USA > Michigan > Kalamazoo County > Kalamazoo County, Michigan city directory 1869-70 > Part 11
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This house so prominent in all matters connected with the history of Charleston is worthy of a passing notice. It was on the Territorial Road, very near the center of the township, on the west one-half of the north-east quarter of section 16; it was
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.the place where the township meetings and elections were held, the news depot, &c. Mr. Orra Bush purchased the place of the State in the fall of 1841, but it had been occupied and used as a tavern, by H. P. Fletcher, (and after him by Mr. Fulton) who put up a framed house and two log stables, in 1836. Soon after Mr. Bush moved in he erected a large framed barn, 35 by 45 feet, and in 1851 a new brick house, the first in the township.
The great rush to Charleston of emigration was in 1836 and 1837, when 30 or 40 families came in; and from that time, for a number of years, the growth and settlement of the town ·was rapid. The township was organized in 1838, and the first meeting was held at the house of H. P. Fletcher. At this elec- tion Charles M. Nichols was elected Supervisor, and among the other officers we find Orrin N. Giddings, Justice of the Peace. Potter Eldred was the next Supervisor, and for many years was at the head of municipal affairs of the township, while Joseph Whitford was Clerk for upwards of 11 years. Schools were established at an early day; the first male teacher was Claude Rowley, who gathered a school of 30 pupils in one of Nichols' old log houses, near the east line of his farm, in 1841. Soon after, the town was divided into districts, the above school house being in the first. The second district had a school house near Whitford's, built in 1842. The third district was on the Augusta road, on the north side of the river, in the Merrill and Rodgers settlement. The fourth was in the Flanders neighbor- hood; fifth had its school house on section 28; sixth was the Climax district, in the Harrison, Eldred, Cole and Moore neighborhood, section 32.
The first crop raised in the township was upon Climax Prairie in 1832, by Hiram Moore; Wm. Harrison and William Earl were next, and then farms began to multiply. Settlers de- pended upon mills at Comstock for flour, and saw mills in differ- ent parts of the country for lumber. A saw mill was. estab- lished at an early day in the north east part of the town. A meeting-house was built on section 34, by the Methodists in 1840, and then as now, preaching was supplied by Circuit preachers.
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At an early day there were several Indian camping-grounds in the township, and adjoining them their burial-places and corn fields; the principal of these were on the Toby farm, west of Mr. Bush's, and another near the river on section 28, at the latter place there were a number of corn-pits. The Indians returned to these grounds every year in quite large numbers until 1840, when they were removed by the Government beyond the Mississippi.
Charleston now contains a population estimated at 1,400. There is no village in the township, if we except a small portion of Galesburg. The Post-office has been removed to Augusta, in Ross. Charleston contributed first and last to the Union armies one hundred and five men, and paid bounties to the amount of $20,000.
CLIMAX ..
This township was surveyed by .R. Clark, Jr., in June, 1826; the greater part of Climax is similar in topography to that of Charleston. The face of the country is level, the northern part particularly so, and is covered with a growth of white and bur oak. The prairie is on the north line, and, altogether, occupies about 4,000 acres-some 900 acres lying in Charleston. This prairie is very level; is skirted on the north and west by oak openings, and on the south and east by timbered land of beach and maple, which extends to the township line. There is but one small lake in the town, but it has a number of small streams, all of which run in a southerly direction mostly into Pavillion, one flows into Wakeshma, which lies south of Climax. The township has a great deal of excellent wheat land and is famous for excellent farms, orchards, &c. The farm of Mr. J. D.
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Adams of this town took a premium at the State Fair, for being among the best in the State, a few years since.
Among the early settlers in Climax, were Judge Caleb Eld- red and his sons, Stephen B., Caleb, Jr., Nelson, and his son-in- law, D. Lawrence; the Lefevres, the Lovells, the Scramblins, Wm. Richards, Isaac Pierce and sons, the Coes and others, who settled upon the prairie. Over in the timbered land, the Harri- sons, Johnson Grimes, James Powers and sons, and others, loca- cated. The "Corners " at the prairie were, and are now, the " head-quarters" of the town, where a store or two, mechanic shops, a tavern, the post-office and some of the town offices were established. Now the place is a neighborhood of about two hundred farmers, mechanics, business and professional men, &c .; has churches, schools, stores shops, and a hotel is soon to be opened. A new building for a high school is nearly ready for use.
The township was organized in 1838. Before that time it had been included within the limits of Comstock. The first meeting of the electors was held at the house of Daniel B. Eldred, the same year. The list of officers, elected at this meeting, the writer of this sketch has been unable to obtain.
The history of Climax contains no episodes or thrilling points, of interest. The settlement of the township was not quite as early as some others, and was longer in getting a " start in the world," but since 1839-40 it has improved very much; about that time a class of men were added to those already there, who gave impulse and character to the settlement and improvement of Climax. The origin of the name is said to be this: A pio- neer had been looking at various parts of the county, pleased with all he saw; on arriving at the handsome prairie in this township, which lay in its virgin loveliness, gemmed with flow- ers of every hue, and skirted with timber, exclaimed, as his eye roamed over the lovely scene, "Well, this is the climax!" and Climax it became. Year after year the wilderness has retreated before the encroachments of man; farms have increased in size by the enclosure and improvement of adjoining lands; till now the citizens of this township may point with pride to their broad
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acres, and ask to be shown any finer or more carefully cultivated.
There are many traces here of the former habitations of the Indians; a large mound is yet to be seen, about a quarter of a mile south of the corners. The population of Climax is about 1400. It was nobly represented in the Union armies, over one hundred men having been raised, under all the calls, by the township. The Peninsular Railway is surveyed through Climax, touching the " corners."
OSHTEMO.
Osbtemo is an Indian word, signifying " head waters," signifi- cant of the fact that it has a high elevation, there being scarce- ly a running stream in the whole township. Springs are nu. merous in the outskirts of the township, from which small streams take their rise-and a few small lakes, some with out- lets, others without, are scattered through the town. A proof of its great elevation is found in the fact that the Michigan Cen- tral Railroad, reaches one of its highest altitudes in passing through the southern tier of sections of Oshtemo-the highest point being about 200 feet above the river.
Oshtemo was set off from Kalamazoo and organized as an in- dependent township in the spring of 1838, having been author- ized by the Legislature of the preceeding winter. Several names having been urged with which to christen the new township, our member, to show no partiality, declined them all, and gave . the present name; it is supposed to have been named by Mr. Hammond, cashier of the Branch of the Bank of Michigan then in operation at Kalamazoo.
The first settlements made in this town were made about the same time on Grand and Genesee Prairies ; and about the year
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1829-30, Enoch Harris and family settled on Genesee Prairie, making the first selection of a quarter section in 1829, bringing apple seed with him from which he raised his present orchard, which is probably the oldest orchard in the county. The next settlers on Genesee Prairie were three young men from Genesee county, N. Y., who gave the name to the prairie. These three men who took the balance of the prairie were Elias Cooley. Anthony Cooley, and a brother-in-law of the latter, Mr. Smith. The new comers found themselves in the dilema of each wish- ing the first selection, but the matter was finally disposed of by referring the division to Mr. Harris, who was very successful in satisfying all parties Mr. Smith taking the part that is now in possession of the Price family; Elias Cooley took what was subsequently known as the Norris farm, and Anthony Cooley took the land adjoining north, now owned by Balch and Hinds.
Mr. Harris and wife are now in a ripe old age, with plenty of the comforts of this life to help them in the down grade. Mr. Harris belongs to the prescribed race, but he enjoys the respect and regard of his neighbors.
The subsequent early settlers on this Prairie were John Has- call ( father of Volney Hascall, Esq., of Kalamazoo, ) and family, whose farm is now occupied by R. Balch : Mr. Hunt, who sold in 1836 or 1837 to Niel Hinds and Clark Kellogg; a Mr. Wild, and Mr. Atwater, father of O. C. Atwater. Mr. Hascall and Mr. Atwater have been dead many years. Nearly connected with the settlement of this prairie, are the early pioneers, Isaac Gibbs and his brother, Wm. C. Gibbs, whose improvements make the connection between this and Grand Prairie on the north; their first settlement was on the south end of Grand Prairie, and much of the original purchase is still in their family. Wm. C. Gibbs and wife have been dead many years.
The first settlement on Grand Prairie in Oshtemo, was made by Benjamin Drake, formerly from Pennsylvania, in 1830; Mr. Conway, of Dexter in this State, squatted on the claim a few months previous, and on the arrival of Mr. Drake, sold his chance to him, it is the same spot that is now occupied by the same owner. The Potawattomie Indians cultivated land in the
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same enclosure which Mr. Drake first made, having a previous possession; they were not disturbed, but remained until they voluntarily removed, the convenience of the timbered land to them for the manufacture of maple sugar was largely improved, as it was subsequently by the white settlers. The great difficul- ty of obtaining water for culinary purposes was overcome in the sap-running season by the use of sap for cooking and other purposes. The manufacture of sugar was, for many years, an important business with those who owned timber on the west of the Prairie. Daniel Wilmarth, Wm. Duncan and Mr. Fel- lows pre-empted the lands north of Mr. Drake's soon after. Mr. Wilmarth having settled on Prairie Ronde, afterwards removed to Grand Prairie, about 1830, and remained ( with the exception of a few years absence at Terre Haute ) on the prairie until his death, in September, 1851. John P. Marsh took up a farm on the south of Mr. Drake's about 1835, the same now occupied by Albert Latta. Mr. Keyes also settled south of Mr. Drake on land now owned by George A. Goodridge. East of the Oshte- mo line on Grand Prairie, and making part of the settlement we have been describing, was the early settlers, Seth Taft ( on prop- erty now owned by Jonathan Taintor ), James Parker ( on the farm now owned by Richard Fletcher ), and John P'. Marsh and Samuel H. Ransom ( on the farm subsequently owned and occu. pied by F. W. Curtenius as early as 1835-6, and now occupied by C. C. Curtenius. Mr. Taft removed to Salt Lake Valley with the exodus of the Mormons, and died since 1860; John P. Marsh also died about the same time. This brings our brief history down to the land speculation mania that culminated in 1837-8. Settlements were being pushed into the openings west of the prairie as early as 1836. Augustus and Austin Buell and Charles H. Hurd, took up land one mile west of the prairie, and still occupy it, except Mr. Hurd, whose farm is now owned by Isaac S. Dean. Henry Sparks and Ethan M. Lake took up land next west. The next opening was that of Wm. Thayer, near the west line of the town. The "Pottersfield " had received its name from the circumstance of the burial of twins of a squatter family by the name of Williams, who spent a short time there
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on public land, then built a shanty, then vacated it, and the land was subsequently entered by I). J. Piersons. Mr. Piersons was also a resident of the south end of Grand Prairie, as was also Mr. Dunn, who subsequently sold to the Gibbs brothers. Aaron and Lovett Eames settled on the prairie in 1835, and Aaron Eames set the first orchard thereon. To the family of Mr. Wil- marth is the county indebted for the first white child born in the county. Allen and Ira Smith occupied the farms since owned by Kingsley, Baker and Harris. Alonzo Wyman, Hen- ry Montague, Moses Kingsley, Nathan and Solomon Forbes, and Ansel Snow, all settled on the north end of the prairie in 1837, all of whom are still living except Mr. Snow, who died in October, 1864-and the year following John Baker, T. Strong, and H. Randolph came. Dewit Ransom and Mr. Bushnell were the original settlers of Pottersfield.
Until about 1850, Oshtemo had neither church, tavern, store, mill, clergyman, physician, lawyer, or post-office-except that a small tavern was kept on the territorial road, near Oshtemo station, known as the " White House," and owned by Col. Hus- ton. At the present time "Oshtemo Station " is a small place of some pretensions, with a neat, commodious Methodist Church, a post-office, several stores, and the usual mechanic shops. The proximity of the eastern portion of the township to Kalamazoo is such that much of the mechanical as well as professional bus- iness is done there. In matters of education. little had been done till 1837-8, the only organized school district west of Kal- amazoo (now village) embraced Grand and Genesee Prairies. and as far west as there were settlers. A log school house was built on Drake's land as early as 1835, which was all the school- house the town could claim till a district was formed on Gene- see Prairie under the auspices of Price, Hascall, Gibbs, Kellogg, Hinds, Atwater and others. In 1840, a new house was built by Wyman, Curtenius, Montague, Strong, Randolph, Eames, Wilmarth and Kingsley on Grand Prairie, by subscription, and a new impetus was given to the cause of education by the then increasing population ; the house then built was used 25 years when it was removed to give place to the model school-house
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of the county ( outside of the village ), built of brick, with base- ment and furnace, and furnished with all the modern improve- ments and conveniences. The frame school house of 1840 cost about $2,000, which at that day was as great an effort as the building of the present house at a cost of $4,000. District No. 3, was organized in the Hurd and Buell settlement when there were but eight scholars in it ; a rude log dwelling answered the double purpose of a school-house and town-house for a number of years, being used for holding elections as well as schools, un- til the school population outgrew its dimensions and seven enter- prising citizens united and built the framed school house which was replaced in 1867 by a large, spacious and convenient brick edifice, having had for the past 10 to 15 years the largest school census of any district in the town-the present edifice cost $4,000. Districts were organized as the town became settled and the demand was pressing for educational facilities until the town numbers 13 districts; nearly all of them have embraced the principal of sustaining education by direct taxation of prop- erty, and some of the more advanced have taken the additional step in dispensing with the requirement of the teacher "board- ing around."
There being no burial ground nearer than Kalamazoo, in 1844 a movement was originated with the settlement on Grand Prai- rie for securing a suitable piece of land for that purpose, which, although being situated in Kalamazoo, is occupied mainly by the citizens of Oshtemo as a cemetery, and forms part of the his- tory of Oshtemo-a piece of ground was obtained of Moses Kingsley in 1844, which was laid off into lots and alleys, and lots numbered, and an organization was effected in accordance with the laws of the State. Ebenezer Askins was the first per- son buried in the newly consecrated ground in August, 1843; Mrs. Loomis, soon after, and on the 12th of January, 1844, Mrs. Hannah Kingsley (two children had previously been buried on the farm of Moses Kingsley; one, his infant son, was removed to the new cemetery and buried by the side of his mother, 1844 ). These three persons were buried previous to the organization of the Grand Prairie Cemetery Association. The ground was
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subsequently enclosed, and now contains 200 graves. For sev- eral years this was the only cemetery in this vicinity, and burials were made here of deaths which occurred miles distant. A cemetery was set apart on Genesee Prairie, about the same time. and since then, another on sec. 18, in the west part of the town.
Benjamin Drake took possession of his farm in September. 1833, on Grand Prairie, followed soon after by Laban Keyes, Al. len and Ira Smith. Mr. Drake's family claim to have named " Pottersfield " from the circumstance of Mr. Bushnell, the first settler, having made rude articles of clay found there for domex. tic use. Mr. Drake ploughed the first furrow on Grand Prairie. Daniel Wilmarth quarried stone and made rude grind-stones. The first school taught in Oshtemo was by Miss Lois Smith, at the north end of the prairie; the teacher is still a resident of the county. The first milling was done at White Pigeon, a mill was soon afterwards built at Flowerfield, then one at Com. stock, and in 1836, Anthony Cooley's new mill at the bridge in Kalamazoo relieved the early settler of distant trips to mill. A small mill was built by Esq. Barber in 1834, on the site of the mill now owned by Merrill & McCourtie, on the south line of this town-with stones made of our common field stones, a centre revolving stone, sugar loaf in shape, 18 inches long. 12 inches in diameter at the base did some business, without a bolt. The first death of a white person in Oshtemo was an infant son of Moses Kingsley, who died in. April, 1837. Benjamin Drake built the first barn.
In 1838-9 produce was very low; seed wheat and oats in 1837 cost $2 per bushel-the crop sold from 50c to 75c. Iron and nails sold for 15c per pound; the settlings of molasses sold for sugar at 25c. per lb; it required 3 to 4 bushels of wheat to buy 1 1b. of tea. Hardware and groceries were held for cash only. while dry goods would sell for produce. Wheat was as low as 312 cents per bushel, corn, 15; Potatoes, 123; Pork, 1} to lic. per pound. Money commanded 40 to 50 per cent. interest ( the writer paid both prices to persons now living in Kalamazoo ): the cash market for wheat was at St. Joseph. where it brought 62} cents per bushel.
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The population of Oshtemo is estimated at 1650. From Sep- tember 19th, 1863, till the close of the war, the township fur- nisbed 94 men for the army. The number of its enlisted men previous to that time is estimated at from 20 to 25.
CHURCHES AND SOCIETIES.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
There is but one religious society in Oshtemo, viz. : The Methodist Episcopal. Oshtemo circuit was organized in the fall of 1853; George Wilson the first preacher. The church edifice ( at Oshtemo Side-Track ) was built in 1861; D. R. La. tham is the present pastor. There are three other preaching- places in the town, viz. : at the Hurd school-house, the Coleman schoolhouse, and at the Overacker or Buckhout school-house. Also, one in Portage that is supplied from Oshtemo. Number of members in the society, 105; seven Sunday Schools with 480 scholars.
PAVILION.
This township lies west of Climax and south of Comstock ; is level, and is generally timbered land. There is a strip about one mile wide commencing on the north west corner and run- ning east, of heavy timber, consisting of beech, maple, basswood, elm, etc .; and there is another belt of timber of similar charac- ter along the valley of a creek running in from Climax, in a westerly then southerly direction, emptying into Indian lake. In the south and west parts of the town are oak openings. The soil
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of the timbered land is clayey ; there are a number of excellent farms in the township, among which is the farm of the late Hon. D. S. Walbridge.
The first settler in Pavilion was Caleb Vorce who located on section 2, in the year 1834. Next after him was Chester John- son, who built a cabin on section 6, but only remained a few weeks, and then sold out to the third comer, Mr. Elijah Smith. ( who came in June, 1835 ). Mr. Smith, father of Elijah L., many years supervisor, and prominent in the local affairs, of Pavilion,-entered land on sections 6 and 7. Jacob Ramsdell and G. M. Blodgett came in the fall of the same year. The next who came into the town were, John Francisco, Charles Ackerly, Warner Walker, David McKain, Wm. Earl, and sons, A. and H. Chipman, Gould Richardson, A. B. Nash, and others. A family by the name of Calhoun arrived in 1836; the father and mother were taken sick and died soon after, and were bur- ied on the north shore of Indian Lake. The sons and daughters then returned to the east.
The township was organized in 1836, and included the then unorganized township of Portage. The first election was held at the house of Moses Austin in Portage. The first election in Pavilion was held at the house of A. A. Upson, on section 20. now owned by E. Osborn. The first school was taught, in 1840. at MeKain's Corners, by Miss Olive Smith ( now Mrs. Chamber- lain), the school numbering 17 pupils. Mc. Kain's Corners con- tain a school-house, wagon and blacksmith shops, post-office, a physician ( Dr. Bradshaw ), &c. There are eight school dis- tricts in the town; a grist mill, near the east line; and a saw mill ( known as the Lyman Earl mill ). The population is estimated at 1,800. There is a steady influx of new settlers, and the in- quiry for lands, and houses, is quite active. The line of the Peninsular Railway is surveyed through the Walbridge farm. Ninety men were furnished by the town for the army during the Rebellion. The average value of land, per acre, is about $50 per acre. There are seven lakes in the town.
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PORTAGE.
Portage lies directly south of Kalamazoo; the corners of the four towns. Comstock, Pavilion, Portage and Kalamazoo, com- ing together, make the exact geographical centre of the county. Portage owes its name to Portage creek which flows through it. so called because it was formerly used by the Indians and fur traders, from which they embarked and transported their ca- noes to some neighboring lake or creek, and thus passed be- tween the Kalamazoo and St. Joseph rivers. The stream emp- ties into the Kalamazoo, after being numerously dammed, turn- ing the wheels of half-a-dozen mills, and making itself otherwise useful. The town is generally level, with some hills; oak open - ings is the prevailing character of its surface. It has a number of large lakes, and is otherwise well watered; soil, generally a sandy loam, very productive. Dry Prairie and Indian Fields are in Portage, and their names sufficiently describe their character.
The first settlement in the township seems to have been made as early as 1830, a man named Herring having erected a cabin near the west line of the town in that year. The same season a Mr. Mead built a log tavern in that vicinity which he kept for several years. William Harris moved from Kalamazoo into the same neighborhood. In 1831 a settlement was commenced on Indian Fields, by Jonas Woodard, - Butler, and Job Meyers. The same year, John E. Howard and his sons Roceter and Steph- en; and Arad and Thomas Cooley, settled on Dry Prairie and were joined the next season by Caleb Sweetland, Deacon East- land and his sons Joseph, Samuel and John ; Moses Austin and his sons, William G. and Benjamin F., settled at Austin's Lake, where, in the summer of 1833, Mr. Austin erected a log tavern,
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