-factory was commenced by Higby & Robb, but was purchased before completion by G. N. Potter, who sold it to Elisha H. Hudson. The latter is now operating it as a handle- and rake-factory, with a saw-mill attached, and employs fifteen or twenty persons.

In 1874 a steam flouring-mill - frame, three stories and basement in height-was built by Thomas Shively, who, in less than a year, sold it to George N. Potter, the present owner. This mill was built for four runs of stone, but at present contains three only. It has a capacity for manufacturing 100 barrels of flour daily, and is con- ceded to be the best mill in Eaton County. Its cost was $16,000. The fuel used is the saw-dust from the mills. Mr. Potter also deals extensively in wheat.

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History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 105

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