USA > Michigan > Muskegon County > History of Muskegon County, Michigan: with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 11
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A resolution of condolence was passed to family of the late Thos. Russell, Supervisor of Holton.
Lafayette Knowles was appointed Superintendent of the Poor for three years.
A petition signed by N. E. Fish, D. W. Edwards, Jonathan Walker, and about forty other inhabitants of Norton asks to have the obstructions removed from Lake Harbor.
There is trouble with the treasurer, who is arrested for defalca- tions. His bondsmen ultimately compromised for about half his indebtedness, which was about $30,000. A dispute arises over a $2,700 bill for small-pox cases, as to whether the city of Muskegon or the county should pay.
Thos. Culbert, Senior, was appointed Superintendent of County Poor vice Ashley B. Furman, deceased. Joseph H. Hackley is now County Treasurer.
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HISTORY OF MUSKEGON COUNTY.
1873.
At the October session the only change of supervisors is in the city of Muskegon: From Ward 1, D. J. Moriarty; Ward 2, D. Blake; Ward 3, C. D. Nelson; Ward 4, Jas. McGordon; and the familiar name of A. Egelston is replaced by that of David R. Jones. C. D. Nelson is elected chairman.
EQUALIZATION OF 1873.
Blue Lake, $31,370; Casnovia, 171,690; Cedar Creek, 28,235; Dalton, 52,875; Egelston, 39,877; Fruitland, 49,660; Fruitport, 136,650; Holton, 37,625; Laketon, 409,325; Moorland, 56,856; Muskegon, 125,235; Muskegon City, Ward 1, 307,308; Ward 2, 820,326; Ward 3, 447,870; Ward 4, 387,675; Norton, 78,220; Oceana, 461,049; Ravenna, 144,713; White River, 107,604 .- Total, $3,894,163.
E. H. Wylie appointed as Superintendent of Poor for three years, and G. F. Outhwaite to fill a vacancy.
1874.
The prosecuting attorney decided against the legality of P. G. Shippey, a resident of Ravenna, representing Cedar Creek, although requested by the authorities of that township to fill the place of J. S. Thompson, who was sick. Oceana was this year divided into Montague and Whitehall, and its name appears no more on the records.
In October the Board of Supervisors shows great changes:
Blue Lake, Jas. P. Utter; Cedar Creek, Seth Evans; Casnovia, N. Whitney; Dalton, B. F. Dow; Egelston, E. R. Porter; Fruit- land, H. N. Marvin; Fruitport, J. D. McEwing; Holton, William Bruce; Laketon, A. G. Smith; Montague, J. Heald; Moorland, R. Robinson; Muskegon, J. Hall; Muskegon City, Ward No. 1, D. J. Moriarty; Norton, M. Rowe; Ravenna, E. Thatcher; Whitehall, A. Mears; White River, S. J. B. Watson. E. Thatcher, chairman.
The equalization this year amounted to $3,878,517.
A petition was presented by A. P. Horton and thirty-seven oth- ers to set apart the portion of Laketon south of Muskegon Lake, as a new township; and of John Ruddiman and twenty-two others against the same. The petition prevailed, and Lakeside was formed in 1875, first meeting in April at A. V. Mann & Co.'s office. J. W. Moon, A. M. Allen and F. H. Smith appointed a Board of Inspectors of Election.
1875.
At January session the part of White River, below the channel of White Lake was given to Fruitland, Chas. H. Cook elected County Treasurer.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR 1875.
Blue Lake, Jas. P. Utter; Casnovia, R. G. Hutchins; Cedar Creek, Seth Evans; Dalton, G. McMillan; Egelston, W. Carr; Fruitland, H. N. Marvin; Fruitport, M. B. Converse; Holton, W. Bruce; Lakeside, A. G. Smith; Laketon, A. P. Horton; Montague, J. Heald; Moorland, R. Robinson; Muskegon, Jno. Hall; Muske- gon City, 1, Jas. Balbirnie; 2, Thos. Smalley; 3, C. D. Nelson; 4, C. H. Hackley; Norton, Wm. Churchill; Ravenna, O. F. Conklin; Whitehall, A. Mears; White River, Jas. Whelan.
1876.
N. P. Dryer appears as Supervisor for Blue Lake, A. Durdy for Egelston, H. V. Riffenberg for Lakeside, H. P. Dowling for Mon- tague, Jas. Bradford for Ward 1, and E. W. Merrill, for Ward 3, Muskegon City; Jas. Porter for Norton. M. B. Converse, chairman.
The equalization shows a lowering of rating to $3,312,313. E. H. Wylie re-elected for another three years Sup't of the Poor.
The 1877 equalization as adopted is $200 below previous year M. B. Converse re-elected chairman.
In 1878 Muskegon City is represented by B. Mason, A. A. Bul- lock, C. D. Nelson, and Wm. Glue; Whitehall by Dr. Wheeler; White River by W. Row; Lakeside by J. W. Moon; Egelston by W. Carr; Blue Lake by F. Scott. The equalization falls to $2,- 692,424.
In 1879 Cedar Creek is represented by M. Thompson; Fruit- land by O. E. Gordon; Blue Lake by F. Hiscutt; Fruitport by H. Beach; Lakeside by L. G. Morgan; Muskegon City by N. Holthe, W. Burling, C. D. Nelson and F. R. Hamilton. Equalization at $2,852,525.
In 1880 C. N. Storrs appears for Laketon; N. Whitney for Casnovia; J. F. Culver for Fruitland; Geo. Tillottson for Lakeside; S. J. Gates for Laketon; J. C. Lewis for Whitehall, and H. Haines for Ward 2, Muskegon. Wm. Glue elected chairman.
In 1881 the supervisors are: Blue Lake, F. Hiscutt; Cedar Creek, S. Evans; Casnovia, J. Herald; Dalton, C. L. Buzzell; Eg- elston, W. Carr; Fruitport, J. C. Abbott; Fruitland, J. F. Culver; Holton, R. W. Skeels; Lakeside, J. W. Moon; Laketon, D. J. Gates; Montague, F. Bracelin; Moorland, R. Robinson; Muske- gon, John Hall; Muskegon City, N. Holthe, F. Alberts, D. D. Er- win, D. Riordon; Norton, Jas. Porter; Ravenna, O. F. Conklin; Whitehall, J. C. Lewis; White River, W. A. Rowe. J. W. Moon, chairman. Equalized value of county, $3,397,552.
At the October session G. Bolt represented Casnovia, and P. Reid, Ravenna. Hon. H. H. Holt represents county on State Board of Equalization. H. H. Hendryx appointed Supervisor of Fruit- port vice J. C. Abbott, resigned.
The county was divided into two representative districts. A. Norton and L. Knowles Superintendents of Poor.
The Board wrestles with the question of liability for payment of militia called out by the Muskegon strike of October, 1881. The bills amount to over $3,000, and are paid.
There were raised for contingencies, $18,000; Poor fund, $4,- 000; Insane Asylum, $2,000; State tax, $9,170.10. Total, $33,- 170.10. The total tax to be raised is $37,089.49.
LABOR TROUBLES.
Having traced the rise of the county from its feeble beginnings in 1835 to its present prosperous state, we will proceed to give par- ticular sketches of its several municipalities. In the History of Ottawa, with which this county was connected until a little more than a score of years ago, will be found much interesting matter, which will apply equally well to the history of this county. The counties had a common origin, Ottawa being more in the front, was the earlier . develop. When the time came for separation it was peacefully and amicably arranged, and the relations between the counties have always been cordial. The enormous development of the lumber interest of Muskegon, has given it an impetus which has been wanting to the slower progress of the agricultural townships of the southern county.
Muskegon has had a busy and stirring history, but one un- marked by any striking or startling events. The most sensational affairs that have occurred have been the great strikes of the boom and saw mill workers of Muskegon City in the Fall of 1881 and the Spring of 1882. The great bone of contention has been the hours of labor, the employers wishing eleven hours labor as a day's work, and the employes as firmly insisting upon ten hours as the equiva- lent. In the first strike, owing to anticipated violence, the military were called out; by many, however, this step has been considered unnecessary. Be that as it may, the military had nothing to do of a sanguinary nature, and after a short occupation retired to their
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HISTORY OF MUSKEGON COUNTY.
homes. The strike of 1882 has lasted through all of April, and at the present writing shows no signs of settlement, although it can- not, in the nature of things, last much longer. The interests in- volved on both sides are very large. Negotiations for a settlement have been attempted, but the result is as above stated. Owing to some violence to men at work in the mills on the terms of the owners, which is of course deprecated by all but hot-heads, Mayor DeLong found it necessary, on the demand of the mill owners, to
issue, on the 27th of April, proclamation forbidding all interference with those who were willing to work.
Let us hope that these visitations will become things of the past; that labor and capital will recognize each other as friends and allies-not as enemies. The loss to all concerned is very heavy.
Should this stumbling block be removed the season of 1882 promises to be one of great prosperity, unexampled in the past his- tory of the county.
Chouna L'avis
HISTORY OF MUSKEGON CITY.
Muskegon, the county seat of Muskegon County, is a flourish- ing and prosperous city of probably over 16,000 inhabitants, and with its suburbs, North Muskegon, Lakeside Village, Bluffton and Pt. Sherman, which form a belt of settlements around the pictur- esque Lake Muskegon, its" population will already exceed 20,000, and this is yearly increasing with great rapidity, as new mills and manufactures are added, and the cut of lumber increases, which would last year have been 700,000,000 feet if it had not been for the interruption by the strike. To show how rapidly the power of the saw mills increase we may mention that it is calculated that ten per cent. was added to their capacity in 1881, and in 1882 fifteen per cent. was added, making an increase of one-fourth in two seasons. There is nothing improbable in the prediction that under favorable auspices the city of Muskegon will cut 1,000,000,000 feet annually! Already she boasts of being the "Sawdust City," and the greatest single city in the world as regards the production of lumber. The product of the Saginaw Valley, which is a much older manufacturing centre, exceeds that of Muskegon, but Saginaw has to draw on the product of several large cities, such as Saginaw City, East Saginaw and Bay City, so that Muskegon's proud boast of pre-eminence still remains true. Of late years the enterprising men of the city, and Muskegon possesses her full quota of such, have seen the necessity of supplementing the sawing of lumber by other industries; accordingly we find every mill has a lath mill at- tachment, and large and extensive shingle mills have been erected. Planing mills nave been built, of which the latest and largest is the Monroe Manufacturing Co.'s. Two box factories, a basket factory, curtain roller factory, and kindling-wood and hames factory, two saw factories, car and engine works on a large scale, boiler works, sev- eral foundries, a brewery, and a variety of industries have recently sprung up, and all are doing well, making a good profit to the in- vestors, and affording employment to hundreds of hands. As a manufacturing city Muskegon stands high. She is not dependent, as is asserted by some without due reflection, solely upon her lumber interest. The development of her salt interest, now about to take place, alone would be sufficient to set up many a less ambitious city.
Commercially, Muskegon is one of the most solid and prosper- ous cities of the State. It is about equally distant from Detroit and Chicago, being about 192 miles by rail from the latter, and 196 miles from the former, but her great avenue is by water, out over her land-locked lake, on which could ride the navies of the world, by means of an excellent habor, which never freezes up, so rapid is its current, into the broad expanse of Lake Michigan. The city is admirably situated at the head of the lake, which is about six miles long and two miles wide, into which empties the longest river in the State, penetrating for hundreds of miles into the best pineries of Michigan. She has thus all the advantages that water carriage can give her, and which brings Chicago, the world's great distributing center to her very door. She is also admirably served by railways in all directions, which have to compete with water carriage most of
the year. Good schools are maintained, and churches of all shades of belief open their doors to the world. The fruit interests are growing so that Muskegon is becoming quite a shipping point. Her business houses also compare favorably with those of any other city of its population; Western Avenue, the principal business street, presenting quite a metropolitan appearance, with its fine blocks of buildings, which are built in a solid and substantial manner, but sufficiently ornate to satisfy the taste. The water works are suf- ficient to supply the city with pure water. Gas is supplied by a company at moderate rates. As a resort for pleasure seekers and tourists Muskegon is already popular, and, as years go on, will necessarily become more so, as she has many natural advantages in the way of beautiful land and water scenery. The wholesale trade of Muskegon is getting to be quite important, and a large scope of country looks to her for supplies. Dry goods, groceries, tobacco, hardware, leather and furniture are held here as in a supply house, to be poured forth in accordance with the demand.
GOV. HOLT'S SKETCH.
Muskegon has had a historian of whose labors she may well be proud. In the Centennial year, 1876, when every city was placing itself on record, the Hon. H. H. Holt, ex-Lieutenant-Governor of the State, and since Mayor of the city, was solicited to undertake the work of collecting the early records, and acceded to the request; the reader of the following sketch will be able to see with what suc- cess. We trust that although the sketch has been read in the lim- ited circle of the city itself, in this work it will have a wider circu- lation and stand a better chance of preservation. We have to thank the author for other courtesies, as well as the permission to use his manuscripts.
The following is the sketch referred to, except that portion relating to the history of saw milling, which we have already pub- lished :
The history of Muskegon, so far as we have been able to learn any items in regard to it, has its origin in 1812, when John Baptiste Recollet began to occupy a trading post, which was situa- ted about twenty rods west of the mouth of Bear Lake. This was the first trading post on Muskegon Lake, and was occupied for a number of years, the remains of the chimney still being visible as late as 1836. In the spring of 1812, it became necessary for Recol- let to go to the military station at the mouth of the St. Joseph River, and he made the trip in one day, having swam the Grand and Kalamazoo Rivers, and forded the other streams.
Mr. Constant, the father of Mrs. William Lasley, built the next trading post at Bluffton, near the A. M. Allen & Co. Mill, which he occupied in the winter for about thirty years. The next was built in 1830 by Joseph Daily, near the Rodgers Foundry, and was occupied by him until 1834, when he sold it to Louis B. Bad- deau.
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HISTORY OF MUSKEGON COUNTY.
George Campau also built a trading post in 1833, near the present site of the White, Swan & Smith Mill, and occupied it until 1835.
The territory embraced within the limits of the present town- ships of Norton, Fruitport, Ravenna, Chester, Moorland, Casnovia, Egelston, Muskegon, Laketon, Lakeside, and the City of Muskegon, was organized by a provision of Section 11 of an act of the State Legislature, approved Dec. 30, 1837, into one township, and called Muskego. The act was passed at the first session after the State was admitted into the Union. This section was repealed in 1838, and the same territory was organized as the township of Muskegon, and the first town meeting was appointed to be held at the house of Newell & Wilcox. At this time, and for several years after, there was quite a diversity of opinion in regard to the correct spelling of the name, as will appear by reference to various acts of subsequent legislatures. In 1841 an act was passed, by the provisions of which the unorganized county of Oceana was attached to the township of Muskegon for judicial purposes; and in 1845 certain territory was detached from the township of Muskegon and organized into the township of Norton. This confusion in regard to the name ended at the establishment of Muskegon postoffice in 1848.
The first township meeting was held in 1838, when township officers were clected, among whom was Henry Pennoyer, Supervisor. But little was done in the way of township business for several years, often no taxes being assessed. Township meetings were of- ten omitted entirely, the old officers holding over.
George Ruddiman held the office of Supervisor several years during this time. In 1847 George W. Walton was elected Super- visor , and the township having increased somewhat in population, taxes were assessed and business regularly transacted after that time. The old township records were destroyed in the great fire of Aug. 1, 1874.
The land in this part of Michigan was brought into market in 1839. The first attempt that was made to claim and hold any of the land now embraced in the city limits, was made by a Mr. Tay- lor, in December, 1836, who built a shanty on lot one of Section nineteen, near where the Washington House now stands. He re- tained possession for a few months and then sold his claim to Hor- ace Wilcox, and afterwards T. Newell & Co., entered the land. Theodore Newell soon became the owner, who platted a portion of it in 1849, which was the first plat of Muskegon, that part of the city lying east and north of a line running from the mill to the old cemetery, and thence east along the north line of Mills & Furlong's addition to H. D. Baker's residence.
Another tract of land that has since become very valuable, is lot two, Section thirty, which was entered May 2, 1853, by Elias and Isaac D. Merrill, and Josiah P. Dana. This land is that part of the city lying south of a line running from the old cemetery to the Bigelow Bro's. mill, and between Mills and Furlong's addition and Muskegon Lake. On this property at the present time are sev. eral of the most valuable mills in Muskegon; there were no frame buildings in Muskegon until 1837, when Theodore Newell and Erastus Wilcox erected a boarding house, which stood on what is now lot 8, of Block 13, of the city of Muskegon, near the C. Davis & Co. boarding house. Horace Wilcox put up a small dwelling the same year near where the Hofstra House now stands. The first village plat was made in 1849, but nothing of any account was done for several years towards opening the streets, and the hill was so steep where Western Avenue and Pine Street now are that a man could not ride up on horseback. Village lots must have been at a discount, from the fact that two lots on which the Hofstra House now stands, were once sold for forty-five dollars. Nothing was done toward opening the roads leading into the surrounding country until
1846. At this time Mr. Ryerson cut out the road to Ravenna, to connect with the road from that place to Grand Rapids, which had already been cut out and was in a condition to be traveled. Ra- venna Township was detached from Muskegon and organized in 1849.
INFLATED CURRENCY.
The first attempt at running logs down the river was made in 1839 by John A. Brooks; the logs having been cut a few miles above Croton. The "drive" finally reached Muskegon, but after a great outlay for clearing the river, and the men employed celebrated the event by buying and drinking a barrel of whisky, which then cost about sixteen cents per gallon. The whisky was common property, but in order to assume an appearance of "business" they fitted up a counter on a stump, and one of the number having a silver quarter dollar, commenced by treating the company, one of them tending bar; this bar-tender then took the money and came outside and treated the company, another taking his place as bar- tender. This was continued several days, until the whisky disap- peared. There was an annual carousal for a few days on the arrival of the "big drive,"until the village "lock-up" was erected in 1861, after which the officers became able to suppress it.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Until 1834 the Indian traders had been accustomed to come to Muskegon Lake in the autumn and buy furs and traffic with the In- dians during the winter, and go away in the spring, taking with tlfem all their movable effects. At the latter date Lewis B. Bad- deau having secured the interest of Mr. Daily in his log building, established a trading post, and became a permanent settler of Mus- kegon. He was of French descent, and was born at Three Rivers, near Montreal, in Canada. Mr. Baddeau afterwards made a pre- emption claim on lot two of Section nineteen, on which his trading post stood, being that part of the city lying west and north of a line running from the Chapin & Foss mill to the old cemetery, and thence to the Bigelow & Brother's mill. And on the 31st of July, 1839, after the land came into market, he made a regular entry of the lot. He continued to trade with the Indians until 1840, and in 1845, having become embarrassed in business, and having lost most of his property, he went to Newaygo to live, and afterwards to the Dam, on Muskegon River, where he died soon after.
The second settler on Muskegon Lake was Joseph Troutier, who erected a building in 1835, of hewn timber, near the White, Swan & Smith mill, which he occupied as a trading post for several years. Mr. Troutier was born in Mackinac, August 9, 1812, where he resided until his settlement in Muskegon. He continued the In- dian trade several years at this place, and then removed to the Dam, where he lately died. In 1836 Mr. Troutier went with the Indians to Washington, and assisted in forming the treaty by which the In- dian title to the land in the part of Michigan lying north of Grand River was obtained. Mr. Troutier remembered many interesting incidents in the early history of Western Michigan, and often re- marked that "me and my wife were the first white men in Muskegon."
Wm. Lasley was of French origin, was born in Pennsylvania. but spent his early life in Mackinac, and settled in Muskegon in the autumn of 1835, having built a trading post near where is now the. corner of Western Avenue and Seventh Street. He continued to trade with the Indians for several years, and eventually brought on goods suitable for the trade of early settlers, sometimes keeping a stock valued at $20,000. In 1862 he sold the mill that he had pre- viously built, and retired from business and died the next year.
Martin Ryerson was born on a farm near Patterson, New Jer- sey, January 6, 1818. In 1834, having become satisfied that the
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HISTORY OF MUSKEGON COUNTY.
fortune that he had even then determined to acquire, was not to be easily and readily obtained at farming, he started for Michigan, which at that time was regarded as the Eldorado. When he reached Detroit his funds were exhausted, and he was obliged to stop and obtain employment for a time before he could proceed. After a few months he started again with Richard Godfroy, and reached Grand Rapids in September of the same year, and soon after went into Godfroy's employ, remaining at Grand Rapids until May, 1826, when he left and came to Muskegon. On his arrival at Muskegon he went into the employ of Joseph Troutier, and engaged in the Indian trade, which he continued three years; was then em- ployed by T. Newell & Co., which firm then carried on the same business. In Octobor, 1841, Mr. Ryerson and S. J. Green made a contract with T. Newell to run his mill for two years. After the expiration of this term Mr. Ryerson made an arrangement to run the mill on a salary for another two years. In September, 1845, Mr. Ryerson, in company with J. H. Knickerbocker, bought Mr. Newell's interest in the mill and became a mill owner. This fact, however did not change his style of living or lessen the amount of labor he performed. During the first year that he owned the inter- est in the mill he often worked eighteen hours out of the twenty- four, filling any place where a vacancy might chance to occur, or where his services were most needed. Mr. Ryerson's practical ex- perience rendered him a competent judge of the men in his employ, and he "expected every man to do his duty."
As an instance of the hardships and privations endured by the early settlers, Mr. Ryerson relates the following experience: In September, 1839, he started on foot to go to Grand Rapids to at- tend "Indian payment." The ordinary route at that time was by the beach of Lake Michigan to Grand Haven, thence up Grand River. Mr. Ryerson, however went through what is since the township of Ravenna, although there was then no road or settle- ment on the way, excepting along the first five miles west of Grand Rapids. He kept his course by a pocket compass, crossed Crockery Creek somewhere near where is now the village of Ravenna, and stopped for the night about ten miles beyond. He made a brush tent, built a fire and roasted a coon that he had caught during the day and brought with him, and made his supper from it without salt or water, and then slept soundly on his brush bed. The re- mainder of the coon served for his breakfast in the morning, after which he pursued his journey, reaching Grand Rapids early in the day and without feeling any particular fatigue.
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