History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ..

Front matter

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Preface

written, for addition, abridgment or correction; so that if errors occur in this section of the work the party immediately concerned must attach all blame to himself. It will be evident throughout that the writer of the county history as well as the gentlemen who collated the personal sketches, have realized the simple fact of undeserved praise being disguised satire. In some instances this realization may have led to a too brief notice of many highly deserving men; but where praise was manifestly due it is given regardless of ideal character.

The plan of the work is specially adapted to a great record book. All things pertaining in general to the State are dealt with in the introductory pages; the county history is carried down from the first Otchipwe invasion of the Valley, and treats very fairly every subject of general interest to the people ; so with the two cities, they have been very liberally sketched, while each township has just sufficient notice given it to render its history up to the present time a most valuable heirloom, for the future.

The cooperation extended to the writers was certainly not so general as it sbojtWd have been. Conceding that the business interests claim almost all the attention of these citizens, whose connection with the county extends over many years, and who are fully qualified to be authority on many historical matters, they should not forget that other duties attach to their positions, nor neglect to contribute their knowledge of the past to pages intended for the instruction of the present and future.

Of the number who assisted in rendering the labors of the writers comparatively light, are Geo. F. Lewis, Col. C. V. DeLand, Edwar Cowles, Dr. M. C. T. Plessner, W. R. McCormick, Dan P. Foqte Mrs. Eleazer Jewett and Mrs. N. D. Lee. To Charles Dought} United States Land Register^ Frederick B. Sweet, County Clerk; Thos. M. Busby, Deputy Co. Clerk; Alex. Ferguson, Co. Treasurer; and A. Zwerk, Registrar of Deeds, our thanks are offered for the manner in which the valuable and well-kept records of their offices were placed at our disposal, as well as for official courtesies extended on every occasion. Prof. M. A. Leeson, the historian, and his assistant, Damon Clarke, deserve special mention for the faithful and energetic labor put forth in the writing and compilation of this work. ^f

In this, as in other counties, we are conscious that our promises to the people have been honorably observed in every respect. We have brought out into sunlight many gems of local history which were sleeping previously in oblivion; we have snatched fugitive thoughts from the Brink of their tombs; brought before the people, as a mirror, men and events long since passed away, and succeeded beyond measure in doing justice to Father Time in his half century's transactions with the settlers of the Saginaw, as well as to the settlers themselves, and the people of the present. Conscious of all this, we ask only a full, earnest, and impartial review of all the chapters of this work, before your criticism.

Chicago, August, 1881. C. C. Chapman & Co.

Contents

HISTORY OF MICHIGAK.

Mound-Builders

Large Cities

Chapter I. The Indians 115

Early Explorers 116

Battle of Skull Island. 117

Winnebago War 120

Legion of the Lone Tree 121 Indian Payment Day in

Old Times 122

Sentence and Execution 123

The White Captives. . . 124 O - ke - maw- ke- ke- to

and the Factors 125

Wah-be-man-i-to 126

Kish-kau-ko and the

Soldiers 128

The Indian Murderer. . 129 O-ke-mos, or O-ki-mo.. 129

Neh-way-go 129

Other Indians 134-:

A Summer Visit to the

Indian Camp 138

The Emigrants 139

Chapter II. The Treaties With

THE SAGINA WS 141

Treaty of Detroit 141

Thirst Dance Before

the Treaty 141

The Dog Feast 143

Treaty of Saginaw 144

Second Treaty with

the Saginaws 155

Treaty, of 1838 156

Treaty of 1855 156

Schoolcraft's Trickery. 157

GERMAN SETTLE- MENT 218

Chapter VI. Sketches Of His- Tory 231

Era of Territorial

Roads 231

Early Milling 233

First Ferry 234

First Things 234

Black Hawk War 235

Store Prices in 1831-2. . 236

Season of Sickness 236

Reign of Small-pox 237

Tornado 243

Dies Infaustus 243

The Big Snow 244

A Meteor 245

The Comet 245

Eclipse of the Moon. . . 246 Wolf-Slayers of Saginaw 246

Clearing the River 248

Frozen to Death 248

Forest Fires 248

First Celebration in the

Valley 249

Celebration of the Centennial 250

First Happenings in

the county 255

The Local Fishermen.. 260 The Surrogugeon Court 262 The Lawyer and the

Minister 226

Reminiscence of 1845 ... 263

The Doctor's Man 264

A Bear Story 264

A Stout Old Farmer. ... 265 'Squire Conning's

Mouth 265

Making a Level 266

A Bad Jury 266

A Big Tomato 267

From Saginaw to

"Masho's" House... 267 School Sleigh-Ride.... 267

The Tramp of 1880 268

A Trader on the Mexican War 268

A Sleigh-Ride in 1854.. 269 The Indian's Whisky Bottle 269

CHAPPER VII.

SCIENTIFIC 270

Geological 270

The Flora of the County 273

Zoological 273

Birds 274

Mammalia 281

Archaeology 282

Physical Characteristics 287

CONTENTS.

Tlie Water Courses ... 288 Saginaw Valley 290

Chapter VIII

Saginaw Co. Boundaries In 1822 300

Locating the Co. Seat.. 301 Saginaw Township Organized 302

Change of Boundary.. 302 Organization of the Co. 302 Early Record of Supervisors'Court 303

The Little Proposition 306 Municipal Brieflets ... 307 Township Organization 307 Townships ot the Past. 308 County Commissioners

1835^2 310

Supervisors 1842-60.... 310 Present Board of Supervisors 313

The County Buildings. 314 Co. Officers, 1835-81 ... 315

Chapter X. Political 322

Election Returns 327

Chapter XI. The Conquerers Op

REBELLION 338

Historical Brleflets.... 341 East Saginaw Light

Guards 342

The Hoyt Light Guards 344 Military Resources of

the County m 1862... 347

Recruiting In 1863 347

Military Organization

Close of the Drama 348

Regimental Histories 349-379 The Soldiers and Sailors Of the County 379

Second Reunion 38o

Chapter XII. Lumber Industry... 3s2

The Emerson Mill 383

Saw Mills of the Saginaw and Tributaries

Milling Interests in '57. 388 Statistics Of 1863-66. ... 389

Summary 390

Statistics of 1880 391

Recapitulation 393

Shingles 395

Staves 395

Oak and Square Timber 396

Commercial History... 396 The Region of Illimitable Possibilities 404

Lite in the Lumber

Woods 408

Chapter XIII. Salt Manufacture. 410

The Governed Govern. 411

Organization of the

East Saginaw Salt

Manufacturing Co... 412

First Salt Well 412

Subsequent Enterprises 413

Statistics for 1865 414

Statistics for 1870 .... 415 Statistics for 1877-8. ... 416

Summary 418

The Salt Wells of the Valley, Methods of Manufacture, Etc.. 418-439 CHAPTER XIV.

AGRICULTURAL 440

Saginaw Agricultural Society •.. 443

First County Fair 444

Saginaw Institute 444

Chapter XV. Railroads And Nav- Igation 445

Railroads 445

Navigation 451

Chapter XVI. Miscellaneous 453

County Finances and

Statistics 453

Progress as Marked by

Valuation 453

Thirty Years' Taxes.. 455 Receipts and Expenditures 455

Land Under Cultivation

and Crops 456

Population 457

Indians 458

School Census 458

Marriage Record 459

Birth and Death Statistics 460

Chapter XVII. The County Press.. 461

Saginaw Journal 463

The North Star 463

Saginaw Enterprise... 464 Saginaw Republican. . . 464

Saginaw Herald 465

The Courier 466

Evening Express 467

Saginaw Valley News 468

Saginawlan 468

Saginaw Zeitung 470

Tagllche Saginaw

Abend Zeitung 471

Chesaning Papers .... 471

Oakley Cyclone 472

St. Charles Papers 473