First Settlers of Stalwart, Chippewa County, Michigan Copyright © 1999 by Skip Gottfried. This copy contributed for the use in the USGenWeb Archives. USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. _____________________________________________________________________________ HOW THE STALWART SETTLERS CAME TO STALWART Some of the first settlers came by way of the Mackinac Trail to Strongville, then east to Pickford, then south and east through what was later known as Sunshine, past Bassett's and Sampson's to Riley's, then east following the ridges until they came to Richard Hanna's homestead. Others like McKenzie and Forgrave came by sail boat to Sharp's Landing on Munoskong Bay. Then they walked across the Gogamain Swamp to the sand ridge where John Campbell had his place. Or they came up the Munoskong River on the John Auger to Stirlingville and from there either they followed the sand ridge past where Kelly's settled and to the Ames place and the O'Briens. Others came south from Stirlingville and joined the trail by way of Riley's and Hanna's. McKenzie and Forgrave carried their furniture a distance of over two miles across the Gogamain swamp including a cookstove which they carried on a pole between them. Whether they carried their furniture the remaining three or four miles to their homesteads is not recorded. R. G. Crawford and others brought their household goods with horses or oxen and "jumper" from Stirlingville by way of Riley's and Hanna's. A jumper was a sort of sled with wooden runners made from maple saplings with the frame or bed raised to about eighteen inches above the ground so as to pass over low stumps and stones. Sometimes the load would be on the jumper and sometimes the jumper was on the load. Robert G. Crawford was a sailor on the Great Lakes. After his ship had tied up for the winter one fall, he walked from the Sault and located his homestead, and returned and filed his claim. Then he came back and built a shanty and chopped the required acreage that winter. One night as he and his brother, Tom, were sleeping they were awakened by some animal among the cooking utensils. There was a hole in the bottom of the door and as it was a bright moonlight night, they could see the hole. R.G. got his muzzle-loading shotgun ready and told Tom, "When he darkens that hole, I'll let him have it." It wasn't long until the hole was darkened and the shotgun roared and then -- They knew they had killed a skunk. The next spring he went back sailing as he was single and wanted to earn enough to keep improving his property. During the summer his cousin, George Crawford, who was living east of Pickford, heard that a friend of Bill Scott's named Robert Kinghorn was coming to "jump" his claim. So George walked to the Sault and met Robert Crawford's boat as it was passing through and told him what was intended. He went on to Marquette and went to the land office to see what he could do. He was told to go back and if no one was on the property to stay, but if the man was there it would be better to leave it. In the meantime, Bill Scott was moving Kinghorn in to occupy the homestead with all his belongings on a jumper and got mired in the beaver meadow. They had to unload and carry everything up to higher ground, then get the jumper out. When Scott started to load up again Kinghorn said, "Never mind, one place is as good as another. I'll stay here." It seems that Scott had that quarter section planned for another friend and tried to persuade Kinghorn to go on, but he had gone far enough. So R.G.'s place was unoccupied when he got back, and he stayed on it. The shanty in which he had killed the skunk caught on fire when he was burning the wood he had cut in the winter, so he built another, bigger and better than the first had been, and he put it back farther from the line. That winter he worked in the lumber camps, and for many winters after. In the winter of 1883 he came home from camp on a weekend and there was a Methodist missionary in the neighborhood, so he and Evaline Hall decided it was a splendid time to get married. They were married on the 29th of January, and set up housekeeping in the shanty. He went back to camp. The missionary was Robert A. Wood. FIRST SETTLERS IN STALWART 1878 Richard Hanna, John Johnson, William Scott, John Scott, --- Harris. 1879 Thomas Forgrave, John J. McKenzie, Thomas Boskill 1880-1882 Robert G. Crawford, Joseph Storey, --- Begg, Sam Martin, James Duncan, Alexander Kay, Robert Kinghorn, John Crawford, James Stevenson, Robert O'Brien, John Campbell, Richard Hewer, Charles Tripp, Philip Waybrant, Alexander McWilliams, Henry Carr, Andrew Sims, John Flood, Henry H. Hall, William Maltas, --- McGinnis. HOMESTEADERS In the month of January 1880, Robert George Crawford took up a homestead on the SW quarter of 30-43-l east. In the same year, Andrew Sims and James Sims took up homesteads on the west half of section 31-43-2 east. Also Joseph Storey and Mr. Beggs came the same year and took up homesteads, Storey on the NW quarter of 25-43-1 east and Beggs on the NE quarter of 26-43-1 east. In that same year Samuel H. Martin took a homestead on the SE quarter of section 31-43-2 east. Also James Duncan took a homestead on the SE quarter of section 36-43-1 east. Alexander Kay located on a homestead on the NW quarter of section 32-43-2 east; Robert Kinghorn the NE quarter of section 36-43-1 east; John Crawford on the NE quarter of section 24-43-1 east; Robert O'Brien on the NW quarter of section 18-43-2 east; James Stevenson on the SW quarter of section 13-43-1 east; John Campbell on the NE quarter of section 18-43-2 east; Richard Hewer on the SE quarter of section 18-43-2 east; and Charles Tripp on the NE quarter of section 19-43-2 east 27 in Two Miles This is a complete list of homesteaders up to December 31, 1882, making a total of 27 within a radius of two miles. All these came from Canada. Philip Waybrant came to Stalwart in 1881 and located on the homestead first taken by Harris. Alexander McWilliams, Sr. also located in 1881, on the homestead first taken by William Purdy. William Waybrant and Henry Waybrant located on homesteads in section 1-42-1 east in Mackinac County just south of John Scott and James Duncan. Henry Carr bought the NW quarter of section 6-42-2 east from the Detroit Mackinac and Marquette Railroad Company in 1882. This company had acquired a grant from the state to build a railroad but the railroad was never built. Sawmill at Prentis Bay When the first settlers came to Stalwart there was a sawmill running at Prentis Bay, and a store, postoffice, and camp were located here also. The pioneers of Stalwart cut a trail south to an old tote road which had been used by the people of Prentis Bay for hauling supplies to their camp. This new trail was used by homesteaders of Stalwart to carry their supplies from the mill and store to their homes in the new community. These sturdy pioneers needed no physician to inform them that exercise was healthy. For they surely had all the exercise they needed when they carried their groceries on their backs for eight miles or more. These old pioneers experienced many hardships because they lacked conveyances and roads. When John McKenzie, Thomas Boskill and Thomas Forgrave came in the spring of 1879, they moved their goods in by way of Munoscong Bay. They bought a sailboat in the Sault and came to what was known as Sharps Landing on the South of the bay. There was an old lumberman's tote road from the Bay to within two miles of their homesteads. The distance being about five miles. Half of the way was swampland, which made it very wet and muddy to travel. Added to this discomfort was the fact that the only method of conveying their goods was on their backs. Thomas Forgrave and John McKenzie carried a cookstove on two poles all of the distance from the shore to their home. (Modern men should think of this when they grumble because they have to carry something heavy up a flight or two of stairs to their new apartment.) These two men stated that this was their hardest trip. It is quite surprising just what one really can do when determination takes possession of the mind. Surplus Burned Added to this trying experience, Providence again tested the stamina and fiber of these men in a most unlooked for manner. A little shack near the store was used for a storehouse for the excess goods which they were not able to take with them. One day when they returned for another load they found the shack and most of their goods burned. This was certainly an application of the old saying, "when it rains it pours." Did they give up? Well, many would have felt like doing so, and some might actually have carried out the threat. But not they. They "put their chins up", and with them went their determination to conquer these new difficulties in the wilderness. When the altitude of your chin, your hopes, and your determination are high, you just have to succeed. Henry H. Hall moved some of his goods up the river in a flat bottom boat for the most of the way. The remainder he carried up the old tote road from the shore. But the men were not the only ones who bore the burdens. We must not forget the women. One cannot fully describe the weary heartaches which the mothers in these new-found homes must have endured - perhaps silently - because the pioneer women had to carry the torch and make the little homes in the wilderness a haven of rest for their husbands and children. Even though the furniture, kitchen utensils, and even the groceries were scarce sometimes, they had to smile and encourage the rest of the family. For happiness and contentment are greater than all. The postoffice at Prentis Bay was the nearest point for mail for the Stalwart homesteaders. The rail came from St. Ignace by sailboat in the summer and by dog team in the winter. The first post office at Stalwart was established in 1881 with John J. McKenzie as the first postmaster. (Mr. McKenzie carried the mail from Prentis Bay for 14 months without compensation.) The site of the first post office was on the NE quarter of section 25-43-1 east, in the J. J. McKenzie home. The first school district was organized at Stalwart in 1882. The site was SE quarter of section 26-43-1 east on Philip Waybrant's land. John J. McKenzie was the first director and Miss Evaline Hall the first teacher. First Church in 1883 The first church was organized in 1883 known as the Stalwart Presbyterian Church, with Rev. John Benton the first pastor. The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized the following year, with Rev. Arthur Woods as pastor. The Grange was established in 1904, and the Stalwart Agricultural Society in 1911. The Pioneer Historical Society was established in 1925 at Stalwart. The object is to preserve in written form a history of Stalwart from its earliest founding, and to add to this history year after year. Twenty-three pioneers passed away before the organization of the Historical Society, and seventeen since, making a total of forty who have passed on to their reward. This is a copy of the history of Stalwart, made up by Robert George Crawford sometime in the 1930's for the Chippewa County Historical Society. [missing text… R.G. Crawford biography continues] …stopped at his Uncle William' s east of Pickford and he wanted him to take the farm land a mile east of Pickford, on the north side of the road, but for some reason he didn't. One winter he worked in a camp on Maud Bay. A lumber company on the south end of Sugar Island hired him to carry supplies to Maud Bay because he could handle a sailboat. On one trip down he had a pony to deliver to John Stevenson at Raber Bay. He sailed in as close as it was safe and John came out with a rowboat. They jumped the pony overboard and John led it, swimming to shore. That was the beginning of a friendship that lasted until John Stevenson died. His pay that winter was twelve dollars a month with board and bunk, two dollars more than the others because he sailed the boat in the fall. He was told in DeTour that there was good farmland west of there, so one morning he set out to see. He thought he must have gone as far as what was later Neil Cameron's, but didn't find what he wanted. R. G. Crawford and Evaline Hall were married on January 29, 1883. They became active in church work early in their lives in the new community. Mrs. Kinghorn died and there was no church and no cemetery, so Thomas Forgrave and Robert Crawford each donated a half acre joining each other for a cemetery, and Mrs. Kinghorn was the first to be buried in the Stalwart cemetery. For the first Presbyterian Church, Thomas Forgrave donated the land next to the cemetery, Andrew Sims donated the tamarack logs, and the neighbors built the church. The Methodist Church was a frame building with flattened poles for studding. It was built on land donated by John J. McKenzie. After his marriage, R.G. didn't sail any more. He devoted his summers to work on the farm, and in the winter he usually went to camp. He was Superintendent of the Sunday School, and Elder in the Presbyterian Church for many years, going to the General Assembly in Chicago once. He was sexton of the cemetery, where all grave lots were free. Many times he had to leave his work in the fields to help someone pick out a lot, or to show someone where their lot was. He was Master of the Grange, Secretary of the Foresters, Secretary of the Fair Society, and Treasurer of the Raber Township Schools. Their children were: Harry, who died in infancy; Chester, married Mabel Waybrant; Ida Grace, married George Hewitt; Robert, married Ethel Waybrant; Kate, married Everett Johnson; Janet, married George Slater; twins Virgil and Virgillia, (Virgil died in infancy) and Virgillia married Vern Eveliegh; Olive, married Russell Sims; Susan M., married William Hewer; and Mary, married Clifford MacLean. Robert G. Crawford was 84 years old when he died, and Evaline Crawford was 87 when she died. They are buried in the Stalwart Cemetery. JOHN CRAWFORD (Shoemaker) John Crawford was born in County Donegal, Ireland, in 1832. He had three brothers and a sister. His mother brought the family to Canada when John was fourteen years old. These folks were a hardy independent type. They wished to do for themselves. They had dreams of ownership. They were not afraid of hard work, they appreciated their neighbors, and exchanged ideas. They were very moral and religious in their own humble way. They had respect for others, and the children obeyed their parents. I remember my grandmother O'Brien. She had great respect for better educated people, but would fight for her rights. Once she approached a man that had bought her property at a tax sale. She produced a tax receipt for her home for every year since proving up on the homestead, and chased the man away with rough words and the family dog. ROBERT KINGHORN Part of this was furnished by Mrs. Thomas Kinghorn, Soo, Michigan, August, 1969. Tom' s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kinghorn, came to Stalwart from Colburn, Ontario, and homesteaded 160 acres. Mr. Kinghorn had come from Scotland and married in Canada not long before. They sold John McEvers 80 acres not long after they came. Mr. Kinghorn was a carpenter by trade. He built his own house, also the McEvers' house. Tom can remember when they brushed and corduroyed the road. They hewed their own logs; no shingles were available, and they had to split and whittle (with a knife), shakes about four feet long for the roof. Thomas and Ellen Kinghorn, brother and sister of Robert Kinghorn, came from Scotland, but they didn't stay long, and went back to Scotland. Mr. Henry Carr and Robert Kinghorn used to walk to the Soo to do carpenter work for 50 cents a day. They walked around by the sand ridge trail to get to the Soo. They walked home on Saturday night and back on Sunday night. One night they saw two wildcats fighting in the path ahead of them. Tom remembers when he bought 200 pounds of pork for $2.00 and beef was a half a cent a pound for front quarters and 1 penny a pound for hind quarters. Tom's mother was a tailor by trade. She did a lot of sewing for neighbors - if paid at all she got 5O cents a garment. She even made ladies corsets. Tom remembers one night when Tom Reynolds came in early evening with some full cloth (heavy Soo Woolen Mills cloth) to have a pair of pants made. While he and Dad Kinghorn talked in the kitchen, she made them and pressed them and had them ready for him when he left. Mrs. Hall was sick one summer and Mrs. Kinghorn took care of her at night, walked through the woods coming home each morning. She acted as midwife and also laid out the dead. Robert Kinghorn and wife had two children in the first school census in 1883. Minnie, aged 10, and James [transcibed incorrectly, s/b Jennie], aged 7. Mrs. Kinghorn died early in their life in Stalwart, and was the first body interred in the Stalwart cemetery. The second Mrs. Kinghorn, Anne McEvers, (Tom's mother), was sister to John McEvers. Her children were: Nellie, Agnes, Robert, William, Tom, Aaron, Arthur, and Wilford. Mrs. Kinghorn used to walk to Prentis Bay for groceries. One time she carried 50 pounds of flour. Robert Kinghorn did carpenter work for neighbors. About the last job he did was the building of the Raber Township School in 1900. JOHN MC EVERS John McEvers came to Stalwart from Canada near Guelph. John was a brother of the second Mrs. Kinghorn. He married Mary Ann Hanna and they had two children, George and Margaret. John bought a half of the Kinghorn homestead, but as Robert Kinghorn had built his house on the half that John McEvers wanted, they ran their line on a diagonal, northwest and southeast, and Kinghorn kept the north half and McEvers had the south half which he wanted, and everybody was happy. John McEvers was the last farmer to change from oxen to horses. His last yoke of oxen were called Buck and Bright. Other oxen in the pioneer days were Star and Spot owned by R. G. Crawford, and Jack and Jerry owned by James Y. Hall. John McEvers was the undertaker for the Stalwart community. When someone died, John was usually the first neighbor to come to the home, and he stayed with the family until the last nail was set in place by the screw driver in John's hip pocket. John was very thorough in every thing he did. He never gave his solemn promise to do anything or to go anywhere, it was always, "Yes, as far as I know." He said that there was always an uncertainty about the future. JOHN POGUE John Pogue came to Stalwart with his wife and family from Canada and bought the south half of the John Johnston homestead. Mrs. Pogue was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Tompkins. Their family consisted of: Percy, Gladys, Jennie, Laura, Fairly, and Lena. John's farm was small and hard to work, so he had to find outside work. He worked in the woods in the winter and worked at whatever jobs he could get in the rest of the year. One of his jobs was helping Al Tripp with his threshing machine and sawmill. He was a good teamster and a good caretaker of horses. He bought a farm in the Sunshine area, and they lived there for some time. Finally, they moved to St. Ignace. In his old age he was a familiar figure, fishing off the ferry dock. Mr. and Mrs. Pogue both died in St. Ignace. SCHOOLS The first School District was organized in 1882, and the first classes were held in May, 1883, with Evaline Hall as teacher. (See the minutes and contracts of the first schoolboard.) According to papers found in James Duncan's trunk, it would seem that there had been some thought about making one school district in the community, although a part of the community was in what was called DeTour Township. But the District was made entirely in Pickford Township. The pupils who went to the school from DeTour and Raber townships paid tuition. At first the school term was for three months and later extended to five months. In 1899 the Raber Township Board of Education opened a school over Forgrave's store, the term extending from September, 1899, to February, 1900. During the summer of 1900, the Raber School hired Robert Kinghorn to build a school on the farm of Robert G. Crawford, and school began there on September 1st. Among the first teachers in the District 13 School were Evaline Hall, Elizabeth Banks, Martha A.Willoughby, Annie Miller, Oscar Edgar, Minnie Duncan, Ted Brown. Pupils at that time went to the "Tripp School"; to Ted Brown in the summer. THESE LISTINGS WERE TAKEN FROM THE MINUTES BOOK OF THE FIRST SCHOOL OF STALWART, MICHIGAN SCHOOL DISTRICT No.13, TOWNSHIP OF SAULT STE. MARIE April 6, 1881 The qualified voters of District No. 13 assembled pursuant to notice for the purpose of electing district officers. Moved by Philip Waybrant, seconded by J. J. McKenzie that Mr. John Crawford act as Chairman. Carried. Moved by John Johnson, seconded by John Scott that Philip Waybrant be Moderator. Carried. Moved by John Oneil, seconded by William Clark, that Thos. Boskill be Moderator. Moved by Philip Waybrant, seconded by John Johnson that John J. McKenzie be Director. Carried. Moved by John Johnson, seconded by Robert Kinghorn that Wm. Scott be Assessor. Carried. Moved by John Oneil, seconded by Wm. Clark that Thos. Boskill be Assessor. The above officers duly elected have filed their acceptance of office. Notice of formation handed by Philip Waybrant to Chairman and by Chairman to the Director. John J. McKenzie, Director Syned: John Crawford, Chairman May 18, 1881 Moved by John Oneil, seconded by Wm. Scott that the school site be on Philip Waybrant's lot on the east line, 30 rods from the southeast corner. Said site to contain 1/2 acre. Said lot to be square and the south side of said lot to be 30 rods from the SE corner. (The same to be leased.) Moved by John Oneil, seconded by Wm. Scott. Carried. Moved by John Oneil, seconded by Wm. Scott that the job of a school house be let to the lowest bidder. If the bidder is reliable said job to be let at the school site on Saturday, the 21st of May... Said schoolhouse to be 20 ft.x 24ft in size, 10 ft wall.... Carried. May 31st, 1881 Moved by Joseph Storey, seconded by John Oneil that the school site be leased for 10 years from Philip Waybrant for the yearly rent of one dollar --$l.00. Carried. Moved by Joseph Storey, seconded by John Oneil that the job of building of a school house be left over until the annual school meeting. Carried. Sept. 5th, 1881 Moved by Jos. Storey, seconded by Richard Hanna that Thomas Boskill be assessor for the incoming 3 years. Moved by John Scott, seconded by Wm. Scott that Joseph Storey be assessor for the incoming 3 years. Carried. Moved by Wm. Clark, seconded by R. Hanna that all hands turn out on 13th September to cut logs for school house. 20 x 24 ft. outside Carried. September 24th, 1881 Moved by P. Waybrant and seconded by John Johnson that Joseph Storey be or act as director at this meeting. Carried. Moved by John Johnson and seconded by Thomas Boskill that we borrow One Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($150.00) for the purpose of building a school house, to take effect immediately. Carried. For Thirty Dollars ($30.00), John Johnson agrees to take out logs for the school house and hew them, the bottom side logs to be hewed on the upper side and also to clear the ground. February 26th, 1882 Job of finishing school house let to Philip Waybrant for the sum of $109.75 - to be finished by the 24th of May 1882. Present at the meeting were -- Richard Hanna, John Johnson, William Scott, Philip Waybrant, Robert Kinghorn. April 12th, 1882 Moved by Philip Waybrant, seconded by Joseph Storey that the district borrow Two Hundred Dollars ($200.) for five years - interest payable yearly and that district give bonds for the same. Yeas - - Richard Hanna William Clark James Duncan John Johnson John Scott John Oneil Robert Kinghorn William Scott June 5th, 1882 School District No. 13 The district has borrowed the sum of $200 from the Wayne County Savings Bank, Detroit, Michigan for the term of five years, with interest at 10 percent payable yearly. CONTRACT... made and entered into between PHILIP WAYBRANT OF THE TOWNSHIP OF SAULT STE. MARIE, In the COUNTY OF CHIPPEWA and STATE OF MICHIGAN and JOHN J. MCKENZIE AS DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 13 of the TOWNSHIP OF SAULT STE. MARIE in the COUNTY OF CHIPPEWA and STATE OF MICHIGAN and his successors in office, to finish the school house. The work would be as follows: Sleepers to be got out and put in -hewed on one side, 2 ft. centers large enough to size 6 inches at top end. Sleepers to be good straight cedars - Floors to be double - well laid - joints to be well broke, and well nailed -- Roof to be we1l put on with good shingles well nailed. (Shingles to be 16 inches by 5 inches to weather) boards to be laid close and well nailed. Rafters to be poles peeled and 2 ft centers. Pitch of roof, third pitch. Gable ends to be boarded upright and cracks battoned - - four openings for windows and one for door to be cut in walls - frames made for same - Cased on 2 sides. Door to be batton door, tounged and grooved - 3 battons - sash to be made for 12 x 14 lights and door to be hung with good strap hinges and latch fastenings and good lock. Sash to be fitted and glazed -- 12 lights to each window. Beams to be 2-ft. centers hewed to 5 x 6 inches, well pinned at the ends. Walls to be chinked and well plastered inside and outside with lime and sand (the sash to be primed and well glazed) long cedar sleepers to be laid for the other sleepers to bear on -to be well blocked up - windows and doors to have jamb on outside of casing on the ends of logs - door to be in end of the building next to the road. To be finished on or before the 24th of May, 1882. Job let for One Hundred and Nine Dollars and Seventy Five Cents ($lO9.75) to Philip Waybrant. Signed Philip Waybrant - Contractor John Johnston ) Directors - Witnesses John J. McKenzie) CENSUS OF SCHOOL DISTRICT NO.13, PICKFORD TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN 1883 NO. NAME AGE I Mary J. Duncan 9 2 Margaret Manna 13 3 Archibald Begg 14 4 Agnes Begg 9 5 Edward Duncan 8 6 Thomas Waybrant 12 7 Rebecca Waybrant 14 8 Lizzie Hanna 6 9 Susanna Duncan 6 10 Minnie Kinghorn 10 11 James Kinghorn [s/b Jennie Kinghorn] 7 12 James Oneil 7 13 Catherina Waybrant 18 14 William J. Hanna 16 15 Mary Ann Hanna 19 16 John Oneil 11 17 James McKenzie 5 18 John Hanna 18 19 Addie Crawford 16 20 Ida Crawford 11 21 Maud Crawford 9 22 Ruben Waybrant 16 Sept. 10, 1883 J. J. McKenzie, Director I certify that the above is correct. John J. McKenzie, Director This is an excerpt from R.G. Crawfords' recollections of life in early Stalwart, recorded sometime in the 30's, and embellished by stories from others as noted. I have taken no liberties with this text in transcribing, except to add an ocassional comma or to complete a word in order to maintain continuity and readability. Skip Gottfried, great-grandson of Robert KINGHORN and grandson of his daughter Agnes KINGHORN BROWN. April 1999, Memphis, TN. Email: Witan1@aol.com