History of Kalamazoo county, Michigan, Part 136

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott
Number of Pages: 761

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This mill is still in active operation, though having un- dergone many changes and improvements since its first erection. It is now owned by Simpson Howland, and for- merly manufactured flour for shipment, having an extended custom and a capacity equal to the demand. The market for its products is now found in the immediate vicinity. The saw-mill, which during the early days of its history sawed much of the timber with which the early frame houses of the township were constructed, continued to run until the spring of 1879, when it was burned, and has not been rebuilt.

Mr. Howland has a vivid recollection of his pioneer days. The material wherewith to build his house was brought from Yorkville, then the only settlement in the township, while he was obliged to make a pilgrimage to Otsego for shingles to construct such a roof as he desired. The tavern of James Harris afforded them shelter for the time occupied in the construction of the house. En route from the East, they stopped at Detroit to make purchases, among which was a yoke of oxen, the wagon they used having already arrived with other shipments from the East. The journey from Detroit to their home was slow and wearisome, fifteen days having passed ere their arrival. They were considerably burdened with a bountiful store of goods, which had been purchased for future use, and later experience proved the wisdom of this proceeding. Among other articles was half a ton of nails, which were very soon in demand.

The nearest neighbor thus early was Moses Mcclellan, who resided two and a half miles distant. Indians were at this time numerous, and paid frequent visits to Mr. How- land's home. They were friendly, and very willing to recip- rocate a favor. Deer were abundant, but wolves were not often seen, though their presence was indicated by their nightly howlings.

The principal market at this time was Allegan, though wagons laden with supplies ran constantly to and from De- troit, and funds only were necessary to be provided with the requirements, and even the luxuries, of life.

A squatter named Martin had settled upon land owned by Mr. Howland. Having improved a small piece of land and built a log house, he had a pre-emption claim, which Mr. Howland purchased. His mother died in 1837, and was buried on land now owned by William Eldred, the neighbors riding a distance of several miles to be present at the funeral service. This was a very early, though not the earliest, death.

A school-house was erected in the Howland neighbor- hood in 1840, and the first teacher who curbed the youth- ful spirits was Miss Maria Howland, a niece of E. K. How- land.

SCHOOLCRAFT.

NATURAL FEATURES.

Geography .- The township of Schoolcraft lies on the southern border of Kalamazoo County, and includes town- ship No. 4 south, in range 11 west, according to the gov- ernment survey of Michigan. It is bounded on the west, north, and east respectively by the townships of Prairie Ronde, Portage, and Brady, and south by St. Joseph County.

Topography, Soils, etc .- Nearly half of the beautiful and fertile Prairie Ronde, the delight of the pioneers and of the residents upon and around it to the present day, lies in this town. The name is said to have been given by the French as a translation of the lengthy Indian term Wa-we-

os-co-tang-m'sco-tah, meaning, probably, "the round fire- plain." That it should have been called round is a matter of some surprise, as a careful examination of its outline as traced on the map will at once prove that its shape is far from being circular. Near its centre, and on the line between Schoolcraft and Prairie Ronde townships, is what was once a fine grove of timber, containing about 300 acres, and known as the " Big Island," from the fact that it was the largest body of trees within the bounds of the prairie. It is now much reduced in size. It contained a variety of forest trees, among them maple, basswood, ash, etc., but no beech, even though in the main body of timber surrounding the prairie the latter was, and is

MRS. A.B. JUDSON.

A.B.JUDSON.

RESIDENCE AND FARM OF A. B. JUDSON, SCHOOLCRAFT, KALAMAZOO CO., MICH.

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TOWNSHIP OF SCHOOLCRAFT.

still, plentiful. Near the centre of the " Big Island" is a marshy pond, originally containing considerable water, but now differing but little from the "sloughs" of the great prairies of the West. Gourd-Neck Prairie, to the eastward of Prairie Ronde, is wholly within the limits of the town- ship of Schoolcraft, and separated from its larger neighbor by a narrow strip of timbered land. The soil of both these prairies is extremely fertile, and the difference between it and that of the openings or timbered lands is instantly dis- tinguished at their junction. The remaining portion of the township contains a greater quantity of sandy land, although as a whole Schoolcraft can safely boast of a supe- rior soil and fine agricultural advantages. The surface of the township is generally level. The prairies appear to have a greater fullness at their centres, but their undula- tions are very slight.

Lakes and Water Courses .- Nearly at the centre of the northern border of the township, and partly in Portage, is situated Gourd-Neck Lake, so named from its peculiar shape. Its outlet is a branch of Portage Creek, and before leaving the township receives the surplus waters of Howard, Raw- son, and Kimble Lakes, in the southeast part of the town, and furnishes good power at the village of Vicksburg. The vicinity of the three lakes named was at one time an exten- sive marsh, but efficient drainage has rendered it of much value in recent years. A few smaller ponds are also found, and one or two diminutive streams flow southward out of the county, aside from the one fed by the lakes named.

LAND-ENTRIES.

The following is a list of the land-entries in township 4 south, range 11 west, now comprising Schoolcraft, showing for each section the names of purchasers and the years and order in which they entered :

Sections 1 and 2 .- 1842, Aaron Cole (2), William McElvaine (2), Jesse King (1), George E. Lloyd (2); 1844, Harlow P. Thompson (1); 1846, David Cole (2); 1849, Russell B. Johnson (1).

Section 3 .- 1830, Jeremiah McElvaine; 1831, John McComsey ; 1834, Peabody Cook, Aaron Burson, Samuel Morris; 1836, Robert Morris ; 1837, John McComsey ; 1847, James Pratt.

Section 4 .- 1833, John Brown; 1836, Aaron K. Burson, Robert Morris; 1837, James Pratt, John Brown, Summer Hemenway; 1847, John Brown.

Section 5 .- 1830, Joseph Burson, John Brown; 1831, Peter Kniss; 1832, Amos Benson Cobb; 1836, Aaron Burson ; 1837, Aaron Burson, Stephen Vickery, Aaron K. Burson; 1852, William P. Arınstrong.

Section 6 .- 1830, Abner Burson, David Burson; 1831, Richard Holmes; 1832, Amos Benson Cobb; 1835, Asa Brown; 1836, Abner Burson; 1837, Abner Burson, Erastus Kellogg, James Smith, Jr.

Section 7 .- 1830, Richard Holmes, Nathan Cobb, Joseph Burson, Abner Burson, David Burson ; 1831, Henry and Patrick Stevens. Section 8 .- 1830, Nathan Cobb, James Armstrong, John Brown, Aaron Burson, Jr .; 1831, Ezekiel Metcalf.

Section 9 .- 1830, James Armstrong, Richard Holmes, Johnson Pat- rick ; 1831, Benjamin Taylor; 1833, Isaac Briggs, John Bair, Stephen Curtis, Jr., Joseph Bair, William Taylor; 1835, Henry Stevens; 1836, Asa Briggs.

Section 10 .- 1830, John McComsey, Jeremiah McElvaine, John Bair; 1831, Abner Calhoun, William Duncan, Stephen Curtis, Jr .; 1832, Delamore Duncan.

Section 11 .- 1839, Rebecca Noyes; 1840, Joshua B. Dunkin and George E. Lloyd; 1842, Green McElvaine, Isaac Briggs, Asa C. Briggs, John S. Tracy ..

Section 12 .- 1839, Levi Burton ; 1842, John Lilley, James Burson ; 1846, Francis Harris; 1848, Elias Cooley and Elizabeth Stuart.

Section 13 .- 1839, John Vickers, Jeremiah Clayton; 1843, Asa and Randolph Nutting; 1844, Joseph Frakes; 1847, George T. Clark. Section 14 .- 1839, William Robinson; 1840, Robert Frakes, Joseph Frakes; latter also in 1843.

Section 15 .- 1830, Elias Rawson, Peter Wigant; 1831, Abner Calhoun, James Noyes, Jr., Oliver Johnson, Benjamin Taylor, Horace Allen.

Section 16 .- School section.

Section 17 .- 1830, James Knight, James Armstrong; 1831, Lucius Lyon, James Knight, Sylvester Sibley.

Section 18 .- 1830, Nathan Harrison; 1831, John Bair, Bazel Har- rison, Christiana Grant; 1832, J. A. Smith and H. B. Huston, Lucius Lyon, L. I. Daniels.

Section 19 .- 1830, Nathan Harrison ; 1831, Christopher Bair ; 1832, Lucius Lyon, George Shaw, Samuel Camp, A. E. Bull.

Section 20 .- 1830, Jacob Hendricks, Johnson Patrick; 1831, Lucius Lyon, Benjamin Taylor.

Section 21 .- Entire, Elias Rawson, Oct. 5, 1830.

Section 22 .- 1830, William Hunt; 1831, Benjamin Taylor, David Hunt, Joseph Frakes, Phineas Hunt; 1833, Robert Frakes, Lewis and Phineas Hunt; 1835, John Lovett; 1836, Elias Rawson.

Section 23 .- 1840, William H. George, Lorenzo Dow Frakes, State of Michigan.

Section 24 .- State of Michigan ; 1845, William Birch.

Section 25 .- State of Michigan.

Section 26 .- State of Michigan ; 1845, T. P. Sheldon ; 1854, Nehemiah Staley.

Section 27 .- 1831, David Hunt, Edwin H. Lothrop; 1832, Phineas Hunt, Sr. ; 1834, Elias Rawson; 1836, Turner Rawson.

Section 28 .- University.

Section 29 .- 1830, Selleck Longwell, James Valentine, Edwin H. Lo- throp, James Townsend ; 1831, Job Wilson, Elisha Doan.

Section 30 .- University.

Section 31 .- 1830, Russell Peek, Harry Smith, Henry Garver, John G. Josslin.

Section 32 .- 1830, Selleck Longwell, Alonzo Van Duzer, Maj. Gris- wold Van Duzer, Edwin H. Lothrop; 1831, Luther Bristol, Sel- leck Longwell; 1833, S. Longwell; 1834, Elisha Doan.

Section 33 .- 1831, Luther Bristol, Shadrach Wheeler, Ira Moss ; 1834, Franklin Howard; 1835, Elisha Doan; 1836, Godfrey Knight and Hugh Finley ; 1837, Turner Rawson.

Section 34 .- 1833, Franklin Howard; 1836, William Taylor; 1837, Turner Rawson, Lucien Rowe, John Hampton, and Matthew Wilson ; 1854, Cornelius Hill, George R. Stires.

Section 35 .- State of Michigan.

Section 36 .- State; 1842, Noah Smalley, Richard W. Brown; 1844, John Frazer; 1847, J. H. Singleton.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

First Settlers-Incidents and Reminiscences of Pioneer Life .- Long ere a race of pioneers planted its footsteps on Prairie Ronde the tread of the white man pressed its cov- ering, and his eye glanced fearfully behind him to catch a warning glimpse of a tireless enemy before he should spring upon him unawares. Two hundred years ago, when the flowers were upspringing in the vernal season of 1680, the dauntless La Salle, whose boldness in pushing into the wil- derness and discovering lands known before only in imagi- nation won for him lasting fame, undoubtedly passed across the beautiful prairie on his way from the mouth of the St. Joseph River to Lake Erie. Earlier than this it is not probable that a white man rested his gaze upon the pleasing expanse of the prairie.

The pioneers of Kalamazoo County located on Prairie Ronde, and a little later others made their way across it and into other localities, while different portions of the county were settled by people coming from various direc- tions. Schoolcraft township was surveyed by Robert Clark, Jr., in 1826, yet the lands were not in market until several

504

HISTORY OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

years later. Settlers could, however, acquire pre-emption rights to their land, each being allowed 160 acres. After the township lines had been run, it was not until two or three years later that they were subdivided into sections,* and in a few instances it happened that two parties were afterwards found to be located on the same quarter-section. In such cases it was common for them to divide, and each received a certificate which entitled him to the balance of a quarter section in some other locality, and these latter were called " floating claims." In due time the lands were all surveyed and in market, and by paying the govern- ment price of one dollar and a quarter per acre settlers ac- quired perfect titles direct from first hands. Up to 1831 it was necessary to journey to Monroe to make entry of their claims, but in the year named a land-office was lo- cated at White Pigeon, where it remained until' 1834, when it was removed to Bronson, now Kalamazoo.

The system of " blazing" section lines through the tim- ber was of great use to the settler, as by it he could, in a short time, ascertain his position if he had become lost in the forest. By following the line of blazed trees until he came to a cross line meeting it at a section corner, he could very soon set himself to rights, and even the pioneers from States where the sectional survey was unknown soon became acquainted with and admired its simplicity, as compared with the complex methods in the older portions of the Union.

As will be seen by reference to the list of land-entries just given, a large share of the lands in the township re- mained in the hands of the government until a compara- tively late day. Yet the most desirable property was soon taken by actual settlers, and the great system of improve- ment set in motion by them. The tall grass of the prairie gave place to fields of grain, and in the wooded border nestled the log dwellings of the pioneers.

Settlers on Prairie Ronde .- As to who was the first actual settler in what is now the township of Schoolcraft there is some uncertainty, but a faithful endeavor has brought to light none earlier than James Armstrong, who located on section 8 some time in the year 1829. Mr. Arm- strong was from the State of Ohio, and is recollected to have said that when he came to what is now Schoolcraft township not another person had settled within its borders. Mr. Armstrong is now deceased ; his property has passed into other hands, and every member of his family has removed from the township.

In the northwestern part of the township, at the edge of the prairie, is a locality which for many years has been known as " Virginia Corners," from the fact that the first settlers in the vicinity were originally from Virginia. Among those forming the colony were the following per- sons :

Aaron Burson, with his four sons,-Abner, Joseph, David, and James,-settled at Virginia Corners on the first day of October, 1830, each entering land for himself. Of these all are deceased except one son, Abner Burson, who is still living on his old farm, two miles north of Schoolcraft

village. Aaron Burson was an elderly man when he ar- rived, and is well remembered by the older residents of the township and county. He was familiarly known as " Old Uncle Aaron Burson." Before coming to Michigan the family had lived two years in Columbiana Co, Ohio, to which they had removed from Loudon Co., Va. While there they learned of the advantages possessed by Michigan Territory, and, to test the accuracy of the statements made concerning it, Mr. Burson's eldest son, Joseph, in company with his cousins, Dr. David E. Brown and John B. Dur- kin, made a trip to this region, examined the country, and on their return to Ohio reported so favorably that the fami- lies all packed up and started directly for Prairie Ronde, reaching it on the day stated after a trip occupying three weeks, fording streams and wading swamps, and proced- ing amid all the difficulties of an overland journey at that day. Dr. Brown and Mr. Durkin are now both deceased. The latter, not liking the region as well as the others, did not move hefe, but subsequently located in Iowa. Dr. Brown lived at first near the Bursons, but afterwards moved to a location closer to Schoolcraft village. Abner Burson, the only surviving member of the family as it came here, is now (1879) in the seventy-seventh year of his age.

John Brown and Aaron K. Burson (the latter a nephew of Aaron Burson) came at the same time with the others and located east of them, and James Townsend and Jacob Hendricks settled on the prairie southeast of the village. Aaron K. Burson was then unmarried, but in 1832 he re- turned to Ohio and entered the state matrimonial, bringing his wife to Michigan with him. He built a small log house on the place he now occupies. He was born in Ohio, but his parents were Virginians. Abner Burson, whose first dwelling-a simple log shanty-stood in the edge of the timber, mentions the fact that for a time he " lived on tur- nips and beef," and adds that the latter was "tough at that." And it is well known among those who were pio- neers in this land of beauty " fifty years ago" that their bill of fare was not as varied and tempting as that of some grand salon in the fashionable quarter of Paris, nor yet equal even to the more humble menu presented at the average Western hotel of to-day ; yet a keen appetite was not wanting, and good health and the fatigues of a backwoods life lent a relish to the coarse food of the time such as is rarely en- joyed by the epicure of later days.

John Brown, who came with the Bursons and others, left his family behind until he could prepare comfortable quarters for them; they followed him to their Western home in December of the same year (1830). The old John Brown homestead is owned by A. Dawson, a portion of his land belonging to his son, Stephen F. Brown, who at this time is president of the Kalamazoo County Pioneer Society. The latter occupies property purchased from his uncle, Dr. David E. Brown, the well-remembered physician, who practiced here so many years. Stephen F. Brown was but eleven years old when he came here, but the im- pression made upon him as a child has never been effaced.

A young son of John Brown, named Isaac, died in August, 1831. Dr. David E. Brown had lost a daughter in the winter of 1830-31, and hers was the second death in the vicinity, the first having been that of the wife of Richard

* See statement made elsewhere by Judge Wells before Pioneer meeting in 1873.

STEPHEN VICKERY.

The name which stands at the head of this brief biographical notice is that of one who was among the earliest settlers in Kalamazoo County, and who was an honored citizen for many years.

Of the early history of Stephen Vickery little is known. He was born in the State of New York, and left home when sixteen years of age to seek a fortune for himself. He went to Ohio, where he taught school several terms, and thence went to Mon- roe, Michigan, where he followed the same calling. Leaving Monroe, he came to Prairie Ronde in the spring of 1831, and, in the following winter, taught school on the west side of the prairie. At this time Mr. Vickery was in possession of eight hundred dollars in money, which he had saved from his earnings ; was in the prime of life, and well edu- cated ; and was a valuable citizen in the organization of the county. He was the first clerk of the county. He also surveyed and laid out the village of School- craft. After the State was organized he represented

his district in the Legislature for many years. Polit- ically he was a Whig, and received the party nomination for Governor. He polled the full vote of the party, which was, however, in a minority. He was a man of positive character and strong convictions, and one who avoided ostentation.

In 1831, Mr. Vickery, at the land sale for Gourd- Neck Prairie, purchased the land where he after- wards settled. He was twice married. His first wife was Miss French, who died one year after her marriage. He again married, April 26, 1838, Miss Zila Stanley. Her father, Elisha Stanley, was from Chenango Co., N. Y. He served in the war of the Revolution, and drew a pension. He settled at White Pigeon in 1830. By his second wife Mr. Vickery had five children, two of whom are now living. The son, Wallace, is a farmer, and has a portion of the old homestead. The daughter is Mrs. Willard Barnhart, of Grand Rapids. Mr. Vickery died Dec. 12, 1857, aged sixty-two years.

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TOWNSHIP OF SCHOOLCRAFT.

Holmes, which occurred Dec. 30, 1830. Hers may pos- sibly have been the first death in the township also. To compensate in part for her loss, however, a son was the same day born, and he was the first white child born in the township of Schoolcraft. He-Richard Holmes, Jr .- is now the editor of the Dowagiac (Michigan) Republican. His father, who came here from the State of Ohio, and lived in the northwest corner of the township, had settled in 1830, and at one time was the largest landholder in the vicinity. He died about 1843.

Dr. David E. Brown, one of the Virginia Corners pio- neers, enjoyed a very extensive medical practice for many years, his ride covering considerable territory in both St. Joseph and Van Buren Counties, aside from that over which his jurisdiction extended in Kalamazoo County. The doctor died at Boone, Iowa, at the residence of his daughter, May 13, 1871, aged seventy-seven years. His remains were brought to Schoolcraft and deposited in the village cemetery.

Hon. Edwin H. Lothrop was one of the first settlers on the south side of Prairie Ronde. He came to Schoolcraft township in June, 1830, and purchased a large farm. He became one of the most prominent men in the township and county, and was well known throughout the State. He was the brother of Hon. G. V. N. Lothrop, of Detroit, and was one of the first legislators from the county, and also one of the first Speakers of the State House of Rep- resentatives. He was greatly esteemed by his acquaintances, and in his judicial capacity was an earnest peacemaker. About 1864 he removed to Three Rivers, St. Joseph Co., where his death occurred on the 17th of February, 1874. The death of this great-hearted pioneer was sincerely mourned over a large territory, and the press in various parts of the State eulogized the dead statesman in profound and hearty language.

Parley Beebe, a native of Vermont, and for some time a resident of Cazenovia, Madison Co., N. Y., came to the township of Schoolcraft in 1837, with his family of ten children,-eight sons and two daughters,-and settled on section 32, on the place now owned by his son, Alanson Beebe. Mr. Beebe died in 1844.

Nathan Cobb, a native of Tolland Co., Conn., and later a resident of Litchfield* and Hartford Counties, in the same State, was one of the earliest settlers on the north side of Prairie Ronde, in Schoolcraft township. His business in Connecticut was that of a woolen manufacturer, and in 1828 his factory was destroyed by fire. In August, 1830, he started with his family for Michigan, making the trip via the Hudson River, the great Erie Canal, and Lake Erie to Detroit (the time from Buffalo to Detroit being three days); thence by hired team to Ypsilanti. Leaving his family at the latter place, he pushed on afoot and alone over the old Territorial road to Kalamazoo County, and selected a piece of land-the same that is now owned by his son, Jerome T. Cobb-on sections 7 and 8. He bought also of Joel Clark, then living at the northern edge of the prairie, two yokes of cattle ; drove to Monroe, via White Pigeon, and entered his land, and returned to Ypsilanti, where he

had placed his family in a house which he had rented until he could make arrangements for settling. Starting with his family along the famous " Territorial road," he arrived at Kalamazoo after a journey of two weeks, stopping on the way on the site of Marshall, where two men had just cut a " bee- tree," with whom he traded bread for honey and pushed on. After leaving Jackson they did not see a human habitation for sixty miles. Their first night in Kalamazoo County was spent in a log house at what is now Kalamazoo, occupied by William Harris. In crossing the river at that place in the evening the wagon became fast in the mud, and was not ex- tricated until the next morning. Harris' house was neither floored nor chinked, and he was at the time away after provi- sions. After the wagon stopped, Mr. Cobb's oldest daughter, eighteen years of age, led the way to Harris' house, on an In- dian trail. They proceeded on their way at ten A.M. of the day following, and ate dinner with Enoch Harris, on Genesee Prairie. At dusk they reached the north end of Prairie Ronde, and put up with Ambrose Fitzgerald. That gentle- man, it is related, was very tall, and William Bair asserts that he (Fitzgerald) was so tall he could always find a clean place on the old-fashioned roller-towel. The next day Mr. Cobb and his family reached Titus Bronson's place, two miles west of what is now Schoolcraft village, in the edge of the timber in Prairie Ronde township. Jerome T. Cobb, who at the time was only eight years old, remembers that while at Bronson's the latter and his boys tried to make him believe that a loaf of bread baked in an old-fashioned, three-legged kettle was larger than the opening in that article so necessary in the pioneer household, and none but an extraordinary person could get it out. Bronson claimed the wonderful power for himself, and undoubtedly created a considerable impression on the mind of the boy. The old bake-kettle was verily an institution, and, doubtless, none of the early settlers were ever troubled in getting the steaming loaf out of it, however large. Mr. Bronson's wife was known far and near as " Aunt Sally."

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History of Kalamazoo county, Michigan, Part 136

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott Number of Pages: 761

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott
Number of Pages: 761