USA > Michigan > Ionia County > Memorials of the Grand River Valley > Part 39
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as 1836. In the spring of 1812, it became necessary for Re- collet to go to the military station at the mouth of St. Joseph River, and he made the trip in one day, having swam the Grand and Kalamazoo rivers, and forded the other streams.
Mr. Constant, the father of Mrs. William Lasley, built the next trading post, near the A. M. Allen & Co. Mill, at the mouth, left side, which he occupied in the winter for about thirty years. The next was built in 1830 by Joseph Daily, near the Rogers Foundry, between Market street and the lake, and was occupied by him until 1834, when he sold it to Louis B. Bad- dean.
George Campan also built a trading post in 1833, near the present site of the White, Swan & Smith Mill (lower part of the city), and occupied it until 1835.
The territory embraced within the limits of the present townships of Norton, Fruitport, Ravenna, Chester, Moorland. Casinovia, Egleston, Muskegon, Laketon, Lakeside, and the city of Muskegon, was organized by a provision of section 11 of an act of the State Legislature, approved Dec. 30, 1837. into one township, and called Muskego. The act was passed at the first session after the State was admitted into the Union. This section was repealed in 1838, and the same territory was organized as the township of Muskegon, and the first town meeting was appointed to be held at the house of Newell & Wilcox. At this time, and for several years after, there was quite a diversity of opinion in regard to the correct spelling of the name, as will appear by reference to various acts of subsequent Legislatures. In 1841 an act was passed, by the provisions of which the unorganized county of Oceana was attached to township of Muskegon for judicial purposes; and in 1845 certain territory was detached from township of Mus- kego and organized into the township of Norton. This con- fusion in regard to the name ended at the establishment of Muskegon postoffice in 1848.
The first township meeting was held in 1838, when township officers were elected, among whom was Henry Penoyer, super- visor. But little was done in the way of township business for several years, often no taxes being assessed. Township
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meetings were often omitted entirely, the old officers holding over.
George Ruddiman held the office of supervisor several years during this time. In 1847, Geo. W. Walton was elected supervisor, and the township having increased somewhat in population, taxes were assessed and business regularly trans- acted after that time. The old township records were de- stroyed in the great fire of August 1st, 1874.
The land in this part of Michigan was brought into market in 1839. The first attempt that was made to claim and hold any of the land now embraced in the city limits, was made by a Mr. Taylor, in December, 1836, who built a shanty on lot one of section nineteen, near where the Washington House now stands. He retained possession for a few months and then sold his claim to Horace Wilcox, who afterwards entered the land. Theodore Newell soon became the owner, who platted a por- tion of it in 1849, which was the first plat of Muskegon. This plat embraces that part of the city lying east and north of a line running from the Chapin & Foss mill to the old ceme- tery, and thence east along the north line of Mills & Furlong's addition to H. D. Baker's residence.
Another tract of land that has since become very vahtable, is lot two, section thirty, which was entered May 2, 1853, by Elias and Isaac D. Merrill, and Joseph P. Dana. This land is that part of the city lying south of a line running from the old cemetery to the Bigelow Bros.' mill (from the S. E. corner of lot two, section thirteen, township ten, north sixteen, west to Muskegon Lake), and between Mills & Furlong's ad- tion and Muskegon Lake. On this property at the present time are several of the most valuable mills in Muskegon. There were no frame buildings in Muskegon until 1837, when Theodore Newell and Erastus Wilcox erected a boarding house, (east of Rierson Creek, near bank of the lake), which stood near the C. Davis & Co.'s boarding house. Horace Wilcox put up a small dwelling the same year near where the Hofstra Honse now stands (near corner of Western avenue and Pine avenue). The first village plat was made in 1849, but nothing of any account was done for several years towards opening the
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streets, and the hill was so steep where Western avenue and Pine street now are that a man could not ride up on horse- back. Village lots must have been at a discount, from the fact that two lots on which the Hofstra, House now stands, were once sold for $45. Nothing was done towards opening the roads leading into the surrounding country, until 1846. At this time, Mr. Ryerson cut ont the road to Ravenna, to con- nect with the road from that place to Grand Rapids, which had already been cut out and was in a condition to be traveled. Ravenna township was detached from Muskegon and organ- ized in '49.
SAW MILLS.
The building of the first saw mill on Muskegon lake was commenced in January 1837, by Benj. H. Wheelock, the agent of the Muskegon Steam Mill Company, most of the stock- holders of which resided at Detroit and Ann Arbor. The mill was built on the site now occupied by the White, Swan & Smith mill, upon which land Mr. Wheelock about that time had made a pre-emption claim. It was a steam mill, and was a large one for that time, having two upright saws. Before it was completed, the panic of 1837 occurred and money becom- ing scarce, it was not ready for operation until 1838, when the first lumber was sawed; that being also the first sawed on Mus- kegon lake. The adventure proved to be an unprofitable one for the company, and the next year after the mill was started the property went into the hands of John Lloyd, of Grand Rapids, and John P. Place, of Ionia, who owned and run the mill until 1841, when it burned and the machinery was taken to Grand Rapids.
In August 1837, Jonathan H. Ford, the agent of the Buf- falo and Black Rock Company began building a water mill at the mouth of Bear Lake, on the site now occupied by the Rud- diman flouring mill. It was completed the next year, and the first cargo of lumber made at this mill was hanled to the mouth of Muskegon lake in February, 1839, and put on board of the Victor, Captain Jackson, a vessel that would carry about 40,000 feet. The vessel started for Chicago, but soon after got into a drift of ice, and it was ten days before she reached her
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destination; those on board having suffered severely from cold and hunger in that time. Hiram Judson & Co., bought the mill in 1840, and made very extensive repairs and improve- ments upon it, among which was the putting in of a new water wheel, which was done by George Ruddiman. The mill was valued at $20,000, dollars, and was the best one on the lake for several years; it was burned in 1853 and was never rebuilt.
Theodore Newell began to build a mill in the spring of 1838 and finished it in 1839 (on Western Avenue, West of Rierson Creek), on the site now occupied by the Ryerson, Hills & Co., mill; this was a small mill, with one upright saw, costing alto- gether about $4,000, and would saw abont 6,000 feet of lumm- ber in twenty-four hours. The engine was eight-inch bore and twenty-six inch stroke; the boiler was sixteen feet long and thirty-six inches in diameter, with one thirteen-inch fine; the engine not having sufficient power to saw a log and haul up another at the same time. The first lumber was shipped from this mill in the autumn of 1839. In September, 1845, Mar- tin Ryerson and J. H. Knickerbocker bought the mill of Mr. Newell, and in the winter following removed the old mill and built a new one on the site, and had it ready to run within three months from the time of commencing operations. In 1847, Mr. Knickerbocker sold his interest in the mill to Robt. W. Morris, who continued a partner of Mr. Ryerson until the time of the sale of his interest in 1865 to the present firm of Ryerson, Hills & Co. The latter firm has made very extensive repairs and improvements until but little of the old mill remains, excepting the foundations.
Joseph Stromach built a small water mill in 1842, near the site of the McGraft & Montgomery mill, and run it until 1844, when he sold it to George and John Ruddiman. The latter afterwards put in a small engine, and used water and steam power at the same time. This double power not proving suf- ficient for hauling up logs at the same the saw was in opera- tion, animal power was also produced and applied to mechanical purposes, an ancient white bull being used to haul np the logs; hence the origin of the name of the bull-wheel in a saw-mill.
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MEMORIALS OF THE
One evening in the antamn of 1848, after a heavy rain, George Ruddiman heard the water escaping through the dam, and on returning to the house after examining it, told the men that in the morning they must ent some brush and stop the leak. About two hours afterwards, he visited the dam again, finding that the break had increased, and then said that it would be necessary to haul some sand in order to repair the break. On going out in the morning to begin work, there was nothing to be seen of the mill, the log slide or the dam; even the engine and machinery had been carried out into Muskegon Lake. Thenext winter a portion of the present steam saw- mill was built by George Ruddiman, on the site of the present mill. This has since been considerably enlarged and im- proved.
In 1847, S. J. Green built a water mill at the month of Green Creek, on the north side of Muskegon Lake. It was run for several years, but with rather indifferent success. At length it got out of repair, and finally went into decay, and has never been rebuilt.
The mill now known as the Chapin & Foss mill, was com- menced in 1848, by Wm. Lasley and G. T. Woodbury, the latter having a quarter interest, and completed and started in the spring of 1849, Marshall W. Lloyd sawing the first lumber that was made in the mill, he being employed there at the time. Mr. Lasley sold the mill in 1852 to Chapin, Marsh & Foss; Mr. Marsh afterwards disposing of his interest to his partners.
In 1849, John Rnddiman built a steam saw-mill on the north side of Muskegon lake, on the site now occupied by the Tor- rent & Arms mill. He continued to run the mill until 1862, when it went into the hands of Anson Eldred, after a closely contested suit in regard to the title. The mill burned soon after, and was replaced by a large mill built by James Farr, Jr., under the superintendence of L. H. Foster. The property was sold in 1871, to Torrent & Arms, and the second mill on the site was burned in 1872. The mill now belonging to this firm was erected soon after. The mills built on this site seem to have been rather unfortunate in regard to fires and lawsuits, whose effects upon property are about equally destructive.
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The foregoing includes all the saw-mills built on Muskegon lake prior to 1850. There were three mills on the lake in 1840, whose aggregate sawing capacity per day of twelve hours was about 13,000 feet.
In 1850, there were six mills now on the lake, having an ag- gregate sawing capacity of about 60,000 feet. During the next ten years, ten mills were put in operation on the lake, with the following capacity :
C. Davis & Co. 38,000 | Trowbridge & Wing 22,000
Eldred, Wav & Co ... 20,000
J. C. Holmes & Co. 15,000
Ryerson & Morris (Bay mill). 36.000
Durkee, Truesdell & Co 38,000
Smith, Fowler & Co. 20,000
L. G. Mason & Co. 36,000
Brown & Trowbridge. 16,000
J. & H. Beidler. 35,009
OLD MIILS STILL RUNNING.
Ryerson & Morris (Upper mill) 24,000 | John Ruddiman
$6,000
George Ruddiman .. . . 15,000 |
Not only has the sawing capacity of the mills been increased, but the number of men required to perform the labor has been proportionately lessened. In 1860 it required a man for each 1,000 feet sawed per day, while at the present time the daily product is, on an average, something more than 2,000 feet for each man. This result is to a large extent due to the valuable improvements made in the machinery used in the mills.
There are twenty-six mills on the lake at the present time, with the capacity per day as follows:
Rutherford, Anderson & Co .. 70,000 | McGraft & Montgomery. 40,000
Wilson & Boyce. 75,000
E. Torrent. 30,000
C. Davis & Co.
80,000
A. V. Mann & Co. 75,000
Ryerson, Hills & Co. 48,000
Alex. Rodgers. 65.000
Chapin & Foss.
40,000
Kelley. Wood & Co. 75.000
Mason Lumber Co. 130,000
E. Eldred & Co . 80.000
Bigelow & Bros. 70,000
A. M. Allen & Co 30.000
G. R. Roberts & Hull. 130,000
C. D. Nelson & Co 120.000
C. H. Hackley & Co. 150,000
Ryerson, Hills & Co. 90,000
Beidler Manufacturing Co. 130.000
Torrent & Ducey. 30,000
White, Swan & Smith. 80,000
Baudry, Vallicott & Co 40,000
Bushnell, Walworth & Reed .. 60,000
Farr, Dutcher & Co. 40,000
Montague, Hamilton & Co. . . . 120,000
Torrent & Arms. 150,000
INFLATED CURRENCY.
The first attempt at running logs down the river, was made in 1839, by John A. Brooks; the logs having been cut a few miles above Croton. The " drive" finally reached Muskegon,
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MEMORIALS OF THE
but after a great outlay for clearing the river, and the men employed celebrated the event by buying and drinking a barrel of whisky, which then cost about sixteen cents per gal- lo ... The whisky was common property, but in order to assume an appearance of " business," they fitted up a counter on a stump, and one of the number having a silver quarter dollar, commenced by treating the company, one of them tending bar; this bar-tender then took the money and came outside and treated the company, another taking his place as bar-tender. This was continued several days, until the whisky disappeared. There was an annual caronsal for a few days on the arrival of the big " drive," until the village "lock-up" was erected in 1861, after which the officers became able to suppress it.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Until 1834, the Indian traders had been accustomed to come to Muskegon Lake, in the autumn, and buy furs and traffic with the Indians during the winter, and go away in the spring, taking with them all their movable effects. At the latter date, Lewis B. Baddean having secured the interest of Mr. Daily in his log building, established a trading post, and be- came a permanent settler of Muskegon. He was of French descent and was born at Three Rivers, near Montreal, in Canada. Mr. Baddean afterwards made a pre-emption claim on lot two of section nineteen, on which his trading post stood, being that part of the city lying west and north of a line running from the Chapin & Foss Mill to the old ceme- tery, and thence to the Bigelow & Brother's Mill. And on the 31st of July, 1839, after the land came into market, he made a regular entry of the lot. He continued to trade with the Indians until 1840, and in 1845, having become embarrassed in business, and having lost most of his property, he went to Newaygo to live, and afterwards to the Dan, on Muskegon River, where he died soon after.
The second settler on Muskegon Lake was Joseph Trontier, who erected a building in 1835, of hewn timber, near the White, Swan & Smith mill, which he occupied as a trading post for several years. Mr. Troutier was born in Mackinac,
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GRAND RIVER VALLEY.
August 9, 1812, where he resided until his settlement in Muskegon. He continued the Indian trade several years at this place, and then removed to the Dam, where he still re- sides. In 1836, Mr. Troutier went with the Indians to Wash- ington, and assisted in forming the treaty by which the Indian title to the land in the part of Michigan lying north of Grand River was obtained. Mr. Troutier remembers many interest- ing incidents in the early history of Western Michigan, and often remarks that " me and my wife the first white man in Muskegon."
Wm. Lasley was of French origin; was born in Pennsyl- vania, but spent his early life in Mackinac, and settled in Mus- kegon in the autumn of 1835, having built a trading post near where is now the corner of Western avenue and Seventh street. He continued to trade with the Indians for several years, and eventually brought on goods suitable for the trade of the early settles, sometimes keeping a stock valued at $20,000. In 1852. he sold the mill that he had previously built, and retired from business, and died the next year.
Martin Ryerson was born on a farm near Patterson, New Jersey, Jannary 6, 1818. In 1834, having become satisfied that the fortune that he had even then determined to acquire. was not to be easily and readily obtained at farming, he started for Michigan, which, at that time, was regarded as the El- dorado. When he reached Detroit, his funds were exhausted. and he was obliged to stop and obtain employment for a time before he could proceed. After a few months, he started again, and reached Grand Rapids in September of the same year, and soon after went into the employ of Richard Godfroy. at which place he remained until May, 1836, when he left and came to Muskegon. On his arrival at this place, he went into the employ of Joseph Troutier, and engaged in the Indian trade, which he continued three years; was then employed by T. Newell & Co., which firm then carried on the same bnsi- ness. In October. 1841, Mr. Ryerson and S. J. Green made a contract with T. Newell to run his mill for two years. After the expiration of this term, Mr. Ryerson made an arrangement to run the mill on a salary for another two years. In Septem-
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MEMORIALS OF THE
ber, 1845, Mr. Ryerson, in company with J. H. Knickerbocker, bought Mr. Newell's interest in the mill, and became a mill owner. This fact, however, did not change his style of living, or lessen the amount of labor he performed. During the first year that he owned the interest in the mill, he often worked eighteen hours out of the twenty-four, filling any place where a vacancy might chance to occur, or where his services were the most needed. Mr. Ryerson's practical experience rendered him a competent judge of the men in his employ, and he " ex- pected every man to do his duty." An incident that once oc- curred at his mill may not be uninteresting. One day a man who was employed in moving a pile of cull lumber, was carry- ing a few pieces and going and returning at a very slow pace. Mr. Ryerson observing this, called out to him to throw down his little load. The man stood a minute with a surprised look, withont doing so. On Mr. Ryerson's repeating the order with increased emphasis, he threw it down. He then told him to go and sit in the shade and rest himself until he was able to take and carry a load as a man ought to carry it. It is useless to say that the rest was not required.
As an instance of the hardships and privations endured by the early settlers, Mr. Ryerson relates the following experience: In September, 1839, he started on foot to go to Grand Rapids to attend " Indian payment." The ordinary route at the time was by the beach of Lake Michigan to Grand Haven, thence up Grand River. Mr. Ryerson, however, went through what is since the township of Ravenna, although there was then no road or settlement on the way, excepting along the first five miles west of Grand Rapids. He kept his course by a pocket compass, erossed Crockery Creek somewhere near where is now the village of Ravenna, and stopped for the night about ten miles beyond. He made a brush tent, built a fire and roasted a coon that he had caught during the day and brought with him, and made his supper from it without salt or water, and then slept soundly on his brush bed. The remainder of the coon served for his breakfast in the morning, after which he pursued his journey, reaching Grand Rapids early in the day and without feeling any particular fatigue.
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GRAND RIVER VALLEY.
The following incident was related to the writer by Mr. R., and shows the manner of enforcing a rule of the early settlers requiring a uniformity in dress; a rule which prohibited the wearing of " stove-pipe" hats and white shirts. A young man from Grand Rapids, one day made his appearance on the " streets" of Muskegon wearing these contraband articles of dress, and who, by the way, was putting on numerous airs in consequence. A mock court was soon organized, a complaint was made against him for horse-stealing; he was arrested, ex- amined, and bound over to Circuit Court. The constable started with him for the jail (a log stable) and on the way he was allowed to escape, as had been pre-arranged. The fellow ran for the woods at a rate of speed that would have astonished a deer, while the whole town followed him, yelling at the top of their voices, and pretending to try to overtake him. That hat was never seen in Muskegon again.
Mr. Ryerson removed to Chicago in 1851, where he has since resided, excepting about five years which he spent with his family in Europe.
Theodore Newell was a native of Connecticut, and settled in Mukegon in 1836. He lived here a few years and then re- moved to Chicago, and afterwards to Kenosha, Wis., and thence to Chicago again, where he died in 1869.
Henry Penoyer came from the East, and settled in 1836 at the mouth of Muskegon Lake, his object in locating at that place being to secure a claim to the land in that vicinity, as it was then supposed that the future city of Muskegon would be built on the sand hills near the mouth. He and his brother, Angus- tus Penoyer, built a mill the same year at Penoyer Creek, a few miles above Newaygo. Mr. P. left Muskegon soon after, and removed to Grand Haven. He now lives at Nunica.
Samuel Rose was born in Granville, Mass., in 1817, and came to Grand Rapids in 1836, where he met Augustus Pen- oyer, who was then getting ready to build a mill at Penoyer Creek, a few miles above Newaygo. He made an agreement to work for Mr. P., and started with some other men to go ยท through the woods to the place where they were to work. There being no road, and not keeping the right direction, they
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MEMORIALS OF TIIE
got lost and were out five days before they reached Muskegon River. Then, thinking they were above Newaygo, they started down the stream, and after a time came to Muskegon Lake. After obtaining some provisions, they started up the river, and passing the site of the village of Newaygo (at which place there was then no settlement), reached their destination. Mr. Rose has continued to reside on Muskegon River; sometime at Mus- kegon, or at others up the river-his present residence is near Newaygo.
George W. Walton was born January 3, 1812, in Essex county, N. Y. In 1833, he removed to Chicago, and settled in Mus- kegon in May, 1837. During his early residence here, he was very active in public matters; was supervisor of the township for several years, having been first elected in 1847, and was also the first postmaster of Muskegon. Mr. Walton removed to 1855, where he remained several years, and went thence to Nevada, where he died, in 1874.
Jonathan H. Ford was born in the State of New York. IIc settled in Muskegon in 1837, and built the mill at the mouth of Bear Creek. During his residence here he was elected one of the associate judges of the Ottawa County Court. IIe left Muskegon in 1845, and now resides in Wisconsin.
Thomas W. Dill and his wife-now Mrs. Susan Bohne- come to Muskegon in 1837, stopping here a few days, and then went to Penoyer's Mill, a few miles above the present village of Newaygo, where they lived one year. They then came down the Muskegon River to Mill Iron Point, where Mr. Dill built a house and lived two years. Here Minerva Dill, now Mrs. John Curry, was born, June 10th, 1838; the first white child born in the present limits of Muskegon county. In the spring of 1840, Mr. Dill and his family moved into the house previously occupied by Mr. Baddean, near where the Rodgers Foundry now stands, and occupied it as a hotel and boarding- house. This was known as the Muskegon House, and was the first attempt at hotel keeping in Muskeg m. After the death of Mr. Dill, in 1854, Mrs. Dill married Mr. Bohne, who has since died. Mrs. Bohne is still living in Muskegon, and is the oldest settler in Muskegon county.
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GRAND RIVER VALLEY.
Isaac D. Merrill was born in 1809, and settled in Muskegon in 1839. He has continued to reside on Muskegon river since that time, his present residence being at Bridgeton.
George Rnddiman was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, Sept. 29, 1815, and came to America in 1833, stopping one year in Pa .; when he came to Michigan, and has since resided most of the time in this State. IIe settled in Muskegon in April, 1840, and engaged as a millwright in repairing the mill at the mouth of Bear Lake. In 1841, he took charge of this mill; and in 1844, in company with his brother, John Ruddiman, he bought the property where the MeGraft & Montgomery Mill now stands.
In 1840, Mr. Ruddiman attended the election in Muskegon, and voted for Gen. Harrison for President of the United States. Geo. Ruddiman built the first boat used for towing logs and vessels in Muskegon Lake. It was a small side-wheel steamer, and was called The Peggy. He now resides in the township of Muskegon.
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