The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1859-12-01

DowAGIAc, Cass Co., Oct 10.
We have heard of the desert rejoic-
ing, and the wilderness blossoming like
the rose, but we have seldom seen an
instance of a city springing up in the
forest in eleven years. In the spring:
OF ls4s, Mr.. Jacob Beeson, then OF
Niles, now of Detroit, laid out the orig
inal village plat of Dowagiac, and built
one frame house, three fourths of mile
from the spot where the depot is now
located. Mr.. Patrick Hamilton has
since made three additions, and Messrs,
McOmber and E. H. Spalding have
laid out additional lots. / was here
late in Oct, 1888, the construction train
of the NJ. G. r. r. was running to this
place. There was but one shanty here,
The Company were beginning to build
their depot, and the forest trees were
standing except in that place which
had been cleared for the buildings.
Now there are two thousand inhabi-
tants in this village, and it will be
made an incorporated city at the next
session of the Legislature. Here are
twenty-eight store and groceries, four
good hotels, four very neat churches:
The Universalist cost 81, 900; the Con-
gregational $4,000 the Methodist So
600; the Baptist $4,000. Here on the
Dowagiac river are three mills-the
upper one is grist and saw mill !; the
middle one is as good Touring mill
with three run of stone as there is ia
the State. The lower one is a sash
mandatory and planning mill, also a
foundry.
There is fine Union School House
here, which cost $4,000; two banking
houses, two furniture warehouses,
three meat markets, together with the
usual amount of mechanics shops.
G. c.. Jones & Co. own a three-story
brick store, "a by 100 feet; j. HI. Smith,
brick store, 90 by so feet; Howard 81
Comstock, another, "a by 100 feet.
There are also several very respectable
frame stores and dwellings,, the former
well filled with an excellent assortment
of goods. In Jones & Co.'s block
there is a Masonic Hall 54 by "a feet,
an Odd Fellows Hall As by "a feet,
both well finished and elegantly fur
nished. The private dwellings, wheth-
er of brick or wood, will compare ia
orably with such buildings in any of
the older villages of Michigan.
Dowagiac has arisen to Importance
on account of the improvements which
farmers have made in the rich agricul-
tural lands which surround it. The
inhabitants are as Industrious, intelli-
gent and cnterprising as can be found
they support very respectable news
paper, and that is good test Of the
intelligence of the community.
In the vicinity of Dowagiac, oak
openings, timbered openings and tim
bered lands, can be bought at from FIVE
to twenty dellars an acre, and the land
is as good as can be found anywhere.
On these lands there have been raised
this year, from sixteen to thirty-two
bushels of wheat per acre, and from
fifty to ninety bushels of shelled corn
per acre. The settler here has the ad-
vantage of wagon roads railroads,
churches, schools, mills and stores.
The climate and soil are very favorable
to the raising of all kinds of fruits. In
fact the settler cannot locate himself
within fifty miles of this place bu the will
be within reach of some cash market
for the produce of his farm. Here the
farmer may raise as much fruit as he
likes, there is always a market for it
West.
This is the place for men of large or
small capital to come and settle. Far
mers, merchants or mechanics will find
this one of the safest and best parts OF
the State to invest labor or capital.
Yours respectfully, JAMES BULL.
l-Detroit Tribune.