History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan, Part 22

Author:
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Michigan > St Clair County > History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan > Part 22

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Great Britain has about ten species of trees which are natives of her soil. Michigan, with much less territory, has about ninety species, nine times as great a variety. Michigan has six species of maple of tree size, a basswood, a whitewood, honey locust, Kentucky coffee tree, two cherries, a pepperidge, five ashes, a sassafras, three elms, a hackberry, a mulberry, a button- wood, black walnut, butternut, six hickories, about twelve oaks, a chestnut, a beech, five tree birches, one larch, one arbor vitae, and a red cedar. The flora of Michigan contains 1,634 species (and probably more will be found) including 165 trees and shrubs. At least 40 of the trees and shrubs are worthy of cultivation for ornament.

In the tropics of South America, we should find 6,000 species on a territory where we should find 60 species in Michigan. In the tropics, a forest is seldom seen to compare with the grandeur of a forest of our white pines. The mixture of evergreens and deciduous-leaved

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

trees, the shrubs, the autumn tints, the streams, the hills and valleys, our beautiful lakes, with the different seasons of the year and different phases of the weather, lend a perpetual charm and freshness to our Michigan woodlands.

There are 139 species of grasses indigenous to Michigan and 176 species of sedges. The latter are often mistaken for grasses by those who are not botanists. Many of these on plains and in marshes, afford excellent pasture and hay for use by the pioneer. The State is remarkable for the excellent quality of its meadows and pastures, which are seen in the older portions. These are made up of several wild and introduced species, the number of which can no doubt be largely increased with greater profit to the farmer.

While we have a good variety which are abundant enough for the scientist, and some kinds more abundant than is desired by farmers and fruit-growers, yet injurious insects are by no means so numerous as they are farther west and south. Entomologists assure us that we need have no fears of chintz bugs or the Rocky Mountain locust. The army worm is very seldom troublesome, and then only in limited localities.

FOSSILS.

The fossil remains found in connection with the rocks of this county, and particularly evi- dent in the limestone strata, comprise the Lithostrotion mammillare, the L. longiconicum, the Cyathophyllum fungitus, and the Syringopore, all belonging to the polypi class. The only evi- dence of the Echinodermata is furnished by the remains of common species. The Bryoza class is represented in this limestone by no less than seven species; the Brachiopoda by eighteen species; the Lamellibranchiata by six species; the Trilobites by two very distinct species, each showing the tails. The remains of fish and reptiles are found to be very common. Human remains are unknown at present to exist in the conformations examined in St. Clair.

ZOOLOGICAL.

The changes wrought by time have, as it were, lightened the task of dealing with the zool- ogy of this county. All the great animals of the wilderness known to the pioneers have ceased long years ago to make their home in St. Clair. The remains of the pre-historic animals are hidden beneath the conformations of ages; the millions of reptiles which preceded and lived through the long summer, lie buried hundreds of fathoms down.

BIRDS.

All that is left to remind us of uncultivated nature, are the beautiful birds which visit the county periodically, or make it their home. Of these feathered citizens, there are about 250 species known to the people of this county -a large number have been seen only at long in- tervals; others have been seen once and disappeared, such as the summer red bird. The Con- necticut warbler is one of the most recent settlers, and evidently, one which shows a dispo- sition to make the county her home. Others have settled here since the county was organized, while others still date their advent away in the long past. In the following pages an effort is made to deal with the feathered tribe:

The robin, or Turdus migratorius, is a resident during spring and autumn, and even throughout such winters as that of 1881-82.

The wood-thrush, or Turdus mustelinus is a common summer bird. The hermit thrush has been found breeding here during the spring and fall, and is accompanied by the olive- backed thrush. Wilson's thrush visi's the county in the spring, and sometimes builds its nest here. The thrasher, or brown-thrush resides with us during the summer months. The cat birds come in large numbers during the summer, and build their nests here. All these birds hover round orchar.'s, barnyards, willow-thickets berry bushes, and brush heaps, both in the villages and in the country.

The blue-gray gnatcatcher is a common summer resident. The ruby crowned kinglet is a spring and fall visitor, going south in winter. The golden-crowned kinglet is found everywhere during the spring and autumn months. All these birds seek a home here for a great portion of the year, and create the envy of the other families by the beautiful nests which they build in

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY. 1

the groves and forest patches of the county. The eggs of these birds are three-eighths of an inch long, white in color, speckled, and dashed with umber and lilac. The blue bird is found everywhere during spring, summer and autumn. It nests in decaying trees, fence posts, and feeds upon worms, grasshoppers, spiders and berries. The white-bellied mulhatch is another common resident, though originally a Carolinian. The red-bellied hatch comes here from Can- ada to spend the spring, summer and fall, returning to that cold land in winter. These birds nest in the holes of trees, and feed upon spiders, ants, insects' eggs and seeds. The titmouse, or black-capped chickadee nests in the woods during fine weather, and comes into the village to spend the winter. It thankfully receives all the crumbs which may fall in its path. The brown creeper is the only representative of the family Certhiades in this county. It dwells here the year round, finding a storehouse in the forest to lay up animal and vegetable food in the shape of insects and seeds. The wren family, or Troglodytidc, has six representatives in the county. The Carolina wren, though a straggler, is well known.

Bewick's wren, or Thryothorus bewickii, appeared here for the first time very recently. His advance from the South was gradual.

The house wren, or Troglodytes cdon, is found in large numbers in the central townships of the county.

The winter wren is a well known visitor, sometimes spending the winter in the valley. He is known by the telling title Anorthura troglodytes.

The long-billed marsh wren, or Telmatodytes palustris, builds a suspended nest among the marsh-reeds or in sand grass. There he remains during the summer and then migrates.

The short-billed wren prefers meadow land and builds a large nest in a secure place. This family of miniature birds feeds upon insects, grasshoppers, snails, moths and other delicacies.

The Family Sylvicolido comprises no less than thirty-three representatives in this county. The black and white creeper nests beside a fallen tree; the blue yellow-winged warbler in the tree-tops of swamps and heavily timbered land. The blue-winged yellow warbler is a rare visitor. The blue, golden-winged warbler remains here during summer and breeds in low, damp woodland.

The Nashville warbler, orange-crowned warbler, Tennessee warbler, yellow warbler, black- throated green warbler, blue warbler, Blackburnian, yellow-rumped, black-poll, bay breasted, chestnut-sided, black and yellow, Cape May, prairie, yellow-throated, Kirtland's yellow red- poll, pine creeper and perhaps two or three other species of the warbler family, are well known visitors.

The water thrush, short and long billed, and the redstart belong to the family, and are common here.

The Connecticut warbler, a stranger here until 1881, the Maryland yellow-throat, the mourning, the hooded fly-catcher, black-capped fly-catcher, Canada fly-catcher, all favorite warblers, are beginning to make the county their home.

This is the second family in importance among the birds of North America. Their food consists chiefly of insects, varied with fruit and berries. They peep into crevices, scrutinize the abodes of the insect world and never suffer from want. This family is the scourge of the orchard and oftentimes destroys fruit fields of great value.

The horned lark, or Eremophila alpestris, is a winter dweller here and nests during the close of the cold season. There is another species of the horned lark, which leaves on the ap. proach of winter. Both build their nests on the ground, breed in April, and play around the farm yard or over gravelly soil.

The titlark belongs to the family Motacillida. They flock hither in tens of thousands dur- ing spring and often remain until fall.

The scarlet tanager, or Pyranga rubra, is a common visitor. The summer red-bird hitherto referred to as a recent explorer of the North, is very rarely seen here.

The Bohemian wax-wing, or Ampelis garrulus, is a recent and rare visitor. The cherry bird, or Carolina wax-wing, breeds here in August and September. They feed upon apples, cherries and berries, but are not numerous enough to cause any great anxiety to the pomolo- gist.

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

The Family Hirundinidc comprises the barn swallow, the white bellied swallow, the eave swallow, the sand swallow and the purple martin. These birds destroy myriads of winged in- sects, and make them their principal food. The swallow, though not so showy as her gaudy neighbors, confers more real benefit upon the people than any other member of the bird tribe.

The Family Vireonidae comprises the red-eyed vireo, brotherly-love vireo, or Vireo phila- delphicus, warbling vireo, yellow-throated vireo, solitary vireo and white-eyed vireo. They feed chiefly on insects, dwell in the forests, and seldom as they come to town, are in a hurry to return to their rustic homes.

The great northern shrike, or Collurio borealis, sometimes remains here to breed, but is not such a permanent settler as the loggerhead shrike which makes its home here the year round. The white rumped shrike is seen here during the summer months. They are very quarrelsome among themselves, and savage toward other birds. They impale their victims on thorns and leave them there until driven by hunger to eat them.

The Family Corvide is becoming extinct, or at least, very uncommon here. During the present year the few which visited left suddenly, contrary to all precedent. These birds are omnivorous, and comprise among others the raven, crow and blue jay. Their evil ways are al- most compensated for by their good qualities, and some are inclined to believe that the benefits they confer are far in excess of the damage they do.

The Family Fringillide is the most extensive known in the States of the Union. It is graminivorous, except during the breeding season, when it feeds itself and young on insects. The rose-breasted grosbeak is the only member of the family which feeds upon the potato bug. The white-crowned sparrow's food is the grape-vine flea beetle; the fox-sparrow and the chewink search out hybernating insects and snails; the English sparrow, a recent immigrant, feeds on seeds; the purple finch and crossbills feed on oily seeds and the seeds of pine cones.

The names of the varied representatives of this tribe, are: The pine grosbeak, purple finch, white-winged crossbill, red crossbill, red-poll linnet, mealy red-poll, pine linnet, goldfinch, snow bunting, Lapland longspur, Savanna sparrow, bay-winged bunting, yellow-winged spar. row, Henslow's, Lincoln's, swamp, song, chipping, field, clay-colored, white-throated, white- crowned, fox, and English sparrows. The latter bird was introduced here in 1873-74. The blue-bird, martin, swallow, and other sparrows have to fly before the approach of their legions. The lark, finch, black-throated bunting, rose-breasted grosbeak, the indigo bird and the Towhee bunting, or chewink, are not so destructive as the English sparrow; they have their uses; but it is likely that when the people realize the importance of the destruction of the imported spar- row the whole family will fall with that branch.

The Family Icteridc .- The bobolink, cow-bird, red-winged black-bird, meadow lark, rusty grackle, crow black-bird, Baltimore and orchard orioles belong to this family. The cow-bird destroys the eggs and young of stranger birds. The oriole feeds on hairy caterpillars during the season of breeding; this bird is of service in the orchard, and for this service she accepts the first small fruits and other luxuries of the garden. The other members of the family may be termed gregarious; they feed on the seeds of weeds, oats, wheat, corn, and on flies and insects.

The Tyrannida Family subsist almost altogether on flies, which they pursue and capture in the most open places. The pewee and king-bird pursue their victim in the light of day, and even should it escape for a time, it eventually falls before the lance of its pursurer. The family comprises the king-bird, wood pewee, phoebe bird, together with a half dozen fly-catchers, variously named.

The Caprimulgida Family comprises the whippoorwill, or Antrostomus vociferus, which is a common summer resident here, and the night-hawk, another well-known summer bird. They are given to " jay-hawking," and select the night for seeking their prey. Then thou- sands of grasshoppers, moths, beetles, winged insects and flies become their prey. The chimney swallow captures its prey upon the wing in a similar manner; but it belongs to the Cypselidc family.

The Alcedinida .- The only representative of this family in the county is said to be the belted king-fisher, which comes here in summer to spend the fishing season. If it does not at

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

once succeed in catching one of the finny tribe, it is capable of abstaining until success crowns its efforts.

The Trochilido .- This family is well represented here by the humming-bird. This is an animated cluster of emeralds and rubies, which comes to delight the people in May, and con. tinues with them until September.

The only member of the Cuculidc residing here during the summer months is the black- billed cuckoo, which comes to visit the woods and orchards of the State in the middle of June, and remains until harvest time.

The Picide Family, as represented here, is composed of seven species of woodpecker, known as the downy, the hairy, the Arctic black-back, the yellow-bellied, red-bellied, red-headed, and golden-winged. The family subsist on timber insects, fruit, berries and green corn. The yellow-bellied woodpecker is very destructive to apple trees; he sucks the sap of trees in some parts of the Union, but owing to the length of winter in Northeastern Michigan, he has no time to do much mischief here.

The Strigido Family comprises the barn owl, great horned owl, long-eared owl, short-eared owl, snow owl, hawk owl sparrow owl and Acadian owl. A few of these are very common residents here; the last named is an immigrant which settled here in 1879. All form the noc- turnal branch of the raptorial species, and select for their prey rats, mice, fish, frogs, chickens, birds of all kinds, and sometimes young pigs. They have their uses.

The Falconidc Family is comparatively extensive, and is fully represented here. It in- cludes the marsh hawk, white-tailed kite, sharp-shinned hawk, goshawk, Cooper's hawk, pigeon hawk, sparrow hawk, red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, broad winged hawk, Swainson's hawk, rough-legged hawk, the fish-hawk, and the bald eagle. They are birds of prey that select day-time for carrying on their operations. The fish-hawk will eat only fish. The bald eagle's favorite food is carrion and fish. When his taste leans toward fish, he generally makes a de- scent upon the fish-hawk.

The turkey buzzard, or Cathartes aura, is common in the county during July and August. They are entirely carnivorous, and come here after the period of incubation has been passed in the Southern States.

The Family Meleagrida is represented here by the wild turkey. This bird was well known here in olden times, but has now almost ceased to be a resident.

The Family Tetraonida is peculiarly one of game birds. It includes the partridge or ruffed grouse, the quail and the prairie chicken. The quail is a common resident of the county, and appears to attain its greatest size here. These birds subsist on the various grains, seeds, berries, buds, grapes and chestnuts. They form a family of large and beautiful birds, but in- capable of being thoroughly domesticated.

The Family Columbido includes the wild pigeon and Carolina dove. The latter resides here during the greater portion of the year. The pigeon is thoroughly graminivorous in its tastes, and in this respect differs from the family Tetraonida.

The Family Phalaropodido comprises the northern phalarope and Wilson's phalarope, two migrants which build their nests here at long intervals.

The Family Charadrida, or the plover tribe, is represented here by the killdeer, semi- palmated, piping, golden and black bellied plovers. They feed upon mollusks, water insects, grasshoppers, beetles, etc, This family is inferior in size to its European kindred.

The Family Ardeide includes the great bittern or Indian hen, the little bittern, the great blue, great white, green and night herons. These birds are summer residents, with the excep- tion of the night heron, which dwells here the year round.

The Family Gruidc, represented here by the sandhill crane and the whooping crane. Neither of these birds breeds here, and they may be set down as common stragglers or " tramps."

The Family Colymbidc is very small. Only two representatives are found here, viz., the common loon, well known for many years, and the black-throated loon, a recent visitor. To form an idea of the quickness of this apparently unwieldy bird, one must make an attempt to capture him alive or even shoot him. During travels in the Northwest, 1879-80, the writer

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found three specimens of the family living quietly in a lakeside nest, and left them undisturbed. The Rail tribe is comparatively well known here. It includes the Carolina and Virginia rails; the Florida gullinule and the cool, all common summer birds. The rare summer visitors of the tribe comprise the black, yellow, king, and clapper rails.

The grebe tribe or Family Podicipidc, comprises the horned grebe, the pied-billed grebe, as common residents; and the red-necked, and red-eared grebe which come here at intervals.

The Family Anatida is perhaps the best known and most useful of the feathered race. It comprises the goose, duck, widgeon, teal and merganser. The birds of the tribe common to the county are the brandt and Canada goose, the mallard, black, pin-tail, gadwall, wood, big black-head, little black-head, ring-necked, poachard, canvas-backed, golden-eye, butter-ball, long-tailed, Labrador, ruddy and fish ducks, the red-breasted merganser, the hooded mergan - ser, American widgeon, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, and the shoveller teal.

The Family Scolopacide includes the woodcock, American snipe, red-breasted snipe, up- land plover, long-billed curlew, stilt sandpiper, semipalmated, least, pectoral and red-backed sandpipers, Willst, greater yellow-legs, lesser yellow-legs and solitary, spotted and buff-breast- ed sandpipers. All these birds are common here. They are all " waders," and subsist on aqua- tic insects, grasshoppers, mollusks, crustaceans, etc.

The Larida Family comprises all the terns and gulls known in the temperate zone of our continent. The birds of the tribe common to St. Clair County, are the herring gull, the ringed- billed, the laughing and the Bonaparte gulls. The forktail gull is an uncommon visitor. The terns best known here include the Arctic, marsh, Forster's, Wilson's, the little and the black tern.

A man by the name of Conant speared a large eel in Sarnia Bay, May, 1852, the first of the kind, we are informed, ever caught in these waters. It was four feet in length, eight inch- es in circumference in the largest place, and weighed six pounds. The old French settlers, to whom it was exhibited, looked upon the eel with perfect astonishment, never having seen the like before.

MAMMALIA.

Among the many papers on this subject presented to the writer, there is one specially applicable prepared by J. S. Tibbits. It does not mention the New York and brown bats, the shrew and moles which were once known here; yet it deals fully with the larger mammalia, known to the first settlers of the districts bordering on Lake St. Clair. The contributor states :

"Most of the wild animals common to the State were found in great numbers by the early settlers of this county, and the descendants of Nimrod and Esau found abundant material upon which to exercise their favorite pursuit. The animals mostly to be found here were the deer, bear, wolf, lynx, wild cat, fox, coon, badger, fisher, porcupine, woodchuck, rabbit, mink and weasel. The skunk and rat did not make their appearance in the rural districts for nearly ten years after the first settlements were made. They were both as great curiosities to me then as the mermaid would be now. My first experience with a skunk was a sad, though I think a profi- table one. A neighbor, having an open cellar wall, ascertained one day that a skunk had taken refuge in the wall, and he offered me ten cents to kill and skin him. Being anxious to gratify my curiosity to see a skunk, and my ambition to earn an honest penny, I readily undertook the job. Ascertaining the locality of the animal, I proceeded with a sharpened stick to dislodge him. Getting down on my knees, I peered into the hole and gave him a sharp punch with my stick. He immediately resorted to his usual mode of defense, and discharged a full battery square in my face. I retreated in good order, though in very bad odor, and have wisely concluded ever since to let every man skin his own skunks.

"The birds common in these early days were the eagle, hawk, turkey-buzzard, raven, owl, crane, turkey, partridge, duck, wild goose and a variety of the smaller birds. The crow, like the skunk and rat, did not make its appearance till a number of years after the first settlements were made. The turkey-buzzard, so common in those early days, is seldom or never seen now. This bird resembles the wild turkey more nearly than any other bird, though by no means so large. It is not a bird of prey, but, like the raven, lives on carrion. It is a powerful bird on the wing, and soars to great heights, sailing seemingly for hours without a movement of the

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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

wings. The quills are very valuable for writing purposes, and the possession of one was con- sidered a treasure, inasmuch as with careful usage one would last through a school term of three or four months.

" The wild turkey was very common, and vast flocks of several hundred were frequently to be met with. The usual mode of hunting them was for two or three persons to proceed cau- tiously through the woods till they came upon a flock, then suddenly fire at random amongst them, the object being to scatter them in all directions. When thus scattered, they will inva- riably return to the same spot to get together again, the old ones coming first to call their young together. The hunters, hid in some secluded place, with their " turkey calls " ready for use, would wait patiently for the return of the old birds. These turkey calls consist of the hollow bone of the turkey's wing, and, in the mouth of an experienced hunter, can be made to exactly imitate the piping sound of the mother bird when calling her brood together. Soon the maternal notes of the old birds are heard, and the hunters respond with their "calls," luring them on to certain destruction. After the old birds are killed, the young ones fall an easy prey to the unerring aim of the skillful marksman. The flesh of the wild turkey is esteemed a great luxury, and one of the most delicious meals I think I ever ate was made from steak cut from the breast of a young turkey, fried in butter, and partaken after a hard day's hunt, in which a companion and myself killed seven large, fine birds.

" The wild turkey is sometimes caught in pens made of poles, some five or six feet in height, and covered over the top to prevent their escape. A covered passage way is made under the pen large enough for the turkeys to crawl through. Corn or other grain is scattered in the passage way and inside the pen. The unsuspecting birds, seeing the grain, commence picking it up, and thus one after another crawls through the hole into the open pen. 'Once in, forever in,' for they never think of putting their heads down to crawl out again.

" Deer were also very abundant, and scarcely a day passed but more or less of them were seen in and about the clearings. But little skill was required in killing them, the principal qualification being a steady nerve. During the hot days in the summer, when the mosquitoes and gnats were troublesome, the deer would resort to the streams and ponds of water during the night to get rid of their tormentors. Here they would fall an easy prey to the hunter, who, in his canoe, with a torch at the bow, would row noiselessly about. The deer, seeing the light, would remain as it were entranced, presenting to the unerring aim of the hunter two small bright globes of light, between which the fatal bullet was sure to be lodged. Another mode of hunting the deer, which frequently occasioned rare sport, was by watching for them on their run-ways, and shooting them down as they passed. One or two persons were stationed on the run-way, while others with the hounds would scour the woods to scare up the deer. When- ever one was started, it would invariably make for the run-way, the hounds and the men or boys following in hot pursuit. Rarely, indeed, was it the case that he was successful in run- ning the gauntlet, but usually fell a victim to his ruthless pursuers. A laughable incident oc-

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History of St. Clair County, Michigan, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development and resources, its war record, biographical sketches, the whole preceded by a history of Michigan, Part 22

Author: Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co. Number of Pages: 818

Author:
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, A.T. Andreas & Co.
Number of Pages: 818