PEASE
One of the early settlers of Michigan was Lyman Pease who came to Madison Township, Lenawee County, from Lewis County, New York in 1833. He remained there for three years until February 1836, when he came to Hillsdale County, where he took up land in sections, 4,5,8,9 and 26 in Wheatland Township.
Lyman was the son of Alphesus Pease and the famiy record shows that 52 members of the Pease Family fought in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Thirty-seven of them entered the army from Massachusetts.
Among the Peases were two sons, Charles 14, and Alphesus, 16, who were captured by the British in New York Harbor and imprisioned in the hold of a ship. It was only through the generosity of a Negro cook on the ship that Alphesus survived starvation.
They had been chosen by General La Fayette as members of the Regiment of "Tall Young Boys," a sort of "Legion of Honor," which General Washington had premitted La Fayette to organize. They were members of a crew commissioned to capture any British vessel they could master.
They returned from the war, along with three other brothers. A sixth brother had remained at the family farm to carry on the work.
The Pease Family always found the Indians friendly and it was not unusual for some of them to drop in for the night. They always slept on the floor with their heads toward the fireplace and would leave so silently the next morning that no one would hear them.
Whenever the Indians entered the Pease cabin they always looked behing the door to see if anyone was there. One time, Permelia (Barnes) Pease, Lyman's wife, hid behind the door when an Indian came. When he looked as usual and saw her, he exclaimed. "Ugh, Squaw!"
The Pease School District Number 2, Wheatland Township, was opened in a log cabin in May 1837. In 1870 a brick school house was erected. Now, in 1976, it is a residence as are many of the old schoolhouses.
Clinton Pease, son of Lyman Pease, built a barn frame house in 1848. He used native timber which grew on the place. The house was an upright and a wing of Greek Revival design. The house still stands in 1976.
Refrigeration in those days was provided by the use of ice. Large blocks of ice were cut during the winter fromthe near-by-ponds and preserved for summer use by packing and stacking it in a thick layer of sawdust in a shed known as an ice house.
It was a fall occurrence to travel by horse and high-wheeled wagon to Monroe, Michigan to obtain a wagon load of fresh lake trout or whitefish. Some of these were freely given to the neighbours on the return home to Whealand. The fish were salted for preservation.
Many years later, Albert Pease, son of Clinton, grandson of Lyman, was instrumental in bringing an electrical line into Hillsdale County in 1921. He worked with Mr. Floyd Avis to acquire line rights from local farmers. Mr. Avis owned a power line in Hudson and was a co-owner of one in Indiana.
The charge for reading the users' electric meter at that time was $6.00 plus the amount charged for the electricity used.
This small power company was later sold to Consumers Power Company.
This recipe for Salt Rising Bread has been handed down for five generations in the Pease Family. It is an original American recipe because it is made with corn meal. Corn (zen maize) Field Corn (zen indentata) is a native of America.
1/3 cup of Milk, scald. Remove from heat. Stir in: 2 1/2 or 3 tablespoons of yellow corn meal (not degerminated) Note: (Corn Meal not de-germinated must be used and it must be yellow. It can be purchased at a health food store, It must not be kept over one year as after this it becomes bitter.)
Let scalded milk, and corn meal cool. This is called emptings or starter.
Place this mixture in a warm place to rise. (The oven of an electric or gas stove at 250 degrees) Sometimes the mixture rises rapidly, sometimes slowly. When this started has risen it well be bubbly. Remove from the oven and place in a cool sterile (free from odors) place, as it will absorb any odor. Be sure if you use your refrigerator it is free from odors.
This step required 6-8 hours.
The following day, take a cant two cups of milk or half milk and half water. Any ingredient should be warm. Stir into first starter. Starter should be warm also.
Then add 1 scant teaspoon of Salt, baking soda the size of a small pea, 2 cups of flour. Place this mixture in a six quart container in a warm place to rise. This should rise rapidly. about 1 to 2 hours. This is called the bread sponge or second starter.
Take six cups of warm flour, sift four cups into second starter, stirring lightly. Let this mixture rise. Sift remaining flour, using only as much as necessaryfor a medium dusting on the bread board and sufficient to handle bread easily. Shape into two loaves. Place in well greased bread pans. Grease with Crisco or Spry shortening.
Let Rise until 1 1/2 times or double in volume when placed in bread pans. 1 1/2 times gives a fine textured bread. Double volume gives a course textured bread.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. When baked turn out on a linen towel or wire rack to cool. While still warm but not hot, butter the tops. Slice with a serrated knife when cool. From material sent in by a member of the Pease Family.[Written by Ruth Ruder.]