ABRAM S. WADSWORTH, THE COUNTY S PIONEER

The pioneer settler in Antrim county was Abram S. Wadsworth, a native of Durham, Connecticut, who came from Rochester, New York. to Michigan at the age of twenty-one years. He spent some time in Monroe and later located lands in Portland, Ionia county, where he built the first mill-dam thrown across the Grand river in that region. * That he first visited the Grand Traverse region in 1846 there is no doubt, but as to his movements during the next few years accounts differ. As nearly as can be ascertained, in 1846 he came northward, coasting in a small boat and voyaging as far as the Pictured Rocks in Lake Superior and thence to Mackinaw, Detroit and home. The following spring, accompanied by his brother-in-law, Samuel K Northam, he took his family to Detroit, where the party embarked on a propeller for Mackinac. From the latter place they found passage on a schooner as far as Cross village. There, after camping for several days on the beach waiting for a storm to subside, they embarked in a small boat for Old Mission. At Middle village the party again went into camp and were delayed two days on account of rain. The next stop was made at Little Traverse where they hoped to obtain provisions of the Indians. They only succeeded, however, in getting a few potatoes and a single loaf of bread. The party had lived on fish until that food had ceased to tempt the appetite. The children, especially, were suffering for want of their accustomed diet. After leaving Little Traverse they were favored with pleasant weather and proceeded rapidly. The last day the bay was rough and they hesitated about crossing to Old Mission from the eastern shore along which they had been coasting. Seeing a haze of smoke on the shore near Elk river they headed for it and there found some Indians with an excellent boat who were about to cross. As a matter of precaution, Mrs. Wadsworth and the children were put into the Indians' boat, which was navigated by Mr. Wadsworth and one of the Indians, while Mr. Northam and the remaining Indians occupied Mr. Wadsworth's boat. In a short time the party landed at Old Mission in safety, arriving there on July 16, 1847.  Mr. Wadsworth remained some time at Old Mission, but being a man that had much experience in mills, he saw the immense water power that was running to waste on the east side of the bay, and bought the land where Elk Rapids now stands.

About the spring of 1849 he built a small log cabin near the present site of the town hall at Elk Rapids village. This was the first building put up by a white man in Antrim county, of which there is any account and was the initial movement in its settlement. There, with Mr. Samuel K. Northam, his brother-in-law, assisted by some Indians, Mr. Wadsworth peeled a quantity of hemlock bark and shipped it to Racine, Wisconsin, the first recorded shipment of the county's natural products. About that time he was employed by the government in the resurvey of lands and with the funds arising from his work and his bark he erected a house on his property for his family who arrived late in the fall.

In 1851 the Wadsworth's removed to Connecticut and spent some time in that state, but returned and spent some three years in Old Mission; thence they relocated at Elk Rapids and finally after various changes made that place their permanent home. Mr. Wadsworth died in Traverse City in June, 1871.

One of his sons, James M. Wadsworth, was a business men of Bellaire. The elder Mr. Wadsworth was one of the most prominent of the early settlers in the Grand Traverse country, and his writings relating to this region were considered standard authority, having been largely instrumental in making the region known abroad.

Elk Rapids river and lake were so named by Mr. Wadsworth because of a pair of elk horns which he found in the sand at the mouth of the river. He named Round lake from its shape and Clam lake from the vast number of clams found in the river. Torch lake was so named by the Indians because of the fishing lights they saw used on the lake when the white settlers first came to the country. Waswagonink, the Indian name, signifies a lake of torches.

ELK RAPIDS A FACT
In the spring of 1852 Mr. Wadsworth laid out the village of Elk Rapids, lots being sold for twenty-five dollars each. The employment furnished by the mill was an inducement for newcomers to settle in the vicinity. The first two lots sold were where the town hall now stands, which were purchased by James McLaughlin and in payment there for he gave a blacksmith's bellows. Among those who came that season were Michael Gay, John Lake, Jared Stocking and John B. Spencer, with their families. Gay and Lake being sawyers, they were employed in the mill. During this season the schooner "Telegraph" made monthly trips to the head of the west bay for Hannah, Lay & Company, so that there was regular communication with the outside world; and for two or three seasons she was the only regular boat trading between the bay and Chicago. The year of 1853 brought many changes. Large additions of immigrants were made to the population. Among those who became residents of the village or settled in the vicinity were John Denahy, E. L. Sprague, J. W. Arnold, David F. Parks, Alexander Campbell and Hiram Robinson.

The clearings of farmers began to dot the shores of Elk lake. Early this year Mr. Wadsworth sold his mill to James Rankin & Sons, who built a store and brought in a stock of goods. Jared Stocking opened a hotel. In the fall and following winter Mr.
Wadsworth built another sawmill on the site of the mill since owned by Dexter & Noble, Mr. Northam having charge of the business. The mill was scarcely completed, when he sold it to M. Craw & Company, of which firm Wirt Dexter was the principal partner. Communication with the outside world was now more regular, two vessels trading between Elk Rapids, Chicago and Milwaukee; besides the propeller "Stockman" made regular trips to Mackinaw. The fame of the country was spreading and people were coming in to seek homes and employment, there being a good demand for labor of all kinds.

A notable event of the year 1853 was the opening of the first school at Elk Rapids. The house in which it was kept stood for many years a few rods from the large brick school building that has since been built. The district was organized in May, 1853, and the school was taught by George W. Ladd, a young man from the peninsula. He has long since gone to his rest, having been cut down in early manhood by consumption.

Another event of 1853 was the establishment of a post office. It was first called Stevens and afterward changed to Elk Rapids, and the first postmaster was Theron Bostwick. Elk Rapids received its first decided impetus as a business place when Henry H. Noble located there in September, 1855, as an employee of M. Craw & Company. He came from Washtenaw county, and in the fall of 1856 when his employers dissolved partnership he associated himself with Wirt Dexter in the establishment of the firm of Dexter & Noble. For several years after 1861 their lumbering and mercantile operations monopolized the business of Elk Rapids, and placed it in line as the only available location for the county seat.

EARLY COUNTY AFFAIRS
Until 1863 Antrim county was attached to Grand Traverse. Its earliest records while so joined are found in an old book in the county clerk's office and relate to various township elections in 1853. It appears that John B. Spencer, John S. Barker and William H. Case, three electors of the town of Antrim, called the first town election on April 25th of that year at the house of A. S. Wadsworth, and that the following officers were chosen: John S. Barker, supervisor; Samuel Northam, treasurer; William H. Case, town clerk; John S. Barker, William H. Case, Samuel Northam and Orselas Evans, justices of the peace; William Slawson, James McLaughlin and William Wells, commissioners of highways; William Slawson and John B. Spencer, school inspectors; Enoch Wood, Jerome B. Stocking and Charles Walker, constables; Enoch Wood and John B. Spencer, directors of the poor; John B. Spencer, overseer of highways; Amos Wood, pound master.

From the frequent repetition of names it is evident that the supply of official material was scarce in 1853. It was voted at the same election that twenty-five dollars be raised to defray town expenses and that "swine shall not be permitted to run at large from the first of May until the twentieth of October, 1853" in other words during the warm season. It also appears from the old records that the first list of grand and petit jurors, filed with the county clerk May 1, 1853, included John B. Spencer, James McLaughlin, William H. Case, Orselas Evans, William Slawson, John S. Barker, Jared Stocking, Samuel Northam, William Wells, Chauncey Hall, Amos Wood and Enoch M. Wood.

Before Antrim county was organized the township by that name was changed to Megesee, as the original county was designated.

ANTRIM COUNTY ORGANIZED
On March 11, 1863, an act of legislature was approved providing for the organization of Antrim county. The act reads as follows: "The people of the state of Michigan enact, That the county of Antrim, consisting of the territory embraced by the present county of Antrim, be, and the same is organized into a separate county by the name of Antrim, and the inhabitants thereof shall be entitled to all the privileges, powers and immunities to which, by law, the inhabitants of other organized counties in this state are entitled. "The unorganized counties of Kalkaska, Crawford, and Otsego shall be attached to the said county of Antrim for municipal and judicial purposes. "All that part of the said county of Antrim which lies north of the south line of township 31 north, shall be organized into a separate township by the name of Banks, and the first township meeting thereof shall be held at the house of Burden Geer on the first Monday in April, next; and James Orr, Thomas Flanigan and Rock W. Geer shall be the inspectors of the election. "The dimensions of the township of Milton, in said county, shall be enlarged by adding thereto the following described territory, towit. fractional township 30 north, of range 9 west; also townships 28, 29 1, north, of range 8 west. "The name of the township of Megesee, in said county, is hereby changed to that of Elk Rapids and all of the county of Antrim and the counties attached thereto, not included within the limits of any other organized township thereof, is hereby attached for township purposes to the township of Elk Rapids. "The county seat of said county of Antrim shall be established by the board of supervisors at the village of Elk Rapids, to-wit in township 29 north, of range 9 west, and on sections 20 and 29. "At the township meeting of several townships in said county to be held on the first day of April next, there shall be an election of all the county officers to which the said county is entitled, whose term of office shall expire on the first day of January, A. D. 1865, and when
their successors shall have been elected and qualified. Said election shall be conducted in the same way, by the same officers and the returns thereof made in the same manner, as near as may be, as is now required by law in elections of county officers in this state. "The county canvass of the votes for county officers shall be held on the second Tuesday succeeding the election at the house of Henry H. Noble at the village of Elk Rapids, and said canvass shall be conducted in the same way and by the same officers as the requirements of law now provide in organized counties, as nearly as may be, by the appointment by the board of canvassers of one of their own number to act as secretary to said board of county canvassers. "Said county shall be in the ninth judicial circuit and shall be entitled to one court therein in each year. "This act shall take immediate effect." The first county election was held on the sixth day of April, 1863. The highest number of votes polled was sixty-six and the following were the county officers elected: Sheriff, Jared W. Arnold; treasurer, Henry H. Noble; clerk and register, James L. Gilbert; judge of probate, Solomon Case; prosecuting attorney, John B. Spencer; circuit court commissioner, John B. Spencer; surveyor, A. S. Wadsworth.

FIRST COURT HOUSE AND JAIL
At a special session of the board held July 19, 1865, it was resolved that the sum of one thousand dollars should be raised, in the tax roll of 1865, for the purpose of building a court house and jail for Antrim county, to be erected on the northeast quarter of the southeast fractional quarter of section 20, town 29 north, of range 9 west, known as lots 46 to 201 inclusive, in the village of Elk Rapids according to a plat made by A. S. Wadsworth of said village. On motion of  Lemuel R. Smith it was resolved that, in addition to the one thousand dollars raised by tax, two thousand dollars should be appropriated from the contingent fund then on hand, belonging to the county, for the purpose of building a court house and jail. On motion of Lemuel R. Smith, Henry H. Noble was appointed a building committee of one to procure plans and specifications for the proposed county buildings and to let contracts for their erection. During the year 1866 a court house was completed at a cost of about
$7,100. A jail was also erected. About this time a local paper, speaking of the jail, said: "While speaking of the court house and jail we are reminded that while this county has all the 'machinery' necessary to punish delinquents there seems to be but little use for it; there never having been a criminal suit in the county since its organization. Either the people are very moral or the rogues think the jail too substantially built for them to be caught in it, and so keep out of mischief. " Up to 1874 the county had not received a perfect title to the property and in October, 1874, the supervisors reported having received satisfactory evidence of title by warranty deed from Dexter & Noble.

* History of Ionia County records the date Wadsworth left was in 1850.  The above selection does not compare with the mentioned "History of Ionia County" published in 1881.  Author: Schenck, John S. Title: History of Ionia and Montcalm counties, Michigan. Publication date: 1881 Michigan County Histories Website