USA > Michigan > Hillsdale County > History of Hillsdale county. Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 83
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James A. Keech was married to Miss Sarah Clark in the fall of 1838. This was the first marriage. Squire Packer, of Litchfield, officiated. The first birth was that of Erastus Phinney, son of Romanta, who was born in 1838. The first death was that of Eliza, daughter of Ja- cob Clark, who died of scarlet fever, in the spring of the same year (1838).
CIVIL HISTORY.
By an act of the Legislature of the State of Michigan, approved Jan. 28, 1840, Woodbridge was formed from Fayette. Its original limits, and the place designated for holding the first township-meeting, were by that act defined as follows :
"All that portion of the county of Hillsdale, designated by the United States survey as townships numbered 7, 8, and fractional
township 9 south, of range 3 west, be set off into a separate town- ship, and organized by the name of Woodbridge, and the first town- ship-meeting therein shall be held at the house formerly occupied by John McDermaid, in said township.
"This act shall not in any wise affect the collection of taxes assessed in the county of Hillsdale for the year 1839, or in any township thereof ; but the same shall be collected as if this act had not passed.
"This act shall take effect, and be in force, on and after the first Monday of April next.
" Approved Jan. 28, 1840."
The township derived its name from Gov. William Woodbridge, for many years Territorial Secretary, and during the years 1820-21 acting Governor of the Territory of Michigan.
Cambria was set off as a separate township March 15, 1841, and the west half of Amboy, being the fractional township of No. 9 south, range 3 west, March 28, 1850.
PROCEEDINGS OF TOWNSHIP-MEETINGS FOR THE YEARS 1840, 1841, AND 1842.
The township clerk for the years 1840 and 1841 neglected his duty so far as recording the names of the township officers elected and holding office during these years. He even fails to inform us of his own name.
The following is the entire record of the proceedings of the first township-meeting, copied verbatim :
" At a meeting of the electors of the town of Wood- bridge, held at the house of Lorenzo Rice, Monday, the 6th day of April, 1840, Hiram V. Weaver was chosen Moderator ; Samuel Wheeler, Samuel Orr, Moses Willits, Baron B. Willits, Inspectors ; and Ira Mead, Clerk.
" Voted three dollars bounty on wolves.
" Voted three dollars bounty on Bears.
" Voted that hogs be free commoners.
" Voted that all boars found running at large shall be altered at the risk of the owner.
" Voted that our next township-meeting be held at this place."
The recorded proceedings of the township-meeting for the year 1841 are as follows :
" At the annual township-meeting for the town of Woodbridge, held at the house of Burton H. Lamphere, 1841. Voted that a bounty be raised on bears of five dollars, to be paid the killer. Also five dollars to the wolf. Voted that fifty dollars be raised for the payment of the above bounty. Voted that one hundred and fifty dollars be raised for the expenses of the township. Voted ten dollars for town books and book-case. Voted that all swine run at large, except boars over three months old, which if found at large, to be altered at the risk of the owner. Adjourned to meet for next annual meeting at the residence of Chester Stoddard.
" CHESTER STODDARD,
(Signed)
" HARVEY FISH,
" JACOB SUMNER, "JACOB CLARK, Inspectors."
At the annual township election, held in the spring of 1842, the following-named officers were elected :
Supervisor, Chester Stoddard ; Township Clerk, Burton H. Lamphere ; Treasurer, Jacob Sumner ; Assessors, Urias Hoyt, Luther Phinney ; Inspectors of Schools, Jacob Sum- ner, Jared B. Norris, Urias Hoyt ; Overseers of the Poor, Dennis D. Wright, Lemuel Blount; Commissioners of Highways, Jared B. Norris, John W. Johnson, John
332
HISTORY OF HILLSDALE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
King; Justice of the Peace, Chester Stoddard ; Constables, Dennis D. Wright, Romanta Phinney ; Overseers of High- ways, District No. 1, William Saxton ; No. 2, Cyrus Patter- son; No. 3, Samuel Wheeler ; No. 4, Chester Stoddard ; No. 5, Patrick McCartney ; No. 6, Joseph Divine; No. 7, William D. Stout.
Following are the names of the principal township officers from 1842 to 1878, inclusive :
SUPERVISORS.
1842-43. Chester Stoddard.
1844-46. Cyrus Patterson.
1847-48. John King.
1864. Warren Atwood.
1849. Lewis Sprague.
1865. William Divine.
1850 .* William Bryan.
1866-67. Jason B. Norris.
1851. Cyrus Patterson.
1868-69. Warren Atwood.
1852. Richard Bryan, Jr.
1870-76. Peter Hewitt.
1853-54. Lewis Sprague.
1877. Jason B. Norris. .
1855. Joel B. Norris.
1878. Amos H. Bartholomew.
TOWNSHIP CLERKS.
1842. Burton H. Lamphere.
1854-57. Alanson Van Vlack.
1843. Samuel Wheeler.
1858-60. William Divine.
1844-47. Robison S. Lockwood.
1861-64. Horace Carbine.
1848. Gideon G. King.
1865-71. William A. Calkins.
1849. Robison S. Lockwood.
1872-74. John D. Freed.
1850-51. Richard Bryan, Jr.
1875-77. Warren Atwood.
1852-53. Jonathan B. Abbott. 1878. John E. Hueston.
TREASURERS.
1842. Jacob Sumner.
1862. Peter Hewitt.
1843. Chester Stoddard.
1863. Warren Atwood.
1844. William Bryan.
1864. Joseph Ellis.
1845. Chester Stoddard.
1865. Jason B. Norris.
1846-48. Jared B. Norris.
1866. Alonzo Hewitt.
1849. Harvey Fish.
1867. John W. Johnson.
1850. Daniel D. Divine.
1868-69. William N. Lewis.
1851. Lewis Sprague.
1870-71. Henry M. Ewing.
1852. Robison S. Lockwood.
1872. Thomas C. Robinson.
1853-57. Walter Baker.
1873-76. Hiram M. Powers.
1858. Lewis Sprague.
1877. Samuel Ingalsbee.
1859-61. Jason B. Norris.
1878. Orrin Carpenter.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
1842. Chester Stoddard.
1854. Walter Baker.
1843. John King.
Robison S. Lockwood.
Richard Bryan.
1855. Joseph Divine, Jr.
1844. Jared B. Norris.
1856. Milton Young.
1845. Cyrus Patterson. Lewis Sprague.
1857. Allen S. Perry.
1858. Robison S. Lockwood.
1846. John King. Milton Young.
1859. Luther Rogers. John P. Pettibone.
1847. Lewis Sprague. Urias Hoyt.
1861. John P. Pettibone.
1848. Eleazer Millard.
1862. Francis D. Young.
1849. Orrin Vanaken. John P. Covey.
1850. Samuel Wheeler.
Levi Weston.
1865. John P. Pettibone. Luther G. Rogers.
1851. William Bryan.
1852. Harvey Fish.
Walter Baker. Milton Young.
1853. Walter Baker. Rufus Willis.
* At the annual spring election of 1850, Gideon G. King was chosen supervisor, and John King justice of the peace. A few days subse- quently Amboy was formed. As the Kings resided in Amboy, a special town-meeting was held, April 29, 1850, and Bryan and Wheeler were elected to fill vacancy.
1868. Samuel Divine.
Merritt J. Chappell.
1869. Nathan C. Gavitt. Lewis Harington.
1870. Francis D. Young. Elijah G. Gibbon.
1871. Luther G. Rogers. Merritt J. Chappell.
1872. Warren Atwood.
1873. Nathan C. Gavitt. James Noble. 1874. Francis D. Young. 1875. Joseph Divine. Jonathan Sherman.
1876. Jonathan Sherman. 1877. Frank Van Duzen. 1878. George Blount. Francis D. Young.
COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS.
1842. Jared B. Norris.
1854. Harvey J. Cox.
John W. Johnson.
1855. Alden B. Nash.
John King.
1856. Jason B. Norris.
1843. Joseph Divine. Burton H. Lamphere.
Harvey J. Cox. David L. Russell.
1844. John W. Johnson.
Gideon G. King. Richard Bryan.
1859. Harvey J. Cox. Peter Hewitt.
1845. Gideon G. King.
Joseph Divine. Richard Bryan, Jr.
1860. William Fitzgerald. Joseph Ellis. 1861. Peter Hewitt. Albert E. Weston.
1846. Gideon G. King. Lewis Sprague. Isaac P. Hoag. 1862. Albert E. Weston.
1847. Gideon G. King. Lewis Sprague. William I. Bennett.
1865. John Ingalsbee. 1866. Peter Hewitt.
1848. Charles Clark.
1849. Isaac P. Hoag.
Orrin Johnson.
1850. Jason B. Norris.
1869. Hugh Loughrey. 1870. Benjamin Rochelle.
Walter Baker.
1851. Walter Baker. Levi Hills.
1852. Josiah Jenkins.
1853. Alanson Van Vlack.
1876. Franklin Fuller.
Harvey J. Cox.
1854. Joel B. Norris.
1877. Washington Whitney. 1878. Hiram M. Powers.
ASSESSORS.
Urias Hoyt and Luther Phinney were elected in 1842; Harvey Fish and Lemuel Blount in 1843; and Cyrus Patterson and Alanson Van Vleck in 1852. In all the remaining years the supervisor has served as assessor.
TOWNSHIP LEGISLATION IN REGARD TO SOLDIERS' BOUNTIES, ETC.
" To the Town Board of the township of Woodbridge, in the county of Hillsdale, and State of Michigan: We, the undersigned legal voters of the township of Woodbridge, in the aforesaid county and State, do hereby request your honorable body to issue an order, and call a special town- meeting in the aforesaid township, according to provisions of the law in such case made and provided, for the purpose of taking a vote to raise by tax on the taxable property of the township (and to issue bonds of the township for the same) the sum of one thousand three hundred dollars, or a sum of money sufficient to pay to each person who may volunteer into the service of the United States (under the call of the President of the United States, dated Oct. 17, 1863, for three hundred thousand volunteers) the sum of one hundred dollars, and to transact such other business as may come before the meeting. Dated at Woodbridge this 12th day of December, 1863." Signed by D. C. Cher- rington, James Divine, C. L. Northrup, T. P. Carbine, L. Benson, O. Carpenter, D. Divine, W. D. Harrington, Joseph Divine, A. Baker, A. E. Weston, and Peter Hewitt.
1863. William Fitzgerald.
1864. David N. Hatch.
1867. Joseph Stoddard. 1868. Peter Hewitt.
Alanson Van Vlack.
1871. Andrew A. Ewin. 1872. Franklin Fuller. 1873. Albert Vincent. 1874-75. Andrew A. Ewing.
1860. Milton Young.
1863. Joseph Divine. 1864. William Divine. Henry W. Comfort.
1866. Francis D. Young. Luther G. Rogers. James G. Rounds. 1867. Warren Atwood.
1856-58. Sylvester W. Farr.
1859-60. Lewis Sprague. 1861-63. William Divine.
Cyrus Patterson.
1857. Harvey J. Cox.
1858. Merritt J. Chappell. Robert Martin.
333
HISTORY OF HILLSDALE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
In response to this request the Town Board, composed of Messrs. William Divine, Supervisor ; Horace Carbine, Township Clerk ; and John P. Pettibone, one of the Jus- tices of the Peace, ordered a special township-meeting, to be held at the town-house, in said township, on Wednes- day, the 30th day of December, 1863. Of the 121 electors present at this special township-meeting, 101 voted in favor of paying a bounty.
Feb. 13, 1864, the Town Board issued an order, naming Feb. 24, 1864, as the time when another special township- meeting should be held, to take action whether a bounty of $100 should be paid to each volunteer enlisting in the United States service, and accredited to the town of Wood- bridge. At this meeting the whole number of votes thrown was 108, of which there were in favor of a bounty, 58; against bounty, 49 ; defective, 1.
At the annual township-meeting held April 4, 1864, it was voted,-
" That the town of Woodbridge pay a bounty of $100 to each person who has volunteered into the military service of the United States since the commencement of the present war, who has not received $100, or has not deserted from the service, and all of those who may volunteer into the military service of the United States during the year A.D. 1864. All that have received any portion of $100 shall receive enough, with that which they have received, to make $100.
" That the township raise by tax on the taxable prop- erty of said township $1000 annually, and the interest thereon, to redeem the bonds of said township, issued to procure volunteer soldiers to fill the several quotas of said township."
The foregoing proceedings of the annual town-meeting were by a vote rescinded at a special township-meeting held at the town-house, April 25, 1864, and in their stead, it was voted " that the fund was to be available to those only who were already in service and credited to the town- ship, and to those who should enlist between the 25th day of April, 1864, and April 1, 1865."
It was voted, in 1848, "to raise $100 to build a town- house as near the centre as may be." The vote was re- scinded the following year.
In 1855 it was voted "to raise $250 to build a town- house, the site to be the northeast corner of section 16. Voted $10 to pay for the site, and that John A. Beard, A. Fuller, and Cyrus Patterson be building committee."
The following agricultural statistics are compiled from the census report of 1874 :
Acres of taxable land
19,220
"
improved land.
5,692
wheat growing, June, 1874.
1,608
" harvested, 1873
1,493
corn
"
1,175
Bushels of wheat
18,622
corn
"
53,222
all other grain harvested, 1873.
13,369
potatoes raised,
4,794
Tons of hay,
840
Pounds of wool sheared,
7,188
pork marketed,
120,470
butter made,
42,520
" fruit dried for market,
"
6,695
maple-sugar made,
5,445
Bbls. of cider made,
222
Acres in fruits,
402
Value of fruits and vegetables,
$39,315
Number of horses, 1874.
mules,
working oxen, 1874.
10
milch cows,
456
other cattle,
=
547
swine,
66
1,484
" sheared, 1873.
1,625
VILLAGES.
Frontier, situated in the eastern part of the township, is a post-office station on the route from Hillsdale City to Amboy. It is 11 miles south of the former place, and con- tains 2 stores, steam saw-mill, stave-factory, several small mechanic shops, and about 150 inhabitants.
The first settler upon its site was Jacob Clark. Warren Atwood, Esq., general merchant and postmaster, opened a store here about 1863. Dr. W. A. Calkins, a well-known physician of the township, began to practice at about the same time.
SCHOOLS.
In 1840, when Woodbridge included the present towns of Woodbridge, Cambria, and part of Amboy, the board of school inspectors met and organized (by describing certain boundary-lines) 11 school districts. But little was done, however, to further the advancement of education until 1843, when the first school-house, a log one, was erected one-half mile west of the southeast corner of section 5. May 4, 1844, the board of school inspectors met, and or- ganized by electing Isaac P. Hoag chairman. They then proceeded to examine Jane M. Barclay, " who offered herself as a school-teacher. Finding that she possessed the neces- sary qualifications to teach a primary school, a certificate was granted her."
From a report made Nov. 1, 1844, we find that the total amount of money to be apportioned for school purposes was $19.98, which was divided as follows: To District No. 1, 18 scholars, $8.39; to District No. 2, 24 scholars, $11.59. Total, $19.98.
Lucinda D. Lockwood and Emily Fish were granted cer- tificates as teachers April 12, 1845.
The total amount of school moneys on hand for the year ending Nov. 1, 1846, was $50, which was apportioned as follows : To District No. 1, 23 scholars, $19.49 ; to District No. 2, 22 scholars, $1864 ; to District No. 7, 14 scholars, $11.86.
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
The Methodists were the first to form a religious society, which they did as early as 1842. They usually met at the house of Silas P. Thomas, and were visited by Elders Scott, Jones, Jackson, and other circuit preachers, who held meetings once in two weeks. Among those who were connected with this organization were Chester Stoddard and wife, Jacob Sumner and wife, Urias Hoyt and wife, and Mrs. Harvey Fish. The society was long since dis- banded, and no organization of this denomination exists in the township at the present writing.
THE UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH OF WOODBRIDGE.
This society was organized at the Johnson school-house, by Rev. John N. Martin, Jan. 29, 1853. The original members were 13 in number, as follows: Joseph Divine,
378
9
733
"
sheep,
334
HISTORY OF HILLSDALE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
William Divine, Dorothy Divine, Jerusha Divine, Esther Divine, Parmelia Divine, George Divine, Almeda Divine, Sarah Divine, A. S. Divine, Betsey Stevens, Hannah Avery, and Elmira Williams. A house of worship was erected in 1861, costing $1500, and will seat about 250 persons. Among the pastors of this church who have succeeded Mr. Martin may be mentioned Revs. Myron Wheeler, D. Holmes, B. Baldwin, W. O. Dinnis, J. W. Rhoades, Asa A. Millard, Miller, W. H. Clay, and Aaron B. Lilley, the present pastor. Present membership, 18.
THE FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH OF WOODBRIDGE.
This society was organized at the school-house in District No. 3, by Elder L. S. Parmelee, March 17, 1860.
The constituent members were Franklin Southworth, O. H. Avery, D. D. Divine, E. Van Vlack, L. Chase, Henry Frost, William Gillis, Warren Stevens, Elmira Williams, Lydia Weston, Esther Divine, Mary Southworth, Hannah Avery, Permilla Divine, Sarah Van Vlack, Mary Chase, Caroline Frost, Jane Gilles, Sarah Divine, Julia Hall, Lu- cretia Vickers, Elizabeth Weston, Lydia Fish, Eveline Williams, Mary A. Williams, Nancy Murray, Emeline Marsh, Harriet Drake, Robert Taylor, A. E. Griffith, Jane Y. Griffith, Emrancy Cox, William Weston, Philomela Gilles, Horatio Cone, Alice Cone, and Perces Rogers. A church edifice was commenced in 1867, and completed two years later. It cost $1500, and has sittings for 250 persons.
Elder Parmelee remained with the society as its pastor for several years. Since his departure they have had no settled pastor. Present membership, 10.
THE METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH OF EAST WOOD- BRIDGE.
A class of this denomination was formed at the school- house in District No. 1 about 1850. Among the first mem- bers were Chauncey Ashley, Betsey Ashley, Palmer Carey, David Fuller, Olive Fuller, Daniel Bailey, Ruth Bailey, Franklin Fuller, Lovina Fuller, Ransom Scovill, Adelaide Scovill, William Saxton, Frank Nevins, and Jane Rath- bone.
A church edifice was commenced about 1866, and com- pleted some six or seven years later. It has sittings for 200 people. Present membership, 35. Rev. Mr. Stockwell, pastor.
CEMETERIES.
In 1844 the town board was constituted a board of health, and $25 was voted to purchase a burying-ground and to fence the same. The supervisor was authorized to select a plot of ground suitable for the purpose. The plot selected is situated near the southeast corner of section 10. Other grounds have since been laid out for burial purposes on sections 5 and 20. These grounds are all under the control of the town board, and all necessary expenditures for repairs, fencing, etc., are paid by the township.
Our thanks are due to Cyrus Patterson, John W. John- son, John Bryan, Lemuel Blount, Patrick McCartney, George Divine, Robert W. Clark, Daniel Saxton, David Fuller, Franklin Southworth, John E. Hueston, township clerk, and many others, who have rendered us valuable assistance by the information imparted concerning the history of Woodbridge township.
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