USA > Michigan > Newaygo County > Portrait and biographical album of Newaygo County, Michigan : containing portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county also containing a complete history of the county, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 54
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HOW OUR FATHERS LIVED.
HE young men and women of to-day have little conception of the mode of life among the early settlers of Newaygo County. In but few respects are the manners of the present time similar to those of a quarter of a century ago. The clothing, the dwellings, the diet, the social customs, etc., have undergone a total revolution, as though a new race had taken posses- sion of the land. Pioneer life in Newaygo County finds its parallel in almost every county in the State and throughout the State, and throughout the entire Northwest. The land was to be cleared of forests, and the skill of human art used to transplant to this fertile region the civilization of the East. Cabins were to be erected, wells dug, and the rivers and creeks made to labor for the benefit of mankind.
As many living citizens can well remember, the pioneers had many difficulties to contend with, not the least of which was the journey from civilization to their forest homes. The route lay through a wild and rough country ; swamps and marshes were crossed with great exertion and fatigue; rivers were forded with difficulty and danger; nights were passed in the dense forests, with mother earth for a couch and the trees and foliage for a shelter; long, weary days and weeks of travel were endured, but finally their eyes were gladdened, and their hearts beat faster, when a vision of their future home burst upon them.
The first thing upon arrival was to set about building a cabin. While this was being done, the family slept in their wagons or upon the grass, while the horses or mules, hobbled to prevent escape, grazed the country near them. Trees of a suitable and uniform size were selected, felled and prepared for their places. The day for the raising was an- nounced, and from far and near came other pioneers to assist in the labor. The structure went up, a log at a time, those engaged stopping now and then to " wet their whistles," and soon it was ready for the clapboard roof, which was held on by huge weight poles. A door and a window were cut where the good wife directed, a chimney built, and the build- ing was ready for its occupants. The space between
NEWAYGO COUNTY.
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the logs was filled in with split sticks of wood, called " chinks," and then daubed over, both inside and out, with mortar made of clay. The floor was some- times nothing more than earth tramped hard and smooth, but was commonly made of " puncheons," or split logs, with the split side turned upwards. The roof was made by gradually drawing in the top to the ridge-pole, and on cross-pieces laying the " clap- boards," which, being several feet in length, instead of being nailed were held in place by " weight-poles," reaching the entire length of the cabin. For a fire- place, a space was cut out of the logs on one side of the room, usually about six feet in length, and three sides were built up of logs, making an off-set in the wall. This was lined with stone, if convenient; if not, then earth. The flue, or upper part of the chim- ney, was built of small split sticks, two and a half or three feet in length, carried a little space above the roof, and plastered over with clay, and when finished
was called a "cat and clay " chimney. The door space was also made by cutting an aperture in one side of the room of the required size, the door itself being made of clapboards secured by wooden pins to two cross-pieces. The hinges were also of wood, while the fastening consisted of a wooden latch catching on a hook of the same material. To open the door from the outside, a strip of buckskin was tied to the latch and drawn through a hole a few inches above the latch-bar, so that on pulling the string the latch was lifted from the catch or hook, and the door was opened without further trouble. To lock the door it was only necessary to pull the string through the hole on the inside. Here the family lived, and here the guest and wayfarer were made welcome. The living-room was of good size, but to a large extent it was also kitchen, bed-room, parlor and arsenal, with flitches of bacon and rings of dried pumpkins suspended from the rafters.
MUNICIPAL.
HE act of the Legislature which gave Newaygo an in- dependent organization was passed early in 1851. Pre- vious to this, the county had been attached to Kent. In order to organize the county, two townships were first erected. These were Brooks, comprising the western half of the county, and Newaygo, the eastern half. In October, 1851, Supervisors were chosen by these two townships, James Barton being chosen for Ne- waygo, and Isaac D. Merrill for Brooks. The following month an 1 ction for county officers was held, resulting in the
choice of Loyal Palmer for Clerk and Register of Deeds; James P. Berry, Sheriff, and Jacob Barnhard, Judge of Probate. The Board of Supervisors held its first meeting March 20, 1852, and the county machinery was fairly set in motion.
EXTRACTS FROM PROCEEDINGS OF BOARD OF SUPER-
VISORS.
The first entry in the record of proceedings of the Board of Supervisors of Newaygo County is dated March 20, 1852, and reads as follows :
Be it enacted by the Board of Supervisors in and for the county of Newaygo and State of Michigan, that all that part of the county of Newaygo desig- nated in the United States survey as townships 13, 14, 15 and 16 north, ranges 11 and 12 west, be and the same is hereby organized into a township by the name of Big Prairie. Also, that all that part of the said county designated in the United States survey
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NEWAYGO COUNTY.
as townships 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 north, range 14 west, and also the west half of 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 north, range 13 west, be and the same is hereby organized into a township by the name of Bridgeton. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
Supervisors were elected in these new townships the following month, April, and on the 23d the Board of four held its first meeting. The Board then com- prised Isaac D. Merrill, E. H. Utley, Christopher Culp and John Betts. They organized by electing Isaac D. Merrill Chairman for the ensuing year. James Barton and William Smith were chosen Over- seers of the Poor for the county. May 17th the second meeting was held, and the following were passed :
Be it enacted by the Board of Supervisors of the county of Newaygo and State of Michigan, that the Commissioners of Highways for the township of Bridgeton be and they are hereby authorized to build a bridge across the Muskegon River on or near the section line between sections 13 and 14, township II north, of range 14 west. Also
Be it enacted by the Board of Supervisors of the county of Newaygo and State of Michigan, that two hundred dollars be raised and collected upon the taxable property of the county of Newaygo, and the same is hereby appropriated for repairing the bridge across the Muskegon River near Sand Creek in the township of Bridgeton in said county of Newaygo ; also, that one hundred dollars be raised as aforesaid, to repair the bridge at the forks of the Muskegon in the township of Newaygo.
At the annual meeting, held Oct .. 5, 1852, $80 were ordered raised by tax for the support of the poor. The expenditure for this purpose during the year then closed was $73. At the same meeting the Board ordered that the offices of County Clerk and Register of Deeds be combined. L. Palmer was at that time County Clerk. The taxes for the year 1853 were apportioned as follows :
Newaygo Township
$351 37
Big Prairie
130 63
Brooks
189 79
Bridgeton 66
178 21
Total. $850 00
At the meeting of June, 1853, the Board equalized the valuation of the several townships as follows :
Real Estate.
Newaygo Big Prairie
$21,535 51
10,195 37
Brooks
30,462 2I
Bridgeton 43,786 35
Total real estate .$105,979 44
Personal.
Newaygo. $17,200 50
Big Prairie .
6,037 00
Brooks
14,251 12
Bridgeton
10,460 69
Total personal property .$47,949 21
Totals.
Newaygo $38,736 ot
Big Prairie
16,232 37
Brooks
44,7 13 33
Bridgeton
54,247 04
Grand Total. $153,928 75
At the October meeting, of the same year, the sum of $100 was appropriated to be used in the con- struction of a clerk's office 20 x 16, and James Barton was appointed to let the job. At the same session John Parish presented two certificates for wolf boun- ty, and was allowed $8 on each, or $16. This is the same Parish who became one of the first settlers of Mecosta County, and who laid out the village of Paris, in that county.
The fifth township, Ashland, was erected by the Board Oct. 9, 1854, and was made to include the Congressional township 11 north, range 13 west. The first election was directed to be held at the house of Sullivan Armstrong, on the first Monday in April, 1855.
The clerk's office, above referred to, was built by P. C. Spooner, and he was allowed for the same, in May, 1855, $250. The first jail for Newaygo County was erected the same year. An account of it is given on a subsequent page.
Nov. 5, 1855, the sixth township, Fremont, was organized by dividing Bridgeton Township, and tak- ing for the purpose townships 16, 15, 14, 13 and the north half of township 12, north, range 14 west, and the northwest quarter of township 12 north, range 13 west, and the west half of townships 13, 14, 15 and 16 north, range 13 west. It was directed that the first annual meeting be held at the dwelling house of Wilkes Stewart, and that Wilkes Stewart, Daniel Weaver and Shepard Gibbets preside over the meet- ing.
Jan. 7, 1856, the seventh township, Everett, was
..
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NEWAYGO COUNTY.
organized by the Board. The territory then included was townships 13, 14, 15 and 16, north, range 12 west. Considerable difficulty was experienced in agreeing upon a name for this new township. The petition presented to the Board suggested the name " Douglass." This was rejected, for political reasons. A motion to adopt the name of "Everett " was then lost, and likewise a proposition to select the name "Utley." The vote rejecting " Everett " was then re- considered, and that name finally chosen. The first annual meeting was appointed to be held at the school-house on Big Prairie, and Alden Angevine, Everett Douglass and Ephraim H. Utley were ap- pointed Inspectors of the meeting.
The following figures, giving the valuation of real and personal property for 1856, show remarkably rapid developments :
Everett Township.
Acres of land assessed. . 17,915
Equalized valuation of real estate. $40,409
Personal property $ 5,861
Total equalized valuation $46,270
Big Prairie Township.
Acres of land assessed . 51,819
Equalized valuation of real estate. .$119,158
Personal property . . 4,835
Total equalized valuation $123,993
Ashland Township.
Acres of land assessed. 19,983
Equalized valuation of real estate $46,573
Personal property . $ 1,962
Total equalized valuation $48,535
Bridgeton Township.
Acres of land assessed. 17,116
Equalized valuation of real estate. $56,012
Personal property . $ 5,565
Total equalized valuation $61,577
Croton Township.
Acres of land assessed 31,214
Equalized valuation of real estate 94,826
Personal property $ 29,106
Total equalized valuation $123,932
Brooks Township.
Acres of land assessed . 24,35I
Equalized valuation of real estate. .$105,761
Personal property . . .. $ 71,930
Total equalized valuation. $177,691
Fremont Township.
Acres of land assessed 38,602
Equalized valuation of real estate $59,394 Personal property $ 5,833 Total equalized valuation $65,227
The County.
Acres of land assessed .. : 201,000
Equalized valuation of real estate. $522, 133 Personal property . $125,092
Total equalized valuation $647 225
The taxation this same year, for State and county purposes, gave the following amounts :
Everett Township $212 89
Big Prairie
566 12
Ashland
243 20
Bridgeton
66
291 08
Croton
567 92
Brooks
804 68
Fremont
332 32
$3,017 21
At a meeting held Jan. 5, 1857, the township of Dayton was ordered erected out of the following ter- ritory, previously belonging to Fremont Township : North half of township 13 north, range 14 west ; townships 14, 15 and 16 north, range 14 west; sec- tions 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17 and 18, township 13 North, range 13 west; and the west half of town- ships 14, 15 and 16 north, range 13 west. Dayton was the eighth township organized in Newaygo County. The first annual meeting was appointed to be held at the house of M. D. Bull ; and Jacob Barnhard, Sylvanus Reed and James Bogue were named as Inspectors.
Jan. 5, 1858, the townships of Green and Leonard were organized in Mecosta County, which was at that time and till 1859 attached to Newaygo County for judicial and legislative purposes. Green Township, erected on petition of G. W. Green and others, com- prised townships 16 and 17 north, ranges 9 and 10 west. The first annual meeting was appointed to be held at the house of John Parish (the second settler in Mecosta County), and William A. Green, George W. Green and George J. Barker were chosen to pre- side over said meeting. Leonard Township was erected on petition of Chauncey P. Ives and others, out of the following territory : townships 14 and 15 north, range 7, 8, 9 and 10 west. The first annual meeting was ordered to be held at " the post-office called Leonard, the first Monday in April, 1858, at nine o'clock in the morning; and at said meeting Jesse C. Shaw, Benoni Evans and Washington Sea-
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NEWAYGO COUNTY.
man shall be the persons whose duty it shall be to preside at such meeting." That " post-office called Leonard " was the beginning of the thriving city of Big Rapids.
July 12, 1858, the Board passed the following res- olution :
In accordance with section 3, article 10, of the Constitution of the State of Michigan, the offices of County Clerk and Register of Deeds are hereby declared disconnected from and after the Ist day of January next.
Previous to this, the County Clerk had been ex officio Register of Deeds.
Oct. 18, 1858, the township of Ensley was erected, township II north, range II west; and the first an- nual meeting was appointed to be held at the dwell- ing house of Benjamin Ensley, on the first Monday in April, 1859, with Otis H. Kellogg, William S. Hill- man and Hiram Suter as Inspectors.
March 1, 1859, the east half of townships 13, 14, 15 and 16 north, range 13 west, was attached to the township of Everett.
March 16, 1859, townships 17, 18, 19 and 20 north, ranges 7 and 8 west, and townships 18, 19 and 20 north, ranges 9 and 10 west (all in Osceola County) were attached to the township of Green.
At the ensuing June meeting of the Board, the important question arose of a settlement with Me- costa County (with Osceola County attached), which had just been erected by the Legislature as an inde- pendent county. Jesse Barker and Luther Cobb, Supervisors of the two townships (Leonard and Green) then comprised by Mecosta County, were present.
Mr. Cobb made the following propositions as a basis of settlement :
First, to ascertain the amount of the indebtedness of the counties on the first day of May, 1859.
Second, to apportion such indebtedness agreeably to the valuation of property therein, as ascertained and equalized by the Board of Supervisors for the year 1858.
Thirdly, to ascertain the amount of taxes received on lands in Mecosta and Osceola Counties by the Treasurer of Newaygo County, since the first Mon- day in May, 1859, and apply the same to the dis- charge of the proper proportion of the indebtedness of those counties.
Supervisors Armstrong, Coolbaugh and Barker were appointed a committee to ascertain the indebtedness according to this rule; and it was finally decided
that Mecosta was in debt to Newaygo in the sum of $1,000, to bear interest from June 2.
March 9, 1860, township 16 north, range II west, was organized as Barton Township, and the first township meeting was directed to be held at the house of Sidney Seacord, in said township, on the first Monday in April, 1860; and William Daven- port, Francis S. Hooker and Sidney Seacord were appointed Inspectors of the election.
The following entry on the record of proceedings under date Oct. 15, 1861, recalls an interesting time in our history, when " wild-cat " banks flourished, and paper money was always liable to depreciation :
In the matter of uncurrent money now on hand in the County Treasury on the banks of the State of Illinois, on motion it was resolved, that the Treas- urer be instructed to dispose of the same in the best manner for the interests of the county.
The Board did its full share in assisting the fami- lies of those who volunteered in defense of the flag during the great Rebellion. In 1862, $1,000 were voted to be raised as a volunteer relief fund. Vari- ous other sums were raised during the war for this purpose.
In the winter of 1862-3, an unsuccessful attempt was made to detach Pierson and Winfield Townships from Montcalm County, and attach them to Newaygo. A number of the residents in those townships peti- tioned the Legislature to this effect. The Board of Supervisors passed the following resolution :
Whereas, the townships of Pierson and Winfield, now attached to the county of Montcalm, have peti- tioned the Legislature of this State to be attached to the county of Newaygo; Therefore, be it Resolved, by the Board of Supervisors of this county, that our member of the Legislature from this district, as well as our Senator, be instructed and requested to use their influence in securing such annexation; and further, that the Clerk of this Board be, and he is, hereby instructed to forward to the said Repre- sentative and Senator respectively, a certified copy of this resolution, signed by the Chairman of this Board.
In October, 1865, there was found to be a deficit in the volunteer relief fund of $4,000, which sum was raised by a loan, the bonds to be redeemed within two years.
In 1866-7, steps were taken towards the erection of the present county building. The action of the Board is given on another page, in connection with the subject of county buildings.
495
NEWAYGO COUNTY.
The eleventh township in Newaygo County- Grant-was erected by order of the Board, Jan. 8, 1867, out of township 11 north, range 12 west. The first township meeting was appointed for the suc- ceeding first Monday in April, at the house of Stephen L. Marvin. Samuel W. Glover, Dewitt C. Hyde and Rensselaer Brace were named as Inspectors of Elec- tion. The same year the township of Fremont ceased to exist under that name, and the new town- ships of Sherman, Sheridan and Denver were created.
At a meeting held Jan. 5, 1869, the township of Beaver was ordered organized, of the following terri- tory: The west half of township 15 north, range 13 west, the west half of township 16 north, range 13 west, township 15 north, range 14 west, and town- ship 16 north, range 14 west. The first township meeting was appointed to be held the first Monday of the April succeeding, at the house of Frederick Wells; and Cyrus O. Cornish, Bradford Freeman and Addison Freeman were appointed Inspectors of Election.
The fifteenth township was erected Jan. 8, 1872, by the name of Norwich, and was made to coincide with township 15 north, range II west. The first township meeting was appointed for the school-house in district No. 6, for the first Monday in the succeed- ing April, and Willard Barton, Abraham Ten Eyck and Alexander Lawrence were named as Inspectors of Election.
The sixteenth township was ordered by the Board Oct. 15, 1872, to be organized under the name of Monroe, out of the following territory: Townships 15 and 16 north, range 12 west, and the east half of townships 15 and 16 north, range 13 west. The first annual township meeting was appointed to be held the first Monday in the succeeding April, at the school-house in district No. 5, and Elias Elwell, Roger Pettibone and Harry Monroe were chosen In- spectors of Election.
Several attempts have been made to form a new county out of parts of Kent, Newaygo and Mont- calm. Such a proposition has met with but little favor from Newaygo's inhabitants. Nov. 12, 1872, the Board of Supervisors passed the following reso- lution, with but one dissenting vote :
Resolved, By the Board of Supervisors of Newaygo County, that we believe that sound policy dictates that each organized county of this State be and remain as it is, as to boundaries, and that we are
unalterably opposed to any division of Newaygo County; and that Hon. Sullivan Armstrong, our Representative, is hereby requested to oppose by all honorable means the detachment of any single town in this county, and the incorporating the same into any proposed new county, and that certified copies of this resolution be forwarded to our Senator and Representative for presentation to the next Legisla- ture.
Oct. 17, 1879, the township of Troy was ordered erected out of township 16 north, range 14 west, and the west half of township 16 north, range 13 west. This territory had previously been included in Beaver Township. The first township meeting was ordered held the first Monday in April, 1880, at the house of Gilbert Yates; and Alonzo Yates, F. A. Basford and B. Freeman were named as Inspectors of the Election.
Jan. 15, 1880, the township of Wilcox was organ- ized from the following territory, previously belonging to Everett: Township 14 north, range 12 west, except the south half of sections 34, 35 and 36, and including the north half of sections 4, 5 and 6, of township 13 north, range 12 west. The first town- ship meeting was ordered held the first Monday in April succeeding, at the house of Charles Decker; and Lee A. Mason, George Ehle and James L. Morgan were chosen inspectors of that election.
Jan. 5, 1881, the township of Lincoln was organized of the following territory : East half of township 14 north, range 13 west, detached from the township of Everett, and west half of township 14 north, range 13 west, detached from the township of Denver. The first township meeting was appointed to be held the first Monday in the succeeding April, at the house of John Owen; and John Owen, Simeon Barnhard and Ernest Forbes were named as In- spectors of Election.
The question of removing the county seat to some more central location has at times been agitated, but as yet unsuccessfully. Jan. 4, 1881, the Board con- sidered the following resolution :
Resolved, That the county seat now located at the village of Newaygo, in said county, ought to be removed, and that the same ought to be located at the village of White Cloud; and it is further
Resolved, That we do hereby designate the said village of White Cloud as the place to which said county seat shall be removed, subject to the vote of the electors of said county as provided by law.
This resolution was rejected by a vote of 11 to 5
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NEWAYGO COUNTY.
but the question is probably not definitely settled yet. Some think that'a tier of townships from the northern part of the county will be added to Lake County. This would suit a large element in Lake County, as it would make their county seat more central, and it would probably be not unacceptable to the citizens of Newaygo village, for the same reason. Should a new county be at any time formed from Newaygo, Kent and Montcalm Counties, the county seat of Newaygo would beyond doubt be removed to White Cloud.
Jan. 6, 1881, the township of Garfield was erected, out of township 12 north, range 13 west; the east half of which had previously been a part of Brooks Township, and the west half of which was part of Sherman Township. The first annual township meeting was ordered held at Daniel E. Soper's store ยท in the village of Newaygo, on Monday, April 4, 1881. Thomas H. Stuart, Daniel E. Soper and Lewis Eckard were designated as presiding officers. The same Board ordered the township of Brooks re-ar- ranged, by making it in future comprise township 12 north, range 12 west, the west half of which had belonged to Brooks, and the east half to Croton. The next annual meeting was directed to be held at the court-house in Newaygo, April 4, 1881. Sanford Brown, Charles K. Carter and William Glanville were appointed Inspectors of the Election.
Legislative bodies frequently indulge in humor and sarcasm, but as a rule such scintillations of wit are carefully excluded from the official record of proceed- ings. The following, taken from the record of proceedings of the Board of Supervisors, will there- fore be appreciated ; it is a report of a committee on fines and penalties, made to the Board :
Your committee appointed to investigate the matter of fines and penalties, submit the following report : We find that there have been no certificates of fines placed on file since the Ist of January, 1881 ; from which we infer that Newaygo County is getting to be a very moral place. We also find that there has been $13 paid in to the Treasurer, supposed to have been derived from the above source; also that there should be something in the hands of the Prosecuting Attorney, paid in to him on a settlement of a suit of the People versus McKinzie, but as there is no record of the settlement, we cannot state the amount. In conclusion, your committee would say that we make no recommendation, for fear of disturb- ing this beautiful state of repose. All of which is respectfully submitted.
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