| The Early History of the
Kelsey & Hatfield Families And Niles And the
House at 242 Ullery Road, Niles, Michigan, built in 1837
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| Keel boats pushed up the river with poles. These boats
were manned by 6 & 12 men each and carried 25 to 30 tons each. Crafts
built of white oak planks from 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick and 16 feet wide
and 40 feet long with sides that allowed them to go in about 20 inches to
2 feet of water and capable of carrying 250 barrels of flour. Two of these
coupled together, one behind the other and with long sweeps at each and
were guided down the current of the river and generally reached their
destination. The first settlement of Niles Township or for miles around was made by John Johnson. He came to Niles in 1824 and was a shoemaker by trade. He built a log house on his land in 1827 and he and his wife moved into it the same year. It appears that for nearly two years the Johnson's & Claypool's (who married Johnson's sister) were the only white dwellers in the township. Eli Ford came from Pennsylvania in 1826 to Pokagon Prairie. In 1828 he put up a log grist mill in Niles township on the Dowagiac Creek, the old yellow mill, not the Electric Light Plant. The first grist mill run by water power. In 1832 he moved into Berrien township and constructed a saw mill a mile north east of Berrien Springs. In 1833 he built a grain warehouse near the east end of Berrien Bridge. He died in 1839. In 1833 James Kirk came to Niles and lived in a cloth tent, later a pole shanty and then a log cabin. It is to be noted that during the period of river navigation the water in the river was much higher than at the time of writing this history. The first ferry across the river was at Berrien in 1831. The bridge was built in 1844. In 1836 Bertrand contained 7 dry goods stores, 3 hotels, 3 grocery stores, a warehouse and a large four story hotel. This hotel was torn down and floated down the river to Berrien where it was erected into the Oronoco Hotel. Bertrand was the Gretna Green of Berrien Co. because in Indiana a license to marry was required, while in Michigan none was required. One of the first settlements in Bertrand Township appears to have been made by Nathan Hatfield, my grandfather. Mr. Hatfield came from Wayne Co. Indiana to Carey Mission in 1828 and located on Portage Prairie in Section 20, Range 17 on the State Line. The larger part of his farm was in Indiana, but he built his house on the Michigan side. In 1829 he went back to his old home and brought back his family. The Indian village of Pokagon was located near his farm. Because of the changing of the state line, 10 miles farther north than originally planned, his house was on the line. Grandfather telling that one bedroom was in Indiana and one in Michigan. Milton Hatfield, my father, was son of Nathan. In June 1821 with Abram Burnett, a pupil and half-breed, who acted as interpreter, McCoy sat out from Fort Wayne to meet Pokagon to establish a school in Michigan. In 1822, by a treaty between Indians and Government, a tract of land a mile square, located 1 mile west of the present Broadway Bridge in Niles, was set out for school purposes. McCoy's salary was $600. In June 1820, Rev. I. McCoy, a Baptist clergyman, established a school and mission in Fort Wayne, Ind. He brought with him several capable teachers. There were no roads and he was obliged to hew his way through the woods. It is said that in 1826 there were 208 acres enclosed in a fence - 15 acres of wheat, 50 acres of corn and 8 acres in potatoes and other vegetables. They had a most excellent grist mill worked by horses. This was the only mill within 100 miles. It was built in 1825, the first one built west of Ann Arbor & Tecumseh. William Burnett, father of Abram Burnett, was located at St. Joseph. He employed 2 men, Joseph Bertrand and LeClair, Frenchmen from Canada to locate at Bertrand to help him in his fur trade with the Indians. No road existed to the St. Joe river except a dangerous track from Fort Wayne to Niles, crossed by numerous rivers which the traveler had to ford. There were no houses between. It it thought the Pottawatomies had occupied a good portion of the Southern peninsula of Michigan before 1670, but that about the middle of the 17th century they had been forced to go northward on account of the frequent invasions of the Iroquois Indians. The Indians thought the souls of their departed are obliged on the way to the great prairie, to cross a large stream, over which a log is placed, but that it is in constant agitation that one but the spirits of the good men can pass over in safety, while those of the bad slip into the river off the log and are never heard of again. In November 1679, LaSalle with a band of soldiers and 4 Priests arrived at the mouth of the St. Joseph River. Here he erected a fort while waiting for a large vessel on the lake. The vessel not appearing, he & 33 persons came up the St. Joe river in 8 canoes to South Bend from where they carried their canoes to the Kankakee and descended to the Illinois River. In the later part of the 18th century Topinabee, the chief of the Pottawatomies, located a village on the farm about 3 miles South west of Niles. Pokagon was second in rank and his village was second in rank. Wee saw's Village was on the hill, he could see from our kitchen window at the Kelsey Farm (on Ullery Road). Really this was across from the Howard Nieb farm on the west side of the river. Wee saw had 3 wives, the favorite of who was a daughter of Topinabee and when he visited the white people she walked next to him in the rear and the other wives followed her. In 1828 a treaty was made between the Pottawatomies and the government, at Carey Mission, located 1 mile west of Niles. Pokagon and his band refused to sign the 3rd treaty made in Chicago in 33, unless they were allowed to remain in Michigan. This request was granted and his descendants are still living in Silver Creek near Sister Lakes. The Pottawatomies went to Kansas. In 1847 the head chief was Kah-he-ga-nate, and after his conversion, he took the name of Abram Burnette. He was known as the big fat man, weighing at the time of his death 350 lbs. He died in 1870. The squaws were usually dressed in blue broadcloth leggings with fringes perhaps 1 1/2 inches wide on the outside of the limb a blue figured calico shift gown over which was worn a blanket. On their feet they wore moccasins of deerskin. The blanket was supported by a belt, especially if there was a papoose 1 or 2 years old who rode on the back of the mother, inside the blanket. If the child was young it was strapped to a board and hung on the back by a belt over the mother's forehead. The hair was wound around a clip about 2 inches square and fastened in a know just back of the head, or braided and hanging down the back. If the weather was stormy the blanket was brought overhead, otherwise there was no head covering. There is a true story told that when there were only 2 Miami Indians left in this vicinity, Old Chief Pokagon came to their home, which situated on the river, in the house where the YMCA was, west of Emmons. Here he had heard that one of the 2 had died so he intended to kill the last one left, but when he came here he found that a young girl was left, her father having just died, and he found her up in a tree, singing or calling in an effort to help her father's soul to get across the river in safety, so he helped her and then married her and took her home with him to be his wife. (Sam Quimby told me this story.) The food at Carey Mission consisted of cornbread, pork fattened in the woods, fish, venison and wild game. The fruit, wild strawberries, crab apples, wild plums, whortleberries and blackberries. The farmers outfit consisted of axe, iron wedge, bull plow, a harrow, which was often a tree top or crotch with wooden teeth, and a sickle. In 1835 a work was published in New York, entitled a Winter in the West. The writer traveled on horseback and stopped at Niles. He said he ferried over the river in Niles in 33, a low sided scow was the conveyance. The Carey Mission was a long, low white building. Squire Thompson came to Niles from Ohio in 1823. He was the first farmer and had 2 children. His son Isaac was born on the way from Ohio to Niles in 1823. A daughter was born to these people in 1825. The first white child born in Berrien County. She was later a Mrs. Weed. A log house was built of small logs one upon the other, grooved at the ends so as to fit all around closely. The chinks being closed with strips of much and wood with small apertures for windows, and a larger one in front for a door, still another one in the roof through which the smoke, after lingering with the family and household goods till all were blue, would wander out at its own sweet will. The roof, flat, but sloping was composed of poles covered with boughs or straw. When the weather was bad, blankets were put up at the windows. Often the beds were made of cedar boughs piled in the corner. In the fall of 1824, John Lybrook came from Richmond, Ind. by way of Fort Wayne to the Carey Mission. In 1825 he went back to Richmond and brought back Joel Year, John Johnson and a brother. They walked the entire distance, each carrying clothing, provisions, an axe and a gun. In the fall of 1825, John Johnson, brought his family and settled on what was later known as the Johnson Flats but where Zedo Allen lived recently., although he really owned all land including cemetery, Horan place, Emmons place and far north as Walker cross by brick school house (Hatfield School). This area now is 140 and 31-311 join at River Bluff and extending up to Hatfield Road, al the area between the roads.) Grandfather Kelsey, Lewis D. was first buried in this cemetery, but later the body was removed to the Kelsey lot in the Buchanan cemetery. The John Johnson family consisted of wife and 11 children, a father and 4 maiden sisters. In 1832 the famous Blackhawk War occurred. Since there were several thousand Pottawatomies around here, a regiment consisting of 4 or 5 Michigan volunteers made their rendezvous at the Hotel of Thomas Green, afterwards known as the Old Diggins, located between Front Street and the bridge on Main Street. But Black Hawk was defeated, so the troops were not needed, although some few went as far as the Mississippi. Through it all, the Pottawatomies remained true to the white people. A disease known as Michigan Ague was very prevalent here. It was an intermittent & malarial fever which assumed three stages. The first was a cold sensation, causing the patient to shiver, his teeth to chatter and knees to knock together. The chills were followed by high fever, headaches, high temperature - 103 to 105 - then the third stage return of pulse, copious sweat, followed by sleep sensation. These paroxysm occurred at regular intervals, sometimes each day, sometimes every other day. Doctors gave large doses of calomel, which often salivated the patients and made his teeth come loose. It was seldom fatal. It was thought to have been caused by abundant richness of vegetation and much undrained marshy soil. The county seat was at Niles in 1832, when it was removed to Berrien and then to St. Joseph - to Berrien in 1837. In 1896 the courthouse at St. Joseph was built. Grandfather Hatfield being one of the supervisors at that time was present at the laying of the cornerstones. I was also there. The earliest road that led into Berrien was the road from Fort Wayne by way of trading stations at South Bend & Bertrand to Carey Mission. The principal Indian trail from Green Bay, south through present site of Chicago, around the head of Lake Michigan reached the Pottawatomie village, near Bertrand where they crossed the river then went east through what is now Edwardsburg, White Pigeon, Tecumseh, Ypsilanti and to the Detroit River. In 1823 the Old Chicago road was commenced. The Michigan Central was the first railroad in Michigan, starting from Detroit was finished to Niles on October 7, 1845. The first newspaper in Niles was published by a Mr. Niles, from who the city was named. In 1832 a class was formed at the house of Joshua Comley. This class subsequently had its meeting at the school house until the erection of the church in 1839. The first regular pastor appears to have been Rev. W. H. Sampson, the grandfather of Ellen Sampson Hatfield and great grandfather of Ethel Hatfield Kelsey by whom this history is being written. This house sold to Mekhem in 1864. The Pearson house on the south corner 4th & Sycamore St. Among the earliest settlers in Berrien Co. was Stephen Salee who located in 1828 on the banks of the St. Joe River at River Bluff. He built a large log cabin in which he lived and also carried on a store where the Indians traded fur and bought whiskey for 25 cents per gallon. Mr. Salee came from Ohio in a covered wagon with his wife and two children. He brought 3 barrels of whiskey, a sack of coffee and other necessaries of those days. The first wedding then in the township occurred at this tavern. One William Barlow being the bridegroom and Pitt Brown the Justice of the Peace, the officiating Magistrate. Apparently a Miss Ford was the bride because it is said her bridal gown was made by Mrs. Ford, from bolting cloth taken from Mr. Ford's mill. Eli Ford came from Indiana in 1826 or 7 and constructed a log flour mill on the Dowagiac Creek (the Electric Light Plant). It was the first grist mill, run by water power, built in Berrien County. This mill was later torn down and aframe mill built by the father of W. G. Blish and was known as the Old Yellow Mill. Mr. Blish used to conduct a singing school at the school house nearby. People came from Kalamazoo and farther with grist, to be ground at this mill and often camped East of the mill over night or stayed at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Young who lived where Linsenmeyers do now. Mr. Salee erected a sawmill on Dowagiac Creek on the flat south of Briggs, also here was a brick yard where he made the brick to build his new tavern at the present Wm. File home in River Bluff. In 1825, as we have seen, John Johnson & family located his log house on what we knew as the Zedo Allen farm, probably choosing this site because of the spring nearby. It was here that ever 2 weeks people came from miles around and stayed over night and had religious services. The log tavern was built just south of Wingert's filling station, just South of where 140 and 31-33 junction at River Bluff. Father (Milton Kelsey) has heard Mr. Hamilton tell that the South 40 of Mr. Walton's farm was the first field cleared around and that the Indians had that for a place for the deer to feed. Also Aunt Adeline, who lived as a child, on the Zedo Allen farms, then owned by Grandfather Kelsey, tells that over in that field were many wild plums. Abner & Nancy Kelsey at one time owned and lived on the Zedo Allen farm, also owned and lived on the old Johnny Snuff farm back off the road. It was while living there that Grandfather Lewis & Grandmother Eliza Kelsey, father and mother of Milton Kelsey were married It was said that one time when Lewis lived on the Johnny Snuff farm, he was hunting and came to the Milton Kelsey farm and the barn on the place had sheds all around and some men, being afraid he might see too much, ordered him away. It was later found that stolen horses were being hidden there. In 1828 there were 2 tribes of Indians in what is now Niles - the Pottawatomies on the West side of the river and the Miamies on the East. It is said that in 1834 there were only 5 or 6 families between St. Joe and Berrien. It is said that in 1840 as many as 60 keel boats were traveling the St. Joe River. Merchandise came from New York City by way of the Hudson River to Albany, hence by Erie Canal to Buffalo and from Buffalo by sailing vessel to St. Joseph, where it was loaded into keel boats, arks and other crafts, propelled by oars and poles which ascended the river for 150 miles. In turn wheat, flour and other products were taken east by the same route. In 1832 a 15 ton sloop was built at LaGrange, Cass county and hauled by oxen to Niles and there launched in the River. It was called the Dart and ran between St. Joseph and Chicago. The Newbury Port was the first steamboat on the river and came as far as Berrien Springs. Next the Matelda Barney and later the David Crocket. Pitt Brown was Captain in 1835 she ran on a rock near Berrien Springs, broke in two and sank. The Indiana was the largest and swiftest boat on the river in 1843. She often made the run from St. Joseph to Niles & back, a distance of 100 miles between sunrise and sunset. The Algona made her first trip in 1845 and she and the Indiana usually towed the keel boats to their loading places then they floated back to St. Joe. The Misawaka had on each side 2 wheels, 16 feet apart and over these ran endless chain on which was fastened buckets or paddles. The boat was an unusually fast one, but the propelling apparatus was continually getting out of order and broken and it was found necessary on account of this fact to discard the endless chain system and substitute the ordinary paddle wheel. Then came the Niles, Michigan and then the May Graham. In 1849 the Niles was purchased by the MCRR and this boat and the keel boats, for 2 or 3 years, brought freight from Constantine to Niles where it was elevated by steam power into the companies ware house, a structure 100 feet high, which had been built at the Niles bridge. In 1836 Watson Roe, came from Indiana and first settled in Bertrand Township. It is likely he was either the father or uncle of my grandmother Hatfield, whose name was Emily Roe. I think Dr. J. M. Roe was a cousin of my father, Milton Hatfield. In the years before the Civil War, when slavery was an issue between the states, Michigan ran and "Underground Railway" to aid negroes fleeing bondage. Two main lines of underground railway, each with regular stations crossed Michigan. Escaped negroes were hidden, fed and sent forward from one station to another until they reached safe territory. After being hidden in barns, cellars, and fields for many days, traveling only by night, the fugitive would finally reach Detroit, then cross into Canada and escape. These railways continued to operate until Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves in 1863. Grandfather Hatfield has told how they would hide the slaves at his home and then in the night cover them in the sled or wagon and take them to the next station. This may be important sometime in case of abstract so I am writing it. Niles Star Sun - March 16, 1923 Funeral services for Mrs. Milton Hatfield were conducted yesterday afternoon at First Baptist Church of which the deceased had been a life long member. Rev. J. S. Collins officiated. A quartet comprised of Clarence Ullery, Mrs.Aliday, Mrs. Shaw and Mr. Hatworth sang, accompanied by Mrs. Early. The pallbearers were Chas Gillette, Wesley Andrews, Freed Moore & C. B. Fritz and Albert Hartwell. Burial took place in Silverbrook Cemetery, Mr. Hatfield reached Niles yesterday morning on Michigan Central train Number 3 with the body from Daytona, Florida. Mrs. Hatfield died on Monday. In the death of Mrs. Hatfield, Niles loses a pioneer and much loved resident. Also we had a deed that was made from Milton Hatfield & wife to Hiram Babcock - Pt 10-07-17 Register's Office The instrument was presented and received for Record this 18 day of July - AD 1905. Recorded in Liter 156 of Deeds on page 70. On this deed it says Hiram Babcock was not married. This history was written by Ethel Hatfield Kelsey, daughter of Milton Hatfield, son of Nathan Hatfield and Ellen Sampson Hatfield, in about 1938 and has been passed on to her children, Merwon and Olove Kelsey. Olove Kelsey is now Mrs. Chalmer Colcord and has given this material to help with the history of this area. June 1975 |
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