USA > Michigan > Ottawa County > History of Ottawa County, Michigan with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 25
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GEORGE WEATHERWAX was born in Clinton Co., N. Y., Dec. 3, 1822, settled in Ottawa Co., Talmadge Township, in 1843, engaged in lumbering, being the owner of a saw mill at Lamont, and has ever since been engaged in the same business, settling in Georgetown in 1855, owning 320 acres of land on sections 11, 12 and 14. Has been Supervisor, Justice of the Peace, etc. He was married in 1851, to Huldah Ann Van Tassel. Received a Captain's commission and enlisted in Company I., 3rd Mich., Infantry, in 1861, served in the army of the Potomac eight months and resigned.
JOHN H. TOREN was born in Kalamazoo, Mich., March 5, 1857, settled in connection with his father's family in Ottawa Co., in, 1860. Subsequently he engaged as a clerk in Grand Rapids. In 1879 he
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established the business of a general merchant at Jenisonville, where he still does a thriving business. He was married July 18, 1877, to Nellie Sonke, who was born in Zeeland, Mich., Feb. 19, 1860. He has two children, Ada and Guy.
DUDLEY CUNNINGHAM was born in Kalamazoo Co., Mich., Aug. 16, 1843. He early learned to be an engineer and blacksmith, and commenced business in 1865, having a blacksmith shop in Byron
Township, Kent Co. Subsequently owned a saw mill in Jamestown, Ottawa Co. In 1875 he located at Hudsonville, running a black- smith and wagon shop. In 1878 added a Planer and Cheese Box factory, and in 1881 added a saw mill, where he is still employed. He was married Oct. 25, 1867, to Sophrona Griffith, who was born in Lamont, Ottawa Co., June 5, 1839. He has two children.
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BLENDON TOWNSHIP.
This township is south of Allendale, north of Zeeland, west of Georgetown and east of Olive, and the center of the township is about eighteen miles southeast of Grand Haven. Its principal pro- duction has been lumber, the Blendon Lumber Company owning most of the land, and running their logs and lumber to Grand River by railroad, and tramways. This interest is now declining. The population is now about 800. There are about 2,500 acres under cultivation, producing over 20,000 bushels of grain and between 700 and 800 tons of hay. There are over 100 acres in orchard, which produced in 1873, $1,200 in orchard products, and now produces much more. The soil is sandy loam, and well adapted for agricultural purposes and fruit culture. The lumber interest has re- tarded the settlement and development of the township, but with its decline, it will be more rapidly developed in agriculture.
As this town lies so far from the earliest and most important highway, although surveyed in 1833, it had by the United States census in 1874 only 639 inhabitants, and in the last census of 1880 it has 785 inhabitants. Its census has varied from 85 in 1854, 381 in 1860, down to 276 in 1864, up to 718 in 1870, to 639 in 1874, and 785 in 1880. The township is very little developed, and was set off from Allendale in 1854. It has several "iron strap" railroads extending a few miles into pineries, and lumbering is the chief in- terest, but is becoming less and less. There are two post offices, one of which is Blendon in the northeast. An immense swamp runs through the center.
The first town meeting was held April 3, 1854, when the fol- lowing officers were chosen: A. H. Vredenburg, Supervisor; J. R. Hall, Clerk; W. S. Woodruff, Treasurer. The following have acted as
SUPERVISORS :
A. H. Vredenburg, 1855-6; W. G. Gravis, 1857-68; C. L. Storrs, 1858-9-60-1-2-3-4; S. S. Gilbert, 1865; W. C. Scott, 1866-7-9-70-1- 3-4; A. Forbes, 1872; C. E. Storrs, 1875; Jesse P. R. Hall, 1876- 7-8-9-80-81.
CLERKS :
J. R. Hall, 1855-6; S. E. Benham, 1857-9-60; S. W. Sherburn, 1858-65; W. C. Scott, 1861-3; E. Thayer, 1862; C. Sherburn, 1864; C. E. Storrs, 1866; W. E. Keyes, 1867-8-9; J. P. R. Hall, 1870-1-2-4; P. L. Jewett, 1873-5-6; O. W. Sherburn, 1877-8-9-80-81.
TREASURERS.
W. S. Woodruff, 1855-6-8-9; C. S. Storrs, 1857; N. Culver, 1860-1; W. G. Gravis, 1862-3-4-5-6-7; James Sullivan, 1868; M. B. Payne, 1869; R. Sleffers, 1870; A. Forbes, 1871; A. Tuok- bury, 1872-3-4; W. C. Scott, 1875; G. Ohlman, 1876-7; A. Fahr- now, 1878-9; Henry "Havikhorst, 1880-1.
Votes polled in 1881, 108.
There are five school districts; teachers' wages average, male, $35 per month; female, $24. Number of scholars on whom pub- lic money is received, 322.
There are four church organizations, Wesleyan, Dutch Re- formed, True Dutch Reformed, and German Dutch Reformed.
There are several township ditches communicating with Rush and Pigeon Creeks, to drain swamps.
EARLY ADVENTURE.
One of the first to penetrate into the wilds of Blendon Town- ship, at an early day, before any crop had been raised in Kent or Ottawa, when nearly everything had to be transported from Buffalo or Cleveland, was John Ball, of Grand Rapids, in that year of spec- ulation, 1836. After describing in graphic language the hardships of his journey to Grand Rapids, he says that in company with Mr. Anderson he rode to Grandville before breakfast, which he got from Chas. Oaks, and secured some more provisions from a Mr. Ketchum, who was building a mill near where Jenison's planing mill stands. All they got was some flour and beef, and after waiting until a loaf was baked, they took their course in a vague quest of pine lands, and at dark they arrived at what is now the south of Blendon, camping on a branch of the Black River. During the night they heard the tramping of deer and the howling of wolves. In the morning, not finding what they were looking for, they were about to start for home, when they came upon fine pine, and in the excite- ment forgot about their food and lay down at night supperless, so as to have something for breakfast. On waking in the morning they found their blankets covered with snow, and being still in the pines they continued their explorations. They finally struck the river, expecting some road out but found none. Some Indians whom they met declined their offer of three dollars to guide them to Grandville. So, trudging wearily over bluffs and through swamps until dark, they lay down by a fire kindled by their last match, next morning at 9 o'clock arriving in Grandville. A short time after he explored the lands more minutely and entered forty-one eighty-acre lots in his own name, on which the Blendon Company, years after, lumbered. But the speculation proved a worthless one for Mr. Ball.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
JOHN R. HALL was born in England November 12, 1819; settled in- Chenango County, N. Y., in 1836, and in Blendon Town- ship, Ottawa County, in 1851. Was the first Township Clerk, and has been a Justice of the Peace for years. Married, September 22, 1844, Maria Fairchilds, who was born at Kinderhook, N. Y., Oct. 9, 1817; two children, Jesse P. R., born Feb. 16, 1847, and who is the present Supervisor of Blendon Township, and Mrs. Julia Sears, born March 2, 1852. Jesse P. R. Hall was married November 18, 1866, to Charlotte Abbot, who was born in Grandville, Kent County, March 6, 1848.
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ROBINSON TOWNSHIP.
This township derives its name from its being first occupied by the brothers of Rix Robinson, the early Indian trader. In 1835 six brothers of Rix came in the vessel St. Joseph from Detroit to Grand Haven. They were Nathan, Edward, Rodney, Lucas, John and Ira, and the last four settled in Robinson Township. About three years after, however, Rodney and Lucas moved to Flat River. The six brothers and their families numbered forty-two souls. They tried lumbering but did not find it remunerative as the demand was not great, and they erected too expensive mills. In his first winter Ira cut with an ax and put into the river 996 logs for the Grand Haven Company at fifty cents a log. The company did not buy them and they lay several years in the river and were finally sold for a barrel of flour and two barrels of pork.
The settlement of the town was slow, and it was not organized until 1856, the first meeting being at the house of Ira Robinson, at which eighteen voters were present. The first officers were: J. W. Barnard, Supervisor; E. G. Robinson, Clerk; W. Furgerson, Treasurer; J. Hazard, W. H. Wood, A. Robinson and F. T. Ranney, Justices.
After the Robinsons, and before 1839, came in W. F. Wood, J. and H. Conner, A. Trumbull, Jas. Black, Jos. Lemon, D. Ran- ney and Mr. Harlenburg.
The first census, in 1860, showed 128 inhabitants; in 1870 there were 406, and in 1874, 528, while in 1880 it had fallen to 439. The township has a little village, Robinson, where is the "Eastman" mill, and a store or two and a church.
Robinson is a little over a full township and is bounded on the north by the Grand River, on the east by Allendale, on the south by Olive, and on the west by Grand Haven and is township 7 N, range 15 W. It was traversed until December, 1881, by the old Lake Shore R. R. line from Holland to Muskegon, crossing the river at Spoonville. The track has been taken up and the road sold to a rival line, which runs to the west. There was projected a line, the Michigan & Ohio, which runs diagonally from the southeast corner to the corner of section 18 and thence to Grand Haven. A great portion in the southeast is forest land.
There is also a "paper city" called Warren City, with two log houses in it, and at one time the County Commissioners determined upon it as the future county seat. It is still on paper.
Charles H. Clark was the first Supervisor, and held the office for a long term of years. In 1874 O. A. Whitney was elected to the office and held the same until 1879, J. W. Knight succeeding him. The present incumbent, W. C. Harper, is a merchant of Robinson village. The lands of Robinson are those largely known as pine and hemlock, a large portion of which is sufficiently elevated for success- ful fruit growing, with a soil fully as well adapted for the purpose as can be found in Michigan. Other portions of the township consist of low marsh and black, sandy loam, splendidly adapted to the pro- duction of grass. Of this marsh land Mr. Geo. Eastman has im- proved and seeded to timothy and clover some 300 acres. He sold to one man at one transaction in December. 1881, 200 tons of hay
for the sum of $3,000 in cash. A large portion of the land of the township is still unsettled and uncultivated, and it is a fact that land of the best quality for the production of grain, hay or fruit, can at the present writing, be obtained at better figures than in any other township in the county. These cheap lands are being rapidly taken up and improved by actual settlers, and when the so-called big marsh is drained and otherwise improved, Robinson will be one of the most productive towns in Ottawa county. The village of Robinson con- tains some twenty families, two stores, a post office, one church, one hotel and a school house in which a good school is maintained for eight or ten months in the year.
THE PIONEER SUPERVISOR.
The man who has held the supervisorship of the town longest is Charles H. Clark, who has a beautiful farm in the northwest cor- ner of the town, with the memorable Battle Point, an island in the river, on his place. This is said to have derived its name from an ancient Indian battle. Mr. Clark, who is a brother of Sidney Clark, lumberman, Grand Haven, was born in Maine in 1835, and came in 1853 to Robinson, then a portion of Ottawa Township, to lumber in the woods, first building a horse railroad for the Gilberts. He lum- bered off and on until about two years ago, taking his present farm of 120 acres in 1865. He married in 1855 Abbie H. Wall, of Maine who died in 1873, leaving five surviving. children.
Mr. Clark has been ten times elected Supervisor, being first chosen in 1864; has been Treasurer, Justice of the Peace, and in fact has held every town office except that of Constable.
In 1881-2 the officers are, Supervisor, W. C. Harper; Clerk, Luke B. Kimmerly; Treasurer, C. H. Clark; Justices, C. H. Clark, J. W. Knight, R. Robinson and Grosvenor Reed. The latter is one of the oldest settlers in the connty, being first in Allendale, and has set a good example in the cultivation of cranberries, in which he has done well.
On the west there is some fruit growing by Mr. Chappel and others. Mr. Charles H. Clark has the most fruit on the west side, having fifteen acres in orchard, besides small fruits.
EARLY HISTORY.
The first church was at Robinson station, and was first Congre- gational, but now Union. The Congregationalists have a pastor, Rev. Mr. Finster, residing in Allendale, and having appointments at Allendale Center, Robinson and Ottawa Station. The other church organizations meet at the school houses, but have no regular preach- ing.
The first Sunday-school was organized by Rev. Mr. Barnes, a Congregational missionary, and it was organized in Clark's district in 1868.
The first district school was No. 1, at Robinson settlement about 1850. The second was in the Barnard neighborhood, on section 23,
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HISTORY OF OTTAWA COUNTY.
organized in 1857. In the following year No. 3, the Clark school, was organized with Sophronia Angell, of Lamont, as first teacher.
The first apple trees were set out by J. W. Barnard, on section 24, and C. H. Clark, on section 6, about the same time.
The first saw mill was erected at Robinson Station in 1872, by Galen Eastman, when the railway went through. It was burned some years after. There had been a shingle mill there before the railway. There is now no saw milling done in the town except by one small mill on section 1, by Robinson & Henshaw. There was a portable mill owned by Mr. Griggs, of Grand Rapids, but it has been removed.
The greatest bush fire was in 1871, the same year as the great Chicago and Holland City fires, when the southeast of the town was lurned over.
The progress of the town has not been rapid, but there has been of late a slight gain. There is no debt, and taxation is moderate.
The first railroad was a horse tramway run for ten years by Messrs Gilbert, built in 1852, was five miles long, running from the head of Stearns' Bayou back into the south of the town. To show the cheapness of logs in the old times we may mention that the Gil- berts in 1852 bought 1,700 acres of pine for one dollar per thousand stumpage, and logs were then $2.50 per 1,000 feet.
Politically the township was closely divided between the Repub- licans and Democrats, the former, however, generally electing the supervisors, until the rise of the Greenbackers, who now have the majority.
The Grangers have a strong society in Robinson. The officers for the ensuing year are: Master, W. M.Walter; Treasurer, J. Sher- man; Secretary, H. Rose. They anticipate building a new hall very soon, and have reason to rejoice at the success so far, of their order.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
JAMES S. ALEYN was born in Allentown, Pa., June 13, 1801. When 15 years old he removed with his parents to New York State. At 18 he left home and learned the carpenter trade, and came to Michigan in 1822. After a stay of eighteen months he returned to New York until 1830, when he again returned to Michigan. In 1853 he came to Eaton, coming thence to Grand Haven, where he worked on the first pier and assisted in building the first hotel. On Dec. 15, 1843, he married Fanny Koentz, who was born Sept, 11, 1821, and they have had thirteen children, of whom but three survive: David B., born Aug. 3, 1861; Willie H., born June 9, 1864; and Ora Clara, born Aug. 9, 1852.
LOUIS D. BALDUS. section boss on C. & W. M. Railway, was born in Schenectady Co., N. Y., came to this State when 16 years of age, and settled in Robinson in 1879. He was married Nov. 11, 1873, to Katy Kolehouse, and has seven children: John N., Emma M., Henry W., Ella B., Clara A., Anthony E., and Louisa A.
JOSEPH CHAPPEL, merchant, was born June 22, 1815, in Ononda- ga, Co., N. Y., and has worked his own way since he was 7 years of age. When a boy he worked on a farm for three years, going to school in the winters. In 1872 he came to this State, taking charge of Eastman & Moseley's store, and May 17, 1876, went into business as a general merchant for himself.
M. C. FRENCH, farmer, has 80 acres in section 18, Robinson, and 160 acres in Allendale, in section 7, at the mouth of Bass Creek. Mr. French was born in New Hampshire in 1817, but brought up in Vermont. In 1845 he came to Allendale, and in 1881 to Robinson. In 1846 he married Miss Helen Cross, of Kent County, and has four sons and three daughters. Mr. French is an old settler and promi- nent citizen.
ISAAC N. HANNAN was born May 24, 1832, in Lake, Ashland Co., Ohio, and came to Robinson in 1855, working in the lumber woods for most of the time. He has spent two years in the South, and has served his country in gunboat service in the last war, having been one year in the U. S. service. He has helped to build Robinson vil- lage, and is one of the pioneers of the township.
WILLIAM C. HARPER, Supervisor of Robinson, was born in Wash- tenaw County, Mich., in 1850. He was the son of Alonzo Harper, a farmer of that county, and was brought up on the farm, starting out in life for himself at nineteen years of age. After a term of four years at the State Agricultural College, he graduated in Novem- ber, 1873. He then devoted seven years to the profession of teach- ing, in which he was quite successful, teaching one year at East- manville, one term at Berlin, and five terms at Robinson. He went into business in Robinson January 1, 1876, starting a general store. He filled acceptably the offices of Superintendent of Schools, Township Clerk (1880), and Supervisor (1881). In 1880 he ran on the Democratic ticket against Cornelius Van Loo for the State Leg- islature, and had 107 majority in his own township, Mr. Van Loo defeating him by but 54 votes, while Garfield's majority was 800.
He married, September 1, 1875, Miss Nellie G. Eastman, who was born at Youngstown, N. Y., January 3, 1856, and has two sons, Eastman and William C.
MILO O. HATCH was born in 1836, on Sand Creek, Kent County, Mich., and in September 1862 enlisted in the army, serving three years and three months. Being disabled by wounds in battle he receives a pension. In 1863, at Detroit, he married Miss Mathilda Martin, who was born in Buffalo, N. Y. They have three sons and three daughters.
JOHN C. HOLCOMB was born Nov. 1, 1856, in Canandaigua, Mich., and resided there until eleven years of age. In 1867 he came to Eastmanville, and there finished his education. After acting as operator at Watervliet one year, on March 22d, 1879, he became station master at Robinson, remaining until the road was discon- tinued at the close of 1881. On March 9, 1880, he married Julia King, who was born in Ohio Oct. 7, 1860, and they have one child, born Jan. 1, 1881.
L. E. HOLCOMB, section master for the C. & W. M. Railway at Robinson Station, was born Aug. 26, 1857, at Lapeer, Mich. On May 17, 1880, he married Lavina E. Beckett, born March 22, 1857, in Monck County, Ontario. They have one son, named William.
JAMES W. KNIGHT is a prominent and active public man in Rob- inson, who has filled the offices of Justice of the Peace, Commissioner of Highways, Supervisor, &c. He was born in Erie County, N. Y., in 1826, came to Wisconsin in 1843, to Grand Haven in 1867, and since 1877 has resided in Robinson. He has been traveling agent for the Chamberlain Manufacturing Co., of New York, selling stump machines and agricultural implements. He was married Aug. 23, :1851, to Miss Caroline C. Harford, who was born in Rochester, Monroe County, N. Y., in 1831. They have three children: Ella, born Jan. 13, 1853, Lilly E., June 29, 1858, and James A., July 13, 1861.
ALFRED ROBINSON, son of John and Eliza (Fowler) Robinson, was born in Franklin County, N. Y., in 1823, and came to Ottawa County in 1834, settling in Robinson township, which was named from the distinguished family who were brothers of Rix Robinson, the pioneer.
HIRAM ROBINSON is one of the first pioneers, and son of the pio- neer family of the Robinsons, brothers of Rix Robinson, who settled in Robinson township in 1835, Hiram then being but one year old. His father, Rodney Robinson, settled on what is now Section 6, Allendale. In 1860 Hiram settled in Robinson, first following lumbering, but for many years he has been an active and successful
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farmer. He married, Dec. 28, 1856, Miss Elizabeth Boggs, who was born in Warren County, Ind., Oct. 15, 1838. They have six children, of whom four survive: Edwin F., born Sept. 28, 1857, Mary F., Oct. 19, 1859, Franklin L., Sept. 2, 1862, Frederick W., July 29, 1865, Ida M., April 2, 1868, Sula L., Feb. 28, 1874. The eldest and youngest are dead.
MATTHIAS THOMAS, born in Prussia, April 3, 1835, whence he came with his parents to Lorain County, Ohio, in 1844. When twenty-one years of age he came to Spring Lake, working for the
Barber estate mill, then under the charge of J. H. Newcomb. In 1861 he settled on his farm, in Section 5, in Robinson. He mar- ried, Oct. 6, 1860, Miss Martha Jane Hunt. They have four daughters: Mary, born in 1871, Hattie, in 1873, Mattie, in 1875, and Amelia, in 1877.
Mr. Thomas was drafted into the army in November, 1864, and served bravely under General Grant, and was in the hot en- gagements before Petersburg and Richmond. At the close of hos- tilities he obtained an honorable discharge.
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ALLENDALE TOWNSHIP.
This is one of the central townships lying south of Grand River. It is well watered, and in some places swampy, having Trader's Creek and Bass River draining into the Grand River.
This town as now organized is only a fraction of a township, lying south of Grand River, that portion of the original township lying north of Grand River being attached to Polkton. Allendale when first organized, included what is now Blendon and Zeeland. The first settler was Richard Roberts, of Wales, in 1842, who built a log cabin known as the Half-way House, between Grand Haven and Grandville. He was soon after followed by his brother-in-law, Jones. The land is rolling, the soil clay and sandy loam, well adapted to tillage and grazing, and is very productive. The south- east corner of it, about the mouth of Bass River, is very fertile and well adapted to fruits of all kinds. Small fruits and vegetables are grown in great abundance. The area under cultivation is about 4,000 acres, producing over 30,000 bushels of grain and over 7,000 bushels of potatoes, for which product it is well adapted. It also produced over 1,000 tons of hay. The taxable value of property is about $132,000, or $120 per capita. The population is about 1,100.
The town as first organized included towns 5 and 6, and part of 7, in range 14, or all of the range south of the river. In .1849 it included the present town, with Blendon and Zeeland. In 1850 the vote for Governor was only 36. In 1851 Zeeland Township was separated from Allendale, and three years later Blendon was organ- ized, leaving but a fractional township in lieu of the large original area. The first town meeting was held at the house of Richard Roberts, and Jeremy Stubbs was elected Supervisor.
DEVELOPMENT.
A very considerable portion of the township was originally clothed with pine, hemlock timber, &c., and the lumbering interest was for a long time the chief one in the town. A considerable por- tion of its forests was purchased by a lumber company, who con- structed a cheap railroad for horse or steam power, leading from the river back into the pineries of this and Blendon township, and rap- idly exhausted their lands of the best timber. With the failure of the forests other interests received more attention.
It was a late day before it was settled at all, and its subsequent history is that of most other towns where lumbering is the chief in- terest. The most of the land was purchased for its pine, and held for that by speculators and non-residents. Again, about 1836, the spirit of speculation was rife in the eastfor purchasing western lands.
Until as late as 1855 a great proportion of the best farming lands was so held-at first, with an iron grip; afterwards, from a disrelish of paying taxes-with a looser hand. Most of the really desirable land on the Grand River was so held, and this is one of the reasons why townships, one or two removes from the river, were settled before those along the side. Back from the river was land that could be bought at Government price, or with State scrip. Near the river land was owned by, no one knew who; and was not
open to occupation. Allendale, unfortunately, was in this category, and long remained a place for cutting logs and hunting deer.
In June, 1843, Richard Roberts took up the first one hundred and sixty acres that was occupied by an actual settler, and for sev- eral years kept a place of entertainment for travelers. He sold out and moved to the place where he spent the rest of his life. In 1843-4, came Thomas Jones, John Hanna and Ephraim Pierson. In 1844 Robert Scott came on, cleared a few acres and then went back. The family, his mother and brothers, Alexander and James, came on and occupied. He followed them two years afterwards. In 1845, Alexander Milne took up his residence in the town. Morris Reed located in 1847. These were the pioneers; others slowly fol- lowed.
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