USA > Michigan > Saginaw County > History of Saginaw County, Michigan; historical, commercial, biographical, Volume I > Part 24
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These, and the noisome buzzard of the wood, Feasted on those unburied by the flood.
And thus they died ! the beautiful, the brave! Some on the river bank, some in its wave; No kindred arm outstretched to aid or save; No hand, alas! to furnish even a grave ! And now as Indian maid, or children glide
In light canoe upon the silver tide ; In solemn silence and with recumbent head,
They pass this spot with undissembled dread.
And to the " Spirit Great," ascends a prayer For those who suffered, they who perished there.
This dreadful disease followed the tribe in their wanderings, and carried off great numbers of the old inhabitants of Saginaw, in May, 1854, desolating their villages in their reserves on the shores of Lake Superior.
TORNADO, ETC.
Perhaps the best remembered as well as the most extraordinary phenomenon was that which took place in December, 1835. On Christmas day of that year a heavy fall of snow covered the frozen ground, which was followed on the 26th by a mist, and this was succeeded in turn by a drizzling rain. The rain ceased sud- denly, the clouds lowered, grew dark and assumed such appear- ances as would lead the spectator to believe the end of the world to be at hand. The storm king at length broke loose, swooped down from the northwest in black night, uprooting trees, sweeping every- thing in his track, and carrying with him such a current of icy air that men and animals not then in shelter were frozen. This storm was as sudden as it was strange and unaccountable. It is remembered by the old settlers, and forms for them a mark on the page of time.
The comet and wandering star created some excitement in the settlement, which soon died away.
DIES INFAUSTUS.
Scarcely two months after the treaty of Saginaw was signed the " Black Day " rose upon the Indians. On the morning of Sunday, Nov. 8, 1819, the sun rose upon a cloudy sky, which assumed, as
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.
the light grew upon it, a strange greenish tint, varying in places to an inky blackness. After a short time the whole sky became terribly dark, dense black clouds filling the atmosphere, and there followed a heavy shower of rain, which appeared to be something of the nature of soap-suds, and was found to have deposited after settling a substance in all its qualities resembling soot. Late in the afternoon the sky cleared to its natural aspect, and the next day was fine and frosty. On the morning of Tues- day, the 10th, heavy clouds again covered the sky, and changed rapidly from a deep green to. a pitchy black, and the sun, when occasionally seen through them, was sometimes of a dark brown or an unearthly yellow color, and again bright orange, and evenl blood red. The clouds constantly deepened in color and density, and later on a heavy vapor seemed to descend to the earthi, and the day became almost as dark as niglit, the gloom increasing and diminishing most fitfully. The French traders and Indians were more or less alarmed, and many were the conjectures as to the cause of the remarkable occurrence. The more sensible thought that the immense woods or prairies were on fire somewhere to the west ; others said that a great volcano must have broken out in the province ; the superstitious quoted an old Indian prophecy that one day the Peninsula was to be destroyed by an earthquake, and some even cried that the world was about to come to an end. About the middle of the afternoon a great body of clouds seemed to rush suddenly over the valley and the darkness became that of night. A pause and hush for a moment or two succeeded, and then one of the most glarling flashes of lightning ever beheld flamed over the country, accompanied by a clap of thunder which seemed to shake the very earth. Another pause followed, and then came a light shower of rain of the same soapy and sooty nature as that two days before. After that it appeared to grow brighter, but an hour later it was as dark as ever. Another rush of clouds came, and another vivid flash of lightning, which was seen to strike a tall pine tree near the Indian camp ground.
A moment later came the climax of the phenomenon. The sky above and around was as black as ink, but right in one spot, in mid air above them, the lightning rushed in a circle, then forward and was not seen again. But the darkest hour comes just before dawn. The glow above gradually subsided and died out, the people grew less fearful and returned to their homes, the real night came on, and when next morning dawned everything was bright and clear, and the world was as natural as before. The phenomenon was noticed in a greater or less degree throughout the northern portion of the continent.
THE BIG SNOW.
The tradition of the Indians points out the years 1755 and 1775 as the winters of the great snow. These severe storms sweeping over the peninsula, within a period of 20 years, destroyed great numbers
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.
of forest animals, the bones of which in after years literally encum- bered the ground. Within the pioneer period the snow of 1822-'23 was the heaviest. It fell to a depth of four feet on the level, and was accompanied with such a cold atmosphere that the deer, wolves and bears perished before its withering advance. In 1830-'31 the snow-storms set in early in November, and continued throughout the month, destroying the forest animals, and inflicting upon the settler many severe trials. In the month of August, 1831, a frost set in which brought in its train many serious troubles, and almost tempted the settlers to evacuate a land where the climate was so eccentric in its changes.
METEOR.
The meteor seen Nov. 1, 1857, at 8 o'clock, passing southward, proved to have been a very remarkable one. It was visible at various places in the State. It seemed to pass over very nearly the center of the peninsula. It was seen at Jackson, Lansing and also in Eaton county, and probably very generally through the central part of the State, where it appeared much larger and more brilliant than here, and was followed by a sharp, rumbling sound like thunder, supposed to be the report of an explosion of the meteor.
THE COMET.
This strange visitor, belonging to that numerous but erratic family whose movements are carefully and correctly noted by as- tronomers, and the time of whose entrances and exits is a matter of mathematical certainty, appeared to the people of Saginaw on the evening of June 30, 1861. Whatever may be its attributes and peculiarities, one thing is certain, it had norivals in the comet line, and its sudden and unlooked for debut at that time was the cause of much speculation on the part of both learned and unlettered. It was first visible in a northwesterly direction, and when first seen had the appearance of a bright star. It attracted but little atten- tion at first, it being supposed to be a light attached to a kite; but directly a train of light shot up which gradually increased in length until it passed the zenith. The nucleus, or head, of the luminous object when viewed through a glass, presented a very clear and sharply defined outline, shining with the brilliancy of a star of the first magnitude. Its motion was in an easterly direction, and was exceedingly rapid, passing over a space of eleven minutes in an hour. The train of light extended beyond the constellation Lyra, and the center of its extremity was directly over the star Vega. Its length extended over the immense distance of 100 ° !
It will be remembered that the tail of the great comet of 1843, which attracted such universal attention throughout the world, ex- tended over a space of only 70 °.
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.
ECLIPSE OF THE MOON.
One of the most sublime astronomical events of 1881-a total eclipse of the moon-occurred Sunday morning, June 12. The moon appeared above the horizon at about 8:20 P. M. in its usual brilliancy. When about two and one-half hours high, it received the first contact with the penumbra of light shadow of the earth upon its castern limb, which became slightly dim, and a loss of lunar light followed as the moon entered the penumbra. Fifty-six minutes then elapsed without further change in its appearance, while traversing the partial shadow of the earth; but when the umbra or dark shadow of our planet was reached, the eastern limb of the moon again darkened, suddenly, almost to invisibility. The circular shape of the earth's shadow was distinctly seen when passing over the face of the moon. At 38 minutes past 12 the moon was wholly within the umbra and the total eclipse com- menced. It continued in darkness for an hour or so, and then all was the same as usual.
THE WOLF-SLAYERS OF SAGINAW.
Immediately after the organization of this county (1837) the board of commissioners resolved to pay a bounty for wolf-scalps in addition to that offered by the State. This was a great incen- tive to clearing the district of those destructive creatures. Many of the settlers at once took the field, and took rank among the most expert wolf-hunters of the land. In the following summary the names of wolf-slayers are given from 1838 to 1848. At the close of the latter year it is said there could not be found within the boundaries of Saginaw county, as now constituted, one wolf lair; nevertheless large numbers of the pests visited the district at intervals and supplied food for powder as well as subject for bounty. The bounty for killing a wolf was $8; so that in the following enumeration of the slayers, the number of times eight is contained in the number of dollars written, will represent the number of wolves killed :-
In October, 1838, the following wolf-slayers received the amounts appended to their names :- Cornelius Wiltsie, $24; Medor Tromble, $18; J. B. Garland, $S; Charles Tibbitts, $40; E. Jewett, $24; Silas Barns, $8; Antoine Peltier, $16; Peter Loire, $8; Arden Moses, $S; A. R. Swarthout, $16; James Tyrrell, $8; Ben. Sever- son, $8; Sherman Wheeler, $40; Henry Campeau, $S; J. H. Davis, $16; Roderick Vaughan, $8. This list represents the destruction of 36 wolves.
In April, 1839, Roderick Vaughan killed two wolves; Sherman Wheeler, two; and John Malone, one. In July, Douglas Thomp- son killed one, and in October Medor Tromble and Leverett Hodgman caught two.
In Feb., 1840, Charles S. Tibbitts killed eight wolves; Mark D. Bavasa, one; an Indian, one; Cornelius Wiltsie, five; Wm. Shaw,
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.
one; Charles Conkwright, one; Alex. Davis, one; Squab-no-kee, one.
In 1841 Ben. Goodwin, Medor Tromble and Joseph Tromble killed six wolves, the former destroying four of the number. Geo. H. Powell and Curtis Goodwin aided in killing one. Na-o-ta killed one; Medor Tromble, two; Amos Davis, one; Joseph King, four; Cornelius Wiltsie, three; Sa-wa-ban-am, one; Erial Cham- berlain, one; Mas-ke-os, one; Phineas Spaulding, one; Charles Conkwright, six; Nang-chig-a-mi, one.
In 1842 the wolf-scalpers were led by Peto-qua-da, one; Sag-e- ge-wa-a-se, one: Wm. Fields, four; Ira T. Farrand, one; Mon-sus, one; Caleb Lincoln, one; Naug-chig-a-mi, eight; Amgrad Granger, two; Win. Fields, one; Na-zee-ga-kin, one; James Kent, two; Phineas Spaulding, four; Medor Tromble, one; Kaw-ga-cum-ego, one; Thomas Smith, one; Cornelius Wiltsie, four; Wm. Badgeron, one; Sa-can-see-kee, one; Eleazer Jewett, one; Pa-ma-wa-tum, one; Green Bird killed two, but did not produce the heads, and there- fore lost the State bounty. Wo-ba-ge-må and Saw-waw-bun lost
the State bounty for the same reason. Mas-ke-os, killed one; Pete-wa-we-tum, one; Es-qne-bon-e-quiet, one; Pa-ma-wa-ting, one; John Davis, one; Wm. Harrison, one; Wmn. Fields, two.
In 1843 B. F. Pierce presented the scalps of two wolves, received $16 bounty, and inaugurated the wolf hunt for that year. Pay-bo-no-quong and Eleazer Jewett, received bounty during the same year, while J. F. Marsac, Naug-chig-a-me, Sang-ge-chi-wa- sa, Cornelius Wiltsie and Oliver Davis killed 11 wolves, the bounty on which was allowed in 1844.
In 1844 Naug-chig-a-me killed seven wolves; Sang-gi-chi-wa-sa, four; Solomon Stone, four; Walter Scott, two; Leonard Scott, four; Cornelius Wiltsie, six; Leverett Hodgman, four; A. R. Swarthout, two; Wm. Ellis, six; Joseph Tromble, two; John Wiltsie, four; Pa-ma-wa-ting, one; J. D. Smith, two; O. H. Davis, two; Mushe- won-a-quet, one; Louis Desprau, two; Caleb Gardner, two; Edward McCarthy, four; Thomas S. Kennedy, two; James A. Kent, two; Nelson Garey, two.
In 1845 Medor Tromble, Wm. Puffer, Geo. Whitman, John A. Whitman killed seven wolves. In 1846 Osaw-wa-bon, Nah- gon-wa-way-donk, Thomas Gardner, Sag-git-way destroyed four. James Kent, Osaw-wa-bon, and A-chi-di-wa-bi-dunk, killed four in 1847. During the year 1848 the wolf harvest reached its climax. No less than 16 animals were destroyed during the first six months of the year. The slayers were Saw-wa-bun, A-che-taw- wa-bi-dunk, Saw-gah-se-gay, Kin-wa-wa, Ma-ne-gaw-sung, Kah, Ash- to-wu-ba-muck, Muck-a-to-ma-sha-way, Saw-wu-no-co-me-go, Pay- ma-chi-won. Cornelius Wiltsie, Denis McCarthy, J. Yock.
In 1849 John and Cornelius Wiltsie, Mechin-e-ny, Sos-wa-way- sing, Nock-chig-a-my, Ma-ma-go-gen, Shop-pe-no-gonce, Pa-ma- saw-dong, Ba-me-saw, Sa-gi-to, On-ine-qua-to,. Tit-ta-qua-wassin, Ah-me-ma-quoin, Sha-naw-bis, Non-o-quoin, Israel Marsac, Denis McCarthy, Thomas Dalton, and Way-no-quoin killed 32 wolves.
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HISTORY OF 'SAGINAW COUNTY.
The wolf hunting season of 1850 was ushered in by Non-a-quam, Kenewoop, Black Elk, Shaw-in-orso-quy, and Anson G. Miller, who destroyed nine large wolves. Before the close of 1852, the country was cleared of 46 devastators by the Indians and settlers. Since that period the wolf-hunters enterprise declined, until at present there are few, if any, in this county who devote attention to the old pastime.
CLEARING THE RIVER.
E. W. Perry, who erected the first saw-mill on Perry creek, a tributary of the Cass, entered upon the work of clearing the river of drift-wood in 1837. He reported at the time that the obstacles must be the accumulated drift-wood of ages, as it occupied the time of himself and his workmen for many months to make even such a passage as would enable him to raft the sawed lumber to Saginaw City, which he contracted to supply to the builders of the Webster House during that year.
FROZEN TO DEATH.
On Monday afternoon, Jan. 17, 1859, Thomas O'Hara, and his son, James O'Hara, started from East Saginaw, each drawing a hand sled with a load of mill feed, on their way home to Swan creek. On Tuesday morning they were found in the road within two miles of home, the young man was frozen to death, and the father so nearly so that he lived but a short time after reaching home. Mr. O'Hara (the elder) had been employed in Whittier & Merrill's mill, and is spoken of as a faithful hand.
FOREST FIRES.
How often fires have swept through the forests of the Peninsula cannot now be computed. Again and again have they been des- troyed-each fire clearing large tracts, and each tract being again covered with luxuriant forests, different in appearance and in quality from those which were burned. Oak gave way to poplar, poplar to pine, and so on in time until the last great fire, which swept over the timber countries of the north prior to the settlement of this State, made way for the pine woods. The montlı of October, of 1871, will be ever memorable, not only in connec- tion with the terrible fire which decimated one of the fairest cities of the West, but as well in connection with the destruction of vast forests of pine timber throughout this and the neighboring State of Wisconsin. In the territory tributary to the Saginaw Valley, the effect of the fires was most disastrous and widely spread. To realize the extent of territory embraced in what is known as the "burnt district," a glance at the map of Michigan becomes necessary. Commencing at a point on Lake Huron near Lexington, a line drawn across Sanilac, Lapeer and Genesee
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.
counties to the south line of Saginaw county, thence in a north- westerly direction across the State to the north line of Oceana county, will mark the southern limits of the destructive fire, while all the country north of this line and east of the Saginaw Bay, was involved in the conflagration. On the west side of the bay a line drawn from the north line of Bay county west to, and includ- ing Manistee county and embracing all the territory south to the first given line will give the reader a very good idea of the amount of land burned over. According to the closest estimates which can be made, an amount of pine timber equal to five years, cut of the Valley was destroyed, or in round numbers 4,000,000,000 of feet. Of this vast quantity, no doubt a large amount, variously estimated at from 300,000,000 to 500,000,000 feet, was watered during the following winter, and was saved. The balance of the timber was attacked by the insect whose destructive effects are always manifested in "down timber," and while available for coarse timber for building purposes, was worthless for the nicer work to which lumber is applied, its distance from streams render- ing it, in its depreciated value, nearly worthless. The loss in the coarser timber, particularly hemlock, the value of . whichi was then beginning to be appreciated, is beyond computation.
FIRST CELEBRATION IN THE VALLEY.
The 56th anniversary of Independence was celebrated at Green Point, July 4, 1832. The idea of the celebration originated with Eleazer Jewett, and the program carried out under his direc- tion. The people from Saginaw went up the river in a fishing boat; the Indians were around in great numbers and admired the first reunion of the settlers, if they did not actually share in their enthu- siastic recognition of the glorious event which they assembled to honor. There were present on that occasion : Thomas Simpson, wife and daughter, Gardner D. Williams, E. S. Williams and Mrs. Williams, Daniel Hunter, the Indian blacksmith, and wife; Abram Butts and wife, Sam Russell, John Henderson, Jr., Abram Whitney, Charles McLean and wife, Thomas Mccarthy. Capt. Jeremiah Smith and Wm. L. P. Little, visitors to the Valley, arrived in the afternoon and took part in the proceedings.
It is not related that this meeting of patriotic pioneers was organized ; but the statement is fully verified that every article of the Declaration was read by Mr. Jewett, and received with evi- dent manifestations of delight.
The entire party were the guests of Eleazer and Mrs. Jewett, and the latter alone prepared that happy dinner or little banquet, which took such an important part in rendering the great anniver- sary of political and military supremacy over England as pleasing in this feature as it was patriotic in general. The dinner table used on that occasion was the first introduced into the district, and comes down the present time through Mrs. Lee, whose father was the original owner.
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HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.
From that period to the present time the birthday of the nation has been honored. Each year the knowledge of all the Fathers of the Republie did for the world is becoming more widely appreei- ated ; and, as that knowledge spreads, men look on the day as saered in the calendar -- the greatest national holiday, the annual remembraneer of all that pure and simple patriotism won for the enslaved people of the period and for the generations of the future.
CELEBRATION OF THE CENTENNIAL.
Among the great events which have taken place in Saginaw eounty, not one exeels in pleasant association that of the eelebra- tion of the eentennial of Ameriean Independenee. At midnight the Fourth was announeed by eannon, and, at its dawn, the musie of the eannon and chureli bells joined in a welcome to that day on which patriotism consummated its desire. Fully 20,000 people assembled to witness the procession, which moved under Chief Marshal James W. Dawson. On arriving at Farley street, the first and seeond divisions of the East Saginaw proces- sion, under Col. Geo. Loekley, united with that of Saginaw City, and mareled to the court-house square, where were ereeted a num- ber of poles with streamers flying, and upon each pole was a shield bearing the name of one of the Presidents, and the term of his offiee. Floating from the pole at the Court street entranee were the National eolors. The stand was ereeted upon the south side of the square, and upon the front was placed a portrait of Geo. Washington. The entire space between the stand and Court street was filled with seats. West of the speaker's stand was the stand for the voealists.
Hon. D. H. Jerome, chairman of the committee of arrange- inents, having called the assemblage to order, the Mayor delivered the following address :
" We have come together, iny countryinen and countrywomen, in recognition of an event, no less remarkable, no less worthy of publie observanee than the Centennial Anniversary of American Independenee.
" While this auspicious event-so full of common interest, so full of historie memories-amply explains this gathering, many of you are, in one sense guests of this eity. In one sense, all who par- tieipate here are guests ; and it falls to mne to offer you a word of welcome. To all then, men, women, ehildren, weleonie. To the citizen, to the neighbor, to the stranger guest, eordial greeting, liearty weleome, all.
"Something of acknowledgment, too, is due the many who are with us from beyond our own borders. And in the expression of this general and wide-spread obligation, it is fitting that I should inention the special gratifieation of our people at so eordial a join- ing with us from our prosperous sister eity over the water. Glad- ness and gratitude, not more for the imposing civie and military dis-
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play which adds so largely to these ceremonies, than for the broad spirit of neighborly good will which alone could have found so graceful and generous an expression.
" It remains only for me to direct your attention for a moment to the, in some respects, distinctive character of the occasion which calls us together. From among the many anniversaries of striking events in the early history of our country, the impulses of the American people long ago chose the fourth day of July as their national holiday. And its annual observance, with honors and customs peculiarily its own, and peculiarly American, has long been common. The profound interest, the national importance attaching to the one hundredth anniversary of that day is such, however, that its special observance with appropriate and peculiar honors, has been recommended by the President of the United States in public proclamation, made in accordance with the joint resolution of both Houses of Congress. And the Governors of many of the States, our own among the number, having issued proclamations to the same end.
" So cordially, so heartily, have the patriotic impulses of the people responded to these wise suggestions that this day goes into history as a grand, united national jubilee. This majestic pres- ence, with its pageantry of national colors, its heraldic emblems of our country's progress, is but a feeble part ; a single chord in the deep broad chorus with which America greets the years before her ; one breath in the mighty tone of thanksgiving and praise which swells from the hearts of a great nation of freemen, as they hail this solemn hour. When
Through storm and calm the years have lead Our nation on from stage to stage A century's space, until we tread The threshold of another age.
"Altogether glorious, however, altogether sublime as is this common demonstration, how doth its glory fade by the side of that other coming together which has marked the progress of the centennial year. Awakened interest in Revolutionary annals has re-taught the lesson that the fabric whose founding we celebrate was the work of all, not part, that Yorktown and Saratoga have an equal luster; that Adams and Jefferson, Warren and Washing- ton, struggled and fought shoulder to shoulder; and that North and South, we are indeed brothers, by a common heroic parentage. As one year ago South Carolina and Georgia, through their citizen soldiery, joined Massachusetts in commemorating Bunker Hill, so only last week, at Charleston, the soldiers of New York and Mas- sachusetts joined South Carolina in doing honor to the memory of the Revolutionary battle of Fort Moultrie. And to-day, in Phila- delphia, a united band, these comrades, brother citizens and sol- diers, bow, elbow to elbow, at the common shrine of American Independence. Both proof and symbol that the fulfillment is at hand; nay, is now. of those ringing words of prophecy : 'The
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mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle field and every patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, shall yet swell the chorus of the Union."
" Hail! All hail to that victory of peace which crowns with such a halo of glory the triumphs of one hundred years!
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