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Forestville Bicentennial History page 3

Brush roadster, and a little later the 1912 Maxwell runabout, some early Fords with little single seats in the back called "mother-law" seats. At that time we had a real "gas house" to hold drums of gasoline and oil. It was kept filled by Mr. Tucker who brought gasoline from Harbor Beach in a tank wagon brought by mules. One warm summer evening my father set a lighted lantern on the ground nearby and opened the door, it went sky high in pillar of smoke. The Wahla brothers then invested in a real underground tank with a hand cranked gasoline pump. Thus the era of "old" horse is no longer to be seen and the local farm boys have to learn about horses from the T. V. programs. 

PILGRIMS’ PROGRESS 

The first real "farm lookers", arrived in 1853. They were Gottlieb Schubel, a young Prussian brewer, his brother, Charles and Matt Schwab who settled near White Rock. The Kelly's and the Cleary's came the same year, settling in future Cato and west Delaware township respectively. Gottlieb Schubel had been saving his money in Sandusky, Ohio where he was working, with the intention of buying a good Michigan farm.

In 1852 old Joe Schubel and sons Fred and Charles had moved to Lexington, where they employed in Hubbard’s sawmill. Gottlieb embarked on Hubbard’s Lumber schooner which plied between Lexington and Sandusky in those days, and in a few days found himself at the edge of the Michigan frontier. He found no roads running north (or west) from Lexington, so three young land seekers followed the old Indian trail north along the beach and across the many heavily timbered "points". They passed through Little Bark Shanty (pt. Sanilac) and doubtless picked up supplies at Uri Raymond’s new store there. The only sign of life was at Hurd’s sawmill on cherry Creek at the present County park. No doubt Ward’s layout impressed them. The Schubel's bought still available government land 2 1/2 miles inland from the shore---an area later known as Linwood. Charles Schubel soon sold his farm in sec. 12 and moved to New River (near old Grindstone city) where he took a job as foreman in Hubbard’s Huron County sawmill. Mrs. Schubel drove the family cow all the way to the new homestead. Gottieb settled in Sec. 11, stayed on and prospered.

His son, Albert’s son, born in 1866, became the "threshing King" of Delaware township, Albert’s son Ted the Case implement dealer, still works the original farmstead. The review of progressive East Delaware farmers carried in the "Jeffersonian" in 1878 stated that "Gottieb Schubel came here about 25 years ago. Now has 117 acres of land of which about 90 are under cultivation. There is scarcely a stump left in his fields. There are good fences and buildings (said to cost $3,000.) and a full bearing orchard. Gottieb is well fixed and is regarded as one of the most enterprising of our German farmers. 

LINWOOD

Settlers who took up land just west of Forestville eventually formed a small center 2 1/2 present Schock road. It became known as Linwood, reminiscent of the linden or brass groves of Saxony. It was at times called "Gerntt’s Corner" because the " immigrants land agent", Bruno Gernt, had taken up a Ward forty at the corner east of the Schubel land. He organized and built a cooperative cheese factory there in 188, ‘importing’ the boilers from New York state. "The commodious structure." Stood near the present Arthur Goetze residence. The "Coop’ was made up of Gernt, Schubel,, Tom Ward., Hartman Rauh, Uncle Nye and a few others. All brought extra cows for the venture which proved profitable for about 7 years before closing down.

Linwood’s Original log school cost $68. An Evangelical church (locally called "German Free Methodist") was built near the present cemetery in 1886. No doubt, the settlement hoped to become a city in due time. The Saxon, Anton Popp, settled in Linwood in 1874, and later built his "gabled mansion" on the south bank of Mill Creek. It was a local showplace, and like a German "schloss" faced the stream rather than the highway.

Two old settlers, Henry Geck, the Forestville blacksmith in 1873, "Uncle" Richard Nye lived just south of the Linwood corner. 

THE SAWDUST KING & OLD CATO 

Jacob Buel came up from Lexington in 1862 to take over the big shut down Ward sawmill. In a few weeks he had two its saws running and their loud wail announced to all with hearing that Forestville had come back to life. Buel also operated the Ward dock and some sort of store for a while. It was during his career that Forestville lumber output rose to almost a million board feet per week. Buel’s early activity rated a write-up in the "Jeffersonian" of 1864. It gives us a picture of Forestville’s old lumbering days so I reproduce most of it here: "Buel’s mill is ready for the season with a million feet of logs on hand, and will start sawing Monday. Duncan McKenzie contracted to deliver a half million feet to mill and can double that if sleighing stays on hand." By far most of the logs for the mill are back along for the stream (Mill Creek) and will be run down in the spring. Mr. Buel Has cleared and improved the stream and made it one of the best in the country for log-- running.

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