USA > Michigan > Van Buren County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 124
USA > Michigan > Berrien County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 124
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John H. Stoddard, a son-in-law of Robert Christie, came from Washtenaw County the year following Christie's set- tlement, and located south of Prospect Lake, where he lived a year, and then moved to Paw Paw. He remained there until 1863, returning in that year to the lake, where he now resides. When Mr. Christie came to Prospect Lake, Samuel Gunton was living on section 35, but two years later returned to New York, whence he had come. Nathaniel Starkweather was living in the southern portion of section 36, but left about 1840 for other parts. In that vicinity other early settlers were Oliver Witter,-whose
Photo. by Agrell, Allegan.
A. S. HASKIN, M.D. -
This gentleman was born in the town of Moriah, Essex Co., N. Y., Sept. 15, 1827. In 1828 he moved with his parents to Bridport, Addison Co., Vt., and in 1834, to Brockport, Monroe Co., N. Y. In 1840 he removed to La Grange Co., Indiana ; in 1843 to Benton, Elkhart Co., Ind. ; in 1848, to Cass Co., Mich .; and in 1857, to Lawrence, Van Buren Co., Mich., where he at present resides, enjoying the comforts of a pleasant home. Until the year 1850 he was engaged in agricultural pursuits; but at that time he decided to enter the professional field, and chose the medical branch. He engaged as a teacher until 1855, employing his spare time in the study of medicine. In the fall of 1855 he en- tered the office of William E. Clark, and read for two years, attending lectures during the time at Ann Arbor. In the fall of 1857 he began practice, and through the succeeding years has been eminently
successful. His father, Samuel R. Haskin, came to Lawrence about 1866-67, and died here in Novem- ber, 1868. His wife had died in 1866, on the old homestead in Vermont. Mr. Haskin, Sr., passed his days as a farmer, never desiring to engage in any other pursuit.
Dr. Haskin was married, April 9, 1854, to Miss Olive, daughter of Selah and Charity Pickett. Her death occurred Nov. 10, 1855; and on the 17th of December, 1860, the doctor was married to Miss Martha J. McKnight.
Dr. Haskin has filled, with satisfaction to all, sev- eral offices in the township and village, to which he has been elected. He is at present one of the coro- ners of the county of Van Buren. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, uniting with it at the age of seventeen. In politics he has always been and remains a staunch Republican.
493
TOWNSHIP OF LAWRENCE.
two sons, O. J. and L. M. Witter, now live in the township, -Rodolphus Howe, Cyrus Rathbone, and Leonard Watson.
Hosea Howard, a Vermonter, came to Lawrence in 1839, and settled in section 32, upon a farm purchased of William M. Lee ; Hector Yorke located the land in 1836, and sold it to William Clark, who settled upon it, but remained a short time only.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION AND OFFICERS.
Lawrence township was organized in 1837, and included at that time the territory now occupied by Lawrence, Ar- lington, and Hartford. Hartford was set off in 1840 and Arlington in 1841.
The records of the township furnish the following report touching the first township-meeting :
" At the first township-meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Lawrence, held at the house of Horace Stimson, on the 3d day of April, 1837, John R. Haynes was called to the chair as moderator, and John Reynolds was appointed clerk pro tem. Proclamation was made by the presiding officer of the days for opening of the polls for the election of township officers. . . . The following persons were duly elected, to wit : John R. Haynes, Supervisor; Orrin Sut- ton, Township Clerk ; Hiram Hilliard, Collector ; Joseph Haynes, John Reynolds, Horace Stimson, Assessors ; John D. Freeman, James Gray, and Eaton Branch, Commis- sioners of Highways; Hiram Hilliard, William R. Wil- liams, Constables ; George S. Reynolds and Dexter Gibbs, Directors of the Poor.
Resolutions were passed at this meeting as follows :
" Resolved, That there be a bounty of five dollars on each wolf-scalp taken in this town the present year, and five dollars on each panther- scalp caught in this town the present year.
" Resolved, That there be eight overseers of highways in this town the present year. The following persons were chosen overseers of roads : For road district No. 1, Truman Gillman; No. 2, Eaton Branch ; No. 3, William M. Reynolds; No. 4, Orrin Sutton; No. 5, William R. Williams; No. 6, Samuel Gunton ; No. 7, Peter Dopp."
At a special meeting, on April 29th, in the same year, justices of the peace and school inspectors were elected, as follows : Justices, George S. Reynolds, Dexter Gibbs, Rich- ard B. Danks, Alvin Harris ; School Inspectors, Nathaniel B. Starkweather, Hiram Hilliard, John Reynolds.
The persons chosen annually, from 1838 to 1879, inclu- sive, to serve as supervisors, clerks, treasurers, school inspec- tors, and justices of the peace, are named in the following list, with years of their election, viz. :
1838 .- Supervisor, John Reynolds; Clerk, Orrin Sutton ; Treasurer, Joseph Haynes; School Inspectors, L. Humphrey, H. Hill- iard, C. Bateman ; Justices of the Peace, Henry Hammond, H. N. Phelps.
1839 .- Supervisor, John Reynolds; Clerk, Orrin Sutton ; Treasurer, 0. Sutton ; School Inspectors, C. Bateman, L. Humphrey, J. Reynolds; Justice of the Peace, O. Sutton.
1840 .- Supervisor, J. R. Haynes; Clerk, George Parmelee; Treas- urer, Joseph Haynes ; School Inspectors, G. Parmelee, H. Hilliard, N. S. Marshall ; Justice of the Peace, J. Reynolds. 1841 .- Supervisor, J. R. Haynes ; Clerk, A. H. Phelps; Treasurer, Joseph Haynes ; School Inspectors, E. H. Keeler, J. Rey- nolds, E. O. Briggs; Justice of the Peace, Major Heath.
1842 .- Supervisor, B. F. Chadwick ; Clerk, A. H. Phelps; Treasurer, Alexander Newton; School Inspectors, H. P. Barnum, J. Andrews, B. F. Chadwick ; Justice of the Peace, John Andrews.
1843 .- Supervisor, John Andrews; Clerk, A. H. Phelps; Treasurer, Alexander Newton; School Inspectors, J. Andrews, N. S. Marshall, B. F. Chadwick ; Justice of the Peace, B. F. Chadwick.
1844 .- Supervisor, H. P. Barnum ; Clerk, A. H. Phelps; Treasurer, Alexander Newton; School Inspectors, J. Andrews, N. S. Marshall; Justice of the Peace, J. R. Haynes.
1845 .- Supervisor, H. P. Barnum; Clerk, A. H. Phelps; Treasurer, J. R. Haynes ; School Inspector, George Parmelee ; Justice of the Peace, J. Andrews.
1846 .- No record.
1847 .- Supervisor, H. P. Barnum ; Clerk, A. H. Phelps; Treasurer, H. N. Phelps; School Inspector, T. B. Irwin ; Justice of the Peace, T. S. Camp.
1848 .- Supervisor, H. P. Barnum ; Clerk, A. H. Phelps; Treasurer, H. N. Phelps; School Inspector, O. M. Baker; Justices of the Peace, D. Hodges, T. B. Irwin.
1849 .- Supervisor, H. P. Barnum ; Clerk, A. H. Phelps ; Treasurer, H. N. Phelps; School Inspector, W. M. Blowers; Justice of the Peace, Chauncey Potter.
1850 .- Supervisor, H. P. Barnum ; Clerk, A. H. Phelps; Treasurer, HI. N. Phelps ; School Inspector, O. M. Baker; Justice of the Peace, John Andrews.
1851 .- Supervisor, John Andrews; Clerk, A. H. Phelps; Treasurer, J. G. Lammon ; School Inspector, C. P. Prindle; Justice of the Peace, H. Balfour.
1852 .- Supervisor, John Andrews; Clerk, Richard Ferris; Treas- urer, J. G. Lammon; School Inspector, O. M. Baker; Jus- tice of the Peace, N. S. Marshall.
1853 .- No record.
1854 .- Supervisor, T. B. Irwin ; Clerk, J. L. Phillips ; Treasurer, J. G. Lammon.
1855 .- Supervisor, T. B. Irwin; Clerk, J. L. Phillips; Treasurer, J. G. Lammon ; School Inspector, N. Rowe; Justice of the Peace, John Andrews.
1856 .- Supervisor, John Andrews; Clerk, J. L. Phillips; Treasurer, J. G. Lammon ; School Inspector, C. S. Dunham ; Justice of the Peace, J. H. White.
1857 .- Supervisor, E. Southwell ; Clerk, William Hodges; Treasurer, S. G. Mather ; School Inspector, W. M. Blowers; Justice of the Peace, William Powers.
1858 .- Supervisor, Nelson Rowe; Clerk, William Hodges; Treasurer, Orrin Sutton ; School Inspector, A. S. Haskin ; Justice of the Peace, Chauncey Potter.
1859 .- Supervisor, Nelson Rowe; Clerk, N. Crissey ; Treasurer, Orrin Sutton ; School Inspector, E. S. Dunham; Justice of the Peace, George Bennett.
1860 .- Supervisor, Nelson Rowe; Clerk, J. L. Phillips; Treasurer, Orrin Sutton ; School Inspectors, O. Rowland, T. Stow ; Jus- tice of the Peace, J. H. White.
1861 .-- Supervisor, Nelson Rowe; Clerk, H. M. Marshall; Treasurer, Orrin Sutton ; School Inspectors, O. Rowland, J. B. Upton ; Justice of the Peace, George Bennett.
1862 .- Supervisor, Nelson Rowe; Clerk, H. M. Marshall; Treasurer, Orrin Sutton ; School Inspector, B. M. Williams; Justice of the Peace, D. C. Sweet.
1863 .- Supervisor, Nelson Rowe; Clerk, H. M. Marshall; Treasurer, Orrin Sutton ; School Inspector, H. L. Cornwell; Justice of the Peace, J. M. Blowers.
1864 .- Supervisor, J. B. Upton; Clerk, H. M. Marshall; Treasurer, Orrin Sutton ; School Inspector, C. C. Stutsman ; Justice of the Peace, J. H. White.
1865 .- Supervisor, J. B. Potter; Clerk, J. H. White ; Treasurer, Orrin Sutton; School Inspector, H. Jacobs; Justice of the Peace, S. Ransom.
1866 .- Supervisor, J. B. Potter ; Clerk, L. M. Hodges ; Treasurer, H. M. Marshall; School Inspector, J. Scotsford ; Justice of the Peace, E. Lanphear.
1867 .- Supervisor, J. B. Potter ; Clerk, L. M. Hodges; Treasurer, H. M. Marshall; School Inspector, A. G. Coney ; Justice of the Peace, J. M. Blowers.
1868 .- Supervisor, J. B. Potter; Clerk, O. W. Rowland ; Treasurer, W. W. Bass; School Inspector, H. L. Cornwell; Justice of the Peace, J. H. White.
1869 .- Supervisor, J. B. Potter; Clerk, G. A. Cross ; Treasurer, A. H.
494
HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Draper ; School Inspector, S. Plopper; Justice of the Peace, E. Rowland.
1870 .- Supervisor, C. Richards ; Clerk, G. A. Cross; Treasurer, A. H. Draper; School Inspector, H. Jacobs; Justice of the Peace, A. Sturtevant.
1871 .- Supervisor, W. W. Bass; Clerk, George W. Rowe; Treasurer, G. A. Cross ; School Inspector, H. Donaldson ; Justice of the Peace, A. Rice.
1872 .- Supervisor, W. W. Bass ; Clerk, L. J. Dane; Treasurer, G. A. Cross; School Inspector, A. Rice; Justice of the Peace, C. Rockwell.
1873 .- Supervisor, C. Rockwell ; Clerk, J. F. Barrows; Treasurer, G. A. Cross ; School Inspector, E. S. Cleveland ; Justice of the Peace, S. Cole.
1874 .- Supervisor, C. Rockwell ; Clerk, J. F. Barrows; Treasurer, G. A. Cross ; School Inspector, H. Donaldson; Justice of the Peace, C. Rockwell.
1875 .- Supervisor, C. Rockwell ; Clerk, J. F. Barrows; Treasurer, G. A. Cross; School Inspector, H. Donaldson ; Justice of the Peace, J. M. Blowers.
1876 .- Supervisor, C. Rockwell; Clerk, J. F. Barrows; Treasurer, G. A. Cross ; School Inspector, H. L. Cornwell; Justice of the Peace, H. A. Donaldson.
1877 .- Supervisor, C. Rockwell; Clerk, J. B. Potter; Treasurer, G. A. Cross ; School Inspector, B. M. Williams; Justice of the Peace, J. Burcham.
1878 .- Supervisor, C. Rockwell; Clerk, J. F. Barrows; Treasurer, G. A. Cross; School Inspector, H. Donaldson; Justice of the Peace, C. Rockwell.
1879 .- Supervisor, C. Rockwell; Clerk, J. B. Potter ; Treasurer, J. F. Barrows; School Inspector, H. Donaldson; Justice of the Peace, W. H. Page.
The Township Board for 1879 comprised Charles Rock- well, J. B. Potter, Henry Donaldson, Jabez Burcham. The School Inspectors were Henry Donaldson and Rev. L. A. Cole (School Superintendent). The Justices of the Peace were H. A. Donaldson, J. Burcham, and W. H. Page.
LAWRENCE VILLAGE.
In June, 1835, John Allen, of Ann Arbor, entered 40 acres in the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 10, of the township now Lawrence. Here Mr. Al- len laid out a village and called it Mason, in honor of the (then) Governor of Michigan. The new village was south of the Paw Paw, and near a creek which possessed consid- erable water-power; and upon the manufacturing capacity of these streams at that point Allen doubtless based his theory that the village would thrive. Having laid out his town on paper, Mr. Allen, who had himself no intention of actually settling, looked about him for some man whom he could induce to begin the improvement of the place. He interviewed Eaton Branch, of Ann Arbor, upon the matter; but Branch was not inclined towards the venture. Shortly afterwards Allen met Branch, saying, " I don't want you ; I've got a man and his wife to go out to Mason." " Who's the man ?" asked Branch. " Ephraim Palmer." "Ephraim Palmer?" replied Branch ; " well, all I have to say to you is, watch him." " Oh," returned Allen, "you needn't attempt to set me against Palmer; I am a phrenologist, I tell you, and I am thoroughly satisfied that the man is honest." So Palmer and his wife, fresh from Ohio, went to Mason, and from a spot on the bank of Brush Creek, about thirty- five rods north of the Lawrence school-house, he cleared the underbrush preparatory to putting up a log cabin. It was in August, 1835, that the Palmers reached the place, and
as before that time the only settlement in the township was that of Stephen Fountain, a bachelor, near Prospect Lake, theirs was the first family settlement in Lawrence. Palmer cut logs of fourteen feet in length for his house, and when he was ready to raise it he had the assistance of Allen, Fountain, E. Barnum (who had just come in from Paw Paw), and a man who happened to be there in search of land. These five men raised the house seven logs high, as the best their strength could reach. The cabin had a door but no windows, and for a little while the Palmers lived in it without floor or roof. The fireplace was against the logs of the side-wall, and a hole in the roof served in- stead of a chimney.
About a month after Palmer's settlement he left the place suddenly and was heard of no more, except that he passed through St. Joseph, with his wife, on their way West. It is said that his sudden departure caused Mr. Allen to lose faith in the value of his phrenological knowl- edge.
Shortly after Palmer's departure his deserted cabin was occupied by John Reynolds, who, with his brother George, had just previously located upon section 13. Nov. 15, 1835, Reynolds and his wife received into their cabin a dele- gation of eleven people, ten of whom came to settle, and as Reynolds' house was the only one at hand, they were forced to crowd into it. These people were Eaton Branch and wife, Dexter Gibbs and wife, with five children, John Allen, and William Williams. There were thirteen, all told, who occupied the house, and as the room in which they slept was but twelve feet square, they were really in close quarters. As a matter of convenience, the gentlemen selected for their dressing-room an out-door spot behind a brush pile. They were, however, shortly in more expansive accommodations, when Allen built a double log house, and called it a tavern. It had on the ground-floor two rooms each fourteen feet square, with sleeping apartments above, and stood just east of where Mrs. Goodenough now lives. Dexter Gibbs was promoted to be the landlord of the tavern, and maintained the dignity of that position until his death, in October, 1838.
The building of a saw-mill in 1836 by John Allen and John R. Haynes gave the village some impetus, but its growth was exceedingly slow, and in 1843, eight years after Allen laid it out, it contained but ten families, viz. : Wat- son Poole, a carpenter; Alexander Newton, a farmer ; Norman Birse, cabinet-maker ; John R. Haynes, miller ; Joseph Haynes, farmer ; Israel Branch, farmer; A. H. Phelps, fur-trader and miller ; J. P. Fisk, blacksmith ; Ben- jamin Dunning, blacksmith ; and Rodolphus Howe, stock- dealer. At that time the place had lost its original name of Mason and was known as Brush Creek, from the stream flowing through it.
The story is told of John R. Baker (living in Paw Paw at that time, and the owner of considerable village prop- erty in Brush Creek) that he rechristened the place Law- rence, after the name of the township, and that upon being asked by a traveler for directions to find Brush Creek, sent the man to Chadwick's mill, on the creek, saying imme- diately afterwards, "I'll teach him not to call my bright little village by the ugly name of Brush Creek."
John Allen, who founded Lawrence village, was a resident
Marcia To. Howard.
J. Fr. Howard
RESIDENCE OF T. W. HOWARD, LAWRENCE, MICH.
495
TOWNSHIP OF LAWRENCE.
of Ann Arbor, and a very enterprising man. He dealt largely in Western lands, confining his ventures chiefly to Michigan. Unlike most Western land speculators, he sought to improve his purchases by the practical method of fitting the territory for settlement and cultivation, and thus by energetic management realized a considerable profit in the business, while he pushed the development of the country briskly forward. He joined the tide of speculation as it set in towards the Pacific coast, and died a resident of San Francisco, Cal.
It may be mentioned that Allen mortgaged the Mason village property to John R. Baker, and to satisfy that Baker was compelled to take the land, and thus, as has been noted, became the village proprietor, and renamed it Lawrence.
Lawrence Merchants .- While Dexter Gibbs was keep- ing hotel in the old double log house, John Allen put a small stock of goods into the bar-room, and engaged Ephraim Taylor to sell them. The assortment was doubt- less meagre and the stock light, for there was scarcely a field at that time for the development of liberal enterprise in the matter of trade. Not much of an improvement was the store opened by John R. Haynes, in the second story of his saw-mill, some time in 1836. Half of his customers, it is said, were Indians, and probably very few of his goods were sold for cash. Cash was scarce, but " dicker" was more plentiful, and Haynes, of course, like a sensible trader, accommodated his customers. He carried on the trade four or five years, when he disposed of his store and saw-mill interest to H. N. and A. H. Phelps. H. N. Phelps had come to Lawrence for the purpose of lumbering, and had brought a stock of goods with him. These goods he put into the Haynes store, and there he and his brother traded until 1845, when they transferred the store business to a log house formerly occupied by Alexander Newton as a residence, upon the site now covered by the Chadwick block. In 1847 they built a short distance south of the log struc- ture a story and a half frame dwelling, and moved their goods into it. That store was in that day considered a remarkably fine one, and awakened great admiration. The Phelps brothers continued in their new store until 1849, when they retired and leased the building to John R. Haynes, who resumed business and stocked the store with goods bought from Albion by Marvin Hannahs, the latter having come to Lawrence to put up a grist-mill.
Haynes traded at that location two years, and in 1851 having put up a fine building at what is known now as Crissey Corners, opened it as a drug- and grocery-store. Upon his retirement from the Phelps store it was reopened by Thomas De Wolf, who had been the representative at Lawrence of James E. Bishop, of Chicago, who was largely concerned in lumbering. In 1853, H. N. Phelps became De Wolf's partner, and retiring in 1854, was suc- ceeded by the firm of Phelps, Balfour & (James) Haynes. That firm wound up business in 1855. Haynes closed his grocery- and drug-store in 1854, and was succeeded there by Thomas De Wolf and Sylvanus Rowe. De Wolf removed to Chicago in 1855, and Rowe continued on his own account until 1856, when he moved to a place previously occupied by Uri Utley, took in Mr. Lockwood as a partner, and closed January, 1858. Rowe went to Decatur, came back
to Lawrence and opened a store, in which he was burned out, and after that he confined himself to the practice of medicine.
Returning to 1850, one Mitchell opened a store that year on the site of Dexter Gibbs' log tavern. He soon moved across the river, where he traded a year, and in 1851, Wil- liam Hodges opened a store adjoining Mitchell's place, and carried it on until 1855. In 1854, J. M. Fisk and Clemens put up the first building, on the east side of the street south of Crissey's Corners, and opened it with a general stock. Clemens went out in about ninety days, and in 1857, J. M. Fisk sold the business to his father, J. P. Fisk, who retained it until his death, in 1865. E. H. Phelps kept store for a time in the place vacated by Sylvanus Rowe in 1858, and in 1856, J. E. Bishop opened what is now the Chadwick store. E. E. & J. L. Chadwick first occupied the place in 1858. The store is still kept by E. E. Chad- wick, his brother having died in 1872.
In 1860, H. M. Marshall, who had been clerking for Sylvanus Rowe, opened a store across the river, moved into the village the same year, and in 1874 completed and oc- cupied the fine brick block in which he now carries on his business. Charles W. and J. M. Fisk succeeded J. P. Fisk in 1865, and in 1868, the firm dissolving, J. M. Fisk moved into the brick store he now occupies, and which he built that year. Ridlon, Phelps & Co. entered the trade in 1867, in the building now occupied by H. L. Cornwell. Ridlon bought out his two partners-Phelps and Cornwell -and pursued the business until 1872, when he moved away. Cornwell-who had been at Cassopolis-returned to Lawrence in 1873, and reopened the old store for account of Phelps & Cornwell. Phelps retired in 1875, and W. E. Cornwell came in. In 1879, W. E. Cornwell retired, and opened a store across the way.
Besides the general stores of E. E. Chadwick, H. M. Marshall, J. M. Fisk, and H. L. Cornwell, there are in the village the grocery-stores of W. E. Cornwell and J. L. Phillips ; the drug-stores of J. F. Barrows and George Jerome; the hardware-store of Hill Brothers; and the usual minor business establishments found in a country town.
Physicians .- The Rev. J. L. Marvin, one of the pastors of the Lawrence Congregational Church, also practiced medicine from 1844 to 1851, when he moved to Paw Paw. Previous to Dr. Marvin's coming, Lawrence people had to go to Paw Paw when a doctor was needed. During Dr. Marvin's residence in Lawrence, Dr. C. P. Prindle was also a village practitioner. He became afterwards a resident of Dowagiac, where he died. During 1853, Drs. Nelson Rowe, Sylvanus Rowe, and Joel Camp located in the village. Dr. Nelson Rowe died in 1864. Dr. Sylvanus Rowe is still in practice at the village. Dr. Camp went to Bangor to live in 1861. Dr. A. F. Haskins came in 1858, and is still one of the village physicians. Dr. Terwilliger came in 1861, and left in 1863. In 1862, Dr. O. B. Wiggins began practice in Lawrence, and still pursues it. Besides the physicians above noted as in practice in Lawrence, there are also Drs. E. S. Cleveland and William Rowe.
Mills and Millers .- In the summer of 1836, John Allen and John R. Haynes built a saw-mill on Brush Creek, but
496
HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
did not saw any lumber until early in the winter. About 1844, H. N. & A. H. Phelps bought the mill, and after- wards replaced it with the one now operated on the same site by Rufus Tillou. Previous to 1844, A. H. & Colonel Theodore Phelps had put up a saw-mill two miles and a half south of the village. They sold it in 1843 to Gen. B. F. Chadwick, from whom it took the name by which it is yet known,-Chadwick's mill. Thomas Hayes operates it at present.
The Phelps brothers had also a store in connection with their mill, and used to barter goods for logs. Their lumber they floated to market at St. Joseph.
In 1848 a stock company, composed of William Hodges, H. N. Phelps, T. S. Camp, John Andrews, and A. H. Phelps, put up a large saw-mill on the Paw Paw River, near the village. In 1850, Marvin Hannahs, of Albion, erected a grist-mill near the saw-mill and put in two run of stones. Haynes had a small run of stones in his old mill in 1838, but its grinding capacity was very small. Han- nahs' mill may therefore be noted as the first of its kind worthy the name of grist-mill. In 1862 the grist-mill and saw-mill on the Paw Paw were destroyed by fire. In that year William Anderson built on Brush Creek the grist- mill now owned by Tillou & Olin, to whom Anderson sold the property in 1868. Rufus Tillou manages both the grist-mill and the adjoining saw-mill for his own account.
The steam saw-mill just east of the village, run by Sut- ton & Seeley, was started by Tillou & Cable in 1864. R. Osgood's steam saw-mill, near there, was built by Osgood & Lane in 1867. Henry E. Rowland's steam planing-mill, which he built in 1878, completes the list of mills at the village.
L. J. Dane, who has a plow-point works and general repair-shop at Lawrence village, has been engaged in the same business at that place since 1866. He operates also an extensive cider-mill, and is interested with C. L. Nor- throp in a cider-jelly manufactory, a cider-vinegar works, and an apple-drying establishment, all these being located near the railway depot in Lawrence.
Village Organization .- The village of Lawrence was incorporated under act of Legislature approved March 24, 1869, and in that act the village limits were described as follows : All that tract of country situated in the township of Lawrence as to wit, the east half of the southwest quarter of section 9 and the east half of section 9, the west half of section 10, the north half of the northwest quarter of section 15, and the north half of the northeast quarter of section 16.
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