2024.04

Found in Collection

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Palmer and Mayo Indian traders 1834 - research compiled by James T. Faasen, January 2024 with comment by Chris Clark Benjamin Plummer arrived in Saugatuck in 1834. He stated that he found Palmer and Mayo, two Indian traders at the mouth of the river. On 20 May 1836, the firm of T. B. Palmer & Co. was dissolved at "Newark, (Mouth, Kalamazoo River)." Titus B. Palmer (1799-1878) was a licensed merchant. George Mayo, who it is assumed his wife was Rhoda S. Mayo, that died in Ann Arbor on 31 July 1836 at age 27 6 Nov 1834, John Hale was the owner of the land on the south side of the mouth of the river and the land above Comstock’s claim Hale was with the Michigan State Bank in Detroit (H. H. Comstock was associated with that bank). 20 July 1836, John Hale (1798-1840) & wife Felicite (Labadie) Hale (1794-1847), both of Detroit, sold all this property to John’s brother, Ebenezer Hale (1787-1871) of “Canada," Ontario County, New York. This might mean that Palmer and Mayo conducted their business on the opposite side of the river from the village of Kalamazoo Harbor. Tracking these men and the sale of this property would be important as it seems to have been folded at some point into the sale of Comstock’s property in 1839 and all this wasn’t resolved until 1909. This all gets into that lawsuit about the actual existence of the Village of Kalamazoo Harbor, dealing with the lighthouse, as the Hale family owned all this land. Comment by Chris Clark "Titus B. Palmer lived much of his life in St. Cair County, home of Port Huron. I don't find anything about George and Rhoda Mayo beyond an 1831 marriage in Washtenaw County, and her subsequent burial in 1834. It seems odd that he would get married and leave his wife on the other side of the state. In 1834, there was probably still an active indigenous presence at the river mouth. Perhaps Palmer and Mayo bought goods in St. Joe and traded with the Indians. I don't remember reading about them in connection with the fur trade." Reply to Clark by Faasen "The notice in the paper gave the 3 names. Looking up deeds found John Hale's wife's name and that they lived in Detroit. Working with that, found Hale on the board of the Michigan State Bank in Detroit at the same time Comstock was . Via old book searches, found Palmer with a license to sell in Allegan County. Found mail waiting for him in Detroit as well as for Mayo. Found record of Mayo's wife's death in Kalamazoo paper in Ann Arbor. Tracked Mayo from there to a mail carrier from Ann Arbor to Jackson. Found records in Michigan Senate books on payments due a late George Mayo for work as a clerk in Post office prior to 1832. Added it all together and it all seems to fit and make sense."