The Niles Star

Bonine family still attracts attention

By Staff
Part of a continuing series on Niles' historic Silverbrook Cemetery, provided by Friends of Silverbrook Cemetery, a group working to preserve and restore the cemetery.
By Friends of Silverbrook
Who would think that a farm in Cassopolis could attract the attention of a New Orleans newspaper? A bit strange one would think.
The subheading to the article reads: "Bonine Place, Established by an Old Settler, is Partly Given Over to Profitable Raising of the Queer Pets." While not as short and spiffy as those headlines that grab our attention in the 21st century, it certainly does make one want to read on.
The New Orleans Bee/L'Abeille de la Nouvelle-Orlans was a French language newspaper first published in New Orleans in the early fall of 1827.
According to the people over at the Jefferson Library at www.jefferson.lib.la.us, it began its English editions three months later and then returned to being a French only paper in 1872.
However, on Thursday, Feb. 27, 1908, in extremely eloquent English the paper addresses the "Michigan Elk Farm" with the "Fine Herd of Animals on Tract in Cass County."
The article tells of the farm owned by the widow of James E. Bonine, who at the time of the writing was the largest stockholder of the First National Bank of Cassopolis and who at 82 years of age was "remarkably well preserved."
It would seem that the Bonine family came from exceptional stock themselves. In a document supplied us by Barbara Cook of Niles, a local historian, we learn that they were originally "French Hugenots."
The Hugenots were French Protestants who were members of the Reformed Church established in 1550 by John Calvin.
While the meaning of Hugenots was not readily known, a site at www.geocities.com/hugenoteblad/hist-hug.htm states the word seems to have originated about the same time as the church and was used in court cases against heretics-dissenters of the Roman Catholic Church.
The patriarch of the local clan, one of several Isaac Bonines, was a native of Tennessee according to Mr. Coolidge's History of Berrien County. He writes that he with his wife Sarah emigrated to Wayne County Indiana and were among the first settlers of that area.
There Bonine was a "farmer by occupation and also owned and operated a grist, saw and oil mill, being thus closely associated with industrial as well as agricultural interests. About 1843, he went with his family to Cass County, Michigan, finding at that time an almost unbroken wilderness in which the work of improvement had scarcely begun."
This was the father of James E. Bonine who is still a current newsmaker as reported in the Star and Cassopolis Vigilant last month by editor John Eby. Friends of Bonine House are currently looking at the possibility of rescuing and restoring one of the Bonine family homes as a historical symbol of the Underground Railroad.
The History of Berrien County article on Isaac A. Bonine, a son of James E., refers to the fact patriarch Isaac and his wife were members of the "Society of Friends."
The History of Cass County published by Waterman, Watkins and Co. in 1882, has the patriarch born in Virginia then moving to Tennessee, states he was born of Quaker parents and could not tolerate slavery, giving it as the reason the family came north.
The Society of Friends (Quakers) was an important part, of the Underground Railway of the times, and the transport of the former slaves to freedom in Canada.
Members of this illustrious family of physicians, farmers and politicians included Isaac A., President of the Buchanan Power Company, Dr. Evan J., a prominent politician who served as a surgeon of the 2nd Michigan Infantry and his son Dr. Fred Bonine, who became a world famous eye specialist.
As it is impossible to do this family credit in one brief article, the Friends of Silverbrook will address James E. and the farm itself in a future article and do the same with the father and son doctors and perhaps others.
One thing we are sure of. G. Elwood Bonine would be very happy with the Friends of Silverbrook and how they are caring for his family members buried here today. This was not the case when he wrote a letter to the Star's Voice of the People section, Aug. 19, 1941. The letter read:
Dear Sir:
I stopped in Niles today to visit the graves of generations of Bonines. I was terribly disappointed at the very poor and inefficient care the Niles cemetery is receiving. Even lots having perpetual care have not had grass and weeds clipped away from stones.
I regret that we saw fit to bury our people in the cemetery of a city which has so little respect and memory for its departed citizens. Some citizen's organization, wishing to improve Niles, should visit your cemetery and then visit the one in Cassopolis. They will get a real eye-opener.
Sincerely, G. Elwood Bonine
Today he would be so very proud of all the work our volunteers have been doing to be sure such a letter is never necessary again.
For more information on Friends of Silverbrook with regards to memberships and work days to help restore and catalog the monuments contact: Friends of Silverbrook Cemetery c/o 508 E. Main St. Niles MI 49120, Tim and Candace Skalla at 684-2455, wskalla@sbcglobal.net or contact Ginny Tyler at 445-0997, SPHINX1974@aol.com.
The Friends of Silverbrook Cemetery monthly meeting will be Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Law Enforcement Complex, 1500 Silverbrook, Niles.
The guest speaker: Dave Roeder and the Brandywine History Club will give a presentation on "Historic-Boston, Massachusetts". Over 40 students traveled to Boston on a 5 day school trip last summer. Colonial cemeteries and historic buildings from this trip will be highlighted in this program. Everyone is welcome to attend.