USA > Michigan > Lapeer County > History of Lapeer County, Michigan : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 40
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1877-Supervisor, Jacob Hollenbeck; treasurer, George Rook, clerk, John L. Preston.
1878-Supervisor, Jacob Hollenbeck; clerk, John L. Preston; treasurer, George Rook.
1879-Supervisor, Jacob Hollenbeck; clerk, John L. Preston ; treasurer, George Rook.
1880-Supervisor, Levi McArthur; treasurer, James E. Rich- mond; clerk, John L. Preston.
1881-Supervisor, Jacob Hollenbeck; treasurer, James E. Richmond; clerk, Harris Edgerton.
1882-Supervisor, James E. Richmond; treasurer, John Davis; clerk, Robert Armour.
1883-Supervisor, James E. Richmond; treasurer, Irving McArthur; clerk, Robert Armour.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
ISAAC L. HEMINGWAY was born in Oakland Township, Oakland County, Mich., in 1836. Has always been engaged in farming and lumbering. In 1866, in company with his father and brother, built a steam saw-mill in the township of Marathon on a small stream that empties into the Flint River. Ran the mill until 1881 when they sold it. He has been a commissioner of highways and drain commissioner, and is now serving his second term as justice of the peace. He is a member of the State fish commisson and also State crop correspondent. He lives on section 9, township 9 north, range 9 east, where he has 160 acres, 100 of which are cleared. In 1861 he was married to Mary A. Summers, of Oakland Township. They have three children, one son and two daughters.
WILLEY A. CLUTE was born in the township of Marathon, Lapeer County, in 1852, February 25. Was brought up on a farm and is now cultivating some seventy acres of land situated in sections 21 and 16, township 9 north, range 9 east, fifty acres of which are improved. He was married in 1875 to Miss Martha A. Hollenbeck, who was born in Marathon, in 1858. They have three children, two sons and a daughter.
EDWARD T. HARRIS was born in the township of Lapeer, Lapeer County, in 1845. Has always followed farming aud lum- bering. Came to Marathon in 1864. Has held the offices of superintendent of schools, highway commissioner, etc., and is now, 1883, assessor of School District No. 1. Lives on section 17, town- ship 9 north, range 9 east, where he has a farm of eighty acres, forty-five improved. Was married in 1876 to Miss Alice Fox, of Rich, Lapeer County. They have one child, a daughter.
BENJAMIN J. HARRIS was born in Boston, Mass., 1818. In his youth he became a sailor, which avocation he followed until 1841 when he came to Michigan, settling in Lapeer To vnship and county. In 1864 he removed to Marathon. During his residence in the latter township he held the office of supervisor a number of years, was town collector and a justice of the peace for many years. He was married in 1842 to Miss Sophia Hollenbeck. They had six children, five of whom are now living. He died in 1881, and the widow is now a resident of Columbiaville, where she lives with one of her children.
LEANDER LEVALLEY was born in 1819 in Royalton, Niagara County, N.Y. His father hoved his family to Lockport when Leander was but a boy, and father and son were afterward both engaged in the lime-burning business. He spent eighteen months in Canada in 1843-'44, burning lime used in the construction of the Welland Canal. In 1845 he came to Michigan, bought 155 acres of land in section 35, township 9 north, range 9 east, and commenced the work of clearing up a farm. He next brought his family into the township, and his neighborhood in Marathon is known as the
"Le Valley Settlement," also as "Lockport Street." Has been a school director, commissioner of highways, etc. Married in 1842 to Miss Elizabeth Cutting, a native of Vermont. They have four sons and three daughters now living. The eldest son was a mem- ber of the Twenty-third Michigan Infantry and now lives in Fair- grove, Tuscola County. Mr. LeValley for many years was an exten- sive lumberman in Lapeer County. His last job was putting in some 15,000,000 feet of logs for parties in Flint.
FRANK McGARRY was born in the county of Leitrim, Ireland, in 1828. Came to the United States in 1849. He lived in Niag- ara and Allegany Counties, N. Y., until 1855, when he came to Marathon. While in New York State followed farming and lum- bering. Has been a farmer since he came to Michigan. His farm of 120 acres is in section 2, township 9 north, range 9 east. He has been a justice of the peace, also highway commissioner for about twelve years. Was married in 1852 to Ellen Farrell, a na- tive of Ireland. They have two sons and a daughter.
DAVID MARVIN SIMMONS was born in Hastings County, Ontario, in 1840. In 1864 he came to Lapeer County, Mich., locating at North Branch. From there he went to Otisville, Genesee County, and then to Fostoria, Tuscola County, where he had the manage- ment of Thomas Foster's farm. Was there from 1874 until 1879, when he bought a farm in Marathon, which lies in section 1, township 9 north, range 9 east, and contains eighty acres. He was married in 1869 to Miss Susan Jamieson, a native of Canada. In addition to farming, Mr. Simmons has also been engaged in lumbering since he came to Michigan.
WILLIAM H. AURAND, farmer, was born in 1840, in Wayne County, N. Y. Came with his parents in 1843 to Marathon, La- peer County, where they went on land in section 17, township 9 north, range 9 east, and cleared up a farm. The son, William H., now lives on the adjoining farm east of his father's place. He has eighty acres, of which fifty-five are cleared, three of which are a fine apple orchard. Held the office of town treasurer in 1880. In 1863 was married to Miss Mary A. Adams, a native of Vermont. They have two children, sons.
JOSEPH T. WHEELER was born in 1841 in the township of Oak- land, Oakland County, Mich. Was brought up on his father's farm and received his education in the township schools and at the high school at Flint. Was a clerk for three years, 1861-'64, in Ben- jamin Cotharin's store at the last named place, then built a store at Davisburg, and was in general mercantile business for about a year. In 1866 bought land in Marathon and turned his attention to farm- ing. He has seventy-nine acres in sections 20 and 17, township 9 north, range 9 east. Has served as town clerk and justice of the peace. In addition to carrying on his farm, practices law and does business as an auctioneer. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Aurand in 1865. They have four sons and one daughter.
JACOB HOLLENBECK, who is one of the first settlers in Marathon, was born in Hudson, N. Y., in 1820. He came to Michigan with his father in 1837. His farms, which are in sections 33, 21 and 19, township 9 north, range 9 east, contain 325 acres. He held the office of supervisor for about twelve years, also was for a number of terms justice of the peace, highway commissioner, etc. He was married in 1842 to Miss Harriet Clute by whom he had seven chil- dren. After her demise he was married again in 1861 to Miss Emily Vermilya. They have two daughters.
RICHARD A. CLUTE was born in Victor, near Rochester, N. Y., in 1807. He came to Michigan in 1840, bought land of the gov- ernment and settled in Marathon Township, Lapeer County. When he came to Marathon he followed an Indian trail to his land which was in section 29, township 9 north, range 9 east. During his life- time he held the office of supervisor and several other township
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
offices. Mrs. Phoebe A. Clute, who survives him, was married to him in 1851. They had four children, two of whom are now living. She was a native of Galen, Wayne County, N. Y. She was born in 1825, and came to Michigan in 1850. Mr. Clute had three chil- dren by a previous wife. Mrs. Clute sold the farm in 1882 and bought a place on the line of the D. & B. C. division of the M. C. Railroad, about two miles from Otter Lake.
SELA LEACH was born in Barton Township, Wentworth County, Ontario, in 1818. Learned the trade of a shoemaker and worked at it for some sixteen years previous to coming to Michigan. He located on section 35, township 9 north, range 9 east, township of Marathon, in 1856. Has been director of schools, etc. In 1843 he married Miss Mary Vermilya, a native of Brantford Township, Brant County, Ontario. They have had six children, of whom four are now living. William and Milton, sons, live in Marathon, and George in Oregon Township. Rosa, the daughter, lives at home with her parents.
JOHN CLARK was born in the town of Benton, Yates County, N. Y., in the year 1824. When he was two years old his parents moved to Albany, N. Y. At the age of five, on the death of his father, he went with his mother to Columbia County, N. Y., and lived with his uncle until he was twenty-two years old. At the age of twenty-six he came to Michigan. Returning to Yates County, he remained there one year, then came to Michigan. He was mar- ried in 1851 to Eliza A. McArthur, who was born in Wayne County N. Y., in 1833. They have ten children, five sons and five daugh- ters. The sons are Charles S., John, Reuben T., Andrew and Willie. The daughters, Martha A., Lucy, Mary, Lillie and Della.
Mr. Clark was one of the first settlers in the town of Marathon, Lapeer County, settling on the farm where he now resides, a mile from the village of Columbiaville. This farm has one of the finest of locations and is under a high state of cultivation with a beautiful residence and fine surroundings, a view of which will be found on another page of this work.
Mr. Clark is one of the influential men of the town and has held various town offices. Is at the present time treasurer of the Lapeer County Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Association.
GEORGE ROOK was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1829. His father was a farmer, and he with him, also, was engaged in running a threshing machine. In 1852 he came to the township of Marathon. He was at first employed as engineer in the steam saw- mill at Piersonville, where he remained some years. He then held the same position in Tomer's saw-mill, near Columbiaville, and when it was removed to Crawford Lake, Forest, Genesee County, was also engineer of it. He has also been engaged in farming in several parts of Marathon, first on land two miles from Piersonville, afterward on section 16, then on section 30. In 1874 he went to Columbiaville and started a blacksmith and wagon shop, also sold agricultural implements. Had a blacksmith shop where he lived on section 30. In 1878 he moved on to forty acres he owned in sec- tion 28, township 9 north, range 9 east, to which he after- ward added forty acres adjoining. In 1877-'78 he was township treasurer, in 1879, township clerk, and in 1880 drain commissioner. In 1882 he was elected highway commissioner and re-elected in 1883. In 1866 he was married to Miss Rosa Clapp, of Genesee County, Mich. They have had two children, daughters, of whom one, who now lives with her parents, is the only survivor. In 1876 he made a trip to his old home in England, returning in the spring of 1877.
ABIJAH WILLEY was born in Savannah, Wayne County, N. Y., in 1833. His parents came to Michigan ana settled in Marathon Township in 1836. They were among the first settlers in that part of Lapeer County. Mr. Willey's father and Mr. E. Clute cut the
first road into the township from the village of Lapeer, crossing the Flint River near where Columbiaville now stands on a raft made of pine logs. Abijah lived with his father until he was twenty-one years of age, when he bought eighty acres of land in section 32, township 9 north, range 9 east. To this was added twenty acres in section 29, left him by his father. On this land he has followed farming up to the present time. For some thirty years he was also very extensively engaged in lumbering. He has been a justice of the peace for seven years, and has been connected with the township schools as moderator, director and assessor since he was of age. He was married in 1858 to Miss Eliza Traver, of Che- mung County, New York. They have two sons and two daugh- ters.
MORRIS FRIDER was born in Kent County, Western Canada, in 1822. Came to Marathon in 1857 and bought a farm of forty acres in section 1, township 9 north, range 9 east. He is one of the first settlers in that part of the township. In 1864 he enlisted in the Third Michigan Cavalry, and served in Texas and other Southern States until the war closed. At the close of the war he brought his parents to Lapeer County, and they lived with him until the time of their deaths, the father dying in 1869 and the mother in 1877. He was married in 1870 to Miss Anna Hayes, who was born in Canfield, Mahoning County, Ohio. They have had three children, but one of whom, a son, is now living. Mr. Frider has among the improvements on his farm, a fine orchard of peach trees.
SETH WILLEY, who was one of the very first settlers in the township of Marathon, was born six miles east of Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1817. In 1836 the family were taken to Michigan by the father, Abijah Willey. They lived in Lapeer a year and then settled in Marathon, where the father had previously bought land. At his father's death the original homestead was divided up among the heirs, three sons and three daughters. Mr. Willey lives in sec- tion 28, township 9 north, range 9 east, where he has ninety- two acres. He also has forty acres in section 31. He has been town collector, justice of the peace, etc. He was married in 1843 to Miss Caty J. Finehout, by whom he had a son and daughter. The son, George W. Willey, was a member of the Fourteenth Michi- gan Infantry and died from wounds received while in the service, during Sherman's "march to the sea." After the death of the first Mrs. Willey, he was again married in 1865 and by his second wife has had a daughter.
DENIS G. LAWRENCE was born in Sandusky, Ohio, in 1819. Came to Michigan with his parents when about a year old. They lived for a number of years in Oakland and Macomb Counties. In 1840 he came to Marathon Township, Lapeer County. His farm is in section 29, township 9 north, range 9 east. Has 460 acres, 300 cleared. In 1843 he bought a saw-mill in section 22, built by Washington Wagner. It was the first saw-mill put up in the township. In 1867 he replaced it with a steam mill. The latter he sold in 1882 and it was removed to Fremont, Tuscola County. Mr. L. was extensively engaged in lumbering and in the early days used to haul the product of his mill to Detroit and Saginaw with teams. He was also for a number of years engaged in mercantile trade in Columbiaville, of which village he was postmaster for a number of years, resigning the office in 1880. He was married July 25, 1841, to Miss Lorinda McArthur, by whom he had two sons and a daugh- ter. The daughter is married and the sons, Byron A. and Arthur, live on the homestead with their father and mother.
FRANCIS S. MORGAN was born in 1828, in Scipio, Cayuga County, N. Y. He learned the trade of cabinet-maker at Vienna, New York, but at the end of his apprenticeship went to sea, shipping in 1850 from New Bedford, Massachusetts, on a whaling vessel. The vessel in which he sailed was destroyed some eighteen months
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
afterward in the South Pacific, by a sperm whale attacking it. Previously the whale had destroyed three of the ship's boats which had attempted its capture. The crew of twenty-two men took to the two remaining boats in which they were some five days without provisions before they were picked up. They were landed in Pyta, Peru. For a number of years he followed a sea-faring life, some of the time on the Pacific coast of South America. Afterward went "around the Horn" to England, sailed from Bristol to New Orleans, also was in the fruit trade from there to Havana, Cuba. Came North in 1856, remained about a year and returned to New Orleans, and went to sea. Came to Greenville, Montcalm County, in 1857, became engaged to Miss Sarah E. Minard, to whom he was married at Oswego, Kendall County, Ill. Since that time he has been en- gaged in the cabinet-making trade at Oswego, Illinois, Orion, Pon- tiac and Lapeer, Michigan, and has farmed it in Deerfield, Oregon and Marathon Townships in Lapeer County. While in Orion was also employed as a carpenter and joiner. He now lives on a farm of G. H. Bixby, in section 31, Marathon, which he farms on shares. He has had by his wife four children, of whom only one, a daughter, sur- vives. She lives at home with her parents.
TOWN OF ATTICA.
This town, known in the government survey as township 7 north, of range 11 east, is bounded on the north by Arcadia, east by Imlay, south by Dryden, and west by Lapeer. There are no streams of any consequence in the township. There are several small bodies of water designated as Pleasant Lake, Elk Lake, Grass Lake and Long Lake.
Census of 1874: Population, 621; acres of taxable land 22,735; of improved land, 6,737; number of sheep, 1,420; of horses, 322; of cows, 368. Products of preceding year: 5,462 pounds of wool sheared, 34,291 pounds of pork marketed, 50 pounds of cheese and 50,391 of butter made, 19,147 bushels of wheat raised, 19,299 of corn, 27,707 of other grain, 7,722 of apples, 9,809 of potatoes and 1,568 tons of hay; 266 barrels of cider were made, and 6,253 pounds of fruit dried for market. In 1874, 3,440 pounds of maple sugar were made.
In 1880 the population of the town was 1,911.
The aggregate valuation of real and personal property as equalized by the board of supervisors in 1882 was $540,000.
ENTRIES OF LAND.
The following list shows the entries of land prior to the year 1846:
TOWNSHIP 7 NORTH, RANGE 11 EAST.
SECTION 1. Harlon Rice, June 11, 1836. Alanson Holcom, June 11, 1836. Edward Russell.
SECTION 2. Philetus Miller, June 21, 1836. John A. Tinsman, May 12, 1837. Marvill Shaw, May 12, 1837. John Barber, November 20, 1841.
SECTION 3. Lemuel B. Lemmon, August 14, 1839.
SECTION 4. Peter Hagner, June 15, 1836. Lucius Lyon, June 30, 1836.
SECTION 5. Peter Hagner, June 15, 1836.
Walter Davenport, June 15, 1836.
SECTION
6.
Richard J. Vosburgh .-
-
Wm. Scott, July 3, 1839.
SECTION 6. Nathan Jones, July 20, 1837. Nathan Jones, July 24, 1837. Truman Castle, June 1, 1838. Abraham D. Fisk, June 2, 1838. Daniel Nightingale, October 20, 1838.
SECTION 7. Walter Davenport, June 15, 1836. Egbert Owen, June 17, 1836. Franklin Mulliner, September 21, 1836. Marcus N. Mulliner, September 21, 1836. Alvah B. Howland, September 21, 1836.
SECTION 8. Walter Davenport, January 15, 1836. Lucius Lyon, January 30, 1836. Benjamin Starr, September 21, 1836.
SECTION 9. Lucius Lyon, June 30, 1836. Augustin H. Markham, and Ralph C. Markham, October 11, 1836.
SECTION 10. Edmund A. Brush, January 31, 1837.
SECTION 11. Nathan Dickinson, Wm. H. Imlay and George Beach, March 1, 1836.
Edmund A. Brush, January 31, 1837. Wm. J. Shaw, April 15, 1837. Henry N. Crissman, May 12, 1837. John Gibbs, May 12, 1837.
SECTION 12. Nathan Dickinson, Wm. H. Imlay and George Beach, March 2, 1836. Edmund Russell, June 4. 1836. E. Russell and W. J. Bayard, June 4, 1836. SECTION 13. Levi D. Cowls, March 1, 1836. Nathan Dickinson, Wm. H. Imlay and George Beach, March 2, 1836.
E. Russell and W. J. Bayard, June 4, 1836. Levi Washburn, January 24, 1837. Ralph B. Lewis, February 27, 1837. John Tinsman, March 10, 1837. Michael Marlatt, March 28, 1837. George W. Williams and James Fraser, March 28, 1837.
SECTION 14. Heman Humphrey, March 1, 1836.
Seneca Newberry, January 16, 1837. Benjamin Crissman, March 10, 1837. Seneca Newberry, March 21, 1837. George W. Williams and James Fraser, March 28. 1837. SECTION 15. Heman Humphrey, March 1, 1836. Nathan Dickinson, Wm. H. Imlay and George Beach, March 14, 1836. George Wilson, March 15, 1837.
SECTION 17.
Augustin H. Markham, October 11, 1836.
Truman Henderson, February 13, 1840.
SECTION 18.
Harvey J. Norton, September 21, 1836.
Oliver Benton, September 21, 1836.
SECTION 19. Wm. L. Pickering, June 6, 1836. Center Lamb, June 9, 1836. Center Lamb, July 16, 1836. SECTION 20. Center Lamb, June 29, 1836. Richard Fancher, June 30, 1836. Leonard Hopkins, July 5, 1836. John B. Henderson, July 14, 1837. Ebenezer T. Wadkins, March 5, 1838.
SECTION 21.
Moses Olmsted, August 26, 1836.
James Henderson, September 14, 1836.
Warren Thompson, September 21, 1836.
Elisha Fox, September 21, 1836.
148 HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
SECTION 21. John T. Mapes, October 19, 1836. Walter Wentworth, November 28, }836. Holden Tripp, January 24; 1837.
SECTION 22. John A. Conklin, November 23, 1835. Nathan Dickinson, Wm. H. Imlay and George Beach, March 1, 1836. Heman Humphrey, March 1, 1836. Isaiah Goodrich, February 22, 1837. Nathan Dickinson, April 19, 1837.
SECTION 23. John A. Conklin, July 6, 1835. Enos B. Taylor and Eden Kelley, February 16, 1836. Lemuel Taylor, February 22, 1836. Nathan Dickinson, Wm. H. Imlay and George Beach, March 1, 1836.
Nathan Dickinson, Wm. H. Imlay and George Beach, March 14, 1836. E. Russell and W. J. Bayard, June 4, 1836. Elias Gordon, June 6, 1836.
SECTION 24. Lemuel Taylor, Eden Kelley and Enos Taylor, Feb- ruary 13, 1836.
Nathan Dickinson, Wm. H. Imlay and George Beach, March 1, 1836. Levi D. Cowls, March 1, 1836. Edmund Russell, June 16, 1836.
Erastus Cressy, March 10, 1837.
SECTION 25. Nathan Dickinson, Wm. H. Imlay and George Beach, March 1, 1836. David Kinnan, June 6, 1836. Seth Belding, June 6, 1836.
SECTION 26. Hiram M. Hopkins, June 3, 1836.
Edmund Russell, June 4, 1836. E. Russell and W. J. Bayard, June 4, 1836. Henry Hawkins and Van Rensselaer Hawkins, April 17,1837. SECTION 27. John W. Squier, July 24, 1835. Luman Squier, December 19, 1836. Elijah L. Taylor, January 16, 1837. German Elsworth, January 16, 1837. Henry Hawkins and Van Rensselaer Hawkins, Feb. 10, 1837. Wm. Carlton, March 10, 1837.
SECTION 28. Jesse Kyes, July 16, 1836.
John B. Henderson, September 14, 1836. James Henderson, September 14, 1836. Jonathan Russell, September 26, 1836. Wm. H. Griswold, October 14, 1836. Lorenzo D. Carter, November 19, 1836. Russell A. Carter, November 19, 1836. Henry Hawkins and Van Rensselaer Hawkins, Feb. 10, 1837. Daniel Russell, February 21, 1837. Aaron Carleton, March 10, 1837. SECTION 29. Center Lamb, June 29, 1836. Philip Smith, June 30, 1836. Jesse Kyes, July 16, 1836. George House, September 14, 1836. Lyman Russell, December 20, 1836. Lyman Russell, February 1, 1837. Charles A. Hebard, October 22, 1838. SECTION 30. Francis G. Macy and Amon W. Langdon, May 17, 1836. Center Lamb, June 29, 1836. George C. Loomis, July 11, 1836.
SECTION 31. Francis G. Macy and Amon W. Langdon, May 17, 1836.
SECTION 32. Francis G. Macy and Amon W. Langdon, May 17, 1836. Lewis L. Quick, June 4, 1836. Moses Olmstead, August 26, 1836. Jesse Kyes, September 17, 1836. Lyman Russell, December 20, 1836.
Marvin Reed, March 17, 1837. Harvey Turner and Sylvester W. Turner, October 16, 1838.
Henry Read, October 3, 1839.
William T. Lathrop, October 17, 1843. James Bolton, March 27, 1840.
SECTION 33. Hannah Palen, June 4, 1836. Pardon G. Richardson, June 14, 1836. Jonathan Russell, September 26, 1836. William H. Griswold, October 16, 1836. Benjamin Crissman, March 10, 1837.
SECTION 34. Joseph W. Hinks, November 26, 1835.
Nathan Dickinson, William H. Imlay, and George Beach, March 20, 1836. Benjamin West, May 11, 1836.
Michael Nikirk, May 13, 1836. Jonathan T. Walton, September 21, 1836.
James Goodenough, November 29, 1836.
Laverna E. Skinner, February 10, 1837.
David W. Noyes, March 10, 1837.
Horace Shaw, July 4, 1838.
SECTION 35. Benjamin Huntley, February 25, 1836. Ethan Squier, March 7, 1836. Jonathan T. Walton, May 12, 1836. Hiram M. Hopkins, June 3, 1836. Edmund Russell, June 4, 1836.
William Eggleston, June 13, 1836. Norman Spencer, September 19, 1836. Jonathan T. Walton, September 21, 1836.
Newman C. Griswold, November 10, 1836. John A. Tinsman, February 27, 1837.
SECTION 36. Nathan Dickinson, William H. Imlay and George Beach, March 1, 1836. Nathan Dickinson, William H. Imlay and George Beach, May 10, 1836. Edmund Russell, June 16, 1836. William Worth, June 18, 1836.
Nathan Dickinson, William H. Imlay and George Beach, August 24, 1836. Michael Steffen, October 18, 1836.
James Goodenough, November 19, 1836. James Goodenough, January 21, 1837. John A. Tinsman, February 27, 1837. Asa Huntley, March 10, 1837.
EARLY HISTORY.
The township of Attica was at first a part of Dryden. The first land located by an actual settler was the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 35, by Benjamin Huntley.
The town was organized in 1842, and the first township meet- ing held April 4, of that year, in a log school-house on section 29. C. A. Hebard was chosen chairman, and Lyman Russell, clerk. They were elected respectively supervisor and clerk of the new town. Attica originally had extensive forests of pine, and like many
149
HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
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other towns in the county, agriculture did not receive much atten- tion until the decline of the lumbering industry. The early lumber- men were William Williams, Joshua Manwaring and Rogers & Jenness.
Among the earlier settlers of the town were Jonathan Russell, Jonathan T. Walton, Moses Olmstead, Lorenzo Carter, the Spencer family, William North, John B. Henderson, James Henderson, John T. Mitchell, Benjamin West and his son Daniel West, Charles A. Hebard, Daniel Nightingale. Most of these came in about 1836, or between 1836 and 1840. The early settlement of the town was attended with hardships unusual even to the pioneer in the wilder- ness. The year 1837 was particularly severe upon the early settlers, as severe winter preceding with the heavy frosts of the spring resulted in a general unfruitfulness and scarcity of crops. There was a great scarcity of provisions, and much difficulty was experi- enced to obtain even the necessities of life.
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