USA > Michigan > Kent County > Illustrated historical atlas of the county of Kent, Michigan > Part 12
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A half a dozen small lakes, varying in size from ten to one hundred or more acres, are to be found in the township. Among these is one sometimes known as Lapham Lake and Long Lake, which is in the southwest corner of the town.
Formerly the principal interest of the township was lumbering, and numerous portable and stationary steam mills for nearly twenty years have been slaughtering the virgin forests, but these are already being exhausted,
82
HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY-CONTINUED.
and fewer mills are in active operation than half a dozen years since. There are still about a dozen lumber and shingle and stave manufacturing estab- lishments in the township, principally in and about the Village of Cedar Springs. By the last census these are shown to give employment to one hundred and sixty hands, and to turn out over $200,000 worth of products.
VILLAGE OF CEDAR SPRINGS.
The second village of the county, is located on the line of Solon and. Nelson Townships, and about one mile from the south line of these townships. This remarkable village was first platted in 1859, but remained a small and rather unimportant place until about the time of the completion of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, when it made wonderful progress. It was incorporated by the Legislature in 1871, and to-day contains about one thousand five hundred inhabitants. The Methodists, Baptists, and Congre- gationalists have each good church edifices, and the Roman Catholics are preparing for the erection of one for their use. The village contains five hotels, one bank, a valuable graded school, building costing near $20,000, about a dozen dry goods and general stores, groceries, boot and shoe stores, two livery stables, etc., etc.
The village also sustains a live local paper, the Cedar Springs Clipper, now in its seventh volume ; L. M. Sellers, editor and proprietor. The village officers for 1875-6 are : President-H. C. Russell. Recorder-H. S. Gardner. Treasurer-E. Hinsman. Assessor-H. W. Slawson. Marshal-J. Bullock.
Trustees-E. J. Roys, G. B. Congdon, J. D. Clark, W. Barkley, L. W. Torrey, W. F. Andrus.
GROWTH AND PRESENT CONDITION.
Twenty years ago Solon, as a subdivision of the county, was without an existence, and in 1860 its population numbered but three hundred and ninety-three ; while in 1870 it was nine hundred and sixteen, and in 1876 it numbers about two thousand.
In 1865 the real and personal estate of the township amounted to $61,287, while to-day it amounts to $488,827 ; and the taxes levied in 1875 for state, county, township, and school purposes, amounted to more than $8,800.
The grain produced, according to the last census returns, was : wheat, 2,267 bushels ; corn, 4,405 bushels ; other grain, 5,085 bushels. There was also 3,731 bushels of potatoes, and 1,046 tons of hay, but it will be remem- bered that the farming interest is just in its infancy.
HISTORY OF SPARTA TOWNSHIP.
Sparta is one of the western tier of townships of Kent County, and the. second in the tier from the north end of the county, Tyrone being on the north of it, Algoma on the east, Alpine on the south, and Ottawa County bounds it on the west. The center of the town is about fifteen miles from the county seat. It is numbered twelve west and nine north.
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
The first man to enter this town, with a view of making it his home, appears to have been Mr. Clark Brown, who located his land in September, 1844, although he did not build his house or bring his family until the Spring following ; and when he returned to his claim he found that Lewis W. Purdy, Lyman Smith, Joseph English, and Norman and Edwin Cummins (the two last were young men), had already settled in the township, and were to be near neighbors. Mr. Cummins, the father of Norman and Edwin, came in the Spring of 1845, as did John Symes, Elihu Rice, Anthony Chapman, and Wm. Rogers. During that year, and early the next, several others moved in, and among them were John M. Balcom, now hotel keeper at Sparta Center, and his brother, M. H. Balcom, and Charles Hatch, Mr. Purdy and Lyman Smith did not remain many years in the county. The former started for California, and lost his family on the way, when he returned, and now lives in Detroit, while Mr. Smith lives at Traverse Bay. Mrs. Purdy was the first white woman in the town, while William Rogers, son of William and Margaret Rogers, born in 1845, was the first white child born in the town. During the Rebellion he lost his life in the army.
Mr. Hatch, the father of Charles Hatch, died in April, 1847, which was the first death occurring in the little community.
During the year 1846, the settlers in the town were more than doubled in number. Among the settlers of that year were J. E. Nash, Edward Wylie, Myron Bird, William Blackall, John Gillam, David Martindale, Mr. Calet, Amidan and Hiram Myers. Among others who came to the township within the next two years, may be named Z. M. and C. C. Hinman, R. D. Hastings, G. B. Stebbins, Phillip Slat, and many others.
The first town meeting was held at the house of Clark Brown, Esq., in the Spring of 1846, and every voter in the township, twelve in all, were present. The election was in part as follows :
Supervisor-Lewis W. Purdy. Clerk-John- M. Balcom ..
Treasurer-M. H. Balcom.
Charles Hatch was elected a Justice of the Peace. Other officers not learned.
The next meeting was held at the house of David Martindale, nearer the center of the town, Mr. Clark's residence being on the south line of the town. At this time the town included Tyrone, which was not detached until 1855-
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
Sparta is one of the best agricultural townships in the county, about five- sixths of its surface being heavily timbered land, and the remainder along the- east side, and especially in the northeast corner, being pine lands. The leading kinds of timber are maple, beech, bass-wood, ash, elm, white, black, yellow or red oak. There are several swamps, where black ash, white cedar or tamarack, or all together, are to be found in swamps in the north or north- west part of the town, but generally the surface away from the river is high rolling lands, with very little waste.
Rouge River, running mostly through the eastern tier of sections, is the principal stream. Nash Creek, running across the town from the southwest, falling into Rouge River about one mile east of Sparta Center, was formerly improved as a mill stream, but the opening up of the country has greatly diminished its volume.
There are no lakes demanding notice in the town.
VILLAGES.
Sparta Center is a village of about five hundred inhabitants, and although begun at an early day, and known as Nashville, after Mr. J. E. Nash, the first settler, it did not make much progress until the location of the Grand Rapids and Newaygo Railroad gave it a grand impulse. It is now a thriv- ing place, with three general stores, one boot and shoe and one hardware
store, two smith shops, one wagon, and one harness shop, a good graded school building, two churches, one grist, and one saw mill.
Lisbon, situated on the west line of the township, about one-half of it being in the County of Ottawa, is also a thriving village, with a most beau- tiful location, and was first settled in 1846 by John Pintler, of New York. A post-office was established here two years later, with Mr. Pintler as post- master, and the place was known as Pintler's Corners until 1859. It contains a hotel, several stores, blacksmith and wagon shop, a grist and saw mill, and three churches, graded school, etc., etc. The village was incorporated during the year 1869.
GROWTH AND PRESENT STATUS.
Sparta is a prosperous township. In 1850 it contained about three hun- dred inhabitants, which in 1874 had been swelled to one thousand five hun- dred and eighty seven.
Its principal products for 1873 were: wheat, 28,383 bushels ; corn, 22,796 bushels ; other grain, 41,899 bushels ; potatoes, 12,316 bushels ; hay, 2,787 tons ; wool, 10,359 pounds ; maple sugar, 50,407 pounds .-
It had 472 horses ; 130 head of oxen ; 617 cows, and 758 other cattle ; 459 hogs, and 2,563 sheep ; and its orchard and garden products were valued at $6,454, while the products of its manufacturing establishments in 1870 were rated at $40,500.
HISTORY OF SPENCER TOWNSHIP.
This town is in the extreme northeast corner of the county, and the center of the town is not less than thirty-five miles in an air line from the county seat. Spencer is bounded on the north by Montcalm County, east by the same, south by Oakfield, and west by Nelson Township.
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
An old trapper by the name of Lincoln built his shanty on the banks of a lake in this town, and for a number of years was monarch of all he surveyed. Cyrus B. Thomas settled in the town in 1846, and Henry Stroup in January, 1848. The next settler we hear of was Matthew B. Hatch, who came in 1853, and was soon followed by Jacob Van Zandt, William H. Hewitt, B. G. Parks, Daniel Haskins, S. B. Cowles, William T. Parshal, and Daniel Has- kins. It was not, however, until 1861, that the first town meeting was called. The town was then called Celsus, but was soon named Spencer, after one of its early settlers.
The result of the first election was:
Supervisor-Freeman Van Wickle.
Clerk-Henry .A. Freeman.
Treasurer-Daniel Haskins.
Justices-William W. Hewitt, Edwin D. Clark.
Commissioners of Highways-W. W. Hewitt, F. Van Wickle,
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
Spencer has perhaps a larger proportion of pine lands than any other in the county, and is of less value, agriculturally, perhaps, than any other civil division of Kent County. About ten small lakes are laid down on the maps, the largest, Lincoln Lake, being about one and a half miles in length, and half a mile wide, and is pronounced a handsome body of water.
Black Creek is the principal stream in the town. It rises in Sand Lake or vicinity, on the north line of Nelson Township, and trav rses Spencer diagonally from northwest to southeast, and with its small tributaries furnishes an outlet for all the little lakes of the township, to Flat River, and also a valuable highway for millions of feet of pine logs that supply the mill, on its banks, but by way of Flat into Grand River.
GROWTH AND PRESENT CONDITION.
Spencer can not boast of any villages, and is without railroad connection with the outer world ; it is however, settling up quite as rapidly as some of the other towns.
The personal and real estate in the town was valued at $197,500 in 1875, against $55,396 ten years ago. The population was 662 in 1874. The town produced 3,897 bushels of wheat, 6,215 bushels of corn, 4,785 bushels of other grain, and 3,348 bushels of potatoes, in 1874. It had 106 head of horses, 340 head of cattle, 184 hogs, and 223 head of sheep.
HISTORY OF TYRONE TOWNSHIP.
Tyrone Township lies in the northwest corner of Kent County, with Solon on the east of it, and Sparta on the south. The center of the town is about twenty-two miles from the county seat. It is numbered ten north and twelve west.
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
It would seem that the first settler within the limits of this town was Mrs. Eliza Scott, who settled on the west line of the township in 1849, for the purpose of boarding the hands then engaged in opening the state road from Grand Rapids to Newaygo, She was followed the next year, by Lot Fergu- son, and soon after by Alfred Bonner, in the same vicinity.
In 1852, Jacob Smith and Harlow Jackson settled in the same vicinity, and the year following, John Thompson and Joseph Kies also became citizens.
Uriah Chubb, Leander Smith, James Blackall, and Asa Clark were also pioneers, the latter settling in the southeast corner of the township.
In 1855 the first town meeting was held at the only school house in the township. This was in the west side of the town, near the residence of Mrs. Scott.
At this meeting the following named persons were chosen to conduct the affairs of the town :
Supervisor-Uriah Chubb.
Clerk-Albert Clute.
Treasurer-Harlow Jackson.
Justices-Patrick Thompson, Albert Clute, Uriah Chubb.
At this time there were scarcely voters enough to fill all the positions.
Since that time, however, great changes have taken place.
The present town officers are :
Supervisor-Henry I. Barrett. Clerk-James S. Tozer.
Treasurer-George Heinsley.
Justices-Uriah Chubb, Lyman V. Hoag, Ammon Fox, Lafayette B. Burch. School Superintendent-Luther Seymore.
Commissioner of Highways-Horace B. Chubback.
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
Perhaps fully one-half of Tyrone Township was originally pine lands. Along the Rouge River on the east, and extending quite across the north part of the town are extensive forests. The remainder of the town was mainly clothed with heavy timber, and the soil is counted among the best, and especially esteemed for fruit raising.
The town is well watered by Rouge River, which crosses the town from
north to south. Within half a mile and one and a half miles from its east line, two considerable tributaries of this stream enter it from the east, while two smaller ones, having their sources in T. rone, drain the middle and western portions of the town. There are two or three small lakes in the western part of the town, but not of sufficient importance to claim much attention in a county where such abound. The eastern portion of the town, bordering upon the river, is quite rolling, as is generally the case throughout the entire length of the stream.
VILLAGES.
Casnovia on the west line of the township, or rather lying on both sides of the western line of the county, and Tyrone Station, are the only villages. in the town.
Casnovia has a population of about 300. It was settled by Lot Ferguson in 1850, has several stores, a smith shop, a steam saw mill, etc. A post-office was located at the corners in 1853.
Tyrone Station is a small place with perhaps 200 inhabitants, two stores, a stave and heading mill, and a saw and shingle mill. The village has sprung up since the advent of the railroad.
GROWTH AND PRESENT STATUS.
Although but about twenty years since the first attempt to subdue the un- broken wilderness, the town can show really fine farms. In 1873 there were raised 4,227 bushels of wheat, 6,215 bushels of corn, and 4,262 bushels of other grains, 4,948 bushels of potat es and 7,675 pounds of maple sugar was manufactured. The chief interest however, is lumbering.
HISTORY OF VERGENNES TOWNSHIP.
Vergennes is one of the eastern tier of towns, lying on the north side of Grand River, its center being about fifteen miles from Grand Rapids. It is bounded on the north by Grattan Township, with Ionia County on the east, Lowell Township on the south, and Ada Township to the west of it.
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
Sylvester Hodges is accredited with being the first settler within this town during the year 1836, although it is reported that he first settled in that year in Lowell Township, planting the first apple trees and helping to build the first house in that village. James S. Fox made his appearance also in 1836, and John Branagan, Emery Foster, Alexander Rogers, Wm. P. Perrin, Thompson I. Daniels, and Lucas Robinson, in 1837. The year 1838 brought in Silas S. Fallass, J. Wesley Fallass, Newcomb Godfrey, Amos Hodges, Eliab Walker, Christopher Misner, Morgan Lyon, Alfred VanDeusen, and Benjamin Fairchild.
Rodney Robinson, M. Patrick, John M. Fox, Porter Ralph, Everet Wilson, George Brown, Charles Newton, Henry Daines, P. W. Fox, A. D. Smith, O. H. Jones, and James S. Fox, also moved into the town prior to its organiza- tion in 1838.
The first town meeting was held in April, 1838, and the following among others, were the officers elect :
Supervisor-Rodney Robinson. Clerk-M. Patrick. .
Treasurer-Porter Ralp.
It is said there were but about twenty families in the town at the time of its organization. For several years the pioneers were compelled to go to Kalamazoo, Grandville, or Ionia for their grinding.
Among the present town officers are : . Supervisor-Jacob Walker.
Clerk-John L. Covert. Treasurer-Patrick Carey.
Justices-Dennis Driscal, Mr. Miller, John L. Covert. Highway Commissioner-Milton Hendrick.
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
This town has but a few small lakes, and is watered by Flat River, which enters the town near its northeastern corner, and meandering back and forth crossing the line several times, pursues a very serpentine course the length of the township, and crosses the south line about one and a half miles from the southeast corner. This . tream, with numerous small tributaries, drains nearly the entire town.
The surface in the eastern and southeastern portion is very rolling or broken. The timber is mostly of the character known as oak openings, with a few sections of heavy timber, a few tamarack swamps and a small quantity of pine. The soil is mostly heavy, and for general farming seems well adapted. Eagle Creek, the largest stream in the town emptying into Flat River, rises in, or at least furnishes an outlet for Eagle or Nagle Lake, which pro- jects into the town a small distance on the north side. This stream is a valuable little mill stream.
Fallisburg, founded by J. Wesley Fallass about the year 1840, is the only village in the town, and it is not a place of great importance, having one store, a grist and a saw m ll, a smith shop, a good school house, etc., etc.
GROWTH AND PRESENT CONDITION.
Vergennes, at that time including Grattan, was valued upon the tax roll in 1845 at but $68,775, but is now valued at $637,847, and had a population in 1870, of 1,369.
In the matter of live stock this town showed in 1874, 455 horses, 25 work oxen, 496 cows, and 507 other cattle, 620 hogs, and 4,018 head of sheep. It produced of wheat 38,690 bushels, corn 29,720 bushels, other grains 20,616 bushels, potatoes 9,615 bushels, hay 1,854 tons, wool 17,178 pounds, 1,721 pounds of butter, and its orchard and garden products were rated at $3.157-
In the matter of wheat it is only surpassed by Grattan and Bowne Town- ships, and in quantity of corn is only surpassed by three towns in the county.
HISTORY OF WALKER TOWNSHIP.
Walker, situated immediately west of Grand Rapids City and : ownship, has Ottawa County on the west, Alpine Township on the north, and the Grand River for its southern boundary, Nearly two-thirds of the corporate limits o the City of Gran Rapids has been carved from its territory.
SETTLEMENT, ORGANIZATION, ETC.
Like Grand Rapids, this township is so intimately connected with ti e early history of the Villag : and City of Grand Rapid, as to be difficult of separation. The earliest inhabitants of what was organized as Walk r Township in 1838, were the earliest se tlers of th incipient city, and for the first few y ars had one voting precinct, one common township, with its h ad- quarters in the village; Divi .on Stre. t being the eastern b undary of what was afterwar I known as Walker Township.
Of thos set ling outs de of the city limits was Mr. Samuel Whit and nu- merous family, in the ye r 1836. In the same year came Jesse mith nd family, John J. Nardin and family, and Robert Hilton and a Mr. Bemis.
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HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY-CONCLUDED.
Other early settlers were John Hogadone, Joseph Denton, Wm. W. Ander- son, John Harrington, Henry Helmka, Harvey Monroe, Patrick and Ster hen O'Brien, James Murry, Lovell Moore, Isaac Turner, Harry Eaton, Isaiah Burton, and several others. The first town meeting was he'd at a school house near the r ver, and within the present city. This resulted in the selec- tion of the foll wing as first officers of Walker Township, April, 1838: Supervisor-Lovell Moore.
Clerk-Isaac Turner. Treasurer-Harry Eaton. Justices-Rober Hilton, Isaac Turner, Ira Jones, Isaiah Burton. Walker as first organized, included Alpine, which, however, contained but few families for several years, but became an independent township in 1847. The principal officers for the current year are : Supervisor-A. A. Wils .. n.
Clerk-Edwin Manly.
Treasurer-John Dougan.
CHARACTERISTICS; SOIL, ETC.
Walker may be said to be bounded on two sides by a noble river, facing which on the east and south side of the town there is a range of hills set back from the river, and leaving a " bottom " generally from one-eighth to one mile wide. In many places these hills are very abrupt and a hundred feet or more in height. The uplands back of these hills varies from gently undu- lating to quite rolling. Some pine, mixed more or less with other timber, at an early day crowned these hills, and spread over a sandy belt that ex- tends from no theast to southwest, nearly across the township Back of this, toward the west and northwest part of the town, heavy timber gener- ally prevails, and several extensive swamps make their appearance. Much of the north and west part of the town is a clay soil, interspersed with a sandy loam of much fertility.
Indian Creek, wh h enters the town from the middle of Alpine, flowing south for a couple of mile- and then east till it falls into Grand River about the Detroit & Milwaukee R. R. bridge, is the most considerable stream in the town after the Grand. Several smaller ones flow south from the centr. 1 part of the town, through gradually deepening ravines to the river. There are no lakes of any consequence in this town, and it is without villages, its population being entirely rural.
GROWTH AND PRESENT STANDING.
This town is making very successful progress on the road to prosperity. Except two extensive pl ster mills, in the south part of the own, there is but little ma ufacturing done within its boundaries ; but its agricultural and horticultural impor ance stands out prominen ly, and many fine farms are to be seen. In the year 1845 the town exhibited a tax roll amounting to $56,480, which in 1875 foots up $637,847. In 1855 the population, includ- ing a part of Grand Rapids Village, was 823, which in 1870, exclusive of the village, was 1,675. Its productions in 1873 were, in part: Wheat, 22,806 bushels ; corn, 28,157 bushels ; other grain, 24,297 bushels, Potatoes, 20,151 bushels ; hay, 2,707 tons ; wool, 8,026 pounds ; maple sugar, 8,060 pounds ; orchard and garden products, $22,015 worth. In live stock it showed : Horses and mules, 412 head ; oxen, 12 head ; milch cows, 563 ; other cattle, 918 ; hogs, 647 ; sheep, 2.053;
HISTORY OF WYOMING TOWNSHIP.
Wyoming Township lies on the south side of Grand River, and on the west line of the county. It is of Town No. 6 orth, and Range 12 west, and is bounded north by Walker Township and the City of Grand Rapids, east by Davis Township, south by Byron, and on the west by Ottawa County. About three sections off the north end of the Congressional Township is cut off by Grand River, and made a part of Walker Township for civil purposes.
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
Although one of the oldest settled portions of the county, it was attached to and known as Byron Township from 1836 to 1848, when it was separated from Byron and named Wyoming, after one of the counties of New York. David Tucker and Gideon H. Gordon are reputed to have been first to settle in this township __ as early as 1832. In 1833 Luther B. Lincoln, Joseph B. Copeland, Wm. R. Goodwin, Jonathan F. Chubb, My ron Roys, and Henry West, settled in the township. In 1834 came Carlos A. Abel, D. C. Britton, Cyrus Jones, Roswell Britton, Julius C. Abel, Ephraim P. Walker, Abraham Bryant, and Josiah McCarthy, and settled at or near the present site of the village of Grandville. Geo. Thompson, Robert Howlett, and Alvah Wanzar, also settled within the town during that year. In the next year Edwin Feakins, Charles H. Oakes, I. A. Brooks, Thomas Buxton, Ransom Sawyer, Richard Moore, Justus C. Rogers, Eli and Erastus Yeomans, and Manly Patchen, were added to the list of settlers, many of them locating at Grand- ville. In 1836 Dwight Rankin, , Hiram Osgood, Orrey Hill, James Lock- wood, Nathan White, Jacob and Charles J. Rogers, lo ated in the town. Many of these have died or moved away ; still a few of the pioneers remain. This town, under the name and style of Wy ming, was organized in 1848, although under the name of Byron for twelve years, the headquarters of the town had been at Grandville. In fact, within the prese t limits of Wyoming was for several years nearly all there was in population and improvement of the town of Byron, so that strictly speaking, Wyoming was organized in 1836 under the name of Byron ; and the new town organized in 1848 was given th . old name. The first officers under the town name adopted in 1848 were :
Supervisor-Wm. R. Goodwin.
Clerk-Joseph Blake. Treasurer-Chas. Edgerly.
Commissioner of Highways-N. Shoemaker, Dwight Rankin, James B. Jewell.
School Inspectors-L. D. Abbott, J. C. Rogers, Justices-Erastus Yeomans, Roswell Britton.
The total vote at the first general election appears to have been IOI, six- teen years after the settlement of the township had begun.
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
An important feature of this township is a plateau or second bottom ex- tending almost across the township, and varying in width from one to two miles. This was largely covered originally with burr and white oak timber, with a gravelly soil, and regarded as among the very best in the county. The present river bottom is generally much lower than this plateau, and generally from one-fourth to one-half mile in width. This burr oak plateau was first sought, and is now almost entirely occupied with farms, and largely devoted to wheat culture. East and southeast of this plateau is a large swampy tract but partially reclaimed, and on the higher lands to the south are belts of fine timber, some of it originally quite heavy, but now mostly cut off. Probably one-fourth of the town was originally pine lands Wyoming is without lakes, and its principal stream after Grand River, which forms its northern boundary for four miles, is Buck Creek, which runs diagonally across the township from southeast to northwest, and entering the river near the village of Grandville. This is a valuable mill stream, and was improved
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