Tales of Old Mount Clemens Part 2

Tales of Old Mount Clemens, Part 2
Reprinted from the Mount Clemens Monitor, December 22, 1916

[continued from Part 1]

Mr. Eastman's second store was where Czizek's hardware store now stands.

Just below the Ullrich bank was a large building called in later years the Leviathan block, built by Whitney brothers. Green Freeman occupied one of the stores.

On the bank of the river, where the jail now stands, there was a dwelling house owned by Wm. Lewis, the grandfather of one of our members, who by the way was something of a genius. He wished to put a basement under his dwelling, and every heavy shower he would go out in the storm and dig in the bank so that the rain would wash the sand into the river. He used to say the Almighty was helping him grade down the bank.

In 1833 the only dwelling on South Gratiot was the home of Richard Butler. We knew it as the Oliver house. It gave way to the new Medea bath house, and marched down Gratiot street. Aaron Weeks soon after built the old house opposite with a basement, which has since been remodeled.

John J. Leonard, a lawyer, built the Snook cottage, where Mrs. Brehler's boarding house now stands.

The first brick dwelling was put up by Charles Mather, on the site of the Fenton house, and was afterwards owned by Joseph Hubbard.

The Hayward house was built a little later by George Dixon. His brother, Silas, had a dwelling on the opposite corner, which was burned and the present dwelling took its place.

The next house on Shelby road was built by Theron Patterson, on the site of E.W. Hall's present residence. This was considered quite out of town. The street was very muddy and no sidewalks of any account. It was afterwards sold to Amos Dalby, who was county clerk. As there was no room in the court house for an office, he had a little building not larger than a traveling photography gallery on the square near the court house. The ladies' sewing society had a circulating library, which was also kept in this little building. An amusing incident occurred in connection with this sewing society. At one of their meetings it was reported that an old lady, who was very ill, would probably die that night. The good ladies thought it would be nice to make her a shroud and cap, which they accordingly did. But the old lady didn't die. She recovered and lived several years, and the ladies were at their wits end to know how to dispose of the shroud, they finally made it over into baby clothes.

The house that is now standing on South Gratiot street with large pillars under the porch was built by Capt. Atwood, in 1835. Mr. Porter Kibbee lived there several years.

The Eldredge homestead was built soon after, also the Hatch house, which used to stand on the opposite corner. There was a small building next to the Medea bath house, where the first billiard table was kept. It soon became a gambling place and a general rendezvous for the husbands to stay until the small hours of the night. The good wives bore it patiently until forbearance ceased to be a virtue, when they congregated one dark night and stoned all the windows out, and that broke up the gambling and late hours.

Mr. Dodge and Porter Kibbee kept a grocery about where Mr. Ullrich's hardware store stands. There was no meat market in those days. Robert McChesney, a farmer, supplied the village with meat which he peddled from his wagon.

Near the site of Lehner's grocery a two story building was erected by James Brown. Stores below and the first public hall above, where political meetings, and after the court house was burned, church services were held. Brown was a mysterious character. He came from the south and was said to have been a pirate. He made himself notorious by horse-whipping the first editor, Mr. Avery, who published the Macomb Democrat, and who was unfortunate enough to offend Brown with some personal item.

The small brick building, afterwards Roskopp's meat market, was the first bank building. In 1835 a law was passed by the territorial legislature to incorporate the Mt. Clemens & Saginaw R.R. with banking privileges. Col. John Stockton was the president and Charles Emerson, cashier. The railroad was never built, except that a few wooden rails were laid on cross pieces, spiked down with wooden pins. The bank was sold to the Tucker brothers, who came from the south. Their nephew, the father of J.G. Tucker, was the cashier.

Daniel Chandler owned a dwelling on Macomb street, and also the brick blacksmith shop that stood on the site of Shotwell's drug store.

James Williams lived in a small house opposite the post office in an early day.

Mr. Ashley owned the point of land west of the Lee residence, also a number of lots extending up the south side of Market street. He built the old house that still remains on the Gordon land, and fenced in the Gratiot road, taking in the point opposite. When the authorities attempted to open the street, Mr. Ashley with two hired men stood guard over it with loaded muskets. He afterwards built the large house up Market street, which in later years was known as the L'Eterneau house, and when he moved to New Baltimore, he sold to James Williams, who lived there some years.

Wm. Canfield built the large house that was remodeled into the Park hotel.

In 1838 Dr. Hall, James Snook and Wm. Beer built the block of houses on East street, now known as the Foster, Allen and Wade houses.

The Grovier house, where Capt. Dulac's house stands, was built about the same time. Just previous a glass factory was erected near the first salt well by Dr. Hall and Isaac Grovier. They also kept a general store and drugs, in a small building near the foot of Market street. They then built a store on the site of Donaldson's shop. It was moved up to the corner occupied by the Jacobi store, then to the lot where the old opera house stands, and finally it went down South Gratiot and was remodeled into the Grovier residence. So that building has been quite a traveler.
[To be concluded]