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 18
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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
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
In the year 1852 Stephen R. Pierson settled in the township of North Plains, Ionia county. He was a native of Ontario county, New York. Two years later, influenced by favorable reports from him and a gentleman from Cortland, Michigan, two other brothers, David and Orson Pierson, and their father, started from New York with a team of horses, by which they jour- neyed to Buffalo, where they took passage to Detroit, Michigan. Upon reaching that place they again had recourse to their team, and drove through to the home of their brother in lonia county. As government or state lands were the object of their visit, they came to town HI north, range 10 west, and entered one hundred and sixty acres on sections 27 and 28. Although other tracts were soon entered, it is thought to have been the first entry made in the township. They built a cabin, twenty by twenty-four feet in dimensions, one story high, with a roof sloping one way, the ceiling being so low as to allow a man scarce room to stand erect in. This cabin stood on the farm of Orson Pierson, and was the first built in this township.
On the 14th of December, 1854. George M. Pierson, having sent on some household goods, with a wife and four small children, left his home in New York and set out on his journey to join the settlement commenced by his brothers in Michigan. Kalamazoo was at that time the nearest railroad station. They, therefore, took the stage at that place. and Grand Rapids being the end of the line, made the rest of the journey in a lumber wagon. The cabin of his brother, being the only one in the township, was already filled to overflowing. The new party increased the company to eighteen. 1
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wagon box served as one bed, while those not so fortunate were stowed away as best they could be. The different families, however, soon built cabins on the land which they at once secured.
In the latter part of January, 1855, Milford Pierson was born, being the first white child born in Pierson township. George M. Pierson built the next cabin in the township. Having no team, the work of clearing, which he soon began, was necessarily slow and difficult. In addition, he was compelled to spend much of his time away from home in order to pro- cure the necessaries of life. When he moved into his cabin it had neither door nor window -- blankets, hung before the openings, serving for this pur- pose. The snow lay several feet deep. On the 6th of March, Charles M. Pierson was born, being the second child in the township.
During the first winter, George M. Pierson made shingles, which he hauled to Rockford and sold for ten shillings per thousand, and at the same time paid five dollars per hundredweight for flour; but the woods abounded in game, deer especially being abundant, and from this source supplies were secured.
Round lake, also, on the southeast quarter of section 33, as well as the larger bodies of water more remote from the settlement. abounded in schools of fish, which with little trouble could be secured at all times. George M. Pierson during the greater part of the time for five years was absent, except during Sunday, his work being about sixteen miles distant. He carried home on each successive Saturday night provisions for his family the week following. He dug up the ground with a mattock, and on that ground raised one hundred bushels of corn and sixty bushels of potatoes. The first year a large bear carried off a hog to the woods and devoured it while Mr. Pier- son was absent from home. Six others were lost in the same way.
At the time of settlement the nearest trading post was Rockford. Mrs. G. M. Pierson resided in the township eight years before visiting a dry- goods store. Her sister. Polly Malvina Peck, who came to the township with her and lived here during the first years of its setttlement, moved to the south part of the state. Their father, Thomas Peck, came to Pierson some years later and settled on section 27, and there he resided until his death. The first death in Pierson was that of a young man named Fish, who was accidentally shot by Hardy Cram. He was interred on the farm owned by George Pratt, from which he was removed to the cemetery at a later day.
The first wedding in Pierson was in 1856, when Isaiah Alley and Naomi Barker were married. Squire Punches, of Nelson, officiated. Dr. Daniel Shook was the first resident physician. He was born in Dutchess county,
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New York, and after practicing in his native county and Canada, settled in the north part of Pierson in the year 1862. He moved to Coral in 1877.
Caleb Rice was one of the first settlers in the north part of Pierson. He was born in New York, whence he came to this township in the fall of 1855. His father. Amos I. Rice, entered the southwest quarter of section 2 the spring previous. He settled here permanently, and resided here until his death. The spring following their settlement here they set out the first fruit trees in the place.
George M. and John Fields settled on the southeast quarter of section 12. in February, 1856. Rufus Reed entered the west half of the sontheast quarter of section 2. Soon after Mr. Rice had built his cabin his son-in- law. G. M. Pratt. came to the township. He chose a location on section 5 and commenced to erect a mill, which he subsequently sold to Harvey Por- ter, who completed it some years later. It was the first grist-mill in Pierson township.
VILLAGE OF PIERSON.
The village of Pierson is located on land entered by David S. Pierson and Dexter Clark, who were for many years residents of the township. When the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad was completed through Pierson, this village and another in the north part of the township were laid out. Neither attained any special importance or size.
O. H. Richmond opened the first store in Pierson, in 1867. The build- ing which he erected stood on the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of section 27. This building was destroyed by fire.
In 1868, C. O. Taylor built a hotel, usually known as the Taylor Honse. Some years later he built an addition and then sold it to Otis Buck.
Dr. H. F. Kilborn was a native of Canada, and came to Pierson in 1860. He was the first physician in the village. but remained only a short time, when he removed to New York. Drs. D. Everett, 11. D. Holden and Col. D. Johnson followed. The Pierson hotel was built by Richard Gage. In 1870 McConnell & Sons, of Elkhart county. Indiana, built a saw-mill at this place It turned out. on an average, three millions of feet per year. In 1877 this firm erected the Empire Flouring Mills, of Pierson, at a cost of ten thousand dollars. It had a capacity of seventy-five barrels of four.
Pierson was platted and laid out on October 18, 1870. for David S. Pierson. John L. Shaw and Dexter Clark, proprietors, by William Thorton, surveyor. This was the largest lumber center in Pierson township, but of
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the history of the town from the time it was platted up to the present is merely a restatement of the history of any lumber town or camp during the time when the lumber industry was at its zenith. This was a prosperous village, but when this business was exhausted the prosperity of Pierson wanted. At present Pierson is a small village. It is a station on the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad and the business interests of the town consist of three stores and two elevators. It is a small trading point where the people in the south part of the township can do their trading, although it is too close to Howard City to draw very extensively. At present it has a popula- tion of seventy-five.
OTHER VILLAGES.
Pierson township bears the honor. if that it might be called, of having the largest number of towns within its territory. In all there have been five towns platted and laid ont in this township, namely : Pierson, Maple Hill, Sand Lake, Wood Lake, and Whitefish Lake. All of these, with the excep- tion of Whitefish Lake, are located on the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad.
Maple Hill, which lies in the southwest corner of section 2, was platted on October 22, 1870, for Caleb B. and William Price, proprietors, by Edward H. Jones, surveyor. This was the location of a saw-mill, which did a lucra- tive business for many years, but as far as the village goes, it never attained a great size. A store was kept for the accommodation of the employees of the mill and this had a fairly good trade at that time. There is one store located in Mapie Will now. but the major percentage of the business in this part of the township is carried on in Howard City.
Wood Lake lies to the south of Maple Hill, in the southeastern corner of section 15. on the lake which bears the same name. This town, or village, was platted on March 21, 1870. for Henry M. Carpenter, proprietor, by Edward !1. Jones, surveyor. Wood Lake, which is now called Iliram,. never attained any great prominence in the township. It now contains only an ice house for the storage of ice taken from Wood lake. There are only a few dwellings left, and it is served by the rural route from Howard City.
Whitefish Lake, which is the largest resort in Montcalm county, was platted and recorded at two different times, namely: October 4. 1906, and August 14. 1907. The former plat was made for H. E. and T. Campbell, while the latter was made for James A. and Mary A. Skinner. Both of these plats were surveyed and laid out by J. F. Daoust. surveyor. Whitefish Lake resort lies on the east side of Whitefish lake, in section 20, and two
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miles west of Pierson, which is the nearest railroad station. During the summer, crowds of picknickers, campers, and persons desiring quiet and rest for a few weeks visit this resort.
Sand Lake has its major portion in Kent county, although one plat has been made and recorded in this county, but this part of the town does not attain prominence enough to deserve a lengthy discourse in this chapter.
CHAPTER XVIII.
PINE TOWNSHIP.
Pine township, which is designated on the government survey as town- ship 11 north, range 8 west, is bounded on the north by Cato township, on the east by Donglass, on the south by Montcalm and on the west by Maple Valley. The petition asking for the erection of Pine township was dated on April 25, 1861. and bore the following signatures: Daniel Lang. Hiram ITull. S. P. Youngman, Anthony Platte. E. B. Galley, Ira Hale, James Stuart. Samuel Kelley, George Main. W. R. Martin, Samuel Sanborn, A. S. French, James Orentt. O. H. Stryker, James A. Owens, D. R. Hart, Stephen Aldrich, George Wallace. Bent Persons. M. C. Comber, A. Wakeman. G. R. Hart. A. W. Addam and 1 .. Tuttle. The signers of this petition were free- holders of townships 11 and 12 north, ranges 7 and 8 west. This petition was presented to the board of supervisors at their regular session held in June, 1861. and asked that township 11 north, ranges 7 and 8 west, be detached from the township of Cato and organized into a separate township to be known as Pine. The notice of this petition was printed in the Green- ville Independent.
After due consideration the board of supervisors granted the prayer of the petitioners and erected the township of Pine on the 16th of October, 1861. at their regular October session. They also ordered that the first election be held at the house of A. W. Addam, and that David Lang. David R. Hart and .A. W. Addam act as presiding officers at this meeting. The name of the newly created township was selected, as can readily be seen, from the leading variety of its timber, and was chosen by one of the com- mittee named to draft the petition for the erection of the township. . At the first election, held in April. 1862, there were just nineteen votes cast, and of this election the following was the result : Supervisor. Joseph Wilcox ; clerk. Daniel Lang: treasurer. Stephen Aldrich; justices of the peace, Stephen Aldrich, Benajah Persens and Alfred Wakeman: highway commissioners. Alfred Wakeman and Isaac Hart : constables. Benjamin Persens and Sylves- ter Rockafellow. It is rather interesting to note that there were ten offices to fill and only nineteen voters in all. and there were two offices filled by the same men.
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The soil in Pine township in general is a light sandy loam, and as the name indicates, the prevailing timber is pine, with a mixture of beech and maple. The south part is hilly, and in places so rough as to be of little value for farnting purposes. In the northwestern part the surface is more level. the timber consisting principally of the wardwood varieties, and the soil clayey and better adapted to the pursuits of agriculture.
On the southwest quarter of section 26 the Flat river, which flows in a sonthwesterly direction across the township, entering on section 24 and leav- ing it on section 34, is dammed, and furnishes an excellent water-power. The outlet of the small lake on the southeast quarter of section 21 formis a power in the same locality. Near the center of section 28 the outlet of Horseshoe lake furnishes another good power. Thus the south part is for- nished with three good motors, which for many years were utilized in the manufacture of Inmber. These, in connection with several steam mills and others that were operated from time to time, and the Flat river, which here: tofore bore large quantities of logs from its immediate vicinity, have cleared the township of its once beautiful and extensive tracts of pine. which were among the finest in the county.
ORIGINAL LAND ENTRIES IN PINE.
Section 1- Oscar Cargill. Jacob A. Davis, John J. Ely. Lucius Stanley. Section 2-Jacob A. Davis, Sammel M. Biggs, Lucius Stanley. Richard Choenly, Emmerson H. Gallea. M. 1. Hooker. Section 3-Asa Davis, Henry I. Crapo, B. Penniman. Edmund Hall. Section 4 -George Macom- ber. Henry Il. Crapo. B. Peniman. Section 5 -- George Macomber, Edmund . Hall. Section 6 --- Alfred Waterman. Sylvester Rockafeller. Lewis E. Smith, James Stark. Albert and Edwin Dorr. James Porter. Section 8 - George Macomber. Josiah H. Jackson, Luther M. Berry. Section 9-George Macom- ber. Henry !1. Crapo. B Penniman. Section 10 -Abel Avery. H. H. Crapo, B. Pemiman. Section 11. - James O. Edwards. Jacob .A. Davis, Stephen Page. Jacob Davis. Section 12 -Oscar J. Cargill, Reuben S. Klac. Joseph Sook. Alfred Mundy. D. W. Morse. Section 13-Loren Curtis, Stephen Page, Josiah Russell. Section 14-Josiah Russell. Stephen Page. Jacob . 1. Davis, Hiram E. Russell. Section 15 -. lliram Russell, Andrew Russell. Stephen Page, Abel Avery. Section 16 -- Lorenzo H. Brooks, Lewis E. Smith. Section 17- Josiah Russell. Section 18- - Louis S. Lovell. Section 19 -- Harrison Morgan. Louis S. Lovell, George Macomber. Section 20- - Josiah Russell, D. W. Morse. Section 21 --- Josiah Russell, Louis Lovell,
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Carso Crane, John Haire, Ira Burnham. Section 22-Oscar Cargill, Hiram E. Russell, Stephen Page, William Patrick, Asa Palmer, James M. Ferris. Section 23-Oscar F. Cargill. Alvin Berry, Stephen Page, Jacob Davis. Section 24 -- N. Slaght. Daniel Moore. Benjamin Knight. Alvin Berry. Sec- tion 25 -- George Loucks, Jacob A. Davis. Section 26-Volney Belden, John C. Blanchard, John Green, John Lewis, Josiah Russell, John Lewis, Josiah Russell. John Green. Section 27-George Loucks. Abel Avery. Oscar Car- gill. Henry Stringham, George Loncks, Joseph Stearns, Josiah Russell. Stephen P. Page. Section 28- George Loucks and William E. Gregory, Henry M. Moore, Stephen Page. Kpsoaj Russell, Louis Lavell, P. Seymour, Sammel Butler. A. Litchfield, Charles Seymour. Section 29 -- Josiah Russell. Section 30-Loren Curtis, George Loucks, Harrison Morgan, Louis Lovell. Section 31 -- George Loucks, Louis Lovell. Jacob .A. Davis and John Clark. Section 32-Hiram E. Russell, Louis Lovell, Jacob A. Davis, John Clark, Josiah Jackson. Section 33 -- Henry Moore. George O. Russell, Josiah Rus- sell. Louis Lovell. Jacob .A. Davis, John Clark, Charles J. Church, William Van Loo. Section 34-George Loucks, Eliphalet Gregory, Charles Seymour. Section 35-Josiah Russell. Jacob A. Davis, David ITart. Section 36- Jacob A. Davis, William Burt. Daniel W. McLeon.
THE LUMBERING INTERESTS.
The development of the Inmbering interests was the occasion of the first improvements in the township of Pine. About the year 1851-52 an association of men known as the John Green Company, and composed of John Green. Abel French. Josiah Russell and Charles C. Ellsworth, came into the township, and with a force of men at once began preparations for erecting a saw-mill. There was at this time no settler nor human habitation, aside from those of the Indians, within its confines. It was necessary, therefore, that cabins for the men be first built, which, when erected, were ouly of a temporary character, as the company purposed building more per- manent quarters as soon as lumber could be manufactured. The river was soon dammed, though not substantially, as it subsequently washed out, a frame was erected, and one saw set in operation. The cabins built at this time were the first in the township, and stood east of the mill, near the bank. The following Christmas another saw was added, and the force of men was. increased. Isaac ITart, who died in the war, was the sawyer of the upright saw: a Mr. Smead was foreman of the circular saw. The company failed in about two years and the mill passed into the hands of Eastern parties.
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Josiah Russell, who was a man of considerable means and owned large tracts of land in various localities, subsequently removed to the North, where he died. John Green was a resident of Greenville, and is spoken of more fully in another part of this work. His son. John Green, Jr., owned a saw- mill in the western part of Sidney. Abel French afterward became a resi- dent of Cato, where he lived many years.
Among the many who owned the mill property at Langston were George Saux, of Greenville, and Edwin Breese. It next came into the possession of a firm in Grand Rapids. It was later owned by D. J. Brown.
AGRICULTURE BEGUN IN PINE TOWNSHIP.
The first settler who came into Pine intending to engage in agriculture was Alfred Wakeman. He settled on the south half of the southwest quar- ter of section 6, some years after the settlement in the southeastern part of the township began. He was followed soon afterward by James Starks and T. O. Berry, both of whom settled on section 6.
While the mill before referred to was yet in possession of Edwin Breese, Daniel Lang, from Steuben county, New York, came in to take charge and oversee the work. But scarce a year had elapsed when Mr. Breese failed, and Mr. Lang was compelled to look about, as were all the employees, for occupation elsewhere. It was not in Montcalm in those days as at present. Work could not always be secured for the asking: indeed. in the earlier years of its settlement, work at times could not be secured on any terms. The state road from Greenville to Big Rapids had already been established, and travel over this route had become steady and constantly increasing.
A SUCCESSFUL. HOTEL.
Daniel Lang, therefore, put up a small frame building, and commenced keeping hotel on a small scale. It was the second frame house in the town- ship, the first being built near the mill by the mill company. The enterprise was entirely successful, and increased patronage rendered it necessary that Mr. Lang should soon build an addition, which he accordingly did. The more additions he built ( and they were attached. additions upon additions, until, as was remarked, his house in the twilight, looked like a castle on the Rhine-and he despaired of furnishing ample accommodations at all times ), the more popular the hotel and its proprietor became. When, anticipating that the travel would possibly shift to another route, he decided to build no
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more, his hotel was the largest between Greenville and Big Rapids. When the highway from Grand Rapids to this village became the general line of travel, and other routes connected with it. the decline in business anticipated by Mr. Lang came in fact, and this thoroughfare to the north, upon which at all hours of the day, and lasting late into the night. the halloo of teamsters and the crack of their whips could be heard, became almost deserted. The completion of the railroads to the northeast and west also tended to this result. Daniel Lang died in 1869.
Henry Caukins was also prominently connected with the early develop- ment of this township. He was considered the best informed in regard to land boundaries, section lines, etc., of any man in this section of the state. He became a resident, and lived here a number of years, filling the office of town clerk several terms in succession. He surveyed nearly all the land in this section, and also platted the village of Langston.
Nathan H. Briggs and his elder brother, Hiram, was a native of New York, whence, with his parents, he moved to Medina county, Ohio, when that county was yet comparatively new. In 1837 the family moved into Livingston county, Michigan, then an almost unbroken wilderness, the near- est neighbor being several miles distant. There his parents settled perma- nently. In 1851 the brothers referred to cante to Pine, intending to spend a part of the winter hunting game. Nathan II. Briggs was at that time twenty-one years of age and unmarried, and had no thought of making it his home. By Christmas forty-four deer had fallen by his rifle, and he esti- mated that he killed no less than two hundred within the confines of the township of Pine. Another brother. Zenas Briggs, who came in 1862 and engaged in lumbering. later engaged in farming.
In November of 1861 Joseph Wilcox came to Pine from Greenville. where he had settled four years previons. He then became prominently connected with its official interests, being elected supervisor at the first town meeting.
FIRST POSTOFFICE IN PINE.
The first postoffice in Pine township was kept in the house of Nathan HI. Briggs Henry W. Cankins being postmaster and Mr. Briggs deputy- in 1863. Previous to this time the most convenient office for this section was Greenville. The mail route at this time extended from that village to Big Rapids, over which the mail passed once a week, being carried on horse- back. When the roads became impassable, it was taken on foot. The office was subsequently removed to Daniel Lang's hotel. and next to the store of
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Mr. Gage, who came in and rented a store building erected by Zenas Briggs. Gage opened a general stock of goods, but in a single year removed his stock from the township. In 1857 Charles Palmer started a blacksmith shop. He soon sold to Christopher Lipscomb, a gunsmith.
The second store was opened by J. D. Norton and R. F. Sprague. Nor- ton. who later engaged in banking, soon sold to Sprague, who conducted the business very successfully for about three years, when he sold out to Bennett & Mills and moved to Greenville. The sales of Norton and Sprague were immense. considering the times. aggregating fifty thousand dollars per annum. The large store-room on the northwest corner was built by Thomas K. Ward, and was known as the Ward block. It was sixty by eighty feet on the ground, and three stories high. The lower floor was intended for store rooms. the second floor for offices, and the third floor for a large hall. The building was not, however. entirely completed according to original designs.
The Briggs hotel was built by Benjamin Briggs, who came to the town- ship in 1866 and engaged first in the mercantile business. A small hotel had been erected by Christopher Lipscomb on the site later occupied by the fine hotel known as the Briggs House, after its first proprietor. It cost about five thousand dollars. When these buildings were erected there was strong anticipation that the railroad which passes through to the westward would come to Langston. In the fall of 1865 the firm of Price & Kendall erected a saw-mill in the north part of the township, their lands lying prin- cipally on sections 5 and 8. They started with a small portable mill and employed but few men. Soon, however, they enlarged the mill and intro- duced new and improved machinery and employed twenty-five men. The mill, with its surroundings, had the appearance of quite a village, and received the name of Kendallville, from one of the proprietors.
The first school in Pine township was taught by Jennie Lang. in an unoccupied room of David Hart's house. in the summer of 1858. Miss Lang received one dollar and fifty cents per week. The term lasted three months. and the attendance was ten. Joseph Wilcox built the first school house in the township.
Kendallville was never platted and was only one of the many lumber camps which were located in this county at that early date. There was a saw-mill, as was previously mentioned. with some eight or ten dwellings for the lumbermen. With the exhaustion of the timber this camp ceased to exist as a village.
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