Homestead Twp. Needs More Caches! Traditional Cache
-allenite-: As there has been no response from owner regarding my previous note, I'm archiving this cache. Please note that if geocaches are archived by a reviewer or Geocaching HQ for lack of maintenance, they are not eligible for unarchival.
Homestead Twp. Needs More Caches!
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
You are looking for a camoed pill bottle. Please be respectful of the area and search only during the daytime hours.
Homestead Township Needs More Caches!
The village of Homestead was directly east of the settlement of Benzonia in Benzie Co. Michigan. Homestead comprised of what is now Homestead, Zimmerman and Pioneer Roads. Many pioneers came to the area for cheap land from the government paying $1.25 for an acre of land and promising to stay for at least five years. Life was tough for these hardy settlers. Early pioneers of Homestead were from northern Ohio, the same region from which the Benzonia settlers came. A man, Camden Johnson, described his journey to this area in 1864 from Ashtabula Co. Ohio. Johnson said that the journey to Traverse City was uneventful till the group reached Traverse City. Then the settlers found that the only way to Benzonia was to walk. The family started early in the morning walking on a trail through the wilderness. When they arrived exhausted at 9 pm to a former Ohio neighbor’s home in Homestead, they were welcomed. After building homes, the early settlers built churches and schools. In 1864 a Congregational Church was built. During the following year, the first school was built by volunteers out of a frame of poles and the walls and roof were covered with shake shingles. Not enough protection during the winters, so school wasn’t in session in the winter months.
With lumbering activities in the area of Homestead, the village grew rapidly with homes and businesses flourishing. Railroads crisscrossed the area. Again as many other communities, Homestead thrived during the lumbering era but declined as soon as the valuable timber was stripped from the landscape. People had to leave the area to find jobs elsewhere, and the little village of Homestead disappeared.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)