In October 1852 my father Brackett Butler was taken with the western fever
and sold his farm in Maine South Thomaston, near Rockland in the Atlantic
Coast and went by steamer and rail, prospected in Ohio then on to Ind. He
bought the only remaining tract of timbered land I think avaible in Galena
Township then sent for his family to follow. Mother and seven children
followed. The township was thickly settled with good improvements, orchards
and everything in a good state of civilization. We were there as late
pioneers and we felt it too. But we were well received once the children
all grew to be stalwart men and women. But I realized later it was hard for
father and mother to begin at their age in an entirely new way.
The children all married well and were comfortable in homes of their own.
But there were many regrets when I was to live in the (to us) lonely
Michigan. Somehow the Hoosiers did not have a very good opinion of
Michigan. There were false rumors about rogues running from Ind across the
stateline etc etc. But Irving and Steven Paddock had each traded Iowa land
for land in New Buffalo and Three Oaks townships so later married and took
their brides to the little log cabins down in Michigan.
The disagreeable feature was the roads or lack of roads. Those that were
traveled were at times almost impassable, while the roads only laid out were
impassable. Some were slashed not logged some not cleared at all. So we
went wherever we could get thro afoot or with mud sleds. To get to the road
west from Three Oaks we could walk with boots on. To get to the Maudlin
road going east we meandered thro the woods coming out by the James Smiths
10 acer place. To go west we crossed the corner of Mr Olmstead's place thro
heavy timber thro to the Miss Sawin place then the McKie farm reaching the
road at the old landmark - the big walnut stump. That's where our lamented
Dr Wilcox used to turn to go to his little home later owned by Miss Sawin
and perhaps is still in the Sawin family. The Dr must have lived there as
early as 53 or 54 tho I have no way to fix exact date but he was very fond
of his retreat for a while. I don't know who is left to tell about the big
walnut tree unless its Edward McKie or perhaps Mrs Easten.
Its too bad that we all have so much of joy and sorrow that many interesting
events get crowded out of our minds; when young I heard a great deal about
the revolution etc but when the Civil War came that changed our trend of
thought, we had enough to do to think of the present - it brought sorrow to
many homes. From Three Oaks to New Buffalo there was not an American family
left - the men went to battle their families to more convenient quarters, we
were left alone. Steven was in poor health, did not stand medical
examination, but I borrowed trouble for fear of draft - you see I was
selfish! But we tried to help what we could with our limited means, and I
went as often as I could to the "soldiers aid" afoot with one and two little
boys one trudged by my side one in arms. Quite an effort but I craved
society naturally and always felt better for the effort and mingling for a
short time with women like Auntie Warren, Mrs H. Chamberlin, Mrs Hammond,
Mrs Panary, Mrs Bird, Mrs Warner, Mrs Wellwood, Mrs Stevens of Avery - and a
few others perhaps. Yes Mrs Bradley, Mrs William Chamberlin rarely for
distance and family prevented.
55 years have passed since the terror of war began for us and most all of
the active men and women of those days have pass away too. How few there are
left. I can almost count them on my fingers and we are growing old.
end part 5