History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 52

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 52
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 52

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).

" Boot- and Shoe- Makers .- The first representative of this branch of industry who put in an appearance in Mason was a queer genius, nnmed Barney Moon. In 1840 he took up his quarters in a little wooden building, fourteen by eighteen feet, which stood just cast of Mr. Day's store. He is described by those who knew him as ruugh, uncouth, dirty, and heathenish. When talking, his sentences teemed with idiomatic blasphemy. Ife cooked, ate, slept, swore, got drunk, made boots and shoes, and tanned deer-skins in that one small shop, and his ability to mingle and make synchronous these several occupa- tions was sometimes wonderful to behold. Ile remained in Mason but a short time. The last seen of him was when Chauncey Osborne found him, one bitter cold night, lying across the track, in a state of

beastly intoxication, on the road between Williamston and IIowell. By this time he has doubtless gone in search of his fathers.

" In the fall of 1841, O. Griffin came to Mason with forty dollars' worth of leather, for which he hadt run in debt, and hegan work as'n shoe- maker. At the first, Judge Danforth nnd H. Il. Smith used to go . close to his shop and peep in to see whether he was civilized or not, but they did not dare to enter, fearing he was another Barney Moon. But his good qualities must soon have become apparent, for hy the first day of January, 1842, by borrowing three dollars of Jobn Ray- ner, he succeeded in doubling his money. In the following year, R. F. Griffin, son of 0. Griffin, came to Mason and assisted his father in his wurk. After them, Griffin & Son continued in the business four- teen years. In 1850 came J. L. Huntington and sons, and again, in 1858, G. W. Polar."*

SOCIETIES AND ORDERS.

Mason Lodge, No. 70, F. and A. M., was organized Jan. 31, 1854, with seven members, as follows, those in italics being now deceased :

William Woodhouse, O. M. Barnes, James W. Phelps, Joseph L. Huntington, James J. Jeffers, Jesse Searl, Peter Lowe.

The officers of the old lodge were William Woodhouse, W. M .; O. M. Barnes, S. W .; J. W. Phelps, J. W .; J. L. Iluntington, Treas .; Peter Lowe, See. Collins D. Huntington was the first person initiated into the lodge. Mason Lodge is the mother of four others, members from this having forined lodges at Leslie, Williamston, Dans- ville, and Stockbridge. Its present membership is 120, and its officers are J. Il. Sayers, W. M .; Henry MeNeil, S. W .; W. B. Iluntley, J. W .; S. P. Stroud, Treas. ; J. P. Smith, See .; Frank Stroud, S. D .; M. D. True, J. D. ; Edwin Terwilliger, Tiler.

Ingham Chapter, No. 51, R. A. M., was organized June 18, 1867, with John H. Sayers, H. P .; C. H. Darrow, K. ; and Alanson Allen, Scribe. The original members were F. S. Fitch, J. II. Sayers, Alanson Allen, M. MeRobert, N. Lewis, O. M. Barnes, George M. Huntington, A. L. Nichols, C. D. Huntington, Perry Henderson, J. L. Hunt- ington, C. II. Darrow, C. II. Sackrider, HI. L. Henderson, and N. A. Dunning. The chapter acted under dispensa- tion until January, 1868, when it received a charter and the number 51. Under the charter the first principal offi- cers were J. H. Sayers, H. P .; C. H. Darrow, K .; Alan- son Allen, Scribe ; M. McRobert, Treas. ; C. Il. Sackrider, See. The present membership is fifty, and the officers are Daniel Campbell, High Priest; John H. Sayers, King; George M. Huntington, Scribe; L. C. Webb, Captain of the Host; II. L. Henderson, Principal Sojourner; C. G. Huntington, Royal Arch Captain ; C. II. Darrow, Treas. ; A. B. Rose, Sec. ; C. M Marshall, Master 3d Veil ; George A. Miner, Master 2d Veil; C. D. Huntington, Master 1st Veil; E. Terwilliger, Sentinel.

Vevay Lodge, No. 93, I. O. O. F., was instituted Dee. 14, 1865, with about eighteen members. Its first Noble Grand was J. Shelt. The membership of the lodge, Sept. 6, 1880, was forty-nine, and the officers were : J. Beech, Noble Grand; A. Ellsworth, Viee-Grand; S. Edwards, Sec .; C. M. Rhodes, Per. Sec .; E. A. Barnes, Treas.

Mason Encampment No. 65, I. O. O. F., was instituted in 1875, with about sixteen members, and Jesse Beech as

# Froin articlo in Inghom County News, 1875.

211

CITY OF MASON.

Chief Patriarch. The encampment is not at present in a flourishing condition, and has done but little work during the year 1880. It has about twenty-five members, and the following officers : E. A. Barnes, Chief Patriarch ; D. E. E. Hall, High Priest ; J. C. Cannon, Senior Warden ; C. M. Rhodes, Junior Warden ; H. Whiteley, Scribe; Jesse Beech, Treas.

Arcudian Lodge, No. 661, Knights of Honor, has been organized several years, and has a present membership of about thirty-five, with the following officers : A. B. Haynes, Dictator ; C. W. Van Slyke, Past Dietator; W. M. Cline, Vice-Dictator; G. M. Wood, Assistant-Dietator ; James E. Coy, Treas. and Financial Reporter ; George Earl, Guardian ; Joseph Presley, Guide; Chaplain (position vacant).

MASON LIGHT GUARDS.

A meeting for the purpose of organizing a military com- pany was held at the court-house in Mason, May 13, 1876, when the following resolution, offered by John C. Squiers, was unanimously adopted :

" Resolved, That we hereby organize ourselves into an Independent Military Company, to be mustered into the State service as soon as the Governor will accept the same."

The names signed to the roll numbered forty-eight, and the organization was perfected the same evening. May 20th the following civil officers were elected: John H. Sayers, President; Lewis C. Webb, Treas .; John C. Squiers, Sec. The military officers, clected the same evening, were the following : Alonzo Cheney, Captain ; An- drew J. Bartlett, First Lieutenant ; Lewis A. IIolden, Second Lieutenant ; Charles A. Perry, First Sergeant ; Andrew Farren, Second Sergeant ; James A. Templer, Third Sergeant; Solon D. Neeley, Fourth Sergeant ; George Story, Fifth Sergeant; Theodore Stratton, First Corporal ; Andrew Mehan, Second Corporal; George De Pew, Third Corporal ; Jacob P. Faurat, Fourth Corporal ; Frank Gardner, Fifth Corporal ; Julius Crittenden, Sixth Corporal ; William Shaw, Seventh Corporal ; Joel E. Rix, Eighth Corporal.

The company was disbanded as an independent company Jan. 20, 1877, but on the 8th of May, in the same year, pursuant to an act of the Legislature authorizing the raising of a company in the place, it was reorganized, and enlisted in the State service May 15, 1877. Alonzo Cheney was elected Captain ; J. C. Squiers, First Lieutenant ; and L. A. Holden, Second Lieutenant. The company received the letter " K," and was assigned to the First Regiment, Mich- igan State Troops, of which organization it is now a part. It is fully equipped, and armed with the State weapon, the Sharps military rifle. The armory for some time has been in the hall over M. W. Tanner's store, but will be trans- ferred to the new opera-house upon its completion. The present membership is seventy-eight, and the officers are : Alonzo Cheney, Captain ; A. W. Mehan, First Lieutenant ; M. J. Christian, Second Lieutenant ; Sergeants, 1st to 5th, respectively, Charles A. Perry, H. McNeil, F. Stanton, F. S. Stroud, C. Shafer ; Quartermaster Sergeant, J. C. Squiers ; Corporals, Ist to 8th, respectively, Jay Morrill, George Swiggett, Frank Gardner, C. Stroud, James Morey, E. P. Rowe, H. Whiteley, Frank Heacock.

The company is well drilled, and is one of the largest in the State service. Several of its members saw actual service during the war of the Rebellion.

BAND.

The present Mason City Band was organized in 1878, and in 1879 was incorporated under the State law. The instruments, of the style known as " helicon," are those in use at the organization, and number fifteen. The band is very neatly uniformed, in military style. For a considerable number of years a band had existed in Mason, but none so complete in its workings as the present one. The officers of the association are : James Van Camp, President; Charles Sanderson, Vice-President ; Albert Rose, Secretary ; A. Mehan, Treasurer ; E. F. Mecch, Leader.

OPERA-HOUSE.

A fine briek opera-house is being erected the present season (fall of 1880) by the Messrs. Rayner, and when completed will add one more to the already large number of fine structures in the place. Its location is eentral, and the public spirit of its builders will cause, in its ereetion, another thrill of pleasure in the hearts of the inhabitants of the place. Its cost will be about $10,000.

SCHOOLS.

The first school-house in Mason was built in the spring of 1837, and Miss Lucy taught the first sehool that sum- mer, for which she received oue dollar per week, her pupils numbering eight. Mrs. George W. Shafer recollects that when she and her brother, Wright Horton, came here in the fall of 1838, a frame school-house was standing, painted white, and the school was taught the following winter by Mary Ann Rolfe, afterwards the wife of Zaccheus Barnes. This house stood originally opposite the house now oeeupied by Mrs. A. E. Steele, but has been removed and is now used as a dwelling by Mr. Vandercook.

In 1864-65 the matter of choosing a site and building a new school-house was discussed in the district (No. 1 of Vevay), and the sum of $600 was voted to purehase a site for a-new building. This money was afterwards, Octo- ber, 1865, voted to be used in building an addition to the old school-house, and was thus expended. The building then in use was a frame structure, which is now standing northeast of the jail. Through the energy of C. D. Hunt- ington and two others, a project for building a new and larger school-house was finally put to a vote and passed in the affirmative, the Union school being organized at about the same time. Sept. 21, 1868, it was voted to raise $15,000 for the purpose of building, the proposition being carried by a vote of fifty-three to seventeen. The site chosen included the north half of lots 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, in block 23, with the alley adjoining said lots, and one rod in width off the south end of lots 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1, and the west half of lot 1 in the same block (23), also lot " A" and that part of " A" Street south of the south line of Oak Street, and all of lot " E" except the south four rods. The contract for building was let to John E. Spencer and D. D. Hoag, and the house was erected in 1869-70. It is three stories high, constructed of brick, and is an im-

212

HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

posing cdifice. The old school-house was sold to Dr. MeRobert for $300. The several departments in the school are: First and Second Primary; First and Second Intermediate ; Grammar and lligh School. The present school board consists of the following persons : J. C. Can- non, Moderator; Milton Ryan, Director; George W. Bristol, Assessor ; Theron Van Ostrand, H. L. Henderson, N. A. Dunning.

From the school inspector's report for the year ending Sept. 1, 1879, are taken the following items :

Number school-children in district

535

.4 attending during year. 427

days school taught.

196

seatings iu school-house

400

Value of school property ..

$20.000

Number Teachers employed (one male, seven le- males)

Wages paid same (male, $1000; females, $2410) .. $3410.00

Expenditures for year ..

4902.75

Ameunt on hand Sepi. t, 1879 ..

155.83

RELIGIOUS.

Methodist Episcopal Church .- Methodism in Mason dates back to the fall of 1839,* wheu a regular appoint- ment was taken up and the first Methodist sermon was preached by a Brother Jackson, in the old school-house. The village then consisted of but five families (so says the record ), and was the extreme west of what was known as the " Dexter Mission." A small class was organized in 1843-44, either by Rev. W. E. Bigelow or Rev. D. Thomas. The members numbered eight, and R. Scarrett was ap- pointed leader. In 1853 it was reorganized, with seven members. From 1839 to 1853 the following ministers officiated (perhaps not in the order here given) : Revs. - Jackson, I. Bennett, E. D. Young, W. E. Bigelow, D. Thomas, T. Wakelin, W. Fox, S. Bessey, 1. Donelson, J. S. Smart, A. Allen, - Glass, D. Curtis, S. Calkins. Beginning with 1853, the following were the pastors to 1867: 1853, E. R. Hascall and E. Brockway ; 1854, T. Lyon and J. W. Kellogg; 1855, E. Klump; 1856-57, A. L. Crittenden ; 1858-59, Nathan Mount; 1860, H. P. Barker; 1861-62, O. F. Chase; 1863, H. C. Peck; 1864 -65, I. N. Tomes ; 1866, F. Glass ; 1867, L. M. Edmonds.

A parsonage was built in 1845, during the pastorate of Rev. T. Wakelin. It stood on Oak Street, near the present site of the church. It was sold in 1864 to Nancy Mc- Robert, and a new parsonage built on the same street near East Street. In 1865 a barn was built at the parsonage.

The old " Ingham Circuit" had its headquarters at Mason from 1845 to 1855, when Mason Circuit was formed. Ingham Circuit included Mason, Leslie, Okemos, Dansville, and perhaps Unadilla. Mason Circuit, as estab- lished, included Mason, Leslie, and Okcmos. In Septem- ber, 1857, Okemos Circuit was formed, and in September, 1867, Leslie Circuit was set off, with a class of forty mem- bers, B. Mills being the first pastor of the latter, and preach- ing once in two weeks. This left two appointments in Mason Circuit,-viz., Mason and Dubois' Class in Alaiedon, which latter was organized about 1840, and was afterwards connected with Dansville. The Methodists built their first

house of worship at Mason in 1854-55. It was a wooden structure thirty by fifty feet, stood on the site of the present church, fronted south, and cost $2000, over half of which sum was raised by Dr. McRobert and Mr. Page. This church was struck by lightning and destroyed on the evening of July 4, 1865. The corner-stone of the present fine brick church was laid with Masonic ceremonies in April, 1867, by Rev. A. P. Mead, of Jackson. The basement was completed and dedicated March 1, 1868, by Rev. M. A. Dougherty, assisted by Rev. II. F. Spencer. Much credit is due Dr. W. W. Root for pushing this enterprise. The present value of the church property, including the parsonage, is estimated at $9000. The pastors since Rev. Mr. Edmonds have been the following : Revs. William M. Coplin, 1869-70; R. Pengeley, 1871-72; William Rice, 1873; F. B. Bangs, 1874-75 ; A. A. Knappen, 1876-77 ; W. Reiley, 1878-79 ; George D. Lee, September, 1879, to April, 1880 ; O. D. Watkins, April to September, 1880; and the present pastor, Rev. W. Doust, late of Charlotte, Eaton Co., appointed to this place in September, 1880.

The membership of the church in the last-named month was 216. The Sunday-school has an attendance of 125, with Charles Van Slyke as superintendent. A class was organized in the Webb neighborhood, in Aurelius, in 1873 (?), by Rev. William Rice, and has about forty-five mem- bers. It has built a frame church during the present season (1880), and is in charge of the pastor at Mason.

Baptist Church .- The Raptist Church at Mason was organized in 1839, with the following members, six in num- ber,-viz., Wright Horton and Eliza Ann, his wife; Miss Yost, afterwards Mrs. Charles Gray ; Mrs. Dunn and her sou Samuel, and Mrs. G. W. Shafer. Of these the latter is the only one now living. The church was organized by Elder David Hendee, of Jackson County, a pioneer minis- ter and a prominent organizer. The first meetings were held in the old school-house. Among the early pastors were Revs. E. K. Grout, of Leslie ; - Rumery, Hiram Ful- ler (who stayed eight years), another man named Hendce, who died and was buried here; Wilder, Putnam, Robert- son, P. P. Farnam (now of St. Louis, Gratiot Co.), De Land, L. E. Spafford, and the present pastor, Rev. Daniel Baldwin. Meetings were held for some time in the Meth- odist church, which was really built for a Union edifice, but was dedicated by the Methodists. Before that church was burned the place of meeting was changed to the court- house, and in 1865 the present frame Baptist church was built, being dedicated in November of that year. 1ts origi- nal cost was about $2000, which has since been greatly in- crcased by outlays for needed repairs. The church is now free from debt, and has a membership of about 200. The Sunday-school has an attendanec of 150; L. A. Snell, su- perintendent.

Presbyterian Church .- From the manual of this church for 1873 are taken the following historical items :

" The Presbyterian Church was organized Jan. 15, 1859, by a committee from Marshall Presbytery, and consisted of seven persons,-viz., Iluram Bristol, Nancy Bristol, Allen Rowe, Elizabeth Rowe, Sally Ann Rowe, Mary F. A. Rhea, and Amanda Barnes. For several months Rev. Henry Root, of Bunker Hill, ministered to the church. The

" This date should possibly be 1837. The members of this first class were Juab Page, Abigail Page, Whitney Smith, Cornelia Smith, Orcelia Peare, Emeline Lowe, Nancy Meltobert, Zeruah Osborn.

213

ALAIEDON.

membership increased to eleven. Feb. 12, 1860, Rev. IIosea Kittredge began his labors as minister of this church. IJe resigned Jan. 15, 1867. At this time the membership had increased to forty-six. The pulpit was vacant until July 7, 1868, when Rev. George Barlow entered upon his duties. During the fall and winter a house of worship was built."

Mr. Barlow closed his labors here in the fall of 1879, and was succeeded on the 1st of December, in the same year, by the present pastor, Rev. Evert Vander Hart. The membership of this church, Sept. 7, 1880, was about 225. The Sunday-school has an average attendance of about 175; its superintendent is S. II. Beecher. Before its house of worship was built (1868) this church held its meetings in the court-house.

CEMETERY.

The old part of the present cemetery, containing about one and a half acres, was leased by the board of health of the township of Vevay, Sept. 19, 1844, from Charles Noble, John B. and Samuel Skinner, and E. B. Danforth, for the term of 300 years. This part is nearly filled with graves. The cemetery, as a whole, now contains about thirteen acres, several additions having been made to the original. It was platted by I. B. Woodhouse, and is laid out in a very tasteful manner. The sexton is S. P. Stroud, who came to Mason in 1855. The cemetery belongs to the city, having been purchased from the township of Vevay, and is managed by a board of trustees, consisting of George M. Huntington, I. B. Woodhouse, and S. A. Paddock.

ALAIEDON .*

NATURAL FEATURES. GEOGRAPHY, TOPOGRAPHY, ETC.

THE township of Alaiedon, including congressional towp No. 3 north, in range 1 west, lies near the centre of Ing- ham County, and is bounded north by Meridian, east by Wheatfield, south by Vevay, and west by Delhi. The castern boundary of the township was surveyed in 1824 by Joseph Wampler, the north and west boundaries in 1825 by Lucius Lyon, and the south boundary in 1825 by John Mullett. In 1827 the town was subdivided by Musgrove Evans.

The principal streams in the township are Mud and Syca- more Creeks, the former entering on section 34 and the latter on section 32, and the two uniting on section 19. The name "Sycamore Creek" is retained by the stream thus formed, which finally enters the Cedar River in the southeast part of the city of Lansing. ' Dobie Lake, on sec- tions 10 and 11, is a sheet of water covering, according to the map, about thirty-five acres, and draining northeast. Herron Creek takes its rise in the northwest part of the town and flows northerly. A large portion of the town- ship is level or gently undulating, while in some localities the surface becomes more broken. It is generally well improved.

LAND ENTRIES.

The following is a list of land entries in town 3 north, range 1 west, now Alaiedon, as shown in the tract-book on file at the office of the county register :

Section 1 .- James Crane, July 11, 1836 ; Ira R. Grosvenor, Oct. 1, 1836; Nathaniel Bullock, Nov. 1, 1836; Daniel Graves, Dec. 10, 1836.

Section 2 .- James Wheeler, Sept. 22, 1836; W. H. Church and H. W. Dimond, Nov. 1, 1836; Owen Kelley, June 23, 1839; Daniel Stillman, Riley Stillman, March 9, 1844; Lewis R. Perkins, Nov. 14, 1844.

Section 3 .- William C. Leeke, April 22, 1837; Marsball Smead, April 25, 1837 ; Daniel Crandall, June 7, 1838 ; Daniel Stillman, April 17, 1839, April 11, 1840, Feb. 24, 1845; O. B. Stillman, Oct. 7, 1848.

Section 4 .- Warren Fay, Samuel Starr, Marshall Smead, April 25, 1837; Oliver E. Hastings, May 4, 1837.

Section 5 .- P. Robinson and J. S. Ilolden, Jan. 14, 1837; Samuel Hopkins, Dec. 13, 1836; Horatio G. Proctor, 1847 ; Horace H. Proctor, Seth M. Root, no dates.

Section 6 .- Samuel Hopkins, Nov. 1, 1836 ; David Felton, 1847 ; Joel Smith, Aug. 12, 1848; William Filkins, William S. Card, no dates. Section 7 .- Daniel Cook, Sept. 27, 1836; Furman G. Rose, Francis Foster, Benjamin B. Kercheval, Dec. 10, 1836; Silas ('. llerring, Jan. 16, 1837.

Section S .- Abner Bartlett, Dec. 10, 1836; Thomas Addison, Ansel Ford, Jr., Maria Irwin, Lucius Warner, Dec. 12, 1836; E. Crit- tenden, F. Foster, Dec. 13, 1836.

Section 9 .- Seth M. Root, Nov. 2, 1836 ; Josiah Sabin, Dec. 12, 1836; Marshall Sinead, April 25, 1837.

Section 10 .- William Rathbun, Nov. 2, 1836; William C. Leeke, April 22 and July 15, 1837; Daniel Crandall, June 7, 1838; Hiram Reynolds, Nov. lã, 1838; Alexander Dobie, Feb. 9, 1849.

Section 11 .- W. Manchester and H. B. Dearth, Nov. 1, 1836.

Section 12 .- Ira R. Grosvenor, Oct. 1, 1836; J. J. Wolf, J. Winthrop, and Thomas Vernon, Nov. 1, 1836; W. Manchester and H. B. Dearth, Nov. 1, 1836 ; Daniel Graves, Dec. 10, 1836.

Section 13 .- Andrew J. Cooper, Jan. 25, 1837; Isaac Beers, Feb. 15, 1837; William Busenback, June 27, 1839; John Asseltine, no date.

Section 14 .- Daniel Graves, Dec. 10, 1836; Isaac L. Finch, Jan. 25, 1837.

Section 15 .- Cornberry Tillow, Nov. 2, 1836; Mary McFall, April 29, 1837; Nathan Davidsun, Jan. 15, 1838.

Section 16 .- School land.

Section 17 .- Nathan Blain, Lester Babcock, Lutber Babcock, Lucius Warren, no dates.

Section 18 .- Daniel Goodwin, Feb. 19, 1836; D. M. Hard and D. Peck, Sept. 21, 1836; Ansel Ford, Jr., Dec. 12 and 13, 1836.

Section 19 .- Hard and Peck, Sept. 21, 1836 ; Joel B. Strickland, Dcc. 10, 1836; G. L. Lewis, Jan. 16, 1837.

Section 20 .- Joel Moore, Henry Shafer, July 24, 1836; John Stolp, Dec. 12, 1836; John Strickland, Dec. 10, 1836.

Section 21 .- Amasa B. Gibson, Sept. 21, 1836; James McFetridge, Tobias Holden, Nov. 2, 1836; William A. Ketcham, Nov. 10, 1837; Ilorace Havens, June 7, 1838; Richard Rayner, June 6, 1839.

* By Pliny A. Durant.

214

HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

Section 22 .- Amasa B. Gibson, Sept. 21, 1836; Tobias Holden, Nov.

2, 1836; Abner Bartlett, Dec. 10, 1836 ; William Busenback, June 27, 1839; Martin Thomas, Aug. 24, 1839.

Section 23 .- Isaac Beers, Feb. 15, 1837.

Section 24 .- Matthew C. Dubois, Nov. 1, 1836; Samuel B. Douglass, Oct. 21, 1840.

Section 25 .- Martin Dubois, John Dubois, Nov. 1, 1836; John Ray- ner, June 6, 1839; Lewis Kent, Aug. 31, 1841; Elisha L. Taylor, no date.

Section 26 .- Sylvanus P. Jermain, Feb. 28, 1$36; D. Colcinan and George B. Cooper, Feb. 11, 1836.

Section 27 .- Peter Linderman, llannah Sabin, Dec. 12, 1836; Silas C. IIerring, Jan. 16, 1837 ; Henry llunt, July 10, 1837; John Rayner, July 15, 183S.

Section 28 -Egbert W. Pattison, John W. Woodruff, Adam A. Over- acker, July 14, 1836 ; Hannah Sabin, Dec. 10, 1836.

Section 29 .- Josiah Sabin, entire section, July 14, 1836.

Section 30 .- James Phillips, William Birge, Silas J. Doty, Nov. 1,

1836; Silas C. Herring, Jan. 16, 1837 ; John H. Child, May IS, 1837.

Section 31 .- Clark Donner, John L. Edmunds, Jr., James Phillips, Nov. 1, 1836; Ann Ford, Jan. 21, 1837.

Section 32 .- Jesse Cole, Sept. 21, 1836 ; Harrison W. Smith, John L. Edwards, Jr., Nov. 1, 1836 : Silas C. Herring, Jan. 16, 1837.

Section 33 .- Henry Shafer, Peter Linderinan, Josialı Sabin, July 14, 1836.

Section 34 .- William O. Conner, July 14, 1836; Silas C. Hierring, Jan. 16, 1837.

Section 35 .- John Dubois, Nov. 1, 1836; John Rayner, May 28, 1839; Garrett Dubois, June 23, 1839 ; David Finch, April 10, 1841.

Section 36 .- Milton B. Adams, May 4, 1836; John Dubois, Nov. 1,

1836; Jobn Rayner, Richard Rayner, May 28, 1839; John Ray- ner, June 6, 1839 ; William Busenback, June 27, 1839.

A large portion of the lands in this township became the property of speculators, or men who did not become actual residents. The land was sold by them to others at a slight advance upon cost, and the purchaser generally found it necessary to make all the improvements himself, as the " second hands" from which he had bought had been to no trouble in that direction. The " speculator" was a being not at all fancied by the settlers, yet he managed to enter very much of the land included in the township, and to dispose of most of it at a gain.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The first log house erected in the township of Alaiedon was built by Egbert W. Pattison, in the spring or summer of 1836, he having in that year purchased land on section 28. He did not settle upon the place, however, until the month of May, 1837, and had been then preceded by sev- cral families. The first actual settler in the townsbip- or in the territory comprising the four townships of Alaie- don, Delhi, Lansing, and Meridian-was James Phillips, who located on the west half of the southeast quarter of section 30 in December, 1836. Joel B. Strickland settled on the northeast quarter of section 17 in March, 1837, and Eli Chandler settled some time during the same spring. In September of that year, William Lewis, with his sons Jacob and Nichols, and their families, arrived and settled on section 29. William Lewis died in Vevay township in September, 1863. In the fall of 1837, Adam Overacker settled on section 28. Samuel Carl settled in the summer and William C. Leek in the spring of 1837, the latter on section 3. Mr. Leek died June 20, 1852. William Childs settled on section 30 in May, 1837, and John Strickland on section 20 in the winter of 1838.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 52

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