A history of Van Buren County, Michigan : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests

Front matter

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Preface

More thau eighty years have elapsed since the first settlements were made within the limits ol Van Buren county. None of those earliest pioneers are left to tell the story, which at this late day rests in tradition, in letters that chance to have been preserved, in ancient public documents that have been placed on the records of the county, and in former publications that have been issued. And while many facts set forth are within the personal knowledge of the author of this "History of Van Buren County," he has drawn liberally from all available and authentic sources. He has freely used the information contained in a history of the county published a generation ago, has corresponded with and interviewed many of his friends and older residents of the county in various localities, and ha^ endeavored in all practicable ways to gather the most authentic matters in reference to the county of which he has been a resident for the past fifty-five years. His familiarity with the public records of the county enabled him to obtain many facts pertaining especially to the earliest records of the county that he might not otherwise have been able to set forth.

The period which has been spent in the pleasant task involved in the preparation of this work has been all too limited, although even if the period covered by the author's labors had been longer, the history, doubtless, would still have been incomplete and faulty. This is the nature of everything human, especially the writing of history. Yet the author believes that the work, as a whole, is correct, and knows that his labors, and those of his associates, have been conscientiously performed.

Many things have been omitted that might have been recorded it time and space had permitted. As it is, by the courtesy of the publishers, the compiler has been permitted to quite largely exceed the original plan of the work. In style of illustration, printing and binding, also, all pains have been taken to make the work attractive to its patrons.

To all those friends who have eome to his assistance, the author here extends his grateful acknowledgments. Space will not permit special mention of each to be made, but to his able assistants, Hon. Charles J. Monroe, Hon. Jason Woodman, Dr. George H. Cornish, Hon. C. H. Engle and Hon. Thomas J. Cavanaugh, he tenders his sincere thanks for the invaluable advice and assistance they have rendered in the preparation of the work, which the author trusts may prove of interest to its readers, of value to the citizens of the county, instructive to the rising generation, helpful in commemoration of the early pioneers, and preservative of historical matters that ought not to be forgotten.

Oran W. Rowland.

Chapter I Aboriginal History

FiKST Church Built by Indians — Chief Pokagon's Address— Pokagon's Last Wigwam — Jui-ia Pokagon's Addkess— Old Wapsey — Do Indians Cry, Laugh or Joke! — Algonquin Legend OF Man 's Creation— Legend of Paw Paw and the Paw Paw Valley — Algonquin Legends op South Haven— After Me-me-og (Squabs) in Van Bureh County — The "Buck Pony" Ride — "Nevkr (Iarhy a Revolver, Boys"— Saw-Kaw's Love Story — Me-me-og. the Wild Pigtonr 1-52

Chapter II Foreign And American Government

French Period (1634-1764) —English Period (1760-1796) — Territorial (American) Period— Michigan as a State- Population OP THE State (1810-1910)— Population of the County (1840-1910)- Property Valuation op State and

Chapter III Civil And Early History

First Michigan County— Van Buben County Created— Civn, and Judicial Organization— Township Organization— Pioneer Pictures— Van Buren County Pioneer Association- Eovtin Barnum's Poem— Orlerism Reviewed 77-97

VI CONTENTS

Chapter IV Roads And Railroads

Noted Indian Trails — First Michigan "White Man's Road — Tbbritobial ahd State Roads — The Old Stage Routes — Plank Roads — The Paw Paw River — Railroads — The Michigan Central — Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad — The Paw Paw Railroad— Toledo and South Haven Railroad {Fruit Belt Line) — The Pere Marquette Railway. . . .98-114

Chapter V Educational History

Act op 1827 Modified — Harassed School Inspectors— The Teachers' Qualifications— -Mrs. Allen Rice's Reminiscences — The Old and the New 115-127

Chapter VI The County Seat

Lawrence as the County Seat — Paw Paw Displaces Lawrence —Proposed County Buildings — Old Court House Completed— South Haven Bids for County Seat— Popular Vote for Paw Paw— New County Buildings—Court House Corner-stone Laid— Cost op Present County Buildings 129-158

Chapter VII Bench And Bar

State Supreme and Circuit Courts — County Courts — First Circuit Judge — Successors of Judge Ransom — Judge Flavius J, LiTTLEJOHN — Thirty-sixth Cibcuit Created — Probate Judges — ^Van Buren County Bab 159-167

CONTENTS vu

Chapter VIII Politics Op The County

General Elections — The Parties in the Count? — County Officers — Members of the State Legislatures— Chairmen OP THE Board of Supervisors — Other Important Officials FROM Van Buren County — ^Constitutional Conventions — Proposed Constitutional Amendments — Van Buren County AND THE Liquor Traffic 168-182

Chapter XIII Agricultuke And Horticulture

"Western Yan Buben — Lake Michigan, a Benepactoe— Pruit Raising at South Haven — Fruit Belt Widens— Cooperation THROUGH Societies — "Master L. H. Bailey" — A, S. Dyckman AND T. T. Lyon— Crops of the County — Semi-Agkicui .tubal Industries— Agriculture in Eastern Van Buben— "Oak Openings" First Cultivated — Pioneer Farm Implements— After The Civil War— Live Stock— Golden Era (1865-90)— The Lean Years op the Nineties — Development of the Grape Industry 319-331

Chapter XIV Tales Op The Olden ])ay

Decatur War Scare — Snow Not Turned to Oii. — -Fight with A WoLp Pack — Wolf Bounties— Woods F(,'ll op "Paintees" — Mrs. Rice's Reminiscences— Narrow Escape of Edwin Meaes — Indian Mounds in Lawrence Township— Joseph Woodman Locates at Paw Paw (1835) — Stories by Mrs. Nancy (Hicks) Bowen— "Good Times" op the Olden Day'. 332-341

Chapter XV Financial And Other Institutions

First National Bank, P.iw Paw — The Paw Paw Savings Bank- First National Bank, South Haven- — The Citizens State Bank, and First State Bank, South Haven — Banks op Decatur— Hartford Banks — ^West Michigan Savings Bank, Bangor— The Peoples Bank op Bloomingdale — At Gobleville^

OOxNTKNTS IX

COVEKT, LaWHENCE AND LaWTON— SoUTH IIaVEN LOAN AND TEUST

Company — Van Buren County Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company^Telegbaph and Telephone Liner 342-353

CHAPTER XVT

THE PRESS

■'Paw Paw Free Press" — "Paw Paw Free Press and Courier" — "The True Northerner" — "Decatur Republican "—"The Lawton Leader" — -"Hartford Day Spring" — "The Bangor Advance ' ' — Early Lawrence Newspapers — ' 'Lawrence Times "—' ' Bloomingdale Leader ' ' — ' ' Gobleville News ' '■ — Hoi-TH Haven Newkpapers 354-368

Chapter XVII Medicine And Surgery

Medical Scientific Research — Preventive Medicine— Surgery — The Country Physician and the Trained Nurse— Early Physicians OF Van Buren County — Paw Paw Physicians~Ban- GOB — Gobleville — II a rtpori> — Covert — La whence — Lawton — The Profession in South Haven— South Haven City Hosi-iTA!,— Decatur— The Veterinary School 369-3i)2

Chapter XVIII Township Of Almena

General Description — Pioneer Settlers and Institutions- Bust Period (1836-42) — Settlement in the Nobthebn Sections— Ci-nrRCHES— Schools, Supervisors, Etc 393-400

Chapter XIX Township Of Antwerp

General Description — Railroads, Propkbty and Population — Early Settlement — Settlers of 1836-8 — Settlers in Southern Antwerp Township— Post Offices, Roads and Hotels—

Pioneer Mills — Township Elections and OrpiciALs — Educational Statistics — Glen Springs Trout Hatchery— Village OP Lawton — Village op Mattawan^ — Retrospect 401-423

Chapter XX Township Op Arlington

First Election— First Settler Abrives— Major Heath, First Supervisor — The Dangerous Bkiggs Brothers— Other New York Men — The Hogmire Family — Rugged Work of the Pioneers — M. H. Hogmire on Pioneer Times — New Times Better THAN Old 424-436

Chapter XXI Township Op Bangor

Natural P'eatures — Early Settlers — Pioneer Tax Payees — Civil and Educational — Sketch by Hon. John S. Cross— In THE Civil War — Progress and Prosperity — Village of Bangor— Village op Deerpield 437-447

Chapter XXII Township Op Bloomtngdale

First Settlements and Settlers — Taxes and Township Government— Population and Education — Village of Bloominqdale — Mr. Haven's Sketch op the Vili^age — Churches and Societies — Village op Gobleville 448-463

Chapter XXIII Township Op Columbia

Physical Features and Railroads — Site op Breedsviu-e Settled — Property Holders and Taxes (1839) — Settlers Prior to 1845 — Civil and Politic.Uj — Present Village op Breedsvtlle ^Berlamont— COH7MBIA — Grand Jitnction 464-473

CONTENTS n

Chapter XXIV Township Of Covert

The Original Township — Physical Features — Earliest Settlers— Roads and Schools — Statistical and Political— The Village of Covert 474-481

Chapter XXV Township Of Decatur

First White Settler of the County — First Native White Child — First Gospel Sermon and Pionebb School — A. B. Copley on Eablt Days — Various Pioneers — Civil and Polit-

rcA I.— Statistics — Village op Decatur— Retrospect. . .482-494

Chapter XXVI Township Of Geneva

Roads and Physical Features — Political and Educational — Pioneers of the Township— Village op Lacota — Village op KiBBiE — General Township Progress 495-501

Chapter XXVII Township Of Hamilton

Civic and Political Matters — Physical Features— Taxpayers AND Taxes of 1839 — First Building and First Permanent Settler— Also Settled Prior to 1844 — Illustrative op the Pioneers and Their Times — Schools, Then and Now — The Hamilton Township Pair 502-512

Chapter XXVIII Township Op Hartford

First Things and Events — Allen's Paper Town — First Actual Settlers — Territorial and Official — "When the

Would Goes Wrong With Mb" — The Village op Habtford —

Educational and Peopbssional — Churches and Societies — BirsiNEss AND Indcstries 513-532

OIIAPTERXSIX

TOWNSHIP OP KEELEE

Lakes and Resorts — Civil Obqanization — First Settlers op Township — Wolcott II. Keeler— Settlerh of 1836-44— Taxpayees, Property and Schools — ^Keeler and Other Towns — General View 533-542

Chapter XXX

rOWNWHIP OF LAWRENCE

Streams and Lake^ — Early Pioneerw and Settlements — The Branch Family- — Jcdge Jay R. Moneoe^First Marriage, Birth and Death — Roads and Mails— Flat-Boat TbjIPPIC — Paper Town of Van Buren — Civil, Educational and Politicaij—Looking Backward — Village of Lawrenck — Churches AND Societies — Business and General Features 543-563

Chapter XXXI Township Of Paw Paw

Original Townsiiii' of La Payette — Becomes Paw Paw Township—Lake& — The Hardy Pioneers — "Mr. and Mrs." Pe-pe- YAH — David Woodman 's Pioneer Pictures— The Paw Paw Irrevocably Crooked^ — Statistical, Political, Horticultural —Village of Paw Paw 564-590

Chapter XXXII Township Op Pine Grove

Township Organized — Shingles as Legal Tenders — Marital and Legal — Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad — General Progress— GoBLEViLLE — Pine Grove — Kendali;— Mentha. 691-597

CONTENTS ^'»

Chapter XXXIII Township Of Porter

First Settlements and Settijjbs— The Kinney Settlement — The Adahs Family — Township Named and Organized — Educational AND Political — A Retrospect 598-602

Chapter XXXIV Township Of South Haven

Early Elections and Officials— Property and Population — Jay R. Monroe, First White Settler — Clark and Daniel Pierce — A. S. Dyckman's Story— Pioneer Steam Sawmills — First Institutions and Pioneers — Village (now City) of South Haven — The Summer Resort Business — Schools, Churches and Societies — Municipal and Business Matters — PoMOLOCTCAi, Soc»:ty and Board of Trade 603-619

Chapter XXXV Township Of Waverly

Physical Features — Township Named — The Myers Family- First Wedding Between Pioneers — Covey Hill — John Scott —Other Early Setti,ers — From the Official Records — Village OF Glendale 620-627