USA > Michigan > Kent County > Illustrated historical atlas of the county of Kent, Michigan > Part 8
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Clothing.
Carriages and Wagons
Fanning Mills.
Paper Mill
Boots and Shoes*
center of the county. It lies south of Cannon, west of Vergennes, north of
Bakeries
Cascade, and immediately east of Grand Rapids Township. The center of
Tobacco and Cigar
that time, and all records of town meetings prior to 1842 seem to have been
made the county a stopping place for several years, and made Ada his home
Pump Factory.
Tin, Copper and Sheet Iron.
Saw Mills
Shingles
have been preserved, sixty-three votes were cast.
Tannery
Saddles and Harness.
and Henry Laverty, were also persons noted for various positions. At a
few as early as 1834 or 1835.
who located at the mouth of the Thorn Apple as an Indian trader, in 182I.
Wooden Ware, Clothes Pins, etc ..
not organized until 1838, and certainly no election was held in it prior to
Ada is nine miles from the county seat, on a bee line.
Planing and Turning
Staves, Heading, and Hoops.
Breweries
lost.
until his death, which occurred in 1875.
Furniture and Chairs
Edge Tools.
Flour Mills
-John Keena ; Superintendent of Schools-Ervin Booth ; School Inspector
leaves the town at its northwest corner, thus leaving about one-fourth of the
-C. K. Gibson ; Drain Commissioner-Michael Farrell.
general election in November, one hundred and thirty votes were cast, which
their families till the following season," Torry Smith's family consisted of
Plaster Mills +.
seem to have occurred in previously published accounts. The township was
Agricultural Implements ..
elected by one vote.
about the same time.
and Hiram Laraway, settled about the same time nearly in what is now
at Ada was one. . When the Smith families arrived in 1837, several acces-
Foundry and Machine Shop.
fertile.
somewhat sandy soil generally prevail, a large per cent. of it being quite
sions had been made to the small colony, a fine paper village had been laid
votes.
Miller, of the City of Grand Rapids.
was name for his estimable daughter, Miss Ada Smith, now Mrs. James
out, speculation ran high, and corner lots were deemed great prizes. Of
south and west portions, is very hilly and broken.
same time.
those who came prior to the Spring of 1837, certainly were Edward and
block-house about the mouth of the Thorn Apple, in 1836, but did not bring
town south and west of the river. The Thorn Apple enters the town near
that Ada at that time included Cascade and Caledonia, a region that has not
would look like a large vote for that early day, but it must be borne in mind
1838. Simeon D. Holt, Peter McLean, R. G. Chaffee, and others, came
Hamilton Andrews came about the same time. Rix Church and a brother,
Nelson Robinson and Whiting Fisk, Benjamin Beach, Rawson Ward, and
his wife and seven children, of whom J. H. Smith, the present hotel keeper
the middle of the south line, and flowing northeast for about one mile unites
Cascade Township, once associated with Ada.
with the Grand. Several small streams rise in the township and fall into the
less than 4,500 inhabitants to-day.
Nicholas Therry ; Treasurer-Michael Johnes ; Commissioner of Highways
Alexander and Peter McNaughton, and A. H. Riggs, were also in about the
lots could obtain no titles, and all was brought to a stand-still. The village
Lucius B. Lyon, its founder, became deeply involved during the financial
neously with the settlement of the township, was a notable failure. Hon.
former enters the town though the south line of the town about one mile and
consequence in it. The prevailing timber is oak ; and oak openings and a
became the possessor of the wonderful village-that was to be ; and dying
was " locked up" for twenty or more years. Persons who had purchased
almost immediately afterwards, his estate went to an infant heir, and thus
ated village. The origin of the Village of Ada, which was projected simulta-
Grand River, and fully one-half of the surface of the town, especially in the
a half from the southeast corner, and flowing in a northwesterly course
distress of 1837, and his backer, a Mr. Bronson, an Eastern capitalist,
Ada is one of the "interior " townships, its northwest corner being the
Something may be learned of the extent and importance of the leading
For Town Clerk and Treasurer, Nelson Robinson received sixty-three
The principal streams are the Grand and Thorn Apple Rivers. The
Sidney and Torry Smith came as agents of I ucius B. Lyon, and erected a
Chase's Lake, in the northeast part of the township, is the only one of
The first and only settler of Ada for a number of years was Rix Robinson,
For Supervisor, Norman Ackley received thirty-two votes, and was thus
Sidney Smith did much of the town business for many years, and the town
Among the present town officers are : Supervisor-R. D. Chaffee ; Clerk-
Edward Pettis, Mr. Crow, Loring Hill, Hiram Rhodes, John Dugal, and
We are unable to obtain reliable information of any other persons taking
Rix Robinson, Perry Hill, S. D. Holt, Edward Cook, Wm. L. Granger,
At a town election in 1842, the first one of which any record appears to
John and William Spence, Samuel Bass, Miles Randall, came as early as
Ada is the only business centre-in the township. It is a small unincorpor-
Kinds of Manufactures.
HISTORY OF ADA TOWNSHIP.
#Returns incomplete.
SETTLERS AND ORGANIZATION.
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
Some confusion of names, dates, and events,
Establish-
No. of
ments.
21
54
27
17
IO
IO
7
I
3
6
o
5
1
I
4
2
3
5
I
4
2
3
Presons
ployed.
1,065
Em-
340
168
200
357
300
130
153
266
748
45
40
36
20
35
33
34
20
20
85
34
81
6
6
+Estimated,
$113,000
Invested.
Capital
450,000
418,800
437,000
156,500
905,800
228,000
212,700
181,800
980,500
140,000
.20,600
73.500
24,000
19,000
69,000
35,000
45,000
30,000
40,000
38,000
11,000
13,000
3,000
Products.
: 139,050
1,466,500
$335,000
I,180,000
1,339,025
Value
500,000
225,000
309.000
560,000
191,506
190,000
189,938
128,300
29,000
of
32,000
25,000
92,000
55,000
34,000
59,500
15,000
74,500
10,000
40,000
77
HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY-CONTINUED.
of to-day is on a different site and of much later growth, having been platted about the time of the completion of the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad. It possesses excellent water power, partially improved, and two of the best grist mills in the county-the " Ada Mills " and " Kent County Mills." . In the village are one Methodist, one Baptist, and one Congregational Church ; one hotel, one dry goods, one drug and grocery, and one grocery store, a wagon, and two smith shops, etc., etc.
GROWTH AND PRESENT STANDING.
In 1845, Ada then including two other townships, presented a tax roll of $52,947, which in 1875 (for one-third the area) has been swelled to $445,132. Its population, which in 1850 was 503, was twenty years later 1,427.
Its live stock, in 1874, was 458 horses and mules, 31 work-oxen, 505 milch cows, and 392 other cattle, 1,438 hogs, and 3,445 head of sheep.
Its farm products, for 1873, were : wheat, 29,345 bushels'; corn, 25, 190 ; other grain, 16,384 ; potatoes, 15,298 bushels ; hay, 1,808 tons ; wool, 13,647 lbs. ; butter, 48,610 lbs. ; and its orchard and garden products were valued at $2,163.
HISTORY OF ALGOMA TOWNSHIP.
This township is in the second tier from the west side, and is the second in the tier from the north line of the county. Solon Township is north of it, Courtland on the east, Plainfield on the south, and Sparta Township on the west, and the town center is about fifteen miles from Grand Rapids, in a direction a little east of north.
SETTLEMENT, ORGANIZATION, ETC.
Smith Lapham came to this township in 1843 from Washtenaw County, and settled in the southeast corner of the town on Rouge River, where the Village of Rockford now stands. Two pioneers by the name of Morton and Nelson Hunter settled on the hill just east of Rockford about the same time. No one ventured farther north until 1845, when Joshua Briggs and family, and John Davis and family, settled a mile or two farther up the river ; and Henry Hensel and Henry Shank and their families settled >till a little farther up the river. Benjamin Pettingill and N. B. Pettingill settled in the northeast corner of the town also in 1845, and so did a family of Longs and a Mr. Turner.
The town was first attached to Plainfield, but was organized separately in 1845, prior to which time many other families had located in the wilderness. Among these were William Thornton, Albert L. Pickett, Morgan Allen, John H. Jacobs, and John Hamilton. Other early settlers, the date of whose arrival we have not learned, were Henry Morningstar and sons, Jacob Ife, John Boyer, John M. and James Smith, Daniel Youngblood, James Barnes, Francis Emmons, Andrew House, James Mosher, and John Dome.
At the spring election in 1849, when the town was formally organized, the officers elect were :
Supervisor-Smith Lapham. Clerk-William Thornton. Treasurer-Albert L. Pickett.
Justices-Morgan Allen, John H. Jacobs, John Hamilton.
In an early day the town meetings were held about one mile south of the center, but by a popular vote they were changed about half a dozen years since to Rockford Village, which to-day constitutes about one-half of the township.
The present town officers are :
Supervisor-H. N. Stinson. Clerk-Charles E. Blakely. Treasurer-I. M. Travis. Justices-Smith Lapham, David C. Fletcher.
VILLAGE OF ROCKFORD.
There were two saw mills erected here in 1844-5, and a post-office established in 1845; a store, opened by White & Rathbun in 1848, and an extensive grist mill in 1852, but the village was not platted until 1856, when it was known as Laphamsville. In 1865 it was replatted, and name changed to Rockford ; and in 1866 it became an incorporated village, which we find contained 582 inhabitants. The place has made rapid progress since the completion of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad in 1867, and to- day contains about 1,300 inhabitants. In 1845, Smith Lapham carried the mail to and from Plainfield in his pocket once a week. Miss Amy Lapham taught the first school in 1845, and a school district was organized in 1848. In 1846, Dr. R. L. Blakely was the first physician, and Rev. James Bullard, a Congregational minister, was the first preacher ..
The first public house was opened in 1851 by Harvey Porter. The first- marriage was that of Miss Harriet Lapham and Isaac Baker, in 1845, and the first birth in the place was Eva Baker, in 1846.
A newspaper was started in 1859, but soon suspended.
Something of the business and importance of the place may be inferred from the following partial enumeration of the business houses, etc. : One printing office and newspaper, the Rockford Register, founded February 8, 1871, C. H. Cowdin, editor and proprietor, appears to be in a flourishing con- dition ; one bank, "The Rockford Exchange Bank "; one iron and brass foundry, one jewelry store, two good hotels, the Stinson and Lapham houses ; two drug stores, five dry goods stores, two hardware stores, three grocery stores, two millinery and notion stores, one boot and shoe store, one furniture store, two livery stables, two grist mills and one saw mill, one sash and blind factory, etc., etc.
The present village officers are :
President-O. E. Clark. Recorder-H. N: Stinson. Attorney-C. G. Hyde.
Trustees-C. G. Hyde, D. C. Fletcher, G. C. McConnel, J. Coon, L. Peake, R. Depew.
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
The principal water courses in this township are Rouge River and Cedar Creek.
Rouge Kiver enters the township from Solon, in section 30, flows at first southeast, then northeast to section 23, where its course changes to southeast, then due south, passing into Plainfield Township at Rockford. This being a rapid stream of good volume, makes it a most valuable mill stream, and besides, passing nearly its whole length through pine lands, millions of feet are annually cut by the numerous mills upon its banks, and still other millions of feet of logs are run down for the markets below.
Cedar Creek enters the town from Solon and Nelson, near the northeast corner, and unites with the Rouge near the center of the township. It is also a valuable mill stream. The township 'is generally rolling, and along the streams it is very much so. Perhaps fully one-half the township was originally fine land, or principally pine, while in many places pine is mixed largely with other woods. The soil is quite variable, and even where pine is plenty there is a degree of fertility apparent not always found in pine lands, and they are found capable of yielding bountiful crops of cereals. Lumbering has, however, heretofore, been the chief interest of the township. Several small lakes are to be found in the northwest part of the town, none of them
of much consequence, however, except Camp Lake, a narrow sheet of water nearly one mile in length, and lying in sections 7 and 18. Tamarack and white cedar marshes are not unknown in the township.
GROWTH AND PRESENT STATUS.
In early days the extensive pine forests in the township were its principal attraction, but as these became exhausted, and farms began to be opened, it was discovered that husbandry would pay, perhaps better than lumbering ; and to-day many fine and profitable farms are found in the township.
In the year 1850 the entire population of the town was set down at 233, which was swelled in 1870 to 1,959, and to-day this has been augmented to about 2,600.
In 1845, Algoma and Plainfield together were valued at $40,437, which is only a tithe of what this township can show alone to-day. In the matter of live stock, the township exhibits to-day 282 horses and mules, 95 oxen, 344 milch cows, 237 other cattle, 363 hogs, and 700 head of sheep.
Its produce for 1873 was : Wheat, 12,115 bushels ; corn, 14,990 bushels ; other grain, 10,215 bushels ; potatoes, 7,233 bushels ; hay, 843 tons ; wool, 2,405 pounds ; butter, 22,430 pounds ; maple sugar, 800 pounds, and orchard and garden produce valued at $1,215.
HISTORY OF ALPINE TOWNSHIP.
Alpine is one of the western tier of townships, the third from the north end of the county, with its center about nine miles from the City of Grand Rapids.
It is bounded north by Sparta Township, east by Plainfield, south by Walker Township, and west by the County of Ottawa.
SETTLEMENT-ORGANIZATION.
It was attached to Walker Township until the year 1847, although a few persons had located within its precincts as early as 1837. The Wright family, consisting of the parents and five sons, who settled on the south line of the town in that year. Three years later, John Coffee and Richmond Gooding settled in the west part of the township, and Jacob Snyder and John Plattee settled near its southeast corner. Near the same time Turner Mills and family settled on the east side of the town, and some three or four miles north of Plattee. In the next five or six years Edward Wheeler, C. D. Shenich, Casper Cordes, William H. Withey, John Colton, John Tuxbury, Sherman Pearsall, James Boyd, H. A. Dennison, Stephen Schaefer, and a number of others, entered the town.
The first town meeting and election occurred at a school house near the southeast corner of the town, in the Spring of 1841, when there were elected : Supervisor-Edward Wheeler. Clerk-C. D. Shenich.
Treasurer-Casper Cordes.
Justices-William H. Withey, John Coffee, John Colton, John Tuxbury. The present town officers are :
Supervisor-Henry D. Wedge.
Clerk-G. D. Miller.
Treasurer-Lewis Williams.
Justices-S. M. Pearsall, John Coffee,
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
This town is said to have received its name from the impression of early settlers that it was pre-eminently a fine region. On the east side, upon Mill Creek, and especially in the northeast corner this was the case, but an acquaintance with the township generally will show that the name was a misnomer. More than half of the surface was clothed with heavy timber, beech and sugar abounding. A few small lakes and numerous swamps are. found. The soil even in the pine lands is demonstrating its capacity to yield good crops, and much of the town is of the same character as the town north of it, and about as good as can be found in the county for grain and all kinds of fruits. There is a small cluster of houses, a mill, hotel, and two or three shops on the Grand Rapids and Newago Railroad. At Alpine Station, which scarcely claims to be a village, and this and Englishville, where the same road crosses the town line between Alpine and Sparta, are the principal " business centers." There are several grist and saw mills on the creek in the eastern part of the town, but doing less business than in an early day, when timber was plentier.
GROWTH AND PRESENT STANDING.
When Alpine was set off from Walker, in 1847, it had already made con- siderable progress, and by 1850 had over 500 inhabitants, and by 1855 its tax-roll was 215,064. In 1870 its population was 1,455, and the last assess- ment rated its personal and real estate at $650,734. Its live stock, in 1874, was put down at 457 horses, 72 work oxen, 687 cows, 645 other cattle, 760 hogs, and 3,937 head of sheep. Few townships in the county surpassing it in amount of stock.
Its agricultural products also make a very favorable showing; thus : Wheat, 36,197 bushels ; corn, 31,080 bushels ; other grain, 43,306 bushels ; potatoes, 16,365 bushels ; hay, 3,525 tons ; wool, 20,677 pounds ; butter, 56,220 pounds ; maple sugar, 18,325 pounds ; and its orchard and garden products were valued at $9.236.
HISTORY OF BOWNE TOWNSHIP.
This is the southeastern township of the County of Kent, the center of the town being nearly 25 miles from the City of Grand Rapids. This town- ship is immediately south of Lowell, and east of Caledonia, while Iona County is on the east of it, and Barry bounds it on the south.
SETTLEMENT, ORGANIZATION, ETC.
Mr. Jonathan Thomas, of New York, purchased land in this township in 1836, and came to it with his family, accompanied by Frederic Thompson, Israel Graves, and William Wooley, and their families, during the year 1837, and built the first house in the town. Prior to the organization of the town- ship, which took place in 1848, James H. Truax, Jared Miller, William Stewart, Daniel C. McVean, Abraham Lowe, a Mr. White, " and "a Mr. Cobb, William Gibson, Salmon E. Platt, Henry . C. Foster, John Underwood, Abijah Poole, and John A. Camble and others, had made the township their homes.
The first township officers, elected in 1848, seem to have been :
Supervisor-Roswell C. Tyler.
Clerk-Daniel C. McVean.
Treasurer-Justus G. Beach.
Justices-Jared Miller, Norman Foster.
Commissioners of Highways-Loren B. Tyler, James H. Truax, Asa R. Tyler.
School Inspectors-Jared Miller, William Gibson.
The following are the principal township officers for 1875-76: Supervisor-W. T. Remington. Clerk-Frank Cuykendall.
Treasurer-Edwin Bunker.
Justices-John P. Myers, Stephen Johnson.
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
The principal water course in the town is Coldwater Creek (or Little Thorn Apple), which enters the southeast corner of the town and flows west across the town, keeping within one-quarter to one mile of the south line of the town. In the eastern part of the town is Duck Creek, and in the west- ern Harris Creek, both tributaries of the Cold Water, and both rapid little mill streams. There are about a dozen small lakes in the town, none of them perhaps over half a mile in length, while there are numerous swamps, some of them of considerable size.
In the eastern and northern part of the town timbered lands, clothed with beech, maple, bass-wood, ash, etc., etc., prevails, and some of the surface is quite level, while in the southern and western parts it is frequently very roll- ing, and some oak openings are found. The soil of the town is generally esteemed as being very fertile. .
GROWTH AND PRESENT STATE.
There are no business centers in the town. There are three post-offices, Ato in the north, Bowne Center, and Harris Creek in the southwest part, where there is a valuable grist mill. There is a saw mill in the southeast corner, and another on Duck Creek, about four miles north of the last named.
In 1850 the population of the town was 214, and in 1870 this had increased to 1,275.
In 1855 the tax-roll of Bowne was 112,678, and in 1875 it was 362,210. Grain raised in 1873: Wheat, 48,949 bushels ; corn, 24,863 bushels ; other grain, 19,678 bushels ; potatoes, II.992 bushels; hay, 1,761 tons ; wool, 10,858 pounds ; butter, 46,830 pounds ; maple sugar, 37,388 pounds ; orchard and garden products, 4,402 pounds.
Stock in 1874: Horses, 382; oxen, 138 ; cows, 493 ; other cattle, 746; hogs, 647 ; sheep, 2,531 head.
HISTORY OF BYRON TOWNSHIP.
Byron Township is situated in the southwest corner of Kent County, and is numbered five north aud twelve west. It is one of the oldest towns in the county, and is bounded north by Wyoming, east by Gaines Township, south by Allegan County, west by Ottawa County, and the center of the township is about twelve miles from the county seat.
EARLY SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
Nathan Boynton located a farm in Byron Township in the year 1835, but being taken sick, his brothers Jeremiah and William Boynton began his improvements for him, and they became citizens of the township in the year 1836, settling in the northwestern part. They were followed in 1837 by John Harmon, Harmon Kellog, and James B. Jewell, and perhaps a few others, and soon after by Mr. Ella Judson, Larkin Ball, Peter Golden, Eli Crossman, Amalek Taylor, Alden Coburn, and Benjamin Robinson. William Olmstead came to the town in 1840, and soon after Samuel Hubbel, Joseph Gallup, Henry A. Vannest, Oliver Harris, Ezekiel Cook, E. R. Ide, and James K. McKenny.
As will be seen in the notice of Wyoming Township, Byron was organ- ized in 1836, and the first town meeting was held at the house of C. H. Oakes, in Grandville, by far the largest portion of the voters of that day residing in and near that village.
The officers elected for the year 1836 were :
Supervisor-Gideon H. Gordon. Clerk-Isaac A. Allen.
Assessors-Eli Yeomans, Ephraim P. Walker, Justin Brooks.
Justices of Peace-Gideon H. Gordon, Robert Howlit, E. P. Walker. Collector -- Lorenz French.
At the general election in November, but 20 votes were polled for any one candidate." The present Township of Byron did not fill up so rapidly as some others, and by the year 1850 its population had increased to only about 300. Its present officers are :
Supervisor-Samuel Toby.
Clerk and Treasurer-William B. Crabtree. Justices-Edwin Ide, William P. Whitney.
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
Byron is principally rolling, and somewhat broken in a few places. large tamarack swamp extends from within two miles from the northeast corner quite across the county line in a southwest direction, and there are several smaller ones. There were originally several sections of well timbered pine lands in the town, which have mostly given way before the woodman's axe. Notwithstanding the swamp and pine lands alluded to, heavily timbered oak, beech and maple lands are the rule, and the town ranks third in the production of maple sugar, and is fully an average township in the production of wheat, corn, and other grains, and is the third town in the production of butter. The town is quite well watered by Buck Creek, and its tributaries on the east side, and by Rush Creek on the west, while a couple of small streams rise near the center and flow south into Allegan County. Two small lakes of a few acres each are found in the southeast of the town. North Byron and Byron Center the villages of the township, the latter the larger of the two, are both small places, the latter containing a population of about thirty families, a steam saw mill, one drug and grocery, and a dry goods store, a hotel, church, etc.
GROWTH AND PRESENT CONDITION.
We have seen that Byron Township included Wyoming until 1848, and we find that the assessed value of the two townships in 1845 was but $69,563, on which the state tax was $173.91, and the county tax $556.56, and that five years later the population of the two towns was 852. A vast change has taken place since that time. Fruitful fields every where abound, and the hastily built shanty has given place to the comfortable cottage or more pretentious mansion. Two railroads cross the township. The population in 1874 numbered 1,504. 'In 1873 the town produced over 27,000 bushels of wheat, 29,000 of corn, about, 25,000 of other grain, over 9,000 of potatoes, 2,000 tons of hay, 8,000 pounds of wool, over 51,000 pounds of butter, and 49.000 pounds of maple sugar, or about 33 pounds for each man, woman and child, while the value of its orchard and garden products was over $8,000. In the way of live stock, it had 469 horses and mules, 116 work oxen, 626 cows and 586 other cattle, 618 head of hogs, and 2,331 sheep.
The real and personal estate for the purpose of taxation is valued at $330,933, which is not more than one-third of its real value.
HISTORY OF CALEDONIA TOWNSHIP.
This is one of the southern townships of Kent County, and has Cascade on the north, Bowne on the east, Barry County on the south, and Gaines Township on the west of it. The town center is about 21 miles southeast from the county seat.
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