The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-04-28
Correspondence OF the True Northerner.
LOCAL HISTORY.
Hcing RccOifcctiOns and Remfnisccnces
or the Eariy settlers.


OF the Eariy settlers.
There is profit to the young and pleas
ure to the aged, In the lessons of his
tory. Dwelling in retrospect cons titutes
half the enjoyment of age, and in the
contemplation of these very scenes youth
may be benefited by example and by
the follies and mistakes of others expe.
rience take warning. Hence the salts
faction of the writer of these plain rem
inescences, in relating the life-stories of
the hardy pioneers, who, with scarcely
an exception are well-to.do as far as
this worlds goods are concerned. Those
if any, who are too Indifferent to the
ways and purposes of this great battle
field of life, or, too obtusc to draw in.
struction from its lessons, we do not APP
proach, but, to the learner in the school
Of human nature, and in the ways and
means Of advancing its claims and needs
we reveal the true path in these humble
sketches.
Not the least of these needs can be
traced in the simple and truthful nara.
tive of Fri Bennett, now of Lawrence,
which we here relate. He was car.
penter by trade, and came into this new
country from Niagara Co., N. Y, in
lS49, not, however, remaining in Law
renee at that time more than three or
four months, which he spent working on
a grist-mill then in process of construc.
ton on the Paw Paw River, about 80
rods above the site of the present one,
in that place. Joseph Sturgis was the
master workman of this structure, which
long years ago became victim to the
deyouring element. It was probably
this same year that Mr.. Bakers job of
snagging the river was performed, the
circumstances of which are probably ia
miliar to every old settler. Included
in the snagging, was that of cutting a
new channel across the fat, which turned
the main current of the river north of its
natural course this work was performed
by Mr. Hodges, now of Decatur, and
the north bridge was at that time built.
Mr.. Benefits first arrival at the scene
Of this multitudinous labor was just in
time to raise the first bent of the new
bridge. In the spring following he
built new house for the miller, which
was his last work in Lawrence for seve-
raj years. The 9th of August of that
year he moved with his family "a wife
and little girl-to Jericho a new place,
in the present township of Geneva,
where Mr.. Sturgis had commenced, the
spring previous, the erection of a tannery,
and also two frame houses Our record
does not state whether, or not, Mr..
Bennett Jared as the apostle Paul did
when he visited Jericho of old and "fell
among thieves but We will venture
the assertion that he found plenty of
work to do, for himself and all the
hands he could employ He completed
one Of the houses commenced by Mr..
Sturgis, for his family, and took the
boarders who were at work on the tan
merry. He also built fiat boat to run
on Black River, to convey goods up
and down, and save the necessity of
hauling over the then rough roads to
South Haven. The first work OF the
boat was TO convey the household goods
Of Mr.. Sturgis to South Haven, where
he moved in August, the same month
that Mr.. Bennett took the job of COM
pletng the tannery. Mr.. Sturgis was
the first permanent settler in South Ha-
ven, and that year, he, in company with
Marvin Hannahs, put up the first steam
saw mill in that vicinity. When we
consult the figures of the census which
reveal the fact that South Haven is now
the largest village in the county, it
seems marvel that the first permanent
settler got a foothold there only twenty
one years ago, but, so our Western vii.
lagos spring up, like Jonahs gourd, O. in
a night"
With plenty of hired help Mr. b.
completed the building of the tannery
at Jericho, 10y New Years day, 1850.
The first supply of green hides number
ing one thousand were deposited on the
lake shore, near Sonth Haven, from
Chicago, from boat. Part of these
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