Earliest farmers after Shingle Diggin’s

Published February 28, 1996

Earliest farmers after Shingle Diggin’s

If your husband, or fiancé’, were starting out from your home in New York, to explore and buy acreage on which to establish a home in the wilds of Michigan, would you prefer to go with him and take a chance on where you’d stay or have him go first, choose the place, get some of it cleared, and build a log cabin? He’d determine what necessities you most needed to bring back and then return for you, household goods, and other members of the family. The separation, don’t forget, might be a year or more. The answers, I imagine, would be as varied as the personalities of the women involved. And both arrangements could be found among the early farmers who first braved the Shingle Diggin’s wilderness. Occasionally, the adventurous wife came right along with the man, choosing certain hardships for the sake of keeping herself by his side, and having a “say” in the selection of site and cabin. Probably more stayed behind.

1836 - One source, quoted last week, said Mrs. Byers accompanied her husband, David. Another suggests that he, four years after he purchased the farm in Bainbridge Township, “returned to New York to be married and THEN his wife accompanied him to the farm.” At that time he brought from New York 100 peach seedlings which he shared with his nephew, John, who stayed here to clear acreage for himself and his uncle. Coolidge in his 1906 ‘‘History of Berrien County” credits David Byers with introducing peach culture to this area. In 1843, these trees yielded their first fruit, 40 bushels, which they sold to the steward of Captain Ward’s steamer for $100. He took them across the lake to Chicago and made a good profit. More about peaches later.

1838 - Moses Osgood seems to have been the first farmer in Coloma (then called Watervliet Township). He came to Watervliet in 1836 as an Agent for Smith and Merrick, the development company, but two years later bought a 40-acre farm in the Gray District (now Atherton Place). There were no settlers, when Osgood bought, between Coloma,

Watervliet and all the way to the cabin he built. He must have been quite a promoter. Inside a couple of years, he had persuaded his brother, Gilson, to come and buy acreage next to him, he had sold his original farm to James Paul, bought acreage across the road and sold it to John Merrifield. He had his family with him all this time but now moved again ... and again ... and again, elsewhere in Michigan, finally returning here to a farm near Coloma Cemetery, where he died in 1876.

1839 - In 1839, Mathias Farnum came down the Paw Paw River from St. Joseph to view the 160 acres he had purchased in Section 13, Hagar Township. He had been out that way before, helping a Mr. Henry Hawley and family build a cabin. Unfortunately, by the time he came to join them and become a farmer too, Hawley had given up. It was just too lonely. Besides, clearing the land ready to plant he found too exhausting. So we can’t count him as the first farmer in Hagar. Meanwhile, the same year, unbeknownst to Farnum, Charles Lamb came from Vermont, with his young wife and settled across the river, not aware for some time of Farnum and several others who moved nearby (A MILE AWAY) ... neighbors at last! These included the Nathaniel Bundy family and Mr. and Mrs. William McCrea.

1840 - Mr. Lamb kept a diary and a few excerpts from it will help us get the picture of farm life in that day:

Jan. 10, 1841 - Tried to keep the sabbath but much to do...Chopped some, sick some, snowed some. Prospects look better this year; doubts gone.

April 2 - Went to town on a raft.

May 30 - Helped Bundy make his brush fence for 2 days. He helped me hoe corn 1 day. William Allen, a bachelor from Vermont came settling on the river. Good to see another Vermonter.

Aug. 20 - Mrs. Bundy died. For the first time neighbors came together to bury one of them.

Jan. 1, 1842 - Old year gone. Prospects better than a year ago. Shall try it for another year. Pannel’s family (STAYED BUT A FEW MONTHS) gone but Oliver Sorrel’s came.

Mr. Lamb did not mention the weather in 1842 in the portion of his diaries made public, but other reports indicate that the winter of 1842-43 was a bitter one and that much hardship and suffering was endured by settlers. Yet, right in the midst of that winter, Alonzo and Austin Beaman arrived in Watervliet from New York, with their families, and settled on adjoining farms; Alonzo on what was later known as the Yates place and Austin on Section 1, known as the Stickney place. (There was a Stickney who bought out that way earlier, but didn’t settle at that time.) What a time they must have had that winter! No one lived closer than Watervliet; only a trail leading to their land. Game perished for lack of food. Starving turkeys begged handouts. One man told of seeing seven deer lying upon the snow, dead of cold and hunger. The Beamans may have found some shelter in town while building their cabins as there was the beginnings of settlement there in 1836.

Meanwhile, back in Bainbridge, men were sent by Smith/Merrick from New York to clear big tracts of forests. Several of them, being on the inside track, chose land and decided to stay as farmers. And, in 1941, began the influx of farmers from Germany.

We’ll begin there in the next column.

Hartford Public

Library news

Don’t forget the Halloween Costume Give-Away on Saturday, Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Costumes of all sizes are available. This event is sponsored by the Goss Family and the Hartford Public Library. The library is also accepting donations of clean, used costumes as well.

Get ready for fun, games and prizes at the Annual Halloween Carnival on Saturday, Oct. 25 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the library. Children can play games for prize tickets and candy. There will be lots of great prizes.

The library’s monthly Book Club meets on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. The book for discussion is “The Clockmaker’s Daughter” by Kate Morton. Public is invited. The SciFi Book Club will meet on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. The book for discussion is “A Night in the Lonesome October” by Roger Zelazny. Everyone is also welcome to join this club.

Visit the library’s website at hartfordpl.michlibrary.org for a complete schedule of events and to see all library services available. For questions, call 269-588-5103 or email hartfordlib@yahoo.com.

Coloma Public

Library news

Children’s programs

PreK & Toddler Storytime with Miss Erica is every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. for books, music, and movement. A special Storytime takes place on Oct. 21 at Fruit Acres Farm Stand, 3452 Friday Rd. in Coloma.

A Storytime with Jack the Horse is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 10, 10:30 a.m. at Remi’s Reading Retreat at Wildflower Runway, 9450 North Branch Rd., Watervliet.

The library is holding a Toy Swap Friday & Saturday, Oct. 10 &11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children can bring a clean, gently used toy to trade. Please, no stuffed animals or clothes.

Creepy experiments, bubbling potions, and electrifying games! For ages 8–12 at the Mad Scientist STEAM Party on Thursday, Oct. 16 starting at 5:30 p.m.

Halloween Book Sale &

Trunk or Treat

The public is invited to shop unique titles at the library’s big book sale and then attend Coloma’s Trunk or Treat on Saturday, Oct. 18. The Book Sale is from 9 a.m. to 2 p. m. at the library. Trunk or Treat is from 2 to 4 p.m. at Salem Lutheran Church Activity Field.

Book Study/Clubs

Faith Walkers Book Study is reading and discussing “The Bait of Satan” by John Bevere, with Pastor Linda Jackson. It meets weekly on Wednesdays from 10–11:30 a.m.

Program schedules are at: colomapubliclibrary.net. Contact staff at 269-468-3431 for more information.