LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
 
 Chap. ."^Mk 
 Sbeif 3M _ 
 
 UNSTED STATES OF AMERiCA. 
 
AN OUTLINE 
 
 HISTORY OF MICHIGAN 
 
 / 
 
 By J. E. SCEIPPS, 
 
 :FI^.I0E, 15 OEHSTTS 
 
 DETROIT: 
 
 TRIBUNE BOOK AND JOB OKFICE. 
 1 873. 
 
 >G,.-.. 
 
In this sketch 1 have aimed to present to the public a comprehensive 
 view of the histoiy of the Peninsula State down to the present time. Sev- 
 eral voluminous histories exist, but none cover the period following the 
 admission of Michigan into the Union, and comparatively few, except our 
 older citizens, are now conversant with the important events that were 
 crowded into the next ten years, such as the bank inflation, the internal 
 improvement schemes, the five million debt, and other like topics. It is 
 not pretended to gi\e a complete history, nor is infallibility claimed for every 
 statement, but if this little pamphlet shall elicit more perfect details of facts 
 in regard to the history of the State, and secure the correction of errors of 
 statement that are liable to perpetuation even in public documents, it will 
 have served its purpose. Any criticisms or communications on the subject 
 will be gladly I'eceived by J. E. Sckifps, at The 1 ribuue office, Detioit, 
 Mich. 
 
 v» 
 
 iH 
 
A BRIEF HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 The State of Michigan was the twenty- 
 sixth member of the partnership of States, 
 as regards the order of admission, and is 
 the ninth in area and the thirteenth in 
 population. It has an area of 56,243 
 square miles, and had in 1870 a population 
 of 1,184,059 souls. Its name is said to be 
 derived from two words in the Chippewa 
 language, MUchaw, signifying great, and 
 Sigiegan, a lake, hence Michigan or Great 
 Lake, a name originally applied to lakes 
 Huron and Michigan, which were formerly 
 regarded as one lake, and from which the 
 peninsula they surround derives its name. 
 
 THE ABOIIIGINES. 
 
 The earliest inhabitants of the peninsu- 
 las, constituting the present State of Mich- 
 igan, of which we have any knowledge, 
 were the Chippewa or Ojibway tribe of 
 Indians, a branch of the Algonquin family 
 which overspread so large a portion of the 
 northern part of the United States and 
 Canada. In the southern portion of this 
 territory, however, were found scattered 
 tribes of Ilurons or Wyandots, Mlamis, 
 Ottawas, Winnebagoes, Pottawattamies, 
 Foxes and other tribes, generally living in 
 peaceful contiguity. 
 
 EAKLY EXPLORERS. 
 
 The earliest French explorers are be- 
 lieved to have visited this region as long 
 ago as IGIO. In 1633 Father Sagard made 
 a partial exploration of lake Huron. In 
 1073 Father Marquette and Joliet sailed 
 through the straits of Mackinac on their 
 way to discover the Mississippi. They were 
 followed six years later by Robert de la 
 Salle, who built and navigated the first ves- 
 sel that ever floated on the northwestern 
 lakes — the Griffln. La Salle circumnavi- 
 
 gated the lower peninsula of Michigan, 
 struck across to the Mississippi, and sailing 
 down that river was the first white dis- 
 coverer of its mouth. 
 
 FRENCH SETTLEMENTS. 
 
 The earliest white settlements in Michi- 
 gan appear to have been made soon 
 after the middle of the 17th century, 
 and to have been located at Mackinac and 
 Sault de Ste. Marie. Detroit was not set- 
 tled till 1701, in which year a French 
 colony was located at this point by De la 
 Motte Cadilac, who erected here a stockade 
 which he named Fort Ponchartrain. 
 
 The character of these early settlements 
 was three-fold : military, as supporting the 
 French claims to sovereignty ; speculative, 
 as depots for the tur trade carried on with 
 the neighboring Indians; and missionary^ 
 being the points from which the Jesuit 
 fathers extended their efforts for tho 
 conversion of the aborgines to Christian- 
 ity. Agriculture was but little attended 
 to, nor was the settling up and improve- 
 ment of the country at all a matter of con- 
 sideration with the founders of these sev- 
 eral colonies. 
 
 This was the situation of matters in this 
 region in 1760, when, by the fall of Quebec, 
 the Canadas and all the French posses- 
 sions in the Northwest fell into the hands 
 of Great Britain. 
 
 THE PONTIAC CONSPIRACY. 
 
 The Indians, who had always been firm 
 friends and allies of the French, ill-relished 
 the change of sovereignty, and "at once pro- 
 jected the entire overthrow of white domi- 
 nation throughout the West. At a certain 
 designated date, a general massacre of the 
 whites was to take place at each of the 
 
HISTOBT OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 infant settlements. Pontiac, the leading 
 spirit in the movement, himself undertook 
 the extirpation of the settlers "at Detroit, 
 but by the timely betrayal of his secret 
 that post was saved, tliough a siege of 
 11 months followed, daring the con- 
 tinuance of which several battles were 
 fought and much suffering endured. In 
 this coup (Tetat, known as the Pontiac 
 Conspiracy, 13 different posts were at- 
 tacked, and all fell into the hands of the 
 savages but three, Detroit, Pittsburgh and 
 Niagara, fearful massacres resulting in 
 each case. 
 
 MICniGAN UNDER AilERICAN GOVERNMENT. 
 
 This region was but little affected by the 
 war of the revolution, its chief conncc. 
 tion with which growing out of its bciag 
 made a base of Indian hostilities against 
 the western frontiers of the revolted prov- 
 inces. After the treaty of peace, notwith- 
 standing that the whole of Michigan was 
 by the terms of the treaty surrendered to 
 the Americans, it was 13 years before the 
 military post? were given up by the Brit- 
 ish, being held avowedly as security for 
 the payment ot certain claims owing by 
 American to British mtrchauts at the out- 
 break of the war. Iq June 1796, Detroit 
 was finally taken possession of by the 
 American government, and with the 
 whole of Michigan incorporated into the 
 Northwestern Territory which then em- 
 braced everything north of the Ohio 
 river. 
 
 In 1802 Ohio was admitted as a Slate 
 into the Union, and tijc remainder of the 
 Territory was reorganized as the Territory 
 of Indiana. In 180j this was again sub- 
 divided and the Territory of Michigan 
 formed. Detroit was the seat of govern- 
 ment, and Gen. William Hull was appoint- 
 ed by President Jeftjrsou the first Govern- 
 or, la the same year, June 11th, Detroit 
 was entirely consumed by fire, and two 
 years later the present city was laid out. 
 In 1805 the only territory to which the 
 Indian title had been extinguished was a 
 strip six miles wide along the west bank 
 of the Detroit river from lake St. Clair to 
 the river Raisin, the islands of Mackinac 
 and Bois Blanc, and a tract six miles long 
 
 by three deep on the shore of lake Huron 
 north of Mackinac. In 1807 Gen. Hull 
 negotiated a cession to the Unitfd States 
 of all the lands south of a line drawn due 
 Avest from White Rock in Huron county 
 and north of the Maumee river, the western 
 boundary being a line drawn due south 
 Irom some point on Saginaw bay. In 1811 
 the white population of the Territory num- 
 bered 4,8G0 souls — 80 per cent of whom 
 were French. 
 
 THE WAR OP 1812. 
 Then came the war of 1813. The dec- 
 laration was made by Congress, June 18th. 
 Gen. Hull was at the time absent in Ohio, 
 but upon receiving the news hastened to 
 his post. July 13th, he crossed with the 
 forces at his command into Canada, but 
 surrounded as he was with hostile 
 Indians, and uncertain as to what support 
 he would receive in prosecuting the inva- 
 sion, he became a prey to indecision, re- 
 mained inactive till August 9th, and then 
 recrossed to Detroit. Meanwhile the Brit- 
 ish forces under Gen. Brock, had hastened 
 to repel the invasion, and on the 15lh, 
 arrived at Sandwich. The surrender of 
 Detroit was demanded and refused; a 
 short cannonading followed, and on the 
 IGth Gen. Brock crossed to the American 
 side. A negotiation now took place which 
 ended in the surrender of the fort, to tlie 
 great indignation of the Americans both 
 on the spot and throughout the country. 
 Hull seems to have been actuated by tears 
 of a general Indian massacre should resist- 
 ance be attempted and fail, and, as his 
 fi lends claim, chose rather to sacrifice his 
 own reputation than expose his troops ti 
 an unequal combat and the defenceless in- 
 habitants to the certain horrori of a defeat. 
 An attempt to recover Detroit, or at least 
 protect the American settlements iu Mon- 
 roe county, was made by Gen. Harrison, 
 who sent Gen. Winchester into Michigan, 
 with 1,000 men.* lie reached Frenchtown, 
 on the river Raisin, January 19, 1813, 
 when he was attacked on the 23d by a 
 force of 3,000 British and Indians under 
 Gen. Proctor. After a brave resistance 
 Gen Winchester was made prisoner, and 
 soon after, the entire detachment surren- 
 
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 dered, upon express condition, however, of 
 protection from the Indians. Disregarding 
 this guaranty. Gen. Proctor immediately 
 withdrew with his white troops to Maiden, 
 whereupon, all restraint being removed, an 
 indiscriminate massacre of the prisoners 
 took place. This atfair is known as the 
 battle of the Raisin, and it would seem 
 fully to justify Gen. Hull's policy hix 
 months before. 
 
 The victory of Com. Perry on lake Erie, 
 Sept. 10th, followed immediately by the ad- 
 vance of Gen. Harrison into Canada and 
 the battle of the Thames (Oct 5), where the 
 British forces under Gea. Brock were de- 
 feated, and the famous Indian warrior 
 Tecumseh was killed, resulted in the re- 
 covery of Detroit, though Mackiaac 
 remained in the hands of the enemy till 
 the conclusion of peace, Dec. 24, 1814. 
 
 MICHIGAN AS A TERRITORY. 
 
 In October, 1818, Gen. Lewis Cass was ap- 
 pointed Governor of the Territory of Mich- 
 igan, an ofHce he continued to hold till his 
 appointment as Secretary of War in Gen. 
 Jackson's cabinet in 1831. Octobers, 1814^ 
 William Woodbridge was appointed Secre- 
 tary of the Territory, which office he 
 held almost continuously for 14 years. 
 The first government laud surveys were 
 made in 1816, and in 1818, by proclamation 
 of the President, these lands were brought 
 into market. From this event dates the 
 permanent settling up of Michigan. The 
 following year the Territory was author- 
 ized by Congress to send a delegate to 
 that body, and in 1819 William Wood- 
 bridge was elected to the position, which 
 heneld lor four years. In 1818, Illinois 
 being admitted as a State, Wisconsin, 
 which had previously formed part of 
 Illinois Territory, was annexed to Mich- 
 igan. In 1818 also, was organized the 
 first bank ever established in this State, 
 viz., the Bank of Michigan. Its original 
 capital was $100,000, but 20 years Liter 
 it had increased to $350,000. 
 
 In 1819, Sept. 24, Gov. dsi concluded 
 at Saginaw a treaty with the Indians, by 
 which they relinquished 0,000,000 acres 
 lying in the eastern part of the State and 
 
 extending as far north as the head of 
 Thunder Bay river. 
 
 In 1821, by a treaty made at Chicago, 
 the Indian title was extinguished to all 
 the remaining lands in this State soutli of 
 Grand river. 
 
 In 1820, Mr. Woodbridge was succeeded 
 as delegate in Congress by Solomon Sib- 
 ley, who served till 1823, when he in turn 
 was succeeded by Rev. Gabriel Richard. 
 
 Up to 1823 the government of the Ter- 
 ritory had been vested wholly in the Gov- 
 ernor and Judges, they collectively exer- 
 cising legislative functions. In this year 
 an act of Congress transferred these latter 
 powers to a council of nine,appointed by the 
 President from 18 persons chosen by the 
 people. In 1825 the number was increas- 
 ed from 9 to 13, and in 1827 the council 
 was made wholly elective. 
 
 In Governor Cass's message to the Leg- 
 islative Council in 1829, he speaks of the 
 Territory being ia a very prosperous con' 
 dition. Immigration Was pouring in freely, 
 and already the question of changing the 
 territorial lor a state government was be- 
 ing agitated. Eight new counties were 
 this year organized, and were named by 
 the Council, in honor of the President and 
 his cabinet, Jackson, Calhoun, VanBuren, 
 Ingham, Exton, Branch, Barry and Ber^ 
 rien. 
 
 1830 TO 1840. 
 
 This was a:i important decade in the his- 
 tory of Michigan, as embracing the era of 
 wiid-cat speculation, the Black-Hawk war, 
 the Toledo war, the admission of the State 
 into the Union, and the so-called Patriot 
 war. A census taken in June 1830 showed 
 a population in the Territory of 31,098 per- 
 sons, 3,G88 of whom lived in that portion 
 lying west of lake Michigan. Within the 
 present limits of the State there were 24 
 counties, 15 of which were organized. The 
 central parts of the Territory were reached 
 chiefly by Indian trails, though a govern- 
 ment road had been surveyed from Detroit 
 to Chicago and Was partly opened. 
 
 John Biddle had beea elected delegate 
 to Congress in 1329, and in 1831 he was 
 succeeded by Austin E. Wing, of Monroe, 
 
niSTORY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 ■who served for one year only. Lucius 
 Lyon filled the position from 1833 to 1835. 
 and he was succeeded by Isaac E. Crary, 
 who filled up the interveninsf time till the 
 admission of Michigan as a State. 
 
 Governor Cass being appointed Secreta- 
 ry of War in 1831, he was succeeded by 
 George B. Porter, of Pennsylvania, who 
 served till the period of his death, July G, 
 1834, when the Secretary of the Territory, 
 Stevens T. Mason, became acting-Governor. 
 John S. Horner, of Virginia, was soon 
 after appointed Governor, but making 
 himself very unpopular, his removal was 
 procured, and Mason again became acting- 
 Governor, continuing such until his elec- 
 tion and inauguration as chief executive 
 under the State constitution. 
 
 The early part of this decade was marked 
 by the rapid settling up of the southern 
 and central portions of the State, a lively 
 speculation in village sites, and the inaug- 
 uration of several railroad enterprises. 
 
 In 1833 occurred the Black-Hawk war, 
 which, though so remote from the scene of 
 hostilities, created great alarm in this State 
 on account of the large number ot Indians 
 still scattered through the interior and 
 northern portions, the effect upon whom 
 could not be foretold. Once the fighting 
 population of the State was called together, 
 Niles being the rendezvous, but it was then 
 deemed needless to take the field, and the 
 gathered forces were disbanded. 
 
 THE TOLEDO WAR. 
 
 This was a contest with Ohio, growing 
 out of a dispute in regard to the boundary 
 line between the two States. The ordi- 
 nance of 1787, and early acts of Congress, 
 specified an east and west line passing 
 through the southern extremitj'- of lake 
 Michigan as the dividing line between the 
 two tiers of states into which it was 
 contemplated the old Korthwestern Ter- 
 ritory would ultimately be divided up. 
 When Ohio came into the iJnion her con- 
 stitution adopted this line as the northern 
 boundary oi the State, but added the pro- 
 viso that if the said line should fail to take 
 in the mouth of Maumee river, that it 
 should be deflected northward so as to 
 strike the most northerly cape of Maumee 
 
 bay. Of this proviso Congress took no 
 notice, but on the other hand, in 1805 re- 
 affirmed in the act establishing the Terri. 
 tory of Michigan, the line of 1787. In 1813 
 an act of Congress recoajnized the bounda- 
 ry as claimed by Ohio, and this was sur- 
 veyed by authority in 1816. With the 
 movement to place Michigan on the foot- 
 ing of an independent State, the boundary 
 question came up with renewed force. 
 Ohio ordered the re-survey of the line, and 
 Michigan prepared to resist. A party of 
 surveyors were actually attacked and driv- 
 en off by a^Jiissj comUatus, and subsequent- 
 ly acting-Governor Mason placed himself 
 at the head of the militia of the Territory 
 and marched down to the disputed ground 
 with intent to enforce the claims of Michi- 
 gan. Finding no enemy, the troops were 
 soon disbanded. Two commissioners were 
 then appointed by the. President to arbi- 
 trate, if possible, the difference, but this also 
 was unsuccessful. Finally Michigan was 
 induced to yield the disputed ground — a 
 strip about 15 miles wide — upon receiving 
 instead all that part of the upper peninsu- 
 la west of a line drawn through the center 
 of lake Michigan and extended northerly 
 till it reaches lake Superior, which line 
 had been the former boundary on the north- 
 west. It was thus that Michigan acquired 
 the rich mineral lands of lake Superior, all 
 of which would, but for this compromise, 
 have fallen to Wisconsin. 
 
 ADMISSION AS A STATE. 
 
 In 1834 a census was taken of the 
 whit3 population of the Territory, which 
 was found to number 87,373 souls. As 
 this exceeded by 37,000 the popula- 
 tion necessary to entitle it to a State 
 government, steps were at once taken 
 looking to the attainment of that end. 
 January 36, 1835, the Council passed an 
 act authorizmg a convention to frame a 
 constitution. This convention consisted 
 of 89 delegates, elected April 4th. It met in 
 Detroit on the second Monday in May, 
 and completed its labors June 24th. The 
 dispute with Ohio operated as a bar to the 
 admission of the State by Congress, and a 
 whole year was spent in fruitless solicita- 
 tion. InMay, 183G, Wisconsin was set off as 
 
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 a separate Territory, and on June 15th an 
 act of Congress was passed admitting 
 Michigan upoa condition of her accepting 
 the boundary line claimed by Ohio. A 
 special session of the Legislature was 
 called for July 11th, and on the 20th an act 
 was approved for a second convention. 
 This met September 2Gth, at Ann Arbor, 
 and by it the proposal of Congress was re- 
 jected by a vote of 28 to 21. A strong 
 party still favoring acceptance, an effort 
 was made to induce the Governor to 
 call another convention, which of course 
 be declined to do. Mass conventions were 
 then held in Detroit and elsewhere through 
 the State, and an organization effected 
 by which a circular was issued November 
 14th, calling on the electors of the State to 
 meet December Gth and choose delegates to 
 a third convention to meet at Ann Arbor 
 December 14th. This convention met, and 
 being composed almost wholly of those 
 favoring admission, voted on the 15th, 
 unanimously, to accept the terms indicated 
 by Congress, protesting at the same time, 
 however, against the right of Congress to 
 impose the condition. The result was 
 immediately forwarded to Washington, 
 and on January 26th 1837, an act was 
 approved by the President asserting that 
 the people of Michigan had accepted the 
 terms, and declaring Michigan " to be one 
 of the United States, and admitted into the 
 Union on an equal footing with the original 
 States in all respects whatever." 
 
 THE PATRIOT WAR. 
 
 The so-called Patriot war was a rising in 
 the Canadas in 1837, with the purpose of 
 establishing a republican form of govern- 
 ment in those provinces. The movement 
 extended from Quebec to Windsor, and 
 was conducted with great energy and de- 
 termination, but like such movements 
 generally, failed, very largely from lack of 
 concert of action. The Canadian govern- 
 ment acted with great promptness and 
 decision in suppression of the rebellion, 
 and visited on the unfortunate patriots 
 the most swift and severe • retribution. 
 Numerous sharp engagements took place, 
 in which no quarter was given to the 
 rebels, and in one month, it is stated, 500 
 
 houses were burnt and $1,000,000 worth of 
 private property destroyed by the govern- 
 ment troops. As the patriots became 
 worsted they naturally took refuge on 
 American soil, where they had the sympa- 
 thies of the majority of the people. In this 
 way Detroit and other points on the fron- 
 tier became important bases of operations 
 to the patriots, and to some extent Ameri- 
 can citizens became identified with the 
 movement. The United Slates govern- 
 ment of course remained neutral, and to 
 prevent any breach of neutrality on the 
 border, Gen. Scott took the field. In this 
 quarter Gen. Brady commanded the United 
 States forces, and exerted himself to the 
 utmost to prevent any aid being given to 
 the insurgents. The contest lasted for a 
 little over a year, one^of the closing scenes 
 being the crossing of a party of 164 patri- 
 ots from Detroit, December 4, 1838, the 
 capture of the barracks at Windsor, and 
 the marching thence to Sandwich, where 
 was encountered a greatly superior force 
 of government troops, by whom the patriot 
 forces were completely cut t'j pieces and 
 some 13 prisoners shot in cold blood after 
 the close of the engagement. One Ameri- 
 can citizen who participated in the fight 
 was made prisoner and transported for a 
 term of years. 
 
 THE BANKING PERIOD. 
 
 As stated above the first bank ever es- 
 tablished in Michigan was the Bank of 
 Michigan, established in 1818. From that 
 period down to 1837, 15 banks were char- 
 tered in different sections of the State, the 
 aggregate capital of which in the latter 
 year was $7,000,000. In 1837 the Legisla- 
 ture established a free banking system, 
 under which banks might be started ad 
 libitum, circulating notes being permitted 
 to be issued to an amount equal to twice 
 and a half the paid up capital. The direc- 
 tors and stockholders were made Individ, 
 ually liable for the debts of the bank, and 
 the stockholders were further required to 
 deposit with the Auditor General mortgages 
 on real estate equal to the amount of author- 
 ized indebtedness of the bank. The mania 
 for the establishment of banks under this 
 law was unparalleled. In less than eight 
 
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 months 4o new banks had gone into ope- 
 ration under it, with an aggregate nominal 
 capital of $3,115,000, and then the mania 
 was only checked by the suspension of the 
 law. The effect ol the existence of (X) 
 banks, with a combined capital of over ten 
 millions, in a new Slate like Michigan, with 
 a population of less than 90,000, may be 
 easily imagined. Currency became the 
 cheapest and most plentiful commodity 
 in the market, the purchasing value of the 
 Michigan bank notes sunk very low, and 
 gauged by them persons of very moderate 
 means could easily fancy themselves very 
 rich. Speculation naturally was engen- 
 dered, and for a time ran wild. Then came 
 the crash, with all the usually attending 
 calamity and ruin. Some years elapsed 
 before the State recovered from the infla- 
 tion and collapse, and then only to run 
 into the opposite extreme of practically 
 prohibiting banks altogether. Twenty 
 years after the free-banking period of 1838, 
 when the population of the State had in- 
 creased to 750,000, the entire incorporated 
 bank capital of Michigan was scarcely five 
 per cent of what it was at the earlier date, 
 and even now it is far less than the busi- 
 ness of the Slate requires, though greatly 
 improved since the establishment of the 
 National banking system. 
 
 THE ERA OF INTERNAL, IMPROVEMENT. 
 
 Towards the close of her territorial peri- 
 o .1 of existence, the general government con- 
 structed in Michigan five important turn- 
 pike roads. These were the Detroit and 
 Pcrrysburg road, leading from Detroit to 
 Ptrrysburg on the Maumee; the Chicago 
 road, extending from Detroit through Yp- 
 silanti, Clinton, Saline, Jonesville, Cold- 
 water, White Pigeon, Mottville, Adamsville 
 and Bertrand to Chicago ; the Grand River 
 road, extending from Detroit through 
 Howell to some point on Grand river ; the 
 Saginaw road, intersecting Pontiac and 
 Flint, and the Fort Gratiot road, passing, 
 through Mt. Clemens to Fort Gratiot. 
 These were all six rods wido. 
 
 The first railroad chartered, was the 
 Central, or Detroit & St. Joseph, in 1831. 
 The company had expended about $117,- 
 000 upon it, and had it nearly graded be- 
 
 tween Detroit and Ypsilanti, when, in 1837, 
 it was purchased by the State. In 1838 iti 
 rolling stock consisted of 4 locomotives, 5 
 passenger cars and 10 freight cars. 
 
 The next road chartered was the Erie & 
 Kalamazoo. It was laid out to run from 
 Toledo, through Adrian, to Marshall or 
 some other place on the Kalamazoo river. 
 It was completed to Adrian in October 
 1836, but never extended further, and now 
 constitutes the Toledo division of the L. 
 S. & M. S. R. R. 
 
 The Detroit & Pontiac road followed, 
 being chartered in 1834. Four years later 
 it had been completed to Royal Oak, and 
 at that stage, receiving a loan from the 
 State of $100,000, was so^n after extended 
 to Pontiac. 
 
 In the same year was chartered the 
 Shelby & Detroit railroad. It extended 
 to Utica, Macomb county, was 20 miles in 
 length, and was finished in 1838 or 183!). 
 It followed the route of the present Detroit 
 & Bay City R. R., and, like all the other 
 railroads of that day, was constructed with 
 strap rail and was operated by horse pow- 
 er. With the rotting out of the super- 
 structure the road was abandoned. 
 
 The Allegan & Marshall road was char- 
 tered in 183G. It was to connect the vil- 
 lages of Marshall and Allegan, its route 
 between Marshall and Kalamazoo being 
 identical with that of the present Michigan 
 Central. $100,000 was loaned to this com- 
 pany by the Slate, and some work was 
 done upon the line, but no part appears to 
 have been completed. 
 
 In the same year the River Raisin & 
 Lake Erie road was chartered, to com- 
 mence at La Plaisance bay on lake Erie, 
 and extend [through Monroe to Blissfield 
 on the Erie & Kalamazoo road. It was 
 partly completed and subsequently became 
 a portion of the Michigan Southern. 
 
 In 1833, too, was chartered the Palmyra 
 & Jacksonburg railroad. It passed through 
 Tecuinseh, Clinton and Manchester to 
 Jackson, and 12 miles at the southern end 
 of the line was immediately built. This is 
 now the Jackson branch of the L. S. & M- 
 S. R. R. 
 
 Besides these railroads, a number of oth- 
 
HISTORY OF MiCniGAN. 
 
 ers were chartered between 1833 and 1838, 
 no portion of any of which was ever built. 
 A list of these may be of interest : 
 1833. Romeo & Mt. Clemens. 
 
 1835. Macomb & Saginaw. 
 " Detroit & Maumce. 
 
 " River Raisin & Grand River. 
 
 1836. Monroe & Ypsilanti. 
 " St. Clair & Romeo. 
 
 " Kalamazoo & Lalce Michigan. 
 
 Shelby & Belle River. 
 " Monroe & Ann Arbor. 
 " Clinton & Adrian. 
 " Constantine & Niles. 
 
 1837. Detroit & Shiawassee. 
 " Saginaw & Genesee. 
 
 " Gil)raltar & Clinton. 
 1833. Auburn & Lapeer. 
 " Ypsilanti & Tecumseh. 
 " Mottville & White Pigeon. 
 " Medina & Canandaigua. 
 
 In March, 1837, the Legislature appoint- 
 ed a "Board of Commissioners on Internal 
 Improvement," to which Board was given 
 authority to construct three several rail- 
 ways across the State, to be iinown respec- 
 tively as the Southern, the Central and the 
 Northern, also three canals. The South- 
 ern railroad was to extend from Monroe 
 through the southern tier of counties to 
 New Buffalo ; the Central was to run from 
 Detroit through Ypsilanti, Jackson, Mar- 
 shall and Kalamazoo to St. Joseph, and 
 the Northern, starting from Port Huron) 
 took in Lapeer, Flint, Owosso, Lyons and 
 Grand Rapids, and made Grand Haven its 
 terminus. The board were also authorized 
 to purchase any existing roads whose in. 
 terests might be infringed upon by the 
 construction of the State lines. The three 
 canals were the St. Mary's Ship canal ; the 
 Clin ton & Kalamazoo canal, extending from 
 Mt. Clemens across the State to the mouth 
 of the Kalamazoo river, and the Saginaw, 
 or Northern, canal which was to connect 
 Bad river, a branch of the Saginaw, with 
 Maple, a branch of the Grand, and thus es- 
 tablish water communication between Sagi- 
 naw and Grand Haven. The estimated 
 length and cost of these several works, was 
 as follows : 
 
 Length. Cost. 
 
 Southern Railroad 183 miles $1.4!)0.3T6 
 
 Central Railroad lit! '• l.!i-28.195 
 
 Northern Railroad.'. ]fi7 " l,.3l0.3(il 
 
 Satjinaw Canal 53 " 2.38,240 
 
 Clinton & Kalamazoo Canal 216 " 3,250,000 
 
 St. Mary's Canal 4500 feet $112,540 
 
 Improvement of Grand River 90 miles 67.309 
 
 Improvement of Kalamazoo 75 " ^25,624 
 
 Improvement of St. Joseph 116 " 183,434 
 
 The first board consisted of L. B. Miz- 
 ner of Wayne, Levi S. Humphrey of Mon- 
 roe, James B. Hunt of Oakland, William 
 A. Burt of Macomb, Edwin H. Lothrop of 
 Kalamazoo, Hiram Alden of Branch and 
 Rix Robinson of Kent. The funds for the 
 prosecution of the projected works were to 
 be derived from three sources, viz : Any 
 surplus of State revenue, five percent of all 
 proceeds from sale of State lands, and a six 
 per cent loan, redeemable in 25 years, and 
 not to exceed five millions of dollars in 
 amount. The profits arising from all these 
 public works were to constitute a sinking 
 fund for the repayment of the loan. 
 
 The first step of the board was to pur- 
 chase the Detroit & St. Joseph R. R., no 
 part of which was in operation, though 
 considerable work had been done between 
 Detroit and Ypsilanti. To this place it 
 was opened for traffic Febuary 3, 1338. 
 Surveys on all the other works were in 
 1837 completed, and 30 miles of the South- 
 ern road put under contract. The total 
 expenditures this year were -$415,618. 
 
 Meanwhile the Governor, who had been 
 empowered by the Legislature to negotiate 
 the $5,000,000 loan, had closed a contract 
 with the ]\lorris Canal and Banking com- 
 pany of New Jersey, by which they took 
 the entire amount of the bonds and agreed 
 to pay for the Eame,about one quarter down 
 and the balance in quarterly instalments 
 of $250,000 each, the bonds to be delivered 
 at once. Three millions of these bonds 
 they immediately turned over to the Bank 
 Of the United States, by which they were 
 hypothecated largely in Europe. Great 
 complaint seems to have been made at 
 home of the Governor's recklessness in 
 thus hastily closing so large a transaction, 
 and in his parting with the bonds without 
 receiving proper security for the payment. 
 Nor was Ihs complaint without just 
 grounds, for in 181:0, when there was still 
 $2,158,037 due from the purchasers, it 
 came to light that both banks were insol- 
 vent. For some time the financial condi- 
 tion of the State was most critical, but in 
 
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 1843 the Legislature passed an act author- 
 ising the issue of new bonds for the amount 
 that had been actually received by the 
 State, the same to be delivered upon the sur- 
 render of the entire amount of outstanding 
 bonds, or pro rata for any portion that might 
 be surrendered. In this way the entire 
 $5;000,000, except about $50,000, was grad- 
 ually retired, and the bonds given m lieu 
 thereof were duly paid in 1863. 
 
 In 1838, $530,493 was expended on the 
 Internal Improvment works, and consid- 
 erable surveying and clearing was done, be. 
 sides the completion of the Central railroad 
 to Tpsilanti. In 1839 the expenditure was 
 $693,883. The Central road was opened 
 to Ann Arbor and the Southcra to Peters- 
 burgh. An attempt to commence work 
 on the Sault canal was defeated by a col- 
 lision between the contractors and the 
 United States officials at Fort Brady. 
 
 In 1840 the Governor in his message to 
 the Legislature deplored the Internal Im- 
 provement scheme, and recommended the 
 suspension of further work, except where 
 necessary to complete and utilize what had 
 already been commenced. This year 
 $463,816 was expended, the Central road 
 being brought to within four miles of Dex- 
 ter, the Southern opened to Adrian, and a 
 heavy amount of work being done upon 
 the Clinton & Kalamazoo canal between 
 Mt. Clemens and Rochester. In 1841 there 
 was expended $419,139. The Central was 
 opened to Dexter, July 4th, and was imme- 
 diately pushed on to Jackson. The South- 
 ern had not got beyond Adrian. The 
 Northern railroad, upon which considerable 
 clearing and grading had been done, was 
 this year ordered by the Legislature to be 
 completed as a wagon road. 
 
 January 1, 1842, the Central was opened 
 to Jackson. The Southern was during this 
 year made ready for the iron as far as 
 Hdlsdale, but the credit of the State was 
 not at that time good enougb to enable it 
 to buy iron on credit, and cash it had none. 
 Sixteen miles of the Clinton & Kalamazoo 
 canal were completed at a cost of $333,330, 
 but it had tot yet been brought into use. 
 The Legislature in January 1813 by reso- 
 lution forbade the letting of any further 
 
 contracts on the public works, but provis- 
 ion was made for extending the Central 
 and Southern railroads. The year 1843 
 saw the latter opened to Hillsdale. The 
 expenditures in 1842 were $170,545, and 
 in 1843 $100,416. In 1844 the Central 
 road was opened to Marshall and graded 
 to Kalamazoo. The Southern was this year 
 re-built between Monroe and Adrian, the 
 superstructure having rotted out, and the 
 Palmyra & Jacksouburg road was pur- 
 chased by the State for $22,000. This 
 latter road had been prepared for the iron 
 from Palmyra to Tecumseh, but had been 
 allowed to go to decay without ever being 
 put in fall operation. The Central railroad 
 was now earning from year to year a moder- 
 ate profit over expenses, the Southern road 
 a very trifling amount, if anything, and 
 none of the other public works were at 
 all productive. In 1845 the Central was 
 finished to Battle Creek and some progress 
 made with the reconstruction of the Te- 
 cumseh branch of the Southern. The ex- 
 pensivcness of keeping strap-rail roads in 
 repair had by this time been found to be a 
 serious drawback to the productiveness 
 of railroad property, and the commission- 
 ers in their report for this year suggested 
 the importance of immediately reconstruc- 
 ting both roads with "T" rail, and recom. 
 mended as the only feasible method of 
 securing the acco:nplishment of this enter- 
 prise, the sale of the roads to some respon- 
 sible company. In this year the naviga- 
 tion of the Clinton & Kalamazoo canal 
 was inaugurated by a small boat of '20 
 tons burthen. 
 
 On February 1, 1816, the Central road ^ 
 was completed to Kalamazoo ; on the 2M. \ 
 of September its sale to the Michigan Cen- 
 tral Railroad Company was perfected, the 
 purchase price being $2,000,000 and the 
 payments being made in bonds and other 
 State indebtedness. One month later the 
 sale of the Southern road to the Michigan 
 Southern Railroad Company was con- 
 summated by the payment of the first in- 
 stalment of the purchase price, which had 
 been fixed at $500,000, payable also in 
 State indebtedness within 10 years. By 
 these sales the State debt was grsatly 
 
III8T0RY OF MICIIIGAX. 
 
 diminished and the two roads placed in 
 the hands of strong and enterprising com- 
 panies, by whom they were speedily com- 
 pleted and under whom they have since 
 achifved reputations for admirable man- 
 agement second to those ot no other rail- 
 roads in the country. 
 
 The canal still remained to the State. 
 This was in 1846 put in navigable order be- 
 tween Mt. Clemens and Utica, but only $43 
 was received in tolls. The following year 
 further repairs were made and an ineffec- 
 tual effort made to lease the work. From 
 this time it appears to have been wholly 
 neglected by the State. Between Rochester 
 and Utica it has since been utilized for 
 water-power purposes, but below Utica 
 it has been allowed to go wholly to decay. 
 
 GOVERNORS OF THE STATE. 
 
 The following is a list of the several 
 Governors who have served from the ad- j 
 mission of the State, into the Union down 
 to the present time : 
 
 Inaugurated. Ketired. 
 
 StCTens T. M:»8on, Oct. 1835 Jan. 18-10 
 
 William Woodbridge,.. .Jan. 1840 Feb. 1841» 
 
 J Wright Gordon,!.... Feb. 1841 Jan. 1842 
 
 John S. Barry, Jan. 1842 Jan 1846 
 
 Alpheus Felch, Jan. 1846 Mar. 1847^ 
 
 William S.Greenly,§... Mar. 1847 Jan. 1848 
 
 EpaphroditusKansom,. Jan. 1848 Jan. 1850 
 
 John S. Barry, Jan. 1850 Jan. 1852 
 
 Robert McClelland,.... Jan. 18.52 Mar. 1853** 
 
 Andrew Parsons, Mar. 1853 Jan. 1855 
 
 Kinsley S. Bingham, ... Jan. 1855 Jan. 1859 
 
 Moses Wisner, Jan. 1859 Jan. 1861 
 
 Austin Blair, Jan. 1861 Jan. 1865 
 
 Henry H. Crapo, Jan. 1865 Jan. 1869 
 
 Henry P. Baldwin, Jan. 1869 Jan. 1873 
 
 John J. Bagley, Jan. 1873 
 
 * Resigned upon beinsr elected to Congress. 
 t Lieutenant Governor, acting as Governor. 
 t Resigned on being elected U. S. Senator. 
 § Lieutenant Governor, acting as Governor. 
 
 * * Resigned upon being appointed Secretary of 
 
 the Interior. 
 
 DISCOVERIES OX L.\KE SUPERIOR. 
 
 In 1845 the value of the iron deposits 
 in the upper peninsula was fully discovered, 
 and miniug operations were fairly inau- 
 gurated the following year, though it was 
 not until 1856 that operations were prose- 
 cuted upon at all an extensive scale. 
 
 In 1845, also, the copper wealth of lake 
 Superior was first brought into notice, and 
 immediately was followed by an intense 
 rage for speculation. It was not however 
 until after the completion of theSault canal 
 that mining operations began to be con- 
 ducted in an economical and systematic 
 
 manner, and that the product became a 
 source of wealth to the State. 
 
 REMOVAL OF THE CAPITAL. 
 
 The constitution of 1836, provided that 
 the seat of government should be estab. 
 lished at Detroit till 1847, when it should 
 be permanently located by the Legislature. 
 Accordingly, in his message to that body, 
 January 4, 1847, Gov. Felch called atten- 
 tion to this requirement. In the course of 
 the session an attempt was made to estab- 
 lish the location, but there were so many 
 rival interests,— Ann Arbor, Jackson, 
 Marshall, Kalamazoo, and several other 
 places being candidates for the honor — 
 that it was found impossible to combine a 
 sufficient number of votes on any one 
 place to settle the question in its favor. 
 Afier much tedious " log-rolling," and 
 earnest debate, the members became thor- 
 oughly tired ot the subject, so, when a 
 proposition was submitted for the location 
 of the capital on the school section ot the 
 extreme northwestern township of Ingham 
 county (the present site of Lansing), which 
 was known to be an unbroken wilderness, 
 without even a good wagon road lead- 
 ing to it, the absurdity of the thing so 
 disarmed serious opposition that the meas- 
 ure was carried in triumph. After the ex- 
 perience of the past, the advocates of no 
 other place dared permit the matter just 
 then to be re-opened, and so all motions 
 to reconsider were voted down. It was 
 then agreed that the very next session of the 
 Legislature should be held at the new cap- 
 ital, the hope being so to increase the mud- 
 dle that the members would in sheer dis- 
 gust waive their preferences and unite en 
 some availaVile point. Commissioners, 
 however were appointed to prepare accom- 
 modations for the Government at the newly 
 selected location, and the Legislature ad- 
 journed. 
 
 At the location selected there was at 
 that time scarcely a house standing, and 
 almost the entire site of the present city 
 was covered with a dense growth of timber. 
 But nothing daunted, the commissioners 
 set to work cutting roads, dealing street* 
 and squares, and erecting buildings. 
 Lumber was hauled foi finishing purposes 
 
10 
 
 HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 all the way from Flint in wagons, yet in 
 the face of all these difficulties, before the 
 year had expired the State House still iu 
 use had been erected, and soaiewhat ade- 
 quate provision had been made for lodging 
 the members of the Legislature which were 
 to meet in January 1848. The new village 
 was at first called Michigan, and the town 
 in which it is located Lansing, the latter 
 being named by one of the early settlers 
 after Lansing, N. Y. Ere long the village 
 also began to be called Lansing, and its 
 more pretentious name was ultimately 
 dropped. So rapid was its subsequent 
 growth and so admirable has the location 
 proved, that all idea ot a further change of 
 the capital has long since been abandoned. 
 1850 TO 1800. 
 In 1850 a convention sat in Lansing for 
 the framing of a new constitution — the 
 same upon which the State government is 
 now based. 
 
 The year 1851 was marked by the great 
 railroad conspiracy trials in Michigan. A 
 series of lawless acts had been committed 
 at Michigan Center and Leoni in Jackson 
 county, on the property of the Michigan 
 Central Railroad Company, in retaliation 
 tor real or fancied grievances endured by 
 residents along the line of the railroad. 
 These acts of vengeance culminated in the 
 burning of the depot buildings in Detroit. 
 Some 50 persons were arrested and 
 brought to trial, Hon. Wm. H. Seward 
 appearing for the defence. The trial 
 lasted four months, being one of the long- 
 est jury trials on record. Two of the de- 
 fendants died during its progress, 12 were 
 convicted and the remainder acquitted. 
 
 In 1852 Congress granted to the State 
 750,000 acre^ of land for the purpose of 
 constructing a canal around the rapids on 
 the St. Mary's river. A company was 
 found who were willing to construct the 
 canal for the lands, and after two years of 
 energetic labor the work was completed 
 and formally accepted by the State in May 
 1855. 
 
 July 6, 1854, met at Jackson the famous 
 convention which inaugurated the great 
 Republican party, which has controlled the 
 aflFairs ot the nation for the past 12 years. 
 
 The old Whig party had become very 
 much disorganized after the defeat of Gen. 
 Scott in 1852, and the Free Soil party was 
 daily increasing in strength. The one 
 possessed respectability, the other prin- 
 ciple — neither, strength enough to give it 
 any influence in the national councils. 
 Each party had in Michigan nominated a 
 state ticket, but up to this period the State 
 was hopelessly Democratic. A movement 
 to fuse the Whia: and Free Soil parties was 
 undertaken, and on July 6th, as above 
 stated, a mass convention assembled, at 
 which both Whig and Free S jil tickets 
 were withdrawn and a Republican ticket 
 made up by selection from both. A plat- 
 form was also adopted, which became a 
 basis for similar action in other States, and 
 the name "Republican" was definitively 
 settled upon as the name of the new party. 
 Two years later the Republican party 
 made a presidential nomination, and in 
 six years swept the country in the election 
 of Abraham Lincoln. 
 
 In 1854 the Great Western Railway of 
 Canada was completed to Detroit, and in 
 1858 the Grand Trunk. In 1856 Congress 
 made a grant of alternate sections lying 
 within six miles on either side of certain 
 railroad routes to aid in the construction 
 of such roads. Nine different roads partici- 
 pated in this land grant, four being in the 
 upper peninsula. The other principal 
 lines were the Grand Rapids and Indiana, 
 extending from Sturgis northward through 
 Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids to Macki- 
 nac ; the Amboy, Lansing & Traverse Bay, 
 extending from Amboy in the southern 
 part of Hillsdale county through Jonesville,, 
 Albion, Lansing, Owosso and Saginaw 
 City to Traverse City; the Flint & Pere 
 ^larquette extending from Flint through 
 East Saginaw to the mouth of the Pere 
 Marquette river in Mason county ; the 
 Detroit & Milwaukee, and the Port Huron 
 & Milwaukee roads. The Amboy, Lansing 
 & Traverse Bay road was immediately 
 constructed between Lansing and Owosso, 
 when it became bankrupt and its franxihises 
 subsequently fell into the hands of the 
 Jackson, Lansing & Saginaw Railroad 
 Company. The Flint & Pere Marquette 
 
HISTORY OF MICHIGAN. 
 
 11 
 
 road was built from Flint to East Saginaw, 
 and has latterly been extended northward 
 nearly across the State and southward 
 to Monroe. The Grand Rapids & Indiana 
 road dragged along very slowly for some 
 years, but has now fallen into the hands of 
 capitalists who are rapidly completing it 
 as at first projected. 
 
 In 1858 the Detroit & Milwaukee rail- 
 roai was completed to Grand Haven, run- 
 ning from Corunua westward about on 
 the projected line of the old Northern rail- 
 road. This road is simply an extension of 
 the old Detroit & Pontiac railroad to lake 
 Michigan. 
 
 While the existence of salt in this State 
 had been known from an early day, no 
 effort, had been made to manufacture that 
 article until 1859, when the Legislature 
 passing: an act offering a bounty of 10 cents 
 per bushel, operations were at once 
 commenced at Grand Rapids and East 
 Saginaw. At the former place but little 
 success attended the experiment, but on the 
 Saginaw river the salt business has grown 
 to immense proportions and become 
 second only the lumber interest in 
 importance. 
 
 MICHIGAN DUUINC; THE REBELLION. 
 
 In the late war of the rebellion Michigan 
 achieved for herself a glorious record. 
 She sent to the field one regiment of engin- 
 eers and mechanics, 11 regiments and three 
 independent companies of cavalry, 14 
 batteries of artillery, 31 regiments of in- 
 fantry,and five companies of sharp shooters, 
 numbering in all 00,7-17 men. Of these 
 4,175 were killed in action or died of 
 wounds, and 9,230 died of disease while in 
 service. From the beginning to the close 
 
 of the war the Michigan troops bore the 
 reputation of being among the bravest 
 and best disciplined in the army, and 
 there were very few of the more important 
 engagements where Michigan was not 
 represented, and where her regiments 
 were not conspicuous for the efficient aid 
 they rendered. 
 
 Among the officers from this State who 
 particularly distinguished themselves dur- 
 ing the war may be mentioned Col. C. O. 
 Loomis, who was probably the best artillery 
 officer in the service ; Gen. Custer and Col. 
 R. H. G. Minty, both dashing cavalry offi- 
 cers ; Gen. A. S. Williams, who command- 
 ed a corps under Sherman ; Gen O. B. Will- 
 cox, Col. J. C. Robinson, Col. I. B. 
 Richardson, Col. H. S. Roberts, Maj. J. D. 
 Fairbanks, Col. John Pulford, Col. Prit- 
 chard, Col. W. L. Stoughton, and others. 
 
 MICHIGAN IN 1870. 
 The census of 1870 indicated a popula- 
 tion in Michigan of 1,184,059. The finan- 
 cial interests of the State were never in a 
 healthier condition. Never before was the 
 State developing so rapidly. An immense 
 impulse was given to the building of rail- 
 roads by a law passed in 18G9 authorizing 
 towns and counties to loan or donate aid 
 j to roads passing through them. New rail- 
 j roads were projected in every direction, 
 and though the aid law was afterwards de- 
 clared unconstitutional, yet the intense 
 competition that subsists between three or 
 four of the great railway corporations, pre- 
 vents a collapse and ensures the construc- 
 tion of every reasonable line. Thus it is 
 that the railroad mileage in Michigan has 
 increased within a few years to over 3,100 
 miles. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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