USA > Michigan > Eaton County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 56
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 56
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Section 32 .- Aaron Brower, April 6, 1836; Jambes Gan son, April 25, 1836; Thomas Fritts, May 9, 1836.
Section 33 .- Luther Branch, June 19, 1835; Blossom and Efner, Aug. 27, 1835; Aaron Brower, April 6, 1836; John Davidson, June 13, 1836; Noah Clark, June 27, 1836 ; James Vickery, Jan. 7, 1843; Edward Belknap, Feb. 14, 1843.
Section 34 .- Elias Thompson, Aug. 27, 1835; Blossom and Efaer, Sept. 2, 1835; Martin Allen, Oct. 27, 1835; Henry Harvey, May 6, 1836 ; Moses S. Barher, May 21, 1836.
Section 35 .- Elias Thompson, Aug. 27, 1835; Solomon Parsons, May 19, 1836; Ohed Cravath, Jan. 5 and 19, 1837.
Section 36 .- Moses D. Wylie, Solomon Parsons, May 19, 1836; Robert Johnson, Job Earl, June 14, 1836.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The first settler in what is now the township of Bunker Hill was David Fuller, a Baptist deacon, who located in the west part in 1837 or 1838. His son Henry, who came with him, was married in 1841 to Miss Lovina Whitte- more, and his was one of the earliest marriages in the town, occurring in January.
The second settler was probably a man named Bunker, who located in the northwest portion, and for whom the township is said to have been named. His daughter, Mary Bunker, was the first white child born in the town, but the date of her birth is not given.
Henry Wood, in the northeast corner of town, was the third settler. It is thought that but four persons-males -are now living in the township who were here in 1840- 41, and these are David Dean, George Archer, William Vicary, and Charles Earl (son of Job Earl). Of the pio- neer mothers, Mrs. William B. Dean is perhaps the only one left.
William B. Dean, a native of Orange Co., N. Y., moved to Michigan from Genesee Co., N. Y., in the fall of 1830, with his family, and settled at Plymouth, Wayne Co. In 1841 he removed to Bunker Hill, arriving on the 6th of January, and settled on the place now owned by his son, David Dean. He was accompanied to the township by his
wife, four sons, and two daughters, and he, at the time of his settlement, made the twentieth voter in the township. The land on which he located had been purchased from government by George Rider, but no improvements made until Mr. Dean settled. He died in 1864, and his widow is now residing on the old place with her son, David Dean.
Calvin P. Eaton, from Monroe Co., N. Y., settled in the township of Bunker Hill, on section 8, with his family, about November, 1842. The family consisted of himself and wife and six children, of whom none are now left in the township. One son, Edwin G. Eaton, is now in busi- ness at Leslie. Their neighbors, when they settled in Bunker Hill, were David Fuller, on an adjoining farm, Charles Warren, Asher Robinson, the Whittemores, Otis Janes, Lewis Case, in this town, and James Harkness and William W. Dewey, near by, in Leslie township. These all resided in one school district.
Burtus Hoyt settled in the northeast part of town pre- vious to 1842, and a few years afterwards sold his farmn to Timothy Birney and removed to Jackson, where three of his sons are now living, one or two of them in the employ of the Michigan Central Railway Company.
Abijah Lee Clark, from the north line of the Indian reservation in Genesee Co., N. Y., removed to Michigan in 1835, with his wife and three children, and settled in the " Bean Creek Country," in the township of Rollin, Lena- wee Co., where they lived until- March, 1843. In that month they removed to Ingham County, and settled in the township of Bunker Hill, where Mr. Clark's widow now resides on the farm first settled. It had been procured of John Evans in trade, and was first occupied and improved by Ebenezer Whittemore, who lived upon it several years. Evans had never occupied it, and the improvements which had been made when Clark came were of little account. Neighbors were already quite plentiful, the nearest being Ira Whittemore, who lived on an adjoining farm. David Fuller and Calvin P. Eaton were a mile or two away. Mrs. Henry Fuller is the only survivor of the community as it existed upon the arrival of Mr. Clark and his family. The latter experienced their greatest hardships while living in Lenawee County, the township of Rollin containing but very few families when they arrived there. Mr. Clark's son, John Lee Clark, now living in Bunker Hill, was the second white child born in the township of Rollin, his birth occurring Aug. 4, 1837.
Henry B. Hawley, from the State of New York, was an early settler in the township of Henrietta, Jackson Co., Mich., and in 1850 became a resident of Bunker Hill, lo- cating in the southwest part of the town, on a farm which was first improved by Aaron Brower, one of the earliest settlers. William Vicary, another pioneer, located in the same neighborhood. In 1870, Mr. Hawley removed to the village of Leslie, where he at present resides. He is among the prominent citizens of the county, and has held numerous positions of trust, as will appear by reference to the list of township officers.
Joab Earl was one of the first settlers in the southeast part of town, and John Ewing and John O'Brien were early in the same locality. Lucius Lord settled carly a mile north of Fitchburg.
928
HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
In the north and east portions of the township have set- tled large numbers of natives of the land of the shamrock. The first of the nationality who came was James Markey, who arrived with a large family iu the neighborhood of 1840, and settled near the Centre. Ile was a prominent citizen, and several of his sons were afterwards chosen to various township offices. James Birney and numerous others followed, and at present the Irish voters in the town- ship number about seventy, almost a controlling power in its political affairs. They have erected a fine frame Catholic church northeast of the centre of town, and its eommuni- cants number 200 or more. This was the third religious organization in the towoship.
FITCHBURG.
Ferris S. Fitch, from Livingston Co., N. Y., settled on the place he now owns in June, 1848, when the nearest neighbor was even then a mile distant. The locality was about midway between the stage-routes from Dexter to Lansing, and from Jackson (via Mason) to Lansing. Mr. Fitch was the first settler at what is now called Fitchburg. His brother, Selah B. Fitch, who was formerly a resident of Stockbridge, moved to the Corners in the fall of 1848, and three or four years afterwards built a steam saw-mill at that place. He is now deceased. About the time the mill was built the father of the Messrs. Fitch, IHubbard Fitch, with his youngest son, Dorastus, located at the place where the latter is now living. Hubbard Fitch is deceased.
In 1848 the ouly post-office in the township-and it was the first-was in the western part, in charge of a man named Tuttle; it was called Buuker Hill. Afterwards an office was established in the northwest part of town, called Felt, with Dorman Felt as postmaster ; he had settled in 1847. About 1855 an office was established at Fitchburg, with Hubbard Fitch as postmaster, and for some time the township contained three post-offices, the name of Bunker IFill post-office having been changed to Bunker Hill Ceutre. Felt post-office has been discontinued, and those at present in existence are Fitchburg and Bunker Hill. J. S. Sweezey is postmaster at the latter place, having held the position since February, 1879.
After the office was established at Fitchburg, it was not until a recent date that a mail-route was established through the place. Mail was brought from the nearest offices, --- Stockbridge, Leslie, etc. Selah B. Fitch succeeded his father as postmaster, the next incumbent being William Dowden, who had come to the place and established a store. He removed and was succeeded by John P. Hawley, from Henrietta, Jackson Co., who bought Dowden out. The next, and present, incumbent was Henry Stowell, who has held the office several years.
Fitchburg has at present three stores, two blacksmith- shops, a wagon-shop, a shoe-shop, and a Methodist church.
BUNKER HILL,
near the centre of the township, contains a small store, a post-office, a blacksmith-shop, and the town-hall. John De Camp, an early settler at the Centre, was long the post- master. His father is living in Webster, Washtenaw Co., at an advanced age.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION, LIST OF OFFICERS, ETC.
An act of the Legislature of Michigan, approved March 21, 1839, provided that town 1 north, of range 1 cast, should be organized into a separate township by the name of Bunker Hill, and that the first township-meeting should be held at the house of David Fuller. From the township records is taken the following account of the first town- meeting :
" 1839 .- At the annual meeting held on the first Monday of April, in the township of Bunker IIill, the following officers were cloeled, -viz., For supervisor, David Fuller : for township clerk, Uzziel C. Tay- lor ; for township treasurer, David Fuller ; for assessors, Henry Wood, Tristram Smith, George Taylor; for collector, Ilarvey Taylor ; for school inspectors, Henry Wood, Tristram Smith, George Taylor ; for directors of the poor, Ebenezer Whittemore, Bnrtus Iloyt ; for com- missioners of highways, Ebenezer Whittemnre, Job Earl, Tristram Smith ; for justices, Henry Wood, Tristram Smith, George Taylor ; for constable, Burtus Iloyt ; for overseers of highways,lIenry Wood, Uzziel C. Taylor, Tristram Smith.
" Voted, Five dollars bounty on all wolves killed in the town by an actual resident of the town."
The following is a list of the principal officers of the township from 1840 to 1879, inclusive:
SUPERVISORS.
1840-42, Ilenry Wood; 1843, Lewis Case; 1844-45, Henry Wood; 1846, Charles Wood; 1847, Henry Wood; 1848, John B. Mc- Crecry ; 1849, Henry Wood ; 1850, Philctus R. Peck ; 1851, Jona- than Wood ; 1852, Ferris S. Fitch; 1853-54, Ilenry B. Hawley ; 1855-56, Philetus R. Peck ; 1857-60, Henry B. llawley ; 1861, George W. M. Shearer ; 1862-63, Ferris S. Fitch ; 1864-65, Ilenry B. Hawley ; 1866, Garret Du Bois;# 1867-70, James Birney ; 1871- 72, John De Camp; 1873-74, James Birney; 1875-78, William HI. Howlett; 1879, Isaac Maggoon.
TOWNSHIP CLERKS.
1840, Uzziel C. Taylor; 1841, Harvey Taylor ;; 1842-45, Charles Wood; 1846, Lewis R. Perkins; 1847-49, Charles Wood; 1850, John B. McCreery ; 185], Charles Wood; 1852-53, Charles B. Dean ; 1854-55, Charles Wood; 1856, Henry B. Ilawley ; 1857- 58, Joseph Dutcher; 1859-60, John De Camp ; 1861-62, James Markey ; 1863, William Dowden; 1864-65, John De Camp; 1866, James Kelly ; 1867-70, Poter M. Etchells; 1871, John W. Whallon ; 1872, James M. Birney ; 1873-74, Peter M. Etchells; 1875-76, Charles De Camp ; 1877, Peter M. Etcholls; 1878-79, Charles F. De Camp.
TREASURERS.
1840-42, Otis Jancs ; 1843, David Fuller ; 1844-45, Abram A. Wilcox ; 1846-49, Jonathan Wood; 1850, Abram A. Wilcox ; 1851, John- son Post; 1852, Iliram Ilodges; 1853, Philip Tinker; 1854, Ilenry O. Ilodges; 1855, Jonathan Wood; 1856-57, James Markey, Jr. ; 1858-59, Alonzo B. Kimball; 1860-61, John Bir- ney; 1862-63, Dorastus Filch; 1864, George W. Cross;} 1865, Nathaniel Earl; 1866, John Gee, Jr .; 1867, llarry Cross; 1868- 70, John De Camp ; 1871, Aaron J. Rayner; 1872-74, Charles F. De Camp; 1875-77, James M. Birney ; 1878-79, John W. Whallon.
JUSTICES OF TIIE PEACE.
1840, John Ewing, Parley Moore, Uzziel C. Taylor; 1841, record miss- ing; 1842, Parley P. Mooro; 1843, IIenry Wood, Calvin P. Eaton; 1844, Jonathan Wood; 1845, Abijah L. Clark ; 1846, Par- ley I'. Moore ; 1847, A. A. Wilcox, Aaron Brower; 1848, William Smith; 1849, Jonathan Wood, F. S. Fitch; 1850, James M.
* Resigned, and F. S. Fitch appointed.
t Removed from county, and David II. Fuller appointed.
¿ Removed from the township, and Nathaniel Earl appointed.
229
BUNKER HILL.
Shearer, Alba Blake; 1851, Gustavns A. Holt, Ezra Culver; 1852, IIenry B. Hawley, James Birney, John B. McCreery, Dorman Felt ; 1853, James Randall, James Birney ; 1854, John B. Mc- Creery ; 1855, James Birney ; 1856, Henry B. Hawley ; 1857, James Rundell ; 1858, J. B. McCreery, James Markey, Jr .; 1859, Daniel F. Muscott ; 1860, Ilenry B. Hawley ; 1861, Thomas C. Etchells; 1862, John B. McCreery ; 1863, James Markey, James Birney ; 1864, IIenry B. Hawley ; 1865, James Birney, John C. Chase, John De Camp; 1866, John C. Chase ; 1867, Dan- iel C. Potter ; 1868, Luke Perrine, Lot A. Brower, John P. Haw- ley ; 1869, James Birney ; 1870, James M. Whallon, John De Camp, Bernard Winters; 1871, Lot A. Brower; 1872, Bernard Winters; 1873, George Bailey; 1874, E. H. Angell, John De Camp ; 1875, James Birney, P. M. Etchells; 1876, Isaac Mag- goon ; 1877, Peter M. Etchells; 1878, William Johnston ; 1879, James Birney.
1880 .- Supervisor, William H. Howlett; Township Clerk, Henry P. Whipple; Treasurer, James M. Birney ; Justice of the Peace, Isaac Maggoon ; Superintendent of Schools, Isaac Maggoon ; School Inspector, Edwin Grow ; Commissioner of Highways, Lewis Morse ; Drain Commissioner, Patrick McCary ; Con- stables, George McEnder, Daniel De Camp, John G. Knight, Abraham Nichols.
The following is a list of the resident taxpayers in the township of Bunker Hill in 1844, according to the assess- ment roll for that year :
Henry Wood, Silas Holt, Abram A. Wilcox, Burtus Hoyt, Abijah L. Clark, Ahra Whittemore, Ebenezer Whittemore, Charles Quigley, Dennis Hartey, David Fuller, Calvin P. Eaton, Lewis Case, Luther Swith, Patrick Markey, James Markey, Thomas Markey, Orson O. Janes, Charles Warren, Sylvester Osborn, Bezaleel A. Hodge, Bezaleel Archer, Parley P. Moore, Charles Wood, Lucius Lord, John Fletcher, John Ewing, Job Earl, William B. Dean, Lyman Culver, Aaron Brower, Ira E. Parker, James Vicary, William Vicary, Philander Peak.
Among the early roads laid out in the township were the following, all in 1839: Fuller road, May 30th and 31st ; Whittemore road, same dates; Taylor road, May 31st; Hoyt road and Love road, June 1st ; Wood road, May 15th ; Vicary road, June 3d; Town-Line road, between Bunker Hill and Stockbridge, July 18th and 19th. The State road, leading from the west line of Ingham County to the Grand River turnpike, near the village of Pinckney, Livings- ton Co., was laid out through Bunker Hill township io January, 1840. All these early roads were surveyed by Anson Jackson, county surveyor, who laid out roads also in Eaton County, as the records show.
SCHOOLS.
April 23, 1840, sections 25, 36, east half of 35, east half of 26, southeast quarter of 23, and south half of 24, of Bunker Hill township, were attached to Fractional District No. 4, of Stockbridge. District No. 1, of Bunker Hill, was formed May 7, 1840, and included the west half of section 9, sections 17 and 18, west half of 4, sections 5, 6, 7, 8, of Bunker Hill, and 1 and 12, of Leslie.
In the summer of 1841, Sarah Dean, daughter of Wil- liam B. Dean, taught in District No. 1, being one of the earliest in the district. In the fall or winter of 1840 the same school was taught by Miss Lovina Whittemore, who, in January, 1841, became the wife of Henry Fuller. Miss Elizabeth Jane Clark was granted a certificate, May 16, 1844, to teach in the same district. The school-house used was a small log building, with seats ranged around three sides of the interior, next to the walls. Jacob Young, who
lived in Henrietta, Jackson Co., taught here in the winter of 1842-43.
The following items are from the report of the township school inspectors for the year ending Sept. 1, 1879 :
Number of districts in township (whole, 4; fractional, 3) ..... 7
school-children in towaship ..... 409
in attendance for year. 341
school-houses (brick, 2; frame, 5). 7
374
sealings in same ...
$3350
Value of school property ...
Number of teachers employed (males, 4; females, 9) 13
Wages of same (males, $337.50; females, $808). $1145.50
Total expenditures for year
1772.44
RELIGIOUS.
The first religious organization in the township was a Baptist society, which was formed early at the house of David Fuller, who was appointed a deacon in the church. A Congregational Church was next organized, at Dean's Corners, followed by the Catholic Church, in the north part of town, which latter is the only one of the three now in existence. Methodist Episcopal and Protestant Methodist Churches were next in order; the latter declined, and from it was finally organized a United Brethren Church, which has, during the present season (1880), erected a church at the south line of the township. A Methodist Episcopal class was organized in the neighborhood of 1850-55, with a small membership, but all were earnest workers. The present brick church at Fitchburg owned by this society was built in 1871. The church has a fair membership. Its pastor is Rev. Mr. Bradley, who took charge in the fall of 1879.
There is also a Methodist class at the Centre, at which place the Adventists also hold meetings. The Methodists and United Brethren have the only church buildings in the township.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
GARRETT DUBOIS.
The parents of G. Du Bois, Jacob and Sarah Du Bois, were natives of Ulster Co., N. Y., where they resided in 1810, when they removed to Delaware Co., N. Y., rearing a family of twelve children, of whom nine lived to mature age. In 1837 two sons, Martin and Jacob, emigrated to Alaie- don township, Ingham Co., Mich. Garrett Du Bois was the sixth of this family, born at Marble, Ulster Co., N. Y., Feb. 8, 1806, being but four years of age when the family removed to Delaware County. January, 1832, he married Lucy Chapman, also of Delaware, born Jan. 18, 1807. The year following they removed to Wayne Co., Pa., where he was employed until 1839 by Mrs. Du Bois' father in his extensive milling interests, when, hearing glowing accounts of Michigan from his brothers already located there, he concluded to join them. Making the necessary arrangements, they set out with a horse-team and wagon, performing the journey of seven hundred miles in nineteen days. On his arrival he located six lots on sec- tion 35. Here they resided, improving about ninety acres,
230
HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
GARRET DUBOIS.
until 1855, when they removed to a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Bunker Hill township, on section 8, which he had purchased in 1852. At the date of his purchase in Bunker Hill, not a stick of timber had been ent; but having means at his command he cleared a large traet and put it into wheat, the proceeds of which were laid out in improvements. For a number of years Mr. Du Bois de- voted a considerable portion of his time to putting his farm and buildings in condition suitable to his taste, and has at the present time one of the finest farms and ap- purtenances in the township.
MRS. GARRET DUBOIS.
Aside from farm interests, Mr. DuBois has some mon- eyed interests,-the results of a life's labor guided by sound, practical judgment and ripe experience. Ile has served his townsmen as supervisor three consecutive terms while a resident of Alaiedon, but of late years has refused, preferring the quiet of private life to the vexation of public affairs.
Mrs. Du Bois has faithfully performed her allotted por- tion in the drama of life, and is honored by her children and held in high esteem by a large circle of friends. Mr. and Mrs. Du Bois are the parents of seven children.
MG.
MRS. PHEBE A. CLARK.
A. L. CLARK.
A. L. CLARK.
The history of the Clark family dates back to the pioneer times of Genesee Co., N. Y., their location being known at the present time as the Clark settlement. Samuel Clark
was among the carly settlers in that region. IIis wife, Polly (Lee) Clark, was a sister of the father of Robert E. Lee, of Confederate notoriety. Abijah Lee Clark, a son, was born Oct. 22, 1808. Ilis father enlisted in the war of
231
DELHI.
1812, and died. Abijah was early put to live with a family known as Friends or Quakers. At fourteen years of age he began work by the month, and at twenty-two had saved a sufficient sum to make a payment upon a farm of eighty acres, which he purchased. April 7, 1830, he married Phebe A., a daughter of George and Sally (Cleveland) Driggs. She was born May 29, 1810, in Madison Co., N. Y. The young wife was soon installed in the new home, and work went forward with a will for six years, when he was obliged to sell out to meet obligations incurred to ac- commodate others, saving but a small amount from a com- fortable property.
Mr. Clark came to Lenawee Co., Mich., and located one hundred and twenty acres, to which he removed in Septem- ber, 1837. A rude log cabin was soon provided. Their worldly effects consisted of a scanty supply of household goods, two pigs, and one dollar and fifty cents. Mr. Clark cleared and put into wheat one acre, and sought work among the new-comers, but failed to find those able to hire. Winter coming on, he was obliged to return as far East as the river Raisin, where resided a Quaker family known to him in the East. Obtaining employment, they remained a year, then returned to their home in the wilderness. Suc- cess attended them in the eight years following. They made many improvements, Mr. Clark then sold, taking as part pay twenty acres on section 5,-Bunker Hill,-to
which he removed his family, and began again the labors of subduing the wilderness. With the means thus ob- tained, and their family grown to an age they could render some assistance, the work was less difficult than when they first came to the West.
At the breaking out of the war two sons-in-law entered the service, their wives returning home. Two sons had previously gone to do battle. Yet death came not upon the field, but at their home. Mr. Clark, after a short illness, passed away, Nov. 26, 1863, sincerely lamented by his bereaved family and many friends.
Mr. Clark was a man of whom it was often said that his word was as good as a written bond. Mr. and Mrs. Clark were the parents of five children,-William H., born Feb. 26, 1833, proprietor. Clark House, Mason; Mrs. Sally Marshall, April 13, 1835, residing in Gratiot County ; Holland, born March 22, 1837, died at two years of age; J. Lee, born Aug. 4, 1838, proprietor homestead ; Mrs. Ada A. Cooper, born Jan. 19, 1843, residing at Grass Lake.
Mr. and Mrs. Clark united with the Free-Will Baptist Church in 1835, and have always led a consistent Chris- tian life. Mr. Clark, at the advanced age of seventy, in comparative good health, resides at the old homestead, sur- rounded by a large circle of old appreciative friends, in the peaceful contemplation of a long life well spent.
DEL H I.®
GEOGRAPHICAL, ETC.
THIS township is situated in the western part of Ingham County, and is bounded by the township of Lansing on the north, by Aurelius on the south, by Alaiedon on the east, and by Windsor, in Eaton County, on the west.
Grand River traverses sections 30 and 31 in the south- west part, and Sycamore Creek passes through sections 12, 11, and 2 in the northeastern part. Along these streams there is some lowland.
On the southeast quarter of section 16 is Mud Lake, which originally covered about thirty acres, but is now reduced to much smaller dimensions by an extensive deep- ening of its outlet, which flows south one mile, then east about two and a half miles, then north a mile, and then southeast and east a mile and a half, to its junction with Sycamore Creek, in the township of Alaiedon. A small brook flows from its head, on section 15, through 10, 3, and 2, and unites with Sycamore Creek, on section 2.
The township may be generally considered as having a level surface, with sections of gently rolling lands inter- spersed with marshes which were at an early day extensive and comparatively valueless, but which, under a system of thorough drainage now being adopted, are gradually be-
coming valuable. These marshes and swamps, once largely covered with a thrifty growth of American larch, or tama- rack, covered extensive areas on sections 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, and 29. The timber, with the exception of the tamarack, was altogether of hard varieties, the only other exception, so far as now known, being one solitary, natural growing, grand old white pine on the southeast quarter of section 23, on land owned by William Cook. It is still a vigorous tree, about 100 feet high, and unless prostrated by storms, or cut down by some vandal hand, will stand for many years a solitary specimen of its numerous con- geners in the North. All other pines in the township have been transplanted.
A most remarkable feature of the topography of the town- ship is the well-known " Hog's Back" ridge which trav- erses sections 2, 11, 14, 23, 24, 25, and a corner of 36. It has a somewhat tortuous course, and is broken in places by the valley of the Sycamore Creek, and in some places has lateral spurs or minor ridges, as on the farm of William Cook, on section 23. On the farm of Matthew King it describes almost a semicircle, and its sides are in places very abrupt. The highest elevation of this ridge in Delhi township is probably a short distance southeast of the dwelling of John Thorburn, Esq., on section 25. It is variously composed of clay, sand, and gravel, the two last-
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