History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 75

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 75
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 75

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).

In 1844 (September), Mr. Page and family removed to Lansing. He afterwards returned to Mason, where both he and his wife subsequently dicd.

Amadon Holden, a native of Northfield, Franklin Co., Mass., settled in Vevay township, Ingham Co., Mich., in January, 1844. His wife, Olive Holden, who was born in Thetford, Orange Co., Vt., came with her husband to Vevay, where she died in January, 1874.

William H. Horton, whose sister was the wife of Peter Linderman, came to Michigan from Orange Co., N. Y., and settled in Ingham County, May 30, 1837, on the northeast fractional quarter of section 5, in the township of Vevay, the land having been entered for him in the summer of 1836 by Mr. Linderman. Mr. Horton at the time of his settlement was unmarried, but was afterwards married, and in September, 1841, his wife died. Soon after her death he went East and remained until the spring of 1843. In the fall of 1844 he was elected register of deeds for Ingham Connty, and served six years. In 1854 he removed to the west half of the northwest quarter of section 33, where he now resides, having lived in Mason from January, 1845, until 1854.

In the spring of 1836, Nathan Searl and two of his sons, Daniel and Elisha R., from Hampshire Co., Mass., came to Ingham County, and 160 acres of land were purchased in what is now Ingham township, and 320 acres in what is now Vevay, that in the latter including the west half of section 10. Elisha R. Searl remained until the fall in Ing- ham, and then came to Vevay and began improvements. The land in Ingham was entered at Detroit, and that in Vevay at Kalamazoo, the meridian-line having been the division between the portions of the State under the juris- diction of the land-offices at the two places. Daniel Scarl remained in Ingham township six years, and in 1842 re- moved to Vevay and settled where he now lives. When the Messrs. Searl first came to Vevay to locate land the

only house in the township was that of Lewis Laey, at Mason. From the place in Ingham, upon which they re- mained during the summer of 1836, the nearest honse was distant twelve miles, in the direction of Stockbridge and Jackson.

The first winter Daniel Searl was in Michigan he worked on the dam at Mason, which was located where the State road crosses Sycamore Creek, northwest of the present site of the Donnelly House. In the fall of 1836, Mrs. Searl, Sr., and ten children, with Abner Bartlett, a son- in-law, came to the county. The latter settled in Vevay, and the other members of the family in Ingham. Two of the daughters were married the next year (1837), and removed to the township of Dexter, Washtenaw Co. Nathan Scarl, the father of this large family, died in July, 1869 or 1870, aged eighty-two years; his wife's death had occurred abont sixteen years before. Of the entire family but four are now living,-Daniel, on section 15, in Vevay ; Merrick, on section 11, in Vevay ; Mrs. Otto Bignall and Mrs. Henry Hunt, both in the township of Vevay. Mrs. Bignail, who was one of the daughters married in 1837, is now a widow. Merrick Searl, who was but five years of age when the family settled, lived at first in the township of Ingham with his brother Danicl. Abont 1853 he por- chased the farin upon which he now resides. It was then wild, unimproved land, but will rank at present among the finest and best-improved farms in the township.

Hiram Parker, Esq., is a native of Washington Co., N. Y. When he was very young his father removed to Bennington Co., Vt., subsequently changing his place of residence to Mount Morris, Livingston Co., N. Y., and later to Eric County. June 10, 1836, Hiram Parker reached Ingham Co., Mich., looked for land, and purchased the place he now ocenpies, on section 13. He built the body of a log house, returned to his old home in Vermont, was married, and came back and settled with his wife in November, 1836 Mr. Parker's house is located on a hill, but he says it was twenty years before he could see through the timber to a neighbor's house.

When Mr. Parker went to Kalamazoo to locate his land he made bis application, but found so many ahead of him that it would be some time before his business could be attended to. He therefore made a trip to Illinois, and ex- amined the country south from Chicago for about forty-five. miles, not being much pleased therewith. On the shore of Lake Michigan he picked up a bed-cord which some pioneer had doubtless lost. He was accompanied by his. sister's husband, Jesse Monroe, a soldier of 1812 (now of Lansing), and a young man named Blois Hurd. They had a one-horse wagon, in which they carried their provisions. The streams were all very high, and they experienced much difficulty in getting throngh. In swimming Grand River- at what was afterwards known as Berry's bridge-they lost a portion of their provisions. Their route was along an Indian trail. Jesse Monroe settled in Clinton Connty, and Ifurd's father, Hinman IInrd, in the township of Vevay, Ingham Co.

When Mr. Parker went to Vermont to get married, he went by way of Dexter and returned the same way. Ile thinks that, had he known a tenth part of what his expe-

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HISTORY OF INGIIAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

rience was to be in the wilderness, he never would have asked anybody to come with him. He met Hinman Hurd at Troy, N. Y. Mr. Hurd had been out with the rest to look for land, but stayed at Jackson and allowed his son, Blois IIurd, to make the selection in his place. From Jackson he returned East, in company with Deacon Mer- ritt, and was moving West with his family when met by Mr. Parker at Troy. The latter bargained with him to come to his house in Vevay and put a roof upon it, but he (Hurd) found a vacant house in Ingham township belong- ing to HI. H. Smith, which he moved into and occupied while building a house for himself on section 25, in Vevay. Hle was in Vevay as a settler about two weeks before Mr. Parker returned, and was the first actual settler in the eastern part of the township. Mr. Parker was the second, and Charles Gray and family third. The nearest house was then that of a man living at the northern boundary of what is now the township of Henrietta, Jackson Co., about fifteen miles away.

II. H. Smith, formerly of Ingham township, and now a wealthy and prominent citizen of Jackson, had raised some corn on a farm he had taken south of Jackson. It was probably in 1836, and early in the next year he engaged Hiram Parker to go with him after some, paying him in the commodity he had the most of,-corn. Mr. Parker thinks he was then the richest man of the two, for he had a pair of boots and Smith wore rags on his feet. Mr. Smith was the first treasurer of Ingham County, and after his election removed to Mason, subsequently going to Lansing, and finally to Jackson. He has been a prominent man since his first settlement in Ingham County.

In June, 1837, Mr. Parker started for Dexter after flour. On the way he met a couple of nien who informed him there was none for sale, as they had tried to purchase some and failed. It had all been purchased by a specu- lator at Ann Arbor. Mr. Parker learned there was some at Scio, and to that place he at once repaired. He found that the supply there had also been bought for speculative purposes, but he finally purchased two barrels of it of the miller, who was not particularly friendly to the speculator. The money paid for it was that of the bank of which the speculator was president, and was of the nature known as " wildcat." The miller had specified that the flour must be paid for in " good Eastern money ;" but while Mr. Par- ker was looking his roll of bills over to see if he had the necessary amount (twenty-five dollars) of the article re- quired, the miller espied the " wildcat," and thought that was good enough for the man, as it was his own money. It was paid and Mr. Parker left with the flour. He had not reached home before he learned that the bank had failed and the money was of no account, and, as he had borrowed part of it, he considered he had procured his two barrels of flour at a very fair bargain. Very soon after making the purchase he learned that the price of flour had been raised to seventeen dollars per barrel.

After the county election in 1838 (the first after organi- zation ), it was provided that the board of county canvassers should meet to canvass the votes at the county-seat, or at the nearest house thereto. The county-seat, which had been laid out in the northeast part of the township, on sec-

tions 1 and 12, was a fine-looking place-on paper; but no improvements had been made nor county buildings erected, and the board met at the house of Iliram Parker, as the nearest to the county-seat. Charles Thayer & Co., the pro- prietors of the land on which the scat of justice for Ingham County had been located, built a log house at the locality, but it was never occupied for dwelling purposes, and the hopes of the projectors of the " county-site" were destined to be dashed to earth. Their proposed city was soon for- gotten, and the thrifty village of Mason sprang up farther west, which became the county-seat in 1840.

Charles Gray, from the town of Columbia, Herkimer Co., N. Y., started for Michigan, May 28, 1834, and set- tled with his family in Lenawee County. In November, 1836, they removed from Lenawee to Ingham County, and settled in this township. Mrs. Gray, who was formerly Mrs. Hawley, had two children by her first husband,-Henry A. and Calvin Hawley ; and Henry, with her other children, -Eliza, Manly, and Emeline Gray,-accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Gray to Michigan and to Ingham County. Calvin came about a year later, and afterwards settled in Van Buren Co., Mich., where he died. Upon coming to Vevay the family located east of the present residence of Henry A. Hawley, on the farm now occupied by Mrs. John E. Spencer. Mrs. Gray died Sept. 3, 1839, and Mr. Gray in August, 1845.

Mrs. Spencer was formerly Mrs. Manly Gray, she hav- ing been married to him in February, 1846. They re- mained on the old farm of his father. Manly Gray died Nov. 1, 1865, and his sister Emeline, afterwards Mrs. Loren Rice, of Leslie, died in 1863. The other sister, Eliza, married Daniel Potter, and is now living in Bunker Hill township. Mrs. Manly Gray was afterwards married to John E. Spencer. She is a daughter of Silas Holt, who settled in the township of Bunker Hill in October, 1843, and is one of a family of nine children. Mr. Holt was the first to enter land in that township, but did not settle until the time stated.

Henry A. Hawley is still residing in the township, and has been one of its most prominent citizens and success- ful farmers. His home was always open to all, and a generous welcome was accorded them. Mr. Hawley's land was entered July 23, 1836, on sections 14 and 23. The old homestead is now the property of his son, Adelbert A. Hawley.

The following narrative of the early settlement and trials of the family, with the accompanying incidents, was written by Mr. Ilawley especially for this work, and will be interesting to the old settlers, and to all who may read it. The experience of the family was similar to that of many others, hence it is not necessary to write the same of all.

"On the 28th day of May, 1834, my stepfather, Charles Gray, and my mother, tormerly the wife of Stephen Itawley, together with their three children,-Eliza, Manly, and Emeline,-and my mother's sister, all of whom afterwards married and settled in this county, in com- pany with myself, left Herkimer Co., N. Y., on board a line-bont on the Erie Canal to seek nur fortunes in Michigan, then known as the 'far West.' We arrived nt Buffalo in due time; took passage on the steamer ' Daniel Webster' for Detroit, which we reached late on the evening of June 4th, after a very rough voyage of thirty-six hours. On The morning of the 5th we engaged touins to take us and our goods

James Futter

Mary J Fuller

JAMES FULLER.

James Fuller was born in Bristol, Grafton Co., N. H., Oct. S, 1809. His father's ancestors were New England Puritans. His father was James Fuller, son of Nathaniel Fuller, who was commander of a vessel during the Revolutionary war, was taken prisoner hy the British, put on board a ship hound for England, and lost at sea.

James Fuller, senior, was born at Ipswich, Mass., in 1770. He went when a young man to Grafton Co., N. H., where he married Hannah Kidder. She was born in Bristol, Grafton Ce., in 1775. She was descended from Scotch-Irish ancestry, and was the daughter of John Kidder, who, at the age of sixteen, entered military service at the beginning of the French- and-Indian war, and afterwards served through most of the Revolutionary war. Early in 1815, James and Hannah Fuller removed with their family of eight children to Elha, Genesee Co., N. Y., and continued to reside there until the time of their death.

As Western New York was a wilderness at the time his father's family settled there, the subject of this sketch hecamc accustomed at an early age to the hardships of a pioneer life. These experiences were valuable to him when, in 1856, he settled upon a new and densely wooded farm in Vevay, Ingham Co., Mich., where he now resides. With the exception of four winters when he taught school, his whole life has been spent in farming. He early formed the opinion that it is the duty of every person to use all fair and reasonable means for self-support, and resolved that the world should be no worse for his living in it. This resolution, firmly kept, had much influence in the development of a character that inherited great strength and activity, and resulted in the enterprise and public spirit which have marked his maturer years. He has always taken an active interest in politics, and has frequently held office in his township, hoth in New York and in Michigan. He was identified with the Whig party until it ceased to exist. When the Republican party was organized he immedi- ately joined its ranks, and has ever since remained an ardent Republican.

James Fuller was married to Mary Page, Nov. 13, 1834, at Elba, Gene- see Co., N. Y.

Mary Page was born in Danbury, Grafton Co., N. H., Sept. 14, 1813. She was left an orphan at an early age, being the youngest of a family of seven. She resided in New Hampshire until November, 1830, when she went to Western New York, and engaged in teaching until she was married. Her married life has been constantly occupied in the care of her large family, with the additional labor demanded by the maintenance of a boarding- school for a long term of years; yet, amid all her cares, she has preserved a good degree of health and cheerfulness. Prudent, industrious; and eco- nomical, she is a true daughter of New England, and in every way worthy of her Puritan ancestry.

Mary Page's father, John Page, was born at South Hampton, Rocking- ham Co., N. H., in 1768. His ancestors were New England Puritans. His grandfather Page was a soldier in the French-and-Indian war, and died in the army. His father, Onesiphorous Page, was a farmer, and by his industry and energy was edahled to give his large family excellent educa- tional advantages. The family removed to Salisbury, N. H., when Joha, the oldest son, was a young man. He began teaching when quite young, and continued in the profession during the greater part of his life, number- ing among his pupils Daniel Webster and other members of the Webster family. He also took an active part in political life, serving as member of the Legislature in the newly-formed republic.

Mary Page's mother, Katy Telford, was born in Alexandria, Grafton Co., N. H., May 3, 1774. Her ancestors were Scotch Disseuters who fled te Ireland in times of persecution. Her grandfather, John Telford, came from Ireland to America when he was about twenty years of age, and

settled at Chester, N. HI. He married Janc McMurphy, who belonged to an influential family of that place. Their oldest son, Joshua, father of Katy Tolford, was born at Chester, N. H., in 1738, and was educated at a grammar school. He was employed for some time as a provincial sur- veyor in the northern counties of New Hampshire, and hecame a pioneer of Grafton County, building the first three mills that were erected in that county. During the carly part of the Revolutionary war he was a mem- ber of the Committee of Safety, and later was a member of the General Court of New Hampshire. While acting in the latter capacity his courage and ability enabled him, on one occasion, to render his State important service by confronting and dispersing a moh of discontented, unpaid soldiers, who had surrounded the State-house and were demanding their pay in something better than the depreciated Continental money. He married Elizabeth Smith, of Bradford, N. 11., whose brothers, Robert and Adam, and brother-in-law, Col. John Orr, were soldiers in the Revelu- tionary war. Elizabeth Smith's mother was Katy McCurdy, who, in coming from Ireland to America with her father's family, had a perilous voyage of six months, seven of the family dying of ship fever.

James and Mary Fuller have had a family of six sons and five daugh- ters. One son, born Aug. 17, 1839, died Sept. 8, 1839. One daughter, Catherine E., horn Oct. 8, 1845, died April 13, 1850. Nine of the family came with their father and mother to Ingham Co., Mich. Their names are Emma J., horn Aug. 25, 1835; Benjamin P., born July 13, 1837; Nancy S., horn Oct. 26, 1840; Ahbie B., bern May 16, 1843; James L., hora April 1, 1848; Alice M., hern Jan. 5, 1851 : Otis and Emmett, bern July 14, 1853; and Haven S., born Feh. 9, 1856. Benjamin went to California in the autumn of 1857, and died in that State, at. Moore's Flat, Nevada Ce., July 26, 1864. Emmett died at home, May 15, 1875, and was at the time of his death a member of the senior class at the Michigan Agricultural College. Abhie was married, June 15, 1863, to Dr. G. A. Corbin, of St. Johns, Clinton Co., Mich., and still resides in that place. She has two sons. Arthur and Hollis. James L. was married, Oct. 24, 1877, to Phobe Polar, of Winchester, Winnebago Co., Wis. He is en- gaged in mercantile business in Mason. Haven was married, May 5, 1880, to Della Ryan, of Mason, Mich. He is teller of the First National Bank of Mason. Otis hecame editor of the Ingham County News in September, 1876, and remained in that business until August, 1880. Four of the family have heen teachers. From 1865 to 1875, the oldest danghter, Emma J., taught a small academic school in the Fuller farm-house, where the five younger children received the most of their education. This school was also at- tended hy pupils from Mason and the surrounding country, and aimed especially to stimulate teachers to a more thorough preparation in the lements of a practical education.

Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Fuller were brought up in a rigid adherence to orthodox tenets, and early hecamc members of the Methodist Church ; but later in life their views became more liberal, and they withdrew from that organization, maintaining that a well-ordered life is the best fruit of true Christian endeavor.

Early privatien and life-long industry, frugality, and temperance have given to their social life a true democratic simplicity ; yet they have freely aided benevolent enterprises, bestowing upon the needy with ready sym- pathy, and showing toward human weakness the broadest charity. They have always entertained with a generous and informal hospitality ; and the many friends that have gathered under their roof have contributed in a great measure to the attraction of a home in which a large family of chil- dren have grown to manhood and womanhood, acknowledging a most grate- ful allegiance to the father and mother who are still its vitalizing centre.

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VEVAY.

to Adrian, where we arrived Saturday evening, June 7th. There we were met by Dr. P. J. Spaulding aod wife, who tendered their hospi- tality over Sabbath, which we gladly accepted. The dector wns a Ilerkimer County man, of whom further mention will be made.

"The next thing in order was to see some other old acquaintances and friends, among whom were IIelden Colgrove and family, whom nearly every pieneer of Western Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties will remember for their many acts of kindness and hospitality, after which we looked about for a dwelling-place.

" Our steek in trade was ss follows : father had about $150 all told, Aunt Warner $30, and I $23, the earnings of the previous year's labors, before which time I had been a bound-out boy.

" About eight miles southwest of Adrinn was the nearest govern- ment land, not of the best quality, but of which we were willing to accept a piece. Accordingly, father started for the land-office at Monroe, fifty miles distant, and located eighty acres for himself and forty acres as the joint property of myself and aunt, but in my name, women not having quite as high notions of their rights at that time as at the present day. When we were all ready to commence the manu- facture of stumps (the land was timbered), one of our neighbors discovered an error in the duplicates of our deeds which gave me a title to one-half of my father's and at the same time gave him a title to the next eighty west of us, which was not so good as that which had been selected. Thus it was necessary to make anether trip to Monroe, and that at once, inasmuch as there was danger that some one else might locate the desired land. I made the necessary journey, had the error corrected, and started anew. Fortunately we were blessed with neighbors just across the way, or what was expected to be the way, an old bachelor, Elias Wilder, and his sister, who kindly took us in and gave us all the accommodations of their home, consisting of a medium-sized log house, not chinked, with floors above and below of loese boards. There was no stove nor anything of the kind. Our kitchen was quite roomy, being by the side of a big oak løg just in front of the house, having for a roof a slight covering of elm-bark. In this way my mother, a feeble woman, did the work for a family of six for three months, doing her baking with an old- fashioned tin oven, an article familiar to all the carly settlers who were not able to bring stoves with them. During this time my father and myself, by hiring a few days' work, built a log house, chopped and cleared three acres, and sowed it to wheat. I would say that I never worked harder, and that, too, for ten dollars per month.

" In October I went down towards Toledo, and werked one mouth on a government road at sixteen dollars a month and found. This was the biggest wages I had ever received. The government at this time (fall of 1834) was building a road through the cotton-wood swamp, a distance of six miles, all of which had to be causeway except four rods. Soon after returning home, a man by the name of Stebbins came to let me a job to chop and clear five acres, also to clear five aeres upon which the timber had already been chopped and the brush piled, for which he would give me fifty dollars and what spring erops I could raise, paying me the money then, by which means I could get forty acres of govern- ment land. There were still eighty acres joining mine, and hy getting the froot forty the rest would probably remain until I could buy it. This looks like working pretty cheaply, yet the land when located would be considered worth $100. This transaction was a good one for Stebbins and myself also. Although I did a great deal of work for the money, still it paid, considering the investment. The following spring and summer being very wet, I put only a part of the land into crops.

" This brings us to the fall of 1835, the first sommer in Michigan, and before we were settled mother became somewhat homesick. One day Dr. Spaulding came along, and noticing that she appeared a little downhearted, inquired the cause. She told him frankly what was the matter, that she feared that if any of us were sick we must see pretty hard times. To which the doctor replied, ' Aunt Olive, I think you quite as likely to be siek as any one of the family, and if you are sick any time within three years I will carry you through one course of sickness, provided you settle within ten miles of Adrian.' We settled within eight miles of Adrian. The doctor was as good as his word, and attended her through a severe run of bilious fever free of charge.

" Dr. Spaulding is still living at Adrian, having resided there some fifty years, and for many years was the very salt of the town.

" In the fall of 1835, I had been away at work through the week, coming home quite late Saturday evening. The following Snuday

morning our neighbor Wilder informed me that in all probability another neighbor had sent by mail to locate the forty acres of land of which I have before spoken, and, as the mail would not reach Mouree until four o'clock on Monday, there was a chance for me to head him off. After thinking of the matter for a short time, I concluded to make the effort. I knew of a man who had some money, and wanted some chop- ping done. I decided that my best chance was to try him for a job of chopping, and after considerable delay completed a bargain for chop- ping ten neres for forty dollars, he to board me one week for each nere, and also to lend ten dollars to pay for the forty acres, provided I would get Wilder for security. Wilder was three miles away, and no time to be lost, as the day was nearly spent ; but I succeeded in getting to him, and obtained the money. After dark I started for the land-office, fifty miles away, with fifty dollars to pay for the land, seventy-five cents for expenses, not daring to ask for more than the even fifty dollars to pay for the laud. I arrived nt Adrian just as the people were returning frum church, atter evening services, and met Dr. Spaulding, who in- quired why I was there at that time. When I informed him of my basi- ness, he remarked that if I got footsore, and was not likely to get to Monroo before the mail did, I had better hire a horse; to which I re- plied that I was too short of money to do that. 'Come in,' said the doctor. I went into the house, and he handed me five dollars, saying, ' I have use for all the money I have in a day or two, but use what you need, and return me the rest when you come back ; but de net fail to get to Monroe before the stage.'

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History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 75

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