To
Allegan County
Michigan
Main Street, Fennville, MI (1940s) - contributed by Paul Petosky |
The first clearing upon the site now occupied by Fennville was made in 1860 by Henry Blakslee, who did but little, however, before he entered the army, in 1861, not long after which he was killed in action. In 1862, Elam A. Fenn, an early settler in Manlius, whore he had put up a saw-mill, erected, in company with Levi Loomis, a saw-mill just west of where the railroad-track now passes through Fennville. The mill was soon destroyed by fire, and then Emerson & Co., of Rockford, IL, who owned considerable land near there, joined Fenn in rebuilding the mill, and engaged him to clear their land and cut their lumber. In 1870 the railway-line was run east of Fenn's mill, and David Walter, a shoemaker who came to Clyde in 1854, boarded the railroad laborers at his house, near Fenn's Fennville was then in the woods, but in 1871 was platted by Emerson & Co., and given its name in honor of the sawmill man. The village site was then in Manlius, opposite the mill. In the fall of 1871, when the village consisted of the stores of Pardee Grizzell and Stephen Atwater the post-office, and a half-dozen houses, everything, including the saw-mill, was burned to the ground. After the fire the restoration of the village was effected upon Wilson's addition, previously laid out by M. C. Wilson upon the property occupied by Henry Blakslee in 1860. There the business portion of the village is now located. The first house in the addition was built by M. C. Wilson, upon the ground now occupied by David Signor's hotel. Stephen Atwater was the first to build a store there, and presently Dr. Asa Goodrich, of Ganges, came and opened a drug-shop in Atwater's store, while he also practiced the healing art. To Daniel Thomas belongs the distinction of having been the pioneer blacksmith. Stephen Atwater, M. C. Wilson, Waterman Hutchins, and David Signor, still living at Fennville, are reckoned the oldest residents of the place. A post-office was established in 1866 for the benefit of the people near the saw-mill, and called " Fenn's Mill." Elam Fenn was the first postmaster, and, until the completion of the railway, received a mail three times each week by way of Manlius. Previous to 1866 the latter place was the post-office for tho people at Fenn's Mill. When the village was laid out, the name of the post-office was changed to Fennville. Succeeding Fenn, the postmasters have been Stephen Atwater. Wm. Seiver, George Smead, and J. W. McCormick, the present incumbent.
Fennville is fast rising to importance as a shipping-point as well as a trading-place. During the season of 1878 the railway-shipments included 5000 barrels of apples, 55,000 baskets of peaches, and 25 cars of wheat. During the season of 1879 shipments included 137,000 baskets of peaches, 4000 barrels of apples, and 60 cars of wheat. The outlook for 1880 promises a material advance in business over the figures for 1879.
Besides Dr. Asa Goodrich, Fennville's physicians have been Drs. C. F. Stimpson, Hull, McCullough, Andrews, and Meaghan. The two latter are now the resident physicians.
History of Allegan and Barry counties, Michigan, 1880
Fennville, MI (Residence on Main Street) (1915) - contributed by Paul Petosky
