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 47
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52
One of the early settlers, Hunting Trescott, whom every one loves, celebrated his golden wedding Dec. 30, 1880. His children and grandchildren and the citizens gathered together at his house, and to his surprise presented him with a fine gold-headed cane. He is still living here, with the chosen companion of his early youth, surrounded by a score and a half of loving children and grandchildren and affectionate neighbors.
SEBEWAING GOWNSHIP.
S EBEWAING Township- first known as Auchville -was organized by act of the Legislature passed Feb. 12, 1853. Prior to this it was attached, for judicial purposes, with Fair Haven and Geneva, to Tuscola County, under the name of Auchville. The first meeting was held at the residence of Frederick Schilling. Mr. Schilling was chosen Chairman,
HURON COUNTY.
461
Frederick Luckhard, Clerk, and Christian Bach and John Muellerweiss, Inspectors of the Election. There were fifteen votes cast, resulting in the elec- tion of Frederick Schilling for Supervisor, Frederick Luckhard, Clerk, and Jacob F. Ruehle, Treasurer; C. Bach, Peter Schairer, Jacob Armbuster for Jus- tices of the Peace; J. F. Strieter, Gottfried Beck and Andrew Volz for Highway Commissioners ; for School Inspector, Edmond Roeder; Constables- John Muellerweiss, John Weidner and Frederick Ziegler.
This township is numbered 15 north, of range 9 east, and is situated in the southwest corner of the county. Fair Haven bounds it on the north, Brook- field on the east, Tuscola County on the south, with Saginaw Bay on the west. There are four school districts in this township, which are located as fol- lows : No. I, on section 8; No. 2, on section 32 ; No. 3, on section 10 ; and No. 4, on section 23. The first school district has 360 scholars on the roll; the second, 75; the third, 100; and the fourth, 60. The school buildings are all frame, and cost respectively as follows : District No 1, $4,000; No. 2, $400; No. 3, $700; and No. 4, $400. In District No. 1, there are two private schools, both of them Lutheran, with about 200 scholars in attendance.
The first white settler in this township was Rev. John J. F. Auch, who came as a missionary to the Indians in 1845. He resides at Sebewaing.
The original timber in this township consisted of the hard-woods, interspersed with some pine. The surface of the land is flat. The soil in the central part of the township is very rich; the eastern part swampy, and near the bay, sandy. The fire of 1871 burned in the center, on the north line, and in the swamps. All the high land is now under cultiva- tion. When the township was first settled it was nearly all swamp. It is drained by the Sebewaing River, which flows into Saginaw Bay. The cereals do well. Potatoes do splendidly, yielding as high as 200 bushels per acre. It is an excellent township for fruit, except peaches. The cultivation of grapes is car- ried on extensively. There is one vineyard of five acres. The water is good. The township contains the in- corporated village of Sebewaing and the little ham- let of Kilmanagh. It contains a large number of fine farms, with commodious dwellings and good farm buildings. Its orchards are numerous and under good cultivation.
Sebewaing Township is rapidly increasing in pop- ulation, and in this respect is third in order.
SUPERVISORS.
Below is given the names of the men who have represented the township:
Frederick Schilling, 1853
Frederick Ziegler, 1854
Peter Schairer,
1855
Frederick Schilling,
1856
Peter Schairer,
1857
Frederick Schilling,
1858-60
Wm. J. Davis, 186 1
Frederick Schilling, 1 862-5
Peter Schairer, I 866-8
Christian Bach,
1869-74
John F. Ziegler,
1875-82
Henry Neumann,
1884
Sebewaing.
S EBEWAING village is located at the mouth of Sebewaing River, in the Township of Sebewaing, on Saginaw Bay. Its early history is one of peculiar interest. The first white man who settled at this place was the Rev. J. J. F. Auch, who came in 1845. Mr. Auch came from the Lutheran Church Society, of Ann Arbor, Mich., as a missionary to the Indians. There was one house here then, which was built by Charles Rodd, a half-breed. Mr. Auch put up the second house, which he built of logs.
Frederick Ziegler came in 1849. His brother John followed three months later. In 185 1, Frederick Schilling, Gottfried Beck, Christian Auch, Jacob F. Ruehle, Frederick Smith, Ustus Schmidt, with their wives and children (Schilling had eight), all from Ann Arbor, Mich., were landed by the steam-boat " Julia Smith " on Lone-Tree Island, off from the mouth of Sebewaing River. This island has since been washed away. It was some three weeks before this little colony, with their goods, were landed on the main land.
This was effected by means of a little boat which they procured from the Indians. This little band did not feel particularly happy, or safe either, when they had got over, for they had no roof to shelter their heads. and the land was very low and swampy.
HURON COUNTY.
462
Often they had to wade in water three feet deep! They had arranged before their coming to have some houses put un, but this had not been done. They located their lands here and then began to lay out and build houses. At first they all had to spend their nights in a log house, and it was not a large one either. There were forty-five of them, men women and children, and they must have been, as they admit, pretty closely packed together. They got their provisions from Saginaw, which were brought in small boats. There was plenty of game here then,-elk, bear, deer, wolves on land, and pike, pickerel and sturgeon in the bay.
J. Muellerweiss came in the fall of 1851.
The first marriage that was celebrated here was between John Gruenbeck and Margaret Schmidt, in the fall of 1851. The first child born was to the wife of Frederick Schmidt, who was christened Mary.
The first church was built and dedicated two years later. It was built by the Lutherans. The first ser- mon preached was in 1849, in German, and was de- livered by Rev. J. J. F. Auch. This gentleman was the established Pastor of the Lutheran Church from 1853 to 1867.
During the earlier period of the village's history these people got their mail from Hampton, now Bay City. The first Postmaster at Sebewaing was David Philbrick, who received his commission in 1854. The mail then came from Watrousville, Tuscola County. The first school opened here was in 1854, and was taught by Mr. Auch. It was attached to the Luth- eran Church, and there were about a dozen pupils. It was opened in the church building. The new church edifice of this society, which is called the "Evangelical Lutheran St. John Church," was erected in 1873. Their present Pastor is the Rev. H. Gany- neiss.
During the early times there was a congregation of Indians located near this point. It was in charge of the Lutheran Church: Rev. E. Raeder was the preacher. Services were held at their town, not far from Sebewaing, called "Shebahyonk." Nock-che- ko-may was their chief. They bought some land here from the Government in 1847 and settled on it. They belonged to the Chippewa and Sebewaing tribes. Of the former there were some forty in num- ber; of the latter, about seventy-five. They sold
their lands to Christian Auch, F. Schiller and Gott- fried Beck, in 1856, and emigrated; some went back to Canada, and some into Saginaw County, where there was an Indian reservation. Whenever the traders would bring in whisky these Indians would manage to get hold of it, and then would follow a grand debauch. But they were always good-natured, and it is not known that any white person was ever injured by them.
Sebewaing is now an industrious and thriving vil- lage, with a population of some 850 souls. It is well built up with good dwellings and substantial business houses, that of J. C. Liken & Co. being one of the best in the county. It is a two-story building, of brick, with a stone foundation, eighty by sixty feet in dimensions.
Many of the first settlers are still living, enjoying the blessings that come to a ripe old age from habits of industry, economy and sobriety. They have passed through the deprivations, struggles, and oftentimes sad experiences of pioneer life, and are now reaping their just rewards. They have beheld the water settling away, the swamps disappear, and in their place rich, cultivated fields and happy, peace- ful homes.
Mr. Frederick Schilling relates a strange experience that befell his parents when they came to this land of freedom. They had left the old country (Wurtem- berg) with a desire of being freed from monarchical slavery, and not expecting any other when they landed on these shores. They came to Baltimore, which was about the year 1817. After they had been there awhile, they were sold into slavery and taken up into Pennsylvania, where they remained three years before they procured their liberty.
INCORPORATED.
The village of Sebewaing was incorporated by a special act of the Legislature, approved March 13, 1879. This act provided, "That fractional section No. 7, and section No. 8 in township No. 15 north, of range No. 9 east, the same lying and being in the township of Sebewaing, County of Huron, and State of Michigan, be and the same is hereby constituted a village corporate to be known as the village of . Sebewaing." The first election was held in accord- ance with this act, on Monday, April 14, 1879. John J. F. Auch and John C. Liken were appointed a Board of Registration for the purpose of registering
HURON COUNTY.
463
voters for said election. Officers chosen at this election were-President, William Budde; Treasurer, Jacob Spiess; Clerk, Olin Pengra; Trustees .- J. J. F. Auch, John C. Liken, Henry Vahle, William Fin- ger, John Muellerweiss and Charles Henning. This was the beginning of their corporate government.
The village affairs at present are intrusted to the following named citizens : President, Henry Goebel; Treasurer, Jacob Spiess ; Clerk, Peter Surine ; Street Commisssioner, August Bur; Trustees-J. J. F. Auch, John C. Liken, Henry Vahle, A. C. Pierce, William Kellogg and Charles Henning.
BUSINESS INTERESTS.
The largest firm doing business in Sebewaing is J. C. Liken & Co. The members of this firm are J. C. Liken, Charles W. Liken and Richard Martini. They are dealers in general merchandise, all kinds of agricultural implements and are manufacturers of flour, lumber, staves and heading for barrels; and have an elevator for the handling of their grain. This firm has a branch store at Bay Port and one at Kilmanagh. At Sebewaing they handle about $100,- ooo annually, and :vith their branches about $150,000. Number of men employed, from 125 to 150. The barrel factory, in which Christian F. Bach is a partner, was started in 1874. This factory has the capacity of making 30,000 staves per day, and turning off 25,000 sets of heading during the working season, which is ten months. They employ twenty men and. ten boys.
Christoph Hahn is one of the heavy dealers in Sebewaing, in general merchandise, drugs and agri- cultural implements. He is successor to John Muel- lerweiss, who opened business at Sebewaing in 1851.
Ernst Volz is one of the enterprising men of Sebe- waing, which fact he demonstrates by having one of the best harness and saddlery stores in the county, if not the best. He keeps a general assortment in his line, including trunks, robes, etc. He takes great pains in the manufacture of his harness, and has an extensive sale for them throughout the country.
Lawinstine & Hirshberg keep dry goods and clothing, and D. Hess a clothing store. Charles Henning has an important industry, which he estab- lished in 1875. This is a planing-mill, sash, door and broom-handle manufactory. He is not only
doing a good business for himself, but also for the country.
Henry Vahle represents the carriage and wagon interests. He manufactures wagons, has a carriage repository and does blacksmithing. He established his business in 1866.
A. Van Horn also has a wagon shop.
Dr. Josiah Black opened a line of drugs in 1882 and is doing well. He is also building up a large practice. The Doctor is a graduate of the Michigan College of Medicine.
C. C. Bruck has groceries and dry goods.
John Schmitzer has a large furniture store, and manufactures a good share of his cabinet goods. Is also undertaker.
John C. Welch supplies the community with jew- elry and time-pieces.
Jacob Priess has a stationery establishment, and keeps cigars and tobacco.
Charles Schmidt keeps saddlery and harness. He established his business in 1877 at this village, and is doing a good trade.
J. J. Bauer has a furniture manufactory, and is also , undertaker.
Wm. Finger has a flouring mill, with two run of stone.
Wm. Kellogg is a dealer in general merchandise and millinery.
Sebewaing village is well represented with hotels. The Chappell House, W. T. Chappell and J. L. Pregitzer, proprietors, is a recent acquisition to the village. Travelers who place themselves under the care of these landlords are well looked after.
There are two other hotels in town,-the Union House, Wm. Budde, proprietor, and the Goebel House, kept by Henry Goebel. Mr. Goebel is a rep- resentative landlord, and his. guests will always feel at home with him.
The Sebewaing Brewery is a new industry for this village. Braendle & Peters are the proprietors, who make a good quality of beer. Those who must drink should patronize this home industry instead of a spurious foreign article.
The ladies of the village are well provided for in the department of millinery and dress-making, by Mrs. A. G. Surine.
R. Pomranz has a bakery and a confectionery store.
Dr. J. Nicholi has an office in town.
464
HURON COUNTY.
Alois Berger keeps the village supplied with everything in the market line.
There also three saloons, two blacksmith and two shoe shops.
The legal profession is ably represented by Olin Pengra and W. F. Drury.
August Reinhold has a saw-mill in the edge of town.
One of the summer resorts of this town is Bay Shore Park, situated about a mile from the village on Saginaw Bay. John Boegert is the pro- prietor.
A livery stable is carried on by Stapleford & Dowd.
The Saginaw, Huron & Tuscola Railroad comes into this town. It has recently extended a line to Bay Port.
THE HARBOR.
The people of this town have been for several years improving their harbor facilities. They spent $8,000 in dredging and putting out breakwaters, and the Government made two appropriations in all, $15,000 for this work. In 1880, Congress made an appropri- ation of $7,000 to restore and improve the channel of 1876, by dredging it to seven feet in depth. It had previously appropriated $8,ooo for improvement of this harbor. The channel now has an average depth of seven feet, terminating in six feet soundings.
There was shipped from this harbor for the year ending July 1, 1879: Grain, 135,000 bushels; cedar posts, 15,000; railroad ties, 40,000; wood, 2,000 cords; apples, 2,000 bushels; butter, 50,000 pounds; potatoes, 3,coo bushels ; headings for bar- rels, 15,000; staves, 4,000,000; white-oak pipe staves, 100,000; hoops, 7,000,000; hard-wood lum- ber, 4,000,000 feet.
The imports and general merchandise for the year ending July 1, 1884, was $350,000.
SCHOOLS.
The people of Sebewaing have given special at- tention to the education of their children. District No. I has a large, fine building. This school is partially graded. C. E. Stoddard is Principal. He has in his department 49 scholars. Miss Carrie Dupont is assistant, with 67 pupils. It is a two- story building, with two large apartments; cost, $4,000.
The parochial school of the Lutheran Evangelica
Church has 140 pupils. E. H. Dress is Principal; Assistant, Miss May Gremel. The building has two apartments, and cost $1,000. German is taught in the forenoon and English in the afternoon.
There is another school, attached to the German Reformed Church.
CHURCHES.
The Methodist Evangelical Church .- This society has had but a small membership from the earliest settlement. Services have been held at odd times in school-houses and halls. A church building was begun in 1883, completed this year, and was dedi- cated Oct. 12, 1884. Presiding Elder Bigelow and Rev. T. B. McGee, the present Pastor, officiated. Services are held every fourth Sabbath. The cost of this building was about $1,200.
The German Evangelical Lutheran Emanuel's Church,-Rev. J. L. Hahn, Pastor. This society was organized in Sebewaing in 1851, beginning with about twelve members. Their first meeting was held in a missionary house built for Indian service. Afterwards a log church was put up. This has given place to a large, fine new church edifice, cost- ing $6,000, and furnishing, $2,000. This society has 400 communicants and has given expression to its musical taste by putting into their church a good pipe organ.
Evangelical Association, whose headquarters are at Sebewaing, has four organizations in the county, including the one in this village. Rev. E. W. Schafer is in charge of the four societies. Sebe- waing village has a membership of nineteen. This association has in this country and in Europe 120,000 members. Bishop E. E. Aschaer, of Chicago, is at present in charge.
Moravian Church was organized in 1871, with four families. Rev. E. J. Regennass was the first Pastor. A very neat and substantial church build- ing was completed by this society in 1880, at a cost of $1,800. Rev. Henry Lehmann is the present Pastor. Its membership now embraces six families. Services every Sunday afternoon.
SOCIETIES.
Maccabees, Morning Star Tent, No. 133, was or- ganized and charter granted April 12, 1884. It was organized with seventeen members, Sir Knight Com- mander, John Berger; Sir Knight Lieut. Com-
HURON COUNTY.
465
mander, J. Pregitzer; Finance Keeper, Henry Goebel; Physician, Dr. J. Black, and a long list of officers. This society has a lodge hall fitted up in good style, and is in a flourishing condition finan- cially.
Workingmen's Society .- This society was organized in March, 1878, with twenty members. Present number, forty-six. Its present officers are: Presi- dent, Ernst Reinhard; Vice President, John Boegert ; Treasurer, John Muellerweiss; Secretary, Charles Schmidt; Second Secretary, Henry Goebel ; Trustees-Daniel Hersinger, Henry Gruff, Adam Zimmer; Physician, C. A. Burger.
Saengerbund of Sebewaing-Organized Nov. I, 1884, with eighteen members. President, Henry Goebel; Secretary, Gustave Reinhard; Treasurer, John Muellerweiss; Director, Andrew Kuch. Ob- ject of this society is to improve in music, and for enjoyment.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Fire Company, No. I, of Sebewaing, was organ- ized in the spring of 1883, with twenty members. Wm. Budde is Chief Engineer. Cost of engine, $2,500. This company is paid when on duty.
Tiger Company, No. 2, organized in June, 1884, with eighteen members. They have a hand engine. It is an independent company. Theodore Peters is Foreman.
POSTOFFICE.
Jacob Priess has charge of the postoffice. Daily mails by rail from Saginaw, and by stage from Case- ville; semi-weekly by stage from Bad Axe.
-
SHERIDAN GOWNSHIP.
HIS township was organized in 1867, by order of the Board of Supervisors, made at their annual session in 1866. The elec- tion, in accordance with this order, was held at the house of Archibald Campbell, at which time John McIntosh was chosen Supervisor. This township was first settled in 1859, by John
McIntosh. The nature of the land is rolling in the south and west and flat in the north and east por- tion. The original timber was elm, maple, ash, beech, cedar, pine and hemlock. It is regarded as a good agricultural district. The soil is clay loam. This township, like most of the others in the county, was a great sufferer through the fires of 1871 and 1881. The former fire burned over sections 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 21, 22, 23 and 24; the latter all of the south and east portion. In this township there are about 7,000 acres of wild land. It is watered by the Pigeon River and Elk Creek. Wheat and hay are the principal products. There are a large number of very thrifty young orchards in the township, which give promise in the future of an abundance of fruit.
The nearest port is Sebewaing. Bad Axe furnishes the nearest railway station.
There are two saw-mills, one store and a black- smith shop in the township. Two school-houses have been built since the fire, and schools are held in them the greater part of the year. A postoffice was established in 1881, in the township, and called Popple. It was closed up for awhile after the fire, but was opened again in 1883. Mails are received from Bad Axe and Sebewaing, semi-weekly. Popple has one store, owned by A. B. Nichols.
Sheridan Township, which was named after the immortal " Phil." Sheridan, has two religious socie- ties,-one Catholic and the other Presbyterian.
It is numbered 15 north, of range 12 east, and has for its boundary lines, Colfax on the north, Bingham on the east, Sanilac County on the south, and Grant on the west.
The citizens of this township have honored the following named gentlemen as
SUPERVISORS :
John McIntosh, 1867-70
John McIntyre, 1871-4
John McIntosh, 1875-8
T. Sweeney, 1879
Addison Broomhower, 1880
Neil McDonald, 1881-2
Duncan Buchan, 1883-4
466
HURON COUNTY.
SHERMAN GOWNSHIP.
HERMAN Township was formerly organ- ized with White Rock Township, under the name of White. It was organized under- the name of Sherman, with its present boun- dary, in 1865, and was named after that illus- [ trious general who made that now historical " march to the sea." It is situated in the southeast corner of the county adjoining Sanilac County. It is numbered 15 north, of range 15 east, with Sand Beach for its north line, White Rock its eastern, with Sanilac County on the south and Paris Town- ship on the west.
It was settled in 1856. Joe Willy and John Huersanger are said to be the first settlers. The eastern portion of this township was burned over in 1871, and the northwest corner in 1881. Both fires were very destructive. The southeast and west portions of the township are rolling, the north flat. It has a clay loam soil, with some parts sandy. More than half of the township is now under culti- vation. There is very little swamp land. It is liberally "watered " by several creeks, among which there are Welch and Elm, and White "River," as it is called. The soil is rich and it ranks high in the scale of production. The highest yield of wheat is forty-five bushels per acre; of potatoes, 350 bushels. The average yield of wheat is twenty-five bushels per acre. The fruits do well and are very seldom hurt by the frost.
There are two saw-mills in the township, which cut lumber for home markets. There is also a gen- eral store at Adams' Corners, sometimes called " Ruth," owned by Robert Campbell, who handles about $25,000 worth of goods annually. There is also at this place a shoe-shop and a blacksmith shop.
This township is well provided with schools, hav- ing four, which are located on sections 26, 29, 17 and 31. Three of the school buildings are frame and one log. There is a Catholic and a Lutheran Church.
The nearest port for the people of Sherman is
White Rock, and Adams' Corners . is their railroad station.
SUPERVISORS.
The people of Sherman Township from the organ- ization to the present time have 'elected as Super- visors :
Michael Hauselman, 1865
L. Tschirhart, 1866-7
Michael Haulselman, 1868-73
L. Tschirhart, 1874-84
SIGEL GOWNSHIP.
OME time prior to 1864, this township was organized. On account of the destruction of the records by the fires, the date of its organization and the election of officers cannot be ascertained definitely enough for history. It was first settled about the year 1859, by Fred Jurges, Joseph Lakowski and Waterhouse Whitelam, who located farms. It has not developed or increased in population in proportion to the other townships.
The land is flat, with the exception of a portion in the western part. The soil is sand and clay mixed. Running through the township from north to south is the east branch of Willow Creek. The fire of 187 I passed over the whole township; that of 1881 burned the northern portion. The largest yield of wheat as reported is fifty-three bushels per acre ; the average yield is fifteen bushels. Fruits have not been much cultivated, but would do well. The orig- inal timber was the hard-woods, pine, cedar and hemlock. There are three schools in the township, located on sections 24, 22 and 7. There are two Lutheran Churches in the township.
The nearest port is Sand Beach, and the nearest railroad station is Bad Axe.
There is one saw-mill and a general store.
Sigel Township in number is 16 north, of range 14 east, and is bounded on the north by Bloomfield, on
HURON COUNTY.
467
the east by Sand Beach, on the south by Paris, and the west by Verona Township.
SUPERVISORS.
The following named Supervisors have represented the township :
Watson Robinson, 1864
W. Whitelam, 1 865-6
Watson Robinson, 1867
W. Whitelam, 1868-72
Joseph Bloomfield,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.