USA > Michigan > Montcalm County > History of Montcalm County, Michigan its people, industries and institutions...with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families Volume I > Part 16
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
Edmore has a potato and stock market. It has no equal in the county, and greater tonnage of business is shipped from Edmore than any other town with the exception probably of Greenville, which ranks ahead of Edmore in the potato market alone. The merchants and business men of Edmore receive their patronage from the entire northeast and south of the county. There are two elevators in Edmore, owned by J. H. Gibbson & Son and J. L. Thomas. E. E. Curtis is one of the largest bean and potato buyers in this county. Everybody and everything in this village is a live wire of the town. It is growing faster than any other in Montcalm county, and will only be a matter of a short time until it ranks among the first in every respect. The present officials are: Harry E. Wagar, president; Fred E. Curtis, clerk; James W. Swift, treasurer; Hugh Mckay, assessor.
There are two hamlets in Home township which deserve mention. The first of these is Wyman, which is a little station on the Pere Marquette rail- road. This hamlet has had a precarious existence and has failed to reach much size. There is one store at present and a little cluster of houses.
175
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Wyman, although so small, has possessed two names in its life; it formerly was known as Averyville. The other hamlet of this township is known as Cedar Lake, from the body of water of that name. Cedar Lake is a small resort and could hardly be classed as a village. It is the location of the Advent College. There are at present some dozen houses.
CHAPTER XV.
MAPLE VALLEY TOWNSHIP.
The first petition for the erection of the township of Maple Valley was dated on Decmeber 5, 1863, and contained the names of the following resident frecholders of the township of Winfield: E. R. Glenwood, Daniel E. Knight, Allen Macomber, Isaac Gileo, C. C. Johnson, Moses Swarthout, Francis Strang, H. S. Barton, Nicholas Whitesel, Seth Beal, James S. Smith, Albert D. Rust, Charles H. Blanding, who were residents of town 12 north, range 9 west, and John Cody, Cornelius Sulivan, James Ferguson, D. S. Appleby, Wiliam Maile, E. Foote, Jacob Ferguson, Charles Parker, Patrick Gahan, Patrick Cain, William Cody and Lewis J. Moses. This petition was to have been presented to the board of supervisors at their regular session on January 6, 1864. The notices were duly posted, but whether it was not presented to the board or they rejected it at that time is not known. But it is safe to say that it was presented, as it is found among their early docu- ments and in all probability they failed to act on it at this meeting, for another petition with the same request was presented at the next meeting. The latter petition was signed by the following: Lewis J. Moos, Charles Parker, Jacob Ferguson, James Ferguson, Peter Kain, Patrick Gahan, Pat- rick Lynch, Charles Blanding. William Cody, James Cody, Edward F. Foot, James Appleby, Albert D). Rust, Alfred Rust, E. R. Ellenwood and Seth Beal. This petition was dated on February 17, 1864, and is the one acted upon by the board of supervisors. The supervisors acted upon this petition on February 17, 1864, and ordered that the new township be duly organized and called Maple Valley. The first election was held at the house of Edward F. Foote, on the first Monday in April, 1864, and Lewis J. Moos, Jacob Ferguson and Charles Parker acted as judges of the election. The territory organized into the new township consisted of town 11 north, range 9 west.
ORIGINAL LAND ENTRIES.
Section 1-James Lively, Jason Westaves, J. B. Barr. Section 2-A. F. and H. J. Orton, Jeremiah Ryan, George P. Demoray, J. B. Barr, Sam- uel S. Holcomb. Section 3-Jeremiah Ryan, D. A. Wilson, Peter Johnson,
IN THE OLD LUMBER DAYS NEAR STANTON.
177
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Leroy R. Stiles. Section 4-Allen Wright, Philander Griswold, Moses Warner. Section 5-Peter Sanborn, Charles Parker. Section 6-Adriana Miller, William Male, Martin Ryerson, Rob W. Morris, P. Johnson, Jun- ius Ryerson. Section 7-William Becket, James Ferguson, Howland Soule, Patrick Gahan, Emey J. Blanding, Jacob Ferguson. Section 8-Alexander II. Blanding, Patrick Lynch, Cornelius Sullivan, Isabella Parker, Charles Parker, Enoch Earl, Edward Foote. Section 9-Charles P. Wilson. Sec- tion 10-Jeremiah Ryan, A. J. and H. J. Orton, William Cody, Hiram Prouty, R. 1 .. Buchanning. A. S. Price. Section 11 -- Allen Wright, Heber Cowden, Abel T. Cowden, Charles Cowden. Section 12-Charles W. House, Parnelia House, Harvey E. Price. S. Rockefellow, Jason Westave, J. B. Barr. Section 13-Harrison Morgan, George Macomber, Louis S. Sovell. Section 14-Harrison Morgan, George Macomber, Peleg Soule, Michael Donahue, Mary Keefer, Emmanuel Fralick. Section 15-Allen Wright, Jeremiah Ryan, Jeremiah Donahue. John Sullivan, William Cody, William Sheehan, Dennis Cody, Patrick Cody. Section 16-James House, Howland Soule, Hugh McGuire, David R. Morrical, John Cody, Peter Johnson, Henry Purdy, Charles Farle. Section 17 -- William R. Foote, Emery J. Blanding, Ashael J. Root, James Lively, Charles Parker. Section 18-Charles H. Blending, Lewis J. Moore, Ashu Parks, William Watts, Charles J. Church, John W. Denton, Elias R. Ferguson, Ansel Adams, R. S. Halcolm, J. W. Denton. Section 19-John Loree, Nelson Marble, Thomas Almy, John B. Fletcher. Lewis Moore. Cambyses F. Hinchman. Section 20-George Macomber, Elizabeth Richardson, William C. Ingraham, James B. Surram, Enoch Farle, A. Sylvester Ingraham, Alvin Davis, J. D. Lirnan. Section 21-Emery Trufant, Daniel J. Reed, Soammi Cowdin, Anson Bellamy, Marvin Saxton. Section 22-George Macomber, Emery Trufant, Marvin Saxton, Seymour Hlamond, William Fitzgerald, Patrick Gahan, James Honse, Owen W. Garrett, William Duffey, George N. Morgan. Section 23 -Henry M. Cowkins, Emery Trufant. Harrison Morgan, George Macom- ber, Emery Trufant. Section 24-George Macomber. Section 25-George Souke, Leonidas Scranton. Emery Trufant, George Macmober. Section 26 -Henry M. Cawkins, Emory Trufant. Section 27-Emory Trufant, George Macomber, Peleg Soule. Loren Curtis, James Turner. Section 28-George Macomber, William Almy, Russel N. Wright, T. Stevenson. Section 29- George Macomber, Martin Mason. Section 30-Richard Williams, Mal- vina P. Fletcher, Cambyses F. Hinchman, Cyrus Hinchman, Philo B. Ingra-
(12)
:
:
178
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
ham, William Brownlee, James Calkins, Robert Taylor, William H. Banks, Jr. Section 31-John Buttolph, Michael Whitan, Philo B. Ingraham, Ben- jamin W. Ingraham, Dudley M. Ingraham, Simon Whelan, Edgar L. Grey. Section 33-George Macomber, John Buttolph, William Herriff, Daniel Flick, Henry Shatto, Jesse Blake, John B. Fletcher, Samuel Marble. Section 33-George Macomber, Samuel W. Gibbs. Section 34 -- Emory Trufant, George Macomber, Hugh Maguire, David B. Morrical. Section 35-Emory Trufant. Section 36-George Souks, Emory Trufant, George Macomber, Emory Trufant.
SOME OF THE EARLY SETTLERS.
The permanent settlemetn of Maple Valley township began in 1858, when Heber Cowden, with his family, settled on the northwest fractional quarter of section II. He was a native of Washington county, New York, whence he came direct to Jackson county, Michigan, in 1835, where he con- tinued to reside until 1858. On coming to Maple Valley he built a cabin and began a clearing, and continued to reside on this land until his death, in 1862. His death was the first in the township. Mr. Cowden was a well, hearty man, but one day, coming into the house from his work, complained of feeling ill, and in five minutes he died of heart disease. The funeral took place at his cabin. He was buried on his own land, near the lake, in a beau- tiful spot.
Michael Whalen came to the township about the same time. He entered the southwest quarter of section 31 and the west half of the southeast quar- ter of the same section. Soon after his brother, Simon, came in.
In June, 1858, E. J. Blanding, of Livingston county, New York, and his father-in-law, Howland Soules, of Vergennes, Kent county, came to Maple Valley, which was then a part of Pierson. The latter selected sev- eral tracts of land, but did not become a resident. Two of his sons, James P. and Benjamin Soules, subsequently settled in the township, but at the time they entered their land several settlements had already been made.
James and Jacob Ferguson, John, James. William and Patrick Cody and Patrick Lynch all settled in the township previous to 1858, and all became permanent residents. James Ferguson settled on section 18, his brother. Jacob, on section 7, the Cody brothers, who were direct from Ire- land, on section 15. Patrick Lynch settled on section 8. His daughter, Mary, who was born in the summer of 1861, was the first white child born in the township. In the fall of 1860 F. J. Blanding came in and settled on
179
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
land which he had entered two years previous. The lumber of which the floor of his cabin was made was hauled from Denmark, seventeen miles dis- tant. In 1863 Mr. Blanding enlisted and served in the Tenth Michigan Cavalry as sergeant, and was subsequently promoted to lieutenant. In the meantime several other families had reached the township.
Daniel Appleby settled with his family on section 7, and Peter Wood located just beside him. This covers the first settlers in this township, and after this period the settlement was made rapidly and the land was taken up by permanent settlers, who have made this their home and been the chief factors in placing Maple Valley township in the front ranks of the town- ships of Montcalm county.
Maple Valley township has three general natural drainage systems. That of the northeast, of the southwest and the southeast. Muscalonge lake is the reservoir for the latter system, but the two former ones are merely small streams. The Pere Marquette railroad runs diagonally through the county from the northwest to the southeast and furnishes an excellent means of transporting the products which are raised in the township, to foreign markets.
Maple Valley township has three villages within its limits. All of these are located on the Pere Marquette, with Coral and Trufant, which are the largest, occupying positions in the opposite corners of the township, and Maple Valley, which is merely a small hamlet, occupying a position between the two.
VILLAGE OF CORAL.
In the fall of 1861 Charles Parker came to the township and settled on section 7. He bought also the west half of the northwest quarter of section 9 from Charles Wilson, who settled in Pierson. Mr. Parker bought this eighty acres for the pine which grew upon it, intending to float it down Tamarack creek, and in pursuance of this plan, he put a considerable num- ber of logs in the river. But the mill company of Howard City, considering this an imposition on them, brought suit against the lumber company for damages, and the practice or rafting logs was prohibited. Hence, when the saw-mill of Morris and Henry Stump was completed, Mr. Parker com- menced the manufacture of lumber. When the Detroit, Lansing & Northern railroad was completed through here he laid out the village, which he called Coral. Wilson had cleared about an acre of land and built a log cabin. This was the first house in this vicinity, and was built when the country
180
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICIIIGAN.
was a wilderness. The next was a log house built by Parker for his men while he was engaged in taking out logs. This mill, which had a capacity of twenty thousand feet per day, was the beginning of the business interests of the little village. It was burned, however, in 1874.
Clayton Wood soon after bought a lot, built a small house and opened a light stock of goods. This was the first store in the township. But he soon failed in business and turned his attention to farming, but subsequently removed to Dakota. The development of the village from this time was rapid. James Parks came from Indiana and opened a blacksmith shop. Frankinberger opened the next store.
The saw-mill and dryer built by J. Potter Hart in 1872 had a capacity of forty thousand feet per day. It continued in full operation, turning out an immense quantity of lumber and employing from forty to sixty men, until the pine was exhausted and the mill removed, in 1880. A flouring custom-mill was built by George Highlander. It had one run of stones for feed and one for flour. Charles Parker, its founder, remained in the town- ship until 1880, when he removed, with his family, to Oregon.
Situated, as it is, on the banks of Spruce lake, which is only a small body of water, Coral has grown and proved a very nice location for a village. It has passed from a timber camp to a very busy little village with a popula- tion of approximately four hundred. It has never been incorporated and its government is connected with that of the township.
VILLAGE OF TRUFANT.
Trufant village was laid out on land entered from the government by Mr. Trufant, who built a saw-mill here in 1872, which was the first run by water in the township. He sold out to J. B. Hileman and Jacob Hesser, who built a steam saw-mill on the site of the old one. They later added a shingle- and planing-mill, and employed eighty men. They averaged forty thousand feet of lumber and forty thousand shingles per day. The firm of Hileman & Hesser laid out the village in the year 1874, and named it after Mr. Trufant, the first settler of this land, who moved to Mount Clemens and there died. The first building erected was a boarding house built by this firm and run by Samuel Barr. In 1872 T. H. Stimpson put up a build- ing for a hotel. He was a member of the United Brethren church and sub- sequently went to preaching. The first store was opened by Herrick Fox. He built a small house and opened a light stock of goods, but did not remain
181
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
long in the business. Philip Wilson opened a stock of goods in 1873, and remained in business but four years. Frank Seymour started in the mer- cantile business in Trufant in 1875 and closed out in 1880. George H. Cowin opened a stock of drugs in 1877. Dr. J. T. Joslyn was the first physician to locate in Trufant. He remained but a year, and then returned to Guernsey. He was succeeded by Doctor Hammond. The death of Elmer Howey, in 1872, was the first in the village
Trufant was first laid out, March 10, 1875, and three years later the town had grown until an addition was laid. This was done on March 31. 1879. Trufant is a village of about four hundred inhabitants and is sit- uated on the northwest side of Muscalonge lake. This is the largest body of water in Maple Valley township, Cowden lake.alone rivalling it. Trufant, like Coral, is a very busy little town. Both are good markets for potatoes, stock and grain. Elevators are located at both towns, and these do a good business. Both towns are supported by the trade which comes from the farmers. as there is no natural resource to give life to the town.
MAPLE VALLEY VILLAGE.
This hamlet was situated principally on land owned by William Fitz- gerald, in section 15. He sold eighty acres to R. Kearney, who laid out the village in 1872. The saw-mill was built by Babcock & Ferguson in 1870. Soon after the village was laid out, Doctor Slawson, who was also the first postmaster, built a store and opened a stock of goods. He remained in busi- ness some years. A hotel was built by Horace Sturtevant. The town of Maple Valley has entirely ceased to exist as a village, only a cluster of houses marking the place where it was laid out.
STALHAM W. LADU.
Stalham W. LaDu was born in Fishkill, Dutchess county, New York, February 28, 1823, and died at Coral. Michigan, October 3, 1910. He was the son of Jacob and Hannah LaDu, who were old-fashioned Methodists, his father having been for many years a class leader. His parents were descendants of French Huguenots, who escaped to America from the mas- sacre of St. Bartholomew and were of the party who afterward settled on the Hudson river. He was converted when about seventeen years of age. and early felt the call to preach the gospel. Severe sickness for several years prevented him from engaging in the work until, on his knees by his bedside,
182
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
he promised God that if He would give him strength he would leave all and obey His call. He picked up such education as he could in the common schools, spent part of the winter of 1842 with a minister in reading and study, and later entered Red Creek Union Academy, where he spent two years pursuing such studies as would be best calculated to help him in the work of the ministry.
In his twenty-second year, being out of funds, Mr. LaDu, with a young associate, went to Canada, where he secured a position as teacher in the county of Northumberland. Soon after opening the school he commenced preaching in the school house, with the result that several were converted and the community stirred. He followed the same course in other localities in Canada, with like results. Having united with the Canadian Methodist Episcopal church, he, at last, after a long struggle, decided that God wanted him to preach the gospel in Canada and he resolved to do so even though it might mean poverty and hardship. At this time he was married to Clarissa N. Gaffield and she willingly consented to share his lot and work, knowing fully what it would mean.
Stalham W. LeDu joined the Bay Quinte conference in September. 1845, and was appointed to the Colbourne circuit as junior preacher. While on this circuit he had gracious revivals with splendid success. In 1848 he was elected agent for the book concern, in which office he traveled through the connection. The next year he was appointed as pastor at Colburg. He remained here "preaching with fair success" until he was prostrated with nervous trouble and was obliged to leave the work .. This was when he was but twenty-eight years of age. After a rest he partially recovered and was appointed presiding elder of Colbourne district. In addition to the district work he also had charge of the church at Belleville. While engaged in that work he was again prostrated.
For three years Reverend LaDu was engaged in business at Brighton, after which he again went into the work and served several charges, on each of which he had gracious revivals until about 1861, when he was again made presiding elder of the Colbourne district, this time serving four years. From that work he went to the Detroit conference and spent three success- ful years in the Lake Superior district at Hancock and Calumet. He had revivals and built the first church building at Hancock and organized the first society at Calumet. At the completion of the work at Hancock he planned to go farther west, but while attending the Canadian general con- ference was prevailed upon by his former associates to return to them. He
183
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
again entered the itinerary in Canada, laboring for three years, when his health failed entirely and physicians assured him that he would never be able to take up the work again. He was greatly disappointed, but accepted the inevitable, and seeing an opening in 1874, came to Coral, where he spent the remainder of his long and useful life.
While in Canada, Stalham W. LaDu was a man of commanding power and influence in the church. He was one of the founders of Albert Univer- sity and was a member of the board of managers. He was a delegate to every general conference while he was engaged in active ministry and was once elected fraternal delegate to the general conference of the United States. On coming to Coral he made his life a part of the life of the village. He entered the business life of the village by operating a lumber mill; he took an active and leading part in the religious life of the village and county through his association with the Methodist church.
Reverend LaDu was often referred to as the pioneer temperance worker of the county, having inaugurated and led in the war against the liquor traffic that first made Montcalm county dry by local option. He was twice honored by election as a member of the House of Representatives in the Michigan Legislature, where he served with such conspicuous ability that he was considered a leader. He was a fighter for the temperance cause while in the Legislature and fathered some of the temperance legislation under which the tsate is now working.
Stalham W. LaDu was prominent as a candidate for governor of Michi- gan and held the balance of power in the Republican state convention that nominated Russell A. Alger for governor. Governor Alger later appointed the subject of this article state oil inspector. Mr. LaDu was one of Gover- nor Pingree's advisors and had a part in the nomination and election of that gentleman as chief executive of the state. During the Pingree administra- tion Mr. LaDu was a deputy oil inspector and on the death of Probate Judge Fenn, Governor Pingree wanted to appoint Mr. LaDu probate judge of the county. He was a member of the hardware firm of LaDu & Baldwin, which did an extensive business in Coral for many years.
CHAPTER XVI.
MONTCALM TOWNSHIP.
Montcalm township bears the distinction of being the pioneer township of Montcalm county. It was established before the county even took on a civil existence and five years before the second township was established. It was officially organized on March 19, 1845, and took in the entire territory of the county, as then formed, except townships 9 and 10 north, range 5 west, which later formed the township of Bloomer. Montcalm township was organized by an act of the state Legislature. and although the act which organized Montcalm county was passed at a later date it did not affect the earlier organization of this township. The first town meeting was held at the house of Anson Ensign, April 7. 1845. The minutes of this meeting give the business accomplished in detail and are given verbatim: "A record of the proceedings of the first town meeting, holden in the house of Anson Ensign, in said town. Stephen Warren was chosen moderator; George Gibson, Josiah Russell, Ethan Satterlee and Rosecrans K. Divine were sev- erally chosen inspectors of said meeting, between the hours of nine and ten o'clock in the forenoon. And after being duly sworn, the said Josiah Rus- sell and Rosecrans K. Divine were duly chosen clerks of said meeting, and the polls of said election were duly opened, and the result was as follows. to wit. the whole number of votes polled for any one office was thirty-six."
At this election the following persons were duly elected : Supervisor, Frederick Worden; clerk, Josiah Russell; treasurer, Rosecrans K. Divine; justices. George Gibson, Stephen H. Warren, John Green and Elihu Fortner ; assesors, Samuel D. Barr and Ethan Satterlee; commissioners of highways, Westbrook Divine, Edward Petty and Lyman H. Pratt; school inspectors. HI. N. Stinson, Josiah Bradish and Ananias Worden: directors of the poor, Volney Belding and Josiah Bradish; constables, Henry S. Halford, Jona- than Gould, Lorenzo Whitney and Lyman H. Pratt.
Montcalm originally contained some fourteen congressional townships. but as the other and later townships were formed its boundary was grad- ually reduced until its present boundaries were reached and it contained but one congressional township. It lies in the second tier of townships from the south and borders on Kent county on the west. It is bounded as follows :
:
185
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Pine township on the north, Sidney on the east, Eureka on the south and Kent county on the west, and it is designated in the government survey as township 10 north, range 8 west.
There are several lakes of considerable size in this township and many smaller ones, most of which are drained by small tributaries of Flat river. This stream, which enters the township on section 4, after a very tortuous and meandering course, flowing through sections 4, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 30, 31, 32, enters Eureka from the southwest quarter of section 33. This river furnishes excellent natural drainage for the farms in this section. The steep and precipitous banks along its course and the rapid fall of its current also furnish excellent water-power, which has been utilized to good advantage.
Flat river has had an enviable career, for in the days of the early clearing it bore its countless millions of logs to the mills in the older settled districts. It is rather remarkable to note that in a single year, exclusive of the logs manufactured into lumber at the mills in Montcalm, Pine and other townships, one hundred and fifty-four million feet passed through the chute at the little village of Gowen to the mills below. Hundreds of men, horses and cattle were necessary to subserve this interest. But this natural resource was soon to be exhausted and that period of stagnation in business which inevitably follows the exhaustion of natural resources that have for a long period furnished constant and profitable employment to large bodies of men, was soon felt. The lumber interests in Montcalm, like those of other locali- ties, were pushed to the limit and soon the lumber camps ceased to exist and in their place large fields of stumps of these giants of the forests were the only markers of this once thriving industry. Then the interests and pur- suits of the inhabitants who had determined to make this their future home must needs be turned along other lines of business. The soil in this section was found to be the best. It was a sandy loam and agricultural pursuits soon began to claim the attention of the settlers. The pine timber has all been obliterated and only the stumps of these pioneers of the forest remain, and they are utilized for fencing, and in their places fields of grain or potatoes show the versatility of the early settler. Thus when lumbering ceased to be profitable the settlers took up the more stable business of farm- ing and have made even more progress than had been at first hoped.
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.