USA > Michigan > Eaton County > The county of Eaton, Michigan : topography, history, art folio and directory of freeholders > Part 6
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This convention, of 89 delegates, convened at the spec- ified time and framed a constitution, which was submitted to the people and adopted by a vote of 6,299 to 1,359. At the same time a full set of state officers and a Legislature were elected to act under the new con- stitution. Hon. Steven T. Mason was chosen first Gov- ernor of "The State of Michigan."
But before admission could be granted, a certain boundary trouble, called the Toledo war, had to be ad- justed. The people of Michigan claimed that the ordi- nance of 1787 described their boundary as extending South of the Maumee river, and giving them the port of Toledo. Ohio claimed that this was not the intention of Congress, and that this description had been based upon inaccurate maps. Congress compromised the matter by giving to Ohio the disputed territory and to Michigan, as its equivalent, that which is commonly known as the Upper Peninsula. The bill of admission was granted the State January 26, 1837.
The state constitution did not fix upon any permanent location for the State Capital, and in 1847 the Legisla- ture, after a long discussion, decided upon Lansing, a small village in Ingham County, as the proper place for its location.
But while these state affairs were transpiring pioneer farmers, merchants, landlords, mill men and manufac- turers were rapidly putting in their appearance at Belle- vue, the gateway into the deep forests of Eaton County.
In making the journey to his new home the immigrant found travel comparatively easy through the oak open- ings from Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Marsball. But at Bellevue was the jumping-off place, into the wilder- ness, and the coming-out place of the burrowing settler, where he was once more in the light of day. In speak- ing of the early inhabitants we refer, of course, to the whites, for, previous to 1840, Pottawattomie and Ojibewa Indians were here in large numbers. They were the original owners of the oak, walnut, sugar and maple forests that grew in this favored portion of the State. If they had remained here to the exclusion of the whites the great development of the County would not have occurred, for the civilized Indian is an Indian still, with little capacity for the development of a country.
The land occupied by these Indians was fine territory for hunting and fishing, and the other pursuits peculiar to their tastes, but they were early compelled to surren- der to the more capable whites. The Pottawattomies were removed by the government in 1840, to territory beyond the Mississippi. Gen. Brady, who was in charge of the work, sent his agents and soldiers through the woods in search of them. Pursued by the troops, and as unwilling to leave their forest homes as we would be . to leave ours, they met in council just west of Bellevue; mounted on their ponies, which stood arranged in the form of a circle, a solemn consultation was held. When they separated, one company of them fled north into the forest, but was overtaken by the government troops, brought back to Marshall, and eventually ban- ished to land reserved for Indians in the far west.
The last night of their stay was indeed a night of sor- row. The squaws moaned; and the men wrapping them-
selves up in their blankets, bore in silence their grief; it was hard, even for an Indian, with his stoical nature, to endure. The government had wisely refused them the poor consolation of whisky.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
The first land entry in Eaton County, according to the Tract Book, was made in 1829, by A. Sumner, on Section 30, of Vermontville. No other entries were made that year nor the next. In 1831 H. Mason made an entry on Section 2 of Oneida; in 1832 three entries were recorded and a like number in 1833.
Reuben Fitzgerald, a most familiar name in the early. history of the County, was the first actual settler. He arrived in July, 1833, and located in the Township of Bellevue, as it was afterward called, when divisions were made and names given them. This useful pioneer was born in Montgomery County, Maryland, February 23, 1800. He began life for himself as a farm hand; then for a year or two operated a farm on shares; later, he entered a foundry, and with the money he was able to save during his seven years experience as a moulder, he bought a small farm. He sold this, emmigrated to Michigan, built himself a bark shanty and soon became one of the best known citizens of the new country. It is impossible to write a history, however brief, of Eaton County without a reference to his honorable career. He died July 20, 1873.
Very soon after the settlement of Mr. Fitzgerald others came and Bellevue, as before mentioned, receiving the greater part of the early influx of immigration, became in a very short time the metropolis of Eaton County.
The birth of the first white child occurred here when Sarah, daughter of Capt. Fitzgerald, was born, Novem- ber 12, 1834. 'Here a Mr. Baker met his death, and was the first white man buried in the county. The first town meeting was held here in the spring of 1835. The voters of the county, four in number, assembled for the first time in a log shanty, called in New England fashion, the meeting house. This building was church, school house and town hall combined, and the small but histor- ically interesting company of original voters consisted of Capt. Fitzgerald, S. Hunsicker, Calvin Phelps and John T. Hoyt, the latter of whom was chosen clerk of the election.
The officers of the election took their seats; Calvin Phelps stepped to the front of the cabin, took off his hat and in a loud voice proclaimed, "The polls of this election are now open," and warned all men under penalty of the law to keep the peace; the humor of which was fully appreciated by those present. There were more offices than voters to receive them; so the minor ones were given to the ineligibles who had gathered to attend the town meeting from five hundred and seventy-six square miles of territory. The election board waited until the legal hour for closing the polls before ascer- taining the result of the election.
Lawrence Campbell, in 1836, built and kept the first hotel, called the Bellevue Village Inn. The oldest post office in the county is situated here, and John T. Hoyt was made its first postmaster. His commission was dated May 2, 1835, but it was near the close of the fol- lowing summer before it reached him. It cost twenty- five cents to send a letter when Mr. Hoyt was postmas- ter. People did not always pay in advance for the car- rying of letters and Mr. Hoyt says, "while I had the of- fice I lost twenty-five dollars by trusting postage.
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The first great public enterprise was the construction of a bridge across Battle creek in the Village of Belle- vue, and the laying out of the Ionia and Bellevue road in 1835. A general subscription was taken by J. T. Hoyt. He called upon the more prominent citizens first, receiv- ing fifteen dollars from Reuben Fitzgerald, six dollars from Daniel Mason and twenty dollars from Sylvanus Hunsicker. In all one hundred and fifty-five dollars were raised, and the road was opened to Thornapple river. It was afterwards opened to Ionia by the citizens of Vermontville. Bellevue gave a Fourth of July cele- bration in 1835. Rev. Asa Phelps, standing on Reuben Fitzgerald's wagon house, read the Declaration of Inde- pendence to the citizens, who then marched in a proces- session to the home of J. T. Hoyt, where they partook of such viands as each family of the village had brought for the occasion. The first settlers were from New York, Massachusetts and Vermont. They were wide-awake, stirring and shrewd in a deal, and soon began to look after commercial growth, as well as the more primary business of farming. Among the earliest were J. Pond, Caleb Woodberry, grocers; B. F. and J. F. Hinnman, general dealers; Abner and William R. Carpenter, gro- cers; Major Elija Bond, grocer and dealer in general merchandise. Mr. Woodberry started a tannery, David Lucas a painting and chair manufacturing business, I. E. and J. B. Crary built a flouring mill with two runs of stone. Hiram Ovenshier built the pioneer saw mill of Eaton County. Farms were rapidly cleared and im- proved and roads built. Before the change to a perma- nent seat of justice had been made the county business was transacted at Bellevue. It was the headquarters of good society, the center of learning, of religious instruc- tion, of manufacturing, agriculture and commerce. When the courts and juries gave a dignity and impor- tance years ago Bellevue stood highest in the thought of the people. But other communities were destined to " grow, and Charlotte was one of them.
CHARLOTTE.
Stories conflict concerning the discovery of the plains now occupied by Charlotte, but the fact that George W. Barnes located land here in 1832 precedes the more ro- mantic reports of discovery by George Torry and Hanni- bal G. Rice. There is no doubt that these gentlemen were here in the early thirties, but they did not locate land until 1833. In 1835 Mr. Barnes sold his right and title to the Northeast Quarter of Section 18 in Town 2 North, Range 4 West, and also the East Half of the Northeast Quarter of Section 13, Town 2 North, Range 5 West to Edmund B. Bostwick, of New York City. On this land the original Village of Charlotte was platted.
Jonathan Searls and his brother Samuel were the first settlers. They found their way here from Bellevue in October, 1835, located a little Southeast of the Barnes land and built a log house, the only one within eight miles, and with their families, endured all the hardships of those pioneer days. On February 1st, 1837, Jappet Fisher arrived, and about the same time Steven Kinne and wife. The death of Mrs. Samuel Searls, in June of this year, left Mrs. Kinne the only white woman for miles around. The home of the Searls brothers soon became the headquarters of the county, and all sorts of public meetings were held there. Settlers came in rapidly dur- ing the next three years, among whom may be mentioned Simon Harding, Allen Searls, Hiram Shepherd, and Ele- azer Stearns the first settler to locate within the limits of the original plat of Charlotte. Enterprises were not slow to start. Mr. Bostwick, the owner of the site of Charlotte, caused it to be platted into a village, and named the place in honor of his young wife, Charlotte; the streets and avenues were named for Francis S. Coch- rane, Thomas Lawrence, Townsend, Harris, and Bost- wick avenues are for the owner himself. These men were interested with Bostwick in building up the village.
The Eagle Hotel, a large block building of early re- nown, was constructed in 1838, on the site of the Phenix House. Its name was afterwards changed to the Charlotte House. It was burned May 20, 1862. In the summer of 1838 Jonathan Searls was appointed post- master of Charlotte; a boy named Isaac Hill carried the mail bag through from Marshall once a week. The first school of the village was held in a small house built by a young man named LeCont, and in it was also instituted a pioneer debating society. But the growth of Charlotte was very slow in these days, owing to the want of money. The first year or two in a heavily timbered
country, with all the money invested in land, with noth- ing but an ox team and an ax to do with, no crops to turn into money and most of the people sick with the ague, made close, cramping times, indeed. A prominent writer says that five or ten dollars in one man's pocket produced a sensation in those days. Everybody knew of it and the man was highly respected. All kinds of schemes were laid to borrow it, to sell him a watch or a rifle, or to work up some kind of trade which would bring in a little boot money, just enough to sweeten it.
Although houses were far apart, neighbors lived very near in those days. In trouble, in sickness, at weddings or funerals, everybody was there to do all that could be done; to feel all the sorrow or joy or sympathy that could be felt by those who knew and undersood each other so well.
At a meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, held March 19, 1840, it was resolved that all future bus- iness pertaining to the county or its affairs should be held at the house of William Stoddard in the Village of Charlotte. This building, which was intended for a tavern, served for five years as court house, jail, hotel and dwelling. In 1842 the office of County Com. missioner was abolished and the affairs of the county transferred to the Board of Supervisors. The unique ideas of public economy as expressed by this honorable were probably due to the excessive stringency of the times. At their session in 1845 it was agreed to build a court house on the public square of Charlotte. Much dissatisfaction was expressed by the Eaton Bugle, then published in Charlotte, because said building cost nearly a thousand dollars.
In 1847 a jail of hewn timbers was erected at a cost of several hundred dollars. It stood on the site of the pres- ent jail.
As a summary of Charlotte in 1845, we quote from the Eaton Bugle: - "Improvements are now the order of the day. From our window we can number at this moment nine new buildings going up, and we hear of several others that are delayed on occount of the want of ma- terials. A new court house is going up on the public square under the steady guidance of Major Scout, and will be ready for the next term of the Circuit Court in September. Dr. Jos. P. Hall is erecting a commodious two-story dwelling on Cochrane avenue. The Messrs. Hayden are putting up a large tin, copper and sheet iron manufactory, and are preparing to go into business as extensively as any other establishment in the state. We were highly gratified to see these enterprising young men start out a traveling wagon yesterday; it is the best evidence of our prosperity. We are informed that it is the present intention of one of the proprietors to sink a tannery here this summer. A large ashery has already been erected by our friend S. E. Willett. The Messrs. Welsheimer are making arrangements to commence a saddle and harness business. Their stock and tools are already here, and in a few weeks they will be in the full tide of successful experiment. But why need we partic- ularize? Our motto is onward! and who shall set bounds to our efforts? Commendation in behalf of Charlotte is superfluous, for to see is to love it. We confidently be- lieve, from present appearences, that no other town . in the state has fairer prospects ahead; and we know that no other can furnish so many natural beauties to feast the eye and regale the senses. Such is Charlotte, the County Seat of Eaton.
After eighteen additional years of substantial im- provement Charlotte was incorporated as a village, Jan- uary 7, 1863. A flaw in the description of the boundar- ies necessitated further action, and the Board of Super- visors at their sesseon in October, 1863, issued an order incorporating the following territory, to-wit: The South- west } of the Southwest { of Section 7, and the North- west , the North } of the Southwest } and Southwest } of Northwest { of Section 18, Town 2 North, Range 4 West; also Southeast { of Southeast { of Section 12, and Northeast 1, the North } of the Southeast }, the South- east { of the Southeast 1-4, and the East 1-4 of the Northwest 1-4 of Section 13, Town 2 North, Range 5 West.
It became a city March 29, 1871, with the Hon. E. S. Lacey as its first Mayor. At present the population of Charlotte is 4,300. It boasts of two National banks, six school building, ten churches, two railroads, a half dozen good prosperous manufacturing establishments, three newspapers and a hundred other business institutions.
Its citizens enjoy the privileges of electric and gas lights, of water works, of beautifully paved streets, which are shaded on either side by overhanging maples, so that it might now with propriety be called the "Forest City," instead of the "Prarie"City." Its taxable property, as shown by the returns of 1894, amounted to $2,228,000.
On August 17th, 1837, James Gallery came to Eaton Rapids. There were then only three dwelling houses in the place. The streams were not bridged, the timber was uncut, the ground uncultivated, the Indians rowed up and down the river in their canoes, and trails instead of highways led off into the forest. Amos Spicer, Benja- min Knight and C. C. Darling, with their families, were the only persons here at this time. But a dam had already been built across Spring Brook and the frame of the grist mill which is still standing had been partly enclosed. An event of considerable importance was the establishment of a post office, in 1837 or 1838, with Benjamin Knight as the postmaster. When Mr. Gallery arrived the near- est grist mills were at Jackson, but about January 1st, 1838, the mill at Eaton Rapids was started. On the cor- ner where the Anderson House now stands Benjamin Knight erected the first store building. His little store developed into a large and successful business enterprise, In 1834 Mr. C. C. Darling had a small grocery in a shanty. He sold whisky, but was very cautious about disposing of it to the Indians who were encamped close by. In the summer of 1842 the dam across Grand River was built and the race that connects the river and Spring Brook was dug. The mill received the addition of two runs of Burr stones and a set of merchant bolts. Some seven years later Mr. Sterling located in Eaton Rapids, and in company with Mr. Seelye, entered the mercantile busi- ness.
The Frost House was originally occupied by the dry goods firm of Frost & Daniels. The south part of the building was erected in 1852 and the north part at a still earlier date. In 1870 Mr. Frost opened the entire build- ing as a hotel and bathing establishment. Dr. Morris Hale became its proprietor in 1875. The Vaughan House was opened for business in 1872 by Pantlind & Picker- ing. It was a fine three-story brick with a basement under the whole, and contained 125 rooms. In 1874 it was totally destroyed by fire and has not been rebuilt. The Anderson House, an elegant, four story and base- ment brick hotel, was built in 1874 by W. H. Dodge. Col. G. M. Anderson, after whom the house was named, raised by subscription three thousand dollars towards its construction. This house is well furnished and fitted with an elevator. Connected with it is the Arcana well, 192 feet deep. It has a greater flow of water than most of the other wells in the place. There are a number of these mineral wells in Eaton Rapids, and their value in the treatment of certain diseases, has been clearly estab- lished. The first mineral well was sunk in 1869, and the discovery of its character created considerable excite- ment. The original plat of the village of Eaton Rapids was laid out July 19, 1838 by Amos Spicer, Pierpont Spicer, Christopher Darling and Samuel Hamlin. It became a village by act of the legislature April 15, 1871. In 1881 it received a city charter, and H. H. Hamilton was its Mayor. The total wealth of Eaton Rapids is about $1,000,000.
The first permanent settler in Grand Ledge was Peter Lawson, the date of his arrival being October 28, 1848 A mile and a half west of him lived John W. Russell, about the same distance north, David Taylor, and about two miles south, Peter Bozier. These were his nearest. neighbors at that time. In 1840 Abram Smith came to Michigan and eight or nine years later he and John W. Russell were granted the privilege by the legislature of building a dam across Grand River. When this was completed a sawmill was erected and put in operation. Reuben Wood visited the place in the fall of 1849 and and purchased six and a half acres of land on the north side of the river. The next spring a building was erected for Wood & Allen by Smith, Russell and Taylor, and in June a general stock of goods was opened in it; this was the first store established in Grand Ledge, Wm. Russell opened the second, and the Daniels the third. The former also built a hotel opposite the store of Wood & Allen, which ranked before its destruction by fire in 1876, as the oldest in the place. There was no postoffice at Grand Ledge until 1850, when Henry French was appointed postmaster, but it was some time later before a mail route was established. The postmaster at Lan-
RES. OF MRS. T. W. DANIELS, EATON RAPIDS.
LATE RES. OF ENOCH WALTER, HAMLIN TWP.
POST OFFICE
REYNOLDS BROS. DRY GOODS STORE, CHARLOTTE.
RES. OF JACOB UPRIGHT, BENTON TWP.
RES. OF HOMER G. BARBER, VERMONTVILLE.
INTERIOR VIEW OF RES. OF MRS. EMMA J. CHURCH, FLORIST, CHARLOTTE.
MERCHANT'S NATIONAL, BANK, CHARLOTTE.
E. T. CHURCH, PRES. H. K. JENNINGS, CASHIEK.
OLD CAMP GROUND, EATON RAPIDS.
I. FIRST NATIONAL BANK, CHARLOTTE. 2. W. P. LACEY, CASHIER. 3. F. S. BELCHER, PRES. 4. A. J. IVES, VICE PRES.
SCENE ON GRAND RIVER.
BAZAAR
WALTER BLOCK, EATON RAPIDS.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK, EATON RAPIDS.
MAIN STREET, EATON RAPIDS
SUNFIELD MFG. Co.
W. G. RAMSAY,
SUNFIELD, MICH.
GRAND LEDGE SEWER PIPE CO., GRAND LEDGE.
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sing delivered the letters to any person who happened to bring the mail bag from Grand Ledge. In 1853 a wooden bridge was built across the river. It was re- placed in 1870 by one of wood and iron at a cost of $9,- 800. A foundry, a steam saw mill, several planing mills, and a furniture factory were added at various periods, the foundry ranking first in point of time. The Detroit, Lansing & Northern railway has included Grand Ledge since 1869 in its list of stopping places; and several mineral wells and a summer resort have attracted to the town a large number of visitors each year. The original town of Grand Ledge was laid out October 28th, 1850, and incor- porated as a village by an act of the Legislature, ap- proved April 8th, 1871. Various additions have since been made, and a city charter was granted in 1893.
In May, 1850; Isaac M. Dimond commenced to improve the water power of Grand River, on the present site of Dimondale, but in 1832 a part of the dam he had built was carried away by a freshet and the sawmill damaged to such an extent that considerable repairing was made necessary. In 1856 Mr. Dimond erected a grist mill. The village, which was laid out the same year, was named Dimondale in honor of Mr. Dimond. A. C. Bruen became his successor; the dam was repaired, the mill, which had partly fallen down, was righted and the prop- erty transferred soon after to E. W. Hunt, who contin- ued to do an extensive custom and a fair merchant busi- ness. A postoffice, called East Windsor, was early estab- lished in the eastern part of the township. Dimondale's first postmaster was Edward W. Hunt, who was com- missioned January 6th, 1876.
Nearly all the early settlers of Vermontville came from Vermont, hence the name. In 1835 the Rev Sylves- ter Cochrane visited Michigan and conceived a plan of colonization, which, on the 27th of March, 1836, was put into active operation. At a meeting held at that time rules and regulations for the government of the Union Colony, as it was called, were adopted. Education, re- ligion and temperance were prominently mentioned, and it may be that the recent triumph of prohibition in Eaton County was due remotely to these pious New England- ers and the resolutions by which they were influenced. At a regular meeting of the society, held in Vermont, March 28th, 1836, it was voted that each member of the society should advance $210.50, which would entitle him to a farm lot of 160 acres and a village lot of 10 acres, or land in proportion to the amount of money contributed. This money, or its equivalent in notes, was to be fur- nished the agents before their departure for Michigan. William G. Henry and S. S. Church, the agents, left Ver- mont April 21st, 1836, to select and purchase land for the colony. It was a long and tedious journey much of; the route lay through the wilderness, and had to be traveled by stage.
W. J. Squier surveyed the site that was finally chosen for the village, and those present selected their village lots. W. J. Squier, W. S. Fairfield, Samuel and Charles
Sheldon, Levi Merrill, Charles T. Moffatt, with others remained and commenced chopping and clearing, but S. S. Church returned to Vermont to get his family. The first frame house was built by W. J. Squier, and he con -. tinued to live in it until his death, which occurred in 1869. This old house has since been replaced by a fine brick structure. It was R. W. Griswold, however, who erected the first brick house in Vermontville, bringing the masons who did the work from Battle Creek. Ed- ward W. Baker, Willard Davis, George Browning, George Squier, Martin L. Squier, Daniel Barber, Rev. William U. Benedict, Simeon McCotter and Frank P. Davis are familiar names in the history of that interesting locality, and many incidents of historical value might be given in connection with each one of them.
Wells R. Martin was the first hotelkeeper, and in com- company with Decatur Scoville, was also the first to open a stock of goods for sale. S. S. church brought the first mail, and a postoffice was established at the same time, with Dr. Dewey Robinson as postmaster.
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