Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2026 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== USGenNet 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 USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. ============================================================================= St. Clair County Michigan, its history and its people, Vol. I by William Lee Jenk pub: The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago and New York, 1912 [p. 111 - ] SAMUEL WARD was born May 20, 1784, in Wells, Rutland county, New York (*sic). Working summers and going to school winters, he was brought up to industry and economy. Leaving home at 19, after some years at Syracuse, he was engaged on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812 in transporting supplies for the Ameri- can army. This gave him a knowledge of and taste for the boat business which determined his after life. In 1817 he moved to Conneaut, Ohio, and the next year, having built a small schooner, called the Salem Packet, he traded along the lakes. In that year the public lands in Michigan, which had been surveyed, were first thrown open to purchase, and CAPTAIN WARD, as he was generally known, selected and bought the land in sections 1 and 12, lying between Belle and St. Clair rivers. The next spring, with his family, consisting of wife and one son, he moved to his new lo- cation, where he stayed until his death in 1854. At the time of his moving he was thirty-five years of age and worth about $3,000, a considerable fortune for those days, and what was worth much more, had energy, forcefulness, foresight, and a gift for trading. His locating at the place which was subsequently named Newport, was the means of bringing several others, his older brother, EBER WARD, father of the well known EBER B. WARD, JAMES B. WOLVER- TON, first sheriff of the county, WILLIAM GALLAGHER - both of these were nephews of Samuel Ward's wife - and BELA KNAPP. In 1822, MR. WARD was appointed by Governor Cass as associate justice of the couiny court, and continued to act in that capa- city until that court ceased to exist in 1827. In 1823 he built, in company with WILLIAM GALLAGHER, a saw-mill and grist-mill on land in section 15 of what is now China township, which they bought from the government. This mill site, subsequently passed to MR. RADIKE and continued to be used for many years for mill purposes. In 1825, settlers were some what more numerous and in order that his mills might be reached by wagon or cart, the county commissioners were petitioned to build a road on the south side of Belle river to Ward & Gallagher's mills, which was ordered done. In 1824, CAPTAIN WARD built upon St. Clair river the schooner "St. Clair," of twenty-eight tons burthen, and the following year two more, the "Albatross" and "Marshal Ney, " the latter of seventy- three tons. This boat was part owned by OLIVER NEWBERRY, of Detroit. In the summer of 1820 he took the "St. Clair" with a load of potash, furs and gun stocks to New York by way of the Erie Canal, and brought back a cargo of merchandise and salt. A part of the east bound cargo of potash was furnished by THOMAS PALMER. In 1831 he procured the establishing upon his property of a postoffice, which was named Belle River, and he was appointed the first postmaster, holding the position until September, 1836. He was a supervisor of Cottrellville township in 1832 and 1833. In 1834 he platted the southern portion of his property, lying between Belle and St. Clair rivers, into lots, naming it the village of Newport, and in 1836, during the height of the speculative land fever, he sold a part of this platted property to five men from Ohio, Messrs. SEGAR, INGRAHAM, TALLMAN, FOLGER and PHILLIPS, at a very high price. They paid $3,000 down, and as within a year the panic of 1837 came on, they were unable to pay more and deeded back the land shortly after. DUTHAN NORTHUP came to the county as the representative of the purchasers, and through their failure was greatly reduced in circumstances. He taught school and singing school and was county treasurer for eight years from January, 1845. He afterwards removed to Ohio where he died. CAPTAIN WARD rapidly extended his interests, chiefly in boats, and in 1839 began the construction of the steamer "Huron," and by 1854 had built by himself, or in company with his nephew, EBER B. WARD, fourteen steamers aggregating over 14,000 tons. At his death he left a fortune of over $300,000 and no lineal descendants, his only son having died years before. He was about six feet in height, rather spare in form and angular in features, gray eyes, alert but pleasant expression and manners. Though of ordinarily kindly dis- position, he became rather autocratic and disliked opposition. He was determined in character and of the type of man to make a valu- able and successful pioneer. {Transcriber's Note- (*sic) Capt. Samuel Ward was born 20 May, 1784 in Rutland County, VERMONT to Rev. DAVID WARD and ABIGAIL (PRAY) WARD. He died February 4, 1854 in Newport, now Marine City, St. Clair County, MI., and is buried in Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Wayne County, MI. He was married to ELIZABETH LAMERSON who died March 12, 1855 and is also buried in Elmwood Cemetery.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Grand River Times, Grand Haven, MI Wednesday, 1 March, 1854 The Late SAMUEL WARD In illustration of the characterisitics of the late Capt. SAMUEL WARD, who died at Newport on Saturday, and of his sur- viving partner, the Chicago Tribune relates the following in- cident. All that concerns the "WARD family," is interesting not only to the citizens of Detroit, but to every forwarder, officer and sailor on the lakes. The name has been a house- hold word among these classes for thirty years, and it will be long before anything connected with it, or any who bear it, will cease to command a universal and respectful atten- tion. About twenty years ago CAPT. WARD sent a schooner to Chi- cago with provisions, merchandize, &c., to supply the garri- son, and a few white settlers then residing here. The vessel was in charge of a captain whose name we do not remember, and the supercargo, clerk, &c., was EBER B. WARD, (the nephew of the deceased,) who was then but a boy not out of his teens. By some mismanagement, the boat went ashore, near here, and the captain, despairing of getting her off, started to Detroit to inform the owner of the accident. At that time the journey from Detroit to this city was made on foot or in wagons, and ordinarily required eight days. He arrived at Detroit, and while he was communicating the sad news, behold the veritable schooner came sailing down Detroit river right before them, the anchor was cast, sails furled, and before they could re- cover from their astonishment, young E. B. WARD joined them. His uncle then soon learned that as soon as the captain had abandoned the vessel, the boy, "EBER," as he called him, had come up to town, borrowed a hundred dollars, employed some men, got the vessel off without material damage, and sailing for Detroit, with favorable winds, arrived there at the same time with the captain. SAMUEL WARD at once saw in his nephew the metal that makes a man. He gave him command of the vessel, and success attended all his voyages. He continued to promote him, and in a few years took him into full partnership. Of the success of E. B. and S. WARD in all their commercial operations, we need not say anything. They are familier to every person who knows anything about the north-west. But there is a fact which is worthy of mention, because it has no parallel. Previous to 1852, for twenty years, neither S. WARD, nor the firm of E. B. & S. WARD ever lost a vessel. Another, equally remarkable, is, that though for sixteen years they were the owners of steamers, and for the last six years the most extensive on the lakes, not a single life was lost, by explosions or accidents on board of their boats. ===============================================================================