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 75
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THE LEADING FARMERS OF 1876
are Mr. Marantette, who is the heaviest land-owner in the township ; E. L. Yaples and sons, A. H. Voorhees, Reuben Estes, Ira Pellett, G. C. Bennett, the McAllisters, Andrew M. Leland (who came in 1835), A. P. Emery, Eli Beebee's sons, Hiram Wakeman, Leonard Osgood, Maxwell Olney, Seth Taft, John Hamilton, A. Wesley Maring, James Barnabee and David Embly.
THE FIRST HOUSES
built by a white man for a shelter were those erected by the Godfrois for a trading-post in 1831. They were two log houses, one for a store and another for a blacksmith-shop. Mr. Moutan built a log-cabin the same year, a rude, rough structure. Mr. Marantette built the first frame house erected in the township in 1835, which was named by Adams Wakeman, after the customs of the country, "The Queen of the Prairie." The first brick building in the township was built by Hosea Barnabee and William Pellett in the village, and which is now a part of the Commercial Hotel. The first hewed-log house was built by Leander Metha in 1834, near where the Wake- man House now stands.
THE FIRST FRUIT-TREES
set out in Mendon were apples, which were in bearing when Mr. Moutan came to the Indian village in 1831, and.were at least twenty years old ; whether they were set out by the Indians or the missionaries, is not known. Mr. Moutan was the first settler among them to plant an orchard, from which the first fruit was raised, aside from those trees first named. Mr. Marantette planted the first peach-orchard and raised the first of that variety of fruit. He made charcoal-pits in 1833, and on the beds thereof, in 1834, he planted the stones or pits from which the trees grew, and ate the fruit thereof in 1838.
Whitefield Troy began a nursery in a small way after 1850, and now has a fine collection of ornamental fruit-trees, the only nursery in the township.
Mint-oil is now an important item of production in the township, three thousand five hundred pounds having been produced in 1876. The first distillery of peppermint oil was built in the township in 1856, by S. D. Angevine, who came to the township in 1840. A. P. Emery is the heaviest producer and dealer. His purchases, in 1876, aggregated seven thousand pounds.
Oliver H. Foote built a blacksmith-shop on his son's present location, in 1836.
IMPROVED LIVE-STOCK -
was first introduced into the township by the Wakeman brothers in 1851,- the same being thorough-bred "short-horn," or Durham cattle, from the Ohio Shakers. A. Wesley Maring, who came to the township in 1853, and located on sections twenty-five and thirty-six (a view of whose fine farm, dwelling and barns may be seen on another page), in 1861 began the im- provement of sheep, and introduced pure blood (American merinos) into his flocks in 1875. He is also engaged in breeding polled (or muley) cattle. Mr. Marantette has been largely interested in the breeding of blooded horses, and has introduced some very fine stock.
The leading stock-raisers and breeders of the present, are: Hiram Wake- man, in blooded cattle ; A. H. Voorhees and Mr. Marantette, in horses; A. Wesley Maring, McAllister and Maxwell Olney, in fine-wooled sheep. There is no association formed especially for the purposes of breeding, though Mr. Marantette has a private racing-track where his neighbors can, and do, speed their horses and colts ad libitum. In 1874 there were owned in the township five hundred and forty-seven horses, six mules, sixteen oxen, five hundred and eight cows, four hundred and forty-one other cattle, one thousand and nine hogs, and three thousand one hundred and ninety sheep.
IMPROVED FARM-MACHINERY
was first introduced into the township in 1840, or thereabouts, in the shape of open-cylinder threshers. Separators were brought in by the Johnsons or Wakemans in 1842, and the first reaper was one manufactured by John M. Leland, and used in 1844 on the Wakeman farm.
THE FIRST MERCHANT
in the township was Mr. Moutan, who was the agent of the Godfrois, at their trading-post in 1831. He was succeeded by Mr. Marantette in the agency in 1833. The business was principally confined to the Indian trade, though the settlers found many articles suitable to their needs in Maran- tette's stock. No whisky was allowed to be sold to the Indians under pen- alty of seven thousand dollars, which Mr. Marantette was under to Gover- nor Porter.
THE FIRST MANUFACTURES
established in the township, outside of the village, were blacksmithing, coopering and lime-burning. Oliver Delei was the first blacksmith, and worked in Godfroi's shop at the post in 1831. The first cooper was Abner Moore, who, in 1834-5, made half-bushel measures and churns. L. Salis- bury had a cooper-shop (the first regular and full-fledged one in the town- ship) before 1840, and in that shop the first meeting was held looking to the formation of the township.
Joseph Woodward burned the first lime made in the township, on the shore of Portage lake, in 1837-8,-using marl taken from the marsh on its borders, for the raw-material. The first wagon-maker was Stephen Bar- nabee, and Bowen was the first shoemaker, in 1838. Curtis Lewis, in the same years, made shoes also.
THE FIRST WHITE CHILD
born in the township, was a child of Mr. and Mrs. Marantette, in 1836.
THE FIRST MARRIAGE
of white persons in the township, was the one celebrated between Mr. P. Marantette and Miss Frances Moutan by J. W. Coffinberry, Esq., and after- wards ratified by the bishop of Detroit, at Bertrand's, on the St. Joseph. The legal marriage transpired November 23, 1835.
THE FIRST DEATH
of a white person that occurred in the township was in 1835,-the person being the wife of Alexander C. Metha, and daughter of Colonel Lasell, of Monroe, she being accidentally shot by her husband. Peter Neddeaux died the same year.
THE CEMETERY
is located about one and a half miles west of the village, and contains three acres,-being a part of the Estes farm. It was bought by the township in 1859. Before this plat was bought the burials were made either in Nottawa or at the west end of the town, and also in the northwest part of the town- ship, where a burying-ground had been located long before the village was platted.
THE FIRST SCHOOL-HOUSE
was built in the fall of 1837 in the township, near the Bacon homestead. Miss Weathy Hunt taught school in a log building near Metha's in the win- ter of 1836-7, and Mrs. Hosea Barnabee, now of Mendon, was a pupil of that school. A school was also taught about this time in one of the log buildings of the trading-post. The first frame school-house was built in 1841 in that village.
The statistics of 1876 show the following exhibit of educational privileges of the present: There are eight school-houses, five frames and three brick, valued at eighteen thousand three hundred and fifteen dollars, and contain- ing seven hundred and thirty-eight sittings. There are six hundred and sixty-seven children between five and twenty years in the township, six hun- dred and two of whom attended the school's, which were in session an average of eight and three-quarter months. Six male teachers were paid one thou- sand nine hundred and ninety-one dollars and fifty cents, and three times as many females received two thousand dollars and seventy cents. The total income of the districts was seven thousand six hundred and forty-six dollars and forty-six cents, which was all expended except six hundred and seventy- two dollars and twenty-nine cents. District number three has an excellent brick school-house which cost about two thousand two hundred dollars.
THE FIRST RELIGIOUS SERVICES
were held by the Roman Catholic missionaries at the trading-post in 1831-2, though the first mass was not celebrated until 1839, when Father Boss, of Detroit, on his way to Grand Rapids stopped at Marantette's. The first
222
HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
meeting among the settlers was a service held by Rev. John Ercanbrack in Mr. Pattee's house in 1838.
The first Methodist Episcopal church of West Mendon was organized in 1857 by the Rev. M. Gee, though as early as 1843 preaching was had in school-district number three, where the church edifice is situated, by Rev- erends Kellogg, Wilson, Duncan and Goodrich, in the school-house. The class organized by Mr. Gee was composed of the following members : Joseph Woodward, Maria Woodward, Mrs. Snow, Edward Snow, Mrs. Carey, Wil- liam Embly and Mrs. Embly (now Barrett), Mrs. Maria Doan, Mrs. Jacob Peterman, Mrs. Van Buren, formerly Mrs. William Simpson, and about forty others, of whom many are now deceased. Mr. Joseph Woodward was the first leader of the class. In the spring of 1872 the society erected their present very neat and substantial brick chapel, thirty-two by forty-eight feet, which contains two hundred and fifty sittings and is a marvel of economical construction, costing about two thousand three hundred dollars. That it was built at all is largely owing to the liberality of A. P. Emery, Esq., on whose farm it stands. The first trustees of the society were Joseph Wood- ward, A. P. Emery, D. W. Embly, V. O. Doan and Ambrose McElrath. The church building was dedicated on the 25th day of January, 1873, and belongs to the Parkville charge. The preachers in charge have been Rev- erends William I. Cogshall, H. H. Parker, and the present incumbent, Rev. Mr. Wilson. The society is in a prosperous condition, having a member- ship of sixty. There is a flourishing Sunday-school connected with the church, which was organized in 1853 by Rev. Mr. Boyington in the old school-house, and has been kept in operation ever since. Mr. Boyington was the first superintendent, but Mr. Emery has had charge of the school since 1864. In 1848-9 Mrs. Shug, assisted by Mr. Calvin Snow, began a school, but it failed for want of pupils. It now numbers eighty scholars and teachers.
THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION.
The Mendon class of this association was organized in 1868 by Rev. C. S. Brown, and comprised the following members : J. J. Miller and wife, Thomas Goodacre and wife, Reuben Andre and wife, and George Finister and wife. The first church, and in which this class now worships, was erected in 1871, and called " the Zion Evangelical church," and is situated on Joseph J. Miller's farm. It is a frame building thirty-four by forty-eight feet, with about two hundred and fifty sittings, and cost one thousand eight hundred dollars. The church was dedicated in November, 1871, by Rev. J. Stell. The building-committee consisted of Rev. M. J. Miller, Rev. F. N. Davis, J. J. Miller, H. S. Anderson, and Thomas Goodacre. The first trustees were Reuben Andre, George Finister and Thomas Goodacre. The present trustees are Thomas Goodacre, Reuben Andre and H. S. Anderson. The present membership of the church is twenty-seven. The Sunday-school was first organized in 1871, and has been in operation ever since, J. J. Miller being the superintendent from first to last. The following ministers of the St. Joseph circuit have had charge of this society : Rev. C. S. Brown, 1868; E. B. Miller, 1869, and his colleagues T. N. Davis, P. Wiest, 1870; S. Copley and J. W. Loose, 1871-2. But Copley's health failing, Alonzo Rus- sell and P.Swille came to the circuit in 1872; Reverends E. B. Miller and J. W. Loose, 1873; J. H. Keeler, 1874, and also the present pastor, Rev. B. F. Wade, 1875. The first Sunday-school held in the township was in 1850, in the school-house in the Angevine district.
CIVIL ORGANIZATION.
In the first organization of townships in St. Joseph county, the first four townships being numbered, five were included in and formed one township, called Flowerfield. This constitution remained unchanged until 1833, when Leonidas and Colon were constituted a separate township, and township five of range ten, now known as Mendon, was attached to and became a part of Nottawa township. The township remained an integral part of the latter, until 1843, when it was set off into a separate and independent sovereignty, under the name of Wakeman, in honor of its largest land-holder. But this name was not satisfactory to the majority of the people of the township, and a meeting was called at the cooper-shop of L. Salisbury to select another name for the same, and memorialize the legislature to change it accordingly. Several names were suggested at the meeting; Peter House, who came from Mendon, New York, and Moses Taft, who came from Mendon, Massachusetts, suggested and moved the town be called Mendon; the motion was carried almost unanimously, and the name was accordingly changed from Wakeman to Mendon, in 1844, and the first town-meeting held at the school-house near T. Kimball's.
The first supervisor was Joseph Jewett. He was succeeded by Joseph Wood- ward, 1845: Patrick Marantette, 1846-47 and 1849-50; Moses Taft, 1848;
Norman Hill, 1851 ; Benjamin Osgood, 1852; Cyrus Dutton, 1853-54 and 1874; Ira Pellett, 1855; Abram H. Voorhees, 1856-58 and 1860-62-63; Stephen Barnabee, 1859-1861-1864-1867; H. H. Bourn, 1868-73, and A. P. Emery, 1875-77.
The town clerks have been as follows : E. Kellogg, 1844; Joseph Jewett, 1845-46; William Pellett, 1847-49 and 1852; B. P. Doan, 1850-51 and 1863; Edwin Stewart, 1853-58 and 1866; A. Crandall, 1859 and 1862; George B. Reed, 1860-1868 and 1870; H. S. Doan, 1864-65 and 1867 ; O. J. Fast, 1869 ; J. Wirt Hyatt, 1871; J. B. Anderson, 1872-73; A. H. Vose, 1874-76.
The principal justices of the peace have been Timothy Goodwin, Rensse- laer Tefft, Hosea Barnabee, Fordyce Johnson, D. K. Van Ness, William Harrington, Lentulus Huntley and Rodney E. Fletcher.
AN ESTRAY WAIF
was picked up November 11, 1844, by James McElrath, 'and a description of the same left with the town clerk, which was a steer-calf, which the clerk said, was " read, with a line of white on the back, and some white spots scat- tered over it, said calf, he (McElrath), supposes to be an early calf, not one year old yet."
THE FIRST ROAD
laid out in the township was the territorial road, which passed along the southern line of the same, bounding the reservation on that side. It was laid out in 1832-33.
The first bridge built over the St. Joseph in the township was in the year 1839, at the village, near the present stave-works. Another near the west end of the township, called the Wakeman bridge, was built in 1843, and the one in the village, the Marantette bridge, was built in 1873, and the old one first erected rebuilt in 1876.
POPULATION.
In 1850 Mendon contained a population of eight hundred and sixty-two. In 1870 the inhabitants numbered one thousand nine hundred and nine, of whom nine hundred and eighty-five were males and nine hundred and twenty- four females. In 1874 the State census-taker returned but one thousand seven hundred and forty-eight persons, nine hundred and twenty-three being males and eight hundred and twenty-five females. There were two hundred and ninety-two males between twenty-one and forty-five years, one hundred and fifty-six between forty-five and seventy-five years, and twelve over seventy-five but under ninety years. Two hundred and ninety-four females were between eighteen and forty years, one hundred and seventy-nine between forty and seventy-five, and three over seventy-five years of age. There were four hundred and sixty-three boys under twenty-one and three hundred and forty-nine girls under eighteen years. There were three hundred and fifty-five married men, eighty single ones who had never married, and of the same classes the females numbered three hundred and fifty-six and seventy- eight respectively. The widowed males were twenty-five to forty-two of the other sex.
THE POLITICAL BIAS
of the township sets strongly Republican, as will be seen by the presidential votes cast therein. In 1844 the Whigs cast sixty and the Democrats sixty- six votes. In 1848 the same parties cast seventy-four and seventy-two votes respectively, and the Free-Soilers polled eight. In 1852 the vote stood sixty- two Whig, ninety Democratic, and three Abolition. In 1856 the Republi- cans polled one hundred and fifty votes and the Democrats one hundred and seven. In 1860 the same parties polled two hundred and twenty and one hundred and forty-four respectively, and in 1864 one hundred and ninety- three and one hundred and eighteen, and in 1868 two hundred and sixty- seven and one hundred and eighty votes. In 1872 the Republicans cast two hundred and twenty-six votes, the Democrats one hundred and forty-five, and O'Conor had a trio of supporters. In 1876 the Republicans cast two hundred and thirty-eight votes, the Democrats two hundred and twenty- three, and Peter Cooper had twenty-eight ballots cast for him. This last vote would indicate a population of two thousand four hundred and more.
THE PEOPLE'S TAXES
have been laid on their property as follows: The first ones were levied in 1844 as a separate government on an assessment of thirty-six thousand two hundred and ninety-six dollars and seventy-one cents, the assessment as returned by Mr. Jewett being fifteen per cent. higher. The State tax appor- tioned to Mendon amounted to ninety-three dollars and ninety-seven cents, and county two hundred and thirty-four dollars and ninety-four cents. In 1876 the total assessment was five hundred and fifteen thousand eight hun- dred and twenty dollars; other taxes for State and county purposes, two
ABRAM H VOORHEES.
MRS. A. H. VOORHEES.
RESIDENCE OF ABRAM H. VOORHEES, MENDON, ST JOSEPH CO., MICHIGAN.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
thousand six hundred and thirty-five dollars and two cents-one-half to each. Other township taxes, including schools, amounted to six thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight dollars and seventy-three cents, making a grand total of nine thousand five hundred and twenty-three dollars and seventy-five cents.
INCIDENTS.
In the fall of 1838 Mr. Woodworth, then living on what is now known as the Van Ness farm, on the west side of Portage lake, went out early one morning duck-shooting along the lake. Succeeding in shooting one, he took an old boat near by and paddled out to get his game, and as he reached over to get it he was seen to fall out of the boat into the water, and though an expert swimmer he went to the bottom, at a depth of one hundred and fifty feet, and was not seen again for several days, when his body was found float- ing down the current.
In the winter of 1854 Edgar, a son of Joseph Woodward, aged five years, broke through the ice near the site of Kenney's saw-mill, on what is now known as the Parkville mill-pond, and was drowned.
In 1845 William Simpson, while pitching grain, fell from a loft into a threshing machine at work on James Van Buren's farm, and was so severely mangled and crushed that he died in a short time afterwards.
As an instance of what pluck and determination will do, we recall an in- cident related by Mr. Marantette. He had been dragged down to Centre- ville with his witnesses to attend court on the suit brought against him by Hecox for breaking in the heads of his whisky-kegs and spilling the fiery stuff on the ground, by order of Governor Porter, Hecox being a trespasser on the reservation. While he was gone his men had taken the occasion to get more liquor than was good for them, and the result was they were quar- relsome when they returned home. They sat down to the table, four or five of them, and began to find fault with the food, when Mr. Marantette re- buked them for going to the groceries and getting drunk and quarrelsome. Two or three made some insulting reply and sprang to their feet and drew their knives, when Mr. Marantette seized his rifle and drew a bead on the ringleader and commanded them to sit down. They looked at the wiry little Frenchman, and then at the long shining tube of the gun, the hammer of which was drawn back at full-cock, and a steady finger laid against the trig- ger, and then they looked at the door, but " sit down I tell you !" came once more from the lips of Marantette, and they sat down and finished their supper, Mr. Marantette doing likewise, but keeping his gun within easy reach.
Comfort Tyler on the night of the 19th day of June, 1835, came up to the bank of the St. Joseph, at Mendon village, with his cattle, and shouted for assistance to cross the stream, but could bring no one to his relief and was compelled to stay out all night, and nearly perished with the cold ! This was the date of the severe frost which cut down the crops, killing the wheat and corn.
Dr. Duncan came in from the south bringing his slaves with him, but they did not remain long under his care, preferring liberty to even the doctor's kindness. He subsequently went to preaching.
THE VILLAGE OF MENDON
was first surveyed and platted in 1845, on the 22d day of November, by Leander Metha, the first settler on its territory. The original plat was laid on the east half of section twenty-seven, township five, range ten. Maran- tette has laid out additions since, as have others.
The first settler, as before stated, was Leander Metha, who built the first house on the present plat, in 1834, the same being a rough cabin of logs, and which was subsequently replaced by a hewed-log cabin of more com- fortable dimensions, the old one being subsequently used for school-purposes.
The village began to gather to itself "a local habitation and a name " in 1844, when Brownson & Doan dammed the Little Portage and brought its waters through the marshes to the bank of the St. Joseph and built a saw- mill. This was the first of the
MANUFACTURING INTERESTS
of Mendon. Into this saw-mill was also put an iron-mill for corn-grinding, and in 1845 the proprietors added a carding-machine to their manufacturing business, putting the same into the basement of the building they had put up and were occupying as a store. This carding-machine was run three years by Brownson & Doan, when, in 1848, they sold their buildings and water-power to Melvin and Eldredge Brown, of Centreville, who put in a turning-lathe and other machinery, and manufactured chairs and cabinet- work, and subsequently put in a planing-mill and sash, door and blind-
machinery, and operated the factory thus until 1855, when the cabinet-mak- ing was discontinued, and the firm changed to Brown, Fisk & Mason, who continued in the old building until 1870, when Brown & Bourn built the present factory opposite the Wakeman House.
In 1860 N. S. Harvey & Co. built a planing-mill and sash and door and blind factory on the bank of the river near the lower bridge. Subsequently S. M. Williams introduced stave-machinery, and the factory at present in the ownership of Wakeman & Lewis is turning out staves and heading in large quantities, from seven to eight hundred cords per year.
A foundry was built in 1860 by Gilbert E. Dart, and Richards put in machinery and ran it a short time only. Mr. Dart manufactured edged tools largely in 1845 and afterwards, his power being horse, and, later steam.
G. P. Doan began wagon-manufacturing in 1854, and continued therein until 1861. Rockwood was in the same business two years, and also Auten & Engle and White & Co. F. Glafke began the business in 1867, and still continues.
Andrew Kellicut in 1872 built a flouring-mill just opposite the Wakeman House, which is now owned by Adams Wakeman. It has three run of stones and is operated by Nelson Farquhar, lessee.
THE FIRST CARPENTERS
who made their trade their principal business were two brothers L istenbarger who had their shop in one of the buildings of the trading-post.
THE FIRST BLACKSMITH-SHOP
in the village was Doan's, who was also the first shoemaker in the village. Mr. Sherman was the first harness-maker, and opened his shop in 1845.
TRADE.
The first merchants after Mr. Marantette were Brownson & Doan, who built a store on the bank of the river, and which is still standing in the rear of the planing-mill of Bourn and others, in 1845, and put in a stock of goods. The leading merchants since then to the present have been Barnabee & Gillett, who succeeded H. H. Whaley in 1849, the latter being the suc- cessors of Doan & Kellogg, who succeeded Brownson & Doan. Hosea Bar- nabee succeeded Barnabee & Gillett, and remained in trade till his death in 1875, and was a successful trader.
Yaple & Wakeman built the Lewis & Van Ness store of the present in 1858, or thereabouts, and were succeeded by Wakeman & Lewis, Wakeman, Lewis & Co. (William Harrington), Lewis, Stowell & Co., and Lewis & Van Ness, the present firm. Under its several names, in which the senior partner of the present firm has been a member since 1860, the house has been the foremost merchants of the village for twenty years.
THE EXCHANGE BANK
of Mendon was established in 1866 as a private bank, J. J. McAllister, pres- ident; A. N. McAllister, cashier. The bank drew thirty-five thousand dol- lars in exchange, in 1876, besides doing a handsome collection and discount business.
E. L. Yaple is a heavy lumber-dealer, his sales in 1876 amounting to twenty-eight thousand dollars, which is under the sales of 1875.
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