Tales of Old Mount Clemens Part 3

Tales of Old Mount Clemens, Part 3
Reprinted from the Mount Clemens Monitor, December 29, 1916

[concluded from Part 2]

Dr. Rice was the first physician, then came Dr. Lee, Dr. Henry Taylor Sr., and Dr. Tilson, who built the old brick house on the corner of Mullett and East streets owned by Mrs. John Connor.

The first school house was erected where Mrs. Pelton's house now stands.

In 1835 the Presbyterian church society was organized, the Methodist and Baptist a little later. Itinerant ministers of all denominations visited the place in an early day and alternate services where held in the old log court house, until it was burned. Then the little school house was used, also a cooper shop that stood near the Fenton house. An old resident told me that Elder Hillis used to preach in the cooper shop and when the young ladies came in, if the seats were all taken, the young gallants would sweep back the shavings and bring in boards for them to sit on. She also spoke of a minister who held service in the court house, whose wife had a young baby. Before service a rocking chair and pillows were carried over and during service the baby would be rocked to sleep and placed on the pillows which were laid on the table where the minister stood preaching.

North Branch road came down to Macomb street and near that corner stood a barn where a dead Indian was found, by some boys, hid in the hay. It was supposed to have been put there by the doctors for dissection. It caused great excitement among the Indians and for a time it was feared they would make an attack upon the white inhabitants.

It was not until about 1836 that the Shelby road was opened to Frederick. The first road ran along the bank of the river, from Gratiot road, with a bridge across near the Hacker farm.

Judge Stevens, Judge Harrington, and Judge Conner lived at Frederick. The question may be asked why they bore the title of judge. In those days the circuit judge had what was called associate judges, two of them to sit with him on the bench, and those three with Judge Clemens were appointed to that office. It is said that at eleven o'clock court would take a recess, and the judge and his associates would march over to the tavern and take a drink of an extra quality of brandy kept for their use.

Judge Clemens had a queer way of fixing his boundary lines. It is related that when he sold a lot to Wm. S. Robinson up North Gratiot, he went with him to the spot, paced off the lot, fixed that stakes, and said, "Now go ahead and build your house." At one time there was a lawsuit over one of his boundary lines, and a young lawyer came up from Detroit to plead the case. He read Blackstone until Judge Clemens, who was on the bench got out of patience, when he sprang up and said, "I'd like to know what the devil Blackstone has got to do with my village anyway?"

Mr. Moross, an old French settler, lived down on the lake shore and owned a fast horse that he called "Old Coffee." One day the family were preparing a grand dinner for friends, who were visiting them, when just before dinner was ready, the large platter that was to hold the roast turkey, or pig, was broken. "Old Coffee" rose to the occasion. His master harnessed him to the sleigh, drove to Detroit on the ice and brought back a new platter by the time dinner was ready. But poor "Old Coffee" came to a sad end. His master came up town one day and imbibed too much of that which Shakespeare says steals away men's brains. He insisted on driving home on the ice, which was not frozen thick enough to hold, and said, "Old Coffee" would get over it before it had time to break. But alas, he didn't, the ice gave way, and "Old Coffee" was drowned, and his master came near sharing the same fate.
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