Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2013, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= U.S. Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================= Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY, MICHIGAN by Florence McKinnon Gwinn Huron County Pioneer & Historical Society, 1922 [page 46] CHAPTER III EARLY TOWNSHIP HISTORY SALT WELLS, IRON WORKS AND THE McKINLEYS In the spring of 1871 the first salt well was opened and sunk to a depth of 1764 feet. Later in 1878 three other salt wells were opened. The annual production of salt was from 40,000 to 50,000 barrels. The Pigeon River Salt and Iron Works were started in 1873 by Messrs. EDISON, SANDFORD & CRAWFORD. The works ran about a year or more when owing to the depression in the iron trade the blast went out. The property changed hands, additional works were put in and the furnace started once more in 1879. It ran a while then closed down. While these works were in operation a familiar face on the streets of Caseville was that of WILLIAM McKINLEY, the father of President McKINLEY. He had an interest in the business and during this time he and Mrs. McKINLEY were often guests in the WOODWORTH home. He boarded at JACOB SHELTON'S, one of the early settlers in the village who came in 1868. What is now JOHNSON Park, re- cently given as a public park to the county by Messrs. WALLACE, TACK & CURRAN, was owned by Mr. McKINLEY. In connection with the manufacture of salt the name of JAMES CURRAN is prominent. He came to Case- [page 47] PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY ville from Saginaw in 1871 and immediatley entered upon his duties as manager of the salt blocks, holding that position during all the years of its manufacture. As lumber was the first manufacturing of Mr. CRAW- FORD after he purchased the pine lands on the Pigeon river there are several names worthy of mention in con- nection with that industry. HENRY LIBBY, who had worked for Mr. CRAWFORD in Cleveland, came in 1857 to Caseville. He erected all the machinery in the works built there and was acknowledged a master of his trade as a machinist and engineer. Another man well known at that period was HENRY CAMPAU. His people are in- timately connected with much of the pioneer history of Saginaw and Detroit. One of his ancestors once owned Belle Isle. In the first store built for Mr. CRAWFORD and Mr. MARTIN, JAMES ADAMS officiated as clerk and man- ager. This building was afterwards removed to what is known as the "Cove" to be used as a carpenter shop. Could this old structure have spoken it doubtless would have unfolded a chapter in pioneer history never to be repeated in Huron County. For ten years it was the only place between Sebewaing and Port Crescent, a distance of 35 miles, where the necessities of life could be ob- tained. It stood on the bank of the Pigeon river just at one side of what is now the Grand Trunk railway track. Mr. CRAWFORD built the second store on the hillside near the present depot. Here he did an immense business for many years. One of the head sawyers in the mills was WILLIAM BARBOR, who came in 1857. He was en- gineer for several years in the grist mill belonging to Mr. CRAWFORD; also ran a large boarding house which was situated on the park now belonging to the G. A. R. society. Once a bear entered the pantry of this house, through an open window and ate all the fried cakes which had been freshly baked for the morning meal. It also tipped over a swill barrel in its endeavors to get a drink after its feast. No one heard the bear, although Mrs. DUFTY and Mrs. ROBERT SMITH, then unmarried, slept in a room adjoining the pantry. Among the young men of that day were WILLIAM DUFTY, ROBERT SMITH, JOHN SMITH, [page 48] PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY BERT SMLLY (sic), COLUMBUS PHOENIX, CARL PATTERSON, CUN- NINGHAM RICHMOND, HENRY LOVERAGE, JACK McKENZIE and the FISHER boys. WILLIAM DUFTY at the age of 18 was head sawyer in one of he mills. He continued several years in the employment of Mr. CRAWFORD, also acting as foreman in the lumber camps. Going to the woods was an annual event in those times. In 1865 he pur- chased the original 80 acres of land his father had owned in the earliest history of the township. Mr. FISHER and ROBERT SMITH now living in Caseville and can tell many incidents and adventures that happened amid the hardships and difficulties of pioneer life during the de- velopment of the county. Among the men who came later were T. B. WOODWORTH and J. A. HOLMES. Mr. WOOODWORTH came in 1867 and for the next few years was engaged in lumbering and ran a store in connec- tion with this business. He was elected county surveyor in 1870, the duties of which office he performed for several years. Was elected supervisor of the township in 1868 and held that office continuously until 1876, in which year he was elected the representative of Huron County in the legislature of Michigan. He then took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar in July 1876. Was prosecuting attorney in 1882. He held a prominent place in all town affairs and did much to build up the educational interests of the village. Was one of the founders of the Methodist Episcopal church of Case- ville and superintendent of the Sunday School for 35 years. He was editor of the first paper published in Caseville, "The Caseville Advertiser." The members of his family are well known in the county and state today. J. A. HOLMES, who landed at Caseville March 17, 1871, was a merchant in the town for a number of years. He took a prominent part in the civil, educational and re- ligious affairs of the place. Mr. HOLMES also took a lead- ing part in the church and social life of that period. She died several years ago and Mr. HOLMES is now a resident of Lansing. Anothe merchant was H. H. CASE, a brother-in-law of Mr. CRAWFORD. His second wife was SARAH KIMBALL, [page 49] PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY of Port Austin. The first physician was Dr. JAMES EAK- INS, who only remained here a few weeks and then lo- cated at Port Crescent. His successor was Dr. JOHN HUTCHINS and still later Dr. S. J. HENDERSON and Drs. JOHNSON and JACKMAN. A well known lumberman and sailor was Captain JOHN WATERS. He had at one time the largest lumber camp on Pigeon river. Among the very earliest set- tlers in the township were the four ANDERSON brothers, who came in 1860. Two of the brothers, JOHN and GEORGE with a cousin of theirs, had traversed the county the year before in order to locate land. They walked up the shore, crossing over to Verona, where they ob- tained a loaf of bread from THOMAS PHILP, all he had to spare and with this as supplies they crossed just where Bad Axe now stands and three days later came out at the Indian Mission House on the Shebeon creek, hungry and tired after their wearisome journey. Mr. AUCH, the mis- sionary had gone to Sebewaing to try to get some bread. However, they had a good dinner of potatoes and fish with their Indian hosts. The next year the four broth- ers secured the entire acreage of section 11 and one- half of section 14 under the Graduation act. The county at this time was unimproved. Life to these early settlers was extremely primitive. Log cabins sheltered its joys and sorrows. No roads other than those used for lum- bering. Wild game was abundant. One morning the wolves drove a deer into the small clearing around JOHN ANDERSON'S house and only departed when driven off by the men. The nearest market for farm produce was Sebewa- ing, 20 miles away, and the mail was brought up from Port Austin about once a month by men sent for it. Two other men who located in the township were D. PERRY and CHAS. STEWART. That same year RICHARD GWINN, Sr. decided to secure land here. He came up the old sand road from Port Austin and when he reached Port Crescent met an old schoolmate of his, WALTER HUME. When about three and one-half miles from Case- ville he also met for the first time MOSES C. GREGORY. He [page 50] PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY was taken into this home and treated with as much hos- pitality as though he were an old friend. Mr. GREGORY being a lumberman and land broker was able to give Mr. GWINN the necessary information in regard to land, tim- ber and soil. He also secured Mr. WHEELER, afterwards the first supervisor of the township, to go with Mr. GWINN and the selected what today is the "old homestead". Here Granda GWINN spent nearly 60 years, dying when she was nearing her 97th birthday after a life that had witnessed all of the improvements of the past centuray. One of the most prosperous farmers in the 'sixties and GEORGE CLEAVER, who purchased the old CHAS. R. SMITH farm with 40 acres under cultivation. The first frame barn in the township was on this farm. In the local history of Caseville appear the names of these pioneer settlers: the MEYERS, SHAMPAIGNS, WILMICKS, HEMSTEADS and WILLIAM and CHARLES FISHER, with their families. JOHN DUANE, who was manager of CRAWFORD'S Caseville farm. ARTHUR McAULEY was another resident of the town- ship. He was a son-in-law of CHAS. FISHER, and at one time owned the property now belonging to the LEIP- PRANDT Bros. in McKINLEY township. When the McAULAY family visited the FISHERS they would go down the river in a canoe as the road was a mere trail through the forest. Joining this farm was the land owned by WIL- LIAM HANDY, who came in '51 from Port Austin, where to secure more game he first purchased land near Case- ville. Both Mr. HANDY and Mr. McAULAY assisted in the construction of the base line on Sand Point under the supervision of Gen. GEORGE MEADE, of Gettsyburg fame. During the four years that Gen. MEADE was engaged in the lake survey he had his headquarters in Detroit and it was from there he was called to serve in the Union Army in 1861. Mr. HANDY and Mr. McAULAY were paid in gold for their services. This was brought up from Port Austin, the nearest post office. Mr. SIMMONS was another early settler in this vicinity. The CONATONS and FLANNERYS came later. Along the Pigeon river we find [page 51] PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY the WILFONG, NEWMAN and HERBERT families. WILLIAM HORN owned the land later purchased by D. SCHUBACH and erected the first log cabin built on it. Still further up the river were the NOTTER, BARR, BILL and VERBECK homes. At Mud Creek the settlers were JOHN RICHMOND, ANN SMITH, a widow, and the three SMITH brothers, the HAR- DERS and ROWS. The three WALLACE brothers with their aged mother and sister MARIA owned land bordering on both sides of the creek. HENRY WURM had taken as a homestead the farm now belonging to PRESTON MURDOCK. He fled to Canada to escape the draft and was killed a few weeks later in a saw mill. The land went back to the government and was taken up later by M. BIRSHING. ROB- ERT MORSE, Sr. came in 1863 and bought 40 acres of state school land on the north side of the creek and later pur- chased 40 acres from DAWSON WALLACE, who enlisted in the Union Army. Very few of these early pioneers had stoves. The cooking was done by means of a fire place. Even the tables and chairs were home made. Benches were found in every home and the brooms were made of hickory. Latches were used to fasten the doors and nearly every door had a cat hole for convenience. The farm owned by THOMAS SMITH afterwards be- came the property of H. and J. J. MURDOCH and under their management was one of the noted stock farms in the county. JOHN MURDOCH served as supervisor of Case- ville township for several years. He was also at one time a member of the state legislature. In 1870 C. F. LEIPPRANDT came and purchased land on the Pigeon river. He proved to be a progressive farmer as well as preacher, store keeper and wagon maker. He also had a brick-yard and in later years was the postmaster at what is now called Hayes. This post- office was discontinued when the R. F. D. service began. His two youngest sons own the old homestead of 320 acres. ===========================================================================