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 5
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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
The soil in the northern part of Belvidere township is of a sandy loam, and in the early days there was an abundance of pine timber; towards the south the soil becomes heavier, and the dense growth of pine gradually gave way to a heavy growth of beech and maple. The agricultural pursuits of the settlers have been looked after to a greater extent since the land has been cleared of its timber. The first general advance in farming was made in the southern part, but of later years advanced methods of farming have been taken up in the northern part also.
Belvidere is drained by Flat river, its surface in general sloping towards the source of that stream on the northwest quarter of section 15, where it serves as the outlet of a system of six lakes, situated on sections 12, 14 and 15, and of several streams of considerable importance from the north, east and south, which flow into them. The whole system served as an extensive reservoir, in which, by a dam, the waters were retained for the purpose of raising the river when large quantities of logs were to be rafted to the mills at Greenville, Grand Rapids and Grand Haven. There are a number of other fine lakes in the township-Town Line lake, situated on the line of Cato and Belvidere. being the largest. Horse Shoe lake, named from its peculiar form. is in the adjoining sections 19, 20, 30 and 31. Wysel lake, Penny lake and Long lake are all connected with Flat river.
LAND ENTRIES.
Section 2 -- Henry T. Stringham, John F. Morris. Section 3-Henry T. Stringham, Edwin F. French. Section 4 -- Henry T. Stringham, John Squires, Edwin F. French. Section 5-Henry T. Stringham, John Squires. Section 8-Henry T. Stringham. Section 9-Henry T. Stringham, Edward C. Gallup, Henry T. Stringham. Section 10-Henry T. Stringham, Edward C. Gallup. Section 11-Henry T. Stringham, Edward C. Gallup.
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Section 12-Sidney M. Root, James M. Kidd, Edmund Hall. Section 13- John Ely, S. M. Root, J. M. Soverhill, J. M. Kidd, R. E. Lance, Edmund Hall. Section 14-John J. Ely, Henry T. Stringham. Section 15-Henry T. Stringham, E. K. Wood, Edmund Hall. Section 16-Joseph L. Kelsey, Ambrose Atwood, James Coleman, O. P. Gould, A. S. French, Albert S. French, Albert Sage, Leonard C. Sumner, Dana S. Gibson, D. Summers. Section 17-Henry H. Crapo. Section 18-Henry H. Crapo. Section 19- Henry II. Crapo. Section 20-Henry H. Crapo. Section 21-S. Hill, Aloney Rust, Henry H. Crapo, Benjamin Joy, Elijah Wilder, John Ham- mel, Albert S. French. Section 22-Lysander Hill, Edward C. Gallup, William Taylor, Philander Gowe and George Isham, Joseph L. Kelsey, E. K. Wood, Edmund Hall. Section 23-Julia A. Clark. Section 24-John J. Ely, James M. Soverhill, Lannon B. Townsend, John Stout. Section 25 Julia Ann Clark, L. B. Townsend. Section 26-Julia Ann Clark, Josiah J. Morris. Section 27-John Whitner, George Wysel, William Wysel, Phi- lander R. Howe and George Isham, Anson Ware, John G. Whipple. Sec- tion 28-Aloney Rust, Henry H. Crapo, Charles E. Ellsworth, John C. Blanchard, Joseph L. Kelsey. Section 29-Aloney Rust, Jacob Davis. Frank S. Peck, Henry H. Crapo. Section 30-Aloney Rust, Stephen F. Page, Jacob A. Davis, Henry H. Crapo, Silas L. Smith, D. C. Moore. Sec- tion 31-Aloney Rust, Stephen F. Page, Carso Crane, Samuel B. Peck. Lewis E. Smith, Benjamin Joy, John J. Ely, D. C. Moore. Section 32- Aloney Rust, Stephen F. Page, Joseph J. Shearer. Section 33 -- Jonas Sny- der, Aloney Rust, Cornelius Slaght. Section 34-Aloney Rust, Hiram Bop- inan, Allen Wright, Henry M. Cawkin. Section 35-William Gardner, Philander Howe and George Isham, Henry Cawkin, Baw and Spencer, Edmund Hale. Section 36-Julia Ann Clark, George Stevenson, William D. Mason Miles, Emma A. Ripley.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
William Goodwater, who as early as 1855-56 settled near the south line of section 33, is regarded as the first white man who, with his family. entered the wilds of Belvidere. Aside from the fact, and that he subse- quently became a resident of Douglass, little is known of him. He built a small log cabin, but made no other improvements of importance. Being of small stature and owing to some business transaction with a party of settlers from the south part of the county who stopped at his cabin while on their way to fish in the lake on section 28, he was thenceforth known as Penny
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Goodwater. Although the circumstance which occasioned this singular use of the word has passed from the memory of men, and even the location of his cabin can no longer be designated, the lake before referred to on the southeast quarter of section 28, as well as the smaller one in Douglass, near which he subsequently lived, received their names from this circumstance, the former being known as Big Penny and the latter as Little Penny lake. Goodwater remained in Belvidere but a few years, when, selling his claim, he removed to Douglass.
Many years elapsed before another settler came in. William Gardner, from New York, who entered the north half of the northeast quarter of section 35, in the fall of 1864, was probably the next. He built a log cabin, and the following February brought his family-a wife, two sons and two daughters. To clear a piece of land was his first work after safely housing his family. But to do this in the heavy timber, alone without a team, was a slow and severe task. The large trunks of trees could not be removed from the place where they fell, and were reduced with the axe to such dimensions as enabled them to be carried away or burned where they fell, and being green at times they required an almost indefinite amount of labor and pa- tience. By spring, however, constant effort had not only cleared but pre- pared nearly two acres ready for planting to corn, potatoes and smaller vegetables.
The following winter both sons died within a week of each other, theirs being the first deaths in the township. They were named, respectively, Guian TT. and Willie S. Gardner. There was no funeral service, there being at that time neither minister nor neighbors in the township. They were interred at the cemetery at Westville.
In 1866 William Taylor and George Wysel came in. George Steven- son entered land about the same time, but the wilderness did not retain him long, and he did not settle permanently until some years after George Wysel settled on section 27. near the lake which still bears his name. Both built cabins and brought families to the township, where they lived until their deaths. The same year William Wysel and William Buck came in. The former settled near his brother George, on section 27; the latter did not become a permanent settler, although he lived here for a time. William Wysel raised the first frame house in the township, but it was a small and unstable building. The first frame barn was built at Six lakes by the lum- ber company. The first grain barn was built by William Gardner as late as 1875.
The next settler was John Hammel, who built a cabin near the banks
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
of Flat river, in the central part of the township, but finding subsequently that he had made improvements on land held by another, owing to a mistake in taking the minutes of his land, he abandoned the claim and entered or . purchased a claim on section 32, where he built the first frame dwelling house in Belvidere, and where he resided until his death in 1879. Among the first settlers were Milo Rhodes, George Stevenson, John Brennon, Rode- rick Kennedy, Julius Rhodes and Lyman Gredy.
Although the township was organized the year previous, no school was taught until the summer of 1868. In the spring of that year the first school district, which comprised one-fourth of the township, directly south of the center, was set off, a meeting called, and the necessary officers elected. The rough boards of which the school house was made were bought with money raised among the inhabitants by subscription. When the material had been collected and the shakes for the room prepared. they assembled and the work of construction was of short duration. The house stood near the south quarter post on section 22.
SUM NERVILLE.
Sumnerville, the first village platted in the township, was laid out by L. C. Sumner upon his land in 1873. Several lots were at once sold and a number of business places opened, the first being that of C. M. Hunt, who built a store and opened a stock of dry goods and groceries. He subse- quently sold and removed to Edmore, where he continued in the trade.
The village became a place of considerable business importance, but when the Chicago, Saginaw & Canada railroad was completed and located its depot near the foot of Six lakes, the superior advantages of this place for a village caused Dr. J. B. Daniels and Hiram Clark to purchase seventy acres of land and lay out a village which they named Six Lakes, after that system. This land comprises the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 16, and the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of the same section, and was purchased from the government by Robert S. Kelsey and son, who owned two thousand two hundred and ninety-six acres, mostly pine lands, in the township of Belvidere. Dr. J. B. Daniels became a per- manent resident of his village, where he continued to reside and practice his profession. Hiram Clark opened a picture gallery, but did not reside in the village.
The water power at this place after the death of the elder Kelsey passed into the possession of his son, P. B. Kelsey. At the death of Rich-
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ard Roberts, who had been taken in as partner, the property passed into the possession of Boyden & Ackley, of Grand Haven.
The aggregate amount of logs placed in Six Lakes during 1881 reached many millions of feet. The firm of Stinchfield & Company, the largest firm in Six Lakes, placed on an average one hundred and sixty thousand per day in Penny lake, James Darrah averaged forty thousand per day, and the firm of Moses & Company made it ten millions.
With the passing of the timber industry in Belvidere township, Sum- nerville gradually begun to decline in prosperity. The few interests which had prospered in this town now found no means of sustenance and imme- diately began to leave for other parts. Stores and places of business of all kinds were moved away and eventually even the postoffice and depot were taken out of the town. At present Sumnerville is merely a little hamlet with a few scattered houses, but no stores or places of business of any sort.
SIX LAKES.
Six Lakes, as has been previously mentioned, was platted on May 13, 1879, by Henry Cankin, surveyor, for Hiram S. Clark, Benjamin J. Daniels and Thomas Merrick, proprietors. Six Lakes, situated, as it is, on the Pere Marquette railroad, and the only town in Belvidere township, has taken quite a local prominence as a business center for this community. At pres- ent Six Lakes has a population of approximately five hundred people. The Six Lakes Elevator Company, with G. C. Marotzke as manager, carries on quite an extensive business in this locality. The other members of this firm are Fred W. Kinde and Fred M. Gross. The State Bank of Six Lakes is one of the strong institutions of the county. Other business firms of Six Lakes are C. F. Cornell, general merchandise; Ida M. Wood, general mer- chandise and millinery; Len Wood, hardware and drug store; M. Cart- wright, general merchandise; Charles Cosselman; H. Gibson & Company, coal; Williams Brothers & Company, of Detroit, have a pickling station here. There are also other smaller businesses, as restaurants, etc. Six Lakes is a quiet little village with two churches. The township hall is also located here. In the past few years Six Lakes has taken on an added growth. In the past year, five dwelling houses have been erected in the village. This village is the potato, bean and stock market for the entire township. The elevator, which has recently been rebuilt with the installa- tion of a bean picker, does an extensive business buying these different prod- ucts.
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CHAPTER IV.
BLOOMER TOWNSHIP.
Bloomer was the first township organized by the supervisors of the newly created county of Montcalm and it was the fifth township established. At the time of the establishment of Bloomer there were only four super- visors, one from each of the four townships. Their minutes of January 6, 1852, state that a petition was presented with twenty signatures who were freeholders in township 9 north, range 5 west. It was resolved by a unani- mous vote of the supervisors that towns 9 and 10 north, range 5 west, should be set off from the township of Bushnell and organized into a new township to be called Bloomer. The first election was held at the house of John A. Miner on the first Monday in April, 1852. with the following persons acting as inspectors of election : Asa H. Hawley, Edward Cole and John Richards. Upon the erection of Crystal township the present bound- aries of Bloomer were established. It is situated in the extreme south- eastern corner of the county and is bounded on the north by Crystal town- ship, on the east by Gratiot county, on the south by lonia county and on the west by Bushnell township.
The surface of this township is moderately undulating, and is well watered and drained by Fish creek and its branches. Originally the entire township was covered with a heavy growth of beech and maple timber, which up to the time of settlement, and, in fact, many years after, was the retreat of all kinds of wild game peculiar to Michigan. From this source the carly settlers secured a large part of their winter provisions, and without it. in some instances, severest want and suffering must have ensued.
Although Epaphroditus Ransom entered the south half of the northeast quarter of section 1 and the south half of the northwest quarter of the same section on the 26th of June, 1835. the largest part of the township remained undisturbed until the year 1849. From that time and during the years 1850-52, the greater part of the land was taken as shown by the records, although there was no permanent settlement until 1850. After the timber was removed, which in itself was a great natural resource, the settlers turned
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
their attention to farming and the best evidence of their success is merely to take a drive through this township and note the excellent state of cultiva- tion under which the farms are at present and also the excellent farm build- ings and homes, where once stood the log shanty.
NAMING THE TOWNSHIP.
The incidents which led to adopt the word "Bloomer" for town 9 north, range 5 west, were as near as can be learned, as follows: At a dance held at the cabin of Isaac Pennington, in the winter of 1851-52, several ladies astonished the good deacons of the Puritanic school (who had stopped there for the night ) by appearing in bloomer dresses. When their surprise abated, the dresses were the occasion of some mild jokes, and the term became some- thing of a by-word in the infant colony, and when in the spring of 1852, a name was needed for the township, this one was adopted. This state- ment is discredited by some, and it is said that a number of citizens desired the township to be called "Bloomingdale," but as there was a township in Van Buren county by this name it was named Bloomer. The weight of testimony is entirely with the first explanation.
ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR 1852.
Acres.
Anderson Miner, sections 21, 28
320
Ira Brooks, section 35
80
Jeremiah Willson, section 26
1 I
I
1
1
160
James Covill, section 23
160
Joseph Roop, section 13
1 160
William Sherman, section 12
Hiram Hunt, section 12
S. H. Pennington, section 30
T. B. Colton
Mark Wilsey
George Benjamin
G. H. Dennis
1
1
1
1
1 1
.
1
1
I
I
1
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
I
I
1
1
I
1
1
1
1
1
80
1
1
1
80
160
1
1
1
The total valuation of personal property in the township of Bloomer, which at that time comprised also town 10 north, range 5 west, was two hundred and seven dollars. The aggregate valuation of real and personal property was sixteen thousand three hundred and twenty-seven dollars.
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
FIRST ELECTION.
The first election in the township was held at the house of Anderson Miner, in April, 1852, at which time there were present Anderson Miner, James Covill, Jonathan Cole, Ira Brooks, Edward Cole, George Benjamin, Sylvester Pennington, Zadock Heath, Hiram Hunt, William Sherman, Joseph Roop, Jeremiah Willson, John E. Miner, W. S. Miner, David Sebrig, Mark Wilsey, Dr. T. D. Colton, George H. Dennis. At this election the ballot box consisted of a soda box furnished by Mrs. Miner. She also pre- pared dinner for the entire company.
ORIGINAL LAND PURCHASERS.
The following is a list of persons who entered lands in the township of Bloomer :
Section I-Epaphroditus Ransom (June 26, . 1835), Ira Armstrong. Section 2 -- Epaphroditus Ransom, John N. Fowler, Sylvester Bronson, Ira Brooks, Thomas J. Smith. Section 3-John M. Gordon, E. L. Davis, John N. Fowler. Section 4-Thankful Albro, James Cross, E. Davies, John N. Fowler. Section 5-Thankful Albro, Daniel W. Clark, Edward Robinson, William P. Johnson, Simeon S. De Camp, John G. Williams, John N. Fowler, Amos A. King. Section 6-James Donovan, John Shilling, Jr., Stephen F. Page, Levi Trim, Christopher Rice, Mortimer Gilleo, Lorenzo D. Mason, Joshua Bogart, Harvey D. Mason, Newton Gilleo, Alvin Groner. Section 7-William W. King, Susan E. Clock, William Headland, Rebecca Headland, Benjamin Carey, Cyrus Dickenson, Alfred D. Isham, Harvey D. Mason. Section 8-Evander Spaulding, John P. Nellis, John Norris, Jr., Job B. Morris, Levi Smith, John G. Williams, John N: Fowler. Section 9-John B. Allison, James Cross, Benjamin F. Holmes, George Tibbitts. David Aldrich. Section 10-James A. Dickinson, Ira Armstrong, George H. Dennis. Section II-Thomas R. Brand, John Herrick, George Winsor, Benjamin Fuller, John N. Fowler, William F. Bigelow, Thomas J. Smith. Section 12-Epaphroditus Ransom, John M. Gordon, Robert McClelland. Joseph Roop, Abram Ely, Ira Armstrong, John Kipp, William Chaffin. Section 13-John M. Gordon, Robert McClelland, James R. Langdon. Darius C. Larkins, Joseph Roop, Abram Ely. Section 14-Israil Gillett, Peter B. Casler, Anthony Cornue, Joseph P. House, C. P. House, Samuel Clark, John T. Cornue, Cornelius Bigelow. Section 15-John Johnson,
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Thomas Allen, Gary C. Fox, Sidney Thomas, John Cave. Section 16- Moses Bean, P. Barrister, Mary Jane Carl, J. G. Bright, W. H. Chapman. Section 17-Charles Benjamin, Hannah Graves, William Huffle, Joseph Urie, Sidney H. Sherman. Section 18-Isaac Pennington, Charles H. Pot- ter, Matilda Adams, John Smith, Hugh Adams, James A. Clock, Alexander Adams. Section 19-Isaac Pennington, Seth M. Root, Joseph L. Clock, John Richards, Sr. Section 20-Seth M. Root, William Fancher, John Weaver, Robert McGill, Daniel F. Perky. Section 21-John Fish, Ira Wilder, Catharine Post, Betsey Tubb, Jonathan Boyer, Isaac Piper. Sec- tion 22-Nathaniel Benton. Abraham Shafer, Elizabeth Cronkrite, Peter Clock. Daniel Bellinger, Heman Pratt, Jay Olmstead, Mark Wilsey. Sec- tion 23-James R. Langdon, Robert McClelland, James Covill, Silas Everest, George Covill. Section 24 -- John M. Gordon, Darius C. Larkins. Section 25-James R. Langdon, John M. Gordon, Daniel Barker, Samuel J. Goff, Isaac Braman. Section 26-James R. Langdon, John G. Welsh, Jeremiah Wilson, Asa Ward. Louis Lovell. Section 27-John G. Welsh, Roswell Paine, Alden Giddings, Seth Roberts, George H. Dennis, Lester C. Bennett. Section 28-Anderson Miner. Henry Fargo, Alden Giddings, Thomas Bain- borough, Henry F. Brown, Amasa Aldrich. Section 29-H. Tarrell, Will- iam M. Gardiner. John Richards, Thomas Bainborough, Jedidiah W. Lane, 11. Bump, John C. Blanchard, William Dorton, John W. Pew. Section 30 --- Francis Budine, Jonathan Cole. Thomas Covel, Harvey D). Allen, Polly Fowler, S. M. Cornell. A. F. Lindeley. Section 31-Seth M. Root, Charles Knapp. John N. Fowler, Calvin Peters, Richard Sinkey, William Patrick, George Robinson, Nelson Covell. Section 32-Seth M. Root, Alpheus Ilawley. Abigail McKelvey, Thomas Stafford, Charles W. Owen, Melvin Laverty, Calvin Peters, Louis Lovell. Gilbert F. D. Wilson, N. Ferris. Sec- tion 33-John S. Decker, Stephen Stafford, John S. Hunt, William Ayers. Horace Beebe. Section 34 -- Benton Bernard, Henry Innes, Henry Chaffee. John Minich, John Hunt. John C. Blanchard, Louis S. Lovell. Section 35 -F. Smith, D. C. Hawley, Benton Barnard, Philip Cling, Ezekiel Ferring- ton. Section 36 -- F. Smith, D. C. Hawley, Daniel Barker, John Lowry, John Snyder.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
The township of . Bloomer was a wilderness until the year 1851. On the town line between Bushnell and Bloomer a man named Francis Beudine had built a shanty. and occupied it some six months previous to that time. He entered the south half of the southwest quarter of section 30, but at the
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
expiration of that time sold it to Asa Hawley, who was the second settler in the township. Hawley came from Jackson county and remained about two years, when he sold out to Charles Knapp.
In the summer of 1851 Jonathan Cole and Sylvester Pennington set- tled in the township. The land, which consisted of the southwest quarter of section 19, was entered in the name of Isaac Pennington, while Cole took up the northwest quarter of section 30. Pennington remained in the town- ship a number of years and then went to St. Johns, Clinton county. This quarter was later owned by Harvey Bump, who came to the township in 1854. The land entered by Mr. Cole was later occupied by A. Boyer.
The first to penetrate the heavy beech and maple forests of the interior of Bloomer for the purpose of making a permanent settlement was Ander- son Miner.
As has been intimated, this region had long since been visited by land speculators or their agents, and as a consequence, considerable portions of land had already been entered. An abundance of game, which at almost all seasons roamed through the forests or found retreats in its dense and almost impenetrable thickets, had for many years made it the favorite resort of both Indian and white hunters. Among those of the latter race was Asa Hawley, whose favorable reports induced Anderson Miner, in company with his son, Winfield Miner, to visit the southern part of Montcalm county in June, 1851. It is unnecessary to add that they found it even surpassing in beauty and fertility reports theretofore hardly credited.
Mr. Miner accordingly took the description of the northeast quarter of section 28, and with a soldier's land warrant, which he had received from the government as a recognition of his services in the War of 1812, he pro- ceeded to Ionia, where the government land office was then located in charge of Stephen Page and Frederick Hall. He soon received a duplicate of his land, but owing to the great rush of emigration for a number of years, the office at Washington had steadily fallen behind in its work and the patent conveying his land did not reach him until-a year and a half after the entry was made.
ARRIVAL OF THE MINER FAMILY.
In the following November, accompanied by his sons, John and Win- field, and their families, Mr. Miner, with three yoke of oxen and as many wagons, set out from their homes in Jackson county for the wilds of Bloomer. The "ups and downs" of that trip can never be described. The wagons, loaded down with the women and children, provisions, household
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MONTCALM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
goods, cooking utensils, farming implements and a blacksmith's outfit; the crossing of streams over which there were no bridges, and the almost impass- able roads, made it a journey common enough, perhaps, in those days, but one now known only in story, and realized only by those who participated in it.
In about eight days the little company reached the cabin of Asa Penn- ington, who kindly offered them its shelter and accommodations. Here, then, it was decided to leave the women and children while the men cleared a road to the farm entered by Mr. Miner, which was situated one mile south of the centre of the township.
To complete a passable road to this place from the house of Mr. Penn- ington occupied nearly a month of hard labor. The distance in an air line was only three miles, but the natural obstruction in the way made it neces- sary to cut the underbrush and timber a long way around at times, in order to avoid them. In this work Mr. Miner and his sons were assisted by Elder Wilsey, who also became a permanent settler of Bloomer. After complet- ing the road, a small log cabin was built, which stood on the land later owned by Martin J. Miner. The cabin was one story, twelve by fourteen feet, and was the first, aside from a hunter's shanty on Fish creek, erected in Bloomer. The orchard is also thought to have been the first in the township. These preliminary steps being taken, Mr. Miner went back to Jackson county, whence he returned with the rest of his family in January, 1862. Mr. Miner remained in Bloomer, one of its most esteemed citizens until his death, which occurred in 1878. His wife, who shared his toil, his hardships and his successes, lived for many years afterward.
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