USA > Michigan > Washtenaw County > Combination atlas map of Washtenaw County, Michigan > Part 7
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BENTON P. O., five miles southwest of Saline, and four miles south of Bridge- water, bas the benefit of railway communication, being on the line of the D., H. & I. Company. Chester Parsons, Postmaster.
YORK TOWNSHIP.
Organized in 1834. The first election was held at Mooreville, and William Moore was elected the first supervisor, and O. Gooding the first town clerk. Among the very earliest settlers were Urish Le Barron, John Parsons, Cary Stark, Jacob Whitney, Alanson Snow, John Thayer, Hiram Fisk, Frederick Basom, William Moore, Henry Druse, Matthew Salisbury, and William, Joseph, and Robert Shaw, who came in and took possession of the wilderness between the years 1826 and 1830. They were followed, among others, in 1831, by Peter Cook, Sr., Jacob Cook, John Kanouse (now at Saline), Thomas Herringdeen, and Samuel Bishop; in 1832 by Isaac and David Hathaway, Dr. J. R. Bowers, A. B. Hanson, and William Davis; and the subsequent year by Aaron R. Wheeler, Willard Hall, John Inman, William Dexter, J. U. Fuller, W. D. Morton, and B. H. Hitchcock. While Michigan was yet a territory, O. Gooding, Thomas Angier, Jesse and Albert Warner, Daniel Aylesworth, and others, came into this Township. The first entries of land in this town were by Friend Whitlock, Sec- tion 6, August 11, 1824; John Gilbert, Sections 5 and 6, June 18, 1825; and Orange Risdon, Section 6, and John Butterfield, Section 7, on the 16th of Sep- tember, 1825. In 1826 Willard Ware, Asahel Sawyer, Alpheus Putnam, Aretus Belding, Josiah Dunning, John Walworth, William and James Wadsworth, Jr., took up land in York. In 1833 Donald MeIntyre purchased all (except forty acres) of Sections 26 and 27, an aggregate of 1245 acres!
The first house in York was built on what is now the orchard of the farm owned by Horace Parsons, and the second one upon the neighboring farm of Mr. Le Barron, both being constructed of logs. The first church, also of logs, was erected in the fall of 1835 by the Baptists, near the present residence of Tennis D. Hor- ton, and Elder G. D. Simons preached the first sermon in the same. This was not the first in the town, however. That occurred at a prayer-meeting held at the house of William Moore, Esq. Elder Clay was passing at the time, en-route for Saline. Getting foundered in the mud, he found he would be too late to fill his appointment, and so stopped and addressed the few assembled pioneers. The. first marriage was that of Lewis Le Barron to Miss Morton, & niece of Mr. Holmes, in the year 1829. Isaac Hathaway built the first saw-mill, in 1832. The "York Mills," east of Saline, still grinding, were put in operation in 1836.
Mr. Allan R. Wheeler now owns, and since 1833 has occupied, the old home- stead of the inveterate Indian-bater, Alanson Snow, who was such a terror to the redskins. When but a lad his parents were massacred by the Indians in Ohio, right before his eyes. He swore to avenge their death at every available oppor- tunity ; and be used to range the woods with his trusty rifle for days at a time to make opportunities. The Indians got to believe him commissioned by the " Great Spirit" to destroy them, and they fled from his presence as from the devil.
The physical features of York are rolling, with timber in the south. Soil, gravelly-sand and clay. The Saline River crosses the town, flowing in a south- east direction. Several tributaries of Stoney Creek rise in the northeast. Marl is found on Section 31. The "lake ridge," supposed to be the former boundary of Lake Erie, crosses York. There are six churches in the town, distributed as follows : two Baptist, two Methodist, one Episcopal, and one Union.
YORK-formerly called "Mooreville," after William Moore, its founder, who came from New York and settled here in an early day-is a small hamlet on the Saline River, about six miles from the village of Saline. Its water privilege is fine, but improved. It contains one or two churches, a hotel, a steam saw-mill, and a few stores. It has a tri-weekly mail; and ships lumber, barrels, grain, and wool.
MILAN, partly in this Township and partly in the town of Milan, Monroe County, is also on the Saline River, nine miles distant from that village, via which it receives mail thrice a week, and which is also its nearest railroad com- munication. It is surrounded by oak plains, heavy timber, a sandy country, good farming land, and has a fine water-power. Flour and lumber are the chief manufactures, and wheat, hoops, and wood its leading shipments. Population, about 200.
AUGUSTA TOWNSHIP.
This Township was organized in the spring of 1836, it having previously belonged to the town of Ypsilanti. The first election was held at the house of Aaron Childs, he being elected the first town clerk, and Stephen Mead the first supervisor. It was at that early day and for a long time since largely composed of heavy-timbered swamp land. But the hand of industry and enterprise has been at work. The drainage system has been put into full force, and the result is most apparent,-" Bear Swamp," shown in former maps, is now a thing of the past; most of the land is now capable of tillage, and some as nice farms and as valuable improvements are to be found in this town as in any part of the County. It has yielded abundantly of lumber, and yet its forests are not depleted. It raises fine stock, posssessing a good soil for grasses, and an abundance of water. It grows, also, grain of all kinds, and fruits. There are several deposits of bog- iron ore in the town. Its citizens are principally of American birth, and take great interest in educational matters. They feel & just pride in their school buildings, embracing as tasty and substantial district school-houses as can be found in any rural town. Augusta contains four steam saw-mills, two wagon. shops, and a cheese-factory ; three churches, viz: Presbyterian, Congregational, and Methodist.
The first settlement was made in 1828, James Miller, with his family, driving the first team through from Ypsilanti to the Augusta town line that year. He made a large purchase near the site of Stoney Creek, and built near the present residence of Mrs. McGraw. He was the founder of the hamlet now known as Stoney Creek, and his son Andrew was probably the first white child born in the town. Andrew Muir, Sr., and Henry Allbright came with, or about the same time as, Mr. Miller. The former built near the present residence of Dat Gardner, and the chimney of his domicil was the first through which smoke had an outlet in the Township. To get his first seed-potatoes, Mr. Miller walked eighteen miles to "Flat Rock." He succeeded in getting some peelings, which he planted about the roots of stumps! Within three years the above-named families were followed by David Brooks, Prince Bennett, Sr., Daniel Russell, John Menzie, Asa Markham, Chester Goss, Asa H. Reddin, Stephen Griffin, James and William Wardle, Timothy Crane, Hiram Thompson, Captain David Hardy, Robert Gardner, Peter Tyler, and Elias Smith; and, before the organiza- · tion of the town, these were followed in rapid succession by Daniel Wiley, Zimri Sanderson, Judson Durkee, Jonas Wheeler, William Frazer, Hiram Thornton, Amos Strong, Oscar Welch, Benjamin Wickham, Peter Dancingburg, "Coon" Redner, Robert M. Stitts, Noah R. Gates, Robert Reynolds, Ralph Fisk, John Hammond, Aaron and Josiah Childs, Lee L. Forsyth, James Lowdon, William Flowers, Jacob Hayner, Philip Vedder, Stephen Mead, J. B. Starks, Aaron Aber, John Rose, Richard and Jesse Hewins, Alanson, Ambrose, and John Russ, C. C. Harmon, and Ephraim and Asa M. Darling.
A school-house was built in District No. 1 in the summer of 1834; and the Stoney Creek Presbyterian Society organized in the fall of 1833, but the church was not erected till 1835. The first sermon in this church was by Rev. Mr. Boughton. The first saw-mill, water-power, was built near the present steam mill of George Moffitt in 1833. The mail route was established between Monroe and Ypsilanti in 1832, with an office at "Paint Creek," Captain David Hardy (then living where Josiah Childs now resides) being the first postmaster.
Augusta is ger ow nind level, with timber in the north and openings in the south. Soil, san STONEY CREEK
Ypsilanti, in a & and shops, with commerce. Thr PAINT CREEK 1.
dence of State Sena !!!
# creek of the same name, six miles southeast of strict. A saw-mill, machine-shop, some stores mber, wool, and grain, constitutes its trade and W. R. Crane receives the mail at this point. ut seven miles south of Ypsilanti, and is the res- . J. W. Childs.
23
NAMES OF COUNTY OFFICERS FROM 1827 TO 1873-Inclusive.
Years.
County Clerk.
County Treasurer.
Probate Judge.
Register of Deeds.
Surveyor.
Sheriff.
Prosecuting Attorney.
Coroners,
County Commissioners. Delegates to Congress.
Members of Legislative Council.
Justices of Co. Court.
1827
D. E. Lord.
L. H. Whitmore.
I. Allen.
J. Biddle.
H. Rumsey.
Samuel W. Dexter. 0. W. Whitmore.
1829
do.
B. Farrand.
S. D. McDowell. -
do.
J. Kingsley.
183
J. T. Allen.
David Page.
8. Lapham.
S. W. Dexter.
J. Kingsley.
1833
do.
do.
1835
183
183
184
do
D. T. McCollum.
G. Sedgwick.
G. Corselius.
do.
do.
C. S. Goodrich.
H. Arnold.
1843
E. P. Gardner.
N. H. Wing.
do.
G. W. Gilbert.
J. Preston,
P. Slingerland.
S. G. Sutherland.
C. Starks.
1845
B. King.
0. W. Moore.
S. P. Fuller.
do
R. Whipple.
G. Shattuck.
S. G. Sutherland.
do.
184
C. Swift.
8. Abel.
E. M. Skinner.
T. M. Ladd.
S. Pettibone.
E. W. Spaulding.
C. S. Goodrich.
1849
J. C. Mandy.
do.
C. H. Van Cleve.
do.
J. M. Chase.
do.
J. Hatch.
1851
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
1853
Jas. McMahan.
C. Joslin.
N. Mosher.
do. "
N. B. Nye.
J. M. Walker.
C. Chipman.
1855
R. J. Barry.
do
W. R. Martin.
J. C. Mead.
A. D. Crane.
J. Peebles.
H. J. Beakes.
1857
do.
do.
B. V. Granger.
do.
do.
do.
do.
L. Foster.
C. H. Van Cleve.
1859
do.
do.
do.
H. G. Sheldon.
T. F. Leonard.
S. Abel.
C. B. Cook.
do.
186
do.
do.
T. Ninde.
J. R. McLean.
C. S. Woodard.
W. H. Pattison.
A. D. Crane.
J. P. Jewett.
D. S. Twitchell.
1863
T. W. Root.
H. Carpenter.
do
H. G. Sheldon.
P. Winnegar.
do.
P. C. Murray. M. Clark.
T. L. Humphreyville.
1865
E. B. Pond.
P. Blum.
H. J. Beake.
P. Tuite.
do.
A. C. Blodgett.
P. C. Murray.
R. E. Frazer. J. Carpenter.
1867
J. I. Thompson.
J. W. Babbitt.
do.
C. Spencer.
B. R. Porter.
R. E. Frazer.
S. G. Taylor.
I. D. Pierce.
1869
J. J. Robison.
P. Blum.
do.
do.
G. S. Caswell
do
do.
B. Spencer.
J. W. Babbitt.
Geo. S. Wheeler.
J. J. Parshall.
187
do.
S. Fairchild.
do.
C. H. Manley.
do.
M. Webb.
E. F. Uhl.
J. Rick.
R. Beahan.
do.
D. M. Finley.
1873
W. N. Stevens.
do.
N. W. Cheever.
E. G. Schaffer.
do.
M. Fleming.
E. P. Allen.
W. F. Breaky. W. Dexter.
J. F. Lawrence.
do.
do.
A List of Supervisors of Washtenaw County, Michigan, from 1853 to the present time.
Years.
Augusta Township.
Ann Arbor Township.
Bridgewater Township.
Dexter Township.
Freedom Township.
Lima Township
Lodi Township.
Lyndon Township.
Manchester Township.
Northfield Township.
Pittsfield Township.
Salem Township.
1853 1854 1855
C. Howard. Aaron Childs.
do.
George Lazell. Daniel Le Barron. do.
Wm. A. Jones. D. D. Sloan. Chas. A. Jeffries.
P. Starring.' Morris Thompson. William Warner.
Newton Sheldon. D. B. Fletcher.
Thomas Clark. do. do
Norman Granger. J. D. Corey. William Carr.
Allen Crittenden. do.
Lawrence Noble. do.
1856
do
Collins B. Cook. do. do.
N. L. Conklin. D. Le Barron.
W. A. Jones .* do. do. do.
do.
D. Pierce.
John S. Henderson. Newton Sheldon.
do.
1857
C. Howard.
A. D. Childs.
Augustus Markham, do.
D. Le Barron.
do.
D. Pierce.
O. C. Sweatland. Newton Sheldon. Egbert P. Harper. Newton Sheldon. do.
Orman Clark. do.
do. do.
do.
do.
do.
Edward Treadwell.
do do.
W. A. Jones. Patrick Fleming.
do.
Russell Whipple. do.
do.
Arthur Case. do.
Joseph Pray. John. Ryan.
do.
John Peebles.
do.
do.
N. L. Conklin. do.
do.
do.
Egbert P. Harper. do.
Norman Granger. do.
Patrick Wall. do.
do. do.
Thomas Lane.
1869
do.
Seiden W. Shurtleff. do.
do
do.
do.
Elias Haire. do do.
do. Ebenezer Smith. Nathan Pierce. do.
Newton Sheldon. James Sage. do.
William E. Wessels. George Rowe. do.
Newton Granger. Horatio Burch. do.
George Renwick.
do. do. đo
do. do.
Years.
Scio Township.
Superior Township.
Saline Township.
Sylvan Township.
Sharon Township.
Webster Township.
York Township.
Ypsilanti Township.
Ypsilanti City.
Ann Arbor City.
1853 1864 1855
A. Vandemark .* William Bennett.
G. Douglas.' L. Kemmell.
W. M. Gregory S. L. Haight.
Asol Backus.
Hull Goodyear. do
do.
James M. Kelsey. Caleb Moore. do.
do.
Chas. S. Gregory.
Smith W. Bowers.
do.
Hiram Pierce.
Marvin Cadwell. S. Kimberly. do
do
Erotus Morton. M. Showerman.
1856
William Benuett.
do
W. M. Gregory. D. A. Post.
do
Cyrus Raymond. Harvey E. Osborn. Andrew Robison. do. do do
H. Brinkerhoof. do.
H. Compton.
1857 1858
John Brewer.
S. L. Haight.
do
Thomas H. Godfrey. Hiram Pierce. do. Horace A. Smith. J. C. Depue. Hiram Pierce. H. A. Smith. do.
Cyrus Raymond. J. Everett. do do
do.
do.
do.
Peter Cook.
do.
do.
do.
do.
Samuel Grisson. do .*
1868
Patrick Tuomy.
E. M. Cole.
Myron Webb.
Orrin Thatcher.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
1869
Henry E. Peters.
William Geer.
do.
do.
Andrew Robison.
do.
do.
John P. Drake.
Robert P. Leonard.
M. V. Jones.
187
do.
Ira Crippen.
do.
do.
Emerson Annabil.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
do.
Patrick O'Hearn.
187
Patrick Tuomy.
William Geer.
Joshua Forbes.
do.
William B. Osborn.
do.
do.
do.
do.
Patrick O'Hearn.
1872
do.
do.
Wilson H. Berdan.
do.
Emerson Annabil.
do
do.
do
Luther P. Forbes.
Conrad Krapf.
A. A. Gregory. J. Austin Scott.
1873
do.
Freeman P. Galpin.
Myron Webb.
Michael J. Noyes.
do.
Pomeroy Van Riper.
Jesse Warner.
do.
Hiram Bachelder. do.
do.
Anton Eisele. George H. Rhodes.
* Chairman of the Board.
List of Governors of Michigan, 1622-1874.
LIST OF POST-OFFICES IN WASHTENAW COUNTY. Money-order offices in italic.
Post-Office.
Township.
Ann Arbor. Base Lake.
Ann Arbor. Dexter. Saline.
Benton.
Bridgewater.
Bridgewater.
Chelsea.
Sylvan.
Dexter.
Scio.
Fredonia.
Freedom.
Gravel Run.
Lima.
Manchester. Milan.
York
Paint Creek.
Augusta
Bridgewater.
STATE GOVERNORS, 1835-1874.
Stevens T. Mason, 1835-1840.
Stoney Creek.
Augusta.
Summit.
Salem.
Sylvan.
Moses Wisner. 1859-1860.
Webster.
Austin Blair, 1861-1864.
Whitmore Lake.
Henry H. Crapo, 1865-1868.
York.
Henry P. Baldwin, 1869-1872.
Ypsilanti.
Ypsilanti.
John 8. Barry, 1850-1851.
John J. Bagley, 1873.
Delhi Mills.
Scio.
Arthur St. Clair ..
FRENCH GOVERNORS, 1622-1763.
M. de Mesey, 1663-1665.
M. de Courcelles, 1665-1672. Count de Frontenac, 1672-1682.
M. de Vandrenil, 1703-1725. M. de Beanharnois, 1726-1747. M. de. Galissoniere, 1747-1749. M. de la Jonquiere, 1749-1752.
M. de la Barre, 1682-1685. M. de Nonville, 1685-1689. Count de Frontenac, 1689-1698. M. de Callieres, 1699-1703.
M. du Quesne, 1752-1755.
(Michigan Territory).
William Hull, 1806-1813. Lewis Cass, 1813-1831.
George B. Porter, 1831-1834. Stevens T. Mason, ex-officio, 1834-1835.
BRITISH GOVERNORS, 833-1796.
River Raisin. Salem. Saline.
Salem. Saline.
James Murray, 1763-1767. Guy Carleton, 1768-1777. Frederick Haldiman, 1777-1785. **
Henry Hamilton, 1785-1786. Lord Dorchester, 1786-1796.
Scio.
Scio
William Woodbridge, 1840-1841. J. Wright Gordon (acting), 1841-1842. John S. Barry, 1843-1845. Alphens Felch, 1846-1847.
Robert McClelland, 1852-1853. Andrew Parsons (acting), 1853-1854. Kinsley S. Bingham, 1855-1858.
TERRITORIAL GOVERNORS, 1796-1835. (Northwest Territory).
1796-1800.
(Indiana Territory).
William Henry Harrison ....
.1800-1806.
1863
Luther Palmer. Patrick Tuomy.
do. do. do.
M. Gray. S. L. Haight. R. W. Parsons. M. Gray. Augustus Bond.
do. do.
George Dorr. J. W. Rice. J. J. Robison.
Thomas Haight.
do.
George Jarvis. E. D. Lay.
Charles Holmes, Jr. Lee Yost.
do.
J. H. Morris. R. Beahan . do J. H. Morris .* do. R. Beahan. Jas. McMahon .* do .*
1864 1865
186 186
do. John L. Smith. do.
do.
Warren Babcock.
Augustus Bond. do. do.
do.
do. do.
do. do. do. do.
H. Compton .* Enoch Yost. Hiram Bachelder. do. do.
do. do.
do. do.
do.
E. Lawrence." J. C. Mundy .* E. Lawrence. Jas. McMahon. Charles Tripp. Conrad Krapf. do.
Enoch Yost. do
P. Davis. W. Millard. C. H. Tisdale. John Gilbert.
do.
1862
E. M. Cole.
do.
do .*
Thomas Gray. do. do.
E. D. Lay.
1859
1860
do.
Charles Shier .* E. D. Lay.
186
David M. Finley. Charles $. Gregory. 8. Johnson. Luther Palmer. J. Johnson.
Ira Crippen. E. M. Cole.
do. do. do.
D. D. Sloan. L. H. Jones. do. do. do.
Elias Haire. do. do. do.
Russell Whipple. M. Thompson. do. do.
Thomas Clark. do.
Philetus Coon. do.
do.
do.
do.
H. Morey. John Geddes. do.
do.
John G. Feldkamp.
do. * do.
P. Blum.
Thomas Young. do.
do.
Calvin Wheeler. do.
do.
Samuel Crosman. do
W. A. Jones .*
do.
George S. Freer.
do. do.
do.
do.
David Wilsey. do.
Isaac Wynkup. do.
1872 1879
do. do.
do. do.
George Lazell. D. Le Barron. James M. Keress.
Henry B. Jones. do.
do
George Rowe.
Isaac Magoon.
do.
1871
do. J. D. Alcott.
do.
D. Le Barron .*
Patrick Fleming.
do.
do.
do.
James B. Palmer.
1870
C. Howard.
Aaron Childs
Orrin White. do.
Allen Crittenden. do.
Royal Wheelock.
do. do.
Philip Winnegar. Patrick McKernon.
do.
R. Babbitt.
do.
Newton Sheldon. do.
Washington Beaman. John Twamley. do
Volney Chapman. do. do
Nathan Salyer. Joshua G. Leland. James Clancey. Philip Winnegar. do. do. Joseph Pray. P. Mckernon. do
do.
Thomas D. Lane. Daniel Pomeroy. Isaac Wynkup. do.
1858
Isaac Magoon.
do.
M. Thompson. do.
C. H. Wallace. Andrew Hood.
Norman Granger. Bromfield.
do. Nathan Webb. do. do.
Join Peebles. do.
1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868
J. W. Childs. A. Childs.
do.
do.
C. Holmes, Jr.
S. G. Taylor.
J. W. Babbitt.
C. H. Van Cleve.
G. Renwick.
Associate Justices.
do.
R. S. Wilson. do.
E. Clark. do. do.
0. Risdon. do.
W. Anderson. do. Jas. Sanders.
do
A. Brown.
C. S. Goodrich.
D. Kellogg, D. Pierce. A. D. Truesdell.
HI. Compton. do.
G. P. Jeffries.
A. D. Truesdell.
W. R. Perry. C. Clark.
G. Shattuck.
H. Arnold.
T. Tate.
T. Hunt.
R. Prudy. O. Kellogg. C. W. Lane
D. Tyler. do.
Circuit Court Commis- sioners.
do.
C. H. Van Cleve.
J. Crissy.
do.
L. L. Forsyth.
0. White.
N. B. Nye.
S. Botsford,
County School Superin- County Drain Commis- tendent.
missioner.
do.
do.
L. H. Reynolds.
do.
G. P. Rhodes.
J. G. Leland.
1859
1860
do.
A. H. Markham.
Wm. F. Ossius. do.
do.
S. J. Chase.
W. B. Waldron.
J. W. Van Cleve.
J. C. Mundy.
John C. Depue.
Gabriel Conklin. R. McCall. do.
J. W. Van Cleve.
Charles S. Gregory.
E. Goodspeed.
Willliam Hiscock.
do.
Philip Winnegar. Sumner Hicks. R. Beahan. do
George C. Arms.
W. Irving Yeckley.
J. Mc Mahon.
Horace Carpenter. .
do.
W. Millard.
D. T. McCollum.
Richard Walsh.
do.
do.
N. R. Ramsdell. J. E. Field. L. C. Goodale.
do.
V. Chapin.
R. Peterson.
R. Edmonds.
W. Woodbridge.
A. Millington.
E. Root.
Geo. Renwick.
S. W. Dexter. A. Case. O. W. Whitmore.
Samuel Champlain, 1622-1636. M. de Montmagny, 1636-1647. M. de Aillebout, 1648-1650. M. de Lauson, 1651-1656. M. de Lauson (son), 1656-1657. M. de Aillebout, 1657-1658. M. de Argenson, 1658-1660. Baron de Avangour, 1661-1663.
M. de Vaudreuil de Cavagnac, 1755-1763.
Northfield. Lima.
Manchester.
Sylvan.
Webster.
Northfield.
York.
Wmn. L. Greenly (acting), 1847. Epaphroditus Ransom, 1848-1849.
W. H. Roth.
P. C. Murray.
do.
* Chairman of the Board.
H. Aulls.
R. Mathews. S. Grison.
do.
do.
do.
24
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
J. WEBSTER CHILDS.
Among the noble few of Washtenaw County, a sketch of whose life shall help to embellish the pages of this volume, we now have the honor to present the name of Hon J. Webster Childs, of Augusta Township. None are more widely known, none more deserving, and none more prominent in the respect, confidence, and affections of the people !
He was not a pioneer, and yet settled at his present residence as early as 1848. During the puerile years of Washtenaw County he was but a lad,-a school-boy among the hills of the "Granite State !"
He was born, 1826, in Henniker, N. H., at the "Old Homestead," where his father was also born, and finally died, and whereto his grand- father had pioneered his way, in the days before the Revolution.
At an early age he formed a love for education, and applied well his opportunities at the common school. After the age of fifteen his father gave him his time, when he supported himself, first, at the "Henniker Academy," and afterwards at the " Kimball Union Academy," Meriden, N. H., graduating from the latter at the age of twenty-one.
Thereafter, till he gave his hand in marriage to Miss Lucy A. Hub- bard, and emigrated to this State, he engaged, successfully, at teaching. Subsequent, however, to his arrival, and purchase of a farm, he settled down to hard work and a retired life.
He has ever been proud of his occupation ; believes it to be one of the most honorable and noble of callings. Has now about four hundred acres of land, more than half of which is in a state of cultivation. Keeps a large dairy, quite a flock of sheep, choice breeds of swine, and, first of all to him, both as regards pleasure and profit, has a large and very fine apple-orchard. .
He is never more happy than when at home, devoting his energies to the development of agricultural interests and the care of his family ; yet, the public has often called him to various positions of honor and respon- sible trust.
His manifest devotion to the cause of education elected him to the post of school inspector the first year after his settlement; and he has con- tinued to fill the same, two years excepted, up to the present time.
The spring before he was twenty-six years of age he was chosen super- visor of his Township; and it would be useless to name all the offices he has since been called to fill for his townsmen.
In the Congregational church, of which his family are members, he has for twenty successive years superintended, with commendable zeal and with much success, the Sabbath-school.
In 1858 his district elected him to the State legislature, and re-elected him to the same in 1860. Since then be has been three times elected to represent this County in the State Senate, of which body he is president pro tem. at the present time. He was appointed in 1868, by Governor Bald- win, as member of the " Michigan State Board of Agriculture," for a term of six years. For the past seven years he has served as president of the " Farmers' and Mechanics' Trade Association," of Ypsilanti, a very successful and prosperous institution. At the organization of the " Eastern Michigan Agricultural and Mechanical Society," at Ypsilanti, in 1870, he was elected president, which position he held for three years. He is now one of the vice-presidents of the " Michigan State Pomological Society," and also a member of the executive committee of the " Michi- gan State Agricultural Society."
It can be seen, then, that, by a faithful discharge of the duties and responsibilities of all these various positions, and by a patriotic devotion to the public will and welfare, Mr. Childs has not only won the respect and confidence of his fellow-townsmen and the people of his County, but has earned a reputation, at least, as broad as his State.
He springs from a family distinguished for their physical and mental energy, for their longevity, and their strict habits of temperance, for their integrity of character, Christian veneration, and devotion to country.
Never one of the race known to have been a drunkard ; never one con- victed of crime; few, if any, not members of some Christian denom- ination ; and all seem to accumulate a competency.
Here ends the story of one of your most practical farmers, and one of your most noble citizens. May his example not pass unheeded by the present and future youth of this County and State.
ROBERT POWELL
(son of R. Powell, of Revolutionary memory, a farmer, who died in Hamilton, N. Y., in 1818) was born in Lanesborough, Mass., October 31, 1790, and lived with his father until the day of his death, and from the age of sixteen was the main dependence of the family through a scene of affliction such as few are called to endure. Limited in his school oppor- tunities, he took to general reading as best he could. For many years the family was literally a hospital.
In 1808 he was married to Miss Clarissa Webster, by whom he had seven children. One son and two daughters only remain living. He served his country at Brownville and Sackett's Harbor in the war of 1812, and left the field with shattered health. He made a profession of religion at the age of seventeen ; and, after struggling against a tide of influences, and the want of literary and theological advantages, which affected his health, he commenced preaching in 1817, and the same year aided in the organization of the Madison University, N. Y., and gathered a small church in East Hamilton. In 1819 he was ordained as a minister of Christ. In 1820 he was appointed by and served the State convention three years as a missionary to the Oneida Indians. Health failing under the pressure of labors, he resigned, and became pastor of the Bap- tist church in Lenox. A successful pastorate of six and a half years much enlarged the church, when he removed to Palmyra, N. Y. Here he spent three successful years of labor, baptized one hundred and twelve persons, besides much labor in other churches. With mutual regret, he left for a more congenial climate, and, in May, 1838, removed to his present residence.
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