History of Livingston County, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 95

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SECTION 22.

Gilbert W. Prentiss,* Shiawassee Co., Mich., April 9, 1833, and April 15, 1833 .. 120 Nathaniel Prouty, Wayne Co., Mich., March 23, 1836 .. 120 Ira Walker,* of this county, June 18, 1836. 40 Horace R. Hudson, New York City, Sept. 24, 1836. 80

SECTION 23.

William Riker,* Steuben Co., N. Y., Oct. 6, 1835. 240 Ephraim Crawford,* Steuben Co , N. Y., Oct. 6, 1835 ..... 80 David Thompson, Wayne Co., Mich., Feb. 3, 1836. I20 Leah Packard, Wayne Co., Mich., May 10, 1836. 80

William Stroud,* of this county, Sept. 23, 1836, and Nov. 80

1, 1836.

SECTION 24.

Ephraim Whitney, Oakland Co., Mich., June 15, 1836 ... 40 Calvin W. Hart,* of this county, June 14, 1837 80 Lorenzo Boutell, of this county, June 14, 1837 .. 40

SECTION 25.

Acres.

Samuel C. Klump, Wayne Co., Mich., Oct. 26, 1836. 80 William Hosley,* of this county, Dec. 29, 1836. 40 John Jones,* of this county, Oct. 26, 1839 ... 40

SECTION 26.

Joseph Neely,* Monroe Co., N. Y., May 27, 1836 .. .... . 160

SECTION 27.

Benjamin Crawford,* Macomb Co., Mich., June 13, 1834. 320

SECTION 28.

Antony Clark,* Oakland Co., Mich., Aug. 4, 1834, and Jan. 1, 1836 .. 120 Isaac I. Sheldon, Ontario Co., N. Y., May 12, 1836 ... .. 240 Isaiah Vandebogart, Tompkins Co., N. Y., June 18, 1836. 80 Abraham Riker,* Livingston Co., N. Y., Nov. 14, 1836 ... 80 Tobias C. Howland,* Livingston Co., N. Y., July 9, 1841 40

SECTION 29.

Hugh Gilshenan, Washtenaw Co., Mich., June 14, 1836 ... 160 John Vandebogart, Tompkins Co., N. Y., June 18, 1836 ... 40 Nelson Pettibone, Genesee Co., N. Y., July 1, 1836. 80 Roger Glinan, Washtenaw Co., Mich., Nov. 14, 1836 .. 160

SECTION 30.

Lott Pratt,* Genesee Co., N Y., May 10, 1836 .. 159.64 Sylvanus West, New York State, May 10, 1836 .. 80 Chas. L. Harrison, Washtenaw Co., Mich., Sept. 23, 1836 79 82 James Hooper, Washtenaw Co., Mich., March 2, 1837 ..... 79.72

SECTION 31.

Justus Boyd,* Livingston Co., N. Y., May 5, 1836. 160 Warner Lake, Livingston Co., Mich., May 5, 1836. 158.20 John Coughran, Genesee Co., N. Y., May 10, 1836 .. 319.20

SECTION 32.

Nathan Chidester, Genesee Co., N. Y., May 4, 1836. 240 William Slater, Livingston Co., N. Y., May 5, 1836 80 Simon Westfall, Cayuga Co., N. Y., May 11, 1836. 80 William Horton, New York City, June 15, 1836. 240

SECTION 33.

Purdy Williams, New York City, June 15, 1836. 160

Charles Pope, New York City, June 15, 1836. 160

John Dunlap, Oakland Co., Mich., July 11, 1836. 40 Rees Lewis, Washtenaw Co., Mich., March 21, 1839 80 William P. Cone, of this county, May 30, 1855 .. 80 William McPherson, of this county, March 2, 1867. 40

SECTION 34.

Lyman Boughton, Oakland Co., Mich., April 6, 1833 ...... 80 James Sanford, Oakland Co., Mich., July 8, 1834 ... 80 Edward McMaken, Wayne Co., Mich., Sept. 21, 1836. 80

SECTION 35.

William W. Shutes, Oakland Co., Mich., July 8, 1835 ..... 40 Ezra Frisbee,* Montgomery Co., N. Y., Oct. 19, 1835. ... 40 Adam Fisher, Cayuga Co., N. Y., May 30, 1836. 80

SECTION 36.

William Northrup,* Wayne Co., Mich., June 6, 1836 40 John W. Farrand, Tompkins Co., N. Y., April 25, 1837 ... 240

SETTLEMENT.

The first settler in Cohoctah was Gilbert W. Prentiss. Some time in the season following the entry of his land he erected a small shanty near the northwest corner of his first purchase, about eighty rods north and a little east of the middle of section 22, and there began the business of an In-

442

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

dian trader, doing a little trapping and hunting to occupy his spare time, for, of course, customers were scarce, and the demands of the business did not take up all the time of even one person. But little is known of this man, his character, or career. We know he flourished here for a brief period, possibly a year or more, and then vanished Re- garding the reason of his departure, which was very suddenly taken, and was not, in a true sense, entirely voluntary, we are informed that, in his trading operations, the Indians invariably demanded what was due them should be paid in " shu-ni-ah," or silver money, the only kind they were acquainted with and would receive. There seemed to be no lack of "Shu-ni-ah" in the Prentiss treasury, and all demands were promptly met with a ready sup- ply of the shining metal coins. But, alas for the honesty of the trader and the confidence of the Indians, it soon transpired that these coins would not pass current at other stores and trading-posts, in short, the Indians discovered that they were counterfeits. Then the savage blood began to boil, and the savage spirit to demand revenge. A plan was concocted for a descent upon the trader's cabin and a despoliation of its contents, and prob- ably the person of the dishonest trader might not have passed unscathed through the ordeal, had not he got wind of the proposed visitation and hastily fled from the threatened danger. The Indians came, but their game had gone, and they were dis- appointed in their expected scheme of revenge and reprisal. The cabin was, however, committed to the flames, and so perished the last token of the residence of the first settler in the town. The land was afterwards owned by Nathaniel Prouty, who also owned adjoining lands on the west, making his whole possessions on that section 240 acres. He lived in Detroit, and once came here with his family and goods, intending to settle on his land. But one night's experience of the new county was enough for them, and, with the rising of the morn- ing sun, they returned to their home in Detroit. Recently the place passed into the hands of Wil- liam B. Eager, who died there Sept. 19, 1879, and it is now in the possession of his family.

The second settler, and the first permanent resi- dent, was John Sanford, who came from Wayne, Steuben Co., N. Y., in 1832, and remained two years in Salem, Washtenaw Co., before coming to Cohoctah, in the summer of 1834. He com- menced what was known as the Sanford settle- ment, on section 27, and which was for some time the centre of population of the town. Before leaving Salem he engaged a man named Ira Walker to come with him to assist in clearing and breaking up his farm, so that the party that

started from Salem consisted of John Sanford and wife, their son James, their daughter Mrs. Antony Clark and her husband, and Ira Walker and his wife, and two children. While on their journey Mrs. Sanford fell from the load of goods, and was so severely injured that when they arrived at Wil- liam Bennett's, in Hamburg, she remained there with their daughter, who was Mr. Bennett's wife. The rest of the company continued their journey and arrived safely at their destination. They im- mediately set to work on a house, and soon had one ready for their accommodation. It was a fair- sized log house, and stood on the west side of the Indian trail, close to the south line of section 27. It was the first real dwelling erected in the town, and for a time furnished a home for this first colony of settlers, eight in number. Soon after their arrival Mr. Clark built a house on his land, on section 28, and with his wife went there to live. In the fall or winter following Mrs. Sanford recovered suffi- ciently to enable her to join the family in their new home .* In 1835, Mr. Walker built a house about three-eighths of a mile west of the centre of section 27, just west of the small creek that runs southward across the quarter line of the sec- tion, and, after living there about a year, left for some other part of the country. John Sanford lived the life of a pioneer farmer until he saw the development of this part of Michigan well begun, and then, having reached a good old age, was gathered to his fathers, in November, 1845. He was an energetic and successful farmer, and brought his land to a good state of cultivation in the ten years of his life here. He accumulated a fine property, and added to his original purchase till he owned 1000 acres of land, besides what he distributed among his children. His wife survived him many years, and remained a widow to the time of her death. She lived to the age of ninety-two years, and died in April, 1877, at the house of her daughter, Mrs. William Bennett, in Hamburg. James Sanford remained here several years, and then went to California, where he was living when last heard from. Antony Clark died in this town in 1851, and his wife removed to Hamburg, where she is now living with her sister, Mrs. William Bennett.

The Sanford family was originally from the State of Pennsylvania. The progenitor of that branch of the family which settled here was Ephraim San- ford, father of John and Ezra, who was a patriot during the Revolutionary war, while his two brothers were Tories of the most bitter type. After the close of the war he removed to the State of Vermont, and afterwards to Steuben Co., N. Y. He was a Baptist preacher, having a wide

443

COHOCTAH TOWNSHIP.

reputation for his eloquence and piety. The New York State Gazetteer says of him, that "he was a silver-tongued preacher, who used to pass the sacrament in pewter tankards;" and adds the misanthropic remark, that "nowadays the order is often reversed, and that many churches have silver tankards and pewter preachers." His wife was a cousin of the famous Maj. Moses Van Campen, whose name and fame are so intimately connected with the history of Southwestern New York, where he was several times a captive of the Indians and forced to run the gauntlet.

Ezra Sanford did not leave the State of New York until three years after his brother John, but came directly to this town, after spending a few weeks visiting with friends in Salem, Washtenaw Co., arriving here July 9, 1835. With him came his wife, five sons, and two daughters, one of them accompanied by her husband, Ziba Stone. For several nights after their arrival they slept in their wagons, and then moved into a house they had erected on the east side of the trail, about twenty rods north of the centre of section 27. There they all lived together through that summer and part of the winter of 1835-36, when they separated, Stone and his wife going to a new dwelling they had erected on their place, on the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of section 22. Ezra San- ford was a respected and honored citizen, and a deacon in the Baptist Church. He was also a preacher of no mean ability, and on some occa- sions preached at the church in the town of Burns, and often at his own house. He died in this town, Jan. 2, 1844, and his wife survived him about eleven years. Before his death, Mr. Sanford gave each of his sons a quarter-section of land in this State. John H., another son of Ezra, came to this town in 1836 and remained one year. After spending one winter in New York, he settled in Deerfield in the spring of 1838, and lived there about ten years, and after several removals is now living in Wright, Ottawa Co., engaged in farming, surveying, and preaching, being a minister of the Universalist Church.

The rest of Ezra's children we mention, as fol- lows: Ezra, Jr., has been a prominent and honored citizen of this town down to the present time, and is now living on section 1, engaged in the practice of medicine. . David remained here several years, but finally moved away, and is now living in Flushing, Genesee Co., Mich., practicing law, and also having an interest in a mercantile business. Ephraim H. studied law at Ionia, and from there went to Ann Arbor, where for four years he pub- lished a journal known as The Gem of Science. He went from there to Ohio, and at last settled in

Wabaunsee Co., Kan., where he is now living, practicing law, and acting as land- and claim-agent. He has risen to considerable eminence in his new home, and besides several other offices, has once held the honorable position of judge of the Cir- cuit Court. James remained on the homestead until after the death of his parents, and then re- moved to California, where he is now living. Samuel, who was a young man of much promise, went to Kansas, when the strife between Freedom and Slavery was at its height in that State, and was brutally murdered by one of the border ruf- fians, being shot down in cold blood, without any provocation or opportunity for defense. His death occurred in the summer of 1859. Esther was the wife of Ziba Stone, and is still a resident of the town. Mr. Stone died in 1852, and she afterwards married Daniel Barlow, who died some fifteen years ago. Possessed of good health, and in the full possession of all her faculties, she promises to remain yet many years among the scenes where so many years of her life have been spent. Emily married William Stroud, in this town, and still continues to reside here, where her husband died in 1853 or 1854. Elizabeth, then married to Luther Houghton, came to this town in 1836, and after living with her father's folks two or three years, they moved to their land on section I. Mr. Houghton died about twenty-eight years ago, and his widow after a time was married again, her second husband being John Lane, who died in this town in 1878. She is still living in town, but is an invalid suffering from a broken back, caused by her slipping and falling across a door-step, about two years ago.

The Crawford family, of whom Samuel Crawford was the head, came to Michigan in September, 1836, and settled on what is known as the Preston farm, on section 23, in this town. They came from the town of Wayne, Steuben Co., N. Y., via Buffalo and Detroit, and from the latter place followed the Shiawassee trail, by way of Pontiac and White Lake, till they crossed the Shiawassee River at Nagg's bridge, and followed an Indian trail into this town. All of his children made settlements in this town, and after his wife's death he lived with them until his own death, some ten years ago. All but one of them have moved to other parts. That one is Edmund D., who married Mrs. Alsmeda Kelly, a daughter of Dudley Woodworth, and is now living on a fine farm on section 9, where he has resided for the past twenty-four years.

Another settler in 1836 was David Guile, who settled on the south central part of section 9. He came from Novi, Oakland Co., with a family of a wife, two married sons-David and Joseph with

Hosted by

444

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

wives, and a grandson, William G. Phares. Mr. Guile's family were all great hunters, and spent much time in the forest in pursuit of game. His wife died about thirteen years later, and he then returned to Novi, selling his property here to Elias Sprague, and died there several years after. His grandson, William G. Phares, remained a resident of Cohoctah a long time, and was a very stirring, active man, respected by his neighbors, and was frequently elected to the office of constable. Per- haps his most peculiar characteristic was a readi- ness to trade, it being said of him that he never refused an opportunity to exchange. His wife once proved to him by actual count that they had moved as many times as they had been married years, which was upwards of thirty. He is now living in the town of Genoa, in this county.

William Northrup, formerly of Sullivan, Madi- son Co., N. Y., came from there in the fall of 1836, and settled in Cohoctah on section 36, near the Deerfield line. In 1837 his wife died. He con- tinued to reside there till 1865, when he moved to Aurora, Ill., where he died about six years ago. Some of his family are now living here.

Justus Boyd came to this town in 1837, and had not the hand of death cut short his career, would have been one of its most important cit- izens. He was a native of the town of New- burgh, Orange Co., N. Y., and when a young man came West to Conesus, Livingston Co., N. Y. He married Miss Almira Nutt, of Cayuga County, and in 1822 moved on to a new farm in the town of Mount Morris, where he lived fifteen years, when " he came to this State and settled in Cohoctah. In the spring of 1836 he came to Michigan in com- pany with Joseph C. Craft, Daniel P. Lake, and William Slater, in search of land. Each of them made a purchase, but only Mr. Boyd came here to live. He returned to New York, and, in the early summer of 1837, began his journey hither with his wife and nine children,-six sons and three daughters,-the eldest, Lewis B., a boy of eighteen. In company with them came his brother-in-law, Lee Nutt, with his wife and three children, and a Mr. McFail, with his wife and four children. They reached Mr. Boyd's land, on section 31, on June 12th, having been one month on the road. Before returning East for his family, Mr. Boyd had en- gaged a Mr. Porter, of Howell, to build him a house on section 31, and this was ready for their occupancy when they arrived. Mr. Nutt lived with Mr. Boyd for a time, and engaged to clear a piece of ground and sow it to wheat, taking the crop in part payment for his labor. He then built a shanty on the south side of the road, in Howell, and moved into it with his family.

At the election in the spring of 1838, Mr. Boyd was elected to the offices of overseer of the poor and assessor, and just a year from the time of his arrival here started for his former home to settle up his business affairs there. At Detroit he took passage for Buffalo on the ill-fated steamer "Wash- ington," which, when about twenty-two miles from its destination, caught fire and was destroyed. Mr. Boyd exerted himself to the utmost in efforts to extinguish the fire and to save the passengers, and when nothing more could be done leaped overboard and swam ashore. The sudden chill caused by leaping into the cold water while heated and per- spiring from his efforts, coupled with the exhaustion incident to such violent and prolonged exertions, proved too great a strain upon his vital powers, and he died a few minutes after reaching the shore at Silver Creek. He was a farmer, but was also a capable and competent business man of fair edu- cational attainments.

His widow resides in Howell, with her daughter, Miss Angeline Boyd. She is now eighty years old. Of Mr. Boyd's children two have died,- William and Hannah; Lewis B. married Charity, a daughter of Jared L. Cook, and is now living on section 31, in this town; John N. married Lucinda Holloway, and lives on the same section; Hiram married Matilda Creshaw, of Handy, and lives on the same section; Henry P. married Elizabeth Briggs, and lives on the homestead; Norman mar- ried Rhoda Scofield, and lives on section 32; Elizabeth married Lyman H. Dean, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is now a resident of Salem, Washtenaw Co.

Alva Preston was for many years one of the substantial citizens of Cohoctah. He was a native of Windham Co., Conn., and soon after his mar- riage came to Michigan, settling in Ann Arbor in 1829. In December, 1836, he purchased two lots of land of the government,- on sections 2 and II, and also 40 acres on section 23, of William Riker. In the following spring he came with his wife and two children, and occupied a house he had built on the north bank of the river, near the quarter line. During that summer, he, in company with Edward F. Gay, of Howell, built the first saw-mill in the town, having it ready to commence opera- tions that fall. The mill was a moderate sized one, having a " sash-saw" and "flutter-wheel," and did a considerable amount of custom sawing for a number of years. It stood near Mr. Preston's house, while the dam was a long ways up the stream, near the south line of section 14. After operating the mill about six years he sold it to William S. Ellis, who kept it running some four- teen or fifteen years, or until his death, when death, w)

445

COHOCTAH TOWNSHIP.

through neglect it was permitted to go to ruin. In character, Mr. Preston was a firm, resolute, in- dustrious, and conscientious man, having an ex- tensive influence and an unblemished reputation. His political faith was pinned to the doctrines of the Whig party, and to his efforts may be ascribed in a great measure the success of that party in this town. He was often called to serve his townsmen in an official capacity, being the first supervisor, and one of the first justices of the peace, and hold- ing at different times the offices of school inspec- tor, overseer of the poor, assessor for five years, and treasurer for four years. Formerly he was connected with the Presbyterian denomination, but after coming here joined the Methodists, and re- mained a consistent and prominent member of that body to the time of his death, May 16, 1862, in his sixtieth year. His first wife died Sept. 30, 1846, and he subsequently married Rachel Houghtaling, who survived him a number of years, and died in Howell. One of his sons, Alphonso, died at the age of three years, and six other children died in infancy. John L. enlisted in the Union army dur- ing the Rebellion, and died in the hospital at De- troit, of congestion of the brain, Jan. 16, 1862, at the age of twenty-six years. James A., the only living member of the family, remained a resident of Cohoctah for many years, and served in the offices of school inspector and treasurer. He married Sarah J. Clarity, of Owosso, and is now living in Howell. Alva Preston was very fond of children, and took a number of them at different times to bring up. At one time, it is said, that in- cluding his own children, he had youthful repre- sentatives of five different families gathered at his fireside. The name of this friend of the fatherless will long be a treasured memory in the hearts of those whose lives his loving care has aided to brighten and bless.

Michael Thatcher came from Caneadea, Allegany Co., N. Y., and settled on the southeast quarter of section 5 in this town. He was a native of the State of New Jersey, and while living in Western New York had married Hannah, a daughter of Ezra Sanford. With his wife and three children, -two daughters, aged respectively thirteen and. three years, and a son of eight,-he came through Canada to Detroit, and followed the Grand River road to Brighton and Howell, and the Indian trail from there through Sanford's Corners to his land, where they arrived July 15th, having been twenty- eight days on the road. Upon their arrival they built a small log shanty near the northeast corner of the southeast quarter of the section (stopping in the mean time at Ziba Stone's), where they lived till February, 1838, when they moved into a new

log house they had built a few rods east of it, which furnished them a home for many years, and is still standing, the only log house in the town built by any of the earliest pioneers. Michael Thatcher remained a resident of the town to the day of his death, Feb. 9, 1854. His wife lived on the place till Nov. 29, 1878, when she died at the ripe age of seventy-nine years. Both daughters are dead, and the son, Michael Thatcher,* who is the present supervisor of the town, lives on the homestead with his wife, formerly Miss Abigail P. Sears, to whom he was married in 1875.

Among the settlers in the summer of 1837 was Thomas Goldsmith, with his father, Elisha, and his sisters, Sally and Elizabeth. They were from the town of Rush, Monroe Co., N. Y., and, coming to Michigan, settled on rented land in Redford, Wayne Co., near Detroit, where they lived till the time of their coming here. Elisha died in this town in 1851, Sally married Robert Sowders, and Elizabeth married Joseph Brown. Both of these ladies are now dead. Thomas is still living on the home- stead, on section 26. He has been a prominent citizen of the town and a frequent office-holder, having been elected twenty-two times. His of- ficial career includes one year's service as assessor, two as highway commissioner, six as town clerk, twenty-one as justice of the peace, and eight as supervisor. He is also the only voter now living who was present and participated in the first town- meeting in 1838.

Jared L. Cook was a native of Oneida Co., N. Y., and moved, when a young man, to the town of Clarendon, Orleans Co., N. Y., where he settled upon and cleared up a new farm. In 1836 he came to Michigan and settled in Calhoun County. A year later he sold his farm to his brother Elijah, and moved on to a new farm on section 32, in this town, bringing with him a family of four sons and three daughters. Here he passed through the usual trials met by the pioneers, and became an influential member of the society formed of the townspeople. He held the office of supervisor four years, and served repeatedly as treasurer, assessor, and as highway commissioner. In New York he had served with honor as colonel of a militia regiment. He was a man of more than ordinary ability, a firm, outspoken Christian, and died Jan. 29, 1849, at the age of forty-nine years, lamented and mourned by all. His wife, Mrs. Orrilla Cook, is now living with her youngest son, on the homestead, at the age of seventy-six years. Their family embraced the following children : Horace

* For his co operation and willing aid in the work of collecting the material for this sketch he merits and receives our hearty thanks.

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History of Livingston County, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 95

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

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