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 54
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The heaviest mint-growers are George Teller, Bastian, Wagner, Lowder Brothers, and Coney; about four thousand pounds of peppermint oil being produced annually, at the different stills in the township. George Engle has been, in the past, the heaviest mint-producer in the township, but George W. Teller is the heaviest now. Mr. Teller presents to the reader a view of his fine dwelling, and farm of one hundred and twenty-four acres, on section twenty-two, on another page of our work.
THE FIRST HOUSE
built in the township was by Roswell Schellhous, as before stated, on section six. It was a log house with two rooms, to which he afterwards made an addition ; this was also the first frame house in the township.
Gilbert N. Liddle built the first brick house erected in the township, which was a fair dwelling for the time (1847).
Adam Bower has a most elegant stone dwelling, and commodious barns, a fine view of which we present on another page.
157
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Henry K. Farrand also has a commodious and convenient dwelling,-a fine two-story frame,-surrounded by a grove of sugar-maples and chest- nuts, in the midst of a well situated farm of several hundred acres, sloping to the east, a view of which may be seen elsewhere, as also the old home- stead of Phineas Farrand.
Samuel Gorton built a snug mansion of stone in 1875, of which he presents a view on another page of our work.
Lorausi Schellhous built the first barn, in 1836.
THE FIRST ORCHARD
planted out in the township, was by Martin G. Schellhous, but Roswell Schellhous planted the first nursery in 1829, it being of apple-trees. In 1838 H. K. Farrand bought some of the seedlings and set them out on his farm, where they are still in bearing.
Louis A. Leland produced the first peaches from peach pits, planted by Mrs. Noyes, in 1831, on their location on section ten, where she also set out apple-trees. Peaches were raised in 1835, and plentifully in 1837, when Leland bought the farm. He never was known to sell a bushel of the delicious fruit, but divided with his neighbors gratis. No peaches have been raised since 1852, on account of the severity of the winters, but apples are abundant and fine. Wild plums were also abundant in the woods, but the curculio has ruined the fruit, and none can now befound.
IMPROVED LIVE-STOCK,
which is now a leading feature of the township, was first introduced in 1837, by Augustus Tyler, in a fine lot of hogs, which he brought from Albany, New York.
The first thoroughbred sheep were American Merinos, brought in by Henry K. Farrand, in 1846. Horses began to be improved earlier, but who owned the first horse of improved blood is not known.
Adam Bower, Joshua and Phineas Wagner, Willis G. Davis, Henry K. Farrand and Joseph Farrand are now engaged in breeding and training blooded horses that have made good records on the track, as trotters. One fine animal, brought in by Mr. Davis from Boston,-a magnificent black stallion with a fine record,-died in the fall of 1876.
A private driving-park is laid off on H. K. Farrand's farm, near the village, but no association has been formally organized yet.
Blooded cattle were first introduced by Henry K. Farrand in 1852-3, they being thoroughbreds from the noted herds of the blue-grass regions of Kentucky,-short horns. Phineas Farrand was also interested with this importation afterwards, and the two brothers have at present the best blooded stock in the county. Phineas Farrand has the finest sheep in the township, in which much attention is paid to wool-growing. Peter Wagner has fine herds of cattle, sheep and swine. Comfort Tyler imported blooded cattle to some extent in his lifetime.
IMPROVED FARM MACHINERY
was first introduced into the township in the form of open-cylinder threshers, in 1841. Separators were not brought into use until 1846, when Mr. Shuert introduced the first one.
About 1858 reapers and mowers were first introduced, Gilbert Liddle and William H. Castle being the first owners of machines of that class in the township. Mr. Castle bought a Ball combined machine.
Joseph Farrand owned the second open-cylinder thresher ever operated in New York, in 1828. Its teeth were cast-iron, which broke, and nearly burned the barn in which the dangerous machine was used. John Moore, was the patentee, and rebuilt his machine with wrought-iron teeth.
THE FIRST MERCHANT
in the township was Louis A. Leland, who settled, in 1836, on section ten (the old Noyes homestead) to which Samuel Noyes and his family of daugh- ters came, from Ohio, in 1831. Mr. Leland married Mr. Noyes' daughter, Mary Ann, and bought the homestead after the father's death. Prior to his settlement in Colon, Mr. Leland, who came originally from Sherburne, Massachusetts, settled on Bronson's prairie in 1833, and passed back and forth through the country between Bronson's and Centreville, trading, carry- ing his goods in a wagon; and when he permanently located in Colon, in 1836, retailed his goods at his house. Cyrus Schellhous brought a small stock of goods into the township in 1834, and in 1838 J. D. Freeman opened a little store on the Roswell Shellhous farm.
MANUFACTURES.
The manufacturing done outside the village of Colon, in the past and present, was and is as follows:
John D. Everhard built, in 1837, a saw-mill on the north branch of Swan creek ; and in 1858, a grist-mill was added where custom-work is exclusively done. Both mills are now owned and operated by Philip Ever- hard, a son of the original proprietor.
In 1839-40 Samuel King built a distillery on Spring creek, on section seventeen, and operated it four years, when it was abandoned.
About one mile northeast of the village, at the Leland bridge, William R. Eck, L. C. Mathews, and S. S. Riley built a saw-mill on the St. Joseph in 1849. It passed into Hoffman's hands in 1872, and was sold by his administrators to George and Samuel Fredericks, who now operate it.
Bricks were first made by Cyrus Schellhous in 1837, and by Joel Dane next, in 1844. The Seminary company hired a yard, in 1858-59, and made bricks for their building ; the same yard is now run by a German.
Whitmore made fanning-mills when he first came to Colon.
In 1839 Jacob Clipfell, Sr., bought the farm of Roswell Schellhous, in the northwest corner of the township, and in 1841 built a brewery, which was operated by him until 1847, when the tragedy (related elsewhere) oc- curred, and the business of brewing was never resumed.
In 1873 there were two flour-mills, one foundry and planing-mill, two carriage-factories and one tannery, which were in operation in the township, and which employed twenty-nine persons and forty thousand dollars capital. The value of the product thereof was rated by the takers of the census at forty-three thousand dollars.
THE FIRST WHITE CHILD
born in the township was a boy of Roswell Schellhous, and the second one, also a boy, a son of Martin G. Schellhous, both of whom died in a short time after their birth. The first one was born in the summer of 1830, and the second one in the summer of 1831.
THE FIRST MARRIAGE
celebrated in the township was that of Jonathan Engle, Jr., and Delia Brooks, in 1832-33. The next one was that of Reuben Trease and Sally Rumsey, whose marriage license was issued August 15, 1834, by M. G. Schellhous, town clerk.
THE FIRST DEATH
that occurred in the township was that of the first white child born therein (before-named), a son of Roswell Schellhous, in the summer of 1830. He was followed by a little cousin, born the next summer, who died shortly afterwards. The first adult person who died was the grandmother of these little boys (Mrs. Schellhous), in 1832. This same year Emily Noyes, aged eight years, was killed, and was the first burial in
THE CEMETERY,
which lies west of the village, and which was first laid off in 1832, contain- ing then but a single acre. In 1838 it was regularly laid out, and additional grounds bought. In 1876 more additions were made, and it now has an area of eight acres, pleasantly located on the west bank of Sturgeon lake. There is a burial-ground near the Everhard mill, also.
THE FIRST SCHOOL-HOUSE
was built in 1833, on the Brooks (now Phineas Farrand's) farm, and Mar- tin G. Schellhous was the first teacher therein,-the winter of 1833-4. Mrs. W. H. Castle was a pupil in that school, and Jerome Cobb, now a prominent citizen of Schoolcraft, also. Martha Schellhous was the first school-ma'am, and taught in that same house, the summer of 1834, and was followed the next winter by a Mr. Harwood. That teacher is now Mrs. Keyes.
The school-statistics of 1876 are as follows : Ten schools were taught in the township, in as many school-houses,-eight being frames, one brick and one stone,-capable of seating four hundred and eighty-four pupils. Three hundred and twenty-seven scholars, out of three hundred and forty-eight children in the township (of the legal school age) attended the schools, which were in session an average of eight months. There were two male teachers employed, who were paid two hundred and eighty-seven dollars and fifty cents for their services, and eighteen females who received one thousand three hundred and six dollars and sixty-five cents for their work. The total income of the districts was two thousand two hundred and fifteen dollars and seventy-seven cents, of which was expended one thousand nine hundred and ninety-one dollars and seventy-one cents. The school property is valued at six thousand nine hundred and seventy-five dollars. One pri- vate school was taught, having thirty-five pupils in attendance.
158
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
THE FIRST RELIGIOUS MEETING,
aside from the funerals of the persons before-named, was held in 1833 at the Brooks school-house, and was a Methodist service. Elder Alford, a Baptist minister, attended and officiated at the funerals. He was a very kind neighbor, and came into the township in 1830. In 1836 the meetings were held in Lorausi Schellhous' barn, near the present cemetery. A cir- cuit-rider preached also in Glover Laird's barn, and in his exhortations was not choice in the selection of his language. He once exhorted his hearers to make a clean breast of the matter of religion, and "go the whole hog or nothing, and not be like Esquire Howe's oxen,-one a muley, and the other having horns."
THE DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH,
which is located near Philip Everhard's mill, was built in 1874. It is a brick edifice, and cost three thousand dollars; it has three hundred sittings. The society was formed, in 1848-50, by Rev. Daniel Crow, in school district number five,-among the first members being, John Yelter, Michael Yelter, Peter Miller, John Ult, Adam Decker, Peter Wagner, George Decker, John D. Everhard and Daniel Rich. Rev. William Reed succeeded Mr. Crow, and Rev. Mr. Ellers followed Mr. Reed. Rev. Mr. Hackman was the next pastor, and was succeeded by the present one,-Mr. Lutzeinger. John D. Everhard was the leading spirit in the early history of this church, and was an early comer to his neighborhood, and gathered around him a large num- ber of his Pennsylvania neighbors and acquaintance, among whom he was a leader in every good work and public enterprise. His record among them is that of a generous, benevolent, public-spirited citizen.
CIVIL ORGANIZATION.
The township of Colon was originally a portion of the township of Sher- man, as primarily constituted in 1829. In 1830 it constituted a portion (the eastern half ) of Nottawa township, from which it was set off, and with the present township of Leonidas, formed a separate township in 1833. The separation of the two townships (five and six, range nine,) occurred in 1836,-at which time Colon was limited to its present area, and is known on the government surveys as township six, south of range nine west. The township took its name from the village, which was projected in 1832.
THE FIRST TOWN MEETING
was held in the new township in 1833, Roswell Schellhous being elected supervisor, and M. G. Schellhous, clerk. The record of the meeting is in- complete, and the names of no other officers can be given who were then elected. In April, 1834, George F. Schellhous was chosen supervisor, Martin G. was re-elected clerk, and Aaron McMillan and George Brooks, highway commissioners. In 1835 Alexander McMillan, Levi Watkins and George Brooks were school-commissioners.
The office of supervisor has been filled in the township as follows : 1833, Roswell Schellhous ; 1834-6, George F. Schellhous; 1837, Comfort Tyler, who also held the office from 1852 to 1859 inclusive, and from 1863 to 1870 inclusive; 1838, Joseph Farrand; 1839-41, Martin G. Schellhous; 1842-46, Levi C. Mathews ; 1847, Cyrus Schellhous ; 1848-51 and 1861-2, William R. Eck ; 1860, William H. Castle ; September, 1870-71 and 1874-76, inclu- sive, Ansel Tyler, who was appointed to succeed his father on the death of the latter, in 1870; in 1872-73 and 1875, Henry K. Farrand.
The position of town clerk has been filled by the following gentlemen : M. G. Schellhous, 1833-35 ; F. A. Mathews, 1836-38; Lorausi Schellhous, 1839-43 ; Louis A. Leland, 1844-1847 ; Charles L. Miller, 1845-46-1848- 49 and 1851-57; Sand S. Riley, 1850; Loran W. Schellhous, 1858 and 1861-62; Alva L. Hoag, 1859 ; E. R. Hill, 1860; Charles M. Lampman, 1863 and 1866-76 ; Charles Wilkinson, 1864; Daniel C. Richards, 1865.
The office of justice of the peace has been held principally by the follow- ing named gentlemen : Martin G. Schellhous was appointed to the position by Governor Porter, April 3, 1833, on the recommendation of the citizens of the township, and M. W. Alford received a similar appointment, from the same source, and by the same endorsement, April 3, 1834. In 1836 the first election of justices was held, and at that election, Roswell Schellhous, Charles Palmer, M. G. Schellhous and Abel Belote were chosen, and drew the terms of one to four years, respectively, but Belote did not qualify, and the following year Comfort Tyler was elected to fill the vacancy, and Daniel Hogan was elected for the full term. Palmer held the office until 1843, and M. G. Schellhous, 1843; J. H. Clowes, 1840-48; J. D. Everhard, 1841-56 Abel Belote, 1843-1867; Louis A. Leland, 1845-49 and 1864 to the present time; Charles L. Miller, 1848-56 and 1861-65; Lorausi Schellhous, four years, 1849-53; William Tomlinson, 1855-1862 ; A. C. Chaffee, five years ;
John W: Lovett, 1869-77; Edwin R. Hill, 1872-76; Nathan Mitchell, 1842-46 and 1869-71.
THE OLD RECORDS
of the township have some interesting entries, from which we cull a few only. Among the by-laws adopted by the annual town meeting of 1842, were the following: "All buck sheep are restrained from running at large, from July 15th to November 10th, and the owner of any animal so offend- ing, shall pay five dollars or forfeit the buck, at his option," i. e., at the owner's option ; " All boar hogs over three months old, may be changed by any one at the risk of the owner, that is found running at large."
In 1844 the town board directed the clerk (L. A. Leland), to buy a chest to preserve the township records in, provided it did not cost more than five dollars, and provided further, that the clerk would take it off the hands of the board and refund the money, if the people repudiated the appropriation at the next meeting. In 1845 the people voted eighty ballots for license, and seventy against the same. In 1864 the town voted one hundred dollars bounty to volunteers, in February, and in August, they voted another bounty of the same amount. The ear-marks, by which the people knew their own, were various. Oliver Alford, Jr. knew his cattle by a square crop of the left ear, and a slit in the end of the right. Charles Palmer made his mark on the left ear, by a square crop. M. G. Schellhous put a swallow-fork in the end of the left ear, and James Cowen gave notice to his neighbors in Leonidas and Colon, that any saw-logs marked with an "H" in the end thereof, were his property; and his cattle browsed the heather with a remnant of the right ear, the left, the major part thereof, having disappeared in a square crop of the end, a slit and a half-penny taken therefrom.
THE FIRST ROAD
was laid out through Colon, in 1836, from the village to the county-seat of Branch county, as then located,-Lorausi Schellhous was one of the chain- men, and marked every mile from Coldwater to Centreville. Two hundred dollars subscribed by individuals, and, with that amount and work donated, the road was cut through, the streams bridged and marshes causewayed to the town of Mattison, in Branch county.
THE FIRST BRIDGE
over the St. Joseph river, was built in 1839-40, and was known as the Farrand bridge,-it was the third one on the river. The Leland bridge was built in 1845. In 1868-69 the iron bridges were built over the St. Joseph, and in 1873 the iron bridge in the village over Swan creek was built, the whole cost being sixteen thousand dollars.
THE POST OFFICE
was first established in 1835, Lorausi Schellhous being the first postmaster, and carrying the mail between Colon and Kent's, and Adams' mill in Branch county, for the proceeds of the office, once a week. The office was kept at the postmaster's residence, where Mr. Schellhous now lives. Henry Good- win, a boy eight years old, carried the mail a portion of the time, which was brought first, as before stated, from Adams' and Kent's mills, then from Thompson's ; then from Samuel Needham's, and then from Leonidas, once a week.
In 1837 Louis A. Leland carried the mail from the Branch county-seat to Berrien, in Berrien county, maintaining the contract two years, making three trips per week between Branch and Centreville in a two-horse wagon, and weekly from Centreville to Berrien via Three Rivers, Cassopolis and Niles on horseback, there being nothing but a trail to follow. At that time Anson Burlingame's father lived in Branch, and the son was frequently at home.
The postmasters of Colon have been, besides Mr. Schellhous, who held the position for several years, J. H. Clowes, two years, Louis A. Leland, two years, Charles L. Miller, four years, Elisha Hill, seven years and E. C. Wellesley, sixteen years, from 1861, who is the present incumbent. The present business of the office is as follows : The amount of stamps sold dur- ing the year 1876 was seven hundred and twenty-eight dollars and eighty- eight cents ; the number of registered letters forwarded, three hundred and twelve; the number of letters received and dispatched daily, one hun- dred and fifty ; the number of newspapers distributed weekly, four hundred ; the number of mails received and dispatched daily, six. During the war a daily mail was had and a reading-room and club established in the village.
THE FIRST HOTEL
kept in the township was Roswell Schellhous', in 1830 and later.
MRS. ADAM BOWER ;
ADAM BOWER
RESIDENCE OF ADAM BOWER, COLON TR., S! JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
159
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
POPULATION.
In 1838 Colon had a population of three hundred and sixty-eight souls. In 1850 the souls had increased and multiplied until they numbered eight hundred and forty-six. In 1870 they had still further increased and num- bered one thousand five hundred and four; of whom seven hundred and eighty-eight were of the masculine, and seven hundred and sixteen of the feminine gender. Three hundred and eleven families had each a house to live in, with one to spare. In 1874 the census taker for the State could not find as many people as the United States marshal found four years before, and reported but one thousand three hundred and fifty-three; of these six hundred and eighty-one were males, and six hundred and seventy-two females. Of the former, three hundred and forty-seven were over twenty-one years of age, two hundred and fourteen of whom were liable to military duty, one hundred and twenty-six were over forty-five, and seven were over seventy- five but under ninety. Of the females, three hundred and eighty-four were over eighteen years, two hundred and forty-five of them being under forty, and one hundred and thirty-three over forty and under seventy-five, and six over the latter age. Four hundred and sixty-one boys were under twenty- one years, and three hundred and seventy-nine girls were under eighteen years. There were two hundred and eighty-one married men and fifty single men who were old enough to contract for such a condition legally, without asking " pa " Two hundred and eighty females were housekeepers at home, and seventy-two of their sisters had not referred the matter to the head of the family where they resided, and were still single. Nineteen males and thirty-three females were widowed or divorced.
THE POLITICAL STANDING
of the people is shown by the result of the presidential balloting in the township. In 1840 the Whig vote was thirty and the Democratic fifty-nine. In 1844 the Whigs polled fifty-eight votes, and the Democrats seventy-five. In 1848 the Whigs cast sixty-nine, the Democrats seventy-four, and the Free Soilers seventeen votes. In 1852 the last Whig effort gave seventy-six votes, the Democrats gave sixty-four votes, and the Abolitionists polled sixteen votes. In 1856 the Republicans polled one hundred and forty-nine votes, the Democrats sixty-six, and the Prohibitionists numbered not enough to add a plural. In 1860 the Republicans cast one hundred and seventy-seven votes, and the Democrats one hundred and thirteen. In 1864 the same parties cast one hundred and seventy-one, and eighty-four respectively, and . in 1868 the Republicans cast two hundred and thirty-eight, to ninety-four by their opponents. In 1872 Grant received two hundred and twenty-nine votes, Greeley eighty-nine, O'Conor three and Jeremiah Black one. In 1876 Hayes received two hundred and thirty-three votes, Tilden one hun- dred and twenty-three, and Peter Cooper forty votes. This last vote would indicate a population of about two thousand in the township.
THE TAXES OF THE PEOPLE
have been as follows: In 1834 the assessment of property in the township for taxation amounted to fifteen thousand three hundred and ninety-one dollars, and the taxes levied thereon to seventy-nine dollars. In 1836, when the first State tax was paid, Colon's assessment was thirty thousand and eighty-eight dollars, and the levy of taxes one hundred and sixty-nine dollars and twenty-two cents, of which seventy-five dollars and twenty-two cents was for the State. In 1835 the town taxes were just a single dollar. It would be interesting to know what mathematical microscope the clerk used to cast the tax upon the individual assessments. In 1876 the assessment, as equalized by the county board, stood at four hundred and seventy-seven thousand one hundred and thirteen dollars, and the taxes levied thereon were, for State and county purposes two thousand four hundred and thirty- seven dollars and thirty cents, equally divided between the two treasuries ; and township taxes, including schools, two thousand six hundred and four- teen dollars and fifty-six cents ; making a grand total of five thousand and fifty-one dollars and eighty-six cents.
AMUSEMENTS.
The first celebration in Colon was in 1840, when the Whigs learned that "Tippecanoe, and Tyler too," had, in deed and in truth, " beat little Van ;" Joseph Farrand gave a dinner to the Whigs of Colon and Leonidas, and they had a jolly time.
The sport which caused the keenest enjoyment in the early days was the capture of ducks and pigeons, with nets. L. A. Leland used to trap thou- sands of them, and ship them east to Boston and New York. Henry K. Farrand trapped them on his farm, and fed them by thousands. One season, over one hundred bushels of corn were fed to the ducks and pigeons, and
when taken they were fat and juicy, the rank flavor of the ducks, from feeding in the marshes, being entirely removed by their grain diet. Wild turkeys filled the woods, and afforded rare sport to the marksman.
INCIDENTS.
In the terrible sickness of 1833 and 1838 there were many sorrowful scenes and incidents, but none more touching and sad than the case of Levi Mathews' family. They arrived in Colon in August, 1833, and on the 9th of September Emeline died, and was followed by Mrs. Mathews, October 7; by Edward, October 23; by Mr. David Cobb (a son-in-law), November 2, and by Mr. Mathews himself, November 29. They all died on the Leland farm.
In 1838 the sickness was so general, and so severe, that there was no wheat sown that fall in the township. Corn stood in the field unhusked till after the winter set in and the sickness abated. Spring wheat was sown the next spring for family supplies. So protracted and fatal was the epidemic, malarial fevers that all hope was lost, all ambition crushed, all courage ban- ished, and men and women were indifferent to all effort for the future. The dead and dying were in every house, and not a woman in the whole township could do anything more than the imperative demands of her own household made compulsory. Men, in relays, went from house to house to nurse the sick, minister to the dying, and bury the dead as well as their own feebleness and wretchedness would allow. The fatality arose quite as much for want of proper medicine and treatment as it did from the malaria which rose in exhalations from the soil, and made heavy the air with its baneful breath. From 1837 to 1841 the sickness continued more or less violent each summer, but the mortality and suffering were slight compared with those of 1838.
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