In the 1800s communication was a big deal. Though we are privileged to have a potpourri of 21st century communications methods at our fingertips, during those early days of the Michigan Territories pioneers were basically limited to two: in-person and by mail.

The Huston family facilitated both of these.

Amanson Huston came to the area in 1828 as an Indian trader and peddler. He must have seen the potential of what he found here as by May 1829 he had opened the first hotel in Niles.

The tavern known as Council House, was originally a log house owned by William Justice. A framed addition was completed by Henry Drew in 1830 on the east part of the log cabin that was the bar room. The addition served as the first courtroom in Berrien County.

Many accounts exist attesting to the building serving the community as a great meeting place. A document outlining the historic significance of the building at 224 North Front St., which was eventually known as the John B. Reddick building, tells of a momentous community event held July 4, 1830.

Click here for the full article on the Niles Daily Star website.

As we continue to do our small part in preserving our area’s history, we truly appreciate those who kept the records and passed on the stories before us.

Ralph and Mary Huston Ballard are two former Nilesites to whom we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude. Not only did they record a great deal of the written history of their day, but they respected those who preceded them enough to play a large role in the creation of the Fort St. Joseph Museum.

Ralph Ballard was born July 5, 1870 at the family home on Ballard Hill, M-60 west of Niles. He lived there until 1945 when he purchased their home at 742 Broadway St. in the city.

His wife was born Feb. 28, 1874 in the Huston family home at the corner of Elm Street and St. Joseph Avenue. They married in the fall of 1891. This was a union of two well-matched individuals who shared a love of the land and their community.

Click here for the full article on the Niles Daily Star website.

The Niles Daily Star is pleased to continue the historical series on those buried in Silverbrook Cemetery. We join the Friends of Silverbrook Cemetery in welcoming your suggestions and input for future columns.

Louise Reddick Smith would like these stories. She would be particularly proud of this one. Prior to her death in 1910, in a letter to her children about the early history of Niles, she wrote: It (the history) will probably be of more interest to myself, than anyone else, for old people have a way of looking backward and finding more pleasure, than in anything transpiring around them at the present time.

Click here for the full article on the Niles Daily Star website.

January is when most of us spend some time in reflection. While we strain to gaze into the crystal ball of the future, we also revisit the past to see what lessons might be learned from it as we move ahead.

Family legacies are the backbone of our Silverbrook Legacies. By looking at our history, through the eyes of those who once lived and worked here, we learn much.

A winter’s walk through Silverbrook might lead you to pause at the Kingston family plot. At first glance the site may not strike you as all that much different than others and then you see it. A small marker that simply says: “Papa.”