History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 84

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 84
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 84

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).

With the opening of a passable road improvements went on in the embryo village, which had been named for the Williams family, and it grew gradually to quite a business point. The advent of the plank-road in 1852 gave it a new start, and the completion of the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railway in 1871 still further inereased its growth.

The first merchant located in the spring of 1843, in the person of Jonathan B. Taylor, of Grass Lake, Jackson Co., who brought a stock of goods, and iu 1844 Dr. James A. Leasia, the first physician, opened an office in the growing hamlet.

EARLY HOTELS.

The first building erected for the purposes of a country tavern was built, on land donated by the Williams brothers, on the corner where the drug-store building owned by M. II. Bowerman now stands, about 1845, by Nahum Capen, who put up the frame and inclosed it. It was completed by Hezekiah Gates, who kept it for abont a year and died. It was a two-story frame building, and was kept by a number of parties until about 1852, when it was destroyed by fire.

Another hotel, erected originally for a dwelling by Frank Lombard, stood west of the last-described one, a little west of the new Bowerman Block. This was also burned, and both fires were incendiary. The one on the corner was kept by Joab Phillips at the time of the fire, the second one by Frank Lombard.

The " Lombard House," now known as the "Spaulding House," was erected by Franklin Lombard about 1852-53. Lombard kept it for a couple of years about the time of the advent of the plank-road. It was a mammoth affair con- sidering the times in which it was built, and has long been a popular resort for the traveling public. It still remains much the same as when erected, a large three-story frame with an extensive piazza along the lower two stories of its front, and reminds the Eastern man of the famous old caravansaries of the New England country town of half a century ago. The present landlord is C. F. Andrews, Esq.

Another famous inn, known as the " Western Hotel," was built soon after the completion of the plank-road, and is still used for hotel purposes. It was built in installments, and the original building was burned many years ago and rebuilt. William Tompkins erected it and was its first landlord. It is now kept by Daniel Jeffrey. It is on Grand River Street, about fifty rods west of the Spaulding House.

VILLAGE PLAT AND ADDITIONS.

The original village plat of Williamston was laid out on the southeast quarter of section 35, town 4 north, range 1 east, in 1845, by the Williams brothers, for whom it was

named. Additions have since been made by J. B. & J. W. Waldo, July 5, 1866, on the southwest fractional quarter of section 36, and by the same, Jan. 2, 1871, on the south part of the same quarter-section ; by Richard W. Owens, on the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 1, Wheatfield (town 3 north, range 1 east), July 11, 1871 ; by Hugh H. Spaulding, on the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of seetion 36, Nov. 24, 1871; by the same, on the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 36, Dec. 23, 1873; and by Richard W. Owens and J. B. & J. W. Waldo, on the northwest quarter of section 1, Wheatfield, Nov. 12, 1873. This last is called Owens' addition.

INCORPORATION.

The act incorporating the village was approved April 5, 1871, the first section of which reads as follows :

"The people of the State of Michigan enact, That all that tract of country situated in the townships of Williamstown and Wheatfield, in the county of Ingham and State of Michigan, designated and de- scribed as the southeast fractional quarter, and all that part of the southwest fractional quarter of fractional section No. 35 in township No. 4 north, of range No. I east, lying south of a line commencing sixteen rods north of the Lansing and Howell plank-road in the quar- ter-section line of said section ; thence westerly, parallel to said plank- road, thirty-six rods; thence south sixteen rods to said plank-road ; thence westerly along the north line of said plank-read to the west line of said section, and the southwest fractional quarter of fractional section 36, tewn 4 north, range 1 east, and the northwest fractional quarter of fractional section No. 1, and the northeast fractional quar- ter of fractional section No. 1, and all that part of the northwest fractional quarter of fractional section No. 2, town 3 north, of range No. 1 east, lying north of the Detroit, Hewell and Lansing Railroad, he and the same is hereby constituted a village corporate under the name of WILLIAMSTON."

The charter was amended by an act approved April 3, 1873, conferring additional powers upon Common Council.

The officers eleeted by ballot annually are a president, recorder, five trustees, an assessor, and treasurer. The marshal and other necessary officers are appointed by the council. The first election under the charter was held April 10, 1871, at which the following persons were elected : President, James M. Williams ; Recorder, Edward B. Sack- rider ; Treasurer, Egbert Grattan ; Assessor, Hugh H. Spaulding ; Trustees, John Tompkins, John F. Krumbeck, Joseph Canfield, Eli P. Loranger, Salmon M. Goodrich. Whole number of votes polled, 127.

The village officers regularly elected since to 1880 are given in the following list :

1872 .- President, James M. Williams;# Recorder, E. Dayton Lewis; Treasurer, Thomas Horton ;# Assessor, H. H. Spaulding ; Trustees, George W. Shane, Nathan Leighton, William A. Simons, Joshua K. Kirkland, Daniel L. Crossman.

1873 .- President, Thomas Horton; Recorder, Frank L. Tompkins; Treasurer, Joseph M. Tompkios; Assessor, Daniel L. Cross- man ; Trustees, Dwight A. Harrison, Charles D. Culver, B. F. Rockwell, Walter Porter, William A. Simons.

1874 .- President, James M. Williams ; Recorder, Alexander F. Camp- bell ; Treasurer, J. M. Tompkins ; Assessor, M. A. Bower- man ; Trustees, John Tompkins, W. A. Simons, John Burk- ley, B. F. Rockwell, Daniel Truman.

1875 .- President, James M. Williams; Recorder, William S. Hum- phrey ; Treasurer, Eli P'. Leranger; Assessor, Randolph W.

* Sce General Chapter XII., Internal Iuprovements.

# Elected by a unanimous vote.

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HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN

Whipple : Trustees, Griffith Lewis, Theodore G. Northup, John Burkley, John B. Stewart, Joseph M. Tompkins.

1876 .- President, Dwight A. Harrison; Recorder, William S. Hum- phrey : Treasurer, Nathan Leighton ; Assessor, Seneca Gale ; Trustees, John B. Stewart, Charles II. Beardsley, James C. Herton, Charles E. Leekweed, Benjamin F. Plotts.

1877 .- President, Jehn S. Crossman; Recorder, Wm. H. MeEnally ; Treasurer, Charles Il. Hartwell ; Assessor, Wm. L. Coch- rane; Trustees, James K. Fredericks, Win A. Simons, Eber S. Andrews, Edward H. Nichols, Martin V. Jessop.

1878 .- President, F. K. Rockwell ; Recorder, Robert J. Flemming ; Treasurer, Charles Il. Ilartwell; Assessor, Charles W. Beardsley ; Trustees, John Burkley, Daniel L. Crossman, James K. Fredericks, James Durfee, Jehn B. Dakin.

1879 .- President, Martin V. Jessop; Recorder, Eher S. Andrews ; Treasurer, Dwight A. Harrison; Assessor, Charles W. Beardsley ; Trustees, Ansen L. Simons, James K. Freder- ieks, John J. Defeudorf, William P. Ainsley, George G. Whipple.

1880 .- President, D. L. Crossman; Recorder, W. II. McEnally ; Treasurer, Charles E. Lockwood; Assessor. D. Il. Truman ; Trustees, Hliram E. Highee, James M. Williams, Frederick K. Rockwell, Alonzo H. Kinne, John J. Defenderf.

The village attorneys have been E. Dayton Lewis, Quiney A. Smith, and B. D. York.

Village marshals: W. W. White, 1871; M. C. Meach, 1872; W. W. White, 1873; Joseph H. Steel, 1874; B. F. Pletts, 1875; Charles F. Andrews, 1876 ; Charles Thomas, 1877; W. W. White, 1878- 79; S. E. Vanneter, 1880.

FIRE DEPARTMENT.

A hook-and-ladder and bucket company was formed several years ago, but no regular organization is now in existence. The village has been very fortunate about fires, and the people perhaps imagine there is little danger. The hooks and ladders are stored in a convenient place.

A village calaboose, or lock-up, and a public pound were constructed in the summer of 1871, the former at an ex- pense of about $275, and the latter at a cost of some twenty- five or thirty dollars. The corporation owns no other public buildings.

POST-OFFICE AND POSTMASTERS.

A post-office was first established at Williamston on the 10th of May, 1842, under President Tyler's administration, and James M. Williams was the first postmaster. He held the office until about 1850, when he was succeeded by Jonathan B. Taylor. Following him have been Franklin Lombard, Eli Loranger, Ferdinand Brown, Hugh H. Spaulding, Loren Hillaker, William S. Humphrey, Alex- ander F. Campbell, John M. Crossman, and the present incumbent, John S. Crossman, who was appointed March 13, 1878, and took possession of the office on the Ist of April in that year.

The first mails were brought from Detroit once a week on a pony. Letters from long distances then cost twenty- five cents. The first daily mail was received by stage over the plank-road about 1854.

At the present time there are two daily mails each way by railroad, and a daily mail from Dansville and White Oak post-offices.

MANUFACTURES.

The manufacturing interests of Williamston are import- ant and valuable for a village of its population, and com- prise a variety which is very respectable, and speaks well for the enterprise of its people. An account of the more

important establishments is herewith presented, gathered mostly from the proprietors.

Saw- and Grist-Mills .- These were the earliest estab- lishments in the place, the first saw- and grist-mills having been erected (as we have seen) by the Williams brothers, the former in 1840 and the latter in 1842. The first grist- mill building is still standing, but there have been three different saw-mills erected on the same race since 1840, one following another as it became old and dilapidated. The dam, as originally built, was several rods farther up the stream than the present one, and is still standing, though hidden by the back-water of the new one. The fall at the present time is some eight feet, and the power is generally ample, though in dry seasons it is necessary to supplement it with steam-power.

The Williams brothers operated the two mills together until about 1852, when O. B. and J. M. sold their interest to their younger brother, H. B. Williams, who carried on the business until about 1855, when he in turn disposed of the property, including the mills and water-power, to Frank- lin Lombard. The latter subsequently sold to Messrs. Driggs & Corgill, of Detroit, and this firm to Jonathan B. Taylor, of Williamston. At a later date Taylor sold to Stephen Siegfried, and the latter to the present proprietors, Messrs. Mead & Flemming, who carry on both the saw- and grist-mills. They do quite an extensive business in hard-wood lumber. Since the original single run of stone was put in a second run has been added, doubling its capacity.

The water-power has been supplemented by a steam- engine, which is required in seasons of drouth or low water. The new dam was built some years ago by Stephen Siegfried.

" Walk- Away" Mills .- These mills were erected in 1875 by D. L. Crossman, at a cost of $13,500. They are oper- ated by steam furnished by a forty-five horse-power engine, and contain three runs of French buhr-stone, two of four and a half feet diameter, and one of four feet.

The mills do both merchant and custom work, and have a capacity in merchant work of forty barrels of flour daily. The grain used is purchased at the mills. Three grades of flour are manufactured, which are marketed mostly in Detroit. The mills are conveniently located on the tracks of the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railway, and have excellent shipping facilities. Large quantities of feed are also shipped to the northern pineries. The establishment is complete in every respect, aud doing an extensive business.

Foundries and Machine-Shops .- The earliest establish- ment in this line was opened by a company, of whom Dil- lucene Stonghton was one, about 1850. An attempt was made to produce a blast in the eupola by means of two common fanning-mills turned by hand, one placed ou cach side, but it proved a failure, and the business was abandoned. J. II. Steel, who was then at Fowlerville, in Livingston County, purchased most of the stock and removed it thither. The property at that time had fallen into the hands of Jonathan B. Taylor.

Mr. Steel removed to Williamston about 1860, and com- meneed business where he is now located, near the west end of the village. Ile carried on a general foundry and re-

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pairing business until about 1870, when he engaged in the mercantile business for some six years, after which he re- turned to his old employment, and has continued it to the present time. His son is now associated with him, and the firm is J. H. Steel & Son.

The establishment does general foundry and repairing business, and is also engaged in the manufacture of agri- cultural implements. Including the proprietors, a force of five hands is employed, and there are connected with the business wagon- and blacksmith-shops, where all kinds of work in their line are turned out to order. During the period when Mr. Steel was engaged in the mercantile busi- ness he leased the works. The power employed is furnished by a six horse-power steam-engine.

At the east end of the village is the foundry and repair- shop of Messrs. Wilson & Clark. The original firm was Grattan, Wilson & Clark, who commenced business on a small scale about 1867, in a building west of the Spaulding House on Grand River Street, and continued until 1878, when the present works on the southeast corner of Grand River and Cedar Streets were erected Mr. Grattan sold his interest to the other partners in 1869 or 1870, and the firm has since been Wilson & Clark. Mr. Wilson learned his trade in the establishment of J. H. Steel.

Messrs. Wilson & Clark are doing a general foundry and repairing business, and are also manufacturing a variety of agricultural implements. The power employed is fur- nished by a steam-engine.

Carriage- Works .- J. H. Crostick commenced business as a general blacksmith in 1871, adding thereto the mann- facture of a few cutters. His present large two-story shop on the corner of Putnam and High Streets was erected in 1879. It is large and convenient, and well fitted up for an extensive business, and the proprietor is a stirring busi- Dess man. A shop for woodwork adjoins the main shop on the south. The principal articles turned out are fine carriages, farm wagons, sleighs, entters, etc. All the differ- ent kinds of work employed in the business except carriage trimming are conducted in his shops. The trimming is done in Detroit. Including the proprietor, the works for- nish employment for five hands.

On the corner of Cedar and Grand River Streets is located the carriage-shop of D. F. P. Burnett, who com- menced business in Williamston on the 1st of January, 1874, on the opposite side of the street from where he Dow is, in a small building purchased of John Yokum, a general blacksmith. Mr. Burnett continued in this loca- tion until the fall of 1875, when he removed to his present roomy establishment, which was erected in that year. The building now occupied is a two-story frame, twenty-four by sixty feet in dimensions.

The business is mostly confined to the manufacture of fine carriages and cutters, and every department of the work-woodwork, blacksmithing, painting, trimming, etc. -is carried on in the shop. An average of eight hands is employed, and the manufactured articles are mostly sold at the works.

Planing-mills .- The first planing-mill put in operation in the village was built by J. B. & J. W. Waldo about 1868, at the corner of Putnam and High Streets, near the

bridge over Cedar River. The planer was manufactured in Lansing by one Iloughton. The mill was in operation about ten years. The old building is at present occupied for a livery-stable.

The second planing-mill was erected by Egbert Grattan about 1870 and was operated by him about two years, when he was killed in the mill. The machine by which he met his death is now in use in the mill of Harvey Hammond. Two other men have been killed in Williams- ton while working around machinery,-William Hartwig, cut in two by the large circular saw in the saw-mill north of the river abont 1873, and a man named Davis, killed in the same mill by a picket-saw in the summer of 1880.

About 1874 the building on Putnam Street, near South Street, now occupied by Harvey Hammond, was erected by Baldwin, Hooker & Co., for a planing-mill. About a year later Ilooker sold his interest to Daniel Miller. Harvey Hammond bought out Baldwin & Green (the latter the company of llooker, Baldwin & Co.) in 1875, and the firm became Ilammond & Miller, who operated the mill about two years, when Hammond became the sole proprietor, and has since conducted the business in his own name. Mr. Hammond has about $5000 invested, and his mill gives employment during nine months to four hands, and to two hands during the remainder of the year. A general lumbering and planing business is carried on, and the sales of lumber for the year will aggregate about sixty car-loads, including lumber, laths, shingles, etc.

Williamston Stave Company .- This company represents one of the most important industries of the village. The business was originally begun by Messrs. Henning & Schultz in 1873. Mr. Schultz sold out his interest before the works were fully in operation, and the proprietor has since been Edwin Henning, of Chicago, a heavy capitalist and prominent business man.

The business carried on at these works consists in the manufacture of staves, heading, and packing-barrels. The force at present employed counts about twenty-five men, though at times this is doubled. From fifteen to twenty- five coopers are employed in the manufacture of packing- barrels, which are mostly shipped to Chicago. The manu- facture for 1880 will reach 25,000 barrels. The shipment of staves has aggregated as many as 6,000,000 in a single year, the greater portion of which go to Chicago, though as high as 500,000 have been shipped to St. Louis, Mo. The staves shipped are all for flour-barrels.

The staves for " tight work" are all manufactured and worked up on the premises. The establishment is com- pletely fitted up for every kind of work in its line with the most ingenious and latest improved machinery for cutting staves, turning heading, etc. The machinery is driven by a steam-engine of forty horse-power. The department for the manufacture of staves and heading is well worth a visit to any one who takes an interest in ingenious, labor-saving machinery.

The firm is also the largest apple buying and shipping one in the State. During the present season its fruit busi- ness has been transacted at as many as sixty stations in Michigan, and the business transacted will be enormous. As many as eighty-two car-loads of apples have been

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HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

shipped in a single day. The shipments are mostly to Chicago and the West. The firm owns several large farms in Michigan, from one of which, in Washtenaw County, 2400 barrels of apples have been shipped from a single orchard in one season. Mr. Henning is also operating large cooper-shops at Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. The superintendent of the Williamston works is Mr. W. P. Ainsley, who has been with the house about twenty-two years.

Marble- Works .- The first marble-shop was established by C. W. Hill in 1877, but he remained only a few months, and sold out to one Griffith, who took the stock to Jack- son.

Messrs. G. T. Davis & Co. (G. T. Davis and G. W. Bliss) opened a shop in May, 1880, and are prepared to furnish every variety of work required in their line of business.

BANKING.

The first banking institution in Williamston was opened by Ilugh H. Spaulding & Co. in 1871. It was a private exchange bank, and carried on business until about 1876, when it was closed.

The present banking office of Daniel L. Crossman was opened in 1872 by Messrs. Crossman & Whipple. Mr. Whipple retired in 1877, since which date the business has been conducted by Mr. Crossman, who does a general ex- change business.

The building in which the bauk is located was erected in 1874 by D. L. Crossman and J. B. & J. W. Waldo, both the latter since deceased. It was constrneted prin- cipally for the purposes of a hotel, is of brick, three stories, and presents a fine appearance. The bank ocenpies the corner room, and there is a store on the east side of the hotel entrance. The hotel, which is known as the " Na- tional," was opened in 1875. The present proprietor is Joseph Williams.

A loan-office was opened by John B. Dakin in 1879. Mr. Dakin employs his own means, and is doing quite au extensive business negotiating loans upon real estate in the vicinity. Ile was formerly engaged with D. L. Crossman from 1856 to 1859 in the mercantile business at Dansville ; but upon the opening of the railway through Williamston, much of the business and many of the business-men of Dansville removed thither.

COAL.

The first coal mined in the neighborhood of Williams- ton was taken ont by J. M. Williams on seetion 36 in the south bank of the Cedar River about 1846-47, for blacksmithing purposes. Mining it for market was begun as carly as 1852, about the time of the completion of the plank-road.

Messrs. Rush & Stambaugh, from Youngstown, Ohio, made a considerable investment and began systematic oper- ations about 1874. Work was carried on for a considerable time, and from 50 to 100 tons of marketable coal was taken out daily ; but the difficulty of obtaining any facilities for its shipment rendered the work unprofitable, and it was finally abandoned.

The lower stratnin of coal at this loeality is from two to

three feet in thickness and of a very good quality for ordinary purposes. It is found at the works at a depth of about forty feet. Borings in the north side of the Cedar River penetrated a vein said to be six feet in thickness, but the drill may possibly have struek a fault or a point where the formation was broken or tilted, and passed through the coal diagonally. One difficulty encountered in some places is the absence of any solid material for roofing purposes, the eoal being in some eases within ten feet of the surface and overlaid by saud or earth.

MASONIC ORDER.

Williamston Lodge, No. 153, F. and A. M., was organ- ized in the spring of 1864, with the following charter members : J. H. Cornalia, C. Deitz, James W. Waldo, James A. Leasia, Jerome B. Waldo, John F. Brown, J. B. Taylor, Thomas Horton, Wm. D. Horton. The first Worshipful Master was Rev. J. H. Cornalia, and the suc- ceeding Masters have been : C. Deitz, J. W. Waldo, James A. Leasia, John Grimes, Wm. L. Brown, Wm. P. Ainsley, and John H. Webb. The membership at the present time (September, 1880) is about forty.

Eastern Star Chapter, No. 1, was organized in the spring of 1880. The Worthy Matron is Mrs. Silas E. Vanneter ; Worthy Patron, Wm. P. Ainsley; Secretary, Miss Belle Waldo. The membership is about twenty.

At present the order has no building of its own, but leases the necessary rooms.

ANCIENT ORDER OF UNITED WORKMEN.

A society of this order was organized in May, 1879. It is known as May Flower Lodge, No. 47. It is in a flour- ishing condition and has about forty members. Among the prominent citizens connected with it may be mentioned Quincy A. Smith, M. Coad, M.D., Lewis Simons, Dwight A. Harrison, Wm. L. Brown, and Eber S. Andrews.

There have existed also a flourishing lodge of the I. O. G. T. and a Red Ribbon Club, but at the present writing they seem to be doing very little.

NEWSPAPERS.

The first newspaper published in Williamston was the Williamston Enterprise, which is still continued. Its original proprietors were Wm. S. Humphrey & Co., and the first number appeared June 5, 1873. The publication was continued by that firm until Aug. 8, 1873, when Messrs. Campbell & Phelps became the owners and publishers, and issued the paper until Jan. 30, 1874. At that time Messrs. Bush & Adams became proprietors, and continued it until Jan. 20, 1875, when E. S. Andrews purchased the prop- erty and has since published the paper regularly. It is a neat, seven-column folio, well conducted and well patron- ized, as its advertising cards and subseription books show ; its circulation reaching a printer's thousand and steadily increasing. The paper retains its original name, and is domiciled in a neat and well-arranged office, fully supplied with the required machinery and stock. A small steam- engine furnishes the necessary power. Its enterprising proprietor has already built up a good jobbing department ; and the prospects of the paper are very flattering. It is

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History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 84

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