USA > Michigan > Mason County > History of Mason County, Michigan > Part 64
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Experiences and hardships followed that would stagger the be- lief of persons unfamiliar with tales of pioneer life. He had always followed a trade, and was unused to any kind of farm labor, but he possessed a brave heart and a wife no less brave than himself. To- gether he logged a little spot of ground, and while he went away to work by the month, she raised the vegetables, planting potatoes with a hand spike, and doing many other things in the same rude way.
At one time, while felling trees near the shanty, they came down upon it and demolished the roof. Fearing that this might happen, they had removed the children and dishes to a safe place. Shortly after he had repaired the injury a violent storm blew the roof off just at night, and the family were obliged to seek shelter under the bank of the lake, and covering them with blankets, he kept a huge fire going the whole night.
All supplies came from Manistee or Traverse. When they first came an Indian carried the mail once a week through from Manistee to Traverse. The nearest post-office was Norwalk. Often a barrel of flour would be brought for them to a point a few miles distant, and taking a handcart, the two would bring it to their cabin.
For the first four months Mrs. Smith never saw a woman, ex- cept at the time of their first arrival. The first Winter the entire family were sick with small pox, and the heroism of the wife and mother was severely tested. Mr. Smith was taken sick at Lincoln, where he was at work for Charles Mears. It was twenty-five miles to his home, and the snow was deep and unmarked by any road. Weak as he was, he walked the entire distance, though often sink- ing down upon the snow from exhaustion, and when at last he reached home, he found every member of the family sick. There
were no doctors, but the nursing of the mother brought them all to health, and without a single scar from the dreadful disease.
For a long time their house was the only stopping-place on the trail, and by Spring their year's stock of provision was gone, and their money nearly gone, but he was always able to supply actual necessaries, and amid all their hardships the family never knew the want of plenty to eat and comfortable shelter.
In time, however, other settlers came in. He cleared his land and prospered. Most of the present Village of Bear Lake stands upon a portion of his original farm, and he has recently platted an addition of thirty acres. For some time he kept the principal hotel in the place, having used his dwelling for that purpose, and named it the Russell House.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith have always been prominent members of the society of the place, and are among its most esteemed residents.
The first postmaster was Jerome Hulburt, who took the office in 1867. He was succeeded by J. B. Mason, and then, J. N. Tillson, the present postmaster.
J. Edmonson and James Smith came in the Fall of 1868, and located about two miles south of Bear Lake.
Simon Anderson had already taken up a homestead, chopped some trees on it, and went away, but returned in the Spring of 1864.
Settlers gathered in, gladly welcomed by the oldest inhabitants. Openings were made in the forest, and fruit orchards planted.
During the Summer of 1866, Henry Erb brought in a few goods from Milwaukee, and partitioned off a small room, possibly 6x8 feet, in his log cabin; put up a counter and shelves, and called it a store. And there the settlers flocked for needles, pins, sugar, tea, etc. The Rev. Mr. Lewis also had an accommodation store, containing the same commodities with the exception of tobacco.
Immigrants from the east, west and south were at this time coming in crowds to take up the government land, and the business of cutting trees was constantly increasing. But with the hurry of clearing land, building houses and putting in crops, the future well- being of the children was not forgotten. They must be educated, for to them would belong much of the future weal or woe of the town. A district school was started, and a good log house built near the farm of J. B. Mason, who was the second postmaster of the town. The house was comfortably supplied with school apparatus, and Mrs. J. Guernsey, who years before had much experience in teaching, was again induced to put on the teachers' harness.
During the Winter of 1867-'68 the township of Pleasanton was set off from Bear Lake Town. There was now a much smaller range of territory, but the inhabitants were no less enterprising. Thorough going intelligent men found here a chance to begin a thriving business, on comparatively small capital.
The first grist mill and sawmill was built by Messrs. Carpenter & Harrington. Meanwhile, two good stores had been added to the town by T. A. Tillson & Co., and S. A. Anderson.
Good school houses dot the town, and show how deeply the people are interested in education.
A good library was supplied by the early settlers, containing a large number of well-selected books, and newspapers and periodicals are found in almost every liouse.
The present officers of the township are as follows: Supervisor, James Dodd; clerk, John N. Brodie; treasurer, G. K. Estes; jus- tices of the peace, D. D. Smith, Jerome Hulburt, Isaac Hilliard, A. B. Chamberlain; road commissioner, E. A. Bodwell; school in- spectors, George McKnight and William Kingscott.
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OLD HOME, Built Oct. 1863.
RUSSELL HOUSE , R. F. SMITH, PROP. BEAR-LAKE, MANISTEE Co. Mich.
RES.OF GEO. W. HOPKINS
RES. OF D. H. HOPKINS BACK & SIDE VIEW.
BEAR LAKE , MANISTEE Co., MICH.
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HISTORY OF MANISTEE COUNTY.
BEAR LAKE VILLAGE.
This beautiful and enterprising village is located in the north part of the township, and upon the south side of Bear Lake, one of the prettiest bodies of water in the state of Michigan. The lake is about two and one-half miles long, and three-quarters of a mile wide. It has no outlet, and is clear as crystal.
Its depth in some places is twenty-four feet, but along the banks the water is very shallow, growing deeper toward the center. It abounds with fish, the principal kinds being pickerel and bass. All around the village can be found genuine clay loam, about half clay and half fine sand, and this is covered to the depth of from ten to eighteen inches with vegetable mold, made by the leaves of centur- ies which have fallen and rotted. Thus the village has all the ad- vantages of a soil that cannot be surpassed by any soil in the West, or, in fact, anywhere, for general agricultural purposes. The timber in the region round about it is maple and beech, principally, but rock elm and a number of other kinds of hard wood are to be found in great profusion. The maple found here so largely is the prettiest we ever saw. The birds-eye variety, and the curled grain maple, so valuable for veneering and other fine and fancy work, cannot be surpassed for beauty and finish. Large quantities of it are destroyed annually by using it for wood, and in burning it to clear up lands, which seems an absolute and lamentable waste. The village is just eighteen miles north of Manistee.
The character of the society is especially a subject of comment by every intelligent observer who passes through the place.
The substantial settlers and owners of farms are men of rare intelligence, and their wives and daughters are cultivated and re- fined to an extent that we challenge any other place of its size in the West to produce its equal in that respect. The people are law-abid- ing, and we cannot now recall a single arrest that has been made in the village during the past five years of our residence in the county. It has no jail, nor any use for one. The climate, like all this lake region, is mild in the Winter, and cool and pleasant in the Summer. It being located about six miles inland from Lake Michigan, gives it the climatic advantages of that body of water.
EARLY HISTORY.
The first efforts toward starting a village were made by Russell F. Smith, of whom mention has already been made. He gave land for a mill site and otherwise encouraged immigration and business enterprises. But little progress, however, was made until 1873, in June of that year, when George W. and David H. Hopkins, under the firm name of
HOPKINS BROS.,
purchased the present site of Bear Lake Village. The operations of this firm so largely concern the commercial interests of the vil- lage, and, in fact, the entire county, that this work would be incom- plete without a brief sketch of its career and interests.
GEORGE W. HOPKINS, the founder of the concern, was born on a farm in West Virginia, November 8, 1844. In 1855 he removed to Lenawee County, Mich., with his parents, and remained at home upon the farm until 1868. He then engaged with Samuel Giles making county maps, and remained in that business until twenty- one years of age.
He then started with a capital of $46.50, and sold fruit trees one year. In the Fall of 1866 he settled in Manistee, and purchased some land with the view of starting a brick-yard. In the Spring of 1867 he made the first brick ever made in Manistee County. In October, 1867, his brother David H. Hopkins, went into partnership with him under the firm name of George W. Hopkins & Bro. They carried on the manufacture of brick, making 25,000 a day until 1870.
In the Fall of 1867 they took a logging contract of Gifford, Ruddock & Co., to put in 12,000,000 feet of logs, which they did during the Winter.
In 1870 they went out of the brick business and engaged exclu- sively in dealing in logs and lumber, under the firm name of Hop- kins Bros.
In June, 1878, they purchased the present site of Bear Lake, and began the extensive operations which have given them such promi- nence in the commercial world.
They at once built a sawmill, which commenced running in Au- gust following. The mill is the one now owned by Charles B. Bunton. They also built the grist mill, costing $10,000, and com- menced running it January 1, 1874.
In the Spring of 1874 they platted eighty-eight acres for & vil- lage, and built the large store building which they still occupy. In the Fall of 1874 Mr. George W. Hopkins removed his family to Bear Lake. Where the village now stands was at that time a for- est, but the Hopkins' energy and enterprise very soon began to make their impress upon the place.
In 1875 they built the Bear Lake Tram Railway, constructed of maple rails and operated by horse-power. This line extended from Bear Lake to Pierport, a distance of six miles, and cost $10,000.
In October, 1877, the Hopkins Manufacturing Company was organized, the officers being George W. Hopkins, president; David H. Hopkins, secretary; Ella Hopkins, treasurer.
In 1878 they started a livery stable, the first one in the north- ern part of the county.
In 1879 the Bear Lake pier at Pierport was built by the com- pany, and a general store opened there.
In 1881 they rebuilt the grist mill at a cost of $25,000. It was the first roller mill in Northern Michigan.
Early the present year they constructed the Bear Lake and Eastern Railway, to take the place of the tram railway. This road is built of twenty T rail, and is equipped with forty cars and a loco- motive. The first rail was laid in April, and trains commenced run- ning May 1.
They have also built a new sawmill the present year, having a capacity of 40,000 feet of lumber a day.
The company owns at least 2,000 acres of uncut timber lands in the county, and 5,000 or 6,000 acres of stump lands.
They have built most of the buildings in the village, and stand ready to help any who wish to make the village their home. They loan money to parties desiring to build, or sell homes upon terms of easy payment. The results of their enterprise and liberality are seen in the beautiful and thrifty village which has grown up in the space of these few years. The buildings are tasty, the streets well laid out, and every one seems prosperous.
Mr. George W. Hopkins was married at Bellaire, Ohio, August 4, 1868, to Miss Ella Stuart, of that place. In 1876 he built the handsome residence which is now their home, a view of which ap- pears in this work. As a clear-sighted and successful business man, Mr. Hopkins has few superiors. He was instrumental in securing the location of the county fair grounds at Bear Lake, loan- ing the society funds with which to improve the grounds, besides contributing liberally to advance the interests of the society. He keeps thoroughly posted upon public matters, and is active in politi- cal and other county affairs.
DAVID H. HOPKINS is also a native of West Virginia, and came to Manistee in 1867, and entered upon the prosperous business career already described. He was married December 2, 1876, to Miss Minnie M., daughter of Henry Erb, of Bear Lake. Their fam- ily residence, a very handsome structure, was built in 1876. At the
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HISTORY OF MANISTEE COUNTY.
present time Mr. Hopkins spends most of his time in Chicago, attending to the company's interest in that city.
BEAR LAKE VILLAGE, IN 1879.
In February, 1879, the village of Bear Lake was described, by a local writer, from whom we quote, as follows:
"Bear Lake Village has about seventy-five buildings, all of which were put up substantially and in a comfortable and secure manner. The Hopkins Manufacturing Company's store is the largest building in the village. It contains on the first floor, two large store rooms, one for groceries and dry goods, and the other for hardware, crock- ery ware and other such merchandise. The second story contains a number of rooms which are used as private rooms by persons con- nected with the store or in the employ of the firm. The third story is a public hall, about 75x35 feet in size, furnished with staging, scenery and seats for public entertainments, lectures, etc. The pri- vate residences of the village are a good deal better, on the average, than will be found in many much larger villages. Messrs. George W. Hopkins and D. H. Hopkins have not only comfortable, but very elegant residences. They stand upon an elevated part of the village, giving a beautiful and magnificent view of the lake and sur- rounding country. They are both furnished with all the modern conveniences, such as heating apparatus, and are designed in the latest style. They are surrounded by nicely laid out yards, and would be considered very desirable residences in Chicago, Milwau- kee, or any other large city. They are worth about $10,000 each.
"SCHOOL FACILITIES.
"The excellent common school system, of course, is enjoyed here, the same as it is in all other places in this great state of Michigan. The district school is located in the eastern part of the city. The house is a substantial and well built one, one story, and occupies a pretty and convenient site upon a bluff overlooking the lake. There are about sixty scholars in the school, ordinarily. The present teacher is Miss E. Rogers, a lady of excellent deportment and fine scholarship. Besides this public school, Mr. and Mrs. C. Davidson have a private school, located about the center of the village, where they teach the higher branches. The school is designed to accommo- date those who are not able or can not make it convenient to go to the city schools to seek higher branches. They have given excellent satisfaction, and are considered teachers of a high order and unusual qualifications. There is also an excellent singing school in Bear Lake, conducted by Prof. William Andre, well known in northwest- ern Michigan as a gentleman of fine culture and much musical talent.
"CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.
"Bear Lake Village, at present, has only two church societies, the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Baptist Church. The pastor of the former is Rev. Mr. Steel, and the latter is presided over by Rev. Mr. Davidson. Services are held alternately at Hop- kins Hall, the Methodists one Sunday and the Baptists the next Sunday. A union prayer meeting is also held at Hopkins Hall every Thursday evening. People of other religious denominations usually attend the services, and there is also a good general attendance among those who claim allegiance to no church. Both the organi- zations are doing well, and are succeeding in maintaining an active religious interest in the community. There is also a Sunday-school held in the hall every Sunday noon, commencing at 12 o'clock, and continuing until about 2. This is also in a flourishing condition, and is doing much good in inculcating religious ideas into the minds of the young people of Bear Lake.
"SOCIETIES.
"There are only three societies here at present-, the Red .Rib- bon club, the Literary Society, and the County Agricultural Society.
"THE RED RIBBON CLUB.
"The officers of the club are Mrs. Robert Scott, president; Mrs. Russell Smith, vice-president; Mrs. D. Wise, secretary; Mr. J. E. : Bodwell, chaplain. The society holds its regular meetings on every other Friday night. The meetings are not merely temperance meet- ings, but are devoted to the reading of essays, music, debates, and other exercises of that kind. They constitute a village entertain- ment that is attractive and valuable, besides it keeps alive the strong temperance sentiment which has always existed in Bear Lake, and which has always kept all liquor saloons out of the village entirely. The society also have a monthly newspaper which is filled with contributions from unknown writers, that makes considerable amusement, and is quite instructive.
"THE LITERARY SOCIETY.
"The officers of this society are Miss Mattie Hopkins, president; Miss Gracie Tillson, secretary; Mr. J. E. Cody, treasurer; Mrs. Ella Hopkins, critic. This society holds its meetings every other Friday evening, at Hopkins Hall.
"THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
"The Manistee County Agricultural Society is located here be- cause it was originated mostly by Bear Lake men, and is the center of the valuable farming region of the county, but steps have been taken by the society looking toward a change in respect to the loca- tion, and we have no doubt the change will be brought about in time. Through the aid and assistance of Mr. George W. Hopkins, the society own a fine piece of ground close by the village to be used as a fair ground, but if the change is made, the grounds will likely not be needed, except occasionally, when it may be decided to hold the fair at that point. However, the matter has not yet been acted upon, and we are simply guessing at the result. The present officers of the society are: President, James McKay; first vice-pres- ident, S. W. Fowler; second vice-president, Wm. Crosby; third vice-president, James Dodd; J. E. Cody, secretary; L. F. Hale, treasurer. The executive board is as follows: C. H. Stroud, W. L. Warren, R. F. Smith, G. W. Hopkins, Seymour Calkins, S. W. Patch, C. W. Perry, J. E. Bodwell, A. W. Farr, Josiah Hilliard, L. D. Shirtliff.
"THE PROFESSIONS-DR. C. W. TOMLIN. .
"Dr. Tomlin is a graduate of the Detroit Medical College, and an old resident of Manistee County. He settled in Bear Lake some two or three years ago and has established a fine drug business, and an excellent practice in the village and through the adjoining sec- tions of country.
"DR. TYLER RICHMOND.
"Dr. Richmond is a young physician, who graduated with high honors, and is rapidly building up a practice in this part of the county.
"E. J. RICHMOND.
"This young and industrious attorney is well known in the county, being a son of Mr. Elisha Richmond, of Norwalk. He has only been in practice at Bear Lake during the past two years.
"HOTELS AND BOARDING HOUSES.
"Travel of all kinds has increased so largely lately that there is hardly accommodation enough in this respect for those who go to the place. Arrangements are already contemplated for supplying this want in the Spring.
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HISTORY OF MANISTEE COUNTY.
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"THE RED RIBBON CLUB HOUSE.
"This house is the principal place that transient wayfarers seek at the present time. It is located in the eastern part of the city, and fronts the lake, giving a splendid view of this charming body of water at all times. It is kept by Mr. J. Morgan Tillson and his estimable lady.
"THE LAKE HOUSE.
"This house is located in the southwest part of the village, con- venient to the mills and store of Hopkins Manufacturing Company. It is kept by Mr. John Grund, and is well patronized."
The business places noted in the same connection were those of the Hopkins Bros .; Dr. Tomlin, drug store; A. Bowen, wagon and blacksmith shop; H. O. Brower, organ agency; Dan. Wise, harness shop; Mrs. Jolin Robinson, millinery; Anthony Healy and L. D. Shirtliff, shoemakers; Sumption & Co., boot and shoe store; P. W. Brooks, barber; A. Mellifont, tin shop; J. E. Cody, meat market; A. H. Cook, groceries.
The present population of the village, according to the school census, is five hundred and eighty.
There are three church organizations-Baptist, Methodist and Congregational.
The temperance and literary societies are liberally sustained. The president of the Red Ribbon Club is Mrs. Dan. Wise, and of the Literary Society, Mrs. G. W. Hopkins.
A Good Templars Lodge has recently been organized, with thirty- five charter members. W. D. Powers is the presiding officer.
A new church building is at present in process of construction, as are also a large number of business buildings and dwellings.
The village has one newspaper, the Bear Lake Independent, a sprightly local sheet, published by A. C. Culver & Son. It was started last August, and is already doing a prosperous business.
There is no saloon in the village, and, with the exception of one Winter, there has never been one. The sentiment of the people is strongly upon the side of temperance and good morals, and the result is that the best of order prevails.
PERSONAL SKETCHES.
CHAS. B. BUNTON is a native of Massachusetts, but most of his early life was spent in New Hampshire. In 1868 he came to Man- istee, where he worked for the lumber firm of Ruddock, Palmiter & Co. Afterwards he worked at blacksmithing at Portage. In the Fall of 1880 he came to Bear Lake, and in the Spring of 1881, in company with D. D. Smith, purchased the Hopkins sawmill. In June of that year Mr. Smith retired from the firm, and Mr. Bunton has since been alone in the mill. He is also a member of the mer- cantile firm of Hale & Bunton. His family consists of a wife and three children. Mr. Bunton is an industrious business man, and is prospering in his undertakings.
DR. C. W. TOMLIN is the pioneer physician of Bear Lake. He was born in London, England, in 1830, and came to this country in 1838. He first studied law, and practiced for several years. In 1859 he began the study of medicine at Ann Arbor, and graduated at the Detroit Medical College in 1866. In 1864 he went into the army as a private, and was placed in charge of the medical department of the Twenty-ninth Michigan Infantry. He remained in the service about a year. In 1876 he came to Bear Lake, and in 1877 started a drug store on the Isaac Tillson farm, one mile from where the village now is. In 1878 he built the store building he now occu- pies, in a central part of the village. In 1881 he built an addition to his building, and the present season is erecting another building
on the same lot. Dr. Tomlin has a wife and one child. He still gives some attention to the practice of law in connection with medi- cine. He has always had a large practice, and is well known in the county.
HENRY ERB is one of the pioneers of Bear Lake Township. He is a native of Canada, and during the latter part of his residence there, owned a sawmill and farm. He was married June 24, 1857, to Miss Sarah A. Seaman, at Otterville, Oxford Co., Canada.
In October, 1865, they started, with two teams, for a new home in Bear Lake. He had two horses and a lumber wagon loaded with household goods, and she drove one horse and cared for her four children. The journey was long and attended with many hard- ships, but was accomplished without serious accident.
They located a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, one mile east of Bear Lake, and built a log house. He cleared his land, and in course of time added more to it, until now he has a magnifi- cent farm of five hundred and eighty acres, upon which are a fruit orchard of one thousand trees, and excellent buildings. In 1879 they left the farm and moved into the village, where they now re- side. During the past year he has completed a tasty residence for their home. They have six children, one of whom is the wife of Mr. David H. Hopkins. Mr. Erb is one of the solid men of the county, and a most excellent citizen.
ISAAC N. TILLSON, postmaster at Bear Lake, was born in Win- field, Herkimer Co., N. Y., September 12, 1812. He was married at the same place, September 25, 1894, to Miss Mary A. Jones. They lived for several years in Ohio, and came from there to Bear Lake in 1867. The journey was made by boat from Grand Haven to Manistee, and from there they came with team. They bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, near the east end of the lake, which was their home for many years, and is still in their posses- sion. Mr. Tillson has held the office of postmaster since 1868, and at the present time rents his farm and lives in the village. In con- nection with farming, Mr. Tillson has been interested in mercantile business, and has done his share in developing the township in which he lived. They have six children, two boys and four girls.
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