History of Livingston County, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 96

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

USA > Michigan > Livingston County > History of Livingston County, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 96

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).

Hosted by

Google

446

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

L. is now a hardware merchant in Byron, Shiawas- see Co. He was a prominent citizen during his residence here, and held several town offices, among them that of supervisor for three terms. Bradford was a gallant soldier in the Union army, and gave his life for his country. He was mus- tered into the service as second lieutenant of Com- pany A, 10th Michigan Volunteer Infantry ; he was promoted to a first lieutenantcy, and afterwards to the captaincy of Company E; he was wounded in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, June 27, 1864, died from the effects of his wound on the 29th, and was buried on the field of battle. His remains were afterwards taken up and re-interred in a na- tional cemetery. Jared L., Jr., now lives in Fow- lerville, where he is engaged in the hardware trade. He, too, served in the war for the suppression of the Rebellion, enlisting Sept. 5, 1862, and serving to the close of the war, in Company D, 6th Mich- igan Cavalry. Joseph L., the youngest son, is living on the old homestead, and is one of the substantial men and successful farmers of the town. Charity, the oldest daughter, married Lewis B. Boyd, and lives in Cohoctah. Ruth died in Illinois, in October, 18,2, but was brought home and buried in the family burial-place in Conway. Sophia died in Clarendon, Calhoun Co., in the year 1855.

The first settler in the vicinity of Chemungville was Adam Fisher, who came from Montezuma, Cayuga Co., N. Y., in the fall of 1837, and settled on the north half of the northeast quarter of sec- tion 35, which he had purchased from the govern- ment in the spring of 1836. His family consisted of a wife and four children, one of whom-his son Edward-is still living in the town. He died on his place in September, 1853, and his wife died there in the winter of 1860-61.

William Riker settled in 1837 on the northwest quarter of section 23, of which he owned all ex- cept the northeast 40 acres, which he had sold to Alva Preston. After living here ten or fifteen years he moved to Ionia County, where he died several years ago. His brother, Abraham Riker, settled in the fall of 1838 on the east half of the northwest quarter of section 28, and died there eight or nine years afterwards, leaving a family of a wife and five children, who, soon after his death, removed to Ionia County, and subsequently to Muskegon.

Isaac Van der Cook arrived in Cohoctah, March 18, 1838, and settled on the present Frisbee farm. He came from Clarkson, Monroe Co., N. Y., in April, 1832, and moved to La Salle, Monroe Co., Mich., from which place he moved to Kensington, Oakland Co., in 1834. While living in Kensing- ton he married Mrs. Fisher, widow of Chauncey

D. Fisher, who took up the Frisbee farm from the government, in 1836, and at the time of coming here had a family of four children, three of them being step-children. The farm was entirely new, and they built a log house that spring, into which they moved. They met with many trials and hardships, and were forced to undergo many pri- vations. Especially was this true of the hard winter of 1842, when many cattle were lost from exposure and insufficient feed, and when all would have died but for the browse afforded by cutting down small trees and letting them eat the tender twigs. Mr. Cook went that winter to the town of Lyons, from whence he came here, a distance of twenty-five miles, after a load of straw. He pro- cured a small load, and on his way home met a man who offered him seven dollars for it, which he refused. There were plenty of deer in the woods that winter, and store-hogs were kept through the cold weather by being fed deer car- casses from which the people had cut the +hams and other choice pieces for their own use. Mr. Van der Cook and his estimable wife are still resi- dents of the town, living in the village of Che- mungville, where he has considerable property. They have reared a large family of children, some of whom are prominent citizens of this town. Of these children, Cornelia married Edward Fisher, and lives in Cohoctah ; Sarah A. married Alanson Blood, and now resides in De Witt, Clinton Co .; Esther M. married Henry Fay, and lives in the same place ; William H. married Frances Martin, and resides on section 14, in this town; Lyman H. married Harriet Neely, and lives on section 35 ; Chauncey L. married Lucy J. Sessions, and lives in Howell; and Alfred F. married Margaret E. Frisbee, and resides in the town of Deerfield.

Conrad Hayner, a descendant of one of the early Dutch families of the valley of the Hudson, came to the town of Parma, Monroe Co., N. Y., in the early days of its settlement. There he lived several years, until, in 1840, he moved to and be- came a resident of Michigan. Previous to his re- moval here he came, in company with some others, and assisted in the work of running a threshing- machine, in which they all owned equal interests, and which was one of the first, if not the very first, machines operated in this State. He purchased his land on section 18 in 1836. It was a strip of eighty rods wide, extending across the section just west of the centre. He came to Cohoctah in the spring of 1842. From Sanford's Corners he was guided to his land solely by aid of a pocket com- pass and the surveyors' marks. He found it to be an excellent lot of land, free from swamps and marshes, and there established a home, in which

447

COHOCTAH TOWNSHIP.

he lived out the remainder of his days and reared a family of ten children. He was a man of fair educational qualifications and good business ability. Though politically opposed to the majority of his townsmen, he nevertheless was elected to several offices, and served as highway commissioner for eight years. He was always strenuous on the point of opening roads only on regular section or quarter section lines, instead of allowing them to run haphazard, as was the practice at first adopted. For many years he was a notary public, and did an immense amount of conveyancing. He died in December, 1870, and his wife in the spring of 1871. Four of his children, Cyrus G, Mrs. Merinda Kelly, Mrs. Asmerelda Sawyer, and Mrs. Euretta Hendryx, are still living in Cohoctah, the former being the present town clerk and a merchant at the Centre.

Elias Sprague, formerly of East Douglass, Mass., came to Michigan in 1832, and settled in West Bloomfield, Oakland Co. He came to Brighton, and from there came to Cohoctah in 1849, when he settled on the David Guile farm, on section 9, which had been more recently owned by Joshua D. Sheffield. He has since continued to reside there, working principally at farming, but at one time owned an interest in the steam saw-mill at Cohoctah. During his early life he was a famous hunter, and his cabin was the general rendezvous for people who came from a distance to participate in the exciting sport of deer-hunting. The num- ber of deer he has killed is enormous, it being over 600 when he stopped keeping any account, and he used to hunt them for many years after that.

Jacob Kanouse was one of the early settlers in the town of Burns, Shiawassee Co., and became a resident of this town in 1844. He has been a leader among the Republicans of the town, and has frequently been called to offices of trust and responsibility. He has served seven years as supervisor, and was once elected as probate judge of the county. In another part of this work a de- tailed sketch of his personal history will be found.

Joseph Hosley first settled in Deerfield in 1837, and moved to this town some years later, living here a number of years previous to his death, which occurred May 22, 1855, at the age of seventy-eight years.

There were other pioneers whose names are worthy of special mention, but whose families have become extinct through death or removal, and. whose history there was no means of readily ob- taining.

REMINISCENCES.

The first white child born in this town was a daughter of Ira and Eliza Walker, who was born

in September, 1836. She was christened Anna, and removed with her parents to Milford, Oakland Co. Of her subsequent history nothing is now known.

The second white child, and the first white male child, born in Cohoctah was John H., son of Wil- liam and Emily Stroud. He was born in 1837, grew to manhood in the town of his birth, married Louisa Ward, and died in this town in the fall of 1867, leaving a family of a wife and two children. He was an excellent citizen, a man of peculiar energy, and well qualified for the office of constable, to which he was elected many times.

The first and only marriage license recorded is the following, no date being given :

" Marriage License has been applied for on the sixteenth day of April, by James Litchfield, of the town of Lima, County of Wash- tenaw, to be joined in marriage to Miss Almira Pitt, of the town of Tuscola, in the County of Livingston, State of Michigan,- therefore License was granted by me.

" MASON PHELPS, Town Clerk."

The first wedding celebrated in this town was at the house of Ezra Sanford. The parties most deeply interested in the ceremonies incident to the occasion were William Stroud and Emily Sanford. The ceremony was performed by Amos Adams, Esq., a justice of the peace in the town of Howell, on the 27th day of July, 1836. Of all those pre- sent as spectators, but one, Mrs. Esther Barlow, is now living in Cohoctah. It was a rare circum- stance in the infant settlement, and great pains were taken to honor the occasion with the best the country afforded. The groom furnished a bounti- ful supply of wine, and aside from the more sub- stantial articles of food, the table was supplied with an excellent appetizer in the shape of sauce made from the wild gooseberries found in the clearings. Some seventeen years later Mr. Stroud died, but his faithful companion still survives.

The first death in town is believed to have been that of Mrs. William Northrup, in 1837. She was buried in what was called the Boutell burying- ground, on section 24.

The pioneers had many things to contend against in their work of building up the prosperous com- munity that has resulted from their perseverance and enterprise. The distance traveled in going to market to sell surplus produce or purchase needed supplies, was by no means the least of their disad- vantages. Detroit, Pontiac, and Ann Arbor were the nearest points where trading and milling could be done, and the journeys, especially in times when the roads were bad, involved great expense of time and labor. Wild animals abounded, and not al- ways of the most peaceable description. As illus- trating this, we mention a couple of incidents that of incidenti the Hosted by

448

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

transpired in the early days of the settlement. Abram Kanouse lived on what is called the Sand Hill, on the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 10. One night, after the family had retired, the noise of a fierce fight, in which their dog was evidently taking part, fell upon their ears. Mrs. Kanouse hastened out and found the dog and a large wolf engaged in a fierce conflict. Near the scene of the fight work had been begun on a well, and a hole, some five or six feet deep, had been excavated. Into this Mrs. Kanouse succeeded in forcing the wolf, and there kept him until help arrived and he was killed. At another time Mr. Thatcher's family was startled at hearing a loud squealing in the woods, a little distance from the house, where the old sow, on whom they depended for their future supply of porkers, was feeding. Mr. Thatcher hastened towards the scene, and, see- ing that it was a bear that had attacked his pig, shouted for the others to bring the axe. Arrived at the scene, he found the bear standing with his forepaws on the prostrate, squealing animal, and vigorously masticating a piece of fat and tender- loin that he had bitten from its back. As the rest of the family arrived his bearship became alarmed, and, taking a parting bite from his prostrate victim, turned and plunged into the forest. The most wonderful part of the whole performance was that the torn and bitten porker, though unable to walk to her pen, was placed in a sheltered position be- hind a large log, and was there cared for until she recovered from the effects of her adventure. And, though not thereafter particularly elegant in form, she lived to bring into the world a numerous progeny, and performed all her maternal functions as successfully as though she had not met with so narrow an escape and furnished a bear with a breakfast.

The first bridge that spanned the waters of the Shiawassee in this town was built in the spring of 1836, near the old fording-place on the line between sections 15 and 22. Dyer Rathbun, who was moving to settle in the town of Burns, Shiawassee Co., arrived at Ezra Sanford's, and found the river swol- len so greatly by the freshet as to be impassable. So he and his sons, assisted by Mr. Sanford and his hired man, set to work during the four days of their enforced stay and built the bridge, which enabled them to cross the stream and pursue their onward journey. It was a rude structure built of. poles and logs, and after serving the pioneers as a place of crossing for two or three years, was aban- doned in favor of a new, permanent bridge, nearly on the site of the present one.

The first resident physician was Dr. Joel S. Stil- son. He first settled in Deerfield. About 1845 he

settled at Chemungville, and continued to reside there until his death, which occurred nearly twenty years ago. Another physician settled there in 1852-54, by the name of Paschal. He did not remain long, and for some irregularity in his views regarding the rights of personal property obtained the name of " the wool doctor."

The first public-house was kept at John San- ford's. The house was, however, known as James Sanford's house, and the first town-meeting was held there in 1838. At Ezra Sanford's, too, enter- tainment for man and beast was furnished, but no liquor, as was the case at John Sanford's. The second town-meeting was held at the house of Ziba Stone, for two reasons: it was nearer the centre of population, and there no liquor would be furnished, and the settlers, who were principally temperate men, preferred to have the election con- ducted without the demoralizing influence of drink- ing attending it. At a later period there were two taverns in town, known as Davenport's and Jack- son's taverns. At these liquor was freely dispensed, and they became pestilential in the eyes of the moral people of the community, who at last rose in their might and crushed them out. At Daven- port's the travelers used frequently to stop, water their teams, warm themselves, and then go on without purchasing anything. At last this grew intolerable to the landlord, and calling the local artist to his aid, a sign was prepared and placed in position that was intended to notify the travel- ing public that warming for nothing was a thing of the past, and that "free as water" meant a reason- able compensation for the trouble and expense of maintaining facilities for furnishing water for the public use. It is true that the sign was not the masterpiece of a modern Raphael, and did not re- flect the greatest credit upon the literary ability of its author, but it was expressive, and served the purpose for which it was intended, and attracted the notice, if it did not command the admiration, of all who passed that way. As near as the types will permit of its reproduction, it reads as follows:

"WORMING AND WAttERING Hear SIXPence."

The work of stopping the sale of liquor and thus cleaning out these places was largely per- formed by Judge Jacob Kanouse. Upon his elec- tion to the office of supervisor in 1848, he caused proceedings to be commenced against them, and procured indictments at the first grand jury meet- ing that year. He then suspended the prosecution provided they would stop selling, a promise the tavern-keepers were very glad to make, and which, so far as outsiders could learn, was carefully ful- filled.

Hosted by Google

449

COHOCTAH TOWNSHIP.

CIVIL AND POLITICAL.

Upon the organization of this county, this town was made a part of the town of Howell, and so continued until the spring of 1838, when the fol- lowing act passed the Legislature, and was ap- proved by the Governor, March 6th, viz. :

" SEC. 9 .- All that part of the county of Livingston designated in the United States survey as township number four north, of range number four east, be and the same is hereby set off and or- ganized into a separate township, by the name of Tuscola ; and the first township-meeting shall be held at the house of James San- ford, in said township."

According to this provision the first meeting was held at James Sanford's (which was John San- ford's residence), which fact is shown by the fol- lowing record of the proceedings of that meeting:

" At the first township-meeting of the electors of the township of Tuscola, in the county of Livingston, State of Michigan, held at the house of James Sanford's, on the 2d day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight, Calvin W. Hart was chosen moderator and Hiram Rix clerk of said meeting.

" Names of Township Officers .- Alva Preston, Supervisor ; Mason Phelps, Town Clerk; Alva Preston, Calvin W. Hart, Lott Pratt, Justices of the Peace; Justice* Boyd, James Sanford, Hiram Rix, Assessors; Calvin W. Hart, Thomas Goldsmith, Robert Sowders, Commissioners of Highways; Calvin W. Hart, Hiram Rix, Alva Preston, Inspectors of Common Schools ; James Sanford, Collector ; James Sanford, William Riker, Abram Ka- nouse, Constables ; Justice* Boyd, Elisha Goldsmith, Overseers of the Poor.

TOWNSHIP LAWS.

" Voted, that the Path Masters serve as fence-viewers, Pound- Keepers, and appraisers of Damage.

" Voted, that every Path Master's yard shall be called a Pound for the ensuing year.

" Voted, that a fence four feet and a half high shall be a lawful fence.

" Voted, that the next annual Town-Meeting be held at the house of Ziba Stone's.

" This I assert to be a true copy of the original.

" Recorded this fourth Day of April, A.D. 1838. " MASON PHELPS, Town Clerk."

The place of holding town-meetings has always been of a migratory nature in this town, embrac- ing the following range: in 1838 it was held at James Sanford's, on section 34; in 1839, at Ziba Stone's, on section 22; in 1840, at David H. Pear- son's; in 1841-42, at Robert Ireland's; in 1843, at Anthony Clark's, on section 28; in 1844, at school-house in District No. 4; in 1845, at Nathaniel Smith's; in 1846, at Nathan A. Townsend's; in 1847, at Nathaniel Smith's ; in 1848, at Nathaniel Daven- port's ; in 1849, at Mr. Fletcher's, on Ziba Stone's place ; in 1850, at Dudley Woodworth's; in 1851, at Benjamin Crawford's ; in 1862, at school-house near Mr. Crawford's ; in 1853, at Chemungville; in 1854-55, at Nathan Grant's ; and so it continues to shift about to the present day.

The following list contains the names of all the officers of the town from its organization in 1838 till the present year of 1879:

CIVIL LIST OF COHOCTAH.

1838 .- Supervisor, Alva Preston; Town Clerk, Mason Phelps ; Collector, James Sanford; Justices of the Peace, Lott Pratt (four years), Alva Preston (three years), Calvin W. Hart (two years), Ezra Sanford (one year) ;} Assessors, Justus Boyd, James Sanford, Hiram Rix; School Inspec- tors, Calvin W. Hart, Hiram Rix, Alva Preston.}

1839 .- Supervisor, Calvin W. Hart; Town Clerk, Robert Sowders; Collector, Ezra Sanford; Treasurer, Jared L. Cook; Jus- tice of the Peace, Sylvester Stoddard; Assessors, Jared

. L. Cook, Isaac Pratt, Nicholas F. Dunkle; School In- spectors, Jared L. Cook, Calvin W. Hart, Lott Pratt.

1840 .- Supervisor, Noah Ramsdell; Town Clerk, Sylvester Stod- dard; Collector, William Jenks; Treasurer, Jared L. Cook; Justices of the Peace, Orrin Stoddard (full term), Benjamin Crawford (vacancy) ; Assessors, Alva Preston, Isaac Pratt, Jared L. Cook; School Inspectors, Hiram Rix, John Jones, Orrin Stoddard.

1841 .- Supervisor, Noah Ramsdell; Town Clerk, William H. Ramsdell;, Collector, Orville H. Jones ; Treasurer, Jared L. Cook ;¿ Justice of the Peace, John Jones; Assessors, Alva Preston, Jared L. Cook, Isaac Pratt; School In- spectors, Orrin Stoddard, John Jones, Hiram Rix.

1842 .- Supervisor, Jared. L. Cook; Town Clerk, David Sanford ; Treasurer, Benjamin Crawford; Justices of the Peace, Chester Townsend (full term), Isaac Pratt (vacancy) ; Assessors, Thomas Goldsmith, Warren Hitchins; School Inspectors, Thomas E. Jeffries, Warren Hitchins, An- drew T. Green.

1843 .- Supervisor, William Chase; | Town Clerk, Thomas Gold- smith; Treasurer, Sylvester Stoddard; Justices of the Peace, Benjamin Crawford (full term), Isaac Pratt (va- cancy); Assessors, Alva Preston, Ezra Sanford, Jr .; School Inspectors, Homer L. Townsend (one year), Warren Hitchins (two years) ; Fence-Viewers, Sylvester Stoddard, Noah Ramsdell, Chester Townsend.

1844 .- Supervisor, Jared L. Cook; Town Clerk, Thomas Gold- smith; Treasurer, Sylvester Stoddard; Justice of the Peace, Nathaniel Smith; Assessors, Alva Preston, Hiram L. Stoddard; School Inspector, William Knapp. T

1845 .- Supervisor, Jared L. Cook; Town Clerk, Thomas Gold- smith; Treasurer, James Sanford; Justice of the Peace, William L. Jones; Assessors, Alva Jones, Chester Town- send; School Inspector, Warren Hitchins.

1846 .- Supervisor, Jared L. Cook ; Town Clerk, Thomas Gold- smith; Treasurer, Nathan A. Townsend; Justice of the Peace, Chester Townsend; Assessors, Alva Preston, Hiram L. Stoddard; School Inspector, Horace L. Cook. 1847 .- Supervisor, Chester Townsend; Town Clerk, Thomas Goldsmith ; Treasurer, Nathan A. Townsend; Justice

¡ Held over, being a justice of Howell township at the time the towns were divided.

į In the summer of this year, Justus Boyd was lost on a steamer burned on Lake Erie, and Mason Phelps moved from the town. The vacancies thus created in the town offices were filled on the 5th of August, by the appointment of Abram Kanouse to the office of assessor, and Robert Sowders to that of town clerk.

¿ The treasurer's office became vacant for some reason, and the Town Board, on November Ist, appointed Sylvester Stoddard to fill the vacancy.

| Died in office, and on August 23d Noah Ramsdell was ap- pointed to fill the vacancy.

T Removed from town, and on Feb. 15, 1845, Horace L. Cook was appointed to fill the vacancy.osted by Google

* Justus.

450

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

of the Peace, Benjamin Crawford ; Assessors, Joseph B. Jackson, Jr., Jared L. Cook; School Inspector, Warren Hitchins.

1848 .- Supervisor, Jacob Kanouse; Town Clerk, Hiram L. Stod- dard; Treasurer, John N. Boyd; Justices of the Peace, Thomas Goldsmith (full term), Jacob Kanouse (long vacancy), Aaron Brunson (short vacancy); Assessors, John Jones, William P. Laing; School Inspector, Horace L. Cook.

1849 .- Supervisor, Jacob Kanouse; Town Clerk, Hiram L. Stod- dard ; Treasurer, John N. Boyd; Justice of the Peace, Jacob Kanouse; School Inspector, Lewis B. Boyd.

1850 .- Supervisor, Jacob Kanouse; Town Clerk, Hiram L. Stod- dard; Treasurer, John N. Boyd; Justice of the Peace, Warren Chase; School Inspector, Horace L. Cook.

1851 .- Supervisor, Thomas Goldsmith; Town Clerk, Hiram L. Stoddard ; Treasurer, David L. Winton ; Justices of the Peace, Guy N. Roberts (full term), Lott Pratt (vacancy) ; School Inspector, Jared L. Cook.

1852 .- Supervisor, Thomas Goldsmith ;* Town Clerk, William E. Winton ; Treasurer, David L. Winton; Justices of the Peace, Thomas Goldsmith (full term), John N. Boyd (vacancy) ; School Inspector, Joel A. Chapman.

1853 .- Supervisor, Jacob Kanouse; Town Clerk, Joel A. Chap- man ; Treasurer, Holland C. Hosley; Justices of the Peace, Luther Pratt (full term), Benjamin Crawford (one year), Conrad Hayner, (two years); School Inspector, Lewis B. Boyd.t

1854 .- Supervisor, Horace L. Cook; Town Clerk, William E. Winton; Treasurer, Holland C. Hosley; Justice of the Peace, Dudley Woodworth ; School Inspector, Joel A. Chapman.

1855 .- Supervisor, Thomas Goldsmith; Town Clerk, William E. Winton ; Treasurer, Holland C. Hosley; Justices of the Peace, John D. Blank (full term), Dudley Woodworth (vacancy) ; School Inspector, James A. Preston.}

1856 .- Supervisor, Hiram L. Stoddard ; ¿ Town Clerk, Thomas Goldsmith; Treasurer, Alva Preston; Justices of the Peace, Joshua D. Sheffield (full term), Thomas Gold- smith (vacancy) ; School Inspector, Joel A. Chapman.

1857 .- Supervisor, Jacob Kanouse; Town Clerk, William E. Winton; Treasurer, Alva Preston; Justices of the Peace, Luther Pratt (full term), Isaac V. D. Cook and Charles Drum (vacancies) ; School Inspector, Bradford Cook.

1858 .- Supervisor, Horace L. Cook; Town Clerk, William Pal- mer; Treasurer, Alva Preston; Justices of the Peace, Seaman O. Soule (full term), Jacob Kanouse (vacancy); School Inspector, Joel A. Chapman.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Livingston County, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 96

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

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