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 18
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Apropos of the bench is a story that is told of the effectiveness of a speech one of the side judges made in the legislature-" Uncle Jake" Summers, before named. He lived on the line of Macomb and Oakland counties, his barn being in Oak- land and his house in Macomb, and consequently is about as much of an Oakland character as of Macomb. He was, in person and mental attainments, the antipode of Judge Whipple, but was naturally gifted with considerable hard sense, and was a noted character in the pioneer days. He was a member of the legislature at the session of 1842, at which session a bill was introduced .appropriating twenty thousand dollars to continue Dr. Douglas Houghton's geological survey of the upper peninsula. A number of the members were a little restive under the continued expense of the survey, but Dr. Houghton had made a canvass of the members, and confidently relied on the passage of the bill. He had, how- ever, given Uncle Jake a wide berth, a slight which had deeply aggrieved the old man ; but he said nothing, and did not commit himself till after the Oakland members and Wm. Norman McLeod (the latter one of the most eloquent men Michigan ever produced) had made big speeches in favor of the bill. Then Uncle Jake arose, and, with a gravity unexcelled, said he was "sorry to see so much disposition in this body tending to extravagance; that he had long thought it time to inaugurate an era of reform, and for one, it was his deliberate opinion that the State had long since paid out all it could afford for pickling butterflies and boring holes in the ground." He moved the previous question, and sat down. The effect of his speech on politicians of his ilk can be imagined. The bill was defeated, and Dr. Houghton's operations were substantially suspended for the season.
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
ALLOPATHIC SCHOOL.
The first physician who located in Oakland County to minister to the ills of mortality was Dr. William Thompson, who came to Michigan in 1818 from Owego, Broome county, New York, and stopped for a short time only in Detroit, and went thence to Mount Clemens, where he remained also but a brief period, and came to Avon township, then known as Oakland, the same year, settling near the Hersey mills. In the winter of 1819-20 he removed to Pontiac, where he located permanently. He was appointed by Governor Cass the first judge of the county court of Oakland County, and held the first court ever held in the county, in July, 1820. He was also appointed by Governor Cass the first judge of probate of the county, and also received the first appointment in the county of a county treasurer. As a physician he was eminent in his profession, and had an extensive practice, and was especially celebrated in obstetrics. His panacea> for the ills of his numerous patients were calomel, opium, and quinine. He was kind and generous to a fault to the unfortunate settlers, and frequently rendered his services as a gratuity. He often remarked, " I ought not to com- plain, or charge anything for my services, for the poor creatures I treat have the worst of it; they have to take my horrible medicines, while I ride around the country and chew my tobacco. But I pity my poor horse. He goes night and day without food. and is himself food for both flies and mosquitoes." Dr. Thomp- son died on his farm, where a son-in-law now resides, in Avon township.
Dr. Sterling W. Allen, one of the pioneer physicians, removed to Oakland County in 1825, and located at Pontiac. He came from Monroe county, New York, where he studied medicine with Dr. Ellwood. He was a skillful physician, and now resides at Grand Rapids.
Dr. Olmstead Chamberlain came from Lewiston, New York, to Pontiac about the same time as Dr. Allen, but did not follow his profession as a business. He settled in Pontiac in 1821. He was born in Richmond, Vermont, in 1787. He was a prominent citizen of Pontiac and Oakland County for forty-three years, and was postimaster of Pontiac for several years. While a resident of Pontiac in the early days, an epidemic broke out among a company of United States troops stationed at Saginaw, from which many soldiers died, and the surgeon of the post was stricken down. A courier was sent to Pontiac for aid. The only road was an Indian trail through the woods, but the doctor at once mounted his horse, and traveling night and day, at times obliged to dismount and feel for the trail on his hands and knees, arrived in good time, and rendered good service for the suf- ferers. In 1864 he left Pontiac and went to reside with a son, Samuel, at Wam- pum, Wisconsin, with whom he remained till October 10, 1876, at which date he died, aged eighty-nine years.
Dr. John Chamberlain came from near Auburn, New York, in 1825, or there- abouts, and located at the village of Auburn. He was the most learned physician in the county in his day, and was a most able practitioner. He removed from the county in or about 1830, and died several years ago.
Dr. Thaddeus Thompson, a brother of the first doctor of the county, located in Troy previous to 1828. He was a very fine man, and an excellent physician. He removed to Detroit some years ago. His sons are prominent citizens of that city.
Dr. Ezra S. Parke, a native of Middle Haddam, Connecticut, and brother of Captain Hervey Parke, of Pontiac, came to Bloomfield, from Onondaga county, New York, in 1822. He studied medicine with Dr. Ransom, of Camden, Oneida county, New York. He had a good practice, which he continued to follow until his death, which occurred in 1846. He was postmaster at Bloomfield for several years.
Dr. Cyrus Chipman came to Avon township in 1821, and was for many years a prominent physician in the township. He held the position of postmaster twelve years, and then removed to Rochester village. He was originally from Vermont, and about 1850 removed to Grand Rapids, where he died a few years ago. He was a good practitioner and a very excellent man. He was in Troy for a time previous to his removal to Grand Rapids.
Dr. Ezekiel Webb, of Farmington, was a Quaker. He came from Farmington, New York, in 1824, or thereabouts, and removed to Adrian in 1830-31. He is now dead.
Dr. J. C. Emery came to Novi from Seneca county, New York, in 1829, and died many years ago.
Dr. Ziba Swan, of Bloomfield, was born in Connecticut, but came to Michigan from near Albany, New York, in a very early day, and died about 1850.
Dr. Ebenezer Raynale was born in Vermont, but spent the most of his life, till 1828, in New York and Pennsylvania. At this date he came to Michigan, and located at Franklin, in Southfield township. He read medicine in Susquehanna county, Pennsylvania, and Niagara county, New York, and had for many years an extensive practice in Oakland County, and even beyond, in the early days. He
retired from practice in 1873, on account of ill health, surrendering his business to his son, Dr. Chas. M. Raynale, of Birmingham, with whom the old doctor still resides. The young doctor read medicine with his father, and is a graduate of the Detroit medical college, and has been in practice some eight years in Birming- ham. Dr. Ebenezer Raynale was a prominent citizen outside of his profession, and was a member of the State senate in 1836-37, and also a member of the first and second constitutional conventions of Michigan, and is the only living member of the senate who voted for the first United States senators from Michigan.
Dr. David L. Porter came from Troy, New York, to Pontiac in 1829. He was the son of an eminent physician. He died in 1834. He was well read in materia medica, and a hard worker in his profession. He was found dead in his office.
Dr. Brumley came to Rochester in 1829.
Dr. Isaac Paddock came to Pontiac in 1831, from near Utica, New York, and was for many years the principal physician in that village and vicinity. He was a skillful physician, and died about 1870.
Dr. F. Curtis came to Royal Oak in 1829, from the eastern part of New York, on the Hudson river. He did not have an extensive practice, and died many years since.
Dr. Bradley came the same year to Royal Oak, from western New York. He subsequently located at Birmingham, and removed to Fenton some years ago, and died there.
Dr. Rose came to Royal Oak in 1831. After several years' practice he re- moved to Detroit, where he now resides. He read medicine with Dr. Pliny Powers.
Dr. Isaac Wixom, of Farmington, came there too from Seneca county, New York, in 1830. He pursued his medical course in Hector, in that county, and was licensed there to practice. He became in after-years an eminent surgeon. He was a member of the legislature one term. He now resides in Fenton, whither he removed some thirty years since.
Dr. Hudson, of Farmington, came from western New York in 1832 to Pontiac. He had a good practice, and died in Lansing, whither he had removed.
Dr. A. Hayes was an early comer to Michigan, and located as a physician in Farm- ington in 1832. He removed to Lansing, where he at present resides. He was also a Methodist minister.
Dr. Geo. W. Williams came to Auburn about 1830 from Washington county, New York, and was in after-years located in Pontiac. He died in Waterford, on his farm near Silver lake, where a son now resides. He became a successful physician, and had a good practice.
Dr. Caleb Lamb, a Baptist divine as well as a physician, came to Oakland County in 1830 from western New York, and located first in Bloomfield, at Gilbert's lake, and subsequently located at Farmington for a time. He now resides in or about Ypsilanti. He changed his practice during his later years in Oakland County to the homoeopathic school.
Dr. Stebbins located in Troy in or about 1834, where he remained a few years, and then removed to Detroit.
In Birmingham, between the years 1838 and 1874, there were a large number of physicians who located for a longer or shorter period, among whom were the following :
Dr. Waldo came in 1838 from Oswego, New York, and died in Pontiac in 1843-44. Dr. Brice and Dr. Vandeusen were there also, and the latter remained some three or four years, and then removed to Detroit. Dr. H. S. Smith, now of Detroit, was there in 1856. He afterwards located in Pontiac, and became some- what noted in his profession. Dr. Crookes was in Birmingham for a time, and returned to New York, where he died. Dr. O. S. Hewitt, now in practice, came in 1862 from Steuben county, New York. He is also a lawyer of the county. Dr. Shanklin came in 1860, and, after two or three years, went to Dowagiac. Dr. Post, now in practice, located in Birmingham in 1866, or thereabouts. He is a graduate of the medical department of the University of Michigan.
In Franklin village Dr. Pratt located in 1838, coming there from Steuben county, New York. He removed to Kent county.
Dr. Henry S. Buel, now in practice in Franklin, came there from Vermont in 1840. His son Julius is also in practice with him, and they have a good busi- ness. Dr. Henry S. Cox is also in practice there, locating since the war. He is an Englishman.
At Walled Lake Dr. James M. Hoyt is the veteran practitioner. He located in Commerce in 1839-40, and removed to Walled Lake in 1841. He came from near Buffalo, New York, and was educated for his profession there. His father was an eminent physician in that county. He has a son in practice with him at the lake, and also a son in practice in Detroit. The doctor is something of a politician also, and is a prominent citizen of the county.
Dr. N. B. Eldridge, of Commerce, located there previous to the time that
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51
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Dr. Hoyt did. He is now a resident of Adrian, and is following the profession of the law.
Dr. Jeffery located in Southfield in 1837, coming there from Cortland county, New York. He gave more attention to farming than he did to the profession, and died on his farm a few years ago. Dr. Mathewson, now in practice in South- field, located first in Commerce, coming from Pennsylvania.
Dr. Leland was from Massachusetts, and located in Pontiac, and was in prac- tice with Dr. Paddock for a time. He removed to Detroit, where he died.
Dr. R. D. Lamond located in Pontiac previous to 1833, coming there from Canada, but was a native of the United States. He removed to Flint, where he was for many years the principal physician of the place. Dr. A. W. Rogers was in Pontiac in 1840.
Dr. Henry K. Foote came to Milford in 1838 from Commerce, where he had been in practice previously. He was in the State legislature in 1861, and died in the service as lieutenant in the Fifth Michigan Cavalry. He was highly esteemed by all of his acquaintances far and near.
Dr. Josiah Alger located in Troy in or before 1831. Dr. Z. M. Mowrey came to Milford in 1840, and was in practice with Dr. Foote; was in the legislature in 1849, and in the constitutional convention in 1850. He died in 1874 with the harness on, actively engaged in his profession.
Dr. F. Curtis, of Holly, located first at Rochester in 1832. At one time he was the physician of every family in Livingston county, when there were not well persons enough to take care of the sick. This was between 1835 and 1840.
Dr. M. Lamont Bagg was one of the physicians of Pontiac between 1833 and 1840. He now lives in St. John's, and has retired from practice, and is following the business of a druggist.
Dr. McCollum came to Auburn about 1832. He removed to Wisconsin some years since. He was a fine man and an excellent physician.
Dr. B. P. McConnell, a brother of Wm. M. McConnell, of Pontiac, was for many years a prominent physician of that city. He was a skillful surgeon, and went into the military service as surgeon of the Twenty-second Michigan Infantry, Colonel Wisner commanding. He removed to Ludington in 1873, where he is now in practice. He is a graduate of the Cincinnati medical college.
Dr. Barnes settled early at the village of Commerce, and now resides in Owasso. Dr. Smead located in Birmingham in 1837, and removed to Troy in 1840. From Troy he removed to Lansing, where he bought thirty acres of ground; on which the city of North Lansing now stands, which investment has made the doctor's widow and children comparatively wealthy.
Dr. Burnett located at Royal Oak in 1842. He was a young man of promise, but died in a short time after his location was made.
Dr. Burns, an educated Scotchman, settled at Orchard Lake, but gave his at- tention more to land speculation than to the practice of medicine. He returned to New York.
Dr. William Wilson settled at Pine Lake in 1835. He was a Scotchman, and educated thoroughly at the Glasgow University, and had a very extensive prac- tice. He was a skillful surgeon. He died in August, 1863. His son, John P. Wilson, read with his father, and graduated at the New York College of Physi- cians and Surgeons in 1851, and has been in practice ever since. He was sur- geon of the Fifth Michigan Cavalry, and also brigade surgeon of the cavalry brigade.
Dr. Andros located in Franklin in 1834, and is now at McGregor, Iowa, and has a good practice. He was originally from Boston.
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Dr. J. B. Richardson, now of East Saginaw, was a brother of Governor Rich- ardson, and was located in Pontiac in 1832, or earlier.
Dr. D. K. Johnson was in Pontiac in 1849, and for a time was in company with Dr. Bagg, they having a heavy practice. Dr. Johnson was surgeon of the First Cavalry, and afterwards medical inspector of the army, and is now at Grand Rapids.
Dr. W. G. Elliott was first located in Pontiac previous to 1850, and removed shortly after that date to the State of New York, from whence he entered the hospital service of the army at Alexandria, and after the war returned to Pontiac, where he is still following a lucrative practice. He pursued his medical studies with Dr. Paddock, and graduated at the Cleveland medical college.
Dr. Humphrey Adams was an old physician of the county in 1828, and John S. Livermore in 1832.
Dr. M. L. Green practiced in Pontiac in 1862, and died there in 1866-67. He had during the war a good practice.
A. D. Voorheis, in 1835, practiced in the county.
Dr. Robert Le Baron, of Pontiac, is a graduate of the University of Michigan, class of 1861. He practiced with Dr. Hayes, in Livingston county, one year, was two years surgeon of the Fourth Michigan Infantry, and located in Pontiac in 1864.
Dr. F. B. Galbraith, of Pontiac, is a graduate of the University of Michigan, class of 1860, and of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York City, in 1861. He was surgeon in the Tenth Michigan Infantry and Fourth Michigan Cavalry, and located in Pontiac in 1865. He has a good practice.
Dr. W. B. Cady, a graduate of the University of the City of New York, came to Pontiac in 1877, and is in practice with Dr. Galbraith.
Dr. Chauncey Earle graduated, in 1853, at the Michigan University, having pursued his studies under Dr. Spaulding, of Oxford, previously. Dr. Earle began his practice in Addison township, where he remained one year, and then removed to Orion, where he remained till the fall of 1866, when he came to Pontiac, where he still continues to follow his profession.
Dr. Spaulding was located at Oxford previous to 1848. He came from the State of New York.
Dr. Pliny Powers came to what was known as Deming's Corners, in Oxford township, in 1837, from the State of New York. In 1838, Egbert Burdick, of New York, was associated with him in practice, and at Oxford village, in 1839. He removed to Detroit, where he died. Dr. Burdick is still in practice at Oxford. Dr. Lawrence located in Oxford village in 1862.
Dr. Morrison is practicing in Addison. He came there in 1842.
Geo. W. Orr is a graduate of the University of Michigan, in 1877, and is located at Pontiac.
Dr. Hudson, a brother of the Dr. Hudson before mentioned as practicing in Farmington, located in Rochester in 1840. He read and pursued his studies with his brother.
Dr. J. N. Donaldson came to Lakeville in 1854. He pursued the study of medicine under the instruction of Dr. Asahel Barnard, of the United States army, at Dearborn, Michigan, and graduated at the University of Michigan in 1853. He practiced sixteen years in Lakeville, and then removed to Pontiac, where he opened a drug-store, and continued in the business for four years, when ill health compelled him to cease business entirely. He died in Pontiac, July 15, 1877. He was a native of Mendon, Monroe county, New York.
Dr. Drake came to Royal Oak in 1849 from Cayuga county, New York. He was a brother of Hon. Thomas J. Drake, and died some ten years ago. Dr. Brewster, now in Royal Oak, settled there in 1845. He was from Vermont, and is an old practitioner. Dr. Glazier also located at Royal Oak in 1852, or there- abouts. He was born in Troy, Oakland County. Dr. Lathrop came to Royal Oak in 1868. He practiced in Oakwood in 1850. Dr. Whitney came to Lake- ville in 1848, and Dr. Bugbee to Orion in 1838. Dr. Thomas B. Johnston located in Brandon in 1855, and Dr. Samuel C. Allen in Independence (Clarks- ton) about 1839, and Nelson Abby in 1845 (and died in 1873).
THE HOMOEOPATHIC SCHOOL.
The first practitioner of the school of Hahnemann was Dr. Caleb Lamb, who located first in Farmington, and practiced under the allopathic system, but came to Pontiac in 1847, and began the practice of homoeopathy. He removed from Pontiac in December, 1847.
Dr. Amos Walker, now of Pontiac, is the oldest homoeopathic physician in the county, he having begun the practice in 1847, in Brooklyn, Jackson county, Michigan. He was educated under the allopathic system, graduating at Pittsfield, Massachusetts, of which State he is a native, in 1834. He removed to Attica, New York, the same year, and began the practice of medicine, and in 1836 removed to Manchester, Washtenaw county, where he remained eight years, and then went to Brooklyn, and from thence came to Pontiac in 1848, where he has ever since remained, with the exception of the years 1871-73, when he was in Arkansas. His practice as a homœopathist has been a very fine one, especially previous to his removal to Arkansas. Since his return he has been gradually regaining it. His oldest son, Abel W. Walker, was a graduate of the St. Louis Hahnemann college, and was in business with his father four years, till his death, which occurred in 1865, from overwork and consequent exhaustion. The country was afflicted that year severely with typhoid fever, and the young doctor rode night and day, and so enfeebled his physical condition that he fell a victim to the disease, being con- fined to his bed but a week. He was a man of rare promise in the profession.
Dr. E. C. Fuller came to Pontiac in 1863, from Dutchess county, New York ; was a graduate of the Geneva medical college, and afterwards graduated at the Detroit homoeopathic college in 1872. He was in Detroit in 1876, and, with that exception, has been continuously in practice in Pontiac since his first location.
Dr. C. S. Morley came from New York to Pontiac in 1876. He is a graduate of the Cleveland homoeopathic college.
Dr. Ide is practicing at Rochester, where he has been located for a short time only.
Dr. Porter and Dr. Staunton are located in Oxford, where they have been in practice for more than ten years past.
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Dr. Bartholomew has been practicing some five or six years at Holly, where Dr. Malcolm has been for several years until within a short time since, when he returned to Canada.
Milford has a homoeopathic physician, who came there within a year past. Dr. Root has been located some four years at Farmington.
Dr. W. N. Griswold came to Pontiac in 1866, and began practice with Dr. Walker; but after a year he returned to California, where he is now in practice, in San Francisco.
ECLECTIC.
Dr. Hopkins, of Pontiac, practices according to the eclectic system.
BOTANIC.
Dr. Davis was a celebrated physician of the botanic school in 1835, and was located in Rochester for a time.
THE OAKLAND COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY
was organized some time previously to 1835. The anniversary was held July 2, 1835, at Pontiac, R. D. Lamond, secretary. At the anniversary held July 12, 1838. Samuel W. Pattison, W. Z. Blanchard, and H. O. Chipman, M.D.'s, were admitted as members. The society has not been in existence for several years past, and the records are non est so far as we have been able to ascertain. The allopathic school were the organizers of the society, and only such physicians were admitted to its membership.
SURGEON DENTISTRY.
Dr. Smith was the first surgeon dentist who made a specialty of that branch of the profession in Birmingham. Dr. E. Parker, who is now there, has been located there two years.
John A. Harris, a doctor of dental surgery, located in Pontiac in 1863, and still practices the profession. Harrison Dewey and Oliver Dewey located there in 1865, and are still there. W. A. Cornyn has been in practice in the same city since the early part of 1877.
CHAPTER X.
EDUCATIONAL AND RELIGIOUS.
SCHOOLS-RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES-THE PRESS OF OAKLAND COUNTY.
· EDUCATIONAL.
X
THE education of youth early called the attention of the forefathers of the American Republic, and the matter began to be discussed very soon after the first settlements in New England and other parts of the colonies. Schools, par- taking largely of a religious character, were taught during the colonial days, and the subject was never forgotten even in the darkest days of the Revolution.'
State systems were adopted soon after the close of the war, and we find Con- gress acting upon the matter as early as 1785, in May of which year an act was passed reserving the sixteenth lot or section in each township of govern- ment lands for school purposes; and the ordinance of 1787, framed for the gov- ernment of the North west Territory, contained a provision declaring that "schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."
An act passed in 1804, providing for the sale of lands in the northwest, re- served from sale section 16 in every township "for the support of schools ;" and all the rights and privileges which these various acts contained were affirmed to the Territory of Michigan upon its organization in 1805. The first school-law of the Territory was enacted in 1827. By the provisions of that act the citizens of any township having fifty householders must provide themselves with a school- master of good morals, to teach the children to read and write; and a township containing two hundred householders was required to have a school-master who could teach Latin, French, and English. Neglect to comply with these require- ments rendered the people of the township liable to a fine of from fifty to one hundred and fifty dollars.
In 1833 this law was superseded by another creating the office of superin- tendent of common schools, and providing for three commissioners and ten inspec- tors to take charge of the school lands, which had by act of Congress, in 1828, been under the supervision of the governor and council. The intention of Con- gress was to give to each township the sixteenth section to be disposed of as they thought best. But these lands were frequently under water, or otherwise com- paratively worthless, and were the source of much trouble. To obviate these
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