History of Mason County, Michigan, Part 4

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

USA > Michigan > Mason County > History of Mason County, Michigan > Part 4

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).

In 1881 the number of acres assessed was 285,833; total valu- ation of real and personal property, $3,206,701. Total amount of taxes, $61,921.32. The number of acres improved in 1864 was 776; in 1870, 4,374; in 1874, 6,444; in 1881, 13,329. The total number of farms in 1881 was 592.

In 1873, 648 acres were planted to corn, yielding 19,723 bush- els, an average of 30.43 bushels to the acre.

In 1874 the aggregate potato crop of the county was 44,199 bushels; number of tons of hay, 2,142; wool, 40 pounds; number of pounds of pork marketed, 4,150; cheese, 10 pounds; butter, 35,806 pounds.

In 1873 there were 503 acres of orchards, including peach, apple, pear, plum and cherry. The yield in apples was 8,673 bushels.

In 1873 the county contained eight sawmills, all operated by steam power, employing 598 persons. The capital invested was $434,000, and the value of the product $786,461. In 1876 the county had twenty mills, with a capital invested of $3,000,000.

The number of acres of primary school state swamp lands in 1874 was 2,465.57, and swamp lands 8,327.84. The minimum price of primary school lands was $4 per acre, for farming lands, 50 per cent of which was payable at the time of entry, the balance at the option of the purchaser, with interest at 7 per cent. Pine and other timbered lands, $5 per acre. The minimum price of the swamp lands was $1.25 per acre. The so-called swamp lands com- prised, some of them, the best farming lands in the state.

In 1873 the population of the county, by townships, and the number of acres of improved land, were as follows:

Popu-

No. Acres

TOWNSHIPS.

lation. Im. Land.

Amber.

458

976

Branch.

139

Free Soil.

214

426

Grant.

200

348

Lincoln.

131

282

Pere Marquette.

196

192

Riverton

704

1,827

Sherman.

290

337

Summit.

271

731

Victory ..

421

600

Ludington City

2,193

Total

5,226

6,019

INCIDENTS OF PIONEER LIFE.

Life in the early days of the county was a compound of "rough- ing it" and good times. The old settlers remember many enjoyable

features of their hardships and deprivations. There were no roads, and travel was effected in small boats along the beach or on foot through the woods. In some instances ponies were used. It was a familiar sight to see Unele Richard Hatfield come striding along with a child or two loaded into a muskrat pouch upon his back. Supplies were "backed" from Muskegon. Families went visiting and attended Fourth of July celebrations on primitive sleds drawn by oxen. This sort of navigation was just as easy in Summer as in Winter, the leaves on the ground through the woods answering all the purposes of snow.

Getting married was a little more formidable operation then than now, though possibly attended with less risk. Courting was a simple and inexpensive luxury, but for several years, in order to be pronounced man and wife, it was necessary to import a justice of the peace from Oceana County. The first white people married here were Richard Hatfield and Mary Caswell, the ceremony being per- formed by James Dexter, a justice of the peace at Pentwater.

Of the men here at an early day, George Tripp and Rufus Purdy were perhaps the two that wandering roughs found the least comfortable to fool with. Upon one occasion a party of Swedes, who were working in the woods for Ford, came down and undertook to create some trouble about the mill. Tripp and Purdy took them in hand, and when last seen the Swedes were making lively time in the direction of Muskegon.

A lawyer and an officer from Muskegon came up one day and seized a horse belonging to Ford. Mr. Tripp, who was in Ford's employ, saw them leading the horse past the store door. He was out in an instant, and taking hold of the halter, cut the strap with his knife, leaving the severed end in their hands. He took the horse, and told the men to go on with their strap. Somehow, they concluded to do as he advised.

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The first lawsuit tried in Mason County 'was before a justice of the peace in Pere Marquette Township. A man named Barber was arrested for selling whisky, upon complaint of an agent of Charles Mears. The attorneys in the suit were Washing- ton Weldon and Alonzo Hyde. A jury of six "good men and true" was impaneled. Four of the jurors were Richard Hatfield, Delos Holmes, J. F. Phillips and G. A. Caswell. The names of the other two cannot be obtained. The suit was tried in the courthouse which was then in a frame building on the Caswell farm. George Tripp was constable. At the conclusion of the trial the jury was closeted in a small room to weigh the evidence and ar- rive at a verdict. One of the jurors mounted a barrel, standing in the middle of the room, and the head giving way, he dropped into an assortment of very good eating apples. The jury immediately went into a committee of the whole, and took up the apple question. In the court-room, clients, lawyers and officers were waiting im- patiently for the verdict, and when the constable appeared at the door to inquire how the jurors were getting along, they assured him that they were making splendid progress. and agreeing per- fectly. Once thoroughly filled with the luscious fruit, they felt so perfectly at peace with all mankind, that they made up a verdict of "No cause of action," and the defendant went out of court in happy ignorance of the real cause of his good fortune.

The supposed jurisdiction of the early justice was as unlimited as were the imagined powers of his court. The carly justice of Pere Marquette was not an exception. It is related that upon one oc. casion a woman made complaint to the justice that her husband abused her, and her prayer was for divorce. The justice ex- amined the case with profound care, granted the divorce, and banished the husband from the county. Not doubting the legality of the proceeding, the husband went to Pentwater, in Oceana County. Learning there that the justice had no power to banish a citizen,

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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.

the husband returned. The justice was terribly indignant that his authority should be so grossly set at nought, and he summarily arraigned the offending husband before him and sentenced him to six months' imprisonment in jail for contempt of court. He was taken in charge by the sheriff, and allowed to work the sheriff's garden through the Summer.

Along in these early days there was a preacher who visited Pere Marquette, bringing spiritual consolation to the inhabitants. One day Mr. Phillips, George Tripp and a Mr. Caswell, brother of Burr Caswell, were down at the channel of the river, having crossed on a loose jointed raft made of slabs. Caswell started to take the raft back to the other side. The current was strong, and as he was not expert at the use of the pole, the raft went in all directions, but principally to pieces. He did not know that the water was shallow, and was certain that he was on the down grade to a watery grave. He shouted to his companions that he was going down, but they did not appear much alarmed, and told him how to use the pole. Again he shouted that he was going down, and as the raft went in

pieces, he supposed his end had come, and with all the pathetic unction of a last appeal he shouted to his friends, " Tell them where I've gone !" and down he went into about two feet of water and stuck fast in the sand. It was easy to see where he had gone.

Along late in 1866, some of the sober-minded citizens made a careful calculation and came to the conclusion that in the quantity of supplies unloaded at this port, the ratio of whisky to flour was too great, and accordingly they were on the alert. Pretty soon the "Hooker" came in and began to unload the usual miscellany of flour and whisky. A court was convened at the old schoolhouse, and after mature deliberation it was considered best to visit the vessel in a body, and render a verdict on the spot. Headed by Luther H. Foster, the law administering procession moved upon the "Hooker," saw the evidence, threw the whisky overboard and fined the captain. This was the first mixture of whisky and water ever compounded by a temperance court in the judicial ! his- tory of Ludington.

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LUDINGTON CITY.

The history of this metropolis of the frontier presents a most remarkable illustration of what may be accomplished through the energy, genius and wisdom of man, in the development of material resources. In tracing the wonderful transformation that has been wrought through these years, so few and yet so fruitful, the his- torian has found much to excite his wonder and admiration.

The chapter opens with a primitive saw-mill, situated upon the shore of Pere Marquette Lake. Besides the mill are a few rude buildings, 'one of which is a store, and another the mill boarding- house. A few stump-covered acres have been stripped of their timber, and all around is the mighty forest. Only a little while be- fore the smoke of the red man's wigwam circled above the trees just below the channel, and his bark canoe darted through the waters of Lake Michigan from this very spot.

This was in 1864. The mill built in 1849 by Baird & Bean, ten years later came in possession of James Ludington, a promin- ent business man of Milwaukee. Charles Mears had operated the mill two or three years under a lease, and had changed the chan- nel to its present location. The mill and all the vast property in- terests connected with it, were now being managed by Mr. Luding- ton.

Eighteen years later the chapter closes with a thrifty city of upwards of five thousand population. Rapid as has been the trans- formation, the growth has not been of the mushroom order. The streets are broad and straight, the business blocks mostly built of brick, and neatly finished. The citizens live in attractive homes, and the tradesmen have an air of thrift. All the varied industries recorded on these pages show the material prosperity and strength of the city whose history, while brief in lapse of time, is volumin- ous in achievements.

In our search through the archives of record and of memory after material for this work, we have come in contact with some- thing of the same spirit that has been the motive power in all this development, and that generous and enterprising interest on the part of the citizens of Ludington in whatever concerns their public welfare has made the task a pleasing and interesting one.

BEGINNING OF LUDINGTON.

In the Spring of 1864 the name of Ludington was first applied to this locality, by a postoffice of that name being established here. David A. Melendy, who had recently come here as bookkeeper for James Ludington, was the first postmaster.

Many people still suppose that the name of the place was changed from Pere Marquette to Ludington at the time the city was incorporated, in 1873. Such, however, is not the fact. The town- ship still retains the name of Pere Marquette, under which it was organized, while the name of Ludington dates from the time the postoffice was established, as stated above, and when the city was incorporated in 1873 it was voted to retain the name. In recogni- tion of this consideration on the part of the people here, Mr. Ludington donated a munificent gift of $5,000, to be expended in county and city public buildings.

Upon the opposite page is given an excellent portrait of the founder of the city that now bears his name, and below is a brief sketch of his life.

JAMES LUDINGTON.

For more than a third of a century the family name of Lud- ington has been known throughout the Northwest, and in achieving this distinction, the subject of this sketch did his full share during the years of his active business career.

James Ludington is a son of Lewis Ludington, and was born in Carmel, Putnam County, N. Y., April 18, 1827. His boyhood was spent with his parents in Carmel. He was a preco- cions lad, with a decided fondness for mischief, but was never a bad boy. He received an academic education, and was always quick to learn, and was noted for his intelligence and sagacity.

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In 1843 he came to Milwaukee, and for a time was engaged in the store of Ludington & Co. Subsequently he accompaniedl his father to what is now Columbus, Wis. Together they laid out the town, and it was their energy and sagacity thit stimulated its early growth. After remaining there a while, Mr. Ludington returned to Milwaukee and continued the business career, in the course of which he achieved such marvelous success. He was treasurer of the La Crosse Railroad for two years; was president of the " Bank of the West," at Madison, and vice-president of the " Juneau Bank," at Milwaukee. His business sagacity was uner- ring, and he was sure to bring prosperity to whatever enterprise he took hold of. He served for two years as alderman in Milwaukee, and rendered very efficient service to the city in the exercise of his correct judgment and thorough knowledge of all business affairs.

Prior to 1859 a small sawmill near the mouth of the Pere Marquette River had been operated by various parties, and finally came into possession of George W. Ford. With the mill property was a large amount of pine land. Mr. Ludington had advanced sums of money upon this property, and in 1859 came into posses- sion of it. He then turned his attention to this new enterprise, and after a few years decided to build a town.

In 1867 he platted the village and set himself about stimulat- ing its growth. That year, appreciating the value of the local news- paper, he went to Elisha Starr, who had the leading printing office in Milwaukee, and making known his wants, sought his advice as to a proper person to come to Ludington and start a paper. Mr. Starr recommended George W. Clayton, then a young man in his employ. Mr. Ludington conferred with Clayton, and the result was that he bought him an outfit, and thus started the newspaper enterprise which was so successfully carried on to the mutual advantage of both parties.

In 1878 the city was incorporated and was named Ludington in honor of its founder.

Mr. Ludington's connection with the place appears on these pages as the development and changes are traced from year to year.

In going back over the records of those early days, the historian

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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.

finds frequent and abundant evidence of Mr. Ludington's liberality and superior wisdom. Never a public enterprise was started, of advantage to the place, but that Mr. Ludington's draft for a liberal sum was received as a gift. These are recorded, with the accom- panying letters of encouragement, in the proper places. In selling village property his deeds expressly stipulated that no liquor should ever be sold upon the lots deeded, and he strenuously insisted that this stipulation must be complied with.

With the organization of the Pere Marquette Lumber Company in 1869, Mr. Ludington practically withdrew from the vigorous business activity he had so long pursued, having sold his entire property interests in this section to that company, for the sum of $500,000. He, however, retained an interest in the company. Soon afterward his failing health rendered it necessary for him to give up all business care.

Mr. Ludington never married. He has one brother, Charles H. Ludington, who lives in New York, and four sisters. Two of the sisters live at the old homestead, at Carmel, which has been in the family for sixty years. The present house is a handsome frame struc- ture, and was built by James Ludington, of lumber shipped from Wis- consin. For several years he has had apartments at the Newhall House, in Milwaukee, and always refers with lively interest and justifiable pride to the elegant and prosperous city that bears his name. The earlier settlers who were personally acquainted with him, and were witnesses of his achievements and liberal enterprise, cordially award a full measure of praise to the founder of the splendid city of Ludington.

IMMIGRATION AND BUILDING.

A new mill boarding house, now the " Filer House," was begun in the Fall of 1865 and finished early in 1866. The old board- ing house was a primitive affair, being a long one-story building, situated where the Flint and Pere Marquette depot now stands. Beyond was a long row of rude shanties ranged along an alleged street known by the highly significant name of " Saw Dust Avenue." This romantic thoroughfare dodged along among the stumps until it lost its identity in the woods .. In the Fall of 1865 Jacob Staffon came, and went into Mr. Ludington's store as clerk.

In 1866 Frederick J. Dowland and Luther H. Foster came in the employ of Mr. Ludington, the former as assistant-bookkeeper, and the latter to superintend outside interests. The business done in the store at this time was very large, and included almost the entire patronage of the county. The old store building used at that time, has been converted into two dwelling houses, which are still standing just south of the Pere Marquette store. If their dumb walls could speak a language fitted to our ears, a volume of stirring incidents could be quickly written. P. M. Danaher and R. F. Kasson erected dwelling houses this year, on what is now Ferry St.

Of the men who were active in the business interests of the place in 1866, but three are now residents of the city: P. M. Dana- her, president of the Danaher and Melendy Company ;. Jacob Staf- fon in charge of the store of the Pere Marquette Lumber Com- pany, and Frederick J. Dowland, secretary of that company. David A. Melendy is a resident of Milwaukee; R. G. Peters is at Manistee; William Farrell is in Arkansas, and Luther H. Foster and R. F. Kasson are dead.

In 1867 Mr. Ludington platted 360 acres of land for a town, and in the Fall of that year the large store building, which now belongs to the Pere Marquette Lumber Company, was completed and occupied. Messrs. L. H. Foster, Frederick J. Dowland and Geo. W. Clayton completed residences this Fall, and Mr. Clayton began the publication of the Mason County Record in the second story of his house. With the appearance of the Record the village assumed a dignity and prestige impossible to a community with-

out a local luminary. Dr. Doty and S. F. White erected a two- story frame building on Main street, the lower portion of which was used by Dr. Doty for a drug store and the second story was occupied by Mr. White as a law office. Mr. White was the first lawyer who located here. The building they erected is still stand- ing a little off Ludington Ave., opposite D. D. Huston's hardware store. In the Fall of this year Geo. Weimer opened a shoe store on Main Street, the first one started here. The Farrell House, now the Clinton House, was finished in the Fall and was the first hotel built in Ludington. A school building was erected in the woods, just east of where the Bank of Ludington now stands.

It was first intended to build the business portion of the town north from the dock along Main Street, but the plan was afterward changed, and it was decided to build up a business street extending east from the store, and this led to the opening of Ludington Avenue.

This locality had few of the elements of a paradise at that time. Main Street was profusely studded with stumps, and graded with logs to the farther limit of the clearing, which was not more than sixty rods from the store. Ludington Avenue was opened, where stumps and logs did not obstruct the passage, as far east as where Dr. Dundass' drug store now stands. Extending north and south across the street at that point, was a swamp covered with mud, ague and water. Where the Andrews Block now stands was a sand hill ten or twelve feet high, and another just north of where Arbeiter Hall now stands. The little area around what is now the corner of Ludington Avenue and Main Street, was bounded by water and the interminable forests. Whisky and wahoo bitters had been staple articles of merchandise for many years, but when the village was platted, the sale of liquor to be drank upon the premises was sup- posed to be stopped.

The first death recorded in the village paper was that of Capt. George A. Caswell, son of Burr Caswell, which occurred September 21, 1867. His age was thirty-six years and four months. His death was universally mourned by the citizens of the place.

The first wedding cake that burst upon the ravished vision of the editor was upon the occasion of the marriage of Frederick J. Dowland and Miss E. C. Mitchell, which occurred at Port Huron, October 22, 1867. Mr. Dowland at that time was bookkeeper for James Ludington.

At this time the Methodists held religious services here, and the Rev. Amos Dresser, a Congregational minister, also preached in the hall over Mr. Ludington's store. The village editor, with com- mendable unction, exhorted the people to arouse themselves to a truer sense of their spiritual necessities.

Standing among the logs and stumps of fifteen years ago, it was imposing a too severe strain upon the eye of faith to expect it to span the gulf, and behold the full transformation then just begun.

It was a fortunate circumstance that the men who had to do with the interests of the place were men of great energy, clear grit and long sightedness. They were determined that the village should improve, and as a consequence it did improve. The fame of Ludington began to travel abroad, and in the Spring of 1868, one year after the village was platted, it contained a population of about 500, and the number was rapidly increasing. Building began to extend up Ludington Avenue. Whittaker and Alexander erected a frame building where Dr. Dundass' drug store now stands, and shortly after Geo. Tripp built his meat market. His building was located in the swamp and the foundation was made of sawdust. He was obliged to build a levee around the lot to prevent the saw- dust hauled during the day from floating away during the night.

In April, 1868, the postmaster had been so besieged with let- ters soliciting information about Ludington, that he was moved to

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HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.

set forth the status of affairs through the columns of the Record. That prospectus gives a very good idea of Ludington at that time, and was in part as follows:

"We have one large store here in Ludington, which has sup- plied the country around with all the different necessities of life, during the past three years, their trade in 1867 amounting in the aggregate to $400,000. Mr. Charles Mears owns a general assort- ment store two and a half miles north of this place, which has also had a heavy trade for the past four or five years. Mr. Richard Rayne has another store of about the same character, in the Town- ship of Victory, eight or ten miles northeast from here, which is also doing a comfortable business. Besides, there are several of smaller note, who are making a good living.

"Our village contains, besides the store above-named, a drug store and three boot and shoe shops.

"We also have a first-class hotel here, built last Fall, and cap- able of accommodating seventy-five or a hundred guests.

"We have a splendid schoolhouse, the cost of which was about $3,000. This, at present, is used for divine worship every Sabbath. A subscription paper has been circulated, and some four thousand dollars has been subscribed towards the erection of a handsome church edifice, which will be put up if carpenters enough can be found to take the job.

"Several new buildings for business purposes are being pushed along as fast as men can be got to do the work. Twenty good mechanics can find work the whole season here. Among the new buildings is that of Mr. O'Brien's hardware store, Messrs. Whittaker & Alexander's book store, Mr. Weimer's boot and shoe store, and a grist mill and shingle mill combined.

"Mr. James Ludington has a large, powerful sawmill, in which about 150 men are employed. This mill cuts about 100,000 feet of lumber daily, and eight or ten vessels are constantly employed in this trade at this port.

"By reference to our advertising columns it will be seen that we have two steamboat lines, and one or more of these boats touch this point every day. Our habor is conceded by all to be the best north of Grand Haven, on the East Shore.

"The country adjacent is the best agricultural lands in Mich- igan, and although considerable land remains yet unsettled, it com- mands a pretty fair price, ranging all the way from the government price to $20 per acre.

"Every lot in our village could be sold, any day, for almost any price put upon it, if the proprietor wished to sell for speculation, but it is not considered the best way to build up a town, to sell to speculators. Every man who wants one or more lots can obtain them for improvements only.

"The county contains about 2,500 inhabitants, and this village has about 500 of that number."

A Good Templar's Lodge had been established, and was flourishing. A spicy local newspaper was doing a thrifty business. Only one man had "gone crazy," and marriages and births were far more numerous than deaths.

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History of Mason County, Michigan, Part 4

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