History of Macomb County, Michigan, Part 28

Author: Leeson, Michael A., [from old catalog] comp
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, M. A. Leeson & co.
Number of Pages: 952

USA > Michigan > Macomb County > History of Macomb County, Michigan > Part 28

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).

CORBYN REMINISCENCES.

S. H. Corbyn, a pioneer of Armada and Richmond Townships, writing to the Secretary of the Pioneer Society of Macomb, in December, 1881, from his home at Plainwell, Mich., states : Alfred Goodell and I came from Detroit together. Leav- ing him in Detroit, his eldest son and myself pushed ahead, and reached our destina-

245

HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

tion a day or two ahead of him. The first cabin we built was on his side of the road. After this I built one for myself, and also framed a small barn, which was subsequently sold to Elijah Burke. Mr. Corbyn recites many of the events men- tioned in the Goodell reminiscences. Ile refers to the difficulty of tracing survey lines at this time. " When I was looking to locate my land," he says, " I started at the northwest corner of Section 36, and tried to trace the line to where the village of Armada now is. I could find the line as far as the timber went; but before I had gone a mile it opened into brush land and open plains. Having nothing but a pocket compass to guide me, I could not find the section corners south of that place, nor the quarter stake, where the village now is, and gave it up, not dreaming of the possibilities of the future-never thinking of what that sea of brush might be converted into. At that time I was not such an adept at tracing lines as I after- wards became; for, for years, I accompanied land-lookers, traced lines, pointed out section corners nearly all over the town of Richmond and in Columbus Township, gave them their numbers, which numbers they secreted in their pockets until they could reach the Detroit Land Office. Land hunters at that time were jealous, or rather suspicious of each other; and so each made an effort to reach the office first, lest his competitor might outwit him in purchasing.

CARTER REMINISCENCES.

Nathaniel Carter left Massachusetts for Michigan, August 24, 1831. At the close of the third week of the journey he found his friend Holman located in the wilderness four miles northeast of Romeo. His reminiscences of settlement portray many of the scenes of the olden time, and are on that account valuable. He says : At this time the east half of Armada and what is now Richmond belonged to Saint Clair County. There were only two families in the east half of Armada, viz., Leonard Lee and Alfred Goodell. The highways were vet in the future, their place being represented by sled paths among the trees. The first thing to be done was to select a farm, so we started northward through the brush and open land to the old fort, which was a circular bank or ridge eight or ten feet high from the bottom of the exterior ditch. The walls enclosed about an acre of land, with an opening toward the North Branch. Near by were the bones of a very large race of people. There was an old oak tree about eighteen inches in diameter growing on the top of this fort. From this point we started for the southeast to find Hol- man's brother, Levi Holman's location. He showed us through the woods, which were then covered with trees so large as to make the Yankees feel a little discour- aged. We found a small stream called Coon Creek, running through Section 31, Richmond, near Leonard Lee's and Levi Holman's farms. We selected two eighty- acre lots on Section 34, paid $200, and received in due time President Jackson's

246

HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

deed. Romeo then contained one frame and three log houses, and a small one- story frame store, built on the corner of Main and Saint Clair Streets, by N. T. Taylor. The land between the Curtiss farm and the village was nearly all taken up, and much of it was occupied. The ague attacked one member of the family and created some surprise. Ebenezer Brooks and wife came next.

A short time after settlement a man was heard shouting in the wilderness, Mr. Curtiss went forth with his rifle. The hooting continued until the lost man saw his rescuer advancing. So overpowered with joy was he that he could scarcely express himself. He started the morning previous to come from the road north to the Hoxie trail ; but got lost. He had a good pocket compass, yet he strayed away, became lost, and at the moment he was discovered was twenty-four hours without food. This man's name was Truesdell Nickols.

A sudden turn of affairs urged Carter to enter the market. There he made application for a Stewart, and sealed the contract so strongly that it is good yet. After furnishing his log-house, he began to think about building a saw-mill. There was but one nearer than Stoney Creek, and that was Noah Webster's. His was the next built in order of time. Since that time he sawed timber for twelve saw-mills and three grist mills, all erected within a radius of three-one-half miles of the Carter farm, all run by water power, and the greater number of them gone out of use. In 1832-3, the season of alternate rain and frost, the grain crops were destroyed. The settlers endured many privations, some were reduced almost to starvation. Flour was $16 per barrel, and pork, $30.

Asa Holman organized the first Sunday School in the Town of Armada, within a log-house on the corner of his farm. John Proctor and Job Howell built the first frame houses in the township; Norman Perry and N. Carter soon fol- lowed the example, and the era of frame buildings was introduced.

DANIEL W. DAY'S REMINISCENCES.

In April, 1827, my father, Erastus Day, started from the town of Lima, Liv- ingston County, in the State of New York, with teams and went to Pittsford in the same county, where, in company with Capt. Gad Chamberlain and some four other families, they chartered a canal-boat on the Erie Canal, which had been finished about two years, to Buffalo.

It being early in the season, no boats had as yet left for Detroit, but two steamers were lying at the wharf anxious for lading, and as there were five or six families of us, with household goods, etc., the masters of the vessels were very anxious and began to bid for the load, when the master of the Steamer Superior, Capt. Sherman, proposed to take us to Detroit gratis if we would go with him ; so, as a matter of course, we all piled on, and after a stormy passage (all that were on

247

HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

board being sick except the crew, my father, and Capt. Chamberlain) we arrived at Detroit. We stayed there until Sunday morning, Capt. Chamberlain in the meantime having purchased some two or three yoke of oxen and father two cows with their calves, which he bought for twenty-five dollars. On Sunday morning quite a debate arose as to whether we should lay over until Monday, or start at once, Capt. Chamberlin being opposed to traveling on the Sabbath, (which was right,) but other counsels prevailed, and abont ten o'clock, the oxen having been hitched up, we launched out upon that great sea of mud and water toward Royal Oak, being kept partially out of the mud by a railroad with the rails all laid cross- wise, and oh ! what a road was there, my countrymen ! It was almost impossible to keep right side up and out of the mud and water. Between Detroit and Royal Oak we stopped at a place called Mother Handsome's, whose real name was Chapin, where we had dinner. The next place, after passing Royal Oak, was then called Hamilton's, afterward Piety Hill, and now Birmingham. It was then com- posed of one log honse, which was the tavern. At that time there was no road direct from Royal Oak to Rochester, consequently we were obliged to go by Ham- ilton's, where we stayed Sunday night, if memory serves me right, and the next day brought up at Horatio Nye's, in the township of Bruce, Macomb County. That day, my father, myself, and Levi, the youngest brother, traveled on ahead of the teams, and missing our way, went to where Romeo now stands, then called Indian village, Gideon Gates, post-master. I think there were at that time, four log houses within the bounds of Romeo asit now is. As is related above, we stopped at Nye's, about two miles west of Romeo, where we stayed a few days and then moved into a log shanty about twelve by fourteen, and covered with oak shakes, where we lived, or rather stayed, some six or eight weeks and planted a crop of corn and potatoes. In the meantime, father had purchased eighty acres of timber land about two miles northeast of Romeo, and on the fifth day of July, 1827, we went to the new farm to prepare logs for a house, which was raised in a few days with becoming ceremonies, and after covering it with elm bark, laying a part of a floor of hewn bass-wood logs, and cutting out the logs, and leaving the holes for doors and windows, we quietly moved into it without any fire-place or chimney except a hole in the roof for the smoke to escape through. I recollect of mother telling one morning that she saw some large animal jump out through the hole left for a window during the night. Hardly a night passed but we could hear wolves howling in different directions. I remember at one time of hearing them howl about eighty or one hundred rods from the house. Very soon the hogs put in an appearance at the house minus two very fine pigs which were never seen afterward. At another time, as two of my brothers started from home, they encountered two bears in close proximity to the hog-pen wherein were five or six fine porkers. On

248

HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

another occasion, while all hands were engaged in chopping, we heard a hog set up a terrible squeak, when we all started for the scene of battle, where we found a long-legged brown bear leading a hog off by the nape of the neck, and as there was not a rifle in the company, bruin made good his escape after having bitten Mr. Porker so badly that he afterward died. While living at home and going to school, a little incident occurred that might be worth relating. Whilst wandering about in the woods one Saturday, I discovered a large basswood log partially rotted away, in the hollow of which I thought wolves slept. I went and borrowed a trap and set it, but it was not a success, as they went in all directions except in the trap. One very cold morning I went to my trap, and not finding anything in it, I turned about and went directly home, and as I stepped into the door I heard them howl, and going back found that they were not over ten rods behind me, as I saw the tracks of two of them as they turned from the road into the woods and left on sus- picion. As to religious matters, the first sermon I heard in Romeo was by the Rev. Abel Warren, of sainted memory, who moved into that part of the country in 1824. He preached in warm weather in Albert Finch's barn on the farm now known as the Ewell farm. This was in the spring of 1827. Rev. Isaac Ruggles was the first Congregational minister that ever preached in Romeo, which was in 1829. In the spring of 1828, all the people turned out, and that was not a great many, and hewed the timber, gave lumber and shingles, and built a frame school-house on land owned by Asahel Bailey, which answered the purpose of school-house and church. The first school was taught by Gideon Gates, and Alanson Finch, who was supposed afterward to have been carried off by the Indians, went to school. He was missed at night, and many of the neighbors searched in the woods all night and the next day. It was estimated that some four or five hundred men were scouring the woods far and near, but no trace of him was found, and it was with- ont doubt the means of bringing the old people in sorrow to the grave.

REMINISCENCES OF JOHN D. HOLLAND.

Referring to the emigration of the Holland family from New York, May 20, 1829, John D. Holland writes : We started from the town of Mendon, in the county of Monroe, State of New York (had prayers in the morning offered by Brother Schuyler, a connection of Gen. Schuyler of Albany ), we pursued our journey to or near Batavia, where we stayed the first night, and that night it was frosty and cold, the morning following, I think the ground was a little frozen. Pursued our course to Buffalo got on board a small schooner called the Dread of Huron, John Haskins captain. Came to San- dusky City in about three days from Buffalo, staid there some three or four days, found there an old man by the name of Rogers, who was taken prisoner of war in

219

HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

the Revolution with my father, out of the sloop Randolph, a sloop of sixteen guns, about the year 1780. The old men appeared glad to see each other. My father and myself got on board a small boat and came to Detroit in about two days I should judge.

Detroit was then small, the old Fort Hull surrendered was then garrisoned by United States soldiers. Maj. Jonathan Kearsley and John Biddle then acted as land agents, or they gave duplicates to the applicants at the United States Land Office. Staid near Detroit a number of days. Came to Washington to look land about the 20th of June, went to Detroit and received a duplicate for the east half of the north-east quarter of section twenty-two in that town, about the 26th or 7th of June, 1823, and at that time there was in Washington Barna Miller, Joseph Miller, Elon Andrus, Lazarus Green, Zebulum Hayden and Aaron Stone, and perhaps Solomon Wales with families ; likewise Freeborn Heley and Job Hoxie with families. Milton Nye's family absent, Ezra B. Throop, Alvin Nye, Marcus Nye, Daniel Smith, young men, and Alexander Tackles a widower, these were the only inhabitants then living in the township of Washington. Romeo was then called Indian Village. Asahel Bailey and Chauncy Bailey withi families then lived in Bruce, and Michael Tromley, they were the only inhabitants in Bruce, except Indians, unless Shartkey, (Chartier), then lived near Tromley.

What a change do I see to-day, I can see from my window three good churches, an academy, a village containing perhaps 2,000 inhabitants, but alas, reflection tells me that almost all the former inhabitants have passed through the gates of death, and are with us no more. Freeborn Heley was the first white man who died in Washington that we have any knowledge of, he died in August. 1825. But who can count the number that has fallen in Washington since that day.

Elias Pattee came and preached in Washington about the last of August 1823, a class was formed in Washington of six members, viz: John D. Holland leader, Elon Andrews, Nancy Andrews, Polly Greene, Aurilla Miller and Laura Miller. James Thornington was the first settler in Washington, he came into the town, as near as can be ascertained in the month of February 1819, and settled on the farm now owned and occupied by George Wilson. The first physician that settled in Washington was Lyman T. Jenny, then came Dr. Dennis Cooley, a constant physi- cian many years. The first frame barn was built by Zebulum Hayden in the spring of 1824, the first frame house was built by Edward Arnold in the fall of 1825. The first school was kept by Dr. Lyman T. Jenny. The first township meeting was held near John D. Holland's in April 1827, the first Supervisor was John S. Axford, the first Township Clerk was John D. Holland. The great rain happened the 18th and 19th of June, 1825. The first saw mill was built by John Proctor, the first grist mill built by Wilks L. Stuart and Edwin Wilcox. The first merchant, and perhaps

250

HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

the first founder of the merchants' establishment or business in Romeo, was Nathan Terry Taylor. The first religious meeting was held in a log shanty owned and oc- cupied by Albert Finch, very near the house Hall Ewell now lives in, in June 1824. The first Postoffice established in the village of Romeo, I think about the autumn of 1825, was called Indian Village Postoffice, Gideon Gates was Post-master. Who acted as Post-master in the township of Washington, I am not sure but think it was Otis Lamb, office established not far from the time it was established in Indian Vil- lage.

The townships of Washington and Bruce were joined as one township for several years. The first saw mill built in Bruce was that by Leander Tromley, some time before the mill erected by John Proctor. The first blacksmith in Wash- ington was John Bennett. The first white child born in Bruce was a daughter of Chauncy Bailey. There was an Indian tribe living near Lakeville, Macomps was their chief. Gen. John Stockton came to Mt. Clemens at an early day, and I presume can give as much information relative to former times as any one in Macomb County.

SKETCHES OF EARLY SETTLEMENT IN SHELBY, BY L. D. OWEN.

When I was a lad, between nine and ten years of age, my father, Abijah Owen, then living in the State of New York, Genessee Co., conceived the idea of emigrating to the West. Some of his townsmen, among whom were Calvin Davis, Elon and Russel Andrus, Joseph and Daniel Miller, Elder Abel Warren, and some others, had gone a year or two previous. From the very flattering accounts received from them as to the natural advantages to be enjoyed in this new country, he resolved to move thither, and sold what little property he had in that country. In the latter part of the month of June, 1825, he started with his family of five children and their mother for the far-famed territory of Michigan. At this time no such thing as a railroad had been projected, neither had there any canals been brought into use ; for be it known Clinton's big ditch, or the Erie Canal, was not completed till September of that year. Then, of course, our only mode of trans- portation from starting point to Buffalo, was by lumber wagon. At Buffalo we embarked on board the only steamboat then on Lake Erie, and the second one that had ever navigated its waters, the "Superior." After a passage of five days, calling at all the intermediate ports, we landed on terra firma at Detroit. I well remember how fine was the weather. Not a ripple disturbed the placid blue waters of that noble lake.

Immediately on landing, we fell in with a teamster by the name of Jack Hamlin, whose business it was to transport immigrants into this country. A turnpike had then been constructed, commencing at the river bank, and running for a distance of four miles in a northerly direction, which, subsequently, was completed by the

251

HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

United States as a military road to Saginaw Bay. When leaving this four-mile turnpike, we entered upon a single wagon track, meandering through brush, seek- ing the most eligible ground, and guided by blazed trees through forests. After two days' weary journey, we arrived at our destined haven at the house of uncle Calvin Davis, in the township of Shelby. Then it was that pioneer life began to dawn upon us. The first step was to locate an eighty acre lot of land, and no delay was necessary in making a selection, there being a vacant lot adjoining my uncle's. No objection could be entertained to securing a neighbor no more than half a mile distant, in a wilderness country. The half mile to my uncle's I thought quite too far to go for fire, when often in the summer time ours had gone out during the night. Lucifer matches in those days were not dreamed of ; some people had a tinder box with flint and steel from which they could start a fire. As soon as my father had secured his land, wheat harvest being then ready, he thought it more important to secure some of the needful, than to commence the erection of a domicile, and his first labor was performed for one, Judge Thurston, in the western part of Washington Township; raking and binding at six shillings per day ; but from the paucity of the wheat fields here then, harvest time was of short duration, so he soon commenced the building of a log house. I remember hearing him say, after paying for his land, he had but seven dollars in money left, so by the time he had procured the necessary whisky to carry on his raising, doubtless, that was gone. Could buildings be raised in those days without whisky ? One might just as well undertake to bury a corpse without digging a grave. It was quite apparent now that no time should be lost in preparing a family shelter, as an emergency of a domestic character was known to exist, that, except with nomadic tribes, called for more than ordinary care, so not many days elapsed before logs were got together and shakes rove out of oak for a roof, and from some source he obtained some second-hand lumber, of various widths and thickness, for an upper and under floor. Soon we were ushered into our new domocile, and in a few days my mother gave birth to another child, Martha B., now Mrs. Cox, of Franklin, Oakland Co. The first year we lived without a cow-I can remember often diet- ing on roast potatoes and salt-but the next summer my father went down to his uncle Haskin's, living a few miles from Mt. Clemens, and brought home a cow, saying his uncle gave her to him. Then we children felt gleeful and happy-no more potatoes and salt ; we could luxuriate not only on potatoes and milk, but bread and milk also. Prosperity often is of short duration, for when we had had Old Bob a year or so, there suddenly appeared without previous notice, two young men with orders to drive away the cow. Some of the younger children cried to see Old Bob driven away. She merited that sobriquet from her semi-caudal appendage, which I suppose some ferocious canine had made a little too free with.

252

HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

Now a spell came over our dreams, potatoes and salt haunted our minds. Not only that, but we were strongly suspected of being fatherless, for he was among the missing also. While he was gone mother wanted to make some cucumber pickles, and whisky was about the only ingredient then used for that purpose, so I was sent to Mr. Burlingham's still for some of the critter, but when Burlingham learned that father was gone, and we did not know where, I could not get the whisky, although two shillings per gallon was all it was worth. I don't remember now of ever seeing two shillings in money up to that time. But the darkest hour is said to be just before day ; so in the course of six weeks my father returned, driving with him two good cows, which he had paid for with his labor, on the farm owned by Gen. Cass, whose tenant was father's cousin.

I tell you we boys threw up our hats then though I am not sure we had any. Yes, I do remember of making one for myself abont that time out of straw ; but if I remember right it was a rude specimen. The farm above alluded to is now about one-half the city of Detroit, unless the city extends far beyond it in a westerly direction. I, however, know that it was a large farm, for the next summer, after father got the cows, I was permitted to go there to play with the cousins and remain three weeks, riding the ponies after the cows every night. Three weeks had passed, so one Sunday morning I shouldered my pack, abont twenty pounds of dried peas, beside other traps, and started afoot and alone for home. The four- mile turnpike alluded to, was traversed, after which was brush and timber almost the entire distance of thirty miles, but I made port and had considerable ambition left. I should hate to undertake that walk now in a day. I was twelve or thirteen years old at this time. If my memory serves me there was but one brick building in the city at that time and that, it seems to me, was only one and a half stories high. There stands a dwelling now on Jefferson avenue, not far from Woodward, that was there then. The first team we had in this country was grown from calves dropped the same spring of our arrival, hence my father had no facilities for work- ing his land, though yearly he would endeavor to get two or three acres broke, either by making a bee or changing work, with some of the neighbors; those calves were bought of Elder Warren in the fall after they were a year old and my brother and I broke them that winter, and snailed up the most of our fire wood at this time. I made the yoke and bows, putting in a wooden staple of bent hick- ory, with a crotched limb forming a hook for the staple, and a short piece of chain at the rear end. I would hitch to a small draft and drag it to the house. I can remember taking mother two and a half miles to meeting with those steers attached to an ox sled, over a trail covered only with about an inch of snow. My brother and I done pretty much the entire work done at home for the first four or five

253

HISTORY OF MACOMB COUNTY.

years ; while father worked out by the day. We split mostly all the rails that was used during that time, and also laid them into fences.

Judging from recollection as to the length of time we had been in this country I should say it was in the spring of 1826 or '27, that our neighborhood became rife with rumors that a boy was lost in the northern part of the county. I well re- member that, when we were all at Town meeting about the first of April, there came a courier, heralding the sad news that Mr. Finch's boy, in the Hoxie settle- ment, was lost, and that the father desired help to look him up. My father started the next day, and I suppose all the neighbors did also start to search for the miss- ing one. If I remember aright he was gone about a week ; but they did not find the boy, and he never was found either dead or alive, and the grievance of the heart-stricken parents bore so heavily upon them, that their natures soon gave way, and both went down to an untimely grave, mourning the loss of their boy.

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.

History of Macomb County, Michigan, Part 28

Author: Leeson, Michael A., [from old catalog] comp Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago, M. A. Leeson & co. Number of Pages: 952

Author: Leeson, Michael A., [from old catalog] comp
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, M. A. Leeson & co.
Number of Pages: 952