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RECAPITULATION

Mason Hearsey-died 1882, aged 73 years
Dr. Wm. B. Lincoln-died 1882, aged 74 years
Edson English-died May 20, 1883, aged 81 years
Samuel Green-died May 24, 1883, aged 74 years
Erastus Yeomans-died June 8, 1883, aged 91 years
Frederick Hall-died 1883, aged 67 years

JACKSON COUNTY

MEMORIAL REPORT

BY JOHN L. MITCHELL

Report of Deaths of Pioneers in Jackson County, for the year ending June 1st, 1883, of the age of Sixty years and upward; giving date of death, age, and place of residence.

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In this list of sixty names are some of the first settlers of the county, and while all have left their mark in its growth and prosperity, a few have exerted a strong influence in making Jackson county what it is. John T. Durand came to Jackson with the first families; saw the first clearings made, and as a surveyor guided many of the settlers to their locations. His business as surveyor made him acquainted with good locations, and early investments of this kind made for him an ample fortune. Samuel O. Knapp, coming some twelve years later, by his energy and good judgment did much to develop the growth of the city of Jackson. As a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Jackson, he contributed largely to the establishment of that church there, and his influence has been felt in that denomination throughout the State. William Clapp, of Hanover, was one of the pioneers of the county, and at the time of his death an officer of our local society. He was a man of sterling integrity, honored and beloved by his fellow-citizens.

The number in the list would prevent a personal mention, even if I had known them all, but I can say this: They did their work well. They cleared the forests, subdued the soil, built houses,-in fact they have given us what we have got to-day, one of the best counties in the State that has no superior in the union.

We loved them while with us, let us emulate their good deeds and honor their memory.

KALAMAZOO COUNTY

THE PIONEER PICNIC

SEPTEMBER 27TH, 1883

The long looked for pioneer picnic took place at Stratton's grove, at Galesburg, and drew together a great throng of those who remain of the men and women who in an early day came here and by their efforts made the then wil derness to become the magnificent country of to-day. Not only were the patriarchs there, but with them came their children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren, and a sturdier concourse is seldom brought together. Kalamazoo and the immediate vicinity were well represented. The special train which left the Central depot at 10:45, consisting of five coaches and a baggage car, carried about 250 persons, and the run to Galesburg was made in a little less than half an hour; a stop being made for passengers at Comstock.

During the ride those who have not been in the country. of late, had an opportunity of seeing the effects of the continued drouth. The fields already sown with wheat, and those in the course of preparation, looking dry and brown, and wherever they were being worked the team was encompassed by a cloud of dust.

The train on its arrival at Galesburg was met at the depot by the Galesburg cornet band, who welcomed the guests with a very well rendered musical selection.

The grove was the objective point, and while many rode in various conveyances at hand, the majority took up the line of march on foot, the grove being situated on the bank of the river about a mile from the depot. Here were teams innumerable, the woods being literally full of them, and here under the shade of the branching oaks the platform for the speakers had been erected. The meeting was called to order by Hon. E. R. Miller, of Richland, who called upon the Rev. Milton Bradley, of Richland, to offer prayer. After music by the band, Mr. A. D. P. Van Buren, of Galesburg, made the following

ADDRESS OF WELCOME

MR. PRESIDENT, PIONEERS OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY, AND FELLOW CITIZENS :It is my pleasant duty, in behalf of the citizens of Galesburg, to welcome you all here to-day. And let the word welcome bear to you the old message of hospitality it was wont to bear in times long past. This is the day of our annual reunion-the red-letter day for the old settlers when we are inclined to revive the memories of our past history, and recount the achievements of the old soldiers who served in that famous campaign in the wilderness here, some half century ago. There are many citizens here to-day, any one of whose lives in this locality will embrace nearly the entire period of our county's history. Our worthy president himself has witnessed most of the changes that have been wrought in this region during the last forty-eight years. Yes, we can say in true historic sense, "Here are men who have come down to us from a former generation"-among whom are Comings, Earl,

Clapp, the Coreys, Flanders, Mills, Daniels, Keith, Whitcom, the Aldriches, McClarys, Whitfords, Burdicks, Babcock, Freer, Bata, Johnson, Loveland, Brown, Hawver, Smith, Knapp, Gray, Steward, Ralph, Mason, Lay, Howland, Hoag, Deans, Hamiltons, Coes, Dunning, Taylor, and others-men who came as pioneers in advance of this unreclaimed wilderness, "and drew civilization and internal improvements slowly after them;" men who boldly led the way to this rich heritage of ours, "and to an amplitude of ownership that a prince might envy." This beautiful grove, in which we are now assembled, is on the land located by that sturdy frontiersman, William Toland, in 1829, and which is now owned by our worthy townsman, Lucas Stratton, who was an early pioneer to Portage county, Ohio. It is here, in such gatherings as this, that the early settler, catching the spirit of the olden time, again feels that "his foot is on his native heath," and that he is "pioneering" once more. It is here, I say, that he gets a touch of that old feeling that once made this entire community a band of brothers. We should strive to keep alive this genuine spirit of brotherhood, especially in these times when the love of money-getting withdraws men from all social relations, and narrows life down to a mere business channel. Let us continue to meet yearly, and to eat salt, as of old, at our neighbor's board, and let it mean now, as it ever did, lasting friendship and feality to each other. In this respect, these picnics and kindred gatherings are to us what the Greek games and festivals were to that people; they established peace and brotherhood among them, and, while they were observed, made them united and unconquerable. John Adams, when over eighty years old, said to a neighbor on whom he occasionally called: "I shall lengthen out my life a number of years if I continue these visits to your home." He referred to this social element as "an elixir" whose virtues would prolong our existence. Let us, then, continue these reunions. Let them be kept up while the old pioneers yet live, and when those old familiar faces are gone, all gone, may their sons and daughters continue the institution founded by their fathers, making it useful to future generations. Again I welcome you here; and suffer me to repeat to you the words of Sir Walter Scott to our own Irving: "There are those among our friends whom we would ever remember as kith and kin and ye are of them."

The address was responded to by Hon. Eli R. Miller, president of the association, as follows:

In the name and in behalf of the Pioneer society of Kalamazoo county, I rise to thank the citizens of Galesburg and vicinity for this second invitation to enjoy the hospitalities of our annual reunion, and for the welcome so kindly and earnestly delivered by your excellent speaker. And to you, sir, I know I may extend in behalf of the society the most abundant thanks for your long continued interest and untiring industry, in redeeming from oblivion so much valuable material for the future history of the county and the State; the annals of both county and State societies bear rich testimony to your diligent research in this commendable labor.

There are now enrolled three hundred and eighteen members of the society yet living-eight members having been removed by death since our last annual gathering, to wit:

Oliver C. Hill, born in Windham county, Vt., 1803; removed to Oshtemo in 1835, and died February 11, aged 80, for forty years a pioneer.

Col. Frederick W. Curtenius, born in New York city, Sept., 1806; removed

to Kalamazoo, 1835; died June last, aged 77; a pioneer of the county for 48 years. Col. Curtenius was one of the fifteen who attached their names to the call for the meeting which organized this society.

Euphemia E.-wife of Neil Hines-born in New Jersey, Dec. 6, 1806; removed to Oshtemo in 1836; died July last, aged 77; for 46 years a pioneer. John Baker, born in Hampshire county, Mass., 1814; removed to Oshtemo in 1837; died August last, aged 69, a pioneer for 44 years.

David Sargent, born in Monroe county, N. Y., 1819; date of removal to Kalamazoo not recorded; died early in this month, aged 64.

Benjamin Drake, born in Sussex county, N. J., 1787; removed to Oshtemo in 1830; died in September, aged 96, for 53 years a pioneer of this county. Amos Knerr, born 1813; removed to Kalamazoo in 1836; died in September, aged 70, for 47 years a pioneer.

Mrs. Cynthia, wife of Alfred Nevins, born in Haverhill, New Hampshire, in 1802; removed to Richland in 1842; died March last, aged 81, a pioneer 41 years.

The shadows lengthen as the day declines and as we chronicle these departures we bow our heads in reverential sadness. But yet the memory of their example and noble achievements swells our bosoms with thanksgivings and exultation, and their memory shall abide with us a fragrance and a hymn of praise until we too, shall join them on the crystal shore.

At the annual meeting held in June, 1873, a vote was passed on motion of Mr. Dewing, that upon the death of a member the secretary shall give immediate notice to all members of the society, and it shall be their duty to attend the funeral of the deceased member.

A further vote was passed at that meeting, instructing the secretary to make a memorial record of the death of the members of the society.

These resolutions have not been observed, and I trust at the next annual meeting some action may be taken which will secure practical results for this end. A memorial record furnished the secretary by the friends of the deceased member would perhaps secure the end desired.

I trust the annual meeting for the election of officers, which is fixed by the constitution on the second Wednesday of January, will not be forgotten, but that a full attendance of the members will be gathered at Kalamazoo at that time.

The next paper presented was by A. D. P. Van Buren on

THE PETTIFOGGERS OF THE PIONEER PERIOD

The word pettifogger means a man who does a small business as a lawyer. In other words, the genus pettifogger in a fledgling of the legal species that sometimes develops into a full attorney-at-law. We write of the preliminary period of our judicial system, the pettifogging epoch, that ushered in the lawyer era. This was during our territorial nonage, before our courts were fully established, when the justices of the peace were appointed by the governor, and when "his honor," the justice, the "sworn six" and the constable constituted all the court we had. Of course the pettifogger was in vogue, in the new settlements where there were no lawyers, many years after our courts were established. There were but few people here then; hard toil kept them healthy and honest; but little law was wanted, and but little was enacted by the legislatures. The "statutes" at that time were but a little primer compared to the two ponderous volumes constituting our present

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