USA > Michigan > Ottawa County > History of Ottawa County, Michigan with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 9
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In this year the Union School Building was opened at a cost of $50,000.
1876.
The city is represented in the County Board of Supervisors by Col. Ferry, G. D. Sanford, and Klaas Brouwer. On the 4th of July of this, the Centennial year, Col. Ferry de-
livers his oration on The History of Ottawa County, which we pub- lish in this work. The Colonel was the " Centennial Mayor."
This year was noted for the County treasury difficulty, the erecting of the engine house and City hall on the Court house square.
Col. Ferry receives the unanimous thanks of the County Board of Supervisors for the able manner in which, as their representative in the State Board of Equalization, he had secured a deduction of $900,000 from the equalized value of the county.
1877.
The City Supervisors are the same as the previous years. Joos Verplanke is Sheriff.
The facilities for travel were this year much greater than in 1867, and in some respects ahead of 1881. There was, of course, the D., G., H. & M, Railway and the C. & M., L., S. Railway, Engelmann's day and night line of steamers from Milwaukee, Goodrich's daily line from Chicago, Engelmann's daily line from Manistee, Muskegon, etc., and Ganoe's daily line from Grand Rapids.
The mills turned out about 1,500,000 feet per week, the shin- gle mill 250,000 per day. There was a stave factory, by H. Rys- dorp & Co. and K. Brouwer, with a capacity of 40,000 a day; an agricultural implement factory, sash and door factory, and a foun- dry and machine shop. There are now eleven churches, a Union School costing $50,000, and two good ward schools. The Cutler House flourishes. The Kirby House, erected three years before at a cost of $50,000, is kept by W. G. Sherman, who also keeps the Cutler. The Union is defunct, the Herald is published by Dubois, and the News and Journal by Lee & Hitchcock. The mineral springs have been opened up by W. C. Sheldon, and the city is be- coming a summer resor .. The term of Asa Reynolds as Postmaster is just about expiring, to make way for a four-year term of L. M. S. Smith, who in 1881 was succeeded by Major Glover, the present incumbent. The First National Bank is established, with E. P. Ferry, President; D. Cutler, Vice President, and G. Stickney, Cashier. Marvin W. Bailey keeps the Cutler livery, H. Lilley is express agent, W. Savage is railroad telegrapher, R. Sinclair is lumber inspector, J. Stark, U. S. Steamboat inspector, N. Howlett is Secretary of the Ottawa Boom Co., E. D. Blair is searcher of titles. The transpor- tation companies have as agents, F. E. Yates, for the Grand River Transportation Co., and also for the Goodrich Co .; S. B. Humphrey, for N. W. Transportation Co.
The lawyers now are A. C. Adsit, Akeley & Farr, E. Baxter, R. W. & M. A. Boynton, R. W. Duncan, D. F. Hunter, Lowing & Cross, G. W. McBride, C. E. Soule, G. L. Stewart, and Peter Yates. The physicians are Drs. McNett, J. N. Reynolds, A. Vanderveen and E. D. Weed. Joseph Hutty and J. Vanderveen are into drugs, and the old house of H. Griffin & Co. into the same business. F. C. Stratton is D., G. H. & M. station agent, James Hall manages the Western Union Telegraph, E. P. Cummings has opened a dentistry office, J. A. Young runs the famous Washington House, Boyce & Gronberg have a machine shop, G. W. Friant and H. W. Hall are lumber dealers, as also are Bigelow, Stone & Co., Monroe Boyce & Co., N. R. Howlett, Boyden & Akeley, H. Rysdorp & Co., White & Friant, and Wyman & Buswell, Heber Squier and T. Stewart White are into business as contractors, tug owners, etc., and do an extensive business, as do also Kirby, Furlong & Co. as steamboat and vessel owners. Ball Bros., grocers, commenced business in November of this year.
1878.
The City Supervisors are G. C. Stewart, G. D. Sanford, and H. Brouwer. In October Mayor B. D. Safford appears as a repre- sentative in the County Board. The total equalized value of the
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HISTORY OF OTTAWA COUNTY.
city is $786,000, between one-seventh and one-eighth of the county. Zeeland was reckoned worth $581,000.
1881.
For the two previous years the Supervisors were, in 1879, Messrs. Safford, Sanford and Pfaff, and in 1880 Messrs. Hubbard, Pfaff and C. N. Dickinson. The Alpena disaster, in which the editor of the Herald went down, occurred in October, 1880, and resulted in the withdrawal of the Goodrich Line of steamboats, which will, however, be resumed in .the Spring of 1882, which would be an event hailed with pleasure by the whole county, alike advantageous to the Company and the public.
The Supervisors are A. A. Tracy, G. D. Sanford, and Charles J. Pfaff.
The Creager & Cilley planing mill was built near the C. & W. M. Ry.depot, and the foundry and machine shops of Bryce, Bloecker & Co. burned and rebuilt, as well as Brown's blacksmith shop. Lumber business was never so prosperous or active; the product, 191,000,000, was the highest yet produced. The death of two leading lumbermen of Spring Lake within a few weeks of each other, Hunter Savidge and J. B. Hancock, was a public loss. A change occurs in the Post-office, Major Glover succeeding L. M. S. Smith, after a four- year's term of office. Activity prevails in the ship yards, and in all departments of business. The Unitarian church and grand residence of H. C. Akeley are erected. Telephones are introduced by Thos. Parish. Ottawa Iron Works are greatly extended. The Herald passes into the hands of Kedzie & Kedzie. The Grand Haven Lumber Company purchase new mills, and greatly extend operations. Dr. Paine takes charge of the Sanitarium, and it has a larger patronage than ever. In the Summer of this year was the great gas explosion at the Cutler House, which resulted in the death of the brother of Dwight Cutler, Jos. H. Spires, the manager of the house, narrowly escaping with his life. M. H. Creager be- comes Collector of Internal Revenue. The Wait Manufacturing Company was organized, with E. G. Bell, president.
In all, there was expended $100,000 on new buildings, of which the principal were the Akeley residence, $25,000; Second Ward school, $5,000; Bryce & Bloecker's foundry, $2,500; D. C. Wach's house, $1,000; G. D. Sanford's addition to residence, $1,000; J. T. Wixon's and G. A. Abbott's residences, each $1,000; G. Hubert's $1,500; E. P. Blodgett's, $1,100; Dan Miller's, $1,000; David Evan's, $1,000; Capt. G. Robinson's, $1,000; H. T. Armstead's addition, $1,000; J. Pfaff's, $2,000; L. B. Stearn's and M. Hop- kins', each $1,500; Wm. Verhoek's, R. E. Pierce's, Rev. R. Lewis, and S. Stuveling's, and K. Van Weelden's, each $1,200; Inde- pendent Reformed Church, $2,000; G. Vyn's saw mill, $1,600; new engine house on Water Street, $850, also $700 for engine house in Fourth Ward, $900 for J. Fuite's addition to store, besides numerous other improvements, among which may be mentioned a heavy expenditure on the revetment at the harbor, by Squier & White, contractors. The Courier-Journal, of Dec. 31, 1881, in closing its summary for the year, says:
"During the year the city has put up seventy-five street lamps; built a number of cross walks where there has been none hereto- fore; and cut down Washington street hill, among the other im- provements.
"The Michigan Bell Telephone Company have stretched lines all over our city, connecting the principal business places and many residences with each other, and with Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Spring Lake. Mr. Thomas A. Parish is the efficient and popular manager of the system in this city and Spring Lake. Already the convenience of this mode of communication has been proved of in- estimable value.
"Our youthful population has increased to such an extent that it has been necessary to erect an additional school-house, which has been done at a total cost of about $5,000. The building is situated in the Second Ward on Columbus street, is veneered with brick, slate roof, and contains three commodious and tasty school rooms, all on the ground floor.
"A new engine house has been built in the First Ward, near the river, furnishing additional fire protection.
"A small lake of fresh paint has been spread on buildings, fences, etc. Many houses have been newly shingled, and new fences have been built.
"The government has expended quite a large sum in putting up fences on the hill west of the river, to prevent the drifting sand from obstructing navigation; and in harbor improvement, which in- cludes the extension of the dock from foot of Clinton street to the south pier, thus narrowing and improving the channel.
"Gerrit Vyn has erected a saw mill on the island, for the purpose of doing hard wood sawing, and has been busy the last half of the season in his line.
"B. & A. D. Fessenden, a large wooden ware manufacturing firm in Townsend, Mass., bought Glover & Tate's factory early in the Spring, and after refitting it, commenced, and are now carrying on a successful business in their line, under the superintendence of Mr. F. A. Larkin. They employ about twenty-five hands at present, mostly in manufacturing fish-kits, which are sold in St. Louis and vicinity.
"Our newly appointed post-master, Capt. S. C. Glover, has had the inside of the post-office torn out, and everything rebuilt and re- arranged in the most convenient manner, and we believe will keep it in all points a first-class office. This we can class among our very greatest improvements, and with the street lamps, the most widely approved.
"Business has been good all the year. Prices of provisions, etc., have ranged a trifle high, but as the wages of the laborer have been equally good, no cramping has resulted. The small fruit crop was a very fine one, and the prices received such as to well repay the grower. Peaches were few and far between, owing to the severe frosts late in the Spring. But few native peaches were shipped from this point. Although the Goodrich Co. did not put on a line of boats from here to Chicago this season, we do not think much in- jury was done to Grand Haven thereby. There was a line of freight boats most of the season, and an ample, cheap and convenient route was operated by rail. We are assured by good authorities that the Goodrich Co. have concluded to resume operation on the Chicago and Grand Haven route next Spring.
"The Cutler House was filled with summer visitors as usual, and Dr. W. Paine's Sanitarium became a widely known and popular resort for the afflicted. As the Sanitarium is now open the year round, quite a number of people from abroad are spending the Winter here (this being not only a cool Summer resort, but a warm Winter resort as well) and taking the treatment thus afforded."
MISCELLANEOUS.
Ralson M. Russell was the first barber of Grand Haven. He was a colored man.
Reuben Vanderhoef, ex-sheriff, ran-the first steam ferry across Grand River in 1865. It connected the city with the D. & M. Rail- way depot, then across the river.
John H. Newcomb built the first house and the first mill at Spring Lake in 1841.
Ira Robinson, youngest brother of Rix Robinson, the pioneer, is still living in Robinson Township. Rix's son, John Rix Robin- son, is an Indian missionary.
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6
HISTORY OF OTTAWA COUNTY.
WATERWORKS.
The business public of the city seem to be very desirous to se- cure waterworks for the city, but the proposition to go extensively into this matter has been several times voted down by the people at large. The last vote was taken in February of this year.
In the latter part of 1881 . the council expended about $5,500 for partial waterworks at the foot of Clinton Street, which will serve the business part of the city, putting in new boiler, and engine and pipes. Henry Sanford, the engineer, resides above the works. .
The new waterworks were first started at 11 p. M., Jan. 11, 1882. M. Walker, Port Huron, is manufacturer of the pump, which has a steam cylinder 12x13 inches, 13 inch stroke, 13 inch bore, water cylinder 8x12. The main is 10 inch pipe, and the works can pump about 1,250,000 gallons in twenty-four hours.
HENRY C. SANFORD, engineer in Fire Department, was born in Akron, O., Jan. 14, 1807. At 12 years of age he came to Niles, Mich., and in 1858 came to Grand Haven, clerked for Col. Ferry till 1868. While driving a well for Wyman & Buswell 180 feet deep, he struck the first mineral water. He has now charge of both fire engines, his brother Isaac having been the first chief engineer in the city. He married in 1870 Eugenia Beckwith and has two sons, Isaac, born Nov. 18, 1871; Harry, Nov. 8, 1876.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The earliest fire apparatus was of course of a very primitive character, a few pails and ladders carried on the shoulders. The beginning of a better organization was in 1863, with Isaac H. San- ford as chief; D, F. Miller, 1st assistant; Jas. Donelly, Foreman of Rix Robinson Engine Co .; John Thornton, Foreman of Pioneer Hook and Ladder Co. It was reorganized in 1869.
The present Captain is A. L. Holmes, who came in 1873, and since that time has been in the department, having risen from full pri- vate in the hose company to be assistant foreman, foreman, assistant chief, and finally chief three years ago. There are two steamers, the first, the Rix Robinson, made at Hudson, N. Y., by Clapp & Jones, weighing 5,250 pounds and costing one dollar a pound. It has stood a good deal of wear and tear, and is now held as a reserve engine.
George Parks is the name of the new steamer purchased in 1877 at a cost of $3,000. The staff is:
Chief Engineer-A. L. Holmes; Asst. Engineer, Jas. Lewis.
Hose Co. No. 1 .- Jos. Adams, Foreman; L. B. Stearns, Asst. Foreman; G. A. Bottje, Secretary.
Hose Co. No. 2 .- Jos. Palmer, Foreman; M. Donelly, Asst. Foreman.
Hook and Ladder Co .- Byron Parks, Foreman; M. C. Fordham, Asst. Foreman.
Engineer of Waterworks, Henry C. Sanford; Asst. Engineer, Ralph Vanderhoef.
In 1881 there were forty-two alarms of fire.
THE LIGHTHOUSE.
is on a high sand hill on the south of the harbor about 300 yards from the light on south pier, and was built in 1855 of stone, a square with tower at the south end, and with the light 150 feet above lake level, making a bright flash every one and and a half minutes, worked by clock work. It can be seen eighteen miles off, and in clear days twenty-five miles down to the south of Holland. It is of French glass and cost $4,000. The residence is in connection and the keeper is Capt. Harry Smith, who has been there since 1875. He was born in Denmark in 1823; brought up a sailor; been all over
the world; married Oct. 9, 1853, Lena Scheppers, of Holland; has two sons and three daughters.
THE PIER LIGHT
on South Pier is fifty or sixty feet above the water; a steady bright light, visible eight to ten miles, called a beacon light. On the North Pier is a private light of steady red color, on a cross pole vis- ible two or three miles, attended to by Mr. Kirby's orders.
U. S. LIFE SAVING STATION.
On the North Pier near the entrance of the harbor is this neat little structure, well equipped, which has done good service. There was first a volunteer corps which in 1876 was superseded by gov- ernment service, and in 1880 Capt. John de Young, who had been surfman No. 1, succeeded Capt. Richard Connell as head of the in- stitution at $400 a year, while the men get for the Summer $40 a month. The station is two stories high, and has a lookout on the roof. There is one six ton life boat, self-baler and self-righter; and a surf boat, which is the only one used so far; also a life car which has saved many lives, as numbers of crews have been rescued by the men of the life station, among others those of schooner Montpelier and Gen. Paine, of Detroit; L. C. Woodruff, schooner America, of Chicago; the schooner Elione, of Oswego; and the Amazon. Capt. John de Young, born in Holland, 1842, is an experienced mariner and fisherman.
JaN Wissel, No. 1. surfman, was born in Holland, March 9, 1842, came to Grand Haven in 1866; was brought up a sailor on the ocean; has been a fisherman, and 5 years in the life saving station; he married in 1877 Alice Dwyerek and has four sons and one daughter.
CITY OFFICIALS.
The first charter election was held April 1, 1867. Elected as City Council: George Parks, Mayor; Charles J. Pagelson, Record- er; Arend Vanderveen, James A. Rice, John W. Hopkins, William Wallace, Isaac H. Sanford, Peter Van Weelden, Henry S. Clubb, Harmon Bosch, Aldermen
The first meeting of the council was April, 6th, when were ap- pointed Charles J. Pfaff, Marshal; Robert W. Duncan, Attorney; John Bolt, Street Commissioner.
1868-R. W. Duncan, Mayor.
1869-70-Dwight C. Cutler, Mayor.
1871-Henry Griffin.
1872-3-Geo. E. Hubbard.
1874-5-John A. Leggatt.
1876-Wm. M. Ferry.
1877-John A. Leggatt.
1878-G. E. Hubbard.
1879-B. D. Safford.
1880-G. E. Hubbard.
1881-B. D. Safford.
The following is the list of officials elected in April 1881.
Mayor -- Major B. D. Safford.
Recorder-C. T. Pagelson.
Marshal-A. Woltman.
Treasurer-J. A. Pfaff.
Justice of the Peace for full term-J. M. Cross.
Justice of the Peace to fill vacancy-E. Andres.
School Inspector -- J. M. Cross.
Supervisor, 1st and 2d wards-A. A. Tracy; 3d and 4th wards. -G. D. Sanford.
Aldermen, 1st ward-H. Bloecker; 2d ward-I. H. Sanford; 3d ward-A. Vanderveen; 4th ward-H. G. Nicholls.
Constables, 1st and 2d wards-C. Donker.
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HISTORY OF OTTAWA COUNTY.
2d ward-W. J. Gleason. 3d ward-A. Woltman. 4th ward-M. Vander Noot.
The three places, Grand Haven City, Spring Lake and Ferrys- burg villages, each with a separate existence, are bound together by a community of interests. Spring Lake is the great centre for man- ufacturing, chiefly lumber; Ferrysburg has the great Ottawa Iron Works, and Grand Haven as well as being the fashionable summer re- sort, has extensive manufactories, shipyards and sawmills, and is the chief entrepot for handling grain. .
This shipment of grain is one of the most noticeable features in the business of the city. Immense amounts of grain, flour, bacon &c., are received by steamer and barge for shipment by the D., G. H. & M. Railroad to the east, and this trade is especially ac- tive when the straits of Mackinaw are closed. The harbor is capa- cious and has been so improved as to accommodate the largest ves- sels, and what is of vast importance it seldom closes up in winter, so that steamers ply regularly all the year round across the lake to and from Milwaukee.
There is also maintained here one of the most extensive fish- ing stations in the State. Steam tugs and a large number of small sail boats are engaged in this business, catching whitefish, pickerel, trout, herring, and other varieties of fish. The fishermen have quite a little village, composed of huts huddled together on the right bank of the river opposite the city. The fishermen often go out over 40 miles after a catch. In 1875-6 the waters were restocked with white fish,
THE COUNTY SEAT QUESTION."
That Grand Haven possesses the county seat, situated as it is within a few miles of the northwest corner of the county, is due to the public spirit and indomitable will of the Rev. Mr. Ferry, who donated the public square on which the county buildings are now situated, and used every inducement to fix the county seat perma- nently at the Haven.
The county commissioners about 1840 selected Warren City (a city on paper) in Robinson township as the county seat, but the courts continued to be held at the Haven. In Oct. 1856 on a vote in the board Ottawa Centre received 11 votes, Eastmanville 2 and Grand Haven 3; the board spent days balloting upon and discussing the question, and various liberal offers were made to secure the prize. Timothy Eastman offered 20 acres of land , suitable tempo- rary buildings, and $1,500 more in money than anybody else, on the part of Ottawa Centre. B. Smith offered $1,000 and a section of land, and five acres of land and $20,000 was offered on the part of White River, now in Muskegon. Another offer was made by a Mr. Parks of 80 acres to be divided among the supervisors, to place the county seat in Georgetown on the opposite side of the river to the mouth of Sand Creek, on the N. E. quarter of Section 5.
Eastmanville had frequently a majority of the board, but un- fortunately it agreed to submit the matter to popular vote; as every little village had hopes for itself, mutual jealousy brought a ma- jority of 1,158 opposed to removal. With the exception of the jail, which is a creditable brick structure, the other county buildings are behind the requirements of the times. Grand Haven although not the geographical centre is the commercial emporium, and will doubt- less remain so, having within a circle of 10 miles over one-third of the population of the county.
THE PRESS.
The press is the mightiest instrument of modern civilization, and no history of Ottawa County would be complete without an ac-
count of the rise and progress of the "art preservative of all arts." Like everything else it had its day of small things, although the file of the first newspaper, which we have examined at the residence of Mrs. Galen Eastman, shows that men of skill and ability were the pioneers of journalism.
The first journal issued in either Ottawa or Muskegon County was the Grand River Times, a Democratic organ, published by Barns & Angell, the members of the firm, who are still residents of Grand Haven, being Jas. Barns, John W. Barns (twin brothers) and W. N. Angell.
The first number was issued in July, 1851, and after a time it was published by John W. Barns alone, Mr. Angell and Mr. Jas. Barns successively retiring. He subsequently sold out the Times to Galen Eastman, who removed the office to Eastmanville, where it was published for several years. It afterwards returned to Grand Haven as the News. Mr. Barns subsequently purchased the News which was twice burned out, and finally disposed of it to Messrs. Lee & Hitchcock in 1876, who consolidated it with the Journal and published it as the News-Journal.
Mr. John G. Lee, the present publisher of the News-Journal, came from Grand Rapids, where he had been publishing the Labor Union as a weekly and tri-weekly newspaper, and in 1869 issued in Spring Lake the Independent until 1876, when he removed the office to Grand Haven and published the Grand Haven Journal as a Democratic organ, until May in the same year, when he took in as partner a Mr. Hitchcock, from New York, and the firm bought out the News, publishing their paper as the News-Journal. In the following winter Mr. Lee purchased the share of his partner, and published it alone until July, 1881, when he leased the office to Messrs. Nicholls & Benham, who changed the name to that of the Republican. But in October following, Mr. Lee again took the paper, and has changed the name back to News-Journal, which is published in the "Greenback" interest.
In 1856 Henry S. Clubb started the Clarion, a vigorous Repub- lican sheet, published until its editor went to the war. He after- wards returned and started the Herald in 1868, Republican, which was shortly after published by a company, who lost money by the operation, and sold it to C. H. Dubois. The Herald Publishing Co. was formed during the Grant-Greely campaign, and first issued a daily in June, 1872, as a straight-out Republican organ. The stock was controlled by C. N. Dickinson, who ran it until Jan., 1873, and sold it to Dr. Sylvester L. Morris, of Holland, who afterwards took in C. H. Dubois, and in a short time sold the whole to him. Dubois sold it to W. S. Benham, who ran the Herald until he was un- fortunately lost on the ill-fated Alpena, Oct. 15th, 1880. Marvin H. Creager, administrator of the estate, conducted the paper until November following, when Guy Webber leased the office until Jan. 1881, Horace G. Nicholls then entering into the leasehold as part- ner. In March, 1881, Messrs. Kedzie & Kedzie, the present efficient managers, purchased the paper, now a large thirty-six column sheet.
The names of those connected with the Herald Publishing Co. may be interesting. They were: H. S. Clubb, president, (after- wards State Senator and now of Philadelphia), G. E. Hubbard, vice- president, C. N. Dickinson, treasurer, and at the same time treas- urer of the county. S. L. Tate, secretary, now Judge of Probate, and Robert Haire, director, and at one time a prominent lumber- man of Spring Lake.
The Union was founded in 1862 by H. C. Akeley, was Repub- lican, and was afterwards edited by L. M. S. Smith, until 1872
In the fall of 1875, Hiram Potts started at Nunica the Ottawa County News, an advertising medium, and in two months removed to Cooperville, publishing the Courier. In April, 1877, he removed
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HISTORY OF OTTAWA COUNTY.
to Spring Lake, styling the paper the Ottawa County Courier. In August, 1880, he moved down to Grand Haven and changed the paper to a Democratic organ, styling it the Grand Haven Courier- Journal. At each removal Mr. Potts has received the invitation and substantial encouragement of the citizens interested.
The press of Grand Haven to-day is therefore, the Herald, pub- lishers, Kedzie & Kedzie, Republican ;. the News-Journal, publisher, John G. Lee, "Greenback" organ; and the Courier-Journal, H. Potts proprietor, Democratic.
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