History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 127

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 772

USA > Michigan > Eaton County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 127
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 127

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

TOWNSHIP CLERKS.

1844, Henry A. Moyer ; 1845, Jobn Ewing ; 1846-49, Henry A. Moyer ; 1850-51, S. W. Moyer; 1852, N. F. Rice ; 1853, Carlos Spalding ; 1854, T. Austin ; 1855-56, Jobn Vanhouten; 1857-58, S. W. Moyer ; 1859-60, Jacob S. Davis; 1861-63, W. I. Moyer ; 1864-68, T. F. Moulton ; 1869-70, O. S. Barnes ; 1871, N. F. Rice; 1872- 73, J. S. Davis ; 1874, William H. Darken; 1875-77, Alex. L. Parker; 1878-79, C. T. Andrews.

TREASURERS.

1844-45, Henry H. Boyer; 1846-50, John W. McCargar; 1851-52, John Vanhouten; 1853, Andrew Nickle; 1854-55, Timothy Boyer; 1856-60, Truman Austin ; 1861-62, S. Peabody ; 1863, J. S. Davis; 1864-68, T. Austin ; 1869-70, T. F. Moulton ; 1871-72, John B. Nickle ; 1873, Cleon Moyer; 1874-75, Dwight Stevens; 1876-77, J. B. Nickle; 1878-79, William C. Howell.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

1844, Benjamin F. Garfield; 1845, John Dow; 1846, Henry H. Boyer; 1847, Lemuel Cole, Orrin Rowland ; 1848, J. Huffman ; 1849, John Dow; 1850, Peter Moore; 1851, Jay Curtis, W. Miner; 1852, S. D. Farrand, H. A. Moyer; 1853, S. Cramer, M. Andrews; 1854, Nathan Croff; 1855, Aaron Bark, S. D. Farrand ; 1856, R. Lyon, G. S. Allen; 1857, N. F. Kice, M. H. Baker; 1858, D. O. Carr, D. Figg ; 1859, A. Bark, M. H. Baker; 1860, J. S. Hazleton, S. Peahody ; 1861, J. S. Davis, A. Preston, G. S. Allen; 1862, N. B. Riee; 1863, Aaron Bark ; 1864, J. Jacobs ; 1865, E. Davis, C. Spalding, O. S. Barnes ; 1866, O. S. Barnes, I. E. Figg; 1867, J. J. Wolcott; 1868, A. Preston; 1869, C. Spalding; 1870, O. S. Barnes, W. H. Darken ; 1871, V. E. Davis; 1872, A. Preston ;

1873, William H. Darken ; 1874, O. S. Barnes ; 1875, Nathaniel Sowles; 1876, A. Preston; 1877, Samuel W. Griswold; 1878, William H. Darken; 1879, Alex. L. Parker.

1880 .- Supervisor, Theron E. Meyer; Township Clerk, William C. llowell ; Treasurer, Oliver Halladay ; Justice of the Peace, Roswell Maxson ; School Superintendent, Alexander L. Par- ker; School Inspector, J. S. Davis; Commissioner of High- ways, William Strech; Drain Commissioner, Truman Aus- tin; Constables, George Van Nortwick, Henry Vanness, Samuel Fisher, Israel Newman.

HOYTVILLE

is a settlement a mile north of the centre of the township, containing two stores, owned by Hoyt & Watson and Halla- day & Brown, a saw-mill, a blacksmith-shop, two millinery- shops, and a steam-machinery repair-shop.

Dr. Henry A. Iloyt, a native of New Haven, Conn., for whom the place is named, opened a store here in 1869. Nicholas Dosh had previously kept one for sixteen months, and Mrs. Cole had for about the same time been in the groeery and millinery trade. Another man had kept a store a number of years previously, in the house now occupied by Dr. Hoyt.

A saw-mill was moved here from the Centre about the Ist of January, 1872, through the instrumentality of Dr. Hoyt, by M. D. Halladay. He had intended to build at the Centre, but was induced to change its location to the doctor's farm. Mr. Halladay is now in California. He is a brother to the well-known windmill manufacturer of Batavia, Kane Co , Ill.

Gardner S. Allen was the first postmaster at the place, the office being known by the name of Centre. Allen was a Democrat, and during the war was relieved of the office, which was removed to the Centre, a mile south, and Mr. Quackenboss was appointed postmaster. His successors were Thomas F. Moulton and Jacob S. Davis. In April, 1876, the office was removed to Hoytville, to which its name was changed, and Dr. Henry A. Hoyt appointed postmaster, which position he now holds. The business of the office is about ten times greater than in 1875.

The saw-mill now at the village is owned by Hollenbeck & Crane, who built it, the old one having been destroyed by fire. Lewis Thomas is proprietor of the machine-shop. The population of the place, within a radius of half a mile, in July, 1880, was ninety-five. A village plat is soon to be laid out and the future of the village is full of promise. A hotel is kept by Mr. Hollenbeck, one of the proprietors of the saw-mill.

SOCIETIES AND ORDERS.

Roxand Grange, No. 315, P. of H., was organized about 1875. The first Master was Alexander L. Parker. The present hall was built in the summer of 1879. The mem- bership of the grange, in July, 1880, was in the neighbor- hood of seventy, and the following were the officers: Wil- liam C. Howell, Master; Alonzo Albro, Overseer ; Perry Trim, Sec. ; John Nickle, Treas. ; A. L. Parker, Lecturer ; Delos Reed, Steward; Charles Webster, Assistant Steward ; Mrs. W. C. Howell, Ceres ; Mrs. A. Albro, Pomona ; Mrs. Simeon Hart, Flora.

Roxand Lodge, No. 285, I. O. O. F., was instituted Sept. 7, 1876, with sixteen members. Irving Bayard was

# Resigned, and John Dow appointed.

508

HISTORY OF EATON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

the first Noble Grand and Dr. Henry A. Hoyt, Vice-Grand. The latter was afterwards elected to the position of Noble Grand. Until July, 1880, the lodge met in the hall over Hoyt & Wasson's store, but in that month changed its place of meeting to the Grange Hall. Its membership, July 14, 1880, was fifty-four. The lodge is in a flourishing condi- tion, and is officered as follows : Ferdinand Whelpley, Noble Grand ; Horatio Hovey, Vice-Grand ; A. H. Savage, Sec .; A. Nichols, Perm. See. ; S. Peabody, Treas.

BAND.

The band at Hoytville was organized in 1879, and eon- sidering the time it has been in training has made eredit- able progress. It consists of thirteen pieces ; Charles Cry- derman, leader.

SCHOOLS.

In the winter of 1841 a log school-house was built on the south line of the township, at Moyer's Corners, and a

school taught in it by Mrs. Betsey Skinner, wife of Rev. Perry Z. Skinner, a Free-Will Baptist minister. This was one of the first schools in the township, and if any were earlier they were in the northwest part of the town. In the winter of 1842-43, Albemarle Williams taught in the same building. This was in what is now known as dis- triet number 9.

The following items are from the report of the township School inspectors for the year ending September, 1879 :

Number of districts in township (seven whole, two fractional). 9 Number of school-children in township ... 416

in attendance for year. 392

of days school taught. 1348

€6 of school-houses (eight frame, one log) ... 9

of seatings in same. 505

$4010

Value of school property ..

Number of teachers employed (seven males, four- leen females) 21

Wages paid same (males, $755.77; females, $411.50)

$1167.27 1898.21

Total resources for year ..

Amount on hand Sept. 1, 1879. 519.97

Total expenditures less amount on hand. 1378.24

SUNFIELD.

NATURAL FEATURES. GEOGRAPHY, TOPOGRAPHY, ETC.

THE township of Sunfield lies in the north west corner of the county of Eaton, being bounded north and west re- spectively by the counties of Ionia and Barry, and east and south respectively by the townships of Roxand and Ver- montville. The boundary-lines of this township (town 4 north, range 6 west) were surveyed in 1825 by Lueius Lyon, and the subdivisions in 1827 by Orange Risdon.

The surface of this township is somewhat diversified. The greater portion of it is comparatively level, and was originally covered with a dense growth of heavy timber. In some localities the surface is rolling and broken in places by low hills and swamps. In the western portion is a lake of considerable size, known as " Sawba Lake," named from an Indian chief, who was well known to the early settlers, and whose band eneamped upon its shores. There is Do considerable stream in the township. The soil is generally very fertile, and fine erops of grain and fruit are raised. The improvements of the township are mostly of a good degree of excellence, and the inhabitants are generally pros- perous.

LAND ENTRIES.

The following is a list of the entries of land in what is now Sunfield township (town 4 north, range 6 west), as given in the tract-book for the county of Eaton :

Section 1 .- 1836, T. Osborn, - Wadsworth, J. Doty, S. Wilmot, J. T. Stone.

Sertion 2 .- 1836, - Wadsworth; 1837, E. J. l'caniman ; 1851, Win. Casey ; 1852, 11. I. Lawrence.

Section 3 .- 1836, B. Humphrey; 1837, E. J. Penniman; 1852, 11. I. Lawrence; 1851, H. II. Crapo ; 1855, John Wool.

Section 4 .- 1836, C. Scott; 1837, E. J. Peoniman; 1852, Horatio I. Lawrence; 1854, II. I. Crapo.

Section 5 .- 1836, J. R. Cady, L. S. Barker, T. Pardee; 1837, Josiah Wait; 1852. II. I. Lawrence.

Section 6 .- 1836, Jonathan Wheeler, G. R. Cady.

Section 7 .- 1836, J. N. Myers ; 1851, Henry Perky, John Newman ;

1852, 1I. Westfall, Jonas Ashley ; 1855, II. D. Nead ; 1867, Har- rison Nead.

Section 8 .- 1836, L. Cady, J. S. Wadsworth, J. Doty, II. G. Rice. Section 9 .- 1836, Leonard Root, D. C. Jones ; 1837, J. Ileag.

Section 10 .- 1836, W. Tillotson; 1851, Isaac George; 1852, H. I. Lawrence; 1854, II. Williams.

Section 11 .- 1836, James Wadsworth, C. Wehster; 1850, Olive Pool; 1854, W. Barnum.

Section 12 .- 1836, J. Doty, J. Webster, D. Dyer, J. F. Cooper.

Section 13 .- 1836, S. Thustin ; 1838, A. W. HIalhert; 1839, J. L. Smith ; 1840, D. Malin ; 1849, Samuel C. Harlan.

Section 14 .- 1836, T. Patterson, C. Webster ; 1837, E. J. Penniman ; 1853, L. Barnum ; no date, J. Blair.

Section 15 .- 1836, D. F. Dwight, M. P. Shumway, P. E. Shumway ; 1837, E. J. Penniman ; 1852, II. I. Lawrence.

Section 16 .- 1854, II. Evans; 1855, Martha Jacobs ; no date, James A. Ilunter.

Section 17 .- 1836, Jonathan Doty ; 1852, 1I. I. Lawrence.

Section 18 .- 1837, P. Fralick ; 1852, II. Westfall, J. Van Waggoner ; 1854, 11. Wilson, Jr.

Section 19 .- 1837, A. Wood, J. Taft, J. Qillett, Jr .; 1852, II. I. Law- rence, J. D. Bevier.

Section 20 .- 1836, William Chynowith ; 1837, R. R. Chappell, J. Wood; 1852, 1I. I. Lawrence; 1854, W. Ilayden.

Section 21 .- 1836, Peter Kinney, II. C. Traine, P. Kinney, Jr., M. P. Lampson.

Section 22 .- 1836, M. P. Lampson, B. Shumway, C. Osgood, 1852-54, II. I. Lawrence; 1868, Bowman M. Morrison.

Section 23 .- 1836, J. Aulls, P. Fish, T. Godfrey ; 1837, B. K. Norton, C. L. Harrison, T. Irish ; 1847, S. Palmer; 1851, P. Rice; 1853, B. F. Green, J. Dow ; 1858, II. Williams.

Section 24 .- 1836, A. D. Greenwell, D. Potts, Joseph Anlls; 1837, J. Jackson, G. 1I. Blumbey; 1844, James Young; 1848, C. Van- houten.

509

SUNFIELD.

Section 25 .- 1836, J. R. Williams, S. Goodwin, Z. Curtis, W. B. Lio- colu, S. Terpeuning.

Section 26 .- 1836, B. F. Smith, R. W. Craig, J. Fuller, Samuel S. Iloyt.

Section 27 .- 1836, W. S. Landon, E. O. Jennings, E. Wolverton ; 1837, E. J. Penniman ; 1848, M. A. Slocum; 1854, II. I. Law- rence; 1855, George 1. Smith; 1870, Thomas Hitt.

Section 28 .- 1836, E. Wolverton, Leonard Root, E. O. Jennings. Section 29 .- 1836, W. Chynowith, E. Wolverton ; 1837, II. Bishop, Robert Brown.

Section 30 .- 1836, M. P. Lampson, W. A. Mills, J. Wheeler ; 1837, II. Bishop, J. Wood ; 1850, Nathan O. Grant.

Section 31 .- 1836, W. A. Mills; 1837, L. Westfall, Daniel Hager ; 1847-52, J. H. Ilager.

Section 32 .- 1836, James S. Wadsworth, W. A. Mills.

Section 33 .- 1836, R. IIawks, J. Doty, W. Chynowith ; 1840, William A. Wells; 1851, O. M. Wells; 1853, G. A. Ilotchkiss.

Section 34 .- 1836, J. Carpenter ; 1837, B. Taft; 1840, A. Chatfield ; 1849, N. Wygent; 1851-54, A. Brown; 1854, W. II. Mitchell, A. D. Grinnell, B. Lake, L. Hall ; 1855, L. II. Moore, N. Riley ; 1864, Cordelia A. Spalding.

Section 35 .- 1836, J. Hutchinson, Samuel S. Hoyt, J. Carpenter, H. D. Brown ; 1837, B. Taft; 1840, Il. Sinclair, P. Smith; 1854, 11. Sinclair.

Section 36 .- 1836, Isaac Sherwood, W. Clark, C. M. Cakins, W. Brown, W. Tillotson, G. Henderson.

Many of the names in the foregoing list, as is the case in most of the other townships in the county, are those of non-residents, or " speculators," who purchased the lands only for purposes of gain, and never became actual settlers. The fact that the township was so heavily timbered made its settlement and improvement less rapid than that of others, within which were found large areas of prairie or "oak-openings."

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The first settler within the limits of what is now the township of Sunfield was Samuel S. Hoyt, who located in the summer or fall of 1836, having purchased land on sec- tions 26 and 35. Mr. Hoyt's daughter Elizabeth was the first white child born in the township, or of white parents residing in the township, as it is probable that Mrs. Hoyt "went to Vermontville for a short time, having no neighbors nearer. The first white male children were John Nead and John Wells, sons respectively of John Nead and William A. Wells. Mr. Hoyt remained in the township only until about 1843, when he returned to Saratoga Co., N. Y., from which he had come.

Mr. Hoyt was followed very soon after his arrival by Peter Kinne, who settled near the centre of the township, on section 21. His wife died late in the fall of that year (1836), hers being the first death in the township. Mr. Kinne kept house alone after the death of his wife, and about 1838 he, too, was called to the " land of the here- after," and laid down his life in the wilderness to which he had come with his wife so short a time before.

The third settler in the township was Abram Chatfield, from Montgomery Co., N. Y. He left the latter State, with his family, in 1835, and removed to Ohio, from whence, in August, 1836, he came to Michigan, and located in the county of Washtenaw. In February, 1837, having purchased forty acres of land of Samuel S. Hoyt, of Sun- field, he removed to this township, the farm he then settled being now the property of his son, David Chatfield. Mr. Chatfield moved into the township via Jackson, Mar-

shall, Bellevue, and Vermontville, and passed but one shanty between the latter two villages. That was unoc- cupied, and was known as the " Half-Way House." A daughter, now Mrs. William A. Wells, remained a year longer in Washtenaw County, and then joined the family in Sunfield. Mr. Chatfield died in 1864.

Edward O. Smith, from Saratoga Co., N. Y., came to Sunfield in May, 1838, with his wife and young son, James E. Smith, and located on the southeast part of section 34, opposite the present residence of his son. Mrs. Smith died on that farm in 1842, and Mr. Smith is now living in the town of Lyons, Ionia Co. He came to locate land in com- pany with S. S. Hoyt, and the two made their entries to- gether at Ionia. Mr. Hoyt's family was then in Washte- naw County, and he moved them to his place at once, while Mr. Smith did not settle until 1838, as stated.

In 1840, Mr. Smith moved to the Peter Kinne place, on seetion 21, on which were better improvements than his own, and allowed a man named Knapp to occupy the farm he had temporarily vacated until the latter could build for himself on land he had purchased across the line in Ver- montville. While residing on the Kinne farm, Mrs. Smith was one day very much frightened by seeing a band of 260 Pottawattomie Indians pass by, on their way to res- ervations beyond the Mississippi. Their dress was differ- ent from that of the Ottawas who resided in the neighbor- hood. The latter wore white blankets, while the Pottawat- tomies mostly had on red blankets and red leggins, fur- nished them by the British.

Avery Pool, Daniel Barnum, and the latter's sons, Dan- iel, Willis, Henry, and Lewis, were early settlers in the east part of the township. Mr. Pool was a son-in-law of Dan- iel Barnum, Sr., and it is thought arrived a short time before the others. Willis Barnum became a wealthy and prominent citizen ; he is now deceased, and the only one of the family living in the township is his youngest brother, Lewis.

Thomas Prindle, from Genesee Co., N. Y., removed to Michigan in the fall of 1837, and located at Mar- shall, Calhoun Co. In the fall of 1840, having pur- chased land the previous year in Sunfield, he came up and commeneed improving it, boarding through the winter with S. S. Hoyt. His land had been formerly owned by a man named Hutchins, from whom Mr. Prindle purchased. He says, " It took all the town to raise a shanty when I first came; they couldn't put up a decent log house to save their lives." In 1842, Mr. Prindle was married, and the next year he settled on his place, where he is still living. Hutchins, the previous owner of the place, owned considerable land in the township, but never made any im- provements. Ile was a noted hunter.

James Young, who moved into Sunfield about 1841, and located west of Mr. Prindle, had lived for some time in Vermontville, where he subsequently resided for a few years, finally, however, coming back to Sunfield, in the eastern part of which township he is now living.

In the fall of 1837, the population of the northwest portion of Eaton County was increased by the arrival of several families from Somerset Co., Pa. John Hager had been the first one of the number to come to the State, and

510

HISTORY OF EATON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

had located at Plymouth, Wayne Co. He afterwards re- moved to Vermontville township, Eaton Co., in which he died. His father, Daniel Hager, two other sons, Joseph and William, and a son-in-law, Joseph Cupp, came to the State in the spring of 1837. All remained at Plymouth during the summer, and in the fall the families, except that of Daniel Hlager, removed to Eaton County and lived through the winter in a small house in the township of Vermontville. Daniel Hager came on with his family in the spring of 1838. Joseph and William Hager settled the same season in Woodland, Barry Co., Daniel Hager and his son James in Vermontville, and Joseph Cupp and Samuel Hager in Sunfield,-all within a short distance of each other. Joseph Cupp located in the southwest corner of Sunfield, where his widow is now living. The latter, with her brothers, Samuel and Isane Hager, and one sister, are the only survivors of the family of Daniel Hager. Samuel Hager is at present residing in Missouri.

When these families first settled here they had no neighbors, and saw no other people than the Indians for two months or more. Mrs. Cupp was very much afraid of the red sons of the forest, who she says would come to the house when she was alone, wanting bread, ete., and would " give the Injin whoop and seare a body to death !" She had not forgotten the tales of Indian ontrages in her own State, and the horrors of Wyoming were fresh in her mind, rendering the very name Indian a synonym for all that was terrible. The Indians in this locality belonged to a band of " old chief Sawba," and were encamped on the shore of the lake which bears his name. They were no exception to the general rule among those of their color, and would frequently fill themselves with " fire-water," paint themselves in fantastie manner, and make a greater noise than a pack of yelling and hungry wolves on the trail of a wounded deer. Some liquor had been taken to their camp on one occasion, and as a consequence every one was soon drunk,-Sawba with the rest. Daniel Hager visited the camp at the time, and the chief, who was extremely ill-tempered when under the influence of stimulants, pro- ceeded to " whip him." He choked him and twisted him, in a fury of delight, until he was recognized by Sawba's squaw, who told the chief who he was, and he was im- mediately released, considerably worse for the treatment he had received.

Joseph Cupp was called by the chief "Cupp Haga." He was a devoted Christian, and Sawba, knowing this and wishing to ingratiate himself into his favor, came one day to the house, looking solemn as an owl, and, placing his hand over his heart and groaning and rolling his eyes in an agonizing manner, said, "Me feel plenty bad-me prayim much !" After frightening the wife of some pioncer nearly out of her senses by a sudden and unexpected sereech at her door and a demand for food-which was never refused -he would go away and relate his exploit in great glee, saying, " White squaw plenty 'fraid !" It was a source of amusement to him to witness the fright his visits generally caused.

The squaws made fine rush carpets, also moccasins, etc., which they found sale for among the settlers. Every spring the Indians would go to Shimuicon to plant corn.

They trapped much also, and Mrs. Cupp recollects that they had at one time two tame otters at their village, which were great curiosities to her.

The Hager boys were noted hunters, and killed many deer, with occasionally a bear or other fierce animal. When the families first arrived they were entirely out of meat and provisions, and for two days had nothing whatever to eat. The children eried for bread when there was none, and no flour to make it with, and it may be inferred that the ar- rival of James Hager, at the end of the two days, with a load of provisions, from Plymouth, was most joyfully welcomed. To get milling done it was necessary to go to Bellevue, about twenty miles away.

John Dow,* now living on section 24, in Sunfield, set- tled, with his wife and four children, on section 19, in the township of Roxand, opposite his present residence, being the first settler in the locality. In 1851 he moved across into Sunfield, where he has since resided. Mr. Dow is the veteran supervisor of Michigan, having held the position nearly the entire time since his settlement in the county.

From the records of the County Pioneer Society the fol- lowing facts regarding Sunfield have been gathered :

William A. Wells,t a native of Marcellus, Onondaga Co., N. Y., settled in Michigan in October, 1840, and in Sunfield township in January, 1841.

O. M. Wells, of the same nativity, settled in Subfield, May 24, 1842. He was a prominent citizen of the town- ship, being treasurer for many years. Is now living at Vermontvill e.

BISMARK POST-OFFICE

is located in the southwest part of the township, and was established about 1870-71, with J. H. Loomis as post- master. He died in office, and was succeeded by A. G. Jewell, now postmaster at Vermontville, to which he re- moved after resigning the position at Bismark. He ap- pointed as his assistant D. J. Loomis, who received the ap- pointment of postmaster some time after the removal of Mr. Jewell, and now holds the office.

Mr. Loomis' father, Silas P. Loomis, with his brother, J. H. Loomis, were from Oswego Co., N. Y., and located in the fall of 1853 on the farm now owned by the former's son, D. J. Loomis. George W. Andrews, who then lived on the opposite side of the road from them (south) in a new frame house which he had built that season, had been a resi- dent of the township since about 1841. The frame house was some distance east of the log house he had at first oceu- pied. Mr. Andrews was the first clerk and an early super- visor of the township. He is living a short distance north of the village of Vermontville, in the township of the same name.

SHAYTOWN POST-OFFICE,

located in the eastern part of the town, on the old Clinton road, was established in the spring of 1880, with A. C. Jarvis as postmaster.

* Mr. Dow is a native of Bridgewater, Somerset Co., N. J., and settled in Eaton County in October, 1837.

1 Mrs. William A. Wells is a daughter of Abram Chatfield, one of the earlier settlers of the township and a prominent citizen. He livod on soction 35, on the farin occupied by his son, David Chatfield.

511

SUNFIELD.

Shaytown is a small hamlet, containing a blacksmith- shop, a grocery, a physician, and a few dwellings.

The township of Sunfield is devoted exclusively to agri- culture, and its inhabitants are therefore a class of farmers, well-to-do and prosperous. Much of the original timber is yet standing, and by careful usage it will be many years before the want of it will be felt, even though a second growth should not spring up to take its place. The deer, wolves, bears, etc., which abounded so plentifully in the pioneer days in the almost trackless forest, have disap- peared, and the sport of the hunter is but tame compared with that of former years. Yet in the "north woods" of the State he can yet, if he choose, enjoy the chase as in days gone by nearer home.

RESIDENT TAXPAYERS IN 1844.

According to the assessment-roll for that year the follow- ing were the resident taxpayers in 1844 : Edward O. Smith, Clesson Smith, Squire N. Billings, O. M. Wells, Joseph Cupp, Josiah D. Wickham, Samuel Hager, William A. Wells, Abram Chatfield, Thomas Prindle, Avery Pool, Willis Barnum, Daniel Barnum, James Young, Cornelius Vanhouten, Samuel S. Hoyt, James R. Wells, G. W. Andrews, Hiram W. Green, Lewis Barnum, Lewis Bar- num, Jr., John Nead.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION .- LIST OF OFFICERS.

" Agreeable to an act of the Legislature of the State of Michigan passed Feb. 14, 1842, and approved Feb. 16, 1842, 'all that part of the county of Eaton designated by the United States survey as township No. 4 north, of range 6 west (now a part of the township of Vermont- ville), was organized into a separate township by the name of Sun- field ;' and the first township-meeting was ordered to be held at the house of Ezra E. Peck, in said township. The electors of the town- ship of Sunfield met on the 4th day of April, in the year of our Lord 1842, agreeable to previous notice, and organized said meet- ing by electing, viva voce, Edward O. Smith moderator for that day. George W. Andrews was then elected clerk ; Samuel S. Hoyt, John Nead, and James R. Wells were then elected to constitute the hoard of inspectors for that day. The moderator then administered the oath of office to said clerk, and the clerk then administered the oath of office to the moderator and inspectors, agreeable to law in such cases made and provided. It was then

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History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 127

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co. Number of Pages: 772

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 772