Pioneer Society

The following paper was written and ead by Hon. W. A. Joues before the Washtenaw Cüunty Pioneer Society at ts meeting held in Chelsea on the 15th nst. : I tind, by refurring to the circular ent out by the Executive Uomtnittee of bis society, that there are soine items called tor which were not embraced in he paper on the early history of the ownship of Dexter, which 1 read before ■he society at the February meeting last rear. The object of the prosont papor s to supply those oinissions. The faco of the land in the township is rolling, and in the northern and northwestern ortions quite broken, interspersod very )lentifully with lakes, marshos and amarack swampa. The soil of the upland in the southern central portions of the town is good wheat and corn land, composed of clay, sand and gravolly loam in varying projortions, with a ooBBiderable adruixture f lime. The leading erop has been wheat, for which the land seems well adapted ; corn barley, oats, grass, and clover are produced to some extont on alinost every farm. In the northern jart of the town sand predominates nore largely, some portions especially on section 5, 6, 7 and 8 being very sandy and not very productivo. Apples have suoceeded woll in all parts of the town, and much pains has been taken by rnany farmars to obtain and cultivato jood varieties. Peaches have not sucjeedod very well exoept in occasional seasons, on account of severe winters and late spring frosts ; the more elevated Iocalitie8 and those protected by large bodies of water usually yielding the best results. Other fruits are not cultivated to any very great extent. A few farms in the vicinity of North lake have succeeded in producing the bes' and greatest variety of fruit of any part of the township. The marshes have been a great help to the early settlers in furnishing hay for feeding stock in winter, and soine of them, especially near the running streams, still afford a good supply of hay of a botter qualit] than that made from natural grasses while other portions away from the running streams have deteriorated to suoh a degree that there is not ïnuch dependence on them for hay, though still furnishing oonsiderable pasture The timber on the upland was princi pally white and yellow oak and hickor; with some bur oad, poplar, ftassafra and soft maple. In the swales in ad dition to the above were found occa sioually whitewood, cottonwood, bass wood, red and white elui, white an black ash, black walnut, sugar maple and red and swamp oak. By som blunder in surveying the township, th northern tier of sections contains les than three quarters of the prescribei quota of land, and the western tier o sections also falls short something lik from fifty to sixty-five acres per section The Huron river enters the township on on the east side of section one runnin, southerly across sections 12, 13, and 24 and üually leaves the town on east Bid of section 25. It furnishes two gooi water powers which are occupied b; the Dover and Hudson flouring milis At the Hudson flouring milis are also sawinill, piaster mili and eider mil The Portage brauch, or as our ma makers have recently christeued i Turtle (Jreek, runs througn üaltmoo lake on section 6, then passing north o the base line, it re-enters the town uea the north west corner of section 2, anc enipties into Little Portage lake on th southoast quarter of that section, thenc through Portage lake into the Hirro rivor near the east slde of section 1 The other streams are small, and run towards Hurón river, Turtlo creek, anc Mili creek. There are more than 20 lakes of dil f...i(.nt ''■",' '"■ 4'1o townshin,, , rTh.ir" ciple of these are rohnge, Kilver, Half uioon, North lake, Westlake, and Four oiile lake. The Portage, which by th way, is one of the finest lakes in thi country of beautiful lakes, occupie uearly the whole of section 1, a smal portion of section 2, and as much o more territory in Livingston county and is about 2 miles in length and mile in width, with but little marsh sur rounding it, except on the south anc southwest. The Little Portage adjoin the Portage on the southwest, and i rather more than 1-2 of a mile in lengt and 1-4 of a mile wide. Silver lake lie ou the west part of section 3 and th east part of section 4, and contains pro bably 400 or 500 acres. lts outlet en ters the Little Portage. Halfinoon lak occupies the greater part of section 6 and also projects into the town of Lyn don on the west and the town of Put nam on thj north. North lake lie principally on section 18, extending little into section 17 on the northeasi and into the town of Lyndou on th southwest. It is a little more than mile in length and about 1-2 mile in breadth. This is another of the beauti ful lakes of the country, the shore being generally bold, with but littl waste land surrounding it in any part West lake is a shallow body of water in the central part of section 30 ; the shores are bold except on the west anc southwest, in which direction a worth less marsh extends some distance. I probably contains about 200 acres North lake and West lake furnish no outlets except in times of high water Fourmile lake lies principally in Lima but projeots about 1-4 mile into sectioi 33 in Liexter ; it is about 1 mile long and rather more than 1 2 mile wide The eastern shore is bold, but on the north and west are extensive marshes some improvement of which has been attempted by lowering the lake anc ditchiug the marshes ; some portions have been benefited, in others the bene fit is somewhat doubtful. Tho outlet is one of the head branches of Mili creek The other lakes in the towu are small containing from 1 to 30 or 40 acres each They are all stockod with fish, the principal being pickerel, bass, perch, muilet, bullheads, and sunflsh. The supply of fish in the lakes, and also in the gtreains is very much less than at the first settlemeut of the country. We have no recorded village plat in the township, but little hamlets have grown up arouud the Dover and Hudson milis. Not uiucli business, however, has ever been Jdone at eithur place, aside from that directly connected with the milis. The first inhabitants of the town wero principally from the State of Nevr York, though some of thc-in had eroigrated to that Stato from the New England States. The later acquisitions to the population of ihe towu havo been largely of foreign birth or their desceudaiits, those from Irelund largely predominatiug. The first Irishman who settled in thfi town was Patrick Curtin in 1834, followed in the next three years by Patrick Lavey, Michael Lavey, Joseph Murphy, John McGuiuness, Michael McCabe, James Brogan, Michael Caffery, John Costin, Morris Dwyer, John McKernan, Nicholas Üoody, Thomas Dolan, John Dolan, James ltyan, Edward liyan, Kichard Walsh, Joseph Walsh and porhaps others, until at the present time it is believed a majority of the citizcnB can claim their descent from the Emerald [sle. Thero are öevoral Germán tamiles, but, with two or three exceptions, ;hey have become residents within the ast ten years. Both Irish and Gormans jecome citizens and voters as soon as time and the necessary formalities required by law will permit. The primiive dwellings in the town were generally built of logs, and there are ly nearly forty of them still oocupied b such, eeveral of which have been ontinuously resided in for more than orty years. A few of the inhabitants still reside n the farms originally purchased by liein from the government ; among hem may be inentioned Henry Warnar, auies Allyu, Charles Glenn, Thomas Jolmi, John liabbet, Patriok Walsh, nd James Ryan. üf those whose hildren own the lands which they loated may be meutioued Isaiah Phelps, 'eleg Johnson, Jacob Wilsey, Hay Steveuson, John Glonn, Andrew Smith, Sphraim (Jarpenter, Moses M. Crane, and Edward Ryan. There are six whole and four fraoional scheol districts in town, eight chool houses baiug within the bounds of the town, all of which are frame mildings. The first three built in town were located near the sites of the present houses in districts number one, two, and three. Sevoral of the earliest were juilt of logs, but they have all long ince passed away. Base lako postoffice was established at Dover 25 or 28 years ago; it is on the mail route from Dexter to Howell, and has a daily mail. The office has been sometimes at Dover, and sometimes at Hudson. It is now at Dover. A postoffieo was established at North Lake in 1834 or 35, and another called Stirling on section 28 soon aftor. Both were discontinued a few years later. A tri weekly mail is now carried through on the same route from Dexter to Dausville, Ingham county. The south end of Portage lako, on section 12, is noted as bng the site of the celebrated city platted and lithographed by the eccentrio Q K. Lillibridge, and callod " Saratoga of Miohigan." The beautiful lake in front, the lnftv eminence called Prospect Hill in the rear, and a sinall spring near by, which tasted of iron and perhaps of aome otber niinerals were inagnitied by hiui into great attractions. A steamboat (on paper) for pleasure parties was launched on the lake, and could navigate through Portage, Base and Strawberry lakes making a round trip of 30 or 40 miles f through the most romantic and deligütful scenary ever seen in this or any other country. An observatory (also on paper) had been erected on Prospect Hill, affording a grand view over an extensire and beautiful traot of country dotted with villages, milis, and the residences of wealthy farmers. These attractions and the curative properties of the mineral spring caused a great iuflux of invalida and pleasure seekers into Saratoga. The extensivo hotels of the place were crowded to their utmost capacity, and the farmers of the viciuity were reaping a rich harvest in the lively market thus afforded them. He had sold one-half of the city plat to Edwin Forrest, the great tragedian, for f ;50,000, who was about to expend a large amount of money in further improvements. This was all done to induce some Eastern speculator to buy the property at a fabulous price. Saratoga City has never contained but one house ; that one house still remains in a dilapidated condition, but whether inhabited or not I ain unable to say. Mr. Joseph Arnold inforins me that he and Mr. Eufus Crosman carne to Dexter in 1826 by the way of Pontiao, on the same route that the Messrs. Noble oame over with the,ir flour, a mentioned in my former paper. It may not be generally known that Cass lake, near Pontiac, through which the Clinton river flows, and Orchard lake, which discharges its waters into the low beach 4 or 5 rods across. Mr. Arnold purchase a canoe and with Mr. Crosman oame in it aoross Cass lake, dragged it across the portage into Orohurd lake ; thence over another portage into Straits lake, thero Dot being Bufficient water in the outlet to float the crat't ; thence through(the three lakes k'nown aa Straits lakes ; thence by means of a team furnished by a settler bv the uniuo ui vv tiiiroa, &DOUI tj-t ur a uiile to the Huron river, at the point where the present village of Commeroe is situated ; thence downthe river to Dexter. On their way down they passed tbrough the lake near Kensington on which the Messrs. Noble got lots, but Mr. Arnold being forewarned had no trouble in finding the outlet. Mr. Arnold corroborates the story of the Messrs. Noble and states that after they had dispoeed of a part of their flour, he purchased the balance. Mr. Henry Warner and his brother Charles, both of whom still reside on their original farm, also caine to Dexter in the early part of the year 1826. After purchasing their land, Mr Charles Warner and Mr. Simeón Mills remained for the purpose of breaking up soine land, building a house, and cutting some hay preparatory to the advent of the family in the fall. After they had cut and stacked thtiir hay, a party of Indiana in revenge for some fancied injury, or more likely out ot pure "cussedness" burned a large portion of their hay, and stole and destroyed their scythes, forka, and other haying tools. They also girdled and killed several Indian apple trees standing on land owned by líaradus Noble, and which it is supposed they thought belonged to Mr. Warner. The Indiana were generally peaceful, and manife8ted no mischievous hostility to the early settlera, except in rare iustances, of which the above was an examplo ; but it cannot be denied that an apprehension existed in the ininds of some, growing out of their knowledge of the Indiau character in former times and in other new and frontier settlemfints. that thfi Indiftns niicht at anir time aiid without any warning, rise against tbe settlers, and murder theni and pillage and burn their property without mercy. These apprehensions were increased by the occurrence of the Black Hawk war west of lake Michigan in 1832. A report was circulated in the í'rontier settlements that a largo body of Indiana were within a few days march and rapidly advancing with hos tile intentiona. As might have boen expected, the inhabitants were considerably frightened though scarcely any of thom would afterwarda own that tfisy were afraid, üh no ! not at all ! A pro position was ruado and serioualy enter tained to build a fort witb tho loga in Judge Dexter's saw-mill yard. Several families aesembled at the house of Mr. Isaiah Phelps with their fire arms, barricaded the house and appointed Wm. Newman to stand guard whilo the others slept. But he, not beiug much soared, whon he thought the others were aslcep, stretched himself on the fioor, and by bis snoring soon gave evidence that he was sleeping at his post. Martial law not having been proclairaed, ho was relieved from further guard duty without any punishinent. It is said that Jerome Loomis sunk his ironware, chains, &c. in the lake near his residence. A meeting was held in Liuia, and u delegation appointed to proceed wost on the trail and asoertain if the report had any foundation. The signal agreed on, was that if they found rho report well-founded, they were, on their return to the settlement, to fire 3 {uns in succession as a warning to the jeople to bo on thoir guard. Not findug any trace of Indiana, they returned o the settloment, and in a spirit of ruischief, tired the admonitory signal guna. iow, it happened there was one man in ïearing of the signal, who was lately married and had just commenced housoceeping. He awoke his wife and told lor they must take care of themselves. lo took her out of the house, and liftng up a brush heap uear by, told her to )lace herself beneath it, and he would )lace himself near by, and with his trusty rifle, defend his life and that of his wife to the last extremity. As the night wore on, she began to get uneasy in her conatrained position, and raising the brush, said she was coming out for she could not endure it any longer. He ordered her to keep still, and it is said, enforcod his oomniands with a rap on the head with a stick. But a husband's authority did not long avail to keep her in such a place, and she soon carne out and went into the house. This last anecdote belongs to Lima, and il' any Lima friend foels aggrieved at my having related it, I will expunge it. It was customary in the early settlernont of the country, when an emigrant arrived looking for a place for a home, for the old settler, who had become acquainted with the country, to volunteer to show them around and give them such information as they possessed to induce them to lócate in their neighborhood. This service was usually rendered gratuitously, unless time was taken to go back some distance away trom the settlements. Mr. Henry Waruer was one day performing this servioe for Mr. John Kellogg, a short distance from his owu farm. While viewing the land they seatod themselves on a conveniunt log to rest, and talk over matters. On arising from the log, Mr. Warner thought he detected some niotion beneath him, and on looking down discovered a line Bpecimen of the geuus Grotalus, Dtherwise called a inassasauga, which had been closely imprisoned between his 200 lbs. corporosity and the aforesaid log. Of course the snake was immediately despatched, but did not seem to be much affected by the incubation process to which he had been subjected, but Mr. Warner remained unhurt. In the winter of 1832, a petition was presented to the .Legislative (Jouncil, 01 the Territory of Michigan, to detach township 1, south of range 5 east, from the original township of Dexter and erect it into a separate township. For 80H1U reason this movement was opposed by some of the inhabitants on the opposite side of the river, and Richard Brower took occasion to see James Kingsley, who was a meniber of the üouncil, and obtained his promisn that when the bilí carne up he would see that it was defeated. Browor feit so good over this plodge that he incautiously boasted of it. This came to the ears of John Williams, who induced Munnis Kenny to prooeed to Detroit and look after the interests of the bill. The consequence was the bilí became a law, and Williams meeting Brower soon after says to him, " What do you think now 't I thought you said that Kingsley promised that the bill should not pass." " Oh, well !" says Brower, " you have Been Kingsley since we have, that's all. Lobbying was then, as now a fine art.