History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 64

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 64
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 64

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).

Sidney O. Russell, a native of East Bloomfield, N. Y., settled in Leslie in June, 1836, having been preceded but one day by Ezekiel T. Critchett.

Wheaton Sanders, who was born in Cayuga Co., N. Y.,

in 1811, came to Leslie in 1839, and settled on a farm to which no road had been cut out, and on which he died, April 22, 1879. He and his wife experienced all the hardships of a pioneer life.

The foregoing items concerning the pioneers mentioned are from the Pioneer Society's records ; what follows has been gathered " in the field," among the pioneers.

Amos Wortman, who is now residing immediately north of the village of Leslie, on the farm he first located, came to Michigan in September, 1835, from Genesee Co., N. Y., and was then unmarried. He remained in Jackson until the spring of 1836, when he came to what is now Leslie, purchased government land, and commenced improving it. He boarded for two years with Elijah Woodworth, who lived at the site of the village, and who built the first house in the place. When Mr. Wortman was looking for land he was accompanied by Jasper Wolcott, a young man from his own neighborhood in New York. They stopped a portion of the time, when night fell, with Oliver Booth, the first settler in the township of Onondaga, who had a section of land where Onondaga village now is. Mr. Wortman assisted Elijah Woodworth in building his shanty at Leslie; it stood about sixty rods east of what is now the main street, and Mr. Woodworth says it was, beyond dispute, the first one on the site of the village.

Mr. Wortman assisted many in looking out their land, as also did Mr. Woodworth and Mr. Wolcott. Mr. Wort- man was married in October, 1838, and settled upon his place the following spring, having cleared a small tract and sowed about fifteen acres of wheat. The first wheat sowed in the township was put in by S. O. Russell and James Royston, who settled in the summer of 1836. Mr. Wort- man helped ent the first road in the township of Leslie, and also helped to cut tracks through the woods in other townships while on " land-hunting" trips. Those roads were scarcely better than eow-paths.

Sidney (). Russell, previously mentioned, visited this region in 1835, and looked it over with the view of some time settling. In May, 1836, he purchased land in what is now the township of Leslie, and in the following month of June he brought in his family and settled with them on a farm, upon which he resided until 1842, when he removed to the village and entered the mercantile business, in which he has since continued. James Royston, Mr. Russell's brother-in-law, came to the towoship with the latter and settled in the same locality, and at present occupies the farm he then located.

Mr. Russell's wife is a daughter of Mrs. Abby Haynes, who, after the death of her husband, removed to Michigan from the town of Marcellus, Onondaga Co., N. Y., with five children, and settled in the township of White Oak, Ing- ham Co. This was in 1838; one year later they removed to Onondaga township. Mrs. Russell was the eldest child. Mrs. Haynes, who was a resolute, energetic woman, died in 1871. When the family started from New York they had a team of horses, but while passing through Canada one of the horses was traded for a yoke of oxen, ahead of which the other horse was hitched, and slow progress was made over the extremely bad Canadian roads. From Detroit to Ann Arbor the journey occupied two days' time, and the

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LESLIE.

wagon contained four persons for its load ouly. Mr. Rus- sell, who had come two years before, was four days making the same distance.

M. V. Armstrong, now in the undertaking business at Leslie, came to the township in 1845, and purchased the first forty acres of land taken on section 16, upon which he resided a short time. His wife became ill and homesick, and they shortly returned to Batavia, Genesee Co., N. Y., where she died. He came again to Leslie and purchased forty additional acres of land, returned to New York and was married again, and finally made a permanent settlement here in 1850.

Mr. Armstrong's brother, Jacob, in company with Nel- son B. Backus, settled in the township in 1836, at Leslie, or " Teaspoon Corners." He sold eighty acres of the land he had purchased to Mr. Backus, who became a prom- inent citizen in the township, as did also Mr. Armstrong. These men were the first settlers at North Leslie. Mr. Armstrong, who first purchased on section 9, has resided for several years at Oakley, Saginaw Co., Mich. M. V. Armstrong held the position of commissioner of highways in Leslie about twenty-five years.

Mahlon Covert, from Covert, Seneca Co., N. Y., purchased land in the township of Vevay, in June, 1837, and came with his family to the township of Leslie in October fol- lowing, intending to proceed at once to his place in Vevay. There was so much water on the way, however, that it would have been almost impossible to get through, and Mr. Covert finally traded his Vevay land to John Royston, for land the latter had purchased in Leslie, and settled upon it and still occupies it. Mrs. Covert's brother, Ira Chandler, came with them. A son of John Royston now occupies a portion of the old farm in Vevay. Mr. Covert's son, Ansel R. L. Covert, was elected county clerk in 1856, and re- moved to Mason, where he lived four years, and in 1861 settled in the village of Leslie, where he at present resides.

Calvin Edwards, from Cayuga Co., N. Y., came to the township of Leslie in 1837 or 1838, with his wife and six children, and located in the same neighborhood with Mahlon Covert. He died in the township. His son, Ogden Ed- wards, resides in Leslie village, and he and his brother Oliver are the only ones of the family now living in the township. Ogden and Stephen Edwards chopped the first trec felled on their father's place, upon which no improve- ments had been made, although it was purchased from second hands.

Wheaton Sanders, who accompanied Mr. Edwards to the township, was from the same neighborhood in New York .* He is now deceased, but his family occupies the old farm. His brother, Gilbert Sanders, had settled in the same local- ity a year previous to the arrival of Wheaton Sanders, and is now living at Albion, Calhoun Co.

Arnold Walker, from Seneca Co., N. Y., came to Leslie in 1844, and has since resided in the county, in which he has been and is a prominent and influential citizen. He at present occupies the position of president of the First Na- tional Bank of Leslie. He was for some time previous to the Rebellion an officer in the militia of the county, and was

captain of the " Curtenius Guards," of Mason. That con- pany was named in honor of Col. F. W. Curtenius, of Kal- amazoo. The militia of the State had been allowed to become of little importance, but finally the State Military Board raised three thousand dollars, a portion of which was appropriated towards prizes for the best-drilled and best- appearing companies in the State. In 1857, Col. Curte- nius inspected three companies at Mason,-the " Curtenius Guards," and two companies from Lansing, the " Wil- liams Grays" and a German organization. The prize was awarded to the Mason company, and consisted of one hun- dred and fifty dollars in money and a brass field-piece. Its officers were cach raised one grade in rank, except Capt. Walker, who was promoted to the position of lieutenant- colonel of the regiment (Forty-sixth Michigan). The company armed itself with Minie rifles, and became well known for its efficiency and appearance. When the war broke out the services of the company were tendered as a body to the Governor, and the organization was accepted and assigned to the Seventh Michigan Infantry and sent to the front. Capt. Walker was not at the time a member of the company, but was solicited to accept the position of captain. He declined in favor of Capt. McKernan, but offered to go in any other capacity,-even as a private in the ranks. The position of major of the regiment was tendered him, and would have been accepted but that Mon- roe County was without representation among the line officers of the regiment, and Mr. Walker was promised a good position in the near future if he did not take the major's commission. The result was he had no chance to go to the front, though always ready. The " Curtenius Guards" covered themselves with glory while in the field.

Nelson Norton, from Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, came with his wife and one child to Ingham County in June, 1838, and settled on section 33 in Leslie, having purchased land of John Western, of Jackson. Mr. Norton himself made the first improvements upon it, Western being only a speculator, owning several sections in this township. In January, 1875, Mr. Norton removed to the village where he now resides.

Rev. Elijah K. Grout, a native of Fairfax, Vt., settled in Leslie in October, 1838, with his wife and three chil- dren,-the latter all young. Ile purchased forty acres inside of the present village corporation, a portion of the tract now being owned by Arnold Walker. This land he after- wards sold. In the spring of 1839, Mr. Grout assisted in the organization of a Baptish Church at Leslie, and was himself ordained to the ministry in 1841. He served in the ministerial field of labor for nearly thirty-seven years in various localities, having resided at Marine City, St. Clair Co., from 1847 to 1854, and died at Leslie, Feb. 9, 1878. His loss was sincerely mourned by all who knew him. He was a fine type of the pioneer minister, and knew no man as an enemy. His widow is residing in the village, and several of his children live here and at Bay City.

Mrs. Grout is a sister of Henry and Dr. Valorous Mecker, and daughter of Benjamin Mceker, who were among the first settlers in the township of Leslic. Henry Meeker purchased land on section 28 in February, 1836. Henry Meeker, in company with his father, Benjamin Meeker, and

# Elsewhere stated that Mr. Sanders came in 1839.

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HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

Denziel P. Rice, came at nearly the same time with Elijah Woodworth, and soon seut for the family of the elder Mecker, who came the same year (1836). Dr. Valorous Meeker arrived in 1837, and was the first physician who settled in Ingham County. Benjamin Meeker and wife both died in this township. Henry returned to Cortland Co., N. Y., but afterwards removed still farther West, and is now living near Milford, Dickinson Co., Iowa. The Meekers, in many respects, were among the most prominent citizens of Leslie township.

Henry Fiske came to Leslie about 1837. and settled on the site of the village. The first township-meeting con- vened at his house in April of the following year. His log dwelling stood near the present site of the Allen House. Miss - Messinger, who came with him, or at nearly the same time, was an early teacher in the Leslie schools. She became the wife of a man named Hill, also an early settler, and they removed from the locality. Both are now de- ceased.

James Blackmore, the present postmaster at Leslie, emi- grated from Stafford, Genesee Co., N. Y., to Henrietta, Jackson Co., Mich., in 1848, and in 1855 came to Leslie and taught school. He removed here in 1858, and engaged in mercantile business in June, 1859.

The resident taxpayers of the township of Leslie in 1844 are included in the following list :

Asher Robinson, Moses Curtis, George lligdon, John Barry, William Doty, Clark A. Harlow, S. G. Sanders, Calvin Edwards, William Page, John Tuttle, William Page, Jr., Enoch Hare, Thomas Closson, A. C. Harlow, Wheatoo Sanders, William Jones, Homer S. King, Jacob Armstrong, Nelson B. Backus, Amos Wortman, Abram Housel, James Harkness, William W. Dewey, Chauncey Smith, Isaac F. Huntoon, Sally Miles, Seneen M. HIale, Joshua Whitney, Anthony Ingalls, Washington Scovel, Ephraim Wort- man, Truman Wilbur, Whitman Albro, Peter Ward, Mahlon . Covert, James Royston, John R. Duasha, Solomon Woodworth, Sidney O. Russell, Stephen Weeks, Benjamin Davis, Elizabeth Gardner (administratrix), Samuel T. Rice, Critchet & Dwight, Thomas J. Blake, E. K. Grout, Daniel Ackley, Ilenry Meeker, Valorous Meeker, E. L. Freeman, Henry Fiske, - Barlow, J. R. Cowden, Elijah Woodworth. Silas Kirby, Enoch Scovel, George Huntoon, Barna Filkins, Jacob Straight, Calvin Straight, Widow Mitchell, HIiram Hodges, John Housel, William Huntoon, - Sabens, Roxalana Dewey, John R. Hale, Thomas Peach, Joel Scovel, Denzil P Rice, Isaae Demick, Alba Blake, Blake & Rus- sell, Clark Graves, Joseph Woodhouse, Jared Reynolds, Iliram Austin, Flavel J. Butler, Mceker & Powell, Josiah Rice, Henry Ilazelton, Sarah Loomis, V. II. Powell, Henry Medbury, George Freeman, James McCray, Simeon Polar, Thomas A. Anis, Daniel Jefford, Patrick Brown, Frederick S. Clark, William Barden, Jr., Jotham Morse, William Barden, Nelson Norton, Theodore Clark, Stillman P. Rice, D. & W. Wright, Jonas Nims, Benjamin Norton, Lester Miner, Harlow Norton, Daniel D. Marston, Lyman G. Miner, W. D. Landfair, Joseph Godfrey.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION .- LIST OF OFFICERS.

Township No. 1 north, in range No. 1 west, formerly a part of Anrelins, was set off and organized into a separate township by the name of Leslie, Dec. 30, 1837; and the first township-meeting was ordered to be held at the house of Henry Fiske. The following account of said meeting is from the township records :

" Agreeable to an act of the Legislature of Michigan, organizing the lownebip of Leslie, parred March, 1838, and appointing the first township-meeting to be held at the house of Ilenry Fiske, in said

town,-agreeable to the above act, the legal voters of snid town of Leslie met on the first Monday in April, A.D. 1838, at the house of llenry Fiske, and organized by choosing Henry Fiske, Moderater ; Jacob Loomis and Franklin Elmer, Clerks; James Royston and Vavasor II. Powell, Inspectors,-nll of which sworn according to law.

" Resolved, That this meeting adjourn to the school-house.

" Aftor the votes were duly canvassed, it appeared that the follow- ing-named persons were elected for towo officers : Benjamin Davis, Supervisor ; Franklin Elmer, Township Clerk ; Sidney O. Russell, Mahlon Covert, and Denzil P. Rice, Commissioners of Highways; William W. Dewey, James Roystoo, and Franklin Elmer, Assessors ; IIcory Meeker, James Royston, Vavasor II. Powell, and Jacob Loomis, Justices of the Peace; Thomas Squiers, Collector; Clark Graves, F. J. Butler, and Thomas Squiers, Constables; Henry Fiske, Valorous Meeker, and Vavasor II. Powell, School Inspectors; Ben- jamin Davis and Benjamin Meeker, Overseers of the Poor.

"I do hereby certify that the above-named persons were duly elected to the offices set opposite their names.

"HENNY FISKE, Moderator.

" Resolved (by the members of said meeting), That a committee of five persons be appointed to locate a site and purchase what they think fit for a burying-ground,-elear and improve the same as they think fit,-all at the expense of the town.

" Resolved, That Henry Fiske, llenry Meeker, Ephraim Wortman, James Royston, and Jacob Loomis be said committee.

" Resolved, further, That said committee appoint a sexton.

" Yoted, That hogs be free commoners.

" Voted, That pathmasters he fence-viewers.

" Voted, That a bounty of ten dollars be paid to any person, white or Indian, that will kill a wolf in this town; the white man to be a resident of this town.

" T'oted, That the next annual township-meeting be held at this place.

" Voted, That this meeting do now adjourn.

(Signed) 1

"HENRY FISKE, Moderator. " FRANKLIN ELMEN, Clerk."

The following pathmasters were chosen for Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively : Clark Graves, Clark Gardner, Sidney O. Russell, Jacob Armstrong, William W. Dewey.

The records for the years 1839 and 1840 are missing. The following is a list of the principal officers of the town- ship from 1841 to 1879, with a few exceptions where the records are also missing :

SUPERVISORS.

1841, Jacob Loomis; 1842-43, Benjamin Davis; 1844, Lester Miner; 1845, no record ; 1846-48, Lester Miner; 1849, Benjamin Davis; 1850-51, Mahlon Covert; 1852, Ira A. Reynolds; 1853, Lester Miner ; 1854, Sidney O. Russell; 1855, Austin A. Kirby ; 1856, Pliny W. Rolfe; 1857, Austin A. Kirby ; 1858-65, records miss- ing; 1866-68, John D. Woodworth; 1869, Sidney O. Russell; 1870, William B. Knapp; 1871, J. D. Woodworth ; 1872-75, James Black more ; 1876, J. D. Woodworth; 1877, James Blaek- more ; 1878, Caleb Angevine; 1879, James Blackmore.

TOWNSHIP CLERKS.

1841, Samuel F. Riee; 1842, Franklin Elmer; 1843-44, Joseph Wood- house; 1845, no rceord; 1846, Lemuel Woodhouse; 1847, Alba Blake; 1848, Lemuel Woodhouse; 1849-53, Samuel T. Rice; 1854, James L. Torrey; 1855, Samuel T. Rice; 1856, Hiram Godfrey; 1857, Lemuel Woodhouse; 1858-65, rceords missing ; 1866, John W. Burehard : 1867-68, John R. Van Velsor; 1869 -72, Edwin G. Eaton; 1873, William II. Rice; 1874, Valorous II. Greut ; 1875-76, Frank L. Prindle ; 1877, Edwin G. Eaton; 1878, J. M. Gibbs; 1879, F. C. Woodworth.

TREASURERS.

1841, Lewis Reynolds; 1842, Calvin Edwards; 1843-44, Samuel G. Sanders; 1845, no record; 1846, Nelson B. Barnes; 1847, Fla- vel J. Butler ; 1848-49, Ogden Edwards ; 1850, Thomas Austin ;

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LESLIE.

1851, O. II. Parrish ; 1852, N. B. Backus; 1853, Ogden Edwards; 1854, George Phinney ; 1855, Clark Graves; 1856, James L. Torrey ; 1857-65, record missing; 1866-67, Leonard C. Rice; 1868, G. B. Loomis ; 1869-70, Clarkson Flansburgh ; 1871-72, George J. Phelps ; 1873-74, Edwin Ward ; 1875, Hiram Austin; 1876, Allen C. Manly ; 1877, William II. Rice; 1878, George J. Phelps; 1879, Levi L. Forbes.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

1841, William H. Dewey, James Royston ; 1842, Alha Blake, W. San- ders, Lester Miner; 1843, Lester Miner; 1844, James Harkness; 1845, no record; 1846, Alha Blake; 1847, Lester Miner; 1848, James Hart; 1849, John Housel Wheaton Sanders, Rensselaer Polar; 1850, L. Woodhouse, J. Armstrong; 1851, Nelson Nor- ton; 1852, Jacob Armstrong, James Harkness ; 1853, James Ilarkness, Hiram Godfrey ; 1854, IIiram Godfrey ; 1855, John R. Dunsha; 1856, William Burr, J. Armstrong; 1857-65, record missing ; 1866, Luther L. Stone, William C. Tompkins, James M. Gould ; 1867, S. O. Russell, J. Armstrong; 1868, Waldo May, Jr., llorace Haynes, Abram J. Bailey ; 1869, Edmund L. Cooper ; 1870, William H. Burns; 1871, Henry B. Hawley ; 1872, William E. Whitney, Cornelius Calkins, David D. May ; 1873, S. O. Rus- sell, W. E. Whitney; 1874, William E. Whitney; 1875, Henry B. Ilawley ; 1876, George J. Jackson; 1877, Cornelius Calkins ; 1878, George W. May; 1879, L. G. Woster, J. J. Tuttle.

Officers for 1880 : Supervisor, James Blackmore; Township Clerk, F. C. Woodworth ; Treasurer, Levi L. Forbes; Justice of the Peace, George J. Jackson; Superintendent of Schools, C. Green ; School In- spector, A. R. L. Covert; Commissioner of Highways, M. V. Arm- strong; Drain Commissioner, Enoch Haines; Constables, James A. Peacock, Albert A. Lumbard, John Collins, Lewis B. Sanders.

SCHOOLS.

At a meeting of the school inspectors of the old township of Aurelius, held Aug. 12, 1837, at the house of William Page, the south half of town I north, range I west (now Leslie), was set off and organized as School District No. 1, and the first district meeting therein was directed to be held at the house of Henry Fiske. The north half of the same township was organized as District No. 2 at the same date, and the first district meeting ordered to be held at the house of William Page. Nathan Rolfe and James Royston were the school inspectors for the township at that time. Dis- trict No. I was altered Oct. 8, 1838, so as to contain sections 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 32, and 33, and December 22d, same year, District No. 2 was reorganized so as to include sections 6, 7, 8, 17, 18, 19, 29, and the north west quarter and the west half of the northeast quarter of section 20. Other changes were made in years immediately following.

July 4, 1842, the money received from the county treas- urer for school purposes was $31.08, divided among the several districts as follows :

No. 1, with sixty-five pupils. ..... ..... $20.84

No. 2, with eighteen pupils 5.76

No. I fractional, seven pupils (Leslie and Rives) 2.24

No. 2 fractional, seven pupils (Leslie and Bunker Ilill) 2,24

Total. $31.08

The first school-house in the township was built at what is now Leslie village, in the fall of 1837, and is now used as a dwelling by S. O. Russell. It is a frame building. The name of the first teacher is not now recollected. The second, in the summer of 1837, was Mrs. F. Butler, sister to Mrs. E. K. Grout, who had come to the township that year with her husband, Flavel J. Butler, at the same time with Dr. Valorous Meeker. Miss Messinger taught, prob- ably, next after Mrs. Butler. In 1843, Elizabeth Bugbee

taught in District No. 1, and Elizabeth S. Godfrey in No. 4, the latter district having been formed in 1842, in the southwest part of the townshlp. Other early teachers in the township were :

1843 .- Loryette Smith, John Smith, Stephen Weeks.

1844 .- Sarah Whitman, Salina Whitman, Ada Whittemorc, W. R.

Harrison, Lois Reynolds, Jane Robinson, Luther B. Hun- toon, Phebe Holmes, F. Joshua Whitney, Jane Clark.

1845 .- Ilannah Miller, Lucy Dewey, Ezra Shearman, Betsy Hurd. 1846 .- Mercy Atwood, Joshua Whitney, George Phelps.

1847 .- Bradley F. Freeman, Sarah Miller, Sarah Lamb, Laura A. Rice, Richard II. Davis, Elizabeth A. Miller, Sarah J. Brakeman.

1848 .- Harriet E. Sanders, Ansel Covert, Martha A. Rolfe, Mrs. Mary J. Housel, Miranda Spaulding, Daniel HI. Blake, Elisha Smith, J. B. Freeman, Louisa A. Sprague, Susan Miller. 1849 .- Sally Edwards, Sarah L. Searl, Margamine Dubois, Amos Ilall, George F. Rice, Loisa Bert.#

In 1843 the books in use in District No. I were Web- ster's Speller, Testament, Hale's History, Smith's and Adams' Arithmetic, Olney's Geography, Kirkham's Gram- mar ; in No. 2, the English Reader, Spelling, Geography, and Arithmetic. A school-house was built that year in No. 3, partly by subscription, partly by tax on property.

The first building in District No. 1 was used for a time, and gave place to the brick structure which is now used as a chapel by the First Congregational Church. Sept. 9, 1871, this district was organized as a " Union" district, and it was voted to raise $1500 by tax to apply on a new school- building. The contract for building the house, which is a fine structure of brick, was awarded to Woodhouse & Rice for something over $10,000, and it was erected in 1867-68. About five years later a wing was added, on the south side, at an expense of about $3000. The entire cost of the building, including furniture, etc., was $15,000. The old brick edifice had been in use fifteen or twenty years before the new one was built. The school has six departments, in which the teachers for the school year of 1880-81 are: Principal, Henry C. Rankin ; Grammar Department, Miss Della Hutchings; First Intermediate, Miss D. Godfrey ; Second Intermediate, Miss Maggie Angevine; First Pri- mary, Mrs. Elsie Ilall ; Second Primary, Miss May Rice.

The school census of the district in the first week of September, 1880, was 376, and the fall term opened with an attendance of about 300. Mr. Rankin, the principal of the school, is a teacher of much experience. He was en- gaged four years at Cassopolis, and comes this year to Les- lie for the first time. His predecessor, C. A. Cook, held the reigns of government in this school for eight years, and is now at Dexter, Washtenaw Co.

From the report of the school inspectors for the year end- ing Sept. 1, 1879, are taken the following items :

Number of districts in township (whole, 8; frac- tional, 1) 9

66 of school-childreu in township .. 804

= in attendance for year

624

of school-houses (brick, 1 ; frame, 8) 9

of whole seatings in same ... 750

Value of school property.

$14,750 26

Number of teachers (male, 9 ; female, 17) ..

Wages of same (males, $1497.50; females, $1415) .... $2912.50

Total expenditures for year

5183.43

# Dr. J. B. Hull, now of the city of Lansing, was also an early teacher in Leslie.

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HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

Methodist Episcopal Church, Leslie .- The first Meth- odist sermon preached in Leslie was delivered by Rev. E. II. Pileher, probably in a private house, when the population of the place was exceedingly small. Leslie Circuit was or- ganized from Mason Cireuit, in 1868, and its pastors since that time have been Revs. B. S. Mills, one year ; A. A. Rolfe, three years ; H. D. Jordan, one year ; J. Guliek, three years ; N. L. Brockway, two years; and the present pastor, Rev. William J. Swift, two years, or since Septem- ber 15, 1878. The present membership of the church is 181, including probationers (Sept. 10, 1880). The Sun- day-school has an average attendance of about seventy-five, with Dr. A. C. Manly as superintendent. The present brick church is the only one ever owned by the society, and was built in 1869. Meetings had previously been held in the Baptist church and a publie hall. Other appointments on the circuit are at the Phelps school-house in Bunker Ilill, with about thirty in attendance at the Sunday-school ; and at the Baird school-house in Rives township, Jackson Co., where no class has yet been formed, but probably soon will be. A class which held meetings for some time in the Housel neighborhood, in Leslie township, has been recently closed.

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History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 64

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