This article was one of a series of articles

published during the year 1879, in

The Lake County Star called “Progress In Lake County.”

 

Transcriptions were done by Chi (Rouse) Benedict, unless otherwise credited.  If you would like to contact the transcriber,

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Appeared in:  The Lake County Star

Date Published:  April 17, 1879

Volume:  VI  Number:  LI  Page:  1

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Progress in Lake County.

 

[Under this title we give a series of short sketches, descriptive of the time of immigration of each settler in the county, with amount of improvement, present and future prospects;  crops raised in 1878; grain sown last Fall, &c.  Also, sketches of manufacturing and business interests.  Correspondence is solicited from all interested in the growth and prosperity of our county.

 

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John J. Robertson—Settled on his homestead; the north half of the northeast quarter section 24, Dover township; in the Fall of 1868.  The soil is sand and clay loam; water from spring.  Log house and barn; and about 30 acres improved.  Has about 60 apple trees, with cherry, plum and small fruits.  Keeps 2 horses, 3 cows, 6 young cattle, 1 hog and poultry.  In 1878, he had 3 acres wheat, 3 acres corn, 1 ½ acres oats, 3 acres buckwheat, ¾ acre potatoes (135 bushels), ½ acre rutabagas (150 bushels) and 5 acres timothy and clover.  Mr. R. has been Supervisor of his township for four years, and chairman of the Board for three years.

 

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David RobertsonAlso, settled, in the Fall of 1868; on the south half of the northeast quarter section 24, Dover township.  The soil is sand and clay loam; abundance of water from spring.  Has a log house and barn, and 25 acres improved.  Has apple trees and small fruits.  Has sold the north half of the south half of the northeast quarter section 24.  Also, owns 80 acres on section 32, Glencoe township.  The latter has a fine creek running through it.

 

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Henry HooverSettled on the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter section 24, Dover township, in the Spring of 1878 (originally entered by L. B. Thayer).  The soil is clay loam; 3 acres cleared and 30 acres chopped.  Mr. H. intends to improve the place.

 

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Geo. Robinson—Settled, in the Fall of 1868, on the south half of the northwest quarter section 24, Dover township.  The soil is sand and clay loam.  Log house and barn; and plenty of water from spring.  Has apple and small fruits; and maple and elm for shade.  There are 14 acres improved.  Keeps 2 oxen, 1 cow, 2 young cattle, 2 hogs and poultry.  In 1878, he had 4 acres wheat, 2 acres corn, ½ acre buckwheat, 1 acre potatoes and 4 acres timothy.

 

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Jas. H. SuttonSettled on the north half of the northwest quarter section 24, Fover township, in the Fall of 1868.  The soil is sandy loam; 5 acres improved.  Log house and barn.  Has 2 oxen, 1 cow, 2 young cattle and poultry.  Has been off his place for some time; returning, last Winter.

 

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Abner BarrowsSettled on the north half of the northeast quarter section 36, Dover township, in he Fall of 1869.  The soil is sandy loam; with about 10 acres improved.  There’s abundance of water from spring and spring brooks.  Has a log house and barn, and is building a frame house.  Keeps 2 horses, 1 cow and poultry.  In 1878, he had 5 acres of timothy and the balance of his clearing produced corn, potatoes and rye.

 

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Frank M. ColbySettled on the north half of the southeast quarter section 36, Dover township, in the Summer of 1870.  The soil is sandy loam; about 8 acres of which are improved.  Plenty of water from springs and spring brook.  The buildings are of log; fruit, apple and small fruits.  In 1878, his crops consisted of corn, potatoes and buckwheat.

 

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THE CANFIELD RAILROAD.

     In the Summer of 1878, work was commenced by Hon. John Canfield, of Manistee to build a stretch of railroad for logging purposes; the length of the road being about 10 miles, and running through a vast tract of pine; a large portion of which is owned by Mr. Canfield.  The road starts on section 6, in Town 20-10 (Burdell, Osceola county) and runs in a westerly direction, across sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7, Dover township, this county, and ends on section 12, at Pine River, Glencoe township.  The work of cutting down trees has been completed the entire length of the line, and there’s now a force of some 60 men engaged grading, building bridges, &c.  This force will be largely increased as soon as Spring fairly opens.  All the iron for the track has been hauled to the ground; from the G. R. & I. Railway, which runs some four or five miles to the east of the eastern terminus.  The first locomotive for the road is expected to arrive this week from Pittsburg, and it is the intention to have at least two miles of track laid by the 15th of May.  We shall have more to say in regard to this important enterprise, in the future.

 

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Chas. WinchellSettled on the west half of the southeast quarter section 24, Dover township, in the Winter of 1867.  The soil is clay loam; water from a well 12 feet deep.  Has about 30 acres improved, and 10 acres chopped.  The buildings are of log; but he has some material together for a frame house.  For fruit, he has apple, cherry, pear and small fruits.  Keeps 2 horses, 2 cows, 5 young cattle, 3 hogs.  In 1878, he had 5 acres wheat (60 bushels), 2 acres corn, 1 acre oats, 2 acres potatoes (150 bushels), and 20 acres timothy (yield, ton to acre).  His son, Chas. Winchell, was the first white child born in the township.

 

 

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John JenningsSettled, in Spring of 1879, on the east half of the southwest quarter section 24, Dover township, the place originally entered by Isaac Micnary, in the Spring of 1869.  The soil is clay loam; and about 6 acres improved, 6 acres chopped.  There’s a log house, and some fruit, such as apple, cherry and small fruits.

 

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Geo. W. TrowbridgeSettled on the east half of the northeast quarter section 26, Dover township, in the Spring of 1870.  Soil, sand and clay loam.  Water from spring and spring stream.  There are about 20 acres improved.  The buildings are of log.  For shade and ornament has left some original maple and wild cherry.  Keeps 2 oxen, 2 cows, 2 young cattle, 2 hogs and poultry.  In 1878, had 2 acres wheat, 3 acres corn, 1 acre potatoes (100 bushels), 7 acres rye and 5 acres timothy.  Seeded the rye ground to timothy.  Has sold the place to Clark Trowbridge; both working it.

 

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N. H. McKeeHomesteaded the west half of the northeast quarter section 26, Dover township, and settled, in the Fall of 1867.  The soil is sandy loam; good water from a well, 14 feet deep.  The buildings are of log.  Has about 30 acres improved, and 10 acres chopped.  Has about 200 apple trees part, bearing), with plum, cherry, pear and small fruits.  Left original maples, oak, ash and fir for shade and ornament.  Keeps a span of mules, 3 cows, 1 yearling, 5 hogs and poultry.  In 1878, he raised 5 acres wheat, 2 acres corn, 1 acre buckwheat, 1 ½ acres potatoes (300 bushels) and 18 acres timothy.

 

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Uriah N. WelchSettled on the south half of the southeast quarter section 36, Dover township, in the Winter of 1870.  The soil is clay loam, with about 66 acres improved; good spring water.  Has a log house and two log barns.  There are some 200 apple trees (some bearing), and plum, pear, cherry and small fruits.  Keeps 4 horses, 2 oxen, 5 cows, 10 young cattle, 6 hogs and poultry; and in 1878, had 13 acres wheat, 8 acres corn, 2 acres buckwheat, 3 acres potatoes (over 400 bushels), ½ acre beans, 33 acres timothy and 5 acres tame pasture.  Sowed 7 acres wheat, last Fall.  Mr. W. also, owns the north half of the northeast quarter section 1, Ellsworth township, which with 40 acres in Leroy township, Osceola county, makes 200 acres.  It is probably safe to say that he has the leading farm of that locality.

 

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Geo. F. CoeHomesteaded the north half of the northwest quarter section 36, Dover township, in the Spring of 1871.  The soil is sandy loam; with spring water, and creek for stock.  Has a house, part frame, part log; log barn; and about 19 acres under improvement.  For fruit, has about 60 apple trees (some bearing), cherry, plum, pear and small fruits.  Left some original maples for shade.  Keeps 2 oxen, 2 cows, 3 young cattle, 6 hogs and poultry; and in 1878, had 2 ½ acres wheat, 2 ½ acres corn, 1 acre oats, ½ acre potatoes, 1/8 acre beans, ¾ acre rutabagas (75 bushels) and 6 acres timothy.  Sowed 2 acres wheat, last Fall.

 

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Chas. Coe—Purchased the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter section 35, Dover township, in the Summer of 1876; his brother, Adelbert Coe, having first bought the land of the G. R. & I. R’y Co.  The soil is sandy loam.  There is a log house, and about 2 ½ acres improved.  He has just taken to himself a better half, and is now qualified to go on and make a farm.

 

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John HooverSettled on the north half of the southeast quarter section 26, Dover township, in the Fall of 1871.  The soil is sandy loam; water from a well 59 feet deep.  Has about 20 acres improved; log house, frame barn.  Has about 50 apple trees, with small fruits; and has left some original maples for shade.  Keeps 1 horse, 2 cows, 1 yearling, 1 hog and poultry.  The crops of 1878, consisted of wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, buckwheat, and about 12 acres of timothy. 

 

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C. R. WilliamsSettled on the west half of the southwest quarter section 36, Dover township, in the Spring of 1876.  The soil is sand and clay loam; with plenty of water from spring and running streams.  There are 10 acres improved and 10 acres chopped.  Log house and barn; and has pear, grape, cherry and small fruits; with some original maples for shade.  Keeps 2 horses, 1 cow, 1 hog and poultry.  In 1878, he had 3 acres corn (about 300 bushels ears), 3 acres buckwheat, ½ acres potatoes (about 100 bushels) and 1 ½ acres millet.

 

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Jas. PettitHomesteaded the north half of the northeast quarter and the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter section 12, Webber township, in the Fall of 1871.  The soil is sand; plains and pine; water from a well 28 feet deep.  Buildings, of log.  Has apple and small fruits; and for shade and ornament has set 50 maples.  Intends to plant more fruit trees, this Spring.  Keeps 2 oxen, 3 cows, 2 young cattle, 2 hogs and poultry; and in 1878, had 1 acre wheat, 4 acres corn, 1 acre oats, 1 ½ acre potatoes and 9 acres rye.  Sowed 6 acres wheat, and 6 acres rye, last Fall.

 

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Page Notes:

All of these sketches are typed as they appeared in the newspaper

(spelling and so on).

 

Errata means that the item is a correction to a previous article or an addition.

 

- - - = Is missing some lines.  I will be making another trip to be able to get the missing items of this article, image for this name became blurry in sections.

 

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Welch, Uriah N.

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