The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-02-07

was attached 10 IL TOT township PURPOSES, euo
f'1fst ELECTION being he'd af the house OF jose
phus, Gard; aud in March 1886 Van Buren,
county Was organized mo ono township y La
! fsyette-sith the FIRST township meeting tobe
held at Paw Paw Mills" and finally, March
llth, 1881, the countywas organized with seven
townships and no foreign territory allotted to
1T Tho townships were Antwerp, Decatur,
Lafayette tnow Paw Paw, Lawrence, South
Haven, CoWngton and Clinch. OF these names
Coviugton and chnch have disappeared by new
townships, being carved out OF them, and La
fayette was dropped for Paw Paw. The county
now, consists, as before stated, OF eighteen
townships all told. On March 18th, 1887, the
Legislature organized Van Buren, county re-
serving all suits pending in Csss county to be
prosecuted to Judgment there, and directed the
circuit court to be held at such place as the
Board OF Supervisors shall designate, until
after November, 1888, then at the seat Of
justice. The terms of the court to commence
the first Monday in June and December. II
Was also ordered that the several townships
shall, on the first Monday OF April 1887, or in
case OF failure, so to do them on the first
Monday OF May Following elect their town
ship officers. The townships complied with
the act of organization and the first Board OF
Supervisors OF the county met, May 27th, 1887,
In the schoolhouse-the first public building
erected In the county-in Paw Paw, and desig
mated that place for the holding OF the circuit
court On June 9th, 1887, the FIRST term Of
court was opened in the county, by Epaphri-
dotas Ransom. Judge ]. 4. Monroe, Wolcott
II. Keeler, associate Justices. The only bust
ness done was to swear and organize Grand
Jury, which soon returning that no business
was before them, were discharged and the
court adjourned. . .tt...l
In December following the Court again con-
vened, and one judgment was rendered in some
small matter which being about all the Court
was called upon to do, the Judge resumed bis
journey over his widely extended circuit
There seems TO have been scarcity Of lawyers
and OF business in these early days, and the
Judge had to bring his bar with him. With ''the
Court" used to come Miller, DsYoe, Balch and
Moore from Kalamazoo, and Muzzy, Fitzgerald
and sometimes Judge Bacon from Niles. Be
fore the opening OF the Paw Paw r. Il. an extra
coach would take these gentlemen from Lawton
to Paw Paw, and during the slow drive through
the deep sand many joke, cracked without
regard to the dignity of anyone aboard, relieved
the tedium OF the otherwise weary passage
The Hon. BENZ. F. Graves did very much as
Circuit Judge to reduce the judicial business of
the county to order. and give it character and
dispatch He opened his first term Sept. 1st
1857, and finding no grand nor petit jury in at
tendance nor prosecuting attorney, appointed
VIM. n Pardee TO fill the latter position for the
term and disposed OF the other matters in such
a way that afterward juries we're in attendance
and the business Of the Court effectualy pros
ecuted
In 1888 a Board Of County Commissioners
elected by general vote, took tho place of the
Board OF Supervisors, and continued to do so
IN til 1912, when the Supervisors of the county
constructed a Board in their place. Jay X.
Monroe, Charles NJ Morrill, and b. f. Chadwick
very little to do, although nearly every one
wac poor. Judge Monroe generally took care
OF such INDECENT persona as needed public
assistance. and 1t is related OF him that one
day, as be was at work in q ditch, wearing the
poorest clothing he possessed, he was accosted
by Swapping fellow with 8 small bundle, and
asked where might be the Pocrmasters house"
The Judge pointed it out, it being IN sight
'Are you stopping there asked the fellow.
- Yes,n said the Judge, Does he make We
work ?n continued the stranger. Yes re-
working persisted The INDECENT Give me"
said the Judge, looking up, Just what he has
himself--pork and leans, potatoes and johnny
cake and his old Clothes added the Judge, in
dlcating those he had on him. We'll" said
the fellow, picking up his bundle "Tll be gol-
darned il III stop with the old hedge hog
and marched off, saving the county some eI-
pense on his account, and giving the Judge
good thing to laugh over.
The settlements in western Michigan follow
ed the great roads LAID out by the territory OF
general government The latter constructed
for military purposes, what was known as the
Chicago" road which gave ready access to the
Southern tier Of counties o, the State.
subsequently the Territorial road running
from Detroit by a route nearly parallel to
that followed by the Michigan Central K. R.,
opened Van Buren, and other counties to the
settlers. The first settlers, however, came in
by the way Of Cass county and made their
home, and upon the southernmost tier OF
sections of the county. ..,f..
The first of these settlers was Dolphin
Morris. He came from Ohio, and was attracted
by the beauty OF Little Prairie Ronde and
built his house on northern section OF the
Prairie and just within Van Buren, County,
being section So of Decatur township. Prairie
Ronde being French name or designation, the