Newaygo County: 1850-1920

By Newaygo County Society of History and Genealogy

Pioneers in Newaygo County were motivated by the call of adventure and a chance to make a fortune in the vast wilderness. The first settlers came to lumber the virgin white pine that grew in the Newaygo forests. The Muskegon River flowed through the region and, along with the White River and many creeks and lakes, offered a major waterway to float logs to Lake Michigan. As early as 1837, Newaygo loggers were floating logs to market, becoming large contributors to the lumbering industry. Lumber from Newaygo County was used to rebuild Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871. In 1851, legislature gave Newaygo independence to form a county and Newaygo County entered a growth spurt that continues to this day. With the coming of the railroad in 1872 and a rapid increase in population, small settlements started popping up. As areas became logged out, many of these settlements died and have been long forgotten; many others remained and thrive today. Newaygo County: 1850-1920 preserves the history of these settlements and the people who built them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Sep 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781439633168

Newaygo County Society of History and Genealogy

The photographs for this book were gathered by the Newaygo County Society of History and Genealogy with the help of many friends and members with a common hope and desire to help preserve and share their history. Sandy Vincent, president of the Newaygo County Society of History and Genealogy, along with her fellow board and society members, strives to promote education and preservation of the history in Newaygo County. Enjoy this book and enjoy the Newaygo County that once was.

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INTRODUCTION

The county of Newaygo was originally a part of Kent County; once it was established on its own, it contained two townships, Brooks on the west side and Newaygo on the east side. By 1882, the 21st township of Goodwell was established, and after that the last three, Lilley, Merrill, and Home, rounded out the county’s 24 townships. There are four rivers that flow through the county. The Muskegon River flows northeast to southwest through the county; the White River rises northeast in the center of the county and flows westward. The northeast corner has the south branch of the Pere Marquette River, and the southern part has the Rogue River flowing southward. A number of lakes and streams are found throughout.

Many of Newaygo County’s earliest settlements were based around the rivers. The rivers were a great source of natural power for the establishments and a major attraction for the logging industry. Settlers came to the county and began transporting logs in these streams and rivers as early as 1836. Primitive roads were cut. Dams and mills were soon built, which began the business of industry here. The earliest settlements were at Croton and Newaygo. As early as 1853, the county had four sawmills: Croton, Brooks, Merrill, and Smith. By 1884, there were an estimated 100 sites.

As the original towns were built, there were also connecting establishments that provided stopovers for mail routes and stagecoaches. As people purchased land and started farms around these establishments, schools, churches, and stores were being built. These provided the feeling of community for the farmers. The establishments were named and several generations of families would eventually raise their children in these areas.

Newaygo County participated in the Civil War. During the whole war, the county contributed about 300 men to fight.

By 1882, the county had established school districts in townships with 94 schools, the majority being wood-frame houses. There were nine townships and 13 school district libraries.

Railroads were a desired mode of transportation to bring in stock and market goods, raise property values, and promote immigration to the area. The first passenger train to run from Newaygo was on September 11, 1872. The first train from Grand Rapids to Newaygo held 300 people and a brass band. The railroad tracks were then expanded north to Morgan (White Cloud). By 1873, a line connecting Muskegon to Big Rapids was in existence, and the stations between these towns were located in Newaygo County: Fremont, Alleyton, White Cloud, Woodville, Lumberton, and Hungerford. Much to the dismay of Hesperia, no tracks were laid to connect it to its fellow towns in Newaygo or Oceana County.

As soon as the county was formed and the townships laid out, the need for government arose and thus came roads, buildings, more settlers, physicians, dentists, storekeepers, and businesses. The county was growing and many new needs had to be met to accommodate the growth.

The Newaygo County Society of History and Genealogy hopes to give you a glimpse of life during these early years and to allow you to envision the efforts and pride of the Newaygo County pioneers.

One

THE WHITE PINE ERA BEGINS

In 1836, when a group of capitalists from Chicago journeyed up the Muskegon River looking for new ventures, they hired Mitchell Charloe (Charleau), a French trader, to guide them. The Pennoyer brothers were with them, and they built the first sawmill in the county at the mouth of a small creek that was to become the village of Newaygo. Logging reached its height during the winter of 1882–1883, bringing new population to Newaygo County and helping to build and develop a new county.

The log drivers employed by the Muskegon Boom Company are pictured here at their home during a drive in 1886. Their craft is tied up