A Soldier, His Brother, and a House -- the Defendorf Story

Now available on Amazon.com in paperback format -- it is a great addition to your collection if you are history buff for either local history or Civil War letters.

Jacob Defendorf was a 15-year old soldier for the Union side in 1863 during the Civil War.  Some letters he wrote and some he received were found in a Fowlerville house.  They have now been transcribed for this book.  Timeline history and explanation of some things he wrote, as well as ancestry research, is contained in this book.

Get it by clicking here!

1883 Judd Horses Loose!

And now, like a time traveler, we have gone back to 1883, the early days of Fowlerville when horses, carriages, and buggies crowded the dirt roads in the downtown area.  

A couple days ago, an article showed 1953 and the opening of a gas station at the corner of Ann Street and Grand River.  Today's article, from a very early issue of "The Fowlerville Review" in 1883, the horses and wagon belonging to Seth Judd ended up on the north side of Ann Street.  

The tree the horses ran into may well have been apple since Ralph Fowler had an orchard along in this area.

1884 Fowlerville Cornet Band

The cast of characters:

James G. Blaine (from Wikipedia) was "an American Statesman and Republican politician who represented Maine in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1863 to 1876, serving as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1869 to 1875," and etc. and in 1884 was nominated by the Republican party to run for President, ultimately defeated by Democrat Grover Cleveland in the election.

John C. Fremont had a huge life, which you can read all about here.  After this stop in Fowlerville, he lived six more years and died quite suddenly from a case of peritonitis (abdominal infection).

General Russell A. Alger was just plain rich, being "an army officer, financier, lumber baron, railroad owner" and holding high government offices, according to Wikipedia.  Supposedly, he was a distant relation to author Horatio Alger.  A bit of trivia -- Alger County in Michigan is named at the general.

Quite a group stopping by Fowlerville and being serenaded by the Fowlerville Cornet Band.

Note:  All information on the three men was found at www.wikipedia.org.

1880 Opium Addiction

I did a little browsing through some of the 1880 issues of "The Fowlerville Review," looking forward something interesting to put on this blog.  Sometimes it is almost overwhelming, there's so much from medical and dental treatments for the time, store openings (such as by R. Fowler), council minutes, prices of dry goods and groceries.  

The following article grabbed my attention as I see more and more articles in the local paper of an opiate problem here in Fowlerville and its surrounding area.  I guess nearly 140 years ago it wasn't quite so different.

If anyone has a subject matter, era, names and/or businesses they would like me to research, let me know and I'll see what I can do.  

1875 Local News

The old-timey news editors were a hoot!  That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.  Every issue, while G.L. Adams was the editor of The Fowlerville Review, contained a local section (and other columns) that now give us, the readers, a sense of what it was like all those years earlier.  The editors were gossips and, if you didn't want something to show up in the newspaper, you'd best keep quiet about it.

My favorite in this part of the local column is, "Our streets were enlivened on Saturday last by a lead pencil seller."  Of course, I have to wonder how many gathered around this traveling salesman, what was his set-up, and how did he hawk his wares.  Like a carnival barker?  

I wish I could personally thank G.L. Adams for all the information he provided in the newspaper.  Otherwise, the Chronicles and also "Through the Eyes of a Country Editor," "Juniper and Anise," and "Tilly Loves Johnny" never would have happened.

1875 Council Meeting

Currently, I am the Fowlerville District Library board president and that means, occasionally, I need to attend or speak at the Fowlerville Village Council meetings.  The minutes for today's meetings are sometimes long and drawn out but, 142 years ago, they were quite simple.

While doing research for "The Fowlerville Chronicles," many of these names became so familiar to me.  W.W. Starkey was a businessman, having a stave factory and shipping barrel parts to India, to then have them put together and supplies shipped around the world.  Close was a store owner (see post from two days earlier).  F.G. Rounsville had the grain elevator and also served as a school superintendent.

The next post will be some fun local information.

1875 Wm. F. Close Store

Over the next week, there will be little snippets from an 1875 issue of The Fowlerville Review, published by G.L. Adams, here in Fowlerville.  And now, this would be a perfect time to mention all the wonderful things in this blog.  This post is number 2300--meaning there's a lot of stuff to read if you have the time.  By using the Search box, you can also look up names, events, storefronts, even type in a year.  Yearbook pictures and mausoleum names are on this site.  Plus there are also numerous pages to browse.  Look for the tabs that run under the header.  

I would love to hear some feedback of what you would like to see.  I have access to newspapers and other historical papers and would be happy to look up items of interest.  I am more about the history but, once in a while, a modern-day post might show up.

While my first history book is now out-of-print for new copies, there are some available on Amazon.  Just search on "The Fowlerville Chronicles" or my name, Marion Cornett, and you will see what's available.  A case in point of why the Chronicles is a good book to own--these next few posts will be set in 1875.  In the book, there are maps showing the area and you'd be able to see where Wm. F. Close's new store was located.  

Wm. F. Close also built a house during this era and it is still standing.  At the northwest corner of South Grand and Frank Street there's a large white house--that was his.

1881 Old Oak Tree

The above article, published in The Fowlerville Review, is a little difficult to read but it is quite representative of how articles looked in the late 1800s.  It reads as follows:

Another old land mark disappeared during the storm of last week.  The old oak tree standing in the road near Mr. Alsbro's farm, under whose shady boughs the first Fourth of July celebration in this township was held, was torn from its roots and left a wreck.

Oak trees were plentiful in the area when the Fowlers arrived to farm and settle the village.  As the years progressed, many of the trees were cut down for buildings, furniture, and to be used by the stave companies.  But some had stood in memorial of days' celebrations gone by, until storms proved stronger than the tree roots.

1880 Comet

I tend to be a sky-watcher -- both early in the morning and with so many of the beautiful sunsets we have.  When I came across information on comets in the local newspaper in the late 1800s, I wondered what they thought, how much was known about the stars, and if local residents were stargazers.

One article read:

People who have been afraid that the unexpected comet would smash this earth to "smithereens" can compose themselves, for it is supposed to be 45,000,000 of miles distant and is receding at the rate of 1,300,000 miles per day.

Later in the same year:

Some of the astronomers say that Scheberie's comet, when it reaches its greatest brilliancy, will display a longer train and be a more magnificent sight than that of 1838.  The train is already enormously broad at the nucleus, but as yet dim to the naked eye, and at a length of two or three degrees, becomes almost invisible.  The comet reached its perihelion August 23, and will now develop rapidly.

Another article, but this time about the northern lights:

The illumination of the heavens on Sunday night was the grandest sight of nature it has ever been our lot to behold.  It began in the early part of the evening with very much the appearance of the northern lights, but it was as much in the west as in the north.  The light streaks shot far up into the sky and cast over the earth a lurid glare.  Later a belt of white came up from the east and formed right angles with those from the north, and finally not only these, but the north, south, east and west was alike, casting jets of white and red and all concentrated to the very center of the sky.  The flickerings of electricity could be plainly seen from near the earth's surface to the zenith and it was even predicted by some that the last day was at hand, but we went calmly to rest, thinking of the witty Irishman who said: "Tut and be jabers Pat, who ever heard of the last day coming in the middle of the night."

Then back to the comet:

Some of the astronomers assert that the comet is split, and others insist that it is as sound as a silver dollar.  In either case, it's still a good enough comet for all practical purposes.

And the last article I found for that year:

Who in this vicinity has not seen the comet?  Wake up, ye sluggard, from your drowsy bed between the hours of four and five a.m. and behold this flaming meteor on its fiery path!

1882 Fowlers Visit Old Hometown

I've been doing some research and came across this article published in The Fowlerville Review in 1882, five years before Ralph and Mary Fowler passed away.

1881 Round Schoolhouse

While doing research for The Fowlerville Chronicles, I remembered seeing something about an original schoolhouse for Fowlerville burning -- but then when I wanted to put my hands on that information, I couldn't find it. Well, lo and behold, as I'm finishing up some fine points of the biography of G.L. Adams (a book that is going to be over 300 pages long!), I found this small blurb that was published in his newspaper in 1881:

Wouldn't that have been wonderful if a picture had been taken of this schoolhouse before it burned -- was the building round or was it named after a family in 1880?

1879 Snow Drift

Well said . . . G.L. Adams, the publisher and editor of The Fowlerville Review had a way with words, whether it was spring, summer, winter, or fall.

1880 Social Events

Remember the ice cream social next Wednesday evening at the residence of Dr. Defendorf. A pleasant time may be expected.

Dr. Defendorf's house, which formerly stood ats the southwest corner of East Grand River and South Second Street, until it was relocated to 701 East Grand River, has long been considered one of the oldest houses in the village still standing, built in approximately 1855. On a side note, in 1925, Dr. Byron Defendorf of Chelsea, celebrated his eighty-sixth birthday on July 4th, with his children, grandchildren and great grandson. Dinner was served at twelve o'clock, covers being laid for eleven. The table was decorated with red roses and English ivy, the place cards were made to represent small American flags in accordance with the day. Mrs. Gertrude Rug of Flyer, Idaho, and Charles B. Defendorf of Casper, Wyoming, were there for the occasion.

We understand a match game of base ball takes place in this village to-morrow. The contestants are a nine from the country and a picked nine from the village.

"Base ball" was new to the area, spelled as shown in the article.

The ladies and gentlemen of the Reason House on Wednesday presented Miss Rosa Hathaway, it being sixteenth birthday, with a fine set of jewelry consisting of bracelets, earrings and pin, as tokens of appreciation for her service and courtesy.

In 1880, the Reason House was a new structure at the southwest corner of West Grand River and South Grand. The wooden structure had burned in February 1878.

All of the above-informational blurbs, purple italicized, were found in The Fowlerville Review.

1880 Random News

The local paper, especially when G.L. Adams was publisher and editor from 1874-1929, was full of newsy gossip and interesting little blurbs. Following is a sampling from one week in 1880:

W.B. Gale has received notice from Geo. H. Jerome, Supt. of the State Fisheries, that he will ship to this place on Saturday, (to-morrow) two cans of eels (10,000) to be deposited in Cedar creek.

Births are of frequent occurrence now-a-days -- the editor's family has been increased by a quartette that will in due time give evening rehearsals that will cause the neighbors to have 'cat-nip fits' and go feline round for the boot-jack.

A team, belonging to some individual whose name we were unable to learn, standing unitched near the shook factory on Wednesday, took fright at the whistling of the cars and ran away but, fortunately, without doing serious damage.

M.C. Olds and Gilbert Ables, of Conway, have been in town doing a job of carpenter work for Mr. H. Loughlin and we should judge from the racket in the morning that they are not eight-hour men. They have done a nice job, especially in the pantry, for Mr. Olds is the boss on pantry work and takes a back seat for no one. The two cases put in for Mr. Loughlin are the best we ever saw and are admired by all, especially good housekeepers. The Diamond Flour box that he puts into all good pantries, is a mechanical success and any contemplating building ought to have one of these and Mr. Olds is just the man to build them.

A little excitement was occasioned on Saturday at about noon by a fire that got to burning pretty briskly in a pile of shavings near the shook mill.

Wm. Palmerton lost a horse on Monday night which is supposed to have been struck by lightning.

1880 Thievery of Charles Fowler

Three tramps, two women and one man, entered the residence of Mr. Chas. Fowler on Tuesday of last week during the absence of the family and stole a bed quilt, five sheets, some dresses and a cloak. They were arrested for larceny, but the complaint was changed to vagrancy when the jury brought in a verdict of not guilty, the evidence on that charge not being sufficient to convict. The most of the stolen goods were recovered.

In an 1875 map of the Fowlerville area, a great deal of property, just west of the Cedar river branch running north and south on the west side of the village, is shown as belonging to C. Fowler. I'm assuming that meant Charles Fowler. When I came across the article of breaking and entering, published in The Fowlerville Review, I thought it was a good example of how things maybe weren't quite as innocent as we like to think.

1880 Walter Fowler

Now that Ralph Fowler's very informative pioneer sketch has concluded (which you can also read in its entirety under the label of Pioneer Sketch), we are going to land in 1880 for a bit. As I've mentioned before, if you have a particular year in mind and subject, I will look through my notebook to see if I have any information to pass along. In the meantime, I will post articles that are interesting to me and hope they are the same for you.

Following is a blurb I found printed in the local newspaper in 1880:

Fowlerville, following a suit of Howell, had her mock trial on Tuesday. Walter Fowler filed a complaint of assault and battery against Peter Lewis who was required to appear at the livery barn before 'Hon. William Sabin, Jr., Esq.,' where a jury trial took place, Mr. Fowler pleading his own case and N.L. Embry appearing for the defendant. After hearing the testimony of the various witnesses brought upon the stand, listening to law read from almanacs. directories, etc., and the act of the legislature prohibiting the sale of adulterated milk to cheese factories, the jury retired and upon returning, gave a verdict of -- of -- well, something, in which the complainant was required to 'set 'em up.'

Anyone willing to make sense of this?!?

1878 Letter from Ralph Fowler

Upon the death of Mr. Metcalf on March 28, 1878, the following letter was published in the local paper, written by Ralph Fowler:

A Reminiscence

Editor Review:

A short time since, through theh courtesy of our old friend, E.R. Rowell, we received a copy of the Stanton Herald, which contained a short sketch of olden times. On looking it over, my mind could not but dwell upon the scenes of those days as they occurred at a period of my life when politics concerned me much more than at present. In looking over the rehearsal of 34 years, I stop and contemplate how vast the change! As my thoughts roam over the county, I see it thickly dotted with beautiful residences sparkling in the sun light and made beautiful by the skill and labor of the industrious husbandman. As I see all this change how natural for the mind to recall here is where Mr. So-and-so settled and built a shanty of logs and came from such a state with his wife and one span of oxen. How many such thoughts and recollections pass through our minds. Again, how natural for us to think and ask ourselves where are all those we once met on the road to mill or market, or at public meetings, or for a social visit? And the answer comes, goes, gone to their long home! After this thought survey of the county, I only find here and there one or two at the most left in a township, and to come to my own town, I find none of the first settlers to whom I can extend a friendly hand except to the wives of the two first settlers in the township.

The Stanton Herald is edited by a man who has seen much hardship and oppression from sickness and the loss of dear ones in a comparably new county, still its appearance and neatness as well as the amount of instructive and useful reading tells for itself that its editor retains the former editorial skill and thought which aided him when he wrote the first editorial ever penned in Livingston county by an editor.

Ralph Fowler
Fowlerville, April 2, 1878.

Mr. Fowler would live until 1887; both he and his wife, Mary, passing away within five days of each other.

1878 Harvey Metcalf Obituary

Died~~At his resident in Handy, on the 28th day of March, 1878, Harvey Metcalf, 84 years of age.

Mr. Metcalf was born in the state of Massachussetts, where he resided until the year of 1825; he then came west and settled in Geneseo, Livingston county, N.Y., where he engaged in the livery business. In the year of 1831, he married Miss Everline Adams, daughter of Mr. Amos Adams, so favorably known as one of the first settlers of Howell, and our first county surveyor, etc. His wife still survives him. In the spring of 1836, he came through Canada on his way to Michigan with a span of horses and wagon, and during the summer of that year built a log house, the second in the town, on Sec. 11, near the site of the house in which he died. Mrs. Metcalf came in September of 1836, when they moved into their house, the second family in the town. Mr. Metcalf lived a long and industrious life, clearing up a farm of 160 acres, mostly with his own hands. He never aspired to public office other than to serve as a soldier in the war of 1812, but proved himself a worthy and desirable citizen, a good and kind neighbor and an honest man.

Mr. Metcalf has raised a family of sons and daughters, the most of whom reside in and about our town and are an honor to their parents. The death of Mr. Metcalf, who leaves a large circle of friends to mourn his loss, leaves but one of the first settlers of Handy to follow. Thus passeth away the pioneers of Handy!

Soon the voice of the last one will be hushed in death never to be heard again.

1879 Diphtheria

Diphtheria swept through the village in 1879, taking young and old. George W. Palmerton, merchant, died suddenly and left his wife, Joanna, and son, Frank, to carry on the business he had started.

Short obituaries such as, A twelve-year old daughter of Chas. Well died of diphtheria on Sunday evening last. The funeral took place on Tuesday from the M.E. church.

School would be closed sometimes for a week at a time so new cases would not develop, and many houses were quarantined from anyone leaving or entering the premises.

As curiosity set in, I wondered if this disease was still a problem in today's world. I headed to wikipedia and found the following article -- click here. It would appear there are still one or two cases each year but nothing like the late 1800s when it could ravage whole families.

1879 Pic-Nic

Upon invitation of N.B. Green and Mrs. R.H. Fowler, about 80 of the friends of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Sherman assembled at their residence in Chohoctah accompanied by the usual amount of provision for a basket pic-nic and a general good time.

The forenoon was spent in playingn croquet and looking about over his fine farm, which gave all an abundant appetite for the feast which was spread upon the tables under the shade trees in the front yard. Abundant provisions had been made and all were well supplied with chicken pie, strawberries, ice cream, lemonade, etc., with perhaps one exception -- a man of large proportions, who ate at all three tables and was heard to remark that he would like 'a little more chicken.'

After dinner, Mr. Sherman brought forth a box of cigars and the gentlmen indulged in a smoke, while the ladies gathered in groups to discuss the latest fashions. The party broke up about 5 o'clock and all united in pronouncing it the day of the season.

The above recount of a summer picnic was published in the local newspaper -- kind of made me feel like this was from an accurate depiction by movie-makers that did their homework. Also makes me want to plan a picnic as soon as spring and summer arrives in Michigan in 2012!