Almeron Newman was born February 26, 1804, in Gorham, New York. By the time he was 21, he had established a woolen mill at New Fane in Niagara County, New York. When his father, Elisha Newman and halfbrother, James Newman migrated to Michigan in 1836, Almeron, his wife, Laura Berry Newman, and three children aged six, four, and one accompanied them.
The brothers built a saw mill and flouting mill which went into operation in December of 1836 on the south bank of the Looking Glass River. Later Almeron bought up the mill machinery from a mill that was never operated on the Grand River. He developed a carding machine factory at the Newman location on the Looking Glass. In 1868 he was associated with the Portland Woolen Mill built on the north bank of the river.
Almeron Newman was prominent in public affairs, having been elected township clerk at the first township meeting in 1838. He was justice of the Peace for nearly forty years, served as Associate judge of Circuit Court, State Representative, and was always interested in school development. He was prominent in the affairs of the Universalist Church, and he and James financed much of the cost of the building. Five of the nine children born to the Newmans survived their parents: Jane, Franklin, Frederick, John and Asa. Mrs. Newman died in 1875 and Almeron Newman in 1876.
In a sketch of Portland pioneer life, Almeron Newman says: "On our arrival we found that Philo Bogue had erected a small frame building on the bank of the Grand River, a little to the left of his dwelling-house, and that he himself was then in New York making his first important purchase of goods, which he sold to the citizens, doing a pretty fair business. Mr. Bogue lollowed this occupation with good success until the summer of 1839, when he sickened, and died on the 25th of July.
" On our arrival here we found the post entirely clear. The Indians, of whom there was a small tribe under the charge of Squagan as their chief, had their home at this point, but had left and gone below Bogue's, on the flats of Grand River. The Indians had their burying-ground on the point of ground formed by the intersection of the Grand and Looking-Glass Rivers where the foundry now stands. They had do buildings except one very nice wigwam, which afforded temporary shelter for our women at night while we were buildiug houses, which wo were not long about. We got lumber at Libhart'a mill, on Libhart Creek.
" We did not bring many of our goods and but few provisions with us, but shipped theui around the upper lakes to Grand Haven, thence up the river to Lyons, Grand River being navigated at this time by a pole-boat called the ' Napoleon.' Time passed, and provisions grew less. We heard nothing of our goods, and it was therefore determined that Lyman Bennett and myself should take a trip to the mouth of the river to see what we could learn and lay in some supplies if necessary. Accordingly, we procured a heavy, clumsy, square-toed white man's build of a canoe, and started down stream in the morning with a Chicago merchant in with us who had been to New York after goods. The river was high, and with a strong current. With little exertion on our part we made very good headway, aud in due course of time arrived at Grand Haven. There we found a man who was running a vessel on Luke Michigan, from whom we learned that he had seen in Chicago some goods answering the description we gave of ours, and he thought, too, the goods were likely to stay in Chicago some timo unless sent for. I instructed him to get them and forward them to Lyons, and then Bennett and I started for home. We shipped our canoe as far as Grand Rapids on the 4 Napoleon and at the Rapids, taking in a supply of flour, pork, etc., polod away for home. I poled and Bennett pulled — that is, he walked in the river or on shore ahead of the boat and towed with a rope, while I remained on board and poled. By the time we reached Ionia we were both utterly exhausted, and, leaving our craft there, we put off overland for Portland, whence we despatched fresh recruits to bring the vessel up."
At this time the Newmans began work upon the task of damming the Looking-Glass. It was a good deal of a job, and an expensive one, but it was put through without a hair, as was the building of a sawmill. The latter was started December, 1830,and in January, 1837,a small run or stone with a bolt attached was put in. The first flour made in that mill is supposed to have been the first bolted flour made west of Pontiac. The mill did all the grinding for that section of the country uutil 1842, when James Newman and Peter M. Kent built in the same place the one now carried on by Newman & Rice. Peter M. Kent was a millwright, and came to tbe settlement in June, 1836, for the purpose of building Newman's saw-mill. William Henry also came to the settlement in June, 1836, and was in the employ of the Newmans a few years before making a settlement of his own.
Per the Probate documents, Mr. Newman left an estate in excess of $10,000. The probate close didn't close until 1906.
The brothers built a saw mill and flouting mill which went into operation in December of 1836 on the south bank of the Looking Glass River. Later Almeron bought up the mill machinery from a mill that was never operated on the Grand River. He developed a carding machine factory at the Newman location on the Looking Glass. In 1868 he was associated with the Portland Woolen Mill built on the north bank of the river.
Almeron Newman was prominent in public affairs, having been elected township clerk at the first township meeting in 1838. He was justice of the Peace for nearly forty years, served as Associate judge of Circuit Court, State Representative, and was always interested in school development. He was prominent in the affairs of the Universalist Church, and he and James financed much of the cost of the building. Five of the nine children born to the Newmans survived their parents: Jane, Franklin, Frederick, John and Asa. Mrs. Newman died in 1875 and Almeron Newman in 1876.
In a sketch of Portland pioneer life, Almeron Newman says: "On our arrival we found that Philo Bogue had erected a small frame building on the bank of the Grand River, a little to the left of his dwelling-house, and that he himself was then in New York making his first important purchase of goods, which he sold to the citizens, doing a pretty fair business. Mr. Bogue lollowed this occupation with good success until the summer of 1839, when he sickened, and died on the 25th of July.
" On our arrival here we found the post entirely clear. The Indians, of whom there was a small tribe under the charge of Squagan as their chief, had their home at this point, but had left and gone below Bogue's, on the flats of Grand River. The Indians had their burying-ground on the point of ground formed by the intersection of the Grand and Looking-Glass Rivers where the foundry now stands. They had do buildings except one very nice wigwam, which afforded temporary shelter for our women at night while we were buildiug houses, which wo were not long about. We got lumber at Libhart'a mill, on Libhart Creek.
" We did not bring many of our goods and but few provisions with us, but shipped theui around the upper lakes to Grand Haven, thence up the river to Lyons, Grand River being navigated at this time by a pole-boat called the ' Napoleon.' Time passed, and provisions grew less. We heard nothing of our goods, and it was therefore determined that Lyman Bennett and myself should take a trip to the mouth of the river to see what we could learn and lay in some supplies if necessary. Accordingly, we procured a heavy, clumsy, square-toed white man's build of a canoe, and started down stream in the morning with a Chicago merchant in with us who had been to New York after goods. The river was high, and with a strong current. With little exertion on our part we made very good headway, aud in due course of time arrived at Grand Haven. There we found a man who was running a vessel on Luke Michigan, from whom we learned that he had seen in Chicago some goods answering the description we gave of ours, and he thought, too, the goods were likely to stay in Chicago some timo unless sent for. I instructed him to get them and forward them to Lyons, and then Bennett and I started for home. We shipped our canoe as far as Grand Rapids on the 4 Napoleon and at the Rapids, taking in a supply of flour, pork, etc., polod away for home. I poled and Bennett pulled — that is, he walked in the river or on shore ahead of the boat and towed with a rope, while I remained on board and poled. By the time we reached Ionia we were both utterly exhausted, and, leaving our craft there, we put off overland for Portland, whence we despatched fresh recruits to bring the vessel up."
At this time the Newmans began work upon the task of damming the Looking-Glass. It was a good deal of a job, and an expensive one, but it was put through without a hair, as was the building of a sawmill. The latter was started December, 1830,and in January, 1837,a small run or stone with a bolt attached was put in. The first flour made in that mill is supposed to have been the first bolted flour made west of Pontiac. The mill did all the grinding for that section of the country uutil 1842, when James Newman and Peter M. Kent built in the same place the one now carried on by Newman & Rice. Peter M. Kent was a millwright, and came to tbe settlement in June, 1836, for the purpose of building Newman's saw-mill. William Henry also came to the settlement in June, 1836, and was in the employ of the Newmans a few years before making a settlement of his own.
Per the Probate documents, Mr. Newman left an estate in excess of $10,000. The probate close didn't close until 1906.
Almeron Newman was born February 26, 1804, in Gorham, New York. By the time he was 21, he had established a woolen mill at New Fane in Niagara County, New York. When his father, Elisha Newman and halfbrother, James Newman migrated to Michigan in 1836, Almeron, his wife, Laura Berry Newman, and three children aged six, four, and one accompanied them.
The brothers built a saw mill and flouting mill which went into operation in December of 1836 on the south bank of the Looking Glass River. Later Almeron bought up the mill machinery from a mill that was never operated on the Grand River. He developed a carding machine factory at the Newman location on the Looking Glass. In 1868 he was associated with the Portland Woolen Mill built on the north bank of the river.
Almeron Newman was prominent in public affairs, having been elected township clerk at the first township meeting in 1838. He was justice of the Peace for nearly forty years, served as Associate judge of Circuit Court, State Representative, and was always interested in school development. He was prominent in the affairs of the Universalist Church, and he and James financed much of the cost of the building. Five of the nine children born to the Newmans survived their parents: Jane, Franklin, Frederick, John and Asa. Mrs. Newman died in 1875 and Almeron Newman in 1876.
In a sketch of Portland pioneer life, Almeron Newman says: "On our arrival we found that Philo Bogue had erected a small frame building on the bank of the Grand River, a little to the left of his dwelling-house, and that he himself was then in New York making his first important purchase of goods, which he sold to the citizens, doing a pretty fair business. Mr. Bogue lollowed this occupation with good success until the summer of 1839, when he sickened, and died on the 25th of July.
" On our arrival here we found the post entirely clear. The Indians, of whom there was a small tribe under the charge of Squagan as their chief, had their home at this point, but had left and gone below Bogue's, on the flats of Grand River. The Indians had their burying-ground on the point of ground formed by the intersection of the Grand and Looking-Glass Rivers where the foundry now stands. They had do buildings except one very nice wigwam, which afforded temporary shelter for our women at night while we were buildiug houses, which wo were not long about. We got lumber at Libhart'a mill, on Libhart Creek.
" We did not bring many of our goods and but few provisions with us, but shipped theui around the upper lakes to Grand Haven, thence up the river to Lyons, Grand River being navigated at this time by a pole-boat called the ' Napoleon.' Time passed, and provisions grew less. We heard nothing of our goods, and it was therefore determined that Lyman Bennett and myself should take a trip to the mouth of the river to see what we could learn and lay in some supplies if necessary. Accordingly, we procured a heavy, clumsy, square-toed white man's build of a canoe, and started down stream in the morning with a Chicago merchant in with us who had been to New York after goods. The river was high, and with a strong current. With little exertion on our part we made very good headway, aud in due course of time arrived at Grand Haven. There we found a man who was running a vessel on Luke Michigan, from whom we learned that he had seen in Chicago some goods answering the description we gave of ours, and he thought, too, the goods were likely to stay in Chicago some timo unless sent for. I instructed him to get them and forward them to Lyons, and then Bennett and I started for home. We shipped our canoe as far as Grand Rapids on the 4 Napoleon and at the Rapids, taking in a supply of flour, pork, etc., polod away for home. I poled and Bennett pulled — that is, he walked in the river or on shore ahead of the boat and towed with a rope, while I remained on board and poled. By the time we reached Ionia we were both utterly exhausted, and, leaving our craft there, we put off overland for Portland, whence we despatched fresh recruits to bring the vessel up."
At this time the Newmans began work upon the task of damming the Looking-Glass. It was a good deal of a job, and an expensive one, but it was put through without a hair, as was the building of a sawmill. The latter was started December, 1830,and in January, 1837,a small run or stone with a bolt attached was put in. The first flour made in that mill is supposed to have been the first bolted flour made west of Pontiac. The mill did all the grinding for that section of the country uutil 1842, when James Newman and Peter M. Kent built in the same place the one now carried on by Newman & Rice. Peter M. Kent was a millwright, and came to tbe settlement in June, 1836, for the purpose of building Newman's saw-mill. William Henry also came to the settlement in June, 1836, and was in the employ of the Newmans a few years before making a settlement of his own.
Per the Probate documents, Mr. Newman left an estate in excess of $10,000. The probate close didn't close until 1906.
The brothers built a saw mill and flouting mill which went into operation in December of 1836 on the south bank of the Looking Glass River. Later Almeron bought up the mill machinery from a mill that was never operated on the Grand River. He developed a carding machine factory at the Newman location on the Looking Glass. In 1868 he was associated with the Portland Woolen Mill built on the north bank of the river.
Almeron Newman was prominent in public affairs, having been elected township clerk at the first township meeting in 1838. He was justice of the Peace for nearly forty years, served as Associate judge of Circuit Court, State Representative, and was always interested in school development. He was prominent in the affairs of the Universalist Church, and he and James financed much of the cost of the building. Five of the nine children born to the Newmans survived their parents: Jane, Franklin, Frederick, John and Asa. Mrs. Newman died in 1875 and Almeron Newman in 1876.
In a sketch of Portland pioneer life, Almeron Newman says: "On our arrival we found that Philo Bogue had erected a small frame building on the bank of the Grand River, a little to the left of his dwelling-house, and that he himself was then in New York making his first important purchase of goods, which he sold to the citizens, doing a pretty fair business. Mr. Bogue lollowed this occupation with good success until the summer of 1839, when he sickened, and died on the 25th of July.
" On our arrival here we found the post entirely clear. The Indians, of whom there was a small tribe under the charge of Squagan as their chief, had their home at this point, but had left and gone below Bogue's, on the flats of Grand River. The Indians had their burying-ground on the point of ground formed by the intersection of the Grand and Looking-Glass Rivers where the foundry now stands. They had do buildings except one very nice wigwam, which afforded temporary shelter for our women at night while we were buildiug houses, which wo were not long about. We got lumber at Libhart'a mill, on Libhart Creek.
" We did not bring many of our goods and but few provisions with us, but shipped theui around the upper lakes to Grand Haven, thence up the river to Lyons, Grand River being navigated at this time by a pole-boat called the ' Napoleon.' Time passed, and provisions grew less. We heard nothing of our goods, and it was therefore determined that Lyman Bennett and myself should take a trip to the mouth of the river to see what we could learn and lay in some supplies if necessary. Accordingly, we procured a heavy, clumsy, square-toed white man's build of a canoe, and started down stream in the morning with a Chicago merchant in with us who had been to New York after goods. The river was high, and with a strong current. With little exertion on our part we made very good headway, aud in due course of time arrived at Grand Haven. There we found a man who was running a vessel on Luke Michigan, from whom we learned that he had seen in Chicago some goods answering the description we gave of ours, and he thought, too, the goods were likely to stay in Chicago some timo unless sent for. I instructed him to get them and forward them to Lyons, and then Bennett and I started for home. We shipped our canoe as far as Grand Rapids on the 4 Napoleon and at the Rapids, taking in a supply of flour, pork, etc., polod away for home. I poled and Bennett pulled — that is, he walked in the river or on shore ahead of the boat and towed with a rope, while I remained on board and poled. By the time we reached Ionia we were both utterly exhausted, and, leaving our craft there, we put off overland for Portland, whence we despatched fresh recruits to bring the vessel up."
At this time the Newmans began work upon the task of damming the Looking-Glass. It was a good deal of a job, and an expensive one, but it was put through without a hair, as was the building of a sawmill. The latter was started December, 1830,and in January, 1837,a small run or stone with a bolt attached was put in. The first flour made in that mill is supposed to have been the first bolted flour made west of Pontiac. The mill did all the grinding for that section of the country uutil 1842, when James Newman and Peter M. Kent built in the same place the one now carried on by Newman & Rice. Peter M. Kent was a millwright, and came to tbe settlement in June, 1836, for the purpose of building Newman's saw-mill. William Henry also came to the settlement in June, 1836, and was in the employ of the Newmans a few years before making a settlement of his own.
Per the Probate documents, Mr. Newman left an estate in excess of $10,000. The probate close didn't close until 1906.
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