USA > Michigan > Mason County > History of Mason County, Michigan > Part 26
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HART .- A. D. Vanwickle, 1880; I. H. Ford, three years from 1880; M. H. Brooks, 1882; C. B. Stevens, three years from 1882.
WEARE .- Joseph Schaner, 1880; Charles Dumars, three years from 1880; E. A. Benjamin, 1881; J. W. Barber, 1882.
PENTWATER .- E. B. Clark, 1881; D. W. Howard, three years from 1881; William E. Gill, two years from 1881; William Hudson, 1882.
GOLDEN .- Eli R. Woodard, 1880; Henry Howarth, 1881.
BENONA .-- A. R. Wheeler, 1879; Hugh McMillan, 1880; J. B. Dorrance, three years from 1882; John Thompson, 1882.
CLAYBANKS. - H. H. Keyes, 1879; S. J. Mckay, 1880; Johnson J. Tapley, 1881; George H. Myers, 1882.
THE COUNTY BOARD OF SCHOOL EXAMINERS
were selected first under the new system in the Summer of 1881, and there were elected at a meeting of the board of school in- spectors, representing the various townships: Professor Seth Edson, of the Oceana Journal, for one year; George C. Myers, of Clay- banks, for two years, and F. W. Van Wickle, for three years.
In August, 1882, Professor Edson, whose term had expired, was re-elected for three years, so that the members are G. C. Myers, term expiring in 1883, F. W. Van Wickle, term expiring in 1881, and Professor Edson, holding over till 1885. The duties of the board are onerous and important, and it is their purpose to raise the standard of education.
POPULATION.
Oceana County, in 1860, had risen to 1,816; in 1864 to 2,873; in 1870 to 7,222; in 1874 to 8,360, and at the last United States Census to 11,699, which was apportioned between the several towns as follows:
Benona
877
Claybanks.
649
Colfax
185
Crystal ..
561
Elbridge
833
Ferry.
629
Golden.
952
Grant.
453
Greenwood
382
Hart
1,392
Leavitt.
505
Newfield
643
Otto ...
148
Pentwater
1,278
Shelby
1,496
Weare.
716
Total ..
11,699
SENATORS FROM 1835 TO 1879.
Ambler, W. E., of Pentwater, 1879; Green, Nelson, Clay- banks, 1863-'64; Mears, Charles, Lincoln, Mason, 1863-'64.
REPRESENTATIVES.
Dean, Charles W., Pentwater, 1867; Lewis, Amos, Shelby, 1879; Wheeler, Amos R., Benona, 1878- 74-'75; White, Oliver K., New Era, 1877.
PRESIDENTIAL VOTE.
1856-Fremont (Rep.).
82
Buchanan (Dem.). 21
1860-Lincoln (Rep.) ...
192
Douglas (Dem.) .
158
1864-Lincoln (Rep.) ... 356
MeClellan (Dem.)
177
1868-Grant (Rep.) .... 1080
Seymour (Dem.).
405
1872-Grant (Rep.) ... 1158
Greeley (Dem. and Lib.) .. 196
O'Conor.
51
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HISTORY OF OCEANA COUNTY.
1876-Hayes (Rep.).
1365
Tilden (Dem.).
599
Cooper (G. B.).
29
1880-Garfield (Rep) ..
1481
Hancock (Dem.).
482
Weaver (G. B.).
501
STATE LANDS.
On the 1st January, 1881, the following were the amounts of land subject to entry in this county:
Of swamp lands, forty acres; school lands, 1,200 acres.
NINTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
Oceana has given the following vote for congressional represent- tative since 1872:
1872-Hubell (Rep.)
1171
Ely (Dem.)
241
1874-Hubell (Rep.). 1018
Noble (Dem).
0
1876-Hubell (Rep.).
1367
Kilbourne (D. and G. B.) ..
606
1878-Hubell (Rep.).
913
Power (Dem.).
183
Also 748 for Parmlee (National.)
1880-For Hubell (Rep.).
1479
Pratt (Dem.).
959
LAST GUBERNATORIAL VOTE. As illustrative of the political proclivities of each portion of the county, we append the vote for governor in 1880:
JEROME. (Rop.)
(Dem.)
WOODMAN (Geen'b.)
Benona ..
110
15
49
Claybanks
88
30
14
Colfax.
12
9
8
Crystal
44
39
25
Elbridge
87
38
38
Ferry
74
14
19
Golden.
110
59
6
Grant
53
21
10
Greenwood
40
10
22
Hart
215
49
103
Leavitt.
51
1
48
Newfield
97
19
19
Otto.
17
3
1
Pentwater
171
82
14
Shelby
173
75
76
Weare
59
78
39
Totals
1401
542
491
Golden also cast 25 votes for the Prohibition candidate.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE.
In 1872 Oceana County was set apart from the district and constituted a district by itself for the election of a representative to the State Legislature. A. R. Wheeler, (Republican), was elected without opposition. In 1874 he was re-elected by 871 votes to 623 for Theodore F. Reed, (Independent). In 1876 Oliver K. White, (Republican), received 1,261 votes to 701 for L. G. Rutherford, (Democrat). In 1978 Amos Lewis, (Greenbacker), was elected by 725 votes, his opponents, W. H. Hubbard, (Democrat), and O. K. White, (Republican), receiving respectively 425 and 625 votes. In 1880 J. E. White, (Republican), was elected by 1,307 to 1,132 for Amos Lewis (Greenbacker).
SCHOOL POPULATION.
The following is the school population, according to townships, in 1880:
Benona.
262
Claybanks
258
Colfax
66
Crystal.
167
Elbridge.
242
Ferry
236
Golden
283
Grant
124
Greenwood.
115
Hart. 448
Leavitt .. 164
Newfield 70
Otto. . 32
Pentwater.
411
Shelby
399
Weare
233
Total
3,510
CONSTITUTIONS.
In Michigan there have been four constitutions submitted to the people, those of 1835, 1850, 1867 and 1878. On the two last occasions Oceana has voted as follows: In 1867 there were voted "yes" 661, "no," 548; in 1878 there were 329 "yes" to 1,026 "no."
VOTES FOR GOVERNORSHIP.
Oceana cast her first vote for governor in 1856. The follow- ing is the official statement of each vote to the present time;
1856, Bingham (Rep.) received 83; Felch (Dem.) 21.
1858, Wisner (Rep.) 68; Stuart (Dem.) 167.
1860, Blair (Rep.) 191; Barry (Dem.) 159. 1862, Blair (Rep.) 232; Stout (Dem.) 158.
1864, Crapo (Rep.) 354; Fenton (Dem.) 179.
1866, Crapo (Rep.) 600; Williams (Dem.) 203.
1868, Baldwin (Rep.) 1,079; Moore (Dem.) 412.
1870, Baldwin (Rep.) 845; Comstock (Dem.) 261.
1872, Bagley (Rep.) 1,159; Blair (Liberal) 225.
1874, Bagley (Rep.) 1,147; Chamberlain (Dem.) 395. 1876, Croswell (Rep.) 1,368; Webber (Dem.) 594.
1878, Croswell (Rep.) 920; Barnes (Dem) 179.
1880 Jerome (Rep.) 1,401; Holloway (Dem.) 542; also Wood- man (Greenbacker) 491; Mckeever (Prohibitionist) 25.
According to the last United States census (1880) there were 6,444 males in Oceana to 5,255 females. Of these 9,784 were native born and 1,915 of foreign birth. There were 11,812 whites to 887 colored, of whom 345 were Indians.
BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES.
The number of births in the county during 1881 was 243, of deaths 159, and of marriages 97.
SENATORIAL.
The senatorial district in which Mason, Manistee and Oceana Counties are, is called the Twenty-seventh District, and includes likewise Mecosta, Osceola, Newaygo and Lake Coun- ties. Population 76,966. Representative, Hon. William E. Ambler, of Pentwater, who is president pro tempore of the Senate. He was born at Medina, Ohio, December 18, 1845, and resided there until his parents removed to Hillsdale, Mich., in 1859. He entered Hillsdale College, but in 1865 left that institu- tion, going to Albion College, where he graduated in the scientific course. In 1866 he entered the law school at Albany, graduated and was admitted to practice. In 1867 he finished the classical course at Adrian College, graduating with the degree of A. B. The same Fall he established himself as a lawyer at Minneapolis, Minn., but in 1868 returned to Michigan and began the practice of law at Pentwater, where he continues to reside. He has been president of-the village, and is a member of the firm of Nielsen & Co., bankers. In 1870 Adrian College conferred on him the degree of A. M., and in 1875 Hillsdale College did likewise. Mr. Ambler was chosen a trustee of the latter institution in 1880, and is not only the youngest member of the present board, but the youngest trustee ever elected. He was elected a senator in the State Legislature in 1878, and was re-elected in 1880 by 9,487 votes to 4,996 for Smith W. Fowler and 562 for L. Gideon Rutherford. He was elected president pro tem. of the Senate January 14, 1881,and chairman of the
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HISTORY OF OCEANA COUNTY.
following committees: Appropriations and Finance, Engrossment and Enrollment of Bills, and Reform School for Girls.
REPRESENTATIVE IN STATE LEGISLATURE.
Oceana County, with a population at the last census of 11,699, has one representative in the State Legislature, James E. White, who was born April 8, 1839, in Kalamazoo, attended Albion College in 1857 and 1858; went to California in the Spring of 1860, and while there cast his first vote, which was for Lincoln as President. Seeing that the Southerners were resolved upon secession and war, he returned in 1861 and enlisted in the Thirteenth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, which rendezvoused at Kalamazoo. Mr. White helped recruit a company, and at the mustering of the regiment, October 8, 1861, was commissioned a first lieutenant. When Gen. Buel abandoned Alabama, in 1862, the Thirteenth was left to engage the enemy and hold, as long as possible, Fort Harker, which had been built by the regiment. Lieutenants White and Case were ordered by the colonel to remain at the fort and destroy everything. They remained until the enemy had taken possession of the town, and then being in great danger of capture, they left and soon overtook the regiment. Lieutenant White was commissioned adjutant December 24, 1862, and detailed on Gen. Harker's staff at the battle of Stone River, being placed in command of the brigade line of skirmishers. He was promoted to a cap- taincy on the same battle-field, January 20, 1863. He resigned his commission as captain September 3, 1863, at Chattanooga, having from exposure contracted the asthma, from which he has ever since been a sufferer. After leaving the army he settled in Allegan County, where he lived until 1875, engaged in the mercantile busi- ness. He removed to Pentwater in March, 1875, where he has since been engaged in the hardware trade and the manufacture of shingles. He has served four years as trustee of the village. Mr. White is a Republican, and as such was elected over Amos Lewis, "Fusionist," a member of the Legislature, receiving 1,307 votes to Lewis's 1,192.
Mr. White married, February 8, 1862, Nellie J. Carr, of Kala- mazoo, and in four days after his marriage went off with his regi- ment to the war. His eldest child, Lizzie, died in 1867, and their only remaining child is Belle, born 1871.
NINTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
Oceana, Mason and Manistee, with thirteen other counties, occupying the whole northeastern portion of the Lower Peninsula, with a population of 206,277, was called the Ninth Congressional District, until 1882, when the boundaries were changed by taking Muskegon from the Fifth District and excluding Benzie, Grand Traverse, Leelenaw, Otsego and Crawford Counties and all the Upper Peninsula. The Ninth District, therefore, consists of Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Manistee, Wexford, Lake, Newaygo, Mecosta, Osceola, Missaukee, Kalkaska, Antrim and Charlevoix. The popu- lation was in 1880, 125,108, of which the congressional vote was, Republican 14,835, Democratic 9,292, and Greenback 1,063. The representative is Jay A. Hubbell, of Houghton, who was born at Avon, Mich., September 15, 1829; graduated at the university in 1853; removed to Ontonagon in November, 1855; was elected dis- trict attorney of the Upper Peninsula in 1857, and re-elected in 1859; removed to Houghton in February, 1860; was elected prose- cuting attorney of Houghton County in 1861, 1868 and 1865. He practiced law until 1870, being also interested in mining enter- prises. In 1876 he was appointed state commissioner to the centennial exposition, for which he prepared the state exhibit of minerals. He was representative in the Forty-third, Forty-fourth and'Forty-sixth Congresses, and was re-elected to the Forty-seventh Congress as a Republican by a vote of 23,437 to 14,642 for E. S. Pratt,
(Democratic), and 800 for George Parmlee (National). He received this mark of confidence without any personal attention to his can- vass, having devoted his entire time to his duties as chairman of the national Republican congressional committee.
CIRCUIT JUDGE.
The Fourteenth Judicial District consists of Mecosta, Muske- gon, Newaygo and Oceana Counties, of which Fred. J. Russell is judge. He was born at Orion, Oakland Co., Mich., October 7, 1841, and at the age of sixteen he went with his parents into the then wilderness of Oceana County. He attended district and graded schools, and spent two terms, 1860-1, at the state normal school. August 8, 1861, he enlisted in the Twenty-fifth Michigan Infantry, but, owing to physical disability, he was not mustered in. He was admitted to the bar at Hart, September 20, 1866, where he at once commenced the practice of law. In June, 1868, he was admitted to practice in the United States courts, and was appointed United States commissioner for the western district of Michigan; was elected circuit court commissioner in 1868, and re-elected in 1870; was appointed judge of probate for Oceana County in 1872, and twice elected to that position. He received his present appointment from Gov. Jerome, January 5, 1881, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of M. D. Brown.
Probably no judge now on the bench in Michigan had more difficulties to contend with in securing an education than Judge Russell. The meagre facilities afforded by a new county, infirmi- ties of body, and long and serious illness, all combined to discour- age him, but by improving every available moment, and by attending school Summers and teaching Winters he succeeded in fitting himself to fill with credit the several positions to which he has been called. He has been a prominent Repub- lican ever since he arrived at manhood. In addition to his pro- fessional duties, he is also interested in agricultural pursuits and banking. He married Nellie C., daughter of Zenas and Sophrona Gurney, and has three daughters, Nellie H. S., Lucy Hayes and Mary.
GEOLOGICAL.
Geology teaches that all that is now dry land was once sub- merged beneath the ocean, which had, like the land, its inequalities, its hills, its valleys, its mountain ranges. Islands are but the tops of submerged mountains, and some of the sea mountains are steeper and more abrupt than any on the land. In the British channel within ten miles the depth changes from 600 to 10,000 feet. At the close of the Carboniferous period, a great upheaval formed a line of land across the southern part of Michigan, wlrich extended to the older and wider formation in southern Ohio. The land now comprising this and the adjoining counties was still submerged, but the belt rose higher and higher, extending north- ward and westward until the era of coal deposits, at the close of which Oceana and its sister counties formed the highlands of southern Michigan. It is thought that Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario did not then exist, their place being supplied by a great river, with here and there expansions.
Then began the Mesozoic age, characterized by immense activ- ity of animal and vegetable life, myriads of insects crawling in the rivers. This era is known here only by its fossils. The Tertiary age succeeded with its rank vegetation, and mighty mammoths and mastodons roamed over the earth.
Then came a change of scene-the ice age buries animal and vegetable. Perhaps thousands of years elapsed before God removed the earth from the embrace of the ice king. At last Spring came, a sea of ice a mile in thickness was dissolved, and the rocks which it held dropped down as rocky fragments or drift. The countless
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HISTORY OF OCEANA COUNTY.
currents which sprang into existence and formed for themselves channels, were the chief agency in forming the stratum known as modified drifts.
Prof. Winchell's theory is that at this time the whole state was submerged, and one great lake existed from the Falls of Niagara to Chicago. At all events, from Saginaw Bay to Lake Michigan a great valley, deep and wide, extended. South of this line, barriers existed to the flow of waters and the accumulation of ice and a second ice period resulted in the formation of another glacial field not over four feet in thickness. Millions of cubic feet of ice water were added to the lakes, resulting in bursting asunder their green coating of ice, carrying with them their tables of limestone, and as the waters fell, depositing them where they lie to-day. As the Niagara rock was worn down, the rushing waters made for them- selves deeper channels, and the inland lakes became proportionately lower. The present river system was then laid out by nature.
All Michigan, except an oval formation in the interior, with Lansing as center, and a diameter of about 100 miles, is regarded by Prof. Hitchcock, of Dartmouth, as belonging to the Devonian, or Lower Carboniferous formation, which is the middle stratum of the Paleozoic era. In fact, all Michigan can be classed as Paleozoic, the oldest formation being of the first stratum, or Silurian, which is confined to the Upper Peninsula. The Lower Peninsula, with the exception of the portion above mentioned, ranks next below in formation, being Devonian, or Lower Carboniferous, and the central portion is still later, being the third or highest division of the Car- boniferous, or Permo-carboniferous.
The Devonian, of which Oceana consists, is termed by many American geologists the Erian formation. In this age there was a great advance over the Silurian; terrestrial plants, weeds, rushes and trees made their appearance in great numbers; also ganoid fishes, like enormous sharks. No evidence of vertebrate life has been here above that of fishes. If the Silurian is the age of trilobites, the Devonian is that of fishes-not, certainly, those of the present, but more nearly resembling our sturgeons, gars, sharks and chimeras.
Oceana County has a singular formation to the west, at Little Point Au Sable, by which it extends out thirteen miles further west than the mouth of the Grand River, and even in the county itself this point is nearly six miles further west than the extreme south- western portion. This, as we have before said, gives it a semi- peninsular position, and affects the climate favorably for fruit. How this came to be formed, is a question for geologists to speculate upon. It may be that this formation has been formed by the ceaseless action of the prevailing winds and currents from the south and west, meeting the heavy clay formations in Claybanks and being turned sharply out to the west, and then being deflected to the northeast again by counter currents on the west side; thus causing & formation in the form of a semi-circle. The high ground at Little Point Au Sable is about 130 feet above the lake.
Again, another singular formation of Oceana, in common with all the rest of Western Michigan, is the high sand ridges, blown up on shores, sometimes 200 feet high,-sometimes bare and glistening sand heaps, at other times crowned with a growth, chiefly of pine and hemlock. As at Pentwater, so at Stony Creek, Grand Haven, Muskegon, White Lake and other places, the mouths of rivers are blocked up, lakes are formed with their first mouths pointing in a tortuous course to the northwest. These have in most cases been straightened to channels due west. These lakes at the mouths of rivers are invaluable as town sites, where sawmills can be erected, and logs boomed down the rivers.
ROUND STONES.
Among the archaeological wonders found in this county, may be mentioned the round stones, which are evidently the work of an
early race of men; the purpose for which they were made being purely conjectural. They are of various sizes, but are all as if turned in a lathe, the grain of the stone running in an opposite direction to the turning. They are liable to cleavage in the centre. They are found in many parts; we have seen them in Elbridge, Golden and other townships. They may have been "medicine stones," or possibly for bruising corn.
ANCIENT PITS.
In Golden we observed a number of curiously arranged pits or depressions, now not much over one or two feet in depth, which were probably intended, like our modern rifle pits, for defensive purposes. That they are very ancient, is evident from the fact of large pines growing in some of the pits. They are not arranged in an arc, or even diagonally, but still, however irregular they may seem, evi- dently with a view to skilful defence. Those that we saw were on Section 15, but they exist in other parts of the town.
BEAVER MEADOWS.
In 1860, when Mr. Sayles came to the county, he says the beaver were very plentiful, and could be seen busily engaged in con- structing dams, and that the Indians brought in many skins. To- day they have vanished, and the only evidence of their presence is here and there a beautiful meadow, in which wild grass grows abundantly. On Section 36, of Colfax, Mr. Sayles owns one of these of 100 acres in extent, on which he cuts annually from fifty to seventy-five tons of hay, which is now worth about half the price of cultivated hay. Formerly, however, the lumbermen were glad to pay a high price for wild hay.
Alonzo Yates has another large beaver meadow in Colfax.
Graham Scott, clerk of Leavitt, has a meadow on Section 10, of Leavitt.
There are also two large meadows in Hart; one on Secton 18, and another on Section 8, where the dam and stakes are yet visible.
EARLY HISTORY.
As we have already premised, Oceana was laid out in 1831, surveyed in 1838, united to Ottawa for municipal and judicial purposes in 1840, made an outlying district of White River Township in 1850, and Alex. S. Anderson was sent by the whole county for several years down to Grand Haven to look after the interests of the few straggling settlers along the beach at Claybanks, Stony Creek, Point Sable and Pent- water Lake. This lasted until 1855, when, on February 18, an act was passed, organizing the county and the first three townships. Settlement commenced in 1849, at the end of which year there were but six or seven families in the county.
Taxes were collected until 1855, and sent to Grand Haven. At one time Moses Hopkins collected them. In 1855 the county was formed. and in order to show the difficulties attendant upon the organization of the new county, we give the following account from the pen of Harvey Tower, the first county clerk and register:
"Just how our county machinery was put in motion, I presume very few ever heard. In February, 1855, the act to provide for the organization of Oceana, Mason and Manistee Counties was passed by the Legislature, and the first election of our county officers was held at Stony Creek (now Benona) on the first Monday of April following.
"The county convention nominated John Barr for sheriff, Amos R. Wheeler treasurer, Harvey Tower county clerk and register of deeds. The remainder of the ticket is not remembered. Charles A. Rosevelt aspired to the office of sheriff, and Malcom Campbell to that of clerk and register, and vigorously pushed their claims in that direction. But after a spirited election the whole of the regular
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HISTORY OF OCEANA COUNTY.
ticket was elected. The act provided that when, by a certain day therein named, the clerk and register and treasurer-elect should file their oaths of office with each other, the official machinery of the county should begin to move, having a legal existence. On the last day of the time allowed for filing said oaths, the officers-elect, with several prominent citizens, met to consider the question whether, after all, it was not better to remain attached to Ottawa for judicial purposes, as our taxes then were very light, than to incur the much greater expense of supporting a separate county organization; but as the people had expressed a desire to organize, by electing county officers, it was deemed best to perfect the organization.
"How the oath was to be administered was a question that seemed greatly to trouble some of the knowing ones anxious to avoid any error that would vitiate the proceedings, and insisting that 'the officers must be sworn in on the Bible.' But to those upon whom devolved the duty of qualifying, that day, there was a matter of greater concern than the manner of administering the oath, the nearest officer qualified to do that residing at White River, full fifteen miles distant, the only road being. the sandy beach of Lake Mich- igan. Before a conclusion was reached, the clock numbered two P. M., and it took another hour at least to obtain horses for the journey. About three o'clock, Tower led off mounted on his elegant "Brutus," Wheeler closely following on his less showy, but more plucky "Old Rob." Arriving at White River, after some delay Justice J. D. Stebbins was found, who, going immediately to his office, adminis- tered the oath with great dignity. Meantime the horses had rested, and the officers, full fledged (save filing their oaths official) mounted their steeds for home, which they reached about ten minutes before 12,-just time enough to file their papers before the time expired.
"To say that the rain fell in torrents, would give but a faint idea of the storm encountered on the 'home stretch' of that roman- tic ride. I doubt if it ever rained harder since the time of Noah. The clothing of the riders was wet through, and the water ran down, filling their boots and running over in streams. Arriving at Stony Creek, we found 'the fire fair-blazing and the vestment warm,' and the new treasurer, after his first official act of filing the clerk's oath, came from an adjoining room with glass and decanter in hand, remarking as he appeared: 'Tower, I don't believe a little good Bourbon would hurt either of us.' What could Tower do but take a little? Ye teetotalers, say, say, ye severest, what would ye have done?"
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