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BATTLE CREEK BY A. D. P. VAN BUREN
Col. Stewart had built a gristmill; Wm. Stewart was hammering iron at his forge; Willard Mills and Ashley worked at tailoring; and the mechanics at their trades; David Cald-well kept the tavern, and he and his brother had a cabinet shop; David H. Daniels, Sylvester Mills, and Jeremiah Teed were selling dry goods; Brown and Brigham were doing the same; Dr. Rhodes was attending the sick; and Felix Duffee and Gillispie did the pettifogging. The above-named persons and their- families, with a number of other families constituted the inhabitants of Verona. Battle Creek had the most houses and may have had the most trade.
But for awhile Verona was its rival; and it was thought, that had Gen. Convis lived, he through his influence in the legislature, would have secured the railroad for his own town, thus depriving his rival neighbor of that great aid in building a place. But his death in the winter of 1837-38 changed the course of affairs at Verona. The town never grew much after that. Battle Creek got the railroad and soon became the busy, thriving town, growing rapidly year after year, as the country became more and more settled, till it became a flourishing city. In the meanwhile its old pioneer competitor, Verona, that had started life here in the woods, about the same time, and under circumstances full as favorable, now found herself left behind in the race for wealth and preferment. For it was soon apparent that Battle Creek was the business center of the surrounding country, and the once ambitious Verona lost all hopes of ever being a rival or a large town, and finally gave up the struggle
Michigan
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