Charlevoix county herald., 1913-11-15

On the 11th lay of September,
1872, Nathan Jackson Ia brother)
myself and wife, and our daughter,
then but year and half old, left
Monroe county in southeastern
Ohio with view of making North
ern Michigan our future home ana
with the hope that the climatic
change would be beneficial to me
as / had lost my health in army
life.
We started out in good spirits
and were soon speeding across the
state of Ohio on fast train. Al
Toledo we boarded a steamer Tor
Port Huron. Here We changed
boats and after a four days trip
were landed with our luggage at
Northport. There We found that
the bay boat had been Inspected
and condemned, but fortune faV-
ored us, for we succeeded in char
tering a very small sailboat, pos
sibly sixteen or seventeen feet
and in this small craft managed
to reach Brownstown now Torch
Lake village) safely, although
stiff breeze was blowing and 1T vas
with a feeling of intense RELIEF
that we again planted our feet On
terra firma.
At Brownstown we found saw
mill and a few houses. Hotel ac-
commodations were poor, now,
ever, wife and l We're provided
with a bed while my brother slept
on the floor. The bill-S4.5O, was
not exhorbitant when you con-
slider that pork was selling for
$40 barrel and flour for $40.
The Queen of the Lakes, which
at that early day piled our in
land waters, was boarded the fol-
lowing morning and we started for
Elk Rapids, where l hoped to To-
cate my brother, John Jackson,
who had come to Michigan in '6s:
We disembarked at Clam River and
hired an old settler to row as TO
the nearest point by water. II
was uphill work rowing against
the current for five miles, but sue
cess crowned his efforts, for he
finally put us ashore at what is
still known as Grass river landing.
He showed us a path or trail,
and said that a mile and hait
travel over this trail would bring
us to my brothers. house. At
clock on the afternoon of the 18th
we reac ed our destination.
We made arrangements to spend
the win .er with my brother and
in the meantime l located my
homestead, cut the logs for my
house and engaged Mr.. swan,
who owned yoke of steers, TO
haul tle logs together. Settlers
came a diltlnce OF six miles TO the
raising, but lumber for the roof
toard3 and floor could only be
procured at Elk Rapids, twenty
miles away. Here We bought a
couple t.ousand feet OF mill culls
for IS per thousand and 1t Co.'S
S1O.25 a t.ousand more to get the
lumber nauled home. Our house
was a mansion compared 10 many
of tle log shacks which were built
very low and with their shed roofs
made by splitting logs through the
center and following them out,
and zen placing two side by SIDE,
backs down, with the third one
Gov ering tie Joint. These split log
roofs were serviceable but bot very
pref. ~ TO look at. My house had
sha, ed shingles, and when the
house was torn down forty years
later the roof was still in good
condition. During the mild days
of wIAter / gathered moss from the
trees 20 "cnink" the cracks be-
tween the logs.
Ny mouse finally completed |
was obliged to walk TO Spencer
Creek NOW Alden) for team to
go to traverse City for my house
hold goods. t took three days to
get ene goods and the team cost
me p5 per day.
We were obliged to walk three
miles and cross Grass lake for our
mail. We found no religious SER
vices nearer than three miles, al
though services were occasionally
held It the homes of Samuel VILLAS
and George and James Leonard.
On t lie 28th day of March we
moved into our house, although it
was WIT .out doors and windows
The weather then turned cold and
We nad two weeks of steady winter
weat .er.
We organized a school district
and loo ted a site for the school
house at the center of section
eleven, now known as Pleasant
Grove. Logs were cut and hauled
togecAer but the building was not
erected till the fall of E73. Our
firt Sunday school was held in
the woods, using the logs we had
hauled for the school house for
seats. Indoor "smudges' were
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