The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-02-26
Forthe Star.
In Search Of q County Seat.


prompted me to take trip through the differ
ent localities that put forth claims to eligibility,
and, ifpossible report as to the proper point
for the stately ediice which is some day to
represent this enterprisng people. To begin
at the beginning referred to the records, and
found that the present county-seat is legally
at place called Gresndell, Tor Glendale, as
the original owner of the ground named IT'D
that said Grecndell is now known by a two
story building. with stove pipe in each end
of the roof This building, Mr.. Bigbee says,
was erected for the purpose Of furnishing the
county seat with the shelter of roof, and 1t
was fondy expected that the officers of Lake
county would here find safe retreat from the
snares and turmoils ofpolitical strife, and lead
life Of pure bliss, contented and happy
And there was to be- store, and grocery,
and tailor shop, and Q shoe shop, and a
blacksmith shop, saw-mill, and there was to
be big town. But, there were any amount
of serpsnts which managed to get in this gar
den of Eden. The sound of the whistle of
Joiner's mill, two miles west, penetrated the
shadowy streets of Gresndell every morning,
noon and night. Baker & Pratt's store settled
down by Joner's mill, and the two became a
legion Of temptations to the devoted band Of
county officers at Greendell They were hui
man; they yielded to the whistles siren call,
and nowhere is Greendell? Echo answers
"wherey" 1t is still the county seat, but no
county officer sits there, nobody now thinks
that county house will ever be erected there
So l concluded that had not yet found the
! right spot for the permanent location, etc. Yet
think it could be made into fine place.
Following the sound of the whistle Of Join
er's mill, soon came to cluster ofhouses,
stores shops, saw.mill dc; which learned was
now called Chase; and found that the truant
county officers had settled here, like warm of
bees after leaving the parent hive. In fact, /
found that the king bee had come,too. Well,
they had fixed up small story-and-a-half
building for county Offices, and they were TAX
ing solid comfort, with four ton safe to crawl
into ia case of seige or invasion. found that
the only objections to Chase were the trivial
facts that it is off in one corner of the county;
that it has usurped the county seat without
consulting the people of the county at large;
that few of Joiner's shingles were not square
ut the butts; and that the hemlock extract of
the new factory does not keep worth picay-
unc Despite all these faults, however, l must
say that Chase might be made into q very do
irsable county seat; especially as the safe is al
ready there, and it appears to me that 1t would
be much more difficult to move the safe than
to moye the county SCAT
Next turned my footsteps in the direction
of Pinora. In this township found several
handsome sites for a county seat. The only
drawback that found in Pinora was that no.
body seemed to have the least idea that the
county seat would ever nlight in that town.
Ny search northward next brought me into
the township of Ellsworth. Like Pinora,
found Ellsworth overplowing with frat class
positions for the county seat Every farm in
the township was suitable for the purpose,
except those Of Gus Towner and Johnny Grice's.
The way found out about the two last men,
toned, was by asking Grice's friends in regard
to Towner's; and by questioning Towner's
friends respecting that of Grices.
Killbuck was the next point of observation
WE'LL up in Killbuck l not only find plenty of
that people of that township feel quite as
much entitled to it as any other corner town
ia the county, on account of their future pros
poets. The railroad, east and west from--to
I will most assurcdly pass directly through
Kiilbuck, SO will the railroad northwest and
southeast, from-to-.
Returning by the State road as far as Cherry
Valley, found another good site for the
county buildings, and plenty Of timber to make
them. You could have cherry cupboarGs,
cherry tables, cherry desks, cherry chairs,
cherry doors, cherry martcls, and cherry eve
rything. But here, it was just like Pinora-
not soul dreamed that by any possibility
would the county-soat ever settle in their
township.
Over in Yates, ho viewer, things were differ
ent. There is where found grounds for the
county seat On the top Of beautiful hill
near Randall's mill l discovered a splendid
spot for the county-s eat, and it occurred to
me that the officers could have such iye sport
sliding down hill in leisure hours. Then there
is Nirvana, "a Hinloo word signifying heaven, J
which aspires to the county-seat, anywhow
There, instead Of the beautiful hill at Randall's
is as beautiful valley, in which the county
building could be placed as far down as the
otheris far up; and the county officers could
have the same sport of sliding down hill during
leisure hours; only the direction Of the hand
sleds would DO reversed, and it would need
some caution TO prevent them from being
smashed against the court house walls. Mir
vana has plenty Of higher ground all around
that could be made available, provided the
valley proved failure; but at present she sit,
at the bottom Of the surrounding hills. like an
antlion in is den, waiting for fortune to tumble
in there at the next spring election. In the
programme for this point found that -four
townships are to be taken from Newaygo county
and annexed to Yates and Nirvana, and that
would make II one Of the finest county seats in
the State.
Five Pines, a few miles west on the railroad
is another good location; but there was nobod.
there to tell me the particulars.
At McDonalds town found the finest sit
Of all For a mile, at least, the ground 10 al
level as floor, and it would afford such splend
id facilities for leisure hours. What fine race
course could be made; or baseball sreund; o.
croquet grounds. But a. at Five Pines, nobod.
was there to give me information.
Travelling westward, came toa logging
road, which they told me led to Forman's mill
and here was another excellent place for tn
ceunty-seat. Lumber for building can b,
: obtained at Baldwin, miles west, or at For
: mans mill 2 miles south, besides, there ia