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 99
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Morris Blakeslee came in 1831, and established his bachelor's hall on the town- line in the southwest quarter of section 33. He continued in this condition until February 11, 1833, when he was married by John Ellenwood, Esq., to Miss Betsey E. Gould, a sister of Mrs. R. Green. He died in December, 1876.
William Gilmour came to West Bloomfield in 1831, and settled at the south end of Orchard lake. in the southeast quarter of section 15, the location now owned by F. A. Emmendorfer. The first township-meeting under the State government was held at his house. He died in Nebraska, aged seventy years.
Hugh Cuthbertson, from Ayrshire, Scotland, the second comer to the Scotch settlement, arrived with his wife and three children in 1831, and located on the west shore of Orchard lake, in the southeast quarter of section 9, and his tract also including an extremely small fragment of the southwest quarter of section 10. It had been his intention to go to Monroe, but, by some misunderstanding he was carried to Detroit, where, upon stating his case to Major Kearsley, the latter assured him he could not do better than try Oakland County, and kindly gave him a letter to his countryman, James Dow. As a result of the advice and the letter, he selected the fine, fertile farm upon the lake shore, where he has spent forty-six busy and prosperous years.
William Merithew, a brother-in-law of Governor Wisner, came about 1832, and purchased in the southwest corner of section 22; and Sylvester Stoddard located west of Orchard lake, in the Scotch settlement, where now is the farm of A. McCallum.
In October, 1832, Samuel Andrews, from Oneida county, New York, purchased in section 28. He was one of the justices of the peace under the Territorial government. Joseph Coates came in the fall of the same year, and settled at the east end of Pine lake. Afterwards, for a long period, he was stenographer to the Michigan house of representatives, and was also elected a member of that body. He died in 1876, at the age of eighty-seven years.
Zephaniah R. Green purchased eighty acres from government and eighty acres from John Coe in the southeast quarter of section 31, and settled on his land in July, 1832. His family remained at Henry Ewing's cabin until their own log house was erected and ready for occupancy. He at once proceeded to clear his land, and succeeded in putting in three acres of wheat the same fall, though a portion of the time he was obliged to go to his work on crutches, on account of having cut his foot very badly in chopping. Upon one occasion, about this time, he came very near losing his life while rolling logs in his clearing. The chain by
which his oxen were hauling the log became displaced, and the log rolled back upon him, and in this position he was held during more than half the day, until most opportunely discovered by his little son (Addis Emmett Green, now of Far- mington), who ran half a mile for help and rescued him, though in a state of insensibility and complete exhaustion from his long-protracted peril and pain. He is still living on the land which he purchased there forty-five years ago. His father, Levi Green, of Rhode Island, a soldier of the Revolution, came to West Bloomfield, and died here on the 24th of June, 1851, at the great age of ninety- four years.
It was two or three years later when the Rev. J. J. Young came from Bloom- field, where he had been living for a considerable time, and took up his residence in this township, near Woodpecker lake, in the southwest quarter of section 21. He lived for more than forty years in West Bloomfield, and during that time he was most extensively known as an earnest and devout preacher and an exemplary Christian. It is said that the funeral sermons preached by him far exceeded in number those of any other minister in Oakland County. Mr. Young died on the 26th of December, 1876, at the age of seventy-six years.
It is not claimed that the foregoing memoranda of the early inhabitants of West Bloomfield are complete or perfect. At this late day it would be well-nigh impossible to make them so, yet they contain the names of by far the greater part of those who had settled in the township up to the time of its separation from Bloomfield.
ROADS.
The first road which was cut through into the township of West Bloomfield was that which entered at its northeastern corner, thence passed south, by the west end of both Lord's lake and Long lake, and, striking Pine lake at its eastern end, skirted its margin as far as its southeastern extremity ; beyond which point it was not extended until considerably later. This old road, laid out through the influence of Colonel Mack, Judge Le Roy, and others, was cut through and used as early as 1823, and probably in the preceding year. At Pine lake it did not follow the route of the present road, but ran close along the edge of the lake, past the spot where John Huff built his spacious log house; and it was by this road that he had his communication with the outside world ; though as to the matter of communication, it could be effected through the openings to almost any point in the township; and the earliest settlers, as they came in, could travel with their wagons, nearly at will, in any desired direction, without reference to roads or marked trails, and with very little hindrance from natural obstacles, other than the lakes and the marshy grounds by which, in some places, they are bordered.
On the 23d of June, 1828, an act of the legislative council was approved, which ordered the laying out of the Pontiac and Adrian road, to pass by Orchard lake, Walled lake, and Ann Arbor ; and it was not long after that all that part of the route which passed through West Bloomfield was laid out and made passable for travel. In the year 1831 the Commerce road was laid out between Orchard and Cass lakes, and along the southern shore of Green lake, leaving the township near the quarter-post on the west line of section 7.
In the laying out of these roads, as well as of the local roads, at a later time, John Ellenwood, Esq., took a prominent part, both as road commissioner and sur- veyor ; and it is a fact that to-day, in the townships of West Bloomfield, South- field, and Bloomfield, there are but very few roads which were not surveyed by him. There are few roads on section-lines in this township; in the northern half, particularly, there is almost an entire absence of them, on account of the obstacles interposed by the numerous lakes. Those which are in existence, how- ever, were most of them laid out soon after the township organization, about the years 1834 and 1835.
POST-OFFICES:
The first post-office was established in West Bloomfield in the year 1831. It was called " Pine Lake," and was kept at the house of John Ellenwood, he being not only the first, but the only postmaster, holding the office from the time of its creation until his death, May 9, 1856, after which time it was discontinued. (His tenure of the office of justice of the peace was similar, he holding the office continuously from the time of the first election of justices, in 1836, until his death, a period of twenty years.)
The post-office of West Bloomfield was established about 1833, with Nathaniel I. Daniels as postmaster. The office was located on the southern line of the township, at its central point, between Bloomfield and Commerce. After the establishment of the North Farmington post-office, only a mile farther south, in Farmington township, the West Bloomfield office was removed two miles and a half north and east, to the public-house of Mr. Rundel, where it was kept for a number of years, until its discontinuance, soon after 1862, when its business was merged with that of the North Farmington office, which was then moved up to the town-line. At present the office, although designated as North Farmington,
RESIDENCE OF GEORGE GERMAN, WEST BLOOMFIELD, OAKLAND CO, MICH. FRANKLIN P. O.
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
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is located within the territory of West Bloomfield, in the southeast corner of sec- tion 33, and the postmaster is Theodore C. Armstrong.
The post-office of "Straits Lake" was established in the year 1836, William Beatty being the first postmaster appointed to its charge. Its location is on the north shore of Upper Straits lake, very near the centre of section 17, upon the farm of D. Dickie, who purchased from Mr. Beatty. The business of the office is not very large.
" Orchard Lake" post-office was established in 1872, chiefly as an accommoda- tion to the guests of the Orchard Lake hotel, which was first opened in that year. The establishment of the office was accomplished mainly through the efforts and influence of General Joseph Copeland, who was appointed postmaster. The office is now kept at Moody's hotel, on the southeast side of the lake. The inhabitants of the northeastern part of the township, however, where this office is located, having frequent business calls to visit Pontiac, receive most of their mail through the office in that city.
MILLS, MECHANICAL TRADES, ETC.
West Bloomfield, although so magnificently watered, yet hardly contains a stream of sufficient volume and fall to be capable of driving machinery, and there are at present no mills within the township propelled by either water or steam.
In past years, however, there have been three different mills erected here, the first of these being a saw-mill, which was erected in the winter of 1825 and 1826, by Peter Barr and Isaac Castle, on the outlet stream leading from Cass lake to Timber lake. It was well and thoroughly built, and in the spring of 1826 was ready to be put in operation. A large quantity of logs had been hauled there during the winter by the brothers Irish and several other of the inhabitants, but when all was nearly ready, the owners were, by legal process, forbidden to turn the water into their head race. This was done at the instance of Colonel Mack, Dr. Chamberlain, and other mill-owners upon the stream below, though it is not known upon what grounds the injunction was granted. It resulted in the aban- donment of the mill and the ruin of the enterprise.
The second was a saw-mill, built, in the year 1831, by William A. McAlpine, on the northwest quarter of section 36. It was a good mill in times of abundant water, but could not be operated in seasons of drought. It continued in use for about fifteen years, and was then discontinued.
The third was a grist-mill, located below the last named, and on the same stream, near the centre of section 36. It was built by Ezekiel H. Sabins and James Stoughton, in 1835 or 1836. The time of its continuance cannot be exactly given, but it was kept in operation for quite a number of years, and then abandoned. It did very good work during the times of plentiful water, but was unreliable in the dry season. This was universally known as the " Pepper mill."
The stream on which these two last-named mills were located is that which is mentioned elsewhere as rising in Woodpecker and Black Walnut lakes. Upon it, and below these mills, was the Bigelow mill, in Farmington, and the Van Every mill, in Bloomfield, which is still in operation. Soon after this mill was built by Colonel Peter Van Every, he conceived and commenced to execute the project of increasing the water in the stream by digging a canal from Orchard lake through the farm of William Gilmour (now Emmendorfer's), southeast- wardly, to join and feed the mill-stream. It was found, by leveling, that this project was a feasible one, but it is doubtful whether its results would ever have repaid the expense. At all events, the determined opposition of Mr. Gilmour had the effect to prevent its completion.
The mechanical trades have never been strongly represented in this township. The first carpenter was Nathan Herrick, and another, who was not much later, was Samuel Eastman. There were at least two cabinet-makers who came in early, the first being Michael Skinner, of Ellerby Manor, and another, and probably the next, being Henry Allen, from Seneca county, New York.
FIRST STORE-PUBLIC-HOUSES.
The first person to commence the business of merchandising in West Bloom- field was William Henderson, a settler from the State of New York, who came in the year 1833, settled on the north shore of Pleasant lake, where the farm of F. Tremper now is, and in the following year opened a dry-goods store at that point. It was kept in a log building, and continued in operation until the dark days of 1837, when it ceased to exist. This was not only the first, but it is also believed to have been the only mercantile establishment ever opened in West Bloomfield.
The first public-house in the township was that which was opened by Nelson Rosevelt in the year 1829, in his log house, which stood a mile and a half west of Black Walnut lake, and two miles north of the town-line of Farmington. It was at this house that the first township-meeting was held in 1834. By the terms of the act which erected the township, approved April 22, 1833, it was ordered that the first meeting " be held at the house of Sheldon Rosevelt in said town-
ship ;" but by a subsequent act of the legislative council, approved March 7, 1834, it was directed that it be held "at the house of Nelson Rosevelt in said township, any law to the contrary notwithstanding."
After Rosevelt, the house was next kept by his step-father, old Mr. Wells, and after him came Mr. Rundel, who also had the postmastership, as has been men- tioned. The tavern sign was taken down, and it ceased to be a public-house before the death of Mr. Rundel, which occurred in 1863.
On the northeast side of Orchard lake, at a point on the south side of the Commerce road, opposite where now stands the residence of Dr. David Ward, a Scotchman named Kendall built a large and fair-looking frame house, which he opened as a tavern in the year 1832. At the end of two years, not having found his enterprise successful, he sold to Captain Joshua Terry, of Pontiac, a nephew of George Galloway, the purchaser of the Indian reservations. Terry at once moved into the house, but he found no more success than Kendall had realized. The township elections of 1836 were held there during his proprietorship, and there was a militia " training" or two in its vicinity, but the place steadily lost what little business it ever had, and from the hands of Terry it passed with the tract on which it stood into the possession of Lewis Mann, and its days as a public- house were closed forever.
In 1833 or 1834, William Gilmour, at the southeastern extremity of Orchard lake, opened his house as a house of entertainment, but never reared a tavern sign. The town-meetings were held there several times.
Sylvester Stoddard raised the sign of a public-house in the Scotch settlement in October, 1835. It stood on the south side of the Commerce road, upon land now owned by Angus McCallum, in the obtuse angle of the roads opposite the school-house of district No. 2. It shared the fate of the others; failed of busi- ness success, and was closed at the end of two years.
Pomeroy Stiles opened a public-house soon after, at his place on the Pontiac and Orchard Lake road, in the northeast section of the township, and about three miles out from Pontiac. The period of its duration as a tavern is not known.
At Orchard Lake there are at present two hotels, known as the Orchard Lake House and the Orchard Lake Hotel, and located respectively on the southeast and northeast shores of the lake. The former was built about the year 1865, by - Smith. From his hands it passed into the possession of Harvey Weston, who was its landlord for a few years, and from him it came into the possession of the present owner, Robert Brown. Here is now kept the post-office of Orchard Lake.
The Orchard Lake Hotel stands a few rods east and south of the spot where Captain Joshua Terry's tavern stood forty years ago. The central portion of the structure was erected as a private residence by General Joseph Copeland, in the year 1858. It is a substantial brick building, which has the appearance, both without and within, of having been constructed without regard to economical con- siderations, and with the simple and single view to make it such, in every partic- ular, as a gentleman's private residence should be; and that idea seems to have been successfully carried out in all details, from the thick and secure foundations to the elaborate finish of solid oak which is seen in every portion of its interior.
It having been decided to change this dwelling into a summer resort for the better class of health- and pleasure-seekers, there was added in the year 1871 a northern wing, one hundred and fifty feet in length, and upon the southern side a smaller one, as a ball-room, billiard-hall, etc. The house was opened to the public at the commencement of the season of 1872 by G. W. Beekman & Co. In 1873 it was carried on by M. Duffie ; in 1874, by J. H. Stevenson ; in 1875, by Messrs. Copeland & Wells; and in the present year, 1877, by Sprague & Rogers ; not having been opened in the summer of 1876. There are few spots, whether in the mountains or by the shore of the ocean, which offer more attrac- tions as places of summer recreation than are found in the lake region of West Bloomfield.
ERECTION OF THE TOWNSHIP.
By an act of the legislative council, approved April 22, 1833, township 2 north of range 9 east was set off from Bloomfield and erected a separate township, with the name of West Bloomfield. . The boundaries of the township as then set off were the same as at present.
FIRST TOWNSHIP-MEETING.
At the first annual meeting of the voters of the township of West Bloomfield, held at the house of Nelson Rosevelt, April 7, 1834, present, Roswell Ingram, moderator; William A. McAlpine, clerk pro tem., and John Ellenwood and Sidney Hinman, justices of the peace. The following officers were elected by ballot, namely : Daniel Benjamin, supervisor ; Sidney S. Campbell, township clerk ; Syl- vester Stoddard, N. I. Daniels, and Robert Carhart, assessors; Pomeroy Stiles, collector ; Laban Smith and Peter Richardson, directors of the poor; Calvin El- lenwood, Morris Blakeslee, and Halsey Whitehead, commissioners of highways; Pomeroy Stiles and Ebenezer F. Smith, constables ; John Ellenwood, N. I. Daniels,
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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
and Haran Haskins. school commissioners ; Roswell Ingram, Haran Hoskins, and Isaac Hillard, school inspectors, and John Ellenwood, J. Tucker, Sylvester Stod- dard. William Gilmour, P. Frisbey, Andrew Simpson, D. Stoughton, Z. Dickson, John Austin. Robert Carhart, James Goodenough, Benjamin Irish, Morris Blakes- lee, and H. Moore, overseers of roads.
SUCCEEDING OFFICERS OF THE TOWNSHIP.
In the years succeeding that of the first township election the following-named persons have been elected to the office of supervisor of West Bloomfield : John Ellenwood. in the years 1835, 1836, 1837, 1839, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, and 1848 ; Daniel Benjamin, in 1838; Lyman Humphrey, in 1840; George Dow, in 1845. 1846, 1847 ; Rev. John J. Young, from 1849, continuously, to 1856, inclusive. and again in the year 1861; Archibald G. Benedict, in 1857 and 1858; Peter Dow, in 1859, 1862, and 1872; Charles B. Boughner, in 1860, 1863, 1864, 1866. 1867, 1868, 1871, 1876, and 1877; Theodore C. Armstrong, in 1865; Joel P. Harger, in 1869 and 1870; and George German, in 1873, 1874, and 1875.
The incumbents of the office of township clerk have been : William Merithew, elected in 1835; Haran Haskins, in 1836, 1838, 1840, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1849, and 1851 : Joseph Coates, in 1837; Daniel Rich, in 1839, 1841, 1842, 1843; William Gilmour, in 1844 and 1845 ; John M. Ellenwood, in 1850; Charles B. Boughner, continuously from 1852 to 1858, inclusive ; Alanson Sleeper, in 1859 and 1860; Lewis M. Hunt, in 1861, 1862, and 1863; Francis C. Tanner, in 1864. and then continuously until, and including, 1872; Robert W. Malcolm, in 1873 and 1874; Angus McCallum, in 1875 and 1876 ; and Robert S. Cuthbert- son, in 1877.
The first election of justices of the peace was held in 1836, and resulted in the choice of John Ellenwood, George Dow, William A. McAlpine, and Joseph Griffin. Since that time the office has been filled by election, as follows : John Ellenwood, in 1837, 1841, 1845. 1849, and 1853; Joshua M. Cowley, in 1838; John Hibbard. in 1839; Lawrence Crumb, in 1840; William Gilmour, in 1842; Andrew Moore. in 1843; Nathaniel I. Daniels, in 1844; Morgan L. Hunt, in 1846; Samuel N. Bachelor, in 1847; James Richardson, in 1848; George Mal- colm, in 1850, 1854, and 1858; Zachariah L. Seeley, in 1851, 1855, and 1871 ; William A. McAlpine, in 1852 and 1856; Henry W. Lord, in 1857; John A. Covert, in 1859; James Richardson, in 1860; George W. Howard, in 1861; John Lawrence, in 1862, 1866, and 1870; Joel P. Harger, in 1863 and 1868; Thomas A. Bigelow, in 1864, and John M. Ellenwood, same year, to fill vacancy ; David Congleton, in 1865 ; David Cummings, to fill vacancy, in 1866; John D. Evans. in 1867, and Sumner Bathrick, same year, to fill vacancy ; Francis Orr, in 1869; David R. Smith, 1869, to fill vacancy ; Jude C. Herrington, to fill va- caney, in 1870, and to full term, in 1872; William Borland, in 1873 and 1877 ; Nathaniel Higby, in 1874, and David Dickie, same year, to fill vacancy; Milo R. Campbell, in 1875; and Douglas Harger, in 1876.
RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.
Meetings for religious worship were commenced in the township as early as the spring of 1826. There were Methodists, Congregationalists, and Presbyterians among those carly settlers, but the most amicable feelings existed between them, and the desire to enjoy the privilege of public worship transcended all denomina- tional preference and prejudice ; and we find that their first meetings were held in common at the house of John Ellenwood, who was originally a Congregation- alist, but afterwards united with the Methodists,-the services at these meetings being conducted alternately by Rev. Isaac W. Ruggles, of Pontiac, a Presbyte- rian with Congregationalist sentiments, and Rev. Laban Smith, of Pine Lake, a Methodist ; and that to them came, irrespective of creed or sectarian inclination, nearly all the inhabitants of the township to whom the place of meeting was accessible. John Ellenwood and his family, Eben Ellenwood, Nathan Herrick and wife, Harry Bronson and wife, the family of Rev. Mr. Smith the preacher, Stephen Smith and his family (for whole families attended religious meetings in a body in those days), Timothy Kennedy and wife, the widow and the very nu- merous family of Benjamin Irish, Samuel Eastman, Peter Richardson, Pomeroy Stiles, Daniel Powell and family, and John Powell,-all these were among the number of those who attended the early preachings ; and as for preachers, there were, besides those already named, many others, who from time to time came to assist in the good work. The Rev. Mr. Frazer and Elders Warren and Costen are especially remembered by the survivors of that congregation as being among the earliest of the preachers at the Ellenwood house. For a few years the meetings continued to be held principally at Mr. Ellenwood's, and were then transferred to the log school-house which stood near Zachariah Seeley's, in the northwest corner of section 24.
About 1833 the Congregationalist and Presbyterian elements of the old band,
together with such others of their denominations as had in the mean time set- tled in the township, all under the leadership of Rev. Isaac W. Ruggles, effected a church organization, of which the names of the constituent members cannot be accurately given, but which embraced among others Deacon Samuel Andrews and wife, Deacon Kidder and wife, William Gilmour and wife, James Miller, George Dow, Hugh Cuthbertson and wife, and John Ellenwood and wife. Their meet- ings were held at the house of William Gilmour, at the southern extremity of Orchard lake. Among their preachers was Rev. Wells H. Utley, who came to them as a stated supply. After being kept up for about ten years the organiza- tion was dissolved, and the members united with the other congregations.
The Methodists also became organized as a church under Rev. Mr. Smith, and among its members were Philo Farnham, Robert Simpson, James Simpson, Ste- phen Smith, Mrs. Washburn, William Harris and wife, David Kyle and wife, and John Ellenwood and wife, who had united with this after their connection with the Congregationalist church. They met in the frame school-house, near William Durkee's, commencing about the year 1838. We are unable to give a minute history of the church's mutations from this down to its dismemberment, which was brought about by differences arising out of the question of slavery. Nor can there be given a list of the preachers who served it other than its founder, " Uncle Laban" Smith. Of him it may with truth be said that no other minister has ever been more extensively known throughout this and the adjoining coun- ties, or more distinguished for untiring devotion in the interests of religion and of the church of his choice. He served the conference for twenty-five years in the itinerancy, and until old age compelled him to be placed on the superannuated list. He died at his home at Pine Lake, February 23, 1867. Methodist wor- ship is at present held at the " Green school-house," near Morris lake, once in every two weeks, under charge of Rev. Mr. Allen, of Pontiac.
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