CORAL TIMELINE
Including the County of Montcalm,
and State of Michigan

from Coral Centennial 1862-1962
many consultants including Don Gage, Ken Mulholland and
from online sources.



10,500 BC
Probable date for arrival of humans in Michigan.



8000 BC
Documented evidence for Early Americans along the Flat River.



1715
The French establish Fort Michilimackinac at the Straits of Mackinac.



1760
The French surrender Fort Pontchartrain to the British, ending French rule in Detroit.



1763
May 7 - During the Indian wars in the area, Pontiac leads a 135-daysiege of Detroit. Indians capture all the forts in Michigan, exceptDetroit.



1800
Fur trading reached into Montcalm County.



1805
The Michigan Territory is created, with Detroit designated as the seatof government. William Hull is appointed as governor. Detroit isdestroyed by fire.



1812
Detroit and Fort Mackinac are surrendered to the British during the War of 1812.



1813
January 22- A British force of 1,300 soldiers and Indians falls upon anAmerican army at the River Raisin near present-day Monroe. Againstdirect orders, U.S. Brigadier General James Winchester has moved hisforce of 700 Kentuckians and 200 regulars to the River Raisin. Americanforces reenter Detroit. Lewis Cass is appointed military and civilgovernor of the Michigan Territory.



1815
September 8th, Treaty With The Wyandot Etc 1815, a peace treaty betweenthe US and the American Indians after their alliance with Great Britainin The War Of 1812.



1819
The Treaty of Saginaw cedes nearly 6 million acres of Indian lands toMichigan settlers (including parts of Montcalm County). Michigan sendsa delegate to Congress.



1828
The Territorial Capitol is built at Detroit for a cost of $24,500.



1835
The Toledo War ensues over the Michigan- Ohio boundary. Michigan wasnot admitted to the Union because she would not surrender her claim tothe Toledo strip. The area was finally surrendered in exchange for thewestern section of the Upper Peninsula.

The First Constitutional Convention. Stevens T. Mason is inaugurated as the first Governor.



1836
By the Treaty of Washington, 4/5 of Montcalm County had been ceded bythe Indians (Ottawas, Chippewas, Potawatomies, Ojibwas) with rights tohunt, fish, etc. until the land was needed for settlement.



1837
Luther Lincoln believed to be the first settler Montcalm County.

Michigan becomes the 26th State of the Union.



1850's-1860's
Large Montcalm County Indian communities such as on Tamarack Lake whereLakeview town is now, the Entrican area, and a camp on the north end ofWinfield Lake (the lake Krampe Park is on and previously known asTownline Lake), moved north or were removed by the US government forwhite settlers.



1857
...And earlier, settlers arrive to the Coral 'area'. An Irish communitysuch as the Codys (Americanized spelling Coady) began SE of Coral and aGerman one west of Coral with German sponsor Henry Henkel (their largewhite farm house still visible SE of the corner at Federal andKendaville Rd.).

Cato, Ferris, Pierson and Sidney Townships were established (Piersontwp included what are now Maple Valley, Reynolds and Winfield twp)



1859-1862
St. Clara's Church built south of Coral Road on Amble Road, locale now called Cody Cemetery (aka The Old Catholic Cemetery).



1860's-1870's
Railroads come to Montcalm County.



1860
1860 School, first Coral area school, log cabin near later ArbogastSchool location (Arbogast School was on south side of Coral Rd about.25 mile west of Arbogast Rd, now the Durst Farm), Elizabeth Parkerfirst teacher (Charles Parker family doesn't arrive until 1862 soElizabeth was possibly extended kin there before Charles or took that as her married name later).



1861
Charles Parker of Ontario Canada arrives to the Coral 'area' building asmall log cabin west of what is now the town of Coral and Spruce Lakeon the NW corner of Arbogast Road and Coral Rd. That locale nowrecognized by the Historical Society as the Arbogast Centennial Farm1880-1980 (and apparently near to the 1860 school location).



1862
Charles Parker moves his family from Canada to his Coral 'area' logcabin. About this time he starts a logging camp the east side of SpruceLake creating the first development that eventually becomes the villageof Coral.



1863
July 1- Civil War



1861-1865
Over 90,000 Michigan men are mustered into service during the Civil War.

Probably sometime after this in the 1800's the Grand Army of theRepublic Hall, The Chauncy Perry Post #50 (for Union veterans) of theDept of Michigan in Coral was built (later to be the Coral Opera House).



1864
Day, Douglass, Home and Maple Valley Townships were established.



1865
Charles Parker builds a log cabin east of Spruce Lake in Coral logging camp (and moves to there?).

Centenial reports a 1865 School located west side of Spruce Lake but noconfirmation, it might possibly be reiterating the location of the 1860School or refering the a meeting agreeing of the need for anotherschool in 1864 (belived to have been the 1968 school near NW corner ofProspect and Bailey). 



1867
Big 4th of July Celebration in Coral (see poem)



1868
Coral of Maple Valley Township was first named Stumptown (after theStump and Morris mill) of Pierson twp. (at that time Pierson twpincluded what are now Maple Valley, Reynolds and Winfield twp)

Clate Woods Coral's first merchant.

1868 School (located briefly) near corner of Bailey and Prospect St.(hill overlooking Coral Park, near current St. Clara's Church location)probably in addtion to the 1860 School.



1869
Land purchase near town prompted name changed to "Coral" (because it was was easy to spell)

Henry Cowden sells his Cowden Lake farm to be Coral's second merchant.

Mr. Shively establishes saw mill north side of Spruce Lake.

Henry Fisher establishes saw mill north bank of the pond joining Spruce Lake (later mill owned by Hart Oaks company).



1870
First property deeded to a Maple Valley Township(Coral area) school signed over by Jane and Emory Blanding to District#1 Arbogast School in section 7 (on south side of Coral Rd about .25mile west of Arbogast Rd) . Arbogast School building confirmed in 1875Montcalm County map.

The Coral Centennial book reports the Coral School at the Mill,Kendaville, and Bailey block was in use by 1870 winter but reoportsalso suggest it was first built in 1873, perhaps either it wasrebuilt by 1873 or the 1870 location is suppsed to be the ArbogastSchool, or it's meant to refer to the 1968 school location at Baileyand Prospect. 



1870's
St. Clara's Church moved SW of Coral to NW corner of Cannonsville Road (then called Maple Valley Rd) and Cody Rd.



1871
In August, railroad reaching Coral begins Michigan's first logging byrailroad. The Detroit, Lansing, and Northern railroad later named thePere Marquette railroad. Tracks ran NW and SE diagonally through town.Due to all the potato farming earning Coral its nick name 'tater town'potato cellars (cellars allowed for winter storage) were built atpoints along the track including one where the Coral Community Centeris now which is SW of the Sherman and Bailey Rd corner, there was onesouth of the Park Place Hotel (St Clara's Church) in what is now theCoral Park, and it is believed the Reynold's home was built on one atthe NE corner of Prospect and Oak (in fact the Reynold's drive way upto their house is the same path as the old RR tracks). Also there is ametal potato warehouse now used for various storage on south side ofKendaville Rd along the dirt two tracks which for a short ways are onthe old R.R. tracks now a private drive called West Coral Dr. just westof Lake Rd. From the corner of Lake and Division and walking from theother end of Coral West Dr (which isn't on the old line) about 50 feetyou can see the path where the old tracks used to cross through thewoods. The tracks ran NW from Greenville through Coral to downtownHoward City where it merged with the north and south bound Grand Rapidsand Indiana Railroad (now a riding trail on the east side of FederalRd).  From the north end of Coral on Kendaville Rd just south ofLake Dr at the private West Coral Drive, when looking NE you can seeutility lines running where the railroad used to lie.

In 1909 there was a derailment in Coral, The train was mistakenlyswitched to a short side track meant for loading on the north side ofthe Coral Elevator which ended at the edge of main street where thetrain plowed through a barricade and the engine settled perpendicularof Bailey Rd closing it off.  No fatalities reported. However in other years there had been fatalities like the derailment inTrufant and a collision north of Pierson just south of where now theFederal Rd curves.  That rail line is now the rail/trail calledWhite Pine Trail.  Due to the curve near Cannonsville Rd thetrains didn't see each other until it was too late.  The storygoes that it was common for trains to be alterted by telegraph of anoncomming train and for them to pull over onto a side track so thatthey could pass but in this case the depot operator received themessage but fell asleep and awoke to the passing train so was unable towarn them of the oncomming train.

Sometime before this year a tramway for logs drawn by horses or smallsteam engine ran from the north shore of the pond east of Spruce Lake(aka Coral Lake or East Lake), ran past the north side of the MethodistChurch at Bailey and Divsion St, and ENE from town close to the cornerof Kendaville and Amble Rd (through now Dan Snow's farm) just north ofCody Lake, then near Masters and Lake Montcalm Rd (stone barn), througha swamp to Deaner Rd and on to Gravel Ridge Rd area to McClennans'timber stand (in 1962 "evidence of this railroad grade can still beseen through the swamp and back of the barn of the Arlo Smith farm" (onLake Montcalm Rd .25 mile east of Masters Rd)). The tramway isn'tindicated on the 1875 Coral map. According to the Coral Centennial bookthis tramway was the first logging ever moved by rail in Michigan.

Also a similar tramway running near present Tri County High Schoollocation (Amy School Rd and Kendaville Rd) south to Wood Lake atCannonsville and Federal and another from Wood Lake and also possiblythe high school area west to Newaygo and Newcosta areas.

As areas were cleared of timber tramways were frequently moved. Quickly the Coral area was ehausted of pine logging by 1880.