USA > Michigan > Kalamazoo County > Kalamazoo County, Michigan city directory 1869-70 > Part 5
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HISTORY OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY.
menced mason-work with their father ; S. H. Ransom was clerk for Willard; Geo. Patterson was sawyer in Burdick's mill, and Lot North was our first baker. The following, also, are among the residents of Bronson in 1834: Wm. H. Welch, Isaac Vick- ery, Mrs. Sarah Weaver ( sister of Isaac W. Willard ) and her daughter, James Green, Albert Saxon ( captain of the first boat on the Kalamazoo river, when that enterprise was undertaken in 1836), A. B. Gray and family, Silas Gregg, John Losey ( built the house, now 28 Portage street ), Hiram Owen, Artemas W. Richardson, Hezekiah G. Wells, ( lived at Schoolcraft, but was admitted to the bar at the fall term of the Circuit Court ). James Shea, from England ( came 1833 ), purchased a large tract of land on section 1, and the west half of the north east quarter of section 22. Samuel Venus and John Long entered land on section 1; and Aquilla Coats, one of the earliest settlers here, entered land on section 4. The business of the land office had not yet become very exciting. The Receiver's office was on the ground now occupied by Sheldon's bank; and the Register's, in a building south of the s. w. corner of Main and Pitcher-sts.
In the spring of 1835, Johnson Patrick built the " Exchange " ( now the Sheridan House ), and in the summer moved into it, though it was not completed. This hotel speedily became fa- mous for its excellent table and appointments, and was a favor- ite inn for the citizen, stranger and speculator, and in old Whig times, the headquarters of the leading spirits. By the time this hotel was fairly open, the excitement of the land speculation was running strong and both hotels had all, and more, than they could attend to. Frederick Booher was landlord of the Kala- mazoo House (he came from Clyde, N. Y., kept hotel in Detroit a year, and, at the solicitation of Sheldon and Burdick, came to this place to keep their hotel ), and both Booher and Patrick en- joyed an immense patronage for more than two years. The busi- ness of entertaining man and beast in those days was productive of "marginal-notes" most pleasant tocontemplate. Guests were glad to get anything for their stomachs, and anywhere to lay their heads-for they swarmed hither in such numbers that the " earth shook beneath their tread." Always two, and very often
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three in a bed made the guests feel the truth of the adage that " misfortune makes us acquainted with strange bed fellows." In rooms where beds could not be put up, the floors at night were strewn with sleepers, regularly disposed, on blankets or other in- ventions to ameliorate the conditions of the hard and relentless boards-so as to furnish the greatest room to the greatest num- ber. During the heighth of the land speculation season, the en- tire square in front of the Kalamazoo House, extending almost to South street, was white with the tents of the land lookers; the two offices were encompassed round about with them, and even in Willard's deer park their canvas homes were seen. To feed this vast host was more than the hotels could do, and hun- gry men were turned away by hundreds. A daughter of one of the hotel keepers told the writer that, for weeks together, there would not be another foot of sleeping-room left in the house un- occupied, while from morning till night one table followed an- other with a rapidity equal to the ratio of culinary capacities. The doors were guarded by determined men, who had a great task to perform in keeping back the crowd, and the windows, too, were watched, but frequently some man more bold and sage would jump the sill, and beg to remain until his appetite might be appeased. Every house became a hostelry, and every cabin had a " stranger within its gates." Pies-and-cake venders throve abundantly on the necessities of the multitude, and a shilling for a " quarter section " of these viands found ready takers. It was the best of times to one class, if it was the worst of times to another; and it is pleasant and refreshing in these latter days when the ear is vexed and the heart is sickened by the daily tale of wrong, robbery and perfidy, to contemplate the simple trust and confidence on the one side and the unconscious honor and unpretending honesty on the part of the other, which is revealed in the history of those times. Over five millions of money, most of it hard money, too, was brought here and paid to Uncle Sam, within three years; and yet we hear of no robbery. Strangers would leave their money in their leather satchels or saddle bags with the clerk or mine host of the inn, or with members of the family with whom he might, for the time, live, taking no voucher
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or other evidence of deposit, and sometimes go away for weeks looking out land. When the saddlebags or canvas-bags, pletho- ric and ponderous with the precious, shining ore, were wanted, it was only necessary to describe them to get them, or, if there was any doubt in regard to the proper "satchel " the matter was left for the applicant to decide. Mrs. Patrick often had her room crowded with an apparently indiscriminate mass of these money-bags, and never a word of difficulty occurred in regard to them, each owner getting his own. One of Mr. Hays' daughters relates numerous instances of such trusts in her fath- er's house in those day ; often has she taken charge of packages for boarders, in those dayss, that taxed her strength to carry. It is related that entire strangers would step into Sherman & Winslow's store ( on corner now occupied by the Humphrey Block ) and say, " Will you take charge of these bags till I call again ?" The article would be taken without questioning, be thrown under the counter, and perhaps be forgotten; after a time the person would call for his property when he would be directed to a promiscuous pile of that sort of property, with the mandate to "look it out among the others there!" and no mis- takes or losses ever occurred. Another instance in point : In 1836, Mr. Hammond, Cashier, of the Bronson Branch of the Bank of Michigan, wishing to send some specie to Detroit, learned that Mr. E. Ransom was going to that city with a team, and prevailed upon him to take charge of the money. Accord- ingly six kegs of silver, mostly half dollars, were loaded into the wagon, and Ransom's trip out occupied some twelve days, the route taken being south through Schoolcraft and on to the Chi- cago "turnpike." At night he would stop at the log taverns found along the way, leaving the treasure in the wagon by the roadside. Mr. Ransom had insisted upon the money being put into some old nail kegs, and a layer of nails to cover the silver, and he felt no uneasiness during the whole journey to Detroit. An enterprising " cracksman " in those days might have done a large business at a very little trouble or expense, for dwellings were nearly all innocent of locks or bars; and with little risk to his "personal liberty," for the detectives were not then im-
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ported, and the jails were not remarkably retentive of prison- ers, even when taken.
Perhaps the leading event of the year 1835, aside from the influences of the land office, was the establishment of the first newspaper here. In October, the " MICHIGAN STATESMAN," before published at White Pigeon, was removed and its publication commenced at this place by Gilbert & Chandler. From that day to the present writing, Kalamazoo has never been wanting in an intelligent and faithful press to champion ber cause, to defend her interests, and advocate her claims and advantages. The name of the paper was soon changed ( I think in 1836 ) to " KALAMAZOO GAZETTE," and, Mr. Chandler retiring, Mr. Henry Gilbert became sole proprietor.
In 1835, Hezekiah G. Wells and William H. Welch were elected delegates to the Convention held in Detroit to form a State Constitution. In the same year the following events oc- curred, besides those already enumerated. The bridge over the river was completed; the building of the grist mill-subse- gently known for many years as the Whitcomb mill-was com- menced in the fall, by Cooley & Baily, and completed the next year and about the same time the saw mill adjoining was begun; George Winslow and Caleb Sherman went into trade together in a building that Huston had used to store his goods while com- pleting his new store. Messrs. Sherman & Winslow had left the east with a stock of goods intending to go to Chicago-and to this end their goods were shipped around the lakes to St. Jo- seph. On their way across the country, to meet their goods, Sherman and Winslow stopped here, liked the appearance of things, abandoned their Chicago enterprise, and hauled up their goods from St. Joseph ; in the meantime the building referred to was moved up to the ( Humphrey block ) corner and fitted up for the firm that opened the first exclusively groceries establish- ment in town, and in September it was opened to the public ; John Winslow and Amos Bronson had a dry goods store on the ground now occupied by the Burdick House; Henry J. H. Ed- wards sold cakes pies, etc,. near the land office': Deacon Porter, a similar institution on the corner of Main and Porter streets;
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Frederick Booher, besides keeping the Kalamazoo House, had a livery stable, attached to the House; A. T. Prouty was engaged in cabinet-ware business at his residence, South street; Joseph Hutchins, dry goods, in a building on the site of Jos. Moore's grocery, Portage street ; Nate Harrison, after the bridge was finished, moved to the Hounsom settlement, himself and Houn- som building the Davis mill ( after remaining there a few years, he went to Illinois ); Willard's store and two houses were fin- ished, and the one built for Sheldon was occupied by Charles E. Stuart, in 1836; the Kalamazoo Lyceum flourished; Rev. J. Hall kept a select school. L. H. Trask and family, Dan. Fish- er, O. S. Case, printer, Rensalear Evits ( watchmaker ) and fam" ily, Simeon Newman, Mrs. Porter, widow of Dr. Porter, with her sons James B. and Edwin H., Wm. H. Stuart, Nathan L. Stout, Allen L. Goodridge and family, Emor Hawley and family, Joseph Miller, Jr., ( deputy clerk for Stephen Vickery, county clerk,) are among those who came to Bronson in the year 1835. Samuel W. Bryan had a wagon-shop on the corner of Cherry and Portage streets ( this was the first shop of its kind in town ). John P. Marsh was elected supervisor that spring; A. Cahill, clerk ; Theodore P. Sheldon, S. H. Ransom and E. Walter were among the other officers elected.
The following is believed to be a correct statement of the " local habitation " and name of every householder in Bronson, at the close of 1835 :
Ira W. Bird, east side of the river; Wm. Martin, north side of Main-st., west bank of the river ; Benj. Harrison, Harrison-st. ; Ebenezer Stone, opposite Martin's; A. B. Gray, n. side Main-st., corner of Kal. Avenue. A. Cahill's tannery, next west of Gray's blacksmith shop-residence, opposite side; west and south was the residence of John A. Hayes; E. Belcher lived on n. e. cor- Main and Porter-sts .; Albert A. Smith, on the site of the old American hotel ; Stephen Vickery's office and residence nearly opposite Smith's; Isaac Vickery's cabinet manufactory was near Stephen's ; Major Edward's residence has been described ; A. H. Edwards, on the corner west of the Major; also Henry Edward's grocery store; A. Cooley, south of the old Davenport block ;
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west of A. H- Edward's, on Main-st. lived Cyren Burdick; oppo- site, ( next west of Cooley ), lived Edmund LaGrave, and close by was A. & A. Buell, boot and shoe store; west of this, McIn- tosh had a variety store, next came Huston's store, and on the corner, Winslow & Sherman's store, above described. Willard's store was the same now occupied by G. W. Fish. Hutchin's store on site of Moore's, Portage-st .; nearly opposite lived Allen Good- ridge ; next south, David Hubbard's ; next south of Hutchin's, was the residence of Mrs. Porter, then Frederick Booher's resi- dence, and next, on the n. e. corner Portage and Cherry-sts., Ira Burdick lived ; below the opposite corner south was the domicil of Col. Huston ( Sheriff); Elisha Hall lived on the site of the present handsome residence of J. A. Walter, Esq .; next north of , Hall's was Bryan's; north of the latter, and south of Hubbard's, lived James Losey. Coming back to Main-st., and following west of the Kalamazoo House, same side, we meet Judge Ransom's new residence; then Cahill's furniture shop and residence; next, Dr. Starkweather's residence and the store of Winslow & Bron- son ( the Gazette was then published in the second story ); still west, the office of Pierce Barber (justice, surveyor, etc.,) and on the corner of Main and Rose, the Bronson Branch of the Bank of Michigan and the residence of its cashier, Geo. F. Porter; on the corner west, Patrick's hotel; next Bronson's; T. P Sheldon lived then near his present residence, and upon the corner of Park and Water-sts., Samuel Boardman lived; Rev. Jeremiah Hall lived on Main street nearly opposite Wm. B. Clark's pres- ent residence ( then the site of Geo. Patterson's house ) ; Wm.H. Welch lived on West-st., a little west of Dillie's. Erastus Smith lived on the s. w. corner of Main and Park-sts .; south of Smith was L. H. Trask's residence; on then. corner of next block, S. L. Wood lived; A. T. Prouty on the south corner; Dr. Abbott lived on s. e. corner of South and Park-sts .; next on east corner of Church-st., M. Heydenburk lived, and, with him, J. P. War- ner; on the site of N. A Balch's palatial residence Cyrus Lovell ( prosecuting attorney until 1838) dwelt; on the opposite corner east, Henry Gilbert lived ; on the west corner of Walnut and West street lived David S. Dillie; near the Union school house,
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Roswell Crane ; on the site of the horse fair ground, Henry Mow- er; Rodney Seymour lived on the Portage Creek, near the old saw mill; Robert Hall had a smithy on the corner where Israel Kellogg lives. Rensalear Evits' house was between Huston's and McIntosh's stores. Mrs. Weaver lived in the same house with Mrs. Dr. Porter ; Lot North resided with Seymour; Ethan French, on Portage street opposite where Walter now lives; Charles E. Stuart and family boarded at the Kalamazoo House. Emor Hawley at the close of 1835 was keeping this hotel. Pat- rick's house was originally called the "Indian Chief." There are a few names omitted, in this list, but their names and place of residence have been elsewhere given.
On the 5th of February, 1836, the Rev. Silas Woodbury was settled as pastor of the Presbyterian Church, at that time first organized. The Church building, erected by Martin Heyden- burk, stood nearly opposite the present church edifice, on South street. There had been frequent religious services held here by various religious denominations, but this was the first church.
In 1836 the Legislature changed the name of the village and township to Kalamazoo. This change of name was brought about through the influence of Burdick, Sheldon and Lyon, who, disgusted with the eccentricities, obstinacy, and want of enter- prise in their co-partner, Bronson, determined the village should no longer bear his name. The change was deeply felt by Mr. Bronson, and soon after, he disposed of his entire interest here, went to Illinois, and finally died in Connecticut, at the house of his brother, in 1851 ( I think ), a penniless man. His wife had died several years previous.
The township officers for 1836, were: Cyren Burdick, super- visor; Justices, Ira Burdick, Isaac Vickery, Pierce Barber, D. E. Demning ( the town being reorganized, it was necessary to elect four justices ); township clerk, Henry Gilbert; assessors, I. W. Willard, Aaron Eames, Philip Goodrich; highway commission- ers, John Gibbs, S. Gregg, E. Delano; school commissioners, D. E. Deming, John H. Everard, A. H. Edwards; constable and col- lector. Lot M. North ; school inspectors, Rev. J. Hall, Sam. II. Ransom, E. Belcher, D. Grimes, Dr. Abbott; overseers of the
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poor, Aquilla Coats, S. Gregg. Among the pathmasters was . Epaphroditus Ransom, and it was under his superintendence that the cross-way over the flats east of the river bridge, was built and that portion of the road greatly improved. Before that time the passage from the hard land to the bridge was a complete slough. Ira W. Bird kept up a ferry to take people and teams over, prior to the time Ransom was elected. The intervale spoken of was very low and marshy, being overflowed by high water. The ferry-scow was propelled, sometimes by oxen, and sometime by poles. This condition of the road would last until settled weather, and it was important that a good road should be made, and Ransom accomplished it at a comparatively small cost. On the east bank of the river was a dense growth of sycamores; these were cut, hauled across the roadway, forming a " corduroy " foundation, and then teams were employed covering the logs with earth. The grove of syca- mores which now border the road and arch it with such a refreshing cover, have sprung up from the buried sycamores that form the superstructure of the road. The county having been authorized by the Legislature to borrow $6,000 for the pur- pose of building a Court House and Jail, the people at this elec- tion resolved "that the supervisor of the township of Kalama- 100 use his exertions to promote the object and carry into effect the purposes contemplated in said act." The Jail was built that year, by David Hubbard, on ground just east of the mound, in the park. It was a very poor apology for a prison.
On the 20th of April, 1836, Isaac W. Willard was appointed Postmaster, Dr. Abbott's term of office having expired. The office was removed to Willard's store, ( where it remained until May, 1841, when, Dr. E. N. Colt being appointed postmaster, it was removed to the Taylor blook ); and soon after the new office was opened, the advent of the first stage coach was cele- brated by the turning out of all the people to witness the then great event. The travel had become so great that Messrs, Wads- worth & Thompson, the new contractors, determined to put on a daily line of coaches from Ann Arbor to Kalamazoo-and from that day until about the first of September, 1868, the stage coach
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has been one of our " permanent institutions." During the lat- ter part of Willard's term of office, in 1840, contracts were let to carry the mail from Kalamazoo to White Pigeon, to Grand Rapids via. Yankee Springs, to Allegan via. Otsego, and to St. Joseph. Another route for the accommodation of the southern part of this county was established from Battle Creek to Niles, passing through Climax Prairie, Pavillion, Brady and Cassopolis.
The year 1836 was the wildest and most exciting of all the years of the land speculation-the culminating point. Volumes might be written upon this topic and the incidents connected with it. Kalamazoo was one great mass convention of men almost raving with the land-mania. Every thing partook of the character of the times-speculation and inflation. In that day & quarter section entered in the morning for $200 at the Land Office, sold for $400 before midnight; when "paper cities" arose with magic touch, more gorgeous in destiny than poets dream of- with "desirable water lots " cheap at a $100 a foot. Everybody was crazy for land, and felt rich, and wanted to be crazier and richer ! The office was besieged with applicants, thousands of whom unable to gain admission were here for weeks watching a chance to make their wants known to the Register. They were obliged to hand in their descriptions of lands at the window of the office, and often weeks would elapse before the claim of the applicant could be issued, on account of conflict of claims. Many of the buyers, as soon as provided with their papers, went off to look at their land ; some to find their purchases led them into swamps and quagmires, or into unknown tracts of musquito ter- ritory. Others would never look out their property, but would sell their claims at a large advance, and still another class would return to their homes and allow the dear-bought prize, wherever it might lie, to be sold for taxes. In January and February of that year, $281,437.00 were received. Each month the sales grew larger till June when the office had to be closed for three weeks in order to write up the books that had been neglected in the hurry of the previous month. The sales for May amounted to over half a million of dollars.
The facilities for obtaining goods from the East in these early
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days and for exporting such articles as were raised in excess of the home demand, were very inefficient-the only mode of trans- portation being by the unwieldy wagon of that period, drawn by two, and sometimes three, horses over heavy roads. Considera- ble freight was shipped around to the mouth of the St. Joseph ; sometimes the Kalamazoo would admit small vessels. To rem- edy this evil, in 1836 a company was formed here, consisting of Lucius Lyon, T. C. Sheldon, Justus and Cyren Burdick, H. B. Huston, and Sherman & Winslow. to navigate the river. A flat boat was built to run to the mouth of the Kalamazoo river and "intermediate points, " and even to go as far as Port Shel- don, when the weather could be relied upon. It was launched loaded, and started off on her first trip with " favoring gales," Captain Albert Saxon in command, and George W. Winslow, supercargo. On her second trip down the craft was wrecked on the lake between the Kalamazoo and north Black rivers, and there was no other attempt at river navigation until 1843, when D. S. Walbridge was quite successful for two or three seasons, employing three or four boats, and shipping large quantities of flour to the mouth of this river, and thence to Buffalo.
An interesting feature of the period we write of, and for two or three years afterwards, was the annual aboriginal " trade sales" which came off in the early summer. At such times the river would swarm with the bark canoes of the Indians who brought up their mococks of maple sugar, peltries, etc. Huston and Sherman were generally the purchasers of these goods.
The year 1836, as we have shown, was largely given up to the speculating influences-the great " rage" being for " corner lots," sections and quarter sections. There was, however, quite a large influx of permanent settlers. Several new buildings were erected, and there was considerable finishing-work done, the houses used heretofore being temporary affairs, mere expedi- ents until more comfortable homes could be made. Willard finished his buildings; Cooley finished his house on the corner of West and Water streets, and erected a turning and cabinet manufactory near by ; Cooley & Baily finished the grist mill on the river and commenced flouring; Bronson & Winslow erected
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a store ( burned down in 1842 ) where Liliendfeld's now stands; Hiram Owen built a house on the Axtell farm; Silas Trowbridge a house near his present residence; Warren Burrill one on the corner of Academy and West-sts; Joseph Hutchins and Rensa- lear Evits built the two stores, still standing on the corner of Main and Edwards-sts. ; Mr. Wm. Clark and family, and George Thomas Clark, came here in the spring of 1836, and Mr. Wm. Clark erected a distillery on the west bank of the river near the railroad crossing, and a residence on West street. The east part of the Kalamazoo House was built in 1836; also, the main part of the River House, and Nathan L. Stout and family open- ed it the same year; Asa Fitch and family, A. G. Hammond, cash- ier of the Branch Bank of Michigan; George A. and Richard O'Brien and families, - Hale and family, O. Underwood and family (1835), James Taylor, the AtLees, Zephaniah Platt, W. Birch, Dr. Reuben Barrett and family-the Doctor practiced med- icine, and kept a boarding-house ( subsequently, in 1837-8, his health being poor, he engaged in trade in a little store on Main street about opposite W. G. Pattison's residence); Ebenezer Durkee and family ( Durkee for a while kept a small grocery just east of the river ); Rev. Silas Woodbury and family ; Jo- seph B. Daniels and family; Deacon Barrows and family ; Hen- ry M. Rice, Levi Krause, Amos Knerr, Clement March, Lyman Tuttle, Oliver Davenport, Azro Healy, Nat. Holman, Wm. G. and F. Dewing, were among those that came to Kalamazoo in the season of 1836.
We must not close this review of the year 1836 without say- ing a word or two regarding the social enjoyments of the good people of Kalamazoo. Those were days when our little commun- ity were as of one family and social distinctions were unknown. The population was made up of substantial and highly respecta- ble people; and added to it at this time, and for several years after, were a number of young men from the eastern cities who had come West,-not without means,-to "seek their fortunes," and some to lose them. The Kalamazoo House was generally the scene of festive occasions, and especially so, whenever Mr. Thomas Sheldon came out from Detroit, bringing with him his
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