• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

69-20,911 PETERS, Bernard Chauncey, 1933- EARLY AMERICAN IMPRESSIONS AND EVALUATIONS OF THE LANDSCAPE OF INNER MICHIGAN WITH EMPHASIS ON KALAMAZOO COUNTY. Michigan State University, Ph.D., 1969 Geography University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan ©Copyright by BERNARD CHAUNCEY PETERS 1969 EARLY AMERICAN IMPRESSIONS AND EVALUATIONS OF THE LANDSCAPE OF INNER MICHIGAN WITH EMPHASIS ON KALAMAZOO COUNTY By .A'1 Bernard C. Peters A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Geography 1969 ABSTRACT EARLY AMERICAN IMPRESSIONS AND EVALUATIONS OF THE LANDSCAPE OF INNER MICHIGAN WITH EMPHASIS ON KALAMAZOO COUNTY By Bernard C. Peters The central theme of this study was expressed by Carl Sauer when, in 19^1, he wrote that in a newly occupied area the "habitat must be viewed in terms of the occupying group."1 The fundamental question being asked is — How did the American pioneer (the occupying group) view the landscape (the habitat) of Inner Michigan? The American frontier was a zone where one cultural group dispossessed another. As the pioneer pushed the Indian off the land, he opened it for his own occupation. The landscape taken over was one which had essentially no impress of the American culture (i.e., roads, towns, etc.) and was covered by several vegetative associations. Any J attempt to explain the settlement patterns of these early arrivals must take into consideration their concepts of land­ scape evaluation. And, during the early l800's, when the southern part of Michigan Territory was being occupied, most settlers based their appraisal of land on the vegetative growth the soil produced. Thus, a major part of this study is concerned with the early impressions and evaluations of the vegetative landscapes encountered in Inner Michigan. A vegetation found covering a large part of Inner Michigan was differently perceived by some early visitors. This was the landscape variously described as "barrens," "oak barrens," or "oak openings." The study shows that the land type the surveyors had called "barrens," and reckoned to have poor soil, the emigrants from New England and west­ ern New York knew as "oak openings," and thought excellent wheat land. The advantages of settling in this open oak woodland were the main ones stressed by persons at Detroit attempting to attract settlers to Inner Michigan. Kalamazoo County was selected for detailed investigation because it possessed, at the time of settlement, extensive acreages of the three main vegetative landscapes found in western Inner Michigan, namely, beech-maple heavy timber, oak openings, and prairie . The study of the county is based on a map of pioneer landscapes constructed from close examination of such primary sources as the surveyors' notes, pioneer accounts in letters, diaries, newspapers and other early writings, and some maps of the county made about 1839 by C. C. Douglass, the assistant state geologist. Extensive use was made of these primary documents to produce, in addi­ tion, several large scale maps of the land types found at the time of initial settlement. It is shown by the research that most of the surveyors who worked in the county used the term "barrens" for the open oak woodland, although some used "oak openings" for this landscape. By this time (late 1820*s), however, "barrens" had lost its meaning as an indicator of soil fertility, and was purely a descriptive term for a special vegetative association. In fact, most of the surveyors said the barrens had good soil. Also discussed is the ques­ tion of the nature of the dry prairies. Evidence is offered to show that these were essentially treeless; not covered with burr oaks, and, hence, should not be called "oak openings" or "burr-oak openings," as some writers have suggested. By references to contemporary documents, and a series of maps produced from them, the settlers' location pre­ ference is revealed. It is demonstrated that they sought out the prairie landscape first and the heavy timber last. The choices of seven representative settlers are examined in detail. Speculation was an important part of the frontier activity in any newly opened area. Since speculators initally acquired a large percentage of the land in Kalamazoo County, their evaluation of the different landscapes is included in thi: study. There were two distinct periods of speculation: 1830-1831, and 1835-1837. During the earlier one most specu­ lators purchased either land desired by farmers or areas where towns might be founded. The latter included three type locations: 1) the potential county seat near the center of the county, 2) a waterpower site, and 3) the center of a dense farming population on a large prairie. The second cycle of speculation was a mad scramble for land. Generalizations about this period include: 1) the investors preferred land near to the county seat and along the Kalamazoo River line, and 2) the heavily timbered areas were taken up last. The land selections of seven representative speculators are presented. ^Carl 0. Sauer, "Foreword to Historical Geography," Annals of the Association of American Geographers. Vol. 31 TT5TO17, P . B.------------------- --------------------------------------------- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my gratitude to my major professor, Dr. Paul C. Morrison, who went beyond the call of duty in advising and criticizing this work, and, without whose help, this dissertation probably would never have been completed. Appreciation is also expressed to Mrs. Paul C. Morrison who translated my penciled draft into the first typed draft, and to Dr. Fillmore C. Earney for his aid in proofreading. Two archivists, Miss Geneva Kebler of the Michigan Historical Com­ mission Archives, and Mr. Wayne C. Mann of the Western Michi­ gan University Archives, gave me much assistance in discover­ ing primary documents relating to my work. And finally, for her long years of support, I express my thanks to Mildred. ii TABLE OP CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................ ii LIST OP M A P S ............................................ vi LIST OP F I G U R E S .......................................... viii LIST OP T A B L E S .......................................... ix Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ................................... 1 Research Methods II. EARLY AMERICAN IMPRESSIONS OP INNER MICHIGAN LANDSCAPE..................................... 10 Initial Impressions Early Surveyors’ Impressions III. INNER MICHIGAN REVEALED........... 31 The Interior Plateau (Inner Michigan) Discovered by Settlers Early Impressions of the Oak Openings Early Ideas Concerning Origin of the Oak Openings Evaluation of Michigan’s Oak Openings by the Press Evaluation of Michigan’s Oak Openings by Settlers and Travellers Heavy Timber or Oak Openings? IV. PRE-SETTLEMENT IMPRESSIONS OP THE KALAMAZOO COUNTY L A N D S C A P E .......................... 62 The Prairie Landscape Pre-Survey Impressions Surveyors' Impressions of Kalamazoo County The Wet Lands Surveyors' Evaluation of the Wet Lands The Beech-Maple Heavy Timber Surveyors' Evaluation of the Beech-Maple Heavy Timber iii Chapter Page The Oak Openings (Barrens) Surveyors' Evaluation of the Oak Openings The Dry Prairies Other Landscape Features Noted by the Surveyors V. EARLY SETTLERS AND TRAVELLERS' IMPRESSIONS OF THE KALAMAZOO COUNTY LANDSCAPE ............... 99 Wet Lands Beech-Maple Heavy Timber Oak Openings Burr-Oak Openings or Burr-Oak Plains Oak Openings Landscape Altered by Settlement Prairies Pioneer Theories Regarding the Origin of the Prairies VI. PIONEER EVALUATION OF THE KALAMAZOO COUNTY LANDSCAPE......................................... 128 Evaluation by Agricultural Settlers: 1828-31 Map of Land Settlers Purchased by Pre-emption and Regularly, June 18 and 20, 1831 Pioneer Accounts of Initial Settlement Patterns Importance of Prairie Settlements Settlers' Evaluation as Revealed by Prices Paid for Public School and University Land Landscape Evaluation in Relation to Settlers Origin Farming Practices Among Initial Settlers Seven Settlers as Examples Bazel Harrison Abram I. Shaver Edwin H. Lothrop Caleb Eldred Isaac (William) Toland Benjamin Drake William Giddings Agricultural Settlement 1832-183^ VII. SPECULATORS' EVALUATION OF THE KALAMAZOO COUNTY LANDSCAPE ................................... 176 Patterns, Methods, and Effects of Speculation The First Period of Speculation: l830-l83'l The Fever Period of Speculation: 1835-1837 iv Chapter Page Seven Speculators as Examples Titus Bronson Horace H. Comstock Lucius Lyon John P. Gilkey Samjuel Hubbard Joseph Beers and Samuel Sherwood William Baker and Henry Hervey VIII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS........................ 221 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................ 227 MAP SOURCE A P P E N D I X ................................... 242 v LIST OP MAPS Map Page 1. Location of Inner Michigan ......................... 5 2. Portion of the Charlevoix-Bellin Map "Carte Des Lacs Du Canada," Paris, 1 7 4 4 .................... 11 3. Portion of "Map of the Great Lakes and the Five States of the Ordinance of 1789," from Morse Gazetteer, London, 1798 12 4. Portion of the Carey and Warner Map of "The Northwestern Territories of the United States," from their General Atlas..., Philadelphia, l8l6 14 5. Bounty Lands and Routes of the l8l8 Exploratory Expeditions ..................................... 20 6. Bloomfield Township, Oakland County from Bela Hubbard’s, -^Michigan Maps, 1 8 3 8 - 1 8 4 1 " ........

Load more

  259

Copy Link