Portrait and biographical album of Gratiot county, Mich., Part 81

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman brothers
Number of Pages: 856

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Enlistments continued during the summer of 1862, and scarcely any men remained to manage the busi. ness interests of the county. In the township of Sum- ner, only two able-bodied men were left. This de- serves especial mention, on account of the fact that it was an unheard-of occurrence, and demonstrated the loyalty of her citizens in a remarkable manner.

In the summer of 1862, Rev. Lafayette Church or- ganized Company D, of the 26th Mich. Inf., and was elected Captain. His company was filled in a few weeks and were ready for marching orders. His son Nathan was elected ist Lieutenant and William S. Turck, Esq., 2d Lieutenant. Company D was pre- sented with a handsome silk flag by the ladies while in camp at Jackson, Mich .; it was carried through many sanguinary battle-flelds, and the remnants are still preserved in the archives of the State. Rev. Theodore Nelson, F. Kelly, J. Greer, whose empty sleeve testifies of actual service, William Barstow, C. E. McBride, L. Sweatland, Rev. William Towner and two sons of Sether Dean were members of this company, the three last being numbered with the honored dead.

The first draft was made in Gratiot County Oct.

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27, 1863. Many of those subject to military duty had enlisted in regiments organized in other counties, and the quota, although more than filled by her gal- lant sons, was not accredited to Gratiot.

The second draft was made during the fall of 1864, calling for 60 more, to complete the number. There were not that number of able-bodied men sub- ject to military duty in the county; but those who were drawn put in an appearance at Flint, for exam- ination. Among them were cripples, dyspeptics and gray-haired men, not one in ten of whom was accepted after reporting and undergoing an examina- tion. Some few who were drafted managed to have " urgent business in Canada" and escaped a brief term of service in that way ..

Gratiot County has every reason to be proud of her soldiers who were acknowledged in the records of the war as being among the best in the service ‘To mention the numerous engagements and hard-fought battles in which they participated would occupy 100 much space. Suffice it to say, that they were a band of heroes, and their names will live forever in the history of the nation.

The 26th regiment from 1864 attracted much en- viable notice by its gallant fighting at Deep Bottom, when it drove in great confusion double its own number into their earth-works, after pressing them for a full half mile. For this gallant and dashing affair they were specially complimented by Gen. Han- cock in general orders.

The regiment in command of Maj. N. Church, occupied a position in the entrenchments in front of Petersburg, and were daily engaged from Oct. 31 until March 25 following. From the Ist to the 6th of April, while in command of Maj. Ives, who had been promoted Major, to rank from March 7 preced- ing, vice Church, the latter being commissioned Lieu .. tenant Colonel and then serving as Assistant In- spector General on Gen. Miles' staff, the regiment was engaged in pursuing the retreating army, fight- ing every day. On the 6th the regiment took a very active part in the capture of a train of 260 wagons, containing baggage, provisions and ammunition, and was the first regiment to attack the train.

From March 28 until April 9, the regiment partici- pated in ten engagements, and are accredited with the capture of over 400 prisoners. It was often complimented as the best " skirmish regiment " in

the Ninth Corps. After Lee's surrender the regiment was detailed with its brigade, to guard the trains em- ployed in bringing off the captured arms and ammu- nition. Gen. Barlow, in letters to Col. Church, says:

"I have the strongest regard and admiration for the 26th Michigan. It is a difficult thing to pick out one regiment from all those I served with as the very best ; but I can say this : that I never saw one superior in the whole army. * I believe that an army of such regiments as that would be superior to any army in the workl."

Gen. Hancock writes :

"I have great respect and esteem for the officers and men of a regiment so distinguished in the field as the 26th Michigan Infantry, being bound to them in ties of friendship derived from a common service."

If then these distinguished generals give the 26th, to which many of our Gratiot volunteers belonged, such praise, no higher mark of intrinsic merit need be mentioned. No greater glory attaches to these men than is due the gallant privates who made up the rank and file of the regiments and so manfully bore the burden and heat of the day. Honor is due to every soldier from Gratiot County and "The His- tory of Michigan in the War " does them great credit.

With the surrender of Lee, the Commander-in- Chief of the rebel forces, and the planting of the National banner upon the walls of Fort Sumter, from which it was ruthlessly torn by the hands of rebels four years before, our people breathed a universal prayer of gladness, for their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers would soon return, and life would be the happier for the sacrifices endured in the preser- vation of the country and the Union they devotedly loved. Shouts of rejoicing were heard when the tears were hardly gone from the eyes of those whose loved ones had breathed their last upon the Southern battle-fields.

With the return of the soldiers, came an impetus to the growth and prosperity of the whole country ; new enterprises were set on foot; the clatter of tools and hum of machinery were heard on every hand, and the opening of stores and other places of busi- ness showed that the boys had lost none of their enterprise by long absence. The pulpits, whose former occupants had been long clad in the livery furnished by "Uncle Sam," were again made to resound with the glad tidings, " Peace on earth, good will to man."

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RAILROADS.

HE subject of transportation has been and is now one of the vital questions in the growth and development of ? country, be it new or old. Gratiot County was for years almost shut off from civilization for lack of wagon roads, and until re- cently had no markets for grain or other productions, except for home consumption, solely because the same could not be carried out of the county.

There were several lines of rail- roads projected through this coun- ty, but until the Saginaw Valley & St. Louis road was built fiom Sagi- naw to St. Louis, there was no nearer point to be reached by rail than St. John's, in Clinton County. The Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw railroad was orig- inally intended to pass through Gratiot, but the direc- tors were so adroitly manipulated by Saginaw and Owosso parties that the route was changed.

The Lansing, St. John's & Mackinaw Railroad Company.

1115 road was the first line proposed to pass through Gratiot County. The company was organized, and five per cent. of stock paid in, April 26, 1869. All the representative men of St. Louis, Ithaca and St. John's met on that day, and committees were appointed who were to canvass along the proposed line for local

subscriptions. Judge William E. Winton, of Ithaca, and Judge Bourland spent two months in stumping Gratiot County. Aid was secured from every town- ship on both sides of the line, and bonds were all ready for negotiation, when the Supreme Court of Michigan decided the law to be unconstitutional which allows aid to be voted in the manner thereto- fore done. Although the line was surveyed to Ithaca, they were obliged to abandon the project.

The Chicago, Saginaw & Canada Railroad.

HERE is no limit to the inventive faculties of man, nor the schemes which can be em -. ployed to accomplish certain ends. Capt. E. L. Craw was an impecunious individual, but his zeal and desire to attain notoriety resulted in the building of the road mentioned, which he not only undertook but virtually accomplished without having a dollar of money invested. He was of the "Col. Sellers" order and his wealth was all prospective or on paper, which consisted of blank railroad bonds. His first venture in this State was to organize a joint-stock company in Chicago, who purchased several thousand acres of pine lands near Lake Michigan, where a fine hotel was built, costing $100,000, in a village platted by the company, bear- ing the name of " Fruitport."

This was intended to be a fashionable summer re .. sort, but the burning of the hotel put a quietus upon the scheme from which it never recovered.

This venture gave rise to the plan afterward carried

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into execution by Capt. Craw, for building a railroad to connect with Detroit on the east and touching "Fruitport " on the west. He had a lot of bonds printed, came to St. Louis, and by representations made, an agreement was entered into with the man- agers of the Saginaw Valley & St. Louis railroad to merge their line into the Chicago, Saginaw & Canada railroad, he to commence at St. Louis and build west- ward. He tried first to obtain local aid at St. Louis, but failed to get a dollar. His efforts at AAlma were successful, 821,000 being subscribed by the citizens. Grading was commenced in 1874, the engineers hav- ing located the line through to Lake View. He issued bonds of $20,000 per mile and sent Prof. McChesney to Europe to negotiate the same. This he failed to do, but succeeded in pawning them for $10,000. In the meantime Capt. Craw was not idle. He issued still more bonds, went to Philadelphia, and, get- ting together a number of capitalists, represented that he had secured aid along the line, showed up the advantages of his road, it being by 60 miles the shortest route to Chicago, the immense resources to be obtained by the transportation of pine lumber from the lands of the aforementioned company, esti- mated to furnish shipments for several years. From the cleverness of his argument he procured $150,000, putting up bonds of $20,000 to the mile and agree- ing to pay 10 per cent. and refund the money after the first 20 miles was graded. As Prof. McChesney was then in Europe trying to negotiate the bonds, this part of the scheme was the more easily accom- plished.

He then borrowed $100,000 of Gen. Sickles, with the same securities, and expended what was left after his famous champaigne suppers were paid for, in grading and putting down ties.

This money was soon exhausted and the Captain made a journey to New York, with another lot of bonds, where, forming the acquaintance of Capt. Benj. Richardson, he succeeded in borrowing $100,000 for 90 days, agreeing to pay a bonus of $15,000 for the favor. He put up $200,000 in bonds to secure this loan, expecting to have returns from Europe before payment was due.

The money procured from Richardson purchased the iron for laying 20 miles of track, but it was all exhausted before the same reached St. Louis. Rich- ardson had to advance more money to pay the freight

from Saginaw to St. Louis, and pay for laying the iron. Later, he bought the rolling stock, consisting of 20 flat cars, two engines, a second-class passenger coach and one box car. These were branded, "Property of Benj. Richardson," as he felt like hav- ing some representation. He was then made mana- ging director, and operations commenced between St. Louis and Cedar Lake in the fall of 1875.

Previous to all this, Craw had induced his son-in- law to invest $60,000 in the scheme, all of which was lost, the young man never realizing a dollar. It was operated under Richardson's management until November, 1876, when it was declared bankrupt and passed into the hands of D. 1). Irwin, of Muskegon, as receiver. He leased it to Col. J. A. Elwell, who operated it until June 1, 1883, when the line was sold to the Detroit, Lansing & Northern Railroad Company. The chief engineer, B. H. Bryant, was assistant superintendent under the lessee until his resignation in July, 1879, when James T. Hall was promoted from a conductorship to the position of superintendent, which he retained until the road was sold. Col. Elwell made this line a successful one, extending it, at his own expense, from Cedar Lake to Edmore, there making connections with the De- troit, Lansing & Northern. In September, 1878, he extended it to Lake View, the present terminus. When he leased the road the total earnings amounted to less than $10,000 per year. He increased this 1,200 per cent. the first year, which was largely due to his enterprise in establishing a postal and tele- graph service, express and other facilities, as well as the erection of suitable depots along the line.

All these were supplied by Mr. Elwell at his own expense, but he was subsequently reimbursed by order of the court.

This is, in brief, the history of one of the most remarkable schemes in railroad building ever re- corded.

As operated now, by the Detroit, Lansing & North- ern, the line is a paying investment, and some time will surely be extended, making Detroit a terminus.

Lowell Hall originated a scheme in the line of railroad enterprises which came to an untimely end in 1873. His plan was to build a line from Grand Rapids to Saginaw, and the route was surveyed and some grading done in the townships of Fulton and Washington. This line was known and is yet spoken

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of as the " Lowell Hall " route, but all hope of its being completed has been long since abandoned, the project never having been a feasible one.

A line known as the Marshall, Coldwater & Mack- inaw railroad was surveyed, and considerable grading done in 1873. The entire line is graded through Summer Township, except across section 6, in which the hamlets of Elm Hall and Estella are very much interested. The former name of Coldwater and Mackinaw was changed to the present title in 1874. Strong probabilities exist that this road will be com- pleted in the near future.

Owosso and Northwestern Railroad.

railroad by the above name was pro- jected and surveyed through this county. The line was graded and ties furnished at many points along the route, but the " pan- ic" of 1873 stopped the work until the fall of 1883. The name has been changed to the Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michigan railroad. It passes through a fertile section of country, and will be of great advantage in developing not only this but also the other counties through which it passes. J. M Ashley, Sen., is President, and his son, J. M. Ashley, Jr., Secretary.

The Saginaw Valley & St. Louis Railroad.

ERHAPS it would not be saying too much did we mention that out of the wild scheme projected by Lowell Hall grew the Saginaw Valley & St. Louis railroad; consequently this proves that indirect means may accomplish important ends. The first line of railroad, and the first train of cars coming into the county, was over the above named road. For a long while the people of St. Louis were forced to obtain supplies from Sag- inaw and St. John's by teams, and not until 1870 was any direct effort made to establish a route, there being but few men of sufficient means and energy to undertake it. We are glad to place on record the names of the parties most interested and who aided

and pushed forward the project until it was finally completed. To these men St. Louis owe all, or much, of the prosperity which so enlivens her to-day. Thomas Holcomb, John L. Evans, Luther Smith, Aaron Wessells, James F. Newton and S. S. Hastings, together with A. B. Darragh, deserve more credit for their labors in this enterprise than they will ever receive.

In the spring of 1870, a few men, among whom were Luther Smith, John L. Evans and A. B. Dar- ragh, were discussing the matter of railroads, and it was suggested that a meeting of the citizens be called at St. Louis to have some expression in the matter, as they were sadly in need of a road. There being no printing press in the village, Mr. Darragh wrote out several notices, stating that a meeting would be held on a certain date to discuss the matter of having a railroad, and everybody was invited to attend. These were posted, and when the day for meeting came the town was full of enthusiastic peo- ple, all of whom wanted a railroad. The meeting was held in a hall over Schiffer's hardware store, and a committee appointed to visit points along the pro- posed route, which was, as conceived by Lowell Hall, to have Grand Rapids for the western, and the Sagi- naws the eastern terminus, the same to be called the "Grand Rapids & Saginaw Railroad Company." This committee were to appoint local committees along the proposed route, to attend a meeting soon to be held in Saginaw to effect a permanent organi- zation.

A close canvass was made between this place and Grand Rapids prior to the meeting at Saginaw, and outside of Grand Rapids very little was done. An apathy prevailing throughout the country, St. Louis was anxious to have the road terminate at this point, and came to the front with a handsome donation.

At the meeting for permanent organization at Sag- inaw, L. H. Eastman was chosen President, David Il. Jerome, Secretary, and A. W. Wright, Treasurer. Luther Smith offered a resolution, which was adopted by vote, that a committee be appointed to report all subscriptions along the line, including Grand Rapids, and report result, together with a recommendation as to the western terminus of the road. As chairman of said meeting, Mr. Smith reported $30,000 from each of the Saginaws and the same amount from both St. Louis & Grand Rapids, together with a few small

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subscriptions along the line. After a conference, the present name was given, the eastern terminus being Saginaw ; the western, St. Louis. At this meeting, five per cent of the stock was paid in, and everything went well. Contracts were let, and work commenced at both ends, being rapidly pushed with all the force requisite. More money was needed and another as- sessment levied, which the East Saginaw stock-hold - ers refused to pay, claiming they had been unjustly dealt with, by virtue of a contract made between the executive committee and the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw, which practically made Saginaw City the terminus. They insisted that the original contract be complied with, making their city the terminus.

Sufficient means were realized in St. Louis and Saginaw to carry on the work, and the road was completed in the winter of 1871. Amasa Stone, of the Cleveland Iron Works, furnished the iron, taking pay in bonds of the road drawing 8 per cent semi-annually, these bonds being considered worth only So cents on the dollar. In addition to this, the Cleveland Rolling Mill Company were given as a bonus Stoo,ooo stock in the road, which was after- ward paid in full. There were thirteen directors, of whom John L. Evans, John F. Newton, Charles B. Kress, Luther Smith and James McHenry were res- idents of St. Louis.

The directors gave their personal obligation for roll- ing stock, which cost $150,000, and was afterward paid by the earnings of the road. There was at times some disagreement among the officials, but all these were smoothed over and the best of feeling prevailed when the first train made its appearance at St. Louis, in December, 1871. A large number of . people came from Saginaw and other points to attend the grand dinner given by the people in honor of the occasion, and five long tables, loaded with everything palatable, were spread in Kress' Hall. Speeches were made by many distinguished guests from abroad, toasts drank and responded to in a happy manner by many of our present citizens. S. W. Am- bler, the President of the village, made some appio- priate remarks. It was a grand gala-day. Jolin Evans killed his old bear " Jo," whose savory steaks graced the banquet board. Artillery was fired, and glad huzzas were heard on every side.

The construction of this road opened up a country which had been comparatively worthless, being cov-

ered with hard woods which had no market value, but were now eagerly sought after. Much of the fine square timbers were sent to Europe, while staves made from the same were largely exported to the West India Islands.

The population of St. Louis, which was only Soo in 1870, has increased until it now numbers 2,700, the result of enterprise brought about by the opening of this road. It is now under the contract of the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw Railroad Company, al- though the name is unchanged.

The extension of the line from St. Louis to Ithaca, was mainly due to that energetic gentleman, Gen. Nathan Church, who spent not only a great deal of time, but also many dollars, to accomplish the work. For several years efforts had been made to induce the company to extend the line to Ithaca, but no plan proposed met with favor. The benefits Ithaca would derive from having railroad communication with the outside world was apparent to her business men, and a local company was organized, their money paid in and work has commenced in earnest between Alma and Ithaca. The officers of this company were composed of the following gentlemen :

President-Nathan Church.

Secretary -- Robert Smith.

Treasurer -- W. S. Turck.

Directors-A. W. Wright, of Saginaw ; D. R. Sul- livan and W. S. Turck, of Alma ; and Nathan Church, Wilbur Nelson, J. H. Seaver and Robert Smith, of Ithaca.

Tdese gentlemen organized the company April I, 1882, and work was commenced at once. The right of way was secured, the road graded, tied and iron laid by December 15th of that year. After mature deliberation, the officers of the company decided to transfer all their right, title and interest in the road to the Detroit, Lansing & Northern, which road hah agreed to equip and run the new line in connection with their time schedule. The first freight received over the new road, was two cars of machinery for Mr. Thompson's Butter-Tub factory. Dec. 28, 1882. Nel- son & Barber shipped the first freight from Ithaca (one car of wheat), on Jan. 2, 1883.

Regular passenger trains were put on June 25 of the same year, and the trade in both the passenger and the freight departments has been entirely satis- factory to the company managing the line.

To Gen. Nathan Church, Robert Smith, Wilbur

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Nelson and Joseph 11. Scaver, are the people of Ithaca indebted for the prosperity which came with the completion of this line of road.

The Lansing, Alma, Mt. Pleasant & Northern Railroad.

HIS road is being rapidly pushed to com- pletion. It passes through a fertile section of country, and has for its present termini, Lansing on the south and Mt. Pleasant on the north. Engineers were put upon the proposed route in January, and the work isnow well under way, grading is being pushed rapidly, and before

the close of 1884 cars will be running between the points named. The shops of the company will prob- ably be located at Alma, which will add largely to the business industries of that village.

The officers of this company are composed of the following well-known gentlemen, whose names guar- antee a successful completion of the line, all being quite wealthy and determined that their scheme shall not fail.

President-A. W. Wright, of Alma.

Directors-A. W. Wright, Wm. S. Turck, James Gargett and Geo. D. Barton, of Alma; J. N. Shep- herd, of Salt River; John A. Harris and Wm. M. Brown, of Mt. Pleasant.

ITHACA

E know nothing that bespeaks the wealth of a country in more unmistakable lan- guage than the growth and prosperity of her vil- lages and cities. The grad- ual development of Gratiot County has caused a growth and business enterprise of her three most important towns that are indeed surprising. Of these we mention first the county seat, which is beatifully located at the geographical cen- ter of the county, and in the midst of an agricultural district equaled by few in the Peninsular State. "Gratiot Center " was thus named, being the center of the coun- ty ; but the name was changed to Ithaca, that being the name of the postoffice which was located here in February, 1856. The town was surveyed by Sidney S. Hastings, Feb. 11, 12 and 13 of that year, and

the first residents were Frank Miller, Postmaster, and Orville M. Wood. John Jeffrey was owner of the land, and had it platted and offered lots for sale in the spring of 1856.

Only two buildings were erected until March, one being a small frame structure of two rooms, the front one being used as a store by Mr. Jeffrey, the other for a dwelling and hotel, which was occupied by Lucius Knapp and family. The other was a rude log build- ing, in which the postoffice was kept, also a stock of groceries by John Knight & Frank Miller. Knight afterward removed part of the stock into another log building, where John Howd's house now stands, that had been erected for the purpose by Ben., Dan. and William Crawford. The firm was known as Knight & Van Riper.

W.W. Comstock purchased two lots of John Jeffrey in June of this year and erected a log hotel, the first public house in the village. The "Retan House" occupies the site, and the cook-room of that hostelry

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Portrait and biographical album of Gratiot county, Mich., Part 81

Author: Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Chicago, Chapman brothers Number of Pages: 856

Author:
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman brothers
Number of Pages: 856