History of Livingston County, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 39

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USA > Michigan > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 39


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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William Slater, Livingston Co., N. Y., May 5, 1836. Northwest fractional quarter, west half of southwest quarter, northeast quarter of southwest quarter.


Samuel N. Spencer, Livingston Co., N. Y., May 7, 1836. East half of southeast quarter.


William Slater, Livingston Co., N. Y., May 13, 1836. Southeast quarter of southwest quarter.


John W. Pierce, Wayne Co., Mich., June 24, 1836. West half of southeast quarter.


SECTION 6.


Joseph B. Craft, Livingston Co., N. Y., May 5, 1836. Northwest fractional quarter.


Justus Boyd, Genesee Co., N. Y., May 5, 1836. Northeast frac- tional quarter, east half of southeast quarter, and northwest quarter of southeast quarter.


Charles P. Bush, Tompkins Co., N. Y., June 9, 1836. North part of southwest fractional quarter.


William Horton, New York City, June 15, 1836. South half of southwest fractional quarter and southwest quarter of south- east quarter.


SECTION 7.


Joseph Porter, Washtenaw Co., Mich., July 21, 1834. West part of southwest fractional quarter.


John Bennet, Washtenaw Co., Mich., July 14, 1835. Northwest fractional quarter.


Jeremiah Greenfield, Cayuga Co., N. Y., Oct. 10, 1835. East part of southwest fractional quarter and southwest quarter of southeast quarter.


Nathan Chidester, Genesee Co., N. Y., May 4, 1836. East half. of northeast quarter.


Stephen S. Bullock, Wayne Co., Mich., June 14, 1836. East half. of southeast quarter and west half of northeast quarter.


Garret S. Lake, Livingston Co., Mich., April 13, 1837. North - west quarter of southeast quarter.


SECTION 8.


.


William H. Townsend, New York City, Oct. 1, 1835. Southeast quarter.


William C. Blackwood, Seneca Co., N. Y., May 6, 1836. North- west quarter.


Ramsey McHenry, B. B. Kercheval, Mark Healey, and O. T. Smith, United States, May 14, 1836. Northeast quarter.


Healey & Kercheval, United States, May 28, 1836. Southwest quarter.


SECTION 9.


Isaac R. Stone, Ontario Co., N. Y., Oct. 16, 1835. West half of southwest quarter.


William R. Spofford, Genesee Co., N. Y., May 20, 1836. West half of northwest quarter.


Lester K. Gould, Genesee Co., N. Y., May 20, 1836. East half of northwest quarter and east half of southwest quarter.


Garret S. Lake, Livingston Co., N. Y., May 28, 1836. Northeast quarter.


Edward C. Douser, Livingston Co., N. Y., June 27, 1836. West half of southeast quarter.


William Bloodworth, Washtenaw Co., Mich., Jan. 9, 1837. East half of southeast quarter.


SECTION 10.


Harry W. Phillips, Niagara Co., N. Y., May 21, 1836. South half of section.


William Carpenter, Niagara Co., N. Y., May 21, 1836. North half of section.


SECTION II.


Moses Thompson, Herkimer Co., N. Y., Sept. 3, 1835. East half of southeast quarter.


Anthony Shaw, Saratoga Co., N. Y., May 21, 1836. Northwest quarter.


Patrick Tobin, Livingston Co., Mich., May 28, 1836. Southwest quarter.


Aaron Sickels, May 8, 1838. Southeast quarter of northeast quarter.


John F. Sickels, May 8, 1838. Northeast quarter of northeast quarter.


Odell J. Smith, Livingston Co., Mich., Aug. 4, 1838. Southwest quarter of northeast quarter and northwest quarter of south- east quarter.


Levi D. Smith, Livingston Co., Mich., Nov. 1, 1855. Northwest quarter of northeast quarter. .


Charles L. Ferguson, July 5, 1853. Southwest quarter of south- east quarter.


Levi D. Smith, Livingston Co., Mich., February 24, 1854. Northwest quarter of northeast quarter.


SECTION 12.


Moses Thompson, Herkimer Co., N. Y., Sept. 3, 1835. West half of southwest quarter.


Ezra J. Mundy, Livingston Co., Mich., April 30, 1836. South- west quarter of southeast quarter.


John F. Sickels, Wayne Co., N. Y., May 18, 1836. Northeast ยท quarter and northwest quarter, east half of southwest quarter, east half of southeast quarter, and northwest quarter of south- east quarter. Hosted by Google


24


186


HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.


SECTION 13.


George W. Teeple, Steuben Co., N. Y., July 7, 1835. Southwest quarter of southwest quarter.


Ezra J. Mundy, Livingston Co., Mich., April 30, 1836. West half of northeast quarter and east half of northwest quarter.


E. Thompson, Livingston Co., Mich., May 27, 1836. Northeast quarter of northeast quarter.


Lewis Thompson, Livingston Co., Mich., May 27, 1836. North- west quarter of southwest quarter and east half of southwest quarter.


Patrick Tobin, Livingston Co., Mich., May 28, 1836. West half of northwest quarter.


Levi Hotchkiss, Livingston Co., Mich., July 28, 1836. Southeast quarter and southeast quarter of northeast quarter.


SECTION 14.


George W. Teeple, Steuben Co., N. Y., July 7, 1835. Southeast quarter of southeast quarter.


Orrin H. Harding, Niagara Co., N. Y., Sept. 28, 1835. South- west quarter.


Elijah Gaston, Livingston Co., Mich., May 2, 1836. West half of northwest quarter.


Edward Peck, Genesee Co., N. Y., May 23, 1836. West half of northeast quarter.


William S. Gregory, Wayne Co., Mich., May 23, 1836. East half of northeast quarter and northeast quarter of southeast quarter. Patrick Tobin, Livingston Co., Mich., May 28, 1836. East half of northwest quarter.


Victory Curtis, Livingston Co., Mich., Sept. 24, 1836. West half of southeast quarter.


SECTION 15.


Orrin H. Harding, Niagara Co., N. Y., Sept. 28, 1835. East half of southeast quarter.


Mortimer B. Martin, Wayne Co., Mich., Feb. 15, 1836. North- west quarter.


George Curtis, Livingston Co., Mich., May 2, 1836. East half of northeast quarter.


John Curtis, Livingston Co., Mich., May 2, 1836. West half of northeast quarter.


Ramsey McHenry, B. B. Kercheval, Mark Healey, O. T. Smith, May 24, 1836. Southwest quarter.


Benjamin J. Spring, Livingston Co., Mich., June 24, 1836. West half of southeast quarter.


SECTION 16.


SCHOOL LANDS.


Mary Jones, Jan. 21, 1848. Southeast quarter of south west quarter. J. La Grange, April 17, 1848. Northwest quarter of southeast quarter.


A. La Grange, June 14, 1848. Southwest quarter of southwest quarter.


William Moore, June 12, 1849. Northeast quarter of northeast quarter.


Anson La Grange, March 11, 1851. Southeast quarter of south- west quarter.


O. P. Brayton, April 30, 1851. Southeast quarter of northeast quarter.


Chas. O. Reed, June 28, 1851. North half of southwest quarter. John La Grange, Aug. 16, 1851. Southeast quarter of northwest quarter.


Nicholas Lake, Jr., Jan. 4, 1853. Southeast quarter of northwest quarter.


William Moore, Jan. 19, 1853. Southwest quarter of northeast quarter.


C. A. Dorrance, Oct. 8, 1853. Northwest quarter of northwest quarter.


J. McDaniels, Oct. 14, 1853. quarter.


Northwest quarter of northeast


E. Marr, Oct. 17, 1853. Southwest quarter of northwest quarter. Robert McLean, Oct. 20, 1853. Northeast quarter of northwest quarter.


J. Whipple, Aug. 7, 1854. Northeast quarter of northeast quarter.


SECTION 17.


Chilson Sanford, Washtenaw Co., Mich., April 25, 1834. East half of southwest quarter.


Whitely Woodruff, Washtenaw Co., Mich., Oct. 27, 1834. South- west quarter of south west quarter.


Samuel Waddell, Oakland Co., Mich., July 14, 1835. East half of southeast quarter.


Clement Stebbins, Oakland Co., Mich., Sept. 29, 1835. South- west quarter of southeast quarter.


William H. Townsend, New York City, Oct. 1, 1835. Northeast quarter.


Flavius J. B. Crane, Livingston Co., Mich., Nov. 27, 1835. North- west quarter of southwest quarter.


Abram A. Van Nest, Washtenaw Co., Mich., March 16, 1836. Northwest quarter.


Henry Lake, Livingston Co., Mich., June 17, 1836. Northwest quarter of southeast quarter.


SECTION 18.


James Hiscock, Washtenaw Co., Mich., Dec. 18, 1834. East half of southeast quarter.


Alfred A. Dwight, Wayne Co., Mich., July 17, 1835. West half of southeast quarter.


Bickford P. Hutchinson and Silas Titus, Wayne Co., Mich., July 17, 1835. East half of northwest quarter.


Morgan Lyon, Chenango Co., N. Y., Sept. 28, 1835. Northeast quarter.


Edwin Hubbard, Washtenaw Co., Mich., Oct. 14, 1835. East half of southwest fractional quarter.


Harvey Hubbard, Washtenaw Co., Mich., Oct. 14, 1835. West half of northwest fractional quarter.


Ebenezer Demmon, Livingston Co., Mich., Jan. 25, 1837. West part of southwest fractional quarter.


SECTION 19.


Clement Stebbins, Oakland Co., Mich., Sept. 29, 1835. East half of northeast quarter.


Mark Healy and B. B. Kercheval, United States, May 28, 1836. Southeast quarter, southwest fractional quarter, northwest frac- tional quarter, and west half of northeast quarter.


SECTION 20.


Chilson Sanford, Washtenaw Co., Mich., April 25, 1834. North- west quarter.


Sterry Lyon, Washtenaw Co., Mich., July 21, 1834. East half of northeast quarter.


Nancy Gregory, Washtenaw Co., Mich., June 20, 1835. West half of northeast quarter.


. Charles S. Gregory, Washtenaw Co., Mich., June 20, 1835. West half of southeast quarter and southeast quarter of southeast quarter.


Bickford P. Hutchinson and Alfred A. Dwight, Wayne Co., Mich., July 17, 1835. Northeast quarter of southeast quarter.


Flavius J. B. Crane, Livingston Co., Mich., Nov. 27, 1835. South- west quarter.


SECTION 21.


Elisha H. Smith, Ontario Co., N. Y., Nov. 6, 1834. West half of southwest quarter. . Villeroy E. Smith, Ontario Co., N. Y., May 22, 1835. West half of northwest quarter.


John W. Smith, Ontario Co., N. Y., May 22, 1835. Southeast quarter of southwest quarter.


Robert Pixley, Ontario Co., N. Y., Oct. 15, 1835. East half of northeast quarter, southwest quarter of northeast quarter.


187


HOWELL TOWNSHIP.


Isaac R. Stone, Ontario Co., N. Y., Oct. 16, 1835. Southeast quarter. .


Jarvis W. Carr, Ontario Co., N. Y., Oct. 16, 1835. East half of northwest quarter.


Josiah Snow and George W. H. Fisk, Wayne Co., Mich., Feb. 8, 1836. Northeast quarter of southwest quarter.


John W. Smith, Livingston Co., Mich., Oct. 12, 1837. North- west quarter of northeast quarter.


SECTION 22.


Dennis Hogan, Washtenaw Co., Mich., May 23, 1835. South- west quarter.


Paul D. Cornell and Alonzo Cornell, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., July II, 1835. West half of northwest quarter and northeast quarter of northwest quarter.


Peter Brewer, Niagara Co., N. Y., Sept. 9, 1835. Southeast quarter of southeast quarter.


Daniel Case, Livingston Co., Mich., March 10, 1836. Northeast quarter of southeast quarter and southeast quarter of northeast quarter ; April 4, 1836, northeast quarter of northeast quarter. Luther B. Willard, Wayne Co., Mich., April 23, 1836. West half of northeast quarter; Aug. 6, 1836, southeast quarter of north- west quarter.


Paul Stowell, Genesee Co., N. Y., March 9, 1837. West half of southeast quarter.


SECTION 23.


Agnes Wood, Niagara Co., N. Y., June 2, 1836. Northeast quar- ter of northwest quarter.


Victory Curtis, Livingston Co., Mich., Sept. 24, 1836. West half of northeast quarter.


Bickford P. Hutchinson and Silas Titus, Wayne Co., Mich., July 17, 1835. East half of southeast quarter.


Moses Thompson, Herkimer Co., N. Y., Aug. 18, 1835. East half of northeast quarter.


Sally Johnston, Livingston Co., Mich., Aug. 10, 1835. Southeast quarter of southwest quarter.


David Wadhams, Madison Co., N. Y., Sept. 3, 1835. Southwest quarter of southeast quarter.


Peter Brewer, Niagara Co., N. Y., Sept. 9, 1835. West half of southwest quarter.


Justin Durfee, Monroe Co., N. Y., Oct. 26, 1835. West half of northwest quarter.


James Sage, Livingston Co., Mich., May 9, 1836. Southeast quarter of northwest quarter.


Patrick Hefferman, Wayne Co., Mich., May 28, 1836. Northwest quarter of southeast quarter and northeast quarter of- south- west quarter.


SECTION 24.


George W. Teeple, Steuben Co., N. Y., July 7, 1835. West half of northwest quarter.


Alfred A. Dwight, Wayne Co., Mich., July 17, 1835. West half of southwest quarter.


Samuel Riddle, Jr., Washtenaw Co., Mich., April 26, 1836. East half of northwest quarter and west half of northeast quarter. William Packard, Wayne Co., Mich., May 16, 1836. East half of southwest quarter.


William J. Pease, New York City, Nov. 16, 1836. East half of northeast quarter.


Alvin L. Crittenden, Livingston Co., Mich., Dec. 14, 1836. North half of southeast quarter.


Aaron Saunders, Livingston Co., Mich., July 11, 1846. Southeast quarter of southeast quarter; Oct. 17, 1849, southwest quar- ter of southeast quarter.


SECTION 25.


Cleckley S. Palmer, Genesee Co., N. Y., Oct. 7, 1833. West half of northwest quarter ..


Robert R. Rowland, Wayne Co., N. Y., May 30, 1835. South half of northwest quarter.


Elizabeth Thompson, Oakland Co., Mich., July 10, 1835. South- west quarter of northeast quarter.


Edward Thompson, Livingston Co., Mich., May 27, 1836. South- east quarter of northeast quarter.


Joseph R. Thompson, Oakland Co., Mich., May 31, 1839. North- east quarter of northeast quarter.


Morris Thompson, Livingston Co., Mich., July 9, 1847. North- west quarter of northeast quarter.


SECTION 26.


Itha J. West, Niagara Co., N. Y., Sept. 9, 1835. West half of northwest quarter.


Bickford P. Hutchinson and Alfred A. Dwight, Wayne Co., Mich., July 17, 1835. East half of northeast quarter.


Clarissa Johnson, Livingston Co., Mich., Aug. 18, 1835. East half of northwest quarter.


David Wadhams, Madison Co., N. Y., Sept. 3, 1835. West half of northeast quarter.


SECTION 27.


Orman Coe, Genesee Co., N. Y., May 20, 1833. East half of southwest quarter.


Henry S. Larned, Livingston Co., Mich., June 15, 1835. South- west quarter of northwest quarter.


Bickford P. Hutchinson and Alfred A. Dwight, Wayne Co., Mich., July 17, 1835. West half of southwest quarter.


Henry S. Larned, Livingston Co., Mich., July 21, 1835. North- west quarter of northwest quarter.


George W. Pennock, Upper Canada, Aug. 3, 1835. West half of southeast quarter.


Itha J. West, Niagara Co., N. Y., Sept. 9, 1835. Northeast quarter of northeast quarter.


Jonathan Austin, Livingston Co., Mich., Oct. 28, 1835. East half of southeast quarter.


Harvey Metcalf, Livingston Co., Mich., June 4, 1836. West half of northeast quarter and east half of northwest quarter. John Haze, Oakland Co., Mich., Sept. 16, 1837. Southeast quarter of northeast quarter.


SECTION 28.


Francis Monroe, Ontario Co., N. Y., Nov. 6, 1834. Southwest quarter.


John W. Smith, Ontario Co., N. Y., May 22, 1835. Northeast quarter of north west quarter.


Israel Powers, Ontario Co., N. Y., June 8, 1835. West half of northeast quarter.


B. L. Powers, Yates Co., N. Y., June 8, 1835. East half of northeast quarter.


Jacob Leroy, Genesee Co., N. Y., Aug. 11, 1835. Southeast quarter.


Flavius J. B. Crane, Livingston Co., Mich., Jan. 13, 1836. West half of northwest quarter and southeast quarter of northwest quarter.


SECTION 29.


Eliphalet Lewis, Washtenaw Co., Mich., July 14, 1835. East half of northeast quarter and northwest quarter of northeast quarter.


Mark Healy and B. B. Kercheval, United States, May 28, 1836. Northwest quarter, southwest quarter, southeast quarter, and southwest quarter of northeast quarter.


SECTIONS 30, 31.


Mark Healy and B. B. Kercheval, United States, May 28, 1836. Entire sections.


SECTION 32.


Rial Lake, Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 12, 1835. Southeast quarter. Mark Healy and B. B. Kercheval, United States, May 28, 1836. Northeast quarter, northwest quarter, and southwest quarter. age


188


HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.


SECTION 33.


Jacob Leroy, Genesee Co., N. Y., Aug. 11, 1835. East half of northeast quarter.


Rial Lake, Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 12, 1835. West half of south- west quarter.


Leonard Collar, Orleans Co., N. Y., Oct. 26, 1835. West half of northeast quarter.


Edward E. Gregory, Washtenaw Co., Mich., April 26, 1836. Southeast quarter.


William M. Gregory, Washtenaw Co., Mich., May 24, 1836. East half of southwest quarter.


Mark Healy and B. B. Kercheval, United States, May 28, 1836. Northwest quarter.


SECTION 34.


Moses Thompson, Herkimer Co., N. Y., May 9, 1834. North- east quarter, east half of northwest quarter, and northeast quarter of southwest quarter.


Morris Thompson, Herkimer Co., N. Y., May 15, 1834. North- west quarter of southeast quarter.


Brown Bristol, Genesee Co., N. Y., July 4, 1835. East half of southeast quarter.


Hezekiah Carpenter and Socrates W. Carpenter, Genesee Co., N. Y., Aug. 11, 1835. West half of northwest quarter.


Edward E. Gregory, Washtenaw Co., Mich., May 24, 1836. Southwest quarter of southwest quarter.


Joseph S. Crispel, Livingston Co., Mich., June 12, 1845. South- east quarter of southwest quarter.


Rice Tyler, Livingston Co., Mich., July 10, 1852. Southwest quarter of southeast quarter.


E. G. Almy, Livingston Co., Mich., certificate assigned to Enos Sowle, Jan. 9, 1854. Northwest quarter of southwest quarter.


EARLY SETTLEMENTS AND SETTLERS.


At the beginning of the year 1835 there had been no settlement made in Howell west or north of the present village limits, but during the spring and summer of that year a considerable number of immigrants came in and located themselves in dif- ferent parts of the township. To which of them belonged the honor of being the first settler in the township cannot be stated, as several came in at nearly the same time.


Mr. Samuel Waddell, from Steuben County, N. Y., and a soldier of the war of 1812, was one who settled here in the fall of that year. His loca- tion was on the east half of the southeast quarter of section 17, which he had entered in July, 1835. Mr. Waddell died on the 30th of May, 1837, his being the first death that occurred among the settlers in the township. It was the result of injuries received at the raising of the frame of a barn at Amos Adams' Eagle Tavern. He was buried on his farm; but his remains were after- wards removed to the burial-ground in Howell village. In the autumn of the same year, his widow, with her family of seven children, returned to Pultney, N. Y., from whence they had emigrated two years before. She is still residing there at the age of more than eighty years. Andrew D. Wad- dell, the fifth of her seven children, returned to the village of Howell in 1855, commenced the study of law, was admitted to the bar in the fol-


lowing year, and is now one of the leading mem- bers of the bar of Livingston County.


Joseph Porter, from Washtenaw Co., Mich., came in the same year, and located on the south- west quarter of section 7, but did not long con- tinue at that place. He was a millwright by trade, and was employed in 1836 in building the saw- mill of Moses Thompson on the outlet of Thomp- son Lake. Afterwards he was proprietor, with Amos Adams, of a saw-mill which they erected on the Shiawassee, on section 27.


Villeroy E. Smith, John W. Smith, and Elisha H. Smith, three brothers, from Ontario Co., N. Y., came here in May, 1835. They were men of re- spectability, and stood well in the estimation of their fellow-townsmen. The first and last named located on section 21. John W. settled on section 28. He was one of the first justices of the peace elected in the township, and afterwards held the office for sixteen years in succession. Villeroy E. Smith was a school-teacher by profession, and died while employed in that calling in the town of Marion, Dec. 30, 185 1.


Elisha H. Smith was one of the earliest explorers of this region, he having come through here on foot, with Mr. Francis Monroe, searching for gov- ernment lands, in the fall of 1834. He is still living on the northeast quarter of section 21. Three sons of his-Gardner S., Reuben C., and Edwin H. Smith-died in the service of their country, in the war of the Rebellion. Mr. Smith is probably the best informed person in Howell in reference to pioneer matters in the township, Much information and assistance has been obtained from him in the preparation of this history of Howell; for which he has the thanks of the writer.


Justin Durfee, from Henrietta, Genesee Co., N. Y., came to Howell in 1835, and settled on the northwest quarter of section 23. When he first came to Michigan from New York State (a year or two earlier) he had settled temporarily in Oak- land County, where he was employed in school- teaching. He was also the first male school- teacher in the village and township of Howell, being employed to teach the pioneer school in District No. 1, in 1837. At the spring election of 1836 (the first in the township) he was elected to the offices of assessor and highway commissioner, and held some offices (especially in the school district) afterwards. He remained a resident in Howell until 1851, when he returned to New York State, and is now (or was recently) living there.


Merritt S. Havens, a carpenter and joiner by trade, settled in 1835 on section 23. His marriage Hosted 19


189


HOWELL TOWNSHIP.


with Sally T. Austin, daughter of David Austin, Jan. 15, 1836, was the first celebration of nuptials in the township or village of Howell.


Daniel Hotchkiss and Levi M. Hotchkiss were settlers of 1835, both locating on section 28. Francis Field and Nathaniel Johnson settled dur- ing the same season on section 23. Mr. Johnson died Jan. 25, 1852. Whiteley Woodruff, from Washtenaw Co., Mich., settled in the summer of 1835 on the southwest part of section 17, the locality now known as the "Six Corners;" and at about the same time David H. Austin began preparations for settlement on the northeast quar- ter of section 20, where Mr. Bump now lives. Very soon after, however, Mr. Austin removed from section 20, and located on section 35, within the present village corporation. After living for some years on section 35 he removed to Farming- ton, Oakland Co. His son, George Austin, is now living in the southwest part of the township. The above-mentioned persons are believed to have been all-and they were certainly very nearly all-who settled in the township prior to the commencement of 1836. It has been stated by an old resident of Howell,* that at the end of 1835 there were but 22 adult males living in the whole of the township (that is, including the territory of the present vil- lage). But if we add to the above list of settlers the names of those who were then living within what are now the corporate limits of Howell, viz., Moses Thompson with his three sons, James and George T. Sage, David Austin, Jonathan Austin, Messrs. Pinckney, Adams, Crane, and Ezra J. Mundy, we have one or two more than the num- ber said to be resident in the township at that time. It may therefore be claimed with consider- able confidence that the above mention includes all who had settled in the township down to the time named.


ERECTION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNSHIP.


The act erecting the township of Howell was passed by the Legislature at the session of 1836, and approved March 23d, in that year. It pro- vided " that all that portion of the county of Liv- ingston designated by the United States survey as townships three and four north, of ranges three, four, and five east, be and the same is hereby set off and organized into a separate township by the name of Howell, and the first township-meeting shall be held at the dwelling-house of Amos Adams, in said township."


The territory thus set off to form the township of Howell comprises, in addition to the present


limits of the township, all of the present towns of Handy, Oceola, Deerfield, Cohoctah, and Conway. It has been since reduced to its present dimensions by the setting off of Byron (now Oceola) and Deerfield in March, 1837; and Handy, Tuscola (now Cohoctah), and Iena (now Conway) in March, 1838.


The name of Howell was taken from that of the village, which had been so named when platted a year and a half before. The first township-meet- ing was held, in accordance with the provisions of the act, at the tavern-house of Amos Adams on the first Monday in May, 1836. Sugar-bowls, borrowed from the landlady, were used as ballot- boxes, and in these, thirty-six votes were cast, resulting in the election of Philester Jessup (of the township now Oceola) as Supervisor ; F. J. B. Crane, Town Clerk; Amos Adams, Ezra Sanford, Harley H. Graves, and John W. Smith, Justices of the Peace; Francis Field, Collector ; Justin Durfee, David Austin, and George T. Sage, As- sessors ; Joseph Porter, F. J. B. Crane, and Jona- than Austin, School Inspectors; John Sanford, Justin Durfee, and George T. Sage, Highway Commissioners ; John D. Pinckney, F. J. B. Crane, Francis Field, and Elisha H. Smith, Constables.


A list of persons who have held township offices since that time and until the present is given below, but it is incomplete for the years between 1836 and 1850, for the reason that the old township record covering those years has been lost or de- stroyed, and only a partial and defective . list of officers elected during that period has been gath- ered from other sources. Such as are given, how- ever, are known to be authentic, viz. :


1837 .- Supervisor, John W. Smith; Town Clerk, Jonathan Aus- tin; Justices of the Peace, George W. Kneeland, John W. Smith.


1838 .- Supervisor, Rial Lake; Town Clerk, John W. Smith; Justices of the Peace, John T. Watson, Odell J. Smith, Wellington A. Glover.


1839 .- Town Clerk, Morris Thompson; Justice of the Peace, Allen C. Weston.


1840 .- Town Clerk, Morris Thompson; Justice of the Peace, Gardner Wheeler.


1841 .- Town Clerk, Morris Thompson; Justice of the Peace, John W. Smith.


1842 .- Supervisor, George W. Kneeland; Town Clerk, M. S. Brennan ; Justice of the Peace, Josiah Turner.




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