USA > Michigan > Midland County > Portrait and biographical album of Midland County, Mich. containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 40
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This village has about too inhabitants, and is a convenient trading point for lumbermen and agri- culturists in that vicinity.
A salt well was sunk on section 24, in 1841, under the supervision of Prof. Douglass Houghton, the State Geologist. This was the first salt well dug in the State.
Geo. Butts was the first settler in the township, and located on section 25; Charles S. Sanford came next, locating on section 24, where the village named in his honor now stands. The Board of Supervisors erected the township of Jerome in the year 1856. In 1862, a resolution was passed by that body by which townships 15, 16 and 17 north, of range i west, and township 16 north, of range 2 west, were added to Jerome. These tracts were afterward organized into separate townships.
Jerome has been successful in electing mer, of good judgment and ability to represent her in the county Board of Supervisors. Their names are :
SUPERVISORS.
Charles Perkins 1857-8
Sylvester Erway 1859-64
Geo. B. Bardwell 1865-7
Sylvester Erway . 1868
Geo. B. Bardwell. 1869-70
E. N. Burton . I871-2 Geo. B. Bardwell. 1873
L. G. Miner 1874-5
Wm. Magee. 1876-7
L. G. Miner 1878
Wm. Magee.
879-84
...
MIDLAND COUNTY.
385
Lincoln Township.
INCOLN Township is numbered 15 north and i east, and is bounded on the north by Hope, on the east by Larkin and on the south by Homer Township, and partly separated from the latter by the Tittabawassee River, and on the west by Jerome and Edenville Town- ships.
The surface of Lincoln generally is just sufficiently undulating to afford the soil good drainage. Some of the finest farms in the county are to be found in this township, the soil being especially adapted to the cultivation of wheat, oats and potatoes. Clover grows in abundance, thus giving good pasturage to cattle, horses and sheep. Wool is also an important article of merchandise, and large flocks of sheep are grazing in the beautiful meadows.
Averill is the largest village in the township, and is located in the southern part, on the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad. Harrison Averill gave to the railroad company the right of way through that sec- tion, and the village was named in his honor. It is on the Tittabawassee River and millions of feet of lumber pass through this point for the lower mills and Saginaw. Wells, Stone & Co. built the first store and put in a large stock of general merchan- dise. The village was platted in 1870, the sam; year the railroad was completed to that point. M. O McFarland has a store and hotel near the depot, an.l is doing a good business. He is Postmaster also ; the office is in his building. N. T. Stratton is pro- prietor of a good hotel, and also keeps a full line of dry goods, boots and shoes and groceries.
Wright & Ketcham's headquarters in the north- ern part of the township comprises a small village of less than 100 inhabitants, the buildings, barns, store houses, etc., belonging to the firm. This is not only a convenient supply depot for the employes of this firm, but the farmers living within reasonable dis- tance from it also make it their trading point. We make only a brief mention of it here, as a full de- scription is given elsewhere.
The township of Lincoln was organized March 20, 1861, and the first election was held at the house of
Eben Wright, who, with Charles Inman and Orville Hosmer, were Judges of Election, which took place in April, 1861. Lincoln was disorganized by an act of the Legislature and attached to Hope in 1877. In October of the following year it was again erected, and the first election after its re-organization was held on the first Monday in April, 1879, at the residence of L. F. Smith, who, with Frank S. Stratton and Harrison Averill, were appointed Inspectors of Elec- tion.
The names of the Supervisors of this township and the terms each has served are as follows :
SUPERVISORS.
Charles Inman 1861-3
Francis Green
1864-5
Charles Inman .
1 866-7
James W. Riggs
1868-9
E. J. Brewster
1870
L. F. Smith
1871-2
Wm. Tinker
1873-4
G. W. Horn .
1875
L. F. Smith. 1876-7
H. B. Hamilton 1879
Charles Inman 1880-1
H. B. Hamilton
IS82-3
Charles Inman
1 88.4
Jasper Township.
ASPER Township occupies the southeast- ern corner of Midland County, and is bounded on the north by Greendale and east by Porter Townships, on the south by Gratiot, and on the west by Isabella Counties. It is numbered 13 north and 2 west. The Pine River crosses the southeastern corner of Jasper, and is the principal stream. This township ranks with those that are second in the production of grains, vegetables, etc.
Nicholas Depue was the first settler in Jasper. He bought land here in 1854 and settled on section 31. Soon after his arrival his two sons, Marshall and Wm. T. Depue, came. In 1860 Thomas Mar- tin arrived and settled on section 30. Both Martin and the Depues canie from Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio. In 1860 Alson L. Bailey found his way to Jasper and settled on section 34.
Ida, the daughter of Wm. T. Depue, was the first
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386
MIDLAND COUNTY.
child born in the new township. Her birth occurred in the spring of 1860.
Miss Emily Martin, now Mrs. Geo. Smock, taught the first school in Jasper.
The township was organized March 20, 1861. The first election was held at the house of Alson L. Bailey, on the first Monday in April, 1861. A. L. Bailey, Levi Caldwell and Nicholas Depue were Judges of this Election. Mr. Bailey was elected first Justice of the Peace. At a meeting of the Board of Supervisors held Feb. 4, 1862, townships 14 and 15 north and 2 west were added to Jasper. Later these townships were organized into Greendale and Geneva. A town house was erected in 1873 for the convenience of the citizens of the township.
This is one of the most promising townships of Midland County. It contains many farms which are well cultivated and improved. The soil in this section is excellent, and in quality it is second to none in the county.
The names of the Supervisors of Jasper, together with the number of terms served in this capacity, are given :
SUPERVISORS.
Wm. T. Depue. 1861-3
Marshall S. Depue. 1864
John P. Balch 1865-7
John C. Sias 1 868-70
R. C. Martin 1870-2
John C. Sias 1876
A. J. Martin.
1873-84
Homer Township.
OMER Township is situated in the eastern part of the county of Midland, and is num- bered 14 north and i east. It is bounded on the north by Lincoln Township, and partly separated from it by the Tittabawassee River, on the east by Midland and south by Mt. Haley Townships, and on the west by Lee and Jerome Townships.
The Tittabawassee, Chippewa and Pine flow across Homer, the first forming part of the township line between Lincoln and Homer, the other two flowing
northeast and uniting with the first in the township of Midland. Homer ranks with Jasper, Porter and Mt. Haley in importance and extent of agriculture.
Charles Cronkright came to Homer Township June 1, 1837, having walked all the way from Sagi- naw with his " bundle " on his back, in company with Samuel Gordon, who now lives in Midland Town- ship. Mr. Cronkright was the first settler in Homer. Jacob Wiltz came in the year 1852, and about this time Anthony Barton, Wm. Kelly, Sylvester Vibber, Seneca Wells, Sullivan Bugby, John E. Willard, Leonard Fletcher and Levi Foreman settled in this township.
Wm. Cronkright was the first male child born in Homer, and also in the county, his birth occurring June 25, 1839.
The first wedding was that of Wm. Kelly and Eliz- abeth Barton.
The first minister was the Rev. - Green, of the Methodist persuasion. He preached the first sermon in Homer Township, at the school-house in District No. 2.
This township was organized Jan. 13, 1862. The first election was held at the house of Charles Cronk- right, on the first Monday in April, 1862. Wm. Kelly, Sullivan Bugby and Charles Lyde were Judges of the Election. Jacob Wiltz, Anthony Barton, Wm. Kelly and Sullivan Bugby were the first Justices of Peace.
Below are appended the names of all of the Super- visors of Homer, together with the number of terms served by each. They are all men of undoubted ability and their manifest interest in the progress and development of their township has been well appre- ciated by those who have chosen them to this office. They are :
SUPERVISORS.
William Kelly 1862-5
F. E. Willard . 1866-7
Sullivan Bugby
1 868
F. E. Willard
1869
A. M. Allen 1870
O. Hosmer.
A. M. Allen.
1872-6
H. G. Fountaine
1877-80
William Kelly 881
H. G. Fountaine. 1882
Joel H. Brown 1883
J. Brewer ISS4
387
MIDLAND COUNTY.
Mount Haley Township.
OUNT Haley is situated in the southern part of the eastern half of Midland County, and is numbered 13 north and i east. Its northern boundary is Ilomer, and its eastern Ingersoll Township; its southern is Saginaw County, and its western Porter and Lee Townships.
The northern half of Mt. Haley contains some low land; the southern half is higher. The only river of importance is the Pinc, which crosses the northwest corner of the township. A large portion of the land is a good, heavy clay, and in the ex- cellence of agricultural products it is destined to be- come one of the best in the county. The most thickly settled parts are the eight southern sections.
The first settlers were Joseph Barton, who came in 1865, and is now living on section 4 ; Michael Doyle, who came in 1868, and has a farm on section 34; Edward McGowan, now residing on section 26 ; John and Patrick Hines, Philip Phahee, Thomas Wilson, Philip Dougherty, Edward Girard, Champ Utter and G. W. Frost. The first settler between Alma and the Chippewa River was Father Anthony, of Mt. Haley Township.
Joseph Barton, in relating his experiences of pio- neer days, says he hauled 1,600 pounds of provisions in a wagon from Saginaw to Alma, the trip taking him four days, and Mr. Ely, his employer, paid him $3 per day and $1.50 to another man to help him.
The first birth in the township was that of Ellen Barton, Nov. 17, 1865. The first marriage was in the same year, when Mr. Champ Utter and Mrs. Amelia (Smith) Wetton were united in matrimony. The first death recorded was that of the infant of Mr. and Mrs. Utter in 1867.
This township was organized June 19, 1871, and the first election was held at the house of Philip Dougherty, Aug. 1, 1871, with Edward McGowan, Jno. Haley and Jno. Hines as Judges of Election.
The Supervisors of Mt. Haley, in the order of their election, are given below, and among them may be traced a number of Irish-Americans, who make the best financiers in the country, as proven by the
excellent manner in which Mt. Ilaley's affairs have been conducted.
SUPERVISORS.
P. H. Murphy 1871-3
Ed. McGowan .1874
John Martin . 1875
M. W. Rockford 1876
P. H. Murphy 1877
A. J. Ingersoll. 1878-9
Ed. McGowan. 1880-3
Duncan Wayne. 1884
Porter Township.
ORTER Township is situated in the south- ern part of Midland County and is num- bered 13 north and I west. It is bounded on the north by Lee 'l'ownship, on the east by Mount Haley Township and Saginaw County, on the south by Gratiot County, and on the west by Jasper Township.
It is a finely wooded section, but the natural order of events will transform the fine forests into fields of corn, wheat and oats, and gardens of fine vegetables. The Pine River crosses this township diagonally from southwest to northeast, its course being northeast, and in Midland Township it unites with the Chippe- wa. Along this river many settlers have located their homes, and lumber camps are scattered over the tract drained by it and its tributaries.
Porter contains no towns 'or railroads, and but one post-office, bearing the name of the township.
Porter was organized Jan. 6, 1868. Lewis K. Brewer, Samuel Sias, Theodore A. Brewer, David and Almison Robinson, Geo. A. Smith, Wm. McNeil, Wm. E. Wilson, John McCormick, Geo. W. Cole, John McCummon, Wm. Jarvis and R. T. Puffer were residents and free-holders at the time, and their names appear as petitioners asking that the territory above described be organized into a township. The first election was held Jan. 25, 1869, at the house of Lewis K. Brewer, who, with Geo. A. Smith and B. T. Puffer, were Judges.
Porter ranks among those second in importance in the county, and will soon become a fine agricultural region.
It is needless to add that the names of the Super- visors attached to this brief history are men of enter-
388
MIDLAND COUNTY.
prise, who have developed the town; but ere long they will pass away, and it is fitting to remark that no better men ever graced the Board than were those from Porter Township.
SUPERVISORS.
W. E. Willson. IS69-7 1
J. D. McCummon 1872-5
B. F. Puffer.
1 876-7
Robert Potter 1878-81
B. F. Puffer.
1882-3
Wm McNeil.
1884
Hope Township.
OPE Township lies in the northeastern cor- ner of Midland County, contains double U the number of acres of any other township in the county, and is numbered 16 north and i and 2 east. Its north boundary is Glad- win, and its eastern Bay County, its south- ern Lincoln and Larkin Townships, and its western Edenville Township and Gladwin County.
Hope contains many nice farms, well cultivated and producing fine crops of grain. Much of the township is covered with a heavy growth of timber, principally hard wood. The choice pine trees are being rapidly sacrificed in the interest of the lumber trade, although not less than fifty millions of feet will yet be taken from this township.
Besides the immense quantities of lumber which are procured from Hope and the good farming lands that are developed, some of the settlers find time in the dull season of the year to go bear- hunting, and these hunts often result in the capture of a good supply of bear meat. John Schearer has had con- siderable experience in this line, and his expeditions generally end successfully. In the fall of the year 1872 he killed three black bears; in 1874 he shot eight more from trees in the forest where they were busily engaged in eating acorns. In the course of five years he killed 16 in all. He sold the skins of these animals for from $5 to $8 apiece, and the bear oil for $1 per pint. From one bear he obtained five gallons, or 40 pints, of oil, but the average amount yielded by a bear was from two to three gallons.
The first settlers in Hope were Orrin Maltby and Joseph Rooker, who located on section 15 in 1856.
Wm. McCrary, the oldest resident now living in the township, settled in 1856, on section 22, where he has since lived, superintending the work on his mag- nificent farm, which he has cleared by his own hard labor, and now lives in the enjoyment of one of the finest tracts of land in the township.
The first marriage that occurred in Hope was that of Silas Wright and Louisa Erway, in 1860. The ceremony was performed by Justice Egbert.
The first school was taught by Alfleta Green, in a log cabin near the house of Mr. Harding Mills.
Clyde Hosner's was the first male birth,-occurring in the fall of 1851. The first female birth was that of Sibyl Wright, in 1861.
The first religious society organized was the Bap- tist, and Nelson Fraser preached the first sermon for that society. Their meetings were held in the old log school-house which has been mentioned before.
The first township meeting was held in the little log house now occupied by Silas Wright. The citizens established a postoffice in 1874, and called it "Hope." Marshall Carr was the first Postmaster. He carried the mail, or paid some one else to do it for him, for two years.
The settlers in this township had great trouble in procuring provisions. They used teams of oxen, with which they crossed the swamps, always carrying about a hundred feet of rope and chains to pull them out of the mud. The oxen were compelled to swim across the rivers, and then the wagons and carts were floated over.
In the year 1871, E. J. Brewster, with a number of others, sent in a petition to the Board of Supervisors, beseeching them to organize the township of Hope. Their prayer was granted, and the first township elec- tion was held Nov. 20, 1871, with E. J. Brewster, H. Mills and Charles Inman as Judges of Election. Hope was formerly included in Midland Township, and only the territory known as 16 north and I east was first organized as the town of Hope. March 11 1876, township 16 north and 2 east was detached from Midland and added to Hope, thus making of the latter a double township. In the year 1877 the town of Lincoln was disorganized by an act of the Legislature and attached to Hope; but during the following year, 1878, it was re-organized as a separate township.
Hope ranks among those towns first in importance
MIDLAND COUNTY.
389
and she has always had capable and intelligent men to administer her affairs. There are a number of good district schools, provided with excellent teach- ers, who are successful educators.
The Supervisors of Hope are here given, with the number of terms each has served :
SUPERVISORS.
E. J. Brewster 1872-6
A. J. Raymond 1877-8
Simon Gleckler 1879-80
A. J. Raymond. .1881
Timothy Fillmore 1882
Simon Gleckler 1883-4
Geneva Township.
ENEVA Township is situated in the west- gern part of Midland County, and is num- bered 15 north and 2 west. Its northern boundary is Warren, its eastern. Jerome, its southern, Greendale Township, and its western, Isabella County. Salt River flows northeast سـ across Geneva Township, making fertile the whole of this section. This stream abounds in fish, thus af- fording to the settlers, as well as to those who come to this part of the country every year, recreation and fine sport.
The only village in Geneva is that of North Bradley, sometimes called " Buttonville," in honor of WVm. Button, a man who was intimately connected with the early advancement of the township and vil- lage. The favorable situation of North Bradley, on the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad, midway be- tween the villages of Sanford and Coleman, and its proximity to the Salt River, attracts to it good busi- ness men, who are fully alive to its interests and prog- ress. A good hotel, several store buildings, whose owners are carrying on a prosperous business, and a postoffice are among the many conveniences which the residents and visitors of the village enjoy.
Wm. Button, together with several other early set- tlers, desired that this territory be 'detached from Jasper, of which it was formerly a part, and erected as a township. Accordingly, a petition signed by these men was handed to the county Board of Super- visors, and on June 24, 1873, they organized the township of Geneva. The first election was held at
the school-house, on the first Monday in April, 1874, with Wm. Button, W. P. Button and Cyrus Carr In- spectors of Election.
The Supervisors who have so ably attended to the interests of Geneva have been gentlemen of worth and integrity, and we here append their names and the terms each has served.
SUPERVISORS.
Cyrus T Carr. 1874
W. H. H. Gee. 1875-6
L. Babcock 1877-8
WVm. Babcock
1879-80
L. Babcock. 1881
Silas Harcourt
IS82
L. Babcock. 1883-4
Warren Township.
ARREN Township lies in the northwest- ern corner of Midland County. It is numbered 16 north, of range 2 west, and is bounded on the north by Gladwin County, on the east by Edenville, on the south by Geneva Township and on the west by Isabella County.
Much of the land in Warren Township has been robbed of its fine forest of valuable timber; and where this felling of trees has not been immediately followed by an attempt to clear out the stumps that remained, a thick growth of underbrush and species of poplar has taken their places. In point of agri- culture and development of the soil, Warren ranks among the second best townships in the county. Many of the farms are well developed and highly cultivated for this section of the country, it being comparatively new. A number of years are required to cut down trees, clear the land of stumps, stones, etc., before the beautiful fields of waving grain, the fine orchards of richly laden fruit-trees and the luxuriant pastures can be brought to a state of per- fection.
The first township meeting was held on the first Monday in February, 1872, at the Exchange Hotel in Coleman. Jonathan Pierce, who was the first settler in the township, N. S. Furgeson and L. H. Higgins were Inspectors of Election. The first Justice of the Peace was W. S. Hubbell.
390
MIDLAND COUNTY.
The first marriage was that of Levi McComb and Lucinda Brown. The ceremony was performed by Justice Hubbell, in the summer of 1873.
The Rev. - Cogsall, a Methodist minister, de- livered the first sermon, in the winter of 1872.
The first Postmaster was Jonathan Pierce. The office was kept in the room in which Della Pierce taught the first school.
The first cider and beer sold in the township was kept in a little building where Simon's store now stands, and was sold by Enos Barnes and - Mitchell, in 1872.
COLEMAN
Is the only village in the township, and deserves more than a passing notice, it being the second village in the county both in size and commercial importance. The land around the village of Cole- man was purchased of the United States Govern- ment by A. W. Wright. Mr. Wright bought the land for speculation, but the country was not settled very fast, and, after holding his purchase some years, he sold about a thousand acres to Seymour Coleman, at a slight advance on the price which he had paid the Government.
In 1870 the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad was completed to this point, then a dense forest, and on the first construction train that reached Coleman was also the first actual settler, Jonathan Pierce, who came to look at the country and seek a home. Being favorably impressed with his observations, Mr. Pierce concluded to remain here, and went to house- keeping in a shanty built by the railroad company for the accommodation of the men working on the road. The company contracted with Mr. P. to board their men, which he did during the winter of 1870-1, his wife, who was living at Midland, prepar- ing and cooking the food and sending it to this place every day. Later in the season he employed a man and wife to do the work for him at the boarding- house while he gave his attention to building a saw- mill and dwelling, which latter is now part of the " Coleman Exchange " building. The dwelling was completed and occupied by his family during the holiday season of 1870-1, and in it they have since re- sided, adding to it as occasion required.
In the meantime Mr. Coleman had 160 acres of the land surveyed and the town platted, giving to the railroad company one-half of the town site on
condition that a station should be built and main- tained on the spot it now occupies.
The next move was to induce persons to come here and locate, and he finally prevailed upon Messrs Wise, Bean & Shultz to establish a saw- mill here. Work was pushed on this mill, and it was completed early in the spring of 1871, a short time before Mr. Pierce had his mill ready for work. The firm of Wise, Bean & Shultz continued business only a few years. Mr. Pierce continued to operate his mill until it was destroyed by fire in 1874.
At the time of the settlement of this place a man named Hubbell was running a shingle-mill about a mile below, and a Mr. Adams was operating a port- able saw-mill two miles away.
The first school in the village was taught in 1871, by Miss Della Pierce, and was in a room about 12 feet square, which now forms a part of the dining- room of the "Coleman Exchange."
During the year 1871 a postoffice and mail service was also established here. At first the conductors on the railroad carried the mail to and from the town in their pockets.
The village had but siow growth after the first lit- tle spurt of excitement was over; in fact, the place seemed dead for several years. Occasionally some one would start up a saw or shingle mill, run it a short time and then pull up and move on. Finally the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad Company built a branch road from here to Mt. Pleasant, the first train running into that village on Monday morning, Dec. 15, 1879. Business men then became attracted to the town, mills sprang up and the town enjoyed a resurrection from its former lethargy. Geo. Miller is now running a saw and shingle mill and hoop factory. He employs 41 men and manufactures 15,000 feet of lumber, 35,000 shingles, 15,000 hoops and 16,000 headings a day. Geo. Cooper has a saw and shingle mill and stave machine, and gers out 6,000 feet of lumber, 25,000 shingles and 5,000 staves per day. T. B. Simons operates a shingle mill, in which 25 men find employment and turn out 45,000 shingles a day. Mr. Embury also does a thriving business in the manufacture of lumber.
The Coleman Advocate was established in 1883, the first issue of which bears date Aug. II, of that year. H. F. Linton is the editor, and through his enterprise this paper has been an influential factor in
MIDLAND COUNTY.
391
attracting attention to the advantages possessed by Coleman as a business center.
R. A. Baskerville has a new dry-goods and grocery store. T. B. Simons has a $6,000 stock of general merchandise ; J. Embury has a large stock of goods, consisting of dry goods and groceries. S. Bowdish has a splendid line of fancy and staple groceries; in this store is also located the postoffice, which he superintends.
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