History of Washtenaw County, Michigan : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships...and biographies of representative citizens : history of Michigan, Part 92

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 92

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Samuel Pettibone's addition was made March 27, 1861, north- east of Chubb or Hiscock's road, extending to M. C. R. R.

Thompson, Spoor & Thompson's addition was made April 6, 1861, containing 22 lots, west of Maynard's addition.

R. S. Smith's 2d addition was made April 1, 1861, containing six blocks.

W. S. Maynard's 3d addition was surveyed May 1, 1861.

Brown & Bach's addition was laid ont June 17, 1861, east of the plank road, on sec. 32.

Wm. S. Saunder's addition was made November, 1861, south of Geddes road and west of township road.

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ANN ARBOR TOWNSHIP.

James B. Gott's addition was made Aug. 8, 1862, extending west of Allen's creek and west of Mill race to north line of sec. 29 and south to Felch street.

D. Baldwin's eastern addition, made July 27, 1866, comprised the east half of southeast quarter of section 28.

Hill's addition, surveyed Nov. 12, 1866, is located south of Ann Arbor Land Co.'s property.

J. S. Weller's addition, a subdivision of a part of Maynard & Morgan's property, is bounded by Huron, Division and Grove streets; was platted July 13, 1867.

Patridge's addition, east of Pontiac street, north of the city, was laid out May 27, 1867, on the north half of section 21.

Swathel's addition was made July 10, 1867, west of State street between North and Fuller streets.

Ingall's addition was made Dec. 12, 1867, east of the eastern addition, north of the observatory.

J. H. Brown's 2d addition, made Oct. 19, 1867, west of Saline street, in the northeast quarter of northwest quarter of section 32.

James B. Gott's 2d addition, west of Hiscock's property, extended north from Felch street; this was surveyed May 30, 1868.

A. Ten Brook's addition, between Orleans street and Geddes avenue, south of Forest Hill Cemetery, east of Elm street, was made June 19, 1869.

Chapin's addition, south of Miller avenue, was made Aug. 25, 1869.

Willmot's addition, bounded by Forest Hill Cemetery, Elm street and Washtenaw avenue, was made Sept. 4, 1869.

Daniel Hiscock's 2d addition, surveyed June 16, 1870, is bounded by High street on the south, Chubb road on the north, Grove street on the west and plank road on the east.

Jewett's addition, extending south from Huron to Liberty street, and east of west line of section 29, was made May 19, 1871.

C. H. Miller's 2d addition, northeast of Washtenaw avenue on sections 28 and 33, June 23, 1871.

SETTLEMENT.

. In the month of February, 1824, John Allen, of Virginia, and- Elisha Walker Rumsey and wife, of Genesee Co., N. Y., met by acci- dent in Cleveland, and soon formed an acquaintance. Both were in search of a new home in the forests of Michigan. They started for the interior of the Territory together, and on arriving in this vicinity located some lands belonging to the U. S. Government, embracing a beautiful burr-oak forest on section 29, in township 2 south, range 6 east, with the Huron river on the north and east and a small stream since known as Allen's creek, on the west.

At the foot of a hill on the east side of this creek, they pitched a tent and built an arbor, and Mrs. Mary Ann Rumsey became the mistress of the new home. This primitive home was called "Ann's

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HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.

Arbor," in honor of these two women, which finally assisted the early settlers to fix upon an appropriate name for their new and thrifty village.

A log house was also soon erected by Allen and Rumsey in the same locality, which stood on the south side of Huron street, near what is now known as the southwest corner of Huron and First streets, near Allen's creek. In this house Mr. Rumsey and wife kept for several years a tavern known as "The Washtenaw Coffee House." He owned 160 acres of land lying south of Huron street. Mr. Allen owned 320 acres north of this street, and built in the year 1825 a block-house on the northwest corner of Main and Huron streets, where the Gregory block now stands. He was a very energetic and intelligent citizen, of fine and commanding appearance, and was the first postmaster and justice of the peace of Ann Arbor.

The old log hotel which then occupied the site of the present Gregory House, was painted blood red, and that corner was known as the "Bloody Corners." Mr. Allen built this house, and on its com- pletion he wrote to his wife that it contained twenty families; the wite, thinking that it was a large building, came on and was sur- prised to see that the only partitions between the rooms of the oc- cupiers were blankets. In 1849 Mr. Allen visited the gold fields of California, and, died there within two years after his arrival, March 11, 1851.

The following historical items were extracted from a letter writ- ten by James T. Allen, brother of John Allen, now of Chicago, to John Geddes, and contains much valuable and accurate information :

"My father, James Allen, with his family (7 in number) re- moved from Augusta county, Virginia, to Michigan in the year 1824. The names of the family were James Allen and Elizabeth Allen (my father and mother); Ann I. Allen, Brother John's wife, and Sarah A. their child; James C. Allen and Elizabeth M. C. Allen, children of John Allen by his first wife, and myself. There also came with us Orville Barnes, who was teaching school in Vir- ginia, being from one of the New England States. We left our old home on Middle river in said county on the 28th day of Aug., 1824, and arrived at Ann Arbor on the 16th day of October. same year. Brother John arrived at Ann Arbor in the month of Febru- ary previous. When we arrived we moved into the block house on the N. W. corner of Main & Huron Sts. I bought the house and lot of Bro. John and paid him three hundred dollars for it. When we moved into the building, John Harford had a small stock of goods in said building in the room fronting on Main street. The Block honse was built before we arrived, but how long I don't know. Deacon Maynard and his family were at Mallet's Creek liv- ing in a back shanty. He had the body of a log house up, but had no roof on it. In passing through Mallet's creek with our heavy Penn. wagon we stuck in the mud, and the Deacon helped to pull us out with his oxen. My father died at Ann Arbor July 18,

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1828, in his fifty-seventh year. My mother died July 15, 1861, at James C. Allen's house near Mallet's creek, lacking a few days of eighty-six years old. Bro. John Allen died in California, near San Francisco, on the eleventh day of March, 1851, nearly fifty-five years old. My sister, Mary T. Welch, died at Ann Arbor, Nov. 27, 1847, fifty-three years and eight months old; Ann Isabelle Allen, Bro. John's wife, returned to Virginia, with her daughter, Sarah A. (date not known), and died there Nov. 27, 1875 , in her seventy-ninth. year. Her daughter, Sarah A., married and is now living in New Hope, Va. Elizabeth M. C. Allen married Wm. Wilson; they are now living in Mackesaw village in Green county, Wisconsin. I was born March 4, 1804; I enjoy very good health. I lived in Ann Arbor 32 years, and in Chicago 22 years next Nov. 4th."

The same spring, after the arrival of Allen and Rumsey, Asa L. Smith with his wife and one child came to Ann Arbor on foot through the woods, bringing on his back all their property, and having on his 'arrival here but one shilling in his pocket. He was a carpenter by trade, and built a house a short distance west of the present Gregory House. A few years afterward he built the brick building now occupied by Mr. Lodholz for a bakery and residence, situated on the corner of Broadway and Canal streets in the Fifth ward of this city.

In 1825 there were nine small houses in Ann Arbor, located and occupied as near as can be now ascertained, as follows:

Elisha W. Rumsey occupied the "Washtenaw Coffee House," and John Allen, the block house before mentioned. A log house with a frame addition stood on the northeast corner of Main and Ann streets. Two small houses stood on the opposite side of Main street, near the spot where Duffy's store now stands, and were occu- pied by two brothers, James and George W. Noyes. A frame house stood on Huron street near the "Cook House," and was built and occupied by Cornelius Osterhaut, a carpenter and joiner. Another log house stood near the northeast corner of Main and Washington streets. Farther south, on Main street, up in the woods, was another log house, occupied by Alva Brown. Such was the appearance of Ann Arbor as viewed by Capt. Charles Thayer, in 1825.

Two years later Ann Arbor had become a village of considerable importance and boasted of three stores which were well supplied with a general assortment of merchandise, and three new taverns had also appeared as rivals of Rumsey's "Coffee House." Andrew Nowland, the father of John S. Nowland, accommodated the public near the north end of State street, a short distance above where the railroad crosses the street. Samuel Camp kept hotel on the south- west corner of Main and Huron streets, and Ira W. Bird on the southeast corner of Main and Huron, directly opposite that of Mr. Camp, while Oliver Whitmore had succeeded Mr. Rumsey at the Coffee House near the creek.

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HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.

Merchandise and supplies of nearly every kind were procured at Detroit, and brought through the woods and mud in wagons by way of Plymouth, or by boats pushed up the Huron river to Raw- sonville (then called Snow's Landing), and conveyed in wagons the remainder of the distance to Ann Arbor. The population of the village at this time was about 150,and there were between 20 and 30 dwellings. Previous to 1832 there was but one small grist-mill here, with one run of stone, and built near the present dam on Huron river.

Henry Welch was also among the more prominent of the earliest settlers of Ann Arbor. He came here in 1826 with his family from the vicinity of Harrisonburg, Virginia. He was for several years one of the most prominent and successful merchants in the village, and occupied a store on the southwest corner of Main and Huron streets. He was a gentleman of the Virginia school, and possessed excellent business qualities.

In August, 1827, Elisha W. Rumsey died in the house built by Mr. Osterhaut, and the tavern was occupied about this time by Oliver Whitmore. Mr. Rumsey was captain of the first militia company organized in this county, and the first training by the militia was in 1825. One small company then comprised the en- tire militia of this county. His brother, Judge Henry Rumsey, bought 80 acres of land from James Noyes, in 1825, including the grounds of the University of Michigan.

The plat of the village of Ann Arbor was recorded May 25, 1824, in the Register's office at Detroit. The village became the county seat in 1824, on condition that a block of the village plat should be donated, on which the court-house should be erected, and also a block for a jail. John Allen gave the required land for the court- house (where it now stands), and Mr. Rumsey gave a block for a jail. This block is now occupied for a lumber yard on Liberty street. A small building for a jail was built there with funds con- tributed by the citizens, and Israel Branch was the first jailer. This building burned down several years after.

In the summer of 1827 several hundred Indians arrived at Ann Arbor and occupied three camps, nearly surrounding the village. Rumors had preceded them to the effect that they were on the war path and intended to burn the village and scalp the inhabitants. But the Indians proved to be peaceful, and quietly left the next day. It was, however, an anxious night for some of our early set- tlers. It was afterward explained that some of these Indians had been to Malden to draw their annual presents from the British Gov- ernment for services in the war of 1812, while other bands were on their way thither, and accidentally met at Ann Arbor those return- ing. Small bands of Indians frequently visited the village to trade with the settlers and exchanged berries, venison, furs and maple sugar for dry goods, and " scuta waboo," or fire water.

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ANN ARBOR TOWNSHIP.

GROWTH OF THE VILLAGE.

The population of Ann Arbor in 1834 was 830, and at that time there were several stores, taverns and other business houses there. In 1838, it contained a court-house, jail, a bank, two banking associa- tions, four churches,-Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopalian and Uni- versalist,-two printing offices, which issued two weekly newspapers, a book store, two druggists, a flouring mill with six run of stone, a saw-mill, woolen factory, carding machine, iron foundry, an exten- sive plow factory, two tanneries, 17 dry-goods stores, 11 lawyers and nine physicians. It had also a flourishing academy with about 70 pupils. Population, 2,000.

FIRST BIRTH.

Elisha Walker Rumsey Smith, son of Asa L. and Syrena Smith, was the first white child born in Ann Arbor. He was born Nov. 27, 1825. This son was named Rumsey, at the request of that gentleman, who promised him a village lot in token of distinction as the first child born in Ann Arbor. He died in April, 1827. This is a disputed point, the honor being claimed by John S. Now- land, who was born June 13, 1826. Mr. Nowland has the evidence of the family record to substantiate his claim. The records in the other case are not to be obtained.

MERCHANTS.

John Harford was the first merchant in Ann Arbor. He began business in 1824. Cyrus Beckwith came soon after. In May, 1827, Edward Clark came to Ann Arbor and opened a store of general merchandise, occupying a building on the east side of Main street, near Washington street. The following year he built and occupied a frame store on the opposite side of the street. The old two-story building torn down a few years since to give place to the new one, was the same building erected by Clark in 1828. David and Jona- than Ely were also merchants here when Clark arrived. Hethcot Mowry opened a store here in 1830, and Edward Mundy and John Thompson opened stores in 1831. Wm. S. Maynard soon after opened a tavern in John Allen's block-house, and a store in the frame building adjoining the block-house.

MILLS.

In June, 1824, George W. Noyes commenced preparations for building a grist-mill above where the city mill now stands. The frame was raised the first of August, 1826. At the raising were the following first settlers of the county: Capt. Dix, from Dix- boro, John and Robert Geddes, Col. White and many others from Ann Arbor town; Judge Dexter and Mr. Arnold from Dex-

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HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.

ter; Horace and Virgil Boothe and others from Lodi; Orin Parsons and others from Saline; Whitmore, McDowell, Maynard, Parsons and Carpenter from Pittsfield; and a number from Ypsi- lanti-nearly all of the then settlers of the county. And there was a general time of rejoicing that flour could be obtained short of Detroit. The mill was soon in running order and well patronized. Considerable grain was raised that year; wheat could be bought for 75 cents per bushel. On the 23d day of November following, Mr. Noyes was killed at the raising of a house for Mr. Nowland (located south of the railroad crossing, on the east side of State street). The building was raised by posts and beams, a bent at a time. Not being sufficiently stayed at the time Mr. Noyes went up on the frame to adjust the plates, the whole structure fell, killing him instantly. In 1829 Anson Brown purchased of Andrew Now- land the land now comprising a portion of the fifth ward, and soon after built the dam across the river and a grist-mill where now stands the large flouring mill of Swift & Co. These were the pioneer mills of Ann Arbor. They were small but met the require- ments of the time.

HOTELS.

The pioneer in the hotel business was E. W. Rumsey, who, in 1825, established the " Washtenaw Coffee House." W. S. May- nard, shortly after, engaged in the same business in a large log house where the Gregory House now stands. In 1830 Solon Cook came to the village, opened the "Cook House," and for 37 years con- tinued to minister to the comfort of the traveling public. In 1831 Chauncey S. Goodrich purchased a block of land east of the court- house square, and erected a building which he occupied and used as a hotel for many years. The building is yet standing and being used for mercantile purposes. In 1832, in the lower town, William R. Thompson kept a hotel known as the " Washtenaw House."

Since the foregoing dates many public houses have been erected, flourished for a time, and then passed away. The "Cook House," rebuilt and greatly enlarged, is upon the old site; the "Gregory House," built in 1864, upon the southwest corner of the square, is a fine, convenient and popular house, which was purchased in December, 1880, by Nelson Booth. This house was first opened by E. M. Gregory. The "Leonard House" is upon West Huron street, and doing a good business.

THE FIRST PUBLIC BALL

was held in Rumsey's Coffee House. A part of the guests were from Ypsilanti. An old gray-headed man, the father of John Allen, played the violin. Much praise was bestowed upon the excellent supper and Mrs. Rumsey's culinary skill. This was in the winter of 1824-'25. The second ball was held in 1825, at the

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ANN ARBOR TOWNSHIP.

same place, on Independence Day. The third was held in the winter of 1826, on the occasion of the inauguration of a Masonic lodge. The coffee house stood on the south side of West Huron street, near a house afterward owned by Erastus Root. The Masonic ball was held in a double log honse, owned and kept by John Allen. There were guests from Detroit, Ypsilanti, Superior and Dexter. The several distinguished guests were Gen. Cass, Judge Witherell, Gen. Larned, Gen. Schwartz, Col. Pray and Judge Dexter. Miss Venus Whitmore, said to be the belle of the party, led the first dance with Gen. Cass. They had a rare supper of wild fruits and meats: their wines and brandies were brought from Detroit.

POSTOFFICE.

The postoffice was established in 1825, with John Allen as post- master. At this time there was no regularly surveyed road be- tween Ann Arbor and Detroit, and Bethuel Farrand, who was the first mail-carrier, followed the Indian trail between the two places. For his services he was to receive one hundred dollars per year. The trip required three days, and was often attended with danger and great exposure. There were no bridges over the streams, and in the spring of the year they were always greatly swollen, and in fording them it was often at the risk of life.

In 1832 Anson Brown obtained the appointment of postmaster and removed the postoffice to the lower village. This movement caused great excitement among the upper villagers. He brought up the mail in his hat and distributed the mail to the people on the streets. A meeting of the citizens of the upper village was held in 1834 for the purpose of recommending to the Postmaster General the appointment of another postmaster, not because there was any personal objection to Brown, but in order to secure its return to the upper village. That meeting recommended Charles Thayer. The petition was sent to Washington for his appointment and it was received Sept. 30, 1834. A short time previous to this, Mr. Brown had died of cholera, and Thayer took possession of the post- office and soon after removed it to the upper village.

Among those who had since held the office of postmaster are Mark Howard, George Danforth, F. J. B. Crane, Caleb Clark, Henry D. Bennett, John I. Thompson, Richard Beahan, C. B. Grant, H. S. Dean and C. G. Clark.

CEMETERIES.

The first cemetery was located at the head of East Huron street, and was donated by Andrew Nowland in 1832. It now contains about five acres. The land was purchased by Andrew Nowland from Thomas Chambers, June 6, 1826.

Anson Brown gave a plat of ground on a hill northwest of the Washtenaw House for a cemetery, which is still in use. Elizabeth

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HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.

Thompson, mother of Wm. R. Thompson, was the first person buried there.

Forest Hill Cemetery was dedicated in 1859. This burial ground was laid out by the master gardener for the proprietary. In later years the gate house was added, vaults erected and additions made to the drive ways; improvement has followed improvement, until now, throughout its entire area of 40 acres, there is nothing to remind the visitor of this home of the dead, save the elegant mon- nments raised to their memory. The cemetery is located on the eastern side of the city, and is another monument to the civilization of our time.

Among the monuments in Forest Hill are those erected to com- memorate the names of Henning, Blake, Swift, Millen, Fasquelle, Hunt, Bach, Sackett, Wheeler, Spaulding, Godfrey, Howard, White, Gillespie, Chase, Gregory, Behr, Richards, Molony, Gerner, Bender, Welles, Sinclair, Pond, Maynard, Greenville, Scott, Os- born, Goodale, Boyden, Beal, Brakey, Treadwell, McIntyre, Mor- gan, Ellsworth, Lund, Cheevers, Read, Loomis, Danforth, Gerner, Searman, Risdon, George. In the older cemeteries, the marble perpetuates the names of many of the old settlers who died previous to 1859.

REMINISCENCES OF JOHN THOMPSON (deceased).

I was born in Waterford, Saratoga Co., N. Y., Feb. 21, 1798. I came to Ann Arbor Dec. 24, 1831. The country was beautiful beyond description; the spring following was early, and the Michi- gan roses grew and bloomed plentifully; the wild grape vines clam- bered over the wild plum trees.

The village was small at that time. I rented of Mr. Asa L. Smith a one story and a half house on Main street, on the ground where Mr. Widenmann's store now is. After getting settled, I opened a small store in my house. I had to go to Detroit for supplies with an ox team, which in those days took nearly one week to accomplish. I purchased one barrel of apples, one box of candies (the first one ever brought to Ann Arbor for sale), and $25 worth of groceries, which was, to my mind then, quite an outfit. Mr. A. Brown, who had been in the village some time before me, had a store where Philip Bach now sells goods. There was a tavern on the corner where the Ann Arbor Savings Bank stands. There was also a log tavern, which had been clapboarded, and stood on the spot now covered by the Gregory House.

The Presbyterians had a low wooden building, about in the cen- ter, or on the southeast corner of the land now occupied by the same society. The Episcopalians held their services in a school- house. The Methodist and Baptist Churches worshiped God alter- nately in the old red brick school-house. which was where Mr. Mc- Creery's house is. We had good and true ministers then, as well as now, and the names of Beach, Twist, Gavet, Pilcher and Colclazer

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will not soon be forgotten. An amusing incident, I remember, oc- curred in Mr. C.'s ministry, which I will relate. Bro. Colclazer went north of our village 30 miles to attend a quarterly meeting; and in those good old days we had a sermon on Saturday afternoon, and friends from a distance, and neighbors, came to attend that ser- vice, as well as to be on time for the love-feast on Sunday morning. Well, Bro. C. was to stay with Bro. Boutwell, and he, of course, took pleasure and pride to have all things pleasant at home, and the school-house in apple-pie order, for his guest. There were also many brothers and sisters " in the Church " stopping with Bro. B. Saturday night came, and Mr. B. took the man of God to his room for the night, which was at the head of the ladder, in a log house, with sheets hung up for partitions. Mr. Colclazer thanked his friend for his good bed. Mr. Boutwell said good night, and " We shall all want to get up early in the morning." The minister pre- pared for bed, took off his wig (although quite a young man) and hung it on the bed-post at the head of his bed, and composed him- self to rest. As it was such a rare occasion in Mr. B.'s life, he could not sleep, for he feared all might not pass off as he wished. So he rose up early in the morning, at break of day, and stepped up the ladder, loudly called his daughter " to get up quick, for they had so many to get breakfast for." No sooner had he said that, when he beheld the poor wig on the bed-post, and it being the first one he ever saw, he was very badly frightened, and thought the In- dians had scalped the minister. So he hallooed: "Oh, the Indians! the Indians!" At this moment the minister, awakened out of sound sleep, was alarmed too, and raised up quickly in bed, forgetting his bald head in his fright. This was too much for Mr. B. He now was sure that the Indians had been there, and, scared almost to death, screamed "Murder! murder!" at the top of his voice, which brought all the family from below, and guests from above, to the scene. As Mr. B. was in his night-clothes, he made a strange ap- pearance. When all was explained, and the wig placed in its legit- imate place, all were merry at Bro. B.'s expense. Poor man, he was so chagrined and troubled that he rushed below, and did not appear at breakfast, love-feast or school-house.

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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 92

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