History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 76

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 76
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 76

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).

"There was no railway in those days in the Territory of Michigan, although one was being built from Adrian to Toledo, which was com - pleted in the fall of 1836, propelled hy horse-power at the rate of almost six miles per hour. I went on to Blissfield, a distance of ten miles, and put up for the night, or, rather, fer the morning. Getting some crackers, I told the preprietor of the hotel that I should be off for Mouree as soon as I awoke, which was just at daylight. After traveling six or seven miles, I stopped for breakfast, and just as I was almost through eating, I saw a man pass, going towards Monroe. I noticed, ns I traveled aleng, that I gained on him, and that he kept looking back, so I quickened my pace a little, and seon came up with him. We passed the time of day, and nothing more was said for somne time, when one inquired of the other if he was going to Mon- roe, to which the other replied in the affirmative, and in return put the question, ' Are you?' Nothing more was said for some time, when I ventured to inquire if he was going to the land-office, to which he an- swered that he was. I then inquired if the land that he was about to locate was in the town of Dover. At the mention of this name we both stopped and faced each other, to find out whether we were both after the same piece of land. Fortunately, we learned that we were not, and again we moved along. Still each di>trusted the other, fearing he might lose the particular piece of land that he was after. Thus we traveled on until within about twelve miles of Monroe, when my companion began to lag and to complain of his feet being sore, saying he wished he could hire a horse. Learning that an Indian pony could he got two miles farther on, he managed to keep up until we arrived there. As the house was close to the road I could hear the conversation. The pony could be had, but was in pasture a full mile away. I stopped to hear no more, but made the best of my time tu reach Monroe. lle did not come up to me until I was within a few rods of the laud-office, when he passed, riding the pony. We passed in together, but, having been there before, I knew to what clerk to upply, and so made my entry first. As we left the office and were about to set out on our return trip, we saw the stage come in with the mail. The pony man (his name was Wait) was anxious to get the pony back that night, so we made the ten miles on our way home just at dark, making sixty miles I had traveled within the last twenty-four hours. The next day I returned home pretty footsore and tired, stopping at Dr. Spaulding's, and leaving the five dollars he had given me, in exchange for which Mrs. Spaulding furnished me with a good, substantial dinoer. Ou getting home, I found I had left just three cents of the seventy five cent pile with which I set out.

" After doing some other work I had promised, I was prepared to commence on the job of chopping before spoken of, which I begao on the first of December and completed in ten weeks and two days. It was generally considered that this was doing pretty well, as it was very heavy becch and maple land.

" About the first of June, 1836, my father and I both sold out to one man for $500 cach, and the next day I started in pursuit of somo land of which I expected to make a farm for life, and upon the land

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HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

then located I bave lived ever since. When in Jackson I inquired for n man who was acenstomed to accompany those in search of land, for the purpose of showing them the country, and was directed to n man by the name of Whitney, living about twelve miles from my present residence, in the direction of Jackson, with whom I spent the night. Here I first met II. II. Smith, who was also in pursuit of n farin, he desiring openiogs, while I desired timbered land. lle made his selection cast of the meridian, which belonged to the Detroit land office, while I made my selection west of the meridian, and was obliged to go to Kalamazoo to locate it. At this time there were not more than four or five families io Ingham County. There was but one family at Mason, and they had been there but a few days. The first night I spent in Ingham County I occopied lodgings with my present neighbor, Daniel Searl, his lately-deceased brotber, Elisha, and their father, onr bed being the ground, our covering the starry heavens. The Searls were just iu from Massachusetts, and had lo- cated some land abont two and a half miles east of here, and were unable to find it until Mr. Whitney helped them out, as he had previ- ously showed them their land. After one night passed, as I have before stated, getting some sleep, and tighting gnats and mosquitoes. we par- touk of a Inoch which we bad brought with us from Mr. Whitney's, and started on our return, arriving at Mr. Whitney's about ten o'clock, where we did ample justice to a good breakfast. I started for Kalamazoo, ria Jackson, and when in the neighborhood of Sand- stone, and about sundown, I stopped at a public-house for a drink of water, with some thongbts of stopping for the night, but as it looked as if plenty of whisky would be the best thing to be got, I inquired for the next hotel, which proved to be the first house beyond, and was told it was five miles distunt. Just before this I noticed a man who had been sitting on a bench at the door get up and go in that di- rection. llaving made up my mind to go on, I soon discovered him but n short distance ahead, and quickly overbauled him. As I surveyed him, I imagined him a rather hard-looking specimen, and as it began to grow dark I imagined all sorts of danger, as I at the time had a thousand dollars in my pocket, which in those days was considered quite a sum fur u boy of twenty years to carry. The more I looked at him the more I wished I were 'shut' of him, as the lloosier says; so I determined to outwalk him. He said he would like company, but could not stand it to go so fast. I replied, that being a boy in a strange place, without money, I thought I would fare pretty slim, and that I was anxious to get to Kalamazoo the next day, where I had an uncle living. But still determined to get nway, I continued to walk as fast as I could, and had got several rods ahead when we came to a place where there were several short bills, and as be went down one I went over unother, ont of sight, wben I started on a run, and continued to run nearly a mile, seeing no more of my imaginary robber until I had been at the hotel long enough to eat n dish of milk and go up-stairs, when ho came up, puffing well. I relate this incident merely to show how easily a man can be wrought np by imagination.

"When I arrived at the land-offico it was so crowded that the clerks were unable to keep up with the business. Before my turn come the office closed for three weeks, lenving many anxions oves out in the cold. But there was no help for it, so I thought best to go home to Lennwee County for a while. I made the trip and returned in time to get toy land, and also land for others who had intrusted their money with me for that purpose. Ilnving done a little burvest- ing and made the necessary preparations, my father and I came out with a load of goods, including a barrel of flour, some pork and pota- tues, expecting to get some baking done, but no neighbors of the bread-making persuasion were to be found short of Mason, and only one could be found there. The first night we stopped with our neigb- bors, the Searls, who were doing their own work, as the rest of the family had not yet arrived. The next day we came over to our own Innd, built a small ton-by-twelve house, covering it with troughs of split basswood logs, bored some holes in the logs into which we drove rome poles, supporting the other end with stakes driven into the ground, upon which we laid poles for our bedstead, upon which we put brosh and lenves. This we considered tolerably safe from mus-

". Our cooking-utensils consisted of a dish-kettle, spider, one tin pan, and two pint basins. The bill of fare was not very extensive, con- sisting of pork, potatoes, and long-cake, with cold water for drink. The manner of making the long-cake was to mix water, salt, and flour into a stiff batter, pour it into n spider, and bake npon the coals. We

did our own cooking while we were building a shunty fourteen by twenty-four. Our shanty was floored with split basswood logs, and covered with shakes split from oak and similar to wide staves. These shakes were thirty inches long, laid double upon poles resting upon the rafters, und held in place by poles laid oo top. It took us ten days to complete our shanty, the three Searls helping raise it, and when we came to ocenpy it we found it leaked some ; so, as oak-trees were plenty, we put on another course of shakes, which made it water- proof and pretty warin. While we were building, our team gave ns considerable trouble, as the flies and mosquitoes were so troublesome that we were obliged to watch continually, and always keep the bell in henring. As soon as our shanty was completed wo returned to Lenawee County and commenced getting ready to move, starting on the first Monday in November, 1836. This day was the first of the three then required by law for holding elcetion, and the year of Van Buren's election.

" In moving we bad for company Mr. Wolcott Phillips and family, who settled near us and afterwards removed to Alaiedon. When we were out to build the shanty there were several places within twenty miles of Jackson where the Grand River could be forded, but the fall rains had so swollen the stream that it was no longer possible to ford it ; but a sort of ferry had been established at what was afterwards known ns Berrie's bridge. The ferry-boat consisted of a scow only wide enough to carry a wagon with the wheels over the sides in the water. With this boat the family was carried across nt one load, the goods at two more, and the wagon at another, but the team was obliged to swim across. After crossing and loading up again we started nearly due east, going between five and six miles to the foot of Battees Lake, crossing the outlet and coming up on the cast side of the lake io Davison's saw-mill, where we remained all night, about fifteen miles from our intended home. The next day we followed the Battees and Okemos trail, arriving at our destination the sixth day after leaving our former home. We found the Scarl family had come, also Hiram Parker, a little more than a mile east, Hinman Ilurd. two and one- half miles southeast, one more family in Mason, Peter Linderman, one-half mile north of Mason, Mr. Fifield, two and one-half miles west, and Uncles Ben and Nathan Rolfe, in the southwest part of the town. As I was not of age when I sold my farm in Len- awee County, the man who bought it was very anxions that I should execute a deed immediately after reaching my majority, so I was obliged to return in November. Elias Phillips, son of Wolcott Phillips, went with me to get a load of goods. After transacting my business we started with our goods. The weather was very bad and the roads worse, consequently we made slow progress, reaching the Marvin place, just north of Jackson, where we stayed all night. Starting early the next morning, we got within one-half mile of the ferry at noon, fed our teams, and then commenced ono of the worst jobs that I ever did with a team. The road across the flat was very badly eut up, and so crooked that we could not double teams, it being frozen quite hard, but not hard enough to hold us, so that if we advanced from three to five rods at a pull we thought we were getting along quite well. When we reached the river our oxen were wet with sweat. Letting them stand until our goods were transferred to the other side, we drove them into the river and compelled them to swim aeross, the anchor-ice running in large quantities.

" We then drove the oxen about forty rods and provided them with the only shelter that could be procured, -viz., a log shed, unchinked, with a few poles on the top, over which was strewn a little marsh hay, the greater part of which we fed to our teams. That night every hair on our oxen was frozen stiff. The mercury stood nt zero, and they were covered with ice almost as soon as they bad emerged from the water. After spending some time caring for our teams and lond- ing our goods, wo were ready for bed ubout eloven o'clock. Wo slept pretty woll, ocensionally looking up at the stars, which coukl ensily be seen through the cracks in the roof. Wo started again on our journey soon after daylight the following morning. Our teams wero stiff and sore, with ice still clinging to them. Making our way tu the fout of Battees Lake we found it frozen over, but the ice was not strong enough to hold us up. We selected the usual crossing, where the outlet was about twenty feet wide, the wator reaching the wagon- box. The depth had been made greater than usual by the frequent passing of teams and wagons. Before attempting to cross it was necessary to cut and clear away the ice, an undertaking that was attended with no little labor. Here we were able to double tenis, by which means we succeeded in getting across without being obliged to

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noload any of the goods. Phillips' lond had a barrel of pork in the baek part of the wagon, which made it very heavy to raise. When the hiud wheels struek the frozen bank I caught hold of one to help raise the wagen, and ns the wheels came upon the bank the frozen ground erumbled and gave way, precipitating me suddenly into the water nearly up to my middle. I serambled out with none too favor- able an opinion of that manner of immersion. But there was no help for it except to sit down on the ground, elevate my feet, and let the water in my boots run ont where it came in, and prepare to move along. It was now past noon, and stepping at Mr. Davison's we fed our teams. Mr. Davison's was the last house until we arrived at our new bome, and fifteen miles distant from it. Although we made the hest of our time, the sun went behind the trees while we were on what nas since been known as the Charley Wood farm,-it being the north half of northwest quarter of section 27, Bunker Hill,-about nine miles from home. We had no fire and no means of starting one, lucifer-matches not having even been thought of at that time. Wo had no bedding, and next to nothing to eat. We unyoked our teams, fed them some corn, and started for our new home, making rather slow progress. It was quite difficult to keep the trail. When within about one and a half miles of home, as by going across we could save nearly half the distance, and as the moon was about vanishing, we ventured to try it ; and when about halfway the old hell-cow rose op and kept her hell rattling, which served as an excellent guide for us. We arrived at home about midnight, cold, tired, wet, and hungry. My clothes had been frozen sinee nheut noon, and yet I really believe that I thought more about the poor oxen we had left behind than about my own condition. Mother was about to get up and prepare something to eat. I told her not to do so, but that we should want breakfast before daylight, as we knew not where our oxen might he. So taking n fried eake and a drink of milk (about a panful, as nearly as I ean remember), I crawled into bed with my brother Manly, and was soon asleep. We started out next morning soon after daylight, found the wagons alt right, but no exen, and as it was cloudy it required some care not to get lost in our search for them. There being snew upon the ground, we could track the oxen with little difficulty. One followed the tracks, while the other, following at a distance, kept the bearings as nearly as possible. We found our teams about one and n half miles from the wagons, looking better than the morning before, as they had found plenty of fine marsh grass of good quality, which they could get by reoting a little. After reaching our wagons, we fed the teams some grain, and when ready to start we judged it to he about two o'clock P.M. We proceeded north, bearing a little west, following the trail about three and a half quiles to where it crossed the stream that supplied Battees Lake. Ilere we were again obliged to eut and clear away the ice in order to effect a crossing. This was done with less difficulty than before, as the creek was smaller, but the land on the opposite side was low and marshy, and not frozen sufficiently hard to bear up the teams and wagons. In crossing one of my uxen was quite badly lamed. Pro- ceeding about half a mile to where there were some Indian shauties and hay-stacks, we concluded, as it was nearly night, to leave our teams and try to get home once more. It was evident that my ox would be too Inme to draw the load, se we got Mr. Iliram Parker, our nearest neighher, te go and draw the load. It was very fortunate that we did so, for the ox was barely ahle to drag himself home. With careful attention he was all right in a few days. Leaving the teams at the stacks, we started home before sundown, so that we were enabled to arrive there about dark, very glad of the opportunity to rest a while. I very well recolleet that mother remarked, when we had got the last of our goods unloaded, that she guessed I would be euntent to stop a while ; to which I repliedthat in a few years I ex- peeted to move to my own place, and not to move any more except from a log house into n better one, to which opinion I continued to adhere.

"I wilt now pass on, merely saying that I continned to work for my father until the Ist of February, 1837, when I commenced the manu- facture of stumps on my own place. My entire outfit consisted of one axe, one cross-eut saw, one hand-saw, and one pail-hammer ; no other tools and no team. In three months I had ebopped all the timber on twenty acres, piled the brush, and cut up the timher on six aeres, ready for logging. This may seem pretty large to some, hut I endeavored to attend strictly to my own business, and those who did so always succeeded in those days. Ou the 3d of September, 1839, our dear mother died of hemorrhage of the lungs. She had been for

some time subject to severe coughing-spells, and during one of them n blood-vessel was ruptured. She passed away, without speaking, within twenty minutes afterwards.

" About the Ist of January, 1840, in company with John Williams of Sharon, Washtenaw Co., Mich., I commenced building n saw-mill, which has since been known as the Ilawley saw-mill. This for many years was not a profitable investment, as we were inexperienced in the business. We suffered n loss hy the breaking away of the dam, but after a time we succeeded in getting some money out of it. It was, however, quite an accommodation to the community. After keeping bachelor's hall for fourteen months, during which time 1 built the saw-mill just spoken of, I coneluded to unite my fortunes with those of Miss Luey Ann Ilicks, of Ingham, to whom 1 wns married Jone 2, 1841. We lived together until the 18th of November, 1853, when she died of typhoid fever, having borne six children, one one of whom died Oct. 13, 1845, aged one mouth and twenty-three days.

" On the 18th of November, 1854, 1 was married to Mrs. Charlotte I. Rolfe, who died March the 8th, 1859, having borne me one child. And here let me say that I bave had for helpmates two of the best women it has been the misfortune of one man to lose.

" I have passed over some events that might prove interesting, and these I shall mention in n kind of review.

"In October, 1836, not being very busy, and hearing that one Samuel Bayliss, of our town, had a eross-eut saw for sale, and as one would come very handy in the woods, I took my axe and went over to see him. I told my errand just as the breakfast horn blew. 'Come,' said he, ' I will talk with you after breakfast.' Breakfast ever we weut to the woods and soon completed n bargain. I was to chop for him one acre, rendy for logging, which included eatting down the timber, piling the brush, and chopping the timber up (except some very large, or the rail timher), and in return for this labor the saw became mine. I chopped this acre in four days, to Mr. Bayliss' en- tire satisfaction. It was a fair nveruge of timher-land.

"In the winter of 1837, with the snow one and a half fect deep, and with the track but slightly broken, Ira Parker, n brother of the venerable ' Squire' Parker, who now lives on the hill east of my farm, and who is fourscore years of age, Daniel Searl (my first neighbor west), George Searl, Elisha Searl, and myself started early in the morning to go nine miles to help a Mr. Bartlett raise a log house,-the first house, I think, in what is now the town of Alaiedon, and about two miles portbeast of the old county-beuse. After completing the house- raising we started on our return home, where we arrived late in the evening, yet feeling as if we had done a neighbor a good turn. Mr. Bartlett, however, never settled on the land, as it lay far within the woods, and hearing of some government laud in our neighbor- hood, be located eighty acres, upon which his son Lorenzo still lives. Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett have heen dead several years.

"In the spring of 1837 there was every prospect of a seareity of breadstoff. As the price of flour was almost daily coming up, we thought it hest to secure a supply to last antil harvest was ever. We decided it would be best to go to Detroit as soon as the necessary means could be accumulated and a load made up. This took bat a short time, as some neighbors wished to send along for some flour, and the roads were in such bad condition that six barrels made a good load. It tuek nine days to make the trip. The flour eost twelve dol- lars a barrel in Detroit. A part of the money paid for this floor I earned by chopping and logging at five shillings per day. Let some of the laboring people of the present day, who are not willing to work for two bushels of wheat a day in harvest, think of this and of flour being at this time worth twenty dollars a barret in Mason.

" In the spring of 1837 Mason received quite an addition to its population in the persons of E. B. Danforth, one of the proprietors of the place, Dr. Minos MeRobert, Unele George Webb, Nathaniel Blain, and others. In April of this year I had occasion to go to Leslie, and as it was several miles farther by the road, I thought 1 would attempt to go through the woods on my return. Soon after starting it eommeneed raining, and after raining considerably the sun shone for a moment, showing it was about setting, and that darkness would overtake me before I could get out of the woods. Again the whole horizon was almost instantly shut in with clouds and the ram began to fall. Making the best of what daylight was left, I hurried on, and soon found myself swamped, ns it were, so far as getting boule was concerned. As I was on the ereek that ran into Mason, distnut about two miles, 1 determined to attempt following it into the city. Mason nt that time consisted of a elenring of twenty aeres, a smalt

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HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIG.A.N.

will, and two log houses occupied by Lewis Lacey and Uncle Jim Blain. [ bad not proceeded far in my attempt to follow the creek when a misstep landed me in the stream up to my middle. Climbing ont I went on quite slowly, as it was very dark. I had gone but a short distance when [ again found myself floundering in the ereck nmong a quantity of flood-wood, from which it was not very easy to extricate myself. Knowing that it was not far from the Hog's Back, which also led into Mason, I decided to follow this instead of the creek. I succeeded in following it the remainder of tho distince to Mason. As it was raining and very dark I made very slow progress, being obliged to feel my way. Suddenly there came a sharp flash of lightning, when I discovered not moro than twenty feet ahead some kind of an animal, but was unable to determino what it was. Ilow- ever, I started towards it, making about as much noise as I could, when it ran off, making a noise liko that of a deer. Continuing my onward course, I soon discovered signs of the clearing previously mentioned, and found my way to Mr. Lacey's and was soon in bed with E. B. Danforth. This was abont two o'clock in the morning. After enjoying a good nap and having breakfasted I started home, feeling quite well, although a trifle stiff from the wetting received the day before.

"The following incident will perhaps he relished by those who have a mirthful side to their character. When the county was quite new, Mr. Enos Northrup had a piece of grass that he intended to mow for hay, but as the grass was light. he proposed to one Conrad Williams (who was a very good mower, bnl a little weak in some points) that it he would ent it and draw it from the field and put it in the barn ho (Northrup) would give him two-thirds of it. When the hay was ready, Williams got my half brother, Manly Gray, to help draw it. Now, if any man in town enjoyed a joke it was Manly. Williams commenced dividing the hay in the cock, when my brother suggested That they should take it clend os they went, and thus sare going over the ground the second time, to which Williums readily consented. When they had got about half the second load on, he began to sce that they were going to get the whole of the hay and that there would be none left for Northrup. My brother assured him that it would be all right and a good joke on Northrup, so Williams took all the hay. Northrup saw Williams in the evening and ioquired why he had taken all the hay. He replied that there was none for him. ' How is that?' said Northrup. 'Why, you know,' answered he, ' I was to have two-thirds of the hay or two loads to your one, and there was only tico-thirds of the whole of it.' Northrup saw the joke and said no more, and Williams, turning to a bystander, said, ' Haven't we come it good ?' "

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History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 76

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