USA > Michigan > Ottawa County > History of Ottawa County, Michigan with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 7
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In 1869 the Muskegon & Ferrysburg road consolidated with the road from Grand Haven to Allegan, under the name of the Michigan Lake Shore Railroad, with the late Ransom Gardner, of Kalamazoo, as President; A. J. Kellogg, of Allegan, as Secretary and Treasurer, and George Goss, of Allegan, as Superintendent. The firm of Goss, Warner & Co. had built the Allegan portion, and W. F. Thompson, of Detroit, the road from Ferrysburg, which were subsequently sold under foreclosure of mortgage, being bid in by the bondholders, and reorganized as the Grand Haven Railroad, the original stockholders getting nothing. James W. Converse, of Boston became President; C. C. Converse, Secretary, and Fred H. May, Manager. In 1881 the control of the stock passed into the hands of those interested in the Chicago & West Michigan Railroad, and the Grand Haven and other lines were consolidated with the Chi- cago & West Michigan. The four consolidated companies are now known as the Chicago & West Michigan Railway Company, which includes the Chicago & West Michigan Railroad Company and others. The only change of name being the use of "railway" instead of "railroad." The four consolidated companies are: 1. The old Chi- cago & West Michigan Railroad; 2. Grand Haven Railroad; 3. Grand Rapids, Newaygo & Lake Shore; 4. Indiana & Michigan Railroad.
The officers for 1881 are Nathaniel Thayer, Jr., of Boston,
President; Charles Merriam, of Boston, Secretary and Treasurer; G. C. Kimball, of Grand Rapids, General Manager, and F. A. Nims, of Muskegon, Attorney. It has now four hundred miles built and in operation, and one hundred miles building. The organization extends from Manistee in the north to Battle Creek in the southeast, and to Lacrosse, Indiana, in the south.
The Chicago & West Michigan Railroad originated in a com- pany formed to build from New Buffalo to St. Joseph. In April, 1869, an organization on paper was formed, with Hon. A. H. Mor- rison, of St. Joseph, as the leading spirit. In June, 1869, the Lake Shore Railroad of West Michigan was formed to build a road from St. Joseph to Muskegon, and in the following month both companies consolidated, and took the name of the first company. The officers were virtually the same, and both were organized by Mr. Morrison, and he built the road from New Buffalo to Nunica.
Prior to this a company had been formed in Grand Rapids in February, 1869, called the Grand Rapids & Lake Shore Railroad, to run from Grand Rapids to Pentwater by way of. Muskegon. In August, 1870, this company was consolidated with the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad, taking the name of the latter, and during 1870 Martin L. Sweet, of Grand Rapids, built the road from Nunica to Montague.
In 1870 another corporation named the Grand Rapids & Hol- land Railroad was projected, with F. Godfrey, of Grand Rapids, as President, and also Geo. H. White as one of the promoter :. The road was built in 1870. At this time James F. Joy was Pres- ident of the Chicago, Michigan & Lake Shore, and was advancing money in his official capacity as president to build these lines as feeders to his own line.
In 1871 still another line was projected as the Montague, Pent- water & Manistee Railroad, with Samuel A. Brown, of Pentwater, as President; and this road was built by Thompson, Smith & Co., of Detroit, under a contract from Joy as president of the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad. In the fall of 1871 the Montague, Pentwater & Manistee Railroad was completed, and, along with the Grand Rapids and Holland line, was consolidated with the Chicago & Michigan Lake Shore Railroad.
In December, 1871, there was organized in Muskegon a line to run from Muskegon to Big Rapids, known as the Muskegon and Big Rapids Railroad Company, which line is now the Big Rapids branch of the Chicago & West Michigan, with L. G. Mason President; A. Rodgers, Treasurer, and F. A. Nims, Secretary and Attorney. This road was built in the fall and winter of 1872, by Thompson, Smith & Co., of Detroit, under a contract with Joy similar to the other contracts for building the lines. Prior to the completion of the road it was consolidated with Joy's roads.
For the construction of these roads and branches mortgages had been given, and on November 11th, 1876, a bill was filed in the United States Court to foreclose these, and Geo. C. Kimball, of Grand Rapids was appointed Receiver for the entire property, he having acted for two years previous as General Manager.
At the sale of these roads they were bid in for the bondholders by Charles Francis Adams, Jr., of Boston, who reorganized them and named the consolidation the Chicago & West Michigan Rail- road Company.
The Grand Rapids, Newaygo & Lake Shore Company was organized to build a road from Grand Rapids to Manistee. The road was built to White Cloud by Chester Warner & Co. James W. Converse, of Boston, and his friends took the bonds, furnished the money and obtained control of the stock. Early in 1881 he parted with the control of this stock and that of the Grand Haven Rail- road to the leading stockholders of the Chicago & West Michigan Railroad, passing over at the same time the control of the Muske-
34
HISTORY OF OTTAWA COUNTY.
gon Lake Railroad, which had been organized to build a road from Muskegon City to Pt. Sherman at the mouth of Muskegon Lake.
In the summer of 1881 the Chicago & West Michigan Railroad, in order to get more extended connections to the south, southeast and southwest, organized a corporation known as the Indiana & Michigan Railroad, which is in the course of rapid construction to Lacrosse, Indiana, the junction of the Panhandle system of railways with the Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railroad. The road crosses the Michigan Central, Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific, Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, Baltimore & Ohio, Grand Trunk, Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago, New York, Chicago & St. Louis and other lines. To realize the importance of the line it is sufficient to state that in thirty-five miles it crosses no less than ten trunk lines. It will be opened to Laporte, Indiana, early in 1882, and finished in the spring of the same year.
The Chicago & West Michigan Railway also leases the White River railroad, extending already twelve miles into the pineries from White Cloud, and which will probably cross the Flint & Pere Marquette Railway to the North.
The Chicago & West Michigan is now in a highly prosperous condition under its present wise and vigorous management, its stock having risen from 15 cents on [ the dollar as high as 95 cents, and at this present writing standing at 85 cents.
Late in 1881 the company removed the rails of the old Lake Shore line from Holland City through Blendon, Ottawa, Robinson and Spoonville Stations, and have, in fact, discontinued the line from Holland via Nunica to Fruitport, and have built a short branch a little above Ferrysburg to a point about a mile north of Fruitport, which enables them to run their freight in and out of Muskegon City more easily.
U. S. SENATORS.
In the Senate of the United States Michigan is represented by Senators T. W. Ferry, of Grand Haven, term expiring in 1883; Senator Conger, of Port Huron, term expires in 1887.
STATE SENATOR.
The Twenty-sixth Senatorial District consists of Ottawa and Mus- kegon Counties. Population in 1880, 59,711. Represented by George A. Farr, of Grand Haven, who was born July 27th, 1842, in Niagara County, New York, and removed in 1851 with his par- ents to Monroe County, Mich. In 1861, at 19 years of age, he enlisted in the Adrian Cadets, and was in the first Bull Run. He then enlisted in the Fourth U. S. Artillery, and served through the war, retiring as First Sergeant of Artillery. He graduated from the Agricultural College in 1870, and having been admitted to the bar soon after, he removed to Ottawa County and associated with H. C. Akeley in the practice of law. He has always been a Stalwart, out- spoken and radical Republican, and though never an aspirant for office, was elected to the Senate as a Republican in 1878, and re- elected in 1880. He is the recognized leader of the Prohibition element in the Senate.
For the collection of customs the State is divided into four dis- tricts, with four ports of entry. Of these the Michigan District has as its port Grand Haven, with David McLaughlin Collector.
OTTAWA REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS.
THE FIRST DISTRICT
consists.of the townships of Allendale, Blendon, Georgetown, Grand Haven, Holland, Jamestown, Olive, Robinson and Zeeland, and the the city of Holland. Population, 16,281. Represented by Corne- lius Van Loo, who was born in the Netherlands August 7th, 1838,
and who emigrated with his parents in 1849, settling in Ottawa County. From 1850 to 1856 Montcalm County was his home, when he returned to Ottawa County, and in 1858-9 attended the Agricul- tural College, and also attended Albion Seminary two winters. In 1860-1 he taught school in Montcalm County. He enlisted August 1862, in the Twenty-first Michigan Infantry (Col. McCreary's), and served until the close of the war .. He rose from corporal to first lieutenant, receiving his last commission two days after Chicamauga, in which he was twice severely wounded. He was in all the battles of his regiment, and was with Sherman in his "march to the sea." He then returned for three years to Albion College. He was thrice elected Register of Deeds for Ottawa County, serving from 1869 to 1875, was Superintendent of Schools for his township four years, Supervisor and Chairman of the County Board of Supervisors for the last two years, and was elected by 107 majority over the Fusion candidate. He is a farmer by occupation, and has been an unflinching Republican since the formation of that party.
THE SECOND DISTRICT
consists of the townships of Chester, Crockery, Polkton, Spring Lake, Talmadge, Wright, and the city of Grand Haven. Popula- tion 16,304. Represented by JOHN B. PERHAM, of Spring Lake, who was born in Mayfield, Fulton County, New York, in 1835. In 1860 he removed to Spring Lake, where he has since resided. He re- ceived a common school and academic education, taught school several years in Jefferson County, N. Y., and was principal of the public schools of Spring Lake for several years. He has been Township Clerk and Supervisor for several years, being the first Republican ever elected supervisor of his township.
He has been a member of the School Board for over fifteen years, and is thoroughly interested in the cause of education. He has always been a Republican, and was elected Representative over the Fusion candidate, George E. Hubbard, of Grand Haven, by 119 majority, although the Fusion majority in 1879 was 741 in his dis- trict. He has always been a devoted temperance advocate, and was elected partly on this issue.
FORMER MEMBERS OF MICHIGAN SENATE.
I. E. Carleton, Mears, Oceana, now Whitehall, Muskegon, in 1869-70 Henry S. Clubb, Grand Haven, 1873-4
George A. Farr, Grand Haven, 1879
T. W. Ferry, Grand Haven, . 1857-8
Nelson Green, White River, Muskegon, 1861-2
Israel V. Harris, Talmadge, Ottawa, 1853
Mordecai L. Hopkin, Millpoint, Ottawa, 1855
Chas. E. Hackley, Muskegon City, 1865
Chas. D. Nelson, Muskegon City, 1875-7
Henry Pennoyer, Grand Haven, . 1859
Wales F. Storrs, Coopersville, Ottawa, 1871-2
FORMER MEMBERS OF STATE LEGISLATURE.
Allen C. Adsit. Spring Lake, Ottawa, 1871-2
I. E. Carleton, Oceana, Muskegon, . 1865
Chauncey Davis, Muskegon City, . . 1861-2-3-4
Jas. Dalton, Jr., Dalton's Mills, Oceana, 1859
R. W. Duncan, Grand Haven, 1855
T. W. Ferry, Grand Haven, 1857
J. W. Graveliuk, Graafschap, Ottawa, . 1873-4
Robt. A. Haire, Spring Lake, Ottawa, 1873-4
Myron Harris, Talmadge, Ottawa, 1875
1847-8
Silas G. Harris, Grand Haven, Ottawa, Talmadge, Ottawa, 1850
H. H. Holt, Muskegon City, . 1867-79
Moses B. Hopkins, Grand Haven City, 1867
35
HISTORY OF OTTAWA COUNTY.
D. Manly Howard, Holland, Ottawa, 1863-5
Hiram Jenison, Jenisonville,
1853
Benj. Laubach, Berlin, Ottawa, 1877-9
Geo. Luther, Lamont, Ottawa, 1863-4-5
E. W. Merrill, Muskegon City, 1857 .
Lyman Murray, Lisbon, Ottawa, . 1867-9-70
Henry A. Norton, Berlin, Ottawa, , 1869-70
Henry Pennoyer, Grand Haven, 1849
John Roost, Holland, Ottawa, . 1871-2
Wales F. Storrs, Cooperville, Ottawa, 1875
Charles C. Thompson, Whitehall, Muskegon, 1873-4
Dirk B. K. Van Raalte, Holland, Ottawa, 1875-7
T. W. White, Grand Haven, Ottawa, 1844
Nathan Whitney, Trent, Muskegon, 1875
Silas G. Harris, of Ottawa County, was the Speaker of the House of Representatives , and was Speaker in 1850.
THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
In 1881-2 consists of Prof. A. W. Taylor of Nunica, Mrs. A. V. Weatherwax of Jenisonville, and Rev. Jas. F. Zwemer of Spring Lake, secretary. In an address lately delivered Mrs. Weatherwax gave the following figures as to salaries of teachers:
In the township of Allendale the average price paid to male teachers is $30; to female, $17. In Jamestown, male, $34; female, $21. Olive, male, $25; female, $21. Talmadge employs no male teachers. Female average, $22. Wright, one male teach- er. Average for female, $14. Zeeland, $45 for males and $28 for females. It would seem that the distinction between the male and female teachers would recommend itself to your judgment as too great, inasmuch as we do not hesitate to place our best, largest and most ungovernable schools in the hands of female teachers. For in- stance, in the township of Georgetown we have schools numbering but forty pupils, paying $45 per month for a male teacher, while two of our schools numbering between sixty and seventy pupils are in the hands of two of our most competent lady teachers, employed at the very highest limit, namely, $28 per month. Those same schools willingly pay $35 per month for a male teacher.
COUNTY OFFICERS. 1882.
Judge of Probate-Samuel L. Tate.
Sheriff-John Vaupell.
Register of Deeds-Jacob Baar.
Clerk-Geo. D. Turner.
Treasurer-L. T. Kanters.
Prosecuting Attorney-George W. McBride.
Circuit Court Commissioners-Arend Visscher, Charles E. Soule.
Surveyor-R. J. Foster.
Coroners-Curtis W. Gray, Wm. H. Finch.
Fish Commissioner-John Snoek.
Board of County School Examiners-A. W. Taylor, Mrs. A. V. Weatherwax and Jas. F. Zwemer, Sec., Spring Lake.
THE PRESENT COUNTY OFFICIALS.
SAMUEL L. TATE, Judge of Probate, was born in Leeds, Eng- land, January 14th, 1839. At 3 years of age his parents came to Massachusetts, and in eleven years moved to Peoria, Ill., and after various changes of location, he came to Grand Haven in 1870, hav- ing previously graduated at Albion College, Ill., and also in law at Chicago.
He entered into a law partnership for a time with Stephen L. Lowing, was elected Circuit Court Commissioner in January, 1873, has been elected for three terms of four years each on the Republi- can ticket, and has served as city Alderman for four terms.
GEO. D. TURNER, County Clerk, was born in Clinton County, N. Y., in 1849; removed when young to St. Lawrence County, where he resided thirteen years; came to Talmadge Township in 1866; taught school for a few years in that township and Wright; took a course at Grand Rapids Commercial College; was elected on the Republican ticket in November, 1880, as County Clerk; married, September 14th, 1873, Lily C. Marvin, of Wright, and has one child, Marvin, born April 24th, 1877.
JACOB BAAR, Register of Deeds of Ottawa County, was born in Grand Haven May 16th, 1858, and, although elected to an import- ant public office, is only 24 years of age. His father, Simon Baar, is a native of Holland, and came to Grand Haven in 1850. Jacob, after leaving school, entered the hardware store of Geo. E. Hub- bard as clerk, and continued in that position until January, 1881, when he entered upon the duties of the office of Register, to which he was elected at the preceding election. Mr. Baar is the youngest Register in the State.
GEORGE VAN SCHELVEN, acting Treasurer, is a gentleman of considerable prominence, ex-editor of the Holland City News, and now Deputy Treasurer of the county. He was born in the King- dom of Holland in 1842, and came to Holland City in 1855, and has filled many municipal offices, such as alderman, justice of the peace, city clerk, supervisor, etc. He has devoted a great deal of attention to the history of the Holland Colony, and we gladly avail ourselves of his valuable sketches.
L. T. KANTERS, County Treasurer, was elected in November, 1880, for two years, is ex-Treasurer of Holland, and Chief of the Fire Department. He came from the Kingdom of Holland in 1862. His attention has been greatly devoted of late to contracting, chiefly in Texas.
JOHN VAUPELL, Sheriff, was born in Livingston County, N. Y., *of Dutch parents. He came to Holland in 1860, and moved to Grand Haven in 1881, after his election as Sheriff. He has held many positions of trust in Holland, such as marshal, alderman, and has been deputy sheriff for four years. Mr. Vaupell makes an excellent officer, combining, as he does, firmness and resolution with a courteous and conciliatory manner.
THE PORT SHELDON BUBBLE-1836-38.
Pigeon Lake, in Olive Township, is an inlet of Lake Michi- gan, connected by a narrow strait, and the influx of water from the land is too small to keep the strait open. If opened by dredging, at the first storm on the lake it will silt up. Any good engineer could have foreseen that the harbor could not be kept open. The folly of a company which did not first ascertain this fact will now be related.
The history of Port Sheldon is an episode of more than usual interest. About 1836 a mania for locating cities and villages pre- vailed, and men fancied they could see "millions" in some wilder- ness location. The points were secured; villages were platted and mapped, and many were there that paid for lots in these paper cities.
In 1836 a number of New York and Philadelphia capitalists formed a joint stock company-the Port Sheldon Company-with the design of founding a city in western Michigan. They had abundant capital and any amount of faith. Detroit was the empo- rium for eastern Michigan, and Chicago was then in embryo and its future problematical.
The company first selected Grand Haven, but the Grand Ha- ven Company had already possession and rejected all overtures, so that the Port Sheldon Company, although well aware of the supe- rior advantages of the mouth of Grand River, determined to crush out Grand Haven by getting the start in development. They there-
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36
HISTORY OF OTTAWA COUNTY.
fore selected the north side of Pigeon Lake, and in the fall of 1837 commenced operations in earnest. They came on with a vessel loaded up with stores and provisions, bringing houses ready to set up, and about forty men, consisting of directors, superintendents, surveyors, engineers, &c., with everything necessary for equipment and comfort during the winter.
The general superintendent was Saunders Coates, afterwards manufacturer of gas works in New York, a man highly esteemed. The other superintendents were A. H. Judson and E. P. Deacon; the former was last heard of in New York, the latter in Cuba. G. M. Barker, well known in Grand Rapids, was a surveyor. Abraham Pike was also a clerk. They proceeded to lay out a city, survey the harbor and improve the entrance. An elegant map of the harbor and plat was engraved. The city makes a fine show on paper. There are one hundred and forty-two blocks, with twenty-four lots to a block. Seven lots are reserved for churches, one for a fish market, two for markets, four for a railroad depot, four for a city hall, and one for a school house. A railroad is laid out through the city, and piers from Pigeon Lake to Lake Michigan. The soundings of the harbor are on the map, and all indicates that if there is not a city there the projectors mean that there shall be.
Good roads are made to Grandville and Grand Haven, costing from five to ten thousand dollars. A light-house was built at their own expense and maintained for two years. They owned a beauti- ful little yacht,"Memee (Indian for pigeon), had their fancy boats and boat club, who used to disport in full regalia. They built a
splendid hotel at an expense of thirty to forty thousand dollars; fitted up and furnished in splendid style. This hotel in the wilder- ness, where a traveller did not come once a month, was 60x120 feet. They built an office which cost $10,000, a store worth as much, with no country around and the city on paper. They built the best mill in the West, costing $20,000, and erected fifteen small dwellings.
In 1838 there were about three hundred people, mostly em- ployes of the company, who bought lots at moderate prices, formed a community, and enjoyed themselves extensively. Dr. Scranton was physician there for a time, and afterwards went South. The company obtained a charter for a railroad from Port Huron to Port Sheldon, and actually grubbed out two or three miles of the track.
The commercial crisis that ensued, followed by the discovery- all too late-that the harbor could not be kept open, obliterated the city. The company abandoned the project, bought off those who had made investments, paid for their improvements, assuming to themselves all their losses, dismantled their mill, moved off all that was movable, abandoned the place, leaving Mr. Pike sole occupant and sole agent. There he lived for several years, endeavoring to sell the hotel and thirty lots for less than the cost of the glass and paint. The rest of the land had been sold for the hemlock bark that was on it. At last the one man fighting mosquitoes and star- vation retired, and for years Port Sheldon has been deserted. Every vestige of the old buildings is now gone.
O
H. Savidge
GRAND HAVEN CITY.
This beautiful little city, the Saratoga of the West, lies com- pactly on the left bank of the Grand River, not far from its de- bouchure into Lake Michigan. Immense sand hills rise like ram- parts between the city and the lake shore, and encroach upon the west side, in some cases burying houses in their progress. A bare and glistening wall of sand with a broad plateau greets the eye whenever westward turned. The whole city is on light sand, which produces fine gardens and fruit orchards. Across the river appear more sand bluffs upon a peninsula, or tongue of land, the property of I. V. Harris, where it was once supposed the city would ultimately be es- tablished, and where the D., G. H. & M. Railway Depot formerly was. The depot is now on the Grand Haven side, and one won- ders where it could have come in on the other side, so much have the mountains of sand encroached to the very verge of the river, so as to threaten to choke up the channel. "Not a wrack is left be- hind" to mark the once busy scenes that were enacted over there; and the $40,000 that were once offered for the sandy peninsula will not soon be offered again. The Government has caused board fences to be built along the sides of the bluff to stop the blowing of the sand into the river, with what success remains to be seen.
The principal thoroughfare is Washington street, which runs up from the river from where the D., G. H. & M. Depot stands, past the Kirby House, the Post Office, the Cutler House Block, and Sanitarium, on past the Court House Square, and so on over the hill, passing some fine residences and churches.
RAILWAYS.
The D., G. H. & M. have a respectable and solid-looking stone depot, with a fine elevator a little farther up the river. Their line crosses directly over a bayou and an island, and then the river by a fine iron bridge into Ferrysburg, and thence by another bridge into Spring Lake. At their depot in Ferrysburg, also a neat little struc- ture, they form a junction with the C. & W. M., which passes on the left side, and freight and passengers are here transferred. The latter railway has running powers over the iron swing bridge referred to, and has its depot near the junction of Fourth and Jackson streets. Thence its course is south to Holland and New Buffalo, where it meets the Michigan Central. The C. & W. M. Depot is known as the Holland depot.
The word "Grand Haven" was not in the original title of the railway, which was simply "Detroit & Milwaukee Railroad." The road came into Ottawa County in 1858, and has been sold out by the bondholders, so that it is controlled by the Great Western of Canada, F. Broughton, managing director, and F. C. Stratton the local agent. We learned from Mr. Percival, ex-station-master, that the first station-master was Capt. Heber Squires; then followed in succession John Pickford, Mr. Reikie, Thomas Bromely, then Pickford again, George A. Mills, John T. Percival (1871-4), then F. C. Stratton from 1875 to the present time.
Connected with the change of the depot from the other side of the river there has been some litigation. The company found the sand encroaching upon them, cramping them for room, and sepa- rated from the main center of population by a river. The buildings needed rebuilding, and in this juncture the idea of moving occurred. The people of Grand Haven were anxious to have the road on their side of the river, and so a bonus of $50,000 was voted to bring over a railway, the management of which was only too glad to come. At this time a mania for railways was everywhere prevalent. This was about 11 or 12 years ago. About half the bonus was issued in bonds, but for some reason the city refused to pay, and the case has gone to the Supreme Court, which has declared the bonds illegal, except those in the hands of innocent purchasers, of whom it is not known that there are any. About a year ago a demand was made by the railway company, but so far no suit has been entered for the amount.
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