USA > Michigan > Oakland County > History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests Volume I > Part 9
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BLOOMFIELD AND ROYAL OAK IN 1821
"At the angle of the road, twelve miles from Detroit, we passed the Royal Oak tree, which had nothing remarkable in its appearance, but was known as the point from which Horatio Ball had started the line when surveying the road to Pontiac, known as the Ball line road. This angle also was the point of intersection of Paint Creek road; a Mr. Woodford lived about a mile beyond. A little south of the line between the towns of Bloomfield and Royal Oak two families by the name of Keyser and Thurber had settled. Reaching the beautiful table-land where is now situated the village of Birmingham, we found four fami- lies : Elisha Hunter, his son, John W. Hunter, John Hamilton and Elijah Willets-the latter, inn-keeper. Here I got my first glimpse of the lovely land of Oakland county. Three-fourths of a mile this side of Hunter's lived Dr. Swan and his son-in-law, Sidney Dole, who was justice of the peace, register of deeds and county clerk. The next house was that of Deacon Elijah Fish, and on the hill just south of where now is Bloomfield Center, resided Amasa Bagley and his son-in- law, William Morris, the latter being sheriff of the county.
"The next settler was a Mr. Ferguson, whose neighbors, if living, may remember him from the remark he made after the nomination of Austin E. Wing, as delegate to congress in 1824 or 1825. Ferguson was a Whig, and, disputing with a Democrat who asserted Wing could never be elected, replied: 'He will surely be elected, for the very whippoorwills sing "vote for Wing, vote for Wing."' Well, Wing was elected, took his seat in congress, and performed his duty nobly for the young territory.
"Major Joseph Todd lived on the farm since known as the Elliott
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farm, and near by Asa B. Hadsel. The next house, a half-mile further, was that of Colonel David Stanard, a small framed house, being the same Joseph J. Todd occupied about forty-five years, having added to its length and height.
INFANT VILLAGE OF PONTIAC
"About one and a half miles through the woods we approached the village of Pontiac, where we found a small framed house on the west side of Saginaw street, nearly opposite where the Methodist church now · stands, occupied by Mr. Terry. Crossing the bridge, on the corner of Saginaw and Water streets, we found a small log house, the first erected in the village, and a little beyond and on the east side of Saginaw street (if my memory serves me), O. Bartlett lived in a small framed house. These were the only buildings at this time (June 1, 1821) on Saginaw street. This street being well filled with hazel brush, Water street re- ceived the travel to Perry street. On the west side of the latter street, between Pike and Lawrence, were three houses, one occupied by Deacon Orisen Allen, and a little beyond on the east side of Perry street, nearly opposite the grist mill, stood a double log house called the 'Company house,' and occupied by Colonel Stephen Mack, agent of the Pontiac company. In addition to the grist mill there was a sawmill and work shop. On the first Monday in June, my first visit to the village, a militia training was in full blast; John W. Hunter commanded the one and only company north of the base line in Michigan territory. On this day the company was divded and a new company formed by elect- ing the late Colonel Calvin Hotchkiss captain. Proceeding northwest on the road occasionally traveled to Saginaw, distant about a mile from the village, Captain Stanley lived on what has more recently been known as the Pier farm, on the present White Lake road.
GOVERNOR WISNER AND HIS "MULLET" STORY
"The Indian trail from Detroit to Saginaw, which decided the loca- tion of Pontiac, crossed the Clinton at the same point as the present bridge on Saginaw street; turned northerly toward the company house, then bore northwesterly, keeping east of the extensive marsh just be- yond the residence of the late Governor Wisner, then turned in a northwesterly direction, crossing the Pontiac creek a few rods north- west of the present crossing on the Saginaw road. Oliver Williams, on the southwest side of Silver lake was the next home, three and one-half miles from Pontiac. He had removed to this place from Detroit in 1818; he built the first farm barn in the county, the lumber for enclosing it being manufactured by a couple of Frenchmen from Detroit, with a whip saw.
"Mr. Wisner kept open house, and in passing and re-passing to Flint river, in 1821, I invariably called. He was a real gentleman, social, good-natured, remarkably generous and hospitable, and fond of a good story. I well remember late one evening in December, 1821, in return- ing with our surveying party from Flint, after fording the Clinton at
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the little pinery, with the thermometer at zero, when nearly off our legs, we reached and were most kindly cared for in this most hospitable home. During one of my calls I inquired if there were many fish in Silver lake; he replied he could not say in regard to numbers, but he once hauled out a mullet that weighed one hundred and forty pounds. This rather surprised me, and while reflecting, not wishing to dispute his veracity, he observed my embarrassment as to the remark being somewhat fishy, and explained that a brother of John Mullett, the sur- veyor, was once fishing there, and falling into the lake was rescued by Mr. Williams. In those days of easy familiarity, he was known by the cognomen of Major Togee, and once at a social party at Dr. Chipman's, Mrs. Chipman desiring to address him by his title, and in the excitement of the occasion being forgetful of the same, said 'Major Hot Toddy, Major Hot Toddy!' About four miles beyond O. Williams, and at the crossing of the Indian trail on the Clinton, resided Alpheus Wil- liams and Captain Archibald Phillips, where a sawmill had been erected, and at this time was in operation.
BECOMES HORATIO BALL'S ASSISTANT
"But I will now return to my temporary home at Captain John Hun- ter's, of whose kindness, together with that of his excellent wife, long since gone to her reward, I cannot too highly speak. Here I made the acquaintance of Horatio Ball, son of Daniel Ball, who lived three-fourths of a mile southwest of Hunter's. He had received a contract for sub- dividing ten townships of land between Flint and Cass rivers. I ar- ranged to accompany him as assistant, to carry the compass half of the time. He was waiting for the completion of the town lines, which had been assigned to a young man by the name of Hester. We were soon informed he had done nothing after having discovered an Indian wigwam near a small lake, and, as he was accompanied by his dogs and was otherwise prepared for a winter's hunt, had decided to pass the winter in this pleasant locality and avoid the swamps. In a week's time every man of his party had left him, while he was taking lessons of the Indians in hunting and of the squaws in moccasin making. Here he remained during the winter. The next June he was seen passing through Pontiac on horseback, accompanied by about a dozen natives of both sexes, to make his report to the surveyor general at Chillicothe, and also to his father for $600 cash advanced.
JOSEPH WAMPLER'S ASSIGNED TERRITORY -
"Hester having thus failed in fulfilling his contract, the work was assigned to Joseph Wampler, of Ohio (the surveyor who sub-divided ranges 10 and II in Oakland county). We set off for our work on the 13th of June, arriving at Flint river before Wampler returned from Saginaw bay. The heavy rains had swollen the river to nearly full banks, and as there was no way of crossing we started up the river to the Kearsley, where we felled a suitable pine, about sixteen feet of which we removed from the main body of the tree and shaped it canoe-
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like, digging out the same so far as could be done with axes and made it answer our purpose, and we floated it down the river and landed it on the north side, where the city of Flint is now located. Here we found Jake Smith, called 'Wabaseis' by the Indians, who had been an Indian trader for several years and who had recently received the appointment of Indian farmer. He had built a comfortable log house a few rods below the present railroad bridge. This was occupied by Smith, a white man, with his mother and sister; also by a man by the name of Doane. The two men at this time (the middle of June) were hoeing corn, with veiled faces on account of the mosquitoes.
"After waiting about a week we were furnished with the field notes, and commenced our work in town 7 north, of range 7 east. After a week's work we returned to the trading house, when soon after Wampler and his party came in, the men utterly refusing to continue longer on account of the suffering they had endured from the mosquitoes, both men and horses being weak from loss of blood and want of rest. Owing to the discontinuance of the township lines survey, we were compelled to discontinue our work and we decided to accompany Wampler's party to Pontiac. During the remainder of the season I made my home with Mr. Hunter, and occasionally accompanied a land-looker.
"Early in autumn Wampler returned to Flint river to finish his work, and our party followed for the purpose of finishing our work, in October.
A SURVEYOR'S HARDSHIPS
"This occupied about sixty days, and from the experience of Ball and the miserable outfits, we suffered both from hunger and cold. We had no tents, only an old second-hand tarpaulin, which had been laid aside as useless for hatchway service. In the absence of a kneading trough, our cook made use of this piece of canvas to mix his bread. This was unfortunate, for on our first visit to the trading house some swine, attracted by the adhering dough, nearly devoured and entirely destroyed it, and we had now no cover besides our blankets. Our pro- visions were inadequate; we were frequently reduced to a short allow- ance of only buggy peas, and at one time, when weak from want of food, we found a wigwam where a squaw was cooking succotash, which she kindly divided with us. This occurred on the last day of our survey, while meandering the river. Closing our work on the line of the reserve at sunset and following up the river, forcing our way through thick beds of rushes knee high, at about 9 o'clock we reached Smith's trading- house, so hungry from several days' short allowance that we took the potatoes from the kettle half boiled. I must not forget to mention the names of the men who formed this surveying party. Besides Ball and myself, there were Rufus Stevens, Michael Beach, Chester Webster, and a young man from the Emerald Isle, named Pool.
"During the sub-division of town 9 north, of range 6 east, we en- countered the most terrible gale of wind I ever witnessed in the woods of Michigan. The trees crackled and fell in all directions close around us. It was on the same night the 'Walk-in-the-Water' lav off Buffalo, deeply laden for Detroit. Captain Rodgers, after discovering the open-
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ing seams of the steamer, and realizing the impending danger, very properly gave the order to slip the cable, releasing her, and she went on shore.
"We finished our work on the last of December, and I decided to accompany Mr. Ball to Chillicothe, Ohio, where he made his returns to the surveying general's office. In addition to letters I already pos- sessed from Governor Clinton, of New York, and from Judge Wright, chief engineer of the Erie canal, I had procured one from Governor Cass, who recommended me from the fact I intended making Michigan my home. Starting on our journey, when a little way below Detroit, we were fortunate in obtaining passage with an Ohio farmer, who had just made sale of his butter and cheese in Detroit. Landing at San- dusky, we footed it to Chillicothe. Presenting my letters, which proved satisfactory, he promised me future work. The purpose of my visit to Michigan being accomplished, and arrangements for future employ- ment as government surveyor perfected, I immediately returned to my home, where I arrived on the 14th of February, having been absent eleven months."
RETURNS WITH HIS FAMILY
As stated, during his first visit to Michigan, Captain Parke made arrangements with Edward Tiffin, surveyor general of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, to return in 1822 to continue his work. In May of that year he started for the west with his wife and child from his home in Camden, New York, and journeyed by the Erie canal and lake steamer. After being delayed for about a week by a severe gale, the family took the steamer "Superior" from Buffalo to Sandusky. "Putting into San- dusky as usual to receive passengers," continues the narrative, "I met Judge Burt for the first time, direct from the surveyor general's office. Arriving at Detroit I met John Hamilton, with whom I formed an acquaintance the previous year. He was provided with an ox-team and being in pursuit of a load, I engaged him to take me to my journey's end.
"It was late before we left the city; we did not reach the angle of the road (six miles) until nearly sunset. At this point begins the causeway, constructed by the United States troops when garrisoned at Detroit under the command of Colonel Leavenworth .* ·
"Arriving at White's tavern, their beds were occupied, but Mrs. White spread a few blankets on the floor where we slept as soundly as the swarming mosquitoes would permit.
"In the morning Hamilton came up and we again mounted the wagon, going smoothly along over the plains to the angle of the Paint creek road, where then stood the famous oak tree. The numerous pitch- holes made riding so uncomfortable we were glad to get out and walk the remaining five miles to Mr. J. W. Hunter's place of residence. Here we received such a welcome as only himself and family could give, and we were invited to remain several weeks with them. During this time Mr. and Mrs. Hunter visited their eastern home, leaving us in charge of their family of young daughters.
* This piece of road has already been described.
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BIRTHPLACE OF JOHN H. PARKE
"On their return home he offered me the use of the shop, as he called it, an unfinished log house, built but not used for blacksmithing pur- poses, which he said I would be quite welcome to occupy. Doors, win- dows and floors were soon put in, and we moved into our first home in the west. There, in 1823, my only son, John H. Parke, was born. Our furniture consisted of a table made by myself from a rough board, and chairs which my brother-in-law, Harry Brownson, who came soon after myself, built with his ax out of rough timber.
"These articles, with our beds and bedding, several trunks and a small stock of clothing, comprised all my worldly possessions. I will not neglect to add that $8.50 in cash remained, and I was at this time in my thirty-third year. Of course the strictest economy was necessary, but my hopes were bright. I was in perfect health and all the prelim- inaries for the future work in surveying public lands entered into the previous year.
"It being time I was on the move for family supplies, when, with the asistance of a friend, I raised a sum sufficient, added to the above, and set out on foot for Detroit, encountering mud, water, flies and mosquitoes.
"Cattle drovers from Ohio were the chief dependence of the pioneers, but finding none at the time, I bought a fine looking new milch cow from a Frenchman, which proved to be so ungovernable as to require two men to hold and milk her, until I made a pen so constructed that she could neither turn, go ahead, or back out, and the milking could be performed by a single person. After this I made another purchase of a cow at the administrator's sale of the estate of Webster, in the fall of 1824.
"Whether Mr. Webster died in 1822, or 1823, I am unable to say. He came as passenger in the steamer 'Superior' in May, 1822, with the mill-irons on board, when it was said that Burtt & Allen, millwrights, were set at work and the sawmill was put in running order at Auburn, called Smith's mill. After the death of Mr. Webster the real estate passed into the hands of the father of Captain Isaac Smith.
"At the time of my arrival at Hunter's the settlement (now Birming- ham) contained four log dwellings, occupied by Elijah Willetts, John W. Hunter, Elisha Hunter, his father, and John Hamilton.
"In the fall of 1822 my brother, Dr. Ezra S. Parke, having recently completed his medical studies, arrived with his wife and one child, an infant daughter, who afterward became the wife of M. W. Kelsey. He was an earnest, zealous Christian, member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and soon after his arrival commenced holding occasional religious services in his own house on Sunday afternoon. On these occasions the singing was principally performed by his wife, who was remarkable for her rich, sweet voice, as well as many other lovely Christian graces. The early settlers and other friends can never forget this excellent woman ; her cheerfulness of temper in all circumstances. Her kindness *and sympathy in sickness and affliction were unsurpassed. She literally went about doing good. These meetings were the first held in the neighborhood, with the exception of a sermon I heard in 1821, in Wil-
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1
lett's barroom, by a Methodist minister who came up the Rouge and whose name I do not remember.
"I could get but little employment during the summer. Occasionally I assisted emigrants in land-looking and surveying, but endeavored to wait patiently for the fulfillment of the promise which had been given me. Early in the winter I received the place of teacher in the school on Swan's Plains, where I continued until February, when a letter from Mr. Mullett, of Detroit, proposed our visiting Chillicothe together that we might soon procure the promised contract.
"I resigned my place in the school to my brother, Dr. Parke, and soon arranged with Mr. M. for our journey. Our outfit consisted of a French pony, a jumper rudely constructed with a crockery crate for a box (this half filled with straw) and a couple of blankets, not forget- ting a saddle; and we were soon gliding down on the ice of the Detroit river to Sandusky. Here we left the jumper, saddled the pony, and proceeded on our journey-one riding and the other walking. After going a certain distance, the horseman would dismount, hitch the pony to a sapling, and proceed, taking his turn in walking, while his com- panion after a time would pass him on horseback, and in the proper place, he, too, would dismount and hitch, and the journey was concluded on this ride-and-tie principle.
"Our interview with the general was most satisfactory. The oath of office was administered and each received a contract. Mr. M. and myself were the first appointed from this territory, except Mr. Ball, who filled one contract of ten townships in 1821. In a year or two William Brockfield, of Detroit, received a contract. Others were fur- nished work soon after."
HOMESTEAD AT LAST
From this time on, Captain Parke's duties as surveyor took him into various sections of Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa, his professional labors covering some sixteen years. His home, however, was in the township of Pontiac. "In the autumn of 1823," he says in his second narrative, "I purchased of Shubael Conant, the southeast quarter of section 33 in the township of Pontiac, at a little less than three dollars per acre. The following year I added thirty-one acres on the north and adjoining the same at five dollars per acre. The year previous, however, I purchased of the same sixteen and a half acres to secure building ground, as the line of road from Detroit had cut off my former building ground and first purchase, the price being ten dollars, with the privilege of one, or as many acres as I chose.
"In May, 1824, I was ready to take possession, when Judge LeRoy, who owned and occupied the house in which Joseph J. Todd has since resided about forty years, kindly offered me a room for the use of my family while my own house was building. This required the labor of three men besides myself for two weeks. The roof was covered with boards, battened with slabs, and as the house logs were cut in unequal lengths, when raised to their proper place they formed steps convenient for mounting the roof at the alarm of fire. The interior was quite com-
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fortable and pleasant, the logs being hewn and partially covered with newspapers, the floor of white pine, and two doors, and windows oppo- site, of seven by nine glass; a wide, open fireplace, one side of which, in the corner, was a ladder for ascending the loft, where our friends found a comfortable bed. And soon after, for further convenience, especially for the aged, as it was difficult to ascend the ladder, and dangerous with all, I added to the rear of the house a room for their accommodation, and a sixteen by twenty room at the south end for a kitchen.
"From the year 1824 up to December, 1829, I surveyed twenty-two townships, in addition to the foregoing, extending from the principal meridian to the west boundary of the large Indian reservation extending to Saginaw bay. In the fall and winter of 1826-7, I subdivided six townships on Lookingglass river (Clinton county). This survey ex- tended south and west to the north line of the township in which the state capital is located.
"The Stevens family-father of Messrs, Rufus and Sherman Stevens -resided at Grand Blanc, and from this place I packed my provisions ; finishing my district the 15th of January, I arrived home in the evening and my wife, on the lookout, having heard of my arrival at the village, met me at the door, welcoming me and presenting to my arms our infant daughter, aged six weeks. This, my youngest child, became the wife of L'evi Bacon, Jr. It was a joyful meeting of the family, I having been absent sixty-two days.
SURVEYS FROM PONTIAC
"The last week in December, 1829, three surveyors, Clark, Thomas, and Christmas, left Pontiac on a surveying tour west from Saginaw, myself following them a day or two after, my work being twelve town- ships, from towns II to 18, north from the meridian, east to the reserva- tion above mentioned on the Kankanin river, having engaged Phillip Bigler to transport my provisions to Saginaw, where I made head- quarters. Proceeding on the ice of the Saginaw and Tittabawassee rivers to the line of township 12 on the west side of the Tittabawassee river, the snow full knee deep at every step rendered our work slow and tedious, when, before we were aware of it, we found ourselves running a line in the Forks reservation, causing much delay in our work in hunting the lines when backing out for this purpose. Succeeding in this, our work went on at the rate of four or five miles a day only, as the lines were to be walked. over the second time; continuing at this rate only throughout the winter, not losing a day on account of the weather until the 8th of April, we started out as usual as soon as it was light.
RUNNING LINES UNDER DIFFICULTIES
"The wind, rising as the sun rose, increased, and as the treetops were loaded with snow, filled the air, so that we were compelled to return to camp, where we remained two days. When hearing from Thomas, it was said he was about at the point of discouragement
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in not being able to find his starting point, this being his first experience in the woods, when he sang out 'I will give any man fifty dollars that will show me my starting point.'
" 'Will you give me that?' said Chester Goodrich, who had been through one surveying tour with Mr. Mullett.
"The next I heard was that Christmas had gone to the settlement and had engaged board for himself with Mr. O. Williams for the win- ter, leaving two men to keep camp at half pay. Thomas had found his corner, had become stimulated with courage, declaring that he would leave his bones in the woods sooner than leave his work. I never heard whether Chester had received the fifty dollars.
"The snow disappeared and warm weather succeeded, the men com- posing the three parties (for Christmas had now returned) suffered so extremely from inflamed and swollen feet that they were obliged to stop work and went to the forks of the river, where there was a trading house which was our base of supplies. A sub-chief soon brought me a letter from Clark, urging me also to discontinue work, in order to make it a general thing. I had already performed the full amount of my twelve townships, for Clark had been unable to reach me with his lines, and I had been necessitated to run several of his township lines. For eight weeks I had carried the compass with a badly crippled foot, the result of a frost bite, and, during the breaking up of the ice swamps, being compelled to wade a good share of the time in ice cold water. I suffered more than my pen can describe. Being in this position, and John Powel, my axeman, just taken lame, I acceded to the request and we were soon on our way to Pontiac. While traveling together Clark
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