History of Oakland County, Michigan, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories, Part 103

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts & co.
Number of Pages: 553

USA > Michigan > Oakland County > History of Oakland County, Michigan, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories > Part 103

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The present officers of the lodge are : Alanson Partridge, W. M .; Eugene Brooks, S. W. ; Lucius S. Randall, J. W. ; Jesse Frink, Treasurer; Frederick R. Lamb, Secretary ; John S. Kingdon, S. D .; John C. Lamb, J. D .; Samuel Jarvis, Tyler. Present number of members, one hundred and eighty-five.

BIRMINGHAM CHAPTER, NO. 93, R. A. M.,

was chartered January 21, 1874. The first officers of the chapter were : Alanson Partridge, H. P .; Joseph S. Stock well, K. ; James M. Hunt, S. ; Eugene Brooks, C. H .; Elsen W. Reynolds, P. S .; William Brown, R. A. C .; Miles Dewey, M. 3d V .; Hugh Irving, M. 2d V .; George A. Walters, M. 1st V .; Jesse Frink, Treasurer; John Bodine, Secretary ; Samuel Jarvis, Sentinel. Number of members at organization, fifteen. Present number of members, forty- three.

The present officers of the chapter are : Eugene Brooks, H. P .; Alanson Partridge, K. ; James M. Hunt, S .; George A. Waters, C. H .; Joseph Stock- well, P. S. ; William Brown, R. A. C .; William H. Smith, M. 3d V .; Hiram H. Chatfield, M. 2d V. ; Walter North, M. 1st V. ; Frank Hagerman, Treasurer ; John Bodine, Secretary ; Samuel Jarvis, Sentinel. Place of meeting, Masonic hall, Mill street.

BIRMINGHAM LODGE, NO. 25, I. O. OF O. F.,

is a thing of the past ; it having been instituted August 26, 1847, continued some nine years ; disintegrated, and lost its organization about 1856.

THE GOOD TEMPLARS,

a secret temperance order, formerly had an organization in Birmingham, but after- wards fell to pieces, and, upon their disorganization, voted to give their movable property, including the furniture of their meeting-place, to the ladies' library society of Birmingham, whose hall is the old Methodist church building, at the northwest corner of Bates and Merrill streets. This society was incorporated less than five years ago, under the general law.

BIRMINGHAM GRANGE, NO. 323, P. OF H.,

was instituted April 1, 1874, with twenty-three charter members. Their first officers were: George Blakeslee, Master ; William Satterlee, Overseer ; G. M.

Trowbridge, Steward ; Charles Hadsell, Assistant Steward ; Samuel Alexander, Lecturer; Alanson Daniels, Chaplain ; J. H. Snow, Secretary ; P. A. Park, Treasurer ; L. Case, Gate-keeper; Mrs. William Dennison, Ceres ; Mrs. William Satterlee, Pomona ; Mrs. J. H. Snow, Flora; Mrs. G. M. Trowbridge, Lady Assistant Steward. Their regular place of meeting is on Saginaw street, in the old Masonic hall, now owned by James M. Hunt.

The officers of the grange for the year 1877 are : William Satterlee, Master ; A. D. Simonson, Overseer ; John Benjamin, Chaplain ; G. M. Trowbridge, Lecturer; P. A. Park, Steward; Horace Blodgett, Assistant Steward ; A. J. Crosby, Treasurer; Caleb G. Jackson, Secretary ; Harvey Perkins, Gate- keeper ; Mrs. John Benjamin, Ceres ; Mrs. A. J. Crosby, Pomona; Maggie Brown, Flora ; Bertha Von Daniels, Lady Assistant Steward. The present membership is ninety-seven.

SOLDIERS' MONUMENT.

One of the most prominent objects which strikes the eye on entering Birming- ham is a monument of veined marble, some fifteen or twenty feet in height, which has been erected by the citizens of Troy, Bloomfield, Royal Oak, and Southfield, to the memory of their soldiers who died to save the nation in the war of the rebellion. The shaft stands in the centre of the village, on the open space at the intersection of Saginaw, Troy, and Mill streets ; and upon each of its four faces is inscribed a township roll of honor. These inscriptions are as follows : *

Upon the north face :

" TROY."

" D. Remington, K ; James McIlvain, K; Hugh McIlvain, D; Samuel Trues- dale, D; E. R. Smith, D; Charles Sand, K; Hugh O'Harra, D; William Jen- nings, D; John Leonard, D; James Shanahan, D; Thomas Taft, D; Edward Nichols, D; Fred. Genrick, D; J. E. James, D; Richard Wheeler, D; G. H. James, D; William Tharratt, D; John Tharratt, K ; Peter Crombie, D; George Blovolt, D; George Kinney, D ; Lyman A. Platt, D; Henry Burnett, K."

On the eastern face :

"ROYAL OAK."

" Frank Bickford, D ; S. Young, D; Jay S. Simonson, D; Joseph Jasper, K ; J. W. Blackman, K; James Murray, D; Benjamin Young, D ; Charles Young, D; Peter Sevelle, D; C. Fay, K; Chester Ferrend, K; James Carroll, K." On the southern face :

"SOUTHFIELD."

"John Newman, D; J. C. Dexton, K ; George Van Every, D; Harris Rolf, K; James Darling, D; John Morris, K; Edward Wood, K; J. M. Brown, D ; John Shanklin, D; G. H. Kinney, D; John Sherman, D."

On the west face :

" BLOOMFIELD."

" James Grinley, D ; Oscar F. Drake, K; Orville A. Drake, D; J. Kelley, D; Malcom Carter, K; Peter Lowes, D; Alpheus Madden, D; Andrew Simpson, D; B. F. Leach, D; John Hollinshead, D; William Potter, D; William Hol- linshead, K; James Davie, D; Omer Fall, K ; Henry Lewless, D; John Leach, D; G. L. Bassett, D ; A. J. Stone, D; George Briggs, K; John French, D; Truxton Talbot, D; James Briggs, K ; Frank Bown, D; Isaac C. Morgan, K ; Byron McGraw, D; James Greer, D; T. J. Barnum, D; Robert Lowes, D ; William Irving, K."

And on the plinth, facing the west, is cut this inscription :

"ERECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF THE ABOVE TOWNS, 1869."

The monument is inclosed by a handsome iron fence. The cost of all was six- teen hundred dollars.

BLOOMFIELD CENTRE.

Although this little cluster of dwellings is in no sense a village, it perhaps merits a brief separate notice.

We have seen that its first inhabitant was Judge Amasa Bagley, who came in 1819, and that from him and his log tavern the locality became pretty generally known as " Bagley's."

His public-house was superseded, about 1832 or '33, by a frame tavern, built by William Morris, his son-in-law, in the southwestern angle of the roads, where it is still standing. During its existence it has often been the place of holding pub- lic meetings and merry-makings, and has been in charge of many different land- lords. The first of these was probably Moses Peck, another of Judge Bagley's sons-in-law, who was certainly there as early as the commencement of the year 1834. He was followed by George W. Morris, who was there in 1835 and 1836, and perhaps in 1837. Isaac W. Taylor was its landlord in 1838, but how much longer is not known. Peck was back again in 1842; and J. Peck had it in 1846. Henry Bishop, in 1847 ; and Friend Webster, in 1849. James W. Weston was

# K, killed in battle; D, died of wounds or sickness incurred in the service.

325

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

its proprietor in 1854, 1860, and 1862. Others of its late landlords were John Hagerman and F. Weston. It is now a private dwelling.

Bloomfield Centre has been the place where the township-meetings have been held since the separation of West Bloomfield, and the public-house was usually the place designated; but since its closing they have been held in the school- house, as, for some reason, the wealthy township of Bloomfield has never decided to erect a town-hall.

BRICK-MAKING-TILE AND POTTERY WORKS.

Brick-making was commenced many years ago by George W. Morris, on the east side of the turnpike, and opposite the Bagley homestead. Later, both brick and pottery works were commenced on the Bagley premises, and these were pur- chased in 1842 by John Daines, who commenced also the manufacture of drain- tile, with a machine of which he was the inventor. In this business and at this place he continued for twenty-three years. After him it was carried on by Har- vey Weston, who was succeeded in the business by Alanson Piersall, who finally closed it about 1873. Bloomfield Centre is now without business, other than that of agriculture.

Perhaps it should be added that a Methodist camp-meeting, said to have been the first in the State of Michigan, was held at this place, in 1828; and we have already seen that it was proposed by Thomas McGraw to remove the State capital hither.

THE SMITH SAW-MILL.

This mill, located about two miles north and west of the centre of Birmingham village, on the west branch of the Rouge, was the first mill of any description in the township of Bloomfield ; having been built in 1825, by Corbett & Monroe, of Detroit, on their lands, purchased of Ellis H. Gray, in the southeast quarter of section 23. They sold to John W. Hunter. William Morris purchased it afterwards; and among its later proprietors have been George Blakeslee and John Hagerman. It is at present owned and carried on by William Smith.

THE MORRIS GRIST-MILL.

This was the first grist-mill put in operation in the township, having been built by William Morris, in the year 1828. Before this the inhabitants of Bloomfield were obliged to go to Auburn or Pontiac for the grinding of their grain, which was not a great hardship to those in the northern and northeastern parts of the township, but was very inconvenient to those located in the opposite portions ; therefore the starting of Morris' mill was regarded with much satisfaction by the people; the more so, as a store was started there by Mr. Morris at about the same time. At present the mill is owned and carried on by Mr. John Toms.

THE OPDYKE FLOURING-MILL.

About the year 1833, Josephus Young and his brother, John J. Young, after- wards a noted Methodist preacher in West Bloomfield, purchased a tract of land in the southeast corner of section 26, which had been entered by - Willard, and through which passes the west branch of the river Rouge. On their tract, and upon this stream, at a point half a mile due west from the centre of the vil- lage of Birmingham, they erected a saw-mill, in the ancient fashion, which they kept in use in the cutting of the hard-wood timber of the vicinity, probably with some profit to themselves, until the year 1835, when they sold their whole establishment -land, mill, and mill-seat-to Roswell T. Merrill, of Birmingham.

Mr. Merrill made a re-arrangement of the dam and head-race, and at once built a flouring-mill a short distance below the Young saw-mill. He carried on this mill for several years, until his affairs had become involved by his other business operations, when it fell into the hands of his eastern creditors, who afterwards sold it to T. A. Flower and William Brown, who in turn sold the property to David Wilcox, from Battle Creek, and he again to Robert F. Opdyke and Henry Gardiner.

In the year 1853, during the proprietorship of Opdyke & Gardiner, the mill was destroyed by fire ; after which the site was purchased by R. E. Trowbridge, who rebuilt in 1860, and kept the mill in operation for some years, and then ex- changed it with R. F. Opdyke for the farm of the latter, near Bloomfield Centre. The mill has since remained in the Opdyke family, and is now operated by G. K. Opdyke, a son of the earlier proprietor of that name.

THE DESNOYER SAW-MILL.

About half a mile below the Opdyke mill, and on the same stream, in the southeast quarter of section 35, there was an old saw-mill which was built much earlier than the young mill. It stood on land which was entered by Peter Des- noyer, and it may have been built at his expense, but was never operated by him, as he was a merchant of Detroit, and never a resident of Bloomfield or South- field, in both of which townships he entered lands merely as a matter of invest- ment or speculation. It is probably thirty-five years or more since this old mill

was last in motion, and nothing of it now remains excepting portions of its ancient dam and race.

THE VAN EVERY MILL AND DISTILLERY. -

In 1832 or 1833 there came to Bloomfield a young man named Edward Matthews, the son of an Irish refugee of 1798. He had received a good educa- tion, was trained to the law, and admitted to the bar in New York city. He was of pleasing address, very enterprising, and had quite a large amount of funds at his command, and of these he intended to invest a good portion in the purchase of lands, erection of mills, and kindred enterprises. His attention was called to the lands of Scriba Blakeslee and Edward Ellerby, in section 31 of Bloomfield, and noting their favorable location, as it appeared to him, being immediately adjoining Franklin, which was then already aspiring to village importance, and embracing also a stream of some size-the outlet of Black Walnut lake in West Bloomfield-which was capable of furnishing the motive-power for a flouring or other mills, he purchased the Blakeslee tract and a part of the lands of Ellerby, and upon these he proceeded to lay out a considerable number of village lots, expecting, perhaps, to bring a good part of the business of the village of Franklin to the Bloomfield side of the line upon his own land. He also commenced preparations for the erection of a flouring-mill on the stream, and employed Mr. Joseph Gilbert, of Gilbert lake, to get out and haul the timber for that purpose. This was accomplished during the succeeding winter, and those who recollect seeing it, say that a finer or better lot of timber for that use was never collected.

But meanwhile his expenditure had been too great for his means, although they were considerable, and as his enterprise brought no income,-the ex- pected sale of lots never being realized,-the result, which many of the more cautious ones had prophesied from the first, was failure; and it came before many of the arrangements for the erection of the mill had been perfected, beyond the collection of the material furnished by Mr. Gilbert. This occurred about 1834, and Matthews at once retired from Bloomfield, leaving his affairs in the condition above described. It is said that he afterwards fell into bad habits, and died in penury.

In the year 1837, Colonel Peter Van Every, of Detroit, effected a negotiation with William S. Sears, of New York, who then held control of all the Matthews property in Bloomfield, either as assignee or otherwise, by the terms of which Van Every received all of the Blakeslee land and a part of the Ellerby tract purchased by Matthews, with all the appurtenances thereto, in exchange for cer- tain lands owned by him in the vicinity of Detroit. As soon as in possession he proceeded, with the material which Matthews had placed upon the ground, to erect the flouring-mill on the stream as originally projected by him. The mill- wright employed was William A. Pratt, and the mill was completed and ready for work within the year. It was a good establishment, and did a large business from the commencement. For a considerable time in 1838 and 1839 it was the only mill within the limits of Oakland County at which farmers could dispose of their wheat for cash, and we may readily suppose that this circumstance added not a little to its fame, and from that time until the present it has been held in high repute. It is now operated by Peter Van Every, a son of the first owner.

In the same year, 1837, Colonel Van Every also built a distillery on the east side of the road, opposite the mill, and in 1838 he started a potashery in the rear of the mill; this was kept in operation and doing a good business for eighteen years. The distillery was also actively employed, and was probably pro- fitable, as nearly all of its species were in those days. A new distillery was afterwards built on the same site, by the present owner of the mill, and it may yet be seen there, though no longer devoted to its original use.

THE STEELE SAW-MILL,

so called because now owned and operated by Frank Steele, is located in the southwest quarter of section 31, a short distance above the Van Every mill, upon the same stream. It was built in the winter and spring of 1832 by Jacob Baker and Horace Garlicks. It was afterwards purchased by John B. Comstock, who added to it a fulling-mill, which was run for a number of years, until establish- ments of that kind ceased to be needed.

THE VULCAN MINERAL PAINT-MILLS

were built and commenced operation in the year 1874. The location is upon the farm of Thomas Green, part of the original purchase of Samuel Satterlee, Esq. The works are operated by steam-power, and the process of manufacture consists in roasting and grinding the crude mineral to produce a durable paint. This mineral is dug from the earth at the works, its existence at that place having been discovered more than half a century ago, at the time when a mill-stone was being quarried there for the old Auburn mill. The proprietors of the works are Messrs. Satterlee & Daines.

326

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

SCHOOLS.

The first school-house in Bloomfield was a small log building, which was erected on the farm of Dr. Ziba Swan. It stood near where now is the toll-gate on the turnpike, less than a mile north of the centre of Birmingham village, on land now of J. V. Stevens. In this rude temple of learning Hervey Parke taught the first school which was ever taught in the township. It was not a public school, but was supported by subscriptions per capita of pupils. His term com- menced about December 1, 1822, and continued until February, 1823, when he left, with Mr. Mullett, for Ohio, to procure a contract for government surveying. Beyond these few meagre facts we have no account of that first winter term of teaching. A year or two later the second school-house was built near the dwelling of Jacob Sly, and on his land; but neither the name of the first teacher nor the precise date or duration of the first term of school taught in it can be given.

Other similar schools followed in different parts of the township, but there was no district system inaugurated or districts defined until 1834, when this was done in conformity to the provisions of the act approved April 13, 1833, which made it obligatory upon townships to elect three commissioners of common schools, whose duties should be to lay off the township into school districts, and to establish them in numerical order.

The first district school in Bloomfield was taught by Rev. Lemuel M. Partridge, in the winter of 1834-35, in the old log house of John Hamilton, at Birming- ham. Hamilton had then just completed his frame dwelling-house (now standing on Saginaw street, and owned by Orrin Poppeton, Esq.), and the old one, which stood immediately in its rear, had been devoted to school purposes. The school at Swan's (not, however, then a district school) had been taught the previous sum- mer (1834) by Jane Ingraham, and during this same winter it was in charge of Mr. Ormsbee. Prior to that it had been taught by a Mr. Schermerhorn. Among other early teachers in the log school-house, which stood on David Johnson's farm, northeast corner section 33, were Pierce Patrick, B. D. Worthing, and Samuel T. Bryant.

There are at present twelve schools in the township, the yearly aggregate of the terms averaging about seven months, and the compensation of the teachers being about forty dollars per month. None of them are graded schools, except that in the village of Birmingham, which was made such about 1865; embracing high school, grammar, intermediate, and primary departments, employing a principal and four assistant teachers. The present salary of the principal is eight hundred dollars per annum, and that of the assistants seven dollars per week each. For- merly these salaries were higher, that of the principal having been twelve hun- dred dollars per year; but in conformity to the universal necessity and custom of retrenchment they have been reduced to the amounts above named.

The present school edifice, which is really an ornament and a credit to the vil- lage of Birmingham, was commenced in the year 1868, and completed and occu- pied in September, 1869. It location is on Chester street, and extending from North to Castle streets. Its cost, including site, was fourteen thousand dollars.

THE METHODIST CHURCH.

The first account of Methodist worship in Bloomfield is that of a meeting held and sermon preached in Willets' log tavern, in 1821, by an itinerant, traveling up the Rouge, but whose name is not now known.

The next is of Sunday afternoon meetings, held at the house of Dr. Ezra S. Parke, at which the doctor himself conducted the services, and his wife furnished most excellent singing. These occasions are said to have been not long after Dr. Parke's arrival, which was in 1822.

And if their worship-meetings were the earliest, so also their church organiza- tion antedates all others in the township, having been effected about 1827, by Rev. William Pattee, a preacher of the Ohio conference. Their first meetings, after the organization, were held in Willets' frame barn, and at other barns in summer, and at his tavern and at private dwellings in winter, and often in the log school-house near Dr. Swan's residence.

In 1833, their presiding elder was James Gilruth. In 1834-36, they were served by Elijah H. Pilcher and Connearn by William Sprague, Resin Sapp, and J. F. Davidson.

The following are among those by whom the church has been served at various times, but no dates can be given, nor are we able to designate those among the number who were authorized preachers : William Comfort, F. Bangs, H. Law, Rufus Crane, John A. Baughman, George Bradley, Josiah Brakeman, Larmon Chatfield, J. M. Arnold, Henry Brown, Flavel Brittan, Ira W. Donelson, Hiram Hood, J. M. Fuller, F. A. Blades, Elijah Crane, George Smith, S. E. Warren, John Russell, Isaac Abbott, Rev. Robert Bird, Salmon Steel, and Edward Steel. The present pastor is Rev. Henry O. Parker, who came in 1874.

Their first house of worship was built in 1839, and dedicated in 1840. It is

yet standing, at the northwest corner of Bates and Merrill streets, and is used as the hall of the ladies' library association.

The present church edifice was built during the pastorate of Rev. Robert Bird, to whose untiring efforts and energy its erection was in a great measure due. It was dedicated November 2, 1873; cost twenty thousand dollars. Connected with the church is a Sabbath-school, having an average attendance of one hundred and fifty, and under the superintendency of Mr. Silas Wattles.

THE WING LAKE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

The history of this church extends back over a period of forty-six years, it having been organized in the log school-house on Jacob Sly's farm, on the 4th day of June, 1831, by Rev. George Hornell, assisted and most ably supported by Deacon Elijah Bull, who was clerk of that first meeting. The original members of the church were : Elijah Bull, Robert Wallace, Nancy Wallace, Mary Barkley, and Ellen Kyle; and on the 25th of June, Elijah Bull and Robert Wallace were elected ruling elders, and were ordained to that office.

For several years after the organization their preaching was supplied by Rev. Isaac W. Ruggles, of Pontiac, who was also instrumental in securing for them the services of Rev. O. Parker, who, in the first part of the year of 1839, held a pro- tracted meeting which resulted in adding thirty names to the roll of the church's membership. The place where this memorable meeting was held was the school- house which stood in the south west quarter of section 30, on Deacon Bull's land, just south of Wing lake, and which was their place of worship during the first seventeen years of their existence as a church.

The successor of Father Ruggles, as he was familiarly and affectionately called, was Rev. A. S. Wells, who commenced his labors with the church about the year 1840. He was succeeded by Rev. George Eastman.

In July, 1842, Lucius Miller and Thomas Barkley were invested with the eldership.

In 1846, Rev. N. West commenced his labors with the church, and about this time the congregation was organized as a body corporate, six trustees being elected, namely : Elijah Bull, Lucius Miller, Hugh Gordon, Robert C. Kyle, Josiah Bark- ley, and John B. Comstock ; and Elijah Bull was constituted the agent of the church and congregation, with complete powers to transact any and all business pertaining to the erection of a new house of worship, which had long been dis- cussed, and was now decided on. It was commenced in the early summer of 1848, and was completed in five months, the ceremony of dedication being per- formed on the 16th of November of that year. This was accomplished during the first year of the ministry of Rev. George Newcomb, who succeeded Rev. Mr. West. After Mr. Newcomb came Rev. H. Lucas, who commenced his labors in 1849. On the 12th of March, 1850, Melvin Drake and Robert C. Kyle were elected and ordained as ruling elders.

Following the pastorate of Mr. Lucas, came that of Rev. Dr. Neil, whose ex- perience with this church was a short and stormy one. His successor was Rev. George G. Sill, who labored most acceptably with this people for several years, and was followed by Rev. J. S. Smith. After Mr. Smith came Rev. A. E. Hast- ings, in the spring of 1872. He labored here for six months, and was succeeded by Rev. John Kelland, whose ministry with this church continued for four years, and closed in November, 1876.

The elders, besides those above mentioned, have been Samuel Andrews and John A. Covert, elected July 7, 1860; and William Bristol, William H. Midgely, and I. N. Covert, elected December 5, 1869.

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History of Oakland County, Michigan, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories, Part 103

Author: Durant, Samuel W Publication date: 1877 Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts & co. Number of Pages: 553

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts & co.
Number of Pages: 553