USA > Michigan > Grand Traverse County > Sprague's history of Grand Traverse and Leelanaw counties, Michigan embracing a concise review of their early settlement, industrial development and present conditions...to which will be appended...life sketches of well-known citizens of the county > Part 38
USA > Michigan > Leelanau County > Sprague's history of Grand Traverse and Leelanaw counties, Michigan embracing a concise review of their early settlement, industrial development and present conditions...to which will be appended...life sketches of well-known citizens of the county > Part 38
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KINGSLEY.
The village of Kingsley was first laid out into lots by Mr. J. Kingsley from a por- tion of his homestead on section 8. Subse- quently Dr. M. S. Brownson laid out lots on property adjoining on the west, which he recorded as the village of Paradise. In the year 1893 both plats were incorporated as the village of Kingsley, and in March, 1894, a charter election was held, at which A. G. Edwards was elected president. The village has a population of about eight hundred, lo- cated in the midst of a fine farming com- munity. There are in the village five church buildings, viz: Baptist, Methodist Episco- pal, German Lutheran, Free Methodist and the Church of the Latter-Day Saints.
There are two saw-mills located within the village limits, that are doing a good business. One is owned and operated by Case & Crotser and the other by Wesley Dunn. Dr. M. S. Brownson owns and oper- ates a flouring-mill, roller process, that has a capacity of seventy-five barrels per day.
One of the important institutions of Kingsley is the Brownson sanitarium, a large three-story building erected several years years ago by Dr. Myron S. Brownson, and run by him, of late, with the assistance of his son, Dr. Jay J. Brownson. The building is fitted up with baths and all the necessary appliances for an institutiton of the kind, and is having a good patronage. There are three hotels in the village, the McCulley House, Cottage Hotel and Hotel Brownson. There are a number of general stores in the place, and the village, being in the midst of a good farming community, is a good market and shipping point for farm products,. es- pecially potatoes. Kingsley has two weekly
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newspapers, the Hustler and the Kingsley Echo. The Hustler was established in 1899 by Dr. M. S. Brownson. It is a six-column folio, devoted especially to local affairs and the interests of the village and county. It appears to be receiving a very good adver- tising patronage. The Echo was established in 1901. It is a six-column quarto, neatly printed and well filled with local news and advertising. It is also patronized to a con- siderable extent by Traverse City business men.
Secret societies of the town are as fol- lows: Otto Lodge No. 324, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, owns a hall of its own in the second story of a building on Brownson avenue, where it holds its meet- ings. Rebekah Lodge No. 363 holds its meetings in the same hall. Strict Account Tent No. 662, Knights of the Maccabees, holds meetings on the first and third Satur- days of each month in a hall over L. D. En- sign's store. Kingsley Industrial Hive No. 416, Ladies of the Maccabees, meets in the same hall the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. Camp No. 6789, Modern Woodmen of America, meets every second and fourth Saturday in each month.
FIFE LAKE.
This township was organized by act of the legislature in the winter of 1873, and now embraces township 25 north, range 9 west. The first supervisor was J. D. John- son.
The village of Walton is located at the junction of the Traverse City branch of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad with the main line, on section 33 of this township. It
was located at the time of the building of the road and for a number of years was quite an important lumbering point. It is now a place of about one hundred and fifty inhabitants, and has a hotel, store and rest- aurant. The most important industry is the growing of cranberries by Hon. D. C. Leach, who has an extensive marsh under cultivation with this fruit.
There are three school buildings in the township outside of the village of Fife Lake.
FIFE LAKE VILLAGE.
This village is located on the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad, and takes its name from the lake on the border of which it is built. It was incorporated in 1889 and has a population of about seven hundred and fifty. It was once a large manufacturing point of pine lumber, and is now a very im- portant shipping point.
There are three churches in the village, Catholic, Methodist Episcopal and Presby- terian. It has a graded school and a school building of four rooms, built at a cost of five thousand dollars. It has two hotels, the City Hotel and Fife Lake House, and a saw- mill and a wood bowl and stave factory. It has a town hall, built at a cost of five hun- dred dollars, and an Odd Fellows lodge, a Good Templars lodge and a Grand Army post. It also has a live weekly newspaper, the Fife Lake Monitor. It is a neatly printed six-column quarto, in its twelfth year of publication. It is ably edited and published by Will A. Kent, and receives a good advertising patronage from the busi- ness men of Fife Lake, South Boardman, Walton, Traverse City and Cadillac.
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GARFIELD.
The township of Garfield was organized by the board of supervisors in January, 1882, and now embraces the following de- scribed territory : The west half of section 4, except the southeast quarter of the north- west quarter, which belongs to Traverse City, and the west half of section 9, all of sections 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36, township 27 north, range II west; also section 6, except the north half of the northeast quarter, and all of sections 7, 8, 17 and 18, township 26 north of range 10 west. The first super- visor was H. E. Steward.
There are seven school buildings in the township and two churches, Methodist Episcopal and Evangelical Alliance. The dam and power-house of the Boardman River Electric Light and Power Company are located on the Boardman river in this township. It is an excellent township of farming and fruit lands. The celebrated fruit farm of the late Judge Ramsdell, and the market garden of the late James K. Gunton are located in this township, as well as many others.
GREEN LAKE.
The township of Green Lake was organ- ized by the board of supervisors in Janu- ary, 1883, and embraces all of township 26 north, range 12 west. The first supervisor was George H. Wightman.
The village of Interlochen is located at the junction of the Pere Marquette and Manistee & Northeastern Railroads in the center of section 16. The village has a pop-
ulation of about six hundred and fifty. The most important industry of the village is the Wyley Cooperage Company, which oper- ates an extensive stave and heading factory, giving employment to about one hundred hands. There is also a shingle-mill at In- terlochen. There is also a hotel, general store, meat market, blacksmith shop and drug store.
Besides the manufacturing at Interlochen there are two other saw-mills in the town- ship, one, giving employment to from twelve to fifteen hands, one and one-half miles south of Grawn, and one a mile west of Grawn. There are six school buildings in the township, with seven rooms.
UNION.
The township of Union was organized by the board of supervisors in October, 1884, and embraces all of township 26 north, range 9 west. The first supervisor was Byron S. Shepard. There are no villages in the township. The township is all em- braced in one school district, in which there are located two school buildings.
ACME.
The township of Acme embraces the fol- lowing territory: All of fractional town- ship 28 north, range 10 west, the west half of sections 5, 8, 17 and 20, and all of sec- tions 6, 7, 18 and 19, township 28 north, range 9 west, also sections 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, II and 12, township 27 north, range 10 west; also the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter, the west half of the northwest quar- ter, and the west half of the southwest quar- ter of section 5, all of sections 6 and 7, town- ship 27 north, range 9 west. The township was organized by the board of supervisors
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in January, 1891, John Pulcipher being the first supervisor.
There are three villages and postoffices in this township. Acme village is a station on the Pere Marquette Railroad, seven miles east of Traverse City. It was settled about 1855, and now has a saw-mill, a saw and planing-mill, a shingle-mill, a general store, a woolen-mill, blacksmith shop, etc. There are in the township three saw-mills and two shingle-mills. There is a town hall in this village, built at an expense of one thousand dollars, and also a Methodist Episcopal church and a Masonic lodge. The village has a population of about two hun- dred.
Bates is a station in this township on the Pere Marquette Railroad, eleven miles east of Traverse City. It contains a general store, postoffice and a cold storage ware- house. A large amount of farm produce, especially potatoes and fruit, is shipped from this point.
Yuba is a postoffice located eleven miles northeast of Traverse City on the wagon road leading from Traverse City to Elk Rapids. It is in the center of a flourishing farming community. It has a Methodist Episcopal and a Congregational church.
There are in the township of Acme three public school buildings with a total of four rooms.
CHAPTER XXVII.
INCORPORATION OF TRAVERSE CITY.
THE VILLAGE CORPORATION.
The question of incorporating the village of Traverse City was agitated for two or three years, and finally, in the winter of 1881, a bill to this effect was passed by the legislature. The village corporation in- cluded only a portion of the present city, em- bracing the following described territory : Lots 3 and 4, section 2 ; lots 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, section 3; lots 1 and 2 and the southwest quarter of the northeast fractional quarter and the southeast quarter of section 4; north
half of the northeast quarter of section 9; lots 1, 13, 14 and 15, of section II, town- ship 27 north, range II west.
The first charter election was held on the third Monday of April, 1881. At this election two hundred and twenty-nine votes were polled, and the following Citizens' ticket was elected: President, Perry Han- nah; clerk, Thomas W. Browne; treasurer, Myron E. Haskell; assessor, Henry D. Campbell; street commissioner, John Kelly ; constable, William J. Moody ; trustees, Smith Barnes, Seth C. Moffatt, Homer P. Daw,
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Joseph B. Haviland, James Lee, Joseph E. Greilick. After holding the office for a cou- ple of months, Mr. Browne resigned the position of clerk and Harry C. Davis was appointed to the place, a position which he held continuously until the incorporation of the town as a city in 1895. During the ex- istence of the village corporation Hon. Per- ry Hannah held the office of president, with the exception of one year, when the posi- tion was held by Dr. Benjamin D. Ashton.
THE CITY INCORPORATION.
At a public meeting of the citizens held in the latter part of the summer of 1894, it was decided that the time had come when the size of the town demanded a city govern- ment, and a committee of citizens was ap- pointed to draft a charter to present to the legislature for that purpose. A good deal of time was spent in the work and a draft of a charter prepared, which was passed by the legislature, and approved May 18, 1895.
The first election under the city charter was held September 23, 1895, and resulted in the choice of the following: Mayor, Per- ry Hannah; city clerk, A. W. Rickerd; city treasurer, Malcom Winnie; Alderman, B. J. Morgan, W. J. Hobbs, R. Goodrich, C. L. Greilick, W. W. Smith, W. A. Newton, P. Kyselka, C. D. Kenyon, George P. Garrison, A. W. Jaharaus
Mr. Hannah held the office of mayor until May 1, 1896, when he was succeeded by H. C. Davis, who held to May, 1897. He was followed by William W. Smith who held the office for two years. On May 1, 1899, Frank Hamilton took the position, holding it until May 1, 1900, when he was succeeded by Alfred V. Friedrich, followed in 1901 by
J. W. Patchin. O. P. Carver was elected in 1902, followed May 1, 1903, by John R. Santo.
A. W. Rickerd held the office of city clerk from the first city election until May 1, 1901, when he was succeeded by Charles M. Beers, who has held the position since. Malcom Winnie held the position of treasurer dur- ing Mr. Hannah's and the first year of Mr. Smith's administration, when he was suc- ceeded by Peter Wurzburg, who held the place until May, 1903, when he was succeed- ed by Myron E. Haskell, the first village treasurer.
TRAVERSE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The Traverse City fire department dates back to the year 1877. March 16th of that year a meeting was held at Leach's hall for the purpose of effecting an organization. A few months prior to that time a fund had been raised by subscription, through the ef- forts of Smith Barnes, and two hand fire en- gines purchased. Two hose carts had also been ordered. At this meeting the Traverse City fire department was organized and of- ficers elected as follows: Fire marshal, S. Barnes ; assistant, H. D. Campbell; chief en- gineer, W. V. Harvey ; fire inspectors, S. C. Despres and John Stevenson. Officers for the engines "Wide Awake" and "Invincible" were also elected.
With the introduction of the waterworks in 1881, with direct pressure taking the place of the hand engines, the system was fully in- augurated. About this time S. C. Despres was appointed to the position of fire chief, a place that he continued to fill for several years, until he was succeeded by John Ren- nie, the present incumbent.
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From the beginning the department has been kept up to the full requirements of the city, and Traverse City has today one of the best equipped and best handled and efficient fire departments of any city of its size in Michigan.
The expense of running the department from April 1, 1902, to April 1, 1903, was $4,330.99. The total amount of property on hand belonging to the department April I, 1902, was $22,518.42. To this was added during the year ending April 1, 1903, one hose and ladder wagon and five hundred and fifty feet of new hose, at a cost of $720.95, making the total amount of property on hand at the above date, which includes en- gine house and lot on Cass street, two fire
steamers, one chemical engine, two combi- nation hose and ladder wagons, four hose carts, four thousand nine hundred feet of hose, two pair of horses, and a large amount of other fixtures, $26,239.37.
POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Traverse City has a very efficient police department, although the force employed has never been large for the size of the place. The population of the city probably at the present time exceeds twelve thousand. The entire expense of the department for the year ending April 1, 1903, including dray and hack hire, fuel, board of prisoners, painting jail, and miscellaneous items, was $2,870.27.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
LAND PRODUCTS.
Pine timber first attracted the white set- tlers to Grand Traverse. Fortunately, how- ever, while there was considerable excellent pine along the borders of Boardman river, and about some of the other streams and lakes, the great bulk of the county was thick- ly covered with hardwood timber, mostly beach and hard maple, interspersed with hem- lock, basswood and elm, together with large tracts of cedar, growing upon the lower grounds, which when cleared became the best of meadow land.
In the early days the pine lands were sup-
posed to be the most valuable, but the op- posite has proved to be the case. The hard- wood timber is now as valuable as was the pine at the time it was cut, and the hardwood and cedar lands when cleared from timber are the most productive of farming and fruit lands. The hardwood industry is more val- uable than the pine ever was, although di- vided among a much greater number of people. Millions of feet are cut and manu- factured into lumber and other articles every year and shipped away.
In the meantime, with the removal of the
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timber, farming and fruit growing have de- veloped to a remarkable degree. In the line of fruit, apples, pears, plums, peaches, cher- ries and grapes are grown in abundance and find a market all over the country, apples be- ing shipped to Europe.
While wheat, oats and corn are grown and produce well, the soil appears to be es-
pecially adapted to the growing of potatoes of the highest quality, and for many years it has been the principal crop, millions of bushels being raised and niarketed every year. The sugar beet is now beginning to receive considerable attention, and prom- ises to become a reliable and well paying crop.
CHAPTER XXIX.
SUMMER RESORTS.
With the completion of the railroad to Traverse City in 1872, or rather the summer following, the people began to visit Traverse City as a summer resort. With the exten- sion of railroad and steamboat facilities the business has been growing ever since, until the whole of the Grand Traverse bay region, including Petoskey, Charlevoix and Macki- naw, has become a vast summer resort re- gion, with Traverse City as one of the most important distributing points.
Traverse City is of itself a favorite resort for a great many people. Park Place, the largest hotel in the city, is very popular with resorters and is well filled with them during the entire summer season. The Hotel Whit- ing and the Columbia are also well patron- ized by resorters.
Edgewood is on the east shore of West Bay, three miles from Traverse City, on a beautiful drive. The resort consists of quite
a number of nice cottages, and is very popu- lar with those seeking a pleasant place of rest.
Neahtawanta is ten miles north of Tra- verse City, occupying a point of land extend- ing into the West Bay, north of Harbor Island, from the peninsula. Besides a large number of beautiful cottages, owned by Grand Rapids people and others, the Neahta- wanta Association owns a large tract of land and a fine hotel, which is under the management of the association and is well patronized. The name, Neahtawanta, means placid waters, and the water deepens so grad- ually that it is an ideal place for children to bathe. The bay steamers "Columbia" and "Crescent" stop each way in their trips up and down the bay, twice daily, besides which the drive between Traverse City and this point along the bay shore is a pleasant and popular one.
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Old Mission is also a popular resort, a number of Lansing and Ann Arbor people owning cottages and spending their summers there. The harbor at this point is well shel- tered and forms one of the most desirable places for rowing in the region.
Skegemog Point is a peninsula that is al- most an island, between Elk and Round Lake. It is about eighteen miles from Tra- verse City and seven miles by steamer from Elk Rapids. This resort has been establish- ed but a short time, but there are already several nice cottages here. The fine fishing
in the immediate vicinity tends to make the resort a popular one.
Forest Lodge is a beautiful private resort, owned by Rockford, Chicago and Indian- 'apolis people, who spend their summers here with their families every season. There are a number of fine and picturesque cottages. It is located about six miles west of Traverse City on the east shore of Long Lake, near the head.
The resorts of Leelanaw county will re- ceive due attention in another part of this book.
1
CHAPTER XXX.
EARLY PIONEERS.
This chapter the author will devote to biographical sketches of some of the early pioneers who have crossed the river to the great beyond. The author greatly regrets that he cannot make these sketches much more complete. He believes, however, that such as they are they will be found interest- ing to the rising generation and those who shall come after.
Edwin Pulcipher was born in Jefferson county, New York, in 1806, and was mar- ried, in 1832, to Miss Matilda Watts, a native of the same county. They came to Grand Traverse in 1855, and settled on section 24, township 28 north, range ro, in what is now Acme township, where he located three hun-
dred and twenty acres of excellent land, which, with the assistance of his two sons, John and Harrison, he made into a very pro- ductive fruit and grass farm. He died Au- gust 16, 1884. Both of his sons survive him and are prosperous farmers of Acme town- ship.
Lyman Smith who was the first settler of Grand Traverse county, south of Tra- verse City, was born in Vermont in 1813. He came to Grand Traverse in 1853 and bought lands in section 30, town 26, range II, and section 25, town 26, range 12. He settled on Silver Lake, where he also bought land, moving later upon the first mentioned purchase. For the first nine
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months after they settled on Silver Lake Mrs. Smith saw but two white women. Neighbors they had none, being the only set- tlers between Traverse City and Big Prairie, Newaygo county, the next comer being Will- iam Munroe, who settled at what is now Monroe Center, in 1859. In 1861 the fami- ly lost a child, Albert, three years old, stolen by the Indians, who was not recovered until several years after Mr. Smith's death, which occurred October 9, 1882. He left a family of six children, the most of whom are resi- dents of this region. The first trip of the family from Traverse City to Silver Lake was a two-days journey, as they were obliged to cut out a road or trail the distance they were obliged to go of eight miles.
Joseph B. Haviland was one of the rep- resentative men of Grand Traverse county and an early settler of what is now Acme township. His death occurred December 19, 1881. He was born March 23, 1836, in Raisin, Lenawee county, Michigan, of Qua- ker parentage, and when a young lad took an active part in transferring negro slaves es- caping from the south to Canada, from one station to another via the "underground railroad." The writer has heard him tell of starting from his father's place many a night after ten o'clock with a load of dar- kies that had been in hiding all the day pre- vious in his father's barn, landing there from another station during the night previous, carrying them ten miles to the next station and returning home before daylight in order to avoid suspicion, as in those days it was a state prison offense to assist a fugitive slave to escape from his master. In March, 1859, Mr. Haviland married Adeline L. Hoxsie, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. S. Hoxsie, af- terwards residents of this county. In 1864
Mr. Haviland removed to Acme, in company with his wife's parents, and always consider- ed that his home, although for seven years before his death he lived in Traverse City, the better to attend to his duties as a county officer. In 1878 he was appointed state swamp land road commisioner for Michigan and held the office continuously until his death, an almost unexampled case in the offi- cial records of the state. In 1874 he was elected county clerk and register of deeds for Grand Traverse county, and in 1880 he was elected for the fourth term to that position. He was an enthusiastic Mason and a prom- inent member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His widow, one son and two daugh- ters survive him, all residents of Traverse City.
Joseph E. Greilick, a native of Austria, was born September 11, 1834, and came with his parents to New York city in 1848, and thence to Grand Traverse in 1854. After spending some years in carpenter work and other industrial engagements, he entered into the business of manufacturing sash, doors, blinds, mouldings, frames, dressed lumber, etc., in the spring of 1867, under the firm name of Greilick & Co., Hannah, Lay & Com- pany being partners in the business. In 1879 Mr. Greilick bought out the interests of the other parties, and conducted the business on his own account, building up an extensive trade, which since his death, which occurred September 27, 1892, has been conducted by his widow and two sons, under the name of the J. E. Greilick Company.
The first regular physician to engage in practice in Grand Traverse was Dr. David C. Goodale, who, with his family, consisting of his wife, two daughters, Helen, afterwards Mrs. Thomas A. Hitchcock, and Agnes, and
DR. M. L. LEACH
MICHAEL GAY
MORGAN BATES
REV. S. STEELE
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one son, Charles, arrived at Traverse City in April, 1853, and was the first postmaster of the place. Dr. Goodale was born in Way- bridge, Vermont, November 10, 1809. In June, 1835, he graduated in the medical col- lege at Castleton, which at that time stood in the front rank of the medical schools of the country. Soon after graduating he mar- ried Miss Charlott Isabelle Cheney, and com- menced practice in Panton. He was for many years secretary of the Addison County Medical Society and took an honorable place in the ranks of the profession. During the political campaign of 1839-40 he published the Green Mountain Argus. He came west in 1852. On removing to Grand Traverse county he determined to give up practice, but the needs of the settlement induced him to reconsider his determination. For many years he was the only physician in the vicini- ty of Traverse City, until, in 1862, Dr. B. D. Ashton came. For several years the Doctor had charge of the Hannah, Lay & Company's boarding-house. Traverse City has for sev- eral years had free mail delivery, but as a matter of fact free delivery was put into suc- cessful operation by the first postmaster, Dr. D. C. Goodale, although it was not con- tinued by subsequent postmasters. The Doc- tor had his office at his house. Mails came only once a week by Indian trail, overland by the way of Manistee, and the time of its ar- rival was quite uncertain, varying from a few hours to as many days, hence, while people were anxious to get their mail promptly, they could not figure closely when to go to the postoffice after it. So the Doctor, to ac- commodate the people, established free deliv- ery and collection of mail matter. As soon as the mail was received and assorted the post- master put on his overcoat, having large
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