History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With ... biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers.

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HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

Allen, Edwin Barnum, and Ephraim Palmer built a log
house on the bluff bank of Brush Creek, about forty rods
north of the present union school-house of Lawrence.
Mr. Allen, not being satisfied with moderate profits and
steady business, was seized with the speculative mania, and
located a number of lots of land on what is now known as
Hog Creek, about a mile east of Hartford village. He platted
this land into lots and started an imaginary village, calling
it Middletown. A good story is told in connection with the
village, about as follows:* In 1836, Mr. Allen attempted
to establish a stage-route from Paw Paw to St. Joseph, via
Brush Creek, Middletown, and Waterford (Watervliet).
Some five or six families who had gathered at Brush Creek,
having heard of Middletown, supposed it to be quite a village, and some of the men of the settlement proposed to visit
it. The company consisted of about half a dozen ragged men
and as many barefooted boys; but one of the company, John
Mellen, a Mohawk Dutchman, being rather more destitute
of clothing than the rest, felt a little ashamed to go among
strangers, when Humphrey Barnum offered to lend him a
coat. Mellen accepted, and the company started out, passing a little south of where Holland Clark now lives. They
soon struck the hills, and after going up and down for about
half a mile, came to what seemed to be the last place in
creation, being a deep hollow, about forty rods across and fifty
or sixty feet below the land around it; and as much of the
timber in and around it was pine, the name of Pine Hollow
was given to it. Climbing out of this they soon came to
Mud Lake, and a little farther west passed Sutton's Lake
and came to the great Indian trail which passed through
the country north and south from Pokagon to Lake Michigan, crossing the Paw Paw River at Sturgeon Ripple, and
through the Indian settlements in Bangor, striking the
lake at South Haven. A little west of this they crossed
the town line, which brought the party into a town not yet
settled by a white man. Working their way through brush,
over logs, and across small streams, they reached Middletown Creek, and crossing it, took a seat upon the bank
where the barn stands on the Bouvier place. There the
party partook of their lunch, when Barnum told Mellen he
would show him the village, and going a few rods he introduced him to the public square and other imaginary localities and business places, and also to the leading settlers,
which were none other than mosquitoes, and he thought
they had made themselves acquainted at least with some of
the family. The joke was relished by the whole company,
and was the source of considerable sport for years afterwards. The party, after surveying the village and its surroundings for a few hours, returned home tired and hungry,
but entirely satisfied with their inspection trip to the new
village.
With all the inducements offered, Middletown failed to
realize the hopes of its projectors, and it was not even used
for farm-lands for many years after.
Upon the failure of Mr. Allen a Mr. Grant, of Oswego,
N. Y., came into possession of it by foreclosure of the
mortgage, and long after Sylvanus Casselman bought the

* This story and some of the incidents of the pioneers are gleaned
from articles contributed by Luther Sutton in the Day Spring as
historical notes, pioneer sketches, etc.

land,- Mr. Allen was a pioneer in three States, —Michigan,
Iowa, and California. He was State senator from Washtenaw County in 1847-48, and in 1850 went to California,
where he died.
The first actual settlers in the township were Ferdino
Olds and family, consisting of his wife and daughter Julia
(now Mrs. Ansel E. Reynolds). Mr. Olds was a native of
Cayuga Co., N. Y., emigrated to this place in December,
1836, and located land on the middle of the north half of
section 29, where W. H. Haven now lives. On coming
through to the place the family stopped at the house of
Lyman G. Hill (who was the nearest settler and lived in
the northeast part of Keeler township) while he put up a
small log cabin, which was completed Jan. 25, 1837, on
which day the family moved into it. Here they lived a
short time, but the family increased so rapidly that a larger
house had to be built, and a family of ten children were
raised, nine of whom are living. Mr. Olds died in October,
1856.
His brothers, Hezekiah and John, came in soon after.
The latter settled on the southwest quarter of section 29,
adjoining Ferdino; Hezekiah was (and is still) a bachelor and
lived with John; Orson settled south of John on the same
quarter-section, and lives now in the village. His farm
was sold to Sylvester McNitt. Ira and Harry came in
later. Ira settled on section 28, where William Day resides, and now lives in Keeler, near the north line. Harry
was a carpenter. He lived here a few years and returned
to New York. Edwin R. Olds, a son of Orson, married
Harriet, a daughter of Ferdino Olds, and in 1858 bought
the farm now owned by A. N. Spaulding on the northeast
quarter of section 28, and was engaged in farming and lumbering for several years. He removed to the village and built
the first hotel, known as the Olds House. He is now engaged in buying stock, grain, and wool, and is one of the
foremost business men in the town. Ransom and Allen
Olds are sons of Orson, and are engaged in the manufacture of sash, doors, and blinds, and are also building contractors.
Henry Hammond was the next settler, and located on
the southeast quarter of section 34, where Mr. E. B. Greenfield lived. He erected a cabin for temporary use in the
spring of 1837, where he lived till about the middle of
May. Mr. and Mrs. Hammond unitedly worked together in
building a log house 16 by 22, and moved into it as soon
as completed. In this house, Jan. 3, 1838, a daughter was
born to them, who was the first child born in the township. This was Catharine Hammond, afterwards the wife
of Hiram E. Stratton.
Thomas Conklin, a native of Rutland, Jefferson Co.,
N. Y., came to Kalamazoo in 1834, but not liking the
country returned to New York. In November, 1836, in
company with his brother James and a Mr. Sellick, he
came back to Kalamazoo. They had with them a yoke of
oxen and a'wagon. The first night in the wilderness was
passed under many difficulties; they felled a large beechtree, and building a fire against it cooked their food. They

slept on the ground with the wagon-box turned over them.
Snow fell during the night to the depth of two feet, and
continued the next day, and the weather getting colder