HISTORY OF TUSCOLA COUNTY

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VILLAGE OF WAHJAMEGA

This is an unincorporated village on the Caro branch of the Detroit & Bay City R. R., in the town of Indian Fields. More particularly its location is described as being in the northeast quarter of section 19 and northwest quarter f section 20, township 12 north, range 9 east. It had its origin in the lumbering operations of Heartt and Stuck, and dates back to the building of their mill in 1853, as already mentioned in connection with the early settlement of Indian Fields.

Mr. Heartt came to Wahjamega first in June, 1852, when this section was literally a howling wilderness, but did not locate there until in the same month of the following year. At that time he formed a partnership with Charles Stuck, who had partially improved a favorable site for a water mill, and some 1,500 acres of pine land were purchased as a basis for a lumbering business. Mr. Heartt had been ten years in business at Ypsilanti, and on converting his property into cash found that he had $4,000, and that amount was the foundation of his present fortune. The partnership lasted but two years, Mr. Heartt succeeding to business. At that time there were no defined roads leading from Vassar to that place, and ordinarily an entire day was consumed in covering the thirteen miles with a loaded wagon. An ax and chain were a part of every wagon equipment, as very often it was necessary to cut out a new road owing to obstructions, and very often the teamster had to remain over night by the roadside.

The tract of land purchased at the outset was mostly timbered with pine, and Mr. Heartt for years had little idea of ever making

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Agricultural use of any considerable portion of it, as the soil was rather forbidding. The milling operations in the course of time removed the pine, and about eleven years ago he turned his attention to agriculture and stock raising with marked success. The water mill has two upright saws, and up to the time of the great financial revulsion the lumber was rafted to Saginaw and sold. After that period Mr. Heartt did not consider the business very profitable and suspended rafting operations. The products of the mill now find a ready market at home.

Sixteen years ago Mr. Heartt commenced farming on a small scale, but in 1872 he made it a business. At that time he had quite a large clearing about the mill, but it was heavily stumped with pine stumps, and since that he has thoroughly stumped upward of 300 acres, and at present has 500 acres of what may be termed plow land.

He established the first store in this section in 1853 and has continued it up to the present time. In 1859 he converted a portion of his saw-mill into a grist-mill.

The postoffice was established about the year 1859 with William A. Heartt as postmaster, which office he has held ever since.

The chief peculiarity of this place is its name which is coined from the initials of the names of six members of the Heartt family: Wah of William A. Heartt, "J" of Josiah, "A" of Alonzo, "M" of Margaret, "E" of Eliza, "G" of George and "A" of Amelia. The object of framing and adopting this unique name was to obtain such a definite and distinctive title as would preclude any reasonable probability of confusion of mails.

During the memorable county seat controversy which lasted from June 1860, until April, 1865, this place was a candidate for its location and was several times designated by the board of supervisors. Having in view the possibility of sometime becoming the capital of the county, Mr. Heartt in March, 1864, made and platted a village. The county seat went to Caro: and Wahjamega, in common with the other unsuccessful candidates, was left to view from afar the coveted prize.

In 1878 it became a station on the Caro branch of the Detroit & Bay City R. R. The business of the places is confined principally to the various business enterprises of Mr. Heartt.

WILLIAM A. HEARTT was born at Troy, State of New York, in the year 1822, and lived there until his death, which occurred in 1868.

Mr. Heartt has been prominently identified with all the general interests and progress of Tuscola County for thirty years, and one of its most successful business men. His land interest in the county amounts to about 8,000 acres.

STATISTICAL

Census of 1854: Population, 100; number of acres of taxable land, 4, 547: number of acres improved, 111; number of acres of wheat, 28; number of bushels of corn proceeding year, 270. No wheat was raised the preceding year. Number of horses, 4; number of work oxen 24; number of cows, 41.

Census of 1860: Population, 128: number of families, 26; number of dwelling houses, 32: value of real estate owned, $62,815; number of farms, 22; number of acres improved, 790; number of horses, 27; number of cows, 38; number of bushels of wheat raised, 1,011; bushels of rye, 47; bushels of corn, 990; bushels of oats, 1, 072; bushels of barley, 57; bushels of potatoes, 633; pounds of butter made, 3,350; tons of hay cut, 101; saw-mills, 1; feet of lumber sawed, 500,000.

Census of 1864: Population, 249; number of marriages preceding year, 11; number of deaths receding year, 16; number of acres of taxable land, 4,559; number of acres of improved land, 984; number of acres of wheat, 226; number of bushels of corn preceding year, 2,440: bushels of wheat preceding year, 2,343; tons of hay cut, 246; pounds of wool sheared, 481; pounds of butter made preceding year, 3,980; pounds of cheese made preceding year, 200; number of horses, 61; number of flouring-mills, 1; number of barrels of flour made preceding year, 1,500; number of saw-mills, 1; feet of lumber cut, 350,000.

Census of 1870: Population, 826; number of families, 169: number of dwellings, 173; number of voters, 203; number of deaths, 7; bushels of wheat raised, 8,445; corn, 5,765; oats, 4,002; buckwheat, 319; potatoes, 4,387; saw-mills, 2; feet of lumber cut, 980,000; flouring-mills, 2; barrels of flour made, 4,300.

Census of 1874: Population, 1,006; males, 541; females, 465; number of gorses, 138; number of working oxen, 37; number of cows, 101; number of sheep, 659; number of swine, 80; bushels of wheat, 7,354; bushels of corn, 11, 733; bushels of apples, 600; bushels of potatoes, 6,754; tons of hay cut, 507.

Population in 1880, 1,871. Total equalized valuation in 1882, $789,915, number of farms in 1881, 61; acres of improved land, 3,552; bushels of wheat raised in 1880, 16,147; of corn, 23,094; tons of hay, 405.