Extracted from
History of St. Clair County, Michigan
by A.T. Andreas

History of St. Clair County.

pages 402-483

	Courts and Bar	Finances and Statistics
	The Press	County Associations
	Religious History	First Industries
	Marine of the Lakes	Roads and Railways

[402] COURTS AND BAR OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

The beginning of the law history of St. Clair was made in the older county of Macomb. From 1818 to 1821, and even later, the districts of Huron and St. Clair were under the one local government, so that, before commencing the history of St. Clair courts and bar it is necessary to review briefly the law proceedings in which the two counties were interested previous to January, 1822.

The first session of the District Court was held in the house of Christian Clemens, at Mount Clemens, July 10, 1818. Christian Clemens, Chief Justice, with Daniel LeRoy and William Thompson, Associate Judges, presiding.

The first case brought before this tribunal was the admission of Ezra Prescott to the bar of Macomb. Having produced his certificate as an attorney of the Supreme Judicial Court of New Hampshire, it was ordered that he should be admitted an attorney and counselor at law of this county. John Stockton was Clerk of the Court.

The next sitting of the court took place July 14, 1818. The grand jury made no presentments and was discharged. The only civil suit brought before the Judges was that of Mitchell and Leo Trombley versus Joseph Dupree, an appeal from Justice Le Roy's Court. Mr. LeRoy retired from the bench when this case was presented; however, on account of not being ready for trial, the case was continued.

The session of 1819 began February 1, with the same Judges presiding. James Felton, the Sheriff, returned the names of twenty-four grand and twenty-four petit jurors. The following are the names of the Grand Jurors who were present: Z. W. Bunce, Oliver Record, Andrew Westbrook, Baptiste Yax, William Brown, Joseph Mina, John K. Smith, Elisha Harrington, Edward Tucker, Jacob Tucker, John Connor, Isaac Russ, H. R. Underhill, Pierre Phenix, Felix Pelhy, Baptiste Nicla, Hugh McKay, Julius Forton, Francis Labady, James Graham, John B. Beaubien, Gideon Olmstead. This jury retired under care of Constable J. B. Chapaton. The cases brought before the court were as follows:

Michel Trombley, Supervisor of Huron Township, appealed from Justice Harrington's court his complaint against John Tucker, which was ordered discontinued. His complaints versus Julius Forton, Louis Chovar, Charles Pelton, Edward Tucker, Francis Labady and Benjamin Trombley. The other cases were those of Andrew Westbrook v. William Austen, an appeal from Justice Smith's court, and the continued case of Trombley v. Dupree, which were continued.

The session of the court in 1820 was merely marked by the granting of a license to the Chief Justice of that court, as follows:
MACOMB COUNTY, ss. February Term, 1820.

Christian Clemens, of said county, having made application to said court for a license to keep a tavern, and having satisfied said court that a tavern is necessary at his place of residence for the accommodation of travelers, that he is of good moral character and has sufficient accommodation for such purpose, therefore said court have granted him this license.

WILLIAM THOMPSON,
DANIEL LE ROY,
Assistant Justices of said County.

JAMES FULLER.
JOSEPH HAYS.
The following references to the first session of the County Court, to the lawyers of the period, and to the old court house, were made by Mr. Weeks and Judge J. B. Eldredge. The first court for the trial of causes and the transaction of general business was held at Mr. Clemens, at the residence of Christian Clemens, Chief Justice, on the 10th day of July, 1818, and was presided over by the Chief Justice and his two associates, whom we have already named in the list of appointments made for this county. At this session was admitted to practice Ezra Prescott, of New Hampshire, whose appointment to the office of Prosecuting Attorney is also recorded in the list above mentioned.

[403] The first suit mentioned in the records is that of Mitchell and Leo Trombley v. Joseph Dupree, which was an appeal from a Justice's court, involving about $35, and which was continued to the next term. This closed the labors of the court for that term. John Stockton was clerk. The next term was held at the same place, commencing February 1, 1819. The first indictment found by the grand jury of this county was for assault and battery against John Harson. The first trial of a cause was at the second term, and was the case above mentioned of Trombley and Trombley vs. Dupree, in which was rendered a verdict by a jury for the plaintiffs of $26.50. This verdict was rendered by the first petit jury of which any record is preserved, and their names are as follows: Nathan Coggswell, James Thorrington, William Smith, Harren Underhill, Ezekiel Allen, Levi Blount, James A. Clark, Robert Stockton, John Tucker, Benjamin Trombly, John B. Vernier and Louis Chapaton. The third term of the court was held at the same place, February 7, 1820. At this session considerable business was transacted; eleven indictments were found, two of which were against one Henry Cottrell, for "contempt of law." This is an offense unknown to the books, either of common or statutory law, though a wholesome "contempt of law" has always been entertained by the great mass of the people.

While the educated legal mind turns back with a sensation of pride and satisfaction through the pages of history, in the contemplation of the majestic system of our jurisprudence, and makes the grand assertion that "law is the perfection of human reason," we find here a recorded case of the popular opinion that "law is an injustice and a humbug." The record of the next term of the court shows that a court house had been built, and therein the court sat. This court house was built of logs and stood for some years on the site of the present court house. At this term was admitted to practice as an attorney, B. F. H. Witherell, who died recently in Detroit, then occupying the bench in that county as Circuit Judge. There was at the same time admitted one Spencer Coleman, in 1821, who presented the certificate of Hon. James Kent, Chief Justice of New York (author of Kent's Commentaries), that he (Coleman) was an attorney of that State. We cannot give the date, but the fact exists, that about this period there was admitted to the bar of this circuit a lawyer whose name and fame have since become familiar to the world; we refer to Anson Burlingame, afterward minister to China, known to all the treaty powers of the world. Hon. C. I. Walker, one of the professors in the Michigan University Law Department, was admitted here, as was also the late Cornelius O'Flynn, who died recently in Detroit. It was this court that admitted to citizenship Alexander D. Frazer, the oldest member of the Michigan bar.

Among the early lawyers of the county, or rather those practicing in the county courts, were Cornelius O'Flynn, Alexander D. Frazer, R. P. Eldridge, B. F. H. Witherell, O. D. Richardson, William A. Fletcher, Charles W. Whipple, ---- Backus, Jacob M. Howard, Thomas Ashley, Ezra Prescott, James F. Joy.

The record of persons admitted as attorneys and counselors at law shows the following names and dates: Ezra Prescott, July 10, 1818; Thomas Ashley, June, 1820; Spencer Coleman, February, 1821; George McDougall, February 4, 1823; Jacob M. Howard, July 16, 1833; Franklin Sawyer, Jr., July 16, 1833; James F. Joy, April 12, 1837; Dewitt C. Walker, April 12, 1837; Royal P. Crouse, April 13, 1833; Harlehigh Carter; Prescott B. Thurston, April 13, 1837; Solomon Lathrop, April 12, 1837; Edward P. Harris, October 12, 1837; H. D. Terry, April 11, 1838; Peter S. Palmer, October 17, 1839; John A. Hillis, October, 19, 1839; John J. Leonard, October 16, 1839; Abner C. Smith, October 16, 1839; Amos Dolby, appointed October 23, 1839; H. D. Terry, appointed December 9, 1839; Amos Dolby appointed April 8, 1839; Richard Butler, appointed October 8, 1839; R. P. Eldridge, appointed May 13, 1839; James L. Conger, April 15, 1840; C. B. H. Fessenden, April 16, 1840; Sylvester Larned, April 4, 1845.

ST. CLAIR COUNTY COURT.

The first meeting of the county Court of St. Clair was held at St. Clair Village January 28, 1822, with James Fulton, Chief Justice, and John K. Smith, Associate Justice. James B. Woolverton, Sheriff; John Thorn, Clerk of St. Clair; Ira Marks, Constable; and Reuben Hamilton, Crier, were also present. The first Grand Jury impaneled was composed of the following members: William Thorn, John Connor, Louis Chortier, Elijah B. Allen, Harvey Stewart, [404] Samuel Ward, Andrew H. Westbrook, James Bourdenan, Oliver Ricard, Jacques Leson, Peter Brandamour, John Robertson, Nicholas Hoofmaster, Eben Brach, Thomas Cook, Francis Chortier, David Cottrell and George Cottrell. The jurors who did not appear were Nathaniel Fulton, Lorin Blanchard, Philip Jarvis, Peter Rice, William Harson and Francis Harson. January 29, 1822, the following names were returned to court as Petit Jurors: William Brown, David Robertson, Isaac Davis, James Robertson, Moses Birdsall, Joseph Mini, Joseph Chortier, Hezekiah Adams, Ekim Russell, Michael Duchesne, M. Duchesne, Jr., and Thomas Robertson.

The first question presented to the court was the application of Andrew Westbrook for a tavern license. James Bobertson and David Robertson were his bondsmen. The court granted the application, provided the tavern be conducted at the Westbrook dwelling house. William Brown was granted a similar license on the same date. Licenses were also granted to Moses Birdsall, Zephaniah W. Bunce and James Robertson, on the same date, to conduct taverns. At the session of the court, January 30, licenses to keep tavern were granted to Oliver Record, James Fulton.

James Fulton was licensed to maintain a ferry across Pine River. January 30, 1822, James B. Woolverton was granted a like permission to keep a ferry on Belle River. The rates ordered by the court were: Each person, 6 ¼ cents; man and horse, 9 cents; horse and carriage, 1 shilling; every separate or additional beast, 3 cents. Jean B. Desnoyer was granted a license to maintain a ferry across the mouth of Black Rover, July 6, 1824. Louis Chortier was licensed to run a ferry across Belle River February 1, 1825.

On January 30, 1822, Isaac Davis and Lewis McKniff, and also John Harrow, were allowed to stand out on bail, to answer charges against them before the July session of the court.

The July term of County Court began the first Monday in July, 1822, with Zephaniah W. Bunce, Chief Justice; Samuel Ward and Thomas Oakes, Associate Justices. The cases of the United States vs. John Harrow, and the same against James Cartwright were continued to next session. Reuben Hamilton was appointed Under Sheriff July 1, 1822.

The session of January, 1823, was convened with the same Justices presiding as in July, 1822. Henry Cottrell appeared as Sheriff; Seth Taft, Constable; Reuben Hamilton, sub-Sheriff; George A. O'Keefe, Prosecuting Attorney. The licenses granted in 1822 were renewed, and new licenses granted to Reuben Hamilton and Charles Chortier, to keep taverns. The trial of James Cartwright, Sr., resulted in a verdict of not guilty, January 29, 1823. The case against John Harrow was dismissed, and a nolle prosequi was entered in the case of the United States vs. John Cartwright, Jr.

The first civil cases before the court July 8, 1823, were those of J. B. Chamberlain vs. Rufus Thrall, and Andrew Westbrook vs. Seth Taft, H. Sanders, William Brawer. Attorney Whitney appeared for Chamberlain, and Larura for Westbrook. In the case of the United States vs. Andrew Westbrook, the indictment was quashed. Mr. Witherell appeared as Prosecuting Attorney.

The session of 1824 opened with Z. W. Bunce, Chief Justice; Samuel Ward and David Oakes, Associate Justices. Charles Larned appeared as an attorney.

The January session of 1825 was opened by Justices Samuel Ward and David Oakes. B. F. H. Witherell and Henry Chipman, lawyers, were present. A number of tavern licenses were renewed, and new ones granted. John Thorn was Clerk, and Henry Cottrell Sheriff.

The session of 1826 began February 1, with Judges Bunce, Ward and Oakes presiding. George A. O'Keefe and William Robertson, were the attorneys in attendance.

The court met January 29, 1827, with the same Justices, Sheriff and Clerk as in former years; B. F. H. Witherell, Prosecuting Attorney; Samuel Larned and William Terry, attorneys, present. The causes of Thomas Palmer vs. Richard Sansbury; William Austin vs. Z. W. Bunce; the United States vs. Lambert Beaubien and Louis Chortier; John E. Lasher vs. William Gallagher; the United States vs. Sewell Keyes; Joel Eastman vs. John Martin; John Martin vs. Jacob Guy, were brought before the court.

This was the last session of the County Court of St. Clair. On October 16, 1827, the business depending before the court, with the record books and papers, were transferred according the legislative act of 1827, to the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, the first session of which began October 16, 1827. [405] The Circuit Court of St. Clair County held its first session October 16, 1827, at the court house in the village of St. Clair, with Solomon Sibley, Circuit Judge, one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of Michigan Territory. Henry Cottrell was Sheriff. The first Grand Jury called was composed as follows: Joseph Mini, George Harrow, Ira Marks, Jonathan Austin, Asel Abel, John S. Fish, Antoine Chortier, John Thorn, Jean Bte. Petit, Clark Warden, Levi Barber, Daniel Foggason, Isaac Davis, George Palmer, Charles Phillips, David Cottrell and David Robertson. Lambert Beaubien, Charles Chortier, George Jasperson, Joseph Buckley, Seth Taft, Eber Ward and William Austin, Sr., were not present, although summoned. Judge Sibley fined each $5, and they began to realize that the Circuit Court was quite a different institution from that to which they had been accustomed for the previous six years.

The second day of the term (October 17, 1827,) James Fulton was appointed Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court. George A. O'Keefe and B. F. H. Witherell, Prosecuting Attorney, were the attorneys present. The cases brought before Judge Sibley were those of Palmer vs. Sansberry; Joseph Campeau vs. Anselme Petit; Knapp vs. Edward Hopkins; the United States vs. James Cartwright; same vs. Morris McGarry; same vs. Gilbert Elliott; Campeau vs. J. B. Yax and Harman Chamberlain vs. Henry Cottrell. The first session of the Circuit Court of St. Clair County closed October 18, 1827.

April session of 1828 was advertised to open April 21, 1828; but neither the Judge nor Circuit Court Clerk being present, Deputy Clerk James Fulton adjourned the court. On the 22d this action was repeated; however, on the 23d, Hon. Henry Chipman , Judge of the Territorial Supreme Court, arrived, and Henry Cottrell, the Sheriff, announced the fact of the court being in session. The attorneys present were A. D. Frazer, B. F. H. Witherell. The latter was ordered to be paid $25 for his services as Prosecuting Attorney during the session.

A motion for a new trial in the case of the United States vs. Elliott was made by Alexander D. Fraser, on the grounds that there was no evidence before the jury who tried the case the previous day (April 24, 1828); that the assault and battery, charged in the indictment, as being committed on Morgan, was so committed within the County of St. Clair. Second, that the Judge did not charge the jury, as was prayed for by defendant's counsel, that the offense should be proved, on trial, to have been committed in the county, in order to justify the jury in the conviction of the defendant, and third, that there were only two witnesses on the trial of the case; that they contradicted one another and that there was no credible testimony produced. A new trial was granted. In the case of the assault on Andrew Westbrook by the eccentric George McDougall, a plea of not guilty was entered, and the trial continued. John Knapp was sentenced to fourteen days imprisonment in the county jail, and to pay the costs of the prosecution.

The October session of 1828 was presided over by Judges William Woodbridge and Henry Chipman, both of the Territorial Supreme Court. B. F. H. Witherell, District Attorney, was not present, but the court appointed C. W. Ewing Prosecuting Attorney for the term. On the venires being returned, it was found that the persons summoned were not legal grand jurors, on account of an impropriety in the summons, and so they were discharged. The cases before the court were: United States v. Chortier, same v. L. Beaubien, same v. Gilbert Elliott, same v. George McDougall, same v. John Squires, same v. L. Austin, Palmer v. Sansburry, Chamberlain v. Cottrell, Joseph Campau v. Anselme Petit, Thomas S. Knapp v. Edward Hopkins and Martin Peekins, A. Westbrook v. Henry Saunders, H. Saunders v. A. Westbrook, Ed Hopkins v. L. Facer (Hopkins died before meeting of court), James B. Woolverton v. H. Saunders, Hiram Mann v. Horace Jerome, H. Chamberlain v. H. Jerome, R. McDonald v. Friend Palmer and Thomas Palmer, R. McDonald v. Ansel Frost; all cases continued. There were a few other cases disposed of before the close of the session, October 21, 1828.

The October session of 1829 was characterized by its desire to dispose of all the old cases continued from session to session for the previous seven years. The Presiding Judges were Solomon Sibley and Henry Chipman.

The term of 1830 began October 19, 1830, with William Woodbridge and Solomon Sibley, Judges. A number of assault and battery cases, including the Gilbert Elliott case, were disposed of.

[406] The record of the session of 1831 is limited. In October, 1832, the first female plaintiff came into court before Judges Ross Wilkins and Solomon Sibley. Her cause was entered prematurely, as there was no intention on the part of the defendant to break his promise to marry. When the case was called, the conciliating fact was announced, that the action was abated by the marriage of the plaintiff. The entire proceedings in this case were as summary as they were rapid.

A petition was presented to the Judges of the County Court November 11, 1830, asking that Hosea Powers be appointed Surveyor of St. Clair County. The document was signed by E. Beardsley, Jeremiah Herrington, John Kennedy, Z. W. Bunce, D. B. Herrington, Reuben Dodge, John B. Desnoyers, P. W. Whiting, Louis Facer, H. Chamberlin, Ira Porter, Horatio James, William Cox, Samuel Baker, Thomas C. Fay, Daniel Stewart, Samuel F. Hopkins, James Byrne, Robert Hogge, Israel Carleton, Edmund Carleton, Samuel Carleton, Z. Burnham, Peter Carleton, Benjamin Bissell, Charles Phillips, James Fulton and Isaac Pulsifer. The prayer of the petitioners was granted by John K. Smith, C. J., and Louis T. Brakeman, Associate Justice, Novembe 20, 1830, and Hosea Powers became Surveyor of St. Clair.

The first record of admission to the bar of St. Clair County is given under date October 18, 1832, when George A. O'Keefe moved the admission of Hosea Powers. Judges Ross Wilkins and Sibley appointed B. F. H. Witherell, A. D. Fraser and Daniel Goodwin a committee to examine Powers, which examination being reported, he was admitted an attorney and counselor at law, October 19, 1832. The heaviest sentence delivered by the court since its establishment in St. Clair County, was that against Jacob Spurbank October 19, 1832, who was condemned to three years hard labor in the county jail, and costs of prosecution.

The lawyers practicing in the St. Clair County Circuit Courts from 1827 to 1832, were O'Keefe, Frazer, Witherell, Goodwin, Whipple and Powers. The Judges were Sibley, Chipman, Woodbridge and Wilkins. Bunce, Fulton, J. K. Smith, Ward and Oakes were the old County Judges.

ROLL OF ATTORNEYS.

In the foregoing pages, mention is made of the lawyers admitted to the bar of St. Clair County previous to 1833. Here the names of those admitted since 1843 are recorded.

Bethuel C. Farrand, born at Aurelius, Cayuga Co., N. Y., aged twenty-three years at date of admission to bar in 1843.
Edward W. Harris, born at Bradford, Orange Co., N. Y., admitted to bar in 1854, at the age of twenty-three years.
Nahum E. Thomas, born at Perry, Wyoming Co., N. Y., was admitted to bar in Ohio in 1868, and in Michigan in 1870.
DeWitt C. Walker, admitted to bar at Mt. Clemens, Mich., in 1839, at the age of twenty-three years.
William T. Mitchell, elected Circuit Judge.
True P. Tucker.
John J. Falkenburg, admitted to St. Clair bar in May, 1846.
Joseph T. Copeland. Justice of Supreme Court 1852-57.
William Grace, admitted to bar of St. Clair in March, 1847.
Volney A. Ripley, admitted to bar in March, 1849.
John Devine, Lexington, admitted an attorney in September, 1849.
Omar D. Conger, Lexington, admitted member of St. Clair bar in March, 1852.
William L. Bancroft, admitted in March, 1852.
Smith Falkenbury, St. Clair, was admitted in 1852.
Marcus H. Miles, St. Clair, was admitted in 1852.
Cyrus Miles, Port Huron, was admitted in September, 1852.
Augustus Van Buren, St. Clair, was admitted in 1853.
H. P. Vroman, Port Huron, admitted an attorney before Supreme Court in February, 1853.
Samuel D. Sibbitt, St. Clair, admitted in April, 1854.
John S. Crellin, Port Huron, admitted in June, 1855.
Anson E. Chadwick, Port Huron, was admitted an attorney in June, 1855.
[407] Martin Ferris, St. Clair, admitted June, 1855.
Joseph F. Merrill, St. Clair, admitted August, 1856.
Lester Cross, St. Clair, admitted August, 1856.
Harvey McAlpin, Port Huron, admitted November, 1856.
George W. Wilson, St. Clair, admitted November, 1856.
Samuel Jamieson, was admitted an attorney at law in May, 1858.
Tubal C. Owen, St. Clair, admitted in November, 1858.
O'Brien J. Atkinson, Port Huron, admitted before Wayne County Criminal Court in June, 1861.
Hazzard P. Wands, St. Clair, admitted November, 1858.
John Atkinson, Port Huron and Detroit, admitted before Supreme Court in 1863, graduated from Law Department Michigan University in 1862.
Charles F. Harrington, Port Huron, was admitted at Detroit in 1863.
H. G. Robbins, was admitted in September, 1864.
Henry Hart, St. Clair, admitted in April, 1865.
I. Ward Hill, St. Clair, was admitted at Detroit in April, 1865.
Thompson J. Hudson, Port Huron, admitted November, 1865.
Albert J. Chapman, St. Clair, admitted September, 1867.
Herman W. Stevens, Port Huron, admitted May, 1868. Elected Circuit Judge.
Edwin T. Solis, St. Clair, admitted September, 1868.
Jabez B. Waldron, St. Clair, admitted April, 1869.
Valentine A. Saph, Marine City, admitted April, 1869.
William F. Atkinson, Port Huron, admitted in May, 1871.
Frank Whipple, Port Huron, in May, 1871.
James I. Parsons, in May, 1871.
Alexander R. Avery, Grant, admitted December, 1871.
Frank P. O'Dea, admitted in May, 1871.
George A. Waterbury, admitted in March, 1872.
Thomas H. Wallace, Port Huron, admitted in May, 1872.
John Donnelly, Detroit, admitted in May, 1872.
James J. Barry, admitted in October, 1872.
Del. C. Huntoon, born at Marine City, was admitted in June, 1874.
James J. Atkinson, Port Huron, was admitted in September, 1874.
James L. Coe, was admitted in September, 1874.
Elliott G. Stevenson, Port Huron, admitted September, 1874.
Peter N. Packard, admitted 1875.
Charles F. Baird, St. Clair City, was admitted in April, 1875.
Joseph W. Avery, Grant, was admitted in May, 1876.
William D. Waight, Port Huron, admitted in May, 1876.
Michael Stapleton, admitted at Mt. Clemens, in January, 1873, deceased.
William Potter.
Charles K. Dodge, Port Huron, admitted at Houghton, September, 1875.
Charles R. Brown.
George P. Voorheis, Port Huron, admitted at Lansing in April, 1874.
Albert McCall, Columbus, was admitted in March, 1876.
William M. Cline, admitted at Sanilac in 1875.
L. G. Sperry, Memphis.
Milo E. Marsh, Port Huron, admitted at Ann Arbor, May 1, 1872.
Byron Burch, born at Nilestown, Ont., was admitted an attorney in September, 1876.
William H. Carleton, born in China Township, was admitted an attorney in 1876.
Charles Pierce Gilchrist born at Marine City, was admitted before Washtenaw Circuit Court, March 26, 1877.
Frank J. Devlin, born at St. Catherines, Ont., was admitted an attorney June 7, 1877.
Lewis D. Wilson, born at Massillon, Ohio, as admitted an attorney July 7, 1877.
[408] William J. Miller, born at Paris, Stark Co., Ohio, was admitted to the St. Clair County bar April 6, 1878.
Albert A. Carleton, born at Stillwater, Saratoga Co., N. Y., was admitted an attorney October 21, 1878.
Moses F. Carleton, born at North Haverhill, Grafton Co., N. H., was admitted to bar December 21, 1878.
Samuel W. Vance, born at Williamsburg, Durham Co., Ont., was admitted March 25, 1878.
Michael H. Mugan, born in Denham Township, Oxford Co., Ont., was admitted to bar March 15, 1879.
John B. McIlvaine, born in Metcalf Township, M. Sex Co., Ont., was admitted to St. Clair County bar, March 15, 1879.
P. H. Phillips, of the firm of Atkinson, Stephenson & Phillips, was admitted in 1879.
P. A. Hurd, a native of Vermont, was admitted March 29, 1879.
William L. Jenks, born in St. Clair County, was admitted to bar October 1, 1879.
C. P. Conger, born at Port Huron, was admitted an attorney at law, at Washington, June 30, 1879.
Hiram Kimball, a native of West Randolph, Vt., was admitted June 26, 1880.
John M. Kane, born at Marine City, was admitted to bar December 24, 1880.
Thomas Wellman, a native of Port Huron, was admitted December 24, 1880.
Jerry W. Jenks, born at Port Huron, was admitted March 19, 1881.
Arthur L. Sleeper, a native of Pontiac, was admitted February 13, 1882.
R. Harnden, born in New York State, was admitted July 14, 1879.
Oliver A. Ivers, born in St. Clair Township, was admitted October 2, 1880.

TRIAL OF ABBOTT FOR THE MURDER OF YOUNG.

A special sitting of the court was held at St. Clair, July 27, 1829, in conformity with an order of the Judges of the Supreme Court, dated July 13, 1829, granted on application of B. F. H. Witherell, District Attorney, to inquire into a murder said to have been perpetrated by two soldiers of the United States Army, then confined in the county jail. The Judges presiding were William Woodbridge and Solomon Sibley. The jury sworn comprised L. J. Brakeman, Jacob Peer, Jerry Marks, William Brown, George Palmer, Daniel Stewart, O. Record, James Robertson, D. Robertson, George Cottrell, Thomas Dait, Jacob Harson, Joseph Mini, Ant. Chortier, D. Cottrell. The witnesses summoned were E. P. Gardner, Harvey Henderson, William Hendricks, Silas Johnson, Allan Bills, Hugh McElroy, John Carlin, Hiram Owens, Ed Fletcher, John Clark, Jonathan Burtch, James Harrison, Andrew Lawrence, T. S. Starr and James Garrison in behalf of the United States. Dr. Zina Pitcher was summoned as witness in behalf of Thomas Abbott, one of the prisoners.

On July 28, George A. O'Keefe was appointed Prosecuting Attorney in the case, vice the absent Witherell. The indictment against Thomas Abbott, charging him with killing William Young, of Fort Gratiot, was read on July 29, to which Abbott pleaded not guilty. A motion by O'Keefe to continue the case was set aside, and a petit jury sworn to try the case. The members of this jury were John Miller, Asel Abel, James H. Cook, Isaac Pulsifer, John Doran, James Hall, Samuel Ward, I. A. Pomeroy, John Yale, David Oakes, Ph. Wright and Charles Chortier. The prisoner challenged Clark Warden and John Thorn, who were set aside. The witnesses for the prosecution were then sworn, the jury placed in charge of Constables, and the court adjourned until the 30th. The jury heard the evidence and arguments on the 30th, and retiring in charge of Reuben Hamilton, found a verdict of not guilty, when Abbott was discharge.

TRIAL OF COLLINS FOR THE MURDER OF WORTHY.

The prisoner, William Collins, was then placed on trial for the murder of John Worthy, a soldier of the garrison of Fort Gratiot. He pleaded not guilty. The jurors were Jean Bte. Desnoyer, Isaac Pulsifer, John Miller, Frank Duchesne, D. Oakes, John Thorn, Joseph Buckley, Ph. Wright, Samuel Ward, Charles Chortier, John Doran and John Yale. Clark Wardon and Reuben Dodge were challenged by the prisoner, and set aside. The witnesses for the Unit-[409]ed States were Earl P. Gardner, William Hendricks, Hugh McElroy, Allan Bills, H. Owens, John Norman, -----Purdy, Sergt. John Clark and David Campbell. The jury having heard the evidence, retired in charge of Reuben Hamilton. On Friday, July 31, 1829, the jury returned the following verdict: "We find the prisoner at the bar, William Collins, not guilty of murder in the manner and form as charged in the indictment, but we do find him guilty of manslaughter." Collins was sentenced to eighteen months imprisonment in St. Clair County Jail, and to pay the costs of the prosecution.

JUDGES OF THE CIRCUIT.

Among the Territorial Judges who presided over the courts of this circuit were Woodward, Sibley, Woodbridge, Chipman, Wilkins. In later days, Judges Morell, Green, Dewey, Mitchell and Harris presided, the election of whom is referred to in the political history.

Sanford M. Green, formerly Judge of the St. Clair County Circuit Court, was born at Grafton, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., May 30, 1807. In 1837, he came to Michigan, and located lands where is now the village of Owosso. On the resignation of Judge Ransom in 1848, and the transfer of Judge Whipple, Mr. Green was appointed Circuit Judge of the Fourth Circuit. He resigned this position in 1867. In June, 1872, he was appointed Judge of the Eighteenth Circuit, to fill vacancy. In 1860, he published a hand book on the practice of the Circuit Courts, and took an active part in the revision of the statutes of Michigan. He also published a work on the highway laws of Michigan.

Edward W. Harris, born May 4, 1831, at Bradford, Orange Co., Vt. In 1837, he came to Michigan with his parents, who settled at Rochester, Oakland County. In due time, he attended the academy for several years. In 1854, he graduated at the State and National Law School at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and in December of that year located at Port Huron. In 1855, he formed a partnership with O. D. Conger. In 1862, he was appointed Judge of Probate of St. Clair County, in place of Maj. Scarrett, resigned. In 1866, he was elected prosecuting attorney. In 1868, he was elected Judge of Probate, serving until 1872. In 1873, he was appointed Judge of the Sixteenth Circuit, in place of Judge Mitchell, resigned, and in 1875 was elected to the same place without opposition.

A meeting of the bar of St. Clair County was held December 31, 1881, to take action in the matter of the retirement of Circuit Judge E. W. Harris, and the welcome to the incoming Judge, H. W. Stevens. Judge Mitchell presided. The lawyers O'Brien J. Atkinson, B. C. Farrand and George P. Voorheis were appointed a Committee on Resolutions. Messrs. Atkinson, Chadwick, A. R. Avery, F. Whipple and Judge Mitchell delivered addresses.

REMINISCENCES OF THE BAR.

From the days of Counselors O'Keefe, O'Flynn and Wetherell to the present, the members of the legal circle of St. Clair have enjoyed a very fair fame, not only for ability, but also for the amount of merriment - concentrated fun - which has been at their disposal and liable to break forth at any moment and under any circumstance. The earnest drollery of the O'Keefe was balanced - held in check as it were - by the light-souled Wetherell and other young circuit lawyers of that day. Many of the doings of those pioneer lawyers have been referred to in the history of pioneer times; have even found mention in church history. Here it will be only necessary to review some of the sayings and doings of a few of these lawyers who were at the head of the St. Clair bar, while yet the legal circle of the county was unencumbered by the number of members from within, or the number of clients from without. This in itself is a matter of such interest that the work of writing or compiling such a sketch was undertaken and accomplished by a well-known lawyer of Detroit, who, in earlier years, was a member of the St. Clair County Bar, and from his paper the following is extracted: "The resignation of Judge Mitchell of Port Huron and his return to his practice recalls many incidents in the history of the Bar of St. Clair County. We first became acquainted with that bar in 1857. At that time it was at its zenith, and Judge Mitchell was at its head. Others were more brilliant and far more happy in their manner, but none had his power and hidden resources.

"He was then, as he has continued to be since, a man of peculiar habits. Those who knew [410] him little supposed him to lack industry and research. But they were mistaken. If he loitered while others worked, he worked while others slept; and few men brought to the trial of a case more actual work. As a speaker he lacked eloquence, but pressed his points forward in such an awkward way that it was very hard to turn them. He was in body as in mind. We recollect his coming into the gymnasium when a certain prominent hotel keeper, who prided himself on his knowledge of boxing, had the gloves on and was trying to get some one to act as victim to his scientific pummeling. 'Come and put on the gloves, Mitchell,' said he. The invitation was accepted, and the consequence was that an awkward blow from some direction unknown to the ring knocked Mr. Hotel Keeper down. He got up, and like Lincoln in his wrestling match when thrown, manfully declined to continue the struggle with any such awkward devil as that.' Just so in his cases. The blow came from strange quarters and at strange times, but it fell with a giant's power, and usually crushed his antagonist. And yet it must not be understood that Judge Mitchell is either awkward in mind or body. Indeed, there are few finer looking gentlemen. And could he get rid of something like sensitive bashfulness, few could appear so well.

"His partner at the time we speak of was Harvey McAlpin, who died some years later by his own hand. Poor Harvey! The years that have passed since his untimely death have only added to the deep regrets it caused. He was a finished scholar, and an elegant and eloquent speaker, a brilliant conversationalist, a rare wit and an honest man. He had been but three years at the bar when he came to Port Huron in 1856 and stepped into the front ranks, where he more than held his own. He was attacked pretty sharply at first, but severely let alone after the first encounter. It was understood to be dangerous business to play with him. True P. Tucker was still in practice, though dissipation had deprived him of the great abilities he once possessed. His greatness rested in tradition, and only gave flickering evidences of its existence. Gen. Cass once pronounced him the most promising young man in Michigan, and we doubt not the estimate was just. But whisky intervened and did its work. He was a wreck. He had an eye that looked a man down and tongue that cut like Damascus steel. We recollect his argument in a case where he had sued his old friend. Jedediah Spalding, now also with the dead, for services in taking testimony before a referee. He charged him $5 per day. Three young lawyers were sworn as to the value of his services. Mr. H--- put them at $3 per pay, and Mr. V--- at $2.50. 'Your Honor,' said he, to 'Squire Minnie, 'Mr. H--- swears his services are worth three dollars. Does that prove that a man is not worth five dollars? Mr. V--- says he would serve his client for $2.50 per day. So his might and his client would be a 'chested man at that.'

"John S. Crellen, though advanced in life, was just beginning practice. He was a brilliant orator, and an excellent lawyer. As an extempore speaker he had no equal then in that county and he has had none since. He could speak with force and interest upon any subject, and with little preparation. He too has crossed the river of mystery and solved the problem of the future.

"But the oddest chicken in the coop, if we may so speak, was the present member of Congress, the Hon. O. D. Conger. There was an idea current that in his youth he was a student, but it was so far back that the oldest inhabitant could not swear to it. He could give you more curious information than any one else, but where he got it was the mystery. He could tell the names and habits of all the birds in Michigan - could even tell you how to stuff their skins and preserve their beauty; was acquainted with the different kinds of timber and knew where they could be found, and a thousand other things which no one else ever learned. At the bar he trusted entirely to Providence. He never examined his cases - he would say the law ought to be so and so - but didn't pretend to tell how the courts had held it to be. His sound common sense, and a thorough knowledge and appreciation of the great foundation principles of the law usually kept him on the right track. Judge Mitchell cultivated the court; Judge Conger generally despised it, and looked hopefully to the twelve peers of the realm who were to decide the facts. The result was that judges usually treated him illy, and jurymen gave their verdict in his favor. As a jury lawyer - especially in his own county - he had elements of strength possessed by no other man in the State. He reads upon the faces of a jury the thoughts which are passing in their minds, and has a happy way of presenting his argument in a man-[411]ner that will meet the peculiarities of each. Deacon Barnard, of Detroit, was once prosecuted for obstructing Mill Creek. He was defended by C. I. Walker, Daniel Goodwin and William T. Mitchell, all since judges. Conger was determined to convict him. One juryman sat stolidly under his argument. He couldn't move him. The court adjourned for dinner. He inquired who and what he was, and learned that he used to run logs upon some stream in Maine; that after being absent for some weeks, as the drive approached a certain turn in the stream, the raftsmen used to see their wives and children, waiting upon a distant eminence to catch the first glimpse of them, and then, hurringing over the rapids, soon find themselves at home. After dinner, Conger described the scene - described the anxious impatience with which the father and husband hurried on over the shoals and rocks, and the joy with which he was greeted. A tear stood in the corner of the eye of the obstinate man, which the advocate alone understood. Then in fierce invective he described such a man as Deacon Barnard obstructing the stream, delaying the drive for days and weeks, standing, as it were, between the outstretched arms of the husband and his wife and preventing their embrace. There was a verdict of guilty that evening, which we believe the court set aside as being against the law and the evidence. He is great in repartee. Judge Mitchell was examining a witness one day and Conger wanted some questions repeated, which he said he didn't hear. 'I can't furnish you ears,' said Mitchell. 'Oh, is that so,' said Conger. 'I should think you could without injuring your family.' They were trying a replevin suit, brought by one Merchant against one Anger, for a calf. The testimony of five witnesses on each side showed that each family had a pet calf, marked exactly the same, and about the same age. One was Ruby and the other Rosa, and each was taught to shake its head when the children called it by name. It was proved that this calf shook its head when the young Merchants called it Ruby. This was in Judge Mitchell's favor, and he dwelt upon it as settling the controversy. Conger replied, 'It is true the calf answered to Ruby. The difference between the names Ruby and Rosa would be detected at once by his Honor (Judge Green), or by my friend Judge Mitchell, but it would be otherwise with a calf educated in the country.' Even Judge Green let himself smile."

A score of other names could be introduced, each bringing forward a pleasing memory. Lorenzo M. Mason, who came in 1837; Bethuel C. Farrand, a pioneer of the State since 1825, and one of the oldest, if not actually the senior member, of the St. Clair Bar; E. W. Harris, a lawyer of the circuit since 1837; William Grace, O'Brien J. Atkinson, and others whose names are mentioned in the roll of attorneys, had each an important place in the old law circle. It is scarcely time to pass in review the younger members of the bar. It cannot be doubted for a moment, that among them there is to be found intellectual excellence coupled with industry, both of which must win from the future their rewards. It is certain that the history of the profession within the country, could it be written, would exhibit many examples worthy of imitation, and also many which should be studied closely, only to be avoided.

THE PRESS.

The Western Sun was the first newspaper published in the Indiana Territory, now comprising the four great States of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, and the second in all that country once known as the "Northwestern Territory." It was commenced at Vincennes in 1803, by Elihu Stout, of Kentucky, and first called the Indiana Gazette, and July 4, 1804, was changed to the Western Sun. Mr. Stout continued the paper until 1845, amid many discouragements, when he was appointed Postmaster at the place.

William Mitchell, proprietor of the Detroit Mills, recently discovered among some old papers, a copy of the first issue of the first newspaper ever printed in Detroit. It is Volume I, No. 1 of the Michigan Essay, or the Impartial Observer, edited, as is well known, by the famous Father Richard, parish priest of St. Anne's Church, and Delegate in Congress from this Territory. It bears date August 31, 1809. It was announced to be published every Thursday, at $5 per annum. In size it was about half as large as a small four-page evening paper of the present day, contained four pages, each comprising four columns, and was printed in very large type. The news in it was mostly taken from Eastern papers of forty days earlier date, and brought up European affairs to June 11, or a date eighty days previous. It was just at that time that Napoleon was crushing Austria and the Tyrol after the occupation of Vienna. In the home news department is an account of the first manufacture of salt in West Virginia. The fourth page is filled with selections from the essayists, so much affected at that period. The only advertisements are those of the publisher, James M. Miller, who seems also to have been a book-seller, and one of the opening of the primary school of St. Anne's Church. Among the books advertised is "The Child's Spelling Book, or Michigan Instructor," price 25 cents. The editor of the Essay seems to have enjoyed a good sense of humor, as the following paragraph under the heading "Humorous" indicates:

"Count Tracery complaining to Foote that a man had ruined his character, 'So much the better,' replied the wit, 'for it was a d----d bad one, and the sooner it was destroyed the more to your advantage.'"

La Journal du Chretien was published in 1811, and, in 1812, a large book, called "Epistles and Gospels for Sundays and Holidays." A printer named Coxshan succeeded Miller in Business. In the summer of 1817, the first regular newspaper published in Michigan was started at Detroit. It was the successor of Rev. Gabriel Richard's magazine. It was called the Detroit Gazette, and was published by Messrs. Sheldon & Reed, two enterprising young men, the former of whom published an interesting sketch of the early history of Michigan. The Gazette existed until 1833, when the office was destroyed by fire.

The third was the Michigan Herald, Henry Chipman, editor. The Herald was established in 1825, and discontinued in 1829.

A paper was commenced in Monroe in 1825, by Edward D. Ellis, and called the Michigan Sentinel. It was a small paper, and was mostly filled with acts of the old Territorial Council and laws of Congress. This was probably the fourth paper in Michigan.

The fifth was the Northwestern Journal. This paper was published in Detroit by George L. Whitney. The first number made its appearance on Friday morning, November 20, 1829.

The sixth was the Western Emigrant, published at Ann Arbor by Thomas Simpson. I think the first number was issued in December, 1829.

The seventh was the Monroe Inquirer, published at Monroe by John L. Green. The prospectus published in the Journal of November 20, 1829, says the Inquirer will be neatly printed on a super-royal sheet, the first number to issue in June next. The enterprise collapsed.

The ninth was the Oakland Chronicle, published at Pontiac, June 1, 1830, by Thomas Simpson, formerly of the Western Emigrant. In April, 1831, the Chronicle was sold to parties [413] in Detroit. The paper was then discontinued. I do not known which of these two last-mentioned papers claim priority with regard to date of issue.

On the 19th of February, 1830, a temperance society was organized under the name of the Detroit Association for the Suppression of Intemperance. A resolution was adopted to have the proceedings published in the four newspapers of the Territory.

Those four papers must have been the Detroit Gazette and the Northwestern Journal, of Detroit, and the Western Emigrant, of Ann Arbor; the Michigan Inquirer to be published in the next June, may have been intended for the fourth. The Michigan Essay and the Michigan Herald had then passed out of existence.

The ninth was the Detroit Courier. The first number of this paper was issued December 23, 1830.

The tenth was the Democratic Free Press and Michigan Intelligencer. The first number was issued May 5, 1831.

The next paper in Monroe was started in 1834 by E. G. Morton, now of the Monroe Monitor, and called the Monroe Journal and Michigan Inquirer. The office was sold the same year to start what was called at the time the first paper in Pontiac, and, as a printer, Mr. Morton went to that place with E. J. Van Buren to assist him in arranging the office and commencing the paper. This article in the Monitor also says: "In the autumn of that year, we believe the Adrian Watchtower was commenced by Mr. Ingalls; but we very much doubt whether, in the spring of 1834, there was a paper in the Territory except in Detroit, St. Clair and Monroe."

The Michigan Herald, No. 1 of Volume I, was issued May 10, 1825. The last number in this file is dated August 29, 1827, and is Volume III. In this paper, under date of May 17, 1825, E. D. Ellis announces that he is about to commence the publication, at Monroe, of a paper to be called the Michigan Sentinel, and subsequently the receipt of the first copy of that paper is acknowledged. In the Herald of November 22, 1825, is the following advertisement, signed by E. D. Ellis: "The undersigned, editor and proprietor of this paper, respectfully suggests to merchants and others the propriety of extending to said establishment advertising and other patronage. As the Sentinel has a considerable circulation in Monroe and Wayne Counties, advertising patrons would have the advantage of its extension in both of these counties, and likewise into the counties of Lenawee and Oakland. It is hoped that the independent principles upon which this press has been established, and upon which alone it will ever depend for support, will insure to this establishment a moderate share of business."

There are about 275 newspapers and periodical publications in Michigan now, of all classes. Of these, 224 are published weekly, 17 daily and weekly, 2 daily, 7 semi-weekly, 1 tri-weekly, 4 semi-monthly, 19 monthly, 1 quarterly and 1 yearly; 112 are Republican, 46 Democratic, 73 independent and neutral, 14 religious and 15 miscellaneous. Among the latter are 2 Methodist, 7 Adventist (2 Dutch or Hollandisch), 1 Episcopal, 2 Catholic and 1 Baptist, 6 mining, 5 educational, 1 Masonic, 1 Odd Fellow, 1 Grange, 3 medical and 1 agricultural. Seven are printed in the German language, 6 in the Dutch, 1 in the Swedish and 1 in the Danish.

THE "ST. CLAIR WHIG."

The first newspaper published in the county was that by Messrs. Fay & Perry in 1834. It was printed on a press sent from Georgetown, S. C., by Mr. Fay, to Palmer Village, in 1833. After the inauguration of this journal, the projector returned to South Carolina, where he died within a few years, or about the time Michigan was admitted into the Union of States.

The Whig was issued December 1, 1834, at Palmer Village, now St. Clair, with T. M. Perry editor and publisher. This little political sheet continued in existence until 1836 or 1837, when the name was changed to the St. Clair Republican, with Mr. Perry as editor. The first St. Clair Republican was issued with comparative regularity for a few years, when all record of its being ceases.

THE PORT HURON OBSERVER.

This newspaper was inaugurated in 1837, with E. B. Harrington editor. When the enterprise was originated, the following prospectus was issued:

[414] PROPOSALS FOR PUBLISHING AT HURON CITY, ST. CLAIR COUNTY, MICHIGAN, THE
"LAKE HURON OBSERVER,"
A Weekly Paper of Imperial Size, at $2 Per Annum, Payable in Advance, $2.50 at the End of Six Months, or $3 at the End of the Year.

It is, perhaps, unnecessary here to enter into detail of the causes or circumstances which have led to the establishment of a new paper in this county, or to discuss the merits or demerits of the paper already established. Suffice it to say, the growing importance of the county, and the interests of its inhabitants, seem to require a public journal through whose columns a fair expression of the opinion of the people in different sections of the county can be had, upon all political and other questions of general importance; such is intended to be the character of the Observer. Although decidedly a DEMOCRATIC Journal, its columns will always be open for the discussion of important political questions, whether of general or local interest, when such discussions are couched in candid and decorous language.

Our Canadian friends at Port Sarnia and its vicinity will find the Observer a ready vehicle for the conveyance of information respecting their village, harbor, railroad and other topics of general importance.

It is hoped the OBSERVER will be conducted in such a manner as to be sustained by the inhabitants of the county, and to merit the confidence and support of the public generally.

Huron City, January 24, 1837.

Attached to this proposition was a space for subscribers' names. Copies of the prospectus were placed in the hands of many influential men, both in this county, at Detroit, and throughout York State, who became honorary canvassers for the journal. The names of the original subscribers are thus given:

E. B. Harrington, Cummings Sanborn, Amon Baker, A. & J. B. Comstock, G. F. Boynton, D. W. Powers, H. Harding, N. D. Horton, C. Thompson, E. C. Bancroft, E. Burch, E. P. Johnness, D. B. Harrington, F. C. White (Whitestone), A. S. Pratt, T. Crocker, John S. Heath, John Thorn, E. R. Moffatt (La Forge Village, N. Y.), J. F. Batcheller, John H. Westbrook, J. Halstead, Clift Comstock, Willard Orvis, Lucius Beach, Ashley L. Whitcomb, Hiram Marin, A. W. Campbell, H. Hamilton, Shepard & Bottsford, Joseph L. Kelsey, Z. W. Bunce, Jesse H. King, Lorenzo M. Mason, J. W. Campfield, Edward Petit, D. Babcock, H. Chamberlain, John Doran, Jared Miller, D. J. Rockwell, John Westbrook, James Beard, Joel Tucker, John Swarthout, David Senter, Justin Rice, John Jackson, Michael Jackson, Benjamin Newhall, Chester Kimball, Jr., Henry Gill, Fr. Harsen, James Harsen, John Hughes, D. Churchill, John Smith, R. B. Dimond, Eben Westbrook, A. H. Westbrook, Jacob Peir, Oliver Westbrook, Jerauld Miller, Jos. P. Mini, P. F. Brakeman, Lucius Beach, White & Harrington; with a number of subscribers outside the county.

The stockholders, or owners of the Osbserver, whose names appear in an assignment of their interests in the paper, to Dan B. Harrington, Joshua S. Heath, and John Thorn, members of a committee appointed to arrange the affairs of the company, gave this committee power to dispose of the office. This resolution was passed July 14, 1837, and bears the signatures of G. T. Boynton, Edward Petit, A. & J. B. Comstock, Williard Orvis, Elijah Burch, J. S. Orvis, J. W. Campfield, William Robertson, Jr., B. A. Luce, Ira Porter, Hiram Whitcomb, Z. V. Thornton, and E. C. Bancroft. The Lake Huron Observer was, after a few years, merged into the Representative, again assumed its old name, which it held until, under the able management of W. L. Bancroft, it changed to the Port Huron Observer.

On August 4, 1849, the following notice appeared in the Observer:

The undersigned has disposed of the press, type and materials of the Observer office, to Mr. J. H. Hawes, and his connection therewith terminates from and after this date.

Subscribers who have paid in advance will be furnished with the paper, at the usual rate, for the term for which payment has been made; all legal and yearly advertisements, will be continued in publication for the time and on the terms agreed upon with the undersigned, who alone is authorized to settle and receipt for the same, and to whom only payment will be made.

W. L. BANCROFT.

Subsequently changes occurred in the proprietary and editorship.

As a specimen of Mr. Bancroft's editorial work, let his article in reply to a letter of the Ann Arbor American, asking for an exchange of journals be quoted: "We shall be most happy to exchange, Mr. American; but we also most cordially detest the cause you have espoused. It is not only anti-American in its very inception, but, we believe, if once established here and elsewhere, as the policy of the civilized world, it would do more than any other [415] one thing could do, to obstruct the onward march of progress and reform, which, sooner or later, are destined to unite the human family, for the achievement of universal, social and political amelioration." This is only one of the introductory paragraphs to a stirring editorial. It is one such as an American, bearing the same name as our American historian, should write, and such an one as the petit writers of the present would do well to copy from. George Bancroft, speaking of Marquette, the foreigner, said, "the West will build his monument;" here at home W. L. Bancroft favors the peopling of the West by foreigners, and looks on migration as indispensable to human happiness.

E. B. Harrington, editor and projector for the Port Huron Observer, was born in Ontario County, N. Y. He was a brother of D. B. Harrington, and son of Jeremiah and Mercy (Baker) Harrington, the former born October 29, 1774. In 1811, the family moved to Sandusky, Ohio, and thence to Fremont where a settlement was effected. E. B. Harrington was not only a pioneer of Michigan Territory, but also one of that civilized class who had the courage and enterprise to inaugurate a weekly journal in the backwoods of this State in 1837. To him must credit be given for bringing the Lake Huron Observer to light. Mr. H. traveled extensively through the Union; but his journalistic life began and ended at Port Huron.

William Lyman Bancroft, born at Martinsburg, Lewis Co., N. Y., August 12, 1825, moved to Michigan with his parents in 1832, and settled at Port Huron in 1844. He studied under D. B. Crane at Detroit, and completed his education at Amhurst Academy, Massachusetts. In 1842, he entered the office of the Milwaukee Courier, where he remained two years. In 1844, he came to Port Huron, purchased the Observer office here, and became editor of that journal. In 1848, he disposed of his interest in the journal, and went to Oswego, N. Y., where he studied law under W. F. Allen, afterward State Judge of Appeals. Returning in 1851, he entered on the practice of law, and from time to time held the editorial chair of the Commercial. In his biography given in other pages, the services rendered by My Bancroft to the press society, and commerce of St. Clair County, are noticed.

THE PORT HURON COMMERCIAL.

The Port Huron Commercial was first published June 7, 1851, with George F. Lewis, editor. A reference to the chronological or miscellaneous chapter, will show the varied changes in the editorial department of this journal. The Commercial had W. L. Bancroft for its editor, and was, as it is now, the leading Democratic journal of this portion of the State. December 29, 1855, the name of H. S. Potter & Co. appears upon the paper. In its earlier years the day of issue was Saturday, changed to Wednesday, and subsequently in 1873, to Sunday morning.

George F. Lewis, known as the Genial Saginawian, Fred Lewis, etc., etc., was born in Harvard, Worcester Co., Mass., June 7, 1828, came with parents to Mount Clemens in 1835, set first type in office of Macomb Statesman, then edited by John N. Ingersoll, subsequently held positions in the office of Mount Clemens Patriot, in 1838; the Detroit Daily Commercial Bulletin in 1848; the Macomb County Herald in 1849; the Port Huron Commercial in 1851; the Peninsular Advocate in 1855. In March, 1868, he inaugurated the Daily Courier of Saginaw; projected the Saginawian in 1869; the Mount Pleasant Journal in 1880, and the Daily Morning Call at Bay City in 1881.

James Talbot was born at West Flamborough, Can., December 16, 1816. His parents came from Ireland several years prior to that date, making a settlement on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River. In the first American home of the Talbots, a few of James Talbot's brothers were born. About the year 1812, the family moved to London, Can., where a kinsman, Col. Talbot, resided as Land Commissioner for the British Government.

In 1835, James Talbot, accompanied by William Wheaton, arrived at Port Huron; and moved thence up Black River where Elder Beard was engaged in hewing down the pine forest. There also he became acquainted with the Brockways. After some time, he returned to his home on the Thames. There he married Miss Maria House, a descendant of the first Dutch settler of that name in New York State. This marriage took place in 1847. In 1851, Mr. Talbot came to Port Huron to reside permanently. Here all their children were born, with two exceptions: [416] one of them dying in infancy was buried in a Canadian cemetery. Two others died at Port Huron, while five children are living.

Mr. Talbot climbed slowly up the ladder of public esteem; he possessed many endearing qualities which won for him a large circle of friends and the confidence of the people. During the war for the Union, he was Supervisor for the First Ward of this city, and upon him devolved the duty of furnishing aid to the families of the soldiers furnished from that district of the city. How he administered this department is even to-day referred to with pleasure.

In 1868, he became the principal owner of the Sunday Commercial, which journal he conducted with marked ability. During the construction of the Great Western Railroad, he was engaged in assisting the surveyors and in other work of a similar character. Under the old city charter he was elected Street Commissioner three times successively. He had the contract for grading Pine Grove avenue and some other streets on the old Military Reserve, and lastly the paving of Military street.

His last days were devoted to a review of the condition of the land of his fathers. The interest which he evinced in the cause of Ireland, as expounded by Parnell and his associates, was such as would become the largest souled political economist in the Union. His advocacy of Ireland's cause brought to the minds of many the fact of the oppression of which they knew little, or from which they just escaped.

An accident, which must be considered the direct cause of Mr. Talbot's death, occurred May 14, 1881. It appears that he and Mrs. Talbot visited some friends at Sombra, Can., on that day. During the return journey a severe hail-storm set in, which urged the travelers to seek shelter in the house of Mrs. Brown, three miles east of the St. Clair River. Here, after entering, Mr. Talbot passed the rope halter or strap through the window, so that he could hold the horse without exposing himself to the terrific storm. The down-pour of hail and the lightning flashes made the horse fractious, and during the lunging of the animal, the finger of his master became entangled in the rope. This finger was jerked off above the middle joint, and with it a sinew, thirteen inches long, was extracted. On Saturday following, May 21, 1881, the sufferer received an apoplectic stroke, which resulted in his death early on Sunday, May 22. The funeral of this estimable old resident took place May 24, 1881. The pall-bearers were Dr. S. D. Pace, Dr. Kibbee, S. D. Clark, William Dwyer, Lewis Atkins and S. H. Robinson.

John Atkinson, formerly of the St. Clair County bar, now a leading lawyer of Detroit, was born at Warwick, C. W., May 24, 1841. His parents, James and Elizabeth (Shinners) Atkinson were natives of Ireland, who came to the Canadas some years previous to 1841, and made a settlement at Warwick. The family moved to Port Huron at an early day in the history of the city, and there Mr. Atkinson received that practical education which fitted him in later years to take a leading place in war and law. His studies at the Michigan University resulted in a most successful graduation from the Law Department of that institution in March, 1862. Returning to Port Huron, he entered a law partnership with Judge William T. Mitchell. In July, 1862, he was commissioned Second Lieutenant Twenty-second Infantry, and by his military tact won all those positions credited to him in the Military Chapter of this book, serving with distinction until February, 1866. In May, 1866, he re-entered on the practice of law with John S. Crellin and O'Brien J. Atkinson. He was Collector of Customs at Port Huron in 1866-67. In the fall of 1870, he removed to Detroit, which city he has since made his home. In 1870, he was nominated for Attorney General on the Democratic ticket; and in 1872 for State Senator on the same ticket. The party met with defeat, and with the party Mr. Atkinson was beaten politically. He was owner of the Port Huron Commercial for some time, during which his editorials claimed a high order of merit. He married Miss Lida Lyons, of San Antonio, Tex., February 1, 1866; the family belong to the Catholic Church. Mr. Atkinsson is politically a Republican, and must be considered one of the most important accessions to the ranks of that party during the last two decades. As a lawyer of the State his talents and energy are well known, and win for him a daily increasing public confidence.

William F. Atkinson was born in Canada January 8, 1846. His parents, James and Elizabeth (Shinners) Atkinson, natives of Ireland, settled in Canada about 1841, and moved [417] with their family to Port Huron in May, 1854. In January, 1860, William F. entered the office of the Port Huron Commercial. August 13, 1862, he enlisted in Company C, Twenty-second Michigan Infantry. Within the subsequent year, he rose to the rank of First Sergeant. September 20, 1863, he was wounded and made prisoner at Chickamauga. From that time until his escape from prison, January 19, 1864, he was subjected to all the trials incidental to life in the prisons of Richmond and Danville. Following his escape came the troublous journey of 300 miles through the fastnesses of West Virginia, which ended February 10, when he reached the lines of the Union army. In March, he rejoined his regiment at Chattanooga, June 7, was commissioned Second Lieutenant and appointed Signal Officer on the staff of Gen. Sherman. November 7 following, he resigned, to accept the Captaincy of Company K, Third Michigan Infantry, and served with the command until its muster out, May 25, 1866. On his return to Port Huron in June, 1866, he received an appointment in the Customs Department. In January, 1867, he traveled South and worked as a printer at Nashville, St. Louis and Indianapolis during that year. In the fall of 1867, he returned to Port Huron, accepted an editorial position on the Commercial, which he held until the close of 1869. Subsequently, he was engaged in the insurance business with Cyrus Miles; was admitted to the bar June 1, 1870, and practiced at Port Huron until May 1, 1873, when he moved to Alpena. He returned to Port Huron a year later, was City Attorney in 1875-76, continuing to practice there until November 23, 1880, when he moved to Detroit to become a member of the law firm of Atkinson & Atkinson. William Atkinson was married to Miss Kate M. Donnelly February 28, 1870, daughter of William Donnelly, of Plympton.

John F. Talbot, son of James and Maria (House) Talbot, was born at Otterville, C. W., January 19, 1850. He came with his parents to Port Huron, Mich., in 1851. In the schools of this city he received his education, studying until 1869, when he entered the Commercial office, just then purchased from Col. John Atkinson by his father. Mr. Talbot has been closely connected with this journal from 1869 to the present, with, perhaps, the exception of one year, which he devoted to the editorship of the Detroit Daily Union.

James H. Talbot, brother of John F. Talbot, is a native of Port Huron. He attended the city schools until 1869, when he entered the Commercial office. His interests have been closely identified with this paper from 1869 to the present day.

Harry L. Talbot, born at Port Huron in 1855, studied in the schools of this city until 1869, when he began work in the office of his father. He married Miss Blanche Dale, of Port Huron, July 3, 1878. He resides in the city and is a member of the Commercial staff.

Henry S. Potter, now of Detroit, was editor and publisher of the Commercial and Postmaster of the village of Port Huron in early days. Mr. Potter is a native of Connecticut.

George Goodale, now city editor of the Detroit Free Press, was connected with the Commercial for a few years.

Nathan C. Kendall was editor of the paper from 1866 to 1868. He served throughout the war in one of the Michigan infantry regiments. T. J. Hudson and S. P. Purdy were publishers of the Commercial for a little over a year. W. F. Atkinson, Col. John Atkinson, Peter F. O'Sullivan and Baron Jasmund, an early settler on the St. Clair, were connected with the paper. Col. Atkinson's sketch is given in this chapter.

Eugene James Schoolcraft, son of James and Sarah (Ruddick) Schoolcraft, was born at Port Huron, April, 1855. His father was a native of Michigan, born at the Sault de St. Marie, and mother a daughter of William Reddick, of Ireland. Mr. Schoolcraft was educated in the schools of Port Huron, under Miss Blennerhassett and Miss Nancy Sanborn. In 1870, he entered the Commercial office. The years 1873 to 1876, were passed in the Times office. In May, 1878, he purchased a fourth interest in the Commercial, with which journal he is now connected, both in the business and journalistic departments. Mr. Schoolcraft was married, August 1, 1876, to Miss Emma Harder, daughter of Christian and Bertha Harder, natives of Germany. They are the parents of one child, Lulu B., born May 31, 1880. Mr. Schoolcraft was not of age to serve in the war for the Union. He is not a member of any of the secret societies. Politically, he is a Democrat.

John Murray, son of Denis and Margaret (Rutledge) Murray, natives of Ulster and Con- [418] naught respectively, was born at St. Mary's, Perth County, C. W., May 26, 1849. The family moved to Tillsonburg, Oxford County, in 1852, where Mr. Murray attended the common schools until 1864. He was Principal of the Mt. Elgin Schools from 1872 to 1875, and of the Tillsonburg Schools from 1875 to 1881. In the latter year, he visited Michigan, and located at Port Huron in 1882, where he holds a position on the Commercial staff. He was married to Miss Nellie Worden July 23, 1881, daughter Mr. Worden and Melissa Worden, the former a native of Iowa and the latter of Michigan.

PORT HURON TIMES.

The Port Huron Press was established by J. Scarritt in September, 1858. This journal continued regular publication until merged into the Port Huron Times in 1870.

The Port Huron Times. The first number of this newspaper was issued June 25, 1869, with James H. Stone, managing editor, and the Port Huron Times Company owners. The company was organized early in 1869, and recorded articles of incorporation July 19, 1870. The capital stock was $6,000, or 240 shares of $25 each, which sum was actually paid in at date of organization. The shareholders were: James W. Sanborn and John P. Sanborn, twenty-two shares each; H. Howard, twenty shares; John Johnson, sixteen shares; W. B. Hibbard, fourteen shares; Frederick L. Wells, Edgar White and James H. White, twelve shares each; John S. Bottsford, ten shares; James H. Stone, eight shares; Alexander Crawford, G. Inslee, O. L. Jenks, William Hartsuff, J. M. Hubbard, H. A. Batchelor, James Beard, A. H. Fish, D. B. Harrington, four shares each; D. N. Runnells, W. Wastell, G. E. Brockway, three shares each; J. W. Thomson, M. Walker, J. Byron Hull, G. K. Nairn, C. F. Harrington, H. Hunt, J. P. Haynes and W. E. Preache, two shares each; Aaron Smith, H. Williams, E. M. Cady, W. R. Mulford, H. Traver, E. G. Spaulding, J. W. Thomson, Jr., G. E. Twiss, H. McMoran, W. W. Campfield, J. J. Hoyt, W. B. Morse, S. D. Pace, C. M. Stockwell, G. W. Howe, H. G. Barnum and John McNeil, one share each; and Edward W. Harris, six.

In June, 1869, the first power printing press introduced into the county was placed in this office, and on it the first number of the Times was printed.

The Michigan Press Association awarded the Times the first premium as being the best made-up newspaper in the State, September, 1870. A month later, November 1, 1870, the editor, J. H. Stone, resigned his position to accept the editorship of the Kalamazoo Daily Telegraph. L. A. Sherman, of the Detroit Daily Post, accepted the position of managing editor vice Mr. Stone resigned. Within a few months, a tri-weekly edition was issued (March 4, 1871), the weekly form was changed from folio to quarto, and a business boom seemed to strike the office. The Tri-Weekly Times was discontinued March 23, 1872, when the Daily Times was inaugurated. In December, 1874, J. H. Stone accepted the editorial charge. The progress of the Times since 1872 is remarkable. To-day it is one of the newsiest, best edited, and profitable daily journals in the State.

Lorin Albert Sherman, son of Albert C. and Mary Ann Scotford, the former a native of Connecticut and the latter of Utica, N. Y., was born March 14, 1844. The next year, Mrs. Sherman, her son and two sisters moved to Alexander, Genesee County, and thence to Darien Township, Genesee County. In 1851, the family came to Michigan, settling at DeWitt Village, near Lansing. During the stay of the family in these places Mr. Sherman attended the district schools. In 1853, the family moved to Olivet. The year following, Mr. S. entered the Olivet Institute, under Prof. Bartlett, where he studied during six terms. In 1857, he entered Hillsdale College, where he studied for a few terms. The year following, he went to Jackson, where he was engaged in mercantile life until 1861, when he enlisted in the First Michigan Infantry, then organized under Gen. John C. Robinson. He served until July 1862, when he received his discharge for disability. Like other soldiers of the war he suffered from many of the diseases common in the army of that time. From March, 1862, to time of discharge, he served as Hospital Steward at Newport News. He served at Mechanicsville, Gaines' Mill and other military affairs throughout Virginia, as referred to in the military chapter. Toward the close of 1862, he went to Adrian, where he was employed in a book store, then entered the Adrian Expositor as book-keeper and clerk, and became editor of that daily journal two years later. In [419] the spring of 1866, he was appointed night editor of the Detroit Post under Gen. Carl Schurz, now editor of the New York Post. In the fall of 1866, Mr. Sherman was appointed managing editor of the Detroit Post, which position he held until the fall of 1867, when he resumed the dual position of night and State news editor. He remained in the office of the Post until 1870, when he accepted the position of Manager of the Port Huron Weekly Times in November of that year. In March, 1871, he inaugurated a tri-weekly edition, and the year following established the Daily Times, which journal he now manages. In the spring of 1878, James H. Stone resigned his position on the Times to accept the managing editorship of the Post and Tribune, when Mr. Sherman again assumed the management of the paper.

Mr. Sherman was married, September 6, 1865, to Miss Estella C. Ward, daughter of Josiah Ward, a pioneer lawyer of Adrian, Mich., who died in Nevada, in 1864. They were the parents of four children, viz.: Fred. W., born February 3, 1867; Edith E., born March 20, 1873; Albert Ward, born January 20, 1875, died November 3, 1875, and William T., born December 18, 1881.

Mr. Sherman served for eight years as Chairman of the Republican City Committee; four years member and Secretary of the Republican County Committee, and three years member of the Board of Education, during which time he superintended the rebuilding of the high school. Through his efforts the Telephone Exchange was established at Port Huron, January 1, 1880, and also the line from Port Huron to Detroit in September, 1881. He manages the telephone business of the city and district, and is even now extending the lines.

The City Opera House, built by D. B. Harrington, has been under the management of Mr. Sherman since it was first completed. After its destruction by fire and rebuilding, he was again requested to assume the management. He was one of the first advocates of a system of water-works for the city, and also a prime advocate for the construction of the P. H. & N. W. R. R. It may in truth be said that there has not been a more able or persistent supporter of local progress and improvement than Mr. Sherman. His position on the Times afforded him a rare opportunity, and how this opportunity has been availed of by him is evidenced in the success which waited upon his labors in this direction.

Among the principal members of the Times staff were Gill. R. Osmun, now State editor of Detroit Evening News; Del. T. Sutton, a favorably known editor of the Richmond Review; Hatheway, now of the Grand Rapids Democrat; A. B. Fraser, now of Chicago; George P. Brown, of Point St. Ignace, and the present editor, J. Bartle Parker.

Jacob Bartle Parker, son of Ebenezer and Rosetta (Plum) Parker, natives of Suffolk County, England, was born at Dundas, Wentworth County, Canada West, August 15, 1858. He received a common school education at Dundas. In 1869 or 1870, he left school and entered the office of the Dundas Banner, in October, 1870, under James Somerville, M. P. of Canada Parliament. There he served until November, 1875, when he entered the composing room of the Hamilton Spectator (daily). In February, 1876, moved to Woodstock and engaged on the Sentinel, then edited by G. R. and A. Pattullo. In October, 1878, the Review and Sentinel amalgamated, when Mr. Parker passed some months at his home in Dundas before leaving to take a position on the Lindsay Post, then published by Mr. Barr, of New York. In October, 1879, he moved to Albion, Mich., where he entered the office of the Republican, under Benjamin Baxter Bissell. In April, 1881, he received an offer from the Port Huron Times. Coming to Port Huron the same month, he entered upon his first journalistic labors as city editor of that daily journal, which position he now occupies. Mr. Parker was married, October 20, 1880, to Miss Ida Cowherd, daughter of Thomas and Ellen Cowherd, of Bradford, Brant County, Canada West, old and well known settlers of that district. Mrs. Parker was born December 7, 1858, at Brantford.

Albert H. Finn, formerly editor of the Fort Gratiot Sun, now of the Christian Advocate, took the position of assistant local editor on the Daily Times, in June, 1882.

PORT HURON JOURNAL.

The Port Huron Journal was inaugurated in 1873, under the title The Saturday Morning Journal, by Messrs. Kilets and Morse. T. Lew Kilets purchased the office March 10, 1874. It assumed the name Port Huron Journal June 2, 1875.

[420] Thomas L. Kilets, son of Caspar and Sarah (Degeer) Kilets, the former a native of Pennsylvania, Holland descent, and the latter a native of York State, of French descent, was born at Hamilton, C. W., November 5, 1839. The family moved from Brampton, Ont., to Buffalo, in 1850; in 1851, moved to Madison Mills, Mich.; in 1852, the family removed to Lexington, and in 1854 again returned to Brampton, and Mr. Kilets, then being fifteen years of age, entered into an apprenticeship in the office of the Toronto Globe, and served two years. In 1856, the family again returned to Lexington, and Mr. Kilets worked on the Lexington Signal, Leader & Jeffersonian until 1868. In 1868, he entered the office of the Weekly Times, then edited by James H. Stone, and the following year took a position in the Commercial office under Talbot & Son. In March, 1871, he visited Chicago, where he worked in Culver, Page, Hoyne & Co.'s and Rand & McNally's printing offices. In July previous to the Chicago fire, he left for Alpena, where he entered the office of the Alpena Pioneer, under A. C. Teft. In the spring of 1872, he came to Port Huron, and took a position on the Old White Hat, a Greeley campaign sheet. This paper collapsed in November, 1872, when he entered the Commercial office. October 18, 1873, he inaugurated the Port Huron Journal, which he and Mr. Morse conducted until March, 1874. This journal Mr. Kilets conducted as an independent paper until 1876, when he espoused Greenbackism, which political faith the paper supported until sold to Milo E. Marsh, now of Lansing. Subsequently he conducted a job office at Port Huron. This he sold to the Burkholders, of Fort Gratiot, June 18, 1880. In November, 1880, he re-assumed control of the office, re-establishing at Port Huron; May 21, 1881, he inaugurated a small advertising sheet called the Port Huron Headlight. This was merged into the Weekly Mail, February 4, 1882. This journal is now published and edited by him; this is a thirty-two-column quarto, of which four pages are printed at Fort Wayne, Ind.

Mr. Kilets married Miss Carrie I. Saph, daughter of Arnold Saph, an old settler of St. Clair, May 18, 1874. They are the parents of Harry L., born June 11, 1876, and Lewfurges H., born February 12, 1878. Mr. K. is politically a Greenbacker, and religiously a Spiritualist.

THE TRIBUNE.

The Tribune was issued December 17, 1881, with James H. Shults as editor and proprietor. It is a forty-column quarto, made up specially for the office, without patent insides, good in mechanical and literary style, and gives promise of taking a front rank among the weekly journals of the State.

James Henry Shults, son of James L. and Betsy (Rounds) Shults, natives of Allegany County, N. Y., was born at Howell, Mich., March 18, 1852. The family moved to Gratiot County, where J. H. attended the common schools of St. Louis. He was engaged as school teacher for some time in that district. In 1874, he entered the St. Louis Herald, under J. B. Graham, remaining in that office until 1877. That year he entered the Mt. Pleasant Times office as local editor, managed that journal for a few months, until leaving for Chicago in the fall of 1877. He remained at Chicago in the employ of Donnelly, Lloyd & Co., and on the staff of a Chicago weekly until December, 1880, when he moved to St. Louis, as publisher and owner of the Herald. Remaining there until March 1, 1881, he sold his interest in that journal to Mr. Tucker, and subsequently published the Minden Post, which he suspended during the great fires of 1881. This journal resumed publication under Mr. Shults, its founder, June 15, 1882. In November, 1881, he came to Port Huron, and issued the Saturday Tribune, December 17, 1881. Mr. Shults is editor and manager of both papers, and is fully satisfied with the progress of each.

THE ST. CLAIR BANNER.

The St. Clair Banner was cast to the breeze in 1842 by John N. Ingersoll, and continued its fiery political course until 1853. The well-known editor, John N. Ingersoll, born at North Castle, Westchester Co., N. Y., May 4, 1817, came to Michigan in 1837. That year he worked in the office of the Free Press; subsequently was foreman in the Advertiser; became editor of the Macomb Statesman in 1839; began the publication of the St. Clair Banner in 1842 at St. Clair Village, which he issued until 1846, when he published the Lake Superior News - the pioneer journal for that country. In 1849, he was elected Representative for Lake Superior Terri- [421] tory, and the same year found him Speaker of the Legislature. In 1850, he was on the staff of the Detroit Bulletin, and also owner of the Hesperian Magazine. In 1852, he was managing editor of the Detroit Daily Times. In 1856, he moved to Rochester, N. Y., where he became one of the editors and publishers of the Daily Tribune. In 1858, he purchased the Owosso American, conducting the paper until 1862, when he moved to Corunna. For over two decades he edited the Shiawassee American.

THE ST. CLAIR REPUBLICAN.

The St. Clair Observer succeeded the Banner in 1853, with A. M. Tenney, editor and proprietor. In 1855, the St. Clair Herald made its appearance, with J. J. Falkenbury editor. This journal was a boisterous political sheet, hated by many, loved by few. In fact, the St. Clair Village papers, up to 1855, could boast of an unenviable notoriety in this connection. From a notice, under date September, 1854, we learn the following: "Arthur M. Tenney, Esq., late editor of the St. Clair Observer, at the recent term of the Circuit Court for this county, recovered a judgment of $500 against Falkenbury of the St. Clair Herald, for libel, in charging that he, Tenney, had as committeeman embezzled funds contributed by citizens of St. Clair for the purchase of a fire engine.

"In the case of Reamer vs. Falkenbury, also for libel, the plaintiff obtained a verdict of $1,000."

Matters improved in 1856 by the inauguration of the St. Clair Republican (as we know it now), which continues to fill a high position among the newspapers of the State. In 1865, this journal fell into possession of Hazzard P. Wands, who was its controlling spirit until the office was purchased by Mr. Moore. The Republican is now well managed by Mr. Moore, and ably edited by S. S. Hopkins.

The Chief and the Standard were projected in 1860-61. The former was a small campaign sheet, edited by J. K. Averill, which ceased to exist after the campaign of that year. The Standard was issued irregularly for some time, and then, like many other good things, passed into the past.

Capt. Hazzard P. Wands, editor of the St. Clair Republican, died August 15, 1877, at St. Clair. Mr. Wands was attacked with chills and fever about ten days previously, and later by diphtheria, but his condition was not considered dangerous until four days passed, when his physicians became satisfied that the result of this sickness was uncertain, since his system was greatly weakened and impaired by previous sickness and feeble health. Mr. Wands had a very large circle of acquaintances who were deeply pained to learn of his sudden demise. It is about seventeen years since he came to St. Clair from Canada, where his early life was passed, though we cannot learn positively whether he was born in Canada or went there at an early age. He studied law in the office of T. C. Owen and was admitted to the bar in November, 1861. He had but fairly begun practice before he enlisted in the Twenty-second Infantry, organized in the summer of 1862, going out as First Lieutenant of Company E. Upon the death of Capt. Henry Carlton at Nashville, Lieut. Wands succeeded to the Captaincy of the company. He served with credit and was captured by the rebels at the battle of Chickamauga, where so many of his comrades were taken prisoners. He remained in rebel prisons about a year and never fully regained his health, which was greatly impaired by the confinement.

About the close of the war, he purchased the St. Clair Republican and had editorial charge, being most of the time sole publisher as well. In 1866, he was elected County Clerk on the Republican ticket and re-elected in 1868-70, serving in all six years, and very capably discharging the duties of the place. He was appointed in 1875, by Gov. Bagley, County Agent for the care of dependent and neglected children, and had served as Alderman in the Common Council of St. Clair, besides filling various other municipal. offices.

He was a well-informed man, and diligent in whatever work he was engaged. His age was forty-one years. He was an active member of the Methodist Church of St. Clair, and, if we mistake not, one of the officers of the society at the time of his death.

Charles R. Green was editor up to September, 1878, when he retired. He was succeeded by C. G. Conger.

[422] Stephen Sibley Hopkins, printer, was born at Romeo June 4, 1847; his father, Cyrus Hopkins, descendant of the signer of the Declaration of Independence (Step Hopkins), was a long-time resident of Romeo; his mother, M. C. Parker, a native of New York, still lives at the village. At the age of fourteen years, Sibley became connected with the paper, Romeo Argus, and followed the fortunes of that paper through various names and administrations for about twenty years, a portion of the time being editor and publisher; in the fall of 1881, he removed to the city of St. Clair and became connected with the Republican, which position he still holds. He married, October 20, 1868, Gertrude, daughter of William Maynard, of Romeo; her parents were natives of Western New York, who removed to Michigan in 1844, and have been residents of Romeo for the past twenty years; they have had one child born to them, which died in infancy; they are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and he is Republican in politics.

MARINE CITY REPORTER.

The Marine City Gazette was established in June, 1874, with Mr. Bissell, now of St. Ignace, Mackinac County, editor. After Mr. Bissell ceased to control the Gazette, the name of the paper was changed to that of the Marine City Reporter. This journal is now well conducted, newsy, and a particularly earnest exponent of local interest.

William Norton Miller, editor of the Marine City Reporter, was born at Mount Clemens July 15, 1859. His parents, Norton L. and Mrs. Frances E. (Lewis) Miller, are old residents of Macomb County. Mr. Miller, Jr., received his education at Mount Clemens under Prof. Wesley Sears. In 1876, he went into the office of his uncle, George F. Lewis, of Saginaw, where he finished his study of printing and newspaper work. In 1876, he returned to Mount Clemens, when he took a position in the Monitor office. In 1879, on the transfer of the Monitor to Nellis & Son, Mr. Miller entered the Republican office, and was virtually conductor of that journal until his removal to Marine City in December, 1881. He was married, March 18, 1879, to Miss Clara M. Spier, daughter of Samuel J. Spier, of Galesburg, Mich. They are the parents of one child - Jennie, now aged three years. Politically, Mr. Miller is a Republican; a trained newspaper man, industrious and popular.

THE FORT GRATIOT SUN.

The Fort Gratiot Enterprise was founded by Burkholder Brothers. The office was sold to Will Berry, under whom the paper promised to be a success. The office was in the old Phoenix Block, and was burned in the fire of 1881. In December, 1881, the Sun was published, with A. H. Finn editor.

Joseph Ephraim Soults, son of William and Susan (Bell) Soults, both natives of County Down, Ireland, was born in Royal Oak Township, Oakland Co., Mich., August 15, 1858. He was educated in the schools of Royal Oak, and at Birmingham High School. In 1879, he established a job office at Royal Oak Village, and there published the Midget in partnership with Albert H. Finn. This little journal contained good local columns, and received a fair support. In October, 1879, the office was removed to Capac, where he established the Capac Argus. This paper was published there until May 19, 1882, when the office was removed to Fort Gratiot, where the Argus was merged into the Sun, then published by Albert Finn at that village. June 24, 1882, Mr. Soults purchased the entire interest in the Sun, and is now editor and proprietor of that journal. The Sun was first issued at Fort Gratiot, December 3, 1881. The office is valued at $1,300; the type and presses are as good as new, and the support tendered very fair. The weekly issue is 624 copies.

Adolph Cohoe, now of St. Ignace, was musical editor of the Argus.

Albert Henry Finn, son of Rev. Silas Finn and Cynthia (Eaton) Finn, natives of Pennsylvania and New York respectively, was born at St. Clair City June 15, 1862. Commenced the newspaper business July, 1879, in company with Joe E. Soults, establishing the Royal Oak Midget, a three-column four-page paper. Continued it until September, when the office was moved to Capac, St. Clair County, where the Argus was established in October, 1879; continued with the Argus until September, 1880, when the left to attend Kalamazoo College, but still holding half-interest. The latter part of October, 1881, returned from college to Fort Gratiot, [423] where he established the Sun in December, 1881, acting as editor and manager, until July 1882, when he sold out to J. E. Soults, and accepted a position on the Port Huron Times. In, the fall of 1882, he received an appointment on the Christian Advocate.

The Brockway Centre Expositor was issued May 18, 1882, with Del. T. Sutton proprietor, and J. A. Menzies, editor.

Del. T. Sutton, editor and publisher of the Richmond Review, was born October 1, 1858. The greater portion of his life was spent on a farm in what is known as the Kellogg neighborhood, in the township of Ray, in this county. He then removed to Richmond, where his father, William R. Sutton, engaged in the mercantile business. Residing at that place for some years, he then removed to New Haven. He lived at this place for several years, when he moved back to Richmond. In June, 1876, in company with George W. Kenfield, he started the Richmond Herald. After an existence of about two weeks, the partnership was dissolved, Mr. Sutton sold out to David L. Cooper, in whose employ he remained for about eight months. He then assumed the position of local and assistant editor of the Port Huron Daily and Weekly Times, where he remained for several months. His next enterprise was the establishing of the Greenback Sentinel, a campaign journal. In October, 1878, he removed to Homer, Calhoun County, to edit and publish the Index. He was married to Miss Lillie B. Thompson, of Richmond, December 25, 1878. In August, 1880, he returned to Richmond and purchased the Richmond Review, of which journal he is now editor and publisher.

The Memphis Tribune was established in 1882, and the first number issued June 8 of that year. The editor and proprietor is A. H. Patterson, formerly of the Almont Herald. The Tribune is a twenty-eight-column folio, two pages of which are printed at Memphis and two pages at Detroit.

The Capac Bugle is the name of a paper established at Capac by Charles A. Bacon in November, 1882. It has eight pages of five columns each, and presents a very creditable appearance. Its motto is, "Capac and St. Clair County first, and the world afterward."

The Daily Telegraph was published at Port Huron in the fall of 1882, with Mr. Thomas, editor. It is a small four-page journal.

[424] RELIGIOUS HISTORY.

Throughout the history of the townships, villages and cities of the county, sketches of the various religious societies are given. Here a notice of organization or re-organization is placed before the reader.

The footsteps of the French Catholic missionary and of the children of his church were the first marks made by white men on the sands of the Atlantic shore, as well as upon the shores of our great lakes and rivers. They built a church at St. Augustine, Fla., over 300 years ago, and a little later raised the cross in the wilderness of the North. The first convent was established at New Orleans, in 1727; the first cargo of wheat sent down the Mississippi was raised at the Jesuit Mission; the first sugar-cane plantation in Louisiana was cultivated by them, and the last survivor of the signers of the Declaration of Independence was a son of their church.

On account of the aversion with which the Puritan element regarded the English Protestant Episcopal Church, that society was not established within the Union until 1784, when Samuel Seabury was chosen Bishop of Connecticut. In 1785, the Independent Protestant Episcopal Church of America was organized. The prayer book was altered to meet the political requirements of the Republic, as set forth in 1790.

The Presbyterian Church was established in the United States toward the close of the seventeenth century by Francis MacKemie, an Irish Presbyterian. In 1716, a synod was held; in 1740, George Whitefield came, when the Old Side and New Side branches were formed. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the Cumberland Presbyterian organized. In 1838, the Old School and the New School Presbyterians formed societies, and again, after the war, the Southern Presbyterian Church was formed.

The Methodist Church, founded by John Wesley, took root in New York in 1766, when some of his adherents from Ireland organized a class with Phillip Embury and Capt. Webb as leaders. In 1771, Francis Asbury came as Superintendent, and two years later the first Methodist Conference was held, consisting of ten preachers of foreign birth. The actual organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church took place in 1784.

In this county the varied forms of Christianity have made great advances. Churches have multiplied until every village and town show their spires and cupolas, containing bells of harmony, which have long since ceased to peal the hymn of debasing bigotry. The centennial of Yorktown witnessed peace throughout the land, religious dissensions and savage bigotry entombed, and the Republic happy in the possession of citizens, each one of whom essays to serve God after his own notion, without impertinent interference with his neighbor's faith. The people have evidently realized the fact that the evil example offered by members of every religious society does more to check Christianity than all the sophistry of the infidel, the arms of the united Musselmans, or the presence of 100,000 Mongolian mandarins and high priests. Abuses will continue so long as the world exists, but the number may be lessened if each section of the Christian Church will do its duty, by watching its interests closely - by minding its own business.

In the following pages, the organization of each church in the county, as shown in the records, is given. There are no public records to base data regarding the first Catholic congregation formed in this county; but it may be presumed that large numbers of the French Missionary Fathers visited the camping grounds of the Indians along the Huron, erected temporary altars and offered the sacrifice of the mass in presence of the wondering red men. After the French Canadians made settlements here, they were visited regularly by the priests of Detroit, until the establishment of permanent missions. Since the American pioneer period the following religious societies were formed within this county:

The organization of the Protestant Episcopal Church of Port Huron was perfected Febru- [425] ary 3, 1840, by the election of Nicholas Ayrault and John Wells as Wardens; Bartlett A. Luce, Joseph B. Flanagan, Lorenzo M. Mason, Daniel B. Harrington and Joseph McCreary, Vestrymen.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Port Huron was organized February 15, 1840, when Rev. Elijah Pilcher, P. E., appointed Joseph Flannagan, William R. Goodwin, J. W. Camfield, G. F. Boynton and Othiel Gould a board of trustees for the first society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of St. Clair was organized January 27, 1841, when Rev. Solomon Steele appointed Moore R. Barron, James Ogden, George Clark, Andrew H. Wesbrook and Archibald P. Phillips, Trustees.

The Congregational Society of Newport was organized within the Newport Schoolhouse April 5, 1842, with Zael Ward, Selden A. Jones and Davis Donihoo, Trustees. Elisha Jones and Zael Ward presided over the meeting.

The Congregational Society of St. Clair elected Reuben Moore, Elisha Smith, George Palmer, Everett Beardsley, Hamilton P. Cady and Samuel Geluter, Trustees, May 9, 1842.

The Congregation society of Port Huron was organized March 27, 1843. John Townsend, A. Bottsford, M. S. Gillett, D. Northrup, E. B. Clark and John Miller, Jr., were elected Trustees.

The Congregational society of Algonac was organized May 5, 1845, with Aura P. Stewart, M. W. Brooks, James Burt, Samuel Roberts, Laban Rucker and Horace Biers, Trustees.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Algonac elected Charles Phillips, Silas Miller, Henry Robertson, Daniel Daniels, Peter Tarble, James Miller and Charles L. Poole, Trustees, July 22, 1845.

The First Baptist Church and society of St. Clair was organized June 2, 1849, with H. H. Mather, Rufus Swift and Daniel Stewart, Trustees. M. H. Miles, Rufus Swift and Daniel Stewart introduced the Constitution and By-Laws.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Newport was organized by the appointment of Tubal C. Owen, Isaac Wilkin, Reuben Warner and Hezekiah Clark, Trustees, November 8, 1851. The appointments were made by William Glass, preacher in charge.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Algonac met at the House of D. D. Gillett, January 30, 1855, and filled the vacancies in Board of Trustees by appointment of George W. Owen, O. H. Reynolds, William Quibble, James Miller, F. C. Folkerts and Fredric Parker, Trustees; Daniel G. Gillett, preacher.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Memphis, Riley Township, was presided over in 1855, by Samuel P. Lee, who, in January 23, that year, appointed George Riggs, George N. Chilson, David Mansfield, John Wheeling and Amsey W. Sutton, Trustees.

The First Baptist Church of Ira was organized September 8, 1856, when E. G. Marks, S. D. Irons and Thomas Ward were elected trustees.

The First Baptist Church and Society of Columbus was organized March 19, 1858, with W. B. Wright, S.S. A. Fenton, R. S. Freeman John Eastwood, Manson Farrar, Hiram Hunt, Michael Folts, Joseph Morgan, Harly Hills and Hosea Fuller, Trustees.

The German Methodist Episcopal Church of Newport and St. Clair was organized June 15, 1858, with Frederick Valker, John Reeder, August Heiliytag, A. Zimmerman and Carl Drews, Trustees.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Lakeport was organized November 2, 1858, when Solomon S. Littlefield appointed Joseph Y. Pettys, James Bingham, A. P. Sexton, George Wade and Joseph Stephenson, Trustees.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Lynn was organized May 15, 1858, when Rev. Morey Harrington, preacher in charge of Mill St. Circuit, appointed J. A. Cole, John Stonehouse, C. P. Stone, D. S. Evans and William Bettes, Trustees.

The German Presbyterian Congregation of Port Huron was organized October 10, 1859, with Izzard Freund, H. Schmidt, Peter Hill, P. Heinrich Hoffmann and Peter Atwater, Trustees.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Vicksburg was organized November 9, 1859, with Peter F. Brakman, Nelson Mills, Amsley M. Griffith, D. Carlisle and William Smith Trustees, and William Tuttle, pastor.

[426] The First Baptist Society of Port Huron was organized December 5, 1859, with John Lewis, John Howard, J. J. Scaritt, J. B. Hull and Calvin Ames, Trustees. The meeting to organize was presided over by Calvin Ames.

The Pilcher Chapel of the Methodist Episcopal Church was the corporate title of trustees, appointed by Rev. George W. Owen, of the Columbus Circuit, February 8, 1860. The trustees were Charles Simmons, George Fuller, William O. Fuller, Josiah P. Merchant and Samuel Stephen.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Merrilville in Brockway Township, was organized March 20, 1860, when Rev. Ira H. Chamblin appointed Levi McNeil, William Bettes, Nathan White, Peleg Soule and Jesse A. Cole, Trustees.

The Evangelical Lutheran Congregation of St. Martin was organized at St. Clair, August 5, 1858, with Michael Nehmeyer, John Peldmeyer and Michael Scheierioker, Trustees.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Burtchville was established September 3, 1861, by Rev. William Tuttle, who appointed M. Strevel, W. Boomer, William Wardel, John Mitchell and John Holt, Trustees.

First Evangelical Protestant Church of Casco was organized July 6, 1861, when William Zentgreve, John Hirt and Andrew Moerschel were elected Trustees.

First Congregational Society of Columbus was formed November 19, 1860, with John S. Parker, Henry Quick, Charles Hunt, Robert Ramsey, Michael Felts and Thomas Graham, Trustees.

The Methodist Protestant Church of Capac was organized under Rev. H. W. Hicks, February 15, 1862, when Hugh Morton, Garrison Smith, and P. C. Goodel were elected Trustees.

St. Mark's Church (Protestant Episcopal) of Newport was organized June 20, 1863, with B. S. Horton, A. B. Clough, Aloney Rust, L. B. Parker, T. W. Main, and John Bishop as original members.

German Lutheran Church, St. Martin's Congregation of Cottrellville, was organized February 16, 1864, with twenty-one members, under Conrad Ide, minister, and John Waug, Paul Vollnier, and Frederick Gunnurmer, Trustees.

St. Mark's Protestant Episcopal Church of Marine City, was organized in June, 1865, with A. B. Clough, B. L. Horton, Alexander Gilchrist, Aloney Rust, Joseph Luff and D. H. Westcott, members.

The German Lutheran St. Paul's Congregation and Church, Casco, were organized June 7, 1859, with Aug. Leich, Samuel Spaar and W. J. Schroeder, Trustees, and F. Backman and W. Schroeder, Elders.

Lutheran Evangelical St. Peter's Congregation of China was organized February 24, 1866, with Charles Hoffmeyer, Aug. Hoffmeyer and John C. Roeder, Trustees.

St. Andrew's Protestant Episcopal Church of Algonac was organized March 7, 1867, with Thomas F. Perry, Fred. Parker, William Gunniss, Aura P. Stewart, John K. Harrow and John Hansford, original members.

Trinity Church (Protestant Episcopal) of St. Clair was organized April 2, 1867, with Wesley Truesdell, T. W. Bacon, A. L. Padfield, D. Sheldon, John E. Kitton, Uriah Hayden, original members.

The Port Huron Society of Spiritualists adopted a constitution April 24, 1868. The members whose signatures are on record were: D. B. Harrington, L. S. Nobles, S. W. Hamilton, James H. White, J. H. Haslett, H. Kubey, John Buzzard, James Talbot, T. L. Hubbard, C. L. Penney, E. R. Seeley, John L. Newell, W. B. Pace, R. W. Matthews, Megs Jordan, Henry Allen, Stephen V. Thornton, Thomas Dunford, Isaac Hamilton, S. D. Pace, Hiram Hamilton. The ladies who joined this religious body were, Sophia Hoagdon, Eliza A. Dale, Mary C. Reid, M. J. Brown, Mary E. Noble, Emma Young, H. N. Hamilton, L. G. Seeley, Electa Buzzard, Mariah Talbut, Mary Miller, Angel D. Penney, Miss Fannie Kubey, Mrs. M. Sayres, H. F. Allen, Lizzie Pace and Sarah Dunford. The Trustees were John L. Newell, James H. White, J. H. Haslett, James Talbot, L. S. Nobles, Thomas Dunford and C. L. Penney.

The German Evangelical Church of Port Huron adopted articles of association as the "German United Evangelical Congregation of Port Huron," May 10, 1868. The society elected [427] the following Trustees, July 5, 1868, viz.: Peter Hill, Philip Eichhorn, Peter Schweetzer, Aug. Ludwig, Ernst Ortenburger and Charles Eichhorn.

The Capac Society of Spiritualists organized, September 13, 1868, with the following Executive Committee: Andrew Millspaugh, Charles Ross, Mrs. Charles Ross, Philander Caswell, Miss Harriet Caswell, Mrs. Millspaugh, Samuel J. Finchers, John T. Pomeroy, Hestor F. McKinzie.

The First United Presbyterian Congregation of Port Huron was organized May 10, 1869, with Robert Wilson, P. R. Wright, Edward Cowan, Daniel Robinson and Alexander Stewart, original members.

The First Regular Baptist Church and Society of Brockway adopted articles of association February 7, 1867, with William Ballentine, W. H. Ballentine, Ruth Ballentine, R. Turner, Catharine Turner, Nathan Russell, Waldron Ward, Louisa H. Boyer, first members.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Kenockee elected Samuel Ramsay, Aaron Hulin, Levi Cronk, Thomas Ramsay, and Daniel Dove, Trustees, January 1, 1870.

The Church of Christ, Brockway Center, adopted articles of association March 19, 1870. The members belonged to the Free Baptist Church for seven years previously. The subscribers to the constitution were: D. Brown, pastor; R. W. Murray and John Broadway, Deacons; A. H. Telfer, George Moffat, Sr., Alexander Lowe, Samuel Carson, George Carpenter, Jacob Murray, H. Phillips, G. Menerey, M. Menerey, Agnes Turnbull, William Young, Doughtery Middleton, Jannette Middleton, R. Scott, T. H. Collins, Ruth Scott, Constance Eastman, W. B. Johnson, Melveney Bartlett, J. Brown, Sarah A. Carson, Nancy A. Broadway, M. Packer, Mary H. Tehpen, Mary Brown, Eliza Menerey, Janet M. Brown, Anne Menerey, Margaret Adams, Susan Carpenter, Mary Phillips, Eliza Menerey, Mary J. Menerey, Anne K. Menerey, Mary G. Stevens, Mary Young, Mary A. Collins, Alexander Adams, Elizabeth Phillips, Elizabeth Smeats and Isabella Brown.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Wales Township elected James P. Smith, D. Reisch, Bob. Baillie, James Dunning and Abraham Yarger Trustees March 5, 1870.

The Church of Christ of Algonac adopted articles of association in 1871, and elected Isaac Kliene, N. D. Smith and Vincent McCrea Trustees.

The First Baptist Society of Casco was organized March 7, 1872, with Charles Schmock, Fred Schoff and John Brockman Trustees.

The First Baptist Society of Wales Township adopted articles of association January 20, 1872. The Trustees elected were Galloway Freleigh, A. Dunning and D. Drake.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Grant was organized March 16, 1871, with Aaron Earnest, Charles P. Farr and George Comstock Trustees.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Kimball Circuit, in Wales Township, adopted articles of association in 1872, and on June 8 elected Charles S. King, Elihu Akerman and Levi Fairbanks Trustees.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church of China, elected Peter Powrie, Thomas Low, Wonton Tripp, Philander Allen and Ambrose West, Trustees, October 29, 1870.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church of West Berlin elected Trustees April 23, 1872. They were James S. Freligh, F. F. Barber, John Park, James Harrington, Schuyler Jones, T. Stanlake and William Huggett.

The German Aid Society of the city of Port Huron was organized February 9, 1873, with eight members.

The German Evangelist Lutheran Society of Port Huron adopted articles of association February 10, 1873, which adoption was signed by William Ernst, J. F. Ruff, A. Wienert, A. Henz and A. Schulz.

The Methodost Episcopal Church of Fort Gratiot appointed Raymond J. Wright, Richard Eades, Robert E. French, Don. C. Curtis, Joseph Davis and Felix Towsley, Trustees, March 18, 1873.

The Advent Christian Church Society of Columbus Township adopted articles of association February 27, 1875, which were signed by Ira P. Burke, Norman Young, George C. Stephenson, John S. Parker and O. M. Stephenson.

[428] Salem Church of the Evangelist Association of North America, in St. Clair County, was incorporated December 15, 1874, with W. H. Hunsperger, President, and J. G. Guenther, Treasurer.

German Evangelist Lutheran Church of Emanuel of Greenwood Township elected Nicholas Vogelei, C. Gruel, John Lepien, Charles Lepien and Fred. Prueness, Trustees, March 1, 1875.

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Riley Township was organized February 9, 1875, when William Burt, W. B. Dayton, Martin Ellenwood, J. Warren, S. Van Valkenburg, were elected Trustees. The members who signed the articles of association were, together with the Trustees, James McMett, Thomas Davis, D. McMett, Hiram L. Dutton, J. L. Vincent, Manuel Ralph, William Dayton, Mary Burt, Jane E. Davis, Eliza Dutton, Julia Valkenburgh, Mary A. Vincent and Eliza A. Ralph.

The Free Methodist Church of Riley, was formed October 4, 1875, when Hezekiah Knight, John Bishop, Albert Henderson, T. Tevill and A. Sunrekee were elected Trustees.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Capac appointed Miles Hagles, Marvin M. Holcomb, Thomas Lynch, James B. Cavenagh, and Richard Shutt, Trustees, November, 22, 1875.

The First Methodist Episcopal Society of Marine City, appointed Isaac Wilkins, Aaron G. Westbrook, Phineas H. Clarke, Hiram Chambers, Leonard B. Parker, Calvin A. Blood, D. H. Wescott, Thomas Pringle and James Leitch, Trustees, January 18, 1876.

The Church of the United Brethren in Christ of Fort Gratiot, elected Abram B. Flewelling, Merrill S. Jones, Charles Cole, Trustees, December 25, 1875.

The Free-Will Baptist Society of Brockway, recorded its revival January 4, 1876, by the adoption of articles of association. Many of those who formed the Church of Christ, previously referred to, returning to its folds.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Grant elected Cyrus Potter, Paschal Lamb, William Austin, Milton Newbury and Moses Locke, Trustees, February 26, 1876.

The German Evangelist Lutheran Society of St. Clair City, adopted articles of association in March, 1876.

The German United Evangelist St. Paul's Congregation of Clyde Township adopted articles of association, August 31, 1875, and elected F. Ulrich, Adam Stein and Fred. Brolomski, Trustees.

The Methodist Protestant Church, Michigan District, with property in Berlin Township, adopted articles of association and elected Trustees, January 7, 1878. Henry Hulbert, George Egerton and William Warner were chosen Trustees.

German Lutheran Congregation of Marine City, adopted a constitution in December, 1878.

The Free-Will Baptist Church and Society of Lynn, adopted articles of association, and on July 2, 1879, elected Fred Dohrman, George Locke and John Drennan, Trustees.

The Free-Will Baptist Church of Riley Centre adopted a series of rules for government, and elected Jacob Warren, James McMitt, William Dayton, Jonas Jones and James Forshee, Sr., Trustees, December 8, 1877.

The Christian Church of Grant Centre was organized March 19, 1877, with John McGill, Martin Monroe, Hiram Hayword, James Carey, James Coon, Daniel McKay and Herman Elliott, Trustees.

The Baptist Church of Grant Township was organized November 7, 1879, with Rev. W. S. Barber, Smith W. Downs, Henry Hewitt, Alexander Youngs, and Nathan B. Elliott, a Committee of Trustees.

The first Trustees of the Clyde and Grant Methodist Episcopal Church were Stephen Tibbert, M. Myron, Henry Cook, Henry Kingsley and Dexter Hubbell, known as Trustees of Zion Methodist Episcopal Church, May 31, 1879.

The Trustees for Brockway Centre Methodist Episcopal Church, appointed by I. N. Elwood, Presiding Elder, February 14, 1880, were John Mitchell, John Stonehouse, George Ard, Joseph Redhouse, W. H. York, William Bettes, Archibald Mitchell, John Holden and John Wedge. In November, 1879, Mr. Elwood appointed George Ard, James Keys, J. F. Brown, C. W. [429] Stratton and Henry A. Cope, Trustees of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Brockway.

The Church of Christ of Algonac adopted articles of association February 23, 1880. The first officers were: T. B. Scovil, Overseer; Arthur Walderkine, Treasurer; R. Robertson, Deacon and Clerk; David Finkle, Frank Brabaw and Charles Sharp, Trustees.

Methodist Protestant Church of Kimball Circuit, Michigan, with property in Wales Township, adopted articles of association, April 2, 1880, and elected Horace C. Mudge, William Hunter, Adrian Tigchon, Peter Galerno and Ebenezer Card, Trustees.

The Methodist Protestant Church Society of Grant Circuit adopted articles of association June 15, 1880. The first Trustees were Thomas Myron, Louis O'Dell and Thomas Burns.

The German Evangelist Lutheran, St. Martin's Congregational U. A. C., adopted a series of rules for government, September 15, 1880. The officers elected were J. R. Lauritzen, Chairman; Z. M. Netmeyer, Secretary; M. Netmeyer, George Kruger and Z. M. Netmeyer, Trustees.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church of China elected Thomas Law, William Allington and W. A. Tripp, Trustees, May 7, 1881.

The Free-Will Baptist Church of Capac elected H. P. Stoughton, Nicholas Smith, Richard Scott, T. H. Bottomley and William Roy, Trustees, December 29, 1881.

The German Evangelist Lutheran St. Petri Congregation of Ira Township, adopted articles of incorporation in December, 1881. Henry Meyer, John Rassow and Louis Cohis were elected Trustees.

Among the local ministers of early times the name of Elder Warren is prominent. He resided on a farm in the southwestern part of Washington Township, Macomb County. He was not a man of classical education; but of fine natural abilities and tender sympathies, and a very happy manner of expressing them. In the first years of the settlement his services were in requistion far and near as the man most desired to officiate on funeral occasions. His efforts at such times were especially happy, and he became endeared to almost every family by reason of his timely service and kind counsel. The quarterly meetings for many years were greatly indebted to his presence. He was a good singer, and led the musical part of religious service with fine effect. As the years rolled on, men of culture came to supply the pulpits, and gradually, with his declining years, Elder Warren withdrew from the extended and voluntary labors of his earlier years. Elder Warren was the pioneer of Methodism.

Brother Ruggles, of Pontiac, was a man of like heart and labors, though different in manner and expression from Elder Warren. He was accustomed to visit this section of the State once every four weeks, walking from Pontiac. He lived to an advanced age, and died while attending a session of the General Congregational Society of Michigan. He was the pioneer of Congregational north of Detroit. He preached at Romeo in 1828-29, and organized the First Congregational Church there and preached in St. Clair.

Rev. John Taylor was one of the most able, learned and venerable men who settled here in early days. He resided with his son in Bruce, was well educated, refined, genial and a thorough type of the old school gentleman. He held Sabbath services at his house for many years. After the establishment of the Scotch settlement, there was a union of religious elements. He often supplied the pulpit in St. Clair County, sometimes for months together, when it was destitute of a minister. After a life of good deeds and words, he died suddenly at his home.

In the fall of 1829 or the spring of 1830, Luther Shaw, a graduate from Andover, settled at Romeo. He was the first permanent minister - preaching in the Congregational Church from 1830 to 1834 or 1835. He married Miss Julia Chamberlin in 1831. This lady died at the parsonage in 1835. Under Mr. Shaw's administration, not only did the church at Romeo assume great importance, but also that other one which he attended at Rochester grew in numbers and influence, as well as other societies in St. Clair.

Rev. John B. Shaw, brother of Luther Shaw, came from Utica, N. Y., in 1835, and was appointed pastor of the church here.

Rev. O. C. Thompson was for some time the stated supply between the going of Rev. L. Shaw and the coming of his brother, John B. Shaw.

The memorable revival of 1836-37 began in the church at Romeo, and was conducted by [430] Rev. O. Parker and Rev. P. Barber. All denominations shared in this revival, and the influence was felt throughout the adjacent county of St. Clair.

Reuben R. Smith was one of the early local preachers. He first set himself to work in putting his own house in order, and then he labored with and for others.

John Holland was often called upon as an exhorter to supply the pulpit, when ministers unexpectedly failed to meet appointments. He rendered a religious service which the old Congregationalists of Macomb and St. Clair Counties will never forget.

Stephen Theodore Badin was born at Orleans, France, July 17, 1768, came to the United States in 1792, was ordained by Bishop Carroll in 1793, and accepted the Kentucky mission in 1794. It is said he was the first priest ordained in the United States. His mission at the beginning of the nineteenth century embraced as it were the entire Western and Northwestern Territories.

Other ministers mentioned in the foregoing pages and again in the city histories must be considered as pioneers in the work of establishing the Christian Churches in St. Clair and adjoining counties.

THE MARINE OF THE LAKES.

The first boat, other than Indian canoes, which appeared on the River St. Clair, was the Griffin, the history of which is given in other pages. Following the track of the Griffin came the boats of the couriers, but not until the Fair American and Friendship appeared here about the year 1816, has any account of large boats been given. One of these vessels was known as the Revenue Cutter, under Capt. William Keith. These boats passed up the river in 1822, en route to Saginaw, and returned to Ft. Gratiot, in 1823, with the garrison of that post, then commanded by Maj. Baker. Dr. Zina Pitcher was on board the Friendship, then commanded by Capt. Keith; while the Fair American was under Capt. Walker. The Tiger and the Porcupine Cutters were on the river and lake after this time, one under Capt. William Keith and the other under John O'Flaherty.

Between the years 1820-22, Angus McIntosh built on the spot where Walker's distillery now stands in Canada a three-masted, square-rigged, barque-shaped vessel called the Duke of Wellington, of 132 tons, which was at that time the wonder and admiration of the lakes. In fact, previous to 1830, the sailing vessels belonging to Michigan were small sloops and schooners rarely reaching 100 tons, and generally under sixty. These were mostly built at Huron, Ohio, and in Buffalo, the late Oliver Newberry especially patronizing the former place. In nothing is the rapid growth of our commerce and wealth of the State more clearly exhibited than in the increase in the number and capacity of the vessels owned at her ports. The Salem packet of 1818, 27 tons burden, the St. Clair of 28 tons, built in 1824, the Albatross, 20 tons, and Marshal Ney 93 tons, built in 1830, the Elizabeth Ward, 65 tons, and Gen. Harrison, 115 tons, built in 1833, all the property of Samuel Ward, of St. Clair, have given place to the splendid line of steamers that we all remember, owned by Samuel and E. B. Ward, during 1850-60. Every one who knows anything of the history of our lake marine has heard of the famous "fleet" of Oliver Newberry, who was known as the "Admiral of the lakes." For the benefit of the present generation, we append the following list of vessels composing this fleet, with their tonnage: The Pilot, 54 tons, built at St. Clair, in 1825; LaGrange, 101 tons, at Mt. Clemens, in 1826; Napoleon, 107 tons, at Detroit, in 1828; Savage, 30 tons, at St. Clair, in 1828; Marengo, 104 tons, built at Huron, Ohio, in 1831; Prince Eugene, 104 tons, at Huron, Ohio, in 1832; Austerlitz, 134 tons, at Huron, Ohio, in 1832; Lodi, 64 tons, at Huron, Ohio, in 1834; Jena, 55 tons, at Detroit, in 1834; all these were schooners. These were commanded by such veteran sailors as Chesley Blake, Mason Dingly, John Stewart, Harry Whittaker, Gus. McKinstry, Amos B. Hinckley, Levi Allen, and Ben. Miller.

The first steamer enrolled as belonging to Detroit was the Argo, and she was called a steam sloop. She was built in 1830 in Detroit, and was owned and commanded by John Burtis. She was 42 feet long, 9 broad, and 2 ½ deep. Her capacity was nine tons. She was used as a ferry, and occasionally ran up the River Rouge to Dearborn.

The next steamer was the Gen. Gratiot, built at Black River, Ohio, in 1831. She was 45 tons burden and was licensed here in June of that year, owned by Francis F. Browning, and commanded by Arthur Edwards. Then came the Gen. Brady, 65 tons, built at Detroit in 1832, owned by a number of the then principal business men; and the Andrew Jackson, 49 tons, built at Mount Clemens in 1832, by Gray & Gallagher. During the years 1833 and 1834, a number of steamers were built, of which the following are the names and tonnage: Lady of the Lake, 26 tons, built at Mount Clemens; Major Jack Downing, 54 tons, also built at Mount Clemens; Oliver Newberry, 170 tons, built at St. Clair; Uncle Sam, 220, tons, built at Grosse Isle; Michigan, 470 tons, built at Detroit; Detroit, 137 tons, also built at Detroit; Delaware, 178 tons, built at Huron, Ohio; Monroe, 349 tons, built at Monroe. Those enrolled [432] after this gradually increased in size, and the date of their building becomes so recent that their history "doth not outstrip the memory" of this generation.

The first steamboat between Detroit and Port Huron was the Argo, referred to above. She was constructed from two large whitewood trees, converted into dug-outs, joined as to make a sharp bow and square stern. She was the property of her Captain, Burtiss, of Detroit. On her arrival at Stromness Island, she would take on board a quantity of fence rails, as it appears she could not load sufficient fuel for her trip at either Port Huron or Detroit.

The Gen. Gratiot, referred to, was purchased by Dr. Rice & Co., of Detroit, and placed on the St. Clair route about 1831, under Capt. John Clarke, of East China. This boat and her Captain became great favorites. In 1833-34, the Gen. Brady, under Capt. Burtiss, plied on the lake and river. The Lady of the Lake, with Capt. Sylvester Atwood, was a small boat, which plied on the river for a short time.

The Erie was placed on the route in 1836 by James Abbot, and was known as the Fast Boat until her wreck on Lake St. Clair in 1842. Capt. Samuel Ward placed the Huron on the St. Clair Route in 1840, with E. B. Ward as Captain. This was the great boat of the period. In the Stewart memoirs, it is said that at this time Newport, St. Clair and Port Huron were rapidly increasing in population, and the county was filling up with industrious farmers. The same evidences of progress were shown on the Canadian side of the river. Lake Huron shore and the river ports gave this boat full freights, her commodious cabins were always crowded with passengers. She continued on the route, until worn out with service she was withdrawn, having proved herself the foundation on which the colossal fortune of the Wards was built up.

The first boat built in the county was the St. Clair, in 1820, owned and operated by Samuel Ward. After the opening of the Erie Canal, Ward took on freight for New York, and taking two horses with him to tow the boat through the canal, started on his Eastern trip. On his arrival at Erie, he stowed away the masts and sails, pushed through the canal to Hudson, where he replaced masts and sails, and proceeded to the city of New York. Having procured a full freight list, he entered upon the return home. He expected to receive a premium from the canal authorities for his enterprise in running the first lake boat through; but the canal men failed to appreciate the deed, and instead of receiving a premium he was called upon to pay toll. The St. Clair was the first boat built at Marine City.

The Grand Turk was the first boat built at St. Clair, or Palmer Village. She was completed shortly after the St. Clair. Capt. Alexander St. Bernard was in charge f this ungainly looking product of Barber's navel architectural knowledge. The Savage of Detroit was built in Clay Township in 1824, by Capt. Amos Henkley and R. Newhall. The Savage was a trader on the Mackinac, Green Bay and West Michigan route, and was the first vessel that entered and wintered in the St. Joseph River. Capt. Henkley, on returning to Detroit, gave a glowing account of the shore at St. Joseph, and succeeded in urging its adoption as the location of a village. He built the first house there, and claimed an interest in the village plat. This lake sailor died on board his boat in 1834, and was buried on the Canada shore. In the winter of 1835, William Brown caused the body to be exhumed, and interred on United States soil.

SHIP-BUILDING IN ST. CLAIR.

The names and tonnage of the several vessels and steamers that have been built in this county up to December, 1847, are here given. Most of them were built within the three years ending in 1847. It is estimated by experienced builders that shipping could be built 20 per cent cheaper upon the St. Clair than at any other point on the lakes:

Built at Lexington - Schooners Big Z, having 140 tonnage; China, 65; Merinda, 57; B. G. Allen, 34; Ann, 38; Dolphin, 8; Pontiac, 90; sloop, H. Young, 30.

Built at Burtchville - Schooner Baltic, having 96 tonnage.

Built at Port Huron - Schooners Amazon, having 215 tonnage; H. W. Hubbard, 75; Freedom, 28; Industry, 45; H. Hopkins, 14; brig David Smart, 223; steamer America, 1,100.

Built at St. Clair - Schooner Uncle Tom, having 140 tonnage; propeller Goliath, 315.

Built at China - Schooner Macomb, having 45 tonnage; St. Clair, 35.

[433] Built at Newport - Steamers Huron, having 150 tonnage; Champion, 196; Detroit, 217; Sam. Ward, 433; schooners Henry Clay, 190; Morning Star, 38; Gen. Harrison, 106; Vermont, 95.

Built at Algonac - Schooners Venus, having 45 tonnage; Wolverine, 213; Vengeance, 78; Mary Ann Larned, 98; Congress, 215; steamers Macomb, 132; Franklin, 250; Sultana, 850; Fashion, 280.

Total, 9 steamers, 1 propeller, 25 schooners, and 1 sloop. In addition to these, there were building at Port Huron a brig of 220 tons, a propeller of 350 tons; at St. Clair, a steamer of 1,600 tons; and at Algonac, a brig of 200 tons.

In addition to the information given, the following history of the lake marine is given. The paper was found in the writer's scrap-book; but to whom the credit of its compilation is due, is unknown. All of the early writers of our lake history seem to agree that the name of the first vessel which ever floated the lakes was the Griffin, which made her debut in 1679. She was built on the Niagara River, six miles above the Falls, was of sixty tons burden; and set sail August 7, of that year, in command of Chevalier de la Salle, with a crew of six persons all told, for Mackinac; and in the course of a few days, loaded with furs, started on the return voyage, which is the last that is known of her, although it has been averred that the crew and outfit of the vessel were saved, which assertion, however, is most positively contradicted by the best authority. It may here be noted as the first marine disaster that ever occurred on the lakes. From this period up to the year 1766, no mention is made as to the movement of any craft on the lakes, although it is not to be doubted that others were introduced previous to that time. Four vessels, named respectively the Gladwin, Lady Charlotte, Victory and Boston, were navigating the lakes in the last-named year, and in subsequent years up to the present time their names have rolled up to legion. As early as May 1, 1770, the schooner Charity was launched at Niagara; she was commanded by Capt. John Laighton, and was employed in the freighting of merchandise; her dimensions are not given; she was employed in the carrying trade for several years.

On Lake Ontario, history informs us, the first vessel was set afloat in 1789. She was built at Sodus Bay, by Capt. John Fellows, who came from Sheffield, Mass., her first cargo being tobacco and tea. Eventually Capt. Fellows transferred his operations to the Upper Lakes, and commanded, besides owning vessels, until quite a late period - until 1839 - when he died at Fort Erie, opposite Black Rock, N. Y. The first merchant brig introduced upon the lakes was called the Union. She was ninety-six tons, and was built in 1814, but being found too large for the business requirements of that period, was for a time laid up. The first full-rigged ship on the lakes was built at Buffalo in 1836, by Col. Alanson Palmer, and called the Julia Palmer, of about 300 tons burden. She proved inadequate for the trade, was converted into a steamer, and lost on Lake Superior in 1847. During our lake history, two vessels were sent over Niagara Falls. One of these, called the Michigan, was a condemned craft built in 1817, and 132 tons burden. Early in the season of 1829, she was purchased by parties at the Falls and fitted out with yards aloft, and in September of that year was sent over the Falls, stocked with a few tame and wild animals. She was got under way from Navy Island and piloted as far as dare be by Capt. James Rough and Harry Weishuhn. Two bears were on board, one of which escaped to the shore previous to the vessel making her final leap, and was presented to the notorious Sam Patch, and accompanied him on his least leap over Rochester Falls. A similar experiment was carried out by the same parties in 1831, who purchased at Buffalo a condemned vessel called the Superior, of about the same dimensions as the Michigan, but in this instance the programme of the occasion failed to meet their expectations. After reaching the rapids, she struck on an island, and there remained until floated off by high water a month subsequently.

The first vessel to Chicago was the schooner Gen. Tracy, a vessel of about ninety tons burden, and built at Detroit somewhere about the year 1800, and wrecked on Fort Erie reef in 1809; owned at the time by Porter, Barton & Co. The Tracy set sail from Detroit for Chicago in 1803, having on board a company of soldiers, under command of Col. Swearingen. On the passage, she called at St. Joseph and other points. Chicago at this period had but one white man's dwelling, that of an Indian trader.

[434] Having thus briefly alluded to the commencement of our vessel history, it may not be deemed inopportune to present the following history of the first steamboat and others which have followed and passed off the stage of existence. History deemed authentic informs us that the first steamboat, the Clermont, was built by Robert Fulton, in 1807, near Hurlgate, on East River. She was 140 feet long, of flat construction, and drew twenty-two inches of water. Her wheels extended below the bottom of the boat. A fly-wheel was attached to the paddle-wheel, having a run four inches wide, which was to make the paddle-wheel pass the center without a jerk. There was a big hub just inside the boat, into which the shaft fitted.

In 1817, a steamer was built and launched at Prescott, Lake Ontario, called the Dalhousie, which was the first steam craft on that lake. The year following, 1818, the Ontario came out at Sackett's Harbor, which was the first American steamer. In 1818, the steamboat Walk-in-the-Water was commissioned on Lake Erie. She was built opposite Squaw Island, on the Niagara River, below Black Rock, and was 342 tons burden, low pressure engine, and arrived on her first trip at Detroit August 22 of that year, commanded by Capt. Job Fish. In 1819, she made her first trip to Mackinac, and on November 1, 1821, was lost in Buffalo Bay, since which time upward of 200 side-wheel boats have been built and passed out of existence. Thirty-four were burned, involving the loss of upward of 700 lives; sixty-nine are known to have been wrecked or foundered, with the loss of 136 lives; twelve were sunk by collisions, with a loss of 601 lives; upward of sixty went to decay, or, having served their time, were broken up; and forty-one converted into other uses. Of the lost, we summarize as follows, having no reference to those yet in commission.

Walk-in-the-Water, 342 tons, built at Black Rock, 1818, wrecked at Buffalo November 1, 1821.
Superior, 300, Buffalo, 1822, made a ship and lost in 1843.
Chippewa, 100, Buffalo, 1824, broken up in 1825.
Niagara 1st, 180, Black Rock, 1825, broken up.
Henry Clay, 348, Black Rock, 1825, broken up.
Pioneer, 230, Black Rock, 1825, wrecked on Lake Michigan, July, 1834.
William Penn, 275, Erie, Penn., 1826, wrecked.
Enterprise 1st, 250, Cleveland, 1826, wrecked.
William Peacock, 120, Barcelona, 1829, exploded, killing 15 persons, on Lake Erie, 1830.
Newburyport, 75, Erie, Penn., 1829, broken up.
Sheldon Thompson, 242, Huron, Ohio, 1830, broken up.
Ohio 1st, 187, Sandusky, 1830, burned at Toledo in 1842.
Adelaide (Champlain), 230 Chippewa, C. W., 1830, wrecked on Lake Michigan, 1849.
Gratiot, 63, Black River, Ohio, 1831, broken up.
Pennsylvania, 395, Erie, Penn., 1832, broken up.
Gen. Brady, 100, Detroit, 1832, made into a vessel in 1844.
Uncle Sam, 280, Grosse Isle, Mich., 1832, made into a vessel in 1844.
Perseverance, 50, Erie, Penn., 1832, broken up.
Washington 1st, 600, Huron, Ohio, 1833, wrecked on Long Point, first trip.
New York, 325, Black Rock, 1833, went to decay.
Michigan 1st, 472, Detroit, 1833, broken up.
Daniel Webster, 358, Black Rock, 1833, burned in 1835 at Buffalo; rebuilt.
Detroit 1st, 240, Toledo, 1833, wrecked on Lake Michigan in 1836.
Lady of the Lake, 60, Mount Clemens, 1833, broken up.
Gov. Marcy, 161, Black Rock, 1833, broken up.
North America, 362, Conneaut, Ohio, 1833, burned at Conneaut in 1847.
O. Newberry, 170, Palmer, Mich., 1833, broken up.
Delaware, 170, Huron, Ohio, 1833, wrecked near Chicago, 1836.
Victory, 77, Buffalo, 1834, broken up at Buffalo.
Gen. Porter, 342, Black Rock, 1834, made a propeller.
Thomas Jefferson, 428, Erie, Penn., 1834, converted into a floating elevator at Buffalo.
Commodore Perry, 352, Perrysburg, 1834, exploded in 1835, killing 6.
[435] Monroe, 341, Monroe, 1834, went to decay.
Mazeppa, 130, Buffalo, 1834, made into a vessel.
Sandusky, 377, Sandusky, 1834, burned at Buffalo, made a bark, lost in 1845.
Minnissetunc, 250, Goderich, C. W., 1834, sunk near Malden by steamboat Erie in 1839.
Gen. Jackson, 50, Mount Clemens, 1834, broken up.
Jack Downing, 80, Sandusky, 1834, made into a vessel.
Little Western, 60, Chatham, C. W., 1834, burned at Detroit in 1842.
Caroline, 80, Charleston, S. C., 1834, burned and sent over Niagara Falls in 1837.
Robert Fulton, 308, Cleveland, 1835, wrecked at Sturgeon Point, Lake Erie, in 1844.
Columbus, 391, Huron, Ohio, 1835, wrecked on Dunkirk piers in 1848.
Charles Townsend, 312, Buffalo, N. Y., 1835, condemned in 1849.
United States, 366, Huron, Ohio, 1835, broken up at Buffalo.
Chicago, 166, St. Joseph, Mich., 1835, wrecked in a gale in 1842.
W. F. P. Taylor, 95, Silver Creek, 1835, once burned, afterward wrecked on Lake Michigan in 1842.
Thames, 160, Chatham, 1833, burned at Windsor in 1838 by rebels, and rebuilt.
DeWitt Clinton, 493, Huron, Ohio, 1836, sunk at Dunkirk in 1851.
Julia Palmer, 300, Buffalo, 1836, formerly a ship, lost on Lake Superior in 1847.
Don Quixote, 80, Toledo, 1836, wrecked on Lake Huron, 1836.
Little Erie, 149, Detroit, 1836, sunk in Lake St. Clair in 1843.
Barcelona, 102, Dunnville, 1836, formerly Princess Victoria, made into a vessel.
United, 40, Detroit, 1836, made into a barge.
St. Clair, 250, Sandusky, 1836, formerly Rhode Island, went to decay.
Cincinnati, 116, Sandusky, 1836, made a vessel, called the John F. Porter.
Illinois 1st, 755, Detroit, 1837, made a propeller barge and lost on Lake Huron in 1868.
Rochester, 472, near Fairport, 1837, made a barge, wrecked at Erie, 1852, 7 lives lost.
Madison, 630, Erie, Penn., 1837, condemned in 1849.
Cleveland 1st, 580, Huron, Ohio, 1837, burned at Tonawanda in 1854.
Wisconsin, 700, Conneaut, 1837, sunk in Lake Erie by collision.
Erie, 497, Erie, Penn., 1837, burned off Silver Creek in 1841, 250 lives lost.
Constellation, 483, Black River, Ohio, 1837, broken up.
Bunker Hill, 457, Black River, Ohio, 1837, burned at Tonowanda, in 1857.
Constitution, 443, Conneaut, Ohio, 1837, broken up at Sandusky.
New England, 416, Black Rock, 1837, went to decay at Buffalo.
Milwaukee, 400, Grand Island, 1837, wrecked on Lake Michigan, 1842.
Anthony Wayne, 390, Perrysburg, 1837, exploded in 1850, broken up in 1851.
Macomb, 100, Mount Clemens, 1837, condemned at Monroe.
Rhode Island, 164, Sandusky, 1837, once called the St. Clair.
Star, 128, Belvidere, Mich., 1837, burned at Buffalo in 1845.
Commerce, 80, Sandusky, 1837, broken up.
Mason, 33, Grand Rapids, 1837, condemned.
Great Western, 780, Huron, Ohio, 1838, burned at Detroit in 1839, and rebuilt.
Buffalo, 613, Buffalo, 1838, made a barque in 1848, and lost on Lake Michigan.
Chesapeake, 412, Maumee, 1838, sunk in Lake Erie by collision with a vessel in 1846.
Vermillion, 385, Vermillion, 1838, burned at Huron, Ohio, 5 lives lost.
Lexington, 363, Black River, Ohio, 1838, condemned.
Fairport, 259, Fairport, 1838, burned at Algonac in 1844.
Red Jacket, 148, Grand Island, 1838, condemned at Detroit.
Gen. Vance, 75, Perrysburg, 1838, exploded, 9 lives lost near Windsor, 1844.
James Allen, 258, Chicago, 1838, broken up.
Washington 2d, 380, Ashtabula, 1838, burned off Silver Creek in 1838, 60 lives lost.
G. W. Dole, 162, Chicago, 1838, sunk at Buffalo in 1856.
C. C. Trowbridge, 52, Kalamazoo, 1838, condemned at Milwaukee.
Marshall, 51, Perrysburg, 1838, broken up.
[436] Wabash, 34, Perrysburg, 1838, broken up.
Owaskenonk, 45, Grand Haven, 1838, broken up.
Patronage, 56, St. Joseph, 1838, broken up.
Gen. Scott, 240, Huron, Ohio, 1839, sunk in Lake St. Clair by collision, in 1848.
Chautauqua, 200, Buffalo, 1839, sunk at Buffalo in 1848.
Brothers, 150, Chatham, C. W., 1839, sunk in River Thames, 1846.
Kent, 180, Chatham, C. W., 1839, sunk in Lake Erie by collision with steamboat London, 1845, 7 lives lost.
Huron, 140, Newport, 1839, dismantled in 1848.
Gen. Harrison, 63, Maumee, 1839, wrecked near Chicago, 1854.
Detroit 2d, 350, Newport, 1840, sunk in Saganaw Bay, by collision with bark Nucleus, 1854.
Missouri, 612, Erie, Penn., 1840, converted into a propeller barge in 1868.
Waterloo, 100, Black Rock, 1840, wrecked in Georgian Bay, 1846.
Indiana, 434, Toledo, 1841, burned at Conneaut in 1848.
Ben Franklin, 231, Algonac, 1842, wrecked at Thunder Bay, 1850.
John Owen, 230, Detroit, 1842, burned on river St. Clair, 1860.
Nile, 600, Detroit, 1843, wrecked at Milwaukee in 1849.
Union, 64, Black Rock, 1843, broken up in 1850.
Champion, 270, Newport, 1843, broken up.
Emerald, 250, Chippewa, 1844, sunk in Bear Creek in 1858.
Empire, 1,136, Cleveland, 1844, made a propeller barge, and lost in 1870 on Long Point.
Tecumseh, 259, Algonac, 1844, wrecked in 1850, formerly the Fairport.
J. Wolcott, 80, Maumee, burned in 1851.
Indian Queen, 112, Buffalo, 1844, wrecked at Dunkirk in 1846, 20 lives lost.
New Orleans, 610, Detroit, 1844, formerly Vermillion, lost at Thunder Bay in 1853.
St. Louis, 618, Perrysburg, 1844, wrecked on Lake Erie in 1852.
U. S. steamer Michigan, 583, Erie, Penn., 1844.
U. S. steamer Alert, 133, Buffalo, 1844.
Niagara 2d, 1,084, Buffalo, 1845, burned on Lake Michigan in September, 1856, 60 lives lost.
Boston, 775, Detroit, 1845, wrecked at Milwaukee, November 24, 1846.
Oregon, 781, Newport, 1845, burned at Chicago in 1849, while laid up.
Troy, 547, Maumee, 184, wrecked at Goderich in 1860.
G. P. Griffith, 587, Buffalo, 1845, burned on Lake Erie in 1850, 250 lives lost.
Superior 2d, 507, Perrysburg, 1845, wrecked on Lake Superior, 35 lives lost, in 1856.
Astor, 200, Green Bay, 1845, condemned.
London, 456, Chippewa, 1845, made a bark called Oliver Lee, wrecked in 1857.
Helen Strong, 253, Monroe, 1845, wrecked near Barcelona in 1847, 2 lives lost.
Romeo, 180, Detroit, 1845, made a ferry boat in 1858, and taken to Toledo.
Albany, 669, Detroit, 1846, wrecked at Presque Isle, Lake Huron, in 1853.
Hendrick Hudson, 759, Black River, Ohio, 1846, burned at Cleveland in 1860.
Louisiana, 900, Buffalo, 1846, wrecked at Port Burwell in 1857.
Saratoga, 800, Cleveland, 1846, wrecked at Port Burwell in 1854.
Canada, 800, Chippewa, 1846, made a bark and lost on Lake Michigan in 1855.
Islander, 73, Kelly's Island, 1846, sunk at St. Clair Flats by ice in 1861.
Baltic, 825, Buffalo, 1847, made a barge in 1863.
Sultana, 800, Trenton, 1847, made a barge and wrecked in 1858.
A. D. Patchin, 870, Trenton, 1847, wrecked at Skillagalee in 1850.
Baltimore, 500, Monroe, 1847, wrecked at Sheboygan in 1855.
Diamond, 336, Buffalo, 1847, broken up at Detroit in 1860.
Pacific, 500, Newport, 1847, made a barge, and lost on Lake Michigan in 1867.
Ohio 2d, 600, Cleveland, 1847, dismantled at Erie in 1859.
Sam Ward, 450, Newport, 1847, made a barge, and running yet.
[437] Southerner, 500, Trenton, 1847, wrecked on Lake Erie in 1863.
Arrow, 350, Trenton, 1848, condemned in Green Bay in 1863.
Alabama, 600, Detroit, 1848, sunk near Buffalo in 1854.
Franklin Moore, 300, Newport, 1848, broken up in 1862.
J. D. Morton, 400, Toledo, 1848, burned on River St. Clair in 1863.
Empire State, 1,700, St. Clair, 1848, made a dry dock at Buffalo in 1858.
Queen City, 1,000, Buffalo, 1848, made a barge and lost on Lake Huron in 1866.
Globe, 1,200, Detroit, 1848, converted into a propeller.
Columbia, 167, Fairport, 1848, wrecked on Lake Huron in 1866.
Charter, 350, Detroit, 1848, made a propeller and lost in 1854 on Lake Erie.
Albion, 132, Maumee City, 1848, broken up in 1865.
John Hollister, 300, Perrysburg, 1848, burned on Lake Erie, rebuilt, and lost on Lake Huron.
Atlantic, 1,100, Newport, 1849, sunk at Long Point by collision, 150 lives lost.
Mayflower, 1,300, Detroit, 1849, wrecked at Point au Pellee in 1854.
Keystone State, Buffalo, 1849, foundered on Saginaw Bay in 1861, 33 lives lost.
Telegraph, 101, Truago, Mich., 1849, sunk by collision with schooner Marquette, 1859, on Lake Erie.
Dart, 297, Trenton, 1859, dismantled in 1866.
Dover, 81, Port Dover, 1859, wrecked near Port Dover in 1855.
Ocean, 900, Newport, 1859, made into a barge in 1867.
Fox, 162, Buffalo, 1859, burned at Newport, Michigan., 1863.
Gore, 149, Lake Ontario, 1859, dismantled at Detroit.
May Queen, 688, Trenton, 1859, burned at Milwaukee in 1866.
Arctic, 857, Newport, 1851, stranded on Lake Superior in 1860, at Huron Island.
Ruby, 251, Newport, 1851, broken up at Saginaw.
Bay City, 479, Trenton, 1851, wrecked at the Clay Banks in 1862.
Buckeye State, 1,274, Cleveland, 1851, burned in Buffalo, dismantled in 1857.
Northerner, 514, Cleveland, 1851, sunk in 1856 by collision with steamboat Forrest Queen, on Lake Huron.
Swan, 166, Detroit, 1851, burned at Toledo, 1852, and at Algonac in 1854.
Pearl, 251, Newport, 1851, broken up in 1869.
Plough Boy, 450, Chatham, 1851, renamed the T. F. Parks, burned in 1870 at Detroit.
Mazeppa, 250, Lake Ontario, 1851, wrecked on Lake Huron in 1856.
Minnesota, 749, Maumee, 1851, wrecked at Summer's Island, Green Bay, 1861.
Caspian, 1,050, Newport, 1851, wrecked at Cleveland pier in 1852.
Lady Elgin, 1,037, Buffalo, 1851, sunk by collision with schooner Augusta, on Lake Michigan, 1860; 400 lives lost.
Iowa, 981, Buffalo, 1852, made a propeller and finally a barge in 1868, lost in 1869.
Cleveland 2d, 574, Newport, 1852, wrecked at Two Heart River, Lake Superior, in 1
Golden Gate, 771, Buffalo, 1852, wrecked at Erie in 1856; 1 life lost.
Huron 2d, 348, Newport, 1852, in commission.
Traveler, 603, Newport, 1852, burned at Chicago in 1854, and at Eagle Harbor, 1865.
Michigan 2d, 642, Detroit, 1847, made a barge, and lost on Lake Erie in 1869.
Crescent City, 1,740, Buffalo, 1853, dismantled in 1859.
Queen of the West, 1,851, Buffalo, 1853, dismantled in 1859.
Mississippi, 1,829, Buffalo, 1853, dismantled in 1862.
St. Lawrence, 1,844, Buffalo, 1853, made a bark, and wrecked at Buffalo in 1863.
E. K. Collins, 950, Newport, 1853, burned at mouth of Detroit River in 1854; 23 lives lost.
Ariel, 165, Sandusky, 1853, burned opposite Belle Isle, Detroit River, in 1868.
Garden City, 450, Buffalo, 1853, wrecked near Detour, in 1854.
Canadian, 389, Chatham, 1853, broken up in 1868.
Kaloolah, 450, Buffalo, 1853, wrecked at Saugeen in 1862.
[438] J. Whitney, 238, Saginaw, 1853, made a barge in 1867.
Northern Indiana, 1,470, Buffalo, 1853, burned on Lake Erie in 1856; 56 lives lost.
Southern Michigan, 1,470, Buffalo, 1853, dismantled.
Forester, 504, Newport, 1853, dismantled in 1865 and made a barge.
Plymouth Rock, 1,991, Buffalo, 1854, dismantled in 1857.
Western World, 1,000, Buffalo, 1854, dismantled in 1857.
North Star, 1,106, Cleveland, 1854, burned in February, 1862, at Cleveland.
Illinois 2d, 826, Detroit, 1854, made a barge in 1869, and lost same year on Lake Huron.
R. R. Elliot, 321, Newport, 1854, dismantled in 1866and made a barge.
Clifton, 247, Chippewa, 1854, dismantled in 1866 at Owen Sound.
Forest Queen, 462, Newport, 1855, dismantled in 1866, and made a barge.
Planet, 1,164, Newport, 1855, dismantled in 1866 at Manitowoc, and made a barge.
Island Queen, 173, Kelly's Island, 1855, in commission.
Amity, 217, Chatham, 1856, wrecked on Long Point in 1867.
Magnet, 256, Saginaw, 1856, in commission.
Western Metropolis, 1,860, Buffalo, 1856, made a bark, and wrecked on Lake Michigan in 1864.
City of Buffalo, 2,000, Buffalo, 1857, made a propeller, and burned at Buffalo.
City of Cleveland, 788, Buffalo, 1857, made a barge, and lost on Lake Erie in 1868.
Princess, 109, Algonac, 1858, broken up in 1869.
Olive Branch, 89, Detroit, 1858, broken up.
Gazelle, 422, Newport, 1858, wrecked at Eagle Harbor in 1860.
Sea Bird, 638, Newport, 1859, burned on Lake Michigan in 1868; 72 lives lost.
Detroit (steamship), 1,113, Buffalo, 1859, made a propeller in 1871.
Milwaukee (steamship), 1,113, Buffalo, 1859, wrecked at Grand Haven in 1868.
Bonnie Boat, 125, Huron, Ohio, 1859, wrecked at Kincardine in 1869.
Comet, 385, Newport, 1860, in commission.
Philo Parsons, 221, Algonac, 1861, at Chicago.
Sunbeam, 398, Manitowoc, 1861, foundered in Lake Superior in 1863; 21 lives lost.
Bruce, 100, Goderich, 1863, broken up.
Emerald 2d, 249, Algonac, 1862, in commission at Saginaw.
Morning Star, 1,141, Trenton, 1862, sunk in Lake Erie in July, 1862, by collision with bark Courtland; 32 lives lost
Sarah Van Epps, 179, Fort Howard, 1862, in commission.
Susan Ward, 359, Detroit, 1862, made a barge in 1870.
Young America, 89, Algonac, 1862, in commission.
Stephen Clement, 602, Newport, 1863, made a barge in 1869.
Heather Bell, 149, Detroit, 1863, in commission.
Reindeer, 320, Saginaw, 1863, in commission, Capt. Orr.
Silver Spray, 269, Port Dalhousie, 1864, in commission.
W. J. Spicer, 446, Port Sarnia, 1864, Grand Trunk ferry.
L. G. Mason, 139, Grand Rapids, 1864, at Saginaw.
George Dunlap, 358, Green Bay, 1864, plying on Green Bay.
C. W. Reynolds, 171, Toledo, 1864, playing at Saginaw.
J. B. Smith, 141, Algonac, 1864, plying at Detroit.
Wave 2d, 159, Algonac, 1864, plying at Saginaw.
Keweenaw, 635, Marine City, 1865, plying to Lake Superior.
City of Toledo, 362, Toledo, 1865, plying on Lake Michigan, Capt. J. P. Hodges.
Waubuno, 180, Port Robinson, 1865, plying on Georgian Bay.
Minnie (flat), 242, Saginaw, 1865.
Gen. Sheridan, 100, Cleveland, 1865.
W. R. Clinton, 395, Marine City, 1866, plying to Saginaw, Capt. P. Kenyon.
City of Sandusky, 432, Sandusky, 1866, plying on Saginaw Bay.
Orion, 636, Manitowoc, 1866, plying on Lake Michigan.
[439] Saginaw, 563, Marine City, 1866, plying on Green Bay.
Evening Star, 342, Saginaw, 1866, plying at Sandusky.
Mackinaw (flat), 191, Detroit, 1866, plying on the river.
Alpena, 617, Marine City, 1866, plying on Lake Michigan.
Marine City, 573, Marine City, 1866, plying to Mackinac.
R. N. Rice, 1,030, Detroit, 1866, plying between Detroit and Cleveland, Capt. McKay.
Great Western, 1,200, Windsor, 1866, iron ferry steamer at Detroit.
Union, 1,000, Windsor, 1866, ferry for railroads at Detroit.
Frances Smith, 625, Owen Sound, 1867, plies to and from Owen Sound.
Manitowoc, 773, Manitowoc, 1867, plies on Lake Michigan.
Northwest, 1,100, Manitowoc, 1867, plies to Cleveland, Capt. Viger.
Dominion, 221, Wallaceburg, 1863, plies to Chatham, Capt. Steinhoff.
Jay Cooke, 450, Detroit, 1868, plies to Sandusky, Capt. Goldsmith.
Dove, 427, Trenton, 1868, plies to Malden, Capt. Sloan.
J. K. White, 80, Cleveland, 1868, plies to Toledo.
Ivanhoe, 223, Buffalo, 1869, plies to Niagara River.
Manitoba, 800, Port Robinson, 1871, plies to Collingwood and Lake Superior.
Cumberland, 750, Port Robinson, 1871, plies to Collingwood and Lake Superior.
North Star, 300, Green Bay, 1871, plies on Green Bay route.

There were several others which plied to and from Detroit, of the smaller class, not noted in the above. The following brief mention of steamers was omitted in the foregoing. The Cynthia, a small steamer plying between Chatham and Malden, was burned near the latter port in 1838. The steamer O. H. Perry (small) burned at Sandusky in 1869. The J. P. Ward, 167 tons, built at Detroit in 1857, burned at Bay City in 1855, and her bottom built into a vessel. The steamers Reindeer and Freetrader (both pollywogs), Canadian boats, were lost in 1857. The former was wrecked at Big Point Au Sable, Lake Michigan, and 23 lives lost. The latter was burned at Port Stanley, C. W. The Fremont was burned at Sandusky in 1858. The Sebastopol, built in Cleveland in 1854 ot 1855, was wrecked at Milwaukee in 1855, and the Canada 2d wrecked at Bar Point, Lake Erie, and was burned previously on River St. Clair, in 1855. The steamer America, built at Port Huron, and about 600 tons, was wrecked on the rocks at Dunkirk in 1854. The steamer Bruce Mines foundered on Lake Huron, and one life lost. The Belle, a small boat, built at Buffalo, and first commanded by Capt. Frank Perew, was wrecked on Georgian Bay in 1853. The Telegraph No. 2, formerly a lower lake boat, was burned at the head of Lake Erie in 1852, and a Canadian steamer, the Queen Victoria, wrecked at the head of Niagara River in 1851. A steamer called the Atlas was wrecked near Grand River, C. W., in 1851, and the Wave 1st, built at Detroit, wrecked near same place same year. The Col. Crockett was lost near St. Joseph in 1834. Of her career, we know nothing; she was of the smaller class. The Mezeppa 2d was brought from Lake Ontario in 1856, and was shortly after wrecked on Lake Huron. In 1847, a steamer called the Experiment, brought from Lake Ontario, navigated Lake Erie, and was broken up on the Detroit River a few years since. In 1848, the Dispatch came from the lower lakes, and plied on Lake Erie, and eventually became a tug on the rivers. She was broken up at Chatham in 1860.

Communication between Lakes Erie and Ontario was first opened up in 1831, via Port Robinson and Chippewa, thence via Niagara River to Lake Erie. The first vessels to pass through (and they arrived simultaneously) were the British schooner Ann and Jane and the American schooner Erie and Ontario. The event was duly celebrated. Subsequently, the outlet was extended to Port Colborne and to Port Maitland, on Lake Erie, the former twenty miles distant from Buffalo, the latter forty miles. The introduction of propellers on the northern lakes was first inaugurated by the arrival on Lake Erie, early in 1842, of the Vandalia, a sloop-rigged craft, built at Oswego, and 150 tons burden. Since that date, upward of 700 have been set afloat on the upper and lower lakes. In 1842, the Chicago and Oswego, each 150 tons burden, were built at Oswego. In 1843, the Hercules and Sampson - the former built at Buffalo, the latter at Perrysburg - were the first built on the upper lake; the Hercules was 275 tons, the Sampson 250 tons burden. The Emigrant came out same year at Cleveland, 275 [440] tons, and the Independence at Chicago, 262 tons. The Racine and New York also came out that year at Oswego. In 1844, the Porter, 310 tons, at Buffalo. In 1845, were the following: The Syracuse, of Oswego; Henry Clay, of Dexter; Island of Kingston; Oregon, of Cleveland, Princeton, of Perrysburg; Phoenix, of Cleveland; and Detroit of Detroit. The tonnage of these last named was from 300 to 400 tons. In 1846, the following were commissioned: The James Wood, of Dexter; Genesee Chief, of Rochester; Milwaukee, formerly Vandalia, of Oswego; Ontario, of Rochester; Pocahontas, of Buffalo; California, of Buffalo; St. Joseph, of Buffalo; Earl Carthcart, of Malden; Queen of the West, of Malden; Lady of the Lake, of Cleveland; Oneida, of Cleveland; Goliah, of St. Clair, Mich.; Delaware, of Black River, Ohio; Globe, of Maumee City; Odd Fellow, of Grand River, Mich., and Cleveland, of Cleveland. The tonnage of these last boats ranged from 300 to 400. In 1847, the Paugasset, Manhattan and Boston were all commissioned at Cleveland; tonnage respectively 320, 330, 350. In 1848, the Gen. Taylor, Sandusky, Montezuma and Charter Oak came out at Buffalo (the latter previously a vessel), the Republic, Monticello and Ohio at Cleveland. The following propellers have passed out of existence. There being several years during which no lake records were published, we make no attempt to furnish complete details:

Goliah, burned on Lake Huron in 1848, and 18 lives lost.
Monticello, wrecked on Lake Superior in 1851.
Henry Clay, cargo of flour, rolled over in Lake Erie in 1851.
Vandalia (Canadian), sunk by collision with schooner Fashion in Lake Erie in 1851.
City of Oswego, sunk by collision with steamboat America on Lake Erie in 1852.
Ireland, burned on the St. Lawrence River in 1852.
Sampson, cargo of flour, wrecked near Buffalo in 1852.
Oneida, cargo of flour, capsized off Erie in September, 1852, all lost - 19 lives.
James Wood, cargo of flour, wrecked near Ashtabula in 1852.
Genesee, burned at Rochester, L. O., in 1852.
The Independence, wrecked on Lake Superior in 1853.
Princeton, cargo of merchandise, sunk off Barcelona in 1854.
H. A. Kent, burned off Gravelly Bay, Lake Erie, in 1854.
Bucephalus, foundered on Saginaw Bay in 1854; 10 lives lost.
Boston, sunk by collision with a vessel on Lake Ontario, in 1854.
International, burned at Black Rock, N. Y., in 1854.
Cincinnati, went ashore in a gale at Point au Barque in 1854.
Westmoreland, foundered near the Manitous, Lake Michigan, in 1854, 17 lives lost.
Rossiter, lost in a gale at head of Lake Michigan in 1855.
Charter Oak, foundered in Lake Erie in 1855, 11 lives lost.
Delaware, wrecked in a gale at Sheboygan, in 1855, 10 lives lost.
Fintry, exploded off Port Stanley in 1856, 10 lives lost.
Forest City, sunk in Lake Michigan by collision with schooner Asia in 1855.
Oregon, exploded head of Detroit River in 1855, 17 lives lost.
Lord Elgin, wrecked on Lake Ontario in 1856.
St. Joseph, ashore and total loss at Fairport in 1856.
Sandusky, ashore at Conneaut in 1856.
J. W. Brooks, founder on Lake Ontario in 1856; all lost - 22 lives.
Phoenix, burned on Lake Michigan, November, 1846, 190 lives lost.
B. L. Webb, burned on Lake Superior in 1856, 1 life lost.
Brunswick, foundered on Lake Michigan in 1856, 1 life lost.
Tinto, burned at Kingston, Lake Ontario, in 1856.
Charter, wrecked in a gale at Fairport in 1856.
Paugassett, burned at Dunkirk in 1856.
Protection, sunk by steamer Boston, on River St. Lawrence, in 1856.
Toledo 1st, foundered at her anchors off Port Washington, 1856, 42 lives lost.
Falcon, burned at Chicago in 1856.
Louisville, burned off Chicago in 1857, one life lost.
[441] Republic, burned at Sandusky in 1857.
Oliver Cromwell, sunk in the Straits by collision with schooner Jessie, in 1857.
City of Superior, wrecked at Eagle Harbor, 1857.
Napoleon, wrecked at Saugeen, Lake Huron, in 1857.
St. Nicholas, wrecked at Sleeping Bear in 1857.
Forest City, burned off Port Stanley, C. W., in 1858.
Indiana, sunk in Lake Superior in 1858.
North America, burned at St. Clair Flats in 1858.
Ontario, went to California in 1850.
Manhattan, wrecked at Grand Marias River, Lake Superior, in 1859.
Oriental, cargo of provisions, lost on Skillagalee, with two wrecking pumps, in 1859.
Troy, foundered with cargo of wheat on Lake Huron in 1859, 23 lives lost.
Ohio, exploded and sunk off Erie, in 1859, 2 lives lost.
Milwaukee, sunk by collision with schooner J. H. Tiffany in 1859, near Skillagalee.
Lady of the Lakes, exploded and sunk in Lake Erie in 1859, 2 lives lost.
Peninsula, wrecked on Lake Huron in 1853.
M. B. Spaulding, burned at Forrester, L. H., in 1860; bottom made into a vessel.
Mount Vernon, exploded on Lake Erie in 1860, 2 lives lost.
Globe, formerly side wheel, exploded at Chicago in 1860, in 16 lives lost.
Wabash Valley, stranded at Muskegon in 1860.
Dacotah, wrecked at Sturgeon Point, L. E., in 1860, and all lost, 35 lives.
Jersey City, lost by same storm, with 19 lives.
Ogontz, converted into a vessel in 1860.
Cataract, burned off Erie, Penn., in 1861, 4 lives lost.
L. L. Britton, stranded off Calumet, Lake Michigan, in 1861.
Banshee, sprung a leak and sunk off South Bay, Lake Ontario, 1861, 1 life lost.
Oshawa, went ashore at South Bay, Lake Ontario, 1861.
Gen. Taylor, wrecked at Sleeping Bear, Lake Michigan, in 1862.
Bay State, sunk in Lake Ontario in 1862, all hands lost - 22 lives.
Pocahontas, wrecked at Long Point, Lake Erie, in 1862.
Euphrates, wrecked on Sandusky Bar in 1862.
C. Mears, sunk by collision with propeller Prairie State in Lake Michigan in 1862.
B. F. Bruce, burned near Port Stanley, Lake Erie, in 1862.
California, wrecked on Gull Island Reef, Lake Erie, in 1862.
Jefferson, dismantled at Cleveland in 1863.
Detroit 1st, dismantled and made a barge in 1863.
Globe 1st, burned and sunk in Saginaw Bay in 1863, resurrected and made a barge.
Vermont, sunk in Lake Erie, by collision with propeller Marquette, in 1863.
Water Witch, lost in Lake Huron, with all hands, in 1863, 20 lives lost.
Nile, exploded at Detroit dock in 1864, 6 lives lost.
Racine, burned off Rond Eau, 1864, bottom made a bark; 8 lives lost.
Sciota, sunk in Lake Erie by collision with propeller Arctic, in 1864, 9 lives lost.
Ogendsburg, sunk in Lake Erie by collision with schooner Snowbird, 1864.
Kenosha, burned near Sarnia in 1864.
Pewabic, sunk in Lake Huron by collision with propeller Meteor, 1864, 100 lives lost.
Illinois, sunk at Point au Pellee by collision with propeller Dean Richmond, in 1865.
Stockman, burned at Bear Creek in 1865.
Brockville, wrecked at Big Point Au Sable Lake Michigan 1865, 3 lives lost.
City of Buffalo, burned at Buffalo in 1866.
Mary Stewart, wrecked at Grand Haven in 1866.
Whitby, lost on Lake St. Francis in 1866.
F. W. Backus, burned at Racine in 1866.
Wisconsin, burned on Lake Ontario in 1867, 50 lives lost.
Acme, wrecked in a gale off Dunkirk 1867.
[442] North, burned on River St. Clair 1867.
Antelope, burned at Buffalo 1867, made a steam barge.
Portsmouth, wrecked on Middle Island, Lake Huron, 1867.
Owego, wrecked off Barcelona in 1867, 5 lives lost.
Sunnyside, wrecked at Pine River, Mich., 1867.
Genesee Chief, burned at Detroit in 1868, made a barge.
Gov. Cushman, exploded at Buffalo in 1868, 12 lives lost.
River Queen, burned at Marine City in 1868, made a tug.
Hippocampus, burned on Lake Michigan, 1868, 26 lives lost.
Perseverance, burned on Lake Ontario, 1868, 14 lives lost.
Congress, (formerly Detroit 2d), wrecked at Thunder Bay, 1868.
Queen of the Lakes, burned at Marquette, 1869.
Boscobel, burned on River St. Clair in 1869, 3 lives lost.
Forrest Queen, sunk by ice off Clay Banks 1869.
Omar Pasha, burned at Muskegon, 1869.
Avon, wrecked at Presque Isle, Lake Huron, 1869.
Hunter, sunk by collision with propeller Comet in Detroit River, 1869.
Belle, burned off Port Washington, 1869, 2 lives lost.
Colonist, sunk in Lake Huron with valuable cargo, 1869.
Equator, wrecked at North Manitou, Lake Michigan, 1869.
Free State, wrecked on Graham Shoals, 1871, valuable cargo.
Anna Horton, wrecked at Kincardine in 1871.
R. G. Coburn, founder on Saginaw Bay, 1871, valuable cargo, 42 lives.
Navarino, (new) burned at Chicago in 1871.
Evergreen City, wrecked at Long Point, 1871.
Alex. Watson, burned on River St. Clair, 1871.
J. Barber, burned on Lake Michigan, 1871, 2 lives lost.

From the foregoing, which, as previously stated, mentions those only which have become extinct, and by no means includes all. Owing to absent records, including 1870, of which no report was given, it appears there were 45 propellers burned, 10 lost with all hands, 7 exploded, and 120 total losses, besides 544 lives lost. The history of the Lake Marine from 1871 to the present time is summarized for the chronological table. Like the commerce of the lakes, it has increased rapidly, not so much in number, as in magnificence of the vessels employed.

LIGHT-HOUSES.

The light-houses along the lake and river front of St. Clair are in the Eleventh Inspection District, which embraces all the northern lakes. The aids to navigation on the river and lake front of St. Clair County include the light-house at the head of the Old Cut, at South Pass, in latitude 42° 00' 33", longitude 82° 12' 30", built in 1859; the Beacon, built in 1859, 1,000 feet from South Pass; two lights on the St. Clair Flats Canal, built in 1871, and the Fort Gratiot light, built in 1825, rebuilt in 1862, in latitude 42° 00' 22" north, longitude 82° 24' 44" west. In connection with this light is an eight inch steam fog whistle, a description of which is given in the history of Fort Gratiot. These aids to navigation on the St. Clair River, come next in order of usefulness to the improvements of the river and canal at the St. Clair Flats.

FINANCES AND STATISTICS.

The true beginning of the Age of Progress in Michigan must be credited to the period in which it assumed the name and importance of a State. A financial mania was abroad. This distemper seized upon the Legislature in 1836-37. They enacted a system of internal improvement without a parallel in the grandeur of its conception. They ordered the construction of hundreds of miles of railroad, crossing the State in all directions. This was surpassed by the river and canal improvements. There were a few counties not touched by either railroad or river or canal, and those were to be comforted and compensated by the free distribution of money among them. To inflate this balloon beyond credence, it was ordered that work should be commenced on both ends of each of these railroads and rivers, and at each river-crossing, all at the same time. The appropriations for these vast improvements were over $5,000,000, and Commissioners were appointed to borrow the money on the credit of the State. Remember that all this was in the early days of railroading, when railroads were luxuries; that the State had whole counties with scarcely a cabin; and that the population of the State was less than 200,000, and some idea can be formed of the vigor with which those brave men undertook the work of making a great State. In the light of history, I am compelled to say that this was only a premature throb of the power that actually slumbered in the soil of the State. It was Hercules in the cradle.

From this rash enterprise sprung a sound financial policy, which belonged not only to the State Legislature, but also extended to the county and township boards throughout Michigan.

In 1857, as spring graduated into summer, appearances failed to indicate the coming of the storm that threatened to involve the entire country in ruin. During the latter part of August, the suspension of the Life Insurance and Trust Company at Cincinnati, with liabilities quoted at $5,000,000, came with unexpected suddenness, and created a havoc in financial ranks from which recovery has only been accomplished after years of industry, pluck and unmeasured confidence. This crash was succeeded by others, as is well known, with similar depressing and ruinous results. These warnings preceded the advance of the foe into the West, and caused people to reflect on what might be in store for them. There were many, doubtless, admonished of what was coming; but a majority, flattering their peace of mind with the thought that the city and county would escape unscathed, declined to outline their connections regarding impending troubles until too late to provide any remedy to mitigate their severity. There were some, however, who saw the horizon dark and portentous with the coming storm, and put their house in order to resist its violence. When it came, as a consequence, if not protected entirely, they were sufficiently so to escape permanent paralysis. Its immediate presence was first manifested by the falling off in trade, the absence of new arrivals, the depreciation in property values, and other signs of coming calamities which, though strange to the West and her people, carried with them a dread of what was to follow in their wake. Soon after, more pronounced symptoms were to be observed. Lots and lands were without markets, and none but the choicest of either were worth the cost of assessment. Visionaries, who had dwelt in castles constructed by fancy, fled from the scene of their creations, appalled at the storm which they had aided in provoking. Substantial merchants, who heard the muttering, hastily, and in every instance when it was too late, sought to take their latitude and ascertain how far they could be driven from their true course and yet survive. Nearer and nearer approached the crisis, closer and closer came the advance of that intangible agency which was to wreck so many hopes, strand so many enterprises and commit the fruit of years of labor to an adversity, both remediless and hopeless. The crash succeeded these premonitions of its coming, and carried all before it. Hundreds were irretrievably ruined in an hour, and men who felicitated themselves upon the possession of resources, ascertained, when beyond salvation, that these resources [444] were unavailable. Some survived, but the majority went down in the storm, and were heard of no more.

The events which followed this crisis are familiar to many who are alive to-day. Gloom and discouragement usurped the places of hope and prosperity. Farm lands were cultivated only that the necessaries of life might be harvested. In some remote instances they lay idle. There was no money in the country, and this absence of a circulating medium prevented the sale of crops. Merchants for similar reasons were unable to buy or sell commodities, and the most terrible distress followed, threatening almost permanent poverty, if not complete annihilation. In 1861, when the war broke out, there was a brief revival of business and exchange for a season, which gave a temporary impetus to trade, but in a brief time, business resumed its sluggish channel. Thus were cast the lines of life throughout the county. Inquiry was instituted to discover, if possible, the cause of these unfortunate effects, and the endeavor made to ascertain if their recurrence could be prevented. In all former revulsions, it was reasoned, the blame might be fairly attributed to a variety of co-operating causes, but not in the case under consideration. There were no patent reasons for the failures, of which that of the Trust Company was the beginning - a failure unequaled in its extent and disastrous results since the collapse of the United States Bank. Reasonings induced the conclusion that the ruin which at one time hung over the country and the people was due almost entirely to the system of paper currency and bank credits, exciting wild speculations and gambling in stocks. So long as the amount of the paper currency, bank loans and discounts of the country should be left to the discretion of irresponsible banking institutions, which, from the very law of their nature, consult the interests of the stockholders rather than the public, a repetition of these experiences would come at intervals. This had been the financial history of the country for years 1817, 1837, 1857. It had been a history of extravagant expansions, followed by ruinous contractions. At successive intervals the most enterprising men had been tempted to their ruin by bank loans of mere paper credit, exciting them to speculations and ruinous and demoralizing stock operations. In a vain endeavor to redeem their liabilities in specie, they were compelled to contract their loans and their issues, and when their assistance was most needed, they and their debtors sank into insolvency.

Deplorable, however, as were the prospects, the people indulged in bright hopes for the future. No other nation ever existed that could have endured such violent expansions and contractions of the currency, and live. But the buoyancy of youth, the energies of the people, and the spirit which never quails before difficulties, enabled the country to recover from its financial embarrassment. Its coming was long delayed, but it came at last and dissipated the troubles existent, without permitting the people to forget the lesson these troubles inculcated. The wheat crop of 1861 was sold for gold and silver, and though the price paid was comparatively less than was expected, it was the beginning of the end of the crisis. As the war continued, and fresh levies were made upon the State and county, the demand for supplies increased proportionately, and necessitated their production. The demand augmented almost with every month, until in 1863 it had became so generous that it seemed as if the denials and privations of the people were about to yield precedence to days of plenty. The crops were constantly on the move, money became easier, and merchants experienced difficulty in keeping pace with the wants of their customers. Lands increased in value, and the area upon which cultivation had been wholly or in part abandoned, was replanted and harvested with profit. The towns also revived under these benign influences, and that better days had come indeed was a conclusion both cheerful and universal. The experiences through which this people passed in these years of woe were not, however, without results to the county and city, which have proved advantageous and beneficial. Speculators, adventurers, soldiers of fortune and visionaries were weeded out. The dross was separated from the pure gold; the country was shorn of its superficial inhabitants, and men only remained, consoling compensations for the ruin that had been wrought, who are motive powers by which communities are sustained and character for manhood and integrity created. The decade in which was included occurrences of which mention has been made, consisted of a series of years, characterized by events, as has been seen, which tended to the civilization of the age, the education of the world by exam- [445] ple, and the discipline of humanity by experience. Commencing at a period in the history of St. Clair County when the days of trial were yielding place to more auspicious seasons, running the gauntlet of an experience both varied and checkered, and closing amid surroundings calculated both to encourage and approve, illustrate how nations, peoples, and communities, like individuals, are subject to causes and motives as incomprehensible as they are irresistible. The dullness of 1873 reached its climax in 1877, and the third panic was a reality. This last and most serious season of depression continued from 1873 to 1879, when the revival in all branches of trade restored confidence.

During the war, the county subscribed men and money to meet the levies made upon her resources for material to be sent to the field and for other purposes. The sums appropriated amounted to $322,719.89; but between 1857 and 1865, the exits were more numerous than the arrivals. In the latter part of the war, lumber appreciated in value and attracted a number of new-comers. In 1867, villages were laid out. Between 1860 and 1870, villages improved gradually; but until 1876, or thereabouts, the increase in population, development of the country and building up of the villages, was so gradual as to be scarcely perceptible. During the decade succeeding 1866, remarked one of the oldest settlers in the county, there have been more arrivals and more business than during the period of the county's growth prior to that date. This was due to the railroad and other improvements which were completed in those years, and attracted a generous immigration, principally from Maine and New York, who located in villages where they became merchants and professionals - or in the lumber districts and on farms. To-day the population of the county is not far from 50,000. Yet there is a large number of towns only partially settled, and only portions of the county available for agricultural purposes utilized therefore. The facilities for getting to and from the outside world are excellent by turnpike roads, railway lines and steamboats. What the statistics may show in 1900 is a matter on which imagination alone may speculate. The prospect points out a county rich in everything.

DECENNIAL CENSUS.

Year 1810, 100; 1820, 500; 1830, 1,115; 1840, 4,606; 1850, 10,411; 1860, 26,814; 1870, 36,759; 1880, 45,685.

In 1840, the population of St. Clair County was 4,606, distributed throughout the various towns. Five years later it reached 7,680, as shown in the following list, giving the returns of 1845: Port Huron, 1,198; St. Clair, 1,009; China, 870; Cottrellville, 727; Clyde, 483; Burtchville, 355; Ira, 392; Clay, 569; Lexington, 868; Columbus, 315; Wales, 114; Berlin, 476; Riley, 234; Polk, 72. Of this total 4,203 were males and 3,359 females; 19 Africans; 2 lunatics; 2 mutes; 12 males and 6 females over 75 years.

In 1850, the population was 10,411, increased to 16,800 in 1854. The increase is remarkable; over fifty per cent in four years:

	1850.	1854.			1850.	1854.
Berlin.........................	538	772		Cottrellville..................	913	1,442
Brockway..................	252	883		Emmett, (new town)....		437
Burtchville..................	472	1,009		Ira...............................	597	897
Casco........................	134	526		Lynn............................	55	167
China.........................	1,037	1,210		Port Huron..................	2,301	3,088
Clay...........................	721	932		Riley............................	311	593
Clyde.........................	691	1,038		St. Clair.......................	1,728	3,080
Columbus...................	377	659		Wales..........................	189	411

Population in 1840, of St. Clair and Sanilac Counties then united, was 4,606.

The census returns of 1850 as compared with those of 1840 and 1845 show an increase of population in this county which is truly astonishing. In 1840, the population of the whole county was 4,619. In 1845, it was 7,562, showing an increase in five years of 2,943. In 1850, the population of St. Clair was 10,411, from which Sanilac, containing 2,115 inhabitants, had been cut off since 1845. The increase, therefore, in what was St. Clair County in 1845, was in five years 4,964, the whole population of St. Clair and Sanilac Counties in 1850 being 12,526, and the whole increase since 1840, 7,901.

The following is the number of inhabitants in each town and city in St. Clair County, [446] according to the census taken August, 1864. Brockway, 792; Burtchville, 1,695; Berlin, 963; Clay, 1,327; Columbus, 1,028; Casco, 759; China, 1,443; Cottrellville, 1,930; Clyde, 1,123; East China, 204; Emmett, 854; Greenwood, 625; Ira, 1,072; Kimball, 715; Kenockee, 783; Lynn, 457; Mussey, 806; Port Huron City, 4,015; Port Huron Township, 1,470; Riley, 1,750; St. Clair City, 1,675; St. Clair Township, 1,659; Wales, 1,100. Total, 27,480.

The returns as given in the Census Statistics for 1880 and 1870 are as follows:

TOWNSHIPS.	1880.	1870.		TOWNSHIPS.	1880.	1870.
Berlin........................................	1283	1231		Greenwood..................................	1568	898
Brockway.................................	1839	1330		Ira................................................	1645	1580
Burtchville.................................	752	726		Kenockee.....................................	1591	1229
Casco.......................................	2212	1991		Kimball.........................................	1429	1091
China........................................	1628	1637		Lynn.............................................	788	539
Clay..........................................	1523	1475	}	Mussey.........................................	1746	1117
Algonac Village.........................	....	754	}	Port Huron...................................	1010	832
Clyde........................................	1252	1146		Port Huron City............................	8883	5973
Columbus..................................	1327	1218		Riley.............................................	2002	1664
Cottrellville................................	2904	2372	}	St. Clair........................................	1996	2002
Marine City...............................	....	1240	}	St. Clair City.................................	1923	1790
East China.................................	337	297		Wales...........................................	1820	1358
Emmett......................................	1480	960
Fort Gratiot...............................	1902	1032			---------	-------
Grant.........................................	1357	1143			46197	..........

MILITARY EXPENDITURES 1861-67.

The amount expended by the county for the relief of soldiers' families from 1861 to 1867 was $89,427.99, together with a sum of $233,291.90 appropriated for war purposes from 1861 to 1866. In the military history of the county, full statistics are given.

EQUALIZATION AND ASSESSMENT FOR 1881 AND 1882.

TOWNSHIPS.	Acres.	Real Estate as Assessed.	Real Estate as Equalized.	Personal as Assessed.	Total as Assessed.	Total as Equalized.	State Tax.	County Tax.	Town Tax.
Brockway.............................................	22,248	$ 401,155	$ 341,370	$ 70,378	$ 471,533	$ 411,748	$ 823 50	$1,235 24	................
Berlin....................................................	22,935	451,250	350,860	46,380	497,630	397,240	794 48	1,191 72	$1,330 50
Burtchville...........................................	10,050	158,370	106,850	14,384	172,754	121,234	242 47	363 70	500 00
Clay......................................................	10,000	180,590	180,000	48,423	229,013	228,423	465 85	685 27	327 50
Columbus............................................	22,644	439,075	318,100	40,500	479,575	358,600	777 20	1,075 80	1,015 00
Casco...................................................	22,755	420,470	350,000	45,680	466,150	395,680	791 36	1,187 04	961 50
China....................................................	20,955	458,875	393,600	47,070	502,945	440,670	881 34	1,322 01	690 00
Cottrellville..........................................	13,811	566,350	518,650	81,350	727,700	600,000	1,200 00	1,800 00	1,050 00
Clyde....................................................	23,000	464,465	339,300	47,193	511,658	386,493	772 99	1,159 48	1,059 00
East China...........................................	3,833	134,655	120,000	18,205	152,860	138,205	276 41	414 62	90 00
Emmet...................................................	22,058	268,700	256,000	77,160	345,860	333,160	666 32	999 48	494 63
Fort Gratiot..........................................	13,067	381,925	337,700	28,440	410,365	366,140	732 28	1,098 42	1,550 18
Greenwood..........................................	22,773	297,125	282,400	30,365	327,590	312,765	625 53	938 30	606 35
Grant.....................................................	19,072	383,680	356,900	55,340	449,020	412,240	824 48	1,236 72	407 00
Ira..........................................................	11,173	179,085	144,500	34,255	213,340	178,755	357 51	536 27	230 00
Kimball.................................................	23,040	317,945	216,460	34,865	352,810	251,325	502 65	753 98	600 00
Kenockee.............................................	21,828	298,090	334,700	26,470	319,560	361,170	722 34	1,083 57	1,446 43
Lynn....................................................	21,008	214,600	139,000	26,470	241,070	165,470	330 94	496 42	553 00
Mussey...............................................	22,186	327,780	222,100	68,675	396,465	290,785	581 57	872 36	1,111 65
Port Huron...........................................	10,128	123,400	226,700	28,675	152,075	255,375	510 75	766 13	243 00
Port Huron City (1st Ward)..............	...........	572,975	386,900	201,825	774,800	588,725	1,177 45	1,766 18	...........
Port Huron City (2nd Ward).............	10	890,375	598,380	279,700	1,170,075	878,080	1,756 16	2,634 24	...........
Port Huron City (3rd Ward)..............	...........	484,225	317,880	111,600	595,825	429,480	858 96	1,288 44	...........
Port Huron City (4th Ward)..............	150	501,200	332,780	67,525	568,725	400,305	800 61	1,200 92	...........
Port Huron City (5th Ward)..............	120	443,425	262,500	34,525	477,950	297,025	594 05	891 08	...........
Port Huron City (6th Ward)..............	350	336,675	199,200	30,075	366,750	229,275	458 55	687 83	...........
Riley.....................................................	23,800	531,970	395,200	82,080	614,050	477,280	954 56	1,431 84	1,350 00
St. Clair Town.....................................	25,000	535,525	458,000	49,540	585,065	507,540	1,015 08	1,522 62	835 00
St. Clair City (1st Ward)....................	469	327,100	199,080	119,565	446,665	318,645	637 27	955 94	...........
St. Clair City (2nd Ward)...................	481	267,320	174,300	73,220	340,540	247,520	495 04	742 56	...........
Wales..................................................	23,520	337,300	324,980	37,755	375,055	361,735	723 47	1,085 21	805 00
Total...........	432,464	$11,695,675	$9,183,390	$1,957,688	$13,735,473	$11,141,088	...........	...........	...........

[447] DEALERS IN SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS.

The following statement showing the names of persons dealing in liquors, their places of business and the amount of tax paid by each, published in accordance with Section 10, Act 268, Session Laws of 1879, prepared by M. F. Carleton, in December, 1881, is as follows:

Selling Spirituous Liquors. - Herman Springbone, Marine City, $45; James Buckley, Emmet, $50; William Roberts, Emmet, $100; Roberts & Walsh, Port Huron City, $200; James Cluff, Port Huron City; $200; Gay & Co., Port Huron City, $200; O. H. Ewer, Port Huron City, $200; Benjamin J. Karrer, Port Huron City, $200; J. D. Whitney, Port Huron City, $200; D. J. Mulligan, Port Huron City, $200; J. W. Magee, Port Huron City, $183.33; Richard Lund, Fort Gratiot, $200; Alex McArthur, Fort Gratiot, $200; Joseph Laffrey, St. Clair City, $200; Andrew Eber, St. Clair City, $200; Rotsey & Carleton, St. Clair City, $200; Oakland House, St. Clair City, $150; James Maverty, Memphis, $200; John McDonald, Marine City, $200; Michael Dibbler, Marine City, $123.75; John L. Robertson, Marine City, $150; Frank Dornoff, Marine City, $90; Mrs. F. C. Langer, Marine City, $90; Herman Springbone, Marine City, $123.75; George Christie, Ira, $200; John W. Jacob, Ira, $200; Charles Fortin, Ira, $117.50; Burnet Conklin, Smith's Creek, $150.

Selling Brewed or Malt Liquors. - O. K. Dodge and H. Griswold, Brockway Center, $21.67; Charles C. Hodgson, St. Clair City, $21.67; Lewis Presley, Lynn, $10.84; John Deloye, Port Huron City, $6.42; Henry Reaver, Fort Gratiot Village, $65; Charles Nelson, Port Huron City, $65; F. Charles Eichhorn, Port Huron City, $65; William Murray, Port Huron City, $65; E. B. Parsons, Port Huron City, $65; George A. Cameron, Port Huron City, $65; Mary Ann Taylor, Port Huron City, $65; Charles Doe, Port Huron City, $65; John P. Hoffman, Port Huron City, $65; Anton Wagner, Port Huron City, $65; Robert Philbrick, Port Huron City, $65; August Krenkie, Port Huron City, $65; George J. Bradley, Port Huron City, $65; John D. Wright, Port Huron City, $65; Henry Burde, Port Huron City, $65; John Meier, Port Huron City, $65; Patrick McElroy, Port Huron City, $65; R. J. Jackson, Greenwood, $65; Come Allen, Algonac, $65; John F. Antons, Marine City, $65; Frank Dornoff, Marine City, $65; Michael Dibbler, Marine City, $65; Herman Springbone, Marine City, $65; Elon J. Hall, St. Clair City, $65; Joseph Winneger, Fort Gratiot Village, $65; Catherine Langer, Marine City, $65; Robert Grenny, Fort Gratiot Village, $65; Isaac C. Cooper, Fort Gratiot Town, $65; John Deloye, Port Huron City, $65; Robert Judge, Port Huron City, $65; George Grimmer, St. Clair City, $65; Gage M. Cooper, Port Huron Town, $65; Christian Lauth, Port Huron City, $65; Gotlob Andrea, Port Huron City, $65; Moses H. Leyerer, Port Huron City, $65; George Stortz, Port Huron City, $65; Philip Stenshorn, Port Huron City, $65; Adam Dietz, Port Huron City, $65; Tacea & Co., Port Huron City, $65; Wesley Burt, Capac, $65; Charles E. Stewart, Port Huron City, $65; John S. Brown, St. Clair City, $65; Joseph Nehman, Capac, $65; Thomas Rapley, Brockway Center, $65; D. M. Church, Brockway Center, $65; John Walsh, Port Huron City, $65; John Walsh, Port Huron City, $65; R. B. Elliott, Port Huron City, $65; John Dornoff, Marine City, $65; Joseph Sailer, St. Clair City, $65; Thomas Forbes, Port Huron City, $65; Patrick Gallagher, Port Huron City, $65; Conrad Elspass, St. Clair City, $65; James Marshall, Marine City, $65; Davis & Bice, Brockway Center, $65; Thomas Murray, Port Huron City, $65; Butler & O'Neill, Emmet, $65; Martin Pfanner, Kimball, $65; George Holstein, Casco, $65; Hiram Bartlet, Smith's Creek, $65; Joseph Streit, Casco, $65; Ferdina Bounbonnais, Port Huron City, $65; Charles Fortin, Ira, $65; Joseph Collins, Brockway, $65; Patrick Dary, Brockway, $65; Hiram H. Tyrrell, Port Huron City, $54.20; Henry J. Bradbeer, Brockway, $65; Henry Gushman, Brockway, $65; David Fitzgibbons, Fort Gratiot Village, $59.60; David Jackson, Capac, $54.20; Gustave Roth, Marine City, $54.20; W. E. O'Neill, Emmet, $54.20; Edward Sexton, Brockway, $48.75; Joseph Shurer, Burtchville, $65; Joseph Miller, Marine City, $65; George Allen, Port Huron City, $43.34; Michael Magner, Brockway, $43.34; George Jackson, Fort Gratiot, $100.

Wholesale Dealers. - Roberts & Walsh, spirituous liquors at wholesale, Port Huron, $130; Charles Samberg, manufacturing brewed or malt liquors in quantities not exceeding 1,500 barrels per annum, Port Huron, $65; Christian Kern, manufacturing brewed or malt liquors in quantities not exceeding 1,500 barrels per annum, Port Huron, $65; John Slinkert, manufacturing brewed [448] or malt liquors in quantities not exceeding 1,500 barrels per annum, St. Clair City, $65; Joseph Schwalm, manufacturing brewed or malt liquors in quantities not exceeding 1,500 barrels per annum, St. Clair City, $65; James Marshall, manufacturing brewed or malt liquors in quantities not exceeding 1,500 barrels per annum, Marine City, $65.

The druggists who filed bonds were Robert J. Burwell, Fort Gratiot; C. J. Doswell & Co., Algonac; Ward H. Hurd and Nancy Backus, Marine City; A. F. Millikin, George J. Ward and A. A. Currie, St. Clair City; Edwin C. Martin, Capac; E. P. Tibbals, Port Huron City.

SOCIAL STATISTICS.

The whole number of deaths in the county, during the year 1871, as taken from the records in the County Clerk's office, was 337. In 1870, there were 299 deaths, showing an increase over the previous year of 38. The records show quite a number to have attained a ripe old age. In the town of Berlin, Rachel Doty reached the age of eighty-two years seven months and four days. Columbus appears to be the most healthy town in the county, as three-fourths of the deaths therewere at an age in advance of the average life of man. Here are a number of the older ones: Mary Barling, seventy-two years; Eleanor Harrison (single), seventy-nine; Alexander Allen, seventy-five; Abey Waterloo, eighty-two; Chloe Rumsey, seventy-five; Ezekiel Appleman, sixty-two. The greatest age attained by any one in Fort Gratiot was that of Jabez Meigs, who was ninety-five years five months and fifteen days old. In Casco, about two-thirds of the deaths were children under the age of fourteen. In Clay, we find the death of Mrs. Wellman recorded at the age of eighty; and in Cottrellville, that of Mrs. Margaret Flug at eighty years and ten months; and John Staley, eighty years eight months and twenty-five days. To Port Huron City belongs the honor on the death of the oldest person in the county, that of Catherine McGowan at one hundred and six years. The death of Elizabeth Prior, of St. Clair, is reported at ninety-four.

The whole number of births during the year 1871 was 957. During the previous year, there were 1,045, showing a decrease of eighty-eight. Port Huron City, with a population of a little over 6,000, in 1871, returns 168 births, while the lazy township of the same name, with a population of nearly 1,000, only returns two. Casco, with a population of 2,000, made a fruitful return of seventy-seven; Ira, sixty-nine, with a population of 1,600. Mussey, a very unassuming town, only returned nine, with a population of 1,200.

The number of marriages recorded for the year 1871 was 352. In 1870, the number recorded was 339.

Except in the case of octogenarians, the death rate is proportionate to the population at the present time; while the number of marriages and deaths is proportionately greater.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS.

There cannot be a comparison drawn between the United States and any other nation on the face of the globe; for the reason that the Republic is still in her formative condition, and while in such a state has made advances beside which the progress of all other countries appears as nothing. Since such opportunity for comparisons is denied in this connection, another controversial channel was found open. Localities were chosen, and in the war of words which ensued, the interests of the American side were upheld. The ambitious, free and reasonably happy newspaper press of the little Confederation beyond the St. Clair, urged on this local combat, to which the Port Huron Times replied as follows: "As to the statement that the Canadian side of the St. Clair River has prospered while the American side has retrograded, the answer is that it is not true. Any person sailing up or down the St. Clair River on a clear day, will observe on both sides of the river the decaying ruins of buildings at various points, but this difference will be noted: On the American side the ruins are almost entirely old saw-mills, while on the Canadian side it is the villages that are 'going to seed.' On the American side, it will also be noticed, there are extensive ship-building and other industries, while the towns show signs of continued and renewed prosperity. On the Canadian side the farms generally look well, but there is nothing else indicating activity or prosperity. The signs of decadence on the American side are due almost entirely to the decline of the lumbering industry, by rea- [449] son of the exhaustion of the timber lands in the vicinity. Thirty or forty years ago the lumbering business on the American side of the St. Clair River far exceeded that on the Saginaw. Now there is nothing left of it; nor can the people be held in any way responsible for its disappearance. The whole section of country bordering on the St. Clair River has seen three stages of life and activity since it became settled by white men. The first was in the Indian trading days. As the interior of the State began to fill up with settlers, it became a great lumber cutting and shipping point, and also entered largely into ship-building. As the timber disappeared, more attention was paid to farming, but a large portion of the adjacent territory is still in its infancy as a farming country. What its future is to be is not in all respects clear, but largely commercial, no doubt, with a large portion of the river front devoted to fine country houses, hotels, and summer residences. The era of permanent manufacturing establishments along the river has hardly opened, but that its manufacturing industries will be importanct in the future, there can be no doubt."

A PAIR OF PIONEER LETTERS.

TThe means employed to open up the county to settlement, and to place within reach of the settlers the advantages which the post office offers, are portrayed in the following letters:

The first letter was addressed to Z. W. Bunce by Gen. Cass. It refers to the laying out of the Gratiot Turnpike, and the establishment of a post office at St. Clair:

WASHINGTON, February 6, 1826.

DEAR SIR: I received your letter with the accompanying papers a few days since. You will have ascertained ere this that we have attempted to do as much for your road as for any other. The whole subject has been before the military committee, and they have unanimously reported that it is proper to lay out and make these roads. It is impossible, of course, to predict what will be the result of any particular measure where so numerous a body as Congress is called upon to decide it. But we are sanguine in the belief that all three of the roads proposed will be eventually established and made.

A mail will be established to St. Clair, and the office you ask for created.

I do not know whether our Council is yet appointed. In fact, it is about as easy to ascertain in Detroit what is doing here, as it is in Washington.

I am glad to learn that you have secured the land which you deemed important, and I sincerely hope you will be successful in your enterprise. With much regard, I am, dear sir, your obedient servant,

LEWIS CASS.

The second letter deals with the establishment of offices at Burchville and Lexington:

WASHINGTON, December 26, 1844.

DEAR SIR: - On examining the papers at the Post Office Department in relation to the desired post office at Burchville and Lexington, I find on the Burchville papers that the department requires a competent person to agree to carry the mail for the proceeds of the office. If I recollect right, I wrote to some one last year to that effect, and I supposed it had been done during the recess. The other application to Lexington was refused.

I was informed at the department that all that was required was the name of some suitable person to contract to carry the mail, etc. The clerk also informed me that he thought both routes or offices would be established if the same or some other person would also contract to carry the mail to Lexington. May I request you to consult with the persons interested, and let me know as soon as convenient?

We are in the midst of the holy days, and, of course, doing nothing good; perhaps the more time that is called away the better, as it may prevent doing worse in the way of legislation. The Texas question is the one on which we shall have most trouble. There is a great disposition to put down the rates of postage, and I hope it will succeed. The rates will be five and ten cents under and over 500 miles. We do not know yet who will be the members of the new Cabinet. I presume Mr. Polk hardly knows himself. We have mild and beautiful weather, and I hope it is as good in Michigan. Remember me to all friends. Yours truly,
D. B. HENINGTON, ESQ. JAMES B. HUNT.

POORHOUSE AND FARM.

The average number of poor people maintained in the poorhouse of the county during the year ending September, 1881, was 40.17. The whole number was 70, comprising 56 males and 14 females, of which total 13 were under sixteen years of age. There were 4 lunatics and 2 mute persons. Again this total was made up of 23 Americans, 8 English, 10 Irish, 1 Scotch, 14 Germans, 3 Swedes and 11 Canadians. The number of persons who received outside relief was 1,003, and the number receiving assistance in every form, 1,090. There were 12 in the State Insane Asylums, 4 in the Deaf and Dumb Institute, and 1 in the Blind Institute. The whole amount expended in the care and relief of the poor, was $16,533.29, all derived from the poor fund, with the exception of $2,610.20, paid from other funds. The expenses of the house and farm for the year, were $3,371.62, or $48.17 for each poor person. The expenditures for tem- [450] porary relief were $10,313.70. The total value of paupers' labor was $300, and of farm products, $1,674. The total value of farm and appurtenances was $15,567.

SCHOOLS.

Within a few years after the treaty of Saginaw, when the Indians of that quarter expressed themselves in favor of the blacksmith, Jean Provencal, and against the missionary, Mr. Hudson, we find a missionary school opened near Fort Gratiot, with John S. Hudson, Mrs. Hudson, John Hart and wife, and Miss Osmer, teachers. This school was opened in 1821, when to the astonishment of the corps of teachers, an Indian would not venture near the establishment. The Otchipwes of the St. Clair heard from their brothers of Saginaw anything but favorable reports of the Indian missionary school system, and accordingly kept aloof. In 1822, the half-breed Graveraet, or Javerodd, was employed as interpreter, and fifty or sixty Indian urchins prevailed upon to enter a course of study. Each pupil was provided with a pointed cane, and with this formed letters and figures in the sand, from copy written on the wall. This school continued in operation until the missionary teachers were removed to Mackinac, three years later, whither thirty Indians followed them.

The number of children belonging to the several school districts of St. Clair in 1841, and the number of districts in each township are set forth as follows: Berlin (five districts) 76; Clay (three) 98; Clyde (one), 35; Riley (one), 12; Columbus, (one), 15; China (five), 155; Cottrellville (two), 149; Lexington (two), 36; Port Huron (two), 82; St. Clair (three), 101. Total 759.

The number of school districts in St. Clair County in 1847, was 65, but reports were received by the Superintendent of Public Instruction from 54 only. Number of children between four and eighteen years of age reported, 2,865; number that have attended school, 1,901; under four years of age 44, over eighteen years of age, 81; number between four and eighteen years that have not attended school, who cannot read fluently, write legibly, and cipher through interest, 227; number of qualified male teachers that have been employed, 30; of female teachers, 51; average number of months that schools have been taught by qualified teachers, 42. The number of township libraries in the county was 4, containing 195 volumes. The average amount of tuition paid for each scholar was $2.33.

Below is given the number of school children in each district in the county of St. Clair as shown by the census, and the amount apportioned to each for the year 1881-82:

TOWNSHIPS.	Number of Children.	Amount Apportioned.		TOWNSHIPS.	Number of Children.	Amount Apportioned.
Berlin...................................	460	$ 487 60		Ira.......................................	713	755 78
Brockway............................	688	729 28		Kenockee............................	647	685 82
Burtchville............................	267	283 02		Kimball................................	426	451 56
Casco..................................	863	914 78		Lynn....................................	342	362 52
China...................................	628	665 68		Mussey................................	583	617 98
Clay.....................................	506	536 36		Port Huron...........................	435	461 10
Clyde...................................	423	448 38		Port Huron City...................	3,003	3,183 18
Columbus............................	470	498 20		Riley....................................	596	631 76
Cottrellville...........................	941	997 46		St. Clair...............................	801	946 06
East China...........................	116	122 96		St. Clair City........................	715	757 90
Emmet.................................	483	511 98		Wales..................................	656	696 36
Fort Gratiot..........................	668	708 08
Grant...................................	452	479 12		Total.............................	16,471	$17,459 26
Greenwood..........................	598	624 34

Scattered throughout the county are a number of small settlements, which cannot, however, take on the dignity of villages for some years. Others consist of a few houses grouped around a pier which stretches out into the lake. These tiny settlements will, no doubt, spring into activity and request the future historian to record them as villages or cities before many decades. So early as 1861, a few of these hamlets aimed at importance. Then came the war of the Union, and an age intervened when the graces and amenities of civilized life were ignored for the signal sounds of strife and battle's magnificently stern array. A large delegation [451] was taken from each village to serve in all branches of the army the first year of the struggle, and each succeeding levy gradually drained the vicinity of very much of the enterprise and public spirit which had come in and manifested its presence by works in later years. As a consequence, improvements for the period between the firing upon Fort Sumter and the surrender at Appomattox, were neither numerous, costly nor architecturally elaborate. The same is to be remembered with reference to the advent of future citizens, neither were they numerous nor valuable, save, of course, in exceptional instances. The villages, as will be readily conceded, escaped remarkable growth or development.

[452] County Associations.

The physicians and surgeons of St. Clair County met December 3, 1847, for the purpose of organizing a medical society. Among those present were John B. Chamberlin, H. Chamberlin, R. R. McMeens and L. B. Parker. John B. Chamberlin was elected President; Harmon Chamberlin, Vice President; R. R. McMeens, Secretary, and L. B. Parker, Treasurer.

A record under date November 30, 1847, gives the names of John Darwin Chamberlin, William Denton and R. H. Iron as entering the study of medicine under Dr. J. B. Chamberlin in 1847.

FORM OF ADMISSION TO THE PROFESSION.
TERRITORY OF MICHIGAN.

To all to whom these presents shall come, or may in any wise concern, the President, Secretary and Censors of the Medical Society of the Territory of Michigan send greeting:
WHEREAS, Benjamin Bissell hath exhibited unto us satisfactory testimony that he hath studied physick and surgery for the time and in the manner directed by law.

Now know ye, that by virtue of the power vested in us by law, we do grant unto the said Benjamin Bissell the privilege of practicing physick and surgery in this Territory, together with all the rights and immunities which usually appertain to physicians and surgeons.

R. S. RICE }Censors.
M. CHAPIN, }

In testimony of which we have caused the seal of the society to be affixed at the city of Detroit on this 13th day of December, A. D. 1830.

STEPHEN O. HENRY, President.

R. S. RICE, Secretary.

At a meeting of the medical society held at the office of Dr. Dyer, May 21, 1851, the following bill of prices for professional services was adopted as a standard for charges by the members of the profession belonging to the society, viz.: Verbal advice, from $1 to $3; letter of advice, $5; ordinary visit in a village, $1; night visit, $1.50; visit at a distance, 50 cents per mile for travel, and for visit, $1; minor operations in surgery, $5 to $25; capital operations in surgery, $25 to $100; midwifery, $5 to $25; consultation, $5; where medicine was furnished, an extra charge was made. The signers were: John Galbreath, Benjamen Dickey, Walter R. Kellogg, Winthrop Dyer, Laban Tucker, John T. Travers, C. M. Zeh, Charles Gibbons, S. B. Parker and A. E. Noble.

The medical society met in Dr. Stockwell's office, February 5, 1856, with J. T. Travers, presiding, and Laban Tucker, Secretary. Drs. David Ward, Reuben Crowell and Jared Kibbee were admitted members. The society met at Dr. Kibbee's office, February 12, 1856, when the committee appointed to mature a plan for prescribing for the poor of the village reported in favor of gratuitous attendance on the poor.

Medical Society of St. Clair and Sanilac County was organized August 4, 1866. Dr. Thomas Hammond presided, with Myron Northrup, Secretary. The original members were John Travers, R. C. S. L.; R. I. Wilcox, B. M. M.; William W. Anderson, V. C., Can.; Cyrus M. Stockwell, B. M. C., Mass.; Myron Northrup, Geneva, N. Y.; John A. Northrup, N. Y.; Thomas Hammond, L. of P. & F. N. Y. S. S.; G. Archie Stockwell, U. of A., N. Y.; James G. Maxfield, H. M. C., Mass.; Thomas S. Murdock, U. of M.; Francis Heil, L. G. D. C., also of Can.; George Todd, U. of M. Permanent organization resulted in the election of John T. Travers, President; Myron Northrup, Vice President; G. A. Stockwell, Treasurer. After permanent organization, Drs. E. P. Tibbals, H. D. Griswold, T. Baird, R. Wilcox and Jared Kibbee were elected members.

In November, 1868, Drs. P. W. Reed, D. A. O'Brien and P. A. Padfield were admitted members, and honorary membership conferred on R. M. Bucke and Archie McLane, of Sarnia, Dr. William C. Gustin, Dr. Ponssett, Thomas A. Hammond and M. K. Taylor, U. S. A.

[453] In 1870, Dr. Northrup was elected President; J. G. Maxfield, Vice President; G. A. Stockwell, Secretary; C. M. Stockwell, Treasurer. In 1869, Dr. Shoebotham was admitted. In 1870, the officers elected were C. M. Stockwell, President; V. W. Anderson, Vice President; H. Shoebotham, Secretary; and E. P. Tibbals, Treasurer.

The officers of the Association from 1871 to the present time are named as follows:

President - 1871, C. M. Stockwell; 1872, A. Nash; 1873, ---- Jones; 1874, J. G. Maxfield; 1875, H. McColl; 1876, H. McColl; 1877, H. R. Mills; 1878, H. R. Mills; 1879, J. S. Calkins; 1880, J. S. Calkins; 1882, J. R. McGurk.

Vice President - 1871, A. Nash; 1872, H. R. Mills; 1873, H. McColl; 1874, H. McColl; 1875, H. R. Mills; 1876, H. R. Mills; 1877, J. S. Calkins; 1878, J. S. Calkins; 1879, M. Northrup; 1880, C. E. Spencer; 1882, S. W. Smith.

Secretary - 1871, H. R. Mills; 1872, J. G. Maxfield; 1873, J. G. Maxfield; 1874, C. E. Spencer; 1875, M. C. Kenney; 1876, M. C. Kenney; 1877, C. E. Spencer; 1878, C. E. Spencer; 1879, C. B. Stockwell; 1880, C. B. Stockwell; 1882, Hugh McColl.

Treasurer - 1871 to 1880, E. P. Tibbals; 1882, C. E. Spencer.

Roll of Members. - John T. Travers (deceased), C. M. Stockwell, R. J. Wilcox (deceased), Myron Northrup, W. W. Anderson (deceased), John A. Northrup (removed), G. A. Stockwell (removed), J. G. Maxfield (removed), E. C. P. Tibbals, H. D. Griswold (removed), Dr. Baird (deceased), Jared Kibbee, A. L. Padfield, M. W. Taylor (removed), Henry Shoebotham, H. R. Mills, I. K. Farmer (dropped), Alfred Nash (removed), George W. Jones, Hugh McColl, William A. Jackson, M. C. Kenney, A. L. Scott, C. H. Alden (removed), J. R. McGurk, George L. Connell (deceased), Wilson Ramsey (deceased), J. S. Calkins, M. T. Moore, A. R. Stone, D. V. Yeux, R. Bredin, W. W. French (removed), C. E. Spencer, M. M. Tucker (removed), William Blake, William B. Hamilton, Benjamin D'Arcy, J. R. Sniter, J. C. McTaggart (removed), W. J. Tayor, C. M. Woodward (removed), J. G. Bailey (dropped), J. S. Comstock, A. Howell, W. G. Ferry (removed), J. H. Taylor, G. G. Williams (removed), C. C. Hibbard (deceased), H. E. Shepherd (removed), R. B. Baird, C. G. Robertson (removed), C. B. Stockwell, A. J. Shockley, S. W. Smith, T. J. Jackson, A. M. Oldfield, A. Mitchell, D. O'Brien, J. K. Farnum, Carlos Carvallo, C. H. Alden, D. F. Stone.

INSURANCE AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES.

In the pages devoted to local history, the benevolent, political, military and industrial societies of the county are noticed. Here it will be only necessary to give a summary of the history of three societies, the affairs of each being so generally connected with the county, that they cannot be localized.

FARMER'S MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY,

of Macomb and St. Clair Counties, was organized at the Ridgeway Hotel, or Beebe House, August 1, 1863. Robert Irwin presided, with Samuel Goodsell, Secretary. After the adoption of the charter, the following officers were elected: Aratus Smith, President; James S. Durfee, Vice President; Robert Irwin, Secretary; C. D. Crittenden, Loren Andrus, J. S. Kimball, A. W. Freeman and Namson Farrar, Directors. The charter members were Loren Andrus, P. W. Bentley, Calvin Davis, George W. Phillips, Erastus Day, George H. Cannon, Charles C. Leach, William Canfield, Henry Fries, Aratus Smith, Norman Perry, Hiram Taylor, Abraham Wells, George N. Chilser, Cornelius Jeffers, James C. Cox, Alexander S. Barnard, Peter F. Brakeman, Charles McMillan and James O. Roberson.

Aratus Smith continued President until 1865, when Joseph C. High was appointed. Mr. High was elected in 1866, and held the office until 1868, when R. H. Jenks was elected.

The Secretaries of the company were Robert Irwin, elected in 1863; W. P. Bartlett, 1870. Watson W. Lyons, elected in 1874, holds the position at present.

DIRECTORS.

1864 - J. C. High, C. S. King, Amos N. Freeman, Charles McMillan, Loren Andrus.
1865 - Same officers.
[454] 1866 - H. H. Cady, R. H. Jenks, Charles Andrews, William A. Parsons, L. S. King, A. W. Clark.
1867 - H. H. Cady, C. S. King, W. A. Parsons, George H. Stuart.
1868 - Michael Plant, Silas Hart, E. W. True, Samuel Jones, and Mason Cole.
1869 - Officers re-elected.
1870 - David Weeks, S. Jones, M. Plant, Henry Frees, S. S. Hart and James Durfee.
1871 - Albert Sperry, D. S. Priest.
1872 - David Weeks, C. D. Crittenden.
1873 - G. Schuchard, M. Plant.
1874 - D. S. Priest, John M. Hart.
1875 - R. D. Smith, C. S. King.
1876 - M. Plant, G. Schuchard.
1877 - D. S. Priest, Myron Kinyon.
1878 - C. S. King, George H. Cannon.
1879 - Gustave Schuchard, M. Plant.
1880 - D. S. Priest, Myron Kinyon.
1881 - L. M. Sperry, Stephen B. Cannon.

The following table points out the progress made since 1869. The statistics for the previous years are not given; but it may be said that the same ratio of advance marked the transactions of the company from 1863 to 1868.

YEAR.	MEMBERS.	RISKS.	ADDED.		YEAR.	MEMBERS.	RISKS.	ADDED.
1869........	1,830	$2,818,255	..............		1876........	3,415	$4,964,590	27,905
1870........	2,300	3,600,000	681,745		1877........	3,990	5,621,044	656,454
1871........	2,800	3,800,000	506,000		1878........	4,271	5,646,284	566,673
1873........	3,383	5,208,809	432,135		1879........	4,496	5,796,295	539,774
1874........	3,419	5,014,765	196,770		1880........	3,839	4,809,202	325,918
1875........	3,415	4,936,685	78,080		1881........	4,125	5,072,786	362,577

Agricultural statistics will be found in the chapter of county finances and statistics.

The annual statement of the Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company for November 1, 1882, is as follows: There are 3,969 members in the company, a gain of five during the past year. The amount of property at risk is $4,710,338. The statement of losses shows 34 members to be entitled to $4,510.57 for losses during the years 1880, 1881 and 1882. The moneys to be collected for the year ending November 1, aggregate $6,925.34. The amount of capital stock and the rates of assessment are as follows: $4,450,600 at $1.50 per $1,000; $90,180 at $1.25 per $1,000; $80,000 at $1 per $1,000; $60,100 at 75c per $1,000; $20,058 at 50c; $10,000 at 25c per $1. These figures certainly give a good showing for the company.

THE CITY AND VILLAGE INSURANCE COMPANY.

The organization of the City and Village Mutual Fire Insurance Company of St. Clair, Lapeer and Macomb Counties, was perfected at St. Clair on June 9, 1882. Officers were elected as follows: President, B. H. Jenks, St. Clair; Vice President, Henry Fries, of Mount Clemens; Treasurer, Henry Whiting, Marine City; Secretary, O. F. Morse, St. Clair.

The Board of Directors includes C. McElroy, R. W. Jenks, R. H. Jenks, H. Whiting, D. Sheldon, C. Griebs, Mark Hopkins and Robert Holland, of St. Clair County; A. W. Reed and Henry Fries, of Macomb County; J. B. Moore, S. Smith and David West, of Lapeer County. The company have a hundred members and $75,000 at risk.

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The first fair of the St. Clair County Agricultural Society was held in 1856. During the meeting, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, John E. Kitton, of St. Clair; Vice President, Ralph Wadhams, Kimball; Treasurer, William M. St. Clair, St. Clair; Secretary, Edgar White, Port Huron; Executive Committee, S. B. Brown, of St. Clair, Martin [455] S. Gillett, of Port Huron, John Nicol, of St. Clair, Asa Larned, of Port Huron, James D. Brown, of Cottrellville.

In other pages, reference is made to the organization of the Agricultural Society. What share it had in the agricultural development of the county is well known. Its influence extended into all sections of St. Clair, teaching the farming community the means to make their homes and farms abodes of peace and industry.

[456] HISTORY OF FIRST INDUSTRIES.

To the visitor of to-day, witnessing the vast resources and accumulation of capital wielded in this section, it may seem almost incredible that some of the wielders of this capital commenced business only a few short years ago with nothing but their own indomitable energy and perseverance. This has been accomplished, not by speculation and the adroit, lucky turning of Fortune's wheel, but by actual creation of much wealth, added to the store of human comforts, using only the advantages supplied by Nature's abundant and common storehouse. The settler on any of our Western prairies, and the axman who enters on the primeval forests where no sign or mark of man's destructive force or redeeming power is seen or felt, is frequently the subject of strange reflections. As he follows his plow, turning up the virgin soil, that through all the ages has remained undisturbed, or hews down the stately tree that for a thousand years has flourished and grown, unnoticed and uncared for by the hand of man, he wonders how it occurs that he, of all the people that lived and still live on the face of the earth, swarming as it does with so many millions, should be the first to appropriate to his comfort and convenience the blessings so long held in reserve in Nature's vast storehouse. He wonders, too, why his race should require all the resources of the earth, the productions of the forests, mines, rivers, lakes, oceans; of the soil plowed, planted, cultured and garnered; the flocks and herds, feeding and gamboling on a thousand hills, for his subsistence; while other races have remained, from generation to generation in all the untamed wilderness of the wild deer and elk, on which they subsist. What of the race that but yesterday was here? Have these rivers, fields and forests, now so peaceful, always been so calm and still? or have they, like the old world, been the scene of some sanguinary and savage conflict? We speculate in vain on the long-ago dwellers upon the banks of these pleasant streams. Their war-dance and savage yells may have been the only sound that ever awakened the stillness of these lands; or a race long extinct may have plowed and sowed, and builded and loved and worshipped, and cultivated all the graces and amenities of civilized life; but the records of whose deeds and virtues have been obliterated by the convulsions of Time's relentless changes. Such must have been the musings of those persevering and energetic pioneers, who, severing the ties of home and kindred and early association, plunged into the wilds of this county and carved from the rugged forces of nature the comfortable homes they now enjoy.

FUR TRADERS.

Incidental to the history of the entire Northwest is the record of the traders in furs, although the region covered by this volume does not contain the site made noted by the location of the chief trading post. Many sub-pots were established throughout this State and the adjoining States, especially where streams and lakes made the point easy of access to the dealers. There is required her, however, only a general sketch of this earliest of commercial undertakings. The Northwest was visited and explored by French voyageurs and missionaries from Canada during the seventeenth century. The object of the former was gain; the purpose of the Jesuit fathers was the conversion of the savages. As early as 1624, the traders were operating about Lake Huron and Mackinac. Previous to 1679, a considerable traffic in furs had sprung up with Indian tribes in the region of "Ouisconsin." That year, more than two hundred canoes, laden with furs, passed Mackinac, bound for Montreal. The commerce of the lakes was then carried on solely in birch-bark canoes. The lightness and strength of the little craft enabled the French explorers to make portages or navigate large bodies of water with comparative safety. When the military possession of the Northwestern domain passed from France to Great Britain in 1760, the relationship of the fur trade to the Government changed. France, as is mentioned elsewhere in these pages, used the license of traders as [457] a bond of fealty to the King. The policy of England was to grant exclusive charters to particular companies. The Hudson Bay Company had grown rich and powerful between 1670 and 1760. Its success excited the envy of other capitalists, and rival organizations were formed. The original company purchased their furs at certain trading stations. The newer firms sent out their voyageurs into every nook of the land to buy up the furs, or, indeed, to catch the fur-bearing animals themselves. This competition diminished the profits of the business. In 1815, Congress prohibited foreigners dealing in furs in the United States or Territories. This action founded John Jacob Astor's colossal fortune. Mr. Astor organized the "American Fur Company," he being the sole owner, in 1809. In connection with the Northwest Company, he bought out the Mackinac Company, and formed the Southwest Company. The war of 1812 interrupted the existence of that organization; but it was revived in 1816, as an American institution. Considerable trade is still carried on in Northern Michigan, but mainly by individuals.

Fur traders, or at least their employes, were the first explorers after Nicolet. They were contemporary with the Jesuit missionaries. Those traders sent from the St. Lawrence hatchets, knives, blankets and other articles coveted by the savages, to exchange with them for furs. Their employes, the voyageurs, made their journeys into the far-off regions in birch-bark canoes, of the lightest possible construction; for they had frequently to be carried by hand around rapids, and from one stream to another, along carrying places, called portages. They usually made up their outfit at Quebec or Montreal, and, ascending the Ottawa during the summer, and subsequently the French River and the lower lakes, proceeded to the various tribes inhabiting the region of the upper lakes, either wintering at Indian villages or at stations that had been established by them in their neighborhood. With their peltries, gathered during the winter or early spring, they returned usually the next summer; but sometimes they were required to make longer voyages. The fur traders were, as a class, men of some wealth, of respectable families, and of considerable intelligence, and were possessed of enterprising and adventurous habits. They found the fur trade more profitable or more congenial to their dispositions than agricultural pursuits. Their menials, the voyageurs, penetrated the fastnesses of the Western wilderness with a perseverance and courage almost without a parallel in the history of explorations of savage countries. Indeed, they out-savaged the savage in that respect. The French Government early manifested a disposition to extend her dominion in America. At the very commencement of the seventeenth century, she had colonized Acadia. In 1608, Quebec was founded. In 1663, New France (Canada) was made a royal colony. The reports circulated in France of the advantages of the fur trade were such as to induce many of the nobility and gentry to invest their fortunes in the New World. With this patronage, and the constantly increasing number of colonists, New France grew rapidly in commerce, the most lucrative branch of which was dealing in furs. The traders and voyageurs were the usual agents employed by the French Government to extend and uphold its dominion in the Northwest. The traffic in furs maintained with the Indians constituted the only value of this region in the eyes of Frenchmen, so long as France continued her dominion over it. The regular fur trader was licensed by the Government, this license generally stipulating the territory in which he was permitted to operate. It was drawn in the nature of a colonial commission, conferring on the licensed trader the authority of a military officer over the voyageurs in his employ. It also made him a commercial agent of the Government among the Indians. He was frequently employed as special agent of the colony, to make treaties. Sometimes he was required to lead his voyageurs upon war expeditions, in return for his fur trading privileges. His employes therefore were always around, equipped and familiarized with military duties, partly from necessity of defending themselves from attacks of hostile Indians, and partly to be enabled to carry out any requisition made by the Government. The dominion of France over the Western country was thus made self-sustaining. But the Government found some trouble in controlling the traffic in furs. There grew up an illicit trade maintained by couriers de bois, in contradistinction to the regular traders or voyageurs. They followed the Indians in their wanderings, and sometimes became as barbarous as the red man. A few years of forest life seemed to wean them from all thought or desire for civilization. They spread over the [458] Northwest, the outlaws of the forest. Although rendering essential aid, at times, to the Government, the King of France, in 1699, launched a declaration against them. The following hymn of those olden travelers is still remembered:

Derrièr chez nous yàtun étang,

En roulant ma boule. (Chorus.)

Trois beaux canards s'en vout baignant,

Rouli, roulant, ma boule roulant,

En roulant ma boule, roulant. (Chorus.)

En roulant ma boule.

Trois beaux canards s'en von baignant

En roulant ma boule,

Le fils du roi s'en va chassant,

Rouli, roulant, ma boule roulant,

En roulant, ma boule, roulant,

En roulant ma boule.

Le fils du roi s'en va chassant

En roulant ma boule,

Avec son grand fusil d'argent.

Rouli roulant, ma boule roulant,

En roulant, ma boule, roulant,

En roulant ma boule.

THE PINE.

A few words in relation to this tree, the object of the early settlements of most of Michigan. Unlike the oak and most other trees, the pine is not reproductive; when a generation matures or is cut off, it will not again produce a crop on the same soil. It is confined to its peculiar territory, and when we remember that the average age of a pine tree is only 300 years, it is seen that our pine forests were not in existence when Columbus discovered America. The pine evidently succeeded some growth that could not be reproduced, and it evidently exhausted the soil of the special material for its growth, leaving it, however, in a condition to grow oak and a variety of other productions. In the growth of a pine forest there is a constant death and decay of inferior or overshadowed trees, and comparatively a small number come to a condition suitable for the lumberman's ax. The pine has several causes of decay. There are no known insects that originate decay, but several that hasten it, when once started from any cause. The three most prominent causes of decay in the pine are punk or rot, wind shakes and loose knots. The punk is a kind of cancerous growth on the side of a tree, that eats into its very vitals. A low state of vitality will produce it. The black knot is a decayed limb that has not been closely grown around, and induces decay. The wind-shake is a most exasperating defect of lumber, occurring near the butt, and is caused by the bending of the tree in high winds, when the annual growths are separated by sliding on each other. Another external enemy of the pine tree is fire. A pine tree that has been scorched must be utilized, or the insects will render it useless. Among these is the pine weevil, tornicus, zylographus, which goes for a sound tree, but not a live one. There is another worm that goes straight to the heart, leaving a small, black hole. The hurricane may also be stated as one of the causes of destruction. A full-grown pine is from ninety to 160 feet high, averaging 125. A log sixteen feet long will average 250 feet of lumber, although some have yielded ten times this amount. The roots of a tree are supposed to equal one-half the lumber above ground. The diameter of a log averages thirty inches; sometimes it is six feet. A pine, as found standing in the forest, has branches for the top third of its height. The task of reproducing the pine forests that are now falling with such remorseless rapidity, is a hopeless one, and science and art will combine to produce a substitute, for it is only a question of time as to when an article made of so common a material as pine shall be eagerly sought after as a curiosity, to be carefully preserved among the bric-a-brac of future generations. In years to come, when the pine lumber which is so plentiful to-day may have been superseded by a material resulting from the combined art and skill of the chemist and mechanic, it will be interesting to read an account of the peculiarities of lumbering on the Black River, the hazardous, uncertain and excitable part of which is even now among the things that were, having been supplanted by railway transportation [459] almost exclusively. Realizing the rapidity with which old things are passing away and all things becoming new, the methods of conducting the lumbering operations on the Black and St. Clair Rivers will be here recorded. Lands were purchased up the rivers by the various lumber companies, who sent an expert to estimate the amount of lumber per acre. This was done in various ways; the most simple was to count the trees, noting their average size, and, by well tried rules estimating three, four or more trees to the 1,000 feet, arrive at a close approximation of the yield. On the approach of winter, camps were sent into the woods - so many teams, so many men, so much feed and so much provision. Contracts were sometimes made at a certain price per thousand. The logs were cut in lengths of twelve, fourteen and sixteen feet, and exceptionally longer for specific purposes; hauled to the river to await the breaking-up of the ice and the rise of the river in the spring. Every lumberman had a registered mark, which was one or more initials, or some other device, cut into the log. When the freshet came on, the logs consigned to the stream floated on with the current; but in the sometimes narrow and tortuous stream there was not unfrequently a jam, where millions of feet piled up, tier upon tier, to finally break loose and, with the accompanying flood, hurry on, to be caught in the booms below. The boom was a floating dam kept in position by piers or wing rudders, which could be adjusted to maintain its position by the current itself. From the boom connected with the mill, the logs were hauled up by various devices and sawed into timber, scantling or boards, as they seemed best to work up. The boards were sawed one and one-eighth of an inch thick, so that they could be dressed down to one inch with little waste. The old North Atlantic method of marking the number of feet upon the board was not followed here. The manner of shipping by the river, formerly the only method of getting lumber to market, was by means of rafts, after being sawed. A raft was formed in this way: The lumber was laid up in cribs composed of three grub planks at the bottom, about five feet apart, with three two inch auger holes to insert the grub-pins of hard wood, four feet long. The crib was made up this way: 12x16 feet, or twelve feet square, by alternating the layers lengthwise and crosswise, until from ten to twenty tiers of boards were laid, when they were securely pinned together. Six of these were placed end to end by coupling planks, and a stick of timber secured across each end. To this was pivoted the oar, a stock thirty-six feet long, with a board blade on the water end. By means of a spring-pole, the forward end of the raft was turned up to some extent, to facilitate its movements over the various obstructions. Thus arranged, it was called a "rapid piece." A rope ran from end to end to enable the raftsmen to hold on, as the piece might become submerged on diving over the rapids. Each crib would contain about 3,500 feet. It would take from two to eight men to manage one of these pieces. And what was called a "fleet," consisted of twenty of these pieces, all under the charge of a pilot with his gang.

CUTTING THE KEY LOG.

Reference is made to a jam in the river. To clear this jam was what is, even now, known as cutting the key log. The first thing to be done was to find out where the jam occurred, and then to discover what is called "key log," that its to say, the log which holds the base of the "jam." An old experience "stream driver" is soon on the spot, for the news is soon carried up stream that there is a "jam" below. Every minute is of consequence, as logs are coming down the "jam" increasing in strength. The "key log" being found, there is a cry for volunteers to cut it. Now, when you consider that there are some hundred big logs of timber forming a dam, and the instant the key log is cut the whole fabric comes rushing down with a crush, you will see that unless the ax-man gets instantly away he is crushed to death. There are usually in a camp plenty of men ready to volunteer; for a man who cuts a key log is looked upon by the rest of the loggers just as a soldier is by his regiment when he has done any act of bravery. The man I saw cut away a log which brought down the whole jam of logs, was a quiet, young fellow, some twenty years of age. He stripped everything save his drawers; a strong rope was placed under his arms, and a gang of smart young fellows held the end. The man shook hands with his comrades, and quietly walked out on the logs, ax in hand. I do not know how the loggy-road one felt, but I shall never forget my feelings. The man was quietly walking to what very likely might be his death. At any moment the jam might break of its own accord, [460] and also if he cut the key log, unless he instantly got out of the way, he would be crushed by the falling timber. There was a dead silence while the keen ax was dropped with force and skill on the pine log. Now the notch was nearly half through the log, one or two more blows, and a crack was heard. The men got in all the slack of the rope that held the ax-man; one more blow and there was a crash like thunder, and down came the wall of timber, to all appearances on the ax-man. Like many others, I rushed to help haul away the poor fellow, but to my great joy I saw him safe on the bank, certainly sadly bruised and bleeding from sundry wounds, but safe.

THE SAW MILL CHANGES.

Among the most marvelous of the many wonderful things which distinguish the United States from other nations are the results which have grown out of the possession of immense forests of valuable timber in stimulating inventive genius to the preparation of an article of building material so cheap as to enable the poorest to have a comfortable home, while at the same time so excellent in character as to be not only suited, but indispensable to the working classes. Those more readily accessible regions of the continent which possessed these forest growths in the greatest abundance were among the first to receive large accessions to their population, drawn together at those centers which presented the easiest access to cheap building material, not less than for their personal safety from a savage foe. It has not until the demand for lumber far exceeded the ability of the "greatest" mills of half a century ago to supply, leading the manufacturers to feel the need of a more extended system of production, that the star of empire made any progress westward, or it became a possibility to settle upon the prairies of the West, or to develop the mineral resources which have already shown our nation to be the peer of, if it does not excel, all others in the extent of its possessions. To possess is to need. And the cheap building material which the cheap mills of the days long gone by enabled a scanty population to utilize, stimulated a more extended immigration, with its increased needs, as well as a higher order of inventive genius to increase the supply.

The mills of the olden time were, first, the windmill, with its uncertain power, scarce exceeding that of the men who ran the pit saws which were then in a measure superseded, and whose indignation at the effort to lessen their manual labor caused them to mob the owner and tear down his machinery. Second, the adaptation of a current water-wheel of scarcely greater power, if more reliable, run by the natural current of a small stream. Next came the simple flutter-wheel, to impart motion to which required the building of dams to hold large bodies of water, which should at all times be available. But for large operations, the flutter-wheel was found to possess too little power, and the overshot or undershot wheel became a necessity, to be superseded later by the adaptation of turbine-wheels, now so much in favor with mill owners who control water power. For the first fifty years of our national growth, as well as during the preceding portion of the world's history, none of the mills were equipped with anything more than a single upright saw working in a gate, and when another saw was added, as the inceptive idea of the gang, which quickly succeeded with its large number of saws, words could scarcely express the astonishment of all who saw the working of the bold innovation.

Up to this time, all the lumber which was manufactured had been edged upon the top of the log after it was turned down; an auxiliary saw was not thought of, for the buzz saw, just beginning to be used, was considered a most dangerous piece of machinery. But the increased manufacture growing out of an increase in the power and an increase in the number of saws led to the introduction of the small circular or "buzz" saw, which was at once found to nearly double the capacity of the mill. It is needless for us to enlarge upon the introduction of steam power in the saw mill, or to follow the original idea of an engine, 6x8 inches, attached to the lower end of the pitman or saw gate, through its successive stages of development and enlargement to the present time, when the Corliss, or Estes, or other well-known engines, of a power from ten to one hundred times greater capacity than was the original device, are by the thousand in number engaged in turning out lumber, each in one season aggregating a greater manufacture than were all the saw mills of the country combined at a period scarcely fifty years in the past.

The old gate saw was superseded by the muley, with the reduction of friction equal to thirty or fifty per cent increase in cutting capacity. The muley gave way to the circular, and [461] with the introduction may be dated the commencement of an era which has been prolific of innovation, improvement and advantage to the saw mill world. As the use of the circular became better understood, and men became expert in so dressing it as to make true lines and smooth surfaces, they found themselves able to produce more lumber in the rough than they could properly edge and prepare for market. The old edging-table could not keep up with the cut of the saw. This was remedied by the introduction of gang edgers, which no mill doing any considerable business could now dispense with. Now the work of the main saw could be safely increased, for the gang - or, as it was at first known, "double" - edger was abundantly able to keep pace with it, and while at first a capacity equal to 1,000 feet per hour was doubtfully claimed, later developments have shown in now a few instances, an entire season's work at the rate of 6,000 feet per hour.

This increase in capacity called for a more speedy method of handling the logs on the carriage, and the lumber as it left the saw, and a multitude of inventive minds were concentrated on mill dogs, which should successfully take the place of the lever and pike, driven by a mallet, and the modern saw mill could not now be operated with the original method of dogging the log. The "nigger" for turning the log on the carriage, as well as rolling it on the skids had superseded the canthook and muscular power formerly relied upon, while the lumber, as it leaves the saw, drops upon a system of liverollers, which does the work to much better advantage than it was formerly accomplished by a hard-worked "offbearer," who could not in these days by any possibility, keep up with the work which would crowd upon them.

Plenty of lumber, cheaply manufactured and sold at reasonable prices, has enabled the settling up of a nation at the rate of nearly fifty per cent increase of population during each decade. This in turn has demanded a network of railroads, and carriage by them has not yet been reduced to a science, which enables us to believe that rates have reached a minimum which they will realize in the future. The manufacturer of lumber, bearing this in mind, must reduce the weight of his product to the lowest possible point, and the trimmer became a prime necessity as an economizer, not less than for an advantage in an aesthetic point of view. And the old gang mill, from its original adaptation of two saws, hung in a cumbrous frame, upon monstrous posts which headed in a weigh-beam, made from the largest stick of timber which the forests afforded, and footed in the mill foundations, shaking the structure and the surrounding country, and keeping the machinery about one-half the time in the repair shop from its everlasting jar, has been displaced by the neat, effective, and comparatively noiseless devices of more modern times, developing a sawing capacity of which the fondest anticipation of the original inventor of the idea had not the remotest conception. The heavy weigh-beams have disappeared, the monstrous wooden posts have given way to equally advantageous and strong but less cumbersome and more slightly iron supports, resting upon foundations independent of those which support the mill frame. The old, stiff, and full-of-friction-gate has been superseded by oscillating slides, giving to the saws the same motion which the pit sawyer seeks to obtain in order to accomplish the most work with the least outlay of strength.

Time would fail us to trace out all the changes which a quarter of a century has developed in the saw mill. Should a Rip Van Winkle of the last century be suddenly awakened from his long sleep, still dreaming of the last act of dogging the log on his old-fashioned carriage, in the old mill, when he took long naps between the cuts, and esteemed a production of 1,000 feet per day something to brag of, and open his eyes on the floor of a modern mill of the smallest size, he would truly think that the world had turned upside down; and if he saw the army of men carrying off a quarter of a million feet of boards per day from the saws of some of the larger mills, he would not believe the evidence of his senses. All has changed; the water wheel has given place to the steam engine; the single small cylinder boiler, to the monstrous tubular or flue in large batteries; the upright saws in a gate, to the muley and the circular; the two-saw gang, to a forty saw; the rag-wheel, to the steam feed, adding countless possibilities to the ability of the circular saw to cut up logs; the single buzz saw, to the double edger; the rough end lumber, to the well trimmed; the vast piles of worthless slabs, to a useful article of lath and pickets; and the final debris, in many localities, to usefulness in the manufacture of other commercial articles. The pioneer knew nothing of lath and shingle manufacture; live rolls had not entered his noodle; gang slab cutters would have been by him pro- [462] nounced an invention of the devil to feed the flames of his insatiable furnace. Endless chains would have had no use in his mill economy; saw sharpeners and gummers would have had no value in his eyes, for he could cut all the lumber he expected to, and find plenty of time for dressing his saws by hand.

The modern saw mill is indeed full of improvements, down to the last device for sorting by machinery. The production in one day, by one saw, of more lumber than was accounted the work of a year in former times, is not only the result of the genius of invention such as marks the spirit of the age, but has rendered possible the remarkable development of the youngest in the sisterhood of nations, forming no unimportant factor in the influence of this country among the people of the earth. All hail to the modern saw mill, and the wise intelligence of nearly every man who is connected with it, either in the production of logs from the forests or the manufacture and sale of lumber, for each progressive step in the march of improvement has reduced the cost of manufacturing lumber, keeping pace with the inevitable increase in the cost of timer, due ot the gradual decadence of the forests.

In other pages reference will be made to the lumbermen of St. Clair - to the Harringtons, Beards, Morans, Farrands, of Lakeport, Babys, Brockways, Howards, Sanborns, Whites, and the hundred others who built the saw mills of the county.

Patrick Sinclair's lumber industry at St. Clair, in 1876-80, must be considered the first in this section. Among the first manufacturing industries of Michigan was Baby's mill. This was located six miles below Detroit, on the Rouge. The primitive manufacturing concern was afterward purchased by Knaggs. Mr. Peltier's mill on the Savoyard, near Detroit, was another important industry of the imte. The traders were Joseph Campeau, Robert Gonier, George Moniot, Jean Baptiste le Duc, Gabriel Coté, Jacques Allaird, Conrad Ten Eyck, Hugh Martin, Meldrum & Parks. Such is the whole list of traders who flourished at Detroit in 1799.

In 1827, Allen and Burt built a mill for Alpheus Wadhams, six miles from Port Huron, returning to their homes after its completion by taking a course across the country through the woods.

There were in the county, and in operation, the following saw mills in October, 1847:

TOWNS.	Water.	Steam.	Saws.		TOWNS.	Water.	Steam.	Saws.
Polk...........................	4	......	6		St. Clair.........................	3	4	19
Lexington...................	3	1	9		Newport........................	......	1	3
Burtchville..................	3	......	5		Algonac.........................	......	2	5
Clyde.........................	8	......	18
Port Huron.................	1	4	13		Totals.......................	22	12	78

The following is, independent of shingles, logs, square timer, staves, etc., which are exported from the county to a large amount, the statement of lumber manufacture in 1847:

TOWNSHIPS.	OWNERS.	POWER.	SAWS.	AMOUNT.		TOWNSHIPS.	OWNERS.	POWER.	SAWS.	AMOUNT.
Polk..............	J. Bird........................	Water.	1	200,000		Clyde............	Alverson...................	Water.	1	200,000
Polk..............	Clice & Adams........	Water.	1	300,000		Clyde............	D. B. Harrington......	Water.	3	700,000
Polk..............	Mason & Co............	Water.	2	600,000		Pt. Huron.....	Steam Mill Co...........	Steam.	4	2,700,000
Polk..............	Davis & Westcomb	Water.	2	500,000		Pt. Huron.....	Clark & Co................	Steam.	4	3,000,000
Lexington....	Hubbard & Lester...	Steam.	4	3,000,000		Pt. Huron.....	Davis & Tucker.......	Steam.	1	1,000,000
Lexington....	Davis..........................	Water.	1	200,000		Pt. Huron.....	E. P. Vickery.............	Steam.	2	200,000
Lexington....	R. B. Dimond............	Water.	1	150,000		St. Clair........	A. Bartlett.................	Water.	2	400,000
Lexington....	N. B. Chase...............	Water.	2	600,000		St. Clair........	A. Smith....................	Water.	2	450,000
Burtchville...	J. Burtch....................	Water.	2	300,000		St. Clair........	Chamberlin & Co.....	Steam.	3	2,000,000
Burtchville...	S. M. Robbins..........	Water.	3	800,000		St. Clair........	W. Truesdail............	Steam.	6	3,000,000
Burtchville...	J. H. Titus.................	Water.	1	100,000		St. Clair........	R. More.....................	Steam.	3	2,000,000
Clyde............	J. & J. Beard.............	Water.	3	800,000		St. Clair........	J. L. Kelsey...............	Steam.	2	1,000,000
Clyde............	R. Wadhams............	Water.	3	700,000		St. Clair........	---- Smith...................	Steam.	1	500,000
Clyde............	J. Abbott..................	Water.	2	400,000		Newport.......	Rust & Co.................	Steam.	3	2,000,000
Clyde............	Chase & Evans.......	Water.	3	600,000		Algonac.......	Brooks & St. Clair....	Steam.	3	2,700,000
Clyde............	J. H. Wesbrook.......	Water.	1	300,000		Algonac.......	D. Daniels.................	Steam.	2	1,250,000
Clyde............	---- Hill......................	Water.	2	400,000

[463] A bill of lumber from D. B. Harrington, March 29, 1848: "Memorandum of lumber bought of D. B. Harrington, by H. Norton & Co.: 300,000 feet of pine lumber; 200,000 feet to be taken by H. Norton & Co. by month of May. H. Norton & Co. agree to pay for merchantable $6, for culls $3, for clear $12. D. B. Harrington agrees to deliver the same from his dock, at the above-named prices. Inspection to be made by Mr. Throop." In 1869, merchantable sold for $13 and $16, culls at $7 and $8, and clear at $42.

The capital invested in pine lands in 1847 was immense. For instance, the Black River Steam Mill Co. had 7,000 acres. Rogers & Co.'s mill, near Almont, had 8,000 acres. The mills in St. Clair County, where some 30,000,000 feet were made, own some 30,000 acres. It is fair estimate to put the money invested in lands for this business at half a million of dollars. The number of persons employed in all branches of it, from the felling of trees to turning it out of the mill, could not be less than 8,000. The markets out of the State are Chicago, Milwaukee, the Wabash Canal, Ohio, Oswego and Buffalo. In 1854, the number of feet of lumber and logs produced by the forests of St. Clair and Sanilac was 145,090,000; valued at $10 per thousand, yielded $1,450,000.

We publish below a carefully prepared table showing the amount of lumber which it was estimated would be manufactured during the year 1852, by the several mills between Point au Barques on Lake Huron and Algonac: In regard to the number of saws, the uprights only are mentioned in the table.

OWNERS AND LOCATION.	POWER.	SAWS.	AM'T LUMB'R		OWNERS AND LOCATION.	POWER.	SAWS.	AM'T LUMB'R
J. Bird, Port Au Barques...............	Water.	2	800,000		Walter Chase, Clyde..................	Water.	3	600,000
J. Gim, Port Au Barques................	Water.	1	400,000		Bunce & Brother, Clyde............	Water.	6	600,000
P. F. Brakeman & Co., Mill Cr.......	Water.	2	1,000,000		D. B. Harrington, Port Huron....	Water.	2	1,000,000
Whitcomb & Co., White Rock.....	Water.	3	800,000		W. Davis, Port Huron.................	Steam.	8	2,000,000
J. Hurd, Hurds................................	Steam.	1	400,000		W. B. Hibbard & Co., Pt. Huron.	Steam.	8	3,000,000
Beach, Imley & Co., Cherry Cr.....	Steam.	10	3,000,000		Howard & Beebe, Port Huron....	Steam.	2	2,000,000
Gilbert, Crowell & Co., Cherry Cr.	Steam.	8	3,000,000		J. Miller & Co., Port Huron.........	Steam.	2	3,000,000
Breckenbridge, Foot's Bay............	Steam.	1	800,000		S. Petit & Co., Port Huron..........	Steam.	1	1,000,000
Thompson & Co., Bark Shanty....	Steam.	1	1,000,000		E. P. Vickery, Port Huron............	Steam.	1	1,000,000
Harder, Sanilac................................	Steam.	1	1,000,000		M. Williams, Port Huron.............	Steam.	1	2,000,000
Hinkson, Sanilac.............................	Water.	1	300,000		Black River Steam Mill Co., P.H.	Steam.	8	3,000,000
S. Hardy, Sanilac............................	Water.	1	300,000		Z. W. Bunce, Port Huron...........	Water.	2	600,000
R. B. Hubbard & Co., Lexington..	Steam.	8	4,000,000		A. Bartlett, St. Clair.....................	Water.	2	400,000
G. S. Lester, Worth.........................	Steam.	3	2,000,000		R. Moore, St. Clair.......................	Steam.	3	3,500,000
J. Buel, Lexington...........................	Steam.	1	1,000,000		W. Trusdail, St. Clair...................	Steam.	2	1,500,000
Davis & Co., Lexington.................	Water.	2	800,000		St. Clair, St. Clair..........................	Steam.	3	4,000,000
J. L. Woods & Co., Worth............	Steam.	..	2,000,000		Parker, St. Clair.............................	Steam.	2	3,000,000
R. B. Dimond, Worth.....................	Water.	1	400,000		Smith, St. Clair..............................	Steam.	1	800,000
J. Burtch, Burtchville.....................	Steam.	2	2,000,000		G. P. Robinson & Co., St. Clair...	Steam.	2	3,000,000
Congers, Burtchville......................	Water.	1	200,000		Chamberlain & Ogden, St. Clair.	Steam.	2	3,000,000
B. C. Farrand, Lakeport..................	Steam.	7	4,000,000		Peabody & Reamer, China..........	Steam.	2	1,000,000
J. Pettys, Burtchville......................	Water.	1	200,000		Old Mill, Newport.........................	Steam.	2	2,000,000
Sweetser & Sanborn, Worth........	Water.	2	400,000		Rust & Co., Newport....................	Steam.	2	3,000,000
A. Comstock, Worth.....................	Water.	2	300,000		L. B. Parker, Newport....................	Steam.	2	2,000,000
J. & J. Beard, Clyde........................	Water.	7	1,500,000		Brooks & St. Clair, Algonac.........	Steam.	2	3,000,000
R. Wadhams, Clyde.......................	Water.	4	1,500,000		Brooks & St. Clair, Algonac.........	Steam.	2	3,000,000
Smith, Dwight & Co., Lynn..........	Water.	2	400,000		Daniels & Ripley, Algonac...........	Steam.	2	2,500,000
L. Brockway, Brockway.................	Water.	2	600,000
J. H. Westbrook, Brockway..........	Water.	2	400,000		Total amount of lumber......	Steam.	2	92,900,000

Previous to 1847, St. Clair had done almost exclusively a lumbering business, and had not raised a sufficient quantity of grain for their own consumption. Northern Macomb had found a good market for a portion of her surplus. The towns of Berlin, Riley , Columbus and Wales rapidly settled in 1846-48, and their surplus of wheat, yearly augmenting, urged the erection of a flouring mill in 1847. Oel Rix, of Riley, erected a four mill in that town, with two run of stone. Mr. Earl also erected one with two run, in the town of Richmond, joining Columbus, the same year.

[464] THE BANK OF ST. CLAIR.

Was incorporated March 28, 1836. Charles Kimball, Samuel Ward, John Clark, H. N. Monson, C. Sanborn, D. B. Harrington and Ralph Wadhams were appointed Commissioners to receive subscriptions to the capital stock. This stock was stated to be $100,000, divided into 2,000 shares of $50 each.

The act to incorporate the stockholders of the Bank of St. Clair, approved March 28, 1836, was repealed by act approved May 7, 1846.

The Bank of St. Clair received permission of the Legislature to remove from St. Clair to Detroit, on a resolution of the President and Directors of the bank being recorded in the office of the Secretary of State.

The act for the relief of the Bank of St. Clair was approved March 19, 1840, when it was ordered that only a tax of one-half of one per cent be levied on the capital stock, as provided in charter.

The currency bill was brought forward to "authorize the anticipation of certain installments of the five million loan." As placed before the Legislature of Michigan, it simply proposed to take the funds of the State, and loan them to the banking associations of Detroit City, to be used by those associations as a basis for the extension of their circulation, until 1841. Attorney Witherell, then member of the Legislature, moved that the Bank of St. Clair be added to the city banks named in the bill, which motion was agreed to. Subsequently, Senator Gridley, of Jackson, moved to reconsider the vote admitting the Bank of St. Clair. This resulted in a lengthy debate, and the defeat of the motion by a vote of nine against the question for reconsideration, and eight in favor of reconsideration. Senator Summers reviewed the condition of the Bank of St. Clair, and compared it with the banks named in the bill. The charter of the Bank of St. Clair was granted by the Legislature of the State of Michigan; the private property of the stockholders, both real and personal, is bound for the payment of the issues of the bank. The two city banks were chartered by the Legislative Council, and the private property of the stockholders was not bound; they are foreign stockholders, and the money paid in is all the security the people have. "Which," said Mr. S., "is the best security? Look at the different situations of the banks. Had the General Government made a deposit with the Bank of St. Clair, or has the Bank of St. Clair asked for favor from the General Government? But what is the case with the city banks? Are they not calling on the General Government to give them time? and is not the Legislature going to give them time?

Senator Jones stated, during the debate, that this bank had a circulation of $130,000 in Ohio; while the circulation in Michigan was only $10,000. It was one of the few healthy financial institutions of the times.

THE OIL-WELL BOOM IN ST. CLAIR COUNT.

Situated as are the principal oil fields of this country close to the great centers of population, the growth of a town or a territory where a new strike was made was more rapid and more wonderful in all features than that brought on by the discovery of any other great source of wealth. Pithole flashed up from a single house to a city of 30,000 in less than six months, and when the territory was exhausted its decline was equally rapid. A hundred other places have the same history, on a slightly smaller scale. Bradford went from 300 to three times 3,000 almost before the natives could fairly realize what had happened; and Richburg and Bolivar, quiet country towns, grew into thriving cities, but are already on the decline. Oil Springs, Marthaville, Petrolia and other places in the little monarchy beyond the St. Clair, sprang into existence as if by magic. Oil Springs fell as suddenly as it grew up, so that, when visited by the writer in 1878, it presented the truest picture of decay which can be conceived.

The oil boom in St. Clair County was very systematic, for a craze. Evidences of oil were presented in 1863; strengthened in 1864; accomplished facts in 1865. The scenes that followed can hardly be imagined by one who has never witnessed the rise and fall of an oil town, and even the oldest producers are surprised almost beyond expression. Men grew wild, and bought and sold as they have never dealt before. But at the wells the greatest transformations occurred. A few days ago, there was a single horse, a farmer's residence, and a few [465] hundred acres of cleared land near a well, for instance. Now there are large hotels, scores of business places and houses, hundreds of excited men thronging through the muddy roads, derricks rising on every hand, a railroad proposed to be built to every well, others pushing rapidly toward it, and still another projected. Every train to the "jumping-off place" is crowed; men even on the tops of the coaches. Producers, land agents, merchants, drillers, speculators, adventurers everywhere. Men spoke only of thousands of dollars. Men were wild.

In December, 1863, a boring for oil was made in the vicinity of Lake Port. When a depth of thirty-five feet was reached, oil appeared on the water which then began to flow.

In January, 1864, a company undertook to sink a well on the Pulsifer farm, south of Black River, about four miles from Port Huron. At a depth of fifty-seven feet the water was found impregnated with oil. The White well on this farm reached a depth of 115 feet in February, 1865, and produced one barrel per day.

In February, 1865, the Baker well, at Lakeport, reached a depth of ninety-three feet without striking rock. Within twenty-four hours, the oil flow was reported between thirty and forty barrels.

The Howard, Johnson & Co., oil well was begun February 18, 1865, one-fourth of a mile southeast of the Baker well. The Gratiot Oil Company commenced boring February 16, 1865, a half-mile south of the Baker well.

Lands in the vicinity of Lake Port sold for $1,000 per acre in the spring of 1865.

The Petroleum Board of Exchange organized at Port Huron in February, 1865, with John Hibbard, President; F. A. Harrington, Secretary; and E. M. Carrington, Treasurer.

The Gratiot Petroleum Company was organized in February, 1865, with a capital of $500,000.

John Miller was chosen President, W. B. Hibbard, Vice President, and Alexander Elmore, Secretary and Treasurer. John Hibbard, Cyrus Miles, B. P. Hutchinson, H. H. Hanson and N. P. Brainerd, with the officers, formed the Board of Directors.

The Huron Petroleum Company, of Toledo, purchased 500 acres of land near Lakeport, in the spring of 1865. The company was organized with a capital of $100,000. The officers were J. S. Norton, President; C. B. Phillips, Vice President; H. H. P. Platt, Secretary; Nehemiah Waterman, Treasurer. C. A. King, D. B. Smith, O. White, R. Cummings, J. Stevens and H. Hall, Directors.

The Michigan Petroleum Company, of Detroit, was organized in February, 1865. The capital subscribed was $12,500; nominal capital, $500,000. W. A. Butler, President; H. E. Benson, Vice President; W. D. Morton, Treasurer; and Alvan Wilkins, Secretary.

The Port Huron Petroleum Company, was organized in February, 1865, with A. S. Berry, President and Treasurer, R. A. Coe, Secretary, John Johnson, R. W. King, W. B. Hibbard and A. S. Berry, Directors. This company purchased the Howard, Johnson & Co. oil lands, near Lake Port. The same month, two wells were bored, one on Oil Creek.

Up to March 22, 1865, no less than ten oil wells were bored - two by the Port Huron Co., one each by the Gratiot Co., Fish & Co., Funk, Chicago & St. Clair Co., Brockway & Co., one by Harbeck & Co., near the head-waters of Black River, and two by the Messrs. White.

During these stirring times, the local wags were not idle. One of these characters, who took every misfortune with enviable pleasure, contributed the following record of a well, which he termed the Munchausen Well:

Cooking butter........................................	20		Substitutes...............................................	2
XXX ale.................................................	7		Bounty money..........................................	1
Mush and milk........................................	3		Greenbacks..............................................	7
Cod liver oil...........................................	5		Peace proposition.....................................	2
Billy Patterson........................................	2		Lawyers...................................................	9
Quinine..................................................	4		Brimstone.................................................	6
Brigadier generals..................................	3		Milk of human kindness............................	1
Sardines................................................	7		Oil...........................................................	3
Turtle soup............................................	2		A leak......................................................	1
Lottery Tickets......................................	1
Bear's oil...............................................	4		Total.............................................	100
For higher wages...................................	10

[466] In March, 1865, A. & H. Fish & Co. began work on their well near the Fish Saw Mill, four miles west of the city.

Chicago enterprise was represented almost in every quarter of the county. From the East, too, wise men came to seize upon the channels of liquid gold.

The following reference to the mineral well, near Lapeer Avenue Schoolhouse, of July 13, 1870, goes to prove that, even after the lapse of five years, this undignified cynicism existed:

Specific gravity..........................................	1.01375 3/4		Ox (h)ide of Durham (tail)..................................	33,783
Temperature (Fah.)...................................	57 3/8		Ox (h)ide of iron from scraps procured at the Phoenix Iron Works and carefully placed in the well...................................................................	782,002
Chloride of sodium (Onondaga)................	22,817
Chloride of sodium (Saginaw)...................	17,211
Chloride of sodium (St. Clair)...................	187,438		Carbureted hydrogen.........................................	68,017
Chloride of lime........................................	107,590		Carbureted hydrogen (extract Gas works)..........	49,701
Carbolic acid...........................................	41,729		Sulphureted eggs (decayed)................................	103,024
Sulphate of soda (water sarsaparilla syrup)	4,072		Sublimate of leather (old shoes)..........................	27,991
Sulphate of asafoetida...............................	112,081		Lithia.................................................................	a trace.
Bicar. of potash (tinc. grease de savon).....	49,342		Iodide of aqua fortis...........................................	13,201
Bicar. of pomme de terre (parings)............	11,830		Solid contents in one Imperial gallon (grs.)..........	21,782,437
Phosphate of buckwheat (cooked)............	16,411		Total carbonic acid (cubic inches).......................	282,944

During the year 1870, the magnetic wells claimed the attention of many peculiar spirits. The following paper is one of many specimens of their legal and literary tastes:
STATE OF MICHIGAN } ss.
COUNTY OF ST. CLAIR }
On this 14th day of July, before me a Notary Public in aforesaid county, personally appeared, Ignatz Peterchoff, who, being duly sworn, deposes and says: I am now one hundred and nine years old; reside in St. Petersburg; am teacher of elocution in the Russian Court; have been deaf and dumb from my birth until the 9th inst. On the 10th of last April, at 37 ¼ minutes past one o'clock in the morning, I had a vision telling me to come to Port Huron and be cured of my infirmities. I came, and, after using the water two days, could hear and talk with perfect ease. This morning I received a cable dispatch from the Czar instructing me to offer Prof. Barnes a Siberian squirrel for exhibition in his next show, if he would dig up the well and move it to St. Petersburg. INGNATZ PETERCHOFF.
Sworn and subscribed to, before me, this 13th day of July, 1870.

H. G. BARNUMTON, Notary Public St. Clair County.

Regarding those old times, a contributor says: "We cannot fail to remember the lively times created by the supposed discovery of the existence of oil in this region. Many most prominent citizens were attacked with great violence by the oil fever, which finally settled down to 'oil on the brain,' when the antics enacted by the patients afforded very general amusement for the outsiders who had escaped the contagion. The brigade with 'oil on the brain' pitched in lively, leased or bought up something less than a million of acres of exceedingly rich 'oil lands,' and, digging a number of holes in the ground, rented a room, fitted it up, and opened an 'Oil Exchange!' For a time, the meetings at the 'Exchange' were crowded with 'big fish' from Toledo, Chicago, Milwaukee, etc., who bit lively at the 'oil lands' so temptingly displayed - and to their intense satisfaction became the happy possessors of large interests in the lands from which oceans of oil were soon to be flowing! Regular minutes of the meetings of the Board were kept by the Secretary; a copy of which we accidentally came across the other day, from which the following racy extracts are made:

"March 9, 1865 - Meeting at usual hour. A general pause in oil speculation! Many faces elongated - a constant inquiry and anxiety about the quantity of oil in the Baker Well.

"March 10 - Meeting at usual hour. Members not very prompt in attendance; but those present still anxious about the quantity of oil in the Baker Well. Many hopes, doubts and fears; while some stiff-backed gents offer to wager on quantity.

"March 11 - Met at usual hour. Numbers decreasing. W. B---- migrates to Western parts, to get nearer the setting sun; supposed to be where 'hope deferred,' etc., 'distance lends enchantment,' etc. An anxiety to sell oil territory a little lower.

"March 12 - Met at usual hour. Secretary gone to Detroit, to keep up courage of a few desponding purchasers. The Baker Well to be measured. Good news from said well sends a thrill of hope to many a weary millionaire.

"March 13 - Met at usual hour. Attendance growing beautifully less. Baker Well has been measured by State Geologist (no printed report); from six inches to a foot of oil in it; a [467] good prospect of an entire failure of the well until again dug deeper. President gone to concert - needs a little cheering up.

"March 14 - Meeting a few to read the daily papers; long, steady faces, proposing to hold on for future developments. A sample of the oil from the Baker Well deodorized by J. N----; a 'splendid' article; pronounced neither Enniskillen or Penna. oil. Hope rises; a permanent feeling pervading members not to buy or sell.

"March 15 - Met at usual hour. More hope and some discouragement; the White Well is roaring with gas! White sanguine, but Harris has got the tools fast in the well. A few new arrivals from Chicago - plucky fellows - but can't see that flowing well. H----, confident and sound on oil; he is about to dig a big hole in the ground where he found the 'oil weed.' He's some on oil!

"March 16 - Met at usual hour. President and Secretary alone in their glory. Dark dreary, lonely, muddy, rainy day; all operations at a standstill; President thinks the New York Herald a very good paper; editor of Port Huron Press steps in for an item; he may get it.

"March 17 - Good news from the different wells. Some feel better, not that they have struck oil, but that the draft has not struck them. Excitement on the draft has the inside track. Funk is fast closing up on the first wells, and he is in a fair way to outstrip them all. Go in, Funk!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"March 25 - A goodly number of hopeful, strong believers in oil present. So far, had a rather dark week; but can see no lack of confidence among the 'true-blues.' Gratiot Co. down 80 feet, clay and sand, saturated with petroleum; Huron Co. progressing with fair prospects. Stock, generally, does not run up as much as it does down.

"April 1 - All Fools' Day opens rich. W. B---- scents the whirlwind of Petroleum 'from afar,' and starts up to Gratiot Co.'s hole in the ground; returns late at night, having found oil and gas! The President grows young and nimble, jumps into the bucket and goes down to the bottom to make a sure thing of it. He swears, by the Great Jehovah, it's genuine black oil; cuts a pigeon wing in the hole and rises to the surface again."

After this, oil matters gradually assumed a deep blue - the good-natured President cut no more pigeon wings, our Chicago, Milwaukee and Toledo friends faded from view - the "Exchange" was closed, and naught remains to remind us of the "oily era" of '65, save a vial on a shelf before us, which once contained the "genuine" article from the Baker Well!

A RETROSPECT.

St. Clair County, to-day rejoicing in the pride of its strength, teeming with wealth and glittering in the sunlight of a prosperity that startles the visitor into a smile of gladness, was, even in 1835, a wilderness almost as unbroken as when John Nicolet, in 1632-34, visited this section. The historian takes up the thread of life since then, as tangled by events, slowly. What prompted the pioneers to their advent into this land? Was it that spirit of adventure which impelled the cavaliers of the olden time to pursue with eagerness the phantom of a hope into the East? Was it a sense of duty, which first found expression in the New World in 1620, on Plymouth Rock? Perhaps, after all, it was only that they might better their condition - the inquirer, who has seen so many of his idols turned to clay, and his ideals perish, comes naturally, by and by, to the time when he analyzes, such and such things have happened - why? Such and such men have passed away - how? Such and such events have lighted up the sky of advancing civilization, as a meteor might the physical. Whence do they proceed? The men who came to the front, and laid the foundations for this continuous and lovely landscape of nature, glimmering like a gem in its emerald setting, belonged to a regime that is fast giving place to an enterprise which, though greater, is less earnest, because providence and nature more materially aid man's ambitions. They were the grizzled grenadiers in the army of pioneers, who never, in any sudden storm or rally, desperate melee or sorrowful encounter, forgot to doff their plumed hats to an adversary and cry out, through their gray mus- [468] taches, as they shorted the sword-arm, "En garde!" It may be anything or nothing, but the one thing certain about it all is they were the enterprising spirits who laid the foundation for this teeming wealth and sunny prosperity. Though dead, they live again. Not alone in the promised land beyond the swift Borysthems, but in the land they prepared for after generations. Many of the prominent actors in the prelude are dead, but the drama goes on, and will last until the human race has run its course, and the wide firmament is rolled up like a scroll. Many of the singers are dead, but their song has gone on; out of the darkness has come a light, out of the sorrow an exceeding joy. The present should profit by the past, and take examples from the views of these, which shall make heart and home happy, better men, citizens and Americans. The present should be admonished by the past, to labor with equal diligence for the personal blessings of health of body, vigor of mind and success in life, as also for the blessings promised in the life to come. But the hard hands which prepared the way for the fruitful fields which grew from the wilds of the county; for filling its cities and towns with the habitations of men, seminaries of learning, public edifices and other evidences of a pronounced prosperity, are quietly folded in their mother earth, and it must be of interest to those who enjoy their possessions, to know when, where, and by whom civilization was commenced, and to learn some of the incidents connected with the first settlements, as also with the steps by which St. Clair County has attained the importance claimed by its inhabitants and conceded by its neighbors.

[469] ROADS AND RAILWAYS.

Next to the lake and river boats, the old stage coach, and later the primitive railroads were known to the traveler. Few of the early settlers of Michigan fail to remember the lights and shades of travel forty or fifty years ago; fewer still can fail to realize what a journey by boat or stage in those days really meant.

Fort St. Joseph Road. - During the years 1798-1800, the means of communication with Detroit was by way of the river and lake. The Gratiot Turnpike had not then been projected or opened. This was surveyed long after this, in 1827, and cut through the next year, as a road of communication between Fort Detroit and Fort Gratiot, at Port Huron and the head of the St. Clair River. In connection with the history of this turnpike, the traveler of modern days can scarcely appreciate the difficulty of the opening of this highway. We need not tell that from Detroit to Port Huron was one vast stretch of forest, with slough holes, pit-falls, swales and mud, at such frequent intervals as would appall the traveler of to-day. It is said that about four or five miles north of Mount Clemens - now a high, dry and pleasant location - the road passed through a swamp which, in the wet season, furnished the wild duck and swan with a swimming place, and, consequently, the Indian a splendid hunting-ground for bird game. A few rods below the Carl farmhouse, three miles south of Mount Clemens, was another slough that would have compared well with the one which is described by John Bunyan in his "Pilgrim's Progress." It was two days' journey then from Detroit to the settlement at Huron River or Mount Clemens. This was then a trading post and stopping place for those whose business called them to and from Detroit and Port Huron.

By an act of March 4, 1831, a road from Romeo to St. Clair Village was authorized, with Roswell R. Green, Horace Foot and Thomas Palmer, Commissioners.

William Brown, Joseph Mini and James Robertson were appointed Commissioners to complete location of Territorial road, hitherto authorized, from William Brown's on St. Clair River to the Territorial road, from Point au Chien to the Fort Gratiot road, within the year 1834.

The State road from Cottrellville to Mount Clemens was laid out under authority of legislative act, approved July 26, 1836, by B. C. Cox, William Brown and Peter F. Brakeman, Commissioners.

The State road from Palmer Village, in St Clair County, by Gallagher's mill, in China, intersecting the road from Point du Chien to the Gratiot Turnpike, was authorized July 26, 1836. Sargeant Heath, B. Cox and Porter Chamberlain were the Commissioners.

The road from China Township to the intersection of the Gratiot Turnpike, in Macomb County, was laid out by Joseph Boynton, B. Cox and Reed Jerome, Commissioners, under authority of the act of July, 1836.

From Mount Clemens to Sault Ste. Marie. - The Territorial road from Mount Clemens, opposite the North Branch of the Clinton, following, as near as practicable, the route of an old survey by Romeo; then, on the most eligible and direct route to the seat of justice in the county of Lapeer; thence, to the town of Saginaw, to the northern extremity of the peninsula, and thence to the Sault Ste. Marie, in the County of Chippewa, was authorized to be laid out in 1839. Horace H. Cady, of Macomb, Daniel Leroy and Nathaniel Squires were the Commissioners appointed to carry out the act.

At the same time, there was order to be laid out a Territorial road from Romeo to Port Huron. Roswell R. Green, Horace Foot and Thomas Palmer were the Commissioners appointed to establish such road.

The following roads were authorized to be built: From Palmer to Lapeer; from Black River to county seat of Sanilac; from Newport o Fort Gratiot Turnpike; from Algonac to Fort Gratiot Turnpike; from Fort Gratiot to Point aux Barques, March 17, 1837.

[470] The act approved April 7, 1846, authorized Abner Smith, George Judson and William Young to lay out a road from the village of Corunna, in Shiawassee County, via Romeo, to St. Clair Village.

The road from Almont, in Lapeer County, to Port Huron, was established April 15, 1846, and Joshua Tompkins, Daniel B. Harrington and James H. Andrews appointed Commissioners.

The Detroit & Port Huron Plank Road Co. was incorporated under authority of act approved March 9, 1844. Jonathan Kearsley, Porter Kibbee, William Lewis and John Heath were appointed Commissioners.

The State road from Lexington to Point aux Barques was authorized to be built March 9, 1844.

The State road from Palmer, or St. Clair, to the village of Riley, was authorized March 17, 1847, with John Grinnell as Commissioner.

The St. Clair & Romeo Turnpike Co. was incorporated March 24, 1845, with Timothy Morse, Jarvis Hurd, Alfred Ashley, Aldis L. Rich, Neil Gray, Jr., Asahel Bailey and Thaddeus Hazelton, Commissioners.

An act approved March 31, 1848, appropriated 4,500 acres of State lands, in St. Clair County, for building a road from Almont to St. Clair Village, being a continuation of the road ordered at the same time, from Lapeer to Almont.

The Port Huron & Lapeer Plank Road Co. was incorporated March 16, 1849, with John R. White, Lorenzo M. Mason, Samuel Rogers, N. H. Hart and James W. Sanborn, Commissioners.

The St. Clair Plank Road Co. was incorporated April 2, 1849, with Pierce G. Wright, Charles Kimball, Horatio N. Monson, Simeon B. Brown, Harmon Chamberlin, John E. Kitton and Marcus H. Mills, Commissioners. The capital stock was set down at $20,000, and the road was to be built from St. Clair Village to the Gratiot Turnpike, in St. Clair Township.

The Clyde Plank & Macadamized Road Co., organized to build a road from Port Huron City to Brockway Centre, with a branch to the Wild Cat road in Grant Township, and thence to the Davisville & Lexington Plank Road, was organized November 30, 1874, with John Beard, John Kinney, Alexander McNaughton, E. Vincent and T. A. Beard, shareholders. In later days, the work of road-building has been almost entirely undertaken by the county authorities.

On the completion of these roads, a stage was placed on the route. So late as 1840, the visitor from the Eastern States looked forward to the journey by stage into the pine-lands with anxiety.

Within the ten or twelve years succeeding, great improvements were effected; railroads were completed from Detroit and Toledo to Chicago; roads were rebuilt, and the means of travel rendered tolerable. But for those who came in early days and entered upon the work of building up a State, the roads were few, and rough in the extreme.

RAILROADS.

The railroad system of Michigan is one of the most perfect in the world, claiming over 3,814 miles. To the people of this county, who have already one great railroad center at their county seat, and look for another one, equally as extensive, at their old seat of justice, the following review of the railroads of the Lower Peninsula must be of some value. The information is taken from the State reports for 1882:

The Atlantic seaboard cities are, and are likely to be, the great markets for the produce and supplies of this part of the United States; and hence, the land thoroughfares of traffic of this region mainly run east and west. There are six important lines of railroad which traverse the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, practically in that direction. These are the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, the Michigan Central, The Detroit, Lansing & Northern, the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee, the Flint & Pere Marquettte, and the Chicago & Grand Trunk, Southeastern Michigan is also crossed by the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway, connecting it with the main lines of the Wabash and the Baltimore & Ohio corporations.

[471] The Lower Peninsula has, in addition, a well-developed north and south railway system; which, beside carrying to market the products of farms, gardens and orchards, derives a large share of its revenue from the transportation of lumber and the business growing out of lumber operations. This comprises these roads: The Flint & Pere Marquette, which is also an important factor in the east and west system; the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw, which, as the Mackinac Branch of the Michigan Central, may be called a feeder of the same system; the Grand Rapids & Indiana, which is purely a north and south road, but has intimate relations with the wealthy Pennsylvania Company; the Chicago & West Michigan, which will soon have a southern connection with the Baltimore & Ohio; and the short lines of the Fort Wayne & Jackson and the Toledo, Ann Arbor & Grand Trunk.

Of the great east and west trunk lines north of the Ohio River - the Grand Trunk, the Michigan Central and the Lake Shore, connecting with the Now York Central system, the Wabash, the Pennsylvania and the Baltimore & Ohio - the first four traverse Michigan territory, and the others reach it by valuable connections with friendly roads.

Nearly all of the Michigan lines named have branches or feeders spreading over the Lower Peninsula and interlacing with each other, so that not only is every populous rural community supplied with railroad facilities, but nearly all the cities and villages of importance have two or more railroad outlets, and the benefits of the resulting competition.

One of the oldest and richest of these railroad corporations is the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, extending from Chicago, via Toledo, to Buffalo. Its main line enters the State at the western border of St. Joseph County, and thence traverses that and the counties of Branch, Hillsdale and Lenawee, passing into Ohio through a corner of Monroe. Upon this line, which crosses the three counties first named centrally, are the thriving towns of Coldwater, Jonesville, Hillsdale, Hudson and Adrian. The Lake Shore has numerous branches in Michigan, all operated as feeders to the trunk line from Toledo to Buffalo. These include the roads extending from Toledo through Monroe to Detroit; from Adrian to Monroe; from the main line near Adrian through Tecumseh and Manchester to Jackson; from Banker's on the Fort Wayne & Jackson road, through Hillsdale and Manchester to Ypsilanti; from Jonesville through Homer, Albion and Eaton Rapids to Lansing; from White Pigeon through Three Rivers, Kalamazoo and Allegan to Grand Rapids; and from Trenton, on the Detroit River, through Monroe and Lenawee Counties to Fayette, about four miles within the borders of Ohio. The total length of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern and these several branches, within this State, is 532 miles.

First of the railroads of the State in age, and perhaps in importance so far as Michigan is concerned, is the Michigan Central. Its main line extends from Chicago to Detroit, crossing the counties of Berrien, Cass, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Jackson, Washtenaw and Wayne, and counting among its stations the important towns of Niles, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Marshall, Albion, Jackson, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Its Air Line Division extends from Niles to Jackson, passing through the counties of Cass, St. Joseph, Branch, Calhoun and Jackson, and touching Cassopolis, Three Rivers, Centerville and Homer.

There are several very important roads operated by this corporation. Chief of these is the Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw, which now forms the Saginaw and the Mackinac Divisions of the Michigan Central. It extends from Jackson to the Straits of Mackinac, a distance of 295 miles, and passes through Lansing, the capital of the State, Saginaw, West Bay City, Gaylord and Cheboygan, to Mackinac City, crossing the counties of Jackson, Ingham, Shiawassee, Saginaw, Bay, Ogemaw, Roscommon, Crawford, Otsego and Cheboygan. A glance at the map will show this line, unquestionably destined to become an important artery of trade and travel, passing midway through the central part of the Lower Peninsula, north of Saginaw Bay, and opening to settlement a country hitherto largely undeveloped. It connects at the Straits of Mackinac, by a ferriage of five miles, with the Detroit, Mackinac & Marquette Railroad of the Upper Peninsula, and also at Bay City with the Detroit, Saginaw & Bay City, another feeder of the Michigan Central, with which it forms a direct line between Detroit, the commercial metropolis of the State, and the new and rapidly growing portions of both peninsulas.

[472] The Detroit, Saginaw & Bay City, which is operated as the Bay City Division of the Michigan Central, extends from Bay City to Detroit, passing through Vassar, Lapeer, the county seat of the county of that name, Rochester and Utica. It has branches extending from Denmark Junction through East Saginaw to Saginaw, from Vassar to Cairo, the county seat of Tuscola, and from Lapeer northward nine miles to Five Lakes. The Grand River Valley Division of the Michigan Central extends from Grand Rapids to Jackson, passing through Hastings and Charlotte, the county seats of Barry and Eaton Counties. The Kalamazoo & South Haven Division runs through Kalamazoo and Van Buren Counties and connects the two places named, the latter an important point on Lake Michigan. A short branch also connects Niles with South Bend, Ind. The total length of the Michigan Central and its branches in Michigan is 911 miles, exclusive of double track, which extends for many miles along the main line.

The Chicago & Grand Trunk Railroad extends from Chicago to a connection with the main line of the Grand Trunk of Canada at Port Huron. It enters the State at the southwestern border of Cass County, which it crosses centrally and diagonally, then traverses consecutively the counties of Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Eaton, Ingham, Shiawassee, Genesee, Lapeer and St. Clair. Its chief stations are Cassopolis, Battle Creek, Bellevue, Charlotte, Lansing, Flint and Lapeer. Belonging to the same system is a line from Port Huron through Mount Clemens, and Rochester to Pontiac, whence it will soon be extended to Jackson. The total length of the roads in Michigan controlled by Grand Trunk interests is 319 miles, and they form part of a great thoroughfare to the Atlantic seaports, to Montreal as well as to those of the United States.

The Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific system spreads through several Western States, and touches the principal cities of the West and Southwest. It enters Michigan from Ohio, in the southeast corner of Hillsdale County, and crosses Lenawee diagonally, passing through Adrian. It also crosses corners of Monroe and Washtenaw Counties, then traverses Wayne to Detroit. The total present length of the road in this State is 78 miles. It not only connects the chief city of Michigan with the Wabash system, but at Auburn, Ind., taps the important Baltimore & Ohio road.

The Detroit, Lansing & Northern R. R. extends from Howard City, on the G. R. & I. Road, through Greenville, Ionia, Portland, Lansing, Howell, Brighton and Plymouth to Detroit. In its course it traverses the counties of Montcalm, Ionia, Ingham, Livingston and Wayne, and passes through parts of Clinton, Eaton, Oakland and Washtenaw. It has a branch extending from Ionia through Stanton, the county seat of Montcalm, and Blanchard, in Isabella County, to Big Rapids, the county seat of Mecosta; this Stanton Branch is connected with Belding by a short line. It also operates the Saginaw Valley & St. Louis Railroad, running from Alma through St. Louis, in Gratiot County, to Saginaw City. With this latter road, connections are made by an independent line, which is known as the Chicago, Saginaw & Canada, and runs from St. Louis through Alma and Edmore (on the Stanton Branch of the main line) to Lakeview. The total length of the lines operated by the Detroit, Lansing & Northern is 254 miles, and that of the Chicago, Saginaw & Canada, 38 miles.

The D., G. H. & M. R. R. extends from Grand Haven, one of the principal ports on Lake Michigan, and the county seat of Ottawa County, through Grand Rapids, Ionia, St. John's, Corunna, Owasso, Fenton, Hilly and Pontiac to Detroit. It crosses the counties of Ottawa, Kent, Ionia, Clinton, Shiawassee and Oakland quite centrally, and also passes through the southern portion of Genesee. Its total length is 189 miles.

The main line of the Flint & Pere Marquette commences at Ludington, on the western shore, and passes through Mason, Lake, Osceola, Clare, Midland, Saginaw, Genesee, Oakland, Wayne and Monroe Counties, to the city of Monroe. Among its stations are Baldwin, Reed City, Hersey, Evart, Clare, Midland, Saginaw, East Saginaw, Flint, Holly, Milford, Plymouth and Wayne. An examination of the map will show that this is one of the important roads of Michigan, serving a large belt of new and rapidly developing country in the northern midland district, and also traversing some of the oldest and richest counties. The Flint & Pere Marquette has branches extending from Manistee to Manistee Junction on the main line, [473] from East Saginaw to Bay City, from a point near East Saginaw to South Saginaw, and from Flint through Otter Lake to Fostoria. This corporation also controls and operates the Saginaw & Mount Pleasant (Narrow Gauge) Railroad, running from Coleman on its main line in Midland County, to Mount Pleasant, the county seat of Isabella, and the Saginaw & Clare Railroad connecting it with Harrison, the county seat of Clare. Its total length, including that of its branches of all kinds, is 345 miles.

The G. R. & I. R. R. extends from Petoskey, in Emmet County, almost due southward through the counties of Antrim, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Wexford, Osceola, Mecosta, Montcalm, Kent, Allegan, Kalamazoo and St. Joseph to Fort Wayne, Ind., where it connects with the great Pennsylvania system leading to the Atlantic coast, affording the main outlet to all southeastern consuming points. Its important stations are Cadillac, Reed City, Big Rapids, Grand Rapids, Plainwell, Kalamazoo and Sturgis. It has these branches: 1, from Monteith to Allegan; 2, from Orono completed twelve miles to Luther and projected to Manistee; 3, from a point above Cadillac five miles toward Lake City; 4, from Walton to Traverse City; 5, from Petoskey to Harbor Springs. The main line is being extended to the Straits of Mackinac, and will reach that point during the summer of 1882. This road is the most important of the Western Michigan lines, and has been a valuable factor in the development of the northwestern portion of the Lower Peninsula. The total length in Michigan of the lines owned or operated by it is 341 miles.

The Chicago & West Michigan Railroad traverses the important fruit belt of the western shore. Commencing at Pentwater, on Lake Michigan, it passes through the counties of Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa, Allegan, Van Buren, and Berrien to New Buffalo, on the Michigan Central. It has also branches from Holland to Grand Rapids, from Muskegon to Big Rapids, from Mears to Hart, from Holland to Allegan, from White Cloud, on its Big Rapids Branch, through Newaygo to Grand Rapids, from White Cloud north toward the line of the Flint & Pere Marquette, from Woodville southeast into the pineries, along the shores of Muskegon Lake, and a short loop line south of Muskegon. Its extension north to the Flint & Pere Marquette line is under progress. Its extension south is also projected, by a line from New Buffalo, through La Porte, Ind., to points of junction with the Pennsylvania and the Baltimore & Ohio systems. The total length of this road and its branches is 379 miles.

The Canada Southern Railroad extends in Michigan from Toledo to Detroit, passing through Monroe and Wyandotte. Its main line proceeds eastward from Trenton Junction, crossing the Detroit River at Grosse Isle, and thence passing through Canada to Buffalo, forming one of the chief railway outlets of the State. This company also operates the short line ( known as the Michigan, Midland & Canada) between St. Clair, on the river of that name, and Ridgeway, on the Detroit Branch of the Grand Trunk. The total length in Michigan of this road and its branches is 65 miles.

The Fort Wayne & Jackson Railroad extends from Fort Wayne, Ind., to Jackson, entering this State at the southeast corner of Branch County, and thence crossing Hillsdale County in a northerly direction, passing through Jonesville to Jackson. Its length in Michigan is 46 miles.

The Toledo, Ann Arbor & G. T. road was projected from Toledo to Pontiac, and is in operation at the present time to South Lyon, Oakland County. It crosses, in a nearly northern direction, the counties of Monroe and Washtenaw, passing through Ann Arbor. Its total length in Michigan is 57 miles.

The lumber districts of the State contain many short lines of railroad, constructed by lumbermen to carry logs from the pineries to the banks of rivers or lakes, or to some point of shipment. As a rule, these are private lines, and used only for the business of their owners. In a few instances, however, they have been incorporated under the general laws of the State, and thus opened to the public. These latter lines, which are of full gauge, are three in number, as follows: The Lake George & Muskegon River Railroad, in Clare County, connects the forests about Lake George with the Muskegon River; the Saginaw Bay & Northwestern Railroad extends from Pinconning, on Saginaw Bay, in Bay County, westward nearly to the line of Gladwin, with north and south branches near its western terminus; and the Lake County con- [474] nects with the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad at New Branch station. The total length of these lines is 50 miles.

The roads included in the preceding description are of the standard gauge usually employed in the railroad construction of the United States - 4 feet 8 ½ inches - except that the track of the Grand Rapids & Indiana (not including its Allegan Branch) is half an inch wider. There are also several narrow gauge lines, which have been built and are operated at a much less cost than that of the standard roads, and which supply thriving towns and districts with railroad facilities. One of these is of considerable length and importance. This is the Port Huron & Northwestern, which is completed from Port Huron to Sand Beach, with a branch to East Saginaw. The distance to Sand Beach is 71 miles, and the road runs almost due north entirely across the county of Sanilac, and about half way through Huron. The East Saginaw line takes a northwesterly course, crossing the counties of Sanilac and Tuscola, and touching northern Lapeer. The length of both branches is 150 miles. This is proving a very serviceable road in developing the Huron Peninsula.

The Saginaw, Tuscola & Huron Railroad extends from East Saginaw via Reese, Gilford and Unionville, to Sebewaing, a distance of 37 miles. It will extend beyond Sebewaing into the Huron Peninsula. The Paw Paw and the Toledo & South Haven roads make a continuous narrow gauge line of 13 miles, extending from Lawrence, near the center of Van Buren County, to Lawton, a station on the Michigan Central, through Paw Paw, the county seat of Van Buren. The Saginaw & Mount Pleasant Railroad is a narrow gauge line, operated, as has been said, by the Flint & Pere Marquette as one of its branches. The Hobart & Manistee River, the Tawas & Bay County, and the Muskegon River & Rose Lake lines are logging railroads of less than standard gauges, located respectively in the counties of Lake, Iosco and Osceola. The St. Joseph Valley Railroad is a short line which connects Berrien Springs, the county seat of Berrien County, with Buchanan, on the Michigan Central. Its extension to St. Joseph, on the shore of Lake Michigan, is expected during the summer of 1882. Its present length is 10 miles. All of these lines possess a gauge of three feet, except the Hobart & Manistee River, which is two inches wider.

Besides the proposed extensions of the lines now in operation already noted, there are several projected roads, which are considered reasonably sure to be built in the immediate future. Chief of these is the Bay City & Alpena, which is to run from some point on the Flint & Pere Marquette, or on the Mackinac Division of the Michigan Central, through Bay, Iosco, Alcona and Alpena Counties along the Lake Huron shore to Alpena, touching the important towns of Alabaster, Tawas City, East Tawas, Au Sable, Oscoda and Harrisville. This road is to be of standard gauge, as will also be a projected line connecting Ovid, on the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee, with Walton, on the Grand Rapids & Indiana, and thus forming a new route between Detroit and Traverse City. Prominent capitalists and the localities interested are also considering projects for the construction of narrow gauge roads from Detroit to the chief towns in the Huron Peninsula, from Pontiac to Caseville or Port Austin, form Frankfort to Manistee, from Almont to Port Huron, from Traverse City into Leelanaw County, and from Pontiac to Jackson - a continuation of the St. Clair & Ridgeway Railroad.

Of the sixty-seven counties in the Lower Peninsula, fifty-one have county seats possessing railroad communications. Of the sixteen county seats which have no railroad as yet, nine are lake ports, and have water communication, leaving only the county seats of seven - Sanilac, Huron, Gratiot, Gladwin, Missaukee, Montmorency and Oscoda - which have neither rail nor water outlets, and not one of these is twenty miles from a railroad station. The counties in the Lower Peninsula which no railroad touches are but eight in number, namely, Alcona, Alpena, Gladwin, Leelanaw, Missaukee, Montmorency, Oscoda and Presque Isle. In his report for 1874, the Railroad Commissioner of Michigan made this striking statement, and the comparison is equally valid now: "In the four southern tiers of counties of this State, embracing 17,894 square miles of territory, and a population, according to the census of 1874, of 997,701, we have 2,333 miles of railroad. This is equal to one mile of road to every 427 inhabitants, while in Massachusetts there is only one mile of road to every 879 inhabitants; and in Connecticut there is but one mile of road to every 620 inhabitants; so that we have, within [475] the limits of the territory mentioned, in proportion to the population, more than two miles of road to one in Massachusetts, and one and two-fifths miles of road to one for Connecticut."

RAILROADS OF THE COUNTY.

The P. H. & N. M. road was projected as early as 1836, one of the great enterprises of that year. The company was formed in 1841. In 1856, the P. H. & N. M. R. R. Co. was organized, the line located and a large sum expended. The interests of the company were sold in 1864, and the organization broken up. In 1865, another company purchased the property and rights of the defunct railroad organization. This company operated the road, until its recent transfer to the Grand Trunk Company, with Mr. Bonner as general manager.

REMINISCENCES OF THE NORTHERN RAILROAD.

An old resident of the Saginaw region wrote a series of letters for the Bay City Journal, the last of which, regarding the Northern Michigan Railroad, now the Port Huron & Lake Michigan, is thus given: "At the present time the name would hardly indicate its location, but at the time it was located it was to pass through the northern tier of counties in which there was any settlement, except the sparse and isolated ones in Saginaw, Mackinac and Chippewa counties, and to give your readers some indication of the rapid growth of Northern Michigan, it should be stated that a sectional contest for the election of a United States Senator in 1847, only twenty-five years ago, when the North, South and West each presented a candidate, all the representatives from the counties north of the tier through which the Central Railroad passes, and east of the meridian line including Clinton and a part of Ingham west of it, marshaled themselves together as the champions of Northern Michigan and constituted less than one-third of the members of the Legislature. The Northern Railroad, not having as many interested advocates as the Central and Southern lines, was not presented with the same vigor, but there must have been a large appropriation made for its construction at an early day; for in 1841, after much money had been expended in clearing and grubbing the line of the road, there was an unexpended balance of the appropriation amounting to $60,000, which was ordered by the Legislature to be to be expended in the construction of a wagon road. I think the whole of that balance could not have been available for that purpose, for but a small portion of the line was passable as a wagon road in 1848, when an appropriation of 20,000 acres internal improvement land was appropriated, to be expended under the direction of a special commissioner in the construction of a wagon road on the before-mentioned line. I think the Hon. A. N. Hunt, of Lapeer, was appointed special commissioner to make the outlay. Up to 1849, the expenditures of the appropriations for a wagon road were confined to the line adopted for the Northern Railroad. In that year the Legislature passed an act appointing Lewis S. Tyler, of Genesee County (father of Doit Tyler, of our city), Albert Miller, of Saginaw County, and Henry Hunt, of Shiawassee County, commissioners to re-survey and locate the line of road upon which the special commissioner should expend the land appropriation which had been appropriated to that section of the road which lies between the villages of Flint and Corunna. The commissioners had three lines to choose from - the southern, passing through what was then known as the Miller settlement; the central, passing through the Lyon settlement, and the northern line, passing through the village of Flushing. A line of road had been opened on each of the two first-mentioned routes, and the country partially settled all the way between Flint and Corunna, and on the northern route a good road had been constructed from Flint to Flushing, a distance of ten miles. The country was all settled along here, but after passing one mile west from the Flint River at Flushing, they came to a tract of fine timber land, which had never been penetrated by the settler, which extended nearly to Corunna, and a large portion of which had been selected and reserved for the payment of labor on the very road the line of which they were required to locate. The act appointing the commissioners authorized them, in locating the road, to take into consideration the individual subscriptions which might be made on the respective roads, and locate where the public interest might be the best subserved. There were heavy subscriptions made in favor of the northern route by James Seymour, of Flushing, and by George and Porter Hazleton, of Flint. After carefully [476] looking over the different routes, and discussing the different interests pertaining to each, the commissioners were unanimous in selecting the northern route; and subsequent events proved the wisdom of their selection, for in a short time a whole township through which the road passed was settled. If either of the other routes had been adopted, there would hardly have been an additional settler in consequence of it; for all the land had been purchased from Government and most of it occupied; but the land over which the road passed, between Flushing and Corunna, was, a large portion of it, State Internal Improvement Land, and the contractors and laborers who built the road were glad to receive it for their labor, and, as mentioned above, it was very soon settled, and a township was organized and named Hazelton.

In 1847, the Port Huron & Lake Michigan Railroad Company was incorporated; the Legislature authorized the company to take any portion of the northern wagon road that they might wish to adopt for their line, and relinquished to them all the rights of the State in the Northern Railroad. That company has been struggling for twenty-five years to build their road, and at last have succeeded in completing that portion which lies between Port Huron and Flint, which must be a good paying road; but I think the business of the road would be greatly increased by extending the line to Owasso, which, by crossing the lake, would make the shortest possible route from the great West to the Atlantic cities."

The following-named citizens petitioned Mayor Hibbard, of Port Huron, to call a meeting of tax-payers, to vote on the question of granting a loan of $42,000 to the P. H. & L. M. R. R. Co.: S. L. Boyce, William Farr, Alexander Buchanan, John Hilton, J. J. Haynes, A. K. Comins, John Johnston, Henry Howard, E. C. Carleton, P. B. Sanborn, James M. Sanborn, D. Bryce, George W. Pinkham, S. B. Green, W. L. Hoffman, H. C. Hope, William Wastell, G. J. Parker, A. L. Stebbins, Thomas S. Skinner, E. R. Sweetser, William Hartsuff, C. G. Meisel, J. A. Davidson, J. B. Farrand, N. Walker, R. S. Patterson, H. Fish, M. Hagedon, S. McCormick, John Miller, John McCormick, Andrew Foster, Gage Inslee, H. A. Beach, F. Saunders, John Chambers, D. S. Harley, William Sanborn, John Cole, John P. Sanborn, J. H. White, Ira Osborn, William R. Mulford, I. D. Carleton, H. N. Wright, T. S. Tucker, John T. Travers, Jr., A. E. Chadwick, D. Ryan, J. B. Robinson, R. M. French, C. W. Robinson, John Haslett, T. L. Hubbard.

The Mayor, in acceding to the petition, ordered a vote to be taken August 17, 1869. This election resulted in a vote of 502 for granting the loan, and 74 against the loan.

The stockholders of this road met at Port Huron, December 29, 1870. The condition of the railroad at that time is set forth in the following extract from the report of President Edgar White: The road was opened for traffic to Capac on June 8, 1870, and to Imlay City on the 28th day of July following. The gross receipts from traffic were $41,259.02. The number of passengers carried is 16,657, and the amount of freight moved 17,866.13-20 tons. The running expenses were light, being only $12,317.47.

The following officers were elected for the year 1871: Directors - Edgar White, Port Huron; W. L. Bancroft, Port Huron; James Turrill, Lapeer; Artemas Thayer, Flint; Isaac Gale, Remington, Mich.; W. F. Allen, Albany, N. Y.; W. F. Drake, New York.
President - Edgar White.
Secretary and Treasurer - W. L. Bancroft.
The Treasurer made the following report:

RECEIPTS.			EXPENDITURES.
First Mortgage Bonds................................	$505,000.00		Construction ac't...........................................	$482,140.65
Municipal Bonds.......................................	4,400.00		Equipment ac't..............................................	34,492.86
Stock Subscriptions..................................	44,100.00		Station Buildings...........................................	6,292.25
Traffic Receipts.........................................	41,259.02		Operating Expenses......................................	12,315.47
Bills Payable.............................................	29,975.33		Tools and Machinery....................................	680.67
Difference in Fuel ac't................................	684.87		Coupons, Dis't and Interest...........................	29,937.10
			Contingent Expense ac't................................	2,438.26
			Bills Receivable.............................................	50,072.39
			Balance........................................................	7,049.57
	--------------			--------------
	$625,419,22			$625,419,22

[477] The equipment of the road consisted of three locomotives, two passenger cars, two baggage cars, ten box cars and fifty flat cars. Most of the rolling-stock was purchased during the year 1870. The company commenced running trains to a point forty mile from Port Huron, and about seven miles beyond Imlay City, early in January, 1871.

The opening of the Port Huron & Lake Michigan Railroad to Lapeer was celebrated on June 6, 1871, by an excursion of "old settlers" of Port Huron, to the former city, on invitation of the officers of the road. Nearly two hundred invitations were issued, and about one hundred and fifty excursionists went out, filling three cars. The train which left the city, drawn by the locomotive Genesee, consisted of the two new passenger cars recently built for this road at Taunton, Mass., the new baggage, mail and express car, and the regular passenger car. No incident of special interest occurred until the train arrived at Imlay City, where the excursionists found a large number of people at the station. The building was trimmed with evergreens, and at different points the following mottoes, painted upon canvas, worked in evergreens were displayed:

"Welcome."
"Slow But Sure."
"Energy and Perseverance will Insure Success."

A number of young girls who had gathered in the station building sang songs while the train halted, and there were indications of good feeling on every hand. After passing Attica Station, four or five miles west of Imlay, the speed of the train was slackened, as the iron had been laid upon this section but a few days, and only a small portion of the track had been ballasted. As the train approached the stopping place at Lapeer, the depot buildings not having been completed, an animated scene was presented to the eyes of the excursionists. Gathered in the road, and in an adjoining grove, were several hundred people, with horses and carriages, who commenced cheering and waving hats and handkerchiefs, and as soon as the excursionists left the cars they were warmly welcomed. It was soon understood that dinner would be prepared at the Abram House, and thither the Port Huron visitors were conducted, carriages being furnished for most of them. In the parlors of the hotel, the excursionists met and became acquainted with many of the leading citizens of Lapeer, and an hour or more was very agreeably spent in social intercourse. The committee acting for the citizens of Lapeer was composed of the following gentlemen: R. G. Hart, James Turrill, E. J. White, Horace D. Rood, W. H. Jennings. Among those acting as waiters at the tables were many young gentlemen and ladies belonging to the best families in the city, who had volunteered for the occasion; but although inexperienced in this particular branch of business, none had reason to complain that they were not promptly and bountifully served. All the arrangements were well made and carried out, and the welcome given to the Port Huron excursionists afforded them the highest gratification. The train left for the return trip late in the afternoon, a large number of the citizens of Lapeer escorting their Port Huron friends to the depot, and cheering them as the train moved off. Nor were the excursionists slow in expressing their appreciation of the hospitality of the citizens of Lapeer, and responding to their demonstrations of satisfaction at the completion of the railroad to that point - a bond of commercial and social union between the two cities.

The arrangements made and carried out by the officers of the Railroad Company were also excellent in every respect. Mr. Bancroft and his assistant, Mr. Taylor, were on the train, and treated all the excursionists with the greatest courtesy. There was no crowding in the cars, but seats and space seemed to be exactly suited to the number of persons to occupy them. The feeling of the excursionists was shown by the following resolutions, adopted on the return trip:

At a meeting of the excursionist composing the "Old Settlers Party," held on the cars upon the return from Lapeer, June 6, 1871, the following persons were present, and unanimously adopted the resolution hereafter written:

RESOLVED, That the thanks of this party be and they are hereby extended to the Port Huron & Lake Michigan Railroad Company, and to the Hon. William L. Bancroft, Secretary thereof, for their energy, perseverance and pluck in building and equipping this [478] road and kindly placing this train of palace cars at our disposal to visit the prosperous city of Lapeer and receive the hospitality of her people.

John Hibbard, Rev. J. Donelly, Jr., A. W. Clark, A. L. Stebbins, James H. Haslett, James Baird, Henry Fish, James Goulden, J. F. Merrill, F. L. Wells, D. Balentine, L. S. King. C. F. Harrington, E. Thompson, C. Robinson, D. Ryan, D. Whitman, I. D. Carleton, L. Atkins, E. R. Seeley, W. R. Mulford, A. Hendricks, B. H. Dale, John McNeil, E. G. Spalding, F. A. Weyers, John Howard, H. W. Stevens, D. Robeson, Jr., S. L. Boyce, O. D. Conger, G. W. Pinkham, E. Petit, F. Saunders, A. Schryver, N. P. White, H. L. Stevens, J. D. Whitney, J. H. White, W. T. Mitchell, J. F. Batchelor, D. M. Hagedon, D. B. Harrington, T. K. Whitman, L. A. Sherman, A. W. Comstock, Henry Howard, S. D. Pace, William Hartsuff, John Johnston, S. D. Clark, J. Montross, William Sanborn, J. B. Comstock, S. S. Ward, O. Masonville, O'B. J. Atkinson, J. F. Talbot, N. Potter, Ira Osborn, J. H. King, E. Burtch, Allen Fish, Ed. Inslee.

Mr. Bancroft, who was in the third car of the train, was called for, and in response spoke as follows:

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN - I regret very much that the President of our company has not been able to be with us to-day; but on behalf of our company and of our Directors, I thank you for the expressions of satisfaction with the road and the excursion, contained in the resolutions just read and adopted; and I trust the Port Huron & Lake Michigan Railroad may long continue an avenue, not only of pleasure, but of wealth, to Port Huron and the entire section of country which it traverses.

"In conclusion, I again thank you for your kindly expressions of satisfaction with the excursion to-day."
A subscription paper was circulated, and something over $300 subscribed as a fund for paying the expenses of an entertainment to the people of Lapeer, when they should visit Port Huron, which sum was increased to $500.

On June 21, an excursion was given by the railroad company to the "Old Settlers" of Lapeer to Port Huron and return.

REMINISCENCES OF THE JOURNEY.

Leaving the depot in this city, which is temporarily located at a point considerably south of that intended for the permanent buildings, the road curves gradually to the west, an air line being taken a little north of west. Westward from this point the road is perfectly straight as far as Emmet Station, the country being nearly level. At Emmet, the road makes a slight double curve, but is really an air line to a point three miles this side of Lapeer. The stations between Port Huron and Lapeer are as follows: Grand Trunk Crossing, Thornton, Goodell's, Emmet and Capac, all in St. Clair County; and Imlay City and Attica (formerly Elk Lake), in Lapeer County. The distance from this city to Grand Trunk Crossing is four miles; to Thornton, ten miles; to Goodell's, twelve miles; to Emmet, eighteen miles; to Capac, twenty-nine miles; to Imlay City, thirty-four miles; to Attica, thirty-eight miles, and to Lapeer, a little over forty-six miles.

Lapeer is a city of about 2,000 inhabitants, very pleasantly located on Flint River, in the midst of a fine farming country. It has several fine churches, good court house and jail buildings, and several good business blocks on the principal street. There are also several industrial establishments, including foundries and machine shops, two flouring mills, etc. Two newspapers are published there, the Clarion (Republican), long established and ably conducted by its proprietor, Mr. S. J. Tomlinson, and the Democrat, recently started. Lapeer is already feeling the impetus given to its business by the railroad; and we understand that some of the business men of Pontiac, to which place, as the nearest railroad station, Lapeer has long been tributary, are making arrangements to establish themselves at Lapeer. The amount of traffic given to the railroad at this point will be very large, as an extensive tract of country, both north and south, seeks Lapeer as its natural market.

Attica Station, eight or nine miles east of Lapeer, was formerly known as Elk Lake. At this place the lumbering operations of I. N. Jenness & Co., and several other firms, are carried [479] on, and the amount of freights furnished the railroad is very large. A side track is now in process of construction to the mill of I. N. Jenness & Co., on the banks of Elk Lake.

Imlay City, four or five miles east, is a town of just one year's growth, but it already has 400 inhabitants and is attracting a large trade. The Bancroft House, kept by Charles Palmer, is a fine hotel located near the depot, affording first-class accommodations to travelers. About 100 new buildings will be erected this summer, among which should be mentioned the new elevator of Messrs. Lamb & Townsend, 40x80 feet in size, now in process of construction. Imlay City will probably have a thousand inhabitants before it is three years old.

The next station east is Capac, a flourishing village of several hundred inhabitants, located near the western line of St. Clair County. It has a large trade from the north, extending even into Sanilac County, and the country for several miles south is also tributary to it.

Emmet Station, eighteen miles from Port Huron, is a small village, which must in time become a business point of considerable importance.

Goodell's Station has a post office and one or two stores, and is the point on the line where much of the produce of the rich farming township of Wales will seek an outlet.

Thornton, ten miles from Port Huron, is a flourishing little village, located half a mile from the station. The railroad has given it a start, and although it may never be a large town, a fair amount of business must always be done there.

The project of constructing a railroad westward from this city - then a small village - was first started in 1837, as a State enterprise. At the same time two other roads were projected, the Michigan Southern and Michigan Central, both of which were long since completed. The Northern Michigan Railroad did not prosper so well, however, and up to the year 1857, twenty years later, no work had been done upon it. In that year, a company was organized, with N. P. Stewart as manager, and considerable grading was done upon the line. But the strong opposition on the road on the part of rival lines, and other adverse circumstances, prevented its completion, and this project was finally abandoned.

Nothing further was done to secure the construction of the road until the year 1865, when the company was organized. Nor were the difficulties in the way, and the obstacles to be overcome, any less in 1865, than when the road was first projected. Indeed, they were even greater, the power of rival corporations having been greatly increased, while their hostility to the northern route had not diminished. But the resources of the friends of this route had also greatly increased, and liberal subscriptions to the stock of the company from citizens of Port Huron and other cities and towns on the route, gave it funds enough to make a start.

But still there were great obstacles to overcome. First, there was a veto from the Governor of a bill calculated to give towns and cities an opportunity to aid the road; and some years later, when a number of miles of the road had been completed, the decision of the Supreme Court, rendering worthless the bonds issued by towns and cities in aid of railroads, dealt a severe blow to the young corporation. Then there was constantly in the way the influence of moneyed men interested in other railroad lines, against the sale of the company's bonds; and such influence, as most projectors of new railroads have found, it is almost impossible to overcome.

But the managers of the new company would not be discouraged. With indomitable energy and perseverance, they sought out new methods of selling the company's bonds and raising money, so that funds to meet its obligations and push the work forward at a pace "slow,' perhaps, but "sure," were seldom lacking. The first rail was laid in July, 1869, and on June 6, 1871, nearly forty-seven miles of road were completed, which brought the county seat of a prosperous and populous county into communication with Port Huron.

The total cost of the road, as completed in June, 1871, with a rolling stock, station houses, docks, etc., was about $1,400,000, or $30,000 per mile. The credit of negotiation bonds was due, in a great measure, to the Secretary and Manager, W. L. Bancroft, and the construction of the road was credited to the wise policy of its principal officers, and the enterprise of the people of Port Huron and towns along the route. Since that time, the line was gradually extended until it reached Valparaiso, and thence over the P., F. W. & C. R. R. track to [480] Chicago. Under the control of the trustees, it was managed by William Bonner, and now forms the Chicago & Grand Trunk R. R.

THE MICHIGAN DIVISION OF THE GRAND TRUNK.

The line of railway known as the Port Huron & Detroit Branch of the Grand Trunk Railway, as completed in the fall of 1859. The entire expense of construction and equipment was borne by the gigantic corporation known as the Grand Trunk Railroad Company of Canada. The Michigan Division passes through St. Clair County to Richmond Township, and traverses the county in a southwesterly direction. The road has proved of substantial advantage to every part of the State and county not otherwise accommodated with a railway outlet, while the connection has proved invaluable to our merchants and shippers, and thereby to producers generally, in affording a competing route to the East, as well as connection with points not reached by any other line. The main branch runs from Port Sarnia to Portland, Me., a distance of 802 miles. The Michigan Division runs from Port Huron to Detroit Junction, a distance of fifty-nine miles, making a total length, under the Grand Trunk corporation, of 861 miles, apart from its Port Huron and Chicago line, formerly the L. H. & C. R. R.

The Michigan Air Line was projected from St. Clair to Jackson; but it is not yet completed. The railroad from St. Clair to Ridgeway or Richmond, and thence to Pontiac, may be considered the nucleus of what promises to be the great Michigan Air Line to Chicago. Indeed, work on the extension on the St. Clair & Jackson Railroad, from Pontiac to Jackson, was begun in November, 1882.

The Michigan Air-Line project was originally designed as a short line from Chicago to Buffalo, and was intended to run across the State from Chicago, striking the St. Clair River just above the town of St. Clair, and there connect with what is known as the Canada Southern. The Michigan Central, which aided in building so much of this line as lies between Jackson and Niles, and furnished almost the entire capital with which it was built, finally made it a feeder for Detroit and the Central. This road runs through St. Clair into the southeast corner of Richmond Township, then traverses the townships of Armada and Washington to Pontiac. It cost the people of the townships through which it runs a snug sum of money, but the benefits derived from the road ultimately compensate in a large measure for the heavy tax its construction imposed upon many individuals. That railroads in general are a benefit no one will deny, but some are constructed at an immense sacrifice to property-holders, and the remuneration, in actual value, is oftentimes imperceptibly slow in development. But on the whole, railroad enterprises, when conducted by persons who have the welfare of the several communities through which they shall pass at heart, are means of much good, and vice versa when instigated, carried on, and controlled by speculators, who look only to their own personal aggrandizement. As a public emolument, railroads ought to become as popular as they are generally successful.

THE PORT HURON AND NORTHWESTERN.

The latest and most remarkable railroad enterprise undertaken and carried to a successful issue by Port Huron citizens, is the Narrow Gauge Railroad. The first definite movement, says the editor of the Times, for the construction of a railroad into and through the section of country lying northwest of Port Huron was made less than five years ago. At the outset several schemes were proposed, but no definite organization for the purpose was effected until eleven citizens of Port Huron formed a company and subscribed for its entire capital stock themselves. The idea, as finally carried out, originated with John P. Sanborn. His associates in the company as first organized were Daniel B. Harrington, James Beard, William Hartsuff, Henry Howard, Henry McMorran, S. L. Ballentine, C. A. Ward, F. L. Wells, P. B. Sanborn and C. R. Brown. Gen. Hartsuff and C. R. Brown subsequently sold out their interests, and Mr. Harrington died, and their places on the board of directors were taken by C. F. Harrington, E. B. Harrington and Peter Sanborn. These are the men who took upon themselves the task of building a railroad through a country that was largely a wilderness and through whose energy, enterprise and labor the task was accomplished.

The first section of the road, from Port Huron to Croswell, was opened May 12, 1879.
[481] This section is twenty-five miles long, and up to the time it was opened not a dollar of bonds had been issued, all the money for its construction having been furnished by the stockholders. Subsequently a mortgage of $5,000 a mile was placed on the road, and this is the entire amount of its debt at the present time. On the 13th of September, 1880, the road was opened to Sand Beach, a distance of seventy miles from Port Huron. In the meantime, the Marlette Branch, then so-called, had been projected, and this was opened to Marlette January 17, 1881. Subsequently, the extension of this line to East Saginaw was decided upon, and it became known as the East Saginaw Division, while the line to Sand Beach is called the Sand Beach Division. The length of the Sand Beach Division is seventy miles, and that of the East Saginaw Division ninety miles. The same track is used to Saginaw Junction, twelve miles from Port Huron, so that the total length of main track is 148 miles. The company also have over ten miles of sidings, making about 160 miles of track in all. The present equipment of the road consists of nine locomotives, six first-class and two second-class passenger coaches, four combination smoking and baggage cars, 175 box cars, eighty-six flat cars and seven stock cars. The company have now under contract, to be delivered soon, five additional locomotives, making fourteen in all, two parlor cars, four first-class and two second-class coaches, six summer excursion cars, and two mail and baggage cars. The passenger coaches of the company are equal in all points of elegance and comfort to those of standard gauge lines, and the second-class cars are as good as many of the first-class coaches now used on other lines.

In January, 1881, the first steps were taken toward the construction of the railroad bridge near the mouth of Black River. On January 3, a petition was presented to the Board of Supervisors, of which the following is a copy:

"The undersigned Port Huron & Northwestern Railway Company, a corporation formed and existing under the laws of the State of Michigan, would respectfully ask leave to construct a bridge over Black River, in the county of St. Clair, near the mouth of said river, for the purpose of crossing said river with engine, cars and other rolling stock and property pertaining to the operations and business of railroads. The height of said bridge to be not less than five feet from the surface of the water, to be constructed of wood, iron and stone, or stone, wood and iron. Such bridge will have a draw of not less than one hundred and forty feet and sufficient for the convenient passage of vessels and boats and approaches of about one hundred and sixty feet."

The petition was signed by John P. Sanborn, President of the Port Huron & Northwestern Railroad Company. The Committee on Roads and Bridges, consisting of Whipple Wheeler, Sylvester Caswell and Benjamin Latour, reported in favor of granting the request, on which report the board acted.

The track of the road is remarkably smooth throughout, considering the newness of the road bed, and trains run as smoothly as on most of the older standard gauge roads. Between Port Huron and East Saginaw, the road bed, bridges and culverts are of standard gauge size and strength. The bridge over Black River, thirteen miles from Port Huron, is the most extensive railroad bridge in Michigan, being seventy feet high above the water, and 800 feet long. The iron swing bridge across Black River in this city is also one of the best in the State.

The opening of new depot in this city, and of the East Saginaw Division to Vassar, are events of much importance in the history of this road. Four months ago, the "flats," where the new depot is located, were largely covered with water. Now a large portion of the grounds of the company have been filled in to a height of several feet above the water level, four handsome buildings have been nearly completed, a large number of tracks have been laid, and a complete transformation in the appearance of the locality has been made. The main building, to be used as a general passenger depot and offices for the company, is 32 feet wide, 150 feet long, and two stories high, with an attic, and is surmounted by a handsome cupola and flag staff, on which the stars and stripes were raised for the first time December 1, when the first passenger train left the new depot. This building is of handsome architectural design and proportions, and when finished throughout will be one of the most elegant and [482] convenient railroad buildings in the State. On the west side, the company have opened a street extending to the freight depot, which is located forty feet south of the south end of the passenger depot. Broad platforms extend the whole length of both buildings on this side, for the convenience of passengers coming and going, and for the receipt and delivery of freight. The north end of the passenger building fronts on Court street; and on the east side there is a broad platform the entire length, beside which the main track for passenger trains is laid. Inside, the building is elegantly finished in cherry and ash woods, with ash floors. The general waiting room occupies the whole width of the north end, and has doors opening from both sides and from the front on Court street. The ticket office, which is provided with a fire proof vault, is located between this room and the ladies' waiting room, on the east side of the building. Closets for the convenience of passengers are located on the west side of the building. The ladies' waiting room occupies the entire width of the building next south of the ticket office. Opening from this room on the south, and, having outside doors on the east and west, is a large room to be used as a dining and lunch room. Next comes a stairway opening from the east side of the building and leading to the second story, which is to be very handsomely and conveniently fitted up for the general offices of the company. The train dispatcher's office, baggage room, boiler room, and some other departments, are on the first floor, south of the stairway. The building is to be heated with steam throughout, and will be lighted by gas made on the premises.

The freight depot is twenty-four feet wide and 150 feet long, substantially built and convenient in every respect. The repair shop building is located north of the passenger depot, on the same line. Its size is 40x112 feet. The round-house, with accommodations for eleven locomotives, the stalls being forty-five feet deep, is located a short distance north of the repair shops. All the buildings are of wood, and all are very neat in style and finish.

The cost of the passenger building will reach $15,000 when fully completed, and the company expect to expend as much as $150,000 on the grounds and buildings in this city within the next year or two.

The laying of iron from Vassar to East Saginaw is progressing at the rate of a mile a day, and unless the weather should be very unfavorable, trains will run to that city by Christmas. At East Saginaw, the company's trains will run into the elegant new depot of the Flint and Pere Marquette Railway, connecting also with the new Saginaw, Tuscola & Huron Narrow Gauge Railway. The terminal facilities of the road at Port Huron, East Saginaw and Sand Beach are therefore first-class in every respect, the company having several hundred feet of dockage on St. Clair River in this city, and dockage facilities at Sand Beach.

Port Huron has every reason to be proud of the Port Huron & Northwestern Railway. It has been built entirely without outside aid, by citizens of Port Huron, and is an acknowledged success. No other city in Michigan, we believe, has done as much - not even the "metropolis." The road has already added much to the business and prosperity of Port Huron, as it has to the entire section of country through which it runs. Seventy box cars have been built here, and it is probable that the establishment of extensive car works will be one of the results of the building of the road.

The officers of the company for 1881-82 are as follows: President, Henry Howard; First Vice President, John P. Sanborn; Second Vice President, Charles A. Ward; Secretary and Treasurer, Frederick L. Wells; General Manager, Henry McMorran; Superintendent, I. R. Wadsworth; General Passenger Agent, C. C. Jenkins; Cashier, E. C. Chamberlin; Chief Engineer, A. L. Reed; Paymaster, J. B. Hull; Freight Auditor, Harry E. Hyde; Train Dispatcher, F. E. Wellington. Mr. Wellington is also ticket agent in Port Huron, and S. P. Mann is freight agent.

The Port Huron & Northwestern is one of the few roads which escaped the tongues of the envious and suspicious - it proved entirely satisfactory. Not so with other roads mentioned in this work. Among all the great leading interests of the country, none has suffered more seriously, and we might add unjustly, than railway property. Indeed for years it was the special object of bitter attack and unrelenting hostility. If certain ruin-driving journals were to be believed - and in the fury of the years of panic their efforts were but too successful - the [483] managers of the railways of the country, embracing a property of hundreds of millions of money, were thoroughly corrupt - a set of thieves from president to track-master, each and all filching from the pockets of their stockholders to the full extent of their ability. Glaring instances of stupendous fraud, it is but too true, have been developed in railway management, but if the vast number of men who control other railways be considered, and this interest be compared with other, we doubt not that in banking, mercantile and other pursuits, a proportionate number of frauds would be found to exists.

APPORTIONMENT OF STATE TAX, 1881-82.

The amount of State tax apportioned to St. Clair County under various acts of the Legislature is as follows, for the year 1881-82 was $21,161.76 with $6,424.77 county indebtedness to the State aggregating $29,586.53. This sum was distributed as follows:

University - Aid, Act No. 32, 1873.............................................................................	$ 750 00
University - General and other expenses, Act No. 60, 1881.........................................	1,379 63
Normal School - Current expenses, Act No. 100, 1881..............................................	361 11
Normal School - Training School, Act No. 227, 1881.................................................	462 96
Agricultural College - General and other expenses, Act No. 21, 1881..........................	925 36
Agricultural College - Experiments with Ensilage, Act No. 288, 1881...........................	18 52
State Public School - Act No. 120, 1881....................................................................	771 30
Michigan School for the Blind - Current Expenses, Act No. 47, 1881..........................	342 59
Institution for the Deaf and Dumb - General and other expenses, Act No. 92, 1881.....	770 37
State Reform School for Boys - Current expenses, Act No. 45, 1881..........................	657 41
State Reform School for Boys - Building and Special, Act No. 52, 1881......................	310 19
Michigan Reform School for Girls - Building and general expenses, Act No. 112, 1881	1,825 00
State House of Correction - Building, etc., Act No. 90, 1881.......................................	71 64
Asylum for Insane - Eastern building, etc., Act No. 97, 1881........................................	1,500 00
Asylum for Insane - Working capital, Act No. 223, 1881.............................................	277 77
Asylum for Insane - Michigan building, etc., Act No. 285, 1881...................................	979 63
Asylum for Insane - New building, etc., Act No. 225, 1881.........................................	925 93
Repairing south steps at Capitol, Act No. 22, 1881......................................................	92 59
Board of Fish Commissioners - Act No. 57, 1881.......................................................	148 15
State Board of Health - Act No. 241, 1881.................................................................	37 04
Military purposes - Act No. 171, 1879........................................................................	1,060 59
General purposes - Act No. 282, 1881........................................................................	7,493 98
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	$21,161 76
County Indebtedness to State to be included in county tax, Act No. 163, 1871.............	6,424 77
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Aggregate of tax and indebtedness to be apportioned...................................................	$29,586 53