History of Oakland County, Michigan.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

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Orchard Lake avenue, a few rods beyond the toll-gate. It contains about five
acres, and has been christened by the appropriate name of '" Mount Hope Cemetery." It is comparatively new and unimproved, and lacks the charms which the
native forest-trees give to " Oak Hill;" but the ground is dry and sufficiently
rolling to make it susceptible of pleasant and agreeable arrangement and orna\ mentation, which will undoubtedly come with the lapse of time.
Many of the remains which were interred in private grounds in the early days
have been transferred to " Oak Hill" and " Mount Hope," which year by year
are becoming more beautiful and interesting, as one by one the silver-haired
pioneers are carried to their last earthly resting-place.
" There is a balm for those who weep,
A rest for weary pilgrims found,
Where they may lie and sweetly sleep
Low in the ground."
EARLY HOTELS.
Dr. Olmstead Chamberlin built one of the first hotels in Pontiac, on the
southwest corner of Saginaw and Lawrence streets, as early as 1822. The
National block now occupies the site. Dr. Chamberlin kept a hotel in his building for about two years. It was a frame, two stories in height, and quite an imposing building for those days. This house stood until April, 1840, when it
disappeared in the fire and smoke of the great fire of that year.
Solomon Close built the National block, as a sort of rival to the Hodges House,
about 1842-43. Colonel David Stanard built a two-story frame hotel on the corner
opposite Dr. Chamberlin's about 1823-24, and painted it yellow, and it was long
known as the " yellow tavern."
The most famous, as well as the most costly, hotel which Pontiac has ever
boasted was the Hodges House, erected in 1838 by Schuyler Hodges. Mr.
Hodges was born in New Hampshire, April 1, 1798. He was the son of Sanders Hodges, who, with his wife Jane Knapp, were also natives of the '" Granite
State." In the autumn of 1800, Sanders Hodges removed to Stanstead, in Lower
Canada, were he remained several years, when he removed to the village of Colborne, in Cramahe township, Northumberland county, Upper Canada, in which
place he died and was buried in 1820. His wife survived him until 1840, and
died in Whitby township, in the same province, at the age of sixty-four years.
Schuyler Hodges came to Michigan about 1822. In 1823 he was working by
the month for Aaron Webster at Auburn, and must have settled at Pontiac about
that time, where he engaged in the mercantile business and soon became a prominent citizen. In 1828-29 he was sheriff of Oakland County, and in the firstnamed year married Mary A. Williams, daughter of Major Oliver Williams, the
first settler in Waterford.
About 1838 Mr. Hodges commenced building the public-house which still
bears his name. He had large accounts trusted out among the farmers and
others, for which he took lumber, stone, brick, and any kind of material which
he could utilize in his new building, besides labor, teaming, etc. The building is about eighty by one hundred and thirty-two feet, three stories and basement, and finished for several stores on the first floor. The brick were manufactured in the vicinity, and the cut stone was all brought from Ohio, by water, to
Detroit, and thence by wagons to Pontiac. The building was completed and
opened as a hotel, February 17, 1840. It was claimed to be at that date the
finest hotel building in the State, and was probably surpassed by none. It contained over fifty rooms, and was in every respect a first-class house for that day.
The stores below were opened in 1838. The total cost of this famous structure
was about thirty thousand dollars. After the lapse of forty years the building
still ranks number one among those of a similar character in towns of the size of
Pontiac. Mr. Hodges died in Pontiac, April 29, 1845.
The following proceedings of the township board on the 1st of February, 1840,
explain. themselves:

" Whereas, Schuyler Hodges has applied to the township board for license to
keep a tavern in the brick building at the corner of Pike and Saginaw streets,
in the village of Pontiac, within the township; therefore,
" Resolved, That the clerk be ordered to issue to said Hodges a license to keep
a tavern in said building until the 1st day of May next, on payment of the fees
required by law.
" CHARLES M. ELDRIDGE,
Township Clerk."
A tavern known as ", Pontiac Place" was kept by E. W. Lawrence in 1840.
It was situated near the bridge, on Saginaw street. Baldwin D. Coonley kept it
the following year.
Solomon Frost kept a house called the " Pontiac Hotel" as early as 1830-31.
We give the following notes from the Oakland Chronicle and other early
papers:

BUSINESS IN 1830.
By the United States census of 1830, taken by Amos Mead, the county of
Oakland had a total population of 4910, and Pontiac and Auburn were the most
important business places in the county.
At that date-Solomon Close kept the Pontiac inn. E. & S. Beach & Co.,
Darrow & Le Roy, H. N. Howard, and B. Phelps & Co. were extensive general
merchants. A. A. Wells had recently opened a manufactory of hats and caps,
Alfred Judson was in the tailoring business, W. Barnum was selling boots and
shoes. R. L. Sheldon was running a saddler-shop, and Wesson & Barber were
blacksmithing.
In 1835 political excitement seems to have been in a flourishing condition, and
mass-meetings were held at Pontiac, Rochester, Bloomfield, and other places.
A rousing political meeting was held at the court-house, on the 9th of February,
1835, to choose delegates to attend the convention called to frame a State constitution, of which Amos Mead was chairman and Joseph Morrison and E. W.
Peck secretaries.
The temperance question was also as thoroughly agitated then as now, and
there was warm work throughout the county.
BUSINESS OF 1835.
Among the prominent merchants and business men of 1835, according to the
advertising columns of the Oakland Whig, were Schuyler Hodges, who kept a
general stock, dry goods, groceries, hardware, crockery, stoves, flour, whisky,
lumber, shingles, and bricks.
S. Beach, also a general stock and cash store, which was a nine days' wonder in
those times; R. Keeler, groceries; R. Le Roy, dry goods, etc.; 0. Chamberlin,
dry goods; A. Judson, tailor; E.. M. Andrews & Co. and Silas Matson, groceries
and provisions; H. Frederick, gunsmith.
The papers of that year were full of discussions touching citizenship, the rights
of aliens, etc.
There were also occasionally people in those days who were fast enough for even
this age of steam. For instance, the Whig chronicles an item touching a certain
couple who were " cried" at ten A.M., married at four P.M., and presented with an
heir at ten P.M., weighing twenty-one pounds. '; Past ten o'clock, and all iswelll"
NEW CONSTITUTION.
The Whig published the new State constitution in full in its issue of July 8,
1835, soon after the convention adjourned.
It is curious to read in these days of telegraphy the displayed headings in the
old papers: "FIFTEEN DAYS LATER FROM EUROPE!" "SEVEN DAYS LATER!'
In July of this year the new firm of Chamberlin & Whittemore opened a general stock of merchandise, and S. Chaffee was in the hatting business.
MIAILS IN 1836.
In January of the above year the mail facilities of Pontiac were as follows:
Detroit, twice per week, Mondays and Thursdays; Auburn, Troy, etc., once per
week; Lapeer, once per week; Saginaw, once per week; and Plymouth, once
per week. Special route, from Lake Elizabeth, Salome, and Commerce, once per
week.
PONTIAC FURNACE.
In March, 1836, George Allen & Co. advertised plows and various kinds of
castings at the above establishment.
During 1836 was the flood-tide of immigration to Michigan, and it was stated
in the papers of that year that the number of immigrant wagons passing through
Pontiac daily averaged fifty. The town grew very rapidly, and its citizens indulged in " great expectations."
In an issue of the Whig of that year the editor indulges in a sort of eulogy of

his flourishing town, and proudly compares it with Chicago, which at that time
was importing flour for the sustenance of its people, while Pontiac was already a
heavy exporting point.
To-day the grain trade of Chicago reaches the enormous amount of from seventy
to one hundred million bushels.
In June of 1836 the country was flooded by heavy rains.
ABOLITION.
In August of that year there was a meeting of the " Oakland County Free Discussion and Anti-Slavery Society," in Pontiac, to choose delegates to attend the
State anti-slavery convention at Ann Arbor.
PONTIAC AND TIHE QUESTION OF ADMISSION.
The vote on the proposition of Congress for the admission of Michigan into the
Union stood: for admission upon the terms proposed, 37; against,: 203.