USA > Michigan > St Joseph County > History of St. Joseph county, Michigan, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories > Part 23
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In 1876 there were fifteen thousand eight hundred and seventy-six acres of land assessed at four hundred and twenty-eight thousand and sixty dol- lars, by G. B. Markham, the supervisor of the township, which is held to be from one-fourth to one-third of the real value.
The leading farmers of the township at the present time are Peter Put- nam, Daniel Shurtz, Henry E. Root, Giles B. Markham, Cornelius Cooper, Welgamwood brothers, Lewis White, an old settler of 1832, Eleazar Tracy, A. W. Huff, and John Catton. Mr. Shurtz came with his three brothers, Frederick, John, and James, in 1836. Frederick served as State senator in 1856. They were from Pennsylvania.
THE FIRST HOUSE
built on the prairie, as before stated, was that of John Winchell, a log- cabin at the west end of the same. The first frame buildings were erected in White Pigeon village by Samuel Pratt, Hosmer Kellogg, and A. Savery in 1830. Pratt's probably was the first one, as Niles F. Smith had his little stock of goods in it, on the corner where the American hotel now stands, in April, 1830.
- The first brick house in the township was built by Dr. Elliott in 1843, and is still his residence. It was one of the earliest, if not the very earliest one, in the county. It was twenty-four by forty-six feet, and two stories.
Neal McGaffey also built a frame house in the latter part of 1830 or 1831, and planted the first fruit-tree in the village-an apple-in 1830; it was next west of W. O. Austin's house and store.
THE FIRST ORCHARD
was set out by Murray, in the' spring of 1829, one and a half miles east, on what is now known as the Tracy farm. The trees were brought from Fort Wayne, and are still bearing.
Cutler planted the first fruit-seeds for nursery purposes in the spring of 1828, occupying three acres. When they were three years old Jones grafted them, and moved them five miles east of Pigeon, on the Disbrow farm, from which nearly all of the early orchards of the county were taken. W. W. Bliss had an orchard in bearing in 1836, at New Lowell, which he set out in 1834. Dr. Isaac Adams sold two thousand apple-trees in 1834, five years old.
IMPROVED LIVE STOCK
were first introduced into the township by " Father" Elisha White in 1835, being a fine breed of swine, known throughout the county as " White's breed," and some thorough-bred short-horns from Connecticut. Giles B. Markham is a breeder of Alderney cattle at the present time.
The first blooded horse brought to the prairie was a Messenger mare, im- ported by the father of J. J. Davis, from Ulster county, New York, in 1834.
IMPROVED FARM MACHINERY
was first introduced on the prairie in 1835, in the form of open-cylinder threshers ; fanning-mills coming into use in 1832, and of White Pigeon manufacture too.
The first separator-thresher was brought in, in 1844, by McBaul from New York. The Constantine separators were introduced in 1845-6.
The first reaper introduced was a Kirby, in 1841-2; but it did not do good work, and the next season J. J. Davis and C. C. Newkirk brought in a McCormick, and the first time they hitched the team to it, the novel, noisy thing frightened the horses, and they ran away, breaking up the machine,
and the Kirby was brought in to finish the job, while its gay rival was laid up for repairs.
THE FIRST WHITE CHILD
born on the prairie, and within the present limits of White Pigeon township, was a daughter of Leonard Cutler, who opened her eyes to the light of day in the early part of the year 1828, and was also the first white child born in St. Joseph county. Her name was Mary, and she married a Mr. Hunt, and died near Laporte some years ago.
THE FIRST MARRIAGE
on the prairie was that of James Knapp and Martha Winchell, in the year 1828, and was also the first marriage in the county. This wedding occurred at Judge Winchell's residence on section three, township eight, range twelve.
THE FIRST DEATHS
that occurred in the township were in 1830; among them were several of the old citizens, who were buried in the little plat laid off by J. W. Coffinberry, and named "Carlton." One of these was a son-in-law of Colonel Selden Martin. Others were buried in the cemetery at Newville in 1831, and before.
THE FIRST SCHOOL-HOUSE
was built on the prairie-or, rather, near the same-at Newville in the sum- mer of 1830, and was the first building erected in the county for that especial purpose. It was a log house, with primitive seats and desks ; and the first school taught in it was in the winter of 1830-1, by a Mr. Allen, who was afterwards the postmaster at the village. Hon. John B. Howe, of Lima, Indiana, taught school in the township at one time; and so too did Columbia Lancaster, in the village, in the spring of 1832 ..
The school statistics of 1876 make the following excellent showing for the educational enterprise of the township. There are seven school dis- tricts in the township, each having a school-house, one of which, the union school-house of the village, is of brick, and the others being frames ; and all valued at twenty-four thousand seven hundred dollars.
There are six hundred and three children in the township between the ages of five and twenty years, and four hundred and ninety-three attended the schools, which were in session an average of eight months and over, during the year ending September 1, 1876.
Three male teachers were employed and paid one thousand five hundred and forty dollars for their services, and thirteen females received two thous- and three hundred and sixty-three dollars and sixty cents. The total' in- come of the districts for the year was six thousand seven hundred and eight dollars and seventy-seven cents.
THE FIRST RELIGIOUS SERVICES
were held at Newville, in the school-house and at private houses, a Methodist class being formed there in the fall of 1829, with David Crawford as class- leader. It was organized by the Rev. Erastus Felton, Rev. Stoddard preach- ing afterwards. The Baptist church was also first commenced here, and afterwards re-organized and built up in White Pigeon village. A Free-will Baptist minister named Holmes, who came in 1828, lived on Winchell's farm.
THE FIRST MANUFACTURES
in the township, at least by power other than that derived from human muscle, was the sawing of lumber by Judge Luther Newton, in the fall of 1829, in his mill on Crooked creek, or Fawn river, as now called. This mill was also the first in the county. Newton began its erection in 1828, and built a dam across the creek, but it went out, and with it the foundation of the mill, the superstructure falling to the ground. Nothing daunted, Mr. Newton sat about rebuilding it the next season, and completed it, and went to sa wing before the close of the year. He afterwards put in a run of small stones, and gristed wheat and corn. Subsequently he sold his property to the Miller brothers, who added a distillery to their manufacturing interests, after 1832, and operated the same for several years.
Weed built the first distillery in the township in 1832, near Miller's. None are now in existence in the township, and have. not been for many years. W. W. Bliss built a cloth-dressing and wool-carding factory on the Pigeon, calling his establishment "New Lowell," in 1832. He also, as was the cus- tom in those days wherever there was a water-power in use, put in a run of stones and gristed for the neighborhood.
The first blacksmith-shop built in the township was that of Winchell's, in 1827, at the west end of the prairie. There was one also in Newville in 1829-30, and a shoemaker plied his trade at the latter place at the same time. The first means of getting meal, aside from the ordinary Indian. or pioneer mill, the stump and pestle, was a huge pepper-mill put up against a tree by Arba Heald at the east end of the neighborhood, where, with diligence
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
and a good expenditure of man-power, a half bushel of corn could be re- duced in circumference sufficiently to make johnny-cake and samp. Samuel Pratt paid for his board at Culter's, for a time, in labor at the mill in the summer of 1829.
CIVIL ORGANIZATION.
White Pigeon township dates its organization coeval with that of the county, on the 29th day of October, 1829, it being one of the three original townships into which the county was divided at its organization. The township, as then organized, included, besides its present limits, the townships of Florence, Lockport, Fabius, Constantine and Mottville, except that portion of Mott- ville included in township eight, range thirteen, which was subsequently added to the township of White Pigeon, March 3, 1831. In 1833, March 21, the present townships of Lockport and Fabius were set off from White Pigeon, under the name of Bucks, and in 1837, Florence, Constantine and Mottville were set off and constituted into separate townships, circumscribing White Pigeon to little more than a half township.
The first tier of sections in township eight, range twelve (Mottville) was retained by the original township, as a part of the village plat of White Pigeon was located thereon. Subsequently, also, three of the south tier of sections of Florence, (thirty-four, thirty-five and thirty-six, lying east and south of an extensive and impassable marsh, compelling a detour nearly to White Pigeon whenever township business demanded the presence of the in- habitants of those sections at the town-meetings,) were set off to White Pigeon, and are now included in the township.
On the public surveys the township is known as township eight, range eleven west, including sections one, twelve, thirteen, twenty-four, and one- half of twenty-five, township eight, range twelve, and sections thirty-four, thirty-five and thirty-six, township seven, range eleven.
THE FIRST TOWN-MEETING
was held in April, 1830, at the "Old Diggins"-Savery's hotel-but the township records were destroyed by fire in 1851, and a full list of officers then elected cannot be obtained at the present time. Luther Newton was chosen supervisor, and Neal McGaffey, town-clerk. The position of super- visor has been held since by the following gentlemen : W. W. Bliss, 1831-4 and 1837; H. L. Stewart, 1835; John G. Cathcart, 1836; Daniel Howell, 1838 ; Washington Pitcher, 1842; R. M. Conover, 1843; Philip E. Runyan, 1844; Edwin Kellogg, 1845 and 1850; William Savier, 1846-9 and 1860 ; G. G. Depuy, 1851-2 and 1855-6; J. W. Mandigo, 1853 and 1857-9 and 1862, 1865-6 and 1871; J. S. Hamilton, 1854; L. C. Laird, 1861; J. B. Cook, 1863 and 1869; G. W. Beisel, 1864; Peter Putnam, 1867-8 and 1873; E. Blackman, 1870-4; G. B. Markham, 1875-6.
Town Clerks-Neal McGaffey, 1830-31; J. H. Barry, 1832-35; Thomas Charlton, 1836; C. C. Woodbury was town clerk in 1851 when the records were destroyed in his office, which was also burned. Since then the office has been filled one term by each of the following named gentlemen : George Brown, W. O. Austin, W. B. May, G. W. Beisel, J. E. Johnson, John S. Hamilton, J. B. Cook, P. E. Runyan, J. M. Stott, and Edson Blanchard. John Hotchin held the position for seven years, 1859-62, 1865-66 and 1871; L. A. Labadie, 1869-70; D. C. Page, the present incumbent, 1874- 1877
The following named gentlemen have held the position of justice of the peace for more than one term : John Winchell, 1827-33 ; Neal McGaffey, 1829-35; Albert Allen, 1830-35; J. S. Barry, 1831-35; William Savier, 1840-48; Peter Cook, 1842-56; George G. Dupuy, 1863, and still in office; C. C. Woodbury, 1852-60; Lewis Rhoades, 1852-56; George W. Beisel, 1853-57 and 1868 and still in office; Edwin Kellogg, 1853-57; Isaac Run- yan, 1860-72; W. O. Austin, 1861-73; J. E. Johnson, 1855-60; John Hotchin, 1869, and still in office.
THE FIRST ROAD
surveyed through the township was the National military road between De- troit and Chicago, commonly known and called to this day the Chicago road, which passes directly through the township from east to west, forming a magnificent boulevard the entire length thereof, on either side of which lie splendid farms, and elegant farm dwellings and capacious barns rise, giv- ing an idea of wealth and comfort second to no other thoroughfare in the county. Along this broad avenue sprang hostelries in the pioneer days, numerous and in close proximity to each other, running through all the grades of excellence, inferiority and positive badness. There were no less than five of these places of entertainment for the traveling public and the immigrant between White Pigeon and Sturgis, a distance of twelve miles, in the palmy days of stage coaches, in 1836 and onward. Chief among them all, and first on the great trail in the county, was
SAVERY'S "OLD DIGGINS,"
the first instalment of whose afterward extensive proportions, the east wing, was built in the winter of 1827-8. It was a log building, and the resort of all the important personages of early days. Here the electors assembled and set in motion 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 the spring following, and the election of the fall previous. In 1830 the proprietor added a very respectable frame addition to his log building-the new build- ing becoming the main part of the house. Here the first court held in the county was convened in August, 1830-Hon. William Woodbridge and Henry Chipman, judges, presiding. Here in the shadow of its porch Jacob Knox met his death at the hands of his unfortunate son, who, though en- tirely innocent of all intentional wrong, has become wretched indeed from the terrible accident that occurred nearly forty-five years ago. In this old hostelry the merry laugh and jocund song have resounded in the olden days, and a motley throng has found entertainment at its generous tables, and rest beneath its wide-spreading roof. Its proprietor owned and operated the
FIRST STAGE-COACHES
on the Chicago road, in 1831-2, and drove them himself, cutting out the roads and building the bridges to get through from Tecumseh to Niles. "Colonel " Savery was a distinguished character, noted for years on the Michigan frontier, on which he was found when it was bounded by Monroe and Brownstown. He picketed the line as it advanced, and in 1835-6 went to Texas and joined the armies of that new republic, fighting under Houston at San Jacinto, when the hero of many legs (Santa Anna) was captured. When the advance moved into Mexico the old borderer was in the front, and never left it until the army of Scott marched back to Vera Cruz carrying their trophies of victory. When the tide of emigration rolled into Califor- nia, he was on its foremost crest, and as it recoiled and lapped back on Col- orado, Nevada and Idaho, the tough old pioneer was the first to "touch bot- tom" on the new shores. He drifted back into Texas, from whence he was forced to flee by the rampant secessionists, who would not tolerate the sound unionism of the old fighter for their independence, and he came back to his old love-changed indeed, in feature, but not in spirit, to him-where he was welcomed by the pioneers in their society, and made their first president. He remained in the county until after the war was over, when he returned to his adopted State where he had fought for freedom, and fled from before the wrath of those for whom he helped to achieve it, because he advocated it for all men, white or black, rich or poor-and they would not receive him or his doctrine. If living, he is still a resident of Texas.
The old tavern occupied the present site of the union school-house, and in 1837 was occupied by Rev. Charles Newberry, temporarily, for the purposes of the branch of the University of Michigan, while the branch building was being erected.
The first keel boat ever launched on the St. Joseph river, was built in 1829 just opposite Old's cabin on the Pigeon, and floated down the creek into the St. Joe.
THE FIRST POST-OFFICE
on the prairie was at Winchell's at the west end of the same, and was called Millville, Winchell being the postmaster, and receiving his appointment in 1828. He also was
THE FIRST MAIL-CARRIER,
or at least contractor, in the county, carrying the same on horseback between Coldwater and Niles; Savery succeeding him with his stage line. The land office of southwestern Michigan was established here in 1831, and remained until 1834, when it was removed to Bronson, now Kalamazoo. The reg- ister was Major Abraham Edwards, and the receiver, Thomas E. Sheldon.
POPULATION.
In 1838, the inhabitants of White Pigeon, limited then as now, except the three sections from Florence, which were not then set off to the former township, mustered eight hundred and seventy-two souls. In 1850, the township had fallen off in population, seven hundred and ninety-five only being returned as the numerical force of her people. In 1870 the census returns footed up eighteen hundred and thirty-three persons, of whom nine hundred and ten were males and nine hundred and twenty-three females. In 1874 the census-marshal reported but seventeen hundred and thirteen indi-
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
viduals, eight hundred and seventy-nine being males and eight hundred and thirty-four females ; four hundred and seventy-six of the males were over twenty-one-one hundred and eighty-four of these last being between forty- five and seventy-five, and ten between seventy-five and ninety years. Two hundred and eighty-five females were between eighteen and forty years, one hundred and ninety between forty and seventy-five, and eleven over seventy- five years of age. Four hundred and three boys under twenty-one, and three hundred and forty-eight girls under the age of eighteen years, constituted the young folks of the township.
THE POLITICAL DIVISIONS
of the towns-people are evidenced by the way they have cast their ballots at the Presidential elections. In 1840 the Whig electors received sixty-nine votes ; the Democratic electors, seventy-one votes. The same relative strength of parties was exhibited in 1844, when the Whigs polled seventy-eight and the Democrats eighty votes, the Liberty men giving James G. Birney two votes. In 1848 the Whigs cast fifty-nine votes, the Democrats seventy-one, and the Free Soilers eighteen. In 1852 the Whigs polled ninety-nine, the Democrats one hundred, and the Abolitionists fifteen. In 1856 the Republicans cast one hundred and forty-nine votes, the Demo- crats one hundred and forty-six, and the Prohibitionists had a trio. In 1860 the Republicans cast one hundred and eighty-eight votes, the Demo- crats one hundred and ninety-two. In 1864, Lincoln received one hundred and seventy-three, McClellan one hundred and thirty-two. In 1868 the Republicans polled two hundred and forty-four votes, and the Democrats two hundred and twelve. In 1872 the Republican party cast two hundred and eight, the Greeley men numbered one hundred and eighty-three, and O'Conner and Black paired on two votes each. In 1876 the Republicans gave Hayes two hundred and one votes, Tilden received two hundred and thirty eight votes, and Peter Cooper had a half dozen. This last vote would indicate a population in the township of over two thousand.
THE TAXES OF 1830
were fifty dollars for township purposes and a modicum of fifty dollars more assessed on the whole county for its needs. The assessment of 1834 amounted to two hundred and fifteen thousand three hundred and fifty-nine dollars, and the taxes were two hundred and twelve dollars for county, and eight hun- dred and ninety five dollars for town purposes. In 1836, when the first State tax was levied, the assessment of the township was placed at two hundred and forty-five thousand and thirty-six dollars ;- and its taxes were for State purposes, six hundred and twelve dollars and fifty-nine cents ; for county and town, seven hundred and sixty-five dollars ; a total of one thousand three hundred and seventy-seven dollars and fifty-nine cents. In 1876 the assess- ment stood at three hundred and ninety-nine thousand and ninety-eight dol- lars on real-estate, as fixed by the county board of equalizers ; one hundred and twelve thousand five hundred dollars on personal property-a total of five hundred and eleven thousand five hundred and ninety-eight dollars, and on this amount taxes were levied for State and county purposes two thou- sand six hundred and thirteen dollars and forty-six cents-equally divided between the two powers ; the township taxes, including schools, being more than double that amount.
THE VILLAGE OF WHITE PIGEON.
The first house built within the present limits of the village of White Pigeon, was Savery's log tavern in the winter of 1827-8, Savery coming to the prairie in December. The original plat was laid out by Robert Clark, Jr., Asahel Savery, Niles F. Smith and Neal McGaffey, proprietors of the land on which the plat was located, viz: the east half of the southeast quarter of section one, township eight, range twelve, and the west half of the southwest quarter of section six, township eight, range eleven. The plat was surveyed and mapped May 6, 1830, and was the first village plat recorded in the county. McGaffey built a frame house that summer, and Samuel Pratt had one up and occupied by Niles F. Smith as a store before the village had been surveyed-being the advance guard of the trade that flowed subsequently through the streets of the village. John W. Anderson, Duncan and David Clark (brothers), and Robert Clark, Jr., were residents of the village previous to May, 1829, and between that time and Septem- ber following, Hart L. and Alanson Stewart came. McGaffey came in during the fall, and was followed by Orrin Thompson, Lewis B. Judson, J. W. Coffinberry and Rev. William Jones in 1830, and also by Mr. Bull, who, with Edwin Kellogg, opened the first stock of goods really worthy the name. In 1831, Elias S. Swan opened a heavy stock of goods, bringing them in by the way of the St. Joseph to Constantine, where they were unloaded and left upon the bank of the river in the woods over night, without
watchers and were untouched! Barry & Willard came the same year and opened a general stock of merchandise; shortly after them Clark & Williams opened another heavy stock, with drugs included. Bull & Kellogg kept the first stock of drugs in the town. The Stewarts brought a remnant of a stock of goods from Detroit, and stored them during the winter of 1829-30 ; they were not opened for sale, but were removed in the spring to Mottville. Isaac Adams and Whitaker had a stock of goods, but closed out in the summer of 1832, and were succeeded by Peter Beisel and Melancthon Judson, who came in 1830.
Bowman succeeded the last-named firm, and finally G. W. Beisel came into the business, and the firm continued for some years. Washington Pitcher came in 1834, and was with E. S. Swan, and in 1842 went to Con- stantine.
MANUFACTURES.
The first manufacturing, aside from blacksmithing, was the making of fanning-mills in the village by Hunt, in 1831-2.
In the spring of 1832 Hunt & Grover also manufactured mills, ten men being employed in both establishments.
Edwin Kellogg made shoes in the end of Savery's stable-loft in 1830, and says that " two down-East Yankees at the same time were doing a smashing business in the fanning-mill line." Mr. Kellogg also says that "Lewis B. (?) Judson came to Pigeon with a peddler's wagon well-stocked with goods, and at once built a long low house on the southwest corner of Chicago and Kalamazoo streets, in 1830, and remained there for three or four years, and married Miss Paine and built a house," which was afterwards converted into Kellogg's building.
John Masterman was the first wagon-maker, and Leonard Tainter the second. They operated about 1833 and afterwards.
Woodworth was the first blacksmith, and worked in a shop opposite Savery's.
Augustine Austin was the first jeweler ; John I. Brien the first merchant tailor, and Otis Preston the second, the latter in 1833-4.
Lonson F. Dewey was a hatter in 1834, the Statesman of September 3, of that year, having his first "ad."
In the early days of the village there was a beet-sugar manufactory es- tablished, and stock subscribed, and machinery bought and operations com- menced, but it did not prove a success and was abandoned. Dixon was the agent ; Chapman Yates, secretary, and S. W. Chapin, treasurer:
In 1838 McGaffey, Chapin and Kellogg dug a race on the Pigeon, and sold power to Levi Baxter, who built the first flouring-mill in White Pigeon village, and Hosmer Kellogg built a saw-mill at the same time. The flour- ing mill was burned down in 1860 and rebuilt by D. P. Hamilton in 1862. It is now owned and operated by Hamilton, and known as the White Pigeon mills. Mr. Hamilton floured forty-one thousand bushels of wheat in 1876. The mill is forty by fifty feet on the ground and three and a half stories in height, and has four run of stone. The capital invested in the mill and stock to operate it is thirty thousand dollars, and the value of its yearly product about sixty thousand dollars.
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