USA > Michigan > St Joseph County > History of St. Joseph County, Michigan; Volume I > Part 13
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DESCENDANTS OF WHITE PIGEON
not accomplish,' and truly the women were aroused with en- thusiasm for the work in hand. To secure the necessary means, they published a book which they believed would appeal to all who were interested in this, the most widely known landmark in St. Joseph county. The reception of this book, 'White Pigeon,' was indeed most gratifying and the ladies were enabled to accomplish their purpose. by marking permanently the resting place of the chieftain whose name we cherish, and today, my friends, at the request of the Alba Columba Club, Master Willie White Pigeon will unveil to your sight this modest monument erected by the Alba
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Columba Club to the memory of Wahbememe, the Pottawatomie Indian chief, who gave his life to save the settlement at this place.
"This, a rugged boulder, emblematic of the character of him whose dust it covers, we present to you and to posterity, and with it the memory of one who, though untutored and unlearned in the manners of the cultivated, lived so in harmony with the Great Spirit that in his death he fulfilled to the utmost the highest law, for 'Love is the fulfilling of the law,' and 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.' "
OTHER PROCEEDINGS.
Flowers were strewn upon the grave by the school children, the Indians sang in the Pottawatomie tongue, "Jesus My All to Heaven is Gone," closing the exercises at the grave.
At the speakers' stand in the park, J. M. Benjamin, in a few well chosen sentences, gave a hearty welcome to the visitors and introduced the principal speaker, Lieut. Gov. P. H. Kelly, who emphasized the marvelous wealth of the heritage bequeathed to the rising generation.
Mr. Benjamin introduced the Indians who were seated upon the platform, and Sampson White Pigeon, on behalf of the others, spoke appreciatively of the occasion.
Jacob Yauney, of Florence township, who has lived in this vicinity since 1836, recalled early incidents of his life and read an original poem written in honor of the day.
E. G. Tucker, one of the most active members of the County Pioneer association, spoke, as did Rev. Alexander McLaughlin of Pearl City, Illinois, who was a pastor in White Pigeon over thirty years ago.
The songs by male voices were greatly enjoyed, the singers being Edwin, Reuben and Willis Rosebrook, Newton Gilmore, and Dick Bottorf.
The program of sports was carried out in full and there was something doing all day long, closing with the most beautiful and varied pyrotechnic display ever attempted in this section.
The ladies of the Alba Columba Club, the committee in charge, the business men, and in fact the entire community were warmly congratulated on the brilliant success of White Pigeon's Home- coming.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
THE PIONEER TRIO.
Soon after their arrival on White Pigeon prairie, in 1827, Messrs. Winchell, Cutler and Heald built their log cabins in the edge of the timber flanking the grassy expanse; and as they formed the center of the colonization of White Pigeon township they must receive more than mention at this point.
JUDGE WINCHELL.
John Winchell had nine children: Elizabeth, who married Samuel Markham; David, who married Mary Ann McInterfer, daughter of the first settler in Lockport township; Lyman and William Winchell; Martha, whose union with James Knapp con- stituted the first marriage in the county ; John, Cynthia, Angelina and James. In the fall of 1833 Judge Winchell moved to Door prairie, Laporte county, where he died December 20, 1836. He was the first justice of the peace in St. Joseph county and also its first postmaster, having charge of the few letters and papers which came to Millville, when it became a postoffice in 1828. Further, Mr. Winchell was the first mail contractor on the Chi- cago road, between Coldwater and Niles, and he was considered a most becoming type of accuracy, promptness and business hab- its, besides being a moral man. The Winchell log cabin was built on the north side of the Chicago road and the blacksmith shop on the south side, just in the edge of the timber. Both he and his wife were New England people.
LEONARD CUTLER.
Leonard Cutler was a native of Vermont, who migrated to Canada in 1811, shortly after his marriage. At the commence- ment of the war of 1812 he moved over the line into New York, and during hostilities performed good service in the artillery branch of the United States army. At the close of the war Mr. Cutler moved himself and family into the wilderness of Jennings county, Indiana, where he cleared a forest for farming purposes. As may be imagined, White Pigeon prairie, with its fringe of timber land, appealed to his home-loving instincts. It is said that he was stricken with fever on the road, and his con- dition became so serious that his sons drew up the wagon beside
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
the Chicago trail, which had been just reached, and laid him upon an improvised bed.
As soon as the boys could command their feelings sufficiently to put the question, they asked their father where they should bury him, in case of his death.
Mr. Cutler's reply was a fair indication of his tenacity of purpose. "Not here," he said, "but on White Pigeon prairie. There is where I started to go, and there I am going, dead or alive. If I die put me in the wagon, take me to the prairie and there bury me. But I am not going to die." And he did not.
The family reached White Pigeon prairie, and a Pottawatomie Indian gave the fever patient some native herb medicine, made doubly effective by the offering of tobacco and fervent prayer to the Great Spirit. He was soon himself again, and he so be- friended a sick German, named Kimball, that the latter loaned him money to enter his eight hundred acres in the eastern portion of the prairie. On the 18th of May, 1827, when Mr. Cutler reached White Pigeon prairie, his family comprised his wife Mercy, and several children. One of them, Maurice D., afterward went to Wisconsin, and became one of the principal proprietors of Waukesha, while another, John, migrated to California, where he was prominent as a county judge and state legislator. The daughter, Mary Cutler, was the first white child born in the county. She was born in the early part of 1828, married a Mr. Hunt and died near Laporte about 1870.
Mr. Cutler left St. Joseph county in the spring of 1831, sell- ing the lands which he had bought at $1.25 per acre at a large advance and locating on Door prairie, Indiana. Several years thereafter he made a move which took him still further west, locating at Decorah, Iowa, where he passed away close to the century mark.
ARBA HEALD.
Arba Heald, who came to White Pigeon in 1828, was a native of Maine, and brought to St. Joseph county his wife and five children. His wife was a New York lady, who he married in 1818. In 1820 they removed to Pennsylvania; thence to Ohio; in 1825 to Monroe, Michigan, and thence to White Pigeon.
Messrs. Winchell and Heald were prospecting southern Mich- igan, in the vicinity of the Chicago road, during the later part of 1826, and when they reached the western edge of White Pigeon
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
prairie Heald exclaimed "Winchell, right about face! We have gone far enough! This location is good enough for anybody !" Thereupon the two retraced their way to Monroe, Winchell re- turning to White Pigeon in April, 1827, accompanied by Heald. The latter went to Monroe for his family, whom he brought with him in January, 1828, arriving toward the last of the month. In June, 1832, Mr. Heald disposed of his location to Dr. Isaac O. Adams, and moved to Door prairie, Indiana. There he built a sawmill and became prominent, dying in 1853.
FIRST FARMS IN THE COUNTY.
The first farms in White Pigeon township, as well as in the county, were those of Winchell and Cutler, who, in the spring of 1827, broke the new sod and planted corn, potatoes and buck- wheat, sowing wheat in the fall. Cutler had a strong team- three yoke of oxen and two of cows-and broke up several acres. In the following spring he also planted the first fruit-seeds for nursery purposes, devoting three acres to this enterprise.
"OLD DIGGINS', FIRST HOTEL.
Dr. David Page, the first physician of the county, Reed Page, his brother and Joseph Olds, located on the prairie in the fall of 1827, and in December of that year came Asahel Savery, who at once build the east wing of the "Old Diggins," the pioneer hotel. It was a log building, and the resort of all the important per- sonages of the day. Here the electors assembled and set in mo- tion the wheels of government of the new county, in the fall of 1829, when the first caucus was held in the county and Elias Taylor was recommended to Governor Cass as a fit person to take charge of the courts and keep the peace in the sheriff's office; John W. Anderson received a similar recommendation for the position of register of probate and of deeds, and John Sturgis and William Meek were nominated for county judges. Here, too, in this pioneer hotel, the first town meeting was held in the spring following.
In 1830 the proprietor added a very respectable frame struc- ture to his log building, it being really the main building of the hotel. Here the first court convened in the county was held in August, 1830, Hon. William Woodbridge and Henry Chipman
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
being the presiding judges. Its proprietor also owned and op- erated the first stage coaches on the Chicago road in 1831, and drove them himself, cutting out the roads and building the bridges to get through from Tecumseh to Niles.
END OF COLONEL SAVERY.
Colonel Savery was a distinguished character and noted for years as a Michigan frontiersman. In 1835 he went to Texas and fought for the Lone Star republic under Houston; became also a soldier of the Mexican war; a prospector in California, Nevada and Idaho, and is supposed to have passed his last days in Texas. In 1837 his old tavern was occupied by Rev. Charles Newberry, or rather by the branch of the University of Michigan, of which he had charge. The occupancy was only temporary, pending the completion of a regular branch building.
VILLAGE PLATTED.
Savery's log tavern was the first house built within the present limits of the village of White Pigeon. The original plat, which was surveyed and mapped May 6, 1830, was laid out by Robert Clark, Jr., the government surveyor; Niles F. Smith, the pioneer merchant ; Neal McGaffey, first lawyer of the county, and Mr. Savery himself. With the exception of Savery, all of these proprietors of White Pigeon village were comers of 1828-9.
From this time onward, the settlement on White Pigeon prairie, including the village, was quite brisk and included among the principal comers-those who made local history-the follow- ing: In 1828 came James Knapp, the first Benedict; Beckwith and family ; Luther Newton, the pioneer manufacturer; Peter Klinger and family, who gave their name to Klinger's lake; and Billy Naggs, a trader on Indian prairie a mile southwest of the village. In 1829 the additions were: Samuel Pratt, who was among the first to build a frame house on the village plat; Dr. Hubbel Loomis, who was the first probate judge, and John W. Anderson, first register of probate and deeds. In 1830 came Rev. William Jones, first Presbyterian minister in the county, and the Kellogg brothers, the leading merchants. In 1831, Dr. Isaac O. Adams and his family of sons arrived, with John S. Barry, after- ward governor of the state.
Vol. 1-10
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
PIONEER COUNTY SCHOOL-HOUSE.
The first schoolhouse in the county was built on White Pigeon prairie, in the summer of 1830, at a little settlement called New- ville, which had been promoted by the three Phelps brothers, who had arrived upon the scene about a year before. The log cabin in which it was held was erected especially for educational purposes, and although its desks and seats were not entirely devoid of bark it was not viewed by the pioneers of those times as a mere "make-shift" affair. Albert Allen, afterward post- master of both Newville and White Pigeon, was the first teacher. In its time White Pigeon Seminary was a high-class institution of learning, and enjoyed the distinction of being a branch of the University of Michigan. Governor Bagley received his education there.
FIRST RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
The first religious services were also held at Newville, both in the school-house and at the homes of White Prairie settlers. A Methodist class had been formed in this vicinity, during the fall of 1829, with David Crawford as class leader. It was or- ganized by Rev. Erastus Felton. The Baptist church also had its commencement at Newville, but its headquarters were after- wards transferred to White Pigeon village. It is said that a Baptist minister named Holmes came to the Prairie in 1828 and lived for a time on Winchell's farm; but it is certain that he devoted himself to the practical tilling of the soil rather than to religious work.
CUTTING DOWN AND BUILDING UP.
The civil organization of White Pigeon township corresponds to that of the county-October 29, 1829-it being one of the three original townships which embraced the present territory of St. Joseph county. In the process of being cut down to its present dimensions several steps were taken. On March 21, 1833, the present townships of Lockport and Fabius were set off from it, under the name of Buck's township, and in 1837 Florence, Con- stantine and Mottville were substracted from its original ter- ritory, reducing White Pigeon to little more than half a township.
Then followed the building-up process from slices of ter- ritory taken from Mottville, to the west, and Florence, to the
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
north. As a part of the White Pigeon plat was located in the first tier of sections in Mottville, this area was added to the township, as well as section 34, 35 and 36, of Florence township. The lat- ter was west and north of Klinger's lake, and above them was a large and then impassable swamp. This hard physical fact com- pelled the good citizens of Florence to take a wide swing almost to the village of White Pigeon, whenever they were obliged to go to township headquarters on business; hence it was thought best to attach it civilly, as it was physically, to White Pigeon.
TOPOGRAPHY AND DRAINAGE.
Speaking from the standpoint of topography, White Pigeon township is a plain, slightly undulating in portions. It was orig- inally covered with burr and white oak openings, with the excep- tion of about one thousand acres of its area, included in the beau- tiful and widely-known White Pigeon prairie. Altogether, its area is about 18,000 acres, of which 1,265 is included in water sur- face. It has no characteristics of soil, which would separate it from other sections of the county.
The township is drained by the Pigeon and Fawn rivers and Pickerel, Klinger's, Aldrich, Marl and Fish lakes. The Pigeon enters the township from Indiana, in section 22, and passes in a generally northwesterly direction, through Marl lake, flows south of the village of White Pigeon, and makes its exit into Mottville township. The Fawn river enters the township by way of Aldrich lake, in the southeast corner, flows through Pickerel lake, which stretched generally toward the northwest, and thence takes a northerly course into the township of Florence, a branch con- necting the main stream with Klinger's lake to the east.
LAKES OF THE TOWNSHIP.
This latter is the largest body of water in the township, having an area of about seven hundred acres, and is named from Peter Klinger, who settled on its shores in 1829. It covers por- tions of several of the extreme northeastern sections of the town- ship. Aldrich lake overlaps the southeastern line between White Pigeon and Sturgis townships, and is connected with Pickerel lake by Fawn river. Marl lake is just south of the main stream of White Pigeon river and joined to it by a small stream, while
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Fish lake is in the extreme southwest and stretches over the Indiana line. With the exception of the last named, all the lakes in the township are included in the valleys of the Fawn and White Pigeon rivers.
Thus have the main facts in connection with the early set- tlement of the township been set forth; and it is evident that its pioneer history in its earliest period is that of the county at large. As a means of rounding out the story and record of this important section of St. Joseph county, the following additions are made, which speak for themselves.
PIONEER INCIDENTS OF THE COUNTY. BY CHARLES B. KELLOGG.
The pioneer days of St. Joseph county have long since passed into oblivion to the many, but are still fresh in the memory of a select few whose lives have been spared to the present day. The reminiscences of pioneer days and pioneer life are very interesting to many, and particularly interesting to the few who remain for the experience which they had in being participants in the develop- ment of this great country.
FIRST FARMERS AND BUSINESS MEN.
St. Joseph county without a doubt was one of the first counties in the state to demand the attention of New England and foreign people and was first settled, in 1829-1830, by New England and by English people direct from Old England. The bulk of the farmers in this locality were English and the men who platted and estab- lished the towns in business were New England people.
Judge Baxter, Kellogg & Brothers, Neal McGaffey and others platted the town of White Pigeon, built the large water-way, dam and race-a mile long-erected a large flouring mill and sawmill there, and did a large business for that early day.
The products of this and La Grange county, Indiana, were floated down the St. Joseph river from Mendon, Three Rivers, Con- stantine, Mottville and other points on the river, in arks, flat boats, keel boats and steamboats to the mouth of old St. Jo and then loaded on lake vessels for Buffalo; thence taking the canal to New York for a market, at three and a half dollars per barrel. Wheat
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
was then about forty cents per bushel and corn fifteen to twenty, the latter being manufactured principally into whiskey by the numerous stills in the county and sold at twenty-five cents per gallon.
The prairies were in those days traversed almost daily in the summer season by numerous bands of Indians, hunting and ex- changing their products of the chase and bush-deer, turkeys, ven- ison and maple sugar-to the merchants for goods and trinkets.
They remained here for some time; then ceded their lands to the government and were removed to Iowa; thence to Kansas, where I met many of them in 1857 and during the Border Ruffian war with John Brown, while Kansas was yet a territory.
The pioneer business men of White Pigeon were merchants. Kellogg & Brothers carried dry goods and general merchandise and were millers. Judge Levi Baxter was a miller and farmer, and I think, at an early day, judge of probate at Centerville. Lewis B. Judson was a merchant there, as was Governor John S. Barry for a short time. Mr. Barry removed to Constantine, erected a large store for merchandise and a large warehouse on the river, to accom- modate the river trade and the steamboats. He did quite a lucra- tive business for many years, and served as governor of the state for three terms.
THE KELLOGG BROTHERS.
Kellogg Brothers (George, Edwin and Charles), erected the then largest store building in the town, two stories high and front- ing two streets; old colonial style, with a porch all across the front ; large round pillars to support the upper front and large blinds to be put on every night and locked. Kellogg & Brothers carried a large stock of general merchandise; everything that a farmer and his family would require. They had the first fire-proof safe-a little salamander-and there was where the first White Pigeon bank was established in wild-cat times. I have not a sample of our White Pigeon money, but send you a Constantine "Shin Plaster."
Kellogg & Brothers purchased the flouring mill of Judge Bax- ter in 1840 and operated it until the death of Charles Kellogg, who was drowned in the St. Joseph river at Mishawaka, Indiana, on his steamboat, the "Pilot." He was the first one to agitate and pro- mote the sugar-beet industry in the United States, and a factory was erected there near the flouring mill in 1840, by a company or- ganized and principally promoted by him. Upon sending Governor
PAYABLE IN CHIO OR INDIANA COM MINVA
PILERI
Che Bank of Constantnie,
THREE Ml
Mais ligger CONSTANTINE
July I'D
TOWHICH.
"WILD-CAT" MONEY OF 1839
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Barry to France to investigate, he found that it would enlist more capital than they could control; so the scheme was abandoned and the factory was sold and converted into a brewery. After the death of Mr. Judson, a merchant across the street, G. W. Beisel, was his successor.
Then there were E. S. Swan, J. H. Woodbury and Pratt & Preston. Samuel Pratt built the principal hotel in 1833, in the street opposite the Kellogg store.
My parents came to White Pigeon in 1829 and were among the first settlers; my father, Charles Kellogg, was from Sheffield, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, and my mother from Yorkshire, England. The town was platted by such patriotic men as Neal McGaffey, Chapin Kellogg, Savery, Pratt and others, with the aid of the government surveyor, Robert Clark.
JUDGE LEVI BAXTER.
Among the prominent business men of that early day Judge Levi Baxter, who was president of the first Republican convention held in Michigan, was a leader. In 1831, he came from New York to Tecumseh, territory of Michigan, and entered upon a genuine pioneer life. Among other enterprises here he built the first grist mills of any size west of Monroe, long known as the "Red Mills." These mills supplied a large section of the country, people some- times carrying their grist as much as fifty miles to them. In 1834, in connection with Cook Sisson, he built a mill at Jonesville, Hills- dale county, which he greatly enlarged in 1840. In 1836 he built extensive mills at White Pigeon, located there and remained until 1848, when he returned to Jonesville with his family. This place became his permanent residence, and he died there in 1862, at the age of seventy-four years.
GEORGE W. BEISEL.
George W. Beisel was a successful merchant in White Pigeon many years and successor to Mr. Judson. George and Henry Clark kept the principal hotel. Then there was the ("Old Diggins") stage hotel, with large barns to accommodate fifty horses, and a large circular track in front upon which to exercise the coach horses and for the drivers to show their skill as reinsmen. That was on the site where the new brick school house was erected. William
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
Watson kept a hotel right opposite and many times the hotels could not accommodate the stages and traveling public, some having to camp out in that day. The Chicago road was a great thoroughfare, as all the travel was that way before the advent of the railway. Watson's was a little inn at which to water the horses and whet the appetite of the drivers with wet goods; then they could swing the four-in-hand, crack the whip and blow the horn.
ENGLISH FARMERS PRIOR TO 1835.
The principal farmers of this locality, in that early day, were George Dixon, with a family of twelve children, located adjoining the town site of White Pigeon, who bought many small tracts of government land near the cemetery; William Watson, who run a tavern and a large farm; William Hanson, a leading farmer ; John Jackson, who owned several farms; W. Stears, who located in Florence township with his family of six or eight children; William Barnard, having a large family and a fine farm; and John Burrell, Mr. Burnham, Mr. Ross, John Coats, Mr. Broadley, Joseph Garton, Richard Garton, William Cotton, Samuel Hotchin and Richard Wade, all with the generous families of those days.
These are the principal English families who migrated to America, and came direct to St. Joseph county, Michigan, previous to 1835, while Michigan was yet a territory. There are many others that might be mentioned, who came in when the country was wild and in a state of nature; prairie grass above your head and bear, deer, turkey and wild fowls of the air numerous. Indian prairie, to the south of White Pigeon, was the Indians' favorite camping ground, where their bark wigwams remained year after year.
OTHER ENGLISH SETTLERS.
As stated, the early settlers on White Pigeon prairie were many of them English, and among others who came on early from Eugland and took up government land in the thirties were the following : William Hamson, Richard Wade, Thomas Wade, John Burnett, William Laird, George Dickinson, William Dickinson, William Waltham, and families; Adolphus Chapin, Samuel Chapin, Orrin Loomis, William Redforn, William Anderson, John Cathcart, Captain White, Nicholas Sixby, William Cathcart, Thomas Schooley, Thomas Coats, Charles R. Homes, William
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