USA > Michigan > Eaton County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 68
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 68
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t There are small ponds called " l'iekeret Lakes" on the farm of J. II. Kilbourne and on section 23.
· By Samuel W. Durant.
277
MERIDIAN.
There are quite extensive traets of marsh land along the Cedar River and the ontlet of Pine Lake, and also on seetions 14 and 23, in addition to those mentioned around the lake. These were originally mostly covered with a dense growth of American larch, or tamarack, black ash, elm, etc. Many of them are being drained, and such lands will eventually become valuable. Considerable peat probably abounds in many of these locations.
SOILS.
The soils of the township consist of light sandy lands, in some parts of clay and elay loam, and black vegetable mould in other places. The surface is what may be termed undulating, with few elevations of any magnitude, yet suf- ficiently above the streams to be easily drained, and fur- nishing the best quality of farming lands for the growth of the cereals, fruit, and vegetables. The fruit erop of 1880 is withont precedent, and thousands of bushels of magnificent apples are rotting upon the ground. The crop of grapes, peaches, and pears is also abundant for the amount of trees and vines in bearing.
Along the Cedar River is an extensive tract of bottom land, mostly heavily timbered, and the banks of the river are sometimes low and wet, and at other times high and bold. On the whole, the township is an excellent one, and contains many finely improved farms. Marl and potters' clay are found in considerable quantities.
Two railways traverse its borders, the Detroit, Lansing and Northern, put in operation in 1871, and the Chicago and Grand Trunk, of more recent construction. There are three stations and three post-offices in the township, -one station a mile south of Okemos village, one called Meridian, in the southeast corner of the township, and one called Pine Lake station, on section 11. There are post-offices af Okemos, Meridian, and Pine Lake. The post-office at Pine Lake is on section 10, and the station on section 11.
The following list shows the original land entries in the township, that of Eri Prince on section 21, in November, 1832, being the first in the connty :
ORIGINAL LAND ENTRIES.
Section 1 .- Henry Cleveland, April 3, 1837; Joseph Smith," April 21, 1837; Stephen Smith, April 21, 1837.
Section 2 .- Northwest fraction, 108.80 acres, Edward Eno, June 17, 1837.
Section 3 .- Obed Marshall, W. B. Clymer, Ansel Ford, Edward Eno, Ileury Cleveland, Samuel B. Smith, no date; but as early as 1837.
Section 4 .- llenry Cleveland, April, 1837; Jacob S. Thompson, 1847. Section 5 .- Hiram Wilmarth, April 4, 1837; Caleb Johnson, May 2,
1842 ; Philander Thompson, Warren Lawton, 1847; Ezra South- well, James E. Miller, no date.
Section 6 .- Henry Cleveland, April 3, 1837; Peter G. Miller, 1847; Alexander Tower, no date.
Section 7 .- liram Wilmarth, April, 1837; Moses Johnson, June 13, 1842; John Wigglesworth, July 2, 1845.
Section 8 .- Hiram Wilmarth, April 3, 1837; Henry Cleveland, April, 1837.
Section 9 .- lIenry Cleveland, Leland Green, April, 1837; lliram Wilmarth, April 4, 1837.
Section 10 .- John Rice, Jan. 18, 1837; llenry Cleveland, April 3, 1837.
Section 11 .- Ohed Marshall, November, 1836; Lyman Bayard, June, 1837; Cornelius Cole, Oet. 10, 1837 ; Chauncey Davis, July 25, 1840.
Section 12 .- John Storms, Samuel S. Moe, April 12, 1837; John A. Tanner, Cornelius Cole, Aug. 12, 1837 : James Smith, Stephen Smith, Merritt Hurman, William Henry, 1847.
Section 13 .- Dao. Matthews, September, 1837; John Raynor, Ste- phen M. Bayard, N. B. Laodford, Benjamin Gyle, Albert L. Bayard, Daniel E. Bayard, no date: John Saltmarsh, March 5, 1849.
Section 14 .- Nathan Stilson, Dec. 13, 1836; IIenry Cleveland, April 3, 1837.
Section 15 .- HI. M. and L. Matthews, Nov. 1, 1836; Jacob R. Kling, John L. Kling, Nov. 7, 1836; Edward Eno, Jun. 17, 1837 ; Rich- ard R. Sowle, March 20, 1840; R. Morton, Aug. 10, 1844; San- ford Marsh, 1847; Rufus D. Sowle, Othaiel H. Blandon, Oct. 12, 1848.
Section 16 .- School Jand.
Section 17 .- Iliram Owen, May 6, 1836; M. B. Martin, May 26, 1836; Amos Burdon, July 13, 1836; llenry Cleveland, April 3, 1837 ; William T. Rigby, 1847; Alonzo Proctor, Samuel D. Waters, no date.
Section 18 .- ITiram Owen, May 6, 1836; M. B. Martin, R. G. L. De Peyster, May 26, 1836.
Section 19 .- R. G. L. De Peyster, May 26, 1836; Philetus Birch, May 24, 1848.
Section 20 .- Milo P. Lampson, Oct. 23, 1835 ; M. B. Martin, May 26, 1836 ; R. G. L. De Peyster, May 26, 1836.
Section 21 .- Eri Prince, Nov. 9, 1832 ; Sanford Marsh, May 13, 1833; William II. Townsend, Sept. 13, 1835; Alvio Shedd, May 7, 1836; M. B. Martin, May 26, 1836; James Evans, July 11, 1836.
Section 22 .- R. G. L. De Peyster, May 26, 1836; John Leach, Jr., Jan. 18, 1837; Ansel Ford, Jr., Jan. 21, 1837; Moses Rider, Jan. 21, 1837.
Section 23 .- Henry Cleveland, April 15, 1837; Joseph H. Kilhourne, Aug. 27, 1841 ; Emily B. Larned, March 11, 1843; Caroline C. Bray, December, 1845 ; George W. Blandford, Levi Jenkins, no date; David A. Miller, April 9, 1847.
Section 24 .- Asa Rowe, Oct. 20, 1835; Henry Cleveland, April 3, 1837; John Mullett, 1847.
Section 25 .- De Garmo Jones, Dec. 7, 1832 ; M. P. Lampson, Oct. 20, 1835; Henry Morgan and John Allen, Nov. 4, 1836; Jonas S. Scott, no date.
Section 26 .- M. P. Lampson, Oct 20, 1835; II. Morgan and John Allen, Nov. 4, 1836 ; Milton Barney, April 18, 1836; M. B. Mar- tin, May 25, 1836 ; James Crane, July 11, 1836.
Section 27 .- Milton Barney, April 20, 1836.
Section 28 .- William II. Townsend, Sept. 23, 1835; John J. De Wolf, Nov. 1, 1836; B. B. Kercheval, Dec. 13, 1836.
Section 29 .- Silas C. Herring, Jan. 16, 1836; Marshall Smead, April 25, 1837; Washington Perry, July 2, 1841; Norris Morrison, Nov. 1, 1848.
Section 30 .- Alfred Miles, Jackson Roberts, Philander Thompson, Ira Thompson, Harvey Morehouse, Appleton Ballard, probably in 1847 ; Peek and Bush, April 24, 1848; Charles P. Bush, July 5, 1848.
Section 31 .- Charles Daniels, no date; George W. Peck, April 24, 1848; Charles P. Bush, July 5, 1848 ; Amnos Darras, Aug. 8, 1848; Frederick Hall, ao date.
Section 32 .- Silas C. Herring, Jan. 16, 1837; Samuel Callahan, 1847 ; Benjamin Hudson, no date; Joseph L. Hulse,. April 6, 1848; Thomas MeCurdy, April 6, 1848.
Section 33 .- Josiah A. Talbot, Nov. 1, 1836; Marshall Smead, April 25, 1837 ; A. Waldo, June 27, 1839; Washington Perry, July 2, 1841; M. W. Barnes, Oct. S, 1842.
Section 34 .- James Crane, July 11, 1836; W. H. and S. D. Bullock, Nov. 1, 1836; Byron Dimon, Nov. 1, 1836; Ira Culver, Sept. 26, 1839.
Section 35 .- H. Morgan and John Allen, March 4, 1836; James Crane, Jaly 11, 1836; John C. Waterman, Nov. 1, 1836.
Section 36 .- H. Morgan and John Allen, March 4, 1836; James Crane, July 11, 1836; Ira R. Grosvenor, Oct. 1, 1836.
* This should probably he James Smith.
278
HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
The resident taxpayers in the township of Meridian in 1844 were the following :
S. D. Alverson, Parley Davis, Lorenzo D. Johnson, Isaae Earle, Ben- jamin Earle, Caleb Johnsen, Asa D. Wilmarth, William B. Ham- ilten, George Haskins, John Moore, Martin F. Thomas, Ira Has- kins. Henry Cleveland, F. Davis, Chauncey Davis, Stephen M. Bayard. John G. Jeffries. George Matthews, Lyman Bayard, Daniel Matthews, R. D. Sowle, Runa Morten, O. Davis, O. E. Sowle, Melzor Turner, William I. Turner, Sanford Marsh, James Egbert, Jr., Freeman Bray, Jabesh Gilpin, S. Hall, J. 11. Kil- bourne, Mf. W. Barnes, Stowell Meech, Willard Baseom, Jehiel Church.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
The first settlers in the township were probably two brothers by the name of Marshall in 1837 or 1838, on the southeast quarter of seetion 3, on land now owned by George Culver. Obed Marshall entered land on this sec- tion in 1837, and was presumably one of the brothers. They were physicians by profession, and apparently had plenty of means, but we have not been able to learn any- thing of their antecedents. They ent pine timber on the east shore of Pine Lake, rafted it across the lake, and erected a log house a few rods south of where the dwelling of George Culver now stands. They brought in with them ten yoke of oxen, and had a number of hands employed. They cleared a small area, but whether they raised any erops tradition does not inform us.
About 1839 or 1840 they sold the property to Parley Davis, who was from the town of Greene, Chenango Co., N. Y., who cleared up a farm, and remained upon it until about 1852 or '53, when he sold to Benjamin Guile .*
Mr. Guile lived on the place until 1855, when he sold to George Culver, the present owner.
George Culver was born in Palmyra, Wayne Co., N. Y., in October, 1793, and is consequently at this writing, October, 1880, eighty-seven years of age; but no one who sees his well-preserved and active form would suspeet that he had scen " Yon weary sun twice forty times return," and seven years to spare.
Mr. Culver married, in 1824, Miss Olive Smith, of Luzerne Co., Pa., who was born in 1804.
When he settled on the banks of the beautiful lake where he now resides, the log house built by the Marshalls was still standing.
Mr. Culver has been twice a pioneer; once in 1825 in Farmington, Oakland Co., Mich., and a second time in Meridian, Ingham Co., for the country around l'ine Lake was almost a wilderness twenty-five years ago. The lake has a clean shore along his property.
James Smith, from Ohio, settled on section 1 about 1839, and died at his home about 1844-45. Ilis three sons now own the land entered by him in April, 1837.
Daniel Matthews settled on section 13 abont 1840. IIe and his wife both died in 1851, and are buried in the Okemos cemetery. He was the father of George Matthews, the first supervisor of the township, and long a prominent citi- zen. George Matthews was a farmer and mechanic, and was interested in building the plank-road from Lansing to
Detroit. Ile filled the office of county treasurer for four years, during which he resided at Mason.
Robert Russell Sowle was another early settler. The Sowle family were Quakers who removed from Nantucket, Mass., to Nine Partners, Saratoga Co., N. Y., where Robert R. was born in 1788. His father was a Quaker preacher. The family subsequently removed to Lenox township, Madison Co., N. Y., where Robert Daniel Sowle was born, June 4, 1815. In 1818 the family removed to Oxford, Chenango Co., and from there to Rochester, N. Y., from which latter place, in July, 1841, they removed to Meridian, Ingham Co , Mich., and settled on the north- east quarter of section 15, a mile southwest of Pine Lake.
Upon the death of the old gentleman, in August, 1841, R. D. Sowle purchased the interest of the heirs and kept the property until about 1864, when, on account of im- paired health, he sold to Freeman Doolittle. He had re- moved to Okemos in 1863 and entered into the mercantile business, where he remained for about two years, when he sold his Okemos property and removed to Detroit about 1866, where he was gate-keeper on the Detroit and Saline Plank-Road (formerly the Chicago road) and remained until 1870, when he returned to Okemos and bought the place where he now lives, on the bank of Cedar River.
Mr. R. D. Sowle married, in 1840, Miss Catherine, daughter of Dr. Gilbert Storms, a native of the Mohawk Valley, near Canajoharie.
Myron W. Barnes was born in Columbia Co., N. Y., in 1811. About 1835 he removed to Genesee County and from thence to his present residence on the southwest quar- ter of section 33, in 1842, arriving October 2d. On the 8th of October in the same year he entered at the govern- ment land-office forty aeres, to which he has since added forty acres. Ilis land was densely timbered, and he built the first log house between Okemos and the county farm the same fall. From the time he arrived until he had his house ready for occupation, his family were domiciled in the dwelling of Freeman Bray, at Okemos, then called Hamilton. His family then consisted of a wife and three small children. Mr. Barnes was a cabinet- and chair-maker by trade, and had never cut down a primeval forest-tree in his life when he sat down upon his land in Michigan. When his cabin was ready to " raise" he traveled two days to find men enough to help put it up.
Previous to coming West he had worked at his trade in New York and New England. His ancestors were orig- inally from Connectieut.
The county was almost entirely a dense wilderness in 1842, and wild animals were plenty, particularly deer, bears, and wolves. Mr. Barnes said " the bears carried off, first and last, more than fifty hogs in the neighborhood." There were no roads, and traveling was among the lost arts. In front of Mr. Barnes' residence is a fine row of loeust-trees, which he raised from the seed. IIe has also a large fruit- orchard and good improvements. Ile remembers his old trade, and still keeps a shop for doing his own repairing.
S. E. Jeffers settled on the northwest quarter of section 12 in 1844. His father is still living at an advanced age. A. D. Wilmarth settled probably about 1840 or 1811 on section 7, and Alanson Calkins about 1844 on section 8.
* The authority for the orthography of this name is R. D. Sowie ef Okemos.
279
MERIDIAN.
John Mullett, though not an carly actual settler in Merid- ian, was one of the first settlers of Michigan, and deserves more than a passing notice. He was originally from Rut- land Co., Vt., from whenee he removed to Genesee Co., N. Y., and thence to Buffalo, and from the latter place to Detroit, Mieh., in 1814. He was a noted surveyor, and his handiwork is in all portions of the Northwest. Scarcely a county in Michigan but he has set his compass along its lines, and he also did a great amount of surveying west of Lake Michigan. His son, J. H. Mullett, is also a prac- tical surveyor, and has done a large amount of work in his line in Ingham County.
Mr. Mullett, Sr., settled with his sons, in May, 1855, on section 25, and died on his place in 1861. He was a prom- inent and influential member of the Masonic fraternity. His sons, J. H. and C. F. Mullett, own large tracts of land on sections 24 and 25 in Meridian, and on section 32 in Williamstown.
Alonzo Proetor settled on section 17 in 1847, and A. L. Sturges, from Gencsee Co., N. Y., settled half a mile north of where he now lives, in 1849. Removed to his present location in 1865.
Isaac Cole was an carly settler, locating upon section 5 in 1843. He was one of the carly justices of the peace, and a prominent citizen.
John Saltmarsh, from England, settled on section 13 in 1848, and G. M. Towar located on seetion 6 in 1853.
J. H. Wilson was born in Cayuga Co., N. Y., in 1823. Removed to Lansing, Mich., in 1854. He had some prop- erty in Lansing which he had purchased in 1853. In 1855 he removed to Koscinsko Co., Ind., where he had a brother living, aud remained until 1858, when he returned to Ing- ham County and purchased land on section 21, Meridian township. There he resided until April, 1867, when he removed to his present location in the southeast quarter of section 28, where he now owns a farm of ninety-four acres, which is cut diagonally by the Detroit, Lansing and North- ern Railway.
S. R. Kent settled in Alaiedon in 1853, and removed to Meridian in 1855. Ilis father, Lewis Kent, was from Palmyra, Wayne Co., N. Y., and settled in Alaiedon in 1841. S. R. Kent was from Sodns, Wayne Co., N. Y.
Albert Case, from Portage Co., Ohio, settled on section 7 in Williamstown, in 1852. In 1854 he removed to his present location on section 12, Meridian township. The farm had been unoccupied for a period of eleven years pre- vious to his purchase. It was owned by a man from In- diana, but he failing to pay the purchase-money, and owing Mr. Case, the latter became the owner of the property, and has made it what it is to-day, with its various improve- ments. It was originally known as the Moe farm.
One of the largest and finest farms in the township and eounty is owned and oceupied by George B. Vanatta, a na- tive of Washtenaw Co., Mich. Mr. Vanatta settled in Locke township, Ingham Co., in 1856, and removed to his present home on section 13, Meridian township, in 1858. His first purchase of what constitutes a part of his present farm was from a man named Murphy, and he gradually added to it until at one time he owned 800 acres on sec- tions 11, 13, 14, and 23. He at present owns 550 acres,
mostly on sections 13 and 14. The farm is in a high state of cultivation, with excellent buildings and improvements. His elegant new brick mansion was erected in 1879. There are also three tenant-houses on the place. A peculiar fea- ture of his place is the fine double row of forest-trees lining the road north and south of his dwelling. All the outbuildings were also constructed by the present owner.
L. H. Stanton, who settled on seetion 35 about 1865, was an old resident of Alaiedon township.
G. W. and N. Phelps, on sections 34 and 35, were early settlers, and N. Cook and Alonzo Osborn, on 36, were also among the early ones.
James Woodworth settled abont 1863.
CIVIL ORGANIZATION.
The township of Meridian was organized by an aet of the Legislature approved Feb. 16, 1842. It had formed a part of the old township of Alaiedon since March 15, 1838. The first township-meeting was appointed at the house of George Matthews, where it was probably held in the spring of 1842. The old record covering the years 1842-44 has been destroyed by fire, and we have only the recol- lections of early settlers to aid us in furnishing the names of the earliest township officers. According to the state- ments of Joseph H. Kilbourne, Freeman Bray, M. W. Barnes, and others, though somewhat contradictory, we make ont the following list :
1842 .- Supervisor, George Matthews; Town Clerk, Lyman Bayard ;# Treasurer, William Davis; Justices, A. D. Wilmarth, Ly- man Bayard.
1843 .- Supervisor, Melzor Turner; Clerk, Wakeman B. Larned; Treasurer, M. W. Barnes ; Justices, same as before.t
1844 .- Supervisor, George Matthews; Clerk, Lyman Bayard ; Treas- urer, Sanford Marsb ; Justices, Lyman Bayard, A. D. Wil- marth, and probably Sanford Marsh.
1845 .¿- Supervisor, Joseph H. Kilbourne ; Town Clerk, Runa Morton ; Treasurer, Melzor Turner ; Justice, Isaac Carle.
1846 .- Supervisor, Stephen Hall ;¿ Town Clerk, Runa Morton ; Treas- urer, Melzor Turner; Justice, Alanson Calkins .¿
1847 .- Supervisor, Joseph If. Kilbourne ; | Clerk, Runa Morton ; Treasurer, Melzor Turner ; Justice, Lyman Bayard.
1848 .- Supervisor, Alanson Calkins; Clerk, Runa Morton ; Treasurer, Isaac Carle; Justice, Nathan Alverson.
1849 .- Supervisor, George Matthews;[ Clerk, Thomas Humphrey ; Treasurer, Chauncey Davis; Justices, Hiram D. Corey, Joseph L. Ifulse.
1850 .- Supervisor, George Matthews; Clerk, Thomas Humphrey ; Treasurer, Chauncey Davis; Justices, Stephen D. Alverson, Joseph L. Ifulse.
1851 .- Supervisor, Stephen Rogers; Clerk, Abner E. Richardson ; Treasurer, Runa Morton ; Justice, Orville Proctor.
1852 .- Supervisor, George Matthews; Clerk, Elijah Richardson ; Treasurer, Runa Morton ; Justice, Willard Bascom.
1853 .- Supervisor, George Matthews ;## Clerk, Myron W. Barnes; Treasurer, Samuel Carle; Justice, Nathaniel Smith.
# Mr. Bayard started overland for California about 1850, but got no farther than Salt Lake, where he died.
+ Isaac Carle may also have been one of the justices. The list for the first three years is necessarily imperfect.
į Forty-three votes cast.
¿ There was a tie between J. H. Kilbourne and Stephen Hall, which was decided by lot. Also between Alansun Calkins and Myron W. Barnes, decided in the same way.
|| A tie between Kilbourne and Sanford Marsh, decided by lot.
" Unanimously elected.
## Resigned, and Sanford Marsh appointed May 9, 1853.
280
HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
1854 .- Supervisor, John Mullett ;# Clerk, Myron W. Barnes; Treas- urer. Noah Phelps ; Justice, John G. Jeffers.
1855 .- Supervisor, Menzor D. Matthews; Clerk, Cyrus Alsdorf; Treas- urer. John A. Multett; Justices, John Marble, Augustus Sturgis.
1856 .- Supervisor, Menzor D. Matthews; Clerk, Myron W. Barnes ; Treasurer, John T. Bush ;; Justice, Caleb Thurber.
1857 .- Supervisor, Noab Phelps; Clerk, Mason D. Chatterton ; Treas- urer, Augustus Sturges ; Justice, Americus V. Edgerly.
I85S .- Supervisor, Augustus L. Sturges ; Clerk, Charles II. Darrow ; Treasurer, Jacob S. Thompson ; Justices, Nonh Phelps, Sylvanus Wnison.
1859 .- Supervisor, Myron W. Barnes; Clerk, Charles F. Mullett; Treasurer, Jacob S. Thompson ; Justice, George W. Piper. 1860 .- Supervisor, Charles 11. Darrow; Clerk, George W. Piper ; Treasurer, Jacob S. Thompson ; Justice, Jnines Northrup. 1861 .- Supervisar, Charles Il. Darrow; Clerk, Willard Bascom; Treasurer, Russell D. Sowle ; Justice, Philander Thompson. 1862 .- Supervisor, Charles H. Darrow ; } Clerk, Mason D. Chatterton ; Treasurer, Ezekiel F. Barnes ; Justice, Lawrence Meech.
1863 .- Supervisor, Nonb Phelps ; Clerk, Masou D. Chatterton ; Treas- urer, Horace C. Bigelow ; Justices, Georgo W. Piper, Morris S. Brown.
IS64 .- Supervisor, Charles II. Darrow : Clerk, Thomas Humphrey ; Treasurer, Collins Thurber; Justices, James Northrup, Syl- vanus Watson.
1865 .- Supervisor, Charles H[. Darrow ; Clerk, Thomas Humphrey ; Treasurer, Collins Thurber ; Justice, Ebenezer Walker.
1866 .- Supervisor, Charles II. Darrow ;} Clerk, Thomas Humphrey ; Treasurer, Collins Thurber ; Justice, Sherman W. Hammond. IS67 .- Supervisor, Augustus L. Sturges; Clerk, Thomas Humphrey ; Treasurer, Collins Thurber ; Justice, Sylvanus Watson.
1868 .- Supervisor, James F. Smiley ; Clerk, Thomas Humphrey ; Treasurer, John II. Mullett ; Justice, Charles M. Brock.
1869 .- Supervisor, James F. Smiley ; Clerk, Thomas Humphrey ; Treasurer, John II. Mullett; Justices, Daniel F. Betts, Thomas F. Powers.
1870 .- Supervisor, James Northrup; Clerk, Russell B. Callahan ; Treasurer, John H. Mullett; Justice, George Culver.
1871 .- Supervisor, Wesley Emery ; Clerk, A. F. Ferguson ; Treas- urer, John H. Mullett ; Justices, Sylvaous Watson, Samuel W. Ilammond.
1872 .- Supervisor, Wesley Emery; Clerk, A. F. Ferguson ; Trens- urer, John II. Mullett; Justices, Amos Orton, Spencer Burhans.
1873 .- Supervisor, Amos Orton ; Clerk, Flavius Thompson ; Treasurer, James F. Smiley ; Justice, Jeremiah J. Browo.
1874 .- Supervisor, Abram R. Blakely ; Clerk, Murray Orton ; Trens- urer, James F. Smiley ; || Justices, S. E. Jeffers, Runa Mor- ton.
1875 .- Supervisor, Amos Orton ; Clerk, Murray Orton ; Treasurer, A. F. Ferguson ; Justice, Henry A. Phillips.
1876 .- Supervisor, Amos Orton ; Clerk, Aaron Jones; Treasurer, George W. Weaver; Justice, John Fergusun.
1877 .- Sopervisor, Amos Orton; Clerk, J. J. Brown ; Treasurer, George W. Weaver; Justice, Joseph Il. Kilbouroc.
1878 .- Supervisor, Abram R. Blakely ; Clerk, Jeremiah J. Brown ; Treasurer, Jacob D. Greenman; Justices, Amos Ortou, Russell M. Cadwell.
1879 .- Supervisor, Origin D. Hardy; Clerk, Jeremiah J. Brown ; Treasurer, Jacob D. Greenman; Justice, Henry A. Phillips. 1880 .- Supervisor, Origin D. Hardy ; Clerk, James A. Hamilton ; Treasurer, Harvey Laphamu ; Justices, Samuel A. Robinson, Norman Cook ; Commissioner of Highways, Thomas Par- ker; Superintendent of Schools, W. F. Hewitt ; School In- spector, George F. Fuller; Drnin Commissioner, Emery
* Resigned, and Menzor D. Matthews appointed Sept. 9, 185 1.
t Died, and Augustus L. Sturges wos nppointed in his place Aug. 18, 1856.
# Resigned, and Sanford Marsh appointed Nov. 3, 1862.
Removed from township, and James F. Smiley appointed in his place Feb. 12, 1867.
Removed, and Thomas Parker appointed in his place.
Hardy ; Constables, William II. MeGivren, Hermann Cook, James W. Miller, George Northrup.
ITEMS FROM RECORD.
The first accounts, audited in 1845, were the following :
John Moore .. $1.00
Sanford Marsh 2.00
Asa D. Wilmarth 2.00
Jehial Church. 1.00
James Egbert .. 4.00
"Stoel" Mecch
2.00
John G. Jeffries 1.12
George Matthews .75
Total. $13.87
One hundred and fifty dollars were raised for contingent expenses in 1845.
The whole number of votes cast at the gubernatorial election io 1845 was thirty-five, of which eighteen were cast for Alphens Felch, and seventeen for Stephen Vickery, for Governor.
The whole number of votes cast in 1850 was 66; the whole number polled in 1860, at annual meeting, was 221; at the fall election, 227, of which the Republican cleetors received 127, and the Democratie 100.
WAR BOUNTIES.
In January, 1864, the electors of the township voted to pay $100 to each volunteer credited to the township, and authorized the town authorities to issue bouds to that effect. They also voted to reimburse those citizens who had con- tributed individually to the raising of funds for volunteers and their families. On the 8th of March, 1864, bonds were issued in favor of the following persons, or their repre- sentatives, who had enlisted : Watts S. Ilumphrey, Abel Buckingham, Stephen R. Tyler, D. N. P. Kelley, Jacob C. Haner, James W. Parks, Emery Hardy, William E. Johnson, William Cook, Fayette Meech, Cyrus H. Potter. At the town-meeting in April, 1864, the electors voted viva voce to pay each volunteer under the President's last call for 200,000 -men, " who is or may be credited to the township of Meridian, $100, payable in two years."
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