Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2011, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: History of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan Containing a Full Account of it's Early Settlement; Its Growth, Development and Resources; An Extended Description of its Iron and Copper Mines. Also, Accurate Sketches of its Counties, Cities, Towns and Villages, Improvements, Industries, Manufactories; Biographical Sketches, Portraits of Prominent Men and Early Settlers; Views of County Seats, Etc. Published by The Western Historical Company, Chicago; 1883 A. T. Andreas, Proprietor Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott May 24, 2011 =========================================================================== Pioneers and Their Careers =========================================================================== Page 510 Pioneers are those who go before and clear the way for the advance of civilization in its various relations. Among those who formed the advance in the settlement of Ontonagon County was James K. Paul, who was widely known as "Jim" Paul. He was he first white man within the limits of the county who came to the vicinity of the mouth of Ontonagon River May 2, 1843, and pre-empted a claim of a tract of land where the village now stands, on the east side, and erected a log cabin thereon the same year. Mr. Paul became a historic character, not only in Ontonogan County, but throughout the Upper Peninsula as well, where settlements existed. He was a native of Old Virginia, and was a fair type of a brave, generous and open-hearted frontiersman. His cabin, though small, served as a dwelling house and store, in which he entertained those who came, and supplied those who desired with such articles as he happened to have for sale. His quarters were given the name of "Jim Paul's Deadfall." In 1844, the United States Government erected a building, 16x20 feet, which was known as the "Mineral Agency." It stood on the east side of the river, immediately in the rear of the present Centennial Hotel, and was occupied by Maj. Campbell, who was the Government Agent. The next actual settlers after Paul were Daniel S. Cash and Fanny Cash, his wife, William W. Spaulding and E. C. Rahm, who came from Illinois in August, 1845. Mrs. Cash was the first white woman who came into the county to reside. These venturesome pioneers left Galena, Ill., in May, and proceeded up the Mississippi River to the St. Croix, where they secured a canoe and made their way up that stream, crossed the portage to the head-waters of the Brule River, and thence down that stream to Lake Superior, whence they coasted it to the mouth of Ontonagon. Mr. Cash and Spaulding located on the west side of the river, some half a mile from its mouth, where they made a pre-emption claim to a tract of land which had been surveyed the spring before, by one John Burt, and at once built a log house thereone, and made improvements. These claims were made before the land in that section was declared by the Government as reserved from sale. Prior to the survey made by Mr. Burt, Samuel W. Hill, in 1841, explored the Ontonagon River region, and afterward was engaged with Dr. Douglas Houghton; and also with Forster and Whitney, in their geological surveys of that locality, as well as of the Upper Peninsula region. During the winter of 1845-46, only five white people remained in the settlement at the mouth of the river--Paul, Cash and wife, and Spaulding and Rahm. On the 21st of October, 1846, Mr. Edmond Lockwood, a nephew of Mr. Cash, reached the pioneer settlement of Ontonagon, on the schooner Algonquin, and soon associated himself with Cash and Spaulding in trade. Early the following spring, 1847, these parties built a store and warehouse on the west bank of the river, near Cash's claim, half a mile above its outlet, and thus established the first mercantile and shipping business in the county, excepting what trade Mr. Paul might have done at his cabin two or three years prior. The following years of 1846 and 1847 brought additional settlers and rapidly increased the pioneer settlements, and became active toward the development of the new El Dorado. During these years, Col. Page 511 Whittlesey, the geologist, made extensive explorations of the county. After the ratification of the treaty with the Chippewa Indians in 1843, the Government issued the first leases of mineral permits, in June of that year, to Wilson & Carson, Ansley & Company, Turner & Company, and others. In the summer of the following year, 1844, C. C. Douglass, formerly an Assistant State Geologist, came to Ontonagon to explore the locations the various companies had made under these Government permits, with the view of opening up mining operations. In the summer of 1845, the first practical attention was given to the copper-mining interest in the county, at a location on the Trap Rock Range, in Township 50 north, of Range 39 west, which was designated as the Ontonagon Mine, and which was soon after known as the famous Minesota Mine, with which S. O. Knapp was early connected as its first Superintendent, as were also Capt. William Harris, Mr. Townsend and Mr. Roberts. Later in the same year, C. C. Cushman, representing a Boston company, made a location in the same township and range, called the Ontonagon Copper Company, but afterward known as the Forest Mining Company. And still another location was made by Cyrus Mendenhall, three miles square, on the west side of the Ontonagon River, for the Isle Royale Mining Company, which was known as the Mendenhall location. In the summer of 1846, numerous other mining locations were made in the same section of the county, and a few companies began active operations. The copper-mining interest began to attract wide-spread attention, which brought many people hither for observation and investment, and for employment. The future of this new El Dorado looked bright, its interests prospered, and mining stocks were brisk on the market. But the close of 1847 brought a lull in the spirit of speculation, and the former brightness which had prevailed in the mining interests became shadowed. Among those who were early prominent in the mining enterprises of the county were F. G. White, John Cheynoweth, Webb, Richards, Lockwood, W. W. Spaulding, Buzzo, A. Coburn, Abner Sherman, A. C. Davis, S. S. Robinson, Hoyt, Hardee, Edward Sales, Anthony, Dr. Osborn, Sanderson, Martin Beaser, Dickerson and others. In the summer of 1848, Cash, Spaulding and Lockwood built a boat, under the supervision of the latter, to do freighting business upon the Ontonagon River. The lumber used for it was cut with a whip-saw. It was seventy- five feet long, eight feet beam, with sides twenty-six inches high, flat bottomed, keel form, of fifteen tons capacity, and propelled by a crew of ten Chippewa Indians--five on a side--with poles, under command of a white Captain. It required 700 feet of line with which to make the passage over the rapids by attaching it from the capstan to trees. Thus the freight was taken from the mouth up to the Minesota Mine landing, eighteen miles distant, it requiring three days to make the trip up, and one day to return, thus accomplishing two trips a week. The first white child born in Ontonagon County was a son of D. S. and Fanny Cash, December 4, 1848, named William P. Cash, who grew to manhood, and is now a practicing physician in Minnesota. The first water craft that arrived at Ontonagon from "below," within the knowledge of its pioneer settlers, was the propeller Napoleon, on the 8th of May, 1849, which landed forty-four passengers, mainly laborers for the Minesota Copper Mine. The first shipment of copper was made June 15, 1849, by the Minesota Mining Company, consisting of three tons, which was floated down the Ontonagon River in two canoes lashed together. The first mail reaching Ontonagon Village was brought from "below," by a dog train, in the winter of 1846-47, and distributed to the anxious pioneers at the house of D. S. Cash, who was the first Postmaster at that hamlet, which he held for six years. This was the only mail received at the settlement during the entire winter. The following spring--May, 1848-- Lathrop Johnson purchased the old Government agency building and converted it into a tavern, called the Johnson House, which was the first place opened for the entertainment of the public, although James K. Paul entertained travelers at his cabin as early as 1843. ===========================================================================