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 7
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PRIMITIVE LANDSCAPE VIEW
No doubt one of the most striking and interesting features of the earth's land surface is its plant covering, mueh of it pleasing to the eye and beautiful quite beyond poetic deseription. The development of our native vegetation as a whole is indeed very grand, but a few in- dividual members are worthy of special mention. The piteher plant and lady's slipper, the one so curiously formed and often beyond reach in swampy ground, the other, exquisitely beautiful, the very queen of our orehids, usually hidden away in a quiet and shady nook and out- of-the-way place, as it were, modest, blushing, shy and shrinking from the gaze of the multitude,-these, our noble trees and many others of our beautiful plants were the admiration and wonder of the first Euro- pean visitors. The extremely pleasing appearance of our primitive landscape can hardly be overdrawn or in contemplating it can the im- agination mount too high. To roam about in such a wealth of plant life whether on river bottom, plain or hillside, to walk along the streams and among giant pines, to observe such sylvan life as then most every- where existed, to hear the drum of the partridge, the coo of the mourn- ing dove, the song of the woods thrush, and the brown thrush, the Vol. I-3
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sudden whir of the woodcock, the shrill call for "bob white" and the varied notes of other living things, to see the wild pigeon, chewink, fox sparrow, bobolink, scarlet tanager, the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed squirrel, the graceful motions of water birds, the vines and exquisite flowers, until then without a civilized admirer .- it is all these the skil- ful painter has tried to represent on canvas, and the poet to recount as best he can in measured lines. The actual reality as carved out by evolution far excels as would be expected all human but partially ef- fectual efforts to portray by painting or words. . This is a view of our primitive condition that many will linger to think and philosophize over.
NATURAL GROWTH SWEPT AWAY
But there is another view in this connection of perhaps much deeper human interest to us of the present day. To satisfy even our ordinary wants, all this wild and attractive scenery, all this natural growth, had to be disturbed and substantially swept away. We were compelled to fell the forest, clear and cultivate the land, raise crops and other things so necessary to our present condition of life. Fields of grain, orchards and pastures took the place of these wild productions. Roads and com- fortable homes gradually covered the land. In doing these necessary things, however, the natural and congenial homes of many of our na- tive birds and mammals were quite destroyed and their food supply seriously curtailed. Their disappearance or flight to other regions to get food, to nest, and escape the disturbing influences of the white man, became a necessity. Those insects upon which these birds fed and kept reduced to a harmless minimum, suddenly and vastly multiplied beyond control, not only injuring seriously the balance left of the wild plants, but ravenously attacking cultivated vegetation and becoming a menace to the successful raising of crops, especially fruits. To counteract these evils successfully has indeed severely taxed the patience and ingenuity of the white man. At present the wild plum, wild cherry, hazelnut, thorn apple, and vegetation in general, even trees, are attacked and extinction apparently threatened by moths and numerous other trouble- some and dangerous insects, the natural food of the birds we have so completely driven away. So much has man, though calling himself civilized, yet to learn! Today he does one thing. Tomorrow his former act is regretted and recalled. His true course is very probably to seek and rely upon scientific knowledge.
FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR PLANT LIFE
In early times only general references were made to the wild plants of our county and this part of Michigan, botanists and other close and scientific observers not having visited here till much later. It is there- fore very fitting that in a general history of St. Clair county its flora should, even at this late date, receive some notice. It is a new departure in local history. Our county is very happily situated to harbor a large number of individual plants. We have all the natural habitats of vege-
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table life from the extremely dry, flat, and sandy land and sandy ridges as along some of the streams and the Lake Huron shore, to the marshy and very wet as exists about Lake St. Clair and on the west side. On the east side north of the city of Port Huron, it has about 12 miles of Lake Huron shore, consisting of sand dunes, low wet strips between ridges and damp rich woods; it extends over 30 miles south along the banks of St. Clair river if Harsen's Island is ineluded, and at the south it includes the delta islands formed by the mouths of St. Clair river westerly of the main channel and borders on one of the mouths, the North branch, with a winding course about fifteen miles, where the ground throughout is generally flat, low and includes a large area of shallow water. On the west next to Lapeer county, there are extensive marshes and swamps formerly covered for the most part with tamarack and as has been reported some spruce. There are no prominent hills or rock exposures in the county. Black river, the largest stream, com- ing from the north, flows nearly parallel with the Lake Huron shore, making a turn to the east near Wadhams. Into this just below Beard's mill in the township of Clyde flows a considerable stream called Mill creek, coming from Lapeer county on the west. These two streams, sinuous and winding in their courses, have deeply worn into the land surface creating in many places high and precipitous banks, often as is reported, over 80 feet high, which are roughly cut and jagged by wooded ravines. Along Black river near Beard's mill there is a narrow flood plain and rich bottom lands still partially covered with a portion of the original forest. Pine river and Belle river flowing from the northwest reach St. Clair river, the first at the city of St. Clair, the second at Marine City. Along the lower banks of these streams there is much sandy land. A large area of flat sandy land also extends through the townships of St. Clair, Kimball and the lower part of Clyde, all formerly covered well with white pine. In many parts there are considerable tracts of rolling land at one time, and now partially, cov- ered with beech, maple, oak and some pine. In early days the county was considered one of the finest and most valuable pine districts, and the thousands of old stumps still seen in place and fences at this date prove the fact that this noble tree was abundant throughout except perhaps in the southern part. There was also a large quantity of white oak. These two kinds of timber were the substantial foundation of the first active business in this new country. Within the memory of many now living, the streams before mentioned, and even smaller ones, for their whole lengths, were in the spring filled with logs. The de- mand for lumber and staves was so great that the destruction of the primitive forest was soon accomplished. At this time. December, 1911, very little pine and oak remain. The last piece of pine of any size, standing on and near the high banks of Black river above Beard's mill, was recently sold and cut. A few small tracts of beech, maple, bireh, ash and elm exist, but even these are about to disappear. The largest area still standing is a piece known as Bacon's woods west of the city of St. Clair in the neighborhood of Adair. A large sawmill has lately been erected there and even this piece, during the winter of 1911-12, is to disappear forever.
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ALLEGHANIAN FAUNAL AREA
Through careful observation and study of the distribution of our fauna and flora, experts have been able with considerable accuracy to divide our whole country into life zones and crop zones. As nature by means of its products points out for each locality almost with uner- ring hand what is best fitted to grow, so such experts by inspection can readily say, without the long and expensive methods by experi- ment, what cultivated crops will very probably best succeed. Our county, according to such division, comes within the Austral zone and Alleghanian faunal area. C. Hart Merriam in Bulletin No. 10, U. S. Department of Agriculture, at page 20, says: "In the Alleghanian faunal area the chestnut, walnut, oaks and hickories of the South meet and overlap the beech, birch. hemlock and sugar maple of the North. The southern mole and cottontail rabbit meet the northern star-nosed and Brewer's moles and varying hare, and the southern bob-white, Baltimore oriole, blue bird, catbird, chewink, thrasher and wood thrush live in or near the haunts of the bobolink, solitary vireo and hermit and Wilson's thrush. Several native nuts of which the beechnut, but- ternut, chestnut, hazelnut, hickory nut and walnut are most important, grow wild in this belt." After years of careful observation it is found these words of Mr. Merriam are almost literally true. We live right where the northern species of plants, birds and many other animals meet and co-mingle with those of the south.
SPECIAL PLANT SPECIES
To ascertain with any degree of accuracy the approximate number of plant species in any given locality, requires considerable time and attention. It is in fact a work of many years and of many hands. The earliest known collector and student of botany here was Dr. Zina Pitcher, an army surgeon, stationed at Fort Gratiot over 65 years ago. And it is perhaps an interesting bit of local history to note that a native thistle known only about the upper three of the Great Lakes, growing in shore and dune sand, has been named in his honor and is now known as Pitcher's thistle, Circium Pitcheri. Some time previous to 1860, Prof. Alexander Winchell of the University of Michigan, while on a geological expedition, stopped here a few days and collected many specimens. About 1890 Mr. A. F. Foerste, while teaching near Adair, examined the plants of that part of our county. The writer began the study of our flora in 1876 and since 1892 has spent much time in searching out all plants growing wild within our limits and their comparative distribution. Much valuable assistance was received from W. S. Cooper who visited at Algonac for two or more summers, from the Rev. J. W. Stacey who was for several years stationed at New Baltimore, Macomb county, and from Thomas M. Danger of the city of Port Huron, who has given much assistance and encouragement. Many of the best and most expert botanists in North America have rendered valuable aid in the examination of difficult species.
In treating of our flora it must be remembered that only flowering
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
plants, ferns and their allies are referred to, mosses, lichens and fungi not being considered. Keeping this explanation in view it may be of some interest to speak of our flora something as follows: Up to this time there have been found within the limits of St. Clair county, 1,193 species and 67 varieties of plants growing wild. Of these, 971 are na- tive and 222 introduced, 64 of the varieties native and 3 introduced. These are distributed among 39 orders, 122 families and 464 genera. This statement is at least a close approximation to the actual facts. In the last Michigan Flora recently issued with additions, the number of species and varieties mentioned for the whole state is 2,365, and it is believed that a fair estimate at the present time for the whole state is not far either way from 2,500 species and varieties. It will be seen, therefore, that within the limits of our county more than one- half as many are found as are known to exist at present in the whole state.
It will be impossible anywhere within the limits allowed for this subject even to mention all of the several interesting things about the individual members of our flora. Perhaps our observations here should be confined mostly to fairly well known species. Of the ferns there are 21 species and 2 varieties. In the pine family we have the white and Norway pines, black spruce, tamarack, white cedar, hemlock, juni- per and red cedar. Tamarack swamps were formerly abundant, more particularly in the west and northwest, but a small one existed at one time within the limits of the city of Port Huron near the intersection of Jenkinson and Eighth streets. The tamarack now is becoming rare, drainage, fires, and the woodman having nearly brought about its ex- tinction. The black spruce is said to have been abundant in spots at one time in the swamp west of Capac. A few specimens were noticed in recent years on section 16 of the township of Fort Gratiot, but it is very probable the last one has disappeared. A few years ago the late A. R. Avery called the writer's attention to red cedar on the farm of Solomon Pierce, section 15, township of Kenockee. On investigation it appeared that when Mr. Picree settled on the farm over 50 years ago, many large red cedar logs, some of them 18 inches and more in diameter, then lay on the ground apparently having fallen many years before. Subsequently on making a search two small red cedars were found near by on the high banks of Mill creek, which he transferred to his yard, only one living. The living one is believed to be the only native red cedar left in the county. A few hemlocks, very beautiful trees, still remain, but no doubt are doomed to extermination. White cedar is plentiful and thrives near the Lake IInron shore, but large trees long ago disappeared. Just north of the city of Port Huron and even within the limits of the city Norway pine reaches its southern limit on this side of the state. There are 117 species of grasses and one variety, 22 of these being introduced. Many of them are fine pasture grasses, the most prominent one being Kentucky blue grass, the com- mon grass of our pastures, roadsides and lawns. The sand bur, bear- ing one of the most cruel burs and justly regarded a menace by women and children, is now a very common roadside weed on sandy ground, and a serious pest in sandy pastures. The reed, our largest native
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grass, and very striking at a distance, looking much like broomeorn, is common about Lake St. Clair. The famous Indian rice, perhaps, often as large as the reed, is abundant in shallow water about the same lake. The sedges, growing mostly in low, wet land, many of them val- uable pasture plants, and popularly known as grasses, number 116 species and 25 varieties. Of the lily family 30 species are known still to exist. Two noted plants of this family, the wild onion (Allium cernuum) and the chive, reported as noticed here formerly, have not been seen in recent years and are probably extinct. The wild leek, so common in damp, rich woods in early days, and then a menace to but- termaking in spring, is now becoming rare. There are 23 orchids, one of the most beautiful members of which, the showy lady's slipper (Cypripedium hirsutum), is nearly extinct. We also have 16 species of willow and four varieties, six poplars and one variety, three hick- ories, two hazelnuts, at least three birches, six oaks, three elms, three ashes and one variety, eighteen violets, five maples and one variety and one hundred and thirty-seven species of the composite family and nine varieties. The goldenrods, eighteen species, and two varieties, and the asters, fifteen species and two varieties, are among the very attractive members of this family. The pin oak (Quercus palustris) is known in Michigan only on the east side of the state in spots from Monroe to Adair, west of the city of St. Clair. On the delta islands and in wet ground near Algonac it is the dominant tree. The black walnut, as a native tree, is becoming rare. Formerly on section 32, town 7 north, range 17 east, now a part of the township of Port Huron, there was a large grove of native chestnuts, the most northern point known for that tree in this region. All have disappeared except five trees on the high right bank of Black river.
A popular subdivision of our woody plants is into trees and shrubs, not a very scientific one, for the reason that any small woody plant may be denominated a shrub, but after growing beyond a certain size is very properly called a tree. Taking, however, for this purpose Dr. W. J. Beal's definitions in the last Michigan Flora. that a shrub is a woody plant less than one foot, and a tree one foot and more in diameter. St. Clair county has fifty-seven species of trees and one variety and one hundred and fifteen shrubs. There are forty-nine well recognized medicinal plants admitted into the U. S. Pharmacopoea. and one hun- dred and nine others often used in domestic remedies, many of them for sale by druggists. Among our plants now growing wild, one hun- dred and forty-one may be regarded as weeds, of which ninety-two or- iginally came from Europe, forty-seven from other parts of North and Tropical America, and two from Asia. The climbing plants or vines are poison ivy, bittersweet, a honeysuckle (Lonicera glaucescens). moon- seed, wild bean (Apios tuberosa), hedge bindweed, field bindweed, wild yam-root, hop, fringed black bindweed (Polygonum cilinode), halbard- leaved tear-thumb, climbing false buckwheat, black bindweed, night- shade (Solanum dulcamara). matrimony vine, climbing fumitory, vir- gin's bower (clematis), Virginia creeper, summer grape, river-bank grape, wild balsam apple, one seeded bur cucumber, hispid greenbrier (Smilax hispida), and rough bedstraw (Galium asprellum). Other
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
species of Galiun often take the form of vines, as does also the car- rion-flower. There are two plants poisonous to some and not to others. the poison ivy, abundant nearly everywhere, and poison sumach, a shrub mostly in swampy ground. Water hemlock (Cicuta maculata), very common here in damp meadows, prairie-like ground, and damp open woods, is reported to be one of the most poisonous plants in North America, and when the tuberous root is eaten and retained on the stomach, no antidote or remedy is known to prevent its fatal effects. Its root, very aromatic in taste and smell, is said to be mistaken often for that of the sweet cicely, although the two plants do not much re- semble each other. The tuberous root of the bulb-bearing water hem- lock, quite abundant in marshy ground, is also said to be very dan- gerous. There are a number of other plants with poisonous properties which it is best to know and perhaps avoid. Among these are the three introduced species, the poison hemlock and the two stramoniums, all quite frequently seen about cultivated grounds and in out-of-the-way places. Recently two children at Alpena were fatally poisoned from eating the seed of the stramonium.
PLANTING OF NATIVE TREES
When studying the flora of any locality, many questions arise of great interest to humanity in general. It seems to the writer it has been established beyond cavil that a country cannot be stripped of its trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants without the greatest danger to its welfare. Accordingly, the planting of trees to counteract somewhat such evils should be constantly taught, urged and encouraged. It is a matter about which, in this country, there is a widespread and almost universal popular ignorance and unpardonable apathy. Here we can only hint at one way of starting a very important work. In our county there are hundreds of miles of public road along which native trees might be planted without appreciable injury to crop cultivation. Occa- sionally an energetic man with advanced modern ideas and a com- mendable sense of adaptation, beauty and usefulness, has set out road trees which have become a fine object lesson for others. But it is a fact that a large majority of his neighbors will, during a great portion of their lives, pass by almost daily without apparently giving such beautiful trees a thought. Popular movement in this direction, as along many other very important lines, is so slow and the necessity for uniform methods is so great that it will yet probably result as perhaps it should in government action and control. Our general government at Washington is attempting to inculcate advanced ideas, not only in tree planting, but in all matters pertaining to agriculture and the gen- eral betterment of the country. The writer has now been over much of St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Lapeer and Macomb counties in Michigan and Lampton and Essex counties in Ontario. Most all our native and introduced trees in one place and another have been noticed along highways and nearly all are at least partially a success. The very best of information and education along these lines is near at hand and to be had. The people in general must become interested if
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
tree planting is to be a success. The very best of material is at our doors. Every one, even with a small piece of land, can have, if he de- sires, his little tree nursery or go to the woods and get what is needed. After many years of observation, within the territory mentioned, it has been concluded that for cities and villages, our native maples and elms are the best street trees, that the introduced Norway maple is very good, that for road trees in the country, if set out merely to be orna- mental maples and elms are perhaps first choice, that oaks and many other native trees are a success. However, it is believed to be very proper on the whole to set out along our country roads our native nut bearing trees, the black walnut, butternut, chestnut and hickory nut. These are all very beautiful trees and produce delicious nuts. In the western part of Lapeer county many of these, especially the hickory nut, have grown up along roadsides in abundance and are a success. It should be remembered that poplars and willows for such purposes should be avoided. We have no land in our county so dry and poor that most of our native trees will not grow and thrive in it. If under intelligent management we gradually set out trees, so many every year, St. Clair county, including its eities and villages, would within twenty- five or thirty years, become one of the most beautiful counties in the world.
PROPOSED PUBLIC RESERVATION
Very close to this subjeet lies the great modern question of the con- servation of our natural resources. By a very slow process nature has brought together and developed all we have. The very meat of this idea of conservation is to use with moderation, not to waste, and to preserve what has been developed and seemingly laid up for us by Mother Earth. Perhaps no general human movement of the past or recent date is so pregnant with matters of importance and benefit to humanity. The needs and strennous activity of men tending to destroy the natural balance in the development of life conditions already estab- lished, something should be done to counteract this evil so far as pos- sible. To carry out this great idea, regulation in the use of forests, and the setting aside of land for public reservations, are heartily recom- mended by our greatest men. A public reservation of 3,000 or 4,000 acres in one piece for St. Clair county would not be too large. It is believed that such a piece would soon more than pay for itself in gen- eral benefits over and over again. It should not be at all ornamented like village and city parks, but left substantially to itself where nature can run riot at its will. Let us have in every county at least one spot where trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants can thrive and not only for the most part be let alone, but encouraged by man, where our native birds and other small animals, beneficial and necessary to our welfare, can have a congenial home fully protected against the boy with his small weapons, and against the hunter, his dog, and his murderous gun. These little and interesting living things of the forest love their native haunts and were thought of by intelligent men more than 3,000 years ago. If we are not wise and neglect to keep up a life balance, there
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HISTORY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY
will, no doubt, hereafter be a sad reckoning and the coming punish- ment will be unerring and just. The present condition of many coun- tries in both Europe and Asia, where once the land was fertile and dense populations existed, is a fair and certain warning. There are many other things to be thought of as well as the sowing of seeds and the reaping of crops. It is often well to look somewhat to the future. As time goes on and no precaution is taken there may be sow- ing but very little reaping.
The very best place for such a proposed reservation in this county is in the township of Clyde where Mill creek joins Black river. Here conditions are such that most all species of both plants and animals of our county, if not of the whole of the Lower Peninsula, could find a congenial home and be made comfortable. Such a place left to itself for a number of years and under intelligent management would not only be a benefit to ourselves, but to our successors, a sight worth see- ing by lovers of nature, a place where the scarlet tanager, one of the most beautiful of our feathered tribes, and other birds beneficial to man, could feed, nest, fly and flit about from tree to tree in peace, where the woodcock could raise her young unmolested by the hunter and his dog, where the partridge could drum at will, and all living things enjoy fully their share of life.
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