The Early History of Missaukee County: a Reader Second Edition
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The Early History of Missaukee County: A Reader Second Edition by Steven Koster The Early History of Missaukee County: A Reader Second Edition, September 2016 By Steven Koster Koster Media, Tinley Park, Illinois [email protected] © 2016 Steven Koster Preface This collection describes the pre-history and early years of Missaukee County, Michigan, roughly up to the year 1900. The first entries summarize the broad outline of history, and the rest are news articles, first-hand memoirs, and family stories that provide detail and personal flavor. Taken together, they provide a multi-faceted journey through Missaukee’s pioneering decades. One goal of this project is to provide more accurate and complete historical documentation, a second is to collect some little-known resources for public use, and a third is to re-publish early resources as electronic documents so their stories will be cataloged and found online by a wider audience for many years to come. This Second Edition includes new research, particularly on the earliest people to dwell in Missaukee, from Native Americans, to surveying teams, to the first documented pioneers. It also now includes several additional and expanded memoirs. John Brink shares some colorful stories from “the first white man to set foot in Missaukee.” John Vogel’s diary, usually published in a truncated version, is now expanded to include his later life. Several additional first-hand memoirs of pioneers are added, including WL Coffinberry, Dan Reeder, Leonard Herweyer, Marion Richardson, and James Cavanaugh. A memoir of a typical Dutch immigrant family has been added. George Stout now contributes two histories. The first is his 1917 history, roughly covering the years 1871-1917, which provides the most original summary of those decades, along with annotations from historian Fred Hirzel. Later in the collection is Stout’s even earlier review of the year 1891, which is really Stout’s first attempt at summarizing the flavor of Missaukee’s pioneer years. Stout used his 1891 work as a source for his later and more expansive 1917 History. Finally, a bibliography of known sources on Missaukee history has been added, with some indication of their value, origins, and relationship to one another, to provide quick access to the most primary sources on key topics. Thanks to the historians, librarians, families, and fans of Missaukee that have preserved these histories. Thanks to the Missaukee Historical Society for their online archive, the Missaukee County Library for their historical collection, and Calvin College for their Heritage Hall. I dedicate this collection to my parents, Ed Koster and Joyce Brinks Koster, both born in Aetna Township. The First edition was on the occasion of my father’s 75th Birthday, and this Second is on the occasion of my mother’s 75th. It’s also in memory of my big brother, Tim Koster, fisherman and fisher of men. I myself have never lived in Missaukee, but it’s always felt like home. -Steven Koster, Tinley Park, Illinois, 23 September 2016 Contents EARLIEST SETTLERS OF MISSAUKEE COUNTY, 1200-1870 ....................................................................................... 5 THE VERY EARLIEST RESIDENTS: MOUND BUILDERS (1200-1450) ..................................................................................... 5 BEFORE EUROPEANS: NATIVE ALGONQUIN AND IROQUOIS (1450-1830) ............................................................................ 9 US SURVEYORS: 1830-1860 .................................................................................................................................. 11 SPECULATORS AND LUMBERMEN (1855-1870) ........................................................................................................... 14 HOMESTEADERS AND PIONEERS (1867-1900) ............................................................................................................ 16 SO WHO WAS FIRST? ............................................................................................................................................ 20 FROM FRONTIER TO NAMING A COUNTY .................................................................................................................... 21 THE HISTORY OF MISSAUKEE COUNTY, 1871-1917 (1917) .................................................................................... 23 [1870S: CREATING A COUNTY] ................................................................................................................................ 23 [1880S] ............................................................................................................................................................. 31 [1890S] ............................................................................................................................................................. 44 [1900S] ............................................................................................................................................................. 50 [HIRZEL’S CLOSING REMARKS] ................................................................................................................................. 53 PRE-HISTORIC MOUNDS (1883)............................................................................................................................ 55 [AN EXPEDITION TO MISSAUKEE] .............................................................................................................................. 55 DIGGING INTO THE PAST ......................................................................................................................................... 55 ANOTHER TAKEN IN............................................................................................................................................... 56 [MISSAUKEE FROM WILDERNESS TO CITY]................................................................................................................... 56 THE STORY OF A YEAR IN MISSAUKEE COUNTY (1891) ......................................................................................... 57 INTRODUCTORY ............................................................................................................................................... 57 1891: A CHRONOLOGICAL REVIEW OF THE EVENTS OF THE YEAR IN MISSAUKEE COUNTY. ...................................................... 58 MARRIAGES......................................................................................................................................................... 62 OUR COUNTY AS IT IS ............................................................................................................................................ 64 OUR VILLAGES ..................................................................................................................................................... 64 CHURCHES AND PASTORS ........................................................................................................................................ 67 RETROSPECTIVE: A BRIEF HISTORY OF MISSAUKEE ........................................................................................................ 73 JOHN BRINK, GOVERNMENT SURVEYOR (1891) ................................................................................................... 77 JOHN BRINK, SURVEYOR ......................................................................................................................................... 77 CHICAGO AND GALENA IN 1831 ............................................................................................................................... 77 LAKE GENEVA AND ITS NAME................................................................................................................................... 78 MICHIGAN AND INDIANS ......................................................................................................................................... 80 DUTCH SETTLEMENT NORTH OF MUSKEGON 1867-1897 (C1897) ........................................................................ 84 HISTORY ............................................................................................................................................................. 84 FREMONT ........................................................................................................................................................... 84 VOGEL CENTER..................................................................................................................................................... 85 NEW ERA............................................................................................................................................................ 87 LUCAS ................................................................................................................................................................ 87 ATWOOD ............................................................................................................................................................ 88 DANIEL REEDER MEMOIRS (1897) ........................................................................................................................ 89 [REEDER FAMILY BACKGROUND] .............................................................................................................................. 89 [EXPLORING MISSAUKEE].......................................................................................................................................