The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-07-07
Correspondence OF the True Northerner.
LOCAL HISTORY.
Being RecOllGctfOns and "reminiscences
of the Early settlers.

Being RecOllectiOns and "Reminiscences
of the Early sfttiers.
The second summer in the settlement
Mr.. Watson went on foot to Paw Paw
to get some necessary articles of use
After being absent five days the family
became alarmed, and sent messenger
in search, who ascertained that he left
Paw Paw two days before. The settle
ment was thrown into CONSERVATION,
and all were certain in their minds that
the wolves had devoured their unfor-
tunate neighbor search was immedi-
ately made and the body was found dead,
only one mile and half from home. -
He laid on his face on the ground, with
his arms over the bunlle of goods This
sad, and untimely departure, was the
first death in the town, and Mrs. How
ards daughter, Nancy, was the first
birth.
The first scheol in the town was taught
in two years from the first settlement,
by Ascenath Babbitt, in little log
shanty on the hill just above Mr..
Browns mill; this school numbered
about twelve scholars.
When Elder Hnckley came into the
town to remain, he was somewhat ad.
vanced in years and had means for his
family's comfort. As an inducement
for his relatives to follow him, he guar
anteed to each child of his own one
hundred and sixty acres of land to
each grand son eighty acres, and each
grand daughter forty acres. Of course
he was not woman's rights man, for
that was an unheard of thing in those
unpretending days, and the wonder is
that he gave the girls any land but he
was as good as his word, and in this way
gave to his relatives fifteen or sixteen
lots, and one forty acre lot to Samuel
Watson, situated opposite Smith Browns
present residence. One of his gifts was
to his son, now living in Paw Paw, Asa
Hinckley; it was the now nice farm one
mile west of the village of Paw Paw,
which has on it an elegant brick house
owned and occupied by DR. j. w, En-
cry. Mr.. Hinckley then thought that
a very poor farm, as it was in the
Openings and that was considered an
inferior quality of soil, at that time
That street now for many miles is per-
feet garden, fruit and grain field. Such
is the power of cultivation.
Elder Hinckley worked six days in
the week and then preached the gospel
as understood by the Free Will Baptist
church, on Sundays. His meetings
were in the three private houses, first
built of logs in the village of Breeds
vile, alternately.
The inhabitants in the present town
of Columbia did not have mail to or
from the settlement, nearer than Paw
Paw for two or three years after the
first settlers came 10, nor was there any
town organizations in this part of the
county until 1887, the five townships of
Columbia, Geneva, Deerfeld, Bangor
and South Haven. After the towns
were organized there was ali effort made
to secure mail contract, which resulted
in the appointment of Amos Smith
Brown Sr., as Post Master, and his son
Amos Smith Brown Jr., was duly sworn
in as Deputy p. NJ. AS this important
distinction was conferred on the Brown
family, by mutual consent the naming
of the village, consisting of few log
houses, was given to Mr.. Breed, which
very naturally resulted in the name of
Breedsville. Mr.. Brown procured a
cheap horse and sent boy on horse.
back, to carry and bring the mail to and
from Paw Paw once week. For sew.
eral years the income Of the Office was
not over sixty dollars per year, though
almost every letter came from New
York State and the postage was two
shilllngs each. At that time Mr.
Browns son, Jesse, was but twelve years
of age and he went more with the mail
than any other one person, and, some.
times in cold weather, he would nearly
perish. There was but one house on
the road distance of eighteen miles,
and that was Judge Monroe's. Once
after Mr.. Barnes came to Barnes cor.
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