History of Kent County, Michigan, together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 21

Author: Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.); Chapman, Charles C., & Co. (Chicago)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : C.C. Chapman & Co.
Number of Pages: 1434

USA > Michigan > Kent County > History of Kent County, Michigan, together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 21

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For many years after, this Indian worked on commission for Mr. Robinson, and was remarkable for his fidelity and business qualities.

THE EASTERN MAN AND THE BEAR.

One of the old settlers, Deacon Haldane, a highly respected citizen, and a deacon in one of the most popular Churches, is said to have related the following " bear story," exemplifying the adage, " Where ignorance is bliss," etc .: "While on my way to this, then benighted, region in 1836, I had occasion to stop on the trail, not far from this city, in consequence of having partially lost my way. After drumming about some time, hoping that I might meet a hunter or some other human who could tell me where I was, and after giving up pretty much all hope of seeing such an animal, I perceived a dog in the distance slowly trotting toward me. Hoping that it might be the dog of some hunter who would presently appear, I waited until he came up, and received him

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with a joyful heart. But lo ! the dog rose on his haunches, and looked at me in wonder and astonishment. Such a movement aroused my curiosity, and jumping from the wagon I proceeded to club the queer dog out of the tree into which he had climbed on the first indication of my desire to become better acquainted. The clubs flew thick and fast, but the whilom dog rested secure in the topmost branches. Nothing daunted, I seized the horse's reins, and went up the tree. Getting near the top, a skillfully thrown noose encircled the dog's neck, and after much tugging and pulling both reached the ground in safety, the dog, however, choked nearly to suffocation. Elated over my success, I put the dog into the buggy, secured him well, and drove into the settlement, which was reached with some difficulty, but without further adventure. Before arriving here, the impression forcibly presented itself to me that this dog was a rather curious one, and this I found out soon, for he was no less than a yearling bear. When fed with meat at the settlement, bruin was troubled by the interference of the village dogs. Thinking, perhaps, they were too forward, the bear rose on his haunches, and gave them full play, watching them, however, with an evil eye. One of the dogs had secured a fine piece of meat, and was making off with it, when a stroke from bruin's paw laid him a 'dead dog.' Having witnessed this performance for the first time, I realized all the danger which I had escaped, and found myself the hero of a ' bear story.'"

TOM LEWIS' PRANKS.

Lewis entered on a system of practical jokes as early as 1834. During the excavation of the old mill-race that year he was pres- ent, and reported that Tom Cotney, one of the workmen on the canal, became frightened at something close by, and ran away, hauling the barrow which he used in wheeling clay from the chan- nel of the proposed mill-race. Cotney did not fail to see it was Lewis' intention to compare him with a horse or mule, and he, in turn, made such earnest promises regarding the joker that the lat- ter did not go within reach of the larged-sized run-a-way for some days ; even then he had some difficulty in convincing the honest toiler that the mischief was not intentional.

Again he returned from Ionia, with the news that the Indians were preparing to attack this settlement. He related the story so seriously the inhabitants believed it, so that while some pre- pared for defense, others became frantic. Even the members of his own family were convinced of the truth of the statement, and were engaged in devising means of escaping the onslaught of the savages, when other travelers from Ionia arrived to wonder at the fear which seized upon the villagers, and assured them of the un- truth of the report.

During this year Lewis was living in one of the Campau houses, which Uncle Louis had erected, near where the Porter block

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now stands. This he had rent free, and would undoubtedly have enjoyed that privilege for another year at least had it not been for one of such jokes. It appears that the steamer "Owashtenong" was to bring to the settlement a large-sized yellow-looking African named General Scott. Lewis was advised of his departure for the Rapids, and expected his arrival on a certain day. Without thinking of the consequences, he determined to make the colored gentleman the object of a joke, and better still have it at Campau's expense. With this view he waited on the pioneer, and told him that General Scott would arrive that evening. Uncle Louis knew only of the commander-in-chief, and agreed with Lewis that he must be well received. Before the usual time for the arrival of the boat, the hospitable old Frenchman spread the banquet table, and then went down to the river to receive the distinguished visitor. Lewis in- troduced him to the General, but before they reached the house he remarked, " Vell, I dunno how de commander can be so yellow." " Ah !" said Lewis, " that is caused by his service in Florida and throughout the South." Presently Uncle Louis had a more exten- sive conversation with the General, and learned the whole truth. Lewis vanished, and the pioneer went to drink the wine himself which he had ready for a United States army officer. A few days later, as he was looking for Lewis to horse-whip him, he got a glimpse of that gentleman, and hallooed to him; but the joker did not seem to hear. At length he observed his pursuer, when Uncle Louis, raising his voice, cried out, " Vell, you one d -- n cuss ! your rent commence dis mor-ning." The pioneer kept his prom- ise, and this last joke cost Lewis the amount of rental exactly, which was also the price he paid for learning to form an estimate of what kindness claims, and what gratitude for substantial favors should suggest.

GEO. COGGESHALL'S IDEA OF MONROE STREET CITIZENS.

While yet the " old Kent justice" ruled in Kent, he received a visit from Judge Morrison, of Monroe street. The kindliest feel- ing was evinced by the latter toward the old 'squire; but this could not at all compensate, in Coggeshall's mind, for the disabil- ities under which he labored as a citizen of "grab corners," nor conciliate the old Justice. It was not a matter for surprise to Judge Morrison when he experienced a cold reception ; on the con - trary he expected it. After introducing the object of his visit , Coggeshall looked at him sternly, then said in stentorian tones : "Jefferson Morrison, you are very plausible and have a sober face, but if you had, with your own heart, the face of A. D. Rathbone, you would have been hanged long ago." The latter saw only the point as it affected the Monroe street lawyer; but did not realize so aptly where it pointed to himself.

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SPECIAL EPITHETS.

On another occasion Coggeshall had a conversation with John W. Squiers, whom he regarded as a pernicious fellow, and was by no means inclined to yield to him on a little money question be- tween them. Mr. Coggeshall, who was bent crescent-shaped from the effects of rheumatism, cried out, "I say, sir, you are a Shylock." Mr. Squiers did not understand the first principle of Shylockism, - never in fact heard the name before; but supposing for the moment that the old Justice cast it as an opprobrious epithet, he cried out in turn, "And I say, sir, you are a gun-lock." Coggeshall saw the point and retired.

POSTAL CHANGES IN 1840.

Hart E. Waring arrived at Grand Rapids, July 1, 1840, with a purse containing $5. Money was very scarce at that time. He relates that one day, on calling at the postoffice, a double letter with 50 cents due on it-25 cents being then the single rate -- was waiting for him, on which letter he had not the means to pay postage. The postmaster indulgently permitted him to open it, when to his surprise and relief he found it contained the sum of $10, being the proceeds of a collection for home missions, taken up at the church of East Berne, N. Y. He satisfied the claim of the United States postal officer and went his way rejoicing.

PROSCRIBING THE WINDS.

Among the many stories current in connection with the honest, whole-souled " Uncle Rix," the following, by T. W. White, is not the least characteristic :

In the spring of 1838 the Grand Haven Company had about 15,000 logs in rafts run into the bayou, staked by the shore, and called safe by all. But heavy winds sent the logs adrift, and the whole marsh was covered with them. The fact was reported to Mr. Robinson, and he blamed the agent of the company somewhat for the want of attention to the proper securing of the rafts; nor could he be made to believe that the winds and current were such as to break all fastenings. At the request of the agent of the company (W. M. Ferry) he remained at Grand Haven a few days, and while there one Sabbath morning, a recurrence of wind and current came, and the logs, with acres of marsh and weeds, rushed to and fro like a maelstrom. Mr. Robinson called out the men, and, with boats, caught and towed to the shore many logs, which he fastened with ropes and stakes. The work had hardly been accomplished, and Robinson was viewing it with satisfaction, when the returning tide caught the logs and again scattered them against all efforts made by himself and men. Robinson looked mad. He

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called to " Uncle Mike " to get out his oxen, and with two yoke he had hauled upon the shore three large logs, and then told the teamster to put up the cattle. To the inquiry " What are you go- ing to do with the three logs you have secured ?" he replied : " I shall put them in Mr. Ferry's cellar, and see if I can keep them still there."

That evening, after quite a chat over the occurrences of the day, Mr. R. turned to his office desk, and in a very short time laid down his pen and wrote a proclamation laying down the duties of the winds, and dealing particularly with the wandering logs. This instrument was drawn up in regular legal form, and concluded thus :

Done in the office of the bayou, on board the Pile Driver scow, this 25th day of February, A. D. 1838, and sealed with the hammer thereof.

RIX ROBINSON, [L. S.] Commander in Chief of all the forces in said Bayou. T. W. WHITE, [L. S.]

Second in command, etc., etc., etc. JOHN BROABRIDGE, [L. S.]

Admiral and Commander on board the ship " Thump-Hard."

LOUIS CAMPAU ON THE MODERN CITY.

The pioneer saw the wilderness in its savage grandeur. He was the pioneer of the Saginaw, which district he left before the tide of immigration set in, to seek out another home in a land not then threatened by the vanguard of civilization. Himself possessing many of the finer attributes of the white man, he cared not for his fellows' society, but rather preferred to spend his days among the savages whom he knew so well, and many of whose traits won his admiration. Campau was self-willed at intervals, and often acted the part of the impracticable man. With a heart unstained by deceit, he sympathized with the struggling settler, and was always willing to render material aid to him who seemed to be honest and industrious, as well as to him who was so in fact. A great lover of impartial justice, he suffered when wrong was tolerated, though either victim of the injustice was unknown to him, and was glad when the right triumphed.

Campan saw the village in its infancy, beheld its daily growth, and often wondered when or where its rapid progress would end. He saw the city in its childhood, and could admire the giant enter- prise of the new inhabitants.

The old man was lost in the retrospect: he let the reins of mem- ory loose, and traveling back, as it were, to vanished days, saw only honor and goodness and simplicity in the olden time; broken pledges, unfaithful loves, and a thousand crimes, characterizing the modern world. With such a view of affairs, it is not to be won- dered at that he condemned the present, ostracised the men of the age of progress, and, to some extent, became a misanthrope.

Some few years prior to his death, W. L. Coffinbury met him, and after the usual salutations, asked him what were his thoughts

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when he looked upon the beautiful city of which he was the pioneer, and contrasted it with the Indian village of the past. " Ah!" said he, " the change is remarkable indeed. I remember, long ago, when my pony died here, I hung my trading pack on the limb of a tree near the trail, and returned to Detroit for another pony and new supplies. On coming back I found the pack contained nothing but chips-the Indians found it and distributed all it contained among themselves. Do you think they stole my goods? No, they did not; for every article appropriated by them, I found a chip, marked with the totem of the buyer. Before I realized what did actually take place, one of the chiefs stood before me, shook me warmly by the hands, and asked me to enter the village to claim material in lieu of the totem-bearing chips. I accompanied the noble savage, and received exactly what the chips claimed as equiv- alents. That was the way my early friends used to steal. A few white men came, and there was a little trouble. A few more white men arrived, and there was more trouble; and then a lot came with all their troubles, so that the Indians soon became as bad as they were, and so the times grew worse, until the pioneers of the Rapids, with their Indian friends, were relieved of their temporal posses- sions." The retrospect to him was not a pleasant one. He failed to distinguish between knavery and enterprise, and, failing, classed both in the same category. In happier moods he was accustomed to halt, as if astonished, survey the busy town, as it were, and re- turn to speculate on what the future of the city is to be. Uncle Louis passed to his reward; his faults were the excesses of his virtues; like the unadulterated savage, he observed a peculiar code of honor, and all non-observers were not his friends.

THE DEATH OF PELEG BARLOW.

The first death recorded in the township of Plainfield was that of Peleg Barlow, in 1838. The circumstances attending the sad affair were singularly strange. It appears that Barlow, his wife and one child moved into this part of Kent from Washtenaw county in 1838, and dwelt with the family of Jonathan Misner, until a house, which he proposed building, was finished. During the summer, it is thought about the middle of June, John Misner, a son of the owner of the house, was playing with a loaded pistol, when it was accidentally discharged. The ball struck the rock forming the back of the fire-place, then caromed, and striking Barlow on the cap of the knee, inflicted what was supposed to be a slight flesh wound. During the night, however, a severe pain was felt, and the limb became very much swollen. Dr. Willson was called to aid the sufferer, but found the case so peculiar that he called Dr. Shepard to his aid. The doctors probed for the bullet but failed to find it. On the third day they concluded that the wounded man. must subject himself to amputation, or otherwise lose his life. He chose the latter alternative, rather than have the limb cut off, and

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within two days paid the penalty of his decision. His death oc- curred five days after being wounded. The doctors received per- mission to search for the mysterious bullet, dissected the limb, but found nothing to convince them that the ball entered the body. The conclusion formed was that the bullet, on striking the knee bone, caromed, leaving little trace of its progress beyond the slight flesh wound and crushed knee-pan. The death of this old settler cast a gloom over the county, but nowhere were the evidences of grief so evident as in the home of the Misners. There were the widow and the orphan of him who came hither to build up for them a happy home, and there, too, the father, mother and brothers of the youth, whose carelessness wrought all this misery.

THE IMMIGRANTS.

In 1830 the white settlements had approached the Kalamazoo river, and in 1831-'2 the settlers on Gull Prairie were reported in a prosperous condition. Upon the double Indian trail that ran from the southern part of the State through Kalamazoo and Barry counties, many of the first settlers of Grand Rapids traveled en route thither. In 1831 the first team arrived from Gull Prairie at Grand river, with the Lincoln family, who settled near the "city of the rapids."

In 1833 the first American settlers of the now city of Grand Rapids arrived. The party comprised 70 persons, when they struck into the wilderness, by way of Pontiac, from Detroit. From Pontiac they cut their own road and camped out 17 nights. A portion of them stayed near the site of the present town of Owosso while others stayed at Ionia, three families only pushing onward to Grand Rapids that season. From Ionia they came down the river in batteaux. A young child of one of the pioneers died in the wilderness, a sad event which cast a gloom over the travelers. In the party were the Dexters, Dr. Lincoln of Ionia, Joel Guild and family and Darius Winsor and family. Mr. Guild bought a lot from Louis Campan and erected the first frame dwelling-house, for some time known as the tavern.

Referring to the Dexter colony, of whom Darius Winsor and Joel Guild were members, an old settler states that the spring of 1833 foreshadowed what was soon to awaken into life the vast forest between Shiawassee and the Grand River Valley, then un- known except to Indian traders, and a band of bogus-money mak- ers just established at the present site of Lyons, among whom were men by the name of Prentiss, King, Belcher and several oth- ers, the heavy bed pieces and screws having been floated down the Grand river from Jackson. These implements were afterward found in the cedar swamp at that place, back of the house they occupied. Nothing but an Indian trail, in many places difficult to follow, existed between the Shiawassee and Grand rivers, and an old Indian settlement of a few families only, at De Witt, Clinton Co.

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HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY.

In the early part of May, Judge Dexter, with a colony com- prising 73 persons, some eight or ten families, arrived in wagons, with horses, oxen and cows, at the Keth-e-wan-don-gon-ing reser- vation, en route for the present site of Ionia, on the Grand river, below the Genereau ford and trading post. Having in vain tried to get Beaubien to pilot them, Mr. Dexter, Yeomans and Windsor came for help. " I left our planting, taking my blankets and small tent, and in six days landed them at Ionia, looking out the route and directing where the road was to be. This was the first real colonizing party we had ever seen-myself never having been farther than De Witt (the Indian village). I than procured Mack- · e-ta-pe-na-ce (Blackbird), a son of the usurping chief of all the Saginaws, Kish-kaw-ko, to pilot me past Muskrat lake and creek, and from that place proceeded with the party. At that point a son of Mr. and Mrs. Dexter, a child about two years old, died of scar- let fever. This was a brother of Senator Dexter, now in the Legis- lature. We buried the child by torch and candle light, in a box improvised by the party. Never shall I forget that scene. The whole family, and most, if not all, others, in tears; the gray-haired sire, after inviting the heads of other families to lead the exercises of the mournful occasion, with tears streaming down his cheeks, . read a burial service amid the sobs that nearly drowned his voice, in that deep, dark, gloomy forest-the gloomiest spot of the whole route. But there was no other recourse. The poor heart-stricken mother yielded up her youngest born, to be borne by sympathizing friends to the shallow grave prepared by torch-light, to receive the tender frame she had so often and so lately pressed to her breast. But stern necessity knows no law. I have assisted at many a burial, both at sea and on land-none ever seemed so solemn, so awful; none ever made so deep an impression on my mind, and I doubt if it is not the same with other witnesses of the scene. It rises as vividly before me to-day as immediately after its occurrence. I hope I may be pardoned the digression. The road we opened was next year followed by others, and was sub- stantially the present Grand river road, through Shiawassee and Clinton counties, and was traveled for many years after."

REMINISCENCES OF THE OVIDIANS.

Jonathan Thomas, Frederick Thomson, Israel Graves and Will- iam Wooley, of Ovid, N. Y., settlers of Bowne in 1836, in coming to Michigan traveled as far west as Toledo by water, and thence overland to Kent county by ox-team, the journey from Toledo oc- cupying 14 days. Immediately after arrival those settlers built a log shanty, 14 feet square; one door afforded entrance and exit; one window light, and a shake roof-a very questionable shelter from hail, rain or snow. Near this pioneer building, Thomas erected three log houses. After accomplishing all this the builder was attacked by sickness, which continued until his return to Ovid,

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in the winter of 1836. Toward the close of that year his son-in- law, John Harris, arrived, who acquiesced in his return. Placing the sick man in a sleigh, well equipped with a bed and blanket, he attached the oxen, placed a stout whip at the disposal of the traveler, and wished him bon voyage. This intrepid visitor made the journey to his native State overland.

INDIAN TRAMPS.

Mrs. Wooley received a visit from the aborigines in the fall of 1836. A band of savages appeared before the door of her wilder- ness home, and, entering, ordered her to prepare them dinner. She called Mrs. Thomson, a neighbor, to her aid, and the woman, nothing daunted, began to remonstrate with the red men; but the old chief came there determined to have a meal, and he so con- vinced Madam Thomson of this fact, that she rushed off to obey his command. The meal was ready, and the noble (?) fellow en- joyed it alone, leaving his followers to jay-hawk at the house of Mrs. Wooley. After doing full justice to a substantial dinner, the chief seemed delighted, told Mrs. Thomson that she was a minis- sino, or heroic squaw, and,further, that she might not fear harm until 60 moons passed by, when every Jaganash (Englishman) and every bad Kitchimokoman (American) in the valley would be slain.

WHISKY IN THE ROCKING-CHAIR.

After this introduction, an inebriate Indian named Neegake made her a visit. Without any ceremony he took a seat in a large rustic rocking-chair, and rocked and rocked until he rolled chair and himself into the huge fire on the hearth. Mrs. Thomson rushed to his rescue, pulled him out of the fire, and was re- warded for her pains by a determined effort on the part of the noble (?) savage to slay her. Fortunately, the ax stood close by, and with that terrible skull-crusher uplifted, she chased the scoun- drel from her home.

THAT GOIN' TO MILL.

On another occasion Thomson brought some grist to the Kala. mazoo mill; while waiting there his oxen did what oxen generally do-strayed away. This, with other delays, caused an absence of eight days. Suspense and anxiety urged his wife to go forth on the Kalamazoo trail. About half way to Leonard's location, seven miles distant, she met a white man of whom she made inquiries regarding her husband. He knew nothing regarding him, and, further, advised her to return, and said that he would come. The woman answered that she would walk onward until she met her husband. The traveler, who was a voluntary celibate, remarked,

Exalarm

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that if he could meet a woman so true he would marry her. Mrs. Thomson found her husband.

M'NAUGHTON'S STAGE.

Edward Campau, in relating incidents of early life, mentioned among other stories, that of his journey from Grand Rapids to to Detroit on the McNaughton stage. He says:

In 1839, when a boy of 13 summers, I made my first trip from the Rapids to Detroit, accompanied by three or four other villagers. We stayed at Kent's over night, or rather in a shed near the house, as the tavern could not afford sleeping rooms to all the passengers. At that time this was the only house between Ada and Leonard's, a distance of 17 miles. After the death of Mr. Kent, the widow married Peter McNaughton, and henceforth the tavern was known as McNaughton's. In 1841 he commenced to drive stage over this route. At this time the road wound through the woods; every trav- eler knows what a drive through the wilderness is. At one time- a very dark, stormy night-the axletree broke, six miles south of Ada, when five or six unfortunate passengers had to wade through mind and snow to that place. At another time Mrs. Thomas B. Church, John Ball, Fred Church, then an infant, Mr. and Mrs. Colton and a few others had the misfortune to venture over the route. The stage overturned, causing the immersion of the trav- elers in the sea of mud which surrounded them. It was dark when this accident occurred, so that some time elapsed before the infant excursionist was found, at a moment, too, when drowning was inevitable. Wm. A. Richmond and Harvey P. Yale were the only passengers on another occasion. The latter was indulging in sound sleep, when the wheels rocked in the cradle of the deep mud, and Mr. Yale was cast into it. To travel in that stage and feel comparatively secure required the full powers of hearing and observation to be exercised. The few instances given go to prove that the McNaughton stage was an unenviable, if not dangerous, vehicle in which to sleep or dream.

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History of Kent County, Michigan, together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 21

Author: Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.); Chapman, Charles C., & Co. (Chicago) Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : C.C. Chapman & Co. Number of Pages: 1434

Author: Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.); Chapman, Charles C., & Co. (Chicago)
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : C.C. Chapman & Co.
Number of Pages: 1434