History of Livingston County, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 27

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Agreeably to the published notice required by law, the first meeting of the members of the com- pany was held at the court-house in Howell, on the sixteenth of May, 1863, at which meeting the permanent officers were elected, as follows :

131,

PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.

President, Ephraim J. Hardy. Vice-President, Francis Monroe. Secretary, Elijah F. Burt. Collector, John Sigler. Director, Lyman Judson.

On the eighteenth of May, 1863, the secretary commenced issuing policies, and on the first of November succeeding, the company had two hundred and twenty-nine policies in force, em- bracing property insured to the amount of four hundred and six thousand four hundred and thirty dollars, belonging to two hundred and twenty-four members.

The first annual meeting of the company was held at the court-house in Howell, November 7, 1863, when the following officers were elected :

President, Ephraim J. Hardy.

Vice-President, Francis Monroe.

Secretary, E. F. Burt.

Collectors, John Sigler, L. C. Crittenden.

Directors, E. J. Hardy, J. M. La Rue, E. F. Burt.

Prudential Committee : Brighton, L. Judson ; Cohoctah, J. Kanouse; Conway, Henry Snyder ; Deerfield, Calvin T. Burnett; Genoa, C. W. Bur- well; Green Oak, Isaac H. Smith ; Hamburg, R. H. Bennett; Handy, M. Gaston ; Hartland, C. H. Mercer; Howell, B. W. Cardell; Iosco, D. Per- son ; Marion, E. N. Fairchild; Oceola, Aaron V. Holt; Putnam, Gilbert Brown; Tyrone, Austin Wakeman ; Unadilla, John Fulmer.

The great increase of the business of the com- pany is shown by the report of the mutual fire in- surance companies of the State; the following figures, taken from that report, having reference to the condition of the Livingston County company on the thirty-first day of December, 1878, viz .:

Membership.

1859

Risks in force at that date ..

$3,889.92

Assessments levied, 1878

5,640.99

Per cent. of assessment.

.0015

The total losses of the company since its organ- ization have been as follows :

1864

$6.75

1865

3,050. 15

1866

1,128.80

1867.

1,864.45

1868

651.00

1869

2,292.41

1870

3,588.25

1871.

1,440.75

1872

2,834.30

1873

2,854.25

1874

2,138.55

1875

3,112.55

1876

7,941.05

1877

7,832.76

1878

4,992.00

1879 to June Ist.

3,558.63

$49,286.65

All these being within the county of Living- ston.

An amendment to the company's charter and by-laws was adopted September 14, 1872. Under this amendment provision is made for payment of " loss and damage by lightning to buildings of farmers, and property therein," and that "the company is not holden for any damages occasioned by the use of steam threshing-machines; and all persons using such steam machines do so at their own risk."

The officers of the company under the amended charter are " a president, vice-president, a secretary, who shall act as collector, and a board of three directors, of which number the president and sec- retary shall ex officio be two, and such other officers as said directors shall at any time deem it neces- sary to have or appoint."

The present officers of the company are :

President, Lyman Judson.

Secretary and Treasurer, William Suhr.

Director, E. W. Grant.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY COUNCIL, PATRONS OF HUS- BANDRY.

This organization, first named and known as "Union Council,* Patrons of Husbandry," was formed at a meeting held in the village of Unadilla, December 5, 1873, pursuant to a call emanating from Unadilla Grange, No. 6. The meeting was composed of delegates from adjacent granges as follows :

Unadilla Grange, No. 6: Royal Barnum, W. M. Stilson, William Watts.

Eureka Grange, No. 2 : E. Croman, B. W. Sweet, E. Skidmore.

Iosco Grange, No. 109: Milton Bradley, John Elliott, Isaac Stow.

Pinckney Grange, No. 17: Freeman Webb, C. M. Wood, Jacob Sigler.

Lafayette Grange, No. 92 : R. Buchanan, W. W. Williams, E. A. Nordman.

Genoa Grange, No. 76: Joseph Rider, Charles Fishbeck, William Holt.

Stockbridge Grange, No. 7: Wm. H. Stevens, H. H. Brewerton, P. Rowe.

Howell Grange, No. 90: Henry Barnard, Daniel Case, Theodore Welcker.

Royal Barnum, of Unadilla Grange, was called to the chair, and Isaac Stow, of Iosco, was chosen secretary. A permanent organization of the meet- ing was afterwards effected by the choice of C. L. Whitney as Chairman ; Isaac Stow, Secretary ; W.

* The name was changed, and the present one adopted by unani- mous vote of delegates present at the annual meeting of the council, February 6, 1877.

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

Williams, Overseer ; Thomas Howlett, Steward; Joseph Kirkland, Gate-Keeper. A committee, com- posed of the chairman, the Masters of the several granges represented, and J. Webster Childs, of Washtenaw County, was constituted for the pur- pose of drafting articles of association and a con- stitution, which (after a recess) were reported to the meeting and adopted; the preamble and first two articles being as follows :

"Whereas, Other classes and professions of men have associations to protect their own interests ; therefore, to form a more perfect union, secure our own rights, and protect our own interests against the encroachments of all combinations, we, the delegates of the subordinate granges, do hereby form ourselves into a council, and adopt the following articles of association :

" ARTICLE I .- This association shall be called the Union Council of the Patrons of Husbandry.

" ARTICLE 2 .- The objects of this council shall be the promotion and attainment of united and uniform action of the granges of which it is composed in all matters affecting their interests and welfare, and in bringing the producers and consumers of agricultural implements and products closer together, by buying and selling through this council, or through such parties as may make arrangements with it, to buy or sell such articles or implements as we may need, and to transact such other business as may be necessary to secure these ends."

It is elsewhere declared in the articles of asso- ciation that the object of the order is to secure social and intellectual advantages to its members, no less than to promote their financial interests.

The first officers of the council - elected at this meeting-were : Master, C. M. Wood; Over- seer, William Stevens ; Steward, Charles Fishbeck; Assistant Steward, H. N. Stilson ; Chaplain, L. J. Whitcomb; Treasurer, B. W. Sweet ; Secretary, Isaac Stow; Gate-Keeper, T. Howlett; Executive Committee, C. M. Wood, Isaac Stow, Freeman Webb, Royal Barnum, M. Bradley.

The following is a list of the officers of the council, elected in succeeding years, to the present time :

1874 .- Master, C. W. Haze; Overseer, Charles Fishbeck; Steward, B. W. Sweet; Assistant Stew- ard, H. N. Stilson: Chaplain, L. J. Whitcomb; Treasurer, Royal Barnum ; Secretary, Isaac Stow ; Purchasing Agent, W. K. Sexton ; Gate-Keeper, T. Howlett; Executive Committee, W. W. Williams, Thomas Copeland, William Stevens, Charles Cur- tis, Theodore Welcker.

1875 .- Master, Charles Fishbeck ; Overseer, Peter T. Gill; Steward, Theodore Welcker; As- sistant Steward, H. O. Barnard; Chaplain, Thomas Copeland; Treasurer, Charles Curtis ; Secretary

and Purchasing Agent, William K. Sexton; Ex- ecutive Committee, William Fishbeck, Charles Curtis, Henry Lake.

1876 .- Master, Charles Fishbeck ; Overseer, James Harger; Steward, A. M. Wells; Assistant Steward, H. O. Barnard; Chaplain, Linus Reed ; Treasurer, Charles Curtis ; Gate-Keeper, S. M. Dickerson ; Secretary, Mrs. W. K. Sexton ; Pur- chasing Agent, W. K. Sexton; Executive Com- mittee, Charles Curtis, William Fishbeck, Charles Fishbeck, W. K. Sexton, F. W. Munson.

1877 .- Master, Stevens Person; Overseer, A. M. Wells; Steward, G. M. Smith ; Assistant Stew- ard, Joel Briggs; Chaplain, Thomas Stanfield; Treasurer, Joseph Rider; Secretary, Mrs. W. K. Sexton ; Gate-Keeper, S. M. Dickerson ; Purchas- ing Agent, W. K. Sexton; Executive Committee, Peter T. Gill, James Harger, Linus Reed.

1878 .- Master, W. K. Sexton ; Overseer, A. M. Davis ; Steward, M. Sabin; Assistant Steward, Minor Hosley; Chaplain, S. Bidwell ; Treasurer, J. S. Briggs ; Secretary, Mrs. W. K. Sexton; Gate- Keeper, W. R. Cole; Purchasing Agent, W. K. Sexton.

1879 .- Master, J. S. Briggs; Overseer, A. J. Wickman; Steward, A. Newman; Assistant Stew- ard, A. M. Wells; Chaplain, S. Bidwell; Treas- urer, L. Meyer; Secretary, Mrs. W. K. Sexton ; Gate-Keeper, W. K. Cole; Purchasing Agent, W. K. Sexton.

One of the principal objects had in view in the formation of the council was to secure for its members, through concert of action, greater ad- vantages and more favorable terms than they had before been able to obtain in the purchase of farmers' supplies and the sale of farmers' products, as set forth in the second of their articles of asso- ciation.

The first action taken by the Livingston (then the Union) Council towards the accomplishment of this object was the appointment of Mr. W. K. Sexton as purchasing agent, in the fall of 1874, and the opening by him (through, and in connection with the State grange) of negotiations for the pur- chase of plaster for fertilizing purposes. The price of plaster was then four dollars per ton at Grand Rapids. The Patrons believed this price to be exorbitant, and that the article might and ought to be furnished at three-fourths, if not at one-half that figure; but, when they made an attempt to obtain it at a reduction, they were met by the re- fusal and determined opposition of all the manu- facturers, who at once entered into a combination, embracing the plaster companies of Michigan and Ohio. In this combination a certain territory was assigned to each company, in which territory only

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PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.

it was permitted to make sales; and each was pledged to make no sales under any circum- stances, and in no matter how large quantity, at less than four dollars per ton. This price the manufacturers at Grand Rapids told the purchas- ing agent was the lowest at which plaster could be manufactured; and they said if any one should sell it for less than that price, "they would make it cost him a good deal more money." Previously the State grange had succeeded in obtaining a con- tract from the Grand River Valley Plaster Com- pany to deliver plaster in large quantities at a reduced price, but when the fact became known this company was forced into the manufacturers' combination, and refused to carry out their agree- ment. Mr. J. T. Cobb, secretary of the State grange, in a circular which he was instructed by the executive committee of the State grange, to address to the subordinate granges, in mentioning this bad faith on the part of the Grand River company, said,-

" You are all aware that the first act of bad faith of which we complain, on the part of manufacturers of plaster in this State, was the refusal of the Grand River Valley Plaster Company, whose works are located at Grandville, to comply with a contract made with said company, duly signed and sealed with their corporate seal, on the twentieth day of March, 1874. The same week the contract was signed, this company became a party to, and a part of the Grand River Valley Plaster Association, which included every manufacturer of plaster in the State.

" This association placed itself at once in direct an- tagonism to the farmers of the State, by discriminating against them and treating them as not only irresponsi- ble but unreliable, demanding payment of Patrons be- fore plaster was shipped, while to their agents it was supplied on their order without a question.

" As Patrons we did not ask credit, but as Patrons we were unwilling that a half-dozen manufacturers in the State should say to us, that you must buy of our established agents, and pay whatever price they de- mand, or submit to conditions that, by implication at least, declare us irresponsible and unworthy of confi- dence. The combination fixed the price at four dol- lars per ton at Grand Rapids, and held steadily to their arrangements through the winter and spring of 1875, and we had to comply with the terms, or do without plaster."

In August, 1875, Mr. H. O. Weston, of Grand- ville, proposed to the executive committee of the State grange to develop a plaster-bed which he owned at that place, and to furnish plaster to the Patrons at three dollars per ton ; stipulating only that they should furnish orders to the amount of eight thousand tons, and he promising to be ready to commence shipment by the commencement of

the year 1876. Before the desired result was ac- complished, however, his available means became exhausted, and, as he stated to the committee of the State grange, "his credit had been so impaired by the representations of the members of the [com- bined plaster manufacturers] association, that he could not go on with his enterprise without pecu- niary aid from some quarter." Upon this, the matter was, at the meeting of the State grange in 1876, referred to a committee of five members, who reported a plan of action, and the meeting

" Resolved, That the State grange will sustain the executive committee in any efforts they may make to help H. O. Weston develop his plaster-bed for the use of the Patrons of Husbandry, pecuniary or otherwise."

This resulted in the sum of four thousand dol- lars being advanced to Mr. Weston, with the agree- ment that he should furnish plaster at three dollars per ton ; receiving two dollars and twenty-five cents per ton in cash, leaving seventy-five cents per ton to be applied on account of the money advanced. But the project did not prove successful under this arrangement, although Mr. Weston did his best to carry it through; and in April, 1876, he sold his entire interest in the plaster-bed, with the mill, fix- tures, and business, to Day & Taylor, who assumed Mr. Weston's obligation to the Patrons, and con- tinued the former arrangement as to prices and shipments. This firm prosecuted the business successfully, and have furnished large quantities of plaster to the Patrons at and considerably below the price originally established in the agreement with H. O. Weston. In regard to the success of the Patrons in their determined effort to reduce the price of plaster, Secretary Cobb, in a circular issued in 1878, said,-

" You all know that on account of a most wicked combination of manufacturers four years ago to compel the farmers of Michigan to pay four dollars per ton for plaster at the mills, and a discrimination against Patrons, requiring that cash should accompany a grange order, that through the vigorous measures adopted by the executive committee of the State grange the com- bination was broken up, and that not only Patrons, but all farmers in the State, have had cheap plaster now for three years. The stand taken by us has saved very many thousand dollars to the farmers of Michigan, and this result could not have been reached without the aid and co-operation of Messrs. Day & Taylor. That they have been faithful and true to their agree- ment with the order, have done all they possibly could to accommodate, and have always been ready to make good any claim for shortage, loss, or damage by delay or otherwise, even when the claim was not always quite reasonable and just, from my knowledge of the business has seemed to me true; and that they have

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

claims on the order that we cannot ignore is recog- nized by every well-informed member.

. . "The result of our efforts to break the combi- nation was to throw two of the old companies into bankruptcy, and the properties fell into the hands of the mortgagee, the Union Mutual Life Insurance Com- pany, of Maine. This new interest, together with another new firm, have undertaken with cheap plaster to capture the whole trade. The price with them does not seem to be at all important, for plaster is being sold by them from eighty-five cents to one dollar and fifty cents per ton without regard to cost."

The members of the Livingston Council have participated, with others, in these advantages which have resulted from the opening of the Weston plaster-beds at Grandville, and are now receiving their plaster from Day & Taylor at two dollars per ton, or one-half the price they were formerly com- pelled to pay. Their shipments are received at Howell, Brighton, and Fowlerville, and at the first and last-named places they have storehouses built and paid for solely from the profit realized on pur- chases and sales. The council also purchases the salt required by its members ; contracting for large quantities and obtaining material reduction in prices. All purchases and sales are made by the purchasing agent, W. K. Sexton, who has per- formed the business to the entire satisfaction of the Patrons, and has several times received the council's vote of thanks " for the correct manner in which the accounts have been kept, and the suc- cess attained in the business through his faithful- ness."

In the matter of sales by the purchasing agent for account of members of the council, the princi- pal item is that of wool, which is now shipped hence by the agent, and sold to heavy buyers in Boston, Massachusetts. The first movement in this direction was made in 1878, when the wool of thirty-one producers in this county was shipped and sold in Boston by Mr. Sexton. The same was done for ninety-five shippers in the present year (1879). The lots of the several shippers are sepa- rately graded in Boston, and an accurate account- sales is rendered to each, and the results in both 1878 and 1879 have been so satisfactory that these

shipments to the East by Patrons are likely to be continued and largely increased in the future.

Besides the granges which were represented by their delegates at the organization of the council in 1873, a number of others (including some from adjoining counties) have since been admitted to its membership. Those located in Livingston County which joined the council have been the Conway, Oceola, Hartland, Oak Grove, West Handy, and Brighton Granges. Of those which have at some time held membership, some have withdrawn to unite with other organizations and some have ceased to exist. The granges which are now (August, 1879) in membership with the council are : Oak Grove, No. 57; Conway, No. 114; Howell, No. 90; West Handy, No. 613 ; and Brighton Grange. The total individual member- ship of the council is now three hundred and thirty. Their meetings are held at Knapp's Hall, in Howell village.

POPULATION OF THE COUNTY AT DIFFERENT PERIODS.

It has been stated, on what appears to be excel- lent authority, that the entire population of Liv- ingston County at its organization, in the spring of 1836, did not exceed five hundred and fifty persons of all ages. But it was augmented to more than six times that number by the unprecedented immi- gration of that year, and the increase continued to be rapid during several successive years. The population of the county at different periods from 1837 to 1874 is shown by the several censuses to have been : in 1837,* 5029; in 1840, 7430; in 1845, 10,787; in 1850, 13,485; in 1854, 14,141; in 1860, 16,851 ; in 1864, 16,160; in 1870, 19,336; in 1874, 20,329.

* The population of the several townships in that year being as follows :

Byron, now Oceola. 317

Deerfield

369

Genoa. 361

Green Oak .. 1435

Hamburg 490

Hartland. 404

Howell (including Handy, Conway, and Cohoctah) 442

Marion 202

Putnam 367

Unadilla 642

Total 5029

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LIVINGSTON COUNTY COURT HOUSE.

HOWELL UNION SCHOOL. " HOWELL, LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICH.

HISTORY

OF THE

VILLAGES AND TOWNSHIPS OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

VILLAGE OF HOWELL.

THE incorporated village of Howell, the county- seat of Livingston, embraces within its boundaries an area of territory equal to three square miles, lying in the form of a parallelogram, two miles long by one and a half miles wide; its longer lines running east and west, and its southeastern corner being the territorial centre of the county. A fine sheet of water, known as Thompson Lake, forms part of its eastern boundary. The old Grand River road passes diagonally through it in a north- westerly direction, and forms the principal business street, which is named after the old territorial thoroughfare. The limits of the village, as estab- lished by the legislative act, which erected it a town corporate in 1863, were made to include the whole of sections 35 and 36, and the south half of sections 25 and 26, of the township of Howell.

The names of the original purchasers from the United States of the lands embraced within these limits, and the dates of their respective purchases, are here given :

On Section 35.

C. C. Trowbridge, of Detroit, the east half of the southeast quarter, June 26, 1833.

John D. Pinckney, of Dutchess Co., N. Y., the east half of the northeast quarter, Dec. 3, 1833.

George T. Sage, of Washtenaw Co., Mich., the west half of the northwest quarter, the west half of the northeast quarter, the east half of the south- west quarter, the west half of the southeast quarter, and the east half of the northwest quarter, Dec. 3, 1833.

Benjamin Babbit, of Livingston County, the re- mainder of the section,-being the west half of the southwest quarter,-July 8, 1834.

On Section 36.

John J. Eaman, of Jackson Co., Mich., the west half of the southeast quarter, Oct. 11, 1833.

John D. Pinckney, the southwest quarter, the east half of the southeast quarter, and the south- west quarter of the northwest quarter, Dec. 3, 1833.

Moses Thompson, of Herkimer Co., N. Y., the east half of the northwest quarter, May 15, 1834.

Morris Thompson, of Oakland Co., Mich., the west half of the northeast quarter, Aug. 5, 1834.

William Rood, of Montgomery Co., N. Y., the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter, Oct. 3, 1835.

Moses Thompson, of Livingston Co., Mich., the east half of the northeast fractional quarter, May 26, 1836.

On Section 25.

Moses Thompson, of Herkimer Co., N. Y., the west half of the southeast quarter, May 15, 1834.

Elizabeth Thompson, of Oakland Co., Mich., the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter, July 10, 1835.

Moses Thompson, the east half of the south- west quarter, July 10, 1835 ; and the west half of the same quarter, Sept. 3, 1835.

Morris Thompson, of Livingston Co., Mich., the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter, July 9, 1847.

On Section 26.

John Haze, of Oakland Co., Mich., the north- west quarter of the southwest quarter, Feb. 13, 1834.

William McCreery, of Washtenaw Co., Mich., the east half of the southwest quarter, Dec. 2, 1834. Thomas West, of Niagara Co., N. Y., the west half of the southeast quarter, July 17, 1835.

Jonathan Austin, of Herkimer Co., N. Y., the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter, Aug. 8, 1835.

Moses Thompson, of Livingston Co., Mich., the east half of the southeast quarter, Aug. 18, 1835.

FIRST SETTLEMENT AND EARLY SETTLERS.

The first actual settlements within what is now the village of Howell were made by George T. Sage, John D. Pinckney, James Sage, and David Austin, in the year 1834.

John D. Pinckney was a native of Dutchess Co., N. Y., and remained a resident of that county until

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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

the year 1833, being then located with a wife and two children, at the village of Hughsonville, en- gaged in the business of his trade, which was that of butcher. Having determined to emigrate to the West, he started in the year named, and came by the Erie Canal and Lake Erie to Detroit, and thence to Salem, Washtenaw Co., where his father and brothers were then living. At that place he also found George T. Sage, who was, like himself, desirous of purchasing eligible government lands on which to establish a farm and a home. With that object in view, these two men, accompanied by Mr. Pinckney's brothers, struck out towards the northwest, over the Indian trail, into the wilderness of Livingston, which had then recently been erected a county, though not yet organized as such.

Whether they were in any degree influenced in their explorations by the prospect of future advan- tages to arise from the probable location of the county-seat is not known, but it is certain that about the end of the second day's journey they found themselves at the geographical centre of the county, as shown by the surveyors' marks and numbers, and were soon engaged in prospecting among the inviting oak-openings which stretched away from the shores of the little lake, over and beyond the present site of Howell village. On or near the spot now occupied by the residence of Hon. Mylo L. Gay, in the western part of the village, they hastily built a rude, temporary shelter -a bark-roofed cabin-in which they slept, and made their headquarters for about a week, while engaged in exploring the neighboring region and choosing the lands for location. It was almost wholly a matter of choice with them, for all the lands in the vicinity were open for entry (except the two eighty-acre tracts which had previously, in the same year, been entered by C. C. Trowbridge and John J. Eaman, on sections 35 and 36, respec- tively), and nowhere in all the region was there any sign of clearing or settler, nor any traces of the work of human hands, except the blazings and marks left by the government surveyors.

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History of Livingston County, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 27

Author: Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages: 617

Author:
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 617