The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-11-09
GOLDEN WEDDING.

iOkUEsV WEDDAsvUs
Michigan begins to feel the weight Of years.
Reunions of early settlers and aged people are
numerous and interesting. Golden weddings
are occasionally celebrated, and they are such
novelty and have such history attached to
them, that the event n worth recording. Fifty
years OF married lse-half century of toillng
together, and then to celebrate the semi-cen-
tennlal anniversary Of their wedding day
Happy the PAIR who reach that eventful period
in the continued enjoyment OF health and
worldly competence. Yet such golden we'd
ding was celebrated by Mr.. and Mrs. John
Hunt, OF Antwerp. on the 18th day OF last
September They were married in Tunbrdge,
Vermont, by Ed. Nathaniel King, the father
Of Mrs. Hunt, who was one Of thirteen children,
seven Of lwhom are still alive. Elder King WAS
one Of the first preachers in the Free Will
Ba ptist denomination, and the General Confer
ence Of that denomination was frsi called Q
Few weeks after the marriage of Mr.. and Mrs.
Hunt, and the hftieth anniversary has just
been celebrated on East Hill, In Tunbridge, IN
ommemoration OF that event.
Eight years after their marriage, Mr.. Hunt
started for Michigan. He was three weeks on
the way. first by stage then by Erie canal,
which In those days, when one could ride day
and night, WAS fast travelling. Then by lake 10
d etroit; arriving there be found every seat in
the stage booked several days ahead, 80 he
ca me on foot as far as Ypsilanti and waited for
. vacant seat, and then rode to White Pigeon,
then again on foot to Kalamazoo, The history
Of the scramble at the land Office and the CHI
canery practiced, is well-known to many OF our
early settlers. Mr.. Hunt came to Paw Paw
and on his way back decided to locate theiland
on which he now resides. He then returned
10 Vermont. The road between Kalamazoo
and d etroit forty years ago was not remarkable
for easy travelling. Mr.. Hunt tells Of pole
bridges across the Kalamazoo river, of high
water on the bottom lands, and of the stage
getting stuck across stumps under the water,
and OF divers mishaps which the traveller OF
to-day little realizes.
On the first day of May 1887, Mr.. and Mrs.
II unit with four children, started for Michigan.
T be traveller of to-day shuns the route which
n ecessitates q change OF cars. But think OF
them taking their goods by teams over the
Green Mountains to White Hall, thence by
canal to Troy, and from Troy to Buffalo by
canal boat again, consuming seven days Ar
irving in Buffalo. they left their goods to be
shipped to st. Joseph and then hired team
to take them up the shore Of the lake to Silver
Creek, where steamer WAS to start for De-
troit. When they got ~ far AZ Toledo Mr.
II unit decided to leave the boat and hire teams
to take theri across the country to Kalama-
zoo, which took five days. The first house was
121ls feet, built. roof and all, Of boards. The
furniture was Of very primitive character
chairs were manufactured from score-blocks,
but their neighbors had NO better and there
were no envious feelings on that score. The
neighbors between their house and Paw Paw
were Morgan l.. Fitch, Lucius Abbey, and
Joshua Bangs between them and Kalamazoo
were Rain Holmes, Isaac Gibbs, Halfway
House, kept as hotel, Mr.. Ollie, and Mr..
Burrill. In 1888 the sickly season came nearly
every person being sick with fever. Some one
got up a corner in quinine and the supply
failed. Seven beads OF families died in the vi
cinity that season. Mr.. Hunt and Mr.. Abbey
spent much OF their time taking care Of the
sick and burying the dead. The history OF
several years which followed would now be
considered years Of privation, but to them the
toll was carving out home for them and their
children the practical economy was laying the
foundation for aifuture competency.
The contrast between their hastily construct
ed shelter and its scant larder in 1887 and the
Substantial dwelling .and the sumptuous table
spread on the 18th OF September, 1877, was
indeed great. The adornments were IN keep
ing with the occasion. On the wall in 1.-The par
lor hung the pictures OF Mr.. and Mrs. Hunt,
hfe-size and hfe-like, painted by Miss Lydia
Hunt, their daughter. Above and ienclosing
them was an evergreen arch, and underneath
it and between the pictures were ornamental
figures representing the dates of the two we'd
dipgs