History of Jackson County, Michigan, Part 93

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago [Ill.] : Inter-state Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1166

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James W. Newbury; P. O., Hanover; was born in Whitehall, New York, Aug. 30, 1833; son of Marcena J. and Betsy P. (Fuller) Newbury, natives of New York; the former of German ancestry, and the latter of English. He was brought to this county by his parents in 1844, who settled in Calhoun county, and came to this county in 1859. Mr. N. was married to Climena M. Walter Dec. 29, 1861, daughter of Grove and Patty (Larkin) Walter. They have 5 children-Willie E. J., Arthur, Frank W., Minnie J., and Murray C. In politics Mr. N. is a Republican.

D. W. Peabody, a highly esteemed business man of Hanover, was born in Tonawanda, Niagara Co., N. Y., Oct. 15, 1846; attended common school winters until 1860; engaged in business until 1866, when he went to school again, and finally gradnated at Goldsmith's College, Detroit, in 1867. He married, and in 1873 came to Han- over, where he has since resided, engaged in the grain and other commercial business, and prominently identified with public enter- prises of the place.

William Perrott; P. O., Horton; was born in England and is a son of John Stanford and Agnes (Dunning) Perrott, of English ancestry. He was married March 7, 1834, to Maria Rowe, daugh- ter of James and Jane (Fewins) Rowe. He came to this country

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HANOVER TOWNSHIP.

in November, 1849, and stopped in the town of Albion, N. Y., where he remained for a period of three years, working in a fonn- dry and on the railroad; went from there to Indiana and worked on the Wabash R. R. three years; then traded for 40 acres of land in Kalamazoo county and moved upon it. In 1861 he traded for his present place in this county, and in 1862 moved here. Mr. and Mrs. P. have had 6 children, 5 of whom are living, viz .: James, Agnes, Ellen M., Jane and William.

Joseph B. Reed; P. O., Horton; was born in Massachusetts, July 25, 1807, son of Benjamin and Betsy (Reed) Reed, the former a native of Rhode Island and the latter of Massachusetts. He was married Dec. 24, 1832, to Mary A. Pickett, who died March 2, 1861. March 27, 1863, he married Charity Crego, widow of Abraham Crego, who died Sept. 17, 1869. Of his 10 children 7 are living. Mr. R. came to this county in 1836, and settled in what is now known as Henrietta tp .; returned to the East the same year, and in 1850 came back, stopping a few months in Henrietta tp., then came to Hanover and settled in sec. 11; in 1864 he moved to sec. 13, same tp., where he still resides.

Charles E. Snow; P. O., Hanover; was born in Rochester, N. Y., Dec. 7, 1835, son of Charles W. and Samantha (Pette) Snow. He was brought to this township by his parents in 1852, where he followed school-teaching till 1872. He then commenced the study of law, and was admitted to the Bar June 26, 1879. He received a liberal education, and was married March 14, 1859.

Alfred R. Snyder; P. O., Horton; was born in this county, Oct. 27, 1838, son of Lewis and Polly P. (Peterson) Snyder, the former a native of New York and of German ancestry, the latter a native of Massachusetts, of English ancestry. He was married to Asenath Mitchell, Aug. 19, 1863, danghter of Richard and Elsey (Smades) Mitchell. He was reared on a farm, but in 1860 he pur- chased the grist-mill at Baldwin's Station, and moved to the village. In 1864 he added a saw-mill, to be run in connection with the grist-inill; in 1865 he was appointed Postmaster and served five years. In politics he is a Democrat.

Dr. Isaac Snyder; P. O., Horton; was born in Steuben county, N. Y., July 4, 1818, son of Lewis and Mary (Dingman) Snyder, natives of New York, and of German ancestry. He was reared on a farm and was brought by his parents to this county in 1834 and set- tled in sec. 32, Summit tp. He was married to Jane Vunck, May 11, 1842, who died Dec. 15, 1858. Mr. S. was married again Oct. 22, 1860, to Sarah Wait, daughter of Duty and Hannah (Wills) Wait. In 1845 he commenced the study of medicine at Rush Medical Col- lege, Chicago, graduated in 1847 and commenced practice in Sum- mit tp. In the fall of 1850 he opened a drug store in the city of Jackson, which business he continued for a period of two years. In 1854 he moved upon his farm, where he still continued his practice. In 1872 he moved to Hanover tp., and settled in the village of Horton; at one time he was elected Justice of the Peace and served

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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

two terms; was re elected the third term and refused to be qual- ified; has been a Notary Public for the last 20 years. In politics he is a Liberal.

Lewis Snyder, Jr .; P. O., Horton; is a brother of the preceding, and was born in Otsego county, N. Y., Sept. 2, 1812. He came to this State in 1834, stopping in Washtenaw county four months, and engaged in the brick-making business. In the fall of the same year he came to this county, and settled in the tp. of Spring Arbor, where he remained 43 years, then removed to Hanover tp. He was married Feb. 6, 1837, to Polly Peterson, daughter of Simon and Sallie (Halstead) Peterson; of their S chil- dren, 7 are living-Alfred R., Sarah M., Charles L., William H., Daniel S., Eliza P. and Margaret J. In politics he is a Democrat.

Charles S. Stone; P. O., Horton; was born in Vermont, Nov. 20, 1810, son of Nathan and Clarissa (Smith) Stone, the former a native of Massachusetts, of English and Scotch ancestry, the latter a native of Vermont. He came to this State in 1831 and settled in Ann Arbor and followed his trade of cabinet-maker three years, returning to New York winters, and back in the spring. He came to Hanover tp. in 1834 and settled on sec. 3. He was married Nov. 20, 1834, to Sarah E. Brown; of their S children, 6 are living-Julia M., Mary H., Adelia S., Elmira J., Albert N. and Orlando C.

Cornelius Sullivan was born in Ireland in 1791, son of Jeremiah and Mary (Sullivan) Sullivan, natives of Ireland. He was married in December, 1827, and emigrated to this country in 1829 and set- tled in Rhode Island, where he remained for a period of eight years. He then moved to this State and settled in Washtenaw county, and in 1845 he moved to this eounty and settled on sec. 23, Hanover tp., where he died May 26, 1871, leaving a family of 9 chi.dren- 7 boys and 2 girls. He accumulated considerable property, leav- ing 932 acres to be divided among his heirs.

William Sullivan; P. O., Hanover; was born in this tp. Nov. 8, 1851, son of Cornelius and Margaret (Murphy) Sullivan, natives of Ireland and of Irish ancestry. He was reared on a farm and received a common-school education. Oct. 13, 1875, he married Frances E. Wiley, daughter of Alex. M. and Cordelia C. (Adams) Wiley. They have 2 children-Cornelins M. and Charley A. In politics Mr. S. is a Democrat.

Henry E. Thompson; P. O., Stony Point; was born in Hanover on sec. 31, June 26, 1844, son of Oren D. and Isabel (Sweet) Thompson, the former a native of Connecticut and the latter a native of New York. He was reared on a farm and received a common-school education. He was married June 26, 1872, to Josephine B. Underhill, daughter of Cornelius and Maria (Covell) Underhill, and they have 1 child. Mr. Thompson's father came to this county from Connecticut in March, 1836, and settled on sec. 31, Hanover tp., where he resided until his death, which oc- cu red April 5, 1877; he was a member of the Congregational

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HANOVER TOWNSHIP.

Church and established the first Sabbath-school in this tp. He also taught the first day-school in this tp., in a log school-honse which was located on the present site of the village of Hanover, and the only pay he received was a soap barrel which his son has now in his possession. In politics he was a Republican and a useful member of society.

James. L. Thorn is the son of Thos. S. and Polly ( Brayman) Thorn, and was born in Middleburg, Schoharie Co., N. Y., Nov. 15, 1816; lived in that and Albany counties until 18 years old; then, in company with an older brother. Wm. B. Thorn, emigrated to Western New York and lived in Monroe and Livingston counties three years. In September, 1837, he walked from Caledonia, Livingston Co., to Buffalo, took passage on the steamboat Colum- bus across Lake Erie to Toledo, then rode on the new railroad to Adrian, which was its terminus at that date, thence tramped to Jacksonburgh, Marshall and Battle Creek, and to Thornapple river, four miles south of the present site of Middleville, Barry Co. This region was then nearly an unbroken wilderness, and attached to Kalamazoo county for judicial purposes. He purchased 120 acres of Government land, returned to Scottsville, Monroe Co., N. Y., where he was married in the town of Caledonia, November, 1837, to Tamson Bowerman, daughter of Seth and Mary Bower- man. In April, 1838, Mr. T. started with others to emigrate to Michigan; took passage on the steamboat New York from Buffalo to Detroit, thence to Ypsilanti, which was as far as the M. C. R. R. was completed. He hired a team to move his few goods to Yankee Springs, Barry Co. At that date four tps. were in one, called Thornapple. He arrived at the house of one Calvin Hill, May 1, 1838, built a log house on his land, one and a half miles from the nearest neighbor; Indians were more plenty than whites, but were friendly until they contracted the habit of drink- ing Michigan whisky. Mr. Thorn was chosen to a tp. office, and held various positions in transacting tp. business during his nine years' residence there. At the first term of court held in Hastings, he was a member of the grand jury and appointed its clerk. His eldest child, who is now the wife of John A. Hatch, was the first white female child born in Yankee Springs. The second child, Louisa A., was born in Yankee Springs, and died at Marengo, Calhoun Co., aged three years; the third child, Thomas D., lives now at Mosherville, Hillsdale Co., Mich; the fourth, Caroline L., is now the wife of A. N. Stone, of Horton, Jackson Co., Mich .; all these were born in Barry county. Mr. T. removed to Jackson county in February, 1848, and lived in Parma, near Deveraux Sta- tion, one year. Then bought a farm and removed to this town in February, 1849. Here their 2 children, Mary S. and Romine A., were born; Mary is the wife of W. F. Gildersleeve, of Spring Arbor, and Romine A. is living in this vicinity on a farm. Mr. Thorn was Highway Commissioner three years; Justice of the Peace, eight years; Postmaster, four and one-half years, resigned that position on account of long-continued ill health; was a mem-

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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

ber of the Republican County Committee three years, and is now a Notary Public. He has been engaged in farming generally, and for the last six years, in connection with his son, managed a store of general merchandise in this place at Baldwin's Station, 11 miles southwest of the city of Jackson.

Marlin Tripp; P. O., Horton; was born in Niagara county, N. Y., March 31, 1821, son of Abiel and Sarah (Mills) Tripp, the former a native of Vermont, and of Welsh ancestry. He was raised on a farm, brought to this county by his parents in 1832 and settled on sec. 3, Hanover tp. He was married Jan. 1, 1846, to Laura J. Stone, daughter of Nathan H. and Julia A. (Fenn) Stone, natives of Vermont. They have 1 child-Orville S. Mr. Tripp was elected to the office of Township Treasurer in 1854, and served one term; in 1856 he was appointed to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Andrew Brown. In politics he is a Democrat.

Alva Van De Bogart; P. O., Hanover; was born in Genesee county, N. Y., June 27, 1825, son of John and Polly (Springer) Van De Bogart, the former a native of New York, and of Holland ancestry, the latter a native of New Hampshire. He was brought to this State by his parents in 1836, and settled in Washtenaw county. In the fall of the same year they moved to this county and settled in Hanover tp., where he still resides. He was mar- ried May 4, 1850, to Mary A. Van De Bogart, daughter of Fran- cis and Polly Van De Bogart. In politics he is a Republican.

Franklin Wheaton; P. O., Hanover; was born in this township Nov. 29, 1847; son of Samuel and Clarissa (Carpenter) Wheaton. He was married to Esther E. Birdsall June 23, 1872, daughter of Steven and Serena (Eddy) Birdsall. He loaded the first car-load of wheat that left Hanover by the Fort Wayne, Jackson & Saginaw railroad; it was shipped to New Hampshire. He is a Democrat.

Zebulon T. Wheaton; P. O., Horton; was born in Steuben county, N. Y., April 20, 1817, son of Samuel and Phebe (McCoy) Wheaton, of New York, and of English ancestry. He came to this State in 1830, and for 10 years he worked on a farm. He was married in 1840 to Laura Abel, who died May 23, 1849. He was married again June 10, 18-, to Eliza Cobb, daughter of John and Hannah (Lawery) Cobb, natives of Vermont, of English and Scotch ancestry. He made a trip twice to California, traveling overland, and once by way of the Isthmus. He is a member of the Free Methodist Church, and in politics is a Democrat.

Henry Wickman: P. O., Hanover; was born in Prussia Aug. 19, 1812, son of Frederick and Mary (Greener) Wickman, the former a native of Prussia and the latter of Saxony. He was brought to this country by his parents in 1820 and settled in Penn- sylvania, where they remained until 1826, then moved to New York. He came to this county in 1835 and settled on sec. 26, where he still resides. When he landed in the State of Michigan he had but 50 cents in his pocket, and has received no help from any one; to-day he is considered a wealthy farmer. He was mar- ried Nov. 27, 1845, to Emeline Thompson, who died Nov. 24,

William

Clapp

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HANOVER TOWNSHIP.

1849; he was married again June 5, 1853, to Mary Strong, daugh- ter of Ansel and Mary S. (Sanborn) Strong. Mr. and Mrs. Wick- man have 3 children-William E., Frank H. and George S. Mr. W. participated in the war between this State and Ohio, known as the Toledo war. In politics he is a Republican.

Henry Wooden; P. O., Stony Point; was born in Monroe county, N. Y., Sept. 13, 1835, son of Robert and Lydia (Sickner) Wooden. He was raised on a farm, and received a common- school education. He was brought to this State by his parents in 1846, who settled in Lenawee county, and moved from there to this county in 1877. Mr. W. was married in December, 1866, to Sarah A. Houghtaling, daughter of Benjamin and Gertrude (Har- der) Houghtaling, and their 2 children are Robert B. and Irving. Mr. W. is Postmaster at Stony Point.

HENRIETTA TOWNSHIP.

The first settler in Henrietta was John Baptiste Barboux, an Indian trader. He was there in 1831, and said he had lived there 15 years, or since 1816. His home was on the east side of the lake called Baptiste lake. He had more goods than there were in Jack. son. At this time, October, 1831, he was plowing for wheat. John Davison and Robert Davison built a saw-mill on the inlet of Bap- tiste lake. John Westren came and bought 1,800 acres of land around Pleasant lake, divided it into six farms, and built on them in the spring of 1836. That summer he had families living on them. The same year Alfred Hall, Sherlock Patrick, Thomas Tanner and James Suylant, with their families, together with Abram Bunker and E. Doggett, made their settlement. About the same time Job Archer, Rowland Tanner. H. H. Hurd, Atwater Hurd, Edward Southwell and John Snyder came and settled with their families. Mr. Prescott moved from Rives into Henrietta in the winter of 1841-'2.

William Martin settled at White's lake in Henrietta early in 1852. The lake was named in honor of R. R. White, who settled near it in 1836. The early settlers in the vicinity of White's lake were Messrs. R. R. White, Snyder. Roland Tanner, Warren Tanner, Gilbert Cole, Jesse Hurd, Harry Hurd, John Walsh, Samuel Pres- cott, Samnel Nicoll, Zenas Stilson, J. Croft, Wm. Nicoll, Edward Malay, Willard Reed, John and Patrick Fleming. D. B. Peck, Marshall J. Cowing, Phillip Davis made settlement in the town immediately after. Wm. Martin and Charles Murray arrived eight years later, and L. J. Layton came abont 1855. Gilbert Cole kept a store near the lake; Samuel Prescott then lived at Westren's Cor- ners; Samuel Nicoll cleared his farm close by, and Willard Reed settled in the vicinity a few years before.

There was no game in the country then with the exception of an odd deer. The lake had about the same area, 100 acres, as it does now, and contained numbers of pickerel, bass, and sun-fish. The water is good for stock and washing; but good drinking water is found 30 feet beneath the surface of the adjoining land.

The burning of William Martin's house in 1864, the conflagra- tion at M. J. Cowing's in 1877, and the destruction of Willard Reed's barn in 1876, were the only ravages made in the district by fire.

A hail-storm swept over White's lake Oct. 2, 1880, which was too late to injure the crops.

Late in 1859 Mr. Martin and others, who were road-making, un- earthed the skeleton of an Indian, and very Christian-like consigned the bones of the old scalp-taker to a grave beside the road.

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HENRIETTA TOWNSHIP.

Illness never prevailed to any extent in the settlement, which may be accounted for by the fact that from its beginning peace and plenty belonged to its inhabitants.

May 20, 1879, W. H. Randolph of Henrietta, attracted by the fierce barking of his dog in a piece of woods not far away, took his gun and went to ascertain the cansc. Upon arriving at the spot he observed a strange-looking animal crouching on a limb abont mid- way up a large tree. He discharged a bullet into it, causing it to roll from the limb, and by catching the branches as it fell it eased its descent to the ground. After a few leaps in the air it fell dead, when it was found to be a large lynx. It was three and a half feet in length, two feet in height, and weighed 35 pounds. The teeth and claws were a full inch in length. Mr. R. has cured and stuffed the skin, which attracts no little attention, it being the first lynx killed in that section within the memory of the oldest inhabitant.

Henrietta was organized into a township in 1837, the time when all the northern range of towns was organized, under the name of West Portage, Waterloo being called East Portage, the name being taken from the lakes. When the township was first organ- ized there were only 14 votes cast, not enough to enable them to fill all the offices without appointing the same persons for two or three different positions. Patrick Hankerd, the present su- pervisor, is also chairman of the Board of Supervisors.

John Davidson was the first postmaster in the town, and was suc- ceeded by Samuel Prescott, who had moved into the town from Rives. Mr. Prescott held the office for nearly 20 years. The first season that Mr. Prescott was in the town he attended a "rais- ing" as often as once a week.

There are eight school districts in the town, part of which are fractional; one church, a Methodist, near the northeast corner of the town, in a little settlement that is frequently called Gassville.

The present postoffice is located at Pleasant Lake, and is called Henrietta. Pleasant Lake is a little settlement named from the beautiful sheet of water that lies a little to the north of the village.

The name of the town was changed through the influence of Henry Hurd, Esq., in 1839, and named Henrietta, after his native place in New York.

The Episcopal Church of Henrietta was organized April 28, 1879, under Rev. Mr. Johnson. May 10, 1879, a vestry was elected, and the plan of a church building presented, accepted and adopted, and a building committee appointed, consisting of the following persons: Frederick Farrand, Dr. J. B. Townsend and John Hall. A lot was purchased and the contract for the erection of the building let to Peters & Maloney, of Jackson; the founda- tion and mason work to John Riley. The foundation of the church has been completed, and the ceremony of laying the corner stone was performed. A copper box was prepared to deposit un- der the corner-stone, which contained a full history of the par- ish, the names of the officers, a copy of the Daily Patriot, a copy

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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

of the Daily Citizen a Bible and Prayer-book, and a copy of the journal of the last convention. It is built after the plan of St. Mary's church, Detroit, will seat about 300 people, and is a very creditable church edifice. When it is considered that the first service in the parish was held in February last it will be seen that a good work has been accomplished. Mr. Johnson, since that date, has visited the parish once each month, and upon each occasion the attendance has been large and the interest general. During the time there have been 18 baptisms, and those who attend the service live within an area of 10 miles.

PLEASANT LAKE, HENRIETTA.

This nucleus of what may yet bean important town was laid out as recently as 1868, when L. J. Layton built the first store, at present occupied by W. H. Morris. Nine years later Mr. Layton erected another store. which is now operated by Rappelye & Co. The hotel of the village is a good, comfortable house, and was also erected by the projector of the commercial structures referred to. The Episcopal church is a very neat building, semi-Italian in architecture, with a round tower and cupola, which can be seen by the traveler for many miles before he reaches the village. Rev. Mr. Johnson, of the Episcopal Church, Jackson, attends this mis- sion. The population is about 105.

Thomas Tanner, in his references to early days in Henrietta, says:

" My wife and I moved into the town of West Portage, now Henrietta, Oct. 13, 1835. We took up 100 acres of land, and built a log house on the Indian trail, built the first wagon road, drove the first wagon through the Portage woods, and there we were, alone in the forest, with no neighbors within six miles, except Indians and wild beasts. The wolves especially were very nu- merous. Verily we could look out into the forest and say, ' We are monarchs of all we survey.' It is now the flourishing town of Henrietta. I got the first barrel of flour at Ann Arbor. Drove an ox team through the Portage river with my goods, crossing myself in a canoe ent out of a log. On the first day of December I drove my oxen through the river and went to Detroit. I returned in six days and crossed the river on the ice; got my first halt bushel of potatoes of Samuel Wing on that side of Grand river, and carried them home on my shoulder, with the cat which he gave me in the opposite end of the bag to balance. I sent my oxen to Livingston county, and one of them was taken sick and could not be gotten home until near spring; so I carried my rails on my shoulder to fence four acres round my house.

"In February I left my wife at home while I went to get my team. I lost my way, and traveled until evening, when I came to a place where some one had been, but no one lived there. The first thought was to lie down for the night; but tired, hungry, dis-

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HENRIETTA TOWNSHIP.

appointed, cold and lost, I was reminded that it was very dangerous to lie down where the howls of wild beasts could be heard in every direction; so I took my back track to the house where I last inquired my way.

" The woman of the house asked me to have some supper; but the frog had got into my throat and I could not talk freely; so I asked her to let me go to bed, where I could rest. The next morning, weary and lame as I was, I started for my oxen. When I got there I found them not able to be taken home yet. Without money or means, and in a destitute condition for food at home, it made my heart aehe. As I returned and got within sight of home, I saw my wife sitting on a pile of rails, with work in hand, watching for my return. I hardly knew how to tell her of my journey's trials. I sat down on the rails almost in despair, not knowing what to do. She told me I must not give up yet, as she had got 85. There were four men looking for land, and had traveled all day in the rain and wanted to stay during the night. She told them she was alone and had no where to put their horses, and not much to give them for supper. They stated that they would hitch their horses to the trees and be glad of any accommodation she could give them, if they could stay under cover, for there was no where else to go, and they were wet and weary. They proved to be gentlemen indeed. My wife got them supper and breakfast with the provisions they had with them. They inquired where we were from, how long we had been there, and onr eireumstances, gave her $5, then shook hands and bade her good-bye. Five dollars! what a sum in those days. How it relieved us!

" At the elose of the winter I got my oxen home; then I thought times would be a little easier, but my oxen not liking their place, would get away to the other side of the portage. One morning I went to drive them home. The ice had broken up, and going over the river I drove them into the water; but as I was crossing the river on some fallen trees, the oxen would go back. There was no way but to dive into the stream and swim the river after them; so I buttoned my eoat and swam after them. After I landed I was chilled through, some of my elothes being frozen, and as I thought, ' this settlin' in Michigan is pretty hard.' I gave way to human weakness and eried like a baby. Just one week after this I had the same thing to do over again.

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History of Jackson County, Michigan, Part 93

Author: Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago [Ill.] : Inter-state Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1166

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago [Ill.] : Inter-state Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1166