The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1899-01-04
WAS A PIONEER.
MR.. MYRoN HosKINs TELLS SOMETHING
ABOUT PAW PAW IN AN EARLY DAY.

Mr.. Myron Hoskins informs us that he
and his wife have lived together over 63
years, having been married in the state
of New York on the second day of Sep
TENDER, 1885. Mr. Hoskins is past 81
years old, and Mrs. Hoskins is nearing
SO, but they are able to live alone and do
their own work, and she is able to attend
most religious services, both day and
evening, but he has become so deaf he
cannot tell one word from another of
any public speaker. Soon after their
marriage, they started for a place in
Michigan that was called Paw Paw, and
where it was thought there would be a
village, and place for him, he being a
carpenter and joiner. When they arrived
here, they found three small frame
houses and a few log ones where our
handsome village now is. One of them
was west of the river, where Charles
Mather now lives, another was on this
side, owned by Mr.. Gremps, where he
had few dry goods in the front part and
lived in the back part and chamber, with
a shanty outside for cooking The other
was the Dodge tavern, as it was known
for many years, after the big one was
built onto it. They made their home
there for few days, until he got one of
the log houses for the winter, with two
rooms. That was what he needed-one
for work bench to make doors and
sash in, the other for living. That was
abundant room for all they had to put
in it. The next frame building was a
small sawmill that Mr.. Gremps had
built, with David Woodman running it.
His father and family had come here
and gotten up log house where j. j.
Woodlands house now is. Mr.. Hoskins
says VIM. Masons father and another
young carpenter named Roice had just
erected the frame for what has long
been known as the old Gremps house on
Main street, back of the pine trees, and
he soon went to work with them and
helped cover and build it. Later in the
fall he took job from Abe Dodge to
make cases and hang all the doors that
were to be used in the big tavern that
was to be built the coming spring. All
doors and sash were then made by hand
labor, and he made all the work of this
kind for a new house he intended to
build for himself, and also for all the
newcomers log houses around the coun-
try for his winters work. AS soon as a
cellar could be dug in the spring, he did
that with his own hands, he got up his
house and enclosed it the quickest way
possible, where. G. e. Chappell now lives,
the lower timbers being there now, but
the house entirely built over. Then he
began work on the Dodge tavern. Later
in the season, he built tile upright part
of the house where Henry Drown now
lives, furnishing the mateEial himself
when nails were 10 cents I'D. He
says he remembers G. w a. Matt.
Longwell playing on the tmbc there,
being then but boys. TbS was built for
DR.. Levi Warner, ths<rst physician who
settled here. MEHoskins then workedN
on other b9ysngs, among them the big
miii anS@as at work finishing on the In,
SIDE 4 when the first grist was ground
l1;s county. Comstock was the near
rn;lline point up to this time. The
.st manufacturing started herewas by
NJ Tborpe. who built and ownedIa frame
house west Of the river. He started IN
hoard shanty, making kitcheh chairs,
with treadle lathe to turn Yhe posts
Tho naxt was Jeremiah Simgb hons, who
nade kitchen tables. Therf was not
rnucb use for other than kitchen furni.
ture in those days.
M NJ Dodge was the first jul stice Of tn
40 hero Mr.. Charles Harrington, VIII
poas ,;nos ~ Tawton. was THE first shoe
no% Abner and Edwin Hayes wer
the pioneer tailors, Crag( buyce VI