USA > Michigan > Mason County > History of Mason County, Michigan > Part 41
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66
The Rev. James Walker (now of Detroit) was the first minis- ter at the organization, followed by the present pastor, Rev. Wm. Coulter, who came in January, 1881.
1881, costing about $2,500.
The church edifice is in the village of Hesperia, but the con- gregation is chiefly from Greenwood.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The Hesperia circuit of the Methodist Episcopal Church was organized November 17, 1865, by the Rev. J. Swift, at the school- house at P. Monroe's. One class was formed, which was united to Benona circuit. At the fourth quarterly conference, in 1866, Hesperia circuit was formed, and Rev. J. Swift appointed pastor, with a salary of $100 from the missionary fund; next year the same pastor had $500 salary and $100 missionary money. In the third year Rev. Ezra Hayes was pastor, and returned the fourth year. The Rev. W. Harper supplied the fifth year. Next, for two years, came Rev. L. J. Griffin; then came Rev. S. S. Slater, whose term was not filled up, being succeeded by Rev. Mr. Howe, of Fre- mont Centre, who preached once each Sunday until conference, when Rev. S. Snider was appointed, who was followed by Rev. J. Vanfleet, for two years, and Elder John C. Lloyd, for two years, Rev. Mr. Johnson, now of Grand Rapids, supplied the place for a time. The Rev. William Lamport has occupied the pastorate for the last two years. In 1874 the present neat church on South Street was completed, at a cost of about $1,400; seating capac- ity, 300.
THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH of Hesperia was organized Janu- ary 5, 1858, by the following members, who met at the residence of Oliver Swain: William A. Hoskins, Oliver Swain, Nelson Wright and B. D. Morton. At this organization William A. Hoskins was elected moderator, and Oliver Swain, clerk. The first pastor was William A. Hoskins. In 1874 the society engaged the services of Rev. J. H. Straight, and during his ministration an elegant church edifice was erected, in 1878.
SCHOOL.
Hesperia is blessed with a beautiful schoolhouse, on the south side of the village, and on the Newaygo side. It is a two-storied structure, 48x30 feet, with a wing 12x26 feet. Its beautiful gothic roof lends a picturesque appearance to the building, which will accommodate 200 pupils, and, together with its furniture, it is valued at $4,000. D. E. McClure is principal: the school was graded in 1881.
The school district is No. 7, situated in Newaygo and Oceana, and was organized in 1862; first teacher, Helen Martin. The pres- ent schoolhouse is the third erected by the district.
SOCIETIES.
On February 1, 1879, Hesperia Lodge, 552, Independent Order of Good Templars, was re-organized, having been dormant for a time. The first Chief Templar was Dr. H. C. Hawley; next, William Fleming, for three terms, followed by Mrs. King; then W. Fleming, re-elected; next, Miss Mary Larava; next, John Ash, and lastly, Lewis Bush, who is the present W. C. The membership in good standing is about thirty-five, but it has been as high as eighty-five.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
JOHN ASH, millwright, Hesperia, was born in Boston, Mass., May 26, 1829, and married, December 28, 1852, Martha E. North, of Thomaston, Maine. He came to this township in April, 1865. He has followed the occupation of millwright, carpenter and joiner, during his residence in Hesperia, having had supervision of the erection of a large number of the buildings in the village and vicinity. He has had six children, three of whom survive-Addie J., William The present neat church edifice was dedicated November 27, ; J., and Ruth L. Cora A. died at the age of twenty-two months, Josephine at the age of three weeks, and Hattie F. at twenty-one months.
LUCIUS CLARK, farmer, Section 29, was born in Berkhampton, Litchfield Co., Conn., December 25, 1818; came into this state in 1840, locating in Hillsdale County, remaining until March 16, 1866, when he came to his present location, selecting 160 acres of Govern- ment land on Sections 29 and 30. He has a thorough, practical knowledge of the trials and difficulties of the early pioneer. He married, in 1850, Sarah A. Smith. He has eleven children -- James M., George L., Francis A., Perry R., Idell J., Thomas H., Harry A., Bertie L., Nellie A., Clifford J., and Gertrude.
AMASA H. DEITS, farmer, Section 2, was born in Monroe County, N. Y., April 20, 1835, and came to this state in the Fall of 1845, and into this township, March 20, 1872. He enlisted, September, 1861, at Grand Rapids, in the Eighth Michigan Infantry, and Feb- ruary 14, 1862, was transferred to the One Hundred and Fourth Pennsylvania Infantry, and discharged at Philadelphia, September 30, 1864. He was wounded at Fair Oaks, May 31, 1862, (being shot through the right shoulder), and taken to the hospital at Annapolis, Md. He was discharged in September, and sent back to his regi- ment, at Gloucester. Pt., Va. He married Charity Van Valkenburg, April 28, 1867, who died July 3, 1872, leaving two children-Alfred H., and Alonzo H. He married again, December 25, 1874, Mrs. Rhobie A. Barnhart, Pewamo, Ionia Co., Mich., who has one child, Ida V. He homesteaded, in 1871, 120 acres, on Section 2, his pres- ent residence, and has made large improvements, and in a short time he will have one of the finest farms in the township.
WILLIAM H. DRAKE, deceased, was born in Amity, Erie Co., Pa., November 24, 1821, and was married to Mary A. Logan, November 24, 1846. They came into this state in 1856, settling in Van Buren County, where they resided until the Fall of 1860, when they moved into this township. He purchased eighty acres of Government land, at 50 cents per acre. He built a dwelling house and moved his family into it, August 12, of the same year. He was drafted Sep- tember 12, 1864, and was taken ill, and died in Jefferson Hospital, Indiana, February 11, 1865. He left six children-Dean, Susanna, George, Ellen J., Eliza, Emina.
JAMES W. DUNNING, hardware merchant, Hesperia, was born in Calhoun County, Mich., May 3, 1843, and came to this township April 16, 1866, entering the employ of John T. Dayton, as sales- man, for one year, after which he entered the employ of Welch, Heald & Co., remaining with them two years. He then engaged with A. J. Foster, taking charge of his store and business at Hesperia. Since
-
Digitized by
HISTORY OF OCEANA COUNTY.
147
that time, he has been in business for himself, except one year, when he was in the employ of G. D. Webster. He married Sarah L. Sweet, of Newfield, February 18, 1868, and has four children -Alice P., Una E., Jesse E., and an infant girl. He has held the office of supervisor, town clerk and justice of the peace.
WILLIAM FLEMING, blacksmith, was born in Lancaster, Glengary Co., Ont., December 7, 1840, and married Mary Urquhart, of Ontario, Canada, February 18, 1864. He came to this state in March, 1866, and located in Hesperia, in November, 1876, establish- ing a general blacksmithing and wagon-making business. He has three children-Lizzie A., James E., and William A.
WILLIAM GREGSON, lumberman, foreman of A. J. & C. E. Covell's lumber camp, was born August 18, 1847, at Rochester, Fulton Co., Ind. Came to Newfield, in 1866, and usually is employed as fore- man of lumber camps, in the Winter, and in Summer has charge of a gang of men in the river. He has been in the employ of different companies-Heald & Co., J. P. Cook & Son, and the Booming Com- pany. He superintended the construction of the second tramway built on White River, for the transportation of saw logs.
DR. HENRY C. HAWLEY was born in Schodack, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., August 11, 1830, and was married June 2, 1850, to Clarissa, eldest daughter of John McGill, Jr. He came into this township December 27, 1861, and pre-empted the north-east quarter of Sec- tion 34, erected a dwelling, and in April, 1862, he moved into it. He remained on his farm until 1872, when he removed to Hesperia, where he has since resided. He has taken quite an active interest in the political questions of the day; has been elected and served three terms as county surveyor, and has acted for years as super- visor of the township. He was treasurer of Greenwood, in 1864-'65, was elected justice of the peace, in 1863, and has held the office con- tinuously to the present. He has held a commission as notary pub- lic for fourteen years. He was chairman of the county board of supervisors for several years. His family consists of Sarah H., Maria L., Eugenia C., Orlando D., Orvilla H., Milo F., Orel Z., Leon H., Glen O., Ned P., Zeno R., Blanche, and Isis M.
JOHN McGILL, JR., deceased, was born in Orange County, N. Y., December 25, 1809, and married Sarah Herman, of King- ston, N. Y., in 1829. In 1852, he removed to Louisville, Ky., where he resided until 1857; returned then to Watervliet, N. Y., and afterwards to Cohoes, N. Y. In August, 1859, he removed to Milwaukee, and in the Spring of 1860 he removed to this state, residing in Dayton until 1861, when he took up 160 acres of land on Section 27, Newfield, paying fifty cents per acre. He resided on this place until his death, December 15, 1878. He was one of the first settlers, and took an active part in all township matters, and was universally respected by all who were favored with his acquaint- ance. His children, some of whom have passed away, were: John H., Annie M., Clarissa, Charles H., Josephine, Jane, Martha, Walter S., George W., and James W.
WALTER S. McGILL, farmer, Section 27, third son of John McGill, Jr., was born in Cohoes, Albany Co., N. Y., May 2, 1848, and came into the township with his parents, in 1861. He married, September 19, 1875, Olive H. Radley, of Newfield. They have had one daughter, Laura, born August 4, 1878, and died April 15, 1882.
ALEXANDER MCLAREN, farmer, Section 12, was born in Perth- shire, Scotland, July, 1805, and was married to Isabella Reed, of Alloa, Scotland, in April, 1840. They came to America in 1854, landing in New York on the 1st of August. He came into this state in 1857, and into this township, February 18, 1858, homesteading eighty acres, and purchasing eighty acres more at government price, seventy-five cents per acre, upon which he still resides. He has taken an active interest in all that pertains to the development of
the township, holding important offices, for a number of years. He has seven children: Alexander, Daniel, Mary Ann, Isabella L., Peter G., Thomas S., and Albert E.
PHILETUS MONROE, merchant, Hesperia, was born in Furring- ham, Mass., July 17, 1815; came to Section 6, Dayton, in the Spring of 1864, purchasing 160 acres of land. He resided in Dayton, until October 15, 1878, at which time he purchased the building and stock of D. P. Glazier, and has resided in Hesperia ever since. He carries a large stock of general merchandise, doing a business of from $15,000 to $20,000 a year, and in addition he is quite an extensive farmer. He married, May 18, 1841, Mary A. Larkins, of Rome, Oneida Co., N. Y., who died, leaving five children: Almeda, Charles, Ida S., Etta, and Mary Ann. His second marriage was to Wealtha M. Cunningham.
GEORGE ROBBINS, farmer, Sections 33 and 34, was born in Johnstown, Montgomery Co., N. Y., April 28, 1834, and came to this township in 1865, locating 160 acres on Sections 33 and 34. He enlisted August, 1864, in the One Hundred and Eighty-Sixth New York Volunteer Infantry, and was discharged June 9, 1865, at Albany, N. Y. He married in 1855, in Jefferson County, N. Y., Ann Sturtevant, who died March 5, 1867, leaving two children, Delbert and Clara. He was again married to Elizabeth Potter, of Newfield, January 1, 1870. The issue of this union is two daugh- ters, Bell and Hattie.
JOSEPH J. ROBBINS, farmer, was born in Otsego County, N. Y., December 4, 1820, and was married January 15, 1842, at Tioga County, Pa., to Miss Marinda Robbins. He enlisted September, 1861, in the One Hundred and Fourteenth Pennsylvania Infantry, which was consolidated with the Fifty-Eighth Pennsylvania Infantry. He was discharged January 9, 1865, at Chapin's Farm, Va. He lost his eyesight by sunstroke in 1864, and still suffers from the same cause. He came to this township, May, 1865, locating on his farm a short distance north of Hesperia. He has resided for some time in the village of Hesperia. He has seven children-Charles H., Emmeline C., Berson, Benjamin L., Evaline E., Benjamin F., and William W.
JOHN B. SMITH, farmer, Section 36, was born in Clinton, Macomb Co., Mich., November 28, 1842, and has resided in different portions of the state, including Oakland, Lapeer, and Muskegon Counties. He served his country during the late war, enlisting in Muskegon in July, 1861, and was discharged at Nashville, Novem- ber 28, 1862, on account of being disabled by the loss of a leg, at the battle of Murfreesboro, July 13, 1862. He received thirteen bullets between the knee and ankle, was taken prisoner on the field, and paroled. In the hospital, his leg was amputated just below the knee. He married, January 12, 1874, Mrs. Maria H. Rodgers, and has three children-Charley, Lora, and Verne.
EZRA SPAULDING, farmer, Section 22, was born at Marcellus, Onondaga Co., N. Y., March 20, 1823, and came to this state in the Fall of 1859. In the Fall of 1865, he homesteaded 120 acres, where he has since resided. He enlisted in the Sixth Michigan Cavalry, in September, 1862, and was discharged at Lincoln Hospital, August 5, 1865. He was married, April 10, 1856, to Martha Curtis, of Yates, Orleans Co., N. Y., by whom he has five children-Ellen J. Ezra, Warren, Lucy, and Lyman.
CHARLES E. STROBRIDGE, scaler, estimator of pine land, and real estate agent, Hesperia, was born in Ridgebury, Bradford Co., Pa., March 6, 1847. He came to Michigan May 20, 1862, and during the following October came into this township, locating 160 acres of government land and forty acres of state swamp land, on Sections 21 and 22. For several years he has been in the employ of large lumber firms, superintending the scaling at several camps
Digitized by
.
148
HISTORY OF OCEANA COUNTY.
during the Winter months, and estimating and purchasing pine lands in Summer. He married, October 20, 1868, Satie M. Strick- land, at Green Bay, Wis., and they have one surviving child, Tru- man S., and have lost two children, Olive A., who died August 10, 1867, and Henry, August 30, 1874.
THEODORE TAYLOR, farmer, Section 35, was born in Wilson, Niagara Co., N. Y., May 17, 1831; became a resident of this state in 1839, residing in Leroy, Calhoun Co., and in May, 1850, moved to Big Prairie, Newaygo Co., where he resided until March, 1861, when he settled on his present place. He has followed lumbering and farming, having passed, during his residence in this state, a number of Autumns and Winters in the pine woods, during a portion of the time as a jobber, the balance as scaler, and spending the rest of the year on his farm, which ranks with the best in the township. Of late years he has paid considerable attention to fruit culture, and at the Fall fairs, for a number of years, he has had the finest collections of fruit that have been placed on exhibition. He married, April 15, 1852, Miss Julia Swain, and they have a family of four children -- Elliot J., Nelson A., Mary E. and Rosa E.
JOSEPH W. SWEET, farmer, Section 25, was born in Oswego, N. Y., August 1, 1817; came into this state in 1842, settling in Wheat- land, Hillsdale Co. From 1842 to 1849, owing to ill-health, he was obliged to return to New York State three times. In the Autumn of 1849 he removed to Allendale, Ottawa Co., where he resided until 1855, when he removed to Grand Haven. In April, 1858, he came up to White River and purchased 120 acres of land upon a portion of the plat on which Hesperia now stands. In 1860 he purchased his present location, where he has since resided. December 1, 1876, his dwelling-house and contents were totally destroyed by fire, during the absence of himself and family. On one of his trips west he was shipwrecked on Lake Erie, drifting ashore twenty-one miles west of Buffalo, losing all his personal property, and one child, drowned. He married March 21, 1841, Betsey Jerrells, of Fairport, Monroe Co., N. Y., and they have had eight children-Carlistia M., Sarah L., Louisa, Sarah, Minnie S., Chester A., Alice A. and Catherine M .--- of whom Sarah died at the age of two months, Catherine M., aged fifteen days, Alice A., aged five years and six months, and Minnie S., aged thirty years.
GUILFORD D. WEBSTER, merchant, mill owner and farmer, Hes- peria, was born in Monroe, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, October 7, 1828, coming into this state in 1856, residing in Allegan County until 1867, when he came to Hesperia, where he has resided ever since. He purchased the sawmill and water power at Hesperia in 1867, and added a planing mill, edger and a pump factory. He cuts, on an average, 4,000 feet per day, chiefly for the home market. He pur- chased what is known as the "old corner store" and stock in trade, of S. Atherton, in 1876, and continued the mercantile business there until June 1, 1880, when he sold the premises and stock to J. C. McCowen, and purchased the Shirts' Block, March 4, 1880, putting in a stock of clothing, gents' furnishing goods, and boots and shoes. In addition to his other business, he does a general exchange in buying and selling drafts, etc. He is one of the most prominent and successful business men of this portion of the county.
DANIEL WEAVER, retired merchant and mill owner, Hesperia, was born April 28, 1811, in Rensselaer County, N. Y., and when but three weeks old, his parents removed to North Adams, Mass., where he remained until 1829, when he went to Genesee County, N. Y., where he remained four years. He then came to this state, remaining five years at Adrian, sixteen years at Hillsdale, and twelve years at Fremont Centre, moving to Hesperia in 1866, having been, a large portion of his life, in milling and mercantile business. He was five years supervisor in Hillsdale County, and has held various township
offices, such as justice of the peace, and is at present highway com- missioner. He built, in 1871, the first gristmill in this portion of the county, and built the first store and put in the first stock of goods that were brought to Hesperia. He has one of the finest residences in the village.
TOWNSHIP OF GREENWOOD.
ORGANIZATION.
The first township meeting was held at the residence of William R. Wilson, on Monday, April 5, 1858, when the following officers were elected: Supervisor, Oliver Swain; clerk, Cyrus W. Bullen; treas- urer, Craig B. Moe; justice of the peace (four years), O. Swain; (three years), Nelson Wright; (two years), C. W. Bullen; (one year), Amos S. Wright; directors of the poor, Benjamin Ish (two years); Saunders C. Wood (one year); constables, Lachlan McCal- lum, Lyman Brown and B. Moe; school inspectors, O. Swain and N. Wright.
The following is the list of officers since organization :
SUPERVISORS .- Oliver Swain, 1858-'59- 60-1-2; Charles Camp, 1863-64-5-6-7 and part of '79; Henry F. Cushman, 1868-'69-'70-1-3; Joseph Stevens, 1872-'80; Isaac H. Cogswell, 1874- 75-6-7-8-9; Benjamin F. Hermance, 1881-'82.
CLERKS .-- Cyrus W. Bullen, 1858-'59; Lachlan McCallum, 1860-'61-'75-6-7-8: John M. Swain, 1862/ 68: Charles E. Sischo, 1864; R. F. Wells, 1865-'66-7-8-9-'70-1: O. F. Williams, 1872; A. M. Phelps, 1878-'74: Charles Serfling, 1879-'80-1-2.
TREASURERS, -C'raig B. Moe, 1858; Benjamin Ish, 1859-'60-1- '62; Ezra I. Rugg, 1863; Henry C. Hawley, 1864-'65; Joseph Stevens, 1866-67-8-9-'70-1 5-6-7-8-9: H. F. Cushman, 1872; Enos Scott, 1878-'74; Rudolph Bell, 1880-'81; Ambrose M. Phelps, 1882.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
H. D. Clark was the first settler, and located in the extreme southeast corner, closely followed by L. and A. McCallum, Amos Wright, L. T. Brown, B. Ish, and others. Oliver Swain and Judge Camp followed soon after, settling in the extreme northeastern part, and B. F. Moe located midway between the two settlements.
The town was slowly settled, as it was a dense lumbering region, and only as the lower portions of the country, bordering ou White River, began to be exhausted of their timber, did Greenwood begin to be sought out by the early lumberers. Situated on the south branch of the White River, it was possible, by means of pole boats, to transport the settlers and their effects to the Rapids, and to team thence to their future homes by means of oxen, or oftener, by the forest trails, on the backs of the settlers and their obliging neigh- bors. Goods were often thus brought up from the mouth of White River, where there was early a settlement, with the usual accom- paniment of a sawmill, store, and the inevitable saloon or two. Sometimes, a settler and his family, with their household effects, were dumped down on the north side of Muskegon Lake, to make their way the best they could, by foot, to White River postoffice, and thence by pole boats up the White River, or by ox team, and often in fording the streams they stood in imminent danger of drowning.
Another mode of entering the country was by the way of Newaygo.
The first settler was Henry D. Clark, He is still hale and hearty, and enjoying the fruits of his labors on a beautiful farm in the extreme southeastern corner of the county, on Section 86. He made his way into his present lot in September, 1855, and built a rude shanty of score blocks and bark, and commenced to make a clearing. After about five weeks of lonely blessedness, he heard,
Digitized by
149
HISTORY OF OCEANA COUNTY.
one evening, the welcome sound of a human voice --- that of Amos Wright, who asked if he wanted company. One may be sure that never was Robinson Crusoe so delighted at finding Friday, as Clark was to hear the cheery sound of a human voice, and to grasp the hands of Wright and that of the sturdy, honest Scotchman who accompanied him, Mr. Lachlan McCallum, now one of the best farmers in the county. Messrs. Wright and McCallum came in October, 1855. They had met by accident, in Jolin Ball's office, in Grand Rapids, and found land in Greenwood. Lyman J. Brown came in about the same time. When H. D. Clark raised his log house, he had to scour the country for nine miles around to get men enough to assist in the raising. Archibald McCallum, who was afterwards a martyr in the war, came about the same time as Lach- lan, his brother, and the two worked in the lumber woods.
B. F. Moe came on Section 24, in November, 1856, and Neil McCallum came the same year. Charles Camp, ex-judge of probate, came in on Section 1, in September, 1858, and after enduring con- siderable hardships, has now a very fine farm. A. Bell arrived in January, 1860. Samuel Mena, who has one of the finest farms in the township, on Section 12, came in 1861, and gradually other set- tlers have come in, one by one, until the town is fairly settled.
Oliver Swain, now removed, was one of the early prominent men, and at one time treasurer of the county. He was the first supervisor, and held that office for five years. When the name of the township was discussed, he wished it to be named Oliver, but "Greenwood" was the prevailing choice. B. F. Moe suggested the name, and looking over the catalogue of postoffices, found there was no other of that name in the state.
There has been nothing very eventful in Greenwood, except, perhaps, the tragic death and disappearance of one who had long been entrusted with the supervisorship-Isaac H. Cogswell-a man of about sixty-five years of age, who had been judge of probate, in Newaygo County, and who stood high as a man of business. He committed suicide by immolating himself on the fire of his own house. But this subject is discussed at length in another part of this work. Charles Camp was chosen to fill the vacancy in the supervisorship, made an affidavit of the destruction of the township roll, and means were taken to restore this.
EARLY EVENTS.
The first inspectors of election in 1858 were Oliver Swain, C. B. Moe, and Nelson Wright. The first bridge in the town was over the south branch of White River, half a mile west of Paris . Wells, built by volunteer workmen. The first schoolhouse (No. 3) was in the McCallum neighborhood, in the Fall of 1860. The first teacher was Miss Lydia Cunningham. The present school building is a fine structure, well equipped, costing $1,000, with fifty pupils, under Miss Procter, of Lansing. The first house was H. D. Clark's. The first marriage was Henry Moe and Caroline Wright. The first birth was a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus W. Bullen, and the first death was that of the same child.
About the Fall of 1861, as B. F. Moe was raising a log house, having a "bee" of his neighbors to assist him in the task, a log came down and injured his spine, from which he has never fully recovered. There was no doctor, then, nearer than Newaygo, twen- ty-four miles off. Dr. Hawley arrived a few months after, and was the first physician in the town.
In 1872 there was a man named Knapp residing on Section 20, who was killed by falling under his wagon.
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.