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LENAWEE COUNTY
THE LIBRARY RIGHIA. UNG UNIVERSITY PROVO, UTAH
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977.431 V-1
HISTORY
AND
Biographical Record
OF
LENAWEE COUNTY,
MICHIGAN.
CONTAINING A HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION AND EARLY SET- TLEMENT OF THE COUNTY,
TOGETHER WITH A
BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF MANY OF THE OLDEST AND MOST PROMINENT SETTLERS AND PRESENT RESIDENTS, OBTAINED FROM PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH THEMSELVES OR THEIR CHILDREN.
VOL. I.
WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY
W. A. WHITNEY AND R. I. BONNER.
ADRIAN : W. STEARNS & CO., PRINTERS. 1879.
TO THE SURVIVING PIONEERS AND DESCENDANTS OF PIONEERS OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN,
THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED.
THE LIBRARY BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY PROVO. IT U
PREFACE:
All books contain a preface, partly for the purpose of explanation, and partly to excuse whatever errors or shortcomings may appear, but mostly to give the author an opportunity for a personal talk with his readers. That is our reason for a preface. The "History and . Biographical Record of Lenawee County," is different from any book we ever saw. Its general character and plan is our own, and its importance and value-especially in the future-is apparent to every one. We lay no claim to being historians ; we are simply chroniclers. We saw the importance of preserving the Pioneer History of Lenawee county, and believed that the publication of Personal Reminiscences of the first settlers, was the best method to adopt. The task was a most important and arduous one, but we felt equal to it and decided to accomplish it. The learned, the inquisitive and the curious, have, during all time inquired of their old men ; they have sat down with them in their wigwams and their homes, and drawn out of them their recol- lections, and patiently listened to their legends, until by dint of their revelations sufficient has been gleaned to preserve at least, some record of the past and its connection with the present. We have made no attempt to record anything pre- vious to the settlement of the county by the Caucasian race, thus summarily disposing of all difficulties and embarrassments for a starting point, that so annoy all Historians. We commenced our labors with some misgivings and no little delicacy, but as we advanced, we were greeted with so much cordiality, and such earnest support from all whom we approached, that we soon gained confidence and courage to prosecute the work with fidelity to the end.
We have visited the oldest residents of the County, the very first settlers that are now living, and have told their stories as they have related them to us, thus preserving many important historical events that would otherwise have passed away with them. We have recorded the names of the first born and first to die in the early days of the settlement. We have sat down with men and women, who came here when all was wilderness, isolated from all civilization and comfort, and listened to their recitals. And when they calmly told us that they had seen this county transformed from an almost impenetrable forest and jungle, to its present productive fields and valuable farms, with cities and villages dotted here and there, and fifty thousand intelligent, happy and prosperous people, we felt a deep veneration for them which was beyond expression.
4
PREFACE.
We have ridden over three thousand miles in visiting all our friends and patrons, and were cordially and generously received in all parts of the county and all wished us every success. When we first inaugurated the enterprise, we contemplated giving the records of only two hundred families, in a book of four hundred pages, and so announced, but when we had obtained the records of two hundred families, we concluded to make the book still more valuable, by adding another hundred at no increased expense to subscribers, who, we have the best of reason to believe, will raise no objections.
Notwithstanding we have enlarged the book from what was at first contemplat- ed, yet there are many just as good and true Pioneers left in the county, whose records are necessarily crowded out, and will not appear in this book, but who will have an opportunity offorded them therefor in a second volume, which will be forthcoming at an early day.
It will be noticed, perhaps, by the critical observer, that many of the same names have been spelled differently, but this occurs from the fact that we have either copied the Bible records, or received them from the persons themselves who claim the privilege of spelling their names as they choose. We have been very careful regarding facts and figures, and have given them just as we have' received them from those interviewed.
We have visited every Township and Ward in the county, and thank all our patrons and friends for their aid and encouragement. We also return our warmest thanks to the members of the Press of the county, who have been uniformly kind and courteous, and assisted us cheerfully in our undertaking. To the printers of our book, W. Stearns & Co., of the Adrian Press, we return our thanks for their untiring efforts and constant watchfulness during the publication of the work. It is unnecessary for us to say a word in praise of Geo. F. Payne, of Adrian, as a skilled and competent book-binder. He has kindly afforded us many facilities in the prosecution of our work, and displayed his taste and workmanship on this volume.
We are also under great obligations to the Hon. John J. Adam, of Tecumseh, for his many kindnesses and permission to use his very accurate and valuable History of Lenawee County.
THE PUBLISHERS
ORGANIZATION OF LENAWEE COUNTY,
ND I have also thought it expedient to lay out the following county, that is to say :
All the country included within the following boundaries ; beginning on the principal meridian, where the line between the townships numbered four and five, south of the base line, intersects the same; thence south to the boundary line between the Territory of Michigan and the State of Ohio; thence with the same east, to the line between the fifth and sixth ranges, east of the principal meridian ; thence north, to the line between the townships numbered four and five, south of the base line; thence west to the place of beginning ; shall form a county to be called the county of Lenawe.
The county of Lenawe shall be attached to, and compose a part of the county of Monroe.
Given under my hand, at Detroit this 10th day of September, in the year of our Lord 1822, and of the Independence of the United States, the forty-seventh. LEW. CASS.
SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan, That the county of Lenawe shall be organized from and after the taking effect of this act, and the inhabitants thereof entitled to all the rights and privileges, to which by law, the inhabitants of other counties of this Territory are entitled.
SEC. 2. That the county court of the county of Lenawe shall be held on the first Monday of June, and the first Monday of January in each year.
SEC. 3. That all suits, prosecutions, and other matters now pend- ing before the county court of Monroe county, or before any justice of the peace of the said county of Monroe, shall be prosecuted to final judgment and execution, and all taxes heretofore levied and now due, shall be collected in the same manner as though the said county of Lenawe had not been organized.
SEC. 4. That all the country within this Territory to which the Indian title was extinguished by the treaty of Chicago, shall be attached to and compose a part of the county of Lenawe.
SEC. 5 This act shall take effect and be in force from and after the 31st day of December, 1826.
Approved Nov. 20th, 1826.
HISTORY.
FOLLOWING IS A MOST EXHAUSTIVE HISTORICAL PAPER READ BY THE HON. JOHN J. ADAM, OF TECUMSEH, BEFORE THE STATE PIONEER SOCIETY AT LANSING, FEBRUARY 7TH, 1878
HAVE been requested by your worthy President and others to prepare for your use and acceptance, a paper on the early settle- ment of Lenawee county, a county of which I have been an inhabitant for more than forty-six years - having taken up my residence there when I first came in the fall of 1831, to settle in the then very extensive, but very sparsely settled Territory of Michigan ; and of which county I have continued to be a resident ever since. At that time, and until the organization of the Territory of Wisconsin. in 1836, Michigan Territory embraced, besides what is now included in the boundaries of the State of Michigan, all the country now constituting the States of Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota, and the eastern portion of the Territory of Dakota, east of the Missouri and White Earth rivers. As late as 1834 and '35, the legislative council of the Territory of Michigan continued to lay off and organize coun- ties and townships in "Ouisconsin," and also counties west of the Mississippi river.
Before proceeding to the history proper of Lenawee county, it would, perhaps, be well to state briefly the nature of the territorial government, as provided and authorized by Congress, from the organi- zation of the Territory in 1805, until the formation of the state government and the admission of Michigan into the Union as a State in 1836-7.
From. 1805 to 1823, the Territory was governed under what was popularly known as the " Governor and Judges plan," consisting of a Governor, invested with executive power, and a judiciary department of three judges ; these two branches united, forming the legislative department, authorized to " adopt" laws from some of the older States of the Union. But the history of their legislation would seem to indicate that they found some very curious laws in some of the States, and which have been generally considered more the product of the eccentric mind of Judge Woodward, than copies of any existing State legislation ; more especially his " Cathelopistemiad " or University bill. In 1823 Congress passed an act abolishing the legislative powers of the Governor and Judges, transferring the same to a legislative
7
OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
council, composed of nine persons selected by the President, from eighteen chosen by the voters of the Territory. In 1825 the number of the Council was increased to thirteen, to be selected by the Presi- dent from twenty-six voted for by the people-those selected being subject to approval and confirmation by the U. S. Senate. By an act of Congress, of January 29, 1827, the qualified voters were authorized to elect directly thirteen representatives to constitute the Legislative Council, without further action on the part of either President or Congress.
At the first election of members of the Legislative Council, under the last mentioned act, the counties of Monroe and Lenawee formed the second district and were entitled to three members of the thirteen; at the subsequent elections for members of the Legislative Council, the counties of Monroe and Lenawee and the country attached to Lenawee, composed the fifth district, and were entitled to two members.
The first laying out and naming, and defining the boundaries of the county of Lenawee, is to be found in a " Proclamation" of Governor Cass, dated September 10, 1822, in which he altered, defined and established the boundaries of certain counties previously organized- that is to say, the county of Wayne, established by an executive act of November 1st, 1815; the county of Monroe, established by an executive act of July 14, 1817 ; the county of Macomb, established by an executive act of January 15, 1818; the county of Oakland, established by an executive act of January 12, 1819; the county of St. Clair, established by an executive act of March 28, 1820; and by which " Proclamation " he also laid out and defined the boundaries of the following named new counties : Lapeer, Sanilac, Saginaw, Shia- wassee, Washtenaw, and Lenawee, and said six counties were to be organized whenever the competent authority for the time being, should so determine; and until so organized, they were attached to counties then already organized, viz : the counties of Lapeer, Sanilac, Saginaw and Shiawassee to the county of Oakland, the county of Washtenaw to the county of Wayne, and the county of Lenawee to the county of Monroe.
The boundaries of " Lenawee County " were described therein, as follows : "All the country included within the following boundaries ; beginning on the principal meridian, where the line between the town- ships numbered four and five, south of the base line, intersects the same ; thence south to the boundary line between the Territory of Michigan and the State of Ohio; thence with the same east to the line between the fifth and sixth ranges east of the principal meridian ; thence north to the line between the townships numbered four and five, south of the base line; thence west to the place of beginning, shall form a county to be called the county of Lenawee."
The above action by " Proclamation " in reference to the county of Lenawee and other counties, may be considered as what was then termed, an executive act; and the first legislative act in regard to the county, was an act approved June 30, 1824, entitled, “ An Act to
8
HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
establish the seat of justice in the County of Lenawee." The same being as follows :
"SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Governor and Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan: That the seat of justice in the county of Lenawee be, and the same is hereby established, on the north-west quarter of section numbered thirty-four, in township five south, range four east, in the said county of Lenawee, on lands owned by Messrs. Wing, Evans and Brown, agreeably to the plan of a town or village, situated on the said north west quarter section, and recorded in the Register's office in the county of Monroe, the twenty-sixth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-four."
The organization of the county was provided for by an act approved Dec. 22, 1826, entitled, " An Act to organize the county of Lenawee."
"SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan : That the county of Lenawee shall be organized from and after the taking effect of this act, and the inhabitants thereof entitled to all the rights and privileges to which by law the inhabitants of the other counties of the Territory are entitled."
"SEC. 2. That all the country within this Territory to which the Indian title was extinguished at the treaty of Chicago, shall be attached to and compose a part of the county of Lenawee."
The above second section became necessary in order to detach the country there spoken of, from the county of Monroe, to which it had previously been attached ; but from which it would now be separated by the county of Lenawee; and when Lenawee county proper should become organized, and be itself detached from the county of Monroe, it was necessary that this Indian country also should be detached and become part of the new county of Lenawee.
In one of the sections of an act approved April 12, 1827, entitled, "An Act to divide the several counties in this Territory into townships and for other purposes," provision was made for laying out and organizing the townships of Tecumseh, Logan, Blissfield, and St. Joseph ; but this part of that act never took effect, being repealed and superseded by an amendatory act approved the same date, and entitled, "An Act to amend an act entitled, 'An Act to divide the several counties in this Territory into townships, and for other pur- poses,' " establishing somewhat different boundaries for the three townships in Lenawee county proper, from those first proposed in the original act; the latter or amendatory act being as follows :
"SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan : That all that part of the county of Lenawee south of the base line, and east of the principal meridian, containing the surveyed townships numbered five, and the north half of the town- ships numbered six, in ranges one, two, three, four and five, be a township by the name of Tecumseh, and that the first township meeting be held at the house of Joseph W. Brown, in said township ; that the south half of the surveyed townships numbered six, in ranges one, two, three, four and five, and township numbered seven, in one,
9
OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
two or three, in said county, south of base line, and east of the principal meridian, be a township by the name of Logan, and that the. first township meeting be held at the house of Darius Comstock, in said township; that the surveyed townships numbered seven, in ranges four and five, and townships numbered eight and nine, in ranges one, two, three, four and five, in said county, south of the base line, and east of the principal meridian, be a township by the name of Blissfleld, and the first township meeting be held at the house of Harvey Bliss, in said county ; and that all that district of country situated west of said county of Lenawee, and which is attached to said county, and to which the Indian title was extinguished by the treaty of Chicago, be a township by the name of St. Joseph, and that the first township meeting be held at the house of Timothy S. Smith, in said township."
By an act of the Legislative Council, approved September 22, 1829, some further newly acquired Indian country was attached to the county of Lenawee, described in said act as "all the country within the territory to which the Indian title was extinguished at the treaty held at the Cary Mission in 1828" and the same was made a part of the township of St. Joseph.
In order to show the final disposition of the country lying west of Lenawee as far as relates to its forming a part of said county, it may be sufficient to state here that by an act of the Legislative Council, approved October 29, 1829, the same was laid off into the counties of Hillsdale, Branch, St. Joseph, Cass and Berrien, with about the same boundaries which those counties still retain.
The counties of St. Joseph and Cass were organized Nov. 4, 1829, with the county of Berrien attached to Cass, and the county of Branch to St. Joseph, until the organization of Berrien, March 4, 1831, and of Branch, February 1, 1833. The county of Hillsdale remained attached to Lenawee county until February 11, 1835, when an act was passed for its separate organization, and by an act of the Council, approved March 17, 1835, that county was divided into four townships, one for each range west of the meridian, and each running from the north line of the county to its southern boundary.
To return to the further organization of townships in Lenawee county proper, the next one organized, after the first three in 1827, was the township of Franklin, organized under the provisions of an act entitled, "An Act to organize the township of Franklin," being as follows :
"SEC. 1. Be it enacted by the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan : That all that part of the township of Tecumseh, in the county of Lenawee, comprised in surveyed townships number five south, in range one, two and three, east, be a township by the name of Franklin ; and the first township meeting shall be holden at the dwelling house of Hiram Reynolds, in said township. SEC. 2. That this act shall take effect, and be in force, on and after the first Monday in April next."
By an act approved March 7, 1834, entitled, " An Act to organize
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
certain Townships," provision was made for the organization of five new townships in Lenawee county, and for the alteration of the boundaries of the township of Logan-section one of said act being as follows :
" SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan, That all that part of the county of Lenawee, comprised in surveyed townships eight, nine, and fractional townships ten, south, in ranges one, two and three, east, be a township by the name of Fairfield, and the first township meeting be held at the now dwelling house of John H. Carpenter, in said township; and all that part comprised in surveyed townships seven south, in ranges one, two and three east, be a township by the name of Lenawee, and the first town- ship meeting be held at the school house one mile east of William Edmonds', in said township; and all that part comprised in surveyed township six south, in range four east, be a township by the name of Raisin, and first township meeting to be held at the now dwelling house of Amos Hoag, in said township ; and all that part comprised in surveyed townships seven, eight and nine, and fractional township ten south, in range four east, be a township by the name of Palmyra, and the first township meeting to be held at the now dwelling house of Casius G. Robinson, in said township ; and all that part comprised in surveyed townships five and six south, in range five east, be a township by the name of Macon, and the first township meeting to be held at the now dwelling house of Henry Graves, in said township; and all that part of the township of Tecumseh, comprised in township six south, in ranges one, two and three east, be attached to, and constitute a part of the township of Logan."
The last Territorial law providing for the organization of townships in the county of Lenawee, is contained in the first section of an act entitled, " An Act organizing certain Townships," approved March 17, 1835, as follows :
" SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan, that all that part of the county of Lenawee, comprised in surveyed town six south, range one east, be a township by the name of Rollin, and the first township meeting be held at the now dwelling house of Joseph Beal, in said township; and all that part of said county, comprised in surveyed township six south, range two east, be a township by the name of Rome, and the first township meeting be holden at the now dwelling house of John B. Schureman, of said township."
Having now completed our sketch of the history of Lenawee county, so far as the Territorial government and legislation was concerned, we may remark that after the passage of the act to enable the people of Michigan to form a Constitution and State Government, approved January 26, 1835, the Legislative Council seemed to almost abdicate their powers and leave all future legislation in respect to Lenawee county, and all other portions of the Territory intended to be embraced in the new State, to the State Legislature, when organized :
11
OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
that is to say, within the boundaries of the original Territory of Michigan, as first defined and bounded by the act of January 11, 1805. The Council had laid off and organized all that part of the Territory, west of Lake Michigan, and east of the Mississippi river, except what was nominally part of the counties of Chippewa and Michilimackinac, into the four counties of Crawford, Brown, Iowa and Milwaukee; and in that portion west of the Mississippi river, they had laid off and organized the counties of Dubuque and DesMoines. And they provided for continuing in force within the district of country not to be embraced within the limits of the proposed State of Michigan, all laws of the Territory, not locally inapplicable, and also arranged so as to throw the election of delegate to Congress into said district.
In the act authorizing the election of delegates to a Convention to form the first State Constitution, which was to assemble at Detroit on the second Monday of May then next, there was assigned to Lenawee county eight delegates ; her population according to the census of September 1834, entitling her to one eleventh part of the number as near as might be ; the total number of delegates being eighty-nine.
Although Lenawee county has increased more than six-fold in population since 1834, or from 7,911, including Hillsdale county, to 46,084 in Lenawee alone, according to the census of 1874; yet such has been the comparatively more rapid growth of the newer and other portions of the State, that from holding then about one eleventh part of the population, she now holds a little less than one twenty-ninth. In the first State legislature of 1835-6, she was entitled to four representatives out of forty-nine; and has now only three out of a hundred; and in the State Senate, out of a body of thirty-two, she has now only one member.
To complete the history of the organization of townships in Lenawee county, it may be sufficient to add here that the State legislature of 1835-6, by an act approved March 23, 1836, provided for organizing the townships of Woodstock, Cambridge, Hudson and Dover, with the same boundaries as at present, and Seneca, including what is now Seneca and Medina ; and also proposed a township to be called Channing, but which never became organized, as almost the whole of it was included in the strip set off to Ohio by Congress ; and what was left of it was afterwards made part of the township of Ogden. In 1837, provision was made for the organization of the townships of Ogden and Medina ; and in 1838 the name of the township of Logan was changed to Adrian, and of Lenawee to Madison. In 1841, that part of the township of Macon in town six south, and the south half of the southern tier of sections in town five south, was formed into the town- ship of Ridgeway. In 1843, town eight and fractional town nine south, of range five east, was organized as Pottsdam, which was changed in 1844 to Riga. And in 1867, out of the south-eastern portion of Ridgeway and some of the north-eastern portion of Blissfield, there was carved out the township of Deerfield. And in conclusion of the history of the division of the county into organized
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