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Lester C Morgan was born June 13, 1822, in Leroy, Genesee Co. N. Y. In 1866 He located in Muskegon Co. , Michigan, and bought 250 acres of land near Muskegon. In 1873 he went into partnership with S. N. Wilcox and they built a mill on the White River at what is now White Cloud. In 1873 the Muskegon and Big Rapids Railroad was completed and on June 22, 1873 Lester C. Morgan established a post office near the tracks, called Morgan Station, near what is now the north-east corner of Adda and North St. in White Cloud. He soon sold his share of the mill to S. N. Wilcox. There were several business located along North St. between Adda St. and Wilcox Ave. with the Muskegon and Big Rapids Railroad Depot being located on the west side of North St., S. N. Wilcox & Co. Groceries and Provisions Store on the east side. There also was a Dr. Office, a Drug Store, N. A. Germond's Meat Market, J. M. Roedel's General Merchandise Store, D. A. McIntyre's Restaurant on the north-west corner of North St. and Wilcox Ave. The D. A. McIntyre's, Saloon across the road on the north-east corner. At the corner of Barton St. and Wilcox Ave. where the railroads crossed was a hotel and one block east across from McIntyre's Saloon was another hotel. Next to the this hotel George Williams had a Barber and Hairdresser Shop. Across the road at the end of Gibbs St. next to where the White Cloud City Hall was built, later becoming the Newaygo County Court House's Parking Lot, was the A. G. Clark & Co. Drug Store. On the north-west corner of Gibbs St. and Wilcox Ave. was the office of S. N. Wilcox Lumber Co. North of the railroad tracks on Gibbs St. David Smith ran a hotel called the Traveler's Home. On the corner of Wilcox Ave. and State Road was another large Hotel, later called the White Cloud Hotel. The S. N. Wilcox Lumber Co.'s Steam Saw Mill and Lumber Yard was located on the north side of the Mill Pond and the Wilcox's Shingle Mill located on the Mill Pond raceway, by 1900 this was a Pump House and a Wheel House. It later became the White Cloud Electric Light Plant Power House and the saw mill became the Ice House. On the 1873 map of Newaygo County this settlement is called Morganville. On 1 Sept. 1873 Lester Morgan's son James L. Morgan became the Postmaster. James L. Morgan also had Inn on the north-west corner of Adda and North St. Russel B. Mason became Postmaster on May 7, 1875 and James M. Smith became Postmaster on June 15, 1875. The Grand Rapids, Newaygo and Lake Shore Railroad ran north from Grand Rapids through this area with their depot located on the east side of Charles St. near where the two tracks crossed. They had a Engine House and Turn-table just north of Newell St. on the east side of the tracks. They also had sidings going to the Wilcox Saw Mill and the Shingle Mill. In 1878 the Muskegon and Big Rapids Railroad consolidated with the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore line, north out of Muskegon, to become known as the Chicago and West Michigan. Then in 1881, that line bought out the Grand Rapids, Newaygo and Lake Shore Railroad. Thus all of the railroads in Newaygo County, aside from those short lines owned by the local lumbering concerns, were now in a single hand. Later in 1899, with the passing of the local lumbering industry, and the necessity for expansions of the roads if they were to survive, they were all taken over by the Pere Marquette. Fifty years later the Pere Marquette gave way to the Chesapeake and Ohio. On March 26, 1877, while James M. Smith was still Postmaster the name of the Post Office was changed to White Cloud. Lee M. Mason became the Postmaster on Feb. 24, 1879 and remained until Aug. 12, 1880 when Wilbur F. Satharn was appointed Postmaster. He was followed by Reuben S. Trask - July 23, 1885, Marshall A. Teachout - April 26, 1889, James C. Townsend - July 1, 1893, William Ross - June 8, 1897, John Harwood - Nov. 13, 1901, James W. Milne - Dec. 20, 1911, Fred Gibbs - Jan. 6, 1916 and Mrs. Emma Moote - June 4, 1924. By the 1900's the Pere Marquette Railroad had removed the tracks to where Wilcox Saw Mill and Shingle Mill were located and built a new depot on the north side of the railroad tracks east of Charles St. They had a new Engine House located north of Pine Hill Ave. and some coal sheds to the east of where their tracks and Pine Hill Ave. cross. By then there was a Grist Mill where the White Cloud Co-op is now and the railroad had a siding going to the mill. The hotel at the corner of Barton St. and Wilcox Ave. had been removed and a Bicycle Factory was located there. North of Adda St. between Barton St. and North St. the White Cloud Hospital & Sanitarium Association had a new hospital. East of the railroads tracks between Wilcox and Pine Hill Ave., Mrs. V. A. McIntyre had a training track for horses. The Boston Lunch and Inn was built about where the old depot had been located across the tracks from the new depot. By 1922 many new business had open up along Wilcox Ave. making this the main street of White Cloud. The Grist Mill had change it's name to The White Cloud Co-op Asst. and the White Cloud Creamery was located on the south end of William St. The White Cloud Canning Factory and J. R. Johnson Co. Salting Station were located on the north side of the tracks between Barton St. and North St. |