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 55
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In 1847 a tragedy occurred which shocked the whole community, by bursting upon it unheralded, and filling it with horror and surprise. A family of Alsatians, named Clipfell (consisting of an old man and his son, and the wife and children of the latter), came into the township in 1839, bought the Roswell Schellhous place, and built a brewery. Jacob, senior (the son), had been back and forth to France once or twice to receive money from some unsettled estate in his native land, and was in comfortable circum- stances ; but one day in October, in the year first named, the son had some words about the money received from France with his father (the old man), and soon after went into the brewery, where the latter was, and struck him with a heavy Indian hoe, killing him almost instantly. He then shot him- self, and died without a word or groan escaping his lips. He is supposed to have been insane, as a brother (Philip) some years afterwards committed suicide in Nottawa.
When the first white settlers came to Colon, a pair of bald-headed eagles had an eyrie in the tall trees on the river bottom or margin of the lake, on the land that was afterwards owned by L. A. Leland. These eagles came every year, built their nests, and hatched their young eaglets, until 1856- 57, when some rascals cut down the tree, caught the young birds, and shot one of the old ones. This was deemed such an outrage by the people (Mr. Leland particularly, who looked upon the eagles as his especial pets, and had named his farm the "Eagles' Nest"), that if the vandals could have been caught they would have suffered for their malicious act, law or no law. Since then a single eagle has frequently been seen hovering about the lake, as though looking at the old home of twenty years ago and more.
Colon had its trials and tribulations, arising from bad neighbors, as well as other communities. A gang of sneak-thieves committed depredations on the farmers and merchants of the township, with impunity, for years,-steal- ing buffalo-robes, harnesses, clover-seed, wheat, corn, sleds, goods, blankets, whips, neck-yokes, etc., with a reckless indifference at once inconvenient and . exasperating to the victims of their marauding operations. They were at last brought to grief, and large quantities of goods recovered. The rascals were sent to Jackson for a term of years. D. J. Pike and H. K. Farrand were chiefly instrumental in bringing them to justice. Justice Leland ably second- ed their efforts by holding the prisoners under such heavy bonds that they could not furnish bail, and therefore were on hand when wanted, and received their deserts. Farrand had suffered from three raids, and on the third got on their track and ran the precious scoundrels to earth, the chief one getting ten years in the penitentiary, an accomplice being fined four hundred dollars, and sentence suspended over the youngest (Clayton Robinson), who left the State, went to Wisconsin, and entered the business of dealing in counterfeit greenbacks with N. B. Latta, was caught, turned State's evidence again, and sent Latta up for fifteen years, getting free himself. The goods found in the parties' barns and cribs were identified by persons from Indianapolis to Grand Rapids, the prisoners being members of a regular organization between the two places.
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160
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
THE VILLAGE OF COLON
was originally projected in 1832, by George Schellhous and the Indian- trader, Hatch, who surveyed and laid off the plat, which was not re- corded. The first plat recorded of the village was that of the survey of John H. and William F. Bowman, January 5, 1844. The origin of the name of the village is somewhat singular. The first projectors were casting about for a name, when Lorausi Schellhous turned to the dictionary, which opening, his eye fell upon the word "Colon," and looking at its anatomical signification, said, " We will call it Colon ; for the lake and the river cor- respond in their relations exactly to the position of the colon," and so it was named. The township on its organization retained the name. The village sank into somnolence, until the flouring-mill was built, and other manufac- tures sprung up after 1840. The first frame house built in the village was by Dr. Voorhis, in 1836.
THE FIRST SETTLEMENT
on the present site of the village was made by Lorausi Schellhous and his family, in the spring of 1831, their cabin being the first house built thereon. Charles Palmer was the next settler, who came, with his family, the succeed- ing fall, and lived all winter with Schellhous in his one-roomed cabin, and in the spring removed into his own cabin, on the shore of the lake, which now bears his name.
Mr. Schellhous' brother, George, and family, were the next arrivals ; they settled permanently, and George entered into partnership with his brother in a saw-mill on Swan creek, Lorausi subsequently selling out to him, and removing to his farm west of the village, in 1835. One Kirk, a millwright, was also a resident of the village at the time.
Dr. Isaac S. Voorhis came in 1836, and bought out the mill site and water power of the Schellhouses, and began the erection of a flouring-mill in 1838, which was completed in 1839, and sold to John H. Bowman. In 1841, the first stock of goods was opened for sale by Charles L. Miller, formerly of Constantine, and the village was assured of an existence, though it was for a time a sickly one.
MANUFACTURING INTERESTS
were the vital force of the village, that which gave it life, and the first com- mencement of them was a saw-mill built in 1832, by Lorausi Schellhous, on the site occupied by the present saw-mill.
The second manufactory was the flouring-mill, above named, built by Dr. Voorhis in 1838-9. The mill was put into operation, in 1839, by William R. Eck, then of Three Rivers, who dressed the first stones and ground the first grist therein. Mr. Eck subsequently removed to the village in 1845, and is still an honored resident thereof. The mill had originally three run of stones, but another run was added a year ago, 1875. It is owned now by the C. B. Hoffman estate, and operated by John Hoffman and Sylvester Troy, lessees.
In 1845 David Barrows made wagons, the first vehicles of that class made in the village, but Erastus Mills put up the first regular wagon-shop in 1846, which is the present Davis house. C. A. Baxter succeeded to the business in 1850, and he, in turn, gave way to the present manufacturers of fine carriages and wagons, Anderson Brothers, in 1867. They employ nine men, and their sales in 1876 amounted to twenty thousand dollars.
The first foundry in the village was erected in 1847, by Shuert & Duel, and was burned down in 1852, and rebuilt the same year by Richards & Hazen, near the wagon-shop. D. C. and A. Richards succeeded to its ownership, and operated it for several years, when it was torn down and removed.
In 1858 Richards & Hughes built the present furnace, and commenced operations therein in 1859. The sales of 1876 amounted to two thousand dollars. Plows and other similar articles are manufactured, and three men employed. In 1854 William F. Bowman built a planing-mill, and ran it several years. It is now the wagon-shop of Anderson Brothers.
Prior to 1860 David Brownfield built the tannery, which is now owned by E. R. Hill, and operated by Hill & Doran. In 1858 W. F. Bowman built a machine-shop for repairs, etc., which is still operated by him. In 1860 Daniel S. Avery built a wagon-shop, which is now used for a cooper- shop by David R. Oliver, E. P. Wellesley and J. Moore.
Charles L. Miller, Jr., erected, in 1874, a large building for drying fruit by the Alden process, which has proved a great success, and is now in opera- tion in the season. He made large quantities of vinegar in 1876.
The product of the factory in that year was sixty thousand pounds dried apples, two hundred and fifty barrels vinegar, and one thousand pounds dried pumpkin. Thirty-five persons were employed during the season of one hundred days.
Gorton was the first blacksmith, and had a shop in the village in 1837. Rockwell Hazen built a shop in 1844, and did an extensive business. An- derson Brothers are the present smiths. Ryan Williams built a cooper-shop in the spring of 1843, but there was one built in 1840, and was used in 1841 by the first merchant, as a retail store, while his building was being erected. Michael Keith was the first shoemaker, and was an itinerant, going from house to house to make up the stock the farmers bought. Ryan Williams was also a shoemaker in 1844. R. J. Hazen followed the trade of a cooper for ten years in the village, beginning in 1844. F. M. Bedford has been in the harness manufacturing line since 1866. He came to Michigan in 1861, and has followed his trade ever since.
TRADE
began to find a channel in the village in 1841, Charles L. Miller being the first merchant to open a stock of goods for retailing in the village. He put his.stock in a cooper-shop at first, until he built and completed his store. He was in trade twelve years,-a portion of the time in partnership with Williams. Mr. Miller was the leading merchant while he was in trade in that village, and had a large patronage. He was elected judge of probate in 1856, and was secretary of the committee on commerce of the United States senate, from 1861 until his death. The leading merchants, since his time, have been Don A. Watson and H. R. Hulbert, who are now out of the trade. E. Hill & Sons commenced in the mercantile trade in the village. in 1851, and until 1868 were leading merchants, doing a heavy trade. They are now engaged in the produce and shipping line, and shipped forty thou- sand bushels of grain in 1876. They buy and ship also at Sherwood, in Branch county, the next station east of Colon, on the Air Line railroad. They also do an exchange business under the name and style of
THE EXCHANGE BANK OF E. R. HILL & CO.,
having organized as such January 1, 1872. They sold in 1876 one hun- dred and twenty thousand dollars of exchange. Dr. Isaac Sides opened the first drug store January 14, 1859. W. B. Akey has a most elegant one at the present time, and Kimball & Bower are his competitors.
THE PROFESSIONS.
Dr. Isaac S. Voorhis was the first physician ; he located in the village in 1836 (as before stated), and died in 1838. Dr. Nathan Mitchell was the second physician ; located in the village in 1839, and had an extensive ride, but received poor pay therefor; he is still in practice in the village. Dr. Romine was the next physician, and died in the village in 1855-6. Dr. Briggs came next, and was killed in 1856-7, at Toledo, in a burning build- ing. Dr. Joyce came next, and practiced twenty years. Dr. Sampson came after Joyce, and then Dr. Isaac Sides came in 1859, and is still in practice, as is also Dr. Kimball, who located in 1870 in the village. Dr. Godfrey, homœopathist, was in the practice in the village for sixteen years, and is now succeeded by his son, the young Dr. Godfrey.
H. Austin is the only permanent dentist the village has ever had, and he is now in practice. Dr. A. J. Kinne came to Colon in 1846, having pre- viously located in Leonidas in 1837, and practiced for a time, but does not follow his profession now.
The first doctor in the township was Dr. James Fisher, of New York, who located therein in 1832, on the prairie near the trader Hatch's place. A son of Dr. Fisher, born in Colon, distinguished himself in the United States navy. Dr. McMillan practiced some after he came into the township, in 1834, but was too much pre-occupied with his philosophical researches to give much attention to sublunary things.
THE ONLY LAWYER
ever resident in Colon, was Hiram Draper; he never practiced his pro- fession but once, and then was beaten, in his only law-suit, by Henry Farrand.
THE RAILROAD
passing through the village was a great achievement for the people, and they are mainly indebted to Henry K. Farrand, Dr. A. J. Kinne, C. B. Hoffman and E. R. Hill for the accomplishment of the much-to-be-desired means of communication with the outside world. Mr. Farrand was especially zealous in securing the passage of the road through the town and village,-spending several hundred dollars, and the better part of two years, time in so doing. Dr. Kinne was also prominent in the work. Aid for the Grand Trunk road of Michigan, from Port Huron to Chicago, was moved for, first in 1863-4. It was the object of the Grand Trunk of Canada, to get a communication direct with Chicago. The first meeting of the citizens along its proposed line, from Jackson to Centreville, was held at the former
161
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
place in 1865. The people of Colon saw that this was the time to get a railroad through the township to Centreville, and during that year the com- pany was organized under the name of the Grand Trunk Railroad of Michi- gan, and subscriptions were obtained therefor, but no aid was rendered by the Grand Trunk of Canada, as had been promised.
Then the stockholders and subscribers changed the name to the Michigan Air Line Railroad, and a vote was taken in Colon to aid the same by town bonds to the amount of thirty-six thousand dollars, but the proposition was rejected.
Then Mr. Farrand, and the gentlemen before named, exerted themselves and procured subscriptions among the inhabitants of the township, amount- ing to forty-two thousand dollars, of which thirty-eight thousand dollars was paid in ; and after the road was graded, the town again voted on a proposi- tion to aid the road, and carried it through, loaning twenty-five thousand dollars, for which bonds were issued, and the road completed to Colon, July 3,1871.
The bonds of the township were never paid, the company never fulfilling their contracts with the township on which the issuance of the loan was based.
The railroad company commenced suit on the bonds against the township, but were non-suited, and the bonds returned to the town authorities and can- celled.
The citizens who subscribed for the stock were swindled out of the same, by the consolidation of the company with the Michigan Central. Adam Bower, Peter Wagner and Comfort Tyler were generous subscribers to the stock of the road, from a sense of public duty to the township at large, rather than that of personal benefit, as all lived at a distance from the vil- lage, especially Bower and Tyler.
The entrance of the road was celebrated with great enthusiasm July 4, succeeding the day the track was completed to the village.
The present business of the station in the village will be seen by the fol- lowing exhibit, furnished by F. L. Thompson, the agent of the road, for which he has our thanks. There were forwarded during the year 1876 from Colon station, seven million thirteen thousand eight hundred and ninety-two pounds of freight, including seven thousand four hundred and fifty barrels of flour, twenty-six cars of hogs, six cars of sheep, five cars of cattle and forty-six thousand four hundred and fifty bushels of grain.
The ticket sales amounted to three thousand eighty-two dollars and forty- five cents ; five hundred and thirty-eight dollars and fifty cents being for Centennial tickets.
HOTELS.
The first hotel in the village was kept by M. H. Palmer and Rockwell Hazen in 1844, in the brown house on the east side, afterwards kept by Barney G. Everhard, and known as the Barney house.
Shuert kept the house now known as the Davis house, the same having been built by Erastus Mills for a wagon-shop, in 1846.
Everhard went to California in 1850 or thereabouts.
W. G. Davis, at the Davis house, now attends to the comfort of the travel- ing public, and looks after his fine blooded trotters, and seems to be making a success of both businesses, judging from common report.
THE BUSINESS OF THE PRESENT
is conducted as follows :
Trade.
General Merchandize-Clement Brothers, W. F. Patterson.
Boots and Shoes, etc .- -- Spencer.
Produce and Shippers-E. Hill & Sons, Hoffman & Troy.
Furniture-F. French.
Harness-F. M. Bedford, -- Bell.
Groceries and Crockery-Wilkinson & Co.
Drugs and Medicines-W. B. Akey, Kimball & Bower.
Hardware-Paul Wilson, C. M. Lampman.
Variety Store-C. H. Goodwin.
Merchant Tailor-E. C. Wellesley.
Cigars (manufactory) -- F. Dickinson.
Millinery and Dressmaking-Mrs. S. Artridge and Mrs. M. Howe. Markets-Henry Wanzey, S. Lechner. Artisans.
Shoemakers-W. T. Smith, A. Rogers, G. Deno, R. D. Wilder, S. Ensign. Carpenters-Whitmore & Brother, J. P. Peters.
Blacksmiths-Anderson Brothers, Adams & Mellen.
Manufactures.
Flouring-Mills-Hoffman & Troy, Philip Everhard.
Saw-Mills-Fredericks Brothers, Hoffman & Troy.
Furnace-Dane Miles & Co., D. C. Richards.
Wagons and Carriages-Anderson Brothers, Adams & Mellen. Plows-Daniel C. Richards.
Cooperage-David R. Oliver, E. P. Wellesley and J. Moore. Alden Fruit Dryer-Charles L. Miller, Jr.
Tannery-Hill & Doran.
Cider-Mill-Simons & Co.
Machine Shop-W. F. Bowman.
Newspapers-Colon Enterprise, H. Egabrod, proprietor. The Colon Standard, published in 1875, by L. E. Jacobs, was a Democratic sheet, and attained a fair circulation.
Taxidermist-E. H. Crain.
A fair estimate places the capital invested in business, in Colon village, at the present time, at one hundred thousand dollars.
THE SCHOOLS
of a village are of the first importance to the prosperity of the community, and the residents of Colon were not only not behind, but in advance of any other township in the county, in getting a superior school, excepting White Pigeon, although the same was a private enterprise. The village is included in district number four, and the first school-house built therein was in 1837, or thereabouts. The district was laid off in August of that year, and com- prised within its boundaries sections twenty-three to twenty-six, inclusive, and thirty-five and thirty-six. This first school-house was built of logs, and was twenty-four feet square, standing on the corner of W. H. Castle's farm.
The frame school-house in the village was built about 1847, and is now unoccupied.
In 1858 several of the citizens of the township, desirous of a higher grade of education than was to be obtained by their children at the public schools then taught in the township, formed and organized the Colon Seminary Company, under the statute, the leading stockholders and trustees being H. K. and Phineas Farrand, A. J. Kinne, Charles L. Miller, W. F. Bowman and Adam Bower, who remained its chief support during its ten years' existence. The company bought a frame building in 1858, fitted it up, and commenced their school,-Orlando Moffatt being the first teacher, and seventy to one hundred pupils being in attendance.
In 1862 the present fine brick structure, occupied by the union school, was erected at a cost of nine thousand dollars for the site and building completely furnished. It was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies, August 20, 1863, Judge J. Eastman Johnson delivering the address on the occasion before a large audience. .
Elias Cooley, Jr., was the first teacher in the building. The school was conducted with great success until 1867, having a graded academic course of study, and had pupils from a considerable distance. Its reputation was good, and its discipline satisfactory, and ably maintained. H. K. Farrand and Dr. Kinne were constant vistors at the school, and gave their personal attention to its management,-a good example to be followed by the trustees of all union schools, or any other. Seth Moffatt, an eminent lawyer, and senator for two terms in the State senate of Michigan, was one of the pupils of this school, as was also John Downey, now a distinguished professor in Pennsylvania. More teachers went from this school during its existence than from any other of the same size in the State.
The seminary building is thirty-four by seventy-five feet on the ground, three stories high,-the upper story being a hall, used for religious and other purposes. It has two hundred sittings. After 1867 the school board rented the building of its present owner, William R. Eck, who was also a stock- holder in the original company, and have occupied it ever since.
On September 4, 1871 the people voted to incorporate the district as a union school district, and elected H. K. Farrand, W. H. Castle, E. R. Hill, Orson Tomlinson, H. C. Kimball and C. M. Lampman, trustees. The first principal of the union school was D. W. Herman, 1871-72; the second, Robert W. Webb, 1874, and W. H. Day, the present incumbent, succeeded in 1875. Aurelia Carver, the first assistant, has been in that position eight years The present school-board is as follows : T. Whitmore, moder- ator; W. H. Castle, assessor; J. W. Lovett, director ; E. R. Hill, Thomas Howay and Joseph Grover.
THE CHURCHES.
The Baptist society, now worshiping in their own church edifice in Colon, was first organized in Leonidas, in 1837, by Elders Brown, of Centreville,
162
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Taylor, from Prairie Ronde, and G. B. Day, of Sturgis. The preliminary meeting was held June 25th, and the council assembled and organized the church, August 13th, and ordained Elmore G. Terry as elder. The first members of the organization were E. G. Terry, David Franklin, Orrin W. Legg and wife, Sarah Legg, Mercy Vaughn, Experience Watkins, Enoch S. Gersline, Benjamin Blossom, Joseph Gilbert, Constant Vaughn, Armilla Terry, Justus W. Denton, Eli Deuton, Lurelia Denton, Clarissa S. Denton, Mary Reynolds, Sally Reynolds, Clarissa Blossom and Anna Gilbert. Clarissa Blossom is the only one of those members now living.
The present church edifice was built in 1845, the society being incorpo- rated January 20th of that year, the first trustees being Orrin W. Legg, Lorausi Schellhous and Seth Goodwin. The church is thirty-two by forty feet, and is free to all orthodox Christians when not occupied by the society which owns it. Elder Terry preached for the society until his death, and was succeeded by Elder Fuller; he by Philo Forbes, and he by Elder Southworth, in 1853. Elder Goodrich has also been the pastor, and was succeeded by Dr. E. J. Fish, who was succeeded by the present pastor, Elder William Pack. Under the preaching of Elder Forbes, in 1845, there was a noted rivival, thirty-five persons being baptized. The society held meetings previously to the building of the church in the building formerly occupied by Romine & Stoddard, for mercantile purposes. John Gray, Benjamin Blossom and Joseph Gilbert, were the first deacons, and Mr. Gray is now living in Lockport, New York, at the advanced age of ninety years and over. Joel Legg, William Grover and Mr. Rowe are the deacons at present. The church affords from two hundred and fifty to three hundred sittings, and is valued at two thousand dollars. There are eighty members on the church roll at the present time. A Sunday-school was organized in 1849, under Philo Forbes' ministry, with about twenty-four scholars. It now numbers fifty scholars, and is under the superintendency of J. W. Pike.
The first Methodist Episcopal society was organized in Colon township in the year 1844, by the formation of a class of sixteen members, by Ryan Williams and Aaron Bradley, (two local preachers, who moved into the township the previous year), with Ryan Williams as class-leader. Among the members of said class were Ryan Williams and wife, Aaron Bradley, Samuel Sheik, Mrs. Barber Mills, Mrs. James Palmer and Mr. Washburn, of which class not one member now remains. Colon, at that time was a part of the White Pigeon circuit.
The board of trustees for the society was elected August 18, 1856, with Phineas Farrand, William H. Harper, William F. Bowman, Solomon R. Salisbury, Ellis Hughes, Gilbert Liddle and Moses Blanchard as members of such board, duly appointed and elected under the statutes.
The society at this date (April, 1877), numbers seventy-two members. Brother Bowman was very enthusiastic in this work, and every Sunday sent teams all over the country within three or four miles of the village to bring the children together, and soon had a school of which any man would be proud. The school at this date ( April, 1877), numbers fifty scholars, six officers and eight teachers, with John W. Lovett as superintendent.
SOCIETIES -- MASONIC.
Colon Lodge, No. 73, A. F. M., was instituted by charter in 1855, Martin Gloyd being its first W. M .; A. J. Kinne, S. W., and L. A. Leland, J. W., with fifteen charter members. The office of W. M. has been filled by the following gentlemen : Martin Gloyd, 1855 and 1860; A. J. Kinne, 1856-8, 1861-2, 1865-6; F. E. Mathews, 1859; M. W. Alford, 1863-4; W. E. Greene, 1867-9; J. W. Simons. 1870; Charles M. Lampman, 1871-5. The present officers are J. W. Simons, W. M .; George Engle, S. W .; Robert Fraser, J. W. The craftsmen number one hundred.
Colon Chapter, No. 81, R. A. M., was instituted under dispensation July 7, 1871, and chartered the following January. A. J. Kinne, H. P .; J. B. Peters, K .; M. Yentler, S., were the first council, who are still incumbents of the same positions. There were twelve charter members. There are now twenty-seven members.
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