History of Washtenaw County, Michigan : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships...and biographies of representative citizens : history of Michigan, Part 67

Author: Chas. C. Chapman & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
Number of Pages: 1457

USA > Michigan > Washtenaw County > History of Washtenaw County, Michigan : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships...and biographies of representative citizens : history of Michigan > Part 67

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Salmon H. Matthews arrived in Webster May 19, 1827, from Conway, Mass., and was the next settler. Mr. Matthews brought with him a wife and child, his wife's mother, Mrs. Bond, a widow, and two young sisters of Mrs. Matthews, Miss H. Bond and Miss M. Bond, the latter of whom became the wife of Hon. Samuel W. Dexter. Mr. Matthews did not remain long on his farm, when he removed to the village of Dexter and engaged in business, and where, after a few years, he died. .

The next to locate in Webster was Peter Sears, who located the southeast corner lot in the township. Here Mr. Sears (Uncle Peter, as he was familiarly called) built his first house, and here he lived for a number of years. His farm embraced lands in the towns of

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HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.

Ann Arbor and Northfield, as well as Webster. The time of his arrival was June 1, 1827. Mr. Sears was a very eccentric man and many stories could be told of his peculiarity. His wife was a noble woman, universally loved by all who knew her.

Sturms Kimberly also came in the year 1827. He was a young man and unmarried at the time, but commenced the clearing of a farm, until recently occupied by his son Austin. Mr. Kim- berly soon gained the respect and confidence of his brother pioneers, and was elected Supervisor in 1834, the second year of the organi- zation of the town. He was subsequently elected to the same office for a number of terms, and also filled many other important offices and positions of trust in society with credit to himself and satis- faction to his fellow-citizens. He was a man of deeds, more than a man of words. His judgment respecting the affairs and relations of life were relied upon implicitly. Mr. Kimberly died about 10 years since.

Ezra Fish also came to Webster in 1827, and for a few years took a somewhat prominent part in society, but left for some place fur- ther West.

Ira Seymour came with his family in the year 1827. Mr. Sey- mour has long since passed away, and none of the family remain in the town.

John Williams arrived at Ann Arbor April 8, 1828, having left Sempronius, Cayuga Co., N. Y., on the 29th of March previous. He brought with him his three oldest boys, Spencer, Charles and Jeremiah. IIe was also accompanied by John Chandler, Jeremiah Fuller and Henry Scadin. Mr. Williams and his party reached Buffalo in time to take passage on the first boat on the opening of navigation. Says Jeremiah, one of the sons: "The engine of this boat was a high-pressure, and such a terrific snorting noise as was made by the escape of the steam was anything but pleasant to those unaccustomed to steamboating. After getting fairly out into the lake a pretty strong head-wind was encountered, and the boat, be- ing a rather short, clumsy concern, was tossed about at a fearful rate to those not used to the water, and this being the first trip that spring, many of the sailors, as well as nearly all the passengers, were frightfully stomach-sick, or, as Mark Twain expresses himself in describing a similar scene, 'They all had the ' Oh my." The stops were made at Dunkirk, Erie, Cleveland and Sandusky, and about night of the fourth day after leaving Buffalo, Detroit was reached and debarkation effected. The horses, on being landed on terre firma, found it difficult to accommodate themselves to the solid ground. It was quite amusing to see them stumble and blunder on being harnessed to the wagon and driven from the boat to the hotel; but spending one night on land was sufficient to restore them to their equilibrium. The party started for Washtenaw county the next morning after arriving at Detroit."

The first night Mr. Williams spent in Washtenaw county was at the house of Dr. Lord. The next day he went out to look at some

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land which he obtained in trade, but not being suited, he traveled over several townships and finally located in Webster township, on section 27. Mr. Williams was born in Orange county, N. Y., July 7, 1782. and on June 18, 1801, married Lydia Hughlitt. Ten children were born to them, eight of whom, four sons and four daughters, ar- rived at mature years. In early life Mr. Williams worked at the carpenter and joiner's trade, but subsequently devoted his atten- tion to farming. In 1840 Mr. Williams was appointed appraiser on the public roads of the State, namely, canals and railroads. Mr. Will- iams received but a limited education, and in early life was a Presbyterian. He assisted in the erection of what is now the Con- gregational church of Webster township. He was a man possess- ing good natural abilities, and an indomitable will. He died of the heart disease Aug. 5, 1843, and was buried in the soil he purchased of the Government in 1828.

Munnis Kenny came from Massachusetts to Webster in 1829. (A biographical sketch of Mr. Kenny may be found elsewhere in this work.)

FIRST MARRIAGE, BIRTH AND DEATH.

Among the early settlers of Webster it must not be supposed were no young ladies to captivate the hearts of the young men who were striving to make habitable this new country. Among the early settlers of the town already mentioned was Ira Seymour, who was the father of several as handsome girls as any county could boast. One of these, Miss Ruth Seymour, in 1827 linked her fortunes with Samuel W. Foster, being the first couple married in the town.

Maria Alexander, now Mrs. Alonzo Gorton, was born June 5, 1827, and was the first white child born in this township. The first male child was John Augustus Boyden, born June 19, 1827.

The first called from Webster was the infant child of Mr. and Mrs. Salmon H. Matthews, who died Aug. 14, 1828.

SOIL AND TOPOGRAPHY.

The surface of the country is generally undulating. Boyden's plain, situated in the southeast part of the town, is about one mile in length, and about three-fourths of a mile in width. It is quite level. There are no high hills or large swamps in the town. The soil is variable. Boyden's Plain is a good burr-oak soil, generally gravelly loam. Clayey loam prevails generally throughout the southern and middle portions of the town, while in the northern, where more marsh land is found, there is considerable sandy land. The timber is also variable, being what is called timbered open- ings, with some exceptions. Southwest from Boyden's Plain is a belt of timbered land consisting of various kinds of oak, with some hickory and basswood. On the south side of sec. 27 and the north side of section 34 there is a belt of timber, consisting of oak, elm,

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HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.

ash, beach and maple. Black walnut is also found. One tree in particular deserves mention. It stood on the land located by John Williams. This tree was cut down and sawed into 12-foot logs by Salmon H. Matthews and Ezra Fish some time during the win- ter of 1827-28. They loaded one of the smallest of the logs on an ox-sled and drew it about 10 rods. There the sled broke and the log was abandoned. The others were not removed from the place where the tree fell for quite a while afterward. . This tree was seven feet in diameter at the base. The body made eight logs, and is be- lieved to be the largest tree ever found in Washtenaw county. Some of the branches made fair-sized saw-logs, being over two feet in diameter. This big black-walnut tree stood in a ravine through which runs a creek made by the rain and melting snows of spring. The formation of the ground at that spot is such that the sediment carried down by the water has covered the remaining limbs, and they are thereby kept in a state of preservation. The stump is still standing, but is much decayed. It has been visited by many persons, and is known as the " big black-walnut stump."

PRODUCTIONS.

The productions are wheat. corn, oats, barley, hay, wool and pork. Fruit of all varieties abounds. Apples are very abundant. Broom- corn has been cultivated to some extent at different times. Moses Kingsley and Henry Montague raised the first broom-corn in the town, on the farm of John Williams, in 1835. Sorghum also at one time received considerable attention.

POSTOFFICE.

Soon after the organization of the township the inconvenience of mail facilities became a subject of discussion, Dexter and Ann Arbor being from four to ten miles distant from many of the new- comers. An application numerously signed was addressed to the Postoffice Department at Washington, asking for the establishment of a post route and postoffice, and the appointment of a postmaster and mail carrier. The application was promptly responded to, and the appointment of postmaster was conferred upon Moses Kings- ley, then residing a short distance east of the Presbyterian church of Webster. The commission was given during the second ad- ministration of Andrew Jackson, in 1834, Amos Kendall being Postmaster-General. Henry Montague and Chester W. Kingsley were the mail-carriers by turns; but often Moses Kingsley, with the mail on his back, made his weekly trips to Ann Arbor to carry and receive it, taking the key along with him and stopping to deliver it to Peter Sears, Mr. Barber and Luther Boyden. Stephen Stowell succeeded Mr. Kingsley in the postoffice. He lived with Spencer Williams, his son-in-law, and thence the office was removed. After keeping the office two years Mr. Stowell re-

yours truly

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signed in favor of J. D. Williams, whose commission bears date Feb. 1, 1839, and signed by Amos Kendall. Subsequently Charles Williams, John Williams, Spencer Williams, William Burnham and Morgan J. Spencer held the office in the order named. It is now held by William Lowe, who lives near Independence lake.

RIVERS AND LAKES.

The Huron river crosses the southwest corner of the township, cutting across the southwest corner of section 30, and cutting sec- tion 31 into nearly equal parts. It also runs through Base lake, which lies in section 6. Base lake is a little less than one mile in length, and three-fourths of a mile in width. The other lakes in Webster are Independence and three small lakes having no name on the maps, but known in the town as Park's, Scadin's and Dead lake. Park's lake is on the corners of sections 7, 8, 17 and 18; Scadin's lake is on the north part of section 26; Dead lake lies between sections 1 and 12. The largest lake is Independence. It is nearly circular in form, one-half on section 11 and the other half on section 12, and is not less than one mile in diameter. This lake has a history. Some time toward the close of the month of June, 1827, the few scattered and hard-working settlers took it into their matter-of-fact, patriotic and fun-loving heads to have a Fourth of July celebration. The lake was decided upon as the place of meeting. The day arrived and the people assembled, being full of patriotism, and armed with fishing tackle, cooking utensils, bread, butter, salt, pepper, and any and every thing that was thought could add to the enjoyment of the celebration of the day. Although they had no orator, none of the spread-eagle eloquence, none of the boast and braggadocio common to such occasions, yet they had a good time. The business in hand was fishing and being fished, cooking and being cooked, eating and being eaten (for you must know that while the fishermen had a bite in the water and in front, they got numerous bites in the rear), and while all was as " merry as a marriage bell," Luther Boyden proposed the name " Independence" for the lake, and so it was christened.

There are two small creeks in the town. One runs through the southeast corner and empties into the Huron river; the other in one of its branches heading in the east part of the town, and the other branch, leading from Independence lake, runs northwesterly and empties into Base lake.

THE BLACK HAWK WAR.

The spring of 1831 is memorable as the year of the "Black Hawk war." The Pottawatomies, a friendly tribe, were dispersed through the State, and often met the settlers for the purpose of traffic or begging for food and tobacco. Their presence alone was suffi- cient to connect them with a race that had been considered the

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HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.

enemy of the whites; and when the rumors and memories of war- like movements on the part of the Indians obtained credence among the scattered and defenseless population of Webster town- ship, intense fear was the result. It was said that the squaws and pappooses were being sent into Canada, while the fighting braves were massing by the thousands in close proximity to the settle- ments. Hurried consultations were had when neighbors met, and the latest rumors exchanged and intensified. A public meeting was called to convene at the house of John Williams, to devise means of defense, but came to no definite results. Mr. Cogswell, living in the north part of the township, and in the then outlying settlement, removed his household goods and family to the barn of Mr. Williams, where they remained until the excitement ceased. And so Mr. Williams' place was called the "fort." Many hopes and fears were entertained, and even jokes and repartee passed freely around.

Mr. Ranney, of Dexter, at that time a Corporal in the organized militia, took the responsibility, or had it conferred on him, of call- ing out the soldiers within his district. Hurrying from house to house on foot, he delivered his orders, accompanying them with all the latest and most exaggerated reports. His message was usually given to the females of the family, in the absence of the men at their work, with an instructive capacity that no report should suf- fer from the want of exaggeration, and he seemed to rejoice in his success as an alarmist. One instance of a pretty big scare is well remembered. Mr. Gardner Bird had that spring moved on to his new farm, erected his log house, and taken a few acres of land to work on the plains. He was three miles from home at work when Mr. Ranney called, relating his rumors of the intentions of the Indi- ans, and their numbers and proximity to Mrs. Bird. The scared wife with her three children, two in her arms and the oldest on foot by her side clinging to her dress, started for her husband. Mr. Bird received the intelligence with many scruples-did not believe the danger so imminent, but could not resist the entreaties of his wife with her little ones, and they all returned to their endangered home, packing up their household goods for a speedy departure. The next morning they were loaded upon the only vehicle they possessed, with the family atop, and with an ox team they were at an early hour en route for their old home in " York State." They reached Ypsilanti that day, where they stopped for the night. But during the day's travel they discovered that the farther they trav- eled the less alarming the reports became. After a good night's rest and the assurance they received that the danger was not so im- minent as it had appeared from Ranney's recital, they determined to retrace their steps. The next night found them once more at their new home, and still no Indians near.

But the militia, with hurried preparations and exchanging of good-byes with mothers, sisters, and sweethearts, made their ren - dezvous at Ann Arbor, according to military order. But. here an

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unexpected difficulty met them : by what authority were they called here? Who should take charge of them? Such were the interrog- atories passed from lip to lip, and still the question returned unan- swered.

Gen. Brown, who was supposed to have some authority in the premises, failed to put in an appearance, and no military officer could show any authority for receiving or holding these brave men. who with such ebullitions of patriotism had taken up their arms in defense of those sacred homes which the untutored savage would so ruthlessly desolate. The day was passing away when by com- mon consent the brave soldiers dispersed to their respective homes, cancelled their good-byes, and went to work in their respective corn- fields, thankful when the news reached them at a later day that Black Hawk and his braves had not been this side of Lake Michi- gan, and that the emigration of the squaws and pappooses to Can- ada was a myth, and thus ended-so far as the town of Webster was a party to it-the scare of the Black Hawk war.

THE SMALL-POX SCARE.

There is one incident connected with Webster township which will be very interesting,-one dating back to the summer and fall of 1832. An emigrant, whose name was Roorabeck, bought the farın now owned by Edgar Cranson. He at once cut logs for a house, and invited the neighbors to help roll them up. The whole neighbor- hood promptly responded, as every new-comer was cordially wel- comed, and every one was ready to help when their services were needed. While the log-raising was progressing a son of Mr. Roor- abeck, a lad about nine years of age, came out from their tent and sat on a log near to where the men were at work, having what appeared to be an eruptive disease, and when some inquiry was made as to the cause, the family called it the chicken-pox; and so the sub- ject was dropped, attracting little or no further attention. Some days after the boy became worse; a physician was called, who pro- This news spread with great rapid-

nounced the disease small-pox. ity through the neighborhood. The fact that so many had been exposed on the day of the raising created great excitement. Meas- ures were at once taken to prepare for the visitation of the loath- . some disease, vaccination was used as a preventive measure, and in some cases inoculation was resorted to, and the system prepared by dieting for a mitigation of the disease. After the usual number of days for the development of the disease, quite a number of cases of unmistakable small-pox appeared. Of the number thus attacked three cases proved fatal, while many others barely escaped a fatal termination. When questioned about the malady the Roorabeck family said that on the boat coming up Lake Erie was an old woman of whom it was rumored that she had recently had the small-pox; but when the captain spoke to her about it she showed a physician's certificate that there was no danger of taking the disease from her.

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This restored confidence and quiet on the boat. This scare was the talk for many days, and few of those who lived in the neighborhood will ever forget it.

SCHOOLS.

The early settlers made provision for the education of their chil- dren at as early a day as their circumstances and the sparseness of the settlement would permit. The first school-house was erected in 1830, on the south side of Boyden's plain. The first teacher who taught here was Miss Mary Ann Sears (afterward Mrs. Abram Moe), now deceased. Some of the subsequent teachers were Miss Nancy Parsons (afterward Mrs. Eman, and still later the wife of Prof. Nutting, who was principal of an academy in Lodi), Ezra Fish, Miss Jennie M. Cooley ( afterward Mrs. P. H. Reeve) and Lewis D. Stowell. This school- house being for a long time the only one in the vicinity, accommodated a large district, some of the pu- pils living four miles away. The building served the double pur- pose of school-house and meeting.house for a number of years.

At present there are three whole and four fractional districts, as follows :

Fractional district No. 1 comprises sections 25, 36, and parts of 24, 26, 35. Its school-house is on section 35, and is a frame build- ing, valued at $500. John W. Alexander, Director.

District No. 2 comprises section 27, and parts of sections 22, 23, 26, 34, 35. Its school-honse, which is a frame building, is located on section 27, and is valued at $1,000. George W. Phelps, Di- rector.

District No. 3 comprises section 29, and parts of sections 19, 20, 21, 28, 30, 32, 33. Its school-house is of brick, located on the cor- ner of sections 20, 21, 28 and 29. It is valued at $300. Wooster Blodgett, Director.

District No. 5 comprises section 15, and parts of sections 10, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22. Its school-house is on section 15, and is valued at $800. Frank H. Wheeler, Director.

Fractional district No. 6 comprises section 12, and parts of sec- tions 11, 13, 14. Its school-house is on section 12, and is valued at $600. Thomas Kearney, Director.

Fractional district No. 7 comprises sections 1, 2, and parts of 3, 10, 11. Its school-house is located on section 2, and is a frame building, valued at $800. George W. Merrill, Director.

Fractional district No. 8 comprises sections 4, 5, 8, 9, and parts of 3, 6, 7, 10, 16, 17. Its school-house is on the southeast corner of section 5, and is valued at $500. James Walsh, Director.

MORAL AND RELIGIOUS.

The early settlers of Webster were a moral and religious people. No effort was spared to develop the moral faculties of all. When

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public religious services could not be held, to the closet went the God-fearing men and women, and offered up their prayers to God. During the winter of 1829-'30, the good people of the settlement began to see and feel the alarming effects of the free use of whisky, and began to hold temperance meetings. They organized a temper- ance society and adopted a pledge to abstain altogether from the use of whisky as a beverage. Luther Boyden entered heartily into this movement and did much toward the suppression of the vice of intemperance. In the month of January, 1830, Mr. Boyden com- menced the erection of his first barn. He employed Horace Car- penter to put up the frame. The country was so sparsely settled that in order to get men enough to raise a good-sized barn, invita- tions must be extended to the distance of about 12 miles. It was an unheard of thing to attempt to raise a building without whisky, but Mr. Boyden determined to make the trial. When told that he would fail, his reply was, "Then fail it is." The 25th day of March was appointed as the day for the raising. The men were invited with the understanding that no whisky would be furnished, but in lieu thereof a good supper would be provided, of which all would be invited to partake after the frame was up. Although it was an innovation on an old established custom, it was a success. Mr. Boyden with his indomitable energy, and with the assistance of other temperance men, carried it through, and thus raised the first barn in Webster without whisky.

In speaking of the sacrifices made by the pioneers, in order that they might meet for religious services, Moses Kingsley thus writes: " It is unnecessary to speak of the poverty of the few who consti- tuted the pioneers of the township-poverty, only as the term is ap- plicable to the absence of ready money. Sturdy, rugged, earnest young and middle-aged men and women, with their fortunes and reputations to make, with but little besides what God and nature had furnished them, with a determined will they leveled the forest, upturned the sod, and cast in the seed, then watched and waited for its fruitage. While providing for the wants of the outer man, they felt the necessity for the moral and spiritual culture which their immigration to their new homes had in a great measure de- prived them of. They cheerfully traveled on foot, or, if fortunate enough to have a team and cart or sled, would place these conven- iences in requisition, and all the family would go miles to meeting, taking a lunch and spending the Sabbath in the rude log school- house, sitting upon the hard slab seats, quite in contrast with the fashionable modern church with its luxurious upholstered seats."

The first sermon preached in Webster was in the summer of 1827, by Rev. William Page, at the house of Salmon H. Matthews. Mr. Page at this time was ministering to the Presbyterian Church in Ann Arbor. An Episcopal clergyman preached a few times at the house of Thomas Alexander during the latter part of 1827. The first minister of the Methodist Episcopal denomination was Rev. Benjamin Cooper, who preached occasionally at the house of Charles

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Starks, during the fall of 1828. Revs. Leonard B. Gurley, Henry Colclazer and Elijah H. Pilcher were also early Methodist ministers. ! Rev. Charles G. Clark was the first and only resident minister in town for a period of nearly 19 years. Mr. Clark came to Webster Nov. 27, 1829, and preached his first sermon on the following Sab- bath. Mr. Clark was a minister under appointment of the Home Missionary Society, and for several years received his support, in part, from that society. In January following he organized the Presbyterian Church of Dexter and preached every Sabbath in the vicinity. The next summer Mr. Clark went East and was gone some months, during which time Bible readings were held alter- nately at the house of John Williams and Munnis Kenny. On the return of Mr. Clark, he resumed preaching. In the winter of 1832-'33 a protracted meeting was held at the house of John Williams, resulting in the conversion of a number of persons. Those connected with the Church, living in Webster, soon after petitioned the Church at Dexter for letters of dismission, which was granted, and the Webster Presbyterian Church was formed on the 27th of Jan., 1834. In December, 1834, a call was made to Rev. C. G. Clark to become its regular pastor, which call was accepted. Mr. Clark continued in this relation until 1848.

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History of Washtenaw County, Michigan : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships...and biographies of representative citizens : history of Michigan, Part 67

Author: Chas. C. Chapman & Co Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : Chas. C. Chapman & Co. Number of Pages: 1457

Author: Chas. C. Chapman & Co
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Chas. C. Chapman & Co.
Number of Pages: 1457