Saturday, July 3, 2010

Samuel Preston

The second settler in Oneida Township was Samuel Preston. In 1835 he located in Lenawee County. In the fall of 1836 he paid Stephen Perkins twelve dollars to locate and purchase 160 acres of land for him in the Grand River Valley. Early in January 1837, Samuel left to visit his new purchase. Once reaching Chester Township, he stopped overnight with Robert Wheaton. At that time only nine families had settled on the route between Jackson and Mr. Wheaton, a distance of forty-five miles. The next day the two men went on to Preston’s land, which was covered with a thick growth of "gigantic trees."

The next day Samuel Preston returned to Lenawee County. Shortly thereafter on February 2nd, he set out with his family and two ox-teams, including all his household effects, for their future home in Oneida. They followed paths previous settlers had cut through the forests. After three days they arrived in Chester Township at Asa Fuller's near Mr. Wheaton's. Aided by the two men, Preston began cutting a new roadway for his oxen through the wilderness to reach his new land. Mr. Preston would later write:
"Night coming on we clustered ourselves into a cave dug in the snow, after
giving our ox-team a supper of tree-tops. Here, in the depths of a snow-bank,
surrounded by almost interminable forest, we cooked, ate, and finally retired to
our beds. About ten o'clock of the second day from Mr. Fuller's we reached the site we were in quest of, and, after clearing away the deep snow, some logs, and underbrush, commenced the work of building a log cabin”
Cabin building was a new experience for Preston, but with the help of his new neighbors they built a fourteen-by-eighteen foot cabin; only the second one constructed in Oneida. Preston writes:

“After this feat, of course, we had the honor of its first occupation over-night. Some time during this eventful night it commenced snowing, and before two o'clock the following day we had an addition of another foot of snow. Judging it to be a matter of prudence to seek some safer asylum, and depositing our implements in the newly-made cabin, we commenced our retreat. Mr. Fuller's home was a full seven miles distant, and it was still snowing. When within about two miles of his place the snow rose so high over our floundering sled that we were compelled to abandon it altogether, and trust to our weary legs for the remainder of the way, arriving about nightfall at the house of my kind friend, Mr. Fuller”
As of yet the cabin was still in need of floors, doors, windows and a chimney. But once, after several days, the snow had settled, Fuller and Wheaton assisted Preston in moving his family into the unfinished shelter. As Preston wrote: “In this unfinished condition we all went into it-self, wife, and a brace of little ones-on the 4th day of March, 1837”

Mudges Follies

It may be hard to believe, but this year will mark 30 years of Mudge’s Follies! I can well remember back in 1981 when my dad and I went to the second year’s performance down on the Island. The stage was built to resemble a steamboat, which was christened the “S.S. Neversails”. It is always fun seeing people you know performing on stage.

Mudge’s Follies has its roots back in 1978 when Shirley Bouck organized a vaudeville revue at the Ledges Playhouse for Michigan Week. This was such a hit that another show was put on for Michigan Week 1979.

These successes sparked an idea, so Shirley Bouck, Jerry Thompson and Libby Brandon began thinking how they could expand the concept. They decided Grand Ledge would benefit from a Fourth of July celebration with a musical revue as its centerpiece. Since the First weekend in July is already busy, they pushed the festival back to the last weekend in June.

I believe Libby Brandon came up with the name Mudge’s Follies. It is a cleaver name that plays off the round pagoda that J.S. Mudge built down on the Island in about 1888. The building was called Mudge’s Folly since it never served its original purpose. Of course Follies are musical shows made so famous by the Ziegfeld Follies. The Chamber of Commerce joined the effort to sponsor the newly created Yankee Doodle Days and in 1980 the fun began.

For many years Mudge’s Follies performed on a temporary stage that was built each year down on the Island. In case of really bad weather, the high school served as a backup.

About 10 years ago The Follies could not use the Island while it was under renovation. Since the high school had recently built its new auditorium, they temporarily moved the show there. However they soon found that the auditorium so well equipped, designed for performances, and the audiences enjoyed it so much more, they moved permanently to the building.

Mudge’s Follies has songs, dancing, and comedy performed in 20 or more skits, finally cumulating in a grand patriotic show stopper. After 30 years, this year’s show is sure to be something to see!

Looking for Information

Now for something different. I am looking for information and wonder if any of our readers can give me some answers. I want to know about Jacob Hoerner or Hoerner Chair Company. I think Jacob may have been a brother to Mrs Tillie Hooker of Grand Ledge, but I am not sure. I also would like to know who built the homes on Willard Court off of West Jefferson. They were built in the early 1930s.

If anyone has information for me, I would love to hear it. Please email me at howder@aol.com.