On the 14th day of February, 1884, Mr. James W. Knaggs, now residing in Cincinnati, Ohio, gave me the following items:

He was born in Springwells, on the Knaggs farm, in the year 1803, in the old French house that still stands on the river front of said farm, a short distance west of the westerly line of the city of Detroit.

In the year 1803 Mr. Whitmore Knaggs, the father of James W. Knaggs, bought of Joseph Gaubeille (Gaubielle), the farm in Springwells now known as the Bela Hubbard farm, for which he paid £873, New York currency. At that time the farm was three and a half arpents wide on the Detroit river front, and contained but forty acres; subsequently a concession from the government added to it, making it three and one-half arpents wide and sixty deep.

About the year 1814 Mr. Whitmore Knaggs built a windmill on the river side of the front of his farm on a little point of land that extended a short distance into the Detroit river. The miller was a Frenchman whose name was Joseph Soica; he was kept very busy grinding wheat, corn, buckwheat, etc., for all who brought their grist to this mill.

This sketch of the mill, together with a view of Detroit, Detroit river, Belle Isle, and Sandwich, made by Mr. William Raymond of Detroit in the year 1838, accompanies this narrative; the mill was destroyed in 1858.

Mr. Whitmore Knaggs died on the 3d day of May, 1827; and in his will he gave this farm to his wife. Soon after the death of Mr. Whitmore Knaggs, his widow, being in feeble health and unable to attend to the settlement of the estate, her son James W. Knaggs, who had moved to Chicago, returned to the farm and was appointed executor with the will annexed. In settling the estate he found that Mr. Peter J. Desnoyers had a claim on the farm amounting to fifteen hundred dollars. Being unable to obtain the money to pay this and other debts, the farm was sold to Mr. John W. Strong for $3,600.00.

Mr. James W. Knaggs has a very ancient paper without date of which the following is a copy:

Sir--On the 28th day of December, 1807, the Commissioners of the Land Office at this place confirmed to me Lot No. 77, situate, lying and being on the border of river Detroit, containing by the return of the surveyor 180 acres and 59-100. In pursuance therefore to an act of Congress passed the 3d of March 1817, entitled an act allowing further time for entering donation rights to lands in the district of Detroit, I now enter the rear of said farm so as to extend it to 80 arpents in length.

Peter Audrain, Esq.,
Register of the Land Office, Detroit

Abstract of Title

Private claim, No. 77. Knagg's farm.

Pierre Drouillard to Joseph Gaubielle. W. D. £400, April 11, 1783. Land, 3 arpents front on river Detroit by 60 arpents deep.

"oseph Gaubielle to Whitmore Knaggs. W. D. £566 13s 4d., August 9, 1803. Farm, 3 by 60 arpents.

Josette Knaggs, widow and devisee of Whitmore Knaggs to James W. Knaggs. Q. D. $1.00, June 13, 1827 and June 30, 1832. Farm containing 200 acres.

James W. Knaggs to John H. Strong. W. D. $3,600, June 30, 1832. Farm containing 180 59-100 acres and the back concession.

John W. Strong to Thomas H. Hubbard. W. D. $7,000, Dec. 4, 1834. Farm and back concession.

Thomas H. Hubbard to Bela Hubbard. Q. D. $1,000, June 5th, 1835. Farm and back concession.