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 23

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 23

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The unusual warm weather in March, 1838, had the effect to melt the great amount of snow lying on the ground, and to break up and liberate the vast accumulation of thick ice on the river, which in its downward passage was obstructed by the firm ice be- low the island causing the river to rise many feet above its usual level, submerging Canal street and its vicinity several feet under water. Campau's old log house (on the bank) was in the midst of that fearful torrent, and its inmates were rescued from their perils by means of boats. The steamboat " Gov. Mason" was forced from its moorings, and driven inland about 20 rods. After the water subsided the boat was returned to the river after several days of hard labor, by a strong force of men with cables and capstans, under the direction of Captains Stoddard, Short and Jennings. In consequence of the fatigue and exposure to which Captain Short was subjected, he became sick with a fever and died within one week. The marriage of Charles I. Walker (then editor of the newspaper) and Mary, sister of Myron Hinsdill, took place at the National Hotel that spring

In the spring, the sheriff with his family were occupying the south part of the court-house, which was begun the year before and finished, excepting the tower and prison cells in the north end, which work was done that spring.

Bishop McCoskry made his first pastoral visit to that place, and conducted service in the court-house in the forenoon, and at the residence of Mr. Coggeshall in the afternoon. The Grand River bank was then in operation, of which William A. Richmond was cashier. The securities required by law were delivered to Hiram Hinsdill, then County Treasurer for the People's bank. The mov- er's of that enterprise claimed that they had been deprived of the privilege of participating in the benefits arising from that other bank organization, but the bank never went into operation. The annual payment was made there to the Indians that spring, when several thousand dollars quickly passed through the hands of

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the Indians into those of the merchants and other good men to whom they were indebted.

Louis Campau enclosed a square ten-acre lot with a high, tight board fence, its northern boundary being by Fulton street, and the western boundary being about where Jefferson avenue now is, the land remaining in its natural state, with all its primeval forest trees still standing. At about the same time James Watson built a small two-story house on the corner of Fulton and Division streets, now occupied by Lovell Moore. Then, that house was considered far out of town, that and the Campau lot being the only improvements east of Division and south of Fulton streets.

The Legislature had made large appropriations of that expected $5,000,000, for internal improvements, among which were $60,000 for improving the navigation of Grand river, a good share of which was to be expended at or near the Rapids. Accordingly, in the spring the work was begun and carried forward, under the super- vision of Hon. Rix Robinson, one of the Commissioners of Inter- nal Improvements. The work consisted in removing some smooth, round stones and sand from the bed of the river at the foot of the rapids.

At that time Judge Ransom occupied the judicial bench of that county, Darius Winsor was Postmaster, Messrs. Moore, Abel and one or two others expounded the laws, Jacob Barns administered justice, Dr. Shepard dispensed pills, and was also expert with the compass and chain. One school was maintained in the brown school-house, north of Monroe street. There was then a tolerably good supply of stores and artisans for a place of 900 or 1,000 in- habitants.

There were then two Church organizations. The Presbyterians gen- erally held their meetings in the court-house, but sometimes in the dining-room of the National. At that time a few persons were quite anxious for the formation of a Dutch Reformed Church, which finally culminated in the erection of a church edifice on Bridge street, which required many years to finish, and but a few minutes to destroy by fire a few years ago.

The fine, commodious Catholic church, built entirely by Louis Campau at the corner of Monroe and Division streets, was then completed, and in use by the members of St. Andrew's parish. That Church organization had its inception when Rev. Father Baraga arrived there in 1833, and began his work as a missionary. A small building for Church or religious service was built (the work being done by Isaac Turner) on the bank of the river, near the fur traders' warehouses. When that little building had been thus used a short time it was disposed of and converted to other uses, but before that change had taken place, several block houses for Indian families and one for divine worship had been built on the opposite side of the river, and the Catholics used that little sanctuary (having no other) until the completion of the Cam- pau church, which was the only one in town. Father Baraga, that good missionary and founder of St. Andrew's parish, was a

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native of Austria, a gentleman of fine appearance, pleasing ad- dress, having a high, well-rounded forehead, and an inviting expres- sion of countenance. Leaving that place after a short sojourn, he subsequently became a bishop, and died many years ago.

When the time came that the Indians were inclined to dispose of their large tract of land to the Government, they strongly and persistently insisted upon reserving from such sale a few hundreds of acres of land adjoining the Rapids, which included the site of their old village, then occupied by the buildings and other fixtures belonging to the two missionary societies. But finding the Gov- ernment firm in its refusal to treat with them for any portion of their lands without including these, they reluctantly consented to dispose of their entire interest on that side of the river. It will be remembered that the Baptist missionary enterprise under Mr. Slater had been entirely abandoned at that place in the fall of 1836, and the Catholics retired from that land, never to return, in the spring of 1838. As soon as (or rather before) the Government had adjusted its long controversy with the Indians about that land, those two missionary societies instituted claims upon that valuable tract by virtue of their pre-emption rights. . While pre-emption claims were valid in some cases, that law could not apply to land which was still the rightful property of the Indians, therefore their claims were disallowed, and in lieu of the land they received a small sum of money.

That tract of land on the west side of those rapids, derisively called "Canada," so long in plain sight of the village, yet out of the world, which belonged to nobody, but which every one wished to own, was finally freed from those entanglements, and offered for sale.

An excellent quality of salt was manufactured there at an early day, but the exact time is not recollected when Lucius Lyon began to draw the brine from the well he had bored to the depth of more than 800 feet. The business was finally abandoned, because it did not prove to be as remunerative as was desired. The State officials made a contract with a certain party to bore a well for brine on the land belonging to the State, a short distance below Grand Rapids, that place being selected because of the salt spring found there. When the boring had been carried to a considerable depth the drill was broken and lost, and the work forever stopped.

At an early day a few square feet of crude gypsum were found visi- ble in the west bank of Plaster creek, a few rods south of Grand river. The first knowledge the white man had of its existence was derived from the Indians. In process of time the discovery was made that beds of that valuable mineral of great thickness and lying very near the surface of the ground covered a great extent of terri- tory in that vicinity, and soon after the work of quarrying, grind- ing and calcining was commenced. Stucco was first used at the Rapids in 1834, to plaster the gable ends of Richard Godfroy's house, the same that was afterward burned with two women, who

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were within its walls. This was the beginning of what is now a very important branch of industry and trade.

The first brid ge across Grand river at the Rapids was a contin- uation of Bridge street to the West Side, its cost, in part, being defrayed by an appropriation of State lands.

The plank road to Kalamazoo was finished in 1855, affording much better means of communication with the outside world than had existed before.

The church edifice that was built and owned by Campau, when it had been used 10 or 12 years, proved to be too small to accommo- date St. Andrew's parish, and Mr .. Campau sold the property with all its appurtenances (except the iron cross on the spire) to the Congregationalists. A Mr. Post ascended to the top of the spire, and after disengaging the cross from its support, by means of a saw, lost his balance and then his life by falling with it to the ground. Soon after the sale of that house, beginning in 1849, the Catholics built another and larger house, on the ground now occu- pied by that magnificent block of stores and the Grand Rapids Na- tional bank, on Monroe street, just above Ottawa.

St Mark's Episcopal church, on the east side of Division street, was completed (except the tower) and consecrated on the 5th of September, 1849, Bishop McCoskry officiating, while nearly all the clergy belonging to the diocese were in attendance at a con- vention held at the same time and place. The next day (Monday) a few gentlemen had a pleasant social interview with the bishop, in the parlors of Dr. Cumming. The small wooden house of wor- ship further north on the same street, and previously used by the Episcopalians, was sold to the Baptists.

Of the early settlers, a lively recollection of whom will be long maintained, the following named gentlemen were more or less prominently identified with the growth and developments of that place from 1826 to 1838 : Campau, Slater, Godfroy, Guild, Turner, Watson, Baraga, Lincoln, Scribner, Vizolski, Shoemaker, Baxter, Stocking, the Lymans, the Lyons, Almy, Sargeant, Moore, Barns, Dikeman, Richmond, Abel, Shepard, Morrison, Granger, Nelson, Evans, the Hinsdills, the Taylors, the Millses, the Smiths, the Pierces, the Withers, the Winsors, Coggeshall, Moran, Bebee, Johnson, Ball, Pettibone, Osborn, Walker, Stoddard, Short, Jen- nings, and many others, whose names escape my memory, a few of whom are still living, while inany have been removed from the scenes of this life.

The coming of Louis Campau to that place in 1827 was like the planting of a small seed in the wild, sterile desert, for although Campau was there hidden away all the time, there were no exter- nal signs of growth or life on his side of the river until 1833, being seven years after his arrival, when the Lincoln saw-mill was built. Then there began to be some stir, and signs of life were visible. In 1834, the town, with all the elements of growth and future greatness, was fully inaugurated. In estimating the age of that

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town the correct starting period of time would be the year 1833, and by that computation it would now be about 48 years old. Many of the present great cities on the American sea-board had a smaller population when they were 200 years old than Grand Rapids has to-day, and the manufactories of those cities at that time were upon a very limited scale, and all their work was per- formed by hand labor.

REMINISCENCES OF THE BOYNTON SETTLEMENT.

Nathan Boynton located near Rush creek, in Byron township, in 1836, while yet the forest was untouched, perhaps untrodden, by any other white man. After about a month of preparatory work on his proposed farm, he became ill, and, returning to Grand- ville in August following, asked his brothers, Jerry and William, to finish the log house which he began. After many troubles and difficulty in finding the location, the brothers succeeded, built the log house, and actually made a small clearing. This primitive dwelling was constructed of small logs with a roof of split bass- wood, each rail having a channel or gutter hewed on the flat side. Over the under tier of those rails was another tier, arranged with the semicircular surface exposed, and the edges resting on the verge of the gutters cut in the center of the flat side of the under tier. The floor was planked with bass-wood staves; the door and instru- ments for dealing with intruding Indians were also made of the same. The fire-place was constructed of clay, which one of the builders pounded into mortar by the use of his bare feet. This was mixed with small twigs, and placed in shape. The chimney, spring- ing from such a foundation, was formed of small bass-wood sticks and a mortar similar to that just referred to.

TO KALAMAZOO AND RETURN.

When Barney Burton was en route from Gull Prairie to Paris, he and his fellow travelers halted as usual, picketed their horses, and went to sleep. In the morning the horses belonging to Mr. Bur- ton were not to be found; so he started in search of them. He wan- dered about in the thick woods for several hours without success, and finally turned about with the intention of returning to the camp. He traveled until the sun was low in the west, and no camp could be found. Night came on, and he rested himself, a lost man in a dense forest. He spent the second day the same as the first, but on the third he came out to the settlement of Ada. Thence he proceeded to Grand Rapids, where he found the settlers considerably excited over his disappearance. Mr. Campau had already dispatched several Indians in the direction he supposed he would be, to search for him.

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HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY.

THE GULL PRAIRIE WOLF.

Wolves were rather troublesome neighbors in early days. They made frequent visits to the early settlers, and would make the very earth tremble with their howlings and complaints to the in- truders of their time-honored homes. Gaines was an unenviable settlement on this account.

One occupation of the boys and larger girls of that day, used to be to fire the old stumps about the place in the evening to scare away the wolves. About the year 1846 there was a wolf who had her beat from this vicinity to Gull Prairie, in Barry county, and was known as the "Gull Prairie wolf," who usually made the round trip once a week. The dogs would not molest her, and she seemed to care for neither man nor beast. She had been caught once in a steel trap, and all efforts to entrap her again were, for a long time, unsuccessful. Even the children, in time, seemed to distinguish her voice from other wolves, and were in the habit of listening for her on certain nights. She seldom disappointed them, and made night hideous with her howls. She finally killed four sheep in one night on the premises of Mesnard.

Mesnard and Jones set two traps near the carcass of one of the sheep, which the wolf on her second visit contrived to remove several rods, taking care to avoid the traps. Another con- sultation resulted in more traps. Four were set, placing in the intermediate spaces small pieces of iron, which were left in sight, while the traps were carefully concealed. This time they outwitted her and she was caught in one of the traps. Early on the following morning Messrs. Jones and Cook took the trail in pursuit. They overtook her near Duncan lake, caught her and attempted to bring her home alive, but the wolf acted so badly that they were compelled to abandon the project. They brought home the pelt, for which they received one dollar, and ten and a half dollars in county and State bounties.

THE INDIAN'S VICTIM.

In the fall of 1835, before the still-hunting days were over, the wilderness resounded with the whisperings of the red and white deer-slayers and echoed the sharp growls of their rifles. Among the white hunters was Henry Sizer, who traversed the Plaster creek district with the double object of selecting a homestead as well as winning pay by his splendid aim. In his travels through the wilderness he came out on the deer-lick then running through the northeast quarter of sec. 16, southwest through the poor farm, down to the waters of Plaster creek, and away to the springs in the southwestern sections. No sooner had the unfortu- nate man reached the guarded path, than an Indian espied his white shirt-bosom, and believing it to be a deer, leveled the old flint-lock, with Indian skill, and, firing, sent a huge bullet

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crashing through the heart of the white hunter. The Indian was tried for murder by his fellows, and barely escaped the penalty of Indian justice. Rev. Mr. Slater, whom he informed of the tragedy, told him to relate the matter to the whites, which he did so satis- factorily that a trial was unnecessary.

THE UNKNOWN TRAVELER.

At one time in the winter of 1835, the cries of what was sup- posed to be a man were heard in the vicinity of Barney Burton's residence. He was answered, horns were blown, and other noises made to attract his attention, with no result. About the same time a grey horse came to the residence of Abram Laraway, not many miles away, which none of the settlers claimed. Early in the spring a skeleton was found on what is now called the Penny property, in Paris. Its appearance indicated that death had taken. place some months previous. A few dollars in money, a watch and some papers were found on his person, the latter indicating that his name was Moore. Nothing further was ever ascertained in regard to the matter. He probably lost his way in the pathless woods, wandered about for several days, perhaps lost his horse, and starved to death; or, overcome with weariness, sank down to rest and perished by the excessive cold.

THE OLD GRIST-MILL.

The difference between the mills now used for the manufacture. of flour and those of half a century ago are as marked as those be- tween the modern woolen-mill and the old-fashioned loom in which homespun cloth was manufactured for the purpose of providing stout and serviceable garments to clothe the hard-working farmer. and his sons. During the first days of settlement corn was ground in a hollow stump with a huge pounder inserted in it worked by manual labor, and sometimes so arranged as to warrant the appli- cation of horse-power. In this county, however, the use of this primitive mill was very limited. In ancient times wheaten bread was the exception; the daily bread of the rural household were made of rye and Indian corn. Two or three bushels of wheat were- regarded as a sufficient allowance for a moderate family, and that ground into flour was kept for such State occasions as quiltings, weddings, Thanksgiving and other holidays, when the good wife was wont to exercise her culinary skill in compounding short-cake- to grace the bountifully-spread table. It was also considered the proper thing to have a loaf or two of wheat bread on hand in the house should the clergyman or other respected visitor come to take- tea. The grinding of the wheat was usually a matter of consider- able solicitude on the part of the owner of the grist. A bushel or two was measured up in a bag and thrown across the back of a gentle and trusty farm-horse, and the owner would wend his way

Erastus Clark,

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to the grist-mill, where, while waiting for it to be ground, he would have an opportunity to indulge in a little social gossip with the dusty-coated miller, who was generally well posted in all the local news. The miller, having satisfied the farmer that the run of stone was perfectly clean and that there was no danger of an admixture of rye flour or corn meal, the wheat would be transferred to the hopper and ground; and, when finished, the farmer would joyfully wend his way homeward, knowing that the good wife would test the flour on his arrival, and that his chances were favor- able for an excellent supper of short-cake and golden butter. This was the grist-inill of early days.

IF BRUIN ONLY KNEW IT.

William R. Davis and John Davis, early settlers of Oakfield, were returning from haymaking, on Crinnion creek marsh, in July, 1842. The Davis family then lived on section 32, and dur- ing the haying season the economists were accustomed to leave every morning for the marsh and begin their homeward journey after sundown. The evening in question William was on horse- back, John acted as infantry escort, armed with a rifle of the best pattern, the dog followed leisurely in the rear, and the night gave promise of being uneventful. The brothers had almost reached home, having traveled about nine miles over the trail, when a black bear appeared in their advance. The dog yelped, the trav- elers shouted, the horse neighed and all dashed hastily forward in pursuit. Bruin must have imagined that every living thing in the State was engaged in the chase; so he took to a tree. The hunters were soon on the spot, but to their horror discovered that the last percussion cap fell from the nipple of the rifle. William took in the situation in a moment and dashed off immediately to Crin- nion's house for caps or fire or any known commodity that would fire the charge in the muzzle-loader. He returned in a brief space of time, found that bruin had changed his position a little, with John Davis and the dog still besieging him. No time was to be lost; powder was poured into the nipple, John took steady aim, William applied the blazing brand, there was a terrific explosion, the hunters rolled over in dismay, the dog made a jump into a distant clearing, the horse rushed wildly home; but when the storm passed over the bear was calm in death beneath that tree to which he looked for security.

THE CONQUEST OF DIFFICULTY.

When Ezekiel Cook moved into the woods of Byron'with his fel- low settlers, they had no neighbors nearer than four miles, and their nearest postoffice was at Grand Rapids, a distance of 14 miles, through an unbroken wilderness. When Kennedy moved on his place there was no road from that to Grandville, except the trails

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that wound around through the woods. When J. K. McKenney moved into his house there were neither windows, doors nor floor in it. The next day after moving in he was taken sick and confined to his bed for two weeks, and before he was able to build a fire-place and chimney, there were two feet of snow. During all this time Mrs. McKenney had to do all her cooking by a log fire outside the hut. Those were bard days. There was scarcely a ray of happiness let into this desolate household. The storm and wind beat through the open windows, and sang mournfully through their forest home. When Mr. Tuft moved upon his place the only signs of a house he had was a small sled-load of lumber. He began to build in December, and his family shivered around until the rude hut was completed.

MEN AND WOLVES. OF 1845.

During the year 1845 Messrs. Corkins, Barney, Clark S. Wilson and William Davidson settled within the limits of the township. Among other early settlers I will mention Josiah R. Holden, Bradly Weaver, David Prindle, Carlos Weaver and Prentice Weaver, Eli Young and James M. Barney. The latter came dur- ing the famous " wolf year." Mr. Young says he killed one of these ferocious animals within one rod of his own door with his dog and corn-cutter.

William Boynton would often, when he was obliged to work at Grandville to get provisions for the support of his family, work all day, get the proceeds of his labor in provisions, and at dark start for home, a distance of about five miles, through the woods, while the wolves were howling on every side, and sometimes coming within reach of the good, stout cudgel which he carried.

The first year James M. Barney lived in his house he had to keep his cow and calf in a high log pen near by at nights to save them from the wolves. He says that one night, after being kept awake until near morning, he took his gun just at daylight and sallied forth, determined on vengeance. When he went out the wolves retreated for a short distance, but when he came into a thicket of bushes they surrounded him; he backed up against a tree and they kept him there for about two hours. He shot at them several times, but the bushes were so thick he did not kill any. although they would come so near that he could hear their teeth snapping together. After this year the wolves began to evacuate the district. John Ball has reason to believe that through- out the greater part of the county there were few, if any, wolves after the year 1843.

THE TORNADO OF 1836.

The fearful tornado which swept across Central Michigan in 1836 is still living in the memories of the old settlers. Almost every resident in the valley of the Grand Rapids suffered from its re-

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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 23

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