USA > Michigan > Washtenaw County > Past and present of Washtenaw County, Michigan > Part 65
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a private dwelling : but the fetid breath of intoxi- cation sensibly impregnated and polluted the at- mosphere of the room. These things were liter- ally true. I entered the field under heart-sicken- ing circumstances. I felt that nothing could be done until the people were restored to sobriety. So I invited different neighborhoods together and read to them Dr. Beecher's sermons on the use of intoxicating drinks. Attention was arrested, a temperance society was formed in Ypsilanti ; and from thence the temperance reformation spread through the county.'
"About the time this missionary came, through the influence of certain ones, the people generally had come to think that there was too much drinking for the prosperity of the town. Emigrants, after stopping a day or two. would pass on : so it was resolved that drinking should end off with a grand time on a certain day, and that then all should sign the pledge. Well, just about when this grand time was being enjoyed- when drinkers had drank rather excessively, and some temperate men had been forced to taste a little-the missionary came along on foot to do the work of his mission. One cries out, 'There's another man: another says, 'Hold on, boys, I guess he is a minister.' 'Never mind,' says a third, 'grab him.' A general rush was made, but. as heads were rolling and feet not very nimble, some missed him and others fell head- long. His reverence was soon seen in the dis- tance giving unmistakable evidence of speed.' while the rabble were crying out, 'Catch him. catch him.'"
In December, 1829. a temperance society was formed which became very popular during the winter. The leaders in the movement were Dr. Hays. Esquire Darling and E. M. Skinner, and in four weeks thirty-five names were enrolled.
But previous to the arrival of Rev. Mr. Jones, who has described the sad condition of Ypsilanti from a religious standpoint, a Sunday-school had been organized, in July. 1828, in a log building sixteen feet square with fourteen children and five adults. There was no one who could open with prayer. E. W. Skinner read a chapter from the New Testament and two classes were or- ganized, one taught by Mrs. Mark Norris and
the other by Mrs. Doolittle. This school was, however, soon closed on account of sickness. In the spring of 1830 it was organized by Rev. Mr. Gurley in the "old red building" erected by Sal- mon Champion.
The first log house built in Webster was built in September, 1824, by Judge Samuel W. Dex- ter. Judge Dexter belonged to an old Massa- chusetts family. His father had been secretary of state of the United States and chief justice of Massachusetts. Samuel W. Dexter was a man of means. He bought more land from the gov- ernment in Washtenaw county than any other one man. He brought more people with him than any other man and he fully expected to found the chief city in the new territory just being developed. The bulk of his land purchases in Washtenaw county were in Webster. Scio and Dexter townships. In all he purchased 3.523.09 acres of land in Washtenaw from the government, of which he bought 926.69 in 1824. 1.018.87 acres in 1825. 1.187.37 acres in 1826, 99.99 acres in 1829, and 290.17 acres in 1835. His pur- chases were distributed in the various townships as follows : Scio, 1.237.85 acres ; Webster, 997.36 acres : Dexter, 742.95 acres : Lima. 519.98 acres ; Superior, 24.95 acres. His purchases in 1824 were all in Webster and Scio townships. Judge Dexter also bought large tracts of land outside of Washtenaw, notably in Shiawassee. Lenawee. Ionia and Saginaw counties. In 1835 he laid out Saginaw city, donated the land for the court- house and secured the county seat after the com- missioners had first selected East Saginaw. In 1833 he conducted a colony of 73 persons from New York to Ionia. Judge Dexter was the first county judge in Washtenaw county. He started the first newspaper in the county and he was the first anti-masonic candidate for congress in 1831. being defeated by but a few votes. He came to Detroit June 10, 1824, and spent the next four months in the new territory prospecting and buy- ing land from the government. On August 22d of that year he located his land in Webster. Scio and Dexter, and immediately erected a log house in Webster. He went back to Massachusetts in October to return with his family in the summer of 1825. His log house was purchased and oc-
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cupied in the fall of 1824 by Charles B. Taylor and family who thus became the first settlers in Webster. Thomas Alexander, from Wales, was the first settler in southeastern Webster in May, 1820. He had first settled in Ann Arbor. The same year Luther Bryden and Israel Arms, both of Massachusetts, settled in Webster and in 1827 Charles Starks, of Pennsylvania; Salmon H. Matthews, of Massachusetts; Peter Sears, Sturms Kimberley, Ezra Fish and Ira Seymour. Among the arrivals in 1828 was John Williams, and in 1829 Munnis Kenny. Munnis Kenny was a strong man in the early history of Washtenaw. Born in Vermont, he had received his academic education in New Hampshire and his collegiate education at Middlebury and Williams Colleges. He practiced law and was a member of the New Hampshire legislature before coming to Michi- gan. In Webster he located a 240-acre farm and devoted himself to agriculture. But he took a strong stand on political matters and was re- garded as a party leader. He presided at con- ventions, drafted platforms and was often called on to lead his party. He was one of the main organizers of the Washtenaw Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and was for many years its secretary. He died in April, 1862, and his descendants have proven worthy of him.
Dixboro was among the first hamlets in Wash- tenaw county. We have seen that Elbridge Gee built the first house in Superior, but not at Dix- boro. To John Dix belongs the honor of making the first settlement at Dixboro, and for a long time he was supposed to have been the first set- tler of Superior. He built his first house in June, 1824, and soon after built the first frame barn in the county. This was in July, 1825. The following year he built a sawmill, and two or three months later a grist mill. Besides these he kept a store for the accommodation of his neighbors, thus making Dixboro quite a center in early pioneer life. Captain Dix was a man with a history. Born in Littleton, Massachusetts, in 1796, he went to sea at sixteen years of age, served on a privateer in the War of 1812, was afterwards wrecked on the island of New Zea- land, and was a man of remarkable physical and mental vigor ; but he is said to have been the most
unpopular man in Washtenaw county, and one reason given by the older settlers for this fact was that he was from Boston. His wife was known to the early Washtenaw settlers as "Lady Trass." She belonged to a good Massachusetts family, was a fine horsewoman, and a fine shot. Captain Dix was a man who did things, and if he had been content with his life in Washtenaw, Dixboro, which was named after him, might have been more than the hamlet that it is. He left the county in 1833 and was one of the fili- busters who seized Texas, and during the Civil war was three times arrested and in danger of being hanged because he persisted in remaining a Union man, in which opinion he remained until the close of the war when he was honored with Federal and state offices, and when he died was the chief justice of his county. In September, 1825. Colonel John Brewer and brother, and Hiram Robinson, of Cayuga county, New York, settled in what is known as the free church neighborhood in Superior, but were not able to get title to their land until July of the following year. Soon they were joined in this section by Hiram H. Tooker, Ebenezer Stacey, John Bram- ble, John Newell, Moor Spears and Robert Barr. In the same township, two and a half miles dis- tant, the pioneer was Henry Kimmel, who came from Somerset county, Pennsylvania, in 1825. He had been prospecting, however, the year be- fore through Indiana and Michigan, and picked Superior as the best of all the lands he saw. He sold out mill property he had acquired at Kaskaskia, Indiana, and removed to Superior. His caravan has been described as, first a primi- tive ox cart, the fellies of which were eight inches wide and without tires, so made as not to sink into the ruts, drawn by four yoke of oxen, the cart being filled with ox yokes and feed for horses. Behind this cart came several yoke of oxen driven by men hired for the purpose of taking the lead and fording streams. Next came a four-horse team with a large wagon containing the tents and cooking utensils, including a barrel churn in which butter was made on the way. Then came a team with a light wagon contain- ing the family trunks and provisions. This was followed by another wagon for the cattle drivers,
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who followed close behind with a hundred head of cattle, including some young deer that had been captured on the way. This caravan was 39 days in reaching Superior. during which time no one of the people composed it had slept under a roof. During the first year of his residence in Superior, Mr. Kimmel erected a large pearl- ash refinery, and employed in this and in clearing up his land thirty men. In 1826 Mr. Kimmel received 300 hogs from Indiana as part payment of some debts due him there. In four years Mr. Kimmel had paid out of the ashery for his 320 acres of land which had been cleared up. That the ashery was a big affair is shown by the fact that it produced one ton of salaratus every ten days, which was sold in Detroit for $120. Mrs. Kimmel was not less active than her husband. She extracted teeth. She bled those who were not feeling well. She cared for a household of forty people. She lived to the advanced age of eighty-two and always commanded the respect of those she met. The first death in the new settle- ment was that of Abram Brewer. The second was that of Eben Stacey, who died in February, 1827. He came from Vermont to Superior in June of 1826 and his knowledge of agriculture was held in high regard by the other men of the neighborhood who were not farmers but were from cities or villages. The next year after Mr. Stacey's death his wife married John Bramble, whose farm adjoined that chosen by Mr. Stacey. A year and a half later Mr. Bramble died. Some- time later, Mrs. Bramble, thus left twice a widow within three years, married George McKim and continued to live on the land purchased from the government in 1826 until nearly ninety years of age. The first schoolhouse in the township was built in 1827 and was taught by Pamelia Pattison, whose wages were one dollar per week. Within a wear she married David Frost and her sister, Delight Pattison, then taught the school. John McCormick settled in Dixboro in 1825 and it was in his house that the first township meet- ing for the town of Panama, which then included Superior and Salem, was held, on June 30, 1828. Esek Pray settled in the township as early as July, 1825. He was a native of Connecticut, was married in New York, and brought his fam-
ily in the fall of 1825. He was the first justice of the peace of the township, was a member of the convention which gave the assent to the con- stitution which admitted Michigan into the Union, and was a member of the Michigan state legislature. He kept a country tavern for many years, and his house was used as a town house and all law suits were tried in it. Among the other early settlers of the township were Att- gustus Root, who was its supervisor in 1829, and Shubael Goodspeed, who came in 1826. Daniel Crippin. a soldier of the war of 1812, located here in 1827 and assisted in raising the first grist mill in Dixboro. He was for over fifty years a local preacher of the M. E. church. He died in 1876. So wild was the country when he settled in it that he was forced to cut a road two miles long to get from his farm on to the main road. With him came four of his eight children, Henry S .. Ira, Anna, and Roger Crippin, who have oc- cupied a prominent place in the growth of the township. Ichabod Crippin, who came from New York, in 1831, was the enrolling officer for this section in the famous Toledo war. Henry Gale located in 1829. Andrew J. Murray, from Goshen, New York, who erected the first steam sawmill in Superior, came into the township in 1827. Robert Geddes located 500 acres in Su- perior in 1825. He resided part of the time in this township and part of the time in Ann Arbor town, and was considered one of the wealthiest men of the county as he brought $2.400 in cash with him when he came.
Lima township was also first settled in 1825. the first man to locate being Samuel Clements from Seneca, New York, who went through northern Ohio to Michigan in May. 1825, on what was then termed a viewing expedition. He bought land in Lima on Mill Creek and after several months' absence returned to his family, sold out his possessions that could not be moved, and started for his new home with his goods loaded on two wagons, by way of Buffalo. Cross- ing the lake on the little steamer "Fair Play" after a nine days' voyage they arrived in Detroit. Here buying some provisions and two yoke of oxen, the family set out for their future home on August 6, 1825. After three nights on the
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road they arrived at the house of Mr. Sutton in Northfield. Here their oxen deserted them and were only recaptured after a nine-mile chase towards Detroit. This cost a delay of a day. The next night they spent at Rumsey's hotel in Ann Arbor, and the next day they arrived at Dexter, where Judge Dexter was engaged in building a sawmill. Reaching their home in Lima they unloaded their possessions and for six weeks lived in a tent formed by sewing four sheets together. In this time six acres of land were plowed and sowed to wheat and a log house 18x24 was constructed. The Clements farm was patented September 1, 1825. William C. Lemon had patented land previous to this but did not locate in the township until 1830. Samuel Clem- ents, a son of the original settler, and who was a small boy at the time of their coming to Lima, has left well written reminiscences of the pioneer life of that day, which are here transcribed at length as giving an excellent view of the early pioneer life in Washtenaw.
"My father's farm was on what was called the St. Joseph Indian Trail, where it crossed Mill creek. Large companies of Indians came and went along this trail, in the early times of this section of Michigan, on their way to Malden- now Amherstburgh-in Canada, for their annui- ties or 'presents' as they called them, from the British government, for services in the War of 1812. I have seen as many as 700 in a company. They did not, however, go in such large 'droves,' as they were called, but in companies of from 10 to 30 or 40. The east bank of the creek where the trail crossed it was about thirty rods distant from our house. This point was the usual camping ground for these traveling bands. They were uniformly peaceable and orderly-showing as little disposition to trouble people along their route as ordinary travelers.
"There were also large numbers of Indians liv- ing in the country around us. They generally lived in small companies, sometimes a single family by itself, but oftener in groups of from three to six lodges. They very frequently en- camped for weeks together within a few rods of our home and came to our house at all hours- by day and night for trade or hospitality.
"They were generally peaceable and respect- ful. Sometimes, however, when intoxicated they were insolent and ugly. On one occasion two Indians came to our house drunk. My father was absent, and my mother was alone with the children, there being no man near. The Indians were very insolent, demanding food. This at that time was very scarce with us. But my mother, who was frightened, gave them pork and potatoes : but this did not satisfy them. They wanted bread. Of this we were entirely destitute at the time. They became so rude and insolent that my mother, becoming greatly alarmed, was about sending two of my sisters-little girls, one twelve and the other ten-to Dexter at evening twilight for help. But before they started she thought to give them something to eat, and ac- cordingly kneaded a cake and placed it in the spider before the fire to bake. The Indians watched this cake intently, and as soon as it was nearly baked one of them seized it, and wrapping his blanket around it, they both bolted for the door, and mounting their ponies, with a savage yell of triumph galloped away. My mother, re- lieved of her annoying guests, proceeded, with the aid of the children, to barricade the door and window so strongly that it would have required a Roman battering-ram to effect an entrance. After this she made another cake and gave us our supper. But we slept quietly during the night. Our guests were gone, nor did either of them ever after return to our house.
"On another occasion an Indian came to our house intoxicated while the men were away from home, except my brother, a lad about fifteen at that time. He demanded whisky. When told that we had none, he seemed incredulous, and proposed to search the premises. He started to go into the chamber up a ladder, by which we usually ascended. My brother seized a two-tined pitchfork, which happened to be standing at the door, displayed its glittering prongs in a threat- ening manner, when Mr. Indian suddenly gave up his search, and concluding we might have told the truth, walked quietly away.
"We had attached to our house what we called an outdoor cellar, in which my mother kept her milk, butter and provisions generally, during the
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summer season. This cellar was by some means discovered by a large white dog belonging to an Indian camp about a mile away. A careful re- connoissance assured him that it was a good place to get milk, of which he appeared to be very fond. For several successive nights my mother complained that her cellar had been invaded by foragers, and that such obstructions as she had interposed for the protection of the milk, had been overcome by the marauders. She accord- ingly, as is right and proper. appealed to my father for protection and assistance.
"As it was then a time of profound peace. my father regarded such incursions upon the milk as clearly against the dignity of the law and the guaranteed rights of the people, and loading his shot gun with a double charge of buckshot, lie volunteered in the service of the country to guard the door of the cellar. About nine o'clock in the evening he appeared, and, as he was boldly marching up to the assault, my father opened fire upon him. So unexpected and well directed was the fire that the foe was completely surprised and overwhelmed and beat a hasty retreat, mortally wounded. The outdoor cellar was thenceforward a good place to keep milk. But the old Indian owning the dog was greatly offended, and vowed to kill my oldest brother whom he suspected of having killed his dog. This threat he twice at- tempted to execute, but was prevented-once by his daughter. an athletic Indian girl, who canght and held her father while my brother escaped- and once by his gun missing fire, as it was de- liberately aimed at my brother, who got out of range before it could again be prepared and brought to bear upon him. About this time his own safety growing out of a mortal quarrel which he had with another Indian family, rendered his removal from that portion of the country im- peratively necessary, and he was thus prevented from accomplishing his murderous designs upon our family.
"The country was of course in a state of na- ture. and its fierce denizens undisturbed when we established our home in it. Some varieties of wild animals abounded. Deer were very plenty. We could hardly go a mile in any direc- tion without seeing more or less. I have counted
fifty-six in a drove. Bears were never numerous in our region. They were but seldom met in the woods, and when met were always disposed to get away as soon as possible. There was oc- casionally a lynx and a wild cat seen, but they were not plenty. Wolves, however, were abun- dant. For several years after our settlement it was a very common thing to hear them howling around our house. But so far as I know they never offered to attack men. They were, however, often very bold, approaching near the house and attacking such stock as was exposed to them.
"The night after we moved into our log house our dog, a very large, noble animal, was greatly disturbed by an unwelcome visitor-one who showed him but very little courtesy. He finally drove the dog close up to the blanket door of the house, and took possession of some bones that were scattered about the site of the tent where we had lived. The night was so dark that he could not be seen, though not two rods distant. but he could be heard gnawing the bones. My father put his rifle through the crack between the logs of our house and, guided by the sound of the cracking bones, thought if nothing more, he would fire a salute in honor of our dog's noc- turnal visitor. The ball took effect in the neck. just below the ear, and stopped the gnawing and cracking of bones instantly. Taking a brand from the fire my father rushed out and there lay dead an enormous gray wolf.
"At another time. a few years later. my father had a very fine calf in the little pasture within six or eight rods of the house. One morning, when he went to see the calf, we found nothing but bloody fragments, showing that poor bossie had been visited by a cruel stranger the night before, who was very fond of veal. But Bossie was not long unavenged. For gathering the fragments and binding them together with a strong cord, we attached a chalk line at one end to the veal. and the other to the trigger of a flint lock gun by the side of which two other guns with open pans, were placed, all securely tied in their places, and each carefully aimed just above the veal. About II o'clock that night we were aroused by the simultaneous discharge ' of three guns, and upon going to the place we found
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a gray wolf of the largest size laying in utter un- consciousness beside the remains of his victim. The bounty on his scalp paid for the damage he had done.
"There were, of course, great privations in those early days. But as I recur to them I can hardly appreciate them. We generally had enough of something to eat, enough to wear to keep us warm and a place to rest. Give a child these-all we really need-and it will be happy. We enjoy luxuries in food, dress and homes. But these enjoyments are only temporary. Plain food, coarse clothing, and humble dwellings satisfy the demands of nature, and in the absence of luxury, we forget our privations, if we are as well off as our associates.
"Bread, potatoes and salt pork were our staples of food. We had butter when we could make it for ourselves. Sugar was kept for company, and did not enter into the ordinary family use. Of coffee we had absolutely none. Our tea was gen- erally of sassafras or sage leaves. Our sauce was made by mixing about equal quantities of stewed pumpkins and cranberries without sugar.
"By the time we had moved into our house, six weeks after our arrival, our provisions were ex- hausted, and Detroit, distant then, going and re- turning, eight days' hard traveling, was our near- est depot of supplies. My father, with my oldest brother, accordingly started the day after we moved into our house for provisions and the re- mainder of our goods, leaving my mother and five children alone in our cabin in the wilderness, with nothing to eat but some salt, rusty pork. The next day after his departure my mother sent my two sisters whose ages have already been given, to Dexter, four miles away, with a little tin pail to borrow some flour for us to subsist upon until my father's return. They brought back eight or ten pounds. But this, though care- fully eked out, was soon consumed and we actu- ally lived several days on salt, rusty pork and cranberries which we gathered from a salt marsh near at hand, without sugar.
"Our corn, and a very limited supply of pota- toes for our first winter were obtained at Wood- ruff's Grove, a point on the Huron about a mile below Ypsilanti. In the spring of 1826 we fitted
out two canoes, and floated them down the creek into the Huron, and thence to the farm of the late Colonel Orrin White, about three miles, for pota- toes for seed and summer use. The canoes were pulled up the river to Dexter, and thence the po- tatoes were brought home by wagon. But the supply was so short that the utmost economy was necessary. We cut off the eyes of the potatoes in slices as thin as we dare, and planted them, while we saved the heart for family use. An incident occurred while my father and brother were away, as just described, illustrating the feeling of neigh- borly kindness which prevailed among the people in those early times.
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