USA > Michigan > Huron County > Pioneer history of Huron County, Michigan > Part 3
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There are two distinct grades of rock in the quar- ries termed from their respective qualities, the light and heavy rock. The light rock is from 12 to 15 feet deep, while the heavy rock is five or 10 feet deeper. The rock lies in strata varying from two to three inches to six feet in thickness; the top sheets being very light. The grindstones made here vary in weight from three pounds lo three and one-half tons. They are shipped to all parts of the United States and Canada and also to Ger- many, Russia and other foreign countries. About 80 men are employed at these works and these with their families form quite a community which bears the ap- propriate sobriquet of Grindstone City. Besides the manufactured stone there is shipped from here large quantities of building stone to the various cities on the lakes. Ever since the first opening the quarries have increased in importance and thousands of dollars have
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
been expended in improvements such as shipping docks, warehouses and so forth."
We find that W. Cooper sold his quarry in 1871 to Worthington & Sons. James Wallace was the first partner in the firm who bought from Capt. Peer but later took into partnership Robert Wallace, of Grindstone City, Frank B. Wallace and E. L. Wallace, of Detroit taking the name of the Lake Huron Stone Company. Robert Wallace, whose name is connected with the business came to America from Ireland when but a lad of 15. He worked as a laborer in the quarry from 1854 to 1864, then secured the position as manager and finally became the chief proprietor in 1868. His family have evinced the same traits of industry and ability and are well known throughout the state today for their active work in business, political and social life.
In 1874 the first post office was established with James Green as postmaster. In 1888 the Cleveland Stone Company purchased all the property owned by the Lake Huron Stone Company and thus became the sole proprietors of the quarry property at Grindstone City. They employed about 150 men and manufactured about 35 to 40 tons of grindstones daily. One grindstone made here weighed six tons.
In 1860 J. B. Johnson, afterward so well known in the county, came to Grindstone City, where he and a brother of his were engaged in the quarry business. Mrs. Johnson taught school here on account of the scarcity of teachers. Their home was often used as a preaching place for the traveling M. E. preachers of that period.
RUBICON TOWNSHIP
Where the township of Rubicon now is was for many years the site of lumbermen's camps. Forest Bay was quite a large place then. The meeting to perfect
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
the organization of this township was held April 4th, 1859. W. D. Ludington was elected the first supervisor. It is almost impossible to tell at this date just who the first settlers were. 1855 is the date of the first ap- pearance of the white race at this particular part of the county. Hunters and trappers as well as fishermen from St. Clair and Sanilac counties used to make it their headquarters. About the year 1850 shingle weavers came up the shore and plied their trade here. In 1855 a man by the name of Diamond came along and camped for some time in the vicinity. Later he took out several United States patents of timber land. The river that flows through the township is named after him. He was here two years and during that time Port Hope was named in this manner, according to a paper given by Mrs. Bisbee of that place. Mr. Southerd and Mr. Witcher, put off of a steamboat outside of here, tried to reach the shore in a small skiff. They rowed all night with no success and Mr. Southerd declared that if ever they reached the shore they would call the place of landing a port of hope. They finally landed at the site of the present docks and true to their word named it Port Hope.
In 1857 W. R. Stafford came from Lexington and purchased the claims of Southerd and Diamond and the rest of his company took out United States patents on the balance of the land. A saw mill was erected in 1858 and the town grew all around this mill. This plant of Stafford's was entirely destroyed by the fire of '71 Over 100,000,000 feet of choice lumber was manufactured here. Mr. Stafford drove the first double team over the lake shore road and also brought in the first buggy. Later he drove the first cutter into Port Austin.
W. F. Clark, of Port Austin, editor of The Huron County News, in an article on Port Hope in 1871, speaks of Mr. H. E. Baker, one of the editors of The Detroit Tribune, making a trip up the shore. Mr. Baker was
HON. ALBERT E. SLEEPER Ex-Governor of Michigan and a Former President of the Huron County Pioneer and Historical Society.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
especially impressed with the town of Port Hope in that day, and says:
"Port Hope on the whole is the handsomest village in general appearance above Lexington. It has a popu- lation of 400 and a large mill owned by Stafford & Hay- wood. The unusually neat and thrifty appearance of the town I attribute to the fact that its proprietors have wisely sold their village lots to all who desire to pur- chase and hence most of the houses are enclosed with neat fences, painted and surrounded by gardens. There is nothing like giving a man ownership in the roof that shelters and the spot of ground in which it stands. Rent- ed tenements are not improved by the occupant for he has no inducement to do it and the landlord has scarcely more. Port Hope stands out conspicuously in this regard from all the towns along Lake Huron's shore. There is also a large tannery here, partly owned by the town proprietors and partly by Messrs. Dean, who run it and who are bred to their business and understand it to the minutest detail. Here may be met the very unusual sight of father, son and grandson all at work and inter- ested in the same business enterprise. The hides that are consumed are purchased in Toledo and other down- lake ports, the freight in upward bound vessels being small while hemlock bark is of the best quality and in an
unlimited supply. Their large yearly product finds a ready market in the New England States. There is talk of soon building a meeting house. This village is a rival of Sand Beach for the harbor of refuge. It is said that Port Hope possesses much better anchorage ground, but the whole matter is a question of facts easily as- certainable. The town is about midway in the county north and south with roads diverging into interior towns so that it will command a goodly portion of the trade. The town itself is laid out into 40 or more squares or blocks and commanding one of the finest views on the entire lakes. On the south is a large grove or park which has been named for General Meade, who in former years erected a tower that now stands for observations while
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
surveying the lakes. The grove has since been improved and drives made through it so that all may enjoy a walk or drive beneath those wide-speading branches that have withstood the storms of ages. Vessels coming up the lake cannot get but a short distance above Port Hope with a northwest wind as the land breaks off to the west above this point and a heavy sea always meels them from Saginaw Bay. Vessels bound down the lakes on their regular course make the land at this point and change their course for St. Clair river."
Port Hope had two schools, an English school and also a German school, of from 40 to 60 pupils under the charge of Rev. Th. Schoeck. This town was the trading center for the adjoining townships of Bloom- field, Gore and Huron. It had a fine location, extending back from the shore about three-fourths of a mile. The sand ridge which is supposed to once have been the bank of the lake and skirts the county here nearly meets the shore, giving the village an elevated appear- ance with an even slope to the water.
The first religious services held in the town were by the Methodists. Rev. John Kay preached to the Presbyterians in 1875.
The first school in Rubicon township was taught by Thomas Nichols, afterwards a Methodist preacher. Mrs. James E. Hayward was the first teacher in the village public school. W .R. Stafford was the first postmaster and held that position 22 years. The tax roll of 1864 shows Stafford personally assessed for two houses, a carriage and a watch. He paid $1.72 tax on the watch.
William Ludington named the township which had been known in the years before by the settlers of Sani- lac and St. Clair as "town 17." It was the headquarters for their lumbermen and fishermen. It had their dense forests of pine, beech, maple, birch, ash, basswood, cedar and hemlock. The soil is varying in character, in some parts dry and in others a sandy loam. In time
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
the timber either had been cut into logs or burned and many squatter farms appeared all around the little village. Much of the lumber was shipped to Ohio. When a once a week mail was received it did much to melt the forest-line which separated the little village from the outside world.
The great forest fires of '71 and '81 did untold damage but it enabled the settlers as at so many other points in the county to clear with rapidity and cheap- ness and the result has been excellent farms.
The track of the fires can only be traced today by the new structures which have taken the place of the old ones, neater and better buildings, showing the en- terprise and thrift of the community. Some of the most noticeable farms were those owned by James Miller, Robert Hunter and John McWillis. W. R. Stafford's farm contained 800 acres all under cultivation. He also had another farm called the "Mill Farm", used for stock, containing more than 1,000 acres.
The first salt well in the village owned by the Port Hope Salt Company made annually about 45,000 bar- rels of salt. The second one was owned by R. C. Ogilvie and had a capacity of 200 barrels per day. W. H. Leuty had a general store; Bert Morris, the hardware busi- ness; F. Beckwith dealt in boots and shoes, while Mrs. J. Geltz was the milliner. A fine hotel, of which Robert Winterbottom was the genial proprietor, stood on Main street.
As the lake cuts off on the east side a portion the total area of the township is about 23 square miles. The extremes of temperature are in a great measure pre- vented by the influence of the surrounding waters mak- ing the climate very favorable for the cultivation of fruit.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
CHAPTER III
Early Township History
BINGHAM TOWNSHIP
Bingham township dates back to 1856 when Joseph Frantz and Joseph Deachin made a location here.
Joseph Frantz was born in Alsace, France, and at the age of 23 years came to America. He went first to Canada where he was engaged in agriculture for three years and then decided to go to Michigan. On going to the state land office at Detroit, he met Philip Link, of Minden, who told him of the very promising pros- pects and outlook of Huron County although not yet organized. He purchased 160 acres on section 31, Bingham, under the Graduation Act. He set out to look at his property and found that it lay in the depths of an unbroken forest with no roads of any kind. This, however, did not discourage the young Frenchman but with all the courage and energy of his race he deter- mined to locate his land. Finally he reached the place and laid the foundations of a home. He was the first permanent settler in Bingham township and had to carry all his provisions and supplies from Forestville, a distance of 24 miles. One time he carried 100 pounds of flour in on his back, making the trip in one day. The organization of this township took place in 1863 with Robert Scott as the supervisor. It is named after Gover- nor Bingham, who was in power when the township was first settled. Robert Scott settled on section 11 in the year 1857, locating four eighties and by industry and perseverance was able to overcome the trials and dif- ficulties of pioneer life. Another man who came the
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
same year was Alexander Mckenzie, a Scotchman. He purchased 160 acres of land in section 17 Bingham. Six families had moved in by this time. Jacob Miller being one of these and Joseph Deachin who came the same. time as his cousin Joseph Frantz. They cut a trail through the forest for eight miles but like his cousin Mr. Deachin was determined to have a home for him- self under a free flag and the privileges of a republic. C. F. Hathaway came in and settled on section 20 in 1867. At that time the little settlement numbered 12 or 15 families. There were no roads to speak of and only one or two wagons in the entire township. An- other familiar name was that of James McAllister, who bought 400 acres of government land in 1859, on which he was actively engaged in lumbering for several years.
THE VILLAGE OF UBLY
The village of Ubly is situated in Bingham town- ship. D. H. Pierce platted the town and met with suc- cess in his scheme of establishing the place by offer- ing a substantial inducement to business men to make this a point for their operations. (3) Mr. Pierce was a heavy loser in the fire of '81. The names of J. B. Madill, Alex Pike, Alfred Pagett are all connected with the history and business life of this town.
PARIS TOWNSHIP
Back in 1856 we find Casimer Smolenski locating land in Paris township on which he erected a building for his future home. From that time this section of the county settled rapidly. The greater portion of the set- tlers were Polanders who are very thrifty.
Peter Pawlowski in recent years wrote several sketches of this township's early history for The Huron County Tribune, which no doubt are the most reliable records we have. Therefore we quote freely from these
(3) Huron County Album, page 417.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
interesting stories of pioneer days and of those who par- ticipated in the development of the township.
Mr. Pawlowski says: "In the year 1854 three Polish families emigrated to Huron County from Canada. They were John Woytlewicz, Ambrose Chuknowski and An- thony Slavick. These early settlers were men of great courage and determination and soon demonstrated this in reclaiming the marshy land which under their care- ful and painstaking mode of cultivation rapidly became very productive soil. In the year 1855 Mr. Pawlowski's father, Stephen Pawlowski, landed at Forestville, Sani- lac County, with some tools and provisions which he had to carry on his back, fording streams, crossing marshes and going around swamps which he could not cross, to make the first improvement on his farm. Returning back to Canada and speaking of felling the trees he said he had only "cut a hole in the sky". A year later he re- turned with his wife, but she like many others of the pioneers' wives had to remain alone in the woods for months in the winters while the husbands worked in the lumber camps. At such times Mrs. Pawlowski carried her supplies on her back from Forestville, a distance of 18 miles. Another pioneer was John Pyonk, who walked 100 miles to get his cook stove. He took it apart at Forestville and carried it home one piece at a time.
Miss Binenza, now Mrs. Charles Worchock, quite a frail girl at the time, made over 60 18-mile trips for supplies for her parents and later for herself. Some of the fruit trees in Mr. Pawlowski's orchard were brought in on her back. This orchard is the oldest one in Paris.
The forest abounded with all kinds of game. Deer were very plentiful: When Mr. S. Pawlowski was build- ing his second log house, John Woytlewicz shot a deer from the building they were working on. Often they had to get up at night to scare the deer away from de- stroying the crops. There were hundreds of wolves and almost any night one could hear them howling in the dark, deep forests.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
The first mail was brought into Paris from Forest- ville. Eight years later a turn pike was built to Cato, now Charleston, and later to Minden. In 1869 a grist mill was built which relieved the housewives, as most of the grinding before that time was done with a 100-pound stone. In 1874 a saw mill was built by Susalla Bros., at Parisville, and this helped the men out. Before this they sawed the lumber by hand.
Paris township was organized in 1861 with Donald Curry as supervisor. Stephen Pawlowski's farm was valued at $100 at that date. The forest fires of '71 and '81 destroyed the timber and half of the settlement. It wiped out an entire family except the father, who was absent. James Shaw came to this township in the early sixties. He lived in Paris at the time of the Polish re- bellion against conscription in 1863 and his home was visited by the U. S. troops.
DWIGHT TOWNSHIP
South of Port Austin is the township of Dwight, settled in 1856 by Henry Hellems, who was also the first supervisor. Here we find J. F. Weatherhead, who came in 1859 and Benjamin Cartwright, who came in 1861, and bought 80 acres of land. He was the owner of the first wagon, the first fanning mill and the first threshing machine and also built the first brick chimney in Dwight. Other early settlers were Thomas Sullivan, M. Fremont and Peter Smeader, who spent nine years in Port Austin before coming here.
Maguire Fremont was an early and well known pioneer of this township. He came in 1856 to Port Austin, where he worked 16 years in a saw mill and in 1879 located land and established a home in Dwight. He was one of the organizers of the Catholic church in Port Austin and was a splendid type of the sturdy and thrifty settlers in this county. Once he walked from Bay City to Dwight, a distance of 78 miles, in one day.
The soil in this township is of a gravelly loam na- ture in the northern part and sandy in the southern part.
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
The timber was originally hard wood with some pine and hemlock. Bird's Creek and its tributaries run through the township and afford good drainage. All kinds of fruit do well here. The township has several good schools.
SHERMAN TOWNSHIP
Down in the very southeastern part of the county was the division known as White Rock, first organized with Sherman under the name of "White" . The name was afterwards changed by special act of the legislature to White Rock and the other part of the territory was set off as Sherman. A Mr. Smith is said to have been the first settler at White Rock in 1845. The land here is flat and a sandy loam. On the site of the village fish- ermen and shingle weavers would camp for months at a time when they pursued their avocations. The first clerk of Huron County was a pioneer in this section, Robert Irwin. He bought an extensive salt block, which was established in 1871 by Thompson & Bros. John Stocks, who came in 1852 was another pioneer. He had been a soldier in the Mexican war, enlisting in 1846. Robert Munford was a leading merchant in White Rock, coming to that vicinity in 1860. Clarke Munford, now president of the Huron County Pioneer and Historical Society, is his son. Sherman was organized under its present name in 1865. It was settled in 1856 by John Huersanger and Joe Willy and others. The land of this township is rolling except in its northerly portion. The timber was beech, maple, ash, helmock, elm and bass- wood. The soil is a clay loam in spots and clay or sandy in other parts. The entire township was burned over in the fire of '71 and the northwest corner in '81. There are several creeks in the township, Welsh, White river, Elm and Sucker creeks. At an early date there were four schools and two churches. Robert Campbell had a fine residence in the town of Ruth as well as a general store. This town is on the Sand Beach division of the railroad. The town was formerly named Adam's Cor- ners. It had a hotel and two saw mills. Mr. Campbell
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
acted as express and station agent as well as postmaster and lumber manufacturer. Mr. Hanselman was one of the pioneers in this section of the county, locating here be- fore Sherman became a township. Such men were the beginners of progress and the builders of civilization. They cleared away forests, bridged streams, opened roads, built houses and barns and thus paved the way for those who followed them. Mr. Hanselman was a member of the board of organization and the privilege of naming the township was accorded to him. He greatly admired General Sherman and his achievements in 1862, and thus selected the name of Sherman to honor his memory on the Huron peninsula. Mr. Hanselman served the new township for 13 years as its efficient supervisor. Other settlers followed and among the names we find that of L. Tschirhart, who was the fifth man to make this township his home.
To such men the log cabin was a necessity, but the first thing was to reach his location. This often meant the cutting of a path into.the unbroken wilderness. In many places the ground would be soft and yielding, if not covered with water. Thick undergrowth varying with the open forest would meet the eye of the traveler and a few miles a day would be the most that could be gained. When the site was finally reached the sturdy settler with the help of the few neighbors would erect the "log cabin", his future home. The cracks between the logs of which were stopped with wedge-shaped chinks and plastered with clay. The single room was divided by hanging up quilts or sheets. In this cabin the pioneer and his wife and children set up that sacred thing we call home.
HUME TOWNSHIP
Coming up the shore we find a well known town- ship, that of Hume, named after Walter Hume, who came some time in the 'fifties. He has been called the Daniel Boone of this portion of Huron County. He mar- ried Mary Schilling, a daughter of an early pioneer of
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
Sebewaing township and built the first house and opened the first clearing in what is now Hume. He also built a hotel at the mouth of the Pinnebog river, which was probably the first structure for that purpose in this part of the county. He owned at one time over 1,000 acres of land near here. The Indians called him their friend and many a day he spent in their wigwams. The only roads were Indian trails and the nearest neighbors were miles away. The next settlers to come were Anthony Etzler and two brothers who located a half section of land. There were no families as all of the men men- tioned were single. No improvements of any kind with- in five miles of their location. All supplies were obtained at Port Austin. Obstacles of a formidable type were the rule not the exception and not the least of these were the wolves with which the forests were infested. It often happened that the early settlers were beset with these fierce creatures as they traveled back and forth to the settlements to get the necessities of life. Mr. Etz- ler had a thrilling experience on returning one time from Port Austin with a bag of flour on his back. Part way home he discovered three wolves on his tracks. The forest was dense, making rapid progress almost impos- sible and the burden on his back increased the danger. He finally had to drop the bag of flour and make the best time possible. Only the urgency of his peril which had grown clearer with every step saved his life, for the sav- age animals were close upon his heels when he reached the little log cabin exhausted and worn in the race with his foes.
This township was heavily timbered with pine, hemlock, cedar, beech and maple. The soil is a clay loam except that bordering the bay. It is drained by the Pinnebog river which for many years was the principal means of transporting logs to the saw mills at Port Crescent. As fine a body of pine as was ever seen once shaded this land but it has fallen before the sturdy axe of the pioneer, been manufactured into lumber and be- come a factor in the construction of many of the cities of this country. Over the ground where the Indian chased
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
the red deer and elk, and the wolves and lynx held nightly vigils may be seen the prosperous farms and villages of today.
Among the men who located land in Hume town- ship was Jonathan A. Stockman, a prominent Michigan land owner who purchased here in 1849. This later became a mill site where many logs, cut in the valley of the Pinnebog river, were converted into lumber in the early days. The drainage of about five townships is carried by this river into the lake. It's headwaters are near Wadsworth.
A VANISHED VILLAGE
The vanished village of Port Crescent was situated at the mouth of the Pinnebog on a bluff overlooking the bay. The peculiar crescent shaped line of the bay which forms a natural harbor gave the town its name. Not only was this town a great lumber center but also a noted fishing point for herring and white fish. Eakins & Soule did a large business in this line at one time. They also owned a salt block. Another one was owned and op- erated by Bennett Haskell. Each company had a saw mill and a general store in connection. The two hotels were kept by William Carter and William McCoy. A drug store by F. W. Sellars, M.D .; a meat market by George Meader. Two of the best docks in the county were built here and a regular line of steamers and freight vessels came to this port. The pioneer miller of Huron County lived here, Christian Schlegelmilch, who owned the first grist mill. He came to the village in 1866 and determined to build a mill on the Pinnebog river which project he carried into effect. It ran by steam power. Three months after the first mill was built it was burned down, but he immediately rebuilt the structure and manufactured flour that was noted for its excellent quality all over the county. A carriage and wagon shop was conducted by Klebba and afterward by Mutart. Another early pioneer in this vicinity was Reese Williams, who spent much of his time hunting.
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