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 4
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From certain records on file in Montcalm county it appears that Judge Epaphroditus Ransom, afterwards governor of the state, made the first land entry in Montcalm county. In June, July and August, 1835, the (4)
50
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
entered certain parts of sections 1 and 2, township 9 north, range 5 west, and section 36, in township 10 north, range 5 west. The first transfer of lands between individuals was made on October 18, 1837, by Benjamin Young, of Ontaria county, New York, to Carso Crane, of the same county and state. The first entry transfer of lands made by Newcomb J. Ireland, first register of deeds in Montcalm county, was made to Ebenezer Salyer on May 2, 1850. Luther Lincoln is believed to have been the first settler in Montcalm county, having lived near the junction of Flat river and Black creek as early as the spring of 1837. The first marriage recorded in the county records was that of Benjamin Weaver, of Otisco, Ionia county, to Gertrude Stockholm, of Eureka township, the ceremony having been performed on March 19, 1851, by the Rev. Wilson Mosher.
LOCATION OF THE COUNTY SEAT.
The act of the Michigan Legislature which provided for the organiza- tion of Montcalm county temporarily located the county seat at Greenville, but provided for the permanent location of the county seat by the board of supervisors elected in 1860. The original act also specifically set forth that no tax should be levied for the erection of county buildings until a per- manent seat had been chosen. Until the present county seat was selected in 1860 all official business was transacted at Greenville, the early court meeting at the house of Morton Shearer. The people of Greenville were anxious to retain the county seat and made at least one significant move in that direction. They obtained the incorporation of Pierson township, pre- viously a part of Mecosta county and which then included the present terri- tory of Pierson, Winfield, Maple Valley and Reynolds townships, in order, no doubt, to add weight to their cause, since this territory lay to the north- west of Greenville.
The original act, approved on March 20, 1850, was amended by an act of January 29, 1859, to provide that although the supervisors might designate a place for the county seat, the question would have to be sub- mitted to the people for ratification at the next general election.
When the Montcalm county board of supervisors met for the first time in 1860 (January 10), the following representatives appeared for each of the ten townships then organized: Bloomer, William Patrick; Cato, Albert S. French; Crystal, John Burk; Eureka, Westbrook Divine; Ever- green, Mortimer Gilleo; Fairplain, Martin P. Follett; Ferris, Peter Schlppi; Montcalm, Stephen Rossman; Pierson, George A. Page, and Sid-
51
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
ney, Ira Barlow. Meetings were held on the 10th, 11th and 12th, and on the last day the board adjourned to meet on April 10, 1860, to consider the location of a county seat. At this meeting John S. Smith appeared in place of John Burk as the representative from Crystal township, Aaron Lyon appeared in place of William Patrick as the representative from Bloomer, George F. Case appeared instead of Mortimer Gilleo for Ever- green, and William Castel appeared for Bushnell township, lately organ- ized.
BEGINNING OF THE RIVALRY.
At the session of the supervisors on April 11, 1860, the board resolved itself into a committee of the whole to examine different locations proposed for a county seat and on the same day a motion to locate the county seat in the city of Greenville was lost by a vote of seven to three, Messrs. Ross- man, Divine and French voting in favor of the motion and Messrs. Smith, Lyon, Schlappi, Barlow, Follett, Case and Castel voting against it. A little later, a motion submitted by Peter Schlappi, to locate the county seat on the northeast quarter of section 1, township 10 north, range 7 west, carried by a vote of seven to three, the supervisors who had voted against Green- ville voting "yes" in this case and the supervisors who had stood for Greenville voting "no" in this case. This act of the supervisors was sub- mitted to the people in November, 1860, and carried by a vote of 504 to 374. Early in 1861 a committee, consisting of Westbrook Divine, Albert S. French and William Castel, was appointed to fix the exact location of the county building.
On January 3, 1860, a motion, made by Peter Schlappi, that $1,000 be expended by the county in the erection of county buildings, consisting of a court house and jail and offices for the county clerk, treasurer and register of deeds, was defeated for want of a two-thirds majority, the vote being six to five in favor of the proposition. Another motion, how- ever, authorizing John L. Smith to procure a deed from Frederick Hall for the site chosen for the county buildings, was carried. Mr. Smith obtained the deed and made his report next day. Several efforts were made to get the necessary appropriation for the erection of county buildings, but no affirmative action was taken until June 12, 1860, when an appro- priation of $1,000 was obtained by a vote of seven to four. The next day a motion carried for the appropriation of $500 for clearing off the site of the county seat and laying out a town.
Frederick Hall sold to Montcalm county the site of the present seat
...
52
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
of the county for $50 and in consideration of his liberality the town was named "Fred" for him. Later, however, when it came time to establish a postoffice at the county seat, the application papers were drawn up and the name of the postoffice left blank. These papers were sent to Mr. Hall with the suggestion that he supply whatever name he desired. Mr. Hall was at that time a great admirer of Edwin M. Stanton, then secretary of war under President Lincoln, and he therefore filled in the name "Stanton" in the blank space and the county seat of Montcalm county was permanently named. This change in the name of the county seat was recognized by the Legislature in an act approved on February 23, 1863. Stanton became an incorporated village by act of the supervisors on October 18, 1867.
FIRST COURT HOUSE AT STANTON.
According to authority of the Montcalm county board of supervisors, the first court house was erected at Fred, now Stanton, in 1860, and this served the purposes of the county until 1870, when a brick structure replaced the old wooden building so far as the judge of probate, register of deeds, county clerk and county treasurer were concerned. Both build- ings, however, were used for offices and a jail until 1880. The "fire-proof building," erected in 1870, cost about $1,500 and was erected by Seth Sprague. Generally speaking, Montcalm county's malefactors were con- fined in the county jail at Ionia until 1870, although it is certain that the upper part of Abel French's store was used for a time.
From 1860 to 1880 several attempts were made to obtain an appro- , priation for suitable and safe county buildings at Stanton, but to the feeling of the people of Greenville and vicinity that the seat might sometime be restored to their fair city, the failure of these several efforts may be attrib- uted.
"There were no shutters or vaults in either of the buildings," says a political tract issued while the campaign for the present court house was being carried on, "and during all of the time they were in use any enter- prising thief on a dark night could have broken in at a window and have carried away all of the nearly priceless records of the real estate of this county, as the books in every office were kept on open shelves."
In the spring of 1879 the question was submitted to a direct vote of the people whether $10,000, together with a like amount to be contributed by the people of Stanton, should be raised to erect a new court house. The proposition carried by a vote of 2,482 to 1,316, and a contract was sub-
:
53
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
sequently let to Jacob C. Consaul, of Fair Haven. William Backus, Will- iam F. Turner and W. I). Bellows were designated as a building committee from the board of supervisors and work on the new structure begun about August 1, 1879. The building was completed and occupied in July, 1880, and cost altogether about $23,000. This building contained fine offices for all the county officials and substantial vaults which saved the records in the 1905 fire. The late Clarence W. Chapin, who was well known in Mont- calm county as one of the leading bankers of Stanton, had previously raised $600 by popular subscription, which was spent in grading the court house grounds.
DEDICATING THE NEW BUILDING.
The new court house, built in 1879-80, was formally dedicated July 5, 1880, the dedicatory address being delivered by Hon. John Lewis, of Green- ville, former prosecuting attorney of Montcalm county, and later judge of the probate court. Apparently, there was a lurking suspicion in the minds of the people of the county that Mr. Lewis might discuss phases of politics to which they did not care to listen, for the assurance was given in the Weekly Clipper of June 25, 1880, that the speech would be free from local politics.
"To correct an error under which some of the people of the county are laboring," said the Clipper, "we would say that there will be nothing politi- cal mixed up with the dedicatory ceremonies of July 5. The orator of the day has been especially informed that his hearers want nothing of the kind, but expect something adapted only to the occasion, viz: The dedication of our new temple of justice. He will not make a Fourth of July oration in the ordinary acceptation of the term, so our hearers may rest assured that there will be nothing that will grate harshly on the most sensitive ears."
A careful reading of extracts from the address bears out the above promise or pledge. Mr. Lewis did, however, make the statement that at the time the first session of the circuit court was held in Stanton, in June, 1862, there were but two buildings in Stanton, the court house and a log tavern which occupied the site of what came to be the Stanton House, kept by one Roosa.
In some unexplained way, the court house erected in 1879-80 caught fire about ten o'clock in the morning, February 16, 1905, and burned to the ground. A considerable portion of the old brick walls were left stand- ing, and with $20,000 insurance it was planned to erect another court house at once. Plans were obtained and paid for by the county at a cost
54
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
of $500 for the erection of another structure, without a jail in the base- ment, for the sum of $19,945, but proceedings were halted by litigation and a proposition submitted to the voters April 3, 1905, to bond the county for $40,000 was defeated by a vote of 3,774 to 3,197, a majority of 577. On April 2, 1906, the same proposition was defeated by a vote of 3,455 to 3,214, a majority of 241. Later in the same year, November 6, a proposi- tion of bond the county for $30,000, was defeated, 2,474 to 2,231, a major- ity of 231 against. On April 1, 1907, the same proposition was defeated, 3,074 to 2,731, a majority of 343. No further vote was taken until April 5, 1909, when a $50,000 bond issue was defeated by a vote of 4,113 to 3,920, a majority of 193.
BOND ISSUE FINALLY CARRIED.
By this time the people of Stanton and vicinity were thoroughly aroused and when the proposition was submitted the next time they were well organized and the court house bond issue carried at the election held on April 4, 1910, by a majority of 31. The vote by authority of which' the present court house was erected, by voting districts, was as follows:
District.
Yes.
No.
Belvidere
241
45
Bloomer
201
IO2
Bushnell
62
83
Cato
47
226
Crystal
217
53
Day
342
20
Douglass
242
21
Eureka
3
I43
Evergreen
212
91
Fairplain
43
108
Ferris
236
9
Home
290
24
Maple Valley
33
374
Montcalm
I6
213
Pierson
16
131
Pine
30
173
Reynolds
56
189
Richland
186
33
Sidney
120
I28
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
District.
Yes.
No.
Winfield
23
124
Greenville, first ward
32
220
Greenville, second ward
59
334
Greenville, third ward
54
290
Stanton, first ward
240
Stanton, second ward
165
1
Total
2,966 2,935
Majority for bond issue, 31.
Stanton's joy hardly knew any bounds after this event. A struggle of five years had culminated finally with complete success and the people no doubt had a right to feel jubilant. A brief article in the Edmore Times, appearing after the election, describes somewhat humorously, the feeling of different sections of the county.
"'Not a bloody, bloomin' thing was done' at Stanton for more than four hours after it was known that the court house bonding proposition was carried Monday night only for the citizens to howl. The band came out, dynamite was shot off and the fire whistle blew so long and loud that it woke up the dead at Greenville.
"Even citizens of Edmore, wearing broad smiles, sat out on their porches and listened to Stanton's musical fire alarm and saw and heard the fireworks nine miles in the distance.
"It seemed to be catching and the bullfrogs in Crystal lake and the citizens of McBride all joined in the chorus.
"Over at Lakeview, Howard City, Coral and Greenville the lights were turned out and everybody went to roost early. Not even a cock has crowed in either one of these towns since.
"After 'Jim' Haskins, of the Howard City Record, got the returns he quietly slid his stereotyped court house editorial into the 'hell box' and crawled under the bed covers. His devil will issue the paper this week."
LEADERSHIP OF S. PERRY YOUNGS.
Five years after the resolution adopted by the Montcalm county board of supervisors for the bond issue of $50,000 with which to build the present court house, was indorsed by the people at the polls, it seems proper to give credit where credit is due. No man had quite as much to do with Stan-
56
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
ton's final and complete victory as S. Perry Youngs. His name does not appear on the tablet in the court house. Nevertheless, he was the leading spirit in obtaining favorable action on the resolution in 1910 and was at that time a member of the board. Having in the meantime been appointed supervisor of the census, he was not permitted to accept another election in 1910. The secret of Mr. Youngs' ultimate success in obtaining the new court house was a spirit of undaunted courage and unfailing determination. Throughout the many unsuccessful campaigns he never for one moment lost hope in ultimate triumph. Even the friends of Stanton had despaired of success and sought to postpone the issue in 1910, when Mr. Youngs began to muster his forces for another campaign. There are unwritten incidents of the final campaign which it were better, no doubt. not to set down here, but in everything the leader of the Stanton forces displayed courage of a rare order. Of course, everything else was subordinated to the main issue, and Mr. Youngs so well knew the strength of his oppon- ents and the weaknesses of his friends that he was able to counteract the one and bolster up the other. He did most of the detail work as well, including the preparation of a voluminous amount of campaign literature, which was circulated with good effect among the doubtful voters. In all of this, Mr. Youngs was fortified with experiences gained not only from 1906 to 1910, but likewise from the campaign for the court house of 1879. in which he was prominent. In the campaign of 1879 the leader of the Stanton forces was the venerable II. II. Hinds, who is still living in Stan- ton.
At a meeting of the supervisors, held on April 13, 1910, Smith A. Booth, of Greenville, Wyllys R. Thomas, of Stanton, and Frank Boyer, of Day township, were appointed a committee to advertise for bids for the sale of bonds for the new court house, and April 28. 1910, fixed as the day of opening bids and selling the bonds. On the same date, April 13, a building committee, consisting of George Holland, of Sidney township, · chairman ; Henry S. Sharp, of Montcalm township, and Edwin Porter, of Douglass township, was appointed. The contractor's bond covering the construction of the new court house and jail was also fixed at this meeting at $20,000. The bonds were duly disposed of and Edwyn A. Bowd, of Lansing, selected as the architect. The contract for the construction of the present court house was let. therefore, to Wright & Prall, of Ionia, June 24, 1910, their bid being $58,280.68, and included, besides the court house, a jail and sheriff's residence and a power house. The contract for heat- ing was let to Henry Gable, of Ionia, for $3, 168.33, and for plumbing the
ımıur
OLD COURT HOUSE, STANTON.
FIRST AND SECOND COURT HOUSES AND JAIL.
.
-
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
three buildings to Mr. Gable for $2,034.36. A beautiful tablet in the main corridor of the first floor gives the names of the supervisors at the time the building was being erected. These names will long be remembered in the history of the county and are as follows: Robert Evans, chairman ; W. Glenn Abbott, clerk ; Charles F. Dickinson, R. Arthur Carothers, Jacob M. Parkhurst, Franklin B. Henkel, Jesse L. Vanwormer, George A. Four- nie. Thomas W. Musson, George W. Miller, Lucius L. Church, William T. Fisk, James H. Steere, Frank W. Bailey, James P. Throop, John E. Tay- lor. Edwin Porter, Henry S. Sharp, Vir C. Allchin, John H. Jenson, Smith A. Booth, Frank Boyer. John Bannen, Eno C. Yanke, Wyllys R. Thomas and George Holland.
DESCRIPTION OF COUNTY BUILDINGS.
The building of the present Montcalm county court house, jail and sheriff's residence occupied about two years. The court house is a magnifi- cent structure built of buff brick, trimmed with stone, and is adequate for every purpose of the county. It is thoroughly fire-proof and, being situated on an eminence in the west part of Stanton, may be seen for many miles. The people of Montcalm county are justly proud of this splendid temple of justice and of the enterprising spirit of its citizens who made it possible. The present jail and sheriff's residence, which was erected on a lot south of the court house, is also built of pressed buff brick and presents a very attractive appearance. The sheriff's residence is in the front and the jail in the rear. The present accommodations for prisoners are in marked contrast with the accommodations furnished in the old court house when prisoners were housed in the basement.
Interesting in this connection is a report made by an agent of the state board of corrections and charities and published in the Stanton Weekly Clipper of February 15. 1889.
"I visited the jail of Montcalm county on February 10," says the agent. "A great improvement has been made in bringing out the iron bars so as to allow the prisoners to be kept within the bars. They can no longer com- municate with those without, and receive tools through the windows. The general condition of the jail is good. With care of the sewer pipes, there should be no odors. The great need is a bath tub. Men coming in in a filthy condition should be required to wash themselves thoroughly. The woman's room should be put in better condition, and might be used for boys when not needed for women. The jail has the necessary disadvantages of
1
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
a jail under a court house. The classification and separation the law calls for is impracticable. I found nine men and two boys, one man held for nearly a year. There is opportunity for doing good in some suitable person holding a service on Sunday and in furnishing proper reading. The men listened respectfully to a service I conducted."
CARE OF DEPENDENTS IN MONTCALM COUNTY.
Although little information is available bearing upon the care of the poor in Montcalm county prior to 1860, it seems reasonable to believe they were well cared for, inasmuch as during the War of the Rebellion the county expended $36,816.91 in aid of soldiers' families while the population of the county was only three thousand nine hundred and eighty-four in 1860. Several attempts were made to purchase a county poor farm prior to 1860. On October 12, 1859, William Backus, of Eureka township, and Asa Ward, of Crystal township, were appointed as supervisors of the poor for the ensuing year. On the next day, provision was made to advertise for sealed proposals for the purchase of a county poor farm, but nothing further seems to have been done. Five hundred dollars, however, was voted to pay past indebtedness on account of the poor, the balance to be applied to expenses for the ensuing year. On January 11, 1860, a motion was made by Supervisor Westbrook Divine to buy a county poor farm, the cost not to exceed $1,200 and interest not to exceed seven per cent. This motion carried by a vote of six to four, Messrs. French, Divine, Follett, Page, Rossman and Barlow voting in favor of it and Messrs. Patrick, Burk, Gilleo and Schlappi voting against it. Three days later a portion of the present county poor farm located in sections 5 and 8, township 9 north, range 7, west, was purchased of Maria M. Light for $900. On October 30, 1868, an additional purchase was made from Ervin Sanford for $1,000. The present county farm, which consists of one hundred and twenty acres or thereabout, is located as above described in Fairplain township, a few miles northeast of Greenville.
It is a remarkable fact that the cost of assisting the poor has not increased in proportion to the increase in population. The total expense incurred on account of the poor in 1880, for instance, was $8,379.58, and a report of the superintendents of the poor for the year ending September 30, 1915, shows that the net expense for the last year was only $7,262.48. A summary of the superintendents' report for September 30, 1915, shows the following :
59
MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
: -
Total expenses for townships and wards for tem-
porary relief $3,826.37
Total expense for county farm 772.10
Total expense of county infirmary 3.305.69
Grand total of expenses
7,904.16
Credit by amount paid to county treasurer
641.68
Total net expenses for the year $7,262.48
The total number of inmates enrolled at the county farm in 1915 was forty-six, of whom twenty-five were males and twenty-one females. The average enrollment was thirty-eight. Four deaths occurred at the infirmary in 1915.
CHAPTER III.
TOWNSHIP HISTORY.
In the following pages are presented the history of the various town- ships of Montcalm county, comprising a brief sketch of the organization, the names of the original petitioners, when they are disclosed by the records, topography and general characteristics of the soil, the original land entries and first settlements. The later history of each township properly comes within the scope of the general history of the county and is covered in the several chapters on agriculture, industry, education, secret and fraternal orders, transportation, etc.
BELVIDERE TOWNSHIP.
Belvidere township, which was the eighteenth township erected in this county, is located in the extreme north central part of Montcalm county. It is designated on the government survey as township 12 north, range 7 west, and is bounded as follows: On the north by Mecosta county, on the cast by Home township, on the south by Douglass township and on the west by Cato township.
Belvidere township was organized by the board of supervisors on March 7, 1867, but the minutes of the meetings of the board of supervisors from December 2, 1866, to October 14, 1867, are missing, and hence the business of that body at the time the township was organized has been lost. It is also very unfortunate that the petition for the erection of this township has also been misplaced and it is impossible to give the names of the peti- tioners. It is an established certainty that the first election was held at the house of William Garden on the Ist of April, 1867. The meeting was called to order by George Stevenson, and William Gardner was appointed modera- tor. The total number of votes cast was nine and there were eight different voters elected to office, so one voter did not receive an office of trust in the newly-created township. The ballot box used at this first election was a wooden box made of rough boards, in which a hole was bored for the recep- tion of the ballots, after which formality the lid was knocked off and the
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICIIIGAN.
votes counted. The following is the list of officers elected at this meeting : George Wysel, supervisor; William Wysel, clerk; William Bock, treasurer ; John Hammel, George Wysel and George Stevenson, highway commission- ers; William Gardner, William Taylor, George Stevenson and William Wysel, justices; Samuel Smith and George Wysel, constables. It was also voted at this election to raise two hundred dollars for highway purposes. and also that the next township meeting be held at the house of William Wysel. Thus the township of Belvidere took on a definite organization and assumed a place along with the other seventeen townships of the county.
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