Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society - Research Article

West Bloomfield Township Memories: by Neil Hepburn
Elizabeth Hiller Welch

Editor’s Note: In follow-up to my article on the Jacob Hiller family, below are the “reminiscences and incidents of Mrs. Elizabeth Hiller Welch as told by my parents”, which was written about 1908. Her son, Edwin L. Welch, transcribed the original document “near word for word” in 1975 and presented it to the GWBHS. I have made some minor spelling corrections for clarity.

In the year of 1832 my father Jacob Hiller came to this state from Lockport, New York. He purchased this tract of land on which he resided the rest of his life. Situated on the west side of Cass Lake, township of West Bloomfield. When he paid for it the sum of $100 and expenses he had 50¢ left and his axe. Alone in the wilderness with the exception of his oldest brother Isaac Hiller who had then lived on what is now the Wm. Dandison property on the south side of Upper Straits Lake. Dad commenced to fall the sturdy oaks and clear the land to produce the necessaries (sic) of life. He erected a shanty in the center of his farm, as there were no roads he did not know where to erect a covering, there was a spring at this place, which served for a well. In a year afterward he built a more stable shanty on the bank of the lake. His shingles were of shakes and the floor was shakes. His furniture he also made, with shake for a table and shake for a door. Bedsteads of ironwood, stools hued of logs with legs served as chairs, for windows he used greased paper, one of the stools is in existence yet – he had very little money.

A year later his sister came to care for the meager home. I heard them tell how scarce everything was especially meat. One day Dad went to his brother Isaac Hiller, and they went hunting, they shot a deer and were very happy. Father carried a portion of it home on his back. I remember them telling they had several good meals. Here let me say, I have the little long handle iron frying pan, which served to cook their venison and other etables (sic). I use it now for frying onions. Dad cleared the land and got an ox team; learned to put crops in as fast as possible, everything he did showed prosperity.

In 1834 Dad married Arvilla Van Tuyl. Her father owned what now is the Tommy Jones farm at “mud lake” (off Willow Road now known as Darb Lake). There was a man drowned at this time. My mother was relation of all the Hargers and Seeleys in this county. They commenced to keep house still by the lake. I can remember mother telling how she boiled pumpkin for molasses and that she burned wood for ashes to sell to the ash peddlers to take to the Ashry to make soda and soap. She bought a calico dress with the money, calico was 50¢ a yard. I have a piece of her wedding dress, also calico, a little wooden trunk 2’ long by 1’ wide which held her worldly possessions, I still have it. She had a loving heart and gentle disposition and she prospered in everything she undertook and took care of what was brought into the house.

In two years after, they built a larger shanty back of where the farm house now stands – it was a one sided roof – one large room with a stick chimney in the north end, one corner served as a cupboard, the south end was used for two beds with a window between. The door was on the west side with little windows. The door latch was wooden with a leather string; at night the string was pulled inside – that was the key.

In 1840 the writer came to their home, soon after this event they built the barn, which still stands in the same place.

Acquiring each worldly possession was hard labor but kept things interesting. About the first thing I can remember was one morning the beds were covered with snow. Then I remember the little cook stove.

In about 1846 they built the house, it was large for the times, which yet is in good condition, with more added. I remember the carpenter who did the work, Harrison Lewis; he afterwards married mother’s sister, Nancy Van Tuyl. They had a wedding; I remember that large white cake with large red roses done with red sugar.

When the house was being built they told me to be careful when I played there, but childlike, never knowing danger, I was walking on the sills, no floor laid, I slipped and fell in the cellar on a big stone and cut my head. The scar is there yet. The carpenter jumped in and picked me up. I always laid it to that fall that I never made a bigger mark in the world. I remember moving out of the shanty into the new house. I used the shanty for a playhouse.

Mother made the first rag carpet, which we thought swell in those days. People spun their own yarn, made their woolen sheets, dresses, and men’s clothes. I remember the old wheel. The wool was taken to the mill and made in long rolls in a bundle. They spun in long threads, 30 threads of 30 times around the reel made a knot, 40 knots was a day’s work. Think of the steps to produce this. Then it was washed and colored at home in various colors, then knots woven into cloth. I remember my dresses were very pretty and so warm. I remember one suit father had, it was woven, he took the cloth to a tailor, it was very thick, father made a dye by boiling butternuts up and adding copper color and it was real pretty. Jake Voorhies used to be the tailor, he made the suit. I have some shots that are very nice.

Father would sometimes go to help some of the neighbors long miles away – and it was yet a forest in places. He would get 50¢ a day for harvest. Mother would always know when he was coming for his singing and whistling would ring in the woods – he was quite a singer. I have his book, music was spelled “musick” in those days. “Dear Old Heart” I hear those old songs yet – he was always singing as long as he had the strength. As time went along things were more plentiful, the orchard began to bear and the crops increased, all from toil and good management.

In 1833 he was converted at the Donaldson school house, for his own good and the hopes he would receive by doing good. As long as he retained his health he took lively interest in the church and the support of the gospel. His home was always the home of a Christian. His family alter was always the beginning of the day no matter the weather or the hurry, that was never forgotten.

In 1842 he drew the first timbers to help build the church at the Village of Commerce and his energies did not relax until the church was complete and then all through the years he would donate to its cause. He was upright in everything, his word was to be relied on. When he began to lay aside his earnings people would come and borrow. Some would be prompt and pay back but I know of some notes that never were paid which would have meant several hundred dollars of his hard toil. He thought everybody honest as he himself. He would let the notes go on overdue and he would never go to the trouble to go to a lawyer and try to collect. 

In about 1850 the schoolhouse known as the Scotch School was built – they started a Sunday school there with father as Supt. I remember the little old wood structure with its seat going around the stove. A little old Scotch man taught. Then a new schoolhouse was built. There are at this writing only two of my teachers left, Mrs. Herrington and C. B. Boughner. In about 1856 father thought it would be a good change for me to go to Pontiac to school. That was quite an event – for those times. So they got me a home to board with Mrs. Patrick. I went to the select school taught by Mrs. Curtis in the old yellow wooden jail, with its long hall and cells on the lower floor, the school was taught in the courtroom on the northeast corner. I remember it all, one day some of the children heard a noise and we went and looked in the cells and there lay some drunken men – like pigs on a bundle of straw. We were curious, as we did not know anything about drunks.

Then two years afterwards I attended the same school, then in the basement of the old Baptist Church, where now stands Waits Store, taught by the same teacher Mrs. Curtis, she afterwards married Mr. Dr. Scotch Wilson, I know of but a few scholars that are still here. Mrs. Dr. Galbreth, Mrs. Fanny Mathews Drake, Mrs. Messinger and few others.

In 1859 we thought it the proper thing to erect a home of our own as I married Sylvanus Welch. We built our home on the north side of beautiful Union Lake, known as the Hunt reserve taking the land from the government. We cleared the land and built our house. We later bought the farm in front of us with frontage on Union Lake. We remodeled our home in 18??. Mrs. Elizabeth Hiller Welch was a teacher at the Fourtowns school. The little old school house at Fourtowns that served for school and church with its seats running around the sides, with seats in the front had out grown its usefulness, the district thought best to erect a more spacious structure. So the 1st day of March it was torn down. My husband bought the old building and made it over for a tool and corn house. The knife-whittled desks adorn the building – the inside furnishings were moved out. That day a lot of the scholars came to see the dear old school torn down. The 5 oldest pledge themselves to celebrate that day as a memory of their early education by having a reception at one of their homes – two at the time lived in California. They would exchange letters when the time came and then have the dinner – with the lapse of time there was no particular interest.

We have three boys, the older, Isaac Welch of Walled Lake, a prosperous farmer, Ed Welch has a general store in Commerce and Frank is a teacher – teaching several years in the south, 1 year at the Military Academy at Orchard Lake – in 1901 he went to the Philippine Islands, he was given a school in Cebu (sic) now in the Panay Island. He is a thorough teacher and his whole life is in his work.

In 1908 my husband and myself thought we had labored long enough on the farm – the boys all gone to homes of their own. We are alone with hired help, which is hard to get these days, thought best to rent the farm and live from the income and otherwise.

We came to the beautiful city of Pontiac and bought a place and now as our heads are whiting each year we live in ease, the children come to see us and we make the best out of life. It does not pay to drain away your last years with things you are not able or capable of doing. So let someone else take your place and take the last of days in quiet and ease.

I think in the year 1856 the three sisters of Mrs. Herrington taught school in the adjoining schools at Union, the Colon (Fourtowns) and the Scotch school. They agreed to have a school picnic of the three schools at Orchard Lake island on the last day of school in the month of Sept.

We all gathered at the lake at the old George Dow farm. We went over on a flat scow that was used for carrying produce to the island. We went over fine, had our dinner and a good time. On our return home when about 30 rods from shore the scow began to sink. Dear, what a panic, some jumped into the lake, while some were pulled in by their hair as others clinged to the side as it would tip up and down. The screams brought little boats to our rescue as soon as possible, and let off in shallow water so we could wade ashore while they went back for another boat full. Oh what a time hunting for your people. There was four drowned – this was the saddest time. The funeral of the 4 victims was held in a little grove west of the new Fourtowns schoolhouse and laid away in the cemetery. This ended our school picnics.

The Hiller Road of today is named after its first settlers, our ancestors.

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