Green Township

 

Green Township Hall
21431 Northland Drive
Paris, MI. 49338
1-231-796-6201
1-231-796-4718 - FAX
website
Multi Mag's Green Township Web Page
 

HISTORY OF GREEN TOWNSHIP

Taken from the 1880 Mecosta County Portrait & Biographical Album, Chapman Bros., Chicago


Green Township is numbered 16 north, range 10 west, of the Congressional survey, and lies in the northwest corner of Mecosta County. It is bounded on the north by Osceola County, on the east by Grant Township, on the south by Big Rapids Township, and on the west by Newaygo County. Besides an exact Congressional Township, Green includes a little over two sections which naturally belong to Grant Township, but are cut off from it by the Muskegon River, and are therefore for convenience' sake attached to Green. Muskegon river forms thus the eastern boundary for a mile and a half. It then flows west for about four miles and then in a southerly direction until it leaves the township. the land is watered also by Buck Horn, Paris, Shaw and Tinny Creeks, and a number of smaller streams, all of which are tributary to the Muskegon.

The township was organized in 1858, before the county of Mecosta was detached from Newaygo, and was of th only two townships organized when the first meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Mecosta County was held, in May 1859. Jesse A. Barker, who was at this meeting, was the first Supervisor of Green Township. The first white family in the Township was that of James Montague, who settled on section 27 in June, 1854. The first white child born was Helen Montague, daughter of James and Laura Montague, born in 1855. Theophilus Humphrey, son fo Charles B. and Jane Humphrey was born in the fall of 1857. The first death was that of Mrs. Millard, in 1859. The first marriage, that of John McFarlane and Betsey Turk, was solemnized by Jesse A. Barker, Justice of the Peace, Dec. 25, 1860. The first frame building was a house erected by Andrew and Lewsi H. Green, in 1857. The lumber for it was drawn from Big Prairie, a distance of 30 miles or more, and the mortices of the framework were dug with an old chisel and a mallet, without the aid of an auger, there being no such a tool in town. John Parish and Andrew McFarlane erected a frame dwelling the same year. the first mill was a saw-mill, built by John Parish and Andrew McFarlane, in 1857, on Parish Creek, near where the village of Paris now stands. The first school-house was a log building, erected in May, 1858, on section 28. The first school was taught by Martha J. Evarts, in the summer of 1858. The first store was opened by Edmund M. Stickney, in 1866. The first post-office, Paris, was established in 1864.

The census of 1860 gave Green Township 246 inhabitants; in 1864, the State Census showed but 235. In 1870 the population had increased to 616; in 1874 to 886, and in 1880 to 1,132. In 1878 the township had 1,395 acres of improved land; and 4,638 in 1881. Its equalized valutation in 1859 was $144,306.60; and its present valuation in $418,676. Its total vote in November, 1882, was 166.
 
Paris Village
The village of Paris is located on the east half of section 16, and on the west bank of the Muskegon River. The first white settler was JOhn Parish, the "father" of the village, which he laid out. It was named "Parish," and this was afterwards changed to the present appellation, "Paris." He also built the first house of logs, about 1864, on the village site. He also built the first frame house. Among the early settlers was Andrew McFarlane, who, in partnership with Parish, built and operated a saw-mill. Other early settlers were E.M. Stickney and James Wright. Mr. Stickney opened the first store, in February, 1866. Shaler & Fitting built the mill now owned by E.M. Stickney, in 1867.

Paris is not incorporated, and has a population of about 350. There are no lodges or other organizations. A small, neat church has just been built by subscription, in which all denominations may meet. The pastor who preaches every Sunday in this church lives at Hersey, Osceola County.

The following are names of the business men of the village:
BR> Bisbee, J.E. , grocery and drug store.
Frink, L.M., Frink's Hotel.
Hopkinson, W.D., general store
Johnson, T.C., wagon shop.
Leggett, I.J., drug store.
Murphy & Dolan, saloon.
Nichols, J.E., restaurant.
Robison, H.M., blacksmith.
Symonds, S.H., shoe shop.
Swigler, N.J., blacksmith.
Stickney, E.M., saw and grist mill.
Scranton, W.S., saloon.

The medical profession is represented only by Dr. I.J. Leggett.

The most important event in the history of Paris was the great fire of 1879. At about half past three o'clock in the morning of Monday, May 26, the rear part of Andrew McFarlane's store was discovered to be on fire. A strong wind was blowing from the northeast at the time, but two or three minutes elapsed before the entire building was enveloped in flames. McFarlane's hotel, the "Muskegon House," which stood adjacent to the store on the south side, was on fire; but a few minutes after the alarm was given, and the inmates of the hotel had barely time to get out, some of them saving but a part of their apparel.

The store buildings of E.M. Stickney, situated on the opposite side of the street, and occupied by Mr. S. Elwood, with a general stock of merchandise, were on fire before half the prople of the village had been aroused from their slumbers. A two-story building adjacent on the south, owned by Mrs. Annie Hall, of Detroit, and occupied by Mr. Elwood with a stock of crockery, melted into smoke and ashes with the rest. A large two-story building, originally designed for a store, but occupied by Elliot Cheney for a hotel, which stood next south of the store-buildings occupied by Mr. Elwood, was also in flames about as soon as the others, all of them being directly in the course in which the flames were driven by the wind. The inmates of this last mentioned building escaped with most of their apparel, which was about all that was saved. The Cheney Hotel was owned by Mrs. Roxy Compton. another large two-story store building, situated several rods south of the Cheney Hotel, was the next to take fire. It was occupied as a residence by two families, one of them being that of Mr. Judkins, station agent at Paris, and they had time to remove all or nearly all their household goods. A substantial barn belonging to E.M. Stickney, and two or three cheap cow stables, complete the list of buildings destroyed.

Mr. McFarlane saved literally nothing from his store, in fact no one attempted to enter the building, the entire inside being a sheet of flame before the inmates of the surrounding buildings were apprised of the danger that threatened them. Mr. McFarlane's loss on buildings and stock was about $7,000 or $8,000, with no insurance. Mr. Stickney's loss on buildings was about $2,500, with $1,500. insurance. He also lost about $200 worth of lumber, which was piled near the railroad track, in the rear of McFarlane's store. A small warehouse situated at the rear of Stickney's building, and owned by Fox, Shields & Co., of Grand Rapids, was insured for $300. Mr. Elwood's loss on merchandise was about $10,000, with $4,000 insurance. Only a few handfuls of goods were saved. The postoffice was located in Elwood's store, and the letter case and stamp drawer were saved, but the paper mail and the puuch containing the letter mail to come south that morning, were swallowed up in the flames. Mrs. Hall's building was worth about $1,200. Mrs. Compton's building was worth about $1,200, and was insured for $300. Mr. Cheney, who occupied the building, lost about $500. with no insurance. Mrs. Staab's building was worth about $1,000. Many other buildings were in imminent danger; but the activity of the citizens fortunately saved them. Among other things burned were the books and records of the town of Green, which were in Mr. Elwood's store. The origin of this disastrous conflagration is not known. It was probably a case of incendiarism.
 
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