Novacious M. Kellam (1847-1923)

From Biographical Wiki

Novacious M. Kellam
The Pon-She-Waing Hotel
Born:	2 Jan 1847 Orland, Indiana
Died:	23 Mar 1923 Eustis, Florida
Father:	Ephraim Kellam
Mother:	Rebecca W. Morgan
Siblings:	Rowena Kellam Harrison Kellam John Kellam Margaretta B. Kellam Louisa D. Kellam Letiza B. Kellam William T. Harrison Kellam Rhoda Kellam Novacious M. Kellam
Spouse:	(1) Mary L. Kelso
Married:	24 Jul 1866 Branch Co., Michigan
Children:	Lottie Kellam Mark Birt Kellam
Spouse:	(2) Margaret A. Smiley
Married:	19 Sep 1880 Sturgis, Michigan
Children:	Gladeys B. Kellam

[edit] Obituary

Petoskey News-Review, Friday, March 23, 1923:

M.N. KELLAM
DEAD IN FLORIDA
FORMER PONSHEWAING MAN
PASSES AFTER ILLNESS
OF ABOUT ONE YEAR
Operated Store at Alanson and Hotel
on Crooked Lake Many Years
Father of Mrs. C. Woodruff

News came by telegram Friday morning that N. M. Kellam, former owner and operator of the Ponshewaing Hotel, at Ponshewaing on Crooked Lake, had passed away at Eustis, Fla., where he had been for treatment for a number of weeks. His winter home was at Astor, Fla. Mr. Kellam was seventy-six years old and had beem in poor health for more than a year. He did not return north last summer owing to illness.

Mr. Kellam was born at Orland, Ind., and enlisted from there to serve his country during the Civil war. For many years he operated a store in Wolcottville, Ind., and after coming north operated a store in Alanson before going into the hotel business in Ponshewaing. He came to Petoskey as a summer visitor for many years before finally locating in the north country.

His hotel became widely known among railroad officials and fishermen and Mr. Kellam took keen delight in showing the visitors just where the big fish were to be found. He was one of the region's most enthusiastic fishermen. He was a G. A. R. member and was a charter member of Petoskey lodge B. P. O. Elks, No. 629, but later dropped his membership.

Besides the wife he leaves one daughter, Mrs. Charles Woodruff, of Petoskey; one son, M. B. Kellam, of Knox, Ind., and one sister, Mrs. Lydia Shippy, of Bronson, Mich.

The remains will be brought to Petoskey and burial will be made in Greenwood.

Mrs. Woodruff planned to leave Petoskey this week for Florida to be with her father until the weather became warm enough to allow him to be brought north. Both Mrs. Woodruff and her brother spent last autumn in Florida with their father.

[edit] History

Hill, Mark. The Steamer Topinabee and The Inland Water Route of Northern Michigan:

Ponshewaing, some say means "Peaceful Waters", others say "Winter Home". The two earliest settlers were the Rufus Myers and Novacious Kellam families of Alanson. By 1900, so many fishermen were stopping here and asking for meals and rooms, that the Kellams decided to enlarge their home and turn it into a hotel. Mr. Kellam wanted to name the hotel "The New Klondike" after the Alaskan Gold Rush that was on at the time. An old Indian told him that there was once an Indian Village on the exact spot of the hotel, the Village was named "Pon-She-Waing", meaning "Winter Home". Although this was a turning around of the meaning, because the hotel was to be a "Summer Home", the name seemed to fit, thus the hotel was named the Ponshewaing Hotel.

In front of the hotel was a trout pond. There was a two story boathouse at the lake shore. It also had on the property, a wood working shop and farm building for the small farm that the Kellams operated.

Hotel proprietors, would greet train passengers and take them to their boat liveries. Several boats would be towed via launch to various fishing holes in the morning, later, in the afternoon, the launch would tow the fishermen back to the hotel. Other fishermen would not hesitate to row 5-6 miles to find their secluded fishing hole. Rates for room, meals, and boat were two dollars per day. The hotel burnt down during the 1950's, only the stone pillars marking the driveway, (which can still be seen from U.S.31), and the hidden well head of the flowing well, remain.

[edit] Sources

1850 Federal Census, East Greenfield, La Grange, Indiana, 3 Oct 1850

Kellam, Ephraim

, Novatius, 4, male, IN

1860 Federal Census, Greenfield Twp., La Grange, Indiana

Kellam, Rebecca W.

, Novatius, male, 12, IN

1870 Federal Census, Greenfield Twp., La Grange, Indiana, 11 Aug 1870

Kellam, Novacious, 24, male, white, farmer, 1500/400, IN

, Elvira, 22, female, white, Keeping House, MI

, Lotte, 2, female, white, IN

Dusenberry, Johns, 24, male, white, Farm Laborer, MI

1880 Federal Census, Bronson, Branch, Michigan:

Name: N. M. Kellum

Calculated Birthdate: 1847

Birthplace: Indiana, United States

Head of household: Halsted, Jno. A.

Relationship to Head: Other

Father's Birthplace: New York

Mother's Birthplace: New York

Race: White

Gender: Male

Marital Status: Widowed

Age: 33 years

Occupation: Merchant

NARA Film Number: T9-0573

Page: 500

Page Character: B

Entry Number: 1979

Film number: 1254573

Marriage: Michigan Marriages, 1868-1925:

Groom's Name: Arvasiorus Killam

Groom's Age: 33 years

Groom's Birth Date: 1847

Groom's Birthplace: Indiana

Bride's Name: Margaret A. Smiley

Bride's Age: 31 years

Bride's Birth Date: 1849

Bride's Birthplace: Ohio

Marriage Date: 19 Sep 1880

Marriage Place: Sturgis, Saint Joseph, Michigan

Film Number: 2342467

Digital Folder Number: 4207622

Image Number: 327

Reference Number: v 3 p 247 rn 225

1900 Federal Census, Littlefield Twp., Emmet, Michigan:

Kellam, Novacious M., head, white, male, Jan 1847, 53, married, 19 yrs., IN, NY, NY, Landlord

, Margaret A., wife, white, female, Nov 1845, 51, married 19 yrs., 2 kids 1 alive, OH, OH, OH

, Glada, daughter, white, female, July 1881, 18, single, MI, IN, OH, Music Teacher

Kahl, Edward B., Boarder, white, male, Jan 1847, 43, single, OH, PA, PA, Carpenter

Fuller, Cora B., niece, white, female, Mar 1864, 36, single, IN, NY, NY, Elocutionist

Dickis, Maud, servantgirl, white, female, Jun 1882, 17, single, IN, OH, OH, table waiter hotel

1910 Federal Census, Littlefield, Emmet, Michigan

Kellam, Novacious, head, white, male, md, 63, IN, NY, NY

, Margaret, wife, white, female, md., 61, OH, OH, OH

Curtis, May, white, female, married, 43, IN, PA, NY

Curtis, Floyd, white, male, single, 14, MI, Can, IN

Page, Alexander, white, male, married, 59, Can, Eng, Can

1920 Federal Census, Lake Co., Florida

Kellam, Novacious M., head, male, white, 73, married, IN

, Maggie A., wife, female, white, 70, married, OH

Death: Florida Deaths, 1877-1939:

Name: Novacions M. Kellam

Death Date: 23 Mar 1923

Death Place: Eustis, Lake, Florida

Gender: Male

Death Age: 76y 2m 21d

Estimated Birth Year: 1847

Spouse's Name: Margaret A. Kellam

Father's Name: Ephram Kellam

Film Number: 2116297

Reference Number: p 3239

Burial: Greenwood Cemetery Index, Petoskey, Michigan:

Kellam, Novacious M.

Age: 76

Born: 0/0/1847

Died: 3/23/1923

Burial: 5/5/1923

Cemetery: Greenwood, Petoskey

Obituary: on file, PEN - 03/23/1923

Section: J

Block: 134

Lot: 4

Military:

Civil war - Pvt. Co F 11th Reg. Mich Inf. Enlisted in Co. F (reorganized), 11th Infantry 3/9/1865 at Bronson for 1 Year. Age 18. Mustered 3/13/1865. Mustered out at Nashville, TN 9/16/1865