History of Livingston County, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 85

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Charles Colton, of Cayuga Co., N. Y., an uncle of William Dawson, settled in this town in October, 1837, and resided here till his death, about fifteen years ago.

Isaac Morton was a native of the Green Mount- ain State, and came from Williston, Chittenden Co., Vt., to this State in the early fall of 1831. In com- pany with his brother-in-law, William Tyler, he traveled by team to Burlington ; from thence to Whitehall, by steamer, on Lake Champlain; then by the Champlain and Erie Canals to Buffalo, where they again embarked on a steamer which landed them in Detroit, where they once more started their teams and reached their destination in the town of Saline, Washtenaw Co., in the month of September. He lived there a little more than six years, and then, in December, 1837, moved to his place in the west part of section Hosted by part of section 7,

396

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

where he has since resided. The journey from Ann Arbor was made over muddy roads through a driving rain-storm, and the oxen had hard work to pull the load through ten miles of distance in a day's time. The route he followed led him along the west bank of North Ore Creek, and when he arrived at the section line which, followed east, would bring him to his land with but one and a half miles' travel, he found the stream so badly swollen by the rains as to be impassable. Fol- lowing along its course till he came to a place of crossing, and then around other swamps and water- courses until he could get past them, he traveled thirteen miles before reaching his new home. Since that time Mr. Morton has remained a resi- dent of Tyrone, and engaged in agricultural pur- suits, except that he has at times traveled circuit as a preacher of the Protestant Methodist Church. His wife died about a year ago, and he is waiting, at the end of a long, well-spent, and useful life, the summons that shall reunite them in the better land that lies beyond the grave.

Jonathan L. Wolverton was for many years one of the prominent men of the town. He came, in the spring of 1837, from the town of Tyrone, Schuyler Co., N. Y., and settled on the southeast quarter of section 7, where he built a house a few rods west of the section corner. For many years the corners and school-house located there bore his name, and it is not now by any means obsolete. In politics he was a Democrat, and this agreeing with the sentiment of the majority in the town he was frequently called to official positions. He was one of the first justices of the peace, and held the office for a period of nine years, being re-elected in 1839 and in 1843. He was also overseer of the poor for a number of years. About fourteen years ago he sold his farm and moved to Fenton. Five or six years later, having unfortunately lost his property, he went to Ingham County, where he is now living with his son Lewis. Two of his sons -Sylvanus and Andrew J .- are still residents of Tyrone.

Joseph B. Jackson came from Seneca Co., N. Y., in the spring of 1837, and settled on the southwest quarter of section 8, which he bought of Henry and Van Rensselaer Hawkins, who had purchased it of the government. He brought with him a family of three sons and four daughters. He was something of a pettifogger, and was almost inva- riably engaged on one side or the other in every lawsuit in the vicinity. He eventually met with reverses, lost his property, and became a county charge for several years before his death. His remains were brought here for burial, and interred in the cemetery on a portion of what was once his

farm. One son, Joseph B., Jr., left this town about 1842-43, and lived several years in Cohoctah, where he kept a public-house. He finally ran away with a widow, leaving his wife and family to shift for themselves, and is supposed to have died with the cholera a short time after. None of the Jackson family are now residing in this vicinity.

One of the most amiable, upright, and honorable citizens whom the town of Tyrone ever numbered among its people was Dillis Dexter. Lovable in his nature, he possessed one of those well-rounded characters that command the respect and compel the admiration of all, and by careful, earnest, and judicious application to his studies had developed his capacity, and fitted himself for his duties as a surveyor and a school-teacher, in both of which fields of labor he spent a considerable portion of his life. Differing from the political majority of the town, he was yet elected to the office of town clerk, justice of the peace, and school inspector. He settled in this town in 1837, on the southeast quarter of section 18, which he bought of John C. Morse. In the fall of 1838 his brother, Amos, came and settled on the same place, Dillis living with him. In 1839 another brother, Charles, came, who died of consumption about a year afterwards. Another brother, Horace, settled in the Cornell neighborhood, in the south part of the town, some twenty-five years ago, and both he and his wife died of consumption several years since. Dillis died in this town some twelve or fourteen years ago, and Amos in the spring of 1879. Several of the descendants of these brothers are still residing in this town.

In the latter part of the fall of 1837, three broth- ers-Nathaniel C., William, and Brackett Austin- came from Orleans Co., N. Y., and settled on ad- joining farms, the first two on section 30, and the latter on section 29. They all removed from the town, Nathaniel C. returning to New York in about ten years, William going to Genesee County in about twenty years, and Brackett moving to Wheat- field, Ingham Co., about 1844-45. The two former are dead, but the latter is still living.

William D. Snapp came from Owasco, Cayuga Co., N. Y., in 1838, and settled on the south line of section 27, where he continued to reside until 1863-64, when he moved to a farm in the town of Hartland, where he died Oct. 25, 1876. His wife was Betsey Dawson (a sister of William Daw- son), and on the 7th of June, 1876, they celebrated their golden wedding. Mrs. Dawson is still living, residing with her adopted daughter, Mrs. Heman Clark.

One of the oldest residents of Tyrone at the present time is John C.Salsbury, Esq., who has

ISAAC CORNELL.

MRS. ISAAC CORNELL.

ISAAC CORNELL.

This gentleman may be appropriately called one of the founders of the town of Tyrone, having settled where he now resides in 1834. He was born in the town of White Creek, Washington Co., N. Y., Aug. 4, 1803. He was the son of Joseph Cornell and Abigail Allen, who had a family of eight children,-five sons and three daughters. The elder Cornell was a pioneer in Washington County, having emigrated from New Bedford, R. I., before the Revolution. The grand- father of our subject was a Quaker, noted for his piety and integrity.

Isaac lived with his father until he was twenty years of age, when he went to Chili, Monroe Co., N. Y., where he purchased a new farm. After a residence of five years, he sold and removed to Chautauqua Co., N. Y. After several changes of location he decided to come to Michigan. Accord- ingly, in the fall of 1834, he, in company with his two brothers, Henry and George, came to Tyrone and entered two hundred acres of land, which he now owns. He then went back to New York, but re- turned the following spring with his family. The

Cornells were the first settlers in the south part of the town, and were obliged to cut their road from the Tenney settlement in Highland, Oakland County.

Mr. Cornell has been prominently identified with the town of Tyrone; he was elected its first justice of the peace, a position which he filled acceptably for five terms.

In 1825 he was married to Miss Sarah Eaton, of Arlington, Vt. She was born in the town of Cavendish, Vt., in 1803. They were blessed with five children. In July, 1836, Mrs. Cornell died, and he subsequently married Margaret M. Larmon, a native of Cambridge, Washington Co., N. Y. She was born in October, 1819. By this union there were six children.

Mr. Cornell is a self-made man, and the position he holds among the best men of the county is due solely to his own exertions. He has acquired by his own efforts a competency and an honorable reputation. In his religious affiliations he is an Adventist, and his eldest son is an able exponent of the doctrines of that church.

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TYRONE TOWNSHIP.

resided here since the month of January, 1838. Born in Greenville, Greene Co., N. Y., June 1, 1813, he grew to young manhood in that health- giving climate until, at the age of seventeen years, he started with his father and family for the new Territory of Michigan. The family came by way of the canal and lake, but John came with a team through Ohio, traveling in company with James Dedrick, his brother's father-in-law. They all reached Ypsilanti on the 8th day of August, 1830, and went from there to York, in Washtenaw Co., where they settled. While living there John married Miss Catharine Basom, their nuptials being celebrated Oct. 23, 1834, and in the fall of 1837 traded his property in York, with Henry Druse, for 240 acres of land on sections 14 and 26 in this town. He built a house that fall, and sowed eight acres of wheat, and in January brought his family and began life as a citizen of Tyrone. In 1841 his wife died, and he subsequently married Mary A. Colton, daughter of Charles Colton, of this town, who died July 19, 1847. His third wife was Sarah E. Merrill. From the time of his settle- ment here Mr. Salsbury has been one of the lead- ing men of the town in his occupation of farming, as well as in political matters and the promotion of public interests. Elected as one of the first jus- tices of the peace, he held that office by virtue of successive re-elections for a period of twelve years, and by subsequent elections has increased his in- cumbency of that office to a total of twenty-seven years. He has served as overseer of the poor for seven years, commissioner of highways for five years, and supervisor for three years. In addition to his work of farming, he has done considerable surveying, and, acting as a land agent, has nego- tiated the sale of a large amount of land, both in this town and in other parts of the State.

In the southwest part of the town several fami- lies of Irish emigrants settled at an early day. According to the best information now obtainable, John McKeone came in 1837, James McGuire, James Agan, and James McKeone, in 1838, and James Murphy in 1840.

John McKeone was a native of county Long- ford, Ireland, and was there married to Bridget Riley, emigrating to this country in 1833, and settling in Williamsburg, N. Y. Hearing of the fertile and low-priced lands in Michigan, he came West in the summer of 1836 and purchased some land, returning East and coming on with his family in the fall of 1837. The family resided in Tyrone until 1865, when their present house was built, and they moved across the road into Deerfield. Their children were eight in number: Bernard and Charles still reside in Tyrone; Mrs. Margaret

Hogan in Fenton ; Bridget is a Sister of Charity in New Orleans, and the other living children-Mrs. Mary Smith and James McKeone-reside in Deer- field. Mr. McKeone and his wife are still living among the scenes of the trials and tribulations that marked their pioneer life. James McKeone died in Deerfield a few years since ; James Agan became disgusted with frontier life, returned to Brooklyn, N. Y., and died there ; James McGuire emigrated to the State of Texas; and James Murphy is still living on his homestead on section 30, where he now owns 260 acres of fine productive land.

David Colwell, a native of Otsego Co., N. Y., came to Tyrone from Ontario Co., N. Y., in May, 1838, settling on the farm which he still occupies, on the southwest quarter of section 4.

Hiram M. Rhodes came to Tyrone early in the spring of 1838, and settled on section 5, where he resided for about ten years. He was at one time a very prominent man in the town, and a political leader among the Democrats, who frequently elected him to office. He was the first town clerk, and held several other offices at different times. He removed from the town about 1848, and, having met with misfortunes, is now in his old age an in- mate of the county-house.

Elijah Clough was a native of Springfield, Mass., and, in 1814, moved with the rest of his father's family to Manlius, Onondaga Co., N. Y. In 1836 he came West in search of a good place to locate, and traveled in company with a man who was ac- quainted with Horace H. Nottingham, who had recently settled in Deerfield, and was led by that circumstance to come to this part of the State. Being pleased with the looks of the country, Mr, Clough bought 80 acres in Conway, and 160 in this town, and returned to the East. Three years later he came with his mother, his sisters Sarah, Mary, and Ann Eliza, and his brother Warren, and settled on the northeast quarter of section 7. His mother died in less than a year, his sisters married and moved into adjoining counties, and, about 1848, his brother moved to Shiawassee County, where he is now living. In 1844 Mr. Clough mar- ried Sabina Littlefield, who died in March, 1852. His second wife was Catharine Carmer, and his third wife, who is still living, was Lovina Irish. He has replaced his first log house with a fine brick residence, and increased the size of his farm to 248 acres.

On the south side of the county line, on section 5, at the point where the White Lake or Shiawassee road intersects it, stood what was for many years the most famous hotel on the line of the Shiawassee trail. It was known as the "Grove House," and was kept by Jairah Hillman, who was a model Hosted by

398

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

host. He was formerly from Lowville, Lewis Co., N. Y .; located his land in this town in the spring of 1836; moved to Plymouth, Wayne Co., in this State, in the spring of 1837; made 40 acres of improvement in 1838; and in the spring of 1839 moved on to his farm with his family of one son and six daughters. His house was not built with the intention of making it a public-house, but fas- tidious travelers, not satisfied with the accommo- dations furnished at the regular taverns, would not be turned away ; and as soon as it was found that they could be accommodated there, the run of custom was largely increased, and travelers made it a point to get to the Grove House at nightfall, where they were sure of a hearty welcome, a bountiful supper, and an evening of pleasant, cheer- ful social intercourse. In the work of clearing the land of its growth of oak timber, Mr. Hillman selected the finest of the trees in the vicinity of his house and left them standing, to the number of a hundred or more. These trees added very much to the beauty of the place, and gave the inn the name it afterwards bore for so many years. Not the least attraction of the place in the eyes of the better class of people was the fact that it was a strictly temperance house. Mr. Hillman was an intelligent man, gifted with pleasing conversational powers, and possessed of a generous, hospitable spirit, all of which rendered his companionship en- joyable. He was a man of more than ordinary ability, and his success as an agriculturist proved conclusively that brains and " book learning" are no detriment to the farmer. He died at his home, July 6, 1861, and the property, originally containing 340 acres, was divided among his heirs, the homestead falling to the only son, M. M. Hillman. His wife (formerly Elizabeth Holladay) died in Detroit, in September, 1877. Of his children, M. M. married Miss Emily Lane, in Portage Co., O., in 1861, and is now living on the homestead, occupying an elegant residence built on the site of the "Grove House," which was destroyed by fire on the 5th of July, 1877, and is one of the leading farmers of the vicinity ; Mrs. Clarissa Sadler died in Fenton ; Mrs. Julia Larned lives in Fenton ; Caroline mar- ried Albert Holladay, who died in Otsego, Allegan Co., and is now the wife of Dr. Cole, of Luding- ton; Mrs. Louisa Clement died in Detroit, in 1865; Mrs. Adaline Joslin lives in Byron, Shia- wassee Co .; and Mrs. Delia Cook lives in Detroit.

David L. Babcock, with his two step-sons, Har- vey R. and Orson B. Stevens, came to this town in the fall of 1837 or early spring of 1838. Bab- cock was a carpenter, and worked at his trade, besides working his farm of 80 acres on section 19. He removed to Lapeer County about the close of

the war. Harvey R. Stevens was an early school- teacher and one of the first school inspectors of the town. He served in that position a number of years. He enlisted in the Union army in the time of the Rebellion, and falling beneath the stroke of a rebel bullet upon the field of battle, gave his life as a token of his patriotism and de- votion. Orson B. lived on section 30 until about ten years ago, and then removed to Greenville, Montcalm Co., where he died a short time since.

One of the foremost citizens of the town, if not the most prominent of all, was John Kenyon, Jr., well known as Judge Kenyon, a title which he earned by virtue of having served as side judge of the county court. He came from Niles, Cayuga Co., N. Y., in 1840, arriving here the 2d day of June, and settled on section 33, where he had the year previous purchased of a Mr. Starks the 160 acres originally taken up by Isaac Degraff. Upon his arrival here he at once assumed a prominent place among his fellow-townsmen, and was the next spring elected supervisor of the town. He was frequently elected to office, holding the posi- tions of highway commissioner, justice of the peace, supervisor (seven terms), second or associate judge, Representative in the Legislature, and State Sen- ator, and in all deported himself creditably, and discharged the duties connected with them in a careful and conscientious manner. As a farmer he was successful; as a business man able and energetic; and as a citizen public-spirited, upright, and honorable. Born of Quaker parentage, he inherited and acquired a respect and admiration for the principles of that sect, and though uncon- nected with any church organization remained a Friend in principle until his death, which occurred Nov. 12, 1874, at the age of sixty-eight years.

Thomas Love, from Monroe Co., N. Y., with a wife and five children, came to Tyrone in 1842, and lived for several years on a part of his brother James' farm. He afterwards purchased some land on the school section and lived there until 1866, when he moved to Tawas, Iosco Co., where he is now living. One son, Jacob, still resides in Tyrone.

Dexter Farnham was a native of New Hamp- shire, and with his wife and three children came to Tyrone from Grand Blanc, Genesee Co., in the fall of 1842, locating on section 17. He came to Grand Blanc from Pembroke, Genesee Co., N. Y., in 1836. He died in this town in July, 1876, at the age of sixty-nine years, having survived his wife by about one year. One of his sons, Mar- cellus, lives in Ingham County, and four-Henry,. Hiram, John, and Robertson-are ranked among the most thriving farmers and respected citizens of this town.

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TYRONE TOWNSHIP.

399

Amilo Gardner came from Herkimer Co., N. Y., in 1851, and bought the David Austin farm at a sale under foreclosure of mortgage. He is still living on the place, which has, by careful and thorough cultivation, become one of the best farms of the town. In 1855-56, Mr. Gardner was ap- pointed as postmaster, and has served continu- ously in that position down to the present time, with the exception of a period of about three months in 1861.

Of course, this does not by any means conclude the list of settlers, but it includes all about whom we have been able to learn any particulars. In this connection we also give a copy of the tax roll of 1844,-the earliest one now in existence,- omitting the names of all except the resident tax- payers of the town in that year. This list gives the names of the actual residents and property- holders at that time, showing the sections on which their property was located, the number of acres owned, and its valuation.

The list is as follows :

Names.

Section. Acres. Valuation.

Alonzo Ayers.

$206

Bradley Angus

200

Nelson Adams.

160

320

Huldah Austin

William Austin

19, 30

100

260

Isaac Wolverton

200

John Agan ..

9, 30

160

340

Anson Austin

160

330

Abram Bailey.

3*, 33

260

Sanford Billings

160

William Beemer.

150

340

David L. Babcock

9, 20

160

440

Joseph M. Becker.

440

Dyer Beebe.

155

David Colwell

4, 9

I20

300

Caleb Cranston

100

Gilbert D. Cranston

175

Eli D. Cranston ..

300

James Carmer ..

175

William Carr.

146

416

Eli Conklin.

I20

340

John Connell.

170

Franklin Curtis.

Jacob Chrispell ..

I60

440

290

Henry A. Cornell.

29, 32, 33

I20

455

Isaac Cornell

28, 29, 32

240

950

Almond Colton

Humphrey Church

180

Porter Colton.

IIO

George Dibble.

Dillis Dexter.

240

550

Jasper Dood ..

.32, 33

100

200

William Dawson.

270

Peter S. Dates

100

274

Uriah Emmons.

160

Dexter Farnham

118

Edward Fuller.

IIO

Hugh Hamilton

Seth M. Howell.

160

Edward Hopper

100

John B. Hamilton

Michael Haley ..

200

John W. Hiatt

.4, 5

I20

300

Jairah Hillman.

4, 5

300

1000

Zachariah Hiatt.

173

521

* Town 5 north, range 6 east.

Names.

Section. Acres. Valuation.

Washington Hoisington.

$210

Horatio V. Holmes

Charles Hooker

Lester Jennings.

40 100

Joseph B. Jackson

157

500

John Kenyon, Jr.

160

520

John P. Kellogg.

160

680 85

Myron Lovell.

240

510

Solomon Lewis.

100

280

James Love,

27, 28, 33, 34

163

526

Thomas Love

Edmond M. Marsh

160

300

David Murphy

160

Isaac Morton.

I20

360 220 185

John McKeone.

165

James McKeone.

134

Fernando Mapes.

John O'Neil

1 5

200

Linus Pratt.

220 90

Mark Pratt.

Collins J. Pines

Aaron Parks.

Amasa Parks

Philatha Parks,

52 104 700

Daniel I). Runyan .. 3,9,

321

F. F. Riggs.

172

575

Hiram M. Rhodes.

224

Lyman E. Rhodes

240

Peter Ru-sell.

33, 34

200

Harvey R. Stevens

7, 127

II2

508 270 12

Isaac Seymour.

Stephen B. Street.

160

400

John C. Salsbury.

160

410

William D. Snapp.

230

Orson B. Stevens

Alonzo Slayton

240

200 720 60

Daniel B. Austin.

100

320

J. L. Wolverton

157

474

John Westfall.

160

360

Austin Wakeman

.30

Carlton Wheeler.

John A. Well;

26,

960

2460

Alfred White.

120

Total State and county tax

$263.21

Township expenses ...

Township library

25.00

School tax, District No. 8.

180.00

Total

$634.53

Elijah Clough

160

600

242

Dewitt Denton

2, 11, 12

400

680

The settlement of all new countries is attended with about the same amount of hard and trying experiences, but the early settlers on these oak- opening lands did not have to endure the heavy toil, nor the tedious waiting, nor the painful priva- tions that settlers in a timbered country inevitably meet. There was scarcely a farm in the town on which there was not some land that could be cul- tivated the first season, and made to yield a por- tion, at least, of the provision necessary for the sustenance of the family. Then, too, the miry roads through a trackless forest had not to be endured, for here the oaks grew well apart, and a wagon could be driven through the woods in any direc- tion with very little inconvenience. Mills and markets were, as a matter of course, at first hard to get at, and necessitated long and tedious jour- neys, occupying days and sometimes almost weeks

+ Town 4 north, range 6 east Google

James Murphy

19, 30

James McGuire

William S. Taylor.

:16

166.32

David E. Cranston

George Cornell.

John Kinney.

400

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

in their accomplishment. For general market most of the early settlers went to Detroit,-Pontiac, Ann Arbor, and Ypsilanti being but small places, where but an indifferent and limited stock of goods was to be found. Pontiac and other places in Oakland County furnished milling accommoda- tions, and lumber was furnished by Clark Dibble's mill at Fenton, which was then known as Dibble- ville.

In the line of wild fruits the settlers were well provided for. Apple-trees and a few other kinds of domestic fruits were procured at Ypsilanti, and set out, and in a few years began to yield an abun- dant supply of fruit. The Cornells and Joseph M. Becker set out orchards in 1837 or 1838, and most of the settlers followed their example as soon as they could conveniently do so.

The first settlers depended upon oxen almost entirely for the performance of their team-work, as the marsh hay was not fit for food for horses, and there was no other hay to be had at first. The first horse brought into the town is said to have been an Indian pony which was owned by Isaac Cornell.

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History of Livingston County, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 85

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

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