USA > Michigan > Huron County > Portrait and biographical album of Huron county Michigan, Containing biographical sketches of citizens also a complete history of the county, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 44
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Port Crescent is also a noted fishing point for her- ring and whitefish, and a large trade is carried on in this line of business. These fish are dressed, put into small barrels with layers of salt, and shipped to the markets. Eakins & Soule do the largest busi- ness here. They have an extensive supply store, handling about $60,000 worth of goods annually. They are also large manufacturers of lumber and salt. Learned & Ayres first established the busi- ness at this place. They sold out to Woods & Co., when the firm changed to Williamson, Eakins & Co., and now it is Eakins & Soule. In 1880, Williamson & Eakins commenced sinking their well to supply brine for their steam salt block. In the spring of 1881 it was completed, at a depth of 1,242 feet. The block has a capacity of 150 barrels daily.
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Bennett Haskell is an extensive dealer in general merchandise. He has also a salt block and saw-mill. The salt works were started in 1880 and have a capacity of 200 barrels daily. The well was sunk 1,252 feet. Mr. Haskell has recently moved into his new business block, which is the finest in the village. This saw-mill was the first that converted a log into lumber in Hume Township, and was put up by J. W. Kimball, now at Port Austin.
C. F. Schlegelmilch has a very fine grist-mill, with two run of stone. It has the capacity of 250 bushels with 12 hours' run. It was erected in 1869, and is the first mill in the county.
Anthony & Kleba make wagons for the good peo- ple of the township, and Phillip Erneweine does the blacksmithing. There is also a store of groceries and fancy goods, owned by Mrs. Varty. Charles Fuerst makes boots and shoes. George Meader keeps a meat market. The Carter House is run by William Carter, and is a house where guests are made at home and comfortable. There is also another hotel kept by William McCoy. This house was opened to the public in 1868, by Henry Kennedy, who built it, and started the first hotel in the place.
Dr. E. W. Sellers looks after the sick. Dr. James Eakins was the pioneer physician of this township, opening an office here in 1869. He is no longer in practice.
Charles Soule is the present Postmaster. Mails are received once a day from each direction,-from Port Austin and Caseville. The postoffice was es- tablished at Port Crescent first in 1865; Charles F.
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Hazen, the Postmaster, held the office until 1871. J. B. Johnson held the first postoffice in the township, which was located at Pinnebog Bridge in 1860. The telegraph wires connected here in 1871.
SCHOOLS.
This village has a good school for the education of her children, which is partially graded. S. M. Janes is Principal, and Miss Mary McKinzie, assistant. The former has sixty-five scholars, the latter fifty-five. The building is a good two-story frame structure, with two large and airy apartments. This is School District No. 1. The others in the township are lo- cated as follows : District No. 2, on section 27; Dis- trict No. 3, on section 24, and District No. 4, on section 29.
With her large lumber manufactories, her salt in- dustries, her fine location, and good harbor facilities, with the rich country that surrounds her, we see no reason why Port Crescent should not grow and be- come one of the first towns in the county.
Pinnebog.
HIS little hamlet is located on section 31 and 32 in Hume Township, and 5 and 6 in Meade Township. The stage road leading to Caseville, and running east and west, di- vides the town, a part of which lies in Meade and a part in Hume.
It has a good school, taught by John T. Hughes. There are 120 scholars on the roll, with an average attendance of 60. In the district there are 168 pupils.
Richard Wagner is a dealer in general merchan- dise, and is also Postmaster. Mails arrive each day from Port Austin and Sebewaing.
Lewis Gerard has dry goods and groceries, and McLean & Arthur, hardware and agricultural imple- ments.
Dr. William E. Spohn has settled in this town as physician and surgeon, and keeps also an assortment of drugs and medicines.
Ingram Harrison established at this village one of those essential elements to the growth of a country,- a flouring-mill. It has two run of stone, one for flour and one for feed. His mill has a capacity of fifty
bushels per day. He is doing well and has a home market for all the flour he can make.
Benjamin Shiers did a good thing for himself as well as his neighbors when he opened a cheese fac- tory last spring. He has been making eight cheeses a day, with an average weight of forty-eight pounds.
Wagner & Bros. have a blacksmith shop. There is a good hotel here, kept by Arthur& McLean. Pinne- bog is located in the midst of a good farming com- munity and undoubtedly will grow in importance as time rolls on.
A Methodist church is located about a mile from the village, in Meade Township.
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DURON GOWNSHIP.
Sgp' 'deole
JUUUUU «URON Township led off in the roll of self- government. This act was consummated by the authority of the Legislature, April 20, 1855. The meeting for the election of officers was held at the residence of Antoine Osin. The number of votes cast at this election was seven- teen. Peter C. Rean, Moderator, Elias S. Sutton, Clerk; A. L. Kimball and J. S. Sales, Inspectors. The election resulted in the choice of H. B. Morri- son for Supervisor. The people selected Jacob M. Groat, Herman W. Dickinson, Orange C. Cutler and David Thompson for Justices of the Peace; John W. Kimball, Jeremiah Ludington and John Gihn for Highway Commissioners ; Herman W. Dickinson and H. B. Morrison for School Inspectors ; Henry B. Dighton, George W. Vaughn, and George H. Mitch- ell, Constables ; H. B. Morrison and H. W. Dickin- son, Overseers of the Poor.
This township at its first organization embraced the entire territory of Huron County. Its central location was at the mouth of Willow Creek. It was settled first in 1845, by Mr. Lewis, who started a saw-mill. Then came Mr. Brakeman, and Langdon Hubbard, who has done so much toward the devel- opment of this township.
There are now five organized school districts. The first school meeting was held in 1855, at the resi- dence of H. Dawinly. Sections 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10 were then made to constitute the first school district,
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with Emma Sinith as school-teacher. This lady received the first school certificate granted in the county. She is still living, and teaching at Vassar, Michigan.
The soil in this township is clay loam, with an admixture of gravel, and is very fertile. About one- fourth of the land is under cultivation. There are no swamp lands, but about three-fourths of the land is not yet under cultivation. It is drained by Wil- low Creek and New River, and the facilities for farm drainage are good. This region is exceedingly well adapted for dairying. All kinds of fruit do well here, particularly plums.
There are now four good school-houses in the township, with good schools. The nearest railroad depot is Port Austin; Huron City is the nearest port.
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Nearly all of this township was burned over in 1871, and about three-fourths in 1881. The losses of stock, cattle and timber were very severe,-one man, Mr. Langdon Hubbard, losing about $250,000 in the fire of 1881.
One by one the townships have been set off and organized, so that now, and for many years past, Huron has only had jurisdiction over such extent of territory as is usually allotted to townships. It is now numbered 18 north, of range 14 east.
This township has been ably represented by the following named gentlemen in the county :
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
H. B. Morrison, 1855
Jacob M. Groat, 1855
Wm. Ludington, 1856
Alsonza Kimball, 1857-8
H. W. Dickinson,
1859
Alex. McDonald,
1860-I
Richard Winsor,
1862-6
Robert Winterbottom,
1867-9
Henry Hayden, 1870
Robert Winterbottom, 1871
Charles Schubel,
1872-4
Robert Winterbottom,
1875-6
James McVerly,
1877-9
Charles Verd,
1880
Wm. Thompson, 1881-3
Charles Schubel,
1 884
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LAKE GOWNSHIP.
HIS Township was organized in 1867 by a special act of the Legislature, which pro- vided that the surveyed townships 16, 17, and the fractional township 18 north, all in range II east, be detached from the township of Grant and Caseville, and organized into a township by the name of "Lake." John B. Wood- hull, Chancy Chapman and James Harvey were authorized by said act to act as inspectors of the first meeting. Mr. Harvey not attending, Thomas Gill was chosen to act in his stead. Robert Gotts was made Clerk. John B. Woodhull was elected Supervisor, Archibald McIlhaegey, Sr., Treasurer and Robert Gotts, Clerk.
The first school district organized was in the sum- mer of 1864, on section 24. A log school-house was built and a school opened the following winter, with about twenty scholars in attendance.
The first settler was William Fisher, who located in the township in 1859. He still resides here. Robert Gotts and Hannah L. Davison were the first couple married. They were joined in wedlock in 1866. James Upthegrove was the father of the first child born, which was in 1862.
There is no postoffice in the township. The peo- @ ple get their mail at Caseville, Port Crescent and Pinnebog.
In religious matters they are not any more fortu- nate, having to go to Caseville, Pinnebog and the township of Chandler for Divine worship.
The western line of Lake is about one mile and a half from the P., O. & P. A. R. R. It is well drained by the Pinnepog and Pigeon Rivers. The northern portion is rolling, while the southern is rather flat. The soil in the southern and eastern portions is clay loam, while that bordering on Sagi- naw Bay is sandy.
The fire of 1871 burned over about one-third of
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HURON COUNTY.
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this township; that of 1881, about the same. The latter was more destructive to the crops. By this fire two houses and two barns were burned. Robert Gotts tells rather an amusing yet a sad story. After the great fire had moved on from his farm and the atmosphere had somewhat cooled off, he started out to see what was left. His buildings were all safe, but his entire potato crop was roasted in the hill! He secured one meal of hot roasted potatoes from his field, and says he was gratified that this much had been left him !
A very valuable sandstone quarry has been opened in the township about one mile from the shore. It is owned by Ypsilanti and Detroit men, a firm known as the "Babbitt Sandstone Company." The stone is of a bluish tint, hard, and makes a very fine building material. A dock has been made on the Bay by the company, especially for their use in shipping this stone.
There is a beautiful lake, lying nearly in the cen- ter of this township. It is about two miles long and one mile wide, and is plentifully supplied with fish, pike, suckers and pickerel. Though the circle of this lake is small, it has within its inclosure several little islands. The banks are high and shaded with forest trees, making the whole scene one of pictur- esque beauty.
There is some swamp land in the township, but the location is favorable for drainage. The principal production is wheat, oats and hay. The largest yield of wheat per acre is fifty-two bushels; potatoes, 200 bushels. The average yield of wheat has been eighteen bushels per acre. All kinds of fruit do well here, and many choice varieties are being cultivated. The nearest market is Caseville.
SUPERVISORS.
Lake has been represented in the county govern- ment by the following men :
S. B. Woodhull,
1867-9
James Duffty,
1870-I
George Mckay,
1872-7
Edward Heaton,
1878
George Mckay,
1879
M. C. Smalley,
1880
George Mckay,
188I
M. C. Smalley,
1882
Wm. Duffty,
1883-4
LINCOLN GOWNSHIP.
INCOLN Township was organized in April, 1877, by order of the Board of Supervisors made in June, 1876. The meeting was held at George Collins' house. Before this time it was within the jurisdiction of Dwight.
It was settled in 1865, by John H. Provorse, who still resides in the township. It is numbered 17 north, of range 13 east, and is bounded on the north by Dwight; on the east by Bloomfield; on the south by Verona, and on the west by Meade.
The whole of this township was burned over in 1871; and the eastern side again in 1881. It is drained by Willow Creek, which empties into Lake Huron at Huron City. The principal crops raised are wheat and hay. This township is better adapted to stock or dairy business than to agriculture. Fruit is reported to do well. The location is healthful.
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The people pride themselves on having good roads. The Port Austin division of the Port Huron & Northwestern Railroad passes along the western line of the township, and has a station at Filion, where there is a postoffice.
There are no villages in this township, but they have three school-houses, located on sections 26, 19 and 6, in which good schools are kept.
The great fires have done much to retard the pro- gress of this township, but the people look for a brighter future and a more general development of its resources.
The township was named after the great President, Abraham Lincoln.
SUPERVISORS.
Below are given the names of the gentlemen who have represented Lincoln Township in the local government :
Felix Filion, 1877-81
Walter Kapson, 1882
John Gordan, 1883
,
Barzel R. Church, 1884
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HURON COUNTY.
DEADE GOWNSHIP.
EADE Township was organized from Hume in 1869. The meeting was held for the election of officers the first Mon- day in April, at the school-house in District No. I. There were twenty-five votes cast. Spencer A. Case was elected Supervisor, Alex. Lipcier, Clerk, and John Libby, Treasurer. Justices of the Peace-Peter Peterson, George Millick, Charles Gilbert, Alex. Lipicier and George Brushier.
This township has for its northern boundary Hume, eastern, Lincoln, southern, Colfax, and west- ern, Chandler Townships.
The first settlers were Peter Rivers and Anthony Libby, who came in the spring of 1859, and Charles Gilbert, Vetle Nelson and J. Martin, who came in the fall.
The township has four school districts: District No. I, on section 6, District No. 2, on section 17, District No. 3, on section 27, and District No. 4, on section II. Two of these have frame, and two log, school-houses.
There is a Methodist Church on section 6, which was built and dedicated in 1881. Rev. Mr. Deal is Pastor. This society has about forty members. The Catholics have also a large church here, with a mem- bership of about eighty families, who are mostly French Canadians. Their church edifice was erected some fifteen years ago. Services are held in this place every fourth Sunday by Rev. N. L. Maschino, of Port Austin.
The first child born in this township was a son of Mr. Charles Gilbert.
The land in the northern portion is rolling, and in the southern flat. The soil is clay loam. About one-third of the land is uncultivated. It is drained by the east branch of the Pinnepog River. The principal crops raised are wheat, oats, potatoes, corn and hay. The largest yield of wheat per acre is 45 bushels; oats, 75; corn, 90; potatoes, 200; hay, 3 tons.
The township has a flouring-mill and a saw-mill.
The water is good and can be readily obtained. The nearest port is Port Crescent, and the nearest railroad depot, Filion. The nearest trading place is Pinnebog, a part of which lies in this township.
This section of the county was visited by the fires of 1871 and 1881. The latter was very severe, burn- ing a large portion of the territory, together with many of the farmers' houses and barns.
This township was named after Gen. Meade, the hero of Gettysburg. It is numbered 17 north and 12 east. The following named men have served as
SUPERVISORS :
Spencer A. Case, 1869-70
John Dunn, 1871
Spencer A. Case, 1872-6
George Potter, 1877
J. D. Reilly, 1878
Halvor Johnson, 1879
Charles Gilbert, 1880-3
Felix Filion, 1884
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OLIVER GOWNSHIP.
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LIVER Township seceded from Lake and set up a separate government in 1877. This was done under the order of the Board of Supervisors made in 1876. It is numbered 16 north, of range 11 east. It is bounded on the north by Chandler, on the east by Colfax, on the south by Grant, and on the west by Winsor. The first election was held the first Monday in April, 1877, at a school-house on section 3. The first Su- pervisor elected was F. M. Black, who was one of the early settlers. The soil is drained by Pinnepog River and its branches.
This township did not suffer as much from the fires as the others. A large body of timber, mostly hard-wood, still stands waiting the ax of the lumber- man. The Pontiac, Oxford & Port Austin Railroad in Winsor runs along near the western line of this township. There is one school, which is located on section 3. The Lutheran Church has services here, but they have no resident pastor.
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447
SUPERVISORS.
The Supervisors of this township since its organi- zation have been as follows:
F. M. Black, 1877-9
S. D. Grumney, 1880-1
John Oliver, 1882-4
PARIS GOWNSHIP.
ARIS is one of the early settled townships. As long ago as 1856, Casmer Smolenski located a farm here, and began his im- provements, and from that time it has been settling up rapidly. The greater portion of the inhabitants of this township are Poland- ers, who are very thrifty. It is regarded as one of the best farming sections in the county. In the south and west portion of the township the land is hilly, while in the north and east it is flat.
The soil is a clay loam. The township is well drained by the branches of Black and Cass Rivers, and by Elm Creek.
The people suffered fearfully from the great fires, particularly that of 1881, which swept over nearly the whole township. They have pretty well re- covered from the effects, having good homes again, and doing well. About two-thirds of the land is now under cultivation. There are two saw-mills and one flouring mill, which supply the home demands.
The township is provided with fine schools, which are located respectively on sections 8, 11, 21, 26 and 31. This township was organized in 1861, when Donald Currie was chosen Supervisor, Alex. Currie, Clerk and Richard Evans, Treasurer. It is bounded on the north by Sigel, on the east by Sherman, on the south by Sanilac County, and on the west by Bingham Township. Parisville is the principal village, where there is a general store, kept by Wm. Engle, and a hotel by George Zinger.
A Polish school is about to be opened at this town, which will be in charge of the Sisters of the Catholic Church. The Catholics also have a Church here, which was one of the first put up in the penin- sula. A new building 45 x 120 feet is nearly finished.
It was erected by Rev. Joseph Gratza. There is also a Presbyterian society at Parisville.
This town has a postoffice, and the Port Huron & Northwestern Railroad runs across the southeast corner of the township.
SUPERVISORS.
The names of the Supervisors who have served the township are given below:
Donald Currie, 1861
Charles McMillan, 1 862-7
Donald Currie, 1868-70
Charles McMillan, 1871-2
Stephen Willkowski, 1873
Charles McMillan, 1874
Stephen Pawlowski, 1875-6
Charles McMillan, 1877-8
Wm. Mauer,
1879
Charles McMillan, 1880-1
Paul Suida,
1882-4
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PORT HUSTIN GOWNSHIP.
HE good people of this township got to- gether April 7, 1862, and effected their organization. The polls were opened first at C. H. Gallup's office, but were afterwards moved to J. Heath's shingle shop. There were seventy-one votes cast, which was the largest number of all the townships at their first election. Isaac Brebner was elected the first Supervisor.
Port Austin Township forms the tip of the tongue of the Lower Peninsula, and is numbered 19 north, of range 13 east. It is a fractional township, com- posed of 17 sections, and is bounded on three sides by the waters of Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay.
It is estimated that about one-tenth of the town- ship was burned over by the fires of 1871 and 1881. The wind changed during the progress of the latter, driving the fire backward and westward, which saved the town of Port Austin, and a large portion of the township.
The original timber was pine, hemlock, and the hard-woods. There is but little swamp land in the township. The lands are drained by Bird's Creek, which runs through the western side of the township
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and empties its waters into Saginaw Bay at Port Austin. The shore line is bordered with a belt of sand, and rising back of this is a clay loam. The surface is undulating, which, together with Bird's Creek, facilitates drainage. The production of the cereals is not up to the average standard; but all kinds of fruit do exceedingly well, and considerable attention is given to this branch of industry.
There are two school-houses in the township, located on section 29 and 25.
This is one of the oldest settled townships in the county, the first member of the white race coming here as early as 1837. It contains two thriving towns,-Port Austin and Grindstone City, and for several years had the county seat.
The following named citizens have represented . the township in the Board of
SUPERVISORS:
Isaac Brebner, 1862
Edward Cole,
1863-6
Richard Winsor,
1867
Edward Cole,
1868-9
Richard Winsor, 1870
G. H. Gregory,
187 I
Robt. W. Irwin,
1872-6
John Butters,
1877
Richard Smith,
1878
George S. Kene,
1879
Richard Smith,
1880
Edward Cole,
1881-3
John Ryan,
1884.
Further particulars in regard to this township will be found in the history of the village of Port Austin.
Port Austin.
A
T the mouth of Bird's Creek on the eastern shore of Saginaw Bay, and about two miles west by south of Point aux Barques, is situated the town of Port Austin. For natural advantages, beautiful and picturesque scenery, it is unequalled by any other site in the Lower Peninsula. Its front rests on a parterre which gradually rises as you go from the Bay. Its coast is rocky, and for some distance back is shielded by grand old trees. No prettier or more romantic spot could be selected for residences or summer resorts than along this shore, and the wonder is that these
beautiful grounds are not all dotted over with fine residences. A few, with an appreciation for the beauties of nature, have put up elegant residences on these grounds. Among these are, James H. Hall, the banker, the Winsors, Mr. Quimby, of the Detroit Free Press, and J. W. Kimball.
The Government built for this port a good light- house. It is located on a reef about two miles and a half north by east from the town, and about two miles north of Point aux Barques. The crib is octa- gon in shape, 80 feet in diameter, and rests on a solid foundation of rock, which lies 6 feet under water. It is 94 feet high, and was completed in 1878. The keeper is F. E. Kimball.
SOME OF THE FIRST THINGS.
During the early days, on steamboat nights, or when they were expecting vessels, they would build bonfires on the shore. Afterwards, Ayres & Co. used to hang out a lamp at the top of a cedar pole.
Jonathan Bird was the first settler at this place, which was in 1837. He was a " Patriot "in the re- form movement of that time, who fled from Canada and sought refuge on the shores of Saginaw Bay. He built him a little cabin and remained through that winter. In 1838, he built a water-power saw- mill on the banks of the creek that run into the Bay, which was afterwards called Bird's Creek. This was the first saw-mill started in the territory of Huron County. This was the beginning of the heaviest lumber business ever opened in the county. In 1852, Smith, Dwight & Co. bought out Mr. Bird, and under the direction of J. W. Kimball started a large steam saw-mill, which afterwards cut out over 12.0,000,000 feet of lumber for the eastern markets. The tall chimney of this old mill is standing on the sandy shore, within a hundred feet of the water's edge, as firm and erect as ever. This would reverse the theory that a sandy foundation is unsafe to build upon.
The first school taught at Port Austin was in 1853, in a school-house built by J. W. Kimball. Miss Emma Smith, whose little flock numbered some 15 children, was the teacher.
The first religious service held here was by a Methodist circuit preacher who came up from Lex- ington. This was in 1853, and the meeting was held in the school-house. This territory then belonged to the township of Worth, in Sanilac County.
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At this period the people had no regular mail, which being brought only by steamboats, in the winter did not come at all. In the fall of 1853 Daniel Butters, with others, clubbed together and hired a man to bring the mail from Lexington. In the winter of 1853-4 John Butters took the contract to carry the mails from the village to Caseville, at $2 a trip, following along the beach. At this time there were a few Indians along the coast.
When Mr. Butters, with his family, came along, they could not land. The boat took them on to Saginaw. On her return trip, she again failed to make a landing, when they were taken back again to Port Huron, where they lay off to await the return of the boat from Detroit. On the third trial the boat effected a landing, and they were put ashore.
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