St. Clair County, Michigan, its history and its people; a narrative account of its historical progress and its principal interests, Vol. I, Part 18

Author: Jenks, William Lee, 1856-; Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago, Lewis publishing co.
Number of Pages: 536


USA > Michigan > St Clair County > St. Clair County, Michigan, its history and its people; a narrative account of its historical progress and its principal interests, Vol. I > Part 18


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57


Captain John Clark, of East China, was long renowned for his hos- pitality to friends and strangers, as were many other of the pioneer families.


ST. CLAIR COUNTY IN 1820


In 1920 St. Clair county can celebrate its centennial. and the near- ness of that event brings to mind the great changes which have taken place within the century. When the county was set off in 1820 it probably did not contain. exclusive of Indians. 300 inhabitants. With the exception of the few engaged at the Morass mill. in Clyde township, all the remaining people were on or near the St. Clair river. The most northern residents were the soldiers at Fort Gratiot. A few Frenchmen and their families were along Black river, near the mouth, mostly on the upper side ; on the lower side were Anselm Petit and Pierre Brinda- mour. A few miles further down was Z. W. Bunce and his small com- munity of helpers. From there to St. Bernard's was practically an unbroken forest. with some evidences of former clearing and the remains of a small water mill on what is now the Carleton place.


At St. Clair Fulton had done some clearing and built two houses north of Pine river. South of Pine river Old Fort Sinclair gave evi- dence of its existence, but from that point down to the Westbrook and Ricard (Recor) farms. there was nothing but primeval forest. Just below Belle river there was a settlement of French. the Yax. Petit and Duchene families. Then came the Cottrell. Thorn and Brown settle- ment, and a short distance above Algonac the Harrow settlement, which was the last upon what is now termed the river proper. Around on the North channel was a small collection of families, mostly French, and another on the north shore of Lake St. Clair. These, with the few upon Stromness and Harsen's Islands, completed the population of the county.


Everything was new and rough and rude. Roads there were none except the great waterway. There was no unsatisfied desire to get near to nature. Nature, with its wildness of animals and verdure, was press- ing too close for satisfaction or even safety. A community of civilized


131


HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY


people accustomed to the wants of society cannot long live upon what unaided nature supplies. Hunting and fishing furnish only the most precarious and doubtful existence, as the experience of the Indians proves.


The problems which met the newly organized county were serious, but not complex. A fair proportion of the population was American or British in descent, accustomed to self government, and to the general system of administering laws. Roads must be made and kept in repair so that intercommunication would be. possible and easy. Courts and peace officers must be provided so that law and order might prevail and the weak be protected from the aggression of the strong. Domestic animals were a necessity and must be protected from the most dangerous forest enemies, the wolves. For a few years the solution of these prob- lems, simple but important, covered all the official work. At first it was difficult for the governor to find enough competent men to fill all the offices. Most of the French were entirely uneducated, and though keen- witted and shrewd, conld speak English very little, if at all, and of course could not read or write it.


Thus we see the reason why Judge Bunce, J. K. Smith, and several others filled several offices at the same time; not that they were so much more capable than modern men, but the supply of official timber was very small.


ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR 1821


There has very fortunately been preserved the record of the first assessment roll of the county made in 1821. Under the law of that time there was but one roll for all the taxpayers in the county, and it is so important from many viewpoints that we reproduce it entire :


Names.


Improved


Lands


Wilds Lands


Houses


Barns


Orchards


Horses Under


Horses Over


Three Years


Oxen


Cow's


Hogs


House


Furniture


Valuation


1


Hezekiah Adams


$ 24


2


Joseph Bazenett.


55


3


Moses Birdsall. .


9


181


1


1


1


2


20


563


5 William Brown.


30


71


1


1


1


1


9


23


100


1.225


6


John Brown


30


71


1


5


4


1


2


6


10


111


9 Z. W. Bunce ..


30


71


304


11


John Cartwright


9


111


1


1


1/


.


4


2


2


1


1


12 5


73


15 John Cottrell.


S 187


1


1


.


1


2


2


3


2


5


25


781


18


Henry Cottrell.


28


129


1


1


1


4


6


40 5


1.212 65


20


Louis Casehand.


.


.


5


10


74


21


Laba Campau.


120


1


1


1


6


68


23


Francois Dechene


S


148


24


William Duvall.


40 40


26


John Elliott.


25


150


1


1


1/


4


Lambert Beaubien


16


104


7


Joseph Bourdenau


30


71


36


8


Lovin Blanchard


30


71


1


6


5


1


4


6


50


1.722 224


12


James Cartwright


9


120


·


1


4


1


2 1


·)


1


10


689


16


David Cottrell


20


130


1


1


11%


17


George Cottrell.


12


213


1


1


1


?


19


Francois Chortier. Jr


.


.


3


10


300


13


Louis Chortier


9


120


152


14


Joseph Chortier


9


120


.


1


3 1


1


10


143


10 Francois Chortier


55


225


1


4


1


5


5


2


25


789


150


22


Peter Dupre. .


25 J. B. Dichard.


.. . . ... .


Young Cattle


. .


$60


588


2


Three Years


132


HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY


Names.


Lands


Wilds Lands


Houses


Barns


Orchards


Horses Under


Three Years


Horses Over


Three Years


Oxon


Cows


Young Cattle


House


Furniture


Valuation


27 John Elliott, Jr


10


28


2S


John S. Fish.


40


187


29


John Flynn ..


S


104


30


N. Frederick.


10


210


1


1


1


50


2,941


33


Jacob Guy.


10


64


34


Joseph Gear ..


24


35


Est. of Alexander Harrow


1


1


36


William Hill.


16


144


1


1


1


11.


3 3


20 5


659


37


David Hill.


5


75


38


Francis Harsen.


165


39


William Harsen


10


120


40


Jacob Harsen.


18


72


41


Robert Hamilton.


20


42


Phillip Jarvis.


1


1


1


15


55


43


Jaques Leeson


30


44


George Little.


75


45


Charles Larned.


200


46


Mariann Minnie.


2S


732


1


1,


1


.


1


25


766


49


Angus McDonnall.


20


144


50 51


Archibald McDonnell


640


53


Park & Meldrum


1,600


54


Pascal Podvant.


9


111


1


1


1


5


43


56


Anselm Petit ..


41


57


James Robertson.


18


252


.


2


3


10


919 So


59


Sarah Robertson.


4


1


10


150


60


David Robertson.


1


. . .


61


John Robertson.


62


Etien Russell


63


Peter Rice. .


6


1


. 64


Oliver Ricard


20


127


1


?


8


2


1


30


1,004 89 96


67


Henry Saunders.


2SS


1


7


G


5


871


6S


Louis St. Bernard.


1


5


100


69


Seth Taft ..


59


70


William Thorn.


25


255


1


1


1


1


1


4


S


G


S


50


1,179


71


John Thorn.


90


72


Louis Thebault.


12


107


1


1


1


4


.


.


.


.


1


30


80


74


Romulus Van Wagenan. .


10


24


75


James B. Wolverton


45


77


Andrew Wesbrook


100


1


4


S


10


S


130


3,540


78


Jean B. Yax.


3


4


10


173


79


Harvey Stewart.


1


1


8


9


S


5


28


315


47


Ira Marks.


13


40


130


48


Joseph Minnie


12


163


1


-.


1


1


1


1


6


20


134


52


David Meldrum.


800


55


Joseph Pennock.


58


Thomas Robertson.


1.


1


6


. .


1


1


.


183


65


John K. Smith.


.


.


1


4


4


5


.


1


2


2


.


. .


10


562


73


Vanwagenan & Jersey


.


.


·


1


.


4


4


16 S


25 SO


356


76


Samuel Ward ..


I


1


In addition to the property named and valued in above list, L. Beaubien. William Brown, John Elliott and Joseph Minnie were each assessed for a wooden clock: William Brown, D. Cottrell, F. Harsen. Mariann Minnie. W. Thorn and Andrew Wesbrook, each a cariole; William Brown, Samuel Ward and Harvey Stewart, each a wagon; J. S. Fish, Samuel Ward and A. Wesbrook, each a silver watch; F. Chortier, David, George and Henry Cottrell, Mariann Minnie, Joseph Minnie, O. Rickard, William Thorn and A. Wesbrook, a cart each.


There were seventy-nine persons assessed upon this roll. of whom seventy-five were probably residents, as they are assessed for either im- proved land or personal property. Four are assessed for wild lands alone, and one for improved land alone, forty-two for personal property, and one man is assessed for a house and personal property. but no land.


It is evident, however, from a knowledge of the situation with an inspection of the roll that the assessors were rather careless in their


S


580


31


F. Fleurer.


6


154


1


12


285


32


James Fulton


50 1,230


.


.


3


5


1 2


45


1


1


.


1


. .


5 S


. .


640


S


20


1,975


.


.


529


1


1


20


10


100


66


Richard Sansbury.


·


1


1


1. 1


2


30


5


104


Silas Miller.


17 1,263


2,357


116 16


7


1. . 15.


01-1. 0010 Hogs


1. .


.191


1


.


3


Improved


:


133


HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY


assessments, and entirely omitted from the roll a considerable amount of wild land, and probably some improved land as well.


No. 1-Hezekiah Adams owned two cows, but no other property ; he evidently was employed by some property holder, and left the county prior to 1830, as he does not appear in the census of that year. In 1822 he was drawn on the petit jury.


No. 2-Joseph Bazenett, or Bassinet, or Basney, as the family is now called, was the owner of Private Claim No. 301, containing 120 acres, and it must have had some improvements, as it was testified in 1808 that he had been in possession before 1796. This claim was sold to Henry Ainsworth in 1821 and has remained in his family to the present.


No. 3-Moses Birdsall occupied Claim No. 252, 190 acres. by virtue of his being the husband of Alice Wright, one of the heirs of John Wright, in whose name the land was patented.


No. 4 Lambert Beaubien in 1819 had acquired part of Claim 204 which contained 325 acres. and as he is assessed but 120 acres. the balance, if assessed at all, is to Joseph Mini.


No. 5-William Brown was the son of Mrs. John Wright (No. 3) by her first husband, Darins Brown, and purchased the Dannay Claim No. 308, which contained 120 acres, and was one of the largest tax- payers. He married Martha Thorn in 1806 and came to the county to live in 1816.


No. 6-John Brown was a resident of Clay township at the census of 1830 and in 1824 subscribed $5 in grain to assist in getting the county seat away from St. Clair.


No. 7-Joseph Bourdenau was a son-in-law of J. B. Yax, who located in 1818 that part of section 12 lying west of Belle river, now part of Marine City. In 1822 he sold his interest in the land and probably moved away, as he was not in the county at the census of 1830.


No. 8-Lovin Blanchard. His location cannot now be identified. He appears as a voter in 1821 and in the following year is a member of the first grand jury drawn in the county, but is not a resident in 1830.


No. 9-Z. W. Bunce owned land in sections 28 and 29, township 6 north, range 17 east, considerably more than 101 acres, and his total assessment of $304 is certainly modest enough. Judge Bunce was long a prominent man in county affairs.


No. 10-Francois Chortier was granted Claim No. 309 of 120 acres and apparently had bought the Ignace Champagne Claim No. 198 of 140 acres, as in July, 1822, he conveyed both claims to his children. His assessment shows two houses, and a total valuation which made him the fifth largest taxpayer.


Nos. 11, 12-John and James Cartwright owned Claim No. 318. con- taining 240 acres, but were assessed for 249 acres.


Nos. 13, 14-Lonis and Joseph Chortier. assessed 129 acres each. were sons of Francis Chortier. In 1822 Louis was a member of the first grand jury, and in 1825 he was granted a license to operate a ferry over Belle river.


Nos. 15, 16, 17, 18-John, David, George and Henry Cottrell were the surviving sons of the original George Cottrell, who bought this land


134


HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY


from the Indians in 1780 and moved upon it in 1784 and had died in 1817. He had received grant to Claim No. 186 of 320 acres and his five sons (one of whom had died before 1821) received grant of Claim No. 187 of 430 aeres. It will be noticed that they are assessed for four houses. The sons had made a division among themselves. and not long after John Cottrell sold out and removed to Macomb county. The other three were officeholders and prominent men for many years.


Nos. 19, 20-Francois Chortier. Jr., and Louis Casehand had no land, but were fairly well provided with personal property.


No. 21-Laba Campau, who is assessed for 120 acres of wild land. is undoubtedly Barnabas Campau, of Detroit. who was nicknamed L'Abbe from his appearance. and who was a man of large property and means. The land assessed to him was probably Claim No. 311 on the north shore of Lake St. Clair.


No. 22-Peter Dupre lived as a tenant upon land in Cottrellville, was a blacksmith and married a daughter of old Mother Rodd, the Indian woman well known to all the pioneers of the county. He quali- fied as a voter in 1823 and was a resident of Cottrellville in the census of 1830.


Nos. 23, 24. 25. 26. 27-No one of these had any land, but all had some kind of stock. Dechene or Duchene probably lived near the mouth of Belle river. on the west side. in the French settlement there. Nothing is known about Duvall or the Elliotts. J. B. Diehard is prob- ably Deschamps, a Frenchman, who lived for some years near Black river, and at other times in Clay township.


Nos. 28, 29, 30-John S. Fish in 1827 was one of the first county su- pervisors and was quite active in 1824 in assisting Samuel Ward in his attempt to remove the county seat down the river from St. Clair. John Flynn was a resident of Cottrellville, according to the census of 1830. N. Frederick cannot now be identified.


No. 31-F. Fleurer is said to have been a son of the French soldier. Louis de Fleury, who came over from France and took an active and honorable part in the War of the Revolution, and returning to France was beheaded in 1794 during the French Revolution. Francis Fleury was a soldier in the American army during the War of 1812, and came to Cottrellville township in 1821, living there until his death in 1846.


No. 32-James Fulton. His assessment includes Claims 304 and 305, 1.280 acres, upon which there were fifty aeres of cleared land for the town plat of St. Clair, and the two houses built by him were upon the west side of Front street, north of Pine river.


Nos. 33. 34-Jacob Guy and Joseph Gear owned only personal prop- erty. The latter married Jeannette Mini. daughter of Antoine Mini, who received patent to Claim No. 204. and whose heirs had sold to Lambert Beaubien. Neither was a resident, according to the census of 1830, but Guy was a defendant in county court in January, 1827.


No. 35-Estate of Alex Harrow. 1,280 acres, which probably includes Claims 188 and 200 for 640 aeres each, which made this assessment the third largest on the roll. Harrow was long in the British naval depart- ment on the lakes and moved on this land about 1794.


135


HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY


Nos. 36. 37-William and David Hill together owned Claim No. 196, as sons and heirs of Jacob Hill.


Nos. 38, 39. 40-Francis, William and Jacob Harsen. They all owned land on Harsen's island, but as they had not had their claims perfected at this time they were not assessed for real estate.


Nos. 41, 42, 43, 44-Nothing is known of Hamilton, unless the Robert is an error for Reuben, who came to the county in 1821 and lived for several years in St. Clair, and about 1829 moved to Port Huron, where he lived until his death, and was well known as a justice of the peace. It is likely JJarvis is properly Jervais, Leeson is sometimes spelled Lozen, and he was the father of Captain J. B. Lozen, of Marine City. Both Gervais and Lozon lived in the Belle river settlement. Little left the country before the census of 1830 and was living in Canada.


No. 45-Charles Larned was a well known lawyer who lived in Detroit and owned Claim 306, which was afterwards owned by Agens and Ham- mill for many years, and is now mainly within the limits of St. Clair City.


No. 46-Mariann Mini was the widow of Pierre Mini, and this assessment includes Claims 202, 203 and 206.


No. 47-Ira Marks lived in the township of Clay at this time and was also a resident in 1830. He came to the county in 1818, and subse- quently acquired real estate, and it is said the township of Ira was named for him. It is also said that he brought the first wagon into the county.


No. 48-Joseph Minnie, one of the sons of Pierre Mini, and the father of Joseph P. Minnie, for many years a prominent resident of Port Huron. This assessment probably covers Claim 204.


No. 49-Angus McDonald was a resident of Stromness Island. His daughter married John K. Smith.


Nos. 50. 51-Silas Miller lived just below Algonac, having come to the county about 1820. Nothing is known of Archibald McDonnell.


No. 52-David Meldrum lived in Macomb county, but owned Claim 307. which lies just west of St. Clair city on both sides of the State road.


No. 53-Park and Meldrum, merchants of Sandwich, Ontario, owned Claims 255 and 406, lying on St. Clair river, near Marysville.


No. 54-Pascal Podvant, or Potvin, married Catharine, the widow of Toussaint Chovin, who had received patent to Claim 245 of 120 aeres and was assessed for ber land.


No. 55-Joseph Pennock owned but a small amount of personal property and probably removed later to Macomb county, but returned to this county in 1832 and bought land in East China township.


No. 56-Anselm Petite had not at this date received a patent for his land, but he owned and occupied that part of fractional seetion 11 lying south of Black river at the junetion with St. Clair river, and which was afterwards platted as the village of Peru, now a part of the city of Port Huron.


No. 57-James Robertson owned and occupied Claim 568.


Nos. 58, 59, 60, 61-Thomas, Sarah, David and John Robertson were children of James.


136


HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY


No. 62-Etien Russell, or Rousselle, lived in the township of Cottrell- ville in 1830, near the site of Marine City.


No. 63-Peter Rice is assessed with six acres of improved land and a house. He was a member of the first grand jury in the county in Jan- mary, 1822, voted at the election for delegate in 1823, and in 1826 furnished fuel for the court house to the amount of 75 cents.


No. 64-Oliver Ricard (Recor in its modern form) owned and occu- pied Claim 310.


No. 65-John K. Smith, who later became and was for many years the most prominent citizen of Algonac, had not at this time acquired the dignity of a land owner.


No. 66-Richard Sansbury lived on the south side of Black river about three miles above its mouth. He was a Virginian and a soldier in the Fort Gratiot garrison until his company was disbanded in 1818.


No. 67-Henry Saunders was a negro. who had been owned by Meldrum and Park. and who was given by them the life use of Claim No. 496 of 300 acres, which they owned. It is evident from the amount of stock he owned that he was in a prosperous condition.


No. 68-Louis St. Bernard lived a short distance north of St. Clair City upon land which he owned but had not at this time received patent for. He came from across the river in Canada.


No. 69-Seth Taft owned no real estate, but the following year be- came an office holder. being appointed constable by the governor.


No. 70-William Thorn owned Claim 253 and was the father of John Thorn and several other children: Nancy, wife of James Geel; Martha, wife of William Brown: Jane, wife of Abraham Cook. of De- troit ; Harriet. wife of James Fulton. Alice, daughter of John Connor of Macomb county: Elizabeth. who entered three times into the bonds of matrimony ; and another son, William.


No. 71-John Thorn. son of William, is assessed with one house, one horse and two oxen, but no real estate. IIe lived for some years in St. Clair, but moved to Port Huron about 1831.


No. 72-Louis Thebault married the widow of Joseph Ricard, who had received patent to Claim 302 for 140 acres.


Nos. 73. 74-Van Wagenan and Jersey. Romulus Van Wagenan. Nothing is known of either of these parties.


No. 75-James B. Wolverton lived for many years in the township of China. He was appointed a constable before St. Clair county was organized and was also sheriff for a few months in 1821 and 1822.


No. 76-Samuel Ward, who afterwards became prominent and wealthy at Marine City, was at this time living on land owned by him in section 1, but probably had not then received his patent and thus escaped taxation except on personal property.


No. 77-Andrew Westbrook, the wealthiest man in the county, owned Claims, 243 and 303, besides a very considerable amount of personal property. Andrew Westbrook was possessed of the largest amount of household furniture-$130-and the only taxpayer approaching him in that line was William Brown, with $100 in amount.


No. 78-Jean B. Yax lived at the French settlement on Belle river.


137


HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY


No. 79-Harvey Stewart had married Mary Graveraet, a grand- daughter of JJacob Harsen, and lived on Harsen's Island.


There were in the whole county only 106 horses, with 109 oxen and 185 cows. There were six carioles or covered carts, three wagons and nine two-wheeled earts.


That the assessors did not use all the diligence possible in listing property for taxation is shown by the fact that six land claims aggregat- ing over 2,000 acres seem to have escaped entirely. Both assessors lived in the lower end of the county, and probably did not come up to Black river, or they would have found the Bonhomme and basselle claims of 640 aeres each, and the Sibley land, now Butler plat, but they perhaps should not be blamed for not making the physical effort to row them- selves-there were then no roads along the river-twenty miles against the current for the small amount of property to be found at the end of the trip.


At the time of the assessment of 1821 there was but one township in the county, but by 1830 this had been increased to four: Clay, Cottrellville, St. Clair and Desmond. The population had increased to 1.114, which included the officers and company of sixty-six men at Fort Gratiot, eighty in all. When the census was taken, the township of St. Clair included the present townships of St. Clair and China; in that territory there were eight persons assessed in 1821, of whom two were non-residents. In 1830 there were fifty-five resident taxpayers, and twenty-six non-resident. The total property valuation of the eight per- sons assessed in 1821 was $10,847, while the total assessment in 1830 was $41.648.


ST. CLAIR IN 1821-1830


A considerable change took place in the county between the years 1821 and 1830. In the county north of St. Clair there were but two or possibly three people assessed in 1821. while the census of 1830 contains the names of fifty-two heads of families, exclusive of the officers and soldiers at Fort Gratiot in the same district, and we know the census omitted some names. In the county south of East China township. there was less change. Upon the assessment roll of 1821 in that part there were sixty-seven names, while the census of Clay and Cottrellville town- ships in 1830 showed but seventy-eight families. In St. Clair township the population increased but slowly for the first few years after the county was organized. Thomas Palmer and D. C. Mckinstry, who came into possession of the town site at St. Clair in 1824, began the next year to advertise the advantages of their location. In addition to the two Fulton claims of 640 acres each. Thomas Palmer had bought the David Meldrum tract, No. 307. of 640 aeres and in the spring of 1825 appeared in the Detroit Gazette their offer for sale of the 1,920 acres. They stated that the seat of justice was located upon this land and that a court house and jail were then building. White fish and trout were abundant in the river, and the place was twelve miles from Fort Gra- tiot where a light house was to be erected that summer.


Among the first to respond to this alluring invitation was Mark Hop-


138


HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY


kins. the first postmaster at St. Clair, appointed in February, 1826, who came from Berkshire county. Massachusetts, to New York state in 1806, and arrived in the county seat from New York in November. 1825. and thus was one of the earliest immigrants to this county from the state which was to furnish so large a part of the population subsequently. If Mr. Hopkins expected to find much evidence of the county seat, his dis- appointment must have been great. There were three houses within the present limits of St. Clair, two built by James Fulton, and one of which -the one on lot 43, later known as the Monson or Stein house-Mr. Hopkins and his family. consisting of his wife. Tacy L., and seven chil- dren, occupied until the death of Mr. Hopkins in the fall of 1828. There was also a log house on the west side of Second street, north of the present Republiean office, built and occupied by Reuben Hamilton. In the period of four years intervening between the coming of Mark Hop- kins and his death, the rate of growth in the population was quite re- markable.


At the end of 1824 the population consisted of two families. Hamil- ton and Fulton, the latter occupying the other or first Fulton house stand- ing on lot 40, and to which a small addition had been built for use as the county jail. and in addition young Dr. Chamberlin and John M. Wilson who had been sent up from Detroit by Thomas Pahner to carry out the Fulton contract of building a court house and also to build a store for Palmer on the east side of Front street. north of Pine river. In the follow- ing year, 1825, a considerable increase was made in the community as there were added Everett Beardsley or Deacon Beardsley, as he was commonly called. and who built a house on the river bank just east of the present Hopkins houses; Charles Phillips, the inventive blacksmith who built a house on the south side of Pine river : John Thorn, the brother- in-law of Fulton : George Palmer, the brother of Thomas Palmer. the pro- prietor of the new eity ; Daniel Furguson, who established a brick yard. By the end of 1830, several other families had come and settled in the new town which was at that time called Palmer. Among them was Hora- tio James with his large and popular family of boys and girls. One of the girls. Elizabeth, married John Thorn. Harriet married Samuel W. Hamilton. son of Reuben Hamilton. who came to St. Clair in 1821 and moved to the Fort Gratiot light house in 1829. Another daughter. Amanda. married Ira Porter. the lawyer, who later moved to Illinois and prospered, and Marilda married Dr. John S. Heath. John F. Bas- sett. who built just around the first bend of Pine river, and who brought up in virtual adoption John Canan: Asa Partridge, who came to St. Clair from Macomb county in 1827. and died the same year, and whose widow Dr. Harmon Chamberlin married in 1830: Levi Barber, who built a house on the north bank of Pine river, and for whom the road leading from his house northward to the state road. or Clinton avenue was called Barber's Lane.




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