Historically Speaking:

If These Walls Could Talk!

By: Dave McDonald, BCHS - Director

It has been a while since we last published “Historically Speaking” but the positive response to the numerous Victorian era house articles for the December Home Tour has prompted us to rekindle the series again. This time we will do the genealogy of a house. Yes a house, and one with a very interesting service history in our community. Do you recognize it from the 1923 artist drawing shown here? The building at 165 W. Chicago Street, Coldwater, currently serves as a training site for young dancers, but what an interesting pedigree its holds.

If we look at the 1856 village map for Coldwater, the core section of the building had already been built and serving as a home to Audrain Abbott’s family. Audrain’s father, Robert Abbott, came from Montreal and worked as a fur trader in this county and northern Indiana area. Later he was named as the first Auditor General for the new of Michigan.

The land that the home was built on was purchased by Audrain from the US Government in 1833 and the contract was signed by President Andrew Jackson. Several West Chicago and Pearl Street properties were created from his purchase. This particular property was then sold to local, Stephen Rose, who sold to A. R. Hamilton in 1863. Four years later it was sold to Daniel Boody who would then sell to Dr. James M. Long in 1868. That would take the house off the market for many years to come. In May, 1876 the doctor purchased the lot immediately south of the home on Walnut Street where he would build an additional home.

Dr. Long was a well-known and respected physician in Coldwater. He did add training from the University of Michigan in Homoeopathy to his skill set, though one would doubt its particular contribution to patients’ confidence in the good doctor. The doctor added a large one story south wing to the home and then converted the enlarged house to a clinic for his medical practice. 

After the home passed from daughter to grand-daughter, Gladys Bollman, it set empty until the young lady came of age and married Frank Herlan. In 1923 Frank and Gladys decided to open the house as the “Old Ladies Home” as shown in the picture. It was operated as a ladies home until 1936 under the direction of Burton D. French. The home was shut down for an unknown reason between 1936 and 1937 with Mr. French departing town. The building then remained empty until 1941.

In July 1940, Robert McKinley purchased the building from the Herlans, remodeled and open “Mac’s Furniture Home”. The McKinley’s continued with improvements which led to the 1950 addition of the 80’ showroom that still fronts to W. Chicago Street. The locally known furniture store then changed its name to “McKinley’s 1876 House”. In 1968 McKinley’s sold the building and business to the Norman Stanton family who continued to operate the site as a furniture store. By the early 1990s the building became an appliance store under the ownership of Bill Skutt. Bill later sold it to the current owner, Robert Granger.

Today it is the site of the Dance Factory studio and the earlier era clinic turned retired ladies rooms which are now converted to apartments.

So, from its beginning it has been: an original founder’s home; a medical clinic; a retired ladies home; a furniture store; an appliance store; a dance studio. It's quite a diverse genealogy/history for this very early Coldwater home.

Next time we will look into the history of the road that runs in front of this historic house, which existed long before the first settler built his log cabin along the trail.

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Historically Speaking:

INDIAN TRAIL~ MARKER TREE

By: Dave McDonald, BCHS - Director

Last time we looked at the history of a home built by Audrain Abbott in the mid-1850s.  He picked the location for the house on his tract of land so they could view the Sauk Trail out their parlor window.  Call it intuition on Audrain’s part, but the Sauk Trail would evolve into the 2nd most traveled roadway in the United States in the years that followed.  That trail is now referred to as Chicago Street or Road, and stretches across the entire Branch County.

To understand the true evolution of this county route, let’s step back to its beginnings, like 10 or 12 thousand years back.  The Sauk Trail, or Chicago Road, began to take shape over 12,000 years ago as the Wisconsin Ice Sheet was receding northward from what would become southern Michigan.  The glaciers and melt-water cut passages through the terrain, and the major ones were immediately adopted by migratory mastodons and caribou.  The Sauk Trail remains the longest found mastodon trail per U of M paleontologists.

Much later early Native Americans adopted the well-worn trails of the large grazing animals and used them for their nomadic traveling.  So, the name Sauk Trail came from the Sauk Tribe who traveled this region from Minnesota and Wisconsin to the Great Lakes chain in Detroit.  Sometime later the Pottawatomi Indians took up use of the trail. They remained prevalent in southern Michigan up to the arrival of early settlers in the first half of the nineteenth century.  Pottawattamies, a division of the Algonquin Nation, followed the Sauk Trail from the west into the Saint Joseph Valley, which included the future Branch County, between 1678 and 1721.

The Indian marker tree next to the Oak Grove Cemetery in Coldwater would be approximately 250-300 years old.  Potawatomi Indian used this tree as a road sign for following the old Sauk Trail across the pre-Branch County terrain.

So, when did the first European travel the trail through this area?  It was Robert Cavalier Sieur de LaSalle, a French explorer.  He found himself stranded at the base of Lake Michigan in 1680.  His ship, Griffin, sunk in the Great Lakes while returning to retrieve him and his explorers.  Stranded, they were forced to walk the Sauk Trail through Branch County on their way back eastward to the Detroit trading post.  From there they found ship passage back to Quebec.  The Griffin was never found.  Leur Malheur!

Following the Pottawattamie sale of the Saint Joseph Valley area to the U.S. Government in 1821, a reservation was created In Coldwater and Quincy Townships that included a six mile square with the Sauk Trail running through the middle.  Even with the growing flow of settlers coming through Branch County, settlement remained light in this area due to the large Mich-ke- saw-be reservation.  Increased Branch County settlement did not occur until after the Treaty of Niles, which relocated the reservation off the Sauk Trail to the Nottawa, MI area.

Shortly after, Joseph Godfrey and Patrick Marantette built their Indian trading posts on the trail edge at the Coldwater River and what is now the Oak Grove Cemetery.  President Andrew Jackson commissioned a party to survey the Sauk Trail on March 3 1825.  The survey team laid out a military road between Detroit and Chicago.  The trail through Branch County was actually referred to as a land extension of the Erie Cannel. 

In 1827 Congress approved $20,000 for a forty foot wide improvement of the road which would support stage coach travel and movement of U.S. Mail.  Many parts of the trail had to be converted to corduroy or planked roads.  A corduroy road, used in low wet spots was small diameter logs cut and laid side by side for the wagon wheels to pass over.  Imagine riding in a wooden wheeled wagon over logs!  Planked roads were much better because of the flatter surface, but they rotted faster and needed continuous maintenance.  The Branch County section was completed in 1833 and renamed Chicago Road.

Michigan was formed in 1805, though reclaimed by Great Britain in the War of 1812.  It was returned to the U.S. Government at the end of the war and in 1829 the Territorial Legislature formed the southern counties, among them Branch.  Between 1828 and 1831 many of our prominent early settlers such as Hanchett, Tibbits, Campbell, Bronson and Wilson were laying claim to tracts of land along the Sauk Trail, or Chicago Road, which would become key formation blocks of Coldwater, Bronson and Quincy.

By 1837 Western Star Stage Line was advertising five lines of stages that only took 4 to 7 days to go from Detroit to Chicago, depending on the weather and trail conditions.

Paving of Chicago Road began in 1924 in Detroit and Chicago and met in Jonesville, MI.  First named M-23, it was renamed US-112 in 1927.  Recommissioned as US-12 in 1961, it is amongst the oldest road corridors east of the Mississippi River.  In 2004 Michigan designated it as a Heritage Trail, covering a distance of 209 miles through our state and Branch County.

So, when you turn onto Chicago Street and find yourself driving behind one of those slow left lane drivers.  Remember, they are still probably faster than the lumbering mastodon that once walked this trail, maybe.

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Historically Speaking:

A GHOST TOWN AND BURIED TREASURE TOO!

By: Dave McDonald, BCHS - Director

Yes, Branch County claims two ghost towns in its history. In both cases even the buildings have become no more than ghosts themselves. Even their cemeteries are nearly beyond locating. The two villages were named Masonville and Branch.

The photo shown gives you a view of the very last standing building of the county seat village of Branch. It was taken in 1905 and is now in the possession of the Heritage Room of the Branch District Library in Coldwater.

The village of Branch was created by chance. Three state commissioners were sent by Governor Cass to select a county seat for Branch County. They selected Masonville, a small village immediately east of the current Oak Grove Cemetery. But, having failed to officially be sworn in to their positions before their visit, the decision was voided. So the state acted again in 1831, sending three new commissioners to Branch County. They selected a location just north of the only manufacturing site in the county, Black Hawk Mills. Their pick was nothing more than an open field, so the village of Branch was created by their action.

Locals like Elisha Warren and others, seeing an opportunity, purchased all the land around the new county seat and laid out village lots. The community started growing with a new County Treasurer & Register of Deeds, and a new Postmaster. Over the next 4 years they saw the addition of a general store, a distillery, a schoolhouse, a hotel, a new jail & courthouse and Branch County’s first newspaper, the “Michigan Star”. 

But greed by the landowners to get top dollar for land kept businesses out of the village. A fatal mistake on their part. Branch was also off the main road, the Sauk Trail, making it inconvenient to visit. But the new village of Coldwater was directly on the trail, making it a logical stopping point. And Coldwater, determined to be the county seat, was giving land to new businesses. 

By 1842 the continued growth in the eastern portion of Branch County gave them enough votes to win moving the county seat from Branch to Coldwater, and the one-time county center started down the slippery slope of no return to becoming a ghost town.

The final blow came when an offer to build a new grist mill at Branch for a price of only $75 was decline. The men then located the new mill on the river in Coldwater. The center for commerce in Branch County had found a new home.

By 1905 only a single building remained of the once active community of Branch. Today, only some buried building foundations and the cemetery remain as reminders of a lost community, a ghost town. 

So, what about the buried treasure? Well, one of the landowners and residence of Branch was a fellow by the name of Isaac Middaugh.

The time was 1838 and Michigan was a true frontier state, including horse thieves, robbers and some unique opportunists of very questionable character. In the village was the Barlingame’s Hotel, known across the area as a wild roadhouse for Saturday night partying.

It seems that Isaac planned to attend the tavern’s frontier dance, but was fearful of leaving his money at home, alone. There was no bank in Branch, and he certainly had no intention of taking his loot to the roadhouse with him and inviting a robbery.

So, he waited until early nightfall, after the moon had risen, then took a spade and went to the west bank of the Branch creek. Going to the north side of the roadway along the creek he tied his gold coins in a canvas bag and proceeded to bury them for safe keeping.

The next morning, still suffering from the effects of the prior night’s folly, he discovered that he could not relocate the point at which he had buried the gold. Try has he might, and $200 in gold coin in 1838 was worth the effort, he simply could not uncover the canvas bag.

So, Isaac’s loss became another piece in the fatal story of a village that grew from an open field as the county seat, prospered, failed and never relinquished its buried gold treasure.

I wonder…on a full moon night can you still find Isaac digging in the mud along the shore of the Branch Creek?

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Bronson

Located along the U.S. 12 Heritage Route

Bronson located on the old Chicago Trail (US-12 a.k.a. the Sauk Trail), was founded in 1828 by Jabez B. Bronson, the first settler in Branch County. The village was incorporated in 1866 under the name Bronson Prairie, the name was later shortened in 1871 when the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad came through. The Chicago Trail was a main thoroughfare between Chicago and Detroit during prohibition. Many locals have stories passed down through generations about boot-legging and lawless characters that have passed through the area.

Area residents have dubbed Bronson the Gladiola Capital, as you drive the country side you will see acres and acres of brilliant blankets of flowers. The gladiola bulbs are harvested for commercial use, but the vibrant bouquets can be purchased from the local farmers. They also are host to the huge monthly White Star Snowmobile and ATV Auctions that bring in potential buyers from all over the United States and Canada.

This quaint community has pride in their unique architecture such as the City Hall, built in 1970 made out of 100% plastic, erected in only 14 hours is still standing the test of time. A Carnegie Library built in 1924 was commemorated with a historical marker last year. The gazebo at the main 4-corners, the murals of days gone-by on the barber shop wall, as well as, the Victorian architecture makes this notable community a memorable stop on your journey across southern Michigan.

Coldwater

Located along the U.S. 12 Heritage Route.

This city reflects a unique balance of past and present, featuring many fine old turn of the twentieth century homes coupled with a booming economy and rapid retail development. Coldwater was first settled in 1830 by Allen Tibbits and Joseph Hanchett. In 1833 it was named Coldwater ( from the Potawatomie, chuck-saw-ya-bish or cold running water ) after the river that runs through it. Coldwater was incorporated as a city in 1861 and continues to thrive as a significant contributor to Southern Michigan.

During the Civil War, a Light Artillery Battery, led by Commander Cyrus Loomis went to fight for the Union, going on to become one of the most renowned regiments in the country. Several of their ten-pounder Parrott cannons can be seen downtown across from the Branch District Library. A State School for dependent and neglected children was built here in 1874 and in later years became a center for the developmentally disabled.
Coldwater attractions include the famous Tibbits Opera House, the Wing House Museum, the Capri Drive-In Theater as well as an abundance of lakes, parks and charming downtown shops.

Quincy
Located along the U.S. 12 Heritage Route.

The village of Quincy was originally settled in 1830 by Horace Wilson, who built the first log cabin there. There were few businesses in the early days, and Quincy did not see much development until after the Civil War. A Town Hall was built in 1880 on the site of the first jail and firemen’s shed. The fire bell currently resides in the village library which was built in 1910. Community hosts the annual Tip-Up Festival each February and is now home to an annual Kite Festival and Competition as well.

Sherwood

The village of Sherwood was founded in the early 1830’s by Alexander Tomilson who moved here from Sherwood Forest, England. In 1878, the village was incorporated as the town of Hazenville. It boasted a hotel and several retail stores, including a grocery and a pharmacy.

The first brick schoolhouse was built in 1876 and still stands, serving as the local Masonic Lodge. One notable fact is that Sherwood contains the Oldest Free Methodist Church in Michigan.

Union City

Union City was founded in 1833 by Justus Goodwin and renamed in 1866 to reflect the union of the St. Joseph and Coldwater rivers. Home to well known children’s book author and illustrator, Patricia Palocco who has restored two fine old homes and turned the firehouse into an arts center, as well as to the acclaimed Victorian Villa Bed and Breakfast Inn.
The local Rotarians collect and process maple syrup every Spring as a community-wide fund raiser. The Carp Rodeo and Holiday Festival bring in guests from all over.

Union City is also home to renowned children's author and illustrator Patricia Polacco.  Annually hosting the Meteor Festival

Branch County, Michigan
Located along the U.S. 12 Heritage Route

Branch County was a primeval wilderness a little more than one hundred and fifty years ago, inhabited only by the Potawatommie Indians. While it is true that there were trading posts within the limits of what is now, Branch County as early as 1825. The first actual white settler appears to have been Jabe Bronson, who made his home in 1828 in the city now bearing his name, Bronson.

The old Sauk Trail between Detroit and Chicago (now known as Chicago Rd. Or US 12) saw great numbers of pioneers passing this way, bound Illinois and other parts of what was then the “far west”. The presence of the Indians deterred many that would otherwise have settled here.
It was in 1921 that Chief Topinabee and his people sold to the white man what is now the County of Branch, though they continued to occupy it as before, on reservations. Branch County is now home to many manufacturers that supply parts to the automotive industry.