History of Kalamazoo county, Michigan, Part 78

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott
Number of Pages: 761

USA > Michigan > Kalamazoo County > History of Kalamazoo county, Michigan > Part 78

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" AN Acr to legalize proceedings of a township-meeting at Arcadia, in the county of Kalamazoo.

"WHEREAS, An Act to organize the township of Arcadia, in the county of Kalamazoo, approved July thirtieth, one thousand eight hundred and thirty, designated the house of Titus Brown in said township as the place for holding the first township-meeting, and there being no man by that name in said township, the inhabitants met on the day designated by said act at the house of Titus Bronson, in said township, and elected their respective officers ; therefore,

" Be it enacted by the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michi- gan, That all proceedings had in said town are hereby declared to be as valid and effectual to all intents and purposes as if the said elec- tion had been at the place designated by said law.

" Approved June 18, 1832."

It will be seen that the council became somewhat mixed on names, etc., Brownson being first given, and Brown next.

# See Territorial Laws of Michigan, vol. iii. pp. 839, 840. 37

290

HISTORY OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

" Voted, To raise one hundred dollars for the destruction of wolves, and that four dollars be paid for every scalp taken in said town, until the one hundred dollars be expended, and after that time no person shall receive any compen- sation for wolf scalps the remainder of the year ; also Voted, That the first certificate presented to the supervisor shall draw the first money, and so on until all the one hun- dred dollars shall be expended." In 1835, and in each year to 1838 inclusive, a similar sum was raised, the price per capita ranging from $4 to $6. In 1837 it was “ Voted, To raise $500 to survey and fence the burying-ground." In 1838 the sum of $100 was raised for the support of the township poor. In 1842 it was " Voted, That the Bank of Michigan notes now in the treasury be disposed of to the best possible advantage at not less than fifty cents on the dollar."

With the exception of the years from 1861 to 1866, in- clusive, the records for which have in some manner become misplaced, and cannot at present be found, the following is a list of the officers of the township from 1833 to 1879 in- clusive :

SUPERVISORS.

1833, Cyrus Lovell ; 1834, Elisha Belcher ; 1835, John P. Marsh ; 1836-37, Cyren Burdick ; 1838-39, Hosea B. IIuston; 1840-41, Silas Trowbridge ; 1842, Mitchell Hinsdale; 1843, Justus Bur- dick ; 1844, Alexander Buell; 1845, David S. Walbridge ; 1846, Anthony Cooley ; 1847, Henry Acker ; 1848, Hosea B. Huston ; 1849, Alexander Buell ; 1850, John Milham ; 1851, William R. Watson; 1852, Epaphroditus Ransom ; 1853, Frederick W. Cur- tenius; 1854, Israel Kellogg; 1855, Alexander Cameron ; 1856, Allen Potter ; 1857-60, Silas Hubbard ; 1861-66, record missing ; 1867, Silas Hubbard ; 1868, Henry E. Hoyt ; 1869-70, Silas Hub- bard ; 1871-72, Henry W. Bush ; 1873, Silas Hubbard; 1874-75, Henry W. Bush ; 1876-79, Henry E. Hoyt.

TOWNSHIP CLERKS.

1833, Hosea B. Huston ; 1834-35, Abraham Cahill; 1836, H. Gilbert ; 1837, Dr. Edwin A. At Lee ; 1838-39, Alexander H. Edwards ; 1840, A. Brownson; 1841-42, Charles A. Sheldon ; 1843, Volney Hascall ; 1844, Charles A. Sheldon ; 1845-46, George Thomas Clark ; 1847, Paul W. H. Rawls; 1848, George Thomas Clark ; 1849, William H. De Yoe, 1850, John M. Edwards; 1851, James P. Clapham; 1852, W. H. De Yoe; 1853-54, George L. Otis; 1855-60, George Torrey ; 1861-66, records missing; 1867, Frank Little ; 1868, Edwin W. De Yoe; 1869-72, Charles J. Weston ; 1873-76, Denison E. Groesbeck; 1877-78, Patrick H. Burke ; 1879, A. Sidney Hays.

ASSESSORS.

1833, Phineas Hunt, M. B. Hounsom, Anthony Cooley ; 1834, M. B. Hounsom, Laban Keyes, Daniel Edgington ; 1835, Seth Taft, Laban Keyes, Henry Moore, Cyren Burdick, Elihu Russell; 1836, I. W. Willard, Aaron Eames, Philip Goodrich ; 1837, Silas E. Trowbridge, F. W. Curtenius, Philip Goodrich ; 1838, S. Trow- bridge, John P. Marsh, Elihu Russell; 1839, Amos Brownson, Henry Montague, Elihu Russell; 1840, Elihu Russell, Henry F. Cock, Nelson Gibbs (Gibbs resigned, and Parce Barber was ap- pointed, but he also resigned, and Frederick Booher received the appointment) ; 1841, Warren Beckwith, Albert A. Smith, Luke Whitcomb; 1842, Alexander Buell, Elihu Russell; 1843, Isaac Vickery, Alfred Thomas (William R. Watson was subsequently chosen in place of Thomas); 1844, F. W. Curtenius, Isaac Vickery ; 1845, F. W. Curtenius, Frederick Booher ; 1846, Henry F. Cock, Warren Beckwith ; 1847, Isaac Vickery, Henry F. Cock ; 1848, William R. Watson, James Taylor ; 1849, Silas Trowbridge, John Milham ; 1850, Israel P. Kellogg, John Parker; 1851-52, John Milham, Alexander Buell; 1856, Silas Hubbard, F. W. Cur- tenius ; 1857, Rollin Wood, Henry Montague.

COLLECTORS.

1833-34, Nathan Harrison; 1835, Ebenezer Walter; 1836, Lot M. North ; 1837, Ira Burdick ; 1838-40, Rollin Wood; 1841, William McAllister. .

TREASURERS.

1839, D. B. Webster; 1840, H. B. Huston ; 1841, Alexander Buell ; 1842-44, Theodore P. Sheldon ; 1845-47, Frederick E. Woodward ; 1848, Samuel K. Selkrig ; 1849-50, John C. Hays; 1851, John C. Beach ; 1852, John G. Clark : 1853, Thomas C. Brownell ; 1854, Hiram Underwood; 1855, Lewis C. Starkey; 1856, Charles M. Burdick ; 1857, Oscar F. Coleman; 1858, James Green ; 1859, Charles H. Brown ; 1860, John G. Clark ; 1861-66, records miss- ing ; 1867, Jacobus B. Barber; 1868, Hiram Underwood ; 1869, James W. Taylor ; 1870, Oscar F. Coleman ; 1871, Stephen Large; 1872, Oscar F. Coleman; 1873-74, Ezra S. Sweet; 1875-76, Theron F. Giddings; 1877, Chauncey Gates ; 1878-79, Edwin Burdick.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

1836, Ira Burdick, Isaac Vickery, Pierce# Barber, D. E. Deming ; 1837, David Hubbard, Elisha Belcher, Seth Taft; 1838, Fletcher Ransom ; 1839, George A. O'Brien ; t 1840, William H. Welch; 1841, Henry Gilbert; 1842, Alexis Ransom; 1843, no record ; 1844, Mitchell Hinsdale, Rollin Wood ; 1845, Rollin Wood ; 1846, Samuel A. Rice; 1847, Ebenezer Hoskins; 1848, Richard S. Gage, Lyman Kendall; 1849, Samuel A. Rice; 1850, George D. Rice, Alexis Ransom ; 1851, Lyman Kendall; 1852, Arad C. Balch, Elisha Landon ; 1853, G. Fisher ; 1854, John M. Edwards, Alex. Buell; 1855, Fletcher Ransom ; 1856, Luther H. Trask ; 1857, Thomas C. Brownell; 1858, John M. Edwards; 1859, Robert F. Judson ; 1860, Rollin Wood; 1861-66, records missing ; 1867, William W. Peck ; 1868, William Fletcher; 1869, James H. Bostwick ; 1870, Amos D. Allen ; 1871, Peter A. Beebe; 1872, James M. Davis; 1873, James W. Hopkins; 1874, Amos D. Allen ; 1875, Rufus HI. Grosvenor; 1876, James M. Davis ; 1877, Law- rence N. Burke; 1878, Amos D. Allen; 1879, Rufus H. Gros- venor.

SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

1833, Cyren Burdick, Titus Bronson, Cyrus Lovell ; 1836, D. E. Dem- ing, John Everard, A. H. Edwards; 1837, Luther H. Trask.

SCHOOL INSPECTORS.

1833, Cyren Burdick, Cyrus Lovell, Stephen Vickery; 1834, Stephen Vickery, John Haskill, Cyren Burdick, Elisha Belcher, Phineas Hunt, Jr .; 1835, T. P. Sheldon, Samuel Ransom, J. G. Abbott, Elisha Belcher, Cyren Burdick ; 1836, J. Hall, E. Belcher, D. Grimes, S. Ransom, Jonathan G. Abbott ; 1837, Jeremiah Hall, A. T. Prouty, A. G. Hammond ; 1838, Jeremiah Hall, O. H. Hurd, Alexander Cameron ; 1839, Fletcher Ransom, Lyman Kendall, Frederick Booher ; 1840, D. B. Webster, Lyman Kendall, Jona- than G. Abbott; 1841, J. G. Abbott, William Dutton, Nathaniel A. Balch ; 1842, O. P. Hoyt, Jeremiah Hall, Volney Hascall ; 1843, N. A. Balch, Edwin C. Hinsdill; 1844, William Dutton ; 1845, Lyman Kendall, Horace Mower; 1846, Ebenezer Hoskins; 1847, Alexis Ransom; 1848, Volney Hascall; 1849, John M. Edwards; 1850, Adam S. Kedzie; 1851, Nathaniel A. Balch ; 1852, Adam S. Kedzie; 1853, Nathaniel A. Balch ; 1854, Dwight May ; 1855, John M. Edwards; 1856, Daniel Putnam ; 1857, An- drew J. Gibson ; 1858, Daniel Putnam; 1859, William W. Peck ; 1860, Daniel Putnam ; 1861-66, records missing ; 1867, Ashmun A. Knappen ; 1868, Jacob K. Wagner; 1869, Frank Little ; 1870, William H. Woodhams; 1871, George Torrey ; 1872, William II. Woodhams; 1873, Merritt Moore; 1874, William W. Peck, J. Wilfred Thompson ; 1875-78, Howard G. Coleman ; 1879, Lewis Stewart.

SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS. 1875-77, William S. Eaton; 1878-79, Clarence L. Dean .¿

# This name is oftener written Parce.

+ Resigned in 1841, and Frederick Booher elected at special meeting to fill vacancy.

# Did not qualify, and his brother, Charles M. Stewart, appointed in his place.

¿ Appointed in 1878 in place of Alex. Hadlock, who was elected and resigned.

WillAMIS

Photos. by Packard, Kalamazoo.

SABIN M. NICHOLS.

MRS. SABIN M. NICHOLS.

SABIN M. NICHOLS.

Sabin M. Nichols was born in Townshend, Vt., March 16, 1815. He was the youngest of eight children, who grew to be men and women. His father, Reuben Nichols, was a farmer in Townshend, and died when Sabin was but four months old. The heroic mother by her energy kept the family together, and supported them from the products of the old farm, where she died in October, 1874, in her one hundredth year.

Sabin M. lived at home until he attained ma- jority. In 1843 he married Sarah Patch, and came in the fall of the year to Kalamazoo County, and purchased the farm where he now resides, upon which there was a small improvement. This he has added to by his energy and thrift, and it is now one of the many beautiful farms of Kal- amazoo. The only surviving child is his son Frederick.

PHOTO'S BY PACKARD.

MRS J. GIBBS.

JOHN GIBBS.

From the landing of the Pilgrim fathers at Plymouth Rock down to the present time, the pioneers of America have, been men of iron nerve, men who never found danger so great or privations so severe as to deter them from keeping their faces westward. No matter how rough the country, how dense the forests, or unfriendly the Indians, their paths were ever towards the setting sun. Where but a few years ago naught was to be heard but the howl of the wolf, the scream of the panther, and the war-whoop of the Indians, great cities have sprung up, and are now surrounded by thickly-settled and prosperous communities. Railroads reach from city to city, and the rivers and lakes have become the pathways of commerce. To the hardy pioneers all this is due. Such a pioneer was John Gibbs, the subject of this sketch. He was born in Middlefield, Otsego Co., N. Y., July 23, 1796. His was a family of pioneers ; his grandfather being an early settler in Cherry Valley, was living there at the time of the Indian massacre, and saw his wife killed and scalped by the Indians. As set forth in the biography of Isaac Gibbs, his father was a farmer, and with him John remained until he reached manhood. He learned the carpenter and joiner trade, and was also a millwright; he followed his trade most of the time until old age prevented.

In the spring of 1832 he with his brothers-Isaac and Chester -came to Michigan, and settled in Kalamazoo township. A full account of his early settlement will be found in the biography before referred to. Few men have done more for Kalamazoo County than he. He helped raise the third frame house built in Kalamazoo village. He also built the first three barns built on Grand, Genesee, and Dry Prairies. When the railroad reached . Kalamazoo, Mr. Gibbs assisted in building the first bridge across the Kalamazoo River. He assisted in building many of the first mills in the county. When a mill-dam could not be made to stand, Mr. Gibbs was sent for as the last resort, and he never

failed. With him to attempt was to succeed, though he often worked in water and mud up to his waist, and in all seasons of the year.

In 1850, Mr. Gibbs, in company with his brother Isaac, and his son William, fitted out an ox team and wagon, and with a large supply of provisions, started for California. They were months going, and endured many hardships. They en- gaged in mining, and were gone three years. Returning by water.

In 1859, accompanied by his second son, John, he went to Colorado, and visited it again in 1860, the second time ao- companied by his son Willard. He continued there until 1861, when he returned to his home where he has since remained. And now, in the eighty-fourth year of his age, sur- rounded by his family, all of whom are in affluent circumstances, and in the enjoyment of every comfort, he is passing the evening of his days honored and respected by all.

When Mr. Gibbs first came to the town with his family they stopped with John Hascall. Mr. Gibbs selected a building site, and then hung his hat on a bush to show his wife where her future home was to be. He built many of the first saw-mills, carrying the iron used in them on his back. In politics he has always been a Democrat, but never a politician.

He married Miranda Kinne, January 29, 1824. She was born March 25, 1805, in Braintrem, Pa. Their union was blessed with thirteen children, as follows: Jennette D., born Feb. 6, 1825; Marcia V., Aug. 3, 1826; William A., Oct, 4, 1828; Rosa Annis, Dec. 15, 1830; Josephine K., April 21, 1833; John, Jr., Feb. 22, 1835; James O., April 18, 1837 ; Emeline P., Nov. 13, 1839; I. W. Willard, Feb. 3, 1841 ; James Martin, Jan. 30, 1843; Alice M., Dec. 7, 1845; H. Elizabeth, June 29, 1848; L. Isinella, July 12, 1850. Of these, the first four were born in New York, the rest in Kala- mazoo, Michigan.

291

TOWNSHIP OF KALAMAZOO.

COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS.

1833, Titus Bronson, Phineas Hunt, Marcus B. Hounsom ; 1834, Phineas Hunt, Jr., M. B. Hounsom, Alfred Hodge; 1835, David E. Deming, P. Barber, Isaac Gibbs; 1836, John Gibbs, Silas Gregg, E. Delano; 1837, Anthony Cooley, James Parker, Samuel W. Bryan; 1838, Hiram Owen, L. H. Trask, James Parker ;# 1839, James Parker, Oliver Davenport, J. G. Abbott; 1840, Alfred Thomas, Emmor Hawley, Isaac Vickery ; 1841, E. Hawley, Alfred Thomas, J. G. Abbott ; 1842, F. W. Curtenius, A. Thomas, Isaac Vickery ; 1843, John Gibbs, William Carley, Isaac Vickery ; 1844, F. Booher, Seth Taft, Algernon S. Hays ; 1845, James Tay- lor, Luke W. Whitcomb, George Patterson ; 1846, James Taylor, John P. Warner, Geo. W. Rice ; 1847, John Milham, A. S. Hays, Wm. T. Campbell; 1848, Thomas W. Barnard; 1849, Joseph R. Cornell; 1850, Lovett Eames; 1851, John Hall; 1852, Richard S. Gage ; 1853, Alexis Ransom ; 1854, Thomas W. Barnard; 1855, Robert Hogeboom ; 1856, Rollin Wood, John E. Mills, T. Ran- som ; 1857, Fletcher Ransom; 1858, John E. Mills; 1859, Rollin Wood; 1860, James B. Cobb; 1861-66, records missing; 1867, John A. Kendall; 1868, John Milham ; 1869, Charles M. Hobbs; 1870, John A. Kendall; 1871, Philo Vradenburg; 1872, E. O. Humphrey ; 1873, John A. Kendall ; 1874-75, Philo Vradenburg ; 1876, Newcomb De Mary ; 1877, John Kendall; 1878, Philo Vra- denburg ; 1879, C. C. Curtenius.

OVERSEERS OF THE POOR.

1833,; David S. Dille; 1834, John A. Hays, James Parker; 1835, James Parker, Jonathan G. Abbott; 1836, A. Coats, S. Gregg ; 1837, Dr. J. G. Abbott, Dr. E. A. At Lee ; 1838, Abraham Cahill, J. G. Abbott; 1839, Ira Burdick, Horace Starkweather ; 1840, Edwin N. Colt,{ J. G. Abbott; 1841, M. Heydenburk, Jas. Parker; 1842, Oliver Davenport, George A. Bishop ; 1843, Geo. A. Bishop, David Hubbard; 1844, H. J. H. Edwards, Ira Burdick ; 1845, John Everard, A. S. Hays ; 1846, Alex. Cameron, David Swayze; 1847, Daniel Swayze, J. G. Abbott; 1848, O. Davenport, Hiram Arnold ; 1849, Horace Starkweather, G. W. Winslow ; 1850, Elisha Landon, H. Starkweather; 1851, James P. Clapham, H. Starkweather; 1852, H. Starkweather, Lewis F. Starkey ; 1853, G. W. Winslow, F. E. Woodward ; 1854, L. C. Starkey, G. A. Bishop ; 1855-56, A. Thomas, Ira Burdick ; 1857, Ira Burdick, Felix Duffie ; 1858, Thos. S. Cobb, Wm. Kakabake; 1859, Thos. C. Brownell, Felix Duffie.

CONSTABLES.

1833, Nathan Harrison, Rodney Seymour; 1834, N. Harrison, Ebe- nezer Walter ; 1835, Ebenezer Walter ; 1836, Lot M. North ; 1837, Ira Burdick ; 1838-40, Rollin Wood ; 1841, David Gilman, Ed- ward Stile ; 1842-43, David Gilman, Orrin S. Case; 1844-45, D. Gilman, Joseph B. Daniels; 1846, Joseph B. Daniels, Nelson Gibbs, Ichabod Weeks, E. L. Goodrich ; 1847-48, J. B. Daniels, Nelson Gibbs; 1849-50, Joseph B. Daniels, Charles N. Barnum, Nelson Gibbs ; 1851, J. B. Daniels, C. N. Barnum ; 1852, C. N. Barnum, Charles Gibbs ; 1853, Edwin L. Goodrich, John C. Hays, Benj. F. Orcutt, Rollin Wood ; 1854, E. L. Goodrich, B. F. Or- cutt ; 1855, Wm. E. White, Arad C. Balch ; 1856-57, L. W. Fox, Wm. E. White; 1858, Wm. E. White,¿ Daniel T. Fox ; 1859, H. S. Booth, Chas. H. Goodale, Chester Whiting ; 1860, C. H. Good- ale, H. S. Booth, John B. Allen, Luman W. Fox ; 1861-66, records missing ; 1867, John M. Coleman, Albert J. Lanckton, Henry C. Earl, George Patterson ; 1868, Arad C. Balch, Josiah Wilcox, Samuel True, John Galınan, Jr. ; 1869, J. M. Coleman, H. C. Earl, Emil Pfeiffer, Henry Boekeloo ; 1870, H. J. Boekeloo, Geo. Patterson, E. Pfeiffer, J. M. Coleman ; 1871, H. J. Brownell, A. C. Balch, J. M. Coleman, Frank Forbes; 1872, H. J. Brownell, J. M. Coleman, A. C. Balch, Wm. A. Glover; 1873, Henry Brownell, Jacob Verhage, J. M. Coleman, A. C. Balch ; 1874, A. C. Balch, H. J. Brownell, Edward C. Comfort, Wm. A. Glover ; 1875, Charles C. Jennings, Henry J. Brownell, William A. Glover,

* Owen died in office, and Alexander Cameron was appointed Jan. 16, 1839, to fill vacancy.

t In this year Hosea B. Huston was elected treasurer of the poor fund.

# Colt resigned, and Martin Heydenburk was appointed.

¿ White resigned, and Henry S. Booth was appointed.

Charles G. Griffin ; 1876, Charles C. Jennings, Henry J. Brownell, Henry H. Boekeloo, Win. F. Montague; 1877, Clayton M. Carr, Henry H. Boekeloo, D. H. Taylor, Charles C. Jennings ; 1878, Henry H. Boekeloo, D. H. Taylor, Henry J. Brownell, C. C. Jen- nings ; 1879, David H. Taylor, Henry J. Brownell, James H. Sweet, John Galligan.

The total vote polled in Kalamazoo township in April, 1879, was 2317.

EARLY ROADS.

The following highways, all leading to Kalamazoo village, were the first recorded on the township books (see original record, Arcadia township) :

Road from Bronson to Gull Prairie, commencing on the Territorial road, on the right bank of the Kalamazoo River, at Harrison's Ferry, in town 2 south, range 11 west, and running with variations to the southeast corner of sec- tion 15 in town 1 south, range 10 west; whole distance eight miles and one hundred and forty rods. Surveyed Oct. 25, 1832, and Feb. 1, 1833, by Stephen Vickery.

Road from Genesee Prairie to Bronson, commencing at the quarter post between sections 30 and 31 in town 2 south, range 11 west ; thence with variations to the west end of Main Street, one hundred rods south of the quarter stake between sections 15 and 16; distance three miles and one hundred and twenty-two rods. Surveyed Oct. 24, 1832, by Stephen Vickery. The commissioners who laid out this and the Gull Prairie road were Anthony Cooley, N. E. Mathews, and Samuel Brown.

Road from Bronson to Genesee Prairie, commencing one hundred rods south of the quarter stake between sec- tions 15 and 16, town 2 south, range 11 west ; thence with variations to the quarter stake in the south line of section 36, town 2 south, range 12 west; distance five miles and one hundred and twenty rods. Surveyed by Stephen Vickery, Oct. 23 and 24, 1832; same commissioners as above.

Road from Silver Creek towards the County-Seat, com- mencing at a point 79° 22' west of the quarter post between sections 25 and 26, town 2 south, range 11 west, and dis- tant from said post forty-one chains and seven links ; thence with variations to the northeast corner of section 27 in same township. Surveyed by Stephen Vickery, March 12, 1833. Marcus B. Hounsom and Phineas Hunt, Commissioners of Highways. Upon a certificate of its uselessness, this road was vacated by the commissioners, July 26, 1837.

Marriage .- Among the interesting entries on the town- ship records is found the following, where the clerk arose above difficulties and appreciated the responsibility of his position. And here it is but just to remark that Dr. At Lee kept the neatest and most systematic record of any of the early township clerks :

"TOWN CLERK'S OFFICE, KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP, June 9, 1837.

"Application was made to the County Clerk for license of marriage between Thomas S. At Lee and Mary H. Edwards, both of said Town- ship, and county of Kalamazoo; but by reason of the vacation of the office of County Clerk, no license could be legally granted. A memo- randum to this effect having been duly furnished, and the Township Clerk being by statute authorized to grant Marriage Licenses, one was granted to the Parties, who were consequently, on the 8th instant, lawfully joined in Wedlock, the Rev'd Jeremiah Hall solemnizing the nuptials.

"EDWIN A. AT LEE, T. Clerk."

292

HISTORY OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

SCHOOLS.

About 1833-34 a log school-house was built near the town line between Kalamazoo and Oshtemo, standing in the latter. It was in that building that the children of the settlers living along the line received their first instruction in matters educational in the vicinity. In 1835 a man named Irons taught the school. He was subject to attacks of fever and ague, and kept his medicine constantly upon the stove ready to swallow a dose when the premonitory symptoms of a "shake" should become manifest. It is related, too, that the medicine served a double purpose, for whenever a pupil was the least refractory he was led up to the desk and given a good swallow of the master's " hot stuff," and it is to be inferred that in that instance, at least,

was found a model school. The following is from the re- port of the township school inspectors for the year ending Sept. 1, 1879 :

Number of districts (whole, 3; fractional, 6). 9

Children of school age ... 3419

Attendance during the year 2253

Number of days school taught 1487

" volumes in district libraries. 7854

" school-houses (brick, 6; frame, 8). 14

2148

sittings

Value of school property. .$91,300

Number of teachers employed ( male, 5; female, 52). 57

Wages paid teachers (male, $3635.60; female, $15,813.75) ... $19,449.35

Total resources for the year. $41,055.01

Amount on hand Sept. 1, 1879. 12,923.01

Total expenditures, less amount on hand.

$28,132.00

District No. 1 includes the village of Kalamazoo.

ALAMO.

NATURAL FEATURES.

Geography .- The township of Alamo is designated as township 1 south, of range 12 west, and is bounded on the north by Allegan County, south by the township of Osh- temo, east by the township of Cooper, and west by Van Buren County, the first survey having been made by Robert Clark, Jr., in 1830. It lies in the extreme northwest corner of Kalamazoo County, and, being by its geographical position closely allied to two of the neighboring counties, many of its early associations and reminiscences are interwoven with the pioneer history of these counties. Much of the land in the township was originally entered by parties for pur- poses of speculation, and this fact greatly retarded its growth, as it also postponed the advent of permanent set- tlers.

Lakes and Water-Courses .- The township cannot boast bodies of water of any considerable size, the largest being the Twin Lakes, only a portion of which lies in Alamo, in the southeast corner, the remainder being in the township of Cooper. Near the centre on section 22 is a lake of some importance, which has at different times had various christ- enings, but is familiar to the residents as " Tarbell" Lake. There is also a small lake on section 9, and another on sec- tion 5, known as Upper Lake.

Pine Creek, which is the most considerable water-course in the township, rises in a small lake on section 21, flows southwest until it reaches section 30, then flows north, and empties into the Kalamazoo River. It has from time to time furnished water-power for several mills.

Soil .- The soil of the township is sandy, with a mixture of clay. The land generally produces fair crops, and amply repays the toil of the husbandman.

Through the township diagonally from northeast to southwest runs a swamp, which is unusually prolific in a

growth of elm and ash. Some portions of it have been drained, but it still remains mostly unreclaimed. The town- ship is generally level and well timbered with oak, beech, maple, black ash, elm, and black walnut, oak being. es- pecially abundant.

EARLY ROADS.

The early roads in the township were regular in their course, and, as a rule, followed section lines, comparatively few of the first highways projected by the commissioners running diagonally across the country. The earliest road in the township, so far as can be ascertained, was laid out by the commissioners of Kalamazoo township, and followed the section line, beginning at the north line of the township, and running south near the west line between sections 5 and 6, 7 and 8, 17 and 18, 19 and 20, 29 and 30, 31 and 32, and terminating at the south line of the township. Another very early highway was known as the Paw Paw road, which ran from Paw Paw, in Van Buren County, to Otsego, in Allegan County, following the Indian trail. This road was in use before the one already described, but not surveyed and improved at so early a date. It entered the southwest corner of Alamo, followed an angular course to the northwest corner of section 26, from thence a north- easterly direction to the south line of section 1, from whence it diverged in a northwesterly course to Otsego.

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History of Kalamazoo county, Michigan, Part 78

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott Number of Pages: 761

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott
Number of Pages: 761