Early Memories of Saugatuck, Michigan : 1830-1930
Author: Heath, May Francis
Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Grand Rapids, Mich: 1930

JAMES McCORMICK

Among the very first settlers to take up land in Man-lius (a part of Newark) was James McCormick who was of Scotch-Irish parentage and was born in Canada in 1806 and went with his parents to Niagara County, N. Y., where he grew to manhood. At the age of twenty-five he married Maria Billings, daughter of Walter Billings.

They came to Allegan county in 1837 and bought 160 acres of land at one dollar and a quarter per acre, in Manlius. He left his family in Allegan at the Prouty's and he built a log cabin on his tract and began making clearings. He loved to hunt and enjoyed the new country and the Indians and had many a day's hunt with them hunting deer, bear, wolves and turkeys.

The McCormicks occupied their cabin in the spring, worked hard and prospered; he became one of the large fruit growers and his cabin was supplanted in 1853 with a large modern colonial house (one of the land-marks today on M-89)—and his hospitality was as noted as that of Stephen A. Morrison at "The Flats".

Thirteen children were welcomed into the McCormick home. Compare the way the McCormicks came to this country in 1837. by that slow mode of travel, ox-team and wagon, and roads that were mere unbroken trails, then see the wide cement road which passed the old Homestead! Time and labor have wrought changes and improvements.

Mack's Landing was named for Mr. McCormick for just above the Purdy Landing today, Mr. McCormick always tied his boat at that point on the Kalamazoo which was about three miles from his home.