History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan, Part 124

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, D.W. Ensign & co.
Number of Pages: 716

USA > Michigan > Clinton County > History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan > Part 124
USA > Michigan > Shiawassee County > History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan > Part 124

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

When Anthony Kopp became one of the settlers, he set himself at once to the business of providing a church and

school for the settlement. He held religious services in his log cabin, after the form of the Roman Catholic Church (for be it remembered that the early as well as the later settlers in Westphalia were attached to that faith), and began also to teach school therein. Church and school were to these Germans adjuncts of great value, and the establishment thereof they regarded as among the most serious and important duties of the time. The church and school thus set up in the wilderness by priest Kopp gathered strength as time passed on, widening and strength- ening their influence among the people, and supplying that bond of social union which, as strangers in a strange land, sheltered them within the folds of fraternal friendship, and which has since that time steadily held them to the same purpose, while they have seen the infant church and school mount steadily upwards in the scale of expanded useful- ness, until to-day thousands worship in a common temple, and nearly half a thousand school children gather within the walls of a common institution of learning. Later on will be found a detailed history of church and school from priest Kopp's time to the present.

Anthony Kopp was a man of mark in the community, and besides the task of religious and secular teacher, took also upon himself the role of adviser to his neighbors in all affairs where his superior intelligence would naturally guide them. He was much respected, and to his advice the greatest deference was paid. To his natural energy of character the settlement owes much of its advancement in temporal matters, for he took upon himself their direction at a time when the people, utterly strange to the necessities and forms of local government, needed some teacher and adviser. He was the leading spirit in the matter of town organization, although when it came to the intricate details and forms of holding the first town-meeting, a ery went up for an American to assist them, and so Henry Bartow, of Lyons, came over and set them a model by which they were easily able to fashion their subsequent records of town business.

In 1839 there came fresh accessions, for the planting of this little German colony in the wilds of Michigan became in some quarters a matter of common fame, while its mem- bers, communicating with friends in the " faderland," pointed the way for such as chose to join the earlier and more daring land-seekers. Among those who came in 1839 were Franz Rademacher, Conrad Martin, Gottfried Adleman, Mathias Ott, Anthony Huhn, Peter Arens, and Philip H. Martz. James J. MeRoberts, now living in Dallas, settled that year on seetion 12, in Westphalia, and M. MeVeigh on section 2.

Following is a list of resident tax-payers of Westphalia in 1839, which shows nearly what settlers had come to the township prior to that time :

Acres.

Franz Rademacher, section 3.

Conrad Martin, section 4.

Michael Thomen, section 4

Gottfried Adelman, section 4

Anthony Cordes, section 5.

112

Matthias Ott, section 4.

John Itanses, section 5 ..

135

Bernhard Rademacher, section 5 ..

Anthony Kopp, section 5

Nicholas Martin, section 5.

Joseph Platt, section 5

Michael Thoma, section 9.

A. Huhn, section 10 40

535

WESTPHALIA TOWNSHIP.

Acres.

Peter Arens, section 9 40

James J. MeRoberts, section 12.

Philip II. Martz, section 4 40

The early settlers went over to Lyons or Portland when milling was to be done, and as eattle were searce the usual custom was to paek a two bushel bag of wheat upon the baek, carry it on foot through the woods, and bring back the flour after the same fashion. John Hauses says he doesn't remember carrying barrels of flour from Portland on his back, but that he does reeolleet how he used to drag barrels of flour from there on a hand-sled, and halt every few min- utes to lift the flour over fallen trees which impeded the progress of his vehiele. Indeed, the scareity of ox-teams was a seriously felt want, and in such work as carrying fence-rails and doing other similar tugging labor, the back of the pioneer became sorely weary and sighed for the time when beasts of burden would become common. Michael Thome brought the first pair of oxen to the settlement, and while he was looked upon as a man favored in an extraor- dinary way by fortune, his oxen were in constant demand, and so put to the extent of their endeavors as must have convinced them that to be the only team of eattle in a new settlement was far from a consoling reflection.

Earlier mention was made that flour was hard to obtain at Portland or Lyons at even twenty-one dollars a barrel. Additional mention may be made that other supplies were proportionately dear, as, for example, meat twenty-five cents a pound, potatoes two dollars a bushel, and beans six dol- lars a bushel. Of course the settlers had to buy all needed supplies while awaiting the growth of their first crops, and poor as they were in money, it was not always that they could bless themselves with sufficient provisions to gratify their wants, and that hunger intruded its grim front full many a time and oft, may be well understood. Apropos of the poverty of some, it may be noted that Michael Thomen was so poor when he sowed his first erop of wheat he could not afford a drag, and actually dragged his wheat- field with bundles of thorn bushes.

The pioneer marriage has already been noted. The first birth was that of Elizabeth, daughter of Conrad Martin, born in 1840, and now the wife of Peter Petseh, of Jack- son. The first death was a daughter of Everhard Platte, and the first male person to die a son of Anthony Cordes. Both died in 1839. In 1842, Lorenz IIuhn's two infant children were burned to death in the house of their parents. The latter, who lived on seetion 10, went one day into the " bush," leaving the little ones alone in the house. Not long after the departure of the parents the house took fire, and by the time the cireumstanee was discovered by those able to help, the dwelling had fallen a prey to the devour- ing element, and along with it the children. The supposi- tion was of course that they played with fire in some form and thus destroyed themselves, but just how it all occurred no one could tell.

In 1840 there came to the settlement from the Rhine country in Germany, John Fox, Nicholas Paul, and John Lehman, with their families, and from the favorable reports dispatched by them to their friends in Germany, arose the 1

following year an emigration from the same neighborhood to Westphalia of fifteen or twenty families, among when were those of Lewis Weber, Anton Martin, John Dunne- backer, Joseph Bohr, John Smith, Jacob Newman, Nieho- las Knipps, Peter Simons, Peter Servatius, Mathias Bohi, Maurice Fedewa, and Anthony Fox. Later comers to the settlement may be named in John and Theodore Schaffer, Jacob Abfalter, Querin and John Smith, J. P. Smith, Peter Wirth, Mathias Schafer, Jacob Spitzley, Michael Smith, John Pung, John Fox, Adam Fedewa, Theodore Droste, Anthony Martin, and Mathias Simons.

Lorenz Nasman was the first shoemaker the settlement had, and Peter Servatius, who came in 1841, the second. Joseph Platte started a small store at Lyons directly after his arrival in Westphalia, and when the settlers in the lat - ter place began to make a respectable show of numbers lc opened a similar place on seetion 5, upon the road now passing east and west through the village. That was the first regularly-constructed highway in the settlement, and on it Jacob Newman and Joseph Platte kept regularly licensed taverns about the year 1842. Indians were among their best customers for whisky, and to the red- skins they dealt out copious quantities of fire-water in ex- change for furs, hides, sugar, and anything merchantable: that the savages could offer. On the same road, in section 4, Joseph Weaver opened the first blacksmith's shop, near where the church now stands.

English-speaking settlers eame to Westphalia at an early day, but the influx of that elass was at no time numerous. Among the earliest, and the earliest in the northern portion of the town, were James J. McRoberts and Simeon McCoy. both of whom located on seetion 12 as early as 1839, 61 perhaps shortly before. In the south, where but few Germans penetrated until a comparatively late date, the pioneer settler was David Wells, who settled in section 36, in 1839, and who still lives on the place. He came from Oakland County with his family, whom he lodged a week at Hovey Spieer's, in Watertown, while he prepared a eabin on his own place. IIe had eleven people to assist at the raising of his eabin, of whom Anthony and Ezekiel Niles, Philo Beers, a blacksmith, David Burgess, Mr. Whitmore, and the Higbees, were from Eagle, and Hovey Spicer, Ebenezer Smith, and John Andrus, from Watertown.

Wells went through the woods to Portland to mill, and as he had usually to clear his road or cut it out, it took him two days to make the trip. Ilis children he sent to Wacousta to school. Getting medical attendance was somewhat troublesome, but he, like many other settlers in the vicinity, got so after awhile that he could do consider- able doctoring himself, and in eases of simple sickness managed very well. Trading was done at Jackson, al- though it took a good ten days to make the journey thence and baek with an ox-team. Black salts, coon furs, and deer- skins were the earliest articles which he could muster as the basis of a dicker at the market, and for these he would bring back flour and other much-needed comforts. Cash was scarce, and such a thing as selling anything near houn. for money was not to be thought of, for no merchant would give anything but " trade." Meat was plentiful, for game

536

HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

was to be had almost for the asking, and settlers had no reason, therefore, to go hungry unless so disposed.

Wells was the only settler in that portion of West- phalia for a year or two. Then the Haners, Hazens, and Nettletons came in, and others soon followed. Among these latter was John Kelly, who entered two lots on sec- tion 25 in 1851. He himself settled on one of the lots, and sold the other to his brother Chester, who occupied it the same year, and still lives on it. It was making a home in the heart of the woods, although the town had received a good many settlers. On section 36 were Conrad and John Haner, who had cut out a road on the west line of the section. Northwest of Chester Kelly his nearest neighbors were William Nettleton and his brother, both of whom had clearings in section 23 upon a laid-out angling road. Abram Bennett located on section 36 in 1853, and in that year Joseph Kelly occupied on section 35 the place upon which his son Charles now lives. David Goss located in March, 1855, on an eighty-acre lot in section 35, which he had entered some years before ; and in 1857 Christopher Tallman made his home in section 35, upon a place ocen- pied at a later date by Alfred Williams. Edward Dilling- ham came to section 36 in 1855, and in that year A. D. Parkhurst settled on a tract of new land in the same sec- tion. Edward Rose lived on the old Haner place in 1854, now occupied by Henry Sanford. Rose also lived in 1860 upon the place where Charles Brown succeeded him two . years after and still occupies. In 1856, Cook Delamater entered the farm on section 36 known as the Weatherwax place, and on section 26 Michael Hayes settled in 1854, where his widow still lives. In 1854, also, S. C. Hazen moved to the farm on sections 34 and 35 settled by his brother Eber in 1841. Hazen had the only horse-team in that corner of the town, and he used to haul a good many supplies between Detroit and northern points before railway facilities were extended to that country. Even in his time a journey to mill by ox-team occupied two days, each man taking turns in going for the entire neighborhood. Coon- skins and deer-skins brought the cash in Detroit, and as a consequence hunting for coons and deer was lively business among the settlers. A little money was realized that way, and at other times working on the road contracts, road- bees being the favorite method, for the tax of non-residents, brought in the welcome cash.

The first school taught in the southeast corner of the town was one over which Harriet De Witt presided as teacher in 1853, on section 36.

S. L. Jenkins settled in 1855 on section 31, after a thir- teen years' residence in Michigan. A Mr. Mitchell was the original settler upon the place in about 1850. Jenkins found his neighbors to include Robinson, a blacksmith, just south of him, and John Wingate, just south of Robinson's. North was Mr. Terrill, and still further north J. Colby, who had been in since 1842. Eastward the land was swampy, and there but few settlements were made until a late period. Arnold Dinsmore's son William and son-in- law, Franklin Naveman, came in a few years afterwards and began to clear some land on the elder Dinsmore's place, lying to the eastward, about the first clearing effected in that locality.

EARLY TOWNSHIP ROADS.

In 1839 the township was divided into three road dis- tricts. The first comprised all that portion of land situated on the east section-line between seetions 2 and 3, running from north to south through the town ; the second, all that land lying between the above-mentioned line and a line running between sections 4 and 5; the third, all the re- maining land in said township.

May 27, 1839, a road was laid commencing on the north line of said town, and at the northeast corner of section 6; thence running south on section-lines to the southeast corner of section 6. A second road was laid from the northeast corner of section 2 to the southeast corner of the same sec- tion. A third road commenced at the northeast corner of section 5 and terminated at the southeast corner of the same section. A fourth road began at the southeast corner of section I and passed to the southwest corner of section 6. July 15, 1839, a road was laid commencing at the sontheast corner of section 12, and extending west on sec- tions 11 and 14 to the southwest corner of section 11. Sept. 1, 1840, a road was laid commencing at the southeast corner of section 11, and running north on section-line one mile. Sept. 29, 1840, a road was laid commencing at the northwest corner of section 2, and running to the southwest corner of the same section. Same date a road was laid from the northwest corner of section S to the southwest corner of section 32, running sonth on section-lines. Nov. 20, 1840, a road was laid from the northwest corner of section 9 to the southwest corner of said section. Oct. 5, 1840, a road was laid from the southwest corner of section 9 to the southeast corner of the same section. Oet. 3, 1841, a road was laid from the northwest corner of section 3 to the southwest corner of said seetion. Dec. 25, 1841, a road was laid from the southwest corner of section 1 to the northwest corner of the same section.

Nov. 6, 1842, a road was laid from the southeast corner of section 10 to the southwest corner of the same section.

At a meeting of the commissioners of highways of the township of Westphalia, on the 24th day of March, A.D. 1846,- they divided the road districts in the following manner:

Distriet No. I to contain sections 1, 2, and the north half of section 11, and the north half of section 12, and to take all roads in said district, as well as the south half of the road between sections 2 and 3, and the south half of the north half of the road between sections 10 and 11.

District No. 2 to contain sections 3 and 4, and to take all roads in said district, as well as the north half of the road between sections 2 and 3, the north half of the road between sections 4 and 5, and the road between sections 3 and 10.

District No. 3 to contain sections 5 and 6, and take all roads in said district, as well as the south half of the road between sections 4 and 5 and the road between sections 6 and 7.

Distriet No. 4 to contain sections 7 and 8, and to take all roads in said district, the road between sections 5 and S, the north half of the road between sections S and 9, and the road between seetions 7 and 18.

District No. 5 to contain sections 9 and 10, and to take all roads in said district, the south half of the road between

537

WESTPHALIA TOWNSHIP.

sections 8 and 9, the road between sections 9 and 16, and the road between sections 4 and 9.

District No. 6 to contain the south half of seetion 11, and south half of sections 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, and to take all roads in said district, the south half of the roadI between seetions 10 and 11, the road between sections 8 and 17, the road between sections 10 and 15, the road between sections 13 and 24, the road between sections 15 and 22, and the road between sections 17 and 20.

District No. 7 to contain sections 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, and 30, and to take all roads in said district, the road between sections 14 and 23, the road between see- tions 16 and 21, and the road between sections 18 and 19.

District No. 8 to contain sections 25, 26, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36, and to take all roads in said district, and the road running east from the northwest corner of section 31, terminating at the east side of said town.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION AND CIVIL LIST.

Town 6 north, in range 4 west, was detached from the township of Watertown by aet of Legislature approved March 21, 1839, and named Westphalia, suggested ori- ginally as a name for the town by Rev. Anthony Kopp, in recognition of the fact that the earliest settlers in the town- ship came from the province of Westphalia in Germany.

The first township-meeting was held at the house of Anthony Cordes, April 29, 1839. Anthony Cordes was appointed moderator, Joseph Cordes clerk, and Philip Henry Martz, James S. McRoberts, Peter Arens, and An- thony Kopp inspectors of election. The officials ehosen on that occasion were : Supervisor, Anthony Kopp ; Clerk, Philip Henry Martz; Treasurer, Nicholas Martin; Jus- tices of the Peace, Gottfried Adleman (four years), An- thony Cordes (three years), Peter Arens; Assessors, An- thony Platte, Philip Henry Martz, James S. McRoberts ; Highway Commissioners, Conrad Martin, Nicholas Martin, John Hauses; School Inspectors, Peter Arens, Michael Thoma; Collector, Mathias Ott ; Constable, Mathias Ott ; Directors of the Poor, Bernhard Rademacher and Anthony Cordes ; Overseers of Highways, Francis Rademacher, dis- triet No. 1, Anthony Kopp in district No. 2.

Appended is given a list of the persons ehosen annually from 1840 to ISSO to serve as supervisor, clerk, treasurer, and justice of the peace :

SUPERVISORS.

1840 .* J. Dunnebacker.

1862-63. M. Bartow.

1841. Joseph Platto.

1861. J. Bobr.

1842. A. Kopp.

1865. M. Bartow.

1813. M. MeVeigh.

IS66. No record.

1844. M. Bartow.

1867-68. M. Bartow.

1845. William F. Dutton.

1869-72. J. P. Yuneker.

1846-51. M. Bartow, Jr. 1873-74. J. II. Fedewa.

1852-53. W. T. Plowman. 1875-76. M. Bartow.

1854-59. M. Bartow, Jr.

1877-78. J. Il. Fedewa.

1860-61. Joseph Bohr.

1879-80. William Smith.

CLERKS.

1840. A. Kopp. 1841-42. S. Boughton.

1813. W. T. Plowman. 1844. S. Boughton.

# Twenty-six votes cast.

1845. F. W. Crain.

1835-63. Joseph Platte, Jr.

1846. M. MeVeigh.

1861-65. J. Rademacher.

1847-48. F. Martin. 1866. No record.

1819. M. Me Veigh. 1867-69. William Smith.

1850. W. Nettleton. 1870-72. T. Platte.

1851-53. J. A. Mcveigh.

1873-78. Joseph Arens.

1854. Joseph Bohr.

IS79-SO. A. A. Fox.

TREASURERS.

1810. L. Wieber. 1858-39. B. Rademacher (24).

1811. M. Paul.

1860. M. Pelsch.

1842. C. Martin. 1861. M. Pung.

1813. JJ. Dunnebacker.

1862. A. Fox.

1844. C. Martin.

1863. P. Smith.

1815-46. F. Martin. 1864. T. Rademacher.

1817-48. Joseph Platte. 1865. J. Buchal.

1849. D. Kopfert.

1866. No record.

1850. G. Adleman.

1>67. A. Arens.

1851. F. Martin.

INGS. F. Platte.

1852. Joseph Platte.

1869-70. 1. Arens.

1853. J. Rademacher.

1871-73. J. Snitgen.

1851, P. J. Voosen.

1871-75. J. Baker.

1855. N. Kneiss.

IS76-78. J. P. Bertram.

1856. C. Martin.

1879-80. J. Martin.

1857. L. Keusch.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

1840. S. Bonghton.

1861. M. Bartow.

1841. No record.

1862. J. Rademacher.

1842. Joseph Cordles.

LS63. L. Keusch.

1843. G. Adelman.

1864. J. M. Benjamin.

1841. S. Boughton.

1865. M. Bartow.

1845. C. Martin. 1866. No record.

1846. W. T. Plowman.

1867. L. Keusch.

1847. M. Snider.

1-68. J. Rademacher.

1848. M. Bartow, Jr.

1869. F. Noeker.

1849. C. Ilaner. 1870. P. Petsch.

1850. W. T. Plowman.

1871. L. Kousch.

1851. S. Barnes. 1872. F. Nocker.

IS52. D. Dutton.

1873. M. Barlow.

1853. M. Bartow, Jr.

1871. P. Petsch.

1854. J. T. Wingate.

1875. E. Fitzgerald.

1855. W. T. Plowman.

1876. F. Noeker.

IS56. D. Goss, Jr.

1577. M. Bartow.

1857. M. Bartow, Jr.

1878. P. Petsch.

1858-59. L. Keusch.

IST9. A. F. Williams.

ISGO. J. Bohr. 1880. F. Nocker.

THE TREASURER'S REPORT IN 1810.

At a meeting of the township board, held March 24, 1840, for the purpose of settling with the town treasurer, it appeared that there had been received by the treasurer from residents twenty-six dollars and forty cents and from non-residents twenty dollars and seventy cents, or a total of forty-seven dollars and ten cents; that the collector's fees were two dollars and fifty-one cents; that there had been paid in town orders twenty-six dollars and twenty-five and a half cents, and that there remained due to the town twenty-one dollars and thirty-six and a half cents.

JURORS FOR ISII.

Grand .- Joseph Platte, Conrad Martin, Mathias Ott, Samuel Boughtou.

Petit .- Dominick Hopfert, Francis Martin, Martin Paul, Gottfried Adleman.

JURORS FOR ISHI.

Grand .- John Dunnebacker, William T. Plowman, Samuel M. Crain, John Haner.

538

HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

Petit .- Moses Bartow, Jr., Samuel Boughton, William F. Dutton, Gottfried Adleman.

At a meeting of the township board, March 30, 1847, it appeared that the tax raised in 1846 was four hundred and twenty-seven dollars and twenty-two cents, and that the amount of non-resident tax returned was two hundred and fifty-five dollars and fifty-two cents.

JURORS FOR 1850.

Grand .- William T. Plowman, William Nettleton, Sam- ucl Barnes, Milton Me Veigh, Moses Bartow, Jr.

Petit .- James A. Me Veigh, Francis W. Crain, Conrad IIaner, John Haner, Samuel M. Crain.

June 20, 1853, the township voted five for and seventy against the adoption of an act prohibiting the manufacture of, and traffic in, intoxicating beverages.

COUNTY OFFICIALS FROM WESTPHALIA.

Westphalia has furnished the county prosecuting attor- neys for ten years,-Anthony Cook, six years, and J. II. Fedewa, four years; Circuit Court commissioners, four years,-Anthony Cook and Moses Bartow ; William T. Plowman as sheriff; Moses T. Bartow as representative, four years ; and David Goss coroner, four years.

SCHOOLS.

In regard to schools, the first settlers and organizers of the township being cwigrants directly from Germany, a great prejudice existed against English schools, first, and mainly, because of the national pride in favor of the Ger- man language, and secondly, because a feeling prevailed that a change of language would interfere with their church interest, which was mainly Roman Catholic, and conse- quently the progress of English schools was slow until the Legislature enacted a law that all public records and busi- ness should be in the English language; and since that time, and since the passing away of the original Germans, a steady growing interest has been manifested in favor of English schools. Several causes have conspired to this end. The first was the enactment of the law that no public money should be appropriated for any but English schools ; second, the national pride giving way to the idea that we are a universal Yankee nation, and that it is better for all business to be done by one universal language ; and thirdly, on account of the quiet but persistent efforts of some of the English or American settlers in the township, first and foremost being Moses Bartow, the first American teacher among the Germans, who taught in a portion of their old log church in 1846, while in another portion of the same church a German school was taught, both schools drawing from the primary-school fund for their support ; but soon after that, and upon the adoption of the constitution of 1850, requiring at least three months of free schools each year, and that the public schools should be conducted in the English language, a steady-growing interest has arisen in favor of our State or English schools, until now there are many good English scholars among the Germans there, and the business of the township is ably conducted wholly by the Germans. Moses Bartow, who was originally from

Niagara Co., N. Y., and who lived in the township from 1841 to 1879, was largely conducive and conspicuous among the American settlers to this end. He was elected super- visor for twenty years, from 1846 to 1879, for that town- ship, and upwards of thirty four years a justice of the peace, and many years school inspector and superintendent of' schools. The township may now be said to be pretty thoroughly Americanized in regard to schools, and Michi- ganized in education.

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History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan, Part 124

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia, D.W. Ensign & co. Number of Pages: 716

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, D.W. Ensign & co.
Number of Pages: 716