being thrown from his wagon, were among the closing incidents of the year. The death of a 12-year-old son of Seneca Stevens, of Tompkins, in 1871, resulted from strangulation while attempting some acrobatic feat. H. T. Wickwire was accidentally killed while raising a building at the corner of Ganson and Park streets, Aug. 26, 1873. The death of a little daughter of G. R. Hull, of Sandstone, in August, 1873, from a wound inflicted by a scythe, was one of the saddest events known to the people of that township. In January, 1876, Edward Hall was thrown from his horse and killed, while riding from his dwelling to the village. The inquisition into the cause of Miss Addie Roberts' death took place in March, 1876. The death of Byron Helmer, from the accidental discharge of a double-barreled fowling piece, occurred on Christmas day, 1876. The horrible death of John Lambert, a convict, on May 26, 1877, while engaged in the trip-hammer shops of the prison, was a terrible warning to men who labor around machinery. The death of George Milberry, from being crushed by the turbine wheel of the Etna Mills, Aug. 25, 1877, was one of the mysteries of the year. The inquest upon the death of Mary R. Goss, in 1877, created much gossip. A sad and fatal accident occurred Jan. 13, 1879, at the manufactory of the Middlings Purifier Company, corner of Jackson and Clinton streets, by which Hammond S. Rolfe, the well-known millwright, lost his life. It appears that the unfortunate man was engaged in belting a purifier preparatory to testing it, when by some means the belt caught the machine in such a way as to pull it upward and overturn it. In falling it struck Rolfe, pinning him against a large post and crushing in four ribs on each side, causing almost instant death. The coroner caused the body to be removed to the family residence, No. 25 Oak Hill avenue. A jury was summoned, composed of Charles Powers, F. D. Pease, W. L. Lawson, S. E. Rogers, P. Casey and William Budington, who found a verdict of accidental death. Wm. Gardner, an inmate of the county poor-house, was killed by a falling tree in December, 1879. FIRES. The old Marion House-one of the relics of ancient Jackson, a survivor of the fire of Nov. 7, 1870-was reduced to ashes between 4 and 8 o'clock on the morning of the last day of 1880. The flames spread rapidly to the adjoining brick block on the east, swept through it with amazing rapidity, leaving the office of the Jackson City Bank alone unscorched. The morning was bitter cold, and the labors of the fire department misdirected for a time. To that branch of the city service, however, is due the safety of Morrill & Camp's store, if not that of the entire block in which it is situated, as well as of the range of commercial houses east of the Jackson City Bank. The fire of June 12, 1871, resulted in the destruction of property valued at over $7,000. The burning of a portion of the Jackson Foundry and Machine Company's Works, Sept. 28, 1871, resulted in the destruction of $15,000 worth of property. The freight house of Gardner & Son, Leoni, was destroyed in May, 1873. The total loss was $6,000; insured for $2,500. A fire broke out April 18, 1875, in the double house 43 and 45 Mechanic street, entailing a loss upon the owners of that and adjoining property of $9,500. The house of Jeremiah Marvin, on the plank road north of the city, valued at $4,000 or $5,000, was destroyed by fire in April, 1875. Owing to the exertions of Capt. Bedford and members of the Bennett Hook and Ladder Company, the valuable barn or granary was saved from the flames. An incendiary set fire to the house and barn of Mr. Angell, Rives township, in April, 1877. The loss resulting was about $4,000. Early in the morning of Jan 11, 1881, an alarm of fire was sounded, caused by the discovery of fire in the old wooden building used as a machine shop by T. E. Lusk. The fire department was out promptly, but the flames had gained considerable headway among the inflammable material, of which there was quite a large amount in the building, and from the first appearance of the firemen on the ground it was apparent that the fight would be to save the adjoining property rather than the building where the fire started. For some time only one stream of water could be obtained, owing to inability to open the hydrants, and the fire got so hot as to seriously endanger Hayden's mill. A second stream was eventually obtained, and with that playing from the opposite direction the firemen were able to control the flames and keep them from spreading. It did not take long to reduce the old building to a dismal looking ruin filled with bent and twisted shafting and useless machinery. STORMS AND LIGHTNING. A young man between 18 and 20 years old, son of Wm. Gallup, of Columbia township, was struck by the electric fluid during the storm of April, 1840, and killed instantaneously. He, unfortunately, sought the shelter of an oak tree at the beginning of the storm, and fell a victim to his want of knowledge in regard to its conductive qualities. The only mark left by the swift destroyer on the body of the deceased was a slightly singed spot on the crown of the head. The terrible tornado which swept over the State in 1855 is thus described by A. F. Gorton, of Waterloo, who witnessed its forma tion and its start on that wild race over the township. He states that on May 15, 1855, this terrible whirlwind formed a focus near the western side of section 24 in the marsh. He happened to be in the vicinity about 6 o'clock that afternoon, and saw two tiers of clouds, one moving north, the other south; the upper tier seemed to descend, and as it approached the lower tier, the grass and water in the marsh seemed to rush toward the center until a formation, resembling a large black stack, sprung into existence. Another moment and this swept forward in an easterly direction, making a thorough clearance about 70 rods in width. Mr. Gorton's buildings, Mr. W. Beeman's barn, Mr. J. K. Yocum's barn, Mr. P. McKean's house, barn and other buildings, were demolished. Mrs. McKean was fatally injured, Mrs. Wm. Hawlett's two children were carried through the forest a distance of 30 rods and cast into a marsh, but yet escaped all injury. The water of a small lake near Mr. McKean's house was uplifted completely and carried forward in an immense wave; a young lady's dress was carried by the terrific whirlwind a distance of 16 miles, and lodged carefully in a tree top on Boydon's plains. Having played a number of practical, and a few innocent, jokes, it traveled onward to Washtenaw county, repeated its serious doings there, and ultimately expended its fury beyond the Detroit river. Haw The gale of June 22, 1875, which swept over this county, and gained the proportions of a tornado in Hanover township, destroyed four houses and caused serious injury to the Methodist Church of the village. This is the second effort of the winds to uproot the sacred edifice. At Sandstone, 32 apple-trees in the orchard of A. F. Hawkins were broken down or torn up by the roots. kins' dwelling, also, was subjected to its violence, and suffered some injury. Oliver Chapel, of Sandstone, had a quantity of his valuable timber destroyed. James Whittaker had his timber lands cleared to the extent of 10 acres, and lost heavily. The barn of Charles Woodliff was completely demolished. The air seemed to be filled with sticks, vines and leaves throughout the path of the storm. The ricocheting of this tornado was very "striking." In Concord township the tornado uprooted a half-mile of fence on the farm of N. H. Ray. The effects of the terrible gale in Parma township were more disastrous, and its phenomena most strange. The terrible electric storm of November, 1875, created even as much alarm as it did injury. The committee's troubles entailed upon the telegraph officers of the county, and the killing of a span of horses belonging to Porter Harrington, of Spring Arbor, are among its results. A cyclone came up in Grass Lake, about 2 o'clock one afternoon, accompanied by wind and hail, and laid waste everything before it, cutting apples, cabbages, etc., into a pomace, and breaking window-lights that were not protected by blinds. The wind-cloud raised and lowered at intervals, and each time it struck the ground it dealt destruction to everything that came in its way. The first damage done was about two miles southeast of the village, where the wind came down in the vicinity of L. A. Parson's farm, leveling fences and blowing away shocks of corn. It then took a short run to H. Haines', took a chimney off his house, skipped over to Martin Haines', carried all his corn shocks on to C. Hamilton's farm, and lifted the roof off Mr. Hamilton's barn, set it down in the field and then passed to the southeast. James Clark had two cattle killed by lightning, and several others were losers to some extent by having their fences and unhusked corn blown all over their farms. The cloud next lowered near J. F. Gregory's, taking the roof off his house, passed over to Marcus Davis', serving his house in the same manner as Gregory's. Wm. Pixley's farm was next in the line of the storm, but a little more fortunate than the others; only a portion of the shingles were taken from the roof of his house, while his barn was split in two, and one part turned half around. The wind had by this time become terrific in destructiveness and passed into 10 acres of heavy timber belonging to Orren Coppernall, and in less time than it takes to write this, only two trees of that vast forest were left standing. Tall, sturdy oaks of years and years' growth, were snapped off by the wind in its mighty fury as easily as a pipe stem in the hands of a child. Three large trees were next blown across Chas. Pixley's house, smashing in the roof. G. V. Barber's barn was torn to pieces and left lying in a confused heap, while the wing of his house was lifted from the foundation, carried a few feet from the upright and dropped again right side up with care, after which the cloud raised and passed to the south, and no more damage from it is reported. A number of window-lights broken by hail was the only damage done in the village, the cyclone going too far south to strike it. It is estimated that the damage done by wind and hail was nearly $10,000. MISCELLANEOUS. The first salaried official of the county was Phineas Farrand, District Attorney, in 1836. The supervisors ordained that his salary should be specified, and the term of his engagement defined. The omission of the letter u in the old-time spelling of "Ann Arbour," was recognized officially in this county as early as 1837. The records of the supervisors for this year show that Wm. R. De Land, the County Clerk, made use of the new method of orthography for the first time. The following lines appeared on the envelope of a letter, sent through the mails in September, 1837: Postmaster, now beware, And do the thing that's fair; Where there lives a certain man ; In his hand I wish to be lain; Now, don't make a miss, Near where lives this certain man, In 1839 the lands of the squatters in the Grand River valley were sold, under an enactment of the general Government. Notwithstanding the efforts of the settlers to buy in those lands, on which they expended so much labor, the impolite, if not unjust, measure, extended itself to their cabin hearths, and with the eviction banished peace forever. In 1840 the census of Jackson showed a population of 13,135 souls. Forty years later it is set down at 42,040, or three and onefifth times that of the first census. The advance in all matters which ornament the civilization of our time has exceeded even the increase in population, so that there is little room left to doubt the extraordinary progress which the journalist or historian of the next half century will have to report, if only the county continues to stride forward with similar rapidity to its prosperous march in the first half century of its existence. In July, 1845, a company of men in the service of the Jackson Mining Company proceeded to Jackson mountain for the purpose of indulging in the copper speculation. The company was organized with Col. A. V. Berry as president, and F. W. Kirtland, secretary. The bank failures throughout the State in 1845 affected this county to some degree. A Wisconsin journal, in referring to their number and extent of liabilities, remarked: "New Hampshire is a good State to emigrate from. We say Michigan will be a good State to leave until they get rid of a good number more of her bank scoundrels." How different are banking affairs now! Jackson city has full confidence in ber financial concerns. An assembly of influential citizens was held at Jackson August, 1845, to protest against the exorbitant freight charges levied by the Central railroad. The meeting was organized by the appointment of Col. A. V. Berry, President; S. Stoddard and T. E. Gidley, Vice-Presidents, with Samuel Higby, Secretary. Messrs. David Johnson, Phillip Thurber, H. A. Hayden, G. Thompson Gridley, Edwin S. Lathrop, Abram V. Berry and Peter E. De Mill were appointed a committee to prepare a memorial praying for the reduction of rates. The operations in connection with sinking the shaft of the Porter coal mine were commenced Feb. 1, 1871, A. J. Hobart, President of the company, breaking the ground. The trial of John W. Hulin, a clerk at the State's prison, charged with the embezzlement of $17,000, resulted in his confinement within the prison for a period of five and a half years. The sentence was delivered by Judge Higby in March, 1872. |