USA > Michigan > Kent County > Illustrated historical atlas of the county of Kent, Michigan > Part 9
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SETTLEMENT, ORGANIZATION, ETC.
The first settler in the town is said to have been Mr. Asahel Kent, who
78
HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY-CONTINUED.
settled on the " Gull trail," in section 35, in the year 1838. He opened a public house, which at that early day became known far and wide. In 1839 this was the only house on the road for a distance of 17 miles. James Min- sey also came to the town in 1838, and among other very early settlers were Peter McNaughton, John Sinclair, Orsemus Rathbun, Hiram McNeil, Eber Moffitt, Levi Tobey, John Pattison, O. B. Barber, Henry Jackson, William H. Brown, Warren S. Hale, Lyman Gerrald, Justus G. Beach, Loren B. Tyler, M. P. McNaughton, Norman Foster, Roswell F. Tyler, John Camp- bell, William G. Wooley, and Frederic B. Thompson.
The town was set off from Ada in 1840, and the following were the first officers :
Supervisor-John P. MeNaughton.
Clerk-Justus G. Beach.
Treasurer- Norman Foster.
Collector-R. F. Tyler.
Justices-Justus G. Beach, Loren B. Tyler, Malcolm P. McNaughton, Asahel Kent.
Highway Commissioners-Mr. Tyler, Kent, and Norman Foster. School Inspectors- Norman Foster, William G. Wooley. Among the present town officers are : Supervisor -- Martin Whitney.
Clerk-D. S. Havling.
Treasurer-Sherman T. Colson.
Justices-H. B. McColister, R. G. Culver, Adam Shirk, James McGarry. Superintendent of Schools-Francis Campau.
Commissioner of Highways-John Patterson.
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
Thorn Apple River flows through the center of the township from south to north, and is here a very rapid stream, shut in frequently by high hills or bluffs, that reach almost to the water's edge, leaving no bottom lands. For some distance on either side of the river the surface is much broken, and indeed a large portion of the surface of the town is quite rolling. There are some eight or ten small lakes in the town, the largest lying about one and a half miles east of the Village of Alaska, is about one mile in length, and one- quarter to one-half miles in width, and well stocked with a variety of fish. On the east side of the river oak openings prevail, and the soil is sandy, and in many places full of gravel, but seemingly quite fertile. West of the river a heavier or more clayey soil prevails. There are several tamarack swamps (formerly shallow lakes) nestled among the hills. Agricul- tural pursuits meet with as good returns in this town, perhaps, as any where in the county. A large portion, particularly of the west half of the town, was heavily timbered.
VILLAGES, ETC.
Alaska, situated on the Thorn Apple, about one mile from the north line of the town, is the leading village, and seems to be an enterprising place ; has a daily mail, and runs a hack twice a day to meet trains at Hammond Station, on the Grand River Valley Railroad, some five miles westward. The village has a population of 275 or 300, one hotel, two dry goods, one hardware, one furniture, and one grocery store, two saw and one grist mill, and a cabinet and furniture manufactory, employing at times 30 to 40 hands. There is a Methodist and a Baptist Church in the place, and a graded school. Caledonia Station has about 175 inhabitants, a United Brethren Church, two dry goods and a drug store, one shoe store and one harness shop. It has a wood-working establishment, turning out large quantities of bowls, fork and rake handles, and such wares.
The last town meeting voted to hold the meetings at Centerville or Cale- donia Center, in future. It is a small place, nearly in the center of the town, having a hotel, two stores, a smith and wagon shop, and a grist and a saw mill.
GROWTH AND PRESENT STATUS.
This town, which had but a few inhabitants in 1840, had, in 1874, 1,680. In 1845 its tax-roll amounted to $40,625, and in 1875 to $414,789. The Grand River Valley Railroad runs through the southwest corner of the town, and with Hammond Station in easy reach, furnishes a convenient means for - transporting all surplus products to market. The produce in 1873 was : Wheat, 30,249 bushels ; corn, 29,800 bushels ; other grain, 20,434 bushels ; potatoes, 9,858 bushels ; hay, 1,826 tons ; wool, 12,784 pounds ; butter, 47,230 pounds ; maple sugar, 12,777 pounds.
The live stock was: Horses, 441 ; oxen, 78; cows, 498 ; other cattle, 559 ; hogs, 734 ; sheep, 3,232 head.
HISTORY OF CANNON TOWNSHIP.
Cannon Township, Kent County, is south of Courtland, with Grattan on the east, Ada on the south, and Plainfield on the west. The center of the town is 15 miles northeast of Grand Rapids, and its southwest corner is the geographical center of the county. .
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
This town was originally associated with Plainfield. Its first settlers were Andrew Watson and A. D. W. Stout, and their families, who settled there in the year 1837. Isaac Tomlinson, sen., came in 1838, and William M. Miller in 1839. After this the stream of emigration set steadily toward the town- ship. Among those coming in at an early day were Rev. Mr. Frieze, Mr. Rood, James Thomas, and Oliver Lovejoy, in 1840. In 1844, Ebenezer C. Smith, M. A. Patrick, and Mr. Samuel Steel. In 1846, Mr. John Hartwell, Dennis Hine, James Dockrey, John C. Chapman, Harlow T. Judson, and and Mr. C. Slaght, appear to have made the township their home, as doubt- less did several others, as the town, when organized in 1845, was found to have ahout two hundred and ninety inhabitants within its limits.
The Village of Cannonsburg had been founded, and the name of its founder is perpetuated in the name of the village as well as the town. The first town meeting was held at the house of Mr. Slaght, in Cannons- burg, in April, 1846. Sixty-four votes were cast, and resulted as follows : Supervisor-Andrew Watson.
Clerk-Henry D. Worden.
Treasurer-Lewis D. Dean. . Justices-Harlow T. Judson, John Bishop, Dennis Hine, Jared Spring. Among the other early settlers who made their appearance before the organization, were H. H. Worden, Lewis D. Dean, Loyal Palmer, Martin" Johnson, Cornelius Wample, Robert Howard, Mindrus Whitney.
Among the officers for the current year :
Supervisor-James Dockrey. Clerk-Thomas Noy, Treasurer-L. R. Bishop. Justices-Ira Ellis, Andrew Provin, M. A. Patrick.
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
The town presents a great variety of surface and soil, has a half a dozen
or more lakes in it, among which Bostwick and Silver Lakes are the largest
and finest, well stocked with fish, and a favorite resort for fishing parties. The south part of the town, particularly along Bear Creek, is very rolling,
as is also the north and northwest portions of the town. Much of its sur- face however, is gently undulating and very desirable for all farming purposes. Bear Creek, the principal stream of the town, rising in the northeast corner, flows south about four miles, and then turns abruptly west for six miles, and falls into Grand River about the town line. It has a great deal of fall, perhaps near two hundred feet in twelve miles, and furnishes remark- ably good motive-power for a stream of its size.
In section one is a noble hill rising pretty abruptly near one hundred feet above the high lands around it, and furnishing a grand view of the land- scape for ten to twenty miles in almost every direction. It is strikingly visible for five or six miles in several directions, and is well named "Prospect Hill," though sometimes known as " Ball Hill," from a former owner. The top of this hill or knob is probably little less than three hundred feet above Grand River, and the view from its top is well worth a trip of many miles.
HISTORY OF COURTLAND TOWNSHIP.
Courtland Township is in the second tier of townships from the east side of the county, and is the second from the north line of the county, and has Nelson on the north, Oakfield on the east, Cannon on the south, and Algoma on the west, and the center of the town is about twenty-one miles from the county seat.
SETTLEMENT AND ORGANIZATION.
Courtland was originally organized in 1839. and then included six con- gressional townships. Barton Johnson settled here in May 1838, and is regarded as the first white man to make it his home. Alexander Dean and fifteen others are reputed to have come next, in the Spring of 1839, and settled in the town. A town meeting was at once called at the house of Barton Johnson, and the town organized, Philo Beers being elected Super- visor, and Thomas Addison, Clerk.
Other early settlers were: Horace Colby, Phillip Becker, two Thompson brothers, John Austin, Sabin Johnson, David Haynes, Benjamin Botsford, Laurens Austin, Iram Barnes, James Kinyon, Anson Ensign, a Mr. Rounds, Zenas B. White, and a Mr. Hunting.
At one time this township, with Oakfield was erected into one, known as Wabasis, by some error of the Legislature.
Among its present officers are :
Supervisor-Wm. H. Myers. Clerk-Nelson Graham.
Treasurer-Isaac M. Hunting.
Justices-W. H. Myers, Nelson Graham.
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
There are several handsome lakes in the south part of this township, but no streams of much size. A small stream rises in the eastern part and empties into Wabasis Lake, in Oakfield Township. Another rises in the lakes in the south part, and flowing in a westerly direction empties into Rouge River at Rockford, in Algoma Township, while a third small stream rises in the northwest part of the town, and running southwest falls into Rouge River some three miles above Rockford.
Portions of this township, and especially along the south line are very rolling and even broken, while in the eastern and central portions it is more level or gently undulating. There is some pine in the northern portion, and pine mixed with hard woods. The larger portion of the town, however, is oak openings. There are many highly improved and fertile farms in the town.
The town is destitute of any business centers, and is without railroad con- nection, although the Grand Rapids and Indiana R.R., runs nearly parallel with its west line, and has three stations within about half a mile of the town line.
GROWTH AND PRESENT CONDITION.
Agriculturally Courtland ranks high. Of live stock it shows, 371 horses, 73 head of work oxen, 432 milch cows, 459 head of other cattle, 522 hogs, and 4.283 sheep. Of fruit and garden products it produced $3,136 worth in 1873 ; also 23,080 bushels of wheat, 28,284 bushels of corn, 28 344 bushels of other grain, 11, 748 bushels of potatoes, 2,368 tons of hay, 15,568 pounds of wool, and 37,723 pounds of butter.
In 1874 its population was 1,237, a high average where the population is entirely rural.
HISTORY OF CASCADE TOWNSHIP.
This township is situated south of Ada, west of Lowell, north of Caledonia, and east of Paris Township. It is Town 6 North, and Range 10 West, the center of the town being about ten miles southeast from Grand Rapids, on what is known as the old " Gull Road."
SETTLEMENT, ORGANIZATION, ETC.
Lewis Cook, from New Jersey, is reputed to have been the first settler with- in the present limits of this town, followed in the same year by Hiram Laraway, a brother-in-law, and in 1837 or 1838, the little band was strength- ened by the addition of Edward Linen, James May, John Farrel, James and Wm. Annis, David Petted, Michael Eardley and his brothers Christopher and Patrick, Michael Mathews, and Frederick A. Marsh.
Peter and George W. Teeple, also came to Cascade in 1837. George Teeple built the second house near Cascade, Mr. Cook having built the first.
Among other very early settlers were : Peter Whitney, of Ohio, who set- tled at Whitneyville about 1840, followed by a father and brother, Zerah, and Ezra Whitney, in 1842. E. D. Gove, of Massachusetts, and Horace Sears, of New York, also came in about the same time, with others.
At the time of the first settlement of Cascade, and the platting of the village, about three hundred and fifty of the aborigines, known as the Slater Indians; resided at or near the village, but in 1845 they were attacked by a pestilent disease which carried off about one hundred and fifty in a few weeks, and ten years later they had been reduced to about fifty.
The first township meeting was held at Whitneyville, in the Spring of 1848, and the town was organized, having been a part of Ada for the past ten years. Among the officers elected were :
Supervisor-Peter Teeple.
Clerk --- John R. Stewart.
Treasurer-Asa W. Dennison.
Justices-Leonard Stewart, Zerah Whitney.
The present officers of the township are :
Supervisor-Edgar P. Johnson.
Clerk-Charles F. Holt.
Treasurer-George W. Gorham.
Justices-Henry Dennison, John Proctor, Hugh B. Brown, Milo Baxter. School Inspector-Henry Dennison.
Highway Commissioner -- H. H. Stewart.
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
Grand River passes through the northeast corner of the town, while Thorn
Apple River passes through the town from south to north, dividing it nearly through the middle, and as both streams have furrowed out deep channels, the country on either side is characterized by precipitous bluffs and numer- ous deep ravines near the rivers and some of their small tributaries. Along the bluffs of the creek are numerous pine and cedar trees, though there are no pine lands in the town worthy of the name. The soil varies from very sandy and a sandy loam, to a stiff clayey soil. A considerable portion of the timber is oak openings, with here and there tracts of heavy timbered land, where beech, maple, ash, and bass-wood abound. There are several insig- nificant lakes, and a few tamarack swamps in the town.
VILLAGES.
Cascade is the principal business center of the town, and has perhaps twenty- five families. It was laid out about 1845, and owing to the rather extraordi- nary water power here it was at that day predicted that it would rival Grand Rapids. A good grist mill erected here was destroyed by fire a year or two since. There is a saw mill in operation, one hotel, one dry goods store, a shoe and grocery store, a smith shop, and one church, here.
A remarkable magnetic spring in the vicinity, belonging to a Mi. Holt, has been improved to some extent, bath houses, etc., erected, and has for several years had a reputation as a desirable resort for invalids.
Whitneyville, about two miles southeast of Cascade, is a small place, - having a good grist mill and saw mill, and a hotel, as the chief features of the place. Here also is found a remarkably strong magnetic spring, pro- nounced one of the finest in the state.
GROWTH-PRODUCTS.
This township had about 350 inhabitants in 1850, and 1, 157 in 1870. . In 1855 it was assessed at $159,400, and twenty years later at $417,055. In 1873 it produced 29,067 bushels of wheat ; 20,995 bushels of corn ; 20,651" of other grain ; 11,514 bushels of potatoes; 1,658 tons of hay ; 12,430 pounds of wool ; 47,285 pounds of butter; 13,532 pounds"of maple sugar, and $3,200 worth of orchard and garden products.
It had, in 1874, 363 horses, 415 cows, 539 other cattle, 600 hogs, and 3,028 head of sheep.
HISTORY OF GAINES TOWNSHIP.
Gaines Township is one of the southern civil divisions of Kent County, its center being about thirteen miles, a little east of south, from the City of Grand Rapids. Paris Township is north of it, Caledonia is east, Allegan County on the south, and Byron Township bounds it on the west.
SETTLEMENT, ORGANIZATION, ETC.
Alexander Clark, who now resides at Kelloggsville, settled in the north part of Gaines Township in the Spring of 1836. His nearest white neigh- bor was Abram Laraway, in what is now Paris Township, about five miles away. In the Fall of the same year, Alexander L. Bonk settled in the same neighborhood with Andrew and Rensalaer Mesnard. In the Spring of 1837, Foster Kelley, Orson Cook, Charles Kelley, and Joseph Blaine, came to the township. Among the early settlers, the exact date of whose coming we have not learned, were William Budlong. James Pelton, Peter Van Lew, Charles B. Keefer, R. C. Sessions, James T. Crumbock, Bryan Greenman, Aaron Brewer, R. R. Jones, John Wolcott, William Hendrick, William Kelley, Benjamin Colburn, Stephen A. Hammond, John E. Woods, James Reynolds, Wilmot H. Blain, Thomas Blain.
The town was originally organized in 1839 with Paris, when half a dozen- or more of those enumerated above as pioneers in Gaines Township, were elected to office.
The town, however, was not organized under its present name until April, 1848, when the following were elected : Supervisor-Peter Van Lew.
Clerk-James M. Pelton.
Treasurer-Charles Kelly.
Justices-Joseph Blain, Josiah Drake, Robert R. Jones.
Commissioners of Highways-Daniel Rice, L. M. Dewey, Wm. Kelley. School Inspectors-Rensalaer Mesnard, A. T. Andrews.
CHARACTERISTICS, SOIL, ETC.
A large part of the township is gently rolling table lands, which in some parts, particularly in the south and west, becomes more hilly. Plaster and Buck Creeks find their sources in several small tributaries that rise within this town.
In the gently rolling portions of the town are some of the finest farms in the county, and the more hilly portions have proved to be finely adapted for fruit culture. A Mr. Dias, in the southwest part of the town, has a peach orchard, from which he has sold as high as $2,000 of fruit in a season. The surface is mostly covered with heavy timber, with small oak openings and a few scattering pine trees.
Hammond Station, in the northeast part, on the Grand River Valley Rail- road, is the most important point. There are a freight and passenger depot, grain elevator, hotel, store, etc.
GROWTH, PRESENT STATUS, ETC. .
In 1850 Gaines had a population of 319, which had increased to 1,273 in - 1874. In 1845, Paris, which included Gaines, presented a tax-roll of $54,357, while in 1875 Gaines alone shows $436,730.
In agricultural products this township is but little behind the best. In 1873 it produced 26,772 bushels of wheat ; 30,240 bushels of corn ; 27,912 of other grain ; 8,031 bushels of potatoes ; 11, 179 pounds of wool ; 32,015 pounds of butter ; 2,985 tons of hay ; $3,680 worth of orchard and garden products, and 61,865 pounds of maple sugar, or a little more than 51 pounds for each man, woman and child in the township, and placing it in the first rank in this particular. This sugar is largely moulded into small cakes, and sold at 13 to 18 cents per pound, at which figure it is no inconsiderable source of revenue.
The live stock is represented by 390 horses and mules, 89 work oxen, 588 milk cows, 770 other cattle, 573 hogs, and 3,345 head of sheep.
GROWTH AND PRESENT STATUS.
Cannonsburg is the principal business center of the township, and is as old as the town. It is situated on Bear Creek, about two miles from the southeast corner of the township. It was platted in 1845, and some twenty- five lots were presented by Le Grand Cannon, a large landholder in the town, to as many residents. A failure of any railroad to give the place a con- venient outlet to the outer world, has brought the village to a stand still. It has to-day but two stores, a smith shop, a grist, and a saw mill, and perhaps twenty-five families.
Buena Vista, near the mouth of Bear Creek, was once platted (plat not recorded), and has to-day but eight, or ten families, a post office, and an excellent grist mill, known as the Imperial Mills.
Cannon had a population of a little more than one thousand two hundred 1 and fifty in 1870, and its material wealth was estimated at $491,948 in 1875. It produced 26,951 bushels of wheat ; 29,745 bushels of corn : 22,458 bushels
79
HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY-CONTINUED.
of other grain ; 14,978 bushels of potatoes ; 1,658 tons of hay ; 21, 774 pounds of wool ; 8,440 pounds cheese, and 45,350 pounds of butter, in 1873. Its live stock was : horses and mules, 499 ; oxen, 48 ; cows, 546 ; other cattle, 495 ; hogs, 598, and sheep. 5,202. It thus makes a very passable showing.
CITY OF GRAND RAPIDS.
Grand Rapids, now the second city of the state, was scarcely known as a village forty years ago.
In the Spring of 1834, when the Town of Kent was organized, the town meeting was held in one of the two or three houses belonging to whites within the present city limits, and only nine votes were cast, this being the vote for the whole territory now embraced within the county lines.
One year later, at a town meeting, the highest vote for any candidate was twenty-six, and this was presumably the total vote at the time. - At a meet- ing for delegates to form a state constitution, held during the same year, forty-one votes were cast, this still being the vote for the whole county, or at least all south of the river, there being still but one voting precinct. Small as was the place, and inconsiderable as were the number of votes polled, it was really an important point at that time ; and when the constitution was framed, and about to be submitted to the people, it was " Provided, however, that the returns of the several townships, composed of the unorganized Counties of Ottawa, Ionia, Kent, and Clinton, shall be made to the clerk of the Township of Kent, in said district, and said township clerk shall perform the same duties as by the existing laws of the territory devolve upon the clerks of the several counties in similar cases."
There was a large village of the Ottawas at the Rapids, which was a favor- ite resort of the red men, and hundreds flocked here to trade, and were often furnished goods on credit till pay day.
WATER POWER-KENT COMPANY, ETC.
The immense water power at the Rapids was instantly seen by the pion- eers to indicate that nature had destined this to be a stirring place, besides, the city located here would be at the head of navigation. Eastern capital- ists saw this, and lent a helping hand. What is known as the Kent Company was formed in 1835, and purchased lands on the east side, above Bridge- street, and known as the " Kent Plat." A large number of hands came on under contract to open a canal or mill-race to the head of the falls, under the guidance of Lucius B. Lyons, N O. Sargent, and others, and a year or so later Solomon Withy came with his family and ten workmen, under con- tract with the company, to burn 5,000,000 bricks on their plat.
Great expectations were aroused ; village lots were bought at an enormous figure, the fame of the village suddenly went abroad, and hundreds flocked to it, and by April, 1837, it was claimed that Grand Rapids contained one thousand two hundred inhabitants. Suddenly, and without warning, came the crash of 1837 ; and people who believed themselves on the high road to fortune, and with plenty of inflated currency in their pocket, found themselves almost reduced to beggary. It was several years before the Village of Grand Rapids recovered from the shock. It nevertheless continued to improve, and by the year 1850 took upon itself the name and airs of a city, with a population of two thousand six hundred and sixty-nine, while the entire county numbered nine thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.
A small steamboat was built by Richard Godfroy, to operate below the Rapids, in [836, and in 1837 one was constructed to ply above the Rapids ; both of them, however, were short lived.
A newspaper, the Grand River Times, was founded in 1837.
In 1843 a foot bridge was constructed across the river, and two years later a wagon bridge, soon followed by others. In 1854 a plank road was built to Kalamazoo, and was counted a greater event then than the completion of a new railroad would be to-day. Two banks were established in 1847, but were soon compelled to suspend.
THE PRESENT CITY.
The population, from two thousand six hundred and sixty-nine, in 1850, had increased to eight thousand and eighty-five in 1860, and to sixteen thousand five hundred and seven by 1870, to twenty-five thousand nine hun- dred and eighty-nine in 1874 ; and is doubtless more than thirty-two thousand in 1876 ; and at the late rate of increase it will exceed one hundred thousand before the close of the century. Thus, from 1850 to 1860, the population was nearly trebled ; from 1860 to 1870 it more than doubled, while since 1870 it has about doubled again in less than six years ; and the business of the place has increased in even a greater ratio than its popula- tion, and has in it features that indicate even greater progress for the future.
ITS TRADE.
Grand Rapids commands the trade of a large area of country, and it is said that no city of its size can show an equal number of retail establishments, of which there are one hundred groceries, some which do a wholesale busi- ness as well. The houses dealing in dry goods, fancy goods, clothing, millinery goods, and gents' furnishing goods, number about seventy. The boot and shoe stores number thirty ; the drug stores, eighteen ; bakers and confectioners, eighteen ; and numerous other lines of trade are more or less numerously represented, including the inevitable saloons, of which there are about ninety in the city, and none of them are known to be starving for want of customers.
The numerous large manufacturing establishments of the city are of course all wholesale dealers in their respective lines, but besides these there are numerous jobbers in various lines of goods, doing a large business. Among these are three wholesale confectioners ; four exclusively wholesale grocers ; two of notions ; one' wholesale drug store ; two paper dealers ; three pro- vision dealers ; two in saddlery and hardware, and eighteen wholesale liquor dealers.
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