The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-11-24
"reminiscences.

ld1c VI pUutu ildNOuj ohN NNA''u'
of 1870, makes the largest in Van Bu
rcn County. is only the age of the young
man when he leaves the paternal roof,
and goes out into the world on his own
account Our youthful village is doing
something more in the world, trying to
"be somebody" than the present hedg.
ling young man whose main time is
spent calling together his scattered and
thin moustache to give him venerable
appearance. The people of South lIa
ven verify believe in the old and hom9ly
maxim of Handsome is, that handsome
docs" aud in spite of their drawbacks
and reverses, mainly occasioned by the
demon fire. water" they are steadily
and surely prospcriug. The first white
man who made shelter in the wilder.
ness here, was Judge Monroe, now one
| of the most venerable citizens OF Law
renee township. In 1898 he built II log
shauty AT the mouth of Black River on
the north side. Having no wife, h. got
family from Paw Paw, named Thomas
to occupy his shanty, and he made a
home with them while he was cutting
roads and looking land all over the coun-
ty. For the facts contained in this
chapter, VIC are mainly indebted to
| Daniel Pierce Of South Haven, and
Capt. llcndryx now of Decatur. The
writer of these "reminiscences has never
had personal interview with Jud &C
Monroe, but from many reliable sources
the fact has becn made apparent that
he has been man Of extraordinary ac
tivity and, to his energy and determined
will is due much Of the prosperity Of
more tina one township i'll this county
The first child born in the township Of
South Haven was in the Thomas family
before mentioned and the child died in
infancy and was buried in the sand hills
on the river bank, which was the first
death in the town. Ia the fall of thai
year, in November, 1898, the schooner
Bridget was lost on Lake Michigan,
having on board sixteen persons who all
perishcd in the waves. Some Of them
were washed ashore near the mouth of
the river, and were bur ID on the beach,
Of the number there were four women
two with families and two young ladies
from the cast who were on their way to
Grand Haven, then called Grand River,
to teach school For thirty. three years
the solemn waves have sounded their sad
requeim.
The next family moving into the
township OF South Haven was Sullivan
Foote's, who put up cabin near where
Bycrs' saw mill is. The same year
Harvey Potter came in, and these were
the only families here for several years
After Judge Monroe built his cabin in
1888, Daniel Pierce came in from
Schoolcraft, whittier he had cmgrated
in 1882, from Marlborough, Vermont.
Mr.. Pierce drove the first horse team
ever driven through OH what was called
the Monroe road. This was an under
brushed crooked track that Judge Mon
roc cut from Schoolcraft, very much un
like the present straight roads laid out
with the precision of checker board
all over the old settled townships
throughout the entire State. Some of
this original road has been Strengthened
with much trouble and expense aad the
balance of it still runs around marshes
as it was first cut.
The township of South Haven was
organized in 1888, the whole number of
voters being but twenty two. In 1888,
there were the five townships Dccrfeld,
South Haven, Geneva, Columbia and
Bangor surveyed with but one organiza.
ton, with the general name of South
Haven. The town meeting was held at
Brcedsvilc, at which there were seven
candidates for Justice of the Peace, but
only four could be elected, according to
the "Statute made and provided" The
principal business of this officer at that
early day, was swearing the In.
dams Oh wolves scalps. On each of
these there was State and county
bounty of thirteen dollars. During this
year Mr.. Pierce had obtained thirteen
of these scalps by trapping. The first