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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE OF STANTON |
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by J.K. Fairchild, Editor of Montcalm County Journal in 1876 (These series of articles appeared in the Stanton Clipper-Herald starting on October 11, 1935). The The original survey and plat of The first election was held on the
11th day of November, 1867, at which time the following persons were duly
elected officers of the village: President-J. P. Beers Trustees-Oscar Fenn, John Morse,
Albert S. French, A. Vinecore, Aaron Lyon, Levi Camburn. Marshal-E. B. Moore. Assessors- Wm. F. Turner, J. N.
Zinkham. Clerks, -Harmon Smith. Treasurer-G. C. Wallace. Street Commissioners-D. S. West, Ira
Horton, F. Hinds. Fire wardens-E. K. Wood, Miles
Dunham, Pound master-Alvin Morse. In February, 1869, the village was
re-incorporated by a special act of the Legislature, with the following
territory bound: The north half and the
south half of the northwest quarter of section 31 in Township eleven north, of
range seven west; the north fractional half and the north half of the southeast
quarter, and the north half of the southwest quarter of section 1, in township
ten north, of range seven west; the northwest fractional quarter of section 6,
in township ten north, of range six west. This boundary is a rather peculiar
one, but nevertheless it must be remembered that it represents four flourishing
township. The first election under this
incorporation was held on the 8th day of March 1869, and the following officers
were chosen: President-Levi Camburn. Trustees for two years-E. K. Wood,
Oscar Fenn, Wm. F. Turner. Trustees for one year-George
Herriman, A. Bradford, Geo. W. Childs., Marshal-Joshua Philo. Clerk-Harmon Smith. Treasurer-G. C. Wallace. Assessor-G. F. Case. The first county election held after
the county seat was located at State Senator-Westbrook Divine. Member of the Legislature-Edwin
Burt. Sheriff-Hiram Armstrong Clerk-Bedford Birch. Treasurer-Levi Camburn. Register of Deeds-Daniel A. Cornell Prosecuting attorney-C. C.
Ellsworth. Surveyor-E. H. Jones. Coroners-Henry Berridge, Richard C.
Miller. The following is a list of the
present county officers, elected Sheriff-Zenas E. Briggs Clerk-S. Perry Youngs. Register of deeds-Oscar Fenn. Circuit court commissioners-M. C. Palmer, N. O. Griswold. Surveyor-A. DeForest Coroners-Geo. Howarth, D. H. Lord. Stanton, since its incorporation as
a village, has been marked by a degree of growth and development characteristic
of but few towns, and we may say it owes its success in a great degree to the
successfully managed municipal government which it has the honor of
possessing. The truth of this statement
is more fully confirmed by a glance at the work of the past year. Hundreds of feet of sidewalk have been
constructed, new crosswalks built, new streets opened and old ones remarkably
improved, and in fact and almost endless amount of improvement made, all of
which conduce to the enlivenment of the enterprising spirit of the citizens,
and the enhancement of the place in various points of view. The erection of many fine dwellings and
improvements of old one-a correct statement of which we shall give further on
in this article creates also another feature in the important progressiveness
of our village. While the citizens of Grammar School, 36; A Intermediate, 28; B Intermediate, 66; A Primary, 49; B Primary,
99. These departments are presided over
by the following lady teachers: Miss Agnes King-Grammar. Miss M. Palmer-B Intermediate Miss E. M. Johnson-B Intermediate Miss F. B. Smith-A Primary. Mrs. E. H. Crowell-B Primary Regarding Prof. Crowell, principal,
and his excellent wife, instructor in the B Primary department, we speak from
long personal acquaintance, and know them to possess rare talented qualities as
tutors. The other instructors-all
ladies-are filling their respective spheres as teachers with commendable
ability and satisfaction, and we would speak from personal acquaintance regarding
them, but our misfortune has placed us in a position that we haven’t been able
to make their acquaintance at all, and consequently they will have to take the
will for the deed, in this instance. The religious interests of Methodist-Rev. A. D. Congregational-Rev. L. P. Spellman Baptist-Rev. J. M. Coe (present
supply). All of the churches maintain
flourishing Sabbath schools, superintended by the following gentlemen: Charles Lee-Methodist E. H. Crowell-Congregational. Asa Morse-Baptist. Taken altogether, the religious
interests form a prominent part in the bulk of The railroad projects of
OUR MERCHANTS Having given a brief, but we think,
comprehensive account of the establishment and progress of our village, we now
“tack ship” and “go for” the noble band of merchants, who have fought, bled and
we may add, almost died for the interests of the “county sent.” We head the list with the name of D.
M. Gardner, one of the pioneer merchants of the town. Mr. Gardner came to Taking our leave of Mr. Gardner for
the present, we proceed to make mention of the important firm of G. C. Wallace
& Bro. who came here in the fall of ‘66 from Birmingham, this State. For three years the business grew and
flourished under this firm name, when Mr. G. C. Wallace purchased his brother’s
interest in the store and conducted the business alone until the fall of
‘74. He then sold out his stock of goods
to Mr. R. T. Dyer, who had just moved to Stanton from the “Buckeye” state, and
went out of the mercantile business entirely.
Mr. Dyer then continued the business alone until last August, when Mr.
Wallace again purchased a half interest in the establishment, and the firm name
has since been known as Wallace & Dyer. Messrs. Wallace & Dyer’s line
of trade comprises groceries, provisions, crockery, glassware, fruit, flour,
feed, est.. They possess the only
exclusive store of this kind in Stanton, and do an immense business. They also handle lumber and shingles quite
extensively. Both are excellent gentlemen
and the right men in the right place. Another of the pioneer merchants is
Harvey W. Rice. Mr. Rice was a former
resident of our neighboring city of Ionia and came to Stanton about eight years
ago the present week. He at first opened
up a small business in the Parker building, corner of Main and Lincoln streets,
which building was destroyed by fire some years since. Being compelled to seek other quarters, he
purchased a lot farther up Main Street and in company with another party,
erected what is now known as Union block, and moved his stock of goods thereto.
Here Mr. R. Continued business on a somewhat larger scale, when last summer,
owing to an increase of same, he was compelled to enlarge his quarters and,
moving his store room back, he extended his half of the Union block some 40 odd
feet, so now he has a building with proportions of about 22/104 feet. This gives him a commodious sales and
storeroom, fully adequate to the demands of his stock of goods. One of the most important features of Mr.
Rice’s portion of the Union block is its convenience, which he has spared no
pains to make complete. Under the
building there is a fine commodious cellar, fitted up in a manner commendably
accessible and convenient, which is principally used for storing farm produce,
syrups, molasses, etc. A mammoth cistern
with a capacity for holding 150 barrels of water, has been constructed adjacent
to the building, and with an excellent force pump, together with 150 feet of rubber
hose, a first-class available means of fire protection to the property
furnished, ready for operation at any moment.
Mr. Rice’s business comprises almost everything in the trade line, with
the exception of hardware. Dry goods,
clothing, boots, shoes, groceries, provisions and lumbermen’s supplies, are
sold in abundance. Lumber shingles and
Studebaker wagons are also handled on an extensive scale. Mr. Rice is one of our most honored and
respected citizens, and takes a prominent part in every honorable enterprise of
the village. The firm of J. M. Zinkhan & Co.
was established in 1872. The business
was formerly owned and conducted by J. M. Zinkhan alone, who commenced the same
in 1869, continuing until 1872, when Mr. N. Shepard purchased an interest in
the establishment. Since then the business
has been carried on under the firm name of J. M. Zinkhan & Co. Messrs. Zinkhan & Shepard are extensive
dealers in clocks, watches, jewelry, etc.
During the past year they have added very materially to their stock of
fine gold and silver watches, jewelry, etc., added several very beautiful new
show cases to their store, and we may truthfully say they have one of the
finest establishments of the kind in Montcalm county. Mr. Zinkhan came to Stanton from Hillsdale in
the year 1864, and first gave his attention to the gun smithing business, which
he continued five years, when he embarked in the jewelry business as
aforesaid. He is a man that takes
considerable pride in his business, and also an active part in every valuable
enterprise of the village, and withal is a gentleman of excellent business and
social qualities. We shall speak
personally of Mr. Shepard in connection with the extensive firm of Moore &
Shepard, real estate dealers, further on in this article. The firm of Jas. Richards & Son
was formerly owned and carried on by Wm. Betts, Esq., who sold out to the above
parties in the year of ‘73. The firm is
composed of Mr. James Richards of Cleveland, Ohio, and his son, J. W. Richards,
of this village. The business is the
largest of the kind north of Ionia. It
comprised the general line of shelf and heavy hardware mill supplies, rubber
and leather belting, rubber hose, brass goods, sash, doors, putty, glass,
etc. Immediately after the business came
into the hands of the Messrs. Richards, the store was enlarged by and addition
of fifty feet in the rear and the stock of goods was increased more than
double. From the time of their purchase
of the business the sales began to increase rapidly and finally to assume
proportions astonishingly large. During
the past year nearly $51,000 worth of goods were sold by this firm, which is
counted a pretty fair business in this section of the state. Messrs. Richards & Son know the value of
printers’ ink, and their success is largely attributed to a generous use of the
same. Both are men of rare business
qualities, and a valuable aid in the furtherance of every good project. The firm of Reynolds & Hawley is
among the most important of this village.
Established scarcely three years ago, with but small capital, by two
plucky, energetic young men, it has grown and flourished in a manner wholly
surprising, and the small capital invested has been doubled and redoubled. The senior member of this firm, Mr. M. A.
Reynolds, came to Stanton about five years ago, where he plied his vocation as
clerk in the store of H. H. Hinds for
several years, or until the year 1875.
Mr. E. D. Hawley, the junior member of the firm, became a resident of the
village about the year 1871, and for several years was clerk and bookkeeper in
the store of Giles Gilbert, and more recently the Stanton agent of the D. L.
& L. M. R. R. at this place, which capacity he filled for the space of
about one year. Messrs. Reynolds &
Hawley are extensive dealers in drugs, medicines, groceries, lumbermen’s
supplies, books, stationery, periodicals, tobaccos, cigars, etc. They run a free delivery in connection with
their store, and are doing a large and flourishing business. Both are young enterprising men of fair
business ability and persons whom the village of Stanton could not well do
without. The firm of D. L. Case comprises a
business establishment wholly among the leading mercantile institutions of this
village. The proprietor of this
establishment, D. L. Case, Esq., resides in the city of Lansing, and first
opened a business here in the mercantile line one year ago. A vast lumbering
business is also done in connection with this establishment, and the interests
and control of the whole are under the supervision of Mr. J. M. Case (son of
the proprietor), a young man of excellent ability and an enterprising and much
respected citizen. In the line of
mercantile trade this firm deals largely in dry goods, clothing, boots, shoes,
groceries, lumbermen’s supplies, etc.
Buys and ships lumber and shingles, all kinds. The business, though but one year old, is one
of the largest in town, and we are happy to add, is on an increase commendably
surprising. R. Hudson & Son constitute a
business firm of no little importance to our flourishing village. The business of this firm is managed by Mr.
M. E. Fanning, a young man of excellent business qualities, and withal one of
the most promising young men of our town.
Clothing, boots, shoes, hats and caps comprise the general line of trade
of this establishment and to say that a large business is done would scarcely
be making just mention of the fact. The
loads of goods that are constantly carried away from this store by customers is
an evidence of prosperity, and in the selection of Mr. Fanning to preside over
the business, R. Hudson & Son made the proper and successful move. The business is but a little over one year
old, but nevertheless has a place in the front rank of the most important and
enterprise of the place. Wood & Thayer This establishment opened first
about ten years ago, under the firm name of Wood & Gilbert, and is among
the largest and oldest in Stanton. The
parties who founded the establishment, Messrs. E. K. Wood and Giles Gilbert,
two of the liveliest and most enterprising men of our village came here in the
“infant days” of the town. They carried
on the business together until 1872, when Mr. Gilbert purchased M. Wood’s
interest in the same and continued alone for two years. In 1874 Mr. Wood, purchasing the stock and
goods, and forming a co-partnership with Mr. C. A. Thayer, the business has
since been carried on under the firm name of Wood & Thayer. A bit of Mr. Wood’s first experience in this
section was driving an ox team in the lumber woods, and this is where he first
attained a success that gave him the proper start in the world. During all of the years of co-partnership of
Messrs Wood & Gilbert, the lumbering business was quite extensively
conducted by them, and in fact now the firm of Wood & Thayer is doing a
large business in that line. Messrs.
Wood and Thayer are both formerly from Wyoming county, New York. They are gentlemen of business ability and
esteemed citizens of our town. Their
trade is very extensive, and comprises the general line of lumbermen’s
supplies, drugs, medicines, groceries, provisions, flour, feed, hardware, boots
and shoes, and in fact almost everything needed by the domestic and lumbering
communities. We shall speak of Mr.
Gilbert further on in this article, as connected with the lumbering interests
of the place. J. N. Voorhees J. N. Voorhees, dealer in all kinds
of kitchen, parlor and office furniture.
This business was first established in Stanton by our present county
treasurer, Henry Kent, Esq., formerly a resident of Fairplains, this county, in
the year 1873, and was continued by him until the 14th of the present month,
when Mr. J. N. Voorhees purchased the same.
It is the only furniture store in the place, and hence does a
commendably large business. Mr. Voorhees
was also a former resident of Fairplains, but henceforward we expect him to be
numbered among the enterprising citizens of Stanton. Lunn Bros., bakers and
confectioners, and dealers in groceries, is a firm of much importance to
Stanton. The business of this firm was
established by Ira Carter and G. N. Lunn in the spring of ‘72, under the firm
name of Carter & Lunn. The business
was carried on under this management until the following December, when Mr.
Carter went out of the firm. In April,
‘73 Mr. J. W. Lunn, a brother to J. N. purchased an interest in the business,
and during that time the firm has been known by the name of Lunn Bros. Messrs. Lunn Bros. keep in their
employ a first-class baker, and manufacture their own bread, cakes, pies,
confectionery, etc. They have just made
a change of base and moved to more commodious and central quarters, in the
building formerly owned by James C. Gilson. Peter Dayo Peter Deyo came to Stanton about
seven years ago and, purchasing the building now occupied by him, embarked in
the general hardware and tinnery business.
Mr. Deyo has experienced many of the hardships of the true pioneer, and
has brought his business from a low basis up to a lucrative condition, now
enjoying an extensive trade in his line of merchandise. Mr. Deyo is a skilled workman and does a very
large business in the repairing of defective tinware and stoves. He is enterprising, and withal an honest and
pleasant man to deal with. Ward & Wallace This important firm was established
about the middle of September last. Previous
to the establishment of the same, Mr. Ward (the senior member of the firm) was
employed by Messrs. Richards & Son in the hardware business, and also for
some continued length of time superintended the business of said store, when
the same was in the hands of Wm. Betts, Esq. The junior member of the firm, Mr.
G. C. Wallace, is of the extensive firm of Wallace & Dyer, grocers, of this
village, and is well known by all.
Messrs. Ward & Wallace are dealers in general mill supplies, their
stock comprising belting, packing, saws, files, gas pipe and fittings, bolts,
lubricating oils, brass goods, etc.
Their store is highly appreciated by our millmen and lumbermen, and is
certainly a valuable acquisition to our thriving village and, we are happy to
learn, is doing a lucrative business. M.
A. Bradford M. A. Bradford opened up business in
Stanton about the middle of last June, occupying a portion of the building in,
which is stored, the goods of Messrs. Ward & Wallace. Commencing with but a small stock, he
gradually increased the same until now he has a fine assortment of goods and
does a creditable business. Mr. Bradford
is a young man of irreproachable character, and we do not know of any man in
town whom we would rather see succeed than he.
His business comprises the general line of small, fancy furniture,
picture frames, brackets, parlor croquet sets, stereoscopes, chromos,
engravings, etc. He also does all kinds
of furniture repairing neatly and cheaply.
We highly commend him and his business to the public as worthy of
liberal patronage Webber & Chapin The Banking House of Webber &
Chapin was established in the month of April, ‘73. The parties comprising the firm of Oscar
Webber of the firm of Webber & Hall, Ionia, and C. W. Chapin, of this
village. Business was first commenced
and continued for six months in a “corner” portion of G. C. Wallace’s building,
corner of Main and Camburn streets, when the building next west of the
Turner-Vine core block was erected and in the same this banking house was
formally established. The growing
increase of the banking business during a single year is immense. The business comprises that usually carried
on by all first-class banking houses, and it is a business institution in which
our citizens take a great pride. Nye & Lowing Nye & Lowing are the proprietors
of the “Old Reliable” Meat Market, which was established in this village about
seven years ago, by Mr. I .Carter. From
the date of establishment the business was continued by Mr. Carter until the
year 1870, when C. B. Nye, an employee of Mr. Carter, purchased an interest in
the business, and the firm was then known as Carter & Nye. September last Mr. Nye purchased his
partner’s interest and became sole proprietor of the market, and shortly after
disposed of one-half interest to J. E. Lowing, since which time the firm has
been known and conducted under the name of Nye & Lowing. Messrs. Nye & Lowing are very extensive
dealers in all kinds of fresh and salted meats, and also handle country produce
and oysters in their season. They are
both excellent citizens, and we may add invaluable to the business interests of
Stanton. Houser & Morrison Houser & Morrison established
their present business Sept. 30th, 1875.
For several years previous to this date, the senior member of the firm
M. Houser, was engaged in the lumber inspection business, being in the employ
of several different parties. During
this time he also became a member of the mercantile firm of Well, Patchin &
Houser, and more recently was a partner of A. S. Brool, in the purchase and
shipment of lumber and shingles. Mr.
Morrison was formerly a teamster in the village, which occupation he followed
for some time, and through which he made fair pecuniary attainments. The business of Messrs. Houser & Morrison
comprises the general trade in fresh and salt meats, which they handle quite
extensively. They pay cash for hides and
pelts, and do all business in a business-like manner. Both are among the leading enterprising
citizens of our village, and are reliable men. Moore & Shepard Moore & Shepard is the heaviest
real estate firm in the town. The
parties comprising the firm are E. B. Moore and Norman Shepard. They formed a copartnership and opened up business
in the real estate line in 1868, and from that time until the present have
continued to do an extensive business.
Recently they made a single sale of pine lands from D. P. Shaw of
Pontiac to Long, Blanchard & Co., Pennsylvania, amounting to $200,000, and
previous and since that time have made sales averaging from $25,000 to $50,000,
which clearly gives the reader an idea of the extent of their business. Messrs. Moore & Shepard came to Stanton
about eleven years ago, and for the first few years were engaged in driving
stage and teaming from Ionia. This they
followed until the organization of the above firm. Commencing with but small means, they have
gained ground until now they both have the honor of possessing considerable
property. They are both live men and
among the most esteemed and enterprising citizens of the village. John W. S. Pierson & Company On November 21, 1876, John W. S.
Pierson, assisted by his brother, Philip T. H. Pierson, opened a hardware and
stove store in the Morrison building on east Main Street. With increasing trade, early in 1877 the
stock was removed to the Paine building, 108 West Main Street, where a lease
was taken for a term of years. The great
fire of October 12, 1880 completely destroyed the building and stock of
goods. The business was soon re-established
in temporary quarters in the Palace block.
Meanwhile, the implement building at 114 East Main Street was fitted up
with a store front and counters and the business was removed to this point
until the Paine building could be rebuilt. In March 1881, the business was
reopened in the new Paine building, 108 West Main Street. On February 23, 1885, the implement building
at 112 East Main Street was completely destroyed by fire. An adjoining lot on the west was purchased of
Mr. E. K. Wood and plans were made for the Pierson building, size 44 by 100
feet. Meanwhile, Mr. Pierson, together
with D.L. McFadden, erected the Phoenix block, on Camburn avenue, as a
permanent building for the implement department. That year the business that had been as founded
by John W.S. Pierson was changed to John W. S. Pierson & Company, and
Philip T. H. Pierson became a partner.
On January 22, 1886, the dedication of the present building was
celebrated by a reception which marked the rebuilding of Stanton, and the exercises
were attended by a large number of people from the cities and the rural
districts. On March 13, 1886, the new
building was opened for business purposes.
On February 1, 1891, the business was incorporated under the name
of John W.S. Pierson & Company, the
officers being John W.S. Pierson, president; Philip T.H. Pierson,
vice-president, and Elmer S. Stebbins, secretary and treasurer. At this time Levi W. Hunsicker and George W.
Markee became stockholders in the corporation with the officers. On November 21, 1901, the silver anniversary,
marking twenty-five years of continued business, was celebrated. (Mr. John W.S. Pierson is the only pioneer
merchant among all those named here who has retained his interests in Stanton.
He has built a fine home on Lincoln Street and still resides there.) MANUFACTURING Wm. Bock’s Mill Wm. Bock’s lumber and shingle mill
was erected in 1873. A portion of the
machinery in this mill was formerly operated in the mill known as the Morse
Mill, situated on the State road a little south of this village. This mill we believe was sold on contract to
Hastings & Co. a year or two ago, but owing to non-fulfillment of said
contract the mill again fell pack into the hands of Mr. Bock. The mill cuts a large quantity of lumber and
shingles during a single year, the greater portion of which is shipped from
this village. F. H. Hurdman & Co. The mill of F. H. Hurdman & Co.
was erected in 1873. It is, we believe,
an exclusive lumber mill, and as such has a very large capacity. The proprietors of this mill reside at
Zanesville, O., and their lumber operations here are managed by competent men. Galloway, Blackman & Co. The extensive lumber and shingle
mill of Galloway, Blackman & Co. is situated about one and a half miles
east of the village. It was erected in
1872. The mill contains the most
improved machinery for cutting lumber and together with two first-class shingle
mills works up many million feet per annum.
The sawing is under the supervision of Albright Bros., who are practical
lumbermen, while J. B. Sherw9od has control and management of all the lumbering
operations of the company. Mr. Sherwood
is a thorough-going man and serves his employers faithfully and satisfactorily. Turner & Payne Turner & Payne’s mill was
erected in 1871. This mill is of quite
large capacity and manufactures large amounts of lumber annually. The proprietors of this mill are among the
early settlers and businessmen of the village, and do an immense business in
the lumber and shingle shipping line.
Both gentlemen are esteemed citizens of our village, who contribute
largely to the laudable enterprising spirit of the place. Thomas Tew Thomas Tew is the proprietor of two
first-class shingle mills, one being erected in 1873 and the other in
1875. His mills are kept in operation
the greater part of the time, and turn out millions of shingles annually. Mr. Tew is a thorough-going lumberman,
practical in all the details of the business. Oscar Fenn Oscar Fenn’s shingle mill, which is
supplied with two of the latest improved shingle machines, was erected in
1875. This mill has a capacity for
cutting from fifty to sixty thousand shingles per day. The mill is kept in operation a greater part
of the time, and most all shingles manufactured by it are shipped away. Mr. Fenn is another of the practical
fishermen and invaluable citizens of our village. D. D. Kidder The mill of D. D. Kidder, northeast
of this place, was erected in 1874. It
is an exclusive shingle mill, with one machine, and kept in operation most of
the time. Most all of the shingles
manufactured are shipped from this station. A. B. Nevins A. B. Nevins’ large lumber and
shingle mill was erected in 1872, and has been idle but short intervals since
the day the machinery was set in motion.
It has a very large capacity and turns out its lumber and shingles in
good shape. Windsor & Fawcett The new shingle mill of Windsor
& Fawcett was erected last summer and fall, and has but recently been put
into operation. However, with one
machine, the mill is cutting from 25,000 to 30,000 shingles per day and does
its work well. As is the case with most
all other mills of the village, all shingles manufactured are shipped away. Wm. H. The mill of Wm. H. D. Curtis & Co. The shingle mill of D. Curtis &
Co. is perhaps the most important adjacent to the corporate limits of our
village. The machinery of this mill is
of the latest improved pattern. Its on
shingle machine has capacity for cutting from 50,00 to 60,000 per day with
ease. We have as yet not had the
pleasure of forming the acquaintance of but one of the proprietors of this mill
-Mr. C. S. Wells-but so far as we have seen, can speak with respect and
commendability. Mr. Wells is one our
young, enterprising citizens, whom any intelligent lad will do well to follow
in example. There are other mills hereabouts of
which we might speak, but they are, many of them, situated too far out of the
corporation to be noted in an article of this character. Most of the mills mentioned are operated by
the residents of this village and all do their shopping from this point. Among the prominent buyers and
shippers of lumber and shingles who own pine lands but not mills, and lumber
during the winter season, are H. H. Hinds, Gilbert & Eaglebeck, Israel Lucas,
E. K. Wood, C. H. Houser, and others whose names we have been unable to learn. HOTELS The Bailey House This hotel, or a portion of it, was
erected by A. Vinecore in the year ‘67.
The site on which the building stands is a portion of ground that was
formerly reserved for the county jail; but the board of supervisors at one
session came to the conclusion that a good hotel was much more needed than a
first-class jail, and consequently offered to donate the ground to any person
or persons who would erect a good hotel on the same. Mr. Vinecore accepted the proposition of the
board, and built the hotel as aforesaid, calling the same the “Vinecore
House”. In 1872, Mr. L. H. Bailey of
Ionia purchased the hotel and changed the name to Bailey House, and also
materially enlarged the same. He
conducted the house until about two years ago, when the same was purchased by
his son, Herbert Bailey, who still retains the proprietorship and conductorship
of the same. During the past summer the
house has been thoroughly refitted and enlarged and a fine basement and cellar
added thereto. The cellar is one of the
finest, and most accessible in the county, while the basement contains one of
the finest sample rooms west of Detroit.
Mr. Bailey, the proprietor, is a landlord of worldwide fame, being known
as one of the best and most practical hotel keepers in the State. He is highly esteemed as a citizen and takes
an active part in every laudable enterprise. The Stanton House The Stanton House came into the
possession of J. J. Newcomb & Son in 1865.
At that time it was nothing but a small log hut which had been erected a
few years previous. It was at once
enlarged and the name of hotel given it.
In 1872 J. J. Newcomb died, since which time the hotel has been
conducted by C. M. Newcomb, his son. A
large addition was made to the Stanton House last summer, and now the hotel
presents an imposing appearance. There
are eleven fine sleeping rooms in the new part, together with sitting and other
rooms. A still farther enlargement of
the hotel is contemplated newt spring, as the accommodations are inadequate for
the demand. The proprietor is a live
young man,
public-spirited and enterprising, and conducts his hotel in good shape. Exchange Hotel This hotel is situated near the D.
L. & L. M. R. R. depot and was erected in the fall of ‘74, by Noah
Mishler. It has changed hands several
times, and now is in the possession of Geo. W. Baker, we believe, who is
conducting the same in first-class style.
The house is well fitted throughout, and affords good accommodations to
the traveler. NEWSPAPERS The Herald The history of this village so far
as newspapers are concerned, is one of vital importance. The first edition of the Herald was printed
on the 11th day of September, 1867. The
hero who founded the Herald was E. O. Shaw, Esq., now publisher of the Newaygo
Republican, and regarding the career of that paper says: “We remember very well that it was at the
time considered one of the most important events in the history of the village,
and for days before the boyish publisher was almost bored to death by inquiries
of, ‘When will the first paper be printed? I want to be there to see it’”. We believe that Hon. G. F. Chase claimed and
was awarded the very first copy. The
office was crowded with men fro hours before the forms were ready, and a
breathless interest was manifest until the first sheet was printed, and it was
eagerly scanned by all. The first issue
was a six column sheet printed on the 11th day of September 1867. But the
patronage was much greater than was anticipated, and the citizens manifested so
much more liberality in their patronage than could be expected in a new town
where all were pioneers and many of them struggling with the vicissitudes
incident to the pioneer life that it was decided to enlarge the Herald at
once. Consequently, the next issue
contained seven columns to the page, which size it still retains. We write this as a historical fact and one
which we think properly belongs in any history of Stanton which may be
written.” E. R. Powell purchased the
Herald in December 1868, the proprietorship of which he still retains. Mr. P. is one of the pioneer editors and
publishers of this State, a fair writer, and withal a man of some considerable
means. Montcalm County Journal The Montcalm County Journal is young
but vigorous, and put in a first appearance on the 24th day of September,
1875. It is just conceited enough to
believe it is quite able to “hoe its own row.”
Of course it is just as liable to take wood on subscription as any other
sheet. LAWYERS, JUSTICES AND
DOCTORS Go where you will, you always find
the inevitable lawyer, and Stanton in this regard is fully up with the times so
far as plurality is concerned. If we were to give the history in full
individually of the legal fraternity of Stanton, in would undoubtedly make a
book equal in size and pages to Webster’s Unabridged,’ and for that reason an
attack upon our law expounders is not a desirable one, in as much as it
requires the whole history to “show them up” in the proper light. Consequently, what we shall have to say, pro
or con, relative to them must be brief and to the point-excusing detail for the
present. If Daniel Webster didn’t say
“brevity is the soul of wit,” so here goes: M. Clement Palmer was admitted to
the Cook County Bar Association in 1868, and practiced law in the city of
Chicago until 1872, when he went to Ann Arbor and attended a course of lectures
in the Law Department of the University, graduating at that school in
1873. He was admitted to the Bar
Association of the Supreme Court of this State in the month of March, 1873;
went to Big Rapids, practiced law in that city a short life, and came to Stanton
in November, ‘73. Mr. Palmer is a young
man of considerable talent, well versed in the laws and statutes of this, and
we may add, foreign countries. He takes
great interest in the welfare of his clients and defends them with a
commendable degree of ability and success. H. Irving Garbutt was formerly a
resident of Lakeview, this county, and came to Stanton January 1, 1870. For two terms he acted in the capacity of
clerk of Montcalm County, which office he filled with ability and satisfaction. He was admitted to the bar in this county in
July, ‘74, and the same year was elected Prosecuting attorney of this county,
which office he has filled since then, and continues to fill with much
satisfaction. He is among the ablest of
our county and takes much interest in the prosperity of our village. Harmon Smith was, we believe, with
the exception of J. P. Beers, the first lawyer in the place. He was the first to open a regular law office
in the village. Faithfully serving his
country through the late war till its close, he came to Stanton it 1866 and
commenced the practice of his profession and has been one of the most active
and successful lawyers in this county ever since. He has experienced many of
the ups and downs of the early pioneer life of the village, and by economy and
strict attention to business has won for himself a good name and attained a
creditable portion of this world’s goods.
Mr. Smith is among the talented lawyers of Montcalm County, and has held
several important county offices during his residence here. He takes great interest in village matters,
and contributes largely to the enterprising spirit of the place. John C. Mattison came to Stanton
about seven years ago, and during the first year of his residence here was
employed as the principal of the Union school.
He then left Stanton, being absent one year, when he returned. He was elected justice of the peace in 1871,
and has filled that office ever since with a degree of ability. He opened the first justice’s office in the
place. Mr. M. was admitted to the Bar
Association of this county in ‘71, and from that time until now has practiced
law a portion of the time in connection with the justice business. He is a “gentleman and a scholar,” and is
doing quite an extensive business in the legal line. Dr. H. B. Ranney took up his
residence in Stanton in October 1870, and for the first six months practiced
dentistry alone. He then associated the
practice of medicine with his dentistry business, since which time he has made
the practice of both professions his exclusive business. He informs us that his business averages
$4,000 annually, which certainly is very large for a new county like this. Dr. Ranney removed from St. Johns to this
place, and during his residence here has kept pace with the enterprise and
general movements of the village. Dr. D. A. McLean came from northern
Ohio and took up his residence in Stanton about four years ago and has
practiced medicine in the village and surrounding country ever since. He graduated in medicine and surgery at the
Michigan University in November 1868.
The doctor thoroughly understands his business and has a very wide
practice in this community. He is a
respected citizen and enterprising in every sense of that term. Dr. T. D. Powers commenced the
practice of medicine in Stanton on the 19th day of June last. He is a graduate of both the Geneva Alopathy
and the Dundee Homeopathy Schools of New York State. He came from Holland City to this place,
where he formerly practiced medicine for about seven years. His practice now is entirely after the
Homeopathy method of “administration,” which is proving quite successful in
this com- .......has practiced since 1854, and has been quite successful with
all his cases in this section. In
addition to the medical learning, the doctor is considerable of a literary man,
and perhaps reads more books and periodicals than the average of one man out of
every ten. George Stoneburner removed from the
township of Bloomer to Stanton and commenced the practice of law in 1869. He was admitted to the Bar Association of
this county in ‘67, and to practice in the U. S. Court in ‘71. He is a man of good legal training and never
goes around a forty-acre lot to fake a point. Ira H. Sheldon is one of the pioneer
residents of the village. He came from
Hastings to this place in 1865, and in 1872 opened a real estate and insurance
office in the village. His life and fire
insurance business is quite large. At
one time he represented twelve different companies, and did a fair business for
them all. He is a young man full of life
and energy and is bound to succeed. P. S. Dodge was admitted to the Bar
in Elkhart, Ind., about seven years ago.
In 1873 he graduated in the Law School of the University of Michigan,
and the same year took up his residence in Stanton. He is an able attorney, and ranks among the
most enterprising of our citizens. Lyman C. Moore graduated in the Law
Department of the University of Michigan in the spring of ‘69, and took up his
residence in Stanton the same year. He is one of the prominent members of our
county Bar Association, and has made the practice of law his exclusive business
during his residence here. He takes an
active part in the leading enterprises of the village. Dr. A. L. Corey, formerly a
practicing physician and surgeon in Ionia, removed to Stanton about two years
ago. He graduated in medicine and
surgery at Ann Arbor University in the spring of ‘68 and from there went to
Ionia, where he practiced his profession until the time of his removal
here. He is one of the most successful
physicians and surgeons, and a tip-top “feller” anyhow. Robert Bamber was elected justice of
the peace for Day township two years ago last spring, and has since acted in
that capacity, having his office with Lyman C. Moore. He is a man of sound judgment and well-versed
in legal matters George A. Smith, lawyer, came to
Stanton on the 7th day of July 1865, from the army. He is an old pioneer and has had considerable
experience as a newspaperman. He
established the Barry County Pioneer in the year 1850, having his headquarters
at Hastings, the county seat, and continued the publication of that paper until
1860, when he sold out and went into the drug and medicine business at
Hastings. He was captain of and raised
the first company of volunteers in Barry County and went to the army and did
his country good service. He was
postmaster in this village in 1867, under the administration of President
Johnson. For the first few years of his
residence here he practiced medicine, and being admitted to the Bar of Montcalm
County in 1869, he has since practiced law, being quite successful as an
attorney. Mr. Smith has made
considerable money in Stanton and, like all other lawyers in this village, is
working his way to glory and fame. Asa Morse, or Judge Morse as is more
frequently the term used, came to this village from Almira, N. Y., in 1867, and
engaged in the lumbering business, which occupation he followed up to about
three years ago. Judge Morse is a lawyer
by profession, and we may add, one of the very best in Montcalm County. He graduated in the Albany, N. Y., law school
in 1862, after which he served a term of ten months in the late Rebellion. Receiving his discharge from the Army, he
practiced law a short time in Almira, N.Y., when he came to the village and
engaged in business as aforesaid. He
was elected justice of the peace for Day Township last spring. He is a man of honorable principles and excellent
morals and has but few, if any, enemies in the county. F. H. French opened a real estate
office in this village about five years ago. Mr. French is a young man of good
business ability, and is among the ablest and most enterprising settllers of
the place. He does a large business in
the real estate line and, being a notary public, is always prepared to do
swearing in the best scientific manner.
His office is with H. I. Garbutt, prosecuting attorney, in the Turner
block. The real estate firm of E. D. Finch,
which was established by Fenn & Finch about three years ago, is among the
most important of the village. The
business was conducted under the firm name of Fenn & Finch from the date of
establishment until about one year ago, when Mr. Fenn went out of the firm. Mr. Finch is a gentleman of noted respect,
and invaluable to our village. His real
estate sales are large and increasing, and comprise almost everything from a
common village lot to a section of pine land. Dr. E. Culver came to this village
from Shiawassee County about five months ago, and from that time has had a very
extensive practice in the community. He
is a graduate of the Michigan University School of medicine and surgery, and
withal is one of the best physicians in the village.........(The rest of this
article was missing) MILLINERY Mrs.
M. Barnes Mrs. M. Barnes, millinery and dry
goods. This establishment was first
opened in E.R. Powell’s building, first east of Wallace & Dryer’s store,
was secured, and the stock of goods removed thereto. Mrs. Barnes’ line of business comprises an
extensive trade in millinery and fancy goods.
She also does dressmaking on a large scale, and in that line, as well as
millinery, seems to give general satisfaction.
She has been in the business in Stanton about two years, and has
conducted the same in such a manner as to receive a large patronage. Mrs.
W.S. Flemming The
millinery and dress-making establishment of Mrs. W.S. Flemming is one of the
important institutions of our village.
It was established in April, 1870, by Mrs. E.C. Mann, who continued the
business until August last, when the same was purchased by Mrs. M. Sutton. Two weeks ago the business changed hands
again and was purchased by Mrs. W.S. Fleming.
It is a large establishment of the kind, and ladies’ hats, bonnets,
dresses, etc., are manufactured quite extensively. A fine stock of fancy goods is always kept on
hand. MANUFACTURING Clark
& Riensmith Lumber Co. We head this somewhat lengthy list
with the planning mill establishment of the Clark & Rinesmith Lumber Co. This mill is, with the exception of
E. Colby & Co.’s, one of the largest of the kind in this county. It was erected in 1874, and in its extent
comprises a very large building, containing two first-class planning machines,
siding saws, rip-saws, box-saws, etc.
The company buys most of their lumber, manufacture it into flooring,
ceilings, siding, box machines, etc., and ship the same east. The persons comprising the firm are residents
of Fort Wayne, Ind. They also operate
several saw and shingle mills on the main line of the D.L. & N.R.R. A.J. Sterling The large planning mill of A.J.
Sterling was erected in 1872 by the Stanton Planing Company, and continued
operations under that name until last March, when A.J. Sterling became the solo
proprietor of the same. This mill
comprises an excellent planer, siding saws, etc., and also has in connection
with it machinery for the manufacture of shingles, conducted by C.R. Williams. All kinds of flooring, ceiling, siding,
batts, etc., are manufactured in this mill.
Mr. Sterling, the proprietor, is formerly of Bridgeport, Connecticut. He is a man of unusual zeal and energy,
enterprising, and is bound to succeed in any legitimate business. Miner
& Ackles The
iron and machine shop of Miner & Ackles was erected and put in operation in
the year 1874. By way of explanation, we
should have said that the machine shop alone was in operation in 1874, and that
the foundry was not put into operation until about the first of October
last. The gentleman composing this firm,
were formerly proprietors of a machine shop at Muir, from which place they
moved their machinery to Stanton. They
manufacture boilers, engines, mill machinery, agricultural implements, etc.,
and do a large and lucrative business. E. Colby & Co. The lumber manufacturing interests
of E. Colby & Co. have no equal in extent anywhere in this section of the
state. They have in operation several
large planning machines, siding saws, etc., which are situated in a building
and run by steam. Their lumber and
shingle mill is very large, having a capacity for working up nearly 100,000
feet of logs per day. These mills are
owned by E. Colby & Co., of Ionia, and are kept in operation the greater
part of the time. They will manufacture
about 30,000,000 feet of logs into lumber and shingles the coming summer. Smith & Sweeney This business firm was first
established by Robert Smith, six years ago.
The only branch of business which was represented at the outset was that
of general blacksmithing. This branch of
business was continued by Mr. Smith nearly a year, when a large building was
erected on Main street, and a copartnership was formed by himself and F.
Sweeney, of Jackson, and general carriage and wagon making was added to the
business, Mr. Sweeney being a practical wagon-maker, and conducting that branch
of business. Ever since the firm has
been known by the name of Smith & Sweeney, and the business has grown and
flourished under the same. Both are
young men, practical in all branches of their business, which includes
everything from a common horse, nail and a “go-cart” to the finer, fancy and
copious articles, instruments and vehicles. Bush
& Whiteman Bush & Whiteman (formerly
Henning & Bush, and more recently Z. Bush) are proprietors of a carriage,
wagon and blacksmith shop situated on Main street. The business was first started by John
Henning, after which a copartnership known as Kenning & Bush was formed and
continued until last June, when Mr. Bush became sole manager of the
business. About five weeks ago the
copartnership of Bush & Whitman was formed and the business is now
dispatched under that firm name. Messrs.
Bush & Whitman manufacture all kinds of wagons and carriages and do all
kinds of blacksmithing and repairing.
They are doing quite an extensive business. J.C.
Gilson J.C. Gilson opened business at
Stanton, in the boot and shoe manufacturing business line, in December, ’67, in
what was then known as the Bennett building, which he purchased of a gentleman
named Mallet. Since that time Mr. Gibson
(?) has continued the business at the old stand until about the middle of last
month, when he made an exchange of business sites with Lunn Bros. and moved his
tools and stock to the building formerly occupied by them for a bakery. Here he is now located and continues, as
ever, to do business on the square. He
is the oldest shoemaker in town, we believe, and during his sojourn in Stanton
has made considerable of an amount of money. Samuel Harman Samuel Harman, boot and shoe
manufacturer, first opened business in Stanton, about four years ago in J.M.
Zinkhan’s building. Last summer he
erected a fine, large building of his own on Main street and moved his tools
and leather stock there, and has since been “grinding out” work in a lively
manner. He generally keeps in his employ
several first-class workmen and manufactures boots and shoes exclusively for
his own trade. He is an excellent
workman, and his business is beginning to assume quite large proportions. All kinds of repairing is neatly done. Exclusive Lumber and Shingle Mills Giles Gilbert Mr. Giles Gilbert is one of the
oldest as well as most extensive lumbermen in the village. He came to Stanton in 1865, and in connection
with Mr. E.K. Wood, conducted the lumbering and mercantile business for many
years, when he sold out his mercantile interests to Mr. Wood and has since
given his whole attention to lumbering.
He has a large mill at Derby Lake and manufactures lumber, lath and
shingles on quite an extensive scale.
His lumber yard is situated near the D.L. & M. R.R. depot and, to
make the loading of cars more easy, he has caused the construction of a
sidetrack through the center of his yard.
He ships annually immense quantities of lumber, lath and shingles to
almost all parts of the United States, and in fact receives all the orders he
can possibly supply. Mr. Gilbert is
among the most energetic and enterprising of our citizens, and takes rank among
the leading business men of the village. G.F. Case Hon. G.F. Case erected his present
shingle mill about two years ago. His
mill comprises one first-class shingle machine, jointing saws, packers, etc.,
and does an average daily cutting of about 26,000 shingles. As previously stated in this article, Mr.
Case was the second person to build a home in Stanton, after the location of
the county seat. He started the first
shingle machine ever brought to the village, which he operated for several
years, and has since been the proprietor of several very important lumber and
shingle mills. He is a man that takes
great pride in seeing the village progress, and always has a good word for almost
every person he meets. A. Emerson A. Emerson, Esq., formerly a resident of Fairplains,
this county erected a shingle mill in Stanton about two years ago. His business consists principally in jobbing
for other parties, and his mill is kept in constant operation. From 25,000 to 30,000 shingles are
manufactured per day, which is considered pretty good work for one first-class
shingle machine. Mr. E. is a practical
shingle manufacturer, and runs his mill in tiptop shape. Wales & Son Wales & Son’s lumber mill, formerly owned by
Turner Bros. & Co. was erected in 1866.
This mill has been on the quietus during the past year. The proprietors are residents of Bridgeport,
Conn., we believe. R. Whiteman The lumber mill of R. Whiteman was erected in 1872
and has since been in almost constant operation. The proprietor of this mill resides in
Dansville, N.Y., and his lumber operations here, which are very extensive, are
under the management of D.L. Densmore, formerly of Owosso. The mill is very large in capacity and all
lumber manufactured by it is principally shipped east and south. (Missing are the articles from the November 8th
and November 15th papers) Miscellaneous G. Dingman came to Stanton about nine years ago and
purchased 40 acres of land, what is now known as the northeast quarter portion
of this village. During the first few
years of his residence here he sold lots, manufactured lumber, etc. In 1873 he embarked in the general
blacksmithing business, opened a shop on land at the corner of Pine and Mill
streets, which business he has continued to follow ever since. Mr. Dingman is a practical workman and a live
and energetic citizen. S.D. Hurd, contractor and builder came to Stanton
about three years ago, and opened a shop in the building in Main street near
the railroad. Mr. Hurd’s line of
business embraces almost everything in the building and wood manufacturing
line, such as cabinet and joiner work, scroll sawing, etc. During his residence here he has succeeded
well and has earned a good name as a citizen as well as a business man. O. Lane’s restaurant and dining room was opened
about four or five weeks ago. Though one
of the newest small business stands of our town, it is, however, important. Oysters, warm meals, etc., are “served up” in
a good style. Crippen & Buckleys Livery and Sales Stable is
among the “pioneer elements.” The stable
was built and the livery business established in 1868 by Sprague & Horton,
and continued by them until last March, when Messrs. Crippen & Bucklow, the
present proprietors, purchased the safe.
The barn is well equipped with first-class rigs. They keep on hand an average of 19 to 25
horses, and withal do a large and flourishing business. The proprietors are men of good repute,
honest in all their dealings and successful in their business. Noah Mishler established his livery stable about six
months ago, and from that date has made the livery business pay exceedingly
well. He keeps nine good horses, and his
turnouts are first-class. Conveys
passengers to all parts of the county. H.O. Watrous opened a carpenter shop in Stanton
about the middle of December last. He
came to this village about two years ago, and up to the time he opened a shop
of his own was in the employ of Samuel Hurd.
Mr. Watrous does all kinds of work in the line of building, cabinet
making and joinery, and may at all times be found at his shop in the rear of
Lunn Bros. bakery. Orrin Wilson, tonsorial artist, opened a shop in
Stanton about three years ago, and by skill art and strict attention to
business has won for himself a name and fair competence. He keeps in his employ J.O. Witeman, a
first-class barber, and all work is done in style and according to the most
strict method of satisfaction. You will
always find the “latch string” out, at Wilson’s barber shop. Newal Hart, a young man formerly in the employ of O.
Wilson, opened up a shop of his own in the tonsorial line, August last, in G.
Smith’s building Main street. He is a
good barber, and a young man who has many friends in the village. He seems to be doing a fair business in the
barbering line, which is a criterion to the effect that his work gives general
satisfaction. Mrs. B.F. Townsend’s Dining Hall was opened about one year ago
in W.H. E. LaGrange’s harness shop is one of the newest
institutions of the place. All kinds of
light and heavy harness are manufactured here by a practical workman named F.H.
Geiger, late of Jackson. This business
promises to be a success in Stanton, and we feel confident that Mr. LaGrange
will make well out of it, if the same is properly conducted. Theodore Gale opened a watch and jewelry repairing
shop in this village nearly one year ago.
He first commenced business in Harm Smith’s building and from thence to
the post office, where he still continues to hold forth and do all kinds of
repairing with neatness and dispatch. J.A. Bradford has been deputy postmaster at Stanton
for nine consecutive years. He first
went into the office in 1867, when the same was in charge of G.A. Smith. A few words of comment are due him for the
valuable services he has rendered this village during that time. This closes our brief history of Stanton. There are
some other matters of importance regarding which we might speak. We shall “write again” sometime. In publishing this History in the Montcalm County
Journal we unintentionally omitted to mention one branch of business viz., the
“knights of the brush.” H.F. Speaker,
the veteran painter of the village, came to Stanton about eight years ago, and
has flourished the brush more or less in and about the village during the
greater part of the time. He is familiar
with all branches of the art, and does all his work well, of which he has quite
an extensive line. The first painting
done by H.B. Gosse in Stanton was on the M.E. church, in 1872. Mr. Gosse has been a resident of our town
ever since. He is a young man of
considerable artistic ability, practical, we may say, in all branches of the
painting business. During his residence
here he has done an almost endless amount of work, and made considerable money. THE FIRST FIGHT OVER LOCATION OF
COUNTY BUILDING Interesting Reminiscences of
Early Days in Montcalm County FOREWORD--During the past two months
or more, readers of the Clipper-Herald have been enjoying reading the early
history of Stanton and vicinity as given in articles setting forth the
experiences and recollections of early settlers here. This feature has been made possible by the
energetic and capable work of Mrs. Mary Clifford Smith, who interviewed the
pioneers, took copious notes of their statements, and re-wrote the stories in
pleasing narrative style typed and ready for the printer. This entailed no small amount of work for
Mrs. Smith, and she is receiving the thanks of many readers for the efficient
manner in which she performed the job. As an added feature in the “early
history” program, the Clipper-Herald publishes below the first of a series of
four letters written by Mr. George F. Case, one of the very first settlers
here. These letters are reprinted from
the Montcalm Herald, in which paper they were printed in the spring of 1898. At that time Fred E. Moffatt was editor and
publisher of the Montcalm Herald, who finally induced Mr. Case to write the
letters for publication. The letters
were clipped from the Herald at that time and have been carefully preserved by
Mr. Delos S. Towle, and through his courtesy we are permitted to offer them to
the Clipper-Herald for publication. Fred E.
Moffatt. LETTER No. l Editor
of Herald: At your suggestion, I have now
started in to write some of the history of this part of our great country, and
if I should be as prolific as Grover Cleveland in my use of the personal
pronoun, I, you will have to bear with it as I shall not write much but what I
am personally interested in. Well, having left old Green Mountain
state at a very early age, and at the age of 16 settled in Jackson county, this
state, at the age 24, with my young wife, I settled in Greenville, this county,
and in the spring of ’54 went to work in a saw mill at that place. Greenville at that time was about as large as
Sheridan is now. In this same year I set
up the first printing press in the county, and still have a copy of that first
paper printed, Sept. 4, ‘54, Milo Blair, proprietor. In that same year I helped elect Kinsley S.
Bingham, the first Republican governor ever elected, and I have helped elect all
the rest of them. In November ‘57, I
moved to what was known as the Rider mill in Evergreen township, and in 1860
was elected supervisor “on the county issue,” and whether I have served my
constituents faithfully time will tell. The county of Montcalm was organized
by act of the legislature in 1850, and the county seat was temporarily located
at Greenville until 1860 when it was to be permanently located by the board of
supervisors. But, as the county began to
grow, the Greenville people began to get uneasy about the matter, so they went
to the legislature and got the organic act amended so as to put the matter
under the general constitutional provision, which required a two-thirds vote of
the people--quite a change, you see. But
Greenville was not happy then; the eastern part of the county was growing too
fast. So they went to the legislature
again and succeeded in getting four towns from Mecosta county, known as the
Pierson towns, attached to this county for judicial and municipal
purposes. But our representative, Jake
Ferris, succeeded in getting a provision in the act prohibiting these towns
voting on the county seat question.
Well, now, wasn’t Greenville mad clear through! This brings us to 1860, the year for
the final settling of the matter. Now,
you must remember, that there was not a lawyer outside of Greenville in the
whole county, and all the business men and smart men were gathered there. So you can imagine it was a rather unequal
contest for a lot of us backwoods mossbacks to enter. We had very few papers to read back in the
woods, but every supervisor had a copy of the Statutes and we made that our
study in those days--I know I did at least.
The year 1860 being state equalization year, the board of supervisors
met in June, and the struggle began at that time. There were several places mentioned, but the
geographical center of the county was the only place that could be agreed upon,
and the opposition declared that if the county seat was moved from Greenville
it should go to the center of the county, if it was in the middle of a big
swamp, which many of them believed it to be at that time. Well, after a long discussion and
considerable buncombe, we made the geographical center of the county as the
proposed county seat. Then the claim was
set up that we had not land to locate on, although Hon. Fred Hall had agreed to
deed the county 40 acres, and George S. Frost, agent of the St. Mary Falls
Canal Co., had agreed to deed us 40 acres more in case the county seat should
be located on either forty. But there
was so much talk about it that we finally sent two members of the board to
Ionia to get a deed from Mr. Hall. They
drove from Greenville to Ionia in the night, got Mr. Hall out of bed, got the
deed and were back in time to answer to their names at the morning roll
call. That settled considerable noise,
but there were threats of “government injunction” because we would not allow
the supervisor from Pierson to vote on the county seat issue, although the act
attaching that town prohibited him from so voting. You know good lawyers
sometimes overlook some very small but vital matter. So it was with us. We adjourned without ordering the election,
supposing we could finish up the business at the October meeting. But you remember I told you I was studying
law in those days and I happened to discover that we had to give thirty days
notice of the election, which we could not do after the annual meeting in
October. Well, what then? I hitched up my team, put in a small grist
and went to Amsden to mill and also to see our chairman, Mr. M. P. Follett, and
by good luck found my friend, Ira Barlow, Supervisor from Sidney. We talked the matter over and decided we were
beaten unless we could call an extra session of the board. We at once drew up a petition and signed it,
but of course we had to have the signatures of a majority of the board. I took the petition home with me and the next
morning I mounted one of my horses and started for signers. I first went to Bushnell and got Wm. Castle’s name, thence to Bloomer, Aaron Lyon,
Supervisor; thence to Crystal, John L. Smith, Supervisor; thence to Ferris,
Peter Schlappi, Supervisor. I stayed all
night there and next day came home and rested until the next morning. Then, taking my other horse, I went to
Greenville to the County Clerk’s office to get the call issued, but found the
clerk, Dr. Sprague, away from home. So I
started out to find his deputy. I found
him finally in the person of Byron Moors, who informed me that he had never
done any business in the office and knew nothing about it, but as we were old
friends he said that if I would write up the call he would sign it and affix
the seal, and you can guess I was not long in getting that call ready. When it was ready and copies made, it was agreed
that I should notify all the eastern members and he would send an officer to
notify the western members. Then, of
course, I had to travel all that road again, and no one but an old resident
knows what it meant to traverse the eastern part of this county forty years
ago. September the 20th the Board of
Supervisors met in special session. Then
the fun began! The member from Eureka
came blustering around, and claimed that we could not hold a legal meeting
because he at least had not been legally notified. Well, that was a staggerer, to be sure. But our chairman ordered the clerk to call
the roll, and the members all (including the Eureka member) answered to their
names. That, of course, settled the
legal point. We very soon ordered the
election and went home. Well, the
canvass was about as hot as a presidential canvass generally is. We carried the election by a safe majority,
although the town of Pierson persisted in voting and sent their canvasser to
help canvass the votes, and we ignored that town’s vote, although we had a
majority, even counting this vote. This
ended the matter until our January meeting, when there was more fun. Geo. F. Case.
COURT HOUSE CONSTRUCTED;
OCCUPIED Interesting Reminiscences of
Early Days in Montcalm County (Article No. 2, by Geo. F. Case) In January, 1861, the board of
supervisors met in adjourned session.
The county seat having been located at the center of the county, the
next thing was to get things going. We
ordered twenty acres of land cleared for a building site. Then we ran against a snag. We found we could appropriate $1,000 for
building purposes by a majority vote, but it required a two-thirds vote to
appoint a building committee to spend that money. Now the Pierson supervisor became a factor
and we could not get a two-thirds vote without him--a dilemma for sure. Well, we found the supervisor from Pierson,
Mr. Blanding, had an ax to grind, so we began to turn. He wanted the town of Winfield organized and
agreed to vote with us if we would organize the town. You must remember that we were all back woods
mossbacks, so we passed the organic act for his town and then took up the
appointment of a building committee, but when it came to a vote Mr. Blanding
voted against us, claiming that he only agreed to vote for the appropriation,
which only required a majority vote, which we had without him. It being late in the evening, we adjourned
till morning. The first thing in the
morning was to consider the organizing of the town of Winfield, Bill Backus
County Clerk, although rather sharp had failed to transmit the matter to the
Secretary of State, which would have put it beyond our reach. This put us back a year and the matter
remained in status quo until the October session of 1861, at which time Mr.
Blanding, of Pierson, acme to us and said, “Boys, I was wrong, my people gave
me fits and told me that since the county seat had been fairly located it was
best to go ahead and get things going as soon as possible.” We said, “All right, Mr. Blanding, you vote
with us for the building committee and then we will help you organize your
town.” You can bet your last cent that
we appointed that committee in about as quick time as you ever saw business
done in any legislative body. And that
committee was instructed to build a building for court house and county offices
and have it ready for the meeting of the board the first week in January. It was then just the middle of October. We adjourned from Greenville to meet in an
imaginary building the first week in January, and not a wagon road nearer than
Nevins Lake nor a saw mill nearer than Amsden.
But we did it. But wasn’t the air hard to breathe
on account of its being so full of injunctions!
Talk of “Government by Injunctions”--No Sir-ee, we would not be allowed
to take the books and records up there in the woods, not as long as there were
any injunctions left anywhere around.
Not much! The first week in
January 1862, the board of supervisors met as per adjournment at the new county
seat and in the new court house. You
should have seen us come tramping up there with our dinner baskets, like a lot
of school boys out in the country. But
we did not need our baskets, as Dr. Derby had moved from Derby Lake, established
a boarding house in one room of the court house, was prepared to feed us, and
had arranged a row of beds on the floor on each side of the court room, so we
proceeded to business. Of course, the
lobby was not very large and those injunctions that were so thick around
Greenville were not in very large force.
So we grew bolder and actually voted that court house to be the judicial
seat of Montcalm County and Judge Lovell actually respected that vote and held
the next term of court there. Now if you
will go up to the county clerk’s office “Johnnie” will tell you that the
meeting of the board January 1862, was a hot one. He will tell you that we even got up in the
night to hold a session, by-the-bye, our chairman got tired of too much fun
(there was not much sleeping) and when he got the board in session at two
o’clock in the morning he was going to rush business right through and go home,
but he “reckoned without his host,” although he used some big words that would
burn the paper if you should try to print them.
He could not hold that board even with gag-bits, and after about five
minutes session the board was adjourned until morning. What a night, oh my countrymen! Morning came at last and after the ordinary
business was over the board ordered the county officers to move to their
respective offices and occupy the court house forthwith--which means
immediately, pretty soon, before long.
Well then, we had a county seat and called it “Fred” in honor of Fred
Hall, of Ionia, who gave us the forty acres on which the court house
stands. Mr. Hall did not appreciate the
honor and objected to the name, but it went by that name for several months,
until we got up a petition for a post office.
We left the name blank and sent it to Mr. Hall to give it a name. Mr. Hall, although a Democrat, was a great
admirer of Secretary Stanton who was President Lincoln’s Secretary of War, and
he immediately inserted the name of “Stanton” and forwarded our petition to the
Post Office Department. Then we had to
go to the legislature and get our name changed accordingly. We at once platted the forty acres
on which the court house stands and gave one half acre to every person who
would build a house thereon, suitable for a family to live in, and one-fourth
acre on Main street for business purposes.
In the first week in February ‘63, I moved to Stanton to take charge of
the county clerk’s office and I at once began to inquire about the forty acres
of land the Canal Co. had promised us.
No one seemed to know and the former clerk, being one of our “friends of
the enemy,” had done nothing about the matter, so I at once commenced a
correspondence with Mr. George Frost, the agent of the Canal Co, at
Detroit. He quibbled about the matter
for some time, but after quoting his promises which I found in writing among
the files in the clerk’s office, he wrote me that, “Relying on the accuracy of
your representations, I have made a deed and forwarded it for the president’s
signature.” The deed came in due time
and the city was that much richer. Now
if any one tells you they are going to move the county seat back to Greenville
or to any other place you just tell them to come and see me, and I will give
them a small idea of what it costs to move a county seat. Now, that the county seat is disposed of, I
will mention some other matters that I have neglected while living over again
the county seat war. First, I will give you a little
outline of the way financial matters were conducted. As long as our county seat remained at
Greenville our county orders were never worth more than 75 cents on a dollar,
and we usually had to take one-half of that in trade, the treasurer’s office
always being kept in a store, except the last two years, and if we would not
trade out a large part of our order we would be obliged to wait for our money
indefinitely. GEO. F. CASE. EARLY GROWTH OF TOWN AFTER
COURT HOUSE SETTLEMENT Industries and Schools
Organized and Wagon Roads Built (Letter No. 3) But as soon as our officers had a
permanent home the business was run different, and money began to accumulate in
the treasury, and in the course of time, by making our tax levy sufficient to
meet expenses, and the more prompt payment of delinquent taxes, we had
accumulated some $10,000, which the board (or a part of us at least) had
intended to transfer to the building fund whenever we got ready to build a new
court house. But see the difference in financeering! Greenville was made a city with three
supervisors and the balance of the unorganized towns were organized, and the
board became democratic, and you know what a horror a Clevelandite has of a
“surplus.” They found on looking over
the county finances that we had $10,000 surplus, and, as they always do, they
reduced the tax levy (tariff) accordingly and used up the surplus, and in about
four months we were obliged to borrow money; and you know that when we did
build the new court house we, the people of Stanton, had to make up that
$10,000, besides paying our full share of county taxes for that purpose. I did not mean to talk politics in these
letters, but I don’t see how some things can be made plain without mentioning
causes, whether it be politics or the chicanery of one part of the county
against the other part. Lumber and Wild Cat Money When I settled in Greenville in
1854, there were two saw mills and each mill cut about three thousand feet of
lumber in eleven hours, or six thousand feet a day, as they usually run night
and day. The lumber was rafted into Flat
River, run to Grand Haven and shipped to Chicago, and paid for in merchandise
and western wild cat money, and we had to take our pay in the same. The money was worth 50 to 75 cents on a
dollar--or, in worthless--for we could not travel “east” with it, even as far
as Ionia. It was certainly poor enough
for a populist. The county at that time was covered
with pine timber, which if it could have been left standing until today would
have been worth at least one hundred million dollars. But we kept cutting it and increasing the
capacity and number of our mills until the old mills of forty years ago make us
think of the farmer cutting his wheat with a sickle. Compare the sickle, cutting a handful at a
time with the modern harvesters, or wheat headers, cutting a swath fourteen
feet wide, and you have about the difference in saw mills 40 years ago and
now. “Verily the earth do move,” or the
people do at least. Development of Stanton Very soon after the county seat war
was over and the court house was built, our county treasurer, Hon. Levi Camburn
(our present mayor) moved his family into one room of the court house and with
the register of deeds, Uncle Dan Cornell, commenced business. About the same time Mr. Abe Roosa built a log
house for a hotel. I came from my farm
in Evergreen, nine miles, to help raise that building and many others came
nearly as far. The hotel stood just
south of the present Central House. My
family was the third to settle here and my one scholar made six in the public
school. I moved here the first week in
February, 1863. Each family in
succession occupied the log shanty built by the jobbers who chopped the first
twenty acres I told you about. The
shanty stood partly in the street between the Mr. Camburn built a comfortable
frame house in the summer of ‘62, and in ‘63 Capt. Beers, Uncle Dan Cornell and
myself each built a small frame house nearly all alike. The small part of the Beers house and the
small part of the Cornell (the latter now owned by Orion White) are still
standing. The one I built burned several
years ago. It was owned by W. J.
Fairbanks. It meant something to build
in those days. My lumber was drawn from
the old Rider mill in Evergreen, and the others from the same place or Amsden. Although there was a saw mill built here
about that time, the lumber was all green. To get our sash, doors, nails,
glass, etc., I took my ox team and with Capt. Beers and our families, we drove
to Ionia, bought our goods and got home, being only three days and two nights
on the road--and still some people grumble about railroads. The State road from Ionia was
finished to the sand hills, three miles south.
That three miles was finished in 1863.
Our mail was brought from Greenville on horseback once a week. Capt. J. P. Beers was the first
postmaster. After the State road was
finished we succeeded in getting a mail route established from Ionia. Then, after a year or two of mud wagons, we
succeeded in getting a mail route established from Ionia. Then, after a year or two of mud wagons we
finally got something they called a “stage,” and it certainly was a great
improvement. If you want to know any more about
it, ask Norm Shepard. But perhaps he
can’t remember about it for he had no wife then to help him remember--just an
old bach. Well, business just run along
leisurely, our stuff all carted in from Ionia and our lumber and shingles
carted out in the same way, until 1873, when the railroad was completed. Then business began to hum. This
article had no heading. In some unexplained way, the Court
House built in 1879, caught fire about 10 o’clock in the morning, February 16,
1905, and burned to the ground. A
considerable portion of the brick walls were left standing. There was insurance of $20,000 on the
building. The Board of Supervisors
planned to build another court house at once and obtained and paid $500 for
plans for the building which was to be practically the same size and shape; but
without having the jail in the basement.
They had a bid of $19,945 for the construction of the building, but litigation
was started and the project was abandoned. This delay made it necessary to
provide office and vault space for the several offices, which was done by
renting rooms in various buildings on Main street. Circuit Court was held in a room over Smith
Brothers store. The Probate Court was in
the rear, the School Commissioner had a desk on the East side, and the County
Clerk had the rest of the building now occupied by the Danish Kitchen. A good vault was built in this building for
their use. The Sheriff’s office and jail
was in the North side of the City Hall, now occupied by the School shop. The Prosecutor had rooms over The Abstract office at that time was
owned by D. A. Towle, and was located in the building now owned by Drs. Lilly,
Hansen and Reid. A proposal to bond the County for
$40,000 was submitted to the voters on April 3, 1905. It lost by a vote of 3,197 for to 3,774
against. On April 2, 1906, it was again
voted on; but lost 3,214 to 3,455. It
was submitted again on November 6, 1906 and lost by a vote 2.231 to 2.474. The bond this time was to be for
$30,000. On April 1, 1907, the same
proposition was defeated by a vote of 2,371 to 3.074. Nothing further was done until April
5, 1909, when the proposal was for a $50,000 bond issue, which was lost by a
vote of 3,920 to 4,113. The proposal to
bond for $50,000 was finally carried on April 4, 1910 by a vote of 2,966 to
2,935, a majority of 31. And, so five
years after the Court House burned, the people, by their vote, adopted the
Resolution adopted by the Board of Supervisors to bond for $50,000. On April 13, 1910, the Board of
Supervisors met and appointed a committee to advertise for bids for the sale of
the bonds. The same day, George Holland
of Sidney, Henry Sharpe of Montcalm, and Edwin Porter of Douglass were
appointed as a building committee. The
bonds were sold, Edwyn A. Boyd was selected as the Architect, and the contract
to build was let to Wright & Prall of Ionia, on June 24, 1910, for
$58,280.68, and included building the sheriff’s residence, jail, and boiler
house or heating plant. The contract for
heating was let to Henry Gable of Ionia for $3,168.33 and the plumbing for $2,034.36. The building required about two years, and
the various offices moved in during the year 1912. The building is a beautiful
structure of buff colored brick, trimmed with stone and is considered to be
fireproof. It is equipped with excellent
vaults for the safety and preservation of the various records, files and vital
statistics. SCHOOLHOUSE VICTORIOUSLY
COMPLETED Early Day Citizens Were
Proud of their New Building Letter
No. 4 Mr. Camburn was the first permanent
settler and he had two boys of school age.
Mr. Rosa was the second settler and he had three children of school
age. With these five scholars a school
was kept in the old court house room during the summer of 1862 and the year
1863. Then we built a board shanty on
the corner of the court house block, opposite where the bandstand now
stands. Our school grew slowly until the
year 1865, when we had seventeen persons of school age, but two of them were
married women. We had, during the winter
of 1864 and 1865 been agitating the matter of building a schoolhouse and had
succeeded in getting a vote of the district to build one, the cost not to
exceed two thousand dollars. So we sent
word to our Representative in the Legislature (Hon. Levi Camburn) to ask
permission to borrow the money to build with, which request was granted. We loaned the money of Mr. Lemuel Clute, of
Ionia. Well, now, don’t think it was all
fair sailing. We had a few fogy croakers, who
thought it unwise to put two thousand dollars into a school house to
accommodate so few scholars. Well, I was
director and working member of the board and of course had to stand all the
abuse, but I stood it like a little man and told them there were scholars, and
scholars, and more school. We selected
our plan and proceeded to let the contract to build what is now the central
part of our schoolhouse, consisting of two rooms and a small wing or “L” on
each side for hall and stairways. But
there was so much noise and opposition that we finally concluded to leave the
upper room without seating. The building
was commenced in June and finished, so that we started out first school in the
building Christmas day. E. K. Wood was
teacher and he enrolled seventy-five scholars.
How was that for progress?
Seventeen pupils in June and seventy-five in December, and the building
of that schoolhouse was what did it. As
soon as the frame was up, strangers looking for a location would say, “Well,
you must take a deal of interest in schools to build such a house as that here
in the woods.” So, I say, the building
of that schoolhouse was the making of Stanton.
And if anyone asks you, please tell them that the old settlers are just
as proud of that school today as any parent can be of his children on
graduation day. When school was well
under way we got tired of the teacher having to pound on the window with the
back of a book to call the children into school, so we went to work and got up
socials, exhibitions and other entertainments, until we finally raised money to
purchase a bell. The bell came and I
succeeded in coaxing two men to help me put the bell up over the roof and into
the place where it now hangs. You can
guess it was no small job, as the roof was icy and the bell weighed 200 pounds,
but I was younger in those days. And I
still love the sound of that bell, and I believe I can hear it better than any
of the church bells. You remember that
we used the schoolhouse for church purposes in those days. We made our arrangements so that each one
should have an equal share of time--we did not bother much about “ologies,” but
“we had all things in common.” But the
school must have an organ, so we started the entertainments and socials again
and kept at it until we had nearly money enough and while I was in Lansing
during the summer of ‘67 I bought the organ for seventy-five dollars and
brought it home with me, bringing it from Ionia in a livery rig. Soon after this our schoolhouse was
too small and we rented the house just east of the M. E. church for a primary
department. Then after a year or two we
commenced building additions to the schoolhouse and kept it up every two or
three years until it came to present its present shape. Then we bought the building that is now used
for the kindergarten department. The
rest of the school business you know about, perhaps, better than I do. Only this, we old settlers worked hard to get
our school started right, and if the present and succeeding generations of
children will make good use of the school we worked so hard to establish, we
will feel that we are well paid. But we
cannot get value received for our time and money unless every child of school
age is compelled, if necessary, to attend school. Geo. F. Case. |
Thanks to Judy Hardy for typing this document for us to enjoy! |
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