USA > Michigan > Ionia County > History of Ionia County, Michigan : her people, industries and institutions, Volume I > Part 4
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48
"Section 3-All suits, prosecutions, and other matters now pending before any court or before any justice of the peace of either of the counties to which the said counties of Ionia and Van Buren are now attached for judicial purposes shall be prosecuted to final judgment and execution ; and all taxes heretofore levied shall be collected in the same manner as though this act had not been passed.
"Section 4-The circuit court of the county of Ionia shall be held, until public buildings shall be erected, at such places as the supervisors of said county shall provide, at the seat of justice in said county, on the last Monday of May, and in November, in each year.
"Section 6-All that part of the state lying north of the county of lonia, and not included in any organized county, be, and the same is hereby, attached to the county of Ionia for judicial purposes.
"Section 8-There shall be elected in each of the several counties of Ionia and Van Buren, on the second Monday of April next, all the several
51
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
county officers to which by law the said counties are entitled, and whose terms of office shall severally expire at the time the same woukl have expired had they been elected on the first Monday and the next succeeding day of November last : and said election shall in all respects be conducted and held in the manner prescribed by law for holding elections for county and state officers.
"Section 9-In each of said counties the board of county canvassers, under this act, shall consist of two of the presiding inspectors of said elec- tion from each township; and said board shall meet in their respective counties on the Thursday next after said election, at the county seat, at one o'clock P. M. of said day, and organize by the appointment of one of their number, chairman, and another, secretary of said board, and thereupon pro- ceed to calculate and ascertain the whole number of votes given at such election for any individual for either of said offices, and shall set down the names of the several individuals so voted for, and the number of votes given to each, for either of said officers in said county, in words at full length, and certify the same to be a true canvass of the votes given at such election in said county, and that the person receiving the highest number of votes for either of said offices is duly elected to said office; which cer- tificate shall be signed by the chairman and secretary, and delivered to the clerk of said county, to be filed and kept in said office.
"Section 10-In case the election for county offices shall not be held on the second Monday of April, as provided in the eighth section of this act, the same may be held on the first Monday of May next,
"Section II-This act shall be in force, and take effect, on and after the first Monday in April next. Approved March 18, 1837."
Another act had been previously passed by the same Legislature and approved on March 11, 1837, two sections of which had to do with the districting of the county of lonia, which at that time was not a distinct entity, but after the organization of the county this division for voting pur- poses was still retained. In consequence of the bearing which this act had upon the election in the newly created county, we will give it in full :
"Section 12-All that portion of the county of lonia lying west of the sectional lines running north and south through the center of townships 5, 6. 7 and 8 north, of range 6 west, be, and the same is hereby, set off and organized for temporary purposes into a separate township, by the name of Ionia, and the first township meeting therein shall be held at the house of Samuel Dexter in said township.
52
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
"Section 13-All that portion of the county of Ionia lying east of the line as described in the last section be, and the same is hereby, set off and organized into a separate township, for temporary purposes, by the name of Maple; and the first township meeting therein shall be held at the house of William Hunt, in said township."
In accordance with the provisions of the foregoing act, the legal voters of the townships of lonia and Maple assembled at their respective voting precincts on the second Monday of April, 1837, and voted for candidates for county offices. On the 13th day of the same month the board of county canvassers, composed of Isaac Thompson and Asa Bunnell, from the town- ship of Maple, and Cyrus Lovell and Erastus Yeomans, from the township of Ionia, met at the house of Asa Spencer in Ionia, the county seat, and organized by electing Isaac Thompson, chairman, and Erastus Yeomans. clerk. The board then proceeded to examine the return of votes taken at the election for county officers, and found that for associate judges, Isaac Thompson received 292 votes; Truman H. Lyon, 187; William Babcock, 104. For judge of probate: Cyrus Lovell, 116; William D. Moore, 173. For sheriff : Elhanan W. Curtis, 191 ; Henry V. Libhart, 93. For county clerk: Asa Bunnell, 183; Erastus Yeomans, IIO. For county treasurer : John E. Morrison, 185: Robert S. Parks, 106. For district surveyor : Buel H. Mann, 220. For coroner: Thaddeus O. Warner, 293: Philo Bogue, 187. For register of deeds : Adam L. Roof, 189: Mason Hearsey, 102.
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COUNTY SEAT.
The history of the choosing of the location for the county seat of the newly created territory is similar to that of a great number of the other counties of this and other states. The county seat was not eventually located without a fight. There were two or more localities in this territory which the settlers of each deemed most advantageous for the establishment of the county seat. In consequence, there were two opposing parties, and they strove long, earnestly and bitterly for the mastery. One party was com- posed of the original settlers of "lonia County Seat" and its vicinity, while their opponents were their neighbors at the settlement of Lyons, assisted by the early residents of Portland. The victory eventually fell to the Ionians and the county seat was permanently located.
Early in the year 1833 the Indian traders and their employees, who were the only white inhabitants residing in the county, inaugurated measures
53
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
looking towards the establishment of a county seat, and on the 5th of March of that year they drew up and signed the following petition, which, owing to the lack of mail routes in this territory, was forwarded by messenger to Governor Porter :
"To His Excellency, George B. Porter, Governor of the Territory of Michigan :
"We, your petitioners, residents of the county of lonia, feeling a deep interest in the affairs of said county, and convinced of a rapid increase of population for the present year, do humbly solicit that commissioners be appointed to establish the county-seat of said county, and, as in duty bound, your petitioners will every pray.
"Signed ) William Hunt. "Samuel Lasley, "Mathew MeGalpin. "Joseph Pyatt. "Louis Genereanx, Jr .. "Elisha Belcher. "Louis Genereaux. "Isedore Nantais. "Francis Fraro. "Matar Parce. "Francis Bailey."
Several weeks later these people caused to be posted in three of the most public places in the county the following :
"Notice.
"To Whom it May Concern: Notice is hereby given that application will be made to the Governor of the Territory of Michigan to appoint com- missioners to establish the seat of justice of lonia County in said Territory. "Dated April 28, 1833."
At the time specified below, Elisha Belcher, who seems to have been the most active spirit in pushing this matter, proceeded to Ann Arbor and made oath before Justice Morgan as follow :
"Territory of Michigan, Washtenaw County.
"Elisha Belcher, of the county of lonia. in said Territory, being duly sworn, maketh oath that between the 28th day of April and ist day of May last past, or about that time, three notices, of which the above is a substantial
54
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
copy, were fixed up, one on the outer door of William Hunt's dwelling place, one at Genereaux's trading-house, and the other on the liberty-pole at the village at the month of Maple river, being the three most public places in said county of Ionia, and this deponent often saw said notices remaining fixed up as aforesaid, and they remained so fixed up but a short time since. and further saith not.
"ELISHA BELCHER.
"Sworn and subscribed before me August 13, A. D., 1833, at Ann Arbor in said county of Washtenaw.
"E. W. MORGAN,
"One of the Justices of the Peace in said County."
Meanwhile, between the dates before mentioned. i. e., the posting of notices and Belcher's visit before mentioned to Ann Arbor, Samuel Dexter and his associates had arrived and located permanently on and near the site of the city of Ionia. The county seat question at once became uppermost in their thoughts, and early in July, 1833, Governor Porter was the recipient of another petition as follows:
"To the Governor and Council of the Territory of Michigan :
"We, your petitioners, being citizens of the county of Ionia and destitute of those privileges and advantages which have uniformly been extended to all those counties in said Territory of Michigan which, like Ionia County, have been rapidly increasing in wealth and population by organization and determining on suitable situations for seats of justice, therefore ask that commissioners may be appointed to fix and determine upon the place suitable for the erection of a court-house and other county buildings for the county of Ionia. For which your petitioners will ever pray."
This paper was dated in Grand River, Ionia county. July 12. 1833. and was signed by Erastus Yeomans. Edward Guild, Oliver Arnold, Sanford .1. Yeomans, Silas D. Arnold, Abraham Decker, Warner Dexter, John Dexter, Zenas G. Winsor, W. B. Lincoln, Samuel Dexter, Darius Winsor, Alfred Cornell, Thomas Cornell and Lorenzo Dexter.
On the 5th of September, 1833, Governor Porter appointed James Kings- ley, Stephen V. R. Trowbridge and Charles J. L. Lanman, commissioners to locate the county seats of lonia, Clinton and Kent counties and commis- sions under the broad seal of the territory were issued to them on that date. Four days later the commissioners gave notice that they would meet at the "Washtenaw House," in the village of Ann Arbor. October 7, 1833. for the
55
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
purpose of taking the required oath. The oath was administered to them by Justice Morgan on the 8th of October, and from AAnn Arbor they pro- ceeded on horseback to the performance of their duties. They first visited Clinton county, then Ionia, and lastly Kent, arriving at Grand Rapids, November 8th.
The news of their proceedings and determination as regarded the seat of justice of Ionia county was soon noised abroad, and very soon thereafter drew forth a letter of remonstrance from Charles D. Friend, of which the following is a copy :
"County of Ionia. Territory of Michigan.
"November 12, 1833.
"To His Excellency the Governor :
"The commissioners appointed under the commissions issued by you for the location of the seat of justice in the above-named county, having pro- ceeded to execute their appointment and affix the location on the lands of Samuel Dexter, upon the north bank of Grand river, being situated upon the north half of section 19. township 7 north, of range No. 6 west. I respect- fully beg leave to remonstrate against the report of such location of the com- missioners being carried into effect for the following reasons :
"Because the spot selected for the seat of justice is situated upon the north bank of the Grand river instead of the south bank, and within one hundred yards, or thereabouts, of a wet prairie or swamp, of more than three hundred acres, bordering upon the Grand river. and flooded therefore occasionally, and which swamp, being hollow, cannot be effectually drained : that the seat of justice is also within two or three hundred yards of broken land lying north, of ordinary value, the hollows interspersed with swamps. and extending several miles northward when oak-openings of a poor quality terminate the county-line, and beyond which are Indian reservations.
"In consequence of this wet prairie or swamp being between the location of the seat of justice and the Grand river, a most expensive highway would be required to connect the location with the country on the south bank of the river, and from the description of the lands northward of the seat of justice, that part of the county will not settle rapidly, and the part available for settlement east and west of the location is all taken up, and only by five or more farmers, for many miles, there being a frontage upon the Grand river of about one mile only in depth, including the swamp, of three-quarters of a mile, where broken lands and swamps and indifferent oak-openings
56
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
terminate the county-line. The land on the south side of the river is also subject to overflow, when broken land follows, and which, for a considerable distance from the bank of the river, is not habitable; beyond which, how- ever, southwardly and westwardly, are many miles in extent of most val- uable land fast locating, and all of which borders upon the Territorial turn- pike road.
"That the commissioners did not view every part of the county; that they did not follow the line upon the south bank of the river to the Ter- ritorial turnpike road, embracing one-quarter of the whole extent of the county, of a level and rich character, well supplied with running streams of fine water, neither low nor swampy, is fast settling and will be soon all taken up.
"This section of the county runs in a direct line from Peshimnacon along the Territorial road several miles, when it takes a northwardly course and strikes the Grand river.
"That the seat of justice is located away from the Grand river, three- fourths of a mile, although many very commanding situations upon the bank of the river might have been selected.
"That lands in the county situated upon Maple river are also settling. and it would be very difficult for carriages to pass from thence along to the present seat of justice.
"That the seat of justice as at present located, from its local disad- vantages, can never become the centre of population; it is therefore not placed so as to afford facility or convenience to the inhabitants of the rich and more settled part of the county.
"And that therefore, for the above reasons, the situation of the seat of justice, as at present located, is inconveniently placed in the county, being away from population, which will be residing chiefly in the southeastern quarter of the county, between the Grand river and the Territorial road. and from the mouth of the Maple river to the Territorial road striking the river at Peshinnacon.
"For the above reasons I hope a revision will be permitted for the better adjudicating the county-seat.
"I am, sir, Your Excellency's most obedient servant. "CHARLES D. FRIEND."
After the reception of Mr. Friend's letter six months' time intervened and still no action had been taken by Governor Porter in the case of lonia's county seat. Therefore, in May, 1834. Henry V. Libhart, Russell Libhart,
57
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Selah Arms, Thomas Shepherd, Jesse Wilmoth, Thomas Chamberlain, Will- iam Moore, Daniel Moore. Asa Bunnell. Obadiah J. Miles, Joseph Ledue. Stephen Demers. Abraham Kelvey, Daniel. MeKelvey and Nathan Ben- jamin signed and sent in another petition to Governor Porter, reiterating substantially what was claimed in Mr. Friend's letter and again asking for a revision, adducing, as additional reasons, "that sufficient land could not be found within miles of the proposed county seat to constitute even a very small neighborhood: that the lands (the petitioners ) represented, with one exception, were not purchased when the county seat was located; that in a county situated remote from the facilities of market, and where making roads of any ordinary description must be attended by a very heavy expense to the few inhabitants already located. no unnecessary outlay should be countenanced to increase the value of lands of a few individuals, when the benefits could not be productive to people of the whole county; that the county seat, as at present located, will be extremely inconvenient to the people generally, who will chiefly settle in the southeast quarter of the county-a tract embracing a very fine country in prairies, plains, oak-open- ings, and heavy-timbered lands watered with fine streams, free from swamps, marshes and wet prairies, and where the central part of the county, as to population, must be at all times found."
Governor Porter died on July 6, 1834. without having confirmed by proclamation the report of the county-seat commissioners; neither did he order a revision of their work by the appointment of new commissioners. Hon. Stevens T. Mason, secretary of the territory, although but twenty- two years of age, then became ex-officio governor, and Mr. Friend soon after renewed the struggle, as the following copy of his letter will show :
"County of lonia. M. T .. "Grand River. Aug. 15. 1834.
"To His Excellency, Governor Mason :
"Sir: 1 addressed a letter, dated November 12th past, to His Excel- leney, the late Governor Porter, upon the subject of the location of the county seat of this county, in which 1 stated my objections, which were also the objections of all the inhabitants of the same county who were residents east of the location of the county seat, a copy of which letter 1 inclose here- with for your information.
"When I was in Detroit, in the month of January last, I had an inter- view with the then Governor, who stated that he had not laid before the
58
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Legislative Council the report of the commissioners who had located the county seat of Ionia, because he thought that if the allegations contained in my letter (above referred to) were borne out by a petition of the inhab- itants, stating in detail the objections that I have made, that an appointment of other commissioners ought to be granted to remove such county seat and act therein, and which he stated he had the power of granting. A petition was subsequently signed, I believe, by every inhabitant and resident free- holder in the eastern section of the county, and transmitted to Governor Porter; and when I waited upon the Governor, in the early part of the month of June last, he stated to me that he saw sufficient reasons, founded upon the petition, to grant our request, and that if I would, previously to my leaving Detroit, address a letter to him expressing a desire that he should grant the prayer of the petitioners, that he would give the business proper attention. I went into the country to spend a few weeks with some friends there, previously to my return to the Grand river, and intended to take Detroit on my way back when, unhappily. I then learned of the death of the late Governor. When at Detroit last week, I took steps to see you to have detailed this business, but, being exceedingly hurried, was obliged to leave without that pleasure. I therefore trouble you in this way, that if any measures are necessary to be taken in consequence of the demise of the late governor, beyond those already stated, that you will do me the favor to communicate the same to me, addressed in care of Mr. Adolphus Spoor, Lodi Plains, Washtenaw county, who is my partner, and will be coming to the Grand river in a few days, which will be more expeditious than to send by the circuitons postoffice route, which does not at present come near me by forty miles.
"I am, sir, Your Excellency's most obedient servant, "CHARLES D. FRIEND."
The continued and determined efforts on the part of Charles D. Friend and his associates to have the seat of justice removed at last aroused to further action the people at "Ionia County Seat" and its immediate vicinity and in September, 1834, they placed before the governor another petition. of which the following is a copy :
"Ionia County, M. T., Sept. 24, 1834. "To His Excellency The Governor of the Territory of Michigan :
"We, the undersigned petitioners, having been informed that a remon- strance has been got up. circulated and presented to Governor Porter by
59
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Charles D. Friend, bearing on its face many false representations respecting the location of the county seat in and for the county of lonia, do make use of this opportunity for their refutation. The sum of the objections con- tained in the remonstrance, as we understand, were the following: That the spot designated by the commissioners for the county-buildings is sur- rounded by hills and swamps, which are almost if not quite impassable ; that the land about it is not susceptible of cultivation to any extent ; that there were but some four or five families located in its vicinity; and that the remainder of the land can never be cultivated on account of its extreme inferiority for farming purposes.
"For the truth of these assertions we would refer His Excellency the Governor to Charles D. Friend's observations in the Herkimer American.
"That there is a marsh in the vicinity of the county seat we are ready to admit, and that it can be effectually drained is equally true. . \ ditch for such purpose is nearly completed, and when done will fit it for any kind of cultivation. Considering the central position of the location and its facilities for farming and hydraulic purposes, that a saw-mill is already in operation, and that materials are collecting for the immediate erection of a grist-mill, with many other facilities, we are constrained to say that a more judicious selection could not be made.
"That His Excellency the Governor will issue his proclamation con- firming the proceedings of the commissioners, we, as your humble petition- ers, are in duty bound to ever pray.
"(Signed) Erastus Yeomans. Samuel Dexter, Charles Doty. Thomas Cor- nell. Sanford A. Yeomans, John C. Dexter, Gilbert Caswell. Alfred Cornell, Oliver Arnold, Darius Winsor, Zenas G. Winsor, N. G. Brown, Daniel A. Cornell, George Case, W. B. Lincoln, Asa Spencer, William Doty. Alfred Cornell, Jr., Lorenzo Dexter, Joseph Hadsall, William Dumper. Silas D. Arnold, John E. Morrison, Jacob W. Winsor, Charles Thayer, Hezekiah Francis, Benjamin G. Barber, Horace Case."
Soon after assuming the duties of the office of chief executive of the territory, acting-Governor Mason became involved in a warm dispute with the authorities of the state of Ohio regarding the boundary line between the two states-an episode in the history of Michigan which has since been termed the "Toledo war." He was stoutly supported in his position by the Legislative Council, who declared it a criminal offense for any person not acting under authority from the territory, or from the government of the United States, to exercise any official functions within the asserted boun-
60
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
daries of the territory. Governor Mason also issued orders to Brigadier- General Brown, giving him discretionary power to order the militia into actual service and commanding them to arrest the commissioners of Ohio "the moment they stick the first stake in the soil of Michigan." Meantime, the executive was engaged in putting into the field a force of "Wolverines" to defend the rights of the territory, and in issuing commissions to com- pany, battalion, regimental and brigade officers who were to command the same. Indeed, a perusal of the state documents proves the fact that at that period His Excellency's time was almost wholly devoted to such purposes, matters pertaining to the Ionia county seat being too insignificant to attract his attention when, impelled by his young and hot Southern blood, he had decided to have a tilt with the "Buckeyes."
However, the inhabitants of "lonia County Seat." becoming restive under the long-delayed action of the governor and the non-appearance of his proclamation confirming the commissioners' report, and thinking, per- haps, that the petitions of Charles D. Friend and his friends still had some effect, sent in another communication in February, 1835, of which the fol- lowing is a copy :
"To His Excellency, the Acting Governor of the Territory of Michigan :
"The undersigned. citizens of the county of Ionia, in said territory. beg leave to represent to Your Excellency that one or more petitions have been forwarded to you praying that measures may be taken to alter the site which was established by commissioners duly appointed for the seat of justice for the county of Ionia. We boldly state and frankly declare that a petition above alluded to, which was drawn up by Charles D. Friend, and signed by himself and some others in the east part of this county, was filled with falsehoods and wilful misrepresentations respecting the present location and the lands contiguous.
"We crave, sir, your indulgence whilst we shall refute these state- ments, and exhibit some important facts in relation to the county seat and the quality of lands in different directions from the same.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.