USA > Michigan > Ottawa County > History of Ottawa County, Michigan with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 27
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HERBERT W. SLOCUM, physician and surgeon, Lamont, was born in Ashland Co., O., in 1837, and is the son of a doctor, so that he im- bibed a taste for and a knowledge of medicine from his earliest years. He removed to Eaton County, Mich., at nine years of age, and when a youth attended Wabash College, Ind., and Detroit Medical College in 1875, settling in Lamont in 1877, after practising in Grand Rapids and Eastmanville. He married, in 1862, Miss Cornelia E. Shat- tuck, of Onondaga County, N. Y., by whom he has two sons and two daughters. Dr. Slocum has a large practice and is respected by all.
A. B. SUMNER, Lamont, is now retired after a long, useful and active life, spent in benefitting the community. He was born in Vermont in 1806 and came to this State in 1854, settling on Section 1, township 7, on a farm, and coming into Lamont in 1878 on ac- count of ill-health. In 1867 he had the misfortune to lose his first wife, and in 1868 he married the widow of Thos. H. Cassell, one
Denke Dyne
Glaringhuis
GEO .G. LOVELL .
ROBERT HART.
Ric Robinson
6
HISTORY OF OTTAWA COUNTY.
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of the early settlers. He has filled to the satisfaction of all the office of Supervisor for three terms, and Treasurer of the Township for two terms.
PETER A. WEATHERWAX was born in Clinton County, N. Y., July 1st, 1814, and remained there until 1843, when he removed to Adrian, Mich., without a cent in his purse, and had to borrow seven dollars to clear his goods from the railway. After remaining there a short time he removed to the Grand River, where he has resided
ever since, sharing in the toils and triumphs of a pioneer life. Since 1866 he has held the office of Constable, and, in 1867, was appointed Deputy Sheriff; has been re-appointed three times and still holds the office, to the satisfaction of all. He still enjoys the fruits of a well spent life on his farm near Lamont. He married Miss Jane Steele, of Lamont, and they have a fine family of children comfort- ably settled in the county.
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WRIGHT TOWNSHIP.
This is a full town, being No. 8 north, and 13 west range, and bounded on the north by Chester, east by Kent County, south by Talmadge and west by Polkton.
In richness of soil and adaptation to general farming purposes, it is the companion of Chester, and one of the best townships in the county. Its surface is undulating, and is well watered by Sand Creek and its tributaries, which furnish motive power for one good mill. The timber is mostly hard wood, and the soil a rich clay loam, inclining to sand and sand loam in places. It is unsurpassed as a wheat raising township, and for grazing and general farming purposes, and in the matter of stock and stock-raising, it probably surpasses any township in the county. The farmers have paid much attention to the improvement of stock generally, and particularly cattle. The annual fairs of Ottawa County and West Kent are held at Berlin, which has given an impetus to this improvement.
There are about 8,500 acres under improvement, and the land is valued for taxation at $24 per acre, or higher than any other township in the county,
Until April 5th, 1847, this town was a part of Talmadge, and its settlement and early_history are identified with that town. At the date above given the township commenced its separate political existence. It was in no great hurry to be set-off-apparently being better pleased with being part of a large concern than the whole of a small one.
At its organization, at the house of Leonard Roberts, the fol- lowing were elected its first officers:
Silvius Waters, Supervisor; Ireneus Wellman, Clerk; Hiram C. McDearman, Treasurer; Edson Fuller, John McLain and Charles Dunning, Justices.
Who first made a beginning in Wright is a matter of question. It was reached by the regular progress-going a little beyond-a part of the early settlers, feeling that they belonged to the settlements around Grand Rapids, and others that they belonged to Talmadge.
As far as known, Justin Walker was among the first, if not the first, to locate in this town-he locating in the southeast corner. He came with a wife and six children in 1839. It was but just stepping over the line of the town of Walker, which was pretty well occupied. : Mr. Leland came about the same time and located northwest of Mr. Walker.
Mr. Walker was killed at Grand Rapids, in 1863, by the kick of a horse, and his wife died in 1874.
Several settlers came in 1840, among them the Lillie brothers (Benjamin and?Timothy B.), who gave name to a part of the town-the "Lillie Settlement."
In the northern part of the town is a German settlement of about fifty families, and about as many more over the line in Ches- ter. Most of them came in 1842. They are mostly thriving farm- ers; have a church (Catholic), a resident priest, and really form a German community.
The Irish Catholics have a church west of Berlin, and the Ad- ventists a society in the north.
Berlin, the only village and principal business point in the township, is situated on the D., G. H. & M. R. R., in the eastern part of the township, about twenty miles east of Grand Haven and ten miles west of Grand Rapids. It was laid out in 1857, and con- tains about 500 inhabitants. It is the voting place of the township, and has the postoffice, one Methodist and one Baptist church, six general, one drug, two grocery, one millinery and two hardware stores; one harness, one wagon, and three blacksmith shops; one woolen and one grist mill, and two hotels.
In 1867 Berlin had two churches, one hotel, three stores, one flour mill and an ashery. It had then a powerful lodge of Good Templars, and no liquor was sold in the village. The post master was R. B. McCulloch, who had also a general store and drug store. The chief professional men and tradesmen were: Rev. E. C. Draper, (Methodist); Rev. A. R. Savage, (Baptist); John T. Dayton, M. D., Chappell Bros., grocers; Miner & Tucker, general store; S. Burns, hotel; Divis & French, carriage ironers; M. T. Buckley, broom fac- tory; Oren Dowd, boots and shoes; Enos C. Morgan, livery stable and cooperage; Walter Hastings and John Tuttle were also coopers, and B. Bolton and Jacob Finclair, masons. J. A. J. Taylor was a gunsmith, Joseph Nolker a carpenter, and Truman Young a black- smith.
In 1877 we find the population given as 300. The clergymen are; Rev. L. W. Calkins (M. E.), and J. M. Chapman (Baptist), John Ferguson and H. A. Gill have general stores, G. Macey has the flouring mill, F. Biers the woolen mill, J. Becker the hotel, M. V. Fish is express agent, J. F. Hill is station agent, J. Marlatt and Woods & Dutcher have groceries, M. M. Robson and J. Raymond have hardware and boots and shoes, J. Pollock and E. Slater are also into boots and shoes. E. Walling and J. T. Dayton are the physicians, W. Monroe is a harness maker and L. Oviatt, black- smith.
The late Supervisors have been B. Laubach in 1876, W. Mol- loy in 1877-8-9-80, W. F. Kelly in 1881.
The taxation for County purposes in 1876 was $797.25; for State purposes, $2,776.98. In 1881 this had increased to County tax, $1,072.42, and the State tax had decreased to $1,724.68. In 1880 the County tax was $829.83, and the State] tax $1,429.61, which were exactly the amounts paid by Zeeland township. The assessed equalized value of each being $555,730. The assessable acreage is about 23,000.
Among the early settlers from 1839 to 1845 are; Jno. McLain, C. Roberts, E. Fuller, J. Wasson, J. Parmenter, Chas. Buck, E. Streeter, B. F. Lillie, C. Dunning, W. P. Wells, Perley Lawton, I. Wellman, O. McClear, A. I. Clayton, W. W. Averill, Jas. F. Cady, Jas. Wheeler, W. H. Walker and John O'Brien.
The Society of Grangers are quite numerous and influential. Mr. Chas. W. Wilde is master of the Berlin Grange.
R. Johnson, whose farm of 80 acres lies four miles north of Berlin, took charge of the County Poor House farm at Eastman- ville, March, 1882.
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HISTORY OF OTTAWA COUNTY.
W. H. Walker, of Berlin, has a fine apiary of about 80 swarms, all Italian. He is a skillful apiarist.
Benjamin Laubach has held the office of Justice of the Peace since 1856-about twenty-six years. He is President of the Coun- ties' Agricultural Society.
H. S. Lawton came in 1849. Benjamin F. Lillie came in 1843, four years after the first survey of the town, and was elected to the legislature in 1863. .
Perley Lawton came in 1847 and has been six years town clerk.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
WILLIAM F. KELLY, Supervisor of Wright Township, was born in Oneida County, N. Y. He came to Wright in April, 1865. Having received in his youth but a common school education, he has, notwithstanding, risen to become an excellent public officer, and is a rising man in the popular estimation. At 27 years of age he held the office of Town Clerk, and in the Spring of 1881 was elected ·Supervisor, discharging the duties of the office to the satisfaction of all. He is also Secretary of the Counties' Agricultural Society.
BENJAMIN LAUBACH, farmer, was born in Columbia County, Penn., Oct. 8, 1823. He moved to Ohio in 1836, thence to his present farm in Wright. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1856, holding the office twenty-two years. In 1873 he was elected Supervisor, and held office four terms, when he resigned, and was elected to the State Legislature in 1877, holding office for two terms. He is President of the Counties' Agricultural Society, and enjoys . the esteem of all who know him.
W. H. WALKER, of Berlin, wagon and carriage maker, was born in Oakland County, Mich., in 1834, and settled in Berlin in 1844 with his father, there being no roads cut out or buildings erected there at that time. Mr. W. is extensively engaged in bee-culture, in which he has been very successful. He is a man of strict morals, sound judgment, and is a moderate Republican in politics.
HENRY A. COOK, farmer on Section 6, was born in Warren County, Pa., in 1827. He came to Detroit with his parents in 1840, and to Grand Rapids in 1844, going to California in 1850, and returning to this State in 1861, and next year purchased his present farm. He enlisted in 1st Michigan Engineers, Dec. 1863, and was discharged in 1865. He married in Feb. 1865, Miss Mina L. Dietrich.
B. S. WHITMAN, farmer on Section 28, was born at Plattsburg, N. Y., in 1821. He came to Muskegon in 1848, and into Wright in 1862, purchasing his present farm. He married in 1845 Miss L. Suier, of Washington County, N. Y., and they have four children, three now living. He has been Justice of the Peace four years, and Deputy Sheriff of the county four years, and also Road Commissioner for several terms, showing the great esteem in which he is held by the community.
H. S. Lawton, farmer on Section 21, was born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., in 1817, settling on his present farm in 1849. He married in 1838 Miss Prudence Cole, and after her death-he was married a second time in 1868, and has three sons and six daugh- ters. The eldest son, George, was married in 1877 to Miss Wood- worth, and assists in the management of the farm. Mr. L. is highly respected, and is one of the early pioneers.
BENJAMIN F. LILLIE, farmer, was born in St. Lawrence County,
N. Y., in 1823, and settled in Wright in 1843, only four years after the first survey, and was the first white settler in the township. He married, just previous to his settling in Wright, Miss Fletcher, who died in 1864, leaving ten children. George, the eldest son, be- ing the first white child born in the township. Mr. Lillie has been thrice married and is the parent of twenty-four children-all living. He was appointed Deputy State Marshal in 1861, and took a lead- ing part in the enlistment of soldiers for the late war. In 1863 he was elected to the State Legislature, and received his credentials, but owing to the sickness and death of his wife, and his own illness he was unable to serve. He is a man highly respected, and still takes a lively interest in all public matters.
PERLEY LAWTON, farmer, Sec. 30, born in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., in 1818, and settled first near Cooperville with his father and brother Albert in 1816, and in the following year settled on his present farm. Married in May, 1841, Miss Nancy Ferguson; has three sons and one daughter. The youngest son is married and carries on the farm. Mr. Lawton has taken an active part in pub- lic affairs, and has been director and president of the Counties' Agri- cultural Society, also Superintendent of the Poor, and Town Clerk for six years. Mr. Lawton has also been a school teacher, and to everything that affects the good of the community has given his aid and encouragement.
S. D. HALL, deceased, father of Geo. W. Hall, was born in New York, in 1801, and settled in Wright in 1861. Married in 1858, and died in 1880. He was a highly respected citizen, and his mem- ory will long be cherished by those who survive him. Geo. W. Hall was born in 1859, and lives on the old homestead, his widowed mother living with him. He married in 1880 Miss Libbie Huntley, of Berlin.
A. E. SCHEMMEL, M. D., of Dayton & Schemmel, Berlin, was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., in 1846, moved to Nunica in 1869, in eight years came to Berlin, and graduated at Ann Arbor in 1880. He then commenced the practice of medicine in Berlin, and being a young man of skill and energy, has met with success in his efforts.
W. B. BECKER, blacksmith, born in Norfolk, Ont., Canada, in 1833. Came to Berlin in 1875, and for eighteen months engaged in hotel business, since which time he has been carrying on a gen- eral blacksmith shop. Mr. Becker has good natural ability, and has added a good store of knowledge. He is a thorough workman, hav- ing had thirty-four years experience.
J. MARLATT, merchant, Berlin, born in Oakland, County, Mich., in 1852, settling in Wright in 1856, and in 1873 opened a general store and has met with good success. He is probably the most en- terprising merchant in Berlin. He had the misfortune to lose his right hand while working in a Muskegon saw mill. Married in 1875 Miss Alice Fuller, by whom he has one son.
REV. TIMOTHY J. MURPHY, Catholic priest of Berlin, was born in Bandon, Cork Co., Ireland, April 5, 1848. His early education was in the county school, where he studied classics under Thomas Lourdan, nephew of the first Bishop of Charlestown. After a rigid examination, he was admitted to All-Hallow's College, Dublin, where he finished his studies in philosophy. He came to America, and on May 30, 1871 was ordained priest by Bishop Burgess in the City of Detroit, with Bay City as his first parish. He has been ac- tively engaged in Grand Haven and elsewhere in building churches and helping the needy. He is a man of genial nature, is ready and entertaining in conversation, and exhibits unusual depth of thought. He is a natural orator, speaking eloquently and logically.
CHESTER TOWNSHIP.
Chester, extending north of the general line of the county, is bounded on the north and west by Muskegon County, on the east by Kent, and on the south by Wright. The town center is twenty- eight miles from Grand Haven.
The first settlement of the township seems to have been as early as 1845, although it was surveyed in 1837, and in the market in 1839. In 1845 there was quite an influx into the town, Philip Fah- ling, Jacob Brown, Otis Irish, W. A. Irish, O. H. Merrick, Henry Austin, Samuel Austin, and several others coming in.
In 1846 Adam Lachman, A. D. Batson, James Rowlison, Conrad Kritzer, Jolin Pintler, Edward Gardner, George Irish, Daniel Thurs- ton, and others, came in. Among the pioneers are the Bennett family, John Kies, and Samuel H. Avery.
The first child born was a daughter of Philip Fahling.
The first school was of logs, and stood on Section 25, the build- ing was also used as the first church.
The town was organized as part of Talmadge in 1838, as a part of Wright in 1844, and as an independent town in 1848.
The first town meeting was held at the house of John McLane, who was elected the first Supervisor; O. H. Merrick, Clerk, and also Justice of the Peace; George Irish, Assessor. There were but nine voters present. Two years later the vote for Governor was only fifty-three, and Mr. McLane still Supervisor.
The later Supervisors have been: W. H. Harrison, 1876-7; George F. Porter, 1878-9-80; John Seliler, 1881-2.
Chester's share of the county tax in October, 1881, was for State, $807.24; for county, 1,298.17; town tax, $300; highway tax, $311.
Chester politically belongs to Ottawa, but her trade is chiefly with Grand Rapids.
The number of acres assessed in 1876 was 22,700, and the equalized value of real and personal property in 1876 was $389,362; in 1879 this was $439,623, and in 1881 $424,864.
It is one of the best farming towns in the State. The surface is undulating, the soil a rich sand and gravelly loam, producing splendid crops of wheat and other grains; in fact, everything that makes a farmer prosperous, as they all are. There are over 7,000 acres under cultivation, and everything shows thrift and prosperity.
Chester is a regularly formed town, 6x6 miles, and is Town 9 north, Range 13, west. It is a well-watered region, and is excellent for farming and grazing. In the center is a lake over a mile long and about one-fourth of a mile wide, on Sections 15 and 16, called
Crockery Lake, which is one of the feeders of Crockery Creek, which waters the northwest of the town by numerous small rivulets. In the southeast rises Rio Grande Creek, and in the south Sand Creek.
There are two post offices, Six Corners in the southeast, and the village of Lisbon.
LISBON,
which is on the line between Chester and Sparta townships, and twenty-five miles northeast from Grand Haven, and sixteen from Grand Rapids, whence a stage line runs with mail almost every week day. There are churches of Free Will Baptist and Methodist de- nominations,a graded school and steam flouring mill. Lisbon was first settled in 1856, is incorporated, and has 200 inhabitants. It has a store, two hotels, a grist and saw mill, and other trades usual in such places. It is also a station on the railway between Grand Rapids and Newaygo, and does a thriving business.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
SOLON DAGGETT, born in Orange Co, N. Y., in 1834, has been set- tled on his present farm of 110 acres since 1848, and has spent his life in farming, on which he is an authority. The section school house, near by, was named after his family out of the respect in which they are held.
WILLIAM MORLEY was born in England in 1823, and immigrated to New Jersey in 1832, and has lived twenty-six years on his pres- ent farm. He was married in Canada in 1850, and has six children, who are all now grown up and doing for themselves.
GUERNSEY HANVILLE was born in Delaware County, Ohio, in 1816, has resided twenty-seven years in Chester, and is an adherent of the Free-Will Baptist denomination.
DR. ROBERT GIBBS, botanic practitioner and a self-made man, is postmaster at Six Corners, and was born in Washington County, Pa., in 1818. He keeps also in connection a good stock of grocer- ies and drugs.
JOHN BOOSER, whose widow still resides in Chester, was born in Switzerland in September 1831, and came to America when young, entering the United States Army as Corporal in 1862, and was shot in the last battle under Gen. Sherman.
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POLKTON TOWNSHIP.
This is town 8 north, range 14 west, and is bounded on the north by Muskegon County, on the east by Wright, on the south by Grand River, and on the west by Crockery. It is rather larger than a full Congressional town, as it includes that former portion of Allendale which lies north of Grand River, except a couple of sections in the southeast, which go to Talmadge.
The soil varies from clay to sand and sandy loam, and is mostly of good quality for agricultural purposes. In oats, rye and barley it produces twice as much as any other town in the county, and it also surpasses in potatoes, hay and butter. The population is about 3,000, and the value of property is over half a million.
The settlement of Polkton and Talmadge are in substance the same, and as the centre of settlement was at Steele's Landing (now Lamont), it is natural that the earliest pioneers are to be found near that village.
The oldest settler in the township is Justus Stiles, Jr., a prom- inent farmer of Polkton, who was born in Rutland County, Vt., in 1788, coming to Polkton in 1836, and was at the first town meeting in 1845, with some fourteen other voters.
Timothy D. and Benjamin Lillie pushed on a distance from the "Landing" in 1843, and settled themselves where they have ever since resided. They cut their own road from the Landing. Rich- ard Platt and Sylvanus Waters came in 1844. Chauncey Stiles is also a very early settler. Warren Streeter (transient), Peter Mc- Naugten, Richard Stiles, Abraham Peck, Josiah T. Lawton, Walter McEwing (the first in the Cooperville part of the town), all came in 1845. Paul Averill, a Canadian patriot of the rebellion of 1837, Daniel W. Scott, who established the first tannery between the Haven and the Rapids, on Dorr Creek, east of Cooperville, John Averill, (son of Paul), John V. Hopkins, and Wm. Platt were also in the list of early settlers.
Josiah Lawton died in 1863, aged 77; Paul Averill in 1873, aged 55, and John V. Hopkins is also dead.
The growth of the town away from the river was slow until the advent of the railroad.
There was no school nearer than Eastmanville until 1853. ' Then" Miss Eliza B. Torry taught, about a mile north of Cooperville, a school of ten pupils, in a windowless log house, which did service until 1871. Miss Torry became Mrs. Daniel W. Scott, of Cooper- ville.
EARLY TRAGEDIES.
Polkton has been the theatre of an unusual number of tragical deaths:
Albert Randall, killed by a falling tree in 1850; also, about the same time, Fred. Marshall and Fred. Whitcup, the latter a Hol- lander; Peter Wilde, an old man, hanged himself in 1875; Harry Steele, killed by the bursting of a mill-stone; Norman Hinsdale, drowned at Lamont while attempting to rescue a boy; James Van Gorden, a young man, killed by being struck with a club on the head-his assailant was a youth, who was sent to the house of cor- rection for two and one-half years; a young man named Vanden
Bowt, a non-resident, was killed by a falling limb, and Herman Leland, accidentally shot, in 1864.
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
Polkton was organized on the 19th of March, 1845, by the State Legislature, and consisted first of towns 5, 6, 7 and 8 north, on range 14 west. The first meeting was held on the 7th of April, 1845, at the residence of Timothy Eastman, of Eastmanville, who was chosen Moderator, and R. T. Tracy, D. Stanton, E. Pearsons, C. Wiley and Paschal Maxfield, were chosen Inspectors of Election. The meeting adjourned to the school house near by, and voted $100 for town expenses. There were but twenty-one voters present, and there were so few fit for office that several offices were assigned to one individual. The list of officers was:
T. Eastman, Supervisor; J. V. Hopkins, Clerk; P. Maxfield, Treasurer; B. Hopkins, R. F. Tracy, P. Maxfield, and T. Eastman, Justices; D. Realy, P. Maxfield, and Justus Stiles, Highway Com- missioners; B. Hopkins and E. Pearsons, Assessors; C. Wiley, D. Stanton, S. Morse and F. Pearsons, Constables; B. Hopkins and P. Maxfield, Overseers of the Poor; T. Eastman and R. F. Tracy, School Inspectors; C. Wiley, over Road District No. 1; D. Realy, over Road District No. 2; E. Pearsons, Poundmaster.
In 1847 there were but twenty-eight voters, and T. Eastman was again elected Supervisor, Justice of the Peace, School Inspector and Poundmaster.
In 1848 he went in again by acclamation, forty-three voters being present, and Mason Eastman was Clerk. We find new family names, in this year, on the list, the Castles, Gardners, Garters, Averills, Streeters and Burlingames.
In 1849 Dr. Timothy Eastman, who was also a Judge, was again elected Supervisor, &c., only thirty-four voters being present. Dennis A. Reed became Clerk, S. Camp and Jacob Potts, Assessors; Wm. C. Comfort and Sylvester Jackson, Overseers of the Poor; and Henry Garter, Jr., School Inspector.
In 1850 it is gravely recorded that a certain motion by one G. W. Taylor " to allow hogs weighing less than 100 pounds to run at large" was lost, probably because it would be too much trouble to catch and weigh them. Fifty-seven voters were present, and Dennis A. Reed was elected Supervisor, H. Garter Clerk, Warren Streeter Treasurer, M. Richards Highway Commissioner, and A. Peck School Inspector.
The next year Timothy Eastman made a run for Supervisor but lost by three votes, W. C. Comfort being elected; Chauncey Stiles was chosen Clerk, H. C. Durphy Highway Commissioner, and Jus- tice of the Peace along with N. C. Severns.
In 1852 seventy-two voters being present, Timothy Eastman secured 58, and W. C. Comfort 14 for Supervisor. Mark Richards became Clerk, R Platt, Treasurer: J. Potts, Justice; T. Eastman, School Inspector; J. T. Lawton and Jas. Hudson, Overseers of Poor.
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