USA > Michigan > Montcalm County > History of Montcalm County, Michigan its people, industries and institutions...with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families Volume I > Part 7
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47
The roll of village treasurers follows: L. A. Lyon, 1887; Samuel J. Smith. 1890; Frank ITale, 1892; S. J. Smith, 1893; Isaac Pitt, 1894; A. Y. Sessions, 1895 ; William A. Smith, 1897; W. H. Thayer, 1899; George Knickerbocker, 1901 : Fred A. Wright, 1902; C. A. Evey, 1904; Frank H. Miner, 1906; F. A. Wright, 1908; P. J. McKenna, 1909; E. S. Brooks, 1911 : M. Straight, 1913: J. R. Combs, 1915.
Assessors of Carson City since its incorporation follow: V. B. Luce, 1887: W. A. Sweet, 1890; L. A. Lyon, 1894; H. G. Heaton. 1913.
The trustees of the village since 1887 have been as follows: Thomas 1. Dixson, George M. Jones, Frank Rockafellow, Zadock S. Heath, Fred Gunther and Sylvester Stowe, 1887; Lafayette L. Trask, A. C. McCrary and I. M. Jones, 1888: John A. Hogan and Charles A. Sweet, 1889; Nelson W. Daggett, 1890; E. C. Cummings, William C. Hubbard, Joshua Tennant and Eugene L. Hamilton, 1891 ; John A. Hogan, Frank H. Miner and Emmet IT. Brower, 1892; George M. Thomas, George M. Jones and B. W. McVeigh,
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1893; Henry P. Miller, Vinal B. Luce and Alfred B. Loomis, 1894; George M. Thomas, George M. Jones and B. W. McVeigh, 1895; Peter S. Hawken, George W. Garner. George H. Lester and W. A. Gardner, 1896; Vinal B. Luce, George M. Jones and Alfred B. Loomis, 1897; George W. Garner, George H. Lester and Peter S. Hawken, 1898; Ruben Clark, Harley G. Garlock and William J. Miner, 1899; J. D. VanSickle, H. G. Sessions, George W. Garner and Uriah Brillhart, 1900; Charles F. Fowler. George M. Jones, John H. Blakeslee and Uriah Brillhart, 1901 ; George W. Garner, Charles R. Culver, Joseph D. Van Sickle and James Rundeo, 1902; Fred Gunther, Sr., John W. Hallet and Richard C. Cowe, 1903; George K. Dan- iels, George W. Garner and J. D. VanSickle, 1904: Fred Gunther, Sr., Orrin .A. Myers and F. S. Caswell, 1905; John C. Chamberlin, Fred J. Chamber- lin, William E. Adams and George Walt, 1906; Dennis S. Sullivan, John B. Schofield and H. G. Heaton, 1907; Edgar S. Brooks, Perry C. Older and William F. Gunther, 1908; George Lowe, Charles R. Culver, J. H. Blakes- lee and William E. Adams, 1909; Ray E. Warner, Louis Ligram and Walter Lowe, 1910; George R. Lowe, P. J. McKenna. A. R. Allsopp and Martin Straight, 1911: Walter Lowe, F. S. Caswell and Charles H. Adams, 1912; Fred Snyder. J. R. Combs, A. C. McCrary and M. A. Rice, 1913; R. H. McDougall, Charles H. Adams and C. F. Wright, 1914; A. C. Mccrary, J. Dean and C. A. Sweet. 1915.
BUTTERNUT.
There is only one other village in the township of Bloomer. This bears the name of Butternut and is merely a small settlement located just east of Carson City on the Grand Trunk railroad. It has at present a post office with Mrs. L .. Greek as postmistress and the only business interests of the town is the butternut cheese factory. This factory does a nice business and is well patronized by the farmers and dairy men in this locality. But- ternut has never been platted and is associated with the township in its government.
The present population of Butternut is one hundred and fifty. Libby. McNeil and Libby have a salting station located in Butternut. The Eagle hotel is at present under the management of Mrs. Cowin. Benton & Kerr own and operate the elevator which deals in beans and all kinds of grain. The bank of Butternut does a general banking business. Dr. J. Cowin is the physician of the village and also has a drug store.
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The other business firms of the village are: Ray Dehart, grocery; A. Conklin, general merchandise; Deer's hardware and implement store; DeTIart's general merchandise; Highbee and Bluemby, stock buyers, buy quite extensively and this is noted for being one of the best stock markets on this branch of the Grand Trunk railroad. Ira Ginther is the village blacksmith.
CHAPTER V.
BUSHNELL TOWNSHIP.
Bushnell was the second township established in Montcalm county and in reality was the first organized in the newly created territory, as Montcalm township had been established five years previous while this territory was still attached to Ionia county. This township was organized by an act of the state Legislature and dates its existence from the same time as that of the county, as the two were created by the same act of March 20, 1850.
The first election in the township was held at the house of Joseph Stevens, "for the purpose of choosing officers of said township," on the 12th of April, 1850. C. W. Olmstead was chosen moderator; James Clock, clerk: Edwin H. Stevens and Jeremiah Mabie, inspector of election. The polls were closed at three o'clock, when it was found that the greatest num- ber of votes cast was twelve, and the following persons were declared elected : Chauncey W. Olmstead, supervisor; William Husker, clerk; Edwin II. Stevens, treasurer : James S. Bacon, Henry A. Allen, Edwin II. Stevens and Chauncey W. Olmstead, justices of the peace ; Jeremiah Mabie. James Clock and Joseph Stevens, commissioners of the highways; Chauncey W. Olmstead and William Mulnix, school inspectors; James Clock, William Mulnix and Joseph Stevens, directors of the poor. The meeting then voted that a bounty of one dollar should be paid for every wolf killed in the township, and also that no license for the sale of intoxicating beverages should be granted, after which it adjourned. to meet at the same place the next year.
Bushnell township lies geographically in the southeastern part of the county. It is bounded on the east by Bloomer township, on the south by Ionia county, on the west by Fairplain township and on the north by Ever- green. It is described in the government survey as town 9 north, range 6 west. This township takes its name from a young man by the name of Bushnell who was at that time clerk of the house of Representatives. When first organized Bushnell included townships 9 and 10 north, ranges 5 and 6 west, or what has later constituted the townships of Evergreen, Crystal and Bloomer, but with the formation of these townships it was reduced to its present limits.
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Prairie creek receives no tributary from the east, but three small streams How into it from the west. The southernmost branch is the outlet of Snow lake, near the centre of which is the corner of sections 29, 30, 31, 32. The central branch, which is usually known as Bacon's creek, drains a small pond on the northwest quarter of section 12.
Another small stream in the neighborhood of the old Dean mill unites with a small stream from the north. The stream thus formed flows east- ward, and unites with another from Evergreen to forin Prairie creek. There are several small bodies of water near this stream. One-Allen's lake, so named from the first settler in the township-is in the southeast quarter of section 23.
Pickerel lake is on the northwest quarter of section 26. It will thus be seen that almost the entire township of Bushnell forms a basin sloping towards the western half of section 26, where the waters are collected and passing through Prairie creek flow into Tonia county. This is a part of the Grand river system.
ORIGINAL LAND ENTRIES.
The following list contains the names of those who purchased from the general government of the state lands situated in this township:
Section 1-Jesse Stump, Benjamin Casey, George S. Griffin, N. D. Hart. Levi Trim, George Bartholomew, Columbia Page, Joseph Hartwick. Section 2- . Andrew S. Philips, N. S. Benton, John W. Dunn, L. H. Smith, Caroline Brotherton, Benona Dickinson, Almon Charles, John Arntz, Charles Brown, Thomas Cornell, L. P. Taylor. Section 3-Caleb Mills, John C. Blanchard, James R. Griswold, John Gillett, Zerah Willoughby, D. \ Elliott, Linus W. Vickery, Norman Firmby, Ira Haws, Doctor F. Barnes. Section 4-Caleb Mills, Frederick Hall, Absalom Gillenwater, John C. Blanchard, Cornelius C. Darling, J. Gilfin, Orin Knapp, Austin P. Gallup, George Holland. Section 5-Joel Soule, Samuel C. Kinyon, Tobias C. Haynor. Frederick Hall, Noah Bennett, Austin P. Gallup, Clark Harring- ton, Erastus P. Brown. Section 6-Nathaniel Foster, Asaph Belcher. Christopher G. Tyler, Levi Brainard. Americus Smith, S. Moore, George L. Week, Fred Hall. Section 7 -- Whitman Stoddard, Nathaniel Foster, Chancey Beckwith, Edward Soule, Joel Soule, John Wabesis, Joseph P. - Powell, Americus Smith, George D. Van Alstine. Section 8-Jerold Bander, J. Howard, Whitman Stoddard, Hezekiah McDaniels, Howland Soule, James L. Jennings, Henry Hull, William Terrington, Jedediah Austin, John (. Dexter. Hannah Burgess, Clarinda Van Keuren, Noah Bennett, Roswell
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Nettleton, Orson Cheeny. Section 9-Rufus Wells, Dexter Smith, Maria Pitcher, A. Gillenwater, William Bush, Alexander D. W. Dodge, Royal J. Perkins. Section 10-Mary Hill, John Grinnels, John C. Blanchard. Sec- tion 11-William Knox, Andrew L. Phillips, Stephen F. Page, Willard Corser, John C. Blanchard, Albert Kent. Section 12-Joseph Stephens, John G. Eckert, Anthony Hill, Jesse Stump, Joseph L. Clock, William Cooper, Charles A. Umbenhauer, Calvin Lyons, D. F. Barnes. Section 13 -Frederick Hall. Joseph Clock, Philander R. Howe, James Clock. Section 14-Isaac Pennington, Alvin Bartholomew, Samuel Rose, Julius Jennings, Stephen Page, Lewis J. Trim. Section 15-Thomas Arthurington, John M. Lamb, Lewis J. Trim, Stephen F. Page, John C. Blanchard. Section 16 -P. Hall, E. Hall, William Bisj, John H. Williams, George P. Tyler, James Sharp. Thomas Worthington, William Bush, Charles Lamb, N. S. Wood. Section 17 -- John C. Snow, Hosea Bennett, Josiah Bennett, Moses Bennett. George Lamb, Orson A. Cheeny, John E. Morrison, Edwin Hall, Caleb M. Wade, Christopher Tyler. Section 18-George R. Lamb, Artemus Gleason, Roswell R. Edwards, John A. Rosback, Chauncey Beckwith. Henry J. Cheeny, Artemus Gleason, Leonard . Kirby. Section 19-Albert Deitz, William Adams, Roswell R. Edwards, Edward Decker, Sanford Yeomans. E. M. Cheeny. Caleb M. Wade, James Henderson. Section 20-Albert Deitz, Daniel Kellogg, James Fitch, Moses Bennett, Isaac Randall, Benjamin Hamilton, David Hall. Section 21-James S. Bacon, John Dickerson, John J. Hammell, James Bacon, Mary Bacon. Section 22-Moses T. Bennett, William Husker, Jason Mills, Joseph Gallup, Peter Tucker, Alonzo Curtis, Frederick Sapp, Peter Tucker, Jason Mills. Section 23-Henry A. Allen, Charles S. Smith, James A. Clock, Joseph Gallup, Jr., Alonzo Curtis, Stephen Page. John J. Hammel, Frederick Sapp. Section 24-James Whitaker, Charles Rick. Charles Stevens, Orin Green, William S. Smith, Isaac Philips, L. Griffin. Section 25 -- Thomas White, Levi Cox. Jeremiah Baringer, Will- iam Whitaker. Section 26-Jacob Bargy, Albert Van Vleck, Isaac Herring- ton, Morris W. Maine, Daniel Heath, Isaac Jason, George Jason, William Castel, Isaac Shurte. D. F. Barnes. Section 27 -- William H. Weed. Joseph Young, William Castel. Joseph Stevens, Lyman Stevens, S. Dickinson, Chauncy W. Olmsted. Section 28-Solomon Myers, Albert Van Vleck, Franklin Herrick, Christopher G. Tyler, Jeremiah Taylor, John M. Cole, Joseph P. Powell. Gotlieb Haytlauff, Lewis H. Ranson. Section 20- God- frey Wohlben, Philip Slaght, James Fitch, Olive Hall, William E. Alchin, Louis S. Lovell, Stephen F. Page, David F. Ferguson. Section 30 ---- Alonzo Wood, Mansfield Harrison, E. B. Soule, Covington Blanchard, Stephen
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Page. Section 31 -- Edwin Comstock, Boswell Bennett, Solomon Bacon, John West, Andrew Benedict, John C. Ferguson. Section 32-George W. Stevens, George W. Hewett, Edwin Comstock, William Campbell, Cyrus Gilbert, W. M. Youngs, Richard B. White. Section 33-Thomas Magrath, Philip Shaffer, Jeremiah Mabie, Moses Wells. Section 34-William Devore, William II. Weed, Edwin H. Stevens, Leander Millard, Joseph Stevens, Jeremiah Mabie, Julia Olmstead, Lyman Stevens, L. White. Section 35- John Van Vleck, John B. Welch, Jeremiah Mabie, Peter Van Vleck, Adaline Bolton, John B. White, Joseph B. Miner, Rebecca Schute, D. T. Barnes. Section 36-John B. Welch, Oscar F. Gladding, Aaron Sloan, Thomas Covell. Caroline Sloan, Dennis Cranson, Roderick H. Wood, William Tyler, Sally P. Taylor, Stephen Ackles. Orin Hoisington, William Howarth, Harvey Howarth.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
As near as can now be ascertained, Henry A. Allen, who came to Bush- nell and built a small log cabin near the lake on the north half of the south- east quarter of section 23, was the first settler in the township. Of his nativity and life previous to his settlement here, but little is known. He was a man of little energy, and to use the expression of an old settler, "he hunted, fished, and made staves, alternately," and on the whole, lived an casy life. His wife died about the year 1850, and he subsequently sold his farm to John J. ITammel and moved from the township. Mr. Hammel became a resident of the township in the winter of 1851-52, and was elected clerk of the township in 1852. He remained here a number of years, and then moved to the northern part of Michigan.
William Devore was the second settler in the township and the first on the west side of Prairie creek in Bushnell. He remained but a few years. A brother-in-law and wife came to the township soon after but the sisters became very much depressed, and persuaded their husbands to return to New York, which they accordingly did, about the year 1848.
As early as the summer of 1843 a young man named William Weed came to the hospitable cabin of Elder John Van Vleck, in the north part of Ionia county. He was of prepossessing appearance, and his ready conver- sation soon secured him admission to the hospitalities of this home on the very edge of civilization. The good deacon not only gave him much infor- mation in regard to desirable lands but volunteered the following day to show him some choice pieces near at hand. One of these, the west half of the southeast quarter of section 27, was a beautiful plain sloping to the
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northeast. It is told even at this late day that this piece was intended by the deacon as an inheritance for some son-in-law whom heretofore he had only seen when his eyes were closed. However this may be, William Weed entered it and then returned to his home at Salem, Washtenaw county. He soon induced his father-in-law, Joseph Stevens, to visit the township, and he being well pleased with that section, purchased this piece of Mr. Weed, and a considerable tract in addition on the north part of section 34. Mr. Weed did not return to Bushnell. .
The purchase of Mr. Stevens ultimately resulted in a large settlement in the township, and his relation to the early settlement in connection with a number of others deserves brief mention in these pages. He was born in Connecticut, and after living a number of years in New York came to Ann Arbor (then a settlement of two houses) in 1825. The next year he entered eighty acres of government land in the township of Salem, in Washtenaw county, where he is thought to have been the first resident. He cleared up his farm, built a saw-mill, and resided there until he came to Bushnell to settle upon land already located, as before stated. The party consisted of Joseph Stevens, a wife and four children, and his son-in-law, Edwin Stevens. who located on one hundred and sixty acres on the south half of section 34. Joseph Stevens immediately built a temporary shelter, and then commenced the log house which remained standing for many years. The same day that this house was raised, William Devore raised his log cabin on the farm later occupied by J. Snyder. These were the first cabins raised west of Prairie creek.
Lyman Stevens, who accompanied his father to this county, made his home on section 25. Many of the incidents of those early days remained fresh in his mind, some of which he passed on to the present generation. At one time while driving towards Ionia through a narrow road, and where it was impossible to turn aside, he came suddenly upon a huge bear quietly lying in the road. It arose, looked around. and then started off ahead of him. but it soon sat down, fairly blocking the way. The two women who accompanied him were extremely terrified. He could not turn around, and to advance was perilous. He drove nearer and shouted at the top of his voice, but it only brought growls and a display of teeth from Bruin, who evidently proposed to stay. After a while, however, he moved leisurely on, and the young man succeeded in driving around him, the wheels of the wagon passing within two or three feet of the bear's body.
When Mr. Devore, who has already been spoken of. left the township in 1849. he employed Lyman Stevens to assist in the journey, who when
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he returned brought his brother-in-law, Chauncey W. Olmstead, and family. Mr. Olmstead had married Joseph Stevens' eldest daughter, Julia, in Wash- tenaw county. He at once became a resident of Bushnell, and settled on the cast half of the northeast quarter of section 34. Lyman Stevens subse- quently married Eunice Bacon, whose parents became settlers in 1849.
FIRST CROPS IN BUSHNELL.
J. S. Bacon was a native of New York state, whence he came to Michigan in May. 1834, and settled in Rollin, Lenawee county, being among the first settlers in that section. He came to Bushnell on May 5, 1849, and bought the east half of section 21, and brought his family, which at this time numbered six, in August following. He left them all at the house of his father-in-law, Joseph Stevens, while he built a log house which he covered with boards brought from the saw-mill on Dickinson creek, in Fairplain township, which was then owned by a Mr. Burrington. He imme- diately began clearing with a team of horses which he had brought to the township, but soon disposed of them and procured a yoke of oxen. The next spring he sowed a small piece of ground in spring wheat-the first sowed in the township ---- but it proved a failure. The year previous Joseph Stevens had sowed a field in winter wheat. which was the first in Bushnell, and which yielded a fair crop. Mr. Stevens also set out the first orchard in the township, he having been engaged in the nursery business in Washte- naw county. He brought trees with him and set them out in the spring of 1848, at which time he also planted some spring crops.
The settlement thus far. with the exception of William Mulnix, who came in soon after his brother-in-law, Henry A. Allen, with whom he stopped, had been in the central and southern parts of the township, west of Prairie creek. But the fine lands cast of that stream were destined not long to retain their primeval solitude. James Clock and his son. Joseph L. Clock, came to the township, and after looking around selected the eastern half of section 13. The former took the southeast quarter, and the latter the north- east quarter. Joseph Clock's two sons married the daughters of Harley Bump, an early settler of Bloomer.
In the spring of 1850 William Castel, another son-in-law of Joseph Stevens, came to Bushnell. He afterwards went to work in Olmstead's mill, in Evergreen township, where he remained until February, 1851, when he entered the northeast quarter of section 27, and soon after built a log house. Mr. Castel was closely identified with the public interests of the
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county, having been elected a member of the board of supervisors many times, and to his exertions while serving in this capacity is the early organi- zation of the townships in the east part of the county mainly due.
A BEAR HUNT.
Shortly after locating in the township James Bacon called at the house of Mr. Castel and as he signified his intention to return home, Mr. Castel took his rifle, and the two walked along together until coming to a piece of timber around which were small clearings. Here they separated and passed around, intending to meet at the opposite end of the wood. Mr. Bacon, who was in a great hurry, wishing to get home with his cattle, which he had set out to find, walked on rapidly. As he passed under a wild cherry tree a peculiar sound attracted his attention, and looking up to the top he saw five bears eating wild cherries. He hallooed to Mr. Castel, but before he came Mr. Bacon had brought one down, shot through the head. Mr. Castel shot another, which was lodged in the forks of the tree. It was now found that they had not enough powder to load another piece, and while Mr. Bacon went to the house for ammunition, Mr. Castel remained to watch. Another bear soon after came down, and while the party by this time collected, assisted by a large dog, pursued it and killed it. the other two escaped from the tree. However, they secured three large bears out of the five.
Many other instances are reported, which, with the reminiscences of the sufferings, hardships and dangers which everywhere surrounded the pioneers of Montcalm county, would fill a volume. Many who came here were poor, with no experience in frontier life and no supplies to sustain them until the first crops could be secured. To go to Ionia to trade, when so fortunate as to have the wherewith to procure the goods, through the terri- ble roads of those early days, was a hardship not now to be appreciated or understood; but with those who had not the means the struggle was long and severe. Many came with high hopes, but few remained to realize them. Those who went away frequently lost the little they had invested. Others who remained became the most substantial and wealthy citizens of Bushnell in their day.
David Hall, of Herkimer county, New York, came to the south part of Tonia county in 1841. He settled in the township of Ronald in 1846. In 1851 he came to Bushnell and remained here until his death, in 1873. They moved into the log cabin before the fireplace or floor was completed.
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It is said that in the fall of 1853 there was but one-half day in two weeks in which there was no raising.
Among the early settlers of Bushnell also were Howland and Joel Soule, brothers, from New York. The former entered the west half of the southwest quarter of section 8, and the east half of the southeast quarter of section 2. Joel Soule entered the south half of the northeast quarter of section 7. They cleared a road nearly the entire distance from their farms to David Ilall's, who was at that time their nearest neighbor.
In the year 1863 Dr. R. R. Edwards and Artemus Gleason, with their families, came to Bushnell. The former settled on one hundred and sixty acres on sections 18 and 19. He was the first physician to locate in Bush- nell, and one of the first in Montcalm county. Mr. Gleason was a native of New York, and settled near Cleveland, Ohio, 1831. He came to Bush- nell, as before stated, in 1853, and settled in the north part of section 18.
AN ENGLISHI EMIGRANT.
Richard Low and his wife, to whom he was married in 1826, landed in New York from England, April 21, 1846, and then moved to Lodi, Washte- naw county. He had at this time a large family. At the time of setting out for the New World his youngest child was but four weeks old, and the hardships of the journey to the mother can well be imagined. On the way from Buffalo to Detroit the little one was completely drenched with water by the sailors who were scrubbing the deck above where its mother had for a few moments laid it. It took cold, and after reaching Detroit died. But they could not stop there, and as she wished to bury it somewhere near the home to which she had so long looked forward and for which she had left all, she carried it, closely wrapped in a cloak, for two days; but as they did not then reach their destination, she was prevailed upon to relinquish it and it was then buried in a rude box by the side of the road.
In 1853 his son, William Low, then a young man, was shown some lands near Grand Rapids and also some in Bushnell by Philander Howe. The young man was most pleased with the latter lands and his father sub- sequently purchased the northwest quarter of section 13 from Mr. Howe, for whom he worked a number of years. They came to their new house in 1856, and later enjoyed the fruits of years of patient labor and waiting. Of this family four sons and one son-in-law served in the Union army in the Rebellion. David Low was instantly killed on the 11th of May, 1864, in the battle of the Wilderness, and Joseph was severely wounded. Another
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son narrowly escaped by having his mother's picture, about which twelve large sheets of letter paper were wrapped, in his vest pocket. A large ball pierced through the entire mass and inflicted a slight wound.
Among other settlers of Bushnell were William Bush, the Burnetts, and the Alchinis, in the west part of the township, Thomas Atherton, on section 15. and R. S., J. V .. G. W. and E. Comstock, whose father settled on sec- tion 32. William Husker. the first town clerk of the township, settled on the west half of the southwest quarter of section 22.
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