The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-01-06
Correspondence of the rruo Northerner.
LOCAL HISTORY.

luc pl'sSHt Oh@PVSi W H"N"i i'''
tory properly belongs before the last
account of the early settlement of Hart
ford; but, as we have much to add to
the already unpublished "reminiscences
of that particular locality, which will
come in in its appropriate place in future
issues of your valuable paper, We will
now go back to the first rude paths made
in this wilderness of Western Michigan
half century ago. First, however,
please correct slip of your type settlers
fingers, whore he made me say that the
Hammond lived six months on hulled
corn and milk. If he will consult the
manuscript he will see that it was writ
ten six aceeks, and not months Such
simple and natural food would be better
manufacturers of brain and muscle lived
on six .yea,s, than the thousand and one
dishes of pastry, pudGings, mince pies,
and tarts, that load I was about to say
grace, but will say disgrace, our modern
tables In these unpretending days,
dyspepsia was an unheard of thing, and
now, the number not afflicted with it is
few 1t would be a God send to this
luxury-loving generation, if some stroke
of Providence would take from their
grooming tables aud oyer-worked house
wives responsibilities in preparing It
for vitiated appetites. every article Of
food but the plainest, and all the drinks
but natures own beverage, sparkling
water.
From our depression we will take our
readers back to the time when Esquire
Thompson, of Preble County, Ohio,
came into the St Joseph country, which
in 1921 meant all Western Michigan. -
In the spring of that year hc Travelled
from his home in Ohio, with an OK team.
His first stopping place was Richmond,
on the border of Indiana, only twelve
miles from his starting point From
there to Fort Wayne, distance of one
hundred and twenty miles, he travelled
by marked trees, on what was called the
+" Quaker Trace" From there to Niles,
in Berrien County, his wagon WAS The
first that ever went through the Indian
trail. On the very ground where the
city of Niles now stands, he raised his
first crop Of corn in 1921, on ground
partially cleared, that he hired of the
Indians. After getting his crop into
the ground, be returned tor bis family
aud brought them in October, moving
as he fist came with an OK team, bring.
Ing provisions, and cattle and hogs, the
first ever introduced into this part ol
the State. HIS corn crop had all been
destroyed by the Indians, and until an
other could be raised the following year
Esquire Thompson was obliged to buy O
the Indians, for family use and for cat
tie and hogs, at the rate Of one dollar ;
sack, about two thirds of bushel.-
They had two kinds, hominy corn
and "four corn" The hominy wai
prepared for food by boiling, and th'
flour corn was ground by a well knowl
process to the old settlers. 4 SCOOP
was burnt out of the end of an upright
piece of log, holding about peek, ant
a spring pole with pessel for ons end
The first seven months they fatteC
some pork, hunted and killed bears, tur
keys and deer, and bought some venisor
of the Indians Hunting had becom
a second nature to Esquire Thompson
as he had made that business in Wos
tern Virginia, before moving to Ohio
In the Spring of 1922, VIM. Kirk an
his family moved from the same sectio
and joined the Thompsons in Niles
The two families worked together th
next season, living in log cabin siS
teen by eighteen feet in dimensions
They hired ground again of the Indian
and raised corn and potatoes. Nj
Kirk provided for the wants OF the tw
families, and took care Of the cattle an
crops, while Mr.. Thompson returned t
Fort Wayne a second time and brougt
$ in -four, whisky aud salt, with his o
team. These he sold to the indiana
which was no doubt the first iire-water
they ever tasted. The facilities for oil
tanning it, at the present day, are Il
doubt classed in with the long list