Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-05-11
HISTORY OF ALMA.
BY BERTHA v. sTRUBLE.

trails; the onl y homes the nests OF
birds and beasts and the wigwams
Of the fast disappearing race.
In the fall of 1854 Mr.. Ralph Ely
1.-THE father of Townsend Ely accom-
paned by three other men, carrying
their provisions, walked thirty miles
through the woods and having fol-
lowed the river for twelve miles,
selected this spot as the site of his
home.
After having selected the land, he
Immediately went to the land office
at lonia and secured the necessary
papers for ownership.
Returning in February with his
hired man, he cleared about two
acres of land and built small cabin
l2xl4 feet and was followed in
April by his family, who had great
difficulty in moving here, as there
were no roads and they had to cut
their way through the wilderness.
No homes were passed on their
way here from Ionia and there were
no houses between here and Macki.
nav.
A cabin l2xl4 feet seems very
small to us now; but ninteen persons
slept in this house over night.
After each meal, the person who
sat nearest the door took his chair
and went out doors, then the next
nearest followed and so on until they
were all out, thus leaving room for
more.
In 1855 they were able to do little,
except to clear the land.
In the year following, however,
Mr.. Ely built saw mill and six
families moved here.
One of these, that one Derwin
Ely coming from western New York,
rode all of the way from Detroit in
lumber wagon.
They were compelled to walk over
the toughest roads, and they walked
nearly all of the way from Lansing.
A lady of the party a mother, was
carrying little baby on a pillow
and in passing one particularly bad
place in the road they all walked ex.
cept the mother, and she became so
frightened that she let loose of the
wagon to cling to the child.
Just then they went over a good
sized log and the woman was thrown;
but was caught by the driver before
any serious injury was done. Such
was travel in the early day.
They lived in house that was
partially foored and this was done
with boards completely soaked with
oil, having been taken from boat
used in bringing the oil for the mill
up from Saginaw.
The chamber was formed by lay
ing just enough boards across one
corner on which to set bed.
The partitions were made Of
quilts, blankets and carpets.
Garret Weaver also moved here
about this time from Jackson and
had great difficulty in securing teams
to transport the goods.
The roads were so poor and the
horses go worthless, that it was al.
most impossible to get person TO
use their teams any more than was
absolutely necessary.
One man brought them a few
miles and left them; another brought
them few miles farther and so on,
until finally they were arrived with
in eight miles of Alma and were
left in the woods.
Mr.. Weaver then walked the rest
of the way to Alma and secured a
team to bring them on.
They settled within half a mile OF i
Mr.. Ely's but so great was that dis
lance through the woods, that Mrs. |
Weaver did not see a white woman
for four weeks.
All of the provisions for the set |
Element was brought from Saginaw
up the river in boats.
They could 60 down in about
day and half, but it took about six |
days to return, as there were great
many rapids and they had to pull
the boat up them by ropes.
The boat often tipped over and on
one journey it came near resulting
seriously.
They had large boat load and a
family was also coming with them.
When they got to the rapids and
were drawing the boat over, it
slipped back some way and the boat
,apsized.
One man was nearly drowned and
almost all of the provision was
spoiled and many things foated
away.
In the year 1856 February 0 and
10, Mr.. Hastings surveyed the land
md it was know as Elyton or Ely's
Mills.
Two years after this, the village
vas plated and named Alma after a
battle in Europe.
This was really an addition to
slyton; but as the growth of Alma