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 33
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In the summer of 1825 a wigwam was constructed in front of Wm. Burbank's residence, in which two young braves were incarcerated to fast and dream and see visions, according to the superstitions of their race, whereby a totem or deity might be selected for them.
Among the most noted of the Indians who frequented Rochester were the fol- lowing: "Josh," who was chief among them, Wab-a-shaw, Ne-shance, Peter- wa-wa, Pete-on-e-quate, Ca-cob, As-te-quam, Alvin Hyde, Jim, and Nooh-tuc-e-too, which latter was also a chief who would occasionally come from Nipising, in Tus- cola county, and camp with his band in and around the plains on Plum brook and Union Corners for hunting.
A young man named Wm. Fish, from Pennsylvania, married Nooh-tuc-e-too's daughter, a beautiful girl, in 1831, and lived with her for a year or more, but on his parents' removal to St. Joseph, they compelled him to leave his Indian wife, who died, as it is said, by reason of the separation. Nooh-tuc-e-too was a powerful man, of good habits, and a character for integrity, and was esteemed by all who knew him, being materially superior to most of the Indians in this section of the country. " Josh" was a stout, athletic man, quite aged, and had two wives and several children, and was inclined to dissipation. He was blind for a number of years before his death, which occurred, according to his,claims, when he was several years past a century old.
Wab-a-shaw was an old man, and much dissipated. He died and was buried in the hill north of the paper-mill. Ne-shance was a duplicate in life, death, and burial of Wab-a-shaw, and Pete-on-e-quate was a no better man, though younger, and very quarrelsome. Peter-wa-wa married a daughter of "Josh,"-a pretty Indian maid, who was amiable, and gained the esteem of her acquaintance. She was very neat and modest in her bearing, and her husband was a successful hunter, tall, athletic, a man of integrity, and trustworthy. Later in life he fell into evil ways, and died in Canada, with the smallpox, and was carried through Rochester
on a stretcher to Nipising for burial. As-te-quam, a half-brother of Peter, was a fine-appearing young man, but he ended his career, like the rest of his race, of too much "squiby." Ca-cob also married a daughter of " Josh." He was a half-brother to the wife of Hon. Louis Beaufait, of Detroit, who was a member at one time of the legislative council. Ca-cob was small of stature, fair complexion, an in- veterate talker, naturally light-fingered, and at one time tied to a stake in the vil- lage and whipped for a theft of tobacco and other articles from Mr. Newberry, and ordered not to return again to the village under penalty of another flogging. He turned out like his brothers, dissipated and miserable. "Jim" was a half- brother to Ca-cob. He was rather reticent, but was a clever boy, and a boon com- panion of the white boys of the neighborhood. Alvin Hyde was a fair specimen of an Indian, could read and write, and for a time was temperate, but soon fell into dissipated habits, and ." died as the fool dieth."
Another character among the Indians, called We-se-gah, was one of the most turbulent spirits in this region. He was a muscular fellow, and when in liquor was always " spoiling for a fight." Of his quarrelsome and pugilistic propensities none of the white settlers were better acquainted than Alexander and Benjamin Graham, as they had both quarreled with him several times. We-se-gah at one time drew his tomahawk on Benjamin while the latter was at work on his shoe-bench, for which diversion the luckless savage received at the hands of the shoemaker a sound thrashing; and at another time he attacked Alexander. After a long strug- gle of near an hour's duration, Alexander finally overpowered the Indian. We- se-gah, drawing his blanket over his face, sat down and waited for Graham to dispatch him according to the Indian custom, by burying a tomahawk in his head.
Graham instead raised the blanket, and said to his conquered foe, " Go! and never come back. If you do, I will kill you !" The dusky fighter followed the good advice, and was never seen in the neighborhood afterwards.
THE FIRST HOUSE
erected on what was afterwards the village plat of Rochester, was the log house rolled up by Alexander Graham, in March, 1817, on the lot now occupied by John Barger. This was also the first permanent dwelling-place built by a white man in the confines of Oakland County, as its boundaries are at present defined. The first frame house erected in the village was that of Dr. Morrison, in 1825- 26. It had one small room for general living purposes, a smaller bedroom, and a still smaller pantry. J. G. Barger, on Main street, now occupies the site of the doctor's castle. Then the road went winding around through the hazel-brush, and by the edge of the tamaracks, and passed through the swamp by the present site of Eureka mills, over a corduroy most fearfully and wonderfully made. The old hotel kept by John M. Mack was the first frame house of any pretensions erected in the village. The house built by Geo. M. Shaw for Charles Larned, one of the proprietors, was a nice little store, but it looked large to the pioneers of 1827. In 1827, in May, the village contained nine small houses, as follows : William Bur- bank's framed house and a log house near by, the frame tavern afterwards opened by Mack, a double log house west of the tavern-house, still west of the double log, Russell's log house, a little log house on the site of Dr. Wilson's residence, a small plank house on the present site of the Newberry dwelling, Dr. Morrison's frame house, opposite the present post-office, and a small house near the stone store. Larned's store-house was on Goodison's corner. The first brick house was erected by Edward P. Harris.
Among the many comfortable dwellings and cosy homes that adorn the streets of Rochester at the present day, the most notable ones are the spacious mansions of Mrs. Rollin C. Sprague, Thomas Sprague, C. S. Goodison, C. S. Mathews, Wm. Barnes, Almon Mack, H. M. Look, and James Newberry. Among the business houses, Lambertson's brick store and the stone store of Mrs. R. Sprague, the brick livery-stables of Swayze and the elevator building of Newberry, are noticeable.
THE FIRST WHITE CHILD
born on the site of the village was James Graham, a son of Alexander Graham, whose birth occurred early in the year 1818. The second child was George W. Hersey, son of John Hersey, born in March, 1819. Abraham Hill was born January 14, 1819, but whether on what was afterwards included in the village plat or not is not definitely known.
THE FIRST DEATH
that occurred in the village is said to be that of one James Trimmer, an Eng- lishman, who died about 1830, and near that time a soldier died in the village, both of whom were buried in the cemetery of the village. Not far from that date two other deaths occurred in the village, being those of Fuller and Conkey.
THE MUNICIPALITY.
On the 10th of August, 1826, the original plat of Rochester was surveyed
142
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
and laid out .on the northwest quarter of section 14 and northeast quarter of sec- tion 15, township 3. range 11 east. by the proprietors thereof,-Governor Lewis Cass. Hon. Austin E. Wing. then the delegate in Congress from Michigan, and Chas. Larned, a prominent lawyer of Detroit. On the 1st of February, 1847, Hosea B. Richardson and Isaac Adams surveyed and platted an addition lying east of the original plat, and subsequently Lysander Woodward surveyed and platted an addi- tion on the north half of the southwest quarter of section 11, township 3, range 11 east. The original plat is most eligibly and beautifully located on a high plateau lying between the Clinton river on the south and Paint creek on the north, the latter also winding its sinuous way along the eastern side of the plat. The conformation of the natural surface is interesting in a geological point of view, as well as to the sense of vision. The bluff sides of the plat on the south show the former channel of Paint creek, as in the glacial and immediately succeeding days its much heavier floods undoubtedly cut its channel through the moraine, seeking its present level. In this wearing-away process it has left two or more conical- shaped mounds, which, at first appearance, might seem to some to be the handi- work of man, but upon a closer inspection the architect stands revealed, and is the apparently modest little creek that winds along their base. In cutting its way through the moraine, and wearing it down to the present level that lies between these mounds and the plateau of the village, the floods of the creek found their level before the entire moraine was denuded, and these mounds are simply the re- mains of the moraine left by the receding floods as they found another channel. The bluffs on the north and east side of the creek, and along the Clinton, add picturesqueness to the otherwise beautiful prospect.
The village, as such, remained under the general government of the township of Avon, of which it forms a part, until the 12th day of April, 1869, when the in- habitants made a bold push for an independent government, decided by an almost unanimous vote to incorporate the village, and elected the following government : President, Jesse E. Wilson ; Trustees, John H. Hutaf, Wm. Newell, Daniel L. Jennings, and Geo. W. Vandeventer ; Clerk, Marsden C. Burch; Assessor, Wm. J. Weir ; Treasurer, Hugh D. Bitters ; Marshal, Herman Bennett. The board of trustees appointed Marsden C. Burch city attorney, C. Z. Horton deputy clerk, and John Barger .pound-master. The boundaries of the corporation in- clude within their limits the northeast quarter of section 15, northwest quarter of section 14, southwest quarter of section 11, and southeast quarter of section 10, township 3, range 11,-one mile square. The village has no water-works, fire- engines, or other public improvements, save a good system of sidewalks and good police regulations.
The president's office has been filled as follows since the incorporation of the village : J. V. Lambertson, 1870; W. J. Weir, 1871 ; Jno. H. Spencer, 1872 ; G. W. Vandeventer, 1873 and 1875 ; H. M. Look, Sr., 1874 ; Thomas M. Hol- man, 1876. The office of clerk has been filled as follows : C. L. Boughton, 1870; John J. Blim, 1871 and 1875-76 ; Julian Peters, 1872-74. The pres- ent government is as follows : E. R. Mathews, president; N. B. Taylor, clerk ; Trustees, D. L. Jennings, James Newberry, S. H. Richardson, O. F. Comstock ; Marshal, Chas. St. Bemis.
MANUFACTURES.
The first manufacturing done in what was afterwards the village of Rochester was the work of a saw-mill, erected in the summer of 1819, on the southeast quarter of section 10, by William Russell, Benjamin Woodworth, John Hersey, and Alexander Graham, the first sawing being done in October of that year. Subsequently a single run of stone was put into the mill for gristing purposes, but owing to the imperfect gearing, but about one bushel of grain per hour could be ground. The stones were thirty inches in diameter, and were bowlders taken out near Stony Creek, and dressed by one of the Messinger family. Sev- eral stones, five runs and one single stone, were taken out southwest of Roches- ter, and dressed by John Shippey, from the State of New York. One or more runs, four and one-half feet in diameter, were dressed for Governor Cass, which were put into the old Knox mill in Detroit. This mill (Hersey's) was on or near the present site of the Eureka mills, on Paint creek, and vestiges of the old dam are still traceable along the banks of the stream at that point. The mill served its purpose and fell into decay, and was torn down to make room for other improvements.
In 1823-24, Colonel Stephen Mack, of Pontiac, built a dam on the Clinton, and erected a flouring-mill on the site of the present paper-mill of Barnes Bros., and which contained one run of stones, procured in the vicinity. David Dort was the miller. The bolt of this mill was operated by hand. In 1867-68 the mill was remodeled by the Barnes Bros., who put into it paper-making machinery, and operated it as a paper mill until June, 1875, during which month it was de- stroyed by fire. During the same year Barnes Bros. rebuilt the works in a very safe and substantial manner, with slate roof and full precautionary improvements against fire, and equipped it with first-class machinery, and recommenced business
in 1876, adding steam as an auxiliary power when the water of the Clinton is low. The cost of the building and its equipment was twenty-eight thousand dollars. Its capacity is one ton per day of a fine quality of print- or book-paper.
George M. Shaw erected on Paint creek, previous to 1826, a wagon- and black- smith-shop, in which he worked until the winter of 1828-29, when Hiram Higley reconstructed the internal arrangements and began the business of tanning leather. It finally went into decay, and was carried off by the spring floods of the creek.
In 1828, William Burbank began the manufacture of chairs and furniture.
In the year 1826, Messrs. Griggs & Taylor began the erection of a distillery on Paint creek, which was completed and operated for a time by one Jackson. In the fall of the same year, Charles Larned, one of the proprietors of the village plat, and Benjamin Horton, began the erection of another distillery, which they put into operation during the winter of 1827, buying out Jackson, and removing the first building-fixtures to their own establishment. Lyman J. Willcox bought out Larned's interest, and the new firm ran the business a while, Mr. Willcox suc- ceeding to the entire interest in 1829. Mr. Willcox put a four feet bowlder-stone in his distillery and ground grists. This distillery and mill was in service until 1840, when Mr. Willcox rebuilt the same at a cost of seven thousand dollars, putting in two run of burrs, and continued to operate the establishment until 1850, when he sold the property to Barnes, and some four years after the build- ings were destroyed by fire, while owned by Jonathan Hale. This establishment was located on the present site of the Eureka mills. On the conversion of Shaw's shop into a tannery, in 1829, he built another building, in which be carried on his trade of wagon-making, in which he was succeeded by Calvin Chapel. Ross & Arkins now occupy the building-a self-evident relic of by-gone days-for the manufacture of sash, doors, and blinds.
In 1824-25, Gad Norton built a saw-mill on the Clinton, below the present bridge on Main street, which was operated until 1837, and then abandoned. In 1833, Miller & Badger built near by the saw-mill a furnace, which was operated by the same power as the mill, and continued to do business until 1836-37, when it, too, was abandoned, the power being needed by the
ROCHESTER MILLS,
erected in 1837, by Johnson Niles, who constructed a new dam on the Clinton, above the site of the old one, and fitted up his mill for extensive flouring opera- tions. It subsequently passed into General C. M. Griffin's possession, who oper- ated the same for many years, during which time it became known extensively as the Griffin mills. The property is at present owned and operated by Cook & Kirby, who have been so operating it since 1874. It has three run of stone, and does a merchant-work of forty barrels of flour per day, and a custom-work of one hundred bushels of grain in the same time.
In 1844, Hosea B. Richardson built a wool-carding and cloth-dressing factory on Paint creek, just a few feet below the present woolen-factory of his son. It contained two carding-machines, and continued to do a good business, with more or less profit to its owners, until March 4, 1867, when it was destroyed by fire while owned by J. W. Roberts, who proceeded in 1869 to rebuild the works, which are now known as the
ROCHESTER WOOLEN-MILLS,
which are a fine brick edifice, equipped with all of the modern improved machinery for the manufacture of yarn socks and mittens, to which it is exclusively confined. The cost of the mills, complete and equipped, was thirty-two thousand dollars. Twelve persons are employed on an average throughout the year, and its annual product reaches the value of twenty-five thousand dollars. S. H. Richardson, a son of the original builder, now owns the establishment.
In the year 1859, D. L. Jennings commenced the foundry business in Roches- ter, which he has steadily pursued to the present time in the building formerly built for a store by Johnson Niles, on the bluff near the Rochester mills. He makes plows and agricultural implements, and is about to add to his manufac- tures that of bell-casting. His business amounts to about ten thousand dollars per annum.
THE EUREKA MILLS
were erected, in 1868, by Doctors Jesse and Jeremiah Wilson, on the site of the old Willcox distillery. The establishment contains three run of stone, and has a capacity of about sixty barrels of flour per day, and one hundred bushels of grain of custom-work. The mill is now owned by Lorenzo D. Hoard, who has im- proved the water-power largely by replacing the old tumble-down flume by a capacious pen-stock two hundred and eighty feet in length and four feet in diam- eter. The abstract of title to this property begins with the following item :
" John Hersey, October 29, 1818 .- Entry, southeast quarter section 10, town- ship 3, range 11 east," and contains fifty changes of title and entries of incum- brance. This was the first entry of public lands in Oakland County.
ROCHESTER WOOLEN MILL, S. H. RICHARDSON, PROPR. ROCHESTER , OAKLAND CO., MICH.
LEVI W. COLE.
MRS. LEVI W. COLE.
"THE COLE HOMESTEAD"), PRESENT RESIDENCE OF T. C. COOK, AVON TP, OAKLAND CO., MICHIGAN.
143
HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
THE WILLCOX PAPER-MILLS
were erected in 1873-74, by Hon. Elliot R. Willcox, and are a fine establish- ment, equipped with first-class machinery for the manufacture of fine print- and book-papers, though engaged to the present time on coarse paper as a more profit- able product. The investment of Mr. Willcox in the property amounts to twenty- five thousand dollars. The mills are located on Paint creek, above the Eureka mills, where a power of twenty feet head has been secured for the powerful Leffel and Logansport wheels, by which the machinery of the mills is propelled.
In 1874, S. H. Richardson built the planing- and turning-mill, which is located just alongside the railroad track, near the depot of the Detroit and Milwaukee rail- road, where custom-work only is done. It is operated by the water of Paint creek.
NEWBERRY'S ELEVATOR
was erected in 1872-73, on the advent of the railroad, by James Newberry, who purchased in the season of 1876-77 over three hundred thousand bushels of grain, aggregating in cost over two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars The firm of Newberry & Mathews operate the elevator, and are the only produce-buyers in the village, aside from the mills.
TRADE.
The first merchant to open a stock of goods for sale in Rochester was Seneca Newberry, who brought in his wares in the spring of 1827. He was followed by Almon Mack, in September, 1830, both of whom kept a general assortment of such goods as were needed in a pioneer community. The trade was largely with the Indians for a long time. Mr. Mack, who is still a resi- dent of Rochester, relates the following incident of trade in the olden time. Whisky was an article of common use by all of the people, and at one particular time both Mr. Mack and Mr. Newberry ran short of the beverage, and before they could stock up again a brisk demand was created. The farmers of the neigh- borhood for miles around came in with their jugs and kegs to be filled, and find- ing the supply exhausted, left them for filling with the article needed for the prevention of malarial diseases, to which the owners of the aforesaid jugs and kegs were disposed and exposed in the cool, foggy mornings and hot, dry days of harvest, and the damps and dews of evening. When the fluid finally came, Mr. Mack ex- hausted one entire barrel in filling the various receptacles left by his customers. These customers were not drunkards, but sober, pious, and industrious men, who believed they needed the stimulant for the preservation of their health. Dr. Rollin C. Sprague opened the first drug-store in 1831-32.
THE PROFESSIONS.
The first professional man to make Rochester his home and place of business was Dr. Morrison, who came to the village in 1826, from Vermont. He practiced there for some years, and then retired to his farm near Utica, Macomb county, where he died in 1852. Dr. John S. Livermore came from Massachusetts to Rochester in 1828, and died at Lake Superior in or about 1860. Dr. Henry Brumley came from Vermont in 1834, and settled in Rochester, where he died in 1853. Dr. Phillips came from Utica, Michigan, in 1852, to Stony Creek, and from thence to Rochester, in 1855. Dr. L. K. Hudson came to Rochester from Farmington in 1852, and died in the former place in March, 1866. Dr. Jesse Wilson came to Rochester in 1855, where he was followed, January 1, 1857, by his twin brother, Dr. Jeremiah Wilson. They were of American parentage, but " born on the wrong side of the line," as Dr. Jerry puts it. They are graduates of the Michigan University, and also of the Castleton Medical College, of Vermont, and have been in extensive practice ever since their first location in the village. They have also been largely interested in manufacturing, having built the Eureka mills, in the village, which they operated successfully for some eight years. They are now in trade, having a large stock of goods on hand. Dr. Jeremiah Wilson is also somewhat of a politician, and was a member of the State legislature in 1867. Dr. Francis M. Wilcox located here in 1865, and has an extensive practice. He is a thoroughly-educated physician, and is a graduate of the medical department of the Western Reserve College, at Cleveland, Ohio, class of 1849-50. He was born in Clarence, Erie county, New York, October 4, 1825.
Dr. Farren was for a time in practice with Dr. Hudson.
Dr. Rollin C. Sprague, a nephew of Judge Roger Sprague, commenced practice in Rochester in 1830, but did not remain long, and went to the State of New York, where he was in the druggist's business for a time, and then returned to Rochester, where he died.
Dr. McCollum was located in Stony Creek in 1826, from whence he removed to Auburn. He taught school in that hamlet in 1827, and was a constable, with an extensive bailiwick.
Dr. Ide is the only homeopathic physician in the village, locating there in 1876. Dr. Stanton, of the same school of practice, located here the same year, - but removed shortly afterwards.
THE BAR.
The members of the legal fraternity who have had their local habitation in Rochester are Edward P. Harris, A. Bernard Cudworth, and Hon. Elliot R. Willcox, who are more specifically named in the history of the bar of the county.
THE POST-OFFICE
was first established at Rochester in 1828-29, George M. Shaw being the first postmaster. He was succeeded by Seneca Newberry, in 1837, and Mr. New- berry by Dr. Rollin C. Sprague, in 1841. E. W. Lawrence came in with Pres- ident Polk, in 1845, and Edward P. Harris with President Taylor, in 1849. John B. Martz was appointed in 1853, and J. V. Lambertson in 1856. James Newberry succeeded to the mail-bags in 1858, and gave way to David Pixley in 1861. Dr. L. K. Hudson was appointed in 1863, and held the position until his death, in 1866, when F. A. Brooks was appointed, and was succeeded by the present incumbent, W. J. Weir. The office has been kept at Dr. Hudson's place of business since his appointment in 1863.
The mail was first brought in on horseback, and afterwards by stage, from Royal Oak. The business of the office at present may be realized by the amount of stamps sold thereat during the year ending June 30, 1877, which was nine hundred and forty dollars and fifty-six cents.
HOTELS.
The first hotel was opened in the year 1828, by John M. Mack, in the house built by George M. Shaw in 1826-27. Esquire Riggs was landlord of the same house afterwards, but not Mack's immediate successor. This old hotel was located on the lot now occupied by Holman Brothers, and was burned after passing under the management of different individuals.
In 1832, Elnathan Wilcox erected the Pavilion, and was its landlord for four or five years. He is now in Orleans county, New York. He sold to Hyatt in 1836. It is now kept by John Fisher.
The Lambertson House was built by J. V. Lambertson in 1847, and has been occupied for the past sixteen years by the present popular caterer, G. G. Lomason.
WAYS AND MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION.
In the early pioneer days the roads leading into and out of the village were such as were common to the country, and particularly horrible were the corduroys which led over the marshes of the Clinton and Paint creek. In 1837 the fever for internal improvements which attacked virulently the people of the new States, and found in Governor Mason more than a convalescing patient, was epidemic in Macomb and Oakland counties, and exhibited itself in the form of a canal from Mount Clemens to Rochester, connecting the latter place with the lakes. It was a part of the scheme to connect the Lakes Michigan and Erie with a canal, but failed of accomplishment after a heavy outlay of money. The canal was com- pleted to Rochester in 1842, but no boats ever came through. A Mr. Brown built a boat above the lock, but on launching it found it was too large to pass through the same, and it rotted down in the basin. The canal was finally sold to a stock company, who use it for propelling machinery ; and two large flouring- mills and one pulp-mill are now operated by it. The State rented the power at one time to Calvin Chapel for three hundred and twenty dollars per annum, and under the contract was bound to keep the canal in repair, and owing to the breaking away of the same, expended one hundred and sixty-seven thousand dollars to make the contract good.
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