History of Mason County, Michigan, Part 39

Author: H. R. Page & Co.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 373

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MRS. JENNIE M. WILLSON was born in the Township of Fair- home, and providing all the necessaries that her scanty means allowed. 1 field, Franklin County, Vt., December 26, 1839, where she resided She resided in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., until the year 1856, until the age of six years, when her father (J. R. Vernal) selling his property there, moved to the northern part of the state of New York. She was the eldest of nine children, and commenced teaching when quite young, this being the occupation of her choice. She continued teaching until the age of twenty-two, when she was united in mar- riage to Morton E. Bradish, of Norfolk, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., on January 29, 1862, he leaving in a short time for the seat of war, having enlisted a few days previous to their marriage. He was among the first to volunteer, and went in Company E, Ninety-sec- ond Regiment New York Volunteers. He lived but a short time after reaching the South, dying May 9th, of the same year, and was buried in the soldiers' burial ground, at Yorktown, Va. Her mother dying the same month, and a brother soon after, left a lonely house- hold. She again commenced teaching, which she followed for three years, and was then united in marriage to Hiram J. Willson, leaving the home of her childhood for a home in the wilds of Michigan. Finding money scarce, and provisions ditto, she again commenced teaching, to assist in getting along in their new home. She organ- ized a small school, teaching in a shanty, on their own place, thereby starting a school district, where before there had been no school, In the Spring of 1866 they commenced on their homestead; she going with her husband to select a site on which to build. This was no easy matter, where all was a dense forest, with no road made, and no knowing where the road would be. Having found a spot that suited them, clearing and building was commenced, and soon quite a pleasant home awaited its mistress, being distant about two miles from the place they commenced on. Here they soon moved and still live, on the same spot where they commenced, sixteen years previous, for they both believe in the old adage that "the stone that keeps rolling will gather no moss." All the priva- tions of a new country they had to undergo. No railroad, no stores, no postoffice, having to go from seven to ten miles for their provi- sions and mail. And then paying such prices: $50 for a barrel of pork; $18 for a barrel of flour; 60 cents per pound for butter, and everything else in the same ratio. Twice they had their porkers carried off by bears; three times they lost their only cow, and hard times stared them in the face, turn which way they would. But they weathered the gale, and now things look a little more encouraging. A thriving little town has sprung up near them, and they are blessed with a railroad, a postoffice, and stores, of which they were deprived for so many years. Are also blessed with fruit of every kind, in abundance and to spare. Thankful to the kind Heavenly Father for leading them and cheering them through all their trials, they when she moved to Jefferson County, N. Y., leaving Hiram at work in St. Lawrence County. When he was fourteen years of age, he and his older brother took their mother from the poor-house, and inade arrangements with an aunt to give her a home, they, out of their little earnings, paying for her board and clothes. In the year 1862 Hiram volunteered to join the Union army, and was mustered into the United States service July 25, of the same year, and joined the One Hundred and Sixth New York Infantry, and September fol- lowing found him in the New Creek Valley, West Va., practicing military tactics, doing guard duty on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and devouring United States hard-tack and pork. He was in four- teen battles, viz: Fairmount, Locust Grove, Mine Run, Wilderness, Chancellorsville, Spottsylvania, Warren Station, Coal Harbor, Ream's Station, Monocacy, Bolivar Heights, Winchester, Cedar Creek, and Second Petersburg. He received a slight wound in the left side, at the battle of Winchester, September 19, 1864; was again wounded in the battle which captured Petersburg, a ball passing through his left side, April 2, 1865, which wound totally unfitted him for military duty. He was taken to Harwood General Hospital, Washington, D. C., under care of Surgeon B. B. Bonticon. His wound rapidly improved, and he was discharged from service for reason of disability, on May 29, 1865, having served his country for nearly three years. For the above disability the Government now grants him a pension of $18 per month. He was discharged June 3, 1865, and returned to his home and friends in St. Lawrence County, N. Y. He had previously made the acquaintance of Jennie V. Bradish, which acquaintance was continued while convalescing from his wound, and resulted in marriage on July 4, 1865. He then started West to seek a home, leaving his wife with her father's family, and after about three months search finally selected a home- stead among the wilds of Little Point Au Sable, on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, in the County of Oceana. He then went for his wife, who, accompanied by her younger sister and other friends coming to Michigan, made their way to Ionia, where he met the party, and conducted them to his log cabin in the woods. They now set themselves at work to make themselves comfortable for Winter,-chinked up the cabin, built a clay fire-place and chimney, (true soldier style) and commenced house-keeping. The Govern- ment land office having burned about this time, their application was burned before it was forwarded to Washington. This delayed their homestead entry receipt until the next Spring. Upon its arri- val they felt that they had something to do to make themselves

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still labor on, till they shall leave this earthly home for a better one on high.

TOWNSHIP OF BENONA.

For a number of the facts mentioned in the history of Benona, we are indebted to a carefully prepared sketch by James Gibbs, one of the prominent pioneers of the town.

In the year 1849, the Rev. W. M. Ferry, of Grand Haven, and his son, the Hon. T. W. Ferry, conceived the idea of building a water sawmill at the mouth of Stony Creek, at what is now Benona village, and the site being a good one, they secured it, and located land, on which was an abundance of excellent pine. In the follow- ing year they commenced operations, the job of building the dam being let to Dr. Phillips, and that of the mill to James Fordham and A. S. Anderson. Thus the first sawmill and the first manufact- uring of lumber in Oceana County was, in 1850, at Stony Creek.

On January 16, 1858, the Ferrys sold out to the firm of Camp- bell & Wheeler (Hon. Amos R.), and on that day Mr. Wheeler set foot in the county, having formerly been a resident of Illinois. He was born in 1815, and, although now sixty-seven years of age, is as active and energetic as ever. He has been ever since, with but a few trifling exceptions, a resident of Benona, and has had a great deal to do with the development of the county. He, in connection with his partners, the Minard Bros., still runs the flouring mill and saw mill and the well- stocked general store in Benona, and owns 5,000 acres of land in the vicinity. To show how rich the vicinity is in its lunbering resources, although some years ago the available pine on high land was esti- mated at 5,000,000 feet, he has since taken off 12,000,000, and has, it is supposed, 5,000,000 more. Campbell & Wheeler took possession of the property February 15, 1853. There were, at that time, but few, outside the mill, in the town; there being in the mill but four persons, of whom Campbell and Wheeler were two. Their families lived in one house until next season, when Mr. Wheeler built his house, which is still occupied, being the first frame building in the town. In it the first meeting of the county supervisors was held, in 1855, to organize the county; but they resolved to change the county seat to Whisky Creek, about a couple miles below, where A. S. Anderson, one of the supervisors, had built a commodious house; and Warren Wilder, the first supervisor of Benona, was out- voted by Anderson, of Claybanks, who had the assistance of Cobb, of Pentwater, to whom it mattered little whether he had to go a mile or two further or not. And so Whisky Creek became the seat of empire, until 1864.

On Little Point Au Sable men were getting out shingle bolts, in 1849. L. D. Eaton came over in that year, and made prepara- tions to bring his family in the following year. Accordingly, on November 1, 1850, he landed at Stony Creek, and had his family land on the beach above, near the Point. Their adventures on land- ing are given in the general history of the county. They went into a log house on James Gibbs' farm, opposite his present residence, and which is claimed to be the first log house in the county. It is still occupied as a dwelling. In the year 1854 there was no immi- gration. In 1855 Claybanks got a few new settlers. In 1856 im- migration began to flow into the interior.

ORGANIZATION.

The first township meeting was held at the house of Hon. Amos R. Wheeler, in April, 1855. Harvey Tower was chairman; Warren Wilder and Estes Rich, inspectors of election; Malcolm Campbell, clerk.

The following is a list of officers: Supervisor, Warren Wilder; clerk, M. Campbell; treasurer, James McNutt; justices of the peace,

A. R. Wheeler, Jasper Thompson, Heury Harris and Estes Rich: highway commissioners, W. Wilder, James MeNutt and Harvey Tower; school inspectors, W. Wilder and H. Tower. The number of voters was sixteen in all. The first schools in the county were taught by "Aunt" Polly Allen, at District No. 2, of Benona, and Miss Ellen Williams, at Blackberry Ridge, in District No. 1. There were four districts organized in 1856. There are now eight districts. There are also eleven road districts, with much improved roads.

In the Centennial year (1876) the officers of the town were, H. Hoffman, supervisor: Jacob Snell, clerk; A. R. Wheeler, treas- urer; P. B. Edgett, H. Hendrickson and J. Gibbs, justices of the peace; superintendent of schools, J. Leland: 198 votes cast.

THE PIONEERS

now living in the town are: A. R. Wheeler, H. Hendrickson, J. and Nels Munson, Andrew Brady, W. Thiele, L. Smith, L. Webber, W. H. Anderson, W. Gardiner, S. Merrifield, J. A. Van Tassel, John Stearns, H. and J. Koster, M. Fraderson, Jobn Simmons, James Gibbs and Mrs. J. H. Sammons (Eaton). All of these have lived twenty-six years and over in the town. Of those that have been twenty-one years and over, are: J. and T. Hendrickson, G. M. Marsh, W. Schafer and Mrs. Barrett.

When Benona was first set apart, it consisted of all of the present towns of Benona, Shelby, Ferry, Newfield, Golden, Hart, Elbridge and Leavitt, and Sections 1-6 in Claybanks, and the whole town was known as Stony Creek. The first reduction was taking off what is now Newfield, to form part of the town of Greenwood. Then the whole northern half went off as Elbridge; then Ferry was taken off, and there was nothing left but what is now Shelby and Benona. At this time the Hon. A. R. Wheeler was a resident on the other side of Lake Michigan, and each end of the town which was named Benona wished to elect the officers; so it was agreed to separate; but, although each was quite willing, the settlers in what is now Benona, applied first, and obtained their request, but were surprised to learn that they had lost their name, and Benona became the name for what is now Shelby, while the Benonaites proper had to chose another name -Leroy. This continued a short time, when it was found that it inide confusion of mail matter, the Shelby people sometimes having their mail go to Benona village, and the Benona people having to go to Shelby for mail. So it was agreed that Shelby should apply to change the name from Benona to Shelby, and the name "Benona" was speedily appropriated by the present town, which allowed the name Leroy to become a thing of the past.

The following is the list of officers since 1862:

SUPERVISORS: Henry Hoffman, 1862- 63-7-'70- 71-2-4-5-6; Amos R. Wheeler, 1864- 65-6-8-9; Joseph H. Sammons, 1877- 78-9: Charles A. Sessions, 1880-'81-2.

TREASURERS: Henry Hendrickson, 1862-63-4-5-6-7-75-7-8; Henry Hoffman, 1868-'69: Amos R. Wheeler, 1870- 71-2-4-6; David Graham, 1879; James Gibbs, 1880; William Olinder, 1881-'82.

CLERKS: William F. R. Smith, 1862- 63-4; Alonzo Hyde, 1865-66; Gershon Powers, 1867-68; George E. Conklin, 1869: Edwin G. Everdun, 1870-71-2-'80-1-2; Jacob Snell, 1874- 75-6: Gustaf Thiele, 1877; John B. Applegate, 1878- 79.

No minutes of election for 1873.

The fruit interest of Benona is quite extensive, being mainly confined to the vicinity of Blackberry Ridge, in the northwest corner, while in other parts there are orchards scattered here and there. J. H. Sammons has 5,000 trees, (mostly peach) C. A. Sessions has over 4,000, C. W. Jay 5,000, J. Gibbs 1,500, M. C. Baker 1,200, Mr. McMillan 1,500, Sours 600, L. W. Chubb 1,000, Mrs. Barrett 2,000, J. A. Van Tassel 1,800, John Burritt 600, S. Foster 1,000, O. F. McNutt 600, J. Miles 1,000, and last, but not least, by any

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HISTORY OF OCEANA COUNTY.

means, Mr. Lee has 20,000 peach trees, and is raising thirty-six acres of squashes, which are expected to pay immensely. Small fruit is not neglected. C. W. Jay above has 10,000 bushes of blackber- ries, etc.

MARSHVILLE. POST OFFICE, on Stony Creek, at the head of the lake, was founded in 1859, by George M. Marsh, now of Shelby vil- lage, who built a sawmill in 1861- 62, a gristmill the following year, and afterwards added a store, and carried on farming, as well. In 1868, small-pox attacked the men building his mill, and for nearly a year caused a suspension of business. Mr. Marsh was postmaster until 1877, when J. B. Applegate held it till 1881, since which time Mr. Marsh's brother (H. J.) has held the office. There is nothing doing at Marshville, now, owing to business disasters, but as there is a good site for business, it may soon revive again.

To the south is a Norwegian settlement, which came in 1856-'57, consisting of Bradys, Hendricksons, Munsons, etc. To the west is a German settlement of Hoffmans, Thieles, Schmidts, Stiers, Goodenraths, etc., which came in 1857- 58. Mr. William Gardiner, an old settler, is of American birth.

SAMMONS' LANDING is a beautiful spot on the extreme west of the county, where the lake is not over sixty miles wide, and is at the foot of precipitous bluffs of great height, Mr. Sammons' residence being about seventy feet above the lake, and the hill behind it, on which his fine peach orchard flourishes, is about seventy feet higher. Mr. Sammons' crop this year was estimated at $4,000, but a blight, for the first time, attacked the leaves, and state.

spoiled his prospects, as it has that of most peach growers in the , and for which he was taken to Canada as a prisoner by the British.

Mr. Sammons, for the last few years, has had the postoffice at the house, which was formerly kept at Blackberry Ridge.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

HON. AMOS R. WHEELER, lumberman, farmer and general merchant, was born of Scotch and English parents, in Cavendish, Vt., September 12, 1815. Went to St. Charles, Kane Co., Ill., in 1835, and in the Winter of 1853 came to Benona, Mich., when there were only fifteen white inhabitants in what is now Oceana County. With one Mr. Campbell, he purchased a sawmill and 1,300 acres of pine lands, of Rev. W. Ferry, and opened the lumber- ing and farming enterprises, which with varied enlargements still continue. In connection with Hon. Ira Minard & Sons, of St. Charles, Ill., he has for many years efficiently conducted a large mercantile and flouring business in Benona. He assisted in organizing the county of Oceana, when there were in it but three townships-Claybanks, Stony Creek, and Pentwater,-and was elected its first county treasurer. He has been township supervisor eight or nine terms, justice of the peace over twenty-four years, and postmaster over twenty years. In politics Mr. Wheeler is an active Republican. He was elected to the State Legislature in 1873, and re-elected in 1875. He has long held a high and honorable position in the Masonic Order, and has been a liberal supporter of benevolent and religious enterprises. He was married, January 15, 1840, to Phidelia Randall, daughter of V. Randall, of Tompkins County, N. Y. They have had five children, but only one, their daughter Effie E., now survives.

'JOHN THOMPSON, foreman in the firm of Wheeler & Min- ard Bros., Benona, was born in Smithfield, Somerset Co., Penn., June 1, 1848, and with his parents removed to St. Charles, Ill., in 1855 or 1856. He came from there to Benona, Mich., Septem- ber 11, 1868. He was married, October 8, 1872, to Martha Brower, of Benona, who died August 25, 1873, leaving one daughter,

Martha, born Angust 19, 1878. On October 9, 1879, he married Ada Reid, also of Benona, daughter of Henry W. and Elsie Reid, now of Shelby. They have also one little daughter, Kate, born October 13, 1880. In politics, Mr. Thompson is a Republican. He serves as notary public and justice of the peace; is active in Masonry, and in all useful and industrial enterprises in his com- munity.

HENRY J. GOODENRATH, son of C. and E. Goodenrath, formerly of Mecklenburg, Germany, was born in Benona, Mich .. February 7, 1857. He spent his early boyhood with his parents, and in school; served as clerk three years, in Ludington, and has served with great efficiency in that capacity, in the firm of Wheeler & Minard Bros., Benona, since April, 1876.

GEORGE M. BECKWITH, farmer, was of English descent, and was born November 17, 1845, in East Troy, Wis. He went to Ohio in 1867, and came to Benona in 1870. He has been nearly ever since in the employment of Hon. A. R. Wheeler, but has secured about ninety acres of real estate north of Stony Creek, for a family residence. He was married April 8, 1873, to Ida Reid, daughter of H. W. and Elsie Reid, now of Shelby. Two of their children have died. Those living are Earl H., born August 14, 1877, and Juna G., born September 3, 1879. Mr. Beckwith is an active craftsman, and an industrious and peace-loving citizen.

JOSEPH H. SAMMONS was born in Syracuse, N. Y., October 22, 1822; is grandson to Jacob Sammons, of Revolutionary times, who is said to have erected the first liberty pole ever raised in America, When escaping, he was seventeen days in the wilderness, and ate nothing but a rattlesnake, which bit him on the leg as he lay down to die. Ile ent the bitten part from his leg with his knife, beheaded the serpent, and saved his life by eating it.

Joseph went from Syracuse to Chicago, Ill., in 1842, where he devoted himself largely to manufacturing, but served as sheriff nearly two years, and made the acquaintance of President Lincoln. He next went to Kenosha, Wis., where, in 1867, he was elected and served as alderman; and in 1869 he settled in Michigan, at Little Point An Sable, now Sammon's Landing. Here he immediately opened a mercantile and manufacturing business, in which he had success, until sternly interrupted by the fire fiend, which consumed first his store and then his mill, causing a loss of some $10,000.

Mr. Sammons has of late devoted his attention more especially to fruit growing. He has now 4,500 trees, including the best vari- eties of peaches, and about 800 plum trees, 400 of which are Lom- bards. There are about 300 apple trees, and a fine selection of pears and cherries, together with a grape vineyard of about 1,000 settings.

This beautiful and valuable orchard is in a most desirable situ- ation. It lies facing Lake Michigan at the extreme prominence of Point An Sable, which extends into the lake over sixteen miles. The entire farm consists of about twenty acres, with complete adapt- ation to the greatest possible success in pomological enterprise. Mr. Sammons has served three years as supervisor, and four years as postmaster. He was married to Alma Wright, of New York, April 14, 1842, who died July 19, 1859. He next married Clara C. Davis, of Illinois, October 11, 1860, who died June 22, 1871; and on December 2, 1873, he was married to Betsy S. Eaton, of Clay- banks, Mich. He has nine children, six sons and three daughters, besides one adopted daughter: but one of these has been taken away by death.

WILLIAM A. EATON, farmer (and associate patron with J. H. S. of the O. & M. Co. History) was born at Point Au Sable, Mich., December 15, 1859, and is son of L. D. and Rebecca Eaton, for- merly of Waukesha, Wis. His father came to Point Au Sable

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in 1819, and the next season returned to bring his family. On the 3d of November they arrived off Stony Creek, and Mr. Eaton came ashore to obtain a scow on which to receive the family and goods at the Point; but a sudden gale blew the vessel northward some miles beyond the Point. On the next forenoon, Mrs. Eaton, with two children, was put on shore in the rain, was furnished with a barrel of pork and some other things, and left to her fate. She took a bed tick, and some sheets and quilts, and made a rude tent, and remained therein two days and nights. At last Mr. Eaton arrived, walking, and they all came on foot to a shanty, where Mr. James Gibbs now has his well in the hollow. Mr. Eaton soon erected a log house near by, where they lived until the next Spring, when they went to Stony Creek, and from theuce they came to what is now Claybanks Township. Mr. L. D. Eaton was drowned in 1876. He left five living children-Vincent, Betsy, Mary Jane, William Albert and John Sherman. William Albert now has charge of the family home in Claybanks, consisting of over 200 acres, and serves as postmaster in Claybanks postoffice.

CHARLES A. SESSIONS, farmer and fruit grower, was born in Washtenaw County, Mich., September 4, 1843. He spent his youth mainly in that vicinity, and received his education chiefly in the Union School, Ypsilanti. He came to this county in the Spring of 1871, and settled in Fractional Benona, on Section 1. He has purchased 320 acres of real estate, and has opened up a large agri- cultural and fruit growing interest, consisting already of 170 acres of cultivated land, of which some twenty-five acres are devoted to orchard purposes. He has now under cultivation about 2,500 peach, 600 apple, and 400 plum, embracing the best varieties of these fruits. He has served efficiently four or five years as superintendent of pub- He was married to Mary E. Jay, of Trenton, N. J., November 25, 1868. They have had three children --- Charles Jay, born December 3, 1869, who died March 9, 1873; Edith, born August 19, 1873; and Horace, born January 26, 1876. Mr. Sessions is a member of the Masonic Order, president of the County Horticultural Society, and a friend of industry and progress in all their varied aspects.

PETER B. EDGETT, farmer and fruit grower, was born in Ontario County, N. Y., February 24, 1813. He came with his Jic schools, and is now filling his third term as township supervisor. | parents to where Romeo now is, when about fourteen years old. He afterward lived some nine years in Almont. Thence he went to Thornville, thence to Pontiac, and thence to Kalamazoo. He settled on Section 16, in Benona, in 1866. He was married, first, to Lucinda Delano, of Seneca, N. Y,, in 1887, who died in 1868, and afterward to Elizabeth Van Antwerp, of Lawton, Mich., in 1871. He has one son, Byron N., and two daughters- Mary, who is now dead, and Josephine, of Battle Creek. He has in his farm home eighty acres. About thirty-five are under cultivation. He has in orchard some 500 trees, consisting of apples, peaches, pears, plums, quinces and cherries, and a variety of grapes and small fruits. He has served nearly two terms as justice of the peace, always culturing settlement of differences, rather than litigation, among his fellow-citizens.

JAMES GIBBS, farmer and fruit grower, was born in Pennsyl- vania, June 19, 1838. He came to Michigan in 1855, and pro- ceeded to this county in the Spring of 1857, having previously pur- chased 240 acres of real estate. He has now about ninety acres under cultivation. He has 600 peach trees, about 400 apple, 200 plum, and some pears and cherries in his orchard. He was married to Cynthia O. Allen, of St. Clair, Mich., November 29, 1866. They have had seven children, five of whom still survive, -namely, Wil- liam A., Frank S., Mattie May, Marcus Roy and Nina L. Mr. Gibbs has been justice of the peace and township treasurer several terms, and school director fifteen years.

LUDWIG SCHMIDT, farmer, was born in Prussia, November 9, 1825. He came to America in 1854, and lived in Connecticut two years. After coming to Benona, Mich., he worked for some time for Hon. A. R. Wheeler, and then settled on Section 16, in 1859. He purchased a farm of forty acres, to which he has added : of forty acres was purchased on Section 15, in Benona. About forty acres more. He has now forty-three acres improved, and an orchard of 150 trees, consisting of apples, pears, plums, and some peaches, which, with an excellent house and other improvements, make the estate a beautiful and desirable farm home. Mr. Schmidt was married to Elizabeth Reif, formerly of Germany, but then of New Haven, Conn., in January, 1856. They have had six children -Albert, Emma, Matilda, Hattie. Louisa and Amelia. Four have died. Olny Albertand Matilda are now alive.

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History of Mason County, Michigan, Part 39

Author: H. R. Page & Co. Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Number of Pages: 373

Author: H. R. Page & Co.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 373