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 61
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We now cut a road around the swamp, while two of the boys, Frank Stuart and Leland Weaver, went ahead to carry the news that we were coming. Mrs. Weaver and Mrs. Stuart also walked ahead of the teams the rest of the way, three and a half miles. At last we reached "Forest Home." There were about five acres chopped around the "old house " on the north side of the road, and extending west nearly to where the grange store has since been built. Where the village now stands there was a hem- lock swamp, and south an unbroken forest stretch- ing away to the Muskegon River; 27 miles west to Lake Michigan, and north 80 miles to Grand Traverse Bay. Nothing but bears, wolves, deer, lynx and wild-cats inhabited the vast region.
THE HUNT FAMILY.
In the month of March, 1855, M. B. Hunt, of Coldwater, Mich., and a man by the name of Laker came up into this new country looking for land ; but Hunt not exactly liking the looks of Laker, carried to him the idea that he was going to pre-empt. When they arrived at Ionia, Hunt counted out the gold for his land, which was situated northwest of Gibson's mill at Lake Station. Laker took exceptions to this, and would neither buy nor pre-empt. Hunt always thought Laker had some intention which he knew best, and kept to himself.
Hunt was only 20 years of age, and his wife " sweet sixteen." On the first day of April they started with a yoke of steers and a covered wagon from Coldwater, for Fremont. It took them II days to reach Chubb's tavern, now Lisbon. Here he hired a man and team to bring in 600 pounds, for which he paid him $16. On arriving at Newaygo, the man changed for a sleigh, but Hunt went through with
his wagon. His was the first wagon ever driven over the road from Newaygo to Fremont. In this, the first wagon trip, the wagon was unloaded, set up- right, and re-loaded several times, and besides, the ox-yoke was broken. Quite a contrast to the present, when in an easy carriage we now ride rapidly over a good road in a little over an hour.
Stopping at Harrington's shanty, he left his team and things until he could bridge the creek near where the mill now stands, and cut out a road along the lake shore from the old log house to his land, three miles distant. This was the first extension of the road west from the "old house." In three days he had cut out a road and bridged the creek, when, making a cart of the hind wheels of his wagon, he loaded on a few things and moved on to his land.
Mrs. Hunt accompanied the " expedition," the first of its kind to pass along the bank of Fremont Lake. It took four days to move from Elm Corners to Lake Station, a distance of four miles. They arrived on one corner of their land just as the sun was setting, announcing their first night in the woods. About Io rods from where they stopped lay the partly de- voured carcass of a deer, which had been killed and partly eaten the night before by the wolves.
Our couple were young and green, and knew noth- ing. of woods life, but Miles was courageous and naturally endowed with quick perception and in- genuity; so, setting some crotches, and putting a pole across from one to the other, he backed the cart under, spread the wagon cover over and made up their bed in the cart box. He next built a large fire and made preparations for supper. One milk- pan and a pancake griddle constituted their entire outfit of cooking utensils; but "where there's a will there's a way;" and so, taking the milk-pan, Miles went some forty rods to Fremont Lake for water. Darkness having set in, considerable difficulty was experienced in carrying water in that manner; but the camp was finally reached all right, the batter stirred up, pancakes baked, and supper eaten in primitive style, with as good relish as the best meal ever spread on the tables of the Astor House. The oxen were next fastened to trees near the fire, where they could be protected, the rifle cleaned and loaded, and our boy and girl went to bed. Nothing disturbed their slumbers save now and then the snarling and growling of the wolves over the balance of the deer's carcass ; but they did not come here to be scared by
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a few wolves, but to make for themselves a home. The next day they had the company of our old county surveyor, Mr. Adams, and a gentleman from the State of New York. This gentleman expressed considerable surprise at their age, and said he would give all he was worth if his boys only had the grit they had. Giving them his blessing, he went away satisfied that Michigan people did not lack in that important element of human nature which has made us so successful, to wit, energy.
Their next visitors were a party of land-lookers, who built a fire near by and camped. These men were so frightened by the noise of the loon on the lake, thinking it a panther, that two of them sat up all night, and kept up a rousing fire. But the panther failed to put in an appearance, and I would add that there were never any panthers here, as they are more indigenous to a mountainous country.
After cutting and hauling his house-logs, and riv- ing out the shakes for the roof, a house-raising was made, and seven men of us went over and put up the house. The writer carried up one corner, and helped put on the shakes. They were fastened on with the weight poles laid lengthwise of the roof, and were protection from the rain, but very poor shelter from snow, as it would sift through.
That house was truly primitive ; its floor was made of puncheons, split out and hewed, its door and win- dow casings were the same, the door made of pun- cheons, swung on wooden hinges, and not a single nail entered into its construction. The writer bought a double-barreled rifle of Hunt in the fall of 1855, and chopped five acres for it. My wife and I lived with Hunt while I did the chopping.
One night it snowed, and blowed, and the snow came sifting down at a terrific rate. We had plenty of bed clothing over us, so we covered up our noses and "let 'er slip." In those primitive times we had no bed-rooms ; neither was it necessary, as none of us had tongues "hung on a swivel," and so the same room answered for parlor, dining-room, kitchen and bed- room. In the morning, our beds being close togeth- er, we had some dispute as to who should build the fire, the snow being about four inches deep on the floor. I finally built the fire, and then came a spree in the snow. The beds were both shook full, and footprints were visible all over the floor. Such were our ways in those early times. For two weeks, while
I did that chopping, Miles and I ground corn in a coffee mill, with which to make our johnnycake.
Mr. Hunt borrowed money with which to clear up his farm, and lost all in the panic of 1857. He went off to the war with the writer in 1862, and proved himself true as steel. After participating in many hard battles, he was terribly wounded in the head at the battle of Franklin, Tennessee; came back to Michigan, and after shifting homes several times, moved to Buffalo County, Nebraska, where he now lives, 15 miles from Kearney Junction, and has a farm of 320 acres.
Within 20 rods of where Hunt camped amid the howling wolves, the steady puff of a steam saw-mill as it cuts the giant pine into lumber may now be heard: while, instead of that crooked wagon track through the forest, a railroad, with all the comforts of civilization which it brings, carries the traveler in a few minutes what it took him a day to accomplish ; and within 25 rods of where he toilingly raised up that log house, so primitive in its construction, and gave the first impetus to civilization on the banks of Fremont Lake, is the railroad station named after the lake ; and, instead of grinding corn in a coffee-mill, or carrying it on our backs to Newaygo, the genial mil- ler welcomes all at the Fremont flouring mill.
OTHER EARLY SETTLERS.
Among the first settlers here were the Dickinson brothers, Philip and Wallace. These two brothers and John Dickinson (deaf and dumb) came from Hicksville, Defiance Co., Ohio, along with Benjamin Alton, in the winter of 1854-5, spending most of the winter in Casnovia. Mr. Alton returned home in the spring, and Philip and Wallace Dickinson came to Fremont, then called Newfoundland, March 7, 1855, where they spent their first night in the "old log house." On the 9th they pre empted the north- east quarter of section 34, southeast quarter of sec- tion 27, and southwest quarter of section 26, all in township 13 north, range 14 west, now known as Dayton.
They then returned to Casnovia, where they hired a yoke of oxen and sleighs of Michael Krieger, and moved in, reaching Harrington's shanty, April 1, 1855. They put up a shanty on the northeast quarter of section 34, April 4th, and commenced keeping "bach- elor's hall." The first night they staid on their land the snow was 20 inches on a level, and their bed was
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a flat piece of pine, with the starry firmament for a canopy. A huge fire was kept up all night, and the next day, finishing their shanty, they moved in. Wal- lace was installed as "chief cook and dish-washer," a post he filled with entire satisfaction to all concerned, as the writer can testify.
They were both at W. L. Stuart's house-raising, which, according to Wallace's diary, was the second one raised here, it being raised on Saturday, April 14, 1855, and the Harringtons' the third, April 23, 1855. At the Harringtons' raising there were present Miles Hunt, James Mallery, Samuel Shupe, Lyman Brown, Daniel Joslyn, J. Cooper, Jonas Waters, Philip, John and Wallace Dickinson, and the three Harrington brothers.
ITEMS.
A young man by the name of Orrin Barker came here on the 15th of May, 1855, and in company with Philip Dickinson chopped a job of ten acres for W. L. Stuart, on what is now the Byron Waters place. The ten acres were windrowed, and it was all chopped in twenty-five days. Barker did not stay here long ; he served through the war in an Ohio regiment, and then went to Independence, Kansas.
The Dickinson brothers built the first dam across the creek here, at Darling's mill, in the summer of' 1855. Philip and Wallace served in the war honor- ably, came home again, and the three brothers are now scattered.
George Rhodes came here from Cedarville, Allen Co., ndiana, arriving June 6, 1855, and stopped a few days at the Joslyn shanty, till he could lo- cate. He located on the south half of the northwest quarter of section 34, in Dayton. His land was most- ly pine, and he cleared some five or six acres there, which is now grown up to brush. Mrs. Rhodes saw but one woman in three months during their residence here ; and when she saw that one she had "a right smart visit, I reckon."
MY OWN HISTORY.
I will now give a brief outline of my own history. We comprised one-half of that couple who failed to see the rough and muddy road when moving; and in the month of May following went to Newaygo, where we hired the then green-looking Circuit Court Commissioner to come up and marry us, paying him therefor a Dutch guilder.
The Commissioner, having some doubts as to whether the knot would hold, employed 'Squire Fur- man, of Newaygo, to do the work for him; and on the 27th of May, 1855, in the "old log house,"a num- ber of our friends having gathered, Thaddeus L. Wa- ters and Laura J. Weaver were joined in wedlock,- the first couple ever married this side of Newaygo.
I went into the land-looking business, purchased plats of Sherman, Dayton, Sheridan, Holton, Green- wood and several other towns, kept them corrected . monthly, and showed settlers land. A large number of the early settlers were directed to their lands by me, and still reside on the lands first selected. My plan was to look over and note down a number of descriptions of the lands, the nature of the soil, lay of the land, water, timber, etc., and then wait for set- tlers to come and select. During the summer I chopped five acres where Van Arendonk now lives, and put up a log house.
In the fall I took a job of looking up 2,400 acres of pine land for John P. Cook, of Hillsdale. I cut and blazed a trail on what is now the State road from Fremont to Denver, but diverged from the line near Gracy's, and went northeasterly to Ætna. Here I fitted up a camp of hemlock brush, on the bank of White River. This camp I made a sort of head- quarters from which to look up and down the river.
Going to my camp one afternoon, I saw wagon tracks near what was afterward the William Darling farm, and, following them west, soon heard the sound of an axe. Traveling on, I was somewhat surprised to see a young lady standing on a log and cutting wood. Seeing me, she dropped the axe and ran into the shanty.
I came up and inquired who had been intruding on this then unbroken wilderness, and was told his name was Simon Barnhard. That young lady who was chopping wood for the evening's fire afterwards became the wife of S. V. Walker, of Dayton, one of our wealthiest and most respected farmers.
In the morning I started for my camp, shot a deer, and carried a hind quarter in. Ten days rolled by without another sight of a human being, when one night, a terrible snow-storm coming on, I was deeply impressed that in the morning I must return home. Shaping my course from the camp to the old log school-house, I came through, bringing nothing with me but my rifle and compass, and came into the road
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a little east of where I afterwards made my home, making a pretty straight course through the track- less forest, in a snow-storm, twelve miles. Faith in that little bar of steel in the compass in my hand saved me.
In the month of July, 1855, Henry Upton, of Adrian, moved here. I met them nine miles this side of Grand Rapids, on the 25th, and piloted them in. The family consisted of six persons,-Mr. Upton and wife, two girls, Olive and Jane, and two boys, A. E. and Clinton. A. E., then a mere lad, drove an ox
teanı, and the girls a one-horse wagon. In coming through the woods between Casnovia and Newaygo, I went ahead and with a long pole sounded the mud- holes, then directed them how and where to ,drive.
The stranger who undertook to navigate our roads at that primeval epoch without a pilot, could have done the same on the Mississippi, with its shifting bars and sands. "Throwing the lead" from Casno- via to Fremont, the Uptons hauled up at the old log house on the 26th, and that ride, though not on a rail, will long be remembered by theni.
rerace
MISCELLANEOUS.
¡ COUNTY BUILDING.
HE people took no step to- Bward building a permanent edifice for county offices and court room until 1866. Pre- vious to that time the county owned a small building costing but a few hundred dollars, used as a clerk's office, and in which also the Supervisors met. Court was held in rented quarters.
April 17, 1866, the Board passed the following resolution :
WHEREAS, It is deemed necessary and proper to erect a suitable county building on the " Court-House Square " in the village of Newaygo, for the offices of the County Clerk, Judge of Probate, Register of Deeds and County Treasurer, therefore
Resolved, by the Board of Super- visors of the county of Newaygo, that there be submitted to a vote of the electors of the county of Ne- waygo, the question of raising by loan the sum of $3,000, to build and finish such county building for the purposes aforesaid, one-half to be payable on the
first day of February, 1868, and one-half payable on the first day of February, 1869, agreeably to the pro- visions of section 20, being section 354 of the Com- piled Laws, entitled " An act to define the powers and duties of the Boards of Supervisors of the several counties, and to confer upon them certain local ad- ministrative powers.'
Resolved further, that such submission be made to the electors of Newaygo County on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1866, and that the votes thereon be taken, canvassed, certified and re- turned in accordance with the provisions of the above entitled act.
When the vote was taken, out of 577 votes cast, 340 were given in favor of the loan, and 237 against it. The Treasurer was instructed to negotiate the loan, and James Barton, Milo White and William D. Fuller were appointed a building committee, with power to contract for and supervise the erection of such building.
This sum proved insufficient to complete the building as desired, and in the following fall the Board appropriated $1,000 out of the con- tingent fund towards constructing an additional story for a court room. The old county building was sold, and the proceeds applied to the same purpose.
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Still more funds were necessary, and $600 were ad- vanced to the county by E. L. Gray, Sol. K. Riblet, the Newaygo Company, D. Millard, W. L. Stewart, and others, to finish the structure. The building was ready for occupancy by mid-winter.
It was then considered a very neat structure, and is even now better than many other counties can show. Still, it has become insufficient for county purposes, and the need of more room is sadly felt. Fire-proof vaults are needed, also, to preserve the county records from danger of fire. Among the plans proposed to remedy the situation, is one to build a new court-house, and convert the present building into a sheriff's dwelling and jail.
County Jail.
HE Board of Supervisors passed the follow- ing, Dec. 31, 1853 :
"This county not being provided with a jail, it is resolved that the county of Kent be required to receive and take charge of such prisoners as may be sent from this county, at the expense of this county."
Jan. 13, 1855, it was decided to erect a jail for the use of the county, and a contract was made with Samuel W. Matevey on the following basis: The jail to be built of hewn timber and to be seventeen feet wide by twenty feet long, and the walls to be eleven or twelve feet high. The floors to be of hewn timber. The building to be divided into two cells, each to be entered from above by means of trap doors, "the whole to be done in a good and substan- tial and workmanlike manner, so as to answer the purpose of a common jail for said county." " To be paid for as follows : One hundred dollars to be ad- vanced on said contract in a county order this day drawn, and the balance to be paid in one year from the date hereof." The work was required to be com- pleted by the Ist of May ensuing. This was not done, but the building was finished during the sum- mer. Mr. Matevey was allowed for the job $326.04.
In April, 1872, the citizens of Newaygo County voted on a proposition to raise by loan $4,000, with which to erect a new jail, the old one being deemed
unfit for longer use. This amount was to be paid in four annual payments of $1,000 each. The number of votes given in favor of the loan was 302, against 517 ; consequently the measure was rejected.
June 12, 1877, another attempt was made, and the people were asked to vote on a proposition to raise $2,500 for a jail. This was rejected by a vote of 570 in favor, and 634 against.
Oct. 12th, 1877, the Board appropriated out of the county funds $1,000, to aid in the construction of a jail. A committee of citizens, with this amount, and with a fund raised by private subscription, then erected the present frame building, which serves as a jail and sheriff's residence. It is to be hoped that it will be re- placed ere many years with some more substantial structure ; but this will probably not be done until the county-seat question is more definitely settled.
Poor-Farm.
HE first move towards the maintenance of a poor-farm for the unfortunate poor of the county was made March 1, 1859, when $50 were appropriated to purchase of Warren P. Adams the southwest quarter of the north- west quarter of section 13, township 11 north, range 13 west (40 acres). The sum of $100 was also appropriated for the purpose of erecting a log dwelling-house on this farm. It was agreed that when this land should be wanted no longer by the county, the same should be re-conveyed to Mr. Adams, by his paying to the county the value of the improve- ments made thereon by the county, and the original price paid for the same, with interest. These very liberal terms (liberal terms for the county, at least) were never carried out by Mr. Adams, however, and the farm was sold to other parties. It was indeed a poor farm, and was of but little use to the county. For a number of years after this, the poor were let by contract to private parties.
Jan. 22, 1873, the Board purchased as a poor farm the west half of the southeast quarter of the north- east quarter of section 30, and 25 acres off the north side of the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 30, in township 12 north, range 12 west.
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This tract, 45 acres, was purchased of Milton N. Nelson, for $500, and subject to a mortgage of $500. Farming was carried on rather on a small scale, for some years. Jan. 5, 1875, the Board authorized the construction of a suitable building for the sick and insane poor, and ordered that the farming tools and wagon on the poor farm be sold.
In October, 1881, it was decided to purchase an- other poor farm. The Board's committee, after examining several farms, recommended the purchase of 140 acres belonging to G. Reeves, a mile and a half east of Fremont. This farm contained 90 acres cleared of stumps, a large barn, two large orchards, and 25 acres of wheat. This farm was accordingly purchased, at $5,500, and is now the home of those who become dependent upon Newaygo County's charity.
Medicine.
HE first physician in the county was Dr. Alverson, who came in 1852, and remained two years. But Dr. John Tatman was the pioneer doctor. He came in 1854, and was here till after the war, when he went to Muske- gon. He is now in Dakota, with his son Dr. J. C. Tatman, who also practiced in Newaygo for a short time after the war. Dr. Charles Leonard came shortly after Dr. Tatman, and practiced until the war. He then enlisted in the army, and served two years and a half. Closing up his affairs here, he went to Muskegon with Dr. Tatman. He is now dead. Other early physicians were Drs. Woodworth, Ely, Spicer and Massey, all of whom are well remembered. The following is a list of the physicians at present practicing in Newaygo County :
George P. Booth, Eclectic, Muskegon. Almond A. De Groat, Regular, Hungerford. Benedict Einarson, Homeopathic, White Cloud. James F. Farley, Regular, Fremont. David W. Flora, Regular, Newaygo. G. August Hertzer, Regular, Big Prairie. Jeremiah Lemoreaux, Homeopathic, Fremont. John W. McNabb, Regular, Fremont. Van. N. Miller, Regular, Fremont. L. A. McCormick, Regular, Newaygo. George W. Nafe, Eclectic, Fremont. James A. Porter, Regular, White Cloud. Edgar J. Pendell, Regular, Newaygo.
Hiram M. Read, Regular, Woodville. Hollis T. Read, Regular, White Cloud. Tyson Smith, Homeopathic, Newaygo. Joseph M. Stone, Regular, Ashland. Thomas J. Sherlock, Eclectic, Dingman. E. C. Sweet, Eclectic, Muskegon. Reuben S. Trask, Regular, White Cloud. John B. Woodward, Eclectic, Fremont. James Wright, Regular, Ensley.
First Dam.
HE first dam over the Muskegon River in Newaygo County was authorized by the Board of Supervisors Sept. 3, 1853, and con- structed by Christopher Culp. Following is the act of the Board of Supervisors authorizing the building of said dam :
"SEC. I .- Be it enacted by the Board of Supervisors of the county of Newaygo, State of Michigan, that Christopher Culp, his heirs and assigns, are hereby authorized and empowered to build a dam across the Muskegon River on fractional lot 2, on section 4, township [2 north, range II west.
" SEC. 2 .- That the said dam shall not exceed six feet above common low-water mark, and shall con- tain a sufficient shute in height not to exceed four feet, in breadth not less than twenty-four feet, and not less than forty feet in length.
" SEC. 3 .- Nothing herein contained shall authorize the individual named in the first section of this act, his heirs or assigns, to enter upon, or flow, or other- wise injure the land of any person or persons without the consent of such person or persons, and the Board of Supervisors may at any time hereafter alter, amend or repeal this act."
The second dam was the Newaygo Company's dam, begun in 1853.
First Marriages.
HE first marriage recorded in Newaygo County was filed April 10, 1852, but occurred Oct. 2, 1851. The certificate reads as follows :
'This is to certify that John Beck and Phiarm Luther, both of the county of Newaygo, were married by me, a minister of the M. E. Church, on
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the 2d day of October, 185 1, in the presence of James P. Berry and Sarah Berry. DAVID CULP.
The second marriage occurred Dec. 4, 1851, and was performed for Wm. H. Tubbs and Laura M. Bonney. Dec. 15, 1851, David M. Cooley and Abyssinia Miller were joined in matrimony. These three first marriages were performed by Rev. David Culp, of the Methodist Episcopal denomination.
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