History of Ottawa County, Michigan with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers.

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HISTORY OF OTTAWAmTA COUNTY T71

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D. Manly HEoward, H~olland, Ottawa,
H~iram Jenison, Jenisonville,
Benj. Laubach, Berlin, Ottawa,
Geo. Luthter# Lamont, Ottawa,
E. W. Merrill,, Muskegon City,
tyman Murray,,Lisbon, Ottawa,
H3enry A. Norton, Berlin, Ottawa,
H~enry Pennoyer, Grand Hraven,
John REoost, H3olland,, Ottawa,
Wales F. Storrs, Cooperville, Ottawa,
Charles C. Thompson, Whitehall, nluskegon,
Dirk B. K.( Van Raalte, Holland, ~Ottawa,
T. WT. W~hite, Grand H~aven, Ottawa,
Natthan Whitney, Trenrt, Muskegonl
Silas G. HEarrris, of Ottawa County, was the S]
Hrouse of Representatives, and was Speaker in 1850.. 863-5
1853
1877-9
1863-4-5
1857
1867-9-70
1869-70
1849
1871-2
1875
1873-4
1875-7
1844
1875
)peaker of the

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THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION
In 1881-2 consists of Prof. A. W. Taylor of Nunica, Mrs. A. V.
W~eatherwax of Jenisonzville, atnd Rev. Jats. F. Zwemer of Spring
Lake, secretary. In an address lately delivered Mrs. Wea'therwax
gave the following figures as to salaries of teachers:
In the townzship, of Allenda~le the average price paid to
male teachers is $30; to female, $17. In Jamestown, male,.$34;
female, $21. Olive, male, $25; female, $21. Talmadge employs
no male teachers. Female average, $22. Wright, one male teacher. Average for female, $14. Z;eeland, $45 for males and $i28 for
females. It would seem that the distinction between the m~ale and
female teachers would recommend itself to your judgment as too
great, inasmuch as we do not hesitate- to place our best, largest and
most ungovernable schools in the hands of female teachers. For instance, in the township of Georgetown we have schools numbering
but forty pupils, paying $~45, per month for a male teacher, while two
of our schools numbering between sixty and seventy pupils are ill
the hands of -two of our most competent lady teachers, employed att
the very highest limit, namely, $28 per month. Those same schools
willingly pay $~35 per month~ for a male teacher.
COUNTY: OFFICERS. 1882.
'Judge of Probate —Samuel L. Tate.
Sheriff —John Vaupell.
Register of Deeds —Jacob Baar.
Clerk -Geo. D. Turner.
Treasurer-L-. T. Ka~nters.
Prosecuting Attorney-George WV. McBride.
Circuit; Court C ommissionaers —Arendd Visscher, Charles E.
Soule.,
Surveyor-RB. J. Foster.
Coroners —Curtis W. Gray, Wra. H. Filzch.
Fish Commissio~ner —John Snoek..
Boa~rd of County School Examiners —A. W. Taylor, Mrs. A. V.
Weatherwax. and Jas. F. Zwemerer, See., Spring Lake.
THE PRESENT COUNTY OFFICIALS.
SAMUEL L. TATE, Judge of Probate, was born in Leeds, England, January 14tb, 1839. At 3 years of age his parents came to
Massachusetts, and in eleven years moved to Peoria, Ell., and after
various changes of location, he came to Grand Haven in 1870, hatving previously graduated at Albion College, El., and also in law at
Chicago.
He entered into a law partnership for a time with Stephen L.
Lowing, was elected Circuit Court Commissioner in January, 1873,
haws been elected for t~hree terms of four years each on the Republican ticket, and has served as city Alderman for four terms.

GEo. D. TURNER,COUntY Clerk, was born in Clilnton County, N.
Y., in 1849; removed when young to St. Lawrence Couulty, where
he resided thirteen years; came to Ta~lmadge Township in 18661
taught school for a few years in that township and Wright; took a
course at G~rand Rapids Commmercial College; was elected on the
Republican ticket in November, 1880, as County Clerk; married,
September 14th, 1873, Lily C. Marvin, of Wright, and has one
child, Marvin, born April 24th, 1877.
JACOB BAAR, Register of' Deeds of Ottawa County, was born in
Grand Hatven MI~iay 16th, 1858, and, although elected to an important public office, is only 24 years of age. His father, Simon Baar,
is a native of Holland, and came to Grand Haven in 1850. Jacob,
after leaving school, entered the hardware store of Geo. E. Hubbard as clerk, and continued in that position until January, 1881,
when he entered upon the duties of the off~fice of Register, to which
he was elected at the preceding election. Mr. Baar is the youngest
Register in the State.
GEORGE VAN SCHELVEN, acting Treasurer, is a gentleman of
considerable prominence, ex-editor of the H~olland City News, and
now Deputy Treasurer of thle county. He was born in the Kin gdom of Holland in 1842, and carve to Holland City in 1855, and
has filled many municipal offices, such as alderman, justice of the
peace, city clerk, supervisor, etc. -He has devoted a great deal of
attention to the history of the Holland Colonly, and we gladly avail
ourselves of h~is valuable skretches.
L. T. KIANTERS, County Treasurer, was elected in November,.
1880, for two years, is ex-Treasurer of H~ollandt, and Chief of the
Fire Department. He came from the KEingdom of H~olland in 1862.
H3is attention h~as been greatly devoted of late to contracting, chieflyy
in Texas.JOHN VAUPELL, Sheriff, was born in Livingston Cournty, N. Y.,
-of Dutch parents. He came to Holland in 1860, atnd moved to
Grand Haven in 1881, after his election as Sheriff'. He h~as held
many positions of tru~st in Holland, such as marshal, alderman,
and has been deputy sheriff for four years. Mr. Vaupell makes an
excellent officer, comb.-ning, as be does, firmness and resolution
with a courteous and conciliatory manner.
THE PORT SHELDON BUBBLE 1836-38.
Pigeon Lake, in Olive Township, is an inlet of Lakle Michigan, connected by a narrow stratit, and the influx of water from the
land is too small to keep the strait open. If opened by dredginlg,
at the first storm on the lake it will silt up. Any good engineer
could have foreseen that the harbor could not be kept open. The
folly of a company wh~ich did not first ascertain this fact will now
be related.
The history of Port Slleldon is ain episode of more than usual
interest. About 1836 a manial for locating cities andl villages prevaliled, andl men fatncied they could see "millions" in somve wvilderness location. The points were secured; villages were platted and
mapped, and many were there that paid for lots in these paper
cities.
In 1836 a number of New York and Philadelphia capitalists
formed a joint stock comliany —the Port Sheldonz Company —with
the design of founding a city in western Michigan. They had
abundant capital and any azmount of faith. Detroit was the emporium3 for eastern Michigan, and Chicag~o was then in - embryo and

Iits future problematical.
The company first selected Grand Haven, but the Grand Haven Company had already possession and rejected all overtures, so
that th~e Port Sheldonr Company, although well aware of the superior adva~ntages of the mouth of Grandl River, determined- to crush
out Grand H~aven by getting the start in development. They there

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