EAGLE SETTLEMENT

From "History of  Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan" - 1880

In 1831 three steamboats-the " Superior," the "Henry Clay," and the "Robert
Fulton"-plied the waters between Buffalo and Detroit. Among the many
passengers of the last-named vessel on its trip westward in the month of June
of that year, were the families of Anthony Niles and Stephen B. Groger, from
Genesee Co., N. Y. Scattered here and there about the boat were little groups
of men, women, and children, surrounded with boxes of goods, bundles of
bedding, clothes, barrels, cooking-utensils, and everything, from an ox-cart to a fire-shovel, that could be of use on the frontier. Some were there who were more wealthy and some possibly who were poorer in this world's goods than those men whose names we have given, but few could compare at all with either of them in physical power. It is said Anthony Niles never met his equal with an axe, and few men were found able to stand under a load which Stephen B. Groger could carry. These men and their families were the first settlers of Eagle.

Upon reaching Detroit they employed two men with teams to bring them and
their families to Troy, Oakland Co. The next year Anthony Niles, Daniel Clark, and Austin Wood followed an Indian trail from Pontiac to an Indian village,
which occupied the site upon which Portland now stands. They were favorably
impressed with the country along the route, but did not at this time select any particular locality as a future home. In the month of February, 1834, Anthony Niles and Stephen B. Groger with their families set out from Troy westward, but, as subsequent events proved, without any definite purpose as to where to locate.

In the township of De Witt, the teams which had been secured to bring their
families and goods were mired, the horses being" all down at the same time."
The women, children, and goods were carried through the deep mud and water
several rods to higher ground, the horses after much trouble were finally
extricated, and by means of ropes the wagons were drawn across the marsh,
and after an infinite number of trying and tedious delays the party reached the
cabin of Capt. Scott, who had come to De Witt the fall previous.

Here we must again introduce the name of Daniel Clark, and his companions
Heman Thomas and John Benson, who also required shelter under the roof of
the hospitable but rough and eccentric captain. As these parties were all bound westward, in the direction pursued previously by Clark and Niles, down the Looking-Glass River, it was decided to build boats and a raft to assist in the
expedition.

The men of the party at once began their construction, and after several days'
diligent work completed two boats and a raft. The boats, commonly known as
dugouts, were each made from a whitewood log, and were about eighteen feet
long and two and a half feet wide. They were lashed together, the goods were
loaded on the raft, which was a huge, unmanageable concern, and the trip down
stream commenced. It was not all smooth sailing, however. After proceeding
about six miles the raft struck a snag, and all efforts to free it proved futile. Clark and his companions went ashore in the boats and camped to await the arrival of Anthony Niles and Stephen Groger, who, with their families and one yoke of oxen, were trying to make a way through the wilderness, and who did not make their appearance until evening.

The next morning (the water having risen somewhat during the night) the raft
was freed, the families carried across the river in the boats, and the journey
resumed. In the afternoon a landing was made on the south shore of the river,
on the southwest quarter of section 14, town 5 north, range 4 west. The next
morning the goods were transferred from the raft to the boats and it was
abandoned. They then continued their way down the river, and finally reached the Indian village (already alluded to) on the present site of Portland. On the way one of the overloaded boats nearly capsized. It righted, however, with no more serious loss than that of a coop of fowls and the free application of cold water to some of the passengers.

When Anthony Niles reached the vicinity where the goods were transferred he
pitched a large tent, which he had brought with him, on section 23. On the next
day he was delayed to search for one of his cows, which had strayed away, and
did not continue his journey until the afternoon. An entire life is sometimes modified by a little incident of no apparent importance in itself, and in this instance it is probable that had it not been for his long and tedious search the fine forests and streams of Eagle would not have been fully appreciated. As it was, Mr. Niles followed his companions to the Indian village, but after living two weeks in a wigwam he declared he had found no place that suited him so well as the land by the little stream where he had camped and lost his cow.

The whole party at last returned. Its members took minutes of the several parcels of land which each wished to enter, and Daniel Clark and Heman Thomas set off on foot for the landoffice at White Pigeon, to enter land for themselves and for Anthony Niles, Stephen B. Groger, and John Benson. All chose land on section 23. Daniel Clark entered the east half of the northeast quarter. Heman Thomas entered forty acres for himself and forty for John Benson, on the southeast quarter. Stephen B. Groger took the west half of the southwest quarter, and Anthony Niles chose the west half of the northeast quarter.

Anthony Niles and Stephen B. Groger must be considered the first settlers in the
township of Eagle, as the other members of the party, after entering their land,
did not return to the township till in the summer and fall following. Anthony Niles built the first cabin in the township, and for this purpose his son Ezekiel, who had accompanied him in all his wanderings, chopped down the first tree probably that was felled in the township about the 1st day of March, 1834. This cabin stood near where Mr. Niles pitched his tent when he first came to Eagle on his way to Portland, and the site is now nearly marked by the east barn, which he built many years after. He also prepared and planted a piece to corn and potatoes, but the crop was very light.

Stephen B. Groger built the second cabin in the township, and planted the
second piece to corn and potatoes. He worked for Capt. Scott, in De Witt, at odd intervals for a number of years. It is said that at one time after working all day he walked home, carrying one hundred pounds of flour, a quarter of a deer, and
several other articles for the use of his family. In October, 1834, Susan M.
Groger was born. This was the first birth in Clinton County. Stephen B. Groger
died in 1878. Until recently his wife occupied the old home.

John Benson and Heman Thomas were the next to settle permanently in Eagle.
They immediately built cabins on the land entered the spring previous. Mr.
Benson subsequently moved to Iowa, where he died. His son Edwin was the second child born in Eagle, and the first male child born in Clinton County. He enlisted and died in the late war. Heman Thomas and wife still live in the township. They probably alone are left, the only couple who came to Clinton County in the fall of 1834. Their son, G. W. Thomas, who was a lad at the time of their settlement, also lives in Eagle.

After entering his land, in the spring of 1834, Daniel Clark returned to Eagle
accompanied by David Clark, his brother. They felled the timber on about five
acres, and then returned to Pontiac, Oakland Co., to which place Jonas Clark
had brought his family in 1833. In the fall of 1834, Daniel Clark and his brother
Henry came to Eagle and cleared and sowed the field to wheat which had been
partially prepared the previous spring. Henry Clark moved to Ingham County,
where he still lives one of its oldest pioneers. Jonas Clark brought his family to
Eagle in the fall of 1835. David Clark, his son, one of the oldest and most
respected citizens, now occupies the old homestead.

In the fall of 1834, Anthony Niles built a log house, which was twenty-eight by
thirty feet. Houses have histories as well as men sometimes. In this rude log
structure was organized the first church society in Eagle; and a little later, when
the settlement of the surrounding country was an assured fact, and the youth
with their sweethearts were wont to assemble for a " social dance," its rough
floors were the smoothest to be found. Beside its great fireplace, heaped with logs, William Cryderman wooed and won the fair Alvira, daughter of Anthony Niles, and their nuptials, the first in the township, were celebrated in it in 1837. Travelers, few or many, always found ample cheer and shelter beneath its basswood roof.

The settlement of Eagle was gradual, until the rush of immigration in 1836. In
1835, however, several settlers came in, who, in addition to the family of Jonas
Clark (already mentioned), deserve notice. Oliver Rowland and his son Henry entered land on section 13. The latter is still a resident of the township. John B. Shear settled on section 26, where he still lives. In 1836 the first frame building in Eagle was erected. It was a barn, and was built for Jesse Monroe by Anthony Niles and his son Ezekiel. The lumber used in its construction was hauled from Portland, where a saw-mill had just been completed. Mr. Monroe had recently entered one hundred and sixty acres on section 7. About the same time a saw-mill was built by Peter Kent, for Philo Beers, on section 14. It was the first in Eagle, and did valuable service for several years. The remains of the dam built across the little stream are yet plainly visible.

Mr. Beers also opened the first blacksmith-shop. It stood by the quarter post on
the south line of section 14. The settlers came with work from all quarters, and
often from four o'clock in the morning until late at night was he kept steadily at
the anvil. Before coming to Michigan, Mr. Beers had been a man of considerable competence, hut through an unfortunate business connection with the great showman, Barnum, he was financially ruined. He sought the woods of Michigan, and, like so many others, retrieved his broken fortune. Lazarus Doty came to Eagle, and entered a large tract of land for his three sons,-Oliver, Philo, and Charles. The three are residents of the township, and still occupy the land entered for them by their father. Oliver is on section 26, Philo is on 14, and Charles on 34. The family has been one of the most substantial and enterprising in the township.

The second saw-mill was built by Henry Gibbs, Jr., for Philo Doty, on section 14.
Henry Gibbs settled the farm upon which Isaac Brown now lives. Morris Allen
settled on the west half of the northwest quarter of section 23. He has since
moved to Iowa. His father, Nehemiah Allen, died in January, 1837. This was the first death in Eagle. He was buried near the north bank of the river, on section 15, on land which was entered by Joseph Eddy in the spring of 1836. Mr. Eddy and his wife were both subsequently interred here. This was the first burial-place in the township. The land is now occupied by Christopher C. Tallman. Jacob DeWitt settled on the east half of the southeast quarter of section 15 in 1836, and remained there until his death. The place is now occupied by his son-in-law, William Sutherland.

In the same year Valentine Cryderman came from Canada and located the east
half of the northeast fractional quarter of section 13. He subsequently sold his
land and returned to Canada. His daughter Sarah and Ezekiel Niles were
married in 1841. At the marriage of his son William and Miss Alvira Niles, in the
fall of 1837, David A. Simmons, who had recently come to the township and
settled on section 9, officiated. The land entered by Mr. Simmons is now
occupied by Hiram Briggs, who came in at the same time. In 1837, Josiah Hogle
entered the west half of the northwest quarter of section 13. The same year
Isaac Phillips settled on the east half of the southwest quarter of section 10. This place is now occupied by his son, Joseph Phillips, whose elder brothers, Orin and Perry, are also old settlers of Eagle. Jeremiah, Stephen, and Abraham Eddy, sons of Joseph Eddy, who settled on section 15, entered land in the township in an early day. Jeremiah built a tavern, which still bears the name Western Grand River House. He sold it to Isaac Pennington, who came in an early day and settled on the southeast quarter of section 10. His eldest son, Josiah Pennington, at that time a young man, now occupies the old home. His daughter Lucinda married S. M. Howard, who is also an early settler.

Jason Macomber entered the west half of the southeast quarter of section 4. It
was subsequently purchased by Stephen Eddy. Abraham Eddy settled the
northeast quarter of section 22. Luther settled on the west half of the northeast quarter of section 9. His son, Jefferson E. Eddy, now lives on section 4. Joseph Eddy, Jr., who married Miss Almeda Hill, lives on the west half of the northwest quarter of section 15. Her father settled on section 26 and opened a blacksmith-shop. The north half of the southwest quarter of section 15, now occupied by Joseph Hinman, was entered by his father in an early day. Fletcher Jenison came to Eagle with his son, W. F. Jenison, and was appointed the first postmaster in the township in 1841. A mail-route was established from Ann Arbor to Ionia, and the mail was first carried, on horseback, by a man named in Ingersoll. The names of Palmer Partelo and H. Lyon should not be omitted. The former settled on the southwest quarter of section 22. H. Lyon settled on the west half of the southwest quarter of section 8, where he still resides. William R. Howe occupies land settled by his father.