2 10 18 https://archives.howelllibrary.org/files/original/1f79008d23755516c43efe962906627d.pdf 856d01cf93e106211ba4a2eb669eb968 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Books - Local History Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Hidden Search Text Enter Search Text that is always hidden except to edit. Published by the American Revolution Bicentennial Committee, City of Howell, Michigan The Howell Bicentennial History 1776-1976 Written and prepared by Howell residents past and present The Howell Bicentennial History I ' ) \ • i ': .. ,•, • f l .,, 4~ .>.\. ' The Howell Bicentennial History David L. Jaehn ig, Executive Ed itor Arlene Lamoreaux , Coord i nating Editor , Co-Cha i rman Mike Hagman , Co-Cha irman Dennis Mowry , Bus i ness Manager Cliff Heller , Consulting Editor Janet Rohrbacher , Consulting Editor Duane Zemper , Consulting Editor of Photography Published by The American Revolution Bicentennial Committee , City of Howell, Mich igan Picking water lillies in t he Shiawassee . RECOGNIZED BY AMERICAN REVO LUTION BICENTENNIAL ADMINISTRATION Bicentennial Chairman David L. Jaehnig is a Michigan State University graduate, B.A., M.A . and advanced graduate work. He is married and has two children, and has lived in Howell for more than three years, serving as the editor of the Livingston County Press . He is a former college professor and magazine editor , and a Michigan native . He is the manager and president of the board of the 5th Michigan Regiment Band . Bicentennial Secretary Arlene Burdick Lamoreaux was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she married Richard Lamoreaux in 1951 and they have seven children, Michael, Timothy, Anne, Kathleen, Amy, Daniel and David . She moved to Howell in 1972. Richard has been employed in radio and television and works for Paperworks Systems. Printed in the United States of America . Inquiries concerning this work should be addressed to the Howell Bicentennial Committee , 402 S. Michigan, Howell, Michigan 48843. Published First Edition , November, 1975 by The American Revolution Bicentennial Committee , City of Howell, Michigan. Mike Hagman was born June 4th, 19H in Howell, Mich . He attended the South Mich . Ave. School, kindergarten thru twelfth grade . He served thirty three months in the U.S . Army. He bought the Service Station at 202 N . Mich . Ave . January 1, 1946. He married the former Ruby Dennis in May , 1947, has three children, Sheryl Underwood, Daryl and Michael. Bicentennial Vice Chairman Dennis 0. Mowrey was born 1941, raised and schooled in Lincoln Nebraska . He married Celesta Criswell, has two children, Danette and Darren . In business with his father till 1966, joined H . Kohnstomm Co . Inc. in 1972, transfered to Michigan . Wanting to be involved in his new community he joined the Howell Jaycees , of which he has the pleasure of being President this year . Still furthering his community interest, he joined with the Howell Bicentennial Commission to help celebrate our country ' s 200th Birthday . Bicentennial Treasurer INTERVIEWERS Mrs. George Gregory Mrs. John Kelly Mr . and Mrs . Edward Repik Forward The Howell Bicentennial History is a personal history of Howell, Michigan and its surrounding area. The key to that statement is the word "personal," and in that word lies the story of this outstanding work. For this is the work of hundreds of individuals, either present Howell area residents, or folks who have moved away, but still maintain close ties to their hometown. The history you are about to read is written by amateurs, with not a professional historical writer in sight. But that's not an apology. These hundreds of amateurs have produced a work of historical significance that no historian could even attempt . These writers have told their personal stories of the history of Howell, as they saw it, as it was told to them by their grandfathers and grandmothers, as they recall it from diaries and letters. The major pivot for the coordination of the book has been Arlene Lamoreaux, a dedicated, relatively-newcomer to the Howell area. She began the idea, with strong support from her co-worker and Howell native Mike Hagman . But the two of them are the first to say it would all have been impossible without three key natives of the Howell area ... former mayor and local historian Cliff Heller, American Revolution and D.A.R . researcher and writer Mrs. Albert Rohrabacher, and photographic archivist and local historian Duane Zemper. Around these five people grew a honeycomb of facts and anecdotes, photographs and diaries, family histories and fabulous tales. Several dozen other local enthusiasts joined together to head up various chapters or segments of the history book, and we have noted their contributions on the first text page of those sections. The book is published under the direction of the American Revolution Bicentennial Committee of the City of Howell, as a 200th Birthday project. It is to the credit of that farseeing committee that this most important work appears in your hands today. The sharp set in Howell , 1895. DAVID L. JAEHNI-G EXECUTIVE EDITOR A Message from President Gerald Ford u..s_s_ Congratulations to Howell and Livingston County on your Bicentennial celebration . Kerry Kammer State Senator 17th District My congratulations to Howell and to Livingston County as you celebrate our Bicentennial year . It is a time for each of us to reexamine and reaffirm the best of our traditions and to move forward in the great American spirit to plan the third century of our existence as a nation . We have much to offer and much to gain as a people if we work together . Livingston County represents the main strength of our system and I am hopeful that your Bicentennial celebration in 1976 will be a most fruitful experience. I am proud to be serving as your Congressman during this important year . Warm regards, M. Robert Carr Member of Congress Congratulations on your fine effort to bring back Howell of yesterday . Senator Philip Hart As a member of the Michigan Bicentennial Commission I ex - tend my warmest wishes to Howell and Livingston County and that the spirit of '76 remain strong in this area and the coming years . Gilbert Bursley State Senator 18th District f f I I • Contents The Beginnings ..... . The Revolution ... 12 ... 28 Howell's Early Settlers .............•.......•..........•.......... 36 Howell in the 1800's . . .. 62 Howell's Centennial Farms .. What We Wore . .. the 1800's . I Remember When . . . . . • . . • . . . . 72 .. 107 .. 110 One Room Schools ............•..•..•.... . .. . .......... ..... ... .. 130 Howell's Schools . Howell's Notables Woman of the 1800' s . That was Entertainment . Amusements . The Opera House The Civil War . Cemeteries .... Music through the Years . City Government Business and Industry . . . . 134 .. 154 .. .. 155 . 160 . . .. ... . . . . . ...... . ... . 168 . 178 ..•........... 185 Chamber of Commerce .............. . ... . . 189 . . . 203 ..... 212 . . . 223 . . 229 The Early 1900's . . . . . 231 World War I . Howell in the 1900's Law Enforcement . ... . .. . .. . .. . .. . . ... .... 238 ... . 252 .... 260 Organizations . .. .. . ...... . .. 261 And We Went to War Again . . .. 285 Churches .........................•........•........•............ 293 Fashions of the 1900' s .... . . ... 306 County Government . . . . . . .. 308 Hospitals . . . ..•.........•.. ...... 321 Tragedy Struck Too Often . . ... 336 The F i re Department Currency ..... . . ........ .... .......... . ...... . ..... 344 .... . 356 And the Distance Grew Less .360 Transportation .... .. .. ...........•................. 366 Newspapers and Radio . • . .. . . . . . . . . . . . • . . ... 389 The Howell Post Office . ..... . . . ... .. . ... •. . .. ... . . .. . 394 Howell Map of 1910 ........ . .. . . The Library ... The Garlands-A Nation's Tailor . And We Took to the Air . . .. . .............. 396 . .. . 397 ... 402 .. 404 Inventions . . . . . . . . . . . .406 Main Street of Michigan ... .. ... .............. ........ .......... . 414 The Sunday Ball Game .. Sports ... .422 .. 424 The Howell Armory ............ .. .......• . ..... . .. . ..•.. .. . .. .... 437 Howell ls Where We Live .. . . .. ... .. •.. .. . .. . . .. .. . 438 Michigan Bicentennial Executive Director Howard Lancour displayed the Michigan Bicentennial Medallion and national Bicentennial symbols . Two of the medals were presented during the evening ... one to Howell Mayor Robert Parker, and the other to Howell Bicentennial Committee Chairman Dave Jaehnig, as a part of the ceremonies honoring Howell as a National Bicentennial Community. Introduction In Howell, as in virtually all small cities, a great many folks wear more than one hat. The local banker or attorney is also the president of the school board, a county official heads the community charity drives, a salesman helps direct a local civic group, and the newspaper editor directs the American Revolution Bicentennial activities. Having already stacked my tricorn Bicentennial hat atop my Livingston County Press editor's visor several years ago, I now find myself devising a unique book editor's cap to balance at the top of the personal totem pole. It is certainly a cap, however, that I cherish deeply, especially after viewing the unique and outstanding work committed to my hands by these hundreds of local writers . As you begin to read this work of your neighbors and friends, we offer several explanations to assist you comfortably through the book. We have made no attempt to rewrite or heavily edit any of the contributors to the history book. A major part of the charm and flavor of the book is in the personal writing of the contributors, a fact that will add value to the work as the years pass . This may occasionally lead the reader to question the flow of a certain article or the grammar of another . Also, many of the accounts are as folks remember them, and so occasionally a date or a name spelling may disagree with your memory or appear to be inaccurate . Coordinators of the various sections of the book have read the articles and the captions for the pictures to assure accuracy wherever possible. Still it is true that errors undoubtedly will occur in a work of this magnitude, especially when written by so many contributors. Finally, we have made no attempt to shorten stories or articles. We included what the author considered to be important, relying on their background and research to determine the length and style of any given article. We have, on the other hand, searched out misspellings, embarrassing grammatical problems, and given the book organization and direction. With the assistance of photography expert Duane Zemper , we have selected the most representative and entertaining of hundreds upon hundreds of pictures, weeding out those which were close duplicates, out of the Howell area, and of poor quality and composition . The result is The Howell Bicentennial History, a work the American Revolution Bicentennial Committee proudly presents as we enter the year of our 200th Birthday across the United States. We are proud to be an American, and we are proud that Howell is where we live. DAVID L. JAEHNIG, CHAIRMAN AMERICAN REVOLUTION BICENTENNIAL COMMITTEE CITY OF HOWELL, MICHIGAN Howell Mayor Robert Parker, left , and Michigan Amer ican Revolution Bicentennial Commission Executive Director Howard Lancour show off Howell's new Bicentenn ial flag. The flag was presented to the city March 26, 1975 by Lancour, following the official national designation of Howell as a National Bicentennial community . ..... • .,.,Ii.\ # '" ...... ' " •. ·, ..• •" "' ,.. ... . \ ,,. \ • • • M ~ • \ .. \ I , > • • .. ... . . . 11) . j 't~ f) -J ,, .... . ..- "' J4." ,~) ,.,ff, - '*-~· Here-'% ow Detro.it lool<ed in the 18th centurv,---at teast, this is one ma_ili(llersion of MotoV.:n•s la#'out . The JllilP shows a small settlement 0~$-"orth 0ba.nk of tlle.rivi F.'Also ~nJJi.e notth bank.at the far left ,; s tgwatottly Villageo.•1mtians from the ' Detroit •'ftrea were.J.ilmili& ,.•• • • th a't\d traYeled' throll'gh the Howell area as ltl,e, know it today . .... -·· ., ..... .. ....•, ,., .. . . ... " # ., , . ••• :f ) . . . .. I • ., '.. .,._.. ,." ". I •• •• .• ...... ..,. . ........-. ~ ...-.\ .. -- .... . ,-- 4IL · ·· · ·· - ·· ·r: ... . . 1 . .•... / _,....... , .,,_ .. t .. .. ;: t ..... 1) ~l} ) . . The Beginnings . • • ,-~.... ....... ... • .. ,,,'iii:•! .:. .,,......, .....,,,,_.,.;,,. iii!':'. ·,.·~.... ·, . .... ....-. .., .~ //-I•·..·., ,. . ..'.- .•. ..~. ·: ...... ..,.;. .,;., ... .,.. ....,., ., ..,; ,... . ... ..,,. ...-. ·· ... ,,,_ - -. .,..,... .. .t... It. .. ,t ....,- , . . ~-'· .. ,. • • ,,,. "'·• .:.. , ,1.,. . di ~ ...· · . · ~· . .. ,,. -... . .... :. .. « ' .. · - .. .. -· -· JI..* .... l. .... . ... .. ._ · .. _- ;., .. -·· """'_....,. • • •• . , . . • 011..,,. V.:,LC'.j..'• • • t •• ~:· .. • •: • • • • • l. •• .._ ~...-.- • • • : · ·· · •• ·- •• • ... .... •• u . . ..... :.... -: ... ~ ..... ,II_- _, ... ..--~.. .· --:-·~ ..: :...:1:-;..~~.·~. ~--:::·r. ·~ , ... \ ... ·.·..•.. .·; ,,.,.,.,,.•,,, .•. ._f.,.... ;. ._ ~-u · • . •,1,M. .. 1.". .. • - .. (,." .... ..... . -\r •. -·. l · •. • .·. "t ---· - ···•••" " • ~.-4 ~ . • .. ' • ..... A: ...~ i: .:..i:iJ........ . ·. ·. ... . : ·: ' '· '-' ,. • .. - 1i .•• ~. ~ - • ··· ... , f ,t .' .,.:._ ..· ., . , ' . , ' .. ,,, .. ,,... \ .... .. ......... , ........... ·. .. .,;....:.,•._ ...: ··, · -- •· ... «\····· :.: .,,,o.:. •• :: . . i, "'-' :: ... . .,.,. ., .. ." ... • . *"·•~,.Jt.,._..,. ~.. .... t ,L . .,,.,... .. ... ..,. . . .. .,.,_;.·. ...... " ... -...... ...... ..~ - •··· ...,... ..... ..•..·. . ,. '· .! t ........ .. i ......... t. ' L ..· *' -· ~:: , . L· . .'.t . t ! .. ·. f. !. ...,.,.r *'• ...... ... r-<= ....... l .; , ,. ..• I .. ' . : ,. . \ ..... .. . . ,,. ·. .... .... ..... . .,.th,. 4 ,.,,,-. - • ... t . • ··~ .. ,. . •. •' . . 4 . ·•, l ....... . .. .. .. • . .. · 11.1." •' • ... .~-.~ ,' . \ . T iu· T v n 11 B. 011! l'olt.". . .. C. P11ttdiuc<1 £ne:impmP1it.w. D . Cap .' .Ua\ycHs t..left•at. ~ - l I .>c ~: .. ' J :,..- ...... . .. .•L Old cabin on Marr Road north of Howell. The old timers told of the scratches on the door from bear claws. The Beginnings. . . By DUANE ZEMPER The bear was a big one and it was coming straight toward him . Slowly, Bill Lewis raised his rifle, carefully he aimed , shot, and wounded the bear. The second bear was coming now. It took a while to reload-powder, wadding, shot, more wadding. The bear was close-he shot again , wounding the second bear. The third bear watched while the first bear started toward Lewis again . Another shot rang out but this time from the rifle of Francis Monroe, Lewis' neighbor , that he had planned to visit. Between them they killed one bear, but the others got away into the forest. Not an ordinary day in the life of a pioneer , but an example The Beginnings. Coo rdinator Duane L. Zemper, E.M.U. '42, Yale Univ. '43. On 4 All-American teams as a distance runner . Taught and coached high school, instructor of Physics. E.M . U., Metalurgica! Engineer. Married Tillie Reiner, daughter of Eric Reiner of Howell, '43. Europe WWI I as Photo Officer . He bought Nelson Studio in Howell, Jan . 1946. Three times top state photographer. State President of Professional Photography of Michigan 60. Named top Portrait Photographer in United States '66. State President of Michigan Society of Photographers, '70. of what it was like at times in Howell Township. William Lewis was considered the champion hunter in the area and is said to have killed five deer in onP.d av. three with one shot. At one time he killed five wild turkeys with two shots from a single barreled rifle. What attracted men to this area and would make them leave comfortable homes in the East to come here? The government had decided that any soldier who had served in the late war (1812) should be given 160 acres in the territory of Michigan if he cared to claim it and settle . A group of surveyors were sent out from the village of Detroit to get an idea of the type of land that was available. Unfortunately they spent four days south and west of where Pontiac is now. It was lakes and marshy land covered with tall reeds and mud where they sank sometimes to their knees . They were very disenchanted and returned to Detroit with a report that the territory of Michigan was not suitable , that not one acre in a hundred , if one acre in a thousand would be able to be cultivated. When word of this report reached the veterans, they changed their minds about coming here for free land . This irritated Governor Cass and he took his own expedition out to see for himself . Going in a different direction , he found rolling hills rather sparsely wooded, clearings burned off by old fires and generally a very habitable area. By this time , the government had arranged to give land to the old soldiers in the Missouri territory , so Michigan land was put up for sale in 160 acre lots for $2 to $3 an acre . Probably , the first settler in Livingston County was Stephen Lee, who came from Western New York state and settled in Green Oak Township in September , 1830. Others What do you do on Sunday afternoon when you w ork from 6 to 6 for 6 days a week? One thing to do was hunt f rogs, soon came to Hamburg , Putnam and other areas most of them from Salem in Washtenaw County. The settlers found a few Indians and many wild animals and fish. The Indians were primarily Chippewas from the Saginaw Bay area where they made their permanent homes . The Indians in the western part of the county were Pottawatamies whose permanent homes were in what is now the Lansing area . These tribes were once a very warlike group , but their spirit had been broken after their alliance with the English and subsequent defeat. The English had always paid the Indians about two shillings (50 cents ) per head per year and when the Americans took over , they kept the same practice and paid the Indians 50 cents per head regardless of age when they presented themselves in Detroit. Every year long lines of them would wander their way along the old trails , squaws carrying babies on their backs , to get their money. This got very disturbing to the people of Detroit and later the money was distributed at Saginaw and other points so that they weren't all in Detroit at once. The Indians spent most of their money on whisky which was about thirty cents a gallon in those days . This made for a lot of drunk Indians after their payday. Usually two or three were assigned to stay sober and watch the horses and rifles while the rest really lived it up. When the whisky ran out, they would often come to the settlers ' cabins demanding liquor. They seemed to enjoy the frightened faces of the women, but would usually go away without trouble . The only story of violence which I have come across happened in Cohoctah. A white man had a cabin there . He was not a settler , but a trapper and the first man in that area . He traded with the Indians for furs . For their furs, they demanded silver coins which was a carryback from their old dealings with the French in this territory . The trader found that they would take silver colored coins (probably pewter) and not know the difference. This worked for a while to his advantage until the Indians found they could not buy whisky with the coins and became very upset. They gathered to start for the trapper's cabin but he got wind of it and ran. They burned his cabin to the ground and surely would have burned him too, if they had caught him. We should pause here for a moment to determine town names , because many were not the same as we have now, just as many of the streets in Howell have had different names. In the early days, Howell was called Livingston Center, Brighton was called Ore Creek , Milford was called Rugglesville , Oak Grove was called Chemungville , Owosso was called Shiawassee Town. Some say it was 1835w hen the first settlers came here , but I believe this was corrected to be May, 1834, when James and George Sage came . They were followed by David Austin and John D. Pinckney . Their nearest neighbors were eighteen miles away . In most cases the men came first and built their log cabin, then returned to bring their wives . As more people came, they would help each other. They would fell the trees to build the cabin with dirt floor, no windows and using the bark from the logs to make a roof. Sometimes before the sawmills got started they would hang a blanket for a door and keep a fire going at night in front of the door to keep away the wolves. Deer, turkeys and other wild animals were plentiful for game and the streams and lakes were full of fish. Usually they could break about 25 acres of ground a year and get their grain started . The plat of the Village of Howell was made in 1835b y F .J.B . Crane and Brooks of Detroit. John Pinckney had built his cabin at the south end of the lake east of where the viaduct crosses Grand River. People coming from the East would stop and stay in his cabin until they could get theirs erected . This got to be quite a nuisance for him and he finally got to Crane and Brooks and convinced them to build a hotel in the Old Union School. Parade scene in 1892. village. Moses Thompson had come and built a mill on the north end of the lake . He had picked the site because there were three ponds in the area , with tamarack swamps between. He felt that a dam here would make a lake and be a good site for his mill. The hotel was built before he got his mill going and the lumber for the first frame building in Howell was hauled from Green Oak Township .The hotel wa~ a two-story frame building and was called the Eagle Tavern. The hotel or Eagle Tavern was on the northeast part of the area that had been platted as a village . It was on the spot Original Courthouse . where Sutton 's Hardware is now. The village went west and south from there covering about a four-block area part of which is where the Presbyterian Church now stands . As the tavern was the only building in town, other than the settlers' cabins, all manner of business was conducted there . In 1836t he post office was there , court was held there , church groups met and the first store started in a second floor room. When the first courts were held , people came from all over the county to hear . There were not nearly enough rooms for them , so they brought blankets and slept on the bar-room it When it was difficu lt t o get t o t own f or gro ceries, the gr ocery wagon w ould come to you with sugar, salt, fl our, ker osene for your lamps and many other things. floor, and were ready for court the next day . That is, some of them were ready . For when court adjourned for the day, the bottles were brought back out on the bar and the evening began. For many of these men it was the first time away from their cabin in a long while and to say they slept on the floor might be better described as "passed out" on the floor. The settlers in the earliest days had to take the trip to Detroit, with a wagon and team of oxen to pick up supplies and get their mail. The trip on the old trail usually took about four days with the establishment of a post office in Howell, the mail was brought by a horse and rider , who was Lewis Thompson. Later another route was set up between Howell and Grand Rapids, and James Sage, a 17-year-old boy rode the route which took about seven days for the round trip. This was our local "Pony Express. " The hardships the early settlers had to endure are difficult to imagine , now that we have come so far. One letter I read told of a trip the man was making from Ann Arbor to Shiawassee Town (Owoss) on foot. He set out and walked until he came to the Huron River . At this point he went right and left a quarter mile before finding a spot where he could take off his shoes, roll up his pants , and wade.across . There were no bridges. Fearful of Indians , he hid in the trees when he heard voices ahead waiting to see if they were friendly. When they approached he talked with them and told them he had been informed at a cabin that he would find aplace to stay at Livingston Center about nine miles north, and he felt he had gone about nine miles. They assured him he was in the right direction, but that it was still about another nine miles . By the time he reached Howell, it was dark , he missed Pinckney 's cabin and stumbled around the east side of the lake. Dead tired , he was ready to quit but the sound of the wolves howling in the distance kept him going. Finally he saw a light and came to the cabin of Moses Thompson . Thompson told him how to get to town and fainally he saw the Eagle Tavern . He felt it was the most beautiful building he had ever seen . Later , he recalled the door hung on a piece of wire and swung back and forth because they still didn 't have their hinges nor latches . The next day he went on to Owosso. Some of the settlers , such as Pinckney , who had been a successful butcher in New York State, had enough money to get a good start. Many others who came just because they wanted land of their own, but had no experience with farming or the wilderness , finally gave up and went back . One instance like this was two brothers who came to Howell, built their cabin and were having a miserable time . One day , Moses Thompson found them in their home almost dead. They had been living on boiled grass for more than a week. With the expansion of the village to the east and north , the area began to prosper . As frame houses were built, so outhouses were also built. It is hard for us to imagine how it would be to have an outhouse now, but the first ones were a luxury to these people, and a status symbol. This eliminated the drudger y of emptying the pan under the bed every morning . I well remember outhouses when working on a farm as a boy, but the young people of today cannot conceive of what it was like in there on a hot July afternoon , or running out through the snow to a two-haler when it's 14 below. The kids in later years pushed over outhouses on Halloween just as they did everywhere , but I remember my dad telling of how they didn't tip them over . In the dark , they just moved them back about six feet. With the coming of the plank roads and the railroads , the town began to prosper . There were more mills, a cloth factory , foundries to make plows and other implements, carriage shops, tailor shops, and many other businesses. The Howell Manufacturing Co. in the 1850's started making the Howell Hand Car . This was a tiny car to run on the railroad by manpower ; one man on each side who pumped a All decked out for the Street F air parade in 1899. handle up and down to make the car go. They were shipped to many parts of the world. The condensed milk factory was a boon to Howell, shipping milk all over the state until it burned in 1906. A man named Brown and later one named Papworth, found they could grow vegetables inside under glass , during the winter . These were shipped state-wide. Many others , The Garland Tailoring Co. once hired more people than any other industry in Howell. The Spencer Machine Shop, later called Arrowhead , and now called Gould Electric , the Howell Electric Motors, now called Electric Apparatus and others have contributed much to the growth of the town. The old settlers had a difficult time . It was much better later , and very much better now. It is hard just to look back even to thirty years ago and notice how things have changed . What will happen in the future should be very interesting . Half the people living in America today cannot remember times when they didn't have a television set. Ninety percent cannot remember not having a radio or a washing machine , or a car or a refrigerator . Times change , people change , but the future is before us to make the most of it. ) L D N ,\.,':*•-'". ,.; .. _,...,...,. /7 I' 1:< It' a .. 1 .t~t-P: ?l .J • ) I o:~ \ ,, ' \ " ,,/ \ . \t ,::.,' ,) . \ ~'P > .". ' .. Early photograph of the south side of East Grand River showing the Hotel and stores . Outside of Young's Meat Market and carriage shop. I Homer Peavy bringing his spring lambs to market in a f ine snowstorm. The Revolution By MRS. ALBERT ROHRABACHER In reading the personal statements made by Revolutionary War soldiers in order to obtain a pension, it should be remembered that under the first Pension Act of 1818, they had to prove that they were bankrupt and take a pauper 's oath in front of a magistrate to obtain the pension. The pension act of 1832 was not as exacting , but they usually had to prove need. There were also requirements about the length of time served. The pension act of 1845, requirements were considerable relaxed and also widows could obtain benefits, but most of the soldiers were dead by this time. Thus, if a man died by 1832 or sooner, there would usually be no pension record in the National Archives in Washington. Also, if he was reasonably prosperous it would be impossible for him to get a pension legally . Probably some claimants were more affluent than they appeared to be in their statements . Also it was hard to prove length of time served. However, if National records are lacking, there may be provincial or colonial (now state) records, usually for Militia. But such records are rather meager . Thus, it will be seen that many men who served in the Revolutionary War do not have records in the National Archives . In as much as it is possible, direct quotes from the records that the soldiers wrote themselves about their services in the war are given here. This is because original source material for history is always preferable, and also to retain the flavor of the language and the life of the past. The Philip Livingston Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, of Howell were very helpful with material. JONATHAN COOKE VITAL STATISTICS: He is buried in the Lakeview cemetery, Howell, in Section C, Lot 157, grave 5, with an old slab stone marking his grave . His body was removed from the old cemetery . It was marked as a grave of a Revolutionary War soldier in 1922. He was born August 17, 1754 at Southampton, Suffolk Co., Long Island , New York. He died October 5, 1837 in Genoa 30 The Revolution Coordinator Janet Rohrabacher . Western Michigan State University, L . P . N. McPherson Hospital; husband, Albert Rohrabacher; daughter, Mrs . William Brigham; three grandchildren . Member Methodist Church, Daughters of the American Revolution, Howell Women's Club, Detroit Society for Genealogical Research, Wisconsin State Genealogical Society, Connecticut Society of Genealogists. Charter member of Livingston County Historical Society and Mid-Michigan Genealogical Society . Author of historical articles for Michigan, Wisconsin and New York publications and of Lane and Rohrabacher family genealogies. Twp., Livingston Co., Mich. Hi : wife was Eunice Chapel, born October, 1757,d ied April 8, 1842.S he is buried beside her husbnad . Their children were: Sarah, wife of Norman Wolcott, David, Willie, Nathan, John, Mary, Eunice, wife of Caleb Curtis, Mehitabell, wife of David Hight, Anna, wife of Amariah Hammond, Hannah, wife of John Brodrick . SERVICES: (Direct quote from pension) "State of New York, Steuben County-On this 16th day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty two personally appeared in open court before the Judges of the Courts of Common Pleas of the said County of Steuben , now sitting , Jonathan Cook, a resident of the Town of Wayne in the said County of Steuben and State of New York aged seventy eight years, who being first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of this act of Congress passed June 7, 1832. "That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated, viz; "That in the latter part of the month of May in the year 1775 he volunteered for six months in the company commanded by Captain Hollenbeck in the Third Regiment of New York State troops commanded by Colonel Clinton, the men in Captain Hulbert's company furnished their own arms and clothingthat the regiment was first stationed at the City of New York where they remained a few weeks and then Captain Hulbert's company, together with another company commanded by one Captain Griffin were ordered to go to Albany, and from thence they proceeded to Lake George where they remained a few days, and then crossed the Lake to Ticonderoga and from there they went by water to Crown Point and that while they were at Crown Point the enemy's posts at Chamblee and St. Johns surrendered to the Americans and the prisoners were marched to Crown Point and Captain Hulbert's company and Captain Griffin's company were ordered to guard the prisoners on their march-that they conducted the prisoners to the Town of Canaan in the State of New York where the prisoners were quartered upon the inhabitantsthat he then marched with his company together with Captain Griffin's to a place called fort Constitution on the North river where he remained in garrison until about the first of November when he was taken sick and obtained leave of absence and did not recover so as to return to the fort until the time expired for which he volunteered-that he had permission by his furlough to return home in case he did not recover in time to return to the fort-that his term of service expired on the first of December in the year 1775-and that sometime in the month of February following, he received a written discharge from his Captain-that during the time he was at Lake George or Ticonderoga he remembers of standing Sentry before General Schuyler 's Markee who he believes was commander in Chief on that Station . " That sometime in the month of May in the year 1776 he enlisted as a Corporal for the term of six months in the New York State troops (and he found his own cloths and arms ) in the company commanded by Captain Zephaniah Rogers and Lieutenant Edward Toppin and Ensign Paul Jones but he cannot recollect the name of the Colonel who commanded the regiment to which Captain Rogers company was attached . That the company was stationed first at Brooklin on the East river where they remained until the Enemy landed over Long Island where he went with the company to Flatbush and he was in the battle at that place-he cannot recollect the name of the field officers who commanded in the engagement but he remembers that General Putnam commanded that part of the Army to which Captain Rogers company was attached during the retreat-that the enemy had advanced so far as nearly to cut off the retreat of the troops under General Putnam . When the enemy were met by Lord Sterling and General Sullivan until General Putnam retreated across the creek, at what was called the Tide-Mill to his own lines-that Lord Sterling and General Sullivan were taken prisonerstha t the Army remained on the Lines (? ) a few days after the battle and then retreated from the Island under the Command of General Washington and crossed over to the City of New York-that while the Army was in New York Captain Rogers company had permission to return to the Town of Southampton and were employed in removing such of the inhabitants as chose to leave the place, and such property as they could find, across to the Town of Seabrook in the State of Connecticut-and while he resided at that place he received orders from Captain Rogers to join a Seargent's guard of twelve men which was stationed at New Haven to guard the public stores at that place where he continued until the first of December when his term of service expired and he was discharged from that service that he then volunteered under Colonel Livingston and crossed over to Long Island where they captured a company of Tories and brought them over to New Haven-that he was two days on this expedition-the Tories were commanded by one Smith and they had been very troublesome in that neighborhood-he then returned home to the said Town of Seabrook-he does not know what troops this was before or after or recollect discharge fromtha t during the rest of the war he belonged to what were called the " Minute Men" but was not called into actual service . " At the expiration of his first term of service he recieved a written discharge as above stated , but that it has been lost or destroyed , and he cannot now produce it. " He was born in the town of Southampton in the County of Suffolk in the State of New York on the 17th day of August in the year 1754." " He had no record of his age , but he had often seen it in his father 's family Bible." " When he first went into the service he lived in the said Town of Southampton , and he continued to reside there until the island was taken by the enemy , when he removed to the Town of Seabrook in the State of Connecticut and then he removed to the town of Black river in the County of Morris , in the State of New Jersey-where he lived until after the conclusion of peace. He then moved to the city of New York where he lived until the year-when he removed to the Town of Lindleytown in the County of Ontario (now Steuben ) where he remained a short time and then removed to the Town of Painted Post in the said County where he lived about three years-he then removed to the town of Bath in the said county at which place and at the town of Wayne in the said County, has continued to reside , living a part of the year in Bath and the rest of the time in Wayne until about five years ago when he removed to the said Town of Wayne and has resided there permanently until the present time- " " He does not know of any person by whom he can prove his last term of service- " " That Joseph Crawford , Norman Woolcott and Lyon Gardner have known him a number of years in his present The search for the American Revol - utionary War veterans and descendents who lived and died and were buried in the Howell area during the earliest years of settlement was conducted by Janet Rohr - bacher of the Howell Bicentennial Committee, under the official sanction and funding of the Howell Bicentennial Commission. This is one of the more than a dozen major and minor Bicentennial projects authorized and often funded by the Howell Bicentennial Committee. neighborhood and will testify as to his character for veracity of their belief of his services as a Soldier of the Revolution- " He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present, and declares that him name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State. " Jonathan Cook Sworn to and subscribed the day and year aforesaid , M.S. Rumsey, Dep. Clk. This statement was followed by letters by David Higgens and Robert Campbell , both of Wayne supporting his claims which are here omitted. His pension was granted. Two accounts for Jonathan Cook were found in the State Archives of New York, as follows: "Saybrook, Conn. Sept. 26, 1776R eceived of Jonathan Cook three dollars . It being for the freight of two loads of corn and Household Goods and 3 passengers from Long Island to Saybrook. Rece'd Capt. James Harris." and " Middletown (Conn.) Feb . 19, 1777 Rec'd and Ex 'd the above account and think there is Justly due to Jonathan Cook, eighteen shillings Lawful money of Connecticut. pr . Thomas Dering , John Foster , Thomas Wickham ." ADDITIONAL DATA: His commander was Col. James Clinton. The North River he mentions was what is now known as the Hudson River. Ensign Paul Jones under whom he served was John Paul Jones who was then on Long Island (See " Refugees of 1776 From Long Island to Connecticut ") . Lord Sterling was William Alexander on the American side . The "Minute Men" Regiment to which he belonged was the First Regt. of Suffolk County Militia, commanded by Col. Josiah Smith . In 1837, he and his wife came to Michigan to be with their children. He bought a team of young horses , thinking to sell them and purchase a home in Ann Arbor and live in a cultured society . As he reached his daughter, Eunice Curtis ' home in Genoa Twp., his horses became frightened , ran the tongue through him. He lived five days afterward . He was buried in the old Howell cemetery and later removed to Lakeview. LEMUEL MONROE VITAL STATISTICS: His grave is in Lakeside cemetery , Marion Twp. Section 5. He has a large granite replacement headstone. His grave was marked in 1922 by Philip Livingston Chapter DAR He was born March 1, 1759 at Lexington , Mass . He died April 29, 1854 at Howell, Michigan . He was married three times and had six children by each wife. He married first Anna Towser on June 13, 1782 at North - ridge , Mass . His six children by her are unknown. He 31 married second Anna Potter and their children were: Elizabeth, wife of Ambrose Beach, Archibald, Freedom (son), Benjamin and Frederick. He married third, about 1810-1812M, artha Rawlings of Mendon, Monroe Co., N.Y. Their children were: Francis, Almira, wife of Henry Dusenbury, Nancy, wife of Jonathan Totman, Abigail, wife of Benjamin Joyner and then Ward Rice, Alexander and James Monroe. SERVICES: (direct quote from pension) "State of New York, Ontatio County-On this twenty seventh day of August 1832p ersonally appeared in open court before the Judges of the County court now sitting Lemuel Monroe a resident of the town of Bloomfield, County and State aforesaid aged seventy four years, who being duly sworn according to Law, doth on his Oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act of Congress, passed June 7, 1832. "That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers, and served as herein stated . "1st-At the town of Upton in the County of Worchester and State of Massachusetts, on or about the first of November , the year 1776h e was called out in the Militia and served three months and went first to Dorchester , the names of the officers does not now recollect and was employed to keep guard . "2nd-At Upton aforesaid early in the spring of 1777 was called out again and served in Captain Ammidon's Company and was marched through Mendon to Providence (R.I.) and stationed in the Brick College, and was there employed to keep guard for three months and was then dismissed and went home. "3rd-At Templeton 11. the County aforesaid was again mustered in Capt. Wilder's Company in Colonel Sparkhawk 's Regiment and was marched through Deerfield and Charlemont to Bennington, Vermont and from thence was marched to Tuels (?) Mills and halted some days and then to Battenskill opposite to Saratoga Flatts . Saw Generals Lincoln, Arnold and Gates . This was at the taking of General Burgoyne. I was not in the Battle but was in several skirmishes on the out posts and took several prisoners. 18 at one time. Was then ordered back and was part of the guard that went with the prisoners to Winter Hill, near Boston. This tour was two months. I was discharged at Northbury in Worchester County. "4th-In August 1778I was drafted to go to Rhode Island in Capt. Thomas Baker 's Company in Colonel Ammidon's Regiment went to Tiverton and was engaged in building breast works and mounting guard. General Sullivan was in Command. Saw Generals Sullivan, Greene and LaFayette almost every day, and did duty with the regular troops. Was with the army when it retreated into Warren (R.I.), and was out two months, and then returned to Upton. "5-At Upton as aforesaid in 1779 was drafted and was marched to Providence (R.I.) and after a few days was marched to Quanset point to keep guard, the British Ships being in sight and at anchor. This was in the winter. Was out three months. The Captains name I do not remember. The Regiment was extended on the shore for many miles, and never mustered together. "6-At Barrie in the County 01 Worcester aforesaid I volunteered on the request of the Selectmen of the town, the year I do not remember . T l ,e Captains name I do not remember. Lieutenant Mills, Ensign Rand. Enlisted to go to King's Ferry in New York. Was marched to Danbury in Connecticut and was then ordered to West Point and arrived 32 there . General Mac Dougall was in Command . I saw him almost daily. I was in Colonel Drury 's Regiment. Was engaged in Repairing the Fort (?) and mounting guard. I was discharged late in the fall; and was out five months. Was sick was the reason for my discharge . "I had a discharge from the Hospital Surgeon, which I have lost, do not remember his name. I think this was the year 0781) Cornwallis was taken and near the close of the War. "Besides this tour, I was not called out again and did not serve afterward. I was born in Lexington, in Massachusetts on the 1st March 1759 have no record of my age. Never received a written discharge. "At the close of the war lived in Northbury State of Massachusetts; and for forty years or more past has lived in the County of Ontario ( N .Y.). He has no documentary evidence and that he knows of no persons whose testimony he can procure who can testify to his service. "He knows David Stout and Jonathan Mason of the town of Richmond in the County of Ontario and State of New York. He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares his name is not on the pension Roll of the agency of any State. Lemuel Monroe Sworn and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid in open court." There were letters from David Stout and Jonathan Mason, both of Richmond, Ontario Co., N. Y. supporting his claims, which are omitted here. Later, certifying evidence was given by Capt. Thomas Baker, that he was one month and eighteen days in service 1779 at Claverack, N.Y. He also served in the War of 1812 from Monroe Co., N.Y. ADDITIONAL DATA: The Brick College is Brown University at Providence, R.I. After he resided at Upton, Mass., he probably lived at Northboro, Barre and possibly Templeton, Mass ., and in the 1790's in Dutchess County, N.Y. He was granted a pension in 1832 at Bloomfield, Ontario Co., N.Y. In 1834 Lemuel Monroe resided with a son in Macomb Co., Mich. He stated in 1837 that he had children in New York State. In 1839 he moved back to West Bloomfield, New York. He returned to Michigan and made his home with his son Francis Monroe who resided in Howell Township, Livingston County. EPHRAIM SMITH VITAL STATISTICS: He is buried in Lakeview cemetery, Howell, Livingston County, Mich., Section B, Lot 203, grave 5. He is buried on the Smith plot with his son, Waitstill Smith, a veteran of the War of 1812. Both graves were marked in 1930 by the S.A.R. and DAR. He was born September 24, 1740, at Hebron, Conn. He died October 7, 1839 in Marion Twp., Livingston County, Mich. He married in 1770M iss Abigail Higgens. She died in 1819b efore he came to Michigan. His children were : Waitstill (Waity) Smith and probably others. Henry H. Smith was a grandson, buried same lot. SERVICES: Unfortunately this segment <R&S) of the Revolutionary War records in the National Archives, Washington, D.C. is closed to the public temporarily . The records are bein.: microfilmed and access to these records will not be pc,,,sible for at least six months . However, from the Provincial Archives of New York the following records were gathered: "Ephraim Smith was in the 6th Company of New York, under Capt. Noble Benedict of Danbury , Conn. He enlisted May 12, 1775. Discharged October 23, 1775. " Empraim Smith was in Capt. Nathaniel Johnson's Company, Col. William Douglas Regt. raised 1776 to reinforce Washington 's Army at New York. Served in the City and on the Brooklyn front, being at the right of the line of works during the Battle of Long Island, August 27. Engaged in the retreat to New York, August 29-30. Stationed with Militia Brigade under Col. Douglas at Kip's Bay on the East River at time of the enemy's attack on New York, September 15, and forced to retreat. At Battle of White Plains , October 28. Term expired December 25, 1776. "An Ephraim Smith was in the Short Term Levies of the 5th Regt., 1781 under Lt. Col. Isaac Sherman, Wadsworth's Brigade . Service commenced July 5, 1781. His time in this service was 5 months and 13 days ." His descendants believe all these services refer to him. ADDITIONAL DATA: He was one of seven brothers in the Revolutionary War, died in 1839 aged 99 years and 13 days. He was probably born the earliest , 1740, of any resident of Livingston County. His son, Waitstill had a son Henry H. Smith and four daughters. MARSHALL TUBBS He is given in DAR records as buried in Lakeside cemetery, Marion Twp., Livingston County. Marked 1922 by Philip Livingston Chapter DAR. No record of any headstone for him has been found in this cemetery. Also no record for a man by this name has been found in Mass ., Conn., Vt., or N.Y. war records. There is no record of a man by this name ever residing in Livingston County. CALEB CURTIS This man is in a class by himself because he is a son of a French and Indian War soldier. VITAL STATISTICS: He is buried in Lakeview cemetery, Howell, Mich., Section C, Lot 157, grave 3, with an old style headstone. His body was removed from the old cemetery. He was born May 15, 1781 in Conn., died March 21, 1864, Howell, Mich. He married 1808 Eunice Cook born April 8, 1788, died May 12, 1881, Howell, Mich. His children were : Harriet, Sophronia, Mary wife of J.C. Mason, Benjamin C., Philo and Henry Curtis . SON OF: Daniel Curtis born 1735 Conn., died 1817 and buried Wayne, N.Y. who married Abial Hanchett born June 15, 1740; died July 18, 1822, Steuben Co., N.Y. FATHER'S SERVICES: Daniel Curtis served in the French and Indian War with Capt. Samuel : 1mo · of Sharon, Conn. This man 's grave and his father 's se1 vices were discovered through the Howell Bicentennial project. JOHN B. BRITTIN VITAL STATISTICS: He is buried in the Chilson cemetery, Section 28, Genoa Twp., with a very old headstone. (The name is also spelled Britten and Britton j. He was born November 28, 1801 in New Jersey . He died 1878, Genoa Twp., Livingston Co., He married about 1825, Margaret Snyder , born May 15, 1803; died March 22, 1861. He resided Seneca and Steuben Cos., N.Y. and Wayne Co., Mich. His children were: Zachariah , John I., William S., Henry V., Martinus S., Lydia C., wife of Vine C. Dawley, Alfred Moore, Thomas Crandall, Nicholas S., and Mary wife of Alfred Cater. SON OF: John Britten , 2nd, born 1758, died 1834 and Hannah Lott born 1769, died 1845. FATHER'S SERVICES: He was a private in New Jersey lines. Pension granted May 18, 1821. Richard, his brother of Seneca Co., N.Y. signed an affidavit in 1820i n his behalf . This man 'g grave and his father 's war service was discovered through the Howell Bicentennial project. NATHAN COOK VITAL STATISTICS: He is buried in Lakeview Cemetery , Howell, Mich., Section C, Lot 157, grave 2. He has an old headstone. He was born July 3, 1782i n New York state. He died July 11, 1871a t Howell, Livingston Co., Mich. He married first Sarah Hunt and second Chloe Cobb. It is unknown if he had children . SON OF: Jonathan Cook born August 17, 1754, Southampton , Long Island, N. Y.; died October 5, 1837 Genoa Twp., Livingston Co., Mich. He married Eunice Chapel born October 1757, died April 8, 1842. FATHER'S SERVICES: See Jonathan Cook, Revolutionary soldier . This man's grave and father's war service was discovered through the Howell Bicentennial project . DAVID HIGHT VITAL STATISTICS: He is huried in the Chilson cemetery, Section 28, Genoa Twp., with an old headstone. He is buried beside his wife and son, Nathan . He was born June 21, 1781i n New Jersey . He died March 9, 1880 (family records ) and April 29, 1885 (in County records ), in Genoa Twp., Livingston Co., Mich. He was married March 15, 1804 to Mehetabell Cook, born July 15, 1780, died July 8, 1864. His children were : Sally Ann wife of Reuben Haight , Hannah wife of James Stewart, John D., Nathan C., William S., Harriet, and Deborah Hight. SON OF: John N. Hight born January 9, 1756 New Jersey, died supposedly 1832 in New York, married Hannah Savage . FATHER'S SERVICES: John N. Hight was an Orderly Sergeant, New Jersey troops. He lost his home and valuable library when Princeton, N.J . was burned 1776 by the British . He removed to Steuben County, N.Y. This man's grave and his father 's services were discovered through the Howell Bicentennial project. FRANCIS MONROE VITAL STATIS'l'lC~ . He is buried at Lakeview Cemetery , Howell, Mich. bt:::,J,e his wife, Section E, Lot 24, grave 4 or 6. He was born August 8, 1813 at Mendon, Monroe Co., N.Y. He died March 6, 1892, Howell, Mich. He married first September 8, 1834L uana Hicks born 1815, died February 17, 1868, Howell, Mich. He married second Mrs. Sarah Brininstoole . His children were (by first wife): Henry 0 ., Francis N., Jam es 1\1., Norton M., George W., Mary L. wife of William Bezan. Luana Amelia, Margaret Helen, William H., Lucinda M. \\ 1fv of Benjamin B. Morgan . SO"IIO F : Lemuel Monroe born March 1, 1759a t Lexington , Mass ., died April 29, 1854, Howell, Mich. and his third wife, Martha Rawlings , born 1782. 33 FATHER'S SERVICES: See Lemuel Monroe, Revolutionary soldier. This son's grave and father's record was discovered by the Howell Bicentennial project. JAMES MONROE VITAL STATISTICS : He is buried in Lakeview cemetery , Howell, Mich., Section H, Lot 137, grave, beside his wife. He was born April 'l:/, 1827 at East Bloomfield or Richmond , Ontario Co., N.Y. He died May 'l:I, 1898, Howell, Mich. He married 1857 Nancy Garmer , born October 3, 18'2:I, died May 1, 1894, Howell, Mich. His children were: Libby B. wife of Charles Warren, Dwight D., George L., Addie M., wife of Arthur Garland , Arthur L., Cora M., wife of Wells Bennett . SON OF: Lemuel Monroe, see Francis Monroe. FATHER'S SERVICES: See Lemuel Monroe, Revolutionary soldier . His grave and father 's services were discovered through the Howell Bicentennial project. WAITSTILL SMITH VITAL STATISTICS: He is buried in Lakeview Cemetery, Howell, Mich., Section B, Lot 203, grave 6. His grave was marked with a S.A.R. Bronze medallion , both as a son of a Revolutionary War soldier and as a soldier of the War of 1812. He was called Waity Smith . He was born July 14, 1773 at Hebron, Connecticut. He died December 14, 1845 (cemetery record ) or died September 14, 1845 (monumen t) at Handy Twp., Livingston Co., Mich. He married 1796 Susannah Bull Bratt who died 1838. He married second Mrs . Mary G. Sage . His children , all by first wife were: Eliza wife of Elnathan Botsford , Lucy S. wife of David Dickerson , Olivia Fedelia wife of John L. Wing, and Henry H. Smith , also another daughter . SON OF: Ephraim Smith born September 24, 1740 Hebron, Conn.; died October 7, 1839 Marion Twp., Livingston Co., Mich ; married 1770 Abigail Higgens , died 1819. FATHER 'S SERVICES: See Ephraim Smith, Revolutionary soldier . CHARLES VAN WINKLE VITAL STATISTICS: He is buried in the Gilkes cemetery, Section 5, Putnam Twp., Livingston Co., Mich. He is buried beside his wife. He was born August 27, 1785 in Pa . or New Jersey . He died February 27, 1850, Marion or Putnam Twp., Livingston Co., Mich. He married 1806 Jane Locke, born 1783, died October 13, 1850, Marion or Putnam Twp., Livingston Co., Mich. His children were : Jacob Locke, Margaret , Susan wife of Dana Morse, Mary Ann wife of Payne Fitch , Naomi wife of Ephraim Martin , Peter , Harriet wife of Chauncey Smith, John , Jane L. wife of Thomas Ross and Charles D. V.1n- Winkle. SON OF: Johannes VanWinkle born December 6, 1733; dieu August 13, 1839 and his wife, Naomi Dickerson whom he married February 21, 1768. FATHER's services: Johannes Van Winkle was an Ensign in Pa . troops . He also served in 1777 as an Ensign in the Continental Army under Capt. John Marshall , Col. William Stewart 's Regiment. This grave and his father 's services were discovered by the Howell Bicentennial project. 34 Widow and Daughters of Revolutionary War Soldien EUNICE (CHAPEL) COOK This woman is the only widow of a Revolutionary War soldier in the Howell area ; the others are all daughters of soldiers . VITAL STATISTICS: She is buried in Lakeview Cemetery , Howell, Mich., Section C., Lot 157, grave 4. She is buried near her husband. Her body was removed from the old cemetery . Her grave was marked by Philip Livingston Chapter DAR. She was born October , 1757, Long Island , N.Y., the daughter of Benjamin Chapel and Eunice Kruger. She died April 8, 1842, Genoa Twp., Livingston Co., Mich. She married before 1775 Jonathan Cook born August 17, 1754, Southampton, N.Y.; died October 5, 1837 Genoa Twp., Livingston Co., Mich. Her children were : See Jonathan Cook, Revolutaionary soldier . WIFE OF: See Jonathan Cook. HUSBAND'S SERVICES: See Jonathan Cook. NANCY(DEARBORN)BROOKS VITAL STATISTICS: She is buried in Lakeview Cemetery , Howell, Mich., Section C, Lot 5. Her grave was located by Philip Livingston Chapter DAR. She was born December 30, 1783 at Chester , New Hampshire. She died January 30, 1881 at Howell, Mich. She married Joseph Brooks . It is unknown if she had children . DUAGHTER OF: Asa Dearborn , born July 25, 1756, Chester , New Hampshire ; died October 16, 1831 Chelsea , Vermont. He married Anna Emerson , born November 14, 1763 Chester , New Hampshire, died August 10, 1852. FATHER'S SERVICES: Asa Dearborn , Pvt. , enlisted August 5, 1778. Discharged August 28, 1778. Time in service 28 days. In Capt. Joseph Dearborn 's company , Col. Moses Nichol's Regt. of Volunteers which marched from the state of Ne,, Hampshire and joined the Continental Army at Rhode ls1ci1al, August 1778. Two days allowed for travel. Also in Capt. Joseph Dearborn 's company in Continental Service against Canada as mustered and paid by John Dudley, Esq ., Paymaster. His widow received a pension . MISS MARY COOK VITAL STATISTICS : She is buried in Lakeview Cemetery , Howell, Mich., Section C, Lot 157, grave 1. The old headstone is here , but broken . Her grave was marked by Philip Livingston Chapter DAR. She was born October , 1794 at Corning, N.Y. She died September 10, 1874 at Howell, Mich. She was unmarried . DAUGHTER OF: Jonathan Cook. See this in Eunice (Cook) Curtis. FATHER'S SERVICES: See Jonathan Cook, Revolutionary soldier . EUNICE (COOK) CURTICE VITAL STATISTICS: She is buried in Lakeview cemetery , Howell, Mich., Section C, Lot 157, grave 6. She is buried beside her husband . Her grave was marked by Philip Livingston Chapter DAR. She was born April 8, 1788 in New York City, N.Y . She died May 12, 1881, at Howell, Mich. She married 1808 Caleb Curtis, born May 15, 1781, died 1864 Howell, Mich. Her children : See Caleb Curtis . DAUGHTER OF: Jonathan Cook. See Jonathan Cook, Revolutionary soldier . FATHER'S SERVICES : See Jonathan Cook. METHABELL (COOK) HIGHT VITAL STATISTICS: She is buried in the Chilson cemetery , Section 28, Genoa Twp., Livingston Co., Mich., beside her husband and son, Nathan . She was born July 15, 1780, Saybrook , Conn. She died July 8, 1864, Genoa Twp., Livingston Co., Michigan. She married March 15, 1804 David Hight. He was born June 21, 1781; died March 9, 1880. Her children: See David Hight , son of Revolutionary soldier . FATHER'S SERVICES: See Jonathan Cook. Her records were discovered through the Howell Bicentennial project. LUCINDA (WAKEMAN) NORTON VITAL STATISTICS: She is buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Section 5, Marion Twp., Livingston Co., Mich. Her grave was marked by Philip Livingston Chapter DAR. She was born March 2, 1810 at Ballston Spa, New York . She died February 26, 1868 at Howell, Mich. She married April 19, 1838 to Henry Hazard Norton , born November 15, 1808; died Jul y 22, 1874. Her children were : Helen Sarah , Henry G. Henry H., Francis A. wife of Henry F . Lake , and possibly Malcom D. Norton . DAUGHTER OF: Stephen Wakeman , Jr ., born September 19, 1761, Greenfarms, Conn., died September 16, 1852 at Lockport , N.Y. He married June 29, 1789 Sarah Whitehead , born August 24, 1764 Greenfarms, Conn.; died May 11, 1844. FATHER'S SERVICES : Stephen Wakeman, Jr. enlisted Fairfield, Conn., a Private. Served 19 months, part of time under Capt . Nash . He received pension 1832. Buried Cold Spring cemetery, Lockport, N. Y. His father , Stephen, Sr. was also in the war. MARY ANN (DEARBORN ) SKILBECK VITAL STATISTICS : She is buried in Lakeview Cemeter y, Howell, Mich., Section C, Lot 6, grave 3. Her grave was marked by Philip Livingston Chapter DAR. She was born March 4, 1807 at Chelsea , Vermont. She died March 25, 1877 at Howell, Mich. She married Joseph B. Skilbeck , born England , died April 23, 1894, Howell, Mich. Her children were: John E ., Frances A., Parle y, and Elizabeth wife of Andrew D. Waddell , possibly others . DAUGHTER OF: Asa Dearborn , see her sister , Nancy (Dearborn ) Brooks. FATHER'S SERVICES: See Nancy (Dearborn ) Brooks . MARGARET (MORRIS ) THOMPSON VITAL STATISTICS: She is buried in Lakeview cemeter y, Howell, Mich., Section B, Lot 157, grave 2. She is buried with her husband . Her grave was marked by Philip Livingston Chapter DAR. She was born August 11, 1780 in New York state . She died April 11, 1866, Howell, Mich. She married before 1800, Moses Thompson. He was born February 2, 1775; died December 2, 1841a t Howell, Mich. In 1804h e moved to Herkimer Co., N.Y. Her children were : Lewis , Rachel wife of Garre t Houghtaling and then wife of Alva Preston , Morris , Edward , Joseph Randall , Lucinda wife of Ezra Frisb y, Jane wife of Alva Crittenden , Elizabeth wife of Amos S. Slader and Maria wife of Charles Clark. DAUGHTER OF: (by tradition ) Lewis Morris , born April 8, 1726, January 22, 1798 Morrisania , N.Y. He married September24 , 1749 Mary Beekman Walton , born February , 1727, died March 11, 1794. FATHER 'S SERVICES: Lewis Morr is was a Signer of the Declaration of Independence ; Major-General in Revolutionary War ; Delegate to Continental Congress ; member of Board of Regents of the Universit y of New York . Barbara Pettibone stands by the Centennial flag which will be on display on a rotating basis during this Bicentennial year . Mike Hagman, vice -chairman of the Howell Bicentennial Committee , made arrangements to have the flag framed and enclosed in glass to preserve it. Vincent White made the wood frame for it . At the end of the Bicentennial year , the flag will be returned to Mrs . Luc i lle Taylor of Howell who discovered it and other early antiques when she was cleaning out the attic of her father , Edward Guzman of Detroit . 35 Year 1833-year of exploration for Howell Township, prospectors and settlers followed. On May 14, 1834M r. George S. Sage and his father, James Sage came with families and settled upon land selected by George T. Sage. James Sage's log house was on the site across from where the Recreation Center is now. Geo. T. Sage's house was across the Grand River Trail to the south nearly in the center of what is now Grand River. In 1835: Moses Thompson with son, Lewis and daughters, Rachel (after Mrs . Houghtaling , later Mrs. Preston and Lucina (Mrs. Ezra Frisbee ) left Herkimer County, N.Y. traveled through Canada in a double buggy drawn by a second team of horses brought to Howell reached Detroit, May 25. 36 In 1835F lavius J . B. Crane and Edward Brooks platted 120 acres into village of Howell. It is told in Crittenden 's Histor y of Howell, that Mr. Crane gave as reason for his idea of the name Howell, his friend , Thomas Howell, son of Judge Howell of Canandaigua, N.Y.; but his intimate friends were sure that Mr. Howell's pretty sister was the real person whose name the town bore . For many years , however, the town was called Livingston Center . 1835 settlers: Joseph Porter , Sec. 7; Samuel Waddel, Sec. 17; Whitely Woodruff, Sec. 17; David H. Austin , Sec. 21; Elisha H. Smith , Sec. 21; Nathaniel Johnson, Sec. 23; Alvin Crittenden, Sec. 23; Merrit S. Havens, wife, Sally T. Austin, Sec. 23; Francis Field, Sec. 23; Moses Thompson , wife, Margaret, Sec. 25, children Randolph , Lucinda , Jane ; Lewis Thompson, Sec. 25; Morris Thompson , Sec. 25; Edward Thompson , Sec. 25; Amos Adams , Sec. 36; F. J. B. Crane , Sec. 36; Alexander Fraser, (father of Mrs. John D. Pinckney ), Sec. 36; Andrew Riddle, Sept. , wife, Isabel Taylor , children: James , Elizabeth, Isabel, Andrew , William, Margaret, Alexander. Sec. 36. 1836 settlers: William McPherson, wife, Elizabeth Riddle, children : Isabella , William, Jr. , Alexander, Elizabeth , Martin John , Edw a rd Gregory, Mary Lenore, Ella ; Joseph H. Steel ; Giles Tucker ; Enos B. Taylor ; John Russell ; Peter Johnson ; Sherburn Crane; Joseph Tucker. 1837 settlers: Edward F. Gay, Richard Fishbeck; John T. Watson; James White, started cabinet shop ; George W. Jewett ; Almon Whipple , wife, Mary Curtis ; 0 . J. Field; Josiah P. Jewett ; George W. Jewett ; Huram Bristol ; Sardis Davis ; Conrad Wool; Adam Rohrabacher ; Ebenezer and Matthew West. 1838 settlers: Dr . Wellington A. Glover ; Dr. Gardner Wheeler ; Dr. Gardner Mason; Rev. Henry Root ; Rev . Thomas Baker . 1839 settlers: Dr . Charles A. Jeffries ; John Curtis; Rev . Edward E. Gregory ; Joseph B. Skilbeck ; John R. Neely ; Joseph Rowe; Hon. Judge Josiah Turner ; Shubel B. Sliter ; Nelson G. Isbell. 1840 settlers: At this time Judge Turner said only 13 families lived at Livingston Center. He added: Allen C. Weston, Orrin J . Field. 1840-1844se ttlers: L. H. and L. K. Hewett ; Richard B. Hall ; Dr . William Huntington; Dr. E. F. Olds; Harrington and Mulloy; Andrew L. Hill; Eli Carpenter ; Hickey and Galloway; Nicholas Sullivan ; George Greenaway and Son; William R. Melvin ; Chester Hazard; George and Fred Lee ; Leander C. Smith ; Elijah Coffren ; "Cuff" Simons ; Hezekiah Gates ; Marvin Gaston . 37 J Family scene with their brick house about 1884. The centennial parade in 1876. 38 ....,......_ __ . _....,.... _________ - ------ ... - William McPherson I and his family. Early Settlers The McPherson Family By ROBERT H. McPHERSON On September 17, 1836, William McPherson, his wife, Elizabeth Riddle McPherson , and their three children, Isabella , William Jr ., and Alexander arrived in Howell, then known as Livingston Centre, from Scotland. William Early Settlen Coordinator William McPherson, IV. Born Howell, Michigan, August 2, 1912. Son of William McPherson, 111 and Marguerite Mills McPherson . Grandson of Edward G . McPherson and Rosalie Lee McPherson . Great grandson of William McPherson and Elizabeth Riddle McPherson . Educated Howell Public Schools through Grade 10. Graduated Asheville School for Boys, Asheville, N .C., 1930. Graduated University of Michigan, 1934. Employed McPherson State Bank, 1935-73. Served in various officer capacities, and retired as president . Civic activities: Boy Scouts of America, Howell Area Community Chest , American Red Cross , American Cancer Society , Livingston County Republican Committee, Howell City Investment Commission, Howell Rotary Club, Chemung Hills Country Club , Howell Elks Lodge, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, First Presbyterian Church, Army of U .S. 1942-1945 in W .W . 11. McPherson was a blacksmith , having learned and practiced his trade in Scotland . Mrs . McPherson 's father, Andrew Riddle, also a blacksmith, had arrived in Howell in the spring of that year and built a log blacksmith shop. So after building a log house for his family 's home, William was ready to start his business in his father-in-law 's shop. His first day's business consisted of repairing a sight on a musket and making a clapper for a cow bell. During the following year, Andrew Riddle moved to Oceola Township, and William McPherson continued in the blacksmith business until 1843. William and Elizabeth McPherson were instrumental in organizing the First Presbyterian Church in Howell. William also served on a committee to establish the first school. He was elected a director and treasurer of a company that was organized to build a railroad from Detroit to Howell. After several years of work and an eventual reorganization of the company, the railroad was completed to Lansing , and was known as the Detroit, Lansing and Northern Railroad . It later became part of the Pere Marquette System . Four sons and four daughters were born to William and Elizabeth McPherson . Besides Isabella, William Jr . and Alexander , who were born in Scotland , there were Martin J., Edward G., Elizabeth (Mrs. E. P . Gregory) , Mary (Mrs. H. T. Browning), and Ella (Mrs . F . A. Smith ). Isabella became Mrs. H. H. Mills. All of the eight children were married , and all except Alexander and Martin J . raised families of children . Their descendants , now numbering more than ninety , are scattered across the country from New England to California and from Michigan to Florida . Those living in Howell with their families are William McPherson IV, Alexander M. McPherson, Edward G. McPherson , W. McPherson Smith, Jr ., Alan R. McPherson and Robert H. 39 The women's club celebrate the completion of the R.B. McPherson home, 1915. McPherson. Robert T. McPherson, although not living in Howell, is active in business here. After going out of the blacksmith business in 1843, William McPherson embarked on a long career with the retail store business, first in two successive ventures with partners, then with three of his sons as they grew to manhood and were taken into the business. In 1864 the firm name was changed to William McPherson and Sons. William remained active in the business until his retirement in 1887 at the age of 83. The business was continued by his son, Martin J . and others into the 1920's. The McPherson Store occupied three store buildings on the north side of the first block of West Grand River Avenue. It was the 19th century, small town version of the department store. The east side featured men's and women's clothing, dry goods, notions, etc. A grocery store was in the middle, and the west side was occupied by a shoe department. A carpet department was on the second floor where there were big rolls of carpeting. As a small boy, I especially remember the grocery store with the big red coffee grinder standing in the center of the floor. Sometimes I was allowed the thrill of turning the crank . In April, 1865, Alexander McPherson established a bank under the name of Alex McPherson and Company, Bankers, located in a small building at 105 West Grand River Avenue. The site of this building is now the west side of the D. and C. Store. The banking business grew steadily under his management for twenty five years. He was then asked to become president of the First and Old Detroit National Bank, an honor which he accepted, and he and his wife moved to Detroit in 1890. While serving in this capacity in Detroit, he was a co-founder of the Detroit Trust Company, which later merged with the Detroit Bank to form what is now the Detroit Bank and Trust Company. The management of the Alex McPherson and Company Bank in Howell was taken over by his brother, William McPherson, Jr., who continued as manager until his death in 1915.B usiness conditions were bad in 1893, and people began to lose confidence in banks . In order to reassure his depositors, William McPherson, Jr. bought 40 some gold in Detroit, and put it on display in the front window of the bank. The public could see at a glance that the bank was in sound financial condition, and there was no unusual withdrawal of deposits. The bank was incorporated in 1915, and the name was changed to McPherson State Bank. Also at about that time, the bank moved across the street into the building now occupied by the Itsell Clothing Store, where it remained until 1959, when it moved into the present building at 207 North Michigan. Since its incorporation, the following men have served as president: Martin J. McPherson, 1915-1931, R. Bruce McPherson, 1931-1955W, illiam McPherson III, 1955- 1965,R obert H. McPherson 1965-1968W, illiam McPherson IV, 1968-1973,A lexander M. McPherson, 1973 to the present. Hugh A. McPherson, a cousin of William McPherson, Sr., served as manager of the bank under president Martin J. McPherson from 1915 until his appointment as State Banking Commissioner by Governor Groesbeck in 1921. At that time, William McPherson III assumed the management position as executive vice president, serving under presidents Martin J. McPherson and R. Bruce McPherson until his own election as president in 1955. Other family members serving in top management at the present time are W. McPherson Smith, Jr., executive vice president, and Edward G. McPherson, senior vice president. For many years, the McPherson brothers and R. Bruce McPherson, son of William, Jr., were interested in farming. At one time, various members of the family owned farms near Howell, Hartland, Fowlerville, Webberville , and Lansing . About 1870, William McPherson , Jr. bought a tract of land in the eastern edge of Ingham County. Part of this he platted and subdivided into town lots, and founded the Village of Webberville. The rest was sold as farm land, mostly to people immigrating from Europe . When these people cut the trees to clear their land for farming they were able to earn some money by selling the wood to the railroad to be used in the wood burning locomotives. In the early 1900's Livingston County ranked second in the nation in the number of registered Holstein cattle in the county. Martin J . McPherson and R. Bruce McPherson each had herds of registered Holsteins, and we still have the trophies and ribbons that were won by these fine cattle at fairs and shows. The farm west of Lansing, since subdivided and sold, was used once a year as the circus grounds for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus . One of my childhood thrills was the annual trip to Lansing with my father to see the circus. We left early in the morning to be there in time to see the wagons loaded with equipment come in, and watch the raising of the big tents . One year there had been a lot of rain before circus day, and the wheels of the heavy wagons cut through the soft ground so the horses couldn't pull them . Then they brought out the elephants and had them push the wagons through the mud. This was quite a sight to see, and made an impression on one small boy. Beginning about 1870, the U.S. Government was selling tracts of timberlands to supply lumber for the building needs of the growing nation . The loggers who cut the timber and sold the logs wanted to buy these lands on an installment basis to avoid tying up their capital. This meant that someone had to buy the lands from the government and sell them to the loggers on timber contracts so they could pay for each forty acres as they cut the timber from it. A number of Michigan families, including the McPherson brothers began their timber dealings in northern Michigan. They were later joined by R. Bruce McPherson and extended their dealings to Louisiana and Mississippi , and later to Oregon and Washington . The Louisiana land was purchased in 1890. William McPherson , Jr. , returning from a convention in St. Louis, met a man on the train who told him about a tract of timberland in Louisiana that was about to be offered for sale by the government. It was said to be a beautiful stand of southern pine, on level ground, free of underbrush and easy to log. After talking with his brothers about it, it was decided that he and his son, R. Bruce McPherson , then twenty years old, and Martin J . McPherson should go to Louisia_na to look at this tract , and to buy it if they decided it was a good investment. While they were out in the middle of the Louisiana forest , they were surprised to meet a group of men from Jackson , Michigan. It was obvious to each group why the others were there . After a little conversation, it was also obvious that both groups wanted to buy it. So they talked it over and decided that instead of racing to the land office to try to get it first , they would divide it up. So they went to the land office together , and each group took half of it. Eventually this proved to be the most successful of the timberland investments . Many years later, William McPherson, Jr . went to that land office again, and was very surprised when the man in charge greeted him and called him by name . " How did you know my name? " he asked . The man replied , " Because you came into this office many years ago and bought a tract of land, and I thought you were the ------est fool in the United States. " The timberlands are long since gone, but the mineral rights , reserved when the lands were sold, are still held and administered by members of the family . Before Michigan had a Public Service Commission, William McPherson , Jr . served for a number of years as State Railway Commissioner. During his administration , a railroad yard workman was killed when his foot was caught between the rails of a switch , and he was unable to free himself before being run down by a locomotive that couldn't stop in time . After this tragic accident , William McPherson, Jr . conceived the idea of installing wooden blocks in the spaces between the rails of switches so that this kind of accident could not occur again. He ordered these safety blocks to be installed in the switches in all railroad yards and sidings in Michigan. These blocks are still in use, and have undoubtedly prevented other similar accidents from happening since that time . In 1915, Howell Electric Motors Company was established by R. Bruce McPherson and his nephew, McPherson Spencer , to manufacture electric motors . About the same time the Spencer-Smith Machine Company was organized by W. McPherson Smith, Sr., and Henry N. Spencer . This company manufactured pistons and other parts for the automobile industry . Both of these businesses, now under different ownerships and different names , continue to operate in Howell, serving the needs of industry and providing employment for local people. A more recent family business is McPherson Oil Company, established in 1928b y R. Bruce and Robert H. McPherson . It is a petroleum products distributing business with headquarters in Howell, and branches in Fowlerville , Milford, South Lyon, Whitmore Lake, Pinckney and Chelsea . The company supplies nineteen service stations as well as fuel oil customers , farms and businesses in four counties. Robert T. McPherson , son of Robert H., has served as president since 1965, with general management in the hands of Ernst W. Riemann, executive vice president. No story of the McPherson family in Howell would be complete without a tribute to Paul H. Uber . After graduating from Eastman Business College in Poughkeepsie , New York, Paul Uber came to Howell to work for my grandfather , William McPherson, Jr ., as accountant and secretary of the family business interests . For the next sixty four years he worked with four generations of McPhersons until his retirement in 1972. In addition to his accounting work he was also active in management , serving as an officer and director of the family corporations. At the same time, during many of these years , he was also serving as managing partner of the McPherson and Uber Insurance Agency. He continued his active career long after the usual retirement age by his own choice. The capable work, loyalty and devotion of Paul Uber has made a very important contribution to whatever success the McPherson family has had in business in Howell. He now makes his home in El Cajon, California . Once a year he returns to Howell for a visit , and always comes to our office when he is here. We pay tribute to a fine friend and associate , Paul H. Uber . Home of William McPherson 11. 41 Start of the great snow, 1947. This car sat downtown in the middle of Grand River for 4 days. The ltsell Family By RUTH CATHERINE ITSELL AND BARBARA ANN ITSELL In 1845, Andrew J. Itsell, Sr. (then spelled ITZELL), his wife, Christina F ., and their five small children moved from Detroit into the wilds of Marion Township. There they pioneered a homestead amidst deer, bear, and game birds on the 50 acres of land that they had purchased three years earlier from Horatio Foster. Only an occasional settler had preceeded them into this section of the country. Records show that additional land purchases were made by Andrew J. and Christina F . during the next several years: two 40-acre parcels by United States Land Patents which were signed by the Assistant Secretary to President James K. Polk in 1847 and 1849; and adjacent farmland purchased from John Loree and Adam Schmeik in 1849 and 1853 respectively. Four sons and one daughter were born of their marriage . They were Paul C., Andrew J ., Stephen W., Charles E., and Mary R. All five of the children attended academy and normal schools. Although their father died in 1858 at the age of 55, in 1861 the boys set about building a large, two-story house for a home. With the outbreak of the Civil War, however, they felt the country needed their services, and they left the house standing unfinished until after peace was declared . Paul C., the first to enlist , did so in 1861. He served in the battles before Richmond with the infamous I Company of the 5th Michigan Infantry. He was captured, imprisoned in Libby Prison , and released in 1861 in poor health. Andrew J ., newly graduated from normal school, enlisted with the Michigan Sharpshooters in December of 1862. He was later commissioned by Michigan Governor Blair to recruit Company K of the 10th Cavalry . He did so, serving as its Captain. Within two months, his brothers Stephen W. (who left his studies at an academy), and Paul C. (who had partially regained his health) , enlisted . The three brothers served together in the 10th Cavalry, Company K from September of 1863 until mustering out at the end of the war in November, 1865. Their mother, Christina F., died at the age 42 of 74 in October of 1873. Both she and her husband are buried in what is now known as The Lakeside Cemetery in Marion Township. It would be twenty-six years before all five children would be re-united again . The occasion was a gala two-day family reunion in 1887.T he festivities were held at the homes of Paul C., in Marion Township, and Charles E. , in Genoa Township. Both Paul C. and Charles E . remained life-long residents of the area. Their two brothers and sister , who no longer resided locally, returned for the reunion . Brother Andrew J., a professor of education , came from San Francisco California. ' He later married, had two daughters and one son and established permanent residence in California. Br'other Stephen W. and his wife, Frances, were in attendance from Detroit, where they owned and operated a hardware business . Their sister, Mary R. , attended the reunion with her husband , U. S. Hackett, journeying from their home in Groten in the Dakota territory . In later years, however, the Hacketts returned from the Dakota Territory and lived in Howell. Paul C. and his wife, Sarah J . resided in Marion Township. They had four children : Manley J., May N., Paul, and Buelah B. The parents and four children are buried in The Lakeside Cemetery in Marion Township. Charles E. and his wife, Catherine Redinger Itsell lived for several years in Marion Township before purchasing a farm in 1882 one mile east of the village of Howell on Grand River Road in Genoa Township. Situated on the crest of a hill, it offered a sweeping view of the village and surrounding farmland . Additions were made to the original structure of the house, and a second barn was built in 1883. It was here that they raised their two sons and two daughters: Charles, Lillian C., Mary R., and Henry J. Charles E. and Catherine farmed this land until their retirement in 1904, when they moved into the village of Howell, residing on West Washington Street. It was then that their eldest son, Charles , and his bride , Sarah Ann Finley Itsell, took over farm operations and became the second generation to raise a family on the homesite. The two daughters of Charles E . and Catherine went on to establish careers for themselves in the field of education. Lillian C., who taught in Lansing, retires as Principal of Oak Park School in 1938. When she died in July of 1947, Lillian C. was living with her sister, Mary R., in Detroit. Mary R. , who had taught in the Jackson area before moving to Detroit, continued to teach about thirty-five years before her retirement as Assistant Principal of Condon Intermediate School in 1944. She died in December of 1957. Old municipal heat and electric plant . Henry J . and his wife, Effie L. McGrain Itsell , were united in marriage in 1917. They purchased a 140-acre farm located on the southwest corner of Grand River and Latson Roads , where they lived their entire lives . For many years they were primarily dairy farmers. In about 1928, Henry J. was elected to his first Genoa Township office. For the next forty-five years he remained active in township affairs , serving in every office except clerk . He was Genoa Township Supervisor for fourteen years , and resigned as elected official in 1972. Henry J. and Effie L. had four children : Charles J. , Mary E ., Mildred L. and Barbara C. Charles J : and his wife, Shirley Fettig Itsell , and their son, James M., reside on the original farm land adjacent to the home of his parents . Charles J . is a farmer and has continued to farm the original 140 acres , plus additional acreage. He is a member of the Howell Rotar y, the Farm Bureau , a Director on the Board of the Howell Co-operative Association , and the Soil Conservation District , and a past member of the Zoning Board of Genoa Township. Mary E . is marr ied to Charles E . Wilkinson, Jr. , and they reside on Bowen Road in Howell. Charles E . is sales manager at Hilltop Ford , Incorporated in Howell. Mary E. is Secretary to the Superintendent of the Hillcres t Center . They have a son, Charles E . III , and a daughter , Mary Ann. Both are graduates of the Interlochen Arts Academy and attended the Cleveland Institute of Music. Mildred L. is a licensed practical nurse who is employed and resides in Ann Arbor . Barbara C. is a secretar y with the Michigan Department of State Highways and Transportation. She resides in Lansing . Henry J ., their father , died in September of 1974. His wife, Effie L., preceded him in death in September of 1973. Both are buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Howell, as are Henry J. 's sisters , Lillian C. and Mary R. Charles and Sarah Ann Finley Itsell were united in marriage in 1904, the year that Charles ' parents , Charles E . and Catherine, had retired from farming and had moved into the village of Howell. Charles and Sarah A. made their home on the farm and worked the 160 acres which had been tilled by his father before him . This was to be the only home in which Charles and Sarah A. would reside during their forty-three years of marriage . Charles continued farming even after he was elected to the office of Superintendent of the Poor , an office which he held for some 20 years . This was a County Agency designated to offer assistance to those residents of the area whose financial circumstances did not cover the necessities of life. When the county discontinued this office, Charles was appointed to the Board of Social Welfare. At that time he also did investigative work locally for the Michigan Crippled Children's Commission in Lansing . When he died in October of 1952, Charles was still activel y serving on both the Board of Social Welfare and the Michigan Crippled Children 's Commission . Sarah A., his wife, had preceded him in death in March of 1947. Both are buried in Mount Olivet Cemeter y in Howell. Charles and Sarah A. had six children : Steven W., Ruth C., Charles W., and Robert H. Two daughters, Alice E . and Lucille E . both died in early childhood. Their eldest son, Steven W., and his wife, Katherine M. Whalen Itsell , built a home on land adjacent to the home of Steven W.'s parents . After graduation from Cleary College in Ypsilanti , Steven W. began working at the First National Bank in Howell in 1925. He was with the First National Bank for forty-seven years , and at the time of his retirement in 1972 was the President of that institution . During his banking career , Steven W. had seen the First National Bank grow from a small countr y bank employing three employees and the president , to a spacious , attractive , well-organized banking institution with 47 employees . The Michigan House and Senate jointly passed a resolution honoring Steven W. on the occasion of his retirement. Through the years , Steven W. has been acti ve in communit y affairs , is a charter member and past president of the Lions Club in Howell, a member of the Howell Elks Club, and a member of the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce . In 1970 Steven W. was named " Boss of the Year " by the Howell Ja ycees . Steven W. and Katherine M. have two children : David Q. and Judith A. David Q. and his wife, Barbara Ann McDonald Itsell , reside on Burns Drive in Howell. They have three children : Michael J ., John D., and Mary Katherine . David Q. has been actively involved in business in the community since 1954 when he owned and operated a bulk fuel oil distributorship in the Howell area . From 1957 to 1959 he owned Itsells Restaurant on Grand River Avenue and Main Street in Brighton . In 1959 he built the A&W Root Beer Drive In on East Grand River in Howell. The A&W was the first franchised fast -food operation to be established in Howell. In 1968 he sold the A&W Drive In and established the Ditch Witch Trencher Sales of Michigan, Incorporated . The business facility is located three miles west of Howell on Grand River Avenue. Judith A. and her husband , James P . Elliott reside in Howell. Judith A. was employed many year s locally and with the University of Michigan Dental School as a Certified Dental Assistant. James P . holds a Masters Degree in History . Ruth C. is a graduate of Clear y College of Ypsilant i. She worked several years as a secretary in the Register of Deeds Office of Livingston County. She was confined as a patient at the Michigan State Sanitorium for Tuberculosis where she spent 3½ years . Upon resuming employment , Ruth C. becam e a legal secretar y in both county and private offices. She later worked for her brother , Charles , owner of Itsell 's Men's Store, until her retirement. Ruth C. was among a small group of ladies who organized and established the Michigan State Sanitorium Auxiliary in about 1950. Robert H. and his wife, Anne Marie Treves Itsell , live on Tompkins Street in Howell. Robert H. spent two years in the militar y during World War II . He is a graduate of the Universit y of Michigan and The Kirksville College of Osteopathy . After his internship at the Detroi t Osteopath ic Hospital in Highland Park , he became associated in the medical practice of Dr . Boyd N. Shertzer in Howell in 1955. He is a member of the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce , the Elk s Club, and is a past president of the Howell Rotar y Club. Robert H. is past Chief of Staff of McPherson Communit y Health Center , a member of the American College of General Practitioners in Osteopathic Medicine, and an Associate Clinical Professor in Family Practice in the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Robert H. and Anne Marie have eight children. The eldest son, Finle y J. , and his wife, Janet Sue Parke Itsell , reside in Howell. Finley J . is employed at Precision Stamping Incorporated of Brighton , and attends Washtenaw Communit y College in Ann Arbor. The other children , all residing at home are : Matthew R. , Keith M., Mark Q., Stephanie A., Sarah A., Alice M., and Treves V. They either work or attend school in the Howell area . Charle s W. and his wife, Frances Jean Waddell Itsell , are the present residents of the family homestead on Grand River Avenue one mile east of the City of Howell. Charles W., a Technical Sargeant in World War II, served four years in the militar y. When he returned home from the service , he helped activate the Michigan National Guard in Howell, and was assistant executive officer to that unit for eight years. He 43 worked for the Michigan Shade Tree Company, and Citizens Mutual Insurance Company before purchasing and operating Itsell 's Men's Store in Howell. In 1973h e sold the business and became associated with the L. H. Crandall Realty of Howell. Charles has devoted much time to community affairs. He is past president of both the Rotary Club and the Lions Club, a member of the Elks Club in Howell, and a member of the Howell Area Chamber of Commerce . Charles W. was also chosen Howell's Citizen of the Year in 1961. Charles W. and Frances Jean are the parents of three sons and one daughter: Thomas C., Gary M., Dennis J ., and Debra JoAnne. Thomas C. and his wife, Gloria Jean Leslie Itsell, live in Scottsdale, Arizona with their son, Christopher T. Thomas C., who served three years in the United States Air Force, is employed as an electrician. Gary M. is a carpenter and resides in Phoenix, Arizona. Dennis J . owns a home in Grand Rapids , and is employed as a salesman in western Michigan for Ditch Witch of Northern Indiana, Incorporated. Debra J . is married to William E. Widmayer , and lives in Howell. William E. works in masonry construction. The children of Charles W. and Frances Jean Waddell Itsell represent the fourth generation of the Itsell family to reside at the family homestead . At the time of this writing, five generations of the family have been members of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Howell, and have actively participated in parish affairs. All children of the family have attended the St. Joseph Elementary School since its founding in 1940. Four generations of family members are buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Howell. In 1982t he homestead on the crest of the hill will be eligible to be designated as a Centennial Farm by the Michigan Historical Society. Times and surroundings have changed, but the home stands basically the same as when first occupied by the Itsell family in the mid-1800's. Structural changes which have been made are in keeping with the original character of the house. Treelings planted on the grounds four generations ago stand now as mighty symbols of the passing of time . Grace Jubb Goodnow. The Huntington Family By FRANCES HUNTINGTON William Huntington was born January 15, 1817 in Sullivan County, New York. In 1844 he married Rhobe Tibbits. In 1843 he moved to Howell. He was a physician here until his death in 1900. In 1854h e took part in the birth of the Republican Party at Jackson . In 1872 he took into partnership his son, William C. Huntington who had graduated from the Medical Department of the University of Michigan in that year. In 1876 he married Adaline Lamb. 44 William C. Huntington selected the grounds for the Michigan State Tuberculosis Sanatorium at Howell and after a strenuous contest between competing sites in different parts of the state, his selection was adopted. In 1889 he was president of Howell, "but declined renomination after placing the town in a sanitary condition." William C. Huntington died in 1927. His son, Harry G. Huntington was born in 1884, graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 1912. In 1914h e married Mary C. Hyde. In 1919h e and his family moved to the " gingerbread " house on the corner of Washington and Walnut. This house was probably built soon after 1858, by Mr. Van Deusen who was a carpenter and millwright. It was known as the Van Deusen house. Dr . Harry Huntington passed away in this house in 1955. At his passing, one of his friends told his widow that he was the most conscientious doctor he had ever known. The Rohrabacher Family By JANET ROHRABACHER The Fishbeck and the Rohrabacher family were the only Palatine German families who came to Howell very early. They were Germans from the Rhine Valley who came to New York between 1710 and 1724. They were related through the Quackenbush family which was an old Holland Dutch family of New York City. Adam Rohrabacher , like the Sages, Smiths, Pinckneys and Austins came from Salem in Washtenaw County. This Salem settlement then had 2500 inhabitants and was the metropolis of Washtenaw County, when Ann Arbor had only a few hundred people. Adam's father was John C. Rohrabacher, a veteran of the War of 1812 from Auburn, N.Y. , who settled at Salem and took up land in Green Oak Township, Livingston County in 1834. John C. was a grandson of Christian Rohrabacher who had worked at the Philip Livingston iron forge , now a New York State Historical Site. It is situated at Ancram in Columbia County, N.Y. Adam Rohrabacher came to Howell in March , 1837 and in 1840h e bought the house on the library square, facing Clinton Street , which had been built by James White. Later, he bought a house at 310 North Michigan Avenue, one of the oldest brick houses in town and sold his former home to John D. Pinckney as a retirement home. Mr. Pinckney's farm was in the neighborhood of North National Street. Mrs. Pinckney survived her husband for many years and this house became known as the Widow Pinckney house. Adam was Howell's pioneer blacksmith, taking over when Mr. McPherson left off in 1837 and continued his work until 1850, when he moved to Pinckney and then Mr. Melvin took over blacksmithing in Howell. The story told about the horning-bee given to Adam Rohrabacher and his second wife, Martha Walter, is told by A. Riley Crittenden in his History of Howell. According to Dr. Harry Huntington this story is correct. He said his grandfather, Dr . William Huntington had been a member of the horning party. By this wife Adam had two children, Ella and Edward. After her death he married Mrs. Eliza Abel Bennett. While he lived in Howell, Adam Rohrabacher had three daughters, Sarah, Jane and Gabriella by his first wife, Nancy Ann Smith. One of these daughters, Jane, married her second cousin, Peter Rohrabacher of Cohoctah Township, and continued to live in Howell. Peter 's brother, Freeman Rohrabacher also became a resident of Howell. These two brothers were both three year veterans of the Civil War, serving in the 22nd Michigan Infantry. They served at the Battle of Chickamauga when they were charged three times by the Confederates . Their ammunition gave out and they had only bayonets to withstand the third charge . Two-thirds of their regiment were killed, but both brothers survived . Freeman made the march from Atlanta to the sea with Sherman 's troops. Freeman was also Constable of Howell in the early 1900's and the only law officer. Howell's present Rohrabachers are from Peter 's three sons. One of Peter 's grandsons, Kenneth Rohrabacher was killed in the second World War at Waldorf, Germany while in the Engineers. Taking kitty for a ride in Oak Grove . The Rohrabacher-WheeleHr ome The Albert Rohrabacher home at 201 Byron Road is one of the oldest houses in Howell, if not the very oldest still used as a habitation . And like most old houses it has an interesting history and succession of owners. It is unknown when it was built but its first owner came to Howell in 1838a nd in 1840h is home was on the Howell tax list. He was Dr. Gardner Wheeler the first medic in town. The village then consisted of a little cluster of 13 houses centered around the old Public Square of the Crane and Brooks plat , which was bounded by Grand River , Walnut, Sibley and Center, but the Wheeler home was well within the present bounds of Howell. According to the late Judge Josiah Turner, the 13 buildings in Howell at this time belonged to Messrs . Wheeler, Jewett , McPherson , Skilbeck, Jeffries, Fishbeck. Field , Glover, Curtis , Gregory, Root, Taylor and Weston. Mr. Whipple and Mr. Rohrabacher arrived during the year . There were several families at a little distance and outside the village but who might be said to belong to Howell, as they were within easy walking distance . They were the Sage, Austin, Thompson, Pinckney, Sliter and West families. BUILT ON GRAND RIVER Dr. Gardner Wheeler's house was west of town, on the south side of Grand River , at the southwest corner where it meets Isbell Street, although it may have been set back from the road . The street was then Wheeler Street. Like most of the early settlers ' homes it was very small and low, about one story or a story and a half high. It was a typical salt-box style , 18 by 30 feet, with the door on the long side, and had returning eaves and small-paned windows. These earl y settlers ' homes were much different from the tall and imposing homes which were built around Howell in the 1860, 1870a nd 1880's. Some of these are on S. Walnut and N. Court and have beautiful gingerbread trim . By this time people could relax and spend time on the nicities , but the early homes were strictly utilitarian. Dr. Gardner Wheeler was a ver y important man in Howell's early history . Besides being the first doctor , he was the first worshipful master of the Masonic lodge, was many times supervisor of the township, was interested in education and several times was school inspector. He practiced medicine over 20 years and was a highly respected citizen. He was a nephew of Villeroy E. , John W., and Elisha H. Smith. Elisha was the author of Howell's first history . To quote from Crittenden 's History of Howell: "His (Dr . Wheeler's ) office stood where the Sabin block now stands, was moved in later years and is now a part of the first house south of Parshall 's mill. His residence , which occupied the site of M. J . McPherson 's home, was moved up the Byron Road and is now 0911 ) owned by John Owen. " Old settlers say that his office was moved a second time and became the home of the late Tressie Cameron on W. Clinton Street. MILITIA TRAINED HERE There was an early militia company in Howell and Dr. Wheeler's farm was used as the training grounds . Again from Crittenden: "- the 40 acres sold to M. J . and Alexander McPherson by Mrs. A. L. Crittenden soon after her husband 's death was prepared for training purposes ." After this home was moved to Byron Road, it had a succession of owners besides Jesse Owen. It is not known when it was moved to Byron Road but it was there in 1875. A 10 foot addition was built for a kitchen , the old trap door to the cellar was closed, the fireplace was torn out, and new chimneys built. Cockrane's , who owned it for a time , remodeled it greatly . The old entrance on the long side was changed to the gable end or west side facing Byron Road. During this time the old clapboards were covered with pebble-dash and a two-sided porch was added to the front . About 10 years ago, the porch was enclosed and the house covered with aluminum siding. In the course of his remodeling , an old window which had been closed up was discovered to have been boarded up with the business sign of the Fishbeck Bros., a firm which has been out of existence for many years . This home, which is situated on the northeast corner of W. Clinton and Byron Road, has some unusual features of construction: the four corner posts of the home protrude on the inside of the house as in barn construction . Also the under structure is not beams and joists but beams in both directions; the smaller beams, which are four inches square , are mortised at right angles into the large beams which are eight inches square . The large beams are all hand adzed, and some of the baseboards have beadings formed by hand with a chisel. Beams under the addition are logs. This is the Albert Rohrabacher home, 201 Byron Road. 45 The FishbeckF amily By WILLIAM A. PLESS Somewhere in the Howell History Book being prepared there surely will be a reference to Richard Fishbeck , his being the first shoemaker, building the third frame house, etc., and there should be. But, I also submit that his brother , Freeman Fishbeck should also be mentioned . Freeman came to Michigan in 1833, a full three years before any other Fishbeck, and walked for days and months through the wilderness, looking for just the right land to settle on, as soon as he could save enough to pay the government for it. He worked on building the dam at Woodruff Mills in 1834, and on the Kensington dam and mill, and in addition at any farm or land clearing work he could get to do. My grandfather was born in 1836, in the loghouse his father, Freeman, built on land he selected on the north shore of Crooked Lake. Grandfather told of his father and his Uncle Joseph Rider telling about being where Howell is now in 1833, and that it was a wilderness no different than the surrounding area . Freeman and Joseph Rider had a good start clearing and improving their farms before Freeman 's father, Jacob , his several sons, including Richard , came about September , 1836. Freeman retired to move to Howell in a house on W. Grand River which is shown on the attached pages , one of which is a summary of the Fishbeck family story , before and after they came to Livingston County. The writer and other Fishbeck and Rider descendants , now living in several parts of the state and the U.S.A., will appreciate any mention that space will permit, to include the very first of the Fishbeck and Rider families to come to Michigan. Freeman and Joseph were married to each other's sister. Freeman lived his last 15 years in Howell, and they all lived their adult lives a few miles southeast of Howell, and were well known in agriculture , livestock, and pioneer circles. The Livingston County history is also available to furnish more facts about the Fishbecks and Riders . I hope that their not living in the town won't exclude them , after all, Howell would have been a small place had it not been for the producing farmers who used the services of the tradesmen and patronized the businesses established . The producers always come first, and the middlemen, and servicemen will follow. The home shown above, located at 1325 West Grand River Road , in Howell, Michigan was about eight years old at the time it was purchased by my great grandparents in 1867. When they moved to Howell from their farm in Genoa Township my grandparents , William Alvira (Rogers ) Fishbeck, came from their farm near Portland , Michigan and moved into the house shown on the opposite page . Freeman and Jemima, age 23 and 20 respectively , had immigrated from New York State in 1833 and were married in Milford Township which is now in Oakland County. In 1835 they moved to land they " took-up" from the U.S. Government in Genoa Township, Livingston County. There they built a loghouse in the wilderness near the site of the frame house on what is now Crooked Lake Road . In the 34 years between 1833 and 1867 Freeman and Jemima raised five children to help accumulate and clear land which was divided so each of their sons, William, Charles, and John each had over 200 acres of farm land and each had a good set of farm buildings and stock . Freeman died 15 years after they moved to Howell and Jemima lived there 10 years longer, then their heirs sold the property in 1892. 46 The Fishbeck home near A .A . Depot . Third frame house built in Howell. Freeman Fishbeck was the first of the family to come to Michigan, and to what is now Genoa Township, Livingston County. He came early in 1833 from Oswego County, N.Y., with Joseph Rider , and his son, Joseph , Jr ., and daughter , Jemima , their Uncle David B. Pierce . They all settled for about two years in what is now Milford Township, Oakland County. Freeman and Jemima were married in 1833, and in 1835, they, Uncle David and Joseph , Jr ., all located government land in Genoa Township, which at that time was a part of Hamburg Township. The organization of Livingston County was not approved until March 24, 1836. The township of Genoa was organized , March 11, 1837, and Freeman and Uncle David were among those elected as officers, Joseph , Jr ., was not of age . In November , 1835, Freeman and Jemima were living in their loghouse, just north of Crooked Lake , the site was selected because the land was high and dry , and the lake was nearby to make fresh, pure water immediately available. The following year, 1836, Freeman 's father and mother , Jacob and Elsie Fishbeck came from St. Lawrence County, N.Y. They were accompanied by their sons : Jacob, Jr., Nicholas , Philip, Levi, and Elsey , and a daughter , Isabella who later married Joseph Rider, Jr. Jacob and his sons each filed claims on land in the area , some of the land was in adjacent Marion Township. Jacob, Sr., died early in 1839, and was among the very first to be buried in what is now called the Chilson Cemetery; Elsie survived for 26 years. That same summer of 1836, Jacob and Elsie 's son, Richard sold his shoemaking shop on Manhatten Island , New York City, and made his way with a wagon drawn by oxen to Albion, Orleans County, N.Y., there he married Nancy Quackenbush . They then made the long journey overland to join Richard 's family in Livingston County. In September, 1836, Richard started the first shoemaking business in Livingston Centre, became one of the first 13 families , and the third to build a frame house in the area . It stood, and was occupied by Richard 's family , on the northeast corner of N. Walnut and W. Clinton for more than 100 years . Jacob Fishbeck , his wife, Elsie (Storrin ) Fishbeck , and Joseph Rider, Sr., and his wife, Sarah (Peck ) Rider, were all descendants of early colonial pioneers , and they themselves were an average of ten years old when George Washington became the first president of the U.S.A. The Fishbecks had migrated through the Mohawk Valley in N.Y., to N. E. Pennsylvania, and to St. Lawrence County, N.Y. The Riders and Pecks had lived in New York City, Rockland and St. Lawrence counties , N.Y., and had moved to Oswego County, N.Y. where Sarah died just before they came to Michigan, where as previously mentioned they were reunited with the Fishbecks. The Fishbeck 's ancestors had had many difficulties from the ver y beginning in this country . An ancestor had been tricked and cheated by a sea captain , and had to work in bondage for year s to get free . His descendants had trouble getting clear title to the land they had purchased and paid for in eastern N.Y., and they migrated to Pennsylvania where they found more honest people to deal with. It was here Jacob married Elsie Storrin , and most of their fourteen children were born . All but one boy and four girls came to Livingston County. One-hundred-forty years have gone by and there are , few if any descendants of the Fishbeck and Riders in the Livingston County area who have their names . The Eager Family By DOROTHY EAGER BELLEAU We Eagers who were born and raised in Oceola Township have a right to be proud of our heritage of pioneer ancestors who came from New York State in the 1830's, clearing the land by hand and erecting buildings under adverse conditions. They were thrifty , energetic and religious . Francis Emmett Eager (Frank ) was one of five children born (1853) to Jacob Moore and Emily Comfort Eager in a log cabin at what is now a Centennial Farm located on Eager Road near Clyde Road , written up in The Centennial Farms section . Frank went to New York State to visit relatives where he met Sarah Wait, whose father had a large prosperous farm near the town of Montgomery, New York. Sarah came back as his bride in 1877. They purchased 200 acres of virgin timber located at what is now Eager Road and M-59. There was a log house on 20 acres of already cleared land. Mother Emily Eager would not let Sarah and Frank live in the log house knowing the difficulties it would present , so they lived with Franks parents until 1881 when a large square house was built to accommodate a growing family Jacob , and Mary with Emil y, Grace , Thomas , Mable and Orla following. The land had to be cleared before any farming could be done so Frank and his brother , James erected a sawmill , sawing lumber for the community and railroad ties from the huge trees for the Ann Arbor Railroad which ran through Howell. Frank and his sons built up a large herd of registered Holstein-Fresian cattle and thoroughbred Rambouillet sheep and horses . They took sheep and cattle to the county and state fairs, winning many ribbons and prizes . Frank took several cans of milk, with a team and wagon, every day to the Borden Creamery located in Howell. Tom took a veterinary course at Michigan State , going to Illinois as herdsman for a large dairy farm . Returning when his father wanted to retire to help Orla run the farm . After a time the boys found they were not too compatible so Tom went back to Illinois. Orla moved to a farm near Brown City, Michigan , where he and his son Charles have a large dairy and experimental farm of over 500 acres milking 125 cows. The only building , of several large barns, remaining is the pig house built in 1915. After the farm was sold in 1938 the buildings were allowed to deteriorate . The house burned in the early 1960's. Another large beautiful farm gone, like several others around Oceola. Jacob or Jake as he was called , married Louisa P . Reed in 1903, daughter of R. Clark and Etta M. Howard Reed . Jake purchased a farm of 80 acres a mile from the homestead , eventually acquiring more land until Jake was farming 200 acres . Jake started taking sheep to the Fowlerville Fair at the age of 14, showing either sheep or Registered Holstein-Fresian cattle for fifty years . During his later years he concentrated on sheep , having five different breeds of sheep at the time of his death in 1945. Loa passed on in 1969 at the age of 89 years . Jake and Loa were the parents of six children , Ada L., Dorothy J ., Ford C., Howard , Harriet S., and Franci s Emmett (Frank ). Ada L. an RN and Raymond G. Walker , DDS, have a dental office at Kokomo, Ind. , parents of three children : Nancy an RN, and husband Clayton Farrar have a helicopter service near Indianapolis , Indiana . They have three children , William, Mark and Andrea . Linda and husband , Terr y Thompson have a business dealing with underwater equipment in West Vancouver , B.C. They have two daughters , Crystal and Stacey. R. Gary and Patt y Walker have thre e sons, Brian , Todd and Chad. Dorothy J . married to Wilfred L. Belleau , a pressman at Detroit News for 41 years . Now retired . One son, Wilfred died of leukemia at 13 years . Ford C. Eager married to Dorothy Hughes . Owned Eagers Cleaner s of Howell for over 35 years , now retired . Parents of Rebecca who is married to Ronald B. Kennedy , parents of Loretta, Amy, Ted and Jeffery. James Wilford Eager is the father of Debora and Julie. Mary Ann Eager is an elemen - tary teacher . Howard Eager (deceased ) owned the Lansing Battery Company until his death in 1954. One daughter, Barbara Ann, married Harold Galka of Holt, Mich., have four daughters , Linda, Jill , Joanne and Lori. Harriet an RN later attending University of Michigan getting a degree i1n Public Health, worked as Howell Public School Nurse and School Social Worker for several years . Married S. Wright Bellinger , DDS, a dentist of Detroit and Howell. Two daughters, Carol Gann a teacher of Oklahoma and Suzanne Feetham , Assistant Professor of the College of Nursing at Wayne University . Harriet now married to Lyman E . Fay. Francis Emmett Eager (Frank ) married Helen Semes . Three children , Jacob Paul , a chemical engineer lives in California with wife, Barbara and children , Brennen and Robin. Michael, an electrical engineer and wife, Marlene live in Owosso, Michigan . Pamala and Tom Ingram have one William Blake Eager . Susan Moore . 47 daughter , Tammy , and live in Lansing . Frank married to Lorna Ross. Jake and Loa lived for 40 years in the house where they met. He was active in Oceola Township politics for a great many years , being treasurer and supervisor . Also Jake was Superintendent of the Poor for Livingston County for several years . Mary or Mayme Eager taught country school before marrying Lewis Walker in 1902, living on the farm until moving into Howell in the early 1950's. Mayme lost her partner of over 65 years and a son in 1968. Ralph helped his father on the farm and was a mechanic at the Chevrolet garage. Married Blanche Beattie , three children, Jane , William and Dorothy. Frances married Lamar Thumm of Ann Arbor, a large sand and gravel business . Two sons, John Thumm a dentist and Lewis a lawyer. Emily married Hale Crosby of New Buffalo, Mich. A farmer , later raising cultivated blueberries . The berry farm is now being run by a grandson. Emily and Hale had one daughter, Eleanor married to Robert Leiberger , they have two sons, Donald and John. Grace , also a country teacher , married Milton Sprague of Vermontville in a double wedding with Emily and Hale. Besides farming the Spragues made several hundred gallons of maple syrup every spring. Grace and Milton had two children , Marion a teacher in Lansing , and Theodore a chemist in Oak Ridge, Tennessee . Theodore and Johnanna have two children , Evelyn and John . Tom was married to Helen Wells of Mundelein, Ill. Two daughters Naomi married Robert Vavya , and Juanita married to Joseph August. Mable a high school teacher married Ernest Klumpp , a druggist , now living at Sarasota , Fla . Two daughters , Ann K., married Otto Lill a banker , four children, Gregory , Michael, Jerry and Joanne . Mary Jane married Vern Howard, three daughters , Sue, Janet and Christine . Orla married Flora Gates of Sandusky, Mich. Two children , Alice and Edward Farris of Semsburg , Conn., have three children , Sandra , Pamala and Lawrence Scott. Charles F . and Aileen Eager have three children , William Charles, killed in a farm accident at 12 years, Suzette M. and Jeffery. Although the Eager 's are scattered from the east to the west coast we are still an industrious , energetic and talented group of people. The Linus Reed Family By DOROTHY EAGER BELLEAU Linus Reed was born in Cortland County, New York, October 1, 1821a nd passed away December 29, 1917a t the age of 96 years . In the year 1865, just after the close of the Civil War, Linus Reed cam e with his wife, Hulda and four children, Edwin , Laura , Ruben Clark and Clara to Michigan , buying a farm of 260 acres , contracting a debt of $3,000, with interest of 10 percent. A railroad (Pere Marquette) was built through his propert y which increased the value of the land , but a wave of reverse circum stances swept the country and unpaid loans due him again put him into debt and he was obliged to sell the farm . After the death of Mrs. Reed , Linus made his home with his son, R. C. Reed and daughter, Clara Bucknell. Early in life he became a member of the Baptist Church, was Sabbath School superintendent and for nearly 50 years a bible class teacher . Daughter , Clara married a blind man , Fred Bucknell who drove a horse and buggy or rode the horse either tuning pianos or giving lessons on the piano. He also 48 was a good wood carver, making reproductions from the feel of an article. RUBEN CLARK REED, SON OF LINUS REED R. Clark Reed was born in Cortland County, New York, came with his parents to Michigan when nine years old, settling on a farm south of Howell. As a young man Clark taught in the public school for several years. In 1878 Clark married Etta M. Howard , to which five children were born, Howard , Louisa, Rex, Ray and Jay Kerr . Choosing farming as a profession he purchased a farm in Oceola Township, on Argentine Road, south of M-59. R. Clark found there was a good sized cranberry marsh on the farm which they harvested and sold, also they grew strawberries for marketing. R. C. Reed was one of the leading livestock growers in Michigan having one of the largest herds of Holstein-Fresian cattle , shipping and exporting these cattle to all parts of the world. He was president of the Holstein-Fresian Association of Michigan and secretary of the Livingston County Breeders Association . R. C. Reed was one of the founders of the Michigan Milk Producers Association. Holding the position of secretary of MMP A for many years . Fairlawn Farm , owned by Reed and Knowles supported a large dairy herd of Holstein-Fresian cattle and was known throughout the states. It was located northeast of Howell where the Diamond Dot Market is. Rex Reed supervised the farm for his father . R. C. Reed was earl y identified with a Christian upbringing . In 1893 his church council (without his knowledge ) commissioned him to preach and since that time he was actively engaged in all types of religious works . R. C. Reed was candidate for Governor of Michigan (1906) on the Prohibition ticket , also was a candidate for Secretary of State of Michigan for the principles of prohibition. The family attended The Hardy Church which was near home, and The Methodist Episcopal Church after moving to Howell. Linus Reed who was pastor of the Marr Bible Church is a grandson of R. C. Reed , and great-grandson of Linus Reed . Family - Howard C. married Mary Alta Curdy , two children , Willard and Louise Cook. Louisa P. married Jacob M. Eager , children Ada L. Walker , Dorothy J . Belleau , Ford C. Eager , Howard Eager , Harriet S. Fay and Francis E. Eager . Rex Allen married Margaret Wakeman, children Zur R. Reed , Tazona L. Reed , Mahlon E. , Loretta Critchfield , and Nellie Cochran . Ray John married Jennie M. Wilcox, children Alta M., Hazel Virginia Spikerman , Linus Reed and Mildred. Ja y Kerr Reed married Myrtle Nichols, children Melvin C. and Walter N. Reed . The Thomas Devereaux Family By THOMAS HOWARD DEVEREAUX My father was Thomas Devereaux , born 11-11-1850 in Oceola Township. He married Julia Wines and operated a farm on Eager Rd. in that township until his death in June 1918. They had eight children : Stephen. a dentist in Grand Rapids . He married Sara Carlin . Mary Evelyn , a teacher , who married Howard McDonough. They had five children , Thomas , Agnes, Robert , Ruth , Julia . Lena Belle, a teacher , who married Charles Berg in. They had five children , Claude, Dorothy , Irene , Bernice , Charles . Ella , a teacher , who married John Walsh. They had five children , Robert , Betty, James , Patrick , Sally . Claude, who managed the A&P store and afterwards worked at the Michigan State Sanatorium. He married Ruth Smith and they had two children, Mary and Wilford. Veronica , who worked at Citizens' Mutual Auto Insurance Co. Thomas, married Mary Murphy. They had four children, Thomas Jr ., Margaret, Rosemary, Stephen . He worked for Standard Oil Co., McPherson Oil Co., and was on the Board of Review in Oceola Township. Gertrude , a teacher , married Gerald Mccloskey , a dentist. They had five children , Mary , Richard, John, Thomas, and Patrick. I have many happy memories of growing up on the farm. Ice fishing and skating on Earl Lake in the winter and swimming in Howell Lake in the summer were several favorites . When younger, my brother Claude and I would work hours damming up the creek that ran back of our home. We would just have a short swim when the dam would go out and we would have to start over again. One of our favorite pasttimes was hitching up the calves to a cart, but when one of them kicked my brother in the head the fun ended. My parents liked to play cards with the McGuires , our good neighbors across the road. They also had house parties when they would roll up the rugs and dance to the violin and banjo. My father was quite expert in doing the Irish jigs and step dances . Many Sundays we entertained relatives for dinner or friends such as the McQuillans and the Staffords who lived where the Henry Itsell farm is now. There was a large apple orchard on the farm as well as peches , cherries, and strawberries . My mother canned many jars of them as well as drying apples for pies. I remember the good sausage that was made and packed in cloth salt bags which were hung outdoors to freeze as well as the hams that were fried down and stored in crocks. One of the jobs I hated was churning the butter in a barrel churn , but I did like a drink of the good buttermilk afterwards . I walked the two and one-half miles into Howell to the high school or in bad weather drove a horse and buggy which I left at the Ten Cent Barn on the corner of Clinton and Walnut. After my marriage we lived on Jewett St. in Howell for 25 years. When my mother sold the farm we bought 70 acres of it that faces Golf Club Rd. We built a home there and moved in 1955. It was a busy time as our daughter , Margaret , was crowned Miss Michigan that summer and we went to Atlantic City where she was in the Miss America contest, plus moving into our new home at the same time . So now we are enjoying life back in the same area where I was born. The Hutchings Family By RUAHMAH J . HUTCHINGS Around the year 1885 Cordelia Hutchings stood alone in the little log cabin the family had called home for some time. Her husband , Andrew and the children Govenor, Gardner, and little Maud were already in the oxen drawn wagon which would take them from their present home in Petoskey , Michigan to the new home down state in the Holstein- Friesian country. What was the name of the town? Oh, Yes! HOWELL. Cordelia, 'Dee' as she was affectionately called by family and friends, stood and looked around the bare cabin, and then wiped a tear or two from her eyes . After all two of her babies lay over in the churchyard cemetery. Would she ever see their resting places again? True , the family though very, very poor had been happy in Petoskey . However, a pioneer woman must lookahead , and not back . So, with one last glance she gently closed the door, straightened her sunbonnet, lifted her ankle-length skirt a bit, and climbed into the wagon beside her husband . evertheless Dee knew she would always remember the Petoskey home because carefully packed among her things was a fungus growth she had broken from a tree , and upon which she had carefully traced a picture of the cabin using a pin for a pencil. The climbing red rosebush by the door had been tinted with the juice of red berries from the near-by forest. This little momento of the days before cameras is one of my treasured keepsakes. In due time the family arrived in Howell where a new life awaited them for Andrew had purchased a water-powered mill just north of town. It was located on the northwest side of Thompson Lake ( now called Howell Lake ) where the Millsite Factory is at this time . Soon the firm of A. 0 . Hutchings and Sons were busy grinding grists for Livingston County farmers . The firm also sold white and graham flour for the farmer's wives to use . However, customers from south, east , and west of Howell found it a long trip to the mill with horses and a wagon. So, "The Exchange Station," as it was called, was set up in the back of a building on the southeast corner of Walnut and West Grand River streets. The building is presently occupied by the Pro-Sutton Hardware. Farmers could now leave their grain and pick up grists and flour when they came to town for needed supplies. In those days the Hutchings ' team of two coal black horses was a familiar sight as they hauled grists and flour back and forth from the Millsite location to the uptown station. As the business flourished the two sons built and operated another mill on the southwest corner of Walnut and Clinton streets. Their father , "Andy, " as he was called continued to operate the "Home Mill" with the family residence on the same acreage . Andrew Hutchings had unique ways of advertising his products . He was an earnest reader of the Bible and the Almanac. He was especially fond of the story of "Joseph and His Brothers ." So one Christmas purchasers of his 'White Lily' flour found a tin cup in each sack and a printed card that read , "Not Joseph's cup in Benjamin 's sack, but YOUR cup with Season's Greetings from A. 0. Hutchings and Sons. Later the " uptown mill" was sold to A. F. Peavy and Sons (Homer and Calvin). They carried on a coal and feed business there for many years. The lakeside mill burned on April 15, 1915. Around the year 1881 the Stephens family came to Howell from western New York State. With them came four year old Georgia who received all her 'schooling' (as education was then called) in the Howell system. Her first and second grades were in a little white schoolhouse that stood where the Schnackenberg-Lamb Funeral Home is on South Michigan Avenue. Her third grade and chapel room were on the third floor of a building now replaced by the Michigan A venue Middle School. The gateway to the fenced in grounds consisted of staggered posts diagonally set. Georgia graduated from the Howell Public Schools in 1895, one of a class of seventeen. In those days it was the custom for young people to attend Sunday evening services at the church of their choice. After the service it was also the custom for any bachelor who wished, to wait outside until the girl of his choice came through the door. Then he would ask to walk the young lady home. One night when Georgia came through the door with her cousin and the cousin's escort the miller 's son, Govenor 49 stepped up and asked to walk the lively auburn-haired girl home. Out of the corner of her eye Georgia was watching for a certain someone from Fowlerville who drove a sleek horse, and had a shining buggy. So she replied , "Sir, you must have made a mistake. " He smiled and said , "No, I haven 't made a mistake. Have you?" Thus began a friendship that a little more than two years later culminated in marriage . After graduation from Howell High, Georgia took the Teacher 's Examination, passed, and during those two years taught in the Livingston County one room schools. Georgia and Govenor were married on February 3, 1897. The story goes that at their wedding gelatin was served for the first time in Howell. If a second serving was desired guests were heard to say, "Please pass the quiver." Another story told about the wedding was that six year old Glen Hutchings (born after the family left Petoskey) kept saying , " I want to get Govenor and Georgia a wedding present, something real expensive, something that costs about 10 cents." The gift was a silver-coated toothpick holder, which also is among my souvenirs. Father's name was spelled Govenor, but pronounced 'governor' so now he enjoyed laughingly saying , "By my marriage I have become governor of Georgia. Right? " Some thirteen years later a son, Stephen was born into this home. He died in infancy. Around two years after his birth a daughter, Ruahmah was born to this couple. These are the facts about my parents and grandparents and their lives in Howell. All four are now resting in Howell's Lakeview Cemetery where the markers read-Andrew 0. Hutchings, 1848-191a7n d Cordelia J., 1853-1927a; lso Govenor 0., 1871-1917a nd Georgia S., 1877-196.9 They were all Godfearing people who did their best to build a better tomorrow for all of us. So, how better to close this account of their lives than with thoughts from a clipping found in Mother's scrapbook? WE ARE YOUR ANCESTORS We are your ancestors. We may be forgotten-but we are ever present. We are unknown-but inescapable. We are the men and women who long ago labored to shape the civilization of our time, not even aware that we were also shaping yours. By a multitude of invisible but potent hands we reach out and change you. WE ARE YOUR ANCESTORS By P.R. Hayward Cranking a Model " T" was nothing to smile about. 50 The Latson Family The Latson family began in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where James lived from 1778 to 1863. He had ten children. Some of them came to Michigan to settle. Joel went to Eaton Rapids, William to Washtenaw County and Edward who married Miriam Stedman settled in Genoa Township in 1837. They began their life there on Beck Road, on the southeast side of the Ann Arbor Railroad tracks . They chose this spot because there was a spring near-by. Edward and Miriam had seven children, all lived most of their lives around Howell. Charles died in infancy ; Mary married Archibald Beattie; Loraine and Eugene married in a double wedding ceremony with another brother-sister family, Charles and Maryette Lounsbery in 1866; Sarah married James Beattie (mother and father of Sarah V. Beattie Allen of Howell); Albert married Frances Stedman (parents of Alice and Hazen Latson of Howell, Varah Curtis of Plainwell, and Bernice Bushman of Corunna); and Lewis married Elizabeth Yelland. Edward and Miriam were much respected in the community and were also very loving parents. It was they who originally started the Latson family reunions in 1861 when their first daughter Mary was married. Edward said that he wanted all his children to come home for New Years and Easter. Easter to him was "Pax Sunday" (which means peace) . It was then that everyone in the family met and made peace with each other, forgave any misgivings and started another year off with happiness and contentment. The reunions have gone on more or less ever since. This August 24 will make 62 years of consecutive reunions in this century . The farm where Edward Latson first settled became a Centennial Farm in 1937, and the cement block house which Albert Latson built is still standing . It was finished in 1908, and Albert was killed on the Ann Arbor Railroad track before it was completed . There are many families in Livingston County who are direct descendants of the Latson line. Some are Roy and Robert Latsons , Donald and Clifford Perkins , Everett Toncray and Arloa Toncray Dean , Ernest and Fred Lounsbery , Charles and Robert Leverett and the Beatties. HISTORY OF HAZEL WRIGHT LATSON Interviewed by Vicki Repik My great-grandfather, Jacob Belfry, Sr. was born on the ocean, near the Banks of Newfoundland, May 28, 1777. He married Susan Rose. They had nine children. One of their daughters, Hester , married George Washington Wright. My grandmother, Hester , married George Washington Wright in Toronto, Canada in the year of 1865. George Washington Wright was born on the Atlantic Ocean on the ship " George Washington " on its voyage from England to America. He was born when the ship was entering the New York City Harbor October 21, 1839. He grew up in Marion Township in Livingston County where he continued to live and prosper with his family . The following is taken from an article in the local paper which followed his death: "November 12, 1923: George Washington Wright, while sitting in his pew at the Howell Presbyterian Church was taken with a fainting spell and was carried to the vestibule of the church and there recovered consciousness and wanted to return to his place in the church but instead walked down the steps to the coat room below without help but there a second sinking spell proved fatal. On recovering from the first attack , Mr. Wright, looked around and remarked , " I did not know that I had so many friends. " The habit of church attendance was indicative of Mr. Wright 's whole life. A man of integrity, honest and upright and kindly disposed toward his neighbors Mr. Wright had a large circle of friends who learned to appreciate his real worth . His life is an inspiration to all who knew and associated with him . Such men are the strength of any nation and especially of a self governing people." One of his children, Arthur C. Wright married Josephine (Josie ) Maycock. Josie taught school before her marriage and was very mild natured and well liked by everyone who knew her. She was especially known by all her grandchildren to be the best sugar cookie maker around. After her husband died , she needed something to keep her busy so she lied about her age giving it as 60 instead of 70 as it really was , in order to obtain a job at a Sears store. Arthur and Josephine were my parents whom I dearly loved. I remember when we had a telephone connected between my parents and grandparents farm homes which junctioned . Now this was most unusual because at this time no one had a telephone. The lines went along the fence and trees in the woods because we did not want to waste valuable farmland by putting up posts . Many times the wind would blow our lines down, but we would just put them back up again . It was absolutel y thrilling to communicate with grandfather and grandmother with them in their own home and we in ours . HISTORY OF STANLEY LATSON FARM The Latson farm formally was taken up by the government by John Ellis from New York the year of 1835. He sold to a brother-in-law, William Burrill the year of 1853. They built the house (which still stands ) of timber cut from the farm, even the doors and window frames which took two years. Then he sold to a son-in-law, James Barnard the year of 1883. William Latson from Webster Township purchased the farm in 1888 for a son, George H. Latson and a brother Alvin, also a sister , Ada, who only stayed a year and then returned to the homestead in Webster Township . George later married May E . Leslie from Dexter and they had two sons , Leslie and Stanley who both attended the Tooley School on the corner of Latson and East Grand River Road , which later his daughter , Virginia, also attended . Leslie married Gladys Wehnes the year of January 20, 1912. They purchased the Wehnes farm on Beck Road . They had a son, Charles, who lives on their farm and a daughter, Ruth , who lives on a farm near Perry . Stanley married Hazel Hester Wright September 29, 1917 and we lived with Stanley 's folks for three years. Then they built a home on Clinton Street in Howell. We rented this farm for 26 years and bought the farm in 1943. We adopted a daughter , Virginia the year of 1923 at three months old. We remodeled the house for water , bath and kitchen also put in picture windows in the living and dining rooms also the kitchen in the year of 1947. My kitchen window was a mirror glass and people would often ask , "Hazel when are you going to put a piece of glass in that window?" We strived and worked together on this farm which we so enjoyed for fifty years , then due to high taxation were forced to sell. We had an auction on September 16, 1967 and bought a new home at Earl Lake Heights, September 19, 1967. Patrick Devereaux By FRANK L. DEVEREAUX Paternal grandparents , settled in Livingston County. Patrick Devereaux , born West Meath Co., Ireland. Mary Conklin, born Kings Co., Ireland . Children , Michael , Catherine , John , Thomas , Mary , Anna Maternal grandparents settled in Livingston County . Patrick Lyons born County Cork, Ireland , veteran of Mexican War. Nora O'Connel born County Cork, Ireland . Children , Ellen, Anna, Mary, Frances , Cornelius . Parents : John Devereaux , born 11-2-1846, Oceola Twp., died 8-27-1934,H owell; Ellen Lyons , born 3-4-1852,T yrone Twp., died 10-27-194,0 Howell. Married 11-24-1874in St. John 's Church , Fenton , Mich. Operated a farm in Hartland Township from 1874 to 1918, when they moved to Howell . They had nine children . James P ., born 9-21-1875, Hartland Township . Taught school in Tyrone and Hartland Townships , Livingston County, White Lake Township , Oakland County and in Texas. Was a railroad fireman in Texas . Graduated from U. of M. Law College in 1905 and practiced law in Saginaw . Was Prosecuting Attorney at the time of his death , 10-31-191.7 Married Anna M. Ormond on 2-17-1909in St. Mary 's Church, Milford, Mich. 4 children , Mary Jo Pauli, James 0. , John and Margaret O'Kane . Thomas Mark , born 11-29-1876, Hartland Township . Spanish American War Co. F. 31st, Mich. Volunteers , 1 year . Served in Cuba, Co. B. 30th Infantry , 3 years . Served 2 years in the Philippines . Died : Los Angeles , Calif. 7-31-72. Single. Mary N., born 12-1-187,8 Hartland Township . Taught school in Livingston and Isabella Counties. Was with Citizens ' Mutual from 1920u ntil her death , 11-28-1924S. ingle . A. Genevieve , born 9-2-1880, Hartland Township. Taught school in Livingston County, Ypsilanti and Hurley , Wisc. Was with Citizens ' Mutual from 1919 to 1949. Lives with her brother Frank and his wife in Detroit. Single. John F ., born 6-6-1884, Hartland Township . Taught school in Livingston County. Operated threshing machine and saw mill in Hartland Township. Worked for the Livingston County Road Commission after WWI. Served in France 10 months. Mechanic Co. B 137 Engr. Died 6-5-1944, Howell. Cornelius J ., born 6-10-1886, Hartland Township . Entered service Detroit 11-21-191.7 Cpl. Co. B 30th Engr . Wounded 8-9-1918. Died 8-11-1918 in Evacuation Hospital. Buried in France . The Devereaux Post of the American Legion in Howell was named to honor the first man from Livingston County to give his life for his country in WWI. Single. Philip S., born 5-13-1889, Hartland Township. Entered service 4-29-18f rom Howell. 338 Inf. Transferred to 64th Inf . Prvt. 1st. Cl. Co. A 64th Inf. 7th Div. Discharged 6-26-1919. Overseas 9 months. Married Mary Eleanor Brecker 5-18-51i n St. Rita 's Church , Holly, Mich. Died 6-25-62.N o children. Henry C., born 3-31-1891, Hartland Township . Taught school in Livingston and Isabella counties . Entered service 4-29-18, Howell Cpl. Hdqrs . Det. No. 10th Engrs.a 5th Corps Overseas 11 mo. Married Grace M. Gallet in St. Mary's Cathedral , Boise , Idaho 8-28-22. Died in Santa Barbara, California 3-5-49. No children . Frank L. born 1-31-93, Hartland Township. Entered service 11-20-191,7 Howell, Mich. Sgt. Co. D 338th Inf. 85th Div. Overseas 9 months. Married Collette C. Carbert 6-9-25 in Immaculate Conception Church , Stratford , Ontario, Canada. Celebrated 50th Wedding Anniversary at St. John 's Church , Oceola, where the "groom had been baptized 82 years ago. A reception followed at Chemung Hills Country Club, Howell on 6-7-1975. They had 6 children , and 29 grandchildren , and one great-grandchild . Children: Robert J ., Edina , Minn.; Patricia M. Kelly , Howell; Thomas H., Farmington Hills, Mich. ; Margaret E . Ambrozy, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. ; Collette F. Dooley, Northville , Mich.; Philip J ., Northville, Mich. 51 The Stapleton-EuleFr amilies By DORIS E. FRYKMAN As a descendant of two families going back more than 100 years in this area I have several recollections of stories handed down through the years. My great-grandparents, John and Mary Ann Stapleton came from Lincolnshire, England, one in 1851 and the other soon after. My greatgrandmother came from the same town and on the same ship as William "Billy " Jubb and the first of the Wright families to settle here. After her first husband's death in 1854, she married John Stapleton and they built their home and raised their family at 321 West Sibley Street in Howell. The house still stands and is presently owned and occupied by Mrs. Lavern Wenk. We often heard the story of the Wrights becoming the parents of a baby son born aboard ship, and since the name of the ship was George Washington, the Wrights named their new son George Washington Wright. There are a great many descendants of these families who are still in and around Howell. John Stapleton, for many years drove stagecoach between Detroit and Lansing, and after McPherson Bank opened, he carried money between the bank in Howell and banks in Detroit. His daughter, Ella, (my grandmother ) often told us about his long white beard which was usually frozen stiff and covered with ice and snow when he returned home from a coach run in winter . One of her interesting stories told of her trip in 1880,a t age 11, to England with her parents to visit her grandparents. On their way home they were shipwrecked and all had to take to lifeboats. In accordance with the custom of women and children first, my grandmother and her mother were first to board a lifeboat and be lowered to the sea below. It was a horrible experience but after sometime they were picked up and brought to New York aboard a coal boat and the family was reunited. Ella Stapleton married Fred Euler in 1887. He was a great grandson of John Euler who came to this area from Darmstadt , Germany sometime around 1840. The Euler families settled in Genoa Township, along what is now Euler Road and on the shores of Euler Lake . Some of the families moved ontoShiawassee County but most of them stayed here and there are many descendants of the various branches of the family . My grandfather, Fred Euler, was a building contractor in Howell for many years, and constructed some of the finest homes here. His favorite was the beautiful big home on North Michigan Avenue which he built for Mr. and Mrs. R. B. McPherson . Fred and Ella Euler were parents of five children, one of whom was Mary Isabelle who married Otto Frykman . They were the parents of myself and my only sister, Betty Frykman Noll of Ann Arbor. Dad was in the electrical business in Howell for many years . I have many pleasant memories of my early days in Howell-going to kindergarten in the temporary school, sliding down " Mutter's Hill" on our sleds , catching a ride on George Mercer 's bobsled, the big parades and celebrations on Decoration Day and Fourth of July and of course the County Fair . Trips to Detroit on the old gravel road usually took about three hours and resulted in a flat tire or some other catastrophe . One time our car broke down and my folks and I had to stay overnight at the old inn in New Hudson. How many of you recall watching for the ice man? Also for Logan Papworth and Wilbur Arnold with their horse-drawn 52 wagons filled with home grown produce? All the ladies took their pots and pans out to fill with fresh vegetables and fruit . Saturday was the big night of the week when everyone came downtown to shop and visit with their friends . The stores stayed open as long as there were any potential customers still on the street. Space does not permit my going on further . As I look back over the years, I'm glad I grew up at a time when life in Howell was more leisurely and everyone knew practically everyone else . Sometimes I find myself wishing for the " Good Old Days "-and they say that's a sure sign of growing older. The Van Winkle Family By ANNABEL VanWINKLE Charles Vanwinkle, born in 1785, and his wife, Jane Locke, settled early in the Triangle Lake area of Livingston County, taking up land from the United States government in the year 1837. He was the son of Revolutionary War soldier, Johannis VanWinkle and wife, Naomi Dickenson. Both Charles and Jane are buried in the Gilkes cemetery . John VanWinkle, son of Charles Vanwinkle , was a member of the first Gilkes Cemetery Association . Another son of Charles VanWinkle was Charles D. who married Caroline M. Sigler. Their children who grew to maturity were Carey V., who married Clara S. Allison, and later Georgia Reeves, Nellie, who married William Wright, and William Peter . William Peter VanWinkle married Hattie Placeway and became an attorney and banker prominent in Howell, and Livingston County. His children were Madge, Don W., Charles D., Helen and Harriet. The old VanWinkle home was at 417 North Court Street. This home was originally built in 1885b y Governor Winans for his son. Sons, Don and Charles milked and tended the family cow which was tethered at the north end of Court Street. Don W. Van Winkle was a well known attorney and banker, married to Annabel Kellogg. Of their five children, one son, Charles K. and grandson , Peter B., are practicing attorneys and active in banking in the city and county. Emil Bode By ROBERT L. WATSON I have been visiting Howell since the early 1940's when we came to visit my great grand uncle Emil Ernst Bode. It wasn 't until March 9, 1952 that I came to Howell for good to take care of him . Emil Bode spent almost his entire lifetime in Howell. After moving from the mill at the north end of Thompson Lake he came to town with his mother, Elizabeth Louise Hienretta Buck Bode to 716 N. Michigan Avenue which was to become the Bode home until it was sold in 1963. Her father was the first resident pastor of St. George Lutheran Church in Brighton then Genoa. Her husband was Edward Bode a prominent miller . Emil soon found that his skills at math was in great demand . For a period of over ten years he was comptroller at Borden 's Milk factory (Howell) later becoming the first bookkeeper at Citizens Mutual. His keen knowledge of math again paid off as he remained here for a period of over 25 years retiring as comptroller. He set up their first bookkeeping system thus eliminating the process of putting unpaid bills on a spindle. Hisl iterartya lentgsa inehdi me mploymfeonra t short perioodn t hee dito'sr stafof ft hec ounptayp aesrw ealls generously contributing as secretaryt o seye~al organizations among them being secretary of the build~ng committee of the original building of the Presby~er~an Church in Howell. He was instrumental in estabhshmg Chemung Hills Golf Club and the park for what is now Howell City Park. When I first came to Howell in 1959 I was told that Howell was a farm community and the city was made up o~ r1;any retirees. I remember a few years later being at a M1ch1gan Week Banquet at the Masonic Temple d!ni~g room on the third floor of the First National Bank Bmldmg on the S?~th corner of Grand River and S. Michigan Avenue. It wa~ a JO~nt meeting of all service clubs . A lady sitting on my nght finding out that I was a new comer asked m~ my im~ression of Howell. I remarked if this was a commumty of retirees there must be quite a few change of life babies born in Howell the way they were beginning to outgrow the school system . But all kidding aside I told her I felt Howell had great possibility for the future. It did then and it still has today . (Editor 's note: Except for adding a paragraph regarding the death and another about the funeral service, this obituary was prepared by Mr. Bode prior to his death ). A son of Eduard Nicolaus Heinrich and Elizabeth Louise Bode, Emil Bode was born in Howell, Michigan , October 26, 1872, and with the exception of two years spent in th_e east , lived his entire life in the town where he was born. Until early manhood , he lived with his parents at the small farm home out by the mill , a mile north of town, but , a few years following the death of his father, in 1890, he and his mother moved into town and bought the home on North Michigan Avenue, which place he made his home until his death , which occurred at the Bonnie View Convalescent Home, Howell, Michigan on January 19, 1962. As a youngster , he attended the Crittenden district school and later , the Howell Public School, from which, after a break of five years , he was graduated with the class of '95. His life's activities embraced those of a tailor's apprentice, post office clerk, stenographer , bookkeeper and paymaster at the local Borden Condensed Milk plant for 10 years, news editor of the Livingston Republican for a period, and finally , auditor and , later, comptroller of the Citizens' Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, which latter positions he held for a period of 28 years , retiring in May, 1944. For many years, he had been a frequent contributor to the local newspapers , with news items and occasional obituaries , and offering historic and reminiscent sketches of people and events of a bygone day . Several of these monographs were made up into attractively printed, illustrated and bound booklets , to be given to friends and others who might enjoy them . In his youth , an expert skater and a strong swimmer , he will be remembered by his few living contemporaries as an ardent and successful sportsman and a year-round lover of the great outdoors . Emil Bode knew his own America well and had , during the years , visited every state in the Union but four, and had seen or had crossed every large and nearly every small, historic river in the United States and nearly all of the great streams of Canada. In 1913, returning from an extended trip through the west, an enthusiastic, novice golfer, his interested sports loving friends in the game, the ultimate result being the expert-built , attractively located Chemung Hills Country Club. He spent his last years in occasional short vacation trips and with often read favorites from his well stocked library , itsw allgsr acewdi tfho ufrr amefda mi~coya tosf .a rmtsh, ree oft hesbee aritnhge h eraldidce vicde enotmrgem ~te Crusadaenrc estrHye.a lsok eput ph isc orrespondwen~cteh distant relatives and friends and , during the waryears with army and navy boys battling in far off lands and distant seas . Never married he furnished a home or meals for a steady procession of rur~l and other lads, attending school in town, for a term, a year or more, a whole high school and , in several cases , for a period after their schooldays were over. Any lad , homeless , friendless or merely hungry, could be sure of a welcome at the Bode home . The youngest and the last of 11 brothers and sis~ers, he is survived only by widely scattered nephews, meces and cousins, their children and grandchildren. The funeral services were conducted by the Reverend A. Dale Stewart at the First Presbyterian Church in Howell on Sunday , January 21. His body was cremated , with _ashes being interred in the family burial lot at the early , p10neer day established St. George Lutheran Cemetery in Genoa Township near Brighton. Edward J. Browning By FRED HENRY BROWNING Edward J . Browning, age 71 in 1975, resides on part of the farm taken up from the government in 1836 in the township of Byron. The township was renamed Oceola in 1838. Peter Y. Browning was a sixth generation Browning in America . The Brownings arriv ed from England in 1640. His father , Jeremiah 2nd was a Quaker who married Sally Morey, daughter of Robert Morey who built the constitution . (Olrl Ironsides ). There were 450 acres in 1836 and 840 when Peter Y. passed awa y in 1873, at the age of 78. They lived in a log cabin for almost 20 years , then built the house (of 19 rooms which still stands ), about 1856. Peter Y. had seven children , six boys and one girl. The oldest was Edward and the youngest was Joseph . They were both farm ers . The other four boys all went to California during the gold rush and only one returned . The rest became very well off in business in San Franci sco. The first Methodist church met at first in the Browning school on the farm. Pet er Y. and his son Edward both held the position of post mast er , Edward under President Buchanan , and Peter Y. preceding that. Edward 's son, John , in 1878 bought fro $10,000, along with Tom Walker , The Parshallville Mill, and around 1900 he was a partner in what is now the Co-op Mill in Howell. John 's son, Fred E. , worked in the mill before he married Georgia Burton , and then obtained a position as railway mail clerk and moved to Detroit until 1919. Then he moved back to the Browning farm and farmed a few years . They had three girls and two boys. Later he went into the well drilling business with son Edward J . Fred passed away in 1964 at the age of 89, after running a gas station and store for 30 years. Edward J. , who married Edna Mae Jackson , was a machinist and then car hauler before retiring at age 60. His son Fred Henry lives in San Diego, California with his wife and two daughters . He is making a career of the Navy and expects to retire in about five years . Edward and Edna also have three girls living in Livingston County: Elizabeth Smith , with four boys ; Carolyn Dunlap , with one girl ; and Virginia Alchin, with four girls. Fr ed Henry and his wife Elaine ha ve two daughters , a nd he is the last of this Browning line . 53 The LounsberyF amily By VOLA LOUNSBERY HUTSON The family of Lounsbery got its start in Livingston County when Allen (1800-189)3 came from New York State in 1832 over the Old Indian Trail driving a circus wagon. He loved horses and spent his entire life around them. Proof of this shows, since he drove a stagecoach from Detroit to Lansing for many years over the old plank road . On these trips he often encountered many Indian troubles, especially with the Okemus Indians . Allen was married in 1837t o Laura Mathers (1816-189)2 and they had eight children. Two of their sons, Charles and Clark were in the Civil War. Both were in the Battle of Shiloh in the same company of men, and Clark was killed. When the war was over, Charles was discharged and since there was no transportation , he walked all the way home from Pittsburg Landing, near Shiloh, Tennessee. Charles returned and married Clark 's sweetheart Loraine Latson in a double ceremony with his sister , Maryette and Loraine 's brother, Eugene Latson in 1866. Charles (1839-191)8 and Loraine (1842-1912)h ad four sons, two of them Fred and Ernest lived their entire life in Livingston County. Ernest lived on the Pinckney Road and Fred on the Chilson Road . Fred married Harriett (Hattie ) Sharp in 1904 and they bought the farm on Chilson Road !n 1912 and lived there from then on. Mrs. Fred Lounsbery still lives on the same farm. Fred and Ernest 's mother, Loraine taught school at the Barnard School on Chilson Road where both boys attended as well as both of Fred 's daughters , Audrey and Vola. Loraine The Jubbs . 54 told about when she moved to Genoa with her parents that they chose a spot on Beck Road by the Ann Arbor Railroad near a spring . The house had no glass in the windows and it was not an unusual sight to have Indians pull back the gunny sack curtains and peek through them at night. When the courthouse at Howell was dedicated and all the articles were placed in the cornerstone , it is said that they went around through the crowd collecting different things that anyone wanted to give. Charles had a county newspaper in his hip pocket which he contributed to the collection. The Lounsbery family has been in Michigan for one hundred and forty-three years and all have contributed their share to the history of Livingston County. The Pool Family By VOLA HUTSON The Pool family of Livingston County has been traced back to John Pool who was born about 1720. He and his family lived in New Jersey. John 's great grandson Jeremiah Pool (1820- 1886) and his wife, Clarissa (Hart) Pool (1827-1912w) ere both born in Hackettstown, New Jersey . They came to Michigan to live in 1852 by way of Detroit, then settled in Iosco Township, and later bought the Pool farm near Coon Lake in Genoa Township. That house is still standing. Jeremiah and Clarissa had seven children , the only girl was Mary Elizabeth (1858-1945). She married George Sharp in 1879. Their daughter Mrs. Fred Lounsbery (1884) lives in Genoa Township on the same farm where she has lived since April 1912. Mrs. Hattie Lounsbery remembers when the schools began to adopt report cards . Also she relates how there were no grades of any kind or any graded books. In fact there were no first grade books or even a suitable book for beginners when she started to school at five years old. She says that if any child was caught drawing a picture , he was punished . The schools were greatly overcrowded as one teacher would have a great many students ranging in age from five to twenty-one. The schools were used in many ways in fact Nathan Pool's funeral was held in the Barnard Scho~l on Chilson Road. Nathan was the father of Fred and Irwin Pool. Ina Drew married Marcellus Poole (parents of Howard Poole of Howell) and she added the "e" to the family name because she thought it seemed more like a family name that way. Some of the families followed that spelling and some did not. The Pool family was a very respected family and always did their part in the settlement of Genoa Township and Livingston County. Peter Brewer Printed December 1, 1879 One of the earliest settlers and oldest pioneers of Livingston County now in his eighty-fifth year is entitled to special mention in this local history. He was born in Otsego County, New York, January 27, 1795. When he was seven years old his father moved to the then remote wilderness of Genesee County, N.Y. where he grew to manhood . In the War of 1812 he was drafted and served a short time . He adopted the vocation of a farmer and purchased some land in Niagara County where he was married to Miss Dorcas West on May 10, 1821. In 1835 he came to Howell, Michigan and located one-hundred acres of land and returned to New York. In 1836h e came on with his family and commenced the improvement of the land . Peter and his wife were members of the M.E. Church in New York and assisted to organize the M.E. Church in Howell. He hued the timber for the first house of worship of that church . In 1837 he was assessor and highway commissioner. His wife died in 1863. On March 1, 1865 he was married to Mrs. Abigal Munger with whom he lived in Shiawassee County for thirteen years. When she died he returned to his home in Howell to live with his son, Almon who was by his first wife. Mr. Brewer had six children, one died a baby. A daughter , Mary , married William L. Jones and they both died in 1848 leaving two children . Orlando S. married Mary Pane Moore in 1847. Almon married Olive Whitbeck and lives on the old homestead. Eben is a farmer in Shiawassee County. All are respected citizens and well settled in life. Peter Brewer was the great, great grandfather of William, Leonard , and Lyle Musson. The Brady Family I was born in Pinckney , Michigan, July 5, 1902. Parents were Matthew B. Brady and Blanche Moran Brady . We moved to Howell when I was four weeks old and lived in an apartment of what was known as the Hadden house now a part of the Lamb funeral home. After about three years we moved about a block away to the double house known as the Fannie Huntington house. Miss Huntington, sister of the late Dr. Harry Huntington owned three houses at the southeast corner of Michigan A venue and Crane Street (Michigan Avenue was then called Division Street) . Mr. and Mrs. Albert (Allie Smith lived in the house exactly on the corner , our house was to the east and the other tenants were the George Brigham family next to the Smith house south was rented by the George Snedicor family parents of Marshall Snedicor. Allie Smith was long an officer of the First State and Savings Bank , later merged into the First National. George Brigham owned the Brigham Livery Stable (located on part of the now South Michigan Avenue parking lot) George Snedicor was a partner with his father, W. N. and brother Bert in the Snedicor Egg and Poultry Plant . My father was an area sales supervisor for the International Hawley Company working out of the Jackson Michigan Branch When we moved to the Huntington house I was the only child. My brother, Edmund was born there on March 11, 1906. The Smiths had no children. The Brighams first child Clare was born at about the time of my brother . The Snedicors had one son, Marshall . He and I were childhood playmates and have been lifelong friends . At that time there were two telephone systems in Howellthe Bell and the Homes. These later were consolidated. Most businesses had both phones. I remember Snedicors had the Home and we had the Bell. One time I talked to Marshall on the phone. He called the Snedicor store where his uncle Bert phoned me. Bert placed the receiver of the one phone to the transmitter of the other and vice versa . Marshall and I were able to talk to each other that way. The Peavy Family By MRS. GEORGE A. HEEG Adelbert F . Peavy was born June 22, 1845 at Belfast , New York State . He came to Michigan as a small boy with his pioneer parents, Ichabod Wood Peavy and Sally Potter Peavy . They settled at DeWitt. He enlisted in the Civil War Sept. 3, 1863 at Hamburg , served as bugler and messenger carrier two years and three months in Co.K, 10th Mich. Cavalry. At the close of the war he was mustered out at Memphis, Tenn., November 11, 1865. Came to Howell and soon after was married to Rosette Wilcox July 31, 1866. She was born at LaFayette, Onandago Co., State of New York. They settled on the old farm five miles north of Howell on Byron Road, where their six children were born and reared . They lived in the old log house while building their new home . The four boys were born there. Wm. H. Farmer ,George W., Dean of Forestry, Corvallis, Oregon State College, Homer B., farmer and Peav y Mill; ·calvin A., oil and gas interests in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky. Moved to their new home in 1876, where Edith M. and Ethel R. were born, both were school teachers. In 1904 they sold the farm to William and moved to Howell and after a yea r bought the mill where he was associated with two sons, Homer and Calvin. Pictures of log house with Grandpa and Grandma Peavy sitting in front also the A. F. Peav y mill are at Zempers studio. They were married 55 years . W.D . Adams with John Adams Vanwinkle and Nancy LaFlamme . 55 Noted Howell Homes By JANET ROHRABACHER TWO HOUSES ON W. CLINTON STREET These two houses, one of which was number 637 and was owned for sometime by Will Vaughn and the tenant house just west of it, number 641, were both parts of the old Rubert Hotel. This hotel was in the southeast part of Howell. These sections of the hotel were moved to the south side of West Clinton Street when the hotel was razed . DR . GARDNER WHEELER'S OFFICE The house at number 652 West Clinton Street was once the office of Dr. Gardner Wheeler . It was originally situated north of the intersection of West Grand River and North Walnut on the east side of the street. It had to be built very early because Dr. Wheeler started to practice in Howell in 1838. Then the house was moved to just south of Parshall's mill. Mrs. Emma Houghtaling said that it was again moved to the north side of West Clinton Street. For many years it was owned by Mrs . Cameron. 658 WEST CLINTON STREET Number 658 West Clinton on the north side of the street which was owned for a number of years by Mrs. Brayton was originally a barn . EDWARD HOUGHTALING HOUSE This house, 122 Byron Road , is at the southeast corner of Byron Road and Spring Street intersection and is a very old house. It originally stood a block away on the northwest corner of Grand River and Byron Road , and was moved to the present location. A gas station was built where it stood and now the station is demolished. During the last ten years an apartment has been added to the west side of this house and the house itself has been remodeled. ROHRABACHER-SKILBECK HOUSE The house at 310 North Michigan Avenue (formerly Mill Street ) which is the first house on the west side of the street after crossing the railroad overpass was originally the home of Adam Rohrabacher . His daughter , Jane Rohrabacher who Prize fowl at the County Fair . The queen of the fair watches from the right. 56 The Spencer house on W . Grand River . died in 1929 said she well remembered playing in the yard of this house, and that her sister, Gabriella was born there in 1846. About 1850 her family moved to the Pinckney area and Joseph Skilbeck bought the house and for years it was known as the Skilbeck house. It was intended originally for a parsonage and a Rev . Root who was an in-law relative of the Rohrabachers did reside with them , but there is no indication that any church ever bought it. They must have decided to rent or build elsewhere. A barn which stood in back was torn down about 15 years ago. By ISABEL SMITH KARUS Truesdel House-The house at 205 South Elm Street was built in the early 1800's by a Mr. Truesdel. It was known as the Galloway house, the house having been built for Mr. Galloway. The Galloway family lived in the house for a number of years. In about 1864 the house was sold to Lewis M. Smith . Mr. Smith with his brother Harmon , was owner and publisher of the Livingston County Republican . The Smith brothers , five in number, were early Michigan settlers from the state of New York . Their parents had been massacred by the Indians at Penn Yan, New York. Mr. Lewis Smith related many tales of his childhood in New York to his young grandson, tales of having lived and played with Indian boys. He was a man of rather small stature, but reputed to be a superb athlete. It was reported that from standing position he could leap into a barrel, more commonly known as a hogshead. Mr. Smith said that he had learned this feat from his Indian playmates. Lewis Smith died at the Elm Street residence at the age of 66. The house was purchased by his younger son, Fred G. Smith . The Fred Smith family lived in the house until his death in 1954 at the age of 90 years. Whipple House-at 715 E . Grand River was built in Almon Whipple's second subdivision, dated 1871. Almon Whipple moved to Howell from Handy Township in 1839. He engaged in mercantile business, with John Curtis, later engaged in real estate, held office of County Clerk and also was postmaster of Howell. This house is the home of Mrs. Gladys Whipple. Galloway House-John Galloway, who came to Howell in 1844 built the house on the northwest corner at Higgins and Court. The gracious home with its high ceilings, beautiful hallway and stair , was the home of John Galloway, an early state senator from Livingston County. The house is now owned by the Herbert F. Schotts, who have generously entertained with their gracious hospitality. The Galloway house, now Alma Young. Written by Miss Alma Young and Mrs. Fromilda Young Wilson, granddaughters of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Weimeister, Sr., and daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Edward F. Young. The Weimeister-Young house at 227 N. Court Street is well over 100 years old, and is now owned by Miss Alma Young and her sister, Mrs. Russell Wilson (Fromilda Young Wilson). Edward Thompson deeded the property in 1844 to William Melvin. It was thereafter owned by different Howell residents until it was deeded to John Weimeister in 1869, and then in 1880 deeded to his brother , Henry Weimeister, Sr., whose wife was Matilda Buek Weimeister . The Weimeisters then moved to Howell from their farm which was about five miles out on East Grand River Avenue. The farm is now owned by History Town, but the house is not the same . The original house which burned in the 1920's was a large farm house on the same site, which is about half-way between Lansing and Detroit . It would often accommodate teamsters for meals and lodging. Their horses would be taken care of in the large red barns across the road . Not long after the Weimeisters took possession of the property at 227 N. Court Street , part of the north side of the lot and part of the adjoining property of Fred Hubbell were taken over by the Ann Arbor Railroad. Both the Weimeisters and the Hubbells protested but the railroad won out. The Weimeister 's large barn, then on the north side of their property, had to be moved to the south side where it now stands . In 1898 the property was deeded to their daughter , Nellie Weimeister Young, who with her husband, Edward F. Young, and family of three children, had been residing with Mrs. Young's parents , Henry and Matilda Weimeister, who passed away in 1891 and 1904 respectively. The Edward Youngs lived in the house until Mr. Young's death in 1944a nd Mrs. Young's death in 1946. The Youngs liked to entertain. Many church functions for both adults and young people, as well as family dinners and gatherings were held in the house. A few changes were made in the home by the Youngs. A small apartment downstairs was made out of the north-side rooms, but the small porch in that side still remains . A similar porch on the south side was enclosed and converted into a sun room. The southeast end of the long back porch was used to convert a small southeast room into a bedroom . The long porch across the entire front of the house still remains the same. OLD METHODIST CHURCH PARSONAGE By DORIS E . FRYKMAN One of the older homes in Howell dating back more than 100 years having an interesting history is V. E. Tucker's home at 323 S. Walnut. The house has been extensively remodeled. Mrs. Charles P . Adams (nee Pauline Griffith ) tells us that for many years in the old days this was the local Methodist church parsonage. Mrs. Adams is now 95 years old and is the granddaughter of the late Rev. Jesse Kilpatrick who served as pastor of the First Methodist Church. The Kilpatricks lived there during his ministry and it was in this house in 1878 that their daughter , Sarah was united in marriage to Will F . Griffith. In 1880t he Griffiths became the parents of their only daughter , Pauline who is now Mrs. Charles P . Adams. Another old home which Mrs. Adams told us about is the white frame house located on the southwest corner of State and Madison Streets. This house was built by her paternal grandparents , Mr. and Mrs. Will R. Griffith and until about 1890 it sat on the northeast corner of East Grand River and Barnard Street. It was then moved to the present location in the north part of town. After it was moved, Mrs. Adams ' parents, Mr. and Mrs. Will F . Griffith built the large home on the Grand River site and it is now occupied by the Chamber of Commerce . The Adams family made their home there for many years. Halloween at the football field for the little ones. 57 Moving a barn-quite a project . William McPherson-Deyo Home-William McPherson and his wife, Elizabeth Riddle arrived in Howell in 1836. With them they brought from Scotland their children Alexander , William Jr ., and Isabella. Their family was growing in age and number , thus needing a larger house, when around 1850 they built the two story brick house with Greek Revival cornices , on the site now between Michigan Avenue and State bordered on the north by Lake Street. The house was a McPherson home until 1965, when after the death of William McPherson III , the house was sold. Marguerite and Bill III had made changes in the house, adding the sun parlor , with the sleeping porch above , painting the red bricks white . Marguerite had made of the yard a rose garden , after the sons Bill IV, Sandy , and Ed no longer needed the big front lawn for a ball field. She had roses, of showy pink and rosy red bushes growing all along the long walk from Michigan Avenue to the front door. She also had a small garden of tea roses , and she knew all their names. At the State Street entrance , roses bordered the drive , and a rose trellis arched over the entrance way . On every national holiday, American flags on poles were in their places along Michigan A venue in front of their home. The Cecil Niriders bought the house in 1965, improved its condition, and redecorated , sold the house to the present owners, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Deyo. Mr. Deyo is an architect and his wife, Jo shares his interest in historic houses. Frederick J. Lee House-Now the home of Miriam and William McPherson , IV. Mr. McPherson is a great grandson of Fred Lee, whose daughter , Rosalie married E. G. McPherson , in the formal parlor of the house, August 14, 1867. The parlor was used only for special occasions. The three stor y house with mansard roof, built later by E . G. McPherson and Rosalie, in the location where the McPherson State Bank now stands , was for many years used as Howell's hospital. The Lee home was first a working farm with large barns south and to the back of the house. Dr. William Wells House-Mr . and Mrs. David Holtkamp now own the house located at 321 N. Court. It was built by Dr . William Wells, who was one of the early physicians in Howell and his wife. Dr . Wells came to Howell in 1849 and built the home in 1852. Mrs. Nellie Glenn, of Fowlerville, recently deceased told Mrs. Holtkamp she played in the house with the grandchild of Dr . Wells when she was very young. Dr . Wells sold seed for one of the large seed companies . 58 William A. Mayberry Home--404 S. Walnut, was built by Leander Smith who came to Howell sometime between 1840 and 1844. Mr. Smith was a brother-in-law of Frederick J . Lee, whose house was just north on Walnut Street. The Mayberry 's bought the house from descendants of Leander Smith . The grill on the porch is the original. The house has been unchanged in style , but the interior is beautifully renovated for comfort. Milford Home-219 S. Walnut. A man named Andrews is believed to have built this house, now the home of the Harvey Milfords. Mr. Andrews was a shrewd business man , and owned a hardware business with Edward B. Winans. Edward , Alfred , Jepson , and Albert Garland . By MRS. WAYNE A. BLANCHARD A Greek Revival home on South Center Street now occupied by the Wayne A. Blanchard family is one of the earl y homes of Howell. George L. Sage, the first white child born in Howell on January 23, 1835 grew to manhood, married and lived in the house when it occupied the site where Mr. and Mrs. William Cook now live on South Walnut Street. The house was known as the Sage home, but in the 1874 Atlas it was listed as the property of Mrs . Jenks (the widow of George T. Sage , remarried ). The house was moved to South Center in the early 1920's, and was purchased by Mr. and Mrs . Galen A. Phillips, Sr., Mrs. Blanchard 's parents . A front porch and dining ell were added to the two story upright at this time, but all the original woodwork was preserved in the living room. The grooved baseboards are eleven inches high, four large windows predominate the room and are believed to hold the original glass because of their imperfect quality . The window casings are eight inches wide with grecian squares in each corner at the ceiling and woodwork from sill to floor. The house is now stucco exterior but looking to the roof one sees the original Greek Revival molded eaves which are walnut. Mr. and Mrs . Phillips lived in the house until 1957. Mrs. Phillips recalls that her mother Martha Grostick Risch (1870- 1948) came to Howell from Genoa when she was a young girl about 18, and lived with the Sages a short while on Walnut Street to learn dressmaking . The Margaret Hoover family. By ISABEL SMITH KARUS, A Descendant 205 South Elm The house at 205 South Elm Street was built in the early 1800's by a Mr. Truesdel. It was known as the Galloway house, the house having been built for Mr. Galloway. The Galloway family lived in the house for a number of years . In about .1864 the house was sold to Lewis M. Smith. Mr. Smith with his brother , Harmon was owner and publisher of the Livingston County Republican . The Smith brothers , five in number , were early Michigan settlers from the state of New York. Their parents had been massacred by the Indians at Penn Yan , New York. Mr. Lewis Smith related many tales of his childhood in New York to his young grandson, tales of having lived and played with Indian boys. He was a man of rather small stature , but reputed to be a superb athlete . It was reported that from standing position he could leap into a barrel, more commonly known as a hogshead. Mr. Smith said that he had learned this feat from his Indian playmates . Lewis Smith died at the Elm Street residence at the age of 66. The house was purchased by his younger son, Fred G. Smith. The Fred Smith family lived in the house until his death in 1954 at the age of 90 years . THE MUSSON HOUSE The Musson home on West Clinton was built in 1864 by Gerald Musson's grandfather , William W. Musson. He purchased two lots from Frederick J . and Martha Lee for $60. This home has been owned and lived in continuously since then by the Musson family. Both Gerald and his father , William E. were born in this house. CliffordK ellogg By BETHEL DA VIS KELLOGG Wife of Clifford Kellogg In the early days of our Federal Government , a party was sent to explore what is now the Michigan area and bring back a report. "Mostly swamp unfit for habitation " was the report brought to Washington. Many people must have decided otherwise . In 1832, a man by the name of Kellogg came into this area and took up a section (640 acres ) of land from the government. During the years this land was passed from father to son. Some of this land remains in the original Kellogg families. One su~h parcel is on the northeast corner of Golf Club and Kellogg Roads in Oceola township. This is owned by the Clifford Kellogg family . Clifford received his land from his Uncle Elijah , who with Clifford's father , Loren , owned two hundred acres at this location. The first log cabin was on the exact sight of Clifford's house. The log cabin burned but the cellar had been filled in with stone and Clifford put up the first section of his house exactly over it. On this land is the pioneer cemetery . It was started when the wife of the first settler died. Since then members of the Kellogg families have ben buried there . Names like Stark , Whitehead and Hardy appear on headstones , but they are all Kellogg related. The Kellogg School was located on the southwest corner of Golf Club and Kellogg Roads . Clifford's grandfather , Ebenezer , taught the school at one time and his father , Loren, was on the school board for many years . Clifford and his brothers , Carlton and Kern went through the eighth grade there . Also his three children Charles , Boyden and Elma , started in this school but progress took over and the Kellogg District was taken into the Hartland area . The school building was sold and moved to Woodland Lake on Grand River and turned into a general store. It is now Jim's Market . They have covered it over but the nucleus is the old Kellogg school. The school was lined with corrugated metal and I think this can still be seen inside the store. The school must have been built before 1849 because Erastus Kellogg would be 126 years old if he were alive today , and he started school there at the age of five. On the southeast corner of Golf Club and Kellogg was a huge oak tree . Erastus said the oak tree looked just the same when he started school. This tree had a notch on it that had marked it as part of an old Indian trail. That too, gave way to progress when the road was widened. When the Kelloggs went to live on " Kellogg Korners " in 1932, Erastus Kellogg was their next door neighbor to the west. He was a fine, intelligent gentleman in his eighties and he would tell the younger people stories of pioneer days . One was about the roads . Early settlers on Kellogg Road could only get to Howell by going south to Grand River or north to Highland Road . Golf Club did not go through west because of a swamp . Erastus told how periodically the farmers would get to betting about who could get their teams through the swamp , but the horses would get mired and other teams would pull them out. Finally , a corduroy road was built by laying logs crosswise and filling in with stones and dirt. The Clifford Kelloggs had three children , Charles Davis Kellogg, Boyden Alton Kellogg and Elma Grace Kellogg Hopponen Faulkenbury . Charlee has two children , Cindy and Joseph Patrick. 59 Boyden has two children, Deborah Lynn and Danny Lee and Elma has two daughters , Lucinda Kay Hopponen and Cheryl Anne Hopponen and a son, Michael Boyden Faulkenbury. The newest twig on the family tree is Jennifer Anne Mead, daughter of David and Deborah (Kellogg) Mead of Phoenix , Arizona. Clifford Kellogg passed away on December 29th, 1967, but his family still has the property. Charles Brockway By MRS. EDNA B. PEACH Charles Frederick Brockway was born in Fulton, Oswego County, New York in 1843, one of six brothers . He arrived in Howell in 1857. He married Estette Hines in 1867. To them was born one son, Bert Hines Brockway. He was married again in 1885 to Carrie Harriett Boothy of Howell. They had five (5) children, Florence , Ford, Ruth (Mrs . Herman Nevereth ), Edna (Mrs. Truman Peach) and Helen (Mrs. George Richards ). Mr. Brockway was a builder and carpenter and built many fine homes in Howell. He built our family home on Sibley Street which is still owned by the Ford Brockway family. All five of Fred and Carrie Brockway's children were born in that home. We had a happy childhood with a wonderful mother and father . The family attended the Methodist Church. All five of the Charles and Carrie Brockways children were born at the home on Sibley Street. Louise Lockitt Williams, mother of Harry Williams. Harry L. Williams .,,, Harry Williams Harry Lockitt Williams was born in the beautiful Cotswold' Hills of England on May 15, 1869. In 1888,w hen Harry was 19, a cousin, who had been visiting the Williams family in England, persuaded Harry to return with him to his home in Marshall, Michigan. The cousin was extensively engaged in the commission business and it was from him that Harry learned the business that was to become his life's work. After traveling for the Horlick Malted Milk Company and the Case Implement Company, Harry came to Howell in 1898 where he started his own commission business, specializing in eggs and poultry. The first modest plant was located in the basement of the old K. S. B. Holt Elevator but the flourishing business soon outgrew those quarters and Harry constructed a modern plant, with a huge refrigerated storage capacity, on the property now occupied by the Cole Elevator. During peak seasons, about twenty men were employed in this strictly wholesale business . The increasing volume soon 60 required that the Pere Marquette Railroad install a direct siding to the plant to speed shipments to New York City, Springfield, Massachusetts and other metropolitan centers in the east. In the 1920's, Harry formed, with Mr. Lester Garlock, a Detroit branch known as the Garlock-Williams Company. Harry's second vocation was real estate and a number of buildings in the Howell area were built by him. Among these were the U.S. Post Office Building on the corner of Michigan and Sibley Streets, which was built in the 1920's and is now occupied by the Village Billiard Center ; and the building on East Grand River now occupied by the Livingston County Press, which, with Russell Woodruff, Harry built for the Kroger Company in the 1940's. He was active in many church and civic affairs . He was a member of St. John's Episcopal Church, the town council, the school board and the Howell Music Club. He was a Knight Templar, Mayor of Howell, and a director of the First State Bank . After that bank 's merger with the First National Bank , he continued in that capacity for a total of more than fifty years. In his early years , he worked with young men in the Y.M.C.A. as he was a great lover of the out-of-doors and of nature study . He actively participated in the operation of his farms located southwest of Howell and greatly enjoyed the hours spent there . Though proud of his birthplace, Harry became a naturalized citizen of the United States, which he loved more than any other. He became totally Americanized, even to the extent of losing his English accent, which he accomplished at considerable effort. Harry predicted that Howell would one day show a great growth and, were he alive today, there is no doubt that he would feel that a dream had come true . The Riddle Family By JOY BIGELOW Andrew Riddle, Sr. and Isabel Taylor were married in Scotland in 1831.T hey came to Howell in 1836. He brought his blacksmith tools with him from Scotland and they were the first blacksmiths in Howell. He worked at his trade with his son-in-law, William McPherson, Sr. The next year Andrew Riddle, Sr. came out and settled on a farm in Oceola Township which they had taken up from the government. He also built a blacksmith shop there. In 1938 his great, great grandson , William Riddle Bigelow, married and lived in the same house. Andrew and Isabel Riddle, Sr., had seven children. Two of the children were Elizabeth and Andrew, Jr., Riddle. Elizabeth Riddle, daughter of Andrew Riddle, Sr. married William McPherson, Sr., in Scotland and they also had seven children. One of their children was Edward Gregory (E.G .) McPherson and he was the father of William McPherson III. Andrew Riddle, Jr. and Margaret Stewart were married in Scotland. They had eight children , William, Isabella and Maria Riddle. A. William Riddle, Jr. and Margaret Stewart were married in Scotland. A. William Riddle was born in Fordyce, Scotland and came to this country at the age of nine years. He married Cynthia Miller. They lived in a log house on the west side of North Eager Road. The Indians used to come to their door with their kettles and beg for food. They seemed to know when they were cooking meat, which was very seldom . An old apple tree still stands where the loghouse was and bears fruit. Later they built the new frame house and barns . The oak timbers were taken from the farm , but all the pine lumber was cut by William Riddle near Vassar and Bay City during the winter time and hauled down by a team of oxen to his farm on Eager Road . Barn building was his trade . William Riddle Bigelow and Mary Cynthia Bigelow were their grandchildren . William Bigelow lives on his parents farm in Oceola Township . Mary Bigelow Ladnew lives in the city of Howell. William and Cynthia Riddle also had three children: Elsie Mae, Mary Belle and Frederick Riddle, who died in infancy . Elsie Mae Riddle married Emerson N. Bigelow and they had two children : Mary Cynthia Bigelow married William R. Ladyer and they have one son, Robert William Ladnew ; William Riddle Bigelow married Joy Schmidt. Mary Belle Riddle or Aunt Mar y never was married and always lived on the old homestead on North Eager Road until her death in 1966. Isabella Riddle , daughter of Andrew and Margaret Riddle , Jr ., never married . Maria Riddle, daughter of Andrew and Margaret Riddle, Jr . married Frank Parker . He was killed by lightning not far from the Riddle farm . One of their sons, Andrew Parker would be the father of Robert and William Parker now residing in Howell, (who established the firm which is now XLO Parker ). One daughter, Isabella, also lives in Howell. Andrew Schmidt In about 1864 Andrew Schmidt (1839-191)8 took up land from the Government in Howell Township. Clearing the land for farming Andrew and his wife, Mary 0843-1923) lived in a log cabin on what is now known as Marr Road . Total acreage is not known. To this union five children were born, Frank F . (1869-195)1; Louise F . (1870-194)5; Rose (1872-195)7; Elizabeth 0875-1960) and John A. (1884-1959). It is belived that their first three children were born in the log cabin befor e they moved into the large red brick home constructed across the road . The brick home at 3336 Marr Road is now occupied by Mr. and Mrs . Carl Ott who are still engaged in farming . The house is now painted white and an enclosed porch as been added . Mr . Ott's parents , Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ott purchased the farm in 1928. The log cabin was still standing at this time but has since been torn down. Immediate descendants still living in the area are Mrs. William (Jo y) Bigelow, daughter of Frank ; Mrs . Irene Conely, daughter of Elizabeth and Glane A. Phillips , Sr., son of Rose . Mr. and Mrs. Charles Goodnow By MRS. R .S. CLARK Mr. Charles A. Goodnow was born in Pultneyville , New York, December 21, 1851. He was 24 years old when he came to Howell. He began his business career as a clerk in the general stor e of Jewett and Crossman and remained there until Januar y 1, 1877, when the store Hickey and Goodnow was founded . This store flourished until October 5, 1892, when Mrs. Hickey burned to death in a disastro us fire which struc k the city , and burned an entire block of brick buildings. Mr . Darwin Wines also lost his life in the fire . Two of the brick buildings were occupied at the time by H.C. Briggs J ewelry Store and E.K. Johnson Drug Store . In 1899, Mr . Homer N. Beach , brother-in-law of Mr. Hickey , bought out the Hickey partnership , this continued until 1913, when the firm became known as Goodnow, Satterla , Scully until Mr. Chas . Goodnow's death in November 1914. Don W. Goodnow, born February 23, 1879, worked in his father 's store for 10 years , starting at the age of 13. After 10 years , he and Henry T. Jubb established the hardware firm of Goodnow and Jubb , which was located next door. This was known as the Goodnow Block and is now the location of the First National Bank. In 1914, Mr. Charles Goodnow passed away , and imediately Don Goodnow sold the hardware and became president of the Goodnow, Satterla and Scully store . This stock was sold in 1915, soon after the store became known as the Goodnow, Gartrell Dry Goods with an entirely new stock of goods. After two years Mr . Goodnow bought out Mr . Gartrell 's interest and the store was known as the Don W. Goodnow store . At this time Mr. Goodnow was elected treasurer of the City of Howell. Mrs . Goodnow (Grace Jubb ) went in the store to collect tax money , and becoming very familiar with the store took over responsibility of the office work and the buyer of Women's apparel. Mr. and Mrs . Goodnow gave up full time duties in 1939, turning over the management to Lyle Wessinger , who had been in their employ for 17 years , and to Mrs. Elizabeth Stoddard , sister of Mr . Goodnow, who was bookkeeper and buyer . In 1956, Mr . Wessinger bought the Goodnow Store and continued the Goodnow name . For health reasons , Mr. Wessinger sold the store to Mr . James Turner in 1973 and the store is still operating under the name Goodnow's. This story covers nearly 100 years , Jan . 1, 1877 to Sept. 15, 1975. A sa Carp ent er w as one of the earl iest pion eers , sett lin g j ust east of How ell. Ther e was no poss i bil it y of picture s of them as the young men t hey w ere wh en t hey came , becau se photography had not ye t been dev el oped . Th is is a pictu re taken as a retired fa r mer abou t 1878-80 w hen he lived in town on E . Grand R iver . 61 (\)(press wagon. The camera counter in the corner drug store 1920. __________________________________ .T1.:h.::e:._o~:l~d.,.H~ o.t:e,~:l~in Oak Grove north of Howell. The McPherson Bus in front of the old bank on the south side of Grand River with the McPherson Bros . Left, is Frank Lansing, secretary to William McPherson 11. Drawing logs to the Bogue Mill in Oak Grove . 65 This was thought to b e the apple drying factory on N · M,·ch·, gan. 18R98a.c ing on th e 1a ke. Scene of cutter racing on H owe II Lake about 66 i l 67 Snedicor ' s butter and egg store , south side of W . Grand River about turn of the century . - - CASH FOR EGGS& POULTRY I ...N...E.. D COR. I . - This picture was taken from the Court House tower looking North East to the lake . The East Ward school in the center and the lumber yard by the railroad at the left with the stockyard on the otherside . Howell' S· Centennial F arn1s • Harvest time , 1895. The very latest in mass farming equipment . A ride with a team of oxen. The blue ribbon winner in the Team and Gig Contest in the 1915 County Fair . 74 l Thomas and Alice Brown, 1915. Centennial Farms The Allbright Farm By JANET MIESLE The Centennial Farm owned by Harold and Ila Brown Allbright is located on the old Indian Trail that twisted and turned between Dexter and Owosso. In this area it is called Byron Road . The original farm consisted of 62½ acres , "East ½ of NW ¼ of section 22 laying south of the Shiawassee River " was purchased by Mrs . Allbright's great-grandfather Joseph B. Brown on March 14, 1876.J oseph B. sold the land to his son Thomas G. Brown in 1881. On August 1, 1885 a son was born to William and Emma Centennial Farms Coordinator Andrew Jackson was born on a farm near Wayland in Allegan County. Claudine Burkhart was born on the centennial farm in Cohoctah Township . They both graduated with B .S. degrees from Michigan State University , Andrew in Agricul - ture, and Claudine in Home Economics . They were married in 1941 and are farmers. Andrew has served agriculture as a member of Michigan Milk Producers State Board of Directors, President of American Dairy Association of Michigan, Farm Bureau State Board of Directors, and President of Howell Cooperative Company. Claudine taught Home Economics at Kellogg Consolidated School , Lansing Public Schools, Hartland and Fowlerville. She has served Farm Bureau in many capacities including vice-chair - man of Michigan Farm Bureau Women . Both are active in their church , community, and political party . Listerman Brown. He was named Joseph B. Brown after his grandfather . Emma passed away just a few days after the birth of her baby. She was just 18 when she died as a result of complications during the delivery of her son. William took his baby to his brother 's home , Thomas G. and Alice Goldsmith Brown. They had no children and raised Joseph as their own son. The original house and barn were located about 500 feet north of the present buildings. The story is told that Steinacker Road was not built and Thomas G. did not want the road to be built. He moved his house so that the south wall sat on the section line that was to be the center of Steinacker Road. He lost his battle and the road went around the house . The original house consisted of three rooms. A dugout basement , 1st and 2nd floor all 15x16 ft. The family climbed a ladder to the sleeping room on the 2nd floor . In the late 1800's an addition of dining room and kitchen were added on the first floor and two bedrooms on the second floor . The original 15x16f oot dugout basement still remains and the family use it as a root cellar or Michigan cellar. A second addition was added in 1915. This time the entryway to the back also enclosed the windmill. Lat er the Delco Plant was in this room. The Delco Plant provided the family with electricity. Site of Indian Dance The present house sits on the site of the Indian Dance Ground. To quote the Livingston County History 1880 Edition page 439 "On section 22, in the S.E . corner of the NW¼, was a piece of ground containing about a quarter of an acre, which had been leveled and trod down until the surface was hard and smooth as a floor. It was circular in form , about eight rods in diameter, and surrounded by a ring of earth which was elevated a little above the general surface , and appeared to have been formed from the earth removed in the process of 75 leveling. It was a subject of great curiosity to the early settlers , and they only learned its use when they made inquiries regarding it of the Indians whom they met. Here the stalwart savages celebrated their "war-dances " before departing on some bloody errand of conquest or revenge ; or when returning successful with bloody trophies of their prowess they celebrated the occasion with the riotous "scalp -dance; " or being unsuccessful, mourned with blackened faces and shrouded forms , and slowly trod the melancholy measure of the "death dance ." This is the reason the farm is called "Dancing Acres Centennial Farm ." People who have studied the Indians of the area tell the Allbrights that one of the largest Indian settlements in the county was located on their farm, on the sandy south bank of the Shiawassee River . Every spring after the fields are plowed a couple from the Lansing Rock and Mineral Society come out to walk over the fields and look for artifacts. They are usually not disappointed. The Allbrights tell about a family in their neighborhood that was out of work during the depression years . With time to spare they took many walks along the Shiawassee River and collected a 10 quart pail full of arrowheads. Joseph B. married Lulu Antcliff on October 23, 1903. That same day their future son-in-law was born to Oliver and Sarah Larsen Allbright. Joseph and Lulu lived with Thomas and Alice and in 1913 they purchased part of the land . In 1929 they became sole owners of the farm and added 80 acres of adjoining land. A daughter Ila was born March 14, 1907. Ila married Harold Allbright June 11, 1927. They became part owners of the farm in 1943. By 1950 they owned the entire farm and its size had grown to 271 acres . This farm , as others has made many changes. As most farms in the early 1900's it had a flock of sheep , a few hogs, two teams of horses and 7 or 8 cows. A flock of chickens , some ducks and a few geese were cared for by the women. The men worked part of the time building roads in the township. They used their teams to haul gravel and sand . Electricity Comes to Area Harold Allbright passed petitions and talked to other farmers to get the first electricity into the area. The contract was signed with the Consumers Power Company the night of June 5th, 1936. That same night Mr. and Mrs. Allbright 's daughter, Jan et, was born . The electricity was turned on about 6 months later . With the coming of electric power and tractors , farming began to change . The first tractor was purchased in the 20's but horses were used until about 1943. In 1940 a second barn was built to house the young stock and sheep. The farm was becoming more specialized and moving toward dairy farming. The old barn was modernized in 1945. The horse stalls were torn out to build a bigger cow stable and a new milk house was added . In 1957 another modernization program was undertaken after the Allbrights ' daughter married Joe Miesle and went into partnership with them . At that time a new milking parlor was installed and a free stall barn to house 60 cows was built. This was outgrown and in 1971a new 5-on-a-side herringbone milk parlor and the free stall barn was changed to accomodate 100 dairy cows. Now cows are the only animals on the farm . The Allbrights now have two grandchildren who help with the farm work and enjoy the land and its history . They are the 5th generation to live on the farm and 6th generation to have been associated with it. The Allbrights tell many interesting stories of their farm experiences from runaway horses hooked to a wagon full of 76 hay ; to threshing gangs that came for breakfast , stayed for lunch, supper , and all night too. They recall when the neighbors depended on each other for labor , financial , religious and recreational needs. House parties were highlights of the year . The neighbors gathered at someone's home to play cards and dance . Usually someone in the group played musical instruments for the dancing . This farm was a part of the Russell School District , and no one ever missed the last day of school picnic or the Christmas program put on by the children . Everyone in the District attended these functions if they had children in school or not. Going to Howell was a real project and until the late 1940's was about a once a week experience . The mail was picked up in Oak Grove during the early days of the farm then later delivered by horse and buggy . Ila drove her pony to school in Oak Grove for the 9th and 10th grades leaving it in a friend's barn during the day and driving home at night. The family love their land and enjoy telling of its history. They have seen many changes in the surrounding area as well as in agriculture . Now with all the building and people moving into the area they think they know exactly how the old Indian felt when he rode along the trail, came to a place where a fence had been built across it, stopped , looked- and after a time rode away with his head down. They wonder what the future will hold for their land . Cutting w ood for the kit chen st ove. The Brown Farm The Olive Brown farm at 1600E ast Cohoctah Road , Howell, was purchased by Wolfgang Stelzer in 1850. He and his wife, Margaret lived there until their death. Henry bought out the heirs and with his wife, Margaret Greener , lived there until his death in 1925. His widow stayed on the farm until 1944. Their daughter , Olive, and her husband , Dell Newberry , came to the farm. Mr . Newberry died in 1949. Olive married Melvin Brown, who died in 1965. Mrs . Brown became crippled with arthritis , and had to leave the farm home, but her granddaughter , Onalee Newberry Kobiska lives on an acreage of the original Stelzer farm. The Clark Farm Marion Township 3850J ewell Road By CHESTER CLARK Four generations of farm children , all named Clark , have lived and grown on our centennial farm since 1849. The farm has the original eighty acres on the south side of the road, section 16 of Marion Township, and the 55 acres with buildings on the north side of the road in section 9. The first house and barn on the south side of the road were of rather short duration - but let us start back with Lyman and Lydia Clark , natives of Oneida County, N.Y . Lyman, a 33-year-old carpenter and joiner , came with his family in 1836 to Michigan and took up 80 acres of government land in Lyndon Township in Washtenaw County, south of Unadilla. He built a Jog cabin , moved into it on October 1st with only a bed quilt for a door, boards for windows, and native soil for the floor until January . A Dutch oven was put to good use . From Lyman 's obituar y we read "no church , no school house, naught save the noble forest and heaven 's blue canopy- the thud of the woodman 's axe , music to the civilized ear but devastation to the redman 's hunting ground , soon changed things - dvilization and Christianity (coworkers ) laid the foundation of our society. " Baptist Church Organized Lyman organized 13 Baptists into a church in Unadilla. In 1846h e sold his Lyndon farm and came to Marion Township, lived in a log house on the (now) Bruce Love farm , and in March of 1849t alked with two men who inquired about "that 80 acres in section 16," a piece of land Lyman had already been interested in. After they left , Lyman asked Lydia to pack him a lunch , and though it was late in the day, he set out on horseback , rode all night to the State Capitol, then at Detroit , and was there when that office opened the next morning. Lyman had to pay a dollar an acre down, and a dollar an acre each year for three more years , or a total of four dollars an acre . On his way home that morning , Lyman met the same two men , about where Redford now is, on their way in to Detroit. The eighty has been a Clark eighty ever since . The eighty across the road is equally as interesting and was acquired by Lyman soon after . This eighty was originally in the name of Millard Fillmore "and his good wife Abigail" before Fillmore was President , then in the name of Fillmore 's brother and others . Then , as recorded in Livingston County's Register of Deed 's Office on Januar y 27, 1837, the whole eighty was platted to be the Village of Schenectady , Michigan, including 310 lots , the grist mill , the sawmill, and the " publick " square. About this time was the national Panic of 1837. The town never got on any map , and it is not known whether or not any buildings were built , even though some Jots were sold. A Sheriff 's Deed in 1846 turned the whole eighty back to Mr . Fillmore. The buildings are now all on this 55 acres . The back 25 acres were sold off the 80 many years ago . The large horsebarn and large cowbarn were built about 1859, then the " 22-room house" as we used to call it, soon ther ea fter. Of course some of the rooms were actually closets and hallways, but they were as large as many modern rooms . The "West Wing" was actually a separate side of the house for the hired man 's family . Clippings from Howell papers tell of the many social events , sometimes over 100 persons at a time , who gathered in that old house. Old log cabins were used as hideouts by the young men. Walter A., the youngest of the 10 children of Lyman and Lydia , and the only one born here , was the one to take over the home farm. Markers in the family plot in the Green Cemeter y near here tell more of Lyman 's family . One older brother was named Lewis Cass Clark , died at 18 months . Another , Mansell , at 23 was a teacher in the Howell School District. We have his contract of 1857. Adventure Calls Mansell In April of 1859a dventure called him to start for California with others. When they reached Independence , Missouri , " the outskirts of civilization " he contracted the "continuous fever " and was left with a kind family there. Mansell knew he would die, and wanted to return home to Michigan first, but three weeks later was buried there . Lyman reached there the day after the funeral , paid the expenses, and a sermon was given at the Marion Townhall in July by Baptist minister , Rev . Dayfoot. The sermon , five full columns on the front page of the Howell paper we have , tells the story . The marker is here in Green Cemetery but we know not whether the body was ever brought back . Another brother , Gilbert , then 17, died the same year , in November of 1859. His cause of death we do not know, and recent inquiry at the County Clerk 's Office gave us information that all such records were destroyed by fire in 1865. Walter was a good farmer too. He married neighbor girl Margarette Twilley in 1872, was prominent in neighborhood affairs , politics , and farming . His mowing machine was one of the first. His crops and livestock and driving horses were good according to clippings and pictures . He served as township supervisor . Their six children all became prominent. Ethel and Gertrude were teachers , then married locally and resided in Livingston County. Lawrence graduated from M.A.C., became head bacteriologist for Parke , Davis & Co., wrote a farmer 's bulletin while in college , and later was president of M.S.U. Alumni. Briggs became head of all traffic lights and power in Portland, Oregon. Burr took over the home farm , was elected township supervisor and served 37 years , was prominent in Howell Co-Ops, Farm Bureau , and livestock groups. Wallace graduated from Howell High, then moved to California with his parents , becoming an osteopathic surgeon with his own hospital , and ranked high in Masonry and Boy Scouts. Burr Clark Takes Over Farm Dad was Walter Burr , but always known as Burr or W.B. He and Mother were married in 1913. Mother was Hazel 77 Ferguson. They worked hard, and we six children also worked hard . One baby died of leukemia in infancy, but six of us grew up, went to the Andersen School, and all graduated from Howell. Dad was a good farmer. We never worked on Sunday. Dad raised good cattle , sheep, hogs, and chickens, but not necessarily purebred animals. We six kids were all active in 4-H Club work. Dad helped promote the annual rural township school play day . Dad was good to his work horses. I well recall driving them on the hayloader , then on the slings to unload the loose hay in the mow. Wf:c. ut our own wood, buzzed it, and burned it solely for our heat. One or two times we had a sawmill come in and cut rough lumber for us. Dad was one of the early farmers to buy his own livestock truck, always a Ford, and over the years had 3 0r 4 of them. Our first passenger cars were usually Fords, but later we got used Studebakers or Olds. We did not have our first farm tractor until 1941, but years before that had purchased our threshing machine jointly with three neighbor farmers . Dad and Arza, my older brother, took three horses and a buggy to Lansing to bring it home by team . We had an earlier battery radio with earphones , but did not get electricity until 1937. Before that we always carried a lamp upstairs to bed, and a lantern to the barn to care for the spring lambs . Our inside bathroom and running water wasn't put in until after 1937. We always had a good deep well, wooden windmill by the house, and running water to the stock tanks. But our telephone was different. Dad said they had the first telephone before 1908. We helped cut ice every winter from Sanatorium Lake , drew and stored it in the Andersen's ice house with them , and made ice cream with it nearly every Sunday in the summer . Arza now owns a neighboring farm, and also is a good farmer . I live in Twilley Hills Subdivision (where Grandmother lived when she was a girl). Frances has her home in Ohio, and summer home at Unadilla. Burr Jr. owns the home farm now, but resides in Worthington, Ohio. Burr Jr. took over the farm several years ago, modernized the dairy barn, had a large Holstein herd , then went back to school until he got his doctorate. Now in 1975h e is subdividing the 55 acres and selling one parcel with the buildings. Dorothe is married to farmer Arthur Maschke and lives near Gregory. Donald had his heating and plumbing business on a small farm near Fowlerville , sold out, and now lives near Howell. Burr Jr. married Mary Margaret Chubb of Howell. They have three children , Carol, Janet and Brian . Carol became the fourth generation to live on the farm. The original eighty on the south side of the road is still intact , is still good farm land , but now has a farm pond plus one house where stepmother Bereneice lives. Our mother died in 1943, Dad remarried in 1945, and Dad celebrated two Silver Wedding Anniversaries during his life on the farm Dad died in 1972. William B. Eager farm, 1895. 78 The Eager Farm 4865 Eager Road In June of 1836,W illiam Blake Eager accompanied Charles Van Keuren from Montgomery, New York to Livingston County, Michigan where they secured patents on several tracts of land in what is now known as Oceola Township. William Blake was the great-grandson of William Eager who sailed to America from Monaghan , Ireland around 1728 and settled in Orange County, New York, where he and his family farmed for several generations. In the mid-1830's, stories of the newly opened Northwest Territory prompted William Blake to seek new land in the West. Arriving in Livingston County, he looked for land with numerous springs and marsh grass so that livestock could be' supported immediately . He also sought fertile ground and gently rolling hills to insure proper drainage for cultivation after the land was cleared. Among the tracts he chose was the present day Eager farm located at the corner of Clyde and Eager Roads. William Blake then returned to New York and eventually brought his wife Susan Moore back to Livingston County. In 1849, William Blake's son, Jacob Moore Eager, aged twenty-three , accompanied by his wife Emily Comfort and their year-old son Samuel, journeyed to take up residence on what is now the family farm . On November 6th of that first year, a second son was born. They named him William Blake after his grandfather. Shortly after the arrival of the child, Jacob returned to New York to bring back many of the things they had not been able to transport on the first trip. Emily remained with the two babies in the log cabin her husband had built. This first home had only greased paper windows and a blanket to cover the doorway and was a quarter-mile from the nearest spring. Before the land could be farmed, several improvements had to be made. Therefore , when Jacob returned, he set about clearing the land . Oxen were used during the early years because their yoke, unlike the whippletree for a horse harness, would not catch on the tree stumps . In exchange for1 having rails split for fencing, Jacob made boots for neighbors with leather he had brought from New York. In addition, he erected a log barn . Jacob Builds Home To accommodate his growing family (by this time, he and Emily had three more children-Mary Jane, Francis and James) Jacob built a large home , a portion of which still remains as part of the present day farmhouse. In this section of the building, the squared timbers joined by wooden pegs that Jacob used can still be seen . In 1859, he planted two pine seedlings near his home which now tower over the house and dominate the landscape . Eventually, Jacob built two more barns, one north of the house and one east, across the road, on the site of the original log barn which had been burned by young Sam and William Blake while they were playing with matches. Jacob also dug three deep wells by hand and stoned them up himself. In order to make things for the farm, Jacob operated his own blacksmith shop, where , among other items, he constructed an entire wagon. He also built a windmill system which pumped water to the house from the well across the road. The water ran through pipes to a cistern in the pantry , where the overflow was piped to the livestock in the barn to the north . In all, Jacob owned and worked the farm for forty-four years. In 1892, he deeded the land to his second son, William Robert J. Eager farm, 1909. Blake , who had married Laura Phoebe Walker in 1873. During the early years of their marriage they worked a nearby farm , but in 1881 they moved back to the Eager homestead with their sons Lyman Ernest , age four, and Robert Jacob who was three . Later , three more children (James Lewis , Perry Arthur, and Emily Fidelia ) were born. During this period , some areas of the farm were still being cleared . However , to make the job easier , dynamite was now available , although it was dangerous to use. While working behind the house one day , Laura stopped to watch the blast as William removed another stump. To her horror, she saw the stump arch through the air directly at her young son Lewis . Luckily, the boy ran just in time and was not hit. In 1897W illiam built a new basement barn southwest of the house . It cost him five hundred dollars . His Aunt Mary, an ardent member of a religous sect, warned that it was foolish to spend so much money and effort on a new building since she believed that the end of the world was eminent. It is interesting to note that Aunt Mary , William , and most of the other people present that day have Jong since passed away, but the barn is still standing . William Blake also owned and operated a threshing machine. During the harvest season , he and a large crew of men would work on neighboring farms. They used a large steam engine to power a separator which would remove he grain from the straw and chaff . The first engine William owned needed to be moved from one location to another by horses. Later engines were self-propelled and resembled huge modern tractors. Although William and Laura spent the rest of their lives on the farm , their son Robert gradually took over its operation . He bought the land from his parents in 1907, four years after he had married Bertha Boutell , who had been a teacher at the nearby Parker and Hale Schools. Builds Dairy Herd In the early years of the farm , and during much of Robert 's lifetime , horses were utilized to do much of the work . The first tractor to be used on the homestead was the Fordson that Robert purchased. He also built up a large herd of registered dairy cattle and was one of the first members of the Oceola Chapter of the Holstein-Friesian Association. In addition , he served as Oceola Township Clerk and was a treasurer for the Parker School. Bertha and Robert had three sons . Robert Wells and his wife Marie now reside in Farmington. Arthur Russel , who continued to farm , remained with his parents on the homestead until their deaths in the 1960's. He still lives in the farmhouse with his wife Pauline . Roscoe, who married Berne ta Hetchler , built a home on a portion of the farm facing Clyde Rd. He utilized some of the marshland behind this house to make a Jake fed by one of the springs that first attracted William Blake Eager to the property in 1836. Although Roscoe worked the farm as a youth, he later went into sales and was one of the founders of Howell Town and Country , Inc. He and Berneta have two children , Carol and Robert. Carol lives with her husband Capt. Gerald Blomquist in a home they recently built on the farm. They have two daughters, Cindy and Sandra. Robert and his wife Kathleen prepared this article and would especially like to thank Russel Eager for all his assistance . 79 The Earl Farm By ANNA EARL In 1964t he Oliver Harold Earl farm , 3107O ak Grove Road, Howell Township, Livingston County marked its Centennial year. In the year 1835 the farm was taken up from the government by George W. Teeple and wife. In 1841 it was resold to Morris Bennett and wife. Later in July , 1864 the grandfather , Oliver Earl purchased the farm. Grandfather Oliver Earl's parents were Oliver and Lydia Fergeson Earl of New York City. The grandfather's father died when young Oliver was 10 years old. The grandmother decided she could bring up and support her six boys more easily in the new west. So she came to Michigan and settled in Oceola Township, Livingston County. Search For Gold At the age of 12 young Oliver started working for neighbors on farms until 1852 when the Western fever settled in his veins. He started on horseback in the company of six men from this county across the plains for California, in search of the gold mines. One of the party became ill on the way only to return . One was scalped for he had killed the first Indian whom he saw and two fell along the way so only Oliver and another companion made it to California . The grandfather , Oliver remained for 12 years in the western land around Nevada City, California , east of the city of Sacramento. After mining for eighteen months and farming for one year he purchased a team and engaged in sprinkling the streets of Nevada City. This business he carried on for six years and then did team work in the city. In the meantime he had married Wales born , Elizabeth Davies , daughter of John and Elizabeth Campbell Davies at Santa Clara Court House in Santa Clara County, California . Three children were born in California-William Earl , father of Ollie Earl Delaney of Florida and Clarence Earl who farms in Howell Township, Livingston County. Also two daughters , Margaret and Elizabeth who passed away very young. Grandfather Earl Comes to Michigan In October , 1863 the couple with their family started for New York City by way of Panama . They all became sick along the Sacramento River and had to suspend their journey until the next Spring . Counting the expense of their journey and their sickness , it cost them $500 in gold. After reaching New York City, the father left his family and came back to Livingston County, Michigan where he purchased the acreage in Howell Township which is in part still in the Earl name . During that year his wife and family were able to join him. Another son, John J. Earl was born on this farm. John Earl married Julia Risch of Howell Township and they became the parents of Oliver Harold Earl and Elizabeth Earl Rigney. Both children being born in the same house as their father. Later John and Julia Earl became owners of the farm . John Earl became a very prosperous farmer in the community . In 1934 the grandson , Oliver Harold Earl married Anna Dillingham of Handy Township and lived on the same farm. In 1952 at the death of his mother , Julia Earl , Oliver and Anna became the owners of the Centennial Farm. In 1974 Oliver Harold Earl was deceased and his widow Anna Earl still lives on an acreage of the farm which is slated as a Centennial Farm . 80 Old Eager farm on Eager Road. The Fawcett Farm By RUTH FAWCETT During the administration of President Martin Van Buren in May of 1836, the W½ of the NW¼ of Sec. 33 and the E ½ and the NE ¼ of Sec. 32 (Township 4 North, Range 5 East ) were located. One year later in May of 1837, President Van Buren granted the two 80 acres to Henry Fawcett of Steuben, New York. The grant may have been a "pension" for Revolutionary War or War of 1812m ilitary service commonly granted at that time . The property was adjacent to a small Indian settlement called Yellow River at the corner of the present Faussett and Latson Roads in Deerfield Township . Among the arrowheads and skinning tools, the Indians left a few small plowed plots , making the great job of clearing the land somewhat easier for the settler. With the advantage of fertile soil, farming became a way of successful living on this property . On January 8, 1840 Henry J. was born in the family log cabin. At the age of 26 (year of 1866) he married Elizabeth Gibson. The present generation on this centennial farm remembers the Golden Wedding Celebration of this couple in 1916.A t the time of this marriage Henry Sr. was in a position to build a frame house for the newlyweds to replace the family log cabin. Home 110 Years Old The original house is presently occupied by the Fawcett family. The house was built by father and son and has grown in the 110 years with descendents and additions to three sides of the original frame . The floor joints are hand hewn logs, still covered with bark . Underneath the original section of the house is a small dirt floor cellar (Michigan basement) surrounded by huge boulders with just enough mortar to make the foundation hold. The first son of Henry J . and Elizabeth was born on January 1, 1867. His name was Henry Arthur. He had two brothers by the names of Edwin and George; and one sister , Fanny who died at the age of seven of diphtheria . (This was a dreaded disease at that time in history). As time passed on, Edwin married and moved slightly north and across the road (present home of Robert and family ). George married and settled south and west of his original home . The legacy in the original house was continued by Henry Arthur. Just after his twenty-seventh birthday he was married. An only child, Bruce , was born to Henry A. (and his wife the former Rose Etta Jackson ), on August 21, 1897.B ruce and his wife Ruth (the former Ruth Wessinger ) are still residing in the homestead . Fifth Generation Bruce and Ruth were married on January 10, 1929,m oving into the house and starting the fifth generation . Their oldest son, William resides nearby . Their second son, Robert manages and works the farm which has grown to nearly a section . Their daughters are Evelyn and Shirley. Evelyn Granger lies in St. Clair Shores and Shirley Wood in Portage. Bruce and Ruth are proud of their four children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren . Time has marched on since 1837; but, the present generation remembers many changes which have occurred in farming in their lifetime . Ruth remembers in her husband 's father 's time they raised beef cattle, hogs and sheep . They drove them (walked them ) down Faussett Road to the Oak Grove railroad station and shipped them to Detroit for sale . Today the farm supports a large herd of grade A dair y cows, a small Black Angus herd and cash crops of wheat , oats and hay . Electricity came to this farm in the fall of 1939-a welcome sight on a crisp November morning as this family looked out their north windows and watched a team of black horses stretch the wires. Charles Slider (an electrician ) with the help of his brother-in -law, Hugh Brown soon converted from the Delco System to the power line. Change is ever constant ; but, as this family views their centennial farm the arrival of electricity provided the single greatest progress . The F auuett Farm 4273 Faussett Road By WALKER F AUSSETT In the spring of 1836, my great-grandfather , Thomas Faussett , and his brother , George Faussett , along with their cousin, Thomas Sharp, came from Lodi, Seneca County, New York through Pennsylvania and Ohio to Oceola Township, Livingston County where they hired Asa Parker for their guide in their search for land. On May 12, 1836, Thomas and George took up 240 acres in Section 33, Deerfield Township from the United States The Faussett farm. Government , as entered in the Livingston County Tract book. They worked on the Michigan Central Railroad that spring and summer when all but George returned to New York . In September , Thomas Faussett and his widowed mother , Nancy Carter Faussett , along with Thomas Sharp and his wife, Henry Fawcett with his wife and one child, and Henry 's brother , William, made up the party to come to their new lands . They camped in the woods on the homestead while a log house was being built. The site selected was a little north of the Yellow River , which runs through our farm , and near the center of the northeast quarter of Section 33. An adequate supply of drinking water was available in the form of a large bubbling spring nearb y. This area was always known by our family as the "House Lot." Sharp Cemetery Nine hearty pioneers lived in that log house through the winter . Sharp and Henry Fawcett built houses on their own land. Nancy Carter Faussett discussed with Thomas Sharp the need for a community cemetery . Mr . Sharp told her he would donate an acre of land if she would select the site. This she lost no time in doing. She died March 6, 1838, a little over 60 years of age and was the first burial in the Sharp Cemetery , as it was known for years. September 16, 1841, Thomas Faussett married Miss Mary A. Marvin of New Hudson, Oakland County. She was a direct descendant of Samuel Huntington , a signer of the Declaration of Independence . They lived in the old Jog house until 1846w hen they built a better and larger house near the N.E. corner of Section 33. Born in this new house was daughter , Betsey Gurnwrick Faussett , on Nov mber 3, 1846 and my grandfather , James Robert Faussett was born January 14, 1848. The next house was a large beautiful home with a ballroom on the third floor. This was later destroyed by fire . The third house was a modest wood frame construction located on the site of the present large stone house now owned and occupied by Tholan and Lois Wiles. This house was the first in the neighborhood to have running fresh water in the kitchen , supplied by a windmill that filled a storage tank on the second floor. When the tank was filled the excess water was piped to the barnyard to fill the livestock watering tank . When the wind failed , someone was delegated to pump water by hand . Later the luxury of a one cylinder gasoline engine was experienced . James Robert Faussett was married to Miss Harriett Olive Pettis , a direct descendant of Experience Jefferson Webb, a cousin of Thomas Jefferson . They had four children , Nancy , Elizabeth (Bessie), Mary and the youngest was my father , 81 James Robert Fawcett. Thomas James. Grandmother Harriett passed away when Dad was five years old. Grandfather married Annie E . Perry in May of 1896.H is second family consisted of three boys and one girl- George, James , Edward and Henrietta . Grandfather died on March 5, 1939h aving lived most of his 91 years on the homestead . 1920's House Enlarged In the early 1920's this house was enlarged, modernized and stone veneered by my father , Thomas James Faussett . Most of the stones came from the stone piles and hedge rows in the immediate vicinity, using the natural face of the stones for their natural beauty . My father , Thomas J ., always wanted to be an auctioneer . As a boy, when sent to bring the cows from the pasture , he was often late in getting them to the barn for he auctioneered each one of them several times. As a young man he purchased and brought western horses by the carload , selling them at auction to Michigan and Wisconsin farmers . He was sure of a good crowd at these sales as some of these wild horses would rival the best of today 's rodeos. After a short time of farm auctions , he entered the jewelry auction field. For a few years he was associated with Herman G. Briggs , a native of Howell in the jewelry auction business and they were known as Briggs and Faussett. For many years , Dad was nationally advertised as America's Foremost Jewelry Auctioneer , having conducted sales in 46 of the 50 States. Dad was on his way home , after a Jong winter sale , closing out the Middleton's Jewelry Store in Fort Lauderdale , Florida. He and mother stopped in Chester, South Carolina for a small sale when he passed away in his hotel room April 12, 1961. On October 11, 1871, Grandfather James gave his sister , Betsey, forty acres when she married Thomas James Webb. In 1882, she was given 80 acres by the will of George Faussett , who had never married . This comprised the 120 acres where we now live. Betsey Webb deeded the farm to her son, Thomas J . Webb, on February 18, 1911. For many years the Webbs hauled milk to the Borden Condensory of Howell, loading the farmer 's milk cans into their horsedrawn wagons. Along the route , a favorite stopping place was the Hosley farm , where the horses and men could drink from a spring-fed watering tank alongside the Fisher Road . On September 12, 1936, 100 years after the land was taken up from the government , Thomas J. and Goldie E. (Walker ) Faussett deeded the farm to Walker and Henrietta (Hosley) Faussett. In 1942, we built our present home on the old Webb house site , which had burned in 1930.H ere we have raised our 82 family of three-Nancy , Sally and Thomas . Build Dam The Yellow River , mentioned earlier , ambled diagonally from the southeast corner through the farm and out the northwest corner . There was a natural narrowing where the southeast marsh was separated from the northwest marsh with high hardground coming to within a few feet of the river . Mr . Chas. E.S . Eddie and Mary , who owned the old Lant Blackburn farm ; Edwin and Marjorie Bartel , who had purchased part of the original farm containing the " House Lot" from Mary Faussett Salmon ; Alden and Vera Merrill, a Centennial farm owner of 160 acres and Henrietta and I agreed to the construction of a dam at this site . For eight years the four landowners cut brush and trees and worked on the construction of the dam . It was a joint undertaking with cooperation worthy of the pioneer spirit. In 1962o ur Jake was born and we share forty acres of blue clear water , where we all enjoy fishing, swimming and boating . Henrietta and I were engaged only in parttime farming . My main occupation was testing automobiles at the General Motors Proving Grounds . I retired from General Motors on March 1, 1969, after more than twenty-five years of service. Henrietta and I are planning and hoping to continue ownership of this farm by our family . ~ n ~ nbe~enbta~ fnflarrro ms~g ht:n at t6~ ~ Ol'l[:J ~eOfU$~1 ~ribaJ ~ tre:-iing~1 nfE 361 1~68. f&iCA _U _in dteot o ,Uenb. ,..,, ,,..,..,_ '"'-,..._.......,..__ MUSICB YD ICKINSONB'SA ND. BILL$i 00. S, PRICR::, PKOPIRl.f:'.A'4)R, The Hooker Farm The 15-acre farm located at 6420 Clyde Road now owned by Helen Hooker Deaton and Ernestine Hooker Hunter of Walled Lake was purchased by Charles and Mela ta Hooker in 1859.T his is a portion of a 120-acre parcel purchased from the United States in 1836. This land was inherited by two of their sons Charles J. and Lewis Cass in 1879. They first built a house on Argentine and Dunn Road in which Cass and Nellie Hooker lived . Later Charles J . and wife Amanda built the house on Clyde Road and resided there. A daughter Bessie died at the age of five during a scarlet fever epidemic . Later a son Clare W. and a daughter Mae were adopted . Clare W. brought his bride Blanche to the farm in 1914. Two daughters were born to this union. By inheritance Clare W. became the owner in 1924. Many arrow heads were found on the farm. It was believed that this was a meeting place for Indian tribes when on their way to Fort Detroit. Two portions of land were sold over the years, leaving the remaining fifteen acres. Clare W. died in 1953 and Blanche in 1974, thereby leaving the farm to their two daughters . Claude Burkhart family . The Andrew Jackson Farm 6436 North Burkhart Road By CLAUDINE JACKSON The original farm of 160 acres was purchased by Henry Burkhart on September 30, 1871, and on April 6, 1874, his son Frank Augustus , purchased the north 50 acres . Frank continued to purchase surrounding land as it became available-the 80 to the north in 1879, the back 40 in 1882, land in Howell township in 1886, and the south forty in Howell township in 1899, the Hitchin's place in 1900, and the last of the 640 acres was purchased in 1901. Some of the land was paid for by cutting wood during the winter , and selling it in Howell. Frank had one customer who had a large stove ; he liked the "big knots " that were hard to split. This arrangement pleased both men as the knots burned longer . His spirited horses with their Belgium sleigh bells could be heard for a couple of miles in the clear winter air . Frank and Claude also used the horses for a milk route , taking the cans to the Borden's Condensery in Howell. The white oak lumber for the first barn came from the north 80. According to the neighbors , the barn was " too large " for the size of the farm - it was 36'x50'. The horse stalls were across one end, the cow stalls across the other, and the sheep were kept in the center of the barn . Paid $1 Per Day Frank was a man of many interests, and for a time he left the farm to operate a grocery store and a cigar factory in Howell. When his son, Claude Allison. was old enough to operate the farm , he did so, receiving one dollar a day for his labor and management. Claude recalled being sent to pick up stones to build the wall for the addition to the house. He came back with a stone boat full, and told his father that was all of the stone in the field. Fifty years later he was still picking stones from the same field, and would laugh about his boyhood experience . Frank had a Merry-go-round , and an Ocean-wave that he operated for fairs and carnivals . In 1911C laude married Alene Ivah Rudolph, and they lived on the farm , working it on shares . Frank and Carile had moved to Redmond , Wash. The first fifty feet of the cow barn was built in 1893. The Tamarack lumber came from the back 40. The labor for building the barn cost $100. In 1913, an addition was built to this barn making it 36'x70'. A Hinman milking machine was installed , and operated by a gasoline engine . That September , Claude was seriously injured when he jumped from a load of beans onto a pitch fork handle . He survived the kitchen table surgery under the scalpel of a Detroit surgeon . In November of 1917, he met with a corn husker accident and lost his right hand . These were difficult years for the family , but he continued to farm , and his wife was a full working partner in the business. The first registered Holstein calf was purchased in the early 1900's from Dr . William Huntington . She only produced one heifer calf during her life on the farm. The herd was gradually developed into a registered herd , and presently all of the animals on the farm have been bred and raised there . Engine starts Fire During the early days of milking with the gas engine , it backfired , and started a blaze just under the haymow . Claude ran to the water tank for a pail of water , but Ivah , who 83 was milking, picked up a pail of milk and threw it on the blaze . When Claude returned with the water, the fire was out- he said the pail of milk used to extinguish that blaze was the most valuable one ever produced on the farm. A Delco system was installed about 1919 and the family used the electricity to operate the farm until Consumers Power came through in 1936. Frank Augustus Burkhart died on July 28, 1921, and his wife Carile Genevieve , owned the farm until her death January 1, 1925. At that time Claude Burkhart , and his wife Alene Ivah , purchased the home farm from the heirs . In 1920 Claude and Ivah bought 80 acres that adjoined the farm-it was known as the Brigham place . Claude had one of the first silo fillers in the neighborhood . In the fall he would fill about 18 silos in Conway and Cohoctah Townships. At first it was operated by a stationary gasoline engine . He purchased a Titan tractor which was used on the farm and for silo filling . In 1928 Claude and Ivah did extensive remodeling to the farm house resulting in its present appearance. Andrew Jackson came to the farm in the summer of 1940 following his graduation from Michigan State College . The following summer , he and Claudine Burkhart were married, and joined into a family partnership to continue operating the farm . The partnership continued until Claude 's death in 1955, and then with Ivah , his widow. In 1957 Andrew and Claudine purchased the farm from Ivah . During the years of the partnership , the farm made several improvements . It was one of the early farms enrolled in the North West Soil Conservation District ; the Goodyear award was received for " Outstanding Achievement." A corn crib was added to the cow barn in 1943. In 1955 a pipeline milking system was installed in the stanchion barn , and a bulk tank was purchased. The 20'x55' silo with roto feed bunk was put up in 1958, and in 1959 the 40'x70' pole loafing barn was built- later a 16' addition was added to this barn . A milking parlor was built into the cow barn in 1961 with a double four herringbone DeLaval milking system . The barn was remodeled for a holding area , and individual calf pens for the youngest calves. A 24'x80' bunker silo was built in 1969 and a tool shed in 1970. The original barn at the home farm , was remodeled into a calf barn , and in 1973 an addition was built with free stalls and a maternity stall . The same year a 40'x42' free stall pole heifer barn was built at the north 80. These facilities were necessary due to the loss , by fire, of the large barn in Howell township . Thrashing Time Thrashing time was always a neighborhood event with the men exchanging work , and taking their team and wagon . Grain was cut with the binder . Claude always used an extra horse on the hitch and would change teams at noon so as not to overwork the horses until he purchased a tractor drawn power-take -off ten foot binder. Usually the grain was drawn from the shocks to the separator . When Andy first came into the partnership , they purchased a thrashing machine of their own, and did just their own grain . Shortly after this the first combine was purchased and grain has been combined ever since . Haying has been done by a number of methods . In the first part of the 20th century , the hay loader was used behind the horse drawn wagon. This required someone to drive the team , and a man to load . The hay was put in the mow with either hay forks set into the load, or slings . Horses hitched to the ropes would pull the hay to the top of the barn , and then into the mow . 84 In the late 1940's we started chopping hay . At first it was chopped through the silo filler and blown into the mow. Chutes were built into the mow so hay could be pushed down to the cows more easily-one was placed at either end of the barn . Then a field chopper was purchased and a blower used . In 1960 the mower with hay conditioner was used , and soon the baler with a thrower attachment was added . Conveyers were installed in the barns for carrying the hay into the mow and dumping it. During the late 1940's a labor saving device added to the corn binder was the loader. It was a conveyor system that moved the bundles from the binder to the wagon . The next change came when the corn was field chopped , and blown into the silo. The Jacksons have one daughter , Coralene Allison . She married Basil Bloss and they live in Swartz Creek . In 1973 Christopher Andrew Bloss was born. Basil , Coralene and Christopher all enjoy nature and trips to the farm are important events. These range from going to the woods in the spring to see nature unfold its beauty to deer hunting in the fall . Christopher looks forward to coming and " petting the cows .'' Each generation of ownership felt the responsibility of the stewardship of the land , and tried to improve the soil with good conservation practices , and improvements in the productivity of the land . Livestock has always been a part of the farming program , and the by-products have been used to build the land . Each generation has loved the land , and felt the challenge of producing food for the world 's people. As a result the farm is producing more food today , than at any time in its history . Lee Jackson farm . The Lee Jackson Farm 3163 Faussett Road By EDNA JACKSON BROWNING s In the year of 1837 Lyman Lee , son of Eli Lee of Hartland Township , purchased 170 acres for $200 from Douglas and Mary Le Grante . He and Smith were the first to settle in Hartland Township in 1833, arriving from Monroe County in New York State. Lyman Lee brought his childhood sweetheart , who was now his bride , the pretty Elizabeth Andrus of Hartland Township , to live in the log cabin in beautiful Deerfield Township , two miles east of Oak Grove . It was then called the Boga Chemung . The ground was sandy loam , free of rocks . There were oak and maple woods with a creek running through it and enough marsh land so the stock always had food and water all summer . There was marsh hay to provide topping for stacks that had to be left out in winter. In front of the log cabin they planted a lilac tree and yellow rose bush that lived and bloomed for four generations . The rose lives on in our sixth generation. There was wood to provide fuel, lumber , rail fences, fence posts , and shade . Hickory , walnut , and Hazel Nut trees provided nuts for food, while the huckleberry swamp never failed and asparagus , black and yellow cap and blackberries , wild plums , cherries , peaches , and pears guaranteed a good living. A flock of sheep gave wool for clothing, meat , and taxes . A driving horse and work horses followed the oxen age. They also had a double buggy, called a surrey , with fringe around the top, and a sulkey , a little one seater for muddy roads , a cutter , sleigh , and wagons . One wagon had sides and one was a flat rack . Iron rims over wood with wood spokes made the wheels . They had to have hand pumped water thrown on them or drive in a creek on the Fisher Road for a mile on each trip to Howell. The farm was neatly laid out with a lane running from the barn yard north , and with fields opening off it to the west and east. There were rail fences separating the fields . The farm was nearly self-supporting. In the fall the wheat and buckwheat and corn was ground into flour over at Highland . The basement was filled with crocks and food dried ready for the winter . Lyman and Elizabeth were hard -working, thrifty , and conservative. They attended church in Parshallville . They had two sons who died in infancy , and Maria and Etta . Etta passed away at age 14 of galloping consumption. House and Barn Built When Maria was ten years old the carpenters came and built the house, T-shaped barn , and all of the out-buildings . It took them two years of steady work to finish. Four rooms in the new house were each larger than the log cabin . It also had a full cellar and three small bedrooms . Elizabeth and Maria were busy sewing rags for rugs to cover the new house floors. The day came when the wagon was heaped high with burlap bagsful of large balls and they were taken to Highland to be loomed. The 208 panes of glass were brought from Detroit. The old wagon road ran a half mile south of the Faucett Road and joined the old Plank Road near Brighton . They started very earl y and reached Botsford Inn late that night. My great-grandparents were up early the next day and went to the Detroit City Hall to tie up and do their business , then go back to the Inn for the second night. They started early the next morning so they could be home by midnight of the third day. They usually planned two trips a year . The parlor carpet and furniture and curtains came from the east. They had barely moved into the new house when Elizabeth was stricken and passed away within hours of diabetic coma . Maria kept house for her father until his second marriage . In 1869 Maria married John Jackson from Kendal , England. He arrived on a sailing ship with only a sea chest painted black and his fortune of twenty $100 gold pieces , which were sewed into a belt and worn under his clothes about his waist. He loved America and became a U.S. citizen upstairs on the corner of Grand River and State Street , known to old timers as Peanut Row. Lyman Lee and his wife gave Maria the farm as a wedding gift and moved back to Eli Lee's farm in Hartland Township. Maria and John were blessed with four sons : Evrid , Issac, Elisha , and Lee, and two daughters : Rose and Lillie. Evrid married Grace Hougaling when he was 45 years of age , and they lived in Middleville, Michigan and farmed . Issac and Elisha never married . Rose married Henry Fawcett and lived one mile east and south on Latson Road . Lillie married Elijah Jubb and lived her 99 years in Oak Grove. They were all home often. Lillie and Elijah had two daughters : Pauline Whitmore, who has one daughter , Mary Holcomb, and Marion Goodchild, who had three daughters: Ardus Foust, who has one girl and five boys; Linda Bartell , who has a son and a daughter ; and Ellen Hill, who has a son. Rose and Henry Fawcett have one son, Bruce . John Jackson passed away in 1903 and Maria in 1923. It has been said that Maria never spent a night away from her home. Lee and Jennie Marry After Lee, her youngest son, married Jennie Kirkby , the house, with the addition of a kitchen , became a double house. The door was never shut , Grandma Maria was always consulted , and was Jennie 's best friend . There was never a word of disagreement between them. Maria 's children were delivered by Sarah Tuttle , who was a midwife and delivered over 800 babies . She lost three children of diptheria in one week leaving them one son, Fred Tuttle , and Dolly Simbles, who was born later. Maria was 48 years old when my father, Lee, was born . Grandma Maria thought all children were a blessing and showed it with her love. She wore three petticoats and a white apron over her dark dress , and when going to her daughters she added a white petticoat and a fresh apron and lace edged cap and a shawl. Lee and Jennie Jackson had four daughters and two sons. Naomi Sutfin Fox has four sons and three daughters . Edna Browning has one son and three daughters . Lillian Knoop has two sons and two daughters . Beatrice Wells has two sons. Orval Jackson has four daughters and one son, and three sons and three daughters by his second marriage . John Jackson has two daughters. Lee was a machinist by trade and worked at Spencer Smith's and Howell Motors. His hobbies were farming and the band . He played several instruments , but mostly his slide trombone , in the community band and church. He played 64 of his 80 years . He was 16 when a scout of John Phillip Sousa's wanted him and several other Oak Grove band boys to go with him , but Grandma Maria wouldn't believe there would be born the "best band in the land ," so Papa stayed home . Sousa's band remained his favorite band . Married 60 Years Lee and Jennie Jackson were married 60 years in July. Lee passed away Decmeber 18, 1967, and Jennie in 1971 on November 12. Four generations walked to the Jubb school. After church on a winter Sunday and a bountiful dinner , Lee would hitch Topsie to the cutter with the bells on her and we would all be bundled and snuggled with the buffalo robe and the soap stone under our feet, then we would be off through the snow. The Christmas tree had real candles on it and the wax and pine was a smell to remember . Papa had a pail of water and a dipper ready for fire . The dinner bell was a part of every day living . It was used for gathering the family from the fields , neighbors , and all emergencies , such as illness and fire . One ring was for children , two for grownups and meals , and three or more meant help, and all neighbors responded. Soap making is a work of art and soft soap and hard soap 85 were always made at home. First was the leach, in which all wood ashes were put, and the water was poured over and the lye ran off into a bucket. The iron kettle was used for hot water at butchering time , for rendering lard, for beans , and for apple butter . The Saturday night bath with the tub in the kitchen ...n d copper boiler hot and ready is still remembered. The clean ones were first and the dirty ones last, with the water replenished as needed. We were never spanked , although the boys may have been more than warned about the shingle and behind the wood shed was a peach tree that remained small as someone went to fetch a switch while the bad one pondered and repented . A small lamp lighted our way up the stairs and in winter all had a warm iron or soap stone. The bed had a straw tick and was emptied and filled with fresh yellow straw each year, and the feather tick was on top. After prayers we were all tucked in by our mother . Important books in the house were the Bible, a book on how to make and do it, a doctor book, the Michigan Farmer and Almanac , and the Sinking of the Titanic. My uncle Evrid bought one of the first automobiles in Livingston County, a 1910 Buick. It cost $1200. Lee drove a Model T for 35 years. Papa ordered from Sutton's Hardware a Maytag washer about 1915a nd ran the engine with a pipe going outdoors for the exhaust. This made wash day more bearable, especially since there were ten to wash for. Four of us were delivered by Dr. Erwin of Oak Grove. My father delivered the two sons and one granddaughter himself. Lee and Jennie passed the Centennial farm on to Orval and Doris Jackson. Lee and Jennie left as their descendents six children , twenty-nine grandchildren, sixty-seven great-grandchildren , and thrP.e great-great-grandchildren. The Keller's log farm house on Cohoctah Road . 86 The Keller Farm In 1850J acob Keller and wife, Matilda, bought 200a cres of land in Cohoctah Township, Livingston County. For a few months they lived in a cabin , near a spring , located about 20 rds . from the present buildings . Then they built the log house . It was built on the location of the present buildings . Here they raised their family of three girls and a boy, who had traveled with them from Ontario County, New York, their previous home. Death claimed Jacob Keller in 1851, but his wife and family stayed on continuing to clear the land. Oscar Keller, Jacob 's son, was very interested in the growth and development of the community and was supervisor of Cohoctah Township. Again death stopped their plans as he died at the early age of forty-three . But he left a wife and three children who stayed on the farm. In the picture you see his wife, one son and the daughter . In the late 1890's a dream was realized and the log house was replaced by a typical three-wing frame house. This house is still in use , but has been moved from the present sight and replaced by a ranch-type home . All the material for the frame house was brought in by horses and wagon from Saginaw going one day , loading lumber and supplies the next day , then returning the third day . Bert Keller lived a long and active life on the farm continuing to clear and improve the land . There was nothing he enjoyed more than spending hours in the woods close to the sights and sounds of nature . With the death of his son Oscar, the Keller home was lost . There are three generations living on the farm , his daughter , Elda , her husband , Arlie Brown, their son, Harry with his wife, Eva , and their sons, Warren and Brian . The little boys ar e just as thrilled to find an arrow head or part of an Indian spear , and to listen to the wonderful sounds of nature as their great -great-great grandfather was 125 years ago. The Kellogg Farm By MARY KELLOGG If houses could talk the one at 310 Kellogg Road, would no doubt have quite a story to tell , one of much happiness , a lot of love and sadness as well. This farm was taken up from the government in 1837 by Erastus Kellogg, great-grandfather of present owner Kern Kellogg. Erastus bought the farm for Ebenizer , his son, who was married in 1849 to Rachel Goewey. She died in 1853 when their three children, Wealthy , Spencer and Frances were very small . Spencer died at age 17. In 1854, he was married to Fanny Bradley. They had nine children , Celinda who died at age four, Edward , Linnie who died at age 11, Ire died at age 2, Elizabeth died at age 21, she was a schoolteacher . There was Cora, Elijah , Loren, and Baldwin. Purebred Merino Sheep In 1873 Ebenizer decided to raise American fine wool Merino purebred sheep, so bought 15 ewes from William Ball of Hamburg , Mich. The following year he added 21 more to his small flock ; he also bought these of Mr. Ball. In 1875 he bought 10 more ewes from H.W. Jones . There was a great demand for these purebred sheep he raised . In 1880 he went to Vermont and bought 20 more ewes of F . and L.E . Moore and Q.C. Rich . Grandfather loved working with his sheep , but because of failing health he sold them in 1900. In 1899 Loren Kellogg was married to Clara Meabon and they lived here on the family farm too. They had three sons Clifford (deceased ), Carl , who Jives in Louisville, Kentucky , and Kern , who still lives on the old homestead . Elijah was never married and he lived here and worked too, until his death in 1937. The first log cabin was on the corner of Golf Club and Kellogg Road . Later, another cabin was built back of the present dwelling. It was in this Jog cabin that grandmother was mending one day , when she dropped a piece of cloth and leaned over to pick it up, saw a rattle snake under the rocking chair in which she sat. The Indians used to come from the Flint area here to hunt deer , because there wasn 't any deer there . They had trails all • •j J, . ,f.! . - '"' ,. -- t . r 7;·~ /; ;W; ,.. r · 1·'- "",,.. /"U -,f., ?,.!.f(I -1. :J /.fd?;,,,,' /J';I' I 1 it" #",:, /. j f /J ,ti •i-" . Getting cooled off at the inlet pipe to the old mill. through the farm. They all seemed to be very friendly indians. There have been many Indian arrowheads found over the years while working the land . At first a cradle was used to harvest the grain , and of course corn was husked by hand . Before 1900a Royce Reaper was used and this was still in good shape and used to harvest clover seed in 1910. Then a 4-foot McCormick Deering binder was used . In 1912 a Johnson binder was bought. The first tractor was a John Deere G.P. bought in 1932. In 1941K ern bought a new John Deere A. This tractor is still in good condition and being used yet. Help Build Hardy Church Ebenizer died May 8, 1904 and Fanny in 1918. They were great Christians and their children got this training. He helped to build the present Hardy Methodist Church and they were members . This farm became a dairy farm around 1912 and continues to be at the present time . In 1938K ern Kellogg was married to Mary Purd y and they have four children , Shirley who lives in Tennessee , Carol Sue in Flint and David and Randy at home . Our grandson Jived with us when he was very small for 4½ years , so there have been five generations living in our house which is 95 years old. Loren died November 11, 1942 and Clara , April 19, 1966. The Latson Farm By NELLIE LATSON Hazen Latson, Latest Owner In the year 1835 Edward Latson of western New York State traveled to Michigan in search of a home . His brother Wm. Latson had settled in the Dexter area a few years earlier so Edward made this his base and traveled north into Livingston County. He followed the road as far as Chilson where the farthest settler was located at that time. He continued on the Indian trail to the small creek and followed down this creek a short distance , where he chose the land on which he decided to settle. There was stronger land on either side but it was heavily wooded largely with oaks and maples . As he must feed his family and stock independently of any help , he chose a lower piece near this stream where the forest was not very dense so he could immediately get crops to growing for the family sustenance. In the spring of 1836 he again came with two loaded ox wagons drawn by oxen, and with his young wife and five-month-old son Charles. It was spring so the land was undoubtedly flooded but he built his cabin not far from the stream . He immediately went out and paced the distance to a spring of sparkling pure mineral water and as soon as opportunity presented itself he posted this to his wife's mother who had wept to see her daughter go so far into the wilderness for others whom she had known had gone West and suffered for the Jack of good water . Indians Camp This was spring , spring and autumn brought the Indian tribe which used this route twice yearly to go from winter quarters farther south to their summer campgrounds near Saginaw. They camped on the beautiful bank of the creek . This creek is a feeder of the Shiawassee River so was the natural trail for the trip to the Saginaw camp grounds. This 87 place was one of their favorite camp-sites; they lingered while the season warmed, and hunted venison in the forests. These Indians were peaceful and friendly and the family never had any real trouble with them. This first summer in the wilderness, with no stores available , the cabin was finished with blankets hung over the window spaces until Edward could get time from his planting and clearing to get into Detroit and buy glass . This first fall , Miriam , the young wife, was disturbed by the Indian women who came and pulled the blankets aside to peek in. Edward protested to the Indian leaders . "Oh, " they said, "they won't hurt her . Our squaws want to see the little white papoose." One thrilling experience of the young mother was to see her baby easing his teething gums by gnawing on something as he sat on the cabin floor. Approaching she discovered that it was a black snake . She dared not move nearer but just then the snake straightened out its loop and pulled away from the baby's grip and over the cabin sill. Imagine the horror! Trade with Indians They had no real trouble with the Indians but there were problems . The settlers had to go far to get their wheat ground into flour. I believe it was to Stockbridge and with ox teams and forest trails for roads this was a long trip. Also their salt was obtained at the mill . The Indians liked the white man's bread and needed his salt so they traded venison for it. But here was the problem . It was more than they could do to keep the Indians supplied and there was a limit to the amount of venison they wanted in return . This caused some argument with the red men . Even making the bread must have been quite a problem for the settlers wife while busy helping raise their food and feed her family . Another experience Miriam told about was during this summer while having makeshift doors and windows to get up to find Indians sitting before her kitchen fire warming their hands. One unfortunate circumstance did develop. As roads were usually built on the course of the Indian trails so they assumed that it would follow the stream on to Howell as the Killing a beef . Meat for the winter . 88 trail did. Instead when the road was built it turned to the north at the creek and was built ¼ mile farther east. The land was purchased during the Van Buren administration so the papers of ownership were signed by him and they are dated in 1837, one year later, but this is understandable for the only means of communication was carried by oxteam or horses and Washington was many miles away . One of the interesting experiences on this farm was the finding of Indian arrowheads many years later . In the summer of 1901 and 1902 one of his grandsons, Fred Lounsbery , a bright -eyed 18-year-old picked up scores of them of many shapes and sizes . Later when he also was old enough to work the land Hazen Latson , the owner still turned them up occasionally with the plow. Many were found in the area across the little creek on whose bank the Indians camped . This is understandable for in the autumn on their way south to winter camping ground they planned to stop here and gather their winter supply of meat. In November the usual Indian summer was their food gathering time. They camped here and dressed and dried their venison and in the occasional year when there was no temperate Indian-summer the tribes suffered in winter for lack of food. From here they traveled south for the mid-winter season . Plant Apple Trees Life was hard for the settlers ; those who made a success of it and stayed were a hardy lot. Edward had a heavy plow and well trained oxen and pulled stumps for much of the land around him . He sent to New York State for apple trees and planted them all around him, and his family-and hired workers spent many winter evenings with popcorn and apples to keep them busy . There were no papers then or electric lights to read them by. Most things necessary for life came from the farm or were home made. An old cheese press stood near the house until the beginning of the next century witnessing to the source of their cheddar cheese . Spinning wheels and cord bedsprings were stored in the attic and several candlemolds and candle lanterns showed how their buildings were lighted . Buying household furniture or building hardware meant long two or three-day trips to Detroit over poor roads with ox or horse-teams though much of the building hardware was hammered out by the village blacksmith . To get grist supplies as aforementioned meant a trip of many miles to grist mills over little more than forest trails and took a long day at best and if many loads were ahead of them it was a long dark trip home through the woods late at night. The wife thus was at home hoping that he would make it safely but knowing of the hazards . Country schools were established as children were old enough and at this district the first one was on the S.W. c0rner of Chilson and Beck Roads, but later this was replaced by one in the corner of a woodlot on the N .W. corner of the same location. When children reached high school age the only school available was one in Howell which was on the present S. Michigan Street and was a private school. Edward 's three oldest children attended this school at one time . The Lannen Farm By GRACE LANNEN Eighty acres of what is known as the Lannen farm in Cohoctah was purchased by Mr. and Mrs . Jesse Morey from her brother , Marcus Burkhart in 1862. Later, one of their sons-in-law, Lawrence Lannen , and his wife, Estella , became the owners and much later , it came into the possession of Roy Lannen . Thus, this portion of the farm became a Centennial Farm in 1962. An interesting anecdote connected with this farm is fecounted in the Livingston County History by Ellis-1872. John Sanford was the first permanent settler in the township. He arrived with his family in the summer of 1834. A year later , in July , 1835, his brother , Ezra Sanford, arrived with his famil y. With him came his son-in-law, Ziba Stone. The house which John Sanford built became the first public house in the township. Here , lodging and food could be had and liquor was also served . The first town meeting was held there in 1838. The second town meeting , however , was held at the home of Ziba Stone. This was for two reasons. It was nearer the center of population and no liquor would be served . Most of the settlers were temperate men and preferred an election without liquor . As nearly as can be ascertained , this was on or very near the site of the Roy Lannen home . The Lawson Farm By RICHARD LAWSON On August 16 and 21, 1837, a territorial agent and recorder in the land office at Detroit signed in the name of President Martin Van Buren two parchments in order to deed the land in Genoa Township to John F . Lawson, a New York shipbuilder (the family having plied the same trade in London, England before emigrating to America ). The family moved to the new land in 1837 and found that it was practically all forest which had to be cleared. Indians had a camp ground on the north 40 acres of the farm . It would be a pattern for the family to find relics of the Indians ' existence as they farmed the land over the years . During the early years the log cabin and barns were built. Later , as more land was cleared, the first frame house was built east of the current grape vines . John and his wife, Margaret , had four daughters, Sarah dying in infancy , Margaret , Levena , and Catherine , and three sons, George A., Howard , and John W. Dr . B. Howard Lawson lived for a time in Howell, operating a hardware store . He owned a banking house of B.H. Lawson & Company in Brighton before moving to Detroit to establish the Union Trust Company. Later he practiced medicine at Grace Hospital in Detroit. He and his wife, Maria Holling, had three children, George, Charles F. , and a daughter . John W. Lawson took over the farm from his father and cleared additional land. A second house to replace the log cabin was built on the north side of the barns and a third house was built on the present site of Ernest Lawson's home. John and his wife, Adelaide Barnard had five children, Herbert, Edith , Arthur , Ernest , and Bertha . Ernest Bought Farm When John W. died in 1918, Ernest bought out the heirs , provided for his mother , and worked the farm . Edith took care of her mother until her death , then moved to Howell to live out the remainder of her life. Herbert had his own farm three miles east of Howell. Arthur became a dentist and moved to Marion , Ohio, establishing his line there , a son, Howar d, and later two grandchildren , John and Rebecca . Bertha married Thorwald Larsen of Lansing , Michigan , having a son, Gerald and a daughter , Esther . Ernest married Kathryn Smith of Cohoctah in 1905a nd they had two children, Marjorie and Harold . Kathryn Lawson and Ernest Lawson . T.he farm having been cleared and in good operating shape offered time for other pursuits , a time of great energy in the family 's histor y. Kathryn served for 14 years as president of the Women's Society in the Methodist Church , was a director in the County Red Cross, was a secretary of the McPherson Hospital Auxiliary , and was president of the Howell and of the Livingston County King's Daughters , also on the Library Board . Off Farm Activities Ernest and J .G. Hays formed the Howell Co-Operative in 1917, later having a Co-Op building constructed in 1918. Ernest served as manager , secretary , president , and on the board as a director over a space of 34 years. He originated the First National Bank of Howell. He worked from 1930 to the 1950's on the Production Credit Association, and from 1932-1946h e served as a member of the Michigan Milk Producers Association. In 1921h e laid out three-quarters of a mile at the west end of Lake Chemung into the Sunrise Park subdivision . It was platted in 1923. He built the roads , set out 1,000 trees , and built 95 cottages. A series of hardships fell to Ernest and Kathryn . The first frame house burned shortly after their marriage. In 1941 the third house burned , Ernest 's present house being rebuilt on the site of the fire . Marjorie Lawson died suddenly of pleural pneumonia in 1930 at the age of 22. Harold , after several years of ill health died in 1953.I n 1959K athryn was struck by a semi-steel carrier trailer breaking her elbow, wrist and nose. Her health declined following the accident and she died in 1964. Harold married Harriet Cave and they had two children, Richard and Kathleen . Harold worked at Mack's Store in Ann Arbor, Barrie Dry Goods in Saginaw before returning to operate the farm with Ernest. After World War II, Harold had a truck garden business. Then he formed the Lawson Candy Company in Brighton , which he and Harriet ran until 1952. Richard married Carole Baskin of Rock Hill, S.C. They have two sons, Gavin and David . Richard is a professor at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale , Illinois and Carole is an instructor at John A. Logan College in Carterville , Illinois. Kathleen resides and works near Jackson, Michigan. In the late 1930's Ernest and Harold built a house next to the old family home (it is now owned by a real estate company). In 1965 Harriet moved from this house , having built her current home on the west end of the property . Ernest during the late 1950's to 1967h ad sold portions of the 95 acre tr act until five acres remain . He now resides at Greenbriar in Howell, Michigan . 89 The Marr Farm By CLIFFORD AND BEATRICE MARR The Marr family settled in Howell Township in 1839. They came from Pennsylvania through Markham, Ontario . John Marr came from Canada to Howell in 1839. He first located on Section 17, but in 1841m oved to the N .E. quarter of Section 8, which he purchased from Henry Hubbard , a New Hampshire speculator . (History of Livingston County. Page 195) The Clifford Marr farm contains 80 acres . The front 40 acres , at 4201N . Burkhart Road, was bought by Harlem Marr (the present occupant's grandfather ) from Henry Lake in 1857.M r. Lake purchased this land from William and Isaac Townsend who were the original land patent owners. The back forty , on Fleming Road , was purchased by Harlem Marr in 1899f rom Henry Hubbard, a speculator who had owned it since 1838. Danial Webster owned this land in 1838. Steam Engine Powers Cider & Saw Mills The Marr farm was known for many miles around for its large steam engine, which produced power for a busy sawmill and cider mill . Families came with their teams and wagons loaded with apples to get their supply of cider for the year. The mill retained a portion of each mans ' cider for its costs, thus insuring their profit. The cider purchased at the mill cost 5 cents a gallon . The Marr family , being very patriotic , heard the urgent call for scrap metal during World War I, and dismantled and sold the sawmill and cider mill . The barn was totally destroyed by windstorm on Memorial Day in 1942. The present barn was erected soon afterwards from our own timber cut by Herb Geer 's sawmill on Geer Road. A granar y and woodshed on the place now were part of the original farmstead . The present home replaced a large frame house that was destroyed by fire in 1946. This has been "home " for five generations of Marrs . W.E . Cleavy , former Howell Photographer. 90 The Mason Farm 9525 Wiggins Road "The Historical Commission of the State of Michigan does hereby certify that in recognition of the ownership of this farm by the family of Carl D. Mason since 1868 and the contribution to its members have made the development of Michigan , the Michigan Historical Commission does hereby certify that this land is to be a centennial farm and the present owner thereof to be a centennial farmer ." This certificate seal was signed by the present Governor , William G. Milliken, President , Historical Commission , three commissioners as well as the secretary of the Historical Commission . Earl Mason's grandfather , Dudley F. Mason , homesteaded the farm in 1868.N oted as one of the best farmers of his time , he was married to Mary Harrington and had one son, Carl Dudley. During the time she lived on the Mason farm , Mary was both a public school and Sunday school teacher in Deerfield . Carl married Eva M. Wolverton in 1916. She died in December of 1946. Carl was a state electrical inspector for the states of Michigan and New York during the time he owned the Mason farm . In his last years he was a local electrician . He died in an auto crash in 1969. The farm was divided between Carl 's two sons , Charles and Earl. Earl now lives on the original forty acres . The Maycock Farm 5591 West Coon Lake Road By HAROLD and LOREENE MAYCOCK James Maycock and his wife, Mary Ann, came from Woodstock, Ontario , Canada , in 1865 and bought land in Section 19 of Marion Township. James was born in Buckinghamshire , England in 1825. As a young man he was indentured to Canada . He and Mary Ann Graham , who was born in Canada in 1836, were married in 1850. They lived in the Woodstock area until coming to Michigan in February of 1865. With them were their three daughters , Susan 10, Fanny 5, and Mary Ann 3. James first bought 50 acres on the south corners of Coon Lake and Pingree Roads. The house on the southeast corner was already built. It first faced on Pingree Road but later the inside was changed to face on Coon Lake Road . It is not . known how old the house is. In 1871 Susan married Arthur Wimbles and lived across from her parents . In March of 1873 a son Harry , was born to James and Mary Ann and in September of 1873a son, George , was born to Susan , making her brother only six months older than her son. Susan and Arthur Wimbles had five children . George married Eva Brockway of Howell; George was at one time sheriff of Livingston County. Ella married Plin Henry , a barber in Howell. Clyde, a barber in Fowlerville , married Edwinna Steiner . Bessie married Bert Tooley of Oceola Township, who later played baseball with Brooklyn . Clark , married Eleanor Lowry of Pennsylvania ; they now live in Miami, Florida . Clark is the last living member of the Wimbles family . After Arthur Wimbles' death in 1899 Susan moved to Howell and earned the living for her family by sewing vests Bringing in small logs for split rail fences . for the Garland Bros ., Tailormade suits . She was thus employed long after her family were gone from home. Fanny Maycock married Will Dutcher in 1879,a nd they had three sons, Roy, Claude, and Guy. After farming a short time in this area they moved to a farm at St. Johns where they always lived. The family are all gone except Mrs . Guy Dutcher , her <laugher Geraldine Whyman, and the daughter of Roy Dutcher . Mary Ann Maycock married Albert Drewry in 1884. He was a native of Marion Township, and they lived their entire married life on the Drewry Farm on Bentley Lake Road . They had one daughter, Gertrude. In 1920s he married Wilbur Warner of Howell. They both were graduates of Howell High School. They went to live in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They had one daughter , Gratia . Both Gertrude and Gratia and her family still live in Fort Wayne. Harry as a young man of sixteen was sent to St. Helen, Michigan to buy the lumber for a big bank barn. The barn still stands across Pingree Road to the west of the house. The barn has served for these many years of farming by James and Harry as they acquired more land. Harry married Carrie Mitchell in 1894. Carrie lived on Coon Lake Road but attended the Marion Center School while Harry attended the Green School on Pingree Road. After their marriage they were both members of the West Marion Church which was across the road from the Maycock home where the couple made their home with his parents. Harry and Carrie had three sons, Donald, Leslie and Harold . None of the sons stayed on the farm with their father. Don went into business in Howell, Leslie joined the Michigan State Police and Harold was employed in Howell. James passed away in 1902. Mary Ann, although in poor health in the fall of 1918, wished to live until she knew that grandson , Don, was back in the States after World War I. She died in November of 1918 knowing Don was back safely . Harry continued farming until 1933, when he built a gas station on the corner by the house, and rented out the fields . Carrie passed away in December of 1938 and Harold and his wife, Loreene, moved to the farm with his father . Harry was not well for several years and passed away just five years to the day as that of his wife. After Harr y's death a will left the farm divided up with the three sons. Harold and Loreene were left the 50 acres containing the house and barn . Donald and Leslie sold their acreage later . Harold and Loreene are the parents of two daughters , Susan Alice Brooks and Sarah Mitchell Coselman , and have two grandsons , Mark and Robert Dickins. In 1970, the acreage was divided into lots and some was sold so that now Harold and Loreene still own 25 acres of the original farm bought by James in 1865. Interesting highlights recalled by Harry Maycock were when his cousins, the three Dutcher boys, rode their bicycles all the way from St. Johns to visit , some fete in those days! "Pingree" Post Office At one time , there was to be a post office across the corner in the store. Harry Maycock was asked to name it. He suggested "Pingree" after a former Michigan governor. The post office wasn't in existence long but the name of "Pingree " has always designated this area . Over the years there have been three serious fires around the corners . A machine shop burned on the corner but the big barn was saved. The gas station burned but the house was saved. In March of 1958 the West Marion Church burned. A great loss to this area . The spacious front lawn at the Maycock farm has always been a favorite meeting place . From ice cream socials held there in the past , to ball games for three generations, games of croquet played by young men in the area before World War II, or for just relaxing by the family under the large, old catalpa tree. Harold and Loreene are members of Trinity United Methodist Church in Iosco, along with other members from the area who were former members of the West Marion Church, who joined to build the Trinity Church. Of the James Maycock family there are three living first cousins, Clark Wimbles of Miami, Gertrude Warner of Fort Wayne, Indiana , and Harold of the farm. There are two others , Mrs . Guy Dutcher of St. Johns and Bert Tooley of Marshall, Michigan. Of the Harr y and Carrie Maycock's three sons, Donald was the only one to have a son. James Maycock, named for his great-grandfather , was born in 1941. He is a lawyer in California, and he now has a young son to carry on the Maycock name for this branch of the family . 91 The McKinleyF arm By MR. AND MRS . ALDEN MERRILL The present George McKinley, now 83 yrs. of age, lives on the old homestead which was taken up in 1833. His grandfather, Thomas McKinley, at the age of 12 left Killarney , Ireland , with his father, Robert McKinley, and came by boat to New York. They drove horses , pulling boats on the Erie Barge Canal. Land was too high to buy in New York State , so they came west to Michigan where land was $3.00 per acre , after a settler had established residence of 3 years , here. They took up land in Livingston County, Deerfield Township, site of the present homestead , in 1830. It took Grandfather Tom three walking trips from Detroit (all his worldly goods in a handkerchief on a stick ) to get the deed settled . They cleared the land and kept 350 sheep . His father , Robert , was killed during a stampede of the sheep . Grandfather Tom married Sarah Patterson and they had a family of five boys and one girl. He died in 1891. A highly respected man in the community , he bled to death from cancer , with the surrounding neighbors deeply concerned . Sarah 's parents had also left Ireland for N.Y. , and she had been born on the ship three days before it landed . The Fawcetts , Sharps, and Marbles , all neighbors in Deerfield , all came from Ireland . Grandmother Baked for Indians Near the early family home were many Indians around the present Indian Lakes. The tribe was called Portago . George's grandmother used to make cookies for the Indian children. Early settlers could look out of the windows and see Indians many times . There was no feeling of hostility on either side, although the Indians would pick up anything they felt would be useful to them . But this did not happen often enough to cause any trouble or resentment. There were many burial mounds around the lakes. Everything the Indian had owned was put on top as he was buried ; thus the mounds . Grandfather would walk to Byron with a bag of wheat on his shoulder to trade for flour. Grandmother Sarah used to take several dozen eggs , which she had saved up, to Brighton to shop. She followed an old Indian trail , thru the woods, that met Grand River trail-road at Brighton . This would take a day going (more than 20 miles), then stay a day or so with friends , then return . 92 Grandfather built the present house near where the log house stood. The old open well was used until 1935. The present George used oil lamps until two or three years ago. (His Christmas tree from last Christmas is still up). Many hardships must have accompanied this early life as several of the boys died of rheumatism at an early age , and several more suffered much with it. The present George , living alone , never having married , and a cousin, 95, are the remnants of the early family that remember these early days . Stalls in the barn of the Mc Phers on farms . The MerrillF arm By MR. AND MRS. ALDEN MERRILL This ownership started with the Merrill brothers Benjamin, Ezell , Horace , and Hiram who located in Deerfield Township, Sec. 33. Benjamin , and Ezell came in 1836, securing their land by land patents . Hiram and Horace in 1837, all grants from President VanBuren . The brothers worked their way out from Detroit on the old Grand River Plank Road . Each took up a portion of what is the present 160 acres . Each built a log house on his part. One of the interesting names on the deeds was Bolisti Merrill. Benjamin was Alden Merrill's great-grandfather . He had previously bought supplies from the famous TenEycke Tavern before leaving Detroit. Benjamin 's son, Hiram , married Charlotte Taft , daughter of Noah Taft of Oceola Township. This family was related to Wm. Howard Taft. Hiram Returns From Civil War After returning from Civil War duty , Hiram consolidated the holdings to the present area, plus about a hundred more acres . He built the family home on Allen Rd. in 1890. This landmark home burned in 1928 and the present stone residence of Alden Merrill was the final home of Ira Merrill , son of Hiram . This is where the Centennial marker is displayed in a stone setting. Ira Merrill was married to Alice Grelling of Detroit , who came to Livingston County to teach school. They were married in St. John 's Episcopal Church in Detroit. Alden remembers the "hired men " who wandered in at fall time to work for board and room or "found;" and tobacco, some spending money for fair and circus , etc., would be added as needed . They would keep busy in chores, odd jobs , and wood cutting. They would stay the following summer and sometimes longer . An invitation to Noah Taft and wife from Hiram Merrill shows some of the formality often used. AN EVENING PARTY The company of Mr. Noah Taft and lady are respectfully solicited at the house of H. Merrill in Deerfield, on Thursday, February 24th, at 6 o'clock p.m. , 1848. HIRAM All written in fancy shaded script. The Lawn Locust Farm By HELEN M. MILLER In the early 1850's Leander Douglas Purdy , a carpenter by trade , left his wife and two children in the state of New York and came to Michigan, seeking work. He found a sight on which to establish a home in section 19 of Marion Township, Livingston . After purchasing the sight from Sylvester Rounds, who had obtained it from the government in 1836, Mr. Purdy went back to New York for his family. During his absence his wife and daughter had died of a fever , leaving a two-year-old son, Augustus . He brought his son back to Michigan with him , putting him in the care of his sister , Jane King, who lived near Pinckney , until he could establish a home . In a short time he met and married Jane Topping Proctor , who had a four-year-old daughter, Mandanie. They settled on the farm Leander Purdy had purchased, living in a log house until 1858, when the present house was built-now occupied by a grandson , Lloyd D. Miller. The frame house was built from timber from the land , and was an impressive structure because it had so many windows. Build Barn In 1860a basement barn was built, using native timber for the frame . The lumber for finishing the barn was brought from a mill in Chesaning , a town near Flint and a long journey from Marion Township. It was a mild day when Mr. Purdy and two of his neighbors left to pick up the lumber. They started back home on New Years Day , which was one of Sunday afternoon in the sun . the coldest known. The men had to walk to keep warm. Their boots froze to their feet, making it difficult to remove them . Their feet were so frozen that they were unable to walk for days . One of the men , a Mr. Basford , suffered so from the exposure that he contracted pneumonia and died. The only heat in the house was a big fireplace built in the center. The children huddled around this in winter, with quilts spread around on chairs , to keep out the cold. A granary was built in 1870 and is still in use . Other buildings added later were a second barn built in 1944, a tool shed, pole barn, milking parlor . All buildings are still standing anrl in use today. The original fence was made of worm rail. Wire fences were established in 1902. Over the years five different wells have been dug or drilled . The first had a chain bucket on it. The third well had a windmill , which still stands as a symbol of by-gone days . Early crops were corn and wheat , later alfalfa and oats. Alfalfa has been the main forage crop for the past fifty years. Harvesting of crops has progressed from the cradle scythe to combining of wheat or oats ; hay first loaded by hand or hay loader is now baled or chopped for haylage . Mr. Purdy lived on this farm until 1874, when he purchased a farm in Parker 's Corners . There he built another house for his family , which still stands. His son Augustus took over the farm in Marion Township but soon gave it up. Mr. Purdy then sold the farm to his daughter Emma and her husband , George E. Miller, a wagon maker , who had been living in Plainfield. The Millers lived on the farm until their deaths in 1924a nd 1934,w hen it was purchased by their youngest son, Lloyd. He and his wife, Mary Alice Stevens , continued to farm the land. In 1884 a piece of land from the farm bordering on Coon Lake and Pingree Roads was given by Augustus Purdy for a Methodist Protestant Church, called the West Marion Church. It was in continuous use until it burned in the spring of 1958; the land then was returned to the farm owners . Lloyd Miller bought his first registered Holstein-Friesian cow in the early 1920's and soon had the name "Lawn Locust" registered nationally as the farm name and herd prefix. From that first cow, a dairy herd was established that was in continuous operation for nearly fifty years. All dairy 93 replacements were raised on the farm and most of the feed for the cattle. Although electricity was not brought to the farm until 1930, Mr. Miller had a gasoline-powered milking machine-an Empire , bought in 1920. When electricity arrived he converted to an electric machine . Over the years the milking job graduated from stanchion barn to milking parlor, with pipe line and bulk tank, eliminating the need of carrying milk to cans and cooler. The cows were eventually kept in free stalls and fed year round in the barn yard, instead of being pastured . Milk hauling was first done in cans by horse and wagon to the condensory in Howell. Later can trucks hauled it to receiving stations. Then that gave way to bulk tank trucks . First Rubber Tired Tractor In 1938 Mr. Miller bought the first rubber-tired tractor in the township, a John Deere-B. Later the farm was to boast the first Harvestore in this part of the county. Sixty acres of the original purchase remain. Some land has been sold; other acreage added. The sight where Bruce and wife Helen Cooley Miller and sons now live was part of the Walter Gorton place. The old house stood near where their house now stands . Timber for the roof of their house came off the farm . Bruce helped his dad , Lloyd D. with the dairy operation for many years. After Lloyd's retirement , Bruce bought the farm and continued the operation until ill health forced him to sell the herd. Bruce 's sons Michael and Samuel now care for a small Hereford beef herd and operate the farm . Another son, Daniel, is married and works at Hickory Ridge Dairy , owned by Norman and Gordon Topping, descendants of a brother of Jane Topping Purdy . These young men represent the fifth successive generation on this farm and hopefully one of them will continue on with the business . The William Hosley Family, 1880. 94 The Spring Valley Farm By MARTHA HOSLEY MUSSON The one hundred sixty acre farm known as "Spring Valley Farm" is located on Fisher Road in Section 18 of Oceola Township. It was purchased from the United States Government on May 14, 1836 by Volney Himman of Orelans County, New York. It was some time later sold to Van Renselaer Durfee, but it wasn't until 1859 that it came into the possession of the Hosley family . On March 9, 1859W illiam Kendall and his wife, Eliza Beach Hosley, bought the one hundred sixty acres from Van Renselaer Durfee for four thousand dollars. Going back a few years in the lifetime of William Kendall Hosley, we learn that he, at the age of fifteen , and a brother , Holland C., age thirteen , came to Livingston County with their parents, Joseph and Sarah (Northrup) Hosley in 1836. They first settled in Section 31 of Deerfield Township where Joseph and his family took up two hundred and sixty acres of government land, all covered with heavy timber . They lived upon this land for many years, clearing it from the condition of a wilderness to that of a highly cultivated farm . The Hosley's first home was a log cabin and their earliest neighbors were Indians , while the best roadways were Indian trails and blazed trees were their only sign posts . It was in Deerfield Township that William and Holland Hosley grew to manhood and helped their parents acquire more acreage in Sections 36 and 25 of Cohoctah Township . This was across the road from their original homestead , on what is now the Faussett Road just east of Oak Grove . They also helped build and run a grist mill and saw mill , and later owned a general store in Chemungville , now known as Oak Grove. Holland sold his share of the property and moved to Duplain, near St. Johns where he bought a farm and had a William Joseph Hosley, 1925. grist mill, but William remained at home to help his parents until their deaths in 1850 and 1855. It was at this time that the family farm came into his possession . In 1841 William Kendall and Eliza Beach Hosley were married . To them were born seven children, three sons, Miner Joseph , Elijah Beach and William Kendall, Jr ., four daughters by the names of Betsy, Caroline, Esther and Emma . Purchase Oceola Farm In 1859 William Kendall, Sr. and his wife,Eliza , sold their property in Deerfield and a little later the Cohoctah acreage to their oldest son, Miner. They bought for four thousand dollars the one hundred sixty acre farm in Oceola Township, which was destined to become a "Centennial Farm. " It was here that their family grew to adulthood , married and left home to make homes of their own. Elijah married Nancy Maria Lawther in 1868 and lived in Laingsburg for a short time , where he had a grist mill , but returned to the family farm to help his parents in the latter part of 1869. It was on December 25, 1869 that their son, William James was born . To Elijah and Nancy were also born two daughters, Helen and May. Elijah Beach Hosley received his education in a log schoolhouse, just one mile north of the family home, known as the Kneeland School, after which he went to Howard City for further opportunities. He was an ambitious farmer , a good manager , stock buyer and shipper. For many years he handled from three to five thousand sheep every year . It was told that he handled the best stock that could be found and was a first-class judge of the horse and owned some of the fastest and best bred horses in the county . He was interested in public movements and held several public offices, as he felt it a duty of every patriotic citizen . Nancy Maria, the oldest child and daughter of James and Amarilla Harmon Lawther , was of a quiet nature and a good helpmate to her husband . Her parents were also early pioneers who had come from Sharon in Schoharie County, New York to Livingston County in 1836. Before her marriage she taught a short while in the Kneeland school. It was here that she met Elijah . Both Elijah and Nancy wanted the best opportunities for their children . All had good educations . Both William James and Helen were graduated from Ypsilanti Business College and May studied music beyond her high school days. William Married Colorado Girl William spent a few years in Colorado and had the experience of a miner in the Cripple Creek area , where he met is future wife, Jennie Parker . They were married in Denver , Colorado in 1900 and continued living near Cripple Creek until 1903. It was there that their first son, Sterling Elijah , was born in 1901.I n 1903t hey returned to Michigan to live on the family farm, to help his parents and raise their family of nine children , five boys and four girls. Jennie was also of a pioneer family , the Parkers having come to Michigan in 1835 from Broome County, New York and first settled in Hamburg Township and in 1853 purchased land in Oceola Township in Section 30 just east of what is now the Diamond Dot Market on M-59. Jennie's father , Clarence E . Parker, worked for the Hosleys when he was a young man . He married Nancy 's cousin, Eva Lawther. The following paragraphs were taken from the June 1934 issue of the Livingston County Press. It concerns the family of William James and Jennie P . Hosley, who were the last of the family to live on the homestead, "Spring Valley Farm ." It was taken from a speech by Emil E. Bode, given at the 1934 Alumni gathering in the Howell High Gymnasium . Emil Bode Speaks "-There are many others who have been successful , each in his or her own field. We can't all build battleships or be at the head of great educational instituitions. -Somebody must do the prosaic , uninteresting and everyday work of the world: till the soil and sow the wheat; add up long columns of figures and set down the totals ; stand behind the counter and wrap up the things that people eat and the clothes they wear. I believe that anybody who does the work near at hand to the best of his or her ability is successful. I have in mind a young man of the class of 1920, able to do any one of several things well, from trapping and hor.se wrangling in the west (Colorado) to demonstrating multigraphs in the east. He is now, in spite of physical infirmities that would lay an ordinary mortal in his grave, the active partner of a successful general insurance agency in a nearby city (Lansing ) and is set for life. Another boy, class of 1921, went west to help his Grandfather Parker and remained to become a thorough westerner , practically a native son. He lies in the shadow of the Lone Cone in the San Miguel Basin of Southwestern Colorado, and in addition to running a going ranch , owns a whole section of as potentially rich ranch land as there is in the whole state . A few months after a farmer lad had graduated with the class of 1923h is father died, leaving to his young but willing shoulders , the care and management of a three hundred and thirt y acre farm . I know not what other plans or ambitions this young man had , but they were cast aside for the big task that confronted him . The fact that his younger brothers and sisters were able to continue in school and complete their 95 Hosley homestead, 1930. education is proof that he must have risen early and toiled late on that farm which was spread over certain hills and valleys of Oceola Township. A sister and brother , each members of the graduating class of 1927, she is one of the faculty of the Corunna School; he, after graduating from Michigan State College, is with the United States Forestry Service in West Virginia. A girl member of the class of 1928 applied for and successfully filled a teaching position in Colorado which was forty miles from a railroad near Redvale . She spent two summers with her brother and grandparents and taught one year in a nearby school, but decided to further her education and returned home to enroll in a Dental Hygiene course at the University of Michigan . She is now a dentist 's skilled and efficient assistant . Two girls of the classes of 1929 and 1931 respectively, convinced the head of a large insurance organization , Citizens' Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, that they would make good office help . He took them at their words and has never regretted it. They are valued members of the office staff . These are eight young men and women, four of each . It is an interesting coincidence that these eight are all brothers and sisters , of one family , born and raised on a nearby farm in good times and bad . These eight , each in town, did his or her trick at this high school and graduated , the girls with an average well above ninety , the boys somewhat below. There are nine of them altogether and the ninth one is a member of this year 's class . He is listed among the graduates of 1934 as Robert Kendall Hosley. Little Bob, the last chick out of the nest, is five feet and eleven inches tall and ambitious , so I'm sure he will live long and prosper . I challenge any farming, or any other communit y in this or any other state to surpass this record: a whole family of nine children, all high school graduates , three college graduates and each employed at something worthwhile in and during the worst depression in the world's history . This is another instance of a wonderful mother ." Bob continued a little further in his studies and took over his oldest brother 's business in Lansing at the time of 96 Sterling 's death in 1944. He married and with his wife, Lois, raised four children . He still makes Lansing his home and place of business . Margaret worked at Citizens' for a while, married and with her husband , Merle Sober , had a family of one daughter and a son. She returned to help at the insurance office until she retired early in the year 1975, but it was a short time later that she was asked back to help out part time . Henrietta worked at Citizens' until 1944w hen she quit to be a full time homemaker on their "Centennial Farm" in Deerfield Township. She and Walker Faussett had married in 1935. It is here that they still make their home after raising two daughters and a son. Katherine continued with her dental position for a few years , then married her employer , Dr . Clifford Crockett, and moved to Lansing where she still worked as his assistant. To them were born three sons and a daughter . Wilfred went into the Soil Conservation Service in Salisbury , North Carolina for a short time until he was called into service in the second World War in England and the South Pacific area from 1942u ntil 1945.H e married Beatrice Roberts of North Carolina , bought a farm near Raleigh and became a full time farmer and still makes North Carolina his home. They have one daughter . Martha taught in Corunna for six years , was married to Walter Baird in 1935. They moved to St. Clair Shores in 1936 where she did substitute teaching while her husband taught full time at Lakeshore High School. Walter died in 1942a nd it was that same year that their daughter was born. Martha moved back to "Spring Valley Farm, " worked at Citizens' Mutual for nine years and then returned to teaching in the Hartland Consolidated Schools for ten years. She remarried and is now living with her husband , Clayton Musson, on the Musson family farm in Marion Township. Both Sterling and Clarence died in their early forties , Sterling of Tuberculosis at the State Sanitorium near Howell in 1944, leaving his wife, the former Marion Eastman , a daughter and a son. Clarence died in Montrose , Colorado of pneumonia in 1948, leaving his wife, Ellen . Roger continued living and working on the family farm m~m~mrl~l,adr ei1sn.w c le~ion1w %a 1n adt thatt imhei ms othmeor viendtHo owtoel lilv eR. ogeanr d Elleand optead li ttleg ir,l Virginia Kay, in 1952.T hey bought the farm from the family and continued living there until 1967 when they decided to retire from farming and move to Colorado, where they are still living. Roger couldn't retire entirely for he puts in many hours at his little ranch in Montrose, Colorado, as well as help on a nearby ranch during the summer months . They have been traveling throughout the United States and Mexico during the winter months. The family homestead was sold in two parcels-the house and twenty acres to Severn T. Green and the remaining one hundred forty acres to Athanas Fontaine . Christmas Gift Many memories, both happy and sad, come to mind as I'm writing this. The first one was told us by our Grandmother Hosley, Nancy Maria. It was shortly before their first child, William James , our father , was born that their house burned and they had to move into a little log house upon the hill, just south of the homestead. It was here that the baby was born December 25, 1869a nd was a very welcomed Christmas gift. In 1870 the new house was built. Grandpa Hosley hauled with horses and wagon the finishing lumber, white pine, from Saginaw County. Then in 1902w hen William and Jennie with their son, Sterling , returned from Colorado there was an addition built on the north side, thus making two apartments . In 1913 Grandpa and Grandma moved into Howell and lived at 359 East Brooks Street , where Mrs. Mae Metz now lives. This gave Mother and Dad and their nine children more living space , eight bedrooms in their fourteen room house. In the early 1930's Roger and Wilfred remodeled the house by making a new kitchen , piped water into the house and added a bathroom . It was at this time that electricity was wired into the house. We remember Grandpa Hosley telling about his experiences in buying and selling sheep and cattle. It was in 1884 that he was on one of his trips to Texas with three thousand sheep when he was caught in a snow storm that lasted nine days. He lost fifteen hundred of his sheep , which was a most disastrous experience , for he lost in all some eleven thousand five hundred dollars. From then on he did most of his shipping to Buffalo, New York. Children Play Many times Father would speak of his children as his baseball team , and we did enjoy playing baseball as well as all games. We didn't need any outsiders to play these games , but there were usually several of the neighbor children there to enjoy our fun, especially on Saturday afternoon , when our work was finished , and during the summer vacations. Many happy memories came to mind of the picnics that we had back in the woods on the hog's back , as it was called. Also many hours were spent fishing and swimming in the creek , which was just over the hill. In the winter there were many hills on which we could use our sleds , toboggans and skiis , and ponds for skating . In looking through one of Grandpa 's day books I learned that it was in 1870t hat he went back in the woods and brought up fifty sugar maple trees and planted them in the yard and along the road . That brought to mind the gathering of sap and making maple syrup and sugar some forty years later. Then in 1941 a tornado destroyed nearly all of them . Besides the trees , the wind lifted and leveled our big hundred foot long sheep and hay barn , tore the roof off the cow barn as well as the house, making a mess of things in a very few minutes . It toookv eary eatorg etth inbgas cikns hap, beunt evetrh e samea s before. In reminiscing the changes and improvements in the one hundred years that the family owned the farm, there were many . What a difference our forefathers would see if they could come back and see how we live, not only on the farm but everywhere! What a difference there is in the way our work is done! What a change electricity has made in our ways of living! For the house there is no more cleaning of lamp chimneys , filling of lamps with kerosene and carrying of water. For a short time after 1916 we had acetylene gas lights in both the house and barns, but their advantages were limited . The gas was made by combining calcium carbide with water in a large tank outside and piped inside . To light the lamps you either had to use a match or a lighter fastened to the side of the lamp . These served for a while, but electricity was a very welcomed improvement . Spring Water There was also a great change in our water supply. We had a spring which was about seventy-five feet from the house . This spring did its job very well for it ran continuously from the main supply to several tanks near the house and in each of the barns . I remember that many of the neighbors going and coming from town, especially in the summer time , would stop to refresh themselves and their horses with a cool drink of water from our spring . Soon after we had electricity we had a refrigerator , so no more ice had to be put up for our ice box. No more wood had to be cut and carried in for the kitchen range . The electric range made the kitchen much cooler in the summer . One can go on and on telling of its advantages . Many who have never been without electricity can't appreciate its value and convenience. Our first automobile was a 1910 four cylinder Hudson, bought in 1918 and was previously owned by Dr. Avery , a dentist in Howell. The stearing wheel was on the right side and it had acetylene lights . To turn them on the car had to be stopped , get out, turn the gas on and use a match. In 1925w e bought our first tractor , a Fordson. That made some difference in the work that could be done. In 1928 the farm had its first miling machine , a DeLaval Magnetic . From that time on more and more improvements were made in farming , such as larger tractors , combines , balers , hay conditioners and corn pickers to name a few. A farmer today can do so much more of his work alone than he could years ago. We have heard our mother , Jennie Parker Hosley, say many times , " I believe more changes and improvements have been made in my lifetime (1883-197)2 than in any other previous eighty years ." The Muuon Farm By LEONARD MUSSON On a Centennial Farm located at 2659 Byron Road , Howell, Michigan lives Leonard Musson, grandson of the late Robert and Mary Ann Musson. In their early twenties the grandparents with their three-year-old daughter , Elizabeth , left Liverpool, England for the United States in the year 1857. Because of the storms they encountered they arrived two weeks late in New York . The grandfather not having much money walked all the way to Howell, Michigan , sleeping along the trail each night. Before leaving New York he sold what ever they didn't need from their carpet bags so as to have enough money to ~ke care of his wife and daughter in N.Y. whom he was leavmg 97 until the time came which he could look after them in Michigan. The grandfather had eleven brothers and sisters. They had all worked together and pooled their money so as to be able to send one brother , Thomas , being single, to the U.S. at an earlier date . Therefore the grandfather, Robert worked for his brother Thomas after arriving , hauling freight from Detroit to Howell. During the same year Robert had earned enough money to have his wife and daughter unite with him. They rented a house which stood on the southwest corner of the present Library lawn. Later they purchased ten acres with. a log cabin on it for their real first home, on a trail north of Howell which is now known as the Brewer Road . Two children were born there and were later buried along the trail. In 1862 they purchased a one-room cabin which is part of the house which Leonard Musson now lives in on Byron Road. Because of the transactions at that time the deed was not recorded until 1864. In this home seven more children were born: Frank , Maude, William, Grace, Jennie, Thomas, and George. George purchased the old homestead and later married Lulu White. They were the parents of William who lives at Hale, Michigan. Lyle at Crooked Lake , and Leonard who lives on the old Homestead on Byron Road. The house which he lives in is over a hundred years old and the barn was built about 120 years ago. First Howell telephone operator. The Preston Farm In 1847, John Kirk moved to Livingston County from Roundhill, Connecticut , with his wife and family . With the help of neighbors , he built a log house on a hill back from the road . In 1893 John died and soon afterward his son, Arlington Kirk, purchased the farm from the heirs . There were nine children in the John Kirk family . Arlington married Frances Adams and they had three children, two of whom died in infancy. Louis Kirk was the only surviving child of the first marriage . After Frances' death , John married Mary Burdick , and they had three children , Hazel, Burdick and Bessie. Hazel (Mrs. Fred Preston ) is the only survivor . Hazel Kirk and Fred Preston were married in 1909 and in 1923t hey bought the farm from the Arlington Kirk heirs. Mrs. Preston adds that the family home was built over 100 years ago by Horace Haines for her grandfather , John Kirk . 98 The Peckens Farm By MARY PECKENS Sometime in the year 1860A lexander Peckens with his wife Eliza and eight children came to Chelsea, Michigan from New York State . Somehow they came to Cohoctah Township to find and purchase 160 acres of land in section 27. This land had been purchased from the United States Government by Benjamin Crawford in October of 1835, sold to Ezra Sanford for development in 1837. No one knows how much if any of the land was cleared at that time , but it had a large log cabin already built on the farm as was an old log barn. In November of 1860 Alexander and his family purchased the land and moved into the cabin. The family consisted of three daughters and five sons, the youngest of which was Marcena Peckens , who was ten years old at the time. Two of the sons , Albert Peckens and John Peckens were killed in the Civil War, leaving Charles , Alton and Marcena. At the time Alexander purchased the land from Mr. Sanford he was assured that there would be a village formed in the vicinity-in fact 10 acres had been set aside for the purpose , five acres of which joined the property Alexander was purchasing. This ten acres was in addition to a small area set aside for a cemetery and school. The school finally located on the Russell property and was known as the Russell school. The cemetery came into being and is known as the Sanford cemetery today. But the 10 acres set aside remained separate for many years and was finally purchased by Howard Peckens and five of it was added to the farm in 1943. The other five acres lay east of the Byron Road and was purchased from Howard by Jesse Bugard. The story is told of some of the people living on this set-aside land. They had some new-born piglets and a bear came out of the woods and grabbed one. The farm woman saw it happen and set out after the bear with a club which she had snatched as she ran . She overtook the bear, made it drop the pig which was nursed back to health and grew up to produce many more pigs . In 1873 Marcena married Ernaline Brown whose family had homesteaded their land from the government, and in 1876 a part of the Alexander Peckens farm was sold to Marcena, some to Charles and some to Alton, thus dividing the farm between the three remaining sons. A small two story salt-box type home was built west of the present farm house where Marcena and his family lived for a short time . Alexander died in 1881 at the age of seventy-six and two years later Marcena purchased the tract of land where the log cabin stood from the heirs and moved his family back into the log cabin because it was larger . By this time Marcena and Ernaline had a family of four children , consisting of three daughters and one son, Albert . Cold Spring Water Another attraction of this particular tract of land was the very cold spring which provided easy access to water for the family farm. A small "spring house" was later built near the runway of these springs and the water was used for cooling milk for many years afterward , no pumps being required . While living in the log cabin four more children were born , two daughters and two sons. Lena Susan Peckens was one of these children and she married Mark Hill and now resides in Parshallville , Michigan . Rose Jan Peckens was the youngest of the family . She married Elbert Slider and is living in Linden , Mich. The two sons born in this log cabin were The How ell Foundry made plows and implements. Howard and Charles and it is through them that the farm came to the present owners . The log cabin being in a rather dilapidated state, Marcena purchased the land from his brothers and moved the little house up near the log cabin and added to it a dining room , kitchen and bedroom . This gave the family a five-bedroom house , all of which they needed because now there was a total of eight children . Marcena had a reputation around the neighborhood as being very good with sick people and his daughter Rose remember s seeing him light a lantern after chores were done to walk across fields to sit up during the night with a neighbor who was suffering from pneumonia . The family existed by producing cattle, and other farm produce , probably not selling very much , but producing enough for themselves . In those days the cattle had to be driven on foot to Howell or to the siding at Oak Grove when the railroad came . The milk that was sold was placed in cans and cooled in the spring-house before being loaded on a horse-drawn wagon and hauled all the way to Howell to be sold. Charles Marcene being the youngest son, stayed on the farm with his father Marcena . He married Clara Smith in 1911 and there were four sons and a daughter born to them. Marcena and Eliza purchased a small house in Oak Grove and moved there in about 1920. Marcena died in 1928 and his wife Ernaline in 1931. Howard Peckens then purchased the farm from the heirs and subsequently added more acreage until in 1952w hen Charles and Ralph together purchased the farm from him there was a total of 320 acres . This farm continues to be a family -type farm. Charles is now deceased and Ralph and his wife Mary live in the old farm-house. They have two daughters and two sons. The sons , David and Lynn are married and are engaged in a partner ship with Ralph . Another 120 acres has b<)en recently added to the farm, bringing it to a total of 440 acres . David's son Justin makes the sixth generation of Peckens to live on the farm. The Wilcox-RichardsonF arm By MR. AND MRS. CHARLES RICHARDSON Ryland S. Wilcox came to Michigan from New York with his parents Alonzo and Sarah Wilcox. He was born in New York . He bought 160 acres on Clyde Road from Joseph M. Gilbert in Nov. 24, 1853. His wife's name was Deborah. They had three children Alonzo James born Dec . 21, 1858, Adelbert Wilcox and Emma Wilcox Cook. Ryland left 80 acres to his son Alonzo J. in 1908. Alonzo J . married Hattie Staley January 1, 1885. They had four children Theodore Wilcox, Mabel Wilcox Filkins (the only member still living-89 years old) Emma B. Wilcox Tesch , Susanna Wilcox Richardson . They lived part of the time on the 80 acres on Hazard Rd . (where Theodore 's daughter Eleanor Harteau lives now) and the rest of the time on the 80 acres on Clyde Road . A binder fell on Alonzo. He lived about two weeks and passed away August 25, 1909o n the day his oldest daughter Mabel was to be married to Herbert Filkins. After his death the 80 acres was divided between his two youngest daughters Emma B. Wilcox Tesch and Susanna Wilcox Richardson . Susanna inherited 42 of the 80 acres in 1938. Susanna lived in California in 1923 and 1924. She worked on the Draft Board during World War I in Howell during 1917 thru 1919. She also worked for Michigan Bell as an operator for 11 years before her marriage . She married Charles Warren Richardson on June 1, 1927 in Detroit. They lived in Detroit about five years. A son Charles Alonzo Romeyn was born Oct. 12, 1934 in Detroit. They moved to Clyde Road in 1935. They lived six months on the farm and then moved back to Detroit. Charles Warren passed away, Feb . 3, 1937, and Susanna and Charles A.R. lived with the Herbert Filkins family from then until April 1938. Then went back to the farm on Clyde Rd. Susanna lived there until she passed away May 8, 1968. Charles A.R. married Louise Stickler on Oct. 18, 1958 and lived on Burkhart Rd. for 6½ years. They have two sons , Charles Jr . and Jeffrey Warren . Charles built a new home west of the original farm house in March 1965. The family has lived there since . 99 The Sharp Farm By ELNORA MUNSELL Andrew Sharp , Sr., born in 1790i n Bennington County, New York, came to Genoa Township in the fall of 1837 with his wife, the former Hannah Stedman. It is believed they had 14 children . Andrew, Jr . whose nickname was "June " was 12 years old at the time . Mr. Sharp, a blacksmith by trade , built a shop on the 40 acres at the Northwest corner of Section 18 on the Marion Genoa townline. Andrew, Jr. learned the blacksmith and gunsmith trade and worked with his father . As the other children grew and married they left to make homes of their own. Around 1845A ndrew, Sr. and Jr. purchased 40 acres on the Southwest corner of Section 18. In Nov. 1853 Andrew, Jr . married Anney Beattie in Ontario, New York and then returned to Michigan stopping at Dyersburg, Mich. Here the snow was so deep they went barefoot to save their well worn shoes. Mr. Dyer bought them new shoes and they came on to join Andrew, Sr. In 1855, the present house was built and in 1860 the present horse barn was built. Andrew Jr. and Anney moved into this house and had ten children, the second child, George born in 1856. He was married to Mary Poole in Nov., 1879 and as Andrew Sr. had died in 1869, he helped his father with the farming . In the meantime more land had been purchased adjacent to the 40 acres making 267 acres . Andrew, Jr. had opened a blacksmith shop in Howell and operated it for two years before selling it and returning to full time farming . In 1895, when times were bad , Andrew, Jr . sold out to his oldest son, George and his youngest son, Frank . Together , they paid off all back bills and took over the complete operation of the farm . With roads far apart and much swampy ground , Frank and George in 1902 decided to haul gravel from their farm and make an extension of Crooked Lake Road from Chilson Rd. to Lucy Rd. along the south edge of their farm. They also built the first telephone line down Lucy Rd. into Howell. It was owned by the people along the road but Frank maintained it until it was taken over by the Bell system around 1930. The Mutual Telephone Co. bought it from the farmers first but they didn't have it too long. In 1896, the wife of Fred, second son of Andrew, Jr. , died leaving him with seven small children. Anney took all but the Family with their horses . 100 youngest , who was adopted by George and Mary to be raised with their daughter, Hattie . Frank and George raised horses , sheep and dairy cattle . They had a stud horse on the road and during the winter operated a saw mill . Their milk was hauled into Howell and as they lived so far from school George's daughter and the seven grandchildren rode to school on the horse drawn milk wagon. In 1910F rank married Catherine Liddy and lived in a small house just north of the main house. Frank was always active in the Republican Party and served as Republican township chairman of Genoa for many years. He served on the township board and also as director of the school district for several years . In 1912F rank and George gave 50a cres on the north side to Fred and his children . Thomas Tengle , Fred's great-grandson still lives on this land. In 1913 George and Mary decided to go to Montana . They sold their interest in the farm to Frank and Catherine . George and Mary stayed in Montana for two years and when they returned to Michigan they made their home with their daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lounsberry on Chilson Road . The depression years were hard with debt payments to make and poor farm prices . At one time in the early 30's two years supply of wool was sold for 10 cents per pound. During these years hogs and cattle were butchered on the farm and sold direct to the consumer in town in order to make ends meet. For a long time a dozen eggs was traded each week for the Sunday paper . Frank and Catherine had two daughters, Frances and Elnora . They also had twin sons born during the flu epidemic of 1920. These boys died at birth because of the flu. The Detroit Edison high power line coming from Ann Arbor to Howell came down Lucy Rd. Catherine had always done her washings by hand until about 1930w hen an auxiliary line was added to the high tension poles providing electric service to the homes along this road . Her first and only appliance for a long time was a new Maytag washer . Due to lack of help the saw mill business was discontinued in the 30's. Two large steam engines had powered the mill and when World War II came along these engines along with other old iron was donated for the much needed scrap metal. Frank and Catherine , like his father , had always made room for anyone who needed a home. They had raised two boys, Dwight and Kester Sharp , who were sons of Frank 's cousin Alvin. Alvin had died leaving them orphans at 13 and 14. Several adults had stayed with them from time to time when there was no other home. In the late 1940's Frank was no longer able to farm so he rented the farm but he kept his flock of sheep until 1960. He raised a big garden every year supplying many friends and relatives with vegetables until he was 93 years old. Frank always considered voting a sacred obligation as well as a privilege. He never missed a Presidential election from the time he started voting in 1892. Frank died in the spring of 1964. Catherine lived here and rented the farm land until her death in 1967. Frances had married J .L. Air heart in 1945a nd made her home on a ranch at New Underwood, South Dakota . They have two daughters and three sons : Joan, together with her husband , Richard Malmquist and children John and Bobbie Jo , have a ranch at Ekalaka , Montana ; Robert , and his wife, Beverly and children Cory and Ginger, ranch it at Scenic, South Dakota . Joe , who achieved the South Dakota F .F .A. American Farmer Award for 1975r uns the ranch with his father at New Underwood, South Dakota. Gail and her husband , Randy Stensaas do ranch work at Hysham , Montana. James , the youngest attends high school at New Underwood, South Dakota . Elnora had married Robert Munsell, a Handy township dairy farmer in 1942.T hey have three sons and one daughter: Gordon and his wife, Teena and children Michael, Molly, and Mary farm in partnership with his father at Fowlerville. Arthur and his wife, Carol, live about one mile from the main farm . He helps his father in busy rush seasons but is a truck mechanic by trade. Catherine lives and teaches school at Merrill , Michigan. Frank lives at home and helps with the work but he too is a truck mechanic by trade . The farm was sold to Glenn and Dorothy Hanson in 1969 '#ho still farm the land . Frank Woods with a whitewood tree . The Van Keuren Farm 3905 Eager Road Submitted by Paul Van Keuren, great-grandson of Charles and Charlotte Van Keuren, founders and original owners of the Van Keuren Centennial Farm. The Van Keuren Centennial Farm, situated five miles northeast of Howell in Oceola Township, Livingston County, Michigan, was homesteaded by my great-grandfather , Charles Van Keuren, in 1836. At that time, just prior to Michigan's being admitted to statehood in 1837, the land was in the Northwest Territory. The original land patent bears the signature of Martin Van Buren , then President of the United States , by his son A. Van Buren , his personal secretary , and Joshua S. Wilson, acting recorder of the General Land Office of the United States Government. Charles Van Keuren, before migrating to the west , had been a member of the New York City Police Force . In order to supplement his income , he had also engaged in fine cabinet making. As one of his police duties, he belonged to a troop of cavalry which served as an honor guard on special occasions . Real estate promoters , in those days , evidently served as colonizers and prospectors for land at a price per acre. When they came back from their trips to the Far West with maps and other information regarding the lands they had surveyed , it was their custom to assemble groups of prospective pioneers . My great-grandfather joined one such group in the year 1834, and came west from New York State to prospect. He brought with him a nephew, Tjerick Van Keuren. Location Van Keuren's Creek Finding conditions as they had been reported , he selected an acreage near where Howell is now located. It was in a hilly section with a little stream running through it, and a large spring conveniently near the spot where he decided to build his house. This stream is still known as Van Keuren 's Creek . For temporary shelter , they set up poles, which they covered with marsh hay. This crude shelter , somewhat like an Indian wigwam , served them until, with the help of neighboring settlers, they were able to build a log cabin. They then began the galling task of cutting out the timber , burning the trees and underbrush, in order to clear the land on which to plant their crops . In about a year, they were able to comply with the requirements for a land patent , and returned to New York City to bring their families out to their new home in the West. The trip West was long and tedious. Their furniture , bedding, and cooking utensils were loaded on a barge drawn by mules driven along a towpath on the banks of the Hudson to Albany ; thence, by way of the Erie Canal to Buffalo ; there they embarked on a Lake Erie steamer for the port of Detroit. Thus far , the trip had been by water and had not been too difficult or unpleasant ; but from Detroit to their destination it was , indeed, tough going. It was along rough , narrow trails , through dense woods and across vast marshes by ox team and wagon. The main trail west from Detroit passed through Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor to Dexter . From there, it branched off to my great-grandfather 's log cabin , which was twenty-five or thirty miles to the north . In the 1850's he was able to build a large house near the site of the log cabin . This house, after a hundred years, still 101 stands. It has experienced many vicissitudes, but it has finally been restored as far as possible to its original state, with some additions . The house is a replica of houses common in New York State in the 1850's. Since my great-grandfather was a Hollander, it was also reminiscent of the Dutch houses along the Hudson River. It was built almost entirely of timber cut on the land . The frame was of hewn logs, pegged together with dowel pins. The doors, window frames , stair treads , and bannisters were of solid black walnut , fashioned and molded with hand tools . My great-grandfather had been a skilled cabinet-maker in Holland , as is evidenced by the beautiful, heavy walnut cornices over the windows and doors . As the house was built on the side of a hill, the entrance to the kitchen was made conveniently from ground level through a typical Dutch door . The cooking had originally all been done in the huge fireplace with its Dutch oven. Adjoining the kitchen , excavated from the side of the hill, there was a large cellar , in which the pans of milk were set on shelves hung from the ceiling for the milk to cool and for the cream to rise . In this cellar there were also huge bins for storing potatoes and other vegetables for winter use . There was a pantry convenient at hand , and a comfortable nook with a couch on which Great-grandmother Van Keuren could rest and smoke her pipe-a habit not unusual for elderly women of her generation. Meals were served in this comfortable kitchen-huge platters of salt pork , or , occasionally , of chicken , with heaps of potatoes and vegetables, all placed on the table so that everybody , even the hired man , with his sleeves rolled up and his hair slicked down, could help himself . The coffee was kept hot in the fireplace, and was poured as required. As all the men had beards in those days , they used "mustache cups." It was customary to pour the coffee into their saucers, balancing them on the tip of the thumb and their fingers . It was also quite proper to cool the coffee by blowing across it somewhat noisily and sipping it with a loud inhaled breath . From the basement kitchen , stairs led to the first floor , where one entered a large room , which is now used as a dining room . Opposite the dining room , across the hall , there was a large parlor and a parlor bedroom in which my father and his three brothers were born . The long center hall , with stairs leading to the upper rooms , ran straight through from the front door to the rear door . Walnut Horse Stalls Not far from the house were a large horse barn with stalls and partitions of solid black walnut , a large hay-and-straw barn , a granary , a tool shed , and a large sheep barn with hay-and-grain loft. In addition to these buildings , there was a large , separate washhouse and laundry , in which a barrel of soft soap was always ready for use . This was connected with the woodshed. There were also a smokehouse for curing hams , a henhouse , hog pens , and of course , the regulation "Chic Sales ." These buildings had all been built by whatever skilled carpenters could be obtained in those pioneer days , with the help of friendly neighbors , who volunteered their services in old-fashioned "raising bees. " Clearing the land , cutting down and burning the trees , pulling stumps , breaking ground with heavy breaker plow drawn by oxen to prepare the fields for planting-it takes little imagination to appreciate the back-breaking work required for all those operations . The pioneer women , too, had their full share of work-cooking the meals , washing , spinning, weaving, making clothes, caring for their children, and , in general , keeping their families going . Threshing time was a gala time . The neighbors all turned 102 ( Mary Brigham in her graduation gown and with her flowers . out to help-the men in the fields , in the mow , pitching bundles to the thresher table , stacking the straw; the women helping in the kitchen preparing the hearty midday meal and helping serve it to the hungry workers. My father said he never forgot the mammoth slices of bread spread heavily with butter and brown sugar which we got when he and his brothers came home from school on those happy occasions . No banquet ever tasted as good. The Van Keuren family was typical of hundreds of pioneer families that settled in the Michigan wilderness in the 1830's and '40's and '50's. Our state owes much to their courage , their thrift, and their sturdy industry . The Yerkes Farm Sleaford Road By ESTHER YERKES My grandfather , Enos Sowle, was born in Tompkins County, New York, in 1826. He came to Michigan at an early age and settled in Handy Township, Livingston County . He was a farmer by trade and he worked out until such time as he was able to purchase the land on Section 33, Howell Township , in February 1857, where he lived until his death in 1899. In 1854 Mr . Sowle married Justina Curtis, a native of Handy Township. The original home was of log construction , in which the three Sowle children were born . The house which still stands was built about 1870. The barn which was built about the same time was removed when Highway 1-96 was routed across the farm . The house and barn were both well built of sturdy timber. The youngest of the Sowle children was Rosa A., who became the wife of Samuel M. Yerkes . The Yerkes family moved to this farm in 1905 to be with Mrs . Sowle, who lived until 1921. The Yerkes family continued to live on the farm until 1961, the time of their death . The farm became a Centennial in 1957. The Centennial Farm Certificate signed by Gov. G. Mennen Williams , et al , is still in my possession. There are many fond memories of farm life . I and my two brothers used to walk to the woods with my grandmother to pick wild blackberries and to see and enjoy all the wild flowers which were abundant. On the way to the woods we would stop at the spring and have a nice cold drink of good, clean spring water . In the winter time we children had ponds to skate on and hills for sliding down on sleds when the snow was deep enough. We had fun, and we also had our chores to do, so we were never bored for want of something to do. The Zeeb Farm 275 Chilson Road By MRS. CECELIA ZEEB The Zeeb farm has been in the family since 1847. We have a warranty deed which indicates that a Samuel Case, grandfather of Donna Case Zeeb and great-grandfather of the present owner Harley William Zeeb purchased the farm on the tenth day of May 1847. On the fifth day of June 1848,S amuel Case and wife sold the farm to their son Norman M. Case, father of Donna Zeeb. Norman M. Case and wife Maryette lived on the farm until their demise. To this marriage were born four daughters , Luella , Nettie , Jennie and Donna. Mr. Case died when the girls were in their teens. It was necessary for Mrs . Case to hire help on the farm . A Mr. George Sweeny operated the farm for a number of years in the late 1890's and 1900's. While running the farm Mr. Sweeny kept a record of expenses on farm tools, equipment and the like, which, no doubt will prove quite interesting. Here is a partial list : Spade and shovel ...... $ .30 Fork and rake ..... . ....... 30 4 Tine fork and shovel ..... :60 2 Horse blankets . ... . . .. . 2.50 Potato planter ..... ..... .. .40 Corn planter ............ 1.00 Shovel and ice tongs . : .... . 75 Ice cream freezer .... .. .. . 35 Model Kitchen By STANLEY AND HAZEL LATSON I remember when . . . our kitchen was chosen by the Livingston County Extension Service for its unique floor plan to be shown as a model country kitchen. We had a planning area which included drawers , a writing shelf, and shelves for various knick-knacks and useful items . I had a laundry area , 25 pound unit to store my flour, fold down ironing board, etc . My kitchen was very efficient and I enjoyed working in it daily. 4 Large and 4 small traps 1.80 Spring wagon . . . ..... . . 30.00 Lumber ... . .. .. . . ... . .. 17.00 Bobsleigh and boards ... 11.50 Hay rack .. . . .. .. .. . .... 14.00 Mowing machine ....... 21.00 Plow ........ . . .. . . ... . .. 3.50 Hog crate . . ... .......... 1.60 Floating drag . . .. . .. . . . . 2.50 Iron drag . ............... 2.00 3 Hogs at $11.00e a . . . ... 33.00 White cow ... .. .. . ...... 37.00 While Mrs. Case was in charge of the farm the Ann Arbor Railroad needed gravel for the railroad bed. So, the "Ohio Michigan Sand and Gravel Company," under Mr. Bradley of Toledo, Ohio, opened a gravel plant on the farm which provided material for the railroad bed . During this period Donna Case's youngest daughter , traveled to Arizona to wed William Frederick Zeeb, who at the time was employed by the U.S. Government in bridge building . In a few months Mr. and Mrs. Zeeb returned to the Case farm where Harley William was born . Mr. Zeeb started working at the gravel plant, in fact , he remained there until it closed. He also found time to help Mrs. Case with the farm . In a few years the Zeebs took over the farm upon paying Mrs. Zeeb's sisters an amount agreed upon by those involved. This deed is dated July 31, 1917. A New Neighbor In the 1930's the Tiplady farm across from the Zeeb place was sold to a black couple, Mr. and Mrs . J . Fields and family of Detroit. They brought with them a hired man of the same race-name Pat Downs. These city people were , of course , inexperienced with farming . Neighbors tried to give them a hand . Pa Zeeb would offer any equipment he had and would try to suggest that they should not spend so much on new and expensive equipment. Eventually they lost the farm and had to leave . It was a sad day. A few days before leaving , Pat Downs, Field 's hired man , told Pa Zeeb that he did not want to return to the city . He offered to work on the farm for just a place to sleep and his food. After talking it over with Ma Zeeb and Harley , Dad informed Pat that he could stay and they would furnish him living quarters , food and $30.00 a month. A boxcar at the gravel pit was moved to the farm . Ma Zeeb and I spent a week or more cleaning , painting , and furnishing it. Needless to say, Pat was surely happy when he saw his new home. All of us were happy , too, for this wonderful old gentleman . He prepared his own breakfast and Ma Zeeb and I prepared the dinner at noon, and his supper. He remained with us until his demise. Harley made all the arrangements for his funeral and burial. All the neighbors came to Pat's funeral at Keene's in Brighton . His pall bearers were his neighbors and ours . On the day of Pat 's funeral a Mr. Clyde Toush came to the Zeeb farm . He asked Dad and Harle y if he could take Pat's place as their hired man. He would like to work for them under the same terms as Pat. Clyde, a white man , remained with the Zeebs until his demise also . Both Pat and Clyde are buried in the Chilson Cemetery . Taxes Through the Years Of interest is an item that has been kept by Mrs . Donna Zeeb, dated Januar y 20, 1851. It is a tax receipt from the Genoa Township Treasurer to Samuel Case for taxes on the farm for the year 1850, amount $6.13. The Township Treasurer at the time was Albert Tooley. 103 We also have a tax receipt dated February 23, 1946 to William and Donna Zeeb from Mildred R. Knapp, Genoa Township Treasurer , for 1945, amount $8.89, of which the county tax was $3.30, the township tax was $.50, School Tax was $5.00 and Fees $.09. A Busy Place There was always something interesting going on at the farm. The Zeebs were busy as usual but always seemed to have something extra that they took time to do. In the 1930's Ma and Pa Zeeb served chicken dinners on weekends. Summer months they boarded children from the Detroit area . On weekends the families of these children would come to the farm to enjoy Ma Zeeb's ample dinners . She did love to cook! Winter months one would find them busy as ever grinding pork by hand for pork sausage . Norm Larkin , nephew of Mrs . Donna Zeeb, sold it at his store in Howell. Have heard so many remarks about the sausage made by the Zeebs. New Years Day Gathering Since the days when Mrs . Maryette Case was living, members of the family from far and near came to the farm to celerate her birthday and New Year 's Day. From the day after Christmas to New Year 's Day Ma and Pa Zeeb were busy preparing for this day . This gathering of the family was carried on years and years after Mrs . Case had died, in fact, until Ma and Pa Zeeb had passed on. Through the years there have been countless birthday and anniversary celebrations that have drawn home folks to the farm. Yes, for the hundred years and more , the farm has had many busy and enjoyable times . The Lasher-Moran Farm 4400 WARNER ROAD By JAMES MORAN It was in 1839w hen the first of my ancestors settled on the land where I, James Moran, my wife Elaine, and our son Bill now make our home in Howell Township. I remember as a young lad sitting with my grandfather , James Lasher , and having him tell me stories of the old days and the events which led to his coming to Howell in 1859. It began with his four unmarried uncles James , John , Aaron and William La- Grange all brothers to his mother Maria LaGrange, who had married John Lasher . During the year of 1837 these four brothers came to Howell from Rensselaer County of New York State in search of new land and fortune. James and John took farms with adjoining land in Sections 17 and 20 of Howell Township and their two brothers Aaron and William worked with them periodically clearing land and farming when they were not out west prospecting for gold. During 1841J ohn sold his interest in the property to James La- Grange who continued to operate the farm until his death on May 9, 1857. Aaron had died December 9, 1853, and John had married Mary Robinson from which union a son James was born. JAMES LAGRANGE WILL With his passing James LaGrange left a last will and testament reading in part as follows: " I James LaGrange of the town of Howell in the County of 104 Livingston and State of Michigan being of sound mind and memory do make this my last will and testament. . . FIRST: I give and bequeath to my brother Wilham LaGrange a good living during his lifetime. SECOND: I give and bequeath to my aged mother after her present means are used up a good and comfortable living during her lifetime . THIRD: I give and bequeath to my brother John and his infant son in case they should become destitue and needy a comfortable living . FOURTH : I also give and bequeath to my uncle Aaron VanWormar living in the State of New York a good and comfortable living during his lifetime . FIFTH : After the above is fulfilled according as above written I give and bequeath the balance of my property to James Lasher and James LaGrange sons of John LaGrange and John Lasher of the State of New York to be divided equally between the two boys." LASHER'S MOVE BY OXEN The demise and will of James LaGrange prompted John and Maria Lasher to leave their New York State farm and move their family to the Howell farm site . The move was a considerable undertaking in the year of 1859 because of the long distance involved and the mode of travel in those days. The final leg of the journey from Detroit to Howell was accomplished with a team of oxen drawing a wagon containing the family and such belongings as they had brought with them from New York. The farm consists of 140 acres and grandfather Lasher told of the early methods of farming such as seeding the grain crops by hand broadcasting and harvesting with a scythe and cradle , planting corn and cutting it with a corn knife . He also told about gardening and the preservation of vegetables and meat , the raising of hogs, cattle, chickens, ducks and geese for food, of trips to Dexter with a wagon load of grain to be ground at the mill for flour . I listened to many stories of his hunting squirrel , partridge and wild turkey which were plentiful in those days. He related detailed stories of quietly sitting under a big hickory tree and shooting as many as six fox squirrels out of the one tree with his trust y old 32. I heard tales of friendly Indians riding by on their ponies . Great grandfather , John Lasher , constructed a new farm home for his family in 1862 and then met with an untimely death in January of 1863 being taken with pneumonia . This left the family in hard shape for manpower and for sometime hired help had to be secured in order to keep the farm going. Grandfather Lasher was unable to attend school because of having to work the farm and tend chores . At the age of 21, he attended the Fleming School located at the six-corners and learned his three R's. When grandfather was thirty years of age , he married Celicia Hand and from this union were born two sons Orel and Claude, and two daughters Neva and Nida. Claude died at age 13 from appendicitis , a doctor being brought from Detroit but to no avail. WILL FULFILLED IN 1892 The first four provisions of the last will and testament of James LaGr ange, as listed above , were fulfilled in 1892 at which time grandfather Lasher purchased the undivided one-half interest from his cousin James LaGrange thus owning the farm outright in his own name . Approximatel y the year 1902, James and Celicia Lasher together with daughters Nida and Neva left the farm and moved into Howell. Orel had married Daisy Allen and remained to live on and sharecrop the farm with his father , my grandfather Lasher . Orel and Daisy raised a son Ford and a daughter Ione both of whom were born on the farm. Neva married William Gauss who was a native of Lansing. They had no children . Neva , 85, has returned to Howell and now lives in town. Nida married H. LaRue Moran from Pinckney and I, James Moran, was the only child born from this marriage . I was born at the home of grandfather Lasher in the City of Howell on October 3, 1918. My parents moved to Detroit and lived in that area for the remainder of their lives. SUMMER ON THE FARM From my earliest memory , and for many years my parents would return to Howell each weekend and during the summers I would remain for lengthy visits with my grandparents . It was during these summer months that grandfather Lasher would take me with him out to the farm during the hay and grain harvest. He would let me walk behind following the horse-drawn mowing machine as he cut the hay , and he would allow me to sit on his lap as he winnowed the hay with the side-delivery rake . It was great fun as a boy to ride the hay wagon and climb higher and higher on the hay as the loader being drawn behind would load the wagon . I would have to duck my head or lie flat down when the loaded wagon was drawn into the barn for unloading . I always found it exciting when the hay-fork was set into the hay and then watch the load rise to the track at the top of the barn and then scoot off towards they hay mow where a rope was jerked and the pile fell from the fork into the upper mow. I remember , too, the horse-drawn binder as it would cut the grain on one side and kick out the tied bundles on the other. As I became older and strong enough, they put me to work helping to mow the hay away in the barn, to shock the grain bundles in the field, to pitch the bundles onto the wagon where they were then drawn up near the barn and then stacked and covered to await the threshing machine. Even the girls start young with a three horse team . For many summers I would come to the farm and lend a hand through hay and harvest and witnessed the change in harvesting methods . The horses were replaced by tractors , hay was baled , grain was combined in the field as machine implements improved the whole farming operation and helped to alleviate the back-breaking heavy work . My uncle Orel was a good hunter and a fine shot. He taught me how to shoot his 22 rifle and old long-tom shotgun which had a forty-inch barrel and kicked like a mule. I would have a sore shoulder for days after shooting that gun. It was here where I learned to hunt squirrel , rabbits , pheasant and partridge in the fields and w ods. VIRGIN TI BER UPROOTED The farm contained ab ut 20 acres of woodland representing the virgin timber of this area as cutting trees was basically limited to firewood for heating. The woods was full of enormously large tr Jes which were unfortunately uprooted and toppled by a tornado sometime in the late 1930's. Grandmother Lasher died in 1927 and grandfather Lasher died in 1934, still helping out on the farm to the end. With grandfather 's passing , the farm ownership passed to his three children , Orel, Neva and Nida, and remained in a state of undivided interests until 1954 when Orel was killed by a train at the railroad crossing in Fowlerville . Orel's death created an estate settlement situation and on August 31, 1955 my parents, H. LaRue Moran and his wife Niua purchased the two thirds interest owned by Neva Gauss and Orel Lasher . I, James Moran , inherited the old farm with the passing of the 1st of my parents on May 6, 1970. My family and I are now living on the farm in a new residence which was completed in 1968. I represent the fourth generation and my son, Bill, the fifth generation of our family to own and live on the property . The farm is still under cultivation at this date . The old farm house still stands and is occupied by !one's husband, Carl Weller. 105 Herman Heeg leads his prize bull at the County Fair. Holstein Cattle in Livingston County By HERMAN H. HEEG "Holstein-Friesian cattle have played an important part in the economy of Livingston County for many years . The sale of dair y and breeding stock has brought many hundreds of thousand dollars into the county to make for better living and happier homes. According to a statement by Frederick L. Houghton, in 1910, then Secretary of the Holstein-Friesian Association of America, more breeders received their mail at Howell than any other post office in the UnitedStates ,quite a tribute to Livingston County, considering the fact that a number of other states had many more Holstein breeders than Michigan at that time ." "Holsteins were first brought into the county in 1880 by W.K. Sexton of Howell, one of the early importers and a breeder of Holsteins until his death in 1917. The earliest records show his first importation was made in 1880 and the oldest animal in this group was born in Holland in June 1877 and imported to this country July 16, 1880. These animals were recorded in the old Holstein Herd Book, and Mr. Sexton was a member of the Holstein Breeders Association. In 1910, there were about 250 Holstein-Friesian breeders located in the county and the county association grew rapidl y. A "Holstein Headquarters " was established in Howell in rooms furnished by Dick Barron, leading dealer in farm implements. Board meetings and other meetings were held there . According to available figures in 1919 there were 17,000 herd of Holsteins with 239 milking herds . This milk was hauled to markets , the Borden Milk Condensery and Detroit Creamer y Co., the latter going into the Detroit Market in 10 gallon cans . At first milk was picked up at the farms by team and wagon (in winter , sometime on sleighs ), then the advent of trucks , and now gathered in bulk milk tank trucks from large storage refrigerated cooling tanks . 106 The cows in early days were mostly hand milked , today it's mechanical with the milk being pumped through plastic see-through pipes direct to the cooling tanks . According to available figures from the County Extension Office, there are 20 producing herds in the county at the present time , with 9000 milking cows. It would be hard to estimate the number of people employed in 1919 with 237 herds in comoarison to oresent day ooerations. The quality of the milk is far superior to the older days . The fact that Livingston County was known as the Holstein Center of Michigan was the reason my father, Charles S. Heeg, settled in Howell in 1914, buying a 210-acre farm four miles north on Byron Rd. In 1905 he had come to Howell and purchased five registered Holstein cows from W.K. Sexton , the founder of Holstein Cattle in Livingston County. At that time my father lived at Shelby, Michigan in Ocenia County and these cattle , I believe, were the first in Ocenia County. In 1907, that farm was sold and the cattle were shipped to Martinsville , Ohio where a farm had been purchased . This farm was sold in 1913, and we moved in Howell as previously mentioned. My father started building up a herd of high producing registered Holstein cattle . Many blue ribbons were won at the local fairs and one at the State Fair in Detroit. One cow was later a Grand Champion at the National Dairy Show in Chicago. There were silver cups won for butter fat production records in the various age classes and awarded by the local association . The highlight was a high bred prize winning bull, and the sale of a cow for $3,000 at a consignment sale held at Michigan State college . My part in this was the feeding and care of the cows for butterfat production . Also training and showing the cattle for fairs . You see I was in my teens , seventeen up. What We Wore. .. the 1800's Photo titled "The Belles of Howell,' ' by Cleave, former owner of Zemper ' s Studio . Taken in 1880. ·'' .1' .. 107 Ready for the drive to church on Sunday morning . 108 " Splashing in the while mama watches . Two little boys taken with the bear skin rug . 109 Christmas time and a tea party with your favorite doll. 112 Ice skating on Howell Lake was for all ages in 1897. I RememberW hen. .. By WILLIAM McPHERSON IV During my lifetime certain people come to mind who are clear recollections and who had a part in my early years as a boy. We talk of slower and better times . If one considers horses , wagons , buggies, bobsleds , automobiles only used in summer and fall, it was a slower time . Times were not necessarily better with seventy-two hour work weeks being standard with pay at a dollar a day or less . Even so everybody seemed content , enjoyed their work and life in general. The cartage and dray business was as important then as now with the present proliferation of trucks , vans, pickups, etc . which handle deliveries to business and mercantile establishments today. There was Jim Payne , a club footed man whose horse and wagon often stood at the Southeast corner of Grand The Leading If ouse IN TOWN FOR ---Jine f nrnitnre Is ackn owledged by all Good Cooks to be . .... . --KNHPP & CO'S. River Ave. and Michigan Ave., then known as Division St. Mr. Payne was available for any odd job of hauling. Guy Knoop was freight man, house mover, and furniture mover who has served the people of Howell for approximately seventy years. Guy, his team and flatbed wagon met all the trains on both railroads to pick up the Railway Express packages and freight. My thrill was being allowed to drive the team. The freight went to the freight depot, the Express articles went to the office of W.E. Beach, who was the Railway Express Agent and also conducted an insurance business . Fresh vegetables were the summer treat for the housewives of Howell for such fare was non-existent in winter months. Logan Papworth and Wilbur Arnold were the purveyors of these good things. Logan Papworth used a Model T Ford truck for his deliveries . He had bell fastened to the floor board of the truck , which he constantly sounded with his foot. Housewives came to roadside with baskets or just their aprons to carry the produce. Logan Papworth was also well known for the horseradish sauce which he made and bottled and sold in the local groceries. Wilbur Arnold was a large man physically . His small wagon was pulled by his horse "Diamond ." I recall many days when Mr. Arnold arrived at our house with his load of fresh vegetables I was allowed to ascend the wagon seat and finish the route driving "Diamond" and ringing the hand "bell ," which had to be rung with a distinctive rhythm . Teachers had their place and influence in the lives of myself and my contemporaries. Kindergarten began in a small frame building located at the rear of the Michigan Ave. Middle School. This was prior to the actual construction of said school building , which became the only school for the 113 Howell district. Eva Ackley Vandercook was the teacher and taught that Kindergarten until her retirement . First Grade and Second Grade were taught in the East Ward School located on the site of the Northeast School. Goldie Holt taught first grade . Sarah Maycock taught second grade. Third grade meant a move into the new school. Lula Brooks presided . Fourth grade with Ada Witt, Fifth grade with Lucille McClenathan, Sixth grade with Grace King. These elementary teachers were dedicated and with the exception of Miss Witt served the people of Howell in many ways for years so that many sons and daughters of my classmates had the privilege of their early learning under their guidance. In Junior High and High School the names of Florence Warner , Sarah Beattie Allen, Loren Willis, Arthur Williams, Helen Matson Thomas, and others . Of course, Mr. John Page , our Superintendent , and Ersyl Rider Hadley in the school office. In those days the Howell Schools were a model of what a good school should be and many a student found he had a solid educational base for college or other endeavor. 1909 Newsboy By CLAIRE SCHNACKENBERG The Detroit Tigers had a great baseball team in the summer of 1909. The afternoon newspapers sent out packages of "Sporting Extras " via train in the early evening which reported the games. I was given the opportunity as a small boy of selling them on the street to men who would be standing around talking. I found the business section interesting and spent quite a bit of time at my father 's store and walking about. There were many fascinating things to watch. Drygoods stores had little cable cars to carry sales slips and cash to the central cashier and return with the change . The blacksmiths were shoeing horses , the printers were putting out two weekly papers , the flour and grist mills were grinding . A planing mill was located on South Michigan , then known as Division Street , and across from it the municipal electric plant and water works. The highly polished steam engine You caught the fish, but mom made you get your Sunday clothes on to have you get your picture taken with them. 114 furnished the power for the generator and pump and also the town fire whistle , which together with a centrally located fire bell gave the alarm for the volunteer firemen to meet and run with the hose cart to the scene of a fire . At the time there were no paved streets to town. Grand River A venue had hitching rails on each side to which horses with buggies or wagons could be secured. A teamster with tank wagon watered the streets in front of the stores. There were three large watering troughs for horses , also a town pump complete with tin cup next to the one across from the court house. The courthouse looked almost exactly as it does today . A large black Civil War cannon adorned the front lawn . Small boys liked to climb upon it. It was donated to the World War II scrap drive. The stores with natural reddish brick second and third stories had wooden or cast iron and glass fronts with doorways usually in the middle . The delightful fragrances of the bakeries and the drug store soda fountains are well remembered as are the pine pitch smell of the hardwares , the bay rum of the barber shops and the leather of the harness shops. Many of the merchants opened their doors at seven in the morning and closed at six or after . Saturday was the big shopping day , the stores closing around ten and the barber shops perhaps at midnight. Four small hotels did a thriving business renting rooms to traveling salesmen who came by train and were brought uptown along with their sample cases by a horse drawn bus. Lodge halls , doctors' , dentists ' and lawyers ' offices, and a few apartments were upstairs above the stores . There were two liver y barns on South Michigan just off Grand River where horses and buggies could be rented . These barns also housed the light delivery wagon which delivered groceries and meats to the homes of the townspeople. Cans of kerosene were sometimes included and usually spilled , adding a little flavor to the edibles . The grocery stores, of which there were about seven , bought most of their produce from the local farmers . They sold nothing but groceries , generally . The meat markets , three in number , sold only meats. Other businesses included two furniture stores , two undertaking establishments , two jewelry stores , two banks , drygoods and women's wear , men 's clothing and tailor shops , shoe stores, implement stores , coal dealers , a lumber yard , lunch counters , cobbler shops, a laundry , etc ., and a ten cent barn at North Walnut and Clinton where rigs could be driven in and the horses fed. In the way of recreation , two former saloons were used as cigar stores with tables in the back where men could play cards. A billiard hall was patronized by a few of what I considered middle aged men , probably in their late twenties. The Opera House, on the second story of Grand River south side just east of Walnut , was the place in which large gatherings were held for speakers and entertainers and for the year-end school exercises . Quite ornately furnished , it possessed a curved-front stage with fine curtain and wings and a balcony , and is pretty much intact to this day . A roller skating rink stood at the northwest corner of Clinton and North Michigan , a shed-like building heated with stoves and having a hardwood floor quite uneven in contour . Basketball was played here and the home team had a decided advantage because it knew where the hills and valleys were . The Howell police force consisted of one elderly night watchman who made his rounds trying the front and rear doors of the business places . Finding a rear door unbolted , he would often set a small board as a brace on the inside . There were probably no more than two dozen automobiles in town sixty-five years ago. Nearly all the tradespeople lived r JI 18 7 6 Centennial Parade Start of the centennial parade in 1876. The city band is in front and the firemen are lined up behind. 115 If you gotta go, you gotta go . within easy walking distance. They worked hard and the competition was keen. In a word, it seems that downtown Howell was a charming area , and that it served the community very well. House of Seven Gables By BOB KRAUSE I was born in 1892i n Marion Township and have seen many events which took place in Howell and the surrounding area . At the turn of the century Howell hosted Street Fairs, which drew large crowds . It was at a Fair held about 1903 that I saw the first movie. It was shown in a tent on North Michigan in front of the Livingston County Press building, "The Great Train Robbery. " One thing that I also remember at one of these street fairs, Dr. Erwin was a young vetenary just starting practice in Howell, was approached by a gaining artist and asked if he would act as a "copper, " which did and won a sum of money after which he made a call in the country. Upon his return late that evening the fellow who runs the game started looking for him as he had been absent for some time, upon locating the Doctor the fellow said to "Doc ," I guess you have some of my money. Doc is reported to have said I won it, didn't I? The game operator said but I let you. Doc was supposed to have said , so you run a crooked game, try and get it. All the big shows have shown on the grounds now known as Page Field , Ringling Bros. , Forepaugh & Sells Bros., Barnum & Bailey Buffalo Bills Wild West and 101 Ranch Wild West. Geronimo and Sitting Bull were both here as were several other big names . The town used to celebrate Decoration Day and Fourth of July each year . A balloonist used to fill his balloon on what is now a part of East Clinton St., between the Courthouse and the jail , one descent was so perfect, there being no air stirring, he landed on the south roof of the jail and broke a leg. Another time he landed in Howell Lake, was rescued by some fishermen. 116 Another event to take place at these days was a ball game between Howell and other fine teams , several Howell players went to play league ball . Bert Tooley to Brooklyn & Newark , Ed Shields to Buffalo, Hank Perry to Detroit, the Newcomb Bros , Roy and Ray to South. Mich. League . It was about 1902 I saw the first auto to go down Grand River Road. We lived at that time on West Grand River in the seven gable brick house located just west of the airport. It came from the West, was an Olds, with curved dash and tiller instead of a steering wheel , two men were in it wearing dusters, goggles and gauntlet gloves , and it was going all of four miles an hour. For a great many years Livingston County was known as the Holstein center of the mid-west , one of the first cows to make the coveted 30 lb. butterfat record was owned by F.W . Munson, the now Glen Berry Farm in Howell Twp. The fi.rst public auction of Holsteins was held in a tent on West Clinton Street between Mike Hagman 's Mobil Station and the offices of Social Services, then between the ten cent barn and the skating rink , before moving to the Fair Grounds in the 20's. In 1908 my father bought the Seymour Farm on the Byron Road by the Howell Townhouse , from the heirs of Mr . Howe, who had taken it up from the government during Martin Van Buren term as President. Mr. Howe lived in New York and took up first 80 acres which the back 80 with no road . Upon learning of this he purchased the front 80, and gave ½ acre for a school, now the townhouse. The back 80 was cut by the Shiawassee River . The land on both sides of the river at one time was the site of an Indian village. I have found many Indian relics on the farm as we worked the ground with horses. Many of those at Kensington Park I donated , also those at the Howell Historical Center I donated . I also have some in the museum at Lansing. Another thing I remember when the first telephone line was built along Grand River . My mother boarded the crew. Also about this time cowboys from the West used to drive bands of Mustangs along the road and trade horses wherever they could, my father rented them a place to spend the night. These events happened in the early 1900's. Picture of the 4 mile house tavern after the tornado of 1941 tore off the front wall. Decorating a float in 1915 was a real job . The birds in the headlights are real stuffed doves, not plastic . On the north side of Grand River from Walnut Street East, the building now the McPherson oil office in the early 1900's was the farm equipment business of Gardner & Burke, along with the now Swann Store . The next building was E.K. Johnson Drug and Chapel Jewelry Store. Next Geo. Sawyer's pool room, then Ad Bolch grocery, next Brokow & Wilkinson furniture store, then Sheem Fields shoe store, followed by McPherson's dept. stores. East of Michigan was Gordon Drug , Ren Cook & Fred Jones grocery , Ed Powell 's saloon, Goodnow & Beach store and Monroe's shoe store. Buster Brown and Tige By MRS. ARVILLA HUBBELL PARSHAL I was born May 15, 1898a t 1325W . Grand River in a lovely old house. I do not know who lives there now, but I have fond memories of living there. My two older brothers and I went to the West Ward school before our parents sold the place and moved to Hartland Township in March of 1905. My teacher was Susie Barron and I think Lula and Jessie Gilmore taught there too. In November of 1905 our mother died and I went back to Howell to live with an Aunt. I lived there until I was married in 1920. I used to spend the summers with my father and brothers on the farm . I remember that my father used to take us to a cobbler by the name of Mr . Snow. His shop was on the corner where the McPherson Bldg. is now (corner of Walnut and Grand River) The Fishbeck Bros. had a shop on W. Clinton along where the Co-op Bldg. is now. Later on there was a Mr. Donnelley who fixed shoes. His shop was up over where Raymonds on E. Grand River , and still later Geo. Mutter was there for years. I also remember my father taking me to Moon's (it was on N. Michigan and I just can't remember what kind of a store it was) to see some kind of a show. Slide pictures or something similar. It was about Buster Brown and Tige. When I came back to Howell to live with my Aunt, I went to the East Ward school. Some of the teachers I remember were Blanche Crandall, Mabel Woodward (Mrs. H. Gartrell). Mr . John Gilbert had his harness shop next to the school and we would stand in the door and watch him work . There was a man by the name of Griffin who was the watchman at the Ann Arbor tracks on Barnard to see that the children got safely across the tracks, and Grandpa Foey who was the janitor at the school. When we had finished the seventh grade, we went to the 8th in the High School, across from the (funeral home on ~. Michigan now). Our teacher was Leonora Morton. She taught school in Howell for many years . If you got through the eighth grade , then you went up to the third floor of the High School where the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades had their home room until they graduated. I graduated in 1918. There were thirty-two of us. Mr . Courter was Superintendent. Alice Johnson was principle. Some of the other teachers that I had while there were : Lelah Burkhart for Home Econ., Alma Sharpe, Prudence McDowell, Isabelle Knapp and Eunice Wells. We had our graduation exercises in the Presbyterian Church on W. Grand River (It was quite new then). It was during the first World War and the girls dressed alike in dresses that most of them made themselves, white trimmed in blue and wore red ties . Our class was the last to graduate out of the High School before they tore it down to build the one that is standing there now. Mr. Burdick was the janitor and he was quite a character , al)d artist too. It was nothing to come to school and find a lovely picture on the black board done in chalk; and if you thought you heard a frog croaking in the school hall , you did, Mr. Burdick . He was a very stern looking man and you least expected anything like that of him . I also remember the McPherson Clothing Store that was in Howell. You could buy most everything there. I especially remember Miss Hattie Clark who had charge of the yard goods. She knew just what the latest materials were and how 117 much you needed for a garment. When you made a purchase she would put the money in a little leather box and it would go on a track around the store to the office where they would make the change and stamp the bill paid and send it back . That always fascinated me as a child. You could buy kid gloves to go with your outfit and laces and ribbons of all kinds and many other things . Next door to McPhersons store was Henry Sweet's grocery store where I went many times on a quick errand . There was also Miner & Farnsworth Grocery on Grand River across from the Courthouse and Strobels on the corner of Michigan and Grand River where the D & C Dime Store is now. I also remember the Dick Barron store on the corner of Michigan and Sibley (where the parking lot is now), that was where we went to buy our buggies and wagons and other small equipment. Next to it was a livery stable and across the street on the other corner was Jubb 's Livery Stable and the family lived upstairs . Across the corner was the blacksmith shop of Charles Culver. (He was my great-grandfather) . He made a sled for us children that we had for years . It would outrun all the other sleds on Skilbeck's Hill. I remember the Opera House. When I was real young we used to have our Promotional Exercises in there and later when I was in High School our class plays . I have gone to several lectures and plays there . I also remember that they had a Chautauqua in the summer in a tent next to the Old Episcopal Church. I had a season ticket and enjoyed all the programs . I remember my grandfather used to buy all our meat at Ed Youngs Meat Market on S. Michigan . His brother had a harness shop next door. I must not forget the Monicrief (don't know as I have it spelled right ) Candy Kitchen. They made their own candy and had a ice cream parlor there too. Barron & Wines Drug Store on E . Grand River also had a soda fountain which was popular with the High School crowd . I remember when Ed Bowman had a variety store on E. Grand River and later sold out to W.D. Adams , where I shopped for years even after I was married. I remember the water trough that used to be on N. Michigan near Itsells ' Clothing. Anyone could get a drink of water and you could water your horses there too. Whatever became of the cigar store Indian that was outside of the Miller Brother 's? I remember when there was just a big pile of stones where the Carnegie Library is now. I think it was built about 1903o r 04. People who lived in the country could drive in to Howell to shop (which was an all day 's job), put their horses in the Ten Cent Barn and go to Claude Culver 's to eat . They had a short order place that catered mostly to men . They made cigars there , the IOOF Cigars were made there and sold around in stores over the county . I had an Uncle that made cigars and he used to take me upstairs where I could watch them make them . My aunt worked in the Misses Porter 's Clothing Store . She did the alterations that had to be made . They used to trim their own hats and I used to like to go in there and see Clara Sharp and Effie Dunn trim the hats. Effie Dunn made my wedding hat and sewed a lock of her hair in it for good luck . There were the two vegetable gardens one on the E . Sibley St. (Papsworth 's) and the St. just south of Sibley was Charles Arnold garden . They raised all kinds of vegetables and pedalled them from door to door with horse and wagon. I remember the Rubert Hotel that stood on the corner of Court and Grand River (southeast corner ). 118 Kansas Homesteaders By MARTHA HOSLEY MUSSON In my work on the Parker Genealogy I have been corresponding with several families in the state of Kansas . One letter that I received was from a great-grandson of William C. and Jane Parker Shaft , by the name of Clay Hedrick , an auditor for the state of Kansas . Both William and Jane came to Michigan with their parents in 1835. They married and lived in this vicinity until 1857 when they, with their family of nine, left Howell to take up homestead land in Kansas . Their home was on the Chilson Road just south of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad track. In 1850 William built and owned the Shaft Hotel, which was located on the southeast corner of Grand River and Court Streets , where Slayton's Motor Sales now stands. Besides the hotel he ran a line of stages between Howell and Detroit . The following paragraphs were sent me by Clay Hedrick concerning his great grandfather : "Shaft 's cunning exploits and initiative for wholesome fun have often been told by our family. One being the tale of a horse race, allegedly taking place between himself and a neighbor , Sam Sharp . Neighbor Sharp was the owner of a high-spirited saddle horse and was accustomed to taking first place cash winnings from the races matched in the Howell vicinity . Neighbor Shaft was an ambitious admirer and breeder of excellent draft horses , but also found a way to take Mr. Sharp "For a ride " with a fast little sprinter that his sons had trained on the quiet. A rousing good race was planned , with each side putting up fifty dollars to the stakeholder. The entire community became interested . It might be said that while sentiment overwhelmingly went to Shaft , betting was two to one against him . The time for the race was set for ten o'clock Saturday morning , to be run on a straight road just outside of Howell. It so happened that this date fell on a cold wintry morning. Early Friday evening snow began falling and by the morning the ground was covered with several inches of heavy snow. Sensing an opportunity to make his winning the race a sure thing , Shaft awakened his sons and they hastily made a one-horse drag and went to work in the moonlight scraping the snow from a path about three feet wide on the right side of the road for a distance of a quarter of a mile. This path left a hard dry track for the Shaft horse. Morning came, and although a large crowd gathered at the appointed place, no one carried the news of Shaft's clever scheme to Sharp . When Mr. Sharp arrived and saw the situation , he, at first , refused to run his entry , but rather than forfeit a try , he ran . . . and lost to his crafty little adversary ... by a big margin. " Free Weekly Shows By VOLA HUTSON I remember when every Wednesday night (sometime between 1918-192,2 I'd say ) that in the center of Howell on the main four corners , the townspeople had a stage where free acts of all kinds were performed . One of the most popular and loved acts was when the Ballard Family would dance . I believe their names were Laverna and Melvin or Bobby (I'm not sure about the boy's name ). I think Laverna was 15 or 16 and the boy was 12 or so. Later they went to New York and became very well known. The Ballard family lived on N. Michigan Avenue north of the big McPherson home . Interior view of the drug store. Toothbrushes were very large in those days . 119 Those weekly free shows drew hundreds of people from the country as well as the city. Eve ryone felt that they had to go to the center of Howell every Wednesday night. The year the High School Bldg. was built there was a temporary building put up while the building was being completed . It was commonly referred to as "The Chicken Coop." I believe that building was on Walnut and Sibley Streets . The Ann Arbor viaduct over Grand River was built about 1938. Sometime about 1923-1925an d even long before that (that's when I remember) every Saturday night all the farmers would hurry up their chores so they could go into town to do the weekly shopping, "but mostly to see all the friends and neighbors and townspeople ." We walked and walked the streets and saw everybody . We would not get home until about one o'clock in the morning. Fond memories of the Howell Fair come to mind, when we would pack our lunch and supper and spend all day and evening at the fair for the four days that it would be held. We walked and walked-saw the free acts on stage (from behind the fence ) most people paid to sit in the grandstand. We saw all the displays , handwork , baking , canning, vegetables, exhibits, livestock , and watched horse races, ball games, roamed the midway, rode the rides and saw everyone we ever knew. This went up at least until 1929. My memories are from 1919 to 1929 and were very outstanding in my mind . I remember in 1918, the night that World War I ended there were hundreds of us went to the main four corners of Howell (Michigan Ave. and Grand River) where the Kaiser was hung in effigy. He was a very crude looking stuffed character and as he was pulled high up in the center of the street everyone screamed and shouted . Then everyone marched down to what is now Page Field . Here a huge bonfire was built and the Kaiser was thrown in to burn and to end the activities. One of the funeral directors that I remember was Goodrich. He lived near Livingston and McCarthy Streets. He also sold furniture , I believe. Waiting for the parade. 120 In t he 1920's, it was n't necessary to wear a bikini to attract atte ntion. When the High School playground was completed they had to remove a whole row of houses on the east side of the street, thus cutting off one block of houses. My father bought one of those houses and moved it to the corner of Maple and Isbell Streets at Jewett Bridge. It is still there. Anyone remember Jewett Bridge as a famous " parking area " for young people , since it was not developed near there. My grandfather George Sharp had one of the first "Airline " radios in Genoa Twp. I had large 2-cell batteries which had to be charged about every 2 months. Took it to Henry Herbst to be recharged. Cost $3 to recharge . The Good Ole School By SHAREN SKUSA KIZER Interviewed by Vicki and Ed Repik Having lived all my life in Howell I find it rather difficult comparing it or trying to imagine living and growing up anywhere else . I was born in the old three-story Howell Hospital on Michigan Avenue where the McPherson State Bank is now and afterward returned there numerous times for sutures (I guess I was a clumsy kid) . Although much here has changed-new stores, restaurants , and even a Holiday Inn, much still remains the same . Landmarks such as the Library, Courthouse, our City Park, Michigan Avenue with its beautiful trees and my High School which is now Michigan A venue Middle School are all still intact. My class of 1965 was the last to graduate from that "Good ole' School" and we're proud of that. I attended Howell High from 7th grade up on a split session program which only lasted one year, thank heaven; because we underclassmen had afternoon shift and wouldn't get out until 5:30 p.m. In winter it was a long, dark walk home. The highlight of High School, it seems was football season. In 1963,m y Junior year we struck gold and never lost a game . Howell High came in first in the Capitol Circuit and beat Fenton and Fowlerville , both of which were also undefeated and their own Conference Champs . What a great year that was and lots of our team got football scholarships from their grea t season . Most of the teacher s I knew are gone now but I still hear a few familiar names from time to time . Mr. Badura is one I still hear and will remember always. Forgive me-Mr . Badura but we really called you " Charlie B." Until a few weeks after class had begun one year , I thought he was carr ying a pistol under his belt (which would fit with his World War II History classes , I might add ) but found out later it was only his pipe . I got an A+ on a college English paper , writing about " Charlie B." The places we used to go after school are gone now. Bruce Campbell 's drug store was a big hang out. We would hussle down after school and sit three to a stool for a Tin Roof sundae or chocolate cake , and the Doughnut Shop is now the Hobby Shop. We didn' t have a new recreation center then so our dances were mostly at school or on Saturday nights , the Johnny Thiele Dances at the Armory . I have just had another birthday and I don't know where the tim e goes . When I take my children to the Byron Road Park , I remember the old West Ward School I attended for first and second grades , and I see the Northwest School where I attended the first year it opened through sixth grade . It 's much larger now as everything seems to be growing so fast. But I like to be part of the change and see new spring up from the old. Howell is a nice place to live and I hope as it grows larger it doesn't lose any of its charm as the nice small town-I remember . The first truck in Howell. Chain drive , hard rubber tires , and acetalyne lamps. Everyone took a ride. Customs of Yesterday "VISITING" By JANET ROHRABACHER Many people have noted in our history the passing of the horse and buggy , the passing of the kerosene lam p and the wood cook stove . Even more than these material things , I miss the passing of our social customs and family groups . One of the great customs of the past was "visiting. " Not only neighbors and relatives , but also whole groups of friends used to pay a "visit. " This could extend into several months . People usually traveled long distances from other states by train in order to make a "visit, " so it was not undertaken lightly . The trips were fewer and so lasted longer , until each friend or relative in the old neighborhood had been "visited ." My grandmother lived with us, and because each visiting famil y group wished to see this oldest member of the family , we were always included in each visitation . I well remember one visit which my mother 's ex-sister-inlaw made us . She came from Wisconsin bringing her granddaughter and her own sister ; and the sister brought her nephew from Boston who was out in Wisconsin "visiting " for the summer. Another time a great -great-uncle came bringing his wife's niece and his housekeeper . Of course we had room . We had a twelve-room house and there aren 't many of them being built today . Possibl y the size of the modern home has contributed to the death of visiting. Also, there are the economics . It did not cost us very much to feed these groups . My father just went out and killed a few extra chickens and we pulled more vegetables from the garden and picked more berries and mother made more biscuits. This can 't be done today at the super-market. In fact , the whole family group has changed. Ours was a three -generation famil y, of mother , father and children and 121 grandmother . Later , we became a four-generation family. In fact , at times we had both grandmothers living with us. I can 't remember that we had any great disagreements either . Possibly this was because we had room to spread out. Our grandmother was a wanted and needed member of our famil y. She not only baby-sat , but ran the household when our parents were gone. She also heard all of our school lessons at home, helping us with our spelling, reading and arithmetic . In this way, she freed my mother , so that she could assist my father in his business . From our point of view, as the children , it was great. We heard from our grandmother all the stories of the past ; not only what she and her family had done ; but also what her parents had done and her grandparents. We were brought up on stories of whaling expeditions , building log cabins , bear hunts , births in covered wagons , and raids by the Winnebago Indians . Our grandmother had heard from her own great-grandmother a description of the Battle of Bunker Hill which she had viewed from a roof-top in Boston. Also, all these relatives from far away who came visiting had their own tall tales to tell and we were all ears . We had a very rich heritage to look back upon, and it cer tainly gave us roots . In comparison , I feel the modern single-family home (with the grandparents in a rest-home and the children in a day nursery ) is very poor indeed in family traditions - in fact ; actually deprived . The Seamstress' Shop By CLAYTON AND MARTHA MUSSON The following are some of the things that we remember concerning Howell and vicinity: Formal rest areas were non-existant in the old days . 122 I remember when the property on which stands Drake 's Gas Station, Marcy 's Laundry Center and Anthony's Dairy Mart was Carl Weimiester 's summer pasture for bis cattle . Frank Wright's planing mill was located just south of the Chesapeake and Ohio crossing on South Michigan Avenue. I used to stop there on my way home from high school to watch him at his work . I remember when every Wednesday evening for several weeks during the summer , the city of Howell would have free entertainments on the main four corners of the town. The local band would play , the Ballard girls would entertain with their dancing , Emily Mutter played her violin, accompanied by Mrs. Caroline Benson . Gerald Pelkey , his father , and others would put on a boxing match once in a while, as well as outside talent came to entertain . I also remember going to the Opera House. The program put on by a group of bell ringers stand out clear in my mind. I remember going to Aunt Mary Parker 's seamstress shop . It was above Jubb and Rossington Hardware on the corner of Michigan and Grand River where the First National Bank now stands . There was an outside stairway leading up to the second story which we had to take to get to her shop. I also remember that she would come out to our house about twice a year and stay a couple of days to help Mother in making clothes for Mother and us four girls . I remember Grandma Hosley telling us about when her parents , James and Amarilla (Harmon ) Lawther , owned the Union Hotel in 1850. It was located on the southeast corner of Grand River Street and South Michigan , then known as East Street. Great Grandma Lawther served meals and when she had the meal ready she would ring a hand bell for her customers to come to eat. Previous to James Lawther owning the Union Hotel, and maybe at the same time , he and a partner , William R. Melvin, opened the second wagon shop in Howell in 1846.T his shop was located on the northwest corner of East Street, (South Michigan ) and Sibley, where the parking lot south of the D & C Store is now located . I also remember Grandma Hosley telling us about her Uncle Henry Harmon , her mother's brother , practicing law in Howell from 1849 to 1880. He was Circuit Court Commissioner in 1852, Prosecuting Attorney in 1854,J udge of Probate in 1864. He also served as a representative in the State Legislature . His home was at 209 N. Court Street, which stood on the site of Mrs . Tracy Crandall's home today. I remember when the spot where Bob White's Standard Station now stands was a low unsightly spot. There was a high board fence around that corner to hide the weeds, brush and young trees. I remember when there was a roller skating rink on North Michigan Avenue, where Mike Hagman 's Gas Station now stands . I remember when our folks used to bring eggs to Howell from the farm to sell to Harry Williams' shop on South Michigan Avenue. I believe he also had a store on West Sibley just east of where the Methodist Episcopal Church stood. Bert Snedicor also bought our eggs. He was located just west of Mike Hagman 's Gas Station on West Sibley. I remember when Dr . Janette Brigham had her office on East Grand River where Harold Crandall has his office now. Dr . Bell had an office on the northeast corner of Grand River and Court Street, where the Court House Annex now stands. I remember going to Homer Beach's Dry Good Store. It was located on East Grand River on the north side of the street between Michigan Avenue and State Street , I believe the second store from State Street. I remember when McPhersons had a department store where Ewings have their furniture store now. I remember when an uncle, Carlos Arthur Williston, and his family moved to Howell in 1915. He contracted the job of bricking Michigan Avenue and Walnut Street. They made their home in the house on the corner of Brooks and Fleming Glenn Yelland held his flag as he wat cnes the para de. He was a former Howell attorney. Street. Our brother, Clarence Hosley, was in his first year of high school. He was a bell hop at the Livingston Hotel, then managed by Mrs . Van Keuren and Jessie Parker . In the evening he would light the lanterns and place them at dangerous places for Uncle Arthur . The McPherson Dairy By FRANCES STORY COOKE From the early 1940's I recall an old place in Howell, which is now gone, but is still vivid in my memory. I remember my Dad's (Robert Story ) work as herdsman at the McPherson Farm . When I drive out to Howell High School and see three small white sheds remaining at the farm, I recall four giant gray barns , a double corn crib building, which the tractor could drive through, and other structures of the McPherson Dairy Farm. It was a very big place to me as a girl near the age of four. I didn't like the loud air-raid siren wailing in the night from the gas well on the farm . It sounded for war-time air raid drills. But I do have fond memories of the dairy . My sister and I would stand in the doorway of the dairy and watch two young guys, Jim and George Dunn, brushing glass bottles by hand in deep tubs of soap suds . Then one of them would look up and say "Come on." He would walk into the cooler room and open a big refrigerator door and take out two half-pints of chocolate milk or sometimes grape drink and give them to us two "half-pints. " I can still taste how sweet and cool they were to drink . Sometimes I'd like to bring back Dunn Brothers Dairy, the treats and the whole farm scene. Perhaps others remember with me all that has vanished: the many cows, the barns with the hay lofts that were exciting to climb into, the milk truck , the sudsy glass bottles and the chocolate milk treats. All is gone except a nice two-story house and three sheds . Uncle Tom's Cabin By MRS. VICA BRUCE I was born in Howell on E . Grand River Nov. 5, 1896. My parents were Lafay A. Lace and Alta Wilcox Lace. Father was a cousin of Frank Lace . My mother later married Thomas H. Love in 1926. I do remember as a small child going to Mr. Beach 's millinery store for hats . Mr. Beach trimmed the hats himself. Also Hesse's Market on peanut row. Going to the Opera House to see Uncle Tom's cabin . At one time we lived on the Kneeland Farm and we got up early to see the elephants unload the trains and set up tents . Saw the first auto that I ever rode in. I believe the sheriff owned it. I was in grade school with his daughter . Saw the telephone lines being built . We were on a country line and and our ring was 1 long 2 short. I do have a book on " History of Livingston County," with illustrations dated 1880. It has pictures of farm homes . One of Thos. Love, grandparents of my stepfather . I also remember the old 10 cent barn , where we could drive our horse and buggy in and they would water and care for the horse . A toilet inside with a high tank of water overhead was of great interest to me, being from the farm. I Things Memories Are Made Of By MRS. MARGARET LEAVENWORTH MAIRS: "I graduated from Michigan Avenue School in 1932. I remember football games , dances in the school gym . My 123 They're not indians, but they represent indians in the parade. Notice the right hand drive auto with the spark and choke above the All dressed up with knit hat and button shoes . 124 steering wheel, the brass horn, the brake lever outside the door, and the toolbox on the running board . favorite teacher was Miss Woodhurst , latin teacher. Mr. Murphy was principal and Mr . Page was superintendent. The teachers and principal also knew each student individually ." By MR. DATUS MOORE I have lived at Triangle Lake for 20 years and play the saxophone in the Livingston County band. " By MRS. GERTRUDE HILL : "My father John B. McGivney was in the Civil War . We had a 400 acre farm on Clyde Rd . My father was a farmer and uneducated but sent three of his children to college. He was a stockholder in the Livingston County Fair . Dad died in 1916. I remember washing clothes with a scrub board and chopping wood for the coal stove . Went to one room school house , heated with a wood stove." By MISS KATHERINE SORG: " I was born in 1890. My parents , John and Odelia , born in Germany and came to Howell in 1885. My father worked on the Ann Arbor railroad when it was being built. They had seven children , all living their lives in the Howell area . Enjoyed the street fairs and coming in from the country to meet friends ." By MRS. ILA ROSEMAN (WILCOX) AND MRS. JOYCE DRAYTON (WILCOX): "We lived in Howell since 1911. Our parents were J .A. and Florence Wilcox. We attended Kneeland school and graduated from Howell Michigan Ave. School. We remember driving our horse and buggy , 5½ miles to school each day and parking in the 10 cent barn on the corner of Walnut and Clinton." THE NIGHT A BUFFALO CAME TO STAY By STANLEY AND HAZEL (WRIGHT) LATSON Thirty-nine years ago Mr. and Mrs . Lelan Wilson drove through Howell with this caravan (picture ) from Colville, Washington stopping at the Stanley Latson farm with many observors trying to take pictures which the Wilsons' objected to, as they sold pictures of this caravan to promote this trip at only $.25 each. This was the only living male off-spring from a Bison bull (buffalo) and a domestic cow. He stood 5 foot6 inches tall and weighed 1200 pounds. They traveled 10 to 15 miles a day . These animals have a longer life span , resist T.B. and Black leg, dress a quarter percent more of beef especially the front quarters , have valuable fur , and the cows produce rich milk and require no shelter. Jumbo , was born February 8, 1929 on the Grand View Ranch , Colville, Washington . During our conversation , Stanle y (Latson ) said his aunt , Mrs . Nettie Richardson , taught school at Colville and he said he went to school under her , that is Mr. Wilson. Secretly , they stayed overnight in the orchard (to protect Jumbo from the crowd wishing to see him ). The following day Jumbo was harnessed to this caravan , said good-bye with his characteristic " b-1-o-w" and they were on their way to Detroit. Start of the parade . HOWELL CENTENNIAL By STANLEY AND HAZEL LATSON I remember when ... in 1930 our Genoa Township was represented in the Centennial with a float. Hazel rode a horse with a beautiful saddle which was given to her by her Uncle Rob. She still has this saddle today , thanks to her granddaughter , Helen, who bought it back for her grandmother at their farm auction. Also daughter , Virginia , a young child, rode in the Centennial being pulled in her wagon-cart by her dog, a German Shepherd . He was so very well trained and kind ; they had such a long way to walk and our dog almost made it to the end of the parade. Howell~ Steam .. ,.11,,.1navUr) ?,.._...... . Grand R iver St., I West. 5 Send all your F ine Lin en to How ell Steam Laundry_ L ace Curtains a Specia lty. F lanne l J3lankets wash ed without shrink ing or fulling. Sat isfaction gua ranteed• W. E. SNYDERP, rop'r. 125 By MRS. MELBA MAREAU: "I remember in 1958o n New Year's Eve that the ice was so thick and the cars ended up in the ditches. We climbed hills on our hands and knees and the kids skated in the streets ." By ARLENE RIDDER: In the '70's Howell became a haven for people leaving the large cities . Especially attracted by the large stately older homes. By FRANCES SEIM I remember when instead of parking meters downtown they had hitching posts for horses . Up to 1941w e lived about 5 n:iile~f rom Howell. It took about 1 hr . to ride horse and buggy nde mto town. We would then park our horse and buggy in a 10 cent barn . We could buy a nice dress at McPherson's for about $5.00. McPhersons had a basket that your money was put in by the clerk , she would pull a cord and the basket would slide up a trolley to the cashier. By ALICE SCHAUER: Worked for the telephone co. and remembers when a flag would drop down when someone came on the line. At the creamery which was located on Factory St. the milk was brought by horses in summer and sleigh in the winter . By ROSE HAYS: I remember when they used to close the roads in winter around Howell. Bales of hay were used as a foundation under the bridge going over the Shiawassee River. The bales are still there to this day . Grand River was originally a plank road then was paved and was then the longest paved road in Michigan all the way from Detroit to Lansing . By MARY JAMIESON: My husband peddled ice in Howell. The ice was cut out of the lake and stored in sawdust ice houses. By MAUDE PHILLIPS: I came from England when I was 27 yrs. old and married a local boy. We belonged to St. Johns Episcopal Church . My husband and I used bicycles to get around Howell. Her husband was a member of the Masonic Order, I was a member of the Kings Daughters and Eastern Star. I worked for the McPherson family for a number of years. The 1876 Centennial By ARVILLA HUBBELL PARSHALL This is an account of an excursion that Mr. and Mrs . William Sexton (my great aunt) took in 1876a t the time of the Centennial Celebration. June 12th, 1876-Left Sherbourne for the city of New York. Arrived at Albany at noon, took dinner at the Delivan House then :,vent up to the New State House which is grand. Took a~ evemng steam boat for the City of New York, (must have traveled on the Hudson River ) arrived at Dr . Strew's house. From eight o'clock in the morning of the thirteenth of June took a ride in the cars to Fultons Ferry , crossed over to Brooklyr:\with Dr. Strew, he went to visit a patient we to see the sights . ' 126 Fourteenth-started for Greenwood, met brother, Sardis (my grandfather) at the ferry who wanted us to go to Central Park which we did and stayed all day . Fifteenth-went to Greenwood and Coney Island . We all took a bath in the ocean, we consisted of Mr. Hubbell and wife, Mr. Sexton and wife, besides a host of outsiders . Friday , June 16th, Dr. Strew and wife went with William Sexton and wife to see A. T. Stewarts store. (A. T. Stewart was the world 's most successful merchant and proprietor of a large department store. Next to Astor was the largest landowner in New York City). Also rode around the city. After returning from the ride we visited a Jewish Synagogue which was grand . Also visited the Croten Works. ( ?) Then the underground railroad and the high bridge railroad and rode on it. (The El steam engine rattled along thirty miles per hour, belching sparks and smoke; ashes, water and oil dropped on pedestrians in the streets below. It frightened horses and many runaways was the result). June 20th-Left Mr. Murhead's Hotel this morning and crossed the ferry to Jersey City, from there to New York , from thence to New Brunswick, then to Trenton, then to German Junction, then to the Centennial Grounds. Arrived June 20th at noon. William Sexton and wife rented a room at one dollar twenty-five cents per day. The sights were too numerous to mention. Philadelphia . Visited the Zoological Garden, Independence Hall, Government Mint, Girard College (school for boys), beautiful Indian needlework, Bibles in one hundred languages, Carpenters Hall (was where the first Continental Congress met) . Within these walls Patrick Henry, John Hancock and John Adams inspired the delegates of the colonies with nerve and sinew for the toils of war. One hundredth Anniversary Continental Congress, 1774 Carpenters Hall 1874. They visited the residence of William Penn . Also visited the Episcopal Church where George Washington and Ben Franklin worshipped, also sat in their pews, June 23, 1876. Addresses: Dr. Wm. Strew, Lexington Avenue, New York; I. Murhead Broadway Hotel, corner of 42nd Street and Broadway , New York. Returned home to Howell, July 3, 1876. Entire trip cost $200.00. Excursion tickets , $53.50. CITY PARK ENTRANCE At the entrance to our Howell City Park , a split rail fence was installed on each side of the entrance. On the north side a ten-foot by three-foot flower planter was built with a sign over it saying Howell City Park. The money and labor for this project was donated by the Howell Rotary Club and completed in October , 1972. The Lake Ice House By MIKE HAGMAN In my story I would like to go back in memory to the lake ice business , which covers a span of years from the middle twenties until the late thirties in my recollections, as I was born on the corner of Summit and Roosevelt Street in 1919, and lived on the same corner until 1947, I was right next door to the ice houses . The first ice house I remember , was on the southeast corner of Roosevelt St. and the roadway that goes by Howell Lake into the new part of the Protestant cemetery . This is a vacant lot now. The building wasn't too large and probabl y in the late 19's and early 20's it would hold enough ice for the summer's business. I would like to tell about filling the ice houses with the lake ice. When the ice reached the proper thickness, which was about a foot, the field to be cut was laid out. A team of horses pulled a sharp edged piece of equipment of wood frame, with many small saw teeth in it . The saw teeth were of heavy steel about a half inch thick and four inches long. There probably was about a dozen of these all mounted in a straight line . The wood frame had an arm on it that extended to the side about 3 ft. long. This arm had a runner on it and after the first straight line cut was made, the team of horses were turned around and the runner put in this cut and the second cut 3 ft. apart was made and so on. Then the ice field was marked "God freezes the water"-but we must cut our own ice . Taking in ice on Lakeland, south of Howell. acrosst hesec uts and they wouldh ave 3 ft. squaresc .ifi ce, which would weigh approximately 100 lbs. each. A channel was then cut from the ice field to the loading chute of the ice house. The loading chute extended from just below the roof of the ice house, down the back side of the ice house into the lake at about a 45-degree angle . The loading chute was about 200 ft. long. The channel from the ice field almost to the ice house chute was a little over nine ft. wide. This was done so that three 100 lb. cakes of ice in a row were floated down the channel to the ice house . Men would space the ice into these three 100 lb. rows of ice in the ice field , which might have twenty-five or thirty rows . These large chunks sawed off the ice field were pulled into the ice channel with long pike poles and a man on a wooden bridge built across the ice channel would spud them into three 100 lb. cubes long. The channel then narrowed down to about four feet and the three 100 lb. chunks were turned long ways and another man on a wooden bridge cut them into 100 lb. chunks. The 100 lb. chunks of ice were lined up to go up on the chute into the ice house . The ice was pulled into the ice house by a team of horses up on Roosevelt Street headed towards Summit St. A steel cable came back off Roosevelt St. thru the ice house and a pulley strung from a huge wood beam down the ice chute to the water. At the water edge was a contraption called a hook. This at the bottom had a long steel hook which was embedded into the end 100 lb. chunk of ice to H ~, }i .. f' < 127 be pulled up the chute. A man had to ride this hook up the chute to hold it into the ice. The hook had a handle on it and also a brace , which went forward to put pressure on, so the hook would stay in the cube of ice better . When the ten or twelve 100 lb. cubes of ice were lined up in the chute, the man on the hook was all set, a signal was given and the team of horses on Roosevelt St. headed northwest, pulled the ice up the chute into the ice house. Hook riders were hard to come by as sometimes the hook would slip out of the ice and the hook would go flying straight up, the hook rider most any place and the ice back down the chute, into the lake. I don't believe that any hook riders were ever seriously injured. At the top of the chute that came into the ice house, a similar chute was inside and the ice came down this chute. The ice was stacked and as the ice house became fuller , the inside chute was raised higher . After the ice house was full of ice, the ice was covered with sawdust to keep it in good condition. As our city grew this ice house became too small and so to take care of the booming ice business, three large new ice houses were built on the north shore of the lake where the new part of our Protestant cemetery is today. The moderness of these were a far cry from the old. The ice houses were built quite long and high . On the side facing the lake on the west end the loading chute went down into the water . On the lake side of the ice houses, were three tiers of chutes running east and west, and from these the ice could go in the lower part of the ice house first , middle text and top last. I would say the manpower needed to do all the work involved to fill the ice houses was about 100 men. On the lake thereweresawers ,pikepole men, spudders. On the ice shutes in front of each house was a man with a short pike pole to drag a cake of ice into his ice house . Inside were the ice stackers . Although this was a cold job, numerous men looked forward to this work, as a little extra income in the winter time , as most of them had jobs that lasted from spring to fall. The procedure on the ice field in the lake was the same except instead of using horses to make the cut, a sled like outfit was made with a gasoline motor and a circular saw on it. About all that was needed was a man to guide this as the saw furnished the power to push the ice cutting machine forward . Also the chute that went into the lake was modernized and 4"x4" pieces of wood were fastened into huge chains on either side of the chute, about 4 ft. apart . The chute had sides on it and the chain was all one piece , so actually it was a conveyor sort of system . In a coupola on top of the top row of chutes were controls to activate the conveyor or shut it off. The power to run the conveyor system was furnished by old fashioned steam engines and a belt system from the engine to a stationary pulley block on the ground and then belts up to the cupola . The steam engines were owned by individuals , a Mr. Park Brayton , who kept his equipment in Howell at the south end of McCarthy St. A Mr. Rub bins who lived on Triangle Lake Rd. What a sight to see these old steam engines come puffing down the street to go down to the ice houses. It usually took anywhere from four to six days to fill these three ice houses . Back when the horses were used on the ice, my father told me that once a team of horses broke through some thin ice and down they went. The men tried and tried to get them out and as the horses would get their front feet up on the good ice, they would slip and back in they would go. Finally the men got a rope around each horse's neck and with a lot of heaving and pulling got the horses out of the water. The horses were chilled to the bone and the men wrapped 128 them in heavy blankets and walked the horses all night to get them warmed up. The horses survived their ordeal without any problems . Also one year the ice in the lake by Roosevelt St. didn't get to be the right kind of ice to put in the ice houses, so a channel was cut all the way around the lake between the cemetery and the peninsula , west of the island , and the ice was taken all that distance to fill the houses. At the time of my story, a Mr. Cline Galloway and Mr. Frank Raven were partners in the ice business . Mr. Galloway lived on East Clinton St. about where the parking lot is for the Edison substation. He had a barn behind his house and kept two teams of horses there. Mr. Raven lived on the corner of McCarthy and Livingston St. Ice delivery was made to homes and business places with the horses pulling the ice wagons. As a boy, I was fortunate enough to go on Mr . Raven's route with him . He always called me Hiram and he would say " Hiram , you had better set up on the seat and drive the horses, " while I take the ice off the back to the houses ." Those horses didn't need anyone to drive them , as they knew every stop and go on the route. Mr. Raven would take me to lunch where the Amber Lounge is now. Jess Raymond owned it in the by gone days , and we sat at the lunch counter on high stools. As we would go around the ice route , cards would be displayed in the windows of the homes telling whether the person wanted 25-50 75-or 100 lb. of ice and of course Mr. Raven would take whatever the card said and put the ice in the ice boxes. What a treat for the small children on a 90-degree summer's day to see the ice wagon coming and the ice men chop them off a chunk of ice to suck on. Eventually, trucks took over for the horses on the deliery route, and one man would drive and two deliver . As electric refrigerators became cheaper in the late thirties , the lake ice business slowly went out of existence and along with it another chapter in history . The Day after Halloween About 1906, many Howell residents and businessmen were astonished to see an unusual sight perpetrated evidently by the Halloween pranksters of the night before for, perched on the eastern roof of the fairly new Carnegie Library astride the centerline was Purdy's Bakery delivery wagon a one horse affair. People were gazing, smiling and shaking their heads , no doubt, wondering how it got there. No violent windstorm could set it down so perfectly . Now, how to get it down to earth , I never knew how it was gotten down but secret word was passed around that it came down much the same way as it was gotten up there, by taking it all apart. The perpetrators of this Halloween joke, I never heard their names spoken, but I had my own guess on that one. FLOWER PLANTERS Another story that is appropriate is about our flower planters that line Grand River Avenue and Michigan Avenue. The dimensions of these planters are four feet high by four feet square , and have concrete walls four inches thick . This is a Chamber of Commerce project. On most of the planters are bronze memorial plaques honoring noteworthy citizens of by-gone years who in their lifetime contributed greatly to making Howell a better community . In each planter small trees were planted , and each spring flowers are planted around the trees for a touch of color in our uptown business district. A 1972 project . 'Judge' Willis Lyons Very possibly, the most colorful character to come out of our area was Willis Lyons . Six feet tall and 14 years old, he enlisted in the Spanish American War in 1898 by telling them he was 18. Off the coast of Cuba, he was officially declared dead of yellow fever and was being buried at sea when a friend saw him wink his eye, which was the only muscle he could move. After many months and many experiences in a New York hospital he returned home and took up the study of Law . This photograph taken, probably, when he was about 20, in his uniform, was one of which he was very proud . From 1930 to 1960 he was thought of as the "Poet Laurreate" of Howell by his fellow members of the Rotary Club and many others. Your author remembers so well, monthly visits for an hour or so when the "Judge" would stop in at the studio and "kill a little time" talking about the "Olden Days ." 129 One-Room Schools Planting trees on the lawn of the new school, 1909. At least the kids are out of the mud in the road . Howell from the air 1975, showing the N.E . school (bottom) and Mich . Ave . Middle School , left , formerly the main school. 132 Rare indoor picture of a one room school. The boys look innocent in the picture but the way the teacher is ---~~~~~---~~--- biting her lip-I don't know. 133 Arbor day 1901. These kids have just planted a tree in the school yard . Howell's Schools Picture taken from the Central School in 1837 showing the old courthouse and the buildings on Grand River from the back. 136 The entire high school student population photographed in the large assembly room at the top of the Old Central school, 1915. Howell'sS chools By MRS. B. H. GLENN COUNTY SCHOOLS BEGAN WITH FIRST SETTLERS This is the first of two articles by Mrs. B. H. Glenn of Fowlerville regarding early day schools in Livingston County. Mrs. Glenn, a former Howell resident and a ~raduate of Howell High School in 1901, was. well versed in Livingston County history about which she has written several articles in the past for LCP. While Livingston County has only been established as an organized government unit in Michigan 135 years, education and its schools date from the arrival of its earliest settlers from New England , New York and Ohio and other eastern states whose background reflects a desire for progress . Howell's Schools Coordinator Joseph C. Fields, married to Shirley Ann Fields has resided in Howell the last three years. Joe is a native Michiganian finishing his doctorate at Michigan State University. As Howell High School Principal he has had personal contact with the wonderful authors represented in this article . From the earliest available histories , we find accounts of the establishment of schools of some kind in every settlement in the county from the first year . First a few children, taught , perhaps , by an older boy or girls in a home or a hastily built one room log schoolhouse, or as in Livingston Center (Howell) in 1836, in the loft of the Eagle Tavern. That was the first frame building in the county seat, where Abigale Adams, the daughter of Amos Adams, the first proprietor , kept a school. In Handy Township settled in 1836 history shows that on October 19, 1839 three elected school inspectors met at the home of Elijah Gaston and made the first annual report of the township of Handy. District No. 1 as follows: whole number of organized districts, one; whole number of children attending school below the age of five to 17, 24; number under fivf!, over 17, 19; months , taught by qualified teacher , six ; Amount of public money received , none; Amount of money · recieved in district , $50.00. The first certificate granted by the township to a teacher in Handy was dated July 13, 1844 to Jane Watson, Handy Township, Livingston County, Michigan. As population increased more districts were added and it is possible to find detailed accounts of many of the early schools in the 1880 edition of History of Livingston County. This report of Handy Township is comparable to the others of that period . The detailed sketch of the Howell public schools probably duplicates in a way the early history of most of the county schools both rural and later the high schools of Brighton , Fowlerville, Pinckney and Hartland . The rural district schools were one room, one teacher, offering instruction in a few subjects from the youngest children to those who cared to attend even to 20 years of age. 137 The teachers were selected by their ability to teach reading , writing and arithmetic and also by their ability to maintain order . As conditions improved the teacher 's qualification and knowledge demanded better education and men and women, many who had academic training, were employed . Clergymen often were the head masters of these rural schools and the principal or superintendent was called professor , though the degrees required now for that title were not required. Quoting from the manual issued by the board of the Howell Public Schools for the year 1900: "Universal public education was the first and fundamental principle of American government- the motive power of all progress and the bullwark of our libert y. The evaluation of the high schools bring higher education to the very doors of our common people, it aims not only to give facts of practical work, but breadth of information , skill and reasoning power." The duties of the superintendent at that time were to have charge of all departments and school property and responsibility for order as far as in his power to control it. "He shall make reports to the board , he shall visit the different departments and have sole power to promote and demote the pupils. " He shall hold teachers responsible for instruction and discipline but shall direct teachers to a faithful performance of their duties toward their pupils. He shall inform parents or guardians of the conduct of the students . "Teacher s ar e expected to familiarize themselves with the rules and the textbooks, to teach accurately and thoroughly and devote themselves to the welfare of the pupils. Teachers will be responsible for the conduct of the pupils, the government of them must be of a nature to develop kindly dispositions and character , to stabilize as far as possible the basic nature of the pupil they shall be rigidly responsible for the pupils habits of neatness , obedience and politeness. They must not tolerate profanity , vulgarity , gum, cheating , boisterous or improper attitudes or actions . "Teachers shall require pupils to leave the school premises as soon as dismissed and go directly to their homes." Duties of the pupils were also specified : "No books, papers or anything foreign to the proper study shall be brought to the school house. Every pupil shall have decent apparel , face and hands clean and hair decently arranged . Pupils are required to be respectful , and obedient to the teachers . For violation of these rules the pupil may be suspended ." In 1900t he Howell High School had an athletic director and an association closely associated with the State Athletic Association and in turn with the University of Michigan Association. State scholarship crede ntials were required to participate in athletics . The names of the earliest teachers in the Howell school may be found in the 1880 edition of History of Livingston County with many details of the earliest schools in the county. Exercises held in the Howell Opera House on June 21, 1890 a list of names of every grade and high school pupil at that time is given with the age of each at that date. This list includes the names of all in the Central building, the First Ward or Barnard Street School. These schools had been erected in 1888-9 and those attending in rooms on South Walnut, rented to supplement some grades until the completion of the West Ward, or Byron Road School house which was opened in 1891. At that time 124 were listed in the beginners or first grades and in 1890e ighty in the high school with 14 in the graduation class of 1890. 138 The total enrollment for that year covering all grades was 522. In 1900 the graduating class numbered 29. Many pupils attended school in the early years only through the sixth or eighth grades. A very small percentage went on to higher education in colleges. Law, medicine , dentistry and engineering attracted the earliest students from the county schools to the U of M. For preparation for teaching Ypsilanti offered certificates approved for limited time and for scientific farming the Michigan Agriculture College at East Lansing offered short courses . For preparation for Business careers many high school students took courses at the Cleary Business College, also in busines s schools in Detroit and some at Ferris Institute in Big Rapids . In 1900 the high school in Howell offered four courses of study granting diplomas in the scientific classes , classical , Latin and English which included the following subjects : Classical- Greek , Latin , Algebra , Geometry , History, Physics and English Literature. Latin course-Latin , German, substituted for Greek , Scientific, with either German or Latin and including chemistry and zoology. The English course offered a choice of subjects and civics , political economy, trigonometry and physical geography . The names of pupils from the old school include many who have distinguished themselves as teachers , lawyers , physicians , engineers , chemists , a few politicians and in the arts . Some have become world travelers , newspaper men and women, millionaires , and business men and women and many just good people. The teachers, with few exceptions , were devoted and held the affection and respect of the pupils. The members of the board of education held office for years and were the outstanding men of the community . Each Monday morning the members of the eighth grade and the high school met with the teachers in the third floor chapel room for devotions and a serious talk by some member of the board , a clergyman , a distinguished visitors or a former pupil of the school who may have returned after years and brought recollections of his school days and fond memories . The alumni held yearly meetings until the number grew too big for the accommodation of the whole group. Now the classe s return in five or ten year intervals when possible. Through the years the grades held promotional exercises at the close of the school year with the highest graded student representing his class . The junior class had an exhibition in the spring and , of course, the June graduation exercises or commencement was the high spot of the whole school year for the community whose young people were from the local education offered by the community . It is proper to add here a tribute to the custodians of these early schools who perhaps had as much influence in the care of the children and their behavior as the teachers. They were men devoted to the neatness of the rooms , and the safety of the pupils while under their care. One of the largest and best remembered at the high school building was "Dick Burdick ." He was a man of many talents which he shared with everyone , his example of order and neatness and his good advice to pupils of every age as to deportment both in school and in sports and play is affectionately recalled . Homes of School Kids By MRS . ALBERT ROHRABACHER Long ago, John Greenleaf Whittier wrote that "-the feet that , creeping slow to school, went storming out to playing ." The pupils in the 1842s chool did creep to school on their own two feet. There were no school buses or motor pools to carry them. Though horses and rigs were used later; in 1842h orses were scarce and Michigan pioneers needed them for their farm work. They could not be spared to carry children to school who had two good legs to carry them. And what kind of a house did the student set out from? Usually a log house or frame with a log barn, the wooden pump and watering-trough a large feature of the door yard. The road he trod was a dusty path in fall, a quagmire of mud in spring, snow-clogged in winter . In fact, school was seldom held in periods of heavy storms or cold weather. And as for the feet that trudged to school-The boys wore short cowhide boots; the girls wore black shoes, not oxfords or slippers, which were buttoned or laced. Some had copper toes to make them wear longer . Long black cotton stockings were worn in good weather (even with white clothing) and home-knitted woolen stockings in winter . There were large queer-looking lumps around the tops of the shoes caused by long underwear . And as for summer; both boys and girls went barefoot to save shoe leather and money. Children were as daring then as 10w and often walked logs over creeks or took short-cuts over thin ice just for the heck of it. The boys wore trousers which reached halfway between the knee and ankle. They had to be grown-up before they had really long trousers . The "waists" they wore were buttoned on the trousers. Vests or jerkins worn under their coats were left on in the poorly heated school room to keep them warm . Straw farmer hats were worn in summer and warm, knitted ones in winter . The girls had printed calico or percale dresses worn over several white petticoats . The dresses had to be "kept clean" as long as possible, so were covered with aprons or pinafores that covered most of the front. They wore long-sleeved The old county schools are almost gone . Torn down or made into homes, they have almost disappeared from the landscape . The end of an era which is remembered by many . dresses and sun-bonnets with a long ruffle in the back; for what girl in that time wanted her white complexion "simply ruined" by tan or freckles. Her hair was braided with one long tail in the middle of her back, one on each side, or braided and locped up as suited the wearer . The boys home-haircuts were long and rather like the Beatles now. A sudden rain storm was a disaster. Numbers of the students carried books and slates and they hoped no sudden rain would wash the home-work or "examples" from their slates. The older girls feared the rain would take the curl out of their hair which had been put up on rags or crimped with a hot curling iron, with so much trouble. Often the family dog accompanied the children to school and waited patiently outside to romp with them at recess . The boys often rolled hoops to school with sticks. The teacher was possibly, in summer session, a young girl who had only recently completed the district school course herself and been "examined" as to her qualifications by the school director of township supervisor . She wore her dresses longer than her pupils to add to her authority. A watch , if she could afford it, was a necessary part of her equipment to time classes and the ringing of the school bell. The school house, which might be of logs, had besides the bell, a teacher's desk, rows of double students desks and a stove, if you were lucky ; otherwise, a fireplace. Other accouterments were the wood-box, matches, water pitcher and bowl for hand washing, water pail and dipper for drinking , broom and dustpan , and oil lamp or candles and a shovel. The teacher had to keep fire and do the janitor work as well as teach. If she was well-liked the children would help her make a path to the little outhouses and woodshed. A well was a necessity. The subjects taught were reading , writing and arithmetic .... 139 and something called orthography , which seems to have been a combination of grammar and spelling . Great attention was paid to mental arithmetic and calculations, and also to oral spelling . History and geography were taught in the higher grades. The spelling bee was enjoyed not only by the school children but also their elders . The school often served as a community center with singing schools and spelling bees often held there and visiting ministers doing preaching . The milder forms of discipline were standing, facing a corner in front of the other students or sitting on nothing, or bending over and holding the finger to a crack in the floor . A psychological discipline was to make a girl or boy sit with a member of the opposite sex in the double seats. This was always humiliating. A slap over the knuckles or palm of the hands with a ruler was a milder corporal punishment. But for good, solid effective discipline the teacher cut herself a good supply of switches and displayed them prominently in the school room. The school commissioner chose that day to visit her school. He paused for a long time in front of the map-case, with his hands behind his back . Finally he turned to the anxious teacher and said, "A very good idea-a very good idea, indeed." The teacher never did know whether he referred to the map-case or the bundle of switches on top of it. The winter term was largely attended by the older boys who were not able to come in the spring and fall because of farm work. Consequently a man teacher was usually hired; one could handle the big boys. In fact, muscles were sometimes his principal qualification for teaching . Big boys were usually whipped in front of the rest of the school for its salutary effect on the rest. But, if this wasn't enough, the teacher invited them outside and had a real fist fight. Don't tell me it didn't happen ; as my uncle had to "trim" three students in this way the first week of his term of teaching. Then they all settled down to serious work for the rest of the term. He was putting himself through law school by teaching a winter term each year. Recess was passed in playing three-old cat (an ancestor of baseball) , numbledy-peg and marbles. In winter , they slid down hill with sleds brought from home. The girls often brought their dolls to school, the boys their jack-knives . Wild flowers could be picked in the fields and woods for big bouquets and spruce gum gathered for chewing. Often the children found a bed of wild leeks or strawberries. Can you imagine the effects on the teacher of 30 pupils who had been eating leeks at recess? Students were no more entirely devoted to study than now. While unobserved, little girls cut out paper dolls, and even paper tables, beds and chairs and played with them behind big propped up geography books. Boys whittled out boats and daggers with their jackknives by holding the work below their desks. They even found ways to get rid of the telltale shavings. Most of the children, even those who lived close by, carried their dinner in dinner pails and ate at noon in the school house or outside in good weather. It was lots more fun than going home to eat. Children stood in line at the pump for cold drinking water in the summer . Of course lots of other things were passed around besides water, mainly measles, chickenpox, mumps and whooping cough. Some people believed that an asafetida (fetty) bag worn around the neck warded off these diseases. They were effective mainly because they smelled so bad that they warded off everyone , including those with measles, etc. And speaking of smells have any of you ever been around when 30 dinner pails were opened at once, all containing sandwiches made of salt-rising bread? 140 After dismissal in winter there was a rush to the cloakroom (or corner ). The boys often took this as an opportunity to get in a few good punches at other boys while unobserved by the teacher. The small ones struggled with gaiters (some which had 25 buttons on each leg) and with finding the matching set of mittens and cap and their own books and still to be first out of the building if possible . Yes, "they went storming out" as Whittier said with a lot more energy than they went in. MEMORIES OF A COUNTY ONE-ROOM SCHOOL By ALICE CRITTENDEN TERRY The school house has been moved to History Town on East Grand River , but for those of us who attended Rumsey School on Highland Road in Oceola Township memories linger on. Miscellany - peanut butter sandwiches - boiled eggs -dust -powdery erasers -long underwear , mufflers, and mittens - one pail of drinking water, and one dipper was shared by all - outside facilities (In zero weather yet!) Games -" Porn Porn Pull Away, Come Away, Fetch Away" - " Prisoner's Goal" -" Ante-i-Over" -" One Old Cat" -" Blind Man's Bluff" -"Duck On A Rock" School Commissioners: Maude Benjamin , Hugh Aldrich, Alma Sharpe, Gladys McCollum. Some of the Teachers: Marie Welker, Kate McNamara, Marie Nevereth, Lena Devereaux , Grace Line, Charles Lyons, Effie Howell, Pauline Hart Cornell, Ethel Johnson, Bea Arthur , Beryl Richards, Mildred Hoffman, Pearl Randall , Ruth Brockway, Helen Bergin, Mae Botsford, Blanche Botsford. If the names of any teachers have been omitted it was unintentional. We respected and revered all of our teachers . SCHOOL DAYS, SCHOOL DAYS, DEAR OLD GOLDEN RULE DAYS . .. By RUAHMAH J . HUTCHINGS, CLASS OF 1830 Mine began in the one room Crittenden School which was located on the southwest corner of the Henderson-Oak Grove Road intersection . Sometime during the years between 1920-1925th e hot lunch program for rural schools began. Each day the teacher aided the pupils in cooking one hot dish from food the parents took turns in supplying. This hot food added to the contents of our lunch boxes made a hearty meal for hungry youngsters. I remember one day two of the boys were mashing potatoes ( one holding the kettle, and the other using the masher) when suddenly the kettle and its contents fell to the floor. Since we all knew the saying about eating a peck of dirt in a lifetime, we ate those potatoes , and called them good. Our seventh and eighth grade years were planned to prepare us for "year-end examinations." These tests on the basic subjects were given in the gymnasium of what is now the Michigan A venue Middle School. It was a frightening experience for rural boys and girls to leave the known teacher and friends and go into town among strangers . The testing lasted two days. Less frightening and more fun was the annual Christmas Program . This event wa~ always enjoyed by parents and children alike. In those days the Christmas tree was decorated with small burning wax candles, popcorn balls for all, and small boxes of candy from the teacher to each of her pupils. If the boys and girls liked their teacher a quiet Friday afternoon was sometimes broken by a "Fruit Roll." Suddenly apples, pears, plums-whatever we could get-began rolling along the floor toward the teacher's desk. We never thought about bruising fruit, and one can 't help but wonder how the teacher used some of those goodies. Attending Howell High School for four years was a happy experience . Lessons to learn , and good times too, led the class of '30 to heartily sing: " Here days are shining, And dark clouds have silver linings . We all confess that we will do our best For our country and you H.H.S." Following graduation we went our separate ways. I took teacher training . After twenty-six years of working with children in various Michigan cities I came HOME to work with our boys and girls . Twelve happy years were spent here in Howell helping our little ones to understand the complexities of reading, and, 'ritin ,' and 'rithmetic. It is interesting to note a few of the changes that took place between my school days and teaching days. Some of these are: Then-1. One room schools located throughout the county . Now-1. Centralization for instruction . Then-2. Children walked to school. Now-2. Boys and girls bussed to school. Then-3. Teacher and pupils preparing one hot dish to add to lunches brought from home. Now .-3. Children may buy a complete meal at the school cafeteria . Then-4. For warmth the teachers built the fires, and older pupils took turns keeping fuel in the stove. Now-4. Now teachers turn a thermostat to regulate the heat. Yes, new days bring new ways , and life marches on. Now younger and stronger hands carry "The Torch" ( name of our high school yearbook). May these new generations enjoy and truly seek the best education has to offer in their day, just as we did better than four decades ago. HOWELL HIGH SCHOOL By MARY V. REED I attended Howell High School from 1946u ntil graduation in 1950. The principal was John S. Page. Our graduating class was one of the smallest groups to graduate, 72 people, possibly due to the fact that we were Depression babies. We picked up additional classmates at the graduation exercises- several young men from the TB Sanitorium joined us-complete in cap and gown, to receive their diplomas. Living in the southwest section of Howell, I walked to school every day-9 blocks-coming home for lunch (gave me only fifteen minutes to eat). There were three classmates I met as I walked to school-took the same route every day . Michigan A venue School was the school. When we moved to Howell in 1942, I attended Miss Hamil's 5th grade , Miss King's 6th grade in the south section of the building ; homerooms were on the third floor. Grades 7 to 12 were housed in the left or north side of the building with the center section taken by gym (basement and first floor levels), auditorium (second and third floor levels with large windows overlooking Michigan Avenue ). Study hall combined with library as homeroom for 10th-11th-12th grades stretched the length of the third floor overlooking the playground side and connected high school section with the grade school part. Coats were left on hooks in the corridors. Boots and miscellaneou s gear was jammed on the floor beneath the hanging coats . In high school, we had 4 to 5 classes a day , held in rooms on the second and third floors ( except for Shop, Art class and Homemaking which were on the first floor). Study hall periods made up the balance of the day which ran approxim ate ly from 8:00 to4:00 with 55 minute class periods . I was editor-in-chief of our senior class yearbook-"The Torch ." We tried to be innovative with yellow cover (previous four years had either dark green or dark blue covers) and a theme-a sketched Highlander appearing on all pages . (The artwork was done by a classmate , Wanda Merithew ). Several " musts " which were traditional - senior pictures appearing in the front of the book (we wanted to place them in sequence-after the junior class ) and group pictures of all the organizations-were maintained. My notes show we had approximately 350 copies of the yearbook to sell at $3.00. Finding suitable quotes for each classmate 's picture was difficult as all of the yearbook staff had classes with only about 1 / 3 of the group . Really the best part of working on the yearbook was being able to skip classes-meetings to work on copy and layout or to dash out to Zemper's Photo Studio to check on pictures . Although we weren't a particularly close class, we have had three class reunions and are planning our 25th year reunion this summer . Our first get-together was Christmas vacation after graduation when we had a dinner at the Episcopal Parish Hall ; second-potluck dinner in July , 1958 at the Southwest School; third-dinner at Howell Elks Club in August, 1970. At the last reunion there were 46 people and we anticipate about the same number this year-about 63 percent attendance. Memories of School By SARAH J. MAYCOCK I REMEMBER MRS. DAFOOT'S SEMINARY This was a private school established in Howell to meet the needs of students too far advanced to be accommodated in any of the schools then existing in the surrounding county . The aim of the instruction was to cultivate the minds and hearts of those placed under their care and to exert such a moral and religious influence over them as could best prepare them for the high duties and responsibilities of life. Such courses as: English, Natural Science, Mathematics , Latin and French were offered. None were admitted except those who were able to pass a thorough examination in arithmetic as far as "interest." The studies of each class was designed for one year, but pupils could be advanced from class to class according to their progress and not according to time spent in the institution. A full and accurate account was kept of the attendance , scholarship, and deportment of each student and the result publicly announced at the close of each term. My grandfather, Benjamin T. Batcheler and grandmother Sarah E. Adams Batcheler and also my great aunt , Clarissa P . Batcheler were enrolled in 1860-1861, 119 names were listed in the first annual catalogue . Some well known family names were included: Charles D. Itsell, Stephen G. Itsell , Orville W. Sexton, Thomas J. Tubbs, Therina C. Huntington, Lucinda S. Brooks, Alma Fishbeck , Mary A. Pratt, Sarah Winegar . 141 Teaching Years By GLADYS WHIPPLE I have lived in Howell for the past twenty eight years . I taught in the Howell Public Schools for at least 25 years . My associations and memories of my teaching years in Howell are very wonderful. I was hired by Mr. John S. Page , who was the superintendent of schools in Howell for many years. He was recognized statewide as a highly respected " school-man ." I'll always remember some of his remarks about the qualities of a good " school system ," and I quote : "There is no such thing as a good school without good discipline, respect for others , and a qualified faculty ." "To this end certain regulations must be adopted and firmly adhered to." "These rules , the fewest possible, are for the greatest good of the greatest number ." " In many cases , if the teacher is called upon to adjudicate, or if a pupil has seemingly sustained an injustice , the wise and proper thing for the parent to do is to talk the matter over with the teacher or superintendent." "Come let us reason together ," Mr. Page would say. Mr. Page also believed in promptness. He used to say , and I quote : " In school life, largely , the life habits of a child are formed." "The boy is father to the man ." " A tardy boy makes a careless man ; a prompt boy becomes a ready man ; a business boy, a business man. " My memories include some wonderful friends . For instance, Mrs. Wm. Bigelow, (affectionately called by all: Joy Bigelow) Joy taught in the Howell Public Schools for many years and is known and loved by all her former pupils and many , many friends . Joy always kept the names and birthday dates of all her former pupils in her records and always sends them birthday cards. Not only does she remember her former pupils but all her many teacher and facult y friends . She has kept this procedure of remembrance for many people for a period of many , many years. She sends at least from 1500 to 2000 birthday cards , friendship cards and get-well cards in a year's time . Joy Bigelow is the personification of love and good-will to all . May God bless her . 142 I also wish to mention Miss Mary Hammell , a long-time friend of mine . Mary Hammell taught at least 42 years in the Howell Public Schools and is highly respected in the community . Miss Florence Warner has been a kind, wise " teacher friend " and counselor to many, many high school students for over 40 years. Mrs . Sarah Maycock, whose great dignity and kindness has made her one of the most highly respected teachers in the Howell Public School System . Miss Mildred King has devoted her entire life to her many teaching years in Howell. She loved young people and taught sixth grade . Her students knew their " parts of speech " at the end of the school year . Mr. Paul Bannett was a fine athletic director of Howell High School for many years. The Howell Recreation Center has been named the Paul Bennett Recreation Center in his honor. Mrs . Mildred Bennett , his wife, has been a wonderful, public-spirited , civic-minded personage in Howell. She assisted her husband in every possible way. She loves youthful citizens and was of great help to her husband . She still is very interested in youth, writes excellent articles in the local paper, talks to groups of youth on bicycle safety, assists as a judge in many athletic events, etc . I ran across an old Howell Public School Alumni Manual for the year of 1900 and 1901. The class of 1869 had one graduate. Namely : E . D. Galloway. The class of 1870 had five graduates . Namely : Mrs . R. Sprague , Greenville , Michigan ; A. J. Lamoreaux, Rio De Janeiro , Brazil ; Horace Bernard , Frederick, South Dakota ; Ella Burt, no address ; Will Carlin, Big Rapids , Michigan . Ten Cent 8am By ESTHER YERKES I Remember When I came into the Howell school, I brought my own lunch , as did other students . We congregated in the basement to eat lunch . Dick Burdick was janitor and was always around to see that things went quietly . We drove to school and our horse was kept in the ten cent barn all day . 1913-8th Grade . Howell school board, 1937. Fun Things By MRS. FLORENCE WARNER The class of "39" had a small band of twelve people as a feature of their variety show. The band played such classics as "Three Little Fishes ." The entire band wore red felt fringed hats , Spanish sombrero style, and red jackets to match . The day of the premier performance some one discovered that Gale Miner's jacket lacked six inches of going around him . It was easily remedied by splitting it up the back and adding a piece . Virginia O'Leary played the MARACS with the band and as Kay Voss observed , no matter how the band played , Virginia in her red satin Spanish style dress was a smash. The "30's" were depression days and money was almost non-existent. The charge for the variety shows was fifteen cents (15 cents ) in cash if you had it or anything of equal value such as eggs, potatoes, apples or anything usable or edible. One memorable event, Mr. Charles Sutton gave the ticket seller at one performance a one dollar bill saying , " Keep the change." She was so excited that she left her station and ran all the way down the hall to the back of the stage to give it to the sponsor so it wouldn't get lost. The "40's" were a little more lavish . The class of "47" had an outstanding " J-Hop." The theme was "Alice In Wonderland. " The walls of the gym were covered with huge panels of the characters in the story , designed and painted in appropriate colors by class members. Barbara McQuillan designed a beautiful purple dragon and made her own floral print formal to match . The dress was finished the afternoon of the party and Barbara just made it to the hop. This part y was made financially possible by a very successful Junior Carnival under the direction of class president , Bob Myers , who with Bill Deutch, treasurer nearly collapsed while counting more than seven hundred dollars ($700.00) in pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. The class of " 45" had an exciting senior trip by boat to Put - in-Bay . Soon after leaving Detroit a severe storm developed . Nearly everyone was seasick the entire trip . The storm was so bad that the boat could not land at its destination . Paul Robert Bennett was about the only one who enjoyed the trip . He spent his time eating and walking about among the victims who were stretched on the dining room floor. In the " 50's" the school activities were growing in number and complexity . In 1952 Herb Vey was our first foreign exchange student. He came from Germany . He was a very happy member of the Duane Zemper family . Herb took an active part in all school activities. When asked by Dick Lawson, who was yearbook photographer , what he would like to do on the yearbook, eagerly replied " I'll carry the camera. " The class of " 54" chose " Sophistication " as a J - Hop theme with modern design in black and white . It featured , in the center of the gym a large three tiered rotating chandelier made of fifteen hundred (1500) inch square pieces of mirror cut and mounted by class members with the help of Mr. Wilbur Davis, who also furnished the motor . Long after the party closed Janet Allbright , class president and Dorothy McQuillan, secretary were still in the gym. When asked why, Dorothy replied , " It's all so beautiful , I just can 't leave ." This class made it to Washington , D.C. and New York for their senior trip . Coming down 56th Street in New York to the hotel from the train , the bus was absolutely quiet. Mr. Harold Fulk , one of the sponsors walked down the aisle to see what had happened . Bob Davis , who was the class president said , " It's so unbelievable that we are really at Broadway that we can' t talk ." Or could it have been those sleepless nights? And that's the way it was for one class sponsor. 143 The old central school. The CentralS chool By JOE BRADY In 1907, I started to school in the kindergarten at the old Central School, which stood on Michigan Avenue, where the present Middle School now stands. Incidentally Michigan Avenue was then known as Division Street. On my first day of school my brother , Edmund and : were staying with our great aunt and uncle, Lola and Frank LaRue , as my parents were out of town. I was too timid to go to school by myself . My aunt was doing her laundry and was not dressed to go to the school house with me . As we stood on the corner , Mrs. George Brigham came along and she took me . Such were neighbors in those days . My kindergarten teacher was a Miss Welcker, sister of Carl Welcker, for many years connected with Howell City Services . Some forty years later when I was addressing a teacher gathering in Macomb County, Miss Welcker , then married to a former school superintendnet , whose name I do not recall , came to me and introduced herself . She was still teaching. My first grade teacher was a Miss Parker , who lived on West Grand River . I remember her having a picnic on her lawn for our class . As I finished the first grade , I learned that I would have to transfer to the East Ward School, which stood on the site of the present Northeast School. That was to be a long walk for a youngster . However, my parents , Blanche and Matthew Brady, bought a house at the corner of East Grand River and South Street , so my walk to school was considerably shortened. I might mention that the superintendents of schools were first , Mr. Fullerton , then Mr. Osgerby. Mrs. Wickman, still living in Howell was the eighth grade teacher . I remember we in the lower grades went out for recess , but the eighth graders merel y walked around the room in single file for relaxation and Mrs. Wickman was known as a strict teacher - this all was in the old Central School. 144 The house my parents purchased was then known as the Fishbeck house and Lynn Fishbeck owned the house at that time . This house now owned by Mr. and Mrs . Kleehammer is one of the old houses of Howell and can be seen on the picture map of early Howell. I may have neglected to say that my brother Edmund , was born in the Fannie Huntington house in 1906. My two sisters , Katherine and Helen, were born in the Fishbeck house in 1911 and 1918. From the second grade through the eighth I attended the East Ward School. At that time , all students in high school which began with the ninth grade, attended the old Central School. The year 1916 was quite important in two ways. Manual Training (now Manual Arts ) and Domestic Science (now Home Arts ) were instituted in the High School and the first football team was organized. Leon Yeakey was the first football coach and also taught Manual Training ; also , I think , Mechanical Drawing . Both of these innovations were quite noteworthy in those days. During my years in High School, the World War I was started . In 1918, many young men were drafted and some of the older high school boys enlisted in the military service . Our school organized the High School Volunteers of the United States. We had three companies . A student named Flynn was Captain . Donald Wines was Lieutenant of our company and I was sergeant. We drilled with wooden guns . One time when we wished to have martial music , we could only secure seven instrument players , who could play together . What a change from today 's several complete bands , which are available in our Public Schools. That reminds me the first high school band was begun in 1920-21I.t was called the Jackie Band . My brother , who had learned trap dr umming from Bruce Newcome was a member of the band . The Director , whose name I have forgotten came from the Boys Industrial School (then known as the Reform School) where he was band director. What he did that year in Howell was almost miraculous. He formed a band of some 50-60 high school boys, most with no musical experience, into a respectable musical organization. In fact , the band played well enough that the Howell Commandery Knights Templar took the Jackie Band to the State Conclave, where the band marched and played for the Howell Knights complicated drills. During the school year 1919-1920H igh School was held in a temporary building built in a T-shape around what is now the Christian Science Church (then the Episcopal Church ). The Episcopal pastor , I believe his name was Lein taught English that year. The temporar y building built of wood covered with tar paper was nicknamed the Tabernacle as it resembled buildings built in that day to house temporary evangelistic services . Our class had its Baccalaureate Services in the then new Presbyterian Church and commencement in the Garland Opera House over the Sutton Hardware. The temporary building was occasioned by the building of the new Central School on Michigan A venue , which would hold all grades , kindergarten through high school. The East and West Ward Schools were to be closed. Two of the early superintendents , I have not mentioned were Mr. Schultz, Claude Courter, whowent on via Flint to become Superintendent of Cincinnati Schools. Jahn Page came as superintendent with the opening of the new Central School building . Some old businesses I remember are : The Culver Blacksmith Shop, where the pool hall now is located : the Shindorf Blacksmith Shop, about where Zemper Studio is now located ; Lon Chaffee's Bicycle Shop, about where the Fireplace Shop is now located ; Moncrief's Candy Kitchen , located near the Baldwin Hardware ; Hides and Huckleberries Ad Balch, somewhere near the Livingston drugstore . One time someone was talking to Mr. Balch in front of his store when a loud speaker was heard , "There goes that damn cat in the pickle barrel again ," exclaimed Balch. KindergartenT eachers By CECELIA ZEEB I had the privilege of working with many kindergarten teachers in the Howell schools. Among the group who have given many years of dedicated service are : Miss Ruth Kelley, Mrs. Fran Stipe, and Mrs. Jane Withey. I Remember Mrs. Glover and her many co-workers will never be forgotten for their service to the pupils, the staff and the community. They were a fine group. I Remember When Howell Public Schools have been fortunate to have among their staff many very efficient and dedicated , hard working secretaries. Those with whom I have had close contact and rate among the best are : Mrs . Dorothy Pennell , Mrs "Pat" Murphy and Mrs. Ellen Alanan. I Remember When-Miss Gladys McCallum a graduate of the Howell Public Schools and eventually Superintendent of Schools of Livingston had over one hundred primary schools under her jurisdiction when I first moved into the county. She visited all of the schools often, giving encouragement and help to all . Her selection of basic readers and textbooks was the very best and proved very helpful to all of us. Her monthly meetings were a joy and a need. It gave us an opportunity to get acquainted not only with one another but with the area . Yes, it has been a great privilege to become a friend and co-worker of this dedicated educator. Buying School Books By EVELYN MAAS I Remember When-E. K. Johnson and Son's (W. B. Johnson ) Drug Store was , in the 1920's and 30's headquarters for the purchase of new and used school books. As there was no other source for securing books and supplies, the first day of school brought large numbers of parents and students to the store causing much excitement and confusion. It's great to have your picture taken if it gets you out of school for a while . The students attended school for a part of the morning , participating in orientation sessions and receiving their book lists. Meanwhile, at the store , clerks , recruited from the owners families, set up tables down each side and across the center . New books, flanked by second-hand ones, were arranged categorically the length of the tables. A cash register occupied the center table. The first student to burst through the front door set the machine in motion. From that time on a mild sort of pandemonium reigned-haggling over conditions and prices of used books and durability and content value of new ones. The clerks spelled each other at lunch time, each in turn "eating out" at what is now the Family Restaurant operated by Bob and Joan Gentry. Lew Jackson operated it at that time, beginning of the 20's and Fred Cronewett later . Five o'clock found the door locked, bookshelves empty , clerks weary and two druggists relieved that it was over and would not occur again for another year. Bigger Playground By ERSYL RIDER HADLEY I Remember When the playground at the Michigan A venue School was increased. The district wanted to buy land to the east , on which there were three houses. A special election was held, and the proposal was turned down. That was in the spring . At the annual meeting the next July , the matter was voted on and was passed. The annual meetings were never well attended and with the few present they put it across . The action that was taken was perfectly legal. Of course a little extra work was done to get the right people out to the annual meeting and that was good planning as the extra land for the playground was surely needed. Of course the people who voted against the proposal at the spring election felt they had been taken in. Lighted Athletic Field By GLEN SLAYTON I Remember the first school board meeting I attended after being elected . The board voted on a motion to install lights on the athletic field for $3,800.I went home and told Irene that I had gotten on the wrong board as they were spending a lot of money so the kids could play ball at night. 145 Teaching Kindergarteners By RUTH KELLEY I Remember while teaching kindergarten , a little girl put her ring on the wrong finger and could not take it off, an older child took her to the Yax Jewelry store to have it filed off. A boy tipped his chair and fell backward, hitting his head on the register . Stitches were needed. Chairs have four legs to be used. Mildred, after a long time in the bathroom appeared with a red balloon in her mouth . The fingers had been torn off the teacher 's rubber gloves that she found in a little storage cupboard . A child put his finger into a hole in the building blocks and could not get it out. The custodian was summoned with a pail of soap suds, which did the "trick." The rather frequent spilling of milk at lunch time , especially when it came in bottles. Lynda Hodgkinson took on a different facial appearance. The cookies we had at lunch time had black walnuts in them and Lynda was allergic to them . I Remember Child Study Club-Members contacted parents of prospective kindergarten pupils to get enrollment information . A kindergarten class met in the Methodist Church. A child sometimes brought a birthday treat for his classmates. When, with the assistance of a few parents, a class of kindergarten pupils enjoyed a train ride to Plymouth. A school bus met us there to bring us home after a lunch and fun time in a roadside park . The old A&P store was divided into rooms by canvas walls . Mrs. Stipe had a kindergarten class in one section . One Monday morning, Robbie exclaimed that he saw two " nothings" at the Kroger store on Saturday. Explaining further , he said they were dressed in black. (Nuns he meant). Courteous Students By EVA ALLEN I Remember When students were so courteous to the teachers. There were students who tried out all the teachers, they soon learned that some of them would allow just so much. Those students really became the teachers friends. Every so often I meet some of those students and they tell me how they look back with pleasure to those school days. Discipline was appreciated. Strict discipline is needed at the present time. Tooley School By STANLEY G. LATSON I Remember the first school in the Tooley District was down by Reuland Electric. The next one was on the corner of Grand River and Latson Road. It was later moved to the Herbert Lawson farm for a woodshed and shop. The school on the corner today is about one hundred years old. There were the Itsell girls that went here and then on to Howell and were teachers until they retired from Detroit and Lansing . In the McNamara family there was a doctor , electrical engineer and three nurses, all got their start at the Tooley School also Arthur Larson a dentist. I was on the school board for eight and one half years and the county board for six years. 146 The times have changed since I went to school, the tuition was sixteen dollars in the eighth grade and twenty dollars in high school. The teachers were Miss Morton and Mrs . William Brook in the eighth grade. Mr. Shultz was superintendent. In high school Miss Johnson, Miss Sharpe, Miss Nagel, Miss Peters , Mr. Graham and Miss Doyle. I drove a horse in three miles and put him in the ten cent barn that was on the corner of Walnut and Clinton Street. On days that the horse was needed on the farm I walked. Peanut Row By ALICE CRITTENDEN TERRY In 1924, while attending Howell High School on Michigan Avenue, I roomed at Nellie Eager's home on State Street along with Zoe Lott, Mary Dunn, and several other students . One rainy morning , on my way to school, I was sloshing along what was then known as Peanut Row, the block of State Street opposite the court house. In the middle of the block I met Judge Willis Lyons. He stopped me and scolded me for not wearing my raincoat and rubbers. He then escorted me all the rest of the way to school, sharing his umbrella with me. I was unforgettably impressed with the gallantry , thoughtfulness, and kindness extended to a small youngster by such an outstanding citizen and distinguished gentleman as Judge Lyons. Livingston County Normal The Livingston County Normal was the 37th of its kind in Michigan . It first met in the old high school on North Michigan occupying two rooms , one for the student body and the other for a training room where the observation and practice teaching was supervised. The attendance grew so rapidly that in 1929-1930 two training teachers and rooms were needed ; Also a large study and lecture room for the students , and added space where practice teaching could be carried on. So the old West Ward School was restored and the Normal moved there in the fall of 1929. It was a pleasant situation, like a little school and college quiet and self-sustained . There were three grades in each training room, made to resemble a rural school, where the student teachers would find positions, as most of the schools of the county were filled by these applicants . Following is a list of principals and training teachers who served during its existence. Principals-Miss Grace Gilbert , Miss Mary Tranor , Miss Ann Field , Miss Eunice Fetterly , Miss Mina Reed, Miss Jennie Lawrence . Training Teachers-Miss Lela McDowell, Miss Hildred Gross , Miss Irene Martin, Mrs. Sarah Maycock, Mrs. Ruth Lemon. Official School Board's History EARLY YEARS From earliest times the people of Howell have been concerned with providing education for their children. The Howell Public Schools were first organized in 1836. At a time when the homes in the community were log cabins, Howell citizens passed a resolution: "That 350 Dollars be raised in said district for the purpose of erecting a frame schoolhouse and completing the same ." Growth in Howell was continual and in 1849, a two story brick building was constructed on the present site of the Michigan Avenue School. Within a year 's time additional rooms were rented and a large addition was constructed in 1856. Howell High's first graduate was the sole member of the Class of 1869.L ater in 1869, a three-story brick building with a mansard roof and distinctive bell tower replaced the older building. The East Ward Elementary School site and in 1890 the West Ward Elementary School was built on the corner of Byron Road and Spring Street. In 1900 the high school offered four programs: Classical- Greek , Latin, Algebra, Geometry , History, Physics and English Literature ; Latin-German substituted for Greek ; Scientific-either German or Latin and Chemistry and Zoology; and English-a choice of subjects and Civics, Political Economy, Trigonometry and Physical Geography. In 1890 the high school was placed on the University of Michigan 's accreditation list. Howell also became one of the early schools to receive North Central accreditation in 1916. MIDDLE YEARS Once again the community considered the facilities inadequate , so in 1920 the old Central School was demolished and a third building, the present Michigan Avenue School, was built on the s:ime site. By 1921, the community recognized the need for a high school that would do more than simply prepare students for college entrance. As a result, students entering the new school had the opportunity to take agriculture, domestic science , manual arts , library training, and commercial studies . Dramatics , music, art, and physical education were also offered. At this time , the building included a Kindergarten through 12th grade program plus a County Normal program, preparing teachers for the country schools. For nearly thirty years , the Michigan Avenue School served as the sole school building for the district. However, there were a number of one room schools which served the children in the rural areas through the eighth grade. "' Banquet meeting of the M.S.U . and U.M . clubs. Scene depicts a battered M.S .U. football player demanding more pay. RECENT YEARS During the nineteen fifties concerned citizens recognized the need for reorganization of area school districts . Gradually, during this period approximately 24 primary districts voted to join the Howell Public Schools. In 1961 the last school district to become part of Howell was the Stone School of Marion Township. The only rural school building to remain in use is the Birkenstock School. To provide for students entering from the annexed districts, and for students moving into the area , the following buildings were added : 1954-Southeast Elementary; 1955- Southwest, Northwest, and Northeast Elementary Schools; 1960-additions to the Elementary Schools, 1965 Senior High School; 1970-Senior High addition; 1971-Junior High School. THE PEOPLE No history can be really complete without reviewing the people who dedicated their lives to the education of Howell's children . It would include superintendents-none of whom spent more than the 35 years John S. Page spent at the helm . .. and Florence Warner, who came to teach at the Michigan Avenue School in its first year and stayed fifty years! There were devoted school board members, administrators , teachers, secretaries, custodians , bus drivers , and cafeteria workers. From 1836 to the present, thousands have conscientously served the children and the citizens of Howell. THE FUTURE Today, Howell is growing more rapidly than ever. The schools are providing a modern program that reflects the community 's continuous interest in education. The increase of population, coupled with the increase in knowledge and technology means that the schools will continue to have many more challenges in the coming years. The Howell Public Schools will continue to be both dynamic and growing. 147 The Graduation Class of 1885 By HELEN RICHARDS This class, 15 in number, was the largest class to have been graduated at that time . Miss ancy Childers Webb became a teacher in Fort Smith, Arkansas . Miss Ella Smith became the first vocal music teacher in the high school. The teaching of music in school was unusual at that time, although the pupils marched up to the chapel each morning and sang several songs . The teaching staff in high school consisted of the superintendent , George Barnes , and a lady principal. Three members of the class continued their studies at the University of Michigan. Grant Dunning graduating in 1893. Eleven became teachers . The class in time was widely scattered . Three living for some years in the Phillippine Islands. Others lived in Washington, Illinois, Arkansas, New York, and Canada. Only three remained in Howell. HOWELL'S FIRST SCHOOLS Howell was always in the forefront of education . One of the first steps in the organization of the township of Howell, in June of 1836 was to elect school inspectors , who were F .J.B . Crane , Jonathan Austin, Joseph Porter . The voters met at the home of Amos Adams, which was Eagle Tavern, for the election. Mr. Crane offered a free lot No. 36 of his recently platted Brooks and Crane lots in the village of Howell if they would build a frame building . The building was not built until a year later because of the difficulty of getting lumber . In 1837 Moses Thompson completed his saw-mill and they were able to get lumber. Sardis Davis of Mason Township was the carpenter in charge and hewed the timbers for the frame . The finish lumber and the desks were hauled from Salem in Washtenaw County. It was finished at the cost of $350.00 and was located on Gregory Street. Miss Abigail Adams, daughter of Amos Adams , was the first teacher . Her wages were probably $1.50 per week with board , which was the current wage. The next term was taught by Justin Durfee , who if local history is correct , liked to go barefoot when the weather permitted. In 1845t he district voted to raise the sum of $200.00f or the purpose of erecting a second school house. At the district meeting the proposal was accepted then reconsidered and voted down. In March of 1847a resolution was passed to build a new school house to be 30 ft. x 40 ft. with walls 12 ft. high and l ft. thick. A separate committee was appointed to locate a site. Mr. George W. Jewett and Mr. Alvin Crittenden were the members. This is no record of any accomplishment by this committee . In September , 1848 another committee was appointed to select a site. It was three years from the time the old building was sold to the final location of the new site. The fight on this question was one of the most stubbornly contested of any that Howell had seen. Five different committees were appointed at five different meetings . The fight for the location of the school was between sections north and south of Grand River . The north side were in the minority but they managed to secure enough south-siders to change every location decided upon from 1845-184.9 In 1849 the final location was made on South Michigan, where the Middle School is now located . It was decided to build a two story brick building 38 ft. x 48 ft., but the opposition called this a " castle " and succeeded in getting it cut to 26 ft. x 36 ft. In September , 1849t he building was completed at a cost of $1000.00. Mr. William Wills was offered the principal's job 148 and he accepted . He proved to be incompetent and cruel. School broke up before the completion of the winter term . Because of crowded conditions an addition of 48 ft. x 36 ft. was made in 1856 by John B. Kneeland , contractor . This cost $750.00. In 1866 a resolution was passed authorizing the school officers to build a new building and issue bonds to pay for it. The amount was $15,000.00 at the unit rate of 7 percent but they had to pay 10 percent. The total cost was raised from $15,000.00 to $15650.00 and an additional $700.00 more was added for a third story . The total cost was $31,000.00. This building stood until 1918. In 1877 the school was organized in three departments , Primar y 4 years, Grammar 4 years, High School 4 years . The total budget in 1877 was $7828.04. The Ward buildings were built in 1893 or 1894. Information from Livingston County Historical Society . CLOSING WEEK OF A RURAL SCHOOL The last week of school for Mrs . Hazel Olsen and her 17 students at the Boyd district school in 1951 was a unique experience. That week the representatives of Life Magazine came to make a picture record of what children experience in rural America in their last week of school. The photographer was Mr. Thomas D. McAvoy and the correspondent Mr. Don Williams. These are excerpts from the June 4, 1951 issue of Life Magazine . " It was a bright Monday morning and school began promptly at9 :00 A.M. with the Lord's Prayer, then a reading class of the beginners , who clustered around Mrs . Olsen's desk, while the other students studied at their desks . Lunchtime that day produced a lively discussion among three boys, Larry Phillips, and Merely Radebach and his brother , Harvey on the subject, ' 'Do monkeys pull out your hair or not." On Tuesday a worker from the Rural Bible Mission came to tell the bible story , " The Parable of the Sower and the Seeds." He was alloted 30 minutes by the state to talk to the children . By Wednesday the tension began to mount. There was a certain restlessness in the room . Students dropped their crayons more often than usual , some looked out the door and windows more frequently than necessary , and there was a growing impatience and a wondering if the week would ever end. Fortunately Richard Elkins brought a gopher that he had caught the day before. The children looked up " Gopher " in the encyclopedia and they decided to feed it corn and plant roots. Thursday was the final test day. This decided promotions to the next higher grade for the following year . This was also the day to clean out desks . That left only one more day " Party Day. " Friday the parents served a huge lunch and the students entertained with singing and recitations. Then Mrs . Olsen handed out prizes and report cards and the year 1951 ended for the Boyd School, except for Mrs. Olsen who remained to sweep out the one room school and lock the door. THE "OLD OPERA HOUSE"WASTHE SITE FOR THE 1906 COMMENCEMENT The class of 1906 had fifteen members. Twelve girls and three boys. Mr. J . K. Osgerby was the superintendent and well liked by the students . Some of the teachers remembered are Mabel Filkins, Latin ; Edith Bullock, English ; Zoe Schurtz , mathematics ; Mr. Miles and Grace Bailey , science and E. Alma Sharpe was the librarian. The janitor was "Dick Burdick " who was outstanding. He would leave wonderful drawings on the blackboards in colors. He was a real artist. The commencement program was held in the Opera House. Someone had suggested that this class select some famous person and build a program around that person . The Class of 1906 chose Rudyard Kiplins. Thora Sopp was the Valedictorian . Although the class was small in numbers, the class always worked and stuck together . Alma Young was a member of the 1906 class. Class of 1916 By MARY McQUILLAN SHIELDS The freshman class of 1913 had an enrollment of 63. Mr. Abel was our suoerintendent ably assisted by Miss Alice Johnson our principal , who presided over the assembly room with an "iron hand " that was probably needed . Our freshmen and our sophomore years moved along with sleigh rides to the country homes of some of our members and weiner roasts in the woods that is now part of the city park . Our junior year we looked forward to our class play that would pay for the reception for the seniors. The rehearsals had started for " The School for Scandal" under the direction of Miss Krakau . Finally the Board of Education decided the play was too risque for our tender years so they reimbursed us with $75.00. We realized that amount was insufficient for a reception and had to decide on how to raise more money. We decided on a Spring Carnival. It was a huge success and we cleared $50.00. So we were able to give the Seniors a Royal Reception. Our class had dwindled to 29 members in our senior year. Mr. Courter was our superintendent and Miss Bigalke our principal. Who can forget Mr. Burdick, our genial custodial who always had a smile and a friendly word for us. We were proud of our school and there never was vandalism and destruction in our day. We have so many happy memories of those days. In 1966 we had our fiftieth anniversary at the Colonnade. Fourteen members came . What the Twenties Were Like By LUCILE SCHNACKENBERG BROWN, CLASS OF 1926 On the site of the old Central School on South Michigan Avenue, the new Howell Public School was opened for classes in the fall of 1920. It provided assembly and class rooms for all students in the kindergarten through grade 12. There was an auditorium, gymnasium, offices for the Superintendent of Schools and the high school principal , and a Community Room for public gatherings. The community was very proud of the new school. Mr. Claude V. Courter was the superintendent and in 1922 Mr. John Page came to Howell. New in 1922 was the student council. Organized with the purpose of raising scholastic standards, promoting student activities, securing the co-operation between pupils and faculty. It had the responsibility of creating a feeling of loyalty to the school and the community. The council sponsored Lecture Courses of evening entertainment for both students and adults. The "Jackie Band " was organized in 1921, a fore runner of all the high school bands. This group accompanied the Howell Commandery, Knights Templar to many state conclaves. The music department included boys and girls bands , Glee Clubs, Octettes, Madrigal Clubs and an orchestra. Assembly programs were held each Friday afternoon in the auditorium with outstanding speakers and student participation and the orchestra in the pit in front of the stage. Operettas were presented each year . There were active public speaking programs with Declamation and Oratory contests and debating teams. In the athletic department there were fine football, baseball, basketball and track teams. All of these teams were rated high in regional and state competiton. There were special organizations of Hi Y and Girl Reserves . Social events of special significance to students were Junior-Senior Tug-of-War, The Y Carnival, J-Hop, Football Banquet, Student Union parties, and Alumni Reunions . Each year a panoramic picture was taken of all the students in grades 7 through 12 and the faculty on the bleachers in front of the school. The Class of '36 Remembers when By BARBARA EASTMAN SCOFIELD Being asked to write your memories of " High School Days" takes you back a step , and you suddenly realize that was almost forty years ago. Probably my senior year was the greatest. Our graduation took place June 11, 1936 in the auditorium of the building on South Michigan. It was the 68th commencement of Howell Public Schools and were we proud of our 97 graduates . Bernadette Bassett Hubbell was our Valedictorian, and Barbara Eastman Scofield was Salutatorian. We were especially proud of our school, our town, our superintendent and our faculty , but we always thought our class was the best. We were just one big happy family , who always stuck together. By WILLABELLE LIL YWHITE HOLMES Willabelle remembered a drama class taught by Miss Donna Binkhorst, and especially a play called "Sparkin" in which she played "Granny" and was required to chew tobacco (chocolate drops ) and spit in a woodbox. She also remembers that she and her brother Sherman ('36) attended most every football and basketball game. Mr. Paul Bennett was the coach and Howell won most of the games . She was always thrilled by the Howell marching band that led the way to the football games. By ELNORA SHARPE MUNSELL Elnora writes " The one thing that has had the most influence in my life happened in a 9th grade Civics class taught by Miss Lucile McClenathan. The first week of our freshman year she stood before the Civics class and said "If you will learn this quotation and practice it, it will guide you the rest of your life." This is the quotation, "An education is the training of your mind and the will to do the things you ought to do, when you ought to do them, whether you want to or not." By MAURICE COLES Maurice recalls the completing of high school in 1936 was the high point of his school days. He has very pleasant memories of the school personnel who helped to make that graduation a high point for him . Superintendent Mr. John Page, Pat Murphy, Leon McDermott , Keene Stollsteimer, Paul Bennett, Sarah Beattie Allen, Donna Binkhorst, Loren Willis, and Mr. Olsen. These and many more who showed a real interest and a deep concern for us as individuals make many happy memories . By ROBERT G. SMITH Bob recalls the day after Labor Day in 1930. First day of 149 school for the seventh grade students. It all began in the northeast corner of the high school building on Michigan Avenue. "I was quite pleased with the way my new corduroy knickers swished, when I walked and so very proud of the necktie I didn't have to tie, you just slipped it over your head and then it sort of hid under your shirt collar . I sat in the back of the room on the boys side near Maury Coles, Frank Slavin, Bob Ross and Dick Reiner . Sitting near the girls didn't occur to us. That came later . It was time to start our year. The room quieted down and Miss Warner, our home room teacher started to call the roll. As it continued the door suddenly opened and a strange kid took about three steps into the room and stopped. He just stood there, bewildered, looking around at the strange faces. Miss Warner greeted him, saying , "Well where did you come from-Santa Claus?" This caused some nervous laughter in the room during which Seymour Holcolm, our new kid, found a place to sit down. A Championship-Plus Memories of 1956 Class By ROSEMARY RICHARDS EARL A Capital Circuit Football Championship and a sports minded student-body and community are memories of the Class of 1956, many of whom were active participants on those teams. The graduating class numbered a hundred. Since everyone knew everyone else, all of the activities were fun. That was true of the senior trip to New York . During the year the noon-dances in the gym were fun. Some popular tunes were "Rock Around The Clock" "Earth Angel," and "Graduation Day. " The Annual J-Hop was the big dance of the year. Floor length gowns made of net were the "in" thing. School attire for the girls was a maxi-length skirt with crinolines, saddle-shoes, and rolled-down socks. The dress code, which was strictly enforced, said no jeans . When Bermuda shorts became popular and knee socks were new two girls were sent home for wearing inappropriate attire . Grub-Day was a special day at the end of the year when you could wear anything "un-neat" except shorts . The place to go and be seen after school was Culver's ( next to the National Bank ). After a date, one always went to "Hop's" on east old Grand River , and usually in a car borrowed from the parents . The Veteran's Institute The graduating class of 1920 spent their senior year in a temporary building located south of Grand River , where the Christian Science structure now stands, and directly across from the U.S. Postoffice . These are some of the comments made by Gerald Woodward, a member of that class, in an article published in their senior school paper. (Quote) "This year has been like camping in a large roomy shack on the south bank of 'Grand River. ' The building had the convenience and appearance of a woodshed combined with a tabernacle. The interior was natural wood with plenty of knotholes and with neither varnish or stain to mar its beauty. Fresh air and light were in unlimited quantities due to halfpartitions . " In one sense the half-partitions provided a more liberal education, since the students in the Civics class could listen to Latin conjugations and a few French verbs and adjectives, as well as Civics. As the foreign language session subsided, you could hear Mr. Rawson 's lecture on the relative merits of 150 Plymouth Rocks and Leghorns (chickens that is) . All this knowledge from one class. If you moved to the back of the building to get more knowledge as in chemistry and physics, you were impressed with the whir of sewing machines , the pounding in the Manual Training Classes, and all this liberally mixed with pungent odors such as onions coming from the future housewives busy in cooking class." Signed, G.W. Fifty-five years later Margaret Garland Hoover, a member of that class remembers too the half partitions , the knotholes, the cold temperatures in winter and the English classes taught by Miss Alma Sharpe , that required each member to write, to learn and to present before the student body either an oration or a declamation . Her subject was "Aliens in the United States. " A Few Reunion Remembrances Class of 1922 RUTH HAINES MILLER The east ward grade school had a segregated playground. A high board fence separated the boys and girls on the playground . Being somewhat of an early "Women's Libber" in the grade school set she ventured one time around that fence to retrieve a baseball thrown over the fence . FLORENCE SPALDING MILLER Remembers catching a Cuban heel on her shoe in a knothole in the stairs in the old school building on South Michigan and falling down the long stairs. She also spent a year in the "Old Tabernacle" as it was called and the winter cold produced some very painful chilblains . WINFIELD LINE Remembered Mr. A. Riley Crittenden (Who published a County Paper called Livingston Tidings ) as being the most enthusiastic man he had ever known. GENEVA McQUEEN DeFEYTER Was an early commuter while she attended high school. She took the train at Cohoctah every Sunday night equipped with heavy suitcase containing food and clothes for the week . Arriving in Howell she walked several blocks to the place where she had rented a room for the school year. On Friday she reversed the process and returned home. Many times the trains were hours late. WILLARD WILTSE Willard was also a student in the "Old Tabernacle " building and recalls an incident that was a little painful. One mother used to bring her daughter to school every day with a horse and buggy. Some of the boys decided to have some fun so they placed sticks through the wheels so they could not turn. Mr. Courter was told about the "neat trick" and called the boys in and administered some corporal punishment. Qne of the boys said to Mr. Courter, who was the superintendent, " I'll tell my Dad on you," Mr. Courter replied, "You do that and if he comes down we will take care of him , too." DORIS BOURNS Giving book reports in English classes was standard procedure for high schools. For Doris it was a problem until she made a report on " Lavendar and Old Lace ." Encouraged by Miss Canfield she gave an excellent one and received an "A." After that she lost some of her fear and was much happier . The Class of 1946 Welcomed Returning Veterans By REBECCA CLARK HEWLETT School life was the usual thing for the Class of 1946. A total of 33 of those who enrolled in Kindergarten stayed together and graduated together. "Togetherness" has been a characteristic of this class even since graduation. They have held reunions every five years and are now planning for the 30th which will occur in 1976. They did have a few specials that they recalled . World War II was part of their experience. They were very proud to have George Elliott a World War II Veteran join them and graduate. John Girard was also a special member of the class. John came home to finish high school after being in a Japanese Prison Camp for three years. He was captured by the Japanese at Corrigedor early in the war. That was a very historical incident in the Philippines. A "first" they all remember was persuading the school administration to let them have an over-night trip for their senior year. They made the trip to Niagara Falls, New York by boat the USS South America. Everybody's Friend By HELEN MEABON John Rogers (Dick Burdick ) Burdick kept an attractive building, a well groomed yard with seasonal flower-beds, and a well disciplined playground for the grade children at the first Michigan A venue School. This building and grounds were the special pride of Dick Burdick, who encouraged us and did not tolerate abuse. He was everybody's friend and enlivened many a dull day by stepping into a classroom to speak with the teacher, or maybe make a funny face for the small children who loved it and him. Outside the building he carefully supervised the playground, which was on the east side of the building on Michigan A venue. He carefully taught the grade pupils the difference between lawn and playground and saw to it that it was remembered. Spring and summer were beautiful seasons made more so by the very large flower-bed in the center of the lawn in front of the building . No weed dared to show up among the caster beans, Salvia and those gorgeous red cannas that "Dick" tended so carefully . By WILLIAM CHRISTOPHERSON In 1946, with most of the young men back from World War II, Mr. Page felt that these Veterans should have an opportunity in Livingston County to complete high school or learn a skill. The Board of Education entered into a contract with the government to provide such training in Howell High School. Mr. W. A. Christopherson was named its director in the fall of 1946 and continued in that capacity until spring of 1951. Some Veterans completed their high school work and some entered training in such areas as welding, auto mechanics, plastering, masonry , auto body repair, tool and die, carpentry , drafting , store management, banking , an_d agriculture. Veterans were paid a partial salary by their employer and received the rest from the government under the G.I. Bill during their training. Veterans were trained onthe- job during the day and attended classes in related fields from two to four nights a week. DRIVER EDUCATION In 1951 Citizens Mutual Insurance Company sponsored the training of four men from Howell at Western Michigan University in preparation for the teaching of Driver Education in our schools. Donald Gill, high school principal , W.A. Christopherson , Louis Richardson of the City Police, and Vern Dibble of the Sheriff's Department went through one week of intensive training on the campus . The Russell Smith Ford Agency provided the first ·car and Mr. Christopherson was selected as the first instructor . Driver Education was not required at that time and was offered during the regular school day. A total of forty-eight students were trained during that first year. MINSTREL SHOW The spring of 1947i s remembered by old timers as the time the faculty "t ook their hair down" and put on a show which packed the Michigan Avenue School auditorium both nights . The entire faculty occupied the stage. Wilbur Davis did his old soft shoe, John Munn juggled , Paul Bennett reversed the punch line of his joke, William Christopherson sang " Bill Bailey ," Fred Jappinga brought the house down with "She's Too Fat For Me" and Keene Stollsteimer got down on his hands and knees to bring forth the last low note of " Cool Water." Special Services for Rural Schools MUSIC By GLADYS MCCALLUM FORMER COUNTY COMMISSIONER OF SCHOOLS Instruction in music for the one room rural school was provided for the teachers of Livingston County by Michigan State University. Elsie Thrasher and Wanda Cook were two of the instructors. In the spring of each year a county wide festival was held in the Howell High School auditorium. The students numbered several hundred . The program demonstrated with songs, dances and with choral work what the students had accomplished in the school year . The special guests were parents and friends of the participants . SPELLING BEES Champion spellers from each school were chosen at local contests and the winners competed in a county "Bee." This champion represented the county at the state contest in Detroit. This program was sponsored each year by the Detroit News. Special prizes were awarded the winners and the News provided dictionaries for the contestants. BIBLE STUDY The Rural Bible Mission provided ministers to speak to the students in the rural schools. The instruction was a Bible story, hymn singing and prayer. This was only a 30 minute program and the instructor was on to the next school. Summer Bible schools were also held. This service was with- 151 drawn from any school if there were objections . Melvin Shelver , Mel Nelson and Uncle Don were familiar names to the children . IT WAS A LONG WALK Oak Grove had a ten grade school. The first through fifth grades were in one room and the sixth through ten were in a larger room. Gladys McCallum graduated from the Oak Grove School and walked a mile and a half each way every day. Times Change By MRS. EV A ALLEN After my husband died in 1930, I realized that I had three boys to support. Having had training for teaching of commercial subjects, I applied for a position in the Howell Public Schools. Mr. Page informed me that the present teacher probably would be there indefinitely . But within a year she married and married teachers were asked to resign . So I got the position, which I wanted so much . Times have really changed from then to now. Sponsoring was part of teacher's assignment and I helped to sponsor many senior trips . On these trips we found that some students liked to break rules . This caused many anxious moments for sponsors. I do remember one incident especially , these trips included a Broadway show. This particular one starred " Sophie Tucker ." As I remember some of her remarks were questionable in those days . After one of these remarks a boy sitting next to me leaned over and said to me, " Mrs. Allen should I laugh? " Special Events By BETTY CHRISTOPHERSON Homecoming in October, 1956 was a very special event, queen Margie Simmons received her crown from Margaret Devereaux , an high school alumnus of 1952. Margaret had just returned from the "Miss America" Pageant in Atlantic City, where she won the title of "Miss Congeniality" also finishing among the top ten in the contest. She also appeared that week on CBS-TV show "What's My Line" in New York City. Education Expands By AWILDA HOWEY SLONAKER In the 30's schools were beginning to recognize special needs of the children. As a result children in grades 2 through 6 who had special needs were given extra help in arithmetic and reading . A special teacher was added to work with these children individually. It also included children who missed school because of illness or other special reasons . The improvement of the children was very noticeable . It helped many to pass their grade at the end of the year that probably would have failed . It was such a rewarding experience to me to see such improvement and the expressions of joy in their faces at the end of the year. Courses for the 7th grade were improving in content. Geography was expanded to studying many continents in detail and a variety of subjects not covered in the text-book. I remember getting out my college text to find sufficient material for the eager students . I also remember that in 1932 spelling as an 8th grade subject was discontinued. 152 School Bus Transportation By ROBERT GIES My first trip to be taken by school bus was in August, 1940. A four day trip was taken to the upper part of Michigan, by a group of 4-H boys and two sponsors to visit a tree and potato growing plantation . The first night out the boys slept on the courthouse lawn in Cheboygan on blankets. When we left Howell in the morning , it was shirt sleeve weather , but it turned cold during the night and nobody had thought to take sweaters or coats along , so the rest of the trip was rather cold. The second day out we had to cross the straits on a car ferry , this was a new experience for me as I had never driven onto or rode a boat before . The boys visited a number of large potato growing farms in the Marquette area. At night the boys slept on mats in the college gym at Marquette. The third night out we had enough money left so all went to tourist homes for the night in Manistee . The fourth day the boys visited a large tree plantation on Route No. 55 just outside of Manistee . The bus we used on this trip was manufactured by Reo of Lansing. We made good time on this trip considering my first school bus driving experience, and no expressways to travel on in those days. It was the first trip north of Lansing for me so all roads and towns were new. During the war years the bus was not used because shortage of gas and schools were not eligible for gas stamps to buy gas for special trips . The bus was used, however, four times a year to take blood donors to Brighton for the Red Cross Blood Bank. The Crittenden School burned down at about this time , instead of rebuilding, because of shortage of building material, they bought an old D.S.R. Bus from Detroit and transported their students to Howell School. In 1947, the Crittenden School bought a new thirty-six passenger Ford school bus. At about this time the Fairlawn parents asked the Crittenden School Board to transport their students to the Howell Schools. Mr. Lloyd Gies and Mr. Robert Gies were alternate drivers . Mr. LeRoy Ream was our substitute driver . In August, 1953, Mr. John Page, superintendent of Howell Schools asked me to operate his school bus transportation for him. The Howell Public Schools had annexed some rural school districts. The Howell School Board had bought three new sixty-six passenger Ford school buses from Russel D. Smith of Howell to transport the students from rural schools. 'The first year (1953-54) we operated five buses with one spare bus. The other two buses came from the Crittenden and Louk Districts, the spare bus from the Howell Schools. The bus drivers the first year were: Bus No. 1, Robert Gies, Bus No. 2, Maynard Bird ; Bus No. 3, George Bergin; Bus No. 4, Elmer Smith ; Bus No. 4, Joe Helmore ; Bus No. 6, extra bus, Rev . John Murback . The first three years the buses were maintained by local garages . In the fall of 1956, the Howell system was operating sixteen buses. A building was remodeled on the property of Robert Gies and a bus garage was started at this time . I was supervisor and mechanic for two years . In 1956 another mechanic was hired. Also, Louis Brown was driving bus and worked part time as mechanic . Mrs . Robert Gies was doing the book work, payrolls, et cetera for transportation department of the school system. . In 1963, I resigned my position as supervisor a.nd was hired as head mechanic. Mr. Hugh Lyons was supervisor and held this position until August, 1974. Mrs. Norma Skalski replaced Mr. Lyons in September of 1974. I resigned my position as head mechanic on June 30, 1975 to take a position with the Methodist Church in Howell. I was with the transportation system for twenty-two years and guided the bus fleet from a start of six buses in 1953 to a fleet of sixty buses in 1975. In 1973,t he voters of the Howell School District voted in one mill for five years to buy property and build a bus garage and warehouse complex, but as of August, 1975 buses are still being maintained at the remodeled building at 1285 Byron Road . This is only a small part of the history and background of the transportation system of the Howell Public Schools. History of Howell Schools By MRS. ALBERT ROHRABACHER Howell was always in the fore front of education . One of the first acts in the organization of the township of Howell, June 1836, was to elect school inspectors who were: F .J.B . Crane, Jonathan Austin and Joseph Porter. The voters met at the home of Amos Adams, which was the Eagle Tavern, for the election. Mr. Crane offered a free lot, No. 36 of his recently plotted Brooks and Crane Lots of Howell Village if they would build on it a frame school house. However, the school house was not built until the following year, because of the difficulty in obtaining lumber , which could not be had closer than Green Oak. Mr. Crittenden in his history says that there were some provisions for and teaching in the year (1836) before the frame school house was built. Does this mean that the first school house was a log house? Probably , it was. Meanwhile, Moses Thompson had completed his saw mill in 1837 and they were able to use his lumber for the school building. Sardis Davis of Marion Township was the carpenter in charge and hewed the timber for the frame . The finish and desks had to be hauled from Salem in Washtenaw County. It was finished at a cost of $350 and located on the east side of Gregory Street between Sibley and Washington. The Philip Livingston Chapter of the DAR have marked the spot with a large granite marker. Howell could now boast of three frame buildings . The Eagle Tavern of Mr. Adams and Mr. Gay's store having preceeded the school house. Miss Abigail Adams, the daughter of Amos Adams was the first teacher in a regular school, in the summer of 1837. We do not know what her wages were but in the 1850's a good teacher's wage was $1.50 a week plus board . The teacher who taught the following term was Justin Durfee. According to Mr. Crittenden he was accustomed to going barefoot. He also held a number of township offices, assessor and highway commissioner. Other male teachers, who taught in this building were: E . F. Burt , William P. Glover (who was said to have punished his pupils severely ), William 0 . Archer, Henry H. Harmon and John S. Dixon. The female teachers besides Miss Adams were: Miss Fransworth , Miss Waterman and Clarissa Rumsey and Mrs . Skilbeck . The school house had to serve many purposes . Judge Fletcher held the first term of court there, on Nov. 8, 1837 and for sometime afterward. On the 14th of April, 1838, Rev . Thomas Baker of Highland met at the village school house with various persons who were members of the Baptist Church back east. After religious services they proceeded to plan for the organization of a Baptist Church of Howell. On May 12 a meeting was held to adopt Articles of Faith and Practice and on June 21, the membership was organized . The sermon was by Rev. E . Weaver and a special address was given by Rev . Lamb. Also the Presbyterians, beginning with their second year of meetings , held them in the school house as the Methodists did also, until the courthouse was completed in 1847. Meanwhile "se lect" or private schools were very numerous. The earliest, Theodore Bridgeman opened his Howell Select School in 1845 in the old Presbyterian Church. It died before the year was up and the Classical Select School of Rev . G. F . McEwen was started in that same year . Mrs. Mariah L. Charles instituted a select school in 1846. The Howell Academy of William P . Glover opened the same year and soon folded. Since all these schools were short-lived, a group of prominent citizens organized a stock-company of $10,000f or building a school but it never materialized. Also a writing school was taught by Dr. E. F . Olds about 1843. (Was a doctor's penmanship better then, than now?) The most successful select school was that Mrs. Rosina L. Dayfoot started in 1857 and continued for some time . She had several teachers and was located on S. Walnut Street. Later the school was moved to Fenton. Meanwhile, the old public school had proved to be inadequate in size and in 1845 an appropriation for a new public school was made and the old one was sold. The old Presbyterian Church was rented for auxiliary school purposes , and also the old " academy building " which stood where the old Republican Block stood in 1911. It was three years before the location of a school house was determined, after the old one was sold. The fight on this question was one of the most stubbornly contested of any which Howell has ever seen. Five different committees were appointed, at as many different meetings . The old town square at the southeast corner of Grand River and Center Street, the present site of the Methodist Church and others were chosen at various times only to be turned down at school meetings. This fight for its location was between sections north of and south of Gand River Street. The north side was never strong enough to secure the location of the school on their side but they managed to secure south-siders enough to change every location decided upon from 1845-1849. In 1848 the final location decided on was where Howell's Michigan Ave. School is presently located . Probabl y, the controversy would have continued much longer but the district board sold the old school house. It was then necessary to rent room in the Stage House (south side of Grand River between Walnut and Michigan). John Dixon was engaged to teach there. It was determined to build a two story brick building 38 by 48 feet, but the opposition called this a " castle " and succeeded in cutting it down to 26 by 36 feet. The promoters of the larger building were jubilant when by 1850, it was necessary to rent more room. The contract for the new building was awarded to Elijah Coffren who built it for about $700. An addition of 48 feet in length and 26 feet in width was made to the school house in 1856 by John B. Kneeland, contractor. William Wills was the first teacher in the new building. It was necessar y to enlarge the building in 1866 and 1867. The old records are not complete but the following were principals from 1849-1869: W. Mills, John S. Dixon, Seth Beden, J. S. Houston, F. W. Munson, L. Barnes , D. Cramer , Charles W. Bowen, Rufus T. Bush, Michael McKernon, S.S. Babcock , Joshua S. Lane, and L. S. Montague. When Prof. F . W. Munson was employed to superintend the Howell school in 1856, there was quite a question whether the board would employ anyone not a Democrat. In the future , there were to be two other Howell school buildings to occupy this location. 153 Notable Howell Natives EMILY MUTTER AUSTIN First Violinist Detroit Symphony Orchestra JOSEPH P. BRADY National President of University of Michigan Alumni Club CHARLES P. BUSH President of Michigan State Senate McPHERSON BROWNING President of Detroit Bank and Trust Company LULU VERE CHILDERS Director of Music of Howard University Washington, D.C. CLAUDE V. COURTIER Superintendent of Schools Cincinnati, Ohio RALPH STAPLETON EULER Senior Vice-President Mellon National Bank and Trust Co. Pittsburg, Pennsylvania DR. CHARLES WHITNEY GILMORE Curator of Vertebrate Palentology National Museum (Smithsonian Institution) Washington, D.C. WALTER HASTINGS State of Michigan Ornithologist Official Photographer Michigan State Conservation Department CHARLES JEWETT World's Champion Glass Ball Shooting KENDRICK KIMBALL Outdoor Editor the DETROIT NEWS A.J. LAMOREAUX Editor and Publisher of RIO NEWS Rio deJaneiro, Brazil Contributor to Encyclopedia Britannica (Latin America) Librarian-Cornell University COL. GEORGE W. LEE Quartermaster of all Michigan Troops during Civil War DR. WILLIAM MATHER LEWIS President of George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 154 President of Lafayette College Eston, Pennsylvania Director of Selective Service, Pennsylvania Second World War ROYAL P. MELENDY General Manager and Director of Engineering, Consolidated Coal Company Member United States Coal Commission DR. STEPHEN I. MILLER Dean of School of Business Administration University of Washington, Seattle, Washington Member of Federal Trade Commission WILLIAM WALLACE WORNTAIN Grand Exalted Ruler B.P.O. Elks HUGH ALEXANDER McPHERSON Grand Master of Free and Accepted Masons of Michigan 25 years Grand Treasurer of Free and Accepted Masons of Michigan M.J. McPHERSON Commissioner of Railroads State of Michigan WILLIAM RIDDLE PARKER Grand Commander of Knights Templar of Michigan GEORGE W. PEAVY President of Oregon State College Corvallis, Oregon E.G. PIPP Editor DETROIT NEWS Editor DEARBORN INDEPENDENT C.A. REED Director of Research in Nut Culture in United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. Contributor to Encyclopedia Brittanica and Boy Scout Merit Badge Handbook CHARLES SCHAFER Artist for Michigan Department of Natural Resources Publication ALBERT L. SMITH Grand Commander of Knights Templar of Michigan DR. CLAUDIUS BUCHANAN SPENCER Editor CENTRAL METHODIST CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE Kansas City, Missouri EDWIN D. STAIR Editor of THE DETROIT FREE PRESS CASEY C. WIGGINS President Northern Michigan College Marquette, Michigan STANLEY GARFIELD WILSON Grand Commander of Knights Templar of Michigan REAR ADMIRAL ALEXANDER H. VanKEUREN Chief of Navy Department Bureau of Ships, every Navy yard in U.S. Secretary of Naval War College Helped develop first atomic bomb Graduated from Annapolis, first in class HENRY P.T. VanKEUREN Designing engineer for U .s. Arsenals Chief Inspection Engineer tor War and Navy Departments, Aircraft and gun design 1882 , A PROMISING YOUTH 'J 1 ·' l ', .. I, t. P E TRIE"S FACE OWDER. R.L OWS,O N&, H AYOSO N1 TOILTE SOAPS ELDEFRLW ORE1 INi LBB.A RS1 OLDs qowW'I INDSOIRN, P ACKETS. j SolidS ilveWr are. ~\1 1 t•XJWrJ,·Jll't' of <i\'d' JiJ't\ ' \'<•n.rs in the rnanu!'.wl1111• nt' :,0:nl.lll :-,;tL\'J:I! \' ,1:1 . < 111ll,i111•tl , 1 ith tlw a,h:111!:1'.f,,, t ha: !. I.!• ta}'ital an,l a eo11,t:rntl., i:.,·:·,·1,1 , in; l ,u,i11t" , .., alfonl. <·w1lil,·1 i .,. U or lt:im ( '<1mpany i() ,•:111,I l'J: E·DllXE'.\T ill I J1i-1 ikp:lt't lll•·?it of arl illdu, fry. g11a1·:uitt•,.• 1:,r pnr,• this ('Olllltl') {h JS :\lark of E u~land. lllt'!al th,• ~,l<)l\E 'L \i:~ JL\LL' PREPAREDC UBECB IGARET For Catarrh , Cold in the Hc:id. A st Hay Fever , Thr oat Dise ases. &. I• n. llOHN}'H. 59 l\! ,1d Heal!t Ch omfoErtl!ge anc DR.SCOTT'S ptectr~i~ orset. .'J" '• BEAUTIFtNUVLE TNr ,~-~ T.D.STEWART J f' J \\ Ohh 'I \ I I f•l l U t Htl 11 \ °' I f f The fanciest buggy in tow n with som e of the fanciest women, and a lucky guy . A Woman of the 1800 ' s By MARIETTA CRITTENDEN Father had land at Saline, 20 miles from Ann Arbor, where he had started to build a log house. A neighbor had completed a house. There we stayed for the winter . (Puncheon Floors) , logs split open and hewed with Beetle and Wedge. He boarded with us for rent and how he did eat. It took all of mother 's time to bake, for all that was done in a bake kettle , bread , cake, biscuit, meat , potatoes, all had to be baked in the kettle . That afore said neighbor got a cat and his greatest worry was that I would spoil it by playing with it. I would dress it up in some of my own outgrown garments and enjoyed myself a little, but catty got cross and one day scratched my face awfully, indeed I carry the scars yet. Imagine , if you can , the long lonesomeness of that winter , nothing to see or hear or go to school, no meeting, no books, Mrs. Ernest A very a nd her son Ea rl. 156 not a nut or apple or anything that we had been accustomed to. The next spring work began indeed it began for me before that for mother had me at the knitting and I had knit myself a pair of stockings before I was seven years old and before spring had completed the second pair. My stint would be so many rounds a day. I could tell of many funny and some serious circumstances, one in particular: I had found a blue bird 's nest in a hollow stump , a small pile of roots on one side enabled one, when standing on it to look into the hallow and see the birds. One day my parents went somewhere and got a little girl to come and stay while they were absent. Of course I must show the bird's nest, I ran to the stump and had my bare foot raised to step upon the pile of rubbish , I was looking back at her , my foot kept going down without touching anything , something made me look down. The pile of debris was gone and right in the very place of it a good sized massasauga Jay coiled for a spring. I jumped back and ran to the house, got an old axe and dispatched his snakeship. Then to prove it was a rattler I chopped off the six rattles and got a spear of grass around them and carried them in triumph to the house. The little girl was so scared that she went home . Father laughed at the snake story , saying that it was nothing but a streaked snake but when he saw the rattles he was as frightened as the little girl, almost. Ma was just vexed to think I would be so foolish as to venture back to kill it. That same year in strawberry time we were picking them and were not more than three feet apart when we became aware of a big rattler crawling between that raised mother's dander. I was sent to the house instanter ; I don't remember what was the fate of the snake . .. Bears were numerous, the first summer we lived west. My father had some business at Ann Arbor; I was sent about sundown to a neighbors to get a young girl about 14 to come and stay with mother and me over night, the distance was ¾ of a mile. When we got back to our house it was getting dusk. We were afraid to go into the house and afraid to stay outside. The reason of this was the fact that the Indian trail from Chicago to Detroit was but a short distance back of our house, and every year Indians went through to Fort Malden in Canada to get their scalp bounty, a vestige of British conciliation left over from the war of 1812. Well, to resume , as Samantha says , we started to go to the nearest neighbors, we met an immense bear right in the road . But owing to the darkness we thought it was a neighbor's black heifer . A more thoroughly frightened couple of little girls never ran screaming homeward , than we were . I, after that , saw three more , at different times. After settlers got in and got hogs growing they were turned loose to get their living on acorns which were abundant and fattened the porkers without the trouble of feeding them corn. At such seasons of the year there would scarcely be a week but one would hear the poor pigs squealing as some bear would catch them and carry them off. One little shaver rushed in while his father was at the breakfast table crying that a big black man was carrying off one of his " peckled pigs." Sure enough a black bear was going on his hind feet with a pig hugged up in his arms . This chap had a hard time of it, the neighbors turned out with gun and dogs and the animal was killed on the spot. My father was quite fond of the chase, and went hunting whenever he had leisure. He had lost the sight of one eye; while hunting at one time he saw a large deer with splendid antlers coming right to him almost , he fired at close range , the deer went right by him, so close that a limb caught in his horns and when released, flew back with great force and hit the well eye. He was badly hurt of course and had to sit down and bear the pain and think of his rather undesirable situation . After several hours he managed to lift up the eyelid with his fingers and see enough to form a tolerably correct idea of his position and would walk a little way, then raise up the eyelid, and so made out to keep his bearings and so was able Childs float in the Street fair. to reach the road and sometime after dark got home. He was laid up some days with the hurt eye and suffered from apprehension that the sight would never be restored , but it came out alright after a time . The second winter we spent in Michigan was remarkable for what was called an ice storm . The timber was all coated with ice of considerable thickness, and trees were bent in all directions so much that there was no getting about, not only because the bent branches obstructed the roads but the constant breaking down of trees and limbs , great tops falling every moment , and such an indescribable roaring was really terrifying ; our nearest neighbors dared not pass over the road . I have seen ice storms since but never anything to equal that. The great star shower of 1833w as witnesses by my parents and myself. Father woke me in the night to view the wonderful sight. To give you some idea of the impression made upon me, you have probably been in a snow storm when the flakes were very large and on looking up you felt as though you were rising up instead of the big flakes coming down. The stars seemed to start from the zenith and slide down all around the dome of the heavens. The fall of meteors continued until the sun light obscured them . In October of 1835 father sold his land at Saline and sent mother and me on a visit to Vermont while he remained to look for land for another investment. We took passage on the steamer United States , all went well until the morning we were due at Buffalo. There was a furious hurricane from the west. The steamer was quite unmanageable . Oh! what pandomonium ! such shrieks , curses and praying , some men on their knees calling on God to save , when but a short time previous their lips were profaming His sacred name , dogs howling, seamen shouting orders and so on. All those standing were thrown down. The captain ordered all to go ashore at once. The sailors took charge of women and children . The wind was so violent that strong men were blown down in the street , we all took hold of hands but even with that precaution the strain was so great that our hold would be broken loose and some one would go whirling away until rescue by some strong hand . We, with most of the passengers , found shelter in a hotel, some came in and said they waded in water up to their waist. Toward morning the 157 storm abated and we were able to resume our journey. After leaving Buffalo we continued to Cleveland then to Detroit where father bought a yoke of oxen and a wagon and after loading our belongings, as soon as possible we continued on our way. I was perched atop the load to watch for the marks of the blazed trail. Much of the road consisted of logs laid side by side which made traveling hazardous. Because of this the wagon reach was broken causing a delay while waiting for repairs . On arriving at Ann Arbor we were taken to my uncle's farm which is now a part of the university grounds. Shortly we went on to Saline where father had some land . Here we spent the winter at the Webster home which adjoined our property . Other settlers soon came in. To provide sleeping accommodations there were beds set up in three corners of the room while the cook stove occupied the fourth . There were loose boards laid on the beams above. These were covered with straw which made a wide bed the full length. Where several of the men slept. Mother had arranged a shake-down bed for Mrs. Rumsey's daughter and me which we didn't object to until in making up the bed mother put her hand on a massauger after which we slept on the foot of their bed. Once a wolf killed and ate one of our sheep about ten rods from our house. One day Mrs. Rumsey and I had the pleasure of wolf company for about ¾ of a mile. We ran, whistled and shouted all the way while the brute spraing into one side of the wagon track and we were in the other. One could easily get lost, I did once, while after cattle, I found that I was going in a circle. I recognized my own track in crossing a little run . I remembered that I had read that one must go in an exactly opposite direction from that which seemed the right way. I did that and came out at our own house but did not recognize it. Mother came outside but I didn't know her at first and when I did I could hardly get to the house after that I was so weak. A little fawn was given to me, it was the prettiest little creature, when it was two years old some hunters from Ypsilanti shot it although it had a broad band of scarlet on its neck. There was nothing to break the monotony of those days of work and privation unless one took delight in listening to the woodman's axe as the mighty monarchs of the forest were felled. I worked out of doors with father all day, many days, and then lugged water and wood and milked cows and fed calves and pigs for a resting spell. Father made the drill holes while I scattered the apple seeds from which the trees in the lower orchard grew. Not many now days would have to wait for apples to grow from the seeds. The summer after I was sixteen father gave me the choice of teaching school at $1.25 a week or staying home. I thought of the hard outdoors work and decided to take the school. I taught 31 boys and 16 girls. It was at this time father was bitten by a massauga and nearly lost his life from which he never fully recovered, from the ill effects . I've made many pairs of buckskin mittens and they were sold in Detroit. Mother taught me how to spin wool and tow when I was ten years old and after that I learned the knack of spinning linen on the little wheel. . . I did quite a quantity of them and sent it to Detroit where it brought two cents a skien, as the few threads were called . I used to chop ice from a water hole and melt for washing with a smooth board standing in the tub on which the clothes were pounded with a perforated oar-shaped piece ; the only wringer being the washer-woman's hands after rinsing at the spring, then hung on bushes to dry. I used to sew, knit , weave and study hard and tried to redeem the time to the best of my poor ability. I had no fine 158 features or good looks to help me on to glory . Like a boy I knew in Vermont who said he had to figure out his rithmetic on his bare head ; I had to work out my destiny on the barest of opportunities. The housekeeping of 75 years ago was very primitive compared with that now in vogue; first I will speak of the care of woodwork and floors: all had to be scoured to the most possible whiteness then the keeping room floors were sanded. A basket with some design in the bottom was filled with white sand, the housewife would carefully place it so the sand would sift through the interstices and leave the imprint, and so she would go over the whole floor; when done the doors of the room were hermetically closed to await the advent of company when of course the beautiful figures would become marred and the process would have to be gone over again. Painted floors succeeded, done in various stiles. I recollect one floor in particular painted to represent sea waves; it always made me dizzy to walk over it, indeed when after a lapse of twenty years I went into that same room, my head almost swam. House mothers became more ambitious and carpets succeeded sand with the aristocrats. The Rev. Parkers wife Roxanna bought a bail of cotton and carded it and spun and wove it, when sewn she painted her carpet , a wonder to her friends. Baking day came once a week. Pioneers dispensed with cranes and ovens. The chimney was furnished with a stout wooden pole laid on supports placed far up in the chimney and on this were hung chains two or three, in the links of which were inserted hooks for kettles; baking was done in a bake kettle with a rimmed cover to hold coals to supply top heat to what ever was being cooked. Johnny cakes were baked by being spread upon a square board made for the purpose and set up at an angle of 45 degrees. When well done on the surface the cake was turned over to finish. Short cakes were put into a spider and exposed to the fire heat much as the johnny cake only coals were placed at the back and the baking at top and bottom were done at the same time . Much of meat cooking was done by roasting in front of the fire, turkey , duck, chicken and spare-ribs all were suspended from the mantle supports , a pan set to catch the drip and woe betide the hapless wight to whom delegated the task of keeping the roast turning round and round so that all sides should be properly browned. The tin baker was a decided and welcome improvement on farmer methods. I never saw a wash board in my childhood, instead a smooth board was placed one end down into the tub, the other resting on the edge, a piece of wood shaped like an oar perforated full of holes with a handle with which to pound the clothes. The only wringer then invented was the hand and wrist of the washwoman. Spinning and weaving was carried on in every house, and much of the wool was carded by hand as was all of the tow for weaving linen. What cotton cloth was used, the raw cotton was purchased by the bail, carded, spun and woven by hand . What we call unbleached, was styled India cotton and was much prized. I have a counterpane (or bedspread ) for which the cotton yarn used in its manufacture was carded and spun by my mother in her girlhood. She and her sister once spun the yarn for 40 yards of wide linen cloth, every skein of which could have been drawn through a finger ring or an open top thimble , a skein consists of ten knots, a knot of forty threads around a reel so that 800 threads were the number drawn through the ring . Fruit was either preserved in sugar or dried ; the making of apple butter and cider apple sauce, cost much time and labor . A staple article of food was a big kettle of mush and a big . ' pan of milk with bowls and spoons each helping him or herself thereto . Shoes for the family were made in the house. The shoe maker bringing his paraphenalia and making and mending foot-ware for the year . Also a tailoress was employed to make up men 's clothing all stitched by hand , linen thread being used . I heard some ladies tell of meat and vegetables being cut into mouth sized pieces placed on a platter in the center of the table , and each helped himself with fork to what ever food The old Peckens homestead north of town about 1882. was supplied , and bread spread with butter . No individual plates were used . With all the inconveniences and disadvantages our foremothers encountered in earl y days I am not sure but the housewife had as much leisure , really , as the housekeeper of the present time . The new woman was not yet a disturbing element , to vote or not to vote was a question never discussed . The fashion plate was an unknown quantit y. I once heard a gentleman say that his mother wore the same bonnet summer and winter for fifteen years . Think of the restfulness that that woman enjoyed . Inside Kirk ' s millinery store on State Street . 159 Blowing up the balloon . Annie Oakley shows her skill in Howell with Buffalo Bill's troupe in 1911. 162 Down goes the parachutist as he leaves the balloon. 163 Main four in 1910. 164 165 ..,,...e The seal ace on the band stand in front of the grandstand . Notice the expressions on the faces of th e spectators . Races for all ages took place during the Homecoming cele rations of the teens . This photo shows older men of 60 or more runnin against each other . Nowadays they would have a cardiac arrest . ote the laughing young man under the arm of the man on the left. He 4 inch razor strap . The winner gets cheers , the loser gets th • - Amusements - 170 He was so proud of his new big wheeled bike that he came in and had his picture taken, 1888. High school play about 1900 on the stage of the Opera House. Amusements Howell and the Circus By JANET ROHRABACHER When my mother was a little girl about ten years old, some very famous people came to visit her mother ; but to them they were merely relatives. They were her mother's cousin, Martha Robbins who had married John F. Coup and William C. Coup. My mother was unaware that William C. Coup was one of the five greatest men in circus history and P .T. Barnum 's first partner . But she did remember that he had several important visitors from New York City while he was staying with them . She also knew that ; as her mother told her, " He had something to do with the circus. " Her mother had joined a religious sect which considered all theaters and entertainment immoral. They especially considered the canvas exhibitions an evil which extracted money from townspeople which might better have been contributed to the church. But to her family this man was just " Bill" Coup. He had begun by working for the Mabie Bros. Circus , the first circus in Wisconsin. Then became manager of the Yankee Robinson Circus . Then , the Barnum and Coup Circus was organized in 1871 with P .T. Barnum as a one-third owner . Barnum never had anything much to do with the circus . Barnum had made a great name with his Museum in New York City. For the use of his name in this circus he was to get three percent of the profits . This was the first circus to use its own railroad cars . Coup left the managership of this show in 1875 and so did Castello. Castello 's new circus went into receivership and the assets were bought up by the Burr Robbins Circus , a very successful circus. Meanwhile , Coup went into exhibitions and built the first Madison Square Garden in New York City and also the New York City Aquarium . But, how did Barnum fare without Coup and Castello ? In about 10 years he was close to bankruptcy , until he engaged James A. Bailey as his manager. This brings us back to Howell. In 1847, James Anthony McGuinnes was born in Detroit , Michigan. This Irish boy, as 171 an orphan, secured employment here and there outside Detroit. In 1858 he came to Howell and worked as a handy-man and porter at a hotel in Howell. In 1860, the Robinson and Lake Circus came to Howell with Col. Fred Bailey as agent. Young McGuinnes left Howell with Bailey to whom he took a great liking . He changed his name from McGuinnes to Bailey and became the James A. Bailey who was to become Barnum's partner. In 1863a nother circus came through Howell and one of the lions died. It was buried on the " old" public square (W. Grand River , S. Walnut, W. Sibley and S. Center ). These shows were all "mud-shows" - that is they traveled by horse and wagon through mud and dust. In 1867 another great circus came to Howell, the Yankee Robinson Show. It was advertised in the Howell newspaper . William C. Coup was manager . Many later shows have played Howell including Wild West Shows. For years , admission was usually fifty cents for adults and twenty-five cents for children. Residents of surrounding towns looked forward to the circus coming to Howell. The last large circus to play Howell was the Kelly-Miller Circus in 1950. They raised their tent on the old Fairgrounds. When they came , it had been over 10 years since a circus had played Howell. And admission prices were considerably greater . There were at least two other circuses which came to Howell later , but they were not in the same class as the one in 1950. COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS By HAZEL HERBERT About sixty years ago, one bright sunny day , four young people; a cousin of mine , his girlfriend , my boyfriend and I set out from Perr y, Shiawassee County for the Livingston County Fairgrounds . What was going on there that was interesting? Livingston County was known as the center of the breeding and raising of the Holstein Friesian (black and Floating on the lake . 172 There's always a guy with a ukelele . white) cattle . There was to be a consignment sale there, and as my uncle raised these cattle , anything concerning them was interesting . The conversations of the people there to buy and to sell, the chant of the auctioneer ; watching the people bidding made it all very exciting. By the way catalogs were printed when all the cattle were consigned. The name of owner , animals name, date of birth , also their pedigree . We followed these , and listed the sale price as they were sold. We had taken a jug of lemonade , and a basket of goodies for our noon meal as there were no McDonalds or Hardee eating places. I have attended several of these consignment sales, but this one stands out very clear in my memory . Free Street Fairs in Howell 1898 and 1900 By ERSYL RIDER HADLEY "Twill Be A Rowelling Success! " What? The Free Street Fair! Where? Howell, Michigan: Sept. 27, 28, 29, 30. The above is a sample of the advertising of the First Free Street Fair in Howell-1898 . When I was a young child, I attended the street fair advertized above , in the evening , with my parents and my sister , Florence , who is three years older than I. I remember that I was tired and sat down in the middle of the sidewalk to rest , where , for a few moments, I enjoyed the friendly crowds of pedestrians as they passed by. That was a brief experience , and then I went with my mother to see the cows. They were near by in stalls, inside of pens. They were not where I, a farm girl , was used to seeing cows ; they were right downtown where we went to do our shopping , on Grand River , then a dirt road , with stores on either side of the road. My sister wandered into the Indians ' tent , and upon seeing the Indians dressed in their full regalia, started to scream and cry, and darted out of the tent , not waiting to learn the reaction of the Indians to her surprise visit and anguished departure . The above are a few memories I have of an evening at the Howell street fair. I am greatful that I have some remembrance of those cherished events of long ago. Since there are not many around now who remember much about the street fairs , it is fortunate that an outstanding young man of Howell, at the time of these events , kept scrapbooks of local newspaper clippings about the fairs , and beautiful photographs of entries in the parade . This young man was the late Frank M. Lansing (1868-192)0, whose daugher , Alice Lansing Sonnenburg , gave these valuable records to the Livingston County Historical Society, Aug. 15, 1974. As stated above , the first street fair was held in 1898, Sept. 27-30. There were four days and evenings of the fair , Tuesday through Frida y. The crowd on Thursday was estimated to be 15,000 to 20,000, the largest ever known in Livingston County. The first prize , a Champion Mowing Machine , was won by Judge of Probate , Charles Fishbeck , for a herd of fourteen shorthorn cattle . Fir st prize in the floral parade was won by Mrs . F.J . Lee, her entry being a sunflower carriage. The Fair Association closed its first free fair out of debt. It was , indeed , "A Rowelling Success ." The second street fair was held in 1900, Sepl 25-28, Tuesday through Friday. The weather was ideal , attendance good, crowd largest on Thursday , about 20,000. There were good exhibits in stock-sheep , cattle and swine. Music for the fair was furnished by the Milford Band, and much credit was given to this organization for the success and pleasure of the fair. There were many attractions every day-trapeze and tumbling acts , balloon ascensions , etc ., and the floral parade. The magnificent floral parade was put on every afternoon by the ladies , the fire department , and the Knights and Ladies of the Maccabees . It was the delight of all who saw it. The parade formed on E . Clinton, proceeded down Court to Grand River , passing on the south side of Grand River to Chestnut , returning on the north side of Grand River . There were tweny-six horse-drawn vehicles in the parade , the most unusual being a Ben Hur (Roman ) chariot ; also , there was an equestrian group , and a bicycle group . The horses , including two black Shetland ponies , were mostly black or white , an occasional bay or gray. If four horses were used on a vehicle, they were driven abreast or tandem . For decorations , much crepe paper and paper roping were used. Many of the flowers , including a great var iety of species , were made by the ladies . One entry , said to be the most expensive in the parade , used 2300 red roses and 1250 yards of green roping . Other means of adding to the beaut y of an entr y : decorated parasols , occupants of the entr y dressing all in white, all in black , or in any way to add to the beauty of the setting , horses trimmed to correspond with their vehicle , black or white net blankets for the horses , etc . I will give a brief description of only a few of the man y entries in the parade . The Milford Band headed the parade. Next came the Fire Department , hose cart , trimmed in red and white bunting , drawn by two large black horses , members of the department , dressed in white , riding each day. The Queen of the Floral Parade , Miss Julia Benedict , was next in line, riding in an old fashioned phaeton , top remo ved, escorted by four knights on white horses , the knights uniformed and carrying swords , two in front of the phaeton , two following. The body of the phaeton was gilded and lined with royal purple. The entire phaeton was trimmed with AT HOWEMLICL.H \. SEPT.285.~ .6.1. . Z 1900 N.r· 1~t-:;.,. double white poppies. The white horses of the escorts were trimmed in purple and white, as were, also, the two white horses drawing the phaeton, the latter accompanied by two footmen. The queen's costume was rented from Detroitwhite satin gown, white lace overdress spangled with beads, her crown entirely of beads. Another local newspaper 's version of the dress-white cotton, trimmed in gold braid , gold fringes and jewels , crown of pearls , robe trimmed with gold braid . There were only two fraternal organizations represented in the parade ; The Knights of the Maccabees, and the Ladies of the Maccabees , both featuring the red, white and black of the order. The Howell Outing Club furnished a novel float-a boat was placed upon a wagon with awning placed over the boat for a canopy, the entire float was decorated with pond lilies, the silken streamer of the club floating from the canopy. The Equestrian Group: Ten ladies wearing black riding habits, riding two abreast with horses trimmed alike, making five groups, horses in each group trimmed with a different color. The equestrians were preceded by Bently's Band. The Bicycle Group was made up of five small girls riding their bicycles, which they had trimmed themselves, very attractively . The second day a young boy came with his bicycle decorated , and was allowed to join the group. The Columbia was the last float in the parade. The sides of the float were two immense flags, the stripes red and white roses; the field of blue, shirred bunting and silver stars . A shield of flowers formed the back . Two young boys, one dressed as a sailor , the other as a soldier, stood on either side of a flower bedecked cannon placed at the center of the float. A young man dressed as Uncle Sam and a young lady dressed as the Goddess of Liberty stood at the rear of the float, The Goddess of Liberty representing Uncle Sam's mission of dispensing liberty , with the aid of his Army and Navy, to the rich and poor alike. A boy in overalls and torn hat represented the poor, and a girl in fancy dress represented the rich . The float was drawn by two white horses trimmed in red and blue. 174 It was said that the parade in 1900 surpassed the one in 1898,b oth in variety of design and in perfection of execution. No prizes, however, were awarded in 1900 for this feature of the fair. The second street fair in Howell came to an end with the close of the evening session on Friday , Sept. 28, 1900. The officers of the fair were : Fred Hubbell, President ; R. Bruce McPherson , Secretary; Frank Burt , Treasurer . They had worked long and hard to bring about the desired results , as had so many other dedicated people of Howell. The local newspapers captioned their accounts of the fair: "A Booming Success ," "A Winner," "A World Beater. " ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Miss Mary Reed , Vice President, Livingston County Historical Society, for supplying me with material for the above topic. Early Years By VOLA HUTSON My mother and dad put their horse in the 10 cent barn when they got married (1904) and left it there two days while they went to Ann Arbor on the train on their honeymoon . THE LIVERY STABLE OR 10 CENT BARN The old livery stable or so-called Ten Cent Barn was on east side of Walnut Street between Grand River and Clinton. Here the horses could receive shelter while the driver was doing his shopping. It cost ten cents a stall. About 1910t here was a skating rink on the corner of Clinton and Michigan Avenue, where Mike Hagman's gas station now is. It cost 25 cents to skate. Ella Hagman used to play the piano at the Theater . Who could forget Henderson 's popcorn stand which stood on the SW corner of Michigan Avenue and Grand River . It was just a little permanent building where pounds and pounds of popcorn were sold. A favorite meeting place . Everyone knew and loved Mr. and Mrs . Henderson. THE OPERA HOUSE The old Opera House was over Sutton 's Hardware. The ticket office and steps to go up to it were in an area between where Garland's Store and Sutton's Store now are . In this opera house the Junior and Senior Class plays were given . The Junior play in 1914w as "Silas the Chore Boy." In 1915t he Senior Play was " Esmeralda. " Mrs. Doctor Huntington Sr. directed the plays and the cast did their practicing in the Huntington home. Also in the opera house the lecture series were held . One could buy a season ticket and the place was always filled . One of the lectures was called " Acres of Diamonds. " It was given by a traveler, and the whole theme was that one could travel the world over , but could find acres of diamonds in one's own back yard. Plays were always very popular and one of the most famous ones was " Uncle Tom's Cabin." For many years there was a covered stairway on Walnut Street which is believed to have been the exit from the Opera House. Another big event which was entertaining, was the annual Jack Kelly's Stock Company Tent Show. This could have been between 1918a nd 1925. Many plays were given and one Chas . Jewitt with his dog . My secretary said when I brought this out of the lab , "Did you ever notice how a man and his dog so often look alike? " 175 of them was " Up in Mabel 's Room." It probably was a bit risque ' with men and women climbing in and out windows and hiding under the bed-but to me it was just plain funny-young minds did not understand . One unforgettable item was that everyone went early to get a seat in the front because during the intermission they would sell peanuts , candy or popped corn , and a prize would be found in some of the sacks . They always had the prizes in the first few boxes-a nd since they started in the front, the prizes were there-more as a "come-on" for all the rest of the audience , so if you sat in the back , you didn't have much of a chance. Between acts there would be vaudeville acts , and one time they had all the children come on the stage , and they dropped silver money and pennies , and all of us scrambled to pick up what we could- we could keep all we picked up. These shows were held on the land which is now Page Field. The Melon Festival By DR. PAT MAY The spontaneous birth of the Howell Melon Festival followed the gift of a truck load of melons to the people of Howell from the Stanley Knight family in 1959. The following summer the Howell Business Men used the melons to promote thie quiet community with the Festival. No formal organization sponsored the Festival until the J .C.'s revitalized it in 1965b y their president, Al Latson 's interest in the project. The first year over three hundred people from all age groups and social economic classes worked together to promote the Festival. Nine hundred citizens raised the melon in their own garden to be judged by the Melon Commission, which consisted of Tom Kizer, chairman , John Hanna, for- 176 mer president of MSU and Frank Bucheit, president of the A & P Company . This tradition in the family gardens has continued and every year they have been awarded recognition . A secret committee picked Miss Patricia Dowen as the first Melon Queen in 1960 and crashed her into the Federal Reserve Board Meeting in Washington where she invited top industry and bank executives to the Festival. She made the front page pf major newspapers county-wide with an airsick picture taken by Howell's local photographer, Duane Zemper , on the way to the White House for breakfast with President Eisenhower . Governor Soapy Williams and Lt. Governor Swenson came to Howell the evening before to kick off the Melon Festival. A large parade was formed with Will Terhune's Community :Band . The parade was stolen by Joe Harris and lead to the Diamond Dot Market where he fed the gathering. Stanley Dickson suggested the melon as a tool to bring recognition to this community and was the first chairman of the Melon Festival. He was followed by Jake Albert in 1961 and Charlie Sutton in 1962. Each year following the J.C.'s have been active in the Festival and are an integral part of the community and the melon is now known throught the world . First Movie Theater By ELLA WHITAKER HAGMAN The first movie theater was opened about the year 1912 and was called the Temple Theater . It was located on Grand River Avenue, across from the Courthouse . A Mr. Boardman Women had their fun too. Here a group of women are having a nail driving contest along with many bashed thumbs. Clubs of cyclists travelled by train with their bikes to meet as clubs in different towns, 1888. who was a local photographer owned the theater as a hobby. It was a rather crude theater. The chairs were wooden kitchen chairs nailed to the floor and the picture machine was hand operated . The admission prices were 10 cents and 15 cents . In November , 1913, Mr. Bert Moeller of Detroit was in Howell and noticed the theater. Being in the movie business , he was curious about the theater and after checking the building and finding it locked he walked up the street to Barron and Wines Drug Store to inquire about it. After being told that Mr. Boardman owned it, he contacted him at his photo studio and before the day was over had bought the theater. Mr. Moeller remodeled the theater, putting in upholstered seats and two electric picture machines . The admission prices were raised to 15 cents and 25 cents . He asked his sister-in-law , Ella Whitaker to come out from Detroit for two weeks to play the piano at the theater for the silent movie background music . Ella Whitaker did come to Howell and fell in love with the lovely little town with the beautiful trees so she stayed here . Later she met and married John A. Hagman who was the County Clerk at that time . Mr. Moeller kept the theater for about five years and then sold it to a Mr. Verne Losey. Memorial Pageant of Drums By MIKE HAGMAN In 1970 Howell had its first Livingston County Independence Day and Pageant of Drums celebration . The purpose of this day was to dedicate the two new wings that were added to the War Dead Memorial located on the Courthouse lawn. The existing memorial, prior to this time, had the names of the World War I dead on the face of the east side and the World War II dead on the west side . Some of the veterans decided that to put the names of the Korean War dead and although the Vietnam War was still in progress, we had lost thirteen of our boys, we needed something a little bit different than the existing memorial. Through donations from the citizens of Livingston County and the County Board of Commissioners the new wings became a reality . The dedication consisted of removing a shroud from the whole memorial. Gold Star Mothers did the unveiling whose sons names were inscribed on the Memorial-Mrs . Charles Vanwinkle Sutton, Mrs. Maybelle Pless, their sons lost the lines in World War II. Mrs. Naomi Wins- her son lost his life in the Korean War and Mrs. Donahue whose son lost his life in the Vietnam War . On this day we had both a happy time and a sad time. Before the dedication we had a nice parade starting at 2:00 p.m ., with a jet fly over by Ohio Air National Guard . After the parade the Courthouse lawn ceremony began and a Marine Corps General made the primary address . After the dedication a band concert was played . At seven p.m. the festivities moved to Howell High School Page Athletic Field . Six Drum & Bugle Corps were hired to march in the parade and put on the Pageant of Drums , which was a beautiful show, with their colorful uniforms and display of flags and banners . After the pageant of Drums the evening was climaxed by a hugh firework display . This afternoon and evening has become an annual event with our 1975 celebration on July 4th. 177 - This is the outside entrance to the Opera House . On the left, Garland stands in the entrance to his store , on the right , Bennett and Chas . Sutton (tall one) stand by their hardware store , 1913. .. 178 - - Th-e Opera House - - The Opera House By D . J . GRAY It may well be regarded with amazement , but Howell was once known as " fun town." That 's right. According to the Hon. Jerome W. Turner, Circuit Judge of the Seventh Judicial District for most of the latter half of the nineteenth century , " Howell was a town from the start, with a grin on its countenance, which never rela.ved but continually flowered into guffaws. " Men from the East , who had no design of setting here , staged it out from Detroit , or over from Dexter, to spend a few days in laughing. "One man I know, who resided in the city of New York, who has since told me that he was accustomed to travel through almost every town in the United States large enough to hold a meeting-house, without finding one that could equal Howell for fun." Howell certainly had its share of characters . There was Elijah Coffren, " a carpenter and Jomer by trade, who would come down from the roof of a promising job to join in a little hilarity , and not be able to get away from it so that he could return in a month." And Levi Bristol , " a square fighter , a man who would have been known as an athlete among the Thebeans , but who ususlly got 'corned ' when he came to town." He was emphatically an ugly customer, and he asserted in all forms of forcible inelegance , that "the first man who squirts any water onto me'll get his head knocked off." And 'Old Cuff Simons,' who "was of genial good nature, but was prone to take too much liquor." In fact, there were so many good times that , in 1885, the good ladies of Howell stormed Balcom's saloon and proceeded to smash everything in sight-perhaps not quite after the fashion of Carrie Nation, with axe in hand, but certainly with gusto. Assuredly , things quieted down, for a short spell at least. TRAVELING SHOWS Now, those with a thirst for entertainment can only be stilled for so long. There were traveling shows in those early days of first settlers , but the menfolk couldn't resist the temptation of getting into the act. Even shows, which are supposed to carry about with them a sort of stereotyped humor which can make an hour passable, were tame concerns here in these early days, and it was two to one that something laughable would happen to them before they left the place . Subjects of mesmerism underwent copious inundations of cold water ; the magic-lantern cuirass suddenly grew cloudy with ink, and the return of pewter and tin six-penses astonished the showman when he counted up after the performance. Whether this passion for antics was recognized as a source of fortune for those speculating in funny business , or whether the pleading of wives resulted in the inducement-even bribery-of someone, anyone, to construct a stage which separated the world of fools from that of actors, is not really known. 180 It is known, however, that, in 1880, the Livingston Republic announced, " Howell is happy because it is going to have a first-class Opera House." The Golden Age of refinement was at hand .. . at last. Prior to 1880, Mozart Hall housed the circuit troupes of performers. December 23, 1880- " The Electric Light Burlesque will play at Mozart Hall tonight. " But Mozart Hall was pretentious in name only, and since Livingston Centre had turned the corner of civilization and finally assumed the respectability of Howell, a new opera house was but proper . "The entire building will be constructed of brick and cut stone! It will be located on Grand River Street opposite S. Andrews ' agricultural store ; dimensions , 46 feet front and 100 feet deep and walls 46 feet high, final height 56 feet ; will have a seating capacity for 1000 people, parquette being seated with chairs , and the gallery with regular seats; two full stories in height with gallery ; with two stores fronting on Grand River Street and one on Walnut Street ; the hall will be provided with large entrances, both in front and rear ; the stage is 26 feet by 22 feet to ceiling, elevated four feet above the main floor; scenery will correspond with other features of the building . "The whole building will be heated with a furnace and lighted with gas . Estimated cost when finished is $11,000. The drawings and plans were executed by A. C. Varney, a Detroit architect , and are simply magnificent. Hunter and Holmes are the proprietors and builders." During the early spring of 1881 ground breaking took place and building was begun . Well, at least a thousand pounds of nails were delivered . It seems that then, as now, 93 years later , the difficulties of construction plagued the investor . Even under the direction of Lieut. Pierson , of Pontiac, who " is bossing the business and seems to thoroughly understand his work," the supply of bricks couldn't be coaxed or carted in large enough numbers to maintain steady progress . A sure way to loose the bowels of management is to sell tickets against a given date when completion of work on a building is nowhere in sight. This bit of psychology is intended to stimulate labor , but the opposite result is more often the case, with the workmen purposely protracting the finishing touch in order to sneak a preview of watching the management squirm. Nevertheless, ready or not, on December 30, 1881, Bentley Campbell 's "Galley Slave " was presented as a benefit , followed a few nights later by " My Geraldine ." Previous to this, on December 2nd and 3rd, "Chaff" and "Fun In The Kitchen " closed the era of Mozart Hall. Judging from the titles, the performances just might be revived at the neighborhood theater to thundering boots of audiences. Now that the formal opening night had been celebrated , the business of finishing the Opera House could be undertaken . January 5, 1882,-"The gas works at the Opera House failed to give light on Monday night. .. The hall, when completed , will be one of the best in the state, and far ahead of Opera Houses usually found in towns of Howell's population. " Finally, at a later date, "The gas works have been refitted and adjusted by a workman from the manufactory at Baltimore; the plaster is thoroughly dry ; a number of nice easy pews have been put in the gallery ; and at this date very little remains to be done, except to sweep out and arrange the seats ." What more could be said , except possibly-have you ever tried a pew for comfort ? JUST PASSING BY There was no marquee or imposing edifice to entice the curious , just two stout doors carved to admit giants , centered symetrically between two store fronts , one advertising clothing and the other hardware . When the theatre wasn 't open, the shallow alcove was a nice place to linger, to lean against a wall of shadow and watch passersby amble the length of the sidewalk . On dates corresponding with those listed on gaily colored posters announcing coming attractions-big signs pasted to a board at the old foundry site on the corner of Grand River and Chestnut Streets by Bert Snedicor, who balanced on a little ladder with glue pot in hand-the huge doors were opened at seven in the evening . A dimly lighted plank stairway led upward , and with each step climbed , the wheezing aspiration of pressurized acetylene issuing from fixtures mounted by glowing globes filled with ears with whispers , an intensifying murmur that teased the nerves with excitement. Short of the main floor of the Opera House, the stairway emptied onto a landing, and forming the crown of a Roman T, divided into two bays of steps , six to each . Either side of the stairway were ticket windows for late arrivals, or for those who couldn't find time to purchase reservations at 0 . J. Parker 's Drug Store , located at Grand River and East Street-now N. Michigan. For the strong of heart and ample of derriere , there was the additional flight of stairs to the gallery .. . and the pews. Others entered the parquet through one of the two doors, and passing down aisles with letters stenciled on the floor next to rows of chairs , found their places and awaited the performance . BACKSTAGE Mixed with the muted mumble of hushed conversation , and the sporadic mutter of " lo, Jed " and " Hi ya , Zeke," was the incessant hiss of gas jets . White-fired hives fizzing in frosted glass bowls were spaced at regular intervals on the walls under the balcony, over the gallery , and ascending the arch of the stage . Suspended from the ceiling , and tethered to ropes arranged throughout a series of pulleys for lowering and lighting, were the splayed forms of monstrous spiders , one atop the other , with legs rigidly stretched and holding a pearl of incandescence at the extremities , eighteen fiery gems in all. Separating the proscenium from the interior stage was a curtain depicting a scene of Byzantine charm folded in the veil of mystery . Dark -skinned Bedouins dressed in white, flowing robes , with turbans coiled about the heads , sorted fruits into pyrimidal clusters . A mythical city of oasean splendor, flushed with the first light of day and gently fanned by swaying fronds and palms , its presence was sanctified by the radiant dome of a Mosque overseeing all, majestically attending to all and everything . The scene insensibly brought to mind such names as Bengaski, Khartoum , and Alexandria . It was said to have been the creation of the artist who painted the curtain for the Detroit Opera House. Behind the curtain , various props were arranged to lend to similitude the verity of reality. Ropes were tested to ensure that backdrops were in proper working order ; especially so, the one containing the advertisements of local merchants, which was lowered for viewing between acts . Bert Snedicor was there, too .. . he pulled the ropes . The trap door at ce.nter stage was checked for fastness , for apart from Signor Bosco, the Famous Prestidigitator , sudden disappearance proved embarrassing . DRESSING ROOMS Beneath the stage , in two dressing rooms abutting the rear wall of the builiding, the actors and actresses daubed the grease paint and applied the artistry of cosmetic transformation . A steady barrage of complaints was heaped on the manager-poor accommodations, chilling drafts, unfair billing, and most vociferously . . . back wages!-as he flitted from room to room pleading for haste. But this was all part of the business, a chorus repeated six nights a week at five different towns. In utter desperation , he paused to wring his hands beneath a sign posted for all to read , " All local gags and jokes with double meaning please leave out." The hum of the audience and the confusion of voices and noise from props being moved backstage blended fittingly with dissonent notes blown, bowed or thumped on musical instruments. Seated before the stage at floor level, the members of the Howell Union Orchestra ran the scales and sounded the depths . After a final piercing shriek from an obstinate clarinet , a sudden silence settled throughout the theatre , and at a precise moment calculated to be the peak of surging anticipation , the baton was raised and the show begun . The "season " of theatrical entertainment commenced in September and lasted until the following March or April. This is not to say that the flow of events was continuous. The business of theatre has always been subject to calamity , or at best , abrupt change . November 5, 1885- the Republican reports that " Jenison and Ward's Dime Comedy Company went to pieces in this town last Saturday night, three of the best people in the combination striking for their salaries . The company had more than made their expenses during their engagement here , but bills contracted in Fowlerville had to be met , which left the manager 's exchequer depleted . "Being unable to agree about future prospects the company cancelled its Northville engagement and Mr. Ward with five of the old company went to Williamston to reorganize while Mr. Jennison and Misses Tremayne and Christie (songster ) went to Detroit to seek engagements ." In any case , there were often quiet spells between performances at the Opera House. SUMMER SCHEDULE Summertime , of course , had an amusement calendar of its own. Every town had a yearly fair , and this combined with the circus and traveling tent shows, sufficiently filled the time between agricultural labors and weary bones. Once the harvest was completed and the products of the earth stored for the winter , however , apparent stirrings were 181 in evidence around the Opera House and Bert Snedicor was once again busy with his ladder and glue pot. Culture is known to lag in certain areas . March 16, 1882- " Those who purchase tickets for 'A Celebrated Case ' or any other case, do not purchase the right to make the floor worse than a hogpen, with tobacco juice . We have resolved to make a note of those who besmear everything in reach of them , and ruin every ladies dress coming in reach of their quids and filth. And those who cannot get along without chewing tobacco in the Opera House will be refused tickets of admission , as their empty seats are worth more than the amount they pay for admission, taking into consideration what they leave on the floor." But then what is reputed to be cultural often falls short of the mark . " At the same time the plays that were coming through the circuit were sometimes too crude a nature for the people of Howell to accept. The J oily Rover Company proving to be composed of too many professional 'sticks ' to give satisfaction to an intelligent audience ." The Press, in its capacity of critical arbiter and standard bearer of value, now and then subscribed to principles of declaration , and on occasion, however rarely , it even ventured forth with a modicum of wit. May 18, 1882-" Flashes (a musical comedy ) flashed but feebly, and upon a feeble audience last week Wednesday evening, and having no audience whatever to dazzle on Thursday evening, they departed to more genial climes where people will be more susceptible to their brilliant rays. '' COMMENCEMENT TIME June 23, 1882, witnessed the first of a series of events that was to be repeated every year, for forty years. On this date occurred the first high school commencement held in the Opera House. The occasion was accorded the solemnity befitting an educational system founded on Duffy's Primer and the three R's. The length of the exercise probably exceeded the duration of most entertainment, and the turnout-950 persons in a house seating 800-was undoubtedly the envy and gnashing of teeth of all traveling companies. The exercise opened with "a musical duet and a prayer followed . . . Then a quartet of singers preceded the main speech which on this occasion was delivered by Charles P . Bush, entitled "Science and Civilization." Following the speech "Enoch Arden" was read, or recited , in three parts ... Miss Spencer then favored the audience with a solo and Miss Emma Foster read an essay on "Books and Bread ." The "Class History and Prophesy " was read and was followed by a solo by Miss Mills. The great moment had arrived, diplomas were conferred to but six students, five girls and one boy. The whole program was concluded with the singing of the class song which was composed by L. C. Smith with words by H. H. Harmon . A momentous milestone, indeed. The period of time during which the Opera House was active coincided with the most ardent and romantic era in the history of the American theater. Everywhere groups sprang up over night , and not unfortunately, many disappeared just as quickly . It was truly a time of doing your own thing . With a splash of talent and a flood of nerve, groups gathered together to produce a play and choose a name . 182 And with little money, but bolstered with an enthisiasm comparable to early pioneers, they clamored aboard the stagecoach and were off on the circuit. SPECIAL FORMULA For the most part, the plays of this period were the product of a formula . The typical format included skits , songs, dances , recitations, and the playing of musical instruments. Other routines were patterned on burlesque and comedy acts. Occasionally , however , drama would arrive on the scene , as if to remind tempestuous upstarts of the true claim to legitimacy . What gave rise to the abandonment of inhibition and the rush for limelight was in part due to a very real need, the need of entertainment in towns separated by miles of difficult roads that rendered travelers weary after a short distance . Money was available and waiting for those fortunate enough to satisfy the peculiar bent of a demanding audience . There was opportunity, and a chance to be somebody ... a big name in " lights! " Of the few who succeeded , there were scores of others whose names were known only to themselves . Every town has its favorite amusements , and I suppose, depending on time and place , sentiments may vary . . . but not all that much . Howellites, in particular , headed their list with concerts . There were the Fisk University Jubilee Singers of Nashville, Tennessee , which returned regularly for years . A special treat was Rice 's Opera Company performance of Gilbert & Sullivan 's " Mikado. " Then there was Duprez and Benedict 's Minstrels, the Lynn and Flaherty Female Minstrels, Callender's Minstrels , and the Slayton Ideal Colored Concert Company. And in addition to the Weber Male Quartette, there appeared Arbuckle , the cornetist , and Remenyi , the violinist, brought back for a return engagement by popular demand . THE LIST GROWS The Lever Lecture Course began as a popular organization, subscribing funds to bring to Howell outstanding attractions . Among those listed as appearing are John B. Gough, and Bell's Brilliants (hopefully better charged than was Flashes ). Also listed to appear were Litta , The American Queen of Song, Theodore Tilton, Grove 's "Hearts of Oak" and " Hazel Kirk ," the last two being plays. The eventual fate of this series seems to bear out the saying that "Culture is often talked about in high style, but is seldom endured ." Very well, so much for amusements that strongly appeal to feminine interests-now for the men . Leahy's Bros . Ring Gymnasts must have teased the ego, and George Ober's Company presentation of Dr . Jekyll and Mr. Hyde surely sated suspense. Bourne and Tucker 's Dime Comedy Company and the Santley Burlesque combined to please the pocketbook and lift the spirits , for they filled the Opera House from foyer to ceiling. And who can explain the immense enjoyment afforded by Uncle Tom's Cabin? At least five times each year , by as many companies , Uncle Tom's Cabin drew the tumultous applause of full houses and tents . Yes, tents ... the play was toured both summer and winter. But of all the companies , including the Union Square Company, Jack Kelley's Stock Company, and the George H. Maxwell Company, the Noss Family was by far the most treasured remembrance of many. Concerning drama , either acts of God or man seemed deliberately intent on undermining its scheduled appearances . In 1886, the Merchant of Venice was cancelled because of a blizzard . The Star Theatre Company presentation of " Monte Cristo " was cancelled through fear resulting from a false smallpox epidemic (reportedly the magnification tactics of the Pinckney Dispatch ). But when " Monte Cristo " was performed, with Frank Lindor in the lead and directed by Alden S. Benedict- "This was one of the rare plays which was presented in the Opera House which did not follow the popular formula of burlesque or comedy ."- well. .. LACK OF SUPPORT The Republican reports, " Monte Cristo, " one of the best pieces seen in Howell however, suffered the fate that is accorded nearly every good company that visits Howell-a miserabl y light house, only $60 being taken in. " It is evident that the reading class who criticize the too frequent appearance of comedy entertainments are not sincere in their professed wish for the higher grade dramas, at least they discourage in large numbers a first-class attraction by staying away. " Monte Cristo" is too heavy for Howell from a financial point of view, though those who attended appreciated and enjoyed its performance keenly, and yet some think tragedy would pay here ." In 1884, the Stair brothers , E .D. and Orin, came to Howell and assumed ownership of the Republican , and " theatrical histor y of national significance finds its beginning at this time ." Soon after their arrival , they acquired a chain of newspapers in the state and delved into the speculative business of real estate . September , 1885, found E .D. Stair deeply involved in the management of the Opera House. With Holmes, he took the occasion to publish a new policy of theatrical standards -" It will not only be the aim of the new management to give the patrons of the Opera House first class amusement , but also to protect them from 'snide' or unworthy shows. " E very precaution will be exercised that no inferior entertainment appears with their endorsement, or under the ausp ices of the House." How about that for quelling the fears of those who held that all theatre was the corruption of morals and the home of the Devil. PRICES IN TUNE Also, at this time , introduction of the 10-20-30c ent theater days took place . This was a scheme whereby the price of admission was scaled to the type of entertainment presented. Prior to this, prices presumably were allowed to float, and judging from 50 and 75 cents charged to see John T. Sullivan and Effie Putnam in "David Garrick ," the ceiling appeared to be somewhere beyond the dark side of the moon. March 16, 1886, was the date that launched the careers of two people destined for fame . On that particularly gusty night , Little Jessie Bonesteele and Fred B. Crittenden wowed the audience of the Opera House with " Gypsy's Prophesy ," a playlette typical of the times in which Little Jessie acted in a number of roles , including that of Katterina Von Hotzendotzengroo- Shenheiser , the German Emigrant. The Republican , March 18- " Little Jessie Bonstelle (the change in name didn't occur until a later date ) is truly a marvel of stage grace and a power in impersonation! The entertainment on Tuesday evening , of which she was the particular star , was a most worthy one indeed. She assumed during the rendition of " The Gypsy's Prophesy ," a very colorful comedietta written for her, seven distinct characters and did them with a true dramatic genuis that seems hardl y creditable in a girl scarce 15 years old. (She was sixteen ). " Her dances were immense , the execution of a Highland fling while playing the banjo being exceptionally difficult ; her recitations were good, her acting splendid and her vocalizing fair . On the whole, for a two-people show it was a decided success , and a proposition to have it repeated here has been made . Reappearance took place sooner than expected , occurring on April 2nd. LEGEND IS BORN Little Jessie was the youngest of ten children . She was born near the town of Rochester , in the State of New York . Her mother was determined to have one of her famil y on the stage , and from an early age , Jessie was taught to recite , sing and dance. Finall y, after years of practice , and the remainder of the family old enough to take care of themselves , Jessie 's mother gathered together various costumes and several plays she had written and headed for the circuits. Jessie 's meeting with E .D. Stair proved to be that necessary ingredient in every success story . Taking a piece written by Jessie 's mother , entitled " Little Trixie ," Stair rewrote the play and renamed it " Trixie , The Romp Heiress ." The following year Stair went on tour with Jessie , playing to major cities from Philadelphia to San Francisco. The next year he acquired the right to " Chip O' The Old Block" and again toured Jessie from coast to coast. After this, their relationship was suspended until 1910, in Detroit. During the years between 1887a nd 1910, Jessie traveled the length and breadth of the country, acting in endles s numbers of stock companies . She was alone now, for her mother had died. At age 40, weary from years of unsettled living conditions , wind-chilled accommodations , and one night stands , she returned to Detroit , fifty miles from the town that witnessed her beginning. Surely she must have returned to Howell, and the Opera House, if only to give substance to memories . Although Miss Bonstelle 's appearance in 1886 was an event of no small importance , a second happening occurred that year which directly concerned the Opera House. In August, Mrs. Campau , a resident of Detroit , bought the Opera House---"she bid it in front of the steps of the Courthouse at $1100, less than her claim against the property ." INTERIOR REDONE Following the sale , the Stair Brothers took over complete management. They succeeded in convincing Mrs . Campau to refurbish the interior . The Messrs . Burdict and Dowling <Dick and Matt ) " skilled manipulators of the brush will leave the walls and ceiling of the building adorned by the most 183 I tasteful designs of their art. The house will be ready for formal opening about the middle of September ." Excellent , but who was there to repair a leaky roof! It must be assumed that, following E .D. Stair 's theatrical adventure with Jessie , events at the Opera House continued much the same as in other years . This is not known. What is known is that Harrigan's Irish and American Tourists closed the year 1887. It seemingly happened on the sad note of a poor audience . But sadness apparently was restricted only to certain quarters , for the Republican reports that Howell has its ninth bar- " Davis and Sullivan having put a bar at their tobacco store in the Brown block." July 18, 1889, the Stair brothers sold the Republican to George Barns . E .D. and Orin moved to Detroit where they purchased the Detroit Free Press and the Garrick Theatre. The vacancy left by the two brothers is difficult to assess , but it is certain that reportage of theatrical goings on in the Republic under George Barnes all but vanished . In 1910, Miss Bonstelle joined E.D. Stair at the Garrick Theatre , managing under his directorship the Bonstelle Stock Company, a successful operation that endured for fifteen summers . In 1924, however, they parted company once again , and " the following year Miss Bonstelle founded the Bonstelle Playhouse on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, opening it on New Year 's Day of 1925. Two years later it was renamed the Detroit Civic Theatre which she successfully operated under her direction until her death in October, 1932." ROAR OF THE CROWD The Opera House served as a stage on which aspmng actors and actresses with great expectations and soaring dream s either flourished or perished . But there were others whose lives were less dramatic , less desperate for the roar of the crowd, yet who wished to experience the thrill of vicarious existence . For those people who acknowledge limitations , the Opera House afforded the opportunity of compromise-the amateur theatrical. In May, 1885, the G.A.R. " hired Major Burton to play the lead in "The Dutch Recruit " . .. Notable in the cast of local people was E.D. Stair playing the role of Frank Duncan , the Guerilla Chieftain .'' Much later , on October 31, 1906, " Mrs . Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch " was presented as a benefit for the Howell Masonic Lodge. A group of local people were directed by Miss Florence Galpin of the Drama Department of the Ann Arbor School of Music. Miss Nellie Lansing played Miss Razey; that is, Mrs . B. H. Glenn, an invaluable source for the compilat ion of this brief histor y. And the Opera House served other uses as well. In Februar y, 1885, the rear room of the Opera House was finished and furnished for the second grade primar y school- "t he present dilap idated quarters being considered detrimental to the health of scholars ." August 10, 1889, the cornerstone of the courthouse was laid by Judge Turner . Until the new facilities were in readine ss, the Opera House was rented to service the proceedings of Circuit Court. Perhaps , because of such prestigious company, the leaky roof was at last repaired . In 1898, Arthur Garland purchased the Opera House and used a portion of the main floor for the manufacture of custom-tailored suits . Chas. Sutton purchased the building in 1935 and reta ins present ownership . 184 What began as a grand design for gaiety and fun came to a close in the early years of the 1920's. The fragrance of grease paint and the smell of smoke from the fiery explosions at the conclusion of Faust has vanished without a trace . It is a place for storage now, but not for memories . .. they're all but gone. Only shadows remain , and the roof has stopped leaking . Note: Permission to inspect and photograph the premises of the Opera House was granted on the following condition: That the public be notified that fire insurance reguations prohibit their admission. Under no circumstances will this understanding be abridged . OPERA HOUSE.--.-/ Monday Evening, November 20. HAlv.[LETSpecial EngagPment of Bu shea's P laye rs, supp orting Bennett Matlack ~Hortense VanZile in a grand Scenic Pr odu ction of H amlet . SpeciaSl cenery! CorrecCt ostumes! HandsomSet ageM ountings! Reserved Sea ts, 50c. and 75c. Now on Sal e at A. Garland 's. Gallery , 35c. Childr en, 25c. Notice of 1894 . to succeed Hamlet had to be sensational. : QPERAH ous1EruE~o,yM8a y J 1 Night II Qu..ee:o.. o•f ••O• or.o..ed.iee JANE • • • • I Direct ion of Gu~TA n ; FR OID.I AN, pr esented by a Clever Company of Comedians . ~ ill 400 NIGHTS in NEW YORK! ~tN 'JANE.' IRST T9 l\lill. I • ,FB:I:OES ,.. _zl I Parquet, 50c. Balcony, 35c. ' ChildrPn under 111, 2,ic. Sea ts on sale at. A. Garland's. Invitation to an evening with Jane in 1895 . --- - --.:..-=-~ ~-~--·----- q~ 7:.==- 0n December 13, 1862, as Howell prepared for the nearing - ~l~m-CJ . ·1 -w Christmas holidays, the 5th Michigan Regiment of Volunteer Infantry - - - - IVI '-:- .a r went into battle at Fredericksburg, Maryland . __ _· :=:::=-'I"=:::: Lt . . Col. John Gilully of Brighton, who commanded the Howell =-:-==:.~..,. . - 0 - company when it wenttowar in 1861, had been promoted to command ---=:- ~- .;_ ·:~-~ _·_ on the entire regiment. --· -:-·._ Leading a charge on the Confederate lines on Marye's Heights, Col. _ --·- Gilully was killed . This official war dispatch describes what happened: "Headquarters Fifth Michigan Volunteers . "Bivouac on the Battle-Field, December 15th. "Captain Wilson, A.A .A . General: "Sir-In accordance with a circular from headquarters, I have the - honor to submit the following report of the part which this regiment - ·----""~---Y~:~. sustained in the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Gilully, came -~ =-·-=_- upon the field at half-past one o'clock, and, after shifting from place to =. -:: · -~ -~~_;_ place, occupying different positions, constantly exposed to a furious - - --- - ~-" fire of shot and shell, was at length detailed to support Randolph's battery, which was in rather a precarious situation, on account of the · falling back of some regiments thrown out in front of it. At this juncture the regiment was ordered forward, and opened an effective fire upon the enemy, who were sheltered by a brush fence, and after a brisk conflict drove them back into the woods . "Lieutenant-Colonel Gilully fell mortally wounded while cheering on the men, and I assumed command. The regiment remained upon the scene of action till evening, when the First New York relieved us, and we retired in perfect order, carrying with us our dead and wounded. The regiment numbered two hundred and seventy-two rank and file, and our loss is nine killed and seventy-four wounded. "The officers and men behaved nobly throughout the short but sharp conflict, and it would be an act of injustice to particularize where all demeaned themselves so well; yet I cannot forbear mentioning Color-Sergeant Bergher, who stood up bravely, waving the colors defiantly in the face of the foe. "I am, very respectfully, "Your obedient servant, "R.T . Sherlock, "Major Commanding Fifth Michigan Infantry ." --=:- ._ _ = -= The civil war vets all pile into a wagon for their ride through Floral parade in 1898. The Civil War By ABBOTT M. GIBNEY The Civil War was little more than two weeks old when villagers and people from the township gathered for "an extremely large and enthusiastic mass-meeting " at the courthouse in Howell. President Lincoln was calling for 75,000 volunteers to help quell the rebellion in the Southern sta tes . Michigan's share of these men, expected to serve only 90 days , was one regiment , 780 men . And from the fervor of the crowd gathered outside the courthouse on that April 30th in 1861, an onlooker might easily have concluded that the state 's entire quota was about to be filled on the spot. The 1880 History of Livingston County by Everts and Abbott describes the scene: "At noon a magnificent star-spangled banner, made expressly for the occasion by the patriotic ladies, was unfurled 186 from the liberty-pole in front of the court-house amid the wildest enthusiasm of the assembled multitude. The thrilling song of the 'Star-Spangled Banner ' was sung and listened to by the audience with intense emotion and vociferous cheers . . . . All party ties seemed broken , all partisan prejudices obliterated, and but one desire and determination manifested by the speakers and the people,-to sustain the Federal government in the legitimate exercise of its power to preserve the Union." Similar meetings were being held throughout the state. Adding encouragement to the patriotic zeal stirred by the words of local orators , communities set up relief funds for the families of men who went off to " defend the Republic ." In Howell, the citizens pledged $800, a sizeable sum in those days, for the purpose. Additional sums were voted by the township board of supervisors . Support like this from friends and neighbors brought volunteers in a flood. Soon recruiters had more men than they could equip or had facilities to train, and some eager, would-be soldiers actually had to be turned away. This was the Civil War in its first stages - a gallant "rush to the colors"-almost a holiday frolic that most young men feared would all be over before they had the chance to join in. But all too soon the Civil War assumed its true proportions . It was to be a massive, grim and bloody armed struggle that would last much longer than a mere 90 days and require the efforts of considerably more than 75,000 men-from the state of Michigan alone . Before the war finally ended in April of 1865, over 90,000 Michigan men saw service in the Union army and some 14,000 of them died . Of the 1,887 Livingston County men who answered the colors , 175-nearly one out of 10--came from Harper's Weekly shows the women of Charleston watching the bombardment of Fort Sumter . Howell or the township and 45 of them died, a casualty rate considerable more severe than that for the state as a whole. Howell men participated in every campaign and every major battle of the war. In the East they fought with the famed Army of the Potomac; in the West, with the Armies of the Ohio, the Cumberland and the Tennessee. Some of the most famous (and infamous) generals in American history were their commanders-Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Thomas, McClellan, Burnside, Hooker, and Meade, among others. . Nearly half of the Michigan regiments enlisted during the war counted Howell men in their ranks. Seventeen of those were infantry, four were cavalry and one regiment were sharp shooters, artillery and engineers and mechanics. Nine out of 10 of the men were foot soldiers and in these ranks casualties ran the highest. Of the 45 dead, 22 were either killed in battle or died as a result of wounds received in combat. But disease claimed nearly as many, 20. Additionally, three men died in Confederate prisons. Two Eastern regiments-the 5th and 26th Michigan Infantry-and two Western regiments-the 9th and 15th Michigan Infantry-carried the largest number of Howell men on their rolls. And of these, the 5th Michigan, with 60 men, had by far the most. Company 1 of the Fifth, made up largely of men from the county, was designated the "Livingston Company." Recruited in April and May of 1861, Company 1 was led by Captain John Gilluly of Brighton. There were probably some Howell men in the regiments of other states as well. This figure-the only one available-is for Michigan units. Howell man, Hudson B. Blackman, was his first lieutenant, and seven other Howell men were in the ranks; John W. Gilbert, Daniel W. Morse, Jabez A. Pond, Henry S. Preston , Merritt Pullen, William H. Pullen and Samuel Sutton. Gilluly, Morse, Pond, Merritt Pullen, and Sutton were all early combat casualties of the Fifth, which was to become one of the hardest fought regiments in the entire Union Army. But even as the Fifth was being organized, the "Howell Volunteers" were on their way to the army in Washington as part of Company K of the 4th Michigan Infantry. Raised by James Mulloy of Howell, who became one of its lieutenants, the "Volunteers " included: William Bennett, Henry Boothby, John J. Dorn, Giles Donnelly, J.B. McLean, Edgar Noble, Jonathan S. Sharp, and Julius D. Smith. The 4th Michigan campaigned in the East and shared much of the heavy fighting experienced by the Fifth. Some idea of what the soldier's life was like at the front was supplied in the letters of Gus Smith to his parents who lived on a farm near Howell. Smith, a lieutenant with the 22nd Michigan Infantry, was in Covington, Kentucky in 1862 when he wrote: " ... Haven't changed my shirt since I left Pontiac and don't know when I can, as our baggage is fifteen miles from here . We are the dirtyest set you ever saw. We have to drink water out of a common duck pond. It looks green when we dip it up. If we don't all get sick it will be a wonder." The war ground on, casualties mounted and there was no indication that victory was in sight. Opposition to the war began to be heard, some of it in Gus's home town. In reply, Gus wrote: " . . . just so long as Such men, are allowed to talk ... treason openly and boldly among You there at home. As they do, there is in my humble opinion, no prospect of a Speedy 187 This is the G .A.R. , the Grand Army of the Republic . The last remaining veterans of the Civil War, in 1914, march briskly with flag 188 termination . At best , Be united, Be a unit , and pull together . And we will whip them into Subjection in Short order . But place an army , as we are placed , with a fire in front , and a great deal worse in the rear , It is up hill business , and prett y Sandy at that I reckon ." Gus Smith , in the meantime promoted to captain , died in October 1863 of wounds received in the Battle of Chickamauga . With the end of the war , Howell men returned from the arm y to take up their lives where they had left them three or four years before . Most of them went back to their original occupations as farmers or tradesmen. For the most part , they wanted to forget the war , but they would always remember why the war was fought and take pride in their part in preserving the Union. They joined the Grand Army of the Republic, either John Gilluly Post 114 in nearby Fowlerville , named for the first captain of the "Livingston company ," or, in Howell, Waddell Post 120, named for Andrew D. Waddell, who helped rerecruit the 5th Infantry in 1864a nd became one of its officers . While any of the old soldiers were still alive, Memorial Day was a very special day and would find as many as were able making the trip to Lakeview Cemetery to salute their comrades who had gone on before . Now they are all gone. But what they fought for will live on as long as the Nation . Dr . Liddell, civil war surgeon , grandfather of Mrs . Harry Williams . furled in celebration of the 50 years since they , as young men , came marching home from the war. Maria Parker , dressed in black , walks back to her lonely cabin on Marr Road after the funeral of her husband . Cemeteries 190 REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS BURIED IN THE HOWELL AREA 1. Jonathan Cook, Lakeview , Howell. 2. Lemuel Monroe, Lakeside , Marion. 3. Ephraim Smith, Lakeview , Howell. 4. Marshall Tubbs , Lakeside , Marion. SONS OF REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS 5. Caleb Curtis , Lakeview, son of French , Indian War . 6. John B. Brittin, Chilson, Genoa. 7. Nathan Cook, Lakeview , Howell. 8. David Hight, Chilson, Genoa. Cemeteries Coordinator Janet Rohrabacher . Western Michigan State Univers ity, L . P.N . McPherson Hospital ; husband, Albert Rohrabacher; daughter , Mrs. William Brigham ; three grandchildren . Member Methodist Church , Daughters of the American Revolution, Howell Women's Club, Detroit Society for Genealogical Research, Wisconsin State Genealogic'.il Society , Connecticut Society of Genealogists . Charter member of Livingston County Historical Society and Mid - Michigan Genealogical Society . Author of historical articles for Michigan , Wisconsin and New York publications and of Lane and Rohrabacher family genealogies . 9. Francis Monroe, Lakeview, Howell. 10. James Monroe, Lakeview , Howell. 11. Waitstill Smith , Lakeview , Howell. 12. Charles VanWinkle, Gilkes , Putnam . ONE WIDOW AND DAUGHTERS OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIERS 13. Eunice (Chapel ) Cook, widow, Lakeview, Howell. 14. Nancy (Dearborn ) Brooks, Lakeview , Howell. 15. Miss Mary Cook, Lakeview, Howell. 16. Eunice (Cook) Curtis , Lakeview , Howell. 17. Mehetabell (Cook) Hight , Chilson, Genoa . 18. Lucinda (Wakeman ) Norton , Lakeside , Marion. 19. Mary Ann (Dearborn ) Skilbeck , Lakeview , Howell. 20. Margaret (Morris ) Thompson , Lakeview , Howell. CEMETERIES IN HOWELL 1. Lakeview 2. Mt. Olivet (Catholic ) CEMETERIES IN THE HOWELL AREA 3. Boutell or Jones Cemeter y 4. Brophy Road Catholic Cemetery (abandoned ) 5. Chilson Cemetery 6. Deerfield Center Burying Ground or Sharp Cemeter y 7. Drew Burying Ground (private ) 8. Euler Cemetery 9. Fleming or West Howell 10. Gilkes Cemetery 11. Green Cemetery 12. Harger Cemetery 13. Kellogg Cemetery (private ) 14. Kelly or Benjamin Cemetery 15. Lake or Lakeside Cemetery 16. Livingston County Poor Farm 17. Lutheran (St. George ) Cemetery 18. Marr or Pioneer Cemetery 19. Riddle Cemetery 20. Sanford or Russell Cemetery 21. St. Augustine or Deerfield Roman Catholic Cemetery 22. St. John 's Catholic Churchyard Cemetery 23. Van Keuren Cemetery 24. Unknown cemetery on Brayton Farm (abandoned ) Lakeview Cementery, Howell CONTRIBUTORS TO LAKEVIEW CEMETERY, HOWELL 1. Philip Livingston Chapter DAR 2. Roy Washburn , dee. 3. Emma Houghtaling, dee. 4. Mrs. William Hicks 5. Thomas Richardson 6. Duane Meyer 7. Fred Catrell 8. Martha Harris 9. Elizabeth Parker 10. Chester Clark 11. Doris Frykman 12. Galen Phillips 13. Helon Hacker 14. Mrs . Frank Perkins 15. Albert Rohrabacher 16. Ernest Monroe 17. Dorothy Kahler Located , northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 36, Howell Township, Livingston County, Michigan . It Roy Jubb and Grace Jubb, brother and sister. is at the intersection of Roosevelt and Madison Streets, in the northeast section of Howell. No history of the Howell cemetery would be complete without a history of the two earlier cemeteries which preceded it : FIRST CEMETERY OF HOWELL The first cemetery in Howell was situated near the southeast loop of Thompson Lake . At this time the Grand River Trail ran much farther to the north than the present Grand River Road and the cemetery was situated north of this road, south of the lake and north and east of the house of John D. Pinckney on North National Street. The land for this cemetery was given in 1836 by Alexander Fraser, John D. Pinckney and Moses Thompson. The first person buried here was Miss Polly S. Davis , the daughter of Sardis Davis . Other early burials were Samuel Rowe and Jonathan Cook both of whom died in 1837. But this land was never satisfactory for a burial ground . All of the bodies which could be found were removed to the second Howell cemetery or other grounds . THE SECOND OR "OLD" HOWELL CEMETERY The second Howell cemetery was situated on its western bounds by North Barnard Street , on the north by the southern line of the present athletic field and the eastern boundary was the end of North Street. This land was purchased by the Howell Township Board of Health on March 4, 1841 from Edward and Rocelia Thompson. Members of this board of health were : John W. Smith, Odell J . Smith , Gardner Wheeler , Wellington A. Glover , George W. Kneeland and Moses Thompson. A new road had just been built there and while the land purchased included the road , the size of the land for the cemetery, excluding the road , equaled one acre of ground. FIRST BURIAL The first person buried here was Henry Wheeler, the son of Dr . Gardner Wheeler, who died January 16, 1841, before the land was purchased . Most of the burials from the first cemetery were removed to this cemetery . The development of the town of Howell swung to the east and northeast, following the location of the new Courthouse Square on this side of town. Soon the old cemetery was surrounded by houses with no space to expand . Following the opening of the new Oak Grove Cemetery on the shore of Thompson Lake , most of the bodies were disinterred and buried there from 1867 to 1890. Mrs. William Hick's grandmother remembered the first burial in this new cemetery which she said took place about 1868, "up in the woods." MOVING THE BODIES In moving the bodies from this cemetery to the Oak Grove grounds, everyone did their own work. The ground soon became dug over in such a way that it was impossible to find some graves . The oldest daughters of Rev . Alva Crittenden and two children of Richard Fishbeck were among those whose bodies could not be found. Mrs. Emma Houghtaling said she remembered the removal of some of these bodies by horse-drawn wagons , when she was a small child. The wagon racks were open and loaded with the pine boxes. She thought this was about 1887. The Howell History says that in 1880 the old cemetery was 191 Governor Dickenson speaks to the Howell Rotary Club . in disuse, wholly neglected and covered with a tangle of shrubs, with only a few graves remaining. In correspondence with The Ann Arbor Railroad Company officials, they stated they have the deed by which the Ann Arbor Railroad bought part of this cemetery land for a right of way in 1890. THE LAKEVIEW <OAK GROVE) CEMETERY The Oak Grove cemetery was originally the private cemetery for the Thompson family. There were a few of their family burials here at the time that the land was conveyed to the Howell Township Board of Health on April 17, 1867. This land had been acquired by Albert D. Thompson, John H. Galloway, William and Alexander McPherson and William McPherson, Jr. and N. J. Hickey for cemetery purposes. It is situated in the northeast quarter of Section 36, Howell Township and in the northeast section of the city; the entrance at the intersection of Madison and Roosevelt Streets. The original portion which was conveyed in 1867 comprised about fifteen and one half acres . This land is in the shape of a triangle, with the point ; the northeastern and southeastern lines bounded by Thompson Lake. It has a beautiful rolling surface and its vegetation is what is called in Michigan "Oak Openings" in which oak trees stand in open spaces with very little undergrowth . Besides the oaks, there are a number of hickory nut trees and tall pines. SECTION D This land was plotted in the usual manner of a modern cemetery. ' One of its most unusual features was the formation of Section D, or as it is commonly called " The Old Corner Cemetery." This is in the northwest corner of the cemetery, cut-off by the road to form a triangle . This space was reserved for the bodies removed from the old cemetery. Of course, many relatives or descendants of those buried in the old cemetery could not be located so these remains were 192 buried here in Section D. But, also many persons who had bought new lots in the new cemetery felt that they had paid once for their burial lots in the old cemetery and they were not going to pay again, so they allowed the removals of their family to be buried in this Section D provided by the town; while they reserved their new lot for their present family . LAYOUT In the main, Section A is on the south side of the original cemetery and Section B is in the center and Section C on the north side . Section Fis east of A, Section G is east of B, and E and H are east of C and follow the lake. CIVIL WAR Little Arlington, a section set aside for Civil War soldiers by the G.A.R. post is located in Section B, Lot 231, Block 7 (half way down Section B toward the east) . This is a very colorful spot on Memorial Day. There is a large Civil War monument of granite located in Section A, just inside the gates . It is surmounted by a figure of an Infantryman in Civil War uniform . Inscribed on the front is "In Memory of Our Fallen Comrades"-the only inscription on the stone . This monument , which had been worked for so long by the local veterans organizations, was unveiled and dedicated at the Memorial Day program , May 30, 1895. Mayor Pingree of Detroit was one of the speakers at the exercises . These were preceded by a parade in which the Howell K. T. band was a feature . REVOLUTIONARY WAR Soldiers of all wars are buried in this cemetery . There are two Revolutionary War soldiers buried here, Jonathan Cook and Ephraim Smith . There is also one Revolutionary War soldier's widow, Eunice (Chapel) Cook, widow of Jonathan Cook and five daughters of Revolutionary War soldiers : Miss Mary A. Cook, Mrs. Eunice (Cook) Curtis, Nancy (Dearborn ) Brooks, Mary Ann (Dearborn ) Skilbeck and Margaret (Morris ) Thompson. Four sons of Revolutionary soldiers buried here are: Nathan Cook, Francis Monroe, James Monroe and Waitstill Smith . There is also Caleb Curtis, a son of a French and Indian War soldier . OTHER WAR VETERANS There are numerous veterans of the War of 1812 buried here , some Mexican War soldiers , Spanish-American War soldiers and soldiers of both World Wars. In 1963 Civil War Centennial Observation Commission Survey showed at least one hundred and sixty-five soldiers of the Civil War buried here. Roy Washburn was very helpful in this survey . UNDERGROUND VAULTS There were originally three underground burial vaults , two belonging to the Angel family and one to the Fishbecks. One Angel vault deteriorated so much that it was obliterated some time ago, but one Angel vault marked " 1875" still remains and also the Fishbeck vault. Neither one are now used as vaults . Some years ago the bodies were interred in the ground. The Fishbeck vault also contained the Bullock family . The McPherson family have a private mausoleum and the Frisbys have a private vault. CITY OWNERSHIP On April 28, 1915 the township of Howell sold to the City of Howell for $1.00 the Oak Grove Cemetery property . The The home of Earnest Avery , 1893. upkeep of such a large cemetery had grown to be too much for the township. At once, the Howell City Council organized a cemeter y fund of $300.00f or the maintenance of the cemetery . On the first Memorial Day following the acquisition from the township, the city spent $50.00 for commemoration . On April 27, 1917t he city purchased markers for all soldiers graves . This was at the height of the first World War and people were very conscious of the soldiers ' sacrifice of life. ' In council action of February 11, 1919 the name of Oak Grove Cemetery was changed to Lakeview. MAUSOLEUM The large Mausoleum at the entrance to Lake view Cemetery was built by a private company . Construction began in 1913 and the building was dedicated in 1915. The Mausoleum Association Constitution and By-Laws are dated March 2, 1922. On June 17, 1946 the City of Howell took over all the assets and property of the Howell Mausoleum Association , Inc . adjacent to Lakeview Cemetery. From then on, the city would manage , care for and maintain the mausoleum . In 1972, the mausoleum needed a complete new roof and also extensive repair. The city felt that any revenues coming in from sale of mausoleum space would never cover the present immediate repairs or any repairs in the future . Therefore it was determined to proceed with the disinterment of the bodies in the mausoleum and their reinterment , along guidelines set forth by the city attorney. They were given ~our years for completion of the task . Location of next of kin to giv.: consent has been very slow. There were thought to be 133 bodies in the mausoleum, but a search revealed 111 bodies and 109 caskets (two bodies 193 were without caskets ). When one casket was opened the body was found to be gone. To date, there have been 29 bodies removed. At present there are 57 bodies for whom no heirs can be found to authorize removal , so they will have to be removed as provided by law. Then the Mausoleum building will be razed . THE NEW DIVISION April 24, 1929 the city purchased some lots south of the mausoleum, and followed this up with the purchase less than a year later, March 26, 1930 of two or more acres on the south side of Lakeview. This was the first part of the New Division; the part north of the drive . In 1931, the old fence separating the old Lakeview from the New Division was taken down. This made it possible to establish Babyland , on a bluff, southeast of Section A, overlooking the northern part of the New Division. (Now Section F ). UTILITY BUILDING The very same year saw plans made to build a cemetery utility building, large enough to contain a superintendent's office, a garage for a truck and one or more cars and two restrooms. This was in the time of the depression and it was voted to use welfare help as much as possible. Also many persons donated materials and their labor . It could never have been built without the help of a lot of dedicated individuals . Of actual money the town voted $600.00. SECOND ADDITION The second addition to the New Division, the south side, was made August 26, 1935. The city bought up the old icehouse property on Thompson Lake and also a couple of houses. These were torn down and the land was added to the cemetery, more than two acres . Landscaping plans were submitted to the council in 1938b y the Coryell Nursery and approved. WORLD WAR VETERANS The American Legion provided a plot on the north side of the New Division for the burial of veterans of World Wars and subsequent wars. It is about two-thirds of the distance east from the entrance, going toward the lake . The cemetery accepts for burial the ashes of persons whose bodies were used for medical purposes by Wayne State University. Previous to this the ashes of such persons came from Eloise and older Detroit hospitals. This program was begun about 1945-6. DESTRUCTION IN SECTION D Approximately 1950t o 1955,v andalism was very extensive . Damage was done to all of the cemetery, but the old Section D, the removals from the second and even from the first Howell cemetery, was the most extensive. Many of these old headstones were thrown into the lake and some were never recovered ; others were broken to bits . No records of the burials or headstones in this section had ever been made . Only records existant are in 1916 when the bodies of Dr . Cyrus Wells and Mrs . Nelson Pettibone were disinterred . Unfortunately , Mrs . Edla Potter did not record the inscriptions from this section until after more than half of them had been destroyed in this vandalism . 194 Frank Wilson-poor Commissioner . This section of the cemetery contained Pinckneys , Sages , Austins, Smiths , Campbells, Rohrabachers, Havens , Dixons, Wells and all the first settlers . RELOCATION OF STONES After the vandalism of the 1950's, what headstones that were recovered were saved and stored. Then the road widening project was begun at the place where the roadway approaches the lake at the Old Corner Cemetery (Section D) and makes a sudden turn to the right. The descent is steep here and the turn abrupt. It was thought to be dangerous, so the road was widened by taking some land from old Section D. Then all the stones, those remaining , and those vandalized were reset in two straight rows, so that the headstones are nowhere near the bodies they mark, and the roadway actually goes over the bodies of Howell's pioneers. Another major vandalism took place October 21, 1966. Fifty gravestones were toppled, destroyed or removed . A week before this, thirty-five were broken. Restoration of this has been very fine. Howell can very well be proud of their cemetery and its management. MEMORIAL DAY Howell has Memorial Day Services each year at this cemetery. They are preceded by a parade of veterans and their organizations, the National Guard, Women's Patriotic Societies and Boy and Girl Scouts, bands and fife and drum corps . The monument on the courthouse lawn is given a memorial tribute. The front of this monument contains the names of those who died in the Second World War; the left-wing of the monument contains those who died in the Korean War and the right-wing those who died in the Vietnam War. On the back of the monument are those names who died in the First World War. The Civil War monument at Lakeview is also decorated , and the sailors remembered with floral offerings on Thompson Lake . Our own local citizenry have provided some very fine speakers who have addressed those gathered from the natural pulpit which is the high bluff on the south line of the old cemetery which overlooks the New Division. These services , in charge of local veteran organizations have been very fine and impressive . ML Olivet Cemetery (Catholic), Howell CONTRIBUTORS TO MT. OLIVET CEMETERY, HOWELL 1. Veronica Devereaux 2. Virginia Dayton 3. Haidee Brady 4. Irene Brotz 5. Mrs. Joseph Metz, Sr. 6. Mary Shields 7. Mrs . Glenn Berry 8. Doris Jones 9. Joseph Brady 10. Julia C. Blackburn In 1836-38 Fr. Patrick O'Kelly who was stationed at Northfield served several groups of families in Green Oak and Genoa in private homes. Later , Catholics of Howell were attached to Genoa and Brighton congregations. In August. 1878 the first church building, St. Joseph was begun in Howell, under Fr. J . G. Dougherty of Brighton. Formerl y Howell had been a mission of Brighton. There were many Irish and Germans in the congregation. The first Catholic cemetery of Howell area was a short distance south on Chilson Road from Grand River . It was on the west side of the road and near the Fuhrman farm . The land was purchased from Charles E. Itsell and his wife, Kate for $250.00. It was in the northwest quarter of Section 6, Genoa Township and purchased March 14, 1891b y the Howell Catholic Cemetery Association which had filed articles with the County Clerk March 18, 1891 in which they agreed to purchase four and one-quarter acres in Genoa Township for cemetery purposes. FIRST CEMETERY Their capital stock was $275.00a nd the number of shares were eleven. There was a five member board of directors. The first board of directors were: Pastor of St. Joseph Church of Howell, A. A. McDonough, John Jones, John O'Connor, John Ryan, and Thomas E . Baron, treasurer . The association was to continue in existence for ten years. The shareholders were: John Jones, Dennis Shields, William Dunn, John Ryan , John O'Conner, Ambros A. McDonough, Thos. E. Baron, Alex O'Neil and Joseph Wessinger. SECOND CEMETERY Some twenty or twenty-five years later , it was decided to relocate the cemetery . On the 29th of January, 1914, Richard E. Barron and his wife, Mary sold a tract of land roughly the shape of a triangle, bounded by a line north of the Ann Arbor Railroad , Thompson Lake and Knox Street (now Roosevelt Street ). It was purchased by the Right Reverend J . S. Foley, D.D. Bishop of the Diocese of Detroit for the sum of $1,000.00. A feature of the new cemetery is a circle drive . Rev. Fr. John Rolf Day, a former Howell priest, liked Howell so much that he requested to be buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery rather than the priest's cemetery in Detroit. Two of the five Devereaux brothers who served in the First World War are buried here. Also, a sixth Devereaux boy, a relative, served in the war . The southeastern section belongs to the original church purchase for a cemetery, but it has not yet been developed . IMPROVEMENTS In 1969 Edward M. Brady of Grosse Pointe Shores, but formerly of Howell began improvements in the cemetery . He had a wrought iron fence installed and the circular drive paved . Later, he had the shoreline of Thompson Lake which adjoins the cemetery cleaned out and seeded . The City of Howell, which has land on the north side of the cemetery also cleaned their shoreline and seeded. Then Mr. Brady had the unused part of the cemetery seeded and a hedge planted on the south side. This not only improved the cemetery but this entire section of Thompson Lake . Cemeteries of the Howell Area CONTRIBUTORS TO HOWELL AREA CEMETERIES Boutell: Earl Handy Brophy Road Catholic: Frances McDevitt, Gale McDevitt Chilson: William Pless, Bird Hight Deerfield Center: Helen Sharp Euler: William Pless Green : Mrs. Harold J . Maycock, Mrs . Carl Ward, Lloyd Miller Harger: Burt Rubbins, Ernest Wright, Mrs. Byron Rogers Kellogg: Ralph Hardy Kelly or Benjamin: William Pless Lakeside: Mary Bartkowiak Livingston County Poor Farm: Stanley Knight, Gladys Crippen Lutheran (St. George): William Pless Riddle: Mrs . Mervil Moore Sanford: Earl Handy St. Augustine : Helen Sharp St. Johns: Kathleen Farmer, Mrs. Robert Fauldenour Unknown cemetery, Brayton Farm: Ruth Marr, Lyle Musson, Albert Rohrabacher Foreword: Families mentioned as buried in cemeteries are only those with numerous burials . There are persons buried there with many other names. BOUTELL OR JONES CEMETERY Southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 24, Cohoctah Township. The first burial in this cemetery was Mrs . William Northrop who died in 1837, probably when this land belonged to William Packard . In 1839 Noah Ramsdell bought this land and sold it to Daniel Bouten in 1853. The cemetery was well established in 1860 when Daniel Bouten sold his land , excepting from the sale the burial ground . John Jones land joined it on the south, hence sometimes called the Jones Cemetery. It occupies about one acre of ground . Vandalism took place and markers were broken several years ago. Families : Jones, McMillen, Bouten , Phillips, Graham, Ramsdell. 195 The unveiling of the civil war monument in tne cemetary . 196 The banquet at the Armory for the Centennial celebration of the founding of the Masonic Lodge in Howell. BROPHY ROAD CATHOLIC CEMETERY (ABANDONED) Southwest corner of southeast quarter of Section 18, Hartland Township . The first Roman Catholic service was held at the home of James Gleason with Rev . Fr . Morrissey of Ann Arbor officiating . Money was collected and donated by the congregation and placed in the hands of Rev . Bernard O'Cavanagh to purchase 40 acres for the Roman Catholic Church and for the purpose of erecting the church . In turn, he turned the land over to Right Rev. Frederick Rese, Bishop of Detroit on August 18, 1837. John and James Brophy came in 1835a nd took up 320 acres of land in this area . A cemetery was started and also a church foundation , when there was a disagreement among the congregation over where the church was to be located . Finally, the Bishop at Detroit chose a building site in Oceola Township, now called St. John's Church of Oceola. When the congregation moved, many of the bodies were removed from Brophy Road to the St. John's Church Cemetery , but the priest was not in favor of doing this. Yet the township officials agreed to do it. Evidently there were some burials that were not removed by request. The Detroit diocese transferred this land to ownership by the Lansing diocese in 1938. In 1945, the forty acres was sold, but the Lansing diocese still owns the cemetery . This is one of the earliest cemeteries of the very earliest settlers. Last burial was Father Wines who died in 1905. CHILSON CEMETERY Northeast corner of the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 28, Genoa Township . Located about a mile north of the village of Chilson, on the east side of Chilson Road, near the Ann Arbor Railroad junction and Coon Lake Road intersection . This cemetery is located on land taken up by Nicholas The East Ward School. Joe Brown on his 100th birthday . Kriesler in 1837. It is one of the oldest cemeteries and contains the graves of some of the first settlers of Genoa. When Kriesler sold his land in 1867, he excluded the graveyard which contained three acres. Later he sold this burial ground to Asa Rounsifer and Mr . Rounsifer sold it for $5.00 to the Genoa Burying Ground Association in 1870. In 1924 the Genoa Burying Ground Association consisting of B. F . King, president; John Rickett , secretary and Bert Beurman , treasurer transferred the cemetery to the Township of Genoa . Recently the township has improved this cemetery greatly by cutting the brush and grass and enclosing it with a sturdy fence ; thus reclaiming it from a shambles such as the Benjamin cemetery is at present. Many hitherto unknown markers have been discovered here. It is hoped that the restoration may continue . · There are two sons of Revolutionary War soldiers buried here, John B. Brittin and David Hight and also a daughter of a Revolutionary soldier , Mehetabell (Cook) Hight. Families : Fishbeck , Carpenter, Case, Beattie , Cole, Barnard , Beurmann . DEERFIELD CENTER BURYING GROUND OR SHARP CEMETERY Located on east side of southeast quarter of Section 21, Deerfield Township. On west side of Mack Road. Thomas Sharp of Seneca Co., N .Y . took up this land from the government in 1837. Nancy Fausett , born 1778d ied in 1838w as the first burial on this land , which was selected by herself from the farm of her nephew, Thomas Sharp . On January 20, 1855 Thomas Sharp sold an acre of ground , or 87 square rods, of his farm to the trustees of the Deerfield Center Burying Ground . The trustees were : John Sellers , E . F . Cooley and Darius Lewis. Mr. Sharp retained a plot two rods square for the burials of the Sharp family. On May 6, 1863, Elhanan F. Cooley gave a warrant for a 197 meeting to organize a cemetery association. They met May 16, 1863a nd chose the name , Deerfield Center Burial Ground Corp. 0 . J . Marble was chairman for the meeting and Sineon Kittle , clerk . Officers elected were : Elhanan F. Cooley, president ; John Sellers , treasurer ; Simeon Kittle , clerk and John Merrels, sexton . In 1869, Henry Sharp sold a plot approximately 12 rods by 4 rods to the " north of the Old Graveyard" to the Deerfield Burying Ground Incorporation . In 1887 Catharine (Sharp ) Mack sold part of the old Thomas Sharp farm to the same Deerfield Center Burying Ground Incorporation . At that time it was represented by Peter Lamb , E . H. Stiles, James Fausett , Charles F . Leonard , John Noble, Henry Fawsett , James Cameron , S.R. Mack and Wiltsey Glaspie . The piece was about 17½ rods square . She also leased a strip of land on the south side for a driveway , with the provision that it be fenced with boards or with slat and wire fence . The cemetery was still growing when in 1952, Glenn S. Mack sold a piece of land 17 rods, 2 feet by 9 rods , 5 feet , containing one acre , on the south side, to the Deerfield Center Burying Ground Corporation , Edward White, president and Bruce Fawcett , secretary . This was on condition that the buyers build and keep in repair a fence along the north and west side of the acre . Mr. Thomas Faussett placed a large stone in the cemetery which was originally an Indian grinding stone and on it placed a bronze plaque which gives the history of the stone and of the Faussett family. Families : Merrill, Root, Lewis, Fausett , Cole, Stiles , Royce, Howell, Holcomb, Marble , Sharp , Pratt , Spalding, Hatt. Green . DREW BURYING GROUND (PRIVATE) Located in northwest fractional quarter of Section 3, Marion Township. It is opposite the site of the Michigan State Sanatorium , now Hillcrest. This cemeter y was located on land which was part of the original 235 acre farm which Townsend Drew took up in 1839. It was the burial place of the pioneer Drew family who owned the site of Michigan State T.B. Sanatorium , now Hillcrest. It stood on a knoll, enclosed by a fence , nearl y opposite the entrance to the sanatorium and in view of the road , but is now obscured by buildings . In his will in 1882 Townsend Drew declared " That acre of ground on my farm where my friends have been buried and where I wish to be buried , I give to the Drew family to be used as a burying ground forever ." In the partition of his farm the section which contained the cemetery went to Townsend Drew , Jr . The cemetery lot extended to the center of the north and south roadway . Possibl y this section was released to the state for a road . There are seven Drew burials here . EULER CEMETERY (PRIVATE) East quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 12, Genoa Township. This cemetery is at the intersection of Euler Road and McClements Road , on the southwest corner . It is on land bought by Lawrence Euler in 1861, son of John Euler who settled in 1836. In 1924 this land was purchased by the City of Detroit Recreation Department for a summer camp , and the entire area, including the cemetery is now fenced in. It can be approached by entering the camp grounds , crossing the baseball field and taking the nature trail through the woods. An attempt has been made to fence off the cemeter y. Only Euler headstones are here now, but there may have been others . Women of the Howell Baptist Church. Dr . Gerald Mccloskey at work . FLEMING OR WEST HOWELL CEMETERY West half of Section 17, Howell Township. This cemetery was laid out in 1850, apparently first on the land of Abram Van Nest. Many of the pioneers of Howell Township rest here . On May 7, 1866,A bram Van Nest sold about one-fourth acre of land in the northeast quarter section to the trustees of the Burial Ground of School District No. 5 of Howell. The trustees were: John W. Smith, Tracy Richmond and Ethel Stewart. The area was a rectangle 3 rods and 14 feet by 10 rods and 2 feet. In this he reserved Lot No. 14 for the Van Nest family . Probably they had already been buried at this spot. At the same time Manuel Streker sold to the same trustees an area of approximately the same size, adjoining the other plot, but on the southwest quarter of the section . In 1879, Manuel Striker sold another section of land, containing 5,692 square feet to Jerome W. Hand, Henry P . Taber , and William E. Bennett, trustees of the Burial Ground of District No. 5, Howell. This land seems to join the old cemetery on the east and south . The trustees in 1892 were Vernon C. Smith, Daniel Lockwood, Lemuel A. Wight, Jerome Hand, James Lasher , Leonard Huck, Edward Bushnell, Charles B. Damon and George Lutz and they turned the cemetery over to the Board of Health of Howell Township. The Board of Health was : George B. Allen, clerk; George Raymour , David Robinson and Edward P . Gregory, J.P . and Lewis J . Wright , supervisor . The cemetery is surrounded by a fence and has about a dozen majestic pine trees , making an outstanding landmark to be seen from many directions . It is located one-half mile directly north from the interesection of three roads , known as Six Corners of Fleming, one of the earliest settlements on the Grand River Road , between Howell and Fowlerville . Col. Ebenezer Damon , a soldier of the War of 1812 is buried here . Families : Stevens , Smith, Van Nest, Stewart, Gilchrist , Parker , Lake , Marr, Richmond , Hall. GILKES CEMETERY Northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 5, Putnam Township. It is located on the town line between Putnam and Marion Townships, corner of Cedar Lake Road and Schafe~ Road . The Putnam and Marion Burying Ground Corporation was formed March 17, 1851. First officers were : William Younglove, president ; David Parker , clerk ; John Love, collector ; Elisha Love, treasurer ; and Nehemiah Gilkes, sexton. Other members of this group were Aaron Younglove, Thomas Love, John Larkin , J . Barney, Frederick Saunders, I. H. Shaw, Ezra N. Fairchild , Enos Burden , A. H. Smith , S. J,. Hazard , William P . Fitch , Lorenzo Smith , Henry G. Love, and John Vanwinkle . This group bought the site of the cemetery from Nehemiah Gilkes, April 7, 1851. It was on land which Nehemiah Gilkes had acquired in 1836, and was a rectangle 161 feet by 131 feet. This group was reorganized April 10, 1869 with the following officers : Ezra N. Fairchild , president ; George Younglove, clerk ; and William H. Gilkes, treasurer. Many of these people were residents of Marion Township. This cemeter y contains many English immigrants . Charles Van Winkle, son of Revolutionary War soldier is buried here. Families : Love, Weller, Russell , Wilkerson, Gilkes, Basing , Burden , Affleck, Clements , Smith. GREEN CEMETERY Southeast corner of the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 19, Marion Township, on the west side of Pingree Road, near Vines Road . On April 20, 1842 the First Burying Ground Society of Marion and Iosco Townships, bought the above land which was a rectangle 18 rods by 16 rods, containing 304 square rods or about two acres of land for $5.00. This land was bought from Joseph Walker and was part of his farm. Later , he sold his farm to Adolphus M. Green ; then Mr. Green 's son, Reuben Green occupied the land, hence the name . On September 30, 1925, the Marion and Iosco Burying Ground Society, in a meeting called by Wirt Smith, clerk , with the following officers: Roy Ellsworth , chairman; Roy E . Miller, secretary ; Fred Moore, Sexton, turned the cemetery over to the Township Board of Health of Marion Township. Thus it became a township cemetery . It has always been a policy of the cemetery that it was for the use of the people of the area and that no charge was ever to be made for a grave . At the present time nearly all the lots in the cemetery are filled. Families : Gorton, Coleman , Beach , Person , Backus , Clark . HARGER CEMETERY Northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 23, Marion Township. Located on Pinckney Road, west side of road . The first place of burial was on the Pinckney Road near Joseph Walker's residence . Andrew C. Harger bought land here in 1846. On February 14, 1848 Mr. Harger deeded one acre of this ground for a cemetery to the Board of Health of Marion Township; William Younglove, supervisor ; Z.M. Drew, Wilson G. Isbell , William Younglove and Miles Chubb, acting as members of the Board of Health. The grounds were surveyed by Ezra N. Fairchild March 15, 1849. Mr. Harger reserved the right to a portion of this graveyard for burying his own family and also the right to 199 exclude all persons for burial who had borne none of the expense of fencing and improvement of the cemetery. In 1878, the Board of Health of Marion Township, consisting of George Coleman, supervisor ; Albert N. Fairchild , town clerk; Israel Bailey, J.P. acting for the Township of Marion turned the cemetery over to the ownership of the East Marion Burying Ground Corporation . The officers of the East Marion Burying Ground Corporation were: Joseph Brown, president; James Harger, clerk ; Alfred Wright, treasurer; and James W. Dickerson, sexton. The next year , 1879, James W. Dickerson gave a strip of land ten feet wide by 16 rods long, adjoining the north side of the burying ground to enlarge the grounds. Families: Harger, Goodrich, Lyons, Dickerson. KELLOGG CEMETERY (PRIVATE) Southwest quarter of southwest quarter of Section 36, Oceola Township. Located at corner of Kellogg and Golf Club Roads. In 1864 Ebenezer Kellogg deeded the Kellogg family cemetery to Richard Walker, Samuel Stark and David Kellogg. It was a rectangle five rods by eight rods, containing one-fourth of an acre. In 1939i t was still owned by the Kellogg family and apparently is now. Families: Kellogg, Walker, Hardy, Whitehead. KELLY OR BENJAMIN CEMETERY On Section 13, Genoa Township on Hyne Road about a quarter of a mile northeast of Grand River Road at Woodlands Golf course , west side of the road . North is the Birkenstock schoolhouse. This cemetery is on land originally owned by Nelson S. Benjamin and is one of the earliest in the county. Aaron Kelly entered land in 1833 in Section 6 and 7, Brighton township, directly across the road to the east of this cemetery , hence the name Kelly, although no stones bearing the name Kelly were found. It is quite possible they were destroyed. In the 1930's more than a dozen gravestones were standing ; now all are broken or flat, and hidden in a dense thicket of trees and shrubs. The broken headstones are hidden in the myrtle and wild grape vines covering the ground . Families : Benjamin, Spencer , Hathaway, Murray . LAKESIDE CEMETERY (CALLED LAKE) Located Northeast quarter of Section 5, Marion township. It is called Lakeside in the inscription over the gate, probably because it is situated beside a lake, but the Livingston County History calls it " the Lake Burying Ground." This is because it was a private burying ground belonging to Rial Lake who settled there in 1838. This cemeter y became part of the widow's dower on Rial Lake 's death in 1859. Ten year s later , 1869, her son, George B. Lake sold their family cemetery to the North Marion Burying Ground Corporation for $25.000 The officers of the North Marion Burying Ground Corporation were : Elijah F . Burt, president ; Frederick W. Muson, clerk ; Samuel M. Yerkes , treasurer and Henry M. Avery, sexton . The amount of land was approximately three-quarters of an acre, on an irregularly shaped lot. In 1936 the North Marion Burying Ground Corporation deeded this original plot to the Township of Marion. At the sam e time they conveyed to them a new addition containing 200 one and one-third acre . The officers of the Corporation at this time were ; Fred Berry, president; Roy R. Day , treasurer , and Bruce W. Roberts, secretary . This cemetery contains a number of pioneer settlers . Several families who were related are buried with their graves in a form of a circle overlooking the lake. Lemuel Monroe, a Revolutionary War soldier and Lucinda (Wakeman ) Norton, daughter of Stephen Wakeman, Jr . Pierpont Smith, the early explorer and settler of Shiawassee County, Mich. is buried here. Families : Bashford , Smith , Woll, Lake, Munson, Norton, Bailey , Yerkes . LIVINGSTON COUNTY POOR FARM CEMETERY Southwest quarter of Section 15, Marion township. Located just off County Farm Road. The poor of the county were at first boarded in private homes that were known as " poor farms " but were not actually owned by the county. On January 5, 1871 Hiran Wing of Marion Township sold his farm of 215 acres for $10,000.00t o the Board of County Supervisors. A committee composed of the Supervisors of Green Oak, Unadilla , Tyrone and Conway Twps. made the choice for the location of the poor farm . That very year a new building was started for them, near the road and the Wing farm buildings . A second building called the Infirmary was later built which burned in 1937. During the 1930's under Mr. Whitacre 's direction and using W.F.A. labor , the cemetery on the Poor Farm was improved . However, when the stones were reset , they were set in rows and not over the graves . There were at least 65 burials , a number of them Scotch or Irish . This area, one-seventh of an acre , was at this time fenced, but now the fence is gone, and the county has never done anything to keep up this cemetery . Monuments waiting to be transferred from the old cemetary to the new one on the lake . LUTHERAN (ST. GEORGE) CEMETERY AND CHURCHYARD Southwest corner of the southeast quarter of Section 1 ., Genoa township. Located corner of Crooked Lake and Bauer Roads . German settlers came from Hanover and Hamburg , Germany to Genoa township as early as 1835. On January 14, 1850 Deitrick (alias Richard ) Berhnes sold two acres of land for $25.00 to the Trustees of the German Evangelical Lutheran Congregation , named St. George's Church . The trustees were: Richard Berhnes, Lewis Dorrt and George Rusischer. This land in Section 14 was expressly for a site for a meeting-house , school house, and burying place . This is where the old church and cemetery were located. On April 12, 1862, Richard Berhnes sold three acres of land on Section 13, Genoa township to the Trustees of the German Lutheran Church of St. George. This was the site for the new church and parsonage . The Trustees at this time were: John E . Wiechers , Theodore Winter and Richard Berhnes . In 1913 Leonard Berhnes of Genoa sold an addition to the original Section 14 site. The area of the addition was 17 rods by 14 rods. It was sold to the church trustees, Oscar Schoenhals and George Conrad . Mr. Behrnes bought the old church and moved it across the road and used it for a granary . Many of the inscriptions on the headstones are in German. Families: Pfau, Wehnes, Bode, Grostic , Behrnes , Euler , Herbst. MARR OR PIONEER CEMETERY East side of northeast quarter of Section 8, Howell township . This is the oldest cemetery in Howell township, laid out as a place of burial in 1848 on land owned by the Marr family . John Marr settled on Section 8 in 1839. John Marr, when he deeded land to his son in 1859 excludes the piece of ground on the east side of the farm which he had deeded to the township of Howell for a burying ground. ( deed not found). After John Marr 's death , his heirs in 1886 deeded this cemetery containing one-half acre of land to the Pioneer Burial Ground Association of Howell. The heirs of Erastus Marr and Jesse Marr did the same. On the 15th of October , 1892 the Pioneer Burial Society of West Howell deeded this land on Section 8, containing onehalf acre to the Township of Howell. Families : Dorrance, Rambo , Marr , Lake , Robinson, LaGrange . RIDDLE CEMETERY East side of southeast quarter of Section 15, Oceola township. The spot for this cemetery was selected by Elijah Riddle, father of Sallu Riddle who came to Oceola about 1840 or 1841. The cemetery was on land which his son, Sallu Riddle took up in 1839. Elijah Riddle was the first person buried there in 1842. Persons who had died in Oceola before this time were buried on their farms. Their bodies were removed to this cemetery . On May 19, 1852 Sallu Riddle sold this cemetery to the Board of Health of Oceola township for $10.00. It was 165 feet wide by 264 feet long, containing one acre of land . April 16, 1898 Henry A. Cornell sold additional land on the south side of the cemetery for $100.00 which increased its size by half an acre . In 1963 Mervil Moore sold an acre for an addition on the west side of the cemetery. This is an unusual pioneer cemetery, in that it is still in use and still growing in size. Families : Wilcox, Parshall , Dean, Curdy, Rumsey . SANFORD OR RUSSELL CEMETERY Located on North end of west half of southeast quarter of Section 27, Cohoctah township. John and James Sanford took up land here in 1834 coming from Steuben County, N.Y. Ezra Sanford came in 1835. James Sanford on May 21, 1841d eeded 80 square rods to the Board of Health of Tuscola ( Cohoctah ) township for a burial ground. He mentioned that it was on an East and West road and already known as a burial ground. In 1845 he gave one-half acre more deeding it to an association formed for the purpose of holding title and caring for the grounds. In 1859 this organization became defunct remaining so until 1873 when a reorganization was effected under the name of the "Sanford Burial Ground Association ." Officers in the 1873 reorganization were : Joseph B. Brown, president ; Thomas Goldsmith , sexton ; Michael Thatcher, secretary ; Alexander Peckins , treasurer . Later Marcenus Peckins became treasurer. In 1892 Joseph A. Russell sold about two and one-quarter acres to the Township Board of Cohoctah for an addition on the east side of the cemetery . Members of the Board were ; Charles E. Dunston, Charles H. Miner and Samuel A. Teller. The cemetery continued to expand when Wheeler Russell sold an addition to the south in 1913. They reserved the right to a burial plot for the Russells selected by themselves. In 1939 Wheeler A. Russell gave a large plot on the south side of the cemetery , 82½ feet by 525 feet. This is a very well kept cemetery and usually Memorial Day services are held here each year. A beautiful glacial granite stone was dedicated October 14, 1934 to the Rev . Ezra Sanford , a Baptist minister and it occupies a prominent place in the cemetery . Families : Sanford, Russell , Peckins, Staley, Houghtaling , Howe, Houghton, Wrigglesworth . ST. AUGUSTINE'S OR DEERFIELD ROMAN CATHOLIC CEMETERY Located on the southwest corner of southwest quarter of Section 25, Deerfield township ; on Faussett Road . Joseph Welch (or Walsh) who was not a member of the Roman Catholic congregation of Deerfield gave a piece of land two acres square for the site of a church by this congregation. It was to be designated by the name St. Peter & Paul 's Roman Catholic Church of Deerfield . The church was erected and the cemetery started beside it. The first burial stone is dated 1843. The church numbered thirteen families under the organization of Rev . Patrick Kelly in 1846. They were : Jame s McKeone, Dennis and Timothy McCarthy, Bryan Corr, John McKeone, Edward Sweeney, Michael Bennett , Patrick and James Conklin, James Scullin, James Murpry , James McGuire and John Ryan . In 1857t wo more acres in the southeast corner of Section 26 were purchased . This area was 22 rods east and west and 15 rods north and south . The original church stood where the cemetery now stands . The new church was built in 1896. It is not known when the nam " was changed to St. Augustine . In 1917 Rev . John S. Foley of Detroit conveyed all Roman Catholic property in Deerfield to Rt. Rev. Edward D. Kelly. In 1920 Rev. Edward D. Kelly, Bishop of Grand Rapids 201 turned over the ownership of the cemetery to Rt. Rev . Michael J . Gallagher, Bishop of Detroit. In 1938 Edward Mooney, Archbishop of Detroit (successor to Michael J. Gallagher) passed control to Joseph H. Albers. Roman Catholic Bishop of Lansing. Families : Besides those already mentioned as members; Devereaux, Robb, Daley. ST. JOHN'S CATHOLIC CHURCHYARD CEMETERY Northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 25, Oceola township. Located M-59 at Hacker Road. The congregation was founded 1838. First mass of the Oceola and Hartland Catholic congregation was in a log cabin situated in the road-bed of present M-59 at Hacker Road . Next, it was held in the home of James Gleason, east of the present church on Section 30, Hartland township. January 20, 1844 Rt. Rev . Peter Paul Le Ferve purchased two acres in Section 25, Oceola township from Michael McGuire, which included the present church and cemetery site . The plot of land was 18 rods east and west and 1712/ rods north and south, to be held for the Roman Catholic congregation of Oceola. The first name of the church was St. Mary 's, but by 1859 the name was changed to St.John 's. The present church building dates from 1868-1873. In 1918 Rev. John S. Foley of Detroit transferred all the Roman Catholic property in Oceola township to Rt. Rev. Edward D. Kelly of Ann Arbor . In 1920 Rt. Rev . Edward D. Kelly of Grand Rapids transferred the two acres in Oceola to Rt. Rev . Michael J. Gallagher of Detroit. In 1938 Edward Mooney, Archbishop of Detroit (successor to Michael J. Gallagher) passed this property to Joseph H. Albers, Bishop of Lansing. Joseph H. Albers, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Lansing, in 1941, accepted in trust for the St. John's Parish of Oceola township, a plot of land given by Fred and Rose McGrain. It extended southward on the east side of the cemetery to the first Edison electric pole, then west for the length of the cemetery. The McGrains were to hold possession of the land The price of the menu is hard to believe nowadays. 202 until it was needed for cemetery purposes. The church was to furnish the necessary fencing. Families : McKeever, Fahey, McGuire, Gleason, Foldenauer , Quinliven, Bergin , Walsh. VANKEUREN CEMETERY Northeast corner of northeast quarter of Section 18, Oceola township. This small cemetery is located on land originally owned by Charles Van Keuren who came to Michigan from Ulster County, N.Y. in 1836, building his home on the northeast quarter section 18 in 1837. The original size of the cemetery was a rectangle 14 rods by 11 rods and 7 feet , containing one acre of ground . Many of the earl y settlers of Oceola are buried here . When many private persons or cemetery organizations sold their plots to their township board of health, many times a nominal sum of $1.00 was required. But Mr. Van Keuren sold his cemetery for the smallest sum on record - for twenty-five cents-to the Board of Health of Oceola Township. The board members were: Samuel K. Tubbs, K.S. Franklin and Jacob W. Eager . In 1913, James I. Van Keuren, the son of Charles gave a half-acre of land for an addition on the west side. The cemetery is still in use. Families : Van Keuren, Taft, Walker, Parker , Hetchler , Eager , Cassady. UNNAMED CEMETERY, BRAYTON FARM (ABANDONED) Southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 22, Howell township. A cemetery was located here, on the north side of Bowen Road. It was founded 1853 possibly as a private family cemetery on the Ira Brayton farm , across from the present Charles Wilkerson house. It was still in existence in 1880, but by the 1930's all headstones were gone. It is unknown whether the bodies were removed . .,. Music through the ¥ ears J .. -... The 5th Michigan Regiment Band Historical Color Party perfectly execute a company front, 1974. Music through the Years The Howell City Band An earli er City Band , photographed on the steps of the Court House in Howell, was active probably in the 1910-1915 era . The photo from the Livingston County Historical Society has been studied by their historian, Mrs . Esther Clark, and the following persons identified : Front row, from the left , are the director Mr. Garland , snare drum player Bruce Newcomb, Dr . Bailey , Art Joy, fifth man unidentified , Dutch Miller, Charles Culver , Ford Smock, Julius Hesse, Frank Lansing , and the drum major Lynn Fishbeck. 204 Music through the Years Joan Marie Bergren is the daughter of Mr . and Mrs . Wendell E . Bergren , 6350 Dunn Road, Howell. She is a twelve-year resident of Livingston County and a 1971 graduate of Howell High School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising from Michigan State University in 1975. The six men in the second row are the bass drummer Leon Stowe, second man unidentified Mr. Randall , Joe Jaszewski , Hugh Culver , and Charles Riley . Three in the third row are all unidentified . Fourth row has at the left the tube player Frank Jaszewski , in the center William Porter , and the man on the right unidentified . · Amusing incidents recalled by Esther Clark while reviewing this photo include the one about Dr . Bailey , In about 1905 or 1906 Dr . Bailey had the first little Brush roadster in town. A certain Ma Carpenter , prominent lady in town, was reluctant to go for a ride in the thing when others did. Finall y she was persuaded to go, and it was this particular time , down by the lakeside of what is now Howell Lake, Dr . Bailey failed to make the curve and dumped her in the lake . The baton shown in the photo in the right hand of Lynn Fishbeck is now on display in the Depot Museum. Esther Clark is a sister of the snare drummer boy Bruce Newcomb and she recalls many times that she went with him before the band played to wet down the skin on the heads of drums . Livingston County Concert Band The first " community " band in the area was the Howell Community Band , directed by Mr. Will Terhune . Mr. Terhune established the Band in 1955 and provided the leadership that enabled the Band to continue for 11 years . The Howell Community Band played on many occasions that took them out of Howell to County and State Fairs , the Jackson Cascades , and numerous local civic functions. In 1962 they won a trophy for excellent performance at the Michigan State Fair. The Band was especially honored to play for the inauguration of Governor George Romney in 1964 under the dome of the Capitol Building in Lansing . The Howell Community Band performed in black and white uniform coats , paid for by their conductor, Will Terhune. Due to schedule conflicts , the Howell Community Band discontinued in 1966 and for six years, the County was without a community band. Mrs. Sally Witt, a strong band and music enthusiast, decided that Livingston County needed a band and proceeded to establish the Livingston County Community Band in the Spring of 1972. Since she was not a conductor, she contacted Mr. Gordon Small to take the leadership of the new Band, a position which he held until August 1973. Many members of this new group were members of the former Howell Community Band. The feeling among the membership was that the new group was a "descendent" of the original band as they used the same music and equipment. During the time when the new band was getting into formal organization, the name was changed to the Livingston County Concert Band , which remains as the present title. Under Mr . Small's direction , the Band played at many functions around the County: civic organizations, public meetings , lawn concerts, and the Fowlerville Fair. Formal concerts were held in Howell, Brighton, and Fowlerville. In August 1973, Mr. Small resigned from the Band to become Bandmaster of the newly formed 5th Michigan Regiment Band. Leroy E . Lane , Band Director of the Highlander Way Middle School, was appointed conductor of the Livingston County Concert Band in September 1973. Under his leadership, the Band membership grew from 18 to 65 during the next two years. They achieved official recognition as a non-profit organization and continued to make progress City band on the courthouse steps. toward a professional approach in providing musical and cultural events to the area. Their concert schedule consists of three formal concerts , one spring " pops" concert and four summer lawn concerts . During the 1974-75s eason , the Livingston County Concert Chorus was added to the formal auditorium concerts. The singers were volunteers from local school and church choirs . Under the direction of Mr. Lane , the Band continues to grow and provide the community with musical excellence and urges interested people in the area to join the Band , either as a player , singer, or listener. The 5th Michigan Regiment Band The 5th Michigan Regiment Band, an internationally noted official American Revolution Bicentennial Project of the State of Michigan , is a 160-member recreation of the Civil War Band (1861-1865o) f the 5th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. The original regiment, with its band , was mustered through Fort Wayne, Detroit , in the early fall of 1861, and included a 24-member band, plus 20 additional fifers and drummers from the individual companies . The new unit was formed in Howell, Michigan in the fall of 1973.I t includes an 80-piece Regimental Band, a Regimental Color Party , a ,Historical Flags Color Party, the Regimental Dancers , the Regimental Fifes and Drums , the Regimental Bugle Band, the Regimental Banjos and Singers, and the unit quartermaster and ordinance sections. Smaller units, including the Brass Choir, the Saxophone Quartet , and the Woodwind Quintet are also a part of the entire unit. It is appropriate that the band was formed in Howell, because Company I (The Livingston Company) of the 5th Michigan Volunteer Infantry was from the Livingston County area. The Regimental Commander killed at Fredericksburg, while leading a futile charge , was Lt. Col. John Gilluly of Brighton, also in Livingston County. Gilluly, as a captain, had formed and commanded 205 The 5th Michigan Regiment Band on the Village Green at Dearborn's Greenfield Village Muzzleloaders festival 1975. ' Company I when it was mustered into the regiment in 1861. He is buried in the cemetery by the millpond in Brighton . The regimental musical units are under the direction of Captain Betty Forsyth, Bandmaster. Bandmaster Forsyth is a virtuoso french horn player and music instructor . The unit was honored at Governor William Milliken's swearing in on January 1, 1975,w hen the band performed for the Governor's Inauguration in Lansing. Commanding the entire unit is Major David L. Jaehnig , who was a founder of the unit, and who serves as the Bicentennial Commissioner for the City of Howell. Major Jaehnig has extensive background in band management in Michigan and Colorado. Since its beginnings, the unit has toured extensively in Canada and the Midwest. It was , for example , selected by the Canadian government to perform at Old Fort Henry in Kingston, Ontario with the Fort Henry Guard ... an honor usually reserved to the United States Marine units from Washington, D.C. The group has also performed by special invitation at the annual Canadian National Exhibition , joining in the Exhibition Parade, which was viewed by 750,000 spectators , plus millions on Canadian television. Other bands selected for that honor included the Royal Air Force Band from London, England; the National Band of New Zealand; and the Caribinieri Band from Rome, Italy. The many other engagements of the 5th Michigan are equally high in the list of honors : Henry Ford Museum as the ceremonial band for the Let Freedom Ring Ceremony ; Greenfield Village for the annual Muzzleloaders Festival; Toronto's Ontario Place Forum, usually hosting the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Band , or popular and classical events· Toronto's Old Fort York where the unit was welco~ed by the brigadier in charge of the Toronto Historical Commission; Burlington, Ontario, crowds swamped the band shell and Queen Victoria park to welcome and hear the unit last August, as crowds vaulted from a normal 200-300p er band concert to more than 2000a s the 5th Michigan arrived. And the list doesn't end there : From Belleville to Chatham , Ontario ; from Marshall to Mt. Clemens; from Cedar Point to invitations to Disney World; from Romeo's Peach Festival to invitations to Spokane, Washington's Expo '74; and from Old Fort Wayne to Tecumseh 's Sesquicentennial the 5th Michigan logged more than 60 performances at home and abroad in less than a year. 206 Now the Michigan Council of the Arts has taken over some of the burden, making the only band grant in the history of the National Council of the Arts ... $18,300 to help the 5th Michigan and smaller Michigan communities combine to bring music and the arts to everyone. The unit has also received a $10,000 grant from the Michigan Bicentennial Commission. Precision, musical excellence , and historical tradition have brought the 5th Michigan Regiment Band to international prominence, and negotiations are now working to bring the unit to the East Coast in 1976, to Europe in 1977, to the West Coast in 1977, and to the major world marchingmusical festivals in the years upcoming . Members of the band range in age from 13 to 73, as families and professionals, students and professional men combine several times weekly to rehearse, plan, and perform for many thousands of spectators . The unit is the only American Revolution Bicentennial band that was begun from scratch for the 200th Birthday Celebration. The unit is an ongoing project, however , and it will continue to thrill the audiences across the state and the world in the years to come. As the bicentennial era ends in 1789 plus 200, the 5th Michigan will continue to represent American history and tradition. The 5th Michigan Regiment Band is an official American Revolution Bicentennial project of the City of Howell, the State of Michigan, and the United States of America. It was the initial project of the Howell Bicentennial Committee, when it was founded in late summer of 1973, and has received international acclaim for its musical and drill excellence. The unit includes more than 160 members between the ages of 7 and 73, the younger members assisting in limited areas. The performing unit is more than 140 members between the ages of 12 and 73, and includes many area families, and families from three surrounding counties. The unit has received nearly $30,000 in outside funding through the efforts of the Howell Bicentennial unit . The 1917 Saxaphone orchestra. 1900-1910 By JOAN BERGREN Imagine steak for 24 cents a pound! Or a dozen eggs for 12 cents, a man's shirt for 50 cents, a suit for $9.00 and work shoes for $1.25. Those were the "good old days" of 1900 when 76 million people populated 45 United States of A,merica. Led by President William McKinley, America was faced with a wave of growth and new developments. Nine million immigrants arrived to settle down and take part in the growth of our nation. In 1901, President McKinley was assassinated . Vicepresident Theodore Roosevelt became the youngest president in our country 's history, at the age of 42. His "Square Deal " reform became the farmer's and workingman 's production incentive. News headlines proclaimed transportation achievements . The Wright Brother 's 59-second airplane flight at Kittyhawk was just the start of a new industry . Nearly half a million automobiles flooded the streets. Packards, Locomobiles, Haynes, Columbias and Oldsmobiles began to replace the longstanding horse and buggy form of transportation . The beauty and freedom of women was symbolized by the Gibson Girl. And baseball became the All-American sport. Ty Cobb for Detroit and Christy Mathewson for the New York Nationals were sports heroes of the decade . Collegiate football became popular . The first Rose Bowl game was held in 1902 when Michigan beat Stanford 49-0. America was starving for entertainment. Show and music business boomed. Vaudeville theaters could be found in almost every American town. The Keatons, Cherry Sisters and Zeigfield Follies played a great part in vaudeville along with animal acts, singers and jugglers . In 1903, the first motion picture debuted in a New Jersey store . Entitled "The Great Train Robbery," it was an 11-minute film about a train robbery and the pursuit of the robbers . The success of the film led to the establishment of nickelodeons-stores converted into theaters by the addition of chairs. They charged 5 cents to view the movie accompanied by piano music. Popular songs of the 1900's grew into an industry known as Tin Pan Alley. The name came from the area in New York City-Broadway to 8th Avenue of 28th Street-where music publishing houses were centered . "My Gal Sal," "In My Merry Oldsmobile," "Ida! Sweet As Apple Cider, " and many other songs could be heard in department store basements on demonstrators . Ragtime reached its popularity peak during the first decade of the 20th century . Dances like the one-step and turkey-trot were popular. George M. Cohan rose to stardom with his patriotic songs such as " You're A Grand Old Flag" and "Yankee Doodle Boy." America faced the future with optimism at the turn of the century . Lifestyles were energetic and bustling and now had a flair for musical comedy, which moved America into the second decade . 1910-1920 The second decade of the 20th century was the decade of change-not only in government affairs but in lifestyles as well. Three-hundred pound William Taft was chosen as 207 _,.C # ev · MUMM~ ACDONALD fl EDWMDA DDEN Asln troduo:b:d'.I ALJ OLSON MESSR'S"S.' li UBERf'S BIGW ITNtRG ARDEN PRODUCTION. presiden t in 1908. He was succeeded by Woodrow Wilson in 1912. Wilson's program of reform was called the " New Freedom ." The New Freedom was accompanied by unrest , strikes and left and right-wing organization involvement. The Gross National Product grew immensely-to over $70 billion in 1920. In 1910 alone, Tin Pan Alley sold over two billion copies of sheet music . Automobile sales soared. Over ten million cars were sold. Four million families went " on wheels" by 1917. The " automobile for everyone " was built by Henry Ford in Highland Park , Michigan . It was known as the " Tin Lizzie" or Model T. Meanwhile, Europe was in the midst of a war with the German Kaiser . The U.S. entered the battle in 1917 after ten million men registered for the army draft in a single day . Poster s could be seen with slogans such as , " I Want You For The U.S. Army" and " Buy Liberty Bonds." There was a giant effort to " make the world safe for democracy ." Cohan's "Over There " could be heard whistled in many households. The women of America were campaigning strongly for voting rights. The suffrage movement ended on June 4, 1919 when the 19th Amendment was passed , guaranteeing a vote regardless of sex. The Women's Christian Temperance Union succeeded in banning the manufacture , sale and use of liquor by fighting for the 18th Amendment. Movie production grew into a huge industry by 1912. Stars were soon singled out by the public . Mark Pickford became America's Sweetheart. Infamous Charlie Chaplin, "The Tramp ," and Rudolph Valentino, the idol of the matinee , were star s. Broadwa y came to be known as the Great White Way because of it's bright hue when lit up. War songs such as " How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm ," and " It 's A Long, Long Way To Tipperary " were popular as well as nostalgic songs like " Indiana, " "Beautiful 208 Ohio," " Roses Of Picardy' ' and " The Bells Of St. Mary 's." The changes in popular music can also be noted in the rise of jazz numbers like "Hindustan ," "After You've Gone" and "That's A-Plenty ." Irving Berlin completed his all-time hit " Alexander's Ragtime Band " in 1911. The change in music showed that the country was also changing . 1920-1930 The 20's opened with popular songs of the previous decade--"Hindustan ," " My Mammy ," "After You've Gone" and " Roses of Picardy ." The "Roaring Twenties " found people bustling around enjoying good times . Silent movies bowed out to make room for the talkies . With money in the bank and smiles on their faces, people sat back to listen to the love songs sung in a throaty voice by Helen Morgan-" Love Me Or Leave Me," " The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else ," and "Basin Street Blues." Over 400 musicals gave birth to such songs as "Button Up Your Overcoat ," "The Best Things In Life Are Free ," and "The Varsity Drag ." Al Jolson made famous "Sonny Boy" in the film " The Singing Fool. " Sophie Tucker was THE Red Hot Mama as she sang "A Good Man Is Hard To Find. " Bing Crosby and Rudy Vallee made their star appearance. George Gershwin 's "Strike Up The Band " and " Rhapsody In Blue," played by Paul Whiteman 's orchestra , were all-time favorites . If you were having a " swell" time , people said you were " Makin ' Whoopee." Other expressions used were the bee's knees , the cat's pajamas , 23 Skidoo and oh, you kid! In the 20's, dances like the fox trot, black bottom , Charleston and the shimm y were popular . Short skirts , bobbed hair , " shingle " haircuts , hats of cloche and-heaven forbid- bare knees were all the fashion . "Flappers " shocked their elders with free use of cosmetics and cigarettes. Canned foods, ready-made clothing and household appliances gave women more freedom to leave the home. In Atlantic City, the first Miss America Beauty Pageant was held-including the one-piece bathing suit parade. Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. threw lavish parties to boast a happy marriage. Fortunes were won and lost overnight- especially at the racetrack. Man-0-War won $170,000 and took a place in racing's Hall of Fame. The greatest sports stars ever known became national heroes-Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Red Grange and coach, Knute Rockne were in the spotlight. College and professional football was organized and provided the American public with an exciting sport to view. Another national figure that hit the limelight was-who else?- Mickey Mouse. Census figures showed 100 million people when Hoover succeeded Coolidge in the presidency . The "Teapot Dome" scandal during Harding's administration had raised thousands of eyebrows. And when the stockmarkets crashed, smiles fell. Homes were lost, debts rose and people lost jobs. As the curtain descended on the 20's everyone wondered what the 30's wound bring to smile and sing about. 1930-1940 The 30's was the decade of the "blues"-not only in music but in lifestyles as well. As the "Depression Years" progressed, breadlines lenghtened and tempers grew short. Ethel Water 's soulful song "Stormy Weather" from "Cabin In The Sky" was virtually the song sung in every household. Franklin D. Roosevelt was now the president. His "New Deal" was a campaign for Relief, Recovery and Reform. Although a few new jobs were created, most people were unemployed. To pass the long hours, new games were born. Monopoly, bingo, contract bridge and jigsaw puzzles were all the rage. The radio became a household relief from everyday boredom. There was no admission fee and people could hear entertainment's best-Amos 'n Andy, Fibber McGee and Molly, Lum and Abner, Easy Aces, The Shadow, Fred Allen, Burns and Allen, Myrt and Marge, Jack Benny, the Lone Ranger , Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy and suspenseful drama from the Lux Radio Theater hosted by Cecil B. DeMille. While families kept themselves entertained in the home, whistling and humming to "Goody Goody" and "On The Sunny Side Of The Street ," men were out on the street corners selling apples for 5 cents, hoping to earn a dollar. As the 30's plunged on, things began to pick up. Roosevelt was elected for a second term, Social Security went into effect and General Motors workers fought and won a 5 cent per hour raise. The 30's decade was the " Swing Era. " Big bands, led by Count Basie, Bob Crosby, Guy Lombardo, Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, and Artie Shaw made their mark in history. A young trumpet player , Harry James, formed his own band after leaving Goodman's band . His theme song was "Ciribiribin." Pinetop Smith and his piano boogie woogie was another popular form of music . The Hit Parade of songs listed at the top " Stompin' At The Savoy," " Tuxedo Junction, " "Out Of Nowhere," "This Can't Be Love," and "Memories Of You." One of the greatest patriotic songs was released in 1938-Irving Berlin's "God Bless America." The Big Apple and the Jitterbug were the dance crazes of the era. Motion pictures now had full sound. Names like Marie Dressler, Norma Shearer, Will Rogers, The Barrymores , Joan Crawford and Bette Davis were in lights on theater marquees. Clark Gable was seen in "Gone With The Wind," which was the Academy Award winning movie in 1939. The Marx Brothers, W. C. Fields and Shirley Temple were loved by the American audience. Sports heroes reigned in the public eye. Baseball Hall of Fame included Walter Johnson, Rogers Hornsby , Cy Young and Lou Gehrig. Football boasted stars such as Sammy Baugh, Tom Harmon from U of M, Don Hutson, Bronko Nagurski from the Chicago Bears, Ernie Nevers and Fielding " Hurry Up" Yost, coach of collegiate teams. On 1.her adio, Walter Winchell began his radio series with a rousing "Good Evening Mr. and Mrs. North and South America and all the ships at sea ... " and right he was. Hitler was just taking his big step in to the second World War of the century . And America was soon to follow in those footsteps . 1940-1950 From Depression to War and on to the Atomic Age! That's what the 40's were all about. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 got America into the full swing of World War II. Americans tightened their belts another notch and bore down on war production. Beauties in steel helmets took their place in the factory production lines and shipyards-all for the war cause. Urgent requirements for war goods caused many consumer goods shortages . Rationing of items was nationwide. Coupons were needed to purchase meats , butter, sugar, fats, oils, coffee, canned foods, shoes, nylons and gasoline . Prices froze on rents and wages . Slogans like "A slip of the lip may sink a ship" was well-known due to censorship of all communication between countries . Men headed off to war with memories of tunes like "Tenderly," "Autumn Leaves ," "Silver Wings In The Moonlight," "In The Mood," and "I'll Walk Alone." 209 Big Bands declined somewhat as the individual singers became star attractions . Helen Forrest and Helen O'Connell wailed the blues. The Dorsey Brothers , Guy Lombardo, and Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers were famous dance bands . " Deep Purple, " "Embraceable You," "One O'Clock Jump ," and " Jersey Bounce" were sweet and swing tunes . Rodgers a-nd Hart were producing songs like " Manhattan" and "Blue Moon." Dancing was popular both on stage and off. Fred Astaire made famous " One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)" with it's sad melody. He turned it into a routine that told a story . The Jitterbug was still extremely popular . Jazz was going strong . Dizzie Gillespie and "Bird " Parker made great contributions to the new jazz style known as bebop. New lyrics , melodies, rhythms, syncopation and improvisation made the music of the Forties . Lyric treatment can be heard in " That Old Black Magic" sung by the handsome, swooner-crooner Frank Sinatra , but made BIG by Billy Daniels. Syncopation is handled well in "Sentimental Journey ." Melody is the strong point of songs like " I Remember You" and " Moonlight Becomes You." The tune that glamorized the New York nickel subway ride was " Take The 'A' Train ." Movies of the 40's covered many areas . War pictures included " Casablanca " and " The Best Years Of Our Lives ." Social injustice was dealt with in the " Grapes Of Wrath" and " Gentlemen 's Agreement. " Alfred Hitchcock's suspenseful " Rebecca " was a thriller . Musical comedies included Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in " The Road To Morocco." Even Disney's full-length cartoons "Fantasia" and " Pinochio " were box-office hits. Drive-in theatres became popular during the late 40's. Mickey Cochraine and Frank Chance became baseball Hall of Famers . Stan Musial and Ted Williams were leading hitters . Meanwhile, back at the war , VJ-Day came shortly after the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima . The war was over! Truman was now president, after Roosevelt 's death . In 1948,T ruman ran against Thomas Dewey for the presidency and fooled everyone by winning. America surged on as events galloped across headlines. The umber 1 song on the Hit Parade was Tony Martin 's rendition of " To Each His Own." Nat King Cole left his trio to become a soloist with " Mona Lisa." Knock knock jokes, Kilroy jokes and Shaggy dog jokes seemed uproariously funny. Al Jolson 's "Anniversary Song" was a big hit. The 40's closed on a note of nostalgia with a lot of hopes for continuing prosperity . 1950-1960 The 50's opened on a note of optimism . The Baby Boom was on and everyone was having fun-as new homes were built, marriages went up and incomes increased . Truman approved the Hydrogen Bomb development as men went off to fight in the Korean "Police Action." The Cold War against " Iron Curtain " nations was on. At home, Les Paul and Mary Ford recorded "Vaya Con Dias," a million-seller. Broadway shows like "The King And I," "Gigi," and "Paint Your Wagon" sparkled on stage. The Kingston Trio's " Tom Dooley" and Jo Stafford's "Shrimp Boats Are A-Comin," were radio hits. Music styles began to change as new stars entered the limelight. Fats Domino, Fabian, Debbie Reynolds , Paul Anka, Connie Francis, Doris Day , Jerry Lee Lewis and Bobby Darin were soon becoming favorites . The King was none other than Elvis Presley , who stopped many hearts with his swinging hips and hit song "Heartbreak Hotel." 210 Movies became more spectacular. " Around The World In 80 Days, " " Here Comes The Groom," " The Robe," " The Greatest Show On Earth, " "All About Eve " and "Ben Hur " were a few of the best. Television was quickly becoming the popular form of home-entertainment. Number One hits of the decade were Bing Crosby's "In The Cool, Cool, Cool, Of The Evening," and Judy Garland 's " Man That Got Away" from "A Star Is Born." " Silver Bells," " Fever ," "Misty, " " Que Sera Sera " and Harry Belafonte's " Jamaica Farewell " entertained the changing American audiences. Billy Graham brought his evangelism to Yankee Stadium's 92,000 spectators . Millions wore "I Like Ike" buttons as America elected Dwight D. Eisenhower , WWII hero, as new president. The Russian Sputnik went into orbit only to return to a new music sensation-Rock and Roll! Led by such stars as Bill Haley and Little Richard , music had changed forever. The Everly Brothers' rendition of "All I Have To Do Is Dream " and "Wake Up Little Susie" sent young hearts aflutter . " Rock Around The Clock Tonight," "Satin Doll" and "Kansas City" were top on the Hit Parade . Bing Crosby, Johnnie Mathis , Frankie Laine, Tony Bennett , Frank Sinatra and Pat Boone all recorded top songs. Baseball was proud of some of its greatest heroes-Dizzy Dean, Joe DiMaggio and Hank Greenberg. The great Joe Lewis fell in defeat to Ezzard Charles after 15 rounds. The young face of dashing John F . Kennedy had entered the picture in the 50's. And was to be seen much more in the beginning of the 60's. 1960-1970 Unrest , discontent , rebellion and revolution-those were the characteristics of the 60's. Vocal opposition of an Asian war brought on peace mar - ches and demonstrations by the young. Everyone seemed to oppose something : parents, school, morals , materialism, a callous society . One could sense the feelings by reading slogans , graffiti on walls and buttons stating " Don't Trust Anyone Over Thirty ," "Make Love Not War" and " War Is Not Healthy For Children and Other Living Things. " Musicw asi ndicativoef t hef eelings-lyricws eres ensitive searchi~g }nd meaningful. The words had to "sa; somethmg. They had to get frustrations off the chest. There was enough mush and romanticism in the songs of the previous decade . The Be~ch Boys had "surfed" their way into teenage he~rts until the Beatles c~me along. With them, they brought hair over the ears , national sell-out concerts ending with standing ovations and lyrics ranging from "She loves you Yaa, Yaa , Yaa, " to "We're Gonna Have A Revolution." Th~ Rolling Stones, a rock group from England, brought numerous hit songs to America , like "You Can't Get No Satisfaction ." Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and Simon and Garfunkel wrote and sang songs the youth wanted to hear. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was a big hit. Guitarplaying was becoming ever-popular-it provided the artist a means through which he could express his feelings. The nation was now blue jeans, long, straight hair , beads, barefeet, Love Power, flower children , Woodstock-instead of saddle shoes, bobby socks, gathered skirts, cardigans , pageboys and bubble gum. The Mamas and Papas, flower children of the era, sang one hit after another-"Monday, Monday," "Dedicated To The One I Love," "California Dreamin ' " and countless others. ' Fads came and went. Miniskirts rose to great popularity. The "Twiggy" look was widely imitated. Drugs hit the scene as a way to get away from it all. Concert halls became money-making business places as young people flocked to hear their favorite rock bands . Songs like "The Impossible Dream, " "Let There Be Peace On Earth " and "Try To Remember " were indicative of the mood of adults . Folk and Country and Western music made a comeback. Glen Campbell's golden voice sang out "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" as Johnny Cash sang his melancholy prison songs. Lyndon Johnson succeeded John Kennedy as president. He attempted to turn America into the "Great Society." He passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, after considerable unrest across the nation. The Vietnam War raged on, as men made public the burning of draft cards. Riots broke out in opposition to all "Authority." Books published also lend to the unrestful feelings. Alvin Toffler's "Future Shock" and Jacqueline Susann's "Valley Of The Dolls" were best-sellers . The drug-influenced culture of long-haired "freaks" had spread across the nation . And with it went the spread of exciting music styles. The 60's had indeed exploded upon the world! 1970. .. The 70's have been as eventful as the 60's. Man took a giant step for mankind by walking on the moon in 1969. Hijacking , terrorism and the Vietnam War were in the headlines . Trouble in the Mideast raged on, waiting for a spark to ignite the keg. Loud rock bands sprang up in nearly every garage and recording studio across the nation . The music was clear , but the words were often mumbled and blurred . Black Oak Arkansas, Grand Funk Railroad , Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead , Cream , Spirit , Mountain and Steppenwolf were just a few of the leading bands of the early 70's. The rock productions " Hair ," "Tommy," and "Jesus Christ Superstar" started new trends in musicals . " Mush" songs were becoming more popular . New renditions of the Big Band songs could be heard on many " middle-of-the-road" radio stations . There was a sound for everyone. Influenced by homes, friends , and the countryside , balladsingers came into their own. Kris Kristopherson , Rita Coolidge, John Denver , James Taylor , Carol King and Carly Simon were among the top artists of the group . "Anticipation," " Rocky Mountain High," and " Me and Bobby McGee" were top hits . The Carpenter 's, "We've Only Just Begun, " about young love, was becoming a popular wedding march . ''Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Old Oak Tree " recorded by Tony Orlando and "Everything Is Beautiful " were inspirational mood songs. Elton John, Alice Cooper, Cat Stevens and George Harrison led the Hit Parade with songs like "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," "School's Out," "Peace Train ," and " Here Comes The Sun.'' Movies were indicative of the times. "The Godfather " captured sell-out audiences with its violence. "Love Story" and "Romeo and Juliet " were tear-jerkers for thousands. Disaster and suspense were the themes for "Airport, " "Towering Inferno ," "Poseidon Adventure " and "Jaws." President Richard Nixon entered the limelight with his step towards international peace stemming from historic trips to Moscow and Peking . Henry Kissinger was in the news with his famous peace talks. The Watergate Scandal unfolded and Nixon found himself out of a job. He was succeeded by Gerald Ford from Michigan. The first years of the 70's were turbulent. And who knows what follows: "recession or recovery, depression or prosperity. " -., 211 fr JJ.<'J'/(/('S' OIi I,'. l"..t\ll'l' OF ....) 1I.1£1~ ·i T''1.1 T I .J.1'11'' I ~Ulll~ i HOWELL TWP. .'it'rt/ P ,?(} 1·or/s /o //t i:,,, /nt •/t~ ) '- ;;. ('.lta{I rt 11 0 .1/,:r fr/1, ·t·I , .,. .~; fl( ' REFERENCES I {'11;,1111/,.,J,•r_,• /:.'.!It, '! H: /((JrilY'dlJ :: .11:c;11,,.,., 1, ,/IJl,n> tl .,. Jll,e11 l+- J:ru w11 G I/ .MJ , ,.'r,i11r i.!1(r1• JJ.Swrr ,,r,r N / l J.Jrtt,UJ h,.s:tfturtut, II ,.j',.J,'H_u _l>brlL IO H..C.ll,mll~.Y II Jvl111,k,u.,, 1-:t.. -llc.rJ/ !'Plvr,m,1 ,JJ.Q· ,. 11,uu,, 1.S ('ro.1u 111.,,,_ l,Jr,. ·,u l+ .A. l:lrmk /6 tY../Jrowrr n-~e- , ) .M.&>,y n, 111 " ~ I'1t,r.w11 I' &011.s /!J, f.ll'iJIMN" '!O ,r. ,'1!' .J-'JtN·SVn N: S o u..11 l!l.tl~ . J,'/J~i,#i '11, !!~ ~: I .. N-7'.H.K,utpp '!:J IY.J. . ,"·T.ll .Knapp ;f4, ..lfr.d~.-4-,, t,; l~u" .9 "°1 1,,u, _ ,U; 11:Jl!°/'Jtl'n;JUR lt-.fmuJIN't' '!J,I.J:..'/J,•,/bff,J, '!,f W.,11'P: J,r r .mn R·~n.Y J!!I C.lirn ·11nwr{ylf. ,'w11 ,'fl_. .~us. ., .,,,w.,r :s, J.:.,l/';1Jw11,(., .'I~ 11,/1.J/,II.J ,rJ J. ' A' •• V,.NU't)f' N,.r,1..,,,.,r.Jt,v,. .y1, , / .111,ipl'I" .:.;,11,;,,,n,,,,,.,,, .JU .1~1,,,,,..,.,,.., .'fJ rtt·r,1,.,,,.1,1 · .11 Joi,,, l.r .. r;i· .:J!I H.,t.J11-;,.,_,st,.,·Ji.A,t, HOWELL .'<'0 ({ Jr'!' J/'/¾n:;-011 8· f"o. o_,,., ' ,-~ 0 /,.. J .II .. /, . r; u '. , ;, , rt f ' -- ---- ·- ·--· .....·.. .. - ·-- ·-- ---- - ·---- - -· - -- ------ [b " Al?ION City Government 212 .......'. t 0 -z. I _,I ~I V-l , - ___ l - ---- ,J/r., : r,·. JI' ,Jr, w, ·f/ TOWN SHIP .....i. . · ---· - -ro wNSHtP ,· /,1,, ,/ ,',{,.',. t 't.l , .,,,'° '"" .J .. t..._ Plat map of Howell City in 1875. • .il • .... ,J ij 1W H ,, l u ~. ij ,1 ii ii h ---.~, · , T - ·- .. .. · · IJ. .\ ·1,J thrd.· It '. It' f,' /11/on i JC iiJk.1kNt . a ,,. r _.r,,,;,,, t,".? ;o '-~ >-Eli A.R ,G G LE w " w,-11,., , I J \ ':; cJ z !- ;,, . s' .l i< , i<''''),, ~~- ,, ,,, .{, A .- • ,.. /,',;!,-N(FJII Cl It' lfoU 111 .~ ..r Jrt _/fa ll e r( _ ... .f . / /''. ...,((11,, .• ... - ' ..". '''J'" ..., • ii; \ I .. M p . .- , ..· -·~ I . ,I . I l I I :a- l 11· ,I/, / '/ I() I ,\ OIi 8· ( O / ,/ ,'i; ; . .,, ,p ,·r , II. --'---------..:~:' ~'.&~__J <:) ;' •., D.1 1: .>'I,, 11,,, I,· <:) "' i'-... ! .II I i; rt. ,I/ r. ,· , I / 11 I ' /'fl 1• " " · 2103 This is the old grist mill. It was started by Moses Thompson and had many owners . At the time this picture was taken, after 1900, it was owned by A .O. Hoyland , and ground out hundreds of pounds of flour per day . Later , when the creek slowed up , a steam plant was added to supplement the water power . 214 This is a picture of the north end of Howell Lake . It is in the north part of town and is now pretty well surrounded by homes . Originally it was 3 ponds separated by tamarack swamps. When Moses Thompson came here as a pioneer and started building his mill at this end , he dammed up the creek and it brought the ponds together into a lake as we have it today. The old wooden intake pipe to the mill shows in the foreground . The water area in the foreground was the old village "swimming hole." Howell from the air, 1974. City Government HOWELL GOVERNMENT 1863-1956 The Village of Howell was incorporated on March 14, 1863. Trustees were elected from each of four wards. Altho the candidates for Village offices did not run on a partisan ticket each party had a nominee. Elections were held every year. Efforts to incorporate as a city in 1889 and 1890 failed . Legislature granted Howell a new charter in 1891 and the first attorney was retained. Two precincts (north and south) were established in 1893 and the first public water system started . A new charter in 1895 made trustees elected at-large and for a two-year term. Village ordinances were first adopted in 1896. City Government Coordinator Cliff Heller was born in Cass City on Jan . 23, 1912. Graduated from Michigan State and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture, married Margaret E. Davis who also received her bachelor of science degree in Horticulture at Michigan State . They have three children, Nancy Lee (Weirch) , Sharon Louise (Kaningl, Earl Davis. He joined in partnership with Henry Winkelhaus in the florist business and also Margaret Heller . He was past president of Howell Rotary Club, Howell Chamber of Commerce and Past Master of Howell Lodge No . 38 F&AM . Also, he surved as Livingston County Commissioner and the Huron- Clinton Metropolitan Authority . He is a Methodist and a Knight Templar. 1890 first village-wide electric lights . Auto speed limits were 8 miles per hour in 1902, fines $5.00t o $25.00o r 30 days in jail. Cement began to replace boards as sidewalks in 1903. The cost was 18 cents per square foot. Costs dropped to 8 cents per square foot by 1913. 1908 saw the first sanitary sewer installed. Women registered to vote in 1910. The present City Hall was purchased and remodeled in 1912, altho only the first two floors were owned. A bicycle ordinance was enacted. On Dec. 14, 1914 Howell was incorporated as a Home-rule City. Grand River Avenue was paved . The Commercial Club purchased calcium chloride for street application in 1915. Michigan and Walnut Streets were paved in 1916. Concrete cost $1.50 square yard , no reinforcing . Boulevard lights were erected on Grand River in 1917. The city leased and later sold its electric light generating plant to the Detroit Edison Co. in 1918. Parking regulations were enacted in 1921 and the present elevated water storage tank erected . Walker 's woods were purchased in 1925 for a City Park . The Rotary Club built the bathhouse . The first traffic ordinance was passed in 1927. McPherson home purchased and remodeled into a hospital. Rubbish collection was begun on a regular basis in 1928. The police motorcycle was traded for the first patrol car . Paul Bennett was hired as the first lifeguard at the City Park beach in 1928. Land was purchased for cemetery expansion in 1930. Posted speed limit signs were erected on Grand River Ave. in 1935. 1936 saw the building of a sanitary sewerage disposal treatment plant. This had been voted down in both 1908 and 1923. 215 - Voters abolished the justice of peace courts and established a municipal court in 1939, but it was not implemented until 1949. The first Zoning Ordinance was enacted in 1942. Land was purchased for a city airport (now county.) The impoundment dam at Thompson Lake was purchased in 1946. The Montague property (now Citizens' Mutual) purchased for a recreation building. Parking meters appeared first in 1947. The old fairgrounds were purchased for a cemetery in 1949, but later developed as an industrial park . Public subscription paid for the armory site bought in 1950. Charter amendments made 6 councilmen at large for 4-year terms in 1952. A new office and storage building for the cemetery and park was built in 1953. A master plan for the park was adopted . A Charter Revision was favorably passed upon in 1954 and the City Manager form of government adopted effective Nov. 8, 1955. Parking lots were purchased . Development to the Armory site were finished in 1956. A storm sewer bond issue was voted favorably in 1954 for $450,000T. he same issue was defeated in 1950f or $300,000. All properties in the city were reassessed in 1956. HOWELL VILLAGF. PRESIDENTS 1863-1914 1863, Sardis F . Hubbell ; 1864, John M. Gilbert ; 1865, Sardis F. Hubbell; 1866, Mylo L. Gay ; 1867, Sardis F . Hubbell ; 1868, Andrew D. Waddell; 1869, Mylo L. Gay ; 1870, Henry H . Mills; 1871-72, Sardis F. Hubbell ; 1873, Neil O'Hearn ; 1874, Francis N. Monroe; 1875, Horace Halbert ; 1876, Harry J . Haven ; 1877, Asa VanKleek ; 1878, Neil O'Hearn ; 1879, John H. Galloway. 1880, Leander C. Smith ; 1881, William B. Smith ; 1882, Harry J . Haven ; 1883, William W. Kenyon; 1884, George P . Dudley; 1885J ay Corson; 1886, Edward G. McPherson; 1887, Edward P . Gregory ; 1888, Dennis Shields ; 1889-90, William P . Vanwinkle ; 1891, William C. Huntington ; 1892-93,J ohn Wright; 1894, Arthur Garland ; 1895, Jay C. Walton; 1896, Robert Bell; 1897, A.D. Thompson ; 1898-99'0- 0, Louis E. Howlett; 1901, Thomas Gordon Jr. 1902, E.P . Gregory ; 1903, David D. Harger; 1904, Amos Winegar ; 1905, Electus Hadden ; 1906, Chester A. Parshall ; 1907, H.A. McPherson ; 1908, Amos Winegar ; 1909, Calvin Wilcox; 1910, Thomas Gordon, Jr .; 1911, Harry Williams ; 1912, Frank E . Mills; 1913-14, E.L . Avery . HOWELL MAYORS 1915-1975 1915-16, Samuel S. Platt ; 1917, Harry Huntington ; 1918-19- 20, Charles Sutton.; 1921-22-2,3 Freeman Fishbeck ; 1924-2,5 Samuel S. Platt ; 1926-27,B ert Huff; 1928, John Wrigglesworth ; 1929-30, Samuel S. Platt ; 1931-39, Charles P. Adams ; 1940-42, Eric Reiner; 1943-48, Berthold Woodhams ; 1949-50, Shirley Henry ; 1951-52, Charles Sutton ; 1953-54, Orland Young; 1955-56, Howard Gentry ; 1957-68, Clifton W. Heller ; 1969-197, 3Richard Slayton ; 1974-7,5 Robert Parker . CLIFTON W. HELLER MAYOR APRIL 1957 TO APRIL 1969 The new City Charter establishing a city manager form of government was only a little over a year old when I was first elected mayor . Considerable time was devoted learning to use this Charter . Fortunately , the Councilmen were devoted 216 men not afriad to make hard decisions and many improvements to the City and its facilities resulted from long, numerous and often spirited meetings. I believe a mutual respect grew up between the Council and the citizens that led to a period of real progress in the city . My experiences in city affairs previous to election inc~ud_ed membership on the Howell Park and Cemetery Comm1ss10n and also planning and Zoning Commission . President of the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club. I also had an active interest in the affairs of my church and the Masonic Lodge, which I served as Master. Membership on the boards of state organizations gave me much valuable background . Concurrent with my term as Mayor I served on the Livingston County Board of Supervisors , Chairman for one term . My interest in local and Michigan history made the position an interesting , enjoyable and challenging one. The major trunk storm sewer system was completed after many delays . A bond issue to finance an expansion of the sanitary sewer disposal facility was passed and the plant completed . The Lucy Road sanitary land fill property was purchased . A major trunk line water line was planned to circle the city and much of it installed . New water sources were located west of the city and a 16" pipeline laid to the expanded water treatment plant. A 300,000 gal. elevated storage tank was erected. The old storage tank was repainted and several water lines were extended to the outskirts of the city . Floridation of the water was initiated . The water supply source was assured by a 99-year lease from the Livingston County Road Commission. Federal money was obtained for planning and partial financing of extension of water supply and sanitary sewerage lines to the northern part of the city . The project however , was not carried out to completion . Street conditions in the city were not good. Lack of surface drainage and poor road surfaces led the council to examine many plans promising to lead to a solution. Bower, Jewett , Catrell , North and South Michigan , Grand River , George , Riddle , Dearborn , Goodyear , McPherson Park and Sibley Streets were paved with the cooperation of the State and Federal agencies as well as the city and property owners . New street signs were erected. Several miles of sidewalks constructed. New and more modern street lights were installed. Those on Grand River financed by an association of downtown merchants. Several streets were opened that had been closed to thru traffic . Three new parking lots were purchased and improved in the downtown area . Parking meters were installed and removed on a trial basis in many areas . The City Park was developed to higher degree than before due largely to the efforts of the Rotary Club by tree planting and erection of a picnic shelter . The local industries contributed funds to extend water and sanitary sewerage facilities to the park , largely thru the efforts of Robert Parker Sr. Sufficient funds were also provided to pay for the materials to erect new toilet facilities . The area adjoining Thompson Lake on the west was purchased and a boat launching ramp was established . The cemetery was extended slightly to the south by purchase. Further development of existing land was accomplished . A census and card file of the lots was completed . The librar y building was reroofed and a very extensive remodeling of the basement was accomplished . The Fire Department's garage in the City Hall was remodelled to accomodate its new truck . The Fire and Police Departments both had new auxiliary units trained and attached to their regular manpower . _Annexa tions to the city occurred along Mason and Pinckney Roads, now occupied by Chateau Estates Mobile Home Park , The Holiday Inn , Goodyear Tire Co. and two ser vice stations . Other small annexations were added on the East and West edge of the city. Industrial Parks at the old fairgrounds along Catrell and Sutton A venues ; McPherson Park Drive off Mason Road and Dickson and Krol 's Park off Pinckney Road added to th~ economic stability of the city . Afte~ several years of planning by the Zoning Board , the Council and Consultants we had a Master Plan and new Zoning Ordinance . Several thousand dollars of local money were matched by Federal Funds to obtain this valuable instrument , useful in an orderly development of the city. Funds were not available in large enough amounts to properly maintain and develop the airport purchased west of the city. The Airport was sold to Livingston County and has become a fine asset to the community . The City Hall third floor was purchased and major roof repairs completed. Extensive remodeling of the entire building was carried out by the three city managers who served during my term ; Fred Tholen , William Norman, and Roy Trimm . A retirement plan was put into effect for the city employees . New bookkeeping machinery purchased . The city purchased its first comprehensive insurance program. The Mayors Exchange Program held each May allowed an exchange of ideas between cities of the same approximate size although we did exchange with Parma and Highland Park . One idea of county-wide fire cooperation grew out of a visit to Hudsonville . Howell was by-passed by both M-59 and I-96 during this time and the mayor of Portland did much to placate the fears of the merchants as to its effect , since Portland had been by-passed some time before . Much building took place during my term : McPherson Community Health Center and Livingston Manor; Kroger Shopping Center ; A & P Shopping Center ; Golden Triangle Political speeches really drew a crowd. Here Ex-Governor Ferris, founder of Ferris State University, speaks at a large rally with hundreds of interested listeners, even on the roof of the shed . Apartments ; Holiday Inn ; Several service stations ; Mc- Pherson Bank ; Howell Industries · Recreation Center building ; Goodyear Tire Center ; 'international Paper · Unified Industries ; Byron Ave. Apartments · Churches ' Methodist , Catholic, Baptist , Nazarene , Luthera~. ' It was a great satisfaction to be Mayor of Howell and see so many things accomplished , through the efforts of all the people. Some things were not done that I would have chosen to have completed . These were in the areas of street improvements and water and sanitary sewerage extensions . WHEN I WAS MAYOR OF HOWELL By BERTHOLD WOODHAMS I first came to Howell in June of 1916. In the 58 years that I have been here everything has changed . None of the doctors or lawyers that were in practice then are in practice this year of 1974; There were several independent grocery stores which have been superceded by the large chain stores ; all of the drug stores are under different ownership . After graduating from the business course of what was then Ferris Institute, I came to Howell as a sort of office clerk to R. Bruce McPherson , whose father , Wm. McPherson, Jr . had just shortly before that had died leaving Bruce with a rather large estate and in many states to probate. When I left Bruce McPherson 's office in 1920 I went with William E. Robb who was attempting to found a new automobile insurance company , the Citizens Mutual Automobile Insurance Company . I helped establish that compan :· in claims , underwriting, and procedures and was elected to the Board of Directors in 1932; to president in 1950; to chairman of the board in 1963 and since 1966 I have been honorary chairman of the board of directors. In 1927 I was elected to the city council of Howell and was appointed by the then mayor , Bert Hoff to be the first chairman of the newly established city hospital , now the McPherson Health Center . From 1943 to 1949 I was mayor of the City of Howell. That was during the years of World War No. II and we had difficulty to do anything much during those years as both materials and manpower were in short suppl y. I do remember that in those years we put in the meters and provided for parallel parking ; we install a very efficient method of snow removal from our city streets down Grand 217 Blacksmith shops were more common than grocery stores in the old days . Here is a typical city smithy. Ted Shindorf, with his helpers on each side all in their leather aprons . Blacksmiths did more than just River and Michigan Avenue; there was no city manager at that time and the mayor and the members of the city council were each heads of the different departments; we enlarged the city sewerage disposal plant; the present site of the airport was acquired and we tried to make a usable airport out of what was farm land; Grand River Avenue its entire length in the city was paved and blacktopped by the road commission of Michigan without any expense to Howell; we endeavored to amend our old charter which had been in force for a long time with a new charter which provided for a city manager but the first election lost. Under succeeding mayors a committee was elected to revise the charter and I was elected chairman of that commission. The charter which our commission drew passed the voters and has been in use in Howell since then. During my years as mayor the country was very short of scrap steel and following a patriotic urge voluntary delegations went through the countryside and picked up all kinds of scrap steel salvage which they piled on Court Street just east of the Livingston County Courthouse and just west of our insurance building. The entire block of Court Street from Grand River to Clinton was covered 0by this scrap steel. In 1950 I was elected to the Board of Education of Howell and the last four years I was president of the board. While I was on the board we annexed 34 different school districts to Howell; built new elementary buildings and the new high 218 shoe horses, they worked on or repaired most anything that was iron. Notice the hand lawnmowers, bottom right, in to be repaired . school, bought busses to transport the annexed district children to Howell; selected a new superintendent to replace superintendent John Page who resigned after some thirty odd years because of ill health; and sold the schoolhouses in the annexed districts . John Page used to employ the teachers paying them what he thought they were worth to the educational system , handling the financial end of board. We provided for a wage schedule with the teaching staff were demanding and for someone to take over the financial chores. We put out several bond issues securing very favorable interest rates as Howell School District had a very favorable history. I also have been a member of and presiding officer in the Masonic Lodge, Knights Templar; and the Rotary Club, all of Howell. MAYOR CHARLES SUTTON By CHARLES SUTTON I was born on June 30, 1890 in Caro, Michigan . After graduating from High School in 1910, I attended Bliss-Alger Business College in Saginaw, Michigan , and then went to work as a bookkeeper in a freight depot in Caro, and later in a bank in Callings , Michigan. I saw an ad in the Caro newspaper that the Bennett Hardware Store in Howell was for sale and I told my father I would like to go into the hardware business . I bought the hardware business in March 1913a t the age of 23. The building was owned by Arthur Garland . He had a tailor shop next door. I purchased the building in 1935 and combined the two stores into one. Upstairs in the store was an opera house and because there was no heat, shows were only held in the summer. I remember Jack Kelly's Stock Company brought in different shows. The opera house was closed in the 1920's because of fire regulations . I married Cornelia Byerlien of Saginaw on May 28th, 1913. We had one daughter , Caroline, who graduated from Howell High School in 1932. She married Fred Ludwig of Howell in 1937. They have three children and live in Tucson, Arizona. When I was 28 years old, I served two years as mayor of Howell. During my term of office the Howell Electric Light Plant , which was deteriorating, was sold to Detroit Edison for $50,000. They rewired and repoled the city. The Howell Electric Light Plant was located on South Michigan next to the railroad tracks . In 1913, the Hamilton Brothers were given a contract to put sewers in the city and to pave the streets with brick paving. I served in various church , service and professional organizations. I was president of the Howell Chamber of Commerce , Cancer Society, and Red Cross. I was first president of the Board of Directors of the McPherson The condensed factory during it's first day of business. Hospital at its present Byron Road location; on the board of trustees of the First Presbyterian Church of Howell; and , the Michigan Retail Hardware Association . I served on the Board of the Huron Clinton Metropolitan Authority for 20 years , succeeded by Clif Heller . I also served as Commander of No. 28, Knights Templar , three times . I served a second tergi as mayor of Howell in 1952 for two years . Living here in Howell there are so many memories such as the Livingston County fairs on Sutton and Catrell Avenue, in an area known as the Industrial Park . The fairs existed during the 1920's and lasted 10 years . I enjoyed the 4th of July picnics at the city park on the lake, and the ball games at the fairground s. In the early summer days of the 20's they had " Chautauquas " ( tent lecture series ) and sidewalk fairs were popular. During my life in Howell I saw many changes such as horse and buggy to automobile , electric lights , gravel streets to paved . In the early days the only eating place in town was the hotel run by Mrs. Van Keuren and Son. The drug stores had soda fountains. I remember Baron & Wines, E . K. Johnson & Sons, and Fred Gorden . Life in the 20's and 30's was easier and more full of living. Close relationships were abundant. My store was open on Saturday nights until midnight so that the farmers could come into town, visit people, and shop before they went home. I remember the fire department cart with the hose that 219 The Johnson House, a hotel owned by many people on the corner of Michigan and Sibley, N.W. The milk wagon is making a delivery. was driven by dray teams of horses . The driver of the cart 's regular job was to drive freight from the depot to the merchants but this was interrupted whenever the fire siren sounded. I remember a roller skating rink located where Mike Hagman 's gas station is now located . This building also served as a basketball gym and as a location for dances . When I first came to Howell there were cobblestone curbs and hitching posts, and the hardware store had acetylene gas lamps. One had to pump up the pressure in a tank and then light each lamp with a long pole with a lighted wick on it. Coal stoves supplied the heat. In 1952, during my second term as mayor , Howell held a General McArthur Day in honor of the great war hero of World War II. I had the honor of riding with him from Howell to Brighton in a car, while Miss Crosby (a girl scout) was chosen to ride in another car with Mrs. McArthur. Everyone in Howell came out to cheer and wave to the General. I spent 32 years in the hardware store , retiring in 1945. I sold the store to Mr. Pyles and Mr. Heino who ran it for 20 years , Mr. Shaw is the present owner. I married Mrs. Katherine Vanwinkle in 1962. MRS. CHARLES SUTTON By KATHERINE VANWINKLE SUTTON I was born on June 28th, 1894 in Ann Arbor . My father's name was William Doan Adams and my mother was Minnie Grigg. I had two sisters . In 1913, after mother died, and my two sisters married, father and I moved to Howell. Dad bought the Bowman Store at 201 E. Grand River. Mr. Bowman operated a variety store, but my father changed it into a dry goods store. I graduated from Howell High School in 1915, and later 220 married Charles Van Winkle. We lived at 521 W. Grand River and had three children . My husband, a real estate broker , died after 15 years of married life. My son, John Van Winkle served in World War II and was killed in action . Son, Charles Van Winkle taught school in Hartland , Michigan for 24 years and lives now in California . My daughter , Nancy LaFlamme lives in Howell. My sister , Florence moved to Howell from Philadelphia after her husband died. Her son, Louis Parmenter ran the Livingston Hotel and two stores in Howell. They now belong to my daughter , Nancy and her husband, Maurice LaFlamme and it is all one store called Adams . I married Mr. Sutton in 1962, 30 years after my first husband died. We live at 1014 Bower. RICHARD I. SLAYTON MAYOR OF HOWELL APRIL 1969-NOV . 1973 City of Howell General Fund owed to other city funds $70,659.00 in April of 1969. In November of 1973 funds had been paid back and $423,582.00 to the good in a Capital Improvement Fund . While Richard I. Slayton was in office the following improvements were completed : Constructed 12 city blocks of new pavement with curb and gutter on East and West Sibley Street at a cost of $190,000. Remodeled basement of Library for a larger Children 's section at a cost of $65,000. The Water Plant was enlarged in 1971 and 1972 at a cost of $128,000 which included water treatment equipment and an addition to the building . Constructed a Public Works Repair Garage at a cost of $35,000. Remodeled the first floor of the City Hall at a cost of $17,000. Purchased a new fire truck at a cost of $39,000. Replaced 361 street lights with new mercury vapor lamps and installed seven additional new street lights . Contract had been let and contractor is ready to start construction on the West Side Interceptor sewers running from West Street to Pulford Street and from Prospect Street to West Street. This will help eliminate sewage backup in basements. Cost of project is approximately $550,000. On October 15, 1973 the City Council authorized our Consulting Engineers, McNamee, Porter & Seeley, to prepare construction plans to complete the 12" watermain loop around the city and construct neeqed feeder mains to improve water pressure and fire protection in the city. This project is estimated to cost approximately $510,000. Increased the number of trucks available for use by the Department of Public Works with two new dump trucks and three pickup trucks. Also increased the number of cars in the Police Department from two to three. After considerable discussion in the past few years, the Michigan Department of State Highways installed a traffic control light on E. Grand River at National Street and 1915-The paving of Grand River. First the street must be plowed, then 8 inches of cement, and while the cement is still soft, lay down the bricks. widening Grand River from Fair Street to the railroad overpass at a cost of approximately $225,000. Constructed approximately 2,700 lin. ft. of new sidewalk on W. Grand River Avenue to serve the high school and junior high school. Replaced approximately 8,000 lin. ft. of existing sidewalk that was in poor condition. Purchased land for a parking lot on the southeast corner of Sibley Street and Walnut Street. Cost $38,000. There were four annexations of land to the City of Howell, which are as follows: Date 6 I 16 / 69 7 /1 4 / 69 8 / 28 / 69 3 / 20 /7 2 Location Chevron Oil Co.-E. Gd. River City property-Catrell Dr . north of Ann Arbor Railroad County Jail Property Wm. Gilkes property-West of the High School Acres 2.7 5.9 24.7 27.2 Total 60.5 On June 26, 1972, the City Council adopted a ordinance requiring owners of new construction to pay a water connection capital charge of $175.00 per dwelling unit and a sewer connection capital charge of $275.00 per dwelling unit. 221 - Margaret Dever eaux of Howell, Miss Michigan 1955 receives congratulations from Mayor Howard Gentry . Howell By ROBERT E. PARKER It has been a great honor to serve the City of Howell as its Mayor, more especially because I am a sixth generation resident of this city, having been born in Howell, educated, and spent my complete childhood here, and shared the joys of life of some of the best people in the world. Prior to my election as Mayor of the City of Howell, I served on the City Council and the Howell City Planning Commission. During my term as Mayor, the city was able to make great accomplishments by paving numerous streets , most prominently being North Michigan Avenue and Byron Road. These streets attract a great deal of attention by residents of the city and people of the surrounding townships because they are heavily traveled as the north-south corridors into the city. The City Council and its Mayor and City Manager gave great thought as to how to best handle the streets in the City of Howell, with the view in mind that the citizens do not want special assessments , and noting that we have an extremely close city budget as to expenditures as to compared to income, with not a great deal of funds left for street maintenance , up keep and repair. A .special report on street paving program was prepared by the council on February 10, 1975w ith the different alternatives that could be utilized in the development of a street program that would serve this community on a long term basis . Although streets are of major concern to the city , the most important project and the most needed project is that of a new sewage treatment plant. The present sewage treatment plant is not fulfilling the needs of the city and is causing tremendous problems and the expense is such that Federal Revenue Sharing will have to assist us greatly in providing a new sewage treatment plant for the city . During this time the city has been able to make great accomplishments and has torn down the old mausoleum at the city cemetery , and has beautified the cemetery with a generous legacy from the estate of the late Dorr W. Frisbee . At this time the City Council and Mayor decided to move the fire station from downtown Howell to West Grand River on property bought on what used to be the old McPherson farm. The fire station is now nearly completed and is certainly one of the most beautiful in the area. A 12 inch water main loop and certain feeder mains have 222 been provided to the city which will assist us in fire protection and the possibility of lowering our fire insurance rate . This has been needed for some time. West side intercepter sewers have now been completed and our sewage lines throughout the city are now in the best condition that they have ever been. The city must now look forward to the expansion of its city limits , especially to the area of the west and the east. As any community, the City of Howell will always have its problems with the immediate needs, which at this time appear to be a new sewage treatment plant , continuation of the street building program , building of a new dam on the north side of Howell Lake and more particularly , water main and sanitary sewer for those residents on the north side of Howell Lake and south of Highway M-59. The Marion-Genoa drain and the old Howell County drain must be cleaned and this will cost great expense to the city but are projects that must be done to assist in our storm water drainage . I am extremely pleased to have appointed several women to the various commissions of the City of Howell, however, I was disappointed that we were not able to get a woman elected to the Howell City Council. Possibly some day their abilities will be more fully appreciated and utilized by everyone . The City of Howell has pleasant memories to myself, my family for many , many years . Everyone in this community has seemed to have a close relationship with each other and it has been a good place to work and to live. I can remember every day going to the city park at Howell Lake to swim and riding my bike as fast as it could possibly go down the hill as one enters the city park . I noticed that even today , some children are doing the same thing that I did some 20 or 30 years ago. Another memory is that years ago children walked to school and the only school was the West Board School on Byron Road and the main High School building on South Michigan A venue. All children walking to school had to cross Grand River at Michigan Avenue and there the City Police always had an officer stationed to help the school children cross . On your way home it was always customary for children to go into the McPherson State Bank , then located at the northwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Grand River , to get a cold drink of water from the crystal clear water drinking fountain at the bank . Today the bank is gone and in pursuance of that old tradition, law offices of Parker and Parker has one of those very same and identical drinking fountains with its drinking water and today I noted children come in and out of our law office during the school time to get a drink of water . It does one's heart good to see a young boy stand there and drink 12 cups of water and then go out without saying a word , but most assuredly with a smile on his face. Another memory was that on Friday night in the City of Howell all of the stores would be open and the streets and sidewalks were jammed with the citizens carrying on their banking , purchasing of goods and grocery shopping . Everyone in town would be in Howell on Friday night , the farmers selling their produce, people sitting in their cars watching others walking up and down the street and generally carrying on some type of interesting conversation . My family would go up town " every Friday night, " and it seems that this old tradition is gone now, the stores no longer open on Friday night and modern day transportation has allowed the housewife to grocery shop any time of the week, rather than only on Friday night. These are some of my memories of Howell, and as a young man , I consider it the greatest place to live in the world , because the greatest people are here. Note Extra information that can be shown with the item. Such as how to get a physical copy of the item. Use the Windows Snipping Tool to capture the area of the document you want to save. If you want multiple pages printed please see staff to print the pages you want. <a href="https://howelllibrary.org/technology/#print" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">View the library's printing information.</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Howell Bicentennial History 1776-1976 (Part 1 of 3) Pages 1-222 Description An account of the resource The Howell, Michigan Bicentennial History 1776-1976 Part 1 of 3 Pages 1-222<br /><a href="http://archives.howelllibrary.org/items/show/242"></a><br /> <ul> <li><a href="https://archives.howelllibrary.org/items/show/241">View Bicentennial History Part 1</a></li> <li><a href="https://archives.howelllibrary.org/items/show/242">View Bicentennial History Part 2</a></li> <li><a href="https://archives.howelllibrary.org/items/show/243">View Bicentennial History Part 3</a></li> <li><a href="https://archives.howelllibrary.org/items/show/244">View Photo Supplement Part 1</a></li> <li><a href="https://archives.howelllibrary.org/items/show/245">View Photo Supplement Part 2</a></li> </ul> Subject The topic of the resource History Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource No Copyright - United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1975 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jaehnig, D.L. ed Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The American Revolution Bicentennial Committee, City of Howell Michigan Type The nature or genre of the resource Text history https://archives.howelllibrary.org/files/original/05b77c3bf64fd99d04e71aea47fb50d7.pdf b7b1d568dfe14f9509be7fd3eec29089 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Books - Local History Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Hidden Search Text Enter Search Text that is always hidden except to edit. OLD HOWELL & PIETY HILL Mrs. Winifred Ross & Mrs. Nellie Glenn N STA1 f. ) fiOv..IElL OLD HOWELL & PIETY HILL ( PARTIAL CORRECTED COPY BY NELLIE LANSING GLENN 8-30-64, ADDED CHANGES FROM OTHER COPIES 6/81, RETYPED WITH SOME PUNCTUATION AND SPELLING CHANGES BY CHESTER F, CLARK 1/88 ) , OLD HOWELL & PIETY HILL THE DESCRIPTION OF OLD HOUSES IN HOWELL DATES FROM 1875 THE NAMES TAKEN FROM THE 1875 ATLAS BY F,W, BEERS & CO" AND FROM THE COPY OF THE LITHOGRAPH OF HOWELL MADE IN 1877 AS A BIRDS-EYE VIEW OF THE TOWN, BEGINNING AT THE NORTH END OF THE PRESENT MICHIGAN AVENUE, PART OF WHICH WAS IN THE EARLY MAPS CALLED MILL STRE ET, AND FROM HIGGINS STREET SOUTH WAS CALLED EAST STREET, THE ONLY HOUSE STILL STANDING AND OCCUPIED, WAS OWNED BY W, WRIGHT, A RED BRICK, UPRIGHT AND WING, ON THE EAST SIDE OF MILL ST, IN THE BLOCK BETWEEN MAD ISON AND SUMMIT STREETS, FOR MANY YEARS IT WAS THE HOME OF MR S, NUTTING, EDWIN p, NUTTING AND HIS SISTER MISS LuCY NUTTING, THOMAS W, BREWER LIVED IN A LARGE WHITE WOODEN HOUSE AT THE NW CORNER OF MILL AND SUMMIT STREETS (1875 ); IN 1885 BERT PARSONS AND FAMILY LIVED THERE , THERE WERE FOUR SONS IN THAT FAMIL Y, MR, PARSONS WAS THEN A GROCER, LATER IN 1890 WHEN THE MICHIGAN CONDENSED MILK FACTORY WAS ESTABLISHED IN HOWELL, HE WAS IT S FIRST SUPERIN TENDENT, VERY SOON GOING TO NEW YORK CITY WHERE HE HELD A POSITION WITH THE SAME COMPANY, MR, PARSONS WAS A MAN OF GREAT ACTIVITY IN ALL PUBLIC ENTERPRISES OF THE TOWN AND WAS SECY, OF THE PRESBYTERIAN SUNDAY SCHOOL AT THE TIME OF HIS REMOVAL TO NEW YORK , HIS RETURN TO TOWN FOR A SHORT VISIT WAS ALWAYS THE SIGNAL FOR MUCH ENTERTAINMENT IN HIS HONOR, AFTER THE PARSONS FAMIL Y VACATED THE HOUSE, MR, A, A, PIATT WHO HAD COME TO HOWELL ABOUT 1890 FROM LANSING TO SUPERINTEND THE BENDING WORKS, AND ESTABLISHMENT WHICH WORKED IN WOOD, MADE AXLES, ETC" AND WAS LOCATED NEAR THE SI TE OF THE MILK FACTORY (NOW THE BRUCE PRODUC TS) , LIVED THERE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, THERE WERE SEVERAL CHILDREN IN THE PIATT FAMILY- MARIE, HOWARD, ROBERT AND LAWRENCE, THE MOTHER DIED IN THE WINTER OF 1891 DURING A DIPTHERIA EPIDEMIC WHICH TOOK THE LIVES OF SEVERAL PERSONS IN HOWELL, AND LATER AFTER THE JOSEPH TITUS FAMILY VACATED THEIR HOME ON W, GRAND RIVER AT TOMPKINS STREET, - THE FAMILY LIVED THERE UNTIL THEY RETURNED TO LANSING, MR, PIATT MARRIED FOR HIS SECOND WirE MISS ELIZABETH CLARK, THE DAUGHTER OF GEORGE CLARK, A PIONEER FAMILY IN TOWN, THE PlATTS LIVED FOR MANY YEARS IN LANSING WHERE THEY WERE ACTIVE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT CITY AND ITS INDUSTRIES, FOLLOWING THE PIATTS,THE HERBERT ACKLEY FAMILY LIVED IN THIS BREWER HOU SE FOR MANY YEARS, MR, ACKLEY WAS A DROVER, BUYING AND SELLING LIVE STOCK, Two CHILDREN, VERN AND EVA (MRS, FRED VANDERCOOK ) LIVED THERE DURING SCHOOL DAYS OF EARLY 1900's, No OTHER HOUSEi FACED MILL STREET IN THE OLD PICTURE UNTIL THE LARGE BRICK HOME OF WM, MCPHERSON SR, AND HIS SON EDWARD G, MCPHERSON IN THE BLOCK BETWEEN LAKE AND HIGGINS, BOTH OF THE HOU SES IN THAT BLOCK WERE WELL BACK IN THE YARDS, THE ENTRANCE TO THE E, G, MCPHERSON HOUSE FACED HIGGINS STREET, WM, MCPHERSON SR, HAD BEEN ONE OF THE EARLIEST SETTLERS IN THE VILLAGE, COMING TO HOWELL FROM SCOTLAND IN 1836 AND LIVING HIS FIRST YEARS IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE VILLAGE, HE WAS THE FATHER OF FOUR SONS AND FOUR DAUGHTERS, ALL OF WHOM WERE AT THE TIME OF THE PICTURE (1877) LIVING AT HOME OR VERY NEAR, AS THIS ACCOUNT WILL SHOW, THE FAMILY HOME IS NOW IN 1964 THE RESIDENCE OF HIS GRANDSON, WILLIAM MCPHERSON III, THE E, G, MCPHERSON HOME BECAME, AFTER HER MARRIAGE TO HENRY T, BROWNING, THE HOME OF MCPHERSON'S THIRD DAUGHTER, MARY BROWNING, THIS FAMILY HAD FOUR CHILDREN - WM, MCPHERSON BROWNING, ELIZABETH BROWNING, ISABELL BROWNING (MANN), AND A SON ROBERT WHO J DIED IN INFANCY, IN 1900 THE BROWNING FAMILY MOVED TO CHICAGO. LATER RETURNING TO HOWELL WH ERE THE Y LI VED IN THE ALEXANDER MCPHERSON HOME ON WEST GRAND RIVER ( DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE COMMUNITY CENTER PROPERT V, MRS, BROWNING'S SON, WILLIAM MCPHERSON BROWNING AND HIS FAMILY RESIDED THERE UNTIL MR, BROWNING'S DEATH IN RECENT YEARS, THE EDWARD GREGORY MCPHERSON FAMIL Y WHO LIVED IN THE HOUSE ABOVE MENTIONED MOVED TO THE LARGE RED BRICK HOU SE WHICH HAD BEEN BUILT BY THE SECOND SON OF WM, MCPHERSON SR,. ALEXAND ER. ON THE SE CORNER OF EAST STREET AT CLINTON, ALEXANDER MCP HERSON BUILT SOME TIME AFTER 1877 THE BRICK HOUSE ON W, GRAND RIVER (C OMMUNITY CENTER NOW). AND THE E ,G, MCPHERSON FAMIL Y THEN MOVED INT O HIS HOME, THIS HOUSE WAS REMODELED AS THE MCPHERSON COMMUNITY HOSPITAL ABOUT 1923 AND SO USED UNTIL ITS DEMOLITION AND THE ERECTION OF THE PRESENT MCPHERSON STATE BANK ON THIS S ITE ABOUT 1956, NEXT SO UTH FROM HIGGINS STREET ON EAST STREET WERE THE HOMES OF HENRY H, MILLS WHO HAD MARRIED THE ELDEST DAUGHTER OF MR, MCPHERSON SR ,. AND NEXT SOUTH. WM, MCPHERSON JR,. ELDEST SON OF THE FAMILY WHOSE WIFE WAS JENNY RANN EY, THEI R CHILDREN WERE FREDERIC K RANNEY WHO DIED EARLY IN HIS LIFE. ALICE MCPHERSON ( MRS, WILLIAM C, SPENCER ). MARY MCPHERSON ( MRS, JAY BIGELOW ). AND ROBERT BRUCE MCPHERSON, THE WM, MCPHERSON JR, FAMILY BUILT THE LARGE HOUSE IN THE EXTREME WEST END OF HOWELL ON GRA ND RIVER -NORTH SIDE IN 1874, THE HOME WHICH THEY OCCUPIED ON EAST ST, WAS LATER DEMOLISHED AND THE SITE PURCHASED AND DEVELOPED A MEMORIAL PARK BY THE LIVING CHILDREN OF MR, AND MRS, WILLIAM MCPHERSON JR, A DIAGONAL WALK CONNECTED THE EAST ST, SIDE OF THE PROPERTY WITH MAIN ST, (NOW STATE ST,), TREES AND SHRUBS WERE PLANTED, THIS WITH THE MILLS HOME ( LATER THE HOME OF FRANK, ELLA AND MOLLY BURT) IS NOW THE LOCATION OF THE MACDoNALD FUNERAL HOME, OCCUPIED THE WHOLE BLOCK BETWEEN HIGGINS AND NORTH STREET S , IN 1886 NORTH ST" NEXT SOU TH WAS CLOSED AS A STREET BY THE BUILDING THERE OF A TUNNEL FOR THE TOLEDO, ANN ARBOR & NORTHERN RAILROAD, THIS TUNNEL, THEN COVERED WITH PLANKS, EXTENDED FROM EAST ST, TO BARNARD , COVERED BR IDGE S PROVIDED PASSAGE OVER EAST, MAIN AND COURT STREETS , LATER, THE PLAN KS COVERING THE TUNN EL WERE UNSAFE, THEY WERE REMOVED BETW EEN THE STREETS AND THE RAILR OAD RAN AS IT DOES TODA Y IN THE CUT THRU THAT SPACE, THE E , G, MCPHERSON (BROWN ING ) HOUSE WAS REPLACED BY THE PRESENT CEMENT BLOCK BUI LDING FACING HIGGINS ST" BUIL T BY EUGENE E, STOWE AND OCCUPIED BY HIS FAMILY UNTIL RECENTLY, A HOU SE BUILT BY A MR, SWANN WAS ERECTEDON THE SW CORN ER OF THE WM, MCPHERSON PROPERTY, SOU TH OF NORTH ST , ( NOW THE TUNNEL ) WAS ONCE AN IR ON WORKING ESTABLISHMENT BU T THE 1875 MAP SHOWS THE SI TE AS THE HOME OF ANDREW WADDELL WHO WAS ONE OF THE LEADING LAWYERS AND CITIZENS OF EARLY HOWELL, THE GRAND ARMY POST WAS NAMED FOR HIM, MR , WADDELL HAD DIED BEFORE 1885 ( MY EARLIEST KNOWLEDG E OF THIS TO WN ) AND AT ONE TIME THE FAMILY OF ED , K, JOHNSON LIVED IN THIS HOUSE , IT WAS FOR MANY LATER YEARS THE HOME OF LYMAN VAND ER COOK, MR, VANDERCO OK WAS LIVINGSTON CO, SHER IFF SOMETIME BEFORE 1890, AND DIED I BE LIE VE IN OFFI CE , THAT HOUSE STIL L STANDS ON THIS SITE, THE SA LVATION ARMY WAS THERE LATER, Now IN 1981 THE SITE IS A PARKING LOT FOR MCPHERSON STA TE BANK, THE 1877 PICTURE SHOWS THE LARGE RED BRICK HOUSE WITH THE MANSARD ROOF, THEN THE HOME ( AS MENTIONED BEFORE ) OF ALEXANDER MCPHERSON AND E , G, MCPHERSON, NOW THE SI TE OF THE MCPHERSON STATE BANK , THIS BRINGS ONE TO THE BUSINESS SECTION OF THE VILLAGE WHICH WILL BE TAKEN UP AS A SEPARATE PART OF THIS ARTICLE, ONLY ONE HOUSE ON THE WEST SIDE OF MILL ST, IS SHOWN IN THE 1877 PICTURE WHICH WE THINK WAS THE S,W, BOWERS HOME, LATER OCCUPIED FOR MANY YEARS BY HIS DAUGHTERS, ONE OF WHOM WAS MISS ELLA BOWERS, WE THINK THIS HOUSE IS STILL STANDING NEAR PRESENT RIDDLE ST, AT N, MICHIGAN, HERBERT GILLETTE BUILT THE PRESENT HOME ON A PART OF TH I S PROPERTY, A LARGE SWAMP OCCUP I ED THE AREA NORTH OF THE "CAT HOLE", A POND AT ONE TIME OF LARGER S IZE AND SAID TO BE "BOTTOMLESS", WHICH IS JUST NORTH OF THE ANN ARBOR RR DEPOT, No STREET EAST AND WEST WAS CUT THRU THIS SECTION AND FEW HOUSES WERE SHOWN ON EITHER MAP OR PICTURE, FACING MILL ST, WHICH BEGAN AT SO CALLED EAST ST, WHERE HIGGINS ENDED AT MILL AND EAST, IT IS ALL NOW N, MICHIGAN AVE, WETMORE ST, WHICH IS THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE A A R R DEPOT ENDED FROM THE WEST AT EAST ST, ITS CONTINUATION WAS NORTH ST, ( A A R R TUNNEL AT PRESENT), OF THE THREE HOUSES ON THE WEST SIDE OF N, EAST ST, BEFORE ONE REACHED WETMORE ST" ONE WAS IN THE 1880's THE HOME OF GEORGE CLARK, MRS, CLARK WAS THE DAUGHTER OF A MR, AXTELL, ONE OF THE PIONEERS, HIS SON GEORGE AXTELL WAS AT ONE TIME CONNECTED WITH THE LIVINGSTON REPUBLICAN PRESS, THE CLARKS HAD THREE DAUGHTERSMARY (MRS, CARD ) , ELIZABETH ( MRS, A, A, PIATT ), WINIFRED ( MRS, GREGORY), AND A SON WM, CLARK, WE BELIEVE MR, CLARK WAS ONE OF THE FIRM OF CLARK & WYCKOFF, FOUNDRY OWNERS, WM, BROOKS LATER LIVED IN HIS HOUSE FOR MANY YEARS, THE NEXT HOUSE SHOWN ON BOTH MAP AND PICTURE IS THE J,B, SK ILBECK HOME, A LOW RED BRICK, STILL STANDING AND ONCE OCCUPIED BY THE TOM SWITZER FAMILY, THE JOHN BICKHARTS, AND MORE RECENTLY BY A MR, VANBuREN, THE HOUSE WHICH IN BOTH ILLUSTRAiiONS QUOTED, STOOD ON THE EXACT SITE OF THE TUNNEL AND WAS NO DOUBT REMOVED WHEN THAT ROAD WAS CONSTRUCTED, THIS HOUSE WAS MARKED ON THE MAP AS THE HOME OF W,C, RUMSEY, AND NO DOUBT WAS A CENTER OF ACTIVE FAMILY LIFE FOR MR, RUMSEY'S NAME IS OFTEN MENTIONED IN THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN, THE BLOCK BETWEEN WETMORE ST, AND W, CLINTON ON THE WEST SIDE OF EAST ST, HAD ONLY TWO HOUSES FACING EAST ST, THE MILO GAY HOME OCCUPIED THE SITE OF THE PRESENT HOUSE OWNED BY MRS, ED, BEACH, WHICH WAS REBUILT BY THE LATE MANCHESTER BEACH, MAN MILLINER OF HOWELL FOR MANY YEARS, BEFORE HIS SON EDWARD LIVED THERE, THIS HOUSE WAS REMOVED TO MAKE WAY FOR A PARKING LOT 1972-3, THE MILO GAY HOME TOO WAS A PART OF THE MCPHERSON SAGA OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, FOR MRS, GAY WAS HARRIETT RANNEY, THE SISTER OF MRS, WM, MCPHERSON JR, AFTER WM, MCPHERSON JR, BUILT HIS HOME ON W, GRAND RIVER ( NOW DEMOLISHED), MR, GAY ERECTED THE DUPLICATE WM, MCPHERSON JR, HOUSE ON THE SITE AT 824 W, GRAND RIVER, OF THE THIS LARGE HOUSE WITH A CUPOLA WAS REPLACED IN THE 1920's BY THE PRESENT HOME OF JUDGE HIRAM SMITH, THIS SECTION OF HOWELL IS KNOWN AS THE FIRST AND SECOND PROSPECT ADDITIONS TO THE VILLAGE, AND NEXT SOUTH OF THE OLD GAY HOME ON EAST ST, WAS THE OLD RESIDENCE OF THE REV, GREGORY, AN EARLY PASTOR OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ABOUT 1882 THE SON OF THIS REV, GREGORY , E,P , GREGORY, WHO WAS LIVING IN HIS FATHER'S OLD HOME AND WAS THEN MARRIED TO ELIZABETH MCPHERSON, THE SECOND DAUGHTER OF WM, MCPHERSON SR" BUILT A LARGE FRAME HOUSE AT THE CORNER OF W, GRAND RIVER AT TOMPKINS, ON THE SOUTH SIDE, THE PROPERTY ADJOINING THE NEW HOME OF ALEXANDER MCPHERSON (NOW COMMUNITY CENTER PROPERTY), THE GREGORY FAMILY, EDWARD P. AND LIBBY MCPHERSON GREGORY, AND THEIR CHILDRENCHARLES, EDWARD, WILLIAM, MCPHERSON GREGORY, GRACE AND JULIE AND THE YOUNGEST CHILD, HENRY PAYSON GREGORY, LIVED THERE UNTIL ABOUT 1892 WHEN AFTER -THE DEATH OF MRS. HENRY AND GRACE, AND THE REMOVAL FROM TOWN OF THE OTHER CHILDREN, THE HOUSE WAS RENTED TO DIFFERENT FAMILIES. THE JUDGE OF PROBATE EDGER FAMILY LIVED THERE PRIOR TO 1900, LATER THE REV. CROSBY FAMILY, THE ELLIOTT FAMILY AND OTHERS. THE HOUSE WAS LATER REMODELED BY WM . MCPHER SON SM ITH, ONLY SON OF THE YOUNGEST DAUGHTER ELLA OF WM. MCPHERS ON SR. LATER THE HOUSE WAS OCCUPIED BY DON MAIN. THIS HOUSE IS MUCH ALTERED IN APPEARANCE. THE FRANK E. LANSING FAMILY LIVED IN THE OLD GREGORY HOUS E ON EAST ST. AT W. CLINTON FROM JULY 1885 THRU 1887 WHEN THEY MOVED TO THE W.W. KENYON TENANT HOUSE ON E. CLINTON ST. FACING HESSE ST. LATER THEY BUILT IN 1890 THE HOME AT 818 W. GRAND RIVER WHICH IS STILL STANDING. FRANK LANSING WAS NELLIE GLENN'S FATHE R. THE GREGORY HOUSE WAS ALLOWED TO DETERIORATE AND WAS FINALLY REMOVED TO MAPLE ST. NEAR ISBELL, REMODELED, AND IS NOW IN USE AS A RESIDENCE. THE CORNER OF EAST ST. AT CLINTON IS NOW OCCUPI ED BY AN OIL STATION AND PARKING LOT. BETWEEN THE MILO GAY ( BEACH ) HOUSE AND THE OLD GREGORY HOMESTEAD A NEWER HOUSE WAS ERECTED ABOUT 1885 OWNED BY A MR. PEEBLES WHO HAD SOME CONNECTION THRU HIS SON-IN-LAW (I THINK ) WITH THE HOTEL BUSINESS IN HOWELL- THE NATIONAL HOTEL (NOW ADAMS STORE). BETWEEN THE PEEBLES HOME AND THE GREGORY HOUSE A LONG RED WOODEN BUILDING WAS ERECTED BY E.P. GREGORY, AND USED FOR THE FIRST ROLLER SKATING RINK. IN 1885-6 THE FIRST SALVATION ARMY CORP IN HOWELL HELD ITS MEETINGS THERE. LATER THE BUILDING HOUSED THE ANNUAL WOOL COLLECTION OF THE MCPHERSON BROTHERS AND WAS USED FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPO SES UNTIL IT S DEMOLITION, DR, EARNEST BR OWN E AND HI S FAMILY LIVED FOR MANY YEARS AFTER 1900 IN THE PEEBLES HOUS E AND MADE ALTER ATI ONS ON IT, IT WAS LATER OW NED BY MRS, LAURA SHAR PE -RuSS ELL . AND IS STILL IN USE AS A DWE LLING, ONLY ONE OTHER DWELLING HOUSE BELONG S IN THIS LIST OF HOMES OF THE EARLY DAYS NORTH OF GRAND RIV ER, A LARGE WHITE HOU SE OF THE 1850-60 PERIOD STOOD JUST WEST OF EAST ST , ON THE SOU TH SIDE OF W, CLINTON, THE 1875 AT LAS MAP LISTS IT AS BELONGING TO E,A, YO UNG . BUT IN 1885 A FAM IL Y NAMED CHARLES BROWN LIVED THERE, MR, BROWN WAS A JEWELER, THE HOUSE WAS LAT ER MOVED TO THE CO RNER OF W, CLINTON AND N, CENTER STS, AND WAS FOR MANY YEARS TH E HOME OF GEORGE CHAPE L AND HIS FAMILY , IT I S NOW 204 N, CE NTER ST , THE HOME OF ROB ERT CHAPEL, THERE WERE IN HOWE LL A NUMBER OF HOU SES OF THI S TYPE KNOW N AS THE "PIPP" HOU SES FR OM THE BUILDER MR, P IPP WHO SE OWN HOME IN HIS LATER YEARS WAS OF AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT TYP E AN D I S I BELIEVE THE PRESENT HOME AT 210 N, CENTER OF WM, F, PIPP, THE NORTHEA ST PART OF HOWELL WAS KNOWN IN THE OLD DAYS AS PIETY HI LL, AM NOT SUR E OF THE EXAC T AREA COV ERED THI S DESIGNATION BETWEEN E, GRAND RI VER AND N, EAST STS,. NO R WHY ITS DE SIGN ATI ON. BUT A NUMBER OF HOUSES BUI LT IN THI S AREA ARE STILL IN USE. THE ONES BE ING REMODELED TO SOM E EXTENT, IN 1875 THE ONLY HOUSE IN THE BLOCK NEXT WES T OF THE OAK GROVE CEME TER Y ( NOW CAL LErr LAKES IDE ) WHI CH HAD BEEN LOC ATED AT IT S PRESENT SITE AFTER 1860. WAS THE HOME OF I,W, BUSH. BETWEEN THOMPSON AND MADISON STS,. A LARGE WHITE FRAME SET WE LL BACK FROM THE STREET AMONG TREES, IN 1888 IT WAS VACAN T AND A SMA LL POX EPIDE MIC PLAGUING HOWELL SERIOUSLY THAT YEAR. THIS HOUSE WAS US ED FOR AN ISOLATION "P EST HOUSE", FOR MANY YEARS AFTER IT WAS AVOIDED BY FAMILIE S UNTIL A I t i I MR. FRISBEE RESTORED IT TO A RESIDENCE. A FIRE PARTIALLY DESTROYED IT I N LATE R YEARS BU T IT I S AGAIN REMODELED AND NOW A RES ID ENCE OF WALTER J. PARKS. Now IN 1981 IT I S TH E HOME OF Lou & SHIRLEY THE D.C. & A.C. KNEE LAND HOM E, FIR ST HOUSE FACING STATE ST. SO UTH OF MADISON IS STILL STAN DING AND WAS AT A LATE R TIME THE HOME OF THE THOMA S GORDON FAMILY UNTIL THEIR REMOVAL TO DETRO IT . THE DAUGHTER OF MR. KN EELAND WAS MAUD KNEELAND GOUGH, WIFE OF CHAR LES GOUGH, AND A NIECE OF GOV . EDWIN WINANS. THE J .A . PRES TON HOME HAD A CU POL A AND STOOD AT THE NW COR4ER OF SUMMIT AND STATE STS. THE ATTORNEY LOUI S HO WLE TT FAMI LY LI VED THERE UNTIL MRS. HOW LETT' S DEATH ABOUT 1960. IN 1970 THIS WAS r HE HOME OF THE FL OYD PERKINS FAMIL Y. THE VANKEUREN FAMILY - J . ,C HAR LES, ALEX AND HARRY- WERE ALSO LONG TIME RE SID ENT S OF A HOUSE FAC IN G STATE ST. FRANK HI CK EY LIVED AT THE CORNER OF STA TE AND MO NROE STS. MR. HIC KEY WAS BURNED TO DEATH IN THE GREAT FIRE OF 1892. MRS. HICCEY AND HER TWO CHILDREN, EVA ( MR S .R. BRUCE MCPERSON ) AND BRUCE HI C( EY LIVED THERE FOR MANY YEARS AFTER. ON THE NW CORNER OF STATE AND MONROE STS . THE 12R. W. J. MILLS FA MI LY LI VED. DR. MILLS WAS A HO MEOPATHIC PHYSICIAN AND AN ADVENTIST, LON G INTERE STED IN THE DR. KE LLO GG SANA TARIUM AT BA TTLE CREEK. THE NE XT HOUSE (1885) , AT TH E CORNER OF STA TE AND LAKE WAS THE MILE S BULLOCK HOME. MR. BULLOCK, A CIVIL WAR VETERAN, WAS A SURVEym AND CAP ITALI ST, AND THE FATHER OF MISS D. EDITH BUL LOCK, A IN HOWELL AND GRAND RAPIDS SCHOOLS WHO DIED RECENT LY AT THE AGE OF NINET Y YEARS. THE BU LL OCK HOME I S LI STED IN THE 1875 MAP AS BEIN G BUI LT BY GEORGE LEE OF THE WELL REMEMBERED BUSINESS F IR M OF GEO i GE AND FREDERICK LEE . AFTER YEARS, THE JOHN RYAN FAMILY OCCUPIED THE II DR, NILLS HOUSE, THERE ARE MANY OTHER NAMES OF OLDER FAMILIES WHO AT VARIOUS TIMES RESIDED ON N, MAIN ( NOW STATE ST,), THE T,P, STOWE FAMILY LIVED IN THE HIRAM WING HOME IN 1899, THE GEORGE BARDED, THE LAVERNE BROKAW, ETC, ( THOUGH IN NEWER HOUSES) ALL HOUSES ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BLOCKS ON STATE, FROM LAKE ST, TO FACING MAIN (STATE) THE PROPERTY ON THE EAST SIDE IS LISTED IN THE 1875 ATLAS AS BEING OWNED BY NATHAN J, HICKEY, MR, HICKEY'S HOUSE, A LOW RED BRICK, STOOD ON THE CORNER OF MAIN AND HIGGINS, FACING HIGGINS, THIS WAS THE EXTREME SOUTHERN CORNER OF THE BLOCK AND UNTIL ABOUT 1885 WHEN MR, HICKEY'S DAUGHTER, MRS, HOMER N, BEACH, LIVED IN A NEWER HOUSE IN THE NORTH CORNER OF THE BLOCK, WAS ALONE, MRS, BEACH HAD ONE DAUGHTER, EMILY, WHO MARRIED ALBERT L, SMITH AND THE SMITHS LIVED IN THAT HOUSE AFTER MR, BEACH'S DEATH AND UNTIL MRS, SMITH DIED, IT IS NOW AN HOUSE, THE OLD RED BRICK N,S, HICKEY HOME WAS OCCUPIED AT VARIOUS TIMES BY A MR, PARSHALL, BY EDWARD SHIELDS ABOUT 1900, AND STILL LATER BY THE RICHARD BARRON FAMILY, MRS, NESMITH NOW OWNS IT AND HAS REMODELED IT TO SOME EXTENT, AT THE CORNER OF HIGGINS AND LAKE WELL BACK IN THE YARD ON THE NW SIDE OF THE BLOCK STANDS A HOUSE LISTED IN THE 1875 ATLAS AS BELONGING TO p, BARNARD, AFTER 1900 THIS HOUSE WAS THE HOME OF D,W. NEWELL AND HIS FAMILY, MISS ANNA ( MRS, NEWELL WAS A BARNARD AND VERY PROBABLY THIS WAS THE HOME OF HER FATHER, SHE HAD A BROTHER WALLACE BARNARD WHOSE NAME APPEARS FREQUENTLY IN THE 1880 HISTORY OF THE VILLAGE, HE LATER LIVED IN PINCKNEY, .NEITHER THE 1875 MAP OR THE PICTURE OF 1877 SHOWS IT BUT IN 1841 THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH WAS ORGANIZED IN HOWELL AFTER A DISAGREEMENT AMONG THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WHICH HAD BEEN ORGANIZED IN 1838 . I N 1838, THE LIVIN GS TON 1880 HISTORY STATES, THE CHURCH ORGANIZATION PURCHASED A LOT THE NE CORNER OF MAIN AND NOR TH ( NOW AARR TUNNEL ) AND TH ERE BEGAN THE BUILDING OF A CHURCH EDIFICE IN 1852. AFTER A LONG DELA Y THE BUILDING WAS COMPLETED AND SERVED BOTH THE CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY AND THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH WHICH HAD BEEN ORGANIZED AS "ALL SAI NTS CHURCH OF HOWELL" ON THE 12TH DAY OF DECEMBER 1857. THE EPI SC OPAL CHURCH MET IN THE COUNTY COURT HOU SE WHICH WAS ERECTED IN 184 ) ON THE SITE OF THE PRESENT COURT HOUSE WHICH WAS ERECTED I N 1890 . THE 1880 HISTORY STATES THAT THE COMMITTEE OF THE EP IS COPA L SECURED THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH BUILDING IN 1854 AND CONTIN UED TO USE IT. THE CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY WAS DISBANDED IN 1855, THE BUILDING SOLD AT AUCTION AND DEMOLISHED IN 1872 . THE MATERIAL WAS USED IN REMODELING THE OLD BAPTIST CH URCH WHI CH THEN STOOD ON THE SITE OF THE NEW PRESENT ONE. THE BAPTIST CHUR CH I S VER Y EASILY RECOGNIZED IN THE BIRD'S-EYE PICTURE OF 1877, BUT NO EVIDENCE REMAINS OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH WH ICH MUST HAVE STOOD ABOUl ON THE LINE OF THE PRE SE NT AARR TUNNEL. THE 187 5 MA P SHOWS THIS CORNER AT THE TUNNEL AND COURT ST. AS BEING OWNED BY E . C. WRIGHT AND A HOU SE STILL STANDING NEXT TO THE RAILROAD WAS KNOWN TO ME IN 1885 AS THE WRIGHT HOME. IT I S STILL STANDING THERE. THE STREET KNOWN IN THE EARLIER DAY S AS NORTH ST. (T HE TUNNEL ) WAS ONLY THREE BLOCKS LONG ENDING AT BARNARD ST. WHAT WAS THE FIRST SITE OF AN OLD CEMETERY, LATER THE ELECTRIC POWER HOUSE ( FIRST IN HOWELL) ON THAT SAME SITE WHICH IS NOW OCCUPIED BY PURDY tWmDRUFF LUMBER CO, ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH WAS REORGANIZED AS SAINT JOHNS CHURCH IN 1868 (NOW CHRISTIAN CHURCH 1970), AND SERVICES WERE HELD IN THE COURT HOUSE, IRREGULARLY, AND DISCONTINUED IN 1879, THE PRESENr ST, JOHNS ON S, WALNUT ST, MUST HAVE BEEN BUILT AFTER 1880 FOR IT IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE 1880 LIVINGSTON HISTORY, BUT WAS IN ITS PRESENT LOCATION IN 1885, WHICH WAS PART OF THE ORIGINAL VILLAGE SQUARE AS PLANNED WHEN HOWELL WAS FIRST LAID OUT AS A TOWN, THE DATE OF ITS ERECTION COULD BE VERIFIED FROM ITS CORNERSTONE TODAY, THIS ACCOUNT OF THE BUILDINGS ON N, MAIN (STATE) AS KNOWN TODAY BRINGS US TO THE PRESENT SITE OF THE BAPTIST CHURCH WHICH IS ON THE SAME LOC ATION AS THE EARLIER CHURCH (BAPTIST) ERECTED IN 1846 , THE SOCIETY HAD WORSHIPPED, FROM ITS ORGANIZATION IN 1838, IN THE OLD FRAME SCHOOL HOUSE THE SITE OF WHICH IS NOW MARKED BY A DAR BOULDER ON GREGORY ST, SOUTH OF SIBLEY ST, QC UPYING THE SOUTH OF THE CHURCH, BOUNDED ON THE NORTH BY CLINTON COURT ( NOW CHURCH ST,) WHICH THE CHURCH FACES, ON THE WEST BY MAIN (S TATE ), THE SOUTH BY E, GRAND RIVER, AND THE EAST BY COURT ST, IS THE COUNTY COURT AND JAIL ( NOW CALLED THE DETENTION HOME), WHEN THIS COUNTY BUILDING WAS ERECTED IN 1846-7 BY E,B, TAYLOR THE TOTAL COST WAS $5928, THE BELFRY WAS ERECTED UPON THE CONDITION THAT THE VILLAGE WOULD RAISE THE MONEY TO BUY A BELL, IN 1890 WHEN THE PRESENT COURT HOUSE WAS ERECTED ON THE SAME SITE, THE BELL WAS REMOVED AND SAVED BY FISHBECK BROS, AND OTHERS,MOUNTED AND JUST INSIDE THE BAR RAIL IN THE CIRCUIT COURT ROOM IN THE 1890 COURT HOUSE, PER NOTES IN THE 1911 HISTORY OF HOWELL BY A, RILEY CRITTENDEN, THE FIRST COURT HOUSE BUILDING WAS A LAR GE ONE WIT H BELFRV, THE JAIL IN THE REAR . I REMEMBER THE BUILDING WAS STUCCO COVEREDAT LEAST IT WAS A GREY COLOR. ON EACH SIDE EAST AND WEST WERE TWO SMALL ONE-STORY OFFICE BUILDINGS OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE AND THE COUNTY TREASURER. CLINTON ST. NOW CUTS THRU AT THE REAR OF THE COURT HOUSE BETWEEN IT AND THE JAIL. THEN IT WAS ONLY A WALK . THE OLD JAIL WAS ERECTED BEFORE THE PRESENT COUR THOU SE, ABOU T L885, AND HOUSED AS WELL AS TH E PRISONERS THE FAMILY OF THE SHERIFF. IT WAS OF RED BRICK TWO STORIES HIGH AND QUITE A FINE BU IL DING FO! THE TOWN BEFORE THE COURT HOU SE WAS BUILT IN A STYL E THEN VERY POPULAR THROUGHOUT MICHIGAN. IN THE EA RLY DAYS OF THE VIL LAGE . COURT WAS HELD IN MANY PLACES- IN THE EAGLE TAVERN, THE F IR ST SCHOOL HOU SE, STORES, AND THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURC H BUILDING. A f ULL ACC OUN T OF THE EARLY LEGAL PROCESSES OF THE COUNTY WI LL BE FOU HD IN THE 1880 HISTORY, AND ON PAGE S 55-55-57 OF TH E 1911 HISTORY OF HOWELL BY A. RILEY CRITTENDEN. RETURNING NOW TO THE HOME S ON N. COUR T ST ., AS SHOWN I N THE MA P AND PICTURE, AND GOING NORTH FROM HIGGINS ST . , WE FIND THE VER I OLD HOUSE OF E.H. SMITH STILL STANDING AND OCCUPIED. NORTH OF THI S ON THE EAST SID E OF N. COURT I S PROPERTY LI STED AS OWNED BY E . B. UINA NS ( LATER GOV. OF MICH.) AND NOW OCCUPIED FOR MANY YEARS BY A HOME KNOWN AS THE WM. P. VANWINK LE RESIDENCE. THIS HOUSE IS NOT SH OWN IN THE 1877 PICTURE SO MUST HAVE BEEN BUILT AFTER THAT DATE . IT IS NOW APARTMENTS. THE LARGE HOU SE OF ASA VANK LEE K STI LL STANDS ON LA KE ST. AT THE NW CORN ER OF COUR T . JUST EAST OF IT FACING LAKE ST . ON THE NORTH SI DE IS THE OLD PRESBYTERIAN MANSE, ABOUT 1899. THE CHUR CH SOLD IT ABOUT FIFT Y YEARS AGO TO RA LPH TUBBS WHO REMODELED IT BUT KEPT ITS FINE LINE S . I T IS NOW OWNED BY OTHERS. Two OTHER LARGE OLD HOME S STAND ON LAKE ST, FACING NORTH ACROSS FROM THE MANSE, ONE A RED BRI CK AT THE SE CORNER OF BARNARD IS LISTED IN 1875 AS OWNED BY W,H, GILKS, AND THE NEXT ONE WEST OWNED BY MISS A, D, LOVE, THE GILKS HOUSE IN 1887 WAS THE RESIDENCE OF EUGE NE STOWE AND FAMILY , JUDGE OF PROBATE FOR MANY YEAR S , IT IS LISTED NOW AS OWNED BY BARR OIL CO, THOUGH IT APPEAR S TO BE A DIAGONALLY ACROS S IS A HOUSE ONCE LIVED IN BY THE HUD SO N BLACKMAN FAMILY AND STILL LATER BY F,E, MILLS, THE PI CTU RE SHOW S SEVERAL OTHER LARGE HOMES BUT THE RE SIDENTS AND OWNERS ARE NOT KNOWN TO ME NOW, RETURNING ON LAKE ST, WEST TO THE NE CORNER OF CO URT AND LAKE ONE FINDS THE HARRY WHEELER HOME WHERE FOR MANY YEARS THE FAMILY CATERED TO MANY YOUNG MEN OF THE COMMUNITY AND MADE FRIEND S OF BUDDING MINISTERS , PHYSICIANS AND LAWYERS, THE CORNER AT CO URT AND LAKE NOW OCCUPIED BY THE LARGE THREE STORY BRICK HOU SE KNOWN AS THE HOME OF DENNIS SHIELDS , AND LATER AS CROMAINE CRA FT S AFTER THE BUILDiNG WAS GIVEN BY FRAN K AND HI S BROTHER S EDWARD AND JAMES SHIELD S FOR A CULTURAL CENTER, THIS BUILDING IS NOT SHOWN IN THE 1877 PICTU RE, DENNIS SHIELDS THEN LIVED ON E, CLINTON ST, NEAR HE SSE , THIS is NOW AN APARTMENT HOU SE, ONE OF THE MOST IMPO SI NG MAN SI ONS OF OL D HOWELL WAS THE JOHN GALLOWAY HOME ( HERB SC HOTT IN 1973), STILL STANDING THOUGH SLIGHTLY ALTERED, ON IT S SITE FA CING HIG GIN S AT ON THE WEST SIDE VERY NEAR THE SIDEWALK, THE SON OF JOHN DURFEE GALLOWAY, THE FIRST GRADUATE OF THE HOWELL UN I ON SC HOO L AND HIS WIFE ELIZABETH McMICHAEL OCCUPIED IT UNTIL HER DEATH IN TH E 1920' s, AT ONE TIME A DR, STEPHENS OWNED IT AND BUILT ON THE REAR NORTH SIDE A SMALL ADDITION WHI CH HE USED FOR AN OFFICE, DIAGO iALLY ACROSS COURT ON THE NW CORNER OF COURT IS THE LARGE HOME OF TH E LATE WILLIAM WELLS MD, THIS HAD AT ONE TIME A CUPOLA WHICH HAS BEEN REMOVED, DIRECTLY SOUTH ON THE EAST SIDE OF COURT ST. NEXT TO THE AARR TUNNEL JUST AS IT EMERGES FROM THE ST, BRIDGE IS THE OLD RED BRICK HOUSE WHICH WAS THE LAST HOME OF SARDIS HUBBELL, EARLY ATTORNEY, THE BLOCK BETWEEN THE TUNNEL AND E, CLINTON ST, SHOWS IN THE EARLY PICTURE ONLY THREE HOUSES ON THE EAST SIDE OF COURT ST, - J, WEIMEISTER .(NOW OWNED BY MISS ALMA YOUNG), THE DR, HENRY N, SP ENCER HOME, AND ON THE CORNER OF CLINTON THE HOME OF JUDGE OF PROBATE H,H, HARMON , ACROSS CLINTON TO GRAND RIVER WAS A SMALL HOUSE LISTED AS THE W,B, SMITH HOME, ' LATER HENRY BE URMAN LIVED IN IT ABOUT 1902, THE CHAMPION EDGAR HOUSE (PARKING LOT 1970) Ar THE REAR OF THE FORMER CITIZENS MUTUAL BUILDING NOW OWNED BY THE COUNTY AS AN OFFICE BUILDING, WAS BUILT AT THE REAR OF THE VANANGELL PROPERTY WHICH OCCUPIED ALL OF THE FRONTAGE ON E, GRAND RIVER AT N, COURT, BACK OF THE ANGELL MANSION WHICH FACED GRAND RIVER WAS A SMALL BUILDING USED AS AN OFFICE BY DR, WELLS AND LATER BY ROBERT BELL WHO PRACTICED WITH DR, WELL S IN HIS LATER YEARS, [TS USE AS A MEDICAL OFFICE WAS DISCONTINUED SOME TIME AFTE R 1900 AND ALL THAT PROPERTY EXCEPT THE EDGAR HOUSE WAS USED AS THE SIT[ OF THE FIR ST CITIZENS MUTUAL OFFICE BUILDING, THIS ANGELL PROPE RTY WAS LATER KNOWN AS THE HELEN ANGELL BELL ESTATE, MRS, BELL WAS A DAUGHTER OF VAN AN GELL AS WAS MRS, EDGAR, BEGINNING THE BLOCK FACING GRAND RIVER WEST FROM BARNARD ST" THE ONLY OTHER HOUSE IN THE EARLY YEARS WAS THE Z,V, HOME, NOW THE PROPERTY OF L,H, CRANDALL, THE ANGELL AND CROSSMAN HOUSES WERE VERY SIMILAR IN TYPE, AND THE ONLY ONE OF THIS TYPE STILL STANDING IN HOWELL IS THE CRANDALL HOUSE, A LOT WHICH WAS VACANT BETWEEN THE TWO MANSIONS IS NOW THE DETROIT EDISON OFFICE SITE, AT ON E TIME AFTER THE DEATHS OF THE CROSSMAN FAMILY, THAT HOUSE WASTHE HOME OF DR, JEANETTE BRIGHAM, SHE LATER REMOVED TO A HOUSE FACING BARNARD ST, BETWEEN GRAND RIVER AND E, CLINTON STS, DON GOODNOW BUILT A HOUSE EAST OF THE CROSSMAN HOUSE WHICH WAS LATER MOVED TO THE REAR OF THE LOT , AND THE CORNER IS NOW OCCUPIED BY A GAS STATION, WEIMEISTER AND O'HEARN OWNED THE LARGE FRAME HOUSE ON THE NE CORN ER OF BARNARD AND E , CLINTON STS , IN ' 1875, IN 1889 THE JUDGE CHARLES FISHBECK AND THE WALLY KN APP FAMILIES LIVE D THERE , IT IS STILL WELL KEPT AND I S AN APARTMENT HOUSE , ABOUT 1877 JUDGE IS AA C STOW E BUILT THE LARGE HOU SE WHICH STANDS NOW ON THE NW COR NER OF E, CLINTON AND BARNARD ON PROPERTY LI STED IN THE 1875 ATLAS AS OWNED BY U, S, HACKETT, ONE OTHER OLD HOU SE SHOULD BE MENTIONED IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD , TME HOME IN 1875 OF W,O, ARCHER WAS OCCUPIED IN 1888 BY FRAN K ARCHER , PROBABLY HI S SON , THIS LOW HOUSE STOOD VERY NEAR THE WALK ON E, CLINT ON FA CING BARNARD ST , LATER IT WAS MOVED A LITTLE SOUTH OF ITS FIR ST LO CA TI ON AND IS STILL IN USE , IT WAS LI KE THE GALLOWAY HOME ON N, COURT ST, SO NEAR THE WALK ONE COULD STEP FROM THE DOOR TO THE WALK , LEAVING THE EAST PART OF THE VILLAGE WE RETURN TO THE SWAMP AREA AND THE BIG POND NORTH OF WETMORE ST " NEAR THE PRESENT DEPOT MUSEUM OF THE LIVINGSTON CO, HISTORICAL SOCIETY AT THE AARR, THIS NATURAL FEATURE SEEM S TO HAVE PREVENTED DE VE LOPMENT , IN THE EARLY YEARS OF RESIDEN TIA L PROPERTY N, WA LNU T AND N, CEN TER STS , ENDED AT WETMORE ST , I N THE EA RLY 1877 PICTURE, CHE STNU T WAS EXTENDED, BUT ONLY A FE W HOUS ES WERE INDICATED AS BEING IN THAT SECTI ON , IN LATER YEARS THE SEC TI ON WEST AND NORTH OF WETMORE BECAME AN INDUSTRIAL AREA WITH THE BUILDING OF THE BENDING WORKS AND THE CONDENSED MILK FACTORY. IN 1954 THIS PART OF HOWELL HAD BEEU MUCH DEVELOPED AS HAD ALL OF THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE PRESENT CIry. BUT TO RETURN TO OUR RECOLLECTIONS OF OLD HOWELL- WALNU r ST . NORTH OF GRAND 'RIVER ENDING AT THE AARR DEPOT SHOWS ON THE mD MAPS AND PICTURE THREE HOUSES ALL BELONGING TO THE FISHBECK FAMIL IES. ONE ON W. CLINTON AT N. WALNUT, THE LARGEST , WAS OWNED BY FISHBECK WITH THE S.G. SHOE SHOP ADJOINING ON THE EAST SIDE FACING CLINTON. MURRY FISHBECK LIVED DIRECTLY BACK OF STEPHEN FACI !G WALNUT, AND AT THE EXTREME END OF THE BLOCK NORTH SET WELL BACK FROM THE STREET WAS THE THIRD FRAME HOUSE IN HOWELL WHICH RENAINED UNTIL ABOUT 1920. THIS WAS THE FIRST HOME OF THAT WELL KNOWN PIONEER FAMILY AND THRU THE EFFORTS OF THE BROTHERS MANY OF THE ARTICLES OF THE PIONEERS IN THE COUNTY ARE NOW IN THE DAR MUSEUM, AND LA1ER AFTER 1970 IN THE LIVINGSTON CO. HISTORICAL SOCIETY DEPOT MUSEUM. THE DAR MUSEUM WAS IN THE HOWELL LIBRARY BUILDING. THE FATHER OF THE FISHBECK FAMILY CAME TO HOWELL IN 1835 AND OPENED THE FIRST SHOE SHOP WHICH BUSINESS WAS CONTINUED BY HIS SONS AT THE LOCATION UNTIL THE DEATH OF ALL OF THEM. THE MOTHER LIVED IN THE FIRST CABIN OR HOUSE FOR MANY YEARS AND DIED AT THE AGE OF 100. THE FISHBECK CABIN OR HOUSE WAS THE THIRD BUILT IN HOWELL. ON WALNUT BEGINNING AT GRAND RIVER THE BOARDING HOUSE OF MRS. NAYLOR IS SHOWN AT THE SW CORNER OF WALNUT AND W. CLINTON. LATER YEARS THIS BUILDING WAS MOVED FARTHER WEST ON CLINTON Sr . , CUT INTO TWO PARTS, AND MADE INTO TWO HOUSES, ONE OF WHICH WILL VAUGHN LIVED IN FOR YEARS. ACROSS TO THE NORTH FACING WALNUT WAS THE HOME OF A MRS. ALLEN. A SMALL HOUSE LISTED ON THE AS BELONGING TO F.D. SABIN WAS THE ONLY OTHER RESIDENCE IN THIS aLOCK WHICH SHOWS THE GRIST MILL OF LATSON & WRIGHT. IN 1885 IT WAS KNOWN AS THE WRIGHT MILL, LATER JOHN BICKHART WAS THE PROPRIETOR, AND STILL LATER CHESTER PARSHALL OWNED IT. IN 1917 THE HOWELL COOP ERA TIVE CO . ORGANIZED AND BOUGHT IT , THE SECOND EARLIEST FARMERS CO-OP [RATIVE IN MICHIGAN. THE MILL AND POSSIBLY OTHERS ON THI S lI TE BURNED. ONE BIG FIRE ON FEB . 9, 1894, WAS BIC KHART'S "WITH FLOURING MILL" WHICH EXPLODED AND BURNED TO THE GROUND. IT I S NO ! THE HOWELL CO-OPS. AT THE END OF N. WALNUT ST. IS THE OLD AARR DEPOT BUILT THERE WHEN 1HE RAILROAD CAME TO HOWELL. THE CUT FOR THE TUNNEL SO OFTEN IN THIS ARTICLE WAS MADE EAST FROM THE DEPOT WHEN THE ROAD LAID IN 1886. THE RR CLOSED THE STREET CALLED NORTH AND AL SO IAN THRU WHAT WAS IN THAT TIME THE FAIR GROUNDS, CROSSING GRAND RIVER EA ST JUST ABOUT WHERE THE TOLL GATE WAS SITUATED IN 1877. - THE TWO LADY HISTORIANS WHO RECORDED THIS ARTICLE IN ORDER FUTURE GENERATIONS MIGHT KNOW WERE MRS. WINIFRED Ross AND NELLIE LANSING GLENN. MRS.Ross WAS THE SISTER OF REGI STER OF DEEDS FRANK BUSH, WIFE OF HOWELL DENTIST DR. E . A. Ross, AND M01HER OF PROMINENT HOWELL PAINTING ARTIST JIM Ross. MRS. GLENN, WHO AS NELLIE LANSING, A HOWELL GIRL, SERVED AS THE FIRST SECRETARY FOR THE MICH. STATE SANITARIUM, AND AS THE WIFE OF A PHYSICIAN, INSTIGATED THE LIVING STON CO. HISTORICAL SOC IET Y, AND HA S WRITTEN MANY ARTICLE S). Note Extra information that can be shown with the item. Such as how to get a physical copy of the item. Use the Windows Snipping Tool to capture the area of the document you want to save. If you want multiple pages printed please see staff to print the pages you want. <a href="https://howelllibrary.org/technology/#print" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">View the library's printing information.</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Old Howell and Piety Hill-1964 Description An account of the resource History of Old Howell and Piety Hill in Livingston County, Michigan. Partial Corrected Copy by Nellie Lansing Glenn 8-30-64, added changes from other copies 6/81, retyped with some punctuation and spelling changes by Chester F. Clark 1/88 Subject The topic of the resource History Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource No Copyright - United States Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1964 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mrs. Winifred Ross & Mrs. Nellie Glenn Type The nature or genre of the resource Text history https://archives.howelllibrary.org/files/original/874d9e35b43f908d60c3ba549e9e723c.pdf 69ad322881c25e09002f4b459c547814 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Books - Local History Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Hidden Search Text Enter Search Text that is always hidden except to edit. HISTORY OF THE TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE OF HOWELL, MICHIGAN -BYA. RILEY CRITTENDEN Author of Judson Vane's Revenge The Electric Wedding Phantom of Hallowe'en One Large Turnip Etc., Etc. • HOWELL, MICHIGAN Livingston Tidings Print 1911 IT\t rod uctiof\ r. HE son of pioneers of Howell, my first rpe ollt>ctions were associated wi tli early days here, These pioneers are gone. Only a few remain, last leaves clinging to the tree of life. With their departi.l.re go the st11rie1; of theil' lives, the foundation period of our local his Lory. More than twenty years ago when the writer was publishing the Livingston Herald, I conceived the idea of publishing a his~ory of Howell and had the work well under way when that paper was sold. The fire sgon after burned up all but one copy. Nearly four years ago the present work was commenced, the matter running in the Livingston Tidings as fast as prepared. Every possible effort has been mado to verify the facts and details, but some errors have crept in. The work of time too, ha1:, ·made some changes in the foHr years since the first chapters were printed. We believe however that the subject matter is nearly all correct history. It has been an honest effort to preserve that which would otherwise have been lo~t. THE AUTHOR s CHAPTEn l nerore tlle Sctt.lemcu t 'fhat portion of the history of Howell to\\"nship which is of interest to ns is rnainly inc:lnded in the :vears which have elap~ed since the white man found a l1orne here, still no history would be r,n111plcte without nt least a passing glance nt tl1c territory when under the domain of the red man alone. This townshi11 ,ms bonler territory between the domains of the Pottawattomies and Saginaw Chippewes although more especially within the territory of the latter tribe. N0 spl?- cial fends seem to have existed betwe,~11 these nations and in fact this territory was little more than their snmmer hunting ground where temporary villa(!es ,Yere erected nem: which the squaws raised their corn, maize, beans &.ncl pumpkins. As fall came ou they mostly left this section for their more permanent villages in the vicinity or Flint nud Shiawcsseetown. 'fhe tribe was scatteretl and badly broken up as a result of their alliance with the En~lish in the war of 1812, and early settlers found only roving bands of the tribe who had been the principal occupants of thi~ territory. According to traditions of th~ Chip1iewns, this section was occupied previous to their ownership, by the Sanks, a warlike tribe which was 8 llIS'I'ORY OF' HOWELL much hnted by them nnu who were completely destroyed by an nllinnce of the Chippewa _s', Pottawnttamies and Ottawas, uy a Eeries of mnssnc1·es followin~ n great massacre of their principal village on the Sngi na w river, from wl1ich only twelve women were ~pnret.l. 'rlie only warriors to escnpq the ·tommahnwk were a few who fled to their canoes nnd paddled ncross tlH! lnke. Au indian bmying ground on the farm of Ira Brayton, probably used by the Snuks : was tlnrn descl'ibed by Elisha II. Smith, in 1868: "On the north-west quarter of section twenty-two t.herc nro se,·ernl places of bural. Judging from the appearancP. of the mounds where they were interred, they i:nm· menced bm:ring their c1end at the top of the gronnd, covet·ing the corpse with earth. 1l.1hey then plar,e<l other bodies above this one, until the mouncl was seveml feet high. Several of these rnouuds have been opened fm phrenolo1?icnl observation. 'I'heir traits of character were found similar to those who lived here al the time of the s€'ttlement by thA whites. 'l'hc>y were uuried with the:r heads in a sonth-enstel'ly direct. ion. 'l'he In<linns who lived here at the time t.hr. mounds. were opene<l, had no knowledge of the,11. 0n t.he exposure of the bones to the atmosphere, U1cy wonltl soon <leeompose." 'l,he poor Chippewas were in eoustnnt dread of the spirits of the extermiuatc<l Snnks. If misfortune befcl them, if their traps fuilell tn liold the gnmc or if their rifles failed to shoot nc- <ml'!ltely, it wns the spirits of the Sanks and nothing lllS'l'OffY OB1 JIO\VEIJL' !J •• '\ . t.. •• • could they nccomplish until tl~'ei~ e'~i~ine men Juul been brought and tlie poor spii;its eithe1; $et nt , rest. or ot.het·wise qnicted. Several Indian trails rnn in this section, the most important of which wns the Grand River trail which took much the general direction of the i!ravel road in nfter years, except that north of · this place it bo1·e n little more uortlierly. A fol'k of the t.rail joine,l it. near the present villnge of Howell, 1·1rn11inign from the Illllian village near Shiawnsseetown. It wns moslly nlong the frail from Detroit that the oarly pionre:; fonnd thP.il' way to llo\\·ell mid neighboring points. Early claim to thi~; t-edion passed hac·k ancl fomth with the claims of French and English to Detroit nn<l Michilmackinac. At the close of the Revolntio11, l<Jnglish officers were instrumental in securing nu alliance of most of tl1e Jn<linns of the nOl'l11-westa nd n11 dfort was rna<le to l1olt1 the territory under I~nglish rule. General Antony \Vay11e wns ~ent with a body of troops, into whnt is now Ohio nn<l after n few victories, he succeeded in btinr,i11g tho I n<liuns to terms. His treaty of GrP-cnville, in J G95, wns the first agreement between the Unitr,l Stat,1s and Iu<1iu11s, rdat.ive to tbe lnnd which 110w forms Howell. By this treaty the Indians simply became subjects of the United States, nc-lmowle<lged their territory n part of the United States, and plnced themselve::, llll(]er the pr9teet.ion ~f this govemmei1t. In ,Tune, 179G, the forts of Detroit nnd 1\fi 1ckinnw' were rnnen<lered r.n<l 10 llIS'l'ORY OF HOWELL English rule over this territory ceased except for a short time during the wnr of 1812. The Northwest Territory embraced this section from that time until 1800 when it became part of the then new territory of Indiana. In 1805 the territory of Michigan was organized and William Hull was made its first governor. The township of Howell, with all the land in this section of l\Iichigan, was embraced in the territory ceded by the In•d ians to the United States government by a treaty at Detroit, ou November 17th, 1807, and its remaining so long without settlement is no doubt owing to the fact that a government surveyor sent to l\Iichi~an in 1815, with an idea of giving one hundred aud sixty acres of land to each 5olclier of the Revolution, reported that ''not one acre out of a huudred, if there woulcl be one out of a thousand, that would in any case admit of cultivation." Governor Lewis Cass failed to believe tl1is report a111.lh aving secured the proper assistance, in 1819 made an exploration which largely quieted the bad impression which prevailed. Several townships of thi::; county had white settlers before Howell; Putnam lencliug with the man whose name it bears, in 1828. This township formed a part of Wayne county, after its organizat~on until January ] G, 1818, when it became a part of Macomb county. It vrns. a part of Oakland county from January 12, 1819 until September 10, 1822, when it was placed with Shiawassee eonnty where it remained until the laying out of Livingstou county, March 21, 1834, but the organization of this county wns not pel'fected until March 24, 183G. CHAPTER II The First Settlement rrhP. yec.r 1833 may almost be set down in this township as a period of exploration. The recently erected but unorganized county drew many parties ,vho went over this township in searc-h of homes. Among these were John D. Pinckney, S. N. \Varren, George 1'. Sage, Moses Thomp:::on, Orman Coe. Checkly S. Palmer, C. C. r.l'robridge and John J. Eaman. The four last named have the honor of being the. fil·st to locate land in the township, the last two selecting eighty acres on section thirty-five and thirty-six respectively, 'Or a part of the present village of Howell. It is in the explo1:ation of Messrs. Pinckney and Sage and their party however that we nre most interested as the first settlements in the township resultecl from their trip. 1\ir. Pinckney ,•ms au energetic butcher of Hughsonville, N. Y. Not bein~ entirely sat.isllecl with his advjlntages he determined to emigrate to the then undeveloped west to which his father and brothers had preceded him. A trip by the Erie canal and Luke Erie landed him in Detroit, from where he went to Salem, \Vashtenaw County, which was then the home of his people. George S. Sage who was upon the same errand as Mr. Pinckney, joined him at his 12 HISTORY OF HOWELL father's and in company with Mr. Pinckney's brothers they set out together along the Grand River trnil, for the new unorganized county of LiYingston, as the most promising government territory npon which to build a home. They built a temporary hut with a Lark roof, about where the palacial home of 'l'horne & Farnsworth now stands, and spent a week prospecting. 'l'he timber was mostly oak onenings and the soil nlthongh not rn stroug as tl.at of heavy timberd land, was of good quality and because of the lighter timber, ,vas quicker nvailnble to the pioneers for homes. Along the creeks and low places coarse grass grew more lnxurieurly than after fire had bumed over the ground in early day. Often growing to the beigbt of a man's head, to these marshes seeming blemishes upon the face of the country, the pioneers were glad to go for su~tennnce for their stock, finding them trnly blessiurs in disguise. The beautiful lakes and complete wildness of their · surroundings made up a a series of picturesque scenery for those early pioneers over which the artists or Hon·el[ to-day wonld go completely wild. l\ir. Sage selected a homestead a little west of their prospcetor's cabin and .Mr. Piuckney one near Thompson's lake nt its southeast extremity. After making their minutes of the land selected for themselv,B nnd several other tracts, they retnl'lled to Salem and l\Iessrs. Pinckney and Sage went at once to the Janeloffice at Detroit, and located their land, after which HISTORY OF HO\VELL 13 they mtume<l to their homes and begnn active prepe1·- ations to move to their new land. On .i\lny 14th, J 834, l\Ir. Sage and his father James Sal?e ca,ue with their families und settled upon the land selected by Geo. T. Sage as noted above. James Sage's log house was erected upon the site now occupied by the elegant residence of \Vm. McPherson Jr., while George ·r. ~age's was across the Grand River frail to the south, or nearly in the center of what is now Grand River street. This was the first settlement in the town- 8h i p.. Mi:. Sage Sr. only lived about five years after settling here. He died June 29th, 183:1. The children of James Sage were George T., James R. and Chester A. George •r. Sage died in Marion townslii'p, Augnst 21, 1852. He was married to Miss Louisa Austin (later Mrs. Rev. G. \V. Genks of Brighton,) a short time before settling in Howell.. l\lrs. Sage's father, David Ausin, and family came from Salem and settled 011 section 33, 011 land selected by his son-inlaw, in June of 1834. l\Ir. Austin lived upon his farm until February 1, 1847, when he died. His wife followed her husband about a year afterwards. The oldest son of David Austin, David Jr., did not come to Michigan. :rifr. Austin's other children were .Johuathan, Louisa, wife of Geo. T. Sage, Melviua, afterwards Mrs. George Sewell, and Sally T:, afterwards l\Irs. Merritt S. Havens. Johnathan Austin who . came with his father, located what ie now the Gilks farm and lived there for a long time, but after14: HISTORY OF HO\VELL war<ls moved to the Upper Peninsula, . He was Yery prominent in school and other local matters. John D. Pinckney settlecl business matters in the east ancl bringing his family us for as Salem left them with his people there while he came with two men he liad employed, to erect a house for them, and arrived here soon after the others. He wns in much better shape financinlly than most of his contemporaries in Howell, and his capital soon mud~ him very comfol'table as compared with those about him although his honsc was the rcgu.latiou one room cabin of pioneer days. He brought with him a team of horses, the first to come to this section. His family came on in December of that year. In ]842 Mr. Pirwkney moved to the village of Howell, from his farm, ancl died here Feb. 11, 1861. The trials to he nrnt and diflicnlties to be ovorcome by these fir:;t settlers are not to be estimated by 11s. Ocea~ional trips into new sections of our country at the present day may furnish the basis of nu estimate. \Vith ox teams, little capital and very few conveniences of life, they commenced the wol'k of civilizing this wilderness, Elisha H. Smith described the sitnation in the following words. "The nearest inhabitants from the center of the township, nt the settletheut of this olace, we. re eighteen miles awa,.· . Iu a westerlv. direction, it was about forty miles to the' nearest settlement. The nearest mills were eii?hteeu miles distant." RUINS Of' THI F1ptST PptEIIB'fTERIAN CHURCH Built ln 1838. Torn Down ln 1908. HOWELL'S ""IR8T IOHOOL HOUSE :built In 1837. Still Standl11g. HISTORY OF HO\VELL 15 As the year 1833 could be set down as a period of exploration for Howell township, so the year 1835 should · be classed as the year of settlement. The rush for homes in the new county was fairly ou by opening of spring and the townt:hip was full of prospectors and the settlers comin~ to the laud locnteu in the previous two years. The first new settler was a bouncinfl boy who came into the home of George T. Sa!!e on January 23, 183;j announcing himself to be the first while child born in the township of Howell. A pointer of the har<l• ships in the life of these early pioneers is a little remembrance of l\Irs. John D. Pinckney in connection with the event of Mr. Sage's birth as told by her in after yea1·s. Johnathan Austin n. broth~r of I\frs. Sage, was sent to Ifonsiugton, after a doctor for the event. Mr. Anstin stopped at Mr. Piuekney's to borrow a horse to make the journey but the team were away and he was obliged to go afoot to secure the services of Dr. F. Curtiss of that place, who was physician to every family in Livingston County nt that time. It would take a good walker about half a day to make the j.ourney through the January snow, over the Grand River trail, and the doctor nearly the same time to return. Amonar the earliest settlers of 1835, to arrive _in tJie township from the east, were Villeroy E., John \V. and Elisha H. Smith, three br9thers whe came from Ontario county, New York, in May of that year. The lG HISTORY OF HOWELL last named lived here until quite an old man. For many years he was active in the county pioneer society and took great delight in recounting his experiences in the early days here. He wrote a history of Howell which had quite a local circulation about the time of its publication. Probably the next to arrive in 1835 was Moses Thompson and Ezra J. :Munday. Mr. Thompson with his son Lewis and daughters Rachel, (afterwards l\lrs. Houghtaling, later Mrs. Preston) and Lucinda, (.Mrs. Ezra Frisbee), left Herkimer County in April, traveled through Canada inn <lonble buggy drawn by the second team of horses brought to Ho,vell, and reached Detroit, on l\Iay 25th. The remainder of the family, Mrs. Thompson, Morris, Edward and l\laria, Elizabeth and Jaue, afterwards Mrs. Clark, Mrs Slader and Mrs. Crittenden, respectively, with Mr. Munday, left Herkimer County about a mouth later and after a trip of over a week by the Erie Canal and lake Erie, landed in Detroit, on the 7th of June, 'l'hree days later the entire party left Detroit, with their horse team and five yokes of oxen which Mr. 'l'hompson had bought in Detroit. The family stopped several days at Lyon while Mr. Thompson came on nnd commenced his house. Part of them arrived on Jnne 23 and stopped at Geo. -T. Sage's until their own house which stood just up from the bank at the north end of what is now known as Thompson's I l .i I ..· ' .. ., . I . ,. , , ,. ;. , -· ' ·. ~:•. . _I. ·' ., :!'!, .. ; • .- .· • :. . !_ ·-,~ . . CENTRAL :SCHOOL HISTORY OF HOWELL 17 Lake, was ready for them, which was about July 4th. The rest of the family ct.me about that time. By thi::: time the settlement inside of what is now the village of' Howell, or rather the home of John D. Pinckney, had come to be called Living~ton Center, and as a m?tter of almost necessity, .Mr. Pinckney's house had come to be almost a hotel for prospectors. On the 2nd of July, 1835, Alexander Fraser the the father of l\Irs. Pinckney, sold from the land located by Mr. Pinckney for him, the west half of the southwest quarter and the southwe::;t quarter of the northwest quarter of section 36, to David \Vetmore and Edward Brooks of Detroit, Later in the same year, after two or three deeds, the title to these tracts rested one-third in l!'lavius J. B. Crane and two-thirds in Edward Brooks. These gentlemen proceeded at once fo plat this 120 acres into the village of Howell. The old public sauare was reserved in their plat for public use, it being the idea of the founders of the village to have the county buildings located upon it. The prospective village was named Howell. Mr. Crane cited as his idea for the name, his friend Thomas Howell, son of Jnd!{e Howell of Canindagua, N. Y., but his most intimate friends were sure that Mr. Howell's pretty sister was the real person whose name the town bore. The name of Livingston Center was applied to the village for some years afterward. As noted above, the house of John D. Pinckney bad become almost the primative hotel and Mr. Pinckney 18 HISTORY OF HOWELL secured a contract from Cane & Brooks that they would erect a hotel upon their plot. Consequently they commenced drawing lumber from Woodruff's saw mill in Green Oak, soon after their plot was recerded, in November, 183:'>, and erected a two story frame house, 20x40 feet. in seze, the first in the township, on the site uow occupitd by the Opera House. On December 1, 1835, Amos Adams came in from Geneseo, N. Y., and opened the hotel under the name of the '·Eagle r.ravern.'' F. J. B. Crane, and Alexander Fraser at once became boarders at the tavern who with Mr. Adams' family became the first settlers within the original village plot as it existed before the additions were made. The Eagle 1'avern at once became the center of population for all business matters of the pioneer settlement. It was there that religious services in the township commenced. ·A lvin Crittenden, a young man afoot and alone, arrived in Howell before a door was hung m the village and on Nov. 24, 1835, hired to Geo. T. Sage for a year. It is largely to remembrances of this pioneer. father oi the author of this history, as he was wont to tell them in his latter days and to copious notes of a series - of most interesting visits with the late \Villiam McPherson sr. that the ernnts herein contained are due. Among others of these remembrances was the story of the first reli£?ious services which my father told as follows: '"Deacon Branch who had settled in Marion, thought HISTORY OF HOWELL rn he could not live without religious meetings, even in the wilderness, an<l hence he took it upon himself to commence them. He ,vent to Esauire Adams our noble landlord who kept the hotel in the village-for by this time the house was nearly finished, and Amos Adams occupied it for a hotel-and obtained consent to have religious meetings held in the sitting room. At that time the hotel was the only building in the village. Notice was accordingly J?iven, and on Sabbath morning, I cannot give . t.he elate but I think it was in the month of December, J 835, the people assembled, some coming four or five miles, and the sitting room was pretty well filled. Draeon Branch conducted the meeting, reading one of Dr. Payson's sermons. At the close of the services be called for a volunteer to close by prayer. No one came to his help bnt the deacon was not discouraged and gave notice for a meeting the next Sabbath. On the second Sabbath I volunteered to close the meeting with prayer Thus it happened that I was the second person who took part in a religions meeting in Howell. AftP.r that, if the deacon had to be away from the meeting any •S abbath, he brought to me a volume or Payson's sermons with a request that I should conduct the services which I did several times that year. On one of these occasions I read a serm0n from Wesley instead of the one Deacon Branch had selected and he never called upon me to perform the service again.'' Several others who afterwards became prominent in 20 HISTORY OF HOWELL local matters, arrived during that year. Elislia H. Smith in his History of HQwell published in 1869, summed up the settlement at the close of 1835, as follows: Section. Sectio11 . Joseph Porter· · · · · · · · · 7 ~,rancis Field. · , · · · · · 23 Samuel Waddel,.,· .. 17 Moses Thompson-.·· ·. 25 Whitely Woodruff, .. -17 Lewis Thompson ... · · · 25 DaYid H. Austin-··· -20 Morris Thompson., .. · .25 Villeroy E. Smith, .... 2t Edward '£hompson,. ·· 25 Elisha H. Smith,.··. -21 Ezra J. Munday.···.· 25 Nathaniel Johnson.· .. 23 Amos Adams-········ 36 Alvin Crittenden-, ... ,23 F. J. B. Crane- ..... · 36 Merrit S. Havens ..... 23 Alexander Fraser,···. 36 All of these earliest pioneers rest from their labor~, nnu we to-day enjoy tho blessings which their hardships have secured to us. CHAPrrER III Early Developments No soouer bad Crane & Brooks secured an oceupa: it f~r their Ea~le 'rave~n, the only bnil<lirig in their new plot of 120 acres for their t~wn of Ho~vell, thanth e·) begau. work to secure a post office, which ~vas kicated here OD January 15, 1836 arid FJavihs J. B. C1·nue appointed post master. His office was in the Bagi~T avern as a m~tter of necessib · for tLei·e . . . was no oth,er place.P revious to the location of the office, the few settlers in this .vicinity received t!~eir mail Rt Detrott, Ann Arbor, Plymouth and Kensiu~ton and inf act continued to do so for some time afterwards, as no p~ovisions were made for carry i~" mail to and from the new office, until March 20, when Le,vis Thompson took the coiit~act to make ,~e<:kly trips to Kensington, on horseback, for that pu~·pose. Soo~· after that date a mail route ;as Hfabiished from lio~ell to Grand Rapids, a~d J anies R. Sa tie undei-took to fi~d his ~ay over . the Indian trails, through the wildernes~, to carry the mail, a feat that he accehiplished ~uccessfully aft~~hi s firstt rip when heg. ot c.o ~pletely lost anda nd wa~ obliged to spend the nigbt. in the woods. An event occured on the same date with the loca22 HISTORY OF HOWELL tion of the post office, which must not be for~otten. While they were surrounded with the hardships and privations of pioneer life, cupid was a pioneer too. His first victory was the celebration of the marriage of Merritt S, Havens, the first carpenter in the townsllip, to Sally T. Austin. The marriage ceremony vrns ptirformed by Esq. Bingham, afterward Governor of Michigan. · The second wedding was that of Alvin L. Crittenden and Jane Thompson which occurred August 27 of that same year. Their wedding was made a social event. They were tho first couple in the county to be married ,by a minister, Rev. John Cosart performing the ceremony. l\ir. Crittenden borrowed a rig and drove to South Lyon the next day for a wedding trip, the first taken by any couple from Howell. Their wedding feast was right up to the very highest point of luxury in those days. Its central dish was a young pig nicely roasted and standing on a platter. That following winter Mr. Crittenden got out the lumber and built a house o.n a farm bought with the savings from his year'ij work at Sage's. He would get out a hardwood log at home, draw it to the saw mill at the foot of the lake just east of the head of the present flume, and go on to the pinery west of what is now the town, where he would cut a pine log to be left at the mill on his return. By the time the oxen had made the round trip it was night. During the evQning he would saw the two logs into lumber and MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC LIGHT AND WATER WORKS HISTORY OF HOWELL 23 get ready to repeat the rouncl trip the next day. The old house stood up the bank from the little lake on the McPherson farm in the north part of this town - ship and was torn down only a year or two ago. Mr. and Mrs. Crittenden only lived in it a year or two when they bought the farm which has been in the family since and is now owned by W. W. Crittenden and l\Ir. and Mrs H. D. Kirtland. They lived there until 1854 when Mr. Crittenden joined the M. E. conference, He served regular pastorates for twenty-six years when he and his wife returned to Howell to live. The meetings commenced by Deacon Branch in 1835, at Eagle Hotel, were soon held from house to house. Some time in January, 1836, a Presbyterian clergyman named Wm. Page, stopped at Deacon B1:anch's and word was sent out for services which werP. held at the Deacon's house in Marion. This was the first sermon in this vicinity but it remained for Rev. Johnathan Post a Baptist clergyman to preach the first sermon in this township, which he did sometime in Feburary at the home of George T. Sage. In April or :May of the same year the second sermon in this township was preached at Moses Thompson's and was by Rev. Mr. Kanouse, a Presbyterian clergyman. Some time in April or May A. L. Crittenden walked to Ore Creek, ( now Brighton) to attend a Methodist meeting which he heard was to be held there. While at this meeting he arranped for Rev. John Cosart to come to Howell in four weeks and 24 HIS'l'OUY OB1 l!OWELL prrnd1 and form II class. By snmo mistnke the notice was given n wrek to soon. ~rho people nsscmbled but a~ no preachr-r rn11w, they ,le~idell, nftel' a prayer meeting, to orguniz<>, a11d clcctecl Pardon BarnnrJ chnil'mnn nnd A. L. Critten<lcn secretary of the meetrng. No clnss book was to be had so A. L. Cl'ittenden who was ele~ted lender, folded a slrnct of writing paper to mnlrn a book, rnlecl it anu entereJ the numes of mem her;-; therein. The origonnl book ia now a keop~rnlrno f the family nnu contained the following names as the oi·igionnl class: "Alvin L. Crittenden Pnrd,,n Bnrnnrd, gJiza Ann Barnard, Peter Drewe1·, Dorcas Brewer. Sylvester Rountls, Polly Hounds, A~nhel Hon111lsl, \liny Sage, Nathaniel ,Johnson," Hev. Cosart came the uext Sn111lay, probably e:1rly in .J nne, au<l prPnehed tLe thil'J sermon in the township, the fil'it hy a l\ldho<list minister. Ile acknowledged the prore1lit1g:, of orgunizntion and reporte,1 it to the Ohio conference who $en~ ltev. \V,Bhington Jackson a3 a m;ssionnry to l.,i vin~ston Connly, during that foll. This was the first ehnrch Ol'giniz:1tion in the townsbip. Pnrdon Bar11nnl nnu A. L. Ct·itten<len were lici-nsed as exortc1·s by thiR C'.lr~ssN, ovember 4, 183G. Although Livingston County was laid out in 1.'{33, the act to orgnnizr. it wns not passed until March 24, 1836, The art erec·ting the township of Howell, was npproved the dny prr.vious. 'l'hc torritory inclndeu in the township by that net was the present townships of Howell, Oceola, Deerfield, Handy, Co- .t HISTORY OF HOWELL 2!i hoctah ancl Conway. 'rho first town meeting wui helJ in April, 1836. A caucus was called of which A. L. Crittenden wns elerk and he was Uwrefore given the work of ~Tiling the tickets, in which he was us~isted hy ,John \V. Smith. On the evening before the election s0meouc suggested thnt l here would be no fun withont two tickets and so another was nominated nearly likt! the first, except that 111. ,J. 13. Crane wus nominated for constable. The Inst nominated ticket was nlso wi·itten by the same two gentlemen and was victorious in the election.. Nenl'ly if · not all the white voters in the tonwship as organized tnrued out to the election which w.1s hol,l at the Magle Tavern. '!'ho boar<l consisted of Amos Adnms, 11\.J. n. Crnne, ,John \V. Smith and Johnathan Austin, with A. L. C1·ittenden as clerk. A ten pot and sugar bowl wcro borrowecl from the landlndy, to serve as ballot boxm; nrnl thirty-six votes we1·e ca~t. Officers elected were as follows: Supe1·visor Philcster Jessup;Township Clerk. 111• J. B.Crnne; Jnstic,!sof the Peace, Ezru Sanford, Ifarleigh H. Graves, John W. Smith; Colle~tor, L111-.rnci~ Fiel<l; Asse~ors, Jnstin Dnrfee, 1J,wi1l An~tin, Goot'!!C 'l'. S11ge; School Inspectors, Joseph Porter, F .. J. B. Crane, Johuuthnn Austin; Uighwny Commissioncl'.:1, John S,mforcl, Justin Durfee, George ·r. Sage; Constables, ,John D. Pinckney, l!,. J, B. Urane, l11runcis Fiel<l, gu~hn ll. Smith. Some of the work of these township officers was very crude. The nsscssment was written upon 26 HISTORY 01!, HOWELL half sheets of writing paper which were fastened to- E:ather at the ends with wafer!. When completed, it was fifte9n feet Ion~. Justice John W. Smith had a ease commenced before him but · after the points of law were argued, the case was discontinued by the plaintiff withdrawini? his suit and paying costs. This was the fir$ law suit in the township. At the time the county was or~anized a strong effort was made to locate the county site at Ore Creek, ( now Br:ghton) and the adherents to this project did not ~ive up entirely until the county bnildin~s were built in the preseat location. This opposition delayed the county election a few weeks until the three commissioners appointed by the Governor, to locate county sites iil counties where there were none, could be brought to this county when they located it on the old public square of the Crane & Brooks plat now occupied by Schroeder's hardware, the Episcopal church; etc. The first county election was held on the first Monday in l\:lay, 1836. and resulted in the tt lection of the following officers: Sheriff, Justice J. n~unett; County Clerk, F. ~T. B. Crane; Register of l>e~ds, Ely Barnard; Treasurer, Amos Adams; Cor- 01wrs, John 'W. Peavy, ,John Drake; Associate Judges, Elishn W. Brockway, Elnahan Noble. Only a p:ut of the county officers wen~ residents of Howell and t.hn.t fact made lit.tie difference. E~ven the jndge of probate did no office business during his entire term. 'l11w board or supervisors held th8ir first meeting in 0 r C'l 0 0 C :tJ -i I 0 C en .!Tl I I 0 rm 't .r- 3: 0 :t l HISTORY OF HOWELL 27 Howell, October 4, 1836, and organized by election of Eli Lee of Hartland, moderator. The Democrats recieved 142 votes in Livingston County, at the election in November, 183G, &nd the Whigs, 73. 'fhis was the first division along party lines in the county and many of the pioneers feared that it would break up the good feeling whieh prevailed. The democrats held a meeting and raised a pole near the Eagle Tavern. The whigs were much incensed at this and shor:ly after the close of the campaign, someone bored it down with an auger, on a dark night. In June of 183G a heavy freshet swe:Ied the Shiawassee River beyond what it has ever been known at any time. Among other damage done was the washing · away of the log bridge at the Grand River Road crossing, This item is noticed only as a sample of how lumber was secured before the date of mills. To .rebuild the bridge two men rnwed the lumber with a pit i!aw, one standing above the logs whieh were rolled upon the buttments and the other below,, the one below wearing a vr,il. \Vm. McPherson and family arrived on September 17, while this bridge was being rebuilt, and he bought the slabs from the bridge for the floor to his house. Originally what is now Thompsons lake was three little lakes with a tamarack swamp between. Mr. Thompson noticed the excellent mill site when he prospected in 1833, and located at the foot of the lake to secure it. His original log house stood just back 28 HISTORY OF HOWELL af the old house near the foot of the lake and was connected with it for years. The old house ·was one of the first frame houses in this countv. It .is now quite n ways back from the road, When it was built the road ran by it. The place is now owned by Mrs. Sherman. He also located the tract of pine in the western part of the town, to work in his pro1tpective mill. A dam ·was accordingly built and by its influence the wnter raised to about its present level. thus uniting the three Jukes. The saw mill was finished and commenced running in September, 1836, the first logs sawed being made into a chamber floor for \Vm. :McPherson's house. So many of the settlers were in need of chamber floors that Morris Thompson who had charge of the mill, would not saw more lumber for any one man than enough for his C'lrnmber floor, until all the settlers had had a chance to avail them~elves of those much needed conveniences for their homes. The fii st store in the village was opened by 1!1 • J. H. Crane, in a room in the Eagle Tavern, but it was r:ot a sncce~s and after two or three months, the goods were packed up and stored in the attic of the building. The first blacksmith shop was rather more successful. .Andrew Riddle, father of Mrs. McPher- son, came frc,m Scotland in the spring of 1•8 36 and built the shop before the arrival of his . family who came with \VmPherson's family in September. l\fr. l\'lcPherson'& house was built adjoining the shop and HISTORY OF HO\VELL 29 he and Mr. Ritl<lle eommenced work in the shop soon after his arrival. l\lr. Riddle moved to Oceola, during the next year and l\Ir. McPherson continued the business until 1841 when he engaged bnsineEs in partnership with Judge whom he continued but a short time. in mercantile Tumer with In 1845 be Lought a half interest in business with E. B. Taylor, the firm doing business under the name of 'l'aylor & McPherson for about two years when he bought Mr. 'l'aylor's interests, and continued the bnsirn~ss in his own name until 1852 when he formed a partnership with \Vm. Riddle, whieh continued nntil 18:,6. when \Vm. McPherson J L'. bought l\lr. ltiddle's interest and the business was continued until 1864 under the firm name of \V1:1. :McPherson & Co., it being ehange<l to the pre::;ent name at that time, and as hi:;; sons were becomin.: men he took them one by one into the firm. \Vhat is now the front portion of the main store was erected in 1857. As the old building grew to smalJ, additions were built upon its rear from time to time until it is now 120 feet deep with two a<lditional stores WPst of the old one. \Vith little change the firm continued until the close of 1887 when \Vm . .McPherson, Sr. retired nnd a new firm was organized composed of l\1. .J. McPherson, E. G. M<!Pherson and H. T. Browning, who continue the business under the old name. Mr. Browning retired ,Jannary 1, 1898. The McPherson bank was started in April, 1865, with Alexander McPherson in charge. He remained 30 HISTORY OF HOWELL in that position until 1890 when he engaged in banking business in Detroit, "\Villiam McPherson jr. took charge of the bank here at that time, uncl is still in that p0sition. There have been some changes in the firm among members of the family, but the name has al ways remained as it started, Akxander McPherson & Co. Preperations were made for n school in the fall of 183G and a building was commenced but no record remains to show positively whether it was occupied that year or early in 1837. Justin Durfee was tbc first teacher. The wolves which infested the country were among the terrors of pioneer life and many are the stories of narrow escapes from these dreaded tP.rrors . '\Vhen young fellows went to see their best girls the young Indies were often called upon to listen with beating hearts, to the howling of the wolves which beset their beans on their way home after bidding them adieu. The girls learned the direction of their fellow· s homes and guessed them sefelr there when the sound of the wolves' howling reached that direction. Two Germans by the name of Shrafts, came to Howell in 183G. A little before night t.hey broke their wagon. One stayed to guard the load while the other went to Moses '.rhompson's with the team, to stay all night. When he returned in the momingwith two of Mr. Thompson's sons, Shrafts was nearly tired to death and complained bitterly of the settlers' HISTORY OF HOWELL :n big burley dogs. "Why." said he, "the big bm-Jc.y <logs were so saucy. They would put their paws clear np on .the wagon and snap and snarl at me, and J ~ould hardly drive them off with my club.'' 'l'h•! . mystery was sooi1 solved by the Thompson bo~·s as l)art of the load wa~ some fresh meat. The poor IJerman was nearly scared to death ,vhen he found that he had been fightin~ wolves all night. The village as it appeared about this time "ns nicely <lescribP,d by Edward F. Gay who prospede,1 here in the fall of 183G and settled with his family in 1837. After detailing his attempt to reach Li vi 11g :,;- ton Center as the villare was then called, and loi,;ing the trail two or three times, he described his snc1!8S:-, in an nddress to the pioneer society in 1872, as follows: '''!'hough now becoming anxious to reach th~ Centn- I ~-as doomed still to wan<ler on t.he Hrge. I was on the trail, though among brush, and meauclt'ring the lake. Beholding a light, hope revived, but it was ai:ain ~xtinguished for before it was reac)wll the light disappeare~, for the very good reason that Mr. Moses Thompson and family had retired to ueJ. Not being willing to be thwarted in this, my seeon<l day's attempt to reach Livingston Center, I ballooctl for light under difficulties. The old gentleman soon put me on the right trail again, saying that after erossing a ravine and again rising the bluff I would behold the light at the Center, which had so often ~uided the lost and weary traveler. I found it a::, }Jf~ HISTORY OF HOWELL had said. and soon beheld Livingston Center, in the person of that noble landlord and life-loug h.otel keeper, Amos Adams. One single frame buildin" as a hotel, without a barn, together with three or four log houses, constituted Livingston Center. My horse wns fastened to a small oak tree against which a log was lying, with trou~hs cut in the side to feed the grain. The only familie::i, which I now recollect, • then residing in Hewell or vicinity, besides the Adams family, were Mr. McPherson, \Va. t..s on G. Thomas, Mr. ~age and son, David Austin, Sardis l>a ,·is, Herman Bristol, and Moses Thompson. The single men were Lewis, Morris, and Edward Thompson, .Mr. Critenden, Mr.Frisbee, Ely Barnard, ~Tohn Hnssle and Conrad Woll." I mediately after settling here in the spring of 1837, .Mr. Gay hunted out the remenant of F. J .. B. Crane's stock of goods from the attic of the Ea~le Tavern, nnd with about $1,600 worth of goods from New Y 01·k, opened the pioneer store of the village which mu intnined an existence for any great length of time. His store building was the second frame building in the town, being preceded only by the EaE;?"Tlea vern. At various times in its existence this building ·was use>d for a store, lawyer's office, post office, shoe ihop, place for holding meetings, minister's resiilence and family residence, and in its earlier history it often did duty for two or three of these purposes at once. rl'he old building, modoleci over, was for years the ,, >- l" Cl: < Cl: I Cl) ...J w (j w 7. 0: u< IJ'J .J .J l1J 0 I ' ~. I . .. \"· ' I HISTORY OF HOWELL 33 upright of a tenant house on Sybley St., owned by .J. l. VanDeusen and some of the material is now part uf the newly erect.eel tenant house of. \V. \V. Kenynn on the oh] :,;ite at the corner of Sybley and Ki-;t :-;trects. o<:eupied by Glen Brown and family. Probably the third frame building to be e1·ectcd in Jlo,\·ell ,vas the school house. This building wa8 erected on a lot donated to the village by ~,. .J. B. Cmne, for that purpose. Some provisions 1't'erer nat1e for it in the pl'evious year but as l\Ioses Thompsnu':,; saw mill was soon to be set in motion, the lrniltlrng was left until lumber could be secured from that som·cP.. It was occupied early in the summer, prnbably some time in June, an<l l\liss Abigal .Ada.11s, <laughter of the landlord, was t.he first teacher in a regular i;chool building. The building was nevn satisfactory to the district and numerous resolution8 to bnilrl 11ew ones are found upon the records. It was finally sold in 1848, and a room rented for school purposes for several years. 'rhis old building served as the frame part of the old Curtis foun<lry for some years . It has been occupied by Snedicor's poultry and egg business for several years past. The original sit,~ of the old building ,vas about midway between ( ·hri~. Schaffer's cement residence and Bernard Vvalker'~ barn. The friends of Howell us the county seat of tlw new county, felt that quite a victory had been achieved when Judge Fletcher held the first term <Jf court here, 34 HISTORY OF HOWELL . commencing November 8, 1837; It was held m the old school house which was used for that purpose for some time afterward, also for holding church services and other public meetings. Richard Fishbeck who came to Genoa with his fam· ily in 1835, moved to Howell the following year and opened the first shoe shop in the town. He continued in that business until his death in 1875. The business descended to his sons, S. G. and L. N. ,vho are still conducting it under the firm name of Fishbeck Broth· ers, on the same site where their father started it in 183G. Mr. Fishbeck built the third frame dwelling house in Howell. It is still standing on Walnut street uear the .Ann Arbor depot. Their old furniture yet remains thete just as Mrs. Fishbeck left it, probably the only case of that kind now in the county. James White, the first cnbinet maker in Howell, nl::;o arrived in 1836. In the spring of 1837, Esq. Adams arranged to build a log barn for his Eagle Tavern, which was raised in May of that year. Samuel "'.\Tade ll, father of the late Andrew D. Waddell, was injured during the raising of this barn, so that be died from the result of these, injuries, on l\'Iay 30, 1837, the first de.nth in the township. 'r he food of the pioneers in addition to what they mised on their farms, was largely venison and honey both of which could be had in abundance by hunting. Frnncis Monroe sr. used to laugh about how, in his HISTORY OF HOWELL ;33 younger years . the pioneers used to flock to eachuther's houses to visit, if anyone had been to the outside world, that they might get a taste of salt pork, dried apples or other similar lnxuries. Among the pioneer stories which C. G. Jewett i-emember8 from his parents, is the fact that they brought with them when they came to Howell in 1837, a quantity of salt pork and that neighbore; used to send in for a piece when anyone was sick and needed some little delicacy to tempt their appetite, Another early pioneer food was a flour made by grinding s,veet acorns which had been gat1ered and dried, and it wasn't at all bad to eat either. '\Vith the organization of the state, county and township, each offered a bounty for killing wolves and several pioneers made that ente·rprise almost their entire business for a time, the $17 for the scalp of each, provinl? quite . a fortune in those times. Prominent among these was Francis Monroe who earned quite a reputation in the winter of 1837, for a fight with a big black wolf which he had caught in his trap and in the killing of which he nearly lost his own life. The board of supervisors at its fall meetmg in 1837 submitted a proposition to the county to borrow $1,000 to build a jail, but it was voted down as was a similar proposition in 1838, and prisoners from this county were confined at Ann Arbor. On the 14th of April 1838, Rev. Thomas Baker of Highland, met at the village school house with 36 HISTORY OF HOWELL Silas 1.Jibble, Gardner Mason, Justin Durfee, Joseph A. Dibble, Sardis Davis, Sarah Field, Sarah Durfee, Lydia Austin and Hannah Austin all of whom held letters from or were members of Baptist churches in the east, and ufLer relegious · services, they proceeded to plan for the organization of a Baptist church in Howell. Silas Dibble, Gardner Mason and Justin Durfee were appointed a committee to prepare Articles of Faith and Practice and Church Covenant, This committee reported at a meeting held in the same place May 12, their report being adopted, Rev. Thomas Baker, the feunder of the church, was called to the pastorate at this meeting, a position which he filled nntil the clo:,e of the year when he ·was succeeded by Hev. E. Mosher. It was arranged to call a council of recognition which met at the school house, June 21. It was organized by the choice of Rev. E. Weaver as Moderator, and A. Kemis, Clerk. The records of this council show a representation of four churches by tlelegates; Highland, E. Lee, J. Tenny; Hartland, A. Lamb; Walled Lake, Rev. E. Weaver, J. Coe, N. Daniels; Kensington, Rev. A. P. Mather, D. Seely, E. Cole, A. N. Kem is. The church records show the following names received by letter on that date, and organized into a regular Baptist church: Silas Dibble, Aaron Sickles, Fanny Dibble, Hannah Austin, Joseph Dibble, Justin Dnrfee, Rachel Dibble, Lydia Austin, Daniel Case, Anna Dibble, Sarah Durfee, Laura Monroe. 'J.lhe ,_J 0 0 I () Cl) z 0 z ::> _j ....J UJ 0 I ----- --- ----- t- (.'.) co z z :; 0 0 z c.: 0 Ico LO co z I- .J :> c.o LI.I ex: 1- ...J :> OJ "' .. H1STORY OF HOWELL 37 nsual service of recognition was held on the same day. The sermon was preached by Rev. Weaver, fr0m Psalms xxvi, 8. The address to the church and hand of fellowship were given by Rev. Lamb. During its first year eleven were added to the church membership by letter. At the close of the second year the membership numbered thirty-two. Of the niue who joined during that year, six were by letter and three by profession of faith. rrhe first person received by baptism was Harriet :M. Sickles who was baptized April 14, 183a. During that year the church wa8 attached to the Michigan Association. Hon . .M:iloL . Gay <lescribed the organization of the Presbyterian church as follows: "'My first recollections of attending meeting in the then new town date to a year and three months prior to the foundation of this chmch. In the sprmg of 1837, I remember following along after my father in a winding path which led through the woods from the farm known as the Reed farm, down to the Center, then winding northward by another path through the woods to the Thompson log house on the bank of the pond, where meetings were held on~e in four weeks, by Elder Post who came on horseback, I think from Plymouth. Also in a fortnight thereaftei· we followed another trail westward to the small log house of James Sage, situated on the identical spot where \Villiam McPherson jr's. house now stands. There I think we occasionally listened to rt Methodist preacher; and the 38 HISTORY OF HO,\'ELL particular imt>ressiou there made upon my mind was the peculiar a~'d quaint style of starting the tune by old Mr. Sago who, although himself a Universalist, consented to act in the capacity of e:hoirister, and also to accommodate the neighbors with a pluce in which to hold meetings. Another impression was in regard to tha peculiar bent position required to be maintained by the taller persons when standing, to prevent their heads coming in contact with the crossbeams above. The sixteenth and seventeflnth days of June, 1838, are still fresh in my .nemory, as they were memorable days in the history of the little hamlet then known as Livingston Center. Those days fell on Saturday and Sunday and the meetings were held in the loft of a one-and-a-half story building whieh my father had recently erectf\d for a store. The floor of the room above was of rough boards and the cP.iling WljS nothing but the roof-boards and shingles, in close proximity to the heads of the adults; and th~ rough tamara!.! k rafters, with Lheir knotty projections, were a constant reminder that all should humble themselves in the business in which they were about to engage.'' The main portion of the old building d1scribed by Mr . Gay, is now the upright of Mrs. Burbank's residence. Some of it's material is in W. 'W. Kenyon's tenant house, as stated elsewhere. The busine~s of the meeting referred to by Mr. Gay, was the organization of the Presbyterian chmc:h by Rev. Henry Root The following were the origonal )> 2 z )> ::0 Ill 0 ::0 :,::, 0 ,m, 0 -4 HISTORY OF HOWELL 39 members: David H. Anstin, Josiah P. Jewett, Horaee Griffith, ArtP.mas Mahan, John T, Watson, George \V.: ,Jewett, Edward F. Gay, Price Morse, Andrew Rid<lle, \Villiam McPherson, Charles Clark, Lucretia ,Jewett, Catherine Griffith, Polly Ann Mahan, Hila Mahan, ·.Jrilia .Mahan, Sa.rah Mahan, Harriet L. \Vatson, Anise P, .Jewett, Clarissa L. Gay, Elvira Morse. Elizabeth McPherson, lllargaret Thompson, Matilda Clark, Mary Clark. 'rhree ruling elders were elected who also held the office of deacon. They were as follows: Fol· one year, George W. Jewett; for two years, John T. vVatson; for thJ'ee years, E<lwarJ F. Gay. The legal organization wits effected on the 7th of Jnly following. Meetings were held in the school house during the following year. Garrett S. Lake having worked at brickmaking in New York, commenced the m&nufacture of brick near Fleming, in 1838, and it is from his yard that the brick in many of the oldest chimneys in town came. About this time Amos Adams ceased to be proprietor of the Eagle tavern, it having been sold. He forme<l a partnership with ,Joseph Porter and built a saw mill on the Shiawassee river on section 27. This site was afterwan~s used for a carding mill and cloth factory bv Joseph M. Gilbert. Soon after starting bis saw mill Mr. Adams built a hotel on the south side of the Grand River road, west of the river. This building was afterwards moved across the road and was torn down about twenty years ago. Among a large co]- 40 HISTORY 01!, HO'NELL lection of pioneer relics owned by ~1ishbeck Brothers, is the old dinner bell brought from New York and nsed by !\Ir. Adams at the Eagle tavern. The first horses, cattle, hogs and fowls came with the earliest pioneers but the first sheep were brought here in 1838, by Ira Brayton. The "wild cat banking" scheme of those early days affected Howe] with the other towns of the yonug state. Messrs. Gay and Whipple enjoyed R very large trade. Money was plenty and everyone bought all they wanted. Sometime afterward, in describing these times, Mr. Gay said: ''I found it easy to take $100 a day, but I was not so easily sure that the wild cat money would be worth one dollar the next morning and was quite sure it would not be when Lewis 'l'hompson arrived with our weekly horseback mail." At one time Mr. Gay paid $40 to a hotel between lie re and Detroit,. The amount of the bill in good money would have been $2.50. A proposition was made to organize a wildcat bank in Howell and the initiatory steps were taken but before it wus perfected those institutions in other places began to crack and Ho,rell therefore escaped. In the fall of 1836 William Riddle was taken very sick and lay apparently at the point of death, for some time. 'l'his led the settlers to think of a burying ground and laud was given for the purpose by Alexander Fraser, John D. Pinckney and Moses Thompson. It was located near the south-east part of the lalrn. HISTORY OF HO\VBLL 41 Mr·. Riddle recovered and tha first burial there wa::; that of l\liss Davis, a sister of Mrs .. Johnathan Austin. '£he site of this burying ground was never satisfactory to the people. After it h11d been used for some time it was abandoned and a new burying ground was laid out where the Ann .Arbor railroad crosses Bernard street. The swing of the town to the east by the location of Court House square ·, sent the sP.t.tlement clear around this burying ground. \Vhen it was filled a new one wns sP.cured on the bank of Thompson's lake. Iu moving from the 1ir:;t burying ground to the second, · everyone did the work for their own friends. The ground was soon dng over in such n way that it was impossible to find several graves. The oldest daughters of Rev. and l\Irs. A. L. Crittenden and l\lr. and Mrs. I{ichard Fishbeck were among those which could never be located to transfer. The first lawyer \.Vellington A. Glover, settled in Howell in 1838 and opened his office in the store of E. F. Gay. He was an ardent vVhie-and that fact no doubt injured his practice somewhat in this strongl,old of Democracy, but it helped him to the office of postmaster to which he was appointed in 1841. In a few weeks after the lawyer came a doctor in tha person of Dr. Gardner ,vheeler who at once commenced the practice of his profession and continued to do so in this vicinity for more than twenty years, duringwhich time he was generally respected by all who knew him. 42 HISTORY OF HOWELL His office which stood where the Sabin block now stands, was moved in later years and is now a part of . the first house south of Parshall's mill. His residfluce which occupied the site of M. J. McPherson's home, was moved up the Byron road and is now owned by John Owen. The first land located in Howell township was the east half of the south-west quarter of seetion 27, on May 20, 1838. It was where the Grand River road crosses the Shiawassee river. Amos Adams flo,ved this land when he erected hiB saw mill a httle further down tht'! stream, anl~ considerable of 'it was in a mill pond for years. The old home of John D. Pinckney which was torn down to gmde Library park, was built about this time and was one of the most pretentious houses in the village. It had a brick oven built in the siJe of the fireplace, a decided luxury which l\Irs. Pinckney u~ed to take great delight in loaning to her neighbors who had no such convenience, to use for their baking. When l\Ir. Pincknev's family were coming to Howell they were given some apples where they stopped at Aun Arbor. The seeds were planted and produced the old apple trees which were cut when the house was torn «.lown. 'While not in this township, Wm. C. Rumsey's 8aw mill in Oceola, fumished so much of the lumber in Howell buildings tbat it should be not.iced. There has been considerable change too in the topoHISTORY OF HOWELL 43 grapby of the village. U. G. Jewett rt:members sneaking around a pond for ducks, about where William Whitacre is now buil<ling a home, aud many of the boys and girls of other days remember a faverite place to slide down hill a little ways this side of the P. l\L depot, which has all been graded away. In these tarly days pigeons were so thick that it was no fun to huttt them. A big tree which stands in Mrs. Dollie Butler's yard was one of their favorite haunts. If anyone wanted a mess of pigeons to eat they would go over there and shoot what they wanted and leave the rtist There are so many things of interest for this period ol our history that we are loth to leave them. It wonld be wrong however for ns to pass to a new period without a word of that sturdy class who settled here to create homes, the real foundation of any good civilization, but who, while backing every worthy enterprise, were more quitt iu their way of doing things. Two representatives of this class will always be remembered for their honesty of purpoe:;e and solid worth They were Rev. E. E. Gregory and William Smith. __} )~ring previous years the scanty crops which tbe pionee'rs had been able to gather bad only sufficed to keep them during the severest of privations. By the harvest of 1838 sufficient land had been put to crops to secure enough and to spare and the ingathering that season marked an advance of no little importance. ~ --- - - - - - - -i:r.i., -,- - · .. ·. .. _---- ·-:_=§ =~ ·?¥+ 1'<'1"'i~: :~1. ·--- ---- -- - .- - - - - . - -·---- -~- -- _-- -. -- - -- -- -·--- ~ - ~- -- --~- -- -_ , - --- ---- · __ __- .- _. . - - --- -~- --~ , STATION OF THE PERE MARQUETTE R. R. CHAPTER IV. Hotels nlitl Fun In his first address to the county pioneer society Judge Turner discussed the first settlers in a social way, He could not remember any extensive coionization but said that ''there were to be found among the early settlers men from Ireland, Scotland, England \Valec,, New England, New York, Ohio. . and the Canadas, They had never seen or heard of each other before. This sort of mixed settlement was as pleasant as any. The mormon is doomed to see the hated gentile climb bis fence ere it is scarcely built. The most carefully consorted communities can scarcely preserve their exclusiveness for an hour. I conclude therefore that Livingston county made as much progress and had realy as much amusement as any other.'' Hon, Jerome \V. Turner once said: "Howell was a tow-n from the start with a grin on its conntennnce, which never relaxed but continually flowed into guffa'- S." In 1839 Shubael B, Slitter emigrated to Howell from Aun Arbor, where he had moved from New York fonr :rears before, and bought of Simon P. Shope the tract east of the village on the GranJ River road as it was by this time called, about where it is rrossc·d by the Ann Arhor mil way. On this land there w If) "") 0 I ICC :> 0 () lJJ Ien 0 [L [L 0 i-" lJJ lJJ a: 1- (/) er w > cc 0 z <( 0:: 0 u. 0 w 0 Cl) J..: .. :> 0 (/) HISTORY OJ!, HOWBLL 45 was a house built by Alexander Fraser for a residence to which Sliter added a log and a frame addition an<l opened a hotel. 'ro this hotel and its proprietor is largely due the reputation for fun which Howell soon gained abroad. In an impromptu address to the pioneer society iu 1873 Judge Turner told this story: In these early days court week was the great occasion of the new county Everybody was at court. The crowd that gathered at Sliter's at such time was far beyond all his limited sleeping accomodations. His bar room floor was literally covered with jurors and witnesses during the nights. One night when the floor was about as densely pop· ulated as it could be with sleepers two lawyers named George Danforth and Olney Ila wkins from Ann Arbor, crawled out the back way, and by inducements in the shape of Indian corn, succeeded in calling two large hogs to the bar room door and getting them inside. Then they sta1-ted a bulldog Slitter owned after the bogs and quietly but swiftly retired to their beds in a rear passage. If Slitter's dog ever had any fail· ings they could not be urged against his persistency as a biter, The scene that followed would baffle discription. The squealing of a captured hog is always very thrilling but when dinned into the ears of sleeping men at the dead of night, and it is accompanied by vicious kicks and thumps on their bodies it is alarming. 46 HISTORY OF HOWELL The condition of affairs in these days is best descri bed by two gentlemen who were here at the time. "\Ve quote from Judge Turner and his son above quoted. "Men from the east who had no design of settling here, staged it out from Detroit, or over from Dexter, to spend a few days in laughing. One man I know, who resided in the city of New York, who has since told me that he was accustomed to travel through almost every tow1\ in the United States large enough to hold a meeting house without finding one that could equal Howell for fun. There was an abandonment nbont it, too, that gave it zest; men laughed in hearty deep-chested tone~ here in the back woods, and assembled to see the perpetration of a practical joke in more numerical strength than they did at n fnnernl. Nobody was in a hurrv, no one was careful or trcubled nbont many things; we had actors and an audience. l\'Ien forsook what little business they had for simple sport. One man I knew-EliJah Uoffn:n, a carpenter and joiner by trade,-who would come clown from the roof of a promising job to join in a little hilarity, and not be able to get away from it so that he eonld return in a month. The super-urgent business was fun; that was a complete plea to any declaration for clamages on account of any delay in work. Even shows which were supposed to carry about with them a sort of stereotyped humor which can make an hour passable, were tame concerns here in those early clays and it was two to one that someHISTORY OF HO\VELL 47 thing laughable would happen to them before tlH·Y left the place. Subjects of mesmerism underwent copious inundations of cold water; the magic lanter1i cnirass suddenly grew cloudy with ink, and the return of pewter and tin sixpences astonished the showman when he counted up after the performance. Apropos of this there were at an early day, organized in Howell, companies of squirters who were armed with pint and quart equii t guns with which they deluged all bibulous individuals. A man could get on a drunk in the daytime but he hnd need to watch the sun very closely and not be seen around after nightfall. "Some of the snbJects of this sport were somewhat ugly; for instance Levi Bristol, a square fighter, a man who wou:d have been known as an athlete among the Thebians, but who usually got cornered when he came to town. He was emphatically an ugly customer and he asserted in all sorts of forcible inelegance, that 'the first man who squirts any wate,r onto me'll get his head knocked off.' I remember as though it were but yesterday, his standing one aftP-rnoon nearly in front of KP,llogg & Austin's store-present location -and he looked like one of Dumas' 'coloseal wrest · lers' in the olympic ring, as he dared the whole town to fnmish him an antagonist who should come bearing a tin squil-t gun. Boy as I was I had read the story of Goliath of Gath, and when I saw a single person, a stripling in size emer!{e from a building on the street with a quart squirt gun at 'present arms' and advance 48 HISTORY OF HOWELL toward this gawk, I must confess I thought I could see a complete repetition of that historical incident. I do not know that I was certain then or that I am entirely positive now, who the lad was who went out against him, but he had a wonderful ~imilarity to one Leander Smith, who once lived in Howell, so similar as to puzzle people as to the question of identitj,. A fine stream from the youth's gun struck Bristoi fair and sq narc in the eyes! Bristol plunged do,vn like a kingfisher, and whirled himself along in knots and spirals through the dirt of the street uttering the most abominable yells that ever issued from human lips. He did not seem to know wherR he wus going or to hnve t.be least care. He burst through the front door of Elisha Hazard's grocery, knocking over a counter and roaring like a bull of Bnshan ! \\Tell, whisky and pepper-sauce in eqnal parts is not a very pleasant eye lotion, and Bristol's visits to Howell hecame more and more infrequent and of u less turbulent character. ''The general store was a rendezvous and its rnmnmoth stove became somewhat of n social shrine. There the people gathered and there they brongl1t unt their jewels, like the toads, after dark. These jewels served our pnrpose then, .r let us hope that they may not be entirely unregarcled now." • 'There lived here, a good many years ago, a rnnn who was familiarly called 'Old Cuff Simons,' of genial goocl-nnture, but he was prone to take to murh liquor. ,. ( ,! 3: m -l :r 0 0 r/l -l .,, "C C/l 0 0 "C J> r (') :r C :!I 0 J: 3m: -l J: 0 0 rn -l IT1 "C rn 0 0, , J> r '"O J> :!I r/l 0 z J> C) m HISTORY OF HOWELL 49 The boys, on certain occasions of his intoxication, would delu£e the old man with water to au extent which would satisfy any reasonable 'l'hompsonian. One evening they were engaged in this pastime in a hotel kept by George Curtis in this place, and an elderly stranger, who happened to be present - thinking it to be an imposition on the old man, strongly remonstrated with ·urn boys against what he termed 'such shameful conduct.' But what was his surpris~ when Simons turned upon him with open jack-knife saying: 'You're a transient person (hie) mind your Qwn (hie) business; the boys are going (hie) to have their sport.' In New York or Boston such interference might have been regarded as timely by a besieged drinker, but at Livingston Center it was rtsented by the victim with far more warmth than by his persecutors'' One day the boys secured an old crate in which dishes had been shipped, and go\it ready for Simons when he should get on a drunk. It wasn't a great while before they had use for their cage. "Old Cuff" thought the joke a good one when they coaxed him QUt Ol'l the public . square and got him into the trap, He roared and bellowed for awhile, imitating a wild • animal. After awhile he tired of it and wanted to get out but the old crate was fixed up too strong and it was half a day or more before he was released. About 1840 the land was full of prospectors and adventurers and these numerous hotels did a much larger GO. HIS1 10RY OF HO"\VELL business proportionately than . they would today. Alt.hough Sliter's was some llistance from town and a long stretch of corduroy road Jay between the village nnd the hotel it was a popular resort. It came to lw understood holrever that the man who i::topped there must expect to become the victim of some joke before he left and few· i;ot. away without an experience more or les::; f n nny. Sliter afterwards scltlcd in Deerfield where his wife diu1 . Aftm· that lte went to Kent county and started · nnother hotd but lost it in n trade fo1·J nnd which only existed in the miuc1 nf the t;pceulator l\'!10 bent him out of his property. Allen c: ,veston ~tarted sf'me kincl of a stage line bebveen Howell an<l Detroit. in 1838 and in 1840 began tbi.: Pl'L'Clinn of a Jiotel. Defore it was finished his c>yesight failed nlHl be traded the property a11d stag e line to Benjamine Spring for land 011 section IG. Spring completed the hotel aoc1 built a new slage whieh was probably a:: odcl as Ilic odd. character who ran the line. It was painted red and named the ''Red Bir<l." It was not only n vehic. le for land traffic bnt carried passengers safely through the rapicls n~r Detroit ,rlwrn it served as n bout. Spring was a worthy contemporary of Sliter. It is said thnt he hud u• boarder who was 1nore prompt to meals than he wns t.o. pay his bill. Spring met him at the dining room door as he was corning out with several boarders one day, and handing him some HISTORY OF HOWELL 51 1!1oney, told him 11 fo r pity sakes when you come next time, stop and pay for what you eat." Spring acknowledged himself beaten when the boarder took his cash and calling the crowd with him, went over to the har of another hotel and set-em-up. Spring was a great admirer of General Cass. The old vet1·an stopped at his hotel when campaigning here and Spring went into the dining room himself to see that his noted guest was properly cared for. .Judgt! of hi~ consternation when he saw the general pu.l a hair out of the butter. But S~ring was not t.o be daunted an<l called out to his wife, in a voice which could be hrard all over the room, telling her to go over to Uay's store and s~e if she couldn't find Rome butter in which the hairs were better rotted. One summer night in 1844, when a party of wen ,n1 e busy with cards at Spring' s hotel their hottle was left rn near the window that some boys reached in arnl stole it. The effect npon them was as a live •?oal which had roused Edward ~,. Gay who had de- <1ecided to try and better the condition by building a fempe1·ance hotel. Accordingly he talked the matter o,·er with his -neighbors and decided to buy the lot where the Goodnow block now stands, r.f the comer of Grand River and Division strP.ets. Unfortunately he told some of his nei~hbors of this decision and the opposition attemped to head off his temperance movement. Hezekiah Gates hurried off to Detroit the day before Gay was to go, and bought the lot. As soon as 02 HISTORY OF HO\VELL lie returned he began arranging for the erection of a hotel which afterwards became Union Hall and was prominent here for years . .i \:lr. Gay learned of the Gates scheme just before leaving for Detroit, and selected . another site which wa~ the lot upon ·which stands the buildings occupied by the Fi1·st ~tate and 8avings Bank and Barron & Wine's drug store. rn1is hotel was the first brick building in Howell and the first temperance hotel for miles around . 'l'he brick for its erection were burned on ~Jr. Gay's own farm in Marion, now occupied dy Eastman's dairy farm. Z. M. Drew furnished the lime from n kiln he had established near the Marion t.o,rn line. Hon. C. U. Ellsworth aftenvards a prornill( ·nt lawyer here, was the first landlord. .Mr. Ellsworth sure:y was Daniel like for he opened the hotel with a flag flying, to the Lree:..:e upon which was inscrib(' tl "Liberty and Temperance." Mr. Gay kept the hot.el for many yc·ars and tlten sold it. It was pm·c:has~d after n while by 1\Ir. Pebbles and its name changed to Livingston Hotel. It remained n t.emper- :rnc0 hotel nntil torn down when ,Jolin vVeimeister built the present block in 1869. Superstitions ones were not at all surpri~ecl at the fate of Hezekiah Gates and his project. The bnilding of his hotel proved too great a project for his financial resonrces. Before its completion he was obliged to go into bankruptcy. rrlrn property was neqnired by 11ayl0r & McPhersou and changed hands n number of (") :r C :a 0 :r HISTORY OF HOWELL 63 times until 1871, wh«!n Union }foll as it was theu known, was burned. Shaft's hotel which was built a little later than the others mimtioned, really belonged to this period. It's first owner was William U. Shaft who was Spring' s opposition in the stage hnsiness to Detroit. It drnnged hands several times until 1863, when it waR purchased l>y Benjamine H. Rubert who iuhlc<l a third story and ran the house suc(~essfully until hiR death. His son Seth B. Rubert mu the honse a mtmber of years. It has drn,ngcd hands two or thr ee times sinee l\Ir. Rubert clied hnt ::;till hears his n:nne. CHAP'l'Elt V. Not All 1''11n In urnst. he Legislature createll a boal'l1 of connty eo11u1t1:.-;s10ncrs.B nt litt.lc is left of their recol'(ls. Emn., · Be:1l, Charles P. Bush and Orman Hohn(•s c:011sti.ut te<l the bonrd. 'J'lw County Uommi~sioncrs cen.sccl to have authority ntter the Ll\gislalmc of 1842 and the boarc1 of supcr\'isor :~ was reorgn.nir.Pcl. It has met regt1larly enn· :-;i:we that. tillle . • f 1Hl~(! Kin~slt•y f;. Hi11~hnm the first Probate ,Juclgc c>f thi~ ccnmly, lua1 no oflieial business to perforlll. Hi :, olli<'.n wa~ nt lii:,.;r usidl~1wc in Onc11 Oak. The n:·xt, ~fll(}g-e, Ta11tc~\:V-:. 0tanh11rr, li\'ecl in Pinckm·y arnl heltl hi:-: C'.onrt: there. ~l'hc first will l10uclrnitted to prol>nt c ,ms that. of ,T:unes Sage, the first white settler c,f Howell, ,rlto l1il't1 June 2D, 183U. His will wns clatc-11, Ja nuar~- ] G of that year nnd was officially witncf- se,1 b)· l>r. \Vt\llingtuu A. Glover and "·ifo arn1 0. J. Pinek1w~·. Mt·. Sage's son-in-law, Joseph H. Pi1wk1w)·. \Yns appointed exe<mtor. The kgat f•(•:,; we1·ti l'lfr~. Sage wit1ow of t.lte cleeca.sed, anc1 l1Pr chil1l1·en, (h~org-e' l1. 0:!g'l\, ,fame::-:H .. Sag:'!, Chester A. Sn~l·, i.\fary A. W. Pinckite? and Hannah A. \Valker. 'l'h e duh..> oE record is qnite baclly fnde<l but it was 8ome!i111ei n ,Ju l.v. 18:JD. HISTORY OF HOWELL .J ud;;e Unorge Vv. Kneeland who w,1s electe,1 in J:-,1 0, lll')Vecl th,3 o1foie t.QH owell. HiR fir,;;t, lrnsi11<'ss wns on F1·l)1'11ary8 , 1841, when letters of a1l111i11istr.1- t.ion ,verc g-ranted in the estate of ,Josiah P. ,fowdt. The l-'re1'byterian society held most of its mt:etings in th•i village school house, HS did both the other 1le- 110111inationi:m:, 1til the year 1.840. In 183\J the so1'.iety liegan the erection of a ehnrch building whicih was completccl the following year. This drnrc11 or:g-inall :; stood a littl0 liorth of the Central School I-Ions! sq:i:=,r,i and fronted t,Q the south, amidst what wm; then a growth of u11de1·brnsh. 'l'he site proved to he a lrn<l one as in muddy weather, the church was alm0:;;;t inac- 11t1ssible, an<l it. was moved to nenrly the prt>sent sit.~ of the Knapp shops. Sometime aftennml the s(•<'iety became involve,1 by too extensive repairs to the h11il<li11~ :rncl it was sol<l at forcecl sale, to the highest hi1l- 1le1·. It wns aft<.?nrard8 moved to Divi~ion street. H)l(l occnpied by Staley's wagon shop for a g-oo<l many years. Its old ruins, ahout twenty feet fro1n the fir:';t. sd1ool honse, :;;till remain. \Vhen the church wa:;; first organi~ed it aclopted the union pl an but on Septemlie1· 21, 183!), by resolution it became Presbyterian and remained so until Jnly 2\J, 1843 when it changed to Congregational, bnt returned to Presbyterian October 27, 1845 and lrns hcen in that conn~ctiou sinee that date. As before referred to thne was a determined effort mu.de to move the county site to Brighton and th~ 1 · BG HISTORY OF HOWELL matter was brought before the Legislature m 18:H but ,vas defeated by the determined efforts of 111,.T . B Crane and others. This a~itation however hall th e effect to d~feat all projects to build su ti:ible building:-: when pr esented to the people as heretofore detailed in these pages. 'l'he earliest officers who had ofiice in Howell, all made their offices at the Eagle 'rnvern. li1. .J. B. Crane built a one story buil<lii1g of two rooms near the site of l\1rs. Amos 'f. Slader's present rt sidcnce, in 1837 and the county offices were ~oon rnov c<l to it, the building being rented by the eonnty. It. wnH nfterwanls purchased 88 will be noted further 011. 111 1842, the board of supervisors contracted wit.It Benjamin ~pring, for the use of his ball room in his hot.el in which to hold eonrt, for fifteen dollu,rs, lie to furnish wood. This nrraugernent onlr lasted for a 8hort time nnd tbe Presbyterian c:lrnreh was lea~cd for holding com t and all county meetings. 'l'he rental was twenty five dollars per term of eourt. for a time, and later, forty dollars per ·year, for all eonnty purposes. 'fhis latter arrangement. continued for about three years, until what is now known a.s the old court house, was completed In the spring of l84G, a vote was taken at each town 1m·cting, to build a court house and jail, and the hoanl of Supervisors elee:ted a building committee who acl vel'tistd for the reeieval of plans and spe<-ifications. Hy the time the bourtl met in October of that yea i;, they bad taken legal counsel and decided that they had not a legal HISTORY Ol.1i HOWBLL 57 right to levy a tax for the sam<~ and :,;o resolved. In the following year thl· Legislatme pa8S<\cla n c11- nbli11g ad :mu the bonrcl at. a spcciial rncding in ,Tune, 18-!G, arrangecl for the lrnihling of the old court . ho11:-:;e. After some clelny, the contract was let to Emos B. 'l'aylo1· ,vh<~e ompletecl the l11Lildin/.l{a te in the fall of 18!7. The total eost inelmliug extms, wus $;i,!J~8. By a resolution of the Board, the hc~lfry was e;:ectc<1 npon condition thut the people of Howell shonhl raist~ a suitable sum to purelrnse tl hell. \Vl1t·11 tl1e olc1 tonrt house was torn down, the lwll wa~ :::nvecl by Ji'ishlH·ck Brothers ancl others. It has sinee been properly mounted and stands ju:-;t insi,fo the bar railing i11 I.he i:irc:nit court rno111. \Vhl'll it <mme to lmildi11g thl) comt ho1rne, tlw lo<!at. ion bcc:n11Ha!n irnportant i::;::;ne. No one ltacl c:ared particularly where the <!OmmissioJLcr:::-;;h onhl Jocnte the) 1iom1ty :-;ite excc11t that it shoulcl bt~ in Howell lrnt when the lmil<ling:,; wen! to be <!OllllllCHce<l that w11~ another qnc:,;tion an<l especially so to Pdel' Uowdry arnl 1Dclwar<T1h ompson who had platted nclditio11s to the village a.nu were :-;m·ct hat if they eo11lcl r~et the lmilclings located 111>011 theil' land it wn11ld prove a boom to their ndtlitions. ..A.fter a proper 1)lfort they :-meceecledi n so doing and the connty site wa:-;d 1nnged from the old 1mblie :,;qnare south of Grauel Hivet· street. and west of \Valnnt street, to its present location, tl1P front part of the pl'esent square being donated to tlw c~onnty by Mr. Cowdry a.nd the north Jrnlf hy ]Hr. 58 HISTORY OF HOWELL 'l'hompson, the land presented including the streets clear around the present square. 'l'he lots of the originnl portion of town had many of them been purchas ed by speculators who were non residents and this fact with the moving of the county site, had much to do with chrmging the prin cipal part of the town t<, the new a<hlit.ions. \Vith the procuring of the 11P.w sit<.\, the old county office building was moved to the new squnrn in a position about midway b etween the prt\f.:- ent front . of t.he court house and the west side of tht~ sqnar e. vVhen the brick office building was erede<l' on that site it was moved to the north sid e of the squar e and was later sold to ·william B. 8mith wlw moved it a block east, on the south side of Grand Riv er street west of Bernard street, where it beeame part of the residence reccntl.v purchased by Osn1r Hesse. It has been rebuilt several times. Irnmecliately aft.er the court house was finished the board of snpetvi::-ors passed It resolution to all<!W all religious denomination~ to hold servic'.eS there and the proposition was ac<\epted hy all but Uw Presbyterians who alr e:uly lt:ul their chnr eh lmilt.. 'l'h e jail and sheriff ' s residence oecnpied the ground ft.001· of the old eourt honse and the eonrt nncl jm~· rooms the setoncl story. In 184D a contract was let to George W. and l!'rellerick ,J. Lee to build an office building west of the eonrt house, on the sit e occupied by the wooden offic£> building. 'l'his building was eompleted that year and HISTORY O"b.H, OWELL GU ac\ccpted hr the rnpervisors nt tlrnir ,Junnary mc•ding. H co:-;t $545.~:w. 'l'his hnilding !Sl'l'Vecilt s l)llJ'l)O:-itl uutil 1873 "·hen it was clemolis'tiP.<al nd n. bett er Oil<'. tonk i1s pince for th e Comity Clnrk nrnl lfogister of Deed:': offices. lu 185:J a huil<1iur was creeted for me of the .Jr nlg-e of Probate n.ud County 'l'rensm· e1·, <~n;;t of the conrt lt01rne, and similar to the o·ne thmt sta11Cling west of t.lw <!ourt hom;c, whichb ecanu: County Clel'k nml Jkg-i~- ter of Deeds omce~ after this building ,vas completed. \Vlien the square was clen.reu to make room for the new court house, much of the rnat erinl in th e thre e\ lmildings went into the Y1alls of the present court house. Rail roads were a big thing in tho~e <lays as well as now ancl about thi8 time a line was projedetl from Ddroit to Kensington, the1w<) tn llowdl ,llHl thene,\ to Shiwa:5see village, a line wltieh woul<l :c;cal''.fely li<~ urgl ~d as exceedingly promising toda,v. As l>dore referred to n cemetery wns locntell uear the sonthcnst part of t.he lak<~ lmt tht ~ ~itc wns not entirely satisfactory to all n1Hl auothcl' wns locut u<l near, ~r town bnt this proved no mor e sati~factory than the other. The matter was 1inaly settled hy the purchase of the old cemetery, of Eclwal'<l 'l'hempson in 1840. 'fhe first lmrial ,vas that nf Jlenl'y \Vhedm· u young man who was jnst entering manhood. Th e ::;ite of tlw old cemetry is now part of tlrn TolCLlo Ann Arbor and North l\Iichigan Railway gronnL1s wh1:re they a1·t~ r;ro~secl by B .n. ·nad street :m<l rnn a little e,l~t ()f 1:hc GO HISTORY OF HOvVELL ~tn·d ,rhel'e fS. B. Hnl>Prt's lnrnber·ancl c·oal yard 1s no,y lotat ed. Ahont, this time or a .Ettie before, the villag l~ acq11ired its first residrn1t pastor. B.ev. Hcnl'y Hoot ,rho liad been employell by the Presl>yt.erian cl111rcl1, mov ctl to IIo,vell ns · it.s pioneer in tha.t profession. Thi' people of t.his connty were of n litera.l'y taste arnl in 18:1:a org-nni7.ed a Union Lyceum which becam(· very 1wpnlar in those endy dnys. Ahont this time the F .leming post offit~e ,:vas established. ,T. ,v. ~miU1 was its first. postmaster nn!l tlw ofTil'e was located iu his resitlenee which stood 11enrly (lpposite to the present. farm ~.'esidence of Frank He- C'.OX, on the Grand River road. It. was aftenrnr1h: rnovP1l to six co1·1wrs wliere it. was rnnintainetl until so11H·t i me IIf t t~1· f1·t·Pr Hrll l lll'livery was estnblishe<l. 'l'he Marr l>uri11g gTomul wns also est.aulishecl in the (•arly 'JOs. 'l'lie old general trai11i11g days were seaso11s of revdrr mor e or le8s importuut from t.lw first, bnt their a111011nitn this connty we1e· of n comparntively small i111portnnce before 18-±3, As far back as the <ln~·s of Amos Adn111s there were some things accomplished in I.hi~ line nncl that. gent.le.man painted a flag for nsl ~ 011 tlwse ocensions, which is still iu existence, a treasured rcli<· in the home of (h-ol'gl· \V. 1\fonroe. In 184:l a regime11·t wi\s organized in this <:01mty with Col. 'l'im· oth.\· H.. Allison of Pinckiwy, in eommnnd. By an Ol'dt>r dalr<l li'eb. 7, 184:1, he divided t.he county into Nnnpany bc·at:s, }fonclr ancl HowPll being- nssigned to ) CXI J> 1l -l en -l "'O J> ::0 rn 0 z J> 0 rr, Gl one beat. Tho 1:0111p.rnyf rom this heat wn:,; 1:ompilr· atively well organiz<1 <l with Halph 1;,owler of Fowkrville, as captain. The t1'1)ops were 1mH,teretl i11 011 old public :.:;qnani, lint n portion of the forty sol<l to :M. .J . tuid Alexamkl' ~1<-Pliersnn, hy l\Irs. A. L. ('.J·ittemfon :,:;0011 after her lm:-band ' s death wns p1·e1rnrc(l for trai11ing purposes. The gen eral poor sncce8s of trainings of thi8 d1ara eter, to secure the <lcsircd ref: ults, causctl th e repeal of _the law soon after the a hove date and ended all cxtm1sive effol'ts of that d1:ll'acter iu Howell. The early pioneers were patriots as strong a::; m1111y who have <'.Ome ufte1· them. 'fhe first F'olll'th of .July <!eelbratiuu in this <!ity \\'H.S held nuder t,empel'aJJ•:c an ::1-1cies, in 184~-, in the grove wl1ere Uw Presbyt erian chnr<:11n ow stands. No att empt wns HHHle nt 1irn- ,vorks 0r other eYeniu~ (lemonstrntion. l\Ianufacturing in a piunee1· way, took quite a 'boom about this time. Andt'ew L. Hill opened a wago11 sl.10p in 184:2. Mr. Hill JtHHle the first cutter in tow1t for Philander Glover. It was afterwards pnrchastd hy .Judge 'l\n·n er who located here in 1840. In 184G \V. K. l\Ielviu and .James Lawther openet1 the ".Arent1e shop:;" and put np the lrnildi11g whit·h year:-; after, was built over into the Commerei:11 Hotd. In 1844, Hick~y and Galloway erected a fom1d1·y on the sit e of.Mrs. L. V. D. Cook's residen ce south of the tunn el. They not only mr.nufactnred all kinds of agricult .mal implements, hut all kin<ls of stove~, kettles, etc. 'fhe 8hops were :-nceessiYely owne,1 hy G2 HISTORY OF HO\VELL LernuE'l Hp<>oner and lDdward 'fhompson, \V. 0. An·her arnl lastly b~· Abig-nl W. Smith and Dexter li''ilkins, Tlwy were• bnmed while the latter gentlemen OWHP<1 tlwm. Dr. ½. H. Marsh settled here in 1847. The shol'es nf time in thi~ vicinity are lined witlt wreeks of sl'iect schools and other private Cllucational i11stit.11tions. 'l'lH· earliest of these wns by Theodol'(· Bri<lgenrnn wlio oplnw<l his Howell Seleet School ill U14:"i, in tl1!· ol1l J>resbyterinu elmreh. 'l'he sehool lived 011!.,·a li!ll<\ wl1ill! n11(ll lie<l in ti1ue to 111nkl1' ·oon1 for t.Iw Ulasicnl Sdcd. School whieh was start .c\cl in l>et·1•rnel,r of t.ltat year by Hev. G. F. McEwen, but. tlti s :~nll'rpl'ise soon kept. company with its preclecessor . .M r~. Mnriah L. Charles was the next nucl her sd(,rt . i;:ehool ,Yas q uitl• an institution in the summer of 184(i. The Hmn·ll A<'a<lem)' was opened April 1, 184G, and tn·1~11s1ei<l to lH' quih ~ an institution but the promis<'~ "·pn , 1w,·er rPali:;.:e<l. The fuilnre of the aeademr letl t.o tl1e o!'ganizat.ion of a stoek company of $10,000, cornrio~ cd of Jo~iah Tmner. F. C. 'Whippl e, Elijah l!'. Burt., Alrnn Isbell, Uardner Wheeler, George vV. Lee, ,Tolt11K enyon Jr., .Almon vVhipple and Edward K Ureg-0!',·,. This fir111n enr <lid a11,rthiug be,\·ond th(• prcH·urement of its charter. The old fra11H·s d1ool house provc·ll entirely imtdeqnnt e for the growth of the town and earl,\· in t.lw fortil'S: agitation for a new one began to grow. An nppropriation for a new building was made in J 84)i, lint was reconsidered. A fight between sections north nnd sont-.1n1f Orarnl Rin ~r st.reet was fnllr developed. ' I I I I I llISTORY OF HO\VELL G3 and lasted several years. The north side was never strong enoug·h to :-;ocnre the location alt-.J10ngh they managed to ilCcm·e ::;ont.h-sic1ers enough to change every location <lecicled upon from 184G to 184!J, and kept the hall rnlli1lg from the old irnblic s<1nare, the preseut sitt• <,f tho :'IL g, Clrnrch, arn1 nt.hers, until it:;; final location on the present i:;ite of the ('.entral scoool hnilcli11g, Deoemlic1· Hi, J 8-t.8. The question of loc:ation ,vcntlc1n o d,>til>t linvl~ c:cmLinm!<1l1 1nch1 011~<'.l' had not a resolution bt!cm passed in September, 1848, instructing the district board to sell the school honse which th ey clid and rented rooms in the Stage Honse for school purposes, ,John Dickson being employed to teach there . Tho first propnsition was to build a two story brick $Cliool house\ thirty-eight by fort.y-eight feet i11s i1/.eb nt a resolution to t.hi:-;e ffect created c:011- siderable opposition as the proposition to l1uiI<1 a '' c~astle'' rrhe size ·was <'.hanged to twenty-Hix by thirty-six feet lll!(l the building lrnilt for $10,000, by J~lijah Coffren. Willis \Viii~ wns tho first tend1er in the new building. In 184:D, a dissolution aro se in the Presbyt erian ehurd1 and Charles Clark, ~Irs. ~fariah Clark, Zeb-:.~lonM . Drew, Edward li'. Gay, 1\lrs. Clarsi::.a L. Gay, Benjamine vV. Cardell nn,l wife clrew 011t of that church and organiied a C01'lgreg·ational church. rrhe Bible society was organized in 1842 arnl die] considerable work until 1846. A new eociet.y wns organizecl in l84D which has been allowed to Jap1m al( i4 HISTORY OF HO\VELL thongh a small stock of · Bibles st.ill remained in the care of ,T. L. Pettibone Esq. unt .il his health failc><1a fe,\. years ngo. About this time t.he prevailing epiumnic of fun ma.king took a setback. 'l'he wife of a blacksmith named Horal.irwher <lied. Her bereaved husband failed to wait a sntllcient time after her fimcrnl, to snit his neigh btn·s i<1eas of propriety, before h(• married his Sl·co1ul wife. One result . of this co1H1ition of alfr.ir~ was the nrrtmg·ernent for n regular old foshiouecl hol'llillg. 'l'he late Dr. Hm1ti11gton who was alwa~·:-: n·:Hly for fu11 mts solic·itecl to captain t.J1e !i(,mi11g party l.,11(. lw <lL•clinedt l1e honor and clecidecl to presc ·Ht a (·01rntt·r attraction. Accordingly he UlTange<l "·ith a C(luple of c·onfedernt.es awl the three crawlecl np uenr Horabaeher's house unobserved by its occ11punts who wcro all unc:ouscions of what n,,·aitec1 them. In time t.be horning party arrived, led by He11jamin Spring who was literally covered with sleighbells . As he approached at the head of his crowd, t.he <loci.or antl his party opened upon them ,vith double banelled shot gnus. Spring cut and nm, nor \\'Ottl<l he go back. Some little noise was started liowevl'r, lmt word came from the house that the bride lintl been scared into hysterics and the doctor had a patil ~nt. on his hands. It took Yery little coaxing t.o se11d the crowd away for the joke was so badly on :Spring bPcanse of his scare, that ever,roue ..p nlled him h:wk to hi::: hotr.l t.o li<pwr up at his expense. rrhe PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH I '-------- - ---- --- - ----- HIS'rORY OF HOWJDLL (·).,r)· whole thing Hgurecl ont so hard against him that lie was never anxious to lead again in anything of t.hat kind and as Sliter moved t.o Deerfield the t.wo Je11ders were out cf it and things quited down a bit. 'l'here were great tracts of land all a1·ontlll, which were nufenc cd and cattle were a.llowid to ·run at larg e during the days. Oc casionally one would c:0111e 11p mi ssing and the theory nsuall,v was that it had wan· ,ler cd into some of the 111tt1·sheasn d mired out of sigh~. ,Johnathan Austin lost, a eow and after awl1ile, gave it np 11s lo:5t. Ho11ie month:-- later a 11eig-hhor told him t.hat he had seen liiR <'.oW p:1.:-;t.nri11go n t.he p11bli,1 sqnure. .Mr. A.11$1i1 1 w«~11t l.o th e square and finding a cow which lookt ·d lik e his, drove her hom e . Tl1e11 Z. M, Drew's cow wns 1·c!porte<1 lost. In thμe it. ,,,.as l'e· ported to Mr. l h e w t liat .fo]ma.than Austin liad hii.; cow and he wc·ul , lo claim it. Bot .h men wnrn ~mre the cow was thc·irs nnd a law snit was the reimlt. Both "·ere leading BH'lllhers of the Pr esbyt eri :rn church nncl th er e Wil S quit .,~ a littl e row kicked np in c•hureh circl es over th e matt er. 'l'Jie t.rial c~~at«·<l no end of in terest. Both sid es preS(\Ht.ecl Iea<ling eit.izern,, who positively id entified th e cow aurl nvei·yt-.hing looked like a,n even strength for both sides nf the 1\as e . Hhortly before time for adjom·1111e111t for snpper, Dr. Hn11ti11g-· ton who was on e of tlw jmors casually ask e1l witne sses on both side s as to the milkin~ qualities. A,:stin's witnesses agre ed that his «:ow was a harcl milk e1·; while Drew's witne sses testifi ed that his eow was a very - GG HIS'rORY OF HO WELL easy milker. 'rhe case went to the jnry in the evening and they retumed a verdict i11Ja. fow niinutes, unanimous for Drew. During the intermission the <lo<:to1q· uietly went and milked the cow. As soon as they re&chc<l the jury room he tol<l his compa111011s ·what he had done. 'rhe faet that she was an easy milker settled the case. In those early days however, it <lidn't. settle the row. Another case about that time will remain a standing joke of the county as loug as the pionen ·s remain. A man had been arrested for stealing and was tuken into Circuit Uonrt where he stated that he had no mone) ' and Attomey Hrn,·kins wa~ appointed to defend him. Mr. Uawkins told the com!, that he did not want to go to trial without talkiug with his clie11t and wu~ allowed to go into a room aloue with liim. He is said to have asked the fellow if he was guilt,\' and was answeretl that he was. 'l'o his enquiry as to whether they could prove it his elient said t.lrnt. he guessed that tliey could for they fonncl t]H· stolen propcrt.~0 with him. Hawkins nsked him how nrneh money he had Hll(l took half of it.. He then point.eel to a window and t.oltl the prisoner to "g-it." He "got" and Hawkiw~ went off 0v er town. After awhile the sheriff hm1tt·d him up arnl told him the jndge wanted to eee him. Hawkine is said to have sauntered leisurely into the eomt room. \Vhen he entered alone the .in<lge enquired wltere the pn~oner was. Mr. Hawkins :replied courteously that. he was not the pri:-;oner's keeper and finally said that. • HISTORY OF HO\VELL (i7 tl1<'. last he :-:;awo f him he went through a window. 'l'h e jndge lrn1Tic,l offi«:en; after him bnt he was free. Another law snit which is 8till told of by the ol(l c~iti:r,eusw as on e in whid1 Ira Hmyton was defendant. H<~l rn.<1b e<~omc indebted to one of th e early pioneers in tJw smn of twent.y dollars and hutl giv en n mortgaf{e 011 t hree 1i.ne yokes of eat.tie worth several timeH that amount, bnt was not able to raise the 1i1oney ancl liis c'.reclitor cxpectecl to takn the ea.ttle. So 81ll'l\ was he nf st'.Cnring them 1J1at lie i::olil·itticl jobs of ''breaking · up'' new land expeding t.o <lo t.he work with the ::e: ,~nt:tle. E:r,ra Frisbee finally decided to help Mr. Brayton ont. Co1rnt:al1llDi nrfr.l: ,vho was lo11g1-·rn, 1ernbered he ~a11sn Im alwn~·s went hnrc!footecl, wn.s t.he offi<:er in !:hr <!HS(~ :rncl leanw,l of :Mr. Frishee's inh !n1.ion8. As :-,0011 as the Lidding rrnwhetl the nmonnt of tl1e ,lebt nntl l:o::;ts, he struck the cattle off to .l\lr. l~risl>cc who h\ft them with Mr. Bl'ayton. fn J1is effort:,; to sav e hi111sd f l\fr . Brayton hncl n~qnired a jrnlgement wltic;J1 ,mother man lwlcl ng:iinst his creclit.or, arnl had plact1l this ,vit.h Constable Durfoe fol' enllcction. .As soou a~ i\fr. Frisbe e pliw,<~<thl e mo11t·y 011 n table tc })H? for 1:11n cnt.tle the constable leviP.r1 11pon enough to :::n.tisfy tliis jndg-rnent Ull(l the gTinding creditor got out of th e whole transaet.ion <:onsicfornhly in the hole. \Vbile most of the pioneen ; rnacle the best of things and put np with privations, there were tl1ose who rniRsed the luxm·ic~R of th e ontside world. Amo11g these wns a mrrn nmni :<1B etts who settle,1 in fli e north HISTORY 0111H OWELL west. pa.rt of town in Ow enrly forties. He came from Nl·w Y<>l'ka rnl was ahvays lame11ti11g the fact that he ccmlcl not enjoy what his neighbors put up with. One morning it was fonn<l that he had taken poison ancl was dead. 'l,his was the first experience of this eltarader nncl \Vas ciuite a shock for thr p10nel'l' settler~. ])r. Unnluer Wheeler's location in Howell as the first · physician here was noted in a previous chapter. He was folknred in J83D, br Dr, Uhal'les A. ,Jeffries who remained here nntil 1840:l "·hen he mowd to W nslit~mt w eonnty. Di·. William Huntington :-;uct• e(•ded to his practi(• .e when he left Howell ancl remninecl here until his tlcath. His son Dr. Wm. U. H11111ingto11p rndicecl wiU1 his father for man.,· ,n'ar8 nnd :-:;uc-e<e·llel1 to the extcusi Vl' pradice whid1 he built.. Dr. Nichob Hnrll locatell lwrr. in 18-tl and remained for two yen rs . Dr. E. F. Ollls moved here in 18:l::l !mt never pradiee(l n great lleal. He was a fine penn, an and taught ·writing s<.:11001w hile here. Dr. William Dowlmnn came here frolll Englancl in 184G, hnt. nCVl\l'[ H'H«'ti1·ead great clenl. He vrns a l\1cthodis1 l<H'nl prend1t•r and did c·11nsiuembJPw, ork in that line in the western part of the c·onnty. Ht~ served a~ regnl;ir pnst.01· at StenllSflll in the npper peninsula in the latter '70s and as far a~ known never earne haek here. Dr. Thomas R. :Spence locatecl in Howell i11184G and lrncl an extrn~i ve pract.i<·C' for abont six .,·<·;1·~1, ffhP11 he movetl to Detroit. Dr. Andre\\. HIS'l'OH.Y 0}., HOWELL (i!) Bbtn1:i-: St'ttlcd hci·e in rn-i~ nntl ]will a leading · pin,·,· in !tis profe ss ion for 11 g·ool1 mnny ,rears. Dl'. \Vm. L. \V<'lls set.tied in !Jowell in 18:1:!J nnd enjo_n~<l a v1.·1·.,· 1~xh 'n::-vi c 1wa1.t•icc for tlw re~t of his life . .Atlorney \Vel!i11g't1ll1J \ Glow1·, Howell'~ lir~t law - yer, ,vns ahnnt . 1·.,-vo yc ;1r:::n; l,me in his profes::-ion IH'1·1~ an<l then .Josin h \Y, rmner came in 18+0. ~~1H 111 <1fter sett.ling· J-t,re ,Tn<lg·r, rrnrner ,vas nppointt ·rl 111nster in 1·hn.nt<.r',\'. H,! aim l>ecame clep11.,t· ,·ou11f,r clm·k under -Te~,::<' ~.fn .JW~w lin held the o1li<~•! nt._ tl1at. t.inH\ an:1 rli,l th,· wnrk or t-lrn ollk1~. .i\lr. ~lHtH!S n! ;-;igued in F1~hr11rnry. 18-+:~, .11H1t. 11!1 yonng law:,t \l' ,,·11~ appointed to 1 It,! pq,-:J·.i11;1. That . r,ou1ing fall Jin ,vas t~lt!<·h~ft"1n !h,• ,,l'fi,·c·a nd ngni11 in 184-4. In N,1vP11ilwr 184-(i, lie \\';t~: r·k,·h·d ern1ntr .inclge 11]1(11 ·e-,dl'd1 '<l in UtiO. 111 f 8."jfi h wn;-; 1·lnd1\cl -Tn<lgc of Pr1,hn '.1•. f11 l\'fny, 18:i7 he· wn:-;. 1pp:1i111:o·,,]1T, ](lge- of tlin N11pr1•m1· Uom-t. In t,Ji,~ J\r>v1111ilwr eledion of that. :, f~;:1· )1,• was ell'detl Cil'<'.11. i,lT11<lg·teo whit \h lie wn:-; r1•-1dcc'.l1:11 tlJl'(W tillles. I11 lHGO. 111d~·'cl'iu rner mov ed 1n Owo,'°o, to IH! 1w:ner the 1:(~1J11•.r of l1is r'.ireuit. /-le i·,>11ti1:no·d to 111nlrn flint his liom 1.' tll)1il hi~ 11t•ath i11 l!l07 . I l,· held seve ral impnrtm1t wn·1·1·11mentnl positio11s ,i1·1f-1· moving · to Owosso. In his r,nrly years in Howt •II. )11• n.t.tcnc1ccl to I.he 11il1e.si 111' liis oflicial posili0ns, engaged in other line:-: ot lrnsiJH\SS, and built up n 11it1i ln.w pradi1 :e. ~()()11a fter coming here he built the olllce lrnilding jnst :-:011fho f the city buil<ling, ,1wl .1 rcsi,1en1'.1~o n the lot now var.ant, nppo1-,ite Fi:-:li!H~r,k 70 HISTORY OF HOWELL Bros. shoe shop. He aftfinvard built the house nt the corner of Fleming and Hubbell streets, now occupie<l by LL C. Reed, which was his home for a good man.r years. Fredrick C. Whipple who settled in Brighton in 1841 and was the foull(le1· of the Livingston ( 'ourier, moved to Howell with the paper, in 184G and practiced law here for twenty-two year~. He serve<l the county as Circuit Court. Commissioner, Prosecuting Attorney and Judge of Probate at nn·ious times. He was a brilliant la wyn and wrts reeogniic<l as a leading jury lawyer of the state. Lauren K. Hewett sr.ttlcd here in 184:! aud practi<: ed law for about fifteen years. His brother Lewis H. Hewett was as:::ociate<l wit.h him here for some years. Ilielmrd B. Hall pnwt:ieccl law hcrt: from 184a to 1848. He aftcrwanls went. to California where he uecnme a detective of some consi<lerable not.e. James H. Ackerson became a lawyer here in 1843. His practice has the repntation of sharp do<lging rather than profound law. A story is told that he ,vas employed to defend a man ,rho was guilt.y of larceny. Ackerson saw defects in t.he papers and arranged ldt.h . . his man to break t.hem all(l then ruu him off while they were <lrawing uew 011es. F'or this pnrpose he rode one hors~ ancl led auotlwr when ht• went out to t.he country justice's fo~·t he examination. 'rl10 ~<:heme worked and the prisoner got ::::nfelya ·mi~·o n the extra horse. I-ll8T0ItY O~"' HOWELL 71 .John n. :.Uillingharn comnH'B<'.<.'dth e practice of law J1erc ahont 18-!G, and hacl a good business for abo11t fonl'teen yea1·s. He moved to Saginaw in 185H. While here on a Yisit nnd businm;s trip sometime Intel' , he wns ta.ken suddenly :-;ick ancl died. :rnstiu Lawyer ~cttlecl here to practice law i11 18-l(i l>nt ouly remninecl a frw ycal'i., moving from hc1·e to l'nion Cit.y, Brmrnh <ion11t.y,f rom where he afterw11nl~ rnovecl to Coldwntel'. He died vc·ry sn<ldeuly R fe\\' ~-ears ngo, lea Ying-n hnrnlsome property. His widow who is !'ememhere<l her<· as a most e<~l:entric chnl'acte,·, never admits anyone inside tlw clool' of her pah1<'.ial home nnd nevet· leaYl~:; it in the tbytime if she enn possihl.v avoid cloi ug- so. Pn1<:I i,•a lly all her con 1H•1·- t,ion with t.I1c ontsi<le world is !lone ,vit.h ht.'I' telephone . l~hRrles C. Mll::;wol'th, first. l:11111\onlo f Uny's temperatl<'. C hotel, stndic<.1l nw with Judge Tn1·1w11· tll(lw 11~ admitted tot .he bnr lwr(~ in HHS. lh i mnrrircl n (la11g-l1- ter of Mr. Gny and uw, ·rtl to Greenville in 18:il, whcrl~ }w bceame prominent, in his profo~sion nnd in politics. Ho se1Tecl t.ltat clii4Th·t i11 Congress with some lit.tie distindio11. Another of ,Judg€ Tnmrr's students wai, ,John Ji\ Farnsworth who nft.enrnr<ls hn· ('.llme a Congressman from an Illinois <listrict. \Villiam A Clark mo,·ell here from B;·ighton. while prosecuting attorney , about l~f>l. In t.he early 'GO she moved to ~nginaw. As noted prcvionsly TieY. l~dwnr<l K Gregory St\tt. led in Howell i11 1~:1!l. Ile live<l for ~ome time in 7"2 IIIS'l'Ol~Y 01•' 110\\'ELL l:ev. 11n nt·y TI.on!.'s llll fi 11i sl1rd hnnse nll(l as lw 11~r·11 I" ~ny. ' ' C1)0l..1·d by n stump in th,i strtd, ' ' nt. thaL ti11w lie tried l':1rmi11g 011 his fa1·m tln·<)<' mil<~s nwny. In 184-Gh e licen11H·p n~t.01·o f tla~ 1'1·esh.d1~1·ia11, ~lllll'el1 l,rrc :nlll snl'v1~,1 foit.hfo!J~-in thnt oositio:1 for t.wo yr.:ns . With the t·x<:l'pti011o f a ~ho1-tt int•) in O\\'of-sn, Mr. { lrPg-ory eont irnted to rr~ide iu HoW(!II until hi;:; d1~atli in lSFH. ]fo ,rn~ of a qniet nnd nu:rnnming nn- 1111t> hut of ~trrling < 'hri:-tia11 chnrad1~r . His nnrne \\'!Hi nsso,•bf .ecl \,·itl1 nil t!in organizations ror morn! 11plift.i n flit~ t>arl.\·, la~-~ of tl,L~ ,~nni11111ni.t y . Jo~Ppli H . Skil]H.,,·J.; "l'1·111·nd shor shop in Howell nhout. IS-10. Hi1- hn~i11P~s w:w g-r,Hln:1l15,·lc vclopcd iuto n gerll'ntl :-:t.ot·r wltic!i h,~ 1•.;lJ'l'it :.cl 011 fo1· a 1111mbnt· of yP:11':-, :wq11iri11gn- g-oocl pn1pP1-!;5· wliiC.'hk <!pt. hi111 .in plr :nty in his de,dir:i11g yf'nrs . .J nhu H. Nec·ly came h11 1t• nho11t lht· l-'HJllf' . limr. n::; ~lr. Nkilbeek. He wns n m:uw11 h.,· tr:ult•, th(• piom•rr i11t ;lwt li11e of h11sincRs t-o l i \.,, lwre. ~t'v«•1·alo f t Ji,, olclor hnildings are morn1nrn11ts of his lnbo1·. .J oseph Howe tlin pinn<'('I' tailol' "\YllH n11othe1· tn m·- 1 i ,·P nhont. thnt time. 'l1hc Living·ston Co11tier, a !he ,·olnnm folio p11pe1·, wus tlw first puhlishe<l in the co11uty . Its ftrst iss11P WU8 nt Bright.on on ,January 10, 184,L Nid10l1:1s Sulliv, m wns its first pnhlishcr an<l li1l'edel'ic·kC . \Vhipple wni;; its first edit.or. Early in October, 184:1, it wn~ 111ov(•t1 lo Howrll h~- it.s rn1bli:':'l1e1n·n <1 Lewis If. 111,r' d t. w a;, 1•111p I o.Htl as 1)'1 i IM. Us lit·:-1. i 1,S 11, . iJ1 · 1 r . 1 :1 I Howell ,vns (Jd .ob1:t ll. Al,ont llm~e ,veat·H nfkr moving- to Howell , Mr. Nnllinm soltl the Coul'il·t· to g, R. Powell nrnl it. " ·nH nfterwnrtl,:; ownc<l by ,villimn B. Smith and Uco1·ge l '. Hor,t. l!!Hle1· nll'. H,;1,l 'S rnanngernent tL(; paper di<·d in 18,>6. A fow uctn~l'- tisemonts from tJi,, Comic~l' nf' ;\la~· 10, 18-l8, rnn.,· l,1• of i11t:cre.-d;: "The Li,·i11g.;;ton Conric1· \\"ill lH! iss111·<elv ery Wi·1lnescb. y morning-, at tlw village of Hom·ll, J,iving:-{on l'o11nly, .Midtig·n11, K H.. l'ow('.ll t!<litor arnl proprietM. T1:1·111s0: 111•1 lnllnr 01111 fifty <icnts per :rnn111i n n<lv1HWP ol.lwrwii,,(, fwn <lo!l:l1·:w,; ill ht~ req11i1·eciln every cnse. ' ' "Hcwdt & Uul!, At.torn e.rs nwl l'.ouneellors nt La-.,· :t:Hl !-::>iocil torn in ( .!hmw, •r.,·, olHN' ovn T.,ee's Hton·. llowcll, J,idng~f:on •·omtl:y, Mir·.h. L. H. Hewct.t, l'n1st •1\11ti11g.. : \1:torn(·~·. R.H. JJnll, Nolm}· Public. ' ' ''L. K. He,n{t ., i\ttornpy :md Counselo1·, Cireuit : ('olll't C'o111111i~:-:i1,111O·r.f firr oppoi-it·e thC' Pnhl i,\ ~1J11are, I l,)well.'' "Z. H. l\lnl'sh, M. 1,., Pl1y!,;ici:rn nn1l Sul'ge011 , 01llf!C Oni> dool' en:-:t of tl1n Po~t Ofllce, flnwrll, Liv. Co. Mieh." "A. 8. Holli~ler, Wntch Mnlwr, Clod~i-;, Wntches, ,Jewelr~·. &t'.., of evc•,·y dcsm·iption, elenned, 1·epn.ire<l and wnnanterl. Shop one door en~t of tl11! Liviugst.011 Hotel." '':John \V. Smit Ii' .J wdi,~r. qi' t 11(! Pt>[l('.C, Ofii(·t~ Olli' ilou1· Wf '.St of th<' Po~t OfneP, o,·rr \\'. l:i<l<lle':-:~ 1·01·e, IJo\\·1,II, M iolt.'' 74 HlS'rOH.Y OU, HOWELL '· (.Jivingston Hotel, by N. Sullivnn, Howell, Liv· ingston Count.y, .Miehigou.'' ''Union Hall, by N. Smith, Howell, l\lich.' ' "New Harness Shop. opposite the Court Hou~e, kept by A. Hiscock." ''Physic & Snrge1·y. 'rlw uudersignctl having t'onued a partnership for the vu !'pose of practicing tl,e above profession, will be reatl,v :it all times, ( nnle:3s l!11gagecl iu prot'essionnl husiness) to attend sueh a:-: mny reqnire t.ht·il' seniee~. Onl'dner \Vheeler. 'rho111- ns H.. Spence.'' Atlverth;ements also appeared fol' Clnrk & Hopkius :111d \\'. A. Bucklnwl, general mN·chants; Bn~h & Co. ~rocerii, and L. 1(. Hewett, wheat buyer. The only item of local news in tl1c whole pnpcr l'eud 11~f ollows: · 'Going Abend. Ont' village i8 progressing with rapid strides; lrnihliug- n.fter building is ai·ising on t·ither hand, ,vhile the lrnutl-snw ancl lmmrncr of the 1,arpenten; almost deafen one. 'I'earing dow11, drnwiug off n,n<l rebuilding, is the order of the day . .i \lessrs. Hinrnnn & Bush ancl Hewett & Huntley have 1~omrncnced the cell:u· for a lal'ge two-story brick hlMk to be occupied as stores n.lHl omces. Onward is the 1tmreh of cmpil'e. \Ve are cre,litnhly informed thnt t.Jte entire stock of the Plnnk road fro1l'l DPtrnit lhl'Ough this plaec to the <\t1pitol , will soon ht\ taken 1111tl finished to this phwe. We opine 8Uelt good lnck for tho present.'' i I I . I I l I I '" ' C ll A PT EH \' I. For }:~rly Trnwl. JiHli,111tr nils m~re the first l'l>n.ds lll this :-.tw!ion. '1'\11•yf orme(i th1\ l1ighw11ys over whid1 t lw pi(111eer:,;; ennH' to lh<'ir wildemess homes. Ol'.cnsinnally t.li1\ ,rn~ons "·mil,1 1\nme np :i~ainst tlw treos wlii<'l1 grew :-;o nenr t.og-1.·l1wr t hnt one mnst he 1~11. t lwl'o1·e Lh1\~· 1.·0111<1 gd t.hro11g,h. Thi\ hliginni ngs 1'.otil1l 11:u1 11.,l·w 1l1.•atile1l as sneh, but somehow the 1wll'l'.!1 of p1·o~J·t·~s tt11·ned theSl\ inclian t rnils int<• ro1Hl;;, .Jul~· ·Hl1, 18a2, Co11g-rnss pa~sl'1l :111 nd. dirndingt, lte president ·. to nppoiut t.hrce eon1111i:--~ionl'l'Sto lay 011t a 1·0>1<lf or military aml olhPr pnrp<:r.·ri:;, fro111 Detroit through RliiawllsRee comity to the nwuth of tl11~ (hand river. Tlw sum of $2Ji00 wns ,•xpcmded <l11ri11g the next two yr.ars, in opc!11io~ a111l i{l'fl<li11g the 1it·i:;ht '11 milrs ont. 1111 8:-n,C o11g-r<·sa-;p p<ll't.ioned $:Zf>,000 mo1·1\, which opellf!<l the rnnd 01w h1111lll't\1l foet wi<lo throu~h t.lu• 1-imlwr, an1l liuilt bri1lges aH far as the Cedar river. A grant of lhe thornm11ll aeres of land was alE<> sem1red for the lintl)(l rin\r a11(l Nuginaw ron<ls, of whid1 om · ro,td re1•,ein•1l _ its shore. While tl1c work thus pl'ovide,l fo1· was in progress "MiC'hi~n.nhe 1•am1• a st.ate. S0011 afll'.J' .J rnl~,~ Turner 76 HIS'l'ORY OI41 HO\VELL c.ame to Ilo,H•ll i 11 "1840, he became intereslctl 111 t ht• project. Th'-' rnntl, wl1ieh he found opened to Brighton, was g-rnLhrnll.r "orked through Howell, nnd nem·- 1,\' to Fowlervill"", lurgel,r hy his efforhi for stat~ ~l'l.n·opl'iufir>':Jsn lll1 olhtr ,mys of securing fnnd'S for thut purpo H'. 1n 11111• -prin~ of 1841, $5 ,000 wn!-: transfenetl by tl1e Statt Legisl&tnrc from the "Nurt!tem \Vagon Rond,'' t.o the "Grund River rrurnpike," with which it wns op£·nec1t o Lausing-. 'l'bis :1ppro - printio11 wits i1a:ren~1d 1,y the addition of "11011 resident taxes" for all land within t'i'i'O miles of the road :1h11g the Jim• of Ilic improvement. 'l'lte lcgislntnre of 1),4!-., pass1..'d un ad providing that 10,000 acn ~~ of i11ternnl imr,1·ovPment lnn<ls be approprinted to 11uproviug tlw Ornnd Rin~r rnad from Howell to wha1 i~ no-w L:11rnin!Z, th c·n the ,-illage of i\lichig1111, ~,x tlwusund aercs in In!:ham county und four thousand ~<:res in Livingston county. With the aid of " large number of prirn!c snuscriptions whieh were socm·~d. this approp1·i:1tion nclcled to what hnd gone before , put the ro111l ,1:e~-.1 of IIO\'vell in fuirl,\- good condition. Bcforl' tliis time tlie singe linei- heret .ofore 111e11- t ioned, were doing n thri\'ing bnsine~s from How~!! 1o Detroit. A hunt 1842 or '4a, Halpl1 ~'o,Ylt1:1w·h o had bePom(, v,,ry m1w!t iut erestetl in the road w1·s·f.o f tnwa hecuus<~< :,fl iiH eonncctiou with it as <:ommis~i()Ju~I'. au<l C. B. \Yillittrn:-; of Williumston, put a lino of hunber w1tgons tn 1·uu:ti11gb et.ween Howell arnl Lausiur:. vd1ieh mpidly dt·rnlopcd ini:o n.uotlter sin{!<~ line i11 Urnt din'('.tfon. I \ l \ \ I ! r < z C Cl) -I 0 z 0 0 C: z -I -< 0 0 C :IJ -I :I: 0 C: (II I'll HISTORY OF HO\VELL 77 rrhe finit. Legislature of l\lichifan went 011 record fol' ronds. Act .s WP.rep assed for state roads everywhen i whel'e any one su:rnestecl them. If a very small percentage of those provided for hncl come to be rouds, tln pioneers would have \'ied with presl•nt day ti1x condit.ions. A mo11g thos«' which would hnve com(i 1u Howell wns a road from .A. llegan to Hnstings, to Chnrlot.te, lo 1\lnso11, to Howell , to intersect with the Grand Hh·er ro:Hl here . F' .. J. B. Cra1w of Howell, was OIH' . ui' i1.s eomrnissioncrs. The next Legislnb1rP, :-.eea1s to lrn ve insisted that something be done for this rond for another ad was passed for the same line. <:::uyC . Lee was named as eommissioner iu this act i11 place of Mr. Crane. In Ht18 the same line wn~ again provided for except t,lrnt. in descrihing ii, the line was reversed , the desm·iption c01nmen1 \ing at f lowell. Oeorg<! W .. J ewet.t was 01m of the eommissiorw1 ·s rw.m~<li n this net. It seems to hnv1! he«•n a cuse of three times and onf, howevf'J', for the 1·on«l was never built. In 1840 au ad was passed p10vi<li11g for R st.ate. road from l\lilforcl to Howell tmt it was neHr openell. ,vhile the proposerl line failed to touch HowelJ the canal fever whinh swept through this scdion abont . .1 8a7 should be noted in this connection. 'rhe Legislatnl'c appropriated $20,000 for the surveys. 11hree Jines were proposed which touched the county, The one which promised most was t.o (•ommen c,~ at Mt, 7H HlS'l10RY O.F1 HO\V~LL Clemens 011 the Clinton river and rmi to the month of the Kalamazoo river. It m·ossed Crooked lake in this cou11t\·. A branch cu.nal was promoted from Crooked lnke along the Huron river to Dexter, and a compau~· was clmrtereu for its construction. A~ late as 1845 the agitation for these water routes luHl life but they too died in t.he pape1· stages of the enterprise. [11 1843 a rail road project was 8tarteu. lmt far111L·1:- all nloug the line strongly opposed it on the groun1l that it would injure their teaming trude and make it unprofitable for them to keep so many hor~es, thus fon:ing them back to oxen for t.heir fum1 wot·k. Pal't.i!llly a~ au outgrnwth of thi:-- rail road agitn.tio11 there grew up a sentiment for a plank road whic:11 11111teriulizcd the next yeu.r when the Legislatnrt! passed tin act appointing Charles l'. 1 Bush and El.,· Barnard of Livingston county nnd Levi Cook, ,John Bli11dlmry and David Thompson of Wayne Count., · ::is n board of commissioners to solieit stoek to build the "Detroit and Granll Hiver Plank Hoacl.'J (Juite au amount was secured hut no where 11er1.trh e $50,000 wLich the eh' arkr p1'ovi<1e<l for and tlw projeet was f,.!IVCll Up. In 1850 another plank roatl eut.erprise wns sturted. GPorge W, Lee, Josiah Turner, B. \V. Dennis, F. 8. Prevost and Nouh Hamsdcll were appointed commissioners by ant of t.hc Lcgisla.ture, to solicit stock for the building of a plank roud from Howell to l:llS'l'ORY OB' HO\V.ELL Bn.o 11. The nt1 xt .Y. <.~:lJt·. lte ad was amcntleJ ·o'"v mnking- Nathaniel 'l'm·ner m.Hl Harvey'£. Lee 1:0111- missionnrs in plat·.e of B. \V. Dmrnis and ~,. ,J. Pl'cvost. 'l'he ~30,000 requireJ by their charter wa-, W)\'er :-e.cnrcd bnt c11oug1t was raised to mnkP, the promoters sure that it would pull throngh and their company was orga11ized by electillg George \V. Lee, pl'cshlen l, ,Josiah 'l'nrner :,;et~retaryn ull trcasn rer. April 3, 184.8, a company was incorporated witJ1 n 1'.npital stock of one-hnnclred nncl twenty-five thonsa.1111 tlnllar:,:;, to lrnil<l a plank roacl from Detroit to IlcnvdJ, nJso from a point on this road to \Vaterfo1·d, also from some other point ou the line, to .Milfonl. The ,~omp:rny was empowered to increase its stock t.wm1ty· five thonsnncl dollars at some future time, au<l tl1m1 to extc1H1 its main lino from Howell to ''the village of Mid1igan," uow Lansing . A eommission was se- -leded to solicit stoek, us follows: Henry Ledyal'd and A. S. Bugg of Detroit, ;Joseph 1\1. l\Iead of Ply- 111onth, Augustus C. Baldwin of i\lilfor~l, and ,Josiah 'l'nrrn·1· of Howell. By its cJrnrter this company wa:,; cmpower('d "t.o enter npon and take J)osscssion" of the Detroit a11<G.l rnud Ri,·er road. Hon. C. C. 'l'rowhridgeof Detroit, bet•.am.c presidt 1 11t of the compnny ancl Henl'y Ledyard, also of Detroit, secretarv arnl trcasure1·. '.l'he commission made a vigerous 1~anvn:::;s and soon had enough money to warant commencing work. During the year 1850 the plunk was laid to Howell und the great enterprise heHO ea Ille a focL The financi.tl suecess of t.lH' Det-l'oit. awl Howell road was nsrnre<l long before t.he planks we1·c all laid. 'fhis caused the organization of anof lie1· eomp:rny whid1 ~ecured its ineorpol'ution in the :spring of 18GO. Jnmes Seymour, Hinuu H. S111ith, Ephraim B. Danfort .h, George \V. Lee nntl l·'l'edel'ick C. Wltippil\ ,vere the commission to solic'.it sixt.v thousa1Hl dollars of i:::toek. Their com1m11y w:18 :triwn ~he Grand Ili ver road from Lansing lo Howell. They bad raised cHougb to commence work hy that fall and two .rears lnte1·, had the road completed. In t.hese dayli it is hard to grasp the value of su<'.11 a road to the developcment · of all thiE part of Mich- 1g-nu. H opened the way for the hundreds of teams wl1ieh dail.r pUS8C<l over it. 'l'he old st.uges wh.ieh were little more than luml>f't' wagons, gave place to four horse vehicles which 1:arried from twelve to twenty persons eoch. Wheu the planks wol'e out and rotted a:wny tlw eomr,any filled t.lw gaps with gravel whi(•h beeamc more and more substantinl nntil the e:~rl.v '70!-: whe11 public sent.ilnent against the tollgat<·s hpcame so gTeat that evP.ryone eould sc>r.t hat thev were not- to stand much longer. The <.·<1mpn11ir.tso ok off f'l1eir repair forees antl a.llowccl tlw road to 1·nn <lowll grnrl- 11nlly, until the people would ~ta.nd it no longp1· , nt11l in 1881 they ermwtl to t'.Oilf·~'.t toll her·e. 'l'he,r hung ou in other 1mrts of t.he line until some yNu·s inter. Th e old tollgnh- l10t1s1·s were mo,·ed hack and :-old ::. .,:.": · '. .. _-'\:... :·, : ·e ~· EAST WARD SCHOOL AND ATHLETIC FIELD HJS'rORY OJ•' HO\V ~JLL 81 for l'esideuces. Chal'ters of tlrn C\Olllpuni<is provided for gates every five miles. As Howel.l was the end of both roads, each compa11," nrnintnined a gate here~ the om\ just in the eastf'l'll part of town and the other at the brow of the hill ,iu8t. ,vest. of the village. 'rhis arrangement made it i111possihle for anyone to get ill or out of town without paying- the cent pm· mil e they traveled oil t.lint road, fo1· eneh horse they drove . lt. seems a uorni1ml nn1011nt but it, was a big enterpri:;e in t.be early day nn,1 pt1ill n large income on the investment hefo1·e tlie rnili·oad ,~nme here. In this conneetiou it lll:t.V !Jc well tu review the 1·a.il road projects und lleveloplllcnt:. here. A few miles b(~yon<l Brighton is a littlP sdtlement of very old houses and a one-story bri('.k bnildiug. This old town is Km1siugt.011. 111I .he n ~l'Y enrly ,lays it hacl a few aggressive 111c11 wl10 songht to build a city 1.h~re. The brick huil<li11g was 1lwi1· "Wild Unt" bank. It's failure with tlw <~onsequent Josi:; to people a.11t l,rough this seetiou, wnH theil' death blow. fn whatevel' enterprise their names appeared after t.hat, the people tume<l agn.i11st it.. lu l8H7 n rail road was projedetl from Det['()it to Ji,nrmington, t,) Kensington, to Howell, to Byron, t.o Shiawussee village. It is notieable tl11tt the chatter prnvidc<l that the company should not only have the right to propel cars by steam power, but by animals or a combinat, ion of any power they should deei<le upon. Th, \ commission to solicit stock for this enterprise had two . 82 HISTORY OF HOvVELL memLers from Kensingtou who were prominent iu tht• ,vork , a.nd the people refusecl to take hold with them. Even tlrn names of such thoroughly reliahle men as Ely Barnnl'(l of Howell. and others along ti.Jc line who wer~ members of the eommission, did not snftice to g-iv e the people contideuce and ther would not tnke hold. In 184 7, there was another railroad project her<!. (leorge \V. Lee, L. K . Hewett and K F. B,μrt we1·e fl1e Howell po1-t.ion of the committee .,vhich worked it np. The.r create<l quite n sentiment RtHl raised cousiderahle rnoue.v he,·e. Ot.lH.'1· pm tR-of the fow f'uiled to l>riug up t.l1eir port.io11 however and the company !!ever went far enough to e\·•~ll org-,mi,w. -Tune 17, 1864 a meeting was 11eld nt New Hudson i11 response to a sentiment whieh hnc1 long been growi ug, and the Detroit and Howell Huilroad Compau., · wus organized. 1,he board of cliredors elect.ea at t.hat time contained the · rnunes of .Tohn 11. Golloway, E. F. Burt. R. CJ. Rumsey, Joseph H. lVilcox, Eh I3nrnard, \\"illimu MePherson and .Marc11s B. ,vilcox of Howell. '!'he diredors organir.ed by eleeting Thco<lntns 1'. Lyon, president; E. F. Burt, sberctm-.r; ,vmiam l\fr Pherson, treasurer ancl Marcus B. ,vilcox, at.tomey. The cnpihll stock was placed at, $400,000 in shnres of fifty dollars each. Hiram Newman, Isaac \V. Husl1. P. B. Holdridge, Giles Tucker nnd J. lf. Swifr wer~ appointed n commission to secure the stock, '!'hero wm; a unity of purpo~e in Howell nt thnt c1a~· ll.l81'0H.Y 011' HOW ~;LL whidt ~urmounb.; c!vor.,·o bstacle. Led by \Villiam :\fr Pher: ;on who WRfi more., n.ct.iv~ iu t.1w\ "i1ol'tlmt <l 11101'1! l'cacl~· lo s:rn,·ifico his t.ime nud lahn1· tfom probably nnr other, the people went after tJw great projoet t.hey hail nmkrbtktm. A year l11ter ~250,000 hatl het'.B ~nh- :-;ci•ibed, nrnl ju Septmn\Jel', l8u<i, Presiiliml Lyon turnonnce!l that $300,000 h,t.(l l>Mn i;ee.m·e!l. 'L'hi~ w11~ t.h•} smn n!{reecl npon whc•n wot'k should begin. It, rr.q11irctl nnot.lter yt·~u·t o :wcure t.lrn sm·vey;; 1111'1 preliminnry engineering nnd then grn11in2' comnw11<!<~d . Mauy \Yill 1·ememhel' that . clay when t,hfl erow,1 ~11th· Pt·e,l ueal' a low place of i.:-rom\!l uot f1U' f'l'om wh,•1·c\ l.lw water lu.uk at tbc Howell st.ntiou »ow Kf,nn1lta:, Io ~ci\ tlw firt;t di1·t. rnovn for the new rn.ih·ontl. \Vilfo1rn :McPh1.~rs<mw lieele<l the ti ri,;;tl o:1tl; ,Tnnu,~D onelly IJ11· :-;eeon<l n11<.l George Greeunwu.v the tl1il'cl. A nnm\Jp1· uf Uownll p1~oplo followed, 011~ art~r nnother. Tli wit~ a :,;hrntliuk ~nbje('.t fot· talk Hl1~t .Hl.'. MePh 1~1·801J whede<l hi~ load P-ai-it ~1· t.lurn :~~l:Vo thel' of th,~ oltlnr ~1en wl10 t.ried H. . 8ouw stock 1rnb~1:1·ipLionfsa ilc!l to tn1\t1:riali1/.ti hn1 the ~ompany pushecl on with nll the tnl)ner H. 1~oul1l secure. When nbont. $240,000 had heen 11x.pe11,l1•d theil' fnudi:; gflve ont nn<l they wm·e obliged t.o qnit. 'l'hey hAd tHiconrpli!5hecl enough howe\'er to tU8UI'•\ t.1111 lmiJtliug of the roncl n.ml that was \Vllf'lt they Wltlltetl . ln t868 nnother eompu.ny was orgnnize<l to hnihl a railroad from Howell t.o Lcmsing. Howell peoplt'. were b<in<ling all their energies for the Deb·oit ro:111 8:l HISTORY OF HOWEI:,L and ouly n few becnmc financially . intel'e~ted in the IH )W line. .Toreph H. \Yilcox wns ono of its bonr<l of directors howeYer. 'fhc-y i;ecnred most of the frnl1- ehises and rigJ1t of ,var and had accomplished considel'n. hle of thn prelimiuary work when the ot]l('r eompnny was obliged to susp<md its operations. The wOl'k Rccomplished on the Detroit nnd Howell line hnd nlrenuy nttrnchi1i considerable att.£:nt.ion iu lin1111cineli relcs. ,vhen tho company wtts obliged t.o quit, ,Tnme'3F . ,Toyn n<l other Detroit . cn.pitnlisbi .intcl'estcd thcmsdYcs. Lenrniug tlrnt nll the old C'otllpnny w11nted 1qrn !ho co;;~trnction of the rond, fo<\V pn)posecl 1.oe n tel' into bonds to do this if t.bP.o ld conip1111yw ould give them what: they hnc1, nud Uiey eould :dF:o acquir (• the h<il(~in~Ro f tho Lnnsing nnd lfo,n·ll N.,mpuny. Th(;sf' l ('ni:i,: ":er,! accepted. .i\:lr. ,Jo~- :.i nu his 11ssociAlesn t. onc1i organized . 1drnt t.hey eallml the l.>i:truit, Lnnsin/;!' nnu l.nke l\lieliig-nn R. H. Company. anrl took np the work under their eont.rnet.. ~"- newly opened roail from Lansing to lonin was u.lf.:o aequircd by the com1)nny shortly ftfter tl1cy commenccrl opn ·nf ionH. '!'rue to theil' ngrel'mr.nt,s the new comp.Huy w<:nf ,·i~croutily to work nt both en.as of ,the liuc. In .Mny. 1871 the <'astem r.ml Vi'l18 np(.;IJC<l to P.tighton, and three months lat.(·r tl1b whole county turned ont t;o tt g-reot. celehrut.ion nt. Fon·lerville, udclressecl hy Dennis Shields or 11owc1l, wliich ,:elebrate<l the nc1rent ot tlw iron horse in that villnge. Aul?lrnt 22, 187 I l.llf) co JJ 0 2_ en G) JJ l'T1 l'T1 2 I 0 C en l'T1 I 0 l'T1 rr IU...;TOH,YO F HO\\T8f..1L line w·ns formally opened with an exmm~ion trll.iu from Detroit to Keywoo<l five mile:; heyon<l Greenvilln. 'l'Jw Detroit Post. in n~pod,i11g-the trip :-;n.id: ·'At Howell t.lw train wa~ re(·.eive<l with ::;omt~t.Jiingol' an oYn.tion. A ~ix-poun<l cannon hatl been h1·011glit iuto service aU<l tired tl saluh~ :1~ t.he t.l'ain mow<l up to t.he depot, whero were assembled an immense concomsn of peoph~ who t.e~tifit!,l thei1· gratification at the aniv11l of the part., · by d1eers and waving- ot' lum,lkerchief~. LrH1ieH t1isttib:1te<1 boquets. The people are entlmsiastie 0Ye1· l-hc aniYal of the iron horse iu theii· t.owu ant1 thoug-h the asse1111Jlnge H·a~ impromptu, it <.:.leal'ly irnlicatetl lh! joy whieh the.r feel over the eompletion ol' the railrnau for wlii<:11 they hn.v•.' workefl and w1Lited for :-;o many Jou~ yc,u ·s . 'rl1eir enthusin8lll . i:-.;· JHn·do11able. 'l'lie town hns i t popnlstion (>f over hvo t.hon8und, is one of the hand- :-;omest in t.lie state aud next. to Lanfling, probably tlw most i111port11not.n the line of the l'<Hlll." The road like most business project::;, has se011 its ups :uu1 clowns, but has 11carl,va lways Leen a pn.yingproperty. Its name was d1nuged to the Detroit, Lnn- ~ing n11<l Northern, WJt long after it cornmence«l rnunmg. It w1ls aequired · by the Pere M nrqnctfo :-;ystem a few ,venrs ag:), :mu is now · operating nnder that nnme. As far back as 1.86!), Ex-(fovernor Ashley of Toledo, proposed the eonstl'l1c:tion of a railroad throug-h Howell from that city, to the north. His cornpnn.r 86 waa organized in Ann Arbor, Oct. 28 of thut year :,atl abont $20,000 of cA.pital stock was sccm·L·ui n tl1is •~011nty. Right of way wu~ scrmred from Toled() t.o Ann Arbor, bnt us ouly about five per-cer,t. of the amount subscribed nor\h of Lhat plnee, was paid in , t)w roacl left. its ori~inul line nnd rnn to South Lyon which was its northern terminal for ll number of year-:-:. Oov. Ashley was one of those men who never gh·e up howeYcr, and wit.h lii8 sons, Harry and James 1\1. Ashley, kept at the project of extending northward. Tu 1888. their -work wus c1·owned with snecess !!nd th(:\ To let.lo, Ann ~\ rhor and Nort.11 .Michigan H. H. 1\'H~ eomplcted through Howell to Frnnkfort on Lake l\Iich- 1g-:rn. A few years l1tter a Hystcm of lnrg~ transl'1·r ~k:uncn: wns ef:-tnhlii-:he<l ncross Lnke l\lichigun to Menominee, nnd the rond hecanw II lcn<liuJJ t l'llllk li11e to the 11ol'tlnn~sr., nclopti11g as it.s trademark t.lH~ duim that . it. wns tlrn ''Ke,r to l\licliignn .. , Its namt'· lm~ bee11 eh1;11gr.iu! nt1ml1c1·,y f t.imc~ ns its owners hnY«> ( h1111gecblu t for scn :rnl ~-C':n·~p n~t it 11nsb een known ns "'rhe Ann Arbot' Lint'.·· When t:ais road soui::ht to t~rnss the ol<l rourl just south of Howell, they were rduserl the right of wny. 'l'lie triwks wore Jaicl up to the old road·~ right of wa.,· on both sides n nd one ~torn1.,· 8atnrday night, ll lnrce 2ang of men \\'('t·o hro11ght in from the Hout.Ii. liy <ln,rlig·ht Runday morning n hole hacl been dug rmder the old road and their tnwks W<'l"l' nnited. '1'11P next cfay 11n ,-rmecl e:urud was posted ther,, 11n<l bridge wld,,h I \ I I HH3'rOH.Y OF HO\Vl 1}l..iL 87 }rn.d hr .P-n prepflred f(,r t.l1e r,lacc, was put in. Offldnb of the t"1\'0 roa<ls hel<l IL conferonee Sunday evenini,.:- 1tnd seemed to got. togctlHn'. Tho new ,iompan.,· wa~ th1·ow11o ff its gmu·d and witl.1<..lrowit1 ; fmces. garl~· .Mondny morning the work trni n of the Ddroit, l..ian- ~ing and Northem appeurod on I.he se1inc with tt. lond of necessary nul.tcriitl, and lillou tlrn mt!. nndel' tiht> bridge. 'rhen ensued u. :-irio:;i ot1 digging oul. nncl till- . i11e up lRst.ing for r,onie time. A ,•.ornpromi:-rn wailinRllY nfl'o1~tedw hereby t.he new 1·oatlw 1t1- mov<!U t.o 1·h.e west sevet·nl.r otls and ;t . gmde 1•rossin!! with tt , st~- tion whic:b for :,rcm·s wa:; know11 as Howell .lunction, wttH .,;e<mrcd. It i::; w,w known ai,; Ann-Pt:re. A ,·111-y spirit.cu indign1ttio11 meeting of' Howell citi- :1.ens was held 1.t,t the <'.ou1.· thou;-;er lnrin~ Lho q imn·el. •r1u~ lil'st. i'rnin 1101-1".!1 from IHH·•~ carried II pnrt ,y or Howell lrnsinessmeu who pai<l t.wC)c lnllnn, apie1ie ant.l i.;p11ntt l11• afternoo11 in < h~oi-,~o. CHAPTER vn ner,re the W nr 'l'he r Ulltipendout Order of Odd Fellows antedate al I other Hecret orders in Howell, ns their old lodge wns institutctl by N. B. Nye, n. D. G . .M. of Ann Aubor, on September 5th, 1849. Its first otflcers installed wel'c: N. G., ;Josiah 1.'umcr; V. CL, L. K. Howett; 8ecrclary, ;J. U. Dilli111thum; 'l'rcaatu·cr, Lemud Spoo1rnr. 'l'he lodge hnd qttite tt prosperous exi:-itunce tor a m1mbcr of .Yctll 'H, but finnll.r ecascd to exist. Thnt snme ycnr, a digpcnsat.i011 was ~muted frotn the ~rnn<l lougt' by t.l10 JH)Wt~r of whieh the Howell ~laH011icl odge bo~au working. It \vus not eharti?t·ctl 11util January 10. 1850 . Its nnmber is as. rrlw lotl~e hOLm' lrns hecn Rtwecr::sively in the Einmau block wh~re the Hubbell block. now stnncl5, Leo block where 'l'opping block now ~ta.nus, old Grecnnwuy block. W cimeisle1· block. ol<l \Vinnns lJlmik nn<l th1· pl'c~e11t Mn~onie temple. The enl'ly "\\Ton,hipfttl Mm,- ters w,we com;ecntively, Amo::- Adtu11s. Oardncr, \Vlwelc,·, Henry H. Unrmon, Frederick C. vVhipple , ~anlin~ P. Hubbell. F'rnnk "\\;<'II.:S:.t 1xdias P. Hnbhell. Milo L. Gay, ,Joseph T. 'l'ituf;, \Villittm C. Rumsey, .Joseph T. 1.'ihrn, All>e1-t Rid<1lo, Sarclins f1 • Hubbell, Albert Hathawn,v. Snrdiaf- F. Hubbell , \Vul!-f•t· D. Wlwle11, ,John W. \Vrii?ht, . and Rollin l t. Pm·son. ,; ;: I ! i, t ,. ' ., '· .", JUS'l'OHY OF HO\VETJI~ 81) Ihufog :i\fr. lfofJia.wuy's tenn Im mo,·ecl away and Willi11.111L . Kunpp Scnio1· \Vimlon, filled out.the term. 'flw Howell foundry lon~ u11mag·ed by ,John M. 1rntl <:ecwge L. Clark, WAH built in 184!), by Stephen Cll\rk , fo1· the manur~wtm·e of stnYt~~ Rnd n.g>·ien]turttl ,inst · mg,.;. In rn;;n,i t WtH: pnrchnsecl hy GeoL·geu . 'fay]or nn<l Geo1·geL , Clark . Tn\"101s· ohl his int erest to Geo. L. Cltt.rk, ,vho sold a lrnlf to J'olm U. Gn.llowu,y, in hH>.J. 111. S. 'Wykoff m1tl H. B Bln,ckman were t1tkt:m int.A lh<i finn in ]8Ci7, !lllll "\Vi11inm ,vmiamson SOOll aft.cir hnn:ht. :'.fr. Gallown,y'R intermit, the firm ln~cmnlrnown as \Vyk ~,ff, Olnrk: & Co., which it continuecl, until 1874, when it WIIF! t'.]umged t.n \V"ykoff, Clark & lmme.u. l n Dcccml>er, 1.87G, th e '1"'holo plant, \'fhiel, Jiau heeome Ht, t.hnf. time I lie mo:1t. important. manuraetnl'iug ent,~q)l'isc of I hn town, WM, purch1u;ed h." ,Josiah l\I. Clark, who 11'lff·r1n1rds diecl tuul it lftH! th~,1 owneJ by ~r.M . Clark & Co., who di1l a ll'Cnernl iron :rncl woocl mn1111t'ad11nng lmsinn~s. 1'hei1· trn.do in the Hmw~Jl liaud ear bcmune worlcl wicfo, a. lnrge mmt· her hnd11g bce11R hippe,1 to ot.hcl' ,muntries. Their 111nnnfnct.nre of the Howell h1l.niltu· uxel wagon wzt1,; ttli,o quite extensive. l'hey grndnnlly 1·11.n ont. how- <:,·t,1·, and fi11n.llyq uit-. for mrnt of fimmci~s. 'rht~ hnilding- fi we1·e tom 1lown tc) ,~lr.nr f.llll ~qmwe for the < !arnegie Libi·uy. Tlrn Howt:ll grit,t. mill Ht the t'ont of Thompson's l~k~ was 1•ommcneed h,v George \V. aud Fredrick ,J. Lei; in 1849 Rn<l 1.o•mpletecl <lming the follo,vinc y~1t.r. HISTOitY O.F HOWI 1~L.L A few years later George ,v. . Lee became sole owm·r It,~ sold t.o William Willi11wson and it has 1:-iucc uc1·n owned by Zobnlon l\f. Drew, 'l,homns Birkett,, \Vil - liom Y . .Munson and Calvin \Vilcox, 'I1homas Hoylaud , Thomns Hoyland & Sou, and George Hoyland. Thi· present proprietor is A. 0. Hutchins. The mill has 11w1 ayH 1lo1wn . good husines::; nrnl is now ~hipping 1, J:;ngo nmonnt of flour in 11t1ditiou lo Hi:.c-ustom trade. 1111 850 8hubacl B. Slite,· l!ommei11.e•d the <!·1ectio11 or n stcnm saw mill 011 tho sit(; of the prosen t. Ci f.y ~lillL lfo soo11 sold pnrt . of the business to D. D. Chandler ancl Ucol'ge \V'. K11eelnnd who aft urward~ l1c1•ame 8olc OWllt!l'S.. TIH· mill wa~ bur11e<1i u 1851. ThP mill s11w1:d quiLt! nn nmo1111t. of tlw plank for f.lu! t..wo plnnk road:-- when thor Wt!l'1! htiilt. AftN· tb· li1·1\ J ndge K11eda11d bccnuie sol<· prorH'ic1 oi: and 1·1·- liuilt ii. 'I'he l!nginc put , in afl<!t the ti1·1w· as unilt b.,· H. C. allll II. B. Curti:::, aud was the first. olle buil1 i11 Howell. Aike11 Hol!ow11.'·, ,folt11 Hoyt, ~I. H. Axb• II. .J. I. VanDu~eu, 'L'11.vl·o 1& V:m lh1:-;cn an<l V1111- lh1se11& Whipple, we1·es 111·t•1\s:;ivtp• r-opl'ietor:-::. U11- tfor the 111t11rngmnento f t.lw la:;f. fir1u thP mill was rerno< loled into a gri~t. mill, nllll ~oou nft.ei· t.liat drnu~t· lw1:rrn:e thl'. propert .v. of .Latf.lOH & \V1·ight. It: wa ,- afh~1·wnrus pnrehn!"!ed hy P;, C. Wright & Sons who m1Hlt• au a~sig-nmeut iu ,Jul,v, 1.888. The 111ill wa:-: l>1H1.:.-J ! 1t b,r ,lolrn Bit·kluu-t. who rcibuilt it :rnd put i11 11 fnll uut.Ht of new mnehi1w1·y nrnki11g it CHll' oi' t.hc bt>:"t i.11l hi:--~Pct,ion. It. ltns !wen owned b~· l' . .A. Pnrslrnll i I i I I I r I JHSTOHY O.F' J.JO\VBLL ~.: for i,mnt ~·ears pnst. ~ncl is clnin!.(n la1·ge lrn;..;i11e!.i !'..IM l'. P1:m.;lmlll rns continue<l fht1 ~pir·it. of irnp,·ot"cment. si11n1· he bteinue Urn ownei\ anc1 lnl:-l pnt . i11n , l+u·gr. 1.m1 ou11t. of new 11iaehincrr. The~ Phoenix 1"01111dra.vn ti )h1d1iu(i Shnp, At t.h,, ~ont l1· west enrner oJ1D ivii,iou ;1.11<\ Sihlr..,· ~tt·eets, Wtt~ l>uilt hy 1\. \V. Smith & Co. , afti-:r the hmnin~ of t.lu· old ({fl.llcnrny fn1111d1-yin 18ii7. The 1'ono<ll'y mu; r,111·11F0d'1l 1·11m·.v2 2, 1800, fll: a lo~1-1o*f'7 ,200 . B. U. aucl II. H. Um·tie built new Hhop;:; on lh~t. s1mw ~it~ :dh·i· Urn fire. 1'he Curtiscs suM to Floyd S. Wrkoff . llll<l l'lw woJ'ki--were A.ft.crwnrc1~o wnecl by ,lohn H . IJRII OWH,Y, Il1~1ll')' n. Cnrti~ :11111C mt.is &, Son. 'J'h(' hm,i11n~!-.~'.l opped whil <~ th, ~ la~t 11n111l'dl lr111 had ii . 'l'bC\ fii~ t JJow• !ll ~d1ool h11ildi11g-wu.:-: pn1·chnl'ed hy i\l 1·. ( '.inti:,,. n.11111n m·nl to th r :-,:rnth -we..;.t <!Ol'li111· of hi" pl:rnt wJ11·:e.1 iL~ 1,lill f<hwd:-.: Thi' h11ildi11g-:a-r:e now 0Ci :11pi<1,l h~· W ;\. H1u•dic~ot & ~011 '~ ponltry A.nd ,~g~ l 111:'l.lil l~ ~s. lu 18.CG,; in :VI. M. <~la~:w-; ax f'Ol'lll•HI 11(; West , Ho w- 1dl, wit.lt ten member .~. ft; wiul rnninly ~npJ)lied IJ.' pME'f.01·s from Um, rd). It. con1.i nucd wit.Ji 111or·~ 01· l<~i-~: p1·n~perly, nnt ,i1 1865 ; whe11 ii'. Jwmune c:1·ippled hy t.h~ 1unviug- :nn1y of !,e,·crnl of ih, 11H~m~brt:-1, nn<l ri0011 cierl~c<l t:o l'Xi!:!t. Another i\L M. do~~ w:1~ 01·gani:1.(·«l «lnl'ing t,lw pnHl'.omt:eo f ~,<l~N~i< ]\ilp11t1·iek al, How, \ll. bnt ouly ni.u a few rr.ars . .,\ lin11I tl ii~ 1.i111, 1I·ii(· fo11·1 1•,11·11·,r:-:,1;.t.l,i ,·.v \\ ' l'J'I . r.nllf <1, l w ~:111 lo ~:-:~1111J1~ 1o h!i :: lo\\'n. ~ olt :mo11 ~ly lmil( !J2 HISTOHY 01', HOWELL ,·,hat l1as long been tn.llod the Four .l\lilo Honse, on tlw :;rude west of town, emu opened it in 1851. He wnFafterwnnls sucecdcd by 1'lortimer 'l'ow11scn<lv -:ho wa~ followed lir 1.'homu Gilchrhit ·who was landlol'cl for 11 ulrn; ber uf' ycnr8.. 1'he old building still stuuds but Ion~ Bin<·e <:o:rncttl. o he tt hotel. 'fhe ccmetnrie1:10 11 ~ectiorn, f:e\·cut.een and t mmty-two beloug to thh ; pc-riocl,t lrn firHt haYing h('en eilituhlishr:di u l8GO nnd tho other iu 1858 . ..:\s predomily nute<l in this history, t.he <litlld ct tound itself iu t.lrn wiuter of 18:18·49, without 1l sdwol hon~ti, un<l n lo1Jg aud tedious fight c11suo<hl efor(' flnnl loc11tio11o f tht sito ru."Y <H'.(\Upiml by n11r (\ue 1:(:ntral "cli<,ol l,nildin~, wl1id1 WHr-,lone Rf II sel1ool tutnt.i11~ ltel<l 011 Dccl.'rnbe1·1 f,, 18-t8. It Vi'll8 tlieu t·egt.JYed to im·tr·w.:t tlw liourd 111 build 1l 1-eltuol li(lmW :-l8x4~ \'e('t iu ::::ize, 1w o ~t.01·.. , ut n eoi:'t ot' )j;t ,000. 'l'hi~ p\·opos:tion me\ t-ll mud1 opp,)E!it.ionh y citizen!- who iir\lled the p1·opof!:t·dh nildiug n "<;Hf-ltle, ' 1 that am,tlior meeting wns callo1l :ind the size of lilt: 1rni111ing cni dffwn t:o 26x3G feel. 'l'hc huilc1in.i,: wR.,: erectetl durl'iTJt: the eorniug !-l11mmt'r trnd fR11, and ins o(ir:npiell i 11 the winter, '\iVillhnn WU18 bt)iug tl.H:- tlret toiwhet· t l1erc. I u 1tH!'; th,rn n .vcnr it Wl.\S f,mud thnt tlH· hni]din~ ,,..ns t.oo !-lrnnll ,rntl roomH WCt'e nmtc·d i'or ,.:dwnl pul'por.;es, <Jutt,iilc. 'J'hi::;C Qntirn.t~du ntil t85tL \'fJH·n hy Yote of the dist.i·id, aihlitionl! w01·c rn,·u1" to ! he l,nildiug, l1n·gcf' tlinn its orig-innl si:t.l'. Cow<h·:·'f( H i1•01ul ud<litim1 to thr villn.,i:e eml>t·n,·<Hl I 0 11'1 r r G) ;JJ rrnn z I 0 C (I) rn () 0 r rn -i -i C 0 rn l> 2 0 () C C) C :s: co rn ;JJ (I) G) ;JJ 0 z C) I.he ea:lt, hnlf or tht~ nor.t.]Hr-f'Rt. <Jt111rh' ~1<•I' :,;ndi1111 t.hi,·fy-tivc. It eont.aiu ed fol'fy-niu(! ,\ere . .; uem· U,r• Byl'llll .rond. 'rh<.)p lat \VU!:, Jiled h,f !:!Hi 11,l111ini8( .J'fl· l,<n· of ll11•. l'. A. Comlry t'Hlil1rt., O<-,ntht>12· G, 185H. Iu tJ1e very erirl.Yd >1yt1 then ~ \\'Ile an i-l~ri(.1: tltm·H.t ~11- 1:iet.y in tuis county, th,~ Li, ·ini,:·-t..OTI Uount.y .J~i:ri- 1:ultm·Hl Soeiel;y, lmt 1111:~u of th•· nllr l.v pionet'l'H whl)r1t we hu.\·e interTit:wt•cJ, know 1wyt.liing- nh11nt 81rnh 1111 org:miz11t.iou. .:\_ meeiu:: wn,s hdrl at Llw 1:omt honi:!". ·rhm ·,;d,1y .F'ebt ·11:1i)' :H 185:-l, whieli pro,•.ei:1\ccl l'.t, 111·· l,!'tmii,i ,t L,iv i ngst:on U11nu t.r Ag-l'i,:nltnrnl Soci,it,y 1vit1 1 fra ;Jeuuings, of Or ,!t•n Oak, ;u; pr ei:.iident., :'iUtl ,li vi<<~: president from oaeh t:<:,wnship, the ,.me from Howoll boing Odell ~T. Smith. \Vm. A. Bnddu,n,l wnt-: trca1mret· and Elijnh F'. Bnrt, secrd.ary. 'l'he firi't J'nfr wns held u.t such town 11s would r11,i;e;t! th e mi):-t money to defrav cxpcuscH, and by t;hose lt!rmH weut h, Brighton. 'fh ucxt nicct.ing was lv~lcl PH I.be old pnhlic square in IIowuH, thi:- t.,rn·ti8hip h11ving-pledt,reil $200 toward expenses. For. rt few years it rotntt !~1 l•nek and forth from Brighf:on t,o How~ll, but in 1860 the society purchased gronntfa east of tho old t.oll ~ato, in Howell, aud t:he llrKt fair held upon t.h, society's own grounds wa~ in ffoptember, 1860. When the Ann Arb,)r J'Ailrofl<l wos completed i11 l.888, it 1·an between the bnil<lings nod rn,oo track, t.hn.-: ~poiling the olcl fair grnuuds for fair purposes. TJa~ aseocia.tion wns awntded quite heavy dnmng~s from t.be railroad c.ompnny and ChArlcs Fishbeck bonght · !J4 HISTORY O:F1 HOWELL Urn groun<]f.l. New grounds were purcht\8Nl ou tbillyron rotld just ontaid~ the villa.ge limitr.; tm<l 11ew 1,uildin~R wcro erected tl1ere. The fair continued a11- 11u ully there for six c,1· eii:ht years and rau out. Some yeu1-s 11\ter, .Mt~Pl1erson Brot.her8 took th~ ?:tount18 on 11 mm-ti;ur,:P. \Yilliam nud :M. ~.I. McPlinr- ~011 sold their interests to Alexand~r, and he sol<l th ... ~ri.. t11ndst o \V. W. Crittenden. fo 1898, Howoll bu~ineF-rnieu organized fm(l 1iclJ 11. ~lt f'.et fllir·, n lc,uling fc1thu·e of wl1ich was rt ltHfo:~ iluml pnr1ttlc. Mi8R Nellie Brooks Wl\8 elected (j\l(.'l)ll. ·L w' o yeori ll\ter, Miss Julio Dongclict. ffll8 queen. A third wns two y(•ar~ latur. 'rbe lttHor 1"i'Ni8 much of I !1(· till niYhl (>lll(-J', HJ1(l l1n1:1l :<•(·ll fr,ll(YWCh'<yl I\ tm·- n.intl tJ.}' ,vix:0111H rm~. The Lh-in~ston Ht•puh1icnn wnf:.1.:- ti1rt.t!d hy H. und L. i\l. Smit.li, Apf'il ~7th, l!";j()_ 'J1b£,·it sucu(!~H \\'1\!- ;,,,4.1me\'\·lomft .t he np Hn<l d1)1/\'tt 111·der for- about fvnr ,)'NU'S ut. t11t> 1•u(l o{' \thiel1 it w11~ <.;()]1flidembly( )l) tlw 1lc1,v1:1,: ru<l1:. t.ieoq~e W. Lee wn~ t11en incluee<l t1i 1.11ktl wlrl of il 1111dw ith his hrothe1· U'rcd Lee nnd ~1'\-tH·nol ther~. tb~Ptl np ll sort ot' f<tock eomi,aoy t\t'- nt11~emcnt. wl1ie]1g nn· tl1e pnbli1.mtio11u good t\ucw- 1·i11llm eking ·. 0f'ol'ge. L. ~tt~e l,ecl\m~ Uw e,litnl' 1~t 1lt1ll. lime. Gt><.)rg\e\' . L,•t gr1uhrnUy hony:ht out tl1~ \Jtkrcst ot tlw (ltl11)rn u111lh .,· l8G~, l11Hlt he vaper well ,·iAulJlii:;htd. H wns llwn i:-ol<tlo JrmWf\ BffWCNi. 1Yho 1·dited it. m,t.il he clit·<l h.1 18(W. Afte1· )fr. How0ri:1' do:ith, the p~.pl'\r ,,..,.~r ;ol<l 1:o A. D. WR,<1<1•a1n1d l. HISTOltY Of~ HO\V RLL 0. Smitli. .Mr. Smit.h bought his partner's iutere~I in 1868. He aftcrw:trdt3 took Fmnk H. Marsh as partner I\Uu later succei:;~ivel~G· eorge \V. Axtell, Solomon 1'. Lyon and K H. Vanderhoef. In 1877. ~mith & Vrmdc1·boofs old tho pn.pel' to L. C. Miller. After somo years he sol<l to It D. and Orriu Shlit· . In 1889, St.uir Brothers solu the Ucpublicnn t" <Jeorge Barnes whu hns lulcly fi!lsociute<lh is son Al· hnrt with him in the publication. In all its fo;t. <>f' ,~ditors nn<l pnblisbers, Republicnus oe thi~ eo1111t..,· hn,ve been fortnn~to in hnviug at t:lw henc1 of t.lwil' cmunt..Y0 1·gan, men of fenrlc8s clrnmete, ·, l.t·ue tu tlwir pnrty prinei1Jles, :mcl good "·11tcm~. It wn:; while he was editing tho H.1~publi<m.11 ttmt-. K 0. Stair wrote "'frixio, " whieh lw ~0011 after st11gccl, and which at once lJcea.nw a popular· hit ,: laying th,~ l'onndution for the handsome fc>t·tu,w which bo hors ncquil·ecl hy n long rnn of' snecc8~ in the t.Juint.1·ic1tl \\"OJ'ld. '£he uvolution whid1 hns d(i\-'r}loperl :,Orne of onr 1,res(•nt. bnsinesi;; ho118('8 fot·ms int1.,rc/4.itng ports of Howell's hi~tory. Tak<! i\lo111·~0 1BroUuirs for uxm11- plc. In 184:fl, Get,rge \V . urnl .F'retl .J. Leo st,u-tnd a gc1wm.l stofo in tho old \~Thip 11le hlock: on tho situ M Monroe Brothel's' 1we~cnt ~tor~. 'r,~oy enrs lnter-, George ,v. Lee built-. Uw first brick slol'e in Howell, ;i two story buildin!.( which · stoocl on the ground whm,: .Johnson's drug slol'e iR no~. and their store wni,; moved into it.. In 18f>2, 'li,rcd ~T. L~e sold out. t-0 hii-: ~)6 HISTORY 0~' HO,V]U,li brothel' and built a new store t.ho .next door weilt. The brotlu.•rs miitcd a for third stol'y over h<,(11s ftmil'-, wbich WfiB rented to the Masons fol' a. lodge roow. ,\i:: sooll :ts hi:; 1ww store wus complet.tid. F'red .I . Lee formed a iuutncl'sbip with Lemmi1l Spooner ancl tl11·,\·o pcn1:d II new stor«' thet·1·. Aftc~r a fErw yeal'~. they sold their busim•ss to B. B, Tnylo1·, ,Tho, lat!:"r sold nn intet ·t·~t. to Fobe~ Crossman. William B . •f twett alr;o nequil'ell ,m iuten•,,;t. there for tl 1:iuw. 1-kc,rgc \V. Ll:e flnnlly bona;ht t.hiE firm out., when \fr. Toylor went to Califol'llin . Jfo <:nt an t1rchwR~- h1•t.wec11th e t."'o st.orc8 and rim them together for .,orne font•. WIH:n Mt. Loe twerwrn qua1'te:rmast~1·i 1-1 1111'. nrrn,r. ht! 1ort. his lmsiuei:;R in ,.:hR.rgc of .i:\)F)Xtmdt1r .\lcPhn·~on , who }rnd betH a eh.!rk there f.,1·1 St•m•· 1 iuw . Mr. .M.cPlH11·so11 bou~lit :m intrro~1 il\ tlw :-1·oni nhoul thllt time. Henry II. l\IiJls fotmcd ,m ucqnaiutnnct~ rrith M.iE. .-.; lt111bollMe cPherson, in (·olleg·c. They ~f:rr. m~niNl in 185~. and lived nenr Kalumrtzoo fo1· ftbont thre t· .Ylrnn. They came to Howell in 1857 and Mr. Milb ho2nn elerkin~ for ·willittm McPherson. Soon after Ahixnnder McPber~on bought a~ interest in tue husi · 11es$M r. Mills hou/Jht. the L'eBto f Mr. Lee's inte1·es~s. 'l'hl"ir Htock wns movP1l into th<' weHt store. Loandor ( !. Smith t'ent.otl Uw t\nrner Htore and ui.cd t.lrn ,vest ~id<· for tho 1,ost ofl11•1\ the ei.u1t.s ide being rented to 11l11c1l·) RrtiH;. .\bout. ft rear la.ter, Mr. MillR bought his p:utuer'i':' i l HISTORY (}F1 HO\VELL !l'i. interest.8 :tnd conclneterl Uw husini;s;, alone for ~omf' yNirs wlien be ,1ssocinte<l hi:-; ~ou wit.Ji hirn. The firm of H. H. Mills & Sou \'\,'FIS 1t lenlling on,, her~ fOI" many yenrs. William i\lill!I \'-tntt. to ~ropoka, Kan~as. iu the ln.tf' '70d, and Ju.id the foundution for wht1t. hnr: clcweloped into the lurge:;t ge1wral stnro in t.hnt- dt.y. His fnthor fo1lowed him 11 few )·ears lat,~r. ln 1882, ~fr. Mills e;nl<lt .hc hmiiness to two enterprising roung men, who wcrC1 clerking for him 1\t t.lrnt time, Dwight D. Mom·M an,1 '\Vil! ,J. Cn.rl. A new fhm wns orgttuized uncfoi· the 11nnrn of i\fouro1:, Carl & Co., Mr. M.iJls rnmn.iuing in tht' 1.msinr.~:-; 1u; n liruiterl partuer t.o the nmount . of his i11,tcre~..t which was pnrclrnsed by t.ho young men nftcr the hig Hrn <>f 1888, which dost.ro:yecl the two old ~tore bnilclin~~- ~,or a fow months after the fire the firm clid husiuc~m; in tho Operu. House block. 'l'h1 ! \' made a kasc for tht.i new Greena.wuy block a...s; oou ns er·mplPtc1l, nnd hnve heen on thnt site since. About tho time of tho ~ccon<l big iirc in 1892, Gr.o. L . .Monl'Oo honght .i\fr. Cnrl'i:. intcrc~;t· in the firm. 'xnd that gen1fonrnn went into bus~nci~~ nt-. MnskAgon ITe ights. In 1901, the general st.ock was clo~ed out, 1m<l the firm have since dealt solely in sh()e,; and wall paper. Politics were very warm in Howell in the '50:s. \:Vhen Prof. F. W. Munson wns employed to superintend the schools here in 185G, there wa3 quite a qm~Bt. ion whether the bonrd would ~mploy anyone b11t a HISrrOH.Y OF HOWJ~LL <lt•mocrat. Prof. l\Iu11su11h atl uot ye!: gmduated whcu he came here, nnd went back tu Ypsiluuti fol' t.hnt pnrpose in Juue. The subject of his ornlion was '' Locks nud Keys.' 1 After cliscnssing vnriou~ locks nncl keys in other couutrics, Mr. 1'Inuson snid: · • Uut we need not go to foreign countries In our own south loud t.hr.re a1·e nearly four million humnu beings, who send fol'lh the cry, 'Unlock, unlock."' A Detroit Free Press reporter complimented Mr. Munson on his oration, but criticiscu tlmt. sentence. 'rhe pnpers reacht~d Howell, ~efore Mr. l\lllnson return rd, ancl were the co11seo f quite n warm welcome whr)n lie stcppc<l from the stnge lH·1·e. n~ wns el1arged wil'h making n l>lnck abolition f::peeeh, nnd somo people wanted hii:n t.nmcd ont of school for doing so . A good ~tory is toi<l hy severn.l men who WlJt·e little boys in the latter pnrt. of Prof. Munscin 's school work - here. frank 'Whipple ha<l been guilty of something which promised him n whipping, nnd was Rlrnt up in Mr. Munson's office. Sf~ver::tll ittle boys from one of the lower rooms, were ont to play. Hn1ry \\7ilbur l'Un nenr enough for the prisoner to cull to him and rtsk him to get him ont, before Mr. l\lm1sc•n got. back. A hasty consnltnt .ion wns l1<!]d. One little boy k1rnw where there was & ln<l<ln·,f onr or five blocks away, anc1 they went after ii'.. So cnreful wm·e thev that t.lrnt.c arried the ladder wny i\l'Otmd another block, so as 11ot to pilf:S the windows of their owu room, or b let t.heii· tenehr.r ~c<' HR ):hadoYr, n::. f:h0y raised it. H1S'l10HY OF HO\VELL [19 1"1':lllk Whipple got out nil l'ight, ::i.nctlh e ladder waipnt b11ck. So well <lid the boys work it, thnt no tc·nehcl' conld learn how t.11(~ escRpc was made aud I.hey never knew until long years nftet·, when tlw little boys wern men, ancl ol<l school dny~ wern tnlkod over. Ono duy in 1854-, 11 young colored man alighted from the stage at the old Union Hotel. His barber :,_ ehair was on toμ of the stage nncl he snitl be was going through to L:msiug, to start a lmrber shop. Sentiment . n good ways from the colored rs\cc, and itt t.he prei:;ence of an escaped slave, was two cliITcrcn1 things . George Wilbur coaxed the young man t.1, unload his chair unu go to work in his bar room . .H e did so, and by geuial ways, courtesy nnd strict honesty, made ll host of friends here. 'tihis first col - ored man, Abraham Losoford, paved the way for r.hut cordial sentiment to,vard his rnce, which hns always made them welcomo in Howell. He Ih·ed her,: to a good old age. Another colored man wns hern for n. few months before l\Ir, Losoford came but . he remained for so sho1-t it time thnt t.o· Mr. Losoford belon~s tbe title of Howell's first colored man. As previously notecl in this history the Livingston Courier suspended publication in 1857. 'l'he ofiie,~ was in a demornlizecl conclition, much of the type pied, .rnd generally run down. During the summer the material was purchased by Joseph 'l'. Titus, then n 100 HIS'J.10RYO F HOWELL :'Oung mun recently moved here from Jackson where lie had been running the Jackson Patriot, On th<' !ifth of August, 1857, he issued the first number of tbc· Livingston Democrat, then u six-columned folio, but :lfterward enlarged. His first office was in the second slol'y of the building now occupied by the Livingston Tidings, which had nlso hecm the office of the Livingsttrn Courier. Mr. Titus was a man of ability as n ·writer and his paper soon became one of the leadinrt: :1dvocates of his putty in this section. He ussociated his son John P. Titus, with him in the publication, :-;ome years afterward, and they continuPd us owner:-; until February 7, 1890, when they foiled in business. Leading Democrats of the county at once furmed n stock company and purchased the office. John Ryau · who was just retiring frum the county clerk's office, wns placed in charge und l\Ir. 'ritus was given employ_ ment on the paper. A few yeurs Jatcr he went to Toledo to live with his claui;htcr Mrs. James Wiugwith whom ha went to California ti, few years ago. Shortly after .assuming the manngcmeut of the Democrat ?\fr. Rynn 1mrchasecl the stock held by otho1· 111omberso f the company and has been the sole owner J'or seycral yeare pnst. Unuer his management the Demo<!rat has maintained its high stan<lal'd ns a, coun· tv newspaper n.nd rtn ardent oclvocnte of the party. A meeting was hold in the Uongregutionul church, ou the twelrth of December, 1857, to organize nu l~piscopa.l ehnNk Among t.hf•FAp resent were Hev . FACTORY OF MICHIGAN CONDENSED MILK Co. HISTORY OF HOWELL 101 Henry Bttnwell, Abel F. Butterfield, Joseph 'r. 'ritui:;. fl, U. Briggs, George Greenaway, George R. Hoyt , \Villiam A. Clark nnc1 .M. Lahouter. 'l'hc church took t;ho name of '' All Saints ( ·Jmrch of the town of Howoll." Rev. Henry Banwell was its first rector. Ifo wns follo,ved by Rev. George 0. Blackman who resigned Apr·il 17, 1865. Rev. Albert C. Lewis betame rector in iu 1866 and continued as long as the church existed, ,vliich wns until 1868, when the orguni:mt.io11 was changed. Pnrt of tho time this church was in (•xistence its services wc1·eh eld in the Congreg11t.ion11l drnrch nnd part of the time iu tho court house. ~rhe cha11ging of the orl!nnization referred to mu;; I be formation of St. John's Episcopal church which was effected on Tnasday, April 14, 1868. The ul'ticles were signed by Milo L. Gay, Joseph 'l'. 'fitus, Mark .J. Staley, L. D. ~mith, Silas Beardsley and Albert C. Lewis, pastor, and were filed in the county clerk's office the following day. This church practically cer\.z3ed to exist after a short time, largely becnusc some of its most active members moved away. In 1878, the cburch.lrnviug been strcngthene<l br two or three active men, principally by Waller ll. I3rown who had moved to Howell nnd engaged in the drug and book business, the Board of Missions of th•.\ Enstern Diocese of Michigan, sent Rev. R. H. Denni,., here as pastor, and St. John's church was revived. Services were held in the court houi:e until their church was erectecl. The plan was for quite an imposing 102 HISTORY OF HOWEI~L Htructnre to front on Sibley street, with a chapel which should unite in an L and front on \Valnut street. The chapel wns erected first .and no more has ever been «lone nbout the building.' The removal of Mr. Browu again crippled tho church antl it has never been as. prosperous as could be desired. It is now connected with Brighton nod l:Inmburg as on() parish, of whicl1 Liev. Harvey Kerstetter of Brighton, is rector. 'fhc tlrst building bumed in Howell township, WUf: the housu of :Mielm.el Brcuocr, situated on Section 25. This fire occul'l'ed in 1840. '.l'he first fit·e which inflietetl severe loss upoll tlw dllago, occurred in the evening of l\fondny, Sept. 28 . I 857, nnd swept the Ba~le Hotel, tho first building r·reetcd on the origirn:tl plat of the village in 1835, nnd 11c11rlyth e entire line of lmildings 011 the South side ,,f Grnnd River St1·,)d., het,\vecn Walnut and Eusl Streets. 'l'he account. nf thi!:1f lro, given by the Dcm- 1)crnt in its next issu~. wa8 118 follmvs: ·' A destructivti fire brnk(· out in this vil111ge at. about seven o'clock Mondnr evening. It commenced i11 Uw 'livery barn,· nenr Huntley's Engle Hotel. whid1 was soon wrnppeu in tfames. The wind wiw blowing stronglv .frnrn thii w,rt.hwest . .Mr. Hnn~~y·~ hnrn tnught next, thc11 lii!-i hold, then Bnlcom's SH· loon, then 'rreadwell's ~aloon, tltHl then the 'Old Stur;{i House.' All of t.h1i:-1 :tbuildings were consum<id h,v the flames, in nbout. one hour a11<Ilt half, in spito of tlrn dfo1'ts of the eitiz(~11s. 'fhe pro~ress of the firo I I. HISTORY O.D1 HOWELL 103 ciould not ha.w 1,er:n tu-rr~t:,~d here, had t.hey not pulled <low.n the tour smu!l hnilding~ t.hut. Rtoo<1 nr, t.ho rnf!.t part. of thr. i'nmr• blnd, . Owin(( to t.he hi~h ,dnd~, there witti grel\t ilnr.~cr of n lnrgc porti,m of Urn village heiugo 1.wopt Hwny. The burning c:indon, )!Ct fire t.o builllingi,; n•·nl'ly h;1\f' 11 mile clislnnl, ~1hich ,·rnreh appily ('xt.in~·t1i!-hJ1<l. Nenl'ly nll the h11Hinr·stl men on the sontl, si<l~o! f Oninif River Street., 11,sf n down n.s Vnn,lcrhoof' Hotel, rrnwved their r,ropr.rty into the stre1~!;,w hich nffotdNl a fine opport.nnity fm· t,l,ioviug, nnd thiR t111~ll ti,.•\"i'~e mployed. No on~ ean 11c1~on: nftor the origin of t.h~ flrc. 'l'hr· heoviest. loss (H~cm·r-; l:o 1\fr, llm,tley, who lost hi..: HII. His loss i~ esi;imnt.ecl ut. $;3 000. Balcom's saloon m.~ ,vorth nbout. $300, .foflge Kncelnnd's hnildingo ~lion! 'f;SOO,a nd t.lrn four ~mall hnihlings pullecl ,lown wr·rr· worth nbout. $1000. 'i'hc bn.rn wherP-the fin ~ origi - nated wng owned by ~lr. Orcen, of Dettoit.; lni,;sn honl 0i200. '!'here W;lS no in~lll'fl,ll('() onn ny of Uw huilcl · ings. l\fot;t of tho personal p:·operty wns savc1l mncl1 nf it in a. d11mn2"c<l i;:tatr. from the rnshnr.f.l~o f t.he men." Tho winter of ISf,:J-5.4: wn!I n very hard one he1·c. .: .A .t one time t.he snow went above the record of jni::.t ten years beforo that dufo, which, too, was nn ext. rc.nely hnrd winter. It wns n trifle over twenty- :-!even inches deep upon t.he level, probnbly the deep · est ever known here. .A.ll t.hc hay which hnd been cut, was usod np long hPforc spriug, nncl the ~d.U<·r~ J.04 HISTORY OF HOWELL were obliged t,o maintain t.hcir stock hy brow~iAg·. thnt is, by chopping trees, and allowing the stock to be fed upon their tops. '!'he writer rct1H1 mlwr~ hearing his fatht'r often tell of chopping n tree ever.r day, all through the lnt.ter pnrt of the wint.cr, and of how hungry tlu~ poor stock beeame in spite of the bm;t he could do for them. vn,cn 1hey henrcl u tree b(·gi11 to tall they ,vould rush for it und sevcrnl formerri lwd stock killed'in that wn~'. 'l'he last day he cut browsl" my father's best cow rnn under the fnlliug tree urnl was killed. One dl\y nlon~ in the spring, lw wn~ some distance from home when Im· fonnd a good sized lock of hur which someone hnd lost from n loud. n~ gathered it up carefully and cnnit!<l it ove1· three mile.-, to give his stock a taste of hoy. Nor did people fare much better t.hnn their stock. The gPneral need for pl'Ovisions hecnme so strong bPfore the harvest of 1854 thnt a eitizrm:' commilfr( · was org«nized with Henr~ ' Smith, father o! tlrn pres - ent Howell po8tmaster, a~ chai1·mu.u. This co1urnittc1· made a viirorous canvas of tho whole township, a~ then or&?anized, iuclndiug Cohoctuh. Samuel Bush'~ wheat, on what is now the Peavy farm, was 1kciLled to be the rfpest, and he was told to har\'est it. or , tlw committee would. Mr. Bush rcnclily cons~nted, 1rnd his wheat was eoon in tlw Hogue mill, from wlit·t·1· flour was dealt out. on a mt.ion lrnsis t.o the huugr., · peoplo. Whenever the liquut' clement. gels lo 1·u1111111g I . I I I i J 't I I I I I I I HIS'fOltY OF HOWJ.JLL 105 things all its owu way, a rnl\ctiou sets m and some· thiug is sure to follow. Such n condition was cxper · ience<l in Howell in 1855. In March of t.lrnt yen1·, rtbont. thirty leading In.die,~ of tho town bocnmc eo excited over the unrestrictecl 1-mlo of liquor, that tlrny took the matter into thcil' OWll hnnds. Mnrchin,: to t.110s aloon of Samuel Balcom, they proceeded to !'.1Inlt!h bottles ancl cnilks, until no liq nor remainotl. Long drawn out litigation followed, 11nd Mr. Balcom finally seJured a verdifJt f(l1· $5!0 sg;1inst several (If t.he leading women. Only n pnrt of it WllK ever col· lectell. The moral effect wns to st.iffcn the backbone of those in anthorit.v, nu«l 1·~sult:e,l in a much bctJ.cr enforcement of h1w. One of Bcujumitw Spring's retorts about t:his t.inH• is still told by our oldest residents. A mnn diecl wlw hnd long been one of hi:".s!p eciul frieuds. Ais the fn· neral proccl'.lsiou wn~ pM~ing his bu l'Oom, Mr. Spring aud ot.hei·~ stoo1l watching it, when Oll1'3o J' them noticed t.hat: he wus erying. Upon ro.llying him about it, Spring replied: '' [ tell you boys, this iti ~l pretty solemn occ11.sion. Jt,'!!i the first timelin a lonu while when he ha~ gon(\ hr withont 8t.oppin~ to takt: 1t drink." 'l'he first. fight in thiie township, which resulted ~eriously, occnrr,~tl in Octobcl', 185G, when Hcnl'y Hollis is alleged tn h~vo 8truek Gecr~e Ohcl't ,,·it.11 tt 11ock-yoke. Ohert liv<~llb ut it fow dBys and Holliii was arrc8t.ccl, chnr(!ed with murder. 'rho jury disR· 106 HISTORY OF' llOWE[,L ~reed ttUcl Hollis was released OU bonds. He was oever brought to trial again. On Jnly 20, 1857, John Lagrnuge, 'Yhilo intoximtteid, picked fuss with Sanford S. Mooro, and was !dlled ·during the quarrol. Moore plead solf-defense ii.nrl the coroner's jury so 1ound. Howell was represented at. L~nsiug, quite early in it!! histoty. In 1850 Georgf, \V. Kneeland was rep· r,15;ontutive from thi~ dist.rid. C!rnrlcs A. ,vilber ·mu; electod to that position in 18G5. Or Lite pby111iciansw ho settlod hiire in this decade, f>r. Henry J. Rumsey began prnetic ii: : in 1853. He lti;,d Leen in mercantile bmdn0ss Lfrn fvr a ~hort time -previomL Ile <lied hno in 1858. Dr. HcJbert C. Hutton comnn .~i:c'.ed pr1:1ctico bore rn 18~7. In hiH latter yearR ho n10<.0 E'd to Detroit. Dr. Hoary N. :3ponccr who <:H-llH: to · .F,owlcrville iu 1853, gl'r~dually extended hil4 practice to Howell, an<l ruov~d Lere in 1869, he lH~ving be~n elected judie qf pl'(1bato in 1868. AftE;r his torm of office he con · >.1i111cctol practice iu How,~ll. Henry H. Humou stutlil,d law in the office of !l<:.wd.t Brntl.iore while tcnchin~ in the Howell schools, ttwl wail udmittcd to prnd.ic·~ in 18{9. He held tht c,illceH of circuit court commissioner, prosecutin~~ at.- :,oruer i\tHl probl\te judftl:l. ffo bccnmeone of llO\nll'Er 11:m<linl~r~ wyet·!a nd coutiui1ed eo until bis death. Of hiw;h 11101·ttl idens;, be did urnctJ t@wartl t.he est&blish- Utent of thnt sontiruent whieh so Ion~ prevl\iled }u'lre, ·( .. HIS'l'ORY ()fl'' UO'WELL 107 the tl'ial of' ca~es 111)()11 ilteir merit:-: ,·at.her t11a11h ,v friek~ an<l subterfuge~ . .M ylo L. Utty ,rn!I a stnclent. ·wit11 Ji'. C. Whipple ;Hid ll'llH admitted in 18;):1. He rn11i11t:11i1uf~llld otlii ie i11 tl1e l'ooms now ocm1pi<'•l h)· Tiu~ Lh ·i11gsron 'l'iclin~ s for a nnml.rnr of yt\ars, lrnt. tnrns11etttl :l gcw~ral loa11ing a11d real estate businNJ8 mmc tlin11 n Jaw hm;- rncss. He engugecl in h1111\::i11agt. l~owlt•1·villt\ for a. \rnml>er· of years. Int.he early :.">Os.,M arm1s B. Wileox 111oevd h<;r1~ from Pinckue.L Ifr scrvccl us pni:,W<'.nling at101·1w~' for t.wo terms. '3nrclias F. Hnl,htll ,ms the first. J1nv ~trn1e11. tin tl1is connty, in the otJfoe of \Vellin~t.on A. <Howr, in 1~40 :rnd 1841. He ymwticcd iu Oaklnud 1:onnty nl,ont . fourteen ycnrs, :nu] ret.urnerl hr.re iu 185-!. J!P. ~erYerl RH eirenit ,~onrt; commissiou, \r 1111tthl l'ee te1·mi-: ns proseeuti11g af.b>rney. He lrn<l a larg e lt-gnl prn<it. ir.e here until his <leat.h. Audrev.· n. \Va<ldell, who live,1 here with hi8 pu- ~nt.:s in n nry early <lny, rt4nrne<l wit.h hii:1 family lo New York, ftfter the death of his fat.h(•t· iu 1~5!i. After a year in the oflice of John n. l>illinghnm, he was 1tdrnitted to Jmictice, He servc'1 two te1·1111u circuit court commissioner 1111dt wo term~ as vrMecntinr attorney. A leader in his profes@ion ancl u a. citizen or this _commnnit .y, his <leut.h was tn<•Urnt<l a¼lil a pnblie calamity. Another early ltrn·yer wns J eromc 'furn er, i;on nf 108 H.lWl'ORY 01' HOWJ!lLL Judge 'l'urner, who vru~ admitted to practic~ in 1857. He only practieed her~ a few years when he moved to Corunna . I 1 j . i I I ' I I I I I l I i 0 :0 < m z m l> :0 -l :r 0 1J (/) 0 z (/) r l> "m :t 0 m r- r 3: C) :r CHAPl.' Ell VIII m,wdl in th<:,W nr 'l'ho arrival of the stnge on the evening of April 14, 1861, will never be forgotten by many in Howell. 'l'hc dark cloud, which lrnd hung so heavily upon om national horizon, lrnd·bm·~t, and Sumpter had fnllen. 'rhe new~ came like n thundcrb<)lt to this vieinit.y. Old me1 .1 burst into tears, nncl m;rny were the homes where sleop fnilecl to enter thnt night. Among the earliest to go to his plac~ of hm,in<'s8 the next morning, was Joseph 'r. 'ritul'i, who wfts soon joined · by l?rnnk Mursb, then a typo on the Livingston Democrat. At Marsh'! suggestion, a flag waR borrowed and the first to fling the stn.rs nnd ~tripes to the breeze in Howell, after th£> fall of Ft. Sumptm·, wn~ .Mr. Titus, who raised it over his office, then in thti ·wooden building, now ocJupied by the, Livingston 'ridings nnd Hopper's insuranc(~ office, on Gran<l River St., opposite the Con rt. Honse. The flag Wlls soon joined by many more, and when President Lincoln's enll foi.· se\·enty-five ·thousnncl men arrived in Howell on the 15 of April, it created the wildest excitement. A very larce and enthusiastic "Union l\'Iass Meeting" wns held at the court house, · April 80. The court house, proving too small. the meetin~ wn.s adjourned to the public square, "•here two h,md~ 110 HISTORY OF HOWELL played nntional airs, and speeches were ma<lo by sev- 1~rncl itizens. A set of resolutions were adopted, of which the followinr wns tho lnst: "Resolved: That we devote ns an ohlution and willing sacrifice upon tho alter of our common country, all political party prejudices nnd an11nos1- ties, and by obliterating all party distinctions, to nnite Ui patriotic American citizens in defe•1ce of t}w perpet.uity and prosperity of the American Uniou ; :ind to such 3, line of conduct we cledicntc unrsclves , and ple<lge our lives, om · fortunes, nucl om· sucred honor to the cause of our country, and to the maintt~- 11auce of the Constitution nnd Union bequenthecl to u~ ns u precious heritnf!C of freedom, hy our heroi<'. :rncestors.'' The state had no money with which to equip soldierr; and n popular loun wns iuaug-nt·ukd. George \\T. Let· t:umishe<l $500 townrd t.his fn11d nn<l nceepted a position in the qunrtcrmnstcr's <kpartmeut. 'l'wo compnnies were soon in the field. One raised by Cnpt .. John Gillnly , became Compnny I of the li'iftlt ;\{ichigan lufontry, and its history will be uot.ed with that re~iment.. 'fhe othnr wns rnised by T. .i.e ut. .fas . .\h1lloy, und became pntt of Uompany K of tl.w fourth Iufant.ry, and we1·c the first in t.he Held of Howell soldiers. 'rlrn nnmes of Howell llll ' ll in thi~ c:ompauy were: Second Lieut. ~Jas. .Mulloy. 8ergt, -fonathan S. Shnrp, Sergt,, Edgnr Nobh·, Henry B0ot.l,1by,B . 0 . Dcnuuiug, ,Julius D. Smith. Willi1rn1 - 111 Bennett., D. ,\. Wilson, Cn.lvi11 ,vileox, Stephen H. F1ishh,~ek, .John Dorn, ..\ m erim1"'r rott.en, Ira Bolt ,rncl C1iles Donely. 'i'he~e m~·n, with quite a uu111ber of others trorn this county. m1tking in nil nbont half a company. mnrehetl a w11y rm111 U owdl. .May 21, 18(>1, amid !ht: wildest. (1xcitement.. ,\I; De.:der they were nnited with men from th :1t, Rn :tio11, to make n eompnuy, aJ11l proceeded to re11tli·;1,vo11a~t . A1ldnn, and ,June 2, l86J . were mustere,l iu, th e rcg-iruent numbering 1025 officer;; nnd men. };1ive days lntei·, they left AclriA·n, autl moved by the wat of 'rol,1 <lo ,nul Ulevcland, t.o Hur - risburi,:, P:i., ,vhne thny 1·en111inedn util ,July l, ?:hen I.hey moved to \Vn~hington, where they were ,ume,1 with Springticl<l rnnslwtP!. They 11elped to build the dcifencm; arouud Wnshington , fot· a short time but were ~oon trnmife1 l'ed into Vir(!iniR, n.ncl 11ome of them took part in tht· fil'st hatUe of Bull Run, tlw lf'onl'th being amoug t.he few t cgi1nents who snccccdcci in rttiring in goo<i order from that field. '!1he pol'- tion of the compnuy, not in Bnll Run fight, were stationed at Fairfax Court Honse, under commnncl of IJieut. Mlllloy, who resigned his commis!lion imme · cliately thereafter, nntl his company never saw hint again. It will be remembered that this company had enlisted under the firilt ciall for three month!, bnt when they were mustered, the term of 11ervicc was for three years, but 110 medical examination was mndt> nntil nfter the first bnt.tle of Rull Run. The result of 11~ IIISTORY ;.OP HO-WELL thig examination wns the discharge of 8. 0. Demm iug and Americus Totten, for disnbili ty, a.nd they wlwe soon followcc.1l> yH enry Boothby and U. A. \Vi~- r,ou, for the smne cause. Calvin \Vilcox, who wns in the l•,nil'fax Court House di vision of the com puny, w::ls tak,~n sick soou nft:e1·th e battle, nnd with Julius Smith and ,Tobn Dom were Roon nfteL· taken with typhoid fever and nlter tp1·rnsi n the ho~pital, were uiscl,arged, Smith weighiug- le!sl~tl urn 100 JH)utHlf!i, on liis arrivnl home . Dorn died in a, New York hrn.,pital. This left .J. S. Sharpe, Wm. Be1111dl, Edgal' Noble, Ira Uolt, ·. Gile:~ Donelly :ind Ste:pheu 0. Visbl>cck :L, thr, only Howell 1111!mbcros f the 1:omp1my. They ;:;pent the winter of (i 1· G2 in ca111p nf; l\1i11c1·Hs ill, Vn., and duri11~ t-111· 11exf, yeur, went ·wit.It :.lr;Clcll1111 to Y01·ktow11 a11d tlwuec up the peninsula. 011 this campaign Slmrpn -.,·11csa ptured nud the t.nlc of his ~uffering is told a111itlt he horrors of life nrnl death in 1Hiile1·sville pr1so11. Giles Donelly Wai,\ transferred to the in valid •·orps. \Vhen Capt. Dr.Puy of Ann Arbor, wa~ killecl iu the battle of Gaines .Mill, Hephen .J?ishbeck :SllW him full, and secured his sword :mc1 other thing!-, ,rn<l hn<l them sent home to bis wife, who has · them 111:,w. From the peninsula, the l'e~iment. wont nortl, witbJhc nrmy of the Potomac, nnd took prnt i11 tlw secuud battle of Bull Run and Antietam. After that . hntt.le, Stephen 11'ishlrnck wns transferred to the -U. S. t;uu boat Uludiulns, and ,vm. Bmrnett to th£· -:· \ HIS'l'OUY OF HOVIELL 113 t'ourth IL I. Battery, leaving B<lgnr Noble l\nd lr~i Holt, tl.10o nly Rowell Sl1ldiers with the Fourth Miclligau Infantry. Their next experience, was a rnarnl1 t.hrongh the muil nnd snow of Virginia, in December. 1862, and taking part in the Battle of Fredcl'icksburg. \\'here Holt was wounded n111.sl' Jon after clischa.rgcd. 'l'hen eame n Jong nncl lirnsomo march to Gettysburg. Tho F'ourth took part in the pursuit of tho enemy, nncl f\pent tho following ·winter in camp at Belton. Cnmp was broken, April 30, 186-1, nnu l\fay :'>, 6 antl 7 saw Mr, Noble with bis 1·rgimcnt 1 in the I3uttle of th1: Wildcmess, nnd throug ·h the dnys thnt followed in that long urawn out eouflict. Our Howell soldier re· ceived a wound in th~ leg, which laid him up for n Lime. 'l'he regimeut'8 time expired June l!J, 18(H. Of the regiment ·who culistE:d, only 223 were t.hcn muster€d out, and "129 of these re-enlisted as veterans, l\lr. Nou~e being- among them. Nearly · 200 of th<: original regiment hnc1 been killed or died of wounds. 'l'he new regiment opened its cnreer by taking part i11 the battle of Decature, Aln. The rest of its service wa~ principally guurd and picket duty, but in the hol !:!Un wns very hard on the men. Mr. NoblA hRs the distinction of being the only Howell soldier, nnd with Mr. Cnrprntor of Pettybville. t;he onl~· ones from this connty, who enlisted on th('. first call, served all through the war un<l returne,1 home. The seconcl body of men to go out from Howell O.>; 114 HISTORY OF HOWELL · above stated, became a part of Company I of the Fifth Michiga11 Volnntcor Infantry. It was credited to Brighton but was kuowu as Livingston Company. Its Capt.nin was John Gillnly of Brighton; First Lieutentant, Hudson B. Blackman, of Howell and Second Lieutenant Charles H. Dennison. Lieut. Dennison who was in command of an acl rnnce picket line near Alexandria, was the first membct· of the company to he hit ln- the enemy. He was wot nded through his heaJ. rrhe regiment wa~ in camp at Ft. Wayne, near Detroil, for senral months, perfecting its organi;. i;ation and drill. A gn·ut many people believed that it would nenr go tc, the front hnt the disaster nt Bull Hun ehnng-e1l that idea and on Sept. 11, 18Gl, it left fot· Ceveland 011 the steamer " 0 ::ean:" From there they we11t by mil t.o \,V:,.shingtotL Tu the regimental organi;.i;ation Lieut. Blackman bec-ame quartermaster iu which position he served during the war and ,vas brevetted Major 011 his discharge, Nov. 3, 186G. During its stay at l!,t. \Vayne the regiment made ma11y changes in its membership, several leaving to join other orgauizutions or to come home, and a good many enlisting there. ,vhen it left for the front ithad the following Howell soldiers in Company I: Sgt. ,T. Ashley Pond, Corp. John V. Gilbert, Corp. Willi:: nn Pullen, Privates Alexander C. Wil(iox, Lyman A. Wilson, Geor£e \V. \Veils, Emerson Soule, Alva \V. Scofield, Milton Bitcheock, Henry C. Goodrich, HISTORY OF HOWELL 115 .Merritt Ji\ Pullen and Albert Peckens besi<les many from various towns of this county, among whom were Ueorge Dudley and E. C. \Vright, who were residents of Howell for many years. When the regiment was mustered into service Lewis C. Tupper was in the hofpital at Detroit, from where he was not able to be released until F\~bruary, l8G2. He left at once for the fron l nnd was muste1·ed as soon as he arrived, February 24. He was taken prisoner October :27, 1864, but was returned to the regiment April HJ, 1865. Although participatiug in a uumber of slight skirmish es the Fifth did not get into battle until it reached Williamsburg, on Ma:v G, 18G2, when it was in Gen. Beny's third brigade of ( leu. Kearney's division which reached the battl e ground about the middle of the afternoon, and was iu the hottest of the fight from that time until dark, closing the dny with a heroic charge which showed the splendid fighting qualities for which it was afterwards noted. The regiment went into this fight about GOO strong of whom it lost IG3 in killed and wounded. Among the killed were Sgt. Ashley Pond, Alb ert Peckens and Merritt F. Pullen of Howell. John Gilbert was wounded. He was the first wounded soldier to arrive home in Howell. After about two years of recruiting health he enlisted in in the Sixth Michigan Cavalry with which he served to the end of the war. 116 HISTORY OF HOWELL · To follow the history of the Fifth would be to go with the army of the Potomac in all its trial~ and and final triumphs. On Dec. 13, 1862; Lt. Col. Gillu!y who left this county as captain of company I. yeilded up his life, while cheerin~ the regiment on. Maf"Blackman ~ecured his body and brought it home fo1· lmrial. Lyman A. \Yilsou wag wounded in J1'1y 18G2, and was lost to the record.; from that time forward . .Alex11nd~r C. \Vilcox found the soldier's life too strenuous. He was discharged for disability at Alexandria, in December. 1862. George Wells was sick Aurust 7, 1861, and there is no record o( what became of him. Emerson Sowle was discharged for disability at Fortress -1\Iomoe, Va .. Ma.v 1, 1862, after a term in the hospital. Milton H itcheock was taken sick early iu 1862 and <lied at Alexandria, Va., F,eb. 2 of that year. Henry C. Goocfrieh eame home sick in the ·sprinf! of 1862. When the spriug of l8G3 opened with its nPw commander. Geu. Hooker, the Fifth moved up the . Hap pahaunock. During that year the regiment made a nmnber of forced marches the most wonderful record being on July 2 when it moved ten miles in thl':H.-\ hours, reaching the Gettysburg battle ground at. 4 p. m. An hour lat~r it had lost 10;, men. By the followiu~ winter the regiment was so reduced in mun\ HIS'l'ORY OF HOWELL 117 l>ers tha.t it ,vas tet11rnetl to Micl1igan, ftrrivin,: in Detroit on ,January 4. The men were given a veteran furlough with their friends at home. When it was determined that the regiment wns coming home Andrew D. Waddell, Solemon 'f. Lyon and Fred E. Angell weht to work for recrnits. -rro e11- list then meant mort- than at any other time during the war. The reality of nil that awful strife wa~ upon them, but new men were secnrt.'d. Messrs. Waddeil and Angel were commissioned lientennnts of Company I. Lieut. \Vaddell's health would not stand the strain upon it and he was obliged to resign and come home after four months l!5ervice. Lieut. Angell only stood up under the strain a few months longer than his comratle in office. .Mr. Lyon l>er.arne second lieutenant of Company E, and was soon after promoted to first lieutenant of Company B, of which he l>ecame eaptain September 15, 1864, whern he served until the clo::e nl the war. Because of the shatteL"eu condition all along the lineR it was tbo~1ght l>e,;;;tth at the new mrn should be divided among the various companies instead of forming one new company as several had expected when they enlisted. Of the Howell men who enlisted at that time: Wm . N. Saunders was disdrnrge<l Dec, JO, l 863. \Vm. H. Scriver <lied c,f disease at Brady Statton, Va . , March, 2!, 1864:. Edwin H. Smith was w01.rnded at Hatch .rs Run, Va., ll8 HISTORY 0.1!,H OWELL Oct. 27, 1864. He was taken prisoner at Petersburg, Va., Fcu, 26, l86fi, and is supposecl to have died · at Uiehmon<l. Joseph Pruden Jr. was killed at the battle of the Wilderness, .May 6, 1864. David Robinson was wounded at the battle of the WiJderness, i\lay G, 1864, and was taken prisoner Oct. '.!.7, of that year. He was returned to the regiment May 17, 186G. George Newton died of disea!e at Baltimore, Md., Nov. 21, 1864, and is buried in the government cemetery the1·e. Geo, Pennell died of disease at York, Pa .• Aug. 9, 1864. Silas M. Perry was wounded in May, 1864. Jr:rnme G. Phillips was wounded May 6, 18G~. Thomas G, l\fan· was wounded and taken prisoner in May, 18G4, nnd died at Anersonville, where his rernnius lie in grave No. 2HiG in the government cemeJ tcl'V. Abraham Neely was killed at Petersburg, Va., in ,I uly,18G4. Uharles L. Neely was wounded Oct. 27, 1864, and died of disease in Washington, inJnly of the following year. John Hiluerbraut wa>.1w ounued l\iay, G 1864, and died of disea8e at Alexandria, Va .. Jun. 5, 18Gfi. Howard E. Glover wa3 wounded at Ha tchen Run, Va ., March 27, 186!3. He was sent to Harper Hos- I HISTORY OF HOWELL 11!) pital where he was dischareed two months later. Christopher Haynes was -killed in the battle of the \Vilderness, May 5, 1864. Charles Culver was wounded in the battle of the Wilderness, May 5, 1864, from the effects of which he was discharged at York, Pa., June 27, 1865. Phila Curtis was killed at the battle of the \Vilderncss, May 5, 1864. Wm. H. Cnrtis died of disease .at \Vashingtoll, D. C .., April 22, 1864, Isaac Felter was killed in the battltt of the \Vilflerness, May 7, 1864. George W. Cooper was killed at the battle of the Wilderness, May ·5, 1864. Wm. Cooper Sr. was wounded and tnken prisoner at Petersburg, Va., Oct. 27, 1SG.J-. He wtts returned to the regiment May 17, 186G. Wm .. Cooper Jr. was woull(leu Oct. 27, 1864. Cyrus L. Carpenter was ,vonnded .May G, 1864 und discharged at Pt. Lookout, l\ld., June 5, 1865. Sidney C. It. Carpenter was wounded May G, 18G4- an<l again on Oet. 27 of tlrnt year when he was taken prisoner. He was retnmed to the regiment April 22, 1865 and sent to a hospital .at Columbus. 0., where he was discharged on May 27. \Vm. G. Clayton was <liseharge<l at Philadelphia, Pa., ,June 9, 186G. ,James Canfield was wounded ut the battle of the Wilderness May 6, 18€4, anJ died at.Alexandria, where 120 HISTORY OF HOWELL he is buried in the government cemetary. Andrew J. Carl died in a hospital in New York, Aug. 24, 18G4, fron1 ,voun<ls at Petersqurg, Va. He was Luried in grave No. 143G of the National Cerneterr at Brooklyn, N. Y. Henry Carl was discharged at Washington, D. C . Nov. !J, 18G4, becanse of wounds received in the batt. le of the Wihlerness. Noah Boothby was wounded May 5, 18G4 and transfered to the Veteran Relief Corps eight months later. He was discharged at \Yashington, July 20, 18G5, Elias R. Brockway was wounded in the battle of the vVilderness, May G, 1864, and taken prisoner at Hatcher's Run, Va., Oct. 27, 18G4. He escaped Marci~ JG, lSGG but was so badly broken clown when he readied the regim~nt that he was sent to Washington where he was dischargell in June following. George Bronner was wounded l\1ay 12, 1864. G-eorge W. Axtell was wounded through his month and neck nt Hatcher's Run, Va., Oct. 27, 1864: and discharged .May 13. 1865. George Barnard was wounc1ed and missing May 13, 18G4. \Vm. J. Barrett was wounded .May 5, 1864. Frederick Zeiti was wounded May 13, 1864. Andrew J. \Vhitaker was wounded May 13, 1864. Wm. L. vVhitehed was taken prisoner :May 12, 1862 and lost to the records at that time. Ezra Whitaker was wounded May 5, 1864. I •/ i I I I I HISTORY O~., HOWELL 121 Edw ,in \Vare was taken prisoner June 22, 1864 and returned to the regiment in ,January fol!owing. John Wehner was wounded l\lay 5, 1864. Orin J, Wells was discharged Jan. 26, 1864. Henry Pate, Charles Hilderl>rant, Samuel P. Lord, Marion Hart, Wm. Brooks, Asa \Vilrnn, and Andrew J. Allen were the only oues who escaped 'without heing wounded or taken prisoners. February 10, 1864 the reorganized Fifth regiment · left Detroit, to return to the Army of the Potomac~. By the fifth of the following June the Fifth wa~ so badly cut to pieces with the hard fighting it ha<l undergone, that the Third Michignn which was also ; reduced to a mere skeleton, was merg ed with it. 1'be next years _record shows 54G killed, wounded nn<l m1ssrng. It was in the hottest of the lust days of fighting and took its place in that never-t,-,. bP--fogotten grand review in \Vashington . ,June 10. 1865 the Fifth lelt the vicinity of WasLington moving toward homP-. By .July 4, it had reached Jeffersonville, Ind. Where it was mustered out. On ,July 17th it arrived in Detroit where the men were paid off and discharged. The Ninth Michigan Infantry was raised iu the latter part of the summer and early autumn of 1861. It also rendezvoued at l!'t. WaynP., Detroit. William W. Duffield was its Colonel but was to have been promoted to Brigadier General about the mi<.ldle of the following summer. A ·severe w<mnd .prevented thii:; 12~ HISTORY O.B1 HOWELL arnl ~oon aftet· c:ompelletl him to resign. John G. Parkhurst its Lieutenant Colonel, was promoted to the command. The l'e!!imPnt moved from J<,t. Wayne, Oct .. 26, 1861 and was the first Michigan regiment to join the Western Divh,ion. An epidemic of mPasles broke out t!tat. fall and sent a large pet· cent. of the regiment to the hospital. On ,July 13, 1862 five companies of this regiment i·hich were encamped in a g1;ove near i\Infreesl.H>ro, 1'enn .. were suddenly attacked by l•'orest's rebel cavalry in force fully ten to one of the str ength of the Ninth. Col. Parkhurst and his brave rnen, although :::urprisnl in the ouslought, witheld the (•1u•my in sneh a way tliat Gen. Forest withdrew all(l went o\·er about two miles where he easily captured the 1'hir<l Minnesota regim ent and a battery of nrtillny which ,vere sent to the rear .. A single company of the Ninth whid1 had been ~tationed at the eomt house iu l\infreesboro, held Gen. Forest fot· two hours before they su1Tendered. Het.uming in the afternoon Gen . .F1 orest suc,~eoded, nfter another hal'd fight, in captnring the five <iompanies whic·h had driven him off in the morning. The rebel commancler recognized the valor of hi~ pri~on(•rs b~· issuing an order that all members of the Ninth should be mounted. 'fhis was easily done ::>n the hor ses they had emptied of their riders during the fight.. On the other hand the Minnesota troops, in(dnding the Colonel and slMff, were compelled to HISTORY OF HO,VELL 12:-3 rnarel1, when the column started for the rear. During the confusion after the surren<lcr, several members of th,~ Ninth sncc·ee<lP(iln escaping. No l'Gport could be mnde of them by their offic·ers and their names found their way to the <lescrters' ,~olumns. BeliE<ving that the Niuth would nc,·e1· be reorganized some of them at once joined other regiments ai1d did good service. ·rhey have had the trouble of securing the proofs to clear official records neverthcles~. Many of the enlisted men were soon aft.er parolled and 1n time the offieers were exchanged. When Col. Parkhurst was exchanged in December, 18G2, he set about reorganiziog his regiment. <; e11. Thomas issued nn order espP.cially eonnnending the regirneut for its heroism in the fight at l\lnfree;.;horo, and ap- . pointing Ud. Pa,·khnrst ns his provo officer. The Ninth theh became the i1rovo gnnl'll of U1!11. Thomas' division and continued so until the close of the war. 'fhere are many duties which devolve npon the nrovo. Among others it takes a posit.inn i11 tlie rear during battle, and drives those who wonld rn11 hack into the fight . In the di~d1arge or this duty there is often call for cool bravery. Its men must hold · their heads when the whole army are panie f-t.ricken. If the provo breaks in a crisis, nll is Jost. 'f hc history of Gen. 'fnomas' division shows that he made no mistake in selecting the .Ni 11th fart.his important place. In more than one occasion they held the army t0 business a-nd tnrned a panic into n (:harge, 124 HISTORY O.F1 HOWELL lndiviclual historf of Howell men with the Ninth is as follows. Charles P. Lake, enlisted Oct. lG, 1861, re-enlisteu De(~. 7, 1860 at Chattanooga, Tenn. Appointed corporal Dec . ,, 1860, sargeant, Oct. 2U, 1864. l\Insterecl out at Nashville, Tenn,, Sept. 15, 1865. Henry LaHowe, enlisted Feb. 12, 1864. joinecl regiment at Chattanooga, Tenn., 1!,eb. 2U, 1864. Dischargecl for disability at Nash ville, Tenn., Aug, 10, 1865. ,Tames P. LaBowe, enlisted Feb. 27, 1864, l\1nstered out at Nashville, Tenn., Sept. lG, 186G. Jerome G. Bncklai1d enlisted as corporal, SPp t ~3, 18Gl. Diecl of disease at Tullahoma, Tenn., Aug . 2G, 1862. Lyman Carl enlist.eel Oct. 1, 1861. Died of disease . at l\Iufreesboro, rrenn., Jan, 16, 1863. Henry L. Lake enlisted Oct. 16, 1861, re-enlist t~d Dee. 7, 1863. Paroll ed'and sent to Camp Chase, 0 ., Jul~· 13, 1862, corporal. Discharged at J aekson, Mich,, Sept. 28, 186G. Andrew J. Allen enlisted. Oct. 24, 1861. Siek in hospital at West Point, Ky., in January, 1862. \Vm. E. Bennett enlisted Oct. 1, 1861. Re-enlisted Dec. 7, 1863. l\lnstered out at Nashville, Tenn, Sept. ·rn, 1865. Winton B. Brooks enlisted. Oct. 9, 1861, l'e-enlistecl Dec. 7. 1863. l\lustered out at Nashville, 1'enu, Sept. lG, 1865. HISTORY OF HOWELL · 125 .John H. Mills enlisted Oct. :,, I861. Ou <lntv with Eleventh Infantry from Dec. 28, 1863, to i\Iarch 24, 186-!. Discharged at Atlanta, Gn., Od. 14-, 18G4. Henry I\Ins&on enlisted Sept. 2u, I8Gl. Parolleu .July 13, 1862. 3ent to Camp Chase, 0., Jan. 18ua. On dnty with Eleventh Infantry from Dec, 28, 1863 to March 24, 1864. Discharged at Atlanta, Ga., Oet. 14. 1864 . .J ames Reed enlisted Feb. 1, 1864. ,Joined rngiment March 4. 1864. ~lnstcreu ont at Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 15, 186G. Everett Sargent, e!:listeu. Oet. 7, 18GJ. Wom, <lecl in acti,,n July 13, 1862. Regimental color bearer from .Jnly, 1863, to Dec. 1863. Appointed s1!rgeant O'!t. 15, 1864; first sargeaut Oct. 15, 1864. Disd1argcd to accept promotion, Dec. 31, 1864. Commissioned Second Lientenaut, Nov. 24, 1864. .Mustered out at Nashville, •renn., Sept. lG, 1865. Chauncey Shearer enlisted Oct. 3, 1861. Mnsterecl Oct. 15, 1861. No fnrther record. Barnard B. Smith enlisted Oct. 24, 1861. P,n·olle<l and sent to Camp Chase, Ohio, ,July 13, 1862. Diseharged by order of vVar Department, Gardner E. Smith enliste<l Oct. 5, 1861. Died of disease at .i\:Iufreesboro, Tenn ., June. 1862. Bnried in grave :ijo. 249G in National Cemetary at l\Infreeshoro. Reuben C. Smith enlisted Oet. 7, 1861. Died of disease at West Point, Ky., Nov. 30, 1861. 126 HISTORY OF HOWELL Vernon 0. Smith enlisted 0Jt. 5, 1861. Discharged for disability at Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 27, 1862. After the battle of Mufreesboro joined the Fourth Michii? an Uavalry. George Stafford enlisted as corporal Sept. 27, 1861. Re-enlisted Dec . T, 1863. Appointed sargeant Dec. 7, 18~3. .l\lustered out at Nashville, T{'nn., Sept. 15, 1865 . .E zra Whitaker enlisted Sept. 25, 1861. Joseph Duffy enlisted S€pt. 30, 1861. Dieu of disease at West Point, Ky., Od . 28, 1861. The ~.,ifteenth Michigan was raised and organized in the fall of lSGl, br Col. ,L M. Oliver. Its rendezvou was at Monroe. Ou .March 27, 1862, it left for the front ancl went rigltt . into action at Pittsburg Landing where its initiation saw thirty -three officers and men killed, sixty·fonr wounded nnd severi ; missmg. Most of the work of thi3 ragiment was in Mississippi and Alabama until F~bnrnry, 1864, when it was sent home on a veteran fnrl1111gh. 'rhe greater portion of the men re-cnlisteu and we11t.w ith Gen. Sherman marching through Heorgia and to the sea. It was the fate of t.lii s regiment at least four ~im es to hold the position ot great.est danger and importance in battles an<l each time it proved true to the selections made by its commanding offieers, for these positions of trm-t and honor. It was returned to Detroit in August., 18G5 ftnd mnstBred out ~ept . l of that year. I HISTORY OF HO\VELL 127 Howell men with the Fifteenth were as follows Edward Allen enlisted March 17, l8G2. Re-enlisted Feb. 2, 18G4 at Scottsborn, Ala. Wounded in action at Atl1rnta, Ga., ,July 22, 1SG4. Mustered out at Little Rock, A1·k., Ang. J2, 18G2. Elisha F. Allen drafted Ap:il -1, 1865. Deserted at Louisville, Ky., June 3, 186!>. Samuel Axtell enlisted Dec. :n, 18Gl. Died April '.!4-,1 862, Butritd at Sprini:; Grove 1\Prnetery, Cincin- 1rntti, Ohio. Hora(:e E. Barbour enlistctl Dre. G, 1861. Sargeant. Wounded in action at Corriuth, l\liss., Dec. 18G2. Dischar~ed on sur~eon's certifieale of «1i~ability. at Ht.. Louis, Mo., .Jan. rn. J8G:J. Nelson Beardsley enlisted Dec. rn, 1861. Killed in action at Corinth, Mis:; , Od. 3, 1862. Andrew J. Bishop enlisted a:c; Sc,1011d Lieutenant Company B, at organization, Dec. fi, 1861. Commissioned _l1lirstL ieutenant. Oct. 1862, Actinl? Adjutant, Oct 1864. Acting Regimental Qnartermaster, Nov. and· Dec. 1864. Commissioned Captain, Jan. 12, 1864. Dis,:harge<l at expiration of term of enli~tment, Jan. 28,1865. Spencer Bowen enlisted Jan. 4, 1862. Deserted at Pittsburg L:mding, Tenn., April, 1865. William P. Briggs enli~ted Dec. 9, 1861. Died of disease in Howell, July 18, 1862. Charles Brockway enlisted as corporal, Dec. 9, 1861 Died of disease at .Jdrerson BRrracks, Mo., May 15, 128 HISTOiiY OF HOWELL · 1862. Buried in National Cemetary at Jefferson Barracks. Elias E. Brockway enlisted as drummer, Dee. H, 1861. Re-enlisteu ~,eb. 15, 1864, Mustered out at Little Hock, Al'k., .Aug. 1~, 1865 . . George F. Brockway enlisted Dee. 9, 1861. Uecnlisted Feb. 15, 186-1. Mustered out u.t Little Rock, Ark. Aug. 13, 1865. Isaac tJountrymau enlisted Nov. 6. 1861. Wound - ed in action at Shiloh, Tenn., April 6, 1862. Diseharged for disability, Aug. U), 1862. J.ohn DaniAls enlisted Nov. 17, 1861. Re-enlisted Feb. 2, 1864. Corporal. Mustered ont Rt Little Roc~k, Ark., Aug lB, 186G. Marcellus Dickinson enlisted from Handy, Dec. 7, 1861 discharged on surgeon's certificate of disability at Uoriuth, Miss., J nne 1~, 1862. After re(!aining his health he re-enlisted in the Nint.h and served there unlil the elose of the war. He has sin<:e lived in Howell Albert G. Dorrance drafted April 4, 1865. Mustered out at Little Rock, Ark., Ang. 13; 1865. William Dorrance drafted April 4, 1865. Mustered out at Little Rock, Ark., Ang. 13, 1865. Daniel A. Ellingwood substitute for Wm. l\lcPherson drafted May 21, 1865. l\f nstered out at Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 13, 1865. George W. Fox substitute for Charles B. Damon drafted Feb, 13, 1863. dargeant March 16, 1865. Mustered out at Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 13, 1865. :c 0 IT1 rr- 0 1l IT1 :,:, l> :c 0 C (/) r~ ) HISTORY. OF HOWELL 129 Uo1·nelius C. Helms enlisted Dec. 9, 1861. Diseharged on surgeon's certificate of disability at Chewalla, Ttmn., Aug. 9, 1862. Henry U. Helms substitute for William 8tewart drafted Feb. 10, 1865. Uorpural . Aug. 30, 1865 . Mustered out at Little Roek, Ark., Aug 13, 1865 . .J erome D. Helms substitute for John Hubbard drafted Feh. 10, 1863. .Mustered out at Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 13, 1865. Nicholas ,J. Holt dratted April 4, 1865. Mm;tered out at Little Rock., ·Aug. 13, 1865. Leonard Hook drafted April 4, 1865. Charles H . Lonsbery enlisted Jan. 25, 1862. Dis- '!harged on surgeon's certifieate for disability at Chewalla, Tenn., Aufl. 3, 1862. Clark Lcunsbery enlii:;ted Jan. 25, 1862. Missing in action at Petetsburg Landing, Tenn., April 6, 1862. William B. Pixles enlisted .Jan. 12, 1862. Discharged on surgeon's ctrtificate for disability at Chewalla, Tenn., Aug. 9, 1862. George W, Place drafted Anril 4. 186f>. Deserted at Lom;ville, Ky., June 21. ]86f>. Silas S. Richmond drafted April 4, 1865. Deserted at Lousville, Ky., June 21, 186G. Theodore R. Staley drafted April 4, ] 865. DiRliharged at Alexandria, Va., July 3, 1865. Theodore Washburn enlisted March al, 1864. Killed in action at Atlanta, Oa .. July 28, 1864 . .J acob Zely enlisted Dec, 5, 1861. Died of disease at Monterey. Miss., May 8, 1862. 1:!0 HIS'l'ORY OF HOWELL Hec:miting for t.he 'rwenty-second Infirntry ,~01J1 rne11et:"dJu ly 15, lS62. 'l1wo months latel' it was 111iu,- tered into service, tlw men coming from Livingston, Onklaud, l\fa,cornb, St. Clair, Lapee1' and SauilHl'. <:cnmties which tl1en ,mrnr,osed the fifth congressional di~t.rid. Ex-Oo\'. Moses Wisner bec::me it~ -first Colo11el aad served faithfnll.r int.hat po::;ition until hi~ c1( 0 at.h from typlwi<l frvn, .fan. 4. 186:3, at LP.xington, Ky . Col. Ez;1·aC . Batton fut 111:rny years 1·t<:vgnized lendP.r in s1Jldicl' ,~ird e::; i11 Huwell, was captain of Company A, enli::-Uilg-from Farmington. Col. Hem·y 8. Ueau who was in commarnl <luri11gsome of its hnn.11: ~:L ~:nvi<:l', <:11li:e:<-:1tf rom (h·t:en Oak, ns eaptain o( Co111r,any H. 011 leaving .Michil!a11 t:IH: 'l'wenty-seconJ wui:: ~eut to Kentucky. As soo11 ni; it. reached firhting gTonnd Uol. \Visncr ordcrE'cl it oilt t.o the front some distnme iu the lead of ot,b~~r reg ·irn ent :::a: lready thc1·t~, .wd prnposed tc>m ove right Oil tu Riel11nond if the rest would only follo,Y. An ord erly soon presented the compliments of the co111matH1i11g general and Uol. Wi:mer narrowly e~capcd a 1·01ll't 1nartial for .1 f~tart ia hi::- ~oldier eareer. lts brave commander did not live to see much of t.l1e htv·cl fightini:r before the boys in blue marched on to Richmond, but the Twenty-second had its full share. Its loss on the second day at 81iicamauga was :372 out of the 584 officers and men who went into HISTOR.Y OF HOWELL un t.hat fight. It was the work of the 'fweuty -s,~cond in this fight which made the foundation for that beautiful poem "The Ro1ik of Chit!amauga." With cartridges all gone thP- 'l'w~nty-8ec1md kept on fighting. 'rhey made two charges with fi~d hayonets but empty guns, which will go down iu history . All their acting fieid officers went down and the littl1 1, rcnrnant remaining that night, was commanded by a eaptain. The Twenty-s ecnud ,va...;d;e tail,~d to the work of e11- gineers and medrnni<:~ for some time, and for month~ served with th~ Ni,nth aR rese1·v(~ hl'igad<' to the am1~- of the Cumberland, able of the time. doing provo dnt~, com,i<lerlt. participatP-<1 in the a<lvan<~e or. Atlanta. It wai,, ~et·ving at Nashville, Tenn,, when the orde1·s eame to muster ont on .J nme 2G, 18(i;,. 'l'he 1rnxt clay it lf'.f't for home . Howell men with tbe Twenty-::;eeon,l wen-\ as follows: Lewis Brown, enlisted as sPcoud lieutenant, ,Jul.r al, 1862. Promoted t.o first lientena11t. ,Ja11. r,, 186H, and to captain, April 1, l!J65. .M1rnterflcl out ,Jnne 26, 1865. David Hiscott. enlisted Aug. 14, 18u2. Died Od. J 1, 1863, at Chattanooga, 'l'eun., from wouuds tt· eeived at battle of Qhieamauga. Corporal. ,Jan. 5, 1863. Buried in National Cemetery at Chattanooga, grave No . 1,107. Peter A. Rorahaeher enlii,ted from Cohodah. Aug. 20,1862. Mustered out ,Jan. 26, 1865. Hns lived in Howell for several years past . 132 HISTORY OF HOWELL Mark H. Smock enlisted Aug. 14, J 862, Corporal. Mustered out June 26, 1865, George Bush enlisted Aug. 14; 1962. Mustered out ,Tune 26, 1875. ,John G. Ferguson enlisted as corporal, Aug. :,, 18G2, from Unadilla. Discharged for disability at Louisville, Ky., May 8, 1863. Lived in Howell until his death in 1902. Norton M. Monroe enlisted Aug. 14, 1862. Dis- . charged at Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 8, 1863, on account of wounds received at battle of Chicamauga. Lemuel D. Polly enlisted as waggoner, Aug. 12, 1862. Deserted at ~now's Pond, Ky., Sept. 16, 1862. li'1reeman Rorabacher enlisted as corporal, Aug. 15, 1862, from Lyons. Discharged at Detroit, June, 26, 1865. Has resided iu Howell for a number of years. Nearly every township in this county had men in the 'l'wenty-second. many of them enlisting at Howell but as far as we can learn, the above were the only Howell men in that organization. In the latter part of ,July 1862 John U. Culver of Hamburg. afterwards Captain, with one or two others, commenced the work of recruiting a companv to join the Twenty-second. When tbev reached Pontiac they found that regiment all filled and after some deliberation, proceeded to Jackson where they became Company E of the Twenty-sixth. Another company of this regiment was recruited in the south part of this county. The regiment 900 strong, left Jackson HISTORY OF HOWELL 133 011 December 13, 1862. Its first real duty was about four months service as provo guaril in the vicinity of Washington. May 26 of the following year the regiment saw its first fighting at Suffolk, Va., but it stood its gror.nd li.ke veterans and repelled a strong charge. Capt. Culver received a wonnd in this his first fight, from which he died a few days later. Shortly after this the Twenty-sixth was again in luck in being assigned to the duty of c;uelling the draft riots in New York. When they arrived there however they were made a reserve force and the faet of their presence did the work whi!e the men enjoyed life in camp. October 13, this life of comparative ease was broken up and the Twemy-sixth became part of thf\ Army of the Potomae, arriving in Virginia in tirue for Mine Run. It was often in the front ekirmish line and won m::ny enconimm; as the hest skirmishers in the Army of the Potomac, Probably its heaviest :fighting was at Spotlsyva.nin although it participated in the heavy work of the Army of the Potomae during all those memorable days from Mine Run to the surrender of Gen. Lee. On that eventful day, the Twenty-sixth was in the skirmish line and the ttag of truce passed through its lines. For some days afttn- the surrender the 'fweuty-sixth was detailed to guard the ~aptured artillery and other arms. It participated in the grand review at \VashHISTORY OF HOWELL ington and arrived home on J nne 7. It was a week later howeve1 before it was paid off and disbanded. Howell men with the Twenty-sixth were as follows: Fred N. Galloway enlisted Ang. 15, 1862. Discharged t0 accept promotion, November, 1862 Hanis A. Hickok enlisted Aug. 8, 1862. Corporal, Stipt. 10, 1862. first lieutenant and adjutant, July 29, 18G4. Captain June U, 1865. Mnstered out at Alexandria, Va., ,June 4, 1865. neorge W, Lake elisted Aug. 8, 1862. Died Sept. 8. J8G,t, at City Point. Va., of wounds received in neticH1 at Ream's Station, Va., Aug. 25, 1864. Newton rr. Kirk for three terms county clerk and a resident of Howell for many years, enlisted from · Hartl&nd, as Corporal, Aug. 11, 1362. Seargent ,July 3, l8G3. vVonncled in action and taken prisoner at Spottsylvania, Va., May 12, 1864, Returnee'! to regiment Dec. 15, 1864. Discharged to Rccept promotion, Sept. 5, 18G4. Mustered as captain ef <~olored troops, Sept. G, 18G4. Discharged Jan 30, 18G5. Andrew J. McKean enlisted Anr. 15, 1862. Discharged at Philadelphia, Pa., ,June 10, 1865. Hobert S. Mountain enlisted Aug. 17, 18G2. Sick at Alexandria, Va., Aug,25, 1864. Herman Preston enlisted as corporal, Aug. 14, 1862. Reported Sargeant Major, Dec. 12, 1862. Second lieutenant, March, 30, 1863. Discharged on account of disbility, Dec. 3, 1863. HISTORY OF HOWELL 135 Eli Rambo enlisted Aug. 14, 1862. Killed m action at Spottsylvania, Va., May 12, 1864. John W. Thompkins enlisted Aug. 22, J 864. Discharged for disability at Rochester, N·. Y ., May 15, 186fi. Mal'tin Wall enlisted Aug. 8, 186~. 'fransferred to invalid corps Sept. 30, 1863. Discharged at Elmira, N. Y., July 2, 1865. Philo B. \Vines enlisted as corpoml, Aug. 8, 1862. Di~<~har·gt"adt Detroit, J nne 3(1, 1865. Harvey P. \Ving enlisted Aug. 8. 18G~. Wounned in net.ion May 24, 18G4. Dii-~harg1~d nt. Baltimore, ,;\1d., May 26, 1865. Oe•n·ge K \Vright Ptllisted .Ang. 8 1862. \Vounde<l in ad.ion at.SpotJ,ri;:lvauiH, Vu., May 12, 18':i4. DiRcharged fo:- disability at Portsmouth Grove, R. I., ,Tan. 2, 1865, In addition to those already named thel'e were a good many Howell soldiers scattered '. through other organizations ai. follow~: Braeket .r. Allen enlisted from Mundy, in the Twenty- third infantry, Aug. 11, 1862, at Flint. DiRcharged at Alexandria, Va ... Tune 28, 1865. Has lived in Howell for a number of year11:. George Barnes, ~',11!1stitute for his father John Barnes who was drafted at North Shade. Oct. 5, 1864. Discharged at Raleigh, N. C., · Oct. 17, 1865. Ex- H1..1perinte11dento f 8cboot!; a.r.d publisher Livingston ll1·pnhli<!an 11.Ht owell. laG HISTORY OF HOWELL Azel Uarpenter enlisted in Uompany K, First Engineers and l\Ieehanies, Nov. 21, 1861, as artificer. Discharged for disability nt Nashville, Tenn., June 3, 18G2. Harvey Devereaux enlisted in Company K, l!.,irst gngineers and Mechanies, Nov. 23, 1861. Died of cfoiease at Nashville, 're1.in., fleb. 20, 1863. Buried in National Uemetery , Nashville, 'renn. ,Tarecl L. Cook enlisted as sergeant in Uompany D, ~ixth Uavalry, Rept. G, 1862. 'l'ransferred to invalid corps, 1\lareh 31, 1SG4. Discharged by order, ,July 18, 186G. Franklin G-oodrieh enlisted in Uompany K. First li}nginecrs and Meeha.nics, Nov. 27, 1861. Discharglecl at Naahville, 'l'enn., May 28, 1862. Re -entered service in Company K, Second fofantry, March 26, 1864. l!'irst Sergeant. Di~charged at St . Mary's Hospib-il, Detroit, April 2G. 1865, by reason of wound~ receive• in action. Benjamin B. Head, enlii:;ted as teamster in sixth Cavalry Oet. 2, 1862. Discharged for disability, March 24, 186::l. Asa McFall enlisted in Battery C. l!.,irst Light Artillery, Oct . 11. 1861. Discharged for djsability, Feb. 9, 1862 . Reuben .Mcl!,all enlisted in Battery C, l!,irst Light .Artillery, Dec. 1, J 861. Died of disease at Luka, Miss., Sept. 3, 1862 Geori:e H. Miles enlisted in Battery C, Fi~st Light I, I I I .i,! i: I ¥ HISTORY OF HOWELL Artillery, Dec. 8, 1861. Discharged for disability, Nov. 6, 1862. Allen U, Stearns enlisted in Battery 0, :first Ar· tillery, Dec. 12, 1861. Veteran Dec. 28, 1863. Sergeant. Mustered out ,July 22, 1865. Stepher D. Steaaman enlist{ld in Battery H, Jnrst Light Artillery, Dec, 2, 1861. Discharged for disability, February, 1863. Peter Cameron enlisted Infantry, March 28, 1864. 1865 rn Company F, Second Mustered out ,July 20, Franklin Goodrich enlist .ed in Cnmpauy K. Second Infantry, March. 26, 1864. Discharged for di!'.lease, ,James Barnhart enlisted in Company G. Se'\·enth Infantry, March a, 18G:~. •rram,ferre.d to Invalid Uorps, Feb. 15, 1864 . Oliver Lampman enlisted in Uornp::ny K, .B.,irst Engineers and :Mechanics, Nov. 21, 1861. raken prisoner between Huntsville, Ala., and War Force Tenn., May 20, 1862. Artificer. Dischaged at Columbus, 0., F3b. 4, 1863. David Wright enlisted in Company B, ll.,irst Engineers and Mechanics, Dec. 5, 1861, Died Od. 2, 1862. Buried iH Nathional Cemetery, Nashville, 'l'enn. Simon Dolph enlisted in Uompany B. Eighth Infantry~ Feb. 29, 1864. Died in Anden ;onville prison, Aug. 14, 1864. Ed ward A. Hart enlisted in Company A, 'renth 1a8 HISTORY OF HOWELL Infantry, Oct 21, 1861. Discharged July 2, 1862. Sherwood Hart enlisted in Company A, Tenth Infantry, Oct. 27, 1861. Died of disease at Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 17, 1862. Hugh McKeever enlisted in Company A, Tenth Infantry, Oct. 27, 1861. Discharred for disability, June 21, 1862. Edward Haney enlisted in Company B, ~,ourteenth Infantry, April 19, 1864. Mn~tered ont July 18, 1865. Peter Malosh enlisted in Company .13, Sixteenth Infantry, March 23, 1865. Mustered out July 8, 1865. tlames Barney enlisted in Company E, Sixteenth Infantry, March 29, 1865. l\lustered out July 8, 1865. Charles Moore enlisted in Company G, 3ixteenth Infantry March 28, 1865. Mustered . out July 8, 1865. John Carney enlisted in Company I, Sixteenth Infantry January 2, 1862. Dischargeil for disability Aug. 24, 1864. William Robinson enlisted in Company G, Sixteenth Infantry, March 18, 1865. Mustered ont July 8, 1865. George Reed enlisted in Compay I, Sixteenth Infantry, Dec. 10, 1861. Dicharged Feb. 18, 1863. Stephen D. Harrington enlisted in Company H, Twenty-third Infantry, Sept. 9, 1862. Mustered out June 28, 1865. I j { r [ . . .. HISTORY OF HOWELL 139 Henry Hagadorn enlisted in Company G, Twentyseventh Infantry, Feb. 10, 1863. Died of disease, ,June 9, 1864. William Campbell enlisted in Company K, Twentyeighth Infantry, Sept. 22, 1864. Mustered out Seot. 13, 1865. George W. Lincoln enlisted in Company K, Twent\. -eighth Infantry, Sept. 22, 1864, Died of disease at Nashville, 'l'enn., July 10, 1865. William Mershon enlisted in Company E, 'rwen ty eighth Infantry, Sept, 20, 1864. Mustered out ,June 13, 1865. Aaron Selleck enlisted in Company A, 'fwentveighth Infantry, Sept. 12, 1864. Mustered out ,June 5, 186G. Myron Simpson enlisted in Company K, Twentyeighth Infantry, as corporal, Sept, 22, 1864. :Mustered out June 6, 1865, Palmer G. Tripp enlisted in Company F, 'fwentyeighth Infantry, Sept. 24, 1864. Mustered out May 30, 1865. Alfred Wright enlisted in Company .v-,, 'fwentyeigbth Infantry, Sept. 26, 1864. Mustered out June 5, 1865. ,John Walker enlisted in Company K, 'l'wentyeigbth Infantry, Sept. 26, 1864. Mustered out June 5, 1865. Ltverett J. Wood enlisted in Company H , Twentyeighth Infantry, Aug. 30, 1864. Mustered out June 140 HISTORY OF HOWELL ~, 1865. Edwiu A. Burch enlisted in Company B, Second Cavalry, Nov. 19, 1863. Killed in action at Oxford, Ala .. April 28, 1865. ,Joseph Krozier enlisted in Cumpany E, Second Cavalry, Nov. 20, 1863. Mustered out April 22 1865, 11,rancis Crantlall enlisted in Company E, Secone. Cavalry, Nov. 20, 1863. .Mustered out Aug. 17, 1865 Levi Bush enlisted as buglar in Company K, Tenth Cavalry, Hept. 5, 1863. Died of dise!lse a.t Knoxville, l'enn., Jan. 7, 186f>. Bnried in Government Cemetery at Knoxville. Herbert H. Glass enlisted in Company K, Tenth Cavalry, Ang. 2n, 1863. Mustered out Nov. 11, 1865. ,John Swanger enlisted in Cornf)any K, . Tenth Cavalry, April 26, 1864, Died of disease in North Carolina, Jan. 17, 1865. Renben H, Warren enlisted in Company K, Tenth Cavalary, Sept. 9, 1863. Mustered outNov, 11, 1865. Samuel Warring enlisted in Company K, Tenth Cavalry, Oct. 16, 1863. 'l'ransferred to Veteran Re- ~erve Corps, May 1, 186G. Luther H. Frink ~nlisted in Company I, U, S . Sharp Shooters, Dec. 14, 1864. Ad elbert F. Peavy enlisted from Hamburg, Sept. a. 1863, in Company K, Tenth Cavalry. Mustered out Nov. 11, 1865. Has lived in Howell nearly all the time since the war. t I i I CHAPTER IX Ir. War Times The €ast line of the original plot of the village of Howell crosf:les Grand River street about at Barron & . Wines' drug store. As previously noted the fight for the loeatinn of the court house ended in the selection of the present square, half of which was t. pon land donated by P. A. Cowdry and the rest hy Edward Thompson, Mr. Thompson was first to formally plot his addition to the village which extended north from the line marking the center of the section, whieh would cross Divison street just Routh of the Wilcox block, and the Ann Arbor Railroad at the northeast corner of the Rubert lumber yard. . The plot was about two lots wide at its eastern side, and four at iti- western, and ineludeto much of what is now considered very choice residence property. 'fh~ Cowdry addition included UP.arly all the town south ,;f the Thompi:;on addition to the Pere l\lar<111ette Railroad. All the eafitern portion of the bus ine~s i:;edion of Grttnd Jtiver strE.et is on this addition. Jlfr. C'owdry arranged for a se(~ond addition to the village whieh was surveyed Nov. 16, 1852. It embraced forty-nine acres between Wetmore street and 142 HISTORY OF HOWELL Byron road, and north of Grand River street, north west of the original plat. :rvfr. Uowdry die,1 before thi3 addition was advaueed very far. The plat was filed by the administrator of his estate Oct. 2G, 1853. ,Joseph H. Wilcox was the Hext to enlarge the village. He platte<l thirty-two lots south of LivingstoB street, nrar where the Pere Marquette railroad now runs. His plat was tiled for reC'ord Aug. 1, 1867. Almon \Vhipple's first aduition was east of the Cowdry addition to the old fair ground, and north of Gra,nd River street. 'l'he plot is dated on ,January '!.7, 1868. Mr. Whipple's second addition, which was platted in the hi.I Jf 1871, lies east of that part cf the Uowd1,y addition, wbieh is south of Grana River street. Heirs of George W, Jewett platted sixty-four iots south-west of the original village plat, and began selling lots in 1868. Their plat was recorded on May 23 of that year, The tendenuy of the town to grow to the east acted a~ainst this addition for years. Its desirability hmi eome to be m(,re fulls realized of late and houses are going up therP more rapidly. The McPherson family <'.RH(a?ht the genet·al idea which prevac1ec1 Howell in 1868, that the town was to honm, and laid out an ac'!rlition from Thompson's addition north, with Di vision street as its western bouudry. Aug. 24, 1874 they followed with a sec ond addition east of their first, to Thompson's lake. .. i ! 'I l ; ' I HISTORY OF HOWELL 143 During 1874 they al~o plotted their two Prospect Place addition's. The first of these is north of Grand River street and west of the Byron Road; the second embraces a small territory south of Grand River street, opposite the first. Cardell's addition embraces the la1,d between McPherson's 8ecom.dP rospect place addition and the original plot. In 1875 T. W, Mizner platted the hill south east of town which he named Wash~ngton Heights ndditio11. It contrins nineteen blocks. Quite a number of houses have been built there but it is largely vacant as yet. Fredrick J. Lee and L. S. Montagne platted a small tract in the south eastern portion of town, between Cowdry's and other additions in that part, and it became Lee and Montague'fi addition. In 1871 Alexander and William McPherson platted an addition west of Pinckney road and south of the Pere Marnuette railroad . Joseph B. Skilbeck platted an addition which was recorded May 30. 1874. It included ql!ite a tract east of Pinckney road and south of the Pere .Marquette railroad. Quite a settlement grew up on these udditions but it did not become a part o_f the corperation of Howell until the granting of the last village charter bv the LP.gislaure in 1891. They are in Marion township. There is quite a large tract in the northwestern part of town, including the milk factory and resi144 HISTORY OF HOWELL deuce lots near there, which has never been platted and is still describrd by metes and bounds when transfers @ccm·. By act o( the State Legislature approved March 14, 18G3, "all that traet of country situated in the towrnfr1ip of Howell, in the County of Livingston, in the state of Michigan, which is known and discribed as follows. to wit: i::P.etion3 5, section 3G, the south half of seetion 25 aud the south half of section 26, in township No. 3 north, of range No. 4 east, be and the same is hereby marle and eonstituted a town corporate, by the name, style and title of the village of Howell" The first charter electinn was held May 4, 1863. 8ardias .F'. Hubble was the first village president; Andi-ew D. \Vaddell, recorder; Asa VanKleek, treasurer; ,Jo.en H. Galloway, assessor; Marcus B. Wilcox, William H. Melvi11, V~'illiam McPherson Jr., John Hoyt and Philo t'urfo, were the trustees. Up to 1870 the Yillage officers elected WP.rea s follows: 1864-President, ,Toseph M. Gilbtrt; Recorder. Mylo L. Gay; 'l'reasnrer, Frederick ,J. Lee; Assessor. John H . . Galloway; rrrustees, Johe Cummiskey, Nathan T. Hickey, George L. Clark, Luther M. Glover, V. R. T'. Angel. 18G5-President, Sardis I!1. Hubbell; Recorder, Mylo L. Gay; Treasurer, FredHiek !T. Lee; Assessor, John H. Galloway; Tmstee::., James Bowei's, William R. Melvin, George L. t!lark, William E. Huntley, Marcus B. Wilco.1.. SOLDIERS MONUMENT HISTORY OF HOWELL 145 1866-President, Mylo L. Gay; Recorder, James Bowers; Treasurer, William R. Melvin; Assessor, Isaac W. Bush; Trustees, George Taylor, John Jones William E. Huntley, .Frederick J. Lee, Sardius F. Hubbell. 1867-President, Sardus F. HubbPll; Recorder, Joseph T. Titus; Treasurer, William R. Griffith; Assessor, Orrin H. Winegar; Trustees, Andrew D. Waddell, William R. Melvin, Leander U. Smith, William E. Huntley, Geo. S. Clark. 1868 Preflident, Au<lrew D. Waddell; Recorder, M)lo L. Gay; Treasurer, R. H. Rumsey; Assessor, Oren H. \Vinegar; 'rrustees Leander C, Smith, \Villiam E. Huntley, Oeorge L. Clark, Alexander Me- Pherson, Henry H. Harmon. 1869.-President, Mvlo L. Gay; Recorder, Joseph 'r. Titus; Treasurer, Royal H. Rumsey; Assessor, Orrin H, Winegar; · Trustees, William E. Huntley, Edward McGunn, Sylvester Andrews, Henry P. Wheeler, Levi D. Smith. Our readers will remember the story of Howell's first school house built in 1837, which is yet standinl?. This school house wai:-; never satisfaetory to the district and in 1845 it was sold. The old Presbyterian chnrch was rente<l for school purpoi;eS for awhile as was the • 'academy building" which stood nearly where the Republicau block now standi:;. It was three years before the location of a school house was determined, after the old one was sold. The 146 HISTORY OF HOWELL fight on this question was one of the most stubbornly contested of any which Howell has ever seen. Five different . committees were appointed at as many school meetings. 11he northwest corner of the old public square, near where the Knapp shops now ::;tantl, the site of the Methodist church and other site.:: in that neig,hborhootl · were chosen at various times by tht:1 committees, only to he turned down by sr>hool meetings. 'L1lw present site of the Cenb-al School was finally adopted Dec. 12, 1848. A two ::;tory brick building 38x48 feet in size wns at first determined upon lint the opposition called this a "Casth~" ar.d on Feb. 29. 1849, succeeded in getting the siz~ cnt dow:~ to 26x3o feet.. Promoters of the lar~et· builuing kept up their contention and were jubiluut. when in 18:iO it. beeame necessary to rent more room. [n 18:il it was voted to enlarge the building but it was not brought about until 185G. This too soon proved inadequate aud in 1866, Sardit s I!,. Hubbell offei.'ed a resolut~on in the annual school meeting, whieh resulted in t.he erection of the splendid building which is now occupied by the Central S<'hool. 'l'hc; bonds provided for erection of the Central sehool building were for $15,000 at seven per cent, t 1,000 of principal to be paid annually. The bnildin:- commit.tetl selected was H. C. Briggs, Sardias F. Hubbell, \Vrn. McPherson Sr., J. I. VanD(,nsen and ,Joseph M. Gilbert. Thifl eommittee went over plans and decided the HISTORY OP HOWELL 147 amount to be too small for the purpose so nothing more was donE- until after the next school meetin2' when $5,000 more was voted. The contract was Jet to R. B. ]{ice of Detroit, for $15,650 with $700 additional for finishing the third story which was not ,~c-ntemplated at first. In addition Lo this the district furnished brick and other materials from lhe ol<l building ~nd quite an amount in addition to that. By the time the building was finished and ready for use, which was for the winter term of 1869, the total cost was $31,000. It may be interesting in this conneetion to speak of teachers in the old building. The old recor<ls i.lre defective but us nearly as they ,~nn b,~ Jenrned the principals were as follows: W. Mills, 1849-50; John S. Dixon, 1850-G~; Seth Beden, 1853-54; ,J. 8. Houst.0,11, 1855·i"J6; F. \V. Munson, 1857; L. Barnes, 1858-5!) D. Cramer, 1859-60; Charles W. Bowen, 1860-m~; Rufus 'l\ Bush, 1862-6:3; Michttel McKernan, 18Ga-65; S. S. Babcock, 1865-66; Joshun S. Laue, 1866·67; L. S. M011tague 1867 for twenty weeks 11ntil the old hnild· ing was torn down. 'rhere were sevPral steps toward a graded school durini? the nineteen years the olcl building was ns~d. The greatest of these steps was made during the administration of Prof. Bush who prepared the first course of study. Since moving into the pre!:'ent building superint•m148 HISTORY OF HOWELL dents have been as follows: S. S. Babcock, 1869-70; 'I1. U. Garn~r, 1870-73; .M. W. Schreeb, 1873-; 4; W. Carey Hill, 1874-77; Elihu B. Fairfield, 1877-80; Geo. Barnes, 1880-88; S. G. Burkhead, 1888-90; W. H. Hawks, 1890-94; R. D. Briggs, 1894-99; W. D. Sterling, 1899-lJOl; H. E. , Agnew, 1901-(12 J. K . Osgerby, 1902-1908; Fred Fullerton, 1908. B. D Galloway graduated in 1869 and was the :first from the Howell schools. The total number of gardnates to date is 526 of whom twenty-two were in the last clasg. Th0rough work has always cbanct6rized the schools and this fact has attracted a large li:st of foreign pupils. The High School now numbers about 150 of whom over half are foreign student~. The total school enrollment is now 595. The total cost of running the schools last year was $12,561 of which $8,457 was for teachers' salaries. The schools received $1,144.37 for tuition of foreign pupils last year. Howell has always reeognized the importance of a good school board, and elected its best citizens to membership there. The present board with time of service of each, is as follows: Thomas Gordon Jr. 20 years; W. P. VanWinkle, 16 years; E. A. Stowe, 8 years; Lyman Thompson, l vear; Dr. C. E. Skinner, 1 year. E. K. Johnson and E. C. Shields, who retired from the board at the last school meeting, had both served for several years. The present corps of teachers is as follows; Super · HISTORY OF HOWELL 149 intendent, Fred ~'ullerton, mathematics; Grace Bailey, science; Alma Sharp, Greek and Latin; Lois Bai:-h, English; Lillian Andrews, session and librarian; Alice Johnson, German and History; Kate Ruen, music and drawing. Eighth grade, Leona Morton; Sixth and Seventh grades, Mae Marshall and Carolyn Pierson; Fourth and Ififth grades, Mable Woodward and Bessie Lane; Second and Third ~rades, Blanche Crandle, Alma Hetchler and Mary ltsell; Beginners and First grade, Goldie Holt, Susie Barron and Ione Parker. In 1886 t.he Central building had become so crowded that the basement had been utalized for school rooms, u condition which was not admired by parents of children who were quartered there. Everone agreed that a new bnildiug was a necessity but the question of location was a source of much division. It was settled a year latflr, by the agreement to build two four l'oom buildings. The east ward building was erected in 1888 and Miss IDmma Lamb who had taught for several years in the Central building, became the first principal there. The total cost of the building was $4,867.85, not including grueling. side walks, wells, out building, etc. The West \Varel building was erecti-'d iR 1890 and cost a few dollars more than the East Ward building. Iu1863 a young man named Embury, who bad just graduated from a business college at J:i..,enLonw, as backed by his father to come to Howell and start a 150 HISTORY OF HOWELL bank. He was associated with other gentlemPn under th• firm name of Brockway Embury & Co. and their bank was cnlled the Exchange. 'rhe young gentleman led a very fast life here and is remembered by older settler:::; for his hunting outfit, high bJooded hounds, etc. It. did not take him u great while to run through with his property and he soon passed off the scenes here. This bank was started in a building about where H. K. White & Co . are now doing business. In 1865 the building now occupied by the McPherson bank was erectPd for its use . As previously detailed in this hi5tory, Alex. Mc· Pherson & Co. opened a bank in a small office partitioned in one corner of the building which stood where Parker's drug store now stands, in 18e5.. In 1868 this bank purchased the building, fixtures and business of the Exchange bank and has done business there since that time. About a year ago a former resident of Howell ·who bad occasion to travel across the pine barrens of Northern Michigan found Embury there, struggling for !.\ mere existance on one of those sandy forties, After an exchange of stories of the old life in Howe!, Embtuy said: ''Now I'm up here on forty aare::i of land trying to raise white beans tc live on. There's one thing I've got to console myself. I lived while I lived." Hnd John Weimeister died a month before he did, his name would have gone down iii history, as one of HISTORY OF HOWELL 151 the most aggressive ancl public spirited citi~cns, who has ever boosted for Howell. Born in Germany, in 1824, hi> came to this conntry in 1854. His first lrnsiness enterprise was a boot, shoe and grocery store in Genoa, where wbat has long been known · as the ''Dutch GroceJ"y'' now stands. Later lw ran the mills at Oak Grove. Tn 1863 he associated himself with Neil O'Hearn. and they opened a hank in Howell. Mr. Weimeister at once commenced the erection of the block which long bore his name and which includes Hotel Livingston and the Whitacre building just east, which was their bank building. Several other buildings about town are monuments to his enterprise. Among them is the building which was occupied by A. J. Prindle's deJ•artment store for many years. In this building the firm of Weimeister & O'Hearn ran a large general store during a good part of the ~ime thef did bnsi ness together. Along in the '80s his health gave way and when the crisis came after the dissolution of the old firm of Weimeister & O'Hearn, whi<\11o e<mrt·t><A1u gust 14, 188H, and he had associated hi:;; so11A lbert with him in business the condition of his health prevented that. activity which would have saved the finuneial P-rush, an<l the doors of his various business enterprises were elosed. HiR failure came likr. a thunderbolt to the eomrnunity and was followed in about ten day~ hy hiR death, Thursday, October 3, 1889. Mr. Weimeister's property was invested largely in 152 HISTORY OF HOWELL real estate, which went at very low prices at the forced sale and the various creditors, including bank depositors, were heavy loosers. \Vhen Edward P. Greg-ory was nine ruonths old bis father the late Rev. Edward E. Gregory huilt a house which is now a part of Lbe house in which Mr. Gregory bas his office, and the family became residents of Howell village. As a young man Mr. Uregory studied law with Wileox & Waddell and took lectures at the StaLe University. He was examined and admitted with Dennis Shields, For a year he practiced law at Corunna and would probably have continued in that line but for the changes brought about by the war, and the fact that he became part of the ptovost marshal's force in the sixth c011gressional distriet, with head quarters at Flint. When the war closed Mr. Gregory returned to Howell and formed a partnership with F. N. Monroe in the hardware business, under the firm uarne of Monroe & Gregory. Soon after engaging in bnsirJess the firm bought the building which occupied the site at the corner of Grand River and State streets, where they continued until 1872 when Mr. Gregory sold his interests to Mr. Monroe who ,:,ontinued the business until the big fire of March 12, 1887, when the building and stock were the first of the rnan.v burned. A year or so after that Mr. Monroe moved to the upper peninsula. I I I' I ii t ·1 HISTORY OP HOWELL 153 After retiring from the hardware business Mr. Gregory engaged irr real estate, He also served the t0wn as justice of the neaae for eight years, when he was identified with the movement in the erection of the milk factory in 1892 and beciune superintendent there. He held this position for nine .,ears, four of which he was also SUJ'erintendent of the Lansing fact()ry . During his superintendency the business of the Howell factory was developed from nothing to seventy-five tons of milk per day . Since leaving the factory Mr. Gregory has built up an excellent herd of Holsteins upon his farm, looked after his real estate and loaning interests and secured what tmjoyment he could from life. In an interview recently he said ''I am approaching the allotted yearR of man. I have enjoyed my life and I have never seen a time when nature looked brighter. The song of the birds never sounded sweetPr. .My friends are dearer to me than they ever were before.'' At various times }fr. Gregory ::.erved as township clerk, councilman, village president and circuit court commissioner. He bas always been a leading worker and held official positions in the Presbyterian church. He was chairman · of the citizens eommittee whieh secured. ~he Sanitorium for Ho well and has alway~ been an energetic and loyal citizen for the town . He has often been tendered high political positions but has refused them. His candidacy for electcr to vcte for Taft and Sherman, wae; over his protest. 154 HISTORY OP HOWELL The "Know Nothing" movement or Native American Partv as it called itself, grew up along in the '50s, in the form of secret lodges. Its existence in Howell was not generally known until early in the 60' s, when the lodge was occupying a hall in the second storr of the building where Parker's drug store h;: now. At that time the entrance to the second story was by WR.Y of a stairway which led up to a porch on the front. There was also a stairway at the birnk end of the building. The strength of the • 'Know Nothings" became an important one in that political campaign an<l Georg-e \Vilh<'r under-took to find out by counting how many men went up to their meeting. In some wav it got to the men of the organization what was going on and a plan was qnickly fixed up so that the members would go up the front stairway and then down the rear way. They would then walk around a block or two and go up again. Wilher's count ran up into the hundreds nud the strength of Howell's lodge of "Know Nothings'' not only scared local politicians but got to the ears of F:tate political workiri;: who were set very much to wondering ir the new party had as many followers in other towns. It was not until after election and the new party showed up with only a small vote that the affair leaked out in detail. Mr. Wilber seems to have been a re~ular pessimest. He ardently opposed all railroad agitation with the argument that there would not be enough people who HISTORY OF HOWELL 155 could afford to travel betwe1;n here and Detroit, to pay expenses He predicted that at the greater expense for running the railro:1d they would have to eharge s0 much more than the stage coaches that tLey wouldn't carry as many passengers as were then ridini:? on those vehicles. ,John W. Wright built the first planing mill in Howell in 1869, on Clinton street between Center and Walnut s~reets, It was burned April 27, 18i'5 . .M1·. ·wright soon after huilt the planing mill south of the Pere Marquette railroad, which is still managed by his son Frank Wright. Along in the '60s Howell citizens began to make themselves felt in the political world. George W. Lee was a presidential elector in 18GO. John H. Galloway was State Senator in 18Gl, and ,vmia.m A. Clark in 1863. Henry H. Harmon wRs Hepresentativr. in the State Lrgislature in 18€3, and l\Hlo L. Hay in 1869. Dennis Shiel<ls '>TUS bom Sept. 19, 183G an<l came to Howell <-arly in 185!). Re stnddied law with H. H. Harmon and -.-.-:ua.;d mitted to the bar Dec. :n, 1861, settling in Howell for the practice of that profession. He rapi<lly advanced nn<l for several years, there were very few cases of importanre w1hich weie tried in this county, iu. which he wns not upon one side or the other. His popularity is attested by tlie fact that at eight different times h" was elected prose , cu ting attorney. lie wn~ president of the village at 156 HISTORY OF HOWELL one time and served in several other official J•Ositions. In 1872 h~ formed a partnership with John U. Shields, which lasted for three years. During all his life Mr. Shields was a leader for all laudable public enterprises. a good citizen in the community. He died Aug. 30, 18!J8. Edmund U. Shields, his son was admitted to prac: tice in 1896 and his brother l!,ranris J. Shields was admitted in November, 1898. They succeded to the practice of their father which they have maintained anu built up, under tne . firm name of Snields & Shields . Another who settl~,l in Howell about the samP, time as Mr. Sbiel<ls, WU$ 11. CJ. Briggs who arrived here in 18GG. Hoon after coming Mr. Briggs engaged in the jewelry business which he followed until his death, a few years ago, earning thA title which he carried for several years of the pioneer jeweler. Mr. Briggs was strong in argument 1md for scver<il years was one of the leading speakers for the Republican narty, in every political campaign in this county. Asa Va11Kleck came to Howell in 1853 and worked as contracto .': and carpenter, considerable of the time some years, with Frank Kelly. \Vheu the Presbyterian church was built, they bought the old church and used it for some years as their shop. In 1863 l\ir. VanKleek formed a partnership with George L, Sage under the firm name of Sage & VanKleek, and stat'ted n gl'Ocery store. This firm lasted bnt a short I I I 1 ! i l ' j • I ! HISTORY OF HOWELL 157 time when Mr. VanKleek lried farming on the old Charles P. Bush farm in Genoa. In 1883 he purchased the furniture stock of Wm. Griffith after that gentleman's death. He continued in the furniture business until about five years ago, whE-n he . sold that businehs to Schnackenberg Bros. who added undertaking ·to the line. '\Vht>n the Firr;t State and Savini?s Bank was organized he became a clii·ector, a position which he has eontinned t.o bold. He has been vice nresident. of the bank since the death of Charles Curtis, A lh,t of persons who have held offices is givf'n below, but it is incomplete for the y?ars between 1836 and 1850, for the reason that the old township record <~overing those years has been Jost or destroyed, and onl~· a partial and defective list of officers elected during that period has been gatl1erc<l from other ~ourees. Such as are given, however, are known to be authentic, viz: 1837.-Snpervisor. John W. Smith; Town Clerk, Jonathan Ansti1i; ,Justices of the Peace, Heorge W Kneeland, John W. Smith. ' 1838.-Supervisor, Rial Lake; 'rown Clerk, John \V. Smith; Justices of the Peace, ,John T. Watson, Odell J. Smith, Wellington A. Glover. 18~9. -Town Clel'k, Morris Thompson; ,Justice of the Peace, Allen(~. \Veston. l 840.-Town Clerk, Morris: Thompson; ,Justice of the Peace, Gardner \Vheeler. 1841.-Town Cle:-k, Morris 'rhompson; Justice of the Peace, John W, Smith. 158 HISTORY OP HOWELL. 1842.-Supenisor, George W . . Kneeland; rown ·:: '7 l~ Clerk, M. S. Brennan; Justice of the Peace, Josiah Turner. 1843.-Supervisor, Oeorge Vv.· K neeland; Justice of the Peace, Odell J. Smith, 1844.-Supervisor, Rial Lake; Tow~r Clerk, Gardner Wheeler; Justice: of the Peace, James H. Ackerson; Treasurer, "\Villiam McPherson; ~chool Inspect. or, Edward E. Gregory; Dire<~tors of the poor, Dernstus Hinrnon, Vicrory Curtis. 1845,-8upervisor, Odell J. Smith; Town Clerk, Gar,lner \Yheeler; ,Justice of the Peace, John W. Smith, Nelson G. fabt>ll; (to fill vacancy caused by resignRtion of Josiah Turner). 184/L.:_ Hnpervisor, Gardner Wheeler; Town Clerk, Lauren K. Hewett; Justice of the Peace, William Lewis. 1847 .-Supervisor, O<leli J. Smith; Town Clerk, L. K. Hewett; ,Justice of the Peace, Richard B. Hall, 8a m nel l\L Yerkes ( to fill vacancy). 1848.-Snpervisor, Frederick C. Whipple; Town Clr:rk, D. D. r_r. Chandler; Justice of the Peace, Lauren K. Hewett. GeorgP. W. Kneeland (to fill vacancy) 1849 .-Supervisor, \Yilliam McPherson; Town Clerk. Hemy H. Harmon: Jnstiee of the Peace, ,John' \V. Smid1. 18GO.-Snpervis01, Gardner \Vheeler; Clerk, Henry If. Hn.1·mo11; Treasurer John B. Kneeland; Justice 1.f' tiH: h '!tH'.e, n~"ry Lake; Commissioner of high- I • J l l l t l 1 . ·, ; HISTORY OF HOWELL JG!) ways, Edward rrbompson; School Inspel!tor, John A. Wheeler; Directors of the Poor, Richard P. Bush, Josiah TurJ.JP.r, 1851.-Supen-bor, Derastus Hinman; Clerk, ,Johu A, Wheln: Treasurer , John B Kneeland; .Justi(~es of the Peace, Job~ H- Galloway (full term), William Mo:.-e ( to fill vacancy); Highway Commi ssioner, David Carl; School Inspector, Gardner Wheeler; Dire11tor~ ~f the Poor, James 1\1, l\Iunay, \Villiam L. \\Tells. 1852.-Supervisor, Richard P. Bush; Ulet·k. Mylo L. Gay; rrreasurer, ,John B . K11eel11nd; ,Justices of the Peace, Gardner Wheeler ( full term), William Moore ( to fill vacauey); Highwa.v Commisiouer, Elisha H. Smith; School Inspector, William A. Clark; Directors of the Poor, ,John D. Gifford, ,Josiah Turner. 1853.-Supervisor, Richard P. Bush; Clerk, Mylo L. Gay; Treasurer, John B. KIJeelan<l; ,Justice of the Peace, L. K. Hewett; Highway Commissioner, Samuel M. Yerkes; S«ihool Inspec.tor, Gardner Wheeler. 1854.-Supervisor, Gardner Wheeler; Clerk, 1\/ylo L. Gay; Treasnrer, ,John B. Kneeland; ,Justice of the Peace, William More.; Highway Commissio1rnr, Daniel Case; School Inspector, William A. Clark. 1855,-Supervisor, Willim C. Rumsey; Clerk, Mylo L. Gay; Treasurer, John B. Kneeland; ,Justice of the Peace, Odell J. Smith; Commissioner of High ways, Dexter Filkins, Wm. Lake· School Inspector, Wm. B. Jewett. 160 HISTORY OF HOWELL 1856.-Supervirnr, William H. Rumsey; Clerk, E. Rollin Bascum; •Justice of the Peace, Mylo L. Gay; '.1.1reasurer, Na than Pond; Highway Commissioner, Charles Hoot; School Inspector, George · P. Root. 1857.-Supervisor, John B. Kneeland; Clerk, E. Rollin Bascom; 'l,reasurer, Andrew Blanck; Justice of the Peace, lJauiel Case; Highway C'o'mmissioner, David Lewis; School Inspector, John Huston. 1858.-Supervisor, John H. Galloway; Clerk, Henry U. Briggs; Treasurer, John W. Richmond; Jurtice of the Peace, Andrew D. Waddell; Highway Com- ' missoner, Dexter J, F_ilkins; School Inspector, B. Howard Lawson (full term), William B. Jewett ( to fill vacancy.) 1859.-Supervisor, John~. Galloway; Clerk, E. Rollin Bascom; rrreasurer, John W. Richmond; Justice of the Peace, John Marr; Highway Commissioners Charles Root, Stephen S. More; Schoel IuspP.ctor, J. A. Pond. 1860.-Supervisor, .Tobn H. Galloway; Clerk E Rollin Bascum; 'l,reasurer, John W. Richmond; Justice of the Peace, Mylo L. Gay (tnll term), \,Yilliam Lake (tc fill vacancy); ·Highway Commi~sioner, Stephen S. More; School Inspel\tor, Andrew Blan~k. 1861.-Snpervisor, \Villiam t', Rumsey; Clerk. E. Rollin Bascom; Treasurer, Henry C. Briggs; ,Jnstice of the Peace, Daniel Case; School Inspeetor, .Tabez A, Pond; Highway Commii:sioner, S".:'lornon Hildebnrnt, t 1 i i t i ·I ,i 1 ! .l .!, ' ...•.,. . ! J: 0 I'll rr 0 :i: l> 3: 1l 0 z HISTORY OF HOWELL 161 1862.-Supervisor, William C. Rumsey; Clerk E. Rollin Bascom; Treasurer, Giles Tueker; Justice of the Peace, Dennis 3hields; Highway Commissioner, · Ueorge Wakefield; School Inspector, Henry H. Harm, m ( full term), J. Bruce Fish beck (vacancy.) 1863.-Supervi:::;or, Giles Tucker; Clerk, E. Rollin Bascom; Treasurer, Leonard B. Wells; Justice of the Peac : , William Lake ( full term), \Villiam More ( vaean cy; Highway Commissioners, SteJ•hen More George \Vakefield; School Inspectors, Ebenezer Bunnell ( full tel'ln), George \Vilber, (vacancy). 1864.-Sup el'visor, Giles Tucker; Ulerk. E. Holfra Bascom; Treasut·er, Leonard B. Wells; Justice of the Peare, Mylo L. Hay; Highway Commissioner, Solomon Hililebrn·~t; School ln;;pectors, Elijah F. Burt (full term), Dennis Shields (v.acancy) 1865.-Supervisor, Alm ·::n Whippl"'; Clerk, E. Rollin Bascom (died during this term, which was c0mpleted by . \Vallace \V. Carpenter); Justice of the Peace, Daniel Case; Treasurer, Leauord B. Wells; School Inspectors W. W. Carpenter (fnll term), l) eunis Shields (vacancy). 1866-Snpervisor, ·Isaac W. Bush; Clerk, Royal H. Uumsey; Treasurer, Lorenzo B. Sullivan; Justiec of the Peace, Wallace W. Carpenter; Highway Commissioner, Stephen S. More; School Inspector, . Dennis Shields 1867'--Snpervisor, Oren H. \Vinegar; Clerk, Royal · . . II Rum!::ey; Treasurer, Elbert H. Bush; Justice of I62 HISTOH.Y 0~, HOWELL the Peace, Friderick H. \Yhipple; Highway ,Jommi1:iioner, Solomon Hildebrant; ~chool Insper.tor, Wallace W. Carpenter 1868-Supervisor, Oreu H. Winegar; Clerk, H~nry T. Clark; Treasmer, Elbert C. Bush; ,Justice of the Peace, Nicholas Lake; High way (fommissioner, ,Jes$,.! }!arr; Scnool Inspector, Philander Bennett. 1869-Snpervisor, 0. H. Winegar; Clerk, Royal H. Rumsey; 'I1i-easurer, William B. Smith; ~Tustice ef the Peace, ·william More; Highway Commissioner, S. S. More; S1:hool Inspector, Ferdinand W. Munson. j l .! UHAPTER X Midst Blessings or Peace On July 4, 1871, a meeting was held at the Melvin House, to organize a Pioneer Soc:iety. After discussing the proposition, an adjournment was taken to M. L. Gay's office in the rooms which are now Tidings office. William U. Rumsey was eleeted chairman and M. L. Gay, secretary. A eommittee was selected to draft a constitution and bylaws, and arrang 0 ments were made for a public meeting, which was addressed by Judge Turnn at the Court House, on Wednesday .. vening, September 27, 1871. 'rbe eommittee failed to have its constitution ready, hut M. L. Gay bad anticipated such a situation. and prepnred one which was adopted. It provided that nil personi::, who were residents of the county previow, to ,Tnly 4, 1845, were pioneers, and elligible to menwership. At the annual meeting in 1877, this was changed to 1850, and i• 1880, it was changed so that all who resided in the county previous to 1855, w~re considered as pioneers, and entitled to membership. In 1871, A. G. Blood & Company started a five col umn quarto weekly newi-,paper, which they named the Howdl Independent. It never paid expenses, and atter ninfl months, ,vas sold to J '. D. !)mith and Charles E. Cooper. Mr. Smith took part of the material te 164 HISTORY OF HOWELL the Repllblic~n office. Mr. Cooper continued the paper for a couple of months longer, and then gave it up. In the early '60s, vV·i. l'l iam McPherson & Sens de- . '. veloped a merchant tailoring depfl.rtment, i1i which, in 1874, George Horii~ng was employed, and in which .Arthur Garland b~came cutter, about a year later. This department did,, . quitf> a lit+-le manufacturing for the clothing store ,of the firm. In J 879, Messrs. Garland and Hornung, then young men, formed a partnership ancl bought the deoartment in which . they were employed. By energy and skill, they succeeded in building up n lat·ge business with two or three men on the road, and their's soon became the leading industry of the town. In fact, there bas been no time since they first went into business, but that . the tailon, whom they employed, formed one of the largest bodies of working people in Howell. After some years, Owen W. Kellogg, who was an experienced clothing salesman with William McPherson & Sous, entered the pnrtne!'!'hip with Garland & Hornung, tlie new firm being named, Kellogg, Garland & Company, and a stock of ready made clothing wtts put in. Mr, Garland withdrew from this firm in 1892, after which it was known as Kellogg & Hotnung, continuing for anothe1 year. Mr. Hornung then engaged in merchant tailoring in his own name, and bas done a prosperous business for the past fifteen years. Mr. Kellogg went west. .t, ' .,' .' •1. ·~ ,\ _ HISTORY OF HOWELL 165 After withdrawing from the old firm, Mr. Garl3.nd engaged in merchant tailoring, in which he has built up a large trade. In addition to his i_;tore iwre, he maintains one at Jackson and several agencie~ in the west, doing all the manufaduring in How"ell. He also ran a macintosh factory here, for some years. Thirteen years ago, Mr. Garland purchu.3ed the Opera House, which he has since managed. He became a partner in the Bennett Hardware Company, whid1 bought out Benedict & Ratz in l!J07. Howell was visited by Catholic Priests as rnrly ns 1836 or '37. Rev. Fr. Kelly of Northville, was J·robably the first to hold services in Howell. 'l'he erection ot couutry churches not far away, in different directions probably centered their worshiper.,; there and made a long delay before the organization in Howell. Along in the '70s Rev. Fr. Daugherty of Brighton, who is remembered as an ener~etic worker, well likecl by everyone, started the work here and St. ,Joseph's church is the result. The original church, 40x70 feet in size, ,vas commenced in .A.ugnst, 1878, and completed the following year. It was eula~ged and greatly improved about six years ago. With the comodious rectory and beautiful hrick chrm~h, the society has a, fine property. Under the most efficient leadership of Rev. Fr. Thornton, its prospects for a growing future are excellent . Fobes Crossman came to Howeli in the early '50s and soon after becamt, a partner with F. J.. Lee and 166 HISTORY OP HOWELL Alex. McPherson in their general store. This firm lasted but a short time, after ,vhich Mr. Crossman prospected for business iu Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis and other places but returned to Howell in 1858 and formed a partnership with Wm. B. Jewett in the general mercantile Uhsiness. May 1, 1873, Mr. Crossman bought his partner'i: interests and continued the business until his death Dec. 1, 1876. In the settlement of his estute Mrs. Crossman wl10 was administratrix, sold the business to Frank J. Hickey and . Charles M. Goodnow. Frank J. Hickey was born in New York state and came to Howell with hi:; parents, N. J. Hickey and wife, when a small boy. vVhen a youn~ man he clerked three years for \Vm. McPherson and afterwards formed a partnership with James B. Wing in the grocery business. Aft.er some years Mr. \Ving purchased his interests in that firm and Mr. Hickey was out of business at the time of the death of J. F. Crossman heretofore noted, and the forming of his partnership with Mr. Goodnow. Charles A. Goodnow came to Howell in 1875. For some time he clerketl for Mr. Jewett and later for J. F. Crossman. He was in the latter position when Mr. Crossman died . 'l'he firm of Hickey & <,loodnow, which waR orfi? anized in 1877 was at once one of the leaders in the dry gcods line and coutinued in that position until ilae death of Mr, Hickey which occured in the great fire HISTORY OF HOWELL 167 of 1892. Mrs. Hickey and tne estate held their interest in the business until 189!) when they sold to Homer N. Beaeb and the firru has since been known under the name of Goodnow & Beach, their business holding up and increasiug as the years: go by. When the war broke out Birt Parsons of Brighton, wa~ under age. 'l'hat made little difference to one of bis get there qualities anci he skinped ,rnt to enen list. 'l'hat be founu a place in the First Minhigan Cavalry a part of Custer's brigade, indicates that he wa:s not very long in making up his mind to get into the great conflict and that he 8aw something of the war in its awful reality. Sann after mustering out in l8G5, .Mr. Parsou::; became a t.:lerk for \Vm. McPherson & Sons, whe1·e he remained until 1871 This history has heretofore told the story of , the pio1.ieer shoe shop of J. B. Skilbeck one of the first in Howell This business develsped until in the latter '60s it was quite a fadorv, located j11st west of the McPhPl'son i:tores aHd employing oyer twenty men When .M:r. Skilbeck's son Penrlcy, became of age, he entered the business with his father, the firm bting known as .J. B. Skilbeck & Son. About that tini~ they purclwsed the brick building 110w occupied by Sweet's grocery, and moved there. In 1871 Mr. Parson~ bonght an interest in this firm which was then known as J. B. Skllbeck & Co. About six years later Homer N. Beach united with Mr Parsons in buying the Skilbeck interestR and the 168 HISTORY OF HOV{ELL firm became Parsons & Bench. A. stock oi groceries lrnd been a<ltletl to the shoa line aud the factory discontinued some time beforn this. When Mr. Parsons became vice president of the Michigan Condensed Milk Co. and went to New Y 01·k, nearly twenty year:; ago, this firm was dissolved and Mr . Bench continued the business until about the time of his partnership with l'. A. Goodnow, nine years ago, to form Lhe present firm of Goodnow & Bench. 1Peb. 2~, 18GO, Hovrell experienced its second large fire. .lt originated in the foundry nnd maehine shop of A. :M. Smith & Co . which was totnlly destroyed. Wm. R. l\lelvin's caniage and blacksmith shops nnd the st11ge eompany':; harus, . owned by E. E, Hazzard, were also burned. 'l'he total lo~s was estimated by the Repnbliean at that time, at. $16,425 whieh was quite a snrn ft>r those days :!nd uwakened the 1,eople t.o the ne"d of Rome orga11iied method of fighting fire. 'l,he mntter r-1oont ook form for Marcli 6, 1860, a meeting of citi~e111:w1 as held to consider the mat.ter . It was nearly ten yeat·s however oefore anything definate ,va~ done. January 18, 1868 nn ordinance was passed defining a certain district clown town buiLlings should be erected. changed several times . in which nc wooden This district has been •J anuary 24, 1870: a resolution was adopted by the Uommon Uouncil providing for the purchase of a hand r t r :( .•• •: HISTORY O.F HOWELL 169 fire engine known as the Fire King, provided it should prove satisfactory, but it. uid not t<'our years later, on January 3, 1S74 the Champion Fire Extingui:::,her, the old chemical engine, was purchased for $2,dOO, of which half was was paid that year nud the other half tlie year following. Havil9.g an engine it became necessary to organize a fire company. It was at first composed of the following members: John Neary, John McUlond, William F. Griffith, Patl'ick Hammill, Thomas Ulnrk, Leonard Fishbeck, George I-forrington. Perley Skilbeck, l!,rank Ackerman·, Frank Archer, Charles G. Jewett, Mark Rubert, Homer N. Beach, Theodore Huntley, E. A. Young, Thomas McEwen, Henry \Vilbnr. Petitr Clnrk, Birt F. Parsons, Edward vVnldron, H. rr. Browning, Edward Greenaway, .b'. H . Hickey, H. U. Sellman, "William Beattie, George L. Clark, G. S. Burgess, H. H. Brown, Cassius Austin and Thoms G. Swibrnt·. 'l'he first fire company was organized by electing the following officers: Foreman, John Neary; First Assistant. Foremau, 'l'homa~ Clark; Seeond Assist ':lnt Foreman. EJwnrd Waldron; Pipeman, IL H. Brown; Second Pipeman, ,John McClond; Superintendent of UhP.micals, E. A. Young; Assistant Superintendent of Chemicals, Henry Wilber; Secretary. \Vil!iam F. Griffith; 'l'reasurer, Patri<>k Hammill. Over a year later, May 24, 1875. the Uouncil took action for a suitable house for the fire engine and 170 HISTORY OF HOWELL company. The lot was purchased for $875, of Wm. MePherson & S011s, and the building was ererteil by Fmnk Kelly for $2,917.52. It is worthy of note t.hat this building was 011ly what was considered necessary for use of the fire department at that time, with the addition of a Council Room. Sinee theu the depnrtmP-nt's facilities have doubled an,l more; the street commi~sioLer's tools and supplies are stored in the building; the elect.cical &hop l1as <lrive11 the fire department out of its hall for meeting purposes: and several other tings have found a headquarters there. 1'he result of this <.r·owding has developed a feeling on the purt of the department that it is not properly app ·t'ciat.t'd and its condition is orn~ <lungerously near disor~anization. As uo ground cun be purchused for an addition to the present Lmilding, there is a ~rowing sentiment for the sale of the pre::;ent building and :he erection of a new one adequate for present needs. The erection of the water works system in 1894 made a complete revolution in the di:ipartment's equipment. It still keep::; the chemical enE?ine however, for use in two or three districts which aro not yet 1·eached by the water mains, Charles G. Jewett is a Howell production. Until about four years ago he slept in the room where l,e was born. Descendant of a pioneer family he has seen Howell's develoJ)emen t and has always heen a leader along the line of HISTORY OF HOWELL 171 its improvement. Nov. 1, 1870, Mr. Jewett became a Howell businessman by the purchase of the old Andrews & Winans hardwaie. Two years later he built the block whieh long bore his name but is now known by the name of Goodnow. About twelve years ago he moved his busine ss to the CrosRman building- which he occupied for about eight years. Four veurs ago he left th e general hardware trade to engage in plumbing and steam fitting in which he is a heavy contractor and a leading m ember of the state association He has done the work in his lite at the State Sanitorium . A year ago lie added electrical supplies to that line and is now enjoying n large busines:;; with a number of regnlur employPes. As heretofor noted the How ell post oflice wai,; established Jan. rn, 18B6, B'lnvi~~s ,J. B. Crnne was the first postmuster and the post office was in the Eagle Hotel. ' Ely Barnard was app0inte<l to the oflice Jnnti J:l, 1839, He first located the office in the building n ear when 8chroeder's hardware now stnuds, l>nt Int.er moved to E. B,. Gay's stor e . John Curtis was his depnty and conducted the oflic:e, Almon Whipple was appointed Feb. 9, l84l. He held the office four month~ and continued it· in the Gav store. Wellington A Glover was appointed May 31, 1841, and continued the office in the Gay stor,.,. S. F. 172 HISTORY OP HOWELL Hubbell then a law student, acted as his deputy, Almon Whippie w11s re-appointed Sept. 1, 1843, and I!loved the office to his store on the 11ite now occupied by the Detroit Mercantile Co. · George W. Lee became pr.stmaster April 14, 1849, :111dl ocated the office in Lee Bros. store, on the site now ocCllllitd by Monroe Bros. Demstus Hinman was appointed June 7, 1853, and 1111,vedt he office to his store on the south side of Uraud. Inver stl'eet. l•'nu:k \Velis was appointed. postmaster Feb, 25, J ti05 . His office was in u dru~ store a few d•ors t11~t . of where 'ridings now is. Lnallller C. Smith waH appointed March 16, 1861. For fonr years he maintained the post office in the Lee ~tore where Monroe Brothers now are. He then mo, ·ed tlte oilico to the site now occupied by the Por t.c1·C 'lot.l1ing Co. Hem ·y 'l' . Clark ·wns appointed March 8, 1866, and !'(!appointed ,June l, l8GS. He continued the office where Mr. Smith had kept it until the building was l,ur11e1l, :m<l then moved to a building where Hotel LiYi11g·~tonn o-w i-tanc1s. William \Y. Kenyon been.me postmuster August 20, 1Sfi~, and wa:--re-appointed Deeember 10,1873. Undel' his 1u:11tagement the offtce was elevated to the presi- 1h\;ll :al <'.la~~. l\lr. Kenyon nt first maintained the oiii,·c urn~ 1loor west of the McPherson store. He n10\ ·L'.d from there to the site now occupied by Mar- ! l i ! I l 1J HISTORY OF HO\V ELL 1 ,..,, . / ,, vin's jewelry store, later to the Cardell l1l<wk, a 111: still later to the store now ocenpiecl hy ::-i.l(m· al '.l,11: 1 berg Brothers. ;., Julius D. Smith became postmaster Dec, 14, 1877. He moved the office to the site now occupied by Jin ;, Williams' rnill'inery store. When Cha1·les E. Reunrnum became . postmaster December 15, 1881, quite a struggle wa~ on as to whether "PPanut Row'' as thr- buildiugs faeing State -Street were called, should k eep the oflfoe. Mt·. Beurrnann had lt'-fH;ed the Ureenaway building and pui,.l $~., of rent, on condition that he re,.eived the appointment. \\Then this bet~ame known the "Peanut Row" forees worked hard against his appointment. So confident w1·re they that Mr. Bcnrmann wonhl not receive the appointment that M1, G1eenuWt1y Jea:=.cd his store to Henry P. Speneel''s drug store and Charles H. Brown's jewelry store. 'l'hey were lum]ly settled however before the appointment came and they had to move out. Isaac W. Bush was appointP.d postmask1· ,January 20, 18S6, and movedtheoflicP. back to ''Peannt U,')w." The big fire spoiled that place und he then moved to the room uoweccupied by the bar room of Hotel Livings- ·tori. The old fight for "Peanut Row" was t!Om· •promised bf IJr. W. J. Mills building a new building especially for the po st office, where . the Living-::-tot1 ·nemo~rat has been since its present management. to.of- . charge. lHr. Bush moved the offiee th~re 174- HIS'fORY OF HO\VELL January 16, 18fl0, Thomas G. Hwit~er snceePdt><l ~fr. Bush nnd soon aft1~1 moved the office to tbe room uow occupied by (foorlnow & Beech. After the second big fire, l\'lr. G-ood11owd esired to oecnp,r his old quarters and the post nfliee wns moved to the Opera Hom:e bloek. Henry D. Wilber beeame postmaster March D, 18!J4, and moved to the store now occupiet1 by the Whipple saloon. During the ldter part of his n<lmiuistrution Georgr, Harnes :-.ecnred a contract with th~ government for a !vase in the pre~ent quarters, and ereeted his building with the po~t oifiCl' idea for it5 ground floor 11ce:npant. .!Ylr. Wilbur moved the office there just before he retired f::-om the po::;ition and there it ha::<s i11ce rc,mnined. 'rimoth,r Smith became po~tmaster May 5, 1898. During his administration tlH! rural delivery has been worked 11p to nine routrs and a comμlete new outfit, np-to-the-mi_nute in design, has beeii put in. The offiee has been runuing just too · low but very near to the line for second cla$s for some time past, and is booked for that change July 1st. ,June 28, 1876, a meeting w>1s held at the Uouncil rooms and a county medical ~ociPty was organized Ho\veH names on the roll were Z. Hawley l\:Iarsh, Wm. L. Wells, Robert U. Hutton, Cyrus Mather, Charles G. Uruickshank, Casper V. BeP.be, Henry N. Spencer, Andrew Blank and Horace R. Hitch- <.o· ek. Other physicians of town, who were obliged HlSTOltY OF HOWELL to be absent ~·rom that me eti11g, afterw:nds g-nve 1heir 11anie8 to the i-;eeretary, hut . tl1is wns nenl'ly all UH~,·~ was to th~ I ifo ()f this orf?:miiat.ion. Medi1:al RoeietieR •>f the c·onntry were con$iderahJ., · mixed np rm·:, ;evernl years hut . stmighte11e1l out i 11 U)02. 'I'he pre~,_.ut plnu (·.alls fol' <'onntr 11:1d1i1·:1l Hodetie!:- aflilliat.ed with end1 other, forming <fo,trid., sta,te ~nd finally the American Medi<~nl 8oeil'l.y. .,-\ Jieeting was held in Howell, in 190:l an<l the Li,·iug!"- ton County 1\ledical Societ.y was organize<l. It no" · inclnde~ all physic '.ians of tl1e com~t.y. Dr. Jrwi11 of Oak Grove, is 110w its president, and Dr. H.. H. Bait ·d of Howell, its seert:tnry-treasnrer. 'rhe ext~entive commit.te,, i~ Drs. Brown 'l11<l Bri~lrnm of Howf'II. Dr. Claud Irwin of Hart.J:m<l, Dr. Clawl Rigler of Pinckney a:H1 l>r. Colum of ilrightnn. Howell mem - ben; ~p·e Dr. \\'rn. C. Huntington, Dr. H. 11. Bnirc1, Dr. E. H. Bailey, Dr. ,Janettn Briglinrn, lh-. ,J. 1'~ Browne rmd }Jr, U. E. ::4kinner. Howell had a. (food 'rempl::irs lodt?e alo11l; in 1 ht\ '60s, whicl-t did excellent wol'k. Its r11c<mls are lost however and littl e tangible ea.n be lea.med. Auother lodge was orgonir.e<l at the elose of :i meeting in the Presbyterian church, Oct. S, 1874, lJy Cha 1·leH P. Russell, then Past Grand Worthy Chief Ternplar of that order in Michigan. ,Jnlins D. ~mith w:.ts it~ first Worthy Chief Templar a11<Ml rs, H. G. W. Frr its first Worthy Vice 'remplar. 'l'his lodge was for many years E>ne of the strongest social organi~atirms; 176 HISTORY OF HOW.ELL in the town and did a i:ood work for the ·cause. Quite ,. number of those who had felt the curse or liquor were in<lucP.d to take it~ obligations and became useful citizens through its influences. Several of the l!_lost active of Howell'5, temperance workers at the present day received their early inspiration for the en.use in the teachings of this orcler. Among its active workers wafl Mrs. T. B. Knap~1. whom the author of this history had the privilege or uomin!lting successively, us Dh:trict Secretary, Grand ViP-e Ternplar, and Grand Superinte11deut of Juvenile Templer,;, to each of which positions she was elected. She war,; elected one of th~ delegates from the l~rand Lodge of .Michigan to the Right Worth? Granu Lodge wltieh met. in rndinborough, Scotl11n<l. in 18!)1, and to the sessions at Des Moines Iowa, Chi1~11go. Ill., Saratoga . N . Y., Washington, n C., Toronto, Ont., aud Hichmond, Vn. Nov. 19, 1886 the Livinl!ston Herald was f'stablished h,r the author of thb history who was then u. student in t.\ie law office of Hon. Rollin H. Pirson then pnwtil'in~ law in Howell. As is tl1P. eustom with yunng l:iwyers. we we1·e then dabbling a:; u. real estate :~gent. and wunted an a<lvertisirig medium. Unele ~am wa~ not as partic11In1· in enteri11g second class pnl>li1\ation~ in those days , and the lit.tie Herald, t'.011111osedof four pages of two eolumns each, and fnl'ming a sheet 8x10 inches in sir.e when opened, was (~a:-ily rulmi~ted to the mail~ even if it~ third page was HISTORY OF HOWEJ.L 177 filled witk. advertising for its publii.:her. By the fourth issue Andrew Whitaker then n. Howell grocer, want11d advertising space. Stephen Pratt, then a Howell druggist, soon followed. By the seventh week it be<.ame necessarv to enlarge to a three-column size. After the big · fire in March 18H7, the Herald business had grown so that it heea 111~ necessary to abandon either that or the leg:;tl prof'r·:-~.ion an« the Hnald was chosen. At t.he end of four years its first pnblh;her sold t.he paper, a 1,UC'.<'.PS~Gfn-lc olumn folio, to 8CCept a· position Oil tht: 'l'o}edo }]ver1in: ~ews where he 1·1miair11·fdo r ten ~·eare. Messrs. ,J. L. Pettibone & Sou who purchased the paper, published it bnt a fc,v months and then eold to Thomas W. Brewer who has mnintaine<l it ss n 6-nolnmn quc,rto, since that time. 'l'he old court honse was for many years an houor to t.he Connty. Then it-, sm·r·ontHlings out.grew the hnilding and it beemne a11 (~Y~~orc to everyone . It was Rt!veral tirnei\ l'l i;mhjed fol' (liscn~sion however, before action looking town1·d improvem~nt could be s~<>nreclf rom t.he l>onrtl of t,;npervisors. 'fhey finally snhmitted a proposition t.o hnild I\ new sheriff's residt•n ee and jail at an expen~e of $8,000, whieh was voted upon in the :--pring of 1887. 'rhe towm;hips of Brighton, De-cdicl<l, Oreen Oak; Hnrtln11d, Han<ly, Iosco , Putman nn<l Tyrone gave decided mnjoritie1 againist the projed a total of 9G l - hut the rest of the 1.o•unty gave a majority of l,arn; majority in its favor, 178 HISTORY OF HOWELL thu1- leaviug a net majority of 344 in the county, for the projeet, 1'he Superviscrs took the neces- Hlll'Y acticn at their nexL meeting, and the present sheriff's residence and jail was built the follo,v· ing year. vVith the jail out of the old eourt house, seutiment for the new one was more rapid in forming. The supervisors submitted the question to voters, at their .Janua,·~· seRsi011 in 188H. The townships of Handy, Putnam, Hartland, Deerpeld, Brighton, Green Oak, Tyrone and Unadilla rolled up a majority of lOG9 against the project, hut the other t.owns gave n majority of 1470 for tl1e building, thus giving 411 majority iu t.he <:ounty, and the new lmilding was authorized. 'l'he Board of Supervisors met April 21 of that year, and elected a building committee consisting of L. ,J. Wright of Howr.11, George W. Barnes of Tyrone, Vincent Parshall of Oceola, Thomas Howlett of Unadiila, and Daniel Sabin of Conway. The (\Orner stone wns la.id August 10, 1889, by ,Judge 'l'nrner. General R.. A. Alger of Detroit, mnde the leading address, which was followed by n the-minutes address from a representative selected from each township. W. P. Van Winkle was president of the day. Calvin Wileox was mm·shall of the parade which preceedeu the exercisei:;. 'l'here were vice presidents from each township. 'l'he building was not completed until the followin~ ., ,', . . ·\ HISTORY OF HOWELL IW year. The Opera House was rented for Circuit Comt until the new building was re:idy, In the fall of 1886 two young ladies came to Howell under orders of the American Salvatioti Army to establish a corps here. They were Capt. Carlson allC1 Lieut. Brownell. The old )fa.sonic ha!l in the Weimeister block had been leased before they came, and benches bad been fitted up for the prospeetive audiences. l!1 rom the start drnrch people of Howell rallied to assist the army, anc1 the meetings took 011 a strong .swing trom the very first. By the thircl night the two officers had one recruit to go with them on the march and others rapidly followed. In time as the <:oi-ps became rnor~ prmiperous, the skat.ilig rink was leased and its meetings there, from night to night, were probably the most largely attended religeous meetings which have ever been hel<l in Howell. The an<lienee was often counted as it left the building and its avnage number was about GSG. During the summer of 1887, Gen. Mool'e who was the head of the organization, visited Howell. The oecasion ,.,-as one of general recognition and brought several thousand people from thi:--n.nd neighboriug- count ieH. A concerted movem2nt was rnacle by the army, the eity churches and bnsi acssmen, to ~o favorably impress Gen . .M0orc: tlrnt he wonlc1 er-;t.ublish their state headquarters here, which wa~ <lone. rwo or three Howell people became oflicers and went out ill the work, from here. I u time however, new officers were appointc<l here, and the work lagged. Capt. LONG LAKE, FROM WEIMEISTER COTTAGE, NEAR HOWELL. 180 HJHTORY OF HOY/ElJ., · Carlson lwcarne Mrs. Nelson ·· Yelland and Lieut. Brownell be<:ame Mrs. ~Yill Fish. Both· have nlwnys heen respected ladies hy 11ll who haye kuown t:lwrn here. Rome time nfter t.he Arner-iean Army ceaRed to <>xist. in Howell, the orQ'anization headed by Ge11. Boollt secured a foot .hold here nnd <·ontinned with nlryiug success far ~ome ~·ear:;. Amon~ its officers wns Mrs. Ben Porter who for several yenrs past has done <·xcellent work with her h11~hiwcl who hns been a Methodist pnstor und successful evung-Plist.. On Satnrday evening, Marc:h 12, 1887, <1S Andrew Whitaker nnd Burr Montngue ·weJ'e going hmu<i nfter business pluees were $]rnt up, t11ey. disc•r1vf'red the Monroe block nt the corner of Grn11d River aud ~tate streP.ts to be on fire. Mr. Moutagne ran to the iaide window which he h11d just reached when an exploiiion took place which threw him back across the sidewalk and over the hitching po~t.. but not !-.\rriou::,Jy i njur111!.;' him. The insiile of the building wni;; tot u from t.lu• basement to the roof nml fire ';\·us thrown three i-tories, t1.nd onto adjoining J·oofs. in ,m im,tant tlie entir·t> Moncoe block was in flnmes and the fire ~prea ~l ve1·y rapidly to adjoining buildings. E. P. Gn•gor.v who wa~ then village president, telephoued to Ann A l'l>or and Lansing for ht-Ip, nnd both of those citi(lS responc1e,1 promptly with steam11rs. Before t.hey arrived however, the Greenaway block which stood at the wri-t end of the square where the Are Rt.nrtt>rl, f,,11 invmr<l ''' .:, ,' , HISTORY OF HOWELL 181 with a crasl.l, thus making it possible to confine the fire to one square which could not have been done if it had fallen outward. The burned district covered the entire square of busine\'ls blocks, except four small two-story buildings in the north-east corner. The loss was a verv large one and divided among over t.birty people and firms. Just as the fire "ngine was pulled to the scene somecne in the Court yard called ·'Tom Clark" and added some epithet. and fired, The shot just grazed Mr. Clark's clothing, glanced from thP engine and hit Al. Fishbeck but its force was too much spent to do much damage. The crowd rusbej across tLe street but failed to find the shooter in the darkness. The shot, witb the fact that Mr. Monroe who was an active tempera nee wor·kel', had received a letter threatening to burn him out if he diclu't stop his prohibition work, caused r.on~iderable excitement at the time, but no one was ever brought to justice. Tuesday, ~fay ~4. 1887, occurred the death of Jay Cnrso·n. Mr. Corson was born in Green Oak, nnd was alwc1,ys known to Howell people. After !!raduating from the law department of the University of l\liehii~tm in 1880. he was given such a welcome to Howell us few youug 111en receive. After a few mon~l!s he ti ied life in Alpena and Detroit, 'lnd returned to Howell in 1883, He was elected Circuit Court co1~rni8sioner in the following campaign, and was villn.i;e president in lSSr,, declining the honor of II I, I 1~2 I;lIS'fOitY OE, HOWELL u second nomination. In 1886 he was nominated for proseenting attorney in t.he Republican county eonvention, by acclamation. His health failed so that h e was not able to make a vigot·ous campaign, but he re,: eivecl more votes than uny other candidate upon his ticket, and all but five vote::. iu his native town of Oreen Oak. At the age of twenty-nine years, jrn;t u~ greut pro::-peets ::;eemed to oven befon , him, Jar Corson' s life stoi·y dosed here, to ope11 iu the hereafter. Tw0 or three efforts were made ar, •·nrious time:-:; to organize u Living8ton Uonnt.r ::-:;unday school assuciatiou. A mv.eting was held in the Presbyteriau chnrch in 1888, and au org-uni~ation w11s perrected. I<,rank Holden of Gre,!n Oa.k, wa~ elec~ed president and IL C. lteed then of Oceola, was secretary. The first 1:ounty convention was also h~ld in the Presb.r· terinn ehurch, ou April Hi and 17 of that yeu,·, and was very succeissful. County Sunday school couveutious were held rt·~ulnrly from that. time forward, for a qood muny )ears and much good was accomplished. It. was finally allowed to lapse however . .A convention wns held ut. the M. E. church lost year ttnd the or!Zanization was revived. \Vhen the first organization wa~ perfected each towm;hip in the county was reor~anized by electing . a president anJ seeretar). A. Riley Crittenden was 1 ·resiclen t of the Ho,,..ell association and Mrs. Sarlih T. Lyon secretary. 'l1he Howell association was active in the work during their term of office. 'rl1e ·t HIS'l'Oit.Y OF HOWELL otlicers which followed them nllowed it t0 lnnse. In the enrly '80s, P:rofR. Gt-1orgeB arn(•s and Thoma~ 1lordon ,Jr: con<lnct(•d n normal f.tnining school for t.eiwhers, in How1tll, during the summer vacation. About fift.)' youn!! people of tl1e county availed themselves of the opportunity for review and preparation for the fall teachers' examination. 'l'he s-:!hool proved such u complete success that n similar school wn~ held b) theso gentlemen or other locnl e<lncators for some years. 'Pbe central school building was Je:u,e<l for the purpose aud the 1:-10'..,'elslu mmer schouls nttracted considerable attention, drawillg btudents from ciuit.e a territory beyond the t\onnty lines. 'l'hey proved to be qnitt: an enterprise too for the town, as · the young people ha.:\ to lie mnir,t.aine(l here, an<l qnite a trade in all lint'~ rf':-rnlt.ed. 'l'bompson's lake Im$ nlwa.n; ,•ontnmed n number of springs from whieh flow Yery cold wnter. 'rhese form eurrent.s which olten catd1 S\.vimmers who nttempt long distance swimming nnd dunget·ous (~l'Ulllps re snlt.. 'l'his has led to a 1111mber of drow11ings . ..\: 11other cause of t.he~e r.atllstrophiei-i i~ the olosene&R to t.own and its terupt .ation whPn the iee is 1.ot yet Htrong enough iu the foll. One of the snddest. ol this ln.tter was the drowning of Uliffcml Cnlrer n bright, promisi11g boy of twelve years, 011 Thmsdav, Nov. 22, 1888 .. · For over hnlf nn hour the ht>rnie boy hung to the ice arn1 wuitr.<l for the help which wus vu.inly trving t.e reach hir:i. At. last benumbed 18-1 HISTORY OF HO-WELL by the cold water called nut his good byes ann let go to sink out of sight, nutil the ice was brokr.n to tlw srot and the l>ody was 1eronred, ubout thee hoai'3 Inter. The last drowning in Thompson's li1ke, Thursday Jnne 28, HlOG, was also a peculiarly ~ad one. rrbe victim was Kern Beumwnn, a r,opula.r and promising ~·our.g man who g-radua.tell from the Howell High School three years befo1e, and had just completed his law course at the University of l\11chii,,an. ~le went. t.o the lake fqr a svdh.. 'l'he tlar \,·u::; vel'y warm and he wa~ without donbt attached with crmnps which took him clown. His body was uot in the water a grent. while liut. it "·a~ impo~sible to resuscitate hi!n. In De~ernber, 1888, t.liree or four cases of small pox <1eYo)J,edi n Uowdl and one in the country near town, Georg-in Fishbeck who boarded with his uncle l\lurry li1ishbeek, died of the d:ea(1 disease. \-\'hen the first <!a8es developed evf>ry p1;ecautic,n was taken to head off a fmtber spread of the disease and it wa~ confidently expected that lhi~ bud been ae:eomplisbed, All three papers thPn pnbli$hed in Howell hnd items to the effect. that. thPre waf:; no further dang-er. The day after they were issuec G. J. Cook who was clerking in one of the storei:; came down with va·rioloid. Humor confounded him witn C. L. Cook t.he wellknown grocer. The Pinckney Dispatch sounded u warning to keep away from Howell, and alleged that the papers and people here were rnisrepresen t:ng . the I ,. '! ' ' l 1 I . I ' I . I i ; i BJSTORY OF HO-WELL 18fi situation. '_T'hes care worked and it was ~pl'i•1g bef..:,re it was over and busir:ess resumed its normal condition. rfii.ere have been t\vo or three similar scares at various times, but this one was probabls the most severe the town has ever seen. During two or three weeks, at the height of - the scare, only four teams went down Grand River street. Late township officers are as follows: 1880-:3npervisor, George \V. Fitch; clerk, \Villiam F. Griffith; t1easurer, Thomas G. Switz:er; 8chool i11spector. Charles A. Phillips; snperintentleri.t of schools, Hugh Conklin . He resigned December 7, and rrhonws G-ordon ,Jr. wa8 appoiu ted; highway commissioner, vVilliam .J. \Vallrn .tu; drain eommis- ~ioner, Harvry R. Dm:fee; Const.ables, Nelson A . .! ~elder, George B. Haymour, Charles B. Benrmann ,Tr., C. Frnnklin Dorrarl(' .C, 1881-Superyi:.;01·, Timothy Smith; clerk, Henry D. Wilber; trensnrer. \Villiam H,. Miller; snpcrintendent of sch11ols, Thomas Gordon ,Jr. Ile J'esignecl and Frank 0. Burt was appointed; school inspector Horace P. Bump; highway t·.ommissioner, gugene J~. Latson; constablfls, Andrew if. Rounds, R. H. B,umse. y, Edg-ar Noble, vV. II. White. 1882-SuperviEOl', Albert Riddle; clerk, Seth B. Rubert; treasurer, \Villiarn lt l\:[iller; :,;ehool inspector, two years, HatTY .J. Haven~, one year, Sidney H. Burt; highwav commissioner, DaYid P. Luke; constable, \Vlliiam Brower, nppointcd by town boanl. • •j I . ,I :I I :1 1 ,,,1 I: ! : i .J i .i j 18G HISTORY OF HO,YELL I883-Supervisor, Homer N. Beach; clerk, Seth B . Rubert; treasurer, Leslie E. Woodruff; highwav commissioner, David P. Lak1'; constables, Amos Winegar, P . Mcl\ianus . 1884-Supervisor, Homer N. Beach; clerk, \Villiam C. Spencer; treasurer, Leslie E. \Voodruff; school inspector, David D. I-forger; highway commissioner, \,Vesley W. Crittenden; drain commi~sioner, Isaac W, Stowe; constabl"'s, H. H. Clark, Benjamin H. Perkins. 1885-Supervisor, George \V. Axtell; clerk, Seth B. itubert; treasurer, ~rank P. Archer; school in· spector, Lewis C. Mil~r; highway commissioner, Thomas Hale; constables, H , H. Clark, S. D. Anderson, Jerome Wilber, Eclwin Smith. 1886-Supervisor. AlbP.rt Riddle; clerk, Amos Winegar; treasurer·, Louis J. Wright; i::chool iu~pector, Frank D. Filkins; highway commissioner, 'l'homas Hale; drain commissioner, David P. Lake; constables, John Ronstin, Ro.oert A . Chambers, Alfred Copeland. 1887-Snpervisor, Newton T. Kirk; clerk, William M. Force; treasurer, 'l'imothy Smith; school inspector David 1.J Harger, vacancy, Jay Coraon; highway commissioner, George Howard Jr.; eonstubles, Walter S, Papworth, Charles H. White. 1888-Supervisor, Lewi!'! J. Wright; clerk, Judd Yelland; treasurer, Timothy Sm 1th; school iRspector, Perry G. Burdick; highway commissioner, David P. .,,,. . ·: . . 1 ·;;i JliS'l'ORY OF HOWELL 187 Lake; drain commissioner, ,James Canfield; constables, George Lown, Will Peavy. 1888-Snper·visor, Lewis J. Wright; clerk, ,Judd Yelland: treasurer, Frank Crandall; school inspector .AndrEiw B. Fishheck; highway commissioner, Edwin \V. Smith; chain commissioner, Gem·ge Lown, 1890-Supervisor, Lewis J. Wright; clerk. H. L . . Wa:ker; treasurer, Frank Z. Hubbell; school inspector, Ed ward .J. Drewery; justice of the peace, George B. Rayrnour, vaeanc,y, David Robison; highway commissioner, Richar,l Hale; drain commissioner, William Line; con:;;ta.blE>sG, eorge Lown, E. D. McKinley .John F. Marr; hoard, of reyiew, Frank 0. Burt, Gilbert L. \Volcott. 1891-Snpervisor, Lewis .J. \V1·ight; clerk, Geor~e C. Allen; treasurer, Frank Z. Hubbell; school inl'ipedor, Charles Gilks; jnf-ti,~e of the peaee, E. P. Gregory; highway cummissiontr, Richard Hale; constables, Vernon C. Smith, George Lown, ,Juliu8 B. \Vhitaker; meml,er board of review, Hilbert l... Wol· cott. 189~-Superv:sor, Hollier N. Bcad1; el erk, An· drew B. :B.,ishheck; treasurer, ,James Ryan; :;;chool in· spector, Vernon C. S:nith, vacancy, Henry H. vVine~; highwav l'.ommissioner, Enria:-; rilalT; drain eommit:isioner, ,villiarn Line; e,.mstubles, L. ,J. Wri~h t, Ge::>rge L. Lown; board of review, Gilbert ]... \Vol- '~ott, Davin P. Lalrn. ]89:-3-Snriervisor, Homer N. Bea,~h; elerk, An188 HI.STORY OF HO-WELL drew B. FisLbeck ; treusurcr, James Ryan; scluol inspector Joseph S. Brown; justice of the peace, Vernon C. bmith; highway cowmissioner, Eurias Marr ; meI:lber board of review, DRvid P. Lake. I894-Supetvisor, Homer N. Beach; c!erk, Frank J. Holt; treasurer. Amos Winegar; school i nspedor, M. L . Carpenter; justice of the peace, Eugene A. Stowe; highway commissioner, R1c:hard Hale; drain commissioner, William Line; board of review, David P. Lake, Solomon Hildebrant. 1895-Supei ·visor, f!omer N. Beach; clerk . E'rank J. Holt; treasurer, Amos 'Ninegar; school inf:pector, Hoy Fitch; justice of toe peace, Dwight H. Fiteh; highway commissioner, Richanl Hale; member board of review, Daniel Bergin. 1896-Supervisor, Amos Winegar; clerk, Frank J, .H~lt; !r£:Ul:'UJeWr alter W. Kn1:1pp; Hhool im:pector G. Clyde Brown; justiee of t.be peace. Robert R. \\Takefield; l highway c-cn ni i$i::-, un, EmiP.s :!.\1arr; "7:~1n,table~, L1 rnuel A. Wight, Frank Durfee, Patrick Devlin, ~tephen G . Fishbeck; mrmbe1 board of review, David P. Lake. 1SJ7-Supervisor, Amos Winegar; clerk, Frank J. Holt; treasurer, Walter W. Knapo; highway commissi0ner. Enrias Marr. 1898-Supervisor, Walter W : Knapp; clerk:, l!.,r1mk J. Holt; treasurer, Richard ~J. Barron; highway commissioner, Jame3 E. Fi~s. 1899-Supervisor, 'Walter W. Knapp; ~lerk, Frank I i . \. i, ! I~ - -- . . ::}}\:'\ ·::w./;·: . ..J ..J UJ 0 i: faJ UJ C: ff) Cl: w > 0: 0 z ct Cl: (!) LL 0 w 0 (/) :I: I-- Cl: 0 z \__. I ,, '1 I ( ! ,,;·.:' ~;:.:._. ·• . '·· . . HISTORY OP HOWELL 189 ,J. Holt; treasurer, .Richard E. Barron; school inspector, Benjamin J. Wessinger; hi1?hway commissioner, James B. Filkins; cor,stab]P.~. David P. Lake, 8tephen G. Fishbeck; member board of review, Thomas Lamoreaux. HJOO-Su!i}ervisor, Walter W. Knapp; clMrk, Frank J. Holt; treasurer, John B. Barron; school inspector C. E. White; justice of th6 peace, David D. Harger; highway commissioner, ,vrniam H. Peavy; constable, 8tephen G. Fishbeck; member board of review, Eurias Marr. 1901-~upervisor, W. H. S. Wo<1d; clerk, Frank J. Holt; treasurer, John B. Barron; scho0I inspector Samuel M. Yerkes; justice of the peace, Richard D. Roche; high·va~· commissioner, William H. Peavy; constAbles, FrP."',nHn Rorabacher, S. David Anderson; mPmber board ,..,f review, Laverne D Brodcway. 1!)02-Supervisor, W. H. S Wood; clerk, Frank ,T. Holt; treasurer, Plin G. Henrv; ~chool inspector, R. Bruce Satttrla; justice of thf.! peace, Glean S. Mack; highway commissioner, vVillinm H. Peavy; com-tables, SAmuel D. Ander~on, Freeman Rorabacher, Henry H Collins. HJ03-Supervisor, ,John Kirk; clerk, Frank ,J. Holt.; treasurer. P. J. Henry. l!J04-Snpervi3or. Tim P. Stowe; clerk, :B,rank J. Holt; treasurer, Wilhnr B. Johnson; school inspector, R. B. Satt.erl:i; justice of the peace, David D. Harger; Lo fill v:1c~ncy, Anilrew J. Brown; highway 190 HISTORY OF HOWELL commissioner, lUchard Hale; constables, Hemy H. Collins, Stt-phen G. Fishbeck; member board of review, Eurias Marr. -1906-8upervisor, Tim P. Stowe; clerk; Frank J. Hol~; treasurer, \.Vilhur John sou; school inspecte>r, Howard Warner; justice of the veace, Ricb~rcl Roche; hii?hwav commissioner, Richar-d Ha.le; con stables, Stephen Fishbeck, F. Rorahacher, Roy Jubb, William H. Peavy,; member board of review, Gilbert Sargent. 1906-Supervisor, E. Miller Beurmann; clerk, Frank J. ?-lolt; treasurer, James H. Miner; school 1 nspector, H.. Brnce Satterla; jnstice of the peace, Alfred E. Papv;orth; bighwav commissioner, Frank M. Miner; con::itables. H. H. Collins, Freeman Rorabacher, William J. Culver, Harry L. Willia:ns, member board of review, Frank R. Crandall; librc1ry directors, Thnma~ Gordon Jr., 1\1. J. McPherson. W H. S. Wood. 1907-Supervisor, ..8 M11ler Bcurmann; clerk, Frank J. Holt; treasurer, James H.. M.iner; · si:hool pinse':!tor, Howard C. Warner; va~anry, Jolm Earl ; justice of the peace, Herbert Satterle; highway eomrnissioner, Engeoe E . Howe; constables, Fred Sttrcker, William J. Unlver, He"'rY H. Collin s , FrH1 Satterla; member board of review, Adelbert F. Peavy; lidrary directors, George Barnes, Albert D. Thompson. Ul08- Supervisor, E Miller Bcunuanu; clerk, HISTORY OF HOW.IDLL Hll Frank J. Holt; tieasurer, Anurew .J. Brown; school im;pector, vVm. R. Wbitaker; justice of the peace David D,. Harger; librflr~ directors, R. Bruce Mc- Pherson, Geo. H. Chapel; Highway commissioner, Eugene E. Howe; constables, Wm. ,T. Culver, Albert Satterla, 1:fon!'YH . Collins, Freeman Rorabacher; memher board of revif:lw; Frank R. Crandall. rno9-Supervisor, E. :\1iller Beurmann; clerk. Frank J. Holt; treasurer, Andrew J. Brown; ·justrce of the peace, Richard D. Roche; highway commissioner, Job1.. P. Lockwood; highway overseer, Charles Melentine; constinles Wm. F. Culver. Ray E. Lats0n, Henry H. Collins, Freeman Rorabacher; library directors, Louis S. Brook~, Martin J. Mc- Pherson; member of reyiew, Adelbert F. Peavy. CHAPTER XI Up to No,r In 1880 Bunter & Hulmes tb,en building c•(mlruc · tor::. hel'e, cornmcmced the P.ractiuu of au opern house. The building was openeu 111 1881, with Joseph Je.ffer~on. It was at once a conTt•nieDce for the town v.·hith was fully appreciated and ha~ n.hn1 rs eiajoyed a loynl pat.ronage from Howell people for public meetings. As a play house the patronage has bet•11 0f ~lrn streaked order, sometimes strong alld theu not so good, but usually pretty fair for a town the size of Howell . 1-'he buildi11~ rnterprise proved to heavy for tht! b11ilders and th" bailding l\'cnt CHi the mortgl3gu . lt was owned for imhil11 by Detroit parties nnl1 · wa:c; then purchased l>y Arthur Garlnnu who hu~ sine~ mar~aged it iUltl 1·ond\lcted his lrn~ines::-thL~re. October ~. lfH):!, f1re broke out in the lrnRtmPnt of Isaac Bush's grocer~ on Grand HivC'r ~treet , betweeu Division a.nd ~tate streets, The flue &.top had f:dllm on.t of the chirnne~· in the bt\semenl. People in the store adjoining, hnrned out s~me papers ::i.nd truck, in their stove, The fire w~s drtnTn down througb tho ehiu.1ney, with tht rest1lt already giveu. It bad a ·.:~~- ..·. !. . ... · . ~':· -f. .·.J... , ·.'~, HISTORY OF HOW Ji]LL 1 !J good he11dwa~· before diiwovered. and was ~oon beyond ccmLrvl. A!l the buildings iu thnt 1.Jlock, fronting on Grand River sL1·,-et, except the east storf', were burned. 'l'he losR was e::stimatecl at $75,000, -i\.mong the hcuvy loosers were Hickey & (foodnow who occupied a douhle store. The building collapsed brforA anyone cxi,ecte<i and t:everal people bad very narrow ,e:,cupes. Oliver Cook had to be pulled out. Mrs, Ji1 • G. Hir.key ,vas cuugbt by one foot, 'lnd <'ulled loudly for tbos!'I 11ear to get an nxe and cut off her foot. Crowbars were secmrcrl 1111d slrn wni:-; finally pried loosP., --Yith great effort. l_:'rnuk U. HiekPy and Darwin Wines were very Hoon mi~sed. ']'heir ren1flinR wore found in the ruins as soon as th e fire was sufficiently under control ~o that th~ anxious ones could senreh for them. Mr. Hickey was sPnior mea1ber of the lirm. .Mr. Wines \';as a ('.Ontractor und builder. In the fall of 18HOI -LH1.C harles Fishbeck who was soou to retire from office of Jndg1\ of Probnto, took steps to organize a second bank for Howell. J . A . .rilay who had had sowe experi1 ·11ce i11 the business was securc·<l to :ea<l ir, the ent e rprise and sev~ral good men were soon inl.erestec1. Preliminnr:v meetings w~re beld iu Fisbr,eck's office. The application for a charter was filed Nov. 28 of that year. The charter wns granted ,Jan. 12, 18!)1. Miller Bros. who httd for years run a saloon and cigar factory, abont that timP bought the block where 193 HIS'l'OH.Y OF HO\VELL they lrnve since bren. 'I'lrn room they vacated was fitted up far the bank which took the LH\me of FirHt State and Savings Bank of Howell, l\lir,higun. The first officers were ULarles Fishbeck, president, Frnnk G . Hickey, vice president; J. A • .May, cashier; directors, Uhurles l'lll'tis, Frank: G. Hickey, Charle~ Fishbeck, Asa Va11E::tet·k. J . A . .May, John H.yan, !:-:i.B . Rubert. l'he bank 01,cned for business Jan. 13, 1891. 'fhe present board of direct<,rR are Charles A. Uooduow, Arthur Gn.rlaud, Asa Vun.Kleek, George Barnoi,, Joh11 Rrnn, li1 • 0. Burt, W. P. Vari Winkle, The officers are, presitbnt, W. P. Van\Vinkle; vice prei-.;ident, Asa VunKleek; cashier. A. L. bmith; n~siHtant en.ohier, L. R. ~Janning. (;eorge H. Hu:wl wot id who wns tl1e fin,t ngent line for the Ann Arbor R H iulPt·esu·d hiu1s1-M in u fnct.ory projent nnc1 rail:'ed tlic 11,c1:essttl'.Vr noney to sc- <:n t·e A. A. and Fr«·d Piatt and E«lwanl Pol'lcr \Yho 111uvf:dh e!'ef rom H11dscm with tlwir b~111liug works. The company took the unrnes oi '.L'lie llowoll Manufacturer (J(). aud n1:111ufaelnre«l ,1nite a11 ex- 1e11sive line ofbeut woodwork. In 18Dl tht ·ir works . which stood near the present milk faet.ory site, \Vere hnr 110d, 'fhey w,~re 1t'llllil. ni r,u a rnnch srnuller !icale but wero lmmed ugai n i11 1893, By this time they hnd worket1 nr aht,Ht all t.Irn availaLle tim1 er in this ~eet.ioo 1rnd t.he worh wcm1 never rebuilt lrnre, The Pintts mond t0 Lnn~ing. lll~TOR'f OF HOWELL 194 Along- in the '80s James M. Turner of LansiIJg , organized a milk faetory tlwre, taking the _name of Michigan Co11deni::edM ilk Co. In time hti «:asnnlly askPCl \Vm. l\lcPherson or.cduy, if be knew where a man · eoul<l be secure<l to take holt1 of their business in Nnw York, to look after ~ale::1. This talk led to the employment of Birt F. PnrRon~ who clo.:od ont. his 1rnsine$ S hen· and moved to New York. for that pur - pose. Shortly nfter this Jnme~ F. ~loy ;mil C, H . Bulil of Detroit, 1w,~n11c(l the business from .Mr. Tnrner, Largr!ly thron~h l\Ir . J>nrsons' personal etl'o:ts t)1P husrne~s grew nutil t.hr, eompAny required more milk thnn ono factory'~ «·apneity. Mr. Pan~ons l'f'D1ern· hered hi-s ol«l home town :11111 took the rnnrfor np hr.re. A rnroling wa.c: h<'l1l i11 tli~ Opern Hon~o 111 1891 nnd t.hn reqnired ho111tR nf $5,000 wns rni.~e<l t11 srcn rn the fuetory. Fo1· 1,nme 1'rn1e milk w11~ Fhipp<'d to Lan~in~. H:,: t.he time t.lw fn~toi·y wn1-; r<·ndy ttw,·c· wns milk PII · ongh <·orning in In Rtn.i·t work hrr1~. It. \'\'llS Opt>ne<l in 1893, with E. P. (hPgon · n~ snporintcmdont .. Tfo rr~ii:,11<d in 1901 nnrl Wm . ~. Sn.nderlnnclR ~nccE'ch•,l him to thnt. ooRition. 1'fa~ R of 1.hnt.y cur. rr1i~ fnrt.ory hns for yPnrR rf'crh'erl an nvcrnr.e of !l0,0(10 pound!4 of milk rm.· ,lay. It hns avera1r1:d paying the farmer8 $:-360,000 per year for mllk, :u11l over $4<1,000 pc1· yent· tn }1rlp. Other fa<'tories ban paid in chi>1:ksa t. pnnic.~· t.imcs hut the HO\':'l'lll factor-y 195 HISTORY OF HOWELL has uiways ornvided the eash without a single failure. 'l'he value to the whole ,~ornmunity, by having thi:i atream of money Ho wing i:! 1 P-gularly. winter II nd 1mmmer, is beyoud compC'tio11. In 1881, W, K. Sexton who then !i,·ecl on his fan• in Marion, bong ht serne Holstein cattle at Ht. Clairville, N. Y. He wa~ t-O wei l plen!:'e<l ,, i th them thl\i when thP. man from wlu,m he p11rchase1l imported from Hc,llund in 1882, Mr . Sexton f:Pcured some to come with liis. At that time this sectio• was co11sidernbly note.d for Dnrham cuttle ttnd Mr. Sexton's blaek ano. white st.oel~ crenterl atl ~iurls or eomnwnt when he showed them n.t the con11t) fnir tbat full. He hn<l cnrefnlly st.nddied his ln·e~d how - ever nud given the111 11 s1-ivere test, un11 pinned hi11. faith to tlJC Hol~IPius . 1;,ul' his enrl'ful work in those dtws t.Jrn ind1rnl I'." hne hns much to he thankful. In thnt first imp.irtntion was u noble cow ·:;it.h th'l drnrnct.eristie Hol111nc.l name of Houwtje. Recognizing her vulne Mr, SPxt.o,, move.:: his operations largely toward hi>r family. He i1n,i;l;i ved to set them amoni? the count!'\'\; le~dn·s. Frn.11k Metz who worked for Mr. Sexton, cutH?ht. his ur,•or and entbnsiasm. and was the second Holstein man here. Horace Norton !:loon followed . All of these were in Marion but they laid the foundation for what hns become, heyond any qneslion, Howell's greatest anJ most paving erterprise, The advent of the milk factory h11d much to rle Hl$1.10RY OF HOWELl, 196 with the developement of the Holstein industry. R. C. Reed, now o~th e firm of Reed & Know 1,~;,,; Fra11k Crandall, The McPi1erson Farms Co., Dr. W. C. Huntlngton, F. W. \lunson, W. W. Crittenden, J. W. Worbington, E. l-'1 Gregory and other Howell farmers are extensively engaged in Holstein breed mg . The A. lt. 0. movement which requires record of production before registr.r, has found hearty support here, and the fame of Flowell cattle, iucluding several formers in other towns, is as wide ns this country. Messrs. ~eed and Cra,1dall have been officers of the state and national Holstein breeders associations. Uar load lots of th ')roughbreds are regularly shipped fro·n this markel to breeders every whPre, Howell bein~ tbe only place where choice specimens o[ this breed cnn regularly be purchased in such q~a.utities. The ti·a1le in Holstein gradPs too is ,ery large. Bo many buyC'l'S come from all parts of the country thnt D. M. Bec·kwith has made it his regular bm;iness for some time pa!:t t" aet as a sort of broker to bring, theRe bt1yers in contact with the cattle available for sale on farms in this county. In the matter of rncords, Howell cattle nre right at the fre,nt . Houwtje K. Pietertje DeKol. No. 61,543, leads with a record of 99 .6 pounds of milk in one day and 675 pounds in seven days. Her butter record in seven days was 18.98 pounds. She is owned by McPherson Farms Co. The 90 pound class ht1s a large number of cows hereabouts. 197 HISTORY O.P' HOWELL Going pt ices paid to farmers for thoron ghbrid Holsteins run around $250, with choice animals more than doubling thoi:)e figures. F1,r grades the farmers are receiving $60 tn $80 . Year after year, in the state medical society, tbe question of establishing a stute sanitorium for th e treatment of tuberculosis, was di:::cus.sed. Committees were often appointed, only to be turned down by the Legislaturo. In 1905 t.ne matter was brought. on aguin by a paper in the stn.te meclical society, by Dr, Hartz of Detroit. It was decided to make another trial and Dr. Hartz bellame · chnirrnan of 1,he committee t0 take the matter up nt Lan~ing. Somt local pbysicinns becnme interested and. brought the matter to the ntteniion of Senator Rumer and Representative VnnKeuren of this district, 11url posted them as to tbe need and vnlne of such an institution, ,v11nn the hill reached the Lrgislature, tbey were both among its stronQ~·st sunpc,rters · When it passed with nn appropriation of $30,000 to establish the instirntion nnd mninta.iti it fot the coming two yei-ns, Dr. W. U. Hunt.ingto11, to use a modern expression, got busy. Dr. Huntiu1?ton'fl son Harrr hud recE-ntly returned from treatment in a similar institution in the ea~t. He nnd his father, at once bei:.?an a search of property in this vicinity for the most available site. They picked the grounds we:ch were nfterwards decided upon. HISTORY OP HOWELL 198 Dr. Huntington then called a meeting at the "eugine house", and the matter was taken up, It was decided to go after the institution and committees w~re anpointed nccordingi.v. E. P. Gregory who wag chairman of the meeting, became chnirman of the genf'rnl committ~e. Eyeryone pulled together and the institution was secured. rrhe first board, was Di< Hartz of Detroit; Hon. Geo. W. Teeple of Pinckney; ]?rank B. Leeland of D~troit; Dr. Lohnson of Grnnd Rapids; Dr. Gray of Clnl'e and Dr, Copeland of Ann Arbor. Dr, Kennedi• of Detroit was its first superintendeLt. The local committee raised the money to present t.he site to the stut(', as nn in<lncerneDt to locate hr.re. D1·, Pierct3 l~ now superintendent. The present hoard is dS follows: Dr. Hartz of DetrQit; Dr. Johnson of Grauel Rnpids; Hon. Geo . W. Teeple of Pinckhey; Dr. Gra.r of Clare; Dr. Hmsdnle of Ann- Arl.1or, and Dr. F. Il. Leeland of Detroit. In 18J8, B. A Bowman opened a little bazaar store in tile C,1rdwell hloek It wusn 'ta very large im;titution and while Howell hns a welcome for large and small alike, r10 one thought a. great deal about it anyhow. In :.\fr, Bowman's cles:i ii:; n little brown e•1ve!ope labeled "First sale, March 15, 1898." It co11t .:.:insf ive rents. \Vbile the stock wa, :miall, it8 owner possessetl 1nl! JD • HISTORY OF HOWELL domitable will, courage, courtesy and hustle.' These qnalities didn't show up on the first invoice, but they went right into the business with the little stock. After •.twhile, the ~tol'e moved to a more central lora· tion and then to one of I.he }ingest stores in town. rrhen came a balcou~·, n blsemont. fittecl up foi· additional department:;:, a com111<,diouss tore house erected iu the rear and au umwx in another building. At the sta1-t, Ml'. Bowman arid a Loy took care of all the tradc.i and had lots of time. Now, ~even clerks are regulady empluyed, lllOte Oil SattmJn.rs and in the holiday !-!eason, as high as twenty-eight have been reqniretl to lake care of the t.rndc . 'rl10 little store has l!row11 to be I.he lenckr in ii.:,; li11cs. Its n marvelous clevelopment. In the early '80s. 1"m11k H. Bush built Howell's first greculwn::;c. It stc,ocl on lltf' ground no-w occupil'd by John Kingque1:,t.'s house. Por two or three vears he did n good ln1sinrs. nnd then having engnge<l in the news and i:onfcctionury business allowed bis g1 eenhou~r, to go <lown. B? the way thi:,; yolllH! man's cnnfediona1·y hnsi uess was in the roo111 now occnpi• cl by Kirk'::; millinery rtore on Stat-e street His peanut roaster wns u. new thing rn H()w<:1,1 t1llll gnvd him a l.:ig lnrnincs, and this m tnl'll gnYe to tl1e row of t.wo story business places, then lnt.ely erec•tu1, t.he name of "Peanut Row\ whid1 it has si11ee hc·ld. About. twent,Y years ng-o, l\irs Geo. B. Lake who r . 'ff. I . • 11,: It I·;I; ,... 11rl 1 :11 ~: {4 . G~5 . .·1~ ·~ .. \ ·' i J 1 HISTORY OF HOWELL ~00 was then livin~ with her father, Dr. Z . II. nlnrEh, built a small greenhouse adjoining her home. .Ahont that time a yonng man named S11mnel D. Chaney arri vea · in Howell and arranged to work for Mrs. Lake for his no:.wd, tind go to ~chool. The greenhouse tec:nme lari;rely his care. Chaney afterwur<ls became _an operator 011 thf Chicago Bop.nl of Trade, where he made 11 ha n<lsome fortnne. He retire<l a few years ago and built a splendid h01ne at ,Joliet, Ill . , and ha!= a fine :rnmmer home nt. Chnntauqna Lake N. Y. Soon after '.Mr. Chaney gaye np his jnh of working in the g::eenhonse for his board, .J. Albert. Brown was emplo)'ed by .Mrs. Lnke. He worked for her abont seven years, and thirteen vears ago, pnrchase<l tl1e property. Under l\Ir . Brown's skilful management t~e business of flower culture has <leveloped to one of the best irr this section of the state, en.Hing fo1· several large houses, well eqnipned with the very latest appliances. The idea of raiGing vegetables nndP.r glass wns new here when Lee Chamberlain took: it up wi1h Howell people in HlOG. He snr,c!Peded i 11 iutore$ting enpital with him and ()rgauized the firm of Lee Chamber lain & Co. Arrangements were mac.le with the \Vater Works and Ele ctric Li iht Board to rnn waste steam from their works for heating purpo£es and the green houses were built. In J !}07 the eld fh:m was cha1~ged to an ineorporatiun under the name 201 f1ISTOB.Y OF HOWELL of How .•11G rrnnbot,~eCo., Mr. Chamberlain remaining in the general management : At this writing two houses eacli two by twelve rods in size, have been under cultivation since the company began operations, · and a third is to be erected in the very near future, The leading products are lettuce, tomatoes and cuembers which find ready mark et at hoIDe and in the citiei, all through the winter. Another greenhouse was built by Walter Papworth; in connPction with his market garden business, some yenrs ago. It has laid tl,e foundtition for quite an exten.5ive industrr, Every spring, tomatoes and other plants which ar~ started there, are shipped to towns all through this part of the state. When William McPherson first established hig store in Howell. o. few drugs were amon~ the sto ~k nH they nre in all country stores. Later, when be fcrnfed the nartnershin with William Rhldle and rnovel1 to the comer now occupied by 0, J. Parker's dtug store, the druE?s became a main stock, gradually develoning, until a few years later, a fully equipped drug store wu~ to be found there. In time the late H. P. Browning came here to clerk in this drug st.Jre, md fol' some Jears managed it for l\fr. Mc- Pherson and Son. Ln.ter this stock was owned by Henry D. Wilber who rnn it for a good many years, finailf moving to the old \Vinans block, where crockery, etc, was nddecl, and where it went out in the first big fire which swept that block. HISTOHY OF HOWELL .Another rnrly drng ~tore m1:,.; run by E, A. Youuj.!'s who gailled quite a l'f')lHtatiuu with hi~ 111(Hti1·inl·:--. l\lr. Youngs ~old out to W. F. Uritlith who r,rn t.lw i-;to1c fur a short timP nt1d :-:old it. to 0. ,J. Parker, twent.,-five re:m, ag0. :?iir. l'nrker 1110\'etl to the M . .J . McPherson blo<~1w': heu it wn:-; t:0111plet.e<la nd h•1:-: l.•een the1·~ i-inl'I:', lmt is ~0011 tn mm·r to tlw Uree11am1y blJck. ATJother eat·ly drng storf' wa~ J>r. Hla111•k'1-. 'II \\'HS 101·:ited in t!tt~ Oreen hl01·k, aftc·nr11rd:,.;,k nown as ,\lcKeever hlo,·k. Or . Blan1·k :--old to A. H. Phin11Py who moYed the fhwk to thr Va11KlePck hloek, whrl'e it was solrl to Tim P. ::;u,\\'t: nnd K K. ,Jolrns1111. Thr.y we~·e tog-ether for 1-~Yen or ei,d1t years, w!JP11 illr. ,Johnson, in .li-iSO, bought liis partner':-; i11terf'st·;e;. \\'hen this "'ll!:,: done, t}w i-tcwk w11s in what. is 110w krn,wu as Monro1~ Brot.h1·1'11 ' ldock. It wni:: 111nv1•11 from ther,~ lo the Gregory bl,wk in ~!JO!J. Sometimt> nftei· :,;:ellini.:l-iiF-inten•$ts in the !inu of ~towe & Johni-on, Mr. St.n,H' stnrtecl II new <irn~ !:-tore, whi<:h lie 1·nn for !':OJntt"i 111ea ntl I lien i-old -to Barron & Wine:--. Drs. Spenct'r & Hut .ton tlll'I ied :1 g10wi11g st<wk ot medi<.'ines in their office~. \Vhcn the:-;e m.'re n11ited in the format.ion of tbPir medical partnership, it pret :- ty nearly macfo a drug :.;tore of itself. They wen~ leaders in their line for !'iome years, and were sutceeded by H~nry P. Spencer, who sold to E. Hercnclean, who :lftenrnrih; faileil ,rn<l the stotk wn~ largely ~old (J) 0 C J: (J) 0 m 0 Ti C) XI J> z 0 :0 < ro :0 (J) :0 m m ::r: 0 rm r 208 HISTORY OF HOWELL at auction, the balauce beiu!? stored for some yeMs, in a barn. Another very early drug store was that of Frank Wells. He moved from here to Lansing where h~ was prominent in Liusiness circl6s for several years.· In 1901 W. H. S. Wood was elected Supervisor and he propo::;ed a petition ior a vote on the propo- S!tion of not to exceed a one mill tax for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a township librarv, and among the firQt signers thereof were M. J. McPhPrson, Wm. Van Winkle and K. S. B. Holt. Meanwhile 1\lr. Woed also wrote to Andrew CarneJ;?ie who offernd $10,000 for a library Luilding if sight · and ten percent er $1000 was promi,.ed for• aunual maintenance. The vote ,vas taken at the April eleetion in rno2,u o great dfort being made to iufl. ueuce voters, except some quiet argument~ and letters in the pref's by members of the Howell Woman's Club, Mr. \Vood having stated that he desired the voters and taxpayer~ . to exercise a careful and consistent choice in supporting or rejecting it, bnt it carried by a vote of about two to one. The Township Board then aupointed suitable c·ommittees ana thE:.p lan:5 of archttect. E. E. Meyer:; of Detroit, who was alsn the archete~t of the Stat~ Cup1tol nt Lansing, and those of 'l'exas, Colorado and Illinois were accept~d. l\ieanwhile, the sons of William l\foPherson, viz. Wm. Jr., E. G., l\L J. nnd Alex. secured and purj I ; . HISTORY OF HOWELL 204 chased the entire block on Grand River street for1:nerly occupied by ,he old foundry and presented it fora site, die . ceLtrel fro1;1t where t 11e building st;rnds being ac.cepted by the township and the romoinder of the block by the village ns a park. It was decidtd to build the library of field stone or glacial granite, found in fields near here an1 it has certainly made as fiiie nn appearing library building · as there is in the t::tate and being cm the. best thorougiifarP., is generally noted and remarked about by all strangers passing in automobilt·s, etc The con~ract was let to G, Kuehnle, he being the only bidder on the 6ntire bnil<li11g lilld it was commenced in the spring of HJ03, hHt after getting the waHs up and roof boards un, the contrar.tor faihid and it so remained until Mr . Camegie wns induced by M. ,J. McPherson, to make a further appropriation of five thousand dollars, by which it w:1s completed and the oui1ding was open'"n for use Thnrsd1y, Novembet· 19, 1906, with an address by H.ev. Dr. J. H Barkley ()f Detroit. The first Bvard ol Township Library Commissio11· ers, elected in 1903, consisted of M. J. i\tcPherson, W. H. S, Wood, Rev. Brooke, Thomas Gordon .Jr., Ge0rge Chapel and George Barnes and since then, R. B. McPh~rson, A, D. Thomp~on and Rev. Cooper have acterl tnereon. Miss Lucy Chapel was appointed librarian. 'rhe books of the Ladies Libra1 ·y Associatiou, were· trans 205 HISTORY OF HOWELL ferred tu it. The e:hildren ,,f Mrs. William McPherson Jr., prllsented five hundred dol!ar::: worth , of new books, the late Solomon . Hilde,,rant and Dr. W. J Mills and others ~ave :..,ooks and W . .Ii . . 8. Wood gave about two thousand law arld E!'OvernrnPnt reports. When l\'1iss Chapel resigned Februar) 14, 1!)10, Mrs. Myrtle Wilkinson was appointed to the position. · The library i~ opened every weekday from two to five p. rn. und 011 l\fonday, Wednesday and Saturday eyeniugs from seveu to nine p. 111.. It ,.ow has about G,000 volumes, and is mneh used uud apprecinted br tne public. and especialiy the pupils in the public schools. It belong~ to the entire township of How~ll, i~ a free circulnting librar~, books being allcn•el: to he kept two week~. except refrrence books. A law Wd.S pa~sed in 190G. d:-awn by W. H. S. \Vood and introduced b.,· Senritor George Bi:trnes, al· lowing adjoining town!:; t.o join with Howell in its st1pport an<l use, bnt. it hris not ns yet been availed of liy tbern. In ,January, 1907, Prof. D. F, Clark established the Howell Business College, uffllliated with the Bliss Business Uollegfl of Flint, Prof. F. 1\1. Dye was placed in chnrge for tho first year. Prof. W. A. Clnrk became the Ilene} of the school the following fall and is still in that posit.ion, The college bok a lligh grade for its work, from the start, and hus mnintained it. It~ list. of stndents im8 been IArger each yrnr thnn t.he yenr before. },,: ? -; ,,',. . -- ·--·-·-------------- HISTORY OF HOWELL 206 OIJ May 9th, 1909, A. Riley Urittendeu learned that a Detroit factory was looking for a location with more canital. The business lookeJ go0J and he soc,n arranged to bring the parties into contact with How - ell people. Before 110011 the next day th~ mutter was practically cinched ar:d on May 20th a contrud was signed whirh resnlted in the establishment of the Wic~km1n1 Wire ,v0 1 ks here. The company is incorporated for $12,000 with H.J. Wir,kman, Hobert S. Layman, Wm. McPherrnn Jr, R. B. McPherson, 1\:I. J. McPherson, B E . .McPherson, 0, J. Parker E. U. Shields, Jay C. Walton and Fre<l P. Schroeder ns stockholders. I ts first officers were: Pre::;ident-R. B. :McPherson. Vi~e President and GE-neral Ht~pei-intendent--H. ,J. Wickman. Secretary-Treasnrer-H. E. McPherson. The romoany manufaetures a line of wire specialties with a twisted wire ~avetrongh holder ns a leader. Its first Eeason was highly ::;ucessful nD<l prospects are bright for a material increu::;e in business. Wm. H. Wenk developed a genius for medrnnics as a small boy, on n farm in Deerfield. HP. gradually ievelopcd a saw mill and cidet· mill and made quite a line of cider mill machinery. Early in 1908. he outgrew his country facilities and bought a site from A, M. \Veils on the bank of Thompson's lake. There he erect1:d a building in the upper portion of which he placed his Deerfield business. In the basement 207 HISTORY OF HOWELL he equipped a first-class r.reamery. Capital was mteresterl in this change and the Howell Mannfactuiug Oo. wns the result. It was incorporated at $15,000 , The new industry was opened for business Sept. 15, 1909 aud seem:; to be enjoying a pros· perous ll.nd growing patrouage . City officials of Jate years have been ·as foliows: 1870-President, Henrv H. Mills; clerk, Dennis Shields; asse~sor, Wm. Ct1rtis; trustees, Albert Riddle, 'Wm. C. Rumsey. Francis N. Monroe, Calvm \Vilcox, Andrew D. \Vaddell; marshall H. C. Brig~s, st~·eet commissioner, Solemon T. Lyon; nonnd master, J&mes Fitzgerald; trearnrer, H. U. Brigg~. 1871-Pregiclent Sardiae f11 • · Hubbell; clerk, Andrew D. Waddell,L assessor, ·wm.B . Smith; t.nisteec,, Neil O'Heai·[J, George H. Uooper, Floyd H. Wvkoff, Charles G. Jewett, nnd George Gree,naway; mar~hall, Leonard N. Fishbeck; street commissiouer, William E. Huntly; treasuret·, fJeonard N. Fishbeck, 1872-President, Sardias F. Hnhbell; clerk, Andrew D. Wn11dell; nss"'ssor, Calvin Wilcox;t1ustees, ,Tohu W. \Vright., GeorgeL. Sage, Robert C. Hutton. ~John M. ,vhite, ,Toh11J ones; marshall nnd trea~mrer, Henry A. Whipple; street commissioner, Wm. E. Hnutly. 1873-President, Niel 0' Heorn; clerk, Edward B, Gregory; assessor, Harry J, Haven; trustees, F. · N . Mouroe, Asa VanKleeck, \Vm. Beattie, Sylvester Andrews, Albtrt Riddle; mari:;hall and tJ'easurer, Hiram Hoppe:r; street commissioner, Wm. 0, Rum· SP)'. !l ISTOHY O:B, HO WBLL 208 1874-President, .B,. N, .Mourot>; cle1·k, Hoyal II, Rrnusey; as\3essor, Beuj, Rnbert; trustees, \Vm . 'vV. Finton, ,Tames A. Preston, William rn. \Vnt&:011, Honce G, \V, Fry. George Bmih; .l\fr, Fry never qualified and g , B. Grng-ory wns elected to n1rn11ey; ::-:treet commissiouer, Ulrn1·l,~s B1i1.d1111n; 11111n,hall nnd treasurer, W1u. Hn1nanl, 187G-Presirie11t, Horace Halbert; de1 ·k, K f'. <.frego1·y; asse~sor, F. ,J. Hi ckey; trustees, \Vrn B. ,Jewrtt, .J. M, White. l!""'r<!LlericHk , Hi own, ltoswell .:\lo~.t., Er ,:~tus \Vatl'(in s ; 11rnr::d1all and treasurP1 ·, \\Tm . .B,. Barnard; street <:mnmiseiollf·I', C, Brigham. 187<i-l're sideut ., ll:11T.1· .1. Haveu; clerk, ltullin H . Per sou; assfssor, Alh 1·1t Biddle; trnstff'~, .Arn Va11Kleeek, Hobert A Challlbers, Willi:'1111L . KunpJ>, ,John vV. Wrighl, N"il 0' llenm; 111n..rsltalal 11d trens· nrer, G.:o:.. Uu~h; street. <!Ollllllif-'~ioBer,, John Lee. ]877 Presidt>ut., Asa V!!nKlrFck; del'k, Hollin H, Person~ 1,:-51sp~sor, Wrn. B. Srni tl1; tnrntees, H. H. H,nmsPy1 L. N. l!""'ishoeck,S tepht-n 8, Mo,,1·e, H. A, Chambers, ,J, \V. \Vrig-hi; · mnrsl1111l a.n<l t.l'easurer Arthur F. B'ield; street eo111ruissione1·, Thomas J. \Vinegar: pound ma~ter, ,Jolin Rons ton. :878- President, Neil 0' Ht>arn; l{oyal H. Humsey; assessor, Willio ,m 13. Smith; trustees, \Vm. H. Gilkes, Leonard N. FishbPck, Harry ,J. Haven, Frank Kelly, George H. \Vnrren; street. comniissiouer, Thomas J. Winei;rnr; treiisurer, Thomas Lilark; health offir,er, Vv.L . Wells. 20D HISTORY OF HOWELL 1879-President, John · H. Galloway; clerk, R. H. Rumsey i assei:::sor, Benj, H. Rubert; 1,rustee, Asa VanKleeck, Mylo L. Gay, Wm. :B. s~ith, .F. N. Monroe, Leandt>r C. Smith; street cnmmissioner, T. J. Winegar; marshall, Thomas Clark; healt'2 offieP.1· H.R, Hitchcock. 1880-President, Leander C. t,mith; clerk, Royal H. Rumsey; trustees, F. N. Monroe, Theodore B. Knapp, Wm 1\foPbersou Jr, Asa VanKleeck, W. W. Kenyon; sssessor, Albert Riddle; street comrnisioner, Ubaries Brigham; treasurer, Thomns Clark; health officer, R. C. Hatton. 1881- P{·esident, Wm. B, Hmith i derk, Clrnrles H. Brou 1 n; asessor, Albert Riddle; trustees, Wm. W. Kenyon, RobPrt A. Chambers, Theodore B. Kna1·p, John M. Clark for one year, Horner N. Rench, F. N. Monroe, Charles L, (1ollier, L. N. Fishbeck for _two years; street commissioner, Alonzo Teasdale; treasurer, rrhomas Clark; hoalth ()fficer, Henry N, Spencer. 1882-President, Harry J. Haven; elerk, Frank O. Burt; assessor, Albert Riddle; trustees for two years, Henry D. Wilber, Edward Greenaway, Lorenzo H. t3ulivan, to fill vacancy, Leslie E. Woodrnff; ~treet cornmissi.oner, A. Teasdale; marshall, Thomas Clark; pound mas tar, J obn Herbert; health offi~er, lienry N. Spencer. 1883-PresideIJt, vVrn. W. Kenyon, clerk, .Patrick J. Hammel: assessor, H. G. W. Frv; trustees, John " . ' ; I ~ • . ;_ . <.-·/; . '., .. ,. I !- I'' . . HISTORY OF HOWBLL 210 V. Gilbert, John W. Wright, Edwin C. S,veet 'l'heodore · B. Kn .a pp; vacancy, Charles A. Wood 1 street co~missiouel.·, A. Teasdale; treasurer, Thomas Clark. 18~4-Pre~ideut, George P. Dudley; clerk, George H. Chapel; a::..sessor, Homer N. Bet1ch; trustees, :B,rank P. Archer, Charles 'B,1itz, Alfred E . .t'apwcrth, Loreuzo H. Sulivan, vacancy, Winton B. Brooks; night watch, Thomas Clark. 1885-President, J uy Corson; clel'k, George H. Chapel; 1h,se;::;sorG. eo:·ge W. Axtell; trnstees: Thomas G. Switzer, EL.iger Nobh,, · Frank J. Holt, Culvin Wilcox; hetJlth officer, E. B. Pratt; strt-et commissioner, Uhar!es Brigham. I88G-Pr~siaent, E . G. McPherson; clerk, ·will. Force; assessor, Albert Ri<ldle; trustees, F. G. Hickey, William Switz, A, E. Pupworth, W . B . B1·ooks; vaeanc). L .. J. Wright; heaHh officer, n, W. ColPman; marshal and tlea~urer, S. B. Hubert; strel:'t commissioner, Charles Brigham; lamp lighter, Edgar Carpenter. 1887-PresidE- ...t.,. Edward P . Gregory; cle1·k, vVilliam M. Fotee; s~efsor, :Newti,u IGrk; tl'llstees. H. C. Wrie-ht, vuri"aucy, George W . Axtell, Charles .B'ritz, Cbarlcs L. Collier, William H . :Monl'oe, vacancy, Fre·J P. · Schrot-Jd,·r; marshull aud treasurer, Seth H. Rubert; uight \Vtttch, Walter S. Papworth; street commissioner, Winton B. Brooks; h~alth officer, ,John A. Wessinger 211 HISTORY OF HOWhlLL 1888-President, Dennis Shi11lds; cler'.!.. Bernerd L. Walker ; assessor, Thomas B. Clark; .trusteeE>, .Cyl'us S. Sweet, Amos Winegar, Wallace W. Barnard, George H. Chapel, mq,rshall and treasurer, Jerome Wilber; lamp lighter, Jarvis Miller; nibbt watch, Th@mas B. Ulark; health officer, Robert H. Bell, building inspector, L. J. \V light 1889-PresiJent, W. P. Vttn\Vimdt>; clei'l,, A. Hiley Crittenden; asses~or, Lewis J. Wriid1t; t.ru~tees, Henry C. Wright, Thomas O'Connor, Rnliert B, Bell, Andrew B. Fisll.beck, vacancy, Edw11rd ~1anue street commissioner, A. S. Cooper; rnart-liall, night watch and treasurer, Thomas B. Cla:·k; lJealth officer, Will U. Spencer; building iuspectors, C. L. Collier, L. J. Wright, Charles Johmon. 1891)-President, Wm. P. VanWinkle; clerk, Edward J. Drewery; l:iSSeSf=OrL, ewis J. Wright; trustees, Amos Wineg111·,E dwaril Manne, t'l'ank Z. Hubbell, Chas. E. Marston, vac,H::cy John Bickliart; murshall and trea&urer, Lyman V. D. Cook; health officer, Robt. B. Bf-11. 1891-President, Wm. C. Huntington; clerk, Edison Wilber; asi::essor, Lewis J. Wright; trustees, Thomas J. Winegar, P. D, Skilbeck, Thomas Barron, Daniel Purkey, vacanoy, Charles Arnold; street commissioner, A. S. (looper; marshal! and treasurer, L. V. D. Cook; health officer, Dr. R. B. Bell. :!.892-Pres. John Wright; clerk, Andrew Fishbeck; assessor, H. N, Be<\ch; treasurer, James Ryau; HISTORY OF HOWELL 212 trnstees, ,Te1·ome Sherman, Henry ,Jones, Sylvester An<lrews, ,John Bickh·trt; he·llth officer 0. N. Moon; night watch, Thomas · B. Clark; attorney. W. f>. Van Winkle; <,ll eet commissioner ·, ,John Farnsworth; marshall, T. ,J. Winegar; pound master, John Her· l•ert. l\ir. \Vinegar only served a short time as marshall and resigned. Hyr011 Phinps w11s elect"ll t) vacan1~y. 1893-Presiaeut., Jdm \V. \Vright; clerk Edison J. \Vilbi>r; ai;:sessor, Homer N. nench; treasurer, ,Jnmt>s By an; trustees, Fred F. Hubbell, Henry D. \Vilber, Edward C. Sweet, R. Bruce McPherson; mar shtill, St.i>phr.n O. l"ishl>eck; health officer, Alex 0' Neil; 11igl1t watch, 'r. B. Clark; ::;treet commissioner, ,John Farnswol't)1. 18H4-Pr ..~. ident, A 1thm Gnrhmd; "IE'rk, Edison .J. Will,er; 1tssessor, George P. Durlley; tr~asurer, Mill,•r Heunnan; trustees, Herhert J . Acklt3y, A. D, Thoinp ~,rn, Q!arence ,J. Cf)nk, Hugl1 A. McPherson, varancy John E. Gilmore; rnn.rshall, l\L J, Dempsey; uight , watch, Byron !J. Langworthy; water trustees, Thoma!. Gor<lon Jr. Miles W, Bullock, W. C. Huntiugton; ,vuter clerk and impector, Geo. P. Dudiey. 1895-President, ,J. C Walton: clPrk, Henry H. Wi11es; ass~ssor, Homer N. Beach; treasurer, E. i)liller Bt>u rmann; trnstees, C. E. Burns, S. M. Armstrong, GPn, .W. Axtell, Albert Thompson, Hngh A. McPhrrson, Frank Frieund: inarshall, l\I. .J. Demp:sey : stre( :t rommissioner, John Farnsworth: 213 FUSl'OHY OF HOWELL health officer A. O'Neil; attorn~y Luke S. Monta.gue: resigue~ July lf>, D,vig-ht Fitch Hppoiuted: ni!!ht watch, B, D, Langw~,rthr. li-<96-PresirJent, Robert B. Bell; clerk Henry H . . \Vines; tJeasurer, Walter W. Knapp; assessor Amos \\'iuegar; trusteE:s, Audre,v B. Fishbeck, Frank l!,reiund, Hugh A. · McPherson; attorney Dennis Shields; night wntch, Will R. Knapp; ma::shall, Henry Per,tibone; health officer, Alex, O'Neil; fire warden, L, N. F'ishbtck; street commissioner, John Farnsworth; poni1d mast.et, Joirn Herbst; scave 11ger, Abram VnnBlaricum. 1897-President, A. D, Thonrnson; clerk, Ara L. V. D. Cook; asi:-essor, Antos Winegnr; treasurer, Walter vV. Kun pp; tru~tfe~. Ualvi11 Wilcox, Daniel Ra.tz, J 1nvid L. Yonug; street commi~sioner, Jos. Gibouloug; ni!?ht watch, Edgar Corson; rnarshull, Jerome Wilber; health officer, Dr. J. E. Brovvne; attorney, Cl1mde ~rayton; fire warden, Fred Hopper, snperintendn1t and clerk of water works, W P. Govier. 1898-Presiaent, Louis E. Howlett; clerk, Ber· nard L. Walker~ treasurer, R.. E. Ban on; assessor, Walt.er W. Knapp; trustees, Ernest L. Avery, Frederick P. I<;uler, Homer N, Bea<·h; stnC't commisson~ r. ,John Da11iel8; night. wnt~h, Heury Pettibone; attomey, w· H. S. Woud; nrnrbhall, -Eli L . Snyder, henlth offt':!P.l'A, lex. O'Neil; fir~ warden, L. N. Fishher. k; board of assessors, Everett. D. Sorgent, .Julius HISTORY OJ!' HO\VELL 214 Hesse, Fred F. Hubbell; smveyor, l\liles \V. Bullock; superintendent water worl\s, George S, Dmfee. 18~HJ-President, Louis E~ Howlett; clerk, Uernard L. Walker; tren.snrer, Rielrnnl E. Borron: assessor, Walter W. Kna1111; tmstees, Calvin Wilcox, U. P'rank Shields, Amo~ Winegar HIOO- President, Louis E. l luwlctt; clerk, Charles P. Adn.rns, trea 'i>Un-r, ,Joh11 B. Barron; assessor, \Vnlter vV. Kun pp; trustees, Byron Kell~, Electus Hadel en, Uhinles \V. 8lrnrp; water der;<, B. J. ·wilber; elect.l'ic light, nu,1 wnte,· (lo1muission, Fr1!<1 P Schroeder, 0 .. J. Parker, Calvin Wilcox. l!JOl-l-'re~ide11t Thornns Cfordon ,fr.; elerk, Uhnrle:,,; P. Adam~; treasurer, ,John B. Bur, ;Pn; a::;sess<,r, \V. H. S. Wood; trmtec:,, John 'J'. B111111etCt,h aril's I•'. Hhields, T. 0. Newc·mnb; nttonwy, U'. ,l. ShieJdf:; surveyor, l\:I. \V . Bullock; scavl'l1ger, Charles Ac:kley; pound master. Charles Bn b(loek; fire wardf'n, L. N, B1 ishbeek; water clerk, Edson ,J. Will;er. ~902-Pre~ii~ent, E. P. Ore2ory; di•rk, ,Jame~ I. VanKeuren; assessor, \V H. l:::,, \Voocl; trcn~nrer. A. K. Tooley; trustees, Byron Kells, Adolph G, K1wlml ueorge vV. VanVen,t; strr.et eo111mi~sioncr. John Famswortb; surveyor, 1\1, \V. Bullo('.k; night w11tch, \Vm. Culver; S'!::tVfnger, A. V;mBlaricum; pounc1 mas.ttr,,JacobHeld; tire wnrdeu, L. N. I?ishbeck; ,\fr. VanKenren left Ho\n.ll during lii~ term arnl L. R. Manning was elected clnk. 1903...:..President, David D. Harger; clei·k, L. H, 215 RISTO RY OF HOW .h]LL l\lmrning; treasurer, Albert _K. 'rooley; tm~tees, for two years, Edward A. Garland, ·wm. Whitaker, Charles Sharp, for one year Charles Granger; assessor, W. II. S, Wood; nttorney, Jarnfs A, Grsene; health officer, H. H, Baird; night ,rntch, Wm. J. Culver; street comruis::ione1·, John Farns· worth; marsball, Thomas Clork; fire warden, L. N. Fishbeck; surveyor, M. W. Bullock; rnanugf'r, Alonzo B. Johnson; pound master, Thomds H. Clark; members board of review, Wm. Whitaker, '11 . P. Stowe. Mr. Clark's health faileLl during this year and Freeman Rorabarher was appointed his assistant; building inspector, Robert Chamben;, .Asn VanKleech. 1904-l?residt-ut, Amoe Wiu egut·; clerk. Luther IL l\Ianuing; treasurer, Ueorge A, Wimbles; trustees, Henry Jubb, Chal'les L. Granger, John Henr} Helmer, assescor, 'l'imotby P. Stowe; secretary watel' works entl electric light commissioner, D . Hartnell; pountl master, Geo . B. Rn,vmour; fire ·warden, L. N. Fishbeck; marshall, H. H, Collins: he!llth officer, lL H. Baird; night watcli, \Villi:m1 Culver: scavanger, Alonzo B. Johnson: attorney, James A. Greene: street commissioner. · George H. Dieterle. ..r , 1905-President. Electns Hadden: cledc, Luther , ( f'.. R. Manning; treasurer, WilbPr B. Johnson; trustees Edward A. Garland, Andrew 0. Hutchins; assessor , Tim P. Stowe, Alfred Copeland; marshal!, Freeman Rorabacher; health officer, R, ll. Baird; night . watch William Culver: attorney, David D. Harger: street HISTORY OF HO WBLL 216 commis::;ioaer, John Farnsworth: uontH.1 nrnster, George B. Raymonr: firP warden, L. N. Fishbeck: scavenger, Ohnrle,; Aekley: member electric light an<l water commission, vV, P. (i.-ovii~r, t rank vVright. H)06-Pre8ident, Chester A. Parshall: clerk, \Villiam E. H1;1nch: treasurer, Wilber B. Johnson: trustees, Harry L. vVilliams, l;,, Elmer 1\1\Jls, Bmmett J. Whalian, to fill \.fl.Caney, Eu~eu,~ A. Stowe: asses sor, .ill. Miller Beurmnnn: 8trect comrnissionnr, James Riley: attorney, W, P. Van \\i·inkle: health omcer, J.E. Browne: night watch, W. J. Culver: lire wnrden, L. N, Fishbeck: nieml>n 1-\lectric light 1111wd ater worirn commission, Jay C. Walton : rnembt rs board of review, Asa. Vn11 Kleeek, B. P. Grl!/.!Ol'Y, 1!)07-President, Hugh A, l\lcPherson; rlel'k, William B. Bene ii; t ren r-m; er, .J1 111H' !- 11, 1\1in er; trustr) es, Edmund U. Shields, Claude B. Unlver, vVillinm E. Snnrlc,rla1Hb; n~sessor, K Milin Bnm·nurnn; street cornrnissio11e1·, ,Tamm; Uilciy; health oflieer, ,T. g. H:·owm~; attorn<~?, n. D. l{oehe; 11ight wnteh, vV. ,l, Un 1v er; rnarshall, W .. J. Culver; fire wrn·tfo11, L. N F,ishbeck; m em l·,ers lwar<l d review, H.01ne1· N. Beaeb, E. P. Gr, ·r{ory; 111ernhei .electric light. and water works commission, E. A. Howman; rnerehwy ~ommission, L . P. l\folemly. rno~-President, Amos Wirwgar; clerk, \Villinm E. Beach; · treasurer, Jamel,, H. l\'liner; t.mste,~s. Walter W, Knapp, Georg€' \\'. '\Vright, Joseph Frank; a~sessor, J<J, Mill er Heu rm aim; rnarslrnll. 217 HISTORY OF HOWELL Freeman Rorabacher; night watch, W J. · Culver; health officer .J. E. Browne; meml,Pr electric . light and water. commission, Calvin Wilcox; fire wurclen, L. N. Fishbeck; street connnissicn~r, John Fn.rnsworth; attorney, Richard D. l{oche; member:. board of review, Daniel Ratz, E . P. Gregory; sec-n·tary electric light and water commission, L. P . .Mele)l(h, 1909-President, , :alvin Wilcox; clerk, ,John f1a£!- man; treasurer, A. J. Brown; tr11s-r;ees, :B', J. Fishbeck, ueorge J . Payne, vV. J. Lnrkin; a~se~sor, E. Miller Beurmann ; merr.nc1s electr-ie light aud water commission, to fill vacancy, A. J. Pnrker; fnll term, David Young; members bonrd of reviev,·, Daniel Ratz, Johu Kirk; att.<Jrney, Louis Ho~vlett; health officer, E. H. Bailey; fire warden, L. N Fishbeck; stJ'eet commissioner, Geor!?'e Bdghum; sewer fospe<'.· . tor and rnrve,;or, Hobert ,Long: . marshal!, Freeman Rorabacher: secretary electric light and water com· mission. L. l'. Mf'lendy. 19IO-l'resident, Thomas Gordon Jr: clerk, John A. Hagman: treasurer, A. J. Brown: trustees, E. J. Drewerr, Elmer Snuth, Jos~ph Frank: assessor, E. Miller Be1nmRn 11: street commissioner, E. E. Howe; marsball, l laniel Ratz; night watch, Wm. J. Culver; member qlectric tight and water commission, E. A. Bvwman: fire warden, L. N. Fishbeck; sewer inspect()r and surveyor, Grant Dunning; secretary electric light and water commis~ion, L. P, MelP11dy, members board of review, C, A. Parshall, James Miner . ' ... ·,., ' I I \ ! HISTORY OF HOWELL 218 June 28, 1906, · A. Riley Crittend~n returuerl to Howell and established H. small wef:'k1y paper named Livingston TiJiogs. In a few wePk8 it was changed to twice a wee&, nnd that 11all to th, Pe tinws a week. It lrns been a prospt•1ons puhlieation from the :-!lart, as a result of hard work by th~ publisl,er uni bis wit't . In Nowmber HllO, the Herald having pre Yiously gone into the hands of its creditors, it arquired that puhlicution and am alga matfd the two plantf:. Largely through th"' influe11CP. of Tirlings tl1P Howt'll Commel'cial eluh Wf\8 forn :t'il in 1910 Its birth eorumemot·ating i:h~ visir. nf Graud Rl:lpirli:: wholesnlP dt-alt-!rs who we1·e rntPrt»ined t,v How1-ll husir.et::s men at. the 'Vornans c1ub roums. Its offie»1s wPre; Prf~ident, R. B MePh?rson; Vi<·e president, E. A. Stowe ·: secretary L. R. Manuing-; trtasurer, D ' L Youn~; executive committee L E . Howlett, E. A. Bowm·au, 0 . J . Parker, C. A. Goodnow, F. P. Schroeder. When Mr Manning moved awtty A. L, Smith was eh·cted in hi~ place. The club secured the Ewer Wrench .and 'l\ioi .Mfg. Uo for which $15000 of local stock wus raised, the ol<i comp0uy holdin!? $10,000 ot str>ck in the new eompany here. It has built a huildiog and is jm,t fairly getting under hendway. HISTORY OF HOWELL 219 INDEX Page Adams' Mill . .............................•••............. 89 Advertisements Early .............. ..... ................ . 73 All Saints Church ....................................... 100 Ann Arbor Rail Road .. . ·. ............................... 85 Assessment Roll, First........ ..... .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 26 Bank, First ..... ..... ...... . ..... .. .................. 149 Bapt,ist Church Organized ............................... 85 · Bending Works.,., ••..... . ............ ... ............ 193 Bible Society ... . ............ . ....... . ....... . ......... 63 Bi11gh11m Kingsley ...... .. . . . .. ........... ... .... . . ...... 55 13lacksmith Shop, First ...... . .. ... .................. . .. 28 Bowman, E. A........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . ... ..... 198 llrickmaking .. .. . .............. . .................... . 39 Hridgebuildini:r in Pioneer Days . ............... . ......... 27 Briggi::, H. (} ..................... ; .................... 156 Burying Ground, First ............................•..... .40 Canal Project................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... 77 Cardell Addithm............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 Carnegie Library .. :... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ 203 Cemetery Located. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......... . ......... . 59 Centrnl School Building ............. . ..••.............. 146 Charaeteristics of County .............................. . 12 Ubnrter Election, Firs~ .... .................... .... ..... . 144 Circmit Court, First .................. . ......... : ..... :33 City Grist Mill ..................... . : ........... . ........ 90 Commercial Club.... . ............ . ................... . 218 Condensed Milk Co, ......... . .....••....... . ... . ....... 168 Congregational Church ................................. 68 Corporation officers; Early . ............. ... ... ... ....... . .............. 144 Later ................. ........ ......•..... . .... ,207 : ; . ·... .,.. ~.: ;. ·.' HISTORY OF HOWELL. 220 Corson, Jay.. . .. . . . . . . . .. .. . . .. . .. ... -. .. .. . .. . .181 County Agriculturu.l Society....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. 93 County Commissioners. . . . ............................. 54 CountJ Election, First ................................ 26 County Fairs... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 93 County offices; At Eagle Tavern ......................... . ....... 66 First Building for ............ . ................... 66 Buildings Erected . . . . .............................. 58 County Seat; Brighton Agitation .. :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . 66 Location of ... . ................... . ... . ............. 26 County Sunday School Association ....................... 182 Court House. . . . . . . . . . ................. _.. . ............. 178 Contract Places for ................ . .... . ..... : . ... 56 First Building. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............ . ......... 56 Old Bell for ........... . .......................... 67 Site for Located .............. . ................... 67 Used for Religcrns Services..... . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .... 58 Cowdry's Addition ............ . ......... .. ......... ,92-141 Cow Lawsuit .............. .... .......... . ............ 66 Death, First in Howell ................... ... ............ 34 Detroit and Grand River Plank Road ..................•. 78 Detroit and Howell Pl auk Road ........................ 79 Detroit and Howell R. R.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 81 Doctor, First ......................................•..... 41 Domestic Animal!!. . . . . ................... . .............. 40 Drowning in Thompson's Lake ..................• . . . . . 188 Drug Stores.: .......... ... ................ . ....... .... 201 Eagle Tavern, First Hotel... . ... . ...... . ........ .. ..... 18 " " Burned . ............. . .................... 102 Ewer Wrench and Tool Mfg. Co ....... ·... . ............ 218 Excursion, First to Owosso ........... .. . .. ......... ... ... 87 Factories, Early .......................................... 61 Fair Ground Changed .••........... . ....... . ........... 93 Fires First Building Burned ...................... . ...... 102 Fire Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Second Large Fire . . .. .. . .. . . . ............... 168 221 HISTORY OF HOWELL Great Fire of 1887. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... 180 Fire of 1892 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. .. .. 192 First State and Savings Bank ...... .. ....•............ 192 Fleming Post Office .................................... 60 Fvod of the Pioneers . ....... . ............ . .•.......... . . 84 Four Mile House..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............... 91 Fourth of July Celebration . . . . . . . . . .............. . . 61 French and English Claims ........... . ......... . ......... :o Fun, End of the ...................... · . •..... ..... ....... 64 Garland, Arthur .. ... ...... ......•..................... 164 General Tr11ioing ............................. ............ 60 Goot.l now & Beach .......... . ............... . .... . ...... 168 Good Templars ...... ... . •.. ...... ,', .................. 175 Green Houses .•••... . ............. . ................... 199 Gregory, R.ev. E. E ................................... 71 G1·egory E. P.......... . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 152 Hickey & Goodnow ................................... 161.i Holstein Cattle Iu:lustry . . .............................. 195 Honies, First in Howell. .................................. 14 Howell and Byron Plank Ron.d ............................ 79 Business Coll ege ......... . . . ...... . ............. 205 ...i · '' F<>t1nd1·.y.. .. .. ,. . . ................... ........ ,89 Howell Grist Mill. . . : .... .. ... ............. . ......... 89 Howell, How Named ...................................... 17 Howell Independent ................. : ................. 168 Howell Ma.sonic Lod~e ............ . ................... 88 Howell Township Org-anized ............................ 24 Howell Village Platted ....................... . ......... 17 Howell Village Incorporated .... . ........ . .............. 144 Indian Burying Ground ..... . .. .. ....... .... ........... 8 ludian Owners Here.................. ... . . ......... . ... . 7 ludian Territory ........... . ............................ 10 Indian Trails ........................ : .... . ............... 0 Indian Treaty,First HerA ................................. 0 Jr.ii, Proposition Voted Down .................•..... : ... 85 Jewett Addition . . . . . . . ..... : .... ... ....... . ........ 142 Jewett, Chas. G. ·.. ............................... : .... 170 K11ow Not,hi11gs ................................ ; ....... 154 / ' . ..... . Laud, First Located .................... ·· :: : ··: ~~;~~. ;1~l , HISTORY OF HOWELL 222 Lansing and Howell Plank Road.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... 80 Ladies' Liquor Rai.d . ..................................... 105 Lnwyers Early ........................................... 6\J 1 ' In lfowell······ ............................... 100 '' Fi1·st.... . . . . . . . . . ............................. 41 Lawsuit First ........................................... 26 Liberty Pole, First. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............. 27 Livingston Center, Appearance in 1836-37; ................ 31 11 •• so called .............................. 17 II County, Laid Out ........................... 10 " '' Organized. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ 10 II Courier ..................................... 72 II Democrat .......... ·. ....................... 09 II Herald ..................................... 170 '' Republican ................................ . . 94 11 'l'idingP .. .' ........ . ......•........... -....... 218 Losoford, Abraham ....................................... 99 I • Macomb Co , Part of ..................................... 10 Mail Carrier, ,First ........... . .......................... 21 Mail, where Before Post Office Here .......... . .......... 21 Marr Burying Ground ...... , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... GO Medical ~ociety. . . . . . . .................... . . . ......... 174 Methodist Church ........................................ 24 Milk Factory ............................................ 194 Mills, H. H. and Son .................................... \JG Monroe Bros.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................. 95 Munson Prof. F. W ................................ . ..... 07 Murder Trial, First .. . .................. . ........... 105 McPherson Additicrn .................................... 142 Bank ............. . ..................... 29-150 ., Wm , Arrival. .............................. 27 ., " & Sons ............................... 20 Newspaper, First ............................. . ........ 72 Normal Trnining School. ............. . ................. ,183 Northwest Territor 3 ...... . ............................ 10 Oakland County, Part of. ..... . ........................... 10 Odd Fellows Lodge, First. ............................... 88 Opera House ..................................•........ 102 Parker 0. J ...... , ..................................... 201 223 HISTORY OF HOWELL Parsons & Beach . ..................................... 67 Parsons, Rirt F. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 194 Pere Marquette R. R. ...... ·. ............... . ............ 85 Phoenix Foundry and Machine Shops...... . . . . . . ........ 91 Physicians, Early ...........•..... . ... . ... ; . . . ......... 68 ,, In Hov\'ell. ............... ·.. . .............. 106 Pinckney Home ...... :· ............ : .................... 42 Pioneer Society .... ·. ........................ . ......... 163 Politicians, En.~·ly ...... ... ; . ; ; .· ................ .... .. ..... 155 Political Parties, FirstiElectiou by ....................... 27 Postmaster, First ....... : ................................. 21 Pust Office S0c ·1red Here ................... . ........... 21 Post Office aud Post Masters .... ·. ..... . ......... . ...... 171 Pottawattomie Indians ................... .' ...... .. ...... 7 Presbyterian Church Early Connections ............................. ,.55 First Cburcl.J Built ................................ 55 l<'irst Pastor................ . . . . .. . .. .... . ....... 60 Oriranizntion of ..•.... ·. . . . . . . . . ........... , ...... 54 Prisoner Escaped............ . ................ . . . . . . . ... 66 Probate Jurlge, First. ................................... 55 ., ,, Early .................. ... .............. 54 Public Scht>OI Building .................................. 62 ,, ,, First ....................................... 30 Rail Road, First Project .... . ........................ , .... 78 ,. ,, First Built .. .. ................................ 84 ., ,, Crossing War ............... ·...... . . . .... .. . 86 ,, ., Indignation Meeting ............ .. ........... 87 Red Bird Stage .......................................... 50 H.ellgious Service, First ............................ . ..... 18 Report.eel Land Worthless., •••........................... 10 nepresentative!'I, Early ............. . ....... ..... , ..... . 106 Howe, Joseph ............ .... '. .......................... 72 ltubert Hotel.. . ..... . . . . . .......... . ..... .. .......... 53 Saginaw Chippewa Iadiaus · .................. . .......... 7 Snlvn.tion Army ........................................ 179 Sanks, ·Former Owners ..... . ........................... . .. 7 Saw Mill ................. ·. .. . ... . ............... . . . .... 28 School Bo!'l.rd and 'feacl.;ers ............................. 148 HISTORY OF HOWELL 224 Sch0ol Site Locn.tod....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... 140 Scboo!bonse, First ........ . ........................... 83 School TeAchers, Early . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... 147 Sele.ct Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............. (}2 Sermons . First ... . .............. . ............... . ..... 23 Settlement8, First ... . ............ . ............. . .... 10 13 Settlors, First ........................................ . .. 11 Settlers, List of En.rly ................................... 20 Shaft's Hotel ... . ... ·.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Sheriff Residence and Jail ...................... .. .... 177 Sbiawttssee County, Part of. .................. . .. : .... . 10 Shields, Dennis ... . .... . ............................... 155 Shields & Sbieids .. . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ....... 150 Shue Shop, First .................. . . . .. . ................ . ~4 Skilbeck, Joseph H ..................................... 72 Sliter's Hotel.............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Sliter's Saw Mill., ....................................... 00 Small Pox......... . ... . ......... . . . ..........•........ 184 Sprin1rs Hotel... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Squirters ....... .. ... .. ................. . ....... . ........ 47 Stage Lin9s ........ . ..... . ..... . ...... . ............... 70 Stai:, E. D ...... . .................................... .. .. 05 State Roads.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......... 75-77 State Sanitorium ............. . ..................... . . 107 Store, First. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... 28 ,, First Permanent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... ,. . . . . . . . . . . 32 Street Fairs ................................ . .............. 04 Suicide, Early............ . ......................... . .... 67 Sullivan, Nicholas ...... . .......... . ............... . ...... 72 Superintendents of Schools ........................ . ..... 148 Supervisors, First Moetiog of Bonni .......... . .. . ........ 27 Supervisors, Perwunent Orgu.nizatlo11 ........ .. .......... 54 St. John's Episcopal church ..... . ................... . ... 101 St Joseph's, Catholic church ........................ . ... lOo 'l'em perance Hotel ........ . ................•.............. o2 Temp,orary . .Ruilding, First ....... . ....... . ............... 12 Thompson's Addition .......................... . .... . .. 140 '.fhompson's~ lake ... , ... .· ....... . ........... . ............ 28 Toll Road, . E'nct of ................................. . ..... 80 \ 225 HISTORY OF HOWELL Town Meeting,, First .............. . ....................... 26 Township Officers, First ....... , .......................... H57 ,, ,, Later .................... . ............ 185 Township Sunday Schcrnl Association ................... 182 Train, First in Howell .................................... 85 '!'ravel, Early . ........................ ..................... 76 'furner, Judge ................................. , .. . ..... 75 Twisting of Lawsuit ... , ................................ 67 Union Hall ....................... ....................... 52 Union Lyceum ......................................... . 60 Union Scbool Building ........ . .. . . . ................. 92-146 VanKleeck, Asa ........................................ 156 Ward Schools ...... .. ................................... 149 Washington Heights Addition...... . . . . ....... . ........ 143 Water Works ......................... . .................. 170 Wayne County, Part of ..... . ......................... 10 Weddings, First .................. : ....................... 22 Weimeister & O'Henrn ........ .. ....... . ................ 151 Wenk, Wm. H, Urearnery ............... . . . ............ 206 West Howell M. E. Church .............................. 91 White Child, First ..................................... Hi Whipple Addition .......................... : ............ 142 Wickman Wire Works .............................. . .. 206 Wilcox Addition....... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .............. 142 Will, F'irst iu Probate ....... ... ... . .... . ................ . 54 \·\ ildcat Hanks.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ .... 40 Winter, Very Ha rel....... . .......... . . ....... . . . ...... 103 \\ ' olf B,,uuty ................ . ............ . ..... ... ... :.35 W11lf Stories ..... . . '..· ...... . .................... ._ . ... .. 30 Wright'& Pltrnlng Mill....... . .... . .............. 155 Note Extra information that can be shown with the item. Such as how to get a physical copy of the item. Use the Windows Snipping Tool to capture the area of the document you want to save. If you want multiple pages printed please see staff to print the pages you want. <a href="https://howelllibrary.org/technology/#print" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">View the library's printing information.</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource A History of the Township and Village of Howell Michigan -1911 Description An account of the resource A History of the Township and Village of Howell Michigan -1911 Subject The topic of the resource History Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1911 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Crittenden, A. Riley Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Livingston Tidings Print Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource No Copyright - United States Type The nature or genre of the resource Text history https://archives.howelllibrary.org/files/original/2bc2f9e056a5fafe686fe888193825c6.pdf a82c3e13a0c83d7c4956ab80704f61f2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Books - Local History Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Hidden Search Text Enter Search Text that is always hidden except to edit. Abbott, George A Adams, George L. Andrews, E. S. Andrews, George W Appleton, H. B. Armstrong, John Armstrong, L. L. Austin, A. S. Baeteke, G. J. Ball, Hon. William Bangs, Orange Barnes, George Barnes, G. W. Barnhouse, Mrs. E Beach, Henry N Bean, James Benjamin, George D Beurmann, C. E Bird, David D Bird, Miss J. A Bogan, James Bowers, S. W Brayton, Burt Brewer, Thomas W Bristol J. H Brokaw, L. D Brown, W. C. Browning, E Burgess, G. S Burgess, J Burkhart Burnett Campbell Carmer Carpenter Case Choate Clark Clements Coffey Coleman Conrad Cook Cool Corey Crandal Cranston Curtis Daniels Darwin Davis Dean Demerest Dickerson Dinturff Dorrance Dowd Drew Dunning Dunston Durfree Dutton Dykes Eager Earl Faunce Foote Fowler Frank Frisbee Gannon Gardner Gibbs Gilbert Gleason Greener Grimes Griswold Hand Hardy Harris Hart Hartman Hwkes Hendryx Henry Hibner HIcks Hinchey Hinman Hodge Hollister Holmes Horon Hosley Houghtaling Howe Huck Hull Hyne Jacobs Jewett Jones Judd Kanouse Ketchum Kingsley Knapp Kneeland Lake Langford Lanning Lare Lasher Lee Lemen Lyon Marsh Marshall Mastic Mather Mercer erithew Mcgivney Mchench Mcintyre Mcpherson Mills Miner Monroe Montague Moody Moon Munson Nichols Noble Hadsall Jackson Maltby Olsen Parker Patterson Peach Pearson Perry Person Petters Phillips Placeway Potts Reed Reeves Richmond Rider Robison Ross Rounsville Russell Ryan Sabin Sargen Sawyer Schrepfer Schroeder Sexton Shaller Shook Slicker Smalley Smith Sowle Staley Steinacker Stelzer Stow Street Teller Thompson Townley Tripp Van Amburg Van Buren Van Dercook Walker War Warner Wasson Wenk Whitaker Wilcox Wilkinson Williams Winans Wood Woulds Wriggelsworth Wright Note Extra information that can be shown with the item. 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Title A name given to the resource Michigan Portrait and Biographical Album of Ingham and Livingston Counties Vol 1 (Part 2 of 2) Pages 451-871 Description An account of the resource <span>Michigan Portrait and Biographical Album of Ingham and Livingston Counties Michigan, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, together with biographies of all the governors of the state, and of the presidents of the United States.</span><br /><br /><span>This is Part 2 of 2 and contains part of the Biographical section. Pages 451-871</span><br /><br /><a href="https://archives.howelllibrary.org/items/show/237"><span>View Part 1</span></a> Subject The topic of the resource History Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1891 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Chapman Bros., Chicago Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource No Copyright - United States Type The nature or genre of the resource Text history https://archives.howelllibrary.org/files/original/4b4afd7a42d922110903778a38fae770.pdf 916cbb698c4e92b54c544263b9351159 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Books - Local History Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Hidden Search Text Enter Search Text that is always hidden except to edit. Abbott, George A Adams, George L. Andrews, E. S. Andrews, George W Appleton, H. B. Armstrong, John Armstrong, L. L. Austin, A. S. Baeteke, G. J. Ball, Hon. William Bangs, Orange Barnes, George Barnes, G. W. Barnhouse, Mrs. E Beach, Henry N Bean, James Benjamin, George D Beurmann, C. E Bird, David D Bird, Miss J. A Bogan, James Bowers, S. W Brayton, Burt Brewer, Thomas W Bristol J. H Brokaw, L. D Brown, W. C. Browning, E Burgess, G. S Burgess, J Burkhart Burnett Campbell Carmer Carpenter Case Choate Clark Clements Coffey Coleman Conrad Cook Cool Corey Crandal Cranston Curtis Daniels Darwin Davis Dean Demerest Dickerson Dinturff Dorrance Dowd Drew Dunning Dunston Durfree Dutton Dykes Eager Earl Faunce Foote Fowler Frank Frisbee Gannon Gardner Gibbs Gilbert Gleason Greener Grimes Griswold Hand Hardy Harris Hart Hartman Hwkes Hendryx Henry Hibner HIcks Hinchey Hinman Hodge Hollister Holmes Horon Hosley Houghtaling Howe Huck Hull Hyne Jacobs Jewett Jones Judd Kanouse Ketchum Kingsley Knapp Kneeland Lake Langford Lanning Lare Lasher Lee Lemen Lyon Marsh Marshall Mastic Mather Mercer erithew Mcgivney Mchench Mcintyre Mcpherson Mills Miner Monroe Montague Moody Moon Munson Nichols Noble Hadsall Jackson Maltby Olsen Parker Patterson Peach Pearson Perry Person Petters Phillips Placeway Potts Reed Reeves Richmond Rider Robison Ross Rounsville Russell Ryan Sabin Sargen Sawyer Schrepfer Schroeder Sexton Shaller Shook Slicker Smalley Smith Sowle Staley Steinacker Stelzer Stow Street Teller Thompson Townley Tripp Van Amburg Van Buren Van Dercook Walker War Warner Wasson Wenk Whitaker Wilcox Wilkinson Williams Winans Wood Woulds Wriggelsworth Wright Note Extra information that can be shown with the item. 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Title A name given to the resource Michigan Portrait and Biographical Album of Ingham and Livingston Counties Vol 1 (Part 1 of 2) Pages 1-450 Description An account of the resource Michigan Portrait and Biographical Album of Ingham and Livingston Counties Michigan, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties, together with biographies of all the governors of the state, and of the presidents of the United States. <br /><br />This is Part 1 of 2 and contains the Presidents and Governors sections and part of the Biographical section. Pages 1-450<br /><br /><a href="https://archives.howelllibrary.org/items/show/238">View Part 2</a> Subject The topic of the resource History Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1891 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Chapman Bros., Chicago Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource No Copyright - United States Type The nature or genre of the resource Text https://archives.howelllibrary.org/files/original/3b0ba61f86c17465724e3bd547ac2bec.pdf 8accdba47bdd47445de6b026f3a33350 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Books - Local History Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Note Extra information that can be shown with the item. Such as how to get a physical copy of the item. Use the Windows Snipping Tool to capture the area of the document you want to save. If you want multiple pages printed please see staff to print the pages you want. <a href="https://howelllibrary.org/technology/#print" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">View the library's printing information.</a> Hidden Search Text Enter Search Text that is always hidden except to edit. I O S CO T O W N S H I P Iosco the ClupprtVa name for the small stream now known as Cedar River is the present title of territory designated in the field-note s of the United States survey as township number 2 north of range number 3 east It is situat ed on the west border of Livingston County south of the centre and adjoining township organizations are Handy on the north Marion on the eas t Unadilla on the south and White Oak in Ingham County on the west Its surface is slightly rolling and of th e char acter so common to this porti on of th e State Th e principal water-courses are the Cedar River and th e West Branch of th e sa me stream Th e former enters th e town ship by cros sing the south line of section 36 and flows on in a general no rth erly cour se through th e east half of the town The latt er stream flows in th e same direction through th e western part of the town ship Th ese streams afford no wat er-pow er privilege s are sinuous and sluggish in th eir course especially the form er which is bordered by bottom-land s and swamps many acres in ext ent Io sco or School Lak e containing about 40 acres is situated upon section 16 and denominated the school section Another small lake lies upon the line dividing sections 25 and 26 The land s of this town ship originally were term ed by the early settl ers heavy-timbered openings and the ta sk of subduing and making farms of them was tedious and prolonged The different varieties of oak common to Michig an predominat ed; but elm ash hickory basswood soft mapl e and tamarack were pl entiful while black walnut whitewood cottonwood cherry beech sycamore hard mapl e and sassafras abounded in most sections The soil is of an excell ent quality and yields large returns as the re sult of int ellig ent cultur e the principal products being wheat corn potatoes fruits etc The soil and grasses are also well adapt ed to grazing and dr ainin g -one of th e two cheese-factories of Living ston County being established here This factory was built by John Elliott in 1874 and he first bega n th e manufacture of chee se in May 1875 At th e pres ent time milk is used from 100 cows though in previous years the factory has rec eived th e product of twice that number The cheese manufa ctur ed is shipped principally to the New York City market where it comp ares favorably with the dairy products of other portion s of the Union Th e factory and the large farm upon which it is situated now belong to th e Samu el Medbury estate Iosco a post-office station otherwise known as Parker s Corners is situated upon portions of section s 8 and 17 Here are the church edifices of th e Methodist Episcop al and Prote stant Methodist societies a store of general merchandise district school-h ouse cid er-mil 1 a black smith-shop and some half-do zen dwelling-hou ses The population of the township in 1874 was 943 It now has a votin g population of about 275 and the pr ese nt total population will approximate 1150 ORIGI NA L LAND-ENTRIES Th e first land entered in town ship 2 north of ran ge 3 east was by Alonzo Platt of Wa shtenaw Co Mich Aug 12 1835 Hi s selection embraced the east one-half of the southeast quart er of section 12 and is now OVneda nd occupied by Jo seph Lore e Jr Elb ert Parker entered the southeast quarter of section 8 Oct 29 1835 Thi s location is now known as Iosco or Park ers Corners Samuel and Willia m Rann ey from Franklin Co Ma ss purcha sed a portion of th e same section Nov 5 1835 A description of their lands will be found in th e following compl ete list of land-entrie s John Wood from Washtenaw Co Mich purcha sed th e southwest quart er the west one-h alf of the northwe st quart er and the southeast quarter of the same quarter on section 11 Nov 24 1835 On the 27t h of Nov ember 1835 Robert J Barry of Wa shten aw Co Mich entered the northeast quarter and th e east on e-half of the northwest quart er of section 17 Th ese includ ed all the entries for public lands in this township durin g the year 1835 The next year-1836-n ea rly th e entir e town ship was located or at lea st all the des irable lands Emigrants from New York New England Pennsylvania and Ohio arrived durin g the spring and fall in considerable numb ers and th en began that ted ious struggle with th e primitive forests which to subdue and tran sform into plea sant home s surround ed by fruitful fields and orch ards as we see 2 55 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICH IGAN th em to-day req uir ed years of toil and privation such as th eir posterity or successors now enjoyi ng th e fruits of th eir labo r can form no adequate idea The following is a complete list of tho se who purch ased from the genera l gove rnm ent lands situated in this town ship; showing also th eir place of residenc e and date of ent ry Tho se whose nam es are particularized with a star (*) became actual settlers SECTION 1 H orace H eath Vayne Co Mich June IO 1836 Hiram P Spencer Col umbi a Co N Y July 2 1836 Guy C Lee Living ston Co Mich July II 1836 Willi am M Olcott Madison Co N Y Nov 17 1836 Roger Gle nen Vashtenaw Co Mich Nov 18 1837 and De c 20 1837 John O Hara -Vasht enaw Co Mich Feh 13 1838 Henry H Norton L ivingston Co Mich Sept 6 1853 and De c 13 1853 SECTION 2 Sterli ng Armstrong New York City May 20 1836 Hi ram P Spencer Columbia Co N Y Ju ly 2 1836 Silas B Munsell* -Vashtenaw Co Mich Nov 4 1836 George -V Lee Living ston Co Mich Jun e 15 1837 Sarah L Kilb orn Living ston Co Mich April 22 1854 George W Clark Living ston Co Mich Sept 6 1855 SECTION 3 William R Spafford Geneee Co N Y May 19 1836 Willi am H Redfield* Ontario Co N Y May 30 1836 Lewis W Decker Ontar io Co N Y May 3 1 1836 Andrew Kin g Orange Co N Y June 1 1836 Erasmus D Key es (arterwards major- ge neral) New York City July 15 1836 SECTION 4 William H R edfield* Ontario Co N Y May 30 1836 Josep h and -Villiam Blanchard Onondaga Co N June I 1836 Lucius H Emery Erie Co N Y June I 1 1836 Josiah Loree* Ste uben Co N Y A ug 1 1836 and Aug 3 1836 Seth H ar t Monroe Co N Y Sept 23 1836 Samuel H Dodge Seneca Co N Y Nov 16 1836 Cornelius Bonter Livin gsto n Co Mich April 4 1839 Mathew Knowles Vayne Co Mich June 22 1839 Joseph B Cole Living ston Co Mich Aug 13 1839 SE CTION 5 J ohn H N orth rop Oneida Co N Y June 13 1836 Amos P Grid ley On eida Co N Y June 14 1836 William Pea e New York City N ov 14 1836 A sa C Tuttle Oakland Co Mich Jan 24 1837 Alexander Ri chm ond Vashtenaw Co Mich Dec 9 1837 H enry Nooden Living ston Co MichJune 28 1848 Merrill Colby Wayne Co Mich July 31 1853 SECTION 6 Patrick Conn er* Living ston Co Mich Sept 21 1836 Michael Mulveny Washt enaw Co Mich Nov 1 1836 Willi am F aulk Wa shtenaw Co Mich N ov 22· 1836 Jonathan 0 Hathaway Oak land Co Mich Jan 31 1837 John Colby Living ston Co Mich Nov 8 1853 Michael Flinn Livin gston Co Mich Jun e 9 1854 and Jun e 19 1854 James Lind sey Living ston Co Mich Aug 21 1855 SE CTION 7 Samue l H Dodge Seneca Co N Y Nov 16 1836 B B K ercheval Wa yne Co Mich Nov 26 1836 Emery Beal* Living ston Co Mich Jan 11 1837 John Fo ster Washten aw Co Mich Jan 19 1837 Jo ah Grov er* Wayne Co Mich July 9 1836 Dotha Barnum Living ston Co Mich July 17 1838 SECTION 8 Elbert Park er* Li vingston Co Mich Oct 29 183 5 Samue l Rann ey Frank lin Co Mass Nov 5 1835 Villiam Rann ey Frank lin Co Mass N ov 5 1835 Jam es Abb ott; ilonr oe Co N Y Sept 23 1836 Peter Cha se Oakland Co Mich Sept 14 1836 SECTION 9 Willi am Kirt land Wayne Co Mich Jan 1 1836 Seth Spencer Onondaga Co N Y May 19 1836 The odore 1-1 Dr ake Ontario Co N Y May 23 1836 Samuel Carpenter Allegany Co N Y Sept 2 1S36 Moses Key es Sen eca Co N Y Nov 16 1836 J ohn J Smith Washt enaw Co Mich Jan 12 1838 J onah Poyer Jr* Living ston Co Mich Oct IO 1844 SE CTION IO Wil liam Kirtland Wayne Co Mteh Jan 1 1836 ll enry Brower Gen esee Co N Y May 20 1836 Sterling Armstrong New York City May 20 1836 Enoch T erhun e* -Vashtcnaw Co Mich May 3 1 1836 H enry M Wood ;* Wa shtenaw Co Mich Nov 5 1836 SECTION 11 Juhn -Vood* Washtenaw Co Mich Nov 24 1835 John W llilt on Oswego Co N Y May 13 1836 George Sewell N iagara Co N Y May 28 1836 H enry M -Vood* Vashtenaw Co Mich N ov 5 1836 Isaac S Tutt le Oakland Co Mich Oct 30 1839 Thomas Schoonhoven L ivingston Co Mich Jun e 23 1842 Martha Ann -Vood* Livin gston Co Mich May 7 1845 SECTION 12 Alonzo ll att Vashtenaw Co Mich Aug 12 1835 John H Le Count Wayn e Co N Y March 25 1836 Waltace Goodwin Ontario Co N Y Ap ril 5 1836 Richard Storms Livin gston Co N Y Jul y 15 1836 Willi am M Olcott Mad ison Co N Y Nov 17 1836 Th omas B H oyt Living ston Co Mich March 22 1837 Abel W Walker Washtenaw Co Mich fay 30 1837 James H Wo ods O ntar io Co N V Sep t 4 1838 Phil etus Stark Livin g ton Co Mich Sept 30 1852 Cornelius Y Ross* Li ·ing ton Co Mich Feb 15 1853 -Villiam Gorton* Livin gston Co Mich D ec 17 1853 SECTION 13 Lym an E Beach* Erie Co N Y April 23 1836 William Davi s E rie Co N Y Apr il 23 1836 Sam uel Cooley Gene see Co N Y May 24 1836 Willi am Van acker Genesee Co N Y May 24 1836 J osep h H Gorto n Vashte naw Co Mich Nov 14 1S36 Hi ram Ward Washtenaw Co Mich Nov 18 1836 James M Him es Wa shtenaw Co Mich F eb IO 1838 Villiam Him es Wa shtenaw Co Mich May 28 1838 Willi am Gorton Dec 15 1853 SECTION 14 William Miller* Wa shtenaw Co Mich May 23 1836 Joseph Marriott fo nroe Co N Y May 28 1836 Geo rge Sewe ll Niagara Co N Y May 28 1836 Joseph Hub bard Or leans Co N Y May 30 1836 RE SIDENCE Qt JAMES CONVERSE HANDY MICH RESIDENCE~ WM J JEWELL Iosco MICH IOSCO TOWNSHIP 257 Silas Munsell* W ayne Co ii ch May 30 1836 J osep h Loree* Livin gs ton Cu Mich Jun e 30 1837 SE CTION 15 Jer emiah Nic hols;* Oakland Co Mich Fch 15 1836 George W McInt osh ~· Oak land Co Mich Feb 15 1836 J ere miah Nicho l* May 12 1836 Andr ew Ly tle * Vasht enaw Co ~1ich May 23 1836 L evi W Mun sell* Way ne Co N V J une 6 1836 J ohn I (or J ) Triv er Schenec tady N Y June 13 1836 Am os P Gr idley Oneida Cn N Y Jun e 14 1836 Ado lphus Coburn A lban y Co N Y Aug 6 1836 SEC TION 16 T Lock wood * Nov 11 1846 J Acker* Oct 28 1847 J R Goodr ich; Nov 16 1853 V H Simons Oct 6 1847 R Simon s Oct 6 1847 R Acker Oct 19 1847 W alte r Wright* Fel 10 1848 I S A Wri ght; May 6 1846 J ohn W Wri ght* April 24 1854 S and N Tracy * Nov I 1 1846 R and J Acke r* May 6 1846 S and N Tracy;* May 9 1846 P L Wilh elm* Feb 17 1847 I S A Wri ght* Oct 19 1847 SECTION 17 R ober t J Barry Wash te naw Co Mich Nov 27 1835 H enry M Voocl* vVasht enaw Co March 12 1836 R obert J Barry May I 3 I 836 Pet er L Wilh elm * Washte naw Co Mich May 27 1836 Hiram D ewey Steub en Co N Y Jun e 27 1836 H enry M vood* W ashtenaw Co Mich Aug 3 1836 SECTION 18 J ohn A K emp Livin gsto n Co N Y July 9 1836 Em ery Bea l* Washtenaw Co Mich Sept 21 1836 J ohn B Stimpson vVashtenaw Co Mich Jan 11 1837 J osep h Voor hies Oakland Co Mich Jan 24 1837 J oab Grover* Way ne Co Mich Ju ly 9 1836 En och Smit h In gham Co Mich Oct 25 1843 SECT ION 19 Ri charcl M Gugg ins* Livi ngsto n Co Mich May 30 1836 Robe rt L T ay lor New York City Jun e 13 1836 David H Richard son Ontario Co NY Sept 21 1836 Richard Price Livin gston Co Mich Dec 19 1853 SECTION 20 Grace Fasq uell e Livin gsto n Co Mich May 2 1836 J ean L ouis Fra n~ois Benoit Fa squelle Living ston Co Mich May 2 1836 Ri chard M Gugg ins* Li vingston Co Mich Jun e 13 1836 Or illa Guggins* Livin gsto n Co Mich June 18 1836 Hiram Dewey Steuben Co N Y Jun e 27 1836 L eonard Barto n Frank lin Co Mass Oct 4 1837 Fr ancis Crawfo rd Wayne Co Mich Jan I 1 1855 SECTION 21 Grac e Fa sque le Livin gsto n Co Mich May 2 1836 Rich ard M Guggins* Livin gston Co Mich May 13 1836 Luth er H aven * Addison Co Vt May 28 1836 Orilla Gugg ins Living sto n Co Mich May 30 1836 and June 18 1836 Hiram Dew ey Ste uben Co N Y J une 27 1836 Marv in Cadwe ll Wa shten aw Co Mich Sept 2 1 1836 33 E mery Bea l vVash tenaw Co lIich Sept 21 1836 Moses Ki e; Seneca Co N Y Nov 16 1836 SECTION 22 J ohn Loree; Li vingsto n Co Mich Feb 29 1836 J osep h L oree Li vingston Co Mich March 21 1836 Reuben R hodes vVayne Co Mich May 20 1836 villiam R Spo ffo rd Genesee Co N Y Jun e 20 1836 Steph en Sherwood Orleans Cu N Y Jun e 30 1836 Chau ncey E6gleston Gene ee Co N Y Jun e 3 1836 J esse Tu xllury Way ne Co Mich JLtne 4 1836 Marv in Cadwe ll vashtenaw Co Mich Sept 21 1836 SECT ION 23 J ames Miller* Steub en Co N Y llfay 21 1836 J ose11h Loree Li vingto n Co Mich May 23 1836 Nat han Fi eld Genesee Co N Y May 30 1836 J ames B Barn ard Orleans Co N Y May 30 1836 SECTION 24 Daniel Perso n; Erie Co Pa April 23 1836 Alijah P Back us Erie Co Pa lby 14 1836 L orenzo Back u-~ Erie Co Pa May 14 I 836 ColLtmbus A Morgan Herkim er Co N Y N ov 14 1836 David Rogers In gham Co Mich Feb 23 1837 Rob ert R obins on Wayne Co Mich ov 30 1836 Lawson Ju dson Livin gston Co Mich Oct 30 1837 Will iam J J ewett Livin gsto n Co Mich Oct 29 1845 SECTION 25 Amo s H Breed Cayug a Co N Y May 13 1836 W arre n See ley Cayuga Cu N Y May 13 1836 Tuni s R Pard ee Monroe Co N Y May 18 1836 E Coleman D ec 13 1853 T C Bell Mar ch 15 1865 SECTION 26 Er ast us Holloway Vvayne Co N Y May 20 1836 Seth G Wil son;* Addison Vt May 28 1836 Peter J Kuhn ~· Washten aw Co Mich Oct 27 1836 Alfred D enio-* Livin gsto n Co Mich D ec 16 1836 Enoch W ebste r Steuben Co N Y May 4 1837 SEC TION 27 Seth G Wil son--Acldison Co Vt May 28 1836 Luth er H aven* Addi son Co Vt May 28 1836 Eis ley W FLtller O nondaga Co N Y Jllne 6 1836 Ja bez Paul* Onondaga Co N Y Jun e 6 1836 J osiah P Fu ller Cortland Co N Y June 6 1836 SECTION 28 Luth er H aven -* Addi son Co Vt May 28 1836 villiam S Caskey* v ashtena w Co Mich Jun e 28 1836 Bastion Williams ~as htenaw Co Mich JLtly u 1836 Mar ion Cadwell Vashten aw Co Mich Sept 21 1836 Ad eline H aviland * vashtenaw Co Mich J an I 1 1837 H arr ison P and J ohn R Goodrich* Livin gsto n Co Mich Oct 5 1847 J osep h S Post* Livin gston Co Mich Feb 3 and 24 1854 SECTION 29 Seth Spencer Onondaga Co N Y May 19 1836 J ames Wri ght* Onondaga Co N Y May 19 1836 SE CTION 30 Ri chard M Gllggin s* Liv ingsto n Co Mich May 30 1836 N athan J ones* Livin gsto n Co Mich Mar ch 1 1837 Arel Osborn * W ashte naw Co Mich May 19 1836 J ames Wright * Livin gston Co Mich April 1 1846 I ii - HJSTORY OF LJVJNGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN SECTION 31 Arel Osbo rn * a shte n:lv C Mich il ay 19 1836 J ohn Cno l Li ving ton Co Mi ch J une 7 1837 Sa mu e l Case Livi ngs to 11 Co Mi ch Jul y 3 1837 D av id Dutt on Li vin gsto n Co M ich Jul y 15 1844 a nd Ju ne 3 1847 Eli zabe th Ann Oye r Li ·i11gstnn Co Mich D ec 14 1853 J o L Dy e r L ivin gsto n Co Mich D ec 14 1853 J ohn S Dy er Li vi11gston Co M ich D ec 14 I 853 SE CTI O N 32 Philip D ye r Li ving ston Co Mi ch Jun e 7 1836 D a nie l V Van Sick el·* vVas h tena w Co Mi ch Jun e 20 1836 Ma rvin Cad well vVash te n aw Co i·l ich Se pt 21 1836 D a vid II Ri cha rd so n Ont :ni oCo N Y Sep t 21 1836 S ECTION 33 Jose ph P J ewett W as hte naw Co Mi ch Jul y 5 1836 lutn am Smith ; Va sh tennw Co Mi ch J uly 11 1836 Ma rvin Cad well vVashtena w Co ~li ch Sept 21 1836 Em e ry Beal * W as hte naw Co Mich Se pt 21 1836 B 13 K ercheva l W ay ne Cn il icl1 1 ov 26 1836 D :lVid A McF a rlan W ay ne Co il ich A pril 4 1837 L D Pr eston Oc t 22 1857 V 1-l Chapm an In gh a m Co Mi ch Ma rch 13 1866 S E CTI O N 34 Alrr ecl D enio·::-Ad di so n Co Vt Ma y 28 1836 il a rtin Sprague Eri e Co N Y Jul y 12 1836 F rede rick Bolles Vas ht ena w Co M ich Oct 27 1836 Pt rick Fa rley Li vin g ton Co Mich Oct 8 1837 D av id D eni o Li vingsto n Co Mi ch Ja n 3 1838 SEC TI ON 35 Anna Suth erland vVas ht e naw Co Mi ch Jun e 8 1836 Geo rge Ree ves vVas ht ena w Co Mi ch Jun e 8 1836 Am bro se Cr ane Genesee Co N Y Jun e 23 1836 Am he rst Cra ne Ge nesee Co N Y Jun e 30 1836 Alvin M ann * Ge nesee Co N Y Sep t 21 1836 F rede rick Boll es -Vas ht enaw Co Mi ch Oct 27 1836 Th omas V H a rford* Li vingsto n Co Mi ch J an 6 1853 Hiram Bac ku s* Li vingston Co lli ch J an 13 1855 Jam es F Willi ams Li vings ton Co Mi ch J an 13 1855 And rew L ove L ivin gsto n Co Mi ch March 3 1854 SE CTION 36 J ean L ouis Fran~ ois Benoit Fa squ elle Li vings ton Co Mich May 2 1836 Simeo n Back us* Eri e Co N Y May 14 1836 Hiram Var el Vashl ena w Co M ich N ov 29 1836 O live W ard W asht enaw Co Mi ch J 111 6 1837 Moses Full er Livin gs ton Co Mi ch March 23 1837 Ben j a min N ichols Colum bia Co N Y Jun e 17 1836 Moses Fu lle r Li vingston Co Mi ch J a n 31 1839 J ohn Co nn e r L ivingston Co Mi ch Ma rch 8 1847 Sa mu el G Suth erla nd W as ht e na w Co Mich D ec 13 1848 C harl es Ba iley Oakl and Co Mi ch D ec 13 1853 Eli Anni s F eb 15 1868 N C Ba rt on Fel&gt; 12 1867 THE F IR ST AND OTHER EARLY SETTLEMENTS It is co nceded hy all ea rly res idents that George C Vood was th e first inhabitan t of th e territory now known as the tow nship of Io sco His father John ·wood th en a res ident of A nn Arbor Mich made th e fourth entry of land s in town sh ip No 2 north of range 3 eas t by the pur - cha se of th e so uthw est q uarter the west one- half of th e northw est qu arter and the southeast quart er of th e northwe st quart er of sect ion 11 Nov 24 1835 Up on thi s pu rchase and in a house now owned and occupi ed-in part-by Jam es Few lass Georg e C Wo od beg an hi s resid ence late in May 1836 A s muc h interest atta ches to th e Journ ey and settl ement of th e first settl er t he followin g na rration of Mr Wood s removal from A nn A rbo r to hi s new home furni shed for publication in th e L ivings ton D tmocra t Mar ch 1874- by t he late D aniel Case o f How ell-is inse rted Mr Ca se had th en ju st ar rived in An n Arbo r whil e on h is way to view for a seco nd tim e lands in How ell Livin gs ton Co previou sly pur chase d by h im: · W e put up al the vVe lern H ote l in Ann Arb or a small low house buil t in the early days cir the T e rr ito ria l roa d lo Chi cago I thoug ht it was not a very la rge vilbge Th e re was not a h ouse from th e court -house sq uare lo the hri clge and th e r&lt;&gt;ad was not fence d in Vh ie loo king alout in th e mornin g lon near the h ill loa rds th e ri ve r I sa w M r Geo rge C vVoocl wh o with thr ee yoke or oxe n was plowing o n the south sicle o r th e roa d I in qui re d o f him about th e co unt y o r Livin gs ton as I w a nt ed to go and see th e lan d 1 had pur chased 1 -Ie s:1id he was go ing to wi1lii11s eve n or eight miles of my lancl to live and would sta rt the n ext clay wi th a break- up tea m an rl ir I wou ld stay an d he lp him finish pl owi ng the piece he was th e n e ngage d u po n he wou ld be g lad to ha ve me for one o r the compnny T hal was my first ex pe rience in d riv ing a break-u p tea m Ve go t it done and co mm e nced to loa d the wago n w ith polaloe corn por k and ot he r kind s or prov isions a br ea k -up pl ow etc makin g a big loa d for four yo k e or oxe n Th e nex t m ornin g e fixed a place for Mr s W ood to rid e o n t P or the loa d hit ched 011 th e oxen a nd sta rted Arrivin g at D exter we turn ed no rth a nd he re Jer t civilizati on behin d us ror th e land or th e Indi a n rnl r and dee r At noo n we hal ted bes id e a ma rsh in th e shade or a tr ee uny oked th e oxen and let th e m reed on the tend e r marsh g rass Our lunch was ta ken rro m the wago n a nd eate n with as good a re lish as in the les l d inin g -roo m in th e State Arte r th e oxe n had rested we aga in sta rted on ou r way a nd a t n ight stayed al a sm al l yellow house wh ere D over Mi lls no w a re vVe put !h e bel ls on the o xe n turned them on the inarsh to g raze nnd in the n1or nin g th ey we re re;dy to go on aga in V e had tu go 1round the west sid e or P orta ge L ake and a rri ve d a l M r Sig le rs h ouse at noo n nex t da y So met im es we had to go mile s out or o ur way to ge t arou nd ma rshes a nd swam ps M rs -Vood w as as happ y as a la rk and ort en m ade th e woods ring w ith h e r so ngs T he seco nd ni ght we found she lter a t a sma ll lug house sit ua ted a re w mil es no rth or th e village or Pin ck - ney and th e on ly one in th e neigh bo rhood It wa s a co mm o n thin g for thr ee or four fam tl ies lo slop at one house ove rni ght and sometim es stay till th ey co uld ge t a log house up and the re wa s a lw ays pl e nty of roo m Th e nex t clay afte r n1akin g bridges go ing around swamps and fig hting mos· qu itoes with out cess ati on we arriv ed at th e Cedar Riv e r west of th e la nds a fterwar ds oc cu pied by Lym a n E Beach Jr It too k thr ee clays lo ge l th at load ove r th e ri ver and marsh up to Mr Yoods house whi ch was situ ated upon th e premises now o wn ed by Jam es F ewl ass E sq I work ed u po n th e h ouse for a re w clays a nd th e re I first hea rd th e h owl o r a wolL I th ought a ll th e clogs in th e countr y were loose 011 th e trail from th ere to L iv ings ton Ce ntr e I sa w th e first nak ed In d ians a nd there w ere la rge numb e rs of them SIMON P KUHN Few men in Livingston County have risen to usefulness and in· dependence through greater trials and obstacles than he whose name stands at the head of this brief nar· rative He was born in Livingston Co N Y Jan 8 1820 and came to Michigan with his father Peter J Kuhn in 1834 Lived in Wash tenaw County two years and came to Iosco in the spring of 1837 taking one hundred and twenty acres of land from government on section 26 The family consisting of eight children-fout boys and four girls · -were in limited circumstances The first five acres of hind cleared was done without the help of a team; this was sowed to wheat the first fall From this small beginning a large and productive farm was made on which the old couple died-Mrs Kuhn on Sept 16 1875 and he on May II 1876 Simon P the immediate subject of this sketch met with an accident when a boy which made him a con· firmed cripple He lived with his S P KUHN REs1oi:NcEor S P KUHN : Iosco father until he Wll5 thirty·six years of age Being ambitious to do some thing for himself his father gave him one hundred dollars and he pur chased eighty acres of land where he now resides Upon this land there was a heavy growth of timber; to remove this make a living and improve a farm without means and being obliged to walk with two canes was a grave question All this has been done other lands mded fine commodious buildings erected with such surroundings as indicate the well-to-do farmer Mr Kuhn has been twice married His first wife was Mrs Lucinda Rounds former! y Miss Green of Marion She died Dec 28 187 2 leaving one son Claude M The second marriage was May 7 1879 to Mrs Eliza Monk formerly Miss Richer of the county of Norfolk England Mr Kuhn and his present wife are active and consistent members of the Protestant Methodist Church and take a prominent part in the Sabbath-school IO SCO TO WNSH IP 2 59 Mr Wood removed from th e tow nshi p at an ea rly day and is now a re side nt of Milwauk ee Wi s Durin g th e latt er pa rt of th e summ er and ea rly in th e fall of 1836 severa l ot her famili es too k up th eir res idence in th e township th e exac t date of who se settl e lllent cann ot be read ily asce rtained Amon g th em were Ard Osborn and his son Nelson Th e former was th e first superv iso r and treas ur er of the tow nsh ip and purcha sed several hun dred · ac res situated up on sec tion s 30 and 3 1 R ich ard M Gu gg ins purchas ed land s upo n secti ons 19 20 and 2 1 ea rly in th e summ er of 1836 and durin g th e sa me season settl ed early enoug h t o harvest a crop of marsh hay George vV McI ntos h from Oa kl and Cou nty and A ndrew L yt le from Wa sht enaw Co unt y also setted at abo ut th e sa me tim e A sel Stow from W eybr idge Addi son Co V t first visited th e tow nsh ip in Jun e I 8 36 and pu rch ased from Richard M Gu gg ins land situ ated upo n sec tion 19 H e th en return ed to Verm ont and in Sept emb er of th e sa me year accompa nied by his wife and tw o chil d ren viz Isaac a nd El iza A nn Seth G vVilso n a nd wife- Mr Wii so n being hi s brot her-in -law- bega n a j ou rney to his ho111eh ere in th e wildern ess T he tr ave lers j ou rneye d ilia th e E rie Ca nal and L ake E rie A t th e sa me tim e N athan J ones anot her broth er-in-l aw start ed from Vermo nt wit h a ho rse- tea m and wago n be lon g ing t o Mr Stow He acco mpli shed th e long driv e in sa fety a nd brou g ht in th e first tea m of hors es own ed in th e town ship Mr Wil son is still a reside nt here Ase l Stow durin g hi s lifetim e was prominently identified with th e public int eres ts of th e tow nsh ip he ass isted t o found H e was one of th e first ass essors elected in 1838 and was re-elected durin g all th e succeeding years until i852 wh en th e office was disco ntinu ed Hi s so n Hon Isaa c Stow th e prese nt sup erviso r of th e tow nship has also bee n prom inent in all und ert akin gs both public and private whi ch had for th eir obj ect th e adva ncement of th e best int erests of his tow nsm en H e was an ea rly teac her and sc hoo l inspecto r and since 1865 has filled th e pos ition of sup er viso r nine te rms In J anu ary 1878 he pr epared an able and int erestin g ske tch concernin g pio nee r life in Io sco which was read before th e Li vings ton Cou nty Pioneer Assoc iation and to which we are ind ebt ed for mu ch valuab le in form ation James Wright a nativ e of Dutch ess Co N Y emi g rated from Manliu s Ononda ga Co N Y to thi s town ship in 1836 arr iving here Oc tober 24th H e was accomp anied by a large family of so ns viz Willi a m Isaac S A vValter J ohn W Eli sha C Th omas L ew is ] and L eo nard vV; R ichard Ac ker a so n-in-l aw and fbra m Van Bur en who had marri ed his niece Mr Vvrig ht was the first settl er upo n section 29 H e was a n ea rn est and since re member of th e Methodi st Ep iscopal Chur ch and at his house in th e spr ing of 1837 were ina ug urated th e first relig ious mee tin gs eve r held in th e townshi p It is believed th at prior to th e begi nnin g of th e winter of 1836 -3 7 J ohn Wo od th e fath er of Geo C vVood h ad settl ed upon th e so utheas t co rner o f sectio n 17 near where th e creek cro sses th e hig hway H ere he anti cipat ed th e es tabl ishm ent of a villa ge and tr adit ion sa ith that a vill age -on paper -was laid ou t as fVuodui!!e or Vuudbndge and lots in th e sa me sold to part ies in th e Ea st at q uite a handsome pre 111uim Th e vVoods exerc ised co nside rable sharp practice in th eir land speculatio ns and th e ow nership of the sa me but th e pu rchase rs we believe all resi ded east of L ak e E1·ie J ohn V ood became th e first postma ster ab out 1838 and th e road from his res ide nce so uth in to U nadilla townsh ip was th e first op ened In th e sp rin g of I 8 37 he was elected ju stice of th e peace and scho ol inspecto r of Un ad illa tow nship and with J eremiah Nich ols who at th e sa me tim e was elected hig hw ay commi ss ioner were th e first town ship officers res ident in th e territory now known as Io sc o In Ma rch 1837 D aniel Perso n with h is family came in from Erie Co Pa a nd mad e th e first se ttl ement upon se ction 24 His purch ase inclu ded th e nor th east quarter He was a nativ e of vVindsor Vt and th e son of a tale nte d Univ ersa list mini ster Mr Perso n was co nsp icuo us in th e ea rly hi sto ry of Iosco and univ ersal ly respec ted H e di ed in 1874 During th e remaind er of th e yea r 1837 and prior to the first to wnship election wh ich was held at th e house of J eremiah Nich ols April 2 1838 th e p opulation was large ly augmented by th e arriv al and settl ement of many families; th e first assess ment roll made in May 1838 showing 53 res ident tax -paye rs Amon g th e pion eers not previously mention ed and who were here pri or to Apr il 1838 were Peter J Kuhn H enry M Wood Silas B Munsell Levi vV Muns ell Putnam Smith Peter Chas e James Grimes Elb ert Pa rker Peter L Wilhelm Dani el V Van Sickel I saa c T Wright James Miller Jeremiah Nichols Sim eo n Backus Caleb Barb er Samu el Barb er Lor enzo Backus H enry Canoll L orenzo Canfi eld William S Caskey S imeo n Di sbrow A lfred D enio D avid D enio William D avis S F erg uso n J ohn Gr ee n J oab Gro260 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY M ICHIGAN ver J ohn W Hi lton Th oma s Hoy t Lawso n Judson J os iah Loree John Loree Wm Miller A nso n Ni les Patrick Q uinn David Stor ms Hen ry W Sharp James Upt on arid J osep h C Wi lliams Pri or to and inclu di ng I 840 addi tional settl ers ere Alfr ed We lls Lyman E Beac h W illiam C Post E lisha H Noble Lorenzo Davis J oseph B Cole Washing ton W ing J oseph Post William Him es Isaac Ray and A M Odell The following comprises a comple te list of th ose who were assessed as resident tax-pay ers in I 844 showing also th e section upo n whic h th eir lands were situat ed : Sec A cktr Rich ard 29 Brown so n R ic hard 13 lfo n1er Co rn elius Banter Jnn!es 4 Bac lrn s S impso n 25 36 Barber Ca leb 24 Back us Viclow 36 Baucoc k Eli S 24 Beac h Lyma n E 12 13 lhg hy Jose ph 4 Brillon J ohn 4 Bliss E an d Jose ph 2 10 Bean ie Wi llia m 32 Brad ford Charles 24 Ca noll H enry 25 Ca nfield Lorenzo : 25 Chase Pete r 8 Conr ad D enn is 3 Con ne r Pa1rick 6 Coo k Orri n 2 Cha pman Pet er 22 Clemen ts C B Ca rson Villiam C askey Willi am S 28 33 D avis Willi am 13 18 Di sl row S im eo n 2 2 D ickin son Am os 9 D uug b ss S B 17 F oster Martin R 10 F ewla ss J uh n 15 F erg uso n Thomns 35 Gugg ins Ri chard M 20 2 1 Gorton W illiam 13 24 Good rich H P 29 30 Glennin g R oger I Glea so n Warr en 9 Him es William 13 Ho y ! Em eline 12 Hil ton J ohn V 11 H artford Cha rles 34 36 H aven Luth er 21 27 28 H aviland L J 2 1 22 28 32 3 3 H av iland Ja cob 18 Hil ton J ohn P erso nal H atfield James 4 J ewell William 30 Kuhn Peter J 26 Kuhn L eonard D 26 Loree J osep h 22 23 L o ree Ge orge 4 L ewis Steph en B 35 L ewis Isaac Personal Sec Loree J osiah 3 4 M d ntus h George V 3 4 Jlill er Willi am 14 Mun sell L V 14 15 Mun sell Sil as B 15 Mill er James 23 N ichols J eremi ah 15 22 Nil es An sel 22 Nob le Eli sha H 27 Osborn N e lson S 3 I Osuorn H orace 30 Oslorn Ard 30 Odel l Au gustin e M 7 Pl umm er Am os 25 Person D aniel 24 Par ker E lbert 8 Pos1 W illiam C 9 Post J ohnso n Pe rso nal Post J osep h S 29 Pal nrntee r George Personal Quinn Patrick 6 R ay I saac 25 R ay Willi am 1-l 35 Robinson Robe rt 24 R edfield Will iam 1-I 3 4 Smi1h Ar el 29 Sh atlu ck Asa 14 Sha rp H enry 3 1 Sh arp Willi am : 31 Stow A se l 19 30 Sigsby D avid 33 Smith Putn am F 34 Sm ith James Perso nal Tu ppe r Chelsey Personal Tupp er Simeon Van Brunt Isaac 9 Van Blarcom I D Perso nal Van Sickel D V 32 33 Voocl J ohn 17 20 2 1 Voocl D T and Al exa nd er I I vVilhelm Peter L 7 18 Vil helm Peter I 7 Vard J aco b 22 Varel Eli 14 Varel Alvin 15 Vrig ht Th omas 20 29 Wright I saac T 20 29 Vri g ht James 29 30 Wi lso n Se th G 26 27 Wel ls A lfred 27 William s Joseph 28 Ving Vashin gton 12 13 Add ition al resi dent s assessed for taxes in 184 5 were : Sec Burch Ge org e 29 Beach Eli sh a F 13 Goodri ch Ashb el 20 21 Goodri ch J osh ua 20 2 1 Gr ee n h rae l P erson al H empste d N ath an 8 H emp stecl Clrnrles P erso nal H art I saa c 9 Mun se ll Henry G P erso n al Sec Poyer Jo nah 3 9 Rim a Chri stopher 1 2 R oss Corn elius 9 Su tton L ewis C Personal W ard H enry E 14 Voocl Geo rge II Willi mns Phil etus P Personal Wri g ht Will iam 29 30 Sec Bailey Josep h 4 Conover Jose ph t Clements E d ward 19 Drumm L awr ence I I Dunn James 14 Doug lass Ev erett I 5 I 7 D avis H G 9 H artfo rd V illiam P ersonal l ;h;am Ang ustus 33 Mill er Zac hariah Personal Marble Ru ssell 22 Mun sell A S 15 N ewco mb -Vesley 25 Sec Ah hott Jam es 8 Brown son Persons 27 lh vis W illiam 13 H arfo rrl Th omas 27 Hil to n Richard 3 H ernpsted Myro n 8 I-limes James 13 Kuh n W illiam 27 L oce N ath a n 22 Sec All en Luciu s B 17 Al len J ames 8 Backu s Hir am 36 BurtEF 24 Clark D anid I I Du tto n D :ivicl 31 Free rnan Al bert Perso nal F ew lass James Personal F ergu son P 35 H av iland Charles A 28 H ave n Steph en 6 H all V S 1 Lewis Pet er 35 Sec Od ell Charles 7 P ost &amp; Smith 28 32 33 Perso n I-! C Persona l Saga r Edw ard 17 Simm ons Vm H 9 Sto w &amp; Ca rson 2 1 27 28 T aft J ames 2 Vanblar com J ohn I I W illiams &amp; L incoln 17 ~1ard Al va 22 W ard Witli am R Per so nal Whit ehea d Mi chae l 35 Wilh el m J ohn 32 Sec Loc kw ood Zac hariah 16 Lee George W 2 10 Osbo rn Dav id F 30 Sleig ht &amp; H alsted 12 13 Tra cy Sa mu el 16 Wright J ose ph 29 W oodin g W illiam 5 Wri g ht I S A 16 Sec Lyman Will iam 2 Poyer J onah Jr 3 4 9 Palmer L &amp; L A 19 Sleig ht A lbert l ersonal Saga r Th oma s Personal Simm ons Charles 16 Slaught er -- 3 Tra cy N T 16 Vango rder H enry Perso na l W illiams Parku s: Perso na l Wi lliams Fr ed erick Perso nal Wri ght Walker 16 SOME OF THE FIRST EVEN T S The first dwel ling-h ou se was built by George C vVood on secti on 11 in th e spr ing of 1836 and a part of it at least now remain s and is occupied by J ames F ew lass Th e first framed barn was built in th e sum mer of I 838 on section 20 by Richard M Gugg ins and th e seco nd by Ase l Stow on sec - tion 19 early in th e spring of 1839 Th e first birth iil the town ship was a so n of Abr am Van Buren in Janu ary 1837 The b oy was christened Martin which made him a full nam esake of th e Preside nt of the United States at th at tim e Th e first marria ge solemniz ed was th at of Wi lliam Wright and Miss Lucy Osborn in the summ er of I 8 37 Both were residen ts of the township Th e ceremony was pe rformed by Elder Sayre at the res idenc e of th e brid es fath er Ard Osborn Esq Th e first death was a child of Rich ard M Gug g ins which occurr ed early in the sprin g of 1837 Th e first sheep were introduced from Ohio in th e fall of 18 39 Th ey were natives well adap ted to the country at th at tim e and furnished th e base from which some fine flocks were after - wards produced Jabez Paul was the first reside nt who att ended to RESIDENCE Of JAMES WOODEN IQSCO MICH I GAN IOSCO TOWNSHIP th e bodil y affliction s of th e pe opl e H e beli eved in the pr actice of Thomp son and st ea med and sweated his patient s with out stint Dr John R Goo drich was the first reg ularly educ ated ph ys ician and bega n hi s pr actic e here about I 842 or 1843 He has been succee ded by Dr s Schu y ler Cooper Cru ick shank and Cann on PRI VATI ONS AND DI FF ICULTI ES OF PIONEE R LI F E IN IOSCO* Th e tri als a nd pri vation s of th ose pioneers who settl ed here from I 836 to I 845 were many and seve re Th e new-comers usually arri ved with very few of th e tr appin gs conside red indi spensable in th e ord inary household of olde r commun ities ; often with no m ore th an co uld be drawn on one wago n toge th er with th e family and a few boa rds Th ese boards we re a necess ity as th ey furn ished th e only shelter for th e p ioneer h is family and ef- fects until a h o use co ul d be erected Th ey were arranged by p laci ng one end on th e gro und or a convenient log th e oth er on a pole supp orted by fork s driven int o th e gro un d Thi s with a fire in front sufficed until a better co uld be provid ed · Th e dwellin gs were alm ost inva riably of th e same type and with th e excep tion of nails and a few boards were built of logs and such oth er material as could be obt ained from th e forests without th e aid of mech anics W ith no roa ds no br idges ove r str ea ms blaze d tr ees or pe rh aps an In d ian tr ail was th e only g uide to distant marke ts and settl ement s N o flour or oth er pro visions of any kin d cou ld be had nea rer th an A nn A rbor a d istance of th irty or thirt y-five miles Th ose who had tea ms frequ ently drove to D etroit for supp lies- a j ourn ey whi ch in tho se days of bad roads req uired about a week s tim e to acco mplish Fl o ur at th at tim e was wo rth $ 16 per barrel ; por k from $ l 2 to $ l S pe r hun dred ; po tatoes$ 1 per bu shel ; butt er 40 cent s per p ound and oth er articl es p ropo rti onately high Th ose wh o had exh austed th eir means in ge ttin g here and pur chas ing th eir land s had a hard stru gg le for th e followin g tw o or thr ee yea rs to keep th at ga unt spec tr e hun ge r from th e doo r and so metim es suffered for th e necessa ries of life T he long and disas trou s dep ress ion of ind ustri al int erests a nd th e depr ec iation in valu es which followed th e financial cr ash of 1837 was a t ryi ng ordeal for this town shi p but yet in emb ry o No t until th e summ er of 1837 had an y pro d uce been raised th e few settl ers of th e pr evious yea r not arri ving in seaso n to plant any cr ops with th e ex - ception of four or five small pie ces of wheat pro b- * Extrac t from H on Isa ac Stuw s address to the Livingst o n County P ioneer Associat ion J an uary 1878 ably not more than twenty acres in all the to wnship and thi s was nearly a failure Th e pro strati on of bu siness generally effectu ally ch eck ed emig ration and many disheart ened emigrant s return ed to th eir form er homes in th e Eas t consequ ent ly th e township incr ease d but littl e in popul ation d urin g th e thr ee succeedi ng yea rs Aft er th e har vest of I 8 38 conside rabl e surplus wheat was on hand but th e cost of mark etin g was nea rly as much as could be realized for it wh en th ere; a load of wh eat req uiring four day s with oxe n to A nn Arb or would brin g from ten to fifteen do llars but peop le in tho se days cut th e ga rment to th e cloth o r in oth er word s kept th eir exp enses within th eir incom e Notwith standing th e many and se rious difficulties which th ese b rave and dauntl ess p io nee r men and wo men had to ove rco me th ey were ge nerally happ y and co ntented It wo uld see m alm ost as th ough th ey we re espe cially des ig ned and p repa red for th eir work Th ey made littl e of th e da rk pass - ages of life and mu ch of its bri g ht ones A ll within a rad ius of mil es we re neig hbo rs and well acqu ainted No aristoc racy th en; th e man with forty ac res of land had as large a reve nu e as th e one with a half sec tion- for wild lands prod uce no ea rnin gs- and was h is pee r soc ially It was a cu stomary prac tice to ga th er toge th er on th e long wi nter eve nings at eac h ot hers dwel lings and have a merry goo d tim e Th ese free-and-easy soc ial ga th erin gs devoid of th e d ictu m of fash ion o r prid e of dr ess were very enjoyab le affairs and no doubt contrib uted la rge ly to th at frate rnit y of fee ling a nd int erest in eac h oth ers welfare which form s so p romin ent a featu re in isolated and sparsely-settled co mmun ities CIVIL H ISTORY Io sco was form ed from Un adi lla by an act of th e State L eg islatur e approve d Marc h 6 1838 Th e act reads as follows : SE CTION 44 All that p orti on o r th e Co un ty of Livi ngston de signated in the U nited Sta tes survey as town ship n umber two north o r ra nge n umb er thr ee eas t lie and th e same is hereby set off and orga nized intll a sepa rat e townsh ip by the nam e or I osco; and the firt tow nsh ip-m eeting th erein sha ll he held at the house o r J eremia h Nich ols in s:d township U nde r th e pro visions of thi s act th e lega l voters of th e new township on Mo nday Ap ril 2 1838 asse mbl ed at th e house of Jeremiah N ichols for th e pur pose of electin g tow nshi p officers A n orga nization was effected by choos ing A rd Os born Mode rator ; Geo rge C W ood L ev i W Mun sell and Joab Gr ove r In sp ectors; and L awso n Jud so n Cleric Th is election resulted in th e choice of th e following officers: A rd Osbo rn S upervisor; E lbert Par ker T ownship Clerk; Ase l Sto w L ev i W HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGA N Mun sell Lor enzo Backu s Assesso rs; Se th G Wil so n Jam es Wright L awso n Jud so n Ju st ices of th e Peace; J oab Grover Ch elsey Tupp er ·wash - in gton Win g Hi g hway Commis sion ers ; Willi a m Vright H enry Cano!! Sim eo n Di sbrow School In spectors; Jos iah L oree Collector; Rich ard M Gu gg ins L awso n Jud son Dir ectors of the Poor; Caleb Barber J osia h L oree Co nstabl es Oversee~s of Hig izways -G eorge C Wood Di strict No I; Peter Chase No 2; Peter L Wilhelm No 3; Jeremiah Nichols No 4; Lawso n Jud son No 5; A lfred D enio No 6 ; Ard Osborn No 7; D aniel Person No 8 At th e general election held Nov 5 and 6 1838 th e wh ole numb er of vot es poll ed was 47 of which Hez ekiah G W ells a ca nd idate for th e office of R epr ese ntati ve to th e United States Cong ress received 22 vo tes and Isaa c E Crary a candidate for th e same office rece ived 25 vo tes Th e first to wnshi p accou nts were a udit ed th e last Tu esday of Sept ember 1838 wh en bills t o th e a mount of $393 1 11 ere allowed EAR LY ROADS Th e hi ghw;1y k now n at an ear ly d;1y as W oods road was su rveyed by J ohn Farn swo rth (si nce a distin g uished politician of th e State of Illin ois) Sept 20 1836 and was th e first op ened to tr ave l in th e tow nsh ip Oth er roads known loca lly as th e Centr e Kuhn s Backu s Beals Osbo rn s Dy ers Sm ith s and Ca rso ns were all la id prior to th e formation of Io sco town ship Th e follow ing is a list of tho se who se na mes app eared up on th e assess ment ro ll as resident tax - payer s of th e township of Iosco in May 1838 a nd shows also th e amount of rea l and per sonal estate possess ed and the taxes paid by eac h Th ose de sig nated with a sta r (*) are th e onl y surviv ors Miller and Wilson reside in Iosco N ichols in Handy tow nship and D enio in Wayne Co unt y }{ca l :1nd per· so ual es tate Acker Ri chard $ 120 Backus Simeon 292 Harber Ca leb 282 Barber Samuel 52 Back u Lorenzo 156 Canoll Henry 504 Can field LortnZO 6 15 Caskey Wi lliam S 560 Chase Pete r 464 Di sh r11w Simeon 280 Den io Alrred 6 12 D enio Dav id 560 D lVis Wi lliam 564 F t:r;!11So11 S 3-+4 G rimes James J 2 Gr een J hn 1377 Grove r Joal&gt; Guggins Richa rd M 134 1 lli ltonJ ohn 4 17 H oyt Th omas B 1 20 J udson Lawon 86 1 Taxes p:lid $069 167 16 1 0 30 o88 288 353 320 265 16o 351 320 32 5 196 007 8oo 767 240 0 69 49 2 R ea l and persona l es tate J ones Nathan $132 Kuhn Pet er J 426 Lytl e Andr ew 86 L oree J ohn 292 Loree J osia h 727 M iller Wi lliam 334 Mun se ll Silas B 500 McIntosh Ge orge vV 5 11 * Miller J ames 324 Mu nsell L V 5 IO Osborn Ard 593 Osborn Nel son 444 * Nichols J eremiah 56 1 Ni les An sel 26o Parker Elb ert 6 12 Person D aniel 594 Quin n Pat rick 264 Stow Ase l 888 Storms David 184 Smith P utnam I 52 Sharp H enry W 480 Upton J ames 280 Van Sickel D V 60 7 ·right Jaine:; 744 Wri ght Isaac T 650 Wri ght Will iam 252 vVilhdm Pc1er L 252 * Wil so n Seth G 572 Wood George C I 177 Wood John 838 1ood H enry !V[ 480 Wi lliams J oseph C 344 TOW NSHIP OF FICERS T ax es paid $ 175 2-43 0 50 166 4 16 190 286 2 95 185 2 -95 3-40 2 55 320 149 35o 3-40 152 509 105 0 30 2 7 5 160 3-48 42 5 344 144 144 3·2 7 674 4 75 2 7 5 197 Th e follow ing is a complete list of town ship officers from 1838 to 1879 inclu sive; show ing also th e whol e numb er of votes poll ed eac h year for candid ates for the office of S up erv isor: SUPERV ISORS 1838- 40 Ard Osborn; I 84 1 La wson Ju dso n ; 1842-43 Lyma n E Bea ch; 1844- 45 Ard Osborn ; 1846 Samu el B Dougbss; 1847 Ard Osl&gt;orn; 1848 Joseph L oree; 1849 Martin R Foster ;* 1850-51 H en ry G Davi s ; 1852 Den nis Conrad; 1853-5 4 D arwin A Palm er ; 1855 H enry G Dav is ; 1856 J ohn 1 Wri ght ; 1857- 58 Sa 11u1el A Mapes ; 1859 Ard R Smith; 1860 Samuel A Mapes ; 186 1-62 H arry J H ave n; 1863-6 4 Corneliu s H Pers on; 1865- 67 Isaac Sow; 1868 J ohn W Wri gh t; 1869- 71 Isaa c Stow; 1872 Albert W Messenge r; 1873 An son A Stow; 1874 I saac Stow; 1875- 77 Albert W Messenge r; 1878- 79 Isaa~ Stow TOWN SH I P CLER KS 1838- 39 E lbert Par ker; 1840- 42 Alfred W ells; 1843 Luth er H ave n; 1844 David T Wood; 1845 William C Post; 1846- 48 Peter L Wilh elm ; 1849 J R Goodric h; 1850 Simeo n Di brow; 185 1 SS Ch ipman; 1852- 55 J ohn W Wri ght; 1856- 57 All en 0 H ave n; 1858 Martin R Fost er; 1859-60 J oh11 W Wri ght; 186 1- 62 Simeo n B Merr ill; 1863-66 Ru ssdl M Cad well; 1867 All&gt;crt W Messe nger; 1868 Stephe n M H ayner; 1869- 71 Alhert W Me ssenger ; 1872- 73 J uhn Elliott; 1874- 75 R R Ru ssell; 1876-78 J ohn Elliott; 1879 Lym an K H ad ley TRE ASU RERS 1838 None elected; 1839- 40 Ard Osborn; 1841 Lym a n E Beac h; 1842-44 Alrrecl We lls; 1845- 48 H orace Osborn; 1849 Dtnvi n A Paline r ; 1850 J onah Poyer ; 185 1E Barnum; 1852 J ona h l oye r; 1853- 54 J osep h L Post; 1855- 56 Pete r L amorea ux ; I 857- 58 Simon P Kuhn; 1859 Peter Lamo reaux; 1860 Hi ram Parker; 186 1 Jn o ¥ Wa rd; 1862-63 Barnard Denio; 1864-6 5 An son A Stow; 1866 * Resigned; Denn is Co nrad elected to fill vacancy Sept 30 1849 WMS CASKEY MRS WMSCASKEY WILLIAM S CASKEY was born in Roxbury N J Feb l 1 181 I He lived with his father Robert Caskey who was a farmer until he was twenty-one years of age He came to Michigan in 1833 and took up a tract of eighty acres of land He worked by the month for others until May II 1843 when he was married to Clarissa Wasson who came with her father from Genesee Co N Y in 1836 and settled m Unadilla In 1844 Mr Caskey commenced improving his land He and his young wife moved into a log house on adjoining land and occupied it the first year during which time a few acres of land had been cleared and a log house of the rudest sort had been erected on his own land From this small beginning by the strictest economy and industry a fine farm has been developed from the wilderness Mr Clark and his wife were members of the Presbyterian Church at Plainfield; he assisted in its organization and was for many years one of its deacons He was charitable and kind hearted He died Aug 21 1873 leaving four children-three sons and one daughter The oldest Robert W is a farmer in Iosco He enlisted in Company L Third Michigan Cavalry and served until February 1866 Jonathan B is a farmer in Iosco William S and Sarah B live at the old home with their mother the latter now in her sixtyfourth year who shares with them the cares and responsibilities of the farm William S Caskey was a just man and much respected IOSCO TOWNSHIP Jn o W Ward; 1867-7 1 St ep h en S We stcott; 1872-73 Ge orge Laible; 1874- 75 Silas C M errill; 1876- 77 F reem an C Peter so n; 1878 H orace Mapes; 1879 La Fa ye tte Peet JUSTICES OF T HE PEACE Seth G Vilso n J am es ·w rig ht Law son J ud so n 1838; L awso n Jud so n 1839; J am es vVright 1840; J ohn W oo d 184 1 ; Seth G Wi lso n 1842; D enni s Co n rad 1843; D aniel Pe son 1844; A sel Stow 1845; A M Odell 1846; L ev i W Munse ll 1847; D ani el Pe rso n 1848; E verett D ouglass 1849; J ames Wright 1850 ; L e vi W Mun sell 1851; Eli S Babco ck 1852; Everett D ouglass 1853; A se l Sto w 1854; Levi W Mun se ll H orace O sborn A rel R Smith 1855; Lym a n E Be ac h 1856; Ma rtin R F os ter El i S Babcock 1857; J ohn E M apes 1858; L e vi W Mun se ll 1859; Eli S Babcock R obert G Mart in 1860; Gill ert Cas well Isaac Stow 186 1; Jsaac Stow 1862; Allen 0 H ave n 1863; Hiram Backu s Patri ck Cummi sk ey 1864; Ard R Smith 1865; Eli sha C Wri ght 1866 ; J oh n W W right 1867; Dani e l P erson 1868; II ilt on Bradley W illiam H Simp so n 1869; Eli ha C Wrigh t Th omas W H arfor d 1870; Pat rick Cu m mi skey D enn is Conrad 1871 ; Thom as W Harf ord William H Si mp so n 1872; l saac Sto w 1873; ililt un llr aclley 1874; Gilher t ilu nsell 1875; Lym an K H ad ley 1876; Ste phen ll P erso n 1877; Wil liam Wil la rd 1878; Gilhert ifon sel l J uhn O akes 1879 J-Il GHWr Y COMM ISS IONERS J uab Grove r Chel se y Tupper W ashi ngton Wi ng 1838; J oa h Gruver L ev i V Mun sell ashi ngtun vVing 1839; Ya hin gton Wing L ev i V Mun se ll J oab Gniv er 1840; Dan iel Pe rso n Ase l Sto w J uh n Lore e 1841 ; D1niel l:ru n Lu - th er I l aven D enni s &lt;;:onr ad 1842; Va shingt on Wing Ad Stow ll a rris o n PG oo drich 1843; J am es Wr ight Matin R F oste r Wi ll ian G orton 1844; J onah Puy e r A rd R Smit h Sim eun Backu s 1845; D ennis Conr ad Sime on Backus Isaac T vVrig ht 1846; Sim eo n Backus D enn is Conrad A S Mun se ll 1847; A S Mun se ll 1848; Ard R Smith J ohn F ew lass 1849; R obert R ober son 1850; E ve rett D ougbss 185 I ; Willi am S Cas key 1852; Cornelius 1-1P erson 1853; D en11is Conrad 1854; A sahel Good rich 1855; Cha rl e Cole - man 1856; Denni s Con rad 1857; Isaac T Wri gh1 1858; Rufu s S Griffin 1859; D e n11is Conrad 186o; Charl es Cule man 186 1; Myron l ark e r Daniel Person 1862; Arel R Smith 1863; D enni s Co nrad 1864; J o-c ph Loree 1865; Ard R Smith 1866; Den nis Co nrad 1867; Isaac Stow 1868; Hir a m Park er 1869; Steph en S We stcott 1870; Dennis Co nrad 187 1 ; lli ram P a rk e r 1872; S1ep hen S ·w estc ott 1873; Philande r Bull 1874; Step hen S W estcot t 1875-77; Freeman C Peters on 1878; L ea nder Purdy 1879 ASSESSO R S A sel Stow L e vi W Mun se ll L oren zo Backu s 1838 ; Asel Stow L ore nzo Backu s J oh n vVoocl 1839; William S Ca key Ase l Stow Pet er Cha se I 840; P ete r Cha se As el Stow Daniel P erso n 184 1 ; Lyman E Beach Le vi V M unse ll Pe ter Chase 1842; A sel St o w Jo se ph L oree 1843; J oh n W oo d Lyman E Beach 1844; A M Ode ll Dni el P e rso n 1845; A sd Stow D V Va 11 Sic ke l 1846; Sa mu el B D ouglass D V V an Sick el 1847; E I I Nob le Willi a m Vood e n 1849; D a ni el Per so n Ase l Stow 1850; Emery Hea l Asel Stow 185 I supervi su s have perfo rmed the dutie s of as ses ors fro m 1852 to 1879 in clusive CO LLECTORS J osia h L oree 1838; William C P os t 1839- 40; A nse l Ni les 184 1 :* * Office h as since be en abo lished SCHOO L I SPECTORS Villiam Wri ght Henry Can oll Si meon D isbro w 1838; L a wso n Ju dson D a niel V Van S icke l J ohn Wo od 1839; Alfr ed W ells Willi am C Po st E 11 Noble 1840; J ohn W oo d La wson Ju dso n Elisha J-1 Noble 1841; Law so n Ju dson D a vid T W ood William C P ost 1842; J onas W Wing D avid T W oo d 1843; Eli sha I-I Noble Cornel ius J-1 Per - so n 1844; Corne lius J-1 Perso n 1845; T hqm as F ergu son 1846; H enry G Davi s 1847; Corn e lius H Perso n 1848; J S Wri g ht 1849; J ohn V Wright Cornelius H P e rso n 1850; B F Chipm a n 185 1 ; H arr y J H aven 1852 ; Isaac St ow 1853; H arry J 1 lave n 1854; Th omas Wright 1855; J ohn W Wil son 1856; B F Ch ipman 1857; Henry G D a vis 1858; J ame s C F erg uson 1859; Mart in R Foste r 1860; J ame s C Ferg uso n 186 1 ; Corn d ius H Perso n Albert vV Me sse nge r 1862; Eli sha C right 1863; I saac Stow W olcott S !I av ila nd 1864; J a me s C Gray 1865; Eli sha C Wright 1866; J ohn W Wri ght 1867 ; Eli sha C Wr ight 1868; A W Coop e r 1869; J uh n L anwre a ux 1870; John Connor 1871; W illi am E Val so n 1872; R R R us e ll Lyman K 1-Iaclley 1873; J ohn L amorea ux 1874; Frank L Wri g ht 1875; A hbel W Elliott 1876- 77; W illi am Map es 1878; J onatha n B Ca key 1879 T OWNSll IP SUPER !: TENlJENTS OF SCHOOLS David J Odell 1875; La F ayette Peet 1876 ; G so rge C Brad - ley 1877; Eu gen e A St ow 1878- 79 J)]RE CT U R S O F T II E POOR Richa rd M Gu ggin s L aw -on Jud son 1838- 40; Ri chard il Cu ggi11 Elbert P a rke r 184 1 ; El ber t Parke r L a wson J uds on 1842; Samu el B Do u6las J osep h Loree 1843; J am es Wri ght J osep h Lor ee 1844; Asel St u W ashi ngton Wing 1845; A M Od e ll J ose ph L ore· 1846 ; Sirnen Di s brow J acob vVad 18-+7; J ac J I Wa rd Peter J K t1hn 1848; Ja cu b Varel 1849 ; D ani el l ~ro n Ja co! W ard 185 I ; J osep h Wri gh t J acub W tnl 1852; 11r ry J I I1ven W illia m S Caskey 1853; A rd R Smit h 1854; J ere m iah Ni chols Em e ry Bea l 1855; Corn eliu s Ii P~r so n R wse ll Mrb:e 1856; Arel I{ Smi&gt;l1 J onah Poyer 1857; J ere miah Nicho s Seth G W ilson 1858t DRAIN CO M 11I SS IOiER~ J ames Sayle s 1872 ; Silas C M errill 1873; J ames T ll oyt 1874; Lyman K H ad ley 1875- 76; il ilion Br ad ley I 878 ; J ohn Elliott 1879 CONSTABLES J os iah L oree Caleb Barb e r 1838; W illia111 C Post Lorenzo · D a vis 1839; W illiam C Posl An sel Nil es 1840; J osep h B Cule A nse l Nile s 184 1 ; Ans e l Niles Che lsey Tup pe r 1842; Chel se y Tupper An se l Nil es 1843; Chaun ce y B Clem e nt s A11 d Ni les 1844; Ev erett D ouglas s Putnam T Srnith A nsel Ni les 1845; E ve rett D ougla ss Put11am T Smith D F Osbu rn 1846; A lbe rt F reeman W illi am L inco ln J M llim es 1847; lbcrt Fre ema n T homas Sage r Al ben Slei~ ht vVil liam D av is Jr 1848; Th omas Sage r ll enry W oode n J C Pos t Willi a m Davi- Jr 1849 ; Th oma s S1g er H en ry G Davi s S P Kuhn J ohn W J e well 1850; Th omas Sag e r L ev i W a rd 1851; Wi llia m V Veil J o11a h Poyer 1852; J ames B Od ell Alvin W a rd J &lt;&gt;seph S Pu st L eruy Bc l;u s 1853; Charl es Odell Alv in Ward Ich abod Cha se Will ia m Davi s Jr 1854; Alvin Varel Charl es Coleman Th oma s Sharp Pet e r Lam ore aux 1855; J ohn V Vard P ete r Lamor eaux Charl es Coleman Arel Osb orn 1856; Gi lbe rt Munsell Simon P Kuhn William Simo ns Alvin Varel 1857; G ilbert 1u 11sell William H Wilc ox Alv in Ward Si mon I Kuhn 1858; Wi lliam 11 Wil cox Gi lbert ll un se ll J uhn W W ard Th omas Sag er 1859; Geo rg e D O del l lli ra m Park er t Office has s inc e been ab oli h ed HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN Gilb ert Mun sell Hiram Perry 1860 ; Andy Pea rson J ohn VI Vvard Anson A Stow Hiram A Parker 1861; Barnard Denio Jun e H olcomb Th omas R Simps on Anson A Stow 1862; D aniel Miller Barnard Denio Elias Ja ckson Anson A Stow 1863; Thomas R Simp son An son A Stow Charles Conrad Joseph L oree Jr 1864; J osep h Loree Jr Anson A Stow Th omas R Simpson William F Mead 1865; J oseph L oree Jr Willi am P Drumm Stephen M H ayner John vV Ward 1866; Step hen S Westcott John W Ward John Witty Reub en William s 1867; Anson A Stow J ohn Witty J ohn W vVnrd Jay R edfield 1868; Stephen S Westcott William H Richmond William M Hart Gilbert Mun se ll 1869; William M Hart Step hen S Westcott Watson Lister Aaron W Coope r 1870; H arry J H ave n Levi Fewla s Edwin Vv Ack er B S Person 187 r ; J ames H oyt E W Noble Gu tavus Fosler F ree man C Pet erson 1872; Philander Bull Gustav us FosterJay R ed feld J oh n Du tcher 1873; J ames T H oyt Stephen S Smith Jay Redfi eld Gustavus Fosler 1874; Albert P Foster J oh n M Bra dley J ames T H oyt J ohn Rathbun 1875; Gustavus Foste r Charles E Pete r0 11 William Ogle Robert Elliott 1876 ; Willi am H Mapes Silas C Merrill D av id Green George Phillip s 1877 ; Georg e D Odell vVilliam Bird Is rae l Bennett Phi lander Hull 1878; George D Odell Willi am R ecto r H ave r Lerg 1879 EDUCATIONAL The first sc hoo l districts were formed Nov 27 1837 while this town still formed a part of Un adil la tow nship Four d stric ts were organiz ed th e same day thr ee of which are now known as th e Muns ell Wilson and M;1pes districts Others were form ed soo n after Which district is entitl ed to th e hon or of building the first h ouse for sc ho ol purp oses cannot with ·certainty be told How ever tradition says it belongs to th e Munsell district The first reco rd s of any sc ho ols are for th e year 1839 ·and show repo rt s fro:11 fo ur district s as having had sc hoo ls for at least thr ee months by a qualifi ed teac her and thi s would indicat e that seve ral hou ses were constructed th e sa me season and at about th e sa me tim e which is th e mor e prob able Th e whole numb er of sc hola rs reported from th e four districts was 57 a nd th e amou nt o f publ ic moneys received was $2280 an av erage of $570 to eac h district or 40 cents per sc holar As to th e first school taught in th e township how eve r th ere can be no qu es tion This sc hool was held in th e summ er of 1837 or 1838-prob ab ly the form er-in a private dwelling on sec tion 17 and was taught by the lady of the house Mrs H enry M Wood This does not see m to hav e bee n a district schoo l or if so the pupils were not confined to any particu Jar part of the town and it was undoubt ed ly a private ent erpris e Th e first sc hool - houses were usually built of logs quickly and ch eaply with a large open fireplace on a hea rth of clay or stone and with planks split from logs for floor ing The seats were benches mad e from logs opened in halves dr essed 011 the flat side with a n ax e and legs secur ed in tw o-in ch auger hol es at either end The desks were long boards or planks fastened to th e inside walls No taxes seem to have been levi ed for building purpos es or at least no record can be found of any and it is very probable that the first school-houses were in most cases built by th e volunt ee r labo r of thos e inhabitants res iding within th eir respective district s (The foregoing sketch concerning early schools is an ex tract from a pa ~er pr epa red by the Hon Isaac Stow of Io sco for th e Livingston County Pioneer Society ) Th e teac hers first mention ed in th e reco rds as rec eiving certificates were Miss Victoria A Lyman and Miss Margaret Fo ster who on th e 9th of May · 1844 wer e gra nt ed certificates to teach primary schools In November of the sa me year C H Person rece ived a teach ers certificat e Th e In spectors Annual R epor t for th e year 1845 furni shes the following stat istic s as to th e number of children of sc hoo l age residi ng in th e town ship and the amount of public mon ey disbursed : Di stri ct No 3 34 sc holar s $1023; District No 4 22 scholars $662; Di strict No 6 22 scholars $662 ; Di strict No 7 53 sc holars ~ $ 1595 T eac hers rec eiv ing certificates in 1845 were Charlotte M Kirtland Ru sse ll Brown and Jon athan Fo ster In 1846 Ellen Richmond Lucinda Stafford Polly Stafford and J ohn Wright In 1847 Charlotte Moon Emily Clark Betsey Bli ss C H Perso n and J ohn Wri g ht Misses Rhoda Wilhelm K ez iah Woodin and Mary Beal were also lic ensed prior to l 8 50 At the latt er date districts l to 5 inclusive repo rted 161 scholars and th e amount of mon ey received from county and town ship trea s urers was $78 36 Among thos e who rece ived teach ers cer tificates during the years from 1850 to 1855 were I saac Stow Jonath an Foster Eli sha C Wright Mary Ann Cool Sophronia Haven Annette Chipman Rhoda Wilh elm D ennis Wright Lydia Granger Dani el Cobb Thoma s Seeley H arry J Haven Mary Smith M:irgaret Ferguson Thomas ·wright Mary Martin Emily Emery Miss H Smith and Caroline J Morrison The number of sc holars report ed in l 860 were 235 and th e amount rece ived from th e primarysc hoo l fund $ 10800 In 1870 districts I to 5 inclusive reported 21 l scholars and th e amount of primary-school money received and app ortion ed $ 10416 The following statistics a re take n from the annual report of th e town sh ip board of education for the year endin g Sept 1 1879 : Numb er of distri ct~ one be ing fract ional ··-····· 5 Chi ldr en of sc hool age residing in the tow nship - 219 AMANDA DOUGLASS a woman well known through Livingston C ounty for her enterprise and good common sense was born in Rensselaer Co N Y Nov 4 1804 Her maiden name was Vredenburgh Her ancestors were Hollanders and emigrated to America before the Revolution When she was two years of age her father moved to Washington Co N Y and settled on a farm near White Hall where she lived until she was rrarried Jan 22 1823 to Samuel B Douglass His father was also a farmer and lived near Whit e Hall Samuel remained with his father until he was twenty-five years of age when he went to Wayne Co N Y with his wife and one child and engaged in the mercantile business for fifteen years He there made a trade for one hundred and sixty acres of land in Handy Livingston Co Mich Upon this land he had a log house built and moved there in August 1840 where he remained one year when he purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land upon which there was a frame house and some sixty acres partially cleated at what is now kn own as Parker s Comers in the town of Iosco He at once built a bani and commenced improving the land Not being a practical farmer and bis time largely occupied with other matters he bad made little progress on the farm when he died Sept ll 1847 in his fiftieth year leaving a wife and five children Mr Douglass was a man of large busi - AMANDA DOUGLASS ness capacity and by his own exertion had acquired a good business education Was arractical surveyor had a good knowledge o the law and became quite famous for his success in the pioneer courts Politically be was a Democrat In all town matters he took an cctive part filling some of the offices among them that of supervisor Upon his death Mrs Douglass assumed the responsibility of the family and nobly has she performed the duties devolving upon her The large tract of native forest has been transformed into broad and fertile fields the many wants of the family have been supplied and their position in the community maintained She is charitable and hospitable to all local public enterprises She gives liberally to the Protestant Methodist Church at Parkers Comers; she gave the land and coqtributed liberally to its erection and support She has been the mother of six children; one died while the family lived in New York Everett the oldest son is a prominent business man at Big Rapids Mich ; Helen married Thomas Segar a farmer who lives adjoining the old home; Sarah married Myron Parker; she died leaving three children who live with their grandmother; R)bert died at the age of eighteen years; Samuel was killed by a falling tree And now after a long and industrious life this venerable pioneer; upon whose head have fallen the frosts of seventy-five winters looks back with the satisfaction of having acted well her part as she enjoys a large circle of friends and a well-earned competency RESIDENCE Ji AMA NOA DOUGLASS Iosco LIVINGSTON co MICH IOSCO TOWNSHIP Chi ld ren att end ing sch ool dur ing the yea r 213 F rame school-h ouses 5 Va lue of schoo l prope 1t y $1400 Qual ified male teacher s employed d urin g th e yea r 5 Qua lified female teache rs employed during the year 7 Mon ths tau gh t hy ma le teac hers 17 }( Month s taught by female teache rs 23)( Paid male teache rs $45870 Paid fema·Je ieac hers 273 50 YEAR LY RECEIPTS Money on hand Sept 2 1878 Two-mill tax Pri mary -schoo l fund Di strict laxes for all p urposes $1 6923 25588 10656 54186 Total resour ces fe r the year $ 107353 EX PEN D ITUR ES T eachers vages R epairs of buildings F or ot her purpo ses On hand September 1 1879 RELIGIOUS SOC IETI ES $73220 497 12390 2 1246 $ 1073-53 FIR ST METH OD IST EPISCOPAL SOC I ETY OF IOSCO Th e first relig io us mee tin gs were held at th e res idence of James Wright in th e sprin g or ea rly summ er of 1837 by Elder Say re H e continu ed his mini str ations for a year or mor e h oldin g meeting s here and in adjoining settl ements about once in four weeks Th e first cla ss conta ined a membership of some nin e or ten a mong wh om were James Wright and wife Ri chard Ack er and wife William Wri g ht S eth G Wilson and wife Abram Van Bur en and wife a nd Ard Osborn Durin g th e sa me summ er Elder Sayre orga nized a class in th e Munsell neig hb orh ood The Wright class kept up its org anization slowly but sur ely increas ing its memb ership worshipin g in scho o l-h o uses and tl;e dwel lings of its memb ers until May 1834 wh en measur es were taken for buildin g a church ed ifice R ev Willi am E Bigelow pr es idin g elder of th e Ann Arbor distri ct th ereup on appointed J ose ph S Po st William Wright Jo seph vVrig ht Elish a C Wri ght J a mes Wright H orace Osbo rn and En och S mith tru stees of th e First Methodist Episcopal Church of Iosco and th e so ciety was regularly incorpor ated Soon after a small church was erected up on th e east side of secti on 20 In 1874 it was dee med advi sable to remov e th e church to Io sco or Parkers Corners Thi s was finally ac complish ed and it was th en reb uilt at a cos t of $ 1600 It has sittin gs for 300 peopl e THE PROTE STA NT MET H ODIST CHURC H OF IO SCO Thi s society was o rga nized by R evs R Bamford and M M unn in 184 5 Th e members of th e * Fro m inf ormation furni shed by D F Osborn son of Arel Oborn 34 first cla ss were William Sim ons and Angeline his wife ; Wil liam C Po st a nd Ur sula his wife; Marga ret Wilh elm and D elia H emp stead Thi s class then belon ged to th e In g ham Circuit and remained a part of th e sa me until 18 57 when it was set off from In gham and embrac ed in th e Livingston Circuit Th e pastors of thi s society and the dates of th eir coming are shown as follows : J ohn A Park s 1846; R R R anso m I 847; John A Park s 1848; B Bay ne 1849 ; J R $avage M L Perrin gton 185 I ; M L Perrington J Card 1852; J K St evenson 1853; Wm D Tompkin so n 1854; Jesse Kilpatrick 1856 ; H H J ohnson 1857 ; J A Nichols 1858; H H John so n 1860; Th o mas Plack ett 1861; J H Morton 186 2; M D A nge ll 1863; S Clark 186 5; H W Hick s 1866 ; J S McKinl ey 1868; A C Full er 1870 ; J F K ellogg l 872; Wm D Tompkinson 1873; J F K ellogg 1875; Samu el Ril ey th e pr ese nt pas tor 1877 A neat church ed ifice with sittin gs for 300 perso ns was built in 187 3 at a cost of $2800 The society ha s a pr ese nt memb ership of 40 and a flouri shin g Sab - bath- sc hoo l numb erin g 70 sc hol ars a nd teac hers of which Enoch S Osborn is supe rint end ent A class of Prot es tant Methodists was formed in the so uth part of th e town shi p in 1850 They hold meetin gs in th e Wilson Scho ol-hou se FIRST SA 13BAT H-S CHOOL Elder Piper a Pr esby teria n or Bap tist divine held meeting s at th e h ouse of J ohn Wood on section 17 in 1838 or 1839 Mr Wood with his dau g ht ers are entitl ed to the honor of organizing anci conducting in the summ er of 1838 in their dwellin g th e first Sabbath-school and it was a very succ ess ful one CEME TERIES Th e Munsell Burying-ground Assoc iation was o rga nized and incorpo rated acco rdin fo th e law s of th e Stat e of Michigan March 17 1854 The officers first elected were Peter J Kuhn Pr es ident; Martin R Fost er Clerk; Se tl1 G Wilson Collect or; and John Fewlass Tr eas ur er and Sexton Th e origi nal plat is desc rib ed as follows : C o mm encing at a stake o n the qua rter-post line runnin g east and west th rough sec tion firtee n in town sh ip two north of ra nge thr ee east sa id stak e being situat e in th e cent re of th e pub lic hi gh way runnin g ea st and west on th e said quarter -sec tion postlin e and abo ut fifty rods from th e eastern pos t of said sec tion fiftee n; thence running north sixt ee n rods; thence ea st nine rods ; thence so uth sixtee n rod s to th e centr e of th e said puu lic hig hwa y; thence wes t to the pla ce o f beg in ning Oth er places of burial are situ ated upon sec tion s 3 and 29 J 266 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN BI O G RAP H I CA L SKETCHES LUAN A STOW one of the early pioneers of Livingston County was born Nov 30 1807 Her parents Calvin and Elizabeth Wilson emigrated from th e State of Mas sachus etts to Vermont in 1785 about six years befor e th e admis sion of that State as th e fourteenth member of th e Union But little is known of her early ancestors ex cep t that th ey emigrated from Ir eland at a very early period i~ the history of this country and th at they were Prote stant in their religious views LUANA STOW Mrs Stow was the sixth and youngest child of the family and was marr ied in November 1829 to Asel Stow : She resided in the vicinity of her birthplace until Sept ember 1836 when with her hu sband and family of two children she removed to Livingst on Co Mich At this time the country was new and its forests unbl emis hed by the march of industry and civilization Mr s Stow reare d in a hom e of plenty felt keenly the loss of th e many privileges deemed indispensable in older commumt1es In the summer of 1838 and again 1856 she visited h er former home and friends in New England Of a family of six children four only survive- three sons and one daughter Her hu sba nd Asel Stow died in August 1854 aged fifty-two years H e was a robust energetic and determined man and seemed especially fitted for pioneer life A man of more than ordinary business talent he became influenti al in public affairs and filled many of th e responsible township offices Mrs Stow still resides at her old home with her second son Anson A Stow An exemp lary Christian and devoted mother she in her declining yeai·s is surrounded with plenty and many loving friends HON ISAAC STOW elde st so n of Asel and Luana Stow was born on th e IOth day of D ece mb er 1830 in Weybridge Addison Co Vt In the autumn of 1836 he emigrated with his parents into the western part of Livingston Co Mich th en an unbrok en wilderness inhabited only by the red man and wild beas ts of the forests Th e family accompanied by Seth G Wilson and wife after a tedio us journ ey by canal and lake arrived at Detroit about the middl e of September Here they were soon joined by Nathan J ones and family an uncle who had driven his fathers team overland from the State of Vermont and made their way over roads that to other th an the indomitable pione er would have appeared simply impassable to th eir future homes on the very b orders of civili zation To relate th e thrilling incidents and severe trials of Mr Stows ea rly pioneer life would prolong this sketch beyond its allotted bound s; we will th erefo re only add that he continued to reside with his parents during his minority in the town ship wh ere th ey first settled sinc e known as Iosco assisting in making from the unsubdued wilds of nature what in tim e became a home of plenty and where his aged mother still resides At an early age Mr St v exhibited those studious trait s of character which hav e since made him a man of position and influence in the community where he reside s and a valuable aid in the development of a new country Before leaving New England he had attain ed to more than ordinary proficiency in his st udi es for one of hi s age (not yet si~ years); but for several years after hi s arrival in Michigan he enjoyed very limit ed educational advantages schools being few and usually of an inferior typ e However during his boyhood he was a constant student giving his spa re mom ent s to study -often carryin g text-books with him while laboring in his fathers fields At the age of sixteen mostly by his own unaid ed efforts he had mastered those branches usua lly taught in the hi g h schools a nd academies of the cou ntry and became a successful teach er At th e age of eighteen he bec ame a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church His correct deportment and studious habits won him many friend s and pr epared him well for lifes earnest work After reachin g his majority he began bu siness on a new farm in th e township of White Oak Ingham Co of which at the expiration of one year IOSCO TOWNSHIP he disposed and at the earnest solicitation of his uncle and aunt Mr and Mrs Seth G Wilson- who were childless-resid ed with them about two years Here he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land adjoining that received from his uncle making a fine estate of two hundr ed and eighty acres In Nov ember 1853 he was marri ed to Miss Ruhamah Palm er of Washtenaw Co Mich who still lives a devoted wife and mother and a useful memb er of society On the death of his father which occurred in August 1854 he yielded to th e tea rful entreaties of his mother and returned to the old homestead taking charge of the estate of which he was soon after made adtl}inistrator Here he remained until his younger brothers arrived at manhood when he purchased a tract of land not far distant of which by industry and perseverance he and his energetic companion have mad e a desirable home The family consi sting of four sons and two dau ght ers three of whom have attained their majority still remain beneath the parental roo( They are well advanced in scholastic attainments of good deportment and fitted to take promin ent positions in any community Eugen e A now fills th e office of superintendent of schools with credit and honor to himself and his constituents Mr Stow early in life took a leading po sition in the public affairs of his town ship and during th e Rebellion spt;nt much time and money in filling th e severa l quotas of troops called for by government and his liberality when acting officially in the care of the families of enlisted soldiers was unsuccessfully used to defeat him at th e nex t election He has given larg ely of time and money to th e support of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Iosco and to the building of its neat and tasty church edifice Although affiliating with the political party usually in the minority he now holds and has filled the office of supervisor a large share of the time for the last fiftee n years and has been prominent in the affairs of the county In 1874 he was elected to th e Legislature and was a member of that body when that memorable and closelycontested election of United States Senator occurred which ended in the defeat of Hon Zachariah Chandler and the election of Judge Christiancy Mr Stow has good bu siness qu alifications and with a mind more logic al than b1;illiant seldom arrives at false conclusions or fails to succeed in whatever he attempts He has many friends and enjoys the proud satisfaction of having largely assisted in laying the foundation s of the material and religious prosperity of the community about him As a citiz en he contribut es his full share in the defense of right and virtue and towards the suppression of vice and immorality in every form In sketching bri efly the life thus far of such a man we must conclude that however unpr etending it has be en eminently useful and that without men of stout heart s and inflexible purpose the wilderness- the rude fronti er-would never be transformed into prosperous communities where the heterog eneous elements of pion eer life are changed and blend ed into bea utiful harmony indicative of a much higher order of civiliz ation SETH G WIL SON was born at Weybridge Vt Nov 30 1798 H e lived with his fath er until he became of age but worked out by the month a portion of the time Sept 19 1823 he was married to Philena Sturdevant Mr Wilson with his father purchased a SET H G WILSON farm wh ere he worked until th e spring of l 836 He then sold out and cam e to Io sco in company with Asel Stow who had married Mr Wilsons sister Mr Wilson located one hundred and sixty acres of land where he now lives In the fall of 1836 he built a log house and commenc ed the improvement of what is now a fine and fertile farm He was present at the first town-m eetin g and was elected justice of the peace an office he held for eight years Mr and Mrs Wil so n wer e members of the Methodist Episcopal Church 1n Vermont; they brought lett ers and united with the same church at Mun sells and assisted in organizing the Wilson class Mr Wilson has been a class-l eader for more than thirty years 268 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN Having no childr en and feeling the need of some assistance in th eir old age they made an arrangement with Silas C Merrill in 1863 by which he received their prop erty and in consid eration therefor was to care for th em during their natural lives Mrs Wilson died Nov IO 1866 Mr Wilson upon who se head have fallen the frosts of fourscore wint ers is still in the enjoym ent of good health and looks back upon the past with the satisfaction of havin g acted well his part His successor on the old farm Mr Merrill was WILLIAM H KUH:; WILLIAM H KUHN was born in Livingston Co N Y Jan 30 1822 H e cam e to Iosco in the spring of l 8 37 with his father Peter J Kuhn who was a man of limit ed means and had a family of eight children-four sons and four daughters They were among the ea rliest settlers in the town and th eir success may be attributed to their industry and good management; as the boys grew up to manhood they sought homes for th emselves April 12 1846 William H Kuhn was married to Miss ·Martha Wil so n daughter of Warren Wilson who cam e from Vermont and settled in White Oak Ingham Co about 1838 In th e summer of 1846 Mr Kuhn purchased eighty acres of land ·of which th ere were a few acres cleared but no buildings Making a small paym ent and working out as best he could to get money for the other payments and the nece ssa ries of life it was two years before he was enabl ed to build a log house and then it was of the rude st kind But by persistent ener gy the improvements were made and other lands added until a fine farm is the result The log house was deem ed too small and inconve- L - --- · born in Butler N Y Oct 18 1833 He came to Io sco with his father Benjamin Merrill who died Nov 18 1841 leaving a wife and two sons Simeon enlist ed it~ th ~ 5th Infantry and died at Andersonville pri son Sila s C has bee n twic e marri ed Hi s first wife was Harri et Conrad who only lived a few months after their marriag e His present wife Mrs Adelaide St ewart form erly Miss Mill er was a daughter of Nm Mill er who settled in Iosco in the spring of 1836 and who died in Septemb er 1874 MRS WILLIAM H KUHN nient; a new and substantial res idence was plann ed and all preparation s made to build when Mr Kuhn Vas taken sick and died May 28 1871 leaving a wife and eight children-four sons and four daughters The entire respon sibility of the family and of the farm fell upon the mother who has courageously discharged her tru st The house has been completed according to th e original plan the farm has been carried on and th e affairs of the family so conduct ed as to reflect great credit upon th e mother and the children who co-op erat e with her Mr and Mr s Kuhn were memb ers of th e Protestant Methodi st Church in which he was a class-lead er for several years JAMES WOODEN ranks among the enterprising men of Iosco who have contribut ed tow ard s th e development and improvement of Living ston County His fath er William Wooden was a farmer in Waterloo N Y who sub sequ ently came to Io sco clea red up a farm on section 5 wh ere he died in Decemb er l 876 in his seventy-seventh y ear PUTNAM TOWNSHIP James Wooden was born in Nat erloo N Y April 8 1823 H e came to Io sco with only one hundrC:d dollars and purchased a piece of wild land He had clea red a few acres ~nd built a log house when he marri ed Lydia C Hart in J anuary 1854 His location on section 5 was cover ed with h ea vy timber which req uired years of labor to remov e and rend er the land available for tillage With energy and industry this farm was deve loped into one of th e finest in th e county-embracing three hundr ed and sixty acres with large impro vement s spacious buildings and plea sa nt surroundings- a view of which may be seen among th e Io sco illu str ations WILLIAM J JEWELL was born in W a rren Co N J Nov 19 I 8 18 His par ents died when he was young leavin g him with out mea ns or prot ection He was rea red amon g stranger s Wh en twenty-two yea rs of age h e came to Hillsdale Co Mich wh ere he worked PUTNAM PUTNAMo ne of the earli er form ed town ships of Livin gs ton County lies on its southern bord er and is bounded west north and cast by the townships of Unadilla Marion and H ambur g and south by :Vasht e naw County It includ es township No 1 north in range No 4 east of th e principal meridian as shown on th e Unit ed Stat es surv ey Southeast from the centr e is locat ed the village of Pinckney in a pictur esq ue valley on the north bank of Portage Cr ee k Th e survey of th e propos ed Michi ga n Air-Lin e R ailway cro sses the town ship from east to west passing to the north of Pinckney Th e surface of the township is in its greater portion hilly and brok en although in the west and northwest is an extensive and beautiful plain upon which are found excellent and highly-impro ved farms Honey Creek pa sses nearly throu gh the centre of the town from northw est to southeast and discharges into Portage Lake on section 36 Portag e River fed by numerou s small lakes traver ses the southern portion of th e township and after crossing into Washtenaw County empties into Portage Lak e which is a larg e fine sheet of wat er coverin g several hundr ed acres antI lyin g by th e month for two years from th e wages of which labor he saved thre e hundr ed dollars H e th en cam e to Io sco and purchas ed eighty acres of land where he now lives This was in 1842 February 17th of that year he was married to D elilah Smith dau g hter of Rob ert Smith who came from Cortl and Co N Y and settled in In gham County wh ere he died at the age of seventysix years S oo n after Mr J ewe ll was marri ed he built a rud e log hou se Being almo st destitut e of mea ns the early improvem ents were mad e only by the greatest ex erti on; th e prog ress although slow has bee n sure The original eig hty acr es has expanded to one hundr ed and sixty with larg e and comm odious buildings and with s uch surroundings as indicat e an abundance of this worlds goods Mr J ewell has been th e fath er of two children -a daughter who died wh en fourteen years of age and a son Fobes C who was born Jun e IO 1864 TOWNSHIP partly in eac h county Among the oth er lak es of th e tow nship are Mud Bentl ey Duck Littl e and Big Barber and Go slin g Part s of Half-Mo on and Patterson Lak es also lie in th e so uthw est corner of th e town Good power is furni shed by Portage River and Honey Creek and mills have bee n erected in several places LAND -ENTRI ES Th e followin g is a list of those who entered land in what is now Putnam tow nship arranged by section s with years in which th e entries were made: SECTION 1- 1835 Maj Chubb; 1836 Barry Butler H enry A Nag le Th omas Crawfo rd J ohn Nort on Elijah Be nn ett; 1837 Ira Chubb; 1838 Lewi s Butler; 1847 John H Watson SECTION 2 -(835 Maj Chubb; 1836 T homas L J ew ett J ame s ~1 Soverhil l Th omas Craw ford ; 1838 Nat han Pond SECTION 3- 1835 George Co rselu s Benj amin E am an; 1836 J am es King sley Aar on Young love Josep h Pixley J ames W Stan sbury; 1838 H orac e Alderman; 1855 Philander Monroe SECTION 4:1835 Th omas Martin Thoma s Weller; 1836 Wil - liam Kir tla nd John S Fa rrand Aaron Y ounglove Th omas Crawford H enry A Nagl e Willi am W Stan sbury SECTtuN 5-1 835 Hi ram Veller; 1836 J ohn G Peter son Lemuel B rya nt; 1840 J oh n D Hu gh es Moses F ul)er SECTION 6- 1836 F reema n R Bu rden Era stus Blanchard Ca leb L ynde n ; 1837 Fr ee man R Burden; 1838 P atri ck Kelly; 1852 Wlli~m Boyle; 1853 Fr ede ri ck Williams 270 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN SECTION 7-1 835 Cassius Swift Jam es Grieve; 1836 Sylvan us P Ge m1ain Joh n Ca meron SECTION 8- 1835 Fr eeman Wehh Benjamin An nis Sam uel Burgess; 1836 Will iam Kirtland Rich ard M Bayley Antha cl Canfie ld J ames Colom Ch a rles E aman J ames Hu ghs James H ood Ge orge A &amp; Co Ju clcl H enry Ma nn Alvin Mann &amp; E aman (me rch ant s) N oble Leo nard R ose F G Stansbury Jame s W (age nt ) CIVIL ORGANIZATION-LIST OF OFFICERS By an act of the Leg islatur e approve d March 23 1836 the town ship of Putman was organized includin g th e pr ese nt township s of Putn am and Marion; th e latt er being set off March I I 1837 Th ere being objections against th e nam e of th e town ship owing to its incorrect orthography th e lett ers wer e tr ansp osed by th e Leg islature March 6 1836 and th e corr ect name Putn am substitut ed for th e old one It was dir ected in th e act or ganizing Putman town ship that its first election should be held at th e house of J acob Sigler and there th e meetin g was accordingly conv ened Th e politic s of the vot ers were not at that meeting allowed to dictate the choic e of officers as th e inhabit ants were too few in numb er The second year how eve r matt ers were different owing to a gratifying incr ease of population The Whigs and 35 D emo crats were the political oppon ent s of that day and bet ween th em was th e usual strife Th e Whigs were jubilant over th e fact th at th ey held th e pr epond eranc e of pow er- or suppo sedly so-and mad e th eir nominati ons in ca ucu s apportioning tw o or thr ee offices to some of th eir numb er Of that proc eedin g th ey par tially rep ent ed and offered some of th e lesse r offices to the D emoc rats who refused th em and made th eir own nomination s Th e res ult was a tie vote on some of th e officers the D emoc rats holdin g th e winnin g hand oth erwise and at a special elect ion to overcome th e tie but on e Whig vot e was cast Th e first annual town ship-m eeting was held at the ho use of J aco b Sigl er May 2 1836 The follow ing officers were elected viz : Sup erviso r Solomon Peterso n; T ownship Clerk Furman G R ose ; A ssesso rs Geo rge Benn ett John A Conaway Hiram vVellar; Constable and Coll ector Selden Pullen ; Ov ersee r of the Poor Ja mes Canfi eld ; Scho ol Commi ss ioners Thoma s In g ra m Solomon L Bignall Alvin A H olco mb; Ju stices of th e Peace F G R ose J ames S Na sh Pierpont L Smith Hiram Well ar; Commi ssioners of Hi g hway s Alvin S McDowell J ames S Na sh L evi Pull en Th e fo llow ing is a list of town ship officers for Putn a m from 1837 to 1879 inclu sive: SUPE R V I SO R S 1837 Aaro n Palmer; 1838 Ge orge Reeves ; 1839 Am os H Bree d; 1840- 4 1 Geo rge R eeves ; 1842-44 Tim othy R Alli - son ; 1845 James M La Ru e; 1846 Lemu el Bry ant; 1847 Andr e w H ood; 1848 Geo rge R ee ves ; 1849 F reema n Velb Jr ; 1850- 55 James Ri ce ; 1856 F G Rose ; 1857-58 Willi am D Cro foot; 1859- 6 1 Geor ge W Crofoo t; 1862- 69 Fr ee man W ebb ; 1870 Ge orge vV Crofoot; 187 1 Step h en G Te ep le ; 1872 Ge orge W Crofoot; 1873 Freeman W ebb; 1874- 75 George W Crofoot ; 1876 Freeman W eb b; 1877- 78 J ames Marble; 1879 George W Crof oot TOWN S HIP CLERK S 1837-38 Fur man G R ose ; 1839- 40 Ri ch ard J Conn or; 184 1 Alvin Mann; 1842 F G Rose; 1843 Alvin Mann; 1844 F G Rose ; 1845 J oh n WAng el ; 1846 Charles W H aze; 1847- 48 Robe rt Crawf ord; 1849- 50 Fran cis A Gr imes; 185 1 J ason W Kell ogg; 1852 J ohn Brou gh ton ; 1853- 54 Th omp son Gr imes; 1855- 56 Paschal P Wh ee ler; 1857- 60 Th omp son Gr imes; 1861-63 R obe rt L e Baro n ; 1864 Gra ttan H Sigler ; 1865-6 8 J ames Markey; 1869- 71 E dward A Mann ; 1872 W illiam H Martin; 1873 George W T eeple ; 1874- 75 H Fr eel Sigler; 1876- 78 F A Sig ler; 1879 Charles N Plimpt on TREA SURERS 1837 J ames V Stan sbury; 1839- 40 Rufu s Th ompson ; 1841 J acob Cor y; 1842 at han Pond; 1843- 47 H ira m W eller; 1848-49 Levi D Sm ith ; 1850 George A Ho od; 1851 J ohn A Fr ench; 1852 Willi am Costello; 1853 Benjamin W eller ; 1854 Ur iah Brown; 1855 J ohn Broug hton ; 1856 Villi am E Th ompson; 1857- 58 Jo sep h Abel; 1859-6 0 Solomon Hi cks; 186 1-6 2 Charles D Van Winkl e; 1863 Lowrey B White ; 1864 Joseph Sykes ; 1865 J ohn Harri s ; 1866 Lowr ey B Whit e; 1867 Sa mu el B Led dick; 1868 Addiso n 2 74 HIST O RY OF LIVI NGS TON COUNTY MICHIGAN Wh ee ler; 1869 Cla rk A Wh ee ler; 1870 Daniel R ichards; 187 1 J &lt;1hn Syke s ; 1872 D aniel Ri chud s ; 1873 Sa mu el Sykes; 1874- 76 Charl es N Plimpt on; 1877 W P vilc ox; 1878-79 Charles Love J USTJCE OF THE PEACE 1837 F G R ose S L Bignall II W eller; 1838 L ouis fasqu elle; 1839 Solomon L Big nal l ; 1840 J ames S Na sh; 184 1 Jam es W Sta nsbury; 1842 L ouis Fa squ clle Sibs Llnr - to11; 1843 George Reeves; 1844 f reeman Webb Jr; 1845 Jam es V Sransb ury; 1846 Jam es M La Ru e; 1847 Sam uel S Fit ch ; 1848 Fr eema n vVebli Jr ; 1849 James W Stan sbury; 1850 Levi D Smith Gilb ert Brown; 1851 Furman G Ro se J llhn Swartho ut ; 1852 Geo rge Ree ves; 1853 Fran cis A G rim es; I 854 Fr ee man W ebb Jr; 1855 Furma n G Rose ; 1856 J ames M La Rue George Ree ves ; 1857 S S Fitch; 1858 James M E anran Wi lliam A H all ; 1859 Th omas W Pa lmer; 1860 Moes Ful :er; 186 1 Th ompsrn Grimes; 1862 Furman G R ose; 1863 Geo rge R ee ves ; 1864 Eli Anni s ; 1865 J W Hin chey; 1866 ilill ard F D arro w; 1867 Th ompson Grim es; 1868 E li Annis; 1869 J ames Hin chey; 1870 Millard F D arrow; 187 1 Furm an G R ose; 1872 Cha rles D Van Winkl e·; 1873 Th omp so n Grimes; 1874 James Mark ey ; 1875 LB Coste; 1876 Ira V Ree ves; 1877 Furman G Rose ; 1878 J uh n M Ke arney; 1879 Th ompson Grime s At an election held in Nove mb er 1866 it was dec ided by a vot e of 232 to I I to ra ise $36000 in th e townsh ip to aid th e Gra nd Trunk R a ilway of Mic higa n th e tr ack to pa ss within one mil e of Pin ck ney villag e Th e sc heme was remod eled and it was proposed to build th e Mic hi ga n Air - Line Railway Th e sum of $20000 was voted in its aid by th e tow nship and excitem ent ran h igh R ea l estate alo ng th e lin e and especia lly at Pinckn ey advanced fabulous ly in pric es and th e prospects wer e th at th e road would certa inly be bu ilt at th e ea rliest pos sible date Bu t the grea t ex pectations of th e peop le were destined to be d isappo int ed The road -bed was g raded into th e township from th e west but furth er operations were suspe nd ed and Pinck ney and th e surr ou nding reg ion se ttl ed back to its ante-railroad exc iteme nt statu s where it ha s since remained VILL AGE OF P INCKNEY Jo sep h Abe l from Steuben Co N Y came to th e town ship in th e spri ng of 1836 (Ap ril 18th ) and loca ted two miles nor th eas t of th e villag e on a farm he purch ased after he ar rived Six years subsequently he moved int o th e villa ge where his widow who is also now th e widow of James M L a Ru e at prese nt resides Th e old Abel farm is occ upied by William H Placeway Ja mes M La Ru e also from Ste uben Co N Y set tled at Dexter Washtenaw Co Mich as ea rly probably as 1830 In th e neighborhood o f 1840 he moved int o Putnam and located so uth eas t of Pinckney where his so n Charles F L a Rue at pre se nt res ides Mr La Ru e subsequ ently movecl into th e village wh ere hi s death occurr ed F urm an G Ro se fro m Bath Steuben Co N Y cam e to Mic higa n in th e fall of I 835 landing at D etroit th e first day o f October H e settled in Pu tn am th e sa me fall on a farm eas t o f th e pr ese nt villag e of P inck ney just one month from th e day h e set foot in Detroit He was accompa nied by his wife and one child In 1837 he mov ed to th e villag e a nd entered the mercant ile busine ss es tab - lishi ng th e seco nd store in the place Abo ut 1847-4 8 he built th e p rese nt G lobe Hotel moved int o it in th e fall and kep t it fou r y ea rs H e had prev ious ly conducted th e hotel bu siness in a building which st ood in th e so uth part of th e villag e near th e mil l-race It had been built by th e foun de r of the village William Kirtland for both a store and hote l and in it Messrs Re eves &amp; Min ot placecl the first stock o f goods brou g ht into th e plac e and opened th e first store A ndr ew and George H ood started th e th ird store so me tim e after Mr R ose had begun bus iness vVhen Mr Ro se ar rived here in 1835 th e inhab ita nt s of th e immediate vicinity were Benjamin Veller Claud ius Britton Sanford Marble and J ames Ca nfield who all lived on grou nd now occu pied by th e villag e plat Marble moved to th e wes tern part of th e tow nsh ip as prev io usly stated; vVeller afterwards re moved to the tow nship o f Handy wh ere he died; and Bri tt on and Canfie ld both died at Pinck ney Ma rble owned 40 ac res so uthw est of where th e Glob e Hot el now stand s ; W eller lived eas t of him on th e sou th side of what is now th e main str ee t of th e village ; and Brittcm lived a little farth er eas t on th e north side of th e street Th e pla t of th e village of Pinck ney was reco rded A ug 9 1837 William Kirtland proprieto r His gris t-mill was th en standin g at the so uth end of Mill Stree t ·nea r its inte rsec tion with Water Str eet Th e following concernin g th e new village was written on th e plat by Mr Kirtland: The vi llage o f Pinckney is situated in the south ern part of Livin gston Co unly on Portage Creek two n1iles fron1 its entrance in to Portage Lake It is in th e mid st of one of the finest and best settled agric ultur al di stricts i11 the State and is al ready the natu ra l ce ntr e o f busine ss for not less than two huny th e original purchasers or anybody e lse That Elizabeth Lak e daughter of Heman Lake born some tim e in the summer of 1832 (the exact date I cannot give) wa s th e first white chi ld born in H amburg admits not of a doubt but whether or not she wa s the first one born in the county I am not prepar ed to say T ha l Mr Corne lius W Miller raised in 1834 on the place wh ere I now res ide th e firt apples that were grown within the limits of this now famous app le -produc ing town of Hamburg it is confidently be lieved; and I think I am not mistaken wh en I say th ey were also th e first that w ere eve r gro wn within the limits of Living ston County upon tre es· of white mans setting The first large fram e hay and gra in barn erected in Hamb urg wa s built by Mr Manin Olsaver in 1836 on the southwest qu arte r of the southeast quarter of sec tion 35 The first persistent and well-direct ed effort made in Hamburg to improve the hreed o f horned catt le and also of sheep was made by Mr David B Power now de ad; a nd it is also deemed worthy of remark th at th e nobl e exampl e in th at d irection by th at good man thu s early set is still being followed up with in creased vigor and success by his enterprisi ng son -in-law th e H on Yilliam Ball The first supervisor elected in Hamburg was Mr Christopher L Cu lve r who the nob le ma n th at he wa s came to an untim ely death ma ny years ago by being crushed at a barn raising Th e first county office r selected from Hamburg wa s Mr Ju stus J Ben nett sheriff and th e first State officer selected th e re from wa s the Hon Edwin M Cust se nator who for many long yea rs has bee n lying in hi s grave In conclusion I will m ere ly add that in addition to the first two pioneer settlers in Hamburg spoken o f and the severa l other gentlemen of whom honorable mention ha s a lr eady be en made th ere were many other good and worthy men who planted themselves in th e town at quite an ea rly day A few of the more active and promin ent among the numb er I will here beg leav e just to name Stoddard W Twichell E sq Mr An so n L Powe r Jame s Burnett Esq d ead; Mr George G Gris son Ferdinand Gris son E sq Mr George Galloway dead and Mr Bradford Campbell also de ad Th ese few individuals have been nam e l because I cannot for one moment doubt but that th ese men aided by th e ir respected wive s did much very mu ch by th e noble ex - a mple which they se t o f minding th eir own business and letting th at of ot hers alone not only towa rd s maki11g th e town th at quiet orde rly and thrifty one whi ch when I ca me into it in 1836 I found it to be hut also tow ards ca using it to be and remain until thi s clay a town in which th ere are but few cr imes committed few lawsuits prosecuted and fe w neig h bo rhood qu ~rrels or other disturbances of any kind And long ther ein may th e effects of the influ ence of the ir noble exam pl e continue to live At th e meet ing of the Livingston County Pioneer Society held Jun e 18 1879 th e following fac~s relating to the history of the towns hip of Hamburg were given by Hon Edwin B Winans: My first acquaintance a nd recollecti ons of the townslup of I-Iamlmrg date from th e fall of 1843 I th en came from the township o f Unad illa to live with my sister Mr s Leland ·walker and to attend the winter term of sc hool tau g ht by H orac e Griffith in th e Bennett School-house in Di strict No 2 Griffith was a married man and lived on the farm now owned by Orv ille Sexton in the sam e sch ool district At that time H amb urg had been lon g se ttled comparatively spea king and offered educati onal facil ities of which I desired to avail my se lf I can not therefore relate a ny pioneer experiences of my own but only such recollections of the actual pioneers of the to wn as were the n upon the active stage o f life My first im pres sions then as a stra ng er were th at Hamburg people were mo stly Ben nelts Cases and Hall s- a ncl it seemed to me in about equal proportions-and so me of the Hall s struck me as being very beautiful and attrnct i ve Of course I was you ng and my experience ve ry lim ited; bu t though many years and some travel have enlarged my ex perienc e I still shall insi t th at the elegantly furni sh ed H a lls of to-day have not the fascination a nd attraction or charm for me as had th ose you ng and beautifu l Hall girls of Hamburg in tho se day s of my early manhoo d At the he ad of th e Bennett family I may place Ju stus J Ben - nett a ver itab le Nestor who lived to see three generations of hi s children who tog et her w ith hi s brothers John Joseph and Abram Bennett and their families of stalwart so ns and d aughter s gave him quite a patriar chal position with th e clan Bennett He was the first sher iff o( Living sto n County and at that time owned a large farm on section nine and liv ed in a sto ry-and-a-half farmhouse with a wing on eac h side; and it seemed to me to be a veritable mansion such as I had read of in th e old romance of Thaddeus of Warsaw and the Scott ish Chiefs It stood on the hill as you cross Mill Creek going south and was known far and wiclt: as the Big Yhite H ouse I well remember the first time I was in vited to the hou se- it wa s to a socia l party g iven by the younger member s of the family- and how I wa s bewildered by the many rooms and the brilliant ta llow dips glimmering in the far rec esses and the many no oks angles and corners of the hou se I was m ore than ever impres sed with the superiority of Hamburg style HAMBURG TOWNSHIP 281 over the one-roo m Ing hou se of my father in Unaclill:t in the chamber of which I had bee n used to sleep and listen to the singing of th~ w oodla nd birds or the patter of the so ft rain upon th e roof with 110 ce ilin g or plastering between me and it to dull th e soothing sounds Bennett was surrounded by a large family of grown children some marri ed and settl ed on good farm s in the ne ar vicinity other s still nncler the paterna l roof Th e marri ed so ns Vill iam Reuben Justu s J Jr and R oyal were men in the heyday and prime o f lire with children of their ow n grow ing up about their own hearth- sto nes; while Sherman Josep h and Charl es wer e th en single; anJ lire bright fair and wide was all hefore th em The old man full of years wa s gathe red to his fath ers about a year ago and now lie s burieci in th e church-yard of the little U nion Church rounci th e corner from his old farm in Ham - burg Of his brothers J ohn J osep h and Ahram I was hest acquainted with the family of J oh n Bennett He ow ned a splencl d farm on sec tion tw enty -four on th e hank s 0f the bea utiful Huron River one mile north of Hamburg village-the farm now owned by his so n J uh n Iv Benn ett anr dr esses full ed and d ressed for suit s for th e hoys to go courtin g in I took espec ial car e to have the cards clean and in order to make th e roll s for th e girls of my acq uaint ance to sp in bec au se if th ey wer e kn otty and did not run free I was sure to hea r from th em in such a way as was not at all lbtl e rin g to my van ity Pettey s ha s ex tended and improv ed hi s business till no w through his efforts and en terpr ise a littl e haml et has gro wn up around his mill; ther e is now a g rist- anrl flourin g-mill a cid er-mill with all th e impr ovements a blacksmith- a nd ca rria ge-s hop tw o sto res a postoffice shoe-s hop schoo l and chur ch fac ilities for the fiftee n or tw enty famili ~s wh o live in the villag e H e has ra ised a family of four so ns and dau ght ers Thr ee of his boys went at th eir countrys ca ll in the g reat civil wa r but only one ret urn ed at th e close and one daught e r ha s di ed since Th e remaining childr en are sett led in an d around the litt le village th at hear s Lhe family nam e L ong may h e be spar ed to see a nd to enjoy the fruit s o f his toil Go ing east from Pett cys ville over the rolling co untry int o th e valley of the Hur on past th e homes of Geo rge Ga lloway and Co l Bishop at the foot of Plea sa nt Lak e in th ose clays lived P ete r S II end rick an oth er of th e H amburg pio neers ; but he too h as j oined th e innume rable throng wh o asse mble around the Thr one Hi s wido w and his youn ges t so n now live in th e o ld home at th e foot of the lake H end rick was a me chanic as wel l as farme r and many of th e late houses and more of the ea rlie r barns wer e planned and b uilt by him Such men in those days were indis - pen sabl e a nd his se rvices wer e in co nstant dema nd He rai sed and ed ucat ed a family of eight children all now living and by hi indu stry he left at hi s de ath for th e ir inh erit a nce a goo d farm a good name and a record for lib era lity in a ll matte rs of public int e rest He was a soldier in the wa r of 18 12 and lIr s Hendrick n ow rece ives from the gove rnm ent a late recog niti on of -her hu sband s servic es L eland W alker th e owner of the sa w- a nd flourin g- mill s of N orth H ambur g was a man in th ose clays wh o filled a large spa ce in soc iety ; a ma n of acu te ment a l power h e had mu ch to do in shap ing matter s of publ ic int erest F or ma ny years he was supervi sor of th e town a nd loo k a strong inter est in al l ed ucational matt ers; later in life he took an inter est in th e study of med icine a nd having gradu ate d at a m edic al schoo l he removed to Dext er to practice hi s prof ess ion but soon afte r died uclclenly of h ear t disease Hi s death was a serious loss to the commun ity Th e limit s of this paper will not permit ev en th e cas ual me nti on of all th e wo rthy dead and gone pionee rs of th e town; but with your indu lge nce I will me nti on the nam es o f a few as th ey occur to me wh o h ave not passed over the da rk riv er and a re st ill living in the town ship and a re to-day pr omin ent and active citi - zens fully abreast with the tim es all(I wh o it see ms cou ld as ill be spared as any of th e youn ger generation s now on the stage of life Th ere are the brothers Stoddard W and H oba rt A Twi chell tw o men with th e pr ove rbi al New Eng la nd thrift fa rm ers pur e a nd unmixed who by stri ct attention to th e ir own bu siness are now possesse d o f a large comp etency S vV Twi chell th e eldest lives on sect ion th irty-six where he first loca ted and H oba rt A o n sec tion tw e nty-th ree wh ere he first sett led Both hae often held the hig hest offices in town a nd ha d th ey bee n a mbi - tious in th at way co uld read ily h ave go ne h ig her Th ey are of th e so lid and reliable men of th e town Ferdin and Gr isso n is a n educated ge nial Ger man ge ntl eman th e on ly one remai nin g in Hamburg o f th e four br oth ers of th at name wh o cam e from Germany and set tled in a very early day on sec tion tw e nty -five by wh om th e town was name d for th eir beloved H amburg in th e fatherland th e fo1111cles rof H amburg vill age He still re ma ins a n indi spe nsable mem be r o f our soc iety He is and has long bee n o ur postma ster ; for years he has bee n the on ly ju stic e of th e peace wh o do es mu ch if a ny bus in ess H e does the insuran ce and conv eyancing for the co unt y round ab out ; he is th e leade r of our ·ch oir H e occ asionally marri es a couple but o fte ner helps to bury our cleacl H e make s him se lf so ge nerally usef ul th 1t th ough a stron g partisan a nd his party in th e minority in our town he ca n alw ays be e lecte d hy a larg e maj or ity Th at is the kind o f a man he is May lie live a t housand year s a nd his shadow n ever grow less Geo rge Burnett is a qui et in tellige nt former wh o lives ju st out of the village a nd may well be clase d with th e mos t worthy of pionee s Of ge nuine merit and probity he has liv ed a blamel ess life and al ways is ready and a nswers lo th e ca ll uf du ty Ther e is Thoma s J Ri ce ; the history of H arnhurg will nev e r he compl ete w ithou t me nti on of him Edu cnkcl t th e law h e is well versed in literature and hi tury and is him self a n auth or; but mode st retiring and una ssumin g he hid es his ligh t in hi s study on th e banks of Silver Lak e a nd url ess he is du g o ut by his ad - miring friends he prefers to remain in retir e1°nent Full man y a gem of pures t ray se rene Th e dark unfathomed caves of ocea n bear A near nei ghb or of Rire i Charles H Hankin s wh o ts a very d ese r;ing citi zen h o for many lung yea rs has co ntribute ! his qu ota to th e indust ry that has gra du ally made for H t mbur g a rep utation for ha vin g a law-ahidi ng indutri ous thrifty pop ulat i n He is a good mechani c a nd has a shop on the banks of Silv er Lke whe re a ll and any j obs of repa iring in a lm ost any lin e ca n be done with nea tn ess a nd disp atch Il e own s a fine c ider-mill run hy steam a nd is lrf!ely e ngag ed in ma king cider vinegar H e is always on hand tu serve hi s customer s him se lf and th ey are sure to he we ll se rv ed In th e wint er of 46 I first kn e w George S Butl er a farmer wh o th en as now liv ed about thr ee- fourth s of a mil e no rth of Hambur g vill age I was teaching schoo l in his di strict and he and hi s wife made th eir h ome so ple asa nt for me th at in my memory th e hospi ta lit y dispe nsed in th e log houses o f th 9se clays is not sur passed in the sumptu ously furni hed h ouses of th ese lau e r time s The hum blet far e wh e re love is is bett e r than a stall ed ox with en vy and Mr Butl er is a ra re ma n wh o for more th an for ty year s h as pur sued th e even te nor of his way wi th Go od will for all ancl offe nse tow a rd none The following is from the pen of Col Edward Bishop of Hamburg to~nship and was furni shed to the County Pioneer Society in January 1876 After narrating th e events of his first prospecting tour (in 1832) fron1 Yat es Co N Y to Michigan Col Bishop proc eeded: In July 1836 I ag a in started fur Michigan with my wif e and eight chil dren designing to sett le in th e Stat e We stayed in Detroit six wee ks when we moved to Plym outh Corne rs where w e resided thr ee year s and a half In 1836 I had p ur ch ased land in Hambur g (sec tion s IO and 22) a nd soo n a fter built a house on it int o whi ch I moved on th e 2d clay o f May 1840 wh e re we have re side d th e g reate r part of the time ever since I think I manuf ac tur ed th e first lumb e r-wago n or wag ons ever mad e in Livington County Being in moderate circum sta nces I lab ored early a nd late to improve my la nd a nd to provide fo r th e want s of a large fanily-th en consisting of ten childr en (tw o childr e n hav ing bee n adde d to th e numb er sin ce our se ttl eme nt in Michi - gan 1 my wife and myself We succeeded as well as we could exp ect Seven of our ch ildr en are still living a nd a ll but one are mar ried or have bee n I believe my wife and mysel f are the a c· -- --·-- -- - -- -- -~ r·:- ·- -- ·--- - ;c· HAMBURG TOW NSH IP old est co uple livi ng in J-famburg- she being se venty eight last Augu st; ~ and myself e ig hty the sa me month We were mar ried on th e 27t h of Apr il 18 16 I have in the course of a Ion life met with a number of oen - tl emen wh o have bee n my friend : for which I feel ve ry th ankf ul I have also seen a fe w rogues hut from th e btter I have been quit e exempt ; thoug h while I wa s sher iff of Li ving ston County I had a pris1me r wh o was ve ry anxio us to escape but found he was wat ched tuo close ly a nd he offered me in adva nce one thon sa ncl dollars in gold if I would go away from the j ail a nd stay on e ni ght I decl in ed the offer and told him I should watch him more closely Hi s name was El ijah Badgero who was se nt to the State - prison for a tcrn1 of year~ I ha ve imp roved tw o farm s erected suit ab le d we llin gs and rai sed orchard s lut at prese nt I own only a house and tw o lots at Pettey sv ille ; am free from deb t nncl enjoy th e comforts of life I draw a pensio n of n inety six do llars per year from th e Unit ed Stat es for services rende ed clurin:; th e wa r of 18 12 - 1 5 My h :alt h is nuw puo r but if my life is spar ed I think of writin g a hi story of th e e vents throu g h whi ch I ha ve pas sed sinc e th e year 1800 E lija h Benn ett from Ste uben Co N Y sett led in th e north part of th e town ship in th e sprin g of I 835 on th e place now ow ned by Mey er Davis Hi s widow is still living and h is daughter is the wife of Nat ha n Hi ght of Genoa Abram Benn ett settl ed in Wa sht enaw County in 1829 A t a co mparat ively rec ent date he moved int o H amburg and took up his residence with h is daughter Mrs Geo rg e Cole Hi s wife died here a nd hi s own death occur red at a bte date wh en he had reac hed th e g reat age of one hun dred and thr ee yea rs In th e fall of 1835 Garne r Carpe nt er lived in th e north ern part of town on a farm he afterwards ( 1836 or 1837) sold to Samu el Case who settl ed upo n it Mr Carpe nter a nd Mr Case are both now decease d Th e latt ers so ns J osep h and Elisha long resided in the township J osep h is dead and E lisha is a citizen of Brighton at pr ese nt Th e latt ers so n occ upies his fath ers old farm and Oren Case so n of J osep h lives in Genoa Samuel Cases so ns se ttl ed in Hambur g before th eir fat her came probably in th e fall of 1836 R odman Ca se anot her son came late r and purch ased land from second hand s Ju stu s J Benn ett from Ste uben Co N Y cam e to Michi ga n in th e fall of 1833 and located in Washt enaw Co unt y where he remained until th e spr ing of 1835 wh en he moved into Hambur g tow nshi p He located large tr acts of land in Hamburg and Marion Th e old ho mestead in H ambur g is now occ upied by Geo rge L Hull and is owned by Gove rn or Felc h of A nn Arbor Mr Benn ett had a family of ten children wh en he came to th e county One so n D aniel S Benn ett now lives in Ionia Co unty and anoth er William H in H am - bur g One daug ht er is now th e wife of Se th A * 187 5-B oth Cul Dishop a11 It was built for use as a union church but dedicated as a Congregational That denomination and th e Methodists hold th eir meetin gs in it while all societies or sec ts have a right to occupy it as a place in whi ch to hold reli g iou s se rvic es SCHOOLS The first school in the town ship of Hamburg was taught in a log sch oo l-hou se one-fourth of a mi le west of th e site of th e pr ese nt fram e buildin g in District N o 1 Th e exact date is not recollect ed nor the teac hers na me When in th e year 183 5 D aniel B Ha rmon locat ed upon his land north of what is now Pdteysville he built a small shanty which he occupied * It is regretted that no mor e co mplet e account can be g iven of the relig ious soc iet ies at H amhurg villag e hut the writte n infor - mation which was promised failed to be furthcoming wh ence its non -appe arance until a log hous e could be construct ed Some tim e in th e sa me yea r after movin g into th e hou se a school was tau ght in the vacated shanty by a female teach er Th e expe nses of this school were paid by subscription as it was before th e district was organiz ed At Petteysville in th e summ er of 1844 Mrs George Mercer taug ht a school at her own hou se and after that was clos ed th e children were ob liged to go tw o and a half and three miles to school - so metim es to the n ort h district and so metim es to th e south dist rict In 1845 th e daughter of R ev Mr Sayre taught a sc hoo l in a building th en standing on Mr Petteys place afterwards converted into a dwelling In th e fall of 1846 a frame school-h ouse 18 by 26 feet was built and is still in use The present di strict No 9 was organized about th e sa me tim e Th e term taug ht by Mrs Mercer was th e first schoo l in the neig hbor hood and it is remembe red th at she was an amiable and exce llent teac her Th e sc hools in th e north and so uth districts - one north and the other so uth of Pet teysv ille h ence th eir names -h ad been in existence for seve ral years before one was organized at th e village Fr om th e repor t of th e sch oo l inspe ctors of the tow nship for th e year endin g Sept 2 1878 the following statement is tak en showin g the condition of th e sc hool s at that tim e: Number of wh ole districts 4 fract io nal districls 3 ch ildren of schoo l age 252 scho ol-ho uses ( frame) 7 Value of prope rty $2825 Numb er of mal e tea chers 6 femal e teachers 8 Tota l paid male teac hers $ 707 fem ale teacher $36 425 Tota l rece ipts for year $ 147374 Amou nt on hand Sept 2 1878 198 50 Total expendit ure s less amount on h and $ 127524 CEMETER IES Th e town ship contains two cemeteries one on section 19 and the oth er on se ction 25 Th e latter locat ed so uth of Hamburg villag e wa s laid out on an acre of land taken from the farm of J esse Hall At an early day the First Hambur g Buri al Asso - ciation was formed and still ha s char ge of this cemetery Ferdinand Grisson was for many yea rs its president Th e present office rs are Pre sident J ames Cunnin gham ; Vice-President and Secretary Ferdinand Grisson; Tr eas urer D enni s Cory; Sex - ton Will iarn Potterton In thi s ground repose th e remains of many of th e pioneers of th e neig hborh ood with others wh o were pr omin ent at differe nt periods in th e history of th e to wnship Among tho se buri ed her e are th e following: HAMBURG TOWNSHIP 289 Elisha W Brockway a native of Lyme New Lond on Co Conn died July I 1861 aged 71 years Mary L his wife a native of Gene seo On tario Co N Y died July 28 1874 aged 72 yea rs Ann G wife of W C Brockway a nativ e of Wayne Steuben Co N Y died Oct 19 1874 aged 50 years Ferdinand H son of F and S Gri sson born Jun e 6 1837; died Aug 9 1842 Le onard Cooley died Jul y 26 1847 aged 68 years Daniel H all died April 26 1857 aged 67 years Letty his wife died Jan 29 1851 aged 47 years Peter P Galati an MD a nativ e of Coldenham N Y died at Green Oak Michigan May I 1 1862 aged 68 years Sarah wife of Stephen Haight died Oct 7 1853 aged 7 5 years Susan wife of Willi am Haight died Oct 2 1874 aged 63 years Thaddeu s S Mapes died Nov 23 1875 aged 64 years J acob C H ayner dierl Jpr il 9 1862 aged 78 year s Elizabeth his wife died Dec 10 1867 aged 76 yea rs Edward Bishop died Aug 24 1876 age d 8 1 years Lovina his wife died Dec 21 1878 aged 8 1 years John S Bennett died May 24 1871 aged 8 1 years Martin Olsaver died Aug 4 1862 aged 85 years Franc es his wife died May 4 186o aged 7 I years R ev A S H ollister died Jan 4 1856 aged 6o years David B Power died Feh 28 1864 age d 58 years Harriet wife of A L Power died March 3 1 1850 aged 41 yea rs Peter S Hendrick died May 9 1869 aged 70 years Ch ristopher L Culver died April 7 1839 ige1 39 years Lucy H his wife di ed March 7 1848 aged 29 yea rs Abn er Butterfield died March 19 1873 age d 65 years Rich ard E Butler died Nov 5 1866 aged 74 years Corneli us Olsaver died J an 19 1875 aged 65 years J esse Hall died Aug 8 1872 aged 78 years Rev S M Ri g! died Jun e 26 1848 aged 44 years Sara h Co rey died Sept 22 1870 aged 85 years Th omas A Galloway died Sept 2 1847 aged 6S years Mary wife of Rev Ephraim Sawyer died Nov 19 1847 aged 73 years J ames Burnett died March 29 186o aged 77 years Ase nath his wife died March 10 1852 aged 56 years RAILROADS Various projects have been consider ed for railways to cross this township and furnish an immediate market for the products of its farms A proposition was submitted at one time to have the Grand Trunk Railway continue its line through this town to pass within one mile of Hamburg village but when the vote on the subject of raising $36000 to aid the road was taken the scheme was defeated The Michigan Air-Line Railway to extend from Jackson to Port Huron was afterwards talked of the route being intend ed as a direct airline from the connection with the Grand Trunk Railway at Port Huron through to Chicago June 19 186g pursuant to printed notice an election was held to determine whether the sum of $18000 should be raised by the township in aid of the road and the result stood 128 votes in favor to 25 against Bonds were subsequently issued and it was confidently expected the road would at once be built It was graded from the west into the township of Putnam and property 37 in the village of Pinck ney which lay on the route advanced rap fclly The failure of the entire project caused the prices of prop erty along the line to decline as rapidly as th ey had risen and Pinckney especially felt the blow The bonds issued by Hamburg as well as by other townships were cancelled and the people settled back into their former state of suspense and anxious waiting for the time when the iron horse should thunder through their domain and tran spor t to distant markets the products of their broad acres The extension of this road from Jackson to Niles is owned by the Michigan Central Railway and is laid on almost the exact route originally surveyed Grading was also done at the eastern end of the route from Port Huron to Romeo CENSUS STATISTICS In 1837 the township of Hamburg contained a population of 490 Thirty-seven years later in 1874 the number of inhabitant s was 887-males 464; female s 423 From th e State census for 187 4 the followi1ig statistics are gathered : Numb er of acres of taxable land in township land owned hy indiv idual s and companies imp roved land land exempt from taxatio n Valu e of same including imp rovenients Numler of acres in school-h ouse sites church and p-r;crna ge sile s whe at raised in 1874 1873 corn Number of bushel s wheat raised in cor n all other groin potatoes tons hay cut pound s wool sheared pork market ed huller made fruit dried for market in 1873 barrel s cider mad e in 1873 acres in orchards bush els apple s raised in 1872 1873 Value of fruit and gan len vegetab les 1872 1873 ····· · Number of horses one year old and over 1874 work oxe n 1874 ········· ····· n1ilch COVS H neat cattle one yea r old a nd over other than 21617 21621 1039 1 4 $8000 3 I 2748 2880 1030 28148 360 60 153°5 5455 1841 27770 49790 4836o 8280 457 363 14825 I I 950 $4000 $4500 4o5 8 395 oxe n and cows 1874 428 swin e over six month s old 1874 429 she ep 4921 sheared in 1873 5050 Number of flourin g-mi lls in township 3 Numb er of per sons emp loyed 3 Cap ital invested $13;500 Number of barrels of flour made 1100 Value of product s $8000 Numb er of saw-mills Numb er of persons empl oyed in same 1 Capital invested $1500 Feet of lumb er sawed 20000 Value of products $300 Th e following persons are among the many who have contribut ed information in this township and to all who have thus aided sincere thanks are due and tend ered : Daniel S Bei111etto f Ionia County HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN son of Ju stus J Ben nett ; Seth A Petteys Mrs George Mercer and others at Petteysville; Hon William Ball Mrs Stoddard W Tw ichell Ferdinand Grisson Mrs George Burnett ar d others at H amburg village and · vicinity and others in various portions of the town~hip Ind ebtedness is also acknowledged to th e Pion ee r Society of th e county and to Hon Edwin B Winans present jud ge of probate B I O G R A P H I CA L S K ET C H E S MAJOR GEORGE MERCER Among the early settlers and prominent citizens of Hamburg the subject of this na rrative during his lifetime occupied a con spi cuou s po sition He was born in Devon shire England in 1795 His father William Mercer was a cloth-merchant a successful bu siness ma n who gave hi s children MAJOR GEORGE MERCER liberal advantages and reared a family of five children-four so ns a nd one daughter George received a coll eg iate education and was associated with hi s father in bu siness until about 1820 when he came to this country se ttlin g in New York City where for many years he did busine ss as an importer and jobb er of cloth s His business ventures were un s ucce ss ful and in 1833 he went to Monroe Co N Y and engaged in farming Here he lived until 1836 when he removed to Hambur g Mich with ·hi s family and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land upon which he res ided until hi s deceas e Th e pioneer life of Mr Mercer was one of unusual hard ships and trial s Being city-br ed a nd without practical ex perienc e as a farmer he was beset with difficulties almo st insurmountable It is need less to say that as a farmer Mr Mercer was un succ essful a nd a few years after h e accepted a situ ati o n as book-keeper in th e drug and dry -g oods hous e of W S Maynard of Ann Arbor where h e remained for fiftee n years Oct 26 1831 Mr Mercer was marri ed to Miss Mary daughter of William and Mary Williamson of Bro ok lyn N Y Mr vVilliamson was a merchant and cam e to Brooklyn in 1825 where he resided until hi s death which occurred in May 1827 Mr Mercer was a man of more th a n ord inary ability and acquirements H e creditably filled many positions of trust In 1846 he was elected sup ervisor and for many years h e served the town as mag istrate and clerk Mr and Mrs Mercer reared a family of five children three of whom are living in the vicinity of th e old hom e HON WILLIAM BALL This ge ntlem an one of th e prominent agriculturi sts o f Living ston County was born in Niles Cayuga Co N Y April 7 1830 When six years of age his father emigr ated with his family to W asht enaw County se ttlin g in th e towns hip of vVebst er William received but very littl e adve ntitiou s aid in makin g a futur e for hims elf; h e obtained however a collegiate education and inh erit ed from his parents a robust constitution and indu stri ous hab its and with th ese as his excl usive capital he commenc ed !if~ (tr him se lf After finishin g hi s education he was for severa l year s en gaged in teaching but th e profession not proving congenial and hav ing a decided taste for farming h e reso lved to make that his busin ess for life In 1858 h e purchased in the town of Hamburg one hundred and forty-seven acres of land which is a portion o f his pres ent farm of five hundred acres As a farmer and stockgrower Mr Ball has been very successful and hold s a deservedly prominent position among the leadi ng farmers of th e State H e is presid ent of the Michigan Sheep-Breeders and Wool-Growers A sso ciation and of the Livin gs ton County Agricultural Society a nd for two years has officiat ed as a director in the State and Central Michigan Agricultural Societi es H e is extensively known as a successful breeder of short-horns and Spanish Merinos has don e much to improve the sheep and cattle inter ests of Livingston and his stock is considered among th e best in this section of the State Notwithstanding his extensive agricultural oper- GENOA TOWNSHIP ations Mr Ball has always manifested an int erest in public affairs and th e people have show n th eir app rec iation of his services by elect ing him to vari ous positions of influ ence and responsibility which he has filled with scrupul ous fide lity In his political belief he was origi nally a Whig and upon th e organiz ation of the R epub lican party he espoused its cau se and has since labo ~ed in th at or ga nization In 1863 he repr esen ted H ambur g up on th e Board of Supervisors wh ere he was ackn ow ledged an able and efficient memb er In 1864 he was elected to th e re prese ntativ e branch of th e L eg islatur e In 1866 he was re-e lected servin g as chairm an on th e committee o f towns and counties In 1874 he was elected county supe rint end ent of sc hoo ls which position he filled acceptably until that office was abo lished by ac t of th e L eg islatur e In 1858 Mr Ball was married to Miss Cath erin e daug ht er of David B and Sarah (Culver) Pow ers who settl ed in H ambur g in 1831 and whose names are pro min ently assoc iated with its ea rly history Mr Ball is a self-made man and one of whom th e Latin phrase Fab er wee fo rtun ce is eminently true Comm encing life with only hi s natur al resourc es for cap ital he has in a few yea rs attained an enviab le po sition among th e represe ntativ e men of Li vings ton County DENN IS COREY was born in th e tovn of Edinburg Sa ratoga Co N Y Jan 18 1824 His pa rent s J ohn D and Farney (A rmstron g) Co rey had a family of thirt ee n childr en-six so ns and seve n daughters vVhen D enni s was seve n years of age his fath er ca me with his family to Michigan sett ling in Wayne County D enni s remained with his fath er until he was nin eteen years of age wh en he purchas ed his tim e and comm enced life for him self as a farm labore r H e followed th at occ upation ho wever but a short tim e sub seq uently acq ·1iring th e tr ade of an engi neer whi ch he followed until 1852 wh en he purch ased th e farm up on which he now resides The land for th e mo st par t was unimprov ed and the fine farm of to-day with its finely cultivated fields and commodi o us buildings is th e res ult of hi s own energy and industry In 1854 he was marri ed to Miss Lu zett e daughter of Heman Lake on e of th e tow ns first settlers In 1858 Mrs Corey died and in 1860 he was marri ed to Cath a rin e Corey of Otisco Onond aga Co N Y wh ere she was born December 1824 By his first wife Mr Corey had on e child Parney E now Mrs Geo rge Bang har t Mr Cor ey ha s bee n succ ess ful and his farm (a view of which we pr ese nt on another page) evi - dences his thrift and enterp ris e ELLS DAVIS was born in th e town of Tyro ne S teub en Co N Y in 1813 In 1834 he camet0Michiganand purch ased eig hty acres of land in th e town o f Hambur g upo n which he resided until his decease Jun e 30 1845 H e was m arri ed to Mary Ellen My er of Seneca Co N Y wh ere she was born in th e tow n o f L od i Oct 4 18 18 Mr Davis was a success ful farmer and acquired by his ow n indu stry and good mana ge ment a valu - able farm of tw o hun dred ac res which he left to hi s widow and childr en He had thr ee childr en viz Caro line now Mrs H enry Poul se n Deborah C and Mye r A GENO A TOWNS H I P T HE northwest corn er of Genoa to wnship is at th e geog rap hic al centre of Livin gs ton County Th e town ship is bound ed north by Oceola eas t by Brighton sou th by H amburg and west by Marion It is crossed diagonally near th e centr e from so utheas t to north west by the D etroit Lansing and North ern Rail road upon which is a flag-station at the corn er of sections 14 I 5 22 and 23 Th e old Grand Riv er road now a toll turnpik e ex - tend s across th e north ern portion of th e to wn and th roug h so me of its best-improv ed part s On section 6 th e A nn A rbor road leaves th e first-named hi ghwa y and after a co urse of seve ral miles enters H amb urg from sec tion 33 Th e wat er area of Genoa is ex tensive although no streams of note flow within th e township Numero us lakes which are pec uliar t o and charact eristic of Michiga n exis t of grea ter o r less area Of the se th e finest is L ong Lake on section s 3 4 9 10 a nd I I It s shores are for th e m ost part wood ed and abo und in pl easa nt ;a mpin g and fisliing reso rts Much of th e la ke is shall ow and filled with th e g rassy grow th common to th e wat ers of th e county Thi s pleasa nt sheet of wat er was on e of HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN the prominent landmark s known to the early settlers and more than one pioneer camp ed with his family on its shore and admired its beauty The ori gi n of its name is appar ent when a glance is taken at th e map or at the lake itsel f Its len gth is about one and thre e-fourth s mile s and its average width in the neighborhood of one-fourth of a mil e Crooked Lak e lying south of th e centr e of the town ship on sections 21 22 27 and 28 is a large body of water of such peculi ar form as to render its name appropriate In its southern arm are several small islands as show n on the map Its outlet flows -sou th and furni shes power at least ·at one point before it join s th e Huron viz at Pett eysville in Hamburg town ship Peet Lim e and other lakes in th e township some of which ar e not po ssessed of nam es are of lesser area Round Lake lies partially in Oceol a and partly in th e northw est part of Genoa Ore Cre ek after leaving th e township of Brighton cro sses th e so uth east corner of Genoa in which it receives on e or two sm all tributari es T amarac k swa mp s are comm on in porti ons of the tow nship a nd open marsh es are met with in num ero us place s Th e ge neral surface of the township of Genoa is undulating with occasional fertil e plains and in th e southern portion high gravel ridges It s soil is ge nerally productive and many of its farms are improv ed to an ext ent which gives evid ence of th eir valu e as well as th e thrift and enterprise of their owners The township has not as larg e an ar ea avai lable for agricultural purposes as some oth ers in the county yet it rank s among the first m importance and is strictly a farming town ship LAND -E NTRIES The following is a list of those who entered land in what is now Genoa town ship tog ether with the section s upon which they located and the years in which the entries were made: SECTION 1-1 835 Alvin F Benjamin Willi am S Conely; 1836 Peter Du ross Era stus Ke ll ogg Alvin N orton An drew Lamb J ohn W Willi ams Valentin e Strack H orace R Hu dson ; 1837 Willi am Placeway S ECTION 2-1835 Chester Ha zard; 1836 James M Murray Era stus K ellogg Ab ra m H ankin s J osep h Placew ay John White; 1837 Ama sa D ean; 1838 J ohn Clark SECTION 3-1 835 John L Martin; 1836 Benjamin Earl Benjamin J Boutw ell Era stus Watro us Richard Brown J ohn White ; 1837 William J acobs; 1853 Charl es P Bush J J Bu sh SECTION 4- 183 5 9a 1m1el West J ohn E llis John L Mar tin; 1836 Benjamin Earl J&lt;1hn Earl J ohn Elli s J ohn F Law son ; 1837 Corn elius W Burwe ll SECTION 5-1833 J ohn Drew; 1835 John Ell is Asahel Dibble; 1836 Asa hel Dibble J ohn Elli s ; 1837 Corne lius W Burwell Orson Elliott SECTION 6- 183 5 Asa Coh h Willi a m Sha rr Asahel Di bble Fl av ius J B Cra ne ; 1836 H orace M Com stock Mark H ealey B B K erc hev al S ECTION 7-1834 Ely R unard; 1835 Edward L atson Willi am Sha rt; 1836 Asah el Di bble Willi am Burr Curti s Pet er Shart; 1837 Divid Parker Asahel Dibb le SECTION 8-1834 Ely Barn ard; 1835 John E lli s Asa Cob b Jr J acob Vand ewalker SECTION 9-1834 Zac hariah S utt on; 1835 Samuel West Ne il F Butt erfield Lu cius H Peat; 1836 William P Patri ck; 1837 J ohn F L awson SECTION 10-1833 J ohn Whyt e; 1834 J ehi el Barron; 1835 J ohn Whit e ; 1836 H orace II Comstock; 1837 Stew ard H Haza rd ; 1853-54 Charl es P Bu sh S ECTION I 1-1835 J acob Eul er Lavina R obbin s Th oma s Pin ckney Chesler H azard; 1836 Stewart! H aza rd Ore n Rh oades Lu cius H Ped Pamelia L avina and J ane E Ward J ohn White SECTION 12-1 835 Alvin F Benjamin P eter Eul er George Henry Zul auf Aaro n H K elley John Eul er; 1836 Peter Dur oss John J Brown Eli sha H odgman; 1837 -47 Lawren ce Eu ler SECTION 13-1834 Al ex and er Fra ser Th oma s Pinckn ey Charles A Gree n ; 1835 Mansin~ H ath awa y Alvin F Benjamin R oswell Barns ; 1836 H orace H Comstock Benj amin J Butwell Nehemiah Boutw ell SECTION 14-1 835 Luc ius H Peet N eil F Bull er field I saiah P R obb ins Abi ga il A R Pin ckn ey; 1836 Mark He aley and B B Kercheval; 183 7 Philip Coo n SECTION I 5-1835 I saiah P Robb ins Pete r Mc D erby; 1836 William Mill er Mark H ealey and B B K erchev al Jacob Fi shb eck Charles Bened ict P atri ck Bogan Samuel Sewall SECTION 16 (sc hool lands) -1 846 Fr eeman Fishbeck; 185 1 J aco b Fi shb eck Charles Bened ict; 1853 H ans Ru ssell oVilliam Crostick J ohn E Dorn Willi am Van Blarcom J ames O H ara John Duffy J ohn Boga n Fre eman Fi shbeck; 1854 Catharine McGa rk Charle s Bened ict SECTION 17-1834 Ely Barn ard; 1835 Asa Cobb Pard on Barnard E lias Davis J oseph Rider; 1836 I saa c Morse David Pierce Henry William s SECTION 18-1834 Ely Barnard; 1835 Panlon Barnard Jr Josiah Ward; 1836 Geo rge Babcoc k Tim othy R Benn ett William T Curti~ Lawrence N oble Asahel Dibble; 1854 Ri char d Britt en S ECTION 19-1835 T imoth y R Benn ett R eub en Moore; 1836 Ri chard Britt en J ohn T ompkin s En och W ebster Sam uel W Baldwin J osep h Bower L awren ce N oble Samu el Sewall; 1837 Consider Crap o SECTION 20-1835 Jam es H Cole; 1836 E lias Davi s Amari ah H ammond Hubba rd McClond H enry S Lisk Marga ret Cantine Caleb Curti s; 1838 Wm T Curti s; 1854 Jam es W elch SECTION 21-18 35 Fr eeman Fi shb eck D avi&lt;! Pi erce J emima Fi shbeck; 1836 William B Yauger Charle s Ben edict Abram Cantin e Fr eeman Fi shb eck Philip Fi shbeck; 1854 William Suhr Al exancler Carpente r SECTION 22-1835 Peter Mc Derby; 1836 Ch aunc ey Sym onds L awr ence Eu ler J ohn Magee Ga rdn er Ca~pent er ; 1837 Daniel J ones P eter Coon; 1840 R od man Stoddard; 1850 L ewis Dorr; 1854 Willi am Suh r J ose ph M Gilbert SECTION 23-1836 H enry Smith Martin H artm an Charles Conrad H azard Newlon; 1837 H enry Sm ith Geo rg e Ran scher Cath ari ne Hartman H enr y F oste r Vlilliam Ha cker ; 1838 Mo ses 0 J ones; 1839 H enry Bush; 1852 J acob Conra d SECTION 24-1 83 5 Che ster Ha zard; 1836 Benjamin J Boutw ell Mar k H ea ley B B Ker cheval Charl es S Emerso n SECTION 25-1 833 Alm on Maltby; 1835 Joseph Brown Jr ; 1836 Mark H ea ley B R K ercheval Hiram Old s ; 1837 Trum an B Wonl en; 1839 Grace Th omson; 1847 John Cushi ng RESIDENCE or 0 W SEXTON HAMBURG MICHIGAN GENOA TOWNSHIP SECTION 26-1836 Nathanie l Carr Henry E arl Ju stin Willey; 1838 Francis W Brown; 1839 Daniel S O Neal; 1840 Nathanie l Carr; 1854 John Bauer Gustav 13aetcke SECTION 27-1835 Herman C Hau se; 1836 N athan Hawl ey John D Robin son Luth er H H ovey Henry H and; 1837 Charles Weller; 1838 Moses 0 J ones Betsey Mc Mulling; 1856 Philip Conrad SECTION 28-1835 Nichola s Kri stler William Harmon H erman C Hau se; 1836 Ju stus J Bennett Amariah Hammond D aniel B H armon N orman L Gaston Ah ner Orm sby Marga ret Cantin e ; 1854 Alexand er Carpenter; 1857 Edw ard N H Boele S~:CTION 29- 1835 N icho las Kri stler David Hight Daniel J essup; 1836 Reuben Haight Ira 1hite Caleb Curtis Byram Timm ons Patrick Smith Asahe l Dibbl e · SECTION 30- 1835 Reuben Moore; 1836 Ri chard Britten John J ennin gs En och Web ste r Patrick Sm ith Sam uel Sewa ll William L T ompkin s ; 1837 J onathan P King Nicho las Fishbeck; 1846 J acob D Ga ll; 1854 Matthew Brady SECTION 31- 1837 John B Britten Samue l D ea n Mich ael Fuhay; 1838James Collin s Jo sep h Gruver; 1847 Seymour Phillip s ; 1850 Matthew Brady; 1853 Philip Brady SECTION 32-1836 Parley Phillip s Henry Phillips I &gt;avid Hi ght David W ells Fran cis A Fisk; 1837- William Bloudw orth J ohn B Britten Deni son Ti sda le; 1838 J oseph Gruver; 1853 Tim othy Phillips SECTION 33-1 835 Garner Carpenter E astma n Griffeth; 1836 D aniel B H armon Miletus H Snow Fan ny L Snow Eastman Griffeth Reuben H Bennett Chr istopher H oagland Caleb Curti s J onathan Stone Rodn ey D Hill; 1837 Denison Ti sdale Jr SECTION 34-1836 Nelson Hawley David Whitney Ro dney D Hill B B Kercheval Luther H H ovey; 1837 George J Moo n SECTION 35 -1 836 Samuel E Chapman Levi Hanley; 1836-3 7 J osep h Charles SECTION 36-1 835 Elijah Fit ch William H Town send Philip Stewart Amy Hawk shur st; 1837-54 George J Moon EARLY SETTLEMENT Although th e first entries of land in Genoa were made by Almon Maltby * and John White in May and Jul y respec tively in the year 1833 yet it was not until th e second year afterwards that a settlement was made Th e veil of unc ertai nty is thrown around th e first improv ement s and th eir projectors but th e following are the facts as near as can at pres ent be ascertained: In th e summer of 1835 the township rece ived the advance guard of its pioneer army in th e persons of Thomas Pinckn ey and Pardon and Ely Barnard-the latt er two nam ed being broth ers - all since deceased Pinckney came from Dutche ss Co N Y and the Barnards from Madison County in the same State It has been th e ge nera l opinion her etofore that Pinckn eys log hou se was th e first structure built in th e town ship for the use of a white family and such is probably th e case althou g h it can hav e the pr eced ence by only a few days to that built by th e Barnards Both were built in the summer of 1835 Thomas Pinckney was a brother of J ohn D Pinckney one of the ~ Maltby settled in Brighton early settlers of How ell in which village th e latter s widow yet resides In th e fall of 1834 Ely Barnard visited Geno a and entered con sidera ble quantitie s of land for himself and his brother Ely Barnard was at th e time a sing le man and with hi s broth er kept bachelors hall in 1835 in th e log hou se th ey had erected Pardo n Barnard had com e in the spring of th at year to th e State H e was a native of the town of L enox Madison Co N Y where he was born Jan 11 1812 In 1832 he was marri ed to Eliza A Curtis of Morrisville N Y and in 1834 was license d as a Methodist preacher In Nov ember 1835 he mov ed his family into !he log house in Genoa his wifes broth er Burr Curtis coming with them The father of th e latt er William T Curtis moved into tow n in Jun e 1836 with hi s wife and daughter-the latter afterwards becoming the wife of Ely Barnard who was much of a sportsman and a tru e love r of th e cha se He was also a man of remarkable business capabilities and one of the foremost citiz ens of the town and county in which he had mad e his hom e Burr Curtis is now a resident of Howell wh ere also dwell Pardon Barnard s widow and one so n William · A second son Henry liv es at Brighton to which place he moved from Howell in August 1879 Mrs Barnard Sr relates th at from th e tim e when she came to Genoa it was six weeks-and lon g enou g h th ey seemed to her-befor e she saw another white woman Th e farms of th e Messrs Barnard were upon th e Ann Arbor road and are now owned by H en ry Spencer and William Bell Thomas Pinckneys place was in the eas tern part of town on th e Grand River road and is th e present property of Andrew Pless Jo sep h A and Asahel Dibbl e were among the · pioneers of the last-m ention ed part of th e township arriving in June 1837 The latter is deceased and th e former res ides north of How ell John vV L awso n settled west of Long Lake in th e summ er of 1836 and built his house in th e fall of th e sa me year it b eing well under way in November when C W Burwell arrived Mr L awso ns so n J ohn occupies the old place at present In this locality are some of th e bestimproved farms in th e town ship A plain of considerable area offers special attraction s and advantages to the agr iculturi st and th e settl ers were not slow in apprecia tin g them Two of th e most at tr active places alon g th e Grand Riv er road in Genoa are th ose owned by Willi a m and Albert Tooley Th e latter came from W ayne Co N Y in Jun e 1841 and settl ed on the farm eas t of th e one on which his brother located in September 1844 William Tooley was 294 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN acc omp anied by hi s wife Th e land on which th ese gentl emen settl ed was orig inally located by th eir half-broth er Samu el Vest but h e made no improvement s wh atever upon it Th e two broth ers ar e still res iding upon th e homesteads th ey orig inally settl ed and which th ey hav e so ext ensively improv ed The following sk etch ofth e ea rly history of Genoa was pr epar ed by Mr s C W Burw ell in 1877 and read before th e Jun e meeting-in th at yearof th e Pion ee r A ssociation : Th e first loca tion was made in what is now Ge noa on section 25 nea r B ight on villag e May 13 1833 by A lmon Maltby and sold hy him to B Cushin g in 1841 Mr Maltby is still li ving in th e town of G reen Oak ; h as hel d the office of supe rvisor of th at tow n an d o th er offices; is to-day one of our bes t citizens Th e seco nd locat ion was made on sec tion 10 J uly 22 1833 (l~ n l no w o wn ed by H enr y Veimeister on L ong L ake) by J ohn ~ b ite an Engli sh ma n and a bachel or H e built a small log h ouse and th en went to D et roit to live where h e died in 184 7 Aft er hi s deat h A H a rvey of De troi t an ad mini stra tor of Vhi tes estate sold th e land lo C P Bush Th e thi rd locat ion 240 ac res on section 5 by J ohn D re w Au g 13 1833 Th ese were th e on ly lands located in 1833 and th e first in the town sh ip as above stated Th e fourth loca tion was made Au g 9 1834 by Alexa nde r Fra se r of Ne w York City (fa th er o f Mrs J ohn D Pin ck ney of H owe ll) on sec tion 13 now owned by N S Benja min Th e fifth locat ion was made by Th omas Pi nc kn ey on sec tion 13 Sept 30 1834 M r P inck ney soon settled on his Janel and th ere the first whil e chil d in Ge noa was born T his land is now own ed by A P less T he six th loca tion Octobe r 24 on sec tion 9 by Zac hariah Sutton an d so ld to J oh n F L awson J uly 9 1836 who settled on it th at yea r It is n ow owned hy his so n J V L awson C harles A Gree n located on sec tion 13 Aug 22 1834 forty acres no w own ed by Lo uis Me yers El y Ba rnard of Mad ison Co N Y locate d on sec tions 7 8 17 and 18 in all 240 ac res Chester H aza rd loca ted th e south wes t q uarter o f th e s0 uthw est q uart er of sec tion 3 and oth er lan ds N ov 3 1835 Mr H azard still lives on and till s or ove rsees th e ti lling of his farm an d is now a ve ry old b ut hale man C V Bur well loca ted lands in 183 7 on sect ions 4 and 5 T homas Pin ckn ey built the first house in the town and Pardon Ba rnard th e seco nd I beli eve Mr F Curtis was th e first super - viso r nf th e town of Ge noa unde r th at na me in 1837 Ely Ba rnard was the first reg ister of deeds for the co unty and clerk of th e first Boa rd of Supe r visors in 1836 H e was afte rwa rds a member of the Sta te Leg islat ur e and one of th e mem be rs to amend th e co nstituti on in 1850 Th e first yea r after th e town was orga nized th e va luation was $6oooo ; no tow n tax ; $ 18 Stale and SI 10 coun ty lax John Elli s loca ted in 183 5 wh ere C V B urwe ll now lives ; Sa muel Vest whe re th e T ooleys li ve afte rwards th e Bush farm wh ere C P Bush settled in 183 7 first in a log house on th e site of wha t is no w th e Viclow Sweet s house and far m Afterwa rds h e bu ilt the first frame hou se in Genoa in 1838 or 39 -a pa rt of it is yet landi ng on the farm now ow ned hy K insley T ooley in full view of our bea utiful L ong La ke C P Bush settled first in the town of H andy and th en here in th e fall o f 1837 li e was a mighty hunt er Th e first win ter of his reside nce here he shot thir ty-thr ee d ee r beside s oth er ga me an d his neighbors well rememb er th e sa vory bits he sent so ofte n * See Che ste r H azards state ment -l atters frame house built in 1837 Mr D avi d H igh t is still li ving aged n inety-s ix or ove r T he wri te r and family came to Mich iga n and sett led in Ge noa in th e autumn of 1836 Th e face of th e co unt ry was eve n th en very pleasa nt Th ese open in gs were not at all lik e tim be red woods b ut lik e trees set in a pa rk as th ey were by th e A ll F ath er One co uld walk anywh ere h e plea sed as th ere was no un de rbrush Ve staye d in Ypsila nti a short tim e In th e mea n tim e Mr Bur we ll ca me out to L ivingston and engaged a man to put up for us a log house I t was to be finished in three wee ks Within half a mi le of our place were two families (tran sie nt settl ers ) living in shanties one on the site of ou r neighbo rs ( Mr Cros ticks) old house the oth er exact ly oppos ite Th e last -me ntioned famil y agreed to vacate an d rent to M r Bush for twe nty-five ce nts li e pa id in adva nce an d when we came we took pos sess ion It was abo ut I 7 by 14 Th ere vere eig ht in our family in cl ud ing th ree littl e chil - dr en T here we sta yed six wee ks O ur go ods excep t o me of our be ds and bedd ing were still in D etro it and o ur j ourn ey to Detroit in th ose clays was abo ut like go ing to Ca li fornia n rw Mr F raser our nearest neighbor west and the on ly on e betwee n here and H owe ll kin dly lent us a smal l iro n kettle an d sp ide r a tea - k ett le and a tea- pot with ou t any cove r O f our oppos ite ne ighbor we borro wed one plate one kn ife and fork and one ch air all of wh ich we cou rteou ly left for th e mistress of th e mans ion T he rest used cleaned chi ps for plates and pocket -kn ife and fingers for forks T he mea t was fried in the sp ide r and served in the same Th anks lo our Michiga n appeti tes noth ing befo re nor since was eve r ea ten with a bette r relish tha n was that fr ied meat wellwatered gravy exce llent potatoes bread cheese etc Ca nt rememb er tha t we h:d a spoo n ; th ink th at we all clippe d our mor ·els in th e same d ish- sa icl sp ide r Ve brou ght a co w with us a nd to cha nge ou r d iet occa ional ly mad e a d ish of th ickened milk th e milk well d ilut ed with wate r to make it go furth er un til about th e co lor of clea r-starch -de licio us neve rtheless Th ere are few ev ils so had but some good comes o ut of them and when at last our house was so we co uld move into it no ro11111 I ever was in (th ank s to our sha nty expe r ience) see med t0 me so grand and spac ious as d id th at log ho use wit h its clea n he wn logs roug h boa rd floor a pa rti tion for bedro oms a fireplace the back of whi ch took in almost th e who le encl of th e house; a stick ch imn ey thro ugh which we co uld look up and see th e sta rs ; rou nd stones f~r a hea rth - no oth ers coul d be go t at th at time of th e yea r -a nd such fires ! as hi gh as our heads made of oak lim hs a nd logs crack ling and sparklin g makin g th e room glow like a fairy palace Th e p ine boxes we re soo n cu nvertecl into clusets and shelve s for d ishe s and books by th e inge nio us h ands of th e h ired man th at ca me with us frnm Yo rk State; wi th old wh ite mu slin for curta ins it all looked ind eed h omeli k e and cosy Thanks again to the shan ty it mag nifieb Fi shh eck F reeman F itch Elija h F ewhey Michae l H azard Chester Hunt J osep h Hartm an I le11ry Hin ckley Benja m in H ause H e man C Hight David Ja cobs Wil liam J acobs Mark J esso p Daniel Krist ler Nicho las Latson Edward L awson J ohn F Lat son J ohn Lawrence G·eorge Lau ghlin J ohn Mur ray James M Moore J ohn Morse Francis Morse I saac Morse Benjamin Moon George J Orr J osep h ll acew ay Josep h Pettibon e R oswell Pless Andr ew Pierce David B Padrlock Geo rge IN Padd ock Ri chard Paddoc k J ohn Stedma n George Shart Wi llia111C Stee l J oseph H Sharp Andrew Stedman William Sntt on Ri chard Snider I saac H R Suh r Yillia111 S1011e Dw id To oley Alber t T erry Stephen H Ti1umC)ns Brynn Upt he; rove Abram Vealy Benja min Wa lker &amp; Foster Weichers J ohn E Winter T he&lt;&gt;dore Vawger Vill iam B Many of th ese were enrolled among those who h ad a perso nal tax to pay only Among th e hea vier tax -paye rs were th e follow ing: To tal Tax Chester Ha zard $3362 Charl es P Bush 1349 Willi am J acobs 1480 J ohn E uler 1112 Eu ler &amp; Dick erson 2277 T otal T ax lforr is Bennett $ 1495 Andr ew Ples 1168 Benjamin Vealy 1050 Lewi D orr I 2i9 Frederick D Acke r 120 1 Th e non-resi dent tax payers numb ered at th at tim e in th e neighb orho od of 100 From so me of th e ea rly record s it is utt er ly impo ssible to determin e th e correct orthography of certain prop er nam es as many as four or five different ways being often found of sp ellin g th e name of but one person Thi s will acco unt for any errors in th at respect which may be discovered TOWNSHIP ORGAN IZATION-LIST OF OFFICERS On th e 26th of March 1835 th e town ship of Hambur g was cre ated by th e L egis lativ e Council including th e pr ese nt town ship of the same name together with what is now Genoa The latt er town ship was formed from the north half of H amburg by an act of the Legis lature approved March 1 l 1837 and reading as follows: All that portion or the cou nty or Living sto n des ignated in the United Sta tes surve y as township 2 north range 5 east be and th e same is hereby set off and organized int o a separa te towns hip by the name or Ge noa ; and th e first township - me eting th erein shall be held at the house or Lu cin s II Peer in said tow nship Th e first tow nship-m eetin g was held in and for the to1~nship- of Genoa at Luciu s H Peets inn on th e first Mo nday in Ap ril 1837 and th e following perso ns we re elec ted to office viz: Supervisor William T Curti s; T ow nship Clerk Ch arles Bened ict ; Ju stices of th e Peace Cheste r Hazard William Tompkins Corneliu s W Burwell D avid B H arm on; Assessors D rniel J ess up J ose ph Plac eway A sahel Dibbl e; Commi ss ioners of Hi g hwa ys D av id Hight Fr ee man Fi shb eck Thomas Pinckney; Poormast ers Cal eb Curtis Villiam T Curtis ; Co mmi ss ioners o f Sc hoo ls Zebulon M Drew David B Pie rce Isaac Mo rse; Sc hoo l In spect ors Z M Dr ew Pardo n Barn ard Jr Lu cius H Peet; Coll ector Wi lliam C Shaft; Constabl es William C Shaft Lucius H Peet Th e following list comp rises th e officers for Genoa tow nship from 1838 to 1879 inclu sive: SUPERVCSORS 1838 C harles I Bnsh; 1839 vVilliam T Curtis; 1840 Charles Benedict; 1841- 42 Che ster H aztnl; 1843-44 Chule; Benedict; 184 5-46 J ames M Murray; 1847 Drniel D T Chandler; 1848- 49 Charles Benedic t; 1850-5 r W illiam A Buckland; 1852- 54 H enry H artm an; 1855 Chester H azard; 1856-57 Oren H Wi negar; 1858- 59 J ames M !for ray; 1860-6 1 Corn el ius W Burwe ll; 1862 -63 Will iam II Curtis ; 1864 Or en H Winegar; 1865 Ely Brn ard; 1866- 67 Cheste r Hazard; I 868- 7 I Charles Fishb eck; I 872 Omar H Benedict; 1873 Willi am H Il alleck; 1874 Chester Hazard; 1875 Charl es Fishb eck; 1876-7 7 Gusta ve J Baetcke; 1878- 79 L ouis Meye r TOWNSHIP CLERKS 1838 Char les Benedict; 1839 Chester H azard; 1840- 4 2 Charles Be nedic t; 1843-46 Joseph Reder J r; 1847 Cha rles Benedict; 1848 Ely Rrnrnrd; 1849 Oren H Win egar; 1850 ·- 60 William Suhr; 186 1-63 Willi am J H azard; 1864-79 William Suhr TRE ASU R ERS 1839 W illiam T Cnrti s ; 1840- 41 David Hight; 1842-46 J ohn Dav is; 1847- 50 Albert Too ley; 185 1- 54 John E D orn ; 1855 0 H Winegar; 1856 J ohn H artman; 1857-58 Ri chard Behrens; 1859-60 J ames Bogan; 186 1-6 3 Lew is Ple ss; 1864-66 Freema n F P ierce; 1867-68 Conrad Schoe nh a ls Jr ; 1869-70 Samud Stark; 187 1-72 Wi lliam Fishbeck; 1873-74 Gustave J Baetcke; 1875- 76 Cha rl es Grosst ick; 1877 Fra nk W Bened ict ; 1878 Frederick C Ben ed ict; 1879 John Seim Jr JU STICES OF THE PEACE 1838 Chester H azar d David B P ierc·e Gard ner H Carp enter ; 1839 G H Carpe nt er C P Bush ; 1840 Charl es P Bush Cheste r H azard; 184 1 Chester Ha zard; 1842 E ly Ba rn ard; 1843 G H Ca rpent er JM Murray; 1844 Wm A Buckland ; 1845 Erast us W atrou s Charles P Bush; 1846 E ly Barnard; 1847 Ely Barnard Josep h Ri de r J r H H artman; 1848 J osep h Rid er J r; 1849 Cornelius W Bnr well ; 1850 1-1 C 300 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN Hause; 185 1 H enry Hartman; 1852 Josep h Rider Jr ; 1853 Corne liu s W Burwe ll; 1854 H C Hau se ; 1855 James M Murr ay; 1856 David B Pi erce; 1857 C W Burw ell Wm B Curtis; 1858 Oren H Win ega r; 1859 Chester H azard; 186o Ely Barnard; 186 1 E ly Barnard Floyd S Wykoff; 1862 Oren H Winegar; 1863 Ches ter Hnarcl I saac vV Bush ; 1864 Cornel ius W Burw el l ; 186 5 Charles Be nedict Samuel Stark; 1866 Charl es Ding ler; 1867 J ohn A Meyer Che ster H aza rd; 1868 C V Burwe ll Jo se ph Rider; 1869 And rew C Pl ess; 1870 Chester l lnzarcl N e wbe rry H Sweet; 187 1 N C Sweet Rich a rd Behrens; 1872 Jo sep h Rid er J osep h Bi rk ens to ck; 1873 David I-I11ghe s; 1874 Pete 1 T Gill Davi d Hu g hes; 1875 Jam es Timm ons J oh n OConn or; 1876 George A Whit e he ad; 1877 Jam es Boylan Henry Rat z ; 1878 Josep h Rid er W illiam II T rowbr idge; 1879 Georg e Bau e r ASSESSORS 1838 Jo sep h Rid er Jame s M Murry Dan iel Jessu p; 1839 William B Curti s Jame s J Forsy th e Charle s Bened ict; 1840 William A Buckland Wilfom B Curt is J ohn D Bradner; 184 1 C P Bush C H aza rd J D Bradner; 1842 E ly Barn a rd H C H ause; 1843 Am os Fo ster Dani el J essup; 1844 J D Bradner E W atro us; 1845 A lbe rt T ooley John D Bradner; 1846 Danie l J ess up Alber t T ooley COLLECTORS 1838 Erast us Watrou s ; 1839-40 Reuben Hai g ht; 184 1 John Davis SCHOOL IN SPECTO R S 1838 C P Bu sh C H aza rd W T Cu rtis; 1839 C P Bu sh Luciu s H Pee t G H Car penter; I 840 C P Bush C I l azarcl Wm A Buck land; 184 1 C P Bu sh C H aza rd H C Hau se; 1842 vV A Buckl and E Ba rnard Wm Steelman; 1843 Wm 13 Curti s Wm A Buc kla nd ; 1844 Wm H B~nrman D D T Chand ler; 1845 Wm H Beunn an; 1846 D D T Chandler Char les Benedict; 1847 William B Curtis; 1848 Willi am Suhr; 1849 Al exa nde r Carpenter; 1850 Charles Benedict ; 185 1 George A Law so n; 1852 Al exander Ca rpen ter ; 1853 Cheste r Haz a rd; 1854 Olympus Spencer; 1855 Ely Barnard; 1856 Wm J H azard B H L awson; 1857-58 Charle s Benedict Ely Barnar d; 1859 Omar I-1 Bened ict W Wallace Ca rp ente r ; 1860 vV vVallace Ca rp enter ; 1861 Sm ith Be nson J Bru ce Fishbeck; 1862 Ebene zer Cul ve r; ·1863 Charles Bened ict Charles Fi shbeck; 1864 0 H Bened ict Dwi g ht T Cu rtis; 1865 Dwight T Cu rti s; 1866 A M Davi s 0 H Benedict; 1867 Omar H Benedict; 1868 A M Davi s; I 869 0 H Benedict; 1870 Conrad Schoen hals; 187 1 A M Davis; 1872 Pet er P Gi ll ; 1873 A M Davi s ; 1874 0 H Benedict; 187 5 Frank W Bened ict; 1876-77 H enry D Rid er; 1878 Charle s T Ba rn ard; 1879 H enry H olt forth TOWNSHIP SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS 1875-76 A M Davi s; 1877- 79 Peter T Gill The vote on the license question of Genoa in 1845 stood 53 in favor to 19 against In I 850 the following persons received the number of votes set opposite their names as delegates to the State Constitutional Convention : D ani el S Lee 71 Ira Jennin gs 19 R obe rt Crouse 61 Jame s W Sta nsb ury 9 Rob ert W ard en Jr 66 Pierrepont P Smit h I 5 Ely Barnard 65 Au stin vVakeman 14 SCHOOLS:* Th e present Di strict No I was the first one formed in the tow nship Probably in r 8 36 or 1837 th e first sch oo l in town was tau g ht in this district by Al exa nd er Carpenter who was afterward s a school inspe ctor Th e school-house Mr H aza rd think s was po ss ibly a frame building th ough said by so me to have been constructed of logs It stood nea r th e site of th e present frame sc ho ol-hou se in the same district A brick build - ing was subsequently erec ted and is now used as a blacksmith-shop In Di strict No 3 a log sc hool-hou se was built about 1839-40 It stood on th e south side of the road a short distance eas t of th e site of th e present fram e ed ifice Mariette H ay ner a lady whose home was in Brighton was one of the earliest teach ers The log school ho use was finally remov ed Th e first school in Di stri ct No 5 was taught by Geo rg e Griffith in th e winter of about 1837-38 or th e one following A log sc hool-hou se had been built and was used also as a place in which to h old religio us meetings Th e building was use d a numb er of years The first school was not lar gely attended as th e numb er of childr en in the district was few The first summer ter m was tau ght in the season following Griffiths ter m by Mary Ann Hinkley who was retained throu gh several subseq uent ones Griffith return ed East not long after his administration as a teac her here had closed The pr ese nt stone sc hool-house was built about 1857 Th e following stat ement of th e condition of the schools as appearing Sept 2 I 878 is from the report of the township school insp ectors for the year ending at that date: Numb er of wh ole di stricts fractional dis tri cts childr en of sc hoo l age Atte nd ance during year Numb er of schoo l-hou ses Value of scho ol property Number of male teache rs employed fema le teac hers emp loyed Amount paid mal e teache rs fe1nale teac l1ers T ota l receipts for year Amount on hand Sep t 2 1878 22 10 344 307 9 $6ooo 8 10 $82150 $370 $209646 410 23 Expenditur es less amount on hand $ 168623 RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES BAPTISTS Probably the first religious meetings in the township were held in the fall and winter of 1835-36 in the house of David Hight continuing with * See Mrs Burwell s narrati ve for accou nt of first school in Di strict No 2 GENOA TOWNSHIP 301 Sabbath-school for a period of tw o years or more or until th e scho ol-hou se was built in Di strict No 5 when th at was made th e pl ace of meeting for such services E lder J onath an Stone a Baptist minist er who had previous ly lived for several years in W ebster Washt enaw Co purchased land in Genoa so uth of Mr Hight s place and in th e fall of 1836 built a hou se upon it boarding with Mr Hight during its co nstruct ion He so me year s later died on th e farm where he had settl ed Meetings we re held also in th e winter of 1835-36 at th e house of Justu s J Bennett in th e north part of Hambur g and Mr Stone pr ea ch ed both th ere and in th e Hi ght neighborho od In a yea r or two a Bapti st society was orga nized und er th e leade rship of E lde r Post It was g ive n th e name H ambur g but was subseq uently chan ge d to H ambur g and Genoa It continued to hold serv ices until abo ut 1865-67 when it was final ly disbanded No h o use of wor ship had been erected the stone sch oo l-ho use furni shin g accommod ations for th e con grega tion Pr eac hin g was also held in other parts of t own at an early day at th e dwe llings of num erous indi vid ual s and by mini sters of different denominations How ell how ever was th e principal place at which th e settl ers att end ed religious meetin gs and has continued to be to th e present GERMAN LUTHERAN C HUR CH About 1858 St Georges Ger man E van ge lical Luth eran Co ng rega tion was orga nized by R ev Mr Smith of Ann Arbor In 186 1 thr ee acres of land were donated by Richard Behrens on sec - tion 14 for a church and bur y ing-gro und site and at a later date three ac res on sec tion 1 3 were given for th e use of th e mini ster Dr Buck (LLD) father-in-law of J ohn Weimeister of Howell after the organization of th e soc iety went to Europe to raise sufficient fund s to build a church The sum of $300 was given by H ambur g Germany and th e pr ese nt frame buildin g was erected Dr Buck succeeded Smith as mini ster The succ eed i~g ones have been Re vs Meyer* of Genoa town ship Christopher Watt Mr Kramer and Mr Sheibly who is at pr ese nt in ch arge Th e reside nt members hip of thi s church in July 1879 was from 50 to 6o and others attend who do not live in the nei ghb orhood Th e church ere cted by this society is th e only one built by any denominati on in the town ship CEMETERIES The old est buri al-gro und in th e tow nship is th e one on section 13 off land now owned by Nelson * Myers S Benjamin and it contains th e dust of many of th e ea rly settfers of thi s and nei ghboring township s A second one is located in the Benedic t neighb orhood in th e south part of th e town and is also old ; and a third belon g ing to th e Germ ans is near th eir church on section 14 east of Genoa St ation POPU LATI ON-ST ATI ST ICS The numb er of white inh abit ant s in th e town - ship of Genoa in 1837 was 36 1 In 1874 the number had increased to 92 1 inclu ding 475 mal es and 446 females From th e census of th e latter year are compil ed th e followi ng statistic s: Num be r of acres of taxab le land in township land owned by indiv iduals and companies imp oved land··· ····· land exemp t from taxation V :ilue of a me with imp rove ments Number o f acres in school-ho use sites churc h and par so na:;e sites burying -gro uncb railroad rig ht of way ancl depo t grou nds wheat rai sed in 1874 1873 corn 1873 bushel s of wh ea t rai sed in 1873 corn 1873 ······ all ot her grain rised in 1873 potatoes ra ised in 1873 tons of h ay cul in 1873 po unds wo J shea red iu 18 73 pork ma rketed in 1873 cheese made in 18 73 butter rnade in 1873 fruit dried for mark et in 1873 barre ls cider made in 1873 ac res in orc ha rds bushel s uf appl es r1ised in 1872 1873 pea rs cherries and !--lraw he i ries 1872 μe:us che rries and strawh~ rries 1873 Value of fruit and garden vegetal les 1872 1873 Numb er horses one year uld anrl over 1874 mules 1874 work oxe n 1874 milch cows 1874 nea t call le one yea r Id an Ll over other th an oxe n and COvs sh eep ove r six mon ths old sheared in 1873 ········ Numb er saw-mill s Pe rsons employed in sa ne Am ount of cap ital in ves ted Number feel of lumbe r sawed Value of pruducts 22800 22890 50 II 478 90 5o $ 11 119 55o 2 3 So 3193 288 1 I 229 38684 34446 16045 79 64 29 19 2 7 137 82772 6o 37483 670 7 3o7 407 13282 I0846 126 115 $ 5001 $5015 4 1 5 8 36 482 373 6060 63 14 I I $ 1800 80000 $96o A mon g th e many who have aided in furni shin g th e facts which are included in th e foregoing history of Genoa are C vV Burwell and wife Chester H aza rd Isaa c W Bu sh Es q of H owe ll Rich ard Behr ens William Suhr Jo sep h Rider Andrew Sharp Mrs Cyrus H oy t Miss Deborah Hight (da ugh ter of David Hi g ht) Mrs Pa rdon Barnard of Howell and num erous others Th e thanks which are ju stly due th e m are her eby tend ered 302 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN B I O G R A P H I C A L S K ET C H E S JOSEPH RIDER Among the names of those who are conspicuous in the early history of Genoa and in the various enterprises conn ected with its interests none stand higher than Joseph Rid er H e has not only witnessed the tr ansition of a thin settlement into a busy and prosperous community of a se mi- wilderness into one of th e most productive and wealthy towns in the county but in his own per so n has typifi ed so admirably th e agencies that wrought many of these changes that no history of Genoa would be complete without a sketch of his life He was the son of Jo seph and Sarah Rider and · was born in th e town of De Kalb St Lawr ence Co N Y March 25 1817 Th e elder Rid er was a sho emaker by trade and pr eviou s to his emigration to Rockland Co N Y in 18!0 live·d in New York City When Jo sep h was ten years of age he remov ed to Oswego where he purchased a farm upon which he re sided until his emigration to Oakland Co Mich in 1833 He purchased in th e town of Milford fifty acres of land which he sold in 1835 and removed to Genoa H ere he located one hund red a nd twenty acre s which is a part of hi s pr ese nt productive farm of two hundr ed and eleven acr es a view of which is pre se nt ed in th e hi story of the town Mr Rid er has been promin ently identified with the deve lopm ent of th e town and all its material inter ests Hi s life has bee n one of indu stry and hi s aim has bee n · to earn th e position he now occupi es among the succ ess ful and wealthy farmers in th e county Th at he had a full portion of hard ships and privations in hi s pion ee r life non e will deny Ii:i 1840 Mr Rid er wa s married to Miss Isabella M dau g hter of Jacob and El sie Fi shbeck one of the well-known early familie s of Genoa Mr s Rider was born in th e tow n of D e Peyster St Lawrenc e Co N Y in 1824 and emigrated to Michigan with her parents in 1836 She like her husb and is one of that noble band of pioneers to whom the present generation is indebt ed for much th at th ey now enjoy Mr Rider is a self-made man Early in life he lea rned th at the way leadin g to success was no royal road but was open to strong hands and willing hea rt s; that Hon or and fame from no co nditi on rise Act well your part there all th e honor lies He early established methodical habits and his energy and perseveranc e coupled with int eg rity of character have rend ered his life a s ucce ss Politically he is a Democrat In his relig iou s affiliation s he is a Fr ee -Will Baptist and manifests a deep interest in religious matters CHESTER HAZARD was born at Arlington Bennin gton Co Vt Jun e 23 1796 being th e oldest of a family of nin e children His par ent s were Evans and Abigail (Hawley) Hazard Hi s moth er bel ong ed to one of the old Puritan famili es of Connecticut His father was of Scotch-Iri sh de sce nt born in Connecticut in 1774 and lived at various time s in th e States of New York Penn sy lvania and V ermont H e finally removed to Michigan where he died in 185 I Chester H azard was a studious boy and acquired a thorough common -sch oo l education In 1806 he went to th e home of an uncl e with whom he lived until he was seventeen years old He th en spe nt four years in lea rning the tann ers and shoemak ers tr ades H e work ed at th ese tr ades four years in Cambridge Washington Co N Y In 182 1 he to ok a partner by whose dishonesty he lost eve rything he had accumulated By working hi s fathers farm in Chenango Co N Y two years and his gra ndfathers · in Broom e Co unty N Y five years he saved five hun dred dollar s With this capit al he engaged in farming and tannin g at Wheeler Steuben Co N Y After ten years of successful · labor ther e in 1836 he purchased thr ee hundr ed and tw enty acres of wild land in Genoa Living ston Co Mich and work ed till 1842 in clea ring it In th at year he was elected county tr eas urer and rem o·ed to How ell Thi s office he held for two ter ms and in l 847 was elec ted to the State Legislature where he was instrum ental in procurin g the passage of the bill appropriating ten thou sa nd acres of land for int e rnal improv eme nts Since 1849 he has resided on hi s farm He has been supervisor of th e town and ch air ma n of the Board of Supervisors for many years and justice of the peace for forty years bes ides holdin g many other offices He cast his first vote for Andrew Jack son and has always bee n a D emocr at Simple in his mann er of life Mr Hazard ha s acquired a fortune by honesty industry and eco nomy He is a man of marked character and striking appearance Now at eight y-thr ee years of age he is still hale and vigorous and his voice is as strong and clea r as at the age of forty No man ever que stion ed his integrity and no one more than he deserves the respe ct which is univ ersally accorded to him His first wife to whom he was marri ed Aug 3 I 1817 died March 6 1858 leaving six cl{ildren His second wife was Julia A Buck to whom he was married Sept 8 I 863 Jos EPH R l DER RESIDENCE g JOSEPH RIDER GENOA M ICHIG-AN WILLIAM BLOODWORTH MRS WILLIAM BLOODWORTH GENOA TOWNSHIP 3o3 CHARLES BENEDICT was born in Cambridge Washin gton Co N Y May 4 1809 His father Isaac Benedict was a soldier in th e war of th e R evolution; after the war he settled on a farm at Cambridge where he died at an adva nced age Charles Benedict lived with his father until he g rew to manhood as sisting on th e farm and receiving such education al advantages as were offered by the district schools Wh en a young man he taug ht sc hool several term s in th e neighborhood of Cambridge In- 1830 he emig rated to Michigan purchasing some land ·nea r D ext er where he rem ained two years teaching school a portion of the time In 1832 he return ed to New York and marri ed Miss Amy Church of Otsego Co N Y Th ey came to Livings ton County in 1836 and settled on sec tion 21 in what is now th e tow n of Genoa At th at tim e neith er the town or State were yet organized Mr Benedict at onc e to ok an active and important part in the erection and organization of the town Th e first town election was held at hi s h ouse wh en he was elected town ship clerk an office he filled for se veral years Sub sequently he filled several of th e town and county offices among others that of supervisor; and was for two terms county trea s urer H e was a man much respe cted for his sterlin g int eg rity and so und judgm ent H e died Nov 22 1870 leavin g a family of seve n children-four sons and thr ee daught e rs Alexander th e oldest child lives at Fowl ervill e thi s county; Om er H marri ed the oldest daughter of th e late Ely Barnard is a farm er and Jives adjoining th e old home; Mariett e marri ed Jam es Tayl or of Ch elsea Mich; Marth a A married Fr ee man W Alli so n a farmer in Putnam; Alida C marri ed Dwight T Curtis a farmer in Geno a; Frank W married H enrietta B eurman and died Octob er I 878 in his twentyeighth year ; Fr ed C marri ed Julia E Beurman lives on th e hom e-farm with his moth er who is now in her sixty-seventh yea r but vigorous and healthy Having shared in the hardships and pri va tion s of pioneer life and witnessed th e transformation of the wild ern ess into a prosperous community she now looks back over a long and indu stri ous life with the satisfaction of having ae::ted well her part ELY BARNARD was born in Madison Co N Y Sept 9 1807 and emigrated in company with his brother Pardon Barnard to Michigan in 1834 settling on the farm in Genoa where he died Sept 9 I 87 I Po ssess ing abilities of a commanding order Ely Barnard soon took a prominent and active part in the early history of the county and in the formation here of the Democratic party of which he was an influential member throughout his life Aside from local offices at the first election after Michi ga n became a State he was elected to the office of regi ster of de eds and in 1842 and I 843 h e was one of the two memb ers to represent the county in the State L eg islature which then met in Detroit He was also a member of the State Convention which met in 1850 to revise the Constitution In all these positions Mr Barnard comm anded the respect and confid ence of his fellow-citiz ens for his signal ability and rigid honesty Aft er his return from th e constitution al co nvention he refus ed to accept office again He retir ed to his farm which he cultivat ed assiduously and he was considered one of the best agricu ltu rists of th e county In th e priv ate relations of life he was held in hi g h esteem Judge Turner in an address before the Pioneer Society said of him Veil do we remember with what nobility and ind epend ence he always bore him se lf in all th e bu siness of life He was a man who never abdicated his dignity for a mom e nt but was a rrentl eman at all time s and on all occasions b Mr Barn ard was marriedJan 31 1839 to Miss Aristine Curti s daught er of Willi am Curtis who emirrrated from Madison Co N Y in I 836 and b settled on lands adjoining Mr Barnard where he di ed April 8 1850 in the seventy-third year of his age Mrs Barn ard has conductecl the farm since her hu sband s death She ha s bee n the moth er of nine children se ven of whom are now living-thre e so ns and four daughters WILLIAM BLOODWORTH was born in Creeton Lincolnshire England Dec 3 1803 His par ents William and Elizabeth Bloodworth were farmers and rear ed a family of four children-three sons and one dau g hter -William being th e young es t He received the advantag es of th e schools of his nativ e town and at th e age of nineteen enlisted in the King s Guard in which he served twelv e years In 1833 he emigrated to this country He spent the first winter in Ann Arbor and in the spring following remov ed with hi s family upon th e farm which he had locat ed in Genoa the previous fall; here he has since resid ed The pioneer life of Mr and Mrs Bloodworth was one of much hard ship and privation HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGA N Di d our spac e permit we could pen from th eir lip s many a tale of early life in Genoa th at to the pr esent ge neration would sound mor e like fiction th an fact But th ey ar e now rece ivin g th e full fruiti on of th eir long and success ful life ; havin g a masse d a comp etency they ar e enjoyin g th e benefits re- UNADILLA U NADILLA on e of th e ori g inal tow nship s of Livings ton Co unty lies in th e so uth west corn er of th e latt er an d is bo un de d north and eas t res pectively by th e township s of Io sco and P utn am so uth by W as ht enaw Count y and wes t by In g ham Count y Jt incl ud es townshi p l north inr ange 3 eas tas des - ignated on th e go vernm ent sur vey of th e State It cont ains the thr ee villages o f U nad illa Will~ amsville and Plainfield located respec tively on sec ti ons 35 28 and 5 Plainfield ex tendin g also int o sec tion 8 Th e sur face of th e tow nship is g reatly diversifi~ d A long th e various water-co urses it is bro ken by conside rable hill s and in places quit e ex tensive mars hes are found - such as are co mm on in an d pern liar to thi s pa rt of th e lower Pe nin sula A large por tion of th e township in th e north wes t lies on a bea utiful pla in wh ere ·a re eve rywh ere foun d ex cellent imp rov ement s and in th e m idst of whi ch is loca ted Plainfield vill age Th e Portage R iver a nd its tribut aries water th e town and seve ral lakes add to th e va riety which is here foun d A mong th e latt er are a portion of Bruin or Patt erso n L ake on secti on 36 ; Wood burn and Bass L akes on secti on 25 ; Willi ams Lak e on secti ons 29 and 32 ; Morgan L ake on secti on IO; and seve ral oth ers which have not been nam ed on th e map Po rtage Riv er furni shes pow-er at Un adill a and Willi amsville and in thi s town was made th e first imp rove ment of water-p ower in th e count y LAN D-EN T R IES Th e following is a list of th e ori ginal entri es of land in thi s township : SECTION 1 A c res H enr y Cass idy Wayne Co Mich Aug 3 1836 40 Th omas Sutherland Li ·ingston Co Mich Sept 21 1836 160 Av ery Bruce Ge nesee Co N Y Nov 2 1836 3340 Asa P vVoodard ¥a ht e1rnw Co Mich Nov 14 1836 80 Moses K eyes Se neca Co N Y N ov 16 1836 · So H enry Co!clazer W ashten a w Co Mich No· 29 1836 80 suitin g from a life of indu str y and eco nomy Mr Blo odw orth was marri ed in 183 l to Miss E lizabeth daught er of J ohn and Ann L ow n Sh e was born in Littl e Byth am L incoln shir e E ng land May 4 1805 Th ey have one child Mrs Isaac Sap p who is living with her hu sba nd at th e old home TOWNSHIP Acr ~s Owe n Mart in L ivingston Co Mic h· May 2 1850 40 Patrick Fay L ivingsto n Co M ich Dec 15 1853 3340 T homas Fay Liv ingsto n Co Mich D ec I 7 1855 70 12 SE CTI ON 2 J oseph Venn H 11ron Co Ohio April 21 1836 240 Byron Hart Wayne Co Mich May 28 1836 So John Suthe rlan d Was htenaw Co Mich June 8 1836 1506: George Ree ves Washtenaw Co Mich J une 8 1836 14796 SECTION 3 Cale! M11nge r N ew H ave n Co Cn n Apr il 29 1836 160 Morris ![ owe Genesee Co N Y J une 8 1836 So Solomon S11therland Washtenaw Co Mich J 11ne8 1836 7225 Solomon Sutherla nd L ivingsto n Co Mich Sep l 21 1836 7225 J ames Sutherla nd Livingston Co Mich Sepl 2 1 1836 1933 Alrred Denio Li vingston Co Mich Dec 16 1836 40 Van R ensselae r T An gel Li vingsto n Co Mic h Ju ne 24 1851 40 SEC TI ON 4 Chester J T uttle Cuyahoga Co Oh io Oct 19 1835 40 J onathan E Munger Ne w H ave n Conn April 29 1836 160 J ohn C Sharp Washtenaw Co M ich Ju ne 7 1836 40 Miles A Hinm an Genesee Co Mich Ju ne 25 1836 2146 1 Emer y Beal Wa shtenaw Co Mich Sep t 2 1 1836 So Charles H arford Li vingston Co Mich Nov 3 1836 4983 SE CTION 5 Samuel Clements Vashten:iw Cu Mich Ocl 8 1835 16o Cheste r J T uttle Cuyahoga Co Ohio Ocl 19 1835 So John ll Vand oren vVa htena w Co Mich Feb 12 1836 So Dav id Dutt on Washtenaw Co Mich May 27 1836 40 Ph ilip Dyer L ivingston C Mich Jun e 7 1836 853 7 Seth E aston Washten aw Co Mic h Aug 2 1836 125 10 SE CTI ON 6 Sam uel To wnsend N iagara Co N Y Apr il 22 1836 17396 J oh n Cool L ivini;ston Cu Mich J une 7 1836 152 12 J oh n Cool Washtena w Co Mich Jun e 25 1836 80 SEC TI ON 7 L evi and Gerge Westfall Onta rio Co N Y Jun e 18 1834 160 George Westfall Ontario Co N Y Ju ne 19 1835 4630 Myron H Rowley Addiso n C Vt lay 26 1836 160 J ohn Cool LivingstonC o Mi ch Ju ne 7 1836 8208 Joh11 Howell In gh am Co Mich Marc h 12 1841 4630 Calvin H 1lluck vVishtenaw Co Mich J an 6 1854 3370 SE CTI O :-&lt; 8 Le vi and George Westfa ll Ontar io Co N Y J une 18 1834 80 W illiam H Dunn vVane n Co N J J 1111e 4 1835 160 L evi Clawson Ric hland Co O hiu Feb 15 1836 80 Samu d C:lse Livingsto n Co ~lich ~l arc h 25 1836 40 UNADILLA TOWNS HIP 3o5 Martin Dunni ng Rensselaer Cn N Y Jun e 27 1836 L orenzo Seco rd Washt enaw Co Mic h Jul y 8 1836 J oh n T Rodge r Ge nesee Co N Y Sept 24 1836 )1ortimer Wind sor Vayne Co Mich J a n 3 1837 Geo W Ri chmom l Livin gsto n Ct&gt; Mich Oc t 1 1844 SECTION 9 Lemue l F Chipman W asht enaw Co Mich March 5 1836 Lu1h er Chip man Vashtenaw Co Mich M:iy 24 1836 H orace A Sm ith Wash tenaw Co Mich Jun e 10 1836 ·A bra m Abbott Ge nesee Co N Y Jn e 25 1836 Sam uel F Van Sickl e Living ston Co Mich Jun e 28 1836 ········· ······················· L ore nzt&gt; Seco rd Vashtenaw Cc&gt; Mich Jun e 30 1836 Dan iel S McG ran g-er vashtenaw Co Mich Aug- 1 1836 ············· ·· ··················· ············· ······ Sophronia Beal Liin gsto n Co Mich Jan 11 1837 J ames Waters Livin i;s:ton Co Mich Oct 1 1844 Van R T An ::el Livin μ;ston Cu Mich Nov 17 1847 H ann ah M Ch ipma n Living ston Cu Mich May 16 1855 ········· ········· ·········· Nathani el Bral ey I ngham Liv ingston Co Mich D ec I 3 1853 ············ ········ ······ SEC TI ON 10 Lemu el F Chi pma n Vashtenaw Co Mich Marc h 5 1836 ··· ·:· ········· Abner B Vood Washtenaw Co Mich ihrch 5 1836 Nat hanie l Brown Ge nesee Co N Y J une 25 1836 Abram Abb tt Ge nesee Cu N Y Ju ne 25 1836 Samuel S Ch ipman Livi11gsto u Cn Mich J une 25 1835 Solo mon Sut herlan d Tiving- 1on Ct&gt; Mich Aug 2 1836 Edward Sutherland Li ving ton Co l!ich Sept 2 1 1836 Patrick Ke enan Livin gsto n Cu Mi ch My 25 1837 SEC TI ON 11 Ac res So 40 So 40 40 40 So 40 So So 40 40 So 40 40 40 80 40 40 80 So 120 160 J osep h Ven us Hu ron Co Ohio April 2 1 1836 240 Ptrick McC1b e Wayn e Co Mch May 28 1836 360 J a 11e1s Elsey Washtenaw Co l ich Oct 26 1836 40 SEC TIO N 12 Charles M Moses Vashtenaw Co 1i ch J une 25 1835 40 Ri chard Shear Onta rio Co N Y Mly 12 1836 160 Phi neas Prout y On tar io Cn N Y May 12 1836 So L aw rence J ones Vayne Co Mich May 28 1836 So } hn Shiel W ayne Co Mich May 28 1836 So Patrick ilcCabc Wayne Co Mich May 28 1836 40 Jam es Arm strong Erie Co N Y Jul y I 1836 40 J ames E lsey Washt enaw Co Mich 0Gt 26 1836 120 SECTION 13 Ge orge Bennett ashtenaw Co Mich Sept 3 1835 So Cha rles Bnlli s Wa shtena w Co Mich Oct 26 1835 So Phineas Pro uty On tario Co N Y May 12 1836 So J ames H Vood Ontario Co N Y May 12 1836 So Geo rge Wight Onta rio Co N Y May 12 1836 So R obe rt H Bulli s Vashtenaw Co Mich Jan II 1838 So Henr y51iles Livingst on Co Mich J nly 14 1838 So Cha rles Bu llis D ec 13 1853 So SECTION 14 I ra A Blossom and E D Effner Er ie Co N Y Jul y 2 1835 ························· ·· ········ 160 Willi am S Mead Cayuga Co N V Oct 19 1835 40 J oseph Venus Huron Co Ohi o A pril 2 1 1836 200 J ulia Ann K ent E rie C N Y J nne 8 1836 So J ames El sey Washtena w Co Mich Oc1 26 I 836 So H enry V Bcon Berkshire Co Mass Oct 26 1836 80 SEC TI ON 15 Sa lly R ay Vashtenaw Co Mi ch Au g 12 1834 So Blossom ann Jun e 23 1847 J osep h Gi lbert Se pt 28 1846 H Tdr ord Ju ly 11 1844 A L Du1ton Marc h 18 1846 J ames Birney J un e 29 1847 A L Dutton Jun e 23 1847 V R T Angel Feb 26 1846 SECTION 17 Cyrus J ackson Vay ne Co N Y Ju ne 23 1834 Cha rle T et ley Washtenaw Co Mich Ju ly 17 1834 Jo hn Cal lah an Vashte naw Co Mich Nov 2 1 1834 Charles Tetl ey Vashtenaw Co Mich J une 17 1835 J ames Ca nso n Genesee Co N Y Jnn e 29 1835 D wicl S Curtis Livingt n Co Mich M1y 30 1836 J ason Swift Wayuc Co Mich June 8 1836 J ohn G Sove rhil l Wa sht ena w Cu Mich Jun e IO 1836 SECT ION 18 Cyrus J ackon Wayne Co: N Y J nne 23 1834 Villia m Beattie Washte na w Co Mich Nov 21 1834 George Fitts Niagara Co N Y Ju ne 13 1836 SECT ION 19 Th omas Smi1h ayne Co il ich June 16 1834 E li lug ~les Fairfield Co Co nn J nly 19 1834 Chester J Tntt le Cay uga Co N Ocl 19 1835 ······ J a11e1s D Vina ns Vayne C ~lich Marc h 26 1836 Edward J:iug harn Wayne Cu Mich Apri l 12 1836 SECTION 20 Acre s 40 80 So 40 160 40 So 120 34988 So 10184 6298 So 16o 14298 I 1792 H enry An gel Vashtenaw Co Mich Au~ 24 1833 120 Pati ck f-lnhba rd Wa shte naw Co Mich Nov 14 1833 40 Muy Win ans Vashtenaw Co Mich Nov 27 1833 So S11nuel V H olme s Washtenaw Co Mich April 22 1834 So Dwid S Cnrtis Wash tenaw Co Mich May 28 1835 40 Jun es Ca nson Geueee Co N Y Ju ne 29 1835 160 Chest er J Tuttle Cayuga Co N Y Oct 19 1835 40 J ason Swif 1 Wayne Co Mich J un e 8 1836 80 SEC TI ON 21 Fra ncis Linc oln Vashtenaw Co Mich Aug 24 1833 320 Phil and er Grego ry Munroe Co N Y May 20 1836 So Edward Bingh am Wayne Co Mich May 20 1836 240 SE CTION 22 Chloe Bnck Ono ndaga Co N Y Jnly 12 1834 40 J ohn Beadle Cayuga Co N Y April 17 1835 So Charl es Rutgers Cayuga Co N Y Ap ril 17 1835 80 Blossom and Effne r Er ie Co N Y Ju ly 2 1835 120 Jere miah Wil cox Genesee Co N Y May 27 1836 So W illiam S llanind ale Genesee Co N Y Jun e 25 1836 40 William S Martindale Liv ingston Co Mic h Nov 2 1836 40 Sarah Curt is Li vingsto n Co Mich N ov 22 1836 40 Law rence C Hay s Washtenaw Co Mi ch April 26 1837 120 SECTIO ~ 23 J ames Li ve rmore T omp kin s Co N Y June 3 1835 40 George Wight Ontar io Co N Y May 12 1835 So Noyes W ilcox Ontario Cu N Y May 27 1835 160 J eremi ah Wilc ox Ontario Co N Y May 27 1835 So Sarah Curtis Livi n~st on Co Mich Nov 22 1835 40 Philip H Gil man Living ston Co Mic h Jul y 20 1838 40 Char les Ru tge rs L ivingston Co Mich Jul y 5 1839 40 Ebeneze r J Pen niman Way ne Co Mich Feb 29 1840 40 J ames Livermo re L ivingston Cn Mich Feb 26 1848 40 J erem iah B S wift Li vingston Cn Mich N o v 27 1847 40 Seth B T orrey Livingsto n Co Mic h Nov 7 1853 40 SEC TI ON 24 Geor ge W Nob le Portage Co Oh io July 22 1834 So H D e Graff and W H Townsend Ont an o Co N Y Jul y 22 1834 So J ames Liv ermo re T ompkin s Co N Y Jun e 3 1835 8o Sylvanus P Jerm aine Albany Co N Y March 4 1836 So E lnatha n ll otsfo rd Vashtena w Co Mic h May 3 1 1836 So LI N US C LARK Photo by Jensen Howel l Y!l{S LI NUS C LA l{K LINUS CLARK Among the pioneers of Green Oa k none dese rve mor e pro min ent mention th an th e ge ntl eman whose name heads thi s sketch He was born in th e tow n of Lenox Madison Co N Y Feb 26 1813 His par ents Norman and Cath erine (Moo t) Clark were farm ers and had a family of nin e childr en -six bo ys and three g irls Th e elder Clark was a self-made man success ful in business and of more than orc!inary energy and determin ation Benev olence was a prominent tr ait in his character and in th e Pr esby terian Church of which he was an honored member he held a con spicuous pos1t1on Hi s wife was one of th ose prudent and thrifty hou sewives th e acme of her ambition being to provide for her household and to rear her children in such a way th at they would become useful and hon orabl e memb ers of society Linu s lived with his fath er until he attained his majority alternating his summers work on the farm with th e usual term at th e district school in winter In 1833 he came to Gre en Oak and settl ed upon a tract of land of one hundred and forty acres which his father had previously purch ased This land is a portion of hi s present farm a view of which we pre sent on another page In 1835 Mr Clark was marri ed to Miss Phcebe daughter of Henry Stansell on e of th e ea rly settler s of Plym o uth Wayne Co Mich After their marri age th ey moved into a log house and commenced th e improv ement of th eir farm Mrs Clark lik e her hu sband was p rud ent and indu stri o us and success attend ed th eir efforts Working to ge th er they acquired a competency In th eir religiou s belief Mr and Mrs Clark wer e Free-vVill Bapti sts In 1844 he with seventeen oth ers founded the Baptist Church of Gr ee n Oak; and of the original eighteen Mr and Mrs D ea con Lo omis and hims elf are the only ones now livin g Mr Clark ha s always manifested a deep inter est in educational matt ers and has been a lib eral support er of educational int erest s He was one of th e found ers of Hillsd ale Coll ege to which he has mad e generous donation s In his political affiliations he was formerl y a Whi g and identified hims el f with th e R epublic an party upon its formation H e was a strong anti-slavery man O ne of th e sa lient points in the character of Mr Clark is his uncompromi sing hostility to every thin g he believ es to be wron g His opinions are formed with deliberation and when reac hed are held with tenacity As a busin ess man he is po ssessed of quick perception an intuitive knowl edge of men and thin gs and con seq uently ha s been success ful in hi s operations Thi s however ha s not been confined to the accumulation of prop erty; he has established an enviable reput ation for int eg rity and thos e qualities which alon e can render th e position he hold s among his fellow-m en attainabl e Mr Clark ha s had two children by adoption- Richard A Stansell who los t his life in the defense of his country at th e battl e of Chickamauga and D elia now Mrs David Page HISTORY OF LIV INGS TON COUNTY MICHIGAN Acres Amos H Breed Liv ingston Co Mich Jun e 13 1836 80 Phineas Prouty Ontar io Co N Y Ju ly 14 1836 80 SECTION 25 R obe rt H Tit us Erie Co N Y Ju ly 15 1836 80 Samu el Phillip s New York City Augu st 5 1836 160 Th omas J Dudley Yate s Co N Y J an 3 1 1837 8o A lexande r M cP herson Ontario Co N Y Jun e 19 1838 8o Gideon Chalker Senec a Co N Y Jun e 28 1838 120 Josep h H artsufT Li vingston Co Mich Oct 24 1853 40 Nels on II Wing Vvayne Co lll ich Oct 3 1 1853 40 Willi am Sales Livingston Co Mich Nov 20 1854 40 SECTlON 26 Villiam Toudburn W ayne Co Mich Aug 23 1834 120 J ohn S Prouty Ontari o Co N Y May 12 18-36 16o Ca lvin H Brya n Livin gston Co N Y Jnn e 6 1836 120 H enley and K erc heva l United States A ug 4 I 836 80 Wi lh am S M ea d Livin gs ton Co Mi ch J une 24 1839 40 Phrebe H artsufT Livington Co Mich Feb 8 1844 40 Th omas Stanfield Li vingsto n Co Mich Jun e 28 1848 40 Ada m Sales Li vingston Co Mich J uly 30 1851 40 SECTION 27 Ri ch an] M Guggins Li ·ingston Co Mich Nov 15 1833 120 John La Gran ge W ash tenaw Co ~tich Jun e 2 1834 80 Chl oe Buck Onondaga Co N Y Ju ly 12 1834 80 D avid M H ard ancl Jo seph Pec k Otsego Co N Y Jun e 20 1834 ············ ······ ·-······· 160 Steph en B Sales Livin gs ton Co Mich Sep t 24 1834 40 F rede rick H artwi g W ashte naw Co Mich May 4 1837 80 Step hen B Sales Livin gsto n Co Mich Jan 15 1846 40 Stephen B Sales Living ston Co Mich De c 19 1850 40 SECTION 28 David H olm es I--lar trord Co Conn Aug 1 1833 D arwin C Ed son Vashten aw Co Mich Aug 27 1833 Stephen Corne ll Dut chess Co N Y Sept 23 1833 Cu rtis Nob le Otsego Co N Y Oct 17 1833 Rich 1rd ?I Gu μg ins L iving:-ton Cn l1ich Nov 15 1833 Ri chard M Gu gg ins vVashtenaw Co Mich Jan 9 1834 Eli R uggles Fairfield Cu Conn J uly 19 1834 J ames lll cClear H artrord Co Conn Jun e 18 1836 SECT IO N 29 D av id H olmes H artford Co Conn Aug 1 1833 J eremiah Bullock Or lea ns Co N Y Aug 29 1833 David M ]l ard Otsego Co N Y Oct 17 1833 A bram K ern Living ston Co Mi ch June 14 1834 Villiam Turn er vVa hten aw Co Mi ch Nov 13 1834 Stephen H ave ns Living ston Co Mich May 25 1836 L eonar d Back us Li vingston Co Mich March 27 1854 SEC TION 30 Mary vVinans Vash tenaw Co Mi ch N ov 27 1833 I--1C Sharp Living ston Co N Y March 19 1834 D avid D Bird vVashtenaw Co Mich J une 13 1834 E lijah Bird Wa sh tenaw Co M ich Jul y 4 1834 R obert L Tayl or ew York City D ec 2 183 5 SECTION 3 1 John D av is Vash tenaw Co Mich April 2 1834 James D McIntyre Wa shtenaw Co Mich Jul y 10 1834 H iram Putna m Vaht enaw Co Mich Jul y 2 1 1834 John McCunachie Livi ngs ton Co N Y Jun e 8 1835 Pete r N Hard L ivings ton Co N Y Aug 4 1836 J osep h N Sch idmore Ontario Co N Y Sept 22 1836 J ames Schoonhove n Livin gston Co Mich Oct 27 1836 Ann Scho onh o·en Livingst on Co Mich N ov 14 1836 J osep h J Skiclrnore vVayne Co Mich Nov 22 1836 J ame McIntyre Livingston Co Mich Ja n 2 1855 SECTION 32 David i1 H arri Otsego Co N V Oct 17 1833 Sally Turn er Livingst on Co N Y Jun e 6 1836 Villia m Turn er L ivingsto n Co N Y Jun e 29 1836 Ja m es Schoonhoven Portage Co Ohio Jun e 30 1836 J esse Mc Ki nney T ompkin s Co N Y Jun e 30 1836 P eter N H ard Livin gsto n Co Mich Aug 4 1836 Maria L McKin sie Way ne Co Mich Oct 25 1836 Marga ret Wri g ht Living ston Co Mich Jan 23 1837 H en ry H artsufT Livin gston Co Mich J une 24 1851 H enry H artsufT L iving sto n Co Mich June 7 1855 16o 80 120 80 80 40 40 40 160 16o 80 80 80 40 40 6292 160 14160 146 92 80 7818 160 3909 7454 40 3009 40 40 7454 40 80 40 40 80 80 80 120 40 40 40 SECT10 33 Eli Ru ggles Fairfi eld Co Conn Jun e 20 1833 ]J av icl H olmes H artfo rd Co Conn Aug 1 1833 M:1ry Win ans W ashtenaw Co Mich Nov 27 1833 Amos Willi ams W asht enaw Co Mich Jul y 19 1834 W arr en Spa ld ing W a ht enaw Co Mich Jul y 23 1834 Garry Briggs Living ~ton lo 11id1 June 22 1837 An so n Denton Livin gston Co M ich Ju ly 21 1849 SECTION 34 James Craig H artford Co Con n Aug 1 1833 Ar chib ald Marshall H art ford Co Con n Aug 1 1833 Cuni s N olle vVashtenaw Co Mich Dec 20 1833 D av id M I-lard Ot ego Co N Y !1ay 27 1836 John G Gute kun st W ash te naw Co Mich J une 6 1836 Phinea s P outy O ntario Co · Y Jun e 2 1 1836 Josep h L H artsufT Li vingston Co Mich Aug 25 184 1 SEC TI ON 35 Rubert Glenn Seneca Cu N Y M ay 25 1833 R bert Min nis vVashtenaw Co Mi ch J une 11 1835 John George Gutekun st Vasht enaw Co Mic h O ct 22 1835 ········································· ···· Sa lly M Gle nn W asht enaw Co Mi ch Dec 2 1835 Robe rt Glenn W ashte naw Co Mi ch D ec 2 1835 Luke Montagu e Cayuga Co N Y May 19 1836 J ohn D rake Li vings ton Co ~l ich Oct 29 1836 Robert L Gl enn Wa shtenaw Co Mich De c 7 1836 Luke Montague Livingsto n Co Mich May 15 183 7 George D:ivi~ Livingston Co Mich June 2 1837 J uniu s L Field Livingston Co Mich Aug 26 184 1 SECTlON 36 Acres 80 160 160 40 120 40 40 So So 80 16o 40 160 40 80 40 80 40 40 120 40 80 40 40 40 Luk e Mo ntagu e Cayuga Co N Y A ug 4 1836 40 Juniu s L Fi eld Berkshir e Co Ma ss Sept 23 1836 80 A lex S Montagu e Li vin 6sto n Co iIich May 15 1837 40 W illiam F aulk Living ston Co Vlich Jun e 2 1837 40 Charles Gl enn Vvasht enaw Co ll ich Ju ne 2 1 1839 40 Ne lson I--1W in g vVasht e11aw Co Mich June 21 1839 40 Juniu s L Field Living ston Co Mi ch Au g 26 1841 40 J uniu s L Field Livin gsto n Co Mich Nov 8 1843 40 Daniel L Gl enn Li ·ingston Co Mich Feb 25 1853 40 Josep h L ll artsufT Li ·ingston Co Mich Oct 24 1853 40 N elson A Glenn W ashte naw Co Mi ch N ov 18 1854 40 J usep h L I lartsuff Li vingston Co Mich Nov 22 1854 80 Jame Gaunt W ashtenaw Co ~li ch Jan 8 1855 40 J L H artsuff Li vingtnn Co Mich De c 26 186- 40 EARLY SETTL EM E NT Th e following items in th e history of thi s township are ex tr acts from an address delivered by T R Shield s before th e County Pi onee r Association at How ell Jun e 20 1877 : Pr evio us to 1833 the land compri sing thi s township was an unbroken wildernes s inh ab ited by a rew h alr -civili-zed I ndia ns wh o had thei r cam pin g-grounds on the nort h shore or th e Sutherland Lake a beaut ifol liule she et of wate r situat ed in the north part or the township and named arter J urlge Suth er land who loca ted land nea r it anti who was a leading man in the town f;r a goorl many years Those I nclians he ld commu nica tion with a tri he in Vasht enaw Cou nty and the o l1 trail whi ch they used toget her with a p eculiar cedar br idge whi ch they bu ilt ove r the Port age River were objects of inte rest long arte r th ey had rlisappeared The tirle or emigratio n from the E ast was moving slow ly but steadily westw ard So favored a spot as Unadi lla cuulcl not long be neg lected and on the 2oth clay o r Jun e 1833 one El i Rug gles or Brookfield Conn lecame own er of th e first farm ever purc hased in Unadi lla con sistin g of 40* acres of land on whi ch he reared h is log hut an d commenced his pion ee r lire But this life did not ag ree with him He sickened went bac k to Con - nec ticut and d ied H is b rothe r-in -law Mr Villi ams arte r whom th e village or William svill e was nam ed beca me own er or the land * Entr y reads- north half of northw est qua rter section 33 eig hty acres UNADILLA TOWNSHIP 307 Others ro!lowed in rapid success ion On August 1 1833 J omes Cr::iig Archib ald Mar shall a url David H oh!ies all from 1-Iartr orcl Co Conn made rr th emselve s home in Unadilla Da vid C Eds on located land on the 2d or Augu st 1833 Franci s Lin coln and H enry A nge l were th e n ext to come Th ey l&lt;&gt;cale d Aug 24 1833 Th ey 11e·re rollowed liy J eremiah Bull ock Au g 29 1833 T he next was Steph en C»rn el l Sepl 23 1833; Da vid M H ard Octob er I 7th; Patr ick Hu bb1rd Novemb er 141h; Ri chard M Gugg ins N ove m ber I 51h; Mary Winan s Nov ember 271h; and Curti s N oble D ece mb er 20th; al l in 1833 Step hen B Sale s wh o US ror many years Su pervisor o r th e to wn and wh o died a few yen rs ago at Lansing loca ted Sept 24 1834; Lev i and Geurg e Vestfo ll Jun e 18 1834; Willi am Wo od burn or Wayn e Co N Y Au g 23 1834; Da vid LJ Bird Jun e 13 1834; James McIn tyre Ju ly 10 1834; Cyrus Ja ckso n Jun e 24 1834; and Geoq;e W N ble July 22 1834 In 1835 the locati on; increased On e o r th e first t&lt;&gt; loca te i11 that yea r was Luk e Montague rrom Cay uga Cn N Y H e was follow ed by Char les Hulli Oct 26 1835; J ames Liv ermore Jun e 3 1835; A bner B Vood Ma rch 5 1835; John Shi elds May 28 1835; and William H Dunn Ju11e 4 183 5 Som e or the leadin g sett lers in 1836 were th e Sut herland boys four in numb er who located Sept 21 1836 Em ery Be ale located on the sa me day o r th e sa me yea r; David Dutt on May 27 1836; Philip D yer June 7 1836; Samu e l Tow nse nd or Ni~ ga ra Co N Y April 22 1836; J ohn Coo l Jun e 19 1836; L ev i Claus en Feb 15 1836; Luth er Chipman M ay 24 1836; A S lfontague and Patri ck K ee nan in 1837 Th e first town -mee ting was heltl on the first Mond ay or A pr il 1835 at th e residence or Baxt er Collin s and the ro llowin g-namecl ge ntl emen were ele cte d: Supervis or J ohn Dr ake; T own Clerk Pet er N Hard ; Ju stice o r the Peace El nathan Noble; Trea sur er J ames McInt yre ; Commissi oners Sela h B Collin s Eln ath an N oble and Fran cis Lin co ln The to wnshi p elect io n·* followed takin g tw o ciays- th e first Monday and Tu esday or Oct obtr or the sa me yea r Th e opposing ca nd idate for Governor were Steph en T Maso n wh o receiv ed seven votes and Eman Charles Co le Al exa nd er D av is G~orge D avis i lliam D av is R obert Dunkin Char les D anie ls G ilb ert D enton D nid Du tto n Dav id D anser Joh11 Dyre Philip D u Bois Willi am Dunn Wi lliam H Ew ers Tilli so 11 Fo ster J ames S Fo ster J onathan R Filch Se la B Fay J ames F alk Willi am Gr ego ry Philnnd er Goodri ch J oshua G ree n E sac G laclon Charles Glenn Robert G lenn Charles H ase Lawr ence C Hill Dudl ey R H owell John Haworth Ri chard H olmes D avie! H opkin s Philander Han suff Henry I sham H arry I ves Sa mu el G l ves Orrin J ack son J ohn Kirtl and J oshu a K ee nan P atri ck Lin co ln Frand s Lym an Clark Lym an H ollis F Li vermore Jan1es Le wis Art e1nas Montag ue Al exa nd er S Mo rga n P eter Mea d Willi am S Marshall Ar chib ald Montag ue Luca s Marsh Zen as M cConac hie John McA! se r Sarah McInt yre Jam es D McCa be Patri ck McCa be E d ward N obl e Al bert C N oble Geo rge N oble Sylvest er G Pardee Vh ee ler Pyper A lexa nd er Ri chm ond Geo rge W R odge rs Charle s Ri ggs Clinton Ste en s H enry Sutton Hi ram Schenck Wil lia m L Shiel d J ohn St iles H enry Shea r Ri ch ard S uth erland SolomPn Suth erlan d Sa mu el Sutherland E dwa rd Su therland Th omas Ski dmore Sa rah Sales Step hen B Sharp H att ie C Schoonove r Jnmes Seco rd L&lt;&gt;crnzo Spro ut Ro wley A To wnse nd Samu el Th omp so n E lijah C Te d ey Betsey T op pin g Albert G T op pin g Ale xande r T ay lor Ri chard T ay lor I saac T aylor J ohn Titu s El eneze r Va n Do rn Juhn B E sq Vanatton J aco b · Van Sickl e Sa mu el F Vande rpool Willi am Wass~ n Sa mu el Wasso n J ohn -Vasso n Myro n H W estfa ll Levi W estfall Co rnel ius B -Vestfall R eube n Win ans Th ero n W atso n J ohn W ood A bn er B Willi ams Will iam A Willi ams Am os ~ RESIOENCEQs H &amp; P GREGORY UNADILLAT P LIVINGSTON Co MICH DAVID D BIRD DAVID ·LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICH I GAN 312 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN VILLAGE OF EA ST UNADILLA Field Juniu s L Mont ague Luk e Cleveland J P Dixon DR Tuttle Che ster J Babcock Mose s(s aw-mill ) Taylor George H owell Charle s Hart suff J oseph L Kirtland Benj amin Corn ell Stephen Among other early settlers in th e town ship whose names appear on the records of the County Pioneer Society were the following: Patrick Mc- Leer native of Ireland settled November 1837; T McLe er native of Irel and settled Novemb er 1838; John Wasson from New Y ork settled June 18 1837; D ennis Shields from Ireland settled January 1841; J Cool settl ed in 1836; J Morgan settled in 1837 ; J L Crosman 1843; 0 Bangs 1848; J ohn Marshall 1845; and others of whom mention will be found in connection with the villages at or near which th ey located Many who were temporary res ident s of the town ship subsequently seeking hom es elsew here as the pioneer spirit prompt ed th em would be nam ed her e if aught could be ascertained of th em definitely but it is impos sible to lea rn of all as in many cases no source s of information ex ist TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION-CIVIL LIST ETC Unadilla was formed by act of the Leg islative Council of the Territ ory of Michigan March 26 1835 and as mention ed included what is now Iosco and a portion of Lyndon Washtenaw Co On the 6th of March 1838 Iosco was set off- the county having been previously organized and the south part assigned to Lyndon and Unadilla wa s left in its present shape including township 1 north in range 3 eas t By provision of the act erecting this township its first election was to be held at th e hou se of Elnathan Noble but it was adjourned to that of Baxt er Collin s and the following-named officers were elected: Supervisor John Drake; Township Clerk Peter N Hard; Justice of th e Peace Elnathan Noble;* Tr eas urer James McIntyre; · Highway Commissioners Selah B Collins Elnathan Noble Francis Lincoln The second annual township-me eting was held April 4 1836 at the house of Elnathan Noble At that time it was Voted th at E Noble John Drake and P N Hard be delegates to attend a county convention to nomin ate county officer s Jan I 1844 a license was granted to William S Mead to keep a tavern in his dw elling-house at the village of Milan (now Unadilla) April 15th in the same year a license was granted to C J Tuttle to keep a tav ern and vend spirituous liquors * App oint e-By an ac t of th e Leg islature approv ed March 25 1846 all th at po rti on of th e recorde d plat of U nadilla lying on the eas t half of th e eas l half of the outhw est gu arler of sec tion 28 was v-1caled No d~cree of court has uee n reco rde d lo mak e thi s vaca tio n lega l however Mr Nobl e pr ese nt ed a lot to Mr s Briggs in honor of her bein g th e first whit e femal e inh abitant of th e tow nship and Mr Williams built a house up on it for her in which th e Bri ggs family lived a numb er of year s Mr vVillia ms so n Willia m A William s now resides at th e villag e and a seco nd so n Samu el Willi a ms is a res ident of Whit e O ak In g ham Co L arge qu ant ities of lumb er have bee n sawed in th e old William s mill th e frame of which is ye t standing althou gh it has not been in operation for se veral yea rs Th e mi ll-privil ege is sa id to be an exce llent one for a small st rea m ln th e summ er of 1847 David H olmes built a store at th e village and filled it with goo ds th e sa me fall H e and A nso n D ent on ent ered int o pa rtn ersh ip and co ndu cted bu siness abo ut tw o years M r Holm es who was a Baptist deaco n ow ned a fine farm but was so unfortunate as to lose it in unprofit ab le mercanti le pursuit s Hi s place is now ow ned by h is so n William S H olmes Mr D ent on H olllles pa rt ner p ur chased th e latt ers int erest and mov ed th e merchandise int o a roo m in Wil liam A Williams house wh ere he continu ed in tr ad e for a tim e James Jami eso :1 afterwa rds kept a store abo ut a year in th e sa me p lace and since th en no efforts have been made in th e merca ntil e line in the villag e V ILL AGE OF FLA I NFIELD Nu lllerous ] ndian tr aiis cro sse d each oth er at or near th e site of Plainfield a nd th e locality see med to be a favorite campin g-gro und amon g th e red men Cranb erri es abound ed here and this fact do ubtl ess had its weight The chi ef best kn own to th e se ttl ers of thi s reg ion was To ag whose followe rs could not be kept in hand and were ge nerally thi evin g a nd d runk en In sta nces are related of th eir enterin g houses when th e men were away from home and sca ring th e wo men int o g iving th em food and e en clothing So me time in I 835 Jacob Dunn and L evi Clawso n start ed to ge th er for th e We st from Newto n N ] Mr Claw so n stoppe d in Ohio while Dunn came to Michigan pur chase d land and settl ed up on it being th e first to loca te on th e site of Plainfield During th e followi ng wint er Mr Claw so n came to th e same place and purch ase d and found Dunn living in a log ho use on th e south of hi s (Dunn s) farm He learn ed afterward s th at th e ro ad was to be laid on th e section lin e north of him and mov ed his hou se to it Dunn was the only man livin g at th e place wh en Cla wso n ent ered his land Th e latt er return ed to Ohio a nd in May 1837 remov ed with his family to hi s pl ace at Plainfi eld wher e he has since res ided UN A DILLA TO W NS HIP In th e mean tim e Fl eet Van Sickel boug ht land at Plainfield but soo n so ld to Philip D ye r who beca me th e second settl er at th e place Dye r was also from New J ersey and loca ted here in 1836 H e and Dunn both kept tave rns Th e place was orig inally kn own as D yers bur g but upon th e estab lishm ent of a post-office th e name Plainfield was g iven by Mr Dunn after a tow n in N ew Jersey John Coo l and famil y came with Dye r and loca ted west of th e village where t wo of hi s daught ers a re now living Sa mu el T ownsend settl ed in th e fall of 1836 on th e farm now occ upi ed by J ohn V an Sickel wh o ma rri ed on e of his da ug ht ers Philip Dy ers yo unges t so n J ohn D ye r occu pies h is fath ers old farm A da ught er of Mr Dye r is now th e wife of A L D utto n living on sec tion 16 D avid Du tton from O neida Co N Y ca me to Michi ga n in 1834 and afte r a short sto p in Scio W as ht enaw Co sett led at Lim a in th e sa me cou nty In May 1837 he moved to th e farm half a mil e north west of Pb infield now occ upied by his so n D 0 Du tton H e died May 29 1867 a nd his widow makes her home most of th e tim e with her chil dren at Eato n Rapids Ea ton Co alth o ug h her sons D 0 and A L in Un adi lla have lier company at t imes vVhen F leet Va n Sicke l so ld his pla ce at Plainfield to Mr Dyer he paid th e money t o his b ro th er Sa mu el F Va n S ickel who purch ased land so utheas t of th e village where hi s so n E dgar Va n S ickel now lives S F V an S ickel ca me from N ew Jersey in co mpany witb L evi Clawso n a nd after a short stay in Oh io p roce eded to D exter ·w as ht enaw Co Mic h finally loca tin g in U nadill a O ne oth er of h is so ns D av id lives nea r E dga r so uth eas t of Pla infield Sa mu el Wasso n sett led north eas t of Plainfield in 1837 Th e old farm is d ivide d betwee n his two so ns Myro n an d J ohn who res ide up on it Mr Wasso n came from a loca lity abo ut thirt y mil es from Bu ffalo N Y Th e first ph ys ician in th e neig hb orh oo d was Dr Mo rga n wh o came at an ear ly day from Ohi o with hi s family accom pa nied by M r Tuttl e a nd family Thi s was pr evious to 1839 Th e doct or was mu ch es teemed by hi s acq uaint ances a nd rank ed high as a ph ys ician A fter th e dea th of hi s wife he removed to In d iana H e was th e onl y phy sician who ever lived here any leng th of tim e H e had an ext ensive rid e rang ing int o th e tow nshi p of Whit e Oa k In g ham Co Th e vicinit y o f Pl ainfield was alw ay s noted for its healthfuln ess and Dr Morga n once remark ed th at if it wer e not for Whit e Oa k he should starve to deat!t ! Dr D M Gr eene located here in th e sprin g of 1879 A lbert G T opping from Cleve land O hio settl ed in P lainfield in Nove mber 1839 living for a sh ort tim e in a h o use on P hilip D ye rs pl ace whil e buildin g a log house for him self Th at st ru ctu re occ upied th e gro und upo n wh ich now sta nds th e res idence of hi s so n Morri s T opp ing W hen not bu sy on his ow n pl ace M r T oppi ng was employed by D ye r H e d ieci in 1844 from th e effects of th e amputa tion of his leg rend ered necessary by a wh ite swe lling Hi s so n Mor ris T opping in th e spr ing o f 1853 b uilt th e st or e he now occ upies and beg an b usiness in Oc tober of th e sa me yea r hav ing co ntinu ed in th e sa me place since th at time l-Ie is no w th e oldes t mercha nt in th e place; has also a large stave -factor y and cooperi ng estab lishm ent manu facturin g abo ut 2 0 0 0 0 ba rrels pe r annum T his bu siness was start ed abo ut 1864 Mr Top pin g b uilt hi s stave-factory first su bse - q uentl y addi ng a saw -mill and finally a g rist-mill A ll were bu rn ed abo ut 1875 b ut th e stave -factory and g rist-mill have been rebuilt S tea m is th e 11o1t ivepower used; th e gr ist-mill has thr ee run s of stone a n 40 120 40 40 40 So So 80 666o 668o 40 40 66 80 1066o 40 40 So 40 Th e following is a list of towns hip officers elected in Green Oak since its orga nization : 1835- I saac Smith Supervisor; George W Glove r T own ship Clerk; Alonzo W Olds John McCon nell Geo rge W Glove r Assesso rs ; Ephra im Meach Collector ; Fr eder ick Smith George 1 Glov er D irectors of the Poo r ; Ga rdn er Bi rd A W Olds Ev ert W oodru ff Hi ghw ay Commi ssioners; Melze r Bird I saac Sm ith Sherm an Dix School Commi ssioners; J ames A Ste rli ng Will iam C Rum sey 1arren Park er School I nspec tors 1836-Kin slt) S Bin gham Su perv isor; 1illiam C Rum sey T ownship Clerk; J ohn vV Pea vy J ohn H oope r John An drew s Eli sha W Brock way Ju stices of th e Peace; Fr ed erick W Goo denoe Th omas Tuthill H orace T oncray Assesso rs ; J ohn H enry Ri chard Toncray Di rectors of th e Pu or; J ose ph Lorn Colle cto r 1837 -Eli sha Br ockw ay Supervisor ; R obe rt 1arden Jr T ovnship Clerk; J ob Cra nston August us Cotton Th omas T uthill Assesso rs; Kin sley S Bingh am R obe rt 1arden Jr 1arr en Par ker School In spect ors; Orland o R odge rs Co llector 1838-R ohert War den Jr Supervisor; J ames H anche tt T ow nshi p Clerk; J oh n H oo per J onathan Burn ett Augustus Cotto n Assessors·; Chandler Car ter vVarre n Park er Isaac Smith Ju stices of th e Peace; Solomon S Sa un ders Col lector 1839-R obe rt W arde n Jr Supervisor ; J ames Han chett T ow n · shi p Clerk; John Farn sworth Tr eas ur er; J ose ph L orn J ohn F arnswor lh J ames McM ahon Assesso rs ; J ames Coe Collec tor ; K S Bing ham R obert v ard en Jr J ames Han che tt Schoo l In spec tors ; J ohn H oo per J ustic e of th e Peace · 1840- Joh n H oope r Supervisor; John L Tut tle T own ship Clerk; J ohn Yerint on Tr eas urer ; J ames McMah on Ass~ssor; J olin H ooper Ju stice of the P eace; J ames Coe Collect or; J olin L Tuttle Robe rt 1nrde n Jr Schoo l In spectors 1841- Will iam 1 Ddn Supervisor; J ohn L Tuttl e T ownship Cler k; J ohn H oope r Or lando Rodge rs Assesso rs ; Eno ch H Marb le Tr easurer; J ohn Yerint on Jr Collector; Kin sley S Bingham Robe rt W arden Schoo l In spec tors ; Robe rt 1arde n Jr Ju stice of th e Peace 184 2- J ohn H ooper Supe rvisor; J ohn L Tuttl e T ownship Clerk; Isaac Penoy er Ju tice of th e Peace; J ohn Yerin ton Jr John Farns worth Assessors; A Hub ba rd K S Bing ham R &lt;&gt;ber t Ward en School In spectors 1843 - Robert 1ard en Superv isor; John L Tuttl e T own ship Clerk; A Hubb ard Tr eas urer ; Alonzo vV Olds Ju stice of th e Pea ce; L orenzo Chu bb Robe rt vVarde n Jr I ra Jenni ngs Assesso rs ; A W Olds R ober t Vard en Jr School In spectors I 844- I rn J e·t;;1ings Super visor; J ohn L Tu ttle T own ship Clerk; A Hu bba rd Tr eas urer ; James S Spence r A S Butt erfield Ju stices of the Peace; Robe rt 1arde n W arren Park er School In spec tors 1845-I ra J ennings Superv isor; Gilbert Bede ll T own shi p Cle rk; R obert W arde n J ohn L Tuttl e Ju stices of th e Peace ; Ab ijah An ge ll Tre asurer; Sam uel L Whili ng School In spector 1846- I ra J ennin gs Sup ervisor; 1illiam C Bede ll T own ship Clerk ; R oyal C Rum sey Ju stice of th e Pe ace ; R og er H ed ican Tre asurer; Moses Green 1arr en Park er School In spectors 1847 -I ra J enn ings Supe rvisor ; Abel S Butterfi eld T ownship Cltrk; Al onzo W Olds Ju stice of the P eace; R oge r H ed ican Tr eas urer; J onathan Burnett Schoo l Inspec tor 1848-A lonzo W Olds Supervi sor; Ab el F Butt erfie ld T ownship Clerk ; John L Tuttl e John H ooper J ustices of th e Peace; H an ni bal Lee Tr easur er ; Alm on lfaltby Moses B Green School In specto rs 1849 -Irn J ennin gs Supervisor; Asahel Hub ba rd T own ship Clerk ; R obert Warde n Jr J ohn H oope r Ju stices of the Peace; H anni bal L ee Tr eas urer ; Jonathan B nrn ett School In specto r 1850 - J ohn H ooper Sup ervisor; A F Butterfi eld T own shi p Clerk; S M vVinans Tr eas urer; Everett 1ilson J usti ce of the Pe ace; Robert W ard en Jr School Commi ssio ner; J onathan Burn ett School In spector 1851-lr a J ennin gs Supe rviso r; A F Butterfield T own ship Clerk ; S M vVinans Tr eas urer ; vVarren Barker I saac Smith Ju stices of the Peace ; Jonathan Burne tt School Iispec tor 1852-R obe rt vVarden Supervi sor ; N iel O H eara T ow nshi p Clerk ; Jobn H oope r Tr easurer ; A F Butterfi eld J esse True sde ll Ju stict:s of th e Pea ee ; Ze lotes True sdel l School In specto r 1853-Ir a J en nin gs Supervisor; Geo rge W Crop sey T ownship Clerk; J ame s H ammi ll Trea surer; F L Clement s Charles H olister Schoo l In spectors; John H oope r J ustice of th e Peac e 1854 -I ra J enn ings Superviso r ; A S Warner Town shi p Clerk; J ames H ammill Tr eas urer ; Ferri s L Cleme nt s Robe rt vVard en R C R umsey Ju stices of the Peace 1855-R obert vVarden Supervisor ; A S Holi ster T own ship Cle-k ; Pete r P Ga latian Trea sure r ; Charles H okster Schoo l In spector; A W Old s I saac H Sm ith Ju stices of th e Peace 1856 - R uber t W arden Sup ervisor; Byron A Lumb ard Town - ship Cler k; Peter P Ga llati an Tr eas urer; A N elson Clark Sch ool In spector; John L Tuttl e Alm on Maltby J esse Tru esde ll Ju stices of th e Pea ce 1857- Robert W ard en Supervisor; Byron A Lum bard T own - J GREEN OAK TOWNSHIP 33 1 ship Clerk; P P Gallatia n Treasurer; Rob ert Warden J ustice of the Peace; Ferris L Clement s Schoo l Inspector i85 8-R oyal C Rum sey Supervisor; B A Lumbard Township Clerk; Henry S Dean Ju stice of th e Peac e ; Andrew Ba rbe r Trea surer; A N Clark School I nspector 1859-Roya l C Rum sey Superv isor; B A Lumbar d Township Clerk ; P P Gallatia n Tr eas urer ; Alm01; 11althy Justice of th e Peace; Richard s ·tansell S~hoo l In spector 1860 -Ge orge S Wheeler Supervisor; B A Lumbard T ownship Clerk; Isa ac Smit h Trea surer; John L Tuttle A lm on Maltby Ju stices o f the Peace ; A N Clark R A Stansell Sc hool In specto rs 1861 - Geo rge S Wh eeler Supervi sor; B A Lum bard Township Clerk; Milton G F ield Trea surer; F erris L Cle ment s Ju stice of the Peace ; Ferris L Clements School I11spector 1862-F ra nklin Ca se Supervi sor ; B A Lumbar d T ovnship Clerk; E L Burt Trea surer ; H an ni bal Lee Robert Warden Justices of the Peace; F L Clem ents Sch ool In specto r 1863-Frauklin Case S upervisor; B A Lumbard Town shi p Clerk; E L Burt Tr eas urer ; I lann ibal Lee R obe rt Warden F L Cltment s School Inspector s 1864-Frankli n Cae Supervior; Giles Lee T own ship Clerk ; Isaac Sm ith Treasur er; J ohn L Tuttle Robe rt Ward en Almp n Maltby Justices of the Peace 1865-R obert va;de n Sup ervisor; Gi les Lee T ow nship Clerk; An sel N Clark Sch ool Insp ector; Fer ris S Clements; John N Clark Jonathan Burnett Ju stice s o f th e P eace 1866-Alm on Maltby Supervisor; Gi les Lee T ownshi p Clerk; Willi am D Co rson Tr eas urer; Linus Clark Cale b Sawyer Ju stices of the Peace; Dani el B Stark Sc hool In specto r 1867 -Gi les Le e Supervis or ; Robert Ward en T own ship Clerk; An sel N Clark Tr eas urer; Alm on Maltby Danie l B Stark Ca leb 0 Willi s Ju stices of th e Peace; Ferris L · Cleme nts Sclioo l Inspector 1868-Gil es Lee Superviso r ; Robert Warden T ownhip Clerk ; Anse l N Clark Tr eas urer; Erastus A Pratt Ju stice of th e Peace; Daniel B Star k School In specto r 1869-Gi les Lee Supervi sor; Rob ert ·ward en Township Clerk; Samue l Barber Treasurer; F L Clement s Ju stice of the Peace ; Clint on J Burn ett Schoo l In sp ector 1870-Gi les Le e Super visor; D aniel Ca ldwe ll Town ship Clerk; Dani el B Star k Ju stice of the Peace; D B Clark School l nspector 1871-Gil es Le e Supervi sor; D M Caldwe ll Town ship Clerk ; William A v·eather head Tr eas urer; Alm on Maltby H orati o A Barker Ju stice s of th e P eace; Anse l N Clark School In spector 1872- Gi les Lee Supervis or; D M Ca ldw ell T ownshi p Clerk; Vm A Weath erh ead Treasurer; Erastus A Pratt Ju stice of th e Peace; Mar shall Bord en School Ins1: iector 1873 - Gil es Lee Sup ervisor; D rniel M Ca ldw ell T own ship Clerk; Ge orge W D ean Trea sur er; Ferri s L Clement s Ju stic e of the Peac e; EJward Reid School In - spector 1874 -Gile s L ee Supervi sor; A lbert G Burn ett Town ship Clerk ; George W D ea n Treasurer; Horatio A Barker Ju stice of th e Peac e; Vm W Dean Drain Commi;- sioner; J ohn Marshall School In spec tor 187 5- G iles Lee Superv isor ; Albert G Burn ett T ow nship Clerk; George vV Dean Trea surer; Almon Maltby Ju stice o r the Peace; J ohn Mar shall Sup erintend ent of Schoo ls ; J ames D Sta rk School In spector; Lewis Scott Drai n Commi ssioner 1876 - Giles L ee Supe rvisor; Albert G Burn ett Town ship Clerk; George W De an Trea sur er; J ames W Edgar Ju stice of the Peace; J ohn Ma rshall Super int ende nt of Sch ools ; Jam es D Stark Scho ol Inspector; L ewis Scott Drain Commissioner 1877-Gil es Le e S uperv isor ; A G Burnett T own ship Clerk; Charle s T De wey Trea sure r; R obe rt Ward en James D Stark Ju stices of the Pe ace; J ohn Marshall Superintendent o r Schools; J ames D Stark School Inspecto r 1878-Giles Lee Sup ervi sor; Albert G Burnett T own ship Cler k; George M Field Tr eas ure r; J ame s D Sta rk Ju stice of the Pe ace ; J oh n Marsha ll Sup erint endent of School s ; J ob H Scott Sch ool In sp ector; Lewis Scott Drain Commissione r 1879-Giles Lee Super visor; L eslie J Stil es T own ship Clerk; Geor ge M Field Tr eas urer; J oseph M H old en Ju stic e of th e Peace; J ob H Scott Superintende nt of Sch ools; Hugh T Smith School In spec tor RELIGIOUS FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH The only church edi fice in the town of Green Oak is located near th e so uth ern b ou ndary lin e on section 35 and th e society th at it represents is of the Baptist denomination lt ·was organized March 22 1845 by Elders S S L anning and J Tyler the first deaco n being M Thom so n Th e numb er of members th at formed th e first church organization was 17 which number during th e years that followed was g reatly augmented until th e total numb er from its be ginnin g reac hed 124 In 1850 th e necess ity for buHding a house of worship becam e apparent and ground was purcha se d for th e purpo se With the degree of int erest manif ested in th e new enterprise it required but littl e time to complete th e ed ifice which was built in a plain but substanti al mann er and soon after dedicated It has been used since th at tim e but th e grow ing congr ega tion finding its capacity limit ed for their wants have arranged to remode l and enlarg e it and under the supervision of Mr Linus Clark work will soo n be beg un In 1848 Rev William R Norton was installed as pastor H e was succeeded by R ev Jam es Bignall who rema ined in charge of th e church until 1859 when R ev S A Currier became his successo r and tw o yea rs lat er R ev D Vint on filled th e pastoral relation R ev H A Barker was next called to mini ster to th e people and later R ev E G Chaddock became pastor R ev E J H owes was next installed and remained until R ev L J Whitcomb filled his place R ev A W Ensign was th e pastor after thi s until in 1870 R ev H i Bark er was called for a seco nd time to fill the pulpit which he did with much accep tanc e for seven years when th e pi·esent pastor R ev J R odgers was insta lled The deacons are Squire Loomi s Isaac Burhaus and Linus Clark 332 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN B I O G R A P 1-1 I C A L S K ETC H E S HON KINSLEY S BINGHAM was born in Camillus N Y in D ecembe r 1808 His father was a farmer and his own early life was devoted to agricultural pursuit s H e received an academical education and studied law with Gen James R Lawr ence at Syracuse N Y In 1833 h e married an estimable lady of Scotch parentage and soon thereaft er emig rated to Michigan settling on and clea ring a farm in the town of Green Oak He early embarked in local politics being first chos en to the office of justice of the peace; was then appointed postmaster; was th e first judge of probate of his county and in 18 36 was chosen a memb er of the Legislature and served four terms He was speaker of the Hous e of R ep resentatives of 1838 and 18: 9 In 1846 he was chosen as a Democrat to Congress and was th e only practical farmer in that body J n 1848 he was re-elected to Congress where he strongly opposed the extension of slavery into the Territories and voted for the Wilmot proviso He was also a memb er of the Committee on Commerce His Con gress ional servic e continu ed until 185 I In 1854 in consequence of his anti-slavery cour se in Congre ss Mr Bingham was given the first distinctiv ely R epublican nomination for Governor and was re-elected in I 856 He was known as th e farmer-governor of Michigan He was a highly popular chief magi strate and was genial and affab le in his disposition He was instrumental it; establishing the Agricultural College H e was chosen to the United States Senat e in 1859 and in I 860 took an active part in that m emorable campaign in behalf of the election of Abraham Linc oln to th e Presidency He witnessed the commencement of th e civil war during his brief Senatorial career and actively espo used the cause of the Union dying of apoplexy at his residence in Green Oak Oct 5 1861 much lamented in the fifty-third year of his age HANNIBAL LEE Th e progenitor of the present Lee family was Stephen Lee who was born in R enss elaer Co N Y and marri ed Lydia Emmons aunt of the late Judge Emmons of D etroi t To them were born the following children: Eliza Hannibal Solomon Sarah Hannah Catharine Lucy Charles and Elizabeth Mr Lee with his wife and children emigrated to Michigan in September 1835 and chose the township of Gr een Oak in Living ston County as his abod e Here he broke th e first soil in the township and enco uraged by his generous aid and hospitality the efforts of later pioneers His son Hannibal Le e was born in Half-Moon Saratoga Co N Y in 1812 and accompanied his father in 1830 to Gr een Oak assisting him in the improv eme nt of hi s posses sions until he was twentyone Being ambitious to secure a hom e of his own he purchased the farm adjacent to the lands of his father and upon which he still resid es He was marri ed F eb 19 1834 to Miss Mary Hubbard the occasion being a memorabl e one from th e double wedding that occurred Mr Lee s sister also marryin g a broth er of Miss Hubb ard Mr Lee enjoys th e distinction of being one of the first anti-slavery vot ers in the township and although actively interested in politics was neve r an office-seeker He is a man of strong religious convictions uncompromising in his defens e of the right and posses sing the cour age to ma intain his opinions He is a promin ent member of th e Methodist Episcopal Church and has for years been one of its leadi ng officers Hi s son Giles was born at th e hom e of his father Feb 23 1837 H e acquir ed an academical education but having a decicled taste for farming pursuits he j oined his fath er in th e cultivation of hi s estate H e was marri ed March 9 1859 to Lucy W Briggs and some years later erec ted opposite the pat ernal abode a spacious residence which he now occupi es H e manife sts a k een int erest in public affairs is regarded as possessing sound jud g ment and has been honored by his constituents as th eir favored candidate for supervisor to which office he has bee n elected for a period of thirte en success ive years CORNELIUS CORSON was a native of Pennsylvania and was born about twenty miles from Philadelphia in the year 1793 When a young man he went to Canandaigua N Y where he married Sarah Whittaker a woman of much energy and possessed of many excellent qualities Here he remained several years working at his trade -that of a shoemaker In 1834 the family emigrated to Michigan and settled upon th e farm now owned by his son William D which originally consisted of eighty acres and upon which he res ided until his death which ocGREEN OAK TOWNSHIP 3 ~ )) curred in 1859 Th e eld er Co rson was an ambitious hard-workin g man and highly esteemed by all who kn ew him H e was a succ ess ful fariner and a worthy citiz en William D Corson was born in Canandaigu a N Y Feb 9 1828 Up o n GEORGE GREADY GEORGE GREADY one of the early settlers of Gr ee n Oak wa s born in Bristol En gland Jun e 7 I 8 I I His fath er Thomas Gready was a ma rket gardener an indu strious and success ful man who rear ed a fami ly of seven chil - dren (four so ns and thr ee dau ght ers) Geo rge being the fourth child On attaining hi s majority he decided to emig rate to America Accordingly in July 1832 he in company with hi s broth er J ames sailed for th e United States In Septembe r following they sett led on th e co unty-lin e betw ee n Lyon and Gr een Oak Th eir land was purchased from government and Mr Gr eady has in his pos sess ion th e original deed bearing th e sig nature of Andr ew Jackson His land was a mile and a half from th e road and he was obliged to cut his way to it For the first few years he endured many hardships and priv ations Wolv es were num erous and th ey howled about hi s dwelling makin g nig ht hid eo us; bears were also freq uent visitors Th ey lived in a very primitiv e way th e log ho use being supplied with a floor mad e of split logs and th e furniture (if it could be dignified by that name ) made by him se lf was of th e rud es t kind One of the g reatest discomfort s th ey had to contend with was the mo squitoes which were so num ero us and aggressive that life was alm ost un endur able; · in fact th ey the death of his fath er he succeeued to the estate to which he has added two hundred and forty acres In 1856 he was marri ed to Miss Cynthia Borden of Gre en Oak by whom be ha s had eight childr en MRS GEORGE GlrnAD Y we re a greater pest th an th e rattl es nakes which wo uld frequ ently crawl into the hous e and secrete th emselves und erneath the beds revea ling their location by th eir odor and rattle Gradu aliy as the country bec ame clea red th ey were relieved of th ese pests In about thr ee years th ey bega n to rais e crops and life beca me much more e~durabl e Oct 2 1837 Mr Gr eady was marri ed to Miss Sophia daughter of Wri ght and Mary G1ge of Gr een Oak She was born in Ontario township Wayne Co N Y March 26 1820 and cam e with her parents to thi s State in 1834 settling in the town of Lyon Oakland Co Mr and Mrs Gr eady are fast approac hin g th e evenin g of their lives ; th ey hav e witnessed th e tran siti on of a wilderness into a highly pro ductiv e reg ion and hav e in a measur e been compen sated for th e hardship s and trials of their early life Indu striou s thrifty and econ omical th ey hav e secu red a competency and are surrounded by th e comf or ts and co nveniences which th ey have so well ea rn ed Th ey 11ave bee n blessed with ten children seve n of wh o m are living Th e life of Mr Gr eady has bee n devote d to the cares of hi s farm and family For int eg rity indu stry and hon ora ble dea lin g he has acquired a n enviabl e reputation and is regarded as a thrifty farm er and a valuable citizen CONWAY Tms tow nship which was formed as Jen a by an act of the State Legis latur e approved March 6 1838 is situat ed in th e northwe st corner of Livingston County Adj oinin g tow nship organizations are Antrim in Shiawassee Co on the north Locke in Ingham Co on the west and Cohoctah and Handy respe ctively in Living ston on the east and south Th e surface may be de scribed in general terms as of an undulating character the rolling and mor e elevated portions being found on the east ern bord er Th e major portion of the town ship or perhaps thr ee-fourths of it was covered origina lly with a heavy growth of hard wood timb er term ed by th e early settlers timbered open ings Th e so il is of a rich loam very productiv e and th e people are uniformly successrul in th e cultiv ation of wheat corn fruit s and other field products Th e stream s a re unimport ant Cedar Riv er cuts the extreme southwest corner while one or tw o small tribut aries of th e Shiaw assee cro ss its north ern and eas tern bord ers The people ar e chi efly agriculturists W ell-improv ed farm s and tasteful farm-buildings abound in eve ry portion and th e pr ese nt population is esti~ mat ed at about 1 200 FIRST AND OTHER EARLY SETTLEME NT S It see ms to be an un settl ed qu estion to whom can be asc ribed th e h onor of makin g th e first sett lement in this town ship priority being claimed for those men who compos ed th e Par so ns Company and Robert Colborn Without undertaking to settle this unimportant matt er we give both statem ent s as rece ived; though from the fact that Mr Colborns nanie do es not appear as a resident tax -paye r upon th e assess ment roll of H owell for th e year 18 37 we venture the opinion th at th e Mess rs Pa rso ns Wait Strong a·nd F ay were th e first to take up th ei r permanent resid ence In the month of May 183 r the broth ers Fr ederick B and Cecil D Parso ns-th e form er accompanied by hi s wife--left th eir homes in Fr anklin Co Mass and journeyed by stage to Troy N Y From th e latter city a passage was secured on board a canal -boat to Buffal o thenc e by lak e steamer to Detroit where th ey continued th eir journ ey by stage to Ann Arbor Th ey at last 334 TOWNSHIP reach ed Webster Washtenaw Co Mich on foot where th ey j oined th eir sister Mrs Israel Arms who with her husb and had settled in Mich iga n in 1826 The broth ers purchased land in W ebster and continu ed their resid ence th ere with o ut thou ght of ch angin g until ea rly in the summer of 1836 wh en during th e great ru sh of emigration to th e new State th ey were joined by th eir father Levi Parsons their broth ers Juliu s F and Samuel F th eir moth er and two sisters vVaterman B Fay son-in-law of L evi Parson Tim othy Wait fath er-in-law of Juliu s F Par so ns and L ore nzo K Strong Messrs Wait and Strong wer e from Northampto n Hamp shir e Co Mass All th e remainder from Franklin County of th e sa me State Thes e people all came to Michigan with th e purp ose of making th e Penin sular Stat e th eir permanent ho me As th ey wished to purchas e quite a large tr act of gove rnin ent land situ ated where all cou ld sett le in th e sa me nei ghb or hood and as no such oppo dunity presented itsel f in Washtenaw County in June 1836 Frederick B Par so ns Cecil D Parsons Julius F Parsons Waterman B Fay Timothy Wait and Lorenzo K Strong started out on foot for the purpose of locating land in Living ston County Arriving at Livin gsto n Centr e th ey lea rned that desirable lands-n ot yet entered -w ere lying in township 4 north of range 3 eas t and that Charl es P Bu sh who was th en with Calv in H andy in town ~ ship 3 north of rang e 3 east would act as th eir gu ide whil e exploring th e woods Th ey finally arrived at Mr H andys hous e found Mr Bush and engaged his services for th e nex t day Mr Handy had but just occupied his new dwe llin g- a small log house-and in cons eq uenc e household articl es were in some confusion But Mrs Hand y who like oth er wives of th e pion ee rs was equ al to th e emergency prep ared lodgings for her visitors by sp readi ng upon the g ro und in th e centr e of the cabin a bed; upon it thes e si x stalwart men reclined th eir heads and shoulders while their ext remities sw ung aro und the circle taking care of them selves Th e next morning two o-r thre e ot her land-look ers cam e up who wished to accompany the first party in th eir operations but Mr Bush would not permit th em without th e conse nt of thos e who first engaged him As th ere was much sharp practic e in play in tho se days RES I DEN CE g WM P STOW CON WA y MI CHI GAN ·RESIDENCE OF WM 0 CORSON GREEN OA K Ml CH CONWAY TOWNSHIP 335 among land-looker s and land-buyer s it will be readily inferred th at usually the seco nd party were polit ely request ed to stay behind As a re sult of thi s first visit to the territory now known as Conway th e Mess rs Parsons and th eir friends concluded to purch ase the land s situated upon sec tions 11 -I 3 and 14 which are mor e fully des cribed in an accompanying list of original landehtri es Upon the 20th of Jun e 1836 th eir purchases consisting of 840 acres were entered upon the book in the land-office at D etroit Later during the same summer the six men before ~1entioned again started out for the purpose of op ening a road through from Livingston Centre to th eir new possessions also to erect a house wher ein some of th em prop osed to pass the wint er Th ey brou g ht with them an ox- tea m and wagon provisions for a few days and board s necessary for use in building which were obtain ed at Places mill in Webster Washtenaw Co Soon after leaving th e Centre-now Howellth eir labor began; and at night th ey had progressed as far as John B La Row e s place of settlement on section 6 Howell township The next day they gained two mil es cut out a road bridged the creek and encamped for the night near Sabins Lak e On th e third day they arrived at their destin ation the northe ast quarter of section 14 on land owned by Juliu s F Parsons Here within six days they compl eted what is claimed to have been the first dwelling erected in the township This house was 18 by 24 feet in dimensions cov- ered with oak shin gles which wer e shaved upon th e spot and the floor laid with the boards brought from Wa sht enaw County This house soon after beca me noted as the place of birth of the first child born in the township-son of J F Parson s born January 1837 Within its walls was held the first religious meeting and here the people assembled to hold their first township-meeting 111 April I 838 Our pioneers having exhausted their stock of provisions were compelled to return to Washtenaw County immediately after completing their hou se During the fall of 1836 Julius F Par so ns his father Levi Parsons and their families accompanied by Timothy Wait Lorenzo K Stron g and Waterman B Fay came on from Webster vVashtenaw Co fully prepared to take up their re sidence here in the woods Land was cleared upon the southwest quarter of th e northeast quarter of section 14 and wheat sown the same season Messrs Wait and Strong were carpenters by trade; during the period last mentioned they hauled lumber from Farmington Oakland Co and built each for himself sma ll framed houses which were completed in the spring of 1837 The one built by Mr Strong burn ed down several years ago The oth er after having withstood th e ravages of time for forty years finally succumbed to the same el~ment and disappeared mid fire and smoke in May I 877 It was then owned and occupied by vVilliam Copeland who receive d in pay ment for his loss the sum of $50 from the Living ston County Fire Insuranc e Company R obert Colborn from Wayne Co Mich purchased 90 acres on the northwe st rart of the northwest fractional quarter of section 5 July 5 1836 His so n is authority for th e statement that Mr Colborn Sr and his family mov ed in and took up their resid ence on th e county line in November of the sa me year; that the rout e followed by th em was along what was then known as the Grand Riv er road up into Shiawa ssee County from whence th ey bore south cutting out th eir own road until reac hing the place of th eir settlement; and that they were th e first settl ers in the town ship As a dist ance of more than four and one-half miles on an air-line sepa rated those in th e Parsons settlement from the locality chosen by Mr Colborn the whole covered by dense fore sts swamp s and tangled mora sses it is very po ssible th at the latter shou ld be in error in supposing him self the first settler and that weeks should elapse ere he was aware of others being in the township Mr Colborn was a most worthy citiz en H e raise d up a large family several of whom reside in the township at the pr ese nt time Lat e in the fall of 1836 Frederick B Par so ns th e eldest son of Levi came on and built a comfortable log dwelling upon hi s land it being the northwest quart er of section 14 In March following having sold out his possess ions in Washtenaw County he removed her e bringing in hi s family and household effects upon sleighs Ledyard S Adams from Genesee Co N Y purcha se d the north half of section 36 May IO 1836 but did not settle until April I 1837 H e died in the spring of 1841 while holding the office of assesso r Martin W Randall from Livingston Co N Y whose journey to Michigan is fully described by Hon Ralph Fowler in historical sketch es referring to th e early settlement of Handy township settled upon the west half of th e southwest quarter of section 27 also early in the spring of 1837 Mr Randall was a prominent citizen and closely identified with the early history of Conway He died in 1856 while serving as township treasurer The following statement compil ed from the assessment roll of the township of Howell-which HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN asses sment was mad e in May 1837-- shows the numb er and names of the resident tax-payers in township 4 north of range 3 east af that period ; also a description of their land s and their valuation: Acres Valuation Led yard S Adam s northea st qu arter and northwest qu arter of sec tion 36 : 320 $960 Wat erman B Fay west half of nonhw est quarter of section I 3 80 240 Juliu s F P1rsons southw est quarter o f so uthe ast qu arler of sect ion I I and north eas t quart er of sec tion 14 200 600 Fr ederick B Parsons nonhw est quart er of section 14 160 48o Ma rtin W Randall wes t ha lf of sout hw es t quane r of sec tion27 8o 240 Lor enzo K Stron g so u1heast quarter of sec tit&gt;n 14 160 480 Tim othy Wait ea t ha lf o f northwe st quart e r of sec tion 13 8o 240 John Coughran from Genesee Co N Y th e first supervisor of Iena settled upon the so uthe as t quart er of section 25 May 3 I 1837 H e is still a reside nt of the township honored and resp ected by all his fellow-town smen Cecil D Parsons joined his brothers and friends in the new settlem ent Aug 21 1837 and soon after began to fell the tre es and make an improvement upon the beautiful farm where he at pres ent res ides His hou se was completed and occupied December 11th of the same year Timothy vVait and Lorenzo K Stron g after but a short residence her e removed to Lap eer County Lat er still Julius F Parsons also removed to th e same county L evi Par;ons returned to the East and finally died in the State of New York Of those six men who came and erected th e first house in the township D Parsons i; the only resident survivor Prior to the first township-m eeting which was held at the hou se of Levi Par so ns April 2 1838 H Hoyt and William N Hoyt had settled upon section 29; Stephen Dailey upon section 25; Lee Nutt upon sections 35 and 36; Jo seph Alexander upon section 20; and John Bush upon 35 It is stated th at seventeen vot ers were present at the first township-m eeting which probably included all the legal voters th en residihg in the township A few additiona l names appeared as resident tax-payers upon Ienas first assessment roll dated May 9 1838 which will be found upon a succeeding page Th e first marriage was celebrated Aug 19 1838 and th e following copy of the marriag e license explains itself: Thi s may certify th at Am os Co lborn of Jena hath app liecl to me for a marriage lic ense and th at marri age is intend ed between th e sa id Amos and Hannah Al exa nde r of the same place; and after a careful examination of th e sa id Amo s as lo the leg a lity of the intended marriage and finding it to be lawf ul I do by these pre sents grant him thi s licen se · Given und er my hand this 17th day of August 1838 LEVI PARSONS Tow n Clerk M? n:iec) hy me Aug 19 1838 Mr Am os Co lborn to Mi ss H annah Al e xa nd e r both of the town of I ena Livin gs ton Co Mi ch LEVI PAR SONS :Justice o th e Peace In December 1838 Warren G Grant applied for and rece ived a license to keep a public-hou se and to sell spirituous liquors at his house on the Trail road for one year from and after the 31st of D ecemb er 1838 Lee Nutt was also an early tavern- keeper and was first granted a licen se by the township board F eb 6 I 84 r This was renew ed durin g the years to 1844 inclusiv e The usual fee paid for tavern license was $125 per year Among other settl ers who were here during the year 1838 and not already mentioned wer e John Martin Thomas Martin Reub en Vood Warr en G Grant Chauncey Yaples Marcus Munn and Samuel Ball The following account of the settlement of Warr en G Grant and his family furnish ed by his son Hon Elisha W Grant affords a fair illustration of th e way and th e difficu lt ies attendant upon pion eer life in thi s region at that p er iod E arly in F ebruary 1838 oVarr en G G rant exc hangerl his farm in th e tt&gt;wn sh ip of Li vonia Wayn e Co Mi ch - wher e he had resided for e ig ht yea rs Ct&gt;ming fro m !la ssa chu e tls in 1830-for la nds situ ated in Living sto n Co unty Soo n after the exc han gewhi ch wa s made with Ru fu Bea ch - he nude a j ourn ey to Co nway or as it was th en ca lled H o we ll H e trav eled Lo Living ston Centre by stage whi ch was th en operat ed by All en C V eston As th e Cent re wa th e terminu s of th e stage- route h e proceeded on foot to J ohn B F owl ers resile nce in Han dy wh o went wth him and showed him hi land O n the next clay R alph a nd J&lt;&gt;hn B F owle r Harvey Metca lf Lee Nutt E lijah Ga sto n J ohn Bu sh and Ca lvin H and y with an ox-team and sled on whi ch was plac ed som e marsh hay and provi sions for th e men went up to Mr Grant s ne w locati on to pr e par e another home for a new se ttl e r All went to wvrk with a will and befo re night se t in the logs wer e cut and haul ed and the woode n wal ls of a shanty 16 by 20 feet were ready for the roof whi ch Elij ah Ga ston agreed to put in plac e for a fe w do llars of wild cat money Thi s ro of wa s made of ba ssw ood logs split in ha lve s th en hollowed o ut with an axe the en tire len gth Th e first tier was laid close toge ther with the bark side down Th e se cond covered th e j o ints of th e firt by be ing placed with th e ha rk side up thu s di spe nsing entirely wi th bea ms rafter roo f-board s shingles or nail s and making a w ater-pro of roo f Acc ording to the con tract with Mr Ga ston about three feet of one end wa s left ope n for th e chimney -yet to be built-and for the pas sage of smoke until that time Having accompli shed thi s much Mr Grant returned to Vayne County and made due preparations for th e re mova l of his family to their new home He purch ase d a pa ir of half-broken stee rs four yea rs old a light cart int o which was loaded a sugar-kettle grind stone and a fe w smal !er article s Vith tw o-ho rse teams and wa go ns to carry th e family household goods provi sions etc th ey slartecl about the secon d we ek in April 1838 for Living st&lt;&gt;n County Arriving at Elijah Gasto ns th e party stay ed all night Th e next morn ing the teamsters were paid and then sta rted on their ret urn to W ayne Co unty During the same morning the stee rs were again hi tched to the earl a few articles were placed ther e in and dri ving beside s th em tw o cows the male members of the family went forward to th e ir new sha nty then dista nt four miles It was found without doo rs floor; windows or chinking CO NWAY TOWN S HIP 337 Th eir cattle were driv en to th e pasture a s;1all swamp som e thir ty rods west of the sha nty whe re the wild grass had alr ea dy grow n to the height of some six or seve n inch es T he ho use wa s soo n made in a habitab le co nditi on Th e crevic es were ch inked spli t slab s o f bas wood b id for floors and a doo r and a cnph oard made from one of th e packi ng-boxes Th e door was h ung on woo den hin ges had a wooden latch and sca rcely more th an a do zen na ils we re used in its construct ion An ope ning was made for a six lighted wind ow whic h with th e ope ning in the roof afford ecl the necessary light The ta ll oaks towered dir ectly ove r thi s cabin and th eir branche s cou ld he see n swayin g lack a nd forth th roug h the openin g during the first night of its occupat ion O n the succe eding day tr ees that stood in da ngero us pr oximity were felled a yard was bui lt of poles in which to kee p th eir stock the floor was comp leted and some stones gat hered for th e con stru ctio n of a chimney whi ch w as n ot fini sh ed until th e logs formin g the wal ls of th e house were burned nea rly through by the fires used in coo king Th is cabin was situ ated on th e Tr ail road near th e centr e of th e eas t half of th e nort h west quarter of sec tion 33 and afforded accommoda - t ions for th e first tavern and th e first post-offic e k ept in th e township Warre~ G Grant being min e h ost and postmaster Th e CedM post-office was estab lished abo ut 1840 · Th e Tr ail road vas th e first h ig hway op ened in th e tow nship and followed an In dian trail runnin g along th e no rth bank of th e Ceda r Ri ver It was op ened sufficiently for the passag e of teams and wago ns as ear ly as th e spr ing of 1837 by E rastu s In ge rso ll of Farmin gton who was th en engaged in formin g a settl ement at a point called Grand Riv er City -n ow Delta-some sev en mil es below th e prese nt city of L ansing At th e time o f Warren G Gra nt s settlem ent on sec tion 33 his nea rest neig hb or on th e eas t was Elijah Gaston wh o lived four miles dis tant To Pine Lake where lived tHeir nea rest neighb o rs o n the west side it was tw enty-o ne miles How ell thirt een mil es away was the nearest post-office Mr E lisha W Grant relates th at th e first schoo l attended by him was taught by Michael Handy in th e wint er of 1839 a nd 40 in a sma ll log shanty sit uated up on th e north east corner of section I I in th e to wnship of Handy and distant mor e tha n four mil es from hi s home thr ee miles of which lay th ro ugh th e wood s wh ere his only guide was blazed tr ees He was obliged to leave h ome at day ligh t in th e mornin g returning after dark at n ight He continu ed this att endance until th e schoo l was close d o n accoun t of th e illness of the teac her Among later pio neers who se ttl ed p rior to 1842 were Benjam in vV L awrence Hiram W eth erell Ch arles Thomp so n Ezek iel H Sabi n Bentl ey Sabin Grah am N Bark er L evi H Bigelow Gaius C Full er Hiram Rust Eli Balc h D aniel C House William Wi lkins H enry Snyder J osep h A Ball Ru el R andall William Hinm an J ohn Hill Delsey 43 Benjamin E arl Camp Losso n Gordon E dga r Purdy Dera stus H inm an and Phin eas Silsby a bl acksmith and so ldie r of I 8 12 The nam es of man? ot her ea rly res ident s will be found amon g th e I ists of land-e ntries to wnsh ip officers etc to which the reader is refer red Tho se reported as resid ent tax-pay er s of Jena May 9 1838 were as follows: Sec tio n Ac res Va luati on of R ei i E&gt;tate Fr ed erick B Parsons ·······-·-·-······ 14 158 r 97 158½ r5 6 $632 788 634 620 Jul ins F Parson·· --···················-·· 14 11 Lore nzo J( Str l&gt;ng 14 Cec il f) Par ons -···· ····· ···- ·····-······ 13 Vaterm :u B Fay ·-···· ·········· ·-··-··- 13 79){ 82){ r 6o 1 20 [ 20 317 32 9 640 480 48o 356 320 400 640 96o 320 640 r 6o 320 640 Tim othy Wai t 13 J osep h A lexa nde r ··- 20 J ohn llartin - 7 Th omas Martin ·-·-·······-7 18 R obert Co lborn - ······ ··-········· S 89 8o [ 00 16o 240 H en ry H H oyt - 29 Wi lliam HJ)l······-····-··············· 29 J ohn Cong:hra n -···-·····- ········-·· ······· 25 L edya rd ::i Ad ams ······-· 36 Reuben W ood ··-····-··-· ···-················ 36 80 16o 40 80 16o 2 0 160 100 Warren C Gr 1111 ·····-····· · 33 Chaun cey Yaple 36 M rcns Mu nn ···········- 23 Samuel 11:il l 23 J h n lln sh ·-··········-- - 35 80 634 394 Step hen D ailey 25 Lee Nutt ·-·····-···· ·-····· -·········· ·-35 36 Th e assesse d val uat io n of th e real and persona l estate o f the tow nship for this period was $78950 Th e taxes levie d amounted to the sum of $6 1627 of whic h $2 14-96 were for Sta te and county pu rpos es Th e res iden t tax-p aye rs of the town ship as shown by the assess ment rolls of 1844 we re the follow ing viz: Sec Sec Benjamin P Sherman 2 E arl Ca mp 34 (; C Full er 1 2 vVarren G Gra ul - ·- 33 I saac Seymur 13 18 llforg:an M R andall 33 Ama sa G H onse 10 Martin W Rand all 2 7 J &lt;&gt;lrn Led dy - - 10 Eli as Co nverse ·---· ·-···--··· 25 H ose a R&lt;&gt;ot 14 Hir am Weth erell 25 Charles Th ompon 5 Hir am Rust 24 John J llr uwn 20 Losso n Gord on · -··· 24 Willi am N H oyt -··-···· 29 Phi letus S Gordo n 24 Sunu el Young (colo red ) 30 H enry Th omas 25 Orrin Morse 20 Levi H Bigel&lt;&gt;w ·····- 23 Hiram Par sons 4 H enr y Snyder ···-- 22 Cyrus Harktr ····-· 33 H enry Dixo n ·-········· ···· 33 Thurston Simm ons 34 Bentl ey Sab in 23 ·22 David Bus h 35 De lsey Benjami n 22 23 Morr is Ri chm on d - 33 Thomas Dailey · ·····-·· 4 Orr in R hodes 33 E ri Wethere ll 35 IN 1845 Sec Sec J ohn R Mason 35 George I Iayn er Pers&lt;&gt;nal Natha n Stage 28 Elij ah R oot ·-······ Perso nal Josiah B T aylor 22 D enni s Mehan 25 Step hen J ackso n -···-·- 27 Willi am B Con verse Perso nal Eleazer ::Jocum ····-· 25 L evi Parso ns Personal Edgar Purdy 13 A 13 Bogert 22 Sec Jaco b C Brown 2 7 Humphr ey Soc nm 25 W ill iam Sab in 22 J ohn G Gra nt 33 Samue l F Par so ns 14 Lucius Randa ll 33 J ose ph Wh itaker 13 John H Morse 20 Mar hall Slocum 25 Benjami n D Morse 2 1 Allen Slocu m 25 Vvillaim II Kenn edy 29 338 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN Sec Huntington K ennedy 29 Earl Miner 35 Thomas N ewto n 33 Darius Grace Per sona l Patr ick Donahoe IO J ohn Powell Personal Sec Graham N Barker Personal Albion Brown 29 J osep h A Ball Pers onal Henry M Case 26 George Camp 33 Charles Chase 35 Martin Carpenter 9 J ames Colborn Per sonal Elisha W Grant 33 Derastus Hinman 4 Sec David Stage 29 Michael Miller 34 Dani el Simmons 34 Wi lliam Min er 35 Willi am R Phillip s Perso nal Lyman Jack son Personal Sec J acob Sherman 10 Amos Colborn 4 Porter Carpenter 9 E li S Balch II M Hawkins Personal Sec Ezra A Miner 35 Gilford Randall 33 E H Sabin 24 William Slocum 25 Danie l She rwood 27 Phin eas Silsby 33 Moses Sayles 13 Sylvester Tanner 34 Homer Watk ins 26 Sec Th omas L Hancock 17 Lan sing Kni ckerbocke r I 7 Step hen Mills 19 William Spink 22 Thomas Dai ley 4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIRST TOW NS HIPMEETING At a meeting of the elector s of the township of Jena held at the house of Levi Parsons on the 2d day of April 1838 an org anization was effected by choosing Levi Parsons moderator and Lorenzo K Strong clerk It was th en voted- 1st Th at a committee of five be chosen to make out a nomi - nation for town ship officers 2d Th at Steph en Dailey Ledyard S Adams T imothy Wait J oseph Alexander and Robert Colborn be said committ ee 3 1 To adjourn the meeting one hour 4th Th at the fullowing·named persons be declared the town ship officers for the ensuing year: J ohn Coughran Sup ervisor; Levi Parsons Town ship Clerk; H en ry H H oyt Freder ick B Parsons Stephen Dailey Assessors; Ledyard S Adams Tim othy Wait Amos Colborn Sch ool In spec tors; Ceci l D Par sons Am os Colborn L edyard S Adams Hi ghway Commissioners; Lee Nutt Fred erick B Parsons Directors of the Poor; Joseph Alexander J ohn Coughran Levi Parsons Tim othy Va il Ju stices of the Peace; Lorenzo K Strong Constable and Collect or 5th That the road commi ssioners divide the town into districts and appoint the pathmasters 6th Th at four dollars bounty he paid on each wolf killed in this town for one year 7th That the next town ship meetin g he held at th e house of Lev i Parsons LAND-ENTRIES A complete list of tho se who purchased of the general government land s situated in this township Those marked with a star (*) became actual settlers SECTION 1 Benj P Sherman* ·washtenaw Co Mich May 31 1836 Francis Mittleb erge r Oakla nd Co Mich Jun e I I 1836 James H addan W ashten aw Co Mich July 8 1834 Alvin D Shaw W ashtenaw Co Mich Nov 3 1836 B B K ercheva l W ayne Co Mich Feb 15 1837 Gaius Fuller* W asht enaw Co Mich May 16 1836 C Unbiham Livingst on Co Mich Jan 24 1855 C W Butler In gham Co Mich June 1 1854 SECTION 2 Francis Mittlcberger Michigan June II 1836 Samuel Str eeter Wa yne Co Mich July 9 1836 J ames Hadd an Michig an July 9 1836 Samue l Streeter W ayne Co Mich July 8 1836 Mortimer B Martin Wayne Co Mich Aug 2 1836 llenj P Sherman* Vashtenaw Co Mich June 1 1837 Gaius Fuller* Washtenaw Co Mich May 16 1836 Benj P Sherman-!&lt;·L i vingston Co Mich Aug 25 1854 C W Butl er Ingham Co Mich Dec 23 1853 SECTION 3 Mortimer B Martin l ayne Co Mich Ang 2 1836 Willi am Bickland New York City Sept 21 1836 Willi am A Clark New York City Sept 21 1836 Cato Alexande r New York City Sept 24 1836 J eremiah K enn edy Wa shtenaw Co Mich Sept 17 1838 SECTION 4 Mil es A Hinman Genesee Co N Y July 1 1836 W illiam Graham Wayne Co Mich Aug 2 1836 N~ncy A Beausean New York City Sept 21 1836 Willi am A Clark New York City Sept 24 1836 Thoma s Dailey* Gene see Co N Y May 30 1838 SECTION 5 Miles A Hinm an Gen esee Co N Y July 2 1830 R alph Le ster Ontario Co N Y July 5 1836 Robert Colburn;* l ayne Co Mich July 5 1836 Samuel Collister Mad ison Co N Y Aug 2 1836 Nancy A Reausean New York City Sept 2 1 1836 Isaac N Barker Oakland Co Mich Dec 29 1836 SECT ION 6 R eube n Robie Steuben Co N Y Aug 2 1836 Th omas Hlackmer and L eman Gib bs Livingston Co N Y Sept 21 1836 Willi am Griswolcl Chenango Co N Y Sept 21 1836 Dennis Cahill Wa sht enaw Co Mich Sept II 1838 Edward M Bishop;* Livingston Co Mich Nov 15 1854 SECTION 7 Reub en Robie Steuben Co N Y Aug 2 1836 Thomas Dudley Yat es Co N Y Aug 2 1836 Andrew N Dewitt Genesee Co N Y Sept 21 1836 J ohn Martin* Monroe Co Mich Sept 22 1836 Th omas Martin * Monroe Co Mich Sept 22 1836 Andrew N Dewitt Gene see Co N Y Oct 22 1841 SECTION 8 Samuel J essup New York City Sept 21 1836 Shellick W aterbury N ew York City Sept 21 1836 J ohn Bishop * Livingston Cg Mich Nov 15 1854 A P Cook J ackson Co Mich Feb IO 1855 SECTION 9 William A Clark New York City Sept 21 1836 Harriet Nettledon N ew York City Sep t 24 1836 Charles Elliott Onondaga Co N Y Sept 24 1836 Michael H arris W as hten aw Co Mich Aug 20 1838 J ohn Brennan Washtenaw Co Mich Oct 27 1838 J ohn Halpin Wayn e Co Mich Nov 14 1838 SECTION IO Robert Knight New York City Sept 24 1836 H orac e A Noyes Wayne Co Mich Jan 9 1837 Rice Tyler Living ston Co Mich Feb 15 1839 C W Butl er Ingham Co Mich April 18 1854 CONWAY TOWNSHIP 339 SE CTIO N 11 Julin F Parsons* F ranklin Co Mas Jun e 20 1836 Dan Barnes Monro e Co N Y Jun e 22 1836 Lathrop AG B Grant Orlean s Co N Y Jun e 3 1854 C W Butl er Ingh am Co Mich D ec 15 1853 SECTION 12 Ruth Win terton N ew York City Sept 21 1836 B B K ercheval Wayne Co Mich Feb I 5 1837 E dga r Pur dy * Living ston Co Mich De c 27 1853 SECTIO N 13 Cec il D Parsons* vVashtenaw Co Mich Jun e 20 1836 Ruth M F ay* Franklin Co Mass Jun e 20 1836 Tim othy Wait* H ampshir e Co Mass Jun e 20 1836 Willi am Ball N ew York City Sept 21 1836 Joseph Cottre ll Wa yne Co Mich Sept 20 1836 Jam es Grant Oakl and Co Mich Jun e 21 1836 SEC TION 14 Lorenzo K Stron g;* H ampshir e Co Mass Jun e 20 1836 Fr ed k B Parso ns* Vashtenaw Co Mich Jun e 20 1836 Juliu s F Parsons* F ra nklin Co Mass Jun e 20 1836 D an Barnes Monroe Co N Y Jun e 23 1836 SE CTI ON 15 Simu el H D odge Se neca Co N Y N ov 16 1836 Will iam Merrill Wayne Co Mich Nov 16 1836 Geo rge Parkill N ov 25 1836 Im) -[ John son Vashtenaw Co Mich March II 1837 John Warburton Washtenaw Co Mich April 10 1837 SE CTI O N 16 Benjamin H odge March 7 1870 H enry Ra mer* March 7 1870 Th omas Stanfield * March 21 1854 Balch &amp; Spink s* Nov 26 1853 George H arge r* Aug 12 1854 G Daley* Jan 19 1854 George Morse* F eb 8 1861 Jacob Sherman* N ov 22 1853 Fr ederick Weltz Oct 8 1856 E B Barker* March 9 1854 G Daley* Jan 19 1854 Jacob Sherman* A pril 15 1854 J ohn Wilder* Sept 13 1854 SE CTI ON 17 Th omas II ensett N ew York City Sept 21 1836 Willi am Irwin N ew York City Feb 14 1837 SE CTI ON 18 Th omas Martin * Monroe Co N Y Sept 22 1856 Th omas K irk Monroe Co N Y Sept 22 1836 John Laffin ai(d Patrick McK aig Washtenaw Co Mich Nov 22 1837 Chauncey Gaylord Onond aga Co· N Y Jun e 21 1838 SEC TI ON 19 Samu el Win terton New York City Sept 21 1836 John McQuill en Monroe Co N Y Sept 21 1836 John K elly Monroe Co N Y Sept 21 1831 Patrick McQuillen Monroe Co N Y Sept 21 1836 John T affe Monroe Co N Y Sept 21 1836 Patrick Ki rk Monroe Co N Y Sept 21 1836 Patrick McK aig Vashtenaw Co Mich Nov 22 1837 John Clark Ont ario Co N Y F eb 27 1838 S ECTIO N 20 Willi am A Clark New York City Sept 21 1836 SE CTION 21 George ll enlet N ew York City Sept 2 1836 Ju stus Boyd Livin gston Co Mich Feb 22 1838 Augustus D Dorrance Li vingston Co Mich De c 16 1851 H enry Snyde r* Ni agara Co N Y De c 23 1851 Charle P Bush In gham Co Mich June 27 1854 and No v 17 1854 A P Cook Ja ckso n Co Mich Feb 12 1855 SEC TI O 22 Isaac L Ostrom* Orl eans Co N Y May 25 1836 Moses D Shaw Livin gsto n Co N Y May 26 1836 E ph Ti ckn or T ompkins Co N Y May 26 1836 N orman Goodale Ont ario Co N Y N ov 25 1836 Ph cebe Burn ett Ont ario Co N Y N ov 25 1836 Ju stus Boyd Livin gston Co Mich Feb 22 1838 SECTION 23 Philip Ec kler Livin gston Co N Y May 20 1836 D elsey Benjamin* Oa kland Co Mich May 26 1836 J ustus Pond 1ayne Co N Y Ju ne 1 1836 H enry M Moore Genesee Co N Y Au g 5 1836 SEC TI O N 24 Morr is Tu cker W ayne Co N Y Jun e 1 1836 Betsey Tu cker Wayne Co N Y Jun e 1 1836 Ruth Pond Vayne Co N Y June I 18:;6 Willi am B Cogshill Wayne Co N Y Jun e 1 1836 B B Kercheval Wayn e Co Mich Nov 18 1836 SE CTI O N 25 John Coughran ; Genesee Co N Y May 1836 Ju stus N Pond Vayne Co N Y Jun e 1836 J ason Swift Wayne Co Mich Jul y 1836 Alvin Wh edo n Onondaga Co N Y SE CTI ON 26 I saac L Ostrom* Orl eans Co N Y May 25 1838 H enry Nel son Wayne Co N Y May 25 1836 Willi am Farl ey Ont ario Co N Y May 25 1836 Augu stus M Sherwood T ompkin s Co N Y May 26 1836 H enry Sherwood Tompkin s Co N Y May 26 1836 Marshall Chapin and J ohn Owen Wayn e Co; Mich July 14 1836 SE CTION 27 Martin W Randa ll* Li vingsto n Co N Y April 18 1836 J ohn Westfall Jr Cayuga Co N Y May I 1 1836 Smith W Nelson Orl eans Co N Y May 25 1836 En och Vankirk T ompkin s Co N Y May 26 1836 H enry Sherwood Tompkin s Co N Y May 26 1836 D elsey Benjamin * Li vingston Co N Y May 1 1850 S ECTION 28 John R Wint erton N ew York City Sept 21 1836 Charles A Willi amson Ont ario Co N Y N ov 2 1836 Will iam Merrill Wayne Co Mich Jan 12 1837 Andr ew J Wri ght Livingston Co Mich N ov 15 1854 C P Bush Ingh am Co Mich Jul y 6 1854 A P Cook Jackson Co Mich Feb 6 1855 SE CTION 29 Willi am Clark city of N ew York Sept 21 1836 SECTI ON 30 Samuel vVinterton N ew York City Sept 21 1836 Patrick T affe Monroe Co N Y Sept 22 1836 Conrad Woll Wayne Co Mich May 25 1837 340 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN R euben B W ood L ivingston Co Mich May 25 1837 T ru man J ohnso n Genesee Co N Y Oct: 27 1837 Be njamin D Le fevre W ashten aw Co Mic h F eh 4 1839 SECTIO N 3 1 Charl es Butl er New York City Ap ril 21 1836 SECTION 32 Charles Butler Ne w York City Ap ril 21 1836 SE CT ION 33 John R Fo wler Li vingston Co N Y Ap ril 18 1836 P hi lip Coon W ayn e Co Mi ch Jul y 7 1837 SE CTIO N 34 H omer T Smith Hu ro n Co Ohi o May 26 1836 Lorenzo Clark W ayn e Co N Y Jun e 1 1836 Oliver R eed Wayne Co N Y Jun e 1 1836 Hiram Aclams Li vingston Co N Y Jun e 4 1836 Samu el HibLins Wayne Co Mich Jul y 14 1836 H enry E llsworth Ne w York City Sept 21 1836 SE CT ION 35 Alvin H anm er vVayne Co Mich May 20 183; H omer T Smi th Hu ro n Co Ohi o May 26 1836 Benjamin M Alliger Ulster Co N Y J une 7 1836 John Bush* T om pki ns Co N Y Jun e 9 1836 H enry E llsworth New York City Se pt 21 1836 SEC T IO N 36 Jain es J ones L ivings ton Co N Y Ma y 1 1836 E lijah Clough Onondaga Co N Y fay 1 1836 L edyard S Adams;* Genesee Co N Y May 10 1836 Alvin H anm er Wayne Co Mich May 20 1836 R ichard P Bush T ompkin s Co N Y J une 9 1836 CIVIL AN D POLITIC AL By an act of th e St ate L eg islatur e approv ed March 6 1838 thi s town ship was form ed from How ell Section 3 of an act to organiz e certain town ship s read s as follows : All th at porti on of th e co unt y of L ivingston designated hy the Uni ted States survey as town sh ip number four north of range numbe r thr ee east be and the sam e is hereby se t off and orga nized into a separate town ship by the name of Jena and th e first townsh ipmeetin g th erein shall be held at the house of Lev i Parsons in said township Th e inh abitant s became dissa tisfied with thi s name becau se of its simil arity to Ioni a and for other rea son s and by a special act approved March 20 1841 it was chang ed to Conway T OW NSHI P OF FICE RS Th e followin g is a nea rly compl ete list of township officers elected durin g th e yea rs from I 838 to 1879 inclu sive : SUPE R VI SO R S 1838- 40 Joh n Coughra n ; 1841 Benjam in W L awren&lt;:e; 1842 Hiram W eth erell ; 1843 Charles T hompson; 1844- 46 Hi ram W etherell ; 1847-4 9 E zekiel H Sab in ; 1850- 51 J ohn Bush ; 1852 Hi ra m W eth erell ; 1853- 55 David Bu sh; 1856- 57 Benjamin P Sh erman ; 1858-6o E lisha W Grant ;* 186 1- * Resigned to accep t office of county clerk Gra ham N Barke r appointed to fill vacan cy N ov 24 1860 62 Benjami n P Sh erman ; 1863 E lisha VI Gra nt; 1864 E rashrn s D Smith ; 1865 El isha W Gra nt ; 1866 N elson B -Gr ee n ;t 1867 El isha W Gra nt; 1868- 69 Th omas Copeland; 1870- 72 H orace H albert ; 1873 Willi am P Stow; 1874 David Bush ; 1875- 77 E lisha W Grant ; 1878- 79 Joel A Chaprna n t T O WN SHI P CL E RKS 1838-4 0 L evi P ars ons ; 1841 D erastus H inm an ; 1842- 46 Samuel Ball; 1847- 49 H enry M Case ; 1850- 52 David Bush; 1853- 57 El isha W Gra nt; 1858 Seth W :Miner ; 1859--62 F rede rick B Par ;ons ; 1863 Cha rles Benjam in; 1864 Delamer Sabin ; 1865- 66 T homas Copeland ; 1867 Charles L Gord on; 1868---6g E uge ne A Bush; 1870-71 E lisha V Gra nt ; 1872- 73 J oel A Chapman ; 1874 Eu ge ne A Bush; 1875- 77 J oel A Chapman ; 1878-79 Willi am P Stow TR EASU R E RS 1839 Willi am N H oyt; 1840 F rederick B Pa rsons; 1841- 42 John Cough ra n ; 1843- 44 R uel R andall ; 1845 H enry H H oyt ; 1847- 49 John Bush ; 1850 Martin W Ra ndall ; 1851 Gra ham N Barker; 1852- 56 Martin W R anda ll ;~ 1857- 6o Hi ra m Wethe rell ; 186 1- 63 George E Adam s ; 1864- 76 W illiam R Miller ; 1877- 78 Andr ew J Wi ckm an ; 1879 T ruman R anda ll J USTI CES OF TH E PEACE J osep h Alexander J ohn Coughran L evi Parsons Tim oth y Vail 1838 ; Warr en G Gran t L evi Pa rsons 1839; J ohn Coughran 1840; Benjamin vV Law rence J ohn Coughra n 1841 ; Benjamin vV Lawrence D erastus H in man 1842; Chas Th om pso n Sam ! Ball Martin vV Randall 1843 ; H iram Veth erell 1844; Benjamin P Sherman 1845 ; F rederick B Parsons Martin V Randall 1846; Sa muel Ball Bentley Sabin 1847 ; Cha rles Th ompson Grah am N Bark er 1848; Ez eki el II Sabi n H enry H H oyt H enry S nyde r 1849 ; Ma rti n W R andall Wil liam N H oyt 1850; Samuel Ball Phin eas Silsby Amos Colbo rh 1851 ; H enry H H oyt 1852; H ira m W etherell 1853; H enry M Stephe ns H enry M Case 1854 ; Samu el Ba ll Mar tin W Randa ll 1855; H enry H H oyt 1856 ; P hin eas Si lsby Cec il n Parsons 1857 ; Benjam in P Sh erman 1858; Vill iam P Slow 1859 ; Cec il D Parsons Wi ll iam N H oyt 1860 ; I sra el 13 Colborn 186 1; Benjamin P Sherman 1862; Charles W elcker 1863 ; Wi lliam Sa bin 1864 ; N elson 13 Green 1865; W illiam P Stow Be njamin H Mowers 1866; I sra el B Colbo rn Benja min H Mowers 1867; W illiam Sabin W illiam Di lli ngham 1868; R ober t Ande rson 1869; H enry R 1iller E lisha V Gra nt 1870; I srael B Colborn Char les L Gordon 1871 ; William Sabi n 1872 ; E lisha W Gra nt Cec il D Pa rsons Jr 1873 ; W illi am R :Miller Ir a Snyd er 1874 ; Cec il D Parsons Jr Charles L Gorrlon 1875 ; Andr ew J vVickm a n 1876 ; J eremiah Casady 1877 ; I srae l B Co lborn 1878 ; Cecil D P arsons Jr 1879 ASSE SSO R S H enry H H oyt Fr ed k B Parsons Step hen D ailey 1838 ; Fr edk B Parsons Stephen Dai ley H enry H H oyt 1839 ; L edy ard S Ada ms F redk B Parsons H enry H H oyt 1840 ; J ohn Hi ll R uel Randa ll Ledyard S Ada ms111 841 ; Losso n Go rd on De lsey Benjamin 1842; H enry H H oyt Ed ga r Pur dy 1843 ; Ed ga r Pu rdy H enry H H oyt 1844 ; Frede rick t Resigned D avi d Bush app ointed to fill vacancy Nov 28 1866 t Die d E lisha W Grant appoint ed to fill vaca ncy Jul y 8 1879 Di ed in office Gra han H Ba rker app ointed to fill vacancy Jul y 26 1856 II D ied in office F 13 Par sons app ointed to fill vaca ncy May 3 1841 CONWAY TOWNSHIP 341 B Parsons Stephen Dailey 1845; David Bush Fr ederick B Par sons 1846 ; Eli S Balch H enry K enn edy 184 7; Charle s Th omp son D avid Bu sh 1848; Thur ston Simmo ns Cec il D Parso ns 1849; Samu el Ball H enry H H oyt 1850 See list of super visors from 1851 to 1879 inclu sive SC H OOL INSPECTORS Ledya rd S Adam s Tim othy ·wa it Am os Colborn 1838; Bent ley Sabin Fr eclerick B P arso ns Warr en G Gra nt 1839 ; Juliu s F Par so ns H enry H H oyt Cec il D Parso ns 1840; D eras- Ins Hinman Eli S Balch Samu el Ball 1841; Ruel R and all Bentley Sab in D eras tus H inman 1842; H enry H H oyt H en ry Snyder 1843; Graham r Bark er 1844; Stephe n Dail ey Gra ham N Barker H enry H H oyt 1845; Grah am N Barker David Bush 1846; Eli sh a W Gra nt 1847; Sylvester Tanner 1848; David Hush 1849 ; Sylvester T anner Geo rge R Say les 1850; Bentl ey Sabin 1851; Eli sha Vo Gra nt 1852; Graham N Barker Davi d Bush 1853- 54; Bleec ker L Bark er 1855; Edwin H itchcoc k 1856; Smith Benson Al be rt A Fi k 1857 ; Eli sha W G rant 1858; Seth W Min er Edwin Hi tc hcock 1859; Eli sha W Grant 1860; Set h V !l iner Obad iah S Tarsons 186 1 ; Edw ard C Silsby 1862; Charles L Gordon El isha V Grant 1863; Th omas Cope land 1864; R oger Sherma n Vil bur F Parsons 1865; D a id Bush A riel Bige low 1866; H enry C Colborn 186 7; Da vid Bush 1868; Montravil le Sab in 1869; David Bush Charles L Go rd on 1870; I-I~nr y C Colborn 1871; Eu ge ne A Bu sh Edward D Bark er 1872; Charles L Gordon Fayett e Grant 1873; Mahi se Dillingham 1874; F ayette Gra nt 1875; E d wa rd D oolittle 1876 ; Ceci l n Parsons Jr 1877; Juli an B Full er 1878- 79 T O WN SU PERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS H enry C Colbo rn 18 75-76; Wil bur F Par sons 1877-79 DRAI N CO MMIS SIONE RS R obert And erson D an iel Sherw ood 1871 ; Losson Gordon 1872 ; WiJli am Sabin S r 1873 - 74; J ohn Parker 1875; Samu el S T ower 1876; Ge orge Morse I 877 ; Charl es Cole man 1878; Th omas Stanfield 1879 EARLY HIGHWAYS As befor e mention ed th e first road ope ned for ge neral tr avel was the Trail r?ad which pass ed over a portion of th e so uthwe st part of the townsh ip Th e ope nin g of this route was a private enterprise we believe over which th e tow nship authorities of How ell ex ercis ed no authority At th e first meetin g of th e Board of Highw ay ·commissioners of Jena compos ed of Cecil D Parsons Am os Colborn a nd L edyard S Adams held May 17 1838 th ey decid ed to establish four road districts the boundari es of which wer e describ ed as follow s : Di stri ct N o I Beg inning at th e north east co rn er of sec tion o ne and runnin g wesl thre e rniles ; thence so uth thre e n1iles; th ence east thr ee mil es ; th ence north thr ee mil es lo th e place of beginning Di stri ct No 2 Beg inning at th e north east corne r of sec tion twe nty- four and runnin g w es t three m iles; south thr ee n1iles; eas t thr ee mil es; and north th ree mil es to th e place of begi nning D istrict N o 3 Beg innin g at th e nrth east corn er of sectio n tw e nty- o ne and running west three mil es ; so uth three mil es; cas t thr ee mil es; and nort h three mil es to the place f leginn ing Di strict No 4 Beg inn ing al the north ea t corn er of sect ion four and runnin g west thr ee mil es; so uth thr ee mil es; east thr ee mil es ; and north thr ee mile s to the place of beg inning The distri cts to be within th e said bound aries On th e 24th of the same month at a meeting wh ere th e commissioners of th e town ships of Iena a nd A ntrim were pr esent was projected the first hi g hway wh erein officers of Iena used th eir auth ority as suc h A joint road was laid out describ ed as commenc ing at th e sect ion corners of 31 and 32 of Antrim and 6 and 5 of l ena; th ence east along the county line one -half mile Alexanders Parsons Yaples Balls and several oth er roads were laihn Bennett A shelter was soon arranged with boards brou ght with them and th en th ey attack ed the forest with th e purpose of cutting out logs for h ouses Th ey were not good chopp ers at that tim e how eve r and at first were obliged to hire some help who were to the manor born But as Mr Love remarks they soon learn ed th e Yankee trick and ere many days the strokes of th e axes in the hand s of tJ1e English colonists reso unded as loud reg ularly and with as good effect as any as shown by the immediat e clear ing of five acr es on the land of Henry G Love A cabin was built upon th e Prob et place and th e family left at Rochester soo n came on accompanied by Nehemiah Gilks A crop of wheat was sow n th e same fall but it proved to be too late in the season and was a failure About the first thin g done after getting settled was th e cut tin g of the larg est whit ewoo dtr ee to be fo und on Mr Bavins premises; thi s was fashioned into a hu ge ca noe and launched upon Cedar L ake This was th e first bo at placed upon the lak e by white men and proved a source of great benefit to the settlers for as one of th em rernarks there was an ab undance of fish in Uncle Sams waters and but a small amount of pork in th e barr els at h ome During th e winter of 1836-37 the English se ttl er; cleared about 15 additional acres with th eir four yoke of oxen; th e land was plowe d the following summer th e wh ole sow n to wheat and a good crop resulted In th e summer of 1837 Thomas Lov e broke five ac res for Henry H Smith t1e first gro und plowed on Smiths land At thi s tim e it was very difficult to obtain th e most comm on articles uf food Flour was worth $ I 5 per barrel and corn $ 1 7 5 per bush el Provisions were obtained at Dexter Scio and very frequ ently non e nea rer th an Ann Arbor Thu s have we briefly traced the settlem ent here of a small company of English people-men and women of sterling worth-who to the pr ese nt tim e ha ve honored th ems elves and the land of their adop tion In January 1837 Thomas B Brooks settled upon section 1 and prior to th e first township election which was held April 3d of the same year Edward F Gay came Ebenezer Stearns who brought in from Ohio th e first hors es and sheep Thomas Schoonhoven who mad e the first improvem ent s on th e farm afterwards occupied by Elijah F Burt Cornelius Potter the first blacksmith William Hud son and Jam es Hoadley were all domiciled in various portion s of the town ship There were about 20 vot ers pr ese nt at the first township-meeting of whom 16 rec eived office The whole numb er of l)ames repo rt ed upon th e firsta ssess ment roll dated 35° HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN May 1 1837 as res ident tax-payers was 34 and th e total population of th e town ship for th e same year according to th e State census was 202 Of the settlers last mentioned Edward F Gay perhaps beca me the most prominent H e was a nativ e of Connecticut and first cam e to Michigan in 1831 settled at Ann Arbor and engaged in merchandi sing He remained th ere until 1837 wh en havin g meanwhile purchased th e premis es in Marion pr eviously occup ied by Deacon Branch he removed th ere April 1 1837 During th e same year he built and occupied a store in How ell which was th e seco nd framed building erec ted in th e village H e was an active and respec ted citiz en in every particular and se rved as Marions sup ervisor during th e years 1841 and 1842 Further menti on of Mr Gay and family will be found in th e history of How ell village Ezra N Fairchild another well-known pione er th e first surv eyor and prominent during hi s whole res idence here as a town ship office r settl ed in May 1837 H e cam e from Genesee Co N Y and died at Battle Cree k Mich in 1875 from a chronic disea se contracted while surv ey ing land in Livingston County Other se ttl ers of 1837 were Geo rg e D Baker Waters Clark from Monroe Co N Y ; D av id Dick erson who settl ed on section 14 Seth C and Seth A Darwin from Livin g:;ton Co N Y The latter brought in a stoc k of dry-goods which were sold at D arwins Corners in 1837 or 1838 William Davis from Erie Co Pa was anoth er se ttl er of 1837; also Horace Griffith frorn Steuben Co N Y; J osep h Walker from All ega ny Co N Y; Jame s Hadd an Samuel Hubb a rd Jerem iah Kent Hiram Mitch ell from Madi son Co N Y ; Myron Mitch ell his son; L ew is Pa rd ee from Monroe Co N Y; Thomas R oss ·wa iter R Seymour from Wayne Co Mich; William Josep h and Parley H Sexton William J Webster and Conrad Voll Ashbel A Vinega r cam e from Cayuga Co N Y to Michigan in the fall of 1837 He drove th e entire distance bringing two tea ms of hors es The journ ey required thirty days He says th at emigrants moving W est filled th e roads in many places for miles and his experience in trav ersing thirty miles through th e Maumee Swamp will never be forgotten The roads generally were about as bad as could be and many of the farmers living along the route stood in readin ess with teams yoked or harne ssed to assist-if well paid for itthose whose teams were stall ed Among th e se ttl ers of I 8 38 were Jam es T Bashford Zebulon M Drew Nathan Fields Josiah P Jew ett Noah Drew J esse Shafer Jam es Sloan ( who was another early blacksmith) Patrick Smith and Lym an E Beach Jr Th e latter was a native of Madison Co N Y In years just prior to his removal to Michigan he had resided in th e counties of Chautauqua N Y and in Erie Pa During th e month of March 1838 accompanied by his young wife he arrived here and settl ed up on lands th at had been locat ed by his father in April 1836 The entire distance was accomplished with an oxtea m and wagon-a g rea t achi eve ment considering the difficulties then attendant upon a passage through the terribl e Maum ee Swamp A log shanty was erect ed upon the so uth eas t corner of section 7 which possessing neith er floo r door no r window was occupied in that condition until the frosts of winter cam e on This primitive structure gave place in later years ·to a more comfortable log dwelling which in turn was succeeded by a fram ed house Mr Beach a nJ hi s es tim ab le wife expe rienced all th e vicissituJes incid ent to pioneer life But when after a few years of indu stry and eco nomy th ey were standing on the thr es hold of pro sperity ju st ent erin g upon the full fruiti on of th eir mo st a rd ent hopes and aspirations both were called to that bourne from whence none return Mrs Beach died in 1856 aged forty years Mr Beach followed th e partner of hi s j oys and sorrows thr ee years later dyin g at the early age of forty-three years Their children-four sons and one daughter-all res ide in Living ston County at the present writing th e elder so n William · M being th e present efficient County R egis ter of D eeds During th e thr ee succeeding years viz 1839 1840 and 1841 the popubtion of th e town was st ill furth er augmented by th e settl ement of Elias H Bristol Isaac Baker Jo se ph H Best Ebenezer Bliss J oseμ h D Bull James C Baker Hiram P Baker Charles Clark Ephraim C H endee Merritt S Havens J onath a n Lee Ozro F Olds Asahel Rust Eli A Rob ert s William Spafford William L Tompkin s John T Watson L orenzo Smith Julius D Smith and Ephraim Smith Th e latter was a veteran of the war of th e Revolution the grandsire of Henry H Smith and lived to the great age of ninety-nine years and thirt ee n days Hon Pierpont L Smith who throughout his whole resid ence in Marion has bee n one of the best known and mo st respec ted citizens of the township purchased land s her e in 1835-as shown in list of land- entri es-but he did not become a per manent reside nt until some three or four years later He ha s occupied many offices in the gift of his fellow-townsm en and has borne a con spicuou s par t in th e advancement of Marion to her pres ent proud position Elijah F Burt came to the village of Howell MRS E BAS! NG E BAS! NG- RESIDENCE if E BASING MARION MICH MARION TOWNSHIP 35 1 from R ockin g ham Windham Co Vt in 1838 Durin g th e succeedin g four years he was engaged as th e village sch ool-teac her In October l 842 he ret urn ed to Rockin gham and marri ed Miss F anny Olcott of th e same place R eturnin g to Michi ga n soo n after he purchased Th omas Schoonh avens farm where he remained until his elec tion as county clerk in 1846 A fter se rving two term s as county clerk he retir ed to th e plea sant premis es now occ upied by his widow and childr en Bes ides h oldin g other town ship offices he represent ed this tow nship on th e Board of Supervi so rs seve n term s Oth er settl ers her e pri or to 1844 were James Abbott Hiram Barton Thom as Bu sh Daniel S Grosvenor Lotan Hi scoc k Ezra In g ram J ames Muir Patri ck McEaneany D avid Park er and Alfred Woodward R obert Holland fro m Lin co ln shir e Engl and settl ed up on th e north part of section 29 in 1847 NOTEWORTHY EARLY EVENTS A mong th e first mo st notab le event s not already menti oned we may here add th at J ames Bavin built the first saw -mill since known as th e Dr e w mill in 1838 Hir am vVing in 1836 was th e first shoemaker in th e west half of th e cou nt y and made th e first map le-s uga r in 1837 Th e first birth occurr ed durin g th e las t week of Octob er 1836 being a daught er of J ames Bavin Mary F Wing daug ht er of Hir am Win g and now Mr s Clark of Ca liforni a was born Nov 3 1836 she being th e second child born in th e townshi p Th e first marria ge probab ly was that of J ohn L Wing to Mis s Olivia Smith in 1837 or 38 Th e ceremony was perform ed by Eld er Cosa rt Th e Marion post-office was first establ ished about I 8 37 and Geo rge W Lee appo inted po stm aster Hir am Wing succeeded h im Pierpont L Smith ow ned th e first mowing-machin e and has ever been noted as one of th e first to introduc e improv ed agricultural impl ements D avid Di ckerson burn ed the first lim e about 1842 Z M Dr ew was also eng aged in burnin g lim e in 1844 Edward F Gay made th e first brick as show n by th e following from an ea rly 11umbcr of th e L iving - ston Courer: The subscr iber wouhl in rorm all wh o are intere sted th at not withstanding th e un favorable seaso n he has made and burnt 100(X)() bric k thi s season whi ch ar e now ready for de li very for cas h o r approved notes al his kiln hair a mil e so uth or the village of H owe ll E F GAY I-IoWELL Jun e 19 1844 Th e following are th e names of th ose app ea rin g as res ide nt tax-payers on th e first assess ment roll of th e tow nship of Mari on dat ed May 1 1837 t oge th er with a description of th eir land etc: Nam es Sect ion Acres ~:~tili~l:t~: Al exa nder Boyde n 5 172 $516 Th omas B Brook s 80 240 James lavi n 22 23 ill ile Ch ubb 35 36 400 1200 334 1002 Sardis D lVis 2 38 13 2 T ownsend Dre w 3 4 395 1185 Ne hemiah Gilks 32 294 882 Eel ward F Gay 2 232 928 Yilliam H udso n 5 233 701 J ames H oad ley Th omas L H ancoc k 8 40 120 Th omas H os kin s 3 1 32 240 720 (~eorge P Jeffries 33 34 120 360 H enry G Lov e 33 320 96o Samu el Lyon 10 160 480 G uy C L ee 71 8 360 1200 Geo rge W Lee 8 40 120 R obert Mun us 19 20 80 240 Art ema Mahan 120 39° Eli sha Martind ale Pete r Merrih ew 200 650 Wm R Mar shall 22 80 240 Price M ore 10 80 280 Crn el iu P uer 7 4 3 129 Sylve ste r Rounds 19 166 4 98 Ebe neze r Stea rn s 5 6 268 97 2 Stoddard S111i1h 7 80 240 Nelo n A Smith 17 80 240 Th oma s Sc hoo nh oven 6 206 8 12 Geo rge Sewel l 18 16o 4 80 Char les V:1n Winkl e 27 70 2IO Hi ram Win g 15 2 1 120 360 A aro n Youn glove 33 34 108 324 Willi am Younglove 34 33 240 720 Th e tota l assesse d valu ati on of real and perso nal estate includin g res ident and non-r esident own ers a mount ed to $6 5868 and th e amount of tax levied upon th e same was $2 I 366 Tho se denomin ated resident tax- paye rs in 1844 and th eir location by sec tions were as follow s : Sec Austin Geo rge 6 Abb ott J ames 26 27 Bentl ey Ri ch ard 25 Bentley G B 12 Bro oks Th omas B I Beards ley Hiram 11 12 Bull J oseph D 29 Brannan M S 22 Rrow n J osep h 22 Baker I saac 19 Bu ckne ll J ohn 28 Beac h Lyman E Jr 7 8 Bashrord J ame; T 8 B:ish ford J oshu a N Boyden Alexa nd er 5 Bush Th omas 2 1 Hurden Enos 32 Hurt E F 6 7 12 Barrett Wil liam 9 Ilavin James 22 23 Cranda ll Laba n Cole man Eri 30 Cameron George 17 Coffey Levi IO Coffey elso n 10 Carson vVriliam 5 Chulhs Mil es 35 Clar k Charles I 3 Dr ewr y R ichard 28 Darwin Seth C 17 20 2 1 Darwi n Seth A 17 D re w T ow nsend 3 Dr ew oah 10 II Sec Dr ew Z M 3 10 14 Di ckerso n Dw id 14 Ells wor th Edward 18 Eves J ohn 8 F airchild Ezra N 22 28 F itch William P 22 27 Foster Samuel 27 34 35 Field Natha n 11 Fi eld Timothy II Fi shbec k Lev i 25 Fi sh beck El sey 25 Gay Edwa rd F 2 G ilks Nehe mi ah 5 32 Gr iffith H orace 23 24 25 Gree n Rebecca 26 Grosven or Daniel S 13 H unn Gid eo n 23 24 H ubhard Sa mu el 2 H end ee E C 35 36 H ave ns M S 9 H anco ck Th om as L 8 Hi scock Loton 3 H ud on Will iam 5 H addan J ames 5 9 It zell Andr ew 18 Ingram E zra 20 2 1 J ewe ll S P 2 J eweu Lucret ia 2 J e well George W 2 3 J ac kso n Ma ry 24 Kn ickerbocker A lanson K oc hlar Abram 8 L ee H ezek iah F 2 352 HI STOR Y OF LIVI NGSTON COUNTY MI CHIG A N Sec L ee J onatha n 33 34 L ee Guy C 7 8 L ee H enry B i 8 L ee Fred erick L ove W ill iam 15 Lov e El isha 4 32 33 L ove H enry G 33 L ove Th omas 29 Lyon Sa mu el 10 Ly on &amp; T homas 10 L ake Ria l 6 8 9 McEn eany Patri ck I McDuwell Ge orge 12 Moore Samue l Munn s Rober t 30 Mit chell Spe ncer 20 Mu ir J ames 20 Mit chell Hiram 20 Mill er Zachariah 22 Olds 0 F 9 14 15 Pinckn ey John 2 Pard ee L ewis 30 P ard ee Silas 30 Ritt er Berry I 6 R oberts El i A 6 R obe rts E li A Jr Round s J abez 19 R ound s Sylvest er 19 R ound s Joseph R oss Th oma s 22 27 34 Ru st Asahel 29 Ru bb ins Ad am 23 25 Sec Sel lman Th omas 36 Sexton Willi am 14 Sexto n J oseph 14 Sex ton Parle y H Smith Patrick 13 Sloan Jam es 25 Saunders Frederick 32 Shaffer Jesse (agent ) 3 1 32 Swar th out Ju stus 26 Smith H 1-1 21 Smith L orenzo E 21 Smith J ohn 15 Smith P L 7 Smith N A 8 17 Sewel l Geo rge 18 Spafford Willi am R 8 Si ea rns H enry P 5 6 Stearns Allen C 5 6 Stearn s Eben ezer 2 Valker J Dseph 19 20 W ing Joh n L 22 W ing Hi ra m 15 Win g Barker 12 21 Woll Conra d 9 JO Vatsun J ohn T 4 Vooer 1836 SECTION 18 Th omas Tyrr ell March 1836 John J ordan March 1835 ················· ······ Thoma s T yrrrell Au gust 1835 T homa s Ke lley Decemb er 1835 Th omas Sulli van Janu ary 1836 John Cullen J anuary 1836 William Gannon J anu ary 1836 J ohn J ord an Septemb er 1836 B 0 Cavan ag h October 1836 J ames Gann on May 1837 So So So So So 16o 40 40 So 40 40 160 40 16o 40 40 160 16o 16o So 40 40 15725 So 7967 40 40 40 80 40 40 3967 HARTLAND TOWNSHIP SECTION 19 Benjamin Wait October 1835 C Pecoard January 1836 Jam es McDonne ll March 1836 Elihu Haines March 1836 George Lem on June 1836 Isaac L Pl att August 1836 T B Weeden September 1836 0Hugh Mc Keever Augu st 1838 SECTION 20 Acres 80 40 3938 120 120 4&gt; 15784 3938 David F H ess Octobe r 1835 40 H alsey Bidwell May 1836 200 J ose ph H ard June 1836 40 Th omas Conlon Jun e 1836 40 George Lemon June 1836 80 Dennis O R ea rclon November 1836 40 Patrick Crosby Au gust 1837 40 Hu gh McKeever August 1838 80 J ohn Cullen Jul y 1854 40 SECTION 21 Norman Brainard June 1835 120 David F H ess October 1835 40 N Brainard December 1835 40 Solomon Foster July 1836 40 Solomon Daillarcl August 1836 240 R D H ess Septe mber 1836 40 N Brainard October 1836 40 Rd ecta H astings Apri l 1837 40 Patr ick K elley September 1837 40 J ohn G H orto n May 1835 120 C W Pie rce Octob er 1835 80 Laiu s Tenn ey March 1836 80 Cornell Lansing March 1836 80 Corne ll Lan sing May 1836 80 R D Hes s September 1836 40 Lavius Tenney September 1836 40 Laura Hulbell November 1836 40 SECTION 23 John Wi lli ams June 1834 80 Geo rge Huntl ey June 1834 80 George Bulkley June 1834 40 Aaron Phelps July 1834 160 Rufus Tenney De cembe r 1835 40 Eunice Tenney January 1836 40 John B Smith May 1836 40 Bl iss Charles June 1836 40 C T Charles Jun e 1836 40 John H opki nso n September 1836 80 Laura Hubbell D ecembe r 1836 40 SECTION 24 John C Ru ssell Decemb er 1838 40 B B Kercheval October 1836 40 A Carey Octoler 1836 40 E I Smith September 1833 80 George Burnet Apri l 1834 40 Joh n Willi ams October 1834 40 J ohn William s Februar y 1835 40 E I Smith June 1835 80 H arriet Smith June 1835 40 Crocker H ast ings October 1835 40 J T Clark November 1835 40 N P Morse Septe mber 1836 40 S T Armstroi1g October 1836 80 SECTION 25 Charles Smith April 1833 160 L avi us Tenney May 1833 80 El i Lee May 1833 120 E J Smith September 1833 120 Will iam Kinney Octoler 1833 80 E Armstrong June 1835 40 J ohn C Morse Novemb er 1836 40 SECTION 26 John Gline s November 1836 40 J ohn Glines Jul y 1834 Aaron Phelps March 1835 Eber Adams July 1835 A Hubb ell November 1835 Jeptha Coburn Februa ry 1836 Charles Smith February 1836 E J Smith May 1836 A Hu bbe ll Jfay 1836 Vvilliam Kinney Sept ember 1836 A Hubbell October 1836 SECTION 27 Abner Hyde J anuary 1836 N P Morse May 1836 C B Phillips May 1836 Levi Maxfield May 1836 Isaac F Brant Augu st 1836 George Cornel l September 1836 J ohn Gli nes October 1836 Be njamin Bre voort October 1836 J ames Handy November 1854 J ohn Gl ines October 1855 L L Armstrong Janu ary 1856 Jam es Grubb Janu ary 1860 SECTION 28 D F H ess October 1835 I H S Hu rlbert October 1835 Elisha Mudg e Jul y 1836 I F Brant August 1836 Laura M H es Sept ember 1836 Medad Ferry Ja nuary 1838 J ohn B Smith June 1838 Laura Lewis August 1838 Samue l Mapes November 1852 J H H andy December 1854 H A Potter May 1855 SECTION 29 Acres 40 40 160 40 40 40 80 40 40 40 40 40 8o 40 120 80 40 40 40 40 40 40 80 8o 80 120 40 40 40 40 40 40 40 I H S Hurlbert October 1835 80 M McD onnell May 1836 80 Stephen C Hathawa y May 1836 80 T homas Conlon June 1836 40 Wm J Cochrane A ugust 1836 320 Julia A He ss February 1839 40 SECTION 30 A Rogers Jr May 1836 M McDon nell May 1836 J ames Gleason May 1836 : Mary McGuire May 1836 lra C H athaway May 1836 Silas H athaway May 1836 Wm N H oyt Sep tember 1836 SECTION 31 R B Ruggl es Augu t 1835 Benjamin Tanner April 1836 H enry S Lisk May 1836 Patrick Mull en June 1836 Charl es Bartl ey August 1836 Wm A Clark Septembe r 1836 SECTION 32 Char les Robinson July 1834 Josep h R obinso n Jun e 1835 H S Lisk May 1836 S Ki lpatrick May 1836 Abm L Topping August 1836 Isaac L Platt August 1836 Benjamin Blain November 1854 SECTION 33 Benjamin Tanner Apri l 1836 E lijah Marsh Jun e 1836 Isaac F Brant August 1 836 Betsey Marsh October 1836 Israe l Armes Febru ary 1837 H H Wharner October 1837 3972 160 8o 3972 16o 11995 40 16554 16o 80 120 40 8190 80 40 80 8o 16o 100 40 120 80 80 40 40 40 HI STOR Y OF LI VINGSTO N COU NTY MICHI GA N Acres Samuel Crippe n May 1838 40 Morri s Vhit ehout F ebru ary 1846 40 I H H anrly Fe bruary 1853 40 Mich ae l Walsh August 1853 40 Frank lin W alsh March 1858 40 R obe rt Sloan March 1854 40 · SE CTION 34 H Goodspeed July 1835 So J osep h Young May 1836 160 W H John ston Ju ne 1836 80 Chauncey Child s Sept ember 1836 16o Benjamin Br evoort December 1836 40 I saac Collins Septemb er 1838 40 L M Arm strong D ecembe r 1853 40 H J Ross December 1854 40 SECTION 35 Em eline H ewett Ju ne 1839 So Ben jamin Wood Decemb er 1833 40 Corn ell L ~nsin~ March 1835 80 ] brook T ower May 1835 40 R &amp; J T enney July 183 120 Cha rles Smith Novemb er 1835 40 John 1-i Smith De ce mber 1835 40 F W Good man Decembe r 1835 40 ·wil liam Kin ney September 1836 40 Solomon Coope r N ovember 1837 40 W ells Farr J anuary 1838 40 K eyes Child June 1838 40 SE CTI ON 36 John Cosart N ove mber 1836 40 A lvah T enn ey October 1832 80 J esse Tenn ey Apri l 1833 80 J ohn C Morse May 1833 40 Era stus J Smith Sept ember 1833 40 John Vo od D ece mber 1833 80 Benjamin Wood J r Dece mber 1833 40 J ohn Cosart October 1835 120 Will iam Kinn ey Sep tem ber 1836 80 H T Ross D ece mber 1854 40 Th e follow ing is an ·alph abetical list of th e resident tax- paye rs in th e township of H ar tland in 1844: And rus R ebec ca Atw ood David Arm strong E lias Arm strong Giles A rmstn;&gt;J1g Sin1eon Bu ssey Calvin Bussey Hiram Brown ¥ alter Boulton J ames Br ock Matth ew Brown Portiu s Brophy J ohn Brop hy J ames Brain erd N orma n Brown Stephen Bradl ey Orlando Clark L e Grand Chambers J ames Cop p Peter Cimm er Nathan Cary Ado lphus Cha mbers Jam es Jr Chamb ers L C Crou se C L &amp; R Clark J osiah T Cullen Joh n Coo k E zekie l Clo uch erty J ohn Child Cha uncey Cosart J ohn Dyr e Edward Dibble H enry A D evine Rob ert F lint L edyard Ferry Willi am C F inn ey John Gleaso n Elijah Gri swold Ga ry Gri swold Dani el Gri swold H emy Graves Harley H Graves Cha rles K Ganno n R ichard Garfield J ohn Glea son J ohn Gi ll ingham John Griffin George J Gleaso n Hi ram Gann on Wi lliam Gl in es J oh n Grant George Grah am D avid Gleaso n J ame s Grisw old Benjamin H odges Ru sse ll H odges Will ard H aynes Lyman Hale E lisha B Huntl ey W ill iam E H o~m~s Orman Huntl ey E rastus L H aines Stephen Hai nes E lih u H orton J ohn G Huntl ey Henry 0 Hu bbell Ado niram H ath away Ira He ss David F ll ess George J ohn son William S J ohn son vlid ow J ordan J ohn K e; ]er J aco b Kelly Th omas Kinn ey George Kinn ey Wi lliam N Kinn ey H R Littl efield Anthony R Lamb Aros well L ennon l1arga ret L ~nning Wi lliam C Ly on Abie I L ake Varn er L iver more L~mpson L ee Eli L ee Ad on Morgan Dud ley Marvi n Ri cha rd Min or E zra Maxfi eld Th omas Ment er Daniel McKeever Hu gh Mape s Samu el J r Mudge John Mudg e Samuel T Mi ll J ohn H Max field Levi McDo nnlcl Michael Mape s H iram McCor mick J acob N ea r Freeman P ars hall Isaac Phi llips Cha rles B Ri ce John I Ross Charles Richa rdso n A V R oss J ohn Seed Hu gh Smith Beriah G Smith Willi am Sim ons Alfred S Scullard H iram R Seelty W illiam D Shaw Z Smith J ohn B S rnith Erastu s J Smith Charles T ownley Daniel T hayer I R T ownley Benjamin W Tyrr ell Th omas T enney L avius Th ompson Elia s Wh alen J osiah C vlebbe r J ames S W esterv elt Jacob W ake man Au stin vVebhe r J ose ph Vhalen John Wh alen J ames Whal en Dennis Wh ite Sandford Villi ams J ohn Wi lliams Sally vVaters Vinc ent Vood J ohn Youngs David HA RTL AND CENTRE Thi s littl e village which is loca ted nort hwes t of th e geog rap h ical centr e of th e tow nship was settl ed not long after th e first settl ement was made in th e township b ut it ass umed no sp ecia l importa nce as a centre of tr ade unt il so me yea rs later Rufu s T enney is sa id to have made th e ea rliest loca tion of land within its limits and th e first store was ope ned by Geo rge J Gri ffin from Roc hester N Y in I 839 Thi s was for a long t ime th e h eadqu arters of t he h amlet where th e news of th e day and po litic al top ics were disc ussed and where va rio us matt ers relat ing to th e we lfare of Ha rtl and had th eir or ig in T ow nshi p-m eetin gs were also held here for several years and liq uor was freely dispensed A fter canvass ing th e ballots th e elected cand ida tes were accustomed t o ex erci se th eir ho spit ality and a free-and -eas y tim e was th e inevitab le resu lt ; so me of th e early p ionee rs who still survi ve having a vivid recollecti on of th e co nd ition in wh ich th ey so ug ht th eir h omes after th ese electi on revels · A mos F A lbri g ht earl y erect ed a g rist-mill here HARTL AND TOWNSHIP an d for severa l years mana ged its bu siness but in I 84 1 dispose d of th e prope rty to R ober t D and Chaun cey L Cro use With th e arriv al of th ese ac tiv e bu siness men beg ins th e era of comm ercial enterprise in the littl e villa ge and th e gro wth and prosp erity of th e plac e is lar ge ly indebted to their pr ese nce R obe rt D Crous e came to the State in 1832 and to Hartl and in 1842 In co nn ection wit h th e mills he purcha sed a la rge tra ct of land and also kept a store with a ge neral stock Thi s store enjoye d a large tr ade and was for a long time a depo t for 111 uch of th e tr affic of th e tow nshi p Mr Crouse was also one of th e stock holders of th e Eas t Sag inaw Salt Ma nu facturin g Comp any and erected in th e city o f Sagi naw the first bloc k of stores ca lled afte r him th e Cro use Block Chaun cey L was th e broth er and part ner of Rob ert D and was int imat ely associ ated with him in his b usi ness enterpris es H e also became a reside nt here in 1842 Th e village co nt ains one tav ern kept by Asa Parshall; one tin- shop ow ned by L Hurlb ert; two dr y-goods sto res th e propri etors of which a re Crous e &amp; Co and W R Ga nnon respect ively both of whom ke ep in co nn ectio n with d ry goods a ge neral stock adapt ed to co untr y tr ade; one drugstore kep t by H Cu I Jen ; a ge nera l store by 0 B Chambe rs; a harnes s-shop by 0 Bowles and a bo ot- a nd shoe-stor e by Geo rge Darlin g The grist -mill which was built by Amos F Albright and was afte rwa rds the prop erty of th e Crou se broth ers is now ow ned by V Parsh al l &amp; So n Th ere is also a foundry in th e village which was built in 1849 by Lyman Bishop In 1855 it was purcha sed by C A Weaver who condu cted it until I 860 wh en it was di spose d of to Hild ebra nt &amp; Ca rl Th e foundry is no w ow ned by Sa nford Hild ebra nt and ma nu fact ures plows scrapers and ot her impl ements used in farm ing There are also thr ee blacks mith- shops ow ned by R Drulard F Steadman a nd A McDunagh Th ere are thr ee physician s in H artl and Ce ntr e- Dr s William M H ayford Murphy and J J Boyd -th e latte r of wh om rep rese nt s th e Hom ceopat hic sc hoo l of practic e Th e village also co nt ains a flour ishin g sc hoo l und er th e di rec tion of Prof Sellman CONG REGATI ONAL CHURCH Th e First Congregation al Ch urch of H art land Centre was organiz ed Apr il 1844 in a sc hoo lh ouse in th e imm ediat e vicinit y Ei g ht per so ns unit ed to form thi s new socie ty - six hav ing lett ers from oth er church es and tw o unitin g by prof ess ion Th ey were Myron Lov ell Caro lin e Lov ell J ohn P K ellogg A nn J Kello gg E lsie Marv in Marga ret L enn on Sop hia Clark Charles vVilliamson 47 Th e R ev Alb ert W orthin gto n of Milford Oakland Co was th e officiatin g mini ster and continued to be th eir pa stor for two yea rs- co min g once in four wee ks to preach to th e m Two months aft er th e o rga nizatio n of th e church tw o more perso ns un ited by profe ss ion of faith Th e chur ch records a re th en sile nt until F eb 2 l l 847 wh en th e R ev A Smith also of Milford pr eac hed and admini stered the sac rament of th e L ords Sup pe r; at thi s elate five person s unit ed with th e church by lett er R ev Mr Wat erbury ca me Jul y 8 1849 (from wh at place th e records do not sta te) and pr eac hed and ad min iste red the Lord s Supper-four persons unitin g with the chur ch at this dat e R ev Mr Ackley of H owell preac hed Oct 29 1849 a nd admi nistered th e Lord s Supper - fou r uni ti ng by letter M r Ack ley soo n after became th eir pas tor for on e year Aft er this the church had no past or or stat ed preachi ng until th e autu mn of 185 1 when th e R ev E T Br anch who had ju st compl eted a long pa storate at Ge nesee beca me th e pas to r and co ntinu ed his lab ors for tw o yea rs Both him sel f and wife wer e ea rnest ch urch-wo rkers doing good adm inister ing co m fort to th e afflicted and causi ng every one to feel th at in th em th ey had sinc ere friend s Th e Sabbat h-school (which at th at tim e was a un ion sc hool) was very pro spero us dur ing th eir res idence here All classes were ga th ered in a nd beca me int erested in th e study of th e Bible Mrs Bran ch orga nized the first L ad ies Home Mis sionary Society in this place whi ch was a success; not only were th e indiv id ua ls themse lves who thu s met benefited but funds acc umul ated with which to furni sh th e pro spect ive church Aft er Mr Branchs pa stora te the church record s are silent until Nov 3 1860 a period of seve n year s During that int erval ho wever R ev Mr Good ell was pasto r of th e chur ch one yea r and occasio nal preac hing was had by minist ers who were pa stors of neig hb orin g Congre ga tional Church es Durin g th at tim e also in th e s umm er of 1858 th eir pr esent ho use of worship was built the co st of building being S 1800 Thi s church was fully paid for and free from deb t and was also very well furnished by th e lad ies of th e ch ur ch and congr ega tion at the tim e it was dedicated D ece mber 1858 R ev Mr Gree ly of G rand R apid s was present o n th at occasio n and pr ea ched the dedicatory sermon Myro n Lovell was th eir first chur ch clerk-chosen to th at office wh en th e chur ch was organized and cont inuin g to act in th at cap ac ity until F ebruary I 847 Their seco nd clerk was Dani el Rich elected to th e office in 1847 a nd filling the position until his deat h 37° HI ST O RY OF LI V ING STON CO UNTY MICHIGAN In th e spn ng of 1860 th e R ev M C Stanley b ecame th e pas to r a nd rem ain ed with th e chur ch o ne yea r A t th e close of hi s pasto rate th e R ev W vV Rob so n of vVorth in thi s State beca me th e pas tor H e was a n able Biblic a l sc hola r a nd b ro ug ht well-b eaten oil int o th e sa nctu a ry Seven p erso ns unit ed wit h th e churc h whil e he was p as - tor-fi ve by lett er a nd tw o by prof ess ion Hi s labors with th e church close d Octobe r 1863 N othin g more is show n by th e reco rds until 18G8 wh en th e R ev C N Co ul te r beca me pasto r a nd al so filled th e office of cle rk duri ng hi s stay o f on e yea r H enry Bisho p wa s th e fou rth cle rk chose n 1869 a nd held th e o ffice until hi s remova l fro m thi s pl ace in 1873 Amos Beebe was th e nex t o r fifth clerk for thr ee y ea rs at th e exp iration o f whi ch time Miss S A Gr iffin was chosen cle rk a nd co ntinu es to h old th e office at th e pr ese nt d;1te R ev vV B vVilliams vis ited this chur ch in 1872 a nd held meet ings for four wee ks pr eac h ing ever y evenin g and being assis tecl by th e R ev lTr C ran e So on after th e clo se of th ese mee tin gs tw ent y perso ns unit ed with th e ch urc h A t th at tim e th e Uni on Su nday -sch oo l was divided eac h chu rch h aving a separa te sc h oo l Th e Co ng rega tio na l sc h oo l p ur chased a la rge library a nd a lso a fine org an R ev H H Cra ne was th eir pastor in 1868 com - m encing h is labo rs soo n after th e protrac ted mee tin g closed a nd remainin g o ne y ea r Th e chur ch was th en with o ut a pas to r until October I 874 A t th at date th e R ev R W Fl etch er o f Jac k so n a n earne st faith ful wo rk e r became th e pa stor Durin g h is stay th e edi fice was ve ry th oro ug hly repair ed a nd g reat ly beau tified Th e first W oma ns Fo reig n Mi ss ionary Soc iety of thi s church was o rga nized du rin g that yea r Mr s Fl etcher takin g th e lea d in th e wo rk It is still do ing a good work Durin g th e s umm er o f 1876 th e church was without a settl ed clergy ma n but in th e a utumn o f th at y ear th e R ev Mr Osb o rn e of A ug usta Hill sda le Co bec am e th e ir pasto r he occupy ing thi s field two y ea rs pr ea chin g also in Tyron e eac h Sabbath afte rno on at which place h e o rga nized a Cong rega tional Church · H e was follow ed by R ev D A Stron g of Fr edonia N Y wh o comm enced hi s labo rs Oct 20 1878 H e has lab ored both h ere a nd at Tyron e being pqstor of both church es Hi s work h as been ve ry succe!isful and lar ge numb ers have bee n added to b oth church es This so ciety has from th e ve ry first k ep t itse lf free from deb t Th e es timat ed va lu e of church pr ope rty at th e pr ese nt date is $2000 l1ET I-IOD !ST EPI SCO PAL CHURCH Th e Meth odist E p isco pa l Church o f H a rtl a nd Ce ntr e e mbraces 69 m emb ers a nd is at prese nt in charge of R ev N J Lyo n Th e chur ch buildin g wh ich is ow ned by th e soc iety is a s ub sta nti a l stru ctur e co stin g abo ut $2500 An e ffort by th e wr ite r to obta in a co mpl ete hi sto ry o f th e chur ch h as prov ed un s uccess ful PARSHALLV I LLE Thi s activ e littl e haml et lies in th e extre me no rthw es t co rne r o f H a rt la nd a nd th o ug h th e la rge r po rti o n may be cla imed as belo ng ing to the tow nshi p nam ed a s ufficie nt po rtio n lies in T y ro ne to entit le it to a sha re o f th e h onor A s in m any v illages o f mu ch la rge r propo rti o ns th e wate rpower whi ch th e site a ffo rd ed was th e nucl eus aro und whi ch th e village was built it havin g offered a ve ry att rac tive prospect to th e first set tle r a nd fou nde r of the pl ace Isaac Pa rshal l a nd induced him to cast hi s fortun es in t hi s po rtio n of H artl and in 1834 H av ing s ur veyed th e co untry car e fully a nd di scove red th e oppo rtuni ties th a t Nort h O re Creek offe red to a m an of ent e rpri se he imm ed iate ly ent ered 400 ac res of land whi ch included th e mill -p rivilege L ater Mr Par shal l bega n th e erec tio n o f a sa wa nd gr ist-mi ll but did not at on·ce settl e up o n hi s prop ert y H e retu rn ed to hi s h ome in th e East a nd in 1837 had fully d etermin ed to cast hi s fortun es with th e pi onee rs of H a rtl a nd A mill had pr eviously bee n b uilt by Ca lvin Bu sse y in 1835 one mii e sout h of Par sha llvill e o n section 8 It was up o n Nort h O re Cr ee k and had sa wed m uc h o f th e timb e r durin g its bri e f exis te nce th at h ad bee n used in th e co nstructi o n o f the rude h o uses a nd barn s of th at ea rly day Lat er it wa s bo ug ht by Wm Smith a nd its qua int ruin s a re sti ll seen on th e ba nk s o f th e creek as the tr aveler pa sses o n hi s way to Bri g ht on Havin g in 183 5 erect ed a fram e h o use a nd made so me improv ement s in th e s urroundin g land Mr Par shall wh en he becam e a res ide nt in 1837 found a wid e and invitin g field for hi s ener g ies He was al so a black smith a nd added to th e occupations of mill er and farm er th e reputati on o f sh oei ng a hor se as well as a ny smithy in th e county Mr Parshall d id not entir ely m onopo lize th e field h oweve r but encour age d John R ob ert s at a n ea rly day to emb ark in tra de H e built a s mall store o n th e west side and filled it with a ge nera l as sortm ent of goo ds s uit abl e to th e country t ra de a nd enjoyed th e honor of havin g be en th e first merch a nt in the villa ge Th e west side wa s not how ever to absorb all th e bu siness e nt e rpri se o f th e place and soo n a H A RTL AN D TOWN S HIP 37 1 simil ar sto re was built and op ened by A ust in W akema n on th e eas t side Th e h ouse bu ilt by Parshall was j ust ea st o f th e cree k an d op pos ite th e mill Soo n a fter hi s arriv al he induced th e g overnm ent to esta bli sh a po st- office of whi ch he was postm ast er th e office being in his ow n house H e had at thi s tim e a nea r neighb or in a Mr L ewis who ca me about th e sa me elate and bui lt a log h ouse wit hin sight of hi s own home Th e hamlet having mad e a cour age ou s beg inn ing soon grew in s ize until a neat littl e village is th e res ult It has never bee n incorp orated its size not warrant - in g su ch a proc ed ur e It now co nt ains a postoffice of whi ch J S Griswold is po stm as ter ; two sto res conta inin g a general sto ck and kept by Gri swold &amp; No rbert and W &amp; I H etche ler; a shoe-shop by Alb ert vVhit e ; four bl ac ksmith - shop s ow ned by George H asper Ez ra Cha mberlain R obert Brya nt and H enry Shaver ; a foundry of whi ch E Chamb e rla in is prop rietor wh ich n1anufactur es plows sleig h-shoes and casti ngs of all k inμs for ag ricultur al use and has a considerable patro nage from th e neig hb orin g farn1ers; a wag ons hop kept by Or land o Ga lt ; a pai nt-shop kept by Ir ving J ohn son; and a ch ees e-facto ry whi ch is not ma nage d after th e ord inary meth od of a stock co mpany b ut is ow ned a nd cont rolled by J aco b S Griswold who was a native o f Che mung Co N Y a nd em ig rat ed with his fat her to Ha rt land in 1836 H e ent ered merca ntil e life at t he age of tw enty -one and in 1853 p ur chased land and devoted him self to farmin g p ursuit s mak ing th e rais ing of fine stock a specialty Th e b~eves ship ped by Mr Gri swold were co nceded to be th e finest ever raised in th e co unt y H e has also bee n th e pos tm aster at Parshall ville si nee 18 5 7 with th e ex ception of t wo yea rs M r Gri swold takes an act ive int erest in th e g row th of t he to wnsh ip and has held many respons ible offices Par shallville also boas ts a g rad ed scho ol Th e buil di ng is a fra me o ne located upo n an eminence from wh ich is obt ained a comm and ing view of th e s ur ro undin g co untry It is und er th e dir ec tion of H arri so n Dunh am with Miss Nellie Britt on as ass istant A plat of th e village has never been made all descript ions being depe nJ cnt upo n measur ements a nd bou nda ries for ac curac y Th e Parshallville Mil ls a re loca ted up on th e site of th ose for me rly b uilt by Isaa c Pa rshall on No rth O re Creek a nd a re ow ned by W alker &amp; Bro wnin g wh o bo th being occ upied w ith th eir farmin g inte rests intru st th eir ma nage ment to th e head mill er J ohn Sy mons T he b uilding was erected by D aniel T own ley in 187 1 a nd pur chased by t he pr esent firm in F ebru ary 1877 I t der ives its power from th e cr eek upo n whi ch it is loca teJ and e mploy s four run of stone 111 its g rin ding proc ess It s ordi na ry capa city is fifty ba rrels per day Mu ch feed is g ro un d at th e mill s and a large sh are of c ustom patro nage is also afforded them T H E BAPTI ST C l lU RC H PAR S HA LL V ! LLE * held its first meeti ng in th e log ho us e of J a mes S W ebber now res iding at E as t Sag inaw on F eb 25 1837 of whi ch R ev N ehemia h L amb wa s chose n mod erator a nd R ev A roswell L amb (so n o f R ev N ehemiah L amb) clerk A t that meet ing it was voted to unit e in conference and A rticles o f F aith and a Chur ch Covenant were ad opt ed At th e seco nd mee ting held March 25 1837 ten persons gave in th eir letters as follows: R ev r ehemiah L amb R ev Aro swell L amb and Ph 0=be L amb his wife Isaac Parshall a nd Seraphin a his wife J am es S Veb ber a nd Ph0=be h is wife a nd L evi R ebecca and E lizabeth A ndru s J ames S vVebb er was chose n permanent clerk R ev N ehemiah L amb perma nent moderato r a nd R ev A ros - well L amb as sis tant to serve in the ab se nce o f h is fath er Th e co nference was recog nized as a reg ula r Bapt ist Chur ch A pril 26 1837 by a co uncil rep - rese nt ing the chur ches of H ig hland Nailed L ak e anJ F armi ngton toge ther wit h t he R ev M r J ones of th e tow nsh ip of R ose and the R evs N ehemiah L amb and Aro swell L amb of H artland O n th e sam e day Patience R hoda and Co nt ent L amb Eli zab eth R ob erts Betsey T ow nley and J ames L A nd rews were received as membe rs increas ing th e numb er to 16 L evi An dro s was chosen d eac on Ap ril 29 th a nd M rs vVestervelt wa s bapt ized Jun e 25th in a s mall bro ok runn ing-acro ss the farm s of J ames S vVebber and R ev Aro swell L amb a da m hav ing been made near th e line on sec tio ns 8 and 9 Sh e was the first perso n eve r baptized by a Bap tist min ister in t he tow n of H artl and Betw ee n Ap ril 26 1837 when the chur ch was recog nized and J une 27 1841 70 pers ons were ad ded to th e chur ch as follows: By l ctter- 1 bn nah L un i&gt; C:1roline Vash hurn Ala nson O lds Jm1t Old s Orso n Stephe ns Gr:ce S Stephe ns Vi[[iam D Sn app E lizhet h Sn app J :1me;; [ l ill Azub : llr y:&gt;n Am os F A lbright J oh n J Blac km er I [arvey R St ep he ns H a nnah An n Gale Solomon G ue Joa nn 1 Gu e E lanor Per ry R ebec ca Bu nsey Lav ina H ilb ilb ric tta Albright Sa mu e l Co le Prudence Cole E li Cra nston Sena ih son Pa lmer C ranston M ary Cra nsto n E lizabeth Cra nton Mary Angas Em ily Cla rk Po[[y R oberts Jose ph Cole E lizabet h Co le llarb ara Vall Cat harine Va n Camp J oh n Ga rfield Ma ry G:1rtie ld Bet haw: Little field 1f-a- nn:h Ann Ste phen s ; tot:1! 38 fl y R pt is111- R oxana Veste rvelt Sus:111 Rolc rts Job L Bul - lock N e lson Robe rts lIarvey R Step he n D ehbo r1h An n * Fu rn ished by the pa sto r -~ - - - -r- -- - ---- 372 HIST O RY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN H aynes Natha n Cole Luc ell ia T own ley E sth er M Cole Benja min R T ownley Ge orge T ow n ley A ndre w T ownl ey Malan Van Camp vVi!Jiam L vVeb her Ir a Era stus Thayer J oh n Bla ckburn Eli za T o wnl ey Mary Ma so n Martha Van Camp Isaac T Cole Austin Burn ell Eli za Beac h Ada J Co le Eli zabet h Cassada Peter R ese I srael Parshal l Dani el Town ley Min erva Parsha ll D elia Chamb erlin Fanny E Van Camp; total 30 Add ed ly E xper ience-B eriah G Smit h and Betsey Smith who came from the Seventh -D ay Bap tists ; total 2 Add ing th e 16 or igi nal memb ers who were first recog nized as a Bap tist Chur ch we have a g ra nd total of 86 per so ns Durin g th e sa me period two perso ns-P atience L amb and D eac on L evi Andrews- di ed; 12 perso ns were dism issed by lett er and I exc lud ed leaving a me mb ership of 71 on J une 27 1841 R ev Nehemiah L amb remain ed in Hartland m ore th an a yea r after th e orga nization of th e church co-op eratin g wit h his so n R ev Arosw ell L amb A fter his removal R ev A Lamb co ntinu ed in charg e of th e church until the summ er o f 1856 maki ng a co ntinu ed pasto rate of nearly nin etee n and one-half yea rs Durin g thi s tim e h oweve r owing to th e feeb le h ealth of the pa stor R ev J H R asco was cal led to hi s assis tan ce for one year and a you ng man not ordain ed named Stark assis ted him for a period of se veral month s Unfortunately th e reco rd s were burned a few y ea rs since and no official record of th e pro g ress of th e church from Jun e 1841 to th e da te of the fire is at hand Th us it i not pr acticab le to 0btain details of th e history for a period of near ly thirty years It may be sa id howeve r th at for many yea rs th e divin e service was held in th e Smith sc hoo l-house on sec tion 5 in H art land L ater th e se rvic es were tr ansferr ed to th e sc hoo l-h ouse at Parshall ville and were th ere held until th e p rese nt chur ch edifice wa s complet ed in 1855 In th e erec tion of th e church ed ifice a ve ry sub - stanti al bri ck stru ctur e 36 by 50 feet in size D ea - con Isaac Pars hal l was a leadi ng sp irit Being a man of mea ns and energy he hir ed th e workmen purchased the material personally sup ervi sed eve ry part of th e work and paid th e bill s with th e exce ption of about $300 or $400 until th e work was co mpl eted Wh en finished-it havi ng bee n erect ed up on hi s own land-he deeded th e prop erty to th e trust ees of th e chur ch and soc iety and th e sea ts-hav ing bee n so ld at public auction-h e dee ded to th e individua ls who pu rchased th em Th e sa le of sea ts rea lized an amount nea rly sufficient to repay th e deaco n for his out lay The R ev A L amb was born in Prattsburg N Y in April I 8 I O and removed to Farmington Mic h in l 82 l or 1822 About a year later he settl ed on a farm nea r th e eas t line of Liv onia in Way ne Cou nty and officiated in th e R edford Chutch four years wh en in th e latt er part of th e yea r 1836 he exc hanged hi s land in Livonia for th e farm on sec tion 8 in H artland on which he lived for tw ent y yea rs Durin g hi s pas torate of th e chur ch in H artland now kn own as th e Pars hall vill e Chur ch he rece ived only a pa rtial support from his 1ninisterial labo rs; but by ca reful managem ent and pcr3ona labor on hi s (ar m co mbin ed with teaching- he wa s ab le to rea r hi s family and imp rove hi s farm so that up on h is removal in I 866 he left one of the mos t attr ac tive homes in th e tow nship Aft er a pa sto rat e of nea rly twenty years he left th e chur ch with a members hip of 145 and a fine chur ch edifice practically ou t ·of debt His field of labo r was very large extendi ng from Lin de n and Fent on o n th e north t o Whi~e L ake on th e eas t Brighton on th e south and Oc eola and D ee rfield on th e wes t and nor thwes t S hort ly after his res ig nation at H a rtl a nd he was ca lled to th e charge of th e Baptist Chur ch at Sa lem vVas ht enaw Co where he continu ed to labo r until h is dea th in Ma rch 1860 Th e ch urc h has bee n in charge of th e follow ing persons as pastors or sta ted suppli es since Mr Lamb s pa storate 1856 : R ev M r Ad ams 1856- 57 one yea r; R ev Mr Atwood term not cert ain probably tw o years ; R ev Mr Conklin stated supply for so me m onth s; R ev J H R ares for one year; RevH S towitt s from 1862o r18 63 to 1865; R ev P C Dayfoot fro m I 855 to I 868 ; R ev Wm vVh ite from 1868 to 1870; R ev S Gard iner from 1870 or 187 1 to 1872; R ev M r Lyon for a few mon th s; R ev Samue l S mith from 1873 to 1875; R ev D Gast ellow from 1876 to 1879; R ev Isaa c W Lamb beg an in May I 879 The ch urch and soc iety now ow n a fine br ick ed ifice with abou t an ac re of land attac hed and tw elve good stalls in th eir shed The soc iety have also a parso nage wit h a half-acre of gro und attach ed whi ch was the g ift by will of D ea con Par shal l Wh en th e first ge neral effort was mad e to end ow Kalama zoo Co llege in 186 3 the Hartland Chur ch rais ed mor e th an $ 1600 for th at pur po se of which D eac on Parshall and hi s es tim abl e wife since deceased gav e $ 1 rob Th e church has bee n from its beg innin g hea rty in its supp or t of th e vario us mi ss ionary educational and ot her benevo lent Chr istian ent erpri ses It s present office rs are: Pa stor R ev I saac W L amb ; Deacons M D Bracle S E Dean Vin - -- --- ------ -- - HARTLAND TOWNSHIP 373 cent Par shall; Clerk Wells Avery; Treasurer Marie Bracle METHODI ST EPIS COPAL CHURCH Th ere 1s also in Par shallville a flourishing Methodi st Epi scopal Church with a larg e membership and ownin g a church edifice which cost about $ 2000 It s pr ese nt pastor is R ev E D awe R epeat ed efforts on the part of the hi storian to obtain facts with reg ard to it hav e met no respon se CIVIL LIST The following is a list of the town ship officers: 1836-El i Lee S1periso r ; J osiah T Cb rk T own ship Clerk; Era stus J Smi th Tr eas u rer ; No rm an Brainarc! Sam uel Mapes De nni s Wh ale n William Kinn ey J ustices of th e Peace; J osiah T Clark J ames Wh ale n School In - spector s 1837-Eli as L ee Supe rvisor ; J ohn G H ort on T ow nshi p Clerk ; Eras tus J Sm ith Tr easu rer; O rman H olmes N orm an Bra inard D enni s Vhalen l saac Corn ell Ju stices of th e Peace; Or man H olmes J ames Vh ale n Josia h T Cbrk Schoo l In spectors 1838 - J ohn J Blackb urn Supe rviso r ; John G H orton T ow nshi p Cler k ; Wil liam E H untley Tr ea urer ; No rm an Bra ina rcl A ustin Vakeman J ustices of th e Peace; Am os F A lbrig ht Eclwa rd Dav idso n J ames Vvhalen Sch oo l In spec tors 1839- Eli Lee Superv isor ; J ohn G H orton T own h ip Cle rk; Am os F Al brig ht Tr eas ure r; John J Bb ckhurn Justice o f the P eace; John R olerts Amos F A lbright J ames Wh alen School In spe cto rs 1840 -El i L ee Supe rv iso r ; George J Griffin T ownship Clerk ; Or man H olm es Tr eas ur er ; O rm an 1-Iolmes J ohn J R ice Ju stice$ o f the P eace ; Edw ard J lJ aidso n Menzo Vv Smith Geo rge J Griffin Schoo l In spec tors 1841-J o~ n Mudge Supe rviso r ; John G H orton T own hi p Cle rk; F ree man N ea r T reas urer ; Au stin Vakeman Ju stice of the Peace; J ames Vhale n Samu el T M uclge Edwa rcl J D av iclson Sch ool In spec tors 1842- J ohn G H orto n Supe rvio r; H orace B 1-]u lbar cl T own - shi p Clerk; Villiam E Huntl ey T reas urer ; No rm n Bra inard Ju stice o f th e Peace; Sam uel T Mud ge Ed - warcl J- Daviclso n Geo rge J Griffi n Sc hool I nspectors 1843- Geor ge J Griffin S uper visor; Joh11 J - R ice T ownship Clerk; Willi am E H untl ey Tr eas urer ; I r:1 C I-fatha - way Ju stice of th e Peace; J osiah T Clark R obe rt Cro use School In spectors 1844- John G H orton Sup ervisor; J ohn J Ri ce T ownship Cler k ; J ohn W oocl Tr easu rer ; Orm an H olmes Ju 1ice of the Peace; Hi ra m Mapes Sa mu el f Mudge School I nspecto rs 1845 -V illiam E H un tley Supe rvisor; Mose B H ess T ow nsh ip Clerk; Joh 11 Wood Trea sure r ; J oh n J Ri ce Ju stice of the Peace; Charles R os J osiah T Cla rk School In spec tors 1846- Joh n G H orton Supe r visor ; Geo rge J Gr iffin T own ship Clerk; J ohn vVood Tr easu rer ; L ed wnrd F lint Ju stice o f th e Pea ce; H enry S Wo rth ing ton Jaco ! S Griswold Sch oo l In specto rs 1847 - John loo t! Super visor; D avid Ri ch T own Clerk; Era stus J Smith T reas urer ; Hi ram Mapes Ju stice of th e Peace; Edwa rd D avidso n Schoo l In spec tor 1848 - J ohn Vood Su perviso r; Geo rge J Gr iffin T ow nshi p Clerk ; John G H orton Tr eas urer ; O rman H o lmes Ju stice o f th e Pea ce; R obert Crou se School In spect or 1849-Davi d Ri ch Supervi sor; D av id Atw ood To wn ship Clerk ; Orm an H olmes Tr eas urer ; J ohn J R ice 0 B Chambers Ju stices of th e P eace ; George J Griffin Hiram Mapes School In spectors 1850-J ohn W ood Superviso r ; D av id At wood T ow nship Clerk; Orm an I Iolm es Tr eas urer ; Ruf us T enn ey Villiam Smith Ju stices of the P eace ; H enry W orthin gton School In specto r 1851- J oh n Vood Supervisor; I-I M erce r T own ship Clerk; Hi ram R Scol lard Tr eas ur er; D av id Ri ch L edya rd F lint H enry Gri swold E d w1rd D aviclson Ju stices o f the Peace; Samue l T Mudge School In spec tor 1852-J uh n W ooc! Superv isor; Char les I-I K Varren T own- hi p Clerk ; Hir am R Scol larc! T eas ure r ; Edwa rd D av idson Ju ti ce o f th e Peace; H enr y Brock way Charles R os Schuol In spec tors 1853 - Jo iah Wh ale n Supe rvisor ; H en ry S W orthin gto n Schoo l In spe ctor ; Nelso n Steve ns T ownship Clerk ; Hir am R Sco l larrl Tr eas ure r 1854-Geo rge J Gri ffin Sqe r visor ; A lbert L H ath away T ownship Ce rk ; S1m ue l M1pe s Jr Tr eas ur er; Ca lvin T ow nl ey Ad nah L ewis Ju stices of th e Peace; Charles H K W a rren School I nspecto r 1855- Geo rge J Griffin Supe rvi so r; Alb ert L H ath away T ownship Cle rk ; S A St uar t Tr eas ur er ; H enry Griswold H enry S Vorthingto n J ustices of the Peace; Char les R oss Schoo l In spec tor 1856-0 rman H olmes Su per visor ; A lbert L H atha way T o wnshi p Clerk; Sep hen A St uart T reas urer; Da ni el Ri ch Wil liam C F erry Ju stices of th e Peace ; C H K Varren Schoo l In spec tor 1857- 0 B Chambe rs Supe rviso r ; Alb ert L H at haway T ow nship Cler k; Jacob Ca rl T reas urer ; Ed wa rcl D av idso n J ustice of th e Peace ; Wi lliam M 1-layfo rcl School Inspec tor 1858- J acub S Gr iswold Supervisor ; A lbert L Hath away T own ship Clerk ; J acob Carl Tr eas ur er; N elson Ste - vens L L A rmstrong Ju stices of the Peace; vV S Sm ith School In specto r 1859- H enry P Cro use Supervi sor ; Albert L H ath away T own ship Clerk ; E arl E W alto n Tr easu rer; David B Maso n Silas Bulla rd Ju stices of th e Peace; Fra nk S wee t School In spec tor 186o - I-lenry P Crouse Supe rvisor; Alb ert L H ath away T ownsh ip Clerk ; J ohn Wallace Tr eas urer ; D av id R ich Ste phen Hun ge rford El isha G Smith Ju stices o f th e Peace; John B T yrr ell Sc hool In specto r 186 1- Lor en zo S A rm strong Supe rvisor; Sa u ford ll ildehra nt T ow nship Clerk; J ohn Wallace Tr eas ure r; Eli sha G Smith Ep hra im Hu bbe ll Ju stices of th e Peace; F ra nk Swee 1 Schoo l In spector 186 2-0 B Chambers Supervi sor ; Alb ert L H at haway T owns h ip Clerk ; Hu gh Cu llen Tr eas urer ; E ph ra im Hub bell George A Whit ehea d Ju stices u f th e Peace ; N ewlon T Kir k Schou! In specto r 1863- I a K night Supe rviso r ; I l enry Cni use T ow nship Clerk ; Vm F Lemen Tr easu rer ; Lyman Bisho p Van R Durf ee Hi ram R Sco llarcl Ju stices of th e P eac e ; Mo rga n L An d rus Sc hoo l In spect or 1864 -Ir a Kni g ht S upe rvisor ; H enry Cro use T ownship Clerk ; Ch arles I-1 Merce r Tr easu rer ; Van R Durfee Ju st ice of th e Peace ; Charles R ose Sc hoo l In specto r 1865- G iles R oss Supervi sor ; Josep h Blins ton T ownsh ip Clerk ; Samu el Mapes T reas ur er ; James Gleaso n Ju stice of th e Peace; Wiili am M ll ayfo rcl Sc hool In specto r 1866- J ohn vVood Supervi sor ; J ohn B Cro use Tow nship Cle rk ; Hi ram R Sco llarcl Tr eas urer; F urm an B Clark Ju stice of th e Peace ; Ne wton T K irk Sch ool In spec tor 1 1867-J aco b S Gr iswold Su per visor ; Newto n T K irk T own - ship Clerk ; Th omas N J ones Tr ea surer ; J ohn Dun374 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGA T ham Ju stice or th e Peace; All en C Wrigh t School Inspecto r 1868 -H enry P Crou se Sup ervisor; vVilk es S Stuart T own - shi p Clerk; Am os J Bebe e T reasur er ; Eli sha G Smith Wi lliam T Sca man Justi ces or th e P eace; Al - bert L H athaw ay School In spector 1869 -H enry P Cro use Sup erviso r ; vVilk es S Stu art T own - ship Clerk; Pet e r McK ce ver Tr easurer; J am es G leaso n Ju stice or th e Pea ce; Ormau H olme s J V W orthi ng - ton Sch oo l In spec tors 1870 -J ohn W ood Sup ervi sor; vVilk es S Slu ~rt T own ship Clerk; I [cnry Ni chnls Tr ea ur er; Benja m in R Town - ley Ju stice or the Peace ; Ju stin V W ort hin gton Schoo l I nspecto r 1871- Ju sl in V vVo rtling ton Sup e rvisor; Willi am M Chamhe r T wnhip Cle rk; lcter Fahey Tr eas urer ; 0 B C ham be r R bert McC all J ust ice o r th e Pe ace ; Wil - liam 11 I l ay rurcl Schoo l In specto r I 872 -Gcorge · Sta rk Supervisor; Jam es C Ca m pb ell T ownship Cler k; Ch a rle 11 Sle·e ns Tr eas ur e r ; J oh n Dun - ham Cha un cey A l eaver Ju st ice s or the Peace ; Ju tin V Vort hin gton School I nspec tor 18 73 - J ttstin W W orthin gto n Supe rviso r; Maj or I! L eme n T own ship Cler k; Jacuh S Gri:wold Treas urer; James Gl ea son Ju stice or the Pe ace; ll ar ry S llyer s Schoo l In p ec tor 18 74 - L orenzo L Ann stron g Su pcrv io r; Z E Cham hers T ow nship Cle rk; Asa P1rhall T reas ure r ; I !crman V C lark J ustice or th e l eacc ; Willi am M H ayfo rd J V W ort hin gto n Schoo l In specto rs 1875 - L urenzo L nn strun g Sup e rviso r; l krm a n W Cla rk T ownshi p Clerk; V ilke S Stuart Tr easu re r; Jaco h S G riswo ld la thanid Eth ridge Ju stices of the P eace ; I hr ry S Mye rs Superinte nd ent of Schools ; Ne wton T K rk Scho ol I nspecto r 1876- L orcnzo L Arm stro ng Su pe n ·io r; F r:tnk J B irdsa ll T u n h ip Cl erk; qui re Ve reliu s Tr eas urer; J ohn Uuuh am Ju l ice nr the leace ; I lary S Mye r Sup erin te nd e nt or Scho ols ; Newton T ];:irk Sch oo l Inspector 1877 - Lorenzo L Ar111trn11g S11pcrviso r ; John Cainph ell T ownship Cl er k; Squ ire V rse liu- Tr easur er; J oin -Voocl J ulic e r the Pe ace; I hrv ey S Mye rs Sup erin te ndent u f Scho I; Net o n T Kirk Sch ol Inspec tor 18 78- J uslin V Worthingt o n S11pervi sur; ~Iajor I-I L e men T ow11sh ip Cle rk; J aco b S Gri swold Tr e:sur er; Ri cha rd l[a rvin J ustice or the Peac e; R C Sellm an Sup erintendent or Schoo ls ; J ohn J Boyd Selw ol l nspcct r 1879 - 11 ira n B Th omp so 11 Supervis or; Lemuel ll urlli crt T ow n- h ip Cler k; J :1cul S Gri swold Tr ea ur er ; J ac I S Grisw old Ju stice o r th e Peace ; J oh n J Bovcl Super in - tend e 11l or Schou ls ; Willi a m M H ayfo ·d Schoo l Inspe cto r -- - ·- - - B I O G R A P I-I I C A L S K ET C I-I E S CHARLES SMITH o ne of th e pion ee rs o f th e sout hern part o f the tow n o f H artla nd was b orn in Gr im esv ille Berk s Co Pa A ug 28 I 8 I I H e was th e so n of Chri stia n and Ann Sm ith Up to th e age of seve nt ee n he wo rk ed o n h is fathers farm at whi ch tim e he was app renti ced to the t rad e of a weave r wh ich avocat ion h e follow ed until he came t o Michi ga n in 1834 He worked for Luth er Boyd en of W as htenaw Co unt y for thr ee years wh en he se ttl ed in Hartland wh ere he loca ted o ne hundr ed a nd s ix ty ac res of land Th e re h e res ided un til hi s dea th in I 875 In I 837 he was ma rri ed to Miss Ann S mith who was born in Ch erry Vall ey Otsego Co N Y Ap ril 14 18 21 Th ey rais ed a family of eig ht ch ild ren : Sara h J L aur;l A R e ub en C W illiam A Cha rles A Addi e A Frank L a nd El eanor A Mr Smith was a s uccessfu l farm er a nd as a neig hb o r and frie nd was fully app rec ia ted by all wh o kn ew him His wife is in every resp ect a splendid type of th e wo men o f th e ea rly clays and did her pa rt in develop ing th e farm o n which s he now res ides whi ch is o ne o f the best in Hartland ELI SH - G SMITH was bo rn Nov 25 1826 in Ti oga Co Pa H e was the only so n o f vVilliam S mith a nd L eah G riswold who rea red a fam ily of five chil d re n Th e elder Sm ith was p robab ly a nat ive of Pennsy lva nia and was bo rn May I O 1786 Vh en tw ent y-o ne years of age he we nt to Smithfi eld Bradford Co Pa wh e re h e purchas ed a nd improv ed a new farm A fte r a res idence th ere of several yea rs h e remov ed to Tioga Co unt y a nd en gaged in lum be rin g marketing h is product in Philadelphia The business prov in g unr emun era - tiv e he decid ed to co me to Michi ga n a ncl in 1836 purc hase d th e far m upo n which he a fte rward resid ed R eturning to Penn sy lvania he ca me with hi s family the followi ng sp rin g a nd mad e a p erm a nent set tle ment H e was h ighly es teemed for h is sterli ng int eg rity and indust rious habi ts; wa s a man of str o ng relig ious co nvictio ns a nd a promine nt me mb er of the Methodist Chu rc h H e was m ag istr ate of Hartland for ma ny years a nd h eld ma ny other positions of trust H e di ed in F lint Dec 20 1852 Elisha G Smith was po ssesse d o f ma ny stro ng po int s of cha ra cte r a nd inherited from hi s fat he r ma ny of his d istin g uish ing tr a its H e was e ne rgetic industr ious a nd p ossesse d of more than a n ordina ry a mou nt of bu siness ab ility Upo n the death of hi s father he succ eeded to hi s bu si ness which h e ma naged success fully April 20 1853 he was m arri ed to Miss Co rdelia M Marsh of Pl easa nt Va lley wh e r she was born Apr il 19 1833 They rea red a famil y o f e ig ht chil dren seven of whom a re livin g E G Smith died in Hartland in 1870 ELISHA G SMITH MRS ELISHA G SMITH WILLIAM SMITH CHARLE S SMITH HARTL AN D TOWNSHIP 375 LE GRAND CLARK so n o f Elisha a nd Lydi a (Ro ot) Clark was bo rn in J ohn stown Montgom ery Co N Y Nov 25 1814 a nd was th e second child in a family of thr ee b oys a nd thre e g irl s E lisha Jr was born March 25 1785 Lydi a hi s wife was born in 1784 H e was a sh oe mak er by tr ade a nd di ed wh en L e Grand was but four tee n years of age But litt le is kn own of his hi story furth e r th an th at he was a man of sterlin g int eg rit y and hi g hl y respec ted Hi s fath er El isha S r was a nativ e of Old Milford Co nn wh ere he was born April 15 1746 H e ma rri ed Parth enia L ewis Le Gr a nd by th e death o f hi s father was thr ow n upon hi s ow n reso urces and up to th e ag e of tw ent y- thr ee was th e hea d of th e famil y A t thi s tim e he wa s marri ed to Mi ss Cat hari ne Vro oman a nd moved to Victor O ntar io Co N Y where h ~ re ma ined th ree yea rs In 1842 M r Cla rk came to H artl a nd and pu rcha sed th e farm wh ere h e no w res ides and which at pres e nt co n sists of two hun dred and fifty-four acre s Eig ht years afte r hi s rem ova l to M ich iga n hi s wife died a nd in 1853 h e wa s aga in ma rr ied to Mi ss Abiga il G Buss ey S he was born in Mac edo n Wayne Co N Y Sep t 26 1834 Mr Clark h as b ee n a successf ul farm er a nd is con sidered a va lu able citize n H e is a Bap tist in hi s religio us convicti o ns and a pro min e nt m emb e r of th e ch urc h o f that de nomi nat ion in Hartland JA COB S GRISWOLD Amon g th e ea rly pion ee r fam ilies o f th e town of H a rtl and th e Gri swo lds are ent itl ed to pro min ent m enti o n Henry Gri s wold fat he r of th e s ubj ec t of th is nar rativ e was a native of Chemun ab Co N Y wh e re h e was born in th e year 1800 H e ma rri ed Elizab eth Snell a nd rea red a family of eig ht children J acob S be ing th e eld es t In 1836 h e came to Livin gs ton County and being favorably impr esse d with th e o il and th e natur al advantages he purchased a farm in the town of Hartland R eturnin g to N ew Y or k h e di sposed of hi s property a nd the follow ing sp rin g emi g rated with hi s family H e at once co mm enced th e imp rove ment of his farm up on which he res ided until hi s deat h which oc curr ed in 1877 H e was a thrifty indu stri o us farmer and a man o f excellent p rin ciples J acob ac kn ow leged ob liga ti o n to hi s fath er in his labor until h e attai ned hi s majori ty wh en h e star ted in life as a clerk in t he store o f A ustin &amp; Wak eman with wh o m he re rnained six y ea rs In I 849 he estab lished hirn se lf in trade at Par shallvill e wh ere he now res ides In hi s bu siness ope ratio ns Mr Griswold has b ee n s uccessfu l In I 853 h e p ur chased a farrn and engage d in dairying a nd ra ising stock in co nn ec tion wit h hi s me rca ntil e b usiness In 1875 he buil t a cheese -factory a nd comme nced th e manufac tur e o f ch eese In I 8 5 I Mr Griswo ld was marri ed to Miss Es - th er dau g ht er of Ezra Ma so n one o f th e p ionee rs o f R oc heste r N Y havi ng se tt led th e re pr ev io us to th e war of r 8 12 H e was a mill er by tr ade but in th e later pa rt o f h is life beca me a farm er vhi ch busin ess he followed un til hi s deat h H e wa s hi g hl y estee med for his integrity a nd ability Th e li re of M r Gri swold has bee n compa ratively un eve ntful In h is yout h he was subj ec ted to th e p rivatio ns a nd ha rds h ips of pio nee r life and ea rly lea rn ed lesso ns of indu st ry eco no my a nd sel f-relianc e wh ich were em inentl y se rvicea bl e to him in afte r-life H e has not o nly obtai ned a promin e nt pos itio n a mo ng th e leadi ng busin ess men of th e cou nt y but has won th e es tee m and co nfide nce of hi s t own s111en who have elect ed h im to var ious positio ns of tru st th e d uti es o f whi ch he has faith - fully disc harged In 1858 h e was ele cted sup ervisor o f Hartland and aga in in 1867 H e has bee n po strnaster of Parsballvill e sinc e 1857 with th e ex - ceptio n of tw o years Mr Griswold is a man o f ma rk ed lib erality and of mu ch public spi rit H e has take n a dee p int e res t in th e deve lop ment of hi s town a nd cou nty Socially h e is ge nial and courteous a nd hi s hos pitalit y is p roverb ia l OCEOLA TOWNSHIP THE township of Oceola lies near th e centre of Living ston County and is bound ed north by De erfield east by H ar tland so uth by Genoa and west by Howell It is exclusively an ag ricultural town shi p having no village within its limits and its improvements are second to non e in th e county Elegant farm-dwellings substantial and comfortable barns and out-buildin gs and well-kept fields a re evidence s of th e prosperity of its inhabitant s Th e soil is adap ted to all its requireme nts and th e yield of g rains and fruit is ge nerally most satisfactory Timb er exists in co nsid erab le quantiti es Th e water-courses are few and frequ ently become dry during continu ed drouths The surface of th e tow nship is ge nera lly rolling and capable of exce llent drainage In plac es the elevations are al mos t worthy th e name of hill s and many beautiful and picture sque loc ations abo und In an ear ly day ga me ex isted in thi s township in abundance in common with all th e reg ion sur - rounding and it was but a question of sure aim to th e settl er whether or not he shou ld have a bountiful suppl y of fresh meat Th e rifle was th e neces - sary companion of th e axe and th e crash of the falling tr ee was heard in uni so n with th e report of the weapon from which sped th e leade n messeng er of death towards th e noble antl ered buck Th e deer which once were plenty have long since disappeared yet various portions of th e State in which th ey yet abound hav e become familiar to the son s of pion eers who lik e th eir fathers enjoy the sports of th e chase LAND-ENTRIES The following list include s all who entered land in what is now kn own as th e t ow nship of Oceola according to the Tract Book at th e Regi sters office in Howell The sections and years in which th e entries were made are given: SECTION 1-1 835 Israel Par shall Guy N R oberts; 1836 Ru ssell Morton E zekiel Page John Van Tuy! Th omas Van Tuy! ; 1837 H enry Tripp SECTION 2-1835 Samu el Gri swold John Stevens ; 1836 J acob ·nell Peter Martin Th omas Van Tuy! J ohn Stev ens J ohn A Va n Camp SECTlON 3-1836 Danie l W Leroy Joseph Merrill Jac ob Snell J acob L ong R od ney C Boutwell Isra el C Parshall B B K ercheval SECTION 4-1836 Willi am P1ge Samuel White G:ur et Martin 376 SECTION 5-1836 William Page Alle n C H odge s John B F ranklin Corn elius Neisse SECTION 6-1 836 Willi am J H amilt on R oswell Barnes Con· rad Moore Willi am B Eager SECTION 7-1836 Job W Durf ee Ch arle s Van K eur en William B E age r; 1848 John Curran SECTION 8- 1835 Asa Park er Th omas K Parshall; 1836 John M Coe Isaac Mun- on William W Joh nson Robert Edwar ds ; 1837 Moses Beidleman SECTJON 9-1 835 Joseph Whit aker o rm an Spellar J abez Mead; 1836 Jab ez Mead J oseph Willi s Samuel White J ohn M Coe R obe rt E d ward s SECTION 10-1835 Henry S Chaplin Benjamin Eldred; 1836 Daniel vV Lero y Wm Peabody Asa Parshall J ohn Cra ne SECTION 11- 1836 J oseph S Gihh s Patri ck T obin Ann Gri swold Samue l Gri swold Asa Parshall J ohn P Bush Valentin e H K etchum SECTION 12- 1834 Georg e Peters ; 1835 J ohn T Bro wn Benjamin Gri swold; 1836 Ira Knight Eli sha Gri swold SECTION 13- 1832 William E R eddin g ; 1834 Charl es K Graves ; 1835 Th omas K Parshal l Charles K Grave A rchib ald N elson Jonathan Ne lson Guy N Robe rts Villiam P Shannon; 1836 Nathan J enk s N ehemiah Boutwell SECTION 14-1 835 H arley H Graves H osea Ro ot Ar chib ald Nel son Benjamin El dred; 1836 Ru ssell Blood orman Spellar Harve y H N eff Carol ine Austin SECTION 15-1835 Polly Fu ller Benjamin E ldred; 1836 J onas G Potter Fr ancis Mittle berge r; 1837 Geor ge vV Sutton; 1839 G Th omp;o n D avid Blood; 1851 J ohn L L ewis SECTION 16 (school lands) -184 8 J H Fergu son; 1850 v illiam H olmes H McKe ever; 1851 R A Ferguso n B Feeley; 1853 L C Critte nden W P H olmes R obert H olmes I saac H aywood J B Lee ; 1854 F McD onough P McKinney; 1856 William H olmes ; 1862 Franci s Mc- D onough J r SECTION 17-1 836 William Barber J ohn F Law son Frie nd Bu rt Charles Van Keuren SECTION 18-1 836 Steph en J Miller Volney Hinman E zra J Mundy Charles Van K euren J ohn Crane SECTION 19-1 836 Fl avius J B Crane J onas M Wheel er Volney Hinm an SECTION 20-1835 Charles Pinckney Samu el H West; 1836 Jam es Hugh on Th omas M How ell Gabri el De a n; 1837 George W Walker SECTION 21-1836 Obed Durf ee A nson Nels on Ama sa B N elson And rew Riddle Pomeroy Ea ston John K fine! SECTION 22-1835 J osep11 H Rums ey James G Rum sey J s e B Rum sey; 1836 Artem as S H ardy Amos B R oot ; 185 1 George W Arm stron g ; 1854 Barnard Judge SECTION 23-1835 Orvill e Murdock John P Spring steen Wil - limn H J ohn ston Ep hraim H arcly ; 1836 Art emas S H ardy SECTION 24-1835 Orville Murd ock; 1836 Peter Y Browning- Charles McD onald Edmund A Brush villiam P Shannon N athan J enk s Wi lliam A Clark Sar ah Murdock SECTlON 25-1835 Reub en Moore ; 1836 Peter Y Browning 01·;amond B Wood Clark C Iloutwe ll Fla vi us J B Cra ne Charles A Wallace H orace R Hudson SEc iION 26-1836 Peter Y Browning H arvey Rhod es Pomeroy Eaton Clark C B Boutwell Conn or Bergen Je sse B R umsey R obert Chambers OCEOLA TOWN S HIP 377 SECTION 27- 1835 El lis Luth er J oe l 13 Rum sey; 1836 Lib erty J udd SECl!ON 28- 1838 Phi lester J ess up J oseph I I Pi nck ney Ellis Luth er Milan Gl ove r ; 1836 J oseph H Rum sey Andrew Rid lle Art emas S H ardy Jo e l B Rum sey S ECrJON 29- 1835 H enson W a lker Mila n Glov er; 1836 Gardiner Maso n Jonas M Wh ee le r Willi am C R um sey E mily L Rumey Solomon S1uncler ; 1837 Jam es A Hi cks Samu e l T Bu el SECTION 30- 1835 Addi son La ~k r Rensselae r Lack or Mo es Th ompso n Ma ry Th ompson; 1836 Gardine r Mason Jonas M heel er Yilliam C Ru msey Em ily L Rulll sey Ch arles A Jeffries ; 1837 J ohn L owe SECTION 3 1- 1835 R urus N ico ls Jtlrn Fra ser J 1cob S Sorte r Pau l D Cornell Al on zo Corn ell Al exand e r F raser; 1836 J oseph II Ste e l I l enry I-Inwkin s Va n Rensse lae r H awkin s ; 1848 Mo rri s Th olllpso n SECTI0:-1 32- 1835 J ohn W 1lk er; 1836 Wi llia m T alman Jo eph II St ee l J acob W Moo re ; 1837 Ph ilester J essup Orso n Elli ott ; 1839 S1 llluel Colbo rn SECTION 33- 1835 Joh n W alk er Ephraim H ardy; 1836 Benj am in Earl Noa h Bri ggs Jose ph Yhitake r J ohn W R oe n J ohn Fr ench Robert Wh itacr e Ri ley E ar l Phileste r J esup SECTION 34- 1835 Elli s Lu th er Eph ra im I brdy; 1836 W illi am IL Phi llip s N oa h Briggs Jose ph W hit acre Conn or Ber ge n; 1837 Alon zo Vilc x W illia m [l Ki nball vTashin gto n J ac kson; 1854 W ill iam Ha rb ur &lt;&gt;ah Brigg s SECTION 35- 1836 J ohn Stone Joh11T huir vaht er Muli n George Fl avius J B C rane Conn or Bergen E dward Nic hols SECTION 36- 1836 E rastus Kell ogg Gu stav Baetck e Solomon Gu e Samuel H a rn ed SETTLEMENT AN D DEVEL OPMEN T R ega rdin g th e first settl ement in th e territ ory now kn ow n as Oc eo la tow n hip th ere is so me disp ut e but fro m all ev ide nce obtained th e version given by Thom as K Parshall sti ll livin g in th e township is th ough t to be th e tru e one and is as follow s: H H Graves cam e into th e township A ug 31 1834 and becam e its first sett ler H enry Neff (o r H arry as he was more fami liarly kn own) follow ed in No vemb er o f th e sa me yea r Th ese tw o person s with th eir famili es were th e only settl ers in th e tow nship un t il th e 1st day o f Jun e 1835 whi ch witn esse d th e a rri val o f Th omas K Pa rshall On th e 4th of th e sa me month th e latt er se ttl ed with hi s family in a log shanty cov ered with elm-b ark J T Brown arriv ed in Au g ust of th e sa me yea r (1835 ) and J ohn St evens cam e soo n after Th e latt er built th e first shi ng le-roo fed log h ouse in th e t ownsh ip Durin g th e winter of I 835 -3 6 th e five famili es* th en living in th e tow nshi p occ upi ed one small hou se and a log shant y with its cov erin g of elmbark Sep t 5 1835 Mr Neffs so n J erom e Neff was born hi s being th e first birth of a whit e child in th e tow nship The first deat h was th at of a child nam ed Catharin e Stev ens dau ght er of J ohn St evens which occ urr ed N ov r 1835 soon aft er ------- - ------------- -- - * See state me nt or vValke r et al settl ement 48 Mr Steve ns arri ved Mr Parshal ls fathe r-in-l aw Ca pt Jeremiah Casady died in F ebru ary 1837 Perh aps th e first coupl e married in tow n were William D ean a nd wife-h er name not recoll ected Th is was in th e spring of r 838; th e ceremony was perform ed by Th omas K Parsh all Esq and th e occas ion was the first of th e kind up on which he had been call ed to officiate McK inst ry Sa nders from th e town of L ee O neida Co N Y forme rly of Martin sbur o- L ewis bl Co moved to Michi ga n from th e form er place in May 1836 and located in L ::i Sa lle Mo nro e Co In Octob er follow ing he move d to Oceo la and pur chased a farm a mil e north of th e pres ent home of his so n Nat han M Sa nde rs Th e elder Sanders now lives in th e village of D e Witt Clint on Co Mich Hi s so ns Nat han M and Geo rge are th e only ones of hi s chil dr en at p rese nt living in Oceo la Mr Sand ers resided in thi s tow n ove r thirt y years Nat han M Sa nde rs purcha sed land in K ent Cou nty went to it and b uilt a shanty upon it in 184 ? A t th e same tim e he own ed th e place wh ere he now lives and finally d ispo se d of hi s K ent Cou nty land H e has recentl y tran sferred a portio n of this place to hi s so ns Alb ert T and J olrn F Sanders McKi nstry Sand ers was noted for hi s profi ciency in t he ch ase and on one occas ion wh en comin g ho me wit h six ty pound s of flour on hi s bac k saw as many as fifty deer on th e way H e was one of a qu intett e of mig ht y hunt ers co mp osed of himse lf Charles P Bu sh of Genoa E lias Spra o-ue b Ni cholas Frink and H enson Walker Jr and th ese wr ought dest ru ction in th e rank s of th e fou r-footed de nizens of th e fore st To W alk er many of th e sett lers were ofte n indebt ed for choice morsels of venison which ca me in tim e of need Ro swell Pettibon e a nativ e of V erm ont and lat er a res ident of Genesee Co N Y ca me to Michiga n as ea rly as 1828 and se tt led at Yp silanti Vashtenaw Co His wife ca me to th e sa me county in I 829 from Seneca Co N Y with her broth er and mot her-Mr s Sarah T erhun e a widow She was marri ed to Mr Pettibon e at Ypsilanti wh ere th ey lived until 1843 wh en th ey remov ed to th e tow nship of Genoa Li vings ton Co and se ttl ed on a plac e ly ing on th e Gr and Riv er road In 1853 th ey came to th e farm th ey now occupy which is th at form erly ow ned by Phil ester J ess up and afterwards th e prop erty of a Mr Prud en Mr Pe ttibones so n James L Pettib one who is a native of Nas ht enaw Count y res ides on a farm west of his par ents Th e place on which th e family locat ed in Geno a was purcha se d of a man named Guthrie; up on it a log house had bee n built and an acre or tw o clea red when th ey to ok po ssess ion i I I : I RESIDENCE Qt ROBERT WALKER OcrnLA 1Jv1NGST0NC o McH 378 HISTORY OF LIVING STON COUNTY MICHIGAN In th e fall of 183 5 four men from O ntario Co N Y cam e int o th e tow nship and entered land on sec tions 28 and 29 Th ese were H enso n W alk er Phil ester Jess up J osep h Pinckn ey and E llis Luth er Th ey all built shanti es and Mr Nalker settl ed with his fam ily almost imm ed iately th e ot hers loca tin g durin g th e wint er Mr Jessu p afterwards became th e first clerk of Living ston Cou nty In th e sp ring of 1837 Mr ·walk er s da ught er Cassa Ann was born being one of th e first whit e childre n born in th e town ship She beca me the wife of Edw a rd Pettibon e and is now living in Ypsilanti wher e her hu sba nd d ied Wh en th e Walker family first came to Michi ga n it stopp ed a few months at Sale m Washt enaw Co Th e elder Walker located his land in Oceo la and hi s so n J ohn Walker located the place wh ere anoth er so n Richard vValker now lives J ohn Walk er did not settle but went back to Wa sht enaw Co unt y of which he is still a residen t H e sold hi s place to hi s b roth er Geo rge wh o made th e first imp roveme nt s upon it and occ upied it six or seve n years Th e latt er also now liv es in Wa shtenaw County Of the nin e childr en-seve n so ns and two dau ght ers-w ho came to Oceo la with th eir par ent s-H enso n Valke r and wife-thr ee so ns Rich ard Thomas a nd R ober t y et live in t he tow nship; one so n H enso n Jr lives in th e Sa lt L ake Vall ey in Utah The elde r Walk er died many years sinc e His widow is livin g with one of her da ught ers in Y ps ilanti Jesse Mapes an ea rly settl er in th e north part of tow n built one of th e first frame hous es erected in th e township Th e first was probab ly bu ilt by J oh n TBrownand was sta ndi ng in 1836 Map es at first occup ied a sma ll temporary shanty for a short tim e William Ba rbour from Orang e County Vt (previou sly from Massachuse tt s) came to Oc eola in 1836 and purcha sed land in sectio ns 33 and 34 whi ch he still owns Returning East he moved ba ck with his family in th e fall of 1837 and settl ed up on his plac e Mr Barbour who was him self a m echanic co nclud ed it was useless to was te tim e in buildin g a log house and th erefo re erected a frame edifice Th e lumb er was sawed mostly at Th omp so ns mill north of Howell from whit ewood lo gs cut on hi s (Barbo ur s) own place As th ere was no snow th ey were draw n to th e m ill on bare ground Mr Barb our subseq uently built one of th e first frame barns in th e town ship secu rin g help to raise from a distance of six or seve n miles Mr Hardy s fr~me barn had been previou sly erected and perh aps one or two others Mr Barbours fath er Zeb ulon Bar bour quite an aged man came to Oceo la with his so n a11d aided h im in bμilding his house He owned no land h ere and has been dead over tw enty years Mr Barbour stopped for a short time when he came with Benja min Ear l his nea rest neighbo r across th e line in Genoa Mr Earl was a cousi n to Ril ey E arl st ill living in Genoa A Mr Benj amin bro th er of Ne lson Be nj am in now of Ge noa was th en living in Oc eo la or came very soo n after and vVilliam Palm er still a res ident of th e so uth eas t part of th e tow nshi p came th e same year Noah Bri ggs from th e town of Gro ton Tompk ins Co N Y broug ht hi s family to W as ht enaw Co Mich in Jun e 1835 loca tin g in th e township of Pit tsfield afterwards in Supe rior a sh ort d istance nor th of Yps ilanti During th e followi ng wint er he located land in Oceola up on whi ch h e moved with his fam ily in the fall of 1838 In March o f th e sa me yea r he had moved into th e co unty and rent ed a house of William Place way in the north eas t co rner of Genoa where th e latter k ept a log tave rn Durin g th e fall Mr Brig gs built a log hou se on his ow n plac e into whi ch h e mov ed Th e farm was subseque ntly purc h ased by his oldes t so n A nson C Bri ggs who now lives in Howell whil e anoth er so n H G Brig gs ow ns th e property Mr Briggs Sr aided J osep h Whitacre in b uildi ng a log house in th e sum mer of 1838 on a tr act adj oin ing hi s ow n and lived with him until he could comp lete a ho use for him self hav ing stayed bu t a few wee ks in Genoa Mr Vhit acre has one so n David living in How ell William C Rums ey who had or igi nally set t led in Gr een Oa k sold out in th at town ship in Jun e 1836 and in th e fall of th e same year built a log hou se up on th e place he had previous ly pur chased in Oceola (sec tions 29 and 30) and moved into it in November The land he owned in this town was all taken from th e govern ment exc ept So acres which h e purchas ed from second hands In th e wint er follow ing his settl eme nt he pr epared timb er for a saw-mill which necessary institut ion was built and in runnin g orde r in Jun e 1837 Th e first lumb er sawed in it was take n by Charles Van Keuren who yet lives in town Mr Rumsey continued to opera te his mill until 1847 in March of which year he m oved to Howell hav ing the previous a utumn been elected reg ister of deeds for Livin gs ton County Th e property was not disposed of for so me years and th e saw-mill was kept up until th e amount of water in th e small stre am which furni shed th e power had lesse ned to such a degree th at it was deem ed impr actic ab le to continu e it lon ge r The frame dw elling which Mr Rum sey now occ upi es in Howell was built in the spring of 1847 an~ occ upi ed by h im in June of th e same yea r Th e har dw oo d lumb er used in its conOCEOLA TOWNSHIP 379 struction was princip ally saw ed at h is mill in Oceola Mr Rum sey held th e pos ition of reg ister for four yea rs and was sub sequ ent ly elected county tr easurer th e duties of which office he perform ed an equ al lengt h of tim e D anie l Whittak er (nam e also spe lled Whit ak er) from V ay ne Co N Y came to Michi ga n as ea rly as 1833-34 In 1835 his so n Jo seph ent ered land in Oceol a and th e family movecl upo n it in th e fall of eith er th at yea r or 1836 Th e place is now owned by Willi am Whit aker and Th omas W alk er Th e Whit aker family was a large on e th ere being fifteen childr en Of th ese Villiam a nd D aniel are y et res idents of th e town ship and E zra lives in H owe ll J ohn Powers th e pres ent clerk of Oceola township although not numb ered among th e ea rly se ttl ers of thi s tow n is st ill a pion eer of th e St ate having come with hi s father Edward Powe rs from th e Stat e of V erm ont in 1838 or 1839 and settled in the township o f Hi gh land Oakland Co His res ide nce in Oceo la dates o nly from th e yea r 1866 The plac e now occupi ed by Mr Powers wa s ea rly ow ned by An so n N elson who settl ed up on it in th e fall of 1836 or early in 1837 H e is yet livin g with a son in L e R oy In gham Co and has pa sse d th e age o f eig ht y-nin e yea rs Ch a rles V a n K eur en a native of Ul ster Co N Y visit ed Oce ola in Jun e 1836 and purchas ed land In the sprin g of 1837 -h av ing return ed Ea st-h e start ed from N ew York City with his family co nsist ing of hi s wife thr ee so ns one daught er and hi s neph ew Tj erick Van K euren for th e new hom e in th e W est Upon a rri ving at Buffc1lo th e ice was found to be so plenty in th e harb or th at boat s co uld not pu sh th ro ugh Th e family remained in th e city while Mr Van K eur en and his nep hew so ught oth er mea ns of reac hin g th eir destinati on Proc ee ding to Cattarau g us Creek th ey found the way clea r and taki ng a stea mer at th at point th e tw o so on found th emselves in D etroit Th e remainin g porti on of the j ourn ey was accomplish ed on foot A shelter was necessary and a ph enomenal dw ellin g was erected con sistin g of a few pole s se t up in co ne shap e a nd cov ered with marsh hay Th ey had stopp ed for a nig ht or t wo with L o uis Nor ton who lived on th e farm adjoinin g to th e nort h Th e latt er had come in th e wint er ju st preced ing H e had a large family of childr en On th e 4th of Jul y 1838 Mr Norton who had taken a job of clea rin g in what is now the Batch eler neighb orh oo d was kill ed by lig htnin g whil e at hi s work in that vicinity His body was disco vered in th e evenin g by Mrs Hut chinso n who was returning to her hom e in H owell township with her hu sband from some plac e at which th ey had been makin g a Fourth of July visit Mr Van K eur en and hi s neph ew at once bega n buildin g a log house and help was so scarce that th ey were thr ee days gettin g it raised It was not ye t compl eted when Mr Van K eur en went after hi s family with which he return ed in August following Wh en Mr V an K eur en pur chased hi s land in thi s town ( 1836) Capt J eremiah Ca sa dy was lay - ing up his log house and when th e former return ed with h is family th e worth y captain had bee n call ed from ea rth and h is wido w and her family were occupying th e place A man named Kn eeland lived a short dis tance wes t in H owe ll townshi p Willi a m McFail se ttl ed sou th of th e Van K eur en plac e in 1837 shor tly before th e latt er a rri ved vVilliam B E age r ca me with Mr Van K eur en in Jun e 1836 and ent ered land north o f th e latt ers I plac e wh ere his so n J acob M Ea ge r now lives Fiv e men had sta rt ed tog eth er from Buffal o but o nly th e t wo above named were able to ge t throu gh Amon g ot her ea rly se ttl ers were J abez Mead and Dan F uller th e latt er makin g th e first improv ement s where Thoma s Park s now lives Th ese were livin g in town in 1837 o n th e road ext endin g eas tward from th e Van K eur en plac e Mess rs Chapman and Gibb s were also ea riy arriva ls A ndr ew F erg uson cam e abo ut 1840 to th e place now ow ned by Samu el T omion and mad e th e first imp rove ments upon it R os well Barnes and Montgom ery Ad ams lived in th e northw est corn er of town th e form er on secti on 6 and th e latt er on se ction 5 Both were respected citiz ens Th eir stay in th e town was of but a few yea rs duration Ada ms is now a res ident of Genesee Co unt y O ne of th e old est orchards in th e township is th at on th e farm of Charles Van K eur en which was set out in 1839 and is still in goo d bea ring conditi on Mo st of th e early settl ers plant ed orc hards as soon as po ss ible and thi s tow nship is not behind its sisters in th e produ ction and quality of its fruit Th e first potato es raised by Mr Van K eur en were mo stly to o small for use ye t he so rted out abo ut tw enty bu shels o f excell ent ones and from thi s it will be see n that the virgin so il was not backward in producin g a large yi eld of what ever was intru sted to its cover ing A sa Park er from Genesee Co N Y emigrated to Michi gan as early as 183 l and se ttl ed in th e tow nshi p of Ly ons Oakland Co Several years later probably in 1835 or 1836 he mo ved to Oceola and loca ted on th e farm now owned by Fr ancis Ea ge r nea r th e pr ese nt resid ence of his so n Danford Park er Edwin Batch eler says he HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN visited Mr Park ers house in 1836 and saw in it a floo r of hewed logs* Dani el 0 Taft from th e State of Massac hu sett s cam e t o Oc eo la about 1 842-43 and se ttled on th e pl ace now occupied by h is son oah Taft wh ere he spent hi s remainin g day s His death occ urr ed in May I 87 I D anford Park ers wife is his dau ght er Anoth er so n James Taft also Jives in th e north pa rt of th e town ship Bot h Mr T a ft and A sa Park er were engaged in agricultura l pur - suit s whil e th ey lived here H arvey Park s came to Mic hi ga n in 1836 from Madi son Co N Y and settled in th e town ship of Mundy Genesee Co In 1849 he remov ed to Oceol a wh ere he died Part of hi s fami ly st ill lives in town Sallu Riddl e from Genesee Co N Y cam e to thi s town ship in th e sprin g of 1839 purc has ed from second hand s th e farm now owned by his son Lucius E Riddl e on section 15 and built th e log part of the ho use yet standing H e th en return ed for h is family and broug ht th em back in Octob er of th e sa me year Althou g h not the orig inal purchas er from go vernm ent Mr Riddl e made th e first improv ement s up on his place J ohn W Botsford now living eas t of Riddl es Corn ers settl ed abo ut I 840 Amo s Walt erh ouse came to D etroit in th e fall of 1835 stayed in th e town ship of D ea rborn Wayne Co until th e sp rin g of 1836 and th en settl ed in Highland Oakl and Co In Janu ary I 842 h e moved into Oceola H e is a native of New J ersey and came to Mic higan from Genesee Co N Y Archibald N elson broth er to Mrs Sallu Riddl e came to th is township in 1835 with his fathe r J onath an N elson Th e form er ca me to th e Stat e in 1832 locatin g in Farmin gton Oak land Co In I 835 he ente red land in Oc eo la and se ttl ed upon it probably in th e fall of th e sa me year cuttin g hi s own ro ad through from Hi ghl and Ru sse ll Blood from Al exandria Genesee Co N Y came with his family to thi s tow nship in Octob er I 836 During th e tim e from th e preceding Jun e th ey had lived at Ann Arbor Washtenaw Co Mr Blood locate d upon th e place wh ere Amo s Walterhou se now lives H e died on th e 22d of F eb ruary I 85 I and hi s wid ow subseq uently became th e wife of Mr Walt erhou se Peter Y Browning se ttl ed on the place where his widow now lives in 1836 or 1838 and became one of the prominent citizen s of th e town ship Samuel and Edwin Batchel er from East D o ug las - --------------------- Ot he r authority think s Mr Park e r did not m ove int o Oceola until nin e or te n years art e r hi s sett lement in L yon s N orc ester Co Mass (nativ es of Rh ode Island ) cam e to Michigan in 1833 arriving in D et ro it on th e 17th of May and pu shin g on to Comm erce Oakland Co th e nex t day In that town th ey settl ed In th e fall of 1836 th ey so ld th eir property and purch ased la nd in Oceo la upon which th ey m oved in F ebruar y 1837 Samu el Batche ler lives on a part of th e old farm and Edwi n s so n Benjamin F Batc heler occup ies th e oth er part Th e latt er se rved in th e F ederal army durin g the R ebellion first as a priv ate in th e 26th Michiga n In fantr y and afterwards as first lie utena nt and acti ng captai n in a co lo red reg iment Hi s g ra ndfath er was a soldi er in th e R evoluti on Th e land ow ned by th e Batchelers in Oc eo la was bou ght of Ho sea R oot who had ent ered it th e same year but made no im prov ement s up on it Edwin Batch eler at pr ese nt res ides in the town shi p of Ma rion so uth of H owell His wife came to Michigan in 1839 with her first hu sband Sal mon Adams who had se ttl ed at Gra ss L ake in Jackso n County in 1835 or 1836 Mr Adams purc has ed land in Mari on th e same yea r from Fl aviu s J B Crane pur chasi ng a lso in Oc eola at th e same tim e He lived at Gra ss L ake until 1839 wh en he went East and was ma rried bringing his wife ba ck with him to th at place In 184 1 th ey moved to Iowa where th ey remain ed tw o yea rs In D ecemb er 1843 th ey return ed to Gra ss Lake and in Jul y 1844 moved to Oc eo la wh ere th ey resided until 1847 when th ey settl ed up on th e land in Mar ion which Mr Ad ams had bought in 1835 or 1836 it being th e sa me now occupied by Mr Batcheler Mr Adam s died Sept 15 I 850 and his widow sub seq uently beca me th e wife of Mr Batcheler Cha rles P Hardy ca me to th e town ship of Oceo la in th e fall of 1837 After a res idence here of thr ee yea rs he removed to Du Page Co Ill wh ere he yet lives in th e township of Milton near Prosp ect Park form erly call ed Danby Mr Hardys fath er Ephraim H ardy ent ered land on sect ion 23 in 1835 Early in 1836 he moved upon it wit h hi s family Jo el and J osep h Rum sey coming with th eir wives at the sa me time A log hou se (not of th e best kind ) wa s built on J ose ph Rum seys land in Febru ary 1836 and occ upied for a tim e by all thr ee fami lies or until ot her dw ellin gs cou ld be erect ed Mr Hardy worked at int ervals upon his own log house and had it finished and ready for occupancy late in the summ er He had tak en pains to clear some g round and plant potato es etc for futur e use before hurr y ing much with hi s hous e Th e old buildin g is yet standin g on sec tion 23 oppo site (north of) th e pr ese nt res idence of his so n Ephrain J W BOTSFORD MRS HANNAHB OTSFORD RES! DENCE Qt J W BOTSFORD OCEOLA MICHIGAN RESIDENCE Qt P Y M BOTSFORO OCEOLA MICHIG-AN OCEOLA TOWNSHIP J H ardy It is 18 by 24 feet in dimen sion s and was at first cov ered with rib s and shakes -t erms which all pio nee rs well und erstand The family consisted of Mr Hardy and his wife tw o so ns- Ep hr aim J and Cep has -and one daughter Josep h Rum seys wife was also a daught er of Mr H ardy At th at tim e th ere were no ot her families living in th eir imm ediate neig hb or hood th ~ nea rest being thr ee or fo ur miles away to th e so uth eas t and a few oth ers abo ut th e sa me dis tance to th e north eas t Mr: H ardy d ied Oct 12 1838 and his was the first death wh ich occur red in thi s part of tow n H e was at first buri ed on hi s ow n farm and s ubseq uently removed to th e RiJdl e ce metery Ephraim J H ardy wh o was eig ht ee n yea rs old wh en he came here with his fath er has made the tow nshi p and th e old farm hi s h ome si nce that tim e H e is th e only o ne of his fathers fam ily now livin g in town and he and his broth er Charles P Hardy of Illin ois are the only su rviving members of th at family E J H a rdy has vot ed at eve ry election since he beca me of age Oceola Centr e post-o ffice was es tab lished late in th e yea r 1840 after th e Pr es ide ntial elec tion on a mail-ro ute estab lished at th e sa me tim e betw ee n H owe ll and Ponti ac 11ia Milford Hira111 Good - rich was th e first po stm aster J esse Rum sey (bro th er to J osep h) was at th e sa me tim e kee ping a small store nea r th e pr ese nt sc hoo l-h ouse site in Di strict No 1 The store was ope ned that same summ er and an effort was made to remove th e post-offic e to it but th e wro ng shade of th e storeke epe r s politic s ca used th e failure of the sche me Th ose who have succ eede d Mr Goodrich in th e office are J osep h Rum sey L C Cr itt ende n J oh n G H orton Peter Y Brow ning Edward Browning a nd th e present incumb ent Ephra i111 J H ardy who took cha rge in th e sprin g of 186 1 soo n afte r th e inaugu ration of P res ident Lin co ln A ndrew Riddle the father of Mrs W illiam Mc - Pher so n of How ell ca me fro m Scot land and sett led in th e village named in Jun e 1836 and star ted th e first blacksmith-shop at th at place He brou ght his family with him ; one of his so ns is now in business in D etroit In th e sp rin g of 1837 Mr Riddle moved to Oceola tow nshi p and not long afte rward s b uilt a black smith -shop one and a haJf mil es wes t of Ep hr ai m Hardys place His son Andr ew subseq uently ca rri ed on th e shop About 185 5-56 Ep hr aim J H ardy also built a bl acks mith- shop which has be en abandoned but a few years Hollon N Lewi s and William Palmer livin g in th e sout heas t part of th e tow nship are a mong its oldest res ident s The lat ter settl ed in 1837 and the form er a little ea rli er A M r H ecke r settl ed in th e sa me neighborh ood quit e ea rly; h e los t two sons during th e g rea t R ebellion o f 186 1- 6 5 Harr y Neff who has been previously menti oned built up a considerabl e tr ade with th e Indian s when he first se ttl ed se llin g them whisky and othe r arti cles and taki ng fur s in exc hange H arleig h H Graves th e first settl er was th e first ju stice o f the peace in th e tow nship holdin g th e office by appo intm ent from th e Gov ern or before th e town was orga nized Hi s place was o n the eas t lin e of th e township nea r J ohn T Browns and is now th e prope rty of Mr O wen Geo rge vVright * whos e s ister was H a rry N effs wife lived in tow n for a shor t tim e but own ed no land H e was a young mc1n po ssesse d a goo d ed ucation un derstood va rious languages and was a clo se stud ent vVilliam E Redding who ent ered land in Oceo la in 1832 did not settl e until abou t 1836 d urin g whi ch y ea r he helped the Batchel ers build th eir house Among ot her ea rly settl ers in thi s tow n were H G W Fry from New York Sept emb er 1842; A bram Swi tz from New York May 1847; E K ellogg 1846; J acob Sne ll pur chased land in 1836 ; F H etch eler settl ed in 1845 The list of tow nship office rs acco mpa nyin g this sketch co nt ains th e names of many of th e pione ers and promin ent citizens of the town ship of whom th e greate r propo rti on have made th eir last long j ou rney and ente red upon th e sce nes beyond the dark river The ment ion of th eir names mu st brin g to th eir surviving friend s a nd neig hbor s a flood of reco llec ti ons of the days when all were stru gg lin g with th eir might to ca rve from th e forest ho mes for th emselves and a heritage for th ose who sh ould follow Those who were th en in th eir prim e have nea rly a ll pa ssed from mort al gaze a nd th e yo uth of forty yea rs ago is th e middle -aged man of to-d ay -hi s locks str ea ked with th e silver th at th e bru sh of tim e alone can paint and hi s min d awake to th e so lemn fact that ere many yea rs he too mu st join th e s hadowy thr ong which has pr ece ded him to th e unknown hereafter and g ive place to th e adva ncin g ge nerat ion Th e following alph abetica l list comp rised the reside nt s of Oceo la town ship in l 844: Al vord Am ericus V Berg in Danie l Bergin Prrtrick Bergin Michael Bergin Conner Beaujeau Eu se bius Barbour Willi am Brigg Noah Benn ett ALrnham Brow ning Peter Y Bntcheler Ot is Batchele r E Batch eler S Blood Rus sell Botsford John W Brown J uh n T Brown J ohn T Jr Beidelman Ch;·istian * This nam e is also given as Willi am Vright HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN Ben nett Jose ph H Booth William Barron Ri ch ard Ch amber s J ames Colburn Sa muel Colburn R obe rt Curdy J ames Cole J ose ph Chap lain H enry S Con klin Barnard Casady J erem iah D ea n vVilli am D onahu e Patri ck Du rree Benjamin B E arl Ril ey F ail Elij ah R Frink Nich olas Franklin F S Fer g uso n Andr ew F ergu so n J ohn H Fry H enry L Goo rlri ch H iram G lover Lu ther M Gl o·er Samu el S George H en ry G rave Villiam Gri swold R euben Gri swold Fr ede ri ck Gri swold Sa mu el H olt Barzilla H ark er Wi lliam H ar dy E J and C H ardy Artem as S I l odg e~ o rman W H a dy Fr ancis ]-la rdy F ra ncis S I lodges Al len C J-Ietc heler John K elloi::g David Knigh t Ira Kni ght &amp; R oberts L ewis I l ollon N McG uir e Th omas McF ail J ohn H McK enn y Patrick 1lcK eeve r F rancis Mur doc k O rville M apes Samu el Map es Eli sha G Maso n D avid B Maso n H iram Martin Pe te r McGivney J ohn McFa il Willi am Merrill H orace 1vlerrill Varr en Mill er Steph en J N elson J onathan N elson J oh n N eff H arry H Pin ck ney Th omas Parshall Th omas K Parshall Isr ae l Parker A:a; P almer W illi am Rh odes H arvey Rum sey Joseph H Rid dle A nd rew Root Am os B Rum sey J oe l B Riddl e Sallu R oberts Gu y N R eese H enry R obe rts Meheta bel Rum sey illi am C Steel Josep h 1-f Sand ers Na than M Stone J ohn Sa nder s McKin stry Sn ell J acob Sut ton L ewis C T art D 0 T nlib Samu el K Vn Ca mp Mahl on Va n Camp John A n Ca mp Azariah H 111K eurcn Charles 1alterh ouse Amo s Whit ac re J ose ph tlk er H enso n vV1lke r Geor ge vV Whitn ey Lyman W akely John Vhi1aker Drni el Vhita ker Joseph Whi tak er D aniel Jr Vhitak er J ames Norman W H odges and Franci s H ardy pa id in th e year give n th e hi ghest taxes in the town ship tho se of th e form er amount ing in all to $ 1373 and of th e latt er to $ 1537 th e amount paid by ot hers se ld om ran gi ng above four or five dollars Th e tot al taxes for the township in 1844 were but $6 12-49 TOWNSHIP ORGAN IZATI ON-CI VIL LIST By an act of th e L eg islatur e of the Stat e of Michi ga n approv ed March II 1837 A ll th at portion of th e County of Livin gsto n desig nated in th e United States surv ey as tow nship thr ee north of ra nge five cast was set off and orga nized int o a sepa rat e·town ship by th e name of By ron and it was direct ed th at t he first township- t11ee tin g th erein shall be held at th e house of I-I iram Goodrich Th e territory included had pr eviou sly form ed a part of th e township of H owel l On th e 6th of March 1838 th e name was ch anged from Byron to Oc eo la wh ich nam e it has since reta ined Th e change was mad e because anoth er township named Byron existed in th e Stat e From th e original book of records th e following entry desc ribing th e first town-m eetin g in Byron is tr anscrib ed : At a meet in~ or th e lega l vote rs or T ow1sh ip num ber 3 north Range numuer five ea st he ld 3t th e house o r H ira111G ood rich Samu el Mapes was electecl Mod erat or; Arti mu s N elson Clerk p·o tem; Th omas K Parshall Phi lester J ess up J ose ph H Ru111sey In spe ctors * At thi s meetin g it was vot ed th at ther e shall be a Town Bounty of Thr ee D ollars per hea d o n Wolv es ca ught and kill ed by an Inh abit ant of the Town of Byron in sa id tow nshi p Th e follow ing townsh ip officers were elected viz: Supervi sor Jacob Snell ; Town Clerk Artimu st Nelso n ; A ssesso rs J ohn Van Tuy! Rus sell Blo od J osep h H Rum sey; Co llec tor E lisha Griswold; Dir ectors of th e Poo r Ephr aim Hardy Ellis Luth er; Commi ssioners of I-I ig hway s Peter Y Browning Peter Martin J ohn Ston e ; Co nstabl es Eli sha Griswold Israe l Par shall; Ju sti ces of th e Peace Jacob Snell Th omas K Par shal l William C Rum sey; Sc hoo l sComm iss ioners J ohn St one Jacob Snell Elli s Luth er ; Sc hool In spectors Samuel Mapes William C Rum sey At a special electi on held Jun e 6 1837 Ep hr aim Hardy was cho se n dir ector of th e po or and Philes ter J ess up John Ston e and J ohn V an Tuy! schoo l inspect ors Before th e election for I 8 38 the name of th e town ship had been changed to Oc eo la Th e followin g list shows th e officers of th at town ship from 1838 to 1879 inclusive: 1838 -S uper viso r J aco b Snell; T ow n Clerk J osep h H R umsey ; Assesso rs Ru ssell Blood John Stone Sam uel Map es ; Collector Art emas S 1-br dy; School I nspec - tors Villiam C R u111sey Ph ilest er J essup J ohn Van Tuy!; J usti ce of th e Peace J oe l B Rum sey 1839- Super viso r J acob Snell; T own Clerk J osep h H Rum - sey; Tr eas urer J aco b ·nell ; Ju stice or th e P ea ce Edwi n Bctchel er; Assesso rs H enry D Benja min A S H ardy Sa 111uel Martin; Co llec tor R euben G riswold ; Sc hoo l In pect ors H D Be njamin J osep h H Hum sey J acob Sne ll 1840-Supe r -isor J aco b S nell; T ow n Cle rk J oseph l-I Rumsey; Tr easurer J aco b Sn ell ; J ust ices of th e Peace Th o11a1s K Par; hall J acob Snell ; Assesso rs J ose ph A Pin ckn ey Samuel Martin Th omas K Par shall; Co llector Reuben Gr iswold ; School In spector s H D Benjamin J B Ru msey H iram Maso n 184 1-Su pervisor Ros well Barn es ; Town Clerk J osep h H Rum sey; Tr e1surcr Ro-;well Barnes ; Justice o f the Peace Amo s Slad er; Assesso rs A S I-lardy lra Kni ght J ue l B Ru111sey; Collect or Reuben G riswold; Schou In spec tors II Mapes Am os S Slacler All en C I lodg es t Su sp el led by him se lf on th e records OCEOLA TOWNSHIP 1842 -Su pe rvisor Willi am C Rum sey ; T own Clerk Ru ssell Blood ; Tr eas urer P eter Y Brow nin g; Ju sti ces of the Peace William C Rum sey R oswe ll Barnes; School Inspect ors H Mapes J ohn Maso n Charles Van K eur en 1843 - Sup ervisor Villiam C Rum sey; T own Clerk Ru ssell Blood; Tr eas urer R euLen Gri swold ; Ju stice of th e P eace Th omas K Par shall ; Schoo l In spe ctors Joe l B Rum sey H enry L Fry 1844 -S upe rviso r V i!liam C Rum sey; T ow n Cle rk Ru sse ll Blo od ; Tre asurer E d ward Brown ing; Ju stices of th e P eace orm an H odges Patri ck Berg in; Sch oo l In - spec tor J ohn N elso n 1845 -S q ervi so r William C Rum sey; T own Cler k J oseph H Rum sey; Tr eas urer J oel B Rum sey; Ju&gt;ti ce of th e Peace Be njamin B Du rfee; School In spec tor David B Maso n 1846 - Sup ervi so r Will iam C Rum sey; T ow n Clerk J ohn R Maso n; T reas urer Samu el K Tubb s ; Ju stice of th e Peace William C Rum sey ; Schoo l In spector Villiam P G love r 184 7- Sup ervisor Samuel K Tubb s ; T own Cle rk Ru ssell Blood ; Tr eas urer J ohn vV Botsfo rd; Ju stices of th e Pea ce Samu el Mapes Step hen J M iller ; School In - specto r David ilaso n 18 -18-S upe rvisor S K Tu bbs; T ow n Clerk Ru ssell Blood; T reas urer John W Bots ford; Ju stice of th e Peace P:1trick Bergi n ; School In specto s J uhn R Mason K elly S Franklin 1849-Sup ervisor Benjam in B Durf ee ; T ow n Clerk L yman Vhitn ey; Tr easur er Ir a Kni ght ; Ju stices of th e Peace H en ry W Fr y John G H orton; School In spec tor J oh n G H orton 1850- Supe rvisor Samuel K Tu bbs ; T own Clerk Alb ert Ri d - dl e; Tr eas urer Fran cis Mc K ee ver; Ju stic es of the Peace H ollon N L ewis K elly S F ranklin; Scho ol In spec tor John R Maso n 185 I -Sup ervisor Sam uel K Tu bbs; T own Clerk D av id B Ma0 11; Tr eas ur er Eb eneze r Cole; Ju stice of the Peace Kelly S Frank lin; School In spector Albe rt Riddle 1852-Su pervi sor Sa mu el K Tubb s; T own Clerk K elly S Fra nklin; Trea surer F ra ncis McK ee ver; Ju stices of the Peace E d ward Bro w ning J acob M Eager; Schoo l In spect or J ohn R Maso n 1853-Superv isor Benaimi n B Durfe e ; T own Cle rk John G H orton ; T reasur er Ebe neze r Co le; Ju stic es of th e Peace B B Durf ee Al be rt Rid d le ; Schou ] In spec tor Well s B F ox 1854-S u pervisor Sam uel K Tub ls; T own Clerk Ma rtin E Mi ller; Tr eas urer Al be n Ri dd le; Ju stices of the Pe ace W il liam Barbour Myron Cur dy; Sc hool In spect or J osep h Blinston 1855- Supe rvisor K elly S Fran klin ; T own Clerk Alb ert Riddle; Trea surer Martin E Mill er; Ju stice of th e Pe ace K elly S Frank lin; Scho ol In spec to rs Da vid R Mason J ames Pa rker 1856-Supe rvisor Kelly S Frank lin; T own Clerk Alb ert Riddl e; Tr eas ur er M E Miller ; Ju ·tice of the P eace E dward Browning; Sch ool In spec tor Jason H Scott 1857- Supe rvisor Sam uel K Tu bbs; T own Clerk A lbert Ri d - dle; Trea surer M E Mill er; Ju stices of th e Peace Ch arles Van K euren J ose ph Blinston; Scho ol Inspector Da vid B Maso n 1858-S upe rvi sor K elly S F ra nklin ; T own Clerk Alb ert Ri ddle; Tr easurer Ba rnard Conklin ; Ju stic e of th e Peace G iles B A rmstrong; Schou! In spector Ca lvin B Shea r 1859 -Sup ervisor Albert Riddle; Town Clerk J osepli Blin ston ; Tr eas urer B Conklin ; Ju stice of th e Pea ce Th omas K Par shall ; School In spectors James D Botsford Martin E Mill er 186o-Sup ervi sor Samu el K T ubbs ; T own Clerk Joseph Blinston; T reasure r J ohn C R oberts; Ju stice of the P eac e J ose ph Bl in ston ; Sch ool In spec tor James McL ean 186 1 -S upervi sor Al be rt Riddle; T own Clerk J osep hu s Lare; Tr eas urer A aro n H olt ; Ju stice of th e P eace K elly S Frank lin ; School In spector Go rdon Sn el l 1862 - Superv isor Albe rt R idd le; T own Clerk J osep hu s L are ; Tr eas urer Anth ony Scully; Ju stice of the Pe ace D av id Powell ; Schoo l In spec tor J ohn Fra nklin 1863-Supe rvisor Albe rt Ri dd le; T own Clerk J osep h Blin ston; T reas urer Anth ony Scu lly; Ju stice of th e P ea ce J ames D Botsford ; Sc hoo l In spe cto r Th omas N au n 1864-Sup erviso r Al be rt Ri ddl e; T own Cler k J ose ph Blin ston (resig ned and M E Mill er ap poi nted ) ; Tr eas urer Franc is S H ardy; Ju stice of th e Peace Kelly S Frankli n ; School Inspec tor J am es D Botsford 186 5-Sup ervi sor Clark P erce; Tow n Cler k Th eodo re W Visner; Tr easurer F ran cis S H ard y ; J ustice o f th e Peace Kelly S Frank lin ; School In spe ctor J ames D Botsford 1866 -Supervi sor Clar k Perce ; T own Clerk T vV Wi sner; Tr easur er Fr ancis McD onough Jr ; Ju stices o f th e Peace Dav id Powell J aso n If Sc ott; Schoo l In sp ecto r Clark P erce 186 7-Sup en ·isor James D Botsford; T own Clerk Lu cius E R idel le ; Tr easurer Franc is McD onough Jr; J ustices of th e Peace J ames D Botsford J oh n A Van Ca mp; Sch ool In spectors Martin E Mill er J osep hu s L are 1868-Su pe rvisor J ames D Botsford; T own Clerk Lu ci&gt;1s E R idd le; Tr eas urer J ames Casa dy; Ju stices of the Peace El ijah B H os ley Benja min R T own sley ; School In - spec tors Wi lliam J H azard D avie! F V an Sickl e 1869 - Super visor Willi am J H aza rd; T o wn Cler k L E Ridell e ; T reasu rer Jam es Casady ; Ju stices of th e Peace M E Mill er D S Curdy Adam Lare; Sc hool Inspecto r T homas J Tuh bs 1870 -S u pervis&lt;&gt;r Wil lia m J H azan !; T own Clerk James Casady ; Tr eas urer J ohn Brop hy ; Ju stices of th e Pe ace J osep hus Lare M E Mill er T R Pardee ; Schoo l In - specto rs J ames D Botsforcl Lu cius E Ridd le 1871-Supervi sur H ora ce G vV Fr ey; T own Clerk J ames Casady; Tre asure r J eremiah l3:1tcheler; Ju stice of th e Peace J ames M Coo k; Schoo l I ns pecto r Cass H ook er ; D rai n Co mmi ssioner John vV Botsford 187 2-S upe rviso r Vinc en t P arshall; T o wn Cle rk J ames Casa dy; Tr eas ur er Ric hard E Par hall ; Ju stice uf the Peace E lijah B H osley; Sch1ol In sptc tor Ad elbert H etchele r; Dr ain Comm is:-i-one r Thomas J Parks 1873-Sup ervisor Eli ja h B H osley ; T own Clerk J ames Casad y; Tr eas urer Miner Berg in ; Ju stices of th e Peace :1 E Miil er Ge orge M Frey; School In spec tor R ichard D Be rgin; D rain Comm issioner John V Botsford 1874 -Supe rvisor E B H osley; T own Clerk J ames Casa dy; Tr eas ur er Samuel T om ion; Ju stice of th e Pea ce Augu stus C Fox Sr; Sch ool In spector s J osep h us Lar e Ben - jamin F rey ; Drai n Co mmi ssioner John W Botsford 1875- Superv iso r J ohn W Botsford; T own Cle rk J ere miah Bat cheler; Tr eas urer Sa mu el T om io n ; Ju stic es of th e Pe ace J D Botsford Anth ony Scully ; T own ship Superinten de n t of Schools Ri chard D Bergin; Sch ool In spector Jose phu s Lare; Dra in Co mm issione r Robe rt R vVarren 1876-Supervi sor Vincent Pa rshall ; T own Cler k J eremiah Batche ler; Tre asurer Dan ford Pa rk er; Ju stice of the P eace Be nj F An dre ws ; T ow nshi p Sup erin tende nt of Schools vV G Smi th ; School In specto r J osep hu s Lare; Dr ain Co mmi ssioner R R Warr en (two year s) 1877--S up er viso r H L Van Camp ; T own Clerk David Powell; Tr eas urer Th nmas E Bar ro n; Ju stice of th e Pea ce Frank lin E M iller; Schoo l Supe rin te nde nt P V M Bot sford; School I nspecto r Be nj amin Frey 1878-Supe rvisor H omer L Van Camp; T own Clerk David HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUN TY MICHIGAN P owell; Tr eas urer Th omas Barron ; Ju stices or the Pe ace Anthony Scully Jeremiah Batche ler; School Superint endent T S S Curdy; School In spector Benjam in F rey; Drain Commi ssioner Patrick Fe eny 1879 - Supervisor H orace G W Frey; T ow n Clerk John P owers; T reas ur er Stephen J Mill er; J ustice or th e Peace L ewi C Cr itte nde n ; School Superint ende nt T homas SS Curdy; School In specto r Benja min Fr ey; D ra in Commi ssioner Bela Scott OCEOLA GRANGE No 164 PATRONS OF H USBANDRY was organi zed about 187 3 It s first Mas ter was E R Merrith ew A buildin g from a localit y nea r by was moved and used as a g range hall Af ter an exi stence of several yea rs th e g range beca me so much red uced in numb ers th at it was finally discontinu ed THE RIDDLE CEMET ERY is th e princip al one in th e township to whi ch it belongs Th e spo t was selecte d by E lijah RiO akland Co Mich Apri l 23 1836 Me lvin Dorr Oa kland Co Mich J une 16 1836 Marsh all J Bacon Wayne Co Mich Ang 2 1836 Isaac S T aylor; Oakland Co Mich May- 1837 SE CTION 4 J ulian Bishop Genesee Co Mich Jul y 9 1835 Vincent Run yan Oak land Co Mich July 16 1835 Isaac Ayre s* Oakland Co Mich Nov 9 1835 Robe rt Ayr es* Oakla nd Co Mich Nov 9 1835 Cons ider W arn er Genesee Co N Y Feb 20 1836 H arriet Bryan Genesee Co Mich lfay 7 1836 David Colwell* Steuben Co N Y Jun e 4 1836 J ohn Th omas Wayn e Co N Y Sept 23 1836 SECTION 5 E lisha L arned * Allega ny Co N Y N ov 18 1835 Elijah Crane W ayne Co Mi ch March 4 1836 Hiram M Rh odes* Oakland Co Mich Jun e 4 1836 Ann a Rhod es* Oak land Co Mich Jun e 4 1836 D elos D avis W ayne Co Mich Sep t 23 1836 Jon athan Irwin * Living ston Co 1iich Jan 30 1837 Ebenezer Sterns Yates Co N Y March 9 1837 SECTION 6 Jefferson H D owne r Oakland Co Mich Oct 9 1835 E lisha W Posta ll Macomb Co Mich J an 2 1836 El ijah Ro ot Washte naw Co Mich Feb 19 1836 Ebenezer J Penniman Vayne Co Mich March 4 and 18 1836 Willi am Hyatt * Oak land Co Aug 2 1836 N A Littlefield * of this county J an 14 1854 Will iam Ow ens of thi s county Jun e 13 1854 SE CTION 7 -Vashington D Morton Washten aw Co Mich May 9 1836 J ona n L -Volverto n* Steub en Co N Y J une 20 1836 El ijah Clough Jr* Onondaga Co N Y Jun e 28 1836 SECTION 8 8805 So 40 So 16380 80 86-49 So 40 So 8649 40 So So 4945 103-42 So So So So 120 53 62 5362 82-44 8244 80 So 40 319 160 160 George F R obe rts Cayuga Co N Y Jun e 1 1836 160 Henry D Ga rrison Wayn e Co Mich Oct 26 1836 320 SEC TION 9 E lisha Beac h Oakland Co ll ich J an 6 1836 So Villard S Fell sham -Vashtenaw Co Mic h Jun e 29 1836 120 Isaac Throop Jr Gene see Co Mich Jun e 30 1836 40 J osep h Allbright Ohio D ec 17 1836 So D avid Murphy ~· of th is county Oct 25 1839 40 Willi am Smith of thi s county Ju ly 6 1846 40 J ohn W Mapes * of this cou nty May 2 I 850 40 Dani el Od ell Genesee Co Mi ch N ov 30 1852 40 Chr istoph er Ro gers* of thi s county N ov 23 1853 40 Na ncy F Biggs of this cou nty Sept 4 1855 40 SEC TIO N 10 Sanford Bill ings* Oakland Co Mich March 5 1838 and Janu ary 9 1839 So Almerin Smit h Way ne Co N Y Oct 17 1839 40 Matt h ias T Talm adge&lt; of thi s county Nov 15 1854 40 SECTION 11 Acr es Charles Wri ght Ni agara Co N Y May 28 1836 So Villiam Dunning W ayne Co N Y F eh 20 1838 So Seth N H owell· Oakla nd Co Mich March 1 1838 So L eonard Brooks Genesee Co Mich March 3 1855 So SEC TION 12 H enry Larn ed* Yates Co N Y May 25 1836 40 Philip Brewer Ni agara Co N Y May 28 1836 160 SECTION 13 E zra Thay re Oakland Co Mich May 2 1836 40 J ohn Blair Seneca Co N Y June 13 1836 320 Elias B H olmes Monroe Co N Y Jun e 14 1836 120 SECTION 14 David N Blood Monroe Co N Y Jun e 18 1836 W illiam R Mudge Monr oe Co N Y Dec 16 1836 L evi Stoc kwe ll Oakland Co Mich May 17 1839 Willi am B Stockwell Oakla nd Co Mich May 17 1839 SECTION 15 Ell ery Shaw Wayne Co Mich May 17 1836 John ONeil* W ayne Co Mich N ov 21 1836 Michae l H ealey* -Vayne Co Mich ov 21 1836 Abram Cook Wayne Co N Y Nov 26 1836 Edward H opper~ this count y Oct 1 r 1839 Norton L Miller Mac omb Co Mich Oct 13 1854 SECTION r 6 Thomas L ove; Jun e rz 1847 A E Cra nston«-Jun e 16 1849 Brount &amp; Bai ley J une 4 1850 J N Barn es· Nov 13 1850 C B Th omas* Nov 15 1850 D W L ove«· July 26 1853 J acob L ove * Sept 20 1853 D Ca nfield* Oct 10 1853 Wil liam Va n Wagner* Oct 24 1853 Peter Schad Jr; ::·J une 2 1854 Wil liam Schad;* Aug 23 1854 Stephen -V Downer* Oct 24 I 860 SECT ION 17 John W estrall Cay uga Co N Y May 17 1836 H enry Seabott Cayuga Co N Y May 21 1836 James K earns Oswego Co N Y Jun e 27 1836 Moses Tag ga rt Genesee Co N Y Jun e 27 1836 SECT ION 18 J ohn C Morse Oakland Co Mich May 5 1836 N ancy Morton«--Vashtenaw Co Mich May 9 1836 E dwin Soonberger Monroe Co N Y Jun e 16 1836 Dilli s Dexter * Monroe Co Y J uly 1 1836 J ohn F ish Oakland Co Mich D ec 5 1836 Sam ! G Sutherland Vashtenaw Co Mich Oct 3 1837 Ad am B Bail ey* of this count y May 25 1838 SECT ION 19 So So So So 200 So So So 40 40 So 40 So So 40 So 40 40 40 40 40 40 160 160 So So 16o So So So 6848 3322 3322 David Ba ngs Monroe Co N Y May 5 1836 26944 David Bangs Monroe Co N Y Nov r4 1836 40 SECTION 20 Philo J oyner Berkshire Co lass Jun e 16 1836 So Hu gh R H ogle of this county Nov 15 1838 40 SECT ION 22 Dan iel illood Monroe Co N Y June 18 1836 160 SE CTION 24 James Be llows Monro e Co N Y June 14 1836 So SECTION 26 Will iam B Alv or int e res ts in th e community H enry A Co rn ell was for many years a res pected and h onored res id ent o f Tyron e ho ldin g th e offices 50 of co nsta bl e assesso r s up e rvisor a nd tr eas ur er at differen t tim es a nd di ed in th e w int er of 1848 whi le se rvi ng hi s se vent h te rm a nd sixth cons ec uti ve t erm in th e last -nam ed pos ition H e le ft a wife a nd t wo so ns a ll of whom st ill survive him hi s widow and so n Alonzo res idin g in Tyrone a nd th e ot h er so n liv ing in Ohio I saac Co rn ell the old ~st o f t he thr ee brot h ers ca me fro m C h::iuta uq ua Co unt y in th e sp rin g o f 1835 in compa ny w ith H enry A tr avel ing w ith th e ir own conveya nces Th e snow wa s very · lig ht a nd as th e breakin g up was not ye t at h a nd th e wheeling was very good Th ey a rriv ed o n th e IOlh clay of Ma rch a nd H enr y A m oved in to hi s broth er Geo rges sha nty whil e I saac left hi s family at H ig hla nd till h e had built a h ouse o n t h e farm he pur ch ased of th e gove rnm ent o n th e 20t h of ·th at m onth H e th en m oved o n to hi s place nea r th e nort heast co rn er o f secti o n 32 a nd is st ill occ upyi ng t he plac e H e is a reco g nized leade r a!llo ng t he Sevent h -Day Adventists of t hi s regio n and a 111an of exe mpl a ry charact e r Th e exac t ti m e of Georg e Dibbles settle m e nt is not know n but it was ei th e r in th e fal l of I 834 or spri ng of I 83 5 H e rema in ed h ere about te n years a nd t hen m oved to S h iawassee wh ere h e is st ill living J oseph M Becker wi th hi s wife (fo rm e rly Eliza Co rn el l) a nd on e ch ild cam e fro m R ipley Cha utauqu a Co N Y to Michigan in th e fall of 183 3 a nd settled in th e tow n of Hi g hl and in Oa kl a nd Cou nt y T hey lived t here until th e spr ing of 1835 a nd th en m oved to th eir h ome in this t ow n o n sec - ti o n 28 wh ere th ey a rrived abo ut th e 17th o f Apr il H e built a house o n t he sout h end of hi s lot abo ut forty rods wes t of the quart er-pos t H e wa s a sh oe - rnak er by tr ade and hi s services were in g rea t dem a nd a mong th e sett lers who wer e g lad to exc han ge work wit h him and were not always ca reful t o exac t a n equa l a m ou nt o f tim e H e wa s th e first s upervi so r of the tow n a nd was re- elect ed at the expi rati o n o f hi s first te rm In 186 2 h e rem oved t o F e nt on a nd a coupl e of years later return ed t o Ty rone In 1867 he aga in m oved t o Fent on wh ere h e still res id es · But two of h is childr en a re now liv ing and th ey a re both res id ent s of thi s t ow n- Peter on th e h omestead a nd Wallac e on sectio n 26 Villiarn H Berry was a man o f a ve ry rov - in g disposi t io n a nd did not long rem a in in thi s t ow n H e mad e freq uent flitting s fro m one poi nt t o a not her a nd finally brou g ht up in Pontiac wh ere he becam e pe rm anent ly loca ted throu g h th e int ervenin g hand of dea th The place on which he settl ed is now ow ned a nd occ up ied by Peter Ru sse ll Willi a m D awso n was a nativ e of Ca mbri dge 394 HI STORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN W as hingt on Co N Y and ca me from Sc ipio Cayu ga Co N Y to Troy Oakland Co Mich in th e fall of 1831 and made h is home with hi s broth er-in-law Eli as Dani els Whil e Jiving th ere he form ed th e acquaintanc e of Miss H enri ett a Perkin s a nativ e of th e tow n of L ocke Cay uga Co N Y wh o cam e to M ichi ga n with her broth er Benj amin L Perkin s from Sp rin g water Livin gs ton Co N Y and hir ed out to work for Mr D aniels Thrown toge th er in con stant co mp anionship th eir mutu al likin g grew int o th e mor e ard ent pas sio n ·of lov e and on th e 26th of F ebru ary 1832 th ey were unit ed in th e bonds o f matrim ony and went to live on a farm th ey hir ed to work on shares In the fall of 1834 Mr Daw so n came to th e tow n of Hi ghland whe re Michael Beach was livin g a nd go t him to accompany him in a sea rch for land Th ey struck out to th e westwa rd and in thi s town found a piece of land th at see med to possess all th e natural adva ntages des irabl e it hav ing so me timb er and so me ope nin g a str eam to furni sh wate r and a mars h to furni sh hay and ge tt ing a desc ription of it th ey return ed home Mr D wso n continuin g on to D etroi t wh ere he ent ered th e land on the 19th day of D ecemb er A noth er ad - vant age of th e land thu s se lected was th at on it was situ ated th e cab in built by th e Mormo ns which would furni sh shelter whil e th e work of clea rin g and br ea kin g up was go ing on Th e colored family of Berrys had been livin g th ere abo ut tw o wee ks at th e tim e of Daw so n and Beac h s visit On th e 20th of April 1835 th e D awso n family consis tin g of father moth er and tw o chi ld ren- a dau g ht er of t wo y ea rs and a so n a few m onths old- reac hed th eir new home and m ove d in with th e Berry s wh o were not ready to move out beca use of th e unfini shed co nd ition of th eir house So for a period of about tw o weeks th e two famili es occu - pied th e sa me habitation In th e sp rin g of th at year Mr Dawson plant ed an ac re of co rn a few potato es and sowed a small piece of buckwh eat He also raised a few root s to feed hi s stoc k wh ich at th at tim e co nsisted of one cow one yearlin g and a yok e of oxe n Followin g th e usual co ur se of the settl ers in developin g his far m Mr D awso n continu ed to res ide in Tyron e until th e fall of 1856 wh en he removed to R ock ford Floyd Co unt y fa wh ere he lived five year s and th en went to Dubuqu e From th e latte r place he return ed to Tyron e in 1864 and purcha sed th e farm on secti on 13 wh ere he now resid es Mr Daw son had five so ns who enli sted in th e Union army during the Reb ellion- a fact up on which a well -found ed prid e is felt by th e memb ers of th e family F rederick enli sted in th e reg ular s in I 862 and se rved in th e ca mpaig n of that yea r agai nst th e In dia ns in Min neso ta and Iowa A fter a serv ice of five y ea rs he was mu stered o ut and now lives in Sava nn ah Andr ew Co Mo Plin y B enli sted in th e 3d Iow a In fantry in Jun e 186 1 was mu ste red out on accou nt o f ill health in 1862 and is now living in thi s town Alph o nso D enlisted in th e 12t h Unit ed St ates In fantry was stationed at Fort Hamilton New Yo rk and afterward s se rved in th e Army of th e Pot o mac At th e battl e of Yell ow Hou se in Au g ust I 864 he was taken pri son er and se nt to A ndersonvill e to end ur e th e inhum an tortur es th ere inAicted up on helpless un arm ed prison ers until he was exc hanged in Mar ch l 865 H e d ied March 3 1 1865 from th e effects o f th e inhuman tr eatm ent he had rece ived at th e hand s of his cap tors Villiam E enli sted in F ebruary 1864 in th e 7th Iowa In fantr y and se rved in th e D epartment of th e Ves t In th e camp aig n arou nd Atlanta on th e 4t h of Augus t 1864 he was wo und ed so badly as to necess itate th e amput at ion of his left arm below th e elbow H e was mu stered o ut in Janu ary followin g and is now living in Ru sh Co K an A rn old vV also enlisted but th e reg ime nt be ing mor e th an full his co mpan y was d isbanded a nd before it was reo rga nized as a batt ery o f artill ery he wa s se nt h ome sick H e is now Jiving in R oc kford Ia James L ove was form erly from Chili Monroe Co N Y but came to thi s tow n from vVhitmor e Lake W as ht enaw Co in July 1835 settlin g on the north east co rn er of sec tion 33 about tw enty ro ds so uth of th e sc hoo l-h ouse which has alway s been kn own as Th e L ove Sc hoo l-h ouse He was a pensioner of th e war of 18 1::i and lived here a num be r of years Aft er hi s death th e family becam e scatt ered a nd none o f his imm ed iate desce nda nt s a re now living here Dailiel D Run ya n se ttl ed on section 3 in th e sp rin g of 1836 buildin g hi s log ho use near th e so uthw est co rn er of th e section By some accide nt or di sease he had becom e cr ippl ed and had but a very im pe rfect use of his limb s and to eke out th e scanty living he was able to get by his farmin g ope ration s he op ened his shanty as a tavern and disp ensed liqu ors th ere with mor e pecuniary pro fit to him se lf th an mora l gain to hi s cu stom ers Run ya ns tave rn became quite not ed throu ghout th e reg ion and repor t says was frequ ently th e scene of alm os t brut al drunk en or g ies which ga ve it a rath er un savory reput ation am ong th e more mor al and res pectable classes of th e com - munit y Run ya n k ept th e inn until hi s de ath which occ urr ed abo ut 1848 -50 and it was th en co ntinued by his widow who was said in a bad se nse of th e phr ase to have bee n th e best man of th e tw o and was known as Aunt K ates She surviv ed her hu sba nd abo ut ten yea rs and th en TYRONE TOWNSHIP 395 died in thi s tow n One so n is sti ll living a nd resides in Troy Oakland Co Jac ob Chrispell and his so n J ames E with th eir re spectiv e families set tled in th e so uthw est part of th e tow n in 1836 The form er was a millwri ght and work ed at hi s tr ade and at ca rpent erwork a good deal H e died several years ago The latter is still livin g on his origi nal hom est ead Eli Co nklin was th e first black smith in th e town H e came in 1836 and built a house and shop on th e north lin e of section 28 about forty rods west of th e quarter-post H ere he wo rk ed at his tr ade shoei ng horses and oxen sharp enin g plowshare s repairin g broken impl ements and doing th e th ousand and one job s th at always g rav itat e towards th e blacksmith-shop and enliv ened th e hou rs of labor wh ich so metim es reac hed well into th e night with story and so ng Mr Conklin remai ned in Tyron e till about th e year 1851 when he remov ed to the neighb or ing tow n or Ros e in 0dkla nd County wh ere he resided until his death wh ich occu rr ed Sept 26 1876 Clark Dibble settl ed first in F ent on wh ere he built th e first saw- mill in the vicinity and from th ere cam e to Tyrone in I 8 36 and settl ed on section 4 about eig hty rods west of Runyans tav ern on the S hiaw assee road He at once op ened a public-hvu se for th e ent ertai nm ent of tr av elers of whom many were daily pass ing along the Shiawass ee road which was a thoroughfare for emigrants and spec ulat ors goi ng to th e Grand River reg ion H e was a man of good busin ess tact and ab ility but of a very genero us lib eral nature which prevented hi s acc umul ati ng wealth H e was one of the first ju stices of the peace of the tow n and was re-elected in 1840 His death occurred in Jun e 1842 and result ed from an accid ent In company with L au re n Rig gs he visit ed th e woods to cut some timb er su itab le to be mad e into cradle -fingers and whil e pursui ng th eir way th ey scared up a woodchuck which sou g ht refuge in a h ol low oak-tre e growi ng on a side-hi ll Th ey proc eed ed to fell th e tr ee and in falling it sp lit off a lar ge splint er which flew a nd stru ck Mr Dibbl e with suc h force as to fell him to th e grou nd The body of th e tree also rol led over him cru shin g him badly His comp anion with much difficulty succeed ed in freei ng him from the tr ee and procured assista nce to ge t him to his home; but h is injuries which were mostly interna l proved fatal and he died from th em a day or two after th e accident occurred On e of th e mos t prominent famili es of the town ha s been the Cr ansto n family th e first memb ers of which cam e to Tyron e in 1837 Cal eb Cranston th e fath er of all the others who settled here was a g randson of J oh n Cranston who was one of the ea rly Gove rn ors of th e St ate of Rh ode Isla nd Hi s father Samu el was a soldier of th e Revolution and in 1793 emigrat ed with hi s family to D elawa re Co N Y In 1829 at th e age of forty years Caleb mov ed to iTayne Co N Y and lived th ere till he came to M ich iga n His chi ldre n were nin e in numb er a11d were named Eli D David E Sarah J Gilbert D Palm er B H erm a n I Bet sey Orrin and Martin Orrin died in ew York and all th e oth ers ca me to thi s town in the following ord er: E li D Gilb ert D and H erm an I in 1837; Palm er B in 1838; and Ca leb with Betsey and Martin in 1839 D avid E was th e last one to remove here and did not come till about 1844 All of th e children were marri ed eith er before comin g here or afterwa rds Eli D and Gilbert D marri ed sister s;--El izabeth and Loui se Chas e; Sara h J and Betsey marri ed brothers-Joseph and iTilliam Cor ey and settl ed in this town; David E first marri ed Mary E D avis and hi s second wife was Miss A nn E Smalli ng; Herman I marri ed Ada line Guptill; Palm er B married Emeline L ove ; and Martin married Abby Chapin Of th ese chil dren none are now livin g in Tyrone all of th em having died or remov ed Caleb was an a rdent Methodist and a man of irr eproachable charact er He died Jun e 30 1872 at th e ripe age of eig ht y-t hr ee yea rs and was thu s spoke n of in his obituary notice: He was a man of strict honesty kind to all and a ke en sympat hiz er with those in suffering A tru e genero us citizen and devoted Chri stian wh ose traits of charact er made him resp ect ed and beloved by all wh o knew him H e was t wice marri ed his first wife Abby Davis dying in New York and h is second wife Ma ry Thay er dyi ng in thi s town Sept 18 1866 at th e age o f eig hty years Charl es Colton of Cayuga Co N Y an uncl e of William Daw son settl ed in this town in October I 8 37 and resided here till his death abou t fifteen years ago Isaac Morton was a native of the Gre en Mountain State and came from Williston C hittend en Co Vt to thi s St ate in the early fall of 183 r ·rn company with his broth er-in-law vVillia m Tyler he traveled by team to Burlington; fro m th enc e to Whitehall by steame r on Lak e Champ la in; th en by th e Champla in and E rie Cana ls to Buffalo where they agai n embark ed on a stea mer which land ed th em in Detroit wh ere th ey once more star ted th eir teams and reached their dest ination in th e town of Salin e iTasht enaw Co in th e month of Sept emb er He lived th ere a littl e mor e th an six year s and then in D ecemb er 1837 mo ved to his place in th e west part of sec tion 7 HISTORY OF LI V INGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN where he has since res ided Th e journ ey from Ann A rb or was mad e ove r muddy roads th ro ug h a dr iving rain-storm and th e oxe n had ha rd work t o pull th e load throu g h ten mil es of dis tance in a day s tim e Th e ro ute he followed led him along th e west bank of North Ore Cr eek and when he arri ved at th e section lin e which followed east wou ld brin g him to hi s land wit h b ut one and a half miles tr avel he foun d th e st rea m so badly swol len by th e rai ns as to be imp assab le F ollo wing along its co ur se till he cam e to a place of cross ing and then arou nd other swa mp s and wat ercou rses until he could ge t pa st th em he tr aveled thirt een mil es before reac hin g his new home Si nce th at tim e Mr Morton has re mained a res ident of T yro ne and engage d in agric ultural pursuits excep t th at he has at tim es tr ave led circu it as a pr eac her of th e Prot es tant Me th odis t Chur ch H is wife died abo ut a year ago and he is waitin g at th e end of a lon g well -spe nt and useful life th e summon s th at shall re unit e them in th e bette r land that lies beyond th e grave J onat han L Wolv erto n was for many years one of th e promin ent men of th e tow n H e ca me in th e sp rin g of I 8 37 fro m th e town of Tyron e Schuyler Co N Y and settled on th e so uth eas t quart er of sec tion 7 wh ere he built a ho use a few rod s west of th e sect ion co rn er For many yea rs th e corners and sc hoo l-h ouse located th ere bore his name and it is not now by any mea ns obso lete In poli tics he was a Democrat and thi s ag ree ing wit h th e sentimen t of th e majority in th e town he was frequ ently called to officia l posi ti ons H e was one of th e first justic es of th e peace and held th e office for a period of nin e years be ing re-electe d in 1839 and in 184 3 H e was also overseer of th e po or for a numbe r of years Abo ut fourt een yea rs ago he sold his farm and mov ed to F ent on Five or six years later having unfortunat ely lost his prop erty he we nt to In g ham Coun ty wh ere he is now living with his so n L ewis Tw o of his sons - - Sylva nu s and A ndr ew J - are still res ident s of T yro ne J osep h B Jackso n cam e from Seneca Co N Y in th e sp rin g of 1837 and sett led on the sout hwes t quar ter of sec tion 8 whi ch he bought of H enry and Va n R ensse lae r H awk ins who had purchased it of the go vernment He brought with h im a fam ily of thr ee so ns and four daughters H e was something of a pettifogge r a nd was alm ost i11variably engaged on one side or the other in eve ry laws uit in th e vicinit y H e eve ntu ally met with rev erses lost hi s property and became a county ch arge for seve ral yea rs before his death His remai ns were brought here for bu rial and interred in th e cem etery on a p ortion of wh at was once his farm One so n J osep h B Jr left thi s tow n abo ut I 842:43 and lived severa l y ea rs in Co hoctah wh ere he kept a public-hou se H e finally ra n away with a widow leav ing hi s wife and family to shi ft for th emselves and is supposed to have di ed wit h th e cholera a short tim e after No ne of th e Jackso n family a re now res iding in this vic inity O ne of th e most am iab le upright a nd honorab le citiz ens wh o m th e town of Tyron e eve r num bered amo ng its peop le was Dillis D ext er L ovable in hi s nature he possessed one of th ose well-rou nded ch aract ers that comm anu th e respec t a nd compe l th e adm iratio n of all antI by caref ul ea rnes t a nd ju dicio us app licatio n to his stu dies had develope d hi s capaci ty; and fitted him self for his duties as a sur veyo r and a sc hoo l-teac her in both of wh ich fields of lab or he spe nt a co nside rab le portion o f hi s life Differin g from th e political majority of th e town he was ye t elec ted to th e office of tow n clerk ju stice of th e peace and sc hool inspecto r H e settl ed in thi s tow n in 1837 on th e sou th eas t quarter of section 18 which he bo ug ht of J oh n C Morse In the fall of 1838 h is brother Amos came and se ttl ed on th e sa me place Dillis living with h im In I 839 a noth er broth er Charl es ca me who died of co nsumption about a year afterwards Anoth er broth er H orace settled i II th e Co rn ell neig hbo rh ood in th e so uth part of th e tow n some tw enty-five years ago and b oth he and his wife died of co nsum pt ion seve ral yea rs since Dillis died in thi s town so me twelv e o r fourt ee n years ago and Amos in the sp rin g of 1879 Severa l of th e desce nda nt s of th ese brothers are still res id ing in thi s town In th e lat ter pa rt of th e fall of 1837 thr ee brothers- Nat haniel C William and Brackett A usti ncame from O rleans Co N Y and settl ed on adjoining farm s t he first two on sec tion 30 and th e latt er on sec tion 29 Th ey all rem ove d from the tow n Na th aniel C returnin g to New York in about ten yea rs Willi am goi ng to Genesee Cou nty in abou t twenty yea rs and Brackett mov ing to W h eatfield In gham Co abo ut 1844-45 The tw o former are dead but th e latter is still livin g William D S napp came fro m Owasco Cayuga Co N Y in 1838 and settl ed on th e so uth line of sec tion 27 where h e co ntinu ed to res ide until 1863- 64 wh en he mov ed to a farrri in t he town of Hartland where h e died Oct 25 1876 His wife was Bets ey Daws on (a sister of vVilliam Dawson) and on th e 7th of Jun e I 876 th ey celebrated th eir golde n wedding Mrs D awson is still livin g residing with her adopted daught er Mrs H eman Clark On e of th e oldest reside nt s of Tyron e at th e pr ese nt tim e is John C Salsbury Es q who has 1SAAC CORNE LL MRS lS AAC CO RNE LL ISAAC CORNELL This gentlem an may be ap propriately call ed one of th e founders of th e tow n of T yro ne having settl ed where he now resid es in 1834 He was born in th e town of White Creek Washington Co N Y A ug 4 1803 H e was th e so n of Jos eph Cornell a nd Abigail Allen who had a family of eig ht childr en-fiv e sons and thr ee daught ers The eld er Cornell was a pioneer in Wa shington County hav ing emigr ated from New Bedford R I before the R evolution The grandfather of our subject was a Quaker noted for his piety and integrity Isaac lived with hi s fath er until he was twenty years of age when he went to Chili Monroe Co N Y where he purchased a new farm After a res idence of five years he so ld and remov ed to Chautauqu a Co N Y After seve ral chan ges of locati on he decided to come to Michigan Accordingly in th e fall of 1834 he in company with his two brother s Henry and George came to Tyrone and enter ed two hundr ed acres of land which he now owns He then went back to New York but returned the following spring with his family The Corn ells were the first settl ers in th e so uth part of th e town and were obl iged to cut th eir road from the Tenney settl ement in Highland Oakland County Mr Cornell has be en prominently identifi ed with th e town of Tyrone ; he was elect ed its first ju stic e of th e peac e a position which he filled acceptably for five term s In 1825 he was married to Miss Sarah Eaton of Arlington Vt Sh e was born in th e town of Cavendish Vt in 1803 Th ey were bl essed with five childr en In July 1836 Mrs Cornell died and he sub sequently marri ed Margaret M Larmon a native of Cambrid ge Wa shin gton Co N Y She was born in Oc tob er 18 I 9 By thi s union th ere were six childr en Mr Cornell is a sel f-mad e man and th e position he holds among th e be st men of the county is due solely to his own exe rtion s H e ha s acquired by his own efforts a comp etency and an honor able reputation In his relig iou s affiliations he is an Adventi st and hi s eldest son is an able exponent of the doctrines of that church TYRONE TOWNSHIP 397 res ided here since th e month of J anu ary 1838 Born in Gr eenville Greene Co N Y Jun e 1 18 13 he g rew to yo un g manh oo d in th at healthg iving clim ate until at th e ag e of se ventee n yea rs he start ed with hi s fath er and family for th e new T errit ory of M ichi gan Th e famil y ca me by way of th e canal a nd lake but J ohn ca me with a team thr o ug h O hio tr av eling in compa ny with J ames D ed rick hi s br oth er s fath er-in- law Th ey all rea ched Yp silanti on th e 8th day of A ug ust 1830 and went from th ere to Yo rk in Nasht enaw Co wh ere th ey settl ed Whil e living th ere J ohn ma rri ed M iss Ca th arin e Ba som th eir nu ptials being celebr ated Oc t 23 1834 a nd in th e fall of 1837 tr ad ed hi s prop e rty in Yo rk with H enr y D ruse for 240 ac res of land on sec tions 14 and 26 in th is tow n H e bu ilt a h ouse th at fall and sow ed eig ht acre s of wheat and in J anuary brou ght his family and beg a n life as a citizen of T yro ne In 184 1 h is wife dieda nd he subse qu ently marr ied Ma ry A Col ton da ug ht er of Cha rles Colton o f th is town who died Ju ly 19 1847 Hi s thir d wife was Sarah E Merrill F rom th e tim e of his settlement her·e M r Sa lsb ury has bee n one of the lead - ing men of the town in h is occupa t ion of farmin g as well as in pol itical matt e rs a nd the pro mot ion of p ub I ic int eres ts El ected as one of th e first j ustices of the peace he held t hat office by virtu e of success ive re-elec tions for a period o f tw elve year s and by sub sequ e nt electio ns has increase d h is incum bency of that office to a total of tw enty -seven yea rs H e has served as oversee r of th e poor for seven years co mmi ss ione r of h ig hways for fi ve yea rs and sup erviso r for thr ee y ears In add ition to his work of farmin g he has done considerab le s urvey ing a nd ac ting as a land · age nt has nego - t iated the sa le of a la rge amount of land both in thi s town and in other parts of the State In the so ut h west part of th e town several fam ilies of Iri sh em ig rant s settled at an ea rly day Accordi ng to th e bes t inform ati on now obtainable J ohn McKeo ne came in 1837 Jam es McG uir e J ames A gan and J am es MeK eone in 1838 and J ames M urphy in 1840 J ohn Mc K eo ne was a nati ve of cou nty L ongford I reland and was th ere marri ed to Brid ge t Ril ey emig rating to this cou ntr y in 183 3 and sett ling in !illia msb urg N Y H eaiin g of th e fertil e and low-p riced lands in Michiga n he ca me W est in th e summ er of 1836 and pur chased so me land returnin g E ast and comin g o n with h is famil y in th e fall of 1837 Th e family res ided in T yro ne until 1865 wh en th eir p rese nt ho use was built and th ey moved acro ss th e road into D eerfield Th eir chil dr en were eig ht in nu mb er : Bern ard and Char les still res i 120 Fri end Bu rt Genesee Co N Y Jun e 13 1836 80 Pr eston H Sm ith Mad ison Co N Y Jun e 20 1836 80 Nelson A Smi th Maclsio11C o N Y Jun e 20 1836 80 SEC TION 28 vVilliam P Fin ch Sar~toga Co N V May 21 1836 240 David S Ireland :fonr ue Co N V May 2 1 1836 320 Rh oda Davis Was htenaw Co Mich M ay 30 1836 80 SE CTI ON 29 villi am Pike * Monroe Co N Y May 2 1 1836 80 Austin Dela no Li ving ton Co N Y J une 3 1836 80 R obert Sowd ers* Li1·insston Co N Y Jn ne 4 1836 80 Mumgomery P Adam s; Madison Co N Y N ov 14 1836 8o SECTION 30 Margare t Coope r* Madison Co N Y Nov 14 1836 40 Dennis Murphy Wayne Co Mich N ov 26 1836 627 2 SEC TION 3 1 J oseph H osley;* Vayne Co Mich Jun e I Sept 23 and Nov 14 1836 4 1140 SE CTION 32 James MiJler Oak land C Mich April 1 1836 160 1 larry I I N eff of this countv J une 11 1836 40 John Cni m Eri e Cu N Y Jun e 28 1836 120 Denn is J Rockwel l Wayne Cn Mich Oct 27 1836 160 D avid F Rockw ell Wayne Co Mich Oct 27 1836 SECT ION 33 Ez el Merr ill Oakland Co Mich May 2 1836 40 Step hen C G:iff Wayne Co Mich May 11 1836 160 George Fau se tt* Seneca Co N V ~lay 12 1836 80 H enry Fausseu; Seneca Co N Y May I z 1836 80 Th omas Fanssett* Seneca Co N V May 12 1836 160 Benja min Merrill* Wayne Co Mich Sept 23 1836 40 Hi ram Merrill * May 3 1837 80 SEC TI ON 34 H en ry Lown;X· Gene see Co N V April 18 1836 160 Michael Ilennelt* 1ashtenaw Co Mich Jun e 4 1836 320 Ri chard H Canifl~ New York City Aug 4 1836 16o SEC TI ON 35 Will iam Payne* l ashtenaw Co Mich May 16 1836 80 J ohn Van Tuy! Yashtena w Co Mich May 27 1836 80 Hu gh Gilshenan Washt enaw Co Mich Jun e 4 1836 160 Electa A H ed den of this county Sept 24 1836 80 SECTION 36 Th ales Deane* l ashtenaw Co Mich J an I 1 1836 So J ohn Wint er Genesee Co N Y May 3 1836 · 80 In th e forego ing th e names of tho se who are known to have become actu a l res ide nt s of the town are distin g uished by a (*) In m ost cases con siderabl e tim e int erven ed betwee n th e date o f entry a nd th e dat e of sett le ment A nd in so me instances thi s space was length ened into m o nths a nd yea rs As will be see n by any one who se cu riosity p ro mpt s th em to ca refully exa m ine th e list th ere is sti ll so me la nd that h as neve r be en purchas ed fro m th e gove rnm ent Thi s e mb races what mi g ht well be ter med s ubm ar ine farm s as it is mo stly if HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN not entir ely composed of th e bottoms of the lakes with pe rh aps a littl e str ip of the bordering marshes Th e total amou nt of land thu s left uno ccupi ed is 479 ac res and a fraction and is dis tribut ed as follows: on sect ion r 79-4 ac res; on sec tion 2 40o r acres ; on sect ion 8 40 acres; on sec tion r 5 40 acres; and on sec tion 17 280 ac res SETTLEMEN T vVe of th e pre se nt ge nerat ion are wo nt to pay but littl e heed to th e ge neration s th at have p receded us along th e pat hw ay o f life In th e ru sh and whirl of act ive life th e pas t with its peop le th eir wan ts and wish es hopes and d rea ms fea rs and troub les j oys a nd so rrow s a re forgott en and ignor ed A nd yet it is always well to look back upon th e pa thw ay of th e worlds pro g ress st udy th e event s and expe riences o f th e pas t with a view to seeing th eir logica l res ults a nd thu s to profit by what oth ers have learn ed only th rough trial and suffering Turn back upon th e foot steps of tim e b ut littl e more th an one ge neration and mark th e co ntra st prese nted by thi s par t of our land H ere was a vast wildern ess un peopled save by wild beasts and savages with bea utiful ope nings and im penetra ble forests mingl ed toge th er in a see mingly endless successio n with thou sa nds of bea utiful plac id lak es hi d in the bo so m of th e fores t and smoothg lidin g str ea ms runnin g stea lthily along with the forest tre es frow nin g dark ly up on th eir ow n reflected forms A nd thi s had bee n th e inh eritance of a people rud e and un cultur ed but havi ng a ll th e attribut es of th e race which by its reaso n and con scie nce was made fit for th e posit ion assig ned it by th e Creators fiat as rul er ove r a ll th e ea rth Th ese aborigi nes hav e passed away leav ing th eir · lov ed huntin g-gro und s to become ferti le a nd fruitful farm s and we sca rcely g ive th eir memories a pa ss ing th oug ht vVe know th at th ey exi sted a nd occasio nally have the fact recalled to mind by th e discove ry of so me relic th at th e plow brin gs forth from its ea rthy hiding-place but we take no pains to pe rpetuat e th eir memori es or pr ese rve th eir hi stories vVill th e futur e inh abita nt s of thi s con tinent in age s to come be as ca reless a nd in d ifferent rega rding us? Though D eerfield was in many respec ts an ex - cellent huntin g-gro und and was th erefo re frequ entl y visited by roving bands of In dia ns it was not th e site of any of th eir villages Th e only In dia n who res ided here was an old chief who bo re th e name of Portabe ek and had a hab itat ion half-wigwam half-shanty upo n t he west bank of th e Yellow Riv er near In dian Lak e Th ere he lived with hi s old squaw and a widowed daug ht er who had two or thr ee chil dr en H e was of fine app eara nce unu sual size and possessi ng mor e th an th e usual amount of int ellige nce H e was of a j ovia l disposi tion thoro ug hly hones t and reliab le and always lived on th e best of term s both with his red br eth ren and pa le-faced neig hb ors For so me five or six yea rs after th e adve nt of th e wh ite sett lers he continu ed to res ide in his cabin huntin g fishin g a nd traffickin g with th e pion eers and th en th e fami ly in so me way beca me b rok en up and Port abe ek and hi s wife comm enced a rovi ng life th at las ted till th e Gr ea t Spi rit cal led th em to th e happy huntin g-g rou nds Aft er h is wife died he rambled abou t in his lonelin ess spending most of hi s tim e in T yro ne wh ere he died; but th e eve nt was looked upo n as of so littl e impo rt a nce that neith er th e tim e of his death nor th e place of his buri al can now be learn ed Th e first whit e settl er of D ee rfield came to res ide here in 1834 and his family was for a yea r or mor e th e only family in tow n Thi s mans name was J ohn How and a bri ef sk etch of his life will no do ubt be of int erest to th e read ers of th is wor k in th e prese nt as it mu st eve r be to futur e ge nerati ons of th e descend; rnt s of th e pion ee rs of this v1c1n1ty H e was an E nglishm an by bi rth and educatio n and learn ed th e tr ade of cotton manu - facturer and mac hini st In 1820 he emig rat ed to thi s country hopi ng to find a bett er mar ket for hi s labor and a field of opera tions that prese nted more hope of accum ulati ng a compe tency Soo n afte r his arriv al in New Yo rk he found a po sition in a cott on-facto ry nea r Yo nk ers in IVestchestcr Count y and remained th ere for thi rteen years mo st of th e tim e holdi ng th e position of age nt in charg e of th e facto ry Durin g thi s tim e he had acc umul ated so me prop erty a nd had been ab le to afford his chil dre n good sc hoo l priv ileges ; but now his so ns were approac h ing th e age wh en th ey would desire to star t in life for th emse lves and he thought th e most feas ible pl an to pro mote h is ow n and th eir int erests was to pu sh out into the un deve loped IVes tern co untry and inves t hi s surplu s capi tal in the cheap b ut well-repu ted lands th ere so plenti ful H e no do ubt felt th e itching to become a la nd ed prop rietor which is so marked in th ose of our citizens who co me from th at cou ntr y wh ere only th e wealt hy and t itled a re privil eged to hold a t itle to th e soil L eavi ng his so n J ohn in char ge of the factory he started for Michiga n in th e s ummer of r 833 and came by public co nveya nce over the usu a lly tr ave led wat er-cour ses till he landed in D etro it wh ere th e Unit ed Sta tes la nd-office was situ ated Hirin g a guide a nd an In dian po ny each for th e g uid e and him se lf he left D etroit on th e Shiawassee trail to loo k up a JOHN ~ow JOHN HOW John How was born near Carlisle England in the village of Dalston April 19 1814 His father also named John was a machinist by occupation and reared a family of six children-four sons and two daughters-our subject being the eldest In 1821 the family emigrated to this country and settled in New York City The following year the elder How removed to Yonkers Westchester Co N Y where he established a cotton-factory which he operated successfully for about thirteen years In 1833 he came to Michigan Arriving in Detroit he secured the services of a guide and started on a pedestrian tour in search of a home in the wilderness At this time the government had disposed of most of its desirable lands in the southern part · of the State and it was not until they reached Deerfield that Mr How found a suitable location Here he entered about six hundred acres of land He soon after returned to New York and the following year returned with his family which was the first in the township their nearest neighbor being at White Lake Oakland Co The elder How was a man of great industry and ability He was the first supervisor of the town and was highly esteemed by all who knew him He died in Deerfield in 1850 in the sixty-first year of his age At the date of the emigration of his father John Jr was twenty years of age He had obtained in New York a good common-school education ; this coupled with a hardy constitution and industrious habits were of eminent service to him in his new home In the entire county no single individual will be found perhaps who has taken such an active and prominent position in the history of his town as has Mr How in Deerfield He has been prominently identified with its political history He represented the town upon the Board of Supervisors for many years and of that body was considered to be an able and effident member In 1857 he waesle cted to the representative branch of the Legislature and has filled many other positions of trust and responsibility In 1841 Mr How was married to Miss Eunice Jones who was born in Middlefield Otsego Co N Y Feb 22 1822 Her parents Levi and Betsey Jones were pioneers of Salem Washtenaw Co Mr and Mrs How have been blessed with three children one of whom James is living at the old home DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP satisfactory loca tion H e want ed to find a loca lity wh ere th e soi l should be light enoug h to cultiv ate easily a nd yet he avy enou g h to bea r succ ess ive croppin g and st ill yi eld a re mun erativ e return for th e lab or of cultivation Tl e plains he consider ed too lig ht and th e timb ered lands as a wh ole too heavy for hi s purpo se but h oped to find on th e tim be red ope nin gs near th e edge of th e tim be r belt a so il th at would sui t him N ot unmindful of th e adva nta ges of a hea lthful° loc atio n wh ere th e too pr eva lent chills and feve rs were less comm on th an in so me parts he so ught for a situation well towa rd s the sources of th e str ea ms judgin g th at th ere th eir courses would be mor e rapid and th e ir waters more pur e Th en to o as he was a pr ac tic al mill -wri gh t and mach inist he th ought th at a good wat er-power would be a n exc ellent thin g to ow n as it wo uld furn ish moti ve power for saw- and gr ist-m ills for the accommodation of th e comin g settlers and might in th e future wh en th e reso urc es of th e Sta te becam e m ore full y developed bcco n1e vdu able for purp oses of manufac tur e Vith all th ese thin gs in view he tr aveled along th e Shiawa ssee t ra il to Ow osso with o ut find ing a sa tisfac to ry stopp ing-place and turn ed upo n hi s tr ack de termin ed to follow so mt:: of th e str ea ms tow:ircls th eir so u rces an d see if so methin g s uit ed to hi s mind could not be foun d Arrived at Byron th ey left th e trail and followed alo ng th e eas t ba nk of th e Sout h 13ranch of th e Shiawa ssee Riv er till th ey reac hed thi s tow n and found a country which a nswered to Mr H ows pr econc eived not ions H e finally dec ide d th t he had found a spot th at possessed all th e des irab le qu al iti es and nat ural adva nt ages that could be expec ted anywh ere and made minut es of th e desc riptio n of th e piec es he want ed to purcha se Mounting their p onies he and the g uid e retrac ed th eir steps and follow ed th e D et roit a nd Shiawa ssee or Wall ed L ake tr a il to D etroit wher e Mr H ow entered a section of land e mbr ac ing th e eas t thr ee -fourths of section 7 and th e wes t quart er of section 8 Havin g thu s sec ur ed his lan d whi ch was th e first tak en up in th e town he return ed to the E as t to settl e up his bu siness and pr epare his family for removal It was th e 1st of May followin g before th ey were rea dy to beg in th eir journ ey which was made by steamboat up th e Hud so n to A lba ny by can al to Buffalo and steamer to D etroi t Th e party consisted of John H ow a nd wife four so ns-J onathan William Thoma s and John Jr - tw o dau g ht ers-Sus ann ah and Mary-a nd a hir ed man nam ed William Pee l and hi s wife Up on th eir arrival at D etroit Mr H ow hir ed a teamst er to carry his goods to Birmin g ha m and purchasing a n ox- tea m a nd wag on load ed in him self and companions and proc eeded to Birmingham H e looked ab o ut for a plac e to live in whil e h e was pr eparing a house on his la nd and findin g an un occ upied h ouse nea r Orchard L ake in Bloo mfield hir ed it of its ow ner Mr H arri s who was also a form er acquai nt ance and moved th ere Th en with his thr ee so ns- J ohn vVilliam and J o nath an-and Mr Pee l he went on to his land to build a h ouse Th ey succe eded in finding th e place wit hout mu ch difficulty and Mr H ow at once recog nized th e land he had cho se n and pointed it out to th em J ohn had made so methin g of a stu dy of th e plan of th e Unit ed States surv ey a nd kn ew a ll th e marks of sect io n lines corn ers quart er-stakes etc and he at once inform ed his fath er th at if it wa s th e lan d he had se lected it certainly was 1wt th e land he had entered A clo se examin atio n of th e plat prov ed thi s to be th e cas e In so:ne way (th oug ht to be th e fau lt of th e g uide) a mistak e had been mad e and M r H ows sectio n was just a half-mi le so uth from wh ere he int ended it to be H e was vexed a nd also ala rm ed lest some one else had appropriated his select ion and taking a ca reful descrip - tion of it he ha stened back to th e land-office in D et r0it H e found th at th e plat was st ill unb roke n except by his former purcha se and at once ent ered th e so uthea st quart e r of sect ion 6 a nd Willi a m Pee l ent ered th e west half of th e so uthw est qu arter of sect io n 5 The se entri es were made Jun e 7 I 8 34 Th ey then return ed to Dee rfield Th e first tri p from Orchard L ake to D eerfield occupi ed a wee ks tim e as th ey were careful to make a good road throu g h th e woods and thou g h following th e tr ail to th e cross ings of th e str eams yet succ eeded in str aight enin g it a good dea l a nd freed th e tr ack from logs sto nes and und erbrush It was mark ed throu g hout by blazes on th e tr ees When th ey reac hed th eir destin ation work wa s imm ed iate ly beg un bot h upon the ho use for th e family and up on a clea ring for a potato-patch Th e potato es were planted as quickly as possible and in th e fall gave a sa tisfacto ry y ield Th e site decided up on for th e dw elling was about eighty rods west of th e so uth eas t corn er of sec tion 6 and while th e work of putting it up was in pro g ress th e workm en lived in a s mall tent th ey had brou g ht with th em for th at purpo se and sheltere d their too ls in a small bark shant y er ec ted imm edia tely afte r their arriv al Thi s first white mans dw ellin g in th e tow n was similar in constru ction to the log cabins of th e period Th e logs were sa wed flat on two sides and notch ed at th e end s to bring th eir un saw n sides as clo sely toge th er as possibl e Th en with mud and sp lit ba ss wood or poplar pole s the spaces between were 420 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN secu rely chink ed and plas tered It was pr ov ided with a stick chimn ey and wha t was rath er unu s ual in th ose days - a boa rd roof Th e lumb er for th e roof floo rs door and casings for th e door and wind ows was bro ught from Pontiac It was th e irt ention to finish up th e ho use in t ime to get bac k to Pontiac to cel ebr ate th e fourth of July It was necessa ry to take two clays for th e return trip stopping ove r one nig ht on · th e road at tVhite L ake So wh en th e morn ing of th e 3d dav;ned th ey packed up and sta rted for Pont iac Be fore th ey reach ed Whit e L ake in th e ea rly evenin g th ey bega n to hea r th e regu lar boomin g of can non and thou g ht that th e Pontiac boys wer e co :nm encin g th eir celebra t ion a littl e ea rl ier th a n usual But when th ey reac hed th e se ttl eme nt th ey found to th eir disg ust and chag rin th at th ey had some - h ow lost a day in th eir reckonin g and would a rriv e in tow n th e day afte r th e ce lebra tion As soo n as poss ible th e fam ily and goods tog eth er with thr ee yok e of oxe n tw o cows with calves and a po ny wer e tr anspor ted to D ee rfield and th e reg ular pio - neer life was beg un tVhile th e ho use wa s building ten ac res were clear ed and sow n to whea t being th e first wheat sown in D ee rfield Wh en harves ted th e nex t summ er it yielded about 20 bu shels to th e acre The wo rk of clea rin g was rath er mor e ard uous th an was usually th e case in thi s ope ning cou ntry beca use th e timb er was heav ier th an on m ost of th e s urroundin g sections Of th e exper ienc es of th ei r first winter we ar e not abl e to sp eak in de tail but imag ination d raws a pleasa nt pictur e of the cosy cabi n snow-shr ouded wit h a co lumn of fleecy smoke rolli ng from its stick chimn ey into th e az ure vault whil e within were th e comfo rt and qui et and pl easa nt peace o f home Th en th ere were th e rud e but hea lthful labo rs in th e clearing and th e excitin g huntin g scenes as the settl ers pur s ued th e dee r or lay in wait for th e turk eys a ll of which add ed a charm to th e new life on the fronti er The boy s so on formed th e acqu aintance of old Portabee k and oth er Indi ans and used to hunt and fish in th eir co mp any furni shin g th e family tab le with by far th e greate r shar e of its su1;&gt;ply of mea t as th e res ult of th eir effort s Suc - ceeding years pas se d in nea rly th e sa me way th o ug h th e family lik e nea rly al l th e pion ee rs was gradua lly grow ing int o bett er cir c um stanc es a nd 1ad to endur e less and less privation with eac h s ucc eed ing yeqr Th ey wer e the only res ident s o f th e town t i!) th e fall of 1835 or (as see ms more probable t o th e wr iter) spri ng of 1836 wh en Wiljian1 Hatt William H att Jr aqd Hora ce H Nottin gham moved int o th e east ern part of th e town So on a fter th e completion of hi s ho4se Mr H ow rigge d up a pit- saw and bega n cuttin g pmetre es num e rous on his land and saw ing t~ em up int o boa rds This was th e first mech anica l indu stry of th e tow n J ohn How was a self-m ade man and po ssesse d th e virtu es of hon esty energy th oug htfu lness and good ju dgme nt to a mark ed deg ree H e was capable as a manag er as we ll as indu stri ous as a workm an and in hi s bri ef conn ec tion with public · affairs acquitt ed him se lf with cred it Upo n th e orga n izati on of th e town he was elected its first s uperv isor a nd held th e office for thr ee succ essive term s App oint ed as th e first tr eas ur er in l 8 39 he held th at office sev en s uccess ive term s a nd th en retiring from public life devot ed his tim e to th e manag ement of hi s farm and mil ls until h is deat h which occ urr ed J an 2 r 1848 at th e age of fifty-nin e y ear s eig ht months and fou rtee n days H is wife died tw o yea rs before him Apri l 7 1846 at the age of fifty-six yea rs J o nath an H ow ma rri ed Lucind a Bennett of this town J an 7 I 838 th e cer emo ny bei ng pe rformed by David Dick so n Esq and settl ed on a 90 ac re farm h e had bought on th e northw es t qu art er of sectio n 5 H e d ied th ere in 1846 leavin g a wife and th ree so ns th e you ngest but ten month s old W illiam How marri ed L ovi sa A nable May 2 1 1848 and lived on a part of th e old hom estead till hi s deat h Feb 5 1864 in h is fifty-seve nth year H e left a wife and four childr en Th omas H ow marr ied Sa rah C Bristol Ma rch 7 1848 and se ttl ed on th e place wher e he still lives on the ea st hal f of th e so uth eas t qu art er of sec t ion I 8 J ohn How Jr to whom th e writ er of thi s s ketch is much ind ebt ed for invaluabl e ass istanc e was th e one memb er of th e family who has particularly distin g uished him se lf J an 14 1841 h e was unit ed in marriag e with Miss Eunice J ones and settl ed on 300 ac res of land ly ing mos tly on sec tion 7 His res idence was bu ilt on the eas t half o f the northeas t quart er of th at section and is still standin g near th e more · mo de rn res idence that has sup- plant ed it On th e sa me place Mr and Mrs How are cal mly enjoying the pleas ur es of lat er life surrou nded by childr en and friend s Mr How entered ea rly int o th e arena of public life his first appearance bein g in th e role of sc hool inspector in 1839 H e th en held th e office of town clerk for thr ee years a nd was elec ted as supe rv isor in 1848 H e ha s se rved twelve years as sup erviso r at different tim es a nd in 1856 was elected a R eprese nt at ive in the State L eg islatur e In all of th ese positions he disc harged his dutie s with zeal and fidelity winning th e good op ini on of his po - liti cal foes as well as of th e m emb ers of hi s own D EE R F I E LD TOWN S HIP p a rty A m ore co mpl ete sk etch of hi s life appea rs e lsewh ere in thi s wo rk J ohn H ow Se ni o rs two da ught ers were ma rried and lived in thi s town and are still res ide nt s h ere S usa nn ah m arri ed Ph iland er Sack ner wh o died F eb 2 5 1862 and is n ow livin g with h er da ug ht er Ma ry m arri ed Ir a 0 Ma rbl e and has since res ided in th e so uth part o f th e tow n Th e seco nd co mp any of settl ers co nsisted of Willi a m H att a nd hi s so n-in-l aw H orace H N ot-· tin g h am and th eir respec tive famili es wh o ca me ea rly in th e spr ing o f 1836 W illia m H att b uil t a ho use Dea r t he so uth qu arte r-pos t o f sec ti on 12 a nd Not tin gh a m b uilt hi s nea r th e so uth wes t co rner of th e sa m e sec tio n Mr Ha tt lived h ere unt il h e removed to A rge nt ine where he di ed a few yea rs since Hi s so n ·will iam H att is now living on t he h omes tead No ttingh am was a well edu - cated ma n o ne of th e ea rl iest sch oo l-t eac hers o f th e reg ion and h eld th e office o f sch ool inspec to r severa l years Some twenty or twe nty -five y ea rs ago h e los t hi s w ife a nd soo n a fter r emoved to G rass L ak e J ack so n Co A t a bo ut th e sa me ti me the Be nn ett famil y made a se ttl e ment he re tVillia m a nd Be njam in Benn ett were so ns o f R ob in so n Be nn ett and we re form erly fro m Sp rin g field O tsego Co N Y co min g ea rly with th e ir pa rent s to M ich iga n and se ttli ng in Sa lem Was h te naw Co A fter th eir pa rent s death th ey dec ided t o loca te new farm s an d ca me to D ee rfield in th e fall of 183 5 to locate th eir la nd In Ap ril I 836 Be njamin ca me with h is wife a nd childr en a nd b uilt a la rge do ub le log ho use nea r th e so uth eas t co rn er of th e nor th eas t q ua rte r o f sec tion IO into wh ich th ey moved a nd where th ey lived for a good ma ny yea rs It was at th at tim e a nd for seve ra l yea rs th erea fte r th e la rges t and bes t h ouse in th e tow n Th e publ ic b usin ess was tr ansa ct ed th ere beca use of its s ize whi ch made it mo re co nv enient th a n oth er bui ldin gs In a littl e m ore th a n a yea r a fter co m ing here h is wife sickened a nd died h ers being th e first dea th in th e tow n so far as k now n to th e writ er He remarried as is sh ow n by th e followin g ext rac t from th e town records whi ch we give ent ire as be ing a n int e restin g m ement o o f th e ea rly tim es: STA T E OF MI CH I GAN COUNTY O F L I Vln ; Ju stice of the Peace John F T opp ing ; Dr ain Co mmi ss io ne r Jo hn Rya n; School In spec tor En oc h M Marl le 1871- up ervi sor El ias H Sellers; T o wn Clerk Step hen B Cou ley; Tr eas urer Willi am V H end erso n; Ju stice of the Pe ace Jol111 R B unt ing; Dr ai n Cunnni ss ione r J ohn Rya n; School In spec tors John Sweeney (ful l term ) Jam es Ca mer n (·aca ncy ) 1872-Sup ervi sor J ohn lf o w ; T o wn Cle rk Step hen B Coo ley; Tr eas urer Charles H T opp ing; Ju stice o f th e Peace Jan1es Bennett; Dr ain Co mm issio ne r John Ryan; Schoo l In spector Jam es Sc ul lin 1873-Suj e rviso r John H ow ; T o wn Cl er k H en ry Robb ; Tr eas urer James McK eo ne ; Ju stice of th e Peace Vil- * R emoved from town the fo llowing wint er an&lt;l on the 1st of Mirc h 186 2 th e Town Board appoin te&lt;l John F T opping to fill th e vacan cy t He fail ed to qu alify and vVllian; H arper wa s appo inted in hi s stead t R efused to qua lify and on the 16th of A pril th e T ow n Boa rd filled th e vaca ncy ly th e app ointm ent of Sidn ey M H awley Durin g th e folloving summ er Villiam H arpe r removed from th e to wn and on the 24ih of Septe m be r the T own Board appoint er! Ell sworth S Burn ett school inspect or to fill th e vacancy liam B Ski nn er; Drain Commi ssione r John Ryan; School In spector n ot reco rde d 1874 -S upervisor J ames Cameron ;I[ T own Clerk H enry R ohl ; Tr eas urer J ames McK eone ; Ju stices of th e Peace John F Topping (full term ) William B Skinn e r (vaca ncy) ; Drain Co mmi ssioner J ohn Ry an ; Sch ool In spec tor Step hen B Coo ley 1875-SHp erv isor E H enry Stil es ; T own Clerk J ames Cameron; Tr eas urer Min or J H osley ; Ju stice of th e P eac e Misha! Hull; Dr ain Commi ssioner John Ry an; School Superint ende nt J ohn R Sw ee ney; Schoo l In spe cto r Step hen B Cooley 1876-Su perviso r E H enry Stiles ; T own Cler k James Ca mero n ; Tr easurer Min or I H osley; Ju stice of th e Peace Jam es Benn ett; Drain Commi s ioner Sidn ey M Hawley; Sch ool Superin1 end ent John R Sw ee ney; Sch ool Inspector Villiam 13 Skinn er 187 7-S upe rvisor I ra 0 Marbl e; T o wn Cler k Jam es Ca meron; Tr easu rer J ame McK eo ne; Ju stices of the Pea ce Wi lliam L eo nard (full te m ) Fr ederick vV Bred ow (vac an cy) ; Drain Commi ssione r Ch arles L amb ;*-* School Supe rint ende nt Charles H JIcK eo ne ; School In spe ctor W illiam B Sk inn er 1878 -S upe rvisor E H enry St iles ; T own Clerk James Ca mero n; Tr eas urer J ames McK eo ne; Ju stices of th e Peace J ohn R Buntin g ( full te rm ) Matthi as Cummin s (vaca ncy) ; Drain Commi s i n er David B Bradley; Sch ou! Su perin te nd ent Charles I I Mc K eo ne ; Schoo l In spe ctor W illiam B Skinn er 1879 -S upervisor E I lenry Stiles; T own Clerk James Cameron; Tr eas ure r Char les L amb; Ju stices of th e Peace Alfr ed V D Cook ( full tenn ) Josep h Vise (thr ee yea rs v1ca11cy) J:irnes L:innin g (two ye :n- s vaca ncy) ; Drain Commi ssioner Villinm R ohl; Schoo l Supe rintendent Tim oth y F Sweeney; School Insp ecto r Wi lliam B Sk inn ertt Th e plac es at which th e annual tow n-me etin gs hav e bee n held are as follows : t11 1837-38 at Benja min Benn etts; I 839 at R obe rt Chambers; 1840 at Elh anan F Cool ey s; 1841-46 inclus ive at Darius L ewis; the I 8 16 meeting was adjo urn ed to the schoo l-house at D eerfield Centr e and from that tim e till 1863 the meetin gs were held th ere ; 1864 at Calvin W L eo nard s ; and since I 865 at th e town-hou se It see ms from an examin ation of the record s that it was at first cu stomary to furni sh liquor upon th e occasion of town -meetin gs and elections and so metim es it 1s said a noti ceab le degree of hilarity was produced 111 some who were mo st fain to partake of th e enticin g bever age On one occas ion two elderly citiz ens had beco me so over - come by th e united effects of politics a nd wh isky as to be nearly oblivious to their ex ternal surroundings As th eir hom es lay in th e same direction th ey mindful of th e motto Unit ed we stand divided we fall to ok hold of hands 111 I[ R esig ned Apri l 13 and E H enry Sti les app o inter! in hi ss tearl f Mr Ry an died in office and J osep h Wi se was app oint ed to fill th e vacan cy ** H e faile d to qualify and J osep h W ise was ap pointecl tt Failin g to ·qua li fy John R Swee ney wa s appo inted to fill· the vaca ncy 430 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN order to ass ist one another hom eward Th e resul t prov ed the truth of anoth er adage When the blind lead the blind etc; for both fell into the ditch and in falling they be ca me sepa rat ed Each struggl ed to his feet but with th eir faces turn ed in opposite di rections Each insisted th at hi s way was right and as neit her could convince th e other of the erro r of his way finally trudg ed away in opposi te directions Through the int ervention of friend s both final ly reached home safe and so und Warn ed by suc h occurrenc es as this th e vot ers determin ed to pur sue a different policy and in I 843 and for several years ther ea fter annu ally voted th at no liqu or should be furnished at elect ion s But thi s action do es not fairly repr ese nt the po sition of the town on th e liqu or question for it has ge nerally be en a liqu or- traffi cki ng and liqu ordrinking community at least to a mor e mar ked deg ree th an most of its siste r tow ns Th e only reco rds bearing up on the matt er are th ose of votes tak en at four different tim es Th e first in 1845 was 17 voted for license and 15 aga inst it Th e second was t1k en in I 846 and resu lted for license 25 aga inst licens e 48 Th e third was the · vote of 1850 wh en 66 votes were cast for license and only 14 again st it Th e las t was th at tak en in 1868 as to change s in th e constitution of the Stal e wh en th e vot e for th e prohibitory clause was 23 and th e vot e ;:igainst it was 185 In the mat ter of building a town-hous e the first public actio n was tak en at th e town-m eetin g in 1863 wh en $300 was vot ed for th e purp ose of building a town-house and a committ ee of five con sisting of Ir a L amb J ames Pr att James Cameron J ohn Sellers and William Pay ne was appoint ed to se lect and procur e a site as nea r the centre of th e town as possible Th e committee purchas ed a site of Bela F enn er At the tow nmeeting of 1864 $300 was vot ed to apply on th e job and th e committee were instruct ed to build a new ho use to cos t not more th an $800 Th e committ ee so ld back to Mr Fenner the lot purchased of him and bought of Mr L eona rd one-half ac re of ground a littl e west of th e northea st corner of section 2 1 for the sum of $20 The contract was let to the lowest bidder J ethro Shout for $790 April 28th and on October I 5th th e j ob being complet ed th e house was accepted and was occu - pi ed for the election Th e tot al cost of th e building and lot includin g furni shin g amounted to about $920 A spec ial me etin g was held Feb 22 1868 to consid er th e qu est ion of issu ing town-bonds to th e amount of $ 15000 in aid of the Chic ago and Michigan Grand Trunk Railway The project met with a chillin g reception being nega tiv ed by a vot e of I 26 to 46 At th e annual town-m ee tin g of the sa me year the proposed changes of th e constitution were vot ed upon with the following res ult: in favor of th e new con stituti on 35; against it 185 For annual sessio ns of the Legi slatur e o; for biennial sessions 191 For prohibition 23; against it I 85 An oth er vote on constitutional amendm ents was taken Nov 5 1872 and th e following votes were ca st: for th e paym ent of railroad bonds I 3; aga inst it 198 For th e re-division of th e judicial districts of th e State 12; ag ainst it 200 For th e propo sed chan ge in th e sa laries of State office rs 14; against it 197 During th e war for th e suppression of th e R ebellion this town did its best to fill its quota un de r th e several calls for troop s and to acco mpli sh thi s res ult held sev eral special township-me etin gs The first of these meetin gs was held in respo nse to a petition sig ned by promin ent citiz ens It was held at th e hou se of Calvin W L eonard Feb 20 1864 and a resolution was passed to raise $ 100 bounty for every man enlist ed and credit ed to the town till its quota was filled by a vote of I I I to 19 March 21 1864 another petition bea rin g th e names of 29 citizens was presented praying for action at the town-me etin g to extend thi s provision to oth ers At th e town -meetin g held April 4 1864 it was accordingly voted to raise by loa n a sufficient sum to pay eac h volunteer who had enlisted or shou ld enlist in th e United States servic e and be credited to th e town on any quota und er calls of the Pr es ident ma de since J an 7 1864 th e sum of $ 100 th e bo:ids to bear 7 per cent int e rest and to be payabl e in on e two and thr ee years Another special meeting held at Mr Leonards Au g 6 I 864 exte nd ed the sa me provisions to drafted men or tho se who furni shed sub stitutes subsequ ent to F eb 4 I 864 Pr evious to Jun e 10 1865 th e sum of $5425 had bee n contributed to clear the town of its liability und er the call for 500000 men and a meetin g was held on that day to take som e action regardi ng th e refunding of such contributions by raising a s ufficient sum by tax and also to pay drafted men in 1863 64 and 65 who served or furnish ed substitut es the sum of $ 100 each A motion to raise th e tax and al so one to pay the bounty was neg ativ ed by a vote of 9 I to 44 The population of De er field in I 8 50 was 822 In 1860 it had incr eas ed to 1015 In 1870 it was 1128 of whom 98 8 were nativ es and 140 wer e of foreig n birth In 1874 for so me un explain ed reaso n th e population show ed a falling DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP 43 1 off as it was th en repo rt ed at 1043 Thi s number was divided as follows : Males und er five years 78; from five to ten yea rs 60; fro m ten to tw entyone years 153 ; from twenty-on e to forty-five years 177; from forty-five to seventy-five years 96; from seventy-five to nin ety years 9 ; tot al 573 F emales und er five years 64; from five to ten years 63 ; from ten to eighteen years 96; from eight ee n to forty yea rs 145 ; from forty to seve nty-five years 98; over seve nt y-five years 4; total 470 Th eir condition in life was reported as follows: Males fro m ten to tw enty- one all singl e 153; over tw entyone single 67; marri ed 199; widowers and divorced 16: F ema les from ten to eight een years single 95 ; marr ied I : ove r eig ht een single 38; marri ed 184 ; wid ows and divorced 25 T otal married 384; single 618; widowed and divorced 41 From th e census of 1874 we also glea n so me interesting statistics regarding th e town its resources and productions which are give n in as concise a form as possible D ee rfield th en pos - sessed an a rea of ta xa ble land s of 2 I 659* acres of which l 2078 acr es wer e improv ed and 49 acres were exe mpt Thr ee ac res were devo ted to places of burial for the dead and 2 Yzac res to church- and parsonag e-sites Th ere were th en in th e tow n 184 farm s averagi ng an area of 117-71 acres eac h the ave rage being a little hi gher th an is that of most tow ns In 1873 3021 ac res of wheat were harvested yield ing an average of 14-47 bu shels to th e acre g ivin g th e town fourth rank in th e county ; and 1022 acres of corn produc ed an average of 2755 bushels per acre g ivin g th e tow n th e twelfth for co rn In th e quantity produced it hol ds rank among th e towns of th e county as follows: it is third for wheat and all oth er g rains exce pt corn and for pork fourth for cheese fifth for potatoes ninth for wool eleve nth for corn thirt eenth for butt er and fifteenth for hay In a ge neral ave rage it stand s as th e seventh town of Li vings ton County The following tabl e show s th e qu antity of its product s for I 873: Bu sh els of wh eat 43 725 corn 28 152 othergra ins 32 102 puta tues 8976 T ons of hay 1326 Po unds of wool 24704 Po un ds of pork 8106o cheese 245 butter 3552 5 dried fruit 3430 Barrels of cide r 324 Th ere was th en 424 ac res of orcharding and the yield of app les for th at and th e previo us year was report ed at 14394 bush els in 1872 and 96 34 bu sh- els in 1873 * By the Unite ! Sta tes surv ey th e area of the town is reported at 2387125 acres th e sec tions on th e nort h ove rrunning and · th ose on the west falling short of the true area of a secti on N either th e lakes no r th e streams were meande red which account s for the apparen t discrepancy The amount of stock kept was for that yea r: horses 517; mul es 5 ; working oxen 52; milch cows 417; other neat cattle 677; swine 731; sheep 5498 As will be see n from thi s th e tow ns-p eop le are pur sui ng a diversified sys tem of farming-paying perhaps as great att enti on to da iryin g and sheep - hu sbandr y as to any particular branch and are bringing th eir town to rank well with th e other to wns of th e county Th at th e soi l is fertile and yi elds a lib eral return for th e toil of th e hu sba ndman and th at th e people a re posse ssed of thrift and p ublic spirit is evidenced by th e many pleasant dwellings and commodious barn s th at are sca ttered abou t th e tow n From its organization down to th e pr ese nt tim e th e tow n has been uni formly Democratic in its political bias th ough from 1845 to 18 50 th e Whig party mad e str enu ous efforts to ove rcome th eir oppo nents and came so nea r accomp lishin g th eir obj ect th at it put th eir oppo nent s up on th eir mettle to retain th eir supr emacy The D emoc ratic maj or ity at th e ge neral election has ranged from 30 to 60 since th at tim e Th e political hosts on th e Whig and R epublican side have been marshaled un de r th e leade rsh ip of D ar ius L ewis Samu el L eo nard Calvin T Burn ett J osep h Chambe rfin Ca lvin W Leo nard and oth ers whil e th e leade rs of th e D emocracy have been Hon Charles D Toppi ng Hon J ohn H ow Sid ney M H aw ley Ir a 0 and E noch M Marbl e Rob ert Chamb ers J ohn Sellers E H St iles and oth ers Never but once have th e Democrats failed to elect th eir candid ate for superv isor (thou gh often being d efeated for so me of the minor offices) and th at memorab le eve nt occurred in 1847 when Darius L ewis was elected by th e Whigs Ne ith er th e Kn ow -N othings or th e Gr eenhackers have ever h ad an exis tence as a par ty in th e tow n POST-OFFI CES Th e first po st- office in Deerfield was es tab lished in 1837-38 It was int end ed to call th e office by th e name of th e town but th e department hav ing already es tablis hed an office in L enawee County und er th at name issued a com miss ion to A lfred H olm es as postmaster of D ee r Creek post-offic e It was th en kep t in his blacksm ith-shop a littl e so uth of th e west quart er-pos t of sec tion 17 In 1843 th e office was tr ansferred to J ohn H ow and move d to hi s house on sec tion 6 where it remained for about seve nt een years In 1848 Mr H ow died and was succeeded by his son William who retained it till hi s death in 1864 Hi s widow kept it a few months and th en it was tra nsferr ed 1 to D ari us L ewis who for private reaso ns kep t it 432 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN for a while on his front stoop His successor was Alexander Bain who kep t it at his ashery and was succeeded by th e pr ese nt postmaster William W Henderson in 1870 since which time it has been kept in the store Dani el Boutell first carried the mail over this route which led from Howell to Shiawassee embracing the offices of D ee r Cre ek and Byron Oak Grove Cohoctah (at first called Tu scola) Argentine and Madison were added when they were established and the north ern terminus of the route tran sferred to Linden so that the present route embraces five offices and is mor e than thirty mil es long Th e round trip is mad e from Lind en to Howell and return on Thur sday and Friday of eac h week The Madison post-office was early established at Deerfield Centr e but th e exact date is not known It was probably during th e ea rly part of Harrisons administration as the first postmaster Darius L ewis was an arde nt and zealous Whig and would hard ly have been selected for the post by a Democratic administration Why th e mu11e Madi son was given it is not kn ow n thou g h it was with out doubt in honor of th e ex -Pr es ident Mr L ewis kept the office severa l years at his re sidence on sec tion 15 and th en it was turn ed over to John Anderson and removed a half-mile west of the Centre It was th en brought bac k to the Centre and kept a coupl e of year s by Calvin W L eonard and afterwards by Lew is until his removal to Deer Creek in 1863 when Luther V Field was appointed to succeed him Since Field the office ha s been kep t succes sive ly by Misha! Hull Edwin T ow nsend Leroy Dean and th e pres ent postmast er George Gib so n At first it was on a spec ial route to Argentine but was afterwards changtd to the Howell and Linden rout e to which it now belo ngs INDUSTR IES The first mechanical industry in th e town was the manufactur e of lumber and was inaugurated by John How who r igge d and operated a pitsaw for that purpose in 1834 This primitive style of sawing did not long remain in vogue for in th e winter of 1835-36 he commenced work on a saw-mill The first step was the buildin g of a dam across the Shiawassee River and th e spot fixed up on was that where th e str ea m crossed the south line of section 6 The line of the dam lay diagonally across the section line and it was about 100 feet long It was built of logs held in place by 13mall trees whose butts rested upon the logs of the dam and whose untrimmed tops extended upstream and were anchored by dirt and stone dumped upon th em It was necessa ry at times to do thi s work of filling in by cutting hol es throu gh the ice that formed and dumping the ballast through them In the spring when th e sun bega n to warm up th e earth and str eams the water bega n to work through the half-frozen lumpy ma ss and soon und ermin ed the dam which as the freshet increased in volume was nea rly all swep t away It was rebuilt as soon as the hi gh water sub sided and in th e following summer th e mill was built and commenced operations This mill was about 20 by 42 feet in size furni shed with an old-fashioned flutter-wheel and a sas h saw and was run simply for custom sawing though Mr How afterwards bought so me land on section 18 on which was some fine timb er and did a littl e lumb erin g But eve n thi s lumber was used for building purpo ses by th e settlers of thi s and adjoining towns After Mr How s death th e mill property passed through seve ral ownership s and finally came into the possess ion of Isaac L &amp; D N Rob er ts who about 1852-53 built th e first gris t-mill in the tow n Since that tim e th e property ha s had seve ral owner s and has been divided The grist mill ha s bee n owned by Philander Sackner D av id B Bradley I saac L R ober ts William Sturgis Is aac L Robert s Darius Lewis George Green and is now owned by Holcomb &amp; Gre en lt is a building 36 by 44 feet in size two sto ries hi gh with a base - ment and fitted up with two run of stones and the usual accompanying machin ery It has three iron turbin e water-wh ee ls furnishing an aggregate of about 40 hor se-power It has a cap ac ity for g rinding 150 bu shels of wheat and 300 bushel s of feed per day and is doing a good custom business The saw -mill has been owned sinc e th e property was divid ed by P)1ilander Sackner Jo sep h Rid er George G Gib so n and Simeon Kittle who is the present proprietor Before the division it was rebuilt as it now stands Its annual product was put down in 1874 at 100000 feet It now does but a limit ed custom business in times of hi g h water In 18 38 a distillery was built by Joseph Walsh a nd Georg e Green on section 2 5 Th ey bega n operating it in th e fall of I 8 39 and for nea rly thirty years it was kept runnin g for about nine month s in th e year It s daily consumption of grai n was about eighteen bu she ls After Mr Walshs death th e bu siness was continued by Mr Green until 1867 when it was given up on account of the high tax imposed and because from its location away from th e arteries of commerce it was difficult to get supplies to it and to ship its product An ashery was operated at D ee r Creek several years ago by Alexand er Bain and was subseDEERFIELD TOWNSHIP 433 qu ently mov ed to his land on section 17 where it was run for a while and then abandoned Th e first blacksmith in th e town so far as kn own was A lfred Holmes who had a shop on sect ion 17 as ea rly as l 837 William Snow had a shop near th e Centre as ear ly as I 840 Th e first store was kept by William Edward s who bought a few acr es of grou nd on section 35 of William Payne and opened a store on th e corn er oppos ite th e old Coles tave rn in Oceola about the year 1844 VILLAGES In an ag ricultur al community villages are usu ally of slow growt h and rarely att ain to any consid erable size un less by means of manufact or ies and railro ads a foundation is laid and an imp etu s given to th e tr ades and branches of busin ess th at build up a place A nd yet to the citizens of th e vicinity the grow th of th ese littl e hamlets possess a degree of int eres t th at rend ers a history of th em however brief desirable DEE R CREEK which received its name from th e post-offic e lies in th e nor thw est part of the town mostly on th e so uth eas t quarter of sec tion 6 but ex tending a littl e on to th e north east quart er of section 7 It is very pleasantly loca ted on hi gh lightly- ro llin g g rou nd on th e eas t bank of the so uth branch of th e Shiawas see R iver and contains a population of abou t 75 so uls The name mo st commonly app lied to it by people of th e vicinity is Howbur g derived from the name of J ohn How the ori ginal owner of th e land on which it is built Th e first step towa rds the building up of th e village was th e erec tion of th e mill s already describ ed and of hou ses to acco mmod ate th e own er and employees While Isaac L R oberts was op eratin g th e mills he opened th e first stor e in th e place in a build ing he had erected on th e site of Mr H end erson s present stor e On that site stores have since been kept by J ohn Davis and the presen t merchant Mr W W H end erso n Another store was ope ned soo n after th e close of th e war by Jam es Rooney on the corn er ju st north of H enderso ns buildin g The buildin g was afterwards used for a cabin et-shop a saloo n and oth er purp oses and Oct l 1878 was again opened as a store by Adelbert D Chase acting in th e capacity of age nt for L eslie Lewis of Fenton Ju st befor e th e war J oth am Br efford opened a bla cksm ithshop at this poi nt but soo n after was succeed ed by H orace Soper Th e first wagon-shop was started by a Mr Bentley so me ten or twelve years ago in a small building on th e nor th side of the road near the grist-mill In 1877 Isaac H opper built a new shop on near ly th e same site and 55 is doin g a mod erat e business At th e pr ese nt tim e the village consi sts of one gr ist-mill one saw-mill one wago n-shop two black smith- shop s two stores and fifteen dwellings DEERFIELD CENTRE as its nam e impl ies is located at the centr e of th e t own and is but a littl e hud dle of dwellings with a sto re and blacksmith- shop It comm enced in 1842 when Calvin W L eona rd mad e th e first purcha se of land on th e scho ol section and built th e first house in th e village It was located on th e site of Mr L eonard s pres ent hand some residence At th at time th e nearest houses were Bela Fen - ners a half-mile sout h and El han an F Cooleys and Elias B H olcombs about th e same distanc e east A co uple of yea rs later Mr F enner so ld two small lots on th e north line of sec tion 22 to Add iso n Sut herland and Misha! Hul l Each of th em built a hou se on his lot and Sutherland who was a blacksmith also put up a small shop on his lot and went to work at his tr ade Hull working in the shop with him Th e nex t building erected was th e stone buil ding on th e sou thwest corne r of section 15 which was int end ed for a school-house but not used as such * th e district voting to not accept the building and subseque ntly purchased anot her site of Mr L eonard and on th at erected th eir pr ese nt frame schoo l-h ouse one of th e best in th e town at a cost of abo ut $800 Nex t th e town-house was built in th e summer of 1864 and soo n after John R Bunting a return ed so ldier who had lost one foot in th e se rvice of his country erect ed th e pres ent store building and opened a groc ery H e soo n after sold to Misha! Hull Since th en it has passed thro ugh several ha nds and is no w owned by a M r Giddin gs of Gaines Genesee Co Mich In 1874 th e Meth odist church was built Th e pr esent statistic s of th e village show th at it contains on e church one school-house one town-hou se one store and postoffice one blacksm ith- shop abo ut a dozen dw ellings and a population of abou t 50 HI GHW AYS Th e first road in th e town was the one opened by th e How family lead ing north from th eir settle - ment to the Shi awassee road or tr ail as it th en was Of cour se thi s was not sur veye d but was clea red of rubbi sh and ma rked by blazed t;·ees as a private und ertak ing Th e first reco rd ed surv eys of road s Some lime about 1869 th e stone buil ding and on e acre of ground was p urch ased by Mr Le onar&lt;l wh o finish ed it off for a blacksmith-shop and sold it to Geo rge Knick erbocker wh o work ed in it for some tim e Aft er seve ral changes of owners it was finally bought by Misha[ Hull and fitted up for a store-room in connec - tion with th e sto re-a use to whi ch it has ever since been devoted 434 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN were made by A Adams between the 15th and 20th days of May 1837 and were opened in the following order: first a road in continuation of th e one running eas t from Oak Grove which crossed secti ons 31 and 32 in a so uth ea t direction and passed into Oceola; seco nd a road running on section line from th e north east corner of sec tion 3 I to th e west line of Tyrone; third one across th e town a mile north o( the second road; fourth one connect ing th ese two running from the north eas t corner of section 32 to th e north eas t corn er of section 29; fifth one runnin g west thre e-quarters of a mile from th e eas t quarter-post of section 18; six th one runnin g from the northea st corner of sec tion 3 1 to th e so uth eas t corn er of section 6 These roads were of course suppl emented by oth ers as fast as the needs of the pioneers made th em necessary In I 847 th e non-resident highw ay tax was appropriated to build a brid ge across Ore Creek at Bennetts dam which is now one of the most important brid ges in th e town it being on th e direc t road to Lind en and F enton Th e pre sent fine bridg e at that point was erec ted in th e centennial year The How bridge across th e Shiaw assee was built in 185 I SCHOOLS Th e division of th e town into school districts was a work which exte nded throu gh a con siderable lengt h of tim e and since th eir first formati on many changes in th eir boundary lines and numb ers have been made from time to tim e so that it would be a laborio us task as it would be a practically useless one to try to trace them all from th eir organization to th e pre sent We will th erefor e give but a brief resum e of th e most salient point s in the history of each Di stric t No 1 was formed May 5 1838 and th en embraced section s 3 10 and 15 and th e west half of sectio ns 2 11 and 14 It now contains section IO th e g reater part of sectio ns 2 3 and I I and small parts of sections 14 and 15 Samue l L eonard was t he prime mov er in ge ttin g thi s district organiz ed A log school-h ouse was built in the su mmer of 1838 by J ohn Anable and Bee - Hunter John son Edwin P Spenc er taught the first school th ere-whic h was also th e first in th e town-in th e wint er of 1838-39 Some twentysix years ago th e school-hou se was replac ed by the present brick building which will seat 35 pupils and is val ued at $750 Ann Stephen s and Alma D ebar were early teac hers in thi s district Di st rict No 2 was formed Oct 1 1839a nd consisted of sections 24 25 26 35 and 36 and th e east half of section 23 It now embraces sections 24 and 25 three-qu ar ters of section s 26 and 36 seven-eighths of section 23 and the eas t half of section 35 The first school -house was built on section 24 in I 8 39 ; it was burned down and replaced by another which gave place to th e pr ese nt fram e building so me twelve or fourteen years ago This hous e will accommodate 90 scholars and is valu ed at $700 District No 3 as first formed Oct 3 1838 embrac ed sections 33 and 34 in thi s town and sec tions 3 and 4 in Oc eo la It is now entir ely in thi s town and is known as No 11 It contains sec tion 34 seven -eighths of sectio ns 27 and 33 thre e-quarters of sectio n 28 th e west half of sec tion 35 thr eeeighths of section 32 and one -fourth of sec tions 26 and 29 Th e first sch ool-house in thi s district was a log building which stood about eighty rods from th e town line on sec tion 34 In 1850- 5 1 the district go t into turmoil ove r the que stion of selectin g a site for a new school-h ouse th e qu estion was carried to th e co urts and even before th e Leg islatur e and finally tw o buildin gs were erected one on th e nort hwest corn er of section 34 and another near th e town line It resu lted in a disruption of the district and th e estab lishin g of th e north ern lot as th e regu lar site Th e building er ected there was a small on e and cost about $ 100 exclu sive of th e voluntary labor perform ed on it by th e citiz ens Th e pr esent frame hou se built in 1866 will sea t 50 pupils and cost about $ 1000 Di strict No 4 was form ed Oct 24 18 38 and consi sted of sectio ns 1 12 and 13 and th e east half of sec tion s 2 11 and 14 It now contains th e whole of sections 12 and 13 and parts of all th e others but is considerably small er th an at first Th e school-hou se is a frame buildin g cap able of acco mmod ating 50 pupil s and is valued at $500 It sta nd s near the nor th quart er-post of section 1 3 Di strict No S was form ed Jan 5 1849 and was mad e a fracti onal district by th e addition of so me territory in Tu scola (now Cohoctah ) on th e I 8th of D ecember 1841 By subseque nt changes it has bee n made th e larg est district in th e town no w embracing sec tions 18 19 20 30 and 3 1 and portion s of sections 17 21 28 29 and 32 Th e schoolhouse is a frame building capabl e of seating 12 5 pupil s valued at $600 and stands on th e north east corn er of section 30 D-istrict No 6 was formed Oct 1 18 39 and contained th e whole of sections 22 and 27 and parts of sect ion s 14 15 16 21 and 23 Th e first meeting record ed was held May 6 1 844 This is th e central district of th e town and now embraces th e whole of sect ion 16 the gr eater portion of sections 15 21 and 22 and parts of sec tion s 9 17 and 14 The school-buildings in this district hav e been mentioned here tofor e Th e present one will accommodate 70 scholars and is valued at $500 DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP 435 District No 7 now obsolete was organized March 2 l 8 39 from sections 20 2 l 28 and 29 Di strict No 8 was formed Feb 16 1841 It now contains sections 5 6 7 and 8 and parts of sections 4 and 9 The school-house is a rather dilapidated frame building s~ated for 65 scholar s and repo rted to be worth 11700 It is situated in section 5 D istrict No 9 now obsolete was formed of section 32 in De erfield and adjoining territory in Oceola Jan 14 1843 Another district was formed May 2 1846 with this numb er (containing parts of sections 7 8 18 and 17) which has also become a thin g of th e pa st Di strict o I 2 is fractional with Ar ge ntine and comprises in this town parts of sections 3 4 and 5 The school-house valued at 11250is a frame building fitted for 40 scholar s and located in section 4 The first full report of the districts to th e school inspectors was mad e in 1843 and whatever comparisons are mad e in the following statistics are mad e betwe en the years 1843 and 1879 No record of th e total expenditur es for support of scho ols in 1843 is to be had but in 1879 th e amounts in th e several districts were report ed as follows: No 1 119484; No 2 1317 826 ; No 4 1186; No 5 130844; No 6 1172805; No 8 11239; No 11$ 17750; No 12 121858 ; tot al11 98067 The followin g list is compo sed of th e early teachers of th e town and embr aces all to whom certificate s were g rant ed by the school inspectors previous to the ye ar 1850 so far as any record has be en pr ese rved Th e first seve n were commi ssioned in 1844 Th e nam es are Horac e H Nottingham Matilda B Nottin gham Matilda Humphr ey Mary Nelson Rhoda F Packard Theresa Pik e Sarah Gibb s Graham N Barker Ja spe r Bentley H arvey R Stevens Cynthia and Carolin e L R oyce Jam es Vanbenschoten John Curran Mary and William Clark Emeline Spr ag ue Abby F Jon es J oel A Chapman Lucinda M H art John Benn ett Emelin e Young s Jame s Andr ews Sophia Toppin g Maria Chrispell Theda Y H aza rd Martha A L eet Herman I Cransto n John How Martha J Vankeuren E sther M and Nancy J Batcheller Mary G Suth erland E sth er Marvin John F Toppin g Hud son B Blackman and -- Cor ey RELI GIOUS HISTORY In th e late fall of 18 36 th e first religious meetin g in th e town of De erfield was held at the hous e of Reub en Pea se on section 14 in the T oppin g neighborhood R ev Washington Jackson the pioneer Methodist preacher of thi s vicinity had given out the appointment in connection with several oth ers in this reg ion some time before It was a Sunday appointm ent and a severe wintry storm which set in and continued throu gh the precedin g night and was unabat ed on Sabb ath morning pro mised to prevent th e me etin g But th e peop le were hardy pionee rs used to and fearless of storms and load after load of people came from different direction s throu gh th e snow-drifts the ox-teams and drivers hoary with snow and frost In spite of the inclement weather a lar ge congregation got toge th er; the meetin g was one of unusual int erest and long held a place in the remembrance of tho se who attended it No regular class was formed in this town until Octob er 1846 when the FIRST MET HODIST E PI SCOPA L CH URCH OF DEERFIELD was or ga nized at the Centre It had but a few members among them being Mr s John Anderson John D Converse and wife R euben Youn g and wife and W illiam A and Elizabeth Hull Mr Hull was th e first class-leader What its first circuit relation was is not known Upon th e organization of th e Oak Grove circuit in 1855 1t was conn ected with th at circuit and so remain ed until 1874 when it was tran sferr ed to th e new Par shallville circuit It has had quite a varied ex per ience meetin g with perhap s more th an the usual amount of alternating periods of prosperity and adversity but st ill maintains its position upo n th e battlement s and floats th e pure white bann er of the Saviour to g uide repentant sinners to th e pathw ay leading to life etern al It s pr ese nt member ship is abo ut 25 No class-leade r ha s been appointed since th e position was vaca ted so me time ago and th e preacher in charge of th e circuit consequently acts in that cap acity Th e pastors of the church since 1855 have been as follows: 1855 William Bird sa ll; 1856 Lym an H Dean; 1857 L P M urch; 1858- 59 James H Cas ter ; 186o F Brittan; 186 1-62 Sa mu el P L ee; 1863-64 James R Cordon and J G Horton two months; 186 5-6 6 D 0 Balls; 1866- 68 J oseph W H olt and J G H orton in th e latt er year; 1869-70 Alexander Gee; 187 1-74 James Ball s ; 1875 Orlando Sanborn; 1876 William Birdsall; 1877-78 Edwin Daw; 1879 Orlando Sanborn Und er the pr eachin g of R ev E E Caster 0 HP Green and Edwin D aw th ere were revivals th at und er Caster being the mo st not able and extensive Th e meetin gs were held princip ally at th e school-house at th e Centre until th e building of th e church in 1874 This ed ifice was built as a sort of union chur ch but has been controlled by th e Methodists and is such practically It is HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN legally known as th e First Church in D ee rfield Th e gro und on which th e church was erected con sistin g of one-ha] f acr e on sectio n 21 was pu rch ase d of Calvin W Leo nard for $50 a nd th e church was built by R ober t Chamb ers of H owe ll and Charl es Chamb ers of Cohoctah and cost altoget her inclu ding furni shin g abo ut $2400 Th e ceremony of dedica tion took place Oct 27 1874 R ev Mr McEldown ey of FJint preac hin g th e discourse and R evs vV E Bigelow P E John Hamilton and James Ba lls participatin g on th e occa sion Th e form al inc orpor ation occ urr ed F eb 16 1875 when at a meeting of th e Q uarterly Conference of Oak Grove Circuit Flint Di stri ct D etroit Annu al Conference held at D eerfield Centr e D anie l 0 T aft Danford Parke r J osep hu s L air J ohn H etch eler Misha! Hull Wilt sey Glaspi e and Willi a m L eonard were elected as th e first board of tru stees The first fou r were· memb ers of th e Meth odist Epi scopa l Chur ch Th e pr ese nt board is composed of George Bunting Nelso n Lamb A bram Maj or Hir am Farnham Ca lvin Spalding John F T oppi ng and James T amlin BAPTIST A Bapti st society was formed so me tim e between I 845 and 18 50 at th e schoo l-h ouse in Di strict No I it being a br anch of th e chur ch at Pars hallville Its memb ership was small and contained among oth ers H orace H Nottin gham and wife Mrs Samu el L eonard M rs Per ry Mr s Jemima D owner Abiram Blackburn wife and moth er and J ethro Shout and wife Preac hin g was k ept up once a month at th e school-house for a few yea rs and th en the society was broke n up its indi vidu al member s tran sferrin g their member ship to oth er churche s of th e connection At the pr ese nt tim e Baptist serv ices are held eve ry two weeks at th e church in D eerfield Centr e by R ev I W L amb pa stor of th e Parshallville Church ROMAN CATHOLIC Th ere were a num ber of Iri sh emig rants amo ng th e ear ly settl ers of D eerfield all of whom were communicants of th e Church of Rom e and as soon as th ey could see th eir way clea r to do so th ey set at work to erect a church Prepara tory to thi s un der tak ing a church was orga nized in Juri e 1846 by R ev Patrick Kelly a missionary sent out to organ ize church es amo ng th e Cath olics of thi s State which th en numb ered 13 families mo st of th em being young married people Jam es McK eone was th e leader of th e enterpris e and among the others who ass isted in th e work were D enni s and Timoth y McCarthy Bry an Corr J oh n McKeone Edward Swe eney Mich ael Bennett Pat - rick and James Conklin James Scullin J ames Murphy James McG uir e and J ohn R ya n J osep h vVals h who was not a membe r of th e chu rch gave two acres of gro und on sec tion 25 for a chur ch site and on it the chur ch was erected th at seaso n Th e frame was put up and inclo sed and an altar buil t so th at se rvices could be held in it and th en th e work stopped and was not resum ed until in 1862 wh en it was finished A few yea rs ago it was thorou ghly repaired It s first co t was abo ut $400 but at th e present tim e it is valued at $2000 In 1857 t wo ac res of gro und on the so uth eas t corn er of section 26 was purchas ed and on th at a parso nage was built at a cost of abou t $1000 Thi s chur ch was first conn ected with six oth er appoi ntm ents Oc eola being one and is now a missio n of the F ent on Church In conn ection with th e churc hes of Fenton and Gaines th ey are now b uilding a church in th e west part of the town of Cohoctah Th e pres ent memb ers hip includ es 76 families Th e pastors hav e been R evs Patri ck Kelly Fr ancis X Vanpalm er J osep h L amb ert F X Pour ett e Thomas -Rafter Ja mes Wheeler and William Kilroy A lth oug h not incorporated-th e priest according to th e rul es of th e chur ch h olding th e titl e- th e ch urch is know n as St Peter s and Paul s Rom an Catholic Church of D eerfield CEMETERIES Th ere ar e but thr ee buryin g-gro und s in D eerfield and two of th ese have been regularly incorpo rated Th e first is called THE DEERFIELD CENTRE BURIAL -GROUND A s has bee n mention ed th e first death in town so far as kn own was th at of Mrs A ch sah (Wood) Bennett th e seco nd wife of Benja min Benn ett who died in Jun e 1837 Th e seco nd is believed to have been th at of Mrs Nancy Faussett widow of James Fau sse tt and moth er of Th omas and George Fa usse tt: she was th e first perso n buri ed in th is gro und H er death occ urr ed Ma rch· 6 1838 Oth er ea rly deaths were th ose of Mr J osep h Wis es fat her date un known ; Lydia E Luc e (daug ht er of Fr eeborn and Eu nice Lu ce) an infant Aug 2 1838; and M rs Sar ah Boutell seco nd wife of L orenzo Bout ell Oct 9 1840 · Mrs F au ssetts nephew Thomas Sha rp was one clay talking with her wh en she bro ac hed the subjec t of death and said that she would soo n be called away and want ed to select a pl easa nt place of buri al before she died Mr Sharp told her th at if she had no obj ection to being buried upo n COHOCTAH TOWNSHIP 437 his farm he would giv e her an acr e on any part of his land she should select to be used as a buryin g-g round for th e neighborhood Sh e mad e her selecti on taking a piece near the northea st corn er of th e south east qu arter of section 21; and th ere within two years tim e she was buri ed on th e very spot selected by herself wh ere a marbl e slab marks her resting-pl ace From tim e to time oth er interment s have been made until th e ori ginal lot becam e so well filled as to necess itate an addition being made whi ch was accordin gly done Th e ground is well kept and conta ins a number of neat and tasty monument s and tombstones Th e first tran sfer of the title was made Jan 20 1855 when th e ground was deeded to John Sellers E F Cooley and Dariu s Lewis trust ees of the Deerfield Centre Buryin g-Ground Th e formal incorporation took plac e at a meetin g held May 16 l 863 Th e officers elected were : Pr esid ent Elh anan F Cool ey ; Secretary Sim eon Kittl e ; Trea surer J ohn Sellers; Sexton J ohn Merrill At that tim e Ira L amb A D Royc e J ohn F Toppin g Willi am L eonard E B H olcomb Calvin vV Le onard; J ohn And erson Luther V Fi eld and Samu el Leonard in addition to th ose alr eady named were memb ers of th e asso ciation Th e pr ese nt officers ar e : Pr esident Elia s B Holcomb; Vic e-Pr esident Chri stoph er Nich olson; Secret ary Alm eron Holcomb; Tr easurer Misha! Hull; Sexton John Merrill COHOCTAH WH EN the rigor of th e wint er of 1832-33 had been subdu ed by th e ever higher mountin g sun of spring and th e soft-fallin g rain s and balmy southern br eezes began to wake to renewed life th e long dormant energies of Nature an ad venturou s pioneer- one of tho se ge nuin e vid ettes of an advancing ho st wh ose energe tic restless impatient natur e forced him to th e front in anything he was led to un dertake-mad e his app ea ranc e in th at part of th e country now kn own as th e town ship of Coh octah Th at man was an Indi an tr ader named Gilbert W Prentiss and he was th e first settl er in this town ship In th e ent ering of his land he was pr eceded thr ee days by Lyman Bou ghton who made his entry of the northea st qu arter of the northw est quarter and northwe st qu arter of the DE ER CREEK BURYING-GR OUND Thi s is located on the north east quart er of section 7 It contains about I l acre s The ground was first op ened in 1846 by John How as a family and neighborhood buri al-plac e and was finally incorp orated at a meetin g held in th e Deer Creek school -hou se Oct 30 1875 Aft er adoptin g a nam e officers were chos en as follows: Pr es ident John How; Vic e-Pr esident William W Hend erson; Secretary Fr ederick Bredow; Trea surer David B Bradley; Sexton John G Gibson Th ese officers hold their pos ition at the plea sure of the association until removed for cause No change has yet been made in th e official board CATHOLIC CEMET ERY Around the Catholic church on section 25 is locat ed the third burying-ground in Deerfi eld It contain s nearly two acresand has numerous graves over many of which have been erected beautiful and costly monum ents It looks somewhat neglected With a littl e effort and watchful care it could very easily be made th e pretti est cemetery in th e town In closing th e writ er desires to return g rateful thanks to John How James Cameron Calvin W L eonard Jo seph Chamb erlin and other s for courtesies ext ended faciliti es afforded and assistance rendered in thi s work Deerfi eld and its citiz ens will long be pleasantly remembered TOWNSHIP north east qu arter of section 34 on th e 6th day of April whil e Pr entiss mad e his on th e 9th and a second entry on the l 5th His first entry was 40 acr es-th e so uthwest quart er of th e north east qu arter of section 22 and his second was of 80 · acres it being the east half of th e same quart er section At that tim e th e whole extent of the territory now compri sing th e town of Cohoct ah was an unbrok en wildern ess a wild of low-lyin g mar shes dark gloomy tamarack swamp s sunny plain s and beautiful openings with a bord ering of heavi er timb er reaching almo st entirely around its out skirt s Th e foot of th e wandering Indian hunt er the white hunt er trapp er and trad er th e gov ernment surveyor and perhaps a HISTORY OF LI V INGSTON COUNTY MI CHIG AN few land-loo kers had alone t rod th e mazes of its forest and forded its water-co urses T he wild ga me wand ered at pleas ur e beneath th e invitin g shade of its sp read ing oaks or fea rless ly quenched th eir thir st from th e spa rk ling waters of its meanderin g str ea ms not yet hav ing lea rned to fear t he prese nce of man as th e death -dea ling rifles of th e pioneers soo n taug ht th em to do when the sett lement bega n T ownship 4 north of range 4 eas t as thi s town was des ignated by th e Unit ed States surv ey compr ises a ter rit ory nea rly six miles wide from eas t to west and a littl e ove r six a nd thr ee-e ighth s miles long from north to so uth containin g an area of 24538 ac res It is th e west cent ral town on th e north line of th e county and centr ally d istant eight and thr ee-q uarters miles from th e county-s eat Th e town of Burn s Shiawassee Co adjoins it on th e nort h the tow n of Deerfield on th e east th e tow n of H owell on th e so uth and th e t own of Co nway on th e west It s sur face is ge nera lly q uite level lightl y roll ing in so me pa rts and was originally badly cut up by num ero us swa mps and ma rshes many of which have by th e clea rin g up of th e coun try and th e improve ment s made in th e dr ainage sys tem of the town been reclaimed and made tillable and prod uct ive Probably from oneseventh to one-twelfth of th e t ownship was orig inally covered with th ese marshes and swamp s A t prese nt th e largest marshes are in th e so uth par t of secti on 33 along th e cour se of th e outl et of Cooks Lake and alo ng T ellers Creek in sect ion 2 1 Th e soi l is var ied following very close ly th e lin es th at marked th e bound ar ies of th e different kind s of lands In th e centr al par t where were th e pl ains it is of a very light sandy natur e ; towards th e north line where were m ix ed t imb ered land s an d timb ered ope nings th e soil is of a heav ier nature a so rt of clayey loam; in the eas tern par t it is made up of mingle d sa nd ridges and marshes or swa mps; in th e so uth eas t corn er where th e tim be r on th e ope nings was very heavy th e so il is also heavie r and te mpe red with so me clay; alo ng th e so uth line thi s con tinu es with intervenin g swamps t ill in th e so uth wes t part comes a mo re elevated surface which was originally timbered openin g and where th e so il is light and ye t stro ng and fertil e; and along th e west line of th e town where were mixed marshes and ope nin gs th e so il is correspo nd ingly varied Th e so il is well adapt ed to th e culti vation of ge neral crops and th e real ag ricultur al wo rth of th e township has not been fully deve loped Th e lakes of Cohoct ah num ber but seven and ar e non e of th em of any con side rable size Th e largest of th em on sec tion 32 from th e pec uliar form atio n of its bott om is named Sand- Bott om Lak e It is co nnected wit h Coo ks L ake whi ch lies so uth from it a nd which is of nea rly th e sa me size It however unli ke the form er has a mu ddy bo tto m and a go od dea l of marsh about its shores Th e outl et of both j oins th e Shiawassee Riv er on sec tion 34 A not her lake of near ly th e sa me size lies on secti on 19 and is called Dev ils L ake It is sur ro un ded by wide marshes and has a mu ddy bott om It s outl et is Sp rag ues Cree k Lim e L ake is a small body of water lying on section 14 It derives its name from th e fact th at its shores and bott om is to mp osed of a kind of ma rl th at by burnin g ca n be convert ed into an indi fferent so rt of lime It has a bolder shore th an any of th e oth er lakes It s outl et conn ects it with Mud · Lake lying a few rods so uth on the same sec tion Thi s lake has a mu ddy bott om a mars hy shore and its waters have a r ec uliar turb id look whi ch g ives th e lake its name It s outl et ent ers th e Shiawas - see nea r th e so uth west corn er of th e sec tion Th atchers Lake is a small body of water on section 4 It covers an area of about four acres and was named after Mich ael Th atch er ·who settl ed nea r it at an ear ly day It s outl et run s so uthw ard int o anoth er smaller lake ly ing acro ss th e so uth line of th e section which is called Craw ford s L ake It th en continu es south till it j oins Sp rag ues Creek Th ere is a lso one artificial pond at Chem ungville on sec tion 36 cove rin g seve ral ac res and afford ing a fine water-powe r Th e prin cipal strea m is th e south bra nch of th e Shiawassee Ri ver wh ich enters th e town from H owe ll about fifty rods eas t of th e so uth west corner of section 34 and run s north erly th ro ugh wide-spread ing marshes on sec tions 34 27 and th e so uth half of 28 wh ere its banks rise ab ru ptly to a conside rable height above th e strea m and so continu es along its course until it reaches th e q uart er line of section 2 1 and aga in finds a marshy bed which cont inues thro ughout its onward cou rse th ro ugh th e town int o Dee rfield It s curr ent in thi s town is q uite slugg ish and its ent ire cour se quit e tor tu ous and so me nin e miles in ex tent Its pr incipa l tr ibut ary is th e seco nd str eam in imp ortance in th e town It is co mm only called · Bog ue Creek a cor ruption of th e In dian name Bo-bish-enun g A s to th e significa nce of th e name we are not able to spea k It enters th is tow n nea r th e so uth eas t corn er and run s a northerly course of about thr ee miles till it j oins th e riv er in th e north pa rt of sec tion 4 A t Chemun gville it affords a fine water-powe r Sp rag ues Creek th e thi rd str ea m in imp orta nce is made up of two branche s th e pr incipal one being th e outl et of De vils Lak e ; COHOCTAH TOW N SHIP 439 th e united streams flow in a variabl e south eas t and eas t course throu gh section s 9 IO and l 5 and empty into th e Shiawa ssee in section 22 T ellers Creek on secti on 2 1 th e outl ets of Coo k s and Mud Lak es and a tributar y of th e Bog ue on sect ion 2 5 con stitut e th e remaind er of th e str ea ms of Cohoctah Th e h istory of th e abor ig inal own ers and inh abitant s of th e to wn is hid beneath th e shro ud ing mys tery of th e past At th e time of settl ement no Indi ans were perman ently resid ing in th e town ship th ough many were frequ entl y see n on th eir way to D etr oit or on huntin g excur sions Tim e was howeve r wh en they had hom es and p robably a village here for tr aces of th eir for mer occupan cy were found in abun danc e by th e whit e settl ers A side from th e usual relics in th e form of arrow and spea r head s ston e hatchets and kni ves th ere were oth er and more strikin g tokens of th eir p rese nce in th e shape of Indi an orchard s ga rdens cemeteries and da ncin g-g round s On sec tion 22 in th e so utheas t co rner of th e north wes t qu arter was a piece of gro und cont aining about a q uarter of an acre which had been leveled and trod down until th e surfa ce was hard and sm ooth as a floo r It was cir cular in form about eight rods in diameter and surr oun de d by a rin g of ea rth whi ch was elevated a littl e abo ve th e ge neral sur face and ap pea red to have been form ed from th e ea rth removed in th e p rocess of leve lin g It was a subj ect of g reat cur ios ity to th e ea rly settl ers and th ey only lea rned its use wh en th ey made inquiri es rega rdi ng it of th e Indians whom th ey met H ere th e stalwart savage s celebr ated th eir w ar-dances before departin g on so me blood y errand of conq uest or reve nge ; or when returnin g success ful with bloody t rop hies of th eir prow ess th ey celeb rated th e occas ion with th e riotous scalp-d ance ; or being un successful mourn ed with black ened faces and sh rouded form s and slowl y trod th e m elancholy measures of th e dea th- da nce Th e In dian bur yi ng-gro und was situ ate d on th e north bank of th e Sh iawas see Ri ver near th e west line of secti on 27 It covered one h alf-ac re of g roun d and contained so me fifty or sixt y g raves all mar ked with two tamarack p oles pl aced one at th e head and th e oth er at th e foot th eir t ops drawn toge th er and cro sse d being fastened toge th er with stri ps of ba rk Th e orchar ds and places bea rin g mark s of culti vation were in different places b ut all in th at sec tion of th e tow n Th ere was but one tr ail of any pro minence th ro ug h thi s tow n Thi s was a br anch of th e D etroit and Grand R iver tr ail th at left th e main tr ail so mewh ere in th e neig hb orh oo d of H owe ll and reach ed thi s tow n a qu arter o f a mile west of th e so uth eas t corn er of section 34 Fro m th at point it followed very nea rly th e cour se of th e pr ese nt ro ad due north to th e centr e of section IO wh ere it turn ed tow ards th e north west a nd at th e eas t q uarter-p ost of secti on 5 turn ed a littl e to the north ward and ran o n till it reac hed Shi awassee town On sec tion 5 th e trail forked th e oth er br anch leadin g westward ac ross sec tion s 5 and 6 runnin g to Dew itt and th ence t o th e Grand Riv er N eith er of th ese were main tr ails but th ey were frequ ently used an d th eir co urses well de fined vVhen th e territ ory we have end eavored to describ e was th row n upo n th e mark et th e land s were b ought up by two classes of p urchase rs The first thou gh not th e mo st num erou s were th ose wh o bought with th e purpo se in view of settlin g on th eir pur chases and ass istin g in th e developm ent of th e co unt ry ; th e seco nd class we re th ose men of means who th ought th at money inves ted in th ese lands wo uld eve ntu ally pay a large r interest and wo uld ce rtainly be safer th an if used in th e spec ulations th en so rife and whi ch we re dri ving th e financial A merican wo rld int o th e curr ent whi ch in 1837 swept it int o th e vort ex of th e panic of th at yea r Th e first class steadily pur - sued th eir p urp ose whil e th e oth ers we re wary pur chasers until th e thi ck enin g cro wd of on--co ming settl ers see med to assure th e success of th e und ertakin g a nd th en with a g rand ru sh th ey swooped dow n up on th e co unt ry and seized upo n all th e avai lable and valuable land th ey co uld find Thi s is sh ow n by th e fact th at thr ee-fourths of th e land in thi s tow n was tak en up within th e space of on e twelv emonth beg innin g with May 1836 and th at more th an thr ee-eighth s was taken up in th e tw o month s of May and Jun e 1836 Th e first entry was made as before stated by Ly man Bo ughton A pril 6 1833 and the nex t two by Gilb ert W Pr ent iss on th e 9th and 15th of th e same month Th ese were th e only p urchase rs in th at yea r Th e pur chase rs of th e following yea r 1834 were Be njamin Crawford J ohn and Jam es Sa nford and Ant ony Clark In 1835 th e following perso ns entered lan d: J ohn and Mary San ford Ezra Sanford vVilliam W S hut es Willi am Rik er Ep hr aim Crawfo rd Ez ra Fri sbee and Dye r Rath - bun Th ere we re one hun dred and twenty-one ent ries in 1836 Th e year 1837 bro ught tw enty - two p urch ase rs Th e oth er ent ries were made as follows : one in 1838 four in 1839 one in 1841 one in 1850 t wo in 1853 one in 1854 five in 1855 one eac h in 1856 1857 1860 1867 1869a nd 1870 and two witho ut th e date being g iven makin g a g rand total of on e hundr ed and six ty- eight entri es ave rag ing ove r 146 acr es eac h Th e size of th ese entri es tells a tale of spec ulativ e greed and expl ains th e reaso n why only fifty-s ix of the se pur chase rs eve r beca me residents of th e town - -- HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN Th e following list compri ses all th e ent ries of land in th e t own of Cohoctah Fir st we give a list of th e pur chase rs on more th an one section with th eir places of resi dence descr iption and area of th eir pur chases and th e dates of ent ry In both thi s and th e following list th e names of actual settl ers are mark ed with an asterisk (*) : Ezra Sanford·X·O ak land Co Mich Ju ly 4 1835 160 acres on sect ion 21 and So acres on sect ion 27; Nov 15 1836 29185 acr es on section I and 40 acres on section 2 Flavius J B Crane of thi s county J uly 5 1836 240 acres on sect ion 2 160 acres on secti on 3 and 80 acres on sect ion 11 Alva Pre ston~· ·w asht enaw Co Mich D ec 13 1836 14436 acres on section 2 and So acr es on section 11 Benjamin B K erc heva l Vayne Co Mich Nov 18 1836 80 ac res on sect ion 11 and 80 acres on section 18; Dec 6 1836 80 acres on sect ion 12; Dec l 5 1836 40 acres on secti on 2; Feb 15 1837 86 acres on section 30; and Feb 17 1837 So acres on section 12 James Waldro n Yates Co N Y May 20 1836 160 acre s on sec tion 3 and 160 acres on section IO; Sept 20 1836 40 acres on section 9 E lisha Cross Wayne Co Mich J une 4 1836 289IO acres on sect ion 3 and 28844 acre s on section 4; Nov 18 1836 10470 acres on sect ion 3 and 80 acres on sect ion 5 George Bisbee Ottawa Co Mich Ju ne 6 1836 80 acres on section 3 and I 20 acres on sectio n 10 Sime on Andrews Wayne Co Mich Jun e 17 1837 So acres on sect ion 5; Jan 18 1837 80 acres on sectio n 14 and So acres on sect ion 33 John G K anouse Vashtenaw Co Mich May 10 1836 120 acres on section 8 a nd 120 acres on section 9 Th omas P Briggs Yates Co N Y May 20 1836 160 acres on sect ion 4 and 40 acres on section 9 Aretus G Smith Onondaga Co N Y May 20 1836 So ac res on sectio n 9 and 160 acres on section 10 I saac Pratt* vVashten aw Co Mich J une 14 1836 320 ac res on sectio n 12 and 40 acres on sect ion 13 Villiam Cooper N ew York Aug 2 1836 160 acres on section I 3 and 160 acres on section 14 Mil es P Lamson Gene see Co N Y Oct 25 1836 320 acres on section l 3 l 6o acres on ection 14 160 acre s on section 15 and 40 acres on sec tion 22 Matthew Gooding Way ne Co Mich D ec 17 1836 160 acres on section 17; and J ;n 16 1837 80 acres on sect ion 15 Isa ac S Ki dder Steul en Co N Y Jun e 27 1836 160 acres on sect ion 18 So acres on sect ion 29 and 160 acres on section 30 Jam es Grant Oakland Co Mich May 23 1836 80 acre s on section 35 ; and J une 21 1836 14988 acres on sectio n 18 A lvah Ewers Way ne Co Mich May 30 1836 160 acres on section 19 and 240 acre s on sectio n 20 Gottlieb Nie man N ew York City Aug 2 1836 3 1896 acres on sect ion 19 and So acres on section 20 Fr eder ick R ing New York City Aug 2 1836 158 12 acres on sec tion 19 and 160 acres on section 20 vVilliam Packard Wayne Co Mich May 10 1836 So acres on sect ion 24; May 12 1836 160 acres on section 24 80 acres o~ section 25 and 80 acres on section 26; May 16 1836 So acres on sect ion 24; and May 23 l 836 40 acres on section 23 and 80 acres on sect ion 26 Danie l Boutell Onondag a Co N Y Nov 5 1836 40 acres on sectio n 24 and 80 acres on sec tion 25 ; March 1 1837 40 acres on sectio n 24 and 40 acres on sect ion 25; Apr il 26 1837 So acres on sectio n 24; and Jan 10 1839 40 acres on section 25 Chauncey D F ishe r* Washtenaw Co Mich May 30 1836 80 acres on sec tion 25 So acres on section 35 a nd 40 acres on sect ion 36 Joseph H osley* Wayne Co Mich J une 6 1836 40 acr es on section 36; J une 9 1836 80 acres on sec tion 36; Sep t 23 1836 80 acres on sectio n 25; and D ec 29 1836 80 ac res on section 25 Th omas Gold smith Monro e Co N Y May 13 1836 120 acres on sec tion 26 and So acres on sect ion 27 L evi and Ambro se Mosher Monro e Co Y May 27 1836 160 acres on section 26; Jun e 10 1836 40 acres on sect ion 26 and 120 acres on sectio n 36 J ohn Sanford * Oakland Co Mich Ju ly 8 1834 80 acres on section 27 and 320 acres on sec tion 34; May 27 1835 80 acres on sect ion 27 and 80 acres on sect ion 34 D avid ·V Sh eldon Ontario Co N Y May 12 1836 40 acres on sectio n 28 and I 20 acres on section 29 H orace H eat h and Ap ollos Smith Un ited States June IO 1836 320 acres on section 35 and 80 acres on section 36 Th e re n:iainin g entri es are for sake of convemence class ed by sec tions as follows : SECTION 1 Acres James McGregor an d John A McG an Boston Mass J une 4 1836 21438 Philand er Bird Wayne Co Mich Jun e 18 1836 80 Th omas Bussey vVashtenaw Co Mich Jun e 28 1836 So Am os Huff of this cctunty Nov 15 1836 80 Orrin Cole Oakl and Co Mich De c 5 1836 So vVm H J ohn son W ashtena w Co Mich D ec 24 1836 So SECTION 2 Elias Lit chfield H artford Co Conn D ec 13 1836 14436 Isaac Dunn vVashtenaw Co Mich Jan 19 1837 So George W Allen * Washtenaw Co Mich May IO 1837 20964 SEC TION 3 Nel son Coston- O ak land Co Mich No v 18 1836 1047 1 SECTION 4 John F Maxson Genesee Co N Y May 25 1836 240 John K emp Levi Bayley; * and Cha rles Geor ge Genes ee Co N Y Jun e 27 1836 20903 SECT ION 5 Dyer R athbun * Vashtenaw Co Mich Oct 29 1835 Seth Dunbar On ondaga Co N Y Jun e 8 1836 Michae l T hatc her;* of this count y J uly 27 1837 David Sanfo rd·Xo· f thi s county Jan 8 1838 Micha el Downey * of this county Nov 29 1854 SECTION 6 John E dmonds Genesee Co N Y June 14 1836 Nehemi ah M Allen of this county Ju ne 14 1836 Jede diah D Commins Portage Co Ohio Jun e 15 1836 L evi llosher Monroe Co N Y June 15 1836 Mortime r B Mart in Wa yne Co Mich Aug 2 1036 Ad olphu s Coburn Alb any Co N Y Aug 6 1836 George P Tyson Oakland Co Mich Feb 11 1837 SECTION 7 20885 28970 160 40 40 IOII S 80 198 I 7 10 118 1 53 20 160 7584 James B Cooley Monroe Co N Y July 5 1836 160 Lev i Cooley Monroe Co N Y J uly 5 1836 15356 H enry and Van R ensselaer H awkin s Gene see Co N Y 3 1260 SECT ION 8 Israel V Ha rris Wayne Co Mich Oct 26 1836 240 William White Wayne Co Mich Jan 20 and 26 1837 240 Daniel Sculley* of this county Sept 12 1837 40 SECTION 9 E lam Moe vVashtenaw Co Mich Ju ne 14 1836 So Joseph H Steele W ayne Co Mich July 5 1836 So David Gui le* Oakland Co Mich Oct 26 1836 and J uly 6 1839 200 COH OCTAH TOW NSHIP 44r SECTION I O Acres Abram Kanou se* Wa shtenaw Co Mich Jun e 25 1836 40 Josiah Bates Yates Co N Y Sept 20 1836 120 George V Albee of th is county May 13 1837 40 SECTION 11 H osea Root of this county J une 28 1836 80 Th omas M H owel l Cana nda igua O ntar io Co N Y Ju ly 5 1836 160 Sarah Stodda rd* Wayn e Co Mich Aug- I 1838 40 Nat haniel vV Brayton * of thi s county Sept 7 1855 120 SEC TI ON 12 Leavan s S Hut ch ins Madiso n Co N Y Jan 16 1837 160 SEC TION 13 H arris Hi ckok Mad ison Co N Y Marc h 3 1837 120 SECTION 14 H arrison Cox Li vingston Co N Y Jun e 10 1836 16o Patri ck Ca llag han* of th is coun ty Apri l 8 1837 : 80 SEC TI ON 15 Josiah and Step hen D Beers T ompkin s Co N Y May 27 1836 400 SECTION 16 E lias Sprague* May 3 1850 and March 11 1853 80 R Gra nt * Sept 12 1853 40 J Rame r* May 21 1855 and Apri l 12 1860 120 George Palmer* May 29 1855 120 S Carpenter* Jul y 7 1855 40 Peter and Willia m Deane* Marrh 28 1856 40 E C Sprag ue* May 13 1857 40 Edwin and Delos Alge r* Oct 1 1869 40 H enry Th omas* J an 5 1870 40 SEC TION 17 I saac Green Vayne Cn Mich J uly 5 1836 160 Gains Dayton Way ~e Co Mich Nov 1 1836 320 SECTION 18 Conrad H ayner* Oak land Co Mich D ec 29 1836 160 George C H ayner* of thi s county 80 SECTION 20 J oseph Hin es* Lenaw ee Co Mich Jun e 15 1836 and May 16 1837 16o SECT ION 21 Mary Sanford* Oak land Co Mich May 27 1835 and June 18 1836 8o Corne lius Neafie Orange Co N Y Ju ne 20 1836 56o SEC TIO N 22 Gilbert W Pr ent iss* Shiawassee Co Mich April 9 1833 and Ap ril 15 1833 120 Nat hanie l Prouty Wayne Co Mich March 23 1836 120 Ira vValker * of this county J une 18 1836 40 H orace R Hu dso n N ew York City Sep t 24 1836 80 SEC TION 23 Willi am Rik er* Steuben Co N Y Oct 6 1835- 240 Ephraim Crawford* Steube n Co N Y Oct 6 1835 80 D avid Th ompson Wayne Co Mich Feb :; 1836 120 L eah Packard Wayne Co Mich May JO 1836 80 Wil liam Stroud* of this county Sept 23 1836 and Nov I 1836 80 SECTION 24 E phr aim Whitn ey Otk lancl Co Mich June 15 1836 40 Calvin V H a rt* of this cou nty Jun e 14 1837 80 L orenzo Boutell of this county Jun e 14 1837 40 56 SE CTION 25 Acres Sam uel C K lump Vayne Co Mich Oct 26 1836 80 Willi am Hosley* of this county Dec 29 1836 40 John Jones* of this cou nty Oct 26 1839 40 SECTION 26 Joseph Neely Monroe Co N Y May 27 1836 160 SECTION 27 Benjamin Crawford * Macomb Co Mich June 13 1834 320 SEC TI ON 28 Ant ony Clark* Oak land Co i[ich Aug 4 1834 and Jan 1 1836 120 Isaac I Sheldon Onta rio Co N Y May 12 1836 240 Isaiah Vandebo~art T ompkin s Co N Y Jun e 18 1836 8o Abrah am Rik er* Livi ngston Co N Y Nov 14 1836 80 T obias C I-lowland* Li vingston Co N Y July 9 1841 40 SECT ION 29 Hu gh Gilshenan Vashten aw Co Mich June 14 1836 160 John Vandebogart T ompk ins Co N Y Ju ne 18 1836 40 N elson Pettibone Gene see Co N Y Ju ly 1 1836 80 R oger Glinan Washten aw Co Mich Nov 14 1836 16o SECTION 30 Lott Pratt* Genesee Co N Y May 10 I 836 Sylvan us Vest New York State i;lay 10 1836 Chas L Harrison Washtenctw Co Mich Sept 23 1836 Jam es 1-Ioper Washtenaw Co Mich March 2 1837 SEC TI ON 31 15964 8o 79 82 79-72 Ju stus Boyd* Livingst on Co N Y May 5 1836 16o Warner Lak e Li vingston Co Mich May 5 1836 15820 John Coughran Genesee Co N Y May JO 1836 31920 SECTION 32 Nathan Chid ester Ge nesee Co N Y Mr1y 4 1836 240 Willi am Slater Li vingston Co · Y May 5 1836 80 Simon Westfall Cayuga Co N Y May 11 1836 80 Willi am H orton New York City Jun e I 5 1836 240 SEC TI ON 33 Purdy Will iams ew York City Jun e 15 1836 16o Charles Pope New York Ci1y Ju ne 15 1836 160 John Dunlap Oakl and Co Mc h Ju ly 11 1836 40 Rees Lewis Washtenaw Co Mich March 21 1839 80 Willi am P Cone of this C()Unly May 30 1855 80 Willi am McPher son of this county March 2 1867 40 SECTION 34 Lym an Boughton Oakland Co Mich April 6 1833 80 James Sanrord Oakland Co Mich Jul y 8 1834 8o °Edward McMaken Wayne Co Mich Sept 21 1836 80 SEC TI ON 35 Willi am W Shutes Oakland Co Mich Jul y 8 1835 40 Ezra Fri sbee -:&lt;M ontgomery Co N Y Oct 19 1835 40 Adam Fisher Cayuga Co N Y May 30 1836 80 SECT!ON 36 William Northrup* Wayne Co Mich J une 6 1836 40 John W Farrand Tompkin s Co N Y April 25 1837 240 SETTLEMENT The first settl er in Cohoctah was Gilbert W Pr entiss Some tim e in th e seas on following th e entry of his land he erected a small shanty near th e northw est corner of his first purch ase about eighty rods north and a littl e eas t of the middl e of sec tion 22 and ther e began the bu siness of an In -- -- ---- · 44 2 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN dian trad er doing a littl e tr appin g and huntin g to occupy his spar e tim e for of cour se custom ers wer e sca rce and th e demand s of th e bu siness did not take up all th e tim e of even on e person But littl e is kn own of thi s man his chara cter or career We kn ow he flouri shed here for a bri ef period po ss ibly a y ear or mor e and th en vanished R egardin g th e reaso n of his departur e whi ch was very sudd enly taken and wa s not in a tru e se nse entir ely volunt ary we a re inform ed th at in his tradin g operation s th e Indi ans inv ariably deman ded wh at was du e th em should be paid in shu-ni-ah or silver mon ey th e only kind th ey were acqu aint ed with and would receive Th ere see med to be no lac k of Shu -ni-ah in th e Pr enti ss treas ury and all demands were promptly met with a ready supply of th e shinin g metal win s But alas for th e h onesty of th e tr ader and th e confi de nce of th e Indi ans it soo n tr anspir ed th at th ese co ins would not pa ss curr ent at oth er stores and tradin g-p osts in short th e Indian s discove red th at th ey were count erfeits Th en th e savage bl oo d bega n to b oil and th e sa vag e spirit to demand revenge A plan was con coct ed for a des cent up on th e trad ers cabin and a des poliation o f its conte nts a nd pro bably th e person of th e dishonest tr ader mig ht not hav e passe d un scath ed throu gh th e ord eal had not he go t wind of th e p ropose d visitation and has tily fled from th e thr eatened dan ge r Th e Indi ans came but th eir ga me had go ne and th ey were disappoint ed in th eir ex pected sc heme of revenge and repri sal Th e cabin was howev er co mm itt ed to th e flames and so perished th e las t token of th e res idence of th e first se ttl er in th e town Th e Janel was afterward s own ed by Nath aniel Prouty who also owned adjoinin g lands on th e wes t makin g his whol e possession s on that se cti on 240 acres H e lived in D etroit and once cam e here with hi s family and goo ds int endin g to settl e on his lan d But one night s exp erience of th e new co unty was enou gh for th em and with th e rising of th e morning sun th ey return ed to th eir home in D etroit R ecently th e place passe d int o th e hand s of William B Ea ge r who died th ere Sept 19 1879 and it is now in th e possess ion of his family Th e seco nd settl er and th e first perman ent res ident was J ohn Sanford wh o ca me fro m vVay ne St euben Co N Y in 1832 a nd remained two yea rs in Salem Wa sht enaw Co before co rnin g to Coho ctah in th e summ er of 1834 H e commenced wh at was kn own as th e Sanford se ttl ement on section 27 and which was for some tim e th e centre of pop ulation of th e town Before leavin g Sa lem he engage d a man named Ir a Walk er to come with him to ass ist in clearing and br eakin g up his farm so that the party that start ed from Sal em consisted of J ohn Sanford and wife th eir so n J ames th eir daug ht er Mr s Ant ony Clark and her hu sband and Ir a W alk er and his wife and two childr en Whil e on th eir j o urn ey Mr s Sanford fell from th e loa d of goo ds and wa s so seve rely injur ed th at wh en th ey arriv ed at William Benn ett s in Hambur g she remained th ere with th eir daug ht er wh o was Mr Benn ett s wife Th e rest of th e co mp any continu ed th eir j ourn ey and art ived sa fely at th eir destin ation Th ey immedia tely set to work o n a ho use and soo n had on e read y for th eir accomm odation It was a fairsized log house and stood on th e wes t side of th e In dia n tr ail close to th e so uth lin e of sec tion 27 It was th e first real dwellin g- erect ed in th e town and for a tim e furnish ed a home for thi s first co lony of settl ers e·ight in numb er Soo n after th eir arriv al Mr Cla rk bu ilt a house on his land on sec ti on 28 and with his wife went th ere to live In th e fall or wint er follo wing Mr s Sanford recove red sufficientl y fo enable her to j oin th e famil y in th eir new hom e In 1835 Mr Walk er built a h ouse abo ut thr ee-eig hth s of a mil e wes t of th e ce ntr e of sec tion 27 ju st wes t o f th e small cr ee k th at run s so uthw ard ac ro ss th e qu art er lin e of th e sec - tion and after livin g th ere about a y ea r left for so me oth er part of th e country J ohn Sa nford lived th e life o f a pionee r farm er un t il he sa w th e develop ment of thi s part of Michi ga n well beg un and th en havin g reac hed a good old age was ga th ered to hi s fath ers in I oven:b er 1845 H e was an energe tic and success ful farm er and bro ught h is land to a good state of cultiv ation in th e ten y ea rs of his life here H e accumul ated a fine p ro perty and ad ded to his o rig inal pu rch ase till he own ed 10 00 ac res o f land bes ides wh at he di stribut ed a mong his chil d ren His wife sur vived him many year s and remained a wid ow to th e tim e of her death S he Jived to th e age o f nin ety-tw o y ea rs a nd died in A pril 1877 at th e l1o use·of hh da ught er Mr s vVillia m Benn ett in H ambur g Ja mes Sa nford remained here severa l yea rs and th en went to Californi a wh ere he was Jiving wh en las t hea rd from Ant ony Clark died in this town in 1851 and his wife remove d to H ambur g wh ere she is now living with her sister Mr s William Benn ett Jh e Sanfor d family was ori g inall y from th e St ate of Penn sylvani a Th e pro ge nit or of th at br anch of th e family which se ttl ed here wa s Ephr a im Sanford fath er of John and Ez ra who was a patri ot durin g th e R evoluti onary war whil e hi s two broth ers were Tori es o f th e most bitt er typ e Aft er th e close of th e war he removed to th e St ate of V erm ont and afterward s to St eub en Co N Y H e was a Bapti st pre ach er havin g a wid e COHOCTAH TOWNSHIP 443 repu tation for his eloquence and piety Th e New York State Gazetteer says of him th at h e was a silver-tongued pr eac her who used to pass the sacrament in p ew ter tankard s; and adds th e misa nthro pic remark th at nowadays th e ord er is often reversed and that many churches have silver tank ard s and pewter preachers Hi s wife was a cou sin of th e famous Maj Moses Van Campen who se nam e a nd fame are so intim ately conn ected with th e history of S outhwest e rn New York where he was seve ral tim es a captive of th e Indi ans and forced to run the ga untl et Ezra Sanford did not leave th e State of New York until thr ee yea rs after his brother J ohn but came dir ectly to thi s tow n afte r spe nd ing a few weeks visiting with friends in Sa lem Wa sht enaw Co arrivin g he re Jul y 9 1835 With him came hi s wife five so ns and two daughter s o ne of them acco mpa nied by her hu sba nd Ziba Stone For several nights afte r th eir arri val th ey slept in th eir wagons and then mov ed into a house they had erected on the east side of the trail about tw enty rod s north of th e ce ntre of sect io n 2j Th ere th ey all lived toge th er through th at s umm er and part of th e winter of 1835-36 wh en th ey separated Stone and hi s wife going to a new dwelling th ey had erected on th eir place on th e sout heast co rner of the so uthw est quart er of sect ion 22 Ezra Sanford was a respe cted and honored citiz en and a deacon in the Baptist Chur ch H e was also a preacher of no mea n ability and on so me occasions preached at th e chur ch in th e town of Burns and often at his own hou se H e died in thi s tow n J an 2 1844 and his wife surviv ed him about eleve n ye ar s Before his death Mr Sanford gave eac h of his so ns a quart er-secti on of land in thi s State John H anoth er so n of Ezra came to thi s town in 1836 and remain ed o ne yea r After spe nd ing one winter in ew York he sett led in D eer field in the spring of 1838 and lived th ere about ten years and a fter severa l remova ls is now livin g in Wright Ottawa Co engaged in farming surv ey ing and pr eac hin g being a mini ster of th e Universalist Church Th e res t of Ezras children we mention as follows: Ezra Jr ha s been a prominent and hon ored citiz en of thi s tow n dow n to th e present tim e and is now livin g on section 1 engaged in th e practice of medic ine Da vid remain ed here seve ra l years but finally moved away and is now livin g in Flushing Genesee Co Mi ch practicing law and also having an int erest in a me rca ntil e busin ess Ephraim H studied law at Ioni a and from th ere went to Ann Arbor wh ere for four years he published a j ourn al kn ow n as Tlte Gem of Scimce H e went from th ere to Ohio and at las t settl ed in Wabaun see Co K a n where he is now living practicing law and ac ting as land- and claim-agent H e has rise n to considerab le emin ence in his new h ome and besid es seve ral oth er offices has once held the honor abi e po s ition of jud ge of the Circuit Co urt J ames rema 11e1d on th e hom estead until afte r th e death of his parents and th en removed to Ca liforni a where he is now living Samu el who was a young man of mu ch promis e went to Kan sas when th e st rife betw ee n Freedom and Slavery was at its heigh t in th at State and was brutally murd ered by one of th e bord er ruffia ns being shot down in cold bl oo d with out any provocati on or oppo rtunity for defense Hi s death occ urr ed in th e summer of 1859 Esth er was th e wife of Zib a Sto ne and is st ill a res ident of the tow n Mr Sto ne died in 1852 and she afterwards marri ed Daniel Barlow who died so me fiftee n yea rs ago Po ssesse d of good hea lth and in the full possessio n of all her faculties she promis es to remain yet many years among the sce nes wh ere so many years of her life have been spe nt Emily ma rri ed William Stroud in thi s town and still co nt inu es to res ide here where her husb and died in 1853 or 1854 Elizabeth then marri ed to Luth er Hou ghton came to thi s town in 1836 and after living with her fathers folks two or thr ee years th ey moved to th eir land on section I Mr Houghton died about tw enty -eig ht years ago and his widow after a tim e was ma rri ed again her seco nd hu sba nd being J ohn Lan e who died in thi s tow n in 1878 She is still livin g in town but is an invalid s ufferin g from a brok en ba ck cause d by her sl ipping and falling across a door-step about two yea rs ago Th e Craw ford family o f whom Samuel Crawford was th e head ca me to Michigan in September I 836 and sett led o n wlnt is kn ow n as the Preston farm 0 11 sec tion 23 in thi s town Th ey came from th e town of Wayne St eube n Co N Y via Buffalo and Detr oi t a nd from th e latt er plac e followed the Shi awassee trail by way of Pontiac and Whit e Lak e till they crossed th e Shiawassee Riv er at Naggs bridge and followed an Indian trail into thi s tow n All of his children made settl ements in thi s tow n and after his wifes death he lived with them until hi s own death some ten years ago A ll but one of th em have mov ed to other parts That one is Edmund D who mar ried Mrs Alsmeda Kelly a daughter of Dudley Woodworth and is now livin g on a fine farm on secti on 9 where he ha s res ided for the past tw enty-four years Another settl er in 1836 was D avid Guile who se ttl ed on th e so uth central part of section 9 He ca me from Novi Oakland Co with a family of a wife two marri ed sons-D avid a nd J ose ph-with 444 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN wives and a grandson William G -Pha res Mr Guiles family were all great hunt ers and spent much tim e in the forest in pursuit of game His wife di ed about thirt een years lat er and he then returned to Novi sel ling his property here to Elias Sprague and died th ere several years after Hi s grandson William G Phar es remain ed a resident of Cohoctah a long time and was a very stirring active man respec ted by his neighbor s and was frequently elected to the office of constable Perhaps his most peculiar ch aracteristic was a readi - ness to trade it being said of him that he never refused an opportun ity to exc hange His wife once proved to him by actual count th at they had moved as many times as th ey had been married years which was upward s of thirty He is now living in the town of Genoa in thi s county William Northrup formerly of Sullivan Madison Co N Y came from ther e in th e fall of 1836 and settled in Cohoctah on sec tion 36 near th e Deerfi eld line In 1837 hi s wife died H e continu ed to reside th ere till I 865 when he mov ed to Aurora Ill wh ere h e died abo ut six y ea rs ago Some of his family are now living here Ju stus Boyd came to thi s town in 1837 and had not th e hand of deat h cut short his career would hav e bee n one of its most important citizen s He was a nat ive of th e town of New - bur gh Orange Co N Y and when a young man came !Vest to Conesus Livingston Co N Y He marri ed Miss Almira Nutt of Cayuga County and in I 822 moved on to a new farm in the town of Mount Morri s where h e lived fifteen years when he came to this State and settled in Cohoctah In the spring of 1836 he came to Michigan in company with Jos ep h C Craft Dani el P Lake and William Slater in search of land Each of them made a purchase but only Mr Boyd came here to live He return ed to New York and in the early summer of 1837 be ga n his journey hith er with his wife and nine children-six sons and three daughter s-th e eldest Lewis B a boy of eighteen In company with th em came his broth er-in-l aw Lee Nutt with his wife and thr ee children and a Mr McF ail with hi s wife and four children Th ey reach ed Mr Boyds la nd on section 3 I on June 12th having be en one month on the road Before returning East for his family Mr Boyd had engaged a Mr Porter of How ell to build him a hou se on section 3 I and this was ready for their occupancy when they arrived Mr Nutt lived with Mr Boyd for a time and engag ed to clear a piece of ground and sow it to wheat taking the crop in part payment for his labor H e th en built a shanty on the south side of th e road in Howell and moved into it with his family · At -the election in th e spri ng of 1838 Mr Boyd was elected to th e offices of overseer of the poor and assesso r and ju st a year from the time of his arrival here started for his former home to settle up hi s business affairs ther e At Detroit h e · took passage for Buffalo on the ill-fat ed steamer Washington which when about twenty-two mil es from its des tin ation cau g ht fire and was destroyed Mr Boyd exe rted him se lf to th e utmo st in effor ts to extinguish the fire and to sa ve th e passengers and when nothin g mor e cou ld be done leaped overboard a nd swam ashore The sudden chill cansed by leaping into the cold wat er whil e heated and perspi rin g from his efforts coupled with th e exhaustion incid ent to such violent and prolonged exertions proved to o g rea t a strain upon his vital powers and he died a few minut es after reachin g th e shore at Silver Creek He was a farmer but was also a capable and competent busines s man of fair ed ucational attainments His widow resides in Howell with her daughter Miss A ngeli ne Boyd Sh e is now eighty years old Of Mr Boyds childr en two hav e died- William and H annah; L ew is B married Charity a daughter of Jared L Cook and is now living on sec tion 3 I in this town ; John N marri ed Lucinda Holloway and lives on the sa me sect ion; Hiram married Matilda Creshaw of Handy and lives on th e same sec tion; H enry P marri ed Elizabeth Brigg s and lives on th e home stead; Norman married Rhoda Scofi eld and lives on sec tion 32; Elizabeth marr ied Lyman H D ea n a mini ster of th e Methodist Episcopal Church and is now a resident of Salem Washtenaw Co Alva Preston was for m any years one of th e substantial citizens of Cohoctah H e was a native of Windham Co Conn and soon aft er hi s marriage came to Michigan settling in Ann Arbor in 1829 In December 1836 he purch ased two lots of land of the government- on sections 2 and 11 and also 40 acres on section 23 of William Riker In the following sp ring he came with hi s wife and two children and occupied a house he had built on th e nor th bank of the river nea r the quarter line During that summer he in company with Edward F Gay of How ell built the first saw-mill in the town having it ready to commence operations that fall The mill was a moderat e sized one having a sa sh-saw and flutter-w heel and did a considerable amount of custon sawing for a number of years It stood nea r Mr Prestons house while the dam was a long ways up th e stream near the so uth line of section 14 After operating the mill about six years he sold it to William S Ellis who kept it running some fourtee n or fiftee n years or until his dea th when COHOCTAH TOWNSHIP 445 throu g h neglect it was permitted to go to ruin In charact er Mr Preston was a firm resolute industrious and consci entiou s man having an ex - tensive influenc e and an unblemi shed reputation His political faith was pinn ed to the doctrines of the Whig party and to his efforts may be asc rib ed in a great m eas ure th e succ ess of th at par ty in thi s town H e was often call ed to serve hi s townsme n in an official capacity being th e first supervisor and one of the first justices of th e peace and hold - ing at different times the offices of school inspec - tor overseer of the po or assessor for five years and tr eas urer for four yea rs Form erly he was conn ected with the Presby teria n denomination but after coming here join ed th e Methodists and remained a consistent and prominent memb er of that body to the time of his death May 16 1862 in hi s six tieth year His first wife died Sept 30 1846 and he subseq uently marri ed Rach el Houghtaling who survived him a numb er of years and died in 1-Iowell One of hi s so ns A lphon so died at the age of thr ee years and six other children died in infancy John L enlisted in th e Union army during the R ebe llion and died in th e ho spital at Detroit of con ges tion of th e brain Jan 16 1862 at th e age of twent y -six years James A th e only living memb er of th e family remained a resident of Cohoctah for many years and served in the offices of school inspector and treasurer He marr ied Sarah J Clarity of Owosso and is now livin g in How ell Alva Preston was very fond of children and took a numb er of tl;em at different ·tim es to bring up At one tim e it is said that includin g his own children he had youthful representatives of five different families ga thered at his fireside The name of this friend of th e fatherless will long be a trea sured memory in the hear ts of those whose lives his loving care has aided to bri g ht en and bless Michael Thatcher came from Caneadea Allegany Co N Y and settled on the southeast quarter of section 5 in this town He was a native of the State of N ew Jersey and while living in Western N ew York had marri ed Hannah a daughter of Ezra Sanford With his wife and three children -two daughters aged respec tively thirt een and three year s and a son of eight-h e came throu g h Canada to Detroit and followed the Grand Riv er road to Bri g hton and Howell and th e In dia n tr ail from there through Sanfords Corners to his land where they arrived July 15th having been twentyeight clays on the road Upon th eir arrival th ey built a small log shanty nea r th e northe ast corner of the southeast quarter uf the section (stopping in the mean time at Zib a Stones) where they lived till February 1838 when th ey moved into a new log house they had built a few rods east of it which furni shed th em a home for many years and is still sta nding the only log hous e in the town built by any of the earliest pioneers Michael Thatch er remained a resident of the town to the clay of hi s death Feb 9 1854 His wife lived on th e place till Nov 29 I 878 when she died at the ripe age of seve nty-nine years Both daughters are dead and the so n Michael Thatcher* who is th e present supervisor of th e town lives on the hom estead with his wife formerly Miss Abigail P Sears to whom he was marri ed in 1875 Am ong th e settlers in th e summ er of 1837 was Thomas Goldsmith with his father Elisha and his sisters Sally and Elizabeth Th ey were from the town of Rush Monroe Co N Y and comin g to Michigan settled on rented land in Redford Wayne Co near Detroit where th ey lived till th e tim e of th eir coming her e Elisha died in this town in 185 I Sally married R obert Sowders and Elizabeth marri ed Jo sep h Brown Both of the se ladies are now dead Th omas is sti ll livin g on the homestead on sectio n 26 H e has been a prominent citizen of th e town and a frequent office-holder havin g been elected tw enty- two time s His official career incl ucles one years serv ice as assessor tw o as hig hway commissioner six as town clerk twenty-one as ju stice of th e peace and eight as supervisor He is also the only voter now livin g wh o was present and participated in the first townmeeting in 1838 Jar ed L Cook was a native of Oneida Co N Y and moved when a young man to th e town ot Clarendon Orleans Co N Y where he settled upon and cleared up a new farm In l 8 36 he came to Michigan and settled in Calhoun County A year later he sold his farm to his brother Elijah and moved on to a new farm on section 32 in this town brin gi ng with him a family of four so ns and thr ee daughters Here h e passed through th e usual trial s met by th e pioneers and became an influential member of th e socie ty formed of th e townsp eop le He held th e office of supervisor four yea rs and served repea tedly as tr eas urer assessor and as highway commissioner In New York he had served with honor as colonel of a militia reg iment H e was a man of more th an ordinary ability a firm outspoken Christian and died Jan 29 I 849 at th e age of forty-nine years lam ented and mourned by all His wife Mrs Orrilla Co ok is now living with her youngest son on the hom es tead at the age of seventy-six years Th eir family embraced th e following children: Horace * F or his co ope1ation and willi ng aid in th e work of collecting th e material for thi s sketch he merits and receives our hearty th anks - -· ··-r- - HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COU T Y MICHIG AN L is now a hardw are merchant in By ron S hiawas - see Co H e was a promin ent citizen durin g his res idence here and held seve ral town offices among th em th at of sup erviso r for thr ee term s Br adfo rd was a ga llant so ldie r in the Union ar my and gave his life for hi s country H e was mu ster ed into th e se rvice as seco nd lieu tenant of Company A 10th Michi ga n Volunt eer In fantr y; he was prom oted to a first lieut enant cy and afterwards to th e captaincy of Co mp any E; he wa s wo un ded in th e battl e of Kenesaw Mo unt ain Jun e 27 1864 died from th e effects of his wound on th e 29th and was buri ed on th e field of battl e Hi s rema ins were afterwards take n up and re-int erred in a nation al cemetery Jared L Jr now lives in Fowlerville where he is engage d in th e hardware trade H e too se rved in th e war for th e suppr ess ion of th e R ebe llion enli stin g Sept 5 1862 and se rving to th e clo se of th e war in Co mp any D 6th Mic higa n Cava lry J oseph L th e yo unges t so n is l iving on th e old homes tead and is one of th e substa nti al men and successf ul farme rs of th e tow n Charity th e oldest da ught er mtrrierl L ewis B Boyd and lives in Cohocta h Ruth died in Illin ois in Octob er 18;2 but was bro ught ho me ;rnd buri ed in th e fami ly buri al-place in Co nway Sop hia died in Cla rend on Ca lh o un Co in th e yl·ar 185 5 Th e first settl er in th e vici nity of Chemun gv ille was Ad am Fi sher who came from Mo nt ez um a Cay uga Co N Y in th e fall of 1837 and settl ed on th e north half of th e north eas t quart er of sec - tion 35 whi ch he had purch ased from th e gove rnment in th e spring of 1836 Hi s famil y co nsisted of a wife and four childr en one of whom -hi s so n Edward-is still living in th e tow n He died on hi s place in Septemb er 1853 and hi s wife died th ere in th e winter of 1860-6 1 William Rik er settl ed in 1837 on th e nort hw est qu art er o f sec tion 23 of which he ow ned all ex - cept th e north eas t 40 ac res which he had so ld to Alva Pr eston A fter living here ten or fifteen years he moved to Io nia Co unt y wh ere he died seve ral year s ago Hi s broth er Abraham Rik er se ttl ed in th e fall of 1838 on th e eas t half of th e nor thw est qu arter of sec tion 28 and died th ere eight or nin e years afterwards leavi ng a family of a wife and five children who soon a fter his death removed to Ioni a County and su bseq uently to Muskegon Isaac Va n der Cook arriv ed in Coho ctah Ma rch 1 8 I 838 and settl ed on th e pr ese nt Fri sbee farm H e ca me from Clark so n Mo nroe o N Y in Apr il 1832 and moved to L a Sa lle Mo nroe Co Mich from which place he mov ed to K ensington Oa kland Co in 1834 While livin g in K ensington he mar ried Mrs F isher widow of Cha unc ey D F isher who took up th e Fri sbee farm from th e gove rnment in 1836 a nd at th e tim e of coming here had a family of four childr en thr ee of th em bei ng step-childr en The farm was entir ely new and th ey b uilt a log house that sp rin g int o whic h th ey moved Th ey met with many tri als and hardships and wer e forced to und ergo !11any pri - vations E specia lly was thi s tru e of th e hard wint er of 1842 when many ca ttl e we re lost from exposure and insu fficient feed a nd wh en all would have died but for th e browse afford ed by cuttin g dow n small tr ees and lettin g th em ea t the tend er twi gs Mr Cook went that wint er to th e tow n of Lyon s from wh ence he came here a di stance of t wenty-five mil es after a load o f str aw H e pro - cur ed a small load and on hi s way home met a man who offered him seve n dollars for it which he refu sed Th ere were plenty of deer in th e woods th at wint er and store-h ogs were kep t th ro ugh th e co ld weat her by being fed de er ca rcasses from which th e peop le had cut the hams and ot her choice pieces for th eir ow n use Mr Va n der Co ok and hi s estim able wife a re still res idents of th e tow n living in th e village of Chemungvill c wh ere lie has co nside rab le prop erty Th ey have rea red a larg e family of chil dren so me of whom are pr omin ent citizens of th is town Of th ese chi ld ren Co rn elia marr ied Edward F isher and lives in Co hoctah ; Sara h A marri ed A lanso n Blo od and now resides in D e Witt Clint o n Co ; E sth er M marr ied H enry Fay a nd lives in th e sa me place; Willi am H marri ed F rances Martin and res ides on section 14 in thi s tow n ; Ly man H marri ed Harri et Neely and lives on sectio n 35 ; Cha un cey L marri ed Lucy J Sess ions and lives in How ell; and A lfred F marri ed Marga ret E Frisb ee and res ides in th e tow n o f Dee rfield Co nr ad Hayn er a desce nda nt of one o f th e ea rly Dutch families of th e valley of th e Hud so n ca me to th e tow n of Parma Monroe Co N Y in th e ea rly days of its settl ement Th ere he lived seve ral years unt il in 1840 he moved to and became a res ide nt of Michigan Previous to his remova l here he came in company with so me ot hers and ass isted in th e work of runnin g a thr es hin g - mac h ine in which th ey all ow ned equa l int eres ts and whi ch was o ne of th e first if not th e very first mac hin es opera ted in thi s Sta te He purcha se d hi s land on sec ti on 18 in 1836 It was a strip of eig ht y rods wide exte ndi ng across the sect io n ju st wes t of th e centr e H e came to Co hoct ah in th e sp rin g of 1842 From Sa nfords Corners he was g uided to hi s land so lely by ai d of a pocket co mpa ss and th e sur veyo rs mark s H e found it to be an ex cellent lot of land free from swa mp s a nd marshes a nd th ere es tab lished a h ome in which COHOCTAH TOWNSHIP 447 h e lived out the rem aind e r of his days and reared a famil y of ten child ren H e was a man of fair educational qualification s and goo d bu siness ability Th o ug h po liti ca lly opposed to th e maj ority of hi s town sm en h e never th eless was elected to severa l offic es ·and served as hi ghway co mmi ss io ner for eig ht years H e was always str enu ous o n the p oint of ope ning roads only on reg ular sectio n o r qu a rter se ction lin es inst ead o f al low in g th em to run haphazard as was th e pr ac tic e at first adopted For many years he was a notary public a nd did an imm ense a m ount of co nveyanci ng H e d ied in D ece mb er 1870 a nd hi s wife in th e sprin g of 187 1 F o ur of hi s childr en Cy ru s G Mr s Merin da K elly Mrs A smerelda Sawye r and Mr s E uret ta H endr y x are still livin g in Co h oc tah th e former be ing th e pr ese nt town clerk a nd a merch ant at th e Ce ntr e El ias Sprag ue form erly o f E as t Dou glass Mass came to Michig;rn in 1832 and settl ed in West Bl oo mfield O akland Co H e ca me to Bri g ht o n a nd fro m th ere cam e to Co hoc tah in 1849 when h e se ttl ed on th e David Gu ile farm on sectio n 9 whi ch had bee n mor e recently o wned by J os hua D S heffield H e h as since co nt inued to res ide th ere wo rkin g princip a lly at fanuin g but at one tim e o wn ed an int eres t in th e steam saw -mill at Co hoc tah Durin g his ea rly life he was a fam ous hunt er and hi s cab in was th e general rendezvo us for peop le wh o cam e from a dista nce to participate in th e excitin g spo rt of deer -h untin g Th e number of dee r h e has kill ed is enorm o us it b eing over 600 wh en he stopp ed k eeping any acco unt a nd he used to hunt th em for m any yea rs afte r th at J acob K a nouse was one of th e ea rly se ttl e rs in th e town o f Burn s Sh iawasse e Co and beca me a reside nt o f th is tow n in I 844 H e has bee n a l eade r among th e R ep ublic ans of th e town and ha s freq ue ntly been ca lled to offices o f tru st and respo nsibility H e has serv ed seve n yea rs as sup ervi so r and was o nce elec ted as pr obat e judge of th e cou nt y In another part o f thi s wo rk a detailed sket ch o f hi s pe rso nal hi story will be found J oseph H os ley first settled in D ee rfield in I 837 and m oved to thi s tow n some years later living h ere a numb er of yea rs p revious to hi s death whi ch occuned May 22 1855 at th e ag e of seve nty- eig ht years Th ere wer e oth er pion ee rs wh ose na mes are wo rthy o f spe cial me nti on but whose famili es hav e beco me extinct thr o ug h deat h or remova l a nd who se hi story th ere was no mea ns o f read ily ob - tainin g REMIN ISCENCES Th e first whit e chil d born in thi s tow n was a da ug ht er of Ir a a nd E liza Walk e r wh o was born in Sep te mb er 1836 She wa s chri stened Anna and removed with h er pare nt s to Milford Oakl and Co O f he r s ub seque nt hi story nothing is now known Th e seco nd whit e child and th e first white male chil d born in Cohoctah was J o hn H so n of William and E mily Stroud He was born in 1837 g rew to manh ood in th e tow n of hi s b irth marri ed L ouisa vVard and died in thi s town in th e fall of 1867 leavi ng a family o fa wife a nd tw o children H e was an exc ellent citi zen a man of pec uliar energy a nd we ll qu a lified for th e office of con stab le to whic h he was elect ed many tim es Th e first and o nly ma rri age license recorded 1s th e following no date b eing g ive n: Marri ag e Li cense has been applie d ror on th e sixt eenth d ay or April hy James L it hfield or the to wn or L ima County o r W ashtenaw to be j oined in marriag e to i1 iss Almira Pitt or th e town o r Tu sco la in the County or L ivings to n State or ilichi gan- thcr erore Li cen se was grant ed hy me M ASON P11E1r s T011nJ Cler k Th e first wedd ing celebr ated in thi s tow n wa s at th e ho use o f E zra Sa n ford Th e parti es m os t deep ly int erested in th e ce remonies incid e nt t o th e occas ion were vVilliam Stroud and Emily Sanf o rd Th e ceremo ny wa s perform ed by Amos Adams Esq a ju st ice of th e peac e in th e tow n of H owel l o n th e 27t h day of Jul y 1836 Of a ll th ose pre - sent as sp ectators but o ne Mr s Esther Ba rlow is now living in Co hoc tah It was a ra re circ umstance in th e infant sett lement a nd g rea t pai ns were take n to hono r th e occas ion with th e best th e co untry afforded Th e groo m furni sh ed a bou ntiful supp ly of wine a nd aside from th e mor e s ubsta nt ial a rticl es of food th e tab le was s upplied with an excel lent ap peti zer in th e sha pe o f sa uce made fro m th e wild goosebe rri es found in th e clea rin gs Some seve nt een years la ter Mr Stroud d ied but hi s faithful compa nio n stil l s urviv es Th e first death in tow n is believed to hav e b een that o f Mrs vVillia m N orthru p in 1837 Sh e was buri ed in what wa s called th e Boutel l buryin g - gro un d o n sec tio n 24 Th e pionee rs had many thin gs to conte nd aga inst in th eir work of buildin g up th e prosperous communit y th at has res ult ed fro m th e ir perseve ra nce and ent erp ri~e Th e distance tr a veled in go ing to ma rk et to sel l surplu s produce or purchase nee ded supplies was by no mea ns th e leas t o f their disadvan tag es D etroit ; Ponti ac and A nn A rb o r were th e nea rest points wh ere tradin g a nd millin g co uld be clone a nd th e j o urn ey s especia lly in tim es whe n th e roads were bad inv o lved g reat exp ense of time and labo r vVild anim als abo un ded a nd not always of th e mo st pea ceabl e descriptio n A s illu stratin g thi s we m enti on a coupl e o f incid ents th at HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN tran sp ired m the early days of th e settle ment Abram Kanous e lived on wh at is call ed th e Sand Hill on the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section IO One night after the family had retired the noi se of a fierce fight in which th eir dog was ev ident ly taking part fell upon th eir ears Mrs Kanou se ha stened out and found the dog and a lar ge wolf engaged in a fierce conflict Near the sce ne of th e figh t work had been begun on a well and a hole so me fiv e or six feet deep had been excava ted Int o this Mrs Kanouse succeeded in forcing the wolf and th ere kept him until help arrived and he was killed At another tim e Mr That cher s family was startled at hearin g a loud squealing in th e woods a littl e distance from the hou se where th e old so w on whom th ey dep ended for their future supply of pork ers was feed ing Mr Th atch er ha stened towards the scene and see - ing that it was a bear th at had att ack ed hi s pig shout ed for th e oth ers to brin g th e ax e Arrived at th e sce ne he found th e bear standin g with his forepaws on the prostrat e sq uealin g animal and vigorously ma sticating a piece of fat and tend erloi n that he had bitten from its back As the rest of the family arriv ed his bea rship becamt: alarmed and takin g a parting bit e fro m hi s prostr;1te victim turn ed and plung ed into th e forest Th e mo st wond erful part of th e whol e perform ance was that th e torn and bitt en pork er th oug h un able to walk to her pen was plac ed in a sheltered position behind a large log and was ther e cared for until she recove red from th e effects of her adventure And th ough not th ereafter particularly elegant in form sh e lived to bring into th e world a num erous progeny and perform ed a ll her maternal functions as successfully as th oug h she had not met with so narrow an escape a nd furnish ed a bear with a br eakfa st Th e first bridge that spa nn ed the waters of th e S hiaw assee in thi s town was built in th e sp rin g of 1836 nea r th e old fording-place on th e line between sections I 5 and 22 Dy er Rathbun who was moving to settl e in th e town of Burns Shiawasse e Co arrived at Ezra Sanfords and found the river swo llen so greatly by th e fres het as to be imp assab le So he and hi s so ns assisted by Mr Sanford and his hir ed man set to work during the four days of th eir enforced st ay and built th e bridge which e nabl ed th em to cross th e stream and pur sue th eir onward journ ey It was a rude structure built of poles and logs and after serving the pion ee rs as a place of cros sing for two or thr ee years was abandoned in favor of a new perman ent bridg e nea rly o n th e site of th e pr ese nt one Th e first reside nt phy sician was Dr J oe l S Stilso11 He first settl ed in D eer field About 1845 he settled at Chemungville and continu ed to res ide there until hi s death which occurred nea rly tw enty y ears ago Another phy sician settl ed th ere in 1852-54 by the nam e of Paschal He did not remain long and for so me irr egularity in hi s views regardi ng th e right s of personal prop erty obtain ed th e name of th e wool doctor Th e first public-house was kept at John Sanford s The house was howeve r kn own as Jam es Sanford s hou se and th e first town-meetin g was held th ere in 1838 At Ezra Sanfords too ent ertainm ent for man and beast was furni shed but no liquor as was th e case at J ohn Sanfords Th e seco nd town-m eetin g was held at th e hou se of Ziba Stone for tw o reaso ns: it was nea rer th e centr e of population and th ere no liqu or w ould be furnished and the set tl ers who were principally temp erat e men preferr ed to have th e election conduct ed without th e demor aliz ing influ ence of drinking att ending it At a lat er period th ere wer e two tav ern s in tow n kn ow n as Dav enpo rts and Jackso ns taverns At th ese liquor was freely dispen se d and th ey beca me pestilential in th e eyes of th e moral peopl e of the community who at last rose in th eir mi ght and crushed th em out At Davenport s th e tr avelers used frequ entl y to stop water th eir teams warm themselves and th en go on without purcha sing anything At las t thi s g rew intol erable to th e landl ord and calling th e lo cal ar tist to his aid a sig n was pr epared and plac ed in po sition that was intend ed to notify the tr ave ling public th at warming for nothin g was a thing of th e past and that free as water mea nt a reasonable compensation for th e tro ubl e and expe nse of maint aining facilitie s for furni shing water for the public use It is tru e th at th e sign was not th e mast erpi ece of a modern Raphael and did n ot reflect th e greatest cr edit up on th e literary ability of its aut hor but it was expr es sive and served th e p·urpo se for which it was int end ed and attracted th e notic e if it did not command the admiration of all who passed that way As near as the types will permit of its reprod uction it reads as follows : WORM I NG aND wAttERI N&lt;; H eaR SlxP eNCe The work of stopp ing th e sale of liquor and thu s cleaning out th ese places was large ly performed by Jud ge J acob Kanou se Upon hi s electi on to th e office of sup erviso r in 1·848 he caused proceedings to be comm enced against them and procured indictment s at the first grand jury meeting that year He th en suspended th e prosecution provided th ey would stop selling a promise th e tavern -keepers were very glad to make and which so far as outsid ers could learn was car efully fulfilled COHOCTAH TOWNSHIP 449 CIVIL AND POLIT ICAL Upon th e organization of thi s county thi s town was mad e a par t of the town of How ell and so continu ed until th e spring of 1838 when th e following act passed th e Legi slat ur e and was appro ved by the Gove rn or Ma rch 6t h viz : SEC 9 - AII th at part of the coun ty of Li vingston designate d in the Uni ted States sur vey as town shi p number four north of ra nge numbe r four eas t be and the same is hereby set off an d orga ni zed into a separate town shi p by the name of Tu scola ; and the first townshi p-meetin g shall be held at th :! house of J ames S:111- forcl in said township According to th is provision th e first meeting wa s held at James Sanfords (which was John Sanfords residence) which fact is shown by th e follow ing record of th e proceedings of th at meeting: At th e first to wn sh ip-meet ing of th e electors of th e towns hi p of T uscola in th e county of Li vingston Sta te of Michiga n held at th e house of J am es Sanfor ds on th e 2d clay of April in the year of our L ord one th ousa nd eight hundred and thir ty-eight Calvin W Ha rt was chose n mode rator and Hi ram Ri x clerk of s~id mee ting Na mes ·of Towns1ip OJlia n -Al va Pr esto n uperv1sor; Maso n Ph elps T own Clerk; Al va Pr eston Calvin W H art L ott P ratt J ust ices of the Peace ; J ustice«· Boyd James Sanfor d Hi ram Rix Assesso rs; Calvin vV H art Th omas Goldsmith R obert Sowd ers Commi ssioner s of Hi ghw ays ; Ca lvin W H art Hir am Rix Alv a Pr eston In specto rs of Comm on Schools ; J ame s Sanf ord Collector ; J ames Sanford Willi am Rik er Abram Kanouse Constables ; Ju stice·* Boyd El isha Gold smith Oversee rs of th e Poo r T OWN SH I P LAW S Voted th at the Path Masters serve as fence-viewers Pound- K ee pers and apprai sers of Damage Voted th at eve ry Path Masters yard shall be call ed a Pound for th e ensuing yea r Voted th at a fence four feet and a half high shall be a lawful fen ce Voted th at th e next annual T own -Meetin g be held at the house of Ziba Stones This I asse rt to be a true copy of th e origina l R ecorde d thi s fourth D ay of April AD 1838 MA SON PH ELPS Town Clerk Th e place of holding tow n-m eetings has always been of a m igratory natur e in thi s town embracing th e following ran ge: in 1838 it was held at Jam es Sanfords on sec t ion 34; in 1839 at Ziba Stones on section 22; in 1840 at David H Pearsons ; in 184 1-42 at R obe rt Ir eland s ; in 1843 at Anthony Clarks on section 28; in 1844 at school-house in District No 4; in 1 845 at Na th aniel Smiths; in 1846 at Nathan A T ownsend s; in 1847 at Nathani el Smith s; in 1848 at Nathani el Davenports; in 1849 at Mr Fletch ers on Ziba Stones place; in 1850 at Dudl ey Woodworths; in ·1851 at Benjamin Crawfords; in 1862 at schoo l-house nea r Mr Cr awfords; in 1853 at Chemun gvi lle ; in 1854-55 at Nathan Grants; and so it continu es to shift about to the present day -: Ju stus 57 Th e followin g list contains th e name s of all the officers of the town from its organization in 1838 till th e pres ent year of 1879 : CIV IL LIST OF COHOCTAH 1838 - Supe rvisor Alva Pr eston; T own Clerk Mason Phelp s ; Collector J ames Sanford; Ju stices of th e Pe ace L ott Pratt (ro ur years) Al va Pr eston (th ree yea rs) Calvin vV H art (t wo yea rs) E zra Sanford (o ne yea r) ;t Assesso rs J ustus Boyd J ames Sanford Hi ra m Ri x; School I nspectors Calvin I H art Hi ram Ri x Alv a Pr estont 1839-S upervisor Calvin vV H art; T own Clerk R obe rt Sowd ers ; Collecto r E zra Sa nford; Tr easurer Jar ed L Coo k; Ju stic e of th e Peace Sylvester Stod dard ; Assessors J ared L Cook I saac Pratt Ni cholas F Dunkl e; School Inspecto rs Jared L Cook Calv in V H art Lott Pr att 1840-S uper visor N o:ih R amsde ll; T own Clerk Sylv ester Stoddard ; Collecto r Villi am Jenk s; Tr easu rer J ared L Cook; Ju stices of th e Peace Orri n Stodda rd (full term ) Benjamin Cr:iwford ( vacancy) ; Assesso rs Alva Pr eston I sa:ic P ratt J ared L Cook; School I nspectors Hi ra m Ri x J oh n J ones Orrin Stoddar d 184 1- Sup ervisor Noah R amsde ll; T own Clerk vVilli:un Ii R amsde ll ; Colle ctor Orville H J ones ; Tr eas urer Jared L Cook ;e Ju stice of the Peace J ohn J ones ; Assesors Al va Pr eston J ared L Cook I saac Pr att; Sch oo l In - spectors Orrin Stodd ard John J ones Hiram Ri x 1842- Supe rvisor J ared L Cook ; T own Clerk Dav id Sanford; Tr eas urer Benja min Crawford ; J ust ices of th e P eace Ch esler T ownse nd (full ter m) I saac P ratt (vaca ncy) ; Assessors Th omas Golds mith Warr en 1-1it chins; Schoo l In specto rs Th omas E J effries vVarr en Hi tchin s An - dr ew T Gr een 1843-Su pervisor Willi am Chase ;II T own Cler k Th omas Gold - smith; Tr eas urer Sylveste r Sto dda rd; Ju stices of th e P eace Benja min Crawford ( full term ) l s:iac P ratt ( vacan cy) ; Assesso rs Alva Pr eston E zra San ford Jr ; School In spec tors H omer L T owns end ( one year ) Warr en Hit ch ins (two years) ; Fen ce-View ers Sylvester Stod dard Noah R amsde ll Ch ester T own se nd 1844 -Superv iso r J ar ed L Cook; T own Clerk Th omas Goldsmith; Tr easurer Sylves ter Stodda rd ; Ju stice of th e Peace Na th aniel Sm ith; Assesso rs Alva Pr esto n Hir am L Stodd ard; School I nspector Willi am Kn ap p r 1845-Su pervisor J ared L Cook; T own Clerk Th omas Go ld - smith; Tr eas urer James Sanfo rd; Ju stice of th e Peace Willi am L Jones; Assesso rs Al va Jones Chester T ownsend; School I nspector vVarren Hit chin s 1846-Su pervisor Jared L Cook; T ow n Clerk Th oma s Goldsmith; Trea surer N athan A T ownsen d; Ju stice of the Pe ace Chester Tow nse nd; Assesso rs Al va Pr eston Hi ra m L Stod dard; School In spec tor H orace L Cook 1847-Sup ervisor Che ster T own send; T own Clerk Th omas Goldsmith ; Tr eas urer Na th an A T own send; Ju stice ------------- ---- ------ t H eld ove r being a ju stic e of H owell township at the time the towns were di vided t In the summ er of thi s year Ju stus Boyd was lost on a steam er burne d 0 11 Lake E rie and Mason P helps moved from th e town Th e vaca ncies thu s cr eated in the town offices were filled on th e 5th of August by th e appo intm ent of Abram K anouse to th e office of assesso r and Robert Sowde rs to that of town clerk e Th e treasurers office becam e vacant for some re ason and the T own Board 0 11 Nove mber 1st appo inted Sylvester Stod da rd to fill th e vaca ncy II Di ed in office and on Au gust 23d No ah R amsdell was appointed to fill the vacancy R emoved from town and on Feb 15 1845 H ora ce L Cook was appoint ed to fill the vacancy 450 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN of the Peace Benjamin Crawford ; Assessors Joseph B Jacks on Jr Jared L Cook; Sch ool Inspector W arren Hit chins 1848-Supervi sor Jacob K anouse; Town Clerk Hiram L Stoddard; Trea surer John N Boyd; Ju stices of the Peace Th omas Goldsmith (full term ) Ja cob K anouse (long vacancy) Aaron Brun son (short vacancy ) ; Assessors John Jones William P Laing; School In spector H orace L Cook 1849 -Su pervisor Jacob Kan ouse; T own Clerk Hiram L Stoddard; Tr easurer John N Boyd; Ju stice of the Peace Ja cob Kanou se ; School In spector Lewi s B Boyd 1850-Supervi sor Jac ob K anou se ; Town Clerk Hiram L Stoddard; Tr easurer John N Boyd; Ju stice of the Peace Warr en Chase ; School In spector H orace L Cook 1851-Sup ervisor Th omas Goldsmith; T own Clerk Hir am L Stodda rd; Tre asurer D avid L Vint on ; Ju stices of th e Peace Guy N R oberts (full term ) Lott Pratt (vacanc y) ; Sch ool In spector Jared L Cook 1852- Super visor Th omas Goldsmith;° T own Clerk Willi am E Wint on; Tr easurer David L Wint on ; Ju stices of the Peace Th omas Goldsmith (full term ) John N Boyd (vaca ncy) ; School Insp ector J oel A Cha pman 1853-Sup ervisor J acob K anouse; T own Clerk Joel A Chapman; Tr easurer H olla nd C H osley; Ju stices of the Pe ace Luth er P ratt (full term) Benjamin Crawfo rd (one year) Conrad H ayner (t wo years) ; Schoo l In spec tor Lewi s B Boyclt 1854-Sup ervisor H orace L Cook; T own Clerk William E Winton; Tr easu rer H olla nd C H osley ; Ju stice of the Peace Dud ley Woodworth; School In spector Joel A Chapman 1855-Su pervisor Th omas Goldsmith; T own Clerk Willi am E Win ton ; Tr eas urer H olland C H osley; Ju stices of the Peace J ohn D Blank (full term) Dudl ey W oodw orth (vaca ncy); School In spec tor James A Pr eston t 1856-Sup ervisor Hi ram L Stod dard ;~ T own Clerk Th omas Gold smith ; Tr easur er Al va Pr eston; Ju stices of the Peace Joshua D Sheffield (full term ) Th omas Goldsmith (vaca ncy) ; School In spector Joe l A Chapman 1857-Sup ervisor Jacob K anou se; T own Clerk Willi am E Win ton; Tr easurer Alva Pres ion; Ju stices of the Peace Lu ther Pratt (full term) Isaac V D Cook and Charles Drum (vaca ncies) ; School In spector Bradford Cook 1858- Supervisor H orace L Cook ; T own Clerk Willi am Pa lmer; Tr easurer Alva Preston; Ju stices of th e Peace Seaman 0 Soule (full term ) Jacob Kan ouse (vacan cy) ; School In spector Joe l A Chapman 1859- Supe rvisor H orace L Cook; T own Clerk ·W illiam E Win ton; Tr easurer Alv a Pre ston ; Ju stice of th e Peace Charles Drnm ; School In spec tor Bra dford Cook 1860-Sup erv isor Van Rensselaer Durf ee ; T own Clerk Michael That cher; Tr easurer Orrin F Sessions ; Ju stice of th e Peace Robert J McMill an; School In spect or J oel A Chapm an 1861-Sup ervisor Van R ensselaer Durfe e ; T own Clerk Mich ael * Being disabled by sickness Jacob K anouse was appointed April 24th to act as supervisor until his recovery The tr easurer D aniel L W inton was also preve nted by sickn ess from attending to the duties of his office and Jan 18 1853 Joseph Brown was appoint ed in his stead Febru ary 9th he resigned and Mr W inton was appointe d t Resigned and April 9th H orace L Cook was appointe d to fill the vaca ncy t Lewis B Boyd was appointed scho ol inspector April 16th in place of J A Pr eston wh o did not qualify The supervi sor being disabled by sickn ess Jacob K anouse was appointed to that office October 3d April 18th William E Win - ton was appointed to the office of scho ol inspector Thatch er; T reasurer Orrin F Sessions ; Justic e of the Peace Luth er P ratt; School In spector J oseph L Cook 1862-Su pe rvisor Th omas Goldsmith; T own Clerk Ezra Fri sbee ; Tr easurer Joel A Chapman; Ju stice of th e Peace Seaman 0 Soul e ; School In spector Am os Pratt[1 1863-Sup ervisor Th oma s Gold smith ; T own Clerk Al onzo T Fri sbee; Tre asurer Joe l A Chapman; Ju stice of the Peace Mich ae l That cher; School In spector Joseph L Cook 1864-Superv isor Th omas Goldsmith; T own Clerk George E H oughtaling; Tr eas urer Joe l A Cha pman ; Ju stice of the Peace Th omas Goldsmith; School In spector ¥ m C Randa ll 1865- Sup ervisor Th omas Gol dsmith; Town Clerk George E H ough taling; Tre asurer J ames A Pr eston; Ju stice of th e Peace Luth er Pratt; School In specto r Schu yler E Randall 1866-Sup ervisor Th omas Goldsmith; T own Clerk Juliu s D Smith ;r Tre asurer Jame s A Pr eston; Ju stices of the Peace Sea man 0 Soule (full term ) George Cameron (to fill vacancy of Lu ther Pratt who resigned March 30th ) ; School In spector Lu ther C Ka nouse 1867-Sup ervisor Al onzo T Fri sbee ; T own Clerk Augustus W Britten; Tr eas urer Lym an V D Cook; Ju stice of the Peace Micha el Th atcher; School In spe ctor J ames A Pr eston 1868- Supe rvisor Alonzo T Fr isbee; T own Clerk Au gustus vV Britten; Tr eas urer L yman V D Cook; Ju stice of the Peace Willi am McMill an; School In spector Alb ert D T hompson** 1869 - Supervisor Alonzo T F risbee ; T own Clerk Martin L Davis ; Tr eas urer Lyman V D Cook; Ju stices of the Peace Charles A Potter (full term ) Oli ver Sprague (vaca ncy); School In spec tor James A Pr eston 1870- Sup ervisor Luth er C K anouse ; T own Clerk Martin L Dav is; Tr easu rer F rank Purd y ; J ustices of th e Peace Ri chard W rigg lesworth (full term) I saia h Goode noug h (vaca ncy) ; School In spector Osca r T K eller 1871-Su pervisor Luth er C K anouse; T own Clerk Ab el S Austin; Tre asurer Am os M Eage r ;tt Ju stices of the Peace Willi am 0 H endrick s (full term) George 0 Au stin (vacancy); Dra in Commissioner Michael Th atch er (appoint ed May 20th); School In specto r Winfi eld K anouse 1872-Sup ervisor Alonzo T Fri sbee ; T own Cle rk Abel S Au stin; Tr easurer George E H oughtaling ; Ju stice of the Peace Willi am McMill an; D rain Commissioner Michael Th atcher ; Sch ool In spector Oscar T K eller 1873- Supe rvisor R oge r Sherman; T own Clerk William Mc- Millan; Tr eas urer Alfr ed F V D Cook; Ju stices of th e Peace Warren Chase (full term) H artwell Lewis (vacancy) ; D rain Commissioner Lewis Gra nt; School In spect or vVinfield K anouse 1874-Supervis or R oge r Sherm an ; T own Clerk W illiam Mc- Millan ; Tr eas urer Alfred F V D Cook ; Ju stice of th e Pea ce Ri chard Wri gglesworth; D rain Commi ssioner Lewis Grant; School In spector Jose ph L Cook 1875- Supe rvisor R oge r Shem an ; T ow n Cle rk Will iam Mc- Millan; Tre asur er Frank M Pa rd ee ; Ju stice of the Enli sted in the Uni on army leav ing a vacancy whi ch was filled October 2d by th e appoi ntment of J oel A Chap man r Mr Smith resigned on account of h is moving from he town and D ecember 24th H orace L Cook was appoint ed Mr Randall die d leaving a vaca ncy in th e office of school inspect or and Dec ember 15th Th omas Shelt on was appointed ** Mr Th ompson rem oved from town and April 11th Charles A Potter was appointed in his stead tt Re signed and George E Hought alin g was app ointed No v 6th to fill the vacancy COHOCTAH TOWNS HIP 451 Peace Thom as Goldsmith; Dr ain Commi ssionerJames McK ane; School Superinten de nt Joseph L Cook; Scho ol In spec tor ¥ infield K anouse 1876-Supervi sor Joseph Browni ng ; Town Clerk Martin L Davis; Tr easurer Lu the r C K anouse ; Ju sti ces of the Peace Michael Tha tcher (full term ) Cyrus G H ayn er (vaca ncy) ; Dr ain Commissione r George E H oughtaling;* School Superintendent Joseph L Cook; School In spec tor Fillm ore M K anouse 1877-S upervi sor Joseph Browning; T own Clerk Martin L Da vis ; Tr easurer Trum an Sprague; J ustice s of the Pe ace Yilliam V D Cook (full term ) Am9 s Pratt (vaca ncy); D rain Comm issioner Michae l That cher; Sch ool Superintend ent Fillm ore M K ano use; Scho ol In spector John Q F aulk 1878-Supervi sor Amos M E ager ; T own Clerk Cyrus G H ayne r; Tre asurer Alva P Elli s ; J ustice of the Peace Richard Wri gg lesworth ; Drain Commissi oner (for two ye ars) Michael Th atch er; Sch ool Sup erintend ent (for two yea rs) Fillmor e M K anouse ; School In spe ctor J ohn Q F aulk 1879-Supervis or Micha el Th atche r; T own Clerk Cyrus G H ayner; Tr easurer Al va P Elli s ; Ju stice of the Peace Am os Pratt ; D rain Comm issioner Lyman V D Cook ;t Sch ool In spector Willi am H Erwin An effort was made in th e spring of 1868 to hav e a town-house built At th e town -meet ing a committ ee consisting of Jacob Kanou se Lewis B Boyd Arthur F Fi eld Wm Ha skell and Amos M Eager was app oint ed and empow ered to loc ate a site and post up notices containing specificatio ns for th e buil ding and to institute oth er necessa ry proceedin gs Th ey wer e to repo rt at th e next annu al meeting Th eir report stated that th ey had selec ted a site on land owned by J N Teller nea r Mrs D avenp ort s At thi s stage of th e proceedin gs for som e reason th e proj ect was aban - doned and was not reviv ed until April IO 1876 wh en a petition sig ned by 21 free hold ers was pre - se nted praying for a specia l town-m eetin g to vot e a tax of $600 for th e purpo se of buil ding a townhou se Th e meeting was called and held at Dani el Neelys on Saturd ay April 29 1876 The prop - osition to rai se the tax was voted down 39 vot ing for th e tax and 96 aga inst it The first jury list was prepared by th e assessors and town clerk May 21 1839 and contained thr ee names -Anth ony Clark Eli e! Stodd ard and E zra Sanford Jr In 1837 whil e ye t a part ofrh e town of H owell an ass essment roll was pr epar ed which was the first one of which any tr ace now ex ists Th e asses sor s by whom it was prepar ed wer e David H Au stin and Pet er Br ewer The followin g portion of it contain s th e names of the resident tax -payers the non-reside nts being omitt ed as of no particular int erest in thi s connec tion : * Resigned on the 3d of May and E zra Fri sbee was appo inted to fill th e vacancy H e resigned May 22 and June 20 Micha el Th atcher was appointed in his stead t In place of Michael Th atcher who resigned Apri l 7th Names Sections Acres Valuation -- Baldwin 22 80 $24 0 Anth ony Clark 28 Benjamin Crawford 27 Ephr aim Crawford 23 Th omas Golds mith 26 27 120 36o 320 96o 80 240 200 600 Abraham Rike r 28 80 240 Yilliam Rik er 23 240 720 John Sanford 3i 21 27 34 1046 3138 Ezra Sanfor d 2 22 27 57 1 1713 Ziba Stone 22 80 240 Willi am Stroud 23 Ira vValk er 22 80 240 40 120 T otals 2937 $88 11 R eal estate valuation $65405 00 Personal property 50000 Total- $6590 500 T ax on rei dent roll T ax on non-resident roll T otal $3288 20660 $2394 8 The first complete roll of this town was th at of 1840 th e names and taxe s of the reside nt taxpayer s being as follows: N ames Sec tions Lorenzo Boutell 24 L ewis B Boyd 3 1 Almira Boyd 31 6~ Bond Bigelow 12 D avid Brown 12 Joseph Brown John H D Blank IO H orace L Cook Samnel Crawford 23 Isaac V D Cook 25 35 36 Benjami n Crawfo rd 27 Warren Chase 30 3 l Jared L Cook 32 5~ Anthony Clark 2 Pete r Crame r 5 Ephraim Cra wford 1 E li Carpe nter 35 James Cham bers 20 Jacob B Deba r 3 athanie l Davenport 10 I 5 Charles Davenport Danie l Deve l in 28 Jesse Davis 23 Willi am S Ellis 14 Michael Fisher 35 2~ Ad am Fi sher 35 David Guile Jr 10 Dav id Guile 9 Natha n Grant 5 7 Th omas Gold smith 23 26 27 28 Fr ancis George 35 Patri ck Gallaghan 14 Warr en Hi tchins 32 Calvin W H arqJ 24 H olland H osleylt 25 31r 36 Th omas Hyn es 20 Luth er H oug hton John V &amp; Asa H annon 1 1 2 Samu el Hu nt 4 Conr ad H ay ner 18 I ra H otch kiss 7 Alva Jones 3 10 Willi am L Jones 3 Joseph B Jackso n Jr 7 Sally Jenks 5 J ohn Jonest 24 25 John Kimba ll 3 Jacob K anouse 5 vVinchesrer Merriam II Joseph Neely 26 Acres Valuat ion 25 80 407 40 40 40 40 200 240 180 370 50 40 80 2 120 25 240 120 80 160 149 77 40 160 240 290 160 So 160 160 420 40 160 120 80 160 Bo 180 40 72 40 230 80 288 80 159 $3750 177 890 80 60 16o 120 376 56o 41 5 744 124 128 138 I O 3o5 92 420 250 190 300 2 79 208 72 320 48 1 7°5 200 80 266 315 919 69 347 3 18 156 34 1 144 394 120 183 163 282 132 576 120 363 t In Howell IJ Inc reased by school tax e Town 3 north range 4 east r T own 4 nonh range 5 east -v 452 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN Names Secti on A cres Va luation L ott Prntt 30 159 $408 William Packard 23 120 270 Pr eston &amp; Gay 23 40 600 A lvaPr esto n 11 23 24 190 5 1 I J ohn Powe ll 9 40 66 J oshua Poyer 3 4 Hi ram B R athburn 5 175 21750 128 349 N oah Ram sdell 23 24 25 26 585 I I 1250 Abr aham Rike r 28 80 156 Nathani el Smith 3 9 I O 320 635 Ezra Sanfo rd ! 2 224 41 1 David Sanford 5 40 6o W illiam Sroud 2 40 60 En onShipp ey 1 12 160 362 Daniel Sculley 8 200 345 Ephraim Starr 3 9 IO 280 342 E &amp; If L Stoddard 2 3 120 250 Benjamin F Scofield 23 80 195 Ziba Stone 21 22 200 3°5 J ames Sanfo rd J ohn Sanfo rd Sarah Sanfor d 22 27 320 678 E lias Sti llson* 36 40 110 N athan A &amp; J C T ownse nd 3t 27 34 925 87 171829 Mich ael Th atche r -4 5 190 3o9 Ches ter Town send 31 32 165 4 10 J ohn C Town send Pet er Vand erh oof 12 120 140 J osep h Whit aker 7 80 180 -- -- --- Total I0 34587 $2342979 This ta x was levied for th e following purpos es : For townsh ip expen ses For school tax es For highway purposes F or rejected taxes For State an d county tax es F or collector s fees T otal Am ount of resident tax and fees Amoun t of non-resident tax and fees T otal tax Valuati on of real estate persona l estate $ 185-40 66-44 12323 920 3 13·53 1372 $71152 $33702 37450 $ 71152 $3967900 2 12500 T otal valuation $4 180000 T otal valuati on 1879 $72452000 From the foregoing statements we learn th at in the eight years int erve nin g between the first two assessments mentioned the proportion of reside nt to non-r esident tax increased thirty-four per cent while at present th e non-r eside nt tax is a comp arativ ely small amount The valuation has incr ease d in th e forty-two yea rs th at have elapsed since th e first assess ment mor e th an one thou sa nd pe r cent The first years audit of accounts was as follows par t bein g audited March 19 1839 and th e rest March 26th: Mason Phe lps Town Clerk $ 138 R obert Sowders 932 Hi ghway Commi ssioner 32 13 Hiram Benn ett 420 Ju stus Boyd 300 Am os Adam s Surveyor 6oo J ared L Cook 424 L ott Pratt 507 Hiram Rix 824 E zra Sa nford 450 J ames San ford 400 J W Smi th T own Clerk of Howell 300 * In creased by school tax t T own 3 north range 4 east J ohn Farnsworth Surveyor Abram K anouse Jr for ba llotboxes and se rvices I aac Pratt J ames R athbun B F Scofield Th os Gold smith Hi ghway Commissione r Calv in vV H ait Alva Pre ston Sup ervisor Eli e! Stoddard J osiah Varel David Guile El isha Goldsm ith for necessa ries furnish ed for the support of Patri ck D onoho and family town pau pers E lisha Goldsmith Oversee r of Poor John Sanfo rd Overseer of Poor Ni cholas F Dunkl e Compensation of th e Boa rd $432 628 140 156 148 1825 900 12 10 134 II O 132 10 67 500 5 6o 400 6oo Tot al amount $ 17440 Th e reason for th e g iving of the name Tu scola to th e town is unkn ow n It was probably cho sen by so me ad mir er of th e aborigines in honor of th e Indi an trib e of th at name On account of th ere being a Tu scola County in th e Stat e it was thou ght best to have th e name chang ed and a petition was pr ese nted to th e L egis latur e in the wint er of 1856- 57 for th at purp ose An act was pa sse d and approved Jan 29 1857 wh ich gave th e town th e nam e of Bristol This it retain ed on ly a short tim e for Feb 5 1867 the Govern or sig ned a bill confer rin g on it its pr ese nt name Cohoct ah which it is suppo sed was the name of a former Indi an chi ef The reason for thi s change is one of th ose thin gs you know th at no fellow can find out Th e town-m eeti ng of 1841 evinced its good sense literary taste and appreciation of th e usefulness of th e press by voting th at the town shou ld defray th e expe ns e of a State paper to be kept at th e office of th e town clerk Th e followi ng expl ains itself: Th e T own ship Board of the T ow nship of Tu sco la met agreeab le to previous appo intmen t at th e office of the T ow nship Clerk for the purpose of providi ng to obtain vVeights Measur es Sca les and beams for the T own ship of Tu cola and to ap point a sealer The hoard ag reed lo procure dry mea sure of copp er Liquid Meas ures of Tin and comm on scales weights and beam-a nd a Drill and seal simi lar to th ose used by co untie s and T own s of thi s State And we hereby ap point John J ones Sealer of said town Th e Boa rd ag ree to ra ise Fifty Dollar s to obta in th e above-named Ar ticles and Contingent expen ses T USCOLA May 7 1841 ALVA PR ESTON D ept T C BENJ CRAWFORD OREN STODARD N OAH RAM SDELL To wn B oard On th e qu estion of temp erance the town has usually been quite evenly divided thou gh it is now believed th at th e majorit y-a nd a larg er maj ority than ever before-are opposed to th e tr affic Th e only recorded votes on th e que st ion a re thr ee in COHOCTAH TOWNSHIP 453 number: in April 1845 36 voted for license and 33 against it; in 1849 th e vote stood 44 for license to 32 against it; and Jun e 24 1853 the vote for the prohibit ory law was 36 whil e th e vote against it was 39 Th e following statistics have been gleaned from th e censu s return s of th e several years referr ed to; th e latest being from th e State censu s of 1874 Th e population in 1850 was but 544 in 1860 it was 856 and in 1870 it had risen to a tot al of 1176 of whom 1042 were natives and I 34 were of foreign birth In 1874 th ere was a falling off th e total number report ed being only 1144 The se were divid ed as follow s : mal es under five years 69; from five to ten years 73; from ten to twenty-on e years I 47 ; from tw enty -one to forty-five yfa rs 201 ; from fort y-five to seventy-fiv e years 97; from sevent y-five to nin ety yea rs 2 ; t otal 589 F emales und er five yea rs 7 3 ; from five to ten years 7 5 ; from ten to eighteen years 90; from eight een to forty yea rs 203; from forty to seventy-five years 111; from seve nty-fiv e upw ards 3; total 555 Th ese were classified according to condition in life as follows: mal es und er twenty-on e yea rs single 147 ; married non e; over twenty- one years single 53; marri ed 239 ; widow ers a nd divorced 8 Fema les un de r eig ht een years singl e 90; married none ; ove r eig ht ee n yea rs single 45 ; married 236; widows a nd divorced 36 T ota l single 625; marri ed 475; widowed and divorced 44 The taxable land s in 1874 were report ed at 23727 acres of which 10946 acres had bee n improv ed two acres were devoted to church and parsonage sites and on e and one-halfacr es to buryin g-gro und s and th e whol e was divided up into 224 farms averaging a little less than 103 ac res each It is believed th at the nex t census will show a considerable increase in the pop ulation and also in th e percentage of impro ved lands as well as in th e qu ant ity of crop s of all kind s produc ed In 1873 th ere was harvested in Cohoctah 2527 acres of wheat th e ave rage yield on which was 14io bu shels per acre Thi s made th e town ra nk as th e fifth town of the county in its ave rage for wheat Of corn th at year saw harv ested 812 acres averaging 29M bu shels to th e acr e which gave Cohoctah seve nth place for th e average y ield of corn On a ge neral ave raging th e town falls into th e fourth place as compar ed with th e oth er town s of th e co unty In th e quantity of its product s in 1873 it rank ed as follows: fourth for all grains excep t wheat and corn; sixth for hay pork and ch eese; seve nth for potato es; eighth for wheat; ninth for butt er; twelfth for wool; and fiftee nth for corn The quantiti es of its products ar e as follow s : wheat 35414 bu s he Is ; corn 240 I o bushels; oth er g rains 29466 bu shels; potato es 8394 bushels; hay 2302 tons; wool 2 19 11 pounds; pork 668 IO pounds; cheese 200 pounds; butt er 44940 pou nd s; dri ed fruit s 9 565 pounds; cider 282 barr els From 455 ac res of orcharding th e product was 10800 bu shels of app les Th e year before ( 1872) th e yie ld was 20025 bu shels Th e numb er of head of th e different kind s of stock kept in 1874 was as follows: hor ses 489; working oxe n So ; milch cows 499; oth er neat cattl e 628; swine 649; sheep 4399 In political matt ers th e town was at the time of its orga nization and for seve ral yea rs th erea fter stron gly Whig Th en th ere was a few years of Democratic rul e until the birth of the grand old party of freedom and eq uality-the R epublican par ty -which at onc e won th e support of the best men of both the old orga nization s and placed it in a position to control th e to wn; a pos ition which it has honor ed and from which it has neve r bee n deposed At the present tim e the R epublican majority is abo ut 50 on a fair vote In 1860 it gave to th e martyr ed Linc oln a majority of 102 votes the larges t majority eve r given to any candidate in thi s town During th e war-of th e R ebellion Cohoctah to ok an active int erest in th e success of th e efforts of th e loyal North to cru sh the wicked conspiracy against th e nat ion s life and int eg rity She ga ve of her wealth to feed and cloth e our armi es and to ca rry on th e affairs of gove rnm ent She se nt many of her brave and nobl e sons to uphold the starr y banner of freedom and encouraged them to deeds of valor by her unfalt erin g devotion to th e cause and faith in its final triumph Tw o spec ial to wn-m eetin gs were held F eb 13 and Sept 3 1864 at which by nea rly unanimou s votes it was decided to raise money by tax and loan to pay each volunt eer or drafted man who should be cred ited tow ard s filling the town s quota und er th e severa l calls for t roops th e sum of $ 100 bounty in addition to all oth er bounties to which th ey might beco me entitled In th e matt er of buildin g railro ads or rather in assis ting in th eir construction Cohoctah ha s bee n thric e called upon to give exp ress ion to her sentiments Th e first tim e was whe n in th e fall of 1865 it was propo sed to build a railro ad from D etroit to Howell A meetin g was held Dec 21 1865 and a proposition su bmitt ed to pledge th e credit of th e tow n to th e amount of 3 per cent of its assesse d valuation to aid in th e construction of th e road in acco rd ance with th e provisions of act No 49 of th e Sessions laws of 1865 Th e vote stood 6 in favor of th e loa n and 82 opposed to it The sa me proposition was again submitt ed t o vot e on the 454 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN 2 1st of April 1866 wh en 59 voted for th e propo - sitio n and 93 in oppos 1t1on to it Feb 12 1868 a petiti on signed by 16 tax- payin g cit izens was pr ese nted pr ay ing for a spec ial to wn-m eeting to consider th e question of raising $ 16000 by bonds or tax to aid th e Chi cago and Mich iga n Gra nd Trun k R ailway in building a road from Ri dgeway to th e In d iana line via L ansing and St J oseph Th e vote on th e proj ect sto od 2 I for th e aid to r 2 5 aga inst it Thi s settl ed th e fate of th at scheme D ec 8 1869 anoth er petiti on was pr ese nted sig ned by 3 1 freeholders prayi ng for a special meeting t o vote aid by loan or don ation to ass ist th e Tol edo A nn A rbo r and North ern R ailroa d Comp any to bu ild th eir road provided th e roa d should run dir ect from Byro n to Howe ll north and so uth th ro ugh thi s town T he vote stoo d 166 in favor to 19 aga inst l0an ing th e railroad comp any $ 16200 In compliance with thi s ac tion bonds were iss ued to th e propose d amount Th e bon ds were placed in th e hand s of th e State T reas urer wh o was to turn th em over to th e company when th ey p rese nt ed a certificate from th e Gove rn or th at th e road was com pleted Th e interest- co upo ns th en du e were to be detached by him and return ed to th e town Th e panic of 1873 was not directly ch argea ble with th e failure of thi s enterprise but th e grow ing strictur e in th e money market th at precede d it no do ubt had its effect in chokin g off th e pro pose d road A t leas t th e date name d found th e road unbui lt and at th e townmeetin g April 7 1873 J osep h L Cook was auth orized and requ ested to de mand of th e St ate T rea surer th e bonds issued and instru cted to turn them over to the town cle rk to be canceled and filed in his office So ter minated th is towns con- 11ection with th e railroad ent erpri ses of th e day but who can tell h ow long it will be before th e reviving bu siness of th e co untr y will aga in b ring th ese projects into life and send th e iron tr amways with th eir snor ting eng ines and rumblin g cars across its now qui et and peaceful boso m? HI GH WAYS Rega rding th e ea rliest roads th e reco rds are not as exp licit as might be but from th em we lea rn what th e ea rly settl ers state to have been th e case th at th e first reg ular h igh way in Cohoct ah was th e road runn ing north th ro ugh th e Sa nford settl e - ment vVe learn th at thi s road was first sur veyed by A mos Ada ms c~unty sur veyo r on th e 9th of Jul y 1836 and ext end ed from H owe ll to th e so uth qu arter-po st of sec tion 27 in thi s to wn- th at is to J ohn Sanfords residence In Sep temb er 1837 it was ext ended northwar d as far as th e so uth quar - ter-po st of section IO and from th at point to th e north line of th e town on th e l 2th of Jun e l 8 39 Th e seco nd road was called th e Ho well and F isher road and ran from H owe ll to th e north wes t corn er of sec tion 36 in thi s town-wher e Cha unc ey D F ishers farm lay It was surveyed by th e sa me pa rty Dec IO I 8 36 and Sept l I I 8 37 was cont in- 1e1d north a qu arter of a mile t ill it reached th e terminu s of a road surveye d eas t from th e Sa nford settlement so me tim e th at summ er A road runn ing north tw o miles from th e south west corn er of th e town was sur veyed Sept l 1 1837 by A S A dams actin g for th e co unt y surv eyo r H enry P Ada ms surv eye d A pr il 27 1838 th e Ca lvin H art road runnin g westward ac ro ss secti ons 24 23 and 22 till it j oined th e Sa nford road at th e so uth qu arterpost of th e last-named sec tion It connected th e Sanford and Boutell settl ements and passed by th e site of th e Bout ell bu ry ing-gro und Durin g th e yea rs 1838- 39 th ere were seventee n oth er ro ads sur veyed throu gh differe nt pa rt s of th e town by A S Ada ms actin g for th e re gular count y sur veyo r A b ridge was b uilt across th e Shiaw assee nea r Pr eston and Gays saw -mill in 1841 $ 10 0 being voted at th e annu al to wn-meetin g to par tially defray th e ex pense Th e first division of th e to wn int o road district s was made by th e highway commi ssioner April l 1 1838 and was as follow s : D istri ct No I con sisted of sections 21 22 27 34 and th e west half of sec - tion 35 with Maso n Ph elps as oversee r; D istri ct No 2 was made up of secti ons 7 17 18 20 28 29 and 33 A br aham Rik er overseer; D istr ict No 3 secti ons 19 30 31 and 32 L ott Pr att ove rsee r; Di stri ct No 4 secti ons 2 Ir 14 23 26 and th e eas t half of sect ion 35 N icholas F Dun kle ove rsee r; Di stri ct No 5 secti ons 3 4 5 6 8 9 10 and I 5 M ichae l Th atcher ove rsee r ; D istrict No 6 secti ons I 12 13 24 25 and 36 Calvin W H art oversee r In 1840 a more uniform div ision was made Th e sec tions in th e district s and th e ove rsee rs of each were as follow s : No 1 secti ons 1 2 1 I 12 13 and 14 Isaac Pr att; No 2 sections 3 4 9 IO 15 and 16 Or en Stod dard; N o 3 sections 5 6 7 8 17 and 18 Paul Coffin ; No 4 section s 19 20 29 30 31 and 32 Ch ester T ownse nd ; No 5 sections 2 1 22 27 28 33 and 34 Benjamin Crawford; N o 6 section s 23 and 24 and th e north half of sections 2 5 and 26 A lva Pr eston ; N o 7 sections 35 and 36 a nd th e so uth half of secti ons 2 5 and 26 Ad am Fi sher Th e pr ese nt divi sion is int o 38 district s and the list of ove rsee rs is as follows : No 1 H arry Hou ghton ; No 2 Peter Rohrabacher; No 3 H ubert Blodgett; No 4 A H J ones ; No 5 H Grant; No 6 Asa Pelleys ; No 7 George H oughta ling; No 8 James R Fi sher; COHOCT A H TOWNSHIP 455 No 9 Willia m C H osley; No 10 John J Barlow ; No 11 Samue l Slider; No 12 Parmen io Adams; No 13 George Soule; No 14 Isa ac T eller ; o 15 Willia m Dunkl e ; No 16 H enry Stone r ; No 17 Joseph Lamore aux; N o 18 Edward AntlifT; No 19 Joh n Wiggin s ; N o 20 John D Blank; No 2 1 Edw ard Fisher; No 22 James Gilland; To 23 John Dun stan; N o 24 Alexand er T Fri sbee; No 25 Charles D ean; No 26 Ada m Sha ler; No 27 Lewi s B Boyd; No 28 H enry Brigham; No 29 Charles E Dun stan; N o 30 Moses Jones ; No 3 1 Isra el Ellsworth; No 3 2 Th omas Goldsmith; No 33 Jesse Mo ey; No 34 Water bury Ostrander; N o 35 Fred Ste inacher; No 36 Samuel G H ough talin g ; N o 37 F L Rohrahach er ; No 38 William Patter son VILLAGES AN D POST-OFF ICES In th e spr ing of 1 849 tw o broth ers Guy N and A bn er R obert s came from Ch emun g Co N Y and bought a tr act of 40 acres of land in th e north par t of sect ion 36 in this to wn with th e int enti on of foun ding th ereo n a village Th e first thin g to wh ich th ey turn ed t heir att enti on was th e buil d ing of a gr ist-mill t o util ize th e water-po wer furn ished by the Bo-b ish- e-nun g Creek whi ch at thi s poi nt had a fall of over thirt een feet affordi ng one of th e finest powe rs on a str ea m of its size within th e limit s of th e St ate Whil e ge tt ing out th e timb ers for th e mill a house was b uilt on th e north side of th e prese nt highway for th e use of Guy N Ro be rts and anoth er one on th e oppo site side of th e way for th e occupa ncy of Ab ner s family Th e former buildin g wh ich was th e first in th e p lace is now a pa rt of th e res idence of Isaa c V D Coo k whil e th e oth er is now th e reside nce of Ma rtin L D avis F ro m th is small beg inn ing has sprun g th e pl easa nt littl e village of CH E MUN GVI LLE Th e mill-fr ame was raised in July and th e da m was finished at about th e same t ime In September th e mill was compl eted a nd read y to co mm ence ope rations Du ring th at summ er th e R ober ts built a small store and offered a ge neral stock of goods for sale th erein In a couple of yea rs th e village bega n t o sh ow signs of g rowth and Mess rs R obe rts decided to plat a village and offer lots for sale to att ra ct mechanic s and arti sans t o buil d up th e place Th e p lat was surv eyed by th e co unty sur veyo r A mos A dams Jul y 13 1852 and recorded on th e 14th in th e cou nt y reg isters office in liber 18 pages 30 31 It cont ained about 8 acr es and th e lots we re sur veyed on eith er side of a str eet runnin g first north east and th en eas t from th e cr ee k It was p lat ted by Guy N and S usan and A bner and Priscilla R obe rts and called Chem un gv ille afte r th e count y th ey came from in Ne w Y ork A n ad dition was platt ed by Isaac V D and Abi ga il Co ok N ov 2 1871 and su rveye d by E N F airchild count y surveyor It was on a street runnin g north at right angles with th e main str eet contain ed ab out 2 ¾ acr es and was recorde d D ec 14 187r Th e mill and stor e prop erty was so ld by th e R oberts so me ti me abo ut 1854-55 to Burt on Durf ee wh o soo n after sold to D av id Mason A fter ow nin g it two or thr ee yea rs h e sold to J ohn vVeimeister Durin g his ow nership he fou nd th e st ore too small for hi s use and abou t 1865 built a large r one nea r it whi ch is now th e store of Ma rtin L D av is Soo n after he bui lt anoth er b uilding on th e eas t side of th e old store wh ich he rent ed for a b illiard-roo m and whi ch is now occupi ed as a dwe llin g by Wil liam Kl eckl er Th e thi rd dwe llin g was th e pr ese nt Meth odis t pa rsonage and was erected by R ober t So uders Th e first blacksmith-shop was a b uilding put up for an ashery by th e R ob erts and so ld by th em to a Mr Zela who wo rk ed th ere with Si mon D olph In I 867 Mess rs J &amp; T Pea rce b oug ht the mill proper ty of J ohn Veimeister a saw-m ill built by Wi lliam and H olland C Hos ley havi ng meant ime been added and beg an a success ful bu siness career as mill ers lumbermen and merchant s In 1869 Isaac V D Coo k built a store on th e corner near hi s residence and hi s so ns W illiam and L orenzo ope ned a gro cery th ere It was subsequ entl y occ upied by William Kl eckl er and th en as a harness-shop by iTinth rop Coo k in 1875 Since A ug ust 1879 it has bee n occ up ied by My - ron D oolittl e as a wago n- repairing- and cab inetshop In 187 r D avid Bisse ll put up a small buildin g and started a shoe-shop It was afterwar ds so ld to a Mr An ge ll and is now occ up ied as a storeroom by Pearce Bro th ers Messrs Pea rce b uilt th eir pr ese nt fine store in 1876 Th e sch oo l-h ouse was bu ilt in 186 1 and the chur ch in 1872 T he g rist-m ill is now in ex cellent co ndition and prese nts a fine app ea rance It is called Bog ue Mill and stands on th e eas t side of th e st ream It s size is 35 by 45 feet t wo and a half sto ries above th e leve l of th e str eet and one story and th e whee l-p its below tha t It is furni shed with t wo run s of stones and th e usual accomp anyi ng machin ery; has a capac ity for grindin g IO bu shels of wheat and 20 bu shels of corn pe r hour It is run simpl y for custom work at p resent Th e necessary · p owe r is furni shed by tw o iro n tu rbine wheels each 42 inches in d iameter Th e saw-mill buil ding is 20 by 50 feet in size and furni shed with one mul ey saw with a cuttin g capac ity of abo ut 3500 feet of hard -wood lumb er pe r day It s pro du ct is used mostly for h ome co nsumpti on Th e vill age is pl easa ntly situated on lig htl y rollin g gro und and contains at th e p rese nt tim e two stores a g ristmill and saw-mill two blacksmith- shops one cabinet - and wag on- shop on e shoe-shop a scho ol HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN hou se a Methodist Church and ab out twenty -five dwellings six of th em west of th e str ea m and con seq uently not in th e platted par t of the village Th e populati on is about 125 The po st-office at Chemungville is call ed Oak Grove a nam e it has always borne It was first established so me thirty yea rs ago at th e house of th e first postmast er a Mr Fry who resided near th e northwe st corn er of th e town of Oceola He was succeeded in 1833 by Arthur A Field who lived in th e southeast part of sec tion 36 in thi s town His successor was Jo el S Stillson From his po ssess ion it was tr ansferr ed to Holland C H os ley at th e village wbere it has since remain ed passi ng success ively th ro ugh th e hand s of R obe rt McMillan Isaac V D Cook John W eimeister Martin L Davis and back to Isaac V D Cook th e present incumb ent who was last commi ssioned in 1874 It is now kept at J &amp; T Pea rces stor e Th e onl y other village in th e town is the little hamlet in th e western centre of section 9 call ed COHOCTAH thou gh the mor e common nam e applied to it is th e less euphoniou s one of SPRUNGTOWN This last nam e is not as some might suppose a sarcastic fling at its origin but was merely confer red upon it in honor of one of its mo st promin ent citiz ens Mr Isaac Sprung Th e first buildin g erected here was a small log shanty which was put up by Willi am G Phares for a dwelling about thirty years ago It s loc atio n was upon th e corn er of the so uth eas t qua rter of th e nort hwest qu arter of sec tion 9 near th e site of th e pres ent blacksmith- shop of Michael Meier It was occu - pied by different parties until it became too dilapid ated for a dwelling and was th en allowed to go quietly and undi sturb ed to decay Th e nex t house wa s not comm enced until war tim es It was beg un by James Gilland and was finished by William G Phar es in 186 1-62 It is still standing opposite th e po st-office and is used as a dwelling Anoth er small dwelling was soo n after put up by D aniel Hoyt Mr Phar es so n-in-law Th ese were the only buildings in th e village previou s to th e real birth of th e place which may with ju stic e be said to hav e occurr ed when in 1868 th e steam saw-mill was built by Mess rs E lias Sprague Villiam G Ph ares a nd Isaac Sprung Durin g th at same year seve ral dwellings were built and a building was erec ted by Thoma s Whit e in which he opened th e first store in th e plac e In thi s buildin g David Niles afterwards kept a wagon-shop H e sol d to J E Phillips who a second time started it as a store so ld to D B Harrington bought it back a coupl e of years afterward s and has since kept it him se lf The second stor e was built by Jaso n McFail who at the tim e own ed an interest in th e saw -mill in 1874 and was occupied by him for a dwelling In th e sprin g of 1877 havi ng been purchased by Cyrus G H ay ner it was op ened by him as a grocery -stor e Th e first blacksmith-shop was a small one built about 1869- 70 by David Ni les who occupi ed it for seve ral yea rs wh en he built a lar ge r shop a littl e farth er north the present shop of J H Bowd en A noth er large i shop was built nea r th e site of William G Phares first home in I 878 by Michael Meier Th e mill is a steam mill and was built for custom work For a co upl e of years it was run pretty stron g and did a very good business Th en Mr Sp run g left th e firm and since th at time it has done but a limit ed amount of bu siness It has been owned by a numb er of different parties and is now th e property of Harri so n Trowbridg e who opera tes it about four month s in the yea r Th e village once e11ojyed a bri ef season of bright pr os - pects when th e railroad throu gh th e town was being talk ed of but since th at project was (for the tim e at least) aband oned has remained in staht quo It now contain s a saw -mill tw o stores two black - smith- shops and a dozen dwellin gs a nd boas ts a popul ation of about fifty so uls One half-mile south is th e church of th e United Brethr en whil e th e school-h ouse of th e district is thr ee-eig hth s of a mile still farth er so uth Th e post-office now located in Cohoctah bea rs th e name of the tow n It was first called Tu scola and was estab lished some thirty yea rs ago at th e house of Hiram L Stoddard who was the first po stm aster It was turn ed over at th e tim e of his death (1857-5 8) to his broth er El ie! Then ca me oth er pos tm aste rs in th e follow ing order: A lva Jon es Marcus Burkhart R obert Wrigglesworth; all of whom kept th e office at th eir residences in th e north eas t part of th e town At thi s tim e ( 1874) th e office was mov ed to the villag e and J aso n McFa il was appoint ed as postmaster H e was succeeded in 1876 by D B H arrin gton and he by th e present incumb ent Cyrus G Hayner in th e sp rin g of 1877 Th e name was changed from Tu scola to Cohoctah in the winter of 1857 Both thi~ office a nd th e one at Chemungville-th e only offices in th e town- are on the Howell and Linden route and rece ive tw o mail s per week on Tue sdays and Frid ays SCHOO LS The formation of school districts 111 this town was a work of tim e No gen eral divi sion of th e town was att empt ed but as the int erests of the peopl e demanded new district s were formed from COHOCTAH TOWNSHIP 457 time to time or the lines of the old dist ricts were altered to suit the requirements of the case Di stric t No I was organized April 18 1838 and contained six sections-21 22 27 28 33 and 34 and three half-sections west half of 23 26 and 35 It now contains sections 22 27 and 34 and parts of section s 21 23 26 28 and 33 Th e school-house is a frame building valued at $400 will accommodate 40 pupils and stands a few rods south of Sanford s Corn ers on the southwest quarter of section 27 The first school-hou se in this district was one built by th e citizens on the northwest corner at Sanfords Corners In it th e first school in the town was kept by Laura Gardner of Salem Washtenaw Co in the summer of 1837 District No 2 is fractional with the towns of Conway Handy and Howell In this town it comprises section 32 and parts of sections 29 3 I and 33 The school-house stands on the southwest corner of section 32 It is a frame hou se th at can accommodate 40 schol ars and is valued at $200 It was built in 1855 on a site donated for th e purpose by Norman Boyd under the form of a durable lease The first school in this part of th e to wn was kept in the summer of 1838 in th e small shanty occupi ed by Led yard S Adams while he was build ing hi s log house Th e name of the teacher is not remembered The first winter school was taught by Hiram Rix in a log house on section 3 I near the present reside nce of L B Boyd The next winter Hom er Towns end taught and before the term was finish ed th e hou se burn ed down The citizens then got together and organized a district at a meeti ng held Jan 23 1840 at the residence of Elijah Gast on in the town of H andy and built a school-house ( of logs) abou t eighty rods east of th e southwest corner of th e town where the term was finished and school was kept up until the pres ent hou se was built District No 3 was formed J an 11 I 840 and was made up of sections 14 23 and 35; th e west half of sections 13 and 24; the west quarter of sections 25 and 36; and the east half southw est quarter and southeast quarter of the north west quarter of section 26 Al va Pre ston was· appointed to notify the inhabitants that the first meeting would be held at N oah Ramsdells on the 18th of January 1840 at six oclock PM At the present time the district embraces sections I 3 an d 14 nearly all of section 23 and parts of secti ons 24 25 and 26 Th e school-house stands near th e north quarter-po st of section 23 and is a frame buil ding of neat and tasty appearance fitted to seat 50 pupils and valued at $700 District No 4 is fraction al with Burns and con- 58 tains section 5 and parts of sections 4 and 6 in this to wn It was first orga nized at a meeti ng of the schoo l insp ectors of th e two town s held on J an 24 I 840 at th e house of Thomas P Green in Burn s Fr ederick I Provo st Gustavus Brown L ott Pratt and Jared L Cook were pr esent The bound s of the district were fixed as includin g sections 4 5 6 8 and 9 in this town and sections 3 I 32 and 33 in Burns At first the sch ool-h ouse was located on the west line of th e northwest qua rter of sectio n 4 where th e building known as the old red school-house is still standing It was built in I 840 It has been supe rseded by a very nice and well-designed frame buildin g val ued at $ I 300 It was built in I 872 and will comfort ab ly seat 60 scholars District No 5 is fracti onal with De erfield and report s in that town It embra ces a little more th an the east half of sections 24 and 2 5 Di strict No 6 was formed from fractional D istrict No 5 and part of Di str ict No 3 It now contains sections 35 and 36 the so uth east quart er of 26 and the southwes t quarter of 25 The school -h ouse is located at Ch emungvill e near the north centr e of th e section and is a frame building valued at $400 and fitted for 48 pupils District No 7 compri ses sections I a nd I 2 and the east half of sections 2 and 11 The schoo lhou se is a plain frame buildin g capable of seating 50 pupils is valued at $400 and stands on the southe ast corn er of section 2 District No 8 contains sectio ns 3 and IO the east thr ee quarters of 15 the west half of 2 and I 1 and parts of sections 4 and 9 Th e school-house built in 1852 stands near th e south quart er-p ost of section 3 It is a rather dilapidated fra me buil ding reported at $40 valuation and will accommod ate 40 scholars Di strict No 9 was first formed April 16 1846 and cont ained sections 7 17 18 and the south half of section 8 in thi s town and some adjoining territory in Conway Th e first meetin g was appointed at the hou se of J oseph B J ackson Jr April 23 1848 at two oclock PM It is still a fractional district and compri ses sec tion 18 and parts of sections 7 8 17 and 19 The school-hou se is a frame building valu ed at $20 capab le of seating 50 pupils and located at th e centre of section 18 District No IO containing parts of sections 19 29 30 and 3 I in thi s town is fractional with Conway and repor ts in th at town District No 1 I is the central district and is mad e up from sectio n 16 and parts of sections 8 9 15 17 and 2 1 The school -hou se on th e northwest quarter of sectio n 16 is a frame buildin g accommod ating 65 pupils and is valued at $300 I EZRA FRISBEE MRS EZRA FRISBEE A LOlaO T FRISBEE EA FRISBEE MRS MARGARET E VAN DERCOOK COHOCTAH TOWNSHIP FIRST CHURCH OF THE UNITED BRETHREN IN CHRIST OF COHOCTAH commonly known as the Sprague class was the result of a revival meeting held by Rev Benjamin Morgan of Brighton at the Sprague school-house (District No 11) in the winter of 1863-64 Most of the first members were new converts brought out at these meetings The organiz ation was effected at the school-house by Rev Mr Morgan and about 25 persons joined Their names as found on the class-book were Dudley and Elizabeth Woodworth William G Harriet A Milo and Lucina Phares Alonzo Keys er Thomas White Edwin Ackley Benjamin and Margaret Sliter Samuel and Melissa Houghtaling Mrs Merinda Chambers Clarissa Allbright Phrebe and Mary A Palmer Israel Ellsworth Elias and Emily Sprague Cyrus G and Cynthia Hayner Oliver Nancy and Truman Sprague Elias Sprague was chosen as the first class-leader and Oliver Sprague as the first steward Preparatory to the building of a church the society was incorporated Nov 16 1872 under the general statutes and the article of incorporation filed in the county clerks office The first trustees were G G Cook Alonzo Gleason Elias Sprague Eli Tindall and B H Mowers A site of one-half acre on the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 9 was donated by Elias Sprague and in the spring of 1873 work was begun on the church It was not completed until the fall of 187 5 and is a frame building size 30 by 40 feet with a seating capacity of 200 and cost about $1200 The dedicatory service was held Jan 12 1876 Rev B Hamp presiding elder officiating assisted by the pastor Rev William Duryea The parsonage was built in the fall of 1879 on the west side of the church lot at a cost of about $355 A separate board of trustees was appointed Nov 24 1877 to have charge of the parsonage who were Alonzo Gleason Marcus Burkhart and Martin Bennett Substituting the names of M H Brigham for Marcus Burkhart and Cyrus G Hayner for B H Mowers th e two boards of trustees remain at the present writing the same as when first appointed The church belongs to the Conway circuit which has two appointments in this town the other one being at the Gleason school-house on section 7 The names of the pastors as nearly as can be ascertained in the absence of any record are Revs Benjamin Morgan Stephen Ferguson -- Davis -- Ross William Duryea W N Bridenstein William P Cool B H Mowers A Shaffer H S Elliott William Duryea R W Keeny D J ·Holbrook and Mr Lower the present pastor The pre sent membership is 47 the class-lead er is Cyrus G Haynes and the steward is James Gilland A Sabbath-school was organized in connection with this church in the summer of 1864 with Cyrus G Hayner as superintendent With the exception of three years when he was living elsewhere Mr Hayner has been the superintendent of the school and is the present incumbent of the office The present membership is about 6o and the average attendance over 50 The other officers are as follows: Assistant Superintendent Alonzo Gleason; Secretary Ellery Gleason; Treasurer Miss Clara Gilland; Collectors Cora Meier and Charlie Johnson COHO CTAH SABBATH-S CHOOL ASSOCIATION This association was formed Aug I I I 878 for the purpose of begetting and fostering a sp irit of union harmony and go od-fellowship between the workers in the schools of the different denominations and also to increase the interest felt in th e prosecution of the Sunday-school work But two schools have yet become actively connect ed with the association though others are expected to join as they become conversant with the purpose and workings of the society Meetings were held every four weeks during the first year but now are held only once in eight weeks The first officers were Giles Borden President; Cyrus G Hayner Vice-President; William Randall Secretary; Martin Bennett Treasurer; H enry Jackson M H Brigham Alonzo Gleason Directors Substituting the name of Luther Pratt for that of Henry Jack son as a member of the Board of Directors the present officers are the same as the first To all the kind friends who have assisted the writer in his efforts to get a correct history of the town and who did so much to render pleasant his brief sojourn amongst them he returns his most heartfelt thanks; and only hopes this imperfect sketch will meet with as warm a welcome and as considerate treatment as was extended to him BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH EZRA FRISBEE was born in th e town of Canaan Columbia Co N Y Aug 14 1812 His father Rosw ell Frisbee died when Ezra was but five years old leaving a wife and six children and in destitute circumHISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY MICHIGAN stances Ezra went to live with his uncle Dr Edward Dorr of Chatham village with whom he remained one year Mr Frisbee then went to live with another uncle Ezra Frisbee with whom he resided until he was of age During the winter months he attended the district school of his neighborhood studying nights by the light of the fireplace fire In this way he obtained enough education to fit him for the successful business life he has since led Arrived at his majority his uncle gave him one hundred and eighty dollars which was his start in life This money he at once placed at interest and then went to work to earn more; worked on a farm in mills and also taught school each year adding to his small capital In 1836 he came to Howell township Livingston Co and bought of the government one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 2 in Howell and section 35 in Cohoctah May 23 1839 he was married to Miss Lucinda Thompson who was born Nov 5 1815 She was the daughter of Moses and Margaret (Morris) Thompson Mr Thompson one of the pioneers had located a large tract of land in Livingston and Oakland Counties and was then one of the most prominent and wealthy men in the county The village of Howell now stands on part of Mr Thompsons original purchase His death soon after his settlement deprived the county of one of its most valuable citizens After his marriage Mr Frisbee located on a quarter-section of land one and one-half miles west of Howell village which was given to his wife by her father On this farm he built the first frame house erected in the township outside the village And what was then of rare occurrence his house was painted which made Mr Frisbee an aristocrat and the wonder of the passers-by This farm he cleared improved and added to until he at one time owned three hundred and fifty acres part of which he now owns He lived on his farm ·or in the village of Howell twenty-two years and has seen the village grow up from its infancy Mr Frisbee was a juryman in the first suit tried by the present Judge Turner who was then a young lawyer in a new country with limited means and but few clients And Mr Frisbee gives a graphic description of the judge as he then appeared in his suit made of the cloth then known as hard times and set off by a chip hat all crown and hat-band The young lawyer has become a judge and is widely known respected and honored while the juror has become one of the most successful and wealthy farmers of his town loved and respected for his many good qualities and his rugged honesty of purpose In I 86o Mr Frisbee moved into Cohoctah and bought the farm he now occupies He now owns over five hundred acres of fine land mostly under cultivation In politics he has always been a Republican and has filled different town offices although he has never sought or cared for office His oldest son Alonzo T graduated at the Union school in Howell also at Bryant &amp; Strattons Commercial College in Detroit He has been town clerk and supervisor filling the latter office for six years He has also been the candidate of the Republican party for the office of register of deeds but his party being in the minority was not elected He now owns a fine farm of eight hundred acres in Isabella County part of which is under cultivation He was also supervisor of his township in Isabella County To Mr and Mrs Ezra Frisbee there have been born three children-Alonzo T born Oct I 2 1840; Margaret E born March 24 1842; and Edward born July 6 1849-all of them born in Howell township Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource History of Livingston Co. Michigan with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers (Part 2 of 2) Pages 255-462 Description An account of the resource <p>1880 History of Livingston County, Michigan with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. This document is part 2 of 2 Pages 255-462 and contains the following sections of the original book:</p> <ul> <li>History of the Township of Iosco</li> <li>History of the Township of Putnam</li> <li>History of the Township of Hamburg</li> <li>History of the Township of Genoa</li> <li>History of the Township of Unadilla</li> <li>History of the Township of Green Oak</li> <li>History of the Township of Conway</li> <li>History of the Township of Marion</li> <li>History of the Township of Hartland</li> <li>History of the Township of Oceola</li> <li>History of the Township of Tyrone</li> <li>History of the Township of Deerfield</li> <li>History of the Township of Cohoctah</li> </ul> <a href="https://archives.howelllibrary.org/items/show/235">View Part 1</a> Subject The topic of the resource History Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1880 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Everts & Abbot Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available J.B. Lippincott & Co Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource No Copyright - United States Type The nature or genre of the resource Text history https://archives.howelllibrary.org/files/original/78612b8fe9503590741cab80034dba5e.pdf 2a1e5d225b1b2e6b8121067872512ed6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Books - Local History Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Note Extra information that can be shown with the item. Such as how to get a physical copy of the item. Use the Windows Snipping Tool to capture the area of the document you want to save. If you want multiple pages printed please see staff to print the pages you want. <a href="https://howelllibrary.org/technology/#print" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">View the library's printing information.</a> Hidden Search Text Enter Search Text that is always hidden except to edit. THE History of Livingston County here presented to its patrons for their approval, is the result of long and patient labor and rese arch, which have been bestow ed upon it with the view of producing an authentic and conn ected narrative of events of ge nera l importance or inter est, which have occurr ed in th e territory now compri sed in th e county of Li vingston , or in which its resid ent s have been actors; confinin g the account as closely as practicable to the lim its of the county, and to its former and present inh abitants; referrin g to outside matt ers only so far as is necessary, to show th e connection of events. To th e ge neral matt er pertaining to the county, is added a history of each of its town ship s, embracin g notices of early settlers, sketche s of churches, schools, societies, and other local or gan ization s, and also special and statist ical matters relatin g to th e county and town ship s, intended chiefly for refer - ence. Other portions of the work are nec essa rily arrang ed according to the subjects of which they treat. In th e preparation of the history many of the best and most reliable work s bearin g on the subject hav e been con sult ed, and no labor has been spared in the gathering of historical material from the most thoroughly informed citizens of the county; and in th ese labors and res earch es it has been not more th e object to collect all obtainabl e facts, than to exclude everythin g of doubtful authenticity. If errors are discovered (as it is almost certain that th ere will be) in the orthography of som e of the family nam es of the early and later residents of the county, it is largely du e to the fact th at thes e names have been found spe lled differently (and sometimes in as many as four or five different ways) in the county, township, church, and society records. In several cases it has been found that different members of the same family vary in th e orthography of th eir surnames; one espec ially notable instance of this kind being th at of two broth ers, both of whom are highly educated and intelli ge nt men, and both prominent and influential citizen s of Livingston County . Und er such circumstances it should not be thought strange if th e seve ral writ ers of the county and town ship historie s, often finding themselves wholly at a loss to know which method of spelling to adopt, have sometimes mad e the mistake of choosing the wron g one. Beyond this explanation no apology will be made, for none is thought to be necessary. It is, of course, impossible to produce a history which shall be absolutely perfect, but every effort has · been used to make this as nearly so as pos sible. Its patrons will judge it upon its merits, and it 1s hop ed and confid ently believed that it will meet their approval. To those who have kindly given their aid in the collection of mat erial for the work, the histori an desires to express his th ank s. Amon g the se he would mention th e pastor s and leadin g memb ers of th e churches, the editors of the county newspaper s, th e gentlemen of the legal and 3 /J 4 PREFACE . medical professions m the county, and the honored Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit. A large number of pioneers and other citizens of the county have also been called on for aid, and they have all promptly and willingly responded with such information as they have been able to give. As there are in this list more than two hundred persons to whom acknowledgments are due, it is hardly practicable to mention th em separately by name, but grateful and cordial thanks are return ed to all for th e assistance which they have so freely and courteously extended. F. E. PHILADELPHIA, PA., Dec. I, 1879. CONTENTS. HISTORICAL. HISTOR Y OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY , MICHIGAN. HI S T OR Y OF TH E VILL A GE S A N D T OWNSH IP S OF LIV I NGSTON COUNT Y . CH APTER PA GE !.-Livingston County and its I ndi an Occupa nts 9 II. - . Cessions of In dian Lands-Sett lem ent of the County. 16 III.-Ch anges of Civil Juri sdicti on- Erection and Org anization of Living ston Count y- Courts and County Buildings 25 IV.-Th e Press -T he Profe ssions- Living ston Civil List -C ounty Socie ties 35 V.-Int ernal Improvement s . 51 VI.-Military Rec ord of Li vingsto n County 60 VIL-Fifth Infantry . 67 VIII.-Ninth and F ifteenth Infa ntry 79 IX.-Tw enty-second I nfantry 87 X.-T wenty-six th In fantry 96 XL-Third and Sixth Cavalry 108 XII.-Other Livingston County Sold iers II2 XIII .- Agricultur e- Fa rmers' Associatio ns-Populatio n 120 .Village of H owe ll Town ship of Howe ll Village of Brighton To wnship of Brighton H andy Iosco Putn am H amburg Genoa Unadilla Green Oak Conway Ma rion . H artland Oceola Ty rone De erfield Cohoc tah BIOGRAPHICAL. PAGE Fran cis Monroe facing 162 Wi lliam J . Jewe ll H on. Josrah Turn er 182 H obart A. Tw ichell H on. William McPherso n, Jr . between 182, 183 Stoddard W. Twich ell . S. E. H owe facing 183 Major George Mercer Sar dis F. Hubbe ll 183 H on. William Ball Pete r Brewer 200 D enni s Corey Solom on Hi ldebra nt 200 Elia s Da vis . H on. J ohn Carter 229 Joseph Rider Aaron H. Kelley 229 Chester H azard Rev. I ra \Varn er . 230 Charles Benedict. Melzer Bird 230 Ely Barnard Thoma s Would s . 230 Willi am Blood worth George W . Conely 231 S. G. Ives Sam uel M. Conely 23 1 Ph ilander Gregor y 0 . K. Va n Amb urg 232 Morris T opping W. C. Sears 232 D avid D. Bird James Conver se 250 Linus Clark H arvey Metca lf 251 Hon. Kin sley S. Bingham Ralp h F owler 252 H annibal Lee George Lovely 252 Corneli us Corson . E dwin Nich ols 253 Almon Maltby Marvin Gaston 253 John Ho oper S. P. K uh n . facin g 258 George Gready William S. Caskey 262 Benjamin P. Sherm an . Amanda Doug lass 264 Luth er Chi ld Lu ana Stow 266 Willi am P. Stow. Hon . I saac Stow . 266 Le vi H . Bigelow . Seth G. Wil son 267 Cec il D. Parso ns Willi am H. Kuhn 268 George Coleman . J ames Wooden 268 W. K. Sexton PAGE 135 184 20 1 218 233 255 269 278 291 3o4 322 334 346 362 376 388 4 13 43 7 PAG E 269 betw een 284, 285 284, 285 290 290 29 1 291 302 302 3o3 3o3 3o3 between 312, 3 13 320 321 321 facing 328 332 332 332 betwee n 332, 333 332, 333 333 343 343 344 344 345 357 358 5 6 CONTENTS . PAGB PAGE Thomas Love 359 R ichard Walker • 387 George B. Wilkin son 359 Robe rt Wa lke r 387 Pierpont L. Smith 36o Edward Browning 387 George Youngl ove 360 Robert Browning 388 Aaron Van Patten 361 George Cornell facing 39° Eldred Basing 361 David Colwell 39° Charles Smith 374 Hon. John Kenyon 392 Eli sha G. Smith 374 I saac Cornell 396 Le Grand Clark 375 Rev. Isaac Morton 412 J acob S. Griswold 375 John T . Carmer . 413 Pet er Y . Brown ing facing 385 Jo hn H ow facing 418 Ephraim J. H ardy 385 Col. Castle Sutherland . 424 J. A . Van Camp . 386 Joseph Chamberlin 426 William Haz ard . 387 Ezra Fri sbee 461 ILLUSTRATIONS. Outline Map of Livin gston County HOWEL L . Living ston County Court.H ouse . H owell Uni on School Re sidence of vVm. McPh erson, Jr. Solomon Hil deb rant M. L. Gay Seym our E . H owe Portrait of Fran cis Monr oe . H on. Josiah Turn er . Wi lliam McPh erson, Jr (steel) Residence of Willi am Whit e Portrait of Peter Brewer BRIGHTON . Public School Buildin g R esidence of P. J. Sears the late Aaron H . K elley 0 . K . Van Amburg Geor ge W. Conely . Samuel M. Conely . Thom as Would s John Carter ( doub le page) Portrai ts of Rev. Ira Warner and \Vife Melzer Bird and Wife HANDY. Re sidence of Marvin Gaston (with portrait s) Edwin Nichol s George Lovely Portrait of Harvey Metcalf . Ralp h Fowler Re sidence of James Conver se IOSCO. Residence of Isaac Stow (with portr aits) William J. Jewell . " S. P. Kuhn (with portrait) Jam es Wooden Portraits of Wm . S. Caskey and Wife . Resid ence of Amanda Douglas (with portr ait) Portrait of Luana Stow Seth G. Wil son . Portraits of Wm . H. Kuhn and Wife PAGB facing 9 facin g 135 135 142 142 146 146 162 182 between 182, 183 facing 184 200 facin g 201 218 220 220 224 224 226 between 228, 229 facing 230 230 facing 233 236 240 251 252 facing 256 facing 255 256 258 26o 262 264 266 267 268 HAMBURG . Re sidence of Dennis Corey H . A. Twi chell (double pag e) Portrait s of H. A . Twi chell and Wife S. W . Twich ell and Wif e PAGE facing 278 between 282, 283 284, 285 284,285 Re sidence of Mrs. Mary E. Davis (with portraits) facing 286 Portrait of Maj. Geo rge Mercer 290 Re sidence of 0. W. Sexton GENOA. Reside nce of Chester Ha zard J oseph Rider (with portrait s) . Portrait of Charl es Benedi ct E ly Barnard Portrait s of Wm. Bloodworth and Wif e UNADILLA . Residen ce of David D. Bird (with portrait s) . Residence of I-I. and P. Gregory . Portrait s of S. G. Iv es and Wife . View of the Village of Plainfield GREEN OAK . Reside nce of Linus Clark (double page) Portr aits of Linu s Clark and Wife Almon Maltby and Wife John H ooper and Wife George Gready and Wife . R esiden ce of Wm . D. Corson CONWAY. Re siden ce of vVm. P . Stow . Portraits of B. P. Sherman and Wrves. Portrait of Luth er Child Levi H . Bige low Portr aits of Cecil D. Parsons and W ife MARION. Re sidence of Hiram P. Baker Th omas Love (with portraits) . E. Basing A. Van Patt en facing 291 facing 291 302 3o3 3°3 3°3 facin g 304 308 between 312, 313 facing 314 betw een 328, 329 facin g 328 between 332, 333 332,333 333 facing 334 facin g 334 343 343 344 345 facing 346 348 Geo. B. Wilkin son (with portrait s) . 35° 352 354 George Coleman (double pag e) with portrait s between 356, 357 CONT ENTS . ILLUSTRATIONS. Re sidence of W. K. Sexton Portra its of W. K. Sexton and Wif e George You nglove and Wife Portrai t of P. L. Smith HARTLAND . Residence o( Le Grand Clark (with portraits) Portra its of Elisha G. Smith and Wife Portrait of William Smith " Charles Smith OCEOLA. Residence of Robert Brow ning . Edward Browning Robert Wa lker J. D. Botsford P. V. M. Botsford J . W. Botsford (with portraits) PAGR facing 358 358 facing 36o 360 facing 362 374 374 374 facing .. between 38o, 381 380,381 380, 381 E. J. and E.W. Hardy (double page) " 384,385 Portraits of Peter Y. Brow ning and Wife facing 385 Portrait of J . A. Van Camp W illiam H azard TYRONE . Portrait of George Cornell . David Colwell Portraits of H on. John Kenyon and Wife I saac Corne ll and W ife Rev. Isaac Morton and Wife Portra it of John T . Carmer. DEERFIELD. Portra it of John How . Col. C. Sutherland Portraits of Joseph Chamber lin and W ife COHOCTAH. Portraits of Ezra Frisbe e and Wife Portrait of Alonzo Fri sbee . E. A. Frisbee Mrs. Margaret Van " " " service s as Clerk of Board.... .... 4.00 $94.57 Th e seco nd annu al meetin g of th e Boar d was held o n th e th ird of October, 1837, in Howell, at th e vill age sch oo l-h ouse, b ut on acco unt of cold and lack of heatin g apparat us 111 th at bui lding, adjo urn ed to th e R egis ter's office. Th e S upe rviso rs prese nt we re th e following named , rep resenting all th e t ow ns th en orga nized m th e county, V IZ. : Eli sha '0/. Br ock way , o f Gree n Oak. Th omas J . Ri ce, o f H ambur g. Will iam T . Curti s, of Genoa. John W . S mith , of H owell. Jacob Snell, of Byro n (now Oceo la). Aa ron Pa lmer, of P utnam. J ohn H ow, of D eer field. E lnath an No bl e, of U n 1dill a. Th omas Hos k ins, of Ma rion. E li L ee, of H a rtland . O ne of th e first items of bu siness tra nsacted at thi s meetin g was th e g iving of auth ority and dir ections to th e sheriff "t o pur chase for th e use of th e co unt y a goo d tw enty-e ight inch stove , and place th e same 111 th e sch ool-h ouse in th e vill age of H owell, and sufficient length of six- inch En glish p ipe for th e use of th e sa me, and ch arge th e sa me to th e co unt y. " Th e bounty on wolves was continu ed at thr ee dollars per head , an d a fund of one hundr ed dollars was vo ted to pay such bo unti es. A fund of six hundr ed dollars was vo ted for contin ge nt ex pe nses of th e count y. O rde rs were issued on audited acco unt s to th e amount of nin eteen hun dred and sixty-th ree do llars and eig htyfour cent s. Th e taxes as appo rti oned to th e several tow ns, and th e assessme nt of eac h, was as follows : Aggregate A&lt;;-, T ownship County and TOWNSH I P. scssment of Stat e T ax. T ownship, Tax. St.1te T ax . 183 7. H ambu rg ..... . $58 ,315 ,$100. 12 $ 106. 15 $1 i-57 Byron . ..... .. 69,656 77.00 126.74 20.97 Putn an1 .. .. . . .. 7 1,2 17 269. 73 129 58 2 1.44 Genoa .. .. .. ... \ 6o,833 110.72 18.3 1 H art land ..... . 68,8 13 87-75 125.2 1 20 -73 Mari on ...... ... 64,952 85.50 I 18.20 19 57 H owell ....... . 263,666 370-49 479.8 1 79.44 De erfield ... .. . 133,907 115.23 243.65 40 .34 Gree n Oak ... 165,749 402.53 30 1.62 49.84 Un adilla ...... 122,095 200.00 222.22 36.79 ----- T otal .... . 1 $ 1,079 ,203 $ 1,963.9 0 I $325.00 Th e Boa rd adj ourne d Oc tobe r 7th to meet No vemb er 9, 1837, at which tim e, upo n reasse mbling th ere was no bu siness to be t ransacted, and th ey adjo urn ed sine die. A t th e annu al meet ing of th e Boa rd , held at th e R eg ister's office in H owel l, Oc tober 2, 1838, all but one of t he p rese nt tow nships of th e count y we re repr ese nted , th e followi ng-named Sup erviso rs being p rese nt: J ohn H ow, from D eerfield . T homas J . R ice, from H ambur g. Geo rge W . L ee, from Ma rion. J aco b Snell, from Oceo la (previously Byro n). R ober t ·wa rd en, Jr. , from Gree n Oak. Charles P. Bu sh, from Genoa . Ri chard Lyo n, from Bright on. So lomon S uth erland , from U nadilla. R alph F owler, from H andy . R ial L ake, from H owe ll. A lva Preston, from Tu sco la (now Coh oc tah). J ohn J. Blackm er, from H artl and. Josep h M. Bec ker, from T yro ne. Geo rge R eeves, from Put nam . Ar d Osborn , from Io sco. Th e assess ment and appor t ionm ent of taxes to each tow nship , as th ere equ alized we re as follows 28 HISTORY OF LIVI N GSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. Aggreg:it T o wN sH I P. T ownshi ti Bri ght on . .... . Deerli eld ... .. . Gr ee n Oak J Genoa .... .. .. • H owell ..... .. . H a ndy ........ . l lamburg ... .. . H artland ... .. . Jena* .... ..... . I osco ... ......•. Ma rion ... .... . . Oceola ........ . T uscola ....... . Ty rone ... ... .. . P utn am ....... . Unadi lla .... . . Asse ss me $9 1 ,5 73, 1 87,6 64, 1 75,0 58,6 74,3 74,7 6 1,6 87 J 89 62 37 02 I 89 8 1 84 27 21 76 59, 1 66,o 74,0 73,3 69,6 75, 1 69, 1 68 40 22 55 34 Total... .. J $ 1, 147,5 74 1 Township Tax . County Tax. S tate Tax . I $2 17.49 $191.06 fi,128-40 145.75 152.68 102.6 1 92.71 182.87 122.90 248.6 1 133.79 899 2 194-95 156.46 105. 15 26.75 122.43 82.35 200.78 155-17 104.28 178.73 156.02 104.84 128.56 86.40 139-31 123-33 82.97 232.88 137.84 92.63 146.03 154-52 103.84 153.00 102.82 94-44 145.16 97.6 1 123.89 156.78 105.36 209.30 144.22 96.92 $2,251.62 $2,393.89 $ 1,609.00 Th e pr eviou s vote grant ing bounties on wolves ki lled within th e county was resc ind ed; county orders were iss ued to the amou nt of tw o th o usand thr ee hundred and nin ety -thr ee dollars and eight ynin e cents, and th e Boa rd adj o urn ed sine die, Octob er 6, 1838. By th e provi sions of a law passed by th e L eg islatur e in 1838, th e powers and duties of th e Board of Sup ervisors were tr ansferred to and vested in a Board of County Co mmi ssio ners. Und er thi s law th e first Board of Commission ers of Living ston Co unty organized, and held th eir first meet ing at th e clerk's office, in Howell village, on Tu esday , th e tw entieth of N ovcmb er, I 8 38. Pr ese nt : th e full Board, viz., Em ery Beal, Charles P. Bush, ant.I Orman Holme s. Em ery Beal was cho sen chairman, and after reso lvin g to rent a bui lding for a R eg ister's office, and dir ectin g th e R eg ister to place a stove th erein at th e exp ense of th e county, th e Board adjourned. Th e office of County Commi ss ioner was abol ished by act of L eg islatur e appro ved February IO, l 842, and tJ1e duti es and po wers of th at Board were tr ansferred back to th e Boa rd of Supe rvisors of th e county. The first meetin g of th e Sup erviso rs of Livin gs ton · Co unty und er thi s law was held Apri l 21, 1842, at the room wh ere th e courts were th en held, in Howell. From th at tim e until th e pr esent , the Board has continu ed to exercise its leg itim ate pow ers and functi ons undi sturb ed by furth er ex perim ent al legis lation. OR GAN IZAT ION OF COUR TS . Th e act und er which th e county o f Livin gs ton was orga nized provided th at "a ll suit s, pro secutions , and other matt ers now [th en] pendin g before any court of record, or before any ju stice of the p eace" in th e co unty of Wa sht enaw or of Oa k- -::-Now Con way. land , should be pro secuted to final jud g ment a nd exe cuti on in th e sa me mann er as if th e ac t had not been passe d. T he first term of th e court for the co unty of Livin gs tont wa s h eld at the schoo l-h o use , in the village of How ell, on th e eight h day of November, 1837. Present: th e Hon. William A. Fl etcher, Chief Ju stice of the Supreme Court , and th e Hon. Eli sha W . Brockway and H on. Elnatha n Nob le, A ssociate Jud o-es all of whom are now dead. ::, ' The names of th e g rand jury att ending at th at term were Pric e Morse, Edward F. Gay, No rm an Brainard, Ad oniram Hubb ell, ·William E . R edding, Jo seph Co le, Peter Y. Brownin g , Phile ster J ess up, James Wri ght, William L. Mead, Al - bert Park er, J ohn Drak e, Geo rge Walker, H orace Toncr e, J o nath an Burn ett, William B. H opk ins, Augustus Colton, R ichard ·T oncre, a nd John Andr ews. George W. vValker was appointed by th e co urt, foreman. Th ere being no pros ecutin g att orney for the county, th e court appo int ed J ames King sley, of Ann Arbor, to act in th at capacity for th e term. Th e court app oint ed Samuel G. Percy as crier. Th e list of nam es of petit jurors at that term were as follows: Solomon Gew, Dan M. Full er, Anson N elso n, J oseph vVhitacre, Amos B. R oot, Ru ssell Blood, James Liv ermor e , Set h G. Wil so n, J ohn Sutherland, St ep hen Corn ell, George Sewe ll, Fred erick Good enow, Geo rge W . Glover, Isaac Ela, R oya l C. Barnum, Uriah Collso n, James D. McIntyre, and Francis Linc oln. Th e g rand jur y soo n repo rted to th e court that th ey had no busin ess before th em, and th ey we re th erefore discharged. Th ere being no cases for tri al, th e petit juror s were also discharged. Jud ge Fl etcher was a native of Massa chus etts, and was engaged for so me years in mercantile pur suits in th at Sta te. H e settl ed in Michigan abo ut th e year 1820, and studi ed law in D etro it, a nd comm enced the prac tice of hi s prof essio n in th at city . H e was at one tim e attorn ey -ge neral for th e T errit ory. H e was appoi nt ed chief ju stice of th e Supr eme Court after the admission of th e State int o th e Union, and revised th e statut es of th e State in I 8 38. H e res ig ned hi s office as jud ge in 1842, resumed th e practic e of his pro fess ion , and died in A nn Arbor about 1855. H e was a man of hi g h characte r and strict int eg rity. T he nex t circuit ju dge of th e co unty was th e Hon. Alph eus F elch. Jud ge Felch was born in Maine, in Sep temb er, 1806. H e was a g raduat e of Bow doin College. H e emigrated to Michi ga n in 1833, and sett led at Monro e. H e t T his acco unt of t he orga nization of th e co urt for th e cou nty of L ivings ton is, kin d ly furni sh ed i&gt;y th e li on. Jo s iah Turner, J udge of the Seventh Judi cial Circuit. COUNTY-SITE A D COU NTY BUILDINGS. was a member of th e Stat e L eg islature in I 8 36-37. In 184 2 he was appoi nt ed auditor-gen eral; a few weeks after which he res ig ned that po sition, and was appointed jud ge of th e Supr eme Court. In 1845 he was elected Gov ern or of the State, and in l 847 was elected a senator in Congress for six years . H e now resides at Ann Arb or. H e was an able judg e, and is still in th e practice of hi s profession. The nex t circuit jud ge of th e county was the Hon. Charles \V. Whipp le. Th e nex t circuit judge who pr esided in this county was th e H on. Sa nford M. Green, who is now th e circuit jud ge of the Ei g ht eenth Judici al Circuit, and res ides at Bay City. The nex t cir cuit jud ge was th e H on. J osia h Turn er, who is still th e jud ge of thi s district , and res ides at Owosso. THE PROBATE COURT. No bu siness was done in th e Probat e Office of Livin gs ton County during th e incumb ency of its first Jud ge of Probate, th e Hon. Kin sley S. Bingham. Th e first Probate Court in th e co unt y was held by hi s .succes so r, th e H on. J ames W . Stansbury, in Pinckn ey villag e, on th e twent y-fifth of D ecember, 1838 ; and th e first bu siness done was th e appoi ntm ent of a g uardian for the min or heirs of H enry Zu lauf, decease d. Th e first letters of administration were g rant ed March l 3, 1838, to Phacbe H . Drake, of Unadilla, and Th oma s G. Sill, of D ex ter, on th e estate of J ohn Dr ake, of Un ad illa , decea sed. Th e first will ad mitt ed to probate, and recorded in th e Probate Office, was that of James Sage, th e first settl er of H owell vill age and tow nsh ip, who died Jun e 29, 1839. Th e will was dat ed Janu ary 15th of th at yea r, bea rin g th e nam es of Wellington A. Glov er, Mabel Glover, and 0 . J . Field as atte sting witn esses, and was recorded July , 1839. J osep h H. Pinckn ey was appoi nt ed exec ut or of thi s will, which made beq uests to th e widow and children of th e testato r ; th e latt er being menti oned as George T., James R., and Chester A. Sag e, Mary A. \ V. Pinckn ey, and H ann ah A . W alker. Th e seco nd will recorded was th at of Tim othy I-J. Mung er, of Marion, dated Jun e 29, 1840, bea ring th e sig natur es of Gardner Carpenter, H enry Green, and Hor ace Griffith as att esting witne sses , namin g Horace Griffith as so le exec utnx , and bequeathing all th e pro perty of th e testa tor to his wife, Ada line Mung er. This will wa s reco rded J anuary 19,_ 184 1. Durin g th e entir e term of Jud ge St ansbur y ( 1837 to 1840, inclu sive) the Prob ate Court was h eld at hi s office, in th e village of Pinckn ey . Th e first Co urt of Probate held at H owe ll was by Ju dge George W. Kne eland, February 8, 1841, and th e first busin ess done at th at tim e was th e g rantin g of lett ers of ad ministr ation on the estat e of J os iah P. J ewe tt. From that time until th e pr ese nt th e Pro - bat e Court has be en held at th e county- sea t. COUNTY-SITE AND COUNTY BUILDINGS. It has bee n menti oned above th at th e first term of court for th e county of Livin gs ton was held in th e H owe ll sch ool-hous e, in Novemb er, 1837. This school-house stoo d within th e ori g inal plat of the village, laid out by Messrs. Crane and Bro oks in 183 5; which p lat had be en de sig nated as th e county- site of Livin gsto n, in 1836, by thr ee commi ss ioners app ointed for the purpose by the Govern or of Michigan in accorda nce with the pro - visions of an act, pa ssed by th e L eg islatur e at its session in that year, to locate and establi sh count y - sites for co unti es in whi ch they had not been pr evio usly establ ished. In 1837 an act was passed by th e Leg islature authorizing th e Supervi sor s of any cou nty to borrow money for th e erection of cou nty buildin gs . Th e Sup ervisors of Livin gsto n, th ereup on, at th eir annu al meetin g in October, 1837, "R esolved, That th e qualifi ed electors of th e cou nty be notified th at a vot e will be tak en at th e nex t annu al electio n (Nove mber, 1837) wh eth er th e Board shall be a uth orized to borrow, on th e credi t of th e county, a sum not exceedi ng ten th ousand dolla rs for th e erection of county buildings," as provid ed in th e act above named. The notice was acco rdi ng ly issued and th e vote tak en, but th e res ult in th e county was adverse to th e loan. In 1838 an act was pas!';ed (approv~d Feb ruary 23d) providin g" th at th e Board of S uperviso rs of Livin gston Co unty be, and th ey are hereby , a uthori zed to borrow on th e cred it of th e said county, at a rate of interest not ex ceeding seven per cent. per an num, and for a term not less th an five nor more th an fifteen years , a sum of money not exceeding one th ousand dollars, for th e purpo se of erec tin g a j ail for said county." The qu estion of taxa tion for th e purpo se o f erectin g necessa ry co_unty buildin gs was agai n submitt ed to the voters of th e county at th e annual election of 1838, a nd the res ult was th e same as in th e pr eviou s year. The courts continu ed to be held at th e village school-h ouse in How ell, a nd th e sheriff continued to take s uch prisoners as h e had to Ann Arbor for confin ement, as a uth or ized by an act app roved F ebru ary 8, 1858, which em - powered him "t o conv ey pri so ners to Washtt"naw County, and deliver th em into th e custody of the sheriff or keepe r of th e j ail of th at county." On th e tw enty-fir st of April, 184 2, th e Board o f Supervisors reso lved "that George W. Kneeland, 30 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. Richard P. Bush, and Jared Clark be authoi·ized to contract with Benjamin J. Sprin g for hi s hou se to h old courts a nd to do ot her bu siness in until th e first day of the next Novemb er term of th e Circuit Court." And this committee repor ted th at th ey h ad so contracted with Mr. Spring for hi s ballroom for that period, for fifteen dollars, he to furnish wood. At th e sa me meeting th e Board authorized th e drawing of an orde r in favor of th e Pr esbyterian Socie ty of H owe ll, for tw enty dollars "for th e use of th eir me etin g-hou se at th e la st term of court, on condition that th ey can hav e it at tw enty-five dollars a term as long as it is necessary; sa id house to be used for all county meetin gs ." Soon after thi s, th e Pr esbyterian Church building becam e th e court-hou se of Livings ton County, and c,mtinu ed to be used reg ularly for sess ions of th e court for abou t three yea rs, th e county paying forty doll ars per annu m for its use. Th e pri soners of th e county were still confin ed at Ann Arbor. From th e tim e wh en th e county- site was estab - lished at Howell, in 1836, a determined opp osition to th e location had been dev eloped, and stron g efforts were made to secur e its rem oval. Thi s proj ect was brought before th e L eg islature at th e ses sion of l 8 37, and was met and defeat ed by th e remon stranc e of F. J . B. Crane (the propri etor of th e origi nal plat of Howell ) and a larg e numb er of other sig ners. Th e ag itation for chan g ing the location of the sea t of ju stice continu ed, however , un abat ed (and in fact rat her incr easing) for a numb er of years, and too k th e form of a proj ect to enlarg e th e county , by takin g in a part of Oak- . . land; thus to· bring Brig ht on nea rer th e territ oria l centre, and cau se the county- site to be loc ated at that vill age. This ag itatio n had th e effect of cau sing th e defeat of all attempt s to raise money by taxatio n for th e erection of count y buildin gs und er th e provi sions of th e act s of 1837 a nd 1838. Th e site on which th e court-h ouse and public offices now stand was not includ ed in th e lim its establis hed as th e county-sit e in 1836 . \,Vithin tho se limit s Mr. Crane had laid out and don ated a square of gro und (still known as th e" old public square ") for th e purp ose of th e erection of county buildin gs, and at th e tim e of its lay ing out th ere see med no reas on to doubt that wh en such building s were er ect ed th ey would be located on that sq uare. Influ ences were afterward s brou g ht to bear, howev er, which sec ured th e pa ssag e of a n act (approved March 20, 1841) providing "That th e limit s of the pr ese nt county- site of th e cou nty of Living ston be, and th e sam e are her eby, so ext ended as ·to emb race the west half of section thirty-six, town ship three north, of rang e four eas t; a nd that the county commission ers* of said count y be, and the y ar e h ereby, authoriz ed to erect, in conformity to law, county buildin gs on the site th ey shall deem most elig ible on the said describ ed land; provided th e owners of said land shall conv ey to the county by a good and sufficient titl e, free and clear from all incumbranc e, four acres of land for th e sit e that shall be so selected." Th e t ract thu s added to th e limit s within which the site for county buildin gs might be locat ed j oins th e original (C rane a~d Brooks) plat on th e north and east, including all that part of th e west half of th e sect ion not embrac ed in th e plat.t It was from th e land s embrac ed within thi s exte nsion th at th e pr ese nt courthou se square was selected. It includ es a part of th e nor thw est, and a pa rt of the southwe st quarter of section thirty- six, and was convey ed to th e county in I 842 and l 843. The chain of titl e is as follow s : Th e part lyin g in th e so uthw est quart er was entered from gov ernm ent, D ecembe r 3, I 833, by J ohn D . Pinckn ey for Alexand er Fra ser. O n th e second of July, 1835, Al exand er Fraser deed ed to Al exand er D. Fras er, tru stee for Edw ard Brooks and Charles G. Hamm ond, both of Detroit. On th e tw enty-third of Octob er, in th e sa me year, it was conv eyed back to Alexa nder Fra ser, a nd on th e twenty -fourth of -the sa me month J ohn D. Pinckn eyt and Al exa nd er Fra ser conveyed an * F rom 1838 t o th e sp rin g of 1842, a Boar d of Count y Commi ssioners exe rcised th e powers which befo re and sin ce th at pe riod h a\'e bee n veste d in th e Boctrd of Supe rvisors. At a m eeting of thi s Board o f Com missioners held in th e sp ring of 1841, they reso lved " th at there shall be levied on the county of L ivi ngsto n, in Octobe r next , a tax of tw o th ousan,l dollar s for th e purpose of Luil cling a court -h ouse in the village of H owell; " b ut on submitting th e q uest ion to th e vote rs, th e result was th e same as in previo us yea rs. t Th e origi nal plat cove red th e west ha lf of th e southw est quar ter, a nd the southwest qua rter of th e no rthw est qu arter of the sect ion ; so th at the ex ten sio n made by th e act of l'llarc h , 1841, in clud ed the east h al f of th e southwest qua rter, and th e east h alf and northw est quar ter of th e nort h west quarter. t As having refere nce to a qu estion whi ch appea rs to h ave arise n in later years as to th e pe rfect ion of th e titl e from M r. Pinckney, th e foll owing transcr ipt from th e reco rd of th e Boa rd of Supe rvisors u nde r elate of J anua ry 14, 1863, is giv en, viz.: "T he co mmitt ee on the clai m of J\lrs. J ohn D. Pin ck ney to th e lots occ upie d 1,y th e cou nt y bui ldin gs report ed as follows: Your committ ee , appointed to inq uire of Almon \Vhipple and oth ers about the claim of ~Ir,. Pinckn ey to the lands on whi ch th e county bu ild in.;s stand, find that ~Ir. Pinckney locate d the lands an rl th en dee ded th em to Cowdr ey, but hi s wife di d not sign the dee d. Cowdr ey deeded th e lands to the coun ty. Now we find th at Mr s. P in ck ney has quit-cl aimed to J ohn Cum miskey , \ Villi am McPh erson, S. F. Hu bbell, Mylo L. Gay , Joh n H. Gallo way , Willi am Melvin , V . R. T. An ge l, Z. H . Marsh , Almo n Whi pple, Jose ph M. G ilbe rt, Edll'a rrl F. Gay, W illiam B. Sm ith , F. C. Whi pple, F. W ells, and Wi lliam R iddle. Your co mmittee would reco mmend th at the county tr eas u rer pay the abo ve pers ons th e sum of tll'enty -five dolla rs on COUNTY-SITE AND COUNTY BUILDINGS. 31 undivided half of th e prop erty to Samu el Cowdr ey , tru stee for Geor ge R. Deck er, and th e remaining ha lf to Peter A. Cowdrey. On ·t h e fifth of September , 1836, D ecker dee ded hi s int eres t to Peter A . Cowdr ey , who thu s becam e sole own er. On th e first of No ve mb er, 1842, Pet er A . Cowdrey conveyed to th e Supervi sors of th e county o f Livin gs to n th a t part of the square lying w ithin th e so uthw es t quart er of th e sec tion, with a provision for its reversion if n ot used for th e erec tion of county building s. Th at part of th e sq uare ly ing within the nort hwes t quarter of th e secti on wa s e mbr ace d in a tr ac t ent ered fro m gove rnm ent by Mo ses Th o mp so n, May l 5, 1834, and by him co nveyed to Edw ar d Thomp son, by dee d dated May 13, I 839. On th e third day o f Octob er, 1843 , Edward Thomp son conveyed to th e Sup ervi so rs of Livin gs ton County all th at p a rt of th e square lyi ng in th e no rthw es t qu a rter o f the se cti on , with condit ion of reve rs ion to th e gra nt or or hi s repr ese nt atives if not used, or wh en ceasin g to be used , for county buil di ngs . At th e annu a l m ee ting of th e Sup ervi so rs, Octob er 19, 1843, it was "Resol ved, As the opinion of the Board of Supervisors of th e county of Livin gston, that th e subject of th e erection of county buildin gs has become one which commends itself to the serious consideratio n and decisive action of the cit izens of the county . "R esolved, Th at th e extra expenses to which the county is yearly subjected for want of such building s, and which is believed to be from two to thr ee hundr ed dollars per year, together with th e unavoidab le inconvenience, as well as the serious risk which th e publi c is constantly incurrin g of an entir e destru ction of the record s of the cou11ty by fire, or other accident s, are believed by the Board of Supervisors to show the absolute necessity of having such bui ld ings." "R esolved, That in considera tion of the fact that, as th e law upon the subject now stands , the Supervisors ar e prohibited from levying a tax for such purposes, they would respectfully recommend that petitions be at on ce circulated among th e tax-payers of th e coun ty for signatu res, prayi ng the Legisl ature of th e Stat e to enact a law aut horizing the Board of Supervisors, at their discretion, to levy a tax for such purpo ses." A bill, s uch as propos ed by th e Board, was int roduced in th e Hou se of R ep rese nt ativ es by th e th eir making and exec utin g a go od q uit -cla im deed of conveya nce of the la nds on whic h th e county bu ild ings stan d, embrac ing th e p ublic squa re; all of whic h we most ch eerfully report to your h onorable body for furth er acti on. " H OWELi., J:rnu ary 6, 1g63 . "F. \ VEBB, "0. B. (HAM BERS , Co111mirlle." Hon. R a lph Fowler, a nd was passe d in th at body in 1845, but not being s upp ort ed by Hon . E. M. Cu st, th en in th e Se nate, it wa s d efeated. It appears that in th e summ e r of 1845 th e Superviso rs had fully mad e up th eir mind s to proc ee d to th e erecti on of a court-hou se a nd J·ail b elie vin cr ' b th ems elves emp owered to do so by th e a ffirmative res ult of a vote th en recentl y tak en at th e several tow nship-m eet ings. Th e Board appointed a building co mmitt ee comp osed o f Geo rge W. Peck , of Bri g ht o n; Od ell J. Smit h, of How ell ; J ames M. L a ru e, of Putnam; R alph F owler, of Handy; a nd J airah Hillman, of Tyron e ; which committe e, o n th e ninth of J unc in th at year, adve rti sed that they "w ill rec eive pl ans, spec ificati ons, a nd propo sals for th e erec tion of th e county buildin gs cont empl ated to be built at H owe ll, in sa id county, at th eir respective pl aces of res idence until th e se co nd Monday of October nex t ; th e sa id buildin gs to co nsist of one o r m ore edi fices of brick o r wood, compri sing th e cour t- room, ja il, a nd acco mmod ati on s for th e seve ral co un ty o ffices." vVhat plan s, spec ification s, a nd propo sa ls (if a ny) were received by thi s comm itt ee do es not appea r. At th e a nnu al mee tin g of th e Sup ervi so rs in Octob er, 1845, it was reso lved by th at b ody, th at, "vV hereas doubt s h ave a risen as to the lega lit y o f any ta x for the erecti on o f co unty building s based on the vo te o f the peop le of th e cou nt y at th e late tow nshi p-meetings, th e Board, un de r advice o f cou nsel, rega rd it as inexpedie nt and un sa fe to levy th e sa me." N o furth er ac tion, th ere fore, was taken at th at tim e, ex cep t th e o ffe ring o f fiftee n dollc1rs for th e best, and five dollars for th e seco nd b est plan of a court- house, and th e ord ering of th e publicatio n of th at offer for tw o months in th e L ivin5ston Courier. At th e sa me tim e a co mm itt ee appoi nt ed to contract with E nos B. Taylor for th e use o f rooms for the cour t a nd jury, repo rted th at th ey had contra cted with M r. T ay lo r for th e sa me at eig ht y d olla rs per y ea r for thr ee years. The report was acce pt ed and adopt ed. At th e sess io n of 1846 th e L eg islature of Michi- - ga n passe d "A n Act to prov ide for th e Erec ti o n of County Bui ldin gs in th e County o f Livin gs ton. " Thi s act (approv ed F ebruary I 8th ) prov ided : SEC. 1. "That the Board of Supervisors of the county of Living ston and their successors in office Le, and th ey are hereby, authori zed and empowered to erect county building s for the use of said county. SEC. 2 . "For the purp ose of carrying into effect the provisions of th is act, th e said Board of Supervisors is authorized to levy on the taxable property of said county, from time to ti me, such sum as th ey may deem 32 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN . necessary, not exceeding three thousand dollars- in any one year; any law to the contrary notwith standing. "This act shall take effect from and after the second Monday of April next." On the second of June, 1 846, a special me eting of the Supervisors was held, and the Board resolved to levy a tax for the erection of county buildings, to the amount of two thou sand dollars annually, for two successive years, and in the third year to raise such sum (not exceed ing two thousand dollars) as necessary to complet e the building s; and a committ ee was appointed to repor t a plan. A plan drawn and furni shed by Mr. Justin Lawyer was adopted, and on the following day th e Board "R esolved, Th at the outside walls of the courthouse building be made, the foundation, of stone, to be sunk in the ground two feet, and to be raised three feet above the surface, and to be three feet thick; the first story to be twelve feet high, made of brick wall twenty inches thick, with brick columns [pilasters] projecting four inches; the wall of the second story to be sixteen feet high and sixteen inches thick, of brick, with same columns as the first story, and the columns to extend up to the frieze, with suitable brick cap; the wall of the gables to be twelve inches thick ." It was also "Resoi1 1ed, Th at a belfry be erected on the courthouse suitable to place a bell in, provided the people of Howell and others shall raise a sufficient sum to purchase a suitable bell"; and the people of Howell were also granted" the privilege to break up, grub out, grade, fence, and seed down the public square in the village of Howell, and to set out such shade-trees as they shall think proper for the orna menting of the said square." At th eir me eting, h eld on th e tenth of August, 1846, th e Board resolved to let th e contract for th e court-house and jail buildin g to Cyr enu s H all, for five thousand six hundr ed dollars, and Messrs. Bradford Campbell, Smith Beach, and Gardner Wh eeler wer e authorized and directed to close and execute th e contract. The negotiations with Mr. Hall came to nau ght, h oweve r, and a contract was mad e with Enos B. Taylor, and confirmed by the Board, October 12; Mr . Tayl or's sureties being Almon Whipple, William McPherson, D eras tus Hinman, and Richard P. Bush. Mr. Taylor commenced work on th e building in the fall of that year, and payment s to a con side rable amount were mad e to him during th e winter and spring following, but it was not complet ed until late in th e fall of I 847. Th e Boa rd of Superv isors , at th eir meeting on the thirt ee nth of Octo· ber, authorized the building committee to accept th e ·builcling (in case it should b e compl eted before th eir January meet ing), t o insure it, and to deliver th e necessa ry amount of bonds to Mr. T aylo r in payment of his contract. And at th e me etin g of th e Board, held on the third of January, 1848, the committee rep orted that th e buildin g for th e courth ouse and jail had been completed, and th at th ey had accepted it from Mr. Taylor. Th e stucc oi ng of th e exterior of th e buildin g was not includ ed in Mr. T ay lor' s contract, but was contracted for with Barsley Mount, for thr ee hundr ed and tw en ty-eight dollars, and was don e in Septem her, I 848. Imm ed iately after th e compl etion and occupation of the court-house buildin g, th e Board of Supervisors resolved that permission be given to th e several religious societies which had no meetin ghou ses (which was then th e case with all, excepting th e Pr esbyte rian) to hold relig ious worship in th e court-room; and th e Methodist, Baptist, and Congr egat ional societies availed th emselves of thi s privilege until provided with church edifices, th oug h dissatisfaction occasionally arose at what some of th e soc ieties rega rd ed as unju st discrimination or favoritism, and once or twic e th e proposition was made (but not acted on) to ex clud e all religious soc ieties. Th e servic es of th e Episcopal Church of How ell were also h eld th ere prior to th eir occupation of th e Congregational meet inghou se; and since th e demolition of th at building, Episcopal worship has occasionally been h eld in th e court-room until th e present time. Besides its uses as a court-house and jail, th e building is also th e res idenc e of th e sheriff of th e county. The first court in thi s court-h ouse was held by the Hon . Josi ah Turn er as county jud ge, and h e has, in th at office and in that of circuit judg e, presided over th e court s held in thi s building alm ost continuously until th e pr ese nt time. Hi s court is now in session th ere, at the time of thi s writing, N ove mb er, 1879. THE PUBLIC OFFICE BUILDl;'\GS . Th e offices of the Clerk, Regi ster of D eeds, and Trea surer of Living ston County were first locat ed in th e tavern-hou se of Amos Adams (afterwards known as the Eagle Hotel), at How ell, Mr. Adams himself being the first tr eas urer of th e county , a nd Mr. F. J . B. Crane, the first county clerk, being domiciled at th e house as a permanent board er . Mr.Justus J. Bennett, th e first sheriff of the co unty, h ad his office at Adams' at such tim es as his pre sence be~ame neces sa ry at the county-seat,-which could not hav e bee n very often, as during the first yea r and a half of his term th ere was no court held in How ell, and his prisoners, if he had any, were taken to Ann Arbor for confinem ent. The COUNTY-SITE AND COUNTY BUILDINGS. 33 office-qu ar ters of Mr. Bin g ham, th e jud ge of probate, were proh ab ly in his ow n h ouse at Gr een Oak ,- and th ey certainly might as well be th ere as at H owell, for he did no probat e bu siness wh ateve r during th e t ime th at he held th e office. On th e north eas t corn er of th e " old pub lic sq uare" in How ell Mr. Cr ane erected a small bu ilding in th e summ er of 1837. It was a o nestory frame buildin g of t wo room s, a nd int end ed by him to be used as a priv ate office; but int o thi s th e public offices of th e count y were soo n afterwards tr ansferred, it being at first rent ed and afterwards p ur chased by th e cou nty. Th e followin g items from th e recor d of th e pro - ceed ings of th e Cou nty Commi ss ioners and Board of Sup ervi so rs have reference to th is old buildi ng and to the erect ion of th e first clerk and regi ster's office on th e co urt-h o use squ are, viz. : Nov emb er 20, 1838, th e Cou nty Commi ss ioners reso lved "to ren t th e bui ld ing now occupie d as Clerk and R eg ister' s office for on e year , at ninety dollars, payab le half-yea rly. " April 2 1, 1 842, th e S up ervi sors auth orized th e Clerk to contra ct for th e plas terin g of his office, a nd "to use it as he shall see fit, provid ed it does not int erfere with th e bu siness of th e cou nty, nor inj ure th e buildin g." Th e co un ty clerk at th at tim e was J osia h Turn er, who also tran sac ted hi s prof ess ional bu sines s as attorn ey-at -law a nd mas ter in chancery in th e sa me office. Jun e 9, 1845 .-Th e Sup erv iso rs di rected th e Clerk " to clea r th e cou nty offices [t he buil dings on th e old squ a re] of al l prope rty not belong ing to th e co unty or to th e co unty offices ." Oct ober 15, r 845. - " R esoh,cd, Th at th e Boa rd give th eir conse nt to have th e county building remove d to th e land appropriated for th e use o f th e co un ty buildin gs, provid ed it be done wit hou t exp ense chargea bl e to th e cou nty; and th at th e clerk be a uthor ized to superin te nd th e sa me and make the necess ary repairs." Und er th is auth ority, th e "c ounty b uildin g" was remov ed from its orig inal sit e at th e north eas t corn er of th e old public sq ua re, a nd placed on or nea r th e spot wh ere th e clerk 's office now stan ds , in th e cou rt-h o use grou nd s. Janu ary 3, r 849 .-Th e Board appo int ed William C. Rum sey and Spau ldi ng M. Case a com mittee , "with pow er to procur e th e necessa ry mat erials, and contr act for th e erection of t wo fire-pro of offices for Clerk 's and R egi.ster's offices ; th e sa me to be in one buildi ng , one sto ry high, of brick; said bui ldin g to be of t he sa me ge neral form of th e Cle rk and R eg ister's office in \tVasht enaw County, and to be comp leted and ready for use before th e first of Oct obe r next. " Th e cost of thi s build - s ing was limit ed to five hun dred dollars. Th e Boa rd furth er reso lved "that th e old buil d inr,r. , on th e court- house sq uare, occ upi ed as Clerk and R egist er's office, be removed to some suit ab le place, to be se lected by W illiam C. Rum sey , on th e vaca nt gro und in th e rear of th e squar e." Und er th ese reso lution s th e erect ion of th e new ·" firepro of" office buildin g was let by th e comm itt ee on con tr act to George W. and Fr ederick J. L ee ; and th e old office buildin g was moved t o th e rear of th e squ are. Th e cos t of its removal. and g radin g th e gro un ds was one hund red and tw enty- nin e dollars. Janu ary 8, I 850 .-Th e bui ldi ng co mmitt ee report ed to th e Board th e comp letion a nd acc ept ance of th e new buil di11g . Th e price pa id to the Mess rs. L ee was, contr act, four h und red a nd nin ety- eig ht dollars; extr as , forty -seve n dol lar s and tw enty cents. T otal, five hundr ed and for ty- five dollars and twe nty cent s. Oc tobe r 18, 1850.-Eli jah F . Bur t was appoint ed a committ ee to se ll th e old office bu ild ing and cont ent s. H e repo rted an offer of forty-five do llars from \tVilliam B. Smi th . Th e Boa rd reco mm ended th at th e offer be accep ted. T he build ing was sold and removed from th e squa re, and is now standin g on th e so ut h side of Gra nd Ri ver Stree t, in H owell, a short dis tance east of th e R ubert H ouse. Th e Clerk and R eg ister's office buil di ng, erected, as above show n, in 1849 , and demo lished in 1873 , was of similar co nstru ctio n, and abou t th e sam e in size and ge neral app ea rance as th e old office bui lding now standing in th e sq uare, ea st of th e courth ouse. Thi s old buildin g , contai nin g th e offices of th e Ju dge of Prob ate and Cou nty Tr eas ur er, was erec ted in 1853. A t th e annu al meetin g of th e Sup erviso rs, in O ctobe r of th e pr evious yea r, th e Boa rd appro - priated five hun dre d doll ars for th e purp ose of g rad ing and fencing th e squ are and building a tr eas urer's and a pr obate office, both to be inclu ded in one building, simil ar to th e on e th en recently b uilt for th e Clerk and Reg ister of D eeds ; and a co mm itt ee was appoi nt ed to pr epa re pla ns for th e sa me. J anu ary 3, 1853.-Th e report of the committee was rece ived a nd accepted, and R . P. Bu sh, F. C. Whippl e, and L. D . S mith wer e app ointed a building committ ee . Th e co ntr act was awa rd ed to J ohn B. Kn eeland, wh o compl eted th e buildin g duri ng th e succ eeding summ er and fall, a nd it was accep ted by the bu ilding committ ee in Octob er, 1853. In th e spring of 1854 its exte rior was stuccoed (und er supervisio n o f Charles Bened ict) to corr espo nd with th e office building on the wes t side of th e cour t-h ouse. 34 HIST O RY OF LIVINGSTON CO UN TY, M I C HIGAN. TI-IE TEW OFFICES OF THE CLE RK A:\'D REG I STER OF DEEDS . On th e 17th of Octob er, 1873, th e Supervi so rs' committee on public lands and building s repo rt ed t o th e Board th at th e building containing th e offices of th e Co unty Clerk and R eg ister of D eeds was in so di lapidat ed a condition as to render it inexpedie nt to make furth er repairs up on it. And th ey recomm ended that th e sum of one th ousa nd dollars be raised for th e construction of a new building for th ese offices and for repairs on th e offices of the Tr eas ur er and Jud ge of P roba te. Th e repo rt of th e committ ee was acc epted and adop ted, and th e Board direct ed th eir chairm an to 2ppoi nt a suitab le pe rso n to supe rint end th e erecti on of th e prop ose d building, and t o let the co ntr act for its co nstruction to th e lowes t responsible bidd er. U nder the se instru ctions, Mr . Horac e Halb ert was appoint ed such s upe rint end ent of con struction, and th e contract was let to Mess rs. Tunnard &amp; Bea rdsl ey for th e sum of two th ousa nd five hundr ed and thir ty -thr ee dollar s. Th e old building was demol ished, a nd work on th e new one was co mm enced imm ediat ely. It was completed and occ upi ed ea rly in I 874; its total cos t being abo ut thr ee thou sa nd one hun dred do llars, includin g th e remova l of th e old building and some oth er mat ters, but exclusive of the new sa fes, furniture, and fix tures which were p ut int o it. It is a neat and substa nti al st ru ctur e,- onc story, but of ample height,- and more than do ubl e th e size of th e old buil di ng. It affords good acco mmoda tion for th e offices of th e Clerk and R eg ister, and it is propo sed to erect a simila r building for th e Prob ate and Trea sur er's offices, - a projec t which will doubtless be carr ied int o effect at an ea rly day. COUNTY POOR -II OUSE AND FAR~1. Down to, and includi ng th e year 1870, th e sys - tem in practic e by th e county of Livingston for th e sup por t of its poor was th e g rantin g of o utside relief wh ere such co urse see med most pr oper and advisabl e, and th e keepi ng of th e more helpless poor, the insa ne and idi otic, by co ntr ac t ; th e p lace where th ese we re kep t be ing known as th e poo rh ouse, th ough not th e prop erty of th e county. In th eir report for th e y ear nam ed ( end ing Oct ober, 1870), th e majo rity of th e Boa rd of Co unt y Super - int ende nts of th e Poor said : "And we wo uld furth er confidently recomm end the presen t mode of keepin g the poor to be th e bes t that can be ad opted." But, on th e oth er hand , a co mm ittee appoint ed by the Board of S upe rviso rs to visit th e poo r-h ouse, a nd insp ect and repor t on th e workings of th e sys tem (the committee being com - posed of Charles Fishb eck , J ohn Wood, S. B. Sal es, J ohn A. T an ner, and N. A. Smith) report ed at the sa me t ime as follows: "First,- Th at th e poor are as well cared for by th e pr ese nt co ntra ctor as th ey can be und er th e pre se nt m ode of ca rin g for th e poor; th at th ey have plent y to eat, and a clean bed to sleep in, and see m to be well sa tisfied with their tre atm ent . "Sc cond, - That th e conv eniences are not su itab le. vVe found th em in a sma ll roo m of abou t eig ht ee n by t wenty- two feet, whi ch is occ upied by th e insa ne and sa ne, males and females , as sleep ing-, sitting-, and dining-room. Th e house is a fram e buildin g, boarded up and down and bat tened, witho ut plaster, which yo ur committee would co nside r wa rm eno ugh for warm wea th er, but too co ld for wint er. Y our com mitt ee would respect fully reco mmend th at th ere be a county farm purchas ed, not to exc eed eight mil es from th e villa ge of How el l, of not less than eig ht y nor more th an o ne hundr ed and twenty ac res, and th at th ere be sui table buildings erec ted on th e sa me for th e purpose o f tak ing ca re of th e poor and insa ne of Livingst on Co unt y." This report wa s ad opt ed by th e Board, and o n th e third of January, 187 1, a committee compo se d of th e S up ervisors of Gre en Oak, Unadilla, Tyrone, a nd Co nway [r epr esen tin g th e four co rn er tow ns of th e county]. " to go with th e supe rint ende nt s o f ~he poo r and exa m ine and report to th e Boa rd, as soo n as th ey ca n, th e best farm in th eir opin ion, without regard to the num ber of acr es, as to includ e stoc k, wh eat on th e gro und, tea ms, and too ls with said farm." Th e resu lt of se veral examin at ions was th e se lection of th e farm offered by Mr. Hiram Win g, in th e sout h west quarter of sec tion fifteen in th e t ow nship of Ma rion; th e buildin gs on whic h ar e located alm ost exact ly on th e territ oria l cent re of th at township. A nd at a specia l meetin g of th e Sup erviso rs, held Janua ry 6, 187 1, th e Board resolved " th at th ey hereby aut hor ize th e Cou nty S uperin - tende nts of th e Poo r to purchas e th e farm of Hiram vVing, of Mar ion, of tw o hundr ed and fifteen ac res, for said co unt y , also t ools and wheat on th e gro und , for th e su m of ten th ousa nd do llars, to be pa id as follows [h ere des ig nat ing th e amount, tim e, and mann er of th e severa l pay - men ts]; .. . and th at we appropriate tw o thousa nd five hun dred dollars of th e money now raised towards th e pay ment for the sa id farm, a nd th at we approp riate on e th ousa nd dollar s, raised for bui ld ings and repai rs, to p urch ase tea ms and stock, and repa irs on said farm." The farm-n ow the poor-farm of th e county of Living ston-wa s co nveyed by Mr. \,Ving to th e TH E PRESS. 35 cou nty, Janu ary 5, 1871; and on th e ninth of th e same month th e following repo rt and reso luti on was adop ted by th e Supervisors: " .W!tereas, Th e Boa rd of Supervis ors of th e cou nty of Living ston hav e bought a farm for th e purpose of keeping th e county Poor and In sane; now, th erefore, the sai By an act passed in Marc h , 1851, N athani el Tu rner and H arvey T . L ee were made commissioner s in plac e of Messrs. D ennis an d ProYost. R amsdell were appointed comm1ss 1oners. Th e obj ect of th e inc orpor at ion of th e company, as se t forth in the act (approv ed March 25th), was "to lay out, establish, and con stru ct a plank-ro ad and all necessa ry buildin gs and appurten ances, comm encin g in th e vill age of How ell, and terminatin g in the vill age of Byron , in th e county of Shiawa ssee;" and authority was conferr ed to un ite th e road at any point with the road of an y ot her comp any . This company or ga nized and elected Geo rge W. L ee as President, and Jo siah Turn er, Secreta ry. and Tr eas urer, but no part of the ro ad was ever built. DET ROIT AND H OWELL PLA 'K -RO AD. Thi s comp any was inco rp orated in 1848 (by act appro ved April 3d) , with a cap ital sto ck of on e hun dred and tw enty-fiv e th ousa nd dollars, "for th e purpo se of buil d ing and mai ntainin g a plankroad fro m th e city of D etroit, in the county of vVay ne, on th e mo st eligib le route to th e village of H owe ll, in th e county of Livin gsto n; and also from so me point at or near th e Sand Hill, so called, on th e Grand Riv er road, in the said county of Wayne, to the village of \iVaterford, in sa id county; and also fro m so me elig ible point on th e mai n lin e of th e plank-road hereby au th orized to th e villa ge of Milf ord , in th e county of Oa kland. Sa id company shall have th e right to increase th eir capit al stock to one hun dred and fifty th ousa nd doll ars, and to ex tend th e road to th e town of Michi ga n, in th e county of In gham." H enry L edyard and A. S. Bagg , of D etroit , Jabes h M. Mead, of Ply m outh , Au g ustu s C. Baldwin , of Milford, and J osiah Turn er, of How ell, were empowere d as co mmi ssio ners to receive subsc ript ions to th e stock. Th e comp any wa s a uthori zed - as soo n as or ga nized- " to enter up on and take pos - session of so mu ch of th e D etro it and Grand Riv er road. so called, as lies betw ee n th e city of D etroit and th e village of How ell, and to pr ocee d to constru ct and maintain th ereo n a plank-ro ad. " Th e co mpany was dul y orga nized with H on. C. C. Trowbridge as Pr es ident, and H enry L edya rd, Secretary and Tr eas ur er. vVork was comm enced a few months after th e inco rp orati on, and th e road was finished to H owe ll d urin g th e yea r 1850. It imm ediat ely beca me financially success ful, and for many yea rs was an adv antage to H owe ll and to Livin gs ton Count y , seco nd only in importanc e to th at which has since resu lted from th e op enin g of th e railroad to D etro it and Lansing. LAN SIN G AND H OWELL PLANK -R OAD. Th e L ansing and H owell Plank -R oad Compan y was inco rporJ ted by act approved Ma rch 20, 1850, HISTORY OF LIVI NGS T ON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. with pow er "t o lay out, establi sh, and constru ct a pl ank-roa d, and all necessa ry buil dings , a nd appurt enances, comm encin g at L ansing , cou nty of In gham, and termin atin g in th e village of How ell, county of Livin gs ton, with th e privil ege of unitin g sa id road at any point with th e ro ad of any oth er company. James Seymo ur , Hir am H. Smith, Ephraim B. D anforth, Geo rge W . L ee, and Frederick C. ·Whippl e wer e appoi nted commi ss ioners to rece ive sub sc riptions t o th e ca pit al stoc k, which wa s a uthoriz ed to th e amo unt of s ixty th ousa nd dol lars. Th e compa ny was emp owered, as soo n as organiz ed, "to enter upo n a nd take possess ion of so much of th e D etroit and Gra nd Riv er road, so ca lled, as lies between the village of L a nsing and th e village of H o well, and pr ocee d to co nstru ct and maintai n thereo n a plank-road." Th e ac t of inco rp ora tion to remain in force for th e term of six ty yea rs. Th e work of con st ru ction was comm enced in th e summer or fall of 1850, and th e road was com - pl eted from H ow ell to L ansing in abo ut tw o yea rs. Ma ny of th e pl,}nks for thi s as wel l as for th e D etroit a nd H owell road were furni shed from the stea m-mill of Ch andler &amp; Kn eeland in How ell. Thi s road completed th e plank ed way from D etro it to th e S tate capital. Th e throu g h line be - came prosperous at onc e, a nd for som e years was one of th e pr incipal thoro ug hfares of th e State; being seco nd to none (rai lways exce pt ed) of equa l length in th e amo unt of busin ess tr ansacted upon it. A cont inu al p rocess ion of tea ms and vehicl es passed over it from end to end, a nd two four- horse stages (with frequ ent ex tr as) made daily trip s eac h way , eac h coach ca rryin g from tw elve to tw enty pa sse nge rs. Th e stagi ng bu siness over th e Gra nd Ri ver road , be fore th e days of planking, was com - menced betwee n Ho well and D etroit, about I 838, by All en C. Westo n, and co ntinu ed by B:cn:jamin J . Spri ng and oth ers. Th e found ers of th e stag ing busine ss betw ee n H owe ll arid L ansing were R alp h Fowl er, 0. B. \Nilliams, of Wil liamston, and so me as sociates, wh o start ed th e first sta ge -wago ns ove r th at part of th e line in or abo ut 1842, as has bee n menti oned. From th ese small beg innings g rew the hea vy stage traffi c whi ch afterwards pa sse d over th e pla nk-road. Thi s grea t and conti nually-incr easing busin ess cease d almost ent irely upo n th e ope nin g of th e D et roit and M ilwau kee and J ackso n, L ansing and Sag inaw Railroad s, and since that tim e stag e-coac h ing betwee n D et roit and L ansing is but a memory of past days . Aft er th e div ersio n of a large part of th e travel from th e plank-ro ads, it became th e p ol icy of th e companies to remove th e plank ing as it decaye d, and to fill th e gaps thu s made with subs tantial g rad ing. In thi s way all the planki ng has bee n removed ove r th e entire line, and, al th o ugh th e names of D etroit and H owe ll Pl ank-R oad and Lansin g and H owel l Plank -R oad a re still in use as th e lega l des ig nations of th e tw o sec t ions o f th e lin e, th e whole is now a sol idly-g rad ed turnpik e. I t still accommodat es a large amou nt of t rave l, and is th e main th oro ugh fare of Li vingsto n Co unt y. Th e tol l-gates st ill remain up on th e lin e, and toll is collected as for merly. Th e co ntinu ance of these ga tes , and of toll-tak ing by th e company, is considered an unju st burd en by many of th ose wh o tr ave l mos t on th e roads. T o s uch co mplaint s, a nd to freque nt demands which h ave bee n made in late years for th e d iscontinua nce o f tol l-takin g , th e H on. C. C. T rowb ridge has rece ntly (Oct ober, 1879) made a reply, wh ich, th oug h evide ntl y ad - d ressed particularly to compla inants in th e imme - d iate vic inity o f D etroit, is equally applicable along th e oth er port ions of th e line. A s a pr ese nt at ion of th e views and arg ument s of th e propri etor s in favor of the co ntinu a nce of th e toll-gat es , thi s reply is give n below , without th e exp ress ion of any opini on on the merit s of th e case . Mr. Trowbri dge says : "Ce rtain parti es wh o live nea r th e city, but o utside of th e tol l-ga tes, are des irous to have th e gates remov ed, so th at th ey can tr ave l free. All perso ns living betwee n ga tes hav e hith erto made a law for th emse lves , and have tr aveled betwee n gates without paying tol l ; but this do es not sa tisfy th e malconte nts , who have obta ined some leg islatio n whi ch th ey think sufficient to accompl ish th ei r purpos e, which wou ld be th e pra ctica l destruc tio n of value to th e propri etors of th ese road s. Th e plank-ro ad .co rp oratio ns are des irou s to have th e mo oted qu es tions which have arise n in respec t to th eir rights a nd d uti es s ub mitt ed without delay to th e co mp etent tribun al, a nd th ey will at once obey its be hest. Mea ntim e th ey think it but fair that so me facts bearing upo n th ese quest ions, alt houg h not touch ing th e law of th e cas e, should be sta ted in th eir behalf. "It is use less to exp ect to ca tch th e ea r of th e pr ese nt bu sy ge nerat ion as to wh at tr ansp ired abo ut th ese roads thirt y odd y ea rs ago ·; but the fact is un deniable that at ce rt ai n seaso ns o f th e yea r, and about half of th e tim e, th ey were almos t imp assable, and that at such per iods non- inter cour .,e witl 1 th e coun try was th e rul e. A g rea t o ut cry was made for relief. Ce rt ain of our b us iness men procur ed th e pa ssage of th e plank-road ac t o f 1848 , and th ese corpo rat ions were o rga nized un de r its prov1s 1ons. Fail ing to pers uad e th e farm ers a nd th e city la nd- holde rs to take up th e capi tal stock , th ese sa me bu siness m en to ok it a nd built th e roads . I At first th ey were profitable to th eir ow ners, bu t INTER AL I MPROVEMENTS . 57 th e revenu es soon fell off an d th e exp enses of repair increase d, so th at for th e last seventee n years th e Salin e has paid only an av erage of one and on ese ventee nth per cent. per annum ; the Lan sing and I-Iowell, for tw enty-fi ve y ear s, one and on e-eighth per cent. ; the D etroit and H ·owell, for sixt een yea rs, six and thr ee- fifths per cent.; and th e Erin less th an nin e per cent., th e wh ole averag e being less th an five per cent.; whil e th e yea rly saving to our citizens in th e cost of fuel an d suppli es, and th e ge neral effect up on th e mark ets, has bee n equal to th e total co st of th e ro ads, and th e land s along th eir lin es have been quadrupl ed in valu e. Please note h ere th at th ese and th e su cceeding divid ends will be all that the shar eholders will receive in return for thr ee hundred thous and doll ars which th ey expend ed in buildin g th ese road s. At th e exp iration of th eir ch art ers, now only twenty -eight y ears distant, th e ro ads revert to the vicin age and become town prop erty, subjec t to taxation for repair s. In respect to one of th em that period will prob ably be mat erially short ened, for it is al ready difficul t, by th e mo st economica l use of th e revenu e, to keep it in pass abl e co ndition. "Und er the se circum stanc es th e propri etors feel th at th ey ar e equit ably entitl ed to wh atever th e law allows ; and they ask th eir fellow-citiz ens to put th emse lves in th eir place, and not to cond emn th em as thi eves for end eavorin g to maint ain th eir right s. It is obvi ous to all who have se rved as roa d-ma sters, that if left to th e towns to keep tl1e ro ads in repair th e peopl e would never submit to th e necessa ry taxati on. Up to 1879 th e H owell road has exp end ed for th at purp ose thr ee hun dr ed and thr ee thou sa nd thre e hundr ed and sixt y -nin e dollars a nd n inety- eig ht cent s, or an average of eleven th ousa nd six hun dred and six ty- se ven dollars and ten cents per annum; th e Erin, tw o hundr ed and se venty-six th ousa nd eig ht hundr ed and nin ety dollars and sixt een ce nt s, or an averag e of ten thou sand six hundr ed and forty-ni ne dollars and sixty cent s ; th e Lansin g , nin ety- eight thousand eig ht hundr ed and fifty-four doll ars and seven cents, or an avera ge of thr ee th ousa nd nin e hundr ed and fifty-four dollars and eig hte en cent s ; and th e Salin e, two hundr ed and six tyon e thous and six hundr ed and ten dollar s an d thirty -one cents, or an aver age of ten th o usa nd four hun d red and sixty-four dollar s and forty - on e cent s,-a total sum of about one million of dollars ." But th ere is littl e doubt th at th e toll-gat es will be disc ontinu ed betw ee n H owell and L ansing, if not betwee n How ell and Detroit, long before th e cxpi ration of th e ch arter s. 8 RAILROAD S. T IIE DET ROIT A ND Sll[ AWASS EE RAI LROAD P ROJECT. Th e first company pro pos ing to con struct a lin e of railway through th e pr ese nt territory of Livingston County was inco rpo rated by an act of L eg islatur e, appr ove d March 22, 1837, which provid ed" th at Mar shall J. Baco n, S ilas Titu s, Elij ah F . Cook, Th omas Curti s, Alfr ed A. D wig ht, R obert W ard en, Jr., and E ly Barnar d be, and th ey ar c hereby, app oint ed commi ss ion ers, und er dir ecti on of a maj ority of wh om subscrip tions m ay be received to th e capita l sto ck of th e D etroit and Sh iawa ssee Railroad Comp any hereby inco rp orat ed. . . . Said corp oration shall have power to constru ct a railro ad with sing le or do ubl e tr ack from D etroit, in th e county of \Vay ne, th ro ugh F armington , in th e county of Oak land, K ensing ton, in th e township of Lyon, th e county- sea t in th e co unty of Li vingston, By ron, in th e county of Shi awass ee, to Shiaw assee villag e, in said county of S hiawa ssee, with power to tr ansport, take, and carry persons and prop erty upon the sam e by th e power and force of steam an d anima ls, or of any mech anical or oth er power, o r combinati on of th em." Th e capital stock of th e company was auth orized to th e am ount of five hundr ed th o usa nd dollars. Th e ro ad was to be comm enced within on e y ear from th e date of inco rpor ation,-tw enty five mil es of it to be finished in tw o and a half yea rs, and th e wh ole to be compl eted in six yea rs, on penalty of forfeitu re of chart er for su ch part s as were unfinished at that tim e. By .ac t of April 6, 1838, th e ch art er was amend ed by th e repeal of so much of th e act o f incorp oration as callee! for th e constructi on of th e ro ad throu gh I3yro n to Shiaw ass ee villag e, a nd by th e gr anting to th e comp:111yo f th e power " to continu e th e constru ction of sa id railro ad from th e county-s eat of L iving.-;ton Co un ty to Bidd le City , in In g ham Co unt y ." Some of th e prin cipal prom oters of this proj ec t were th e ma ster-spirit s in th e old" wild cat" Bank of K ensing ton, whi ch is still clearly but unfav orabl y remembered by many people of Livin gs ton County. It may have been th e des ign of th es e men to honestly carry out th e obj ects se t forth in th e ch art er which th ey obtain ed, but it is har dly lik ely th at such was th e ca se. Th ere is, however, no doubt of th e go od faith of such men as El y Barnard and so me oth ers of the corp orators. Th e road was never comm enced, nor the comp any orga nized und er th e charter. OT H E R PR OPOSE D RAILl W ADS. Several oth er un succ ess ful railroad proj ects, propo sing to build road s through th e territory of 58 HIST ORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. Li vings ton County, have been sta rted at different tim es, among th ese havi ng bee n th e Mic h iga n A ir- Lin e road, to pass thr ough th e so uth ern part of th e county, and on which some g rad ing work was clone, and th e T oledo, Ann Arbor and No rth ern R ailroad line, which proposed to run its ro ut e throu gh th e centr e of Livin gs ton, pass ing ove r th e farm of Alexande r McPh erso n, within th e corpo ration limit s of How ell, and th ence northw a rd by way of Oa k Grove to Owosso. An orga nization of th is co mpany was effected at An n A rb or, Octo ber 28, I 869, and subscriptions to th e capita l stock to th e amou nt of so me tw enty thou sa nd dollar s were sec ur ed in thi s co unt y, of whi ch subscription s abo ut five per cent. has been paid in , but beyond thi s no pro g ress has been made as rega rds th at part of th e line north of A nn A rbor. A propo sed line of road, to pass th roug h H owell village, is menti oned in th e newspap ers of 1857 , as also th e fact th at at a public meetin g held in th e sp ring of th at year Geo rge W. L ee and L. K. Hew ett, of How ell, E. F. Burt, of Marion, Hon. S. M. H olmes, of D etroit, A. S. L apham, of Northville, Hon. Whitn ey J ones and H . H. Smit h, of L ansing, James B. L ee, of Bright on, and H. Crawford , of Milford, were appoi nt ed a "Centr al Bu siness Com mitt ee,'' who were auth orized to procure pl edg es to a capit al stock, g rant s of rig ht of way, and pl edg es for sum s to purch ase th e rig ht of way, as well as th e appo intm ent of sub-co mmitt ee men, callin g of primary meetin gs , and finally a ge neral m eetin g for th e orga nization of a comp any. Bu t although it was ann ounced th at th e efforts of th e committ ee had met with enco urag ing success in Living ston Co unt y, thi s railway projec t faded and went th e way th at hundred s of sim ilar ent erpri ses h ave go ne be fore and since th at tim e. DETROIT, LANSING AND NOR TII ERN RAILROAD. Th at part of th e D etroit, Lansing a nd North ern R ailroad whi ch tr averses th e cou nty of Livin gs ton is composed of th e ro ads origi nally proj ected and comm enc ed by th e D etroit and H owe ll and th e H owe ll and L ansing R ailroad Compa nies. Of th ese , th e D etroit and H owell was th e earli est incorporat ed; th e arti cles of assoc iation being filed in th e office of th e Secre tary of Stat e, un der the ge neral railro ad law, on th e tw enty-fir st of Sep temb er, 1864. Th e meetin g at which th e orga nization " ·as effected , however, had bee n held on th e seventeenth of Jun e pr ece din g , at New Hud so n. Th e first officers of th e company were : D irectors. Th eoda tu s T . Lyo n, Pre sident. G. A. tar kw eath er, William T aft. S. H ard enbergh . 0 . C. Ab ell. J. M. Sw ift. J ohn H. Galloway. E . F. Burt. E. F. A lbr ight. Lym an Ju dso n. R. C. Rum sey. J oseph H. Wilcox. Ely Ba rna rd. William McP herson, Tr eas ur er. E . F. Burt, Sec retary. Marcu s B. Wilcox, At torney. The commis sioners to procur e and receive subscripti ons to th e cap ital stock (which was placed at four hun dred th ousand dollars, in shar es of fifty do llars eac h) were : Hiram N ewman. Isaac W. Bu sh. P. B. Holdridg e. Giles Tuck er. J. M. Sw ift. Th e sub scription b ooks of th e company were ope ned at How ell in Nov emb er, 1864, and at several ot her point s along th e line soo n afte r. Stock was take n at first with considerabl e rap idity, but it was not until Sept emb er of th e year 1 86 5 th at th e ann o un cement was made that two hundr ed and fifty th ousa nd do lla rs had bee n sec ured in sub - sc riptions and pl edges of a id from town s on th e rout e. In Septemb er, r 866, Pr eside nt Lyo n repo rt ed that "On th e portion of our line betwee n Plym outh and H owe ll, the sum of th ree hundr ed th o usand dollar s has now been sec ured, whi ch sum was desig nated in ou r A rticl es of As soc iation as th e amount necess ary to war ra nt th e comm encement of th e work of constru ction ." Pr elimin ary surv eys h ad bee n made, but beyond thi s littl e or nothin g had bee n don e, a nd .th e work of con structi on was not earn estly comm enced until 1867 . In th at y ea r and 1868 (but principally in the latter) , m ost of th e work ever don e on th e lin e by th e ori g inal comp any wa s perform ed; the total am o unt exp end ed on th e ro ad by th at company being about two hundr ed and forty thou sand dollars, after whi ch, for lack of furth er fund s, th e work languis hed and was suspend ed entir ely; th e road finally pass ing into othe r hand s in an un co mpleted sta te. Though th e D etroit and H owe ll R ailro ad failed of compl etion by th e compa ny which was inco rp orated for its constructio n, y et in th e pro secu tion of th e ent erp rise as far as it was ca rri ed by th em, INTERNAL I 1PROVEME ITS. 59 in the pr ocurin g of individual subscriptions and votes of town ship aid to so con siderable an amount, in the delicate and difficult matte r of securing th e rig ht of way, and in th e vigoro us pu sh ing of th e work, until th e exh austion of fund s rende red suspe nsio n unav oidable, a reniark abl e amount o f bu siness ability, as well as of energy a nd per sev eranc e, was disp laye d by th e officers of th e company, se veral of whom were men of Liv ings ton County. And to none of th ese in g rea ter deg ree th an to Willi a m M!=Pherson was du e th e credit of th e res ult s attained. Mr. Mc- P herson wa s perhaps th e most act ive amon g th e prin cipa l promot ers of th e enterpri se from its very inception, a nd wa s th e tr eas ur er of th e company from its organization until th e tim e wh en it cease d to ex ist by rea son of th e sa le-or rath er th e g ift -of its road to oth er parties. Th at transfer and th e final completion of th e road will be not iced below. Th e H owe ll and L ans ing R ailro ad Company - form ed for th e purp ose of constructing a railw ay betwee n th e plac es indi ca ted in its titl e-w as incorpor ated und er th e ge neral railr oa d law, in I 868, th e a rticl es of asso ciati on being filed in th e office of the Secretary of State, on th e tw enty-third of Jun e in th at year . Th e first officers of th e company were: Dti ·ectors. Th eo datus T. Lyon, Pr es ident. Alvin N . Hart. J ames F. Smil ey . Geo rge N. ·walk er. Jam es w. ·wa ldo. J ame s M. Wil liams. E gbert Gratt an. J osep h D enn is. J a mes Sullivan. Al exand er H. Benedict. Geo rge 'vV. Palm ersto n. J ose ph H. Wilcox . J os hua K. Kirkl and. J. B. 'vValdo, Tr eas urer. Th e company was or ga nized in th e int erest of th e D etroit and How el l Company, with whi ch it wa s int end ed to ac t in concert for th e purp os e of compl etin g a throu gh lin e from D etroit t o Lan sing . In I 870 th e t wo wer e co nso lidated as th e D et roit, How ell and Lan sing Railroad Company; th e arti - cles of con sol idation being filed in the office of th e Secretary of Stat e, on th e eleve nth of April, in that year. B etwee n How ell and L a nsing the work of construction had not bee n commenced, and littl e had bee n clone by th at co mpa ny beyond taking steps to sec ur e vot es of aid from tow nships along th e line. In Septemb er, following the con so lidation, th e franchi ses were conveyed to J a mes F. J oy and oth er capi tali sts, forming th e D etroit, Lan si ng and Lak e M.ichi ga n R a ilro ad Compa ny; to whic h lin e th e Lan sing and Ionia R ailro ad wa s soo n after - wards add ed by consolidatio n, thu s securin g a continu o us lin e from D etroi t to Ionia. Th e tra nsfe r of th e franchises of th e D etroi t and H ow ell Co mpany to Mr. J oy and his associ ates was with out co nsid erat ion, being in fact a g ift by th at company of th e work which th ey had do ne (a mou ntin g to nearly a quarter of a million o·f dol la rs), on condition th at th e road should be speed ily completed a nd ope ned for tr ave l and traffic. Th e new company com menced wo rk in ea rn est, at both ends o f th e line, pu shin g th e co nst ru ct io n fro m D etroit and from L ansing tow ard s H owel l; and it was pros ecu ted with so mu ch o f vigor , th at it was finished in less time th an could reaso nably have been exp ecte d. On th e ea stern end, th e _r oad was completed and ope ned to _Plymouth o n the s ixtee nth of May, 187 1, and to Bri g ht on, Livin gs ton County, on o r about th e fourth of July followin g . Fr om th e west th e comp let ed tr ac k entered Livingston Co unt y in th e same month , and on th e thir d of Augu st, 187 1, th ere was a g reat ga th erin g of peop le at F ow lervill e to celeb rat e th e form al op enin g of th e road to that po int from L ansing. On th at occas ion an add ress was pronounced by D ennis Shields, Esq., of H ow ell, and th e ge neral rej oicing was unb ound ed. Th e tr ac ks fro m th e ea st and the west were j oi nee\, a nd th e road was th us com plcted, a few clays after th e celebrat ion at Fow lervill e. Th e lin e was form ally op ened August 22, 1871, by an ex - amin ation-tr ip from D etroit, ove r its entir e length, to Kaywood statio n (five miles beyond Greenville ), which was then the north ern ter minu s. A rep resent at ive of th e D etroit Trib1mc, who accompanied th e excur sion-part y up on t his occ as ion, wrote of its pro g ress throu gh Livin gs ton County as follows : "Small delega ti ons join ed th e tr ain at Plymouth and Brighton, but th ese point s, havin g be en out of th e woods for some tim e, manifest ed less int erest th a n other points betwe en Bri g ht on and L ansing . At H owell, the peop le were especially jubila!1t, turnin g out en masse, and some ent erpri sing Howellian impressed an anvil int o th e se rvi ce, and fired a salute. It is certainly a day of jubilee for H owel l, to which she has bee n lookin g for ward with pat ience for many years. Th e peop le of L ansin g are scarcely less ap pr ec iativ e of th e advantages of th e road , shortening th e distanc e, as it docs , over thirty ·mil es betwe en L ansing and D etr oit." Th e Detroit Post was also represe nt ed in the ex - ' ' 60 HISTORY OF LI VINGS TO N COUN TY , MICHIGAN. cur sion party, and thi s pap er in its iss ue of the followi ng day said,- " A t How ell th e tr ain was received with somethin g of a n ovatio n. A six-pound cann on had been brought into se rvice and fired a sal ute as the tr ain moved up to th e dep ot, where were as sembl ed an imme nse concour se of peopl e, who testified th eir g rat ificatio n at th e arri val of th e party by cheers and waving of handk erchi ef~. L adies distribut ed bouqu ets. The people are enthu siastic over th e adv ent of th e iro n horse to th eir town, and th o ugh th e as semb lage was im pro mptu , it clea rly indicated the joy whi ch th ey feel over th e comp leti on of the railro ad for whic h th ey have work ed and wait ed for so many long years. Th eir enthusiasm is pard onab le. Th e town has a populat ion of over two thou sa nd, is one of th e h and somest in th e State, and, next to L ansing , probably th e most im porta nt on th e line of th e road . Ju st as th e t rain was movi ng away th e peop le call eJ on Mr . J oy for a sp eech , but J1c did not see fit to respond." Railroad commu nicat ion with D etroit, for which th e peop le of Livi ngs ton Cou nty had wait ed so long and anx iously, was now a n accompli shed fact. R eg ular train s comm enced runn ing at once, and th e total receipt s of the Detroi t, L ansing and Lak e Michi gan R ailro ad du ring its first busin es s week were as follow s : For freight. .... .......... ... ... .... .. . $8, 204 .8 7 For pJssengers ........... ...... ...... 3, 242.33 $ 11,4 47.20 vVhich was very enco ur ag ing , though slllall when compar ed with p rese nt weekly exhi bit s. A week or two after th e openin g , the An n Ar bor Courier menti oned th e eve nt, and its sig nificance to th e people of thi s co unty, as follows : "Th e thr ee Howell papers co me to us rejoicing over th e compl et ion of th e D etroit and Lan sing Railroad to th at place. Th ey may well rejoic e, for every acre of Janel in Livin gston Cou nty nort h of the railro ad is wort h ten dollar s per ac re mor e th an it would be without th e road, and every acre on th e so uth side within five mi les is wort h five dollars more than before. Th e men benefited th e leas t are th e merch ants in th e litt le tow ns alo ng th e line, a nd th ey are th e men who pay th e most for th e road. \,Ve do not consider th e road of any benefit to the mercantil e int eres ts of H owell, and th eir merchant s will say the sallle thin g one yea r from th is elate." Wit hout commenting on th e last part of th e Courier's pr edic tion, it is safe to say th at th e first part has been mor e than verified. A nd it is not alone the farm ers of Livi ngs ton wh o have bee n benefited by the ro ad, but th e thr ee principal .· - -- ---· ... ·- -··- .. vill age s of the co unt y and th eir peop le have al so derived great adv ant ag e from it, as mu st be ap - par ent to all obs ervers. The D etro it, Lan sing and Northern R a ilroad (which na me has recentl y been sub stitut ed for th at of D etr oit, Lan sing and L ake Michi gan) trav erses Livin gs ton diago nally from so uth east to nort hwest, entering th e co unty near th e cent re of th e eas t line of Gr ee n Oak townsh ip, pa ssing th ence throu gh th e sout hw est co rn er of Brighton tow nship, through Brighton villag e, Genoa, th e northeast corn er of Marion, H owell village, H owell tow nship, and H andy, tou chin g th e villag e of Fowlervi lle, and runnin g- from that point clue west to In g ham County. The pri ncipal stat ions in Livi ngs ton are at th e villages of Bri g ht on, How e II, and Fo wlerv ille; and there a re less import ant stati ons at Gr ee n Oak, Genoa , a nd Fleming,-the last nam ed being in How ell tow nship . Th e road was comp leted in th e fall of 1871 t o Howard City, which is stil l its north ern terminus, and where it forms a junction with th e Grand R apids a nd Indiana R ailroad. A n ex tensio n is, however, in pro cess of con stru ction to Big Rapids, and the road will be op ened to th at poi nt in the nea r future. CHAPTER V I. MILITARY RECORD OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY . D raft for the" T oledo \\' ar"- Th e Old l\'Iiliti a Sys tem :1.11d th e Eleve nth '.lfilitia R egi men t- Mexica n \Var Vo lunteers- Li vings ton in the E arly D ays of the G reat R ebel lion- T he Fo urth i\l ich igan In fantry- Its O rganizatio n ancl Depart ur e for the F ront- Th e F o urt h at Bu ll R un-Ca mpaign of the P en insula -Th e Seve n D ays' F ight-Ca mpa ig n unde r Gen. Pope - A n - t ietam and Sh ep herdstown Ford-F rede ricksbu r1ca: nd Chance llorsvill e-Gettysb urg- \Vi nter Quarte rs at Bea lton-Ca mpa ig n of the vVilderncss- In F ront o f Pete rsbur g - E xp irati on of Service a nd Mu ste r O ut-Th e R eorga nized F our th-Se rvice in Al aba ma, T enn ess ee, and T exas- Muster Out and D isl,a nclmcnt - Li st of Mernl,c rs of the Ol d and Ne w F ourth fr&lt;n;n Li vin gs ton Cu unt y . T HE first demand mad e upon th e inh ab itant s of wh at is now Living ston Co unty, t o perform military servic e in a public ex igency , wa s by the proclama tion of Govern or S. T. Maso n, ord erin g a d ra ft from th e militia, of men to serve und er Genera l Brow n, in the fam ous" T oledo War" of 1835. U nder this aut hority, several men were draft ed from tow nships now of thi s county; a half-doz en being take n from th e mili tia of Green Oak. Th ey wer e not cal led on to pe rform a ny very dange rou s or protract ed se rvices , and th eir farm s or oth er bu siness did not sufft.:r serio us detrim ent from MILITARY RECORD OF LIVI IGS TON COUNTY. 6 1 th eir being summoned to th e field. The "war" was, of course, but a farce , but for a time it cau sed se rious appre hensions in th e minds of draft ed men and ot hers ; and it was, at all even ts, th e first experience of the peop le of thi s reg ion in furni shin g so ldi ers for a service which thr ea tened actu al hostiliti es . Under th e militia system of a period somewhat later th an th e T oledo wa r, many of th e tow nship s contained so -call ed military companies, which we re ordered out at stat ed tim es for batt alio n or regiment al " trainin g" or ge neral mu ster, as the case mi g ht be. In I 8-13 th e Sixth Br igade of the Third Militi a Di vision was comm and ed by Bri ga dier- General Isaac Brown , wh ose bri gade maj or and inspecto r was Edward H. Thom so n; Brigade Jud ge Advoca te, Jam es W. Stansbury, of Pinckney; Brigade Quartermast er, Samuel C. F airch ild; and Aid - de - Camp, Furman G. R ose . Th e Eleventh R eg iment seems to hav e been distinctively of Livin gs ton Co unty, and its first comman d ing officer was Colonel Tim ot hy R. All ison, of Pinckn ey . A reg imental order of th e col onel's , iss ued in the year abov e named, ha s been found, of which th e following is a copy: "C O ~l PANY BEATS, REGIMENTAL ORDER 10 . 1. "C o 1.o :&lt;EL'S OFFICE, P 1NCK:-IEY, F~bruary 7, 1843. "EJ. EVJ,:-CTI[ REGIME:-IT, SIXTll BRIGADE, THIRD DJ VISION "M1 c 111c AN M1L1T1A. "I do hereby cause thi s regiment to be divid ed into ten company beats, numbered and bounded as follows: First company beat to comprise the township of Green Oak; the second, to comprise the township of Hamburg; third, the township of Putn am; fourth, the township of Un adilla; fifth, the townships of Iosco and Marion; sixth, th e townships of Genoa and Brighton; sevent h, the townships of H artland and Oceola; eighth, the townships of H owell anJ H andy ; ninth, the townships of Conway and Tuscola ; te nt h, the townships of Deer field and Tyrone. "Given under my hand at Pinckney, this sevent h day of Fe bruary, A.D. 1843. "TIMOTHY R. ALLI SON, "Col onel Ekven!lt R egiment, Sixt!t Bri gade, T/1ird D iz1isio11, Michigan Militia .' ' Th e succ esso r of Colonel Allison in the command of th e Elev enth R egimen t was Colonel George Bennett. vVashin gton Wing was th e Li eut enant-Col one l. A cavalry company existed in th e county, comm and ed by Colonel Ive s, of Un ad illa. Th e ge neral "trainings" were usua lly h eld at H ow ell or at Prov osfs Plains. Th ese occasions were inv es ted with as mu ch of pomp and pa rade as was practicabl e, and were loo ked forward to with much of plea sur e by th e people. A pioneer, in menti oning th em, says, " Ostensibly th e object was to keep up a military organization, but rea lly to hav e a j olly good tim e. Co lonel Allison always thou ght it a part of his milit a ry duty to furni sh th e boys all th e stimul ant th ey wanted before th e tr ai nin g, so th at th ey mi ght show prop er enthu siasm ." Thi s is unqu estionab ly a correct statem ent. Th e old militia sys tem was doubtless originated in th e idea of keepi ng up a milit ary organization and to foster a military spirit, but it neve r made so ldi ers, and th e or ga nization whic h it kep t aliv e wa s of no value. A few years lat er th e State cease d to req uir e thi s kind of military duty, and th e sys tem, with its trainin gs, drunk enn ess, a nd ge neral burl esque of milit ary sp irit and disciplin e, happi ly became a thin g of th e past. At th e br eakin g out of th e Mexican war, in 1846, th e population of L ivingston County wa s comparative ly small, a nd th ere were few among its people who were in a condition to make it po ss ible for th em to leave th eir famili es and farm s to beco me soldiers. Still th ere were a few from th e county who followed th eir co untr y's flag to th e fields of Mexico. Among th ese were J ohn A. T ann er, of H andy, who enlisted in Cap tai n I. S. R ow land's comp any of th e Fir st Michi ga n R eg iment, J ohn Moran, o f Oceola, and som e ot hers who se names have not bee n ascertained (mos tly from H a rtl a nd and oth er eas tern tow ns ), who served in that a nd Captain H a nsco m's company of th e sa me reg iment. • Th e Fir st was command ed by Co lonel T. I3. vV. Stockton, of Flint, and was raised in th e fall of I 846, was rend ezvo use d at Detroit, a nd as soo n as orga nized, and before its ranks were full, left for the seat of wa r by way of Cincinnati and N ew Orleans, arriving at Vera Cru z in J anu ary, 1847 . From Vera Cruz it moved with ot her forces, amountin g in all to two th ousa nd men, un de r General Bankh ea d, to Cordova and O rizabct. A second detac hm ent, un de r Li eut enant- Co lonel (afterwards General ) Willi ams, left D etroit after th e main body of th e reg iment and j oined it at Co rdov a. T he colonel of th e reg iment was made milit a ry governor of Cordova, and remained th ere in th at capac ity to th e close of th e war. Th e reg iment suffered very severe ly by sic kn ess during its ter m of se rvic e, and a g reat number of its soldiers left th eir bones in Mexico . Et.sides th ose who ent ered th e First R eg iment, th ere were a few from Livin gs ton who enlisted in th e Fift ee nth United St ates Infantr y, whi ch wa s in the divi sion of Ge neral Gid eo n J . Pillow, of Tennessee. Th ose who were with thi s command particip ated in some of th e principal battles of th e Mexic an war. . - " .. 62 HI ST O RY O F LIVI NGS TON CO U N TY, MI CHIG AN . All th e matt ers above referr ed to, h ow ever , were but trivi al, a nd h ard ly wo rthy o f mentio n, in co m - p a riso n with th e eve nt s o f th at later stru g gl e,-th e tr emend ou s war of th e R ebe llion, with th e op enin g o f which , comm ences th e real milit a ry hi story of L ivings ton, a reco rd whi ch, to th e cou nt y and t o its peop le, is a most cr edi tab le o ne. W h en th e thr illin g news fro m Cha rleston H a rb or first ra ng thr o ug h th e co unt ry, a nd· Pres ident L inco ln called o n th e loya l St ates for a n a rm y of se vent y -five th o usa nd men to sus tai n th e a uth ori ty of th e g overnm ent in a n un exp ected cri sis, th e yo un g me n, th e mi dd leag ed and th e olu men, as well as th e women o f Li ving ston, responded m ost pa tri otica lly , a nd a t o nce too k measur es to furni sh th e co unt y' s full qu ota o f so ld ie rs to fill th e ra nks of th e U nio n a rm y . Th e first step taken h e re, as everyw here in th e No rth, was th e h old ing of pub lic m eeti ngs to pr om ot e enli stment s. F iftee n day s a fte r th e P res - ident' s ca ll was iss ued, a n ext remely la rge a nd enthu siastic " U nion mass -meet ing " was held (Ap ril 30, 186 1) at th e cou rt-ho use in H ow ell, at whi ch J a mes B. L ee , E sq ., of Br ig ht o n, p resided , a nd B. H owar d L awso n was mad e secreta ry, a nd wh ich was add res sed by th e p res ident , by H enr y 1-1. H arm on, Willi am A . Cla rk, E. F. Bur t, Geo rge W . L ee , and ot h ers, in a m os t eloq uent a nd effective mann er. " A t noo n a mag nificent sta r-spang led bann er, mad e expr ess ly for th e oc casio n by th e patri otic ladie s, was un furl ed from th e liberty -pole in front o f th e cou rt-h ouse a m id th e wild est enth usias rn o f th e as sembl ed multitu de. Th e thri lling song of th e ' Star-Span g led Ba nn er' was s un g an d listened · t o by th e a udie nce w ith int ense emotio n a nd vo - ci fero us ch eers ... Th e co ur t-roo m was litera lly ja mm ed full of men and wo men , but by th is t ime th e people from al l pa rts of the count y had assemb led by m any hundr eds in th e co u rt-ho use sq uare, with two bands of m usic, a nd th ey ev inced th e ir des ire to pa rti cip ate in the patr iot ic pro cee din gs in so unm istaka ble a ma nn er th at th e meetin g adj o urn ed to th e sq ua re, where th e sp eeches were received with a n enthu sias m exc eeding a ny th ing of th e kind eve r witn essed . A ll p arty ties see med b ro k en, a ll p arti sa n p rej ud ices obliterated , a nd bu t one des ire a nd d ete rm ina tion m a nifes ted by t he spea k ers a nd th e peo p le,- to s usta in th e F edera l g overnm ent in the leg itimate ex ercise of its p ower to pr ese rve th e U nio n. Wil lia m A. Cla rk , H e nry H . H arm o n, I ra K11ig ht , My lo L. Gay , and A nd rew D . vVaddell were co nstitu ted a co mm itt ee on res - o lu tio ns, and th ey, by th eir chairman, M r. Clark , repo rt ed a pr ea mbl e a nd a series of six pat riot ic reso lut ions, whi ch we re ad opt ed by accl a matio n, a nd of whi ch th e following was th e conclu di ng o ne : "' R esolved, T hat we devote as an ob lat ion ani ftee nth . On the followin g day, t o ward s eve nin g, it was engage d with th e en e my, a nd carried th e assa ult ed lin e of wo rk s. Durin g a ll th e m em o rab le but m onot on o us siege of Pe te rsbur g, from th e t ime wh en th e reg im ent rea ch ed th e front of th at stron g hold until th e clo se of th e g rea t dr a ma of th e R ebell ion, th e service o f th e F ifth Michig a n embr aced a series o f m ove - ment s, ch anges of po siti on , labors o n fortific ati o ns, pick et and railroad d uty, life in th e tr ench es , ma rchin gs , skirmishing s, and battles, which it wc,uld be t oo tedious t o follow or to enum erat e. In its assa ult s up on th e wo rk s in front o f P etersb urg, durin g th e campai g n of I 864, its loss was fiftee n kill ed, fifty-t wo wo und ed, a nd ninet ee n mi ss ing. - t otal, e ig hty- six. It foug ht at D ee p Bottom, July 27 th, 28th, with a loss of tw elve wound ed, a nd a t Boydt on Plank-R oad, O ct obe r 27th, los ing nin e killed, fifty-tw o w ound ed, a nd forty-thre e mi ssi ng. It was a lso engaged at S tr awber ry Pl ains, A ug ust 14th t o 17th , a nd at Popl a r Sprin g C hu rc h on th e thirti eth o f S epte mb er. Durin g th e yea r followin g th e comm enc ement o f th e Min e Run exp ed iti o n, in N ovemb er, I 86 3, th e tot al loss of th e reg iment, in kill ed, woun ded , and mi ss ing, was five hun dred a nd forty-nin e. From O ctob er, 186 4 , to th e mid d le of J a nu ary , 186 5, th e Fifth occ up ied Fort D avis, in th e fron t lin e of works at P etersbur g . On th e fiftee nth o f J anu a ry it form ed a part of th e forc e with whic h Gener al Warr en m ade hi s ra id so uthw ard t o th e vVeld o n R ailroa d ; a nd after its return from that ex - pedition, was po sted for abo ut tw o wee k s at Hum - phr ey' s Station, a nd th en m ove d back t o th e fro nt o f Pe tersburg, and re ma ined th ere until th e tw ent yfifth of M arch, when it moved w ith other forc es to Hatch er's Run, a nd too k part in the assa ult on th e w orks at th at pl ace, sustainin g th e we ig ht of a heavy en gage ment for four h our s. In th e fina l as - sau lt on Pet e rsbur g th e Fift h t ook part, and is sa id t o h ave bee n th e firs t to plant its colors o n th e cap tur ed work s. O n th e sixth o f April , th e reg iment with its brig ade at tac k ed th e retr ea tin g enemy at S ailo r's Creek, and cap tur ed a sta nd o f co lors and a la rge numb er of pri so ners. Th e ene my being follow ed cl ose ly by th e bri ga de on th e seve nth and eighth o f April, th e F ifth R eg iment, acting as flank e rs a nd sk irmi sh ers, b eca m e engaged at New Stor e, but with slig ht loss. A nd finally, o n th e ninth , it wa s pre se nt in th e fro nt , in lin e o f battl e, at th e s urr end er of th e Co n fede rate a rm y by Ge nera l L ee. It lay at Gl over Hil l, nea r th e p la ce of s urr end er, until th e thirt ee nth , whe n it mov ed bac k t o Burk evill e , a nd on th e first of May start ed o n th e m arch t o Wa sh ing to n by way o f Ri chm o nd . Th e regim ent t ook its p lace in th e g rea t review o f the Army o f th e Po to mac, at W as hin g ton , M ay 23d, and remain ed in th e vicinity of the city until Jun e roth, when it left for th e W es t, proc eed ing by th e Baltim ore a nd Ohio R a ilro ad to Park - e rsbur g, Wes t Vi rg ini a, and thenc e by st ea mer on th e Oh io to L o uisvill e, w hich p lace it reac h ed o n the four tee nth. Mov ing to J efferso nvill e, o n th e north side of th e O hi o, it re ma ined th ere until July 4th, wh e n it was mu stered o ut o f th e se rvice as a reg im ent, a nd o n th e six th left by railroad for Detroit , wh ere it a rriv ed o n th e e ig hth , a nd wh ere, o n th e se vent ee nth of Jul y, 1865, th e men of th e F ight ing Fifth rece ived th eir p ay and disc ha rge. FIFTH INFANTRY. 77 MEMBER S OF THE FIFTH REGIMENT, FROM LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Field aud Staff. Li eutenant-Co lone l J ohn Gi llul y, Br ighton, captain, August 28, 186 1 ; kill ed in action at Fredericksburg, Vir g inia, D ecem - ber 13, 1862. Quarterma ster Hud so n B. Blackm an, H owe ll, lieu tenant, August 28, 186 1 ; 11rnste red out at encl of service, August 28, 1864; appoi nted captain and assistant quartermaster, U nited States Army. Sergeant- Majo r George P . Dudley, Brighton, promoted to seco nd lieuten ant, Comp any A, N ovembe r 17, 186 2. Company A. Second Li eutenant Geor ge P . Dudl ey , Brighton, Nove mb er 17, 1862; prom oted to first lieutenant , July 4, 1863. Company F. Corporal J ames D arling, en listed August 28, 186 1 ; D ecember 12, 1863, sergea nt; tran sferre d to Company D, June 10, 1864; vete ra n. Company I. Captain J ohn Gilluly, Brighton, commi ssio ned August 27, 186 1; prom oted to lieutenant -co lonel, July 18, 1862. Fir st Lieutenant Hu dson B. Blackman, H owe ll, commi ssioned August 27, 186 1 ; appointed first lieu tenant and regim ental quarterma ster, June 19, 186 1. Fir st Li eutenant Char les I-I. Dennison, Bri ghton, commissioned September 4, 186 1 ; res ig ned Mar ch 6, 1862; was seco nd lieutenant August 27, 186 1; promoted to first lieutenant. Fir st Lieutenant Andrew D. W'aclclell , H owell, February 1, ~864; mu stered out June 9, 1864, by rn nsoliclati on of th e 5th and 3d Regi ments. Second Li eutenant Freel. \V. Kimb erk, Bri ght on, resigned May 27, 1862. Seco nd Li eute nan t Geo rge \ V. R ose , Bright on, May 28, 1862; promoted to first lieut enant, Comp any B, Jul y 22, 1862. Seco nd Li eutenant J ohn I-I. Steven s, Hartland, Jun e 22, 1862; promoted to first lieu tenant, Company K, Janu ary 25, 1863. Second Li euten ant Freel. E. Ange l, I l owell, enlisted February 1, 1864; mu stered out Ju ne 9, 1864. Serge ant Georg e \V. R ose , B rig hton, enli sted August 27, 1861; pn,motecl to second lieut enan t, May 28, 1862. Sergeant Fr eel. \V . Kimherk, Brig ht on, enli sted August 27, 186 1 ; p romoted to second lieutenan t, June 19, 186 1. Sergeant J. Ash ley Pond, H owe ll, en listed August 27, 186 1 ; kill ed in ac tion al Willi amsb urg, Virginia, May 5, 1862. Sergea nt Cyrenus I-I. Sa d dler, en listed Augu st 27, 186 1 ; discharged for di sability, N ovember 3, 1862. Sergeant Geo rge P. Dudley, Bri ght on, enli ste d Augu st 27, 186 1; prom oted to se rgea nt-m ajo r, Sep tembe r 17, 1862. Corpora l J ohn Monro e,enli stecl Au g ust 27, 186 1; d ied of wound s, at F ortr ess Monro e, :tllay 27, 1862. Corpora l Willi am H . Pull en, enli sted Augu st 27, 1861; tran sferred to Compa ny B. Co rporal Willi am H. Bin gh am, en listed Augu st 27, 1861; discharged for disab ility, September 24, 1862. Corp oral J ohn V. Gilbert, en listed August 27, 186 1; discharged for disabil ity. Corpora l Joh n H . Steve ns, H art land, enli sted Augu st 27, 186 1 ; pr omoted to sec on d lieutenant, June 22, 1862 . P rivates. Charles Abrams, Bright on, en liste d Au gust 27, 186 1; velern n, D ece mh er I 5, 1863; corpora l ; tran sferred to Company C ; mu stered o ut at D etroit, July 10, 1865. Abraham P. A ckerman, enlisted Augu st 27, 186 1 ; tran sferred to Comp any C ; ki lled in ac tion at New Market, Virgin ia, June 1, 1864 . . Gains B. Oll saver, Ham burg, enlisted Augu st 27, 186 1 ; disc harged for disab ility, January 6, 1863. Andr ew J. All en, Marion, enli sted December 14, 1863; transferred to Company C; mu stered ou t at J effersonville, In diana, July 5, 1865. Charl es Buse nbark, Hamburg, enli sted Au g ust 27, 1863; vete ran, D ece mber 15, 1863 ; transferr ed to Company C; absent, sick; not mu stered out with company. J ames Boylan, Genoa , enl isted August 27, 186 1 ; veteran, F eb ruary 27, 1864; tran sferred to Compa ny B and Comp any C ; mu ste red out Ju ly 5, 1865; se rgeant. Barnard W . Beal, enlisted August 27, 186 1; discha rge d for d isab ility, September 28, 186 1. O ren S. Bent ley , Marion, enli sted D ece mbe r 25, 1863 ;° died in rebel prison, elate unknown . Fr ed. Baetcke, Bri ght on, enli sted Augu st 27, 186 1 ; killed in action at Glenda le, Virginia, Jun e 30, 1862. Edw ard Bird, enli ste d A ug ust 27, 186 1; discharged for di sab ility, September 24, 1862. Stewa rt A. Boyd, Mari on, enli sted Aug~ st 27, 186 1 ; tran sfer red to Company C ; promoted lo seco nd lieutenant; killed at Boydton Plank- Road. Edw ard A. Bullard, enli sted A ugust 27, 186 1 ; di scharg ed for di sabil ity, J anu ary 6, 1863 . George Barn ard, Genoa, enli sted De cembe r 24, 1863; tran sfer red to Company B, Jun e 9, 1864. J ames Ca nfield, Howell, enlisted D ece mb er 22, 1863; tran sfer red to Company C; d ied June 9, 1864, at A lexan d ria, Virgin ia, from typhoid fever and amputation of left arm. Andrew J. Ca rl, H owell, enl isted D ece mb er I 4, I 863; tr ansfer red to Comp any C; died Au g ust 24, 1864, of wound s received in action at Pet ersbu rg, Vir g ini a. Henry Ca rl, H artland, enli sted D ecembe r 16, 1863; discharged for wounds, Novemhcr 8, 1864. Cyrus L. Carpenter, H owell, enli ste d December 19, 1863; mustered out Ju ne 6, ·1865 . W'illi am Carr, enli sted Au g ust 27, 186 1 ; d ied at A lexand ria, Virgi nia, Febru ary 27, 1862. Lyman Cate, Green Oak, enl isted Augu st 27, 186 1; di scharged for disability, May 1 , 186 2. George W. Coope r, Ma rion, en listed December 23, 1863; killed in action at Wild ern ess, May 5, 1864. J osep h Countryman, en listed Augu st 27, 186 1; died of dis ease at "Camp Curtin , May 20, 1863. Charl es Culv er, H owe ll, enli sted D ece mber 23, 1863; transferred to Compa ny B; abse nt, sick; not mustered ou t with comp any. J ona tha n Cumming s, Genoa, enl isted Dec emher 19, 1863 ; died in rebe l priso n, date unknown. \ Valter Fe rguson, en listed Au gust 27, 186 1 ; vetera n, Febru ary 22, 1864; discha rge d for wou nds, April 13, 1865. Th omas Fit zgerald, Bright on, enlisted Au gust 27, 186 1 ; vet eran, D ece mb er 15, 1863 ; sergeant; mu ster ed out July 5, 1865. Ad elbert Foote, Brighton, enl isted Au g ust 27, 186 1 ; died of wound s at vVashin gton, J anu ary 3 1, 1863 . A ndr ew J. Fuller, Bright on, enl isted August 27, 1861; discha rged by order, F ebruary 26, I 864. J ohn Ga llatian, H ambu rg, enl isted Augu st 27, 186 1 ; transferred to Inv al id Corps. John Gannon, H ambur g , enli sted August 27, 186 1; d ied of di sease in Virginia, Sep tembe r 10, 1862 . H owar d E . Glover, H owell, enlisted December 17, 1863; mu stered out May 29, 1865. J ohn A. Gregg, enlisted Au gust 27, 186 1 ; d ischar ge d for disability , D ecemb er 4 , 1862. Charles Grah am, enl isted A ug ust 27, 186 1; tran sferred to In valid Corps. Philip Ha cke r, enl isted Au gust 27, 186 1 ; di ed of wounds at Wa shin gton, F ebrua ry 23, 1863. 1err ill H anington, enlisted Septe mb er 6, 186 1; mu stered ou t at end of servic e, A ugu, t 28, 1864. ' - 78 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COU TY, MICHIGAN. J ames H ay, enli sted Au gust 27, 186 1; tra nsferred to Invalid Corp s, N ovem ber 15, 1863 . Th oma s H aywood , enl isted Au gust 27, 1861; discharged for disability, September II , 1862. J ohn Hilcl ebrant, enlisted D ecember 24, 1863 ; di ed of di sease at Al exa ndri a, Vir gini a, J anuary 5, 1865. Charles Hild ebra nt, enli sted J anuary 28, 1864 ; mu stered ou t July 5, 1865 . George H. Hill er, enlisted Augu st 27, 186 1; ki lled in action at Ge ttysburg, Pennsylvania , July 2, 1863. Milt on Hitch cock, enli sted August 27, 186 1 ; di ed of di sease at Alexa ndri ,l, Vir ginia, March 2, 186 2. J ohn T. H odge man, enl isted Aug ust 27, 186 1; discharge d for d isab ilit y, F ebru ary, 1863 . Samu el H odge man, enlisted Fe bruar y 24, 1862 ; died of wo un ds, September IO, 1862. \ Var ren Hunt, enlisted Augu st 27, 186 1 ; mu ster ed out at end of service, August 27, 1864 . Frank J ord an, enl isted D ece mb er 19, 1863 ; tran sferred to Company C; mu stered out J uly 5, 1865. J ohn J ones, Bright on, enlisted Au gust 27, 186 1; vetera n, F ebruar y 22, 1864 ; mu stered out Jul y 5, 1865. Alfr ed J ohn son, enli sted Au g ust 27, 186 1; mu stered out at end of service, Au gust 27, 1864 . \ Villiam J ohn son, en listed Augu st 27, 186 1; discharged for disabilit y, Au gust 7, 1862. H enry \V. Knag gs, enlisted Au gust 27, 186 1; mu stered ou t at end of service, August 27, I 864. \Villiam G. Kn app , enli sted Augu st 27, 186 1; tran sferred to Unit ed Stat es Signal Corps, August 14, 1863 . P atrick McCabe , enli sted August 27, 186 1; cited of disease at Al exand ria, Virginia, March 8, 1862. J ames McCarren, enliste d Augu st 27, 186 1 ; .died of woun ds at Al exa ndria, Virg inia, J anu ary 6, 1863. Charle s l\'lcNaug ht on, enlisted August 27, 186 1; c.lsicharged for di sabilit y, December I 1, 1863. Willi am S. l\lorris, enl isted Augu st 27, 186 1; discha rged for disab ility, Sep tem be r 11, 1862 . D aniel \V. l\l orse, enli sted Augu st 27, 1861; di ed of woun ds, Sep tember 10, 1862. Edgar Muir, enlisted Augus t 27, 186 1; veteran, D ece mber 15, 1863; sergea nt; mu stered out Jul y 5, 1865. Aaro n A. Ne wman, enlisted Sep tember 6, 186 1; wago ner; mustered out at encl of servi ce, Sep tember 6, 1864. Geo rge Ne wt on, H owe ll , enli stee! D ece mber 22, 1863; d ied of disease at Jhlt imore, November 21, 1864. Boyce P . Owen, en listed Augus t 27, 186 1 ; discharge d for disability, D ecember 15, 1862 . L ewis F. P,1 tlow, enlistee! Augu st 27, 186 1; di ed of di sease at Ann apo lis, Mary land, Apri l 12, 1862. Alb ert P..:ckins, enli sted August 27, 186 1; killed in action at \Villiam sburg, Virgin ia, May 5, 1862. Edw ard G. Pearce, enlisted August 27, I 86 1; vet eran, Dec ember 15, 1863; corp oral; mu stered out July 7, 1865. Samuel Pennell, enlisted Septe mber 6, 186 1; discharge d for dis - ability, Augu st 8, 1862. Geo rge Pe ntland, Brigh to n, enli sted N ovembe r 1, 1862; abse nt, sick ; not mu ste red out with company. George \V. Pentlin, enl isted August 27, 186 1; discharge, ! for disal, ility, Sept ember 11, 1862. H iram Pentlin, enli sted Au gust 27, 186 1; vetera n, D ecem ber 15, 1863; kil led in actio n at W ilde rn ess, Virginia, May 5, 1864 . J oh n i'i ckarcl, enli ,te d Augus t,27, 186 1; di ;c harged for disabil ity, Aug ust 10, 1862. Geo rge L. Pl aceway, enli sted Augu st 27, 186 1 ; died of disease at Al exa ndri a, Vi rginia, Mar ch IO , 1862. Merrit t F. l'ul len, enlisted Septe mber 6, 186 1; kill ed in actio n at William sburg, Virgin ia, l\fay 5, 1862 . David Rohi nson, enli sted D ece mber 19, 1863; mu ste red out Ju ly 5, 1865. •'· Clint on Ru .se ll, enli sted A ugust 27, 186 1; d ied of disease at \Vashingt on, Dec ember 4, 186 1. George Sawyer, en listed Au gust 27, 186 1; vete ran , D ece mbe r 15, 1863; corpora l; must ered out Jul y 5, 186 5. Hannib al Sawyer, enli sted Augu st 27, 186 1 ; ve tera n, D ecember 15, 1863 ; kill ed in ac ti on at W ild ern ess, Vir g inia, May 5, 1864. J ohn Sawye r, enlisted Augu st 7, 186 1; cliscbargecl May 21, 186 2. David E. Sawye r, enli sted J an uary 30, 1864; mustered ou t July 5, 1865. Alva W . Schofield, enli sted Augu st 27 , 186 1 ; vet eran, D ece mbe r 15, 1863; mu sician; mu stered out Jul y 5,· 1865 . Augu stus R . Sewell, enlisted August 27, 186 1; disc ha rged for disahi li1y, Jun e 20, 1862 . \ Villiam S. Sharp, Ge noa ; enlisted De cember 24, 1863; mustered out Jul y 5, 1865. Conrad Siam, enli sted Au gust 27, 186 1; veteran, February 22, 1864 ; kill ed in action nea r Petersburg, Virgi ni a, Octo ber 27, 1864. Mortim er Smith, en listed Augu st 27, 1 6 1 ; tran sferr ed to Company C; tran sfe rred to Inv alid Corps. Am os Smith, enlisted D ecember 31, 1863; mu ster ed out Jul y 5, 186 5. Charles A. Smith, enli sted D ece mbe r 17, 186 3 ; missing in acti on nea r Sou thsid e R ail road, Virginia, Oct obe r 27, I 864. Emer son So ule, enlisted August 27, 186 1; discharged for d isab ility, Apri l 30, 186 2. N ath aniel Stodda rd, enlist ed Augu st 27, 186 1; kill ed in action at Fre dericksburg, Virginia, D ecemb er 13, 1862. Samuel Sutton, enl isted Au gust 10, 186 1; kill ed in acl ion at V.'i lliamsburg, Virgini a , May 5, 186 2. Sam,!el C. T aylo r, enli sted D ecember 24, 1863; veteran, corpora l, from Compa ny I , 3d Infan try; mu ste red out Jul y 5, 186 5. Chaun cey B. T aylo r, enli sted D ece mb er 24, 1863; vetera n, musician, from Company I, Jel Infantr y ; mustere d out Jul y 5, 186 5. Charl es Th aye r, H uwell; enlisted September 6, 186 1 ; kil led in action at Getty sburg, P enn sylvania, J uly 2, 1863. L evi T own send, enlisted A ugust 27, 186 1; d ischarg ed fur d isab ility, March 23, 1863. Lewis C. Tupp er, en li ted February 24, 1862; veteran, F eb ru ary 22, 1864; pri soner, Ap ril 19, 1865; mi:stered out July 5, 186 5. Andr ew J. Whit aker, enlisted Decemb er 24, 1863; absent , sick; · not mu stered uut with comp any. Daniel Wi lcox, enli sted Augu st 27, 186 1; discha rged for d isab ility, Jun e 4, 1862. Ale xand er C. \V ilcox, enl isted September 4, 186 1; dischar ged for disab ility, D ece mber, 186 2. George S. \Vinega r, enlis1ed Augu st 27, 186 1 ; vetera n, Dec emb er 15, 1863, corpora l ; died of disea se, Octobe r 29, 1864 . J ohn B. \Vood, enlisted Septe mber 6, 186 1; vetera n, February 22, 1864 ; mu ste red out Jul y 5, 1865. L uke \\' oocl, enlisted Au gust 2i , 186 1; muste red out at end of service, Au g u,t 27, 1864. Jl enry P. Wri ght, en listed Augu st 27, 186 1 ; discharge d for di sab ility , Jul y 23, 1862 . Ad olph us II. \\"i nt ers, en listed Au gust 27, 186 1; transfer red to In valid Corps, May 15, 1864. Andr ew J. Yerrin gton, enlist ed Augu st 27, 186 1; di ed of wou nds at \Vashin gton, Jan uary 8, 1863. Fr ederick Ze its, enlisted Dece mber 17, 1863; mu stered out J uly 5, 1865. Co111prr1A1y. Ch arle Corey, H amburg, enli ste d D ece mber 23, 1863; vetera n; mu stered out J uly 22, 1865 . Luther H . Frink , H owell, enli sted F ebru ary 18, 1862; muste red out March 2, 1865. Th omas G. Marr, H owell , enlisted Dece mb er 19, 1863; died 111 Andersonv ille prison, Jul y 7, 186 ~. R omaine \Valdron, Oceola , enli sted J anuary 12, 1864 ; die :! of disease , nl arch 20, 1864. NINTH AND FIFTEENTH INFAN TRY. 79 Company B . Eli as R. Bro ckway, Io sco, en listed D ecemb er 30, 1863 ; mustered out Ju ne 6, 1865. Noa h Boothby, H owell, enlistee! D ece mber 15, 1863; mu stered out July 20, 1865. H ow:ucl E. Glove r, H owell, enlisted Dece mbe r 17, 1863 ; mustered out May 29, 1865. E mile Glenellin g, Ge noa, enlisted Dece mber 30, 1863; died of d isea. e at \ Vashingto n, May 1, 1864. Merr itt S. H avens, Marion, enlisted D ecembe r 21, 1863; mustered out J uly 5, 1865. Mer rill H ar ringto n, Brighton, enli sted August 9, 1861; discharged at encl of service, A ugust 28, 1864. Samue l P. Lord, H andy , enl isted D ecembe r 24, 1863 ; mustered out J uly 5, 1865. Dav id Lo rd, H andy, enli stee! December 24, 1863; mustered out Jul y 5, 1865. H enry Pate, H owell, enlisted D ece mbe r 19, 1863 ; muste red out Jul y 5, 186 5. D avid R obi nson, H owell, enli sted D ecembe r 19, 1863 ; mu tered out J uly 5, I 865. \ Villiam S. Sharp , Genoa, enl isted Dece mb er 24, 1863 ; muste red out Jul y 5, 1865. Co111p1ay1 D . Georg e Vv. Axtell, H owell, enlistee\ Dece mber 22, 1863 ; mustered out i\b y 13, 1865. Ed win H . Smith, H oll'ell, enlistee\ D ecember 22, 1863; supposed to have died in Ri chm ond prison . George Young, Io sco, en listed D ece mber 21, 1863 ; supp osed to have di ed in Ri chm ond prison. Compa ny G. Capta in George \V. R ose, promoted from first lieutenant, Company B ; mortally wounde d at t he \ Viltltrness; died at \Vashin gton, Di ;;trict of Col um bia. Solo mon T. Lyon, Mario n, capta in September 15, 1864 ; first lieutena nt Ju ne IO, I 864; seco nd lieutenant F ebruary 1, 1864 ; muste red out with the reg iment. Cheste r Albr ight, H owell, enlisted D ecember, 1863; promoted to corporal ; killed at th e Wi ldern ess, May 6, 1864. Benjamin Bashford, Mari on, enliste d D ece mber 11 , 1863 ; mu stered out Jul y 19, 1865. Willi am Hock, H owell, enli sted D ecember 22, 1863; mu stered out Ju ly 5, 1865. W illiam H . Curtis, H owe ll, enlisted D ecember 21, 1863; died of disease at W ashi ngto n, Apr il, 1864. P hilo Curtis, H owell, enlisted December 3 1, 1863; die', February 18, 1863. H en ry \ Veil s, Conw ay, enli sted A ugust 27, 1862; tra nsferr ed to Company H; d isch arged by order, Oct obe r 4, 1865. J,iseph Murtag h , Putnam, enli sted J anu ary 4, 1864; discha rged for d isabi lity, Septe mber 20, 1864. Geo r,;e D. Conve rse, Conway , enlisted Septe mbe r 10, 1864 ; mu ste red out by orde r, Jun e 20, 1865. H omer A . Hand y, H andy, enli sted Septembe r IO, 1864; mu stered o ut by order , Jun e 20, 1865. P eter Buckl ey, H andy, enli sted M2rch 15, 1865; mu ste red out by ord er, Augu st 10, 1865. D ell N. Lum , Con way, en listed Sep tember I, 1864; mu stered out by orde r, Jun e 20, 1865. Edwin A. Metcalf, H andy, enli sted Septem ber 10, 1864; mu stered out by order, Jun e 20, 1865. J ose ph D. Bower s, H and y , enli ste d March 15, 1865; mu stered out September 15, 1865. J ohn Q. Park, H an dy, en listed Sep tembe r I I , 1864 ; mu stered out by ord er, Jun e 20, 1865. Oscar R ath b urn, H and y, en liste d Marc h 15, 1865 ; mustered out Septembe r 29, 1865. Da niel Sabin, Conway, enli sted Septe mbe r 10, 1864; mustered out by ord er, J une 20, 1865. Company E. Simon S. Mun n, P utnam, enli sted D ecemb er 27, 1863; mu stered out Sept emb er I 5, 1865. \Vil\ia m A. Benjam in, Co nwa y, en liste d Sep temb er JO , 1864 ; mu stered ou t by o rder , Ju ne 20, 1865. Compa ny E. Ju stus Cob urn, enl isted Augu st 14, 186 1; vete ran, De cember 7, 1863; mu stered out Sep tembe r 15, 1865. J ames A . W orth ington, H and y, enli sted September 16, 1864 ; d ischarged by ord er, J une 20, 1865. Compa ny .ff. All an Beebe, Ty rone, enli ste d J anu ary 27, 1864; di schar ged by orde r, Septembe r 7, 1865. George F. Bu rgess , Put nam, enli sted Aug ust 16, 186 1; disc harged for disab ilit y, Jul y 13, 1863. ·Elmore S. Fi lkins , D ee rfiel d, enli sted Aug ust 16, 1861; no reco rd . D av id Minnic k , enl isted Au gust 16, 186 1 ; mu ster ed out Septe mber I 5, 1865. D anie l Thaye r, enl isted Au g ust 16, 186 1; d ied of wounds at Nas hv ille, November 30, 1862. Th omas Sharp, Oceola , enl isted Au gust 16, 1861 ; no record. Armi n us Sp ring stein , D eerfield , en listed A ug ust 16, 186 1 ; d ischa rge d. Gord on Snel l, Oceola, en listed Au gust 16, 1861; clied at \Vest Point, K entu cky. vVilii am H endr icks , enli ste e\ March 29, 1862; vetera n, March 26, 1864 ; corpora l; mu stered out Sep temb er I 5, 1865. J ames Hen d rick s, enli sted i\'larch 29, 1S62; vetera n, March 26, 1864; mu ste red out Sep tembe r 15, 1865. Patr ick O'B rien, die d at Na sh vill e, T enne ssee , Ma rch 27, 1862. O ren M. Corey, Ty rone, enl isted J anu ary 25, 1864; muste red out Septe mb er 15, 1865. Asa Corne ll, T yro ne, en listed J an uary 8, 1864; d ied of d iseas e at N ash ville, May 13, 1864. George H. Fl etch er, Tyron e, enlistee! Marc h 17, 1865; d ied of disease at Nas hville, J une 29, 1865. Fra nk Cra nston , Tyr one, enlisted Ja nuary 25, 1864; m ustered out Sep temb er 15, 1865. J oh n D .1mon , Putnam, enlisted J:rnuary 5, 1864 ; mu stered out Septembe r 15, 1865. H arri son Love, T yrone, enli ste cl J anu ary 27, 1864; mu stered out Sep temb er 15, 1865. George I-I. Ph illips, Pu tnam , enl isted D ece mb er 23, 1864; mu stered o ut Septe mb er 15, 1865. Joh n B. Tay lor, Pu tnam, enli sted D ece mbe r 28, 1864; mu stered out Septembe r I 5, I 865. New ell L. Ta llmadge , Tyrone, enli stee! J anuar y 29, 1864; d ied at T yrone, Au gus t 15, 1864. Eugene Slayto n , T yro ne, enlisted March 15, 1865; mu stered out Septembe r 15, 1865. Company .!. F rancis A . Clar k , Br ight on, enli sted A ugu st 15, 186 1 ; discha rge d fo r di sability , Ap ril 19, 1862. H ugh S. A nd erso n, mu stered out Septe mber 15, 1865. Pet er Acke rm an, Brighton, enlisted Augu st 15, 186 1 ; must ered out at end of servi ce, October 14, 1864. Samp son Carpen ter, Brighton , en listed A ugust 15, 186 1; mu stere, l out at end o f service , October 14, 1864. F inley Chambe rlin , Bri ght on, enliste e! Aug ust I 5, 186 1 ; ve tera n, De ce mber 7, 1863; se rgea nt; mu ster ed out Septembe r 26, 1865. Isaac Crippen, Bri ghton, enli sted August 15, 186 1 ; veteran, Decembe r 7, 1863; sergea nt; mu stered out Septe mbe r 15, 1865. Alo nzo Cushin g, Brig ht on, enli ste d Augu st 15, 186 1; mu ster ed ou t Septe mber 15, 1865. J ames H ay wood , Oceo la, enlistee\ Au g ust 15, 186 1; died of disease at N ash ville, D ece mber, 1862. Eli L ew is, enlisted August 15, 186 1; disch arged at end of service, Octobe r 14, 1864. A lfred C. Moon , H ambu rg, enli sted Aug ust 15, 1861; di sch arged at end of servic e, Octobe r 14, 1864. Edwin R. Murray, Bri ghto n . enl istee! Aug ust 15, 186 1; pri so ner at Murfr eesboro', July 13, 1862. Nath an Platt, Brigh to n, enli sted August 15, 186 1; p risoner at Murfr eesboro', J uly 13, 1862. J ohn Rossite r, H ar t lan d, enlisted August 15, 186 1 ; disc harged at end of serv ice , Octobe r 14, 1864. F ranc is M . Stockwell, Bri ghton, enlisted Au gust 15, 186 1; died of d isease at We st Poi nt, K ent ucky, No,·embcr 2 1, 186 1. Lorenzo You ngs, Oceo la, enli sted Augu st 15, 186 1; vetera n, D ecember 7, 1863 ; died of d isease at Nas h ville, T enn essee, Septe mbe r 15, 1865. H enry Cripp en, enli, ted Aug ust 15, 186 1; vetera n, D ece mber 7, 1863; corpora l; mth tered out Septe mber 15, 1865. Charles A . K e lly, en listed A ugus t 15, 186 1 ; se rgea nt; promoted to sergea nt-major, J anu ary 1, 1865. Wil liam I. Morri s, H ambur g, enlisted F ebru;try 12, 1864; mu stered out Septembe r 15, 1865. H arr ison Crippe n, enlisted A ng ust I 5, 186 1 ; d ischarged for di sa - bilit y, N ovembe r 1, 1862. F rancis D. Roge rs, Bright on, enlisted J anuary 26, 1864 ; mu stered . out Se1,te mb er 15, 186j . \ Villiam H. Spe nce r, Brighto n, enli sted J anuary 14, 1864; d ischar gecl 1,y orde r, May 15, 1865. Dav id Stage, Conway, enlisted J anua ry 23, 1864; di ed of disease , Aug ust 16, 1864, at L ookout Mount ain, T ennessee . Jame s Greer, Put nam , enl isted Dec ember 28, 1863 ; mustered out Se ptember 15, 1865. Erne st Crippe n, Brighto n , enlisted Sept emb er 12, 1864 ; d ischar ge d by order, April 29, 1865. F ,llm ore Crippen, Bri ghton, enli sted Se ptemb er 12, 1864; di sch :u ge d by orde r, Jun e 20, I 865. HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGA N . J ohn Gott , H andy , enli sted March 15, 1865 ; discha rged by orde r, Sep tember 23, 1865 . Samuel H ouse, ll ancly, enlisted March 15, 1865; mu stered out Septe mb er 15, 186 5. Co711pany.R '. J ohn A. T ann er, captai n, Octobe r 12, 186 1. Th omas J. Conely, first lieute nant, Octobe r 12, 186 1; captain, Jul y 28, 1862. Seco nd L ieu tena nt Lew is V . Curry, Brighton, resigne d De cemb er 20, 1862 . Se rgea nt J os iah Hayn er, Bright on , enliste d August 16, 186 1; tra nsferred to In va lid Corp s, Ap ril 10, 1864. Se rgeant John G. Go uld, H andy, enlisted A ugust 30, I 86 1; vetera n, F eb ruary 20, 1864 ; promote d to secon d lieutenant, Comp any C. Se rgea nt Charles Tanner, H andy, en listed Septe mb er 23, 186 1; promoted to qua rterm aster-sergea nt. Ser gea nt A lbert Benjamin , Conw ay, enlist ed Sep tember 24, 186 1; discha rged for d i ability at Detroit. Corpo ral Geo rge L. F ish er, H andy, enl isted Septemb er 20, 186 1; sergea nt; d ischarged at e ncl o r servi ce , Octobe r 14, 1864 . Corp oral Melv in M unson, lfand y, enlisted Sep tember 24, 186 1; di ed at El izabethtown, F eb ruary 22, 1862 . Co rporal George Fowler, Brighton, en listed Augu st 16, 186 1; pro - moted in 1st R eg imen t, S. S., March I 1, 1863. Corp ora l J ero me G . Bu ckl and, H owell, enl isted Sep tem ber 25, 1861; cl1ecl at Tullah oma, T enn es,ee , or di sease, A ug ust 25, I 862 . Corpo ral Geo rge Staffon ], H owell, enli sted Sept emb er 27 , 186 1 ; vet eran, Dece mber 7, 1863; sergean t ; mu stered o ut Septe m- Ler 15, 1865 . Corpo ral Aaro n G . Sher man, Conw ay, enli ste e! Octobe r 3 , 186 1 ; d ied or d isease at M urfr eesbo ro', Ten nessee, 186 2. Corporal Zena s P.il merton, H andy, enli ste d Septe ml,e r 14, 186 1; mu stered out Sep tembe r 15, 1865 . Mu sician ll enry C. Tanner, H andy, enli sted Augu st 22, 186 1; ve teran, D ece mbe r 7, 1863; appo inted Ma rch 6, 1864. Mu sician Willi am I. T ay lor , H andy, enli,te cl Octobe r 9, 186 1; discharged at end or se rvice, Oc tobe r 14, 1864. vVagone r Samu el Pardee , H andy, en listed Septe mb er 21, 186 1. Pri va tes. Chark s Av is, Conway, enli sted Septe mb er 24, 186 1; d ied o r wound s rece ived in acti0n at Murfr eesbo ro'. Marvin Benjamin , H andy, en liste d Septemb er 14, 186 1; d ischarge d for di sability, lllarch 1 , 1863. \ Villiam Eme rson Bennett, H owell, enliste d Octo ber 1, 186 1; mu ste red out Septe mbe r 15, 1865; vetera n, D ece mber 7, 1863 . Eli Bowen, H and y, enli sted Octobe r 4, 186 1; corpora l; mu ste red out September 15, 1865 ; vete ran , D ece mber 7, 1863. Ore n Bowen, H andy , enlisted Oc tobe r 5, 186 1; corpora l; discha rged by order, Septe mb er 28, 1865; veteran. \Vin ten B. Brook s, H owe ll, enli sted Oct obe r 9, 186 1 ; serg ea nt; mu stered out Septembe r 15, 1865 ; vete ran, Decemher 7, 1863 . J ames Cul iton, Brighton , enli sted Septe mber 21, 186 1; di scharged for di sab ility, l\lar ch 6, 1862. J ohn G. Cope land, Conway, enliste d Sept em ber 23, 186 1 ; discha rged at encl o r servi ce , October 14, 1864. James \ V. Cole, Conway , enli sted Septemb er 26, 186 1 ; disch arged Aug ust 12, 1862 . vVadwell Chase, Conway, enl isted Oct obe r 1, 186 1; vetera n, December 7, 1863 ; disch arged by ord er, Augu st 30, 1865. L yma n Carl, H andy, enl isted O ctobe r I , 186 1; d ied at Murrre esboro ', T enn essee , Janu ary 16, 1863. J oseph Duffy, H owell, enli sted Octobe r 1, 186 1 ; d ied at W est Puint, K ent11cky, Octobe r, 186 1. J ohJ:i De fo rest, H arnly, en liste e! Sept embe r 20 , 186 1 ; vetera n, D ecembe r 7, 1863; mu stered out September 15, 186 5. J acob Din gma n, Conway, enlistee! Septe mb er 20, 186 1; d ischarged at encl or servi ce , Octobe r 14, 1864. Geo rge vV. H oyt, Handy, enli stee! A ugus t 22, 186 1 ; disch arge d for d isab ility, Nove mber 5, 1862. R ichard II. Jones, H a ndy, enl isted Septembe r 2 1, 186 1 ; discha rged at encl or ser vice, Octobe r 14, 1864 . 'William Kn ow les, H andy, enlisted Octobe r 8, 1861; died o r woun ds rece ived at Murr rees boro', T en nessee. H enry lllun son, H owell, enli stee! Se ptemb er 26, 186 1 ; d ischar ge d at encl or service, October 14, 1864. J ohn I-I. Mill s, H owell, enli sted Octobe r 5, 186 1 ; d isch arged at end or se rvic e, O ctober 14, 1864. Ca lvin Moon, Ha ndy, enlistee! October IO, 186 1; discharged Ill 186 1. George Newb erry, H artl and , enl istee! Septembe r 23, 186 1; k illed in action, Ju ly 13, 1862. \ Villiam Ott o, Brighto n, enli stee! Septembe r 11 , 186 1 ; di ed or d iseas e at Louisv ille, K entu cky. vVilliam H. Ostrom, Conway, enlisted Septembe r 27, 186 1 ; veteran, D ecembe r 7, 1863; serg eant; mu stered out September 15, 1865. George H . Phillips, Conway, enl istee! Octobe r 7, 186 1; corp ora l ; dis char ged at encl or serv ice, Oct obe r 14, 1864 . Samuel Ru st , Conw ay, enl isted Septe mbe r 24, 186 1 ; k illed in act ion, Jul y 13, 1862, at Mu rfr eesboro'. vVill iam I-I. R enn, 1-Iancly, en listed Au g ust 22, 186 1; vetera n, D ece mb er 7, 1863; mu ste red out September 15, 186 5. George Schaffer , Mari on, enlisted Octobe r 9, 186 1; di ed of wou nd s rece ived in battle at Murfr eesbcro ' . M ilton Sawyer, Cohoc tah, enliste e! Septembe r 26, 186 1 ; di ed at Elizab ethtown, K entu cky, F ebruary 22, 1862. All en Slayte r, H andy, en listed Septemb er 25, 186 1; vet era n, D ecembe r 7, 1863; d ischarged by order, Augu st 28, 1865. Franci s M. Smith, Conw ay, enl isted Septembe r 21, 186 1 ; ve tera n, D ecembe r 7, 1863; muste red out Septemb er 15, 1865 . A lvin Stage, Conway, enli ste e! September 23, 186 1 ; d ischarged at en cl or service, October 14, 1864. J ames F. Stage, Conway, enli stee! Sep tember 21, 186 1; d ischa rged at encl or se rvice, Octob er 14, 1864. Ga rdn er S. Smit h , H owell , enli ste e! October 5, 186 1 ; di ed at M~1rfreesboro', T enn essee, Jun e, 1862. Edmund L. Full er, Conw;,y, enlistee! September 21, 186 1; veteran, D ece mb er 7, 1863; corpora l; mustered out Septe mbe r 15, 186 5. • Reub en C. Sm ith, H owell , enli stee! Octobe r 7, 186 1 ; cliecl at W est Point , Kenlucky. Ev erett Sargent, H owe ll, enl istee! Octobe r 8, 186 1; vetera n, Decemb er 7, 1863; D ece mbe r 31, 1864, promote d to seco nd lieutenant, Con1pany B. Ga rdne r Van zile, ll ancly, enli sted Octobe r 2, 186 r. H enr y \Vitt, Han dy, enli stee! Septembe r 23, 186 1. J esse W ilcox, Conway , enlisted Sep tember 27, 186 1. Am os V,'eller, H and y, enliste d Octobe r 8, 186 1. Charles P. Lake, en liste d Octobe r 16, 186 1 ; vet era n, D ecemb er 7, 1863; muster ed ou t Sep temb er 15, 1865. H enry Lak e, enlisted October 16, 186 1; veteran, D ece mbe r 7, 1863 ; discharg ed by order, Sep tem ber 28, 1865. Ba rn ard Ri cler, enlistee! October 16, 186 1; vetera n, ll ece mb er 7, 1863. vVilliam R. Th om pson, enli stee! Octo ber 26, 186 1. Daniel G. Ol mstead, enli stee! March 13, 1862. Rt crui ts. H enry B. Appleton, Cohocta h, enlistee! Febru ary 16, 1864; mu stered out September 15, 186 5. Ri ch ar,1 Bri stol, H ancly, en listed J anu ary 2, 1864; mu stered o ut September 15, 1865 . NINTH AND FIFTEENTH INFA TRY. Elijah Dunn, H andy, en listed J anua ry 5, 1864 ; discharge d by order, September 28, 1865. L ewis Di ckin son, H andy, en listed J anu ary 5, 1864; mu stered out September 15, 1865. Gilb ert Demar est, Handy , enlisted Janu ary 2, 1864; dis charg ed by ord er, September 28, 1865. J ames F. FulJ er, Cohoctah , enlisted Janu ary 28, 1864; mustered out Septembe r 15, 1865. Th omas Gilchri st, H andy, enlisted September 16, 1864; clischarged by order, September 28, 1865. John E. K en ny, H andy, enli sted February 26, 1864; mustered out Septe mber 15, 1865. J ames P . Larow e, H owell, enli sted Febru ary 27, 1864; mustered out September 15, 1865. I saac Morse, J-lancly, enli sted J anuary 16, 1864; mustered out September 15, 1865. J ames McG uire, H amburg, enl isted April 22, 1864; discha rged by order, A pril 9, 1865. H enry Ortner, ll andy, enlisted January 2, 1864; died at N ashvill e, F ebruary IO, 1864. IIarvey D. Palmerton, H andy, enli sted Februa ry 2, 1864; died at F owlerville, J anuary 19, 1865. Cecil Parsons, I landy, enl isted Septemb er IO, 1864; discharge d by order, Jun e 20, 1865. James R eed, H andy, en listed F ~bruary 1, 1864; mu stered out Septem ber 15, 1865. \ VilJiam R en n, Hancl y, enli sted J an uary 4, 1864; mustere d out Septe mber 15, 1865. D errick Slate r, !Jan dy, enlisted September 16, 1864; discharged by orde r, Jun e 20, 1865. Nathan R. Scott, H and y, e nlisted J anuary 23, 1864 ; mustered out Sept ember 15, 1865. J ames R . \VelJer, Putn am, enl isted February 6, 1S64; mustered out Septembe r 15, 1865. FIFTEE 1TH I NFANTRY. Th e numb er of Li vingston County men serving in th e rank s of th e Fift ee nth was more than eq ual to a maximum company, but th ey were divided among at least eight compani es of the regi ment; th e principa l part, h owe ver, being found in "D " company, commanded by Captain Erastus A. Pratt. Th e regi ment was raised and organized und er Colon el J.M. Oliver, in th e fall of 186r, and had its rend ezvous at Monro e. It left its camp of instruction for the front on the twenty- seve nth of March, and was transf erred di rect ly from the peaceful parade-ground at Monroe to th e storm of batt le at Pitt sb urg Landing. It arrived th e eve nin g of th e fifth of Apri l, r 862. The nex t day the battle ope ned, and th e Fifteenth was hurri ed to th e front, taking an active and ga llant part, and h avi ng thirty-thr ee officers and men killed and sixty-four wound ed, whi le sev en were repor ted mis sing. Th e reg iment served through the siege of Corinth, and was on duty in the vicinity until that place was attacked by th e rebel ge nerals Price and Van Dorn, on th e first and second of October, 1862. It was th en on outpo st duty, ten miles no rthw est of Corinth, and was assa iled by the whole reb el force. It fell back, contesting th e grou nd inch by inch, and with som e other reg iments held the enemy in ch eck du ring tl;e wh ole of that day, givi ng ample tim e for Ge neral Rosecrans to prepare for th e nex t clay's conflict, in which he won a complete victory over th e rebel army. The casualt ies of the Fifteent h were thirt een kill ed, thirty -two wounded, and five missing. Th e reg iment served in Northern Mississippi until June, 1863, when it was ordered to Vicksburg . Having been assigned to th e Ni nth Corps, it took part in the siege of that city, sharing the hard sh ips and dangers, which were at length reward ed by th e surrender of th e place, with th e wh ole army of Genera l Pemb erton, on th e ever-m emorab le Fourth of July, r863 . Th e Fifteenth remain ed in Centr al Mississippi during th e summer, and in Oct obe r was sent with the Fifth Corps to reinforce th e Army of th e Cumb erland . It was stationed in Northern Al abama until February, 1864, wh en a p orti on of th e men re-enlisted, and th e reg iment v.;as sent hom e on vet eran furl oug h, returnin g , to take part in Sherman's Georgia campaign, in May . After unnumb ered wearisom e marches and many skirmishes, the Fift ee nth found itself in the F ifth Corps, in front of th e enemy, nea r Decatur, Georgia . The rebels drov e back the Seventeenth Corps, whic h was on the left of th e Fifth. Th e Fift ee nth Michigan was ord ered to take possession of an ex - po sed positi on some distance from the line of its corps. On th e regim ent' s arriving near th e point indic ated, it was found to be in possession of the enemy. The men of Michigan did not he sitate, but moved ga llantly forward, and after a bri ef but sharp conflic t captur ed th e position, with seve n.teen rebel officers, one hun dred and sixty- seve n men, and thr ee stands of colors. Th e loss of the Fifteenth was only four kill ed and six wou nded. On th e tw enty-e ighth of July th e reg iment wo n another victory over an assai ling force of th e enemy, wh ich was driven off with h eavy loss, leav ing its dead and wounded on the field. Still anot her triumph was gained near Jon esboro' on th e thirtyfirst of Aug ust, wh en th e enemy attacked the fortified camp of th e F ifteent h, and was most decisively defeated. After th e sur render of At lanta th e regiment went to Northern A labama to op erate against th e rebe l ge neral Hood, but returned in time to" march to th e sea" with Sherman. It also marc hed through th e Carolinas with that ge neral; went from Washington to Littl e Rock, Arkansa s, in Jun e and July, 1865; ret urn ed to D etroit in August, and was dis - charged on the first of September. OFFICERS AND SO LDIERS FROM LIVIN GS TON COUN TY. Compa ny A. Orlando G. Crandall, D eerfield, enlisted D ece mber 29, 1864; muster ed out Augu st 13, 1865. 86 HISTORY OF LI VINGS TON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. Ab ram Eber hart, enlisted February 24, 1862; dischar ged at encl of service, April 9, 1865. Alb ert Fra nk , muster ed ont August 13, 1865. Ch arles H amilt on, enl isted Februa ry 21, 1862; di ed of di sease Jul y 17, 1862. Benjamin Paulding, enlisted Apri l 13, 1864; died in An derso nville prison-pen. Abithene G. Randa ll, H andy , enli sted J anua ry 5, 1862; di ed of disease July 12, 1862. Company B. Willi am A. Brenn er, Oceola, enlisted April IO , 1865; mu stered out Au gust I 3, I 865. Samue l Carpenter, Ge noa, enli sted April 8, 1865 ; mu stered out Au gust 13, 1865. Charl es Cook, Geno:1, en listed Apr il 10, 1865; mu stered out August 13, 1865. Glover D orr, Dee rfield, enli sted Apr il 8, 1865; mu stered out August 13, 1865. .. D ani el A. Ellingwood, H owell, enli sted April I , 1865; mu stered out August 13, 1865. Geo rge H eck ler, Oceola, enli sted April I O, 1865; mu ste red out Au gust 13, 1865. Pr eston Mill s, D eerfield, enli sted Ap ril II , 1865; mu stered out A ugust 13, 1865. An d. McVey, D ~erfield, enl isted Apr il 10, 1865; muste red out Au gust 13, 1865. J ohn Woods, mustered out A ugust 13, 1865. David C. Young, mu ster ed out Aug ust 13, 1865. Company C. J ohn vV. An drews , mu stered out August 13, 1865. J ob Durf ee, discharged for disab ilit y, Jun e 12, 1862. Willi am Woods, d ied of disease at Corinth, Mississipp i. Company D. Capta in Emst us A. Pratt, Brighton, October 1, 1862; first lieutenant Octobe r 22, 186 1; transferred to Compa ny A; mu stered out D ecember 24, 1864. Fir st Li eutena nt Andr ew J . Bishop, H owell, Octobe r 1 , 1862; seco nd lieutenant Dec embe r 5, 186 1; prom oted to capta in; mu stered ou t as first lieute nant J anu ary 28, 1865. Sergeant \ Villiam L. Collins, H and y, enli stee! Novemue r 9, 186 1; discharg ed for disability, August 3, 1862. Corpora l J acob S. Burge ss, Put nam, enlisted Novembe r 5, 186 1; died of disease at St. L ouis, l'vli ssou ri, May 17, 1862. Corp oral Char les Brock way, H owell, enl isted D ece mbe r 9, 186 1; died of disease at St. L ouis, Missouri, May 22, 1862. Co rpora l Martin Galv in , Pu tnam, en listed N ovembe r 5, 186 1; di ed of disease at Shil oh, T enn essee, April 28, 1862. Corp ora l Jam es P. J acoby, Putn am, enlistee! November 9, 1861 ; discha rged Jun e 25, 1862. Corpora l Peter Smith, Putn am, enliste d Nove muer 5, 186 1; di scharged for di sabil ity, Octobe r 14, 1862. Co rpora l \Villiam R obe rtson, Putn am, enli sted Nove mber 5, 186 1; serv ice ended Dece mber 24, 1864; discha rged. Corp oral Th omas Mora n, Putnam, enlisted November 5, 186 1. Musician E lias E . Brockway, H owe ll, enlisted D ece mber 9, 1861; vetera n, F ebru ary 15, 1864; mustered out with company , August 13, 1865. Edwa rd Allen, Bri ghto n, enli sted March 17, 1862; veteran, Feb - ru ary 2, 1864; muste red out Au gust 13, 1865. P atr ick Burn s, Bright on, en listed March 17, 1862 ; veteran, Feb - ruary 2, 1864; ki lled by ca rs, Ap ril 30, 1864. \Vi ll iam Blackm an, di ed of disease in Michiga n, March, 1863. Th omas Barry, H owell, enl isted D ecember 30, 1861; ve teran, February 2, 1864; discha rge d by orde r, Jan uary I 7, I 866. Georg e F. Brock way , H owell, enl isted D ece mber 9, 186 1; veteran, F ebruary 15, 1864; mustered out Augu st 13, 1865. J esse Bowers , H andy, enli sted Nove mber 19, 186 1; di ed of diseas e at Corinth , Mississipp i, May 31, 1862. vVilliam H . Bentl ey, Bri ght on, enl iste d Nove mber 30, 186 1; died of disease at Camp Monroe, F ebruary 6, 1862. J ohn N. Barth olomew, Pu tn am, en listed November 4, 186 1; kill ed in action at Shil oh, Apr il 6, 1862. Nel son Bea rdsley, H owell, enli sted D ece mber 19, 186 1; kill ed in act ion at Corinth, Oc tober 3, 1862. Willi am P. Briggs , died of disea se in H owell, July 18, 1862. vVilli:u: n E. Bla ckburn, miss ing in batt le. Hi ra m Bristol, H andy, enlisted N ove mber 30, 186 1; disc harge d for disab ility, Ju ly 1, 1862. Fran cis J . Clar k, H amlrnrg , enlisted N ove mbe r 5, 186 1; di scharged at en d of service, May 30, 1865. Era stus H . Ca rr, died of disease July 2, 1862. I saac Coun tryman, H owell, enl isted N ove mb er 6, 1861; discharged for rlisab ility , -Au g ust 19, 1862. H orace E. Barbour, H owell, enli sted D ece mb er 9, 186 1; di scharged for disab ility, J anuary 19, 1863. John C. Coleman, H and y, en listed D ece mb er 5, 186 1; d ischarg ed Au gust 3, 1862. H en ry Cha lmers, mu stered out Augu st 13, 1865. J ohn D an ids , H owell, enli sted Nov ember 19, 186 1; vete ran, Fe bruary 2, 1864; must ered out Aug ust 13, 1865. William Denso n, H and y, enli sted November 19, 186 1; disc harged Au gust 3, 1862. Marsa lus Dickin son, H and y, enli sted Dec embe r 7, 186 1; d ischa rged for disabi lity, Jun e 12, 1862. George D ecker , P urnam, en listed Nov ember 7, 186 1; kill ed in act ion at Sh iloh, Apr il 6, 1862. Frankl in E. F ox , Han dy , enli sted Sep tember 6, 1864; di scha rge d by ord er, May 30, 1865. Geo rge Fox, How ell, enli sted Fe bruary 10, 1863; must ered out Angu st 13, 1865. Schuyler E . Good rich, Putnam, enli sted F ebruary 17, 1862; d ied October 14, 1862, of wound. , at St. L ouis, Missouri . H enry Gard ener , Putn am, enli sted • 1ovember 9, 186 1; disch arge d at encl of serv ice, Decembe r 24, 1864. Corne lius C. H elm s, H owe ll, enlisted Dece mber 9, 186 1 ; di scharged for di sab ility, Aug ust 9, 1862. H enry C. H elm s, H owell, enli ste d Februa ry IO, 1863 ; mu ste red out Augu st 13, 1865. J erome D. Helm s, m uste red out Au gust 13, 1865. Ma rtin Galvi n, died of d isea se at Shiloh , Apr il 28, 1862. Wi lliam H erri ck, Put nam, enli sted Februa ry 1, 1862; cliecl of di sease at Cor inth , Mi ssissippi, J uly 7, 1862. Ph iland er Hill, Putn am , enlisted Nove mber 19, 1861; di scharg ed for disab ility, De cemb er 3, 1862. R ansom K elsey , di ed of di sease at Memp hi s, October 19, 1863. George Kim ball, H owel l, enl isted Februa ry 10, 1863; mu stered out August 13, 1865. Clark L ounsberry, en liste d F eb ru ary 8, 1862; di scharg ed for disa - bilit y, August 3, 1862. Mi cha el L yons, Put nam , enli sted Nov ember 5, 186 1; veteran, F ebru ary 2, 1864 ; mu stered out Aug ust 13, 1865. J ohn L ake, H owell, enli sted F eb ruary IO, 1863; di ed of disease at Camp Sherman, Septe mber 2, 1863. Eno n L ove , mu ste red out Aug ust 13, 1865. H enry C. No rton, enl isted F el&gt;ruary 6, 1862; di ed May 29, 1862. George Paddoc k, enli sted J anu ary 12, 1862 ; kill ed in act ion at Shi loh, Apri l 6, 1862. Silas Pl ace way , Pu tnam, enlisted F ebru ary I, 1862; mu ster ed out Au gust 13, 1865. • Eli Shave r, dis charged for wound s, March 2, 1865. Fred . Frow l, Putn am, enlisted No ~ember 19, 186 1; kil led in acton at Shi loh, April 6, 1862. J ohn D. Va ughn, Cohocta h, enli sted March 31, 1864 ; di ed of disease at Mariett a, Ge orgia , Septembe r 16, 1864. vVilliam Ya norde n, Putn am, enlisted Novembe r 5, 186 1; disch arged for di s1bility, Augu st 9, 1862. TWENTY-SECOND INFANTRY. 87 J ames E. Whit e, Putn am , enli sted No vem ber 5, 186 1 ; discharged for d isab ilit y, Jun e 30, 1862. Bruce W el ton, kil led in act ion at Shil oh, Ap ril 6, 1862. Theo. \ Vashhurn, H owe ll , en listed March 3 1, 1864; kill ed in action nea r Atl ant a, Geo rgia, July 28, 1864. Alber t H. W orthingt on , O ceo la, enli sted D ece mber 30, 186 1 ; corpora l; av icl W . L yons, Mar ion, enlisted Mar ch 11, 1862; d ied of di sease at Lexi ngton, Janu ary 18, 1863. Am asa L ampma n, Oceola, enli ste,1 March I I , 186 2; tran sferred to I nva lid Corps, March 22, 1864 . Felix McCa be, Gree n Oak, enli sted March 15, 1862; died in Anderso nvill e pri so·n, Au g ust 15, 1864. Steph en P . Mill s, Conway, enli sted March 14, 1862; ki lled in battle of Chicka mau ga, Septe mbe r 20, 1863. Edw ard McKinley, Marion, enli sted l\Iarch 15, 1862; tran sfer red to Inv alid Corps; mu stere d out J une 30, 1865. N orton M. ;\[onroe, H owell, enli sted March 14, 1862; d ied D ece mber 8, 1863, of wound s received al Chi ckamauga . John O, born, Gree n Oak, en listed March II , 1862 ; di ed of di sea se at Cha ttanooga, N ovemher 5, I 863. J uh n Ohlke, Gree n 0.1k, enlisted March 1 1, 1862 ; mu stered out Jun e 26, 1865. Th omas l-1. P ier, Gree n Oak, enlisted Mar ch 9, 186 2; mu ster ed out June 26, 186 5. 96 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUN TY, MICHIGAN. J ohn Pu rely, Green Oak, en listed March 1, 186 2; died of disease at Lexi ngto n, April 6, 1863. J edele 0. B. Pier, Gree n Oak, enl isted Aug ust 15, 1862; di ed of wounds, Oct ober 17, 1863, Chic kam auga . R ichard Pie r, Gre en Oak, enlis ted Augu st 15, 186 2; mu stere d out Ju ly 1, 1865. \.\ 1illia rn ]-I. Rob inson, Green Oak, enliste d Augu st 8, 1862; died in Andersonvi lle pr ison, May 5, 1864. P eter A. R ohrabac her, Cohoctah, enlis ted August 20, 1862 ; mu stered out J une 26, 1865. Edwi n M. Sw itzer , :Marion, en listed Augu st 9, 1862; ki lled in batt le of Ch icka mauga, Septe mber 20, 1863. J ob S. Sherm an, H and y, enlist ed August 14, 1862; disch arged for disability, Dece mbe r 26, 186 2. E ben A. Spri ngstei n, D eer field, enlisted Augu st 13, 1862; discharged for d isab ility, J anuar y 1, 1863. J oseph Sout hard, Han dy , en listed Augus t 9, 186 2; died of disease at L ex ingto n, March 23, 1863. vVilliam B. T aylo r, Conway , enli sted Aug ust I 5, 1862; killed in battl e of Chi ckam auga, SeplemLer 20, 1863. Orson \V. T ock, Green Oak, en listed Au gus t 9, 1862; m ustered out June 13, 1865. H enry Tur rell, Gr een 0.1k, enlisted Augu st 9, 1862; died in Andersonvill e pr ison, May 3 1, 1864. Samuel Van Dyke, Conw ay, en listed Au gust 9, 1862; died of disease at Louisville, K entucky, Jul y 21, 1863 . Geo rge \V. Whi te , H .11dy, enl isted August 14, 186 2; mu stered out Jun e 26, 186 5. \ Vil liam vVashburn, Green Oak, en liste e! August 11 , 1862; d ied of disease at Chatta nooga, Ap ril 3, 1804. J ohn \Voll, Mari on, enlisted August 14, 1862; mustered out Jun e 26, 1865. Gus tavus l\L \Vashhurn, Gree n Oa k, enli sted Aug ust 1, 186 2; tran sferred to In val id Corps, July 29, 1863 . J acob \V:ud, Io sco, enl isted Au gus t 14, 1862 ; di ed of disease , J une 16, 1863. P ete r 0. Walk er , Con\\' ay, enlisted Augu st 9, 186 2; die d of disease at L ex ington , Ken tucky, November 10, 1862. An d. J . Wi ck ma n, Conw ay, en listed Augus t 14, 186 2; mu stered out J une 26, 1865. Amos Dexter, T yro ne, enl i,ted J anu ary 12, 1864; di ed of di sease at Kin gsto n, Georg ia, August 25, 1864. J ero me Clark, Gree n Oa k, enli sted March 30, 1864 ; transfe rred to 29th In fantry . L awr~ nce A. Fl ansberg , Genoa, enl isted Sep temb er 14, 1864; mu stered out Jun e 26, 1865. Samuel S. H oward , Green O.,k , enli sted Aug ust 15, 1864 . Compauy I. Cap tain Frederick \ V. Kimb ork , B,'igh ton, Ju ly 31, 1862; resigned Dece mber 8, 1863 . Sergeant Myro n G. H odges , enli sted Au gust 6, 1862; died in A nde rsonville pr ison, Sep tem ber 25, 1864. M usicia n Josep h l:lurch, enlisted A ugust 12, 1862; mu stered out May 3 1, 186 5. vVillia m Abrnms, Brigh ton, enli sted Au gust 11, 1862; k ill ed at batt le of Chickamauga . Nelson Abra ms, Brighton, enl isted F ebruar y 25, 1864 ; transferred to 29th Inf antr y; mu ste red ou t Septe mber 6, 1865. J ames Abra ms, Bright on, enl isted Aug ust 11, 1862; mustered out J une 26, 1865. Medad Blai, dell , Bright on, enlisted Au gust 14, 1862 ; must ered out Jun e 22, 186 5. H enry D~vis, Brigh ton, enl isted Augu st II, 186 2; discharged for di sabi lity, F ebrua ry 20 , 186 5. Th omas Moneype nny, H artland, enli sted Au gust 9, 1862 ; mustered out Jun e 26, 186 5. R ohe rt Park, H amburg, enl isted Au gust I 2, 1862; mu ste red out Ju n~ 26, 1865. Ri cha rd C. Smith, H artlan d, enlisted August 13, 1862 ; mu ste red out J une 26, 1865. R ichard ~[. T oncray , G ree n Oak, enli sted J anu ary 25, 1864; tran sfe rred to 29t h In fan try; muste red out Sept ember 6, 186 5. E dward E. W oodruff, Bri ght on, enlisted Febru ary 25, 1864; tran;- fcrred to 29t h I nfantry; mustered out Septe mb er 6, 186 5. Char les P helps , died of disease at Lexin gton, K entu cky , Novembe r 26, 1863. Company f ('_ Captain L ewi s Brown, Apri l I , 1865. CHAPTER X. TWENTY-SIXTH INFANTRY . R ecruiting for th e Tw enty -sixth in Li vingst on Co un ty- Mu ster at J ackson-Pr ese ntat ion of Co lors-Depa rtur e of the R egiment, and ar rival in Virg inia - P rovos t Du ty at Al exandri a-" Ou r Ca mp J ournal"-Death of Li eutenant Bur ch at Al exan dria - Movement to SuHolk, Virginia-Fight at \ Vinds or and D ea th of Capta in Cu lver- Moveme nt from Suffolk to th e Penin sula , an<i>e d for d isab ility, June 30, 1862. ' ' " Corporal Edw ard M. H all, enlisted September 6, 186 1; d ischarg ed for disal,ility, Octobe r 15, 1862. Corporal Asa Smi th, enli sted September 6, 186 1; veteran, January 19, 1864; discharged for disability, Novemb er 26, 18f4 . Corporal Witman S. Hall, enli sted Septemb er 6, 1861; veteran, J anuary 19, 1864 ; mustered out Febru ary 12, 1866. Pr iva ter. Samu el Avis, Green Oak, enli sted Fe bru ary 24, 1864; mustered out F ebru ary 12, J 866. Al anson A. Brown, enli sted September 10, 1861 ; veteran, January 19, 1864; mustered out F ebru ary 12, 1866. Marshall Bord en, enli sted Septembe r 6, 1861 ; veteran, J anuary 19, 1864; mustered out Febru ary 12, 1866. J ohn G. Barlow, enlisted Febru ary 18, 1864; mustered out F ebruary 12, 1866. La Fay ette Benn ett, enli sted February 15, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. Ambro se \V, Brown, enli sted F ebruary 22, 1864; mu ster ed out F ebru ary 12, 1866. George Clinton, Putn am, farrier; veteran , J anuar y 19, 1874; mustered out Fe bruary 12, 1866. I: -- ------· -- -.-- ·--=·-c~,--· - ·.-----,.-_- ··-···-=e I IO HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. John F. Cunningham, enlisted September 28, 1861; died of disease at Rienzi, Missis ippi, June 30, 1862 . Charles Connor, enlisted September 23, 1861 ; veteran, J anuary 19, 1864; mu stered out February 12, 1866. William M. Cole, enlisted D ece mber 1, 1861; veteran, January 19, 1864; mustered out Fe bruary 12, 1866. Christopher Clint on, Putnam, enlisted December 16, 186 1; veteran, J anuary 19, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. John Fitzgerald, Brighton, enlisted February 25, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. Murray Grady, enli sted September 6, 1861; veteran, January 19, 1864; mu stered out February 12, 1866. Jam es L . Hawl ey, enlisted September 17, 1861; discharged for disability, November IO, 1862. William K eene, enlistee! January 26, 1864; muster ed out June 30, 1865. David A. Livingston; discharged for disability, Odober 15, 1862. Thomas L ound, Hamburg, enlisted September 18, 1861; veteran, February 8, 1864; mustered out September 25, 1865. Henr y Olsaver, Green Oak, enlistee! September 17, 186 1; discharged for disability, November 16, 1862. William C. Olsaver, Green Oak, en listed February 24, 1864 ; mustered out February 12, 1866. David R. O' Teal, Brighton, enlist ed February IO , 1864; muster ed out Febru ary 12, 1866. Th omas D. Osborn, Green Oak, enlistee! February 27, 1864; mu stered out F ebruary 12, 1866. Lucien Power , H ambur g, enlistee! February IO, 1864; mustered OLttF ebruary 12, 1866. J osep h Placeway, Brighton, enli sted Feliruary IO, 1864; mustered out September 29, 1865. Orrin Palmer, Putnam, enlisted October 17, 1861 ; died of disease in Ohio, July 20, 1862. Sylv ester Smith, Hamburg, enlistee! October 22, 186 1; veteran, J anuary 19, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. D aniel L. Sm ith, ve tera n, J an uary 19, 1864; mu ster ed out February 12, 1866. Era stus Smith, en li, tecl September 18, 186 1; veteran, Janu ary 19, 1864; muste red out February 12, 1866. Andr ew I. Sawyer, H amb urg, enlistee! February 14, 1864; nrnstered out February 12, 1866. Samuel F. Shannon, Green Oak, enlistee! February 18, 1864; mu stered out February 12, 1866. Thoma s Tr ainor, en listee! September 24, 186 1; vet eran, Janu ary 19, 1864 ; mu stered out Febru ary 12, 1866 . Charle s D. 'William s, enli sted October 22, 1861; veteran, J anuary -i9, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. La Fayette Win ans, Gree n Oak, enlisted February 22, 1864 ; died of disease in Green Oak, J\lichigan, Augu st I I, 1864. Company I. Captain H enry J. Pinckney, Ham burg, October 24, 1864 (first lieutenant, Augu st 13, 1863; seco nd lieuten ant, December 20, 1862); mustere d out February 12, 1866. Second Lieutenant C. \V. Tenny, H artland, mustered out February l 2, I 866. David \V, Adams, H artl and, enl isted Septembe r 7, 186 1; discharged for disability, J anu ary 25, 1862 . Amos J. Beebe, Oceola, enli sted Septembe r 19, 1861; veteran , J anuary 19, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. Eugene Bly, enlisted Augu st 28, 186 1; vetera n, J an uary 19, 1864; muster ed out February 12, 1866. Harri son Chase, enli sted October 25, 186 1; veteran, Jan uary 19, 1864; mustered out Febru ary 12, 1866. Jerom e Carri er, enlisted September 2, 186 1; veteran, J anuary 19, 1864 ; mustered out February 12, 1866. J ohn Cran ston, Tyrone, enlistee! February 16, 1864; mu stered out February 12, 1866. Charles Crippen, en listed September 13, 186 1; discharged at end of se rvice, October 24, I 864. J ohn Ford, Oceola, enlisted February 27, 1864; mu stered out March 16, 1866. Quintus F oster, H artla nd, enlisted J an uary 16, 1864; mu stered out March 16, 1866. Thomas Graham, Hartland , enlistee! September 17, 1861; veteran, Janu ary 19, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. J ohn Gra ham, Hartland, enlisted Janu ary 4, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. R obert Graham, H art land, enlisted Janu ary 5, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. Charles W. Hamilt on, Tyrone, enlisted January 27, 1864 ; mustered out F ebruary 12, 1866. J ames R. Price, Hartland, enlisted September 18, 186 1; discharg ed for disability. Edwin R ogers, Brighton, enlisted F ebruary 27, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. J acob Shook, Tyrone, enlisted February 4, 1864; mu stered out February 12, 1866. Peter Shook, Tyron e, enlisted February 1, 1864; muster ed out February 12, 1866. Marlin V. Stewart, Hartland, enlisted October 9, 1861; died in . action at Iuk a, Mississippi, September 13, 1862. John Sayers , H artland, enlisted Janu a ry 4, 1864; died of disease at St. J ohn 's , Missouri, July JO , 1865. David C. Smith, H art land , discharged for disability, April 4, 1863. J ames Welch, Hartland, enlisted J anuary 4, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. Company L. Edward Clinton, enli sted October 1, 1861; discharged for disabi lity, F ebruary, 1862. R obert \V. Caskey, Io sco , enli sted October 1, 1861; veteran,January 19, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. Ezra A. Fox, H andy, enlisted October 1, 186 1; died of disease in Indi ana, May 1, 1862 . Davie! W . Kennedy, Hamburg, enlisted August 27, 1862; mustered out Jun e 2, 1865. Charle s M. Loree, Handy, enlisted Oct ober 9, 1861; veteran, J anuary 19, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. J oseph C. Loree, Handy, enlisted October 1, 1861; veteran, J an · uary 19, 1864. Alvin Loree, Han dy, enlisted October 9, 186 1 ; died of disease, Jul y 20, 1862, in Tenne ssee. Michae l McManu s, sergeant, Handy, enli sted September 20, 186 1; discharged for di sability, Ap ril 15, 1862. Th omas Moore, H andy, enl isted October 1, 186 1; died in actio n at Moulton, Alabama, July 21, 1862. D. R. Newman, Handy, enlisted N ovember 9, 186 1; ve teran, J anuary 19, 1864; must ered out Fe brua ry !2, 1866. J ames L. Tu bbs , farr ier, enlisted October 1, 1861; discha rg ed for disability, April 15, 1862. George J . \Vhitehead, H andy , enlisted October 1, 186 1 ; mu stered out February 12, 1866 . Otl,er Companies. E dward Denson, Company B; enli stee! September 9, 186 1 ; veteran, J anuary 19, 1864; died of disease on Mississippi Ri ver, October 17, 1864. \\' illiam Drumm, H owe ll, Company B ; enlisted March 5, 1864; mustered out February 12, 1866. Daniel Campbe ll, H artland, Company E ; enlisted February 15, 1864; discharg ed for disab ility, Octobe r 1, 1864 . Em anuel Kirby, Gre en Oak, Company F; enli stee! J anuar y 3, 1864 ; died of disease at Duvall' s Bluff, Sept embe r 19, 1864. Charles W. T enn ey, sergea nt, veteran, J an uary 19, 1864; promoted to seco nd lieutenant , Company 1. · Bra dley Il. Norto n, Hartl and, Company A; en listee! J anua ry 14, 1864; died of disease at Duvall's Bluff, June 21, 1864. George M. \.Yallac e, H amburg, Compa ny D; enli sted J anuary 25, 1864; muster ed out Sep tember 19, 1865. THIRD AND SIXTH CAVALRY. I I I SIXTH CAVALRY. Th e Sixth Michigan Cavalry, which was organized at Grand Rapids in the autumn of I 862, carried on its rolls the names of more th an fifty men from Livin gs ton County, the large st number being in Company D. Th e regiment was mu ster ed into the United States service with twelve hundred men, und er Colon el George Gray, on the thirteenth of October in that year, and on th e tenth of December following left the rendezvous for Washington, District of Columbia , mounted and equipp ed, but not armed. It rema ined in the vicinity of Washington throu gh the winter, and on th e opening of th e campaign of I 863 joined th e cavalry corps of the Army of the Potomac, being assigned to th e Second Brigade of the Third Division. Durin g the campaig n of that year it experienced much of active service in Virginia, Mary land, and Pennsylvania, taking part in engage ment s and skirmishes as follow s : Hanover, Virginia, June 30th; Hunt ers - town, Pennsylvania, July 2d; Gettysburg, July 3d; Monterey, Maryland, July 4th; Cavetown, Maryland, July 5th: Smithtown, Boonsboro', Hag erstown, and Williamsport, Maryland, July 6th; Hagerstown and Williamsport, July roth; Falling Waters, Virginia (where, accordi ng to official reports, it was highly distinguished for gallant behavior), July 14th; Snick er's Gap, July 19th; Kelly's Ford, September 13th; Culpeper Court- House, Septemb er 14th; Raccoon Ford, Sept ember 16th; White's Ford, September 21st; Jack's Shop, September 26th; James City, October r 2th; Brandy Station, Octob er I 3th ; Buckland's Mills, October 19th; Stev ensb urg, November 19th; and Morton's Ford, November 26th . From the latt er date it remained in winter quart ers at Stevensburg until the twenty-ei ghth of February, 1864, when it joined the cavalry column of Kilpatrick, on hi s great raid to the vicinity of Richmond. Returning from that ex pedition to camp at Stevensburg, it was tran sferred to th e Fir st Cavalry Division, and soon after mov ed camp to Culpeper. It was engaged, and fought bravely, near Chancellorsville, May 6th, and skirmished on the seventh and eighth. On th e morning of th e ninth it moved with General Sheridan's comm and on th e raid to the rear of the Confederate army, holding the advance. From this tim e until th e clo se of the year its hi story is one of almo st continuou s movement, which may be summed up by the enumeration of the fights and skirmishes in which it took part, as follows: Beaver Dam, Virginia, May 9th; Yellow Tavern, May roth and I I th; Meadow Bridge, May I 2th; Hanov er Court-House, Virginia, May 27th; Haw es' Shop, May 28th; Baltimore Cross-Roads, May 29th; Cold Harbor, May 30th and June rst; Tr evillian Station, June I I th and I 2th; Cold Harbor, July 21st; Winchester, August IIth; Front Royal, August 16th; Leetown, August 25th; Shepherdstown, Virginia, August 26th; Smithfield, August 29th; Berryville, September 3d ; Summit, September 4th; Opequan, Septemb er 19th; Luray, September 24th; Port Republic, September 26th, 27th, and 28th; Mount Crawford, Virginia, October 2d; Woodstock, October 9th; Cedar Creek, October 19th; Madison Court-Hou se, December 24th. On th e opening of th e spring campaign it moved with the oth er cavalry forces of Sheridan, February 27, 1865, towards Gordon sville, a nd fought at Loui sa Court-House, March 8th. Th en th e command moved by way of White House Landing to and across the Jame s Riv er, and joined the Army of th e Potomac in time to take part in the final battl es of the war, being engaged at Five Forks, Virginia, March 30th, 31st, and April 1st; at Southside Railro ad, April 2d; Duck Pond Mills, April 4th ; Sailor's Cre ek, April 6th; and Appomattox , April 9th. In one of th ese engagements the rebel general Pick ett was captured, and he afterwards spoke of the charge of the Sixth on th at occasion as " the bravest charge he had eve r seen." After L ee's surrend er th e regim ent moved to Petersburg, th ence to North Carolina, and th en nort h to 'Washington, District of Columbia, where it marched in the great review of May 23d. Immed iately after it was ordered West, and moved with th e Michigan Cavalry Brigade, via Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and th e Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri Rivers, to Fort L eave nworth. Th ere it received orders to move over th e Plains, westward, on duty in the Indi an country. The officers and men were greatly disgusted at this, but they would not soil th eir noble record by disobedience, and so they moved unhe sitatingly to th e performanc e of th e disag reeable duty, on which th ey remained till th e seventeenth of September, 1865, when the men of the regiment whose term did not expire before February r, I 866, were con so lidated with the First Michigan Cavalry, and th e remaind er of the comm and was ordered back to Fort Leave nworth, where it was must ered out of service, November 24, 1865. R eturnin g to Michigan, it arrived at Jack so n, November 30th, and was there disb anded. MEMBERS OF THE SIXTH CAVALRY FROM LIVINGSTON COUNTY . Co111pa11Ay. \\'i!li am ;\[. Bigh am, Bright on, enl isted A ugu st 4, 1862; mu ste red out Jun e 21, 1865. Charles H . De'.ln, Brighton, enli sted Augu st 9, 1862 ; mu ste red out Jun e 21, 1865. .. 112 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. J oh n Holcomb, Brighton, enlisted August 12, 1862; died in Andersonville prison, September 6, 1864. Sergeant Erastus J . Horton, Brighton, August 7, 1862; discharged for disability, October 23, 1862. Ira C. Horton (non-commissioned staff), Handy, enli sted August 7, 1862; mu stered out November 23, 1865. William Palmeter, Handy, enli sted August 12, 1862; tran sferred to Veteran Reserve Corps September I, 1863. Charle s S. Palmer, Oceola, enlisted Angust 15, 1862; mustered out June 21, 1865. Corporal Ri char d Parshall, Brighton, enlisted August II, 1862; mustered out Jun e 21, 1865. William R . Raclforcl, Brighton, enlisted August 4, 1862; mustered out June 21, 1865. J ohn T. Sprague, Brighton, enlisted August 15, 1862; died in prison at Richmond, February 9, 1864. Amos \&gt;Varel,B righton, enl istee! August 15, 1862; died in prison at Richmond, February 17, 1864. Company B. Captain N elson C. Thomas, Brighton, enli ste d as private August 14, 1862; promoted to sergeant, and from that grade to first lieutenant, July 14, 1863; to captain, January 5, 1865; muster ed out November 24, 1865. Corporal J ohn A . Platt, Brighton, enlisted August 12, 1862; died in Richm ond prison, February 9, 1864. P rivates. Archibald Campbell, en listed September 8, 1862; discharged for disability, December 14, 1864. Philip Cunningh am, Brighton, enlisted August 14, 1862; mustered out October 10, 1865. H omer Goucher, Hartl and ; died in Andersonville prison, October 13, 1864. Charles Goucher, Hartland; died of disease at Stevensburg, Virginia, February 21, 1864. Jacob H. Smith, Brighton, enlisted December 5, 1863; mu stere d out May 19, 1865. Company D. First Li euten ant Luther C. Kan ouse, Cohoctah; promoted from sergeant, July I , 1864; mustered out N ovembe r 24, 1865. Setgeant Jared L. Cook, H owe ll, enlisted September 5, 1862; discharged by ord er, July 18, 1865. Privates. Ju stus F. Boyd, Cohoct ah, enlisted August 14, 1862; promoted to corpor.11, September 5, 1862; d ischarged for disability, March 24, 1863. Lyman Blodgett, Deer field, en listed September 5, 1862; died in Ri chmond pri son , J an uary 29, 1864. Martin N . Brayt on, Cohoctah, enlisted J anuary 25, 1864; mustered out March 25, 1865. Jar ed L . Cook, H owe ll, enlisted September 5, 1862; tran sferred to Veteran Re serve Corp s, March 31, 1864. Augu stus C. Fox, Deerfield, corporal, enlisted September 7, 1862; discharged for disab ility, J anuary 26, 1864. Henry Fisher; mu stered out May 15, 1865. Farri s G. Fairbanks, Cohocta h, enlisted February 20, 1864; died in Lynchbur g pri son, July 5, 1864. J ames Gordon, Conway, enlisted October 8, 1862; died in Andersonville prison, June 28, 1864. Charles E. Huff, Cohoctah , enlisted September 4, 1862; discharged for disab ility. Benjami n B. Head , H owe ll, teams ter, enl isted October 2, 1862; discharged for disability, March 24, 1863. Con rad C. H ayner, Cohoctah, enlisted February 20, 1864; muster ed out June 14 , 1865 . J ohn J ordan , Oceola, enlisted September 7, 1862; mu stered out Au gus t IO, 1865. H en ry Kelly, Cohoctah, enlisted February 1, 1864 ; mu ster ed out March 25, 1865. L. C. K anouse , Coh octah , sergea nt; discharged by order, August 6, 1864. Hiram Moore, Cohoctah, enli sted February 20, 1864; died of disease at Cleve land, Ohio, March 28, 1864. Willi am W. Olds, Conway, en listed September 9, 1862; muster ed out June 9, 1865. Am os Pratt, Cohoctah, enli sted Septemb er 6, 1862; mu stered out J anuary 12, 1865. John W. Randall, Cohoctah, enli sted September 8, 1862; mustered out November 24, 1865. Carlos Rider, Deerfield, enlisted September IO, 1862; di ed 111 action at Trevillian Station, June II, 1864. J oh n W. Soule, Cohoctah, enlisted September 6, 1862; died of wounds received in action, July 8, 1863. Jo seph Shafer, Cohoctah, enlisted September IO, 1862; died 111 Ri chm ond prison, February 12, 1864. Francis Sackner, Oceola, enlisted February 23, 1864; mustered out Jun e 23, 1865. Samu el Scripture, H andy, enlisted August 30, 1862; mustered out May 11, 1866. Company G. Franci s Clark, Brighton, en listed August 5, 1862; mustered out July 27, 1865. J osep h W. Cole, Oceola, enlisted March 18, 1865; mu ste red out February Io, I 866 . Company I. T. C. Cran ston, Tyrone, corporal, en listed September 12, 1862; died in action at Trevillian Station, June I 1, 1864. W. J ohn son, Hartland, enlisted Septemb er 9, 1862; died of disease at Seneca, Mary land, Jun e I I , I 863 . R. H. Pay ne, Tyron e, enlisted August 25, 1862; died in Andersonville pri son-p en, June 15, 1864. D . Wh alen , Hartland, enlisted September 9, 1862; died of disease at Seneca, Mary lan d, June I 1, 1863. Robert B. Garner, Tyrone, enlisted August 25, 1862; mu stered out November 24, 1865. Company K . T aylor Parshall, Oceola, enlisted March 14, 1865; mustered out Mar ch 25, 1865. CHAPTER XII. OTHER LIVINGSTON COUNTY SOLDIERS. First Michi ga n Li ght Artille ry-F irst, Second, Third, Seventh, Eighth, T ent h, Eleventh, Fourteenth, Sixteenth, Ei ght een th, Nin eteenth, Tw entieth, Twenty-fir st, Twenty-third, Twentyfourth, Twenty-seventh, Twenty -eighth, Tw enty-ninth, and Thirti eth Infantry Re giment s- First, Fifth, Ei ghth , Tenth, and Eleventh Cava lry - First Sharpshooters- One Hundr ed and Second United States Colored Troop s-Un ited States Sharpshooter s. BESIDES the regiments which have been mentioned above, th ere were severa l others which contained soldiers from Livingston County, whose record is equally bright .and honorable, though serving in regiments in which the county representation was less numerous. Of the men who served in these regiments, a list is given in thi s chapter. FIRST MICHIGAN LIGHT ARTILLERY . . I I 3 FIRST MICHIGAN LIGHT ARTILLERY. This regiment contained a comparatively large number of Livingston County men, but these were scattered through several of the batteries of which the regiment was composed, and the histories of the batteries are as distinct, and as unconnected with each other, or with the regimental organization, as are the historie s of the same number of infantry or cavalry regiments . Therefore the First Light Artillery cannot be mention ed as a whole. The battery which contained a larger number than any other-and in fact a larger number than all the others-of Livingston County soldiers, was Battery H. This batt ery was organized at Monroe, under Captain Samuel De Golyer, and left that place March 13, 1862, with orders to report to General Halleck, at St. Louis, Missouri. It remained in service until July 22, 1865, and the battles and skirmishes in which it was engaged during those thr ee years are recorded in. the office of the Adjutant-Gen eral of Michigan, as follows: "Thompson's Mills, Mis sissi ppi, May l, 1863; Raymond, Mississippi, May 12, 1863; Jackson, Mississippi, May 14, 1863; Champion Hills, Mississippi, May 16, 1863; Siege of Vicksburg, May l 8 to July 4, l 863; Brownsville, Mississippi, Octob er, 1863; Clinton, Mississippi, February, 1864; Big Shanty, Georgia, June 14, I 864; Kenesaw, Georgia, June 27, 1864; Nickaj ack Creek, Geo rgia, July 5, 1864; Peachtree Creek, Georgia, July 22, 1864; Siege of Atlanta, July 22 to August 25, 1864; Jonesboro', Georgia, August 31, 1864; Lov ejoy' s Station, Georgia, Sep tember I, I 864." Equally dangerous and creditable service was per- .formed by Livingston County men in the other batteries. Following is the list of soldiers from this county, serving in the several batteri es of the Light Artillery organization: BATTERY C. Asa McFall, H owell, en listed October 11, 1861; di scharged for disab ility, .February 9, 1862. Reube n McFall, How ell, enli sted December I, 1861; died of disease at Iuk a, Mississippi, September 3, 1862. George H. Mil es, Huw ell, en listed D ecembe r IO, 1861; d ischarged at end of service, December I 8, I 864. Joseph H. Pre ston, H owe ll , enlisted December 8, 1861; discharged for dis ab ility, November 6, 1862. Allen C. Stearns, Howell, enlisted December 12, 186 1; veteran, D ece mber 28, 1863; sergeant; mu stered out July 22, 1865. BATTERY G. Willard L. Pre ston, Unadilla, enlisted December 28, 1863; muster ed ou t A ugust 6, 1865. Corpora l John \V. Scrive r, Hamburg,enli sted September 14, 1864 ; mustered out August 6, 1865. BATTERY H. ·Fir st Li eutena nt Asa E . Waterman, Hartland, Decemb er 27, 1864; seconcl lieutenant, Apri l 25, 1864; mus_tered out July 22, 1865. 15 Sergeant-Major Quintu s Fosler, Hartland, enli sted October 17, 1861; discharged for disability, September 20, 1862. Henry C. Andrews, Hartland, enlist ed September 12, 1864; mu stered out Jul y 22, 1865. Corporal Edwin A. Bullard, Hartland, September 12, 1864; mu stered out July 22, 1865. William Burch, Unadilla, en listed October 17, 1861 ; discharget! for disability, September 1, 1862. David H. Cleve land , Unadilla, enli sted December 28, 1863; muster ed out July 22, 1865. Eugene W. Cha mplin, Oceola, en listed September 12, 1864; mu stered out July 22, 1865. Llewellyn Cha lker, Unadilla, enlisted August 25, 1864; discharged by order, May 30, 1865. Morris Davis, Unadilla, en listed D ecem ber 28, 1863 ; died of disease at Cairo, Illin ois , June, 1864. Henry A. Dibble, Unadilla, enli sted November 20, 186 1; discharged for disability, Au gust 22, 1862. J ames E. Durkee, Unadilla, enlisteJ December 28, 1863; mustered out Jul y 22, 1865. Henry C. Ellis, Unadi lla, en listed December 30, 1863; mu stered out July 22, 1865. W . Eggl esto n, Unadilla, en listed March 17, 1864; mustered out July 22, 1865. Nathaniel C. Etheridge, H art land , enlisted November 14, 1861; sergea nt; discharged for disability. Hubbard \V. Franklin, Hartl and, enlisted September 12, 1864; mu stered out July 22, 1865. William H. Fay, Unadilla, enli sted December 28, 1863; mu stered out July 22, 1865. Fred. Griswold, H artland, enlistee! Octob,er 20, 1861; discharged for di sability, J anuary 8, 1863. Rob ert Griswold, H artland, enli sted Jan uary 1, 1862; veteran, January 1, 1864; mustered out Jul y 22, 1865. William Griswold, Hanland, enlisted November 15, 1861; discharged for disability, July 24, 1862. William J . May, Hartland, enlisted November 17, 186 1; discharged at end of service, Janu ary 30, 1865. Elias· McOmber, H art l:rnd, enli sted September 12, 1864; mustered out July 22, 1865. Alvah T . Phillips, Hartland, enli sted September 12, 1864; mu stered out May 12, 1865. James Sayres, Hartland, enli sted September 7, 1864; mustered out June 8, 1865. Samue l Sayr es, Hartland, enli sted Octob er 24, 1861; veteran, January 1, 1864; mustered out July 22, 1865. Zina B. Slocum, Hartland, enli sted November 20, 186 1; died of dis ease at New Madrid, Mis souri, June 5, ,1862. Stephen D. Stedman, H owe ll, en listed December 2, 1861; disch arged for disability , February, 1863. J ohn Stamp, Unadilla, en listed August 22, 1864; died at Chat tanooga, May 12, 1865. George H. Tryon, Unadi lla, enl isted November 6, 1861 ; veteran, January 1, 1864; mustered out Jul y 22, 1865. Thomas A. Tisdale, H artl and, enlisted J an uary 1, 1862; discharged for di sability, June 3, 1862. Frederick Wildt, Hartland, enli sted J anua ry 3, 1862; discharg ed by orde r, October 26, 1863. John G. Williams, Hartl and, e.nli sted Septemb er 12, 1864; died at Hartland, Michigan, May 8, 1865. Lewis Warren, Hartland, enlisted October 8, 1864; mustered out Jul y 22, 1865. BATTERY I. Ja cob Maumee, Iosco, enlisted Septemb er 27, 1864; mustered ou t July 14, 1865. J oh n F. Peterson, Oceola, enlisted September 24, 1864; mustered out July 14, 1865. BATTERY M. Alfred Br.1dley , Putnam, enlisted September 5, 1864. Andrew B:iker, Putn1m, en listed September 5, 1864. 114 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. Lawton Babcoc k, Putnam, enlisted September 5, 1864. Daniel R. Jeffreys, Marion, enlisted March 10, 1864. THIRTEENTH MICHIGAN BATTERY.* Second Lieutenant Jack Blakes ly, Deerfield, January 2, 1865; mustered out July 1, 1865. Lewi s L. Chubb, Putnam, enlisted September 15, 1863; sergeant; mustered out July I, 1865. FIRST INFANTRY. Ge orge H. Annis, H andy, Company H; enlisted Octob er 29, 1861; discharged September I, 1862. William W. Collins, Company F; enlisted September 7, 1861; dischar ged for disab ility, March 11, 1863. William H. Fi elds; Compa ny I; discharged on account of wound s, October 16, 1862. J oseph Philip s, Company F; enlisted July 17, 1861; mustered out November 3, 1865. Jon athan Sharld, Company F; enlistee\ September 5, 1861; discharged for disability, May 2, 1863. SECOND INFANTRY. Marshall Bennett, Gen oa , Company I; enlisted March 27, 1864; mustered out August 28, 1865. Jam es Coe, Company E; mustered out July 28, 1865. Peter Cameron, H owell, Company F; enlisted March 28, 1864; must ered out July 20, 1865. John Fren ch, Company I; discharged for disability. Thoma s H oward, Deerfield, Company I; enlisted April 23, 1864; mu stered out Jun e 7, 1865. Jame s H amlin, Deerfie ld, Company G; enlistee\ March 28, 1864; discharged for wound s, May 15, 1865. Joseph Neely, Cohoctah, Company F; died of disease at Wa shington, Di stri ct of Columbia, April I, 1865. Theo . Ne ely, Cohoctah, Company E; enlisted March 28, 1864 ; mustered out Jul y II, 1865. Isaac Van Loon, Company H; discharged at end of service, January 1, 1865. Henry P. Wimble s, Company H; discharged hy order, June 5, 1865. Franklin Goodrich, H owell, Company K; enli sted Mar ch 26, 1864; discharged for disease , May 1, 1865. THIRD INFANTRY . Company C. Or en W. Trembly, musician, enli sted June 10, 1861; died of disease at Harris on's Landing , Virginia, July 24, 1862. REORGANIZED THIRD INFANTRY.t Major John C. Hall, Oceola, J anuar y I, 1865; resigned Jun e 14, 1865. Company A. Albert H. Whiting, Marion, en listed March 20, 1865; discharged ;t end of service, Mar ch 3, 1866. Company C. Franklin 0. Beach, Marion, enlisted March 28, 1865; mustered out March 26, 1866. Edward C. Brown, Marion, enli sted March 28, 1865; corpora l; mustered out March 26, 1866. D. In gra ham, Bright on, en listee\ September 17, 1864; died of disease at Na shville, January 20, 1865. * N ot a part of the First Artillery. t This regiment was not mu stered into the service until October 15, 1864. It left the rende zvous at Grand Rapids, October 20, and proceeded to Nashville, Tenn essee . It afterward s did good se rvice in T en nessee, Alabama, and Texas. It s batt les and skirmishes record ed in the adjutant-general's office are "Decatur, Alabama, October 28, 29, and 30, 1864; Murfree sboro' , T ennessee , November 30 to D ~cernber zo, 1861." Company D. Jame s Cooper, Marion, enli sted March 20, 1865; mustered out by order, Augu st 22, 1865. · William 'vV. Kenyon, Marion, enli sted March 25, 1865; mu stered out August 30, 1865. Arthur 'vV. Wimbl es, Mari on, enlisted March 25, 1865; mu stered out March 27, 1866. Company E . John Beckwi.th, Brighton, en listed September 15, 1864; mu stered out May 25, 1866. Lemuel Chipman, Conway, enlisted Septembe r I 5, 1864; mustered out May 25, 1866. Simon Durkee, Brighton, enlisted September 14, 1864; mu ster ed out May 25, 1866 . Samuel Rowling, Conway, en listed September 16, 1864; mu ster ed out May 25, 1866. Jam es M. Wilson, Brighton, enli sted Augu st 30, 1864; corporal; mustered out May 25, 1866. Company r: Jac ob B. Boyer, Conway, enlistee\ September 15, 1864; discharged by order, October 4, 1865. James W. Bigelow, Oceola, enfot ed September 22, 1864; sergeant; discharged by order, October 4, 1865. George Catlin, Oceo la, enli sted September 17, 1864; mustered out May 25, 1866. Douglas In graham, Brighton, enlisted Septembe r 17, 1864; died of dise ase at Murfr eesboro', April 10, 1865. J ames Latimer, Oceola, enlistee\ Septemb er 17, 1864; mustered out May 25, 1866. Henry 'vVoorl, Oceola, enlisted September 22, 1864; corporal; mustered out May 25, 1866. Andr ew 'vVarren, Unadilla, enli sted March 8, 1865; mustered out May 25, 1866. Company G. Captai n J ohn C. Hall, Oceola, August 15, 1864; promoted to major, J anuary I, 1865. Sergeant Walter L. Hall ett, Brighton, enlisted September 5, 1864; discharged for disability, March 29, 1865. Sergeant J ohn McKay, Deerfield, enlisted September 8, 1864; promoted to second lieutenant; muster ed out as sergeant, May 25, 1866. Char les Buzzell, Oceola, enlisted September 19, 1864; corporal; mustered out May 25, 1866. Alvin A. Hall, Brighton , enlisted September 5, 1864; mustere d out May 25, 1866. Lemuel Rum sey , Brighton, enlisted August 5, 1864 ; mu stered out May 25, 1866. J ohn Tufts, Oceola, enlisted September 24, 1864; mustered out May 25, 1866. Emmett M. H opkin s, mu stered out May 25, 1866. Isaac S. Tower, mu stered out May 25, 1866. Company H. Arthur H . Fish, Genoa, serg eant; seco nd lieutenant, November 28, 1864; first lieutenant June 15, 1865; mustered out May 25, 1866. J ohn McKenzie, Brighton, enli sted October 4, 1864; discharg ed for promotion. Company I. Nathaniel Allison, Brighton, enlisted August 29, 1864; transferred to Company F; discharged .by order, November 1, 1865 . Robert Acson, Genoa, en listed August 31, 1864; mustered out May 25, 1866. William I-I. Austin, Green Oak, enli sted September 16, 1864; muster ed out May 25, 1866. Samuel C. Bro ckw ay , Genoa, enlistee\ Septe mber 8, 1864; discharged by ord er, August 28, 1865. OTHER LIVINGSTON COUNTY SOLDIERS. II5 Peter Dyckman, Gr ee n Oak, en listed September 8, 1864; discharg ed by order, September 5, 1865. John Dyckman, Gr een Oak, enlisted October 7, 1864 ; died at Murfr eesboro', Dece mber 29, 1864. Solomon Dyckman, Green Oak , en listed Sept ember 6, 1864; mustered out May 25, 1866. H enry Dou gherty, Putnam, enlisted September 12, 1864; tran sferred to Company H, 4th Infantry; died at San Antonio, T exas . Charles Hall, Green Oak, enlis ted September 5, 1864; died of disease at Kn oxv ill e, April, 1865 . Freeman H aynes, Gr ee n Oak, enli sted September 6, 1864; mustered out May 25, 1866. William J. Kni ght, Gr ee n Oak, en listed September 1, 1864, sergeant; mustered out May 25, 1866. Jam es J. Meeha n, Unadi lla, enli sted Septembe r 7, 1864; died at Gree n Lake , Tex as, Jul y 23, 1865. \Villi atn F. R obin son, Oce ola, enlisted September 17, 1864; absent, sick; not must ered out with company. J ahn Stan sell, Gr een Oak, enlisted Augu st 27, 1864, corpora l; mustered out May 25, 1866. J ames Shank s, Green Oak , enli sted September 3, 1864, sergeant; mustered out llfay 25, 1866. Alb ert Ward, Unadilla, en listed September 17, 1864; muster ed out May 25, 1866. Ernest Winter, Ge noa, en liste d September 12, 1864, corporal; mustere d out May 25, 1866. J ames A. Vvilson, Gree n Oak, enlisted Augu st 30, 1864, corporal; mustered out May 25, 1866 . W endell Willi s, Putnam, enlisted Septembe r 24, 1864; mustered out May 25, 1866. Company K. J ohn F. Walter, Brighton, enli sted October 6, 1864; disc harged by orde r, June 8, 1865 . . SEVENTH INFANTRY . W arre n S. Berry, Company F; died of disease at Glenda le, Virginia, Jun e 30, 1862. Oscar Blood, Company F, enli sted Augu st 22, 1861; died of dis - ease at Camp Benton, Mar yland, Febru ary 11, 1862 . Ja mes B~rnhart, Howell , Company G, enlisted March 3, 1863; tran sferred to Inv alid Corp s, February 15, 1864. Henry Arm strong, Company F, enlisted August 22, 186 1; corpo - ral, May 12, 1862; discharged for disability, F ebruar y 6, 1863. Andrew I. Fore ster, Company F, enlisted Au gust 22, 186 1; service en,lecl September 5, 1864; discha rged. H enry A. Catlin, Comp any F, enlisted Au gust 22, 186 1; service ended August 22, 1864; d ischa rged. George 0. Cole, Company F, enlisted August 22, 186 1; discharg ed for disab ility, F ebruary II, 1863. FIRST REGIMENT ENGINEERS AND MECHANICS. Compa11y K. H enry Devereaux, H owell, enli sted November 23, 1861 ; die d of disease at Nashvi lle, Tenne ssee , February 20, 1862. Franklin Good rich, H owell, enli sted No vember 22, 1861; discharged by ord er, May 28, 186 2. Oliv er Lampman, H owell , enlis ted Novemb er 21, 1861 ; discharged for disab ility, Febru ary 4, 1863. Trum an Mun son, enli sted Jun e 3, 1863; mu stered out September 22, 1865. Davi s Smith , enlisted December 5, I 861 ; disch arged for disability. D av id \\/rig ht, H owell, en listed Dece mber 5, 1861; discharged for disability, Janu ary 24, 1863 . EIGHTH INFANTRY. Company B. Charles P. Bachel or, Oceula, enlisted Febru ary 29, 1864; died of wounds, Jul y 22, 1864, received at Cold H arb or, Jun e 3, 1864. Simon D olph, H owell, enli sted Fe bruary 29, 1864; died in Andersonville pri son , Augu st 14, I 864. Th omas Ea ger, H art lan d, enlisted February 23, 1864; mu stered out July 30, 1865. George R. Gr iswold, H artland, enlisted F ebruary 29, 1864; clie,l of disease at Annap olis, Maryland, Mar ch 22, 1864. Th omas A. H ast ings, Hartl and, enlisted March 22, 1864 ; mustered out Jul y 30, 1865. Henry H etchler , Oceola, enli sted February 25, 1864; discharged by order, May 3, 1865. Charl es Miller, H artl and , enli sted F ebruary 29, 1864; corporal; mu ste red out Jul y 30, 1865. Hiram Merrill, H artland , enli sted F ebru ary 26, 1864; muster ed out Jul y 30, 1865. Charle s Murd ock, H art land, enl isted February 18, 1864; mu stered out July 30, 1865. Calvin Murd ock, Hartland, enlisted F ebru ary 27, 1864; died of disease· in Verm ont, Augu st 30, 1864. Patri ck O'Con nell, Deerfield, enlisted F ebruary 22, 1864 ; mustered out July 30, 1865 . Chaun cey Pur sell, Hartl and, enlisted Feb ruar y 27, 1864; corpo - ral ; mustered out July 30, 1865. Dunford Parker, Oceola, en listed F ebruary 26, 1864; dischar ge d by ord er, May 3, 1865. J ames H. R eese , H art land, enli sted February 27, 1864; dischar ged by order, May 3, 1865. Tim othy Ru ssell, Hartland, enli sted F ebruary 9, 1864; died of disease at Cincinnati, Oh io, Mar ch 18, 1864. Willi am Snell, Oceo la, enli sted Febru ary 25, 1864; discharged by orde r, May 3, I 865. J ohn S. W elsh, Hartland , enli sted February 27, 1864; dischar ged by order, May 3, 1865. Company C. Elnathan Donne, Green Oak, enlisted August 16, 186 1; corpora l; discharged to enli st in regular army, October 26, 1862. Compa ny E. Addi son D. Skinn er, Hartl and, enlisted January 6, 1864; discharged from Invalid Corp s, October 3, 1865. Company G. H enry Smi th, Oceola, enl isted Dece mber 13, 1864; corpora l ; dischar ged by ord er, May 3, 1865. Company H. Edward C. Mar sh, H artland, enlisted February 18, 1864; lost a leg; discharged August 12, 1865. Dani el A. Neely, Cohocta h, enlisted Janu ary 25, 1864; discharged hy order, June 16, 1865. J ohn Ru shby, Oceola, enli sted February 25, 1864; corpora l; mustered out July 30, 1865. George F. Stephen s, Conway, enli sted February 29, 1864; died of wou.nds at Philadelphia, Penn sylvania, Jul y 25, 1864. Company I. George 13. Avis, Conway, enlisted May 2, 1864; kill ed in battle of Wi lde rness, May 6, 1864. \Villi am H . Brock, H artland , enli sted Septemb er 19, 1861; veteran, D ece mber 29, 1863; discharged for disability, March 19, 1865. Th omas Blinclson, Oceola, enlisted September 17, 186 1 ; veteran, D ece mber 29, 1863; sergea nt; mu , terecl out July 30 , 1865. Andr ew Illy, Tyrone, enlisted Aug ust 18, 1862; discharged Feb - ruary 3, I 863. Yetta! A. Baker, Hartland, enl isted Februar y 16, 1864; mu stered out, elate unkn own. McD. M. Gri swolcl, H artla nd, enlisted September 19, 1861; vetera n, Dece mber 29, 1863; sergea nt. 116 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. R oyal D. Hinds, Hartland, enli stee! Sept ember 19, 1861; killed on Jam es Island. June 16, 1862. Willard II . Kessler, Hartland. Ezra M. Martin, Hartland, enlisted September 15, 1861; absent, sick; not mustered out with company . Asa Parshall, Hartland, enlisted September 15, 1861; discharged for disability, Dece mber 14, 1862. J ohn P. Willett, Hartland, enlisted February 25, 1864; died of disease at City Point, Virgin ia, May 18, 1865. Cyrus H. Roger s; died of disease at Washington, March 7, 1863. Compa ny K. Philo Jones, Conway, enlisted February 22, 1864; died of disease at Alexandria, October 8, 1864. Isaiah Rathb one, Brighton, en listed February 29, 1864; prisoner; not mustered out with company. TENTH I NFANTRY. Company A. Bradford Cook, Cohoctah, seco nd lieutenant, en listed October 4, 186 1; first lieutenan t, May 25, 1862; promoted to cap tain , Compa ny E, May 13, 1863. Sergeant Ira Brayton, Cohocta h, enli sted October 23, 1861; dischar ged for d isability, 1862. Corpora l Jam es Devlin, Cohocta h; d ied of disease in hosp ital. Martin Brayton, Cohoctah , en listed October 9, 1861; discharged for disab ility, October 2, I 862. Lyman V. D. Cook, Cohoctah, enlisted October 16, 1861; vtteran, February 16, 1864; mu stered out July 19, 1865. Gideon Cassidy, Conway, en listed Octobe r 30, 186 1; discharged for disability, March 2, I 863. Corpora l Benjamin Coburn, Conway, enlisted October 9, 1861; mustered out July 19, 1865 . Sheldon Dickson, enlisted October 9, 1861; died at Farmington, Mississippi, Jul y 22, 1862. I srae l Ell sworth, Cohoctah , enlisted October 22, 186 1; discharged for disability, March 12, 1862. William Fuller, Conway, enli sted November 18, 1861; died at Farmington, Mississippi, July I!, 1862. Rufus Griswold, enli sted November 12, 1861; di ed at Rosevi lle, Georg ia, May 5, 1864. Edward A. Hart, Howell, enlisted October 21, 186 1; discharged July 2, 1863. Sherwo od Hart, H owe ll, enli sted October 26, 186 1; died of disease at Na shvill e, Tenne ssee, November 17, 1862. David Lord, en listed October I I, 186 1 ; discharged for disability, Febru ary 8, 1862. William H. Hall, Cohocta h, en listeJ October 19, 1861; died at Detroit, 1864. Hu gh McKeever, Howell, enli sted October 27, 1861; discharged for disability, Jun e 21, 1862. David Palmer, Cohoctah, enlistee! October 12, 1861; discharged for disability, July 22, 1862. Christopher Palmer, Cohoctah, enli sted October IO, 1861; veteran, February 6, 1864; died of wounds received at Dalla s. John Pickins, Cohocta h, enlisted October I 1, 1861; died at Cin - cinnati, Ohio, July 29, 1862. Willi am B. Forbes, enlisted October 14, 186 1; discharged at end of serv ice, February 6, 1865. Andrew Willi ams, Jr., en listee! October 11, 186 1; discharg ed at encl of service, February 6, 1865. Company B. Jam es Coleman, Conway, enlisted February 8, 1864; tran sferred to 19th Infantry; mustered out July 19, 1865. George Simpson, Conway, enlisted February 8, 1864; trans ferred to 19th Infantry; absent, sick; not muste red out with company. Company E. Captain Bradf ord Cook, Cohoctah, May 13, 1863; June 29, 1864, died of wounds received at Kenesaw, Georgia. Company F. Henry vV. Th ompson, Tyron e, enli sted April 15, 1864; mustered out Jul y 19, 1865 . L ewis Webb er, Oceo la, enlist ed Decemb er 27, 1864; mustered out July 19, 1865. Company C. Silas K. Hansc, enlisted Nove mber 26, 186 1; discharged at end of se rvice, F ebruary 6, 1865. William Kenn edy, Putn am, en listed Octob er 21, 186 1; dischar ge d for disability, May 6, 1863. Ira Mitchell, en listed October 16, 1861; veteran, February 6, 1864; discharged April 28, 1865. Charles E. Towsley, Putnam, enlisted March 28, 1864; mu stered out July 19, 1865. ELEVENTH INFANTRY. Company D. Jo s. Burroughs, Hamburg, enlisted March 15, 1865; die,! at Chattanoo~ a, April 19, 1865. Sibley R. Case, H amb urg, enlisted March 15, 1865; disc harg ed by ord er, May 3, 1865. Henry E. H oagland, Marion, enlisted March 14, 1865; disch arged by order, August 5, 1865. Eugene Humphrey, Hamburg, enlisted March 15, 1865; discharged by order , September 16, 1865. Charle s E. Johnson, Hamburg, enli sted March 8, 1865; discharged by orde r, September 16, 1865. Company K. Geo rge Lane, Unadilla , enli sted March 7, 1865; sergeant; discharged by order, September 16, 1865. Willi am Pyper, Unadilla, enli stee! March 7, 1865; discharged by order, September 16, 1865. FOURTEENTH INFANTRY. J ames Abbo tt, Io sco , Comp any K; enlistee! November 22, 186 1; dis charged for disability, July 1 , 1862. J oseph Barnes, Company K; enli stee! February 17, 1862; discharged at encl of service, April IO, 1865. Edward D own er, Company E; enli sted Dece mber 3, 1861; d ischarged at end of service, March 14, 1865. Edw arJ Han ey, Howell, Company B; enlisted April 19, 1864; mustered out Jul y 18, 1865. Henry Hop son, Company I ; died of disease at Ypsilanti, July 27, 1862. Leon ard H elms, Company D; enlisted December 5, 1861; vetera n, Janu ary 4, 1864; mu stered out July 18, 1865. Philander Helms, Company D; enlisted December 26, 1861; died of disease at Farmington, Mississippi, Augu st 3, 1862. John McNally, Cohoctah, Company E; enlisted December 7, 1861; discharged for disability, July 1, 1862. Benoni L. Ward, Marion, Company K; enlisted J anuary 8, 1862; vet eran, January 4, 1864; mustered out July 18, 1865 . Martin E. Wil son, Deerfield, Company I; enli sted September 28, 1864; mustered out July 18, 1865. SIXTEENTH INFANTRY. Company B. Peter Mal osh, Howell, enlistee! March 23, 1865; mustered out July 8, 1865. Company C. A rthur M. Hodg es, enli sted Aug ust 2, 1861; veteran, Dec ember 24, 1863. OTHER LIVINGSTON COUNTY SOLDIERS. 117 Compa11y D. Benjami n L. Cook, dischar ge d by ord er, Jun e 22, 1865. George Maxfield, mustererl out Jul y 8, 1865. Henry A. Vose, mustered out July 8, 1865. Company E. Jam es Barney, How ell, enli sted March 29, 1865; mu ster ed out July 8, 1865. Samuel Fi sher, Cohoctah, en listed March 3 1, 1865; mu stered out July 8, 1865. Edward Light all, mus tered out July 8, 1865 . Compa ny C. J ohn M. Caldwe ll, Deerfi eld, enli sted February 10, 1863; mustered out Jul y 8, 1865. Alexander Fi sher, De erfield , enlisted March 29, 1865; muster ed out July 8, 1865 . Marsena H olm es, D ee rfield, enlisted F ebru ary 28, 1863; muster ed out Jul y 8, 1865. Charles J oh nson, Putnam, enlisted F ebru ary 2, 1865; must ere d out July 8, 1865. Charl es Moore, Howell, enli sted Mar ch 28, 1865; mu ster ed out July 8, 1865. William llfoore, Cohocta h, enlisted March 28, 1865; mustere d out July 8, 1865. Willi am Robins on, H owe ll , enlisted .March 18, 1865; mu stered out July 8, 1865. Compa ny I. Franklin Abb ot; veteran, December 22, 1863. Phin eas Butler, Cohoc tah, enli sted Dec emb er 9, 1861; died in action at Gaines' Mill s, Jun e 27, 1862. Edmond Breford, Cohoctah , enlisted October 22, 186 1; discharged for disab ilit y, Jun e 29, 1862. J ames Bogart, Putn am, enlist ed D ece mber IO, 1861; died in battle at Gettys burg, Penn sylvania, Jul y 3, 1863. J ohn Carne y, H owell, en listed J anu ary 2, 1862; discharged for d isabilit y, Augu st 24, 1863. John Mand ling, H artla nd, enli sted March 28, 1865; mustered out July 8, 1865. George R eed , H owe ll, enlisted December IO, 186 1; discharg ed February 18, 1863. J ohn Smith, Putnam, enlisted March 25, 1865; discharged by order, June 8, 1865. Company K. S. M. Craw , Oceola, enli sted February 10, 1863; discharge d at end of service, November 21, 1863. EIGHTEENTH INFANTRY. Company B. Don ald H. Bliss, Company H; died of disease at Le xington, K entucky , D ecember 30, 1862. Uriah Carpen ter, Ma rion, enlisted September 7, 1864 ; muster ed out June 26, 1865. NINETEENTH INFANTRY . Company C. J ames Coleman, Conway, enlisted February 8, 1864 ; mustered out May 20, 1865. Geo rge J . Simpson, Conway, enlisted F ebrua ry 8, 1864; tran sferred to 10th Mic higan In fantry , Jun e IO, 1865. TWENTIETH INFANTRY. Company H. V-' illiam A. Snow, H ambur g , enlisted Augus t 11, 1862; missing at Spott sylvania, May 12, 1864. TWE N TY -F IRST INFANT R Y. Co111panyH . Gi les T . Rrown, dis charg ed for disabi lity, D ece mber 6, 1862. Job S. Sherman, discharged for disab ility, D ecemb er 6, 1862. TWENTY-THIRD I NFANTRY. George F . Snapp, Tyron e, Company A; enlisted Septemb er 5, 1864; tran sferred to 28th Inf antr y, Ju ne 28, 1865. George A . L osee, T yrone, Company B; enlisted September z, 1864; tran sferr ed to 29th Infantry ; mu stered out Ju ne 28, 1865. Benjamin L oomis, Genoa, Company B ; enli sted Septemb er 28, 1864; sick in W ashin gton, February I 1, 1865. Blenker L. Bark er, Conway, Company H; enlisted August 13, 1862; mustered out June 28, 1865. Stephen D . H arrin gton, H owell, Company H; enli sted September 9, 1862; mustered out June 28, 1865. TWENTY-FOURTH INFANTRY . Company E. H osea Birdsall, Tyrone, enlisted March 14, 1865 ; mustered out Jun e 30, 1865 . Israe l Buzzell, enli sted March 22, 1865 ; mu stered out Jun e 30, 1865. L evi Banckman, enlisted Mar ch 22, 1865; mustered out Jun e 30, 1865. George A. Bidwe ll, mustered out Jun e 30, 1865. Milo Crawford, mustered out June 30, 1865. Ezra C. Crane , Brighton, enli sted March 29, 1865; mu stered out Jun e 30, 186 5. Augu stus S. Denton, Tyron e, enlisted March 14, 1865; mustered out Jun e 30, 1865. Charles E. Durf ee, Brighto n, enli sted March 29, 1865; mu stered out Jun e 30, 1865. Willi am Carter, T yro ne, enlisted March 22, 1865 ; mustered out June 30, 1865. Dani el Harringt on, Ty rone, en listed March 14, 1865; mustered out Jun e 30, 1865. Amos R ogers, muster ed out June 30, 1865. H enr y G. Th om pson, muste red out Jun e 30, 1865. Jos. T. Van Amburg, mustered out Jun e 30, 1865. J ames E . Whalen, Tyr one, enl isted M,irch 14, 1865; mu ste red out Jun e 30, 1865. TW EN TY- SEV EN TH INFANTRY. Henry H agado rn, H owell, Compa ny G; enlisted F ebruary IO, 1863; died of disease , Jun e 9, 1864. Char les W . Payne, Fir st Ind epe nd ent Sharp shoote rs ; died of disease, October 25, 1864. R alph C. Selman, Brighton, Company B; enli sted February 23, 1864 ; discharged for disab ility, Feb ru ary 23, 1865 . H enry D. Stan sell, Company B; mustered out July 26, 1865. J ames Fergu son, Comp any ~; dischar ged Novembe r 19, 1863. TWENTY-EIGHTH INFANTRY. Eug ene Billings, H andy, Company E; en listed Sep temb er 20, 1864 ; mustered out Jun e 3; 1865. Willi am Campbell, H owell, Company K; enlisted September 22, 1864; mu stered out Septembe r 13, 1865. George W . Lincoln, Howe ll, Company K; enli sted Septem ber 22, 1864; died of diseas e at Na shvill e, July 10, 1865. "Willi am Mershon, H owell, Company E; en liste d September 20, 1864; muste red out Jun e 13, 1865. Avon Selleck, Howell, Company A; enlisted September 12, 1864; mu stered out Jun e 5, 1865. Myron Simpson, H owell, Company K; corpora l ; enlisted Sep tembe r 22, 1864; musterecl out Jun e 6, 1865. Palmer G. Tripp, Howell, Company F ; enlisted September 24, 1864; mu ster ed out May 30, 1865. 118 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. Alfred Wright, Howell, Company F; enlisted September 26, 1864; mu stered out Jun e 5, 1865. John Walk er, How ell, Company K; en listed September 26, 1864; mu stered out Jun e 5, 1865. Lev ett J . Wood, Howell, Company I-I; enli sted August 30, 1864; mustered out Jun e 5, 1865. TWENTY -N INTH INFANTRY. Sergeant Hamilton Bogardus, Tyron e, Company D; enli sted September 3, 1864; disc harged for disab ility, Febru ary 25, 1865. Hugh Alexander, De erfield, Company K; enlisted September I 7, 1864; mustered out May 16, 1865. William H. Child s, Cohocta h, Company i-I; en listed Septelllber 15, 1864; mustered out September 6, 1865. J erome Clark, Green Oak, Compa ny H; enlisted March 30, 1864; mustered out September 6, 1865. H enry Decker, Tyrone, Company H; enlisted Septemb er 17, 1864 ; died of disease at Murfre esboro', Sept ember 6, 1865. Calvin D. Draper, Tyrone, Compa ny E; enlisted September 3, 1864; mustered out September 20, 1865. J ohn Flake, Deerfi eld, Company K; en listed September 17, 1864; mustered out September 6, 1865. J ohn Kean, Putnam, Company K; enlisted September 21, 1864; mustered out Septemb er 6, 1865. H erman Mann, Hartland, Company K; enli sted October 3, 1864; must ered out September 6, 1865. Elisha Reynolds, Hartland, Compa ny K; enlisted October 3, 1864; mustered out September 6, 1865. Sergeant J ames Palmer, Deerfield, Colllpany H; enli sted September 14, 1864; mustered out Sep tember 6, 1865 J ohn W. Re ed, Tyron e, Company I-I; enlisted Septemb er 10, 1864; mustered out September 6, 1865. J ay Rosencrans, Genoa, Company I-I; enlisted Mar ch 15, 1865; mustered out Septemb er 6, 1865. Samu el F. C. Ro ss, Deerfi eld, Comp,rny K; enli sted September 29, 1864; mustered out September 6, 1865. Th omas ,v arren, De erfield , Company K ; en listed September 18, 1864; muste red out September 6, 1865. Cha rles Sutton, D eerfield, Company F; enli sted September 3, 1864; mustered out May 6, 1865. Lewi s Sutton, Deerfield, Company F; enl isted September 3, 1864; mustered out September 6, 1865. Simon J. 'Watson, Cohoctah, Compa ny E; enlisted Augu st 27, 1864; mustered out Septelllber 20, 1865. THIRTIETH INFANTRY. David flurn er, Conw ay, Comp any A; enli sted November 23, 1864; must ered out June 30, 1865. Marvin Benja min, Handy, Company F; enlisted December 13, 1864; mustered out Jun e 30, 1865. Jam e, L. Collin s, Handy, Comp:rny F; enli sted December 12, 1864; must ered out Jun e 30, 1865 . J ames E. Kennedy, Putnam, Company A; enlisted November 30, 1864; mustered out June 30, 1865. Viilli am 1-l. Kennedy, Putnam, Compa ny A; enlisted Nov ember 23, 1864; sergeant; mustered out Jun e 30, 1865. Peter R . Miller, Conway, Company A; enlisted Novembe r 29, 1864; mustered out Jun e 30, ·1865. Israe l Miner, Conway, Company F; enliste e! December 21, 1864; mustered out June 30, 1865. Oliver J. Sawyer, Conway, Company A; enli sted • ovember 23, 1864; mustered out Jun e 30, 1865. N elson Wright, ll andy, Company F; enlisted Dec ember 20, 1864; mustered out June 30, 1865. Charles F. 'William s, Handy, Comp:rny F; enl isted December 24, 1864; mustered out June 30, 1865. FIRST CAVALRY. Sergeant Adelbert F. Par sons, Brighton; prollloted to seco nd lieuknant; mustered out as sergea nt. Thom as Moran , Putn am, Company A; en liste d J anuary 4, 1864; died in action at Hawe s' Shop, Virginia, May 28, 1864. J osh ua R obinson, Putnam, Company M; en listed J anuary 3, 1864; muste red out March 25, 1865. SECOND CAVALRY. Rob ert Armstrong, Putnam, Company A; enlisted November 18, 1863; discharged by order, June 20, 1865. The odore Arthur, D eerfield, Company A; enli sted November I 8, 1863; must ered out Augu st 17, 1865. Edw in A. Bur ch, H owell, Company B; en listed Nov ember 19, 1863; died in acti on at Oxford, Alaba ma, April 28, 1865. Or rin B. Demming, Ge noa , Compa ny A; enlisted November 10, 1863; died in act ion at Linnville, Tenne ssee, December 14, 1864. J ohn Duboi s, H ar tland, Compa ny I; enlisted November 7, 1863; tran sferred to Veteran Re serve Corps, Apri l 3, 1865. Abram De May, Hamburg, Company H; enl isted November 7, 1863; discharged for disab ility, July 1, 1863. Martin Forward, Tyrone, Company I; en listed November 4, 1863; mustered out Jun e 6, 1865. George Glea son, De erfield, Company D; en listed Nov ember 24, 1863; must ered out Augu st 17, 1865. James Ing alls, Genoa, Company D; enlisted November 17, 1863; musler erl out May 24, 1865. J ohn J ones, Genoa, Company D; en listed November 19, 1863; mustered out May I 2, I 865. J oseph Krozier, H owe ll, Company E; enl isted November 20, 1863; mustered out April 22, 1865. Clark Phelps, Marion, Company B; en listed November 8, 1863; muster ed out '.Jy ord er, Jun e 16, 1865. Charles H. Pease, Hartland, Company I; enlis ted November 7, 1863; died of disea se at home, October, 1864. Pari s L. Pray, Green Oak, Company L; en listed November 21, 1863; died of disease at Nas hville, Tennesse e, Decemb er 22, 1864. Christian Rupert, H artland, Company E; en listed Nov ember 9, 1863; mustered out August 17, 1865. Amos Sm ith , Deerfi eld, Company lf; enlisted November 20, 1863; mu ste red out May 15, 1865. J ohn Smith, Tyrone, Company K; en listed November 19, 1863; mustered out May I 5, 1865. J oseph Sm ith, Unadilla, Company K; enlistee! November 20, 1863; died of wounds at Columbia, Tenne ssee , Dec ember 25, 1864. Alexand er Truck ey, Putnam, Company L; enli sted November 19, 1863; mu stered out August 17, 1865. Francis Cranda ll, H owell, Company E; enli sted November 20, 1863; mustered out Augus t 17, 1865. FIFTH CAVALRY. Gilbert Abel, Putnam, Company F; en listed March 29, 1865; tran sferred to First Cava lry ; mustered out May I, 1866. Daniel B. Bennett, Putnam, Compa ny B; en listed March 29, 1865; transfer red to Fir st Cavalry; mustered out . Elbridge G. Fish, Putnam, Company B; enlist ed March 29, 1865 ; tran sferr ed to First Cava lry; mustered out Ap ril 5, 1866. Ne lson D. Potter, Putn am, Company L ; en listed March 29, 1865; tran sferred to Seve nth Cavalry. J ames Ri ce, Green Oak, Company D; enlisted August 22, 1862; mustered out Jun e 22, 1865. Al vin Root, Putnam, Company D; enli sted March 29, 1865; tran sferr ed lo F ,r t Cavalry. L ewis Randolph, Putnam, Company D; enlisted March 29, 1865; transferred to Fir st Cavalry. Elli ott Stedman, Company C; en listed August 19, 1862; transferred to Veteran Re ser ve Corps. Charles Sykes, Putn am, Company F; enl isted March 19, 186_-; transferred to Fir st Cava lry. OTHER LIVINGSTON COUNTY SOLDIERS. I 19 George Stocking, Putnam, Company F; enl isted March 29, 1865; tran sferred to F irst Cavalry; mustered out March 10, 1866. Marvin Whiting, Green Oak, Company D; enlisted Augu st 21, 1862; mustered out June 22, 1865. Seymour Wymans, Green Oak , Company D; enlisted Augu st 21, 1862; died of disease at Warrenton Junction, August 15, 1864. Edward H . Phillip s, Green Oak, Company H; enl isted August 19, 1862; died in action, Trevilian Statio n, June II, 1864. EIGHTH CAVALRY. Corporal Martin V. Aver y, Unadilla, Company E; enlisted December 27, 1862; mustered out September 22, 1865. Eli sha Alden, Oceola, Company K; enl isted September 23, 1862; mu stered out Jun e 6, 1864. Charle s Birdsall, Tyrone, Company D; enlisted Januar y 20, 1864; mu stered ou t September 22, 1865. Hiram Birdsa ll, Tyrone, Company D; enl isted January 20, 1864; muster ed out September 22, 1865. Melvin Comstock, Marion, Company E; enlisted January 7, 1863; died of disease at Na shville, Tenn essee . Oscar Dem ott, Marion, Company E; en listed J anuary 7, 1863; · mustered out May 26, 1864. \ Villiam Fitzgera ld, Putnam, Company E; en listed November 16, 1862; mustered out Jun e 13, 1865. Frank lin Goodman, Tyron e, Company I; enlisted April 4, 1865; must ered out September 22, 1865. Sergeant Francis M. H art , U nad illa, Company E; enlisted Dec ember 27, 1862; mustered out September 22, 1865. Lawrence C. H ayes, Unadilla, Company E; enlis ted December 23, 1862; mustered out Sep tember 22, 1865. Simon \V. Hagar, Mari on, Company E; enlisted December 27, 1863; muste red out Jun e 13, 1865. Sergeant Frank S. Howard, P utnam, Company E; enlisted November 16, 1862; died in Andersonville prison, J an uary 29, 1865. Dani el Kell ey, H artland, Company K; enlis ted February 14, 1863; muste1ed out June 13, 1865. Corpora l Jame s E. Lipsc omb, Putnam , Compan y K; en listed September 3, 1864 ; mustered out Jun e 6, 1865. Thoma s J . McCullough, Putn am, Company K; enli sted September 3, 1864; muste red out Jun e 6, 1865. Charl es H . Steven s, Unadi lla, Company E; en listed November 20, I 862; muster ed out September 22, 1865. Sergeant Harri so n Stiles, Unadill a, Company E; enlisted November 22, 1862; discharged for disability. Alfred Wiley, Unadilla, Company E; enliste d December 27, 1862; discha rged for di sab ility, Jun e 22, 1865. \Vago ner James _W . Buckley, Ma rion, Company E; died of wounds at Ath ens, Tennessee, Octobe r 2, 1863. Sergeant Albert L. Hathaway, Hartl and, Company K; promoted to sergea nt-major; promoted to first lieutenant, Janu ary 18, 1864; taken prisoner on Stonema n's raid, Augu st 12, I 864; exchanged Septembe r 27, 1864; promoted to captain, Company I, December 27, 1864; mustered out Septemb~ r 22, 1865. TENTH CAVALRY _ Company B. Peter Entler, Brighton, enlisted September 5, 1863; mustered out November I 1, 1865. Co111pa11yH . James Grove r, Cohoc tah, enlisted Septembe r 7, 1863; died in Andersonville prison, April 15, 1864. Edward Hadsall, Cohoctah, enlisted September 7, 1863 ; discharged by order, July 18, 1865. Jacob Sherman, Conwa y, enl isted Augu st 28, 1863; dischar ged for disability, May 1_8, 1865. • James fl . \ Vord en, Conway,enlis ted August 17, 1863; discharged for disabilit y, August II , 1865. Alonzo Wi seman, Conw ay, enli sted Augu st 22, 1863; died of disea se at Camp Nelson, Kentucky, March 4, 1864. Compa ny K. Captain Andrew J. It sell, Mario n, July 25, 1863; resigned October 6, 1865. Sergeant J ohn T. H odgman, Putnam, enlisted August 29, 1863; mustered out November 11 , 1865. Sergean t Paul C. T. It sell, Mari on, en listee\ Sep tem ber 5, 1863; mu stered out November II, 1865. Sergeant Step hen G. W. ltsell, Marion, enlisted Sep tembe r 5, 1863; mu stered out November II , 1865. Sergeant Moses Ly on, Marion, enli sted Sep tembe r 1, 1863; mustered out November I 1, 1865. Gilb ert Ang us; discharged by order . William H. Babc ock, Iosco, enlisted Octob er 9, 1863; died of disease at Camp Nel son, Kentucky, March 15, 1864. George Bennett, Hamburg, enlisted Septembe r 5, 1863; died of disease at Kn oxville, Tenne ssee , June 28, 1864. Levi Bush, Marion, enlisted September 5, 1863; died of disease in Knoxville, January 7, 1865. Ephraim B. Chubb, Putnam, enl isted August 31, 1863; mustered out N ovember II , 1865. Leon ard Fowle, Unadi lla, enl istee! September 4, 1863; mustered out November 11 , 1865. Chester Goodr ich, Io sco, enlisted September 1, 1863; mustered out Nove mber 29, 1865. H erbert H. Glass, Howell, enlistee\ August 29, 1863; mustered out Nove mber II, 1865. Edgar J. Hendrick s, Hamburg, en listee! Sep tembe r 3, 1863; mu stered out November I I, 1865. Hi ram K ennedy, Putnam , enlisted September 28, 1863; mustered out November 11, 1865. Ade lbert Peavey, Hamburg, enlisted September 3, 1863; mustered out N ovember Ir, 1865. J ohn Swa nger, How ell, en listed April 26, 1864; died of disease in N orth Carolina, J anuary 17, 1865. Reuben I-I. Warren, H owe ll, enlisted Septemher 9, 1863; mustered out November 11, 1865. Samuel Waring, Howell, enlisted October 16, 1863; tran ;;ferred to Veteran Reserve Corps, May ,, 1864. · Company L. Stephen A. Ball, Iosco, enlistee! September 12, 1863; died of disease at Detroit, March 7, 1864. Andrew Bly, Tyrone, enlisted September 1, 1863; mu stered out November II , 1865. J ohn G. Clark , Genoa, enli sted October 2, 1863; mustered out November 9, 1865. Alexander Clark, Handy, enlisted October 17, 1863; discharged for disability, February 17, 1864. George Cransto n, Tyrone, enlisted August 29, 1863; died of disea se at Camp Fent on, Michigan, Jun e 27, 1865. J ames B. Gra nt , H andy, enlisted October 17, 1863; mu stered out Nov ember 11, 1865. Corpora l Je sse M. Harri s, T yrone, enlisted September I, 1863; died of disease at Camp Burn side, March 20, 1864. Sergeant Rosw ell S. Ingham, Tyrone, enlist ed August 25, 1863; mustered out November 21, 1865. C. C. Merritt, Handy, enlis ted October 17, 1863; mustered out November 21, 1865. Jn o. McKin stry, Tyrone, enlisted October 19, 1863; mustered out November 21, 1865. Sergeant Benjamin G. Mun son, Handy, enlisted September I, 1863; died of disease at Camp Nelson, K en tu cky, Jan~tary I 5, 1864. Franci s A. Sargent, Unadilla, enlisted October 8, 1863; mustered out Nove mber 22, 1865. 120 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. Franklin \Vatkin s, Handy, en listee! October 17,. 1863; must ered out November II, 1865. Lym an W elck er, Handy, enlistee! September 8, 1863; died of disease at Somerset, K entucky, February 26, 1864. Alv arado Warz ey, Handy, enlistee! October 17, 1863; died of disease at Camp Nelson, Kentucky, Janu ary 15, 1864. ELEVENTH CAVALRY. Company A. Samuel Barber, Green Oak, enlistee! March 18, 1865; mt:sterecl out June 26, 1865. William Corey, Green Oak, enlistee! March 18, 1865; mustered out September 22, 1865. ,vall ace H. Case, Brighton, enlistee! March 17, 1865; mustered out September 22, 1865. Ellsworth W. H all, H amburg, enli stee! March 15, 1865; mustered out October IO, 1865. W. '\V. Hendrick s, H amb urg, enlisted March 22, 1865; mustered out October 10, 1865. Seth A. Petteys, Hamburg, enlistee! March 22, 1865; mustered out September 22, 1865. Charles H. Smith, Green Oak, enl istee! March 18, 1865; muster ed out September 22, 1865. Jam es H . Smith, Green Oak, enlistee! March 18, 1865; mu ster ed out September 22, 1865. Compa ny B. William M. H ought on, Cohoctah, enlistee! Octoher 5, 1863; 1.00 " colt, with regard to ag e, un der thr ee years old ..... .. .. ..... .. .. .. ... ......... .............. . 2 .00 1.00 " bull ... ..... ... ... ..... . ...... ..... . ... .... .. .... .. .. . 2.00 1.00 '' ,vo rking -cattl e ... ... ...... .... ..... .. ... ... .. .. .. . 2 .0 0 1.00 '' CO\V . • •• • , .• , • . .••..••.••• . .. . . •• • . . . • • ••...•••.•• , . • 1.00 50 '' cal f ............... .... .. ... .. .. ...... .... ........ ..... . 50 25 " p air three-year old steers ...... ..... .. .. .. .. .... . 2.00 1. 00 " bu ck ... . ... ... .. .... ..... .... .. ... ..... .. .. .. ..... .. 2 .00 1.00 '' e,ve .. .. .. ..... ... ....... ...... ..... ... .... ...... ... . . 1.00 50 " spec imen (not less than tirty poun ds) o f cheese .. ......... ...... ..... ........ ..... .... ... . I.OD " butt er (ten pou nds) ........................... .. 1. 00 " p iece of woo len cloth ( not less th an five yard s) manufa ctur ed in the co unty ....... . 2.00 " pi ece of linen cloth (five yard s) .... ........ .. . 1.00 " n1anage d farm, co nsidering all circmnstances . . .. .. ...... .. .. . .. . ....... . .... .... .. .... . 4 .00 "By ord er of the Committ ee. "G EORGE W. JEWETT, " R ecording S ecretary. " In the same new spap er, und er the dat e of March 20, I 844, appeared a notic e of a meetin g of th e Living ston County A g ricultur al Society , to be held in th e Pre sbyt erian chur ch in How ell, on th e ninth of th e followin g month; with th e announcement th at "Addresses appropriate to th e occasion may be expe cted . " By ord er of th e Executive Committee, "G EORGE W. J E WETT , S ecretary ." No subs equ ent allu sion to thi s soc iety or to any of its tran saction s has bee n found. It seems a little remark able th at th ese matt ers, and even th e fact of th e existence of th e soc iety, should hav e so complet ely faded from th e memor ies of th e many per - sons still living in th e county who were at that tim e of mature age, and act ively engaged in agricultur al pur suit s. THE PRESE 1 T LIVIN GSTON COUNTY AGRI CULTURAL SOCIETY. On Thursday, th e twenty -fourth of February, I 853, a ·meeting of farmers and others, citiz ens of Livin gston County, was held at the court-hou se in H owe ll, pursuant to a pr ev io usly publi shed call, for th e purpose of forming a county agricultural society. The meeting bein g org anized by the choic e of Fr eeman Webb, Jr., as Chairm an, and Jam es M. Murray, Secretary, a reso lut ion offered by W. A. Buckland , decl aring "That it is expedient at th e pr ese nt tim e to organiz e a County A g ricultur al Society," was adopted without a disse nting voic e; and, on motion mad e by E. F . Burt, and approved by th e meeti ng, t he chair appointed a committe e of seven to report a constitution for such a socie ty. This committee - composed of E . F . Burt, W. A. Buckland, Loren Bout ell, J . R . Goodrich, R . C. Rums ey , A. W . Olds, and V. R. T. A nge l- report ed a constitu tion, which was ad opted, and of which th e first two articles were as follows: "ARTICLE .1.-Thi s society shall be called Th e Livingston County Agricultural Society, auxiliary to the Michigan State Agricultura l Society, and the same is organized and established for the encouragement and advancement of agricultu re, manufactures, and the mechanic arts. "ARTICLE 2.- Any person may become a member of this society by signing the constitution and paying one dollar into the treasury, and may con tinue a member by paying annually thereafter the sum of fifty cents. * Life memberships may be obtained on payment of the sum of ten dollar s ; and all certificates of membership shall include the family of the person to whom they are given. The officers elected upon the organization of the society shall be considered members for one year." Aft er the adoption of the con stitution, the first officers of the soc iety were elected as follow s : Presid ent, Ira Jennin gs, Green Oak. Vice-Presideuts. J ob Cran ston, Brighton . David Bu sh, Conway. Lor en Bout ell, D eerfield. Roy al C. Rums ey , Green Oak, Ely Barn ard , Gen oa . Ch a unc ey L. Crou se, H artland. Marvin Gaston, Handy . Stoddard W . Twich ell, Hamburg. Od ell J . Smith, Howell. D aniel Person, Io sco. E . N. Fairchild, Marion. Joe l B. Rum sey , Oc eo la. Fre eman Webb, Jr., Putnam. Jacob Kanou se, Tu scola (now Cohoctah ). J ohn C. Salisbury, Tyrone . V. R. T. Angel, Unadilla . Tr eas urer, Wm . A. Buck land . Secretary, E lijah F . Burt. Executive Committee. N elso n G. Isb ell. Ephraim J. Hardy . Al onzo W. Old s. I James M. Murray. John How . * Ame nd ed to read "se venty-five cent s," O ctober 10, 1856. AGRICULTURE . 125 The following is a list of the members of the W.W. Smith . C. L. Myers . soc iety in the first year of its existence: D.S. L ee. A. Maltby. P. Y. Browning. George L. Gage. L. Judson. Joseph F. Jennings. J. W. Botsford. Charles Spencer. L. C. Pratt. J. B. Hammond. Calv in Murdock. J ohn S. Bryant. C. A. J effries. M. Bird. A. McIntyre. J. Miller. L. H. Jon es. T. Bridgeman . William Steadman. Gaines Fuller. William McCauley. Nel so n G. Isbell. Harv ey Rhodes. B. B. Durf ee . R . H. Bennett. A. Angel. S. Sea rs. H . I-I. Norton. Sherman Bennett. David Gallatian. W. Sears. A. Campbell. J . J . Benn ett, Jr. E . Case. Kinsl ey S. Bingham. J. Paddock. Dani el Case. E. D . Morse. William C. Shaft . . Peter Kanou se. N . L. Emory . 0. Morse. Alexander Carpenter. J. W. Kellogg. R ev. C. Osborn. Simeon Lawr ence. John S. Johnson. M. McC abe. S. M. Conely. William H. Bennett . Gardn er Bird. Jacob Sigler. Thomas Dail ey . G. Truesdale . L. C. Crittenden. A. L. Munsell. C. L. Crouse . B. Carpenter. 0. H . Win egar. Aaron Monroe. A. R. Crouse. E. S. Fi eld. William Waits. L. Door. G. W. Cropsey. Albert Tool ey. Victory W. Gay . W. Lewis. David Thompson. M. W . Randall. Nicholas Kriseler. George 'vV. Peck. L.B. Fonda. Charl es P. Bush. Patrick Bogan. A. F. Albrecht. L. C. Pratt. H. H. Hoyt. N.Gilks. Simon Abrams. S. W. Twichell. John F ewlass. Edward Beurman. David Dickerson. William Olsaver. Ira Brayton. Isaac Brown. William Davis. Charl es Smith . N. S. Benjamin. Hir am Goodrich. St eph en Dailey. J. Brown. J esse H all. D. D. Carr. William Bitt en. E . N. Fairchild. William Placeway. M. D. L. Town send. J. B. Kn eeland . H. H. Smith. Hiram Wing. Emil Beurman . S.S . Moore . Ja cob Fishbeck. William Valentine. H. C. Bri gg s. S. Morgan. Caleb Sawy er. S. Warner. A . Wakeman. George Gr ea dy. W. S. Conely. J. Cordley . De Witt D enton. George Mile s. Miss Celia Ann Conely. N. House. William Schaed . J. Cha mberlain. J ame s McLaughlin . F. J. L ee. D. D exter . Lee Nutt . L. W. Kinn ey. N. J. Hickey . Hannibal Lee. E.W. Grant. Floyd Williams. J . H . Galloway. Ir a P. Bin gham. David Bush. J ob Cranston. S. N. Winans. William Morse. Steph en M. Winans. R. S. Hall. J ames Swiney. John Fulmer. George Cropsey. J osep h Doane. J ohn Monohan. C. W. Pease . 'vVilliarn W . D ean. D . B. Pow er. Lor en Boutell. Jacob Kanou se. Warren Parker. William D. Corson. D. Boutell. Isaac Vv. Appleton. J ames Hammill. William R. Griffith. Lyman L ee. R. D. Power. Jam es McLaughlin. Gu stave Baetck e. William White. L. K. Hew ett. Joseph Ho dg man. Dr. Benck. William Jubb. A. C. Noble. Smith H enry. E. Doane . Smith Tindale. 0. A . Full er. T. J. Ric e. I. Armes. P. L. Smith. · Morris Bennett . E. Holloway. William T . Tunis. L. Foote. Van Ren sselaerT. Angel. B. G. Smith. P. S. Hendricks. George Lemen. P. W. D ey. J. F. Harrington. Th omas Gilks. J. D. Gale. J ohn Sigler. J esse Marr. A. P. Dickinson. T. B. Brooks. George Pullen. J . P. Farnsworth . Hiram Dickinson. C. Goodspe ed. J . A. Va n Camp. S. H. Ha zar d. -- Paddock. D. Kellogg . J. Fishbeck. Ch arles Smith. Ely Barn a rd. William Brown. E . W. Woodruff. H enry Gri swold. D . Person . W. B. Conely. William Crawford. J ohn Arms. E. Lat so n. William E. Thomp son. George Burnett. Thomas Dailey . L. Walker. Mark Jacobs. William Payne. J ohn L akin . H enry G. Love . R . S. H ayn er. Geo rge J . Griffin. Gard ner Wheeler. 126 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. J ohn Graham. J. Case . G. N. Barker . J ohn Bu sh . M. W. Randa ll. J ames Barber. William Osbo rn. W. L. Webb. J . F. Jennin gs . J. M. H olden. Dani el Pierson. Isaac Smith . Perry G. Ro ss. James Clark . M. Chubb. F . Baetcke . G. H . Chambers . J ohn Laughlin. William Elliott . Da vid H azard . J ohn R . Mason . Hiram ·w ing . Mo ses Fuller . Eli A nni s. R alph Fowler. J ohn H artm an. Mark J aco bs. E. Watrous . J oh n E uler. Ri chard Walker. Luth er J efferds. C. Goodrich. F. A. Grimes . D . Kellogg. Ri chard Berhn es. H . N. L ewis. H .B . Hanse . W. S. Ru ssel l. J ohn Hoop er. H enry George . Th e bo ard of directors ( composed of the presid ent, secr etary, and exec uti ve co mmitt ee of th e society) held th eir first meet ing March 12, 1853, at H owe ll, on which occa sion, after adop tin g a code of by-l aws, th e board " R esolved, Th at th e first annu al fair of th e soc iety be h eld in th e month of O ctober nex t, in th at tow nsh ip in th e count y which will raise and pl edge to th e boa rd of direc - tors, on or before the last Satu rday in Ap ril nex t, th e larges t amount of means towards derrayin g the in cident al expe nses of th e said fair," and th e sec - retary was instruct ed to ope n a corre spondence with citizens of t he severa l townships up on th at subject. At a meetin g, held pur suant to adjournment on th e seve nth of May, the board "R esobcd, · That th e tim e for receiving offers a nd proposals with rerere nce to th e place of holdi ng the first ann ual fair be ext ended to and until th e firteenth o f Jun e nex t," and , after so me furth er bu siness , adjourned t o th at day; wh en, upo n rea sse mbl ing, it was by th e board" R esolved, That wh ereas th e to wnship of Brighton has offered the larges t sum (o ne hundr ed and forty dollars) for th e loca tion or th e first annu al fair at that villag e, th at th e said first annu al fair of th e soc iety be held at sa id village of Bri g ht on on th e sixt h and seventh days of Octob er nex t." Th e fair was acco rding ly ope ned at Br ig ht on, at ten A.M ., on Thur sday, ·Octobe r 6, 1853, und er direction of Wi lliam R. Cobb, chief mar shal, a nd co ntinu ed d urin g th at and th e follow ing day. T he exe rcises of th e seco nd day embra ced a g rand pl owing match at nin e A.111., election of officers of the soc iety for th e ensuing yea r at eleve n AM., and at tw o P.M. an address by th e H on. George W . Peck, immediately after which cam e th e reading of th e reports of th e seve ral viewing committee s, and th e ann oun cement of th eir awards. A list of person s to whom premium s were awa rd ed at thi s first fair of th e society, being rega rd ed as of so me int erest to th e farmers of th e co unty , is here g iven as follows: Field Crops.- E . N. Fairchild, Jaco b Fi shb eck, wh eat; H . H. Smi th , "M arion wheat, a new variety;" A. Mo nroe, co rn ; 0. Mo rse, potato es . Cattle.- William Sex ton, P. L. Smith, J. B. Hammond , J acob Fishbeck, D an iel Case, 'vV. W. Smith , Ely Barnard, R ev. Mr. Osbo rn; J. 'vV. Botsford, F . Fishb eck, Charles P. Bush, J . Monohan, C. Sawyer, W. B. K ellogg, D. B. Power, working ox en ; C. A . Jeffries, two p rem ium s on Durh am cattl e. H orscs.-W. C. Shaft, H. G. Lo ve, sta llion; T. Holloway, H . H . Norton, brood mare; D . D . Car r, 'vV. E. Thom pso n, D. S. L ee, F. Monroe, Floyd Williams, H iram Wing, Thomas Dailey, T. H olloway, colt; K . S. Bingh am, P. L. Smith, spa n o f matc hed horses; I. P. Bin gham, E. D eidm er, single horses; Captain P, E. Tuhn, full-blood mar e; Captain P. E. Tuhn, match ed pair trottin g h orses . Discretionary Premiums on li'orses.-K anouse &amp; Full er, stallion " Y o un g Duroc ;" J . R. Goodr ich, sta llion " Black Hawk;" F. Mo nro e, C. Smith, spa n matc hed colts; J. Cole, G. C. Fulkr, C. Co rso n, E. Latson, W. E. Thomp so n, . colts; A. To oley , spa n match ed h orses. S!tcep.-P . Y. Brownin g, best Fr ench buck; S. 'vV. Twich ell, seco nd best French buck; J. Cra nsto n, Merin o ewes; K. S. Bingham, Merino ewes (Spa nish) ; L. C. Critt ende n, buck lambs (Spanis h ); William Brow n, buck lamb s (Leiceste r a nd So uthdown); I. &amp; J. F. J ennin gs, ewe lambs (Spa nish) ; H. Goodrich, ewe lambs (Spa nish); Bin g ha m &amp; Olds , F rench Me rino b ucks. Swine. -R oya l C. Rum sey (two p remium s), C. L. &amp; R. C Crous e (two pre mium s), L.B. Fonda, A. A nge l. Poultry. - J. H. Gallow ay , S hanghais; N . J . Hickey, Coc hin Chin as; N. J. Hi ckey , Chitt ago ngs ; Freel. J . L ee, Dorkings. Farm ln zp!e11e1nts.-D. Kelly, Nelson Hous e, William Placeway, Hannibal L ee, K. S. Bingham, D. Th ompso n, L. B. Fonda, W. C. 'vVooclward, Ir a Brayt on, N. Toncray, Israel A rm s. Butt er a11d Clteese.- T. Bridg eman, D. Groved by a reco llect ion of Mr s. J ohn Pin ckney, wh o is now a resident of H owell village. Sh e rememb e rs th at on th e occas ion o f sickn ess in th e fami ly of Ge orge T . Sa ge , at the birt h o f his so n, George L. Sage , J onath an A ustin, brother of Mr s. Sage, cam e to th e h ouse of Mr. Pin ckney to bor:-ow one of hi s horse s, to ride lo Ken sington, to procur e th e se rvi ces of Dr. Curti s, of that plac e; ·but as the ho rses were aw ay, at Salem, he was comp e lled to make the j ourn ey to K e n,in g ton on foot. As th e da te of the birth of Geor ge L. Sag e wa s J a n. 23 , 1835, and as M uses Th ompso n, in coming out to make settl eme nt her e, d id not reach Det ro it until Ma y 25th o f th at yea r, and did not arriv e in Living ston County ·until severa l da ys lat e r, it seem s clear th at Mr. Pin ckn ey was workin g his horses h ere se veral month s bef ore Mr. Th ompso n came. 18 rectly by th e hous e. In th e D ecemb er next followin g th eir arrival in Michigan he moved his family up from Salem and occupied th e dw ellin g which he had prepared for th em. It was simil ar to other homes of pioneers at th at tim e,-a log hou se of a single room,-and was without floor , door, or window when th ey first took possession, blank ets being hun g over th e apertures, and a fire being light ed before th e cabin at night to ke ep away wolv es. Th e boxes in which th eir household articl es had been brought from th e Eas t were used as tables and a bedstead was made of tamarack- p oles. The family of Mr. Pinckney at th at time were: his wife, Margaret (da ug ht er of Al exander Fras er, of whom furth er menti on will be mad e), and two daug ht ers,- A lice, age d seve n years, and Gertrude, aged thre e years; also Sea - man Fras er, Mrs. Pinckney's brother, a sick ly youth of about eight ee n years of age , who rem ained here a few years and return ed to die in New York City . After Mr. Pinckn ey 's settl ement h ere his family was increased by th e birth of thr ee daught ers, two of wh om (now M rs. Knapp and Mrs. Goodrich) ar e livin g in How ell, and th e third (unm arri ed) is livin g in J ackso n, Mich ., with her elder sister Alice (now Mrs. Elmore D enni s). Th e daughter Gertrud e died unm arri ed in Howell: Mr. Pinckn ey died F eb. I 1, 186 1, in H owe ll villa ge, wh ere he had remov ed from his farm in 1842. Mrs. Pin ckn ey is still living in H owell, being th e only res ident in th e village or town ship who came her e prior to 1835. LIVINGSTON CEN TR E-SET T LERS OF 1835. \Vhen th e families of Sage, Austin, and Pinckney made th eir set tlement here, th e loca lity became quite ex tensively and ge nerally kn own as "Living ston Centre," though (until th e arrival in th e following y ea r of oth er immi g rant s, wh o settl ed on th e west part of sec tion 36) th e name seems to have had more particular reference to the farm and ho use of Mr. Pinckney, not only bec ause it was very nea rly on the actual centr e of the territory of Livin gs ton, where it was believed by many that th e count y-sea t would he establi shed , but becau se he was in a mann er co mp elled (much against his inclinati on) to furni sh shelter and accommodation to th e rapidly-incre as ing swarm of land- seekers, to whom his h ouse thu s bec a me an obj ectiv e point from whi ch th ey pushed th eir ex - plorations on towar ds th e west and north. Th e year 1835 br ought imp ortant access ion s to the se ttl eme nt of Livin gston Ce ntr e; not so much on account of th e 1wmber of th e immi g ra nts (th ough th e population of th e tw o sec tions and two half-sections was fully trebl ed during th at sea - .: "- - ~--- - -- .-.- . - -· ,--,_ .., ,·-······- HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. so n) as beca use th ey included among th eir numb ers tho se who came prepar ed to establish a mill and other necessa ry enterpri ses, and others who to ok the first steps toward s the founding of the village which was to become th e county-seat of Livin gsto n. The first of the settl ers who arrived here in that year was Moses Thomp son, with his num ero us family. His previous home had been in Herkimer Co., N. Y., from which place he came to Michigan, in 18 33, prospecting for land s, but from some cause mad e no purchases in this region, and return ed East for the winter. He again came West in 1834, and purchased on sections 25, 35, and 36 in thi s town ship, as has been noticed. He also purchased other land s in th e township outside the I imits of the present village. In the following year (1835), in the month of April, he set out from Herkimer County with his so n, Lewi s Thompson, and his daught ers,--Rach el and Lucinda,- on th eir way to a hom e in Michigan; it being arranged that th e remaind er of the family should follow a few weeks later. Crossing the Niagara River, Mr, Thompson, with his son and daughters, mad e the remaind er of the j ourney to Detroit through Canada, trav eling in a lumber-w ago n drawn by a pair of larg e, strong hors es, and reaching D etroit on the 25th of May. Th e remainder of Mr. Th ompson's family, consisting of his wife, their so ns, Morris a nd Edward, th eir daughters, Maria, Elizabeth, and Jane, with Mr. Thomp so n's nep hew, Ezra J . Mundy, left Herkimer County for Michigan on the 29th of May, trav eling by the Erie Canal and steamer on Lak e Erie, and on th e 7th of Jun e arrived at Detroit, where th ey found and rejoin ed the family party who had preceded them by the land route. On th e 10th of June they started out from Detroit with the horse and ox-teams (Mr. Thompson having purchased five yoke of oxe n in Detroit) and went to Lyon, in Oakland County, where the family remain ed seve ral days, and th en came on to Livingston Centre, arriving on the 23d of June. Mr. Thompson had preceded th em by several days, and commenced the con stru ction of a log house on his land, in sec tion 25. A part or all of the family lived at George T. Sage's while th eir house was being built, but it was soon completed, and they moved into it between the 1st and the 4th of July, 1835. The location of this house was where Mr. E. J. Mundy now lives, and a part of th e log structure is still standing ther e. Moses Thompson was a man of energy and enterprise,- the projector and owner of the first mill in the village and township. He was honorable, upright, and generous, and was always held in --=-·- -------. .-c"-'=cc...•·- ;:.-,-~ . -- high esteem by his fellow-townsmen. He lived only about seven years after hi s settlement here, and died Dec . 2, I 842. His so n Edward was also a man of enterprise, and the proprietor of one of th e additional plat s in the vill age of How ell. He di ed April 16, 1852. His broth er, Lewis Thompson, was the first mail-mess eng er between Howell and Detroit, and served in that capacity throu gh several of the earlier years of the existence of the village. He was nev er married, but lived a bac helor at the hom estead, with his mother , after his father's death. Hon. J ero me W . Turn er, who, from the days of his boyh ood in Howell, remembers L ewis Thompson and his mother, mentioned th em in a recent address, as follow s : "And ther e, too, was Lewis Thompson, an old bach elor, who had the Thompson farm, by right of primogeniture; a strange, silent, unfashionable old man, who did not say much to little boys, or they to him, for he left th em with the impression that he belon ged to the family of Elisha, and possibly had fourteen be ars near by to devour too familiar children. There, too, was his old moth er, a lar ge and fleshy woman, kind and moth erly, and I remember that, after passing Lewis in the lane, and ge tting into the kitch en where she was, I felt perfectly safe, and I knew instinctiv ely th at she would guard me from all th e bears in the world .... Shortly after I left the county, I lea rned that Lewis Th ompso n was found dead on a sea t und er a tree nea r the old farm-house, and somehow his death in that especia l way did not seem to me to be un ex pect ed , and I listened to it as though I had been familiar with it befor ehand. He died rig ht out in one of the ways and attitudes of the livin g , and his death ma de no mor e sign than his quiet, unost entatious life. His moth er fell from a chair in th e ga rden, and, by rea so n of her great weight, injur ed hers elf so that she died. Th e two seemed ins eparab le, and I have often thought th at, whil e sitting on his seat in the yard, he caught sight of her, and finally went to join her , as he would have moved through th e soft grass of his pasture s to milk his cows ." Morris Thomp so n, the other son of Moses, became engage d in milling. H e was for a tim e th e sawye r in th e mill which his father built, and afterw ards, with others, he erecte d a flour-mill above, on the same stream. He lived many years in Howell, and died there recently. Of the daught ers of Moses Thompson, one married Alvin L. Crittenden, another became Mrs. Ezra Frisbee. Alexander Fraser, the father of Mrs . John D. Pinckney, came to Livingston Centre in D ecemb er, 1835. H e was a native of Scotland, but emig rat ed early ~o America, and went into business as a coal VILLAGE OF HOWELL. r39 merchant in the city of New Y or k. A s ea rly as 1824 h e b ought a country- sea t seven miles fro m Poughk eeps ie, N. Y., where h e was acc ustom ed to spend th e summ er season with hi s family, and where his daug ht er Ma rga ret beca me the wife of Mr. Pinckney. When Mr. Fra ser came to Livin gston County, in I 8 3 5, he first Jived w ith his daughter and so n-inlaw in th eir hou se near the south end of th e lake. H e afterwa rds built a good house of hewn logs , on th e so uth side of th e road, near the southea st corner of sec tion 36, but neve r occupied it, as it h ad been his intenti on to do. This hous e afterwards became known as th e Shope hous e, and later was kept as a tavern by S. n. Sliter. Mr . Fraser had an int ere st in, and in fact was und er - stood to be the owner of, mo st of th e land s entered by J ohn D. Pinckney in 1833. H e liked th e country at and around Livin gsto n Centr e, but neve r m ade his permanent re sidence here on account of hi s wife's disinclination to leave her Eastern home. H e remained in Michi ga n some four or five years, and th en return ed to th e city of New York, where he died , at th e age of sixty-six yea rs. Another who came to Livin gs ton Centr e in 1835 was Alvin L. Critt end en, though he did not permanently settle h ere, but after a stay of about a yea r purchased and loc ated up on lands in th e township of How ell, a short distance north of th e village. H e is still living, a widely-known and respec ted preacher of th e Gospel. In a short addr ess mad e by him before the Li vings ton County Pioneer Soci ety, at its latest meetin g (J unc 18, 1879), he relat ed the incidents of that first journ ey of hi s to Li vings ton Centre, and how the place appeared to him in 1835. He said,- " In th e fall of 1835 I left the State o f New York to seek a home in the W est, wend ing my way to the th en Terri tory of Michigan, and on the 16th of ove rnber I pas sed throug h the village of An n Arb or, and that night put up at a log tave rn six miles nort h of it. H av ing some acquaintances in Living,to n County, I left the hote l on the morning of the 17th for Livin gsto n Cent re, the count y-site of Livingston Co unt y. I was afoot and alone. Passing nonh, in th e course of a few hours I came to the Hu ron River, bu t th ete was neit her bridge or boat, and it was necessa ry for me to ga in the opposi te shore. I su ited my self to th e situation as well as I could. I pulled off my boots and sock s, rolled up my pants as far as possible, and waded in . I succeeded in reachin g th e nor th shore of th e river without gett ing my clo th es wet. R eadju sting my clot hes, I wal ked on and called at a house some miles from the ri ver to inquir e the way; received directions that when I got to a certain pl ace I was to take an Indi an trail; an ti on inquiry found it was nin e mile s to the nex t house. There was bu t one inciden t that occurre, l during the nin e mil es' travel that made any particula r impres sion on my mind th at I now reco llect. \Vh en I had trav - el ed a long time, · or so it seemed to me, I bega n to look at eve ry turn of th e trail for the house. I saw a man comi ng towards me, and when h e came within hai lin g distance he ca lled out and said, 'Hallo, friend, it looks good to see a man! H ow far is it to a house ?' I rep lied , 'I th ink it mu st be n ine mile s, for they told me at the last hou se I passed th at it was ni ne mil es to a hou se, an.I I think I Juve tr a,·eled tha t di stance; how far is it th e other way to a hou se ?' H e an swered, 'I think it mu st be about nin e mile s.' Afte r talki ng with each oth er for a rew minut es we concluded that we mu st be ab out half -way through, and I th ought afterwards that we were. W e sepa rated, and each of us travelecl on. Arr iving within about a mil e of the prese nt village or H owell , I came to a wagon- lrack ,-it could hardly be called a road , for it went crooking around the trees and swamp,. I soon ca me to a log ho use, which I afterwards lea rned was occ upied by Mr . J ohn D . Pi nckney and family. H ere I wa s directed to take the left-h and roa cl near the lak e. Trave ling about a mil e, I came to a house in th e mid st of th e woocls, seve ral large trees standing nea r enoug h to have fallen on the hou se if th ey hacl fallen in the right direc tion. [Thi s was A mos Adams' tave rn-h ouse, mentioned below. ] I went to the place for a door, and shoved aside so me boa rds th at were set up for a door, and in quired o f some mecha n ics at work on the inside of the buil di ng fur the county - seat o f Living ston Co unt y, and rece ived th e reply that it was right h ere. I inquir ed for so me old friends wh o h ad settled nea r ther e, and was inform ed of their wher eabo uts; but th e men thought I woulcl find them hal f a mile west rai sing a barn. "G oing out of the house, I looked aro und, and there was not another building in th e vi llage. The re w ere p lenty o r stakes stand ing in the woo ds in every directi on to de signate th e several b locks, lots, and streets of the village, which was afterwards named H owe ll, for as yet th e to wn was not organized or the village named. Leav ing the village, I trav eled west wa rd about half a mile, and found ne arly all of th e men of th e regio n ro und about bu sily engaged in rai sing a log building [ at Sage's ]. Fi nding my old acq uai ntance, I spe nt a few days very plea santly visitin g, and th en hir ed to George T. Sage for one yea r, and com menced work for him on th e 24th day of N ove mber, 1835.'' TH E CRANE AND BROOKS PURCHASE -HOWELL VILL AGE. On th e 2d of July, 1835, th e west half of the southwest quarter and th e so uthw est qu arter of th e northwe st qu arter of section 36, in town ship 3 north, of range 4 eas t (H owel l), were sold a nd · conv eyed by Alexander Fras er (the lands having been entered by John D . Pinckn ey for Fraser, to whom th e duplic ates were assigned) to D avid W etmor e and Edward Brooks, of D etroit. On th e 17th of Sep tember, in th e same year, Edward Br ooks and wife and D av id W etm ore (th e lat ter by Charles G. H amm ond , hi s att orn ey) so ld and conveyed one undivid ed third of both the above tr acts to Fla vi us J. B. Crane, of Detroit; and on th e 29th of Octob er following, David \Vetmore, by his attorney, H amm ont.!, conveyed his remaining interest to Edward Bro oks. By the se tr ansfers,* Crane and Brooks became joint propri etor s-the former hav ing a one-third, and th e latt er a two -third s, interest-in the abovedescribed tracts , upon which th ey p roceede d to survey and lay out a village plat,-the ori gi nal plat of the village of How ell,- and to file the sa me in the office of the R eg ister of Oakland County.t Th e acknowledgment upon the plat is as follow s : * On the 18th o f July, 1836, John D . P inckney and wife deecled wh atever int erest th ey h ad in th ese land s to Crane and Broo ks. t In ihe erection or Livin gston Count y, in 1833, the north half of it (i n whi ch Howell is situ ated) was ta'.,en from Shiawa ssee; '·''' I I HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. "~1:I CHIGA N, \ "WAY N f: COUNTY, j ss. "On this IOth clay of N ovemb er, 1835, personally ap peared before me Edward Bro oks ancl Flavius J. B. Cr:rne, propri etor s of the west half of th e so uthwe st q uarte r nlld the southwest quart er o f the northw est quarte r of sec tion 36, in townsh ip 3 n ort h, of range N o . 4 eas t, nnd acknowleclgecl th at th ey had signed th e annexe d or al,o ve map or plat o f n part of saicl land lying north and so uth of th e Grand Ri ver Road, so-cal led, whi ch is des ig nated on said pi nt ns Gra nd Riv er St reet, and declare that the sai d str eets and sq uare shall be and remai n open for th e use of th e public ns la id out o n sa id map. "A SIIE R B. B AT ES, J. P. W. C. M. T. " Th e territ ory embr aced in thi s orig inal plat of the village was bounded as follows: on th e west by th e west line of sec tion 36; on th e eas t by a north and south line draw n throu g h th e centre of th e southwe st and northw est qu arters of th e sa me sec tion; on th e north by Hi gg ins Stre et and th e north line of th e southw est quarter of th e northwest qu arter of th e sa me section; and on th e so uth by Livin gs ton Street. The" public sq uare," whi ch wa s laid out by th e propri etor s ( doubtl ess with th e expe ctation th at th e county buildin gs of Livin gs ton would be located upon it) to "be and rem a in open for th e use of the public,"* was th e sq uare or block of land bound ed by Grand Riv er, Walnut, Sibley, and Centre Streets. The prosp ective village thu s laid out by Crane and Brooks was nam ed by th em H OWELL, in honor of Thoma s H owe ll, a friend of Mr. Crane, and a son of Jud ge How ell, of Canandaigua, N . Y. The name, h oweve r, did not immediately com e into genera l u~e, and th e place continu ed to be known as Livin gs ton Centr e for a considerable tim e afterwa rds. Th e first buildin g erected within th e limit s of th e villag e plat was a tw o-s tory fram e hou se, built by th e proprietors in th e fall of 18 35, th e lumb er for its con stru ction bein g hauled throu g h the op enings from Ev ert W ood ruff' s mill in th e t ownship of Green Oak. At th e time of th eir purchas e of th e land from Fraser and Pinckn ey (th e latt er being under stoo d to be a party interested in th e sa le), th ey had agreed to erect a tav ern -hou se up on th eir tract , to relieve Mr. Pinckney's family from the necessity of furnishin g food and lodgin g (as th ey had in a mann er been compelled to do) for th e eve r-increasing throng s of land-s eekers. It was in pursuance of this agreement-though p robably quit e as much for th e purpo se of g iving but th at co unt y, alth ough "la id out " I.,y Gove rn or Cass' procla matioll, ill Septe mber, 1822, had !lever bee n org :11-1izeda, nd its te rritory th ere fore remain ed allached to Oakland. I n the same mann er the pnrt whi ch Living ston had take n from Shiawa ssee remai nerl attach ed to O~k lancl until th e organization of Li vingston in 1836. ~· This public square, not having l,een used f&lt;&gt;rt he purp oses for wh ich it was donated, and "t he pulilic " lnving performed no act co nstit uting a lega l acc eptance of the gi ft, revert ed to the o rigin al propri elor0 , or th eir rep re,e l)tativ es, npny years afterw.lr cls. a sta rt to their villag e-that Crane and Brook s bu ilt th e frame buildin g above menti oned on th e so uth eas t corn er of Gra nd Riv er a nd Walnut Str eets, and caused it to be op ened as a publichou se . Thi s was the "house in th e mids t of th e woods" mention ed by Mr. Critt end en, where h e found th e mechanic s engage d upon its inside work on his first arrival at Livin gs ton Centr e. Th e first boa rde rs in th e "E ag le T ave rn," as it was called, were F . J. B. Crane and Alexand er Fraser, and its lod gers and tran sient cu stomer s were th e crowds of men who cam e to Living ston in search of governm eut lands. Th e landl ord who opened this h o use about D ece mber 1, 1835 (who was also th e first settler within th e bo undari es of th e village plat), was Amos Adam s, who came here in the autumn of th at yea r from Geneseo, Livingston Co., N. Y . On th e o rga nization of th e town and county he was elected one of th e first ju stic es of th e peace, and also county treasur er and surv eyor. Th e lastmenti oned office he held in th e county for a num - ber of years, having seve ral tim es been re-e lect ed. Jud ge Turn er makes menti on of him as " our old surv eyor who mad e for us the se imag inary ye t impassable lines in th e wilderness, which bounded our prop erty, and divid ed all th e untill ed soil,-a br ave man a nd true, who took ·upon him self such labors here in our young county as per h aps no one else wo uld have been adapted to perform." He kep t th e "E ag le" for only about two yea rs, it being sold to Jo sep h H . Steel in 1837. Mr. Adams afterwards be ca me proprietor, with Jo seph Port er, of a saw -mill on th e Shi awassee Riv er, on sec tion 27 in Howell town ship , and also built a fra me hou se, which he ope ned as a tav ern on the south sid e of the Gr and Riv er road, nea r th e bridge which cross es th e Shi awassee , and on th e west side of th at strea m. In this h ouse he died, May 14, 1855. His so n, Amos S. Adams, also beca me a h otel-k eepe r in th e villa ge, and at one tim e held th e office of R eg ister of D eeds of Livin gs ton County. Another son, J ohn Q. Adam s, is now livin g in California . Of the dau g hters of Amos Adams, A biga il, who was th e first school-teacher in H owe ll, marri ed Eno s B. 'Fayl or, and removed with him to California, wh ere she is still living. Ang eline, anoth er daught er, is also living in Californi a, unmarried; and Eveline, th eir sister,-now Mrs . Metcalf,--is living in the village of Fowlervill e. An important and mo st int eresting event, occurring in th e y ear 1835, at How ell (or Living ston Centr e, as th e place was still called) , was th e commenc ement of religiou s worship,-the first public religious observance, not only in th e vill age, but VILLAGE OF HOWELL. in th e town ship. It was bro ught about by the efforts of D eaco n Isra el Bran ch, a piou s man , who had settled on th e north east quarter of section 2, in Marion, on th e town line, about half a mile so uth of th e centre. Th e story of th at fip t ga thering for divine worship is thus told by the Rev. A. L. Critt end en : "D eacon Branch th ought he co uld not li ve with out relig ious meet ings , even in th e wild erness, and hence he took it upon himse lf lo comm ence th em . He went to E sq uir e Ad ams, our nohle landlord, who kept the hote l in the villag e,-fu r by thi s tim e the h ouse was n ea rly finished, a nd · Am os Adam s occupied it for a hotel ,-and obta ined consent to have reli g ious mee tings held in the sitting -room, the only building in th e villag e. Nutice was according ly given, and on Sabbat h mornin g (I can not g ive the date, b ut I think it was in the month of Dece mbe r, 1835 ) th e people assem bled, some coming four or five miles, and th e sitt ing-ro om was pr etty well filled. D eaco n Branc h condu cted th e meeting, reading on e of Dr. Payso n's serm ons. At th e close of th e se rvic es, he called for a volunteer to close by pray er. N o one came to h is h elp, b ut th e deacon wa s not disco urag ed. He gave notice for a m ee ting th e next Sabba th . On th e second Sabba th I volunte ered to close the meeting with pray er. Th us it happ ened that I was th e seco nd per.,o n wh o too k a part in a relig ious meetin g in H uwe II. After that, if the de aco n h ad to be away from th e meeting any Sabbat h, he bro ught to me a volume of Dr. Pay son 's serm ons, with a req uest that I should cond uct th e serv ices, which I di,! seve ral tim es th at year. " And so th e clo se of that year saw How ell village esta blished at Livin gs ton Centr e, with defined streets, a public square, a hotel, and a numb er of settl ers enjoy ing th e pri vilege of religi ous worship; th e obse rvance of which has been continu ed from th at tim e without int erruption . PROGRESS IN 1836. The sp rin g of 1836 op ened auspiciously for th e village of How ell. It s dignity was g reatly a ugmented by th e est ab lishm ent, on th e 15th of J anuary in th at year, of th e H owell po st-office, with Flavius J . B. Crane as its first po stma ster, who loc ated th e office in th e tavern of Amos Adam s. About th e 20th of March a mail-rout e was establish ed betw ee n thi s villa ge and K ensington, on th e west border of Oakl and County, and soon after th e route was extended westward from How ell to Grand R apid s. The mail-contractor for the former route was Lew is Thompson, who carri ed th e mail s on hor seback. The first mail- carri er betw een H owe ll and Grand R apid s was Jam es R. Sa ge, th en a youth of about seve nt een years, who on hi s first tri p lost his way (there being only a bridlepath or trail to guide him), and was cori1pelled to pass the night in th e woods. The mail-servic e between H owe ll and Ken sington was weekly; that over th e western route was bi-w eekly; but even thi s was a vast improv ement on the tr ansient and un certain mann er in which th e settl ers had previou sly received and forwarded th eir lett ers . Nearly simultan eo usly with th e establishment of th e post-office and th e mail-rout es th e Leg islature had pas sed (March 24th ) an act to organize th e county of Living ston, and th ere could be no rea - sonable doubt that th e county- site would be permanently loc ated at How ell, thou gh the claim to its locat ion was vigo rou sly advanced by the people of Brighton, and was nev er wholly relinqui shed by th em until the county buildin gs had been actually erected in thi s village, twelve years later . But notwithstanding all opposing claim s, How ell at once assumed the dignity of th e county-seat. The election of county officers was held in May, 1836, and resulted in the choic e of Ju stu s J. Bennett for sheriff, F . J. B. Cran e for county clerk, Ely Barnard for reg ister of deeds, and Am os Adams tr eas - ur er and surveyor. Of th ese offices, thr ee were held by residents of th e village, and Mr. Barnard, th e newly-elected register of deeds, immediately becam e a citizen of How ell by removal here from Genoa. The election of tow nship officers was also h eld at th e same tim e, and, alth ough How ell th en compri sed thr ee-e ighth s of th e territory of th e county, a majority of the officers elected wer e resident s within th e present corporation limits . Th e erecti on of th e first mill and th e opening of the first stor e and th e first blacksmith- shop in How ell, in 1836, were eve nts of no small consequ ence to th e settl ers at th e county- sea t and in its vicin ity. A saw -mill, to supply buildin g lumb er, wa s an indi spe nsable adjunct to th e proj ected village, and a stor e is con sidered almost a nec ess ity in s uch places, whil e th e first black smith-shopalways an import ant establi shm ent in new settlement s-pro ved doubly so in thi s plac e, from th e fact th at one of the tw o blacksmith s who op ened th e shop in that year (and who may properly be term ed th e first of th e tr ade in th e town, beca use he was th e first who permanently locat ed h ere) beca me a leadin g citizen of How ell,-one who, durin g a subseq uent hon orabl e ca ree r of forty-thr ee years in this place, has benefited the village in a hundred ways, and plac ed himself at th e head of her wealthi est and most respect ed men. This pio - neer blacksmith of How ell was William McPherson , a native of Sc otland, who emigrated to America in 18 36, and soo n after his arrival in th e country cam e to H owell, with his wife, th eir daught er, Isabella (now Mrs. H. H. Mills), and th eir two so ns, 'vVilliam. and Alexander, th ese being all of his family at that tim e. Th ey arrived on th e I 7th of Septemb er, and board ed with the family of Jam es Sage, while Mr. McPherson and hi s sons built a dw ellin g for th eir use. Thi s hou se (a log structure) wa s built on a lot in the west part of the villa ge plat, where William Cooper r4 2 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. now resides, and was finished and occupied by the family before the clo sing of winter. On the same lot and adjoining Mr. McPherson's hou se, the blacksmith-shop before allud ed to had been built, during the summer of the same year, by Andrew Riddle, who was also a Scotchman and a black smith, and was the father of Mrs. Mc- Pherson. Aft er having settled his family in their new house, Mr. McPherson commenced work in this shop with his father-in-law, and continu ed to do so until th e following spring, when Mr. Riddle remov ed from Howell to settle upon lands which he had purchas ed in Byron (now Oceola) . His son, William, remained in Howell, being employed in th e Regist er's office. He was afterwards one of the principal merchants of Howell, and is now a merchant in Detroit . After the removal of Andrew Riddle and family, Mr. Mc- Pherson occupied the shop alone and carried on the blacksmithing business for a time; but his health became poor, and he removed temporarily to Oceola, but soon after returned to How ell. In I 841 he, in partner ship with Josiah Turner, opened a small mercantil e business, and continued in it for nearly a year . After this he carried on blacksmithing for a short tim e, and again embarked in merchandising,-this time in partnership with Enos B. Taylor. At the end of about two years Taylor withdrew, and Mr. McPherson, alone at first,- afterwards with Mr. Riddl e, for four years under the style of McPherson &amp; Riddl e, and lastly in partnership with his sons,-has continued in the business until the present time, the firm being now known as William McPherson &amp; Son s. He has been uniformly successful, and as uniformly honest, honor.1ble, liberal, and public spirited. Howell has every reason to be proud of her pioneer blacksmith. The store referred to above as having been open ed in How ell in this year was hardly entitled to be called such. Mr. F. J.B. Crane had brought in a small lot of goods and opened them in a room of Mr. Adams' tavern, but the busin ess ,vas too small to support itself, and after two or three months it was clo sed, and the remnant of the " stock" was stored in the attic. The saw-mill above mentioned as having been put in operation in 1836 was built by Moses Thompson, on the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 25, on the stream which forms the outlet of that body of water which is now called Thompson Lake in his honor. Originally her e were three small lakes or ponds, connected by a marsh and stream , but th e building of the dam across the outlet by Mr . Thompson rai sed the water, submerged the marsh, and formed the pre se nt lake. He had purcha sed the adjacent land with the int ention of building a mill her e, and havin g that object in view, had brought with him the necessary mill-iron s and gearing when he came from H erkim er Co., N. Y., in the pr eviou s year. H e dug the racew ay and finished the dam during th e spring and summ er, but the mill was not completed until so me months later. The millwright employed was Joseph Porter, who had entered lands in section 7, Howell township, in July, 1834, and came into Livingston from Washtenaw County. He received from Mr. Thomp so n for his services as millwright the sum of $3 per day, which in those times was rega rded as a very large if not ari extravagant price. He finish ed the mill and put it in successful operation about the beginning of winter, and the very first boards sawed were purchased by Mr. \Villiam McPher so n for the purpose of laying a floor in his new log house . Mr. Thomp son, when entering his lands in 1834, had the foresight to secure not only a mill-seat, but also a considerabl e quantity of lands in section 34, which were covered with pine-timber of excellent quality. He well understood that when he should get his saw-mill in operation, th ese tracts, being the only pine-lands in this region, and located nea r the county-seat, mu st prove convenient and valuable. The result showed the soundness of his calculations; the pine-lands, besides being profit - able to their owners, facilitated building op erations in Howell village, by furnishing large quantities of lumb er of a kind and quality which before th e days of railroads was an exceedingly scarce article in nearly all parts of Living ston County. An event of some interest, if not of any great importance, to the few inhabitants of Howell at that time, was a wedding,-the first which occurred in the village or township. This was the marriage of Merritt S. Havens to Sally T. Austin, daughter of David Austin, which took place at th e house of . Mr . Austin, in the evening of the I 5th of January, 1836; the ceremony being performed by Kinsley S. Bingham, J .P., afterwards Governor of Michigan. It will be noticed that this wedding was not celebrated in what was then known as the village of Howell; and it is proper to mention here that this history of the village is intended to be a narrative of past events within all the territory now embraced in the corporation limits, and not merely to apply to the compactly-settled portion of it. Among the immigrants of 1836, besides those already named, were Enos B. Taylor, Sherburn Crane, Joseph H . Steel, Peter B. Johnson (located on village lot No. 116), John Russell, Watson G. Thomas, Oliver Re ed (section 35), Simon P. Shope, Gottlieb Schraft, Jacob Schraft, Giles Tucker, and RESIDENCE oF SOLOMON HILDEBRANT, HowELL,L 1v1NGSTON Co.,M,cH. RESIDENCE or W~ M~ PHERSON , J~. HOWELL, MICHIGAN . .. VILLAGE OF HOWELL. 143 Jos ep h Tuck er. Th e las t two here named were carp enter s by trad e, and on th at account were very useful accessions to the village population. Giles Tucker afterwards beca me a merchant in How ell, and sh eriff of the county of Living ston. He is now (or was rece ntl y) livin g in Eaton Co., Mich. J osep h Tuck er died in 1862. Simon P. Sh ope loc ated o n se ction 36, on land purchased from Alexander Fraser, and lived in th e h ouse which Mr . Fraser had built for hi s ow n use. Th e two Schrafts were unfortun ate German s who paid to Shope their small sav ings in th e expec tation of beco min g proprietors of lot s in an im ag inary village which the latt er pr etend ed to be ab out to lay out in th e southeast corn er of th e sec tion . Th ey soo n beca me objec ts of charity, and we re as sisted by Moses Th ompso n and others until th ey were ab le to leave th e place. \V . G. Thoma s contr acted for vill age lots, but did not become a permanent settler, and is sai d to have left th e vill age in a discr edi tabl e mann er so on after. Mr. Steel made permanent cettlement here, and in th e following year beca me p rop rietor of the hotel built by Crane and Brooks. H e was afterward s landl ord of one or mor e of th e oth er public-hous es of th e village. H e died here more than a quarter of a century after his first arrival, havi ng been constantly a reside nt of How e!!, excep tin g so me five or six years, during which he lived in Oceola. E. B. Taylor ma rri ed Abigail, da ug ht er of Amos Adams, and beca me a merch ant and so mewhat prominent man in th e village. Afterwards he remov ed to California, and died th ere. D avid H . Austin, who had come int o th e township in 1835, and made some pr eparation to settl e on section 20, remo ved to th e village in 1836, and took a small tract of land on sec tion 35. H e was not a relativ e of David and J onathan Aus tin , near whom h e located. He remained here for severa l years, held so me public offices, and was quite a prominent man in early schoo l matters. From H owe ll he afterward s remov ed to Farmington, Oakland Co. Hi s so n, George Austin, lives in th e so uth wes t part of How ell town ship . SETTLEMENTS AND OTHE R MATTERS, 1837 TO 1840. By th e town ship as sess ment roll of 1837 the tax -paye rs th en res ident within th e present boundaries of th e corporation are shown to have been th e follow ing: D av i ; I had determined up on thi s undertal.r.1e:me southern part of th e village, below th e railroad track. The busipess of this mill is th e manufa ctur e of sashes, doors, blinds, mouldin gs, and the dressing of lumber for building purposes. It is still owned and operat ed by Mr. Wright. ., i I ' I ' ; I ! ! i I l j i ,I I I I I I, HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. EDUCAT IONA L. THE H OWELL PUB LI C SCHOOL$. It is evident that th e first settlers in How ell mov ed promptly and energetically in th e matt er of providin g th e mea ns o f ed ucation for th eir children. It was in April, 1836, that th e org anization of th e towns hip was perfect ed by th e elect ion of its first officers, a mong whom were F. J . B. Cran e, J onath an Au stin, and J osep h Porter , schoo l inspectors. Before th e 21st of the followino- month b Schoo l District No. I (emoracin g th e villa ge of H owe ll) had been laid o ut, and on th at day a meetin g of th e taxab le inh abit ant s of th e district was h eld at th e hou se of Amos Adams, at which meetin g a di str ict orga nization was effected by th e election of D avid H. Au stin , Ju stin Du rfee, and Amos Adam s as Dir ectors, J onath an Au stin as Clerk, F . J. B. Crane as Tr eas urer, and John D . Pinckn ey as Co llector of th e District. T en days after thi s meetin g anot her was held at th e sa me pl ace1 "fo r th e purp ose of deciding up on a Cite for a sch oo l-h ouse for said distr ict. .. . Whereupon th e following proceedin gs were had: F. J. B. Crane, a res ident of sa id distri'ct, offered as a pres ent Lot No. 36, in th e village of H owel l, upon condition th at said di strict should ca use to be erected a frame schoo l-h o use th ereo n. On motion of Mr. Ad ams, R esolved; un anim ously , th at th e district acc ept th e offer mad e by Mr. Crane;" after which th e meeting adjo urn ed, to mee t 0 11 the 5th of June at th e sa me place . At the adjourn ed meetin g "David H. Au stin was appo inted Chairman, and J onath an Au stin was pr ese nt as Clark. R esolved, Th at 350 D ollars be rai sed in said distri ct for th e purpo se of erec tin g a frame schoo lh ouse, and compl etin g th e same." But for so me unexpl ai ned reas on th e schoo lhouse was not built un til th e followin g yea r. Pro bably th e reaso n of th e delay was th e lack of funds, and th e difficulty of obta inin o- lumb er b ' whi ch could not then be procur ed neare r th an Green Oak or Hambur g . Mo ses Thomp so n's mill had th en ju st bee n co mm enced, and th ere was a pro spect of its ea rly compl etion and of a conseq uent facility for ob taining th e necessa ry lumber. Thi s may or may not have had an influ ence in cau sin.g the postpon ement of buildin g operations. In th e sprin g of I 8 37 th e school-hou se was. erec ted on th e lot don ated by Mr. Crane. Sardis D av is was th e master- carpen ter, and hewed th e timb er for the frame . Th e lumb er was sawed by Morris Thompson. Th e sidin g and interi or fin.ish, desks, and other fixtures, were of whit ewood hauled from Sal em or Plym outh . Th e buil din~ was compl eted during th e spring month s, and on th e 17th o f Jun e, 1837, th ere was held in it a district -meetin g, of which D av id Austin was chairman and J ona th an Au stin clerk. At thi s meetin g D av id H. Austin was elected modera tor of th e district, Ely Barnard assesso r, and Ed war d F. Gay director; and havi ng made such electi on, it was "Resol ved, T hat thi s meeting expect th at th e direc tor they have chose n will use efforts to have a school com menced in this d istrict with out longer de lay." The per son who first wielded th e teac her's rod in H owe ll was Miss Abig ail Adam s, dau g ht er of Amos Adams, th ough wh ether her first tea ching was in th e scho ol-hou se , or in a private h ouse before th e school -hou se was completed, is not entir ely certain. Ther e is littl e doubt h oweve r th at she was th e first teach er in th e scl:ool-h o us: in th e summ er of I 837. Th e first male teac her in th e Howell sch oo l was Ju stin Durf ee. M r. E . F. Burt tau gh t her e for four yea rs, comm endn g in 1838. L ater came William Pitt Glover, who had th e reputation of being unn ecessa rily seve re in th e inflicti on of puni shm ent on his pupils. A m ong th e ea rliest of th e female- teach ers, bes ides Miss Adams, were Miss Fa rnswor th, Miss Waterman, Miss Clari ssa Rum sey-,. and Mrs. Jo seph B. S kilbeck. Th e maie tea ch ers who s ucceeded Mr. W. P. Glove r, and taught in th e old frame schoolhouse, or in rent ed rooms, until th e compl etion of th e first brick school- house, were William O . Arch er, wint er terms of I 845-4 6 and I 846-47; H enry H . H ar mon, wint er terms of 1847-4 8; J ohn S. Dixon, wint er terms of 1848-4 9. Th e school-hou se built in 1837 ap pea rs nev er to have been satisfactory to th e people, or ad equat e to th e wa nt s of th e school. In th e second year a fter it was built th e sum of forty doll ars was expended in repairs upon it,. and repa irs to a g reater or less ex tent wer e made upon it in eve ry yea r until its final aband onm ent as a schoo l-ho use. A t a schoo l meeting, h eld in th e evening o f th e first Monday of Oct ober, I 845 , it was "vot ed to raise t wo hundr ed Dollar s for th e purpo se of Erec ting a Sch oo l-H ouse;" and at an adjourned meetin g held on th e first Mond ay in th e next following month , it was" vot ed to L o cate th e School-Hou se on Lott s Nos. - - ;" * and at the sa me tim e it was voted th at " th e Board be instruct ed to rent th e meetin g-h ouse for th e purpo se of a di strict sc ho ol." But at a spe cial meetin o- of th e district ' b . held D ec. I 5, 1845, " th e vo te pas sed at th e annu a l [Oc tobe r] meeting to raise Two Hundred Dollars for th e purpos e of buil ding a School-Hou se was reconsid ered; and also th e vote for H av ing two sc h oo ls was reco nsidered ." ,_. The num be rs of the lots are illegib le in the reco rd. -~ ··- ·- ' - - - -- c.. -·- . VILLAGE OF HOWELL. 157 From th at time until the sp rin g of I 847 th e school-house qu esti on seems to have been less agitated ; but at a me eting held March 10th in th e y ea r last named, it was R esolved, "That in th e op ini on of thi s mee ting th e distri ct oug ht to build a new school -h ouse , and that sa id house should be thirty by fort y, and one sto ry high. " A committee of five was appointed " to draft a plan of said h o use, int ernal and ex ternal, and to se lect a suitabl e site on which to place it;" and J. H. Rasco, E. E. Gregory, J. Peterson, William McPher so n, and H. S. Hamilt on were constitut ed such committe e. Thi s committ ee, at a meetin g he ld on the 24th of the sa me month, report ed a pl an for a brick sch oo l-h ouse forty feet long by thirty feet wid e, one story, with side walls tw elve feet hig h and one foot thick, with two doo rs in the front as principal entrances, and (after a long specification of other particular s) "the wh ole to be crown ed in the centre of th e roof with a sma ll belfry." This report was un anim ously adop ted, and J. H . R asco , Edward F . Gay, George W . J ewett , Alvin L. Crittend en, and Steph en Clark were appointed a committ ee " to lo cate a site for sa id hou se and ascertain th e valu e th ereo f." Th ere is no record of th e res ult of th e labor s of thi s committ ee; but at a mee tin g held on th e 9th of September in th e sa me year, Willi am E . Huntley, N . J. Hickey, and Matthew 'A'cs t were ap - pointed "a committe e of thr ee to se lec t a site for a sc hoo l-h ouse," and it was "vo ted to raise a tax of thr ee hundr ed dollars p er year for thr ee suc - cess ive years for th e purpo se of building a scho olhou se; voted to bu ild sa id house of brick." And at a meetin g held on th e 27th, it was "v oted th at th e repor t of th e committee be accepted, and th at th e loca tion be accepted that is recomm end ed by th e committee;" though what that location was does not appea r up on th e record. O n th e 25th of Sept emb er, 1848, a meetin g was held at th e sc hoo l-h ouse , and at thi s meetin g it was, on motion of R . P. Bush, "R esolved, Th at the di stric t board he a nd th ey are hereby au th orized to se ll th e dist ri ct sch ool-hou se wi th in tw enty days , provided it will sell for five d ollars; and provided further, tha t th e sa id boa rd ca n procure a su itab le place for a sc hoo l th e ensuing w inte r." And at an adjourn ed mee ting, held on th e 28th, it was "voted th at th e district boa rd be and th ey are hereby authorized to engage th e room kn ow n as th e How ell Aca demy room, for th e use of th e district, for a sc ho ol th e comin g wint er, upon th e term s proposed by Mr. Clark, to wit, at th e rate of forty dollars per annum." At th e sa me meeti ng it was voted to raise $ IOCO "fo r th e purp ose of build- .. , .. - "' - ·- . ---- ing a scho ol-hou se for said district; the sa id amount to be rai se d in thre e succ ess ive yea rs ( commencing with the pre sent year), one-third in eac h year;" and also th e sum of $::coow as vot ed to be raised , "to be appro priat ed in purchasing or procurin g a site for th e scho ol-h ouse," and $ IOO was raise d for th e purpose of "inclosing th e school-house site and erec tin g necessa ry outbuildings;" also, $50 (to be raised in th e following year), "for th e purcha se of a bell for th e distri ct sch oo l-h ouse." Th e proceedings of thi s meetin g seem very ob sc ur e and har d to und erstand , for after th e passage of th e abov e-menti oned votes, th e meetin g, on th e sa me evenin g , proceeded to vote "that a co mmitt ee of thr ee be appo inted by th e chair to desig - nate a site for th e school-hous e, with instructions to report at th e next adjourned meetin g of th e distri ct," a nd th e ch air appoi nted as such committ ee Mes srs. Geo rge W. L ee, William McPherson, and Elijah Co ffren. Another committee was ord ered to prepa re a plan for a sc ho ol-h ouse, and H. S. Sp ark s, R. P. Bu sh, and Elij ah F . Burt were appoint ed as such committ ee ; whereup on th e meeting adjourned for four weeks, "to meet in th e How ell Academy R oo m ." At th e meetin g held pursuant to the above-mention ed adj ournm ent, on th e 26th of Octob er in the same year, it was " voted that th e action of th e Di strict Board in selling th e old Sc ho ol-Hous e belon gi ng to th e Di strict , and approp riatin g th e proceeds arising th erefro m to th e payment of th e rent of th e roo m engaged for a wint er schoo l, and t o repairs of th e same, is here by ap pro ved; " which shows th at H owe ll had no longe r a public sc hoo lho use, but was depend ent on th e acco mm oda tions of a rent ed roo m for th e h oldin g of th e sessions of its sc hoo l. A t th e same meetin g th e committee to wh om was referred th e se lecti on of a s ite for a school-hou se rep orted, "recommending th at th e site be located up on th e old public squa re, provided a titl e to th e sa me can be obt ai ned." This repor t was laid up on th e table, "aft er consid erabl e tim e sp ent in discu ss ing th e subj ec t," and a new committ ee of five was appointed, ch arged with th e duty of des ig nating a site; th e committee so ap - point ed being L. H. H ewett , Fred . C. Whipple, H . S. Sparks, Willi am McPherson, and Nelson G. Isbe ll. This committ ee , at a special meetin g held for the purpose (No v. I, I 848) , made two reports : "one recomm ending th at the site of th e schoolh ouse be removed from its μrese11t loca tion on lot No . 36, Crane &amp; Broo ks' Pl at, to land adj oi nin g said lot, offered by Mr. J ewe tt; and th e oth er recomm endin g th at it be removed to th e Northw es t Corn er of th e Court-House Sq uare;" but bot h · th ese repo rt s were rej ected by th e meeting, and a 'i . I ., HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY , M ICHI GAN . new committ ee , con sistin g of E . F. Burt , Geor ge \ V. Jewett, L. K. H ewett , N . J. Hick ey; and J osiah Turn er, was app oint ed, ch arge d with th e sam e duty. Two wee ks later, at a meeting h eld pur suant to adj ournm ent , thi s committe e aske d and received leave to h old anoth er sessi on, but th e meeting afterward s unanimou sly " R esolved, Th at the distri ct board be and th ey are h ereby auth orizer! and d irected to purcha se for the district lots N os. 15 and 18 on Cra ne &amp; Broo ks' plat, prov ided th ey can obtai n th e same at an expe nse not to exceed $ 130." Th ese lots form the site of th e pr ese nt Methodist church, on W alnut Stre et. But at the next . meetin g , h eld D ecember 8th , th e vote dir ect ing th e Boa rd to purch ase th em was resc inde d; and , at th e sam e tim e, up on Mr. Galloway 's offerin g a reso luti on to th e effect" th at th e schoo l-h o use site be remove d from its prese nt loca tion on lot 36, of Cr ane and ·Bro oks' plat, to th e north end of th e Co urt-H o use Squ are , p rov ided eight ro ds in width ac ross th e north end of said squar e ca n be obtained with out ex pense to th e d istrict, excep t th e exp ense of making th e necessa ry papers," th e ch airm an (Geo rge W. J ewe tt ) sa id he co uld not ent erta in it, and re sig ned th e chair; wh ereup on Edw ard E . Grego ry was made ch airm an, a nd put th e qu estion, wh ich was decid ed in th e nega tive. It may be object ed th at th e above is an unn eces - sarily minut e acco unt ~f th e various p roceedin gs had by th e d istrict on th e subj ect o f a change of site and erection of a new bu ild ing , but it has bee n g iven for th e pu rpose o f showing th e long se ries of tri bulations throu g h which th e peopl e of H owell passed before attainin g th e object th ey had in view. Fin ally, th e q uestion of th e location of th e sch oo l-hou se site was definitely settl ed at a meeting of th e qualifi ed voters of th e d istri ct, held D ec. l 5, I 848. A t thi s meetin g , of which D r. Gardn er Wh eeler was cha irm an, it was " R esolved, That th e site of the scho ol-house be remo ved from lot N o. 36 of Crane &amp; Brooks ' plat, and located up on the l,Joc k upon said pla t comprising eight lots nu mbered as follows, to wi t, lots N os. 173 to 180, inclusive; and that the distri ct b oard be directed to purc hase the said Juts for that pur pose ." Up on th e first vote being taken on thi s reso lution, it was lost, th e necessa ry numb er not vo tin g in th e affirm ative ; but thi s ac tion was afterwards reco nsidered, and a seco nd vote taken, whi ch resulted in its adopti on by 50 yeas to 17 nays. Thu s th e schoo l-house site was estab lished,-it being th e ampl e g ro un ds (boun de d by Hubb ell, McC arthy, Cran e, and Eas t Str eets) which are now occupi ed by th e noble edifice of th e H owe ll Uni on Sch oo l. A site being now definitely fixed upon, a meeting was held pur suant to public notic e, "at th e di sh ict schoo l-ro om ," J an. 19, I 849, '' for th e purpose of ado ptin g a plan for a school-hou se for sa id distri ct ;" and at th at meetin g it wa s, on motion of Mr . J ewett, "R esolved, Th at th e d ist rkt board be and th ey are h ereby instru cted , auth orized , and empowe red to erec t or cause lo be erect ed a br ick school -ho use on the site located for th at purpo se, 38 fee t by 48 fee t, tw o sto ries hig h , w ith a ce llar under so much of the same as th ey shall de em necessary, and finish and prepare fur use so mu ch of said build ing as th e mo ney already voted to be ra ised [$ 1000] will acco mplish ." Thi s resoluti on was adopt ed by the requi site numb er of vot es, but th e end was not yet; for, on th e 12th of Fe bru a ry nex t followin g , George W. L ee and thirt y-eig ht oth ers, taxa bl e inh abi ta nt s of the distr ict, ad dr esse d to th e b oa rd a writt en req uest th at a meetin g be called "for the pur pose of tak ing into consideration th e propri ety of buildin g a CASTLE for a sch oo l-h ouse, and , as th e Di strict Boa rd com plain th at w e do not d irect tft em , we will ask th em to listen to us for once; and see wh at th e d istr ict think s." Th ereup on a meetin g was called, and held on th e 19th of F ebru ary , and at th at meetin g th e reso lution p reviously ado pt ed " was reconsidered and inde finitely postp oned." A resoluti on was th en ado pted by th e necessa ry vote, auth orizing and directin g th e boa rd to cau se a scho ol-h ouse to be built on th e established site ; " sa id house to be erect ed up on a suitable found ati on, to be built of bri ck , two stories high, to be t wenty-six by thirt y-s ix feet on th e gro un d , an d ten feet betwee n j oint s, and finished comple te." Thi s vo te was final, and , und er th e auth ority conferred by it, th e " bri ck sch oo l-h ouse" was bu ilt in th e summ er and fall of 1849 , on th e site now ocu pied by th e U nion sch ool-h ouse. Th e cont ract for buil d ing th e house ap pea rs to have bee n awarde d to E lijah Co ffren, at $ IO OO, th ough th e co ntr act pric e is not menti oned in th e distri ct record. Th e buildin g was nea rly o r q uite com pleted in Sep tember ; and at a distri ct meetin g held in th e Pr esbyterian meetin g-h ouse, in H owe ll, on th e 24th of th at month, it was " voted th at th e sum of six hun dred and seve nty -eig ht do llars and seventy cent s be raised th e pr ese nt ye ar up on th e taxabl e property of th e district for th e followin g pur pos es, t o wit : To pay E. Coffren on cont ract for bui ldi ng sch ool-house .. $333.00 T o make the paym ent clue for site.. .. .... ......... .. ... .. .... .. l 17.70 To in d ose site and purchase a be ll...... ....... ..... ........ .. 100.00 T o pay acco unts al lower!, and for rent .... .. .... ...... .. ... .. . 48.00 F or ex tra s of schou].house and steep le...... .... ... ...... ..... 65.00 F or st-0ves and pipe.. ....... .. .. ...... .... .. ........ . .... .. .. ..... . I 5.00 Tota l ...... .. . ...... ... ..... . ... .... ..... ·······-···· ... .. ... ··· $678 .70 Th e last pay ment on Coffren's contr act , and also th e final pay ment on th e sch oo l-h o use site, were VILLAGE OF HOWELL. 159 provided for by a vote passed in the following year to rai se the necessary amounts . In 1849, a Jaw was passed by the Legislature (approv ed March 31st), enacting that, "in districts containing more than one hundred scholars betwe en the ages of four and eighteen years, the district board may be enlarged by adding th ere to four trustees, provid ed the di strict determine to do so by a two-thirds vote at any annual me eting." And as this di strict contained more than that numb er of childr en prior to its annual meeting in September, 1849 (the last held before the occupation of the brick school-house), it was at that meeting" vot ed to elect a board of trustees agreeable to act No. 183, of the session laws of 1849 ;" and the meeting then proceeded to elect George W . Jewett, R. P. Bush, James Lawther, and 'vVilliam McPherson as the first Board of Tru stee s of the district. · At th e same time a resolution was passed authorizing the district boa rd "to offer Mr . John S. Dixon the sum of three hundred dollars for his servic es as teacher of the district school for one year." l3ut it appears that Mr. Dixon did not accept the offer, for the board soon after employed Mr . Willis Wills, who assumed authority as the first teach er in the (then) new brick school-house. But he proved unsuccessful as a teacher, and is repr ese nt ed as having bee n incompetent and exceedingly cruel. The result was that the school was broken up before the completion of his winter term of I 849-50. It became apparent very soo n after the first occupation of the new school -h ouse that it was inadequate to the needs of the district, and that it would perhaps, after all, hav e been better to build the " Castle" as at first proposed . At a district meeting, held Sept. 30, 1850, less than a year after Mr. Wills had opened school in th e new building, it was "R esolve,(, That the distri ct hoard be authorizerl, in th eir d iscretion, to rent anoth er R oom, ancl employ on e or more T eac hers in addition to the present num be r, for the Winter Schools. " A room was accordingly rented from Mrs. Frink , at $32.50 per annum, as appears from the record of bills allowed at the annual meeting in 185 I. Again, in I 85 2, th e board was authorized to procure additional room for the winter school, and the sum of $ 15 was allowed to Jo sia h Turner for room rent; a11d at an adjourned meeting, held Oct. 3, 1853, a resolution pass ed "that seventy-five dollars be raised to procure and furnish nece ssary schoolrooms for th e ensuing year." The audited account s of th e district for the same year show that over $: 80 was spent for repairs on the schoolhou se, and that Josiah Turner and Almon 'vVhipple rec eived $2 5 each for rent of school-room. In September, 1854, at the annual meeting, a committee was appointed con sisting of F. C. \Vhipple, N. G. Isbell, Elijah F. Burt, John H. Galloway, and W. A . Clark, "to report some feasible plan for enlarging the present school-house or building a new one;" and at a special meeting, conven ed on th e 21st of April, 1855, for the purpose, this committ ee pr ese nted their report: "That th ere is imm ecliate and pr essing n ecessity for furth er school accommodations, and with out the se, it is imp oss ibl e to carry o ut the plan of a Union Sch uol with success. Of thi s ther e can be but one opinion, and the on ly qu estion is, h ow best to secure th em, with due ref erence to eco nomy, at the ea rlie st practicable period." Th ey th en proceed ed to recommend the enlarg ement of th e house " by exte ndi ng it south, in the same form an ,! size of the present building, forty-e ight fee t, by takin g o ut the so uth ga ble end of th e present buildi ng. dow n to the bottom o f th e upp er story; the present school-roo m in that story ca n th en be enlar ge d to any desirable ext ent , with room fur one or tw o rec itati on-rooms at th e south encl. An &lt;! th e lowe r sto ry of the prop osed additi on can be conve ni ently divid ed into tw o school-ro oms o f snitahle size for small chilclren. By carrying ont this plan, ampl e acco mm od ations will be afforded for all the schola rs of th e district for a long time to come. It is cleemecl of equa l imp orta nce to the pe r fection of a Uni on Sch oo l th at th e sa me, in all its clepartmeuts, sho nlcl be und er the immediate superv ision and contrnl of one pri ncipal tea ch er. Thi s ca nn ot wel l he clone unless the de partments are all und er the same ro of." Th e cost of the proposed addi tion, including necessary furniture and fixtur es, was estimated at $1000; which sum the committee recommended to have rai sed in the (then) present year, and that the building be contr act~d for and commenced with the least po ssible delay. The report was acc epted, and, on motion of F. C. Whipple, was adopted" afte r an animated discussion by a number of persons." Th e meeting then voted to raise the su m of $ 1000 to be placed at the disposal of the board , who were authorized and instruct ed to contract for the propo sed enlargement of the school-house, to be compl eted on or before D ec. 1, 1855, at a cost not exceeding $ 1200. The above proceedings and the remarks of the committee on the enlargement of the house are given more at length, because th ey have reference to th e inception of the proj ect for establishing and maintaining a Union School,-an institution which has since been brought to a high degree of exce llence in How ell, and of which the people of th e village are now so justly proud. Th e vote to raise $ 1000 for th e enlarge1~ent of the school-house was afterwards (Sept. 24, 185 5) reconsidered, and it was voted to raise, instead, the sum of $7 50 for the purpose, and the board was instruct ed to contract for the erection of the addi16o HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. tion to the building on the plan before adopted, the work to be completed and ready for occupancy by the I st of October, I 8 56, and the whole to cost not exceeding $ I 500. The contract to construct the building was given to John B. Kneeland, in whose favor orders were drawn in March, 1856, for the whole amount ($755) voted to be raised in 1855, viz., on Tr eas ur er of How ell for $666.3 2, and on the Tr eas urer of Marion (in which a part of the district was embraced) for $8 3.68. The building was compl eted , ready for use, before the specified tim e, and th en, for a few years, th e peop le of th e district experienced comparatively little troubl e for lack of accommod'.1tions for th e schools. But in less than ten years from the time when the old brick school-house was enlarged by an addition considerably more extensive than the original building, it became evident th at the erection of a large and commodious edifice could not be much longer delayed. The subject th en bega n to be discussed with a good dea l of warmth, and although a strong opposition was elicited at first, this gradually decreased, so th at finally, at the annual district- meeting, held Sept. 3, 1866, when a resoluti on was offered by Hon. Sardis F. Hubbell" to authorize th e officers of said dist rict, and to direct said officers, to issu e bonds against said school district to th e amount of fifteen thous and dollars, said bonds to bear an interest not exceeding seven per cent. per annum; the funds so raised to be used for the purpose of erecting a school-house in sa id district, and th at the sum of one thou sa nd dollars be paid annually, with the inter e~t , until the whole amount . is paid," th e mea sure was adopted by the meeting, by the decisive vote of 52 in the affirmative to only two votes in the nega tive. A building comn1ittee was th en appointed, con sisting of H. C. Briggs, Sardis F. Hubb ell, Wm. McPherson, Sr., J. I. Van Deusen , and Jo seph M. Gilbert. Mr. Hubbell soon after resigned as a memb er of the committee, and John H. Galloway was appointed in his place. A year elapsed after the passage of this measure without any furth er decisive action being tak en; but at the annual meeting for 1867 (September 2d) it was vot ed unanimou sly," That there be rai sed on the taxa ble property of the district the sum of five thou sand dollars as a building fund, to be raised at the rate of one thou sa nd dollars in each year, with the interest; and the bond s to be. iss ued in such sums as above stated, after the fifteen thousand dollars voted at the last annual meeting; said bonds to bear interest not exceedi ng ten per cent per annum." A finance committee was th en appointed, consisting of Alexander McPherson, L. D. Smith, and William vVillia mson. Proposals for building th e hous e after a specified plan were advertised for and received; and on th ese being opened and compar ed on Feb. 29, I 868, the contract was a warded to B. B. Rice, of Detroit, to erect and complete th e building in a thorou gh and workmanlike manner, acco rding to the plans .and specifications, for th e sum of $I 5,650, with $700 in addition for finishin g the third story, which last-n amed item had not been cont emp lated in the original plan. Thi s contract price did not include the brick, stone, rough lumber, and some other building materials, which were furni shed by the district. Th e unsucc ess ful competitors with Mr. Rice for the contract were Messrs. Kilmer, Coxburn &amp; Ryan, of Jackson; P. Marshall, of Holly; Thom as Lunn &amp; Son, of Pontiac; I. N. Bush, of Lansing; Gassmere &amp; Tooker, of L ansing; Palmer &amp; Gee and Woodrow &amp; Son, of D etroit. The old school-house was demoli shed and removed in the following March, and the work of erecting the new one was commenced with energy. The contract called for the compl etion of the building on or before the 1st of November, 1868, but it was not entirely finished until about six months after the tim e specified, as is shown by the record of a special district-meeting, held on th e I 6th of April, I 869, "to tak e action resp ecting the raising of money to pay the outstanding indebtedness of said district, and to raise mon ey for th e necessa ry completi on of the new Union School Building"; at which time it was ~oted to borrow $4000 for the purpose named . The building was, how ever, occupied by the schools for the winter term of 1869. Its total cost, including the materials furnished by the district, and all extra expenditures, was more than $3 I ,ooo. It is an ex ceedingly solid and imposing edifice, being of brick, three stories high above the basement, with a French roof, and a tower ·one hundr ed feet in height. The · house is divid ed into rooms by appropriate halls. The first story has two halls; one is fourteen feet in width and sixty-five feet in length, the other is eleven feet in width and thirty-five feet in length . There are thr ee school-rooms, and each room is twentyfive feet by thirty-five; two wardrobes each six feet by sixteen. The second story has two halls, one fourteen feet in width and sixty-five in length, the other is eleven feet in width and thirty-five in length; three school-rooms, each tw enty-five feet by thirty-five; one room, twelve feet square, for philosophical instruments, and one recitation-room, the same size; two wardrobes, each six feet by sixteen. VILLAGE OF HOWELL. 161 The third story has one hall, fourt ee n feet in width and sixty-five in length; one lecture-room, thirty-five feet by sixty-five; one school-room, twenty-five feet by thirty-five; one room for the director, tw elve feet square; and one recitationroom, th e same size. The first and second stories of th e building are thirteen feet and two inches high in th e clear. The t.hird story is sixteen feet high in the clear. The old brick school-house, from the time of its first occupation until its demolit ion, had been in use for a period of nea rly ninet ee n years. Of the principal teach ers who were employed within its walls during that period, it has been found impracticabl e to make a list absolutely complete, because the district record s are defective in this particular, and the recollections of different persons, apparently equally reliable and well informed, who have been applied to for information, hav e proved to be entirely at variance with each other on the subject. A list, however, is given below, which is nearly complete for the first few years, and is believed to be entirely so for th e remaind er of the tim e. It is as follows: W. Wills,-first teach er in the school-house, as before stated,- term of I 849--50; John S. Dixon,-successor of Mr. Wills,-1850 to 1852; Seth Bed en, term of 1853-54; J. S. Hou ston, term of 1855-56; W. F. Munson, 1857; L. Barnes, 1858-59. The school had previou sly been graded into primary, int ermediate, and grammar depa rtm ents. Mr s. Barne s, the wife of the professor and a graduate of Albion Female College, took charge of the intermediate department. D. Cramer, 18 59-60; Prof. Charles W. Bowe n, 1860 to 1862. The schools were reg rad ed under Prof. Bowen. Rufus T. Bush, 1862-63. The first course of study for the hi gh school, adopted by th e board, was prepared by Mr. Bush. Mrs. Bush was also employ ed as a teach er in the school. Michael Mc- K ernan, engaged July 11, 1863; resigned, by requ est, March IO, 1865. S. S. Babcock, 1865- 66; Joshua S. Lane, 1866-67; L. S. Montague, engaged Sept. 9, 1867, for a term of twenty weeks . At the close of Mr. Montague's term the old schoolhou se was demoli shed to make room for th e new building. When the new house was first occupied by the schools , th ey were in charge of Prof. S. S. Babcock, who was employed as principal teacher, at a salary of $1500 per annum. Upon the expiration of the time for which he was employed, he demand ed an increa se of salary, which was not acceded to by the board, who then employed Prof. T. C. Garner, at the same salary. He remained in charg e of the school 21 until 1873, when Prof. E. W. Schreeb was employed as principal, at a salary of $ 1200. He in turn was succeeded, in 1874, by Prof. \V. Cary Hill, who remained until 1877, when he was succeeded by Prof. Elihu B. Fairfield, who has remained in charge until the pre sent time. The How ell public schools are organized in three departm ents, primary, grammar, and high school, each of four years, aggregating twelve years in the entire course. The grades of the school culminat e in the high school. Nearly every pupil who enters a primary or grammar grade expects, eventually, to become a pupil in the high school, and hop es to graduate th erefrom. Its stimulating influenc e up on all the gra des below is too wide-spread and deep-reaching to admit of computation; nor is it any less difficult to estimate its influence upon the community which sustains it. The graduating exercises exci te a larg er influence among the people of Howell than any other educational event of the year . Th e present teachers are Elihu B. Fairfield, B.S., Superint endent; Mrs. Jenni e K. Hill, Preceptress; Miss Jane E. Neely, Eighth Gracie; Mrs. J. M. Clark, Seventh Grade; Miss Emma 'vV. Lamb, Sixth Grade; Miss Mattie K erns, Fifth Grade; Miss Mary Parsons, Fourth Grad e ; Miss Jennie E . Nayl or, Third Gracie; Miss Mary Wil liamson, Seco nd Gracie; Miss Celia E. Sprague, First Gracie. The following are statistics of this school district for th e year ending June 27, 1879: Populati on of th e district (est imate d). ... .... .. 3000 Cash value of school prop erty. ......... ... ...... $35,000 Amount of money rece ived from loca l ta xation: Tw o mill tax ... ... .. .... .. ...... .... . ..... .... ........ . Voted on property ..................... ...... ...... .. . Amount rec eived from int erest on permanent fund s ... . Am ount rece ived f,om tuiti on fees . .. •..•.. ..... ••.... . ..• Library fund ...•. ..•• ... .....•... ..•••. .•. .. •.. ... .. ...••....•..• $90 1.31 6,229. 05 296 16 383 .33 18 19 Tot al rece ipts .... .•..• .... .-....... ................ ... .. $7,828.04 Cost of superint endence and instruction. ... ............ .. $4,030.00 Am ount paid Prin cip:tl.. ......... ..... ...... ... ..•.•• ...... 1,000.00 Cost of in cidentals.... ...... .. ...... .. ... ............ .... .. •.• 1,349.48 Am ount paid for bond s a nd in terest....... .. ...... ..... ... 2,700 .00 Amount p:iid for perm anent improv ements and buildin g.. ........ ........... ... .... ... .......... ..... .......... I 19.55 Num ber of childr en in di strict betwee n five and tw enty years of age ...•.. ....... .. ..•..... . --··-·········-········ ···· 617 Actual enr ollm ent in eac h department, e,oclusive of th ose rece ived by tran sfer: Prim ary Department. ... ... ...... ...... ...... ......... 281 Gramm ar Departm ent.......... ... ......... ........... 197 High Schoo l Depart ment ...... .. ............... ..... 52 R ecei'ved by tran sfer in Grammar D ~partment.... ... .•• 29 Averag e daily auenrlance: Prim ary Dep artm ent ... .. .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. ... ... ..• I 7 5 Grammar Department. . .... .... .......... ............ 148 Hi gh School D epartm ent........ ........ ............ 29 Total ....... .•.. .... ... ....•. .. .•.• .... .. ..... ... ... ...• .• 352 N on-r esident pupils : Prim :iry Depart ment ..•••••• ..••••......•. .••.• . .. . .. 7 Gramm ar Dep artm ent.... ......... .. ..... ........ .. .. 23 High School Department.. ....... ... .. ........... .. 24 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. The sch ool officers for 18;9 are Edwa rd P. Gr ego ry , Dir ector; H arry J. H ave n, Mode rator; L. C. Smith , Treasurer. Board of Tru stees, Harry J. Hav en, term expir es 1880; A. D. Wadd ell, term expires 1880 ; Mylo L. Gay, term ex pir es 188 1; Alex ander McPher son, term exp ires 188 1 ; Edwa rd P. Gregory, term ex pires I 882; L. C. Smith, term expi res 1882. PRIVATE SCH OO LS IN H OWELL. Various privat e institutions of lea rning have had th eir existence in How ell at different periods, but chi efly durin g th e ten or twelve yea rs imm ediately pr eced ing the establishm ent of th e g rad ed sys tem in th e public schools of th e village . Th e earliest of th ese education al enterpri ses was the " How ell Se lect School," commenced in I 845 by Th eodore Brid gman, who adve rti sed th at "particul ar attenti on will be paid to tho se desirous of qualifying th emselves for teac hin g , and no pains will be spared to render thi s sc hoo l (so far as th e t each er is conc erned) both pleasa nt and profitable." Th e duration of thi s scho ol ha s not been asc ertained, but it was taught for a time in th e old Presbyt erian meeting-hou se, an d was remarkab le chi efly for th e total failure of its principal to perform any of th e promi ses which he mad e at th e tim e of its comm encement . In December of th e same yea r in which Mr. Brid gman had commenced his scho ol, a" Classical Select School" was opened in H owe ll by th e R ev. G. F . McEwe n. Th e princip al was a ge ntl eman of good ability and highly educated, but his scho ol was neith er long-lived nor very suc cess ful. A select school was ope ned April 6, 1846, by Mrs . Maria L. Charles, "on Grand Ri ver Str eet, one door Ea st of th e Courier Printing-Office." It is sa id to have bee n a good school of its grade durin g th e tim e of its continuance. On th e 1st of April, in th e same year, William Pitt Glover opened a scho ol which he named " Th e How ell Acade my." Mr. Glov er announced in his pro spectus that he was prepared to teach or th ography, reading, penmanship, arithm etic, geog raphy, grammar, history, politi cal eco nomy, min eralogy, zoology, botan y, physiology, geology, as tronom y, ch emistry, philo soph y, alg ebr a, optics, phy sics, rh etoric , critici sm, log ic, and th e Greek and L atin lang uages . A lso th at " Dec la mat ion and comp osition will he att end ed to. Lecture s on differ ent moral a nd scientifi c subj ects will be give n at proper int ervals. Particul ar att ent ion will be paid to the mora l, as we ll as th e int ell ect ual cultur e of th ose committ ed to hi s care; a nd wh il,;t th e nu mb er lo be admitl ed will not exceed th e limit s of a privat e academica l famil y, subject lo th e ru les of a well- orrlered domestic eco nomy, th e circl e and ra nge of instruction, the. ubjecls of stu,ly, and th e pro gress lo be made in th em, will h ave no oth er li mits th an th e choice o f th e stud ent, or his friend s, and the measure of time, capac ity , a nd d ilige nce wh ich h e can brin g to th eir pro secut ion . .. . T o persons desi rin g to pursue a co.lleg iate cour se of ed ucat ion, or to p repare for th e pract ical d uti es of life, h e pledge s hi s efforts to mak e th is institut ion worthy of futur e confide nc e." Th e instituti on, howeve r, never became celebr ated, and after a bri ef and rather a lang uishin g career it ceased to exist . A numb er of privat e school s have had th eir dar in H owe ll since tho se above menti oned. Among the mo st notic eable of th ese was the " How ell Select School" of Mrs. Ro sina L. Dayfoo t, which was in succ essful operation as ea rly as 1857, and so continued for several yea rs after th at tim e. It was taught in th e house now own ed and occupied by Ir a Preston, on Walnut Str eet, in th e so uthw est pa rt of th e village . In 186 1 this school was conduct ed by Mrs. Dayfoot as Principal; Miss Fa nny M. Lyon, A ssistant Principal; and Mr. L. A. Westphal, Mu sic T each er. It is sa id to have be en one of the best schools of its kind eve r ta ug ht in How ell. Aft er leav ing here it was estab lished in Fe ntonville, Genesee Co. Th e " H owe ll Acad emy ," a prospec tive institution of learning (beari ng th e same name as Mr. W. P. Glover 's school of 1846, but havin g no connection with it), was incorporat ed by act of L egislature, approv ed March 27, 1848 , with an auth orized cap ital of $ 10,000, in shares of $5 each; th e corpor ators nam ed in th e act bein g Jos iah Turn er, F. C. Whippl e, Elijah F. Burt , Alv an Isbell, Gardner Wh ee ler, Geor ge W . Lee, J ohn Kenyon, Jr ., Almon Whippl e, and Edward E. Gregory. Beyond th e procurement of this act of incorp oration, nothin g was ever done in furth era nce o f th e project. LITERARY ASSOC IAT IONS . Several lit erary associ ations have existed 111 Ho well at various times. The first of th ese was th e "Howell Lyceum," which was organized as early as 1843, and in that year elected as its officers George W . Jewe tt, President; William Mc- Ph erson, Vic e-Pr esid ent ; Owen W. Griffith, Sec - ret ary . The Lyc eum was reorg anized in November, 1857, with A. D . Wadd ell as President; John M. Clark, V ice-Pr esident; F. W. Mun so n, Secretary; H. C. Briggs, Tr eas urer . Bes ides th e Lyce um, th ere have been th e Ciceronians (a debating society existin g at leas t as ea rly as 186o), th e Young Men's Le ctur e and Libr ary Asso ciation, the L adies' Library Association (elsewh ere mentioned) , and oth ers ,- all a iming- at literary improvement, and all acco mplishin g, in grea ter or less deg ree, th e object for which th ey were form ed. FRANCIS MONROE was one of the earliest settlers of Livingston County . He passed through what is now the village of Howell before a building had been erected there. His father, Lemuel Monroe, was one of the heroes of the Revolution. He served through that memorable war; participated in the battle of Bunker Hill; was present at Burgoyne's surrender, and in many other engagements. He also served in the war of 1812. Was three times married, and was the father of eighteen children, seventeen of whom grew to maturity. In his old age he came to Howell and made his home with his son Francis, at whose residence he died at the adva,nced age of ninety -seven years and two months . Francis Monroe was the eldest of six children by the third wife of his father . She resided at Mendon, N. Y., when her husband was serving in the war of 181 2, and for several years thereafter . There Francis was born Aug . 8, 1813. When a lad he was indentured until he was twenty-one years of age, at which time he received the customary one hundred dollars and two suits of clothes. This important event occurred Aug. 8, 1834, and on the 18th day of September of that year he was married to Miss Luana Hicks, of Bristol, N. Y. Her father had died, and from his estate she received one hundred dollars upon her marriage. Mr . and Mrs. Monroe then had a joint capital of two hundred dollars, and plans were soon matured for securing a home . They resolved to go to the then Territory of Michigan, and within a week Mr. Monroe started on a tour westward. After prospecting through Eastern Michigan, he located on the southwest quarter of section 28, now the town of Howell. Returning to Bristol he worked by the month some two years, and in the spring of 1837, with his wife and two children, moved on to his land, and commenced the task of creating a home from the unbroken forest. With limited means and few neighbors,' he was thrown upon his own resources to procure the necessaries of life. He worked out by the day. The first fall after his arrival he went twelve miles to dig potatoes (for one La Grange, in Unadilla), receiving in payment a bushel of potatoes for a day's work! Money was a thing almost unknown. To pay taxes and the twenty-five cents postage on a letter from the East, were grave questions to the pioneer. Wolves were plenty, and soon a bou11ty of seventeen dollars was offered for their scalps. This was most fortunate for Mr. Monroe, who gave them considerable attention; he took as many as three in a week, which rendered him material financial relief. The progress of the pioneer under these adverse circumstances was necessarily slow; but after the log house was built, the clearing was continued. Year by year improvements were made and other lands added; the small clearing expand ed to broad and fertile fields, and the log house has long since given place to a large and commodious brick residence, with such surround - ings as indicate the thrifty farmer. By his first wife he had ten children, viz.: Henry 0., is a farmer in Wisconsin; F . N., is a hardware merchant in Howell; James M., is a farmer in Ingham County; Norton M., is living on the old homestead; George W., also on a farm in Ingham County; Mary L., married William Bezan, and died at Howell; Luana A. and Helen M., both died unmarried; William H ., is a farmer in the town of Howell; Lucinda M., became the wife of B. B. Morgan, a portrait painter and inventor, and resides at Ann Arbor. The present Mrs. Monroe was a Mrs. Brininstoole, formerly of Batavia, N. Y. Mr. Monroe and both his wives were members of the Baptist Church of Howell. His first wife was one of the few who organized the church, and he is still a zealous worker in that organization . In 1871, Mr. Monroe left the farm in charge of his son, Norton M., and purchased a residence in the village of Howell, where he has since resided, enjoying a well-earned competency and the respect of all. VILLAGE OF HOWELL. THE L ADIES' LIBRARY ASSOC I AT ION OF HOWELL. In th e winter of 1874-7 5, th e " spe llin g-sc hool" mani a, which was at that tim e at its height in many plac es in th e State, reached How ell, and result ed in th e formation of a "school," which became so mewh at popular, and continued long enoug h to yi eld a small sur plus revenue above expe nses. Af ter its clo se, it was determined to app ly thi s fund- supp lemented by co ntributi onsto th e estab lishm ent of th is associ ation, which was acco rd ingly or ga nized in May, 1875; th e following- named ladies being its first officers: Mrs. Mylo L. Gay, Pr esident; Miss Ella Burt, Correspo ndin g Se cr etary; Miss Milli e Hickey, R eco rding Secretary; Mrs . H. G. Fry, Treasurer; Miss Frank Skilbeck, Libr arian. Only 25 vo lum es we re purchas ed at first, but th e number has incr eased to 317 volum es. During th e first year of its ex istence, th e assoc iati on had its roo ms in th e Sabin block, from which place th ey were rem oved to Weimeister block on Grand River Street, and remain ed th ere for about nin e month s, after which th ey were chan ge d to th eir pr ese nt loc ation in Hubb ell block. Th e rooms are opened from thr ee to five o'clock P.M. on Saturdays. At the comm encement, th e asso ciation opened a reading-room in conn ect ion with th e Library, an d thi s was maintai ned for ab out one yea r, afte r whi ch it was discontinued on accou nt of an ap - parent lack of int eres t on th e part of tho se for whose benefit it was designed. Th e prese nt (1879) office rs of the association are Mrs. S. F. Hubb ell, Pr esident; Mrs. D enni s Shi elds, First Vic e-Pr es ident ; Mrs. Newton T. Kirk, Seco nd Vice-Pre side nt; Miss M. Burt, Secre tary; Mrs. William Mc- Ph erson , Co rr espo ndin g Secre tary ; Miss J ane E. Neely, Trea surer; M iss H elen William so n, Libr an an ; Mrs. M. J . McP herso n, Assis tant Librarian. THE PRESS OF H OWE LL. The news pape rs of Howell - T!te Li vingston D emocrat, by Jo sep h T. Titus &amp; So n, and L iving·- ston R epublican, by L. C. Mill er-will be found mention ed in th e hi story of th e Press of Li ving - sto n Co unty. RELIGIOUS. THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN HOWELL. Th at the Meth odist Church of Howell was th e first relig iou s orga nization effected in th e village and township is shown by th e best and most unqu est ionab le authority up on th e su bject,-th at of a per so n who took part in its formation, was one of its first officers, and wh o recollects better and mor e clearly than "my other person now livin g th e circumstances preceding and conn ected with th at int eresting event. This perso n is th e R ev. Alvin L. Crittenden, from whose narrative an ex - tr act has been given in th e pr eceding pages, tellin g how Deacon Israel Branch, with oth er settl ers of seve ral religio us denominations, held th e first (in - formal but devout) religio us services at Livin gs ton Centr e, in the house of A mos Adams, lat e in th e a utumn of 1835. In reference to th e establishment of wor ship here by members of the Methodist denom inati on and th e orga nizat ion of th eir church in H owe ll, Mr. Crittenden p roceeds as follow s : " In th e month or Apr il [1 836 ] I learned th ere was l\lethod ist pre ac hing al Ore Cre ek, now Bright on. I lert my home al Mr . Sage' s, h air a mil e west o r th e village of H o well , and walked to Ore Creek and listen ed · lo Rev. Mr. Bibbin s. H e gave noti ce at the close o f th e services that R ev. Elija h Crane, th en traveling Plymouth Circuit, would hol d a two d ays' mee ting th ere in four week s. After serv ice I walk ed hack Lo my h ome; and at the tim e appoi nted I walked again to Br ighton to attend the two days' m ee tin g, where I first met and form ed an acqu aintanc e with R ev. El ijah Crane and Rev. John Cosa rt, a local pre ach er of the Method ist Ep iscopal Church. " \Vhile att ending the meet ing at Br ighton , arra nge ment s were made for R ev. Mr. Cosa rt to come to H owell and preach and for m a Methodi st class, and se nd a report to Rev. Eli ja h Crane, wh o would represent our want s at the ensu ing Annual Con fer ence, and if possible sec ure for us regular pre ac hing. By some mist ake the n otice was given one week too soon; we assembled, but n o preac her came . A prayer-me eting was held , and at its close it was th ought by the Met hodi sts pr ese nt that although we were disappoint ed in not having a pre ac her with us, we would not be di sappointed in regard to having a cla ss formed . According ly we organiz ed ourselve s int o a business-mee tin g for th at purpo se, by electing Pard on Barnard chairman, and A. L. Critt end en sec retary . Tl1ose who had lcllers from th e Met hod ist Ep iscopa l Chnrch pas secl th em in and they were read, an d A. L. Crittenden was elec ted cla ss-leade r. Thu s I had the h onor lo be the first official memb e r of any religi ous orga nizat ion ever formed in llow eli. But a regular cla ss-book cou ld not l,e obtained; so I did the next best thing th at cou ld he done und er the circum stanc es,-I took a shee t of pap er and doubled it toge ther, and rec ord ed the na mes o f th e m~mb ers ther eo n . The orig inal book I still hav e in my possession, whi ch I exh ibit ed at th e Pi onee r me eting, in Jun e last. "The next Sabbat h R ev. John Cosa rt preac hed in H owell, which was the third se rmon del ivered in H owell, and th e first by a Meth - odist mini ster. H e acknow ledged our proc ee dings to be rig ht , se nt on th e repo rt of our society as ag reed upon, and in the fall of 1836 vVashingl on Jackso n was sen t to Living ston Co unty as a missionary from th e Ohio Conre rence of th e Meth od ist Ep isco pal Chur ch; for al that tim e all of Ea,l ern Michigan wa s embra ce d in the O hio Con ference. "The nam es as they appea r upon th e or iginal clas s-book when the class was formed are: Alvin L. Critt enden, Pardon Barnard, Eli za Ann Ba rn ard, Pete r Brewer, Dorcas Brewer, Sylvester R o unds , P olly Rounds, Asahel Round s, Mary Sage, and N ath aniel J ohnso n . "Soon after, and before a traveling pre acher arrived, there were rece ived by leller Clari ssa John so n, Asahel Dibble, Abigail Dibbl e, .and Abigail Smith. No dale app ea rs on th e book except 1836 until W ashin gton Jackson arr ived upon th e mission; but I think th e class was form ed in Jun e of th at year. The first elate up,&gt;n the book is Sept. 5, 1836 . It h as bee n said th at Pard on Barn ard had bee n licensed as an exhorte r in th e Stale of New York befo re coming to Michi ga n, whi ch I suppose is correct, alHISTORY OF LIVINGSTON . COUNTY _, MICHIGAN. th ough hi s crede nti als were not presented to th e H owell soc iety. But on th e 4th day of November, 1836, the soc iety voted him and A. L. Cr ittenden license as ex horte r, in the Methodist Epi scopal Church, and my lice nse is datecl as above, an, Sarah Field, Sarah Durfee, Lydia Austin, and Hannah Austin. Th ese were in reality the original founders of the church, though their names do not all appear as con stituent members. At this meeting, after uniting in devotional exercises, and a mutual exchange of views on the propri ety of uniting together in the relation of church fellowship, a resolution was unanimously pas sed, by which they were formed VILLAGE OF HOWELL. int o a body to be subse qu entl y recog nized, according to th e usag e of th e denomin ation, as a R eg ular Bapti st Church. A co mmitt ee was th en app ointed, con sisting of Silas Dibbl e, Gardn er Maso n, and Ju stin Durf ee, to pr ese nt at a futur e meet ing Articl es of Faith and Pr acti ce, toge th er with a Church Covenant. R ev. Thom as Bak e_r was ch airm an and Ju stin Durf ee cler k o f thi s meetin g. Thi s was th e first of th e meetin gs held by what is now k nown as th e Fir st Bapti st Church of H owe ll. F ro m th at date to th e pr ese nt reg ular meetin gs have been maintained. A meeting was held acc ordin g to adj ournm ent o n th e 12th of May following . Th e committ ee appoint ed at th e pr eviou s meetin g made th eir report, pr ese nt ing Articl es of F aith and a Church Cove nant, whi ch was adopt ed. Th ese are substanti ally th ose adop ted by all reg ular Baptist church es. Th e pro priety of calling a coun cil for recog nition was discu sse d, and arran ge ment s were made to thi s en d, at thi s meetin g. Th e tim e for th e council was fixed on th e 21st of Jun e following. Th e subj ect of settlin g a pa stor was bro ught up, and a committ ee was raise d to secur e th e labors of R ev. Th omas Baker, th en res idin g in Hi g hland. Th ro ug h thi s co mmitt ee arrang ement s of a satisfact ory ch aracter were made with him , by whi ch he beca me th e first pa stor of thi s chu rch. Hi s t ime of serv ice bega n with th e first meeting held by th e chur ch. On Jun e 21st th e co uncil , p rev iously p rovided for and in vited by ac tion of th e church, convened at th e village sch oo l-h ouse. It was org anized by th e choice of R ev. E . W ea ver, Mode rator, and A. N . K emis, Clerk. Th e records of thi s co unc il show a rep rese ntati on of four ch urch es by delega tes : Hi g hland, E . L ee, J. T enny; H artl and, R ev. A. Lamb ; Wa lled L ake, R ev. E . Weave r, J. Coe, N . D aniels ; K ensington, R ev. A. P. Ma th er, D . See ly, E. _Cole, A . N . K emis. Tw elve perso ns pr ese nted lett ers, and reque sted recog niti on as a reg ular Bap tist chur ch. Th e names of th ese , as th ey app ear on th e reco rds , are Sil as Di bble, Aaro n Sickl es, F anny Dibbl e, H annah A ustin, J osep h Dib ble, Ju stin Durf ee, R achel Dibbl e, Lyd ia A ustin, Dani el Case , Ann a Di bble, Sa rah Du rfee , Lu ana Monro e. Th eir A rt icles of F aith havi ng been exa min ed by th e co un cil and ap proved, th e usual services of reco g niti on were held on th e sa me clay . Th e se rm on was by R ev. E. W eave r, of \Na iled Lake, from Psa lms x xv i. 8 : " L ord , I have love d th e habitation of th y h ouse, and th e place where thin e honor clwelleth ." Th e ad dr ess and hand of fellows hip were give n to th e chu rch by R ev. A . L amb, of H artl and. Thu s occ urr ed th e memorable services by whi ch thi s church too k a pos ition with th e church es of th e Bapti st denomin ation. Of th ose who were engage d in th e orga nization of thi s chur ch, th ere ar e som e wh ose m emory will be g ratefully ch erished , who se names do not appea r among th ose of th e orig inal memb ers ; but th ey will appea r in the course of th e first yea r's hi stor y of th e chur ch. Th e " Bapti st Soci ety of H owell" was lega lly orga nized D ec. 29, 1838; th e tru stees th en elected being 0. J . F ield , 0 . F . Ol ds, Ga rd ner Maso n, Geo rge W . Kn eeland, D aniel Case, 0 . J. Smith , Ju stin Durf ee ; and 0. J. F ield was ch ose n clerk of th e society. Th e labors of R ev. Th omas Bak er were close d in Dece mber of th at yea r, and R ev. Eri ck Mos her, th en a licenti ate, was ca lled to th e pastora te. Hi s sa lar y was$ 10 0 a yea r, with th e use of a residence. Durin g th e yea r th ere we re adde d to th e chur ch , by lett er, r r. Th e chur ch was repr ese nt ed by delega tes in th e Michi ga n Asso ciation, held in th e fall of th at yea r at Wa lled Lake, and on ap plication was rece ived int o th at bo dy . Th e first yea r closed with enc o urag ing success . Th e membership were happ ily unit ed un de r th e pastoral labors of R ev. E . Mos her, wh o was requ ested by th e chur ch to receive ordinat ion. F o r thi s purp ose a co uncil was called on th e 9t h of May in th e follow ing ye ar. By thi s co un cil th e pastor of th e church was set apa rt to th e work o f th e mini stry in th e usual ord er of th e denomination. Mr. Mos her co ntinu ed in th e wo rk of th e rninistry , a faithful , ju d icious,a nd success ful pas tor, up to th e tim e of his death, whi ch oc curred while he was pas tor of th e Bap tist Chur ch of N orth ville, Mich. A t th e clo se of th e seco nd yea r the reco rds of th e chur ch show th at six had bee n rece ived by lett er and thr ee by bapt ism. Th e first perso n who was rece ived into th e chur ch by bap tism was H arriet M. S ickles,-baptizecl A pril 14, 1839. Sa mu el Lyo n was rece ived by bap tism at abo ut th e sa me tim e, and is believed by so me to have been th e first so receiveiinto th e chur ch. Th e total number at th e close of th e yea r was 32. Th e pastor' s labors were continu ed with th em at th e un animous requ est of th e church . U p to th e first of A ug ust no perman ent action had been take n by th e church respectin g th e election of deaco ns, th e dut ies of th at office being per - formed from tim e to tim e by pe rso ns spec ially ch ose n. A t th at tim e, howeve r, th e church hav ing pr eviously so determin ed , a ch oice of deaco n was made by ba llot. Th e first perso n appo int ed to tha t office was T ow nsend D re w. A bou t thi s tim e many came to th e chu rch, ask - ing ad missio n by baptism. R ev. J. A. K eys as166 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN . sisted the pastor in continued me eting s, which resulted in large additions to the church. Sixte en wer e received by bapti sm and three by lett er, making the total membership at the close of th e y ear 5 r. This year will be remembered as one of pro sperity to the church, clos ing with harmony and activity among the memb ers. It was follow ed, h owev er, by one of trial s. Some becam e indifferent, and for the first tim e in its history th e church was obliged to re so rt to disciplin ary action. Church labor was tak en up with several members. · Som e returned to their walk with th e church, while with oth ers the final result was exclusion, though not during th at y ea r. In the mid st of thi s Rev . Erick Mo sher resig ned th e pastoral care of the church and removed to anoth er field of labor. The year closed leav ing the church with out a pastor and embarra sse d by want of harmony among the member s. The num erical changes were add itions by letter , 7; the dismission s were by letter, 5 ; by death , 3; while th e total membership was less by one than at th e close of the pr evious year. In May, I 842, they called to the pastorate Rev. N . G. Chase, of Napol eon, Mich., who began his labors at once. The labors of this pa stor were acc eptable to the church. Several case s of difficulty were amicably adju sted; one was rec eived into th e fellowship of th e church by baptism, and several by letter, while one was dismi sse d by letter, makin g th e member ship at th e clo se of th e ye ar 57. The church continu ed to enjoy the lab ors of R ev. N. G. Cha se, receiving aid for his support from the Baptist Stat e Convention to th e amount of $75. During I 843 ther e were add ed to th e church by lett er, I ; and dismissed by lett er, 3 ; exclud ed , I; th ere bein g a loss of membership in th e aggregate of 4. At this time th e ordinary numb ers at th e covenant meetin gs were only from 6 to ?· In Octob er, I 844, th e pa stor resig ned, and clos ed his labors with the body. R ev. J. H. R asco, of New York, was settled with th e church in th e following month . At the clo se of this year the total memb ership was th e sa me as two y ears pr eviou s,-57 . Two wer e exclud ed and 5 rece ived by lett er. During th e year 1845, R evs. A. Lamb and Ch apin held a meetin g , which proved ben eficial to th e church. Difficulti es were settled, and harmony was restored aga in. Six were received by bapti sm and 4 by lett er. Durin g th e early part of th e year 2 were ex cluded, and 4 dismi sse d by lett er. Th e membership now only exceeded by one th e numb er three years before. Up to this time, the so ciety having no church edifice, th e se rvic es of th e chur ch had been held in th e old fram e school-house of Howell village. The need of a me eting-h ouse was seve rely felt, and th e subject of building one had bee n ea rn estly discussed at a meetin g held on th e 7th of D ecemb er, I 842, and on se veral occasions afterward s, but nothing had been done to accomplish the object. But now (in th e sprin g of 1846) it had been determin ed to move actively in th e matt er, and th e truste es of th e society t oo k steps toward s the building of a house of worship, "32 by 44 feet, with a gallery on on e end, and a proportionat e steeple," on th e pr ese nt site nea r the north west corner of the court-hou se square. It was not, however, until five years later that it ;Vas occupi ed ; and during this interval the society continu ed to hold its services in th e school-hous e until the completion of th e court-h ouse, after which they wer e ge nerally held in th at buildin g . In the fall of 1846 th e " Wayne A sso ciation" held its annu al me etin g with thi s church . The meeting was on e of int eres t to the member s of that body, and to th e memb ers of the church. The records of the church show th e additions of the year to be 11, against 6 dismissals, making the tot al membership on th e 1st of April, 1847, 6r. Th ere was a meeting of the church call ed on the 26th of Jun e, 1847, for th e purpo se of electin g thr ee deacons . The perso ns cho sen t o that office were George T. Sage, Ju stin Durf ee, and Ephraim Fowl er. Application was made to th e H o me Mission Society, from whom aid was received in support of th e pa stor to th e amount of $ 50. Thi s was g rant ed in con sideration of th e effort th e church was making to build a hou se of wor ship. In Nov ember, th e pa stor, J . H. Rasco, offered hi s resignation to the church, which was accepted. By subsequ ent action of th e church, h is mini strations wer e continu ed until D ecember, I 848. Th ere were 7 additions to th e church durin g thi s period, makin g the total membership at the close of thi s pa storat e 61. Th e church was with out a pasto r one yea r and four month s, during which th e record s show th at meetin gs of th e body were maintain ed with a good deg ree of faithfuln ess, and especially consid erin g th eir destitution of a pastor. In May, 1850, R ev. A. P. How ell, of Hi g hland was engaged to lab or as pa stor. The church at thi s time numb ered 64. Durin g the followin g summer, me et ing s were held in th e new house of worship, though as yet unfini shed. Th e pastoral relation of Mr. Howell with the church clos ed in May, 1851 , covering a period of one year, during which th ere were added to the body, by baptism and lett er, 9; dismissed by lett er, 8;died,2; makingth e numberofmember s6 3. Several were granted letters thi s yea r to unite with the church in Marion, which afterwards disband ed. VILLAGE OF HOWELL. There now occurs in the history of the church another period of nearly a year when there was no pastor. In April, 1852, the house of worship was completed and consecrated to divine worship. A sermon was preached by Rev , G. W. Harris, of Detroit. Rev. G. Bridge, who was pr esent and participated in th ese services, was called to serve the church as pastor. He accepted, and entered upon his labors the following month. The church th en numbered 61, a year having passed with no additio n to its membership. No year had been like it in this re spec t. Under Mr. Bridge 12 by letter and 2 by baptism were received into the fellowship of the church in the first year of hi,s labor. There was also a diminut ion of 4, making the total member ship in May, 1853,71. The year following the letter of the church to the Association reported 11 received by baptism, 9 by letter, against 6 diminutions. The whole number now was 85. The labors of Rev. G. Bridge clos ed in May, I 8 54, and he was succeeded by R ev. P. C. Dayfoot, who entered upon his work in May, 1855. In October following the church reported to the Association a low state of relig ious interest; a year and a half had pass ed with an incr ease of 4 by Jetter. Again, in th e fall of 1855, th e total numb er was 76. The following year the labors of the pastor were divided between this church and Marion, the church in How ell only enjoying. pastoral labor one-half of th e time. There appears to have been embarrassment at this time from a debt still unprovided for. Vigorous efforts were made to liquidate this debt, which were but partially successful. The returns to the Associatio n in the fall of 1856 were 70 members. In April, 1857, the church was again without a pastor, and an unsuccessful effort was made to engage the services of the Rev. L. Bath, of Grass L ake, Mich. In May following, the Rev. P. C. Dayfoo t was again called to serve the church as pastor, laboring here three-fourths of the time. This engagement closed at the expiration of a year, when the church was again left destitut e. After the 1st of May, 1858, the desk was supplied ~t different times by several clergymen, among ·whom were the Revs. Concklin, Lemon, and Tupper. In October of 1859 the member ship was reported at 97. In May, 1860, the Rev. A. M. Hunt was elected pastor. His labors being acceptable to the church, a council conven ed for his ordinat ion, Sept. 20, 1860, when he was set apart for the ministry in th e usual form. H e continued here for one year, and clos ed his lab ors May 1, 1861. In this y ea r the member ship repo rted was I03. Immediately after the close of Mr. Hunt's pastorat e, a call was extended to the Rev. John Booth, under whom the church prospered , and who continued to labor here until March, 1864. H e is mentioned as a man "to be gratefully remembered by those who enjoyed his ministrations; sound and logical as a preacher, and unusually correct and faithful in all matters of disciplinary character." In the August following th e close of Mr. Booth's pastorate the R ev. William Tilley was engaged as pastor of the church, and under him th ere was great unity and pro sperity. He remain ed until August, 1867, when he resigned the charge. During his pastorate the church rece ived large accessions to its membership throu gh the agency of a revival which occurred in the winter of 1866; the resu lt of a series of meetings held here by the R ev. J. Moxom. Durin g this time, also, William C. Rumsey and William L. Knapp were elected t o the office of deacon (March, 1866). The membership of the church reported in the fall of 1867 was 130. In January, 1868, the Rev . J. S. Boyden was invited to settle with th e church, and, accepting the call, entered on his work her e on the I st of March following. During that year the church edifice was thoroughly refitt ed in its int erior at a cost of $475, and soon afterwards was repainted outside. But its days were numb ered and nea rly finished . About four years later it gave place to the present church, which was built on the same site at a cost of about 'I/1, 1,500, and completed, dedicated, and occupied as a hou se of wor ship in the year 1873. Th e pastorate of the R ev. J. S. Boyden was followed by that of the R ev. William Putnam, who was succeede d by th e R ev. C. H. R emington, the present pastor. The present deacons of the church are James Turner and Cyrus Holt. The membership at th e pres ent time (August, 1879) is about 200. Connected with th e church is a Sabb athschool,- organized in 1843,-having a present membership of 140 pupils, and a library of 400 volumes. J ohn Black is the superintendent of the school, and F. 'vV. Rumsey, librarian. THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF HOWELL. The Presbyterian Church was, in point of time, th e third religious organization formed in How ell; but the ministers of this denomination wer e among the ear liest, if not the very first, reg ularly authorized preachers of the gospel who held religious wor ship in th e villag e and township . Mr. Edward F. Gay, hims elf an original member of this church, nam ed the R ev. 'vVilliam Page as th e first mini ster who preached a sermon her e, the services on that .,! 168 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. occasion being held at the hou se of James Sage; and th at the next minister here was the Rev. Jon athan Post (Bapti st), who pr eached at the hou se of Mo ses Thompson. The Rev. A. L. Crittend en, how ever, in his narr ative of early meetings in Howell mak es Mr. Post the first minister who preached to a con gregation here; this being in February, 1836. There is this to be said in favor of the latt er statem ent, that at the time -named, Mr. Critt enden was a resident of How ell, while Mr. !:iay did not come here on his pro specting tour until some months lat er, and did not settle here until th e spring of 1837. He may, therefore, have meant that Mr. Page was the first minist er who preached here after his arrival; but, however this may have been, the question of priority is an immat erial one. Hon. Mylo L. Gay, son of Edward F. Gay, in a paper read on the occ asion of the fortieth anniversary of the formation of the Presbyt erian Church, gave his recoll ections of that event and of some religious meetings which had preceded it (he being but a boy at the time alluded to), as follows: "M y first reco llec tions of attendin g ' meeting ' in the then n ew town date to a yea r a nd thr ee months pri or to th e form ation of thi s chur ch . In th e sp ring of 1837, I rem ember followin g al ong aft er my fathe r in a windin g path whi ch Jed th ro ugh th e woods fr om th e farm now kn ow n as th e ' R ee d farm,' clown to the' Centre,' th en windin g northw ard by an oth er pa th th ro ug h the wo ods to the Th omp son log house o n th e bank of th e po nd, wher e meetin gs w e re held on ce in four wee ks by Eld er P ust, wh o ca me on horseback,-! think from Plym outh. A lso in a fo rtni ght ther ea fter we fo llowed ano the r trail westw a nl to th e small log house of Jam es Sage , situ ated on lh e ide nt ical , pot wh ere now sta nd s th e resid ence of \ ,Villiam McP h erson, Jr. Th ere I think we occasiona lly listened to a M eth odist pr ea ch er; an d the pa rti cular impr ession h ere made up on my mind wa s th e peculi ar and qu aint style of ' startin g th e tune ' by old M r. Sa ge, wh o, a lth ough him self a Universa list, con se nted to act in the ca pac ity of ch orister, a nd al so to acco mm odate th e neighb ors with a place in whi ch to hold mee tin gs. An other impr ession wa s in rega rd to lh e peculi ar l,ent position requir ed to be ma int a ined by th e taller pe rsons wh e n standin g , to pr eve nt th eir h ea ds comin g in con tac t with the cro ss-l&gt;eams above . "Th e 16th and 17th clays of Jun e, 1838 , are still fresh in my mem ory, as th ey were memorabl e clays in th e hi , tory of the little ha ml et then kn own as Living ston Centr e . Th ose day s fe ll on Sa tur day and S und ay, and th e meetin gs wer e h eld in th e loft of a one- and-a -h alf stor y building which my fath er had recentl y erec ted for a store. Th e floor of the roo m above was of ro ugh board s, a nd the ce ilin g was n othin g but the roof-boa rd s an d shingl es , in close pro ximity to the h ea ds of a ll adult s ; a nd th e ro ugh tamara ck raft e rs, with th eir kn otty proj ec tions, wer e a constant remind er that all sh ould humbl e them selv es in th e busin ess in which th ey w ere th en abo ut to engage." In the building thus described by Mr. Gay, the Pre sbyt erian Church of Howell was formed by the Rev. Henry Root; the preliminary meeting being held on Saturd ay, th e sixteenth, and th e organization perfected on the l 7th of June, I 8 38. Its organization was on the union plan (Presbyterian N. S. and Congregational), and the following-named persons comprised its original membership: David H. Au stin, Jo siah P. Jewett, Horace Griffith, Art emas Mahan, John T. Watson, George 'vV. Jewett, Edward F. Gay, Price Morse, Andr ew Riddle, William McPherson, Charle s Clark, Lucr etia Jewett, Catharine Griffith, Polly Ann Mahan, Hila Mahan, Julia Mahan, Sarah Mahan, Harriet L. Watson, Ani se P. J ewett, Clarissa L. Gay, Elvira Morse, Eliz abeth McPherson, Mrs. Moses Thompson, Matilda Clark, Mary Clark. The " rotary syst em" was adopted in the organization; there were to be chosen three ruling elders, who wer e also to be invested with the office of deacon. . The persons first elect ed to this double office were George W. Jewett, for one year; John T. Wat son, for two years; Edward F. Gay, for thr ee ye ars; and George W. Jew ett was chosen clerk. The "Pre sbyterian Soci ety of Howell" was formed by the requisite legal steps on the 7th of July next following the organization of the church. The first trustees of this society were Edward F. Gay and F. J. B. Crane, first class, for one year; Price Morse and Jo siah P. J ewett, second cla ss, for two years; W ellington A. Glov er, third class, for three years. This organization of the soci ety was filed in the county clerk' s office, Dec. 5, 1838. The earlie st meetings of this congr egation for religious wor ship (after those in Mr . Gay's store building) were held in the village school-house . But in the year 1'839 , the church. having become strong er by accessions to its membership, a small frame church building was commenced (and complet ed in 1840), on a site which is described by the Hon. M. L. Gay as being "a little to the west of Mr. Hannah's wagonshops, opposite the school-house square , and fronting to the south, quite a distance off in the bushes." The site proved unsatisfactory, being very difficult of approach in wet and muddy weather, and on this account, the building was not long after removed to the old public square, near its southeast corner. Afterwards, on account of a debt contracted in repairing and remodeling it, it was sub-. j ected to a forced sale to the highest bidder, and was eventually removed from the square to the place on East Street wher e it is now in use as a blacksmith-shop. The interior construction and arrangem ent of this old church building is thus described by Mr. Gay: " A t th e right a nd left of th e pul pit were tw o or thre e pews, th e miclclle one elevate d one step, and th e ba ck one st ill hig her, anrl all at right ang les with th e body slip s, the singe rs an ,1 oth er mu sicia ns cla iming th e side to th e left of th e pr eac h er, an d the youn g men in th e habit of attending church appropriati11 6 th e right al - VILLAGE OF HOWELL. m ost exd usive_ly. It was from th ese elevat ed seats that a very command11_g1 v_1ew of the co ng regation was to he obtained, it bei ng ~lso a n exc ee d 111gly we ll-adapted position for th ~ purpose of maklll g a ln tle vai n display, we re a ny so di posed . Bu t wh eth er from comp ubi on or choice , th ose se ats we re a lwa ys well filled by th e youn g men ; a nd, no do ubt , I am relat ing th e exp e rience of many o f th e gray -h ea ds of to-clay wh en I ave r that it was from th ose conspicuous seats, wh en occ upied by th em in yo uth, th at th ei r partn ~rs fur life we re ch osen. F ro m th e sid e ap pro priated to, a nd Ol'c.up1ed by the singers and musici ans, we wert! wont to hea r and enj oy go od, old-fa shioned tun es, sweeter by far th an ma ny of mod - ern clays, tho ugh, pe rh aps, to th e arti stic ea r, not re nde red in th e most fault~ess an~ scientific styl e , yet possess ing a depth and power wlll ch n either t11ne nor chan ge have sufficed to eff,,ce from th e n1emo ry.'' Durin g the first year of its exi stence-that is up to the 16th of June, 1839-the church had re~ ceived accession s to its membership to th e numb er of 17. On th e 21st of Sept ember in that year it was resolv ed, by a vote of th e church, "that, inasmuch as this church is now neith er Pr esbyt erian n_or ~on g reg ational, we her eby become Pr esbyte- '.·1an1_1 1 du e form." Thereupon th e plan of org an- 1zat1on was changed , the church adopt ed th e Pr esbyt erian form of governm ent, and Edward F. Gay, J osiah P. J ewett, and Philester Jessup were elect ed as the first board of eld ers und er the change of form. From the or ga nization of the church, and throogh the fifteen months of its continuance on th e union plan , its pulpit had been filled mo st acceptably by the R ev. Henry Root, and now, on th e 25th of Septemb er, four day s after its chan cre in form, he was duly install ed, by th e usual ce~- m onies, as the first pastor of th e Presbyt erian Church . His mini stration continu ed here until Octob er, 1842. H e was an earn est Chri stian a devot ed and efficient labor er, a man of kindly :nd ag reeable mann er, and univer sally belov ed. Th e followin g-named mini sters have be en his succ esso rs in th e sacred office as pastor s or stated supplies of thi s church, viz.: R ev. Sylve ster Cochran , March, I 843, to March, I 844; R ev. Edward E. Gregory, March, 1844, to July, 1845; R ev. Henry Root ,-a second term,-No vember, 1845, to July, 1847; R ev. H. H. Grannis, October , 1847, to April, 1850; R ev. L. Mill s, Oct ober, 1850, to October, ·1853; R ev. Robert McBrid e, Octob er, 1853, to Septemb er, I 86o; R ev. J. A. Griffes, Sept ember, 1861, to October, 1863; Rev. J . Ford Sutton, F ebruary, 1864, to July, 1865; Rev. J oel Kenn edy, March, I 866, to Au g ust, I 867; R ev. Gustavus L. F oster, D ecember, 1867, to December, 1872; Rev. George M. Clark , May, 1873, to July, 1874; Rev. ·Franklin A. Sp encer, March to Jun e, 1875,-a temporary supply. R ev. James Lewis, th e present pa stor of th e church, began his labors July 11, 1875, and was installed in October of the same y ear. During the pastorate of R ev. Sylvester Cochran -July 29, 1843-it was " R esol71ed, Th at th e Fir st Pr esbyte rian Chur ch of H o well be herea fte r kn ow n and designated as th e Co ngregati onal Chur ch of H owell, and th a t thi s, th e sa id chur ch, be go ve rn ed by th e rul es and reg ulations usua lly a dopted in Co ng regational C lrnrches." But on th e 27th of October, 1845, nearly simultan eously with th e commenc ement of the second pastorate of the R ev. Henry Root, the church again became Pr esbyterian. From that time it has been in the Pre sbyterian connection, but had only elders-elect, each chosen for th e term of three years, until Sept. 26, I 875, when the eld ers were duly ordained and installed. William McPher son however, was ordained in October, I 842, when firs~ chosen eld er. The old est of the minist ers now living, who have been pastors of thi s church, is the R ev. Edward E. Gr egory, who resides in Howell village, takes a lively interest in the welfare of the church, and still fills the pulpit most acceptably when occa sion requir es. Of the clergymen mentioned in the above list as having se rved thi s church at variou s times th e only on e who died during the term of his past~rate h ere was the Rev. Robert McBride , who pa ssed away in the prime of manhood. His death occurr ed on the I 5th of Sept emb er, I 860, at Spart a, Wis ., to which place he had gone a short time before on a visit to his par ent s, and in the hope of improving his declin ing health. A few days after his death the Sparta H erald-of which his fath er was editor and publisher-contain ed the following bri ef history of his life, and of the scenes and events att endin g his dis solution. It is reproduced her e, because it cannot fail to be read with interest by many who well remember hi s ministr ation and his virtu es. " O ur dearly bel oved so n had spent hut e ight year s in the min - istry- after gradu ating in th eology at Obe rlin. Oh io, in 1853- be fore his mission on ea rth was cut short by an appa rent ly untim ely death, b ut e ven this bri ef pe rio,l was trul y and ea rn estly devote&lt;! to th e se rvi ce of hi s Di vin e Master . "C onsec rated in ea rly inrancy to the se r vice of the Saviour by a: devoted , μions- mother, wh o led th e way to Chri st in dea th, as she had eve r faithfull y in li fe, at great pe rsonal sa~r ifices a n,! pri vations to both hi s par e nts he was ea rly plac ed in a positi on to fit him for th e work . H e pu rsued hi s stud ies for te n year s with unu sual assi,luity, and became a ri pe schola r wh en h is term o f instru ction closed. At th e ag e of sixt ee n he surr endere d his h ea rt to Goel, durin g a season of re vival in th e in stituti on with whi ch he wa s conn ecteJ , and from th at time on wa s a tru e foll ower of Ch rist. In 1854 he conn ected him self in marria ge with Mi ss Abb ie Co mstoc k, of Ad ria n, M ich . , wh o was e minentl y fitted , in eve ry respec t, to aid him in th e imp ortant work up on which he h ad ent ered. "Hi s first year was occupied in the Pr esbyter ian Church at Parm a , and th e se ven subseq uent year s in th e Pr esbyte rian Chur ch a t H owell, Mi ch., wh ere h e labore d as th eir pastor to th e gen esal .... 170 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. acceptance to hi s people ancl with good success in winnin g souls to Christ. Ab out three months ago he was attack ed with a severe h emorr hage , then supposed to proceed from hi s throat, which entirely prostrated his energies, and he was compelled to relinqui sh hi s labors in the desk. His vascular system from early youth heing of a feeble, relaxed character,-though enjoying good health generally otherwise,-he became subjec t to frequent sligh t hemorrhage s, from close applicati on as a student, but not of a serio us natur e until rec ently . A journey and rest was recomm ended , and with his wife and child, he came to Wisconsin about three weeks ago. For the first week of his arrival he appeared to recover rapidly, and confidently expected to return in a few week s and resum e his labor s at H owe ll; but God in hi s providence h ad arranged it otherwise, and summ oned him to a high er spher e. "The call was snclclen and une xpected to him self, as well as to all his sorrow-st ricken rel atives and friends, but it found him with his lamp trimm ed and burning . N o serious result was apprehended from a sl ight fever which affected him for a week or two hy his phy sician or family, until but a few hours prev ious to his death . Wh en inform ed of hi s conditi on and that he had but a few hour s to live at the most, and might not hut for a very few minut es,- hi s pulse had ceased en tirely and extremities becom ing cold,-he rec eived it calmly, and at once committed hi s soul to Goel. The distre ss and angui sh of hi s wife and child impr esse d him strongly with deep emotions for a few minutes, but he soo n resumed hi s comp osure and endeavored to soothe and admini ster comfort and consolation to the dear ones he loved with so much tender affection. The Savio ur gracio usly placed und ern eat h him his arms of mercy, sustainin g and supp orting him in a remarkable manner throughout, so that he was enab led to conver se frequen tly and freely with his afllicted wife and relativ es; while in th e interval s he appeared to hold clo se communi on with hi s God. But once he spo ke of his great disappointment in being thu s early cut off from the sacred miosion he ha d so mu ch at hea rt, of labo ring for souls, but exp ressed a cheerful submi ssion to th e will of his heavenly Father in this, as in all thing s else. "Durin g a private conversation I had with him for a few minute s, about thr ee hour s before his death, I asked him if he had any fear of death, now apparently so nigh, or doubt s on his mind of his accepta nce with Goel. He at once replied, 'I cannot say that I have any timi d fears of death, hut I feel th at it is an awful realizati on to he thu s suddenly hurried int o th e pr ese nce of my final Judg e. I know th at I have fallen far short of my duty to God and his service on earth, but I fee l great assurance th at I have a precious Saviour wh o will plead for me, and while I entertain a well-gr ound ed hope of an acceptance with God, I tru st that I sha ll hav e a clearer manifestati on of that acceptance before my departure.' About one o' clock P.M., hi s extreme exhaustion and short, quick breathing admoni shed him th at hi s encl was nigh. Havin g affectionately embraced his wife and child, reques ting her to remain as calm and quiet as possible, he closed his eyes and lay apparently in deep communion. In a f~w minutes hi s yet clear eyes opened wide, and shone wi1h peculiar lustr e as he earnestly gazed out, as if seei ng or hearing something in th e far-off di stance; softly but distinctly he said,' I hear the waters roll.' In a few minut es afte r he again sa id,' I see the bright river.' A placicl, sweet smile for an in stant curved over hi s lips, hi s eyes gently closed, two or thr ee sca rcely perceptible breaths escaped ,- he was asleep in Chri st the Saviour.'' The death of Mr. McBride was sincerely mourned by his church, and by the entire community of Howell, as that of an able preacher, a devoted pastor, and an excellent, influential, and Christian citizen. The accessions to the membership of the Presbyterian (:hurc}1 of Howell are given below. During the first year-ending June 16, 1839- there were added to the origina l membership Phil ester J essup and wife, Mrs. Butler, Catharine Butler, Sarah Walker, Mary Jessup, Adam Rorabacher, Eunice Curtis, Nancy vVaterman, Samuel vV. Glover, John Russell, Nancy Rorabacher, Angeline Brown, Elizabeth Gay, Caleb Curtis, Mary Curtis, Samuel Hubbard. In the year ending June 16, 1840: Mrs. Lovina Root, Lydia Ann Sexton, Eleanor Waterman, William Au stin, Harriet Fisk, John R. Neely, Elijah Coffren , Salmon Davis, Ruth Davis, Francis Morse, Nancy M. Austin. Year .ending Jun e, 1841 : Giles Tucker, Rhoda Scofield, Henry D . Benjamin, Mrs. H. D. Benjamin , Diantha Arm strong , Sylv ester Sexton, Mary A. Skilb eck, Benjamin Curtis , Elizabeth Waterman, John G. Mason, William Spafford , Mrs. Fanny Kneeland, Esther Willard, Mrs. William Spafford . Year ending Jun e, 1842: Zebulon M. Dr ew, Lucy H. Drew, Wellington A . Glover, Michael S. Brennan , Mylo L. Gay, Allen Stearns, Luther M. Glover , William Sexton, S. Newhall Mahan, Philip Carlton, Mary Carlton, Sarah Moore, Louisa Jessup , John D . Pinckney, James Haddan , Thomas Carlton, Andrew L. Hill, Hannah C. Hill, Jane Stilson, Martha Stilson, Miriam B. Stilson, Elijah M. Hutchin son, Cyrena Hutchinson, Benjamin W. Hutchinson, David Durfee, Jo siah Turner, Evaline Turner, Elyira Stilson, Matilda Stil son, Philander Glover, Ruhamah Glover, Mary Jane Glover, Sarah Kneeland, Mabel A. Glover, Sally Ann Darwm. Year ending June , 1843: James Yates and wife, George Lawrence, Joseph B. Skilbeck , Mary Watson. Year ending June, r 844: Margaret Yates, Betsey Bliss. Year ending June, 1845: Mrs. Jane Gregory. Year ending June, 18:1-6: Samuel M. Yerkes and wife, Julia Jessup, George McDowell and wife. Year ending June , 1847: None. Year ending June, 1848: Mary Cook, Joseph Stafford, Sally Stafford, Polly Stafford, Lucinda Stafford, Mrs. Van Keuren, William Winton, Thomas R. Spence, John S. Dixon, Phebe Dixon. Year ending June, I 849: Sally Ann Wilber, Electa Grannis, Huldah Huntley, Emma Spence. Year ending June, 1850: James S. Foster, Augusta Fost er, Jacob M. Eager, Emily Eager, Salmon Adams, Mrs. Salmon Adams, Jacob D. Gale, Mrs. Sarah Gale, Mary Gale, David Blackman, Asenath Blackman, Albert Pixley, H. N. Pixley, H. S. Sparks, Eliza Sparks. Year ending June , 1851: Mrs. Eliza Mills , Albert Mills, Lucius F . Mills , Mary E. Mills, Polly VILLAGE OF HOWELL. 171 Hildebrant , Benjamin F. Scofield, Celestia Scofield, Julia C. Scofield, Sarah Ann Scofield, £defy Seo- ' field, Sarah L. Jewett, Elizabeth McPherson, Jane Rose, Mary V. Jewett, Mary Ann Carl, Rufus W. Scofield, Morris Thompson, Julia Ann Peebles, Lauren K. Hewett, James Mulloy, Dr. Harrington, Hannah H. Mulloy , Sarah Harrington, Silas Beardsley, Theda Beardsley , Juli a Brown, Isabel McPherson, Mary Louisa Huntley, D elia S. Huntley , Antoin ette Blackman, H elen A. Blackman, Martha H. Balch, Minerva Stafford, Mary E. Skilbeck , Caroline A. Whipple, Jo seph H. Steel, Irene H ewett, Samuel Hunt, Royal P. Melendy, Cordelia Mel endy. Year ending June, 1852: Philo L. Reed and wife, Oliv e Hicks, Lyman Melondy, Levi Hicks. Year ending June, 1853: Charles P. Holmes, Eliza Holmes, Miranda L. v\!adhams, James Hall, Sally Hall, Jar ed Huntington, Candace Huntington. Three years ending June, 18 56: If there were any acc essions to the membership during these ye ars, they have not been found. Year ending June, 1857: Mrs. Abbie McBride, Mrs. Eliza Sullivan, H. H. Mills . Year ending June, 1858: Dr . H.J. Rumsey and wife, Jam es Smith and wife, William Huntington, Sarah L. Axtell, Ann Eliza Gilbert, Francis A. Skilbeck, Anna M. Sullivan, Lucretia Scofield, Sarah E. W ells, Louisa Merrell s, W. K. Sexton, Z. F. Crossman, Ellen A. Jewett, Eliza J. Jewett, Margaret Fri sbee, Louisa Mulloy, Laura A . Reed, Maria S. Lawson, Andrew D . \Vaddell, Hudson B. Blackman, Alexander McPherson, George Wakefield, Alvaro J. W. Thompson, Mary Jane McDowell, Prudence E. McDowell, Lucia Turner, Martha J . Glov er, Mary L. McPherson, B. Howard Lawson, Dr . R. C. Hutton, Martha A. Hutton, Dr. Wm. L. \,Velis, Julia M. Wells, Rachel Blanck, Francis N-. Munroe, Julia Gilb ert, Sarah McF all, Sarah vVakefield, Hannah Telling, Edward C. McPherson, Herman W. Merrells, Henry B. Curtis, Sarah A. Curtis , Mary Mulloy, Francis E . R eed, Perl ey D. Skilbeck. Year ending June, 1859: Mrs . Emeline Bunnell, Hannah Monroe, Ellen Phillips, Mrs. Sarah Briggs, Henry Baker, Mrs. Cord elia Glover. The accessions to the church during the last twenty years have been too numerous to be conveniently given. Th e present number of its members is 275. The pres ent (1879) eld ers of the church are vVilliam McPher son, S. M. Yerkes, F. N. Monroe, P. L. Reed, R. P. Melendy, Theodore Weicker, and J . M. Eager. The Sabbath-school connected with the church is organized into 26 clas ses, and has a very large att endance. Its pre sent officers are: Superint endent, M. J. McPherson; Assistant Superintendent, H. H. Mills; Secretary, Birt. F. Parsons; Librarian, Ernest D. Hutton ; Assistant Librarian, Samuel F. Crosman; Treasurer, Alexander McPherson ; Collector, E. Huntley. The church edifice which is the present house of wor ship of this church was built during the pastorate of the Rev. Robert McBride, having be en compl eted and dedicated in the autumn of 18 5 5. It is a good and co.mmodious brick structure, standing on a site located in the southea st angle of Sibley and McC arthy Streets. The society owns a good parsonage , located on Lake Street, built in the year 1868. THE CONGREGATIONAL CHUR CH OF HOWELL. This church, which maintained an existence for a number of years in Howell, gr ew out of the secession of several members from the Presbyterian Church in the spring of 1849. These mem - bers, with several other persons , having this matter in contemplation, asked advice on the subject of the General Association of Congregational Churches, at Ann Arbor, and received the reply that it was the privilege of the memorialists to invite a council, by letters missive to neighboring church es, to convene at Howell, examine the case, and give the advice asked. This course was accordingly pursued; th e council convened here, and, after deliberation, announced the decision that "it is th eir privilege and their duty to proceed to organize a Congregational Church at Howell." Acting on this advice, a church organization was formed immediately afterwards, the Rev. Mr. Lockwood, of Dexter , assisting. The original members of the churdiiwe ·re the following-named persons: Charles Clark, Mrs . Maria Clark , Zebulon M. Drew , Lucy Drew , Edw ard F. Gay, Mrs. Clarissa L. Gay , Benjamin W. Cardell and wife. The R ev. Norman Ackley became their pastor on the 18th of Jun e, 1849, and at the first communion thirteen members were added to the original eight. Mr. Ackley continu ed with the church for a year and a half, and during this time its membership was increased to fifty-two, twenty-one of whom had been members of the Presbyterian Church . But about the end of the time named , their minister was charged with improper and unministerial conduct; an investigation followed; the charg es being sustained," he was silenced," and his labor s with this church were abruptly ended. This had a very disheartening effect, and a number of members withdrew, but soon afterwards the services of the R ev. Enos Rice were engaged, and he remained with them for two years, during which time several new members connected themselv es 172 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. with th e church, but about an equal numb er were remov ed by death. While Mr. Ackley had filled th e desk, the church had rece ived the sum of '//1, 00 per year from th e Missionary Association of New York, and this sum was increased to $ l 50 in th e first year of Mr. Rice's ministry. For several years after its orga nizati on, the church owned no place of worship, and ge nerally held th eir worship in the court-house. But havin g purch ased a lot at th e northeast corner of Main and North Stre ets, where Mr. E. C. Wright now lives, they commenced to build a church edi fice on thi s in the fall of 1852. The building was of brick, thirty-two by fifty feet in dimen sions. The walls were erected before th e cold weat her set in, but th e structure remain ed unfini shed thr oug h th e winter, and in con sequence of thi s, th e work which had been done was so mewhat damaged. After a lon g delay, howeve r, caused by thi s and so me other drawback s, it was comp leted and occ upied, and served not only th e Congregational, but also th e Episcopal soc iety, as a place of worship . It was regarded as a good church building, and was surmounted by a tow er, in which was placed the first church bell in the village o f Howell. After Mr. Rice closed hi s labors with thi s church it was without a pastor or reg ular preachin g for about ten years, thou g h during this tin1e services were held occasionally, at irr eg ular int erva ls, as pr eac h ers could be obtain ed. Among th ese preachers was th e Rev . D. S. Eaton, who se rved the church long er th an any other one during the per iod named. Below are g iven th e names of members (aJditional to th e original ones) who had join ed the chur ch at va·rious periods from th e tim e of its organization to July , 1858, viz.: J ohn R. Neely, Catharine N eely , Caleb Curtis, Mrs. Curti s, Benjamin C. Curtis, Mary Curtis, J ohn Russell, Clarissa K ello gg, L evi Hoyt, Mrs. Hoyt, Mrs. William Sexton, William Telling, Mrs. Telling, David Spragu e, Mrs. Sprague, S. D. Pinckney, Mrs. Juliana Ackley, Jes se Davis, Mrs. Catharine Davis, Mrs. Laura Barber, Benjamin F . Scofield, Mrs. C. Scofield, Juli a C. Scofield, Hiram Kimball, Mrs. Jane Kimball, William Spafford, Mrs . Spafford, Allen Stearns, Hiram Kellogg, Mrs. Jane Kellogg, Henry Kell ogg, Levi Clark, Mrs. Ir ena Clark, Amelia Spau ldin g, Edwin Steadman, Eliza A. Steadman, Mrs. Tucker, Philester J essup, Mrs. Jess up , Mary Jess up , Julia Jessup, Elizabeth Gay, Mr. Tigh e, Mrs. Tighe, Mrs. L awso n, Margaret Law so n, Mrs. Drew, Mrs. H enry , Jam es Brott, and L ouisa Brott. On the 25th of March, 1861, the R ev . J osia h S. Burt, from th e Chicago Theological Seminary, com menced supplying th e pulpit for one -half th e tim e, his salary to be raised by sub scripti on. It appears to hav e been expect ed that th e churches in Pinckney and Oceola would em ploy th e ot her half of his time, and furni sh the remainder of his suppor t; but if such had been the und ers tandin g , it was not carri ed out by tho se churches, and Mr. Burt was comp elled for lack of suppo rt to leave at th e end of about six month s. The Rev. J. J . Gridley, previously a Methodist preacher, but who had withdrawn from th at denomination and commenced pre aching as a stated supply for the church at Pinckney, became also acting pastor of the Congregational Church at How ell oti the 1st of September, 1862, serving both churches, but the precise duration of his mini stry here has not been ascertained. In D ecember o f that year, Mr. Gridley filled the desk, Charles Clark was deacon, Edward F. Gay, clerk; and besid es the se th ere were eleven other residen t memb ers of the church, making a total membership of thirt een, but th ere came a furth er accession of two members on th e first of the following March, viz., Abram Brott and wife. These were th e last per so ns mention ed in the clerk's rec ord as having joined th e church, and th e record itself ends not lon g after; the last entry in it being dated April 20, 1865 , at which tim e Benjamin W. Cardell was appointed delegate to th e Association, which was to meet at D exter on the 26th of th e sa me month. After thi s th e exis tence of the church was not lon g. The dat e of the last meeting for services cannot be g iven , but the orga nizatio n disintegrated and died, and th e church building, havi ng been sold at au ction, was demolished in 1872, and the buildin g material take n from it was used in the construction of th e present Baptist church. ALL SAIN TS' CHUR CH OF THE TOWN OF HOWELL. This church , of th e Prot estant Episcopal denomination, was organiz ed on th e l 2th of December, 1857, at a meeting held at the Congregational church in Howell village; at which meeting th ere were present th e Rev. H enry Banwell (presiding), Abel F. Butt erfield, J osep h T. Titus, H. C. Briggs; George Greenaway, George R. Hoyt, William A. Clark, and M. Labouter. Th e following persons were by a unanimous vote elected vestrymen: Levi D. Smith, Geo rge Greenaw. ay, Abel F. Butterfield, Ezra N. Fairchild, H. C. Briggs, George R. Hoyt, William A. Clark. The vestry th en elect ed E. N. Fairchild senior, and William A. Clark, juni or warden, and A. F. Butt erfield, sec retar y. The sa me officers held in 1858, and Henry C. Brig gs was appoin ted treasur er . " \. ' ,. VILLAGE OF HOWELL. 173 On th e 30th of D ecemb er, nex t followin g the or ga nization of All Sa ints' Church, the Lad ies' Mite Soc iety of th at church hel d a festival at Uni on ' H all in H owell; th e object being to apply th e proceeds for chur ch purpos es. Th e officers of the so ciety signin g the call and invitation were Mrs. John Hop e, Pr eside nt ; Mrs. William L. \V elis, Vic e-Pr esiden t; Mrs. George Wilber, Tr eas urer; and th e following-named lad ies and ge ntl emen formed the committ ee of arran ge ments: Mr. and M rs. Mylo L. Gay, Mr. and Mr!i, L. D . Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Josep h T. Titu s, Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Bunn ell, Mr. and Mrs. H. H . Harm on, Misses Emily R ose nb erry, Emma Hickey, Jenny R ann ey, Julia Smith , Sophia F ond a, Fanny Fonda, Mary Huntl ey, Sa rah Butt erfield, Emily Wheeler, Jannette Peebles. Ann E. Gilbert, E mily We lls, Sop hia Pond, Jenny Spooner, A nge line Ada ms, Mrs. Richard P. Bush, Mrs. William A. Buckland, Mrs. Maria Smith, Messrs . Ir a P. Bingham, Harmon Smith, Frederick Gallow ay , Z. F. Crosman, Edwa rd Mo rris, Dr. McHench, Andr ew D . Waddell, William McPherson, Jr. , Burr R. Smith , L. Curtis, Benjamin T. 0. Clark, Alexander McPherson, Frank Wells, George Clark, J ohn Clark , Spa uldin g M. Case, Edward Gregory, Elbert C. Bush. Th e amount realiz ed from thi s sou rce was not large, but was a very material addi tion to the fund s of th e church at th at tim e. • On the 28th of Janu ary, I 858, it was vot ed th at th e relig ious ser vices of th e chur ch be held in the court-house in H owe ll; and on th e 17th of April following, th e sum of $ I 50 per annum, payab le qu arterly, was voted to th e R ev. Henry Banwell, th e officiat ing mini ster. In April, r859, Henry C. Briggs and W . A. Clark were elec ted del ega tes to repr ese nt A ll Saints' Church at the A nnu al Dioce sa n Conv enti on at D etroit. A t th at t ime th e R ev. 'William King was rector of the church in Howell, having succeeded th e R ev. Mr. Banwell in th at office. Mr. Kin g was succeed ed in th e following yea r by th e R ev. Geo rge 0. Bachman. In April, 1860, the followi ng- named ge ntl emen were elected officers· of th e church: Vestrymen, Ez ra N . F airchild , George Greenaway, Mylo L. Gay,, George R. H oy t, L evi D . S mith , H enry C. Briggs , and William A. Clark; Treasurer , Henry C. Briggs; Secretary, L evi D. Smith; Senior Warden, William A. Clark; Juni or Warden , Georg e Greenaway . A vo te was passed in April, 186r , to th e effect that the church was " well pl eased with the labor s of the Rev . Georg e 0. Bachm an; that his talents and Chri stian depo rtm ent emin ently fit him for th e buildin g up of th e church at H owe ll, as well as for g reat usefulne ss in this field." A t the same tim e a salary of $200 from this church was voted to Mr. Bachman , and a littl e mor e th an th at amount was raised imm ed iat ely by subscription. In 1863 Mr. Bachman was still here , and th e church vot ed to pay him $2 50. In Ap ril, r864, a committee was appointed to procu re th e Congregational meeting-hou se in Howell as a place of wor ship, and afterwa rds the services of th e Episcopal Church were ge nerally held in that buildin g, as th ey neve r had an ed ifice of th eir own. The R ev. G. 0. Bachman's "resignation as pastor of thi s church" was accepted on the r7th of April, r 86 5, and he was succ eeded by the R ev. Alb ert C. L ew is, wh o bec ame rect or in 1866, and continued in th at office during th e remainder o f th e church 's exi stence. A t th e annu al meetin g, held on Monday, April ·13, r868, it was resolve d " to elect no vestry of said church, as articles of agreement are about being ent ered into for th e orga nization of a new church, to be called St. J ohn 's Church of H owe ll." On th e following day th e orga nization of St. J oh n's Church was effected,-th e articl es being sign ed by Mylo L. Gay, J osep h T. Titu s, Mark J . Staley, L. D. Smit h, Silas Beard sley, and "Albe rt C. L ew is, pastor." These articl es wer e filed in th e clerk 's office April 15, 1868 . Th e first meeting of St. John' s Churc h was held at th e res ide nce of R ev. Mr. Lewi s, Jun e I, 1868 , when Ezra N. Fairchild, Mylo L. Gay, M. W. Barker, L. D . Smith, Josep h T. Titu s, Mark J .· Stal ey, and Silas Beardsley were elected vestr y - men. The vest ry th en elected th e following officers : Senior \V arden, E. N. Fairchild; Juni or W a rden , Mylo L. Gay; Tr eas urer, Jo sep h T. Titus; Sec retary , Mylo L. Gay; and E . . Fairchild and M. 'vV. Barker we re elected lay delegat es to th e Dioce sa n Co nventi on to be held at St. J ohn 's Church in Kalamazoo. This is the last entry on th e records of All Saint s' and St. J ohn 's Churches of H owe ll, and soo n afterwa rds th e Epi scopal Church cease d to exist as an organization in thi s villag e, its disso luti on being hastened by th e removal of some of its mo st ac tive and influ enti al members. Recently (in the latt er part of r 878), th e Boa rd of Missions of th e Eastern Dioc ese of Michigan sent the R ev. R. H . D enni s to How ell, and by him Episcopa l se rvices were held in th e court-hous e, with considerable reg ularity, until about th e first of September, r 879, when they were discontinu ed . TH E ROMAN CATH OLIC CH URCH AT HOW ELL. Cat holic worship h as been held at Howell for many yea rs. Probably th e first priest who ca me I I I I I I I I I ' \ • 174 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. here was Rev. Father Kelly, who was located at Northfield, and later at Green Oak and Genoa. His first coming into this part of Livingston County is thought to have been as early as 1836 or '37. Other priests followed, and occasional services have been held here in private houses until the present time. Now, however, they are held regularly by the Rev. J. G. Dougherty, who is in charge of the Brighton parish, of which this is a station. The erection of a church was commenced here in August, I 878, and it is now completed externally, though not yet ready for occupancy. Its location is on the south side of Grand River Street, in the eastern part of the village. It is a commodious building of brick with slated roof, and is 40 by 70 feet in dimensions. Its cost when finished will be about $6ooo. CEMETERIES. The first burial-ground in Howell was situated upon the shore of Thompson La((e, near its southern extremity, on section 36, a short distance in a northerly direction from the house in which John D. Pinckney settled in 1834. The land for the purpose was given by Alexander Fras er, Mr. Pinckney, and Moses Thompson. The first person buried in this ground was Miss Davis, a sister of Mrs. Jonathan Austin, but the date of this burial has not been found . A considerable number of other burials were made there subsequently, but nearly ·all of them have since been removed to the newer grounds. A few remain, but there is nothing to mark the places of their interment. THE OLD CEMETERY. The ground known as the Old Cemetery, located one square directly east from the northeast corner of the court-house square, and at the eastern and northern termini respectively, of North and Bernard Streets, was purchased from Edward Thompson, and laid out as a cemetery in 1840. The first interment in this ground was that of Henry Wheeler (son of Dr. Gardn er Wheeler), who died January 16, 1841, aged ninete en years. Most of the remains from the old graveyard on the lake-shore were removed here, and this continued to be used by the people of the village (and by many in the township) as their burialplace for more than a quarter of a century, until the opening of the new cemetery, on the west shore of Thompson Lake. Since that time, most of the remains have been disinterred and removed to the new inclosure. The old cemetery is now in disuse, and being wholly neglected, has become cover ed by a thick and tangled copse, which almost entirely hides from view the few memorial stones which still remain there. OAK GROVE CEMETERY. The Oak Grove Cemetery embraces fifteen and forty-four one-hundredths acres of land , which was conveyed by Albert D. Thompson, John H. Galloway, William and Alexander McPherson, \Villiam McPherson, Jr., and N. J. Hickey to the Howell Board of Health, April 17, 1867, for the purpose to which it has been devoted. It is situated in the northeastern part of the village corporation , at the east end of Thompson Street , which leads to its main entrance . . The ground lies nearly in the form of a triangle, being bounded on its northern, northeastern, and southeastern sides by the sheet of water known as Thompson Lak e. Its south and west boundaries are straight lines, meeting in a right angle at the southwest corner. The spot is beautifol by nature, having a rolling surface, well elevated above the waters of the lake, and covered (n~t too thickly) with forest-trees, among which the oak predominates, as is indicated by the name given to it. On the plan usually adopted in modern cemeteries, this ground is laid out in walks and avenues, and has been considerably beautified by art. Many of the remains originally interred in the old burial-grounds have been removed to this, and upon its tablets are borne the names of many of the pioneers and early settlers of Howell. INCORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE-HOWELL CIVIL LIST. Howell was made an incorporated village by an act of the Legislature of Michigan (approved Marci~ 14, 1863), which provided" that all that tract of country situate in the township of Howell, in the county of Livingston, in the State of Michigan, which is known and described as follows, to wit: section 35, section 36, the south half of section 25, and the south half of section 26, in tO\vnship No. 3, north of range No. 4 east, be, and the same is hereby made and constituted, a town corporate, by the name, style, and title of the village of Howell;" the officers of which were specified by the act to be a president, recorder , treasurer, assessor, and five trustees, to be elected annually on the first Monday in May. Under the provisions of this act the first charter election was held on the 4th of May, 1863. Following is a list of the village officers then and there elected, as also of those elected in each succeeding year down to the present, viz.: 1863.-Pre sident, S:udis F. Hubbell; Re corrler, Andr ew D . Waddell; Trea,urer, Asa Van Kleeck; Assessor, J ohn H. Gallowa y ; Tru ;tees, Marcus Il. \Vilcox, William R. Melvin, Willi am McPher son, Jr., J ohn H oyt, Philo Curti s. 1864.-Pre sident, Jo seph M. Gilbert; Record er, Mylo L. Gay; Treasu .rer, Fr ederi ck J. Lee; Assessor, John H . Gallo - • '- VILLAGE OF HOWELL. 175 way; Tru stees, John Cumm iskey, N ath an J. Hi ckey, Geo rge L. Clark, Luth er M. Glove r, V. R . T. An gel. 186 5.-Pr esiclent , Sa rdis F . Hu bbe ll; R eco rde r, Myl o L. Ga y; Tr eas urer, Fr ede rick J . L ee; Assesso r, J ohn H. Ga llowa y ; Tru stees, J ames Bo wers, Willi am R. Melvin, Geo rge L. Cla rk , Willi am E . Huntl ey, Marcus B. Wilcox. 1866 .-Pr eside nt , Mylo L. Gay; R eco rd er, J ames Bower s ; Trea sur er, "Willi am R . Melvin ; Assesso r, I saa c W . Bush; Tru stees , Geo rge T aylor, John J ones, \'Villi am E . Hun tley, Fr ede rick J . L ee, Sardis F. Hubbell. 186 7.- Pr es ide nt , Sa rd is F. Hu bbell ; R ecorder, J osep h T. Titu s; Tr eas ur er, \V illiam R . Griffith ; Assesrn r, Oren H . \-Vin ega r ; Tru stees, An drew D. Wadde ll, \ 'Villiam R . Me lvin , Le and er C. ·rnith, vVilli am E . Hu ntley, Geo. L. Clark . 1868.-Pr eside nt, Andr ew D. Waclclell; R eco rde r, Mylo L. Ga y ; Tr easurer, R oya l H. Rum sey; Assesso r, Oren H. Winegar ; Tru stee s, L eande r C. Smith, \ Villiam E. Huntl ey, Geo rge L . Clark, Al exand er McPh erson, H enry H . H armon. 1869.- Pr esiclent, Mylo L. Gay; R eco rde r, Josep h T . Titu s; Tr eas urer, R oya l ' H . Ru msey; Asse ssor, Or en H. 'Winega r ; T rustees, Willi am E . Hun tley, E dward McG unn, Sylves ter Andrews, H enr y P . Wh eeler, Levi D . Smith. 1870.*- Preside nt , H enry H . Mill s; Reco rder, D enni s Shields; Tr easu rer and l\fa rshal, H. C. Briggs; Assesso r, Wil - li:un B. Curtis; Tru stees , Albe rt Rid dle, Willi am C. Rum sey, F ra ncis N. Monr oe, Calvin W ilcox, An drew D . W ad dell. 1871.-Pre side nt, Sardi s F . H ubbell ; Reco rder, An clr ew D. \Vadde ll ; T reas ur er and Marshal, L eo narcl N. Fi shb eck; Assesso r, vVill iam B. S mith ; Tru stees , Nei l O' H earn, Geo rge IL Cooper, Fl oyd S. Wykoff, Ch arles G. J ewett, Geo rge Greena way. 1872 . .....'..Persident, Sardis F . Hub bell ; Re corde r, Andrew D. \'Vad - de ll ; T reas urer an d Ma rshal, H enr y A. vVhippl e ; Assesso r, Ca lvin vVilcox; Tru stees , J ohn W. \¥r ight, Geo rge L. Sage, R ober t C. Hutt on, J ohn M. Whi te, J ohn J ones. 1873.- P resident, Ne il O' H ea rn ; R eco rde r, Ed ward B. Grego ry ; Tr easur er and Marshal, Hi ra m H opper; Assessor, H arry J. H aven; Tru stees , F ra ncis N. Mo nr oe, As a Van Kl eec k, vVilliam Beattie, Sylvester An drews, El bert A. Y oung. 1874.-P res ide nt, Fr ancis N. Monroe; R eco rde r, R oya l H . Rum - sey ; Tre as urer and Mars hal, \'Villiam Barna rd; Ass essor, Benja min H. Ru bert; Tru stees , vYilliam W. F int on, James A. Pr eston, \'Villi am E. \'Vatson, E. B. Grego ry, George Bush. 1875.-Pres ident, H ora ce H alber t ; R ecorde r, E. P. Gregory ; T reasur er an d Marshal, \'Villiam T. Barn ard; Assesso r, F . G. Hick ey ; Tru stees , J ohn M . White, Roswell Mott, Willi am B. J ewett, Fr ede rick B. B rown, Era stus W atrous. * An act (a pprove d March 4, 1869) amenclatory to the act ipcorporating th e village, provid ecl th at the officers to he elected shall be a pres ide nt , reco rde r, assesso r, a nd five tru stees, and " th at the Comm on Counci l sh all ha ve power to appoint a street commi ssioner, a treas urer (wh o shall also be marshal of said vill age by virtu e of hi s appo intm ent as treas urer) , and all oth er such officers as may be necessa ry und er th e prov isions of thi s act ," an d th e tim e of holdi ng the elections was changed to th e first Mond ay in March in each yea r. Th e village elections subseq uent to 1869 have been held in conformity with thi s am endm ent, an d consequ ently th e persons who have held th e offices of treas urer and marshal sin ce that year h ave bee n appointees of th e Common Council. 1876.-P resident, H arry J . H ave n; R eco rde r, R ollin H . P erso n; Tr easurer and l\fa rshal, record obsc ur e; Assessor, Albert Ri dd le; Tru stees, Asa Va n Kl eeck, Robe rt ·A . Chambers , William L. Kn app, J ohn W. Wri ght, Ne il O' H earn. 1877.-Pr esident, Asa Van Kl eeck; R eco rd er, R ollin I-I. Person; Tr eas ur er and Marshal, A rthur F. Fi eld ; Assessor, W. B. Sm ith ; Tru stees, R . H. Rum sey , L . N . Fi shbeck, Ste ph en S. c\fore, R . A. Ch ambers, J. W. Wri ght. 1878.-P re ide nt, N eil O' H earn ; R eco rder , R oya l H. Rum sey; Treas ur er and Marshal, Th oma s Clark ; Assessor, vVillimn B. Smith ; Tru stees , vVilli am H . Gilks, L eonard N . Fis hbeck , H arry J . H aven, Fra nk K elly, Geo rge H. \ 'Varre n. 1879.-P reside nt, J ohn I-I. Galloway ; R eco rd er, R oyal H . R umsey; Tr easurer and Mars hal, Th omas Clark ; Assesso r, Benjamin H. Ru be rt ; Tru stees, Asa Van Kl eeck, Mylo L. Gay , vVilliam B. Smith, Fr ancis N. Mon roe, L ean der C. Sm ith . FIRES IN HOWELL-FIRE DEPARTMENT. F or more than tw enty years after the laying out of H owell as a village the citizen s of the plac e were peculi arly fortunate in their alm ost compl ete exempti on from losses by conflag rati on. Not more than thr ee or four fires had occurred in the villa ge durin g th at tim e, and non e of th ese resulted in mor e than comparatively triflin g dama ge; the lar gest of them being the two fires which consum ed Chandler &amp; Kne eland's saw-mill and Smith &amp; Filkin s' foundry , the first named of which occurr ed in 18 5 I. The first fire which inflict ed sever e loss upon the villa ge occurred in the evenin g of Monda y , Sept. 28, 1857, and swept away th e E agle H otel, the first buildin g erected on the origin al plat of the villa ge in 1835, and nearly th e entir e line of buildin gs on th e south sid e of Grand River Str eet, between Walnut and E ast Stre ets . The account of this fire, g iven by the D emocrat in its next issue, was as follow 5 : " A des tru ctive fire brok e out in thi s village at about seven o'cloc k on Monday evening. It commen ced in the ' live ry ba rn ,' nea r Huntl ey's [E agle] H ote l, whic h was soo n wrapped in flames. Th e wind was bluw_ing strongly from th e nortln vest. Mr. Huntl ey's barn ca ught next, then his hotel, th en Balcom's sal oon, th en Tr eadwe ll's saloon, and th en the ' Old Stag e-H ouse .' All of th ese buil dings were consum ed by the flames in about one hour and a half, in spite of the efforts of th e citizens. The progres s of th e fire co uld not have been arre sted here, had th ey not pull ed down th e four small build ings th at stood on the east part of the sa me block. Owin g to th e high wind s th ere was great da nge r of a large portion of th e village be ing swept a way. Th e b urnin g cin de rs set fire to buildi ngs nearly half a m ile distant, wh ich was happily extin guished. N ea rly all th e b usiness men on th e so uth side of Grand Ri ver Stre et, as far clown as Van clerh oof's Hotel , removed th eir pro perty int o the street, which afforcled a fine opportuni ty for thie ving, an d thi s th e th ieves employe d. " N o one can acco unt for the origin of the fire. Th e heaviest loss occ urs to Mr . Huntl ey , who has lost hi s all. Hi s loss is e. ti . mated at $5000. Balcom's saloon was worth about $300, Jud ge Knee land's building about $800 , Jud ge \Vhip ple's about $800, and th e four small bu ildin 6s pulled clown we re worth abo ut $ 1000 . Th e harn, wh ere the fire origin ated , was own ed by l\lr . Green, of 176 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN . D etro it; loss about $200. Ther e was no insuran ce on any of the buildings. Most of the personal prop erty was saved; much of it ·in a damag ed state from th e rashness of men." On th e 22d of February, 1860, Howell was again visited by a conflagration, which swept the west side of East Street, so uth of Grand Riv er Street, destroying a numb er of buildin gs , among which were th e Phcenix F o undry and Machine- Shop. Th e following account of this fire appeared in the R epublican of February 28th: "Our vill age on \Vednesday mornin g bst again felt the ravages of the most dest ructive con flagratio n we have eve r before expe ri- _enced. The loss of property will not on ly be de ep ly felt hy the owne rs and occupants of the vari ous buildings destroyed, but will very much affect the business pro spec ts o f the village, and the interests of the farm ers and others in this vici nity, who have relied for nea rly every useful impl ement o f labor up on the shops, of w hich n othin g now remains hut a he ap of ashes. Th e fire originated in the foundry and machine-shop o f A. \ V. Sm ith &amp; Co., which was tot al ly destroyed. From th ence it crossed th e interv enin g space of about sixty feet to th e car riage -shop of William R . Melvin, which, toge th er with the blacksmit h-shop attached, were almost in stantly in flame s. Th ese latt er were co nnected wit h the shed and barn occupied by th e Stage Compa ny, and also the barn occ u- .p ieci by \Villi am E. Huntl ey &amp; Son, all of which were owned by ·E. E. Hazard. Th e barns be ing old and filled with hay were soo n on fire, and al this tim e it appe ared as th oug h nothing short of a miracl e could save th e stor e nn th e corner ow ned by W. B. Smit h , and occupied hy Jew ett &amp; Cros man; hut hy the alm ost superhuman exertions of a portion of th e cro wd, whic h by this tim e had as- ·semblecl, a part of th e rea r of the hu ilcling was remo ved, and water k ept constantly pouring upon it from buckets, so th at, althou gh .hut a few fee t from the barn last burn ed , thi s building wa s finall y saved , and the ravages of th e fire stayed. So far as we hav e been abl e to asce rtain, the following are th e estimat es of the vario us 1os~es : A. \ V. Smith &amp; Co., luss in building, machin ery, stock, tools, etc., $ 7200; insured for $4000. Willi am R. Me l-vin, loss in buildin g, stock, anr l too ls, about $3500, no insuran ce ; E. E . ll aza rd , two barns and shed , about $ 1Uoo; \V. B. Sm ith , damage of building abou t $200, no insurance; J ewe tt &amp; Crosman, loss in rem ova l of goods, about $400, insured; J. I. Van Du sen, stock, etc., in the ma chin e -sh op , about $ 125. Th e cause of th e fire is not kn o wn, though it is generally supposed to h ave been the work of a n incendiary, from the fact that wh en first discovered it was some dis tance from the stove, the on ly place wher e there had been any fire du rin g the day; also , we un clerstancl, the south doo r of th e building was found to be unfostene cl, though sec urely Jocked by Mr. Van Du sen, who clo sed the shop for the night about eight o'clock . The se verest loss is sustai ned by Mr. Melvin and Mr . Ha za rd, and particul arly th e former, who h ad , by energy and perseve rance, made him self proprie tor o f a carriag e- and wago n-shop second to none in the State . "\Vith characterist ic energy, h owever, Mr. M elvin commenced a new building whil e th e embers o f the old were still burning, and two clays had not elapsed ere th e 'anvil chorus' was ringing in his new shop." On both the occasions above mention ed the only m eans employed, or at hand , for arresting the progress of the fire was the demolition of thr eatened buildings ( or the spreading of wet blanket s and carpets on their roofs) and the throwing of wat er from han d-buckets. But even if fire-engines had been on th e spo t they would hav e been useless, for lack of an adequa te supply of water. Immedia tely after the fire which destroyed the Phcenix Foundi-y a meetin g of citiz ens was held in Howell (March 6, 1860) to take measures for procurin g a fire-apparatus for th e village; but no results followed. By th e prov1s1ons of th e act inc orporatin g th e village th e Common Council was authorized and empowered to compel the owners of building s to procure and keep in read iness such numb er of firebuck ets and ladd ers as shall be ordered by the Common Council, and also to " estab lish and organize all such fire-comp anies and ho se and hookand- ladder compani es, and to provide th em with _such engines and other instruments as shall be necessary to extinguish fires and preserve th e property of the inh ab itants of said village from conflagrations, and to appoint, from among the inhabit ant s of said villag e, such numb er of men, willing to accept, as may be deemed prop er and necessa ry to be employ ed as firemen,"-the numb er of men so appointed not to exceed 50 for th e management of any one engine . On the 18th of January , 1868, the Common Council passed an ordinance establishing and defining, within th e village of How ell, certain limits within which the erec tion of wooden building s was prohibited. Th ese limits have since been revised and enlar ged. The question of procuring fire-app aratus for th e village, which had first been seriou sly agitated at the meeting held imm ediately after the fire of February, 1860, continued to be held und er advis ement and occasional disc uss ion for about ten years before any definite action was tak en, many arguing (and very reaso nab ly) that it would be useless to procure an engine until some mea ns had been devised whereby such engine could be supplied with water in sufficient quantity to be of service in case of need. This obj ection of lack of an adequate water supply seemed well - nigh insurmountable , but finally, on the 24th of January, 1870, it was by the Common Coμncil "Resolv ed, That Mr. J. L. Stune be auth orized to pro cure for th e vi llage of H owe ll, and deliver the same on or before one month from this date, a fire-engine, ca ll ed in the print ed catalogue' The Fire King,' and th e Comm on Counc il will then pay fur said en- ·g ine; pr ovided that on a fair trial it shall prove to be as good as rec om menclecl,- that is to say, th e said engine shall throw waler one hundred and fifty feet at an ang le of forty-five de gr ees, aft er being forced thr ough fifty fee t of hose , and that the machine sh all be a first-cla ss machine in workm anship and material." But the tri al of this engine did not prove entirely satisfactory; and there is little doub~ that this result was a most fortunate one for th e village of H owe ll, for it induc ed the adoption of a different and (for this place at leas t) a more efficient fireapparatus . On th e 3d of January , 1874, th e Counii VILL A GE OF HOWELL. 177 cil reso lved " th at th e Ch ampio n Fir e E xtin g uisher, now here on tr ial, be purch ased for th e sum of $2000 ; $ 1000 to he paid in six month s from date, . : $ 10 00 in eight een month s from date ; and th at th .!' pr es ident and reco rde r iss ue th eir orde rs accordin gly." Thi s reso lut ion was dul y carri ed int o effect , and so th e village was at last p rov ided with an efficient appa ratu s and equi pment for th e ex ting uishm ent of fires. Havin g now an appa ratu s, it beca me necessa ry t o form a co mpa ny to h ave charge of and operate it ; and on th e 14th of J anu ary in th e same yea r, th e Comm on Co un cil " R esolved , Th at th e followi ng-named perso ns be co nstituted a fire -compa ny, to wit: J oh n Neary, J oh n l\1cCloud , \ Villiam F. Griffith, Patric k ll ammill, Th omas Cla rk , Leo nard F ishb eck, George H arrin gton , Perl ey Sk ilbec k, Fra nk Acker man, Fr ank Ar cher , Charle s G. J&lt;,we tt, Mark R uber t, H ome r Beac h, T heod ore Il untl ey, E . A. Young, Th omas Mc Ew en, II enry \Vilber, P eter Clark, Bu rt F. P arsons, Edwa rd vVa ldron, I-1. F . Brown - i ng, E d ward Gre enaway, F. G. H ick ey, H . G. Sell man, Wi llia m B eattie, Georgl! L. Clark, G. S. Burg ess, R. H. Brow n, Cassius A ustin, Th omas G. Switzer." On th e next day th ese members met, and orga nized as "C hampi on F ire Co mpany , N o. 1, of Howe ll," th e follo wing being elect ed as its first officers: J ohn N ea ry, F oreman ; Th omas Clark , F irst A ss istant Fo reman ; E dwa rd \Va ld ron, Second Ass istant For eman ; R. H . Brow n, Pipe man ; J ohn McC loud , Second P ipe man ; E . A. Yo un g, S upe rintendent of Ch emicals; H enry W ilber, As - sistant Supe rint ende nt of Chemicals; W illiam F . Gri ffith, Se cretary ; Patrick H ammill , Tr eas urer. May 24, 1875, th e Comm on Co un cil pa sse d a reso luti on to pur chase from Willi am McPh erso n &amp; So ns a lot for an eng ine-ho use site, on th e wes t side of Eas t Str eet , north of Grand Ri ver Street- 25 feet front and 50 feet deep - at $875, payable in th ree eq ual pay ment s; and th e preside nt and reco rder were a uth orized and d irected " to issue orders for sa id amo unt s of money." Mr. H. H albert was appo inted buil di ng committ ee, an d was instruct ed " to do al l ac ts and thin gs relat ive to sa id buildi ng of an eng ine-h ouse th at in his ju dg - ment shall be exp ed ient , and th at he co mpl ete th e sa me as soo n as p ractic ab le, in such manner and styl e as shall be appropriate." Th e contr act for buil ding th e eng ine-h ouse was awarded, J uly 6, 1875, to F rankl in K elly, wh o co mpl eted th e work in th e fall of th at yea r, and was settl ed with on th e 29th of Oc tober, as follows : Amo unt of coutra ct .. .. ..... . .. ....... .. .. .... $2857. 17 Cistern .... ..... .. ....... .... ... ......... .... .. .. . 50.00 Other ext ras.............. . .... .... .. ... .. ........ 10 .35 . T otal cust ..... .... ......... .. .. ......... . $29 17.52 exc lu sive of th e .bell, wh ich was pro cur ed afterwa rds. 23 Th e village has now a goo d fire app aratu s, well h oused , and in charge of an efficient co mpany , wh ose officers for 1879 are Th omas Clark, For eman ; L. E bn er, Fir st A ssistant F oreman; Th omas Fr ase r, Seco nd Ass istant F oreman; Th omas \Vinega r, Tr eas urer; W. A . Tuck er, Secretary; H . D. W ilber, S uperint ende nt o f Chemicals; M. L. Mc- Ki i:iley, Ass istant Supe rint ende nt of Ch emicals ; W. R . Kn app , Fir st Pip eman ; R . H. Brown, Second Pipe man. H OWE LL POST-O FFI CE AN D POSTMAS T E R S. Th e H o well post-office was establi shed by th e Post-Office D epa rtm ent, on th e 15th o f Januar y , 1836. F ollow ing is a list of its severa l po stm as - ters, with th e dates of th eir ap pointm ent s : Fl avi us J. B. Cr ane, appo int ed J an. 15, 1836. Un de r Mr. Crane th e office was kept in th e E ag le H otel of A mos A dams. E ly Barnard , ap point ed Jun e 13, 1839. Und er Mr . Barnard, th e office was first located in th e frame buil ding which stood on th e no rth eas t corner of th e " old publi c s.quare," but afterward s made John Curti s his deputy, and removed th e office to th e E. F . Gay store buildin g , opp os ite th e so uthw es~ corn er of th e same squar e. A lmon W hipple, appo inted Fe b. 9, 1841. Mr . W hip ple, und er thi s appointm ent , held th e office less th an four month s, and durin g th at tim e th e bu siness was co ntinu ed in th e Gay store, wh ere it had been loca ted by J ohn Curti s, und er Mr. Barnar d . W ellin gt on A. Glover, appo int ed May 31, 1841. Durin g hi s term th e office was continu ed in th e sa me place. Mr. S. F . Hub be ll, wh o was th en read ing law in th e office of Mr. Glover, recoll ect s acting for a tim e as his dep uty. A lmon W h ipple (seco nd term ), appo int ed Sept. I , 1843. Durin g thi s term Mr. W hi pple kept the office in his store o n th e north side of Grand Riv er Str eet,-th e place now oc cup ied by th e store of Greenaway &amp; Son. Geo rge W. Lee, app ointed A pril 14, 1849. Office loca ted in th e store of L ee &amp; Broth er, where F . N. l\tl onro e now is. D eras tu s Hinm an, appointed Jun e 7, 1853. Mr. Hinm an remm·ed th e office t o hi s store, in th e buil d ing kn own as th e "o ld fort ," on th e so uth side of Grand Ri ver Str eet. Fra nk W ells, appoi nted Fe b. 25, 1855. The office was kep t by Mr. \ Veils in th e dru g-store, so uth side o f Grand Ri ver Str eet, wh ere now is Griffith' s furnitur e-sto re. L eander C. Smith, appo inted March 16, 186 1. F or four yea rs, und er M r. S mith , th e office was loca ted wh ere it had beer~ kept by Geo rge W . .- -.'I J I I I 180 HISTORY OF LiVINGSTON COUNTV, MICHIGAN. Following is a list of th e Wor shipful Masters of th e lodg e from the comm encement of its working until the present time: 1849, Amos A_~fams; 1850 -53 , Gardner Wh eele r; 1854-55, Henry H. H armon; 1856-58, Fred erick C. Whipple; 1859-6o, Sardis F .. Hubb ell; 186 I , Fr ank Well s; 1862-63, Sardis F. Hubb ell; 1864-65, Mylo L. Gay; 1866 -68, Joseph T. Titus; 1869, William C. .Rum sey ; 1870, Jo seph T . Titus; 1871-72, Albert Riddl e ; 1873-74, Sardis F. Hubbell ; 1875-76, Alb ert L. Hathaway; * I 877-79, Sardis F. Hubbell. LIVIN GSTON CHAPT ER, No. 30, ROYAL ARCH MASONS. This organizati on was formed in How ell, April 16, 1863, with nin e chart er members, viz., C. W. Haz e, Henry H. Harmon, Sardis F . Hubbell, Warren B. Green, M. B. vVilcox, George Wilber, Wm. A. Clark, Jo seph T. Titu s, C. L. Farnum. The chapter, now numb ering 62 members, holds its reg ular convocation s at Masonic Hall, How ell. Its officers for 1879 are William C. Rum sey, High Priest; William W. K enyon, King; Perley H. Sexton, Scribe; Edwin Hud so n, Captain of th e Ho st; John W. Wright, Principal Sojourner; C. L. Vandercook, Royal Arch Capt ain; Sardis F. Hubb ell, Trea s. ; Hugh Conklin, Sec.; H. H . Clark, Grand Master Third Veil; Thomas B. Clark, Grand Master Second Veil; J. L. Cook, Grand Master First Veil. H OW ELL COMMANDERY, No. 28, OF KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. This organization was form ed April 7, I 870, th e following-nam ed being its charter memb ers: Sardis F. Hubbell, Mylo L. Gay, Henry N. Spencer, T. C. Garn er, \V. H. Mallory, John W eimeist er, B. H. Lawson, C. W. Haze, G. W. Hoff. At present th e commandery embraces 24 members, with the followin g-named officers for I 879: Mylo L. Gay, Eminent Commander; Sardis F. Hubbell, Generalis simo; Edwin Hudson, Capt ain- General; Henry N. Spencer, Senior Warden; John W. Wright, Junior Warden; Edwin B. Winans, Treas.; William W. Kenyon, Recorder; Henry H . Harmon, Pr elate; Perley H. Sextpn, Sword- Bearer; Ira 0. Marble , Standard-B ea rer; Halsted Gr ego ry, Ward en; W. C. Lo ehne, Sentinel. IIOWELL EAST ERN STAR FA'.\1ILY. This society, Masonic in its natur~, \vas org anized by Mrs. Mary A. Brown, at Masonic Hall, · iri Howell, March 6, 1867, with 14 member s. The first officers of the society wer e : Patron, ·vVarren Green; Patroness, Mrs. Z. F. Crosman; Conductor, * During 1876 Mr. H ath away rem oved from Il owt;ll, and his enn was filled by William L . Kn:ipp, Seni or \\'a rqe 11. · Joseph Fin sterwald; Conductre ss, Mr s. E. B. Greg - / ory; B,.ecorder, Mrs. W . vV. Carpent er; Tr easurer, °Miss Emily Whe eler; Jephtha's Daught r,· Mrs .' M. B. Wilcox; Ruth , Mrs. S. F. Hubbt. ; Esther, Mrs , H . H. H armon; Martha, Mrs. Eliza Richards; Electa, Mrs. Jos ep h M. Gilbert. On th e 7th of March, 1867, an Ea stern Star deg ree was conferred on Mr. and Mrs. Thomas · Shively, Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Wisner, Mr. and Mrs. D. F. Crandall , Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Chandl er, Mrs. C. W . Barb er, Miss J ul\a Winegar, E. E. H aza rd, W. L. Knapp . . The society rece ived accessions until at one time it numbered 60 members ; but no charter was ever applied for, and it finally went down, th e last meeting being held Jun e IO , 1868. Th e officers for th at year wer e H. H. Harm on, vV. Patron; Mrs. Z. F. Crosman, W. Patroness; Mrs. F. S. vVykoff, Conductress; Mrs. William C. Rums ey, Chaplainess; Mrs. 0. Cole , Trea s. ; Mrs. C. vV. Barber, Sec.; Mrs. M. B. Wilcox , Jephtha's Dau ght er; Mrs. S. F. Hubb ell, Ruth; Mrs. H. H. Harmon, Esther; Mrs. Elbert C. Bu sh, Martha; Mrs. Jo~ seph M. Gilbert, Electa; F. S. Hardy, Watchman. GOOD T EM PLARS. HOWELL LODGE, No. 811, I. 0. OF G. T . This lodge was organized in the Presbyt eria n church, in How ell village , by Past Grand Worthy Chief Templar Charles Russ ell, October 8, 1874, with J. D. Smith, Worthy Chi ef Templar; Mrs. H. G. Fry, vVorthy Vice-Templ ar. Th e me etin gs were held for six months in S. Andr ews' Hall; th en for two y ea rs in Greenaway's Hall; from whence, in October, J 877, the lodg e remov ed to its present quarter s in Kn app's Block. Th e membership of the lodge is now 87. The officers for 1879 are W. D. Whalen, W. C. T.; P. O'Brien, Sec'y; T . B. Knapp, Tr eas .; E. B. Vanderhoof, Deputy. THE HOWELL SHOOTING CLUB. The Howell Shooting Club was organized on the 13th day of February, in the year 1878, with the following members: H. B. Blackman, B. I-I. Rub ert, Charles G. Jewett, E. F. Mulliken, J.P. Titus, H. D. Wilber, H. N. Beach, L. S. Mont ag ue, P. D. Skilbeck, F. J. Lee, J. H. Galloway, G. L. Woolcott, A . D. Waddell, Judson Hall, B. F. Parsons, R. H . Rumsey, E. G. Angel, H. Gregory, A. K. Tooley, J. M. Hoagland, Dennis Shields, and E. D . Galloway. At the same time a constitution and by-laws were ad opt ed, and the following officers were elected :· President, H. B. Blackman; Vice-Presid ent, L. S. Montague; Secretary, C. G. Je1rett; Trea surer, B. ,, ··- --· - ..... VILLAGE .bF HOWELL. 181 H. Ru be rt ; E xe cuti ve Committ ee, H . B. Blackm an (ex officio), H. Gr ego ry , H. D. Wilbur, B. H. Rubert, C. G. Jewett. Th e object of th e club is ~o. enforc e th &lt;;l!a ws for th e p rotection of ga me and fish , and th e encour age - ment among its members and oth ers of th e healthful sports of huntin g and fishin g by th e active pur suit th ereo f in th e field, suppl ement ed by pr actice on th e g round s of th e club. Ma ny oth ers soo n after became memb ers of th e club, until th e memb ersh ip at pr ese nt is mo re th an fifty , includin g nea rly all prof ess ions and voc a_tions of life. Tru e to its purp ose , th e club so on after its orga nization bega n to pro secut e all violations of th e ga me and fish laws which came to its notic e, irr espective of pe rsons. It met so me oppos itio1i at first, but soon th e p ubl ic were ge nerally co nvinced of the imp artiality and un selfishn ess of its co urse , and lent mu ch ass istance to it, until a very health y feeling has tak en possess ion of th e co mmunit y in favo r of th e enforcement of th ese laws, as being for th e benefit of all. Th e club has not been co nt ent merely to pr eserve, but has bee n ac tive in increas ing th e suppl y of ga me and fish. It has caused 2 50,00 0 whit e fish , 150 ,00 0 salmontrout , and 5000 Hud so n Ri ver eeh, to be deposited in th e lakes and rivers of thi s count y , and wild rice to be sowed in th e shallow lakes to att ract d ucks and ot her water-fowl, an d has th e satisfaction of kn owing th at , from its meas ures of prot ection, propaga tion, and enco urage ment, ga me and fish are pe rcep tibly i'ncreas ing in thi s co unt y. Soo n after its orga nization th e club became a member of th e M ichi ga n State Spo rtsmen's Asso - ciation, and has bee n ably rep rese nted by de lega tes in eve ry meetin g of such assoc iation since, and th ereby has had a dir ect influ ence on th e leg islation and se ntim ent s of th e whole Stat e up on th e subjec ts of ga me a nd fish. Th e club has done ve ry mu ch to promot e goo d mark sman ship and to famili arize th e pu blic with th e use of th e g un in th e field. In additi on to th e num ero us tri als of skill for priz es, special pur ses, etc., th e cl ub held a gra nd pigeo n-shootin g tournament of thr ee days, begi nnin g Au g. 7, 1878, and a g rand g lass -ball shootin g tourn ament of th ree days, beg innin g A ug. 6, I 879, both of wh ich were large ly att ende d by sportsmen from all pa.rt s of thi s State, and from many oth er States, in which th e club showed of wh at material it was compose d by ·its memb ers takin g a maj ority of the pur ses offered. Whil e a large numb er of its membe rs have distin g uished th emselves by th eir skill in mark smanship , it will not det ract from any to mak e part icul ar menti on o f on e,- C. G. Jewett . Mr. Jewett, hav ing excited comm ent by his particularly fine shoot ing, ent ered in th e mat ch at Chi cago, on May · 26, 1879, for th e badge offere d by Capt. A. H . Boga rdu s for th e best glass -ball sh ot in A merica, and won it by a decid ed victo ry ove r all comp et itors. H e was soon after ch allenged by Capt. Boga rdu s on behalf of Geo rge Buzzard, of Chicago, to shoot for th e badge and $500. Thi s match t oo k place on th e g roun ds of th e club , in H owe ll, on A ug. 7, 1879, Mr . J ewett makin g th e unpr ecede nt ed scor e of nin ety- eight out of on e hundr ed balls, thrown from thr ee Boga rdu s tr aps set ten yards apart , leaving him th e undi sp ut ed ch ampi on glass- ball shoot er of · A merica. Th e pr ese nt officers of th e club are: Pre sident, H . N. Beac h ; Vi ce-P res ident, L. S. Mont ag ue ; Se cretary , C. G. Jewett ; Tr eas ur er, B. H. Rub ert; Exec utiv e Committ ee, H. N. Beac h (ex officio), Calvin Wilco x, C. G. Jewett , E . F. Mullik en, a nd R. H. Rum sey. Th e club is on a firm financi al bas is, and has a bro ad field of usefuln ess before it wh ich it will not fail to imp rove. TH E DE TR OIT, LANS ING AND NORTHERN RA IL ROAD. Th e constructi on of thi s road and its ope ning in I 87 I h ave been noticed in th e ge neral hi sfo ry of th e county. Pass ing in a north wester ly dir ecti on th ro ug h a co rner of Ma rion, it ent ers H owe ll village across its so uth ern line, a littl e eas t of th e centre , continu es in th e sa me ge neral dir ecti on for abo ut one and thr ee-e ighth s mil es throu g h th e territ ory of th e co rp oration, and th en crosses its wes t line int o H owe ll townsh ip. It s passe nge r station is loca ted at th e foot of Fl emin g Str eet, and contig uous to thi s ar e th e oth er bu ild ings of th e compa ny. Thi s rail roa d line has bee n of g rea t ad vant age to H owell durin g th e eight ye ars of its operation. Th e town ship and vill age of Ho well to ge th er cont ained 28 I 3 inh abit ants, by th e census of I 874, and now th e village alone cont ains-by estim ation -n early or quit e th at po pulati on. Th ere are few villa ges in thi s or in any St ate whi ch occupy better or more elig ible loca tions th an th at of H owell,-f ew of its size which p resent a more attr active and impos ing appea rance on approa ch from all directions. It is well built, containin g an unu sual numb er of large and substant ial brick structur es, a nd among its merc antil e estab lishm ents th ere are so me which cann ot be surpassed by any, in th e sam e line of tr ade, in any town or city of Michiga n. I l I I I I I ' : I I I ' I I ' I I 182 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. B I O GR A P H IC AL S KET C H ES. HON. J OSIAH TURNER . HON. JOSIAH TURNER, JUD GE OF THE SEVENTH JUDICIAL CIR CUIT. This distingui shed gentleman was born on th e first day of September, A.D. 181 r, in th e old patriotic town ship of New Hav en, Addison Co., in th e State ofVermont,and received his academical ed ucation at the famous schools of Middlebury and St. Albans, immediately after which he entered his name and commenced his legal studies in th e office of his uncl e, Hon. Bates Turn er, formerly one of the judge s of th e Supreme Court of that State. He was admitted to the bar in th e fall of 1833, and opened his office in the village of West Berkshire. In J anuary, 1835, he marri ed a daughter of Dr. Ellsworth, of Berk shir e, Vt., and in 1840 followed the great tidal wave of emigration to this State, and settled at Howell, the county- seat of Livingston County , where he at once resumed the practice of his profession. Two years after taking up his new reside nce he was elected clerk of the county, and held the office for six years ; and also held in rapid succession the honorabl e positions of justice of the peace, town ship clerk, and master in chanc ery. Upon the establishment of the County Court sys tem, in 1846, he was elected judge of Livin gston County, and held the position with great credit to him self until the change was made in the judiciary of the State by the adoption in 1850 of the new constitution. At th e general St ate election in 1856 he was elected Judge of Probate for th e same county . Hi s personal popularity was such, added to his professional chara cter, that notwithstanding the Democratic party held .a very large majority in the county he was triumphantly elected, although runnin g on the opposition (Republican) ticket. In May, 1857, he was appointed by the well-deserved favor of his old friend, Gov . Kinsley S. Bin gham , to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court bench, and in the same year was elected Circuit Jud ge for the Seventh Judicial Circuit, for the term of six years, at th e expiration of which he was again nominated and elected, and re-elected in l 869; and with increasing satisfaction to the profession and to th e public, he was again, and for th e fourth period, in 187 5, re-elected wit/tout any opposition,-thus making, if he lives to the end of his present term, a continuous occupancy of a judicial position for twenty-four years and nine month s. Jud ge Turn er has held the Circuit Court in forty counties c;if th e State, and in every circuit but one. In 1860, with the view of getting near er the centre of his circuit, Judge Turner chang ed his residence to Owosso, in the county of Shiawassee. Here he served th e municipality of that city as WILLIAM McPHERSON, of Howell, Livin gs ton Co., Mich ., wa s born in . Gortlich, in th e pari sh of Bole sk in, in In vern ess - hir e, Sco tl and, J an. 16, 1804 . His par ent s were Iart in and E lizabe th (M cInt os h) McP herso n. Hi s fath er wa s a blacksmith. In 1813 he removed with hi s family to th e city of In ve rnes s, wh ere he carri ed on his busine ss of black smithin g · r seve ral years. H ere "William att end ed sc:hoo l s . , d receiv ed a fair comm on-school ed ucation. ·;-After leav ing school he was empl oyed for abo ut 'five years as sheph erd and as se rvant and att end ant ,o th e mini ster of th e pari sh. When he was about inetee n years of age he comm enced wo rk in hi s th er's sh op, and learn ed th e tr ade of blacksmith ' of him. After acq uirin g hi s trad e, he work ed for several yea rs as j o urn ey man bl ack smith in different places in th e north of Sco tland. In 1829, wh en he was tw enty-fiv e years of age, he es tablished hims elf in busin ess and ope ned a shop of hi s own in the villag e of Aberc hir der, in Ba nffshir e. Apri l 7, 18 3 1, he marri ed E lizabet h Riddle, of th e paris h of Gra nge, Banff shire. He continued in bu siness in Abe rchir der for abo ut se ven yea rs, durin g whic h tim e, by ha rd wor k and con stant atte nti on to bu siness, he accumulat ed a sma ll prop - er ty. H ere his thr ee eld est childr en, Isabe lla, Willi am, and Alexa nder, were born . In 18 36 he emig rated to Ame rica with his fam ily . He cam e dir ect to Michiga n and set tled at Howell, th en call ed Livings ton Ce ntr e, a rriv ing th ere Sep temb er 17th of th e same yea r. The villa ge of How ell at that tim e consisted of one fra me building. Thi s buildin g was used as a hotel. In it wer e also located th e county offices of th e new se ttl ement and a small store kep t by F . J. B. Crane. Mr. McP herson at once built him self a log hou se , a nd in a log shop adj oinin g, com menced work at hi s trad e of blacks mithin g. In thi s he co ntinu ed for about six years. In 184 1 he and J osia h Turn er, now circuit jud ge of th e seve nth circuit of Mic higa n, ope ned a small store, Mr . McP herso n co ntributin g part of th e cap - ital and Mr. Turn er manag ing th.e bu siness, Mr. McPh erso n at th e sa me time continuing hi s black - smith bu siness on his ow n account. A fter co ntinuin cr th e merch andi se busin ess with Mr. Turn er 0 for abo ut a yea r, th ey so ld o ut to Giles Tuck e r. In 1843 he bought a h alf-int eres t in th e stock and store of E . B. T ay lor, and , discon tinuin g hi s blacksmi th business, turn ed his at tenti o n entir ely to tr ade. Th ey did bu siness for abo ut two years to get her, und er th e firm-nam e of T ay lor &amp; McPherso n. A fter being thu s associated for abou t t wo years, he bought his partn er' s int eres t in th e bu si ness. From thi s tim e he has continued unint erru ptedly a nd with s uccess in th e mercantil e bu siness. From 1852 to 1856 he was in partn ership with Wi lliam Ri dd le in the firm of McP herso n &amp; Riddle . In 1856 he assoc iated hi s eld est so n, Willi a m McPh erso n, Jr., in bu3ines s with him, un der the firm-n ame of ·William McP herso n &amp; Co. In 1864 anot her so n, M. J . McP herso n, was admitted to th e bu siness. In 1867 another so n, E. G. McP herso n, wa s adm itt ed. Si nce I 864 th e name of th e firm has bee n Willi am McPh erso n &amp; So ns. From 1856 thi s firm has had a stea dy growtl) and has do ne an incr eas ing bu siness. It has long bee n noted for e nte rpris e a nd reliab ility . As a bu siness man Mr. McPherson's mark ed charac teristics have bee n energy, ind ustr y, and prud ence. In 1864, when th e D etroit and How ell R ailroad Company was orga nized for th e constructi on of a railro ad from D etro it to How ell, Mr. McP herso n was elected a dir ec tor, and tr eas urer of th e comp any. In thi s pos ition he con tinu ed for abo ut five years, doin g much hard and di fficu lt work. Th e or igi nal comp any we re un able to carry o ut th eir proj ec t, but a new comp any composed pr incipally of East ern capita lists co mpl eted th e work. and th e road is now kn own as th e D etroit, Lansing and No rth ern R ailroad. H e assi sted in th e or ga nization of the Fir st Pr esby ter ian Church of Howell in 1838, and has been a memb er eve r sinc e . He ha s four so ns, vVilliam, Alexa nde r, Ma rtin J ohn, a nd Edw ard G. All are living in H owell. Three are assoc iated with him in th e merca ntil e busin ess, and one is engage d in bankin g. H e has also fou r dau ght ers, -I sa bella , wife of H. H. Mi lls ; Elizab eth, wife of E. P. Greg ory ; Mary L., wife of H . T. Browning; and Ella, wife of Fr ed A. Smi th . SE Y MOU R E . H O WE. ~e th H owe, fath er of th e subjec t of thi s sketch , age on th e steamb oa t " Co lum bus"' to D etro it, th was bo rn in Connecticut in 1776, where he spe nt trip taking ove r six days. H e was still fifty mil his ea rly chil dhood, and from whence hi s parent s , from Dext er, where his friend s lived. moved to Pennsy lvania. Th ere he g rew to man- tance he wa lked, as he had not money enoug h to hood and marri ed a Miss 'vVashburn, by whom h e hir e a publi c conveyance. A rri ving at D ex ter, his had seve ral children. Th en, hearin g g low ing bro th ers and sisters gave him a ve ry cordia l g reetstories of western New Yo rk, he emigrated thith er, acco mpa nied by an elde r broth er, settlin g on wh at was th en ca lled th e '' H olland Purcha se.'' Hi s farm was situat ed in th e town of E lba, Genesee Co. Th ere his fam ily increase d to th e numb er of ten chil d ren, Sey mou r E. being th e ninth child . Fo ur yea rs after thi s event his wife died. Mr. H owe had a severe stru gg le, th e co untry being new, heav ily timb ered , a nd spa rsely settl ed, with a large family to prov ide for, a wildern ess-farm to clear, and help scarce. Y et he never faltered . W orkin g hard durin g th e week , on th e Sabbath he would ga th er th e neighb ors toge th er and pr eac h to th em th e g lad news of sa lvation. Thi s he kep t up for forty years, or as long as he lived. T wo yea rs after th e dea th of his first wife, he marri ed a Mrs. Dunnin g, by wh om he had o ne child , a da ug ht er. Sey mour E., when about six yea rs old, went to live with his oldes t b roth er, wh o was marri ed and followed farm ing and paintin g. \Vith h im he was assoc iated until his sixtee nth yea r, and received so me kn ow ledge of bo th occupations. A t thi s tim e many of his olde r broth ers and sisters were marri ed and sca ttered . Thr ee of th em, having go ne to Michi ga n, had settl ed at D ext er, W as ht enaw Co. Soo n after Sey mour att ained th e age of sixt een yea rs, he, too, started for Dext er. H e was th en living about forty mil es from Buffalo, which distance he acco mpli shed on foot, carry ing his world ly all in a small kn apsac k. H e too k pass - ing, one o f wh om, a ca rri age -m ak er, offered him employ ment , which he acce pt ed and co mm enced work at once. H e soo n after went to work for anoth er broth er, in th e clock bu sine ss. H e remai ned with his broth er nea rly seven yea rs a nd th en return ed to th e home of his childhoo d. H e foun d his fath er and frien ds well, and rece ived th e prod iga l's g reetin g . Hi s fath er wishin g him to remain with him whil e he lived, he conclu ded to do so, and soo n after marri ed Miss P. A. Boutell, with who m he is still livin g. H ere th ey remained un t il after th e death of his fath er, wh ich occ ur red on th e 14th of Jun e, 1852. Oc t. 14, 1856, he started aga in for Michi ga n, and in d ue seaso n arrived and loca ted in th e tow n o f H owell, Livin gs ton Co ., up on sec tion I 5. Th ro ug h th e kin dness o f D avid Black man and fam ily, h e obt ained a co m fort abl e log house free of rent th e first winter. But th e usual cas ualties and hard stru gg les incid ent to a new co untry and cl imate awa ited th em, and for th e first five or six yea rs it was living from hand to mouth. But , by th e bl ess - ings of a kind Pr ovide nce, a ch ange ca me; th ey were aga in blessed with hea lth. Th e older child ren beca m e helpful, and from th at tim e to th e prese nt it has been on e continu ed seaso n of prospe rity . Th e log h ouse ha s bee n disp laced , a nd a la rge and convenient dwellin g erected, and th eir vesse l is now un de r full sa il, with a fair pros pect of a happy termin ation of life's voyage. VILLAGE OF HOWELL. mayor in 1864, and was again chosen in the following year. At the Constitutional Convention, held at Lan- 'iing in 1867, he was elected for the county of · ,iawassee, and became at once an active and luable memb er,-s erving on th e committee of &lt;:! judiciary, and chairm a n of the committee on chedule. Throu ghout the long period of his public and judicial life, from its very comm enc ement up to th e present period, Judge Turn er has been distinguished by patience and indu stry , and a det ermination to do what is right whenever and wherever that could be known, and it is thi s principle which has won from those who administer th e law the re spect and confidence of the people. To the members of the bar, whether old or new practition ers, he has ever exhibited a kindliness of disposition, an unwavering courtesy of demeanor, and a display of characteristics which so happily become a judge, whether s itting in equity, at nisi prius, or in the performance of prof ess ional duties in chamb ers. The family of Jud ge Turn e r consisted of five children, thr ee of whom are now living, viz., Hon. J ero me Turn er, of Owosso, State Senator from 1868 to 1870, and now mayor of that prosperous and enterprising city; Lucia, th e wife of H on. H. M. Newcomb, of Ludington; and Miss Nelli e Turner. SARDIS F. HUBBELL. Th e gentleman whose nam e stands at the head of this sketch, has be en a resident of the village of Howell for more than a quarter of a century, and is one of the prominent memb ers of the Livin gs ton County bar. He was born June 10 , 1820, at Newburg, Ohio, a place which is now embraced within the limits of th e city of Cleveland . His father, Adoniram Hubb ell, was a nativ e of Connecticut. Hi s mother, L aura (Fuller) Hubbell, born in Granville, Washington Co., N. Y., was a lady of rare int ellectual ability and culture. She . died April 11, 1850. In or about the year 1819, Adoniram Hubbell emigrated West and settled in Ohio, where he worked at his trad e-that of a hatter-until the year 1835, when he remov ed with his family to Hartl and, Living ston Co., Mich., loc ated a piece of land, and engaged in agricultural pursuits, in coni1ection with the business of hi s trad e, which he carried on in the winter seasons, until 1841, after which he gave his whol e attention to farm"ing. He died Aug. 8, 1852. His son, Sardis F ., to whom this sketch has especial reference, had at - tend ed th e common schools of Newburg, Ohio, until he reached the age of fifteen years, at which time he remov ed with his parents to Hartland. Here he attended a select school for a time, and after leav ing it, assisted his father in business until about 1839, when he was nin ete en years of age. He th en entered the office of Jo sia h Clark, M.D., for the purpose of studying med icine, but finding this uncong enial to his taste, he abandoned it after a year's trial, and in 1840 commenced reading law in th e office of Wellington A. Glover, of How ell, th en prosecuting attorney of the county of Living ston . In this he applied himself so closely that at the end of a year he found his hea lth impaired, and as a con seq uence he was compelled to susp end study for about two years. On th e 15th of May, 1843, he entered th e office of Augustus C. Baldwin, of Milford, Oakland Co ., where he studied hard for more than three years. He was admitted to the bar in Pontiac, D ec. 16, 1846, and at once commenced practice in Oakland County, where h e continued for eight years , having bee n during th at time (November , 1850) elected representative in the State Legi slature. In the spring of 1854 he remov ed from Milford to How ell, wher e he at once engaged in th e bu siness of hi s profession. In the fall of that year he was elected Circuit Court Commissioner, and in th e fall of 1858 was elected pros ec uting attorney of Livingston County. He was again elected to the same office in I 862, and re-el ected in I 864 .. . Mr. Hubbell has been closely identified with the interest s of Livingston County, and in particular, with tho se of How ell. He ha s filled the office of president of the village for three term s, and that of director of the school board for two terms. He ha s always taken a deep int erest in the advancement of ed ucation. In religio us belief he favors that of th e Baptist denomination, a nd attends the se rvic es of that church. In politics he is and always has bee n a Democrat. In 1854 he join ed the Masonic fraternity , a nd was Ma ster of the Howell Lodge from 1859 to 1863 inclu sive, and again from 1876 until the present time. He took part in the organization of the Chapter of Royal Arch Masons at Howell, and was elected its Hi g h Priest. H e assisted in organizing the Commandery of Knights Templar, and filled the office of Eminent Commander for two term s. He was also District Deputy Gr and Master for the Sixth Maso nic District for the years 1873 and 1874. He has been twice marri ed: first, Aug. 14, 1848, to Miss Emily A. Mowry (who died Dec. 29, 1862 ), a nd th e seco nd tim e, to Mrs. H elen M. Carlin, Aug. 14, 1864. Of his three children by the first marria ge, two so ns are now living. HOWELL THE township of Howell is that which is designated on th e United States surv ey as No. 3, north of th e ba se line, in ran ge 4, east of the principal meridi an of th e State. It is bounded on th e west by the township of Handy, and on th e north by Cohoctah . Its east ern line-a gai nst th e town ship of Oc eo la-and its southern boundary, on which it j oins Marion, are the central lin es of Livin gs ton County, the form er traver sing it from north to south, and the latt er from eas t to west. Th e water-courses of How ell are not num ero us, nor is th eir supply more than moder ately abu ndant. Th e princip al of th ese is th e south branch of th e Sh iawassee River, which, taking its ris e in th e la kes of Marion, flows north, nea rly throu gh th e centre of Howell , into Cohoctah. This is here a sluggish stream, and for a consid erabl e par t of its · cour se through Howell is bord ered by swa mps; but it furni shes two wat er -pow ers of small capacity , which have , in past years, done some service to th e people of the town , by propelling mill s for grind ing g rain, saw ing lumb er, and dr ess ing cloth. Th e eas t branch · of Cedar Riv er also enters th e town ship from Marion, and, cros sing the thr ee so uthw estern sections of How ell, passes into H andy, where it joins the main Cedar . Th ompso n Lak e lies partly within th e original town ship, but in that part which is now includ ed in th e village corporation of Howell, as has already been mentioned in that conn ection. From th e north end of this lake issu es an outl et str ea m, which passes north and eas t throu g h th e north part of sect ion 2 5 and the so uth eas t part of section 24 of this tow nsh ip, and enters Oceola, but return s into Howell on section I 2, and th en flows north , through th at and section I, into Cohoctah, where it is known as Bogue Cre ek, and where it finally join s th e Shiawassee Riv er. Th e surface of Howell tow nship is undul atin g, but cannot be termed hilly . Th e altitud e o f so me part s of it is perhaps nea rly as great as that of any part of th e county, but th e elevations of land are less ab rupt, and not so high with reference to su rrounding country, as is th e case in so me of th e other (pa rticul ar ly th e southeastern) tow nships of Livin gs ton. A g reat part of th e area of Howell was originally covered with "oak-openings," and 184 TOWNSHIP. in th ese tl~e soil, althou gh not so strong as that o heavy timb ered land s, was of a qu ality well adapted to th e purposes of agric ultur e, and more profit ab le for settlers than th at lyin g beneath the denser forest grow t'h, beca use it co uld be mad e available for crops in less tim e and with less labor. Th e swampy.lands along th e streams, and in some other parts of .the town ship, are ju stly re ga rd ed as blemishes up on th e face of th e country, yet they were positive bl ess ings to th e pioneer farmers who settled h ere, for th ey were enabled to feed th eir stock on th e coarse wild mar sh grasses during the time which nece ssa rily elaps ed before the lands could be clea red and crops rai sed for th eir subsistence. LA ND -ENTRIES. Th e first entry of land in thi s tow nshij) was made by Orman Coe, of Genesee County, N ew York, May 20, 1833, and embraced the eas t half of th e southwest quarter of sec tion 27. Th e next * was by Checkley S. Palmer, of Genesee Co., N. Y., it being th e west half of th e northw est quarter of section 2 5. The later entri es are shown by the following list, which is of the names of all purcha sers from the Unit ed States of lands on the several sec tions in How ell town ship, with the dates and descriptions of th eir purchases: SECTION 1. Bickfon .l P. Hut chin son anrl Silas Titus, of \Vayne Co., Mich ., F eb. 18, 1836. Southeast quarter and north eas t fract ional quarte r. Edward Pe ck, o f Gene see Co., N. Y ., May 23, 1836. \Vest half of the so uthw est qu arter. J osep h H eath, of Monroe Co., N. Y., June 9, 1836. N orthw est fractional quarter. Da niel Boutell , O nom!aga Cu. , N. Y ., Nov. 14, 1836. Ea st half of th e sout h west quarter. SEC TI ON 2. William W . Shute s, Oakl and Cu. , Mich., O ct. 19, 1835. South pa rt of north west fractiona l quarte r. Ezra Fri sbee , Mon1gomery Cu., N: Y., Oct. 19, 1835. N orth part of northw est fract ional qua rter. ,, In mentio n ing th is as the next entry in the town ship a fter th at of Mr. Coe, it is me ant that thi s was the next made in th e township, except such as were mad e o n sec tions 35 and 36, and the south half o f sections 25 and 26, whi ch have bee n named in the hi story o f H owell villa ge. So in rega rd tu all matter s pertaining to th e hi story o f the township, thi s is to be under stood as a narrative of events occ urring in the territory of th e to wnship o ulside the corporatio n limit s o f H owell village, hut embr ac ing nothing within tho se limit s. RESIDENCE or WILLIAM WHITE, HOWELL, LIVINOSTON COUNTY, MICH . HOWELL TOWNSHIP. William S. Greg ory, Wayne Co., Mich., May 23, 1836. South part of northeast fracti onal quarter. Patrick T obin, Livingst on Co., Mich., May 28, 1836. Southwe st quarter. Horac e H eath and Ap ollos Smith, United States, June 10, 1836. North part of north east fractional qu arter . Har" ey S. Bradley, Niagara Co., N. Y., Oct. 22, 1838. East half of southea st quarter. J oseph Bradley, W ayne Co., Mich., Nov. 2, 1838. N orthw est qu arter of south eas t quarter. Maria Bradley, W ayne Co. , Mich ., F eb. 5, 1839. Southw est qua rter of south east qu arter. SECTION 3. J ohn Sanford, Oa kl and Co., Mich., July 8, 1834. N orthw est frac - "tional quar ter. Willi am Carpenter, Ni agara Co ., N . Y., May 21, 1836. West half uf south west quart er. Eben ezer \Varr en, Livin gston Co., N. Y., May 21, 1836. W est half of so uth east quarter and east half of southw est qu arter. H enr y W. R andall, Ni agara Co., N. Y., May 21, 1836. Ea st half of south eas t quarter. J ohn Sanford, Livin gston Co., Mich ., Jun e 8, 1836. North part of north eas t fractional quarter. David Hy de, Livin gston Co., Mich ., Sep t. 16, 1846. Southwe st quarter of northea st qu art er; Feb. 23, 1848, southea st quarter of northea st quarter, SE CTION 4. Samu el M. Spencer, Livin gsto n Co. , N. Y ., May 7, 1836. \V est half of southw est quarter. Gar ret S. Lake, Livin gsto n Co ., N . Y., May 28, 1836. South - west quarter of southea st quart er. Mark H ea ly and B. B. K ercheval, Unite,! States, May 28, 1836 . East half of southw est qua rter, east half of sout heast quarter, northwest quarter of southeas t quarter. Pur dy Willi ams, N ew York City, J une 15, 1836. W est half of northw est fracti onal quarter. ·Willi am H yde, Living ston Co. , N. Y., N ov. 17, 1854. East hal f of northea st fra ctio nal quart er. Almon Whi pp le, Living ston Co., N. Y ., N ov. 23, 1854. E ast half of northw est frac tional quarter, west ha lf of north east fract ional qu arter. SEC TI ON 5. Na than Chi dester, Genesee Co., N. Y., May 4, 1836. N orth east fra ctional qu arte r. William Slate r, Li vingston Co., N. Y ., May 5, 1836. No rthw est fract ional quarter, west half of southw est qua rter , northea st qua rter of southwest quarte r. Samuel N. Spe ncer, Living ston Co., N. Y., May 7, 1836. Ea st half of sout heast quar ter. William Sla ter, Livin gs ton Co., N . Y., May 13, 1836. South east quarter of so uth west quarter. J ohn W. Pi erce , Way ne Co., Mi ch ., June 24, 1836. We st half of south east quarter . SECTION 6. J osep h B. Craft, Li "i ngston Co., N. Y., May 5, 1836. N orthw est fractional quart er. Ju stus Boyd , Genesee Co., N . Y., May 5, 1836. Northe ast frac - tional quarter , east half of south east q uarter, and northwe st qu arter of south east quarte r. Char les P. Bush, T ompk ins Co., N. Y., Jun e 9, 1836. North part of southwe st frac tional quarter. Willi am H orton, N ew York City, June 15, 1836. South half of southw est fractional qu arter and southw est quarter of sout hea st quarter. SEC TION 7. J oseph Porter, \Va sht enaw Co. , Mi ch., Jul y 21, 1834. West part of so uthw est fracti onal quart er . 24 J ohn Benn et, Wa shten aw Co ., Mi ch., Jul y 14, 1835. Northw est fractional quarter. J eremiah Greenfield, Cay uga Co. , N. Y., Oct. 10, 1835. E ast part of southwe st fractional quarter and southwe st"quart er of south east quarter . Nathan Chid ester, Genesee Co., N . Y., May 4, 1836. E ast half of north e'ast quarter. Steph en S. Bull ock, W ayn e Co., Mich ., June 14, 1836. East half of southeast qnarter and west half of nort heas t quarter. Garret S. L ake, Living ston Co. , Mich., April 13, 183 7. Northwest quarter of south east quart er. SE&lt;;;TION 8. Willi am 1-1. T ownsend, New York City, Oct. 1, 1835. South east quart er. William C. Blackw ood , Se neca Co., N. Y., May 6, 1836. N orthwest quarter. Ram sey McH enry, B. B. K ercheva l, Mark H ealey, and 0 . T . Smith, United States, May 14, 1836. Northea st qu art er. H ea ley &amp; K ercheva l, United Sta tes, May 28, 1836. Southw est qu arter, SEC TI ON 9. I saac R . Sto ne, Ontario Co., N. Y., Oct. 16, 183 5. W est half of southwe st quarter. William R . Spofford, Genesee Co., N. Y ., May 20, 1836. W est half of nort hw est quarter. L ester K. Gould, Genesee Co., N. Y., May 20, 1836. E ast half of northw est quarter and east half of southw est quarter. Ga rr et S. Lake, Living sto n Co. , N. Y., May 28, 1836. N orth east quarter. Edwar d C. Douser, Living ston Co., N. Y ., Jun e 27, 1836. W est half of south east qu arter . \Vi ll iam Bloodwor th, \Vashtenaw Co., Mich., Jan. 9, 1837, E ast half of south eas t quarter. SECTION IO . Harr y \V. Phillip s, Ni agara Co., N. Y ., May 21, 1836. South half of section. Willi am Carpent er, Niagara Co., N. Y ., May 21, 1836. N orth half of sect ion. SE CTION 11. Moses Th ompson, H erki mer Co. , N . Y., Sept. 3, 1835. Ea st half of sou th eas t quarter . Anth ony Shaw , Saratoga Co. , N . Y .. May 21, 1836. N orthw est quarter . Patri ck T obin, Li vingston Co. , Mich., May 28, 1836. Southwe st quart er. Aaron Sickels, May 8, 1838. South east quarter of north east quart er. J ohn F. Sicke ls, May 8, 1838. Northeas t quarter of north east quarter. Od ell J . Smith, Li ving ston Co ., Mi ch., Aug. 4, 1838. Southwe st quarter of northea st quarter and nort hw est quarter of southeast quarter. · L evi D. Smith, Living ston Co. , Mich ., Nov. 1, 1855. Northwe st quart er of north east qu art er. Charl es L. F erguson, Jul y 5, 1853. Southw est quarter of southeast quart er. Levi D. Smith, Livin gston Co.1 Mich., February 24, 1854. Northwe st quarter of northea st qu arter . SECTION 12. Moses Th ompson, Herkim er Co., N . Y., Sept. 3, 1835. We st half of southwe st quarter . E zra J. Mundy , Living sto n Co. , Mich ., April 30, 1836. Southwest quarter of south east qu art er. J ohn F. Sickels, Wayne Co., N . Y., May 18, 1836. N orthea st quar ter and northw est quart er , east half of so uthw est quarter, east half of south east quarter, an d northwest quarter of sou theast quart er . I I I ' I ' i I J I : ' J I I I i 180 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. SECTION 13. George W. Teeple, Steuben Co., N. Y., July 7, 1835. Southwest quarter of southwest quarter. Ezra J. Mundy, Livingst on Co., Mich., Apri l 30, 1836. West half of northea st quarter anrl east half of northwe st quarter. E. Th omp son, Livingston Co., Mich., May 27, 183?· Nor the ast quarter of northea st quarter. Lewis Tl;omps on, Living ston Co., Mic h., May 27, 1836. Northwest quarter of southwest quarter and east half of southwe st quarter. Patrick Tobin, Livingston Co., Mich., May 28, 1836. We st half of northwe st quar ter. Levi H otchki ss, Livingston Co. , Mich., July 28, 1836. Southeast quart er and southeast quar ter of north east quarter. SECTION 14. George W. T eep le, Steuben Co., N. Y., July 7, 1835. Sou the ast quarter of southeast quarter. Orrin H . H arding, N iagara Co., N. Y., Sept . 28, 1835. Southwest quarter. Elij ah Gasto n, Livingston Co., Mich., May 2, 1836. We st half of nor thwe st quarter. Edward Peck, Genesee Co., N . Y., May 23, 1836. W est half of northe ast quarter. Willi am S. Gregory, Wayne Co., Mich., May 23, 1836. East half of north eas t quarter and north east quarter of southea st quarte r. Patrick Tobin, Livin gston Co., Mich., May 28, 1836. East ha lf of nort hwest quarter. ' Victory Curtis, Living ston Co., Mich., Sept. 24, 1836. West half of south east quarter. SEC TIO N 15. Orrin H . Hardin g, Niagara Co., N . Y., Sept. 28, 1835. East half of south east quarter. Mortimer B. Mart in, Wayne Co., Mich., Feb. 15, 1836. North - west quaTter. George Curtis, Living ston Co., Mich., May 2, 1836. East half of northea st quarter. J ohn Curtis, Livingston Co., Mich ., May 2, 1836. W est half of northeast quart er. Ram sey McHen 1y, B. B. Kercheval, Mark Heal ey, 0. T . Smith, May 24, 1836. South west quarter. Benjamin J. Spring, Living ston Co ., Mich ., June 24, 1836. \Vest half of south east quarter. SECTION 16. SCH OOL LANDS. Mary J ones ,Jan. 21, 1848. Southeast quarter of southwest quarte r. J. La Grange, April 17, 1848. Northwest quart er of south east quarter. A. La Grange, June 14, 1848. South west quarter of sou,h west quarter. William Moore, Jun e 12, 1849. Northeast quarter of northea st quarter. An son La Grange, Marc h I I , 1851. Southeast quarter of southwest quar ter. 0. P. Brayto n, Apri l 30, 1851. qua rter. Chas. 0. Reed, June 28, 1851. J ohn La Grange, Aug. 16, 1851. quarter . Nich olas Lake, Jr., Jan. 4, 1853. qua rter. Southeast quarter of northeast Nor th half of southwest quarter . Southeast quart er of northwe st Southea st quart er of northwest Willi am Moore, J an. 19, 1853. Southw est quarter of north east quarter. C. A. Dorrance, Oct. 8, 1853. Northwe st qua rter of northwe st quart er. J . McDaniels, Oct. 14, 1853. N orthw est quarter of northea st quarter. E. Marr, Oct. 17, 1853. Southw est q uarter of northwe st quarter . · R obert McLean, Oct. 20, 1853. No rth east quarter of northw est quarter. J . Whipple, Aug. 7, 1854. Northeast quarter of northea st quar ter . SECTION 17. Chilson Sanford, Wa shten aw Co., Mich ., April 25, 1834. Eas t half of southwest quarter . \.VhitelyWoodruff, Wa shtenaw Co., Mich., Oct. 27, 1834. Southwest qua rter of southive st qua rter. Sam uel Waddell, Oakland Co., Mich., July 14, 1835. East half of southeast quarter. Clement Stebbins, Oak land Co ., Mich., Sept. 29, 1835. Southwest quarter of southeast quarter . William H. Towns end, New York City, Oct. I, 1835. Nort~eas t quarter. F lavius J . B. Crane, Livingston Co., Mich ., Nov. 27, 1835. Northwest quarte r of southwe st quarter . Abram A. Van Nest, Washtenaw Co. , M ich., March 16, 1836. Northwest quarter. Henry Lake, Living ston Co ., Mich., June 17, 1836. Northwe st quar ter of southeas t quarter. SECTION 18. James Hi scock, Washtenaw Co., Mich., Dec. 18, 1834. East half of southea st quarter. Alfred A . Dwight, Wayne Co. , Mich ., July 17, 1835. We st half of southeast quarter . Bickford P. Hut chin son and Silas Titus, Wayne Co ., Mich., July 17, 1835. Ea st half of northwe st quarter. Morgan Ly on, Ch ena ngo Co., N . Y. , Sept. 28, 1835. Northeast quarte r. Edwin Hubbard, Wa shtenaw Co., Mich., Oct. 14, 1835. East half of southw est frac tional quarter. Harv ey Hubbard, W'ashtenaw Co., Mic h., Oct. 14, 1835. \Vest half of northw est fracti onal quarter. Eb enezer Demm on, Livin gsto n Co., Mich., J an. 25, 1837. We st part of south west fractional quarter. SECTION 19. Clement Stebbi ns, Oak land Co., Mich., Sept. 29, 1835. Ea st half of nort heast quar ter. Mark He aly and B. B. Kercheval, United States, May 28, 1836. Southe ast quarter, southwest fractional qua rter, nonhwe st fractiona l quarter, and west half of north east quarter. SECTION 20. Chil son Sanfo rd, \,Vasht enaw Co., Mich ., Apri l 25, 1834. Nor thwest qu arter. Sterry Lyon, \ Vashtenaw Co., Mich ., July 2 1 , 1834. East half of northea st quarter. Nancy Gregory , Vvashtenaw Co., Mich., June 20, 1835. \Vest half of north east quarter. Charles S. Gregory, \Vashtenaw Co., Mi ch ., June 20, 1835. We st half of southeast quarter and southeast quarter of so utheast quarter. Bickford P . Hutchin son and Alfred A. Dwight, \Vayne Co., Mich., Jul y 17, 1835. Nort heast quarter of southe ast quarter. Flaviu s J.B. Crane, Living ston Co., Mich ., Nov . 27, 1835. Sou thwest quart er. SECTION 21. Eli sha H . Sm ith, Ontario Co., N. Y., N ov. 6, 1834. \ Vest half of southwe$t quarter. Villeroy E. Smit h, Onta rio Co., N. Y., May 22, 1835. We st half of northwest quarter. J ohn W. Sm ith , Ontario Co., N. Y., May 22, 1835. Southeast quarter of southwe st quart er. Robe rt Pixley, Onta rio Co ., N. Y., Oct_. 15, 1835. E ast hal f of northeast quart er, sout hw est quarter of northeast quarter. HOWELL TOWNSHIP. I saac R . Stone, Ontario Co., ·N. Y., Oct. 16, 1835. Southeast quarter. Jarvi s W. Carr, Ontario Co., N . Y., Oct. 16, 1835. · East h alf of northw est quarter. J osiah Snow and George \V . H . Fisk, Wayne Co., Mich., Feb. 8, 1836. Northeast quarter of southwe st quarter. J ohn W. Smith, Livingston Co., Mich., Oct. 12, 1837. North - west quarter of northea st quarter. SECTION 22. Denni s H ogan , \Vashtenaw Co., Mich., May 23, 1835. Sou thwest quarter. Paul D . Cornell and Alonzo Cornell, Ren sselaer Co., N. Y., July I I, 1835. W est half of northw est quarter and north east quarter of northwe st quarter. Peter Brewer, Ni agara Co., N. Y., Sept. 9, 1835. Southea st quarter of southea st quarter. Danie l Case, Living ston Co., Mich ., Mar ch 10, 1836. N ortheast quarter of southea st quarter and south eas t quarter of northea st quart er; April 4, 1836, northea st quarter of northeast quarter. Luther B. Willard, Wayn e Co., Mich., April 23, 1836. W est half of northea st quarter; Aug . 6, 1836, southea st quarter of northwest quarter. Paul Stowell, Genesee Co., N. Y., March 9, 1837. \ Vest half of southeast quarter. SECTION 23. Agnes. ·wood, Niagara Co., N. Y., June 2, 1836. Northeast quarter of northwe st quarter. Victory Curtis, Living;;ton Co., Mi ch., Sept. 24, 1836. We st half of northeast quarter. Bickford P. Hut chinson and Silas Titu s, Wayne Co ., Mich ., July I 7, 1835. East half of southeast quarte r. Moses Th ompson, Herkim er Co ., N. Y., Aug. 18, 1835. East half of northea st quarter. Sally Johnston, Living ston Co., Mich., Aug. 10, 1835. Southeast quarter of southwe st quarter. David Wadham s, Madi son Co., N . Y., Sept. 3, 1835. Southwest quarter of southeast quarter. Peter Brewer, Niag ara Co., N. Y., Sept. 9, 1835. We st half of southwest quarter. Ju stin Durfee, Monroe Co ., N. Y., Oct. 26, 1835. We st half of northwest quarter. Jam es Sage, Living sto n Co., Mich., May 9, 1836. Southeast · quarter of northwe st quarter. P.,trick H efferman, \Vay ne Co. , Mich., May 28, 1836. N orthwest quarter of southeast quarter and north east quarter of southwest quarter. SECTION 24. George W. Teeple , Steuben Co., N. Y., July 7, 1835. West half of northw e, t quart er. Alfred A. Dwight, Wayne Co., Mich., July 17, 1835. We st half of southwest quarter. Samuel Riddl e, Jr., Washten aw Co., Mich., April 26, 1836. East half of nor thwest quarter and we st half of north east quarter. William Packard, Wayne Co., Mich ., May 16, 1836. E ast half of southwest quarter. William J. Pease, New York City, N ov. 16, 1836. East half of northeast quarter. Alvin L. Crittenden, Living sto n Co., Mi ch., Dec. 14, 1836. N orth half of south east quarter . Aaron Saunders, Livingston Co ., Mich., July I I, 1846. Southea st quarter of southea st quarter; Oct. 17, 1849, southwest quarter of southea st quart e r. SECTION 25. Checkley S. Palmer, Genesee Co., N. Y., Oct. 7, 1833. W est half of northwest quarter. Robert R. Rowland, Wayne Co., N. Y., May 30, 1835. South half of northwe st quarter. Eliz abet h Thomp son, Oakland Co., Mich., July 10, 1835. Southwest quarter of northea st quart er. Edward Thompson, Living ston Co. , Mich., May 27, 1836. South - east quarter of northea st quart er. J oseph R. Th ompson, Oakl and Co., Mich., May 31, 1839. Northeast quarter of northe ast quarter. Morris Th ompson, Living ston Co., l\iich ., July 9, 1847. N orthwest quarter of northea st quarter. SECTION 26. Ilha J. We st, Nia gara Co., N. Y., Sept. 9, 1835. We st half of northw est qu arter. Bickford P. Hut chinson and Alfred A. Dwi ght, Wayne Co., Mich., July 17, 1835. East half of northea st quarter. Clarissa J ohn son, Living ston Co ., Mich ., Aug . 18, 1835. E ast half of northwe st quarter . David Wadhams, Madison Co., N. Y., Sept. 3, 1835. W est half of northea st quarter. SECTION 27. Orman Coe, Genesee Co., N . Y., May 20, 1833. East half of southwe st quarter. H enry S. Larned, Living ston Co., Mich., J une 15, 1835. Southwest quarter of northw est quarter. Bickford P. Hutchin son and Alfred A. Dwi ght , Wayne Co., Mich ., July I 7, 1835. We st half of southwe st quarter. Henry S. Larned, Liv ingston Co., Mich., July 21, 1835. Northwest quarter of northwe st quarter. George W. Pennock, Upper Canada, Aug. 3, 1835. \Vest half of southeast quarter. lth a J. West, Niagara Co., N. Y., Sept. 9, 1835. Northea st quarter of north east quarter. J onath an Austin, Li vingston Co., Mich ., Oct. 28, 1835. East half of southeast quarter. Harvey Metcalf, Livin gston Co., Mich., June 4, 1836. West half of northeast quarter and east ha lf of northwe st quart er. John Haze, Oakland Co., Mich., Sept . 16, 1837. Southe ast quarter of northe ast quarter. SECTION 28. Francis Monroe, Ontario Co., N. Y., Nov. 6, 1834. So uthwe st quarter. J ohn W . Smith, Ontari o Co., N. Y., May 22, 1835. Northeast quarter of northwe st quarter. I srae l Powers, Ontario Co., N. Y., June 8, 1835. \Vest half of northeast quarter. B. L. Power s, Yates Co., N . Y., Jun e 8, 1835. E:ist half of nort heast qLtarter. Jac ob Leroy, Genesee Co., N. Y., Aug. I 1, 1835. Southeast quarter . Fl av ius J. B. Crane, Living ston Co., Mich ., Jan. 13, 1836. We st half of northwest quarter and southe ast quarter of northw est quarter. SECTION 29. Eliphal et L ewis, Wa sht enaw Co., Mich., July 14, 1835. Ea st half of northea st quarter and northw est quarter of north east quarter. Mark H ea ly and B. B. Kercheval, United States, May 28, 1836. :Northwest quarter, soutl;w est quarter, southe ast quart er, and southwest quarter of north east quarter. SECTIO S 30; 31. Mark Healy and B. B. Kercheval, United ~tates, May 28, 1836. Entire sections. . SE CTION 32. Rial Lake, Phil ade lphia, Pa ., Aug. 12, 1835. Southeast quarter. Mark H ealy and B. B. K ercheva l, United States, May 28, 1836. North east quarter, northwe st quarter, and southwe st quart er. 188 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. SECTION 33. J acob Leroy, Genesee Co., N. Y., Aug. II, 1835. East half of northea st quarter. Rial Lak e, Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 12, 1835. ,v est half of so uthwest quarter. . Leonard Collar, Orlean s Co. , N. Y., Oct. 26, 1835. West half of northeast quarter. Edwa«l E. Gregory, \\ 'as hten aw Co., Mi ch ., April 26, 1836. South east quarter. William M. Gregory, Washtenaw Co., Mich., May 24, 1836. East half of southwe st quarter. l\fark H ea ly and B. ll. Kerch eval , United States, May 28, 1836. Northwest quarter. SECTION 34. Moses Thompson, H erk im er Co., N. Y., May 9, 1834. N or th. ea st quarter, east half of n orthwe st quarter, and northeast quart er of southwe st quarter. Morri s Thom pso n, Herkim er Co., N. Y., May 15, 1834. Northw est qua rter of sou the ast quarter. Brown Bristol, Gene see Co., N. Y., July 4, 1835. E ast half of so uth eas t quarter. Hezekiah Carpenter and Socrates ,v . Carpe nte r, Gene see Co., N. Y., Aug. 11, 1835. W est half of n orthw est quarter. Edward E. Gregory, , vas ht enaw Co. , Mich., May 24, 1836. Southw est quart er of sou thw est quarter. J oseph S. Crispe l, Livingston Co ., Mich., Jun e 12, 1845. So11theast quarter of southw est quarter. Ri ce Tyler, Livin gston Co., Mich., July IO, 1852. Southwest quarter of so uthea st quarter. E.G. Almy, Li ving ston Co ., Mi ch ., ce rtifi cate assigned to Enos Sowle,Jan. 9, 1854. N ort hw est quarter of southw est quarter. EARLY SETTLEMENTS AND SETTLERS. At the beginning of the year 1835 there had been no settlement made in Howell west or north of the present village limits, but during the spring and summer of that year a considerable numb er of immigrants came in and located themselves in different parts of the township. To which of them belonged the honor of being the first settler in the township cannot be stated, as several came in at nearly the same time. Mr. Samuel Waddell, from Steuben County, N . Y., and a soldier of the war of 18 12, was one who settled here in the fall of that year. His location was on the east half of the southeast quarter of section 17, which he had entered in July, 1835. Mr. Waddell died on the 30th of May, 1837, his being the first death that occurred among the settlers in the township. It was the result of injuries received at the raising of the frame of a barn at Amos Adams' Eagle Tavern. He was buried on his farm; but his remains were afterwards removed to the burial-ground in Howell village. In the autumn of the same year, his widow, with her family of seven children, returned to Pultney, N. Y., from whence they had emigrated two years before. She is still residing there at the age of more than eighty years. Andrew D. Waddell, the fifth of her seven children, returned to the village of Howell in 1855, commenced the study of law 1 was adm[tted to the b:tr in the following year, and is now one of the leading members of the bar of Livingston County. Joseph Porter, from Washten aw Co ., Mich., came in the same year, and located on the southwest quarter of section 7, but did not long continue at that place. He was a millwright by trade, and was employed in 1836 in building the sawmill of Moses Thompson on the outlet of Thompson Lake. Afterwards he was proprietor, with Amos Adam s, of a saw-mill which they erected on the Shiawassee, on section 27. Villeroy E . Smith , John W. Smith, and Elisha H. Smith, three broth ers, from Ontario Co., N. Y., came here in May, 1835. They were men of respectability, and stood well in the estimation of th eir fellow-townsmen. The first and last named located on section 21. John W. settled on section 28. He was one of the first justices of the peace elected in the township , and afterwards held the office for sixteen years in succession. Villeroy E. Smith was a school-teach er by profes sion, and died while employed in that calling in the town of Marion, Dec. 30, I 85 I. Elisha H . Smith was one of the earliest explorers of this region, he having come through here on foot, with Mr. Francis Monroe, searching for government lands, in the fall of 18 34. He is still living on the northeast quarter of section 21. Three sons of his-Gardn er S., R eub en C., and Edwin H. Smith-died in the service of th eir country, in the war of the Rebellion. Mr . Smith is probably the best informed person in Howell in reference to pioneer matters in the township, Much information and assistance has been obtained from him in the preparation of this history of Howell; for which he has the thanks of the writ er. Justin Durfee, from Henri etta, Genesee Co., N. Y., came to How ell in 1835, and settled on the northwe st quarter of section 23. When he first came to Michigan from New York State (a year or two earlier) he had settled temporarily in Oakland County, where he was employed in schoolteaching. He was also the first male schoolteacher in the village and township of Howell, being employed to teach the pioneer school in District No. I, in 1837. At the spring election of 1836 (the first in the township) he was elected to the offices of assessor and highway commissioner, and held some offices (especially in the school district) afterwards. He remained a resident in Howell until 185 I, when he returned to New York State, and is now (or was recently) living there. Merritt S. Havens, a carpenter and joiner by trad e, settled in I 835 on section 23. His marriage HOWELL TOWNSHIP . with Sally T. Au stin , da ught er of D avid Austin, Jan. 1 5, 18 36, was th e first celebration of nupti als in the town ship or village of H owe ll. D aniel H otchki ss and L ev i M. H otchki ss were settl ers of 1835, both loc atin g on sec tion 28. Francis Fi eld and Nathaniel J ohn son settl ed during the sa me seaso n on section 23. Mr. John so n died Jan. 25, 1852. Whit eley Woodruff, from Washtenaw Co., Mich., settl ed in th e summer of 1835 on th e so uthw est part of sec tion 17, the loca lity now known as th e " Six Corners;" and at about th e sa me tim e D av id H . Au stin bega n pr eparati ons for settl ement on the north east q uarter of section 20, where Mr. Bump now Jives. V ery soo n after, how ever , Mr. Au st in removed from secti on 20, and loca ted on section 35, within the pr ese nt village corporation. Aft er livin g for some yea rs on section 35 he rem ove d to Farmington'. Oakland C0. Hi s so n, George Austin, is now Jiving in th e southw est part of the to wnship . Th e abov e-mention ed perso ns are believed to hav e been all-and th ey we re certainly very nearly all- who settl ed in th e tow nship prior to th e comm encement of 1836. It has be en stated by an old res ident of How ell,* that at th e end of 1835 th ere were but 22 adult males livin g in th e whole of th e town ship (that is, inclu ding th e territory of th e pre se nt village). But if we add to th e abo ve list of settlers th e names of thos e who were th en living within what are now the corporate limit s of Howell, viz., Moses Thomp son with his thre e sons, Jam es and George T. Sage, D avid Aust_in, J onath an Austin, Messrs. Pinckney, Adams, Crane, and Ezra J. Mundy, we have one or two more than th e number sa id to be resident in th e township at that time. It may th erefore be claimed with considerable confid ence that the above mention includ es all who had settled in the township down to the tim e named . ERECTION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE T OW NSHIP . The act erectin g the township of Howell was passe d by th e Leg islature at th e session of 1836, and ap prov ed March 23d, in that year. It provid ed " th at all that p ortion of th e co unty of Livings ton desig nated by the Unit ed Stat es survey as town ship s thr ee and four north, of rang es thre e, four, and five eas t, be and th e sa me is h ereby set off and organized into a separate township by the name of Howell, and the first town ship-m eetin g shall be held at th e dw elling-h o use of Amos Adams, in sa id tow nship. " The territ ory thu s set off to form th e town ship o f How ell compri ,es , in additfon to the pr ese nt * Mr. Dani el Case, limit s of the township , all of the pr ese nt towns of H andy, Oc eola, D eerfield, Cohoct ah, and Conw ay. It has be en since redu ced to its present dimensions by the setting off of Byron (now Oceo la) and D eerfield in March, 1837; and Handy, Tu scola (now Cohoctah ), and Iena (now Conway ) in March, 1838. The nam e of H owell was taken from that of the village, which had been so named when platt ed a yea r and a half before. Th e first town ship-m eeting was held, in accordanc e with th e pro visions of th e act, at the tave rn-house of Amos Adams on the first Monday in May, 1836. Sug ar-bowls, borrow ed from th e landl ady, were used as ballotbox es, and in th ese, thirt y-six votes were cast, res ulting in th e electi on of Philester J ess up (of th e tow nship now Oceo la) as Supervisor; F. J . B. Crane, T ow n Clerk; Amos Adams, Ezra Sanford, H arley H . Graves, and J ohn vV. Smith, Ju stic es of th e Peace; Fr ancis Fi eld, Collector ; Ju stin Durf ee, David Au stin, and Geo rge T. Sage, Assessors; J osep h Porter, F. J. B. Crane, and Jonath an Au stin, School Insp ector s ; John Sanford, Ju stin Durfe e, and Geo rge T. Sag e, Highw ay Commi ssio ners; John D . Pinckn ey , F. J .B. Crane, Fr ancis Field, and Elisha H. Smith, Constables. A list of persons who have held town ship offices since th at tim e and until th e pr ese nt is given below, · but it is inc ompl ete for th e years betw een 18 36 and 18 50, for the reaso n th at the old town ship reco rd cov ering tho se ye ars has been lost or destroy ed, and only a partia l and defective list of officers elected during that period has been gathered from other sou rces . Such as are given, how - ever, are known to be a uthentic , viz. : 1837,-Supe r visor, John \\' , Smi th; T own Cle~k, J onathan Au stin; Ju stices of the Peace, Ge orge Vv. Kneeland, J uhn W. Smit h . 1838. -Sup erviso r, Ri al Lake; T own Cler k, J ohn W. Smith; Justices of the Peace, J uhn T . Wat son , Ode ll J. Smith, Well ington A. Gl over. 1839 .- T own Cle rk, Morris Thomp son; Ju stice of the Peace, Alle n C. We ston. 1840 .-T ow n Cler k, Morris Th ompson; Ju stice of the Peace, Gardner \Vheele r. 1841.-To wn Clerk, Morri s T homps on ; J ustice of th e Peace, J ohn W . Smit h. 184 2.-Su perv isor, George \V . Kn eeland; T own Clerk, M. S. llr enn an; Ju stice of the Pea ce, J osia h Turner. 1843.-Supe rvisor, George W. Kn ee land; Ju stice of the Peace, Od ell J. Smit h. 1844.-Superv isor, Rial Lake; T own Cler k, Gard ner \ ¥heeler; Ju stice of the Peace, J ames H. Ackerso n ; Tre asure r, Willia m McPherson; Schoo l In specto r, Edward E . Gr ego ry; Dire cto rs of the Puor, Derastus Hinman , Victory Curtis. 1845.-Sup ervisor, 0 ,lell J. Smith ; T own Clerk, Ga rdner \ ¥heeler; Ju stices of the Peace, John W. S111iht, Nels on G. Isb ell (to fill vaca ncy ca used by resignati on of Josiah Turn er). HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. · 1846.-Supervisor, Gardner , vheeler; T own Clerk, Lauren K. H ewett; Ju stice of the Peace, William Lewi s. 1847.- Supervisor, Odell J. Smith; Town Clerk, L; K. Hewett; Justice s of the Peace, Richard B. Hall, Sam uel M. Yerke s (to fill vacancy) . 1848.-Supervisor, Frederick C. Whipple; Town Clerk, D. D. T. Chandler; Ju stices of the Peace, Lau~en K . Hewett, George W. Kneeland (to fill vacancy). 1849.-Supervi sor , Will iam McP herson; Town Clerk, H enry H. Harmon; Ju stice of the Peace, John W. Smith. 1850.- Superv isor, Gardner Wheeler; Clerk, H enry H. Harmon; Tr ea.;urer, John B. Kneeland; Ju stice of the Peace, Henry Lake; Commiss ioner of Highwa ys, Edward Th ompson; School Inspector, J ohn A. Wh eeler; Directors of the Poor, Richard P. Bush, Josiah Turn er. _1851.-Supervisor, Dernst us Hinman; Clerk, John A. vVheeler; Treasur er, John B. Kneeland; Justices of the Peace, J ohn H. Galloway (full term), William More (lo fill vacancy); Highway Commiss ioner, David Carl; Schoo l In spector, Gardne r , vhee ler ; Directors of the Poor, James M. Murray, William L. Wells . 1852.- Superv isor, Rich ard P. Bush; Clerk, i\'lylo L. Gay; Treasurer , John B. Kneeland; Ju stices of the Peace , G.1rdner Wheeler (fu ll term\ William More (to fill vacancy); H ighway Commissione r, Elisha H . Smit h ; Schoo l Inspector, William A. Clark; Direct ors of the Puor, John D. Giffonl, Josiah Turner. 1853.- Superviso r, Ri chard P. Bush; Clerk, Mylo L. Gay; Tr easurer, John B. Kneeland; Ju stice of the Peace , L. K. Hewett; Highway Commiss ione r, Samuel M. Yerkes; School In spector, Gard ner Wheel er. 1854.- Supervisor , Gardner Wh eeler; Clerk, Mylo L. Gay; Trea~- urer, Joh n B. Kn eeland; Ju stice of the Pea ce, William More; Highway Commissioner, Dan iel Case ; School Inspector, William A. Clark. 1855.-Supervisor, William C. Rum sey; Cler k, Mylq L. Gay ; · Trea surer, John B. Kne eland; Ju stice of the Peace, Odell J . Smith; Commissioners of Highway s, D exter Filkin s, Wm . Lake; Schoo l In specto r, Wm . B. Jewett. 1856.-Supervi sor, William C. Rum sey; Clerk, E. Rollin Bascom; Ju stice of the Peace, Mylo L. Gay; Treasurer, Na than Pond; Highway Commissione r, Charles Root; Schoo l In spec tor, George P. Root. 1857.-Supervi sor, John B. Kneeland; Cle rk, E. R ollin Bascom; Tre asurer, Andrew Blanck; Ju stice of th e Peace, D aniel Case; Hi ghway Commi ssioner, David Lewis ; Schoo l In specto r, George Hu ston. 1858.-S upervisor, John H. Galloway; Clerk, Henry C. Briggs; Trea surer, John vV. Richmond; Justice of the Peace, Andrew D. Wadde ll; Highway Commiss ioner, Dexter J. Filkins; Schoo l In spector, B. H oward Lawson (full term), William B. Jewett (to vacancy). 1859.-Superv isor, John H. Galloway; Clerk, E. Rollin Bascom; Trea surer, John W. Ri ch mond; Ju stice of th e Peace , John Marr; Hi ghway Comnfr .aioners, Charles Root, Stephen S. More; Sehoo l In spector, J . A. Pond. 186o.-Superv isor, John H. Galloway; Clerk, E. Rollin Bascom; Trea surer, John ,v . Richm ond; Ju stices of the Peace, Mylo L. Gay ( full term), William Lake (lo fill vacancy); Highway Com missioner, Stephen S. More; School Inspec tor, A nd rew Blanck. 1861.--Supervisor, William C. Rumsey; Clerk, E. Rollin Bascom; Trea surer, Henry C. .Briggs ; Ju stice of the Peace , Dani el Case; School In spector, Jabe z A. Pond; Highway Comm issioner, Solomo n Hildebrant. 1862.-Supervisor, William C. Rumsey; Clerk, E. R ollin Bascom; Trea surer, Giles Tucktr; Justice of th e Peace, Denni s Shie lds; Hi ghway Commis ·ioner , George Wak efield ; School- In spector, Henry H . Harm on (full term ), J. Bruce Fis hb eck (vacancy). 1863.-Supervisor, Giles Tucker; Clerk, E. R olli n Bascom; Trea surer , Leon ard B. W ells; Ju stices of the Peace, Willi am Lake (full term ), William More (vaca ncy) ; Highway Commissioners, Stephen S. More, George 'Wakefie ld; School In spectors, Ebene zer B . .Bunnell (full term ), George Wil ber (vaca ncy). 1864.-Supervisor , Giles Tu cke r; Clerk, E. Rollin Bascom; Treasurer, Le onard B. Well s ; Ju stice of the Peace , Mylo L. Gay; Highway Commi1sioner, Solomon Hildehrant; Schoo l In spec tors, Elijah F. Burt (full term), Dennis Shield s (vacancy) . 1865.-S uperv isor, Almon Whipple; Clerk, E. Rollin Bascom (d ied durin g thi s term, whi ch was completed by vVallace ,v. Carpenter ); Ju stice of the Peace , Daniel Case; Treasur er , Leonard B. , veils; Schoo l In spector s, W. W. Carpenter (fu ll term), Den nis Shie lds (vacancy). 1866.-Superviso r, I saac W. Bush; Clerk, Royal H. Rumsey; Treasur er, Lorenzo H . Sulli van; Ju stice of the Peace , Vvallace ,v. Carpe nte r ; Hi ghw ay Commissione r, Stephen S. More; School In spec tor, Denni s Shie lds. 1867.-Supervisor, Oren H . Winegar; Clerk, R oyal H. Rumsey; T reasurer, Elbe rt C. Bush; Ju stice of th e Peace, F rede, ick C. Whipple; Highway Comm issioner, Solomon Hildebrant; Schoo l In specto r, Wallace ,v. Carpente r. 1868.-Supervi,or, Oren H . Winegar; Clerk, Henry T. Clark; Tr easurer, Elbert C. Bush; Ju stice of the Peace, Nicholas Lake; Highway Commissione r, J esse Marr; Schoo l Inspect or, Philander Benne tt. 1869.-S upervisor, 0. H . Winegar; Clerk, Royal H. Rum sey; Tr easurer, Willi am B. Smit h; Ju stice of the Peace, Willi am More; Highway Comm issioner , S. S. More; School In specto r, Ferdinand vV. Mun son. 1870.- Supervisor, William C. Rum sey; Clerk , William H. Wells; Tr easurer, Edwa rd B. Gregory ; Ju stice of th e Peac e, James H .. Martin; Highway Commiss ioner, Geo. B. Raymou r ; School In spector, Philan de r Bennett. 187 1.- Supervisor, Willi am C. Rumsey; Clerk, William H. Well s ; Tr easurer, Royal H. Rum sey; Justice of the Peace, Albert Ri dd le; Hi ghway Commiss ioner, J esse Man; School In spector, Rollin H. Person. 1872.-Su r.ervisor, Calvin Wilc ox; Clerk, William H. Wells; Trea surer, Orri n J . \Velis ; Justice of the Peace, Charles P. Lake (full term), Edward B. Gregory (to fill vacancy); Schoo l In spector, John J . McWhorler. 1873.-Supe rvisor, Harry J. H aven; Clerk, Henry G. Selliman; Trea surer, Orrin J . \ Velis; Ju stices of th e Peace, vVilliain More (full term), Charles Hildebrant (thre e years) , EZ!a C. Hatton ( one year); Hi ghway Commis sioner , George B. Raymond; School Insp ector, Philander Bennett. 1874.-Superv isor, Benjamin H. Rubert; Clerk , Royal H. Rum - sey ; Tr easurer, Orrin J. Wells; Ju stices of the Peace, E zra C. Hatton (full term), Gilbert L. Wolcott (to fill vacancy); Highway Commissioner, Timothy Sm ith; School In spector, Robert Smith. 1875.- Superviso r, Albert Rid dle; Clerk, Royal H. Rumsey; Treasur er, Orrin J . , veils; Ju stices of the Peace, H arry · J. Haven (fu ll term ), D. C. Kneeland (to fill vacancy ) ; Hi ghway Commissioner, James F. Moody; School Inspec tor and Township Superintendent of Scho ols, C. Harlow Person. 1876.--,-Supervisor , Albert Riddle; Clerk, R oyal H. Rum sey ; Treasurer, Orri n J . Wells; Ju stice s o( th e Peace, Dexter J. F ilkin s (full term ), Edward B. Gregory (to till vacancy); Township Super intenden t of Schools, C. Harlow Person; School In specto r, Orlantlo II . Bushn ell; Ili ghway Commi ssioner, John Castert on. 1877.-Supervisor, William B. Smi th ; Clerk , Edward Greenaway; Tre .,surer, Homer N. Beach; Justice of the P~ace, C. I·L Person; Township Superi ntendent of HOWELL TOWNSHIP. Schools, Thomas Gordon, Jr .; School Inspect or, Patrick Hammond; Commiss ioner of Highways, Orlando S. Brewer. 1878 .-Sup erv isor, William B. Smith; Cle rk , William F. Griffith; Trea surer, H omer N. Beach; Ju stices of the Peace , I saac Vv. Bush ( full term ) , Neil O'Hea rn (to fill vacan cy); T owns hip Superintende nt of Schools, Thomas Gordon, Jr. ; School In spec tor, Patrick Hammell; Highway Com missioner, D avid P. Lake. 1879.-S uperviso r, George W. Fit ch; Clerk, William F. Griffith; Trea sur er, Th omas G. Switzer; Ju stice of th e Peac e, Edward B. Greg o ry; T own sh ip Super int endent of Sch ools, Thoma s Gordo n, Jr.; School In spector, Chas. A. Phillips; Highw ay Commi ssioner, \\'illi am J . W albran . SETTLEMENTS SUCCEEDING THE TOWN ORGANIZATION. Among the first of tho se who came to make their home s in the township in the year r 836 were Henry Lake and Garret S. Lake, two br others, from Mount Morris, Livingston Co ., N. Y ., who came with their familie s to settle in Howell in June of that year. It is recollected by the few who remain of those who were here at that time, that when these two families arrived at the place wh ere the Grand River road c·rosses, the Shiawassee Riv er, th ey found that the rud e and frail log brid ge which had previously been thrown across that str ea m had been swept away by a rec ent freshet, and as the riv er was too much swollen for fording, th ey were compelled to build a raft, on which th eir wagons and household goods were slowly and tediously ferried across, while th eir tea ms were forced to swim to the opposite shore _. Henry Lake, the elder of the two, settled on section 8, nea r where Isaac H enry now lives. H e afterwards removed to the farm no,v owned by H eman Bump, on section 20. When he came to H owe ll in 1836, his family cons isted of him self, his wife, and five childr en,-\,Villiam, Garret, Anson, Teresa, and Malvina. Of these children, vVilliam and Anson are μow livin g in California, and Malvina-now Mrs. Hamilton Benedict-re sides in Fowl erville. Of th e childr en of Mr. L ake who were born after th eir settlement in Howell, W esley Lake is in California; Lilian (Mrs. Jame s P. Spencer), and Rosa, an unmarried daughter, are living in Fowl erv ille; another unmarried daught er resid es in Lansin g; Adelia is the wife of Mr. John Knight, of Grass Lake , Jackson Co., Mich.; and George and Horace L. are resid ents of Howell. Garret S. Lake, the younger of the two brothers who came here in 1836, settled on the Shiawass ee River , on the north eas t quarter of section 9; his location being the same which is now embraced in th e farm of P. J. D ean. Th ere he lived in the comfort of an inriependent farmer's life, and there he died. On this farm, in 1838, he manufactured the first bricks made in Howell town ship. His son, Garret S. Lake, is now presiding elder in the Church of the United Brethr en, and is living in Charlotte, Eaton Co., Mich. Another son, Andrew, is a farm er in Barry Co., Mich . A daughter, Hannah (now Mrs. H enry Moon), also re sides in Barry County. Cornelia (M rs. Georg e Louk) still resides in Howell. Daniel Case, a native of Monroe Co., N:Y ., settled in How ell in th e fall of 1836, on the eas t half of the northeast quarter of section 22, this tract having been purchased by him from government in the pr eced ing March. He had come to Michigan in the fall of 1835, but spent the winter at Toledo, work ing at his trade, which was that of carpenter and joiner. Early in the spring of 1836 he set out on a prospecting tour, and c·ame by way of Monro e, Detroit, and Oak land County to Livingston Centre, which was th en much talked of. Here he employed Mr. Jam es Sage to assist him in his explorations, and havin g made several selections he hurried back to the land-office in Detroit, where he succeeded in entering th e lands on which he had fixed his preference. He th en returned to Toledo, and work ed at his trad e until the middle of May, when he started back to D etroit, and from th ere took stage to Ann Arbor, from which place he came up through th e woods, by way of Pinckney and · Livin gsto n Centr e, to th e land s which he had purchased, and which on a second insp ection he liked better than ever, and decided to settle upon th em. About th e first of June he started back on foot, by way of Ann Arbor and D etroit, bound for Livingston Co., N. Y., to mak e preparations for removing West. On the 20th of September following, he set out on his return to Michigan, bringin g with him his fath er, Job Case, his moth er, and his wife (previously Miss J ane E. Fish, of Wyoming Co., N. Y., to whom he was marri ed August 24th, in that year). The incidents of hi s journ ey were afterwards rela ted by Mr. Case, as follows: "At Buffalo we went on board th e steame r' Dani el Web ster.' She was load ed heavily, and ju st as she was ready to sta rt out five team s with their loads, all the way from Massachu setts , sought a pa ssage · to Toledo, as they were goi ng to th e south part of the Stat e. Th e captai n of the steame r told th em he could not take them, on account of the heavy load, but th e mate ,aid they might come on board, if we all wen t d own toge th er. So on board they came, horses, wagons , and all; and th e stea mer did come near sinking, though afte r man y strug gles with wincls and wave s she arrived safe ly at D etroit, not being able, on acc ount of the heavy load and bad weather, to put in at T oledo .... W e hired Mr. A. B. l\farkham, of Plymouth, to take a load of about fourteen hund red pound s and my wife and moth er to Living ston Centre, for which service I paid him thirty dollar s in gold. Th ey came by way of Plymouth. I bought a yok e of oxen in D etroit, and loaded on my wago n wh at we most ne eded , and started out on the . Gra nd River road, whi ch wa s turnpiked for ten mile s, and then the HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY , MICHIGAN. tim ber lay thi ck in the road to th e 'Sand Hill.' I h ad to driv e thro ugh th e woods anywhe re to ge t my wagon throug h betwee n th e trees . I reac hed Livin gsto n Cen tre on the 8th or by diffusing a knowledg e of its aims and purposes; for improvement intellectually, morally, and financially; to develop a better and higher manhood HOWELL TOWNSHIP. 199 and womanhood among farmers; to enhance the comforts and attraction s of home, and strengthen attachment to th eir pur suit; to foster mutual understanding and co-operation ." Th e first officers of thi s grang e were: Master , Theodore Welcker; Ov erse er, C. I--1P. erson; Lecturer, Henry F . Lake; Steward, W. K. Sexton; A ssistant St eward, H enry 0. Barnard; Chaplain, Dani el Case; Tr eas ur er, Geor ge Col eman; Secretary, F. W . Munson; Gat e-Ke eper, N . J. Holt; Ceres, Mrs. D aniel Case ; Pomona, Mrs. H. 0 . Barnard; Flora , Mrs. W . K. Sexton; Lady Assistant Steward, Miss Emma A. Case. On th e 9th of F ebruary, 1877, "W. K. Sexton was elected purch as ing or busin ess agent for th e Howell Grang e, and a re so lution wa:; passed for unitin g individuall y and coll ectiv ely in purcha sing goo ds for cash at whol esale." This reso lution was first put in effect on the 5th of March next following, and since that tim e purcha ses have been continually made , and th eir amount ha s steadily increased. On th e 5th of October, I 878, th e Genoa Grange unit ed with How ell Grange for greater conveni ence, and in order to secur e mor e effectually the objects of their association. Th e pr ese nt member ship of the How ell Grange is I I 5. The grange meets on th e first, third, and fifth (when a fifth occur s) Saturday afternoons in each month, in Knapp 's Block, How ell village. Th e pr ese nt officer s of th e Howell Grange are: Master, James Harger; Ov ersee r, Charles Fi shbeck; Lecturer, Pet er T. Gill; Steward, Geo rge W. Fitch; A ss istant Steward, Henry J. Swe et; Chapl ain, Th eodor e W elck er; Tr eas urer, Fre eman Fi shb eck; Secr etary, Mrs. H . J. Swe et; Gate- K eeper , Simon \V. Dickerson; Ceres, Mr s. Ja spe r Coleman; Pom ona, Mr s. Ch arles Fi shbeck; Flor a, Mr s. E. Brown; Lady Assistant Steward, Mrs . David 0 . Smith. RELIGIOUS. THE MET!IODIST EPISCOPAL CH URCI! IN WE ST H OWELL. A Methodi st Epi scopal class was orga nized in W est How ell in 1845· by R ev. Ril ey C. Crawford . John Clayton was th e first cla ss-leader, and the memb ers of th e class were, as nea rly as can be ascertained, th e following-named per so ns : Mr. and Mr s. Clayt on (parent s of the class-l eade r), Joseph Hogle and wife, William Brundage and wife, Mrs. John Clayton, Martha Clayton, and J ane Smith. Their first preachin g was by the R ev. John Co sa rt, the first cla ss-m eeting being held in a log building own ed by Clem ent St ebbin s, and which was then or afterwarc!s used as a schoolhou se. In 18 50, Mr . Clay ton was succ eeded as class-le:ider by Joseph Ho g le. The preachers, after R ev. John Cosart, were R ev. Thomas Wak elin (about one year), Revs . Isaac Collin s, Curtis Green, R. C. Crawford, Eli W estlake (circuit preach ers), and others. A numb er of the clergymen who served with the Methodi st Church at Howell vill age preach ed h ere also . The class-b oo k of I 8 59 shows th e memb ers of th e class in th at year to have been Josep h H og le, Marth a H og le, William Brund age, Elizabeth Brund age , Oliver R eed, Louisa R eed, R achel Stevens, Jane 'vV. Smith, Nichola s L ake, Getty L ake , J ohn La sher, Mary Lasher, Ann Lash er, Ch a rles La sher, and Eliz abeth La sher . Thi s book, und er date of July 21, 1859,shows thi s class to be th en embraced in th e We st H owell Circuit , Owosso Di strict, D etroit Conference, and is signed at that plac e by "Riley C. Cra wford, Pa stor." Th e class declined on account of th e remov al of seve ral m embers, and ceased to exis t about 1865. An oth er Methodist Episcop al cla ss was form ed at \V est H owell in 1877, with L eo nard H oke as class-lead er. It has about I 5 memb ers, hold s its meetin gs for wor ship in th e school-house at Fleming, and is connect ed with the Methodi st Church of How ell village. PROTESTAN T l\lETH ODIS T CHUR CH OF WE ST H OWELL . Thi s church was organiz ed with about 40 members in the winter of 1869-70, and was incorporat ed July 12, 1871. Its first pastor was th e R ev. A. C. Fuller, whose successors have be en the R evs. Jam es McKinley, E. England, Israel Mud ge , Robert N. Mulholland , Ja son Gee, J ared Warn er, and C. B. Clark, the pr ese nt pastor; wh o is al so in char ge of th e classes at L ake, Tha ye r, and Marion, all embrac ed in th e \,Vest How ell Circuit, hav ing a membership of So, with about 45 adh ering members in addition. Th e church at Fl emin g (or West How ell) embraces 30 memb ers, with Alonzo E. F errin as cla ss-leader. Th eir plac e of worship is at pre sent in the school-house of the district, but a church building is soon to be erect ed here, and also tw o others at other points within the circuit. The pars onage, loca ted at Flemin g, is valued at $600 , paid for in full, and is occupied by R ev . Mr. Clark, th e pr eacher in charge of the circuit. Th e salary of his office is $500 per annum. Th e usage of the church is Congregational, and th e pastor is elected, for a term of three years, by a majority vote. CEMETERIES . The Oak Grove Cemetery , at Howell villa ge, is used by many of the inhabit ants of the town ship 200 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. as a plac e of int erment, but th ere ar e thr ee public burial-grounds in th e town ship outside the village. The old es t of th ese is located on section 8, and was laid out as a place of burial in 1848; another on section 17 was commenced in 1850, and a third, laid out in 18 5 3, is situated on section 22. In th ese th e remain s of many of the early settl ers of th e town ship have bee n laid away to th eir final rest. B I OG R A P 11I CA L S K E TC H E S. PETER BREWER, on e of th e ea rlies t settlers and oldest pion ee rs of Livingston Co unty , now in his eighty-fifth year, is entitled to special mention in thi s loca l hi sto ry. He was born in O tsego Co unt y, New York, J an. 27, 1795. \Vh en he was so me se ven years of ag e PETER IlREWER . hi s father mov ed to th e th en remot e wild erne ss of Genesee Co., N. Y., wh ere Peter grew to manhood . In the war of 18 I 2 he was drafted, and served a short time. H e adopted th e vocation of a farm er; purch ase d sori1e land in Niagara County, where he was marri ed, May 10, 1821, to Miss Dorc as West. In 1835 he cam e to How ell and loca ted one hundr ed and tw enty acres of land ; returned to New York, and in 1836 ca me on with hi s family and commenc ed th e impro ve ment of land. Him self and wife were memb ers of the Methodist Episcopal Church in New York, and assisted to organi ze the first cla ss and Methodi st Church in H owell. H e hewe d th e timb er for the first hou se of worship of th at church. In 1837 he was assessor and highw ay commissioner. Hi s wife died F eb. 25, 1863 . He was again marri ed, March 1, 1865, to Mr s. Abigail Munger, with whom he lived in Shiawassee County so me thirteen yea rs, when she died, and he returned to th e old hom e in Howell, to live with hi s son Almon . By his first wife Mr. Brewer had six children: one died in infancy; a da ught er marri ed William L. Jon es, and they both died in 1848, leavi ng two children; Orlando S. marri ed Mary Jan e Moore in 1849, daughter of William Moore, from New Y o rk, he settled in How ell in 1847 ; Almon marri ed Olive Whitbeck, and lives at th e old hom es tead; Eber is a farmer in Shiawassee County . All are respected citizens, and well settled in life. SOLOMO HILDEBRANT was born at Lockport, N. Y., Sept. 5, 1826. His father, Robert Hild eb rant, emigrat ed to Livin gston County in th e fall of 1842, and purchased eighty acr es of land where Solomon now res ides , upon which th ere was no improvement. Mr. Hild ebr a nt rent ed a place about one mil e south until he could make improv ements on hi s own land . Th ere he died Jan . 28, 1848. He had built a lo g hou se and clea red seve ral acres of land on hi s ow n place, but had not moved at the time o f his death. \Vhen th e family came to Mi chi ga n th ere were nin e children; two more were added after th ey cam e to Howell, all of whom are now livin g except two so ns. Ru el enlisted in th e 9th Indiana R eg iment, wa s tran sferr ed to a batt ery, and kill ed at Chaplin Hills, Ky. J ohn was in the 5th Michigan Infantry ; was in th e battl e of the vVilderness, where he was take n sick and died on hi s way to th e hospital. Solomon is th e oldest of the childr en. To him th e hero ic moth er lo oke d for assistance. They moved the family to the th en new log hou se , and continu ed th e struggles beg un by th e father to secure a home. By their indu stry and good manag ement ease and comfort have bee n secured, other lands added, the log hou se superseded by a fine and commodious one with comfortable out-buildings and pleasant surroundings. Her e the mother make s her home, but is reliev ed from all care of bu siness. Solomon Hildebrant is among the s ubstantial and leadi ng men of Livin gston County. H e was married, April 7, 1863, to Miss Harriet A. Coleman, who was born at Chemung, N. Y., April 21, 1839, daughter of Jo sep h Col eman, who now res ides at How ell. Mr. and Mrs. Hildebrant ar e active and con sistent memb ers of the Methodist Chur ch of How ell. PUBLIC VILLAGE OF BRIGHTON. TH E village of Brighton embraces within the limit s established in its incorpor at ion, a rectangular tr act of land, approximat ely one a nd a half mil es in length by one mil e in width, take n from th e so uthw est corner of th e to wnship of Brighton. It s length is on th e west line of the township , adjoining Genoa, and its width is on the so uth line, adjoining Green Oak. The line of th e old Grand Riv er road passes throu gh, and makes a so mewhat abrupt ang le in th e vill&lt;J.ge, and the post set by th e commi ss ion ers to mark thi s angle has been mention ed as th e centr e, around which clu stered the few sca tt erin g buildings which form ed th e nucl eus of th e village of Brighton. Th e original purch ase rs from th e government, of land s ly ing within th e pr ese nt limit s of th e village, and th e dates of th eir several p urch ases, were as follows: Maynard Maltby, of the State of N ew York, about 66 ac res, August, 1832; Horace H. Comstock, K alamazo o Co., Mich., 80 ac res, March, 1833 ; J ohn M. Coe, of Oakland County , 80 ac res, Jun e, 1834 ; Anthony Gale, of H artford, Conn., 80 acr es, September, 1834; J os iah Leo nard, of Niagara Co., N. Y., 40 acr es, May, 183 5; Trum an B. Ward en, of _Wayne Co., Mich., So ac res, Jun e, 1835; Pbilip Stewart, 40 acres, Jun e, 1835; Elij ah F itch, of Washtenaw Co ., Mich., about 66 ac res , Jul y , 1835; E lizabe th Cushing, of Wayne ' Co., Mich., 135 ae:r:es , May, 1835 ; Wm . Noble, of Hartford, Conn., 40 acres, Jul y, 1835; Ph~lip Stewart, of Wayne Co ., Mich ., 120 acres, Oc tober , 1835; Samu el R. Dakin s, of W ay ne Co., Mich., 40 acr es, J anu ary , 1836; Anth ony Gal e, of Livin gs ton Co., Mich., 40 acres, Janu ary, 1836; Ezra R ood , of Wayne Co., Mich ., 40 acr es, Septemb~r, 1836. Th e first tw o settlers within th e pr esent corporation limits were Maynard and Almon Maltby, from New York State, the latter of whom still surviv es, and reside s in Gree n Oak township. May nard purchased 65 acres of land on section 3 1 , Bri ghton, in th e summ er of 1832 , as noticed above. Th e followin g year th ey erected a log house, and inclos ed with a fence, six acr es, which th ey had sown with wheat . In th e fall th e broth ers repair ed to New York State and taught schoo l durin g th e winter. In th e following spr ing th ey return ed to th ei r Western hom e. Maynard Maltby (havin g mea nwhile marri ed) brought hi s wife with him to 26 Bri ghton. With his broth er he soon after bega n th e erection of a saw-mill upon th e stream known as Or e Creek, runnin g through the embry o village . Much of th e materi al used in th e con structi on of th e ea rly houses of th e vicinity was sawe d at thi s mill , whic;h was kn own for years after as th e " Old Maltby Mill." At th e first town ship elec tion Maynard Maltby was elected ju stic e of th e peace, and continued to hold th e office until his death, whi ch' occurred in January, 1840. Mr s. Maltb y, wh o is now Mrs . D . C. Marsh, of Brig hton, has a very vivid recoll ection of early day s, and especially of the anno ya nces ex perienc ed from th e num erou s bands of Indian s th at passed betwee n D etroit and th e camping- gr ounds westward . Thou gh not dishon est, th ey were very destructive, and were especi. ally fond of terrify ing the lad ies by brandi shin g th eir tomahawks and marking the doors of Mr. Maltby's house in a my steriou s manner , as thou gh some dire punishment were to be visited upon the family, yet no serious res ults fol_lowed th eir visits. At a later date, wh en th e demand for ·west ern land beca me g reater, and land-l oo k ers viewed every elig ible ac re in th e county, Mr. Maltby's hou se afforded th em a welc ome shelter. John Cushing came to th e vill age (or rather to th e place where th e village now is) in 1835, and built a log h~use, which he occupied for a lon g tim e, but afterwards purchas ed and removed to a hou se on Grand Ri ver Street, where he spent th e remai nd er of his life. Hi s son, Benjan1in Cushin g , res ided for a while on th e farm of his father, but finally purchased th e gro und wh ere th e Bri ght on H otel now stands, and erected a tav ern, of which he was for some yea rs th e landl ord . H e th en retir ed to th e farm, and after a brief interval return ed to th e tave rn. Mr. Cushing also kept, for one year , th e first log tave rn built in th e villa ge, by 'Willi am Dutch er, on the site now occupi ed by tl~e residence of John Becke r on Grand Ri ver Str eet. He bore a reput ation as a ge nial landl ord, and was rega rde d as a man of very mark ed social trait s. His death occurr ed in th e village in 186o. R obert D . Pow er was on e of the ea rliest settl ers, and his erection and openin g of a public-h ouse, in I 8 36, was one of th e first steps taken tow ards g iving th e place th e character of a villa ge. Hi s tavern-h ouse· \\'as a log structure that stoo d oppo- 201 202 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, M ICHIG A N. site the pr ese nt site of th e Meth odist Ep isco pal chur ch. Mr. Power was a man of mu ch force of ch aracter an d intuiti ve shr ewd ness, and, being so mewh at inclin ed towards po liti cs, exerted a considerabl e influence in th at direction among th e earl y sett lers of th e neig hbo rh ood. H e was afterwards elected t o th e offices of represent ati ve in th e State L eg islatur e, and sheriff of Li vings ton County. Brig ht on ass umed still more th e ch arac ter of a vill age by th e arri va l and loca tion th ere of its first physi cian (wh o was also th e first in th e count y), Dr . Wilb er Fi sher, in th e year 1836. Hi s p rac tice ext end ed for a circuit of many mil es, and hi s faithful steed was called upo n constantly to exe rcise hi s powers,-m ore of endurance th an spee d. Ma larial feve rs we re incide nt to th e clear ing of th e new co un t ry , and th e doc tor's att endance wa s in frequ ent deman d. Dr . Fis her was a peculiar ch aracter. It was rum ored th at he po ssesse d no . diploma , th ough he was certainly a member of an adj oining co unt y med ical so ciety ; but with thi s h e was able to insp ire his patient s with a certain confidence in hi s skill. Hi s medicines were certainly giv en in sufficientl y large dose s to cure, if qu antit y we re th e desideratum . Alt oge th er, Dr . Fi sher was not an un successful practit ioner, and hi s pr esence in th ose early day s ch eered many a qu akin g victim of the ag ue. W illiam Nobl e, Jr., was one o f th e ea rly settl ers in Bri ght on. H e came from N ew E ng land, and b ro ught with him many Pu rit anic ideas . H e was very sc rupul ous in hi s relig io us duti es, an d held th e use of liqu or in abomin ation, whi ch, in tho se tip pling days, was sufficient to confirm his reputation for ecc ent ricity . A nth ony Gale was anoth er of th e ea rliest settl ers in th e village . H e is des cribed as a man of irasc ible tempe r, qui ck to rese nt a rea l or fancied wro ng , but with al kind -hea rted , and a keen and active man of bu siness . H e was th e ow ner of th e land on which th e orig inal plat of th e village was laid o ut. Thi s he so ld to 'William No ble, Jr ., who sur vey ed from it th e first, or" No ble Plat" (kn own as th e" Lo wer T ow n"), and recorded th e sa me July 3, 1837 . H e also sold ten ac res ly ing in th e form of a squ are, on bo th sides of Grand Riv er Str eet, to W illiam Dutch er, who soo n after laid out an additional plat upon it. On th e 19th of Jul y , 1838 , A nth ony Gale laid out upo n hi s un so ld land s th e " Gale Pl at " of th e " Up pe r T ow n," and recorde d it in th e same yea r. A lar ge numb er of th e lots were so ld to various p ur chase rs, and th e remainder was sold in on e parcel to H arvey T . L ee.* * O n the 19th o f De cembe r, 186 8, a plat was mad e by J. B. L ee, k nown as th e " J. B. L ee ad di tion ," an cl abo ut th e sam e date In th e orig inal village plat of 1837 th e first two lots were p urchased by A lmo n an d May nard Maltby . Th e one p urchase d by A lm on Ma ltby was th e lot now occ upied by Mr. S. Dub ois on Grand Ri ver Str eet, and on thi s was erect ed th e first frame house within th e limit s of th e vill ag e corpo ratio n. Th e yea r I 8 37 saw th e erecti on of th e first sch oo l buildin g , which was lo cated up on gro und now occu p ied by Pa tr ick D onley on Grand Ri ver St reet. Th e first teach er in thi s was a Mr. J erald, who taught for tw o suc cessive wint ers, and was succeeded by Miss So phi e O lney, wh o had ch arge of th e schoo l durin g th e summ er of 1838. Thi s yo un g lady arri ved at th e settl ement on a visit t o · her sister, Mrs. Ha rwick, and was induc ed to remain as tea ch er . Th e first reg ular relig ious servic es in Bri g ht on were comm enced by R ev. William A . Clar k , D .D., wh o came from N ew Y ork City and settl ed in the t ow nship in th e sp rin g of 1837. Occas ional se rvices had , however, been held here befo re th at tim e by El de r J ohn Cosart of th e Meth odist, and by R ev. J onath an Post of th e Bapti st, de nomin ation, as well as by so me oth er clergy men. L ew is M. Curry and wife came from Bra dfor d Co ., Pa ., and in May , I 8 37, located within the village, as it was called eve n th en, th oug h it co ntained but ve ry few settl ers. Mos t of th e No ble plat was still cov ered with th e ori g inal forest-tr ees , and th ese th e ow ner wo uld not allow to be felled until th e lots were purch ased. Th e you ng boys of th e neig hb orh oo d, determinin g th at so me of th em should come down at all haza rd s, ass embl ed one night , bu ilt a fire , and feignin g to be on a h unt for co ons, bega n a vigoro us ch oppin g of th e tr ees to secur e th e anim als, as th ey pr etend ed . O ne unsuspec tin g citi zen ru shed out with his g un an d fired severa l shots before he comprehend ed th e ru se. Mr. Cu rry pur chase d a lot on th e co rner of Gra nd Ri ver and No rth Str eets, and erected up on it a h o use of unu sual pr etensions for th ose t imes. Some of th e lumb er for thi s ho use was drawn from F armin gton, Oakl and Co., and th e remainde r was s uppli ed by Ma ltby 's saw-mill, on O re Creek. A fter Mr. Curr y had bee n here a bri ef tim e, th e pro spe ct s of th e village not equ alin g hi s ex pectath e " McCa uley addit ion " was platted. "M cPh erson's add ition" was made D ec . 8, 187 1. Soon after, fine ma ps o f th is plat were distJ·ibuted th ro ugh the cou ntry, a nd a fte r muc h adverti sing the lots were offered a t au ction, ma ny in d uce ment s ha ving bee n ex tended to attra ct purc hasers. A large nu mb er o f th e lots in this pla t were sold in that way, and some of th e m have since had comfortal, le a nd el eg ant' res ide nces bui lt up on th em, th e sa les ha ving been mainly effecte d by the prospective gro wth of Bri gh ton, incidental to th e completion of the railro ad, whic h run s nea rly thro ugh the cen tre of the " Mc Ph erson plat. " VILLAGE OF BRIGHTON. 203 tion s, he rent ed his hou se for a year and return ed to the E ast, resumin g his res idence in Bright on at the expiration of that tim e. H e spent but a portion of his time in th e vil lag e, his occupation s calling him much from h ome. Thou g h making no pr etension s to exc ellence ab ove his neig hbor s, h e establi shed a reput ation · for kindn ess and ge nero sity , a nd many instanc es of th e subst anti al aid he afforde d the needy and sufferin g are related. An incid ent illu strativ e of his charact er was related to th e writer by Mrs. Curry, who is now Mr s. D avid Thom son, of Bri g ht on town ship. Mr. Curry had subscrib ed tow a rd s th e support of relig iou s se rvic es, and his wife conclud ed on e pl easant Sabb ath morning that she would att end meeting. and perh aps, if invit ed, as sist in the sin g ing , for wh ich she had an exc ellent voice. Arr ayin g herself in her black silk go wn, with her best bonn et ad orn ed with bri ght flowers, relics of a more luxuriou s life at th e E as t, she proc eeded to th e primitiv e chur ch. On arrivin g she found herself lat e and the door closed aga inst her. The steward confront ed her with the qu estion, "Are you a memb er of th e church?" Sh e repli ed, "No, but we help pay th e pr eac her, and I'v e com e to j oin in th e worship." "Ar e y ou see king relig ion?" h e add ed. "No," sh e repli ed, and (being prob ably a littl e incensed at the qu es ti on) intim ated that she would find very little o~ it in th at church if she were. The stew a rd inform ed her that th e doo rs were closed, and sh e could not be admitt ed. Fill ed with indi g nation, Mr s. Curry return ed to her home, a nd was met by her hu sband, who inquir ed th e troubl e. Benjamin Cu shing, who from hi s hou se opp osit e had ob se rved her on her departur e, and wond erin g at her sudd en return, came over to inquir e also as to its cause. Sh e replied, relatin g th e facts. Mr. Curry was very angr y , and, with some stron g expr ess ions, remark ed th at he would soon mak e an openin g in th at church-d oor . H e went to the fence and, securing a stout rail , summ oned Cu shing to hi s aid. To ge ther th ey depart ed for the church with the rail on th eir sh oulder s, det ermin ed to batter down th e door . On th eir arrival one of th e deacons app ear ed, a nd , askin g th em th e occa sion of their formidabl e pr eparations, was inform ed of th eir errand. H e ass ur ed th em that an eas ier entranc e could be obtained , and, throwin g ope n th e door, invited th em in. Th ey ent ered, and rem ained till the servic e was over, whil e Mr s. Curry remained at home to cook a good dinner for th e deacon. L ewis V . Curry, son of Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Curry, was born O ct. 25, 1837,-th e first white child born in Bri ght on villag e. Th e first death in the villa ge was that of Truman B. W ard en, who died Nov . 29, 1837. He had come to Bright on in 1836, and locat ed on the sp ot now occupi ed by the Methodi st par sonag e. Th e second death was th at of Eb enezer G. Fox, on the 19th of th e following April. Th e first marria ge in th e vill age also occurr ed in 1837, it being th at of a Mr. 'Win chell to a widow lady , who se nam e has not been asc ertain ed. Th e ceremony was perform ed by Mayn ard Maltby, J. P. 'William R. Cobb cam e from V ermont to Bri ghton in th e fall of 1838, and opened a stor e on the pr ese nt site of th e Meth odist church on Grand River Str eet. Lat er he remov ed to a buildin g whi ch he had purch ase d, standin g on tl~e pr ese nt sit e of Cobb &amp; McH ench' s Block. Th e buildin g was remov ed to mak e ro om for th e new block . and it is still standin g on Mill Str eet. Mr. Cobb retir ed in 1864. His pr esent res idence is on Ea st Stre et, wh ere he has a tr act of som e 24 acr es of land . D aniel C. Mar sh, on e of th e old es t and mo st hi ghly esteemed of th e early pionee rs, and who still surviv es , establi shed hims elf in Bright on, May, 1839. H e was the first att orn ey in th e vill age and township. In 1841 he was appoint ed pro secutin g att orney and ma ster ·in ch ancery for th e county of Livin gs ton. He is still res idin g in Bri ghton , but is not activ ely eng aged in th e pr actic e of his profess ion. J ohn D . Appleton arriv ed in 1839, and follow ed th e occup ation of carp enter and j oiner. He built th e res idence on Grand River Stre et, just below the Pr esbyt erian church, and lat er er ected a public- h o use of considerabl e size oppo site the Bri g hton H otel. The buildin g is ge nerally known as th e Appl eton Block. H arvey T. L ee came early , and was both farmer an d hot el-k eeper. H e afterward s follow ed his callin g of landl ord at By ron, Mich. R obert McL ester was a pion eer of 1837, and engag ed in th e sal e of dry good s soon after in partnership with William R. Cobb . Th e earliest black smith was Abram Fralick, who se shop stood on th e site now occupied by the Applet on Block. Amon g others who res ided in the village in 1839 were A . P. Dickin so n, who for many years served as constable, a nd died in I 878; Charl es Sp encer, who died th e sam e year in the suburbs of the village; John G. Sp encer, who died during the war of th e R ebellion; Elijah Fitch, who was an ea rly merch ant, but remov ed from th e plac e ; J ohn 'Wilso n, a maso n; J. D. Davis and S. S. Saunder s. 1:. rederick C. Whippl e, the se cond attorn ey of th e vill age, and who became the most brilliant 204 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. of the lawyers of Livin gs ton County, came to Brighton in 1840. He was the first editor of th e old Livingston Courier, which was established in this village by Nicholas Sullivan in 1 843, and became prosecuting attorney, circuit court commissioner, and judg e of probate of Living ston County. He was associated in business with George W. Peck, another eminent lawy er, who came a year or two later to Brighton and afterwards held sever al high offices, among them being that of representative in the Thirty-fourth Congr ess. Both tho se gentlemen left Brighton early, Mr. Whipple removing to How ell in 1846. He died in Oceol a township in 1872. Among the settlers who came to the village in or about 1840 were Hor ace Lee, \Narren Hill , Warren Acker, Dani el S. Lee, Sanford Beacroft, William Moon, Malcolm Fitch, Peter Fitch, Sumner Ross, F . D. Ack er, Am rod Moon, and William McCauley,-the latter of whom attained considerable political distinction and filled several offices, among which was that of State Senator , to which he was elected in 185 2. Orson Quackenbush, an early settler in the village, erected, in 1840, the flouring- and grist-mills now owned by Albright &amp; Thomson, on Ore Creek. This enterprise wa s a great advantage to the peo ple of the neighboring settlements and an advancement of the interests of the village. David Thoms on, havin g visited Bri ght on in its earliest day s, and being favorably impre sse d with its prospects, became a· permanent resident in 1 843. He leased a building where the Presbyt erian church now stands, and converted it into a foundry, which was the first one established in th e county, and which he soon after purchased in connecti on with Charles Spencer . In 1856 he built the present brick foundry, on the corner of Grand River and North Streets. He resides upon a farm in the suburbs. Ira Vv.C ase came to the county in 1840, and to Brighton in 1847. He has been since that time actively engaged in mercantile pursuits. The rivals in trade at this early day were Rob ert Thomson, a typical Scotchman, and William Noble, Jr., who recorded th e first plat of the village. Both were characters in their way. Thomson kept a small store, suited to th e wants of his customers, and exercised considerable ing enuity in the marking of his goods, the value being generally governed by the scarcity of the commodity. The store which he built was planned by the eccentric Dani el Jones, who, it was said, whittled the model of the building from a pine block with his pocketknife. Mr. Thomson did not achieve any success in mercantile pursuits in Brighton. Hugh Gordon, a corpulent son of the Emerald Isle, was the propri etor of a distill ery in Brighton, in its early days. He was an exceedingly popular man, for the commodity which he manufactured was always kept by him free, at the disposal of his num ero us friends, who quaffed many a glass to the health of the burly host. Ira P. Bingham, M.D., came to Brighton as early as 1835, but did not remain. In 1841 he return ed and effected arrangements for a permanent residence the following year. Since that time he ha s been one of th e influenti al citizens of Brighton . H e enjoys an enviable reputation in his profession, which he has not follow ed assiduously since the cares of other business have absorbed his attention. Thomas L ee, a Yorkshireman, was a quaint character. H e was a tailor by occupation, and kept in conn ection with his shop, a small grocerystand. Thomas established an unenvi able reputation for beating his wife, and when the unfortun ate victim timidly exclaimed that "sh e had no rights," he rep lied, with an additional blow, "Yes, you have; you have the right to do ju st as I bid you." Erastus A. Pratt cam e from Lap ee r County in 1844, and followed the vocation of black smith in the village of Brighton for twenty-two years, during which time he made most of th e plow-irons used in the surround :ng country. Hi s first shop was located where th e foundry of Mr. David Thomso n now stands. There was but a small portion of th e village built when Mr. Pratt first came, preaching being held at the house of Daniel C. Mar sh for want of a church edifice. A schoolhouse had been built in th e upper portion, th e building being still standing, and used as a barn, lowe r down on Fitch Street. In I 867 Mr. Pratt bought a farm in Green Oak, on the ba nk s of Silver Lake, and has resided th ere since, enjoying the retir ement which a life of labor has brought him . He relates an incident, which afforded him so me amusement at th e time, in connection with a se ries of Spiritualist meeting s which were held in the village. Soin e wags had inform ed an itin erant ex ponent of that belief that Mr. Pratt and his family were ardent believ ers. He accordingly presented himself at th eir hou se, accompanied by his wife, bea ring a lett er of introduction and claiming their ho spitality. Not at all dismayed by their presence, Mr. Pratt gave th em a cordial welcome, and aided them in securing a place in which to hold meetin gs. The place was filled nig ht after night, and the lectur er and medium were told that th e hou se of th eir ho st was open to th em, until what was intend ed as a jok e, resulted in th e mo st popular gathering of th e seaso n. VILLAGE OF BRIGHTON. 205 L. Corydon Pratt, brother of Erastus, came from Fredonia, N . Y. , in 1845, and has since resided in Brighton. He has served as postmaster of the village, but has now retired from active business . E gbert F. Albright came into the county with his father, Amos F. Albright, who loca ted at Hartland Centre, building the first hous e at th e village and also the first grist-mill. The so n, after pursuing for several years his trade of millwri ght in various parts of the State, cam e on th e first day of May, 1848, to the town ship of Brighton, and in July, 1853, loca ted in th e village. After a brief interval in the merca ntile business, he purchas ed, in conn ection with his partner, the flouring-mills built by Orson Quackenbush. His clear reco llection of early events has aided greatly in the compilation of the village hi story. Brighton became an inc·orporated villag e in 1867, with th e limits before men tioned. The platted area is not compactly built, but it cont ains many good and substantial, and some elega nt, resi dences. Ore Creek, which flows throu gh th e centr al part of th e village in a southerly direction, furni .l,ell, N ov. 1835. Aureli a Gooden oe, Dec. 1835. Nel son \V. ll ouse, l\lay, 1836. Franklin Dait, ll!ay, 1836. Jude Field, Aug. 1836. N ath . Thu rston, Aug. 1836. F. W. Goode noe, Oct. 1838. Peter W. Smith, Jr., Jan. 1835. Hi ram Goodspeed, Mar . 1835. Jsaac Bisbee, April, 1835. H. Goods peed, May, 1835. Reuben Moore, Sept. 1835. R. Moore a nd VI/. N. Carpenter, May, 1835. Gotl eib Niem an, Aug . 1835. Jud e Field, Aug. 1835. Isaac S. Platt, Aug. 1835. G. M. Jackson, Feb. 1835. John William s, Apr il, 1835. Fred. Rin ge, June, 1835. VI/. Jackson, March, 1837. Fl oyd Willi ams, Aug. 1837. Jerusha Fox, June, 1838. Ph iletus Smith, Jun e, 1833. Charles Robinson, Jun e, 1833. Benjamin Blain, l ov. 1833. Se1h Bidwell , Sept. 1835. Benjamin Blain, Jan. 1836. H arriet Winchell, Feb. 1836. V. H. K etchum, July, 1836. Fr ed. Ring, Aug . 1836. 218 Willi am A. Clark , Jan . 1837. Cha rles Rol,inson, Jun e, 1833. Benjamin Blain, Jun e, 1833. Aaron II. Kelly, Jun e, 1833. Charles Robinson, July, 1834. Wm. S. Cone ly, Aug . 1835. Leonard Burnh am, Oct. 1835. 11. lllcCloud, l\fay, 1836 . Nath. Th urston, Aug. 1836. Benjamin Tann er, Sept. 1836. Aaron H . K elly, Nov. 1833. Ja cob Win chell, Sep t. 1834. Wm. S. Conely, Aug. 1835. S. T. William s, Aug. 1835 . An10lcl Douglas, Sept. 1835. Willi am Win chell, Sept. 1835. Wm . A. Clark, Sept. 1836 . Seth Bidwe ll, Sept. 1835. Jacob Win chell, Feb . 1836. Charl es Spence r, March, 1836. F. A. House, June, 1836. Samuel \Valcloe, Aug. 1836. Arn old Doug.las, Aug . 1836. All en i\:JcDonnld, Aug . 1836. Wm . N. Clark, Sept. 1836. Elijah Clark, Feb. 1834. Cath. Th ompson, March, 1834 . Chas. W. Pease, April, 1834. E . Cham berlain, July, 1836. Isaac Van Voorhie s, Aug . 1836. Th os. J. Le c ..u nt, Sept. 1836. II. H. \Varn er, Nov. 1836. Elijah Clark, Feb. 1834. Ri charcl Lyons, Sept. I 834 . E . D . Fisher , Sep!. 1834. Juhn S. Johnson, Oct. 1835. J ulia A. Arm es, April, 1835. Geo. W. Burch, Jun e, I 836. H orace Braster , Jun e, 1836. Fred Rin g, Aug. 1836 . Richard Lyons, Aug. 1836. H. H. Warner, N ov. 1836 . H. V. Libhnrt, Oct. 1832. Gardn er Bird, Feb. 1833. Aa ron Beach, Oct. 1833. Smith Beade, Oct. 1833. John Van H eu,·e n, N ov. 1834. Isaac Bisbee, Apri l, 1835. !bro ok T ower, Ap ril, 1835. Isaac Bisbee, May, 1835. !brook Tow er, May, 1835. Jac ot&gt; Pet11s, Aug. 1836. J ude Fie ld, Aug. 1836. Elijah Marsh, Oct. 1832. Joh Cran ston, Ocl. 1832. Ezr .1 McCom ber, Oct. 1833. Joh Cranston, Oct. 1833. Gaine s Fuller, Jn ly, 1835. Mary L. Cran ston, Jul y, 1835. Elija h Marsh, Oct. 1835. R. H arringt on, Feμ. 1835. Marcu s Pultz, Jun e, 1836. An son Cran ston, Ju ly, 1836 . H enry T hu rston, Aug. 1836. R. Harrin g1on, Feb. 1837. Andr ew \ Vohtrab e, Feb. 1837. Gardn er llird, Feb. 1833 . Melzer Bird, July, 1833. Gardner Bird, Nov. 1834. Hirnm John son, ov. 1835. L. Fuller, Mar ch, 1836. Wm. N. Betts, Aug. 1836 . Juhn C. Allstadt, Aug . 1836. H. H . Warner , Nuv. 1836, Cath . Th ompson, Mar ch, 1834. Wm. S. Cone ly, No v. 1834 . Isaac L. Phll, June, 1835. Cyrus Ja ckson , June, 1836. Wm. N . Betts, Aug. 1836. Pet er Lan e, D ec. 1835. Neh emiah Paine, Jun e, 1836. Fl orus A. ll ouse, Jun e, 1836 . John M. K enzie, Aug. 1836. Willi am Tuni s, Aug . 1836 . Orm an Coe, May, 1833. Wm . Winch ell, Sept. 1834. Hugh Gordo n, Nuv. 1834, and Fd J. 1835. Wm. S. Conely, Sept. 1835. Wm. Win chdl , Sept. 1835. Wm. S. Conely, Ju ly, 1836. Abram Piei°ch, Aug. 1836. George Po, t, Jul y, 1836. E. C. Al len , May, 1833. John Crun et, Aug. 1835. Era stus Kdl ogg, Feb. 1836. John Moore, Ju ly, 1836. John Dean, Nov . 1836. Elia s Sprag ue, Nov. 1836. Oliver Sprague, N ov. 1836. George Moon, Apri l, 1837 . Rastus II. Ransom, April, 1837. Samu el I I. Fox, June, 1838. D. B. K ercheva l, Nov. 1836. J uhn S. Winkl er, Aug. 1836. Joshua Sheffield, Jun e, 1835. Ab el Palm er, Jun e, 183 5. "William Palmer, Jun e, 1835. Orange Bruc e, Sept. 1835. Sara h Kn owles, Sept. 1835. Samue l 1\1. Con ely,' Sept. 1836. Elias Sprague , Jan. 1836. Simeo n Carp enter, Jun e, 1836 . John Powell, Ju ly, 1836 . Salmon Porter, Aug. 1836 . William Paul, Aug. 1836. Benj. W. Conk lin, Sept. 1834. Robert L . Lam, Sept. 1834. Peter \Vemmill, Sept. 1834. Geo. N. Kuckl e, March, 1835. Jolrn S. Johnso n, Aj'r il, 1835. I saac S. Platt, Jun e,. 1835. Pete( \Vemmill, Aug. 1835. Sam uel D. Tuthill, Aug. 1833. .Aaro n Beach, Oct. 1833. Smith Beade, Oct. 1833. Ri chard Lyons, Sept. 1834. 'Nm. Valentin e, Jun e, 1835. Ri cha rd Lyons, Sept. I 835. Abram J . Andr ews, Jun e, 1834. H. C. And ,ews, May, 1835 . Otis Durfee, J uly, 1835. Hi ram Johnson, N ov. 1835. Robert L .. La m, July, 1836. J acob Bind ermag le, Aug . 1836. An drew Wohbrnk e , Sept. 1836. Hiram Johnson, Jun e, 1833. George Bailey, Nov. 1833. Jacob i&gt;inde nna gle, Aug. 1836 . Andrew \Voh brnke, Feb. 1837. Jacob Bind ermagle, F eb. 1837. Hen ry T hu rston, Sept. 1836 . William Sterling, May, 1835. Philip I. John son, Jun e, 1835. Elij ah J ohn son, Sept. 1835 . John Arn old, Jun e, 1835. Caleb Carr, Jr., Oct. 1835. W. W . T. W[\rd and othe rs, April, 1836. Garret Martin , May, 1836. John McCo nnell, May, 1833 . David Durf ee, July, 1834. Robert Edgar, Nov. 1834, and Aug. 1835. Il cnry C. Andr ews , Feb. 1836 . Obd. J. N orton, Feb. 1836. Joseph Flanders and Sam uel S. Kit chnn, July, 1836. Robert L. Lam, Jul y, 1836. RES!DENCE OF p J. SEARS. BRIGHTON' LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICH . I I I BRIGHTON T OWNS HIP . 219 I saac S. Platt, Aug. 1836. Reuben H ickox, Sept. 1833. Ri chard Lyon s, Sept. 1834 . F. T. Le Count, Sept. 1834. Willi am S. Conely, Oct. i 834, Ri chard Lyons, March, 1835. Moses Lyon, l\farch, 1835. Isaa c L. Platt, Jun e, 1835. Joseph Fl ander s and S. S. Kitchan, Jun e, 1835. Evander T. Fi sher, Sept. 1834. Moses Lyon, Sept. 1834. Willi am T . Tuni s, Sept. 1834. William S. Conely, Oct. 1834 . Moses Ly on, March, 1835. Mark H ealey and B, B. K ercheva l, May, I 836. E lijah Bancroft and Benjamin Fland ers, Nov. 1835. Robe rt S. Bowne, J uly, i836. Juseph Willi ,uns, Sept. 1836. Dan iel D ean , l\!arch, 1837. Charles Ross, Aug. 1837. A. 1\1. Fox, Feb. 1838. Juhn G. Spen cer, Sept. 1838. Rob ert T homson , Dec. 1843. Grace Sit ler, Sept. 1844. K . S. Bingham and R obert ·ward en. An drus and Ezra Hood, Sep t. 1836. El i M. Fergo, Sept. 1834. Josiah Leonard, May, 1836. Wi lliam Noble, Jun e, 1836. John S. Mundy, Dec. 1832, Mary Fuller, Jun e, 1835. Orl ando A. Ful ler, Jun e, 1835. Jacob Lewry, Aug. 1835. John ll enry, Fd, . 1836 . Edward Mundy, May, 1836, P. C. Bartlett, Jan. 1836. Willi am Tu nis, Aug. 1836. L ewis 13. Fonda, Oct. 1832 . Stephen Bunnell, May, 1833. John H enry, Oct. 1833. George M. Cracken, Sept. 1834. Moses Lyon, Oct. 1835. Mark l lealey and B. B. K ercheva l, May, 1836. Joseph L. Brig g, , Aug. 1836. Willi am Wagner , Aug. 1836. Evert 'vVoodruff, March and Apr il, 1833. George W. G lover, May, 1833. Hu gh Alexa nder, D ec. 1833. Smith Pa rks, Jr., Jan. 1834. Ri chard T oncray, May, 1835. Joseph L. Briggs, Oct. 1835. Dani el Marlatt, Mar ch, 1836. John Davi s, Apri l, 1836. H orace Ton cray, J uly, 1836. Luther Parshall, ~1ay, 1833. Richard T oncray, May, 1833. John W. Peavey, l\fay, 1838. Jam es C.,rcy, May, 1835. H orace To ncny, May, 1834. Luth er Parsha ll, Dec. 1835. J oseph Watkin s, Aug. 1836. Orla ndo Rogers , Jun e, 1836. Isaac L. Platt, Aug. 1836. Th omas Cuni s, Dec. 1835. Geo rge W. Glo,•er, May, 1833. Luth er Par shall, 'o v. 1833. Joseph Wood, April, 1834. Th omas Curtis, June, 1834. Juhn S. Beach, Jun e, 1834 . Joseph 'vVood, Jun e, 1834. E mma Par shall, Ju ly, 1834. Garry Gr iswold, Jun e, 1835. Th omas Curt is, Oct. 1835, SETTLEMENTS AND SETTLERS. It see ms an establ ished fact th at E lij ah Marsh was th e first settl er in th e town ship of Brighton out side th e village limit s. H e left Hadley, Mass., in 1832, and purchased from th e gove rnm ent , on th e 20th of October of th at year, th e southwest quarter of sec tion 12 . L ater he added 40 acres on section I. With Mt. l\Iar sh came J ob Cranston, who shared with him all th e privations of his pion ee r life, hav ing entered at th e sam e date So acres on th e same sec tion, Th ese t\vo settler s for a brief per iod lived alone, with no neig hb ors save th e mig rato ry In dians, who paid th em bri ef visits, and furni shed th em veniso n and oth er gam e for th e ve ry sca nty return s th ey were abl e to make. Soon, howev er, th eir lonelin ess was ch eered by the pr ese nce of Gardn er Bird, who 1-eached th e co unty in Feb - ru ary of th e following year, and entered I 60 acres on sect ions I I and 17. Mr . Bird devoted him self at once to clearin g a tract of land whereon to erect his cabin and sow his grain. Meanwhile he enj oyed such rude ho spit ality as wns cheerfully accorded h im by hi s neighbor s. After thi s he return ed , and in April brou ght hi s family, Mrs. Bird being th e first mar ried lady who to ok up her res idence in th e tow nship . Meanwhile, Messr s. Mar sh and Cra nsto n had returned for a visit to th eir families , and Mr. and Mrs. Bird were left th e so le occ upants o f th e forest of Brighton from .A pril until th e following September .. Mr. Marsh, as soon as he was abl e, empl oyed tw o men to sp lit rails with which to incl ose a portion of th e land he had pur chased, and o n hi s return from th e Ea st made a comfortable h ome for his wife and childr en in th e shant y he had occupied . Thr ee childr en were born after the remova l of Mr. and Mrs. Marsh to Michigan, th e first of whom, born April 2:::, 1834, was among th e first in th e tow nship. Mr. Marsh might be term ed a Yankee pedd ler, and followed thi s callin g soo n after he became a perman ent settler in ti~ tow nship, loadi ng his primitiv e car t with such mark etab le wares as were in demand among his patrons, and depending up on his faithful oxe n to carry him from point to point , Th e nea rest blacksmith- shop was eight een miles away, and A nn Arbor th e neates t mark et 'tow n. Mr. Marsh died in 1857, and his so n, Rich ard J., now occupi es a fine farm op pos ite his father's former h ome. Mr. Bird rem emb ers th e difficulties he encountered in reaching his ne,v hom e, and th e. absolutely unb1·oken condition of th e country . D eet and wolves roamed th e forests at pleas ure, and forty of th e former were seen by him on his way to hi s new possessions. After th e land was sufficiently clea red to ad mit of being brok en, th e plow beca me a necessi ty, and he was co mpelled to tr ave l to D ex ter , tw ent y-tw o miles away, to have th e iro ns sharpe ned and repaired when necessa ry. Mr. Bird, before comin g to Brighton, had res ided for a bri ef season in \.Vebster, 'Washt enaw Co. On one occasion, wh en coming from th ere to Brighton, he brought with him a h og and nine pigs, driving th em th e distance of eig hte en mil es. Aft er retnaining a few days to sp lit rail s, he return ed to vVebster, leav ing , as he supp osed, his rece nt acqu isiti on of stoc k behin d, but his surp rise was great to find th at th ey had followed him and arrived almost as soo n as him self, much pr eferrin g th e comforts of civili zation in Washtenaw County to pione er life in th e wild s of Brighton . Whil e Mr. Bird was br ea king up his land th e lad he employed to dri ve th e ox-t eam was . confined to th e ho use by illness, but th e work was not impeded, foi" M.rs. Bird herse lf went into the field ,vith th e oxe n and assis ted to plow four acr es. J osep h Bird, th eir oldest so n, born in Michigan, was among the l i HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. first children born in th e tow nship , th e date of his birth b eing October, 1834. In th e year I 833, Melzer Bird, a neph ew of Gardner Bird, was induced, by th e emigra tion of his uncl e to Michigan and th e adva nt ages th e State offered to young men of ene rgy, to place his name up on th e roll of pioneers. He arriv ed from Ontario Co unty , N. Y. , _in 1833, and ent ered 120 acres on sec tion 14. In May of th e following year he started in a wago n draw n by oxe n and lade n with hi s wife and two childr en, and such hou sehold goods as he cou ld bring, and wend ed his way to th e tra ct of land which was henc eforth to become to th em a hom e. Th ey ca me by way of D etroit and were excep t iona l in th e fact th at th ey expe rienced very little difficulty in .reach ing th eir destinatio n. Th ey followed th e Indi an tr a il, which was an un errin g gu ide, and on th eir ar rival found a welcome to th e home of Gardner Bird until Melzer could erec t a shanty for him self. The sa me summ er he cleared IO acres and sowe d it with wheat, fencin g thr ee sides of th e lot, the fourth side j oinin g his uncl e's land, which rendered fencin g unn ecessary. H e was rewarded by a harves t of 200 bu shels, which he regarded as a very satisfactory return for hi s indu str y, and Mr. Bird, in th e winter, reca lled with gra titud e th e progress he had made during his first seaso n as a pi onee r. Ind eed , he and hi s family seem to have bee n fortunat e in escapi ng many of th ose deprivations and annoyances which are incid ent to early emigration, and in a very pleasant int erview with thi s venerabl e gentleman, th e writer was un able to recall to his mind any memories of ea rly days which did not afford a pl eas ing retro spect. A post-offic e was estab lished very ea rly in th e neig hb or hood, which was known as the Plea sant Valley office, and for years E lijah Marsh held th e position of postmaster. His succ essor was Peter Delamater, who, not wishing to qualify, tr ansferr ed th e emolum ent s of th e office, to geth er with its h onors, to Melzer Bird, who held it for six years and distribut ed th e not very weig hty mail which arrived weekly from Brighton, or Ore Creek, as it was th en desig nat ed. Th e first residents of th e tow nship ea rly turn ed th eir att ention to th e mea ns of education for th eir childr en, and erec ted, in 1834, on gove rnm ent land, on sect ion 11 , a small lo g school -ho use, in which th e little ones of th e neighb orhood were congregated und er the supe°rvisio n of Miss Sarah Huntley, of Hartland. The teach er enjoyed in turn the hospit ality of ali her patrons, and was certainly the ea rliest instructor in th e town ship, as the building in which she taught was unqu estionably th e first school-ho4se in the town ship. The littl e community were sadde ned by a death which occ urr ed Jun e 13, 1835, at th e hou se o f Mr. R obe rt Edgar. A young man, named Abram L. Andr ews , tw enty- seven years of age , had bee n induced, by the h ope of impro ved hea lth, from th e active exe rcise th at th e clear ing of a new count ry necess itated, to ent er So acres of land on sec tion 23. He lived but thre e weeks in hi s new hom e, and th ere being at the time no clergy man to perform th e fun eral rit es, Mr . Edgar officiated o n th e occas ion and delivered an address. Melz er Bird took from his barn the bo ards with which to make th e coffin. Thi s was th e first death which occu rred in th e township. One of th e ea rliest settlers mentions anoth er ea rly dea th,-th at of Ab el Whalen, a teac her, which occurr ed in a ho use on the hill nor th of th e Wood ruff mill. Benjamin Blain emig rated to th e State of Michiga n from Orleans Co., N. Y., in 1833. Having a broth er in Green Oak, he repaired to his hou se, on th e banks of Silver Lake, and remained with him a brief tim e, mea n while locat ing 160 ac res of la nd on sections 5 and 6, in th e township of Brighton. For a year and a half he was empl oye d by Kin sley S. Bingham and Rob ert \Varde n, but being desirous to establis h a home for him self, he beg an, in Octobe r, 1834, th e erec tion of a log h ouse on his land. This house, th o ug h simpl e in design, required as mu ch tim e and labo r in th e construction as many mor e elega nt habita tions of th e present day. Very few too ls were procurable with which to assist th e work, but M r. Blain made sta kes for th e roof and cut stick s for th e chimn ey, and in th e ensuing sp rin g sec ured boards enough at Woodruff 's saw- mill with which to lay two floors, - a ladder serv ing as sta ircase from th e lowe r to th e up per story. Four acres of th e land were cleared and plant ed with potatoes. Th e first winter his qu ar ters were sha red with Seth Bidwell and Leonard Barnham, th e latter gen tleman afterwards becoming sex ton of A ll Saint s' Church , of New York City . Upon the occasion of Mr. Blain's first visit to the place not a tree had been felled from th e forest standin g on the site of th e futur e village of Brighton. The Indi an tr ail follow ed th e cour se of the present Gr and Riv er Str eet, turnin g to th e left near the hou se now occ up ied by George Cushin g, crossing th e cr eek ju st abov e th e residence of J ohn A. Mey er, and ret urnin g in a lin e nearly parallel with th e stree t. Mr. Blain was ski llful in the use of th e rifle, and found in th e forests of Living ston County an ample range for th e g ratification of hi s favorite pa stim e. Th e first year of hi s res idence, eig hty deer were a mong th e trop hie s of his skill. F or six yea rs he continued th e iso late d life of the hunt er, varied occasionally by long pilRESIDENCE OF 0.1(.VAN AMBURG , BR IGHTON , MICHIGAN . BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP. 221 g rim ages in search of land. H e see med a veritable L eather-Stockin g, a kindl y , silent so ul, delighting in huntin g, and lov ing so litud e. Hi s pr ese nt hom e is far from th e tr ave led thorou ghfar e, and ac cess ible only through a succ ess ion of fields and gat es . On the west bank of a beau tiful lake is loc ated hi s quiet re sidence , wh ere, with an oldtim e hosp itality, he welcomes hi s friends and enj oys with th em the reco llection of hi s ea rly yea rs. In the sp ring of 1833, Eve rt \1/ood ruff entered 160 ac res on se cti on 34, and took up hi s res ide nce upon it, with his family, on th e last day of !\fay of th at yea r. To Mr. ·wo od ruff the tow nship is larg ely a debtor for th e ent erpri se he manif ested in th e erection of mill s, which aided g rea tly in its deve lopm ent. In th e fall of th e same year of hi s arriv al he built a saw -mill, and a grist-mill was erected th e yea r following, being suppli ed with ,vater-powe r from a str eam on which it was built, kno wn ge neral ly as Woodruff' s Creek. It was at th at tim e th e most north erly mill in th e county, all th e other mill s being in th e southerly range of towns. Evert Woodruff bor e a rep utation far and wide for sou nd bu siness principles, probity, and h onesty. His dea lin g with his customers was m ode led after th e good old golde n rul e, and no charge was ever mad e th at too mu ch toll was exacted at th e Woodruff mills. His son, Egbert Woodruff, was the first ch ild born in th e t ownship, and soo n after, Rich a rd McConnell was born in the neig hb or hood, a very ea rly birth, and possibly th e se cond. Mr . Wo odruff's mill er, Mr. Sco llard, was a man who se ecce ntriciti es were only equal ed by th e fidelity with which he served his empl oye r. H e wa s a man of mu scu lar fram e, and the weighty bags of g ra in were lifted and tosse d as easi ly by him as th oug h hi s empl oy ment were a mere diversion. Combined with a cer tain bru sq ueness of manner was an ea rn est des ire to sat isfy all customers, and to rece ive a snubbin g from th e mill er rend ered it by no mea ns certain th at th e g rist would meet a simil ar indifferent handlin g. Mr . Woodruff and hi s mill er are both remember ed by th e sur vivors of th ose ea rly da ys for many acts of k indn ess in th e neig hborh oo d, to who se comfort th ey were large contribut ors. On one occas ion a se ttl er app ea red at th e ho use of Mr. Sco llard with an ur ge nt requ es t th at he should depart from his inflex ible ru le to g rind no gris ts on Sunday. He was told at once that th e Sabbath was a clay of rest, and th at both mill and mill er were entitl ed to th e resp ite from labor which th e fourth comm andm ent enjoin ed upon th em. Th e man exp lained th at he had sta rted th e previous Frid ay from h ome, a distanc e of many mile s, hoping to return on Saturday, and on th e way he had met with an accident which had rend ered has te imp oss ible ; at home were hi s wife and childr en entir ely des titut e, and depending upo n th e flour which he sho uld brin g th em for food. Th e hea rt of th e mill er relen ted, the grist was ground, and the man went on his way rej oicmg. Th e first marri age -servic e was perform ed by Ju st ice Peavey. Thi s event occ urr ed in 18 34, and th e happy coupl e were named respec tiv ely Mr . Jo seph L. Briggs and H ester Fi sher, the marria ge takin g place at th e hou se of th e ju stice . Freel. 'vV. Goode noe entered land on se ction 2 in 1833, and adde d to it in 1836. H e mad e rapid progress in th e improv ement of hi s possess ions . Soo n after his arrival he clea red 2 5 acres, and wh en his nearest neighb or came, in 1835, had already erected a hou se and barn and dug a well. No ne of th e e;irly pione ers were bett er known or more distinctly rem emb ered th an R obe rt Bigham, o r "U ncle R obert ," as he was more frequ ently called. H e was b orn nea r Belfast, Ir eland, in 1789, emig rat ed in 1810, came to thi s t ownship in 1834, and for yea rs kept a hou se of entertainm ent about one mil e north of th e village. Many of his su rvi ving neighbors reca ll th e qu aint old sig n "Ca ll and C," which was pla nt ed so me distance beyond his house to att ract th e eye of th e tr ave ler in sea rch of food and shelt er. Thi s old sig n was long a land mark , and tho se who responded to its invit ation to" Call and C" Uncl e R obe rt always found a warm welcome. Hi s bea ring was cordial alike to rich and poor. He possesse d all th e qu aliti es th at make th e exce llent landlord, and, toge th er with th e good ch ee r which his wife provided with a liberal hand , his unfailing hum or was always a so ur ce of diver sion to hi s gues ts, and hi s tav ern a reso rt for some of th e mo st promin ent charac ters in th e Sta te. Mr. Bigham purch ased a tr act of land of the late Governor Kin sley S. Bingham, but by mistak e settl ed upon land adjoining, to which John Cushing a fterward s laid claim and obtain ed , Bigham retirin g to the tract of 147 ac res, which he afte rwards occupi ed. Lat er still he purcha sed th e land on which the tavern was loca ted, and at the tim e of his deat h, which oc·- curred Sept. 30, 1876, was livin g in th e village of Brighton, havi ng been th e proprietor of th e pre sent Brig ht on H o use. Aaron H . Kelly, lately deceased, ent ered 63 acr es on sect ion 6, and 208 acres on section 7, in 1833. H e built a substanti al house and a sa wmill , and made many imp rove ment s on th e land he owned . Richard Toncray came from Oswego Co., N. Y. , in I S 3 3, and entered So acres of land . on sec222 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIG A N. tion 35, and two years later 40 on sectio n 34. Hi s broth er Horace also located 80 acres on secti on 35, and a year after 40 on th e adjoining sec tion. Many memb ers of the family hav e since died, and others left the town ship . Another character of prominence in th e tow nship was Sherman D. Dix , who resided up on a fine farm eas t of Woodruff's Mills, and was well kn own in connection with th e Ken sington Bank, of which he was cashi er and director. He was a man of much polish of manner, adro it in business, with a kee n eye for a bargain, and withal one of th e mo st ge nero us and kindly neighbor s th at an early settl er could desire. Th e bank sche me, of which he ai1d Alfred A. Dwight were the originators, finally bro ught disaster, and he repai red to Texas and engaged in cattl e speculations. A t one tim e he proj ected th e idea of makin g th e point wh ere the W ood ruff mills are located, a village, which was to super sede Bri ghton, and with th at end in view, he had maps made of a village plat, with reg ularly laid out streets and all th e appo intm ents of a growi ng tow n, includin g a large flo urin g-mill and an eq ually lar ge hotel , which he took to New Yo rk, and eas ily disposed of th e lot s to parties in searc h of ·western investm ents. It was chri stened Livings ton. Henry T. R oss emigrated from Ohio in 1835, and purchased 16o acre s of his present farm , which had been previously entered from government, and had 10 ac res clea red and a shanty erec ted. Thi s he occ upi ed until he was able to erect a substantial farm-house . At thi s tim e th ere were many Indi ans in th e immediate vicinity, and th eir camp-fires were often see n upo n th e groun ds of Mr. R oss, thou gh they congiegated in larger numbers up on th e bank s of Long Lake, in Hartland. Th e wolves at this tim e were th e especial enemies of th e sheep, as well as of calves and yearlings, and th e neig hb or of Mr. Ross exper ienced so much difficulty in raising th em th at, after the gradual depletion of his flock of sheep, he gave up all furth er efforts. Fin ally, but one old ram of all his fine flock remain ed, who seemed proof against all th e rav ages of th e destro ye r. Hi s days were, howeve r, numb ered, th e hun gry pack having one day surround ed and destroy ed him in bro ad daylight, und er th e very eyes of his owner. Mr. Ro ss estab lished a reput ation in ea rly life as a ski llful hunt er. He is also well known as a lover of bees, which he turn s to very profit able account. Having ca ught a swarm the first year of his arrival , he has neve r bee n without th em since. Benjamin Blain entered, in 1853, 80 acres on section 5, and in 1836, 40 ac res on th e sa me section. So me yea rs later he remove d to Hartland township, where he now res ides. Se th Bidwe ll locat ed So acres up on th e sa me sectio n in I 8 3 5, and a lik e number of acres up on sec tion 8, at th e sa me date, and still res ides up on it. In th e yea r I 836, R ev. William A. Clark , D.D., arrived in the tow11ship from New York City, and made lar ge entri es of land on sec tion s 5, 6, 7, and 8, and in the following yea r arrived with his family, and took up his res idenc e in Brighton. Mr. Clark had been th e rector of an Ep iscopal Chur ch in New York City previous to coming to th e State. He at first loca ted upon section 7, but in 1839 purchas ed th e mill now ow ned by Albright &amp; Thomson, a nd also erected a saw-mill on section 5. He introduced the first sheep into the township, havin g purcha sed a lar ge flock in Ohio and distributed th em throu ghout th e ne ig hb or - hood. Mr. Clark, who was th e father of th e pr esent postm aster of Brighton, B. T. 0. Clark, Esq., did much by his capital and enterpri se to develop and impro ve th e town ship . He opened a store for the accommodation of th e num ero us men whom he constantly employ ed, and he had also thr ough his influ ence a post-office establi shed nea r his residence, which was called · the Mont Lake Post-Office. His death occurred in Bri ght on, Sept. 13, I 842. Another early settler was L ewis B. F onda, who came from Plattsburg, N. Y., in October, 1832, and ent ered the west half of th e so uthw est qu a rter of sectio n 32, and still occupies thi s gro und with th e additions he has made to it. H e arriv ed first a t Detr oit in th e old stea mer "Superior," and from th ere walked to Ann Arbor, where he remained five years. A t th e expi ration of that tim e he removed to hi s lan d, having in 1834 erect ed up on it a fram e hou se, sa id to have been th e firs-t in th e count y, whi ch was at th e time rega rd ed as a dwelling of considerable pretension. Th e timb er with which it was built was drawn from A nn A rbor , a distance of eight een miles, with ox-teams. At the tim e that Mr. Fonda ent ered his land, th e only near neig hbor he had was a man nam ed Cornish, who had preceded him and ent ere d 160 acres across th e lake in th e town ship of Gr ee n Oak, which was subsequ ently own ed by George W. Walker. The government road had pr evio usly been surveyed, and caused much exc itement among look ers for land , who discov ered in the forests lying adj ace nt to th e road a fine opportunity for speculation. Mr. Fon da on his arrival enjoyed th e ho sp itality of Mr. Stephen Lee, who had previously loca ted in Gr een Oak. Th e country was th en alm ost entir ely unbrok en, and num ero us Indian wigwam s dotted the bank s of the lake now BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP . known as F ond a's L ak e. In 1833 a man was pl aced upon th e farm to split rail s, and th e house h avin g been built th e follow ing ye ar , th e fam ily of Mr. F onda, on th eir a rriv al in 1835, found th e pl ace in som ethin g lik e a habit able conditi on, tl-ioug h it was not until tw o yea rs later th at th ey mad e it a permanent hom e, meanwhile res idin g in A nn A rbor. Ezra Macomb er, a nativ e of Ma ssa chu sett s, settl ed in Pl easa nt Va lley in 1834, hav ing ent ered land in th e vicinit y of that occupi ed by Rich ard Marsh. H e is now res idin g in Tu sco la Co unty . E . G. Durf ee came from Orl eans Co ., N . Y., to W as ht enaw Co., Mich., in 183 1, and removed in 1835 to th e town ship o f Bri ght on, wh ere hi s fath er had leased a farm on sec ti on 34. In th e yea r 1849 h e purch ase d a farm on se ct ions IO and 20, and has also a blacksmith- sh op, to which he devotes a porti on of hi s tim e. Cy renu s Morga n, o ne of th e active . spi rits of th e to wnsh ip, was from J efferso n Co., N . Y ., from whence he ca me to Bri g ht on in Sep temb er, 1837 . H e bought 104 acr es on secti on 28, and later dis - posed of it and purch ased th e farm he at p rese nt occupi es, embr ac ing l 50 acr es. Mr. Mo rga n has been deput y-m arshal and au ctioneer, which pos iti ons have g iven him an ext ende d ac qu aint ance th ro ugh out th e co unt y . In th e ea rly days of h is settl ement here he was a pedd ler , a nd tr aded quit e ex tensive ly with th e Indi ans in Shiawassee Co unt y. In th e year l 8 3 3 th e ch olera pr eva iled to such an ex tent in N ew Yo rk City as to indu ce many people to th ink of see kin g h omes away from th e metropo lis. A mong th em were a numb er of g ilders and oth er arti sa ns who had hea rd of th e advantages offered to se ttl ers in Michi ga n, and determin ed to pur chase land in the T errito ry , so me of th em int end ing to beco me res ide nt s here. With th at end in view, one of th eir numb er, Ri chard L yo ns, of Ne w Y ork , was intru sted with about $8000 with wh ich to ma ke pur chases in th e county of L ivin gston. H e came in 1835 and loca ted many hun dred acre s, and with such entir e sati sfacti on to th ose for wh om he ha d acted , th at in th e following y ear he was intru sted with a simil ar co mmi ssion. Th e agg rega te numb er of acres purch as ed by him was nea rly 20,000 , most of it being in thi s co unt y. Mr. L yo ns, who settl ed later up on a porti on of thi s land, was pr ece ded by Willi am V alentin e, for whom he ent ered 160 ac res on secti on 22, and wh o took po ssess ion of hi s land in 1836. H e does not see m to have met a ve ry happy ex perience in his efforts to become a pionee r farmer, for at th e end of 011e yea r th e club of gilde rs, of which he was a memb er, by a sub sc ripti on of $ IO apiece , raise d a sufficient sum to enable him to return to Ne w Yo rk and res um e hi s form er occ upation. Th e following is a list of th e pa rties for whom Mr . L yo ns ent ered land, toge th er with th e se ction s on whi ch th ey were loca ted: Fr ancis J. L e Co unt , So ac res on sec ti on 7 and 200 ac res on secti on 9 ; Sa mu el M. Co nely , So ac res on secti on 27; vVm. P ort er, 40 acres on sec ti on 20; Isaa c L. Pl att, 160 ac res on se ction 2 I , 160 ac res on se cti on I 5, So acres on sect ion 3, and th e sa me numb er on se cti on 27; "William T. Tuni s. 160 acr es on sect ion 28 an d 320 acr es on sec tion 17 ; I saac V an V oo rh es, I 60 acres on section 9 ; Willi am S. Conely , So acres on sec tion 27, So acres o n se ction 28, and So acr es on sec tion 15 ; Eva nde r D. Fi sher, So acres on secti on 28; Moses L yo ns, a go ld-beater, 160 ac res on th e sa me sec ti on ; N. T. Thur ston, a g ilder, 35 acr es on secti on 6, 160 acr es on sec ti on 4 , So ac res on sect ion 1, a nd 120 acres on section 13 ; J. McK insey, 160 acr es on sec tion 17 ; A llan Mc D onald, So ac res on sec tion 8; -- Rin g, 40 acres on sec tion S ; B. W . Conk lin , So acres on sec tion 2 1 ; R obert L. Lan e, So acr es on section 21 ; Peter H emm e!, an upholsterer, 160 ac res on sec tion 2 1 ; Geo rge vV. Ru ckl e, 40 ac res on secti on 2 1 ; vV. N . Bett s, So acres on sec tion 15, and So ac res on sec tion 14 ; L emu el F . W illiams, 160 ac res on sec tion 7; H . Thur ston, 40 ac res on sec tion 24; Jacob Bendern ag le, 480 ac res on th e sa me sec tion and 240 ac res on sec ti on 23 ; A. Woo lrabe, So ac res on section 23 and 120 ac res on sec tion 1 3 ; R obe rt L ane, So ac res on sec tion 21, So ac res on sec tion 23. and 40 ac res on sec ti on 26 ; vVilliam Pa ul, So acres on sec tion 20; J. S. vVinkl er, So acres on th e sa me secti on. M r. Lyo ns ent ered for h imse lf 160 ac res on sect ion 22 and an additional 120 acres on sec ti on 27. O f thi s numb er Mess rs. S. M. Conely, L yo ns, F isher, Willi am S. Co nely, Tuni s, and R oge rs came in 1837, and beca me per manent res ide nt s. Willi am Paul , a g ilder , found th at h is land embr ace d th e waters of a lake in th e tow nshi p, and return ed to th e city in disg ust. Mr. R oge rs work ed upo n th e farm of vVilliam S. Conely until he purchased for hims elf 40 acre s on secti on 20, and later he adde d to it anoth er 40 ac res , which he se cur ed from Conely and L e Co unt . Willi a m S. Conely adde d to th e land he ent ered 200 ac res on section 7, I 60 acr es on se cti on I 8, and 6 5 acr es on secti on 6. Much of thi s land was bought on speculati on, whil e upo n a porti on of it th e own ers se ttl ed so me yea rs later . Ri chard L yo ns with h is famil y and th e se ttl ers from New Y ork wh o acco mp anied him, left D et ro it on th e 16th of Jun e, 1837, for th eir hom es in 224 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. Livingston County, th e portion of th e township th ey locat ed in having be en known as upper Gre en Oak , until it was lat er set off as Brighton. Before leavi ng D etroit Mr. Lyons had provided him self with two farm-wagons, two yoke of oxen, three milch cows, their calv es, and a man to assist him in clearing his farm. They ar rived at th eir destination in Brighton on th e 19th of June, I 8 37. The log hous e built by William Valentine during th e brief time he remained on hi s farm afforded them all a comfortable shelte r until th ey could ere ct cabin s on th eir own land . In this littl e hous e tw elve per so ns to ok refu ge, and a few weeks later th e numb er had swelled to tw enty-two, by th e arrival of Samu el W. Conely's family from New York City, whose land was adj ace nt to th at of Mr. Lyon s. William S. Conely and Isaac L. Platt j oi ned th e littl e colony a few years later. Both of th ese early settl ers are since deceased. Mo st of these settlers built for them selve s comfortable fram e h ouses th e same year of th eir arrival, and in th ese hou ses early relig ious services were held until a school-house was built in the neighborh ood, which was for years kn own as the Lyons School-house. The first clergyma n who mini stered to th e early settl ers was Elder Cosart, th ough Eld ers Bibbins, Fleming, and Gillet also held services durin g the first settl ement of the tow nsh ip. Father Pad ley al so held very early serv ices in th e hou se of Mr. Scollard, nea r 'vVoodruff's mills . Th e second tow nship -me etin g was held at th e hou se of Ri chard Lyons, whose ho spitable wife on th at occasion prepared a dinner for th e electors, making prep;irations for sixty, but th e whole numb er pre se nt did not exceed forty, who partook with g rate ful hea rts of her hospi tality , and re-elected her hu sba nd to th e office of superv iso r. The fann ing exp eriences of th ese settlers from th e city of New York were certainly nove l, and th eir ignorance of e\·eryt hin g pertainin g to th eir calling was a sourc e of much diver sion to th eir m ore practical neig hb ors. They persev ered, h owever, and with each year came th e wisdom which is born of exp erience, until bountiful crops reward ed th eir indu stry and th ey becam e prospero us and contented. Evander Fish er, one of the N ew York emigra nts, let his farm, and remain ed in D etroit to follo w his tr ade of cabin et-m ake r, and with him Mr. Samuel M. Co nely and family remained for a time . In fact, Mr. Fish er's hou se seems to hav e been th e hospitable head quart ers of nea rly all the ear ly em igra nts who left th e comforts of New York City for the privations of the W estern wilderness. Aft er purchasing an ox-t eam, wagon, flo ur, po rk, a nd such other goods as th ey might need, Mr. Conely, with hi s ,vife, sister, and four children, started on hi s journ ey, not knowing the \Vay, and depending entir ely upon th e unc ertain guide which might be obtained from the blaz ed or mar ked tr ees along th e way. N ot being accus tomed to ox en, they h ad much troubl e in manag ing th em. On one occasion th ey became so refractory that he was wholly unable to g uide or control th em, and he called to his ass istanc e a woman whom th ey pass ed on th e way, and who very soo n brought th e stub born beas ts to term s. On reaching th e end of their journey th ey found the farm entir ely unbrok en. Mr. Val - entin e's log hou se afforded th em shelter, th oug h it see med already to be mor e th an full, Mr. Ly on and family, Mr. Tunis, and Mr. Rogers being already domiciled within its walls. For thr ee weeks th e littl e hov el contained 22 people,-the men being sen t to th e upper story for lod g ing, while th e ladi es occupied the m ore luxuriou s quarters below. But soo n a h ouse was comple ted with th e aid of Allan McDonald, to which Mr. Ro gers and Mr. Tuni s tr ansferred the families. Eld er Post, a Free-Will Baptist, cam e very early from All ega ny Co ., N. Y., and loca ted on sec tion 18. He held religio us se rvic es soon after his arrival, and is th oug ht by one or tw o old res idents to hav e been th e first pr eacher in th e tow nship, th o ugh it is almost certain that he was preceded by Elder Cosart. Eld er Atwood and R ev. Mr. Morgan, father of Cyrenus Morgan, were also ea rly mini sters. The farm of Elder Po st was purchased by Charles Pros ser, who made th e first brick in th e town ship, which were used for chimn eys, no res ident at that tim e havin g aspired to th e luxury of a brick dwelling. Ansel Crippen arriv ed in th e towns h ip from New York State in 1836, and purch ase d 120 ac res o n sectio n 7. The same year came Edward Mun~ dy from Washt enaw County, and settled on section 3 5. Robert Edgar settl ed on 80 acres on section 26, and still resides th ere. H e is prominently conn ected with th e first clearing of th e towns hip, and is kn ow n as an able expound er of divine truth. John McConn ell entered 160 acres on section 26, which he subsequ entl y so ld and became th e propri etor of a hot el on what is known as th e Gravel road, in Gre en Oak town ship. Timothy Warner on hi s ar rival here from Livingston Co., N. Y., in July, 1837, purcha sed a farm, to which he ha s since added until it now emb races 500 acres . His broth er, H. H. 'v\larner, ent ered 40 acres on sec tion I I. Smith Beach, of O nta rio Co., N. Y., ent ered 160 acres on section 22 in I 8 3 3, but did not occupy it until I 839. His family came with him, and his so n, 'vVillard Beach, now resides upon th e farm, his father hav ing died in 1849 · Aaron Beach came in ·· ..- .:_ ... RESID ENCE or GEO. W. CONELY, BR IGHTON , MI CHIGAN RESIDENCE OF SAMUEL M. CONELY , BRIGHTON, lrVING STON Co.,M1cH. BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP . 225 1838, and located upon th e so uth east qu art er of sec tion 22, and is still livin g th ere. An event occ urr ed in th e yea r 1841 which cas t its g loomy shadow over th e entir e communit y, and thr ew one of its famili es into th e mo st profo und mournin g. Merlin Doy en, from New H amp shir e, came int o th e tow nship in 1839, and being for th e tim e un abl e to obtain a house , moved with hi s family consisting of hi s wife, her father, and a lad named Mortimer, who was nea rly four years old, into th e house with Ri chard Lyon s' fami ly. At th e ex piration of one ye ar, find ing the quart ers rath er limit ed for tw o famili es, Mr . L yo ns built a small house for Mr. D oye n, allow ing him to work a portion of his land . Th e occupants too k possess ion of th e dw ellin g, whi ch was half a mil e from th e farm-hous e, early in Novemb er of 1841. About a week from that time Mr s. D oye n had occasion to go to the gard en of th eir former hom e and allowe d th e lad to acco mp any her, wrapp ing a shawl clos ely about him as a prot ection aga inst th e No vemb er wind s. Th e littl e fellow start ed full of happiness, and sugges ted to his moth er that he int end ed runnin g awa y from her. Finally, discovering his father not far away from th eir destin ation, he obt ained permi ss ion to j oin him, she mea nwhil e awaitin g his return in th e ga rd en. H e remained with hi s father a whil e, who findin g him a hindr ance to hi s labor, told him to run back to his mo ther. Mea nwhil e, Mr s. Doy en, havin g completed her tas k in the ga rd en, repaired to th e h ouse for a short call upon Mrs . Lyo ns. Th e child not findin g his mother in th e ga rd en, started in pur suit. In his ha ste he chose the wrong path, which led him away from hi s home. It was supp osed that after discover ing hi s mistak e he att empt ed to return to his father, and becoming bewi ld ered chose a cross-path, which led him a mil e from home. H ere th e child sat down upon a log, th e prints of his little feet beina b distinctly visib le in th e sa nd , as th ey were also in th e pa th. From th ere he cro sse d a wide mar sh whi ch brought him nea r the hou se of Mr. Tuni s, who distinctly hea rd his cri es as th e darknes s approach ed, as did also his g randfath er several hoqrs before. After wandering for so me hours he finally reac hed a swamp , wh ere, prob ably from exhaustion or frig ht, he lay down to th e sleep from which he never awo ke. H ere he was found th e mornin g of th e thi rd day of hi s abse nce. Meanwhile , th e neig hb or ho od had bee n aro used, and for mil es ,iround ca me kind friend s to aid in th e sea rch for th e lost one. On th e seco nd day it was arrang ed that signals should be fired to indicate their success- on e shot if he were al ive-tw o, if not. Th e distr acted moth er had bee n ap pri sed of th ese sig - nals, and was with on e of th e parties enoa"ed in b b 29 th e sea rch. She hea rd th e firin g of a g un, and, not waiting for a second shot, flew· to embrace h er littl e one. Th e scen e is desc rib ed as inexpressibly painful as th e truth was imparted to h er. She never recovered from th e shoc k, and th e sett lers who still surviv e, de sc rib e th e eve nt as th e most heart-r endin g of th eir early reco llection s. Th e follo wing is a list of th e names of res ident tax- paye rs in th e town ship of Brighton in 1843, being taken from the assess ment-roll for that year: hra el Arm s. J ohn Andrews. H arry A. Andr ews . John Ap pleto n. -Edwin Ackl ey. Seth Bid well. Mel zer Bird . Gard ner Bird. Steph en Bake r. J oh n B. Burn ham. George \V . Burc h. George D. Bailey. J ohn S. Beach. Willi nm Brown. Smit h Beac h. An sel Crippe n. J ohn Cushin g. Benjamin Cushin g. Mr s. Cu rry. Willi am Cushi ng. W illi am Cobb. Willi am Cooper. J ames Covey. J ob Cra nston. Dr. Th omas Curti s. Mary Ca rpenter. Sa muel M . Cone ly. Cushing &amp; Gord on. J acinth a Cla rk . J ohn Dean. A. P. Di ckin son. Fre el. Di ckin son. J acob us Dav is. Edw ard Durfee. Sherma n D. Dix. Franklin Dart. H . D oine. P ete r Dela mate r. R obe rt Edgar. L.B . F onda. Wi lber Fi sher. Fi eld s &amp; Appleto n. Nel son Full er. J. Goo dspeed. Malcomb F itch. W . R . Fi eld. Barak Gibbs . H ugh Gordon . F. \,V. Gooden ow. Michae l Gaffney. Eb en ll ancl. Jab ez H aight. War ren Hill. N elson H ouse. J ohn H enry. Godfre d H yne. Edmund J ohn son. J ohn J ohn son. D a,·id J olly. J o;. M. J 0hn son. Mar ena J onr clen. J:arnarc l K elley. Aaro n II. Kell ey. R obt. and Mary Kenn edy . J ohn Lane. J ames B. Lee. A lvin N. L overidge. J. B. &amp; D. R. Lee. I farv ey T_ L ee. Th omas Lea. Richard Lyon. R . L. Lan e. J acob Leroy. Moses Ly on. William McCa uley. William Noh le. Charles Norton. Nort on &amp; Power. I ssac her Osborn. J ohn O,bo rn. Osborn &amp; Post. J acob P eters. Granger Pease. J ohn W . Pe ave y, Willi am Park er. Luth er P arshall. Ow en Pierce. R. D . Power. Danie l La ne. Lectus Lane. Willi am Moo re. E zra Macomb er. J esse Mattes on. El ija h Mars h. D. C. Mars h. All en McDo nald. Willi am Palmer. Abe l Palm er. Jonathan P ost. ' ehemiah Paine. Am os Roge rs. Sumner Ross. 0. A . Ross . H . P. R uss. B. Sea rl e. Robert Slea ford . A lien Step hens. E lias Sprag ue. J ames Seed. J. A. Ste rlin g. N. Sulliv an. A nclrew Shin er. J oshu a Sheffield. Benjamin Sa wyer . 226 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. Charl es Spe ncer. Joshu a Sheffield. Gay ley Spe ncer. Alva Ferry . Jl orace T oncray . John T oncray . Ri chard T oncray. Robe rt Th omson. J ames Tay lor. A lva Perry. Perry &amp; E. Marsh. Gra~e Th ompson. Willi am Tunis. John Van Luven. Mary Valentin e. Evert Wo odruff. William Wootl . Joseph W ood . William Ward. Mrs. W'arden . Elias With ey. Whipμle &amp; Peck. F . C. Whipple. J .B . Waite. Jacob Winchell. Robert Bigham. Crawford Fox. Ross &amp; No rton. Th e larg est tax was paid by J ac intha Clark, this amount being $45 .7 I. Th e soil of the town ship of Bri ght on vari es gr eatly in localities , and may be generally described as a grav elly loam with an occasional mixtur e of sa nd and str eaks of clay. The crops that it yields, though not always abundant in quantity, ar e generally of a superior quality. -The surface is undulating, compri sing some leve l str etches of exc ellent land varied by gentle slopes. Many very picturesque lak es acid vari ety to th e surface , chi ef among which ar e Beac h Lake and School Lake in th e centre; in the south ern portion, vVoodruff Lake and a portion of Fonda Lake; and Mont Lak e on the western side ; and num erous small er bodies of water are scattered throughout th e boundari es of th e township. Ore Cr eek rises in Lon g L ake, Hartl and town ship, flows in a southerly cour se until it reache s th e town ship, wh en it mea nders along its western bo und ary. RELIGIO US. KEN SINGTON BAPTI ST CHURCH. The Bapti st denomination have had for mor e th an a qu arter of a century a society in the township of Bright on. Pr eviou s to that tim e, the at - tendant s up on th e Baptist services worshiped at Ken singt on, hence th e name of th e organization. In the year 1854, the memb ership in Brighton hav ing reached nearly 30 in numb er, it was deemed ex pedient to erect a ho use of wor ship . A plain but commodiou s stru cture wa s built, and since that time th e condition of the church has varied. Five years ago th e R ev. G. T. Ellis filled a pastoral relation with the people, and infus ed new life and energy into the soc iety. His labors hav e been greatly blesse d, both spiritually and in a tempor al sense. Th e hou se ha s been remodel ed and greatly improved, and th e member ship has reach ed 80. A flouri shin g Sabbath-school is also maint ained in connection with th e church. Gardner Spring is th e church clerk. THE · PLEASANT VALLEY WE SLEYAN METHODIST CHURCH .* Thi s church is locat ed in Pleas ant V alley, about · five miles eas t of the villag e of Brighton, on the road to Milford. The society was organized March 9 , I 873, by R ev. John C. Martin, of William ston, Ingham Co., who took ch arge of the church as its pastor, and _labored arduou sly to promote th e int erest s of the work committed to his care . At the tim e of its organizati on there were 24 member s, nea rly a ll heads of familie s, and th ey found th at much persistency was required to stem th e tide of opp os ition th at set against th em. The society held their services at th at time in what is known as th e L yon School-hou se, and notwith standin g the persistent opp os ition, their numb ers incr eased, and they ste ad ily and confidently looked ahead to the pro sperity that awaitecl them. I 11 the fall of I 87 3, R ev. J . H. Canfield was invit ed to serve them as pastor, and during th e following winter his lab ors among th em res ulted in a pow erful reviv al of religion, the influ ence of which was wid ely felt. In the spring of I 874 a proj ect was entered int o to build a hou se of wor ship, and through the energy and persistent efforts of th e pastor, assisted by some of his memb ers, sufficient subscriptions wer e rai sed to cover the entir e expe nse of th e contemp lated buildin g. Th ey looked upon th e " payas- you-go" system as being safest in th e end, hence all bi!ls wer e promptly paid; and wh en the church was complet ed , it was dedicated to th e Lord as free property, without a ri1ortgage or debt. Th e church is 48 feet long by 32. feet wide, and the posts are 18 feet high. Th e sea ts are so arranged as to comfortably sea t abo ut 250 persons. Mr. Thoma s Hunt er took the contr act for buildin g , and th e work was ex ecut ed conscientiously, and to the entire satisfaction of the committ ee. It was complet ed. and dedic ated in the fall of 1874, and a larg e congr ega tion listened to the dedicato -ry sermon pr eached by R ev. Adam Cro oks, of Syracu se , N. Y., who was called a few months after to enter hi s eternal rest. The whole cost of buildin g the church, as report ed by the bo ard of tru stees, was $1727.50. The society having a house of wor ship of th eir own , took new courage, and as th ey put forth increas ed. effort s to improve the moral condition of th e community , th ey were permitted to see a cor ~ responding deg ree of incr ease in the interests of th e society. New members were add ed from time to tim e, and many who had not bee n in sympathy with th em· attend ed th eir meetings. * Pr epared by the pastor. BRIGHTON TOWNSHIP . 227 In 1874 another society was formed in the village of Brighton by the pastor, and 8 of the me~bers of the Valley Church, who resided near Bri ghton, withdrew and unit ed with that church. · They were somewhat weaken ed by the withdrawal of th ese memb ers, but were comforted with the thought that they were sending a part of their number to labor in an adjoining community for the extension and establishment of thos e principle s which they had struggled so hard to defend. Shortly after the organization of this new society, another society was formed in Milford township, the three societies thus established being connect ed with an older society at Kensington, six miles from Brighton, and the whole formed a charge or circuit, to be known as the Kensington and Brighton charge. Rev. J . H. Canfield served the charg e as pastor until September, 1875, when Rev. D. A . Richards became his successor, and entered upon the duties assigned him . He was the first Wesleyan pastor whose family had accompanied him to the charge, and th ey soon found a residence in the village of Brigh- ~on, and a home in the hearts of the people. The church at Pleasant Valley was much the strongest, numerically and financially, and th ey assumed more than one-third (nearly one-half) of the pastor's salary, which proportion th ey have continued to assume ; and it may be said to their credit that they pay promptly the amount of their apportionment. The congregations incr ease d under th e labors of the new pastor, and the attachment betwe en pastor and people became very strong. On one occa sion they manife sted their appreciation of his services by me eting at the church for a donation, and leaving for his benefit about $ 150. He held a series of meetings, at which time several member s were brought into the church as a result of his labors. He served the church as pastor two year s. In September, 1877, they again exchanged pastors, and call ed to the work Rev. E. vV. Bruce, who still labors with them as pastor of the charge. He moved his family also to Brighton, a_nd dwells among his people. Two series of meeting ~ !;ave been held by him with the · church at the · Valley, each being attended with a · meas ure of suc&lt;:ess and resulting in some conversions and acc essions to the church. The first year the people expressed their esteem by a donation, leaving for the · benefit of the pastor and family about $165, and repeated their appreciative act during the present year by a similar donation amounting to $201.25. · The society commenced with 24 memb e rs, and an average attendance at services of from 3q to 35. Since that time the membership has readied 76, and there is now an average attendance of from 120 to 1 30 persons. From the 76 members receiv ed one has died, eleven have been granted letters of dismis sal, and three have been dropped from the membership without letters. In the spring of I 879 the society purchased a Beatty organ, and the use of it in the church is productive of increased interest in connection with the Sabbath services. At the last Conference, in September, 1878, an associate pastor was obtained, in the person of Rev. M. Cuthbert, whose services were rende ·red necessary because of new ground that had been entered upon, thus making too large a field for one pastor, and an exchange of appointments has been so arranged that he preaches at the Valley Church once in three weeks. The united labors of the two pastors have been attended with success, and the future prospects of the Pleasant Valley Society are encouraging. BRIGHTON GRANGE, No. 336. The Brighton Grange charter bears date March 25, 1874, and is signed by the following officers of the National and State Granges: National Grange, Dudley W. Adams, M.; 0. H. Kelley, Sec. State Grange, S. F. Brown , M.; J. T. Cobb, Sec. Charter members .: J.B. Thurb er, M.; W. H. H. Dean, 0.; D. Thomson, L.; A. D. Newman, S. ; Ira Bradley, A. S.; S. Bidwell, C.; C. Jacobs, T.; G. Bradley, Sec.; E. C. Sears, G. K.; Mrs. N. E . Bidwell, Ceres; Mrs. M. L. Dean, ~omona; Mrs. A. L. Palmer, Flora; Mrs. S. A. Thomson, L. A. S.; G. A. Blain, L. G. Bitten, Charles Hyne, Jeannette Newman, Eunice Jacobs. The Brighton Grange has devoted itself more especially to the discussion of agricultural topics and subjects which should int erest farmers, and has aimed by frequent intercourse to develop _the social qualities of its members. The secretary has furnished the . following statistics: cost of hall, . $300; amount of goods for one year, $247; amount of farm implements, $215; amount of musical instruments, _$ 390; amount of seeds,$ I 76.61 ; plaster for three years, 30 tons per year, $301.50; 25 tons refuse salt, $ 100. Goods were purchased for but one year, the grange not desiring to engage extensively in mercantile transactions. . The following are the officers for I 879: S. Bidwell, M.; G. Bradley, 0.; J. B. Thurber, Lee.; J. McClements, S.; D.S. Kiernan, A. S.; S. M~Clements, C.; s:;.A . Bidwell, T.; William Palmer, Sec .; J. C. ·Newman, G. K.; Miss Maggie McC!ements, Ceres; Miss Minnie S. Kiernan, Flora; Miss Julia Sleaford, Pomona; Mrs . Rachel Newman, L.A. S. The follo.wing is a list of township officers elected in Brighton since its organization: 228 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. 1838.-Ri chard L yon, Supe rvisor; William N oble, T own ship Clerk ; Melzer llird, ll enjamin Blai n, , Villiam Palmer, Assesso rs; Maynard Maltby, Phi lip S. Hub bell, Ju stices of th e Peace; Elias Withey, Colle ctor; F. W. Goodenoe, Ezra Macomber, Directors of the Poo r ; J oshua Sheffield, Abram D ean, l\lal colm Fitch, Hi ghw ay Commissioners; \ Villiam Vv. War d, Elias Sprague, Cyren us Morga n, School In spect ors. 1839.-Richnrd Ly on, Supervi sor; John G. Spencer, T ownship Clerk; Elia s Sprag ue, Trea surer; , varren J. Acker, Melzer Bird, Richard Lyon, Assessors; J oshua Sheffield, Elias Sprague , H. A. Armstrong, Hi ghway Commissioners ; \Villiam N ohle, J ohn G. Spe ncer, Maynarcl Maltby, School In spectors; Char les Prosse r, Collector. 1840.-J ohn \ V. Peavey, Supervis or; \Vilber Fish er, T ownship Clerk; 0. A. Full er, F. \V. Gooden oe, R. T oncray , Assesso rs; Elijah Fitch, Ju stice of th e Peace; E. W ood - ruff, J ob Cra nston, Seth Bidwell, Hi ghway Commi ssioners; L. B. Fonda, Collector; J. A . Sterling, A. Vvhalen, Charl es Se nt ill, School In spectors ; Willi am McCa uley, Treasurer. 1841.-Smith Beach, Superv isor; John G. Spen cer, T ownship Clerk; Aaron Beach, Tr easurer; Eli,ha Billing s, Ju stice of the Peace. 1842.-J ohn \V . Pea vey, Supe rvisor ; Charl es S. N orton, Clerk; llenjamin Cushin g , Tr easurer; L ewis B. F ond a, Israe l Arm s, Assessors ; J . H . Buck, H orace T oncray, Directors of the Poo r ; F. C. \Vhipple, I ra P . Bingham, George Vv. Peck, School In spe ctor s. 1843.-S eth Bidwell, Superv isor; Coryd on Lee, T ownship Clerk; ·Benjami n Cushin g, Trea sur er ; Willi am Brown, Job Cranston, Assessors ; Freel C. \ Vhipple, Ira P. Bin gham, Sch ool In specto rs ; Israel Arms, Robe rt D. Powe r, Ju stices of the Peace_ 1844.-John \V. Peavey , Superv isor; Corydon Le e, T ownship Clerk; H orace T oncray, Tr easurer ; J aspe r H. Buck, Aaron H. K elly, Assessors; Wilb er Fi sher, School In - specto r; R oher t D. Power, Ju stice of the Peace . 1845 .- George W . Peck, Sup ervisor; Wm. R . Cobb, T own ship Clerk; Orlando A. Ful ler, Tre asurer ; H orace T oncray , Ju stice of th e Peace ; Aaron H. Kelly, Solom on S. Sand ers, Assessors; \ Villiam A. Clark, School In spector. 1846.-Smith ll each, Supervisor; T. D. Fi sh, Town ship Clerk; Era stus A. Pratt, Ju stice of the Peace; J ohn D. Appleton, Tr eas urer; Ne lson Full er, Elias Sprague, Assesso rs; . Ir a P. Bin gham, \V ill iam No ble, Schoo l In spectors. 1847.-S pauldin g M. Case, Sup ervisor; Moses B. H ess, Town ship Clerk ; Israe l Arms, Ju stice of the Peace; , villiam Cushing, Treasurer; Amos Foster, Sch ool Inspect or. 1848.-Spaulding M. Case, Supervisor; Trum an D. Fish, T ownship Clerk; R vbe rt D. Power, Ju stice of th e Peac e ; J ohn T onc ray, Tr easurer . 1849 .-Willi am A. Clark, Supervisor; Jasper H. Buck, Town ship Clerk; Benjamin P. Vealey, Tr easurer; ll orace Ton cray, F. 'Williams, Ju stices of the Peace ; Nelson Fuller, Job Cran ston, Assessors ; Truman D. Fi sh, School In spec tor. 1850.-Nelson Full er, Supervi sor; J ohn R. Butterfield, Township Cler k ; Ir a W. Case , J ohn Yerin gton, Ju stices of the Peace; Benjam in P. Vea ley, Trea surer; Ira P. Bingham, School In spector. 1851.-Lyman Jud son, Superyi sor; R os\\ ell Barnes, T ownship Clerk; F loyd Williams, Ju stice of the Pence; Ne lson T uncr ay, Tr easurer ; George \V. Peck, School In spec tor. 1852.-Lyman Jud son, Supervisor; J ohn R. Butterfield, Town ship Clerk; Nelson T oncray, Treasurer; R obert D. Power, Ju stice of the Peace; Ira P. Bingham, School In spector. 1853.-L yman Jud son, Supervi sor; Orland o A. Fu ller, T ownship Clerk; J ohn Yeringt on, Ju stice of the P~ace ; Fr ed. D. Acker, Tr east!rer ; Nelso n Ton cray, Scho ol In spec tor. 1854 .-L ewis B. F onda, Superv isor; J ohn R. Butt erfield, T own - shi p Cle rk; Sam uel M. Conely, Tr easur er ; Lyman Ju dson, Ju stice of the Peace; Geo rge E. Smith, School In spe ctor. 1855.-L ewis B. F onda, Sup ervisor ; John R. Butt erfield, T own - sh ip Clerk; Samuei M. Conely, Tr easur er ; J ohn E . W eicher s, School In pector; Willi am S. Conely, Chester Th omson, J ustices of the Peace . 1856.-J ames B. L ee , Superv isor ; J ohn R. Butt erfield, T ow nship Clerk; Fred . D. Ack er , Trea surer; Ira W. Case , N elson Toncray, Ju stices of the Peace. 1857.-S pauldi ng M . Case, Supervi sor; Willi am J . McHench, T ow nshi p Clerk; Frederick D. Ack er, Treas urer; Ira P. Bingham, School In spec tor. 1858.- L ewis B. Fonda, Supervi sor; Geo rge ,v. R ose, T own ship Clerk; Samuel M. Conely, Tr easurer; Ro swell Barnes, Ju stice of th e Peace ; Augu stus Reiner, Sch ool Inspec tor. I 859. - Spau ldin g M. Case, Supervisor; E gbert F . Al bright, T ownsh ip Clerk ; El i L. Soule, Tr easur er; Lyman Ju dso n, Spafford E . ,v oodh ull, ~chool In spect ors. 1860. -L yman Ju dso n, Supe rvisor; L evi D. Cook, T ownship Clerk; Eli L. Soule, Tr easure r; Danie l C. Marsh, Ju stice of the Peace; E gbe rt F. Albright, Sch ool In spector . 186 1.- Lyman Ju dson , Supervi sor ; J ohn G. Spenc er, Town ship Clerk; A. Sea rs, Tr easurer ; Will arLl A. Beac h, Ju stice of the Peace; Ri chard Ly on, School In spector. 1862.-L yman Ju dson, Supervi sor ; \Villi nm J. i\IcH ench, T ownship Clerk; Myro n G. H odges , Tr eas urer; Ira ,v. Case, Ju stice of th e Peace; Levi D. Cook, School In spect or. 1863.- \Vh eaton Hi cks, Sup ervisor; Will iam J . McH ench, Township · Clerk; Tim othy \Varn er, Tre asurer; J ohn Ca rter, J ustice of the Peace. 1864.-Record inc ompl tte . 1865.- J ohn Carter, Superv isor; H enn an C. H ouse , T owns hip Cle rk; Will ard A. Bea ch, Ju stice of the Peace; Timoth y \Varne r, Trea surer; R. J. Lyon, Schoo l In specto r. 1866. -J ohn Carter , Supe rvisor; Geo rge P. Dud ley, T own ship Cle rk; Edgar G. Durfee, Tr easur er; William J . Mcllen ch, School In spector; H erman C. H ouse, Ju stice of the Peace, 1867.-Wh eato n J. Hick s, Supervisor; Solomon I. King, T ownship Clerk ; John Carter, Samuel M. Conely, Ju stice s of the Peace; \Villi am Kin g, Tre asurer; Orson W. T ock, School In spector. 1868.- \Vheato n Hi cks, Supervi sor ; Herman C. H ouse , T ow nship Clerk; Benjamin T. 0. Cink, Ju stice of th e Peace ; J ose ph E. Placeway, Tr easurer ; Ri chard Lyon, Schoo l In spector. 1869.- Wh eaton Hi cks, Supervi sor; J oh n W . Power, T own ship Clerk; Samuel M. Conely, Ju stice of the Peace; Jose ph E. Pl ace way, Tr easur er ; Orson \V.' T ock , J ames \V . Edgar, School In spec tors. 1870.-Wh eaton Hi cks, Superv isor; Willi am B. Cushin g, T ownship Cle-rk ; H erman C. H ouse, Ju stice of the Peace; · Tho .mas F. Lown, Tr easurer; Egb ert F. Albright, School In spector. 1871.- John Carter, Super visor; Milt on Th omas , T ow nship Clerk; J ohn Carter, Ju stice of the Peace; Th omas F . L own, T reasurer ; Ri chard J. Ly on, School In spec tor. 1872.-John Carter, Supervi,o r; Mi lton Th om,1s, T ownship Clerk; J osep h E. Placeway, Tr easu rer; Eugene Hi cks, School In spector; R obe rt WaHler, Ju stice of th e Peace. 1873.-Jam es B. Thurb er, Supervisor; · J ohn \V. Power, T ownship Clerk; Wheaton Hi cks, Ju stice of the Peace ; Josep h E. Placeway, Tr easur er; Ri chard J . Ly ons, School In spec tor. 1S74.-Lym a:1 Jud son, Supe rvisor; J ohn E. W eich ers, Town ship Clerk; Charl es A. H oldrid ge, Tr eas urer ; Eugene Hi cks, Scho ol I nspcctor. • BRIGHTON TOW N SHIP. 229 1875. -Wh eaton Hicks, Supe r visor; J ohn E . \¥e ichers, T ow nship Clerk ·; Charl es A . H oldridge, T reasurer; Lu cia n B. Stew art , Super int ende nt of Schoo ls ; Eugene Hi cks, School In spector. 1876.-v Vheaton Hi cks, Supe rvisor; Henry P. Martin , T own ship Cle rk; G. C. We stph al, Trea sure r; vVilliam M. Power, Da vid Pitkin, Ju stic es of the P eace; Lu cian B. Stewart , Super int end ent of Schools ; Eug ene Hick s, School In spector. 1877 .-Jam es B. Thurb er, Super visor; Nic holas Kenn ecly,_T ownshi p Cle rk ; Godrr ey C. Westp hal, Tr easurer ; Wh eaton Hi cks, Ju stice of th e Peace; Luc ian B. Stewart, Superintende nt of Schools ; Aug ustus R einer, School Inspector. 1878.- J ohn Carter, Supe rvisor; Charl es H . Bro wn , T ownshi p Cler k ; Augu stus Reiner, Tr easurer ; Th omas T. T un is, Ju stice of the Peace; E ugene Hi cks , Schoo l In specto r. 1879 .- Eu ge ne H icks, Supervisor; Charles H. Brown, T ow nship Cle rk ; Augu stus R einer, Tre asurer; J ohn Cart er, Geo. vV. Stewart, Ju stices of the Pe ace; Luci an B. Stewa rt, Sc hool Supe r intend ent; Ri chard J . Ly on, School Inspector. B I O G RA P H I C A L S K ET C H E S. HO N. JOHN CARTER is of Iri sh birth and parentage. Hi s father, Jul ian Carter, em ig rated to thi s country from Ir eland in 182_1, and settl ed in Oswego, N. Y. He was a farmer, m erc hant, and lumb er-m anufactur er, and was acti vely engage d in bu siness until hi s death, which occu rr ed in 187 3. John , his only child, was born in Qu ee ns Co., .Ir eland , Oct. 10, 1820. Soon after his birth hi s moth er died, and he was rear ed by hi s g rand pa rent s. He att end ed sc hoo l until he att ained hi s eig hte enth yea r, when he join ed th e" con st_ab ulary, " a corps of men empl oye d by th e gove rnm ent to preserve order; he served in this organization until 1845 , when he came to Am er ica, where he j oi 11ed his father, with whom he was asso ciat ed in bu siness for thre e yea rs. A t thi s time he made an ex tend ed tour through Michiga n, preparatory to choosing a home th ere. Th e following spring he removed to Milford, Oakland Co ., and was engaged in a flo urin g-mill until th e spr ing of 1850, when, deciding to enga ge in farm - ing, he purcha sed eighty ac res of partiall y improv ed land, upon which h e remained until 1856, wh en he so ld and removed to Pleasant Vall ey , wh ere he purcha sed two hundr ed acres of land which he now owns . He h as sinc e add ed to it tw o hundr ed acres; his pr ese nt farm is consid ere d to be one of the mo st valuable in th e county. Mr. Ca rter not only occupi es a promin ent position among th e rep rese ntativ e men and leadin g farm ers of th e county, but has identified him se lf largely with th e politics of his district, county, and town . For several yeai·s he repr esent ed Bright on upon the Boa rd of Supervisors, wh ere he was considered an abl e and efficient member . H e was elected to th e Le g islature in 1872, and se rved in th e ex tr a sessions of 1873 and 1874. He wa s aga in nominated in I 874, and although Living ston County is larg ely D emocr atic, he was defeated by only fifteen votes. In hi s own town his integrity and ability hav e won for him an enviable position, as is evidenced by th e fact th at at hi s election in 187 5, as ma gistrat e, he received every vot e in th e town ship but th ree . April 19, 1849, Mr. Carter marri ed Jea nnett e, daught er of J ohn and Jane L ambi e, of Camd en, N. Y . She was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, J an. 30, 1827. In I 83 I th e family emig rat ed to thi s country, and settl ed in Camd en, On eida Co ., N . Y., where Mr. Lambi e p ur sued hi s former avoc ation, th at of a dairy man and stock -dealer; he was a shr ewd , enterpri sing man, and p ossesse d of m ore than ordinar y energy and determin ation. H e died in Camden in 1834. It may be trul y sa id of Mr. Cart er th at h e has been " th e archit ect of hi s ow n fortune." Commencin g life in a new countr y, with only hi s natur al reso urc es for his capit al, he ha s attain ed succ ess in all his un de rtakin gs. AARON H . KELL EY. Aaron H. K elley was born in th e town of Shaftsbur y, Be nn ington Co., Vt., Jun e JO, 1805, and first came to Michigan in th e sp rin g of 1830 . H e return ed to V ermot1t th e subseq uent fall, and remain ed th ere until 1833, wh en he aga in came to Michigan and lived in Dixboro', Washt enaw Co., until 1837, durin g which year he removed to th e farm he had loca ted in Brighton tow nship . He also built , in 1837, a saw -m ill a nd opera ted it for some tim e. Thi s mill, operated by water-power, was known far and wide in tho se ea rly day s, and furni shed the lumb er for many of th e first buildings erected in Livingston County . About the last work done by thi s pion ee r mill was saw ing a quantity of plank for th e D etroit and H owe ll Plank -road . Mr. K elley sold his first purchase, known as th e Clark farm, and purch ased one ' adjoin ing of the vVinchells, takin g possess ion of it in 1837; he occupied a log hous e (built by Jacob Win chell, and one of the first in Bri ght on) until I 846 , wh en he removed to a frame h ouse near hi s mill. In 1836, while resid ing in Dixb oro', he married Miss Emeline Grimes ~ a native of New York. She, hi s faithful companion in th e hard pioneer stru gg le of early years, died in 1849. In 1851 he was mar ried to Miss Mary I. Murray, who, before her marria ge , had been engag ed for several yea rs in 230 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. -school-t eachin g. Sh e taug ht thr ee months in Gr een ·o ak town ship , and for eight yea rs was a preceptr ess in various scho ol-room s, both in Li ving ston and Oakland Countie s. · Mrs . K elley was th e da ughter of Fred er ick Murray, and was born in th e to·wn of Victor, Ontario ·Co., N. Y., in 1825. Sh e accompanied her fath er -and th e oth er memb ers of the family to th e township of Farm ington, Oakland Co ., Mich ., where Mr. Murray purchased eighty acres of land . In 184 1 he mov ed to Gr een Oak township, Livin gs ton .Co., and bou ght one hundr ed and tw enty acres. Hi s death occurred in th e latt er township. All of .Mrs. Kelley's family are now deceased except herse lf and two brothers, one res idin g on th e old farm in Gr een Oak, and th e oth er in L e R oy township , In gham Co., Mich . Th eir father was a fa rmer, and had a family of eig ht children . Mr. Kelley is also dec ease d,-his death occurrin g Oct. .26, 1877. REV . IRA WARNER, a mini ste·r of th e denomination known as Chri stians , and who trac es his ancestry back to Col. Seth Warner, of Revolution ary fame, was born in Van Bur en, Onond aga Co., N. Y., Nov. IO, 1809, and is on e of a family of four childr en. His ed ucation was derived from th e common sch oo ls of th e time . At th e age of nin e y ears-(A ug. 16, 1818) he was depriv ed of a father's care, th e latt er's death occurring at that date . Th e son remained upon the fa~m until he was eighteen, and on th e 27th of D ecember, 1829. when a little past tw enty years of ~ge, was marri ed to Miss L aur a Foster, th e eldest of a family of thirt een childr en, and herse lf but sixtee n yea rs old. The same winter Mr .. Warner pre ache d hi s first sermo n in th e sc ho ol-hou se wh ere h e had first att end ed school. After th at he did not preach again for ten years, paying his wh ole attenti on to his farm. Aft er changing his loc ation sev - eral time s, he. mov ed with his family, in 1839, to Monroe Co ., Mich ., and settled in th e town ship of Milan, where ~-e purcha sed sixty acres of heav ilytimb ered l~nd. · Before clearing it up he bega n preaching, his calls being so num ero us he could !lot attend to them all. Aft er rema inin g ten years in Milan he trad ed his place for a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Br ig hton town ship , Living ston Co., to which he remov ed , and upon which h e now lives , hi s wife of nearly fifty years occupyin g it with him. Mr. Warner has pre ach ed in near ly eve ry school-house in Livin gs ton County, and attend ed all the fun erals in th e neig hborh ood, yet for thirty-nin e years' preaching and various services he ha s not received a total compensation of thre e hundred dollars. D urin g one of his en gage ment s, which required hi s pres ence every alternate Sunday, the distanc e to th e place being twenty-fiv e mil es , he succ eeded in procuring a hors e, but no sadd le, and in lieu of th e latt er used blank ets, with strings of ba sswood -bark for stirrups. He ha s twice rece ived the appointm ent of miss ion ary to thi s portion of the State. Th e summ er of 1879 was the first for many years th at he did not fill reg ular appointments for pr eaching, but ill hea lth pr eve nt ed. Mr. and Mrs. Warner are th e pare nts of six childr en, of whom one died, a~d th e oth ers are marri ed and living in hom es of th eir own. MELZER BIRD was born in Berk shir e Co., Mass., in April, 1805 , being one of a family consisting of seve n girls and five boys. Hi s ancestors were English. In 18 I 5 hi s father remov ed to Ontario Co., N. Y ., with th e family. Th e son was employed on hi s fath er's farm until he was seventeen years of age, wh en he bega n learnin g the co ope r's trad e with hi s uncle Win slow, remainin g with the latter seven years: For thr ee years subsequ ently he conduct ed a shop of his own. On th e 26t h of October , 1829, he went to Rom e, · N. Y. , and was mar ried to Miss L aur a A. W entworth. R et urnin g to hi s hom e, he continued working at hi s trad e until 1833 , when he came to Livingston Co., Mich ., and purch ased th e one hundr ed and tw enty ac re farm upon which he now resides, in th e tow nship of Brighton. H e h as sinc e purcha sed two hundr ed and forty acr es additional. In the spring of 1834 he brought his wife and two childr en to th eir home in th e West. Durin g his reside nce in thi s St ate he ha s erected one hundr ed and thr ee buildings for various parties, and for 'the first ten years eve ry coffin used within a rad ius of ten miles was made by his hand s. His childr en are eight in numb er, viz., Francis A ., Catharine, Julia, Adeline, Gilb er t ( deceased), Oliv er ( deceased), Margaret ( decease d), and Harri et ( deceased). His faithfu l and loving wife died April 23, 1869 . Mr . Bird 's barn was th e first one built in th e township of Brighton , and his log hou se th e fourth one in th e sa me territor y . Mr. Bird has been a memb er of the Presbyteriari Church since 1826. In politics he is a sturdy, staunch R epublican. THOMAS WOULDS. South Kyme, Linc olnshir e, England, is the birthplace of the gentleman named abov e. He was one of the oldest in a family of nine childr en, his father being a farmer. Th ~ son, until he was REV . I RA WARNER. MRS.·/ RA WARN ER. MELZER BIRD . MRS . MELZER BIRD . - BRiqHTON TOWNSHIP. tw ent y-on e yea rs of age , work ed by the yea r at farmin g , and after attainin g to th at age was empl oyed for thre e yea rs on public work s. Sept. 2 I, 1852, he was marri ed to Miss Ann a Abb ott , and thr ee weeks later embark ed in a sailin g-vesse l for Am erica. Aft er reachin g New York City he pro - ceeded to H onesda le, Penn sylva nia, wh ere he remained on e and a half year s. He th en came to Michi ga n, and, in co mp any with hi s b roth er J ohn, purcha sed two hundr ed and forty acr es of land in th e to wnship of Bri ghton , wh ere he now lives. Thi s was in th e fall of 1855. Hi s broth er died in 1858, after gjv ing a deed for his sh are of th e place to Th omas . In 1867, Mr. Would s, in company with Mr. W arn er, bought the old " Wo odruff Mill, " and after ex pendin g considerable money in repairs, op erat ed it about five years. Conn ected with th e m ill was a farm of one hundr ed and ten acr es. In 1872 th e copartn ership was disso lved, and Mr. Would s retain ed the m ill, whil e Mr. Wa rner too k th e farm . In th e sprin g of 1878 , Mr . ·would s so ld th e mill to Mr . Nye, and return ed to hi s farm, up on whi ch h e has sinc e remain ed. Hi s place contains on e hun d red and sixt y acr es, including eight een acr es o f timb er, and is finely improv ed. Miss Ann a Abbott, wh o became th e wife of Mr . W oulds , was on e of a family of seve n childr en, and th e daught e_r of a farm er. H er sister m arri ed a man named Youn g, and emig rated with him to A merica, and th ey induc ed Mr. and Mrs. W ould s to follow th em, with wh at succ ess is see n in th e forego ing . GEORG E W. CON ELY. Geo rge W . Con ely was born in New Y ork City , on Chri stma s-day, 1828. Hi s fath er, S. M. Co nely , was a carver and g ilder by tra de, and in compa ny with a large numb er of his fellow-tr ades men ca me to Li ving sto n Co., M ich ., in 1837. G. W. Conely stay ed with hi s father and work ed on the farm in Bri ght on until he was tw enty- one, after which he work ed out at farmin g for thr ee year s, rece iving eleve n dollars per month for his services th e first y ear and twelve th e oth er tw o. Oct. 25, 1853, he was marri ed to M iss Eli za N . W arner, da ught er of R ev. Ira W arner, an ea rly settl er in the town ship of Bri ghton . On e so n and four daug ht ers were b orn to th em ; tw o of th e child ren are now decease d. A fter his marri ag e Mr . Conely rent ed a farm near hi s fath er's for one y ear , an d dui'in g th e tim e p urcha sed th e farm up on which he now resides . H e ha s add ed t o it forty-ei ght acr es, makin g one hun - dr ed and t wenty -eig ht acres alto ge th er. T wentythr ee ye ars after he was marri ed hi s wife d ied , leaving him and thr ee chil d ren to mourn her loss . Two yea rs later (M arch 12, 1878) he was marri ed to Mrs. Alice L emoni on, daught er of Corn elius Wilt se, on e of th e pioneer s of Shi awassee Co., Mich. Thi s lady was born in Shi awa ssee County , Jul y 27, I 846, and is one ofa family of four childr en. At th e age of tw enty-one h er first marriag e was consumm ated, her hu sband dy ing eight year s later. By him she had on e child, which is now livin g with her. H er marria ge with Mr. Conel y took place on th e sam e day with the go lde n wed din g of th e latt er's pare nts, th e ceremony being perform ed by R ev . Ira W arner, fath er of Mr . Conely 's first wife. Mr. Conely's eldest daught er, E lla, died at the age of tw enty yea rs, shortly after her return from D etro it, at which city she had been perfectin g herself in mu sic. vVhen, in 1854, Mr. Conely m ove d up on his pr ese nt pl ace, not a tr ee had been cut nor any improvement s made; but th e lapse of twentyfive yea rs has witn esse d its tr ansition int o a pro -,. ductiv e and finely-improv ed homestea d. SAMUEL M. CON E LY. Mr . Conely was born in th e city of Ne w Yo rk , on the 26th of Septe mber, 1806, and early lea rned th e tr ade of a car ver and g ilder. Hi s fath er, J eremiah Co nely, was a seam an, and was born at a pla ce called Sn ow Hill, in Ma ry land, abo ut 1766. Hi s moth er was born at th e eas t end of Lon g Island . Hi s a ncestors were am ong th ose wh o cam e to Am erica with th e famous L ord Baltim ore. M r. Co nely was on e of a family of seven chil dren,-thr ee sons and four daug ht ers,- of whom al l are deceased except hi s sister E lea nor an d hims elf. Hi s fath er died wh en th e so n was fifteen yea rs old, a nd th e latt er, at th e age of sixteen, was appr entic ed on Fult on Str eet, N ew Y ork City, to learn the tr ade above sp oken of. Th ere he remained until he was tw enty -one. On the 12th of March , 1828 , he was marri ed to Miss R ebecca Southard. F or sever al yea rs th erea fter he continu ed to work at h is tr ade. In 1837 he st arted, with h is wife and four childr en, for Livin g - ston Count y , Mich ., and after a pa ssage to Buffalo by canal , th ence to D etro it by stea mer, th ey purch ase d a yo ke of cattl e, a wagon, a cow, and a barrel ea ch of pork and flour , loa ded up and dro ve th ro ugh to th eir new hom e. Mr . Con ely purch ase d on e hundr ed acr es of government land , which has since been his hon1e. Hi s childr en are eight in numb er, as follows : George \V., marri ed and livin g in Bright on town ship ; Willi am B., a portr ait paint er, married a nd res idin g in D etroit; Benjamin F ., livin g on a farm of his own in thi s to wnship ; J ohn A. , living on his farm in Illin ois ; Fr ancis M., occupy ing a farm in Bright on town- I I I I I I I I I I ! ' 232 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COlJNTY, MICHIGAN. ship; Thomas J., on his own farm in Brighton; Henry, deceased ; and Mary E., marri ed and living in this township. H enry died at his father's house, Feb. 14, 1873. Mr. Conely has twenty living grandchildren. During three winters aft er his settlement in Michi ga n, he return ed to New York and worked at his trade to earn money with which to provide for his family. Mrs . Conely was one of nine children, and was born on Long Island, July 5, 1809. H er ancestors were among the first settlers of th e island. Both her own and Mr. Conely's moth er died in Michigan. The h o use first built by Mr. Cone ly is yet standing; but h e now occupie s a new and more mod ern structure erected in 1876. In 1878, Mr. and Mrs. Conely celebrat ed their golden wedding, and at the happy gathering guests were present from Nebraska, Illinoi s, and Lansing and D etroi t, Mich . A la·rge number of pr ese nts commemorative of the occasion were received by the aged pair , who for fifty years-much more than the average length of man's existence -h ave together buffeted the reverses, and tast ed the joys of life. 0. K . VAN AMBURG. An example of what can be accomplished by perseverance and stern determination is pres ent ed in the case of Mr. Van Amburg. He was born D ec. 16, 1803, in Milton, Saratoga Co, N . Y., and hi s father supported the family by day labor, having fourteen childr en dependent upon him . Th e son, when tw elve years of age, left hi s home and worked by the month at farming unti[ he was twenty-on e. Shortly after attaining his majority he started for Michigan on foot, in company with hi s oldest brother, Matthew. After a hard journey of fifteen day s, they arrived in Oakland County, in the latt er State. The first job was one in which they worked four days for an axe. They then took a job of clea ring and fencing twelv e acres of land, in order to earn some mon ey. The younger brother, with the proceeds of hi s work, purchased eighty acres of timbered land in the township of Novi. During the first two years of his residence in the State he was sick fourteen months. March 15, 1829, he was married to Miss Mary Ann Taft, daughter of one of the first sett lers of Novi. For a year he worked with his fath er-in-law, and then moved upon his own place. Four years later he sold out and entered one hundred and sixty acres of govern ment land in the same township, upon which he remain ed until 1845. In the latter year he exc hanged for a farm of one hundred and seven acres on th e D etroit and Grand River Turnpike. In December, 1850, his wife died, after having borne him seve n childr en. In August, 1851, he marri ed Miss Amanda M. Brown, who became the moth er of two children. Hi s children by his first wife were Louisa M., Or sto n T., Harriet Ann, William H., Joseph T., Henry W ., and Daniel O.; by his second wife, Albert A. and Charles W. Mr. Van Amburg's anc estors lived for many years in Saratoga Co., N. Y. His parents both died in Michigan, at th e home of th eir so n. His childr en all reside in Livingston County, ex cept two,-a married daughter in Oakland County and a married son in Ogemaw County. In 1857, Mr. Van Amburg exchang ed his la st-m ention ed farm for one of two hundred and forty acres in Brighton township, Livingston Co., and is now living ju st across the line from his first building-spot in this county. For ten years he was a ju stice of the peace, and also for a number of years commissioner of highways. W. C. SEARS. Mr. Sears was born in Fabrus, N. Y ., D ec. 20, l 812, bein g one of a family of six children. Hi s father, who was a farm er, mov ed to Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1829, and purchased forty acres of land near that plac e. Th e son work ed for his father several years. At the age of twenty-on e h e commenced to work at the carp enter's trad e, continuing for a short time. In February, 1846, he came to the town ship of Brighton, Livingston Co., purchased about two hundr ed acres of land, and built a log hou se, th e remains of which are yet standing. About tw elve y ears later, he built the hous e he now occupies. March 14, 1853, he marri ed Miss Elvira Toncr ay , who bor e him a son,-Pitt,-his birth occurring Feb. 3, 1854. The son is now living with his wife on the farm, he having married Miss Ada Trav erse, Dec. 1 l, 1878. Mrs. W. C. Sears died July 17, 1878. Even at th e date Mr. Sears settled in Brighton th e country was yet new, and no improvements had been made on the land he purcha sed. D ee r, wild turkey s, and wolves abounded. Mr. Sears -carried hi s wheat to D etroit, and sold it for fifty cent s a bushel, making the trip with his tea m of oxen. He has at present one hundred acres of land under cultivation . . _ . .._·. . ~-·-.·. ·. . ... RESIDENCE ..Qt: MRS . MARVIN ·GASTON . HANDY TOWNSHIP. THE terri tory de sign ated in th e field- notes of th e United States survey as tow nship No. 3 north , of range No. 3 eas t, was organized as a separate town ship in 1838, and derived its nam e from Calvin Handy, its first settl er. It is situat ed upon the west bord er of Livin gston County, north of the centre. Adjacent township organiz ations are Conwa y on the north, Howell on the east, Iosco on the sou th, and L eroy and Ingham Counties on th e west . The surfa ce, while compar ativ ely leve l, undulates su fficiently to allow good ·surface-drainag&lt;"; th e more elevated portions being found in the northern part. The principal water-courses are the Cedar Riv er and its branches. The main str eam, or that which bears the name of Cedar Riv er proper, e1iters the tow n by crossi ng the so uth line of section 34; th ence it flows in a north erly direction through the centr al part of the to wnship, until reac hin g the centre of section IO, when its cour se is ch anged to the nort hw est, finally passing into Conway from th e north ·1ine o f sectio n 5. It aga in enters Handy, and forms a juncti on with the west branch in th e north part of sec tion 6. Th e East Branch enters from Howell township, and inter secting sec tions 24, 13, 14, and 23, makes a junction with th e main stre am in the north part of section 22. The vVe$t Branch first makes its appearance by crossing the south border of sec - tion 31, and flowin g to th e northw est, cuts the south west corner of th e sa me secti on, and pass es int o In gham Count y. It re-enters the township by cro ssing the west line of section 19, and th ence continues northerly, throu gh the west tier of section s, until joining the main str eam near the extreme northwest part of the town ship. Sprin gs abound in many places, and, taken alto geth er, th e town ship is well watered; yet no lake s are found within its bord ers, and its area of swamp surface is comparatively small. In a state of natur e it was heavily timbered with the deciduous trees co mmon to this portion of th e State; cons eq uently its soi l is· strong and rich , well adapted to grazing, and the succe ss ful culti - vation of corn, fruits, and th e various cereals, and in th e quality and quantity of its productions per 30 acre, Handy is not surpa ssed by any township in Livin gston Co unt y. It co ntains th e thrivin g villa ge of F ow lerville, and in 1_874 the cen sus repo rted a total population of 2144. The present voters a re 600 in number, and th e present tot al population will aggregate 3000 . ORIGINAL LAND-ENT RIES. The following compri ses a list of nam es of tho se who purcha sed of th e ge nera l go vernment lands situated in th e tow nship of H andy , with the section s on which they purchas ed and the dat es of th e several purcha ses. Tho se des ign ated by an asterisk (*) became residents in the township. SECTION 1. H orace \V. Vaughn, Oaklan,1 Co., Mich ., March 25, 1836. \ Villiam Barnell, Monroe Co., N . Y., April 1, 1836. J oseph B. Craft, Livingston Cu., N. Y., May 5, 1836. George Curti,, Livingston Co., N. Y. , May 9, 1836. J oseph ll. Craft, Livin gston Co., . Y., May 13, 1836. Joel Banfield, Tom pk ins Co., N. Y., Jun e 9, 1836. Ri chard P. Biish,* Tompki ns Co., N. Y., Jun e 9, 1836. SEC TJ ON 2. Waity Smith, * Livin gsto n Co., N . Y., Nov. 5, 1835. Ralph Fowl er,* Livingston Co., N. Y., Nov. 5, 1835 .. Calvi n H andy ,* T ompkin s Co., N. Y., Mar ch 25, 1836. Fr anklin Moore and Zachariah Chandler, \Vayne Co., l'dich., Jun e 4, 1836. Charles P. 13ush,* Tompkin s Co., N . Y., June 9, 1836. SECTION 3. R alph Fowler, * Living ston Co, N. Y ., Nov. 5, 1835. Charles P. Butler, New York City, April 2, 1836. SECTION 4. J ohn B. F owler,* Livin gston Co., N. Y., April 18, 1836. H enry W. Ddavan, Saratog a Co., N. Y., Sept. 23, 1836. Ni cholas Grumh~ck, Wayn e Co., Mich., April 25, 1838. Phin eas Silsby,* Wayne Co., Mich., Aug. 7, 1838. SECTION 5. Cornelius Israel, Wa yne Co., Mich ., July I 5, 1836. John W. Edmond,, Columbia Co., N . Y., Oct. 26, 1836. Gu stave De Neven, Genesee Co. , N. Y., Nov. 5, 1836, and Apri l 13, 1838. SECTION 6. H enry W . Debvan, Sa ratoga Co., N. Y., Sept . 23, 1836. Eb enezer McCor mick, Gene see Co., N . Y., Nov. 5, 183(i. Gustave D e N even, Gene see Co., N. Y., Apri l 14, 1838. G eorge E. Adam,, Dec. 13, 1853. · · John Th omas, Dec. 13, 1853. 2 33 234 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. SECTION 7. Polly Sanders, Washtenaw Co., Mich., Nov. 28, 1835. John B. Fowler,* Living ston Co., N. Y., April 18, 1836. Nathan Jenk s, Ontario Co., N. Y., June 14, 1836. John W. Edmonds, Columbia Co., N. Y., Nov. 4, 1836. Mathew Stra ight, Wayne Co., lVli ch., Jan. 24, 1837. George W. Lee, Livingston Co., Mich, April 15, 1853. SECTION 8. John B. Fowler, * Livin gston Co., N . Y., April 18, 1836. :Flavius J.B . Crane , Living ston Co., Mich., April 23, 1836. Nathan Jenks, Ontario Co., N. Y., Ju ne 14, 1836. William C. Blackwood, Seneca Co., N. Y., Jul y 13, 1836. Samuel Blackw ood , Oakland Co., Mich., July 13, 1836. George W. Israel, Wayne Co., Mich., July 15, 1836. Samuel Bryant, ,v ayne Co., Mich., Jan. 24, 1837. SECTION 9. Peter A. Cowdrey, New York City, Oct. 23, 1835. George McInto sh, Oakland Co., Mich., March 26, 1836. Joseph Lawrence, New London, Conn., May 2, 1836. Ru ssell F(!rsyth, Albany Co., N. Y., Oct. 26, 1836. SECTION JO. R alph Fowler, * Livin gston Co., N. Y., Aug. 27, 1835. Peter A. Cowdrey, New York City, Oct. 23, 1835. Henry W. Delavan, Saratoga Co., N. Y., Sept. 23, 1836. Amos Ad~ms, Living ston Co., Mich., Dec. 28, 1836. SECTION 11. Chilson Sanford, Wa shtenaw Co., Mich., April 25, 1834. R alph Fowler,* Living ston Co., N . Y., Aug. 28, 1835. Harvey Metcalf,* Livin gston Co., N. Y., Nov. 28, 1835. Charles P. Bush,* T ompkin s Co., N. Y., March 26, 1836, and April 1, 1836. Loren Tainter, Civingst on Co., N. Y., May 7, 1836. SECTION 12 . Flavius J. B. Crane, Livingst on Co., N. Y., Nov. 27, 1835. Francis Field, Livingston Co., N. Y., Jan. II , 1836. William J. Hamilt on, Cayuga Co., N. Y., April 25, 1836. Mary T ainter, Living ston Co., N. Y., May 7, 1836. J oel Banfield, Tompkins Co. , N. Y., Junt, 3, 1836. Janies E. H ead,* Living ston Co, 'Mich., Sept. 23, 1836. Stephen Avery, * Livingston Co., N. Y., Dec . 8, 1836. Cha rles S. Harri son, Living ston Co., N. Y., Dec , 8, 1836. SECTION 13. Jame s M. Hitchings, Monroe Co., N. Y., June 10, 1836. Amos Chaffee, ,v ayne Co., Mich ., July 15, 1836. Morris T ompkins, New York City, Sept. 24, 1836. Daniel O'Conner, Columbia Co., N. Y., Oct. 25, 1836. Wells Brockaway, Ontario Co., N. Y., Oct. 27, 1836. Victory Curtis and Almon Whipple,* Livingston Co., )1ich., Dec. 27, 1837. SECTION 14. Sanford Britton, Wayne Co., Mich., April 25, 1836. Peleg Oatman, Orleans Co., N. Y., May 17, 1836. James M. Hitchings, Monroe Co., N. Y., Jun e JO, 1836. James H anmer, Wayne Co., Mich ., Sept. 23, 1836. Vict ory Curt is and Almon Whipple,'~ Living ston Co., Mich., Dec. 27, 1837. SECTION 15. Ralph Fowler,* Livin gston Co., N. Y., Aug. 27, 1835. Nathaniel Dorr, Norfolk Co., Mass., Aug. 28, 1835. Nathaniel Jenk s, Ontario Co., N. Y., June 14, 1836. SECTION 16. W. FL Miller,* Oct. 5, 1852. Fowler &amp; Power,* July 26, 1854. James Hawley,* Dec. JO, 1852. R. E. A,lams, Nov. 23, 1853. M. W. Fradenbhrgh, Dec. 23, 1853. J . T. Sprague, Dec. 23, 1853. Charles Whitney,* 1870. J ohn M. Ruggles,* 1870. James Casti llon, Dec. I I, 1852. D. W. Adams, Nov . 23, 1853. David Dunn, * Oct. 9, 1866. P. H . Barber,* Oct. 9, 1866. Jonat han Fox,* Oct. 9, 1866. N. Coffey,* July 31, 1854. Edwin Schooley,* March 7, 1854. Belden Lyman, March 7, 1854. SECT ION 17. Charles Place, New York City, Dec. 4, 1835. H enry Barber, Washtenaw Co., Mich., June 6, 1836. John and James Mulholland, Wa shtenaw Co., Mich., July I, 1836. David A. McFarlan, ,v ayne Co., Mich., April 4, 1837, and April 5, 1837. John M. Ruggles,* Living ston Co., Mich., Sept. 23, 1857. Daniel S. Lee, Living ston Co., Mich., Jan. 27, 1854. E. Kni ckerbocker,* Living ston Co., Mich., Aug. 3, 1854. SECTION 18. Charles Place, New York City, Dec. 4, 1835. llenjamin P. Vealy, * Wayne Co., Mich., June 14, 1836. A lanson Knick erbocker, * Wayne Co., Mich., Jun e 17, 1836. Hannah Knick erbocker, * Wayne Co., J\lich., June 18, 1836. George M. Rich, Wayne Co., Mich., Feb. 8, 1837. Almira Collins, Living ston Cu., Mich., April 14, 1849. Martin Coffey,* Livrngston Co., Mich., Nov. 22, 1854. SECTION 19. Alanson Knickerbocker,* \Vayne Co., Mich., Jun e 17, 1836. Ebenezer J . Penniman, -\Vayne Co., l\!ich ., Jun e 17, 1836. Gabriel Dean, J ackson Co., Mich., June 25, 1836. Hannah Knick erbocker,* Livingst on Co., Mich., Jan . 9, 1837. Harry Meech,* Living ston Co., Mich., March I, 1837. Timothy Lyon, ,v ayne Co., Mich., i\larch I, 1837. SECTION 20. Leonard Parker, * Gene see Co., N. Y., May 23, 1836. Charle s Jennin gs, Gene see Co., N. Y., May 23, 1836. James McGregor and John A. McGaw, city of Boston, May 24, 1836. Alan son Kni~kerbocker,* Wayne ·co., Mich., June 17, 1836. Ebenezer J . P.enniman, Wayne Co., Mich., Jun e 17, 1836. Charl es Strong, Living ston Co., N. Y., Aug. 3, 1836. Timothy Lyon, Wayne Co., Mich ., March I, 1837. SECTION 21. James McGregor and John A. McGaw, Doston, Mass., May 23, 1836. Clark C. Boutwell, Wayne Co., Mich., May 23, 1836. Jam es McGreg or and J ohn McGaw, Boston, Mass., May 24, 1836, an~! Jun e 4. 1836. Nels on Coffey,* Living ston Co., Mich., Aug. 3, 1854. SECTION 22. Ho sea B. Th orp, Chautauq ua Co., N. Y., May 19, 1836. Jam es Williams, Wayne Co., Mich., May 30, 1836. Abran\ Bockhoven, i\lorris Co., N. J ., June 9, 1836. HANDY TOWNSHIP. 2 35 SECTION 23. John Cosart, Livin gston Co. , Mich ., July 14, 1836. Spauld ing M. Case, Wayn e Co., Mich., Aug. 1, 1836. H osea L. Strong , Wa yne Co., Mi~h., Oct. 25, 1836. Ru ssell Forsyth, Alb any Co., N. Y ., Oct. 26, 1836. Samuel K ilpatrick, Washt enaw Co. , Mich ., Oct. 27, 1836. H osea L . Strong, W ayn e Co , Mich ., Jan. 21, 1837. Wilh am G uthrie, Washtenaw Co , Mich ., Jul y 24, 1838. SE CTION 24. Mar shall Chapin and John Owen, Wayn e Co., ~1ich ., July 14, 1836. Thoma s O'Co nner, W ayne Co., Mich ., Oct. 25, 1836. John McKinn ey, Li vings1on Co. , N. Y., Oct. 25, 1836. Samuel Ki lpat rick, Washtenaw Co., Mich., Oct. 27, 1836. SE CTION 25. Elijah Cran e, Way ne Co , Mich., July 14, 1836. Rufu s A . Leonar d, Slate of N ew York, D ec. 20, 1837. George \Iv.H anmer, Tompkin s Co., N. Y. , March 16, 1837. Charles P. Bush,* In gham Co., Mich ., N ov. 17, 1854. SE CTION 26. Seth Belknap, Genesee Co., N . Y., June 6, 1836. George B. De Graff, Cayuga Co., N . Y. , Jun e 13, 1836. E lijah Crane, Way ne Co. , Mich., July 14, 1836, John Cosa rt, Li vingston Co., Mich ., July 14, 1836. Jason \V. Powers, Madi son Co., Mich ., Aug. 1, 1836. David Ph elps, New York City, Sept. 24, 1836. Ru ssell Disbrow, Gen esee Co. , N. Y., June 1, 1837. SEC TION 27. Milo M. Stockwell, Cayuga Co., N. Y., M1y 19, 1836. J eremiah De Graff, Cayuga Co., N. Y., Jun e 13, 1836. Hi ram·H. Slawson, Sene ca Co., N . Y., Aug. 1, 1836. Charles Andr ews, \Vayn e Co., Mich., March 16, 1837. l,rael S Spencer, Mad ison Co. , N . Y., Feb. 15, 1838. Mathew Kn owles,* \Vayne Co., Mich., June 22, 1839. Leonard Morse, \Vashtenaw Co., Mich ., Aug. 27, 1847. Le onard N oble, Living ston Co. , Mich., Feb. 5, 1853. SECTION 28. Al anson Church ,* Genesee Co., N. Y., May 23, 1836. Clark C. Boutwell, Way ne Co. , N. Y., May 23, 1836. Andr ew Kin g, Oran ge Co., N . Y., June 1, 1836. J esse Norton,* Genesee Co., N. Y., July 2, 1836. SECTION 29. Ors on Chur ch, * Genesee Co., N . Y., May 23, 1836. Jam es l\lcGr ego r and John A. l\kGaw, Boston, Mass., May 24, 1836. Lewis \Ves1fall,* \Vayne Co. , Mich ., June 27, 1836. James S. Kimb erly, New York City, July 16, 183.6. Samuel Porter, Oakl and Co., Mich., Mar ch 16, 1837. Ri chard Parish, \Vayne Co. , Mich ., June 25, 1836. SE CTION 30. Lewi s.\Vestfall,* \Vayne Co., Mich, Jun e 27, 1836. John Whal ey, \Va, htenaw Co., Mich., June 30, 1836. Ri chard Parish, \Vayn e Co., Mich., June 25, 1836. D avid A . McFarlan, \Vayne Co., Mich., March 18, 1837. Losson Gord on, \Vay ne Co. , Mich ., March 28, 1837. Alex ander Grant, \Vayn e Co., Mich ., April 24, 1838. Flaviu s J. B. Crane, Living ston Co., Mich. , June 27, 1836. SE CTION 31. Lewis Westfall ,* Wayne Co., Mich., Jun e, 1836. J@hn Orr, \Vashtenaw Co., Mich ., June 23, 1836. SECTION 32. John B. Banta, Montgomery Co. , N . Y., June 23, 1836. Roswell Shurtluff , \Vin dsor Co., Vt. , June 29, 1836. Or estes II. Wright, Add ison Co , Vt., July 1, 1836. Flavin s J . B. Crane, Livin gston Co., Mich., July 5, 1836. Orestes H . \Vright, Addison Co. , Vt., Jul y 9, 1836. SECTION 33. D enni s Conrad, * Oakland Co., Mich., May 21, 1836. Lewis W . D ecker,* Ont ario Co., N . Y., May 31, 1836. Joseph and Willard Blanchard, On onda ga Co,, N. Y., June 1, 1836. Ad olphu s Brigh am, Wa yne Co., Mich, June 1, 1836. Willi am Martin, Wayne Co., Mich. , June I, 1836. Orestes H. Wri ght, Addison Co., Vt. , Jul y 9, 1836. Jam e, S. Kimb erly, N ew York City, July 16, 1836. N athani el Andrews, Oakland Co. , Mich ., March 16, 1837. Joseph S. Stockw ell, Oak land Co., Mich., March 16, 1837. SECTION 34. D enni s Conrad,* Oaklan d Co., Mich., May 19, 1836. Silas Munse ll, Wayne Co., Mich, May 30, 1836. Joel Choate,* Gene see Co., N. Y., July 2, 1836. Joseph S. Stockfield, Oakland Co., Mich., March 16, 1837. SE CTI ON 35. Joel H . Prescott, On tario Co., N . Y., 'March 25, 1836. Benjamin Smith, Way ne Co., N . Y., March 25, 1836. Reub en S. Durf ee, Wayne Co., Mich., March 25, 1836. · Luth er H armon, Ont ario Co., N. Y., May 30, ·1836. Joseph Morrow, Ont ario Co., N. Y., May 30, 1836. SECTION 36. D ana Shaw , Orleans Co., N . Y., April 9, 1836. John A. Buckland, Orlean s Co., N . Y., April 9, 1836. Daniel P. Biglow, Orl eans Cn., N . Y., April 9, 1836. Samuel Hill, O rlean s Co., N . Y. , April 9, 1836. F rancis Middleherger, 0 Jkl and Co. , Mich., June I 1, 1836. Aaron Lawrence, Washtenaw Co., Mich., Jul y 17, 1836. Jame s S. Kimb erly, city of New York, July 15, 1836. THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS. On the 25th of March, 1836, Calvin Handy, a native of Bennington, Vt., then of Danby, Tompkins Co., N. Y., purchased from the United States government the southeast quarter and the south part of the northeast fractional quarter of section 2 in this town ship. He immediately began preparations for making a permanent settlement upon his purchas e. Early in May of the same year he shipped . his household goods, together with a wagon and som e agricultural implements, via the Erie Canal and Lak e Erie to Detroit. His family, which con sisted of himself, his wife, Patience, and children, Polly, Homer, and Eliza, trav eled by the same rout e and mod e to the City of tile Straits. All arrived safely. He then bought a yoke of oxen, loaded his effects and the members ·or his family upon the wagon, and began a tedious journey over the Grand River Turnpike towards the western part of the newly-organized county of Livingston. During the latter part of May they arrived at the log cabin of Sardis Davis, who was then living a HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. short dist ance so uth of the present village of Howell. But the last day of their journ ey was marr ed by an accident which befell Mrs. Handy. The roads were very bad, full of ruts, roots, stumps, and mud-holes, and on the wagon, perch ed above the goods, sat Mrs. Handy , with her childr en. An unusual jolt of th e wagon threw her, with her youngest born, to the ground, and before the vehicle could be stopped one wh eel passed over her foot. A stout shoe protect ed the · memb er sufficiently, howev er, to pr event dislocation or the bon es from being crushed, but she was render ed lame and alm ost helples s for some weeks afterwards. Mr. H andy's fami.Iy remain ed und er the ho spitabl e roof of Sardis Davis-th e pion ee r of Marion - for some thr ee weeks, or until his own cabin could be erect ed and rendered habit abl e. This was accomplished on th e 16th of June, 1S36. The same afternoon Fred erick B. and Cecil D. Parsons, with four other men as companions, arrived at th e cabin , and, after eng ag ing th e services of Charl es P. Bush as guide to show them land in the pres ent town of Conway, requested of Mr. Handy th e privilege of sleeping on his fl oor through the night. He answered them in the negative . Th ey seemed much astonished at this peremptory refu sal; and when the spokesman had recovered sufficiently to inquire why, th ey were quietly informed that his cabin possessed no floor, but that his wife would endeavor to make them as comfortable as possible . • Mrs. Handy-the first white ·woman to res ide in the township, and at present a resident of the village of Fowlerville-relat es that she then too k from some of the packing-boxes beds and bedd ing, and spread upon the ground, in th e centr e of th e cabin, a bed, upon which th ese six weary men reposed their heads and should ers, whil e th eir lower extt'emities swung around the circl e ad libitzan. The children, meanwhile, were made cosy by stowing th em away in the half-emptied packing -boxes. Thus passed the first night in the first settler's habitation in the township of Handy. Hel en, another daughter, was born to them a few years after their settlement here . I.n I 839, Mr . Handy became the second supervi sor of the township which bears his name. In later years he filled many other official statio _ns, and during a long residence was ever held in high and dese rved esteem for his geni_al qualities and obliging nature. He was born in I 798, and died May 29, J 87 4. Charl es P. Bu sh reached the settlery1ent one week lat er than Mr . Handy. l-Je was al so from Danby, Tompkins Co., N. Y., and, after building a log house, ·cl&lt;:aring land, and sowi1Jg a crop of wheat, . returnt_:d ~o N~wyor¼. In Jun e, 18H , he a~a in came to Handy, and with his family settled upon the northw est qu arter of section I 1. He was a gentleman pos sessed of a ke en and discriminating int ellect, which he had matured by re ading and reflection. R eady in ex pedient, and always foremo st when occasion req uired, nature stamped him as a leader, and he became at once the couns elor and friend of th e ea rly settlers. A few years later he became one of the mo st prominent men in this part of the State. In 1840 he was elec ted to repre se nt Living ston County in the State L eg islature, and - was re-elected thr ee successive terms. In 1845 he was elected Stat e Senator from the district of which Living ston County form ed a part. H e became presid ent of the sa me body in I 847, and by the el_ection of Governor F elch to th e Unit ed States Senate, Li eu tenant-Gov ernor Greenly filled th e office of Gov ernor, and Sen .ator Bush became Act ing Lieut enant-Governor of the State. Hi s vote decided the location of the capital at Lansing, a nd he presided over the last senatorial session in the old capitol in D etroit, as also th e first which sat in L ansing. Soon after the location of the capital in Lansing, Mr. Bush remov ed tl1ither, and until his death was identified with the history and public interests of Ingham County. Harvey Metcalf, a vet eran of the war of 18 I 2, and son-in-law of Amos Adams,-one of the conspi cuous pioneers of How ell,-purchased the south - east quarter of section I I, Nov. 28, 1835. Early in th e spring of 1836 he came on from Geneseo, Livings ton Co., N. Y., and bega n an improvement upon his p·remi ses. He board ed with Mr. Adams, . and succeeded during the summer in clearing a few acres, sowing the same to wheat, and building a substantial log cabin. James E. H ead was another immigrant to the town ship during 1836. H e purcha sed lands situated upon section I 2, and until the settlemen t of . his family, in 1837, boarded, while here, with Calvin Handy. . . In the spring of 1836, John B. Bowler and Mar - tin , W . Randall set out on foot from Geneseo, Livingston Co., N. Y., and proceeding through Canada, finally arrived at Howell, Mich. lly the aid of Amos Adams, th ey loc ated lands on section 33, in Conway, and on sections 4, 7, and 8, in Handy. Mr. R alph Fowler has recently prepared · for publication a comprehens ive sketch relating to the early settle~1 ent of Handy, from which much . valuable information has be en obtained. The following is his ·account of the j ourney, and ·the ·subsequent settl ement of himself and Martin W. Randall during the month of November, I 836. fo. September, r-836, th e brothers Ral.[)h and RESIDENCEJi :t EDWIN ,NICHOLS I HAf.lOYI MIC.HI GAN . HANDY TOWNSHIP. 2 37 J ohn B. F ow ler, Mr s. H arvey Metcalf, and her sister, Mr s. W insh ip, started from Geneseo, Li vings ton Co., N. Y., for a j ourn ey t o Livin gs ton Co. , Mich . Mr s. Metc alf purpo sed j oinin g her ·hu sband already here, whil e th e F owler br oth ers were t o det ermin e by a view of th e countr y up on th e propri ety of sett ling up on land s pr eviously located for th em by Am os A dams . At Buffalo th ey took passage for D etroit on th e steam er " Commod ore Perry, " which requir ed thr ee days and ni ght s to acco mplish. The U nited St ates H otel, and Eag le Ta ve rn, in D etro it, were so full of spe cul ators, land-loo kers, and mud, th at th ey could not obt ain lod g ings, but th ese we re finally found at th e City H otel. Th e next mornin g, after much difficulty, a ch ance was found for th e women to rid e th ro ugh to H owell ; whil e th e Mess rs. Fo wler, and th eir b roth er-in-law, J . G. Kni ght, j ourn eyed along on foot. Th eir rout e led th em over th e Grand Ri ver ro ad, upo n which gove rnm ent employees we re th en at work , betw ee n D etro it and Gr and H ave n, an d th ey found the ro ad mud dy and lonely. Th e firs t night was passe d at ·". Uncl e R odge rs'," at th e "Hom e," wh om many will remember. Th e trav elers wer e hun gry and wea ry . So, after refreshin g th emselves, th ey quickly retir ed for much-n eeded rest. But Uncl e R odge rs, wishin g to make th ings pleasa nt an d agreea bl e, go t o ut a martial band, which made the wild woo ds rin g, much to th e disg ust of hi s g uests, howeve r. Th e second day th e team reac hed H owe ll, but th e p edestri ans came short, and sou ght shelter for th e ni ght at Mrs. Ly ons', who lived in a littl e shant y on th e shore of Lon g La ke. A bare floo r was all the acc omm odation th e h ouse afforded . A short walk in th e morn ing brou ght th em to th e h ouse of A mos Ada ms, in H owe ll, wh ere a goo d br eakfas t and rest awa ited th em. Aft er restin g one day , th e broth ers, accompa nied by Am os Ada ms as a g uide, start ed out to loo k at th eir land s in H andy and Conwa y. 'N e here co ntinu e th e narrative in Mr. F ow ler's own word s :* "vVh en we st ruck the line between sect ions 10 and 11 in.Ha ndy , Mr. Adam s said, 'B oys, if you li ve to l,e as old as I am you wi ll see a village here as large as Ge neseo, N . Y., ca lled Fow lervi lle.' vVe had take n with us a sm all quant ity of bread am ! pork, expec ting Mr. Metca lf lo come up to h is place tha t clay, bringi ng provisions, etc . So we ate our lunc h and traveled all day in the woods . T o,vards eveni ng Mr. Adam s star ted on his return home to H owe ll. My brother and my self went to Mr. Me tcalf's ho use th at night; h e had not yet arrived, bu t we slept in h is hou se. The next morn - ing we ate the remainc ler of our lunch , and started for Conway to see our land s on sec tion 33, expec ting Mr. Metca lf would come that nigh t surely . " T owards night we aga in rdurne Sec. Ch arles Fi sk .. ..... ......••.• ... 28 J abez Will ard ..•••.....•• ..•.•. 28 Natha n Kinn ey ..... •...... 33, 34 Willi am M. Clark ... ... . Personal Clark &amp; Hopkin s ...... .. P ersonal E dwin Smith .•.•.. ..••.. Personal Orra Grover .. ...... . .. ... ... .. .. 21 The incr ease in popu lation during the years to I 850, howev er, was slow, and the faces of the inhabitants were constantly changing . Many came, and after a residence of but a year or two, remov ed · to so me ot her loc ality wh ere markets were mor e accessible. The so il was good, and large crops greeted the toiling husb andmen when harvest HISTORY OF 'LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. came, but the profits were consumed in the struggle to reach distant avenues of commerce. In 1842 the State appropriated a sm all sum for opening a road between Fowl erville and Lansin g. It was ex pended under the supervision of Mr. Mullett, of Detroit, but the benefits ari sing from it amounted to but little, and, as it was not used as a through route of travel, it s·oon grew up to bru sh in many places and bec ame practic ally clo sed. At last, in the spring of I 849, Messrs. Ralph Fowl er, of Handy, and 0. B. Williams, of Williamston, went over .the line of the present Grand Riv er road and so licited subscriptions for opening th e said road west from Fowlerville. Th ey obtained, in goods and money , subscriptions to the amount of $6oo. Special township-me etings were held in those towns lying along the line of the road, viz., Leroy, Wh eatfield, Ph elps, and Meridian, and sums varyin .g from $20c&gt; to $250 were rai sed in eac h. Mess rs. Fowl er and William s th en bega n anew the struggle ag ainst nature's obstacles and · the noisy opposition of those who were inter ested in the northern route already established. Brid ges were built over the two Cedars and th e streams west of the Meridian line. Mr. Williams th en comm enced at the Meridian line with thr ee men and two yoke of oxen, while Mr. Fowler began at F owlerville with th e same amount of help. Th e bru sh wa s ·again cleared away, and th e wet and miry places con.luroy ed . At the expiration of thr ee weeks' time they met at William ston. Th en, in order to get th e mail-rout e chang ed from th e Howell and Okemos road to th e pres ent Grand River road, Messrs. Seyniour, of Lansing, 0. B. William s, of Williamston, R al ph Fowl er and Geo rge Curtis, of Fowl ervill e, and H ezekiah Gates, of Howell, established a stage-line, and placed upon the new road a stage to run between How ell and Lansin g. The stage con sisted of a lumb erwag on drawn by a span of hor ses . It mad e tri - weekly trips, or out one day a nd back th e nex t, and they let no man walk for want of mon ey. This enterprise was continu ed one year. The prime mov ers had then accomplished th eir obj ect, viz., the estab lishment of po st-offices at Fowlerville and Williamston, and th ey then so ld out. Mr. Fowler relates that he kept one man and a team of hors es on the road during the time mention ed, that he lost one hors e valued at $ 125, owed the .company 1/I,O at settlement, and th at he came out by far the best of any ·one in th e comp any. In 1849 the Howell and L ansing Plank-Road Company began laying plai1ks over th e same road, and completed their work in 1852 and '53. From the latter time can .be dated the beg inning of H andy's pro sperity. The village of Fowlerville was platted, David Lewis was appoint ed postmaster, and places of busin ess spran g up on several corners. , But the busy life of the plank-road was of but short duration. Th e building and op ening of the D etroit and Milwaukee and the Jackson and Saginaw Railroads suddenly shut off the trav el from the plank-road, and th en succeeded several years of dull times , and th e hauling of produce from twent y-five to thirty-fiv e miles, which, togeth er with th e war of the Reb ellion, helped to retard th e growth of bu siness and population. In I 865 th e people b ega n discussing the qu estion of extend_ing aid to railroads, but it was not until the summer of I 87 I th at their fondest hopes were realiz ed by witn ess ing the iron -steed race acro ss the bord ers of their town ship. Since th e J-atter period, remarkable chang es have taken place. Th e population has mor e than doubled. Acr es hitherto lying waste have bee n brought under cultivation. Th e primitive log cabin, and the but littl e b etter small framed hou se, hav e giv en place to commodious _r es idences, rich in finish and architectural design. H erds of blooded stock crop th e rich pastura ge which everywhere abounds, and lar ge, well-stored farm-buildings inform him who would note it that the citiz ens of Handy of to-day are in the full enjoyment of that' prosperity which is the sure rew ard for th_ose who industriously and int elligently cultivate th e soil. · But very few of th e pion ee rs of 1836 and 1837 now remain, and it is not our purpose or province to individualize a few in dispa rag ement of the many. Ther efore, we believe that we but echo the best sentiments of her citizen s wh en we asser t that to the sterling worth, the broad and liber al teachings, and unswerving int egr ity of such pioneers as Ralph Fowler and John A . T anner , is due th e pr ese nt proud po sition which H andy occupies among Livingston County townships . Th e latter gentleman, bes ides holding many other po sitions of tru st and honor, has repre sented his town ship sixteen times as supervisor, and was one of the very few Livingston County repre se ntatives who marched under the folds of th e starry banner as it waved victoriously over the plains of Mexico. FIRST EVENTS. Among some of the first events not already mentioned, we here add that Calvin Handy owned the first cow and oxen. The first steam saw- ·mill was built on section 18 by William R. Spafford in 1847; later it was own ed by Conway &amp; Wilbur. Elijah Gaston built the first framed barn on section I. Richard P. Bu sh er ected the first framed house on section I 2 in I 8 5 3. The first log schoolFARM &amp; RESIDENCE j i£: GEORGE LOVELY, HANDY , MICH/G-AN . HANDY TOWNSHIP. h ouse was bu ilt on sec tion 11 in 1839, and the first framed school-house on th e sa me sect ion in 1844. Alanson Chu rch own ed th e first hog , Peter \,Vinch ell the first fowls, and Ru el R andall th e first cat. Ral ph Fow ler, in 1839, owned the first sheep . He purchased thirt een of L osso n Gordon, and soo n afterwa rd s th e wolves killed all but one. Mr. Fowl er also brought in th e first imp roved catt le in 1844 . They were D evons from a Cl inton County h erd. Lorenzo Palmerto n erected th e first brick buil d ing- a sto re- -in th e village of Fow lerville. The first birth was th at of Charles F owler, so n of R alph, who ,vas born in Jun e, 1838. Mrs . Ru el R anda ll, during th e sa me year, was th e first to depart thi s life in th e tow nship. Early marri ages wer e th ose of Benjam in Curtis to Mary A. Bu sh and Wil liam Ferri s to A manda Mill er, who were marri ed by R alph Fow ler, Esq ., in 1840. CIVIL AN D POLITICAL. Section 4 of an ac t to organiz e certain townships, and approv ed by th e State legis lativ e body th en in sessio n, March 6, 1838, reads as follo ws: "All th at po rtion o f th e to wnship of H owell as now organized in th e county of Livin gston, d esignat ed in th e Unit ed Sta tes survey as town ship num be r 3 north of rang e numb er 3 east , be, and the sa me is her~hy, set off and orga nized int o a separa te townshi p by the name of 1-Ian ,1.y; and th e first townsh ip-mee ting th erein shall be h eld at the house of R alph F owler in saicl town ship ." On th e 2d of April, ~838 , th e lega l vot ers of th e township, to th e numb er of fourte en, ass embl ed at the house of R alp h F owler, and proce eded to elect th e first board o f tow nship officers. The reco rds relati ng to th e proc eedings of th e first elect ion have been lost, yet th e followi ng is beli eved to be a corr ect list of those elect ed: Ralph F owler, S upervi so r; Richard P. Bush, Township Clerk; J ohn B. F owler, Ri chard P. Bu sh, vVilliam Benjamin, S ey mou r Norton, Ju stices of th e Peac e ; J ohn B. Fowl er, Ri chard P. Bush, J ohn B. L a Row e, Ass essors; Ru el R anda ll, Co llector; H arvey Metcal f, Ri chard P. Bu sh, Seymou r No rton, Highway Co mmi ssioners; J ohn B. Fowler, Seymour No rton, Richard P. Bu sh, Sc hoo l In- "spec tors; Elij ah Gaston, J ohn Bush, Poormasters; Ru el R and all, J oh n B. La R owe, Co nstables . Th e first assess ment ro ll was compl ete d ea rly in th e su mm er of 1838, and th e following tabul ated statement desc rib es th e names of th e resident taxpay ers, th eir land s, etc. : N a mes. Sec tion. Acres. Valuation of R eal Estal e. Alans on Kni ckerbocke r. .. .. .. .......... .. . 19, 20 200 $600 Samu el Conklin .. ........ ............ ..... ..... . 18 80 240 Al bert K nick erboc ke r. .. .. .. . .. .. ........ .... .. 20 40 120 Benjamin 11. Bri ggs .... .. ... .... .. ...... .. .. 19, 20 160 480 Al anson Church ....................... .. .... .. .. 28 80 240 Seymou r 'orton .. ........ . .......... ... .. , .. .... 28 80 240 D enni s Co nrad .. .. . .... .. ...... .. .... .. .. ... 33, 34 120 360 31 Nam es . Sec tion. Acres. Valuat_ion of R eal Estate. \ Villiam N ash.... .. .. ... .. .. ......... ...... ...... 47 $ 14 1 E lijah Ga ston....................... ..... ........ 33 249 J ,,hn B. La R owe.... ...................... ... ... 80 240 Ric hard P. Bu sh .... ........ .... ...... .. .. . ...... 80 240 J ohn Bush................. .... .. ..... .. .. .. . ...... 2 46 138 Ca lvin H andy ... .......... .... .. ...... ... .. ...... 2 240 720 \ Vaity Smith .. ........ ........ ... ...... .. .......... 2 · 80 240 John B. Fowler.. .. .. ... .. .. .. ..... .. ......... .... 4 124 372 George Austin .. ... ......... ....... .... .. ........ . 8 80 240 H arv~yM etca lf .. . ... .... .. .. .... ....... .. .. . 10, 11 240 720 William Bumfr ey ..... .... .. ... ... ................ 8 80 240 Ralph Fow ler .............. ............. 10, 11, 15 46o 1380 J ohn B. Fo wler. .. ....... ........ ...... ...... . ... I I 320 960 Stephen Av ery .. .. .... .. .... .. ...... , ........... 12 80 240 J ames E . H ead ........ ... ...... ... ........ ....... 12 8o 240 \Villiam Benjam in .. .. .. ...... .. ...... .. .. ...... 14 16o 480 Vi ctory Curtis and Alm on Whipple ......... 13 40 120 Curti s and Whippl e .... ..... .. ...... .. .. ..... ... 14 40 120 H ann ah K nicker hocker .... .... ....... ... ...... 18 80 240 Alan son Knick erboc ker .. ............. ... .... .. 18 80 240 H ann ah Kni ckerbucker. .... ............. ... .. . 19 103 309 Th e total amount of tax levied was $26 8. 13. HI GHWAYS. Th e first hi ghw ay laid by th e a uth oriti es of H andy was surv eyed by Amos Adams, Jun e 7, 1838, and desc rib ed as follows: "B egi nnin g at th e corn ers of sections eleven, tw elve, thirt een, and fou rt een in th e township of Handy, and runnin g th ence north on th e sec tion line one mil e to th e corne rs of sections one, t wo, eleve n, and tw elve in said town. Mag netic variation, thr ee degr ees, forty-five minut es ." On th e sa me day a road describ ed as "Beg inning at th e co rners of sec tions ten, eleve n, four - teen, and fifteen, tow nship of Handy, and runnin g th ence so uth on sect ion lin e one mil e to the corners of sect ions fourteen, fifteen, tw enty- tw o, and tw enty-thr ee in said town, " was su rvey ed and laid out by th e same aut hor ity. On th e followi ng day a road describ ed as "B egi nnin g on th e corn ers of sec tions twenty-ei g ht, twenty-nin e, thi rty -t wo, and thirt y -thr ee, in th e tow nship of H andy, and runnin g th ence west on sec tion lin e one mil e, six ty-two chains, fifty link s, to th e corn ers of sec tions thirty and thirt y-on e in sa id town." TOW SHIP OFFICERS. Th e following is a complete list of th e officers elected in th e town ship of H andy, for th e years from 1838 to 1879, inclu sive: SUPERV ISO RS. 1838, R alph F owler; 1839, Calvin H andy; 1840, R alph F owler; 1841, John Bu sh ; 1842, Ri chard P. Bush; 1843, Calvin Handy; 1844- 46, R alph F owler; 1847, John T. W atson; 1848, Be nj amin W . Lawr ence ; 1849, R alph F owler; 1850, Benjamin W. L awren ce ; 185 1- 52, John A . T ann e r ; 1853, Benjamin W. Lawr ence; 1854- 58, J ohn A. T ann er ;* 1859- 6o, H enry N. Spencer; 186 1- 62, Seth H. Judd; 1863- 64, Al - exan ,ler If. Ben edi ct; 1865- 66, John A. T ann er; 1867, Seth H. Ju dd; 1868- 70, John A. Tann er ; 1871- 72, Seth H. * Resigned in D ece mber, 1858; H enry N . Spe nce r appoint ed to fill vacancy. ' : I I &lt; . I ' ' 242 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTO~ COUNTY, MICHIGAN. Judd; 1873-7 4, J ohn A. Tanner; 1875, Seth H. Jud d; 1876, Spiridon S. Abbott; 1877- 78, John A. T anner; 1879, Edwin Nichols. TOWNSHIP CLERKS. 1838, Richard P. Bush; 1839, Almon Whipple; 1840, Seymour Norton; 1841, Ri chard P. Bush; 1842, John A.Tanner; 1843, Seym our _Norton; 1844-45, David C. Gri swolcl; 1846, Seymour Norton; 1847, John A. Tanner; 1848-52, J ohn T . \.Yatso n ; 1853, John A. T anner ; 1854, J osiah Tu rner; 1855- 56, Truman D. Fish; 1857-59, Eri M. Spence r ; 186o- 66, George W . Palm er ton ; 1867-70, William C. Spencer; 1871, James P. Spence r ; 1872, Walte r F owler; 1873, J ames P . Spencer; 1874, Walt er Fowler; 1875-76 , J ames I'. Spen - cer; 1877, Charles E. Spence r ; 1878, Willard H. He ss; 1879, William B. Gale. TREAS URERS. 1838, none elect ed; 1839- 42, J ohn B. F owler;* 1843, Orson Swift; 1844, J ohn A. Tanner; 1845. Orson Swift; 1846, Willi am l\larsh; 1847-4 9, J"hn M. J ones; 1850, John A. Tanner; 1851-54, Ruel Randall; 1855, Caleb T. Power; 1856-58 , Benjamin W. L awrence; 1859, Pier son \•V. Dey; 1860-6 2, Ru el Rand a ll; 1863-64, Pete r P. Canner; 1865- 66, Cha rles L. Collin s; 1867-68, Samuel Con k Im; 1869, Calvin Mather; 1870, Set h H. Jucld; 1871-72, Am os Barnard; 1873- 74, Joe l S. Brigg s ; 1875, Joh n C. Ell sworth; 1876- 77, Jo shua Dunn; 1878, Jud son A. Canfie ld; 1879, Orv ille H. J ones. J USTICES OF THE PEACE. Ri chard P. Bu5h, William Benjamin, J oh n B. F ow ler , Sey mou r N orton, 1838; Dennis Conracl, 1839; Seymour Norton, Ralph F owler, 1840; John B Fowler,t 184 1; Orson Swift , 1842; Ri cha rd P. Bush (in place of R alph Fo\\ ·ler, re signed ), Seymour Norton (in pla ce of Denni s Conrad, moved away Aug. 1 , 1842), and John l\l. Jones (in plac e of J ohn B. Fowl er, de - ceased), September, 1842; Seymour Norton, J ohn M. J ones, R alph F owler, 1843; Ralph Fow ler, 1844; Benjam in W. L :nvr ence, 1845 ; D,1Yid C. Gri swold, 1846; \.Yilliam P. Grover, 1847; William H. Fowler, 1848 ; Benjamin W. Lawr ence , 1849; J oh n A. Co niw ay, \.Ydli,un H. Evan s, 1850; Ors on Ch urch, 1851; Willi am H. Fow ler, 1852; Wm . A. Dorrance, 1853; Samuel Conkl in, Ralph Fowl er, 1854; Orso n Churc h, J ames H . Myer s, 1855; \.Yilliam II. F owler, H en ry N. Spenc er, 1856; Pet er f'. Carmer, Trum an D. Fis h, 1857; Orl and o A. Fuller, 1858; J ohn P . Hildreth, Caleb T. Pow er, 1859; J erome Churc h, 186o; Ralph F owler, Benjamin \V . Lnvrenc e, 186 1; J ohn I lu ston, 1862; J ohn P. H ildreth, Daniel R . Gl enn, 1863; Jerom e Church, 1864 ; Ralph Fowler, J ohn P. Hildr eth, 1865 ; Alexander H . Benedict, 1866; Benj amin H. Brigg s, 1867; Jero me Church, H enry N. Spen - cer , 1868; George \V . Palmerton, J efferson Weller, 1869; Daniel R . Glenn, 1870; llu gh Conklin, 187 1; George W . Palmerton (e lected in Nov ember, 1871, to fill vacancy), Henry S. Worthin gto n, J efferson II. Well er, 1872 ; Joh n A. Tanner ( elected November, 1872, to fill vacancy caused by resig nation of D. R. Gl enn ), Jared L. Cook, 1873; J ohn A. T an ner, En och M. Marble, Lafay ette l\Iabe n, 1874; J ohn G. Gould, 1875; Henry S. Worthin gton, 1876; En och M. Marble, 1877; J ohn Conner, 1878; J ohn G. Gould, 1879. THE RAILROAD. At a sp ecial town ship-me eting, held at the office of Ralph Fowler, Esq., Sept. 9, 1865, for the purpose of voting for or against th e propo sition of * Died in office; Orso n Swift elected to fill vacan cy. t Died in office; William Borsen elec ted to fill vacancy. extending aid to the D etroit and Howell Railroad, th e whole number of votes polled was 132, of which I 31 were in favor of pledging the cr edit of the township for a sum not exceeding five per cent. of the assessed valuation of real and personal proper ty, and I a_gainst the proposition. Although railroad matters agitated the minds of the people to a great ex tent, we find that the building of railroad s, or ext endin g town ship aid for the sa me, was held in abeyance until April 6, 1869, when 38 tax-payin g elector s, viz., M. H. McManus, George W. Palm erton, Samuel G. Palmerton, John Lamor eux, Freeman Rohrabach er, A. B. Lockwood, William H. Spencer, Nelson A. Glenn, E. E . Walton, A . McFisher, William Head, Walt er Fowler, Dani el Dunn, John _M. Tuck er, L. H. Westfall, Charles Moore, J ame s A. Brown, George Wyatt, J . D. White, 'vV. Craig, J ohn G. Gould, Dav id Forc e, W . L. Collins, W. C. Spencer, A. D . Benjamin , Geo rge L. Fisher, Samuel Gillam, Ch arles Fowl er, Ralph Fowler, P. T. Hildr eth, W. Hildreth, C. S. Mastick, W. Stickles, T. Stickles, William Davis, Alexander H. Bened ict , W. H. Pullen, and M. Savage, presented a petition to John A. Tanner, Supervisor, req uestin g him to call a special meeting of the electors of th e tow nship to vote upon the proposition of extending aid to the Detroit and Lansing Railroad by bondin g the tow nship for th e sum of $9 500, provided a depot be located and ma1ntain ed within one-half mile of the villag e of Fowlerville. In pursu ance, a special township-meeting was held in the village of Fowlerville, W edn esda y, May 5, 1869, and on the proposition to pay five per cent. of $9 500, 204 votes were record ed 111 favor, and 17 votes .again st. Bonds to the amount of $6 500 were issued by th e town ship , to assist in the construction of the Detroit ; Howell and L ansing Railroad, in May, 1870. The road was compl eted to Fowlervill e in the summer of I 8 7 I, and the event was celebrat ed Aug. 3 of the same year. The town ship ha s experienced some difficulty with its railroad indebtednes s, but matters hav e been amicably arrang ed ,· and with the lapse of time th eir railroad will be look ed upon as the power which uplifted th em from the Slough of De spond, and made th e township and village the thriving communities as th ey now exist. EDUCATIONAL. The first board of school inspectors, compos ed of John B. Fowler, Sey mour M0rton, and Richard P. Bush, at a meeting held in the office of the township clerk, during the winter of 1838-39 , HANDY TOWNSHIP. 2 43 es tab lished two school districts, th e boundarie s of which we re desc rib ed as follows : "Sch ool Di strict No. , , of th e tow nship o f Handy, shall embrace all the land on th e north and east side of Red Ceda r River, in said tow n. Schoo l Di strict N o. 2 shall embrace th e sout hw est qua rter of sa id tow n ." Thi s action of th e inspec tors was recorded by th e tow nship clerk Feb. 26, 1839. Early in Ma rch of th e sa me yea r th e sa me inspec tors ca used to be placed on reco rd th e following : "S ch oo l District No . I shall be so alte red as to take in the n orth eas t quarter of said town ship of Haucly.'' A small log sch ool-hou se was erected nea r the north eas t corner of se ction I I in th e sp rin g of 1839, and in it Miss Angeline Adams-a daught er of Amos Ada ms-t aug ht th e first sch oo l, th e following su mm er . Michael H andy taug ht in th e sa me hou se d ur ing th e wint er of I 8 39-40. On the 19th day of Octob er, 1839, Elijah Gast on, J ames W. Armstrong, and Seymour Norton, school inspec tors, met at th e hou se of Elijah Gast on, and co mplet ed th e first annu al sc ho ol rep ort of th e tow nship of H andy, which report was as follows: \\ 'h ole number of organi zed distr icts .......... .. ...... •.........•• Numb er from whi ch return s hav e bee n made ........ .•••.. .... . Numb er of distr ict. ......... ...... .•.... . ............. .. ...... ... ....•• Num be r of ch ildr en attendin g sch ool between th e ages of five and seventeen yea rs... ....... ............ .... ... ... . .... . 24 Numb er attend ing sc hool under five and over seven tee n yea rs. ......... ... ... ... .......... .. ..... ... ... .•.. .. .... .. .. ... ..• • 19 vVhnle numbe r attending- sc hoo l during th e year.. .... ......... 43 Num be r of months schoo l has been tau g ht by a qualifi ed teac her....... .. .. ...... .... .... ...... ..... ... ...... ... .. ... ... ... .. 6 Am ount of pub lic m oney rece ived .. ... .... ..••.. ....... •.••• .... .• none " ra ised in the d istrict fur schoo l pu rposes.... .... ... ... $50 School District No. 3, embr aci ng sec tion s 27, 28, 33, a nd 34, ex cep t the northw est quarter of section 28, was orga nized Jan. 23, 1840. At the same tim e th e bound ar ies of District No . 2 were ch anged , so as to embrac e within its limits th e west half of section 21, th e wh ole of 20, eas t half of 19, northeas t quarter of 30, north half of 29, and northw est qu ar ter of 28. Fractional School Di strict No. 2, co1;1prising porti ons of th e tow nship s of How ell and Tu sco la, was enlarged, Jan. 23, 1840, by addi tions from th e to wnships of Ien a and H and y. Sc h oo l Di str ict No. 4 of H and y was organized Nov. 21, 1840, and originally compri sed secti ons I O, I l , 14, and 15. D ec. 2 5' I 840, the sc hoo l inspe ctor s, in a specia l repo rt, said, - " That a sum of $35 ought to be raised in scho ol ,li,trict No. 2, in addit ion to the $ 100 ra ised by th e inhabitan ts of s,iid sch ool d istri ct, for the purp ose of buil d in g a sch oo l-hc,use in th e same ." On the 22d of January, 184 1, they furth er reported: "I n our opinion a sum of $ 150 oug ht to he raised in d istrict No. 4, in add itio n to the $IOo that the d istrict officers ha ve already ra ised , for th e purpose of building a school-hou se in said district." In November, 1843, the tow nship was redistricted, making th e numb er of districts still being four. Th e first menti on mad e of granting certific ates occ urs in th e yea r 1844, when 't he tow nship clerk mad e th e following entr y: " J ane , vat son In spected for a School-teach er, and received a Sirtificate off the fol lowing Sch ool inspect ors. "HANtJY, July th e 13th, 1844." S. Norton rece ived a teac her's cer tificate D ec. 17, 1844, and Eva A. Putnam th e same, Jan. 18, 184 5. On th e 3d of May, 184 5, H ann ah Boyd and Sus an Steadman were g rant ed certificates to teac h in districts I and 3, respec tiv ely. From th e sch oo l inspec to rs' annu al report , made Oct. 5, 1846, which includ es dis tri cts 1, 2, and 3, are ga th ered th e following statis t ics: childr en of scho ol age, 98; whole number who have att end ed school durin g th e yea r, 93; amount of money received from town ship tr eas ur er, $28.83 . T eac hers: District No. I, Lucy King; District No. 2, Seymour Norton; Di strict No. 3, D elia H empsted; ave rage duration of sch oo ls, thr ee months . Amelia Stearns was g ranted a teacher's certificate May 23, I 846. Oth er ear ly teac hers were granted certificates, as follows: J ohn L oree, March 15, r 847 ; Augustus Dorrance and Dy er Austin, March 19, I 847. School District N o. 5, compri sing sections 18, 17, west one-half of sec tions 5 and 8, and the whole of sec tions 6 and 7, was formed A pril 17, 1847. Samuel Conklin was appo inted to att end to th e orga nization of thi s district. April 22, 1848, th e boun da ries of thi s district were ch ang ed so as to includ e sections 41 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, th e west one-h alf of 3, and th e west 01ie.-half of IO. Nancy Maria Gould received a teac her's cer tificate at th e same date. Angeline Conway and Ma1·y Fal es receiv ed teac hers' cert ificates April 14, I 849. Sections 17 and r 8 were organized as School Di strict No. 6 April 26, 1849, and discontinued by ord er of th e inspec tors Oct. 6, I 849. On th e 6th of J anu ary, 185 I, District No. 6 was again organized, comprising parts of sec ti ons 9, IO, r I , 14, and 15. R alp h Fowler was ap poi nted to notify th e taxable inh abit ants of th e district, and to att end to oth er matt ers pert aining to its organization. Thi s was th e first sc hoo l district org anized in th e villag e of Fowlerville, an d at th e tim e it first · ass um ed a village asp ect, J ohn H. Hand was g iven a te ach er's certificate, Jan. 22, 1851. Also Willi am W. Mitch ell, April 29, I 85 I. Emma Grov er and Polly Stafford were granted te ach ers' certificates May I 2, I 8 5 1. 244 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN . Th e following statistics will show th e condition of schoo ls for the decad es ending 186o and 1870: 186o. Teachers li censed to tea ch durin g the year : H. M. Mather , J. L. Cook, A . L. H ollister, C. Mun son, Susa n Fi sh, E lizabeth Bri ggs , Ellen Sowle, Mary J. Lud de n, Mattie F . H amilton, L ouisa H ave ns, Sara h C. Boothby, D aniel Hi gby, Miss E. Boothby, and Oti s Obert. \Vh ole num be r of distri cts ............ ........ ... .... ............ 9 Chi ldr en of school age re, idin g in the to wnshi p ..... ....... 358 " att endin g schoo l d urin g th e year ...... .. .. ....... .. 274 Am ount of prim ary-sc hool fun ds rec eived and app orti oned $157 72 re ce ived from two-mill tax and appo rti oned ...... $ 317.54 1870. Numb er of whol e di stri cts.. ....... ...... . .......... .. .. ....... .. 6 fract ional district s .... ... .... ................. . ... ... 5 childr en of school age re sidin g in township. . 498 Primary -scho ol fun ds rec ei ved and ap po rtioned ......... , .. $244.0 2 The following statistics, taken from th e annual report of the town ship Bo ard of Education for the yea r ending Sept. 1, l 879, show the condition of schools* at th e pres ent time : Number of wh ole districts ........................... ...... .... . fractional districts ..... .... ... : ..... ..... ........... . Frnme school- houses ........................................ . .. . .. . Value of scho ol prop erty ... .. .. ................... . ... .. ..... .. .. Childr en of school age re,iding in township ............... . . Mal e teach ers employ ed during th e year ........ .... . ... ... .. . F emale tea chers empl oyed during th e yea r ........ ..... . .. .. Month s taught by males .. _. . ........... ... .. .. .... .. ......... . . " females ..... .. ..... ..... ....... .... .. ..... ... .. Paid male tea ch ers ... . ....... ......... . ... ....... ......... .. ...... . " fem ale teac her s ............... ........ . .. ......... ..... . ..... . RECE! i'T S. From mon eys on h and Sept. 2, 1878, two-mill tax, prim ary-schoo l fund , and distric t taxes for all pur- 6 2 8 $4750 72 5 6 12 27 66 $ I0 60 $ 1346 poses ............... ..... . .. ..... .. .... ..... ... .. ... ........... $4183 .09 E XPENDIT URES. · T eachers ' wag es ........ .... ......... .... ......... ................. $2406.00 F"r repairs and oth er purp oses .......... ..... .. ......... .... .. 1469.52 Cas h on hand Sept. 1, 1879. ......... ..... .......... .......... .. 307 .57 T otal.. ..... ..... .. ... .... .......... ........... ... .......... ... $4183.09 VILLAGE OF FOWLERVILLE . . The village of Fowlerville, as now established, embraces within its corporat e limits portion s of sections IO, l 1, 14, and 15, and by referring to the list of land-entri es it will be found that th e first purcha se of land within its boundaries was made by Chilson Sanford, of Wa sh tenaw Co ., Mich., who entered th e southwest quart er of section l 1, April 25, 1834. The rema,ind er of the _ villa ge site was covered by the origin al entries of Ralph Fowler, Amos Ad ams, Harvey Metcalf, Charles P. Bush, Sanford Britton, and James H. Ha sting s, and all of it was vested in individual owner ship prior to Jan. 1, 1837. The history of the vill age, however, do es not * The se statistic s inclu de ~he w adecj sc/100!; o f th e vi llage of F ow lerv ille, pro perly be g in until Nov. 7, 1849. On th e date mention ed, Amos Ad ams, surv eyor, under th e instructions of Ralph Fowl er, surv eyed and platt ed lot s situated on both sides of Grand River Stre et, the lots numbering from one to twenty-nin e, inclusive. Th e surveyor in an explanatory note rem ark ed : "Th ese lots are situated on th e west h alf o f the sout h west quarter of sect ion eleve n, and th e eas t h alf of th e so utheast quarter of sect ion ten, of town shi p three north of range thr ee east. Ea ch lot contains one- fifth of an acre, excep t lots five, six, eight , nin e, twenty-four, and tw enty-five , wh ich cont ain one-t enth of an acre." During th e same y ear Russ ell Full er be ga n the construction of a sa w-mill upon a lot cont aining six acr es, which had been don ated by Mr. Fowl er. Mr. F . also boarded th e workm en g ratuitou sly, whil e people of th e tow nship sco red and hewe d th e timb ers for th e frame-work. But Mr. Full er, before its compl etion, sold th e mill to Mr. Fowler, who finished it. Tho se people who then resided in the embr yo village or its imm ediate vicinity were Ralph Fowler, A. S. D enson, William Sherwood, a blacksmith, \Nilliam H . Evans, David L ewis, tav ernkeepe r and po stmaster, and members of th e firm of Clark &amp; Hopkins, who kep t for sale a very light general stock of goods. The village of F owlerville was first mentioned on th e asse ss ment roll in 1851, and tho se who were th en ass essed for property lying within the villag e plat were Ralph Fowler, Charles L ewis, J ohn M. Mink er, Morgan M. R andall, A. S. D enson, Jo seph Grant , R. A. Cow ell, and Richard Bri stol. The additional tax-pay ing inhabit ants in l 8 5 2 included J ohn T. Watson, Samuel G. Palm ert on, th e firm of Rand all &amp; Sherwood, Chelsey Tupper, ·William A . D orranc e, and Josiah Turner . At thi s tim e the plank-road from L ansing to I-iowell was completed. Thi s event cre ated much enthusiasm among those owning real estate · in and aro und th e village, as indication s pointed to th enow- e stabli shed-fact that ere many yea rs it wo uld beco me a comm ercial centre of no mean importanc e. As the plank-ro ad company required a building for office purpo ses and th e sa le of good s, Ralph Fowl er erect ed a store on th e corn er now occupied by D. R. Glenn &amp; Co. After one or two years of occupancy the ·company vacated the premises, and the same buildin g was then occupi ed by the Hon. J os iah Turn er, who was the first individu al m erchant in the village to carry a stock of any ma gnitud e. At thi s period, to o, cam e Caleb T. Power and Benjamin P. V ealey fro m Brig ht on. They im- μ,ediat ely began the con struction of th e famous HANDY TOWNSHIP. 245 old ho stelry, known for years as "Independence H all." The plank-road was soon afterwards completed throu gh to D etroit, and it then became one of the mo st throng ed thoroughfar es in the State. A fourhor se stage-coach passed eac h way twice a day, and th e accommodations of Ind epe ndence Hall were taxed to the utmost. Other minor enterprises soon followed, while th e population of th e littl e village steadily increased. Among tho se who sett led during the years 1853, 1854, and 1855, were H. C. Stoddard, Hir am Bodine, Peter Bush, Henry G. West, Henry N . Sp encer (the first res ident physician), James Stoneham, George Taylor, John A . Stout, Oscar D. We11er, Samuel Hubbard, C. S. Co1lins, William Co11ins, Ezekiel King, Ja me s Hawley, Elmer Holloway , Sidn ey Carpent er, N. L. Embury, David Bissell, Truman D. Fish, Marshall A. Porter, Patrick Maloy, J oseph H. Steel, Jr. , Josep h Edmonds, ·William Walker, Oscar Wi11iams, Benoni Knick er - bock er, R . C. Cran e, Lewis Moore, and J onath an T erwi1liger. Th e first gr ist-mi11 was built in 1855-56, by Messrs. Fish and Palm erton, and J osep h H. Steel, Jr ., &amp; Co. establi shed th eir iron-foundry at th e same period. From th e time that th e opening of th e D etroit and Milwaukee and the Jack so n and Saginaw R ailroads to ok th e business from th e plank-road until th e near completion of th e Detroit, Lan sing and Northern Railroad, the growth of th e village was slow and unimportant. The rolls show that the reside nt tax -payer s in 1860 were but 57 in numb er, as fo1lows: N. E . Green, M. A. Porter, Truman D. Fish, Samuel P. Lee, David Johnson, Richard Roff, George Wyatt, William Fulford, J ohn Haws, El eanor Curry, Amrod Moon, R anso m Grant, Fred. Carlisle, Pat. Maloy, Lambe rt Wi11iams, A. B. Lockwood, Hiram Bodine, Almira Co11ins, Charles Ortner, John White, Caleb T. Power, David Hamilton, Dani el Fuller, Benjamin P. Vealey, Jam es M. Lon g, Motgan M. Randal1, William L. Collins, John Houston, Eri M. Spencer, John Bush, Jam es Wilson, Ransom Ackley, Hiram Elliott, Wi11iam \,Vinegar, Thur ston Simmon s, Samuel G. Palmerton, Power &amp; Carlisle, George \V. Palmerton, ·warren Clark, Hodge &amp; \Villiams, John B. \,Vilson, Henry N. Spenc er, I saac Page, J. T. Gridley, Major Bentl ey, Solomon Sly, Enoch 'vV. Curry, George Cameron, Ralph Fowler, C. L. Northrop, Samuel Hubbard, Edwin Hitchcock, Peter Bush, W. P. &amp; G. W. Stow. Five years lat er-in 1865-there were but 64 names up on th e rolls. In following the incr ease of population still further, we find that th e total numb er assessed for taxation in the year 187 I was 90, and in th e following year 174. INCORPORATION. Th e village of Fowlerville was incorpor ated by act approved April 15, 1871, which provided- " That all of that district of country in th e county of Livingston, in the State of Michi ga n, desc ribed as follows, to wit: Secti ons numb er ten, eleven, fourteen, and fifteen, in town ship munher thr ee north, of range num ber thr ee east, is h ereby constituted and declared a body corpor'1tC, und er the n '1me and title of 'The Vill age of Fowlerville,' in the county of Livin gs ton. " Und er th e act of incorporation, th e electors of the territory so incorporated, to the numb er of 49, viz., A. H . Benedict, David Force, Samuel Scripture, A. S. Denson, John G. Gould, David West, William D enso n, Byron D efendor f, Horace Chalker, Orrin Barber, H enry Elliott, Hiram Bodin e, Orville Go ss , 0. H . Babcock, William Gott, Charles Gewe ye, E. M. Spencer, Rufus Fowler, Zenas Palmerton, 'vVilliam Fulford, Fr eeman R ohrabac her, 0. H. Jones, Ralph Fowl er, Harvey Metcalf, William Pullen, S. S. Munson, R obe rt M. Davis, George Bush, Edwin Bow en, Lorenzo Palmerton, Benajah J. Tuttle, Fred erick Saunders, Gilb ert Demarest, J esse Pulver, William L. Collins, L ewis W estfall , Jam es L ockwood, Edwin Munson, Charles Moore, C. T. Pow er, Levi Bristol, Geo rge W. Pal mer ton, R. A. Patton, Frank G. R ounsv ille, Hiram E lliott, Fred - erick Hyne, Martin Camp, E. H. Brockway, and R . B. Boylan, assembled at th e office of George 'vV. Palm erto n, on Saturday, Jun e 3, 187 I, and organized th e meet ing by choosin~ Lew is H. 'vVestfall and Charl es Moore insp ectors of the election, and William L. Collins clerk. Thi s meetin g result ed in the election of th e following-named officers : Fred erick Saund ers, President; \,Villiam M. Beach, Uriah Coffin, Samuel Gi1lam, Hiram Bodine, Benajah J . Tuttle, James A. Brown, Tru stees; John A. T ann er, R alph F ow ler, Assessors; Frederick Hyne, Treasurer; 'vVm. L. Collins, Clerk; Samuel G. Palm erton, Gilbert Demarest, Jesse Pulver, Street Commissioners; John G. Gould, Mar shal. RE·INCORPORA TI ON. By act No. 269, approved April 30, l 87 3, the village was re-incorporat ed, and ample provi sion made for all requir ement s. By the same act the corporate limit s were red uced to the boundaries described as follows: "All that district o f country in the county of Livingston, in the Stale of Michigan, d esc ribed as follows, to wit: Th e so utheast qu'1rter of sec tion ten, and th e south half of th e n orthea st quarter of sec tion ten, and th e so uthwe st quarter of sect ion eleven, and the west h :tlf of th e so uth east quart er o f sec tio n eleve n, and the sout h half of the nort hwest qua rter of section eleven, and the northw est quarter of section fou,tee n, ·and the northeast qu arler of section fiftee n, in township three north, of range three west, be, ancl the HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. same is hereby constituted a body corp orate, by the name of the village of Fowlerville." The annual village charter election was held Monday, March 3, 1873. But meanwhile the new chart er was pa sse d, and under its provisions a new election was held at the office of John A. Tanner, Monday, May 5, 1873, which resulted in the election of officers as given. in th e list for the year 187 3. Since the completion of th e railroad in 1871, the growth of th e village has been rapid and healthy. Seve ral handsome brick blocks now grace its business avenues, and as a point of general trade, and a market for wheat, live stock, wool, and shooks, it stands second to none in the county of Livingston. In business pursuits the people are active and enterprising, and in the adornment of th eir homes and surroundings much taste and refinement are displayed. Th e village now contains two church edifices,- Methodist Episcopal and Baptist,-a union graded school building , two grain-elevators, steam gristand saw-mills, planing-mills, an exchange bank, a weekly newspaper,-Th e R eview,-an iron-foundry, some fifteen or twenty stores, where goods of all description s are sold, four hotels, various and many small mechanical shops, and a population of 1 200 inhabitant s. It is an important station on the line of the Detroit, Lan sing and Northern Railroad, and is di stant sixty miles from Detroit, and nine miles from Howell, the county- sea t. The following comprises a list of the village officers from 1872 to 1879, inclu sive: PRESIDENTS. 1872, Caleb T. Powers ; 1873, Jared L. Cook ; 1874-75, Willi am W . Starkey; 1876, W. M. H orton; 1877-78, George W. Palmerton; 1879, Wm . M. Hort on. CLERKS. 1872- 74, Benjamin F. Button; 1875-78, Frank G. Roun scville; 1879, William B. Gale. TREA SURERS. 1872-73, Walter Fowler; 1874-75, J ohn C. Ellsworth; 1876-79, Frank I-I. Starkey . TRUSTEES. Uriah Coffin, Charles l\foore, Byron Defendorf, Albert D. Benjamin, George vV. Palmerton, lliram Bodine, 1872; Eri M. Spencer, Byron Defend orf, John M. Tucker, George L. Fi sher, Walter J. Webb, George W. Place, 1873; Albert D. Benj amin, Daniel E. Watts, Andrew D. Cru ickshank (full ter m), Willi am F . Close (to fill vacan cy), 1874; Uri ah Coffin, William F. Close , Nel son B. Gre en (full term ), Daniel R . Glen n (to fill vacancy), 1875; Andrew D. Cru ick shank, Steph en Daley, Henry Green away, 1876; Jam es P. Spencer, James Bean, Chr istopher Y . Peek, 1877; II ugh Conklin, Russell E. Bdl, Charle s J. Glenn, I 878; Edwin E . Walton, Isaac Page, Frank G. Rounsev ille, Cha rles E . Spencer, 1879. STREET COMMISSIONERS. Edwin E. \Val ton, John M. Tucker, Freeman Rohrahacher, 1872; Frederick C. Hyne, 1873; Joh n A. T anner, 1874; Caleb T. Powe r, 1875; Millen J . Dunn, 1876- 78; J ames H . Plac e, 1879. ASSESSORS. John A. T anner, 1872-73; W alter J . W ebb, 1874; Alb ert D . Benjamin, 1875; John A . Tanner, 1876-79. FIRE-WARDENS. Jared L. Cook, 1872; William H. Spenc er, 1873; Albert S. Leland, 1874; Caleb T. Power, 1875; John A. Tanner, 1876; Christoph er Y. Peek, 1877-79. MARSHALS. Jared L. Cook, 1872; Willi am H . Spence r, 1873; Albert S. Leland, 1874-75; William H ead, 1876; Conrad C. H ayner, 1877- 79. ADDITIONS TO ORIGINAL VILLAGE PLAT. Since th e survey of the original plat several additions have been made, viz., R alph Fowler, May 27, 1858. Ralph and Charles Fowler, June 9, 1868. George W. Palmerton, Dec. 6, 1870. Albert D. Benjamin, D ec. 6, 1870. Richard A. Hal e, June 2, 1871. Ralph Fowl er, Jun e 20, 1871. Ralph Fowler, Aug. 20, 1871. Albert D. Benjamin, D ec. 26, 187 I. A. M. Abbott, March 29, 1872. John W. Galloway and Martin W. Camp, April 19, 1872. Albert D. Benjamin, Oct. 29, 1872, and Harv ey C. Button's alteration, May 24, 1873. FIRE DEPARTMENT. The village has been visited by several disastrou s fires, though none of a general na~ure. Of tho se occurring in recent years, was the burning of the planing-mills in 1874, and in February, 1877, the destruction of the Reason House, the new name for the time-honor ed institution long known as "Independence Hall." Fire apparatus, con sisting of hooks, ladders, ropes, and buckets, were early supplied by the village authorities, cisterns wer e dug, and on March 23, 1874, the following resolution passed the Council: "That every busin ess place in the village of Fowlerville be required to ke ep a barrel of water and a pail in readin ess to be used in case of fire." Yet no fire company was regularly organized until July 2, I 879, when Protection Hook-and- Ladder Company, No. 1, was formed and officered as follows: Christoph er Y. Pe ek , Foreman; John McLeod, Assistant Foreman; Henry F. Higgins, Secretary; Ruel Curtis, Trea surer; A . H . Cummings, Steward. The company numbers 30 member s. EARLY H OTEL-KEEPING . As previously mentioned, Ind epe ndence Hall was the first hotel erected in the village, and for a decade or two was the only one. Its proprietorship HANDY TOWNSHIP. 247 ch anged frequently, ye t th e habitu es of th e village tave rn , th eir faces and manners, rema ined nearly the same unt il th e adve nt of th e locomotive, in I 87 1, in stitut ed th e beg innin g o f a new era. Fowlerville at an ea rly day in its hi story was not ed in all th e country arou nd for its balls, and th e spirit which anim ated th e h otel propri etor and hi s g uests durin g such festivals of mirth and j ollity . J ero me vV. Turn er, Es q., of Owosso , in an addr ess delive red be fore th e Li vings ton County Pi oneer Association, Jun e 19 , 1878, related th e following incid ent descriptiv e of one of these asse mbl ages . It s hum or is sugges tiv e, and we dee m it appropria te to thi s place in th e village annals. "Fowle rville wore the belt for th e promi scuous country -dance . I mu st confess to a likin g for th ose old ba lls. There were no tame walk- arou nds in those clays. Feet had to go some where, and they went. Wh ite ank les flash ed like calcium lig h ts; and ove r all, and un de r all, and bear ing all , came th e wav es of mu sic from the fidd lers' stand. One class w ent to dance good sauare danc ing , and get tired out. An other class in te nded lo, hut never got any farther than the bar-room. O ne sitting in the ball-room could n ow and then he ar an om in ous crash of glas ses in the room bel ow, or a particularly sha rp exclamatio n of somebody wh o was jnst going to take 'oce more. ' In the mornin g the ' one-more' boys, as th e sayi ng is, ' lay in all shapes.' It was in th e m ornin g th at I went into the bar-room on the occasion referr ed to, and the bodies wer e lyin g around , as th ey might have lain in the gray dawn on the heights of Ink er mann . One ma n survived, but he stood again st th e outside of th e bar to hold him se lf up, while the lanrllord braced him self on th e inside for the same reaso n. They st,&gt;0d th ere loo kin g in a dazed a nd distant way al eac h other. Th e pupil s of their eyes swam a long on th e edges of their upp e r eyelid, like a feebl e su n on the horizon, and their long slo w wink s were litt le more th an efforts at co nscio usne ss. Th e one on th e outsid e at last sa id, 'I 've mixed drinks all night, and tried lo get a man to stand afore m e, hut's j ust my co nfounded lu ck, co uldn 't find nobody.' 'Sam,' said the proprieto r, in a myste rious way,' do you want a n alm igh iy thra shin'? N o man ever stopped with me a nd want ed any thi ng hut what he got it, and I 'm cl--d if I let th e reputat ion of the ho·1se suffer just after a big dance; so if yo·u want a lickin ' , you can hev it_iu, t as quick 's a meal of vittle s.' Sim ultaneous ly they tri ed to start towards eac h oth er, a nd at th e sa m e tim e eac h fel I on th e floor, whi le I made my way out, and a m unabl e to say wheth er they ever got up o r n ot." PROFESS IONAL l\lEN . Th e first resident to att end th e wants of th ose whose bodil y ai lm ent s req uir ed attention was Ru el Randall. He was term ed a Th o mso nian, and was not a reg ularly ed ucated physician. H owever, we may believe th at he often did mu ch good, and in cases wh ere he failed he certainly did not mak e th em mu ch worse. Dr. H enry N. Spenc er was th e first physicia n to settl e inth evi llage,and came h ere as ea rly as 1853. Those wh o have since practic ed here at variou s periods were Drs . J ames A. Brown, J. M. L ong , Ez ra J. Bates, Byro n D efendorf, -- Fitch, H . N. Hall, A bel S. Austin, Aaron W. Coop er, and William R . Mead . Th e physici ans of th e present are Drs. Brown, D efend orf, A ustin , Co oper, and Mead. Th e first lawy er, Benjamin F . Butt on, settl ed in th e village in 187 I. Th e frat ernit y are represe nt ed at the present tim e by Messrs. B. F . Button, Henry F. Hi ggi ns, A ndr ew D. Cruickshank, J ohn Connor, and Fr ed. Warren. BANKING. In March, 187 3, Messrs. Gay &amp; Ellsworth established th e bankin g institution which th ey sti ll control. It has been of great ass istanc e to tho se doing business in th e village and its vicinity, and has added mater ially to th·e developm ent and g ro wth of F owlervi lle. Thi s firm does a ge nera l ex - change and banking business, th eir corr espondence ext endin g to all the commercial centr es of the Union. F OWL ERVILLE CORNET BAND. Thi s band was first form ed in Jun e, 1874, and H enry Gr eenaw ay elected leade r. In March, 1877 , a reorga nization took place, and J ohn C. El lswo rth beca me th e leader. It is now comp osed of eig l.tee n piec es , and th e names of th e membe rs are as follows : J ohn C. Ell sworth, Frank Cur tis, H enry Gr eenaway, I. B. Turn er, W. C. H y ne, Elmer Chamb ers, Fr ed . Greenaway , J . Walton, A. J . Beebe , Charl es E. Spencer, Hawley Pullen, J ohn Van Ve rst, Geo rge L. Ada ms, Fred. W a rr en, Char les Bu sh, Frank Palmerton, Ri cha rd Fowl er, Edward Greenaway. A comm od ious band hall is now in cour se of con struction. Th e citiz ens have respo nded liberally when called up on to assis t in uniforming a nd eq uippin g th e memb ers of th e orga nization, and th ey are now in th e possessio n of one of th e mo st elega nt ban d uniform s in th e State. SHOOK -MANUFACTORY. Th is, th e most imp ortant manufacturin g ent erprise in th e village, was established by William W. Starkey, in Jul y, I 87 I. Mr. Starkey is an ext ensive dealer in red and whit e oa k staves, and manufactures shooks for sugar, molasses, fish, cart, a nd rum hogs heads. Power is deriv ed from a forty horse-powe r stea m-engi ne, and th e capacity o f th e works amounts to from 75,000 to 10 0,000 shooks per year, all of which are sh ipped to th e vVest India Isla nd s. Steady emp loy ment is here give n to twenty-five men, while as many others ar e engaged in vario us parts of th e Sta te get tin g out mat erial. A fire in Octob er, I 878, destroy ed proper ty to the amo unt of $ 4 00 0, but its ravag es were imm ed iately repaired, and th e factory is now run to its fullest capacity, night and day. = -: -s--c-·--- I I ' i I 11 ' I .. HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. Mr. Starkey is also th e owner of a valuable stock-farm of 240 acres , situat ed within the villarre b limits, and is becoming well known throu gh out the State as th e breeder of fine hors es . Chief among hi s stock is a K entucky brood-mar e, by Duvall's Mambrino, and two fillies, th e get of th e famous trottin g stallion Pasacas, also owned in Fowlerville, and who took th e stallion trottingrace at the Michigan State Fair in Detroit, Septem ber, 1879. NEWSPAPERS. T!te Fowlerville R eview was established by Willard H. He ss and George L. Adams in 1874, the first issue bearing date Jun e 19th of the sa me year. The paper was continued und er thi s mana geme nt until Oct. I, 1877, when Mr. Adams tr ansferr ed hi s interest to Mr. H ess. Th e latter continu ed alone until Jan. I, 1879, when Mr. Adams again became conn ected with th e paper as so le owner and publisher, and continues the sa me to the present time. Th e pap er was first is~ued in th e form of a four-column quarto, was changed to a seven - column folio in January, 1874, and to its present form, a five-colum"n quarto, in Octob er, 1877. It is neutral in political matte rs, is published on Fridays, and has a weekly circulation of 550 copi es. l\L\SONIC. Fcnvlcrville Lodg e.-Th e first me etin g of Fowlervill e L odge, No. 164 , F. and A. M., was held Oct. 29, I 864. A charter was granted by th e Grand Lodge of the State of Michigan, Jan. 13, 1865. Th ere were nin e charter memb ers, and t!ie followin g-named comprised th e first bo ard of officers, viz.: H enry N. Spencer, W. M.; R. M. Cadwell, S. vV.; E. E. Walton, J. W.; Geo. W. Palmerton, Treas . ; A. H. Benedic t, Sec . ; S. H. Ju dd, S. D.; Hiram Pea rso ns, J . D.; P. P. Carmer, Tiler. Henry N. Spencer continued as v\'. M. until 1872. He was succ eeded by Jam es A. Brown, who held th e office during th e years from 1872 to 1875, inclu sive, and from the latt er period until the present time, Jo sep h L. Cook has officiated in th e same capacity. Th e officers for I 876 are Jo sep h L. Cook, W. M.; M. W. Davison, S. W.; J.P . Spencer, J. W.; D. A. Fr ench, S. D.; F. G. R oun seville, J. D.; A. H. Hugh es, Sec.; H. Pearso ns, Treas . ; and J ames R eed, Til er. R eg ular communications are hel1 48.65 22 15.00 200.00 T otal ..... .. ... .. : ............ . ... .... . ........ .... . ........ $2 752 .05 EXPEND IT URES. Teachers' wages ...... .. .. ...... .. .... ... ... .. ... . ............ ..... $ 1440 .00 Bu ilding and repai rs ..... . .. ....... ... ........... ...... ...... .. .. 528.30 Bonded ind ebtedness ......... . ...... ... .......... .. ..... . ........ 56o.oo Oth er purpo ses ................ .. ....... ........ ...... ... .... .. ... 177-47 Cash on hand Sept. 1 , 1879. ... .. ... ...... ..... . ...... ........ . 46.28 T ota l.. ....... .. ................. . ...... ........ ........ .... . $2752.0 5 T ota l bo nded indebt ed ness of th e di strict Sept. 1, 18 79. $ 1400 32 RELI G IOUS SOCIE TIE S. F I RST METH OD IST EPISCOPAL CHURC H . H ere, as in many oth er localities, th e circuit preachers of th e Meth odis t Epis copa l Church were th e pioneers in relig ious matt ers. E lder J ohn Cosa rt, of th e abov e-menti oned church, who res ided in th e tow nship of Hartland, held th e first relig io us serv ices in th e hou se of Rich ard P. Bu sh in 1838 or 1839. H e visited th e peop le in thi s and adjoinin g settl ements once in four weeks. A fter th e buildin g of th e first scho ol-hou se a majority of the ea rly meetin gs were held th ere, ye t quit e frequ entl y at the residences of John B. F owler, R alph F owler, and other s. A Meth od ist class, quite stron g in numb ers, was form ed soo n after Eld er Cosa rt began his pr eac hin gs, amon g whom were John B. Fowl er, leade r, who co ntinu ed the same until his death, in 1842; Ri chard P. Bush and wife, John Bu sh, wife, and chil d ren, R alph Fowl er, Mrs . Ca lvin H andy, Mrs. E lijah Gaston, J ohn B. La R owe, Martin 'vV. R and all and wife, and J ames E . H ead. Thi s class exist ed for a bri ef numb er of yea rs, and th en went down . A sec t call ed th e Unioni sts th en too k th e field, and flouri shed for a short tim e. Th ey were follow ed by th e We sleya n Meth odists, who also enjoyed but an evan esce nt life. After th e plattin g o f th e village of F owlerville, in 1849, and th e donation of a site for a Meth od ist ho use of wo rship by R alph Fowl er, a new interest was aroused in religio us circl es, which culminated in th e reo rga nization of th e Methodi st Epi scopal soc iety as th e Fir st Metho dist Episcopa l Church in th e villa ge of Fowl ervill e. Th e ea rliest writt en record s obt ained concernin g thi s society are from th e 111 iscel laneo us records on file in th e office of the county clerk , whi ch shows that on th e 16th day of N ove mber , I 853, Th omas 'vVakelin, pr eac h er in ch arge, appoi nt ed Phin eas Silsby, J osep h Og le, L evi H . Bige low, John A . Stout, Geo rge Sto ut, Henry N. Sp ence r, and L ott Pra tt a board of trustees of th e First Meth odist Episcopa l Church in Fowlerville, "for th e purp ose of erectin g a ho use of worship on a lot in th e village of Fowlerville." Th e steward s' bo ok begi ns Oct . 22, 1855, and informs th e reade r that at th e first quarterly conference- m eeting of th e Fowl erville Di strict , Flint Circuit, held at th e Par son s sch oo l-hou se, on th e day mentioned , Geo rge Smith, p resid ing elder, was pr esent, and ope ned th e meetin g with sing ing and prayer. On moti on, Cecil D. Parso ns was appointed secretary . Ot hers pre sent were C. 'vV. Murray, Circuit Pr eacher; Thomas St anfield, Ex - horter; Cecil D . Par son s and Ph ineas Silsby, Stew ard s ; Frederick B. Par so ns and Geor ge L. Wil son, L eade rs. Th e Co nference th en proc ee ded to form a boa rd of stewards , which was compo sed HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. of Henry N. Spencer and L ev i Bigelow, Stewards, and Cecil D . Parsons and Phineas Silsby, Recording Stewards. It was estimated that the salary of the pr eac her in charge anc.1 other expenses would amount to $450, which was apportioned among the diffe rent appointments as follows: Fowl er ville, $100; Silsby's, $7 5; Boyd's, $7 5; Pratt's, $50; Parsons', $100; North Conway, $ 50. In 1867 the church edifice was commenced and the society reg ularly incorporated. Those named as trustees in the a rticl es of incorpor ation were Ard. K. Smith, Isaac T. Wright, Martin R. Fost er, Benjamin '0/. Lawrence, Phin eas Silsby, Adam Rohrabacher, and John M. Potts. The church edifice was dedicated March 14, 1869 . R ev. J. S. Smart, of Adrian, conducted th e servic es, assisted by R evs. T. J. Joslin and William Fox , of Fcntonville. In 1874 a parsonage was built, and the church rep a ired to some extent, aft er which a rededication took place, th e services being conducted by Rev. B. I. Ive s, of Auburn, N. Y. The church cost originally about $3500, and has s ittings for nearly 400 people. Th e property owned by the society at the pre se nt time is valued at $4000 , and the present m e mbers are 90 in numb er. The following is a list of the pastors who have officiated in the F ow lcrvill e district since 185 5, showing also the year of th eir settlement: C. W. Murray, 1,,S55; William Goss, 1857; Lyman Dean, 1858; S. P. Lee, 1858; J. H . Castor, 186o; Jam es Armstrong, 186 1; J esse Kilpatrick, 1863; C. M. Anderson, 1864 ; P. L. Turn er , 1865; Samuel J . Brown, 1866; R. C. Crane, 1867; William H . Brockw ay,* 1869; C. W . Austin, 1872; S. P. Warner, 1873; N. W. Pierce, 1874; F.W .Wa rren, 1876; H. 0. Parker, 1879 . Thi s district includes th e South H a ndy class, th e members of which hold meetin gs in the" Mormon School-house." The tw o classes includ e a total membership of ab out 150 communicants. Th e official memb ers at the present tim e are Byron Defendorf, William Craig , J ohn M. Potts, Lyman Stewart, Isaac Page, William Macox, Uriah Coffin, Milo Davis, Amasa Bowen, Stewards; and Byron D efendorf, William Craig, Uriah Coffin, John M. Pott s, Isaac T. Wright, Amasa Bowen, Isaac Page, Trust ees. Flourishing Sunday -schools exist, of which Dr. Byron Defendorf is sup erintendent. FIRST BAPrIST C H U RC H . Thi s society was organized May 27, 1869, the constituent memb ers being L ewis Dean and wife, John Swartwout and wife, Mary Dean, William H. * In 1836, an Indi an missionary and th e only preac her of th e Meth od ist Episcopa l Churc h in th e counti es uf Lap ee r, Gen esee, Shiaw assee , and Saginaw. Faunc~. Sophia J . Faunce, Oliv e Van Buren , Charles Mastick, Delia Mastick, and Orlando Bu shnell. June 29th of the same year the society was reg - ularly incorporated, and S. C. D ea n, Edward Bailey, Theron Metcalf, William H. Faunc e, John Swartwout, Charles Moore, Charles Mastick, Graham N. Barker, and Martin Van Buren were named as tru stees. The first meetings were held in the old school-house, which was situated ju st south of where the Reason Block now sta 11ds. Their present church edifice was completed in 1873, and dedicat ed September 7th o f the same year. It ha s sittings for 200 persons, and cost $ 1100. The pasto rs who hav e officiated h ere are named in th e order of th ei r succession, as follows: George W. J enk s, William Bassett, Charles F. Weston, David E. Hills, and T. H. Cary, who is th e present incumb ent. The present m ember s of th e society numb er 70. An interesting Sunday-school of 85 sc holars is mai ntain ed , of which Graham N. Barker is th e superintendent. MORMO:',;S. It may properly be mentioned 111 this connection th at, during the years from 1840 to 1842, apostles of the Mormon Church held mee ting s in the hou se since known as the " Mormon Schoolhouse ." Their proselyting result ed in inducin g 13 families to leave their hom es in Handy and Iosco, and join th e L atter-Day Saints, th e n . colonized at Nauvoo, Ill. B I OG R A P I-I. IC A L S K ETC I-I E S. JAMES CO~VERSE. Elias Conv erse was born in Ve.rmont. In his . boyhood he went to the State of New York, where h e followed farming for a livelihood. In 1840 he m ove d to th e town of Comm erce, in Oakland Co., Mich. Here he remained but one year, when he came to the town of Conway, Livingston Co., Mich. , and bought a new farm, which he improved. This farm he sold, and th en returned to Oakland County . Seven years lat er he aga in sold, and return ed to Conway, purchasing a farm, on which he lived until his dea th. Jame s Converse, the s ubj ect of this sketch, was born Sept. 30, 1838, in the town of Conquest, Cayuga Co., N. Y. H e liv ed with hi s father until he was of age, when he started out in life for him se lf. H e worked by th e month on a farm one year, then rented a farm, by which mea ns he obtained his start in life. In 1 864, Mr. Converse purcha sed a HANDY TOWNSHIP. wild tract in the town of Cohoctah, which he soon traded for an improved farm in the town of Conway . This he sold in 1867, buying the farm on section 5, in Handy, which he now owns . It was then nea rly new, with only log buildings . He has improved the land and built fine buildings , and although his farm is small, co1tsisting of but fortyfive acres, he has done bett er than many on farms of three times the size. That he has now so fine a place is due solely to the energy and industry of himself and wife. Mr. Convers e has never take n an active part in politics, but votes with the Democratic party. He was marri ed July I 5, 1860, to Miss Emily Miner, who was born Sept. 28, 1838, in Hartland, Mich . She is a daughter of Ezra and Anna M. (Skidmore) Miner. HAR VEY METCALF, the second white settler in th e town of Handy, was born in Worthington, Mass., Dec . 20, 1795. After the death of his father, which occurred when HARVEY METCALF. he was quite young, he found a home with his grandfather until he was fourteen, when the death of his grandfather left him without a home. He then lived among the farmers, working at whatever he could get to do and for what th ey chose to give him. Under such circumstances his chances for an education were nec essa rily very limited . H e was dr afted during the war of 1812, and served until his company was mu ster ed out at the close of the war . Soon after his discharge he went to West Bloomfield, Ontario Co ., N. Y., where he found employment on a farm. From th ere he went to Geneseo, Livingston Co., N. Y., and engaged in the livery busin ess, which he followed for some tim e. Rut becoming satisfied that an old settled country lik e New York was a hard place for a poor man to get a start, he determined to go to a new State, where land was plenty and cheap. In the spring of 1836, having sold out his busin ess, he came to the town of H andy and bought of the government one hundred and sixty acres of land, for which he paid down. During the summer of 1836 he made a small improvement, sowed ten acres of wheat, and put up a log house. In the fall he returned to Geneseo for his family, whom he at once brought to the new home in the forest. At that time there was but one family in th e town of Handy. The country around was entirely new save the small clearing mad e by Mr. Handy. Ther e were no roads save Indian trail s, while deer and all kind s of fish and game were abundant. Th e wolves made night hideous by th eir howling, although th ey were not a so urce of much danger. With th e e;:xception of the Handy family their only neighbor s were the Indi ans, with whom they lived on friendly terms. Although everything was new and strange to them, and they endured many privations and hardships, still they were contented and happy. So says Mrs. Metcalf, who is still livin g, a hale and hearty old lady of nearly seventy. Under Mr. Metcalf's energy and industry the wildern ess home was soon made to "blossom as a ros e," and peace and plenty prevailed. At the first town-meeting held in the township Mr. Metcalf was elected road commi ss ion er. But political offices were not to his taste, and he never held one by his own wish . In the schools of his town he always took an active int erest , and was generally one of th e sc hool board . In politics Mr . Metcalf was first a Whig and th en a R epublican. He departed this life March 28, 1878, respe cted and esteemed by his neighbors and friend s for his many good qualities. On the 9th day of June, 1831, he was married to Miss Eveline Adams, who was born in Geneseo, N. Y., March 26, 1810. She was the daughter of Amos and Elizabeth (Wr i~ht) Adams. There have been born to them the following-named children : Theron, born March 25, 1832; Amanda F., born Jan. 18, 1834; Angeline, born April 29, 1836; Adelaide, born Aug. 14, 1840; Edwin A., born Jun e 27, 1844; Cornelia, born March 9, 1848, died June 19, 1872; and Emma L., born Sept. 5, 185 1, died J an. 17, 1878. Theron Metcalf enlisted in September, 1864, in Company H, 4th Cal. Volunteers, and served one year, mustered out as assistant commissarysergeant in September, 1865. Edwin A. Metcalf enlisted Aug. 6, 1861, in Company K, 9th Michigan Infantry. Was tak en prisoner at Murfreesboro' and HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. paro led ; disch arge d Septemb er I 6, r 862 ; re-e nlisted in Company D, sa me regi ment , Sep t. ro, 1864; disc harged May 17, 186 5. RALPH FOWL E R wa s born in Tr ent on, Oneida Co., N. Y. , Oct. 26, 1808. His father, W alter Fowl er, wh o was born in Massac hu sett s, was a maj or j n th e war o f I 812, but saw no active service. David Fowl er, R alph 's gra ndfather, was a captain in th e R evo luti onary war. Of his serv ices but littl e is kn ow n. R alph grew to manh ood in Tr enton, where his father RALPH FOWLER. worked at farmin g . Unable to g ive his so n an educ ation , Ralph had but a winter's sc hoo ling until after hi s marria ge . vVhen tw enty-two years old, Mr. Fowl er comm enced life for him se lf. H e hired out on a farm for eight months. After his tim e expir ed, he, with his broth er-in-law, rent ed a dairy-farm , which th ey work ed for two years very succ ess fully . On th e 14th ·day of November, 1832, he married Miss Martha Smith, and th e follow ing spring, with hi s wife, mov ed to Geneseo, Livingston Co., N. Y. H e rent ed a farm of General Wadsworth, which he carri ed on for a year and a half , when he becam e hom e-age nt for th e genera l, having charg e of a part of his large estate. The general sent him to a night-school, thre e nig hts in a week, six month s eac h of th e two yea rs he was in hi s service, and in this way Mr. Fowler acquired . a fair education . In 1835, Mr. Fowler found himself the poss esso r of two th ousa nd dollars, and being anxious to have a home of his own he came to Michigan and bou ght of the government eight lot s of land, on a portion of which the village of Fowlerville now stands. Th e fall of 1836 found him with his family in th e new hom e 111 th e wilderness. Th ere were th en only th e families of Mr. Handy and Metcalf in th e tow n. With his accustomed energy he at once comm enced th e improvem ent of hi s farm; soo n clea red field s, made beautiful with growing gra in, too k th e place of th e wilderness . Mr. Fowl er took an active part in the organization of th e tow n, and was cho se n its first supervi so r, which office he held many years. For se veral years th ere was no road to hi s place; but, after the buildin g of the capitol at L ansing, th e St ate road from Detroit to Grand H aven was opened throu gh the county to the Meridi an lin e, a stage-route was established, and a post-o ffice opened at F ow lervill e, principally throu gh the effort s o f Mr. Fowl er and Mr. Williams. Mr. Fowler also too k an activ e part in th e buildin g o f th e pl ank -road, takin g a th o usa nd dollar s in sto ck, and also furni shin g th e plank to construct th e road from H owe ll to F ow lervill e. When the first sa w mill in Fowlervill e was built he ga ve six acres of land and board ed th e hands free. He afterward s bou ght and finished the mill. Mr . F owler ha s also ass isted liberally in buildin g th e churches of his village . In 1853 he laid out thirty acr es o f land in th e village of Fowl erv ille, and gave away eve ry alt ernat e lot to any one who would build a good hou se th ereon . He built th e first store in, and has since added many buildings to, th e village . Mr. Fowler ha s filled th e mos t of the offices in his town, and se rved as a R epresentativ e in th e Legislatures of 1843-44, of 185 r-5 2, and in th e specia l sess ion of 1854. H e served as cha irman of the Committee on Claim s, o n the special Committee on the Liquor L aw, and was seco nd on the Committ ee of Ways and Means, filling th e position with credit to him se lf and his constituents. For his second wife, Mr. Fowler marri ed Mrs. Mar y Fowl er, D ec. IO, 1846. His children by his first wife were George, born July 22, 1833 ; Lucy, born Aug. 18, 183 5, d ied July 21, 1842 ; Charles, born Jun e I I, 1837; J oann a, born October, 1839; Wa lter B., born Nov. 6, 1843; and \Valter, born Nov. 6, 1846. Geo rg e Fowler se rved as a non-commissioned officer, subsequently as lieuten ant and captain, during th e Reb el lion , and was twice wound ed. GEORGE LO VEL Y was born in th e State of Ohio, April I 2, 1840. When he was thr ee years old, hi s father mov ed to Wayne Co., Mich., where he bought a farm . Geo rge lived with his father on the farm until h e was nin etee n, when the death of his fath er thr ew him upon his own reso urc es. He worked among HANDY TOWNSHIP. 2 53 the farm ers around Dearborn until 1862 , wh en he came to Putnam, Living ston Co ., with ,)Ut a dollar. Th e first year h e rent ed a farm . He aft erwards bou ght it; but soon sold it, ma king a nice profit, th ere by getting his start. Mr. Lov ely th en came to F ow lervill e and engaged in bu siness He has been engaged in various branches of business, and has be en succes sful in whatever he undertook. H e built the opera-house, has don e much to advanc e the growth and prosperity of his village, and is rank ed among its mo st enterprising citizens. Mr. Lov ely is now engaged in buying and selling agricultural implem ents, bug g ies , wago ns, etc. He also owns and man ages a fine farm of two hui1dr ed acres, a view of which appears on another page of this work. EDWIN NICHOLS. The ancestors of thi s ge ntleman were among th e early se ttl ers of New En g land . John Nichols, th e pat ernal grandfather of our subj ec t, emigrated wh en a young man to Otsego Co., N. Y., wh ere h e was marri ed to Susan Wil so n. Th ey were th e par ent s of one child, nam ed J eremi ah, who was born in Ots eg o in 1801 . On rea chin g manh ood he was marri ed to Ruth Tupper, of th e same place. In 183 I h e emi g rat ed to the T e rritory of Michigan, and se ttl ed at Novi, in Oakland Cu., wh ere he re· mained five yea rs. He then rem oved to Livin gs ton Co unty, and wa s one of th e first to settle in the tow nship of Io sc o. H e afterwards, at vari o us times, remov ed to other places in Livingston County, a nd for th e last eleven years he h as res id ed in th e township of H a ndy . In 1862 h e was bereaved in th e death of his wife, who died at the age of fifty y ea rs . She was th e moth e r of ten child1'e n, viz., Angeline, Edwin, Eliza, Ezekiel S., Albert, Martha J., Phil ena, Mary A., Charl es H., and Seth A. Of these, Ang eline, Edwin, Ez ekiel , Mary, and Seth are living, all married, and have families. Th e old gentleman's seco nd marri age was with Mr s. Amelia R oss , of Iosco, with whom h e is now living- on his , farm in Handy,-on e of the few remainin g old pioneers of 1831. Edwin Nichols was born at the old Ots ego hom e in New York , Aug. 15, 1828 , and at thr ee ye ars of age was brou g ht to th e wilds of Michigan. His boyhood was pa ssed in th e forests of O akland and Livin gs ton Counties, with but poor facilities for obtaining an education. H e was early inured to all the rud e labor and hardships of a pionee r life in the woods, and from early boyhood until he rea ch ed hi s majority h e remain ed with hi s father, bearin g his full sha re in chopping, logg ing, burnin g off th e timb er, and in breaking up new land. On beco min g of age he went out for himself: for two y ea rs he follow ed jobbing, such as br ea king up new land by th e acre. During this tim e he beca me acquainted with Mi ss Sarah M. Smith, of Io sco, to whom he was unit ed in marriag e, Nov. 27, 1850 . H e then purchased e ighty acres of partially improved land, in th e town ship of H a ndy, about four 'miles southw es t of .F ow lerville , on which was a small fra me house. Aft er hi s m a rria ge he mov ed on to his farm, and since that tim e has m ade farming his bu siness , in which avocation h e h as be e n very successful,-at differ ent tim es adding tract after tr ac t to his farm, until h e now h as two hundr ed acres, o f which one hundr ed and fifty acres are improv ed and und er cult jvation. His farm is noted for many mil es around as being o ne of the fines t and m os t fertil e in the county, upon which th ere is one of the fines t groves of sugar-maple in th e State, and from which he a nnu ally mak es about one th ousa nd pounds of map le-s ugar. Th e residenc e, ba rn s, etc ., are all comfort able and conv eni ent, makin g on e of th e m os t beautiful farmhom es in th at pa rt of th e county. Mr. Nichol s is a man of much influ enc e and consideration in his town ship, and is at thi s time (1879) supervisor.- he bei ng th e first and only R epub lica n eve r elect ed to th at o ffice in th e tow n. H e and hi s es tee m ed wife a re th e pa rents of ten children, viz ., Oscar, J eremiah, Hilliard and Willie (twin s), Edwin S ., Rh oda J . and Jay (twin s), S arah E., Ariadne, and J ohn R. Of the se all are living except Willie and Jay. The thre e elde st so ns h ave left home to do for th emse lves, and th e others remain with th eir parent s. Th e family a re att end a nt s of th e M ethodist Episcopal Church, of which Mr. Nichol s ha s b ee n a memb e r many years. On a noth er page a view of th e farm-h o me, and th e portraits of Mr . Nichols and his wife, may be seen. M.-\RVIN GASTON. The anc es to rs of Mr . Gas ton were of Iri sh origin, and were among t he ea rly settlers of Mas sac hu se tts . Rob ert, th e pat ernal grandfath er, was born in 1747; after his ma rri age h e remov ed to M ad iso n Co., N. Y., where he re sided until his dea th in 1829, at eighty-two years of age. His widow died in 1835, at the age of seventy-seven years. They were th e par ents of eight childr en, named Rhoda, Electa, Chauncey, Lydia, Phrebe, Elijah, Alanson, and Almir a. Elijah was born at the old Massa chu se tt s home, Jun e l I, 1793 . H e was rear ed in Mad iso n Co., 2 54 HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN. N . Y. At th e age of nin eteen (Oct. 11, 1812) he marri ed Susannah Pade lford . She becam e th e mother of thr ee childr en, nam ed Amanda, Caroline , and Marvi n. Her death occurred Nov. 13, I 829, at th e age of thirty-six years. Elijah Gaston, Jun e 16, 1830, marri~d Mrs. Polly North, a sister of hi s dece ased wife. By this uni on th ere was one child , named Dwight. In 1836, Mr. Gaston emig rated to Michigan, and with his son-in -law , George · Curtis, located two government lots in Howell, which th ey exchanged a few month s later for so me wild land in th e tow nship of H andy. In the month of .February followin g Mr. Gaston and his son, Marvin, erected a log shanty on th eir new land. Durin g th e five days they were building it th ey camped out, with some box es for shelter at night, a nd th eir oxe n ch ained to a tr ee. Caroline, th e yo un ges t da ught er (now Mrs . Dr . R and all), was install ed as housekeeper, as Mrs. Gaston was still in New Y ork. Th eir near est neighbor westward, Cap t. Scott, of D ewitt , was thirty-fiv e mil es dis tant , but in the nex t few years settl ers pour ed in, log houses and shantie s were erected in all directions, roads cut throu g h th e forests and swamp s, brid ges built over th e streams, and where but a few years before all was an almost unbr oken wilderness, was now fields of waving g rain and th e hom es of happy and prospero us families. Elijah Gaston only lived to th e age of forty-eight yea rs, dying Oc t. 15, 1841. Hi s widow died in I 8 56, age d six ty-o ne years. Marvin Gaston was born Aug. _29, 1 820, at Morrisville, Madison Co ., N. Y. His boy hood was passed in att endin g scho ol, and in assisting on th e farm . At sixt een years of age he came with his father and th e family to Michigan. From th at time he was engage d in active labo r, alternately at h ome and for others, until th e death of his father. He was at that tim e about twenty-one years of age, and by the advice of the other heirs, he took possession of th e little prop erty left by hi s father, valued at seve n hundr ed dollar s, with demand s aga inst it for abo ut th e sa me amount. About th e same tim e he so ug ht and obtained th e hand of Miss Phylind a W. Parsons, daughter of L ev i and Phylinda Parsons, old pioneers of th e town of Conway, they havi ng settl ed in Livin g - ston Co unty i.n 1837 . After hi s marri age, Mr. Gaston eng aged in farming for two years, and for six ye ar s in th e pot as h business, durin g which tim e he was twic e burn ed out. About th e tim e he quit th e latter bu siness, George Curtis, hu sba nd of th e eldest sister of Mr. Gaston, died; he was at th at tim e keep ing a hotel in How ell. A fter th e death of Mr. Curtis, Ma rvin Gaston went to Howell and took charge of the bu siness, purchasing an interest th erein. H e remained tw o years, when he sold and return ed to his farm in H andy . Soon a fter, he purchased more land , becoming for a tim e involved in debt; but by indu stry and eco nomy, coupled with good manag ement, he has succeeded in payi ng all claims, and is to-d ay th e owner of one of th e finest farms in Livin gs ton County, bea utifully situated, a nd o n which may be found all th e mode rn improv ements an d conveniences. Th e nam es of th e children th at hav e bee n born to Marvin Gaston are Elijah F., Ellen M., Vienna C., Mary E., l-Jenry L., Geo rge H., Charles 0., and Ernest C. O f th ese, but tw o are livin g,-Vienn a C. and George H. Vienna is th e wife of Luth er C. Kanou se, and th ey reside on th ei r farm in th e to wnship of Cohoctah. Geo rge H. is married to Alice Campbell, of Hand y, and lives on the old hom e- farm of Marvin Gaston. The latt er has practically retir ed from active labor, a nd his son has the charg e and mana geme nt of th e farm. Mr. Gaston and his excellent wife are respected and esteemed by a wide circle of friend s a nd relativ es. A view of their farm-h ome, with their por~ tr aits, may be found in thi s work, a tribut e to th e m emory of an old pioneer family.</i> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource History of Livingston Co. Michigan with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers (Part 1 of 2) Pages 1-254 Subject The topic of the resource History Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1880 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Everts & Abbot Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available J.B. Lippincott & Co Description An account of the resource 1880 History of Livingston County, Michigan with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. This document is part 1 of 2 Pages 1-254 and contains the following sections of the original book:<br /> <ul> <li>Chapters I - XIII</li> <li>History of the Village of Howell</li> <li>History of the Township of Howell</li> <li>History of the Village of Brighton</li> <li>History of the Township of Brighton</li> <li>History of the Township of Handy</li> </ul> <a href="https://archives.howelllibrary.org/items/show/236">View Part 2</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource No Copyright - United States Type The nature or genre of the resource Text history https://archives.howelllibrary.org/files/original/023e9b03d9fae87b9c9c960927d233bb.pdf de9f8b61c3a3dd3674578f3a9229f4c9 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Books - Local History Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Hidden Search Text Enter Search Text that is always hidden except to edit. PREFACE IT is an innate desire in the mind of man to obtain a knowledge of his Ancestors, and the antiquity of their first and continuous settlements, This feeling becomes the more intense when the thoughts are directed to scenes and people of our own particular section. Tradition gives us but a vague idea of the privations and hardships incidental to the first settlement and cultivation of new places. These are of great value. The life of the pioneer has its lessons, from which even the participant in advanced culture and civilization may learn. It has been suggested by competent advisers, that it concise History of the Township and Village of Howell should be written, entirely in this spirit. The Author has endeavored to do this faithfully and impartially. He has endeavored to keep in view the fact that I Geography and Chronology I are the two eyes of History, and If errors should be found in this little book, trusts that the reader will exercise a charitable judgment ELISHA H. SMITH 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 4 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 5 INTRODUCTION IN the month of October, A. D. 1834, Francis Monroe and myself, (we being residents of Ontario county, State of New York,) came to the territory of Michigan, for the purpose of buying land. We purchased in township three north, of range four east, and then returned. In the month of May, 1835, my brothers, Villeroy E. Smith and John W. Smith and myself, emigrated to the above mentioned town. ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY The woods were open, there being but little underbrush, owing to the ravages of fire. Right here allow me to digress, for a moment, to speak of a most peculiar and curious feature of the section of which I especially treat. About twenty rods east and six rods south of the quarter post on the west side of section twenty-two, was a spot of ground about fifteen feet in width, twenty in length, and eight or ten inches in depth, the consistence of which was elastic, its color a light brown, and its weight comparatively small. On being exposed to fire, it changed to a reddish brown. Its composition was unknown to men who were best informed in the science of Geology. It was barren, and was in proximity to mar], sand, gravel, and stone of various 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 6 colors, through which was emitted a disagreeable odor. ZOOLOGICAL The insects were innumerable. The mosquito, gnat, deer-fly and horse-fly were most annoying. Honey-bees were plentiful., Of the reptiles, there were four species of lizards, and two of turtles. The snakes were the green, the checkered, the striped, the blow snake, the adder, the water snake, the massassauger, the blue-racer and black snake. Of the fish, (without attempting to give scientific names,) there were the shiner, chub, horned-dace, perch, black-gills, sun fish, roach, dog fish, bill fish, bull head, rock bass, silver bass, black bass, suckers, mullet, and pickerel. Of the birds, there were the humming, chipping bird, cat-bird, sparrow, ground-bird, chajuck, blue bird, yellow-bird, robin, cherry bird, red-robin, redbird, phoebe, cuckoo, mourning dove, pigeon, lark, thrush, kill-deer, king bird, bobolink, blue-jay, snipe, quail, woodcock, partridge, whipporwill, loon, herron, crane, raven, buzzard, prarie hen and wild turkey. There were five species of wood-peckers, three of black birds, two of swallows, three of hawks, three of owls, two of eagles, and four of ducks. Of the animals, there were the chip-munck, gopher, flying squirrel, red, black, grey and fox squirrels. There were the grey, silver grey, red and black fox. There were the porcupine, woodchuck, racoon, hare, weasel, mink, muskrat, otter, martin, badger, wild cat, lynx, wolf, bear, deer and elk. Skunks, rats 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 7 and crows did not make their appearance until several years after the Settlement of the place. ABORIGINEES The Indians were of tawny complexion, with black eyes and coarse, straight black hair. They were slim in stature, with prominent cheek bones, low heads and receding foreheads. Phrenologically considered, they had moderate reflective faculties, bat prominent perceptives, especially locality, which gave them the ability to travel in the woods and retain the point of compass. During the mild seasons of the year they dwelt in cloth tents. In the winter they 11 went into winter quarters," and lived in small log huts or wigwams. Their huts were built similar to log houses. Their wigwams were constructed of small logs, the lower ends standing on the ground, and the upper ones being placed together, which made them cone-shaped. They were covered with bark, and their fires were built in the centre of them. Their furniture consisted of camp kettles and knives. Some few of them had spoons and tin cups. In eating they held their victuals in their hands. I have seen several standing around a kettle of soup, dipping it up in their hands and conveying it to their mouths. They slept on bark laid on the ground, with one or two blankets to cover them. In the warm Weather they seldom remained more than ten or twelve days in one place. When they decamped, their tents and other things were tied on the backs of their ponies, the squaws and small children took their position. Their idea of deal was to exchange and equal amount in bulk. For a basket they demanded the size of the basket in flour. 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 8 They would give an amount of honey for the same bulk of potatoes. They were very fond of whisky, and in their carousals, one or more of their number would remain sober, concealing the guns, knives and axes. They were usually submissive to the sober Indians. On the northwest quarter of section twenty-two there are several places of burial, judging from the appearance of the mounds where they were interred. They commenced burying their dead at the top of the ground, covering the corpse with earth. They then placed other bodies above this one, until the mound was several feet high. Several of these mounds have been opened for phrenological observation. Their traits of character were found similar to those who lived here at the time of the settlement by the whites. They were buried with their heads in a south-easterly direction. The Indians who lived here at the time the mounds were opened, had no knowledge of them. On the exposure of the bones to the atmosphere, they would soon decompose. SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWNSHIP Settlement of the Township, with Cotemporaneous and Subsequent Events In the month of May, 1835, James Sage and George L. Sage, with their families, moved from Salem, Washtenaw county, Michigan, to this town. They arrived on section thirty-five, in town three north, of range four east, on the 14th day of the month. On the first of June following, David Austin and family settled on the same section. In December, of the same year, (P.9) John D. Pinckney settled on section 36. They were farmers. James Sage died June 29th, 1839. George T. Sage died in the township of Marion, 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 9 August 21st, 1852. John D. Pinckney died February 11th,1861. They were all men of respectability, and had the honor of being the first four men that settled in the township. The widow of George T. Sage is living, and is now the wife of Rev. Geo. W. Jenks. Mrs. James Sage and Mrs. John D. Pinckney are also alive. Mrs. David Austin is dead. The nearest inhabitants from the centre of the township, at the settlement of the place, were eighteen miles away. In a westerly direction, it was about forty miles to the nearest settlement. The nearest mills were eighteen miles distant. I give herewith a somewhat detailed statement of the geography of the first settlement: sec. sec. Joseph Porter 7 Francis Field 23 Samuel Waddell 17 Moses Thompson 25 Whitely Woodruff 17 Lewis Thompson 25 David H. Austin 20 Morris Thompson 25 Villeroy E. Smith 21 Edward Thompson 25 Elisha H. Smith 21 Ezra I. Munday 25 Nathaniel Johnson 23 Amos Adams 36 Alvin Crittenden 23 F. J. B. Crane 36 Merrit S. Havens 23 Alexander Fraser 36 The First of the Village The plat of the village of Howell was established in 1835, and located on section 36, by F. J. B. Crane, and Brooks, of Detroit. It was named (as well as the township,) in honor of Thomas Howell, a son of Judge Howell, of Canandaigua, N. Y. A few years after Crane and Brooks established the original plat, an addition was laid out by Mr. Cowdry, of the city of New York. Subsequently Edward Thompson, of Howell, made a further addition. In the autumn of 1835, Crane and Brooks erected a 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 10 two story frame building for a hotel, situated on the south side of Grand River street, and east of Walnut street. Amos L. Adams and his family, were its first occupants. The building was destroyed by fire September 28th, 1857. First Events In the Township The first person born in the township was Geo. L. Sage, son of Geo. T. and Louisa Sage, January 23d, 1835. Rev. John Cosort, of the Methodist denomination, was the first person that preached in Howell. The meeting was at the house of James Sage, A. D. 1835. The first marriage that occurred in Howell, was at the house of David Austin, the bride's father. The nuptials celebrated were those of Merritt S. Havens and Sally T. Austin. The ceremonies and festivities were a la mode. This was on the l5th day of January, 1836. They were married by Kinsley S. Bingham, who afterwards became successively Governor of this State and member of the United States Senate. Immigration of 1836 SEC. SEC. John B. Larowe 36 Clement Stebbins 19 Hiram Bennett 36 Job Case 22 Henry Lake 8 Daniel Case 22 Garrett S. Lake 9 Justin Durfee 23 Victory Curtis 9 Peter Brewer 23 George Curtis 10 Solomon Pettingill 27 John Curtis 10 Henry Pettingill 28 Ichabod Kneeland 13 James E. Head 28 George W. Kneeland 13 Oliver Reed 35 John B. Kneeland 18 Simon P. Shope 36 Nathan T. Kneeland 13 Gottlieb Schraft 36 Benjamin G. Spring 15 Jacob Schraft 36 Morgan Lyon 18 Watson G. Thomas 36 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 11 Immigrants that Settled In the Village in the Year Mentioned William McPherson John Russell Joseph H. Steel Peter Johnson Giles Tucker Sherburn Crane Enos B. Taylor Joseph Tucker Recurrence to Matters of the Township At the organization of the township of Howell 1836, it included the townships now named respectively, Handy, Conway, Cohoctah, Deerfield Oceola. The inhabitants at this time, and previous to establishment of a post-office in Howell, received their letters either at Ann Arbor, Plymouth, or Detroit. The post-office was assigned to Howell in March, 1836. F. J. B. Crane was appointed Post Master. About the 20th of the same month a mail route was established between Kensington, Oakland County, and Howell. Lewis Thompson was the mail contractor, and he carried the mail on horseback once per week. Soon after this another route was established between Howell and Grand Rapids. James R. Sage, of Howell, a lad of about 17 years of age, was the first person who carried the mail on this route. It then required six or seven days to perform the journey. On his first trip he missed his path and was obliged to stay in the woods over night. The mail was carried on horseback. The first election in the township was held at the house of Amos Adams. This was the only house in the village. The election was in April, 1836. Amos Adams, F. J. B. Crane, John W. Smith, Jonathan Austin, and Alvin Crittenden as clerk, constituted the board. For the want of suitable ballot boxes, sugar-bowls and tea-pots were borrowed of 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 12 Mr. Adams' family to be used as depositories of the votes. There was no opposition at the election. The whole number of votes cast was 33. The election resulted in the choice of Philester Jessup for supervisor; F. J. B. Crane, town clerk; Amos Adams, Ezra Sanford, Harleigh H. Graves, and John W. Smith, justices of the peace; Francis Field, collector; Justin Durfee, David Austin and Geo. T. Sage, assessors; Joseph Porter, F. J. B. Crane and Jonathan Austin, school inspectors; John Sanford, Justin Durfee and Geo. T. Sage, highway commissioners; John D. Pinckney, F. J. B. Crane, Francis Field and Elisha H. Smith, constables. John W. Smith afterwards held the office of justice of the peace sixteen years in succession. On the same day of the above named election, one was held for the purpose of choosing county officers. Justus Bennett, of Hamburg, was elected sheriff, F. J. B. Crane, county clerk; Ely Barnard, of Genoa, register of deeds; Amos Adams, treasurer and surveyor. Some of the town officers were unacquainted with official proceedings, and consequently, business was improperly executed in the assessment of property. The names of persons owning property were not placed in alphabetical order--a matter which rendered the list very inconvenient when searching for names. The assessment was entered on half-sheets of paper. After it was completed these halfsheets were joined together with wafers. The list was 15 feet in length. Some persons who indulged somewhat in similes called it "Ezekiel's roll of a book." The first court held in the township was commenced before Amos Adams, Esq., and was 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 13 transferred to John W. Smith, Esq. The court was at the house of the author of this volume, on section twenty-one. The plaintiff in the case was George Rice; defendant, Henry Neff. The attorneys , Kinsley S. Bingham, of Green Oak, Livingston county, (afterwards Governor of the State,) and Dr. Curtis, of Kensington, Oakland county. The Dr. still lives at the village of Holly in this State. After having passed through formalities usual in law-suits and arguing points of law, the plaintiff withdrew his suit and paid the costs. The first records of the proceedings of the township and township board are destroyed or lost. A part of them were loaned to some person about year 1850, who was concerned in the Detroit, Howell and Lansing plank road. The Grand River turn-pike running through Howell, was established by the United States Government. That part of it which lay in the township was laid out by the highway commissioners for the purpose of legally applying highway labor thereon. In June, 1836, there was an extensive fall of rain. The water rose to the height of three feet on the marsh adjoining the channel of the Shiawassee river, and a rudely constructed log bridge across that stream was swept away. Shortly after this event Henry Lake and Garrett S. Lake arrived with their household furniture. Their teams swam the river and their wagons and goods were conveyed across on a raft. During the summer and autumn of 1836, Artemas Hosmer, of Wayne county, under contract with the United States Government, built a bridge over the Shiawassee river on the line of the Grand River 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 14 road. The plank and boards used in its construction were sawed with a pit-saw. In the autumn of 1836, a horse was stolen from Henry Pettingill. We are happy to say that larcenies have not been common in the township. The first school-house built in the township was erected in the fall of 1836. It was situated in the western part of the village. Justin Durfee was the first teacher who conducted a school there. The name of Durfee is rescued from entire oblivion by being associated with that of Benj. J. Spring, a wag of the very first water. Spring owned a farm adjoining Durfee, and the two men had been in the habit of what pioneers understand as "exchanging work." It so happened that finally Justin owed Spring for one day's labor, and being of rather a grasping turn of mind, he never came to pay it except on some day when it stormed so he could do nothing at home. Coming over to Spring's house one rainy morning, he found Ben. under a shed arranging some fishing tackle, and accosted him with the remark, "Well, Spring, I've come over to do that work, and if I can't do it to-day I shan't do it at all!" Spring coolly raised his eyes and looking over in the direction of a certain clay knoll, whereon there was some miserable, stunted blades of corn growing, said: "Mr. Durfee you can go over there and go to tasseling out that corn!" Tradition does not inform us that Justin went. On the first settlement of the place, provisions were scarce and difficult to be procured. Some of the inhabitants depended for their meat entirely on hunting and fishing. Gottleib Schraft and Jacob Schraft came near starving. They subsisted several 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 15 days on boiled grass and other herbage. Afterwards, through the liberality of Moses Thompson, they were provided with food. It may be worthy of incidental remark that the Schrafts entrusted their money about this time to one Simon P. Shope, who pretended he was about to establish a village in the south-east corner of the town of Howell. Events OF 1837, &e. The following named gentlemen settled in the township of Howell in the above year: SEC. SEC. Odel J. Smith 10 Ebenezer West 26 Hezekiah Gates 15 Matthew West 26 Abraham A. Van Nest 17 Francis Monroe 28 Henry Tobias 17 Rial Lake 32 John Lagrange 21 William Hudson 32 Aaron Lagrange 21 Huram Bristol 34 James Lagrange 21 The following persons came into the village in the same year: O. J. Field Josiah P. Jewett Richard Fishbeck J ohn T. Watson Edward F. Gay Almon Whipple George W. Jewett James White F. J. B. Crane, of Howell, was elected a Representative in the State Legislature in 1837. The first Circuit Court for the county of Livingston, was held at the School House, in Howell, in same year. The jury room was in a small building situated on the north-east corner of the old public square. In the same year, Edward F. Gay erected a frame building for a dry goods and grocery store. Mr. Gay was the first merchant of the township. At one 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 16 time his building (although not large,) contained a store, post-office, lawyer's office, shoe shop and tailor's shop. In the spring of 1837, Samuel Waddell was taken sick and died. Cyrus Wells, M. D., of Oakland Co., father of Wm. L. Wells, M. D., of Howell, was sent for to attend upon him. He arrived at the house in the evening, and after examining him uttered the fatal words, "I cannot help him." Mr. Waddell ceased to live on the 30th day of May, and was the first person who died in the township. He was at first buried on his farm, and shortly after was disinterred and buried in the village cemetery. He was a man of integrity and respectability. His family shortly after removed to the State of New York. Andrew D. Waddell, Esq., a son of the deceased, now lives in our midst, an honored and respected citizen. In those days the friends of the sick were forced to go even into Oakland and Washtenaw counties after physicians. William McPherson, the first resident blacksmith, settled in the township in 1836. This we had omitted to state, together with the fact, that Merritt S. Havens, a carpenter, and Joseph Porter, a millwright, came in 1835. Richard Fishbeck established the first boot and shoe shop in the village, in 1837. James White started a cabinet shop in the same year. Moses Thompson erected the first frame house in the township, in 1837. Gardner Wheeler, M. D., settled in the township in 1838. He was the first resident physician of the place, and a man of intellectual ability, and skill in his profession. He died January 11th, 1859, and was interred according to the rites and ceremonies 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 17 of the Masonic Fraternity, of which he had long been a member. of the Masonic Fraternity, of which he had long been a member. John A. Wheeler, his son, was first medical student of the place. Wellington Glover, Esq., came in 1838, and was the first resident attorney. Garrett S. Lake manufactured the first brick in township, on section nine, in the same year. John R. Neely came in 1839, and was the first resident mason. Joseph Rowe opened a tailor's shop the same year. Henry Thornton commenced cooper work on sect 23, in 1842. Andrew Hill commenced wagon making in the village the same year. Eli Carpenter began the business of saddle and harness making the same year. Nicholas Frink established a gun shop in 1845. Loren K. Kewett started a tin shop in 1846. Sidney Hollister established a jewelry shop in 1847. James E. and Edwin A. Stedman started a marble manufactory in 1856. Meteorological The winter of 1842-3 was very severe. On last days of March the snow was twenty-six inches in depth, and the winter did not begin to break up till the first Monday in April. Most of the hogs the township died in that rigorous season. Right here allow us to observe upon a most singular phenomenon. On an evening in January, 1837. the snow appeared to be of a deep red color, and the night was as bright as though the moon had shone. Miscellaneous Matters and Events The first building consumed by fire was the dwelling house of Michael Brennan, situated on section 25, in 1840. 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 18 All the household furniture was destroyed. Geo. T . Sage built the first house in the township in 1834. The first cattle, hogs and fowls owned in the township, were brought from Salem, Washtenaw county, by James and Geo. T. Sage, in the same year. In the summer of 1835, Moses Thompson brought three horses from the State of New York. The first colts were raised in 1843. Lewis Thompson is yet the owner of a horse that was a foal in that year. The first two sheep were brought by Ira Brayton, from the State of New York, in 1838. A few sheep were purchased of a drover in 1841, but no sheep were raised until 1842. To show, however, the progress made in stock growing, we have but to state that in 1846, Almon Whipple and William Dorrance, of Howell, collected a drove of cattle, in Livingston Co., for the Eastern market. In the fall of 1836, Moses Thompson built a saw mill on section 25. In 1850, Morris Thompson, George W. Lee, and Frederick J. Lee built a grist mill on the same section. The present proprietor is Thomas Birkett. In 1838, Amos Adams and Joseph Porter erected a saw mill on section 27. In 1854, Amos S. Adams and Enos B. Taylor became owners of the property. They built a new mill on the former site. Subsequently Joseph H. Gilbert became proprietor, and he established a carding machine and cloth factory in connection with it. In 1866, Ira Brayton purchased it. In 1844, Ezekiel Sabin, of Howell, and Luther Willard, of Detroit, erected a frame for a flouring mill on section 22., Benjamin Cardell bought it in 1848, built a saw mill near the former site in 1849, and in 1851 sold it to 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 19 James G. Hollis, who completed the flouring mill. Ira Brayton is the present proprietor. In1856, William, Albert, and Aaron Dorrence built a steam saw mill on section 17. William B. Smith and Franklin Kelly own it at present. In 1850, George W. Kneeland, S. B. Slyter and D. D. T. Chandler erected a steam saw mill in the village. In 1851 it was destroyed fire. In 1852 George W. Kneeland built another on its site. It is now owned by persons residing in Cohoctah. About 1840, Gardner Mason planted a nursery on section 35. Subsequently he removed it to the western part of the township. Mr. Mason died July 30th, 1853. A few years later, Dr. Gardner Wheeler established a nursery on section 35. The first foundry was established in the village by Nathan J. Hickey and John H. Galloway, in 1844 It was situated on East street north. They sold to Abijah W. Smith, who subsequently took Dexter Filkins as a partner. In about two months after, the foundry was burned. In 1857, Abijah W. Smith erected another foundry on East street south. In 1860, it also, was consumed by fire. William R. Melvin's wagon and blacksmith shops were burned at the same time. In 1860, Benjamin Curtis and Henry Curtis built a foundry on the site of the one destroyed. In 1863 they constructed a first class steam engine for propelling shop machinery. It was the first steam engine made in Howell. In 1864, Floyd Wykoff became proprietor of the foundry. In 1849, Stephen Clark built a foundry, situated on the north side of Grand River street and west of Centre street. In 1859, George W. Taylor and George L. Clark became proprietors of the property. In 1864, George W. Taylor sold his interest in the property, and 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 20 John H. Galloway became the partner of Clark. In the spring of 1867, Floyd Wykoff and Hudson B. Blackman were added to the firm. The Livingston Courier; the first newspaper published in the county, was removed by Nicholas Sullivan, its publisher, to Howell, on the 11th day of October, 1843. Lewis H. Hewitt was its first editor, and the first number was issued in 1846. Mr. Sullivan sold it to E. R. Powell. In December, 1848, Mr. Powell sold the paper to William B. Smith. Mr. Smith sold it to George P. Root, in April, 1856. Mr. Root published it one year and then suspended it. Nicholas Sullivan, of whom mention is made herein, died March 21st, 1857. The Livingston Democrat was established on the ruins of the Livingston Courier, August 5th, 1857, by Joseph T. Titus, its present editor and proprietor. Another paper, called the Livingston Republican, was started the last of April, 1855. It was conducted for some time by Harman and Lewis Smith, and finally sold by them to George L. Sage, who sold it in 1862 to Mr. James Bowers. Mr. Bowers died November 4th, 1866, and on the 1st of January, 1867, the paper became the property of Messrs. Andrew D. Waddell and Julius D. Smith. On the evening of September 28th, 1857, Howell was visited by a destructive fire. All the buildings on Grand River street, between Walnut and East streets, were consumed, including a large hotel owned by Wm. E. Huntley. In the month of March, 1855, about thirty ladies, who had become a good deal excited over the unrestrained sale of liquor, visited the Saloon of Samuel Balcom, and destroyed the liquor, and the casks 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 21 which contained it. A portion of them were afterwards sued in an action of trespass for the damages, and a verdict of five hundred and forty dollars was rendered. In the month of October, 1856, an affray took place between Henry Hollis and George Obert. Hollis is said to have struck him with a neckyoke. Obert lived but a few days, and Hollis was arrested for his murder. The jury on the first trial failed to agree, and he never was brought to a final one. On the 20th of July, 1857, another affray occurred between John Lagrange, (when intoxicated,) and Sanford S. Moore, which resulted in the death of Lagrange. The result of a coroner's inquest was, however, that Mr. Moore was exculpated. In the summer of 1863, a circus and menagerie, in combination, was exhibited at Howell, and while there one of the lions died. The showmen buried it on the old public square. In an early day, John W. Smith shot a grey eagle in this township, which measured over nine feet from tip to tip of its Wings. Jesse Marr caught a pickerel with a spear, that weighed 21 pounds and 12 ounces. In the early settlement of the place, five elk were seen in the western part of the township. Two animals, known as Lynx, were caught in steel traps. Bears and wild cats were common game. In the autumn of 1834, a wolf pursued a deer into the door-yard of David Austin. On the wolf's discovering the inmates of the house, it made its retreat, but the deer remained and was shot. In the fall of 1837, Henry Lake and his wife, with a young child, were returning from a neighbor's in the evening, 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 22 and when within about thirty rods of their house, were attacked by wolves. One of them attempted to seize the child. It caught Mrs. Lake by her dress in making the effort, but finally through the exertions of Mr. Lake and his dog, the animals were driven off. As showing the wildness of the country at this period, and how full the country was of those "wild eyed wonders," the terror of the early settler, we have returned to transcribe a short narrative written for the Livingston Republican of the 19th of April, 1864 , by Miss Caroline Hitchcock, who formerly resided in Howell. It was related to her by a gentleman formerly of Oakland county, and now living in Tuscola. The house of which she speaks as one mile from Livingston Centre, was the residence of David Austin, and the hotel at the Centre was kept by Amos Adams. Howell was formerly called Livingston Centre. THE STORY. Some twenty-eight or thirty years ago, when the country was new, the times were very hard in Oakland county. To get money for work was next to impossible. Just at that time there came glowing accounts of the good times "out west," on Grand River. My brother-in-law and myself resolved to go there and work through the summer. Accordingly, as soon as the weather settled in the spring, we began our journey, driving before us a yoke of fat cattle, which we intended to sell upon arriving at our destination. On our way out, we crossed the Shiawassee river at a point where Corunna now Stands. There were 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 23 then no settlements on the river; and only one solitary house where we crossed, known as "Knagg's" Trading Post. From thence we made our way through to Scott's place, on the Looking Glass river. Here we found but one house, used as a tavern, on the site of what is now known as DeWitt. From this point it was 24 miles through to Lyons prairie, on Grand river, and not a single house or clearing on the route. From the latter place we proceeded down the river, some 18 miles, to a new settlement, then called Dexter, but now known as Ionia. Here we disposed of our cattle for a good price, and went to work at two dollars per day at the carpenter business. The place was building up very fast, and was filled with people from all parts of the country, who were looking up and locating land--there being a land office here. Late in the fall, as I was nearly ready to start for home, I fell in with an old acquaintance, Mr. -- --, a young lawyer from Oakland, who had been purchasing land. He informed me that he was about to return, and intended to pass through Livingston county, for the purpose of looking at some land which he owned, lying near Livingston Centre, and requested me to accompany him, as I was more accustomed to traveling in the woods than he, to which I willingly consented. Being compelled to wait a few days for me to finish a job of work I had on hand, he proposed to go to Scott's place and await my coming. I agreed to this arrangement and he departed. After completing my work, I started on my return trip, and arrived at Scott's just after dark, very tired and hungry. I found many more people there than the house could accommodate, and the landlord nearly out of provisions. We all had our 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 24 suppers, which consumed about the entire stock of edibles on hand, and then retired to rest on the floor, without bed or blanket. In the morning, Mr. -- -- and myself found that we were rather poorly supplied for our tramp through the woods, having no breakfast to start with, and no provisions to carry along. But as it was forty miles back to where we would be likely to obtain supplies, we concluded to push ahead. Providing ourselves with a compass and some matches we made a start, feeling in good spirits, for we were homeward bound, and our pockets well lined with money. We crossed the river at Scott's, and guided by our compass, took as straight a course as practicable for Livingston Centre. The first day we reached the Red Cedar river, at a small Indian village, called Okemos. From this Place we followed up the river, as our maps informed us that we would have to pass through a swamp if we crossed here. When we arrived at the proper place for crossing, the water looked too deep, and we went up the stream still farther in hopes of finding a more shallow fording place. On and on we went up the river for several miles, meeting with no success, until, knowing that we would be compelled to make the same distance back, we determined to go no further. Accordingly we placed our compass, matches and money in our breast pockets and stepped into the water. We did not anticipate a pleasant bath, for the weather was very cold and the snow was falling briskly. The river bottom was covered with weeds, and proved to be much deeper than we supposed. We moved on cautiously, and the water had reached nearly to our arm pits, when suddenly down we both went, our hats floating away down 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 25 stream. After considerable diving, plunging and scrabbling, we finally merged into the freezing air. The water which streamed from our hair and clothes, immediately formed into long icicles. We were indeed in a sad plight. With long poles we succeeded in getting our hats, but our matches were wet, and we had no means of building a fire to warm our chilled bodies. What was to be done? To remain standing there was certain death. We must keep in motion or perish! The sky was overspread with thick clouds, the snow was falling fast, and night was near at hand. It would soon be too dark to move through the brush, but we concluded to travel down the river to the point where we were to strike into the woods, if possible. We had proceeded but a few rods, when we discovered the snow to be covered with fresh tracks. "Look, said I, we are in the midst of a large pack of wolves!" "Is it possible?" asked my companion, his face growing very pale; "then we may as well resign ourselves to our fate, for nothing earthly can save us!" "We have," said he, "no means of defense--no, not even a match to kindle a fire!" "That," I remarked, "would be the most effectual of all means, but we must do something, and that immediately. Not a moment is to be lost. Darkness is fast approaching, and the wolves will be upon us." Luckily we had with us an Indian pipe, which served the double purpose of pipe and hatchet. With this I went to work cutting large cudgels, standing them together with one end on the ground, so as to be easily reached. But I soon saw that this labor was useless, for our hands were so benumbed with cold, that it was impossible to wield them with any force. So abandoning this plan, we 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 26 tried to think of another. I hit upon one which I thought would succeed. "Let us cut some long, slim whips," said I, "and strike them around this beech tree. They will make a noise resembling the report of a pistol, and will, perhaps, frighten them away." My companion gave a short "yes," to all my suggestions. At work I went, cutting the whips and piling them at our feet. While I was thus engaged, the yelp and whine of the hungry wolves, broke upon our ears from every direction--some of them being very near us in the brush. It was now quite dark, and yet we could distinguish the moving forms of the voracious animals, skulking among the trees. We each seized a whip and commenced beating the tree and ground. Bat this did not have the effect anticipated. Nearer and nearer came the hungry beasts, sometimes within reach of our whips, dodging from side to side, and watching their opportunity to spring upon us We renewed oar exertions with all the energy and determination of men working for dear life. And by whirling around and keeping our whips continually going, we kept them at bay. The growling, fighting and snapping of teeth, from these exasperated brutes, was enough to appal the stoutest heart. How numerous they were we could not tell. Some of the time they would be engaged in a general fight, and again they would try to crowd each other upon us. The snow and earth beneath our feet being trodden together, formed a dark circle, within which they dared not venture. During all the long night we continued to beat the earth in the manner I have described. So incessant and absorbing was our labor, that not a word passed between us. Suddenly the noise of our tormentors 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 27 was hushed. The wolves had disappeared--not one was to be seen. Daylight had come unperceived by us, and our cowardly enemies had fled! Once more we breathed freely, and for the first time in ten hours, stopped to rest. Seating ourselves on a log, we endeavored to decide what course it was best to pursue. We should probably reach a settlement sooner by continuing on our intended route, but our compass would not work, and we were left without a guide in a trackless wilderness. We began to feel the need of food and rest very keenly, but these were not to be appeased here. Our lively exercise through the night had thoroughly warmed our bodies, and partially dried our clothes. There was no chance for our lives but to push ahead. Accordingly we made a start, but scarcely had we moved outside the circle, when we rushed back again. The physical and mental agony we had endured, had made us nearly wild, and this spot seemed to us our only place of safety. After reasoning with each other a few moments, we made another start, and this time succeeded in getting clear of the attractive place. All that day we continued our journey, and by taking views of distant objects, managed to keep in a tolerable straight line. My companion, not so much inured to hardships as myself, soon grew weak and faint. Many times during the day he fell down from sheer exhaustion, and declared he could go no further. However, by dint of persuasion, I succeeded in raising him to his feet each time. During the afternoon we became bewildered, and for the third time came back to the same large tree that we had previously used as an object. Here my fellow traveler became thoroughly disheartened and said he 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 28 could not possibly take another step. Taking his money from his pocket and presenting it to me, he said, "take this to Miss G--, if you live to get through. You may yet see home, but I must die here. Never mind me-- go and save yourself ! " I tried every available means to get him started again. I even laughed and joked, while my own heart was fast sinking. After a long time thus spent, he once more resumed the tramp. Night was fast approaching, and we began to look around for some open space in which to pass it. A high piece of ground, where the timber was not very thick, was selected, and we commenced our preparations of defense against the wolves, whose visit we again expected. After cutting a pile of whips, we placed our backs against a large tree, and awaited the commencement of hostilities. While standing in this position I discovered a flickering light at a distance. We watched it eagerly for some time, trying to decide what it could be. At times it would entirely disappear, and again flash up quite brilliantly. Finally we concluded to go to it at all hazards, and ascertain what it meant. Upon arriving in the vicinity, we saw two squaws and an Indian boy seated around the fire, in front of a small tent. As soon as we made our appearance they ran into the brush like wild deer. We were anxious to communicate with them, for it was in their power to save us. Fortunately, I could speak a little of the Indian language, and that little was spoken in as loud a voice as I could then command. They soon came shying back, and we approached nearer the fire. No sooner did my companion feel the warmth, than he fainted away. The squaws commenced rubbing his face 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 29 with snow, and in a short time he again revived, but was very feeble. One of the squaws then pounded up some parched corn, placed it in a basin over the fire, and when sufficiently cooked, added thereto some oil which emitted a most unpleasant smell. This mixture she offered the sick man, but he was loth to take it. I persuaded him to try a few mouthsful, but no sooner did he swallow it than he vomited it up. In fact, it left him in a worse condition than before. It seemed as though daylight would never appear, but it came at last, the sky being dark and gloomy as ever. We questioned the squaws respecting the distance to Livingston Centre, to which they replied by lifting up both hands, indicating many miles. Perceiving that they had a bridle in their possession, we inferred that a pony was not far distant. Thereupon I offered them three dollars to pilot us through, an I let my sick comrade ride him. To this proposition they readily consented, and sent the boy in search of the animal. Fearing that the little fellow would not succeed in securing the prize, I concluded to accompany him, but I had better kept away, for as soon as the pony espied me he tossed up his head, gave one snort, and flew from sight. One of the squaws then took the bridle and started in pursuit of the runaway. In a short time she returned leading the pony, but no sooner did my companion approach him than he again became frightened, and jumped about in a very wild manner. The squaws then threw a blanket over his head, and by this means he was mounted. After being seated on the pony, the squaws wrapped a blanket around my companion, and after giving directions to the boy what course to pursue, and where to meet, them 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 30 at night, bade him start. On and on we went, through swamps and over hills, the little pony bravely carrying his load, and the boy and myself walking by his side. It often seemed to me that the lad was guiding us wrong, but on mentioning my fears to him, he would only shake his head and grunt " kah! " We were doomed to pass another day without food or rest, but towards night our eyes were greeted with the sight of a rail fence, a sure mark of civilization. We soon emerged from the woods into an open field, and approached a small log house. Upon reaching this long desired haven, I assisted my companion to dismount, and we entered. Our wants were soon made known to the inmates, and a table was soon spread for our accommodation; but we were so completely exhausted, that it was with great difficulty we moved from the fire to the table. We had not so far lost our judgment as to at once satisfy the cravings of our appetite, so we ate very sparingly. Not so, however, with our Indian guide, who swallowed plateful after plateful, until literally gorged with food. After finishing his supper, we gave him the price stipulated and mounting his pony, he scampered for the woods. Upon inquiring of our hostess concerning our whereabouts, she informed us that we were within one mile of Livingston Centre, on the farm afterwards owned by Rev. E. E. Gregory. After remaining here long enough to get rested, we walked down to the hotel at the Centre. Here we were treated very kindly, and furnished with a good bed. We were awakened by being shaken and hauled about in a strange manner, and upon being aroused were told that it was late in the morning, and that they had experienced considerable difficulty in breaking 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 31 our sleep. Livingston Centre then contained but two or three buildings besides the hotel. From this place we hired a team to take us home, which we were not long in reaching. Subsequently Mr. -- had a severe fit of sickness, but he survived the shock, and was soon afterward married to Miss G-- , and they are even now enjoying life together." While upon this line of information, it may not be improper to say, that as late as the year 1845, William Lewis was on his way to a neighbor's, and when about sixty rods from his house he encountered three bears. He shot and wounded one--he reloaded his rifle and wounded another, when the first bear he wounded made an attack upon him. He was obliged to retreat to keep out of the bear's way, but it pursued him to within a few rods of his house. Francis Monroe, his near neighbor, went to assist him. They made an attack upon the bears and killed one of them, but the other two made their escape. Mr. Lewis was the champion hunter of Howell. He killed five full-grown deer in one day; three of them at one shot, with a single ball. He killed five full-grown wild turkeys at two shots, with a single-barreled rifle. In the early days of harmony and sport, it had come to pass that a bear had made havoc of the herds of swine and flocks of sheep of the farmers of the township of Howell; and Joseph Hogle said unto Abraham Van Nest, "let us pursue the bear even unto its death! " Accordingly they went in pursuit of bruin, with their dogs and guns. Howbeit, they had not traveled far in the woods, before Abraham said unto Joseph, "we shall not find the bear, and I will return home." Nevertheless, Joseph was a man of courage and 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 32 determination, and his sheep and hogs were in danger, and he said unto Abraham, "the bear must be killed!" and he continued the pursuit, while Abraham returned unto his own house. But a short time elapsed before Joseph heard the barking of dogs, and hastened to the scene of action. Forsooth he beheld the game--fired his rifle, and the ball struck bruin behind the shoulder. Notwithstanding, he did not expire until he had received six shots. The bear was exceedingly large and fat, and after it was dressed its carcass and hide weighed six hundred and forty pounds. And the neighbors of Joseph rejoiced and were glad that bruin was dead; and they had a jollification, and partook freely of a beverage called metheglin, insomuch that they became exceedingly cheerful through its effects, and each neighbor on returning to his own house, often deviated from a straight line. Military Matters, &c. A rifle company was organized in the township of Howell in 1844. The commissioned officers of the company were William Lewis, Captain; Ira Brayton, 1st Lieutenant, and Emmet Smith, 2d Lieutenant. The first military parade of this company was at the residence of John W. Smith, on section 28. A few years after the company was organized, military duty was not required by the State Government, consequently the company was disbanded. In the year 1861, the following persons of the township and village enlisted and mustered into the United States service in the war of the Rebellion: 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 33 OFFICERS Andrew J. Bishop Promoted to a Captaincy Everett Sergent 2d Lieut. Solomon S. Lyon Captain James Mulloy 2d Lieut. William Brown Captain Jabesh A. Pond Sergt.-- killed. Hudson B. Blackman 1st Lieut. and Quarter master Bernard Ryder Sergt., died of disease. Andrew D. Waddell 1st Lieut. Jonathan Sharp Sergt., taken prisoner and died. Harris A. Hickok Adjutant William Pullen wounded. Frederick Angel 2d Lieut SERGEANTS RETURNED Jared L. Cook Franklin Goodrich Stephen Fishbeck Charles Lake James Fitzgerald Edgar Noble Luther Frink George Stafford CORPORALS KILLED, WOUNDED OR DIED OF DISEASE Jerome Buckland Joseph Pruden Edwin Hart Gardner S. Smith John Lake PRIVATES KILLED OR DIED OF WOUNDS Chester Albright George Lake Amizee Axtell Thomas G. Marr Jerome Barrett Jerome Phillips Samuel Sutton Henry Preston James Canfield Merritt Pullen Henry Carl Eli Rambo Philo Curtis Abraham Sintzer James Dewitt Charles Smith Simon Dolph Edwin H. Smith Sylvenus Dolph Peter Wall Isaac Felter Theodore Washburn DIED OF DISEASE Charles Brockway John Hildebrant Andrew J. Carl Reuben McFall Lyman Carl Daniel Morse Simon Child George Newton John Cummings George Pennell William Curtis Reuben C. Smith John Dorn W illiam L. Whited Sherwood Hart Jacob Zeely Philander Helms PRIVATES WOUNDED IN BATTLE George Axtell James Monroe Alvah G. Blood Norton Monroe Noah Boothley David Robertson Sidney Carpenter Vernon C. Smith William Cooper John Tompkins William Cooper, Jr. Frederick Zeits Charles Culver 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 34 PRIVATES WHO RETURNED SAFE. Franklin B. Abbott Franklin Jordan Andrew J. Allen Henry Larowe V ertell Baker James Larowe Rinaldo Balcom Peter May William Bennett Asa McFall William E. Bennett Andrew McKeene George Blackman Edwin McKinley Henry Boothby J. B. McLean John Boothby Henry Musson George Brenner John Park Elias E. Brockway Silas Peterson George F. Brockway Joseph Preston William Brooks George Reed Azel Carpenter James Reed Cyrus Carpenter Amos Smith Erwin Child Julius D. Smith Marcus Child Henry Stansell William Clayton Allen Stearnes John Daniels William Tate Orson Deming Lewis Tupper Giles Donnelly William Vandercook Thomas Donnelly Isaac Van Loon Daniel Ellenwood Edwin Ware John Ferguson Reuben Warren Frederick Galloway Andrew Well Thomas Gilchrist Martin Well Howard Glover Orrin G. Wells Chester F. Goodrich Frank Whipple Sidney Harington Andrew J. Whitaker Edmund Hart Ezra Whitaker Marion Hart George White Cornelius Helms James E. White Henry Helms Asa Wilson Jerome Helms Peter Woll, Jr. Leonard Helms David Wright Charles Hildebrant George Wright Theodore Huntly Henry Wright It may here be worthy of remark that Bernard B. Smith, a resident of the village, and a printer by trade, was engaged in sixty-two battles during the civil war. Henry Carl and Andrew J. Carl were sons of David Carl, deceased. Gardner S. Smith, Reuben C. Smith and Edwin H. Smith were sons of the author of this volume. It will be seen that we have been forced to be somewhat desultory in this book, and that, too, from the very limitations of the history. A sparseness of facts always renders classification and method very 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 35 difficult. While in the way of giving lists of names, we will present the names of those who settled in Howell before 1838, but have since removed. They are as follows: David H. Austin Josiah P. Jewitt Jonathan Austin Peter Johnson Peter Brewer John B. Kneeland Huram Bristol Nathan T. Kneeland F. J. B. Crane Leny Lyon Sherburne Crane Morgan Lyon Alvin Crittenden Henry Pettingill Justin Durfee Solomon Pettingill Francis Field Joseph Porter O. J. Field Oliver Reed Alexander Fraser John Russel Hezekiah Gates Gottleib Schraft Merritt S. Havens Jacob Schraft James E. Head Watson G. Thomas Daniel Hotchkiss Henry Tobias Len Hotchkiss John F. Watson William Hudson Whitely Woodruff We also herewith append the names of those who have settled in the township or village, since the 1st of May 1838, but who have since died or moved away. They are as follows: MASONS -- REMOVED CARPENTERS -- REMOVED Elijah Coffren Solomon Shy Joseph Grant Isaac Peterson William Miles Abraham Peterson Hiram Pearson CARPENTERS -- DEAD William Barrett Norman Dexter Philo Curtis Galen Phillips MILLWRIGHTS -- REMOVED Edmund Hart BLACKSMITHS -- REMOVED Henry Carnes James Phelps Ira Emerick James Raines Levi Hoyt Adam Rorabacher James Lawther Ezekiel Sabin William McOmber William Stedman 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 36 John Jones Eli Snyder BOOT AND SHOEMAKERS -- REMOVED Barnhart & Harger Levi Hiscock HARNESS MAKERS -- REMOVED Eli Carpenter Almon Hiscock James Fitzgerald TAILORS -- REMOVED William Brown William Dunlap Alonzo Curtis Malloy & Harington TAILORS -- DEAD William Malone Daniel Sweeney TINNERS -- REMOVED Charles Barbour Lewis Damon Owen Chapman JEWELERS -- REMOVED Sidney Hollister John Long MERCHANTS -- REMOVED R. A. Beal Franklin Lombard John Bush Albert Pixley William Carlisle Gideon Ramsdell John D. Gifford William Riddle Clark & Hopkins Jessee Rumsey Hamilton & Peebles-- Peebles retired Lemuel Spooner Loren K. Hewett Enos B. Taylor Hinman & Bush-- Bush died Josiah Turner N. G. Isbell ATTORNEYS -- REMOVED James H. Ackerman Lewis H. Hewett William A. Clark Loren K. Hewett John B. Dillingham Justin Sawyer C. C. Ellsworth Jerome Turner John Farnsworth Josiah Turner Richard Hall Burt Wheedon PHYSICIANS -- REMOVED William Doalman H. J. Rumsey, died Nicholas Hurd Thomas R. Spence Charles A. Jeffries CLERGY-- REMOVED Rev. Mr. Bachman Rev. Mr. Howell Rev. Mr. Banwell, Rev. Mr. Kennedy Rev. Mr. Bassey Rev. Mr. Lilley Rev. Mr. Bridge Rev. Mr. McBride Rev. Mr. Cochrane Rev. Mr. Mills Rev. Mr. Cochrane Rev. Mr. Root Rev. Mr. Dayfoot Rev. Mr. Roscoe Rev. Mr. Dean Rev. Mr. Sutton Rev. Mr. Eaton Rev. Mr. Westlake Rev. Mr. Grannis Rev. Mr. White Rev. Mr. Gregory 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 37 Buildings -- By Whom Owned and Erected The east business building on the north side of Grand River street, is a brick one, three stories high, and erected by Geo W. Lee and F. J. Lee. It is now owned by Francis Monroe, E. P. Gregory and Henry Mills. Next on the west is a frame building, erected by William H. Buckland, and now owned by Leonard Haynes. The third and fourth are frame buildings, built and now owned by Almon Whipple. The fifth is a three story brick structure, built by Almon Whipple and George Greenaway, and now owned by Greenaway. The first building on the west side of East street, is a frame one erected by William Riddle, and now owned by Alexander McPherson. The second one west is a brick structure, built by Isaac W. Bush and Jno. McPherson, and now Owned by Joseph B. Skillbeck and McPherson Sons. The third is a frame building, owned by John J. Van Dusen. The fourth is a frame building owned by Mrs. Naylor. The fifth is a two story brick building, erected by Luther Glover, and the sixth, a frame building, both of which are owned by Wm. L. Knapp and M. J. Staley. The seventh is a frame building, owned by F. D. Sabin. The first building west of Walnut street, is a two story brick structure, erected by James Lawther. The second and third are frame buildings, all owned by B. W. Cardell. Fourth is a frame building, built and owned by Geo. Greenaway. The two first buildings west of Centre street, are frame buildings, owned by the firm of Clark, Wykoff, Galloway & Blackman. The first shop west of Chestnut street, is a frame one, owned by Wilson Sowles. The second is a two story 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 38 frame building, owned by John G. Mason and Gen. W. Clark. Commencing on the south side of Grand River street, the first building east of Walnut street, is a frame one, erected by Daniel Sweeney, and now owned by Edward McGum. The second is the Post Office. The third is a frame building owned by Thomas Donnelly. The fourth is a two story brick structure, erected by William Jewett and Z. Fobes Crossman, and Brockway, and Embury. It is now owned by those persons. The fifth one is a two story frame building, erected by William B. Smith, and now owned by L. C. Dean and John Jones. The first building east of East street, is a two story frame building, well known as Union Hall, and now owned by V. R. T. Angell. The present landlords are Messrs. Harvey and Coleman. The second one is also two stories high, and a frame structure, owned by Ira C. Huntley. Third--a three story brick building, erected by Derastus Hinman Richard P. Bush and Loren K. Hewett, and Low owned by John H. Galloway and Sardis F. Hubbell. The fourth one is a two story frame building, erected and owned by Jas. Swiney. The fifth is a two story brick building, erected by Edward F. Gay, in 1843. It was the first brick structure in Howell. It is owned by Elbert C. Bush. Sixth--a two story frame building erected by William B. Smith, and at present owned by Andrew Blanck. The seventh, eighth and ninth are owned by the heirs of Nicholas Sullivan. The tenth is a two story frame building, owned by Milo L. Gay. The eleventh is a frame structure, owned by Jacob H. Fourge. The twelfth is a frame building, erected by O. J. Field, and now owned by 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 39 the heirs of Joseph M. Gilbert. The thirteenth is a frame building, owned by William R. Griffith. The fourteenth and fifteenth are frame structures, erected by Levi Hiscock and Almon Hiscock, and now owned by John Cummisky. The first building east of Court street, is a two story frame structure, erected by William Shaft, and now owned by Handel Winship. The first two shops south of Grand River street, and on the west side of East street, are two story frame buildings, erected and owned by William R. Melvin. The first three buildings south of Sibley street, and on the west side of East street, are owned by Messrs. Clark, Wykoff, Galloway and Blackman. The first building south of Sibley Street, on the east side of East street, is the livery stable of William E. Huntley and Ira C. Huntley The first buildings south are the wagon and blacksmith shops of Francis Melvin. The three shops situated north of Grand River street, and on east side of East street, are owned by Almon Whipple. HISTORY OF CHURCH AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS As respects the Methodist denomination, a class of seven members was formed at Howell, in the year 1837. That same year a quarterly meeting was held in the village. Rev. John Cosort was their Pastor at that time. In the year 1855, they built a very comfortable frame church. It is situated south of Grand River street, and on the east side of Walnut street. Their present membership is about eighty. The Presbyterian Church was organized the 16th day of June, 1838. Rev. Henry Root was the first Pastor. The number of members at the organization was twenty-five. In 1839, they built a small 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 40 frame church. in 1855, they built a brick Church, which is located on the south side of Sibley Street. Rev. R. McBride was their Pastor at that time. Their present membership is 160. The Baptist Church was organized in 1837, with a membership of nine. Reorganized June 21st, of the same year. Rev. E. Mosher was their first Pastor. He was hired at a salary of $100 a year and board, and was ordained at Howell, May 9th, 1839. They built a frame Church in 1852. Their Church is situated north of Grand River street, and on the east side of Court street. Their present membership is 126. A Congregational Church was organized in the village of Howell, in 1849--and was legalized in 1850. Their Church at once advanced to the number of fifty-two members, but has since declined. They built a brick Church in 1853, north of Grand River street, and on the east side of Court street. The Howell Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, was established in 1849. The first officers of the Lodge were Amos Adams, W. M.; James Fitzgerald, S. W.; Gardner Wheeler, J. W.; William T. Curtis, Treasurer; Warren Green, Secretary; Odell J. Smith, S. D.; Ichabod Kneeland, J. D. The Livingston Chapter, No. 30, of Royal Arch Masons, was organized April 16th, 1863. The Chapter members were Charles W. Haze, H. P.; S. F. Hubbell, K.; M. B. Wilcox, S.; D. Farnum, C. H.; Joseph T. Titus, P. S.; H. H. Harmon, R. A. C.; W. B. Green, O. 1st V.; George Wilber, O. 2d V.; W. A. Clark, O. 3d V. 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 41 The Eastern Star Family, connected with the Masonic Lodge of Howell, No. 38, was organized March 6th, 1867. The following were elected officers: Worthy Patroness, Mrs. Z. F. Crossman; Warren Green, Conductor; J. Finsterwald, Conductor; Mrs. E. B. Gregory, Recorder; Mrs. W. W. Carpenter, Treasurer; Miss Emily Wheeler, Jeptha's Daughter; Mrs. M. B. Wilcox, Ruth; Mrs. S. F. Hubbell, Esther; Mrs. H. H. Harmon, Martha; Miss Eliza Richards, Electa; Mrs. J. M. Gilbert, S. F. Hardy, Watchmen. An Odd Fellows Lodge was organized at Howell in 1849. The first officers were Josiah Turner, N. G.; L. K. Hewett, V. G.; Lemuel Spooner, P. S.; John A. Wheeler, R. S.; James Mulloy, T. A Lodge of the Independent Order of Good Templars, was organized in Howell in 1865. The present membership is 250. The village of Howell was incorporated March 14, 1863. The first officers of the corporation were Sardis F. Hubbell, President; Andrew D. Waddell, Recorder; Asa Van Kleek, Treasurer; John H. Galloway, Assessor; Marcus B. Wilcox, William K. Melvin, Wm. McPherson, Jr., John Hoyt and Philo Curtis, Trustees. It may not be improper here to state that the Detroit and Howell R. R. Co. was formed June 17th, 1864. The first officers of the company were T. T. Lyon, of Plymouth, President; E. F. Burt, of Marion, Secretary; Wm. McPherson, of Howell, Treasurer; T. T. Lyon, Wm. Taft, Geo. A. Starkweather and S. Hardenburgh, of Plymouth, D. C. Abell, of Dearborn, J. N. Swift, of Northville, J. H. Galloway, J. H. Wilcox, of Howell, E. F. Burt, of Marion, Lyman Judson, E. F. Albright, of Brighton, Royal C. Rumsey, of Green Oak, and Ely Barnard, of Genoa, Directors; I. W. Bush, Giles Tucker, of Howell, 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 42 J. N. Swift, P. B. Holdridge, of Northville, and Hiram Newman, of Plymouth, Commissioners; Wm. Scott, Chief Engineer. Work began on the road in the spring of 1867. Miscellaneous Departments A cemetery was located at the village in the year 1840. One on Section 8 in 1848, one on Se. 17 in 1850, and one on Sec. 22 in 1853. A cemetery containing 15.44 acres of land was established on the NW 1/4 of NE 1/4 of Section 36, for the accommodation of both township and village in 1867. The Livinston county court house andjail was erected at the village in 1847. Enos B. Taylor, of Howell, contractor. The building for the offices of county clerk and register of deeds were erected in 1849, George W. Lee and Frederick J. Lee, contractors. The building for the office of county treasurer and judge of probate was erected in 1853. John B. Kneeland, contractor. A two story brick schoolhouse, thirty-six feet in length and twenty-six in width, was erected in the village in 1849, Elijah Coffren, of Howell, Contractor. An addition of forty-eight feet in length and twenty-six feet in width was made to the school house in 1856; John B. Kneeland,contractor. Biographical Sketches Villeroy E. Smith settled in the township in May, 1835. He was interested in literature, and was a school teacher by profession. He died in the town of Marion, December 30th, 1851, while engaged in this business. Moses Thompson, by occupation a farmer, settled 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 43 in the township in June, 1835. He was a man who was generous and humane. He died the 2d of December, 1841. Edward Thompson, a farmer, settled here the same year, and died April 16,1842. Nathaniel Johnson, a man of respectability, and a farmer, settled in the township in the autumn of 1835. He died January 25, 1852. Amos Adams settled in the village in November, 1835. He was a man who was industrious and enterprising--a very valuable person in a new country. He died the 14th of May, 1855. He was buried with Masonic rites. Joseph Tucker settled in the village in 1836. He was by trade a carpenter. Died in 1862. Victory Curtis settled in the township in 1836. He was a farmer and a person of integrity. Died August 13th, 1848. George Curtis and John Curtis, sons of Victory, came with their father to Howell. Subsequently they moved to the village. George Curtis kept a hotel, and his brother John embarked in the mercantile business. The former died October 4th, 1848, and the latter, December 7th, 1841. Benjamin J. Spring settled in the township in 1836. Subsequently he removed to the village and was the proprietor and keeper of a hotel. He was also a mail contractor, and was the first person who established a line of commodious stages on the Detroit and Howell road. He was very humorous and witty, and the old citizens will not soon forget the many facetiæ of their quondam neighbor. He died December 25th, 1853. Hiram Bennett settled in the township in 1836. He was accidentally killed by the falling of a tub 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 44 while engaged in digging a well. He died June 9,1855. Clement Stebbins settled in the township in 1836. Died November 11th, 1861. Job Case came to the township in 1836. Died October 9th, 1854. Odell J. Smith came to the township in 1837. He was an enterprising farmer and held several important local offices. Died January 23d, 1861. John, James and Aaron Lagrange settled in the township in 1837. James died May 9th, 1857, and Aaron, December 9th, 1853. George W. Jewett settled in the village in 1837. In 1840 he was elected register of deeds for Livingston county. He was also county treasurer one term. In 1845 he was appointed Clerk of the House of Representatives of Michigan. Died, February 12th, 1851. Ebenezer West, a farmer, came to the town in 1837. Died about the year 1849. Mathew West, also a farmer, came the same year, and died about the same year. Rial Lake, a farmer, settled in the township in 1837. He had a collegiate education, and was industrious and enterprising. Died December 29th, 1851. John Marr settled on section 8 in the township in 1839. He died February 6th, 1860. Lemuel Monroe, came into the township in May, 1849, and lived with his son, Francis Monroe. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and died April 29th, 1854, at-the age of ninety-five years, one month and twenty-nine days. Richard P. Bush settled in the township of Handy 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 45 in 1837. He removed to the village of Howell in 1844. He died August 28th, 1853. He was twice elected Sheriff of Livingston county. Daniel Case settled in the township in 1836. He has been honored with several local offices, and still lives. In the month of June, 1836, Henry Lake settled in the township. He is now the owner of a large farm in the western part of the same, and is in easy circumstances. Geo. W. Kneeland settled in the township in November, 1836. In 1810 was elected judge of probate--reelected in 1844. In 1849 he was elected a member of the House of Representatives. In 1851 he removed to the village of Howell, where he still resides. Giles Tucker settled in the village in 1836. He was a carpenter by trade. He has been sheriff of Livingston county two years. He is at present in the grocery business. William McPherson migrated from Scotland July 23d, 1836, and came into Howell village September 17th of the same year. He at first followed the business of blacksmithing, and afterwards entered into mercantile pursuits, in which he has been eminently successful, and has become affluent. Joseph H. Steel settled in the village in 1836. He bought Crane & Brooks' hotel in 1837. He moved to the town of Oceola in 1840, and returned to the village in 1843. Afterwards, he again removed to Oceola, and staid there till 1848, when he again returned. E. F. Gay settled in the village on the 1st day of April, 1837. He is a gentleman of enterprise and intelligence. 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 46 Almon Whipple settled in the township of Handy, Livingston county, in 1836. He removed to Howell in 1837, and went into the mercantile business, which he followed until 1859. He was elected County Clerk in 1837, and County Treasurer in 1839. He was also Post Master six years. Mr. Whipple has become wealthy. Francis Monroe settled in the township on the 1st day of June, 1837. He still retains the same land he purchased of the Government, and has become rich. Abraham A. Van Nest settled in the township in 1837. He also, is a substantial farmer. Josiah Turner, an attorney and counselor at law emigrated from Vermont and settled in the village in April, 1840. He was appointed County Clerk, to fill a vacancy, in 1842, and was elected to the same office the same year. He was re-elected in 1844. Was elected and reelected County Judge in the years 1846 and 1850. He was elected Circuit Judge for the Seventh Judicial District of the State of Michigan, in April, 1857, for the term of six years. By virtue of this office he became one of the Justices of the Supreme Court of the State. He was reelected in 1863, and is still on the bench. Mr. Turner removed to the city of Owosso on the 9th day of July, 1860, from the fact that all the parts of his district were more accessible from that point. Sardis F. Hubbell, Esq., came to reside permanently in Howell, in the year 1854. In the same year he was elected Circuit Court 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 47 Commissioner for the county and was elected and re-elected Prosecuting Attorney, in the years 1862 and 1864. John H. Galloway settled in the village in 1844. He has been a prominent Republican, and was elected to the Senate in 1860. George and Frederick J. Lee settled in the village in 1845. Both have become wealthy. Frederick C. Whipple, an attorney and counselor at law, settled in the village in 1846. He was elected Judge of Probate in 1848, and re-elected in 1852. He is a lawyer of acknowledged learning and ability. Henry H. Harmon, another attorney, settled in the village in 1847. He studied law in the office of Lewis H. Hewitt, and in the month of May, 1848, was admitted to the bar. He was appointed Circuit Court Commissioner, by John S. Barry, in 1851. In 1852 he was elected to the same office. In 1854 was elected Prosecuting Attorney. In 1862 be was elected a member of the House of Representatives, and in 1864 was elected Judge of Probate. There are many more persons whom we would like to enumerate, but our space forbids. We can call up the names of Coffrew, Spring, Gates, Steel, and others, who in their days of prime, constituted a coterie of fun, such as few towns have produced. The clubs of Johnson, Burke, Boswell and Goldsmith are nowhere in comparison. Men of rare susceptibilities for sport, used to come far out of their way to Howell, even in its pioneer days, just for the, sake of laughing a little flesh on to their bones. They were never disappointed. For instance, who can fail to recollect that time, when General Cass stopped at the unpretending hotel of Benjamin J. Spring, a man, who as the sequel shows, could not restrain a joke, even in trouble. While the General sat eating, Benjamin, of course, stood over him, ready to anticipate his wants, and 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 48 seeing the "old hero " pull a long hair out of the butter, Spring caught it up as quick as thought, and quietly ordered the servant to go to the store and get some in which the hairs were better rotted. Societies, however, are continually changing, and many of the wonted faces are gone from us forever. We will not mourn, them, but we will cast now and then, a backward glance through this little history, and be glad to reflect, that we have had even a short time in our lives in their society. The present inhabitants of the town, their occupation, and the year of their settlement. Men who were under 21 years of age at the time they came to Howell, but are now over 21, and are owners of real estate, or permanent residents, are included; and also, those over 21 years of age, that were born in Howell, the year of their birth is given: RESIDENTS OF THE SEVERAL SECTIONS FARMERS OF SECTION ONE Settled Settled Sylvester Andrews 1857 William B. McMillan 1867 Vestell Baker 1854 Ansel Wells 1860 Waldo Baker 1854 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 years of age 6 Males under 21 years of age 9 Females over 21 years of age 4 Females under 21 years of age 6 SECTION TWO Settled Settled Henry Chittenden 1849 John Van Arsdale 1867 Stephen Wiles 1866 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 6 Males under 21 11 Females over 21 5 Females under 21 6 SECTION THREE Settled Settled 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 49 William Y. Hyde 1847 George W. Wilkerson 1850 Calvin Wilcox 1865 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 6 Males under 21 8 Females over 21 5 Females under 21 2 SECTION FOUR Settled Settled John Roberson 1851 David Roberson 1851 James Roberson 1851 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 5 Males under 21 3 Females over 21 5 Females under 21 2 SECTION FIVE Settled Settled John B. Larowe 1836 George Stafford 1848 Joseph Stafford 1848 Henry F. Allen 1855 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 6 Males under 21 7 Females over 21 5 Females under 2l 6 SECTION SIX Settled Settled Henry P. Boyd 1865 William Newman 1867 Charles Sharp 1866 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 3 Males under 2l 8 Females over 21 3 Females under 21 6 SECTION SEVEN Settled Settled Alvah Tomlinson born 1841 Adam Conradt 1865 George W. Place 1854 Edgar Durfee 1866 Leonard Conradt 1865 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 6 Males under 21 5 Females over 21 6 Females under 21 6 SECTION EIGHT Settled Settled William Lake 1838 Harlem Marr 1839 Jesse Marr 1839 Charles Damon 1860 Cyrus Marr 1839 Colon Redpath, blacksmith 1853 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 8 Males under 2l 11 Females over 21 9 Females under 21 12 SECTION NINE Settled Settled Charles Lake, farmer 1838 William Roberson, farmer 1853 Wm. A. Dorrance 1842 Sidney Carpenter 1858 Aaron Dorrance 1842 William A. Dean 1865 Francis Henry 1845 Peter J. Dean 1865 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 13 Males under 21 13 Females over 21 13 Females under 21 20 SECTION TEN 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 50 Settled Settled Solomon Hilderbrant 1842 John Elson 1856 Alvah Allen 1843 Enos W. Hill 1857 Andrew J, Allen 1843 SECTION ELEVEN Settled Settled Ichabod Kneeland 1836 Alfred Earl 1866 William Earl 1839 Elias KIeckler 1866 Henry Smith 1842 George Raymor 1867 Nicholas Hale 1854 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 8 Males under 21 14 Females over 21 8 Females under 21 12 SECTION TWELVE Settled Settled Harvey Durfee 1843 Robert Holmes 1859 Dexter Filkins 1853 Isaac Norton 1867 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 5 Males under 21 7 Females over 21 6 Females under 21 8 SECTION THIRTEEN Settled Settled DeWitt C. Kneeland 1840 Theodore Staley 1853 A. Dana Kneeland 1840 Peter Lamoroux 1866 Abraham Switz 1846 PO PULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 6 Males under 21 3 Females over 21 6 Females under 21 10 SECTION FOURTEEN Settled Settled Oliver Earl 1839 Thomas Gordon 1858 Roger F. Archer 1845 Richard May 1862 Thomas Stevens 1855 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 6 Males under 2l 5 Females over 21 5 Females under 21 4 SECTION FIFTEEN Settled Settled Thomas Bucknell 1855 Seymour E. Howe 1856 John H. Diamond 1855 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 4 Males under 21 10 Females over 21 5 Females under 21 4 SECTION SIXTEEN Settled Settled POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 6 Males under 21 4 Females over 21 7 Females under 21 7 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 51 Henry Larowe born 1840 Everett Sargent 1854 John Carl 1842 Robert Wakefield 1855 William More 1847 Eli Hornish 1858 Stephen S. More 1847 Daniel Ellenwood 1864 Robert McLean 1848 Henry Pell 1864 Thomas Gilchrist 1854 Eri Campbell 1867 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 12 Males under 21 7 Females over 21 11 Females under 21 13 SECTION SEVENTEEN Settled Settled Henry Lake 1836 Horace L. Lake born 1843 Abraham A. Van Nest 1837 Sanford S. More 1847 Nicholas N. Lake born 1841 Charles A. Phillips 1854 Alonzo Fowler 1843 Samuel Strictley 1858 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 9 Males under 21 8 Females over 21 8 Females under 2l 3 SECTION EIGHTEEN Farmers Settled Farmers Settled Joseph Hogle 1841 Alexander Cameron 1866 Christopher Van Nest 1844 Coopers Samuel Sidell 1863 A. W. Fuller 1856 Harvey Bushnell 1865 Warren Fuller 1856 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 9 Males under 21 9 Females over 21 7 Females under 21 15 SECTION NINETEEN Farmers Settled Farmers Settled Philander Bennett born 1845 Russel Richmond 1856 Ralph Bunn 1846 Peter Well, Jr. 1856 John Bunn 1846 David Hall 1862 Franklin E. Stewart 1850 Jerome Hand 1867 John W. Richmond 1855 Cooper Tracey Richmond 1856 Charles Hilderbrant, 1842 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 14 Males under 21 17 Females over 21 12 Females under 2l 10 SECTION TWENTY Farmers Settled Farmers Settled John W. Smith 1835 Phineas Stewart 1854 Vernon C. Smith born 1838 Alonzo Ferren 1860 Ephraim Fowler 1843 Charles Marken 1866 Martial Fowler 1843 Rosco Fowler, blacksmith 1843 William E. Bennett born 1843 Ezekiel King, hotel keeper 1860 Perry Brundage 1846 John Park, grocer and Post Master at Fleming 1856 Henry Stevens 1851 John Stevens 1851 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 15 Males under 21 9 Females over 21 13 Females under 21 11 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 52 SECTION TWENTY-ONE Farmers Settled Farmers Settled Elisha H. Smith 1835 Nicholas Lake 1849 Burt Brayton 1838 Nicholas Lake, Jr. 1849 Nathaniel Brayton born 1839 Henry Lake 1849 Walter V. Smith born 1841 William Stewart 1 854 Galen O. Phillips 1845 David F. Crandal 1866 Harris Henry 1845 Orrin J. Wells, millwright 1859 POPULATION OF THIS SECTION Males over 21 14 Males under 21 9 Females over 21 14 Females under 21 11 SECTION TWENTY-TWO Farmers Settled Farmers Settled Daniel Case 1836 George Wakefield 1853 Orlando Brewer 1836 Robert S. Creig 1862 Almon Brewer 1836 Benjamin Waldron 1862 Henry O. Monroe 1837 Ira Brayton, proprietor of Mills 1838 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 11 Males under 21 12 Females over 21 9 Females under 21 16 SECTION TWENTY-THREE Farmers Settled Farmers Settled William Smith 1843 Robert Musson 1858 Henry Herrington 1849 Calvin Dillon 1863 Reuben Warren 1855 Andrew Earl 1866 William White 1856 Charles Yelland 1867 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 11 Males under 21 24 Females over 21 11 Females under 21 16 SECTION TWENTY-FOUR Farmers Settled Farmers Settled John Wassenger 1852 James J. Bennett 1866 George Frink 1862 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 6 Males under 21 12 Females over 21 5 Females under 21 6 SECTION TWENTY-FIVE Farmer Settled Farmer Settled Ezekiel Buckle 1857 Francis S. Hardy 1866 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 4 Males under 21 6 Females over 21 5 Females under 21 4 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 53 SECTION TWENTY-SIX Farmer Settled Farmer Settled Joseph Hubbard 1861 Elijah Musson 1866 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males Over 21 2 Males under 21 0 Females over 21 3 Females under 21 1 SECTION TWENTY-SEVEN Farmers Settled Farmers Settled Joseph Preston 1846 Edward Briggs 1860 Ransom Barrett 1846 John Briggs 1860 Asa McFall 1851 Michael Chaffee 1866 Jesse Child 1866 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 10 Males under 21 9 Females over 21 8 Females under 21 8 SECTION TWENTY-EIGHT Farmers Settled Farmers Settled Francis Monroe 1837 Silas Smith 1854 Samuel M. Yerkes 1845 John Casterton 1865 George Louck 1846 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males under 21 7 Males ever 21 8 Females over 21 8 Females under 21 8 Colored persons 11 SECTION TWENTY-NINE Farmers Settled Farmers Settled William Burch 1863 Lewis Geyer 1865 George Baker 1865 Robert Johnson 1866 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 4 Males under 21 4 Females over 21 4 Females under 21 10 SECTION THIRTY Farmers Settled Farmers Settled Frank Hook 1860 Miles W. Davison 1865 Leonard Hook 1861 Henry Rogers 1867 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 5 Males under 21 6 Females over 21 4 Females under 21 7 SECTION THIRTY-0NE Farmers Settled Farmers Settled George Austin 1835 Allen Stearns 1855 Samuel Stebbins 1836 George Detterley 1862 John Hawes 1867 Ebenezer Stearns 1855 Henry Stearns 1855 POPULATION Of THE SECTION Males over 21 7 Males under 21 9 Females over 21 9 Females under 21 11 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 54 SECTION THIRTY-TWO Farmers Settled Farmers Settled James Daniels 1852 Ferdinand W. Munson 1860 Andrew Woll 1856 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 3 Males under 21 6 Females over 21 5 Females under 2l 5 SECTION THIRTY-THREE Farmers Settled Farmers Settled John Van Blaricom 1852 William Tongue 1858 Enos Sowles 1854 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 3 Males under 21 4 Females over 21 3 Females under 21 4 SECTION THIRTY-FOUR Farmer Settled Farmer Settled Richard Ray 1858 Nicholas J. Holt 1861 POPULATION OF THE SECTION Males over 21 3 Males under 21 9 Females over 21 5 Females under 21 5 RECAPITULATION Whole number of males over 21 years of age 243 Whole number of females over 21 236 Whole number of males under 21 286 Whole number of females under 21 274 Total white persons 1,039 Colored persons 11 Total 1,050 The following is the number of acres of improved land, and the number of cattle, horses, sheep and swine owned on each section: SECTION ONE Acres of improved land 280 Sheep 260 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 55 Cattle 20 Swine 29 Horses 12 SECTION TWO Land 220 Sheep 47 Cattle 14 Swine 21 Horses 8 SECTION THREE Land 315 Sheep 260 Cattle 15 Swine 52 Horses 12 SECTION FOUR Land 90 Sheep 103 Cattle 15 Swine 24 Horses 10 SECTION FIVE Land 235 Sheep 198 Cattle 43 Swine 20 Horses 11 SECTION SIX Land 121 Sheep 91 Cattle 16 Swine 22 Horses 5 SECTION SEVEN Land 80 Sheep 84 Cattle 21 Swine 28 Horses 8 SECTION EIGHT Land 336 Sheep 359 Cattle 62 Swine 44 Horses 14 SECTION NINE Land 235 Sheep 88 Cattle 46 Swine 29 Horses 19 SECTION TEN Land 185 Sheep 195 Cattle 27 Swine 28 Horses 6 SECTION ELEVEN Land 340 Sheep 232 Cattle 39 Swine 46 Horses 13 SECTION TWELVE Land 320 Sh eep 151 Cattle 42 Swine 68 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 56 Horses 12 SECTION THIRTEEN Land 340 Sheep 660 Cattle 33 Swine 40 Horses 10 SECTION FOURTEEN Land 373 Sheep 279 Cattle 30 Swine 50 Horses 12 SECTION FIFTEEN Land 142 Sheep 158 Cattle 20 Swine 29 Horses 6 SECTION SIXTEEN Land 317 Sheep 264 Cattle 52 Swine 56 Horses 13 SECTION SEVENTEEN Land 345 Sheep 411 Cattle 43 Swine 61 Horses 27 SECTION EIGHTEEN Land 283 Sheep 269 Cattle 48 Swine 39 Horses 13 SECTION NINETEEN Land 225 Sheep 99 Cattle 38 Swine 61 Horse 16 SECTION TWENTY Land 470 Sheep 328 Cattle 49 Swine 60 Horses 15 SECTION TWENTY-ONE Land 386 Sheep 349 Cattle 54 Swine 39 Horses 17 SECTION TWENTY-TWO Land 428 Sheep 244 Cattle 40 Swine 32 Horses 20 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 57 SECTION TWENTY-THREE Land 271 Sheep 248 Cattle 26 Swine 38 Horses 15 SECTION TWENTY-FOUR Land 252 Sheep 250 Cattle 29 Swine 29 Horses 9 Mules 1 SECTION TWENTY-FIVE Land 161 Sheep 149 Cattle 8 Swine 23 Horses 5 SECTION TWENTY-SIX Land 55 Sheep 34 Cattle 7 Swine 1 Horses 1 SECTION TWENTY-SEVEN Land 271 Sheep 245 Cattle 18 Swine 22 Horses 12 SECTION TWENTY-EIGHT Land 471 Sheep 600 Cattle 67 Swi ne 38 Horses 17 SECTION TWENTY-NINE Land 175 Sheep 90 Cattle 29 Swine 26 Horses 8 SECTION THIRTY Land 84 Sheep 64 Cattle 29 Swine 31 Horses 5 SECTION THIRTY-ONE Land 185 Sheep 149 Cattle 34 Swine 29 Horses 12 SECTION THIRTY-TWO Land 75 Sheep 145 Cattle 18 Swine 22 Horses 8 SECTION THIRTY-THREE Land 148 Sheep 30 Cattle 14 Swine 28 Horses 9 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 58 SECTION THIRTY-FOUR Land 190 Sheep 112 Cattle 19 Swine 17 Horses 10 RECAPITULATION The whole number of acres of improved land in the town 8,404 The whole number of cattle 1,065 The whole number of horses 399 The whole number of sheep 7,464 The whole number of swine 1,189 The whole number of mules 1 The number of acres of improved land within the corporation of Howell 1,214 The number of cattle 168 The number of horses 185 The number of sheep 572 The number of swine 184 The following is a list of the inhabitants of the corporation and village; their occupation, and the year they settled in the town or village. Men, who were under 21 years of age when they came to Howell, but who are now over 21, are included, and also, those who were born in Howell, the year of their birth is given: Farmers Settled Farmers Settled Lewis Thompson 1835 John E. Dorn 1864 Ezra J. Monday 1835 Orin Winegar 1864 George W. Kneeland 1836 Lyman Pratt 1865 Joseph H. Steel 1836 F. A. Peavey 1865 Almon Whipple 1837 Chauncey Chapin 1866 Edward F. Gay 1837 Thomas Marston 1867 Charles Clark 1843 Charles Reeves 1867 Frank C. Whipple born 1843 Barzilla Holt 1867 Nathan J. Hickey 1844 Nicholas Krisler 1867 Charles A. Wilber 1844 Gilbert Wolcott 1867 Sylvanus Lake 1846 Oliver Wolcott 1867 Warren Green 1846 David Phelps 1867 Ira Preston 1847 F. D. Sabin l867 William C. Rumsey 1847 Laborers Jerome C. Helms 1847 Francis W. Colburn 1839 Rufus F. Glass 1848 Leander C. Smith 1847 David Blackman 1849 Leonard F. Helms 1847 V. R. T. Angell 1856 Andrew J. Rumsey 1841 George K. Hoyt 1856 John Daniels 1850 LaFayette Barnhart 1857 L. D. Smith 1851 Ezra Whitaker 1857 Samuel Balcom 1851 Azel Carpenter 1858 George Balcom 1851 Franklin Goodrich 1860 Rynaldo Balcom 1851 William Woodward 1861 William Daniels 1853 Charles Woodward 1861 Adam Hall 1854 William Williamson 1861 Edwin Angel 1856 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 59 S. W. Bowers 1864 Martin Woll 1866 Laborers: Settled Wagon-makers: Settled James Teasdale 1856 Henry B. Curtis 1840 Andrew Feeley 1857 Francis J. Melvin 1842 William Musson 1857 Wilson Sowles 1844 Henry Pate 1857 William D. Rumsey 1847 Henry Musson 1857 James Elsie 1851 Frederick Zitze 1859 Isaac Van Loon 1851 Thomas Briggs 1860 William Cooper 1855 J. W. Brower 1860 Mark J. Staley 1861 Leonard Hendricks 1867 Matthew Mynhan 1864 William Brower 1867 Carriage Trimmer: Staging: William C. Loehne 1867 Charles W. Barber 1860 Carriage-painter: Stage-Driver: Thomas Clark 1864 John Stapleton 1851 House-painter: Farrier: Hoyt B. Treadwell 1853 Joseph H. Peebles 1842 Blacksmiths: Livery: Lewis Cass Chandler 1843 William E. Huntley 1847 Henry Greenaway 1846 Ira C. Huntley 1847 Bernard Cummiskey 1852 Royal H. Rumsey 1847 Elias Brockway 1865 Teamsters : Alonzo Teasdale 1856 Allen Lownsbury 1855 Charles Culver 1860 D. C. Tucker 1866 William L. Knapp 1865 E. B. Gregory 1860 Theodore Knapp 1865 Drovers: Robert Grieve 1866 H. P. Wheeler 1864 Carpenters: B. A. Morgan 1864 Silas Beardsley 1845 Loren Allen 1865 Luman Frink 1845 Manufact'rs of farm tools, &c Noah Boothby 1854 John H. Galloway 1844 James Monroe 1854 Hudson B. Blackman 1849 Frederick Brockway 1855 George L. Clark 1866 Benja min Washburn 1855 Floyd S. Wykoff l862 Daniel Beardsley 1858 Machinists: Jason McFail 1859 Benjamin Curtis 1840 Philander Hill 1862 John J. Vandeusen 1854 D. L. Robinson 1865 Richard Peterson 1864 J. M. Hendricks 1865 Moulders: E. D. Wines 1865 Luther Frink 1845 George Bush 1866 Allen T. Huntley 1847 John Latson l866 George U. Taylor 1847 T. W. Wisner 1866 Charles Martick 1863 Manufacturer of window-sash, blinds & doors Manufacturers of tin, sheet iron and copper wares, and dealers in hardware: John G. Mason 1845 Cooper: Francis N. Monroe 1837 George W. Clark 1861 Edward P. Gregory 1839 Manufact'r of coffins and tombstones: 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 60 Manufacturer of tin, sheet-iron and copper-wares: Benjamin W. Cardell 1847 Albert B. Green 1867 Marble engraver: Tinners : Philo B. Wines 1859 Charles Sager 1866 Shoe-makers: R. E. Barteke 1866 Richard Fishbeck 1837 Proprietor of wagon and blacksmith shops: Stephen Fishbeck born1841 Leonard Fishbeck Born1844 William R. Melvin 1842 Joseph Pruden 1854 Shoe-makers: Settled Dry goods and groceries: Settled Joseph H. Donley 1858 Ledyard Flint 1866 Charles Donley 1858 Frederick J. Lee, (retired) 1845 Giles Donley 1858 Hardware and groceries: Amos Smith 1858 John Cummiskey 1850 William King 1862 Clothing: La Fayette Snow I864 Joseph Finsterwald 1866 Charles Rogers 1867 Leather, boots and shoes and Isaac Mott 1867 groceries: Cabinet-makers: Joseph B. Skilbeck 1839 William R. Griffith 1851 Perley D. Skilbeck born 1844 Gottlieb Hugger 1854 Groceries and provisions: Harvey Goodrich 1866 Giles Tucker 1836 Masons: Leonard Haynes 1866 John R. Neeley 1839 Groceries drugs and medicines: Daniel Parker 1847 George Taylor 1847 Mason Boyce 1852 William W. Kenyon 1866 Jonathan R. Axtell 1853 Groceries: Tailors: Edward McGunn 1863 James Swiney 1845 Isaac Bamberger 1865 Orlando Cole 1863 Books, drugs and medicines: Saddle and harness makers: Wallace W. Carpenter 1864 Lorenzo Sullivan 1843 Jewelry clocks and watches: Theodore Huntley 1847 Henry C. Briggs 1866 Joseph M. Gilbert 1852 William H. Edgar 1866 Joseph Wallace 1867 Lumber, window sash and doors: H. F. Gilbert 1867 Joseph It. Wilcox 1865 William Davis 1867 Tanner and dealer In gloves and J. T. Fisher 1867 mittens: Proprietors o f steam saw-mill situated on Sec. 17: George Blackman 1849 Saloon: William B. Smith 1843 Thomas Donley 1858 Franklin Kelley 1848 George Wilber 1844 Millers: Bankers: Morris Thompson 1835 Alexander McPherson 1836 Thomas Shiveley 1836 David Embury, 1864 Engineer: Clerks: Amos T. Slader born 1842 Luther Glover 1840 Bakery: Frank Hickey 1844 George Lakin 1865 Edward Greenaway 1846 Brewery: Edward Daniels 1854 John Jones 1860 Milton Pettibone 1864 Butchery and meat markets: Frank Henry 1865 William Chambers 1855 Warner Newell 1866 Jacob Tourje 1866 Frank Switzer 1866 Dealers in dry goods, groceries, drugs and medicines: Hotel keepers: Elbert C. Bush 1863 William McPherson 1836 Handel Winship 1864 William McPherson, Jr. 1836 Harvey & Coalman 1866 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 61 Martin J. McPherson bn 1841 Agency: Edward G. McPherson bn 1845 M. W. Barker 1866 Dry goods and groceries: Toll-gate tender: William B. Jewett 1837 Harvey A. Sowles 1865 Z. Forbs Crossman 1852 Barber: George Greenaway 1846 Abram Losford, (colored) 1857 Henry H. Mills 1857 Photographic: L C. Dean 1860 Mrs. Alfred Coats 1864 Photographic cont. Settled Physicians and Surg'ns: Settled Miss J. Palmer 1866 Wesley J. Mills 1864 Proprietors of newspapers: Clergy: Andrew D. Waddell 1835 Rev. Mr. Jenks 1864 Julius D. Smith 1859 Rev. H. O. Parker 1864 Joseph T. Titus 1857 Rev. Wm. Tilley 1865 Attorneys and Counselors at law: Rev. Mr. Lewis 1866 Andrew D. Waddell 1835 Rev. Mr. Kenedy 1866 Milo L. Gay 1837 Supt. of Primary Schools: Sardis F. Hubbell 1841 Isaac W. Bush 1844 Frederick C. Whipple 1846 County Clerk: Henry H. Harmon 1847 Solomon Lyon 1864 Dennis Shields 1860 Postmaster: Marcus B. Wilcox 1861 Henry T. Clark 1843 Wallace W. Carpenter 1864 Milliners: Physicians and Surgeons: Mrs. J. G. Mason 1840 William Huntington 1843 Mrs. J. Van Loon 1851 Z. H. Marsh 1847 Mrs. Naylor 1860 Andrew Blanck 1848 Mrs. N. P. Wheeler 1864 William L. W ells 1849 Mrs. H. Leed 1867 Robert C. Hutton 1857 Mrs. F. D. Sabin 1867 POPULATION OF THE VILLAGE Males over 21 years of age 246 Females over 21 years of age 263 Males under 21 years of age 243 Females under 21 years of age 236 Colored persons 10 Total 998 Remarks in Relation to the Inhabitants of the Town and Village The inhabitants have labored under many disadvantages, especially the agricultural part of the community, particularly in their remoteness from market. Ox teams were used by most of the farmers for several years after the commencement of settling of the town. At the early settlement of the place, the nearest wheat market was at Hamburg, Livingston county. In 1840, wheat sold at that place for 43¾ cents per bushel. At the same time merchandise, groceries and clothing were selling at exorbitant prices, at 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 62 Howell. In 1844, wheat sold at about 60 cents; corn 25 cents; oats, 15 cents per bushel, and pork was worth $1 75 a hundred, at Howell. One reason of the high price of goods and groceries, was on account of the cost of transportation from Detroit, and the low price of farm produce was partially occasioned by the expense of transportation to market. The price of freightage from Detroit varied from $125 to $3 00 per hundred. The prices were varied according to the conditions of the road. The present price of transportation is 50 cents per hundred. The price of wheat in the spring of 1867, was $3 30; corn, $1; oats, 60 cents per bushel, and pork $10 a hundred. But these excessive prices of provisions, were partially occasioned by a light crop of wheat and corn in 1866, and a scarcity of provisions in the United States. And also, the great amount of currency that was necessarily put in circulation during the recent civil war, and the internal revenue tariff had a tendency to augment the price of property in general. The town, like other inland places, destitute of public thoroughfares, was tardy in settling. The town and village was mostly settled by emigrants from the State of New York. However, there were emigrants from England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Canada, the New England States, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The inhabitants were affable, generous and humane; but few of them were wealthy. They encountered many hardships, liable to occur to the inhabitants 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 63 of new countries. They were afflicted by fevers and other diseases, which is the case in all new countries, especially in wheat growing countries, or where lime exists in the soil. But through their perseverance and industry, most of them have attained to affluence. Contemplation When we reflect upon the condition and the events that occurred at the settlement of the township, its appearance and scenery is vividly presented to our minds ideal. The forest, the bear, the deer, the elk, and the terrific yell of the wolf, is distinctly recollected. The location of the Indian wigwam is distinctive. The Indian with his rifle in pursuit of deer, and his friendly meeting of the white man is also remembered. His harsh and gutteral intonation "buzshoo," greets the ear. The scene changes, immigrants are arriving, the woods are disappearing before the strong arm of the pioneer; fields of grain are growing in its stead; fruit trees are planted; school-houses, churches, and other public buildings are erected. Log houses and hovels are giving place to brick and frame structures; the village is incorporated. Side-walks are built, the promenades are decorated with ornamental treets; the streets are partially paved; the village is well regulated through its incorporate authority. Farmers, mechanics, merchants and professional men are prosperous. 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 64 SUPPLEMENT -- Sept., 9 A. D. 1868, The favorable prospect of the early completion of the Detroit and Howell Railroad, and also the continuation of the road to the city of Lansing, gave an impetus to industry and enterprise, and induced the rapid settling of the village. The route for the Railroad from Howell to Lansing, was surveyed the first of May, 1868, under the supervision of Mr. Wm. Scott, Chief- Engineer of the Detroit and Howell Railroad, and Mr. Joseph H. Wilcox, of Howell, one of the Directors of the Howell and Lansing Road. Accession of Lots to the Village Plot In April, 1868, Wm. McPherson and Sons, Nathan J. Hickey and John H. Galloway, made an addition to the north-east part of the village, of 108 lots. In the same month, Almon Whipple added 50 lots to the east part. In May following, Mrs. Jewett, widow of George W. Jewett, added 64 lots to the west part. Newspaper In March, 1868, Mr. Waddell sold his interest in the Livingston Republican, and retired from its editorial charge, when Mr. Julius D. Smith became editor, proprietor and publisher of the paper. 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 65 Educational (P.65) From the first commencement of the settling of the town, the inhabitants have been zealous in the cause of education, and as the town became sufficiently populous, new school districts were formed and at this date there are seven districts in the town, and each district is now provided with a commodious frame school house. The Village School House, This superb edifice was erected on the site of the former house, under contract, by school district No. 1, and Mr. B. B. Rice, of Detroit, builder. When the building is completed, it will cost $25,000. It is three stories high above the basement, with a tower 100 feet high. The house is divided into rooms by appropriate halls. The first story has two halls one is 14 feet in width and 65 feet in length, the other is 11 feet in width, and 35 feet in length. There are three school rooms, and each room is 25 feet by 3 5; two wardrobes each 6 feet by 16. The second story has two balls, one 14 feet in width and 65 in length, the other is 1.1 feet in width and 35 in length; three school rooms, each 25 feet by 35; one room for philosophical instruments, which is 12 feet square, and one recitation room, the same size; two wardrobes, each 6 feet by 16. The third story has one hall 14 feet in width and, 65 feet in length; one lecture room 35 feet by 65; one school-room 25 feet by 35; one 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 66 room for the director, 12 feet square, and one recitation room, the same size. The first and second stories of the building are 13 feet and two inches high in the clear. The third story is 16 feet high in the clear. Most of the brick used in the building, were manufactured by Mr. Wm. Lake, on sections 21 and 22, in this town. Conclusion or the Volume The reader will perceive that brevity has been our aim. But we have endeavored to be sufficiently explicit in giving an account of the settlement, and the most important events that have occurred, hopeful that the History of Howell will be continued in the future, as this volume is only introductory, it being necessary that the history should be commenced within the life and recollection of the first residents of the place. At this date there are but sixteen men living in the town or village, who settled in either place previous to the year 1838. With these concluding remarks, this book Is respectfully submitted to the inhabitants of the town and village, for their perusal E. H. S. 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 67 L~DEX 1'0 The HISTORY of HOWELL by Elisha H Smith , 1868 Aborigines Buildings carpenters cemetery church Civil -,,ar Clergy Doctors Farm sta:tistics Fraternal groups Lawyers Masons i,iilhirights Newspapers Pioneer experience Rifle company settlement Schoolhouse TOwnship Tradesmen Village Village inhabitants Zoological ABBOTT, Franklin ABELL, DC ACKERMAN , James H ADAMS , Amos Amos S ALBERT, Willi am ALBRIGHT, Chester E F ALLEN , Al vah Andrew J Henry F. Loren ANDREWS , Sylvester A;~GEL, Edwin Frederick V R T ARCHER, Roger F. AUSTIN , David George Jonathan Sally T AXTELL, Amazee George Jonathan 7 37,38, 39 3425 39 , 4o 33,34 36 36 54 to 57 40,41 J6 35 35 64 22 to 32 32 8 65 8 , 10 , 11 36 9 , 64 51:l to 61 6 13, 33 41 36 1 0 ,11 ,12 , 18 22,4o, 4J 18 19 JJ 41 49 J4, 49 49 59 48 58 .33 38, 58 50 8,10 , 12 21,22, 35 53 11, 1 2, 35 10 JJ 33 60 BACHJ.J.N, Rev . BAKER , George Vestell -11aldo BALCOr11, George Renaldo Sameul BAMBERGER, Isaac BARBER, Charles W BARBOUR, Charles BARKER, M W BARNARD, Eli BARNHART - Lafayette BAr\RETT, Jer ome Ransom William BARRY, John S BASSEY, Rev. BARTCKE, R E BEAL, RA BEARDSLEY, Daniel Silas BENNETT, Hiram James Justus William William E BINGHAM , Kingsl ey S BIRKETT, Thomas BISHOP , Andrew J . BLAClG1AN, - Davi d George Hudson B BLANCK, Andrew BLOOD, Alvah G BONWELL, Rev-. BOOTHBY, Henry John Noah BOWERS, James s w BOYCE, Mason BOYD, Henr y p BRAYTON, Bur t I r a Na t haniel BRENNON , Michael BREWER, Almon Orlando Peter 36 53 34,48 48 58 34, 58 20,58 60 59 J6 60 12,41 36 58 33 53 35 43 36 59 36 59 59 10 , 43 52 12 J4 34, 51 10, l J 18 33 37 , 39 58 J4, 60 20,JJ.59 38, 61 JJ )6 34 J4 .33,59 20 58 60 49 52 18, 1 9 , 32 , 52 52 17 52 52 10,35 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 68 BRIDGE, Rev. BRIGGS, Edward Henry John Thomas BRISTOL, Hiram BROCKWAY , - Charles Elias Elisa Frederick George F BRONNER, George BROOKS ,- J6 JJ 60 5J 59 15,35 J8 59 J4 59 J4 J4 9,10 JJ. J6 51 BROWN, William BRUNDAGE, perry BUCKLAND, Jw~11ro11~.aem H Jt BUCKLE, Ezekial 52 BUCKNELL, Thomas BUNN , Jol'ln Ralph BURCH, William BURT, E F BUSH.- Albert C Isaac W George John Richard BUSHNELL, Harvey CAMERON, Alex CAMES, Henry CAMPBELL, Eri CAN FI ELD, James CARDELL, Benjamin CARLISLE, William CARPENTER, Azel Eli Cyrus Sidney Wallace w w CARL, Andrew J. David Henry John Lyman CASE, Daniel John CASTERTON, John CHAFFEE, Michael CHAMBERS, William CHANDLER , DDT Lewis C 50 51 51 5J 41 36 36,60 37,41,61 59 J6 J6 51 Jl 35 50 J7 18,59 J6 34,58 17,36 34 33,49 60,61 41 JJ,38 J4 JJ,J8 50 JJ 10,52 10 5J 5J 60 19 59 2 CHAPIN, Chauncey CHAPfv.AN, Owen CHILD, Erwin Jesse Marcus Simon CLARK, - Charles George L George W Henry T Stephen Thomas William A CLAYTON, William C.OALMAN, - COCKRANE, Rev. COFFREN , Elijah COATS , Alfred, ;rirs. COLBURN , Francis N COLE, Orlando COLKiiAN , - CONRADT, Adam Leonard COOK, Jared L CORDELL, B W COSART, John, Rev. COWDRY, Mr. CRAIG, Robert S GRANDEL, David F CRANE, F J B Sherburn CRITTENDEN , Alvin Henry CROSS!viAN , Z Fobes CULVER, Charles CUM!V'tINGS, John CUM!l'll SKY, Bernard John CURTIS, Alonzo Benjamin Dr, George Henry John Philo v.tctory William William T 58 J6 J4 53 34 JJ 36,37,39 58 19,59 J8, 59 61 19 59 36,40 J4 60 36 35, 42 60 58 60 38 49 49 35 J7 10,39 9 52 52 9,10,11,12 15,35 ll,J5 11,35 48 J8,41,60 33,59 JJ 59 39,60 36 19,59 lJ 10,43 19,59 10,43 33,35,41 10,4J JJ 4o 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 69 DAMON, Charles Lewis DANIELS, Edward James John William DAVIS, William DAVISON, Miles W DAYFOOT, Rev. DEAN, LC Rev. peter J William A DErllING, Orson DETTERLEY, George DEWITT, James DEXTER, Norman DIAMOND, John H DILLINGHAM, John B DILLON, Calvin DOALMAN, William DOLPH, Simon Sylvanus DONLEY, Charles Giles Joseph H Thomas DONNELLY, Giles Thomas DORN, John DORRANCE, Aaron William DUNLAP, William DUR FEE, Edgar Harvey Justin EARL, Aiiarew- Alfred Oliver William EATON, Rev. EDGAR, William H ELLENWOOD, Daniel ELLSWORTH, CC ELSIE, James ELSON, John E:i'JBURY,- David EI'ftER I CH, Ira 49 J6 60 54 J4,58 58 60 5J 36 J8,60 J6 49 49 J4 5J JJ J5 50 J6 52 J6 JJ J3 60 60 60 60 J4 J4,38 33,58 19,49 18,49 a~ J 50 10,12,14,.35 52 50 50 50 36 60 34,50 .36 59 49 J8 60 35 FARNSWORTH, John FARNUM, D FEELEY, Andrew FELTER, Issac FERGUSON, John FERREN, Alonzo FIELD, Francis 0 J FILKINS, Dexter FINSTER.WALD, J FISHBECK, Leonard Richard Stephen FISHER, J T FITZGERALD, James FLINT, Ledyard FOUR.GE, Jacob H FOWLER, Alonzo Ephriam rr.artial Rosco FRASER, Alex. FRINK, George Luman Luther Nicholas FULLER, A W Warren GALLOWAY, - Frederick John GATES, Hezekiah GAY, Edward F '.\1ilo L GEYER, Lewis GIFFORD, John D GILBERT, H F Joseph M GILCHRIST, Thomas GLASS, Rufus F GLOVER, Howard Luther Wellington A GOODRICH, Chester F Franklin Harvey GORDON, Thomas GRANNIS, Rev. GRANT, Joseph GRAVES, ~arleigh H 4g 59 ~4 51 12,.35 15,35,38 19,50 41,60 59 15, 16, 59 33,59 60 .33,.36,40 60 J8 51 51 51 51 35 52 59 33,59 17 51 51 37-J8 J4 19,20,J8,41 43,59,64 15,35 15,16,.38,58 JS,61 53 J6 60 18,J9,41,60 33,50 58 J4 37,60 17 34 JJ,58 60 50 36 J5 12 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 70 GREEi{, Albert B Warren W B G~EENAWAY, Edward GRE3NWAY, George Henry GnEGORY, EB E G, Rev. E p Edward P 59 4o, 58 40 60 37,60 59 41,59 JO, 36 37 59 59 4 GRIEVE, Robert GRIFFITH, William R 39,60 HAIHES, James HALE, i~icholas HALL, Adam David Richard r.AiHLTON, - HAND, Jerome HARDENBURGH, S HARDY, Francis S S F HAI1.GER, - HARINGTON,- Sidney HARMON, Henry H, HARnIS, Henry HART, Edmond Edwin Marion Sherwood HARVEY, - HA VEi~, Merritt S :-iAWES, John EA Yi\/ES, Leonard HAZE, Charles W H3:AD, James E HEND~ICKS, Leonard J i'II HEWiS, Cornelius Henry Jerome Leonard Philander HENRY, Francis HEWITT, Lewis H Loren K HE~RINGTON, Henry EICKOK, Harris A HICKEY, Frank r-.:athan J 35 50 58 51 51 J6 51 41 52 41 J6 J6 J4 40,41,43,61 52 J4,35 33 34 3J83 ,60 5,16,35 53 37,60 40 10,35 59 59 34 34 34,58 34, 58 3J 49,60 20,36,47 17,36,38,41 52 33 66 19,58,64 HILDEBRANT, Charles Johll Solomon HILL, Andrew .Enos W Philander HINEfiJAN, - Derastus HISCOCK, Almon Levi HITCHCOCK, Caroline HOGLE, Joseph HOLDRIDGE, PB HOLLIS, Henry Jane G HOLLISTER, Sydney HOLMES, Robert HOL'r, Barzilla Nicholas J HOOK, Frank Leonard HOPKINS, - - HORNISH, Eli HOSMER, Artemus HOTCHKISS, Daniel Len HOWE, Seymour E HOWELL, Judge Thomas Rev. HOYT, George John Levi HUBBA:\D, J oseph HUBBELL, sardias F HUDSON, William HUGGER, Gottlieb HUN TI NGTON, William HUN ·rLEY, Allen T Ira C Theodore William William E HURD, Nicholas HUTTON, Fi.Obert C HYDE, William Y ISBELL, NG 34,51 4~ 17 49 59 36 38 36,39 36,39 22 31,51 42,43 21 19 17,36 50 58 54 53 53 36 50 13 J5 35 50 9 9 36 56 41 35 52 38,40,41 4J,61 15,J5 60 61 59 38, 39, 59 34,60 J4 20,J9,59 36 61 48 36 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 71 JEFFRIES , Charles A JRNKS , Geo . W, Rev. JESSUP, Philester JEWETT, George W Josiah P William JOHi~SOi'l , Nathaniel Peter Robert JONES , John J OF.DEi", Frankl in JUDSON , Lyman KELLY, Franklin KENNEDY, Rev , KENYON, William W Kll\G , Ezekial William KLECKLEit , Elias KNAPP , Theodore William L KNEELAND, A Dora Dewitt C George W John B Ichabod Nathan KRISLER , Nicholas LAGRANGE, Aaron James John LAKE, Charles Garrett George Henry Horace John Nichols N Rial Sylvanus William LAKIN, George LArl.OROUX , Peter LAROWE, Henry James John B LATSON , John LAWTHER, James LEE, Frederick J, George \'I LEED, H, ,.;rs. LEWIS ,- ·11illiam 5 36 9 , 61 12 15, 64 15, 35 JB , 60 4J 11, 35 5) 35,38, 60 34 41 19 , 60 36, 61 60 51 60 50 59 37 , 59 50 50 10,19,58 10,)5,42 4o, 50 10, 35 58 15 15 15,21 33,49 5,10,13,17 33 10, 13, 21 33, 51,52 51 33 51, 52 15 58 49, 66 60 50 34, 50 34 10 , 49 59 35,37 18 , 37,42 43,60 18, 37 , 42 , 43 61 61 31-32 LILLEY, Rev. LOEHNE, William C LOMBARD, Franklin LONG, John LOSFORD, Abram LOUCH, George LOWNSBURY, Allen L Yl'r.AN, Leny ~';organ Solomon S T T LYON, Solomon MALLOY, - MALONE , William :liARKEN , Charles MARR, Cyrus Jesse Harlem Thomas G ,,1ARSH , Z ;,: MARSTON, Thomas i,lARTICK, Charles MASON, Gardner John C J G, i,1rs . MAY, Peter Richard l,,cBRIDE, R, Rev. MCCOMBS , William McFALL, Asa Jason Reuben iV,cGU!'IJ , Edward i.1cGUNN , Edward 1{JcKEENE, Andrew tw:cKINLEY, Edwin McLEAN , J B Robert McMILLAN , William B McPHERSON , Alexander Edward G John ;,1artin J William 36 59 J6 gg 53 59 35 10, 35 33 41 61 36 36 ii 21 , 49 49 33 61 58 59 19 38, 59 61 33 50 36, 40 35 34, 53 59 33 JS 60 34 34 34 50 48 37,60 60 )7 60 11,16,41 60,64 William 11lELVIN, Francis J William K William R 1•, ILES, William ;,iILLS, Henry Jr , 41,60 Rev . \'/esley J ;110NDAY, Ezra J 'i 19, )9 , 59 )5 37 , 60 J6 61 58 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 72 .. :o:~i:WE, Francis Henry 0 James Norton r.~ORGAN , B A MORE, Sanford S Stephen S William i,:ORSE, Daniel 6 5 , 15,Jl,J7 4J,5J.59 52 J3 , 59 JJ 59 21,51 50 50 JJ 40 60 3J JJ,41 MOSHEn , E, Rev. ,,i OTT , Isaac MOUHTAIN , Robert J·,;ULL OY , James r.iUNSOH , Ferdinand J.iU SSON , Elijah w 54 Henry Robert William i,1YNAH.Aii , Mathew NAYLOR, Mrs . NEELY , John R NEFT , Henry NEWELL , warner NE"tii>lAN , Hi ram William NEWTON , George NOBLE, ,Edgar NORTON , Isaac OBERT, George PALMER, J, Mrs . PARK , John PARKER, Daniel Ho, Rev. PATE, Henry PEARSON , Hiram PEAVEY , F A PEEBLE, - Joseph H PELL , Henry PENNELL , George PETERSON , Abraham Isaac Richard Silas PETTIBONE, Milton PETTINGILL, Henr y Solomon PHELPS, David James PHILLIPS , Charles Galen Jerome 52 J4,59 52 59 59 37,61 17,60 lJ 60 42 49 JJ JJ 50 21 6-1 34, 51 60 61 59 35 58 J6 59 50 JJ J5 35 59 J4 60 10,14, 35 35 58 35 51 35,52 JJ PINCKNEY, John D PIXLEY, Albert PLACE, George W PORTER, Joseph POWELL, ER PRATT , Lyman PRESTON, Henry Ira Joseph PRUDEN, Joseph PULLEN, 1,ier ri tt William RAMBO , Eli RA,:SDELL, Gidion RAY, Richard RA YMOR, George REDPATH , Colon REED , George James Oliver REEVES , Charles RICE, BB George RICHARDS, Eliza RICHMOND , John W Russell Tracey RIDDLE, William ROBERSON , David James John William ROBERTSO N, David ROBINSON , D L ROGERS , Charles Henry ROOT, George p Henry, Rev . Rev. RORABACHER , Adam ROSCOE, Rev. ROWE, Joseph RUMSEY , Andrew J H J Jesse Royal C Royal H William RUSSELL, John RYDER, Bernard SABIN, Ezekial F D F D , ;,•irs. 8,9 , 12 J6 49 12,16,18, J5 20 58 3J 58 J4, 5J JJ. 59 JJ 3J JJ J6 54 50 j4 J4 10 , 35 58 65 lJ 41 51 51 51 ~i-J7 49 49 49 JJ 59 60 5J 20 J9 J6 J5 J6 17 58 J6 J6 41 59 58, 59 ll , J5 JJ 18,35 37 , 58 61 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 73 SAGE, Charles George L George T James James R SANFORD, Ezra John SARGENT, Everett SAWYER, Justin SCHAFT, Gottlieb Jacob SCOTT, :,'lilliam SCOTTEi{, Rev. SHAFT, William SHAPE, Simon P SHARP, Charles Jonathan SHIELD, Dennis SHIVELEY, Thomas SHY, Solomon SIDELL, sameul SKILLBECK, Joseph Perley SLADER, Amos T SLYTER, SB SMITH, Abijah W Amos Bernard B Charles Edwin H Elisha H Emmet Gardner S Harmo n Henry Julius D John W Leander C Lewis L D Odel J Reuben C Silas Vernon C Villeroy William William B Walter V SNOW, Lafayette SNYDER , Eli SPRING, Benjamin G 7 59 10,20 8 ,9,10 12,18 8,9,10,18 11 12 12 JJ,50 J6 10,14,15,35 10,14,15,35 42,64 J6 39 10,15 19 JJ 61 60 JS 51 B 37,60 D 60 60 19 54,60 J4 JJ 3J,J4 12,52 J2 JJ,34 20 50 20,)4,61,64 5,11,12,lJ 21, J2, 51 58 20 58 15,4o 33,34 53 JJ, 51 5, tJ-2 52 19,20,J8,60 52 60 J5 10,14, 4J,47 SOWLES, Enos Harvey Wilson SPENCE, Thomas R SPOONER, Lemeul STAFFORD, George Joseph STALEY, ~.1ark J. Theodore STANSELL, Henry STAPLETON, John STEARNES, Allen STEARNS, Allen Ebenezer Henry STEBBINS, Clement sameul STEDMAN, Edwin A James E William STEEL, Joseph H STEVENS, Henry John Thomas STEWART, Franklin E Phineas William STRICKLEY, sameul SULLIVAN, Lorenzo Ni cholas SUTTON, sameul. SWEENEY, Daniel James SWIFT, J N SWINEY, James SWITS, Abraham SWITZER, Frank TATE, Wil liam TAYLOR, Enos B George George U George w TEASDALE, Alonzo James TEFT, William THOMAS, Watson G THOMPSON, Edward Lewis Morris Moses THORNTON, Henry TITUS, Joseph J Joseph T TILLEY, 'h'illiam i6 37,59 36 41,)6 JJ,49 49 37, 59 50 J4 59 J4 SJ 53 5) 10 53 17 17 35 11,58 51 51 50 51 51 52 51 60 20,J8 JJ J6,JB J8 41,42 60 JJ. 50 60 J4 ll,18,J6,42 60 59 19 59 59 41 10,35 9,4J 11,18,58 18, 59 15,16,18, 42 17 20 40,61 61 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 74 TOBIAS , Henry T0;:1LINSON, Al vah TOii:PKINS , John TONGUE , William TOUYE , Jacob TREADWELL , Hoyt B TUCKER, DC Giles Joseph TUPPE?l., Lewis TUR i~ ER, Jerome Josiah 8 15, 35 49 33 54 60 59 59 11,41 , 60 11,43 34 36 36 , 41 , 43 VANARSDALE , John 48 VA N BLARICO~ , John 54 VANDERCOOK , William 34 VAN DUSEN , John J 37 1 , 59 YAN KLEEK , Asa 4 VAN LOON, Isaac 34 , 59 J , Mr s . 61 VAN NEST , Ab r aham A 15, 31, 43, 51 Ebenezer 15 Christopher 51 Mathew 15 WADDELL , Andrew D sameul WAKEFIELD , searg~ Robert WALDON, Benjamin WALL , Peter WALLACE , Joseph WARE , Edwi n WARREN , Reuben WASHBURN , Benjamin Theodore WASSENGER , John WA TSON, John F \"/ELLS , Ansel Cyrus,MD Orri n G Will iam L, MD WHEEDON , Burt WHEELER , Emily Gardner H p John A N P , Mrs. WHIPPLE, Al mon Frank Frederick WHI TAKER , Andrew J . Ezra 16, 20,33 41 , 61 16 5e 50 52 33 60 34 34, 52 59 33 52 15, 35 48 16 33 , 52 16 , 6 1 36 41 16 ,19 , 40 59 17 , 41 61 1 5 , 18, 37 , 39 43 , 58,64 34, 58 43 , 61 34 34, 58 WHITE, James Rev . William WHITED , George William L WILBER , Charl es A Geore;e WILCOX , Ca l vin Joseph H Marcus B WILES, Stephen WILKERSON , George\'/ WILLARD , Luther WILLIA.'.iSO N, William WILSON , George WI NEG AR , Or in WI NES , ED Philo B WINSHIP . Handel WI SNER , T W WOLCOTT , Gilbe r t Ol iver WOLL, Andrew Martin Peter WOODRUFF , Whitel y WOODWARD , Charles William WRIGHT , Dav id George Henry WYKOFF,- Fl oyd YELLAND ,- YERKES, Sameul M ZEELY, Jacob ZEITZ , George ZITZE, Frederick 3g• 16 , 34 52 34 33 58 40 , 60 48 41 ,60 , 64 40,41, 61 48 48 18 58 34 58 59 59 39 , 60 59 58 58 33, 54 34, 58 33 , 51 35 58 58 34 34 J4 37 , 39 19, 20 , 59 52 53 33 33 59 1868 HISTORY OF HOWELL ELISHA H. SMITH 75 This Large Print Edition of the History of Howell Michigan by Elisha H Smith 1868 has been reproduced by the Howell Area Archives Howell Carnegie District Library Howell, Michigan This book was transcribed by Pam Rietsch, Indexed by Milt Charboneau Large Print Edition 2010 Note Extra information that can be shown with the item. Such as how to get a physical copy of the item. Use the Windows Snipping Tool to capture the area of the document you want to save. If you want multiple pages printed please see staff to print the pages you want. <a href="https://howelllibrary.org/technology/#print" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">View the library's printing information.</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The 1868 History of Howell Michigan Subject The topic of the resource History Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1868 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Smith, Elisha H. Description An account of the resource This Large Print Edition 2010 of the History of Howell Michigan by Elisha H Smith 1868 has been reproduced by the Howell Area Archives, Howell Carnegie District Library Howell, Michigan This book was transcribed by Pam Rietsch, Indexed by Milt Charboneau Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available John A. Kerr & Co., Steam Book and Job Printers and Binders, Lansing, Michigan Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource No Copyright - United States Type The nature or genre of the resource Text history