USA > Michigan > Lapeer County > History of Lapeer County, Michigan : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 8
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In 1880 the population of the town and village was 2,050.
The aggregate valuation of real and personal property as equalized by the board of supervisors in 1882 was $1,314,000.
The following list shows by whom the first entries of land were made:
LAND ENTRIES PRIOR TO 1846.
TOWNSHIP 6 NORTH, RANGE 12 EAST.
SECTION 1. Calvin A. Shaw, October 15, 1835.
Joseph Warner, October 15, 1835.
Henry Waldron, May 28, 1836.
Eben B. Morehouse, June 9, 1836.
Levi C. Turner, June 9, 1836.
SECTION 2. Henry Waldron, May 28, 1836. Nelson Kirby, June 3, 1836.
Abner Cook, Jr., June 9, 1836.
Levi C. Turner, June 9. 1836.
SECTION 3.
Luther Shaw, October 15, 1835,
University .
$ 650 00 University-general and other expenses.
597 04
Normal School. 370 98
Normal School-grading grounds, etc., . 125 58 Agricultural College - general and other expenses. 516 44 State Public School 735 06
Michigan School for the Blind-general and other ex- penses. 1,093 76
Institution for the Deaf and Dumb-general and other expenses.
1,036 39
State Reform School-current expenses . 722 22
State Industrial Home for Girls-general and other ex- penses
1,056 96
State House of Correction -- building, etc. 115 55
Asylum for Insane-eastern-additional power boiler .. 54 74 Asylum for Insane-Michigan-building, etc. 194 20
Asylum for Insane-new-building, etc. 3,209 88
Asylum for Insane-criminal-building, etc
962 96
Board of Fish Commissioners.
320 99
State Board of Health.
Attica Township
1,911
Arcadia
1,043
Burlington. 1,252
Burnside 1,060
1,535
Deerfield
1,001
Elba.
1,291
Goodland.
1,241
Hadley.
1,474
Imlay (including Imlay City, 971)
2,400
Lapeer Township
1,166
City of Lapeer.
2,914
First Ward City ..
548
Second Ward City
898
Third Ward City.
393
Fourth Ward City.
1,075
Marathon.
1,667
Mayfield.
1,733
Metamora Township
1,384
North Branch
1,655
Oregon
1,420
Rich
882
Total. 30,079
Whole number of farms in county, 3,580; number of manu- facturing establishments in the county, producing at least $500 annually, including cost of material, 186; number of deaths in the county during the census year (May 31, 1879, to June 1, 1880, were 357, 36 of which were in Lapeer City.
The total equalized valuation of real and personal property in the several townships in 1882 was as follows:
Almont. $ 1,314,000
540,000 Attica.
324,000 Arcadia
Burnside 495,000
Burlington.
382,000
Dryden. Deerfield
265,000
Elba
549,000
Goodland.
306,000
Hadley.
792,000 Imlay
450,000
Lapeer
697,000
Mayfield.
504,000 Metamora.
810,000
Marathon .
540,000
North Branch
405,000
Oregon
387,000
Rich
270,000
Lapeer City.
1,143,000
Total. $11,046,000 The following is the amount of State tax proportioned to Lapeer County for the year 1883:
Lyman Wheeler, November 6, 1835,
Luther Shaw, March 24, 1836,
0
4
873,000
Dryden.
"FARM" &"TOWN", RES; OF.O. T. SANBORN, ALMONT, LAPEER Co. MICH.
RES. OF. W. H. LOUKS. LAPEER . T.P. LAPEER CO. MICH.
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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
31
SECTION 3. Amos Hewitt, April 27, 1836. Orris Smith, April 27, 1836. Luther Shaw, April 27, 1836. Daniel Matthews, May 2, 1836. Henry Waldron, May 28, 1836. Truman Shaw, July 6, 1836. Elisha Lee, March 4, 1836.
SECTION
4. Lydia E. S. Chamberlain, February 1, 1828. Elisha Webster, February 14, 1829. Samuel Deneen, February 24, 1831. Marshal Crane, January 15, 1833. Cyrus Boles, October 10, 1834. Joseph B. Deneen, November 12, 1834. Varnum Wilcox, June 20, 1835. Alvin Cheney, July 11, 1836.' Samuel Deneen, May 28, 1836. John Shaw, January 18, 1837.
SECTION 5. Erastus Day, July 14, 1829. Ephraim Chamberlain, October 29, 1830. Gilbert King, December 16, 1834. Varnum Wilcox, June 20, 1835. N. Dickinson, W. H. Imlay and George Beach, March 7, 1836. Richard Nelson, April 21, 1836. Harvey Wilcox, February 24, 1836.
SECTION 6. Peter Aldrich, Jr., February 26, 1831. Peter Aldrich, May 9, 1831. Gad Chamberlain, April 25, 1833. J. D. Baldwin and Sylvester G. Abbott, February 20,- 1836.
SECTION 7.
Nathan Dickinson, William H. Imlay and George Beach, March 7 and May 10, 1836. David Clark, June 23, 1826. Hiram Wilcox, June 5, 1835. John Taylor, Jr., March 14, 1836. Hermanns B. Fall, May 10, 1836. William H. Imlay, May 10, 1836. Nathan Dickinson, William H. Imlay and George Beach, May 24, 1836. Brainard Root, June 25, 1836.
SECTION 8. John Taylor, September 6, 1831. James Deneen, October 29, 1834. Asahel Wilcox, May 19, 1835. James Deneen, July 9, 1835. David T. Smith, November 6, 1835. Nathan Dickinson, William H. Imlay and George Beach, May 24, 1836.
SECTION 9. James Deneen, October 16, 1828. Abner H. Fisher, May 24, 1831. John Taylor, September 6, 1831. Josiah Fletcher, February 7, 1833. Josiah Fletcher, September 24, 1833. Varnum Wilcox, November 1, 1833. Harvey Wilcox, November 1, 1833. Daniel Freeman, October 16, 1834. David Paddock, November 5, 1835.
SECTION 10. Elisha Lee, March 4, 1837. William C. Baldwin, October 17, 1832. Hiram Wilcox, November 1, 1833. Richard Nelson, April 21, 1836. Henry Waldron, May 23, 1836. Henry Waldron, May 28, 1836. John Shaw, May 28, 1836.
SECTION 10. John S. Peck, June 9, 1836.
Adam Boles, July 16, 1836.
Adam Boles, November 22, 1836.
James W. Sleeper, December 26, 1836.
SECTION 11. Benjamin Hurlburt, May 10, 1836. Henry Waldron, May 23, 1836. Henry Waldron, May 28, 1836. Nelson Kirby and Gardner Carr, June 3, 1836. Elisha Lee, March 4, 1837.
SECTION 12. Levi Bannister, May 10, 1836.
SECTION 13. William W. Green, February 17, 1836. James C. Wallack, April 22, 1836. Thomas Durkee, May 6, 1836. Nelson Draper, November 19, 1836. Samson Salisbury, December 26, 1836. John Stephens, January 7, 1845,
SECTION 14. Walter Thompson, April 25, 1836. Alexander Jackels, May 3, 1836. William H. King, May 6, 1836. Thomas Durkee, May 6 and 12, 1836. Lewis Alverson, May 18, 1836. Otho Bell, June 2, 1836. Gardner Carr, June 16, 1836.
SECTION 15. Mary Hollister, May 29, 1828. William Boles, July 22, 1833. Benjamin Sleeper, October 29, 1833. Adam Boles, May 21, 1834. Stephen Smith, June 7, 1834. Adam Boles, October 2, 1834. Benjamin Sleeper, May 21, 1836. Hiram L. Salsbury, July 11, 1836. Otho Bell, August 4, 1836.
SECTION 16. Daniel C. Bacon, October 17, 1842. A. R. Fisher, November 2, 1842. A. Fisher, November 2, 1842. E. DeLong, June 5, 1843. E. S. Curtis, December 14, 1844. David Ingalls, November 11, 1842. E. T. Curtis, February 23, 1843. Y. B. Humphrey, September 4, 1843. Anson Humphrey, September 4, 1843. Daniel Black, September 24, 1843.
SECTION 17. Elisha Farnum, September 19, 1835. Clark Bates, November 7, 1835. Leonard Wells, December 16, 1835. Elvin King, January 29, 1836. Nathan Dickinson, William H. Imlay and George Beach, May 24, 1836. Stephen Briggs, June 13, 1836.
SECTION 18. Nathan Dickinson, William H. Imlay and George Beach, March 14 and March 24, 1836.
SECTION 19. William Vandebogart, December 7, 1835. David Weeks, December 11, 1835. Dickinson, Imlay and Beach, May 2 and 10, 1836. Nathan Dickinson, June 17, 1836. Nathan Dickinson, William H. Imlay and George Beach, May 24, 1836.
SECTION 20. E. H. Hough and J. B. Hough, May 8, 1834. James Andrews, May 17, 1834. William King, June 11, 1834. Milton Fox, September 25, 1834. Harvey A. Newberry, September 25, 1834.
32 HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
SECTION 20. Cyrus Humphrey, June 9, 1835. Davis Newberry, June 9, 1835. Dickinson, Imlay & Beach, March 29, 1836. Nathan Dickinson, June 17, 1836.
SECTION 21. Daniel Black, June 6, 1833. Daniel Black, July 13, 1833. Edward H. and John B. Hough, May 8, 1834. Philo Farnam, Jr., May 29, 1834. W. H. Wing, June 4, 1834. Jonathan O. Freeman, June 7, 1834. Henry H. Newberry, September 25, 1834. Cyrus Humphrey, October 11, 1834. Philo Farnam, Jr., October 13, 1834. James McCoy, April 25, 1835. Henry H. Wing, October 16, 1835.
SECTION 22. Nicholas Richardson, May 17, 1831. Otho Bell, May 26, 1831. William F. Teed, March 12, 1834. James H. Kidder, April 17, 1834. Jonas Cutler, April 18, 1834. James H. Kidder, May 7, 1834. Ganet Schenk, June 26, 1834. John A. Conklin, October 1, 1835. SECTION 23. Nathan Rogers, May 17, 1833. Oliver Bristol, February 5, 1836. Rufus Beall, March 19, 1836. Zadock H. Hallock, April 22, 1836. William H. Wing, May 6, 1836. Ira C. Day, May 21, 1836. David Ingalls, October 26, 1836. Elisha Lee, March 4, 1837.
SECTION 24. Zadock H. Hallock, April 22, 1836. Lemuel Pratt, April 22, 1836. Thomas Durkee, May 6, 1836. . Samuel Salisbury, July 11, 1836. Zadock H. Hallock, April 22, 1836. SECTION 25. Thomas R. Hallock, April 22, 1836. John W. Thompson, May 25, 1836. William Thompson, May 25, 1836. Benjamin B. Kercheval, December 27, 1836. John Robb, August 23, 1841. John Marshall, May 31, 1842. Thomas B. Hallock, June 8, 1836.
SECTION 26. Nathan Rogers, Jr., May 17, 1833. Rufus Prentice, October 1, 1833. Robert A. Quatermass, October 24, 1835. Charles W. Richardson, April 7, 1836. Rebecca Day, May 21, 1836. William Thompson, May 25, 1836. David Ingalls, October 26, 1836. Elisha Lee, March 4, 1837.
SECTION 27. Oliver Bristol, October 6, 1830. Otho Bell, May 26, 1831. Ira S. Saunders, September 23, 1833. William F. Teed, August 8, 1834. Giles Wickwire, October 14, 1834. Wesley Platt, October 15, 1834. Robert A. Quatermass, October 24, 1835. Harvey Carpenter, November 16, 1835. Rufus Beall, March 19, 1836.
SECTION 28. Jonathan Sleeper, November 23, 1830. Walter K. and Ebenezer Hough, September 23, 1833. James Taylor, May 7, 1834.
0
SECTION 28. Jonathan C. Freeman, June 7, 1834.
William R. Gardner, September 19, 1834.
Garry Goodriclı, May 6, 1836.
SECTION 29. Jededialı E. Hough, March 22, 1834. Edward H. and Jolin B. Hough, May 8, 1834. William King, June 11, 1834. Washington Allen, November 7, 1834. Josiah Banghart, April 4, 1835. Simeon Balclı, June 15, 1835. Willard Wales, July 16, 1835. Josiah Banghart, November 18, 1835.
SECTION 30. Willard Wales, April 3, 1835. Almeron W. Wales, April 3, 1835. John J. Joslin, March 22, 1836. Nathan Dickinson, William H. Imlay and George Beach, May 2, 1836. Nathan Dickinson, William H. Imlay and George Beach, May 10, 1836. SECTION 31. John T. Smith, November 13, 1834. Philip Smith, January 20, 1835. Van Rensselaer Beach, March 20, 1835. Almeron W. Wales, April 3, 1835. John De Witt, June 10, 1835. Hezekiah Wyncoop, July 4, 1835. Edgar T. Leet, July 4, 1835. Van Rensselaer Beach, July 24, 1835. Ora Beach, August 22, 1835. Rufus Palen, September 17, 1835. Schuyler Irish, October 22, 1835. Schuyler Irish, May 31, 1836.
SECTION 32. Ben Taggert, October 30, 1830. Nathaniel Smith, February 14, 1834. Witherell Hough, October 28, 1834. Oliver Smith, November 3, 1834. Samuel Johnson, November 7, 1834. Hannah Palen, June 29, 1835. Hiram Hoit, September 21, 1835.
SECTION 33. David Ingalls, October 30, 1830. Bezaleel Bristol, July 16, 1831. Walter H. and Ebenezer Hough, September 23, 1833. Nathaniel Smith, July 2, 1835. Nathaniel Smith, September 16, 1835. Samuel Johnson, November 28, 1835. John S. Smith, June 27, 1836.
SECTION 34. Diana Kittredge, May 27, 1828. Elijah M. Sanborn, June 26, 1830 Benjamin Taggert, October 30, 1830. John E. Walden, July 9, 1832. George H. Holden, September 26, 1833. Philip S. Frisbie, July 21, 1834. Mark Winchal, December 11, 1834. William Whitney, July 9, 1835. SECTION 35. Rufus Beall, May 26, 1831. Joshua Smith, June 21, 1833. John Taylor, June 21, 1833. John Hopkin, June 29, 1833. William Robertson, June 29, 1833. Giles Wickwire, October 14, 1833. Avery Reniff, February 1, 1836.
SECTION 36.
James Thomson, June 12, 1833.
William Thompson, May 25, 1836.
Hoyer G. Kittredge, October 26, 1836.
Seymour P. Fletcher, October 26, 1836.
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6
33
HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
SECTION 36. Hutchins Washburne, October 27, 1836. Seymour P. Fletcher, October 31, 1836.
EARLY HISTORY.
The first trace we can find in the memory of the "oldest inhab- itant," of the opening up of our beautiful township to the ad- venturous white man, takes us back to 1827. In that year William Allen, his son, G. W. Allen, and James Thorington, with Levi Washburn as hunter and guide, from the neighborhood of the town- ship of Washington, with invading axes cut a road through north- ward, near the present main street of our village, to the pineries beyond. Tradition says they found the road about as hard to travel as the famous Jordan of the song, and that when they "pitched their nightly tents" they were serenaded in such lively style by roving bands of wolves that sleep forsook their mossy pil- lows, and daylight was welcomed with more than usual pleasure. They found here a fine tract of country, offering great inducements to the farmer; the southern portion somewhat rolling and consist- ing in great part of windfall land and oak-openings; the northern more level and covered with heavy timber, mostly beech and maple, intermingled with strips of pine.
The first purchase of land in the township was made in the spring of 1828, by Lydia Chamberlin, the east one-half northeast quarter of section 5. In the fall of the same year James Deneen bought from government, and actually settled upon the west one- half northeast quarter section 9. To him belongs the distinction of being the leading pioneer of this township and county. For two years he was the only one, his nearest neighbors being some ten miles to the southward, while away to the northwest lay the great Saginaw Valley, now crowded with cities and villages; then known only as the seat of an obscure trading post. Mr. Deneen went to California in the height of the gold fever, and soon after died there. Honor to the pioneer hero!
Next came Jonathan Sleeper, who settled in the fall of 1830, on east one-half northeast quarter section 28. He built a log house on the south end of the lot, nearly one-half mile south of the center of our village. Opposite, on the east side of the road, the same fall, Oliver Bristol built a frame house; the first in the town, and still standing in good preservation; and next May, 1831, he moved in with his family. His brother, Bezaleel Bristol, came with him, and located near by. A little farther south, on the town line, Elijah Sanborn bought in 1830, and settled in 1831. Those were trying times for the hardy pioneers, and we in our days of compara- , tive ease and luxury, earned by their labors, can hardly realize how much they had to endure. Mr. Sanborn came in March, but the winter was unusually prolonged by a heavy fall of snow in April, and he had to feed to his stock his scanty store of flour and even the straw from the family bedticks to keep the animals alive, while he went an arduous journey of twenty miles to Troy for supplies. Mr. Sleeper was a poor man, and was obliged to leave home and work in the settlements south in order to support his family while clearing up his farm. While he was absent the wolves were im- pudent enough to come right up to the doorstep and even put their feet on the window sill and look into the house. Imagine the feel- ings of a lonely woman, with her little ones, under such circum- stances. About this time these ferocious animals killed and de- voured a valuable cow belonging to Oliver Bristol, a sufficient proof of their power and murderous intentions. In those days a tub of soap grease left out over night was pretty sure to be gone in the morning, and the smaller kinds of stock had to be carefully housed up in order to preserve them. The writer remembers hearing the howl of the wolves as late as 1843 in a swamp in the southeast
corner of the township, about the time when they killed seven sheep in one night for Reeves Hallock just over the line in Berlin.
EARLY EVENTS.
In 1830 the first birth among the white settlers took place, that of Anna Deneen, daughter of James Deneen. This lady, now the widow of Chas. Walker, still lives on the old homestead. She was the first white person born in Lapeer County. The first fu- neral also occurred this year, that of an infant son of Bezaleel Bristol. On this occasion the first or second sermon ever delivered in Lapeer County was preached by "old Father Abel Warren," as he was familiarly called. Mr. Warren belonged to the M. E. Church and was the pioneer preacher of a large tract of wilderness, embracing this and several adjoining counties. He must have been a man of many sterling qualities of brain and heart, judging from the success of his heroic labors and the affectionate remembrance in which he is still held by the surviving pioneers.
In January, 1832, the first wedding took place. Cullen Baldwin was married to Nancy Elderken by Father Warren, at the house of Oliver Bristol. The happy couple settled in Bruce, but afterward moved to this township. Both have since died; Mr. Baldwin only a year ago at Romeo.
John Walden came in the spring of 1832 and died in the fall of 1833, being the first adult white man known to have died in the township. Abner Fisher, Wm. Boles, Josiah Sleeper, Benj. Sleeper, Philip Frisbie and father, and others were added to the settlement at this time. David Ingalls came in 1829, bought in 1830, built in 1831 and settled in 1836.
In 1833 there was a notable increase in the number of actual settlers. David Taylor, John Hopkins, James Thompson and Wm. Robertson commenced the Scotch settlement in the southeast. In the winter Nathaniel Smith and in the fall Philip Smith located in the southwest, while Bradford, Philip and Varnum Wilcox and Elisha Webster settled in the northwest, where, a year after, the latter built a saw-mill, which was for a long time the only one in town. In July of this year, also, the first house, a log one, was built on the site of the present village of Almont, on the spot now occupied by the Robertson Block. Daniel Black was the owner and builder, and to him belongs the title of founder of the village. James Thompson is one of the few men now amongst us who assisted at the raising.
As early as the winter of 1834, Mr. Black kept a sort of tavern in his log house. He had to go to Pontiac and take out a license at a cost of $18, and then had to keep two extra beds and stabling for two spans of horses in order to comply with the law. He had sev- eral dances and the young people used to come to them from Roches- ter and Utica. Considering the state of the roads in those days, this certainly showed a great deal of enterprise in the pursuit of pleasure under difficulties. Mr. Black was present at the first court held in Lapeer County in 1837. He was township collector ten years in succession, being very accommodating in dealing with the poor set- tlers, taking ashes, black salts, oats-anything they had that was merchantable-in payment of taxes.
Bears were very abundant a year or two previous to this, and Oliver Bristol had a rather exciting adventure with one near the site of the present Congregational Church. He was a cripple at the time, the result of a limb fractured some six months before. He had fired at the bear, wounding and knocking it down. When com- mencing to reload he perceived the bear, a very large one, making toward him. He turned to run but his crippled leg failed him. His only recourse was to reload. With a few of the liveliest mo- tions he ever made in his life, he did so, and dropped the powder in the pan of his old flint-lock just as Bruin rose to receive him with open
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34
HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.
arms. But for the lucky shot that followed, the name of Oliver Bristol would probably have figured no more in this eventful history.
Quite a large influx of population took place in 1834. Six fam- ilies of Houghs, viz : those of Witherell, Jedediah, Edward, Ebenezer, Walter K. and John B., with James Taylor, James Andrus, Elisha Farnum, Cyrus Humphrey, Otis Freeman, William and Harrison King, James H. Kidder, Stephen Smith, Milton Fox, Willard Wales and Josiah Banghart were added to the number of influential citizens. Nicholas Richardson had come in 1833, but did not settle till 1834. Simeon Balch and Clark Bates came a year later. As an illustration of the pluck and energy commonly shown by those en- terprising men, this circumstance is related in regard to Mr. James Andrus. He reached this place on the 12th of May, chose a loca- tion one and one-fourth miles west on the 13th, traveled on foot to Detroit on the 14th, bought his land and walked back on the 15th, reaching Black's a little after sundown. During the two days he was gone, his son, James H., worked alone, cutting the first road west from the village, and inside of two weeks from their first ar- rival, the family were snugly fixed in a comfortable log house on the new farm.
This year was also rendered notable by the organization of the township and the holding of the first town meeting. At this elec- tion thirteen votes were cast-not as many votes as there were offices. Those must have been rare times for office-seekers! Oli- ver Bristol, Democrat, was elected supervisor, and for two years went as such to Pontiac, the county seat of Oakland County, as La- peer County was not then fully organized. This year also witnessed the foundation of our school system.
Nicholas Richardson was one of our first highway commission- ers.
Some idea may be formed of the state of the roads in those days from the fact that he pronounced it utterly impossible to make a road on the site of our present beautiful gravel turnpike to Romeo.
Dr. Caleb Carpenter, the pioneer physician, settled in the vil- lage this year. Dr. Lute followed in a year or two, in the south- west part of the town.
About the close of the patriot war there was a free immigra- tion from Canada, and the town became quite populous, so that in this brief sketch we can no longer mention all the names. Sev- eral families of Churchills and Edgertons were among these new comers. But little wild land was now left untaken.
The Scotch settlement was largely reinforced by the numerous families of Cochranes, Mortons, Millikins, Hamiltons, Muirs, Mairs, Marshals, Fergusons, Reids, Braidwoods and Patons, with John Wason, Wm. Wallace and others, and these added largely by their industry and thrift to the material prosperity of the town.
Zadoc H. Hallock came in 1838 and settled one-half mile east, where he still lives, and cut the first road and took the first wagon through eastward into Berlin; Joshua Smith and Thomas Morton set- tled by the "Red Run" in 1838, of whom the latter might be styled the "advance guard" of the army of Scotch who followed after 1840. Mark Farley in 1840, David and Wm. Clark in 1838 and 1840, and Virgil Parmlee were added to the settlement north. The Chas. Ken- netts, Sr. and Jr., Solon Spafford and Wm. Nichols also came about the same time. Adam Watson and J. G. Thurston came two or three years later,
SQUIRREL HUNT.
The summer of 1843 is probably remembered by many on account of a grand squirrel hunt in which the whole town took part, the north part being pitted against the south. It was arranged in connection with the second celebration of the 4th of July. A dinner was to be provided by contributions from the farmers, and fifty
squirrel tails were required from a man and twenty-five from a boy to entitle him to a seat at the table. The hunt lasted a week, and almost any one who chose to try could secure the requisite number, so exceedingly plentiful was the game. The result of the hunt was 5,700 tails, the southern division being victors. A grand jollification followed. There was a procession, the marshals being Wm. Myers and John Colwell, familiarly known as Colonel Windy. Then fol- lowed the dinner with toasts and speeches.
At the breaking out of the Mexican war in 1846, Almont sent a delegation of four meu, viz: John C. Hincks, Thomas Goetchius, Theodore Banghart and Albert Schenck.
During the decade between 1840 and 1850 the political com- plexion of the town changed. D. W. Taylor, Democrat, was super- visor in 1843 and 1844; James Taylor, Democrat, from 1845 to 1848 inclusive; Calvin A. Shaw, Whig, in 1849 and 1850.
During the years between 1850 and 1860 the town partook in the great political excitements that convulsed the country, and was the scene of many enthusiastic mass-meetings addressed by mighty stump orators, such as George W. Peck, George C. Bates, Crofoot, Baldwin, Blair, Chandler and others. In 1851 Z. H. Hallock, Democrat, was elected supervisor and re-elected in 1852. James Taylor, Democrat, was elected again in 1853, and retained in office four years. In 1857 the town yielded to the pressure of the times, and became Republican, Samuel Carpenter, supervisor. D. E. Hazen was elected in 1858 and 1859, and Hiram Howland in 1860, both Republicans. It is worthy of note here that Mr. John Rat- tray, Sr., became justice of the peace in 1857, and has been con- tinued in that office to the present date. In the summer of 1858 we lost one of our most esteemed public men, Mr. James Taylor, by accidental drowning.
During this decade population had continued to increase till, in 1860, the votes cast for supervisor were 409, the total population being about 2,000-nearly double that of 1850.
To the call for men during the war for the Union, Almont re- sponded with energy and enthusiasm, two companies being organ- ized here and many men furnished to other organizations, and not a few of her sons sealed their patriotism with their blood.
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