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 67
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THE "KNOBS'" CLASS,
so-called, was organized under the pastorate of Rev. Peter Roth, in the year 1863, with twenty members, all Mecklenburg Germans. They worship in a school-house situated four miles west and half a mile north of the Flower- field church, about one mile east of the Cass county line. A Sunday-school was organized there, in 1868, with Joachim Timm as superintendent. Adolph Ruchoff is the present incumbent.
The present membership of the church is eighty-seven ; and one thousand three hundred dollars have been subscribed towards the erection of a church which is projected, and to be built as soon as practicable.
The present church-officers are Rev. J. Timm (local preacher), Fritz Tirks, and John Miller.
The preachers to this class have been the same as named in the Flower- field class, since the organization of this class by Mr. Roth.
Organized religious meetings according to the usages of the Methodist Episcopal church, were held in the school-house which stood on section twenty-six, in 1843. The first circuit-preacher was Reverend Mr. Gage ; and the first class-leader, Robert Gill. Among the early members were : Robert Gill, Sylvester Wood and John Stocking, with their wives. It was continued here until 1870, when the meetings were transferred to Howards- ville, where the society was reorganized under the pastoral ministrations of Reverend John Pitezel. The present class-leader is Samuel Hice.
FLOWERFIELD GRANGE.
The grangers of Flowerfield organized themselves into a society in De- cember, 1873. Their first annual meeting was held at the house of Leander Mohney, January 17, 1874, at which the following officers were elected : John Freeman, master ; Clarence Somison, overseer ; H. M. Crout, lecturer ; Wesley Seekell, secretary ; Leander Mohney, treasurer ; Henry Moore, steward ; Henry Weinberg, assistant-steward ; Ebenezer, gate- keeper ; Mrs. Ellen Seekell, Ceres ; Mrs. Nancy Mohney, Pomona ; Miss Hannah Weinberg, Flora ; Mrs. Adelia Freeman, lady-assistant. The grange started with a membership of fifty-seven. The present executive officers are : Seymour Andrews, master ; Clarence Somison, overseer ; Hiram Weinberg, secretary ; Ebenezer Thompson, treasurer.
HOWARDVILLE VILLAGE.
The present site of Howardville was formerly contained in the purchase of Robert Gill, who erected the first house there in 1833. He bought the land on account of the excellent water-power existing on it. He commenced building a dam, but sold the property to two brothers named Morse, who erected a saw-mill there in 1833. They conducted the mill until 1836, when Franklin Howard bought it and ran it until his death in the winter of 1845. It then came into the possession of D. K. Thurston, who sold it to Ed- mund Beam, the present owner, in 1862.
GRIST-MILL.
The grist-mill was built by Edmund Beam in 1864, and has been in con- tinuous operation from that date. It has two run of stones, and is devoted exclusively to custom-work. Product for 1876, twenty thousand bushels. In the event of the construction of the long and fondly anticipated narrow- gauge railway running to the village, improvements will be made for mer- chant-work in the mill.
TAVERN.
The first tavern was built in 1856 by William Porter. It stood on the point of the hill, on land now owned by M. P. Yowells.
SCHOOL.
Franklin Howard donated six hundred dollars to build a school-house in 1845.
POST-OFFICE.
In 1856 a post-office was established at Howardville, and Chauncey Tinker was appointed postmaster. The settlement since then has been generally known by the name of Tinker Town.
FLOWERFIELD IN THE REBELLION
made a proud record. Her citizens were early in the field and came home late-those who came at all. She sent over fifty per cent. of her voting population in 1860, during the war, filling up the regiments first in the field, the Eleventh taking the larger number. The Sixth also had a goodly num- ber and so also had the Twenty-fifth. One-third of her soldiers were killed, died or were discharged for disabilities. We give a list of the heroic men who went to the front in defense of the national unity and starry flag, as we have been able to locate them from the official records :
FIRST MICHIGAN INFANTRY. Corporal William Fry, Company B; re-enlisted and mustered-out.
SIXTH INFANTRY.
Corporal Lester Fox, Company C; first lieutenant and mustered-out. Private W. W. Bullock, Company C; discharged at expiration of service. Private David R. Johnson, Company C; re-enlisted and mustered-out. Private William McCumsey, Company C; discharged for disability. Private James Osmer, Company C; discharged for disability.
Private John Reis, Company C; discharged at expiration of service. Private Nelson Straw, Company C; died at Carrollton, Louisiana, March 4, 1863.
Private William J. Smith, Company C; re-enlisted and mustered-out. Private John V. Thurston, Company C; died at Port Hudson, Louisiana. Private Robert Johnson, Company C; mustered-out. Private Jacob H. Hopkins, Company C; discharged.
Private Samuel H. Hepworth, Company C; discharged for disability. Corporal George W. Hice, Company C; died at Ship Island, Mississippi May 15, 1862.
SEVENTH INFANTRY.
Private George Beck, Company C; died in action in Wilderness.
Private William H. Eggleston, Company C; died at Andersonville.
Private Daniel Eggleston, Company K ; died of disease, October 28, 1864.
Private Alonzo E. Butler, Company K; mustered-out.
ELEVENTH INFANTRY.
Musician John Ludwig, mustered-out, August 22, 1862.
Private Samuel P. Beck, Company B ; mustered-out.
Private Henry Parker, Company B; mustered-out.
Private William Parker, Company B; mustered-out.
Private Samuel Spiegelmoyer, Company B; mustered-out:'
Private Oliver Stebbins, Company B; died at Chattanooga.
Private Aaron Hackenburgh, Company C; re-enlisted and mustered-out. Corporal John I. Bloom, Company E; discharged at expiration of service. Musician William H. Seekel, Company E; died at Nashville, October 20, 1862.
Musician James W. Seekel, Company E; discharged.
Private Richard Brayman, Company E; discharged at expiration of ser- vice.
Private James W. Beck, Company E; discharged at expiration of service. Private Alva P. Dailey, Company E; died at White Pigeon, December 19, 1861.
Private George Eggleston, Company E; discharged at expiration of ser- vice.
Private John T. Hale, Company E; died at Bardstown, Kentucky, January 26, 1862.
Private Bradley L. Lane, Company E; discharged at expiration of service. Private John McKinzie, Company E.
Private Robert McIlvaine, Company E; died at Stone River, December 31, 1862.
Private Albert Osmer, Company E; discharged at expiration of service. Private John C. Smith, Company E; discharged September 26, 1862.
Private Joseph E. Thompson, Company E; cut his throat while home on furlough.
Private Reuben G. Weinberg, Company E; re-enlisted in Company C, Fifteenth regiment.
Private William H. Weinberg, Company E; killed near Atlanta.
Private Edward Mosser, Company E; killed near Atlanta.
Private John B. Alcock, Company E; died at Nashville.
Private Daniel Frees, Company E; mustered-out.
Private Henry T. Frees, Company E; mustered-out.
Private Joel Lee, Company E; mustered-out.
Private Daniel Motter, Company E; mustered-out.
Private Horace Smith, Company E; mustered-out.
Private W. C. T. Sampsell, Company E; mustered-out.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Private Charles P. Ludwig, Company E; mustered-out. Sergeant James Bouton, Company G; discharged at expiration of service. Sergeant Orlando Williams, Company G; died January 30, 1862. Corporal George Straw, Company G. Corporal Laban Pierce, Company G ; died February 5, 1862. Private Oscar Angle, Company G; killed at Stone River, December 31, 1862.
Private Joel Pierce, Company G; died January 8, 1862. Private Thomas Straw, Company G ; died February 11, 1862.
Private Myron C. Palmer, Company G ; died at Jeffersonville, Indiana, March, 1862.
Private James Walker, Company G; discharged at expiration of service. Private Daniel Condick, Company G; mustered-out.
Private Charles D. Seekel, Company G ; discharged. TWELFTH REGIMENT INFANTRY.
Private George Williams, Company B; discharged for disability.
Private John Barnhart, Company E; mustered-out.
Private William B. Noyes, Company F; mustered-out.
Private David F. Plummer, Company K; died at Duvall's Bluff, Arkansas.
Private David N. Stocking, Company K; died at Duvall's Bluff, Arkansas. Private Ross Knapp, Company K; mustered-out.
Private George W. Plummer, Company K; mustered-out.
Private John P. Plummer, Company K ; mustered-out.
Private John Stebbins, Company K; mustered-out. THIRTEENTH INFANTRY.
Private W. W. Bass, Company E; re-enlisted and mustered-out.
Private George Salter, Company G; died at Louisville. FOURTEENTH INFANTRY.
Private Egbert B. Tubbs, Company C; died of wounds at Jonesboro, Georgia. FIFTEENTH INFANTRY.
Private Reuben G. Weinberg, Company C; mustered-out.
Private A. G. Weinburg, Company C; mustered-out.
Private Harvey Tinker, Company C; mustered-out.
SIXTEENTH INFANTRY. Private Bradley L. Lane, Company I ; mustered-out. NINETEENTH INFANTRY.
Private George W. Beebee, Company A ; discharged for disability.
Corporal Charles F. Fuller, Company K; mustered-out.
Private John C. Kirby, Company K; mustered-out. TWENTY-FIFTH INFANTRY. Private George W. Bass, Company D ; mustered-out. Private Henry Beebe, Company D; died of wounds, August 22, 1863. Private Thomas Crossman, Company D; discharged. Private William Dewey, Company D; killed by guerillas. Private Charles W. Hicks, Company D; mustered-out. Private John S. Hard, Company D; died at Chattanooga. Private Isaac J. Kline, Company D; mustered-out. Private Clarence Lomison, Company D; mustered-out.
Private Ebenezer Rich, Company D ; mustered-out.
Private Erastus H. Hicks, Company D; mustered-out. Private Jacob N. Shocraft, Company D; mustered-out. Private Roswell Beebe, Company D; killed at Tebb's Bend, Kentucky, July 4, 1863.
Private Lovinsky Beers, Company G; mustered-out.
Private George Barks, Company G ; mustered-out. Private Richard Cotherman, Company G ; discharged.
Private Henry L. Cooper, Company G ; veteran reserve corps.
Private Henry Stegeman, Company G; veteran reserve corps. Private William Scott, Company G.
Private George F. Wheeler, Company G; mustered-out.
Private Abram V. Youells, Company G; mustered-out. Private Burton Kirby, Company K; mustered-out.
TWENTY-EIGHTH INFANTRY.
Private Nehemiah E. Harris, Company D ; mustered-out. Private Nehemiah Harris, Company E; mustered-out.
Private Henry W. Osterhouse, Company H; mustered-out. Private Daniel E. Decker, Company K; mustered-out.
FIRST MECHANICS AND ENGINEERS.
Private Peter Boner, Company B; discharged at expiration of service. Private James Boner, Company B; discharged at expiration of service. Private Ira Palmer, Company E; discharged at expiration of service.
SECOND CAVALRY.
Private Henry Parker, Company H; mustered-out.
EIGHTH CAVALRY.
Private Gideon Arnold, Company F ; died at Camp Nelson.
ELEVENTH CAVALRY.
Private Christian Osterhout, Company I; mustered-out.
FIRST LIGHT ARTILLERY.
Private John S. Bullock, Battery F; mustered-out.
Private William Jones, Battery G; enlisted in the regular army.
Private Christian Motler, Battery 14; mustered-out.
Private William H. Fry, Battery 14; mustered-out.
Private Missouri Fetteral, Battery 14; mustered-out.
Private Thomas Hazen, Battery 14; mustered-out. Private Aaron Hickenburg, Battery 14; mustered-out. Private Farris Hickenburg, Battery 14; mustered-out. Private Yost Kern, Battery 14; mustered-out. Private Jacob Kern, Battery 14; mustered-out. Private Emanuel Kline, Battery 14; mustered-out. Private John Markle, Battery 14; mustered-out. Private Reuben Shy, Battery 14; mustered-out. Private Peter T. Youalls, Battery 14; mustered-out.
We return our thanks to M. John Nichols, Ira Starkweather, Mr. John- son and William L. Worthington for valuable information received, and assistance rendered in the compilation of the history of Flowerfield.
FAWN RIVER.
THE township of Fawn River, which takes its name from the beautiful little river which meanders through its southern area, is bounded on the north and west by the townships of Burr Oak and Sturgis respectively ; on the east by Branch county, Michigan, and on the south by the county of La- Grange, in the State of Indiana. Its area is about twenty-one square miles, and includes within its limits thirteen thousand four hundred and forty acres,-being a little more than one-half of a full government township. It is known on the surveys of the United States as township eight, south of range nine, west of the principal meridian. With the exception of a por- tion of the northwestern sections, which include the eastern end of Sturgis prairie, the land was originally covered with timber,-the usual oak-open-
ings of the country ; but many fine farms have been wrought out, on which not a stump now remains to tell of the forest growth of centuries, which once overspread the township.
THE SURFACE
of the township is diversified by hill and dale and gently rising slopes, dotted all over with comfortable farm-houses and barns, fields, orchards and meadows. A charming view is had from the summit of Kime's hill, just southwest of Fawn River village, where, overlooking the country for a cir- cuit of twenty miles, the eye rests upon the village of Sturgis to the west and the splendid farms intervening; shut in at the north by the wooded ridge dividing the townships of Fawn River and Burr Oak, the line of
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RESIDENCE OF J. C. MUNN , FLOWERFIELD , ST JOSEPH Co., MICH.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
vision sweeps around eastward to the heavy-timbered plains of Branch county, and, finally, rests with delight upon that gem of beauty, Pretty prairie, in LaGrange county, Indiana, bounded by the forest-crowned heights beyond.
THE SOIL
is the same fertile, sandy loam, which gives St. Joseph county its excellent reputation as a wheat- and fruit-growing district.
The township is well watered and drained by Fawn river,-earlier known as Crooked creek,-which enters the township from Branch county, on the southeast quarter of section thirteen, and runs thence northwest to the west line of the southwest quarter of section ten, and thence southwestwardly till it passes across the southern line of the northeast quarter of section nine- teen into Indiana, and also by a chain of four beautiful little lakes, running from the northwest corner of section three, through sections four, nine, eight, and northeast quarter of section seventeen, emptying into Fawn river near the west line of the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of sec- tion sixteen. The two northern and larger ones have an area of about one hundred and sixty acres each. The northernmost one is named Sweet lake, in honor of the old landlord who built his log-hostelry on its southeastern bank, and the next one (south) is called Cade lake,-the nonagenarian, now living in Sturgis, having first settled on its northern shore.
There is also a little sheet of water of about forty acres area in the north- west quarter of the northeast quarter of section twenty-four, and also three little creeks which enter the river from the north, on sections thirteen, four- teen and nineteen. The bottom of nearly or quite all of these lakes have inexhaustible beds of marl within their limits, which make the finest kind of lime, and in the earlier history of the county were extensively worked for building-material. The healthiness of the township since the opening of the farms has been fair, and equals that of most of its sister-towns in the county.
FIRST SETTLEMENTS.
The first settler within the present limits of Fawn River township was John Sturgis, who was also the first settler on Sturgis prairie. He and George Thurston (the latter then a young man) came first to the prairie in August, 1827, and broke up ten acres on the southwest quarter of section six, on the eastern edge of the prairie, and sowed the same to wheat, and returned to Brownstown, on the Detroit river, for the winter, and again came in the spring of 1828 with Judge Sturgis' family, and built a house on the tract above named, which was the first house built on Sturgis prairie. The tract was entered at the land-office in Monroe by Judge Sturgis, Octo- ber 22, 1828, which date was one year before the organization of the county, and while the whole country south of Grand river and west of the principal meridian was known as the township of St. Joseph.
On December 18 of the same year, Alanson C. Stewart, of Westmore- land county, Pennsylvania, entered the west half of the northeast quarter and the east half of the northwest quarter of section seven, and these entries by Sturgis and Stewart were the only ones made that year, and were the first land-entries in the township. Three entries were made in 1829, and six in 1830. Judge Sturgis sold out his interest in 1829 to Richard Hopkins, and removed to Nottawa. The next settlers who came in were Mr. Hopkins, above named, Thomas Hall, Lemuel Graham and Samuel Stewart, all of whom came in 1829. Mr. Hopkins settled on Judge Sturgis' first location, Hall living with him at first, but locating land on another section ; Stewart located on the purchase of Alanson C. Stewart, which is now a part of the farm of John McKerlie; Lemuel Graham entered a tract of land now in- cluded in the original farm of Sheldon Williams, walking to Monroe, a distance of one hundred and twelve miles, in two days, to do so. Jacob Knox came in 1830, a Mr. Sickels in 1832, and located on the Chicago road, and James Johnson the same year. George Thurston located on his present farm on the west half of the northwest quarter of section six in 1833. From that time to 1836, among the settlers there came Captain Charles Moe, a sturdy soldier of the war of 1812, and Joseph Bartholomew, who built the first house on the river, both of whom, with their families of boys and girls, came in 1835. Ebenezer Sweet, who built the first tavern, F. A. Tisdel, who laid out the little village of Freedom, Moses Roberts, William Amidon and James McKerlie, came in 1836 ; Captain Philip R. Toll came in 1836, and built the saw- and flouring-mills at Fawn River village, and became a permanent settler with his family in 1838. Later came W. F. Lee, who bought the lower mill, and Francis Flanders came in 1841.
In 1828 Judge Sturgis broke up thirty acres more of his first location, which, with the ten acres broken up the fall before, was the first farm opened
in Fawn River and on Sturgis prairie. The township was, until 1838, included in the township of Sherman.
There were times of sorrow which came to these early pioneers, like the waves of some great sea, which overwhelmed them with grief and dismay ; and yet served to bind them one to another with cords of steel, as it were, by reason of the acts of unselfish devotion that shone out in the community like stars on a moonless night. Such a time were the years of 1837-38, when scarcely a family was exempt from the universal sickness which pre- vailed throughout the county. Relays of those well enough to be able to do any work went from house to house, to minister to the needs of the living, or pay the last hasty offices for the dead.
Among the many heroic women of the township, on whose heads, if living, or upon whose memories, if dead, there shine individual crowns, gemmed with acts of charity and humanity, stand out prominently Mrs. Philip R. Toll, Mrs. Richard Hopkins, Mrs. Charles Moe, and afterwards her daughter Mrs. James Johnson, and Mrs. James McKerlie, who, not forgetting the sick in their own household, went through the neighborhood, carrying cheer and a beneficent influence wherever they went on their errands of mercy. Mrs. Bartholomew fell an early victim to the general malady, and was the first to be buried in the old cemetery on the banks of Sweet lake in 1837. The summons of the grim messenger, death, which none, however loved, gifted or honored, can evade, successively brought many others to the little burial-place, who were laid to rest-often without a single relative with strength sufficient to look upon their sepulture-by kind and sympathizing friends, whose number was scarce sufficient to perform the sad service.
But the little community was not always sad. When at last the scourge of those sad years had passed away, returning health and increased pros- perity and population brought increased activity and a zest for life's enjoy- ments, that even the memories of those sorrows could not always becloud with their pall.
The young people gathered at the log school-houses, which were few and far between, in the long winter evenings, which, however, passed rapidly away in the interest of spelling-jousts, forensic disputes and poetic effusions, in which beardless Lindley Murrays, incipient Henrys, and inglorious, though by no means mute Miltons, " vexed the ambient air," much to the merriment of these quondam youthful aspirants, but now gray-headed seigneurs.
Husking-bees and apple-parings, too, furnished a never-ceasing fund of fun and jollity for old and young. And those old-time joyous gatherings gave the opportunity, too, for many a bright-eyed lass to lead captive for life a sturdy knight sworn to her sole allegiance.
Esquire Flanders was once called upon to bind " the silken-tie " for a couple who had agreed to share life's toils and prizes together, and they ap- peared before his honor, arrayed, perhaps not like Solomon in all his glory, nor yet like the lilies of the field, but in the best they could afford for the auspicious occasion. The service performed, the gustatory pleasures com- menced, for which ample provision had been made. During the repast the boys celebrated the nuptials by a discharge of artillery ; not a whole park, indeed, but a single mill-gudgeon, which made no inconsiderable racket in the vicinity. The amateur artillerists then resolved themselves into a musi- cal association and wound up the festivities in honor of the newly-wedded pair by a grand out-door concert, a la charivari, in which the melodious " kolink, kolank, kolinkle, linkle " of the cow-bell, and the dulcet tones of the horse-fiddle mingled harmoniously and soothingly.(?)
A little incident which illustrates the sterling patriotism of old Captain Moe, occurred in the days of the northeastern boundary troubles between the United States and England. One Elder Farley, a minister of the Christian persuasion, and a non-resistant in doctrine and practice, was preaching in the school-house at Freedom one Sunday, and waxing eloquent over the gospel of peace and good-will to man; he adverted to the question then vexing the minds of the people, and giving a somewhat unfavorable description of the territory in dispute, claiming it to be a nearly, if not quite, worthless collection of rocks and sterile soil, he propounded to his auditors this query : " Now, my friends, don't you think it would be much better for us to give up our claim to this really valueless country instead of going to war about it, and killing people, and bringing so much misery and suffering on both countries ?" The speaker, of course, did not expect an answer, and he was not a little disconcerted, and the audience electrified, to hear the sturdy old captain speak "right out in meeting " and say : "No ! I would'nt give em a rock ! not a rock ! I'd give 'em the bayonet first !"
The early settlers were mostly from New York and Ohio, though some were from Kentucky. There are now about fifteen families of German resi- dents in the town, who have come in during the later years.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
THE FIRST ROAD
surveyed in the township of Fawn River was the Chicago road from De- troit, in 1825, but it was not worked through the township until 1834, except such work as may have been done by Savery to get his early stages through, or perhaps the Stewarts, who carried the mails and passengers as early as 1830, before any stage-line was established.
The first roads laid out by the town authorities were as follows: On March 23, 1839, the commissioners of Fawn River and Bronson (in Branch county), jointly laid out the first one on the county line, running north one-half mile from the southeast corner of section one. The second was laid out by the commissioners of Fawn River, March 26, and commenced at the north- west corner of the southwest quarter of section eight, and ran eastwardly and northwardly through sections eight and four to intersect the Chicago road. The third was laid out the same day by the same authority, com- mencing at the southwest corner of section thirty-three, in Burr Oak, and ran south to the centre of section four, then west and south to the Chicago road. The fourth was laid out May 27, commencing at the southeast corner of section two, and ran west two miles to intersect the road running north and south at the southeast corner of section four, which latter road was laid out in 183-, by the authorities of Sherman township. The road leading north from Fawn River mills to the Chicago road, at Freedom, was laid out in 1839.
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