influence over the barbaric natives, that by the time the American settlers began to arrive, the Indian mind was prepared for peace and amity. Then were planted the seeds of progress. By degrees the seedlings sprang into the light of day, grew rapidly for a time, and again were nipped by the frosts of the panic year of 1837. The roots were not destroyed, however, as, after a few years of anxious toil and husbanding, the young plants sprung into light again, and, endowed with new life as it were, grew in size and importance until they resembled the sturdy oaks cradled in the midst of a beautiful maple grove. Such was the growth of Kent county. It had its day of trial, and passed through the ordeal triumphantly. The men who figured then, and many of those whose names are identified with the best interests of the county to-day, never deserted the storm-tossed ship, but clung with a will to the fragments of the partial wreck until the tornado passed by, and then collecting her varied parts, built them into a shape more substantial, into a form of life destined to withstand all whirlwinds, and ride securely over the waves of time and circumstances. We have reviewed the county in all its phases. Entering it with the Otchipwe invaders in the dim past, revisiting it with the French travelers and missionaries, again viewing it under the regime of Madam La Framboise, then Rix Robinson, next Louis Campau, and next the American settlers, a conception of all they have done may be formed; but never can a full idea of their sacrifices and their sufferings be attained. TOWNSHIP AND CITY HISTORIES ADA TOWNSHIP. Ada is a land of "oak openings" of hill and dale, forming one of the most picturesque divisions of the county. The principal streams are the Grand and Thornapple rivers. The former enters the town through the south line of the town about one mile and a half from the southeast corner, and flowing in a northwesterly course leaves the town at its northwest corner, thus leaving about one-fourth of the town south and west of the river. The Thornapple enters the town near the middle of the south line, and flowing northeast for about one mile unites with the Grand. Several small streams rise in the township and fall into the Grand river, and fully one-half of the surface of the town, especially in the south and west portions, is very hilly and broken. Chase's lake, in the northeast part of the township, is the only one of consequence in it. The prevailing timber is oak; and oak openings and a somewhat sandy soil generally prevail, a large per cent. of it being quite fertile. It is well adapted to fruit culture as well as to the growth of cereals. The township of Ada originally embraced a large tract of country, including what are now the adjacent towns of Cascade and Caledonia. Sidney Smith did much of the town business for many years, and the town was named for his estimable daughter, Miss Ada Smith, now Mrs. James Miller, of the city of Grand Rapids. Rix Robinson, as an Indian trader, came to the Grand River in 1821, and established several trading posts, making his central place with the Indians at Ada. Being a person without rights, and at the sufferance of the Indians, he can scarcely be called for many years a settler, but rather a sojourner. He was, in reality, the pioneer of the valley. He identified himself with the Indians for purposes of trade. When the land was opened for settlement he became a settler with others. Among the early purchasers of the township lands were: Isadore Nauntoit, sec. 1, Aug. 19, 1839. Alanson Crampton, sec. 4, Aug. 10, 1839. Benjamin Scott, sec. 18, June 26, 1836. Rix Robinson, sec. 21, Feb. 8, 1833. The lands pre-empted at Ada were mostly river bottoms, some of the best land in the country. Titles could not be obtained until 1839. Some improvements had been made; the block-house tavern, long known as the Withey House, had been built. When the lands were sold, several persons secured large tracts. Rix Robinson, by favor of the Indians, by the treaty, had some 600 acres. Loan and Perry Hill secured 600 acres on the right bank of the river two miles below the bridge. Rhodes, 500 acres, now known by his name. Lucius Lyon, 1,000 or so along the Thornapple and where is the village of Ada. Charles Robinson preempted below the Rhodes place; Rix Church, in the same region; Torrey Smith, two miles above the bridge, on the right bank of the river; Simeon D. Holt, above Smith. John and Wm. Spence, next below the Pettis farm, where is the school-house. Sidney Smith is reported to have been the first after Robinson who took up his abode in this town. His residence was a short distance west of the Ada bridge. The real settlement fairly commenced in 1836. In 1837, we find John Spence, William Spence, Edward Pettis, Edward Robinson, with a large family of sons; John W. Fiske, Gen. Withey, Digby V. Bell, Zerra Whitney, Torrey Smith, A. H. Riggs, Putnam Hill, Elias Crow, Enoch Price, Minos Gypson, Rix Church, Lot Church, Charles Robinson, Wm. Slauson, Perry Hill, Loan Hill. Enoch Price and Elias Crow took lands near Pettis. Pettis located on a fine spring on the bottom lands, where he now lives. Minos Gypson was Pettis' neighbor. Edward Robinson located below Rix Robinson. Very early in the history of the town, they saw that at the mouth of the Thornapple was the place for a city, or a village, at least. Accordingly, and in the spirit of the times, a village was platted, and the lots were sold for taxes, until all was absorbed in the farms surrounding-no one owning a village. When the D. & M. railroad established their depot there, and Clement put up mills on the Thornapple, in 1853, it became self-evident that a village must be there. A portion of land on both sides of the Thornapple was laid out; before that time, however, there had been the nucleus of a village on the other side of the river. There they had a store, the school-house, blacksmith shop and several dwellings. At a very early period, Ada was one of the stopping places, and a block-house tavern was kept by J. W. Fiske, and afterward by Gen. Withey. That house did service as a tavern until as late as 1855, and, like Yankee Springs Hotel, was famous. Fiske, the first keeper, now resides in the town of Grand Rapids, near where he won a name in another log house, and where he built a brick hotel by the lake, that bears his name. A bridge was at an early day built by the State, which fell in 1852, with several men on it at the time. None, however, were killed. The present bridge was built in 1853, as a toll-bridge, but it is now free. In 1854, the second school-house was built near where stands the school-house of to-day. It was a very respectable wooden structure. Moses Everett, then recently from New York, a teacher by profession, was first placed in charge. About 1870, the second house having become too small to accommodate the rising village, the present brick house was built, and the school opened in it. The history of the early settlement of Ada, of the Indians, and of the division of the lands under the treaty of 1836 are fully treated in the county history. However, the following special reference to those early times, summarized from Prof. Everett's description, will have a place here. He states: Ada had its Indian band; the planting ground was on both sides of the Thornapple, at its mouth. A small band of them, at the time of the extinction of the Indian title, located themselves on the left bank of the river some miles below, where the Catholics established a mission. Those Indians, under wise leadership, became civilized; had as good farms as their neighbors, -as good houses, cattle and crops. They, however, broke up and went to the reservations at Pentwater. This settlement was known as "Boshaw's," so called from a French half-breed, who was influential among them. Perhaps no man has lived there whose influence was more felt than that of Mr. Perkins, who bought 600 acres or more of land at the mouth of the Thornapple in 1852. This land, and the other lands around it had been cultivated on the "skinning" principle until the owners, conquered by the weeds, had taken down their fences and thrown their fields into common. Perkins knew the advantage of running the plow more than four inches deep. He fenced these abandoned commons; put in and put down the plow; and showed the first year his 100 bushels of corn, and his 40 bushels of wheat to the acre. This one lesson he taught the people of Ada: "The gold lies deep in the ground;" and by that one lesson he doubled the value of the town. Now, Perkins was not a he doubled the values town. a saint, but he was the farmer who taught Ada the real value of their lands, and "civilized " their farming. It is strange that while the prophetic bullfrog is always calling out to the farmer "Beam deep!" he does little more than scratch the surface, and seldom gets more than 15 bushels of wheat to the acre, when "beam deep" gives 40! If you plow your ground with one horse, one horse can carry off the crop. About 10 years ago the writer was talking with a farmer in Ada—a man, by the way, who knew more of a good many other things than he did of farming. This man said his "land was poor;" he could get no good crops from it; and was told in reply: "Your farm, sir, is one of good capabilities; it is good land; but I am afraid you do not know how to persuade it to give its crops." The farmer sold that land to one who had before raised 40 bushels of wheat to the acre; and, as he knew what "beam deep" means, he is getting rich from off his excellent farm. one. ORGANIC. The sight of a town meeting in the early days was an interesting Here the freeholders came, one by one, from the different points of the compass, hard-working, honest men. It was a gala day with them. They met, perhaps, for the first time in months. They went early in the morning and remained until late at night. They urged their brief political campaign in their homely way. They enjoyed as well as performed their duty, and then parted for the scenes of stern labor. It was so even in later years, nor is the old-time custom abolished entirely yet. As recently as a few years ago an Irishman was returning to his home from one of such meetings when he was accosted by a stranger, who said: "Say, Pat, can you tell me the road to Ada?" "How did you know my name was Pat?" interrogated the Irishman. 'I guessed it," replied the traveler. "Well, then," said the Irishman, "guess the road to Ada." The first town meeting of Ada was held at the house of John W. Fisk, April 2, 1838, with Edward Robinson as Moderator and Peter Teeple, Clerk. The result of the election was as follows: Sydney Smith for Supervisor received 16 votes. Nelson Robinson for Township Clerk received 20 votes. Rix Robinson for Township Assessor received 25 votes. |