A Short Biographical History Of Nearly 70 Years Of The Life Of N. B. Beers, Written By Himself, January 1st, 1886

I started from tlie city of New York with the surveying party- my {pioneer Party, I will cali it, as I was commainler-in-chief. We left New York on the 18th of August and were flvt; days getting to Detroit, coming by way of Albany. There were two lines of stages running frora Albany to Buffalo, the Erle canal was being built but not yet completed. We took a sail vessel from Buff:ilo to Detroit where we had to stop a few days and make arrangements for our outfit and supplies for a part of the route through Michigan. It was neces-ary to provide our party with a cook and one who could talk with Indians. We had hunters, four rifles and several shot guns. Our baggage amounted to a good many packages, tOOll of different kindf, spikes, bolts, nails and provisión. Miitahle for camp life. About 20 CatiAdten ponies were needed to transport our baggage. We struck a bargain with a man who understood the business. He was to take us t. the head waters of Kalamazoo, where there was sufflcient water to float a raft. In our outfit was ncluded a medicine chest and n tinder box. We had no matches to liirt ,ml. g1(!S llt tl)al earjy day. West of Ypsilanti there were no improvemeuts of any note and between tbe two plaws where Ann Aibor and Dexter are now, the water in tlie river was so low we unloaded tlie flat, putting the packages on the ponies. then we had a real caravan, sonie on pontot, some on foot, and some of the time four five men would go on ahead to cut the unrierbrush. The Indian trails (lid not do us much good, as they would frequently diverge from our line of march quite a number of miles. We tried to take as direct a line as we could. We could ford some of the creeks and where the water was too deep we had to bulld temporary bridges. We soon got used to camp life, the men became used to putting up the tents, the cook understood nis businets, the boys would shoot frame, and with fair weather we were having a pretty good time. On August 29th we had i.rriverl in the vicinity of Jackson, and taking uu observation at 12 m., found ourselves 72 miles from Detroit on a straight line, what we cali an air line, but we had traveled 85 miles by our serpentine cutirse. About two and a half days more brought us to the headwaters of the Kalamazoo river, where Battle Creek is now built. Here we fouud water sufflcient to float a raft, and pitching our tents, relieved our ponies of their burdens, covered up our baggage with canvass and commenced work on our ralt which was to take us down the river to the lake. There belng a sinall Iuilian town here, we had some iissistance in our work. The Indians could use an ax and we let them feil tb. trees. Some of the men were using orosscut saws, some splitting logg, some makiog boards. The boards were rived out with a proe, and it is presumed many of the eiirly settlers of Michigan are well acquainted with making boards in this manner. The boards were to make a cabin to put on the raft. The work progressed rapidly and in four days we were ready to start down the iiver in quite comfortable quarters and two days later we carne to a place where were a few white settlers and a rude store, the place where now is the city of Kalamazoo. Here two of our men were taken sick and we had to open our medicine chest the flrst time. The Indians had quite a village here and some eastern men were clearing the river of the brush and drlftwood so as to run flat boats the following season. Thls was in our favor for we would not have much to do only to keep our raft ia the middle of the channel and let it float with the current. We proceeded on our way and found ourselves at the mouth of the river on the lOth of September. From this place, from the mouth of the Kalamazoo to the mouth of the St. Joe river was the most dungeroua part of the journey. On the east shore of the lake on our frail raft, exposed to the west winds, we expected it would take a number of days as it required great care, barlog to keep close in shore, and we had to tie up one day on account of the wind. It took us until the 13th of September to get to the mouth of the river St. Jo. H-re we learncd tlmt the river had been cleared so tlmt flat boats could pass up and down. We Were pcrsuadi-d to put our goods on a flat boat, knowiug it would be easier to go up the current of the river in this way, so we Hhundoiwd our raft and the owmr of the fl.it went with us, our men were to help pole the boat along. We made gom) head way and in a day and a half we ariived at the loug-looked for place, South Bend. Now, our caravan would break up aiu-r getting the public land surveyon nt work. We sctiled with the ow lier of the flat, his charge whs three dollar - cheup enough. He watited the man who was our cook on tbe way here, and having no luither use for him, we let him go. We found soine cabins here with three or four rooms. We had to walt two days for fnir weather to take an observation and make our citlciilations, so as to get the ini'i 'iiliiin and base lines to correspond with thci ncar the center of the etate. Our date now is September 17th, 1825, my birthday. I was 18 years of age. It I was a clear day with a fine atmosphere, and at noon I took an observation which was very satisfactory and on the 20th bavtng finislicd my work, left for Chicago witli two Indiana and six ponies. We dispensed with our baggage only takingclottiingand papers incarpet bags. We kept the lead to Calumet lake whera there was a large ludían village. On the 24th of September we reached Chicago- 61 years ago- I should say the Chicago river, for the rcason there was nothing thore but Fort Dearborn with its llag waving in the breeze. Kenzie and John Jacob Astor liad an Indian trading house. They were in partnership at the time In the fur trade, and there could be seen a few Indian liuts here and there. There was plenty of high wild grass, wild sunflowers and other wild stocks that bore flowers in the season for them. I can assure the reader that to a stranger it was a very uuinviting place and it would seem strange that any one should haibor the idea of building a great city in such an exteusive inarsh as we found here. We had a letter to the commander of the fort introducing us to him and our business also. We were invited inside the fort and everythlng done to make it comfortable and pleasant for us while there. Breaking the seal of our instructions we read, "You will fiad all the instruments you will need in the fort. You and your men will take up quarters there ; you will take your meals with the offlcers of the first rank while you reinain there. You will proceed as soon as convenient to examine the lake at the mouth of the Chicago river, then up river and the branches. Examine the lake at the mouth of the river in a thorough manner and if you tind i depth of water can be mude without striking rock - for the largest vessels that will ever be ükely to navigate the lakes, say a depth of 22 feet - should you flnd this and if it seemsotherwtse practicable you will proceed to survey out one or more townships and report to the dopartment atfWashin{rton." We feit the need of a little time to rest after traveling several hundred miles tlirniicli such a wild unsettlede.nuntry.hefore conimencing any important work. The 27th bcing a clear, bright mornin I rot rendy to take au observation at 12 m , and at three different times this was done that we might be suie of being riglil. We must get the meridian line ao accurate as to meet the meridian line 100 miles SOUttl of Chicago and must be just as particular to have the base line right. We found our calculations all rijrht and then we proceederl to survey out a township which was called the Chicago town. About one third of it i in the lnke. the outlines of the township were finished includinsf the división sectious and then it had to be prepared for inappinfC and report made to the Gener Land Office at Washington. For some time the only post office In that part of the country was at Calumet. When a letter carne for Chicago it was directed In this way Chicago near Calumet. The mail was carrled from Calumet to Chicago by an Indian. Connected with the early history of Chicago and quite an important purt of it was the business in which Astor and Kenzie were ensaged. They owned a gmall schooner running from Buffalo to Chicago. They made two trips a year with this vessel - spring and fall. It brought Indian supplles and to the fort lirouglit provisions and all neeessary articlee. On the return to Buffalo they carried f ure, buffalo robes or skins and all ottier articles in the Indian trade and sometiuies a few passengers.