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 19
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
LANGSTON.
Langston is the only town in Pine township which was ever platted and at the present time is only a hamlet. It was platted on the southwest quar- ter of the southwest quarter of section 26 and also a part of the adjoining section. This was recorded as Irving's plat of the village of Langston and was surveyed and laid out on April 15, 1870. by Henry W. Cankin. The original proprietors of this village were Hugh Irving, Electra J. Lipscomb. Benjamin 11. Briggs, Jr .. Zonas E. Briggs, Henry T. Clark and Thomas R. White. There were at the time of the platting the streets of Main, A, B. C. and River, with First. Second. Third and Fourth as cross streets. There have been two additions to this original plat : That of Bloombergs, which was surveyed on April 22, 1871, and that of Avery & Cankin, which was stirveyed on April 28. 18;1.
Langston began its career when the timber industry was at the zenith of its operations and was one of the most flourishing of the lumber towns. Situated, as it is, in the central part of a township which bears its name on account of the kind of timber which covered it. there is no great explanation necessary to show the origin and early growth of this village. It is situated on the banks of Flat river, which at that time was the chief river highway down which the logs were rafted. Mills abounded here and it was truly the type of a lumber camp as depicted by Ralph O'Connor and others. But with the exhaustion of the timber this village began to decrease in population. and having no natural resource and not even a railroad, it went down very rapidly. There are at present about one hundred inhabitants in the village, and owing to the fact that this township has produced some excellent farm- ing lands the town has proved a trading center. There are two general stores at present, owned by I. L. Hinkey & Company and Carlos Dennison. There are also two blacksmith shops, which are managed by Henry Spicer and a Mr. Allen. This village is served by mail on the rural route from Stanton and Gowen.
CHAPTER XIX.
REYNOLDS TOWNSHIP.
Reynolds township, which is designated on the government survey as town 12 north, range 10 west, is situated in the extreme northwestern cor- uer of the county. This bears the distinction of being the nineteenth town- ship organized in the county. Richland alone being organized at a later date. Reynolds is bounded on the north by Mecosta county, on the east by Win- field township. on the south by Pierson township, and on the west by Newaygo county. Reynolds township was officially organized by the board of supervisors on March 30. 1869. It is a rather queer stroke of fate that the minutes of the supervisors of the county for this meeting are missing, as also is the original petition asking for the creation of this township, thus it is impossible to give the names of the persons desiring the organization of a new township. This is the second township for which the minutes bearing on the creation have been destroyed, or rather the clerk failed to enter them in the minute book --- in this instance there are no minutes from December 30. 1868, to October 11, 1869.
The first meeting was held at the house of David Swarthout, but through some misunderstanding the voters of the township did not assemble at the time appointed by the board of supervisors, and the organization was not, therefore, completed until May 17. 1869, when in accordance with a notice duly given, the electors assembled and elected the necessary officers according to law. J. F. Maze and John Moore, who had been regularly appointed inspectors of election, being absent, Harry Stevens and Abel F. Stevens were appointed in their stead. David Swarthout was appointed chairman, and Horatio L. Wheeler, clerk. The whole number of votes cast was thirty-two.
ORIGINAL LAND ENTRIES.
Section 1-David Hoag, Abijah Paynter. Section 2 -- Aloney Rust, James W. Sanborn, Peter Sanborn, William W. Squires, Abijah Paynter. Robert P. Mitchel, Nelson Higbee, James M. Turner. Section 3-James W. Sanborn, Peter Sanborn, Allen Wright. Section 4-Gideon Truesdell,
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Joseph H. Huckley, Jeremiah Ryan, David Rice, Robert HI. Smith, Martin Parkhurst. Brigham Barnes, Jerome Dickenson, Albert Pope, Jacob Smith. Section 5 -- George Gilmore. Section 6-Henry Gilmore, George Gilmore. Wilham Harris, James Allen, Lyeander W. De Clair, John C. Williams, Jacob Thatcher. Section 7-Lysander Quigley, James Allen. Section 8- Marshall Stark, John Hawley, A. Mosher. Albert Mosher. Henry D. Cilley, Albert G. Fey, Sylvester Benton, Nicholas W. Gahilson. Section 9-Henry Stevens, Walter Sull, Galen Eastman, Marshall Stark. Section 10 -Peter Sanborn, Walter Sull, Galen Eastman, Franklin Smith, Harry Stevens. Sec- tion II-Peter Sanborn, Franklin Smith, Abijali Paynter. Section 12 Edgar 1 .. Gray, David D. Goag. Abijah Paynter, John F. Ganwiler, Martin Rversion. R. W. Morris. Section 13- Abijah Paynter, Marshall Stark, John Squires, Edgar Gray, Electa Jane Simmons, J. Morrison. Section 14- James Bueley. Eli Fradenburgh, Alexander Lucas, Joseph Lucas, Harry Stevens. Section 16-Merritt Hallocks, William Rice, Alanson Orton, Augustus Paddock, James Herron, Stephen C. Hall, Gerrett Ward. Section 17-Jefferson Morrison. Section 18-Wallace R. Page, Jefferson Morris, Dan Lant, Jacob P. Oswalt, John Newman. Section 19 -- Patrick Lynch, Louis Swell, Richard Dye. John lynch. Section 20-Josiah Stevens, Amos Stevens, Aaron Hallock. Eli Hallock. Samuel Sanger, Horatio L. Wheeler, Harry Havel, Erastus A. Hand, Henry Lahym, Samuel Working, Anthony Ilall, Samnel Hasker. Section 22-Orville Thompson, Edwin Thompson, John Hawkey. Alfred Scott, Alonzo M. Carrier. Miron Carrier, Augustus McKenney, Henry Scott. Arthur B. Scott. Section 23-John Squires. Sec- tion 24-Peter Sanborn. Arabut Smith, Byron Squires, John D. Borden, Jeremiah Ryan, Edgar 1 .. Gray, John F. Ganweiler, Chauncey Davis. Sec- tion 25-l'eter Sanborn. Section 26 -Peter Sanborn. Martin Ryerson, Robert Morris, John F. Ganwiler, Aaron Mckinney, Harry Stevens. Sec- tion 28 -John Blanchard. Levi 1 .. Trott. Martin Ryerson, Robert Morris, Vincent J. Goldsmith, William H. Ames, Harry R. Stevens, Lucius Ames, David Swarthout, A. F. Stevens, Aaron Wooden. Section 29-John C. Blanchard. Section 30 -- George Bankart. Louis Swell, Richard Dye, John D. Borden. James H. Bush. Harry Shimmmons, Newell Stevens. Section 31- John Moore. Albert Robertson. Section 32-George Backart, Lorenzo Rider. John C. Blanchard, Merritt Halleck, Ezra L. Reynolds, Horatio W. Smith, Thomas Hill. Section 33- Allen Wright, John Blanchard. Section 34- Allen Wright, Eli Hallock. Levi Leonard. Howard Bradley, William Glover, Henry Graves. Section 36-Peter Sanborn.
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
STREAMS AND SOIL.
The entire surface of the township. as the streams indicate, slopes in general to the westward towards the Muskegon river, into which empties Tamarack creek and Little river, which streams drain the township of Rey- nolds. The latter of these enters the township on section 3, from Mecosta county, and flows in a sonthwesterly course across sections 8, 9, 10, 17 and 18, from which it enters Newago county. It also makes a slight curve into the northwest quarter of section 16. Stephen creek, the outlet of the small lake on the line of Reynolds and Winfield, enters Little river on section 17.
Tamarack creek, entering on section 36 and passing into Newaygo county on section 30, flows through sections 23. 26, 27. 33 and 32. It receives two small streams from the south, which flow through sections 32 and 33. Another stream flows through sections 1. 2. 3 and 10. The town- ship is, therefore, well drained and watered.
The soil of the greater part is light, sandy loam, and in places is not productive. There are, however, some good farming lands, but they were originally covered with a heavy growth of pine, and no considerable advance was made in agriculture imtil the completion of the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad.
THE LUMBER INDUSTRY.
The settlement of Reynolds had made no considerable progress previous to the platting of Howard City and the organization of the township, it having been a part of Pierson until the year 1869. At that time there were but thirty-two resident voters in the township, and the larger portion of them were engaged in lumbering or working in the saw-mill built by Harvey R. Stevens on section 32. This was the first mill in Reynolds. The long distance over which the settlers were compelled to hanl lumber for all build- ing purposes previous to the building of this mill. and the ready means it afforded for clearing land, by making the labor necessary to that end profit- able, rendered it of particular benefit to the settlers who now began to come to the township. Its growth has since been comparatively rapid.
This mill passed into the possession of Conner & Aimy, and was oper- ated until 1873. when it burned. Another, built on the same site, was also destroyed by fire and has never been rebuilt. In 1869 A. R. Stevens com- menced a shingle-mill also, but before completing it he sold a half interest to David Lord. This gentleman, with J. K. Kipp, built a saw-mill on section
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33. The streams at this time were being made use of by mill companies at Muskegon for the purpose of rafting large quantities of logs from Rey- nolds and other townships to the East and North. For this purpose the streams were dammed, and thus large tracts of land were overflowed and rendered practically worthless.
The firm of Kipp & Lord was the first to declare war against what they considered an imposition, and when the Muskegon companies commenced to raft logs they very promptly signified their intention to dispute the usurpa- tion. The Boom Company, of Muskegon sent men, it is asserted, to tear away the dam of the mill company. Mr. Kipp, with some instrument at hand from the mill, took his position above the men who were about to remove some of the timbers. Tis resolute demeanor was so suggestive of what they might expect if they persisted in trespassing upon his property that they sent away for reinforcements. The case was taken into the courts, and passed from one tribunal to another, until the township was finally freed from this nuisance of raising and lowering the waters in its streams. The malaria arising from covering large tracts with water, and then exposing them to the sun in the summer, almost universally resulted in fever and ague.
HOWARD CITY.
The village of Howard City was platted in 1868 by E. W. Muencher, the civil engineer of the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad. The principal part of the village is situated on the north half of the northeast quarter of section 3, and the south half of the southeast quarter of section 26. Benja- min Ensley, an early settler near the east line of Muskegon county, and who at the time the railroad was completed owned a number of tracts of land in this vicinity, was the original founder of the village. The side tracks of the railroad were completed, and in August, 1869, the depot erected. This was the first house built within the limits of the village, and besides these improvements there was no sign of a settlement here or break or clearing in the primeval solitudes. The company stationed a man named Spencer at this place, but he was soon superseded by William Edmondson, who, with his family, occupied the depot, and who, seeing that travel was constantly increasing, prepared to entertain as many guests as his limited accommoda- tions would allow. This branch of the business seems to have been both agreeable and remunerative to him, since in the fall he built ( for a hotel) a small house, which with many modifications, later served as the wing of the Coburn's Exchange. It was not originally a pretentious edifice, or very
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
comfortable in winter, but it answered the purpose for which it was intended and was the first business place in Howard City.
The village, however, had an early rival. In the winter of 1869-70. J. K. Kipp. Harvey R. Stevens and a man named Blaisdell formed an asso- ciation, intending to start a village on the south half of the southeast quarter of section 23. on the line of the railroad and about one mile north of How- ard City. This land was owned by Harvey R. Stevens. Blaisdell, being a conductor on the railroad, it was thought that through his influence they would be able to secure a station and switch. These preliminary arrange- ments were entirely successful. The state road to connect with a similar highway from Grand Rapids to Big Rapids had already been completed some distance east from Muskegon, and the projectors of the new village at once set about to secure it. In this, too, they were successful, nich to the disappointment of those interested in the prosperity of Howard City, and lots in Reynolds began to be in demand with those seeking business loca- tions. Several were sold and one purchaser, Orin . Andrews, erected a store building. In the meantime the company were not idle. They began active preparations to receive and set a portable saw-mill in operation in order to supply with lumber those wishing to build. This being done. the success of the enterprise was looked upon as assured. while the prospects of Howard City were regarded as correspondingly depressing. Unfortunately for Rey- nolds. however, a mortgage now began to be troublesome, and rendered a clear title to the village lots impossible. The collapse of the undertaking was as complete as it was sudden, and the success of Howard City was at once insured.
The second place of business opened in this village was the little grocery of W. D. Sabin, who came to Howard City and began to erect a small build- ing soon after William Edmondson opened his hotel. Mr. Sabin subse- quently added dry-goods and later built a large store building and opened a stock of hardware. The sales for 1879 aggregated from eighteen to twenty thousand dollars. One of the first business places opened in Howard City also was the hardware store of John F. Clubb, which stood across the road from the hotel built by Edmondson. He remained in trade but a short time. The first saw-mill was built by David Botsford: it was later owned by Henry Hinkle, of Pierson township.
In 1873 Howard City, having attained the requisite number of inhabi- tants, was incorporated. The first election under the charter was held on the 7th of April. 1873, at which time one hundred and nineteen votes were cast, of which, for the office of president of the village. Albert P. Thomas
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
received one hundred and eighteen. The following persons were elected trustees: John F. Chubb. Donly L. Coon, John L. Shattuck, Duncan C. Mckinnon; clerk. George H. Segar ; assessor, R. Mathews; treasurer, David Botsford; marshal, Joseph F. Jones.
The following article was taken from the 1901 Christmas number of the Howard City Record, and is the best history that could be written :
IN THE OLDEN DAYS.
The coming of a railroad to a town always marks one of the most momentous epochs in its history. Previous to the close of the Civil War thousands of prosperous villages existed and had their being, were pleasant and comfortable places of abode and busy marts of trade, yet whose only connections with the outside world were obtained by the old-fashioned stage- couch lines and trucking teams, back and forth from the more populous and more fortunate towns, located upon those great arteries of trade-the rail- roads.
Following the close of the war came theretofore unrivalled prosperity and commercial activity in the North, and one of the most marked advance- ments of the decade was its building of railroads.
Howard City was not then in existence. In 1868 the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad had reached a point as far north as Cedar Springs, and the country north of it was to a great extent an unbroken wilderness. Big Rapids. Traverse City and Ludington were "on the map," and Muskegon was a thriving saw-mill town. Paris and Hersey, both being located on rivers, had a store or two and were looked upon as trading posts, and Croton and Newaygo to the west were more or less prominent. A stage line was in operation between Big Rapids and Grand Rapids, the nearest stopping place to what afterward became Howard City being Ben Ensley's tavern. six miles southwest of here, on the old state road. That was a noted place in those days and Mr. Ensley was "it." He had a store and saloon, as well as a tavern and all teams coming and going over the stage line made it a point to stop with him and obtain rest and refreshments for both man and beast.
Lumbering operations had been in progress two or three years here, at that time and old-timers will recall such men as the Orton Brothers; Atwood, of Greenville: Pat Gorman, of Grand Rapids, and C. F. Nason as among the earliest comers. Later on, with the advent of the railroad, came Henry Henkel. Dave Botsford. Charley Miller. Seth Beals, Morgan & Stanton and
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others. Shingle-mills also began to dot the surrounding country after the road was put through, and the Handy Brothers, Sam Dent, Chubb & Powell, Joel Smith & Sons, and others found it a place in which to do a flourishing business, and the festive shingle weaver with his bell-bottomed trouser legs. broad binding on his coat and vest and jaunty turban hat was the beau-ideal of fashion. There were then only two settlers between Cedar Springs and Ben Ensley's and from thence north the road twisted about through the pine forests and not another settler was found until within five or six miles of Big Rapids. The old Rathbun House was the leading hotel in Grand Rapids, while the old Barnard House, and the Bronson House, owned by Mr. Courtwright, father of William Courtwright, of Newaygo, vied with one another for second place.
In the spring of 1869 the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad reached the lumber camp which afterward became Howard City, and was built on north as far as Morley, which for a time continued to be the northern terminal. Like all towns which have been the scenes of lumbering operations, Howard City was wild and rough in its earlier years and the lumber jacks with their spike boots and mackinaw suits made Rome howl when they came in from the camps for a time.
The Tamarac river, which flows through the town, furnished the means for conveying the timber from here to the mills at Muskegon and the heavy growth of large pine for which this section of the state became famous produced many fortunes, which were mostly taken elsewhere to be spent.
Among the carlier settlers were Lewis W. Wilbur, Joseph Mosher. Thomas, Royal and William Quick, William IT. Lovely. J. W. Lovely, Charles Larry, Rix, Len and Frank Church, Horace Menkee, Major A. B. Howe and his brothers, Dan and Charles Y .: Henry Maylette, A. R. and N. W. Mather, Doctor Lord. J. H. Kipp. J. H. Edmondson, who built the original hotel, which is now Coburn's Exchange; Captain Coon, who later greatly enlarged the same building: H. G. Coburn, who has owned it many years since: Frank and Peter Stevens, James Tyler, A. P. Thomas, J. L. Shattuck, George and Austin Barber, David Swarthout, William Boynton, T. C. Fouts, Doctor Snow. J. P. Denton. John Delaney. T. C. Borden. Doctor Snyder, S. M. Hewings, T. C. Prout. E. H. Simons, Alf Macomber. Al Spalsbury, William S. Dove. William F. Thompson, Steve Winslow. Arthur Price, Isaiah Allen, Port Dayman, W. D. Sabin, Orlin Potter, Sidney Granger, Eli Overpac. A. Booth, Chester A. Rockwell. Charles Broast, John C. Collins, William Robbie. Solomon Lisk. O. J. Wolfe, C. C. Aterbury, Richard H. and Albert O'Donald. Henry Henkel, Ed Lovely, O. J. Knapp,
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"Billy" Wilson, E. V. Wilson, Richard Perry, Alex Denton, George M. Doty. J. H. Haskins, John Fields, C. B. Rice, John, Alex, Jim and Fred Watts, Jim Sargent, Alex Duncan, Seth Beals, Si Morgan, Samuel Dent, Jack McMillen, D. A. Murray, Dan Shook, J. W. and Sid V. Bullock, Henry Rogers. Peter De Witt, Olcott Lowell. Johnny Montste, Dan Miller, George Cox. ------- Henderson. George Underhill, Captain Robinson, Bob Robin- son. A. C. White, Joseph Southard, and others whose names are not at present recalled.
For fifteen years of its existence, Howard City was a wooden town. It was distinctively a lumber town. The pine grew thick and heavy here, mills sprang up all about and lumber was comparatively cheap. The princi- pal thought was how to make money as quickly and in as large quantities as possible and then go elsewhere to enjoy the fruits of it. Little thought was devoted in the carlier years to building for the future, to securing shady streets and beautiful homes, or to protecting property from fire. For fifteen years, with the exception of a brief period when a wheezy second-hand hand- engine. always out of repair, was owned by the village, the only protection against fire was a "bucket brigade," of which every man, woman and child in the place was a member.
And surely if any town was ever thoroughly ravaged by fire Howard City was. Aside from the usual or perhaps we should say unusual fires. occurring from year to year. there have been general conflagrations which in a day or a night have practically wiped out the business section of the town.
Previous to 1880 the business portion of the village was principally located on Ensley street. parallel with the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad, north and south of Edgerton street. On the night of December 31. 1883, fire broke out in the building occupied for a store and residence by O. J. Knapp at about nine o'clock in the evening. It was bitterly cold and a sharp wind was blowing, making it very uncomfortable for those engaged in con- testing the progress of the flames. The only water obtainable for the use of the bucket brigade was from two or three wells in the vicinity, at which willing hands worked the pumps incessantly. The fire gained steadily and it looked as though the whole town was doomed.
The Grand Rapids fire department was notified by telegraph and imme- diate aid was asked for. Prompt action was taken there and a steam fire engine was sent here by special train, accompanied by a force of trained firemen. There were two or three old fire cisterns which had been built when the local hand engine had been purchased, but these had fallen into disuse and what little water was in them was exhausted in a very few moments
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by the steamer. . \ line of hose was then laid to the river. The fire did not get north of Edgerton street-on Ensley street, Coburn's Exchange and all north of it being spared --- but south from the Exchange every building on the street was wiped out completely. These comprised the following :
A two-story building on the corner owned by W. H. Lovely, followed on the south by a two-story building used for jewelry store and living rooms by a man named Pratt. Next was the grocery and restaurant of J. R. Abbott. and beyond this the furniture store of Austin Barber. Then came the old hotel which was run at the time by a man named Mabil, and beyond that a saloon operated by Dan Hartnett, formerly of Trufant. On the further corner was the old Howard House, operated by Ed. Filleo, now of Luther. Not a vestige of this entire block was left standing. East on Edgerton street. on both sides, raged the fire, eating up one building after another. These comprised a small building where Heroll's brick block now stands, which was occupied with a restaurant by Mrs. R. G. Quick and son ; next, on the east. was a two-story frame building used as a grocery by Sam Sweet, the upper rooms being occupied by Sam Mankin and family. Next was a two-story frame building owned by O. J. Knapp and the second floor occupied by himself and family. On the ground foor Mr. Knapp conducted a grocery store. It was in this building where the fire originated from a defective chimney. A. P. Thomas had a fine law office on the first floor in the next building. with Captain Robinson's justice court upstairs. Peter Stevens and his brother, Frank, owned the two-story frame next east and lived overhead. Their shoe shop was on the ground floor. On the corner. where H. M. Gibbs' store now stands, was a drug store owned by Dr. John R. Hathaway and Sid V. Bullock.
The fire went no farther east than this corner, on White street, but on the south side of Edgerton street, opposite the block just mentioned was a whole row of frame buildings that were destroyed. On the Edgerton and White street corner was a two-story frame building owned and occupied by Broas & Collins, as a general store. "Maje" Key had a tailoring estab- lishment upstairs. M. H. Jeuner had a building next west, where he had a jewelry store: next west was the old Union block. The lower rooms were used. the east by Mrs. C. F. Murray's millinery store, and the west by "Billy" Wilson's market. Murrays lived over their store, and the Masonic lodge was on the third floor. Next was the fine grocery store of Frank O. Lord, with offices upstairs. Adjoining and on the corner by the alley, where Nagler's drug store now stands, was a frame building which had been moved there from another location by Thomas Quick and occupied by his
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