308 GENERAL HISTORY. 



The Owosso grape is a more recent origiuatiou by Mr. C. F. Goodhue, of 

 Owosso, in this county. It is said to be a chance seedhng, probably from 

 Cat nvba, with hardiness, size, beauty, quality, productiveness, etc., adapting 

 it to the climate of the northern States. The originator gives the follow ng 

 description: Vine very hardy, a strong grower, canes large and very dijfferent 

 from any other vines, never throws up any sprouts or suckers from the roots. 

 Out of five thousand vines we have not discovered ou^;. A bountiful bearer, 

 has 7iot failed of a good crop in eight years. Fruit clusters large and com- 

 pact, berry round and large, quality excellent, has a sprightly and delicious 

 taste, and for the table, not to be excelled by any grape grown out from under 

 glass, a good keeper, color dark amber, ripens with Delaware from the last 

 of August to the 10th of September. 



The foregoing description should probably be accepted with some grains of 

 allowance for the partialities of the originator. The grape has now been a 

 number of years before the public, but has apparently attracted but little 

 attention. 



Siiiawassee county, according to the census of 1884, has of apple orchards 

 7,553 acres, 21:^,086 bearing trees, yielding in 1883, 169,969 bushels of fruit. 

 pwpPeach orchards, 146 acres; 11,206 bearing trees, yielding in 1883, 2,760 

 bushels of fruit. 



Tlie value of orchard products of all kinds, sold or consumed in 1883, was 

 $86,808.00. 



Vineyards, 52 acres : grapes sold in 1883, 7,558 pounds. 



wine made in 1883, 88 gallons. 



Nurseries, 3 acres: products sold in 1883, $342.00. 



Market garden products sold in 1883, $6,689.00. 



CLINTON COUNTY. 



This county was set off and named by act of the Legislative Council of the 

 Territory, approved March 2d, 1831, and it was organized by act of the State 

 Legislature, approved March 12th, 1839. 



Its name was bestowed in honor of De Witt Clinton, governor of the State 

 of New York, and projector and practically the builder of the Erie canal. 



The county seat is St, Johns, at which place a trading post was established 

 in 1858 by Celestin Lorauger, of Detroit, with reference to trade with the 

 neighboring Indians, and a grist mill was built about the same time by ex- 

 Auditor General John Swegles ; also a saw-mill by Michael Hogan (Pio. Col.). 



In 1836 Jesse Munro settled upon one hundred and sixty acres of land in 

 the town of Eagle, which he had purchased the year previous. In so doing 

 he penetrated into the wilderness four miles from any other settler. (Pio. 

 Col., vol. 7, page 437). 



Mrs. D. L. Case, of Lansing, a daughter of Mr. Munro, however, states 

 that he was not the first settler in the county, the earliest settler being 

 Captain Scott, on October 4th, 1833; the second was Cliauncey Ferguson. 

 Mr. Munro first settled at or near DeWitt; but, in November, J 836, removed 

 to near Portland. She thinks he was one of the first, if not the first, to 

 plant an orchard in tliat county, getting nis trees from Rochester, New York, 

 about 1837 or '8. 



