The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-01-28
NEW YEAR IN 1886.
a Reminiscence of Paw Paw, Mich, al
Related i'm the Chicago Times.

a "Reminiscences of Paw Paw, Mich, "a
Related i'm the Chicago Times.
In 1886 Mr.. Peter Gremps came Wes
for the purpose of selecting home, AM
arrived as far as School craft, where h
met Mr.. DeRosier, Frenchman, wh'
was engaged with the Indians in the fu
trade. In conversation with this gentle
man Mr.. Gremps remarked, 81 wish
could find piece of land on which wa
good water-power.
81 can take you 10 just the place yol
want" said Mr.. DeRosier.
The following day, mounted on theil
ponies, they started on their journey
through dense forest, their only guide
being an Indian trail, and travelled OF
until they reached the banks of Paw
Paw River, at the place where there was
an excellent water-power, and where
Mr.. Gremps decided to pitch his tent.
Paw Paw River was named by the In.
dians, from fruit which they called
paw paw, which grew in abundance
along its banks, and the town of Paw
Paw took its name from the river.
Mr.. Gremps and Mr.. Daniels entered
tract of land for which they paid 81. %
per acre, when Mr.. Gremps returned
home and consulted his wife on her feel
ings about going West, telling her she
could either go with her family, or have
her Oldest son ana nephew go and i'm
prove the land. Mrs. Gremps, having
all herfamily at home with her. could
notagree to a separation with any OF its
members. and at once decided that they
should all go together. In 1888 Mr..
Gremps again came to Paw Paw, accom-
panied by Enos Barrett and family, and
remained a year making various i'm
provements, when he wenG TO his old
Eastern home with the intention OF set
tling up his affairs there and bringing
his family to their new abode. In 1884
they babe farewell to their friends and
neighbors and proceeded on their jour
ney. All the guide they had from De
troit to Paw Paw We're the blazed trees,
marked with the letter II, for highway,
but by keeping these i'll view they reach
ed tbeir destination in safety, and found
that the three families had increased to
five, there having been two marriages
while Mr.. Gremps was absent.
The family mansion was built on the
corner of Main and Gremps streets, and
was taken possession of on the last day
of the year 1885.
One Of the young men informed those
recently arrived that on the next day
they would receive New Years calls;
that the callers would be friendly, and
come with the expectation that their
friendship would be continued through
the year: they would bring presents, and
would expect gifts i'll return. As he
would not tell them to whom they would
be indebted for New Years calls in that
new and sparsely settled region, they
were, especially the younger portion,
anxious and eager TO ascertain who their
visitors would be.
On the morning of the first day of the
year Mrs. Dodge was alarmed 10y the
sound of guns fired close to the house.
Running into the front room to ascertain
the cause, she was confronted bya party
of mdians-men and women-who en-
tered smiling and greeting her i'll their
own language with GA Happy New
Year" The Indians surrounded her,
and each insisted on the privilege of
kissing her, Us Il part of the programme
of the day.
Mrs. Dodge vainly declined the honor,
and struggled TO free herself from her
copper-colored admirers, but finally sue
ceeded in making her escape and ran
into the back room to seek the protection
of her husband, but she found, TO her
dismay, that the squaws had surrounded
him, and each demanded kiss, rs her
due on this festive occasion. She then
ran out of the house and over to Mr..
Gremps' to warn them of the New Years
callers, but she was too late; the Indians
were there as soon as she was, and the
Gremps family, both old and young, had
to submit to the fashionable callers of
the new country in which they had taken
up their abode. The younger ladies of
the family threw their aprons over their
faces, and tried to escape, but all in vain;
the brave Indians were not to be cheated
out of their dues, and the pretty white
girls had to pay the penalty of invading
new territory.
Just imagine, for moment, the con-
sternation there would be among the
beaux aud bellies of Wabash and Michi-
gan avenues if they were visited by
such bevy of callers on the first day
of the year 1876 = the terror, the dis
gust, the faintings-and yet, without
such pioneer men and women to develop
the great West, Michigan and Wabash
avenues would probably now have no
existence.