USA > Michigan > Muskegon County > History of Muskegon County, Michigan: with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 23
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HISTORY OF MUSKEGON COUNTY.
afterwards burned, and then the fruit boat A. H. Petrie, sold Dec. 1880. He is now engaged with his father in fruit growing. He married Nov. 25, 1862, Emma Reynolds of Illinois, and has two sons.
FRANK C. TYLER was born in Stoneham, Mass., March 14, 1855, and in 1857 removed with his parents to Van Buren county, Mich., where he continued to reside until February, 1880, when he came to Norton, purchasing land in section 19. On Oct. 13, 1876, he married Miss Eliza Southworth, by whom he has three children, Mr. Tyler is combined German and Scottish extraction, is a hard- working man, and has fair prospects of success in his business of fruit growing.
DANIEL UPTON, son of Samuel and Charlotte Upton, was born in Fishkill, Duchess county, N. Y., Aug. 12, 1818. Several of his boyhood years were spent in the woolen manufactory and flouring mill of his father. In 1835 his family immigrated to Michigan, locating in the western part of Jackson county. Daniel remained with his father, clearing up the wilderness, until 24 years of age, when he went into the employ of Z. Lawrence, a merchant at Gid- ley, on the M. C. R. R. On the death of Mr. Lawrence in 1848, he remained to close up the business. He next went into business as general merchant with Messrs. Kassick under the firm name of D. Upton & Co., in Parma. Nov. 2, 1848, Mr. Upton married Mary E., eldest daughter of Edward Strong, who was born in Lan- sing, N. Y., Nov. 2, 1830. After a partnership of one year with the Kassicks, Mr. Upton withdrew and opened a general store with his elder brother, Samuel; continued till 1856, when Samuel died, when he closed up the business and went into farming, and in 1858 was elected County Clerk of Jackson county on the Republican ticket, and was elected four times in succession, and was then elected Representative for the Second District of Jackson in the State Legislature. In 1857 he removed with his family to Muske- gon city, and after one year went to Lake Harbor, his present home. In 1876 he returned to Muskegon where he was elected for four
years Justice of the Peace, and for two years was appointed by the Council Police Justice. During Mr. Upton's residence at Muskegon his fruit farm was managed by his son, Edward S., who was born at Parma, Oct. 20, 1850. His second son, Daniel, was born at Parma, Sept., 26, 1853, and his only daughter Cornelia Elma, was born at Parma, Oct. 10, 1858. Daniel Jr. has been Clerk of Norton for four years, and for the past three years book-keeper for Powell & Hovey, of Muskegon. Edward S. has been Clerk for the past three years. Mr. Upton has held the Supervisorship and Treasurership of the town.
JAMES H. WHITNEY was born at Allen's Hill, Ontario Co., N Y., July 22, 1842. In two years his parents removed to Niagara County; in 1849 they came to McComb Co., Mich. In September, 1871, he went to Muskegon County, purchasing a farm on Section 21, Norton, and on the following October, on the same night as Chicago and Holland were burned, his barn, containing horses and farming implements, was consumed, and he had to build anew. The fire was carried, as was supposed, in some furniture from a neighbor's house that was burned that night. Mr. Whitney has a farm well adapted for fruit growing. In November, 1867, he mar- ried Miss Annora Hall, of McComb Co., Michigan.
WM. R. WILSON was born in Williamsport Pa., Sept. 18, 1826. at twelve years of age his parents removed to Columbia County, where he resided six years, learning the carpenter's trade. In 1843 he went to Schuylkill, working there six years; also worked two years in Berks County, and lived from 1852 to 1860 in DuPage Co., Ill. He then lived three years in Lucas Co., O., after which he re- moved to Mason Co., Mich., settling in the Spring of 1864 in Mus- kegon Co., building a boarding house for S. N. Wilcox at Bluffton. In 1876 he bought a farm on Section 12 Norton, where he now re- sides. In December, 1849, he married Catharine Schatz, of Ham- burg, Berks Co., Pa., by whom he has had four sons and two daugh- ters. In 1864 he was drafted, but rejected at Grand Rapids on ac- count of physical disability.
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FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP.
This is the largest township in the county, being 9x6 miles, embracing, therefore, fifty-four square miles of territory, much of which is yet to be developed. It will yet be a great fruit district. The attempts that have been made have demonstrated its great value as a fruit region. It is an off-shoot of the old town of Norton, from which it separated in 1867. It has one lovely village-Fruitport- at the head of Spring Lake, which is unrivalled for its scenery, and will again become a favorite Summer resort. It is well watered by Black Creek, crossing its northwest corner, and Norris Creek and Little Deer Creek traversing its center.
MUNICIPAL.
Fruitport was a portion of the old Norton Township until it was set apart under the name of Lovell by act of the Legislature in 1867. The first meeting of the electors was appointed to be held at the school house in Section 31, Henry James, Sam'l Torrans and Robert Little being the first inspectors of election. Austin W. De Frate was the first supervisor, and was re-elected the following year. In 1870 John D. McEwing was elected supervisor, In 1871 the name of the town was changed from Lovell to Fruitport, and M. B. Converse was elected supervisor, and re-elected in 1872 and 1878. In 1874 J. D. McEwing again became supervisor, and next year M. B. Converse was elected, and re-elected until 1879, having the honor of being chairman of the county board for the last two years. In 1879 H. Beach was elected, and in 1881 J. C. Abbott became super- visor. In 1882 Frank L. Hough is supervisor.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The first settler in Fruitport Township was Seth H. Norris, in Fall of 1836, who cleared seven acres and made it his home for sev- eral years. Mr. Torens came in the following Winter. Jacob Chapman was the first settler in the village of Fruitport, and was its first postmaster, J. W. Barnes became the second.
There is no church edifice in the township. The Supervisor for 1881 is H. H. Hendryx; Clerk, Chas. Converse; Treasurer, Jos. B. Ford; Justices, W. J. Barnes and Mr. Snyder.
Among the earliest fruit growers was Sam'l Torrans, ex-town- ship treasurer, who had peaches bearing in 1857, and the late Jas. Lowe about the same time raised peaches. J. H. Cooley was the first to raise apples.
The first school house, now removed, was near Jacob Chap- man's in 1854, and was taught first term by a German, next by a daughter of R. Wilson, now of Alabama.
The village of Fruitport was incorporated in 1868. Near the village is good clay for brick making, which is to be resumed at Stahl's bay, half a mile to the West in the Spring of 1882. The soil of the township in the East is heavier and better adapted for agricultural purposes. The West is excellent for fruit growing.
J. M. W. Jones, of the great Chicago printing house, is the pro- prietor of the Pomona House Grounds and Mineral Springs.
Spring Lake, which was formerly known simply as "the Bayou," is an exceedingly beautiful body of water extending up North into
Fruitport, and surrounded by slightly elevated banks, forming alto- gether one of the loveliest spots in the State.
In the Spring of 1866 Cap. E. L. Craw, after carefully study- ing up the capabilities of the soil, came to the conclusion that it had valuable qualities for fruit growing, and purchasing several hundred acres on the Eastern shore, set out thirty acres of peach trees, and the result exceeded his highest anticipations. This led to great speculations, and pure sandy soil which dil not rest on clay, rose in value, but did not turn out so well. However, the bus- iness increased until the severe Winter of 1874-5, which killed nearly all the peach buds. But the people persevered, and the re- sult is that they have succeeded in gaining a high reputation to the region. Fruitport Village, at the head of the lake, was laid out in 1868, and in the following year the foundation of a great hotel was laid. In 1871 the mineral water of a valuable character was struck, and the elegant Pomona House opened July 1st, the property be- longing to a company, the Fruitport Magnetic and Sulphur Springs Company, with capital $500,000. The hotel was twice burned down, and is now a ruin.
The financial crisis, the severe season of 1874-5 on fruit, and the Chicago fire which embarrassed some of the stock holders, and prevented others from investing, were some of the causes of the col- lapse of Fruitport. It is said that Cyrus H. McCormick, of Chicago was just about to invest $50,000 in stock when the Chicago fire caused him to make another use of his money.
SPRING LAKE IRON WORKS.
The Iron Company for the manufacture of Lake Superior Char- coal Pig Iron was organized in 1879 under the mining laws of the State of Michigan with a paid up capital stock of $100,000. The officers are Samuel Marshal, of Milwaukee, President; Col E. H. Broadhead, of Milwaukee, Vice President; Irving M. Bean, of Mil- waukee, Secretary and Treasurer; Maj. H. S. Pickands, general manager. The blast furnace was erected in the fall and winter of '79 and '80 under the personal supervision of Maj. H. S. Pickands, > formerly of the Bay and Munising furnaces of Lake Superior, and also manager of the Bangor Furnace Co., of Bangor, Van Buren County, Mich., and to this date Nov. 1881, has made the best rec- ord of any charcoal furnace in the United States. The plant is lo- cated on the north bank of Spring Lake and has five hundred feet of dock with sixteen feet depth of water. The ores from Lake Su- perior are transported in the new steam barge H. C. Akeley, built expressly for this trade at Grand Haven by Capt. Kirby and Mr. H. C. Akeley, and is unloaded at the furnace with improved steam hoisting apparatus direct into the stock house. The track of the C. & W. M. railroad is laid to the furnace. The furnace stack is an iron shell forty-five feet high, supported upon iron columns. Blast is furnished by a Weimar engine of two hundred horse power, driven by two batteries of boilers. The engine and boiler houses are of brick with iron roof, as are also the hoisting and cast houses. The cast house is 50x100 feet, stock house 126x170 feet, and the
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HISTORY OF MUSKEGON COUNTY.
coal stock house 100x100 feet. Only a small portion of the char- coal used in the furnace is made in one battery of round kilns at the furnace, the greater amount being manufactured in Oceana County, where the company have extensive works and an abundant supply of hard wood, and is transported to the furnace in cars built for the purpose by the C. & W. M. R. R. The daily capacity of the furnace is fifty gross tons of pig iron which is shipped by rail and vessel to eastern and western markets, the iron being especially adapted to the manufacture of Bessemer steel, car wheels, malleable and strong foundry castings. The company employ in the aggre- gate at the furnace and at the charcoal kilns in busy season about four hundred men.
PICKANDS' JUNCTION is a new place one and a half miles north of Fruitport, where a branch connects the old M. & L. S. with the C. & W. M., a short distance above Ferrysburg. It was necessary to have a track from here to the Spring Lake Iron Works to convey pig iron. There are also charcoal furnaces a short distance up the line.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
WARREN J. BARNES, farmer and fruit grower, Section 36, came from Oswego County, N. Y., in 1868, where he was a prominent citizen, and has been Justice of the Peace for four years in Fruit- port, and moderator and road director, and in every way makes him- self generally useful.
HENRY BEACH was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., in 1838. When quite young his parents went to the Province of On- tario and settled in Elizabethtown, County of Leeds. In 1874 he went back to the State of New York staying there eight years. He then went to Illinois. In 1856 he went to Magill College, Montreal, to study medicine and practiced his profession until 1868. In that year he went to the state of Michigan and settled in the town of Fruitport, where he now resides. During his residence he has held the office of Justice of the Peace and Supervisor. In 1867 he married Miss Mary Jackson, of Chicago, by whom he has five chil- dren.
SENECA M. BURGESS, principal of the village school, Fruitport, also senior member of the County Board of School Examiners, is a genial gentleman admirably qualified for the position of school prin- cipal, for which he has had a successful experience of over fifty school terms in Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and California. His whole soul is in his work and he was also a fighting patriot during the war, enlisting as a private in 1862, in DeGolyer's battery of light artillery, serving two years until discharged for disability, having been promoted to the Quarter-master's staff. He married , in 1857 Harriet Alexander, of Rollin, Mich., and his only danghter Kate M., creditably assists him in the school.
ARTHUR V. CHAPMAN, postmaster and dealer in hardware and furniture, was born in Onondaga County, N. Y., in 1847, and com- menced business in 1871, went out in 1874 and re-commenced five years afterwards. His father, Jacob Chapman, was the first post- master of Fruitport. Arthur married in 1874 Miss. L. J. Hunt, of Manchester, Mich., and has two children, Sarah, born Aug. 5, 1875, and Marshall, 5th Sept. 1880.
DAVID CHAPMAN, farmer, Section 31, was born in England in 1830, settling on his farm in 1855. Has a fine fourteen acre lot on which he rais s grain, vegetables and fruit.
G. L. CALKINS, general merchant, established his business in 1870, and keeps a good line of boots and shoes, groceries and pro- visions, and deals extensively in teas, bark, lumber, flour and feed, and ships fruit to Milwaukee and Chicago. Mr. C. is a man of lib- eral and generous disposition, and has accumulated wealth.
WM. CLYDESDALE, farmer, Section 31, was born in County Cavan, Ireland, in 1822 came to Canada where he remained seven years, thence to Oswego, N. Y., for five years, settling on a farm in this village, and afterwards to his present farm of forty acres.
N. S. CUMMINS, farmer, born in Canada in 1834, and settled on his present farm in Section 22, since 1877, although he has been in Michigan since 1865. Has for a short period served his country as a volunteer in the late war.
GEORGE B. DIGNAN was born in the county of Northumberland, England, in 1849. When he was four years old his parents left for America and landed in New York, remaining there two years; from there they went to Ann Arbor, Mich. In 1874 he left Ann Arbor and went to Saginaw, staying there two years. In 1876 he went to Fruitport and bought land in Section 29, of Fruitport, where now he resides. Mr. Dignan held the office of Constable one term. In 1863 he enlisted in the northern army and served about twenty months. He was in Washington at the time of the Early raid on that city, and he is one of the survivors of the collision of the Mete- or and Pewaubeck, in August, 1865. when about 300 lives were lost.
B. J. HARRIS, general merchant, purchased in 1879 the business of Mr. Thrope, which has been ten years established. He deals heavily in teas, bark and fruit, and keeps a good stock of dry goods, groceries, &c.
E. F. HILER is dealer in bark and trees for Hitchcock & Foster, of Chicago, to whom they are shipped direct. Has also in con- nection a general store. He was born in Monroe County, N. Y., in 1847.
MRS. LOWE came from Plymouth, Indiana. In 1841 came to Chicago, where she resided two years, and thence removed to Black Lake for two years, and thence after spending four years in Grand Haven she came in 1869 to her present farm in Fruitport.
JOHN LOOSMORE, farmer in section 32, was born in England July 16th, 1811; came to this country in 1852, and to his present farm of 120 acres in 1865, and is now an extensive grain raiser, having fifty acres under cultivation in 1881. He is regarded by his neighbors as a model farmer.
JOHN D. McEWING, farmer, has an excellent fruit and grain farm of 200 acres. He was born in New York in 1831, came to Fruitport in 1869, and has been steadily engaged in farming ever since. Was Supervisor for two years, Town Clerk for five years, School Moderator and Overseer of Highways; all of which is sub- stantial testimony to his worth as a citizen.
GEORGE E. MACK, carpenter and builder, was born in Ontario County, N. Y., and came to Fruitport from Auburn in 1870, and has erected the principal buildings in the village. He enlisted in the 8th N. Y. Cavalry, serving three years, and was wounded in a skirmish at Green's Station. He has by hard labor acquired a competency.
L. L. MAXFIELD was born in Lamont, Ottawa County, in 1855, and lived there until he was 21. He then went to Greenville, and was there three years, keeping books for Mr. S. W. Smith, merchant. From there he went to Portage Lake, stayed there two years book- keeping, and then went to Fruitport and established a grocery trade, where he now resides. In 1879 he married Miss Estelle Osgood, of Port Washington, Wis., by whom he has one child.
G. S. PUTNAM, druggist, established his business in December, 1880, and keeps a good stock of drugs, groceries, patent medicines, and also a news depot.
WM. J. RILEY, farmer, is a native of Ireland, and came to Fruitport village in 1870, and has a fine 40-acre lot close by the village.
SAMUEL TORRANS, a worthy pioneer of Fruitport, died on the 30th of April last, of blood poisoning. Mr. Torrans was born in County
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HISTORY OF MUSKEGON COUNTY.
Londonderry, Ireland, in 1818, and emigrated to this country at the age of 19, and settled in Pennsylvania, where he resided a short time, and then removed to Fruitport, where he resided about thirty. five years. At the time of his arrival here there were but a few houses at Grand Haven, and the balance of the country in that vicinity was a vast wilderness. He engaged in lumbering, and for a number of years owned and operated a mill at the head of Spring Lake. Lately he had given more attention to farming, but still he
did some lumbering in connection with it. He was married about sixteen years ago to Miss Virginia Wyatt, of Virginia, who survives him. He also leaves eight children and two sisters, Mrs. Richard Clydesdale, of Spring Lake, and Miss Agnes Torrans, of San Fran- cisco, Cal., and one. brother in Ireland.
Mr. Torrans was a highly respected citizen and held many positions of trust in his younger days. He leaves a large circle of friends and acquaintances in this vicinity who will mourn his loss.
MOORLAND TOWNSHIP.
Moorland Township, situated directly north of Ravenna, with which it was attached for township purposes till 1860, is composed very largely of State Swamp Lands. Of late years these lands are being reclaimed, and Moorland bids fair to become a wealthy and populous township. At present (1881), it contains no church, four school houses, one blacksmith shop and two saw mills, with a pop- ulation of about 500.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
As early as 1857 Peter Conklin, John W. Tibbets, John F. Chichester made a beginning. Following in 1858 were R. Robin- son, D. M. Wilson, James Anscomb, Geo. H. Loomis, P. Wood- ward, Daniel C. Mills, Wm. Simms, Alvin Reed, Judson Philips, and Hiram and Jesse Ackerman, since which time a continual stream of immigration has occurred.
ORGANIZATION.
Moorland had its first separate township organization in 1860 when the following officers were elected :
O. F. Conklin, Supervisor; Alvin Reed, Clerk; John W. Tib- bets and George H. Loomis, Justices of the Peace; Benjamin Bre- voort, Treasurer; Peter Conklin, P. Woodward and Judson Philips, Commissioners of Highways, and Robert Robinson, School In- spector.
The present (1881) officers are:
Robert Robinson, Supervisor; Anson Bowen, Clerk; Samuel Beckwith, Treasurer; John Kenne, Commissioner of Highways; 'Tom. J. G. Bolt, School Superintendent, and Geo. M. Goodrich, Wheeler Hancock and Samuel Beckwith, Justices of the Peace.
DITCH SYSTEM.
The growth and future prosperity of Moorland depends, in a great measure, on its being properly drained. To accomplish which a main ditch with an average width of fourteen feet has been com- pleted, commencing in section 13, and running in a southwesterly direction to section 30, flowing to the south branch of Black Creek. This main ditch has numerous auxiliary ditches, forming, as it were, a complete net-work. The land once drained is found to be wonderfully productive in all crops, with, perhaps, the exception o wheat, and already many an enterprising young man has taken ad-
vantage of the cheapness of the land, and is preparing a home which will furnish a competency in his old age.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
GEO. B. SMITH. a farmer residing in section 35, was born in Chittenden County, Vt., Feb. 17th, 1832. Like many of the hardy sons of that State, he inherited a good constitution, whole- some youthful training and an independent mind. He settled, in connection with his father's family, in Kent County, Mich., as early as 1837, and hence is acquainted with all the hardships incident to pioneer life. In 1864 he made Muskegon City his home, and par- ticipated in public life to some extent, having acted in the different capacities of Policeman, Constable, Deputy Sheriff and Marshal in that city. Mr. Smith was married Oct. 16th, 1853, to Adelaide A. Withey, who was born in Grand Rapids, Sept. 17th, 1836.
SAMUEL BECKWITH. The father of the subject of this sketch, whose name was Samuel, was born in Connecticut, Feb. 15th, 1781, and married Hannah English, Oct. 29th, 1809, who was born in Chemung County, N. Y., July 11th, 1793. The old gentleman died in Steuben County, N. Y., in 1859, and the mother April 3d, 1853. As early as 1854 Mr. Samuel Beckwith settled in Michigan, and in 1857 made a home on section 1, Moorland Township, and engaged in manufacturing sawed lumber and shingles until quite recently. He is the present Township Treasurer, and has been Justice of the Peace for a term of years. He was married, Feb. 13th, 1853, to Susan A. Clark, who was born in Columbia County, Penn., Dec. 1, 1836.
TOM J. G. BOLT was born in Devonshire, Eng., April 16th, 1848. He settled in Ontario, Canada, in 1857, and in Ottawa County, Mich., in 1859, and in Casnovia Township, Muskegon County, in 1869. He engaged in teaching school, which avocation he has followed a large portion of the time since. In 1874 Mr. Bolt settled on his present home in section 1, Moorland Township. He was married Dec. 25th, 1874, to Ola A. Minnich, who was born in Casnovia, April 8th, 1855. They have two children. Mr. Bolt is the present Town Superintendent of Schools for Moorland.
S. PORTER was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., June 8th,
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1831, and is a farmer, residing in section 28, Moorland. Mr. Porter was the pioneer settler in his part of the town, and demonstrated what could be done with that class of land. He married Louisa Shimel, Sept. 7th, 1850.
TRACY WOODWARD was born in the State of New York, Sept. 12th, 1836. He settled at a very early age in Oakland County, Mich., and in Kent County in 1848, and in Muskegon County, in 1859, and now resides on section 1, Moorland. He has been iden- tified in public affairs as Supervisor of Barton, Treasurer of Moor- land, Commissioner, &c. He was married Sept. 30th, 1860, to Celestia Pickett, who was born in Onondaga County, N. Y., Sept. 30th, 1840. They have four surviving children. He has recently (Aug. 17th, 1881), lost a loving daughter, Carrie Esther, who was born Aug. 22d, 1862.
WM. WHITTINGTON, who was born in Ireland Nov. 24th, 1817, settled in Albany County, N. Y., in 1821; moved to Niagara County, N. Y., in 1842, and to Eaton County, Mich., in 1850, and to Cas- novia, Muskegon County, in 1858, and now lives on section 26, Moorland. He married Polly Bigsby in August, 1840.
M. H. SPENCER was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., June 12, 1839. He settled in Ravenna Township in 1851 and in Moor-
land in 1877, where he built a saw mill with a capacity of 15,000 feet daily, which he still owns.
GEO. W. TIBBITS was born in Ravenna, Muskegon County, March 12th, 1854; is a farmer, and resides on section 28, Moor- land. He was married May 28th, 1876, to Hattie Flanders.
NELSON FLANDERS was born in Ontario County, N. Y., Feb. 13, 1854, and settled in Muskegon County in 1863. He is a farmer re- siding on section 28, Moorland. He was married Sept. 18, 1878, to Mary Peters.
The farm of Mr. Wm. Thompson, of Crockery, is a good ex- ample of what can be done with Moorland marsh lands. It consists of over 1,000 acres, and has been drained by two ditches each about six miles long, ten feet wide and three feet deep, which has rendered it, perhaps, the most fertile farm in the State. On it there are im- mense buildings to hold the crops. In 1881, 1,500 bushels of corn were raised from 15 acres, and 300 bushels of potatoes to the acre. On the farm there have been raised cabbages weighing 18 Ibs., beets 17 Ibs., and potatoes 33 Ibs. The land was bought at $4 an acre, and the ditching has cost $1 an acre, and the farm is now worth $40 an acre, which is a good return for the money invested.
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