USA > Michigan > Ionia County > History of Ionia County, Michigan : her people, industries and institutions, Volume I > Part 22
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In addition to the ilotel Belling, the Belding Land and Improvement Company has erected a basket mill, has given to the city a fine park along the river and has been instrumental in pushing Belding to the front in every possible way Every movement for the betterment of the town has been
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IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
backed by this company both with their influence and also financially. With the pride which Belding Brothers take in the city which stands as a monument to their name this company does everything possible to promote the growth and well-being of the town and the happiness and comfort of its citizens. This company has not only done its share in the erection of substantial build- ings in the city but they have built three large blocks on the main street of the city.
The Belding Land and Improvement Company also built a fine opera house with a seating capacity of six hundred and fifty and is fully equipped with all modern devices known to the stage, also steam heat and electric lights.
After the death of H. H. Belding, E. C. Young, of Chicago, became vice-president of the Belding Land and Improvement Company. Fred N. Belding, son of A. W. Belding. of Rockville, has become secretary of the company. The present officers are: A. W. Belding. president : E. C. Young. vice-president : M. M. Belding, Jr., treasurer; Fred W. Belding, secretary. and W. P. Hetherington, assistant secretary. The above constitute the board of directors, with the addition of M. M. Belding, Sr. W. P. Hetherington. in addition to acting as manager of the hotel for twenty-seven years, has also been the active manager of the Belding Land and Improvement Com- pany for the same length of time.
FIRST PASSENGER LINE INTO BELDING.
Prior to the opening of the Hotel Bekling there were no passenger trains running into the city. The town was supplied with freight service. but that only run every two days. H. H. Belding and George Ellis organized a street railway company which was to operate between Bekling and Kidd- ville. The equipment consisted of an old horse car and one horse, and the company planked between the rails for the horse to walk on. This car met all the trains coming into Kiddville and the capacity of the car was twenty people. In case of a gala day or any important happening in Belding which caused added patronage, the operator would attach two hand cars to his horse car as trailers and in this way was able to take care of the crowds. The fare was ten cents each way. The first passenger train to run into Belding came on August 11, 1888, on the opening of the Hotel Belding.
CHAPTER XXI.
TRANSPORTATION.
The chapter on transportation in lonia county does not take up the great amount of space which some of the other chapters do. However, the history of the railroads in any county is one of the important factors in the growth of that county. There are only two main roads in this county, namely : the Pere Marquette, which is officially known as the Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western Railroad Company, and the Grand Trunk system, which was also known as the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee.
The line, which was for many years known as the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee railroad and is at present known as the Grand Trunk system, was the first line of railway built and completed to any point within the boundaries of lonia county. It was over the eastern link of this road, which was at that early date the old Detroit & Pontiac road and was in operation many years before the locomotive reached the waters of the Grand river, that the inhabitants of Western Michigan enjoyed their earliest railway facilities. This was by means of the stage-lines which ran from Lyons. via De Witt, Lansingburg and other points in Shiawassee, Genesee and Oakland counties, eastward to the successive termini of the railroad, which was first only as far as Royal Oak, later it extended to Birmingham and eventually to Pontiac. This extremely early history does not deal directly with the history of Tonia county except through the medium of the stage coach, for it was purely an Oakland county enterprise and yet it was one in which the Fonia county people were interested and also benefited and for that reason it seems proper to give a short sketch of the building and opening of the Pontiac road. This line was of special interest to people of this county first, because its connect- ing stage lines gave them communication over it and at a later period through its extension it became a part of the through line between Grand Haven and Milwaukee which traverses this county through its entire breadth, from east to west.
FIRST STATE CHARTER.
The Detroit & Pontiac railroad project was agitated in Oakland as early as the spring of 1830. By an act which was passed by the legislative ( 16)
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council of the territory and approved by Governor Cass, on the 3ist of July, 1830. the Pontiac & Detroit Railroad Company was duly incorporated. This was the first railroad company to be chartered in the state of Michigan. The original incorporators of this company were John P'. Helfenstein, Gideon O. Whittemore, William F. Mosely, William Thompson, Hervey Parke, and "such other persons as shall associate for the purpose of making a good and sufficient railroad from Pontiac to the city of Detroit." The stock of this company was to consist of one thousand shares at the par value of one hun- dred dollars each. This company soon found that the project was entirely too heavy for the means which they could command and in consequence their charter became void by reason of their failure to comply with its con- ditions.
Although the first endeavor to organize and build a railroad in the state had met with failure it did not discourage other promoters, as shown by the fact that a second company was formed. The act granting a new charter was passed by the territorial Legislature, and approved by the governor, March 7. 1834. The amount of stock was placed at $50,000, and the fol- lowing were appointed commissioners to receive subscriptions to the stock : William Draper, Daniel LeRoy, David Stanard, Johnson Niles, Seneca New- berry, Elisha Beach, Benjamin Phelps, Joseph Niles, Jr., and Augustus C. Stevens. This road was to be known as the Detroit & Pontiac Railroad Com- pany, the work was to be commenced within two years from the passage of the act and completed within six years, the charter to be forfeited by failure to comply with these conditions. The principal stockholders were Alfred Williams and Sherman Stevens, of Pontiac, who were also managers of the affairs of the company.
Operations were soon commenced, but very slow progress was made in the construction of the road, and it was not until the fall of 1838 that a track ( which even then was composed of wooden rails for a part of the way ) was completed as far as Royal Oak and trains made up of cars of the most inferior description were run from Detroit to that point by horse-power. In the fall of 1839 the road was extended so that the trains ran to Birmingham. and steam was introduced as a motive power for their propulsion. At that time ( September, 1830). the Pontiac papers contained the advertisement of Henry J. Buckley, agent and conductor, informing the public that the trains were running two trips a day between Detroit and Birmingham and making connections at the latter place with a daily line of "post-coaches" for Pontiac and Flint, and a semi-weekly line for Lyons, on the Grand river, by way of Byron, De Witt and other points.
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IONIAA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
In 1840, the company being heavily in debt and without means of pay- ment, the road was sold at sheriff's sale to capitalists of the state of New York. Then followed another period of delay and discouragement. but finally, in September, in 1844. the road was opened to Pontiac, which for more than ten years continued to be the western terminus and the point of connection with the stage-lines running to Flint, Saginaw and the Grand river.
EARLY EQUIPMENT.
In the earlier years of its operation this road was made the subject of unmeasured ridicule on account of the poverty of the company, the rough and superficial manner in which the line was constructed, the poor quality of as carriages and machinery, and the exceedingly slow and irregular time made by the train between Pontiac and Detroit.
From an article which appeared in the Detroit Post a few years since containing some reminiscences of pioneer railway travel. the following, hav- ing reference to the Pontiac line, is extracted : "The trains would frequently stop between way-stations by a signal of some farmer who wished to ask questions or take passage. An old lady denizen of a farm-house, with spec- tacles of a primitive manufacture placed high upon her forehead, came run- ning out to the train waving her bandanna. Her signal being heeded. the train was brought to a stop and her inquiry of the conductor was, if a certain lawyer named Drake, was on board. After receiving a negative answer a short conversation was kept up before the train started on its journey. It was no uncommon occurrence for the engineer, who kept his shot-gun with him, to bring down game from his engine, shut off steam and send his fireman after the fruit of his markmanship. The road being laid with strap-rail, one of the duties of the conductor was to keep a hammer for the purpose of spiking down 'snake-heads' whenever they were seen from the cab of the engineer."
After a few years of operation with the primitive and unsafe "strap- rail" the line was leased for ten years to Gurdon Williams, but the lease was - purchased or relinquished before its expiration and the road came into the possession of a company of which H. N. Walker was made the president. Under his administration a sufficient amount of money was raised on the bonds of the road to re-lay the track with solid T rails and to make other improvements necessary to put the road in condition for business.
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IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
OAKLAND & OTTAWA RAILROAD COMPANY.
Immediately after the completion of the road from Detroit to Pontiac a project was formed to build a railroad from that village westward through Shiawasse, Clinton, lonia, Kent and Ottawa counties, to the mouth of Grand river, to connect at that point with steamers for Milwaukee and other lake ports. This resulted in the formation of the Oakland & Ottawa Railroad Company, and its incorporation by an act of the state Legislature, approved April 3, 1848. The persons appointed as commissioners to receive subscrip- tions to the capital stock ( which was fixed at $2.500,000) were Gurdon Williams, Edward A. Brush, H. C. Thurber, Alfred Williams, Bowman W. Dennis, John Hamilton, C. P. Bush, W. A. Richmond and Charles Shepard. The company was empowered by the act "to construct a railroad with a double or single track from the village of Pontiac, in the county of Oakland. to Lake Michigan, in the county of Ottawa," passing it through the most desirable and eligible route, by the way of Fentonville, and was required to begin its construction within five years and to complete it within fifteen years from the passage of the act.
In 1850 an act was passed (approved, March 20) providing "that the Detroit & Pontiac Railroad Company be, and they are hereby authorized to extend said railroad so as to connect with the Oakland & Ottawa railroad when constructed, thus forming a continuous line of railroad through the village of Pontiac."
The construction of the Oakland & Ottawa road was commenced in 1852, and in the following year H. N. Walker ( who was a leading spirit in this as well as in the Pontiac road ) purchased in England twenty-six hundred tons of iron which was estimated to be sufficient to lay the track through to Fentonville. On the 13th of February, 1855, the governor approved "an act to authorize the consolidation of the Detroit & Pontiac and the Oakland & Ottawa Railroad Companies, so as to form a continuons line from Detroit to Lake Michigan, under the name of the Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad Company." By the same act the name of the Detroit & Pontiac was changed to that of "The Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad Company," which was empowered to increase its capital stock to an amount not exceeding $10,000,- 000; and it was further provided that "the said company is hereby author- ized, for the purpose of forming a continuous line, to purchase all the prop- erty rights and franchises of the Oakland & Ottawa company upon such
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terms as shall be mutually agreed upon ; and the stockholders of the said Oakland & Ottawa Railroad Company shall, in case of sale, become stock- holders of the said Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad Company, in such propor- tions as may be agreed upon in the terms of sale: and the said Oakland & Ottawa Railroad Company shall thereupon become merged in the said Detroit & Milwaukee Railway Company."
FOREIGN CAPITAL SECURED.
Under the authority so conferred the two companies were consolidated and the Oakland & Ottawa became the Detroit & Milwaukee line. The work of construction west of Pontiac had proceeded but slowly during the three years succeeding its commencement, but as the new company had negotiated a loan in Europe to the amount of $1,250,000, it was now vigorously pushed ; so that in October, 1855, the road was opened to Fentonville, where stage connections were made for points on the Grand river and for Flint and Saginaw. In the following spring the locomotive entered Shiawasse county for the first time and on July 1, 1856, the road was formally opened to Owosso, where the arrival of the pioneer train was hailed with demonstra- tions of almost unbounded delight and exultation. The same enthusiasm greeted the opening of the road to St. John's. Clinton county, on the 16th of January following.
Between St. John's and Ionia the work was prosecuted with vigor and the road was completed to the county seat of Ionia county in September. 1857. Finally, on the 22d of November, 1858, the line was opened to its terminus at Grand Haven, and the locomotive traversed the entire peninsula from the Detroit river to Lake Michigan. Well might the people along its route congratulate themselves as they saw the first trains speeding along. for their coming was an event which lifted the ban of isolation from these counties and more than doubled the value of their domain.
This road, although of great benefit to the country through which its course leads, proved a bad investment for its original stockholders. The foreclosure of the bondholders' mortgages in 1860 placed it in the hands of a receiver, and it remained in this condition until October 19. 1878, when it became the Detroit. Grand Haven & Milwaukee railroad by passing into the possession of a company of that name, organized in the interest of the Great Western Railway of Canada. It is now the property of the Grand Trunk system.
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IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
PERE MARQUETTE SYSTEM.
As was previously stated, the only other railroad in lonia county is the Pere Marquette system. But there have been seven separate and individual lines built in this county which are at present owned by this system and trains are run over all of these routes; however, it is true that they connect at present in such a way as to form only three lines, yet they were built at seven different times.
The Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western Railroad Company, which is at present controlled by the receivers of the Pere Marquette system, comprises what was formerly the following companies: Detroit, Lansing & Lake Michigan Railroad Company, Ionia & Lansing Railroad Company, lonia. Stanton & Northern Railroad Company, and Detroit. Lansing & Northern Railroad, which was later changed to the Detroit, Grand Rapids & Western. The Detroit & Ilowell Railroad Company and the Howell & Lansing Rail- road Company were consolidated, forming the Detroit. Howell & Lansing Railroad Company. The above named companies were organized by local interests on the line between Detroit and Lansing, to construct a line con- necting the above points. Local aid was readily secured and a large part of the road-bed between Plymouth and Howell was graded but no track was laid. Entrance to the city of Detroit, with right of way down Fourth street and Grand River avenue, for the location of terminals, was secured. After- ward the stock of the Detroit, Ilowell & Lansing road was purchased by the Hon. James F. Joy, then president of the Michigan Central railroad, and his associates, and the main line was deflected to connect with that line at West Detroit. After this change the right of way down Fourth street was aban- doned and the property near the corner of Fourth and Grand River was sold.
The lonia & Lansing Railroad Company was organized by Lansing. lonia and Portland residents and other interests along the proposed route. The active operation on the line from Lansing to lonia was pushed through and in December. 1869. the first train was run over this line. It was extended to Greenville in September, 1870. This road was sold to James F. Joy and his associates in 1870 and consolidated with the Detroit. Howell & Lansing road in the latter year, forming what was known as the Detroit. Lansing & Lake Michigan Railroad Company. That part of the latter road from Detroit to Howard City, except the portion from Lansing to Green- ville, was constructed in 1871, and opened for traffic in the month of August.
The lonia. Stanton & Northern Railroad Company, of which the line
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IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
from Tonia to Big Rapids is the only portion which can be dealt with in this history, was organized in 1872 by parties in the interest of the Detroit. Lansing & Lake Michigan Railroad Company and was subsequently con- solidated with that company. This road was opened for business from Stanton Junction, locally known as Haynor Depot, to Stanton, in February, 1873. and was later extended from time to time until 1880, in which year it was completed to Big Rapids.
The Belding branch, or better known as the Kiddville to Belding line. was built by local interests and acquired by the Lake Michigan road in 1876.
In 1875 the Detroit, Lansing & Lake Michigan Railroad Company defaulted in the payment of interest on its mortgage bonds. The trustees named in the mortgage took possession of the property under the terms of the mortgages and, pending the re-organization, the property was operated by Hon. James F. Joy, as agent for the trustees. On December 26, 1876, the purchasers of the road, under judicial sale, filed articles of association with the secretary of state at Lansing. Michigan, of the Detroit, Lansing & Northern Railroad Company, The above named company took over all the property, rights and franchises of the Detroit, Lansing & Lake Michigan Railroad Company.
The next line to be constructed in this county was that portion from Freeport to Lowell. This road lies almost on the county line between Tonia and Kent counties although, owing to the necessary crooks, it is almost wholly in the latter county. This road originally had its southern terminus at Freeport, while it connected at Lowell with the main line of the Grand Trunk system. . After its construction several years and at the time the Pere Marquette purchased the holdings of the different smaller companies in this part of the state, this line was extended to Belding. From Lowell to Beld- ing and Greenville it now forms the main line of the Pere Marquette from Grand Rapids to Saginaw.
The last road to be constructed in this county and the one that almost proved the undoing of lonia was the line from Grand Ledge to Grand Rapids. This passes through the southern part of the county, crossing Campbell and Odessa townships and having stations at Elmdale, Clarksville and Lake Odessa. This is the main line from Detroit to Grand Rapids at present and has given the village of Lake Odessa its present size and activity.
CHAPTER XXII.
MILITARY HISTORY.
At the outbreak of the Civil War the people of Ionia county were strongly in favor of maintaining the Union at whatever cost, and were quick to respond to the call for volunteers to suppress the rebellion. The following roster is taken from the official records and gives the names of all who enlisted from lonia county :
SECOND INFANTRY.
Assistant Surgeon Jerome Robbins, Matherton: commissioned March 11, 1865; resigned March 12. 1866.
Company .1.
Porter Foreman S .. mustered out June 2, 1865. " Rider. D., died of disease in Michigan, June, 1864. Robbins, Martin, died of disease in Michigan, 1864.
Company B.
Argersinger, Daniel, discharged at end of service May 25, 1864. Church. Peter C., discharged at end of service July 12, 1864. Green, William G., died of wounds July 18. 1864.
Yaner, George W .. mustered out at expiration of service June 6. 1864. Converse. Daniel B., mustered out July 28. 1865.
Phillips, Andrew S .. mustered out June 12, 1865.
Company (.
First Lieutenant Benjamin Vosper. Saranac: enlisted as sergeant in Company 1. April, 1864; discharged for disability May 31 1864. Benedict. Lafayette, mustered out July 28. 1865. Cornell, Lorenzo 1 .. mustered out July 28, 1865. Casey. Thomas, mustered out Inly 28, 1865. Davids. Philander, mustered ont July 15. 1865. Green, William D., mustered out July 28, 1865. Peck. Russell S., mustered out August 5. 1865. Rider, Stephen V .. mustered ont August 5. 1865.
Company E.
Baldwin. Abner A .. discharged for disability May 15, 1865. Baldwin, George W., mustered out May 11. 1865.
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IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Travis, Charles, mustered out July 28. 1865. Vosper. Mason, died of wounds received near Petersburg. Virginia. August 19, 1864.
Company F.
Jones, Renben. mastered ont June 12. 1805. Lampman. Peter, died of disease in New York, December 14, 1864. Petrie, John R .. mustored on June 15. 1565. Steers. Samuel. discharged for disability April 12. 1865.
Company (.
Second Lieutenant James 1 .. Manning. Lyons; enlisted April 1. 1564. as private in Sixth Cavalry : resigned October 14. 1964. Hinds. Charles, died of wounds June 22. 1864. Hilton. Levi X. died in action near Petersburg, Va .. JJune 17, 1864.
Parmalee. Truman, missing in action June 17, 1864.
Robinson. Corydon, died of disease at Washington, D. C.
Company Il.
First Lieutenant John P. Anderson. Saranac: commissioned April 1. 1864: mustered ant July 25. 1865.
Iluise. Clear, lied in action near Petersburg, Virginia, June 17. 1864.
Osborn, William D .. mustered out May 15, 1865.
Ringer. Nathaniel W .. mustered ont July 28, 1865.
Wheeler. Emmett J .. mustered out July 28, 1865.
Company K.
Coffin, John. died of wounds August 22. 1864. Fish, Alexander, discharged for disability September 20. 1414. Merchant. Willard, monstered out July 26. 1865. Mapes, Peter, died of wounds June 18, 1864.
Owen. Warren M .. died of disease at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 4. 1865. Smith, Devine Be discharged for disability May 6, 1865.
Showerman, Jacob, discharged for disability December 25. 1864.
Isham, Alfred R., discharged by order May 3, 1865.
THIRD INFANTRY-FIRST TERM.
Colonel Moses B. Houghton, Saranac: commissioned July 20, 184 ; appointed colonel new Third Infantry, October 15. 1561.
Lieutenant Colonel Ambrose A. Stevens, Saranac: commissioned May 13, 1861 : pro- moted colonel Twenty-First Infantry, July 25, 1862.
Lientesant Colonel Edwin S. Pierre, Lyons; commissioned January 1, 1863 ; wounded in action at Chancellorsville, Virginia : discharged January 20, 186-1.
Lieutenant Colonel Moses B. Houghton, Saranac; commissioned January 20. 184 ; promoted major September 1. 182: promoted to colonel.
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IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Surgeon Zenas E. Bliss. Ionia : commissioned October 15. 161; assistant surgeon June 1. 1901 : appointed surgeon regular army September 24, 1962.
Sergeant-Major Daniel G. Converse. Saranae: promoted first lieutenant Company II March 15. 1-04.
Hospital Steward George P. Taylor, discharged at end of service Jime 20. 1\04.
Lyons, Ira W .. discharged for disability May \. 1963.
Company B.
Estes. William C. died in action at Fair Oaks, Virginia, May 31. 1963. Turner, Ira G. died of disease November 2. 1861.
Company (.
Serund Lientenant Theodore let%, commissioned June 10. 1>61.
Hawley, Clare. discharged for disability November 22. 1962.
Pehely, Josephine. mustered out JJuly 5. 1M65.
Ferris, Squire IL .. enlisted February 14, 1962. Mason. Burdett. mustered ont July 5. 1-65.
Moe. Elam. discharged for disability June 17. 1862.
Moe. Daniel. discharged for disability August 3. 1-63. Osborn, William 11 .. discharged for disability March 13. 1563. Olds. Willard. mustered out June 24. 1865.
Snell. Sylvannus, discharged for disability July 27, 1861.
Schmidt. August, died of disease at Washington. December 1, 1562.
Wilson. Daniel, enlisted February 22, 1-62.
Wright. John. enlisted February 22, 1902.
Company D).
Captain Moses B. Houghton. Saranac: commissioned June 10. 1801; promoted major September 1. 1962.
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