HUTCHINS

.....DAVID JOHN WALTER was born in Wurrtemberg, Germany on May 15, 1823 and died in Fennville March 30, 1890. He married upon reaching New York, Caroline Augusta Junke who was born in Hanover, Germany Dec. 13, 1815. they had formed an acquaintance about 1849 while sailing to America. They settled in Rochester, New York where their children, William, Charles and Lizzetta were born.

.....In the summer of 1854 they came to Clyde township and settled on the southeast corner of Section 6, where the land butted against Hutchins Lake. Davis was a shoemaker by trade and here it was that the footwear for this whole community was manufactured. People took choice calf hides to the Morrison tannery at Saugatuck for tanning and then to Mr. Walter for the making. The house was at the north edge of the big swamp which abounded in bear, wolves, deer and rattlesnakes. There are many stories about their happenings with the wild life. At this home Henry, Caroline and Julius were born making six children in all.

.....William, lived in Fennville.
.....Charles was a miner and owned mining property of value in Montana and had his home with his nephew Emery Hutchins near by.
.....Lizzetta, married Horace Hutchins where in the property David Walter became that of Horace.
.....Henry lived in Deer Park, Washington.
.....Caroline md. James Palmer at Blanchard, Idaho
.....Julius lived in Deer Park, Washington.

.....David took more than ordinary interest in public affairs and filled various offices in the township and school district. The community can never forget the boots David made for them, there were never new shoes here until about 1880 with red tops and copper toes. They were the pride of all the youngsters at school and there was some difference of opinion as to which was the preferred color, red or blue. Either color was supplied on request.

.....David Walter built the first public hall in the Fennville district in 1867 at the northeast corner of Section 6, Clyde Township, one-half mile west of Fennville and was in the capacity of a community hall. Fennville at this time was merely a saw mill, with boarding house for the hands, post office in a small store and a blacksmith shop. The community, though scattered was more to the west.

.....It was in this community hall that political rallies were held. Dancing parties and socials were brought here and it was the half-way hall between Pine Planes and the Jimmy Haile place. Mr. walter used the first floor for a general store and had living quarters in a wing placed on the west side. The hall occupied the whole second floor.

.....By 1978 Fennville had become established and other halls were in use in the hamlet, so in that year Mr. Walter actually moved his building a mile east and to the north side where the oil tanks were, but close to the street and converted it into a Hotel. In the spring of 1890 Ed Williams was operating the hotel that stood where the Stevens Hotel stands and he bought the Walter house and joined it on his building, forming a south wing, where it stood until the old Fennville House burned.