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 31
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119
unable to perform manual labor, and on the 7th of August, 1827, his long and eventful life was closed, when he had reached the age of sixty-seven years.
The land settled by the Taylors included a mill-privilege, and, in 1824, Mr. Millerd removed here from Troy township, purchased an interest in the property, and he and the Taylors built a saw-mill and a grist-mill. Both were frame build- ings, and the grist-mill contained originally but one run of common stone. An old-fashioned tub-wheel was used, and for the space of two or three years the mill had but little custom. Finally, a run of burr-stones was added, and business increased as the country became more thickly settled.
Lemuel Taylor was a chair-maker and wheelwright by trade, and very soon after his settlement he built a shop in which those articles were manufactured.
A blacksmith-shop was opened in a small log building, in 1824, by Elisha Taylor and Peter Groesbeck. The latter was the blacksmith and performed the work, while Taylor furnished the means for carrying on the business.
The first store, containing a small general stock, valued at two or three hun- dred dollars, was established by Judge Millerd, probably at his residence. Very soon after, in 1824-25, a larger stock was opened by Elkanah Comstock, who had erected a small building for the purpose. Millerd continued his residence at Stony Creek until his death, and was sincerely mourned by the entire community, as well as by the people of the county, who had elected him to positions of trust, and become acquainted with his many virtues,-his sterling integrity, his force of character, and the many attributes which bind a man firmly to his associates and render his memory dear to them.
In 1836-37 a frame building was erected, which John Bennett opened as the first hotel. It was quite an extensive establishment for those days. At present the village is without an institution of this kind.
A post-office was established as early as 1824-25, and Judge Millerd appointed the first postmaster. This was probably the second post-office in the township, the first having been established a short time previously at the house of Dr. Cyrus Chipman, on section 26, south of Rochester. Dr. Chipman was appointed postmaster, and is said to have been the first who held that position in the old township of Oakland. The office was called Oakland, and Dr. Chipman held it for twelve years.
In the spring of 1824 the Herseys, who settled at Rochester in the fall of 1818, removed to the vicinity of Stony Creek, and, some distance up the creek, John Hersey and Burton Allen built a dam and a saw-mill, getting the mill in opera- tion immediately after the Millerd and Taylor mill began work. Hersey & Allen placed a run of stone three feet and nine inches in diameter in their mill, and did considerable grinding. Mr. Hersey had sold his interest in the mill at Rochester to Charles Larned, of Detroit, and the latter afterwards became one of the pro- prietors of that village. A flax-spindle was, after two or three years, added to the establishment on Stony Creek, but was never used much, as but little flax was grown. Mr. Hersey died in March, 1855 or '56, in the eightieth year of his age. His son, James A. Hersey, now resides in the township of Oakland.
Stony Creek village was laid out October 18, 1830, by Nathaniel Millerd, Elisha and Joshua B. Taylor. Mr. Millerd made an addition in 1842.
STONY CREEK WOOLEN-MILL.
The building now occupied by this establishment was erected about 1845-47, for a grist-mill, by Judge Nathaniel Millerd, being the second one he built in the vicinity (the first at the village by Millerd and the Taylors in 1824). In 1866 Johnson Matteson purchased the property and converted it into an establishment for manufacturing woolen fabrics. He sold a half-interest in 1867 to a man named Beale, and the two operated it until December 5 of that year, when Beale sold his interest to Philander Ewell. Early in August, 1868, Mr. Ewell also pur- chased Matteson's .interest, and has since been proprietor. He has built up an excellent reputation and a large business,-the latter entirely domestic. About sixteen thousand pounds of wool are used annually, the running time of the mill averaging about nine months in the year. The machinery used is of the best manufacture, and is as follows : one set of cards for manufacturing and two for custom work; one spinning-jack, with two hundred and forty spindles ; three Crompton looms,-one broad and two narrow. Water is the motive power used, which furnishes a twenty-feet head. A team and sale wagon are kept on the road constantly. Mr. Ewell emigrated from what is now Wyoming county, New York, in 1830, and settled in Macomb county, Michigan, where he resided until 1869, since which time he has lived at Stony Creek.
STONY CREEK CEMETERY.
The deed for the lot on which this cemetery is located was given March 8, 1839, by Nathaniel Millerd and wife to Richard Lacy and others, the land to be used for burial purposes, and the consideration amounting to fifty dollars. The Cemetery association was organized as a corporation on the 21st of February,
ALBERT TERRY.
MRS. ALBERT TERRY.
RESIDENCE OF ALBERT TERRY, AVON TP., OAKLAND CO., MICH.
JOHN M. NORTON.
MRS. JOHN M. NORTON
RESIDENCE OF JOHN M. NORTON, AVON TR., OAKLAND CO., MICH.
137
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
1861, with the following officers : President, William Bradley ; Clerk, Johnson Matteson ; Treasurer, Peter Thorpe; Sexton, Robert Gregory. These gentlemen were also trustees.
The first person buried in this cemetery was Michael Van Wagoner, Sr., who settled in 1823, and died in 1824 or 1825. The remains of many of the pioneers of this region are here at last "peacefully at rest," among them the Millerds, Millers, Taylors, and others, whose names are fresh in the memory of those now living who knew them well. Their record is universally bright, and their fame shall long live after them, a stanch monument to their worth.
The cemetery has a fine location on the hill southwest of Stony Creek, on the Rochester road, the land being a part of the northeast quarter of section 11. Many neat head-stones are placed here, indicating to the stranger the last resting- place of those who conquered the wilderness and brought prosperity upon the land; who endured hardships unappreciable by those who have never experienced them, and after lives of toil and usefulness passed peacefully to their reward.
"For them no more the blazing fire shall burn, Nor busy housewife ply her evening care ; No children run to lisp their sire's return, Nor climb his knees the envied kiss to share.
"Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield ; Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke; How jocund did they drive their teams afield ! How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke!"
STONY CREEK LODGE, NO. 5, F. AND A. M.
This organization was chartered probably in 1825, and included in its member- ship many of the most prominent citizens of the vicinity. An octagon house was built on one of the hills at the village, and the lodge-rooms were kept in it. The location was called " Mount Moriah." This lodge was the only one in Mich- igan which sustained its organization and kept its lodge-room open on regular meeting occasions during the anti-Masonic excitement consequent to the Morgan affair. It was kept up by one man, who was determined it should not lose its identity, no matter what the excitement. It was the nucleus of the present flour- ishing lodge at Rochester, to which place it was removed.
THE STONY CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH
was organized as a society in the month of June, 1824, but who the original members were we have been unable to ascertain, save Deacon Millerd and Deacon Lemuel Taylor. On the first day of July following the formation of the church society Olive Cressy and Sally B. Millerd were admitted by letter. On Feb- ruary 12, 1825, Nathaniel Millerd was also admitted by letter, and Jeremiah Lockwood on September 10, and Lebbeus and Caroline Lockwood, and Jesse Thorp September 26. In 1826, Hiram Calkins, Abigail and Esther Miller were admitted on August 12, and on the 14th day of April, 1827, the first ceremony of baptism was performed, Fanny Taylor being so admitted to the church. On the 29th of January, 1828, the second candidate was baptized, Philinda Waring. A church edifice was erected in 1833, of some considerable preten- sions, which was used by this society until its demise in 1856-57. It was built by John L. Smith. It now stands, a monument of the past, in desolation and ruin, its arched windows guiltless of glazing, having been made the targets of mischievous boys, whose stone-throwing proclivities have made a sad wreck of the once more than ordinary work of the sash-maker.
Rev. Orestes Taylor was the first resident Baptist minister in Stony Creek, and is claimed by some to have been also the first one in Michigan. The Rev. Ahasuerus Willy was also an early pastor.
In 1854 the Rochester Baptist church was formed in this old building, which drew off its chief membership, and in 1855 another society was formed from this pioneer church, and its candle flickered awhile, and finally was extinguished, and its candlestick was removed out of its place. The last society formed of former members of this old church was known by the name of The First Particu- lar Baptist church of Avon and Oakland. It was organized at the house of Chauncey Copeland, August 31, 1855, by choosing the following members trustees : Charles Copeland, Johnson Matteson, and Asahel Whitcomb. No record is found of this society having maintained an existence, and further particulars cannot be given.
OAKLAND BAPTIST CHURCH.
As early as 1831-32 an organization was formed here, with a membership probably numbering less than twenty. Among the original members the follow- ing-named persons are remembered : Charles Button and wife, Samuel Hilton and wife, Roswell Hilton and wife, Ezra Howell and wife, John Miller and wife, and Mr. Dennison and wife. Mr. Dennison was ordained as the first regular
pastor of the church after its organization. He had settled a mile east of it in 1831. He preached here until his removal to Warren, Macomb county, about 1834-35. He was followed by Stephen L. Goodman. Succeeding the latter came Elder Asa W. Button, who was ordained while preaching, and soon after went away. A man named Starkey preached a short time, but was probably never installed as regular pastor. The next who appears in the pastoral connection is Elder George W. Pennell, who was succeeded by Elder Samuel Morse, the latter being ordained at this place, and continuing in charge for seven years ; he after- wards preached to them considerable at different times. Elder Lawrence preached for some time, but owing to his decided leaning towards the Adventist doctrine he was relieved from charge, and was followed by Elder Keth. The next pastor was probably Elder Zenas Coleman, who stayed two years, and divided his time between the congregations at Oakland and Rochester. He afterward died in Illinois. Elder David Ward came next, and was succeeded by Elder S. Gard- ner, and he in turn by Elder William Fuller, the latter remaining four years. Elder McLane also ministered here to some extent, but was perhaps never regu- larly installed. Others had charge in the same way. The church at present has a membership of about twenty-five, and is without a pastor (July, 1877). A Sabbath-school was organized about the time the church was built,-1843-44,- and was kept up summer and winter for many years. Meetings were held in school-houses and other places until the frame church (yet standing) was built. The lot, containing one acre, was donated by Charles Baldwin, whose wife was a member of the church. An additional acre was donated, on which to build a parsonage, but none has ever been erected. Sheds for twenty teams have been built immediately west of the church.
SCHOOLS.
Probably as early as 1823 a school was taught on what was afterwards the William Burbank farm, Mr. B. settling in 1824. The school was kept in a log shanty, and taught by Susan Baldwin.
About the same time a school was taught in Alexander Graham's old log house, at Rochester, the teacher being a man named Farrington. This man built a tannery on the old Pontiac road, three-fourths of a mile west of the business por- tion of the village, which was the first one in the neighborhood. It stood near a large spring, which furnished the necessary water.
In the Stony Creek settlement a school was taught in 1825 in a plank house which stood a short distance east of the present site of the village. The teacher was John Chapman, a man reported to have been a fine mathematician. He was a justice of the peace for a long period, and a man of strict truth. Previous to the opening of this school the body of a log school-house had been raised, but the building was never completed.
About 1825-26 a log school-house was built on the southeast part of section 27, a short distance west of the corner, and Alanson Brooks was one of the first teachers. Cyrus A. Chipman, after his marriage (1828), moved into this build- ing, and occupied it a year, or until his present frame was built in 1829. The next school-house in this neighborhood was built in 1836, a mile north of the old one. The first teacher was Miss Charlotte Brooks, who afterwards married a man named Hosmer, of Dubuque, Iowa. She was a daughter of Birdseye Brooks, who came here about 1825-28 from East Bloomfield, Ontario county, New York. He has grandchildren now living at Utica, Macomb county, Michigan.
As early as 1821 a small school, having six or eight pupils, was taught in the Postal neighborhood, in a log shanty built for the purpose. The teacher was an old man, who was a kind of half-way doctor, and his name is now forgotten. He owned no property, and was hired to teach this school probably to give him a chance to earn his living for at least a short time. He was a roving character who had no permanent home, and it is not known what finally became of him.
DISTILLERY.
The farm now owned by Edmund L. Goff was originally settled by'a man named Jacob Miller, who was probably of German descent. He was familiarly known as " Dutch Miller." As early as 1824 he built a small distillery here, which he carried on for a number of years. It stood in the hollow formed by a small run, a short distance west of the present residence of Mr. Goff, who has lived on the place since 1852. Miller had his milling done at Auburn village, in Pontiac township, ten miles away. John Axford, who was through here about that time looking for land, and who finally settled in Macomb county, used to tell the following anecdote with great satisfaction. He and Ezra Burgess were together hunting land, the latter acting probably as guide. When they had arrived nearly to Miller's distillery, Axford remarked to Miller that he was getting pretty dry, and asked if there was not some place where they could get something to drink. " Why, yes," said Burgess, " there is a distillery right down here." Accordingly the two men went down, taking along a jug they had with them, and
18
138
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
found Miller at his work. They requested him to let them have some liquor, telling him to fill the jug, and give them some besides. He said, " Oh, yes, yes ! You can have all you vish. I tink it will not hurt you, for it is made of bran !" This distillery was one of the earliest in Oakland County, and possibly the very first, but the fact is uncertain.
BUSINESS.
The following is a summary of the business of Avon township, outside of Rochester, as it stood in 1876 :
Stony Creek woolen-mill, Philander Ewell, proprietor. (See history of mill in another place.)
Stony Creek flouring-mill, Elishur Robinson, proprietor ; two run of stone ; capacity. forty thousand bushels of grain annually; grinds about fifteen thousand bushels, all custom work ; present proprietor (July, 1877), John Stead.
Flouring-mill near Stony Creek ; Joseph Winkler, proprietor; two run of stone; capacity, sixty thousand bushels ; grinds twenty thousand ; five hundred bushels merchant work.
Saw- and cider-mills, on Clinton river, two miles southeast of Rochester, William Yates, proprietor.
Saw- and cider-mill, on Clinton river, two miles west of Rochester, Harlow Green, proprietor.
Saw- and planing-mill, on Clinton river, half a mile below Rochester, Milo Newberry, proprietor.
Blacksmith-shop at Stony Creek, Marcellus Taylor, proprietor; also one at same place by Charles Johnson.
Dry goods and groceries, Stony Creek ; Ed. Patch.
The entire business transactions of the township, including Rochester, amounted to about two hundred thousand dollars, of which the various establishments outside of Rochester had a proportionate share.
FANATICISM AND CRIME.
The faithful historian must record the facts of history as he finds them, un- pleasant and abhorrent though they may be. We would fain draw the curtain over certain events that stain the fair fame of Avon, and cast a blot on her other- wise spotless escutcheon, but an impartial and complete record of the township precludes such a course, and we record here the salient points of a series of acts, culminating in crime, and disgrace to the principal actors, whose names are omit- ted in deference to their relatives, and especially for the children's sake. During the excitement of 1843-44, on the subject of the second advent of Christ, or, as it was then called, Millerism, a certain citizen of the township figured as a leader in the movement, and gathered to himself something of a following. Among them, a certain man and his wife became so infatuated that they left their former residence and took up their abode on the farm of the leader aforesaid, where they waited the expected apocalypse, but which, as is known, failed to come off as ad- vertised. in 1844. Being disappointed in their expectations, some of the ad- herents of the new doctrine fell away from the leader, while others remained steadfast. The leader and his faithful adherents began to correct their spiritual chronometers and get their bearings under the new phase of affairs, and the re- sult of their observations was that a singular hallucination took possession of their minds, and they believed the advent had really taken place and the day of judgment was truly begun, and that Christ would ere long manifest himself in one of their own number. Still further investigations or " experiences" settled them in the belief that the expected one had already taken possession of the bodily form once occupied by the leader himself, and thenceforward he was de- nominated God the Father, and his will was absolute among them. Soon after other " experiences" were had by others of the parties, and the man who had taken up his residence on the leader's farm became "possessed" and believed himself to be John the Forerunner, but the assumed Godhead gave him the name and distinction of John the beloved disciple. The wife of John became Mary, and the wife of the leader became Martha, and they all lived together in communism. Others received other names of the ancient disciples and followers of Jesus when on the earth.
Matters continued thus for a number of years, until "John the beloved" began to tire of cultivating the farm of the so-called father, and doing the drudgery, while the father was simply a tyrannical " boss;" and he at length withdrew, and tried to induce his wife to go with him, but she was still too fast bound in the chains of fanaticism to break them, and refused to go back to their old home in another county. After a year or more the former disciple came again, and after much persuasion induced the wife to return with him ; but after she had been at home a few months she went back to the Father (so-called) again, and matters con- tinued as they had been until the latter part of the year 1864, when the wife of the leader made a most horrible and disgusting confession, showing that her hus- band had been living in crime with the five or six women who had formed his
household. Her children had, in the mean time, been taken away from the fester- ing iniquity, and had escaped its loathsome contamination. Previous to this revela- tion the matter had been looked upon by the community as deep-seated fanaticism only, but had no suspicion of criminal action, or at least there was no overt act that would justify the interference of the law in the case. But on the confession being made public measures were at once instituted to purge the community of the foul disgrace, and the leader was arrested and brought before the magistrates for examination, when the most disgusting and blasphemous details were brought to light. The principal actor was bound over for trial before the circuit court, on the charges of adultery and incest, and, on the trial for the former offense, con- victed and sentenced to the penitentiary for one year, and was accordingly incarce- rated and served out the sentence, the other charge being held in suspense over him.
We are indebted to the following persons for valuable information regarding the history of Avon: James A. Hersey (of Oakland), C. Z. Horton (of Roch- ester), George Postal, Roger Sprague, Cyrus A. Chipman, Aaron Webster, Mrs. S. Price (Stony Creek), Almon Parmenter and brother, P. Ewell, J. M. Wilcox, E. L. Goff, J. Barwise, Lysander Woodward, O. G. Stewart, and J. A. Weeks (of Pontiac), and others ; and have also gleaned largely from the pioneer records at Pontiac.
THE VILLAGE OF ROCHESTER.
The advance-guard of the hosts of civilization first pitched its tents in Oakland County, on the site of the village of Rochester, on the 17th day of March, Anno Domini 1817. It was but a handful of the hosts to follow and hold the conquest, but it was the most venturesome of them all. This little band consisted of James Graham and his son Alexander, and Christopher Hartsough, and their families, who made their first stopping-place on the banks of Paint creek, and rolled up the first log house erected in Oakland County near the lot now occupied by John Barger.
James Graham was of Irish parentage, his father being a type of the " foine ould Irish gintleman, one of the raal ould shtock." He emigrated from the Emerald Isle some years before the American Revolution, and settled in Penn- sylvania among a company of Hollanders, who pronounced his name " Grimes." He is said to be the original of the old ditty, which every school-boy used to sing with great gusto, and which was composed on the death of Mr. Graham. The first verse runs thus :
"Old Grimes is dead, the good old man, We ne'er shall see him more; He used to wear an old blue coat All buttoned up before."
The original settler in Pennsylvania, the father of the pioneer of Oakland, raised a large family in that colony, James being born in 1749. The latter married Mary Vandemark, and the following children, nine, were born to them : James, David, John, Alexander, William, Benjamin, Chester, Martha, and Mary. The elder Graham moved from Pennsylvania to Canada, and settled on the farm where the city of Ingersoll now stands. He remained on it about six years, and then removed to Michigan, in 1816, which was then a vast uncultivated wilder- ness, outside of the settlements at Detroit and Monroe and that vicinity. His residence in Pennsylvania was near Tioga point, on the Chemung branch of the Susquehanna river. His first location in Michigan was at Mount Clemens, which township his son Benjamin assisted to survey, in 1816, under Colonel Wampler. The father made a squatter's location, in 1817, on the northwest quarter section 21, township 3, range 11 east, the farm afterwards located by Dr. Wm. Thompson, and on which the old doctor died. His sons, Benjamin and William Graham, bought the southwest quarter section 23, in the same township, to which the old veteran removed and spent the remainder of his days. His hospitality was unbounded, and his kindness proverbial. Not only was he highly esteemed by his white neighbors, but also was he held in repute by the Indians, who would do anything Mrs. Graham asked of them. Mr. Graham served one year in the Revolutionary army, from April 15, 1777, to April 15, 1778, and was engaged with the enemy at the battle of Wyoming, as is more fully detailed in the military history of the county.
Alexander Graham married a Miss Hawskins, and settled on the east side of what was afterwards called Main street, in the house before mentioned, where his eldest son, James, named in honor of his grandfather, was born, early in the year 1818, and who was also the first white child born in the county. The proprietors of the village subsequently gave the lot on which this pioneer baby was born to the youngster, who owned it till his decease, when it passed into the possession of its present owner. Alexander Graham cleared off a portion of the land on the west side of Main street, and in 1825 a fine crop of wheat was harvested on the same for Nathaniel Baldwin. The south line was near the south line of the
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.