History of Oakland County, Michigan, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories, Part 49

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts & co.
Number of Pages: 553

USA > Michigan > Oakland County > History of Oakland County, Michigan, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories > Part 49

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The greater part of the township is drained by the Huron river and its tribu- taries. These streams are all small, and the only place where the water-power is utilized is at Oxbow village, on the south shore of the lake of the same name, a dam being built here on its outlet,-the Huron river.

The lakes are more or less marshy on their shores, with the exception of White lake, and are generally of considerable depth. Fish are plentiful in all the varieties, being bass, " blue gills," perch, pickerel, sunfish, etc., and the angler seldom fails to be remunerated for his trouble.

The remark has been made in other parts of Michigan that the only poor town- ship in Oakland County is White Lake. The facts regarding this division of Oakland seem to show the inaccuracy of such a statement. In 1874 the number of acres sown to wheat was 2997, and nearly the same area in 1873. The total number of bushels of wheat raised in 1873 was 32,857 ; of corn, 34,120; of all other grains, 25,200; of potatoes, 15,415; hay cut, 2341 tons; wool sheared, 13,595 pounds; pork marketed, 123,932 pounds; cheese made, 445 pounds; but-

ter made, 48,540 pounds ; fruit dried for market, 3398 pounds ; cider made, 254 barrels.' This expose presents an accurate idea as to the resources of the township.

Although there is much land that is of an inferior quality, and also a consid- erable area of marsh and swamp, yet the balance is equal to any in the county, and yields abundant returns to the husbandman, both in grain and fruits, while the facilities for raising stock are excellent.

The surface is dotted over with water-beds, and in places piled into elevations deserving the name of hills. From the tops of some of the higher points views may be obtained of the surrounding country. From twelve to twenty lakes can be counted from the summit of the highest, and a far-stretching landscape, with its coloring of green foliage and blue water, is spread in panoramic beauty before the eye of the observer, who naturally wishes to become " monarch of all he surveys."

PIONEER SETTLERS-FIRST ENTRIES OF LAND-INCIDENTS OF SETTLEMENT, ETC.

The following paragraph is quoted from an address delivered to the pioneers of Oakland County, at the court-house in Pontiac, February 22, 1860, by Hon. Thomas J. Drake :

" In town 3 north, range 8 east, now called White Lake, the first entry was made by Harley Olmsted, of Monroe county, New York. On the 7th day of October, 1830, he entered a part of section 36. . In 1832, Joseph Voorheis and Jesse Seeley purchased. Thomas Garner, John Garner, C. C. Wyckoff, and John Rhodes purchased, and were among the early settlers in that town. In 1829, while searching for the head-waters of the Shiawassee river, I traveled over the most of the town, visited the shores of that beautiful sheet of water from which the town derives its name; and the charming plain on which now stands the vil- lage of White Lake, then clothed in the gorgeous dyes of autumnal flowers, pre- sented one of the most magnificent views of uncultivated landscape."

Harley Olmsted, the first settler, is a native of Rensselaer county, New York, and came to Michigan from Monroe county. He settled with his family, con- sisting of his wife only, in May, 1832. He was also accompanied by his brother, James Olmsted, Jr., and two sisters; a third sister came to the township after- wards. The first house built in White Lake township was the one erected by Mr. Olmsted, in June, 1832. It was twenty by twenty-eight feet in dimensions, built of logs, and is still standing on the old place, the east half of the southeast quar- ter of section 36, now owned by Thomas Simpson. At the raising of Mr. Olm- sted's house, about a dozen men gathered from Pontiac and other points and put it up in one day, with the exception of the roof. Before their house was built the family lived with Stephen Hunt, who had settled the year previously in Waterford township. When they moved into their own building it was not chinked and was without a chimney, but as the weather was warm this made but little difference.

The first white child born in the township of White Lake was Mr. Olmsted's son, James H. Olmsted, whose birth occurred February 20, 1833. The Indian trail the family followed was the only road, if such it may be called, in the town- ship, and what is known as the " old White Lake road" was laid out following

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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

this same trail, and extended from Pontiac through to White Lake via Four Towns. The distance is now several miles shorter, as the road has been laid on a more direct line farther north.

The first frame barn in the township was built by Mr. Olmsted, and is still standing.

The first currant-bushes set out in the township were on the farm of Francis Smith, or that of his father-in-law, Thomas Garner, at White Lake settlement. Mr. Smith was also the owner of the first sheep which were brought in.

Mr. Olmsted's brother James was considerable of a hunter, and killed quite a number of deer, which abounded plentifully.

The timber of White Lake township has considerable variety, but is principally oak. Through the central portion, on a low ridge extending from northwest to southeast, chestnut is found growing. In the days of early settlements the sugar- maple, which existed to some extent, was made to yield its stores of sweetness, and sugar and syrup of a fine quality were made from its sap. At present this source of supply is virtually exhausted. There is a species of dwarf oak which grows very small .- much like red clover,-and bears acorns the size of hazel-nuts. Sloan Cooley says he never saw any like it elsewhere.

A good anecdote is related of the first supervisor of the town, Alexander Gal- loway, or, as he was familiarly known, " Uncle Aleck." He had some maple- trees on his place, and made a small amount of sugar. After a very hard day's work, on one occasion, gathering and boiling the sap, he started home at dusk with the fruits of his labor-two buckets of sap hung on a neck-yoke-on his shoulder. Although very tired, he had sufficient nerve left to enable him to cross the Huron river on a log. When he arrived at his house it was just dark. His wife had gone down-cellar and left the trap-door up, and the house-door stood open to admit what little daylight there was left. Uncle Aleck, feeling the weight of his load becoming burdensome, and naturally anxious to deposit it somewhere, stepped hastily into the house, and not noticing the trap-door, walked ( perhaps) down-cellar, and landed in a promiscuous heap at the bottom with his two pails of syrup. We forbear attempting to describe his state of feeling, as undoubtedly language was inadequate to express as much as he wanted to.

John S. Cooley came from the town of Rose, Wayne county, New York, and settled where Sloan Cooley now lives, on section 36, White Lake township, in 1836, arriving on the last day of September of that year. He came through Canada. and was accompanied by his wife and three children,-two sons and one daughter,-also Mrs. Cooley's sister, Mrs. John Richmond, who came with her husband and family. Two of her children are now living in the township. Mrs. Cooley had two other sisters, who came to the township afterwards. All are now deceased except Mrs. Cooley, who is living at the age of seventy-seven. The only death in Mr. Cooley's family which has occurred since they settled was that of himself, May 31, 1861, when he was in his seventy-sixth year. His son, Sloan Cooley. now living on the old farm, was elected in the fall of 1860 to the lower house of the legislature from the Pontiac district, on the Democratic ticket. His brother. Solon Cooley, is now living in Waterford township. Sloan Cooley wrote the following in 1876 :

" I was soon warned out to general training* in Pontiac, and went. It was a very unpleasant, chilly, windy day in November, and good discipline was out of the question. The ' soldiers' were everywhere. I saw one that had a hickory ram- rod, and whipped every horse he could get in reach of with it. There was a boy selling cider by the tincupful out of a pail (so I heard,-I didn't see that). An officer stopped his horse, and wanted some cider. Somebody had the cup, and the officer told the boy to hand up the pail. So the boy handed up the pail, and the officer laid the bridle on the horse's neck, and took the cider-pail in both hands, and held it up and drank. The soldier with the ramrod struck the horse, and the officer rode off at full speed, with his military hat off and the inverted cider-pail on his head."

These " general trainings" were great occasions, and were probably enjoyed better than any other gatherings except those at the first circuses and Fourth of July celebrations.

R. Jakway, one of the later arrivals in the township, came from Washington county. New York, in 1843, and in 1845 settled where he now lives, on section 31. He brought his wife with him, and was the first settler on the place. He purchased the land from second hands, but made the first improvements upon it himself.

Charles Porter, Jr., came from county Donegal, Ireland, with his parents, in the summer of 1830, arriving at Plattsburg, New York, on the 4th of July. The next May (1831) they all came to Michigan, and settled in Bloomfield town- ship, Oakland County. Charles Porter, Sr., died in 1853, and his wife some time afterwards. When they came from Ireland there were in the family Mr. and Mrs. Porter (Sr.), two sons, and five daughters, and all came to Michigan toge-

ther. Some of Mr. Porter's children by his first wife came to America several years previously. Of those who came with him, two sons and fouf daughters are now living.

Charles Porter, Jr., moved into White Lake township with his wife, having just been married in May, 1840. He made the first improvements on the land where he is now living, section 21. His wife, Elizabeth Arthur, was a daughter of David Arthur, who had settled in the township a year or two previously.

John F. Parish came from Seneca county, New York, to Michigan in October, 1835. He was born in New Jersey, and removed to New York with his parents when quite young. When he came to Michigan he was accompanied by his wife, to whom he had just previously been married. He settled on the place where he now lives, section 4, immediately on his arrival. He erected a log house, which stood just in front of the site occupied by his present frame dwelling, and covered it with shingles of his own manufacture. The house was sixteen by twenty-four feet, and contained but part of a floor when they moved into it.

James Fair, Sr., was among the early settlers of the township, locating on the farm where Shepherd Spencer now lives. James Fair, Jr., the present supervisor, and son of James Fair, Sr., was born on this place. Mr. Spencer, now occupying the place, came from Essex county, New York (township of Moriah, three miles from Crown Point), in August, 1850; brought his wife and one child with him, and stopped in the township of Novi. In 1875 he moved into White Lake town- ship. Although not a pioneer of Oakland County, he has spent twenty-seven years within its limits.

George W. Burrows was from Oneida county, New York, and settled first in Pontiac township in 1823. He stayed for a time with his wife's brothers, David and Oliver Parker. David Parker came with Mr. Burrows, but Oliver had been out several years. The Parkers lived just west of the ground now occupied by the Eastern Asylum for the Insane. Mr. Burrows afterwards purchased the farm ' next west of Parker's, in Waterford township, where he lived until June, 1836, when he removed to White Lake township, and settled on section 13, where he now resides. The place he entered from government. Mrs. Burrows is the only one of her father's family now living. Mr. Burrows is her second husband, and she had one child, a daughter three years old, when she came to Michigan. The child's father was Mrs. Burrows' first husband, whose name was Holt. This daughter, Sophronia Holt, is now the wife of Ezekiel Thomas, of Rose township.

Mr. Burrows and family came by water as far as Detroit, and walked from there to Pontiac. Mrs. Burrows carried her child, and her sister carried a loaded gun. At that time Pontiac was an insignificant place, containing but few houses.

The log house which Mr. Burrows built in 1836, on his place in White Lake township, is still occupied by him, and is one of the few landmarks of the neigh- borhood which exist as souvenirs of the past. Both Mr. and Mrs. Burrows have reached an advanced age, yet bid fair to live many years longer.

John Terry, an old settler in the northeast part of the township, is said to have been very fleet of foot, and used to run down rabbits and capture them. He was one of a large family of brothers, one of whom, Joshua, was tax collector for the old township of Pontiac, and went over the territory to its limits on Lake Huron. Joshua Terry had a peculiar way of harnessing his horse, arranging it so that by unbuckling the collar the whole harness would come off. When asked what he did when going down-hill (the harness had no breeching), he always re- plied that "it was a poor horse that couldn't keep out of the way of the wagon !"

Nicholas Doherty left county Tipperary, Ireland, in March, 1834, and arrived at New York city the first day of May, where he found the fruit-trees all in bloom. He had intended to go to Ann Arbor, Michigan, but missed the road, and brought up in Oakland County instead. He entered three hundred and twenty acres of government land on sections 25 and 26, and now resides on a portion of it, on section 26. His two brothers, Edmund and James, accompanied him, and the three at first built a shanty on the shore of the small lake near the location of Nicholas Doherty's present dwelling, and lived in it for five months. Edmund, the oldest of the brothers, afterwards went back to Ireland; James entered the United States regular army, and died in the service. Nicholas has lived on his farm ever since he arrived in the country. His log house was burned down, and he built another on the spot now occupied by his fine frame dwelling. This second log house was removed to make room for the frame. Nicholas Doherty was married July 12, 1837, to Margaret Crotty, and these two are the parents of eight children, of whom seven are now living. Mr. Doherty has voted at every election in the township since its organization, in 1836.

Among the pioneers of this neighborhood were James Crotty, who settled in 1834, William Gorman, Andrew Doolan (both deceased), and, perhaps, one or two others. Mr. Crotty afterwards went back to Ireland (fall of 1836), married, and returned to White Lake in 1837.

Robert D. Voorheis emigrated with his father, Joseph Voorheis, from the town of Pultney, Steuben county, New York, in 1834, and settled in Pontiac township,

* This when he first came, in 1836.

A. J. WEB STER

DELIA WEBSTER

RESIDENCE .OF MRS. DELIA WEBSTER , WHITE LAKE, OAKLAND CO,, MICH.

R. W. HOPKINS.

MRS. R. W. HOPKINS

ERASTUS HOPKINS.

HARLEY OLMSTED.

"HOPKINS ' MILLS , OX BOW, OAKLAND CO., MICH.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

185

about three miles northeast of the village. Joseph Voorheis' family consisted of his wife and twelve children, and four children were born afterwards. He lived and died in Pontiac township. He entered land in the town of White Lake about 1836, and in 1842 his son, R. D. Voorheis, settled upon it with his wife and infant daughter. Another son, Dr. Andrew Voorheis, came to White Lake a few years before, built a log house on the place, and lived in it about one year. He was probably the first physician who settled in the township. After he left the farm he returned to Prattsburg, New York, and lived afterwards in Virginia, Kentucky, and other States. The log house was rented . part of the time, and also used for school purposes, until Robert D. Voorheis moved into it in 1842. It stood on the opposite side of the road from Mr. Voorheis' present frame resi- dence, and a short distance farther west.

One of the carly settlers in this vicinity was John Taylor, who located on the place now partially owned by two of his daughters, Mrs. Blackman and Mrs. Kirtby.

Sebring and Peter Voorheis came to Michigan from the State of New York, -the former in 1836, and the latter in 1841. Their father, Peter Voorheis, made a trip to the State about 1828, and purchased land in the town of Van Buren, Wayne county, but never settled upon it, and never settled in Michigan. The two sons are now living in the township,-Sebring on section 8, and Peter on section 7.

Thomas Garner settled in the township in 1833 with his family. His sons Thomas, Robert, and John came with him, and a fourth son, George, followed them in 1836. When the family first arrived (1833), the elder Garner stayed with part of them at Pontiac, and the sons, Robert, John, and Thomas, loaded up about a thousand feet of oak and whitewood lumber (purchasing it at what was known as Jennings'* mill, on Orchard Lake avenue, at Pontiac), and came to their land to put up a shanty. This was in the month of June. The first night they stayed in White Lake township they arranged their load so as to par- tially shield them from the cool evening breeze, and " camped out." The wolves came up within a few rods,-probably a dozen or fifteen in number,-and began a most unearthly howling. Robert and Thomas had never seen nor heard any of these animals before, and were badly frightened. They had a large fire burning, and Thomas lay on the side next to it to keep warm. Robert and Thomas deemed themselves lost when they gazed on the ferocious pack, and John, who was well acquainted with wolves and their habits, said to them, " Boys, you are gone geese !" This of course heightened their alarm, and John finally took his rifle and fired into the pack, which soon disappeared. The rest of the night Thomas chose to lie in the middle! The wolves scurried off towards White lake, and kept up their snarling and howling until daybreak. No blood was found the next morning, and it was never known whether the ball from John Garner's rifle had taken effect or not.

David Arthur came from Ireland at an early day, and settled in New Jersey, but only stayed in that State a year or two, and then removed to Fayette county, Pennsylvania, where he settled within twelve miles of Connellsville. In 1834 he emigrated with his wife and six children to Oakland County, Michigan, and settled in White Lake township, where J. W. Toms now lives, on section 7. Mr. Ar- thur died in the autumn of 1843. His son, Joseph Arthur, is now living in the township, on section 18. Of David Arthur's children, four are now living in Michigan, the younger two-Joseph and Elizabeth, the latter now the wife of Charles Porter-in White Lake township.

Joseph Teeples, living on section 31, is among the early settlers of White Lake. The following names are taken from the old settlers' record at Pontiac, with the dates of settlement:

Ira Stowell, Sr., settled in Pontiac in 1826, and removed to White Lake in 1835 ; bought of government two hundred and forty acres, improved one hun- dred acres, and died in 1861.

Ira Stowell, Jr., bought in White Lake four hundred acres ; sold, and removed to the Parshall farm, in Waterford, and bought the Druett farm, in all four hun- dred and eighty acres, and there now resides.

Simon Stowell came with his parents, and settled in White Lake in 1835; bought three hundred and sixty acres; cleared and improved one hundred and fifty acres ; removed, and bought the Davis farm in Pontiac, and there owns two hundred and thirty acres well improved.

C. G. Wykoff, native of Covert, New York, arrived in Michigan 1833; set- tled in White Lake.

W. Howland, native of Rutland, Pennsylvania, arrived in Michigan 1835; settled in White Lake.

Jacob Bachman, native of New York, arrived in Michigan 1836; settled in White Lake.

F. J. Smith, native of Westmoreland, Oneida county, New York, arrived in Pontiac, Michigan, 1824 ; settled in White Lake 1834.

J. W. Toms, native of Ontario county, New York, arrived in Oakland County 1823; settled in White Lake 1835.

John Corbet, native of Washington county, New York ; settled in White Lake 1837.

Daniel Hathaway, native of Steuben county, New York, arrived in Oakland County 1828; settled in White Lake 1844.

Thomas Cuff, native of England; settled in White Lake 1842.

Harrison Voorheis, native of Steuben county, New York, arrived in Oakland County 1833; settled in White Lake 1836.

Tobias Doty, native of Cortland county, New York; settled in White Lake 1836.

J. P. Fisher, Jr., native of Crown Point, New York; settled in White Lake 1836.

THE FIRST MARRIAGE

in the township was that of Nancy Garner, daughter of Thomas Garner, Sr., and Francis J. Smith. It took place either in the latter part of 1833 (during the holidays) or in the early part of 1834. Mrs. Smith is since deceased, and her husband lives in Pontiac with his second wife. They were married by Rev. Isaac W. Ruggles, a Presbyterian minister of Pontiac, where he settled in 1824. He was a missionary preacher, and an eccentric man in many particulars. He always made his journeys on foot, seemingly having a special antipathy against riding horseback, and he walked from Pontiac to the White Lake settlement purposely to marry the above-mentioned couple. The distance by the road then traveled was twenty miles. It is not stated how much the reverend gentleman was paid for his services, but he was undoubtedly satisfied, as ministers could not afford to be over-particular about their fees in those days of hard times and poor currency.

The second marriage was that of Doty Cramer and Jane Demorest, who were married in 1836. The ceremony was performed by Maxfield Ludlow, Esq., the first justice of the peace in the township. It is related that when these persons were walking through the woods to the office of the justice, the would-be bride- groom, who undoubtedly felt a little anxious, and wanted the job done as soon as possible. worked himself into a great hurry, and kept calling to his partner, who had hard work to keep up with him, "Come along, Jane !" Perhaps the fear was upon him that the wild beasts of the forest might come forth from their lairs and put in a claim to one or the other of them before their happiness should be con- summated. If they had any fears on this point, however, they were needless, for the most savage animals which then abounded, the wolves, were seldom known to show themselves in the daytime. Deer were so plenty that large numbers of them were often seen together. Robert. Garner speaks of seeing eighty-five in one day, while out with his brother Thomas. Thomas and John Garner were great deer-hunters, and excellent marksmen.

John Bachman settled in the township in 1837 .; He was a son-in-law of Thomas Garner, having married the twin sister of Robert Garner. He had a family of several children when he came to the township. He settled on the farm now owned by his son, Jacob Bachman.

THE FIRST TOWN-MEETING

was held at the house of Maxfield Ludlow, on Monday, April 4, 1836. Mr. Ludlow was chosen moderator, and Andrew D. Voorheis clerk. Thirty-one votes were cast, and the following officers elected :

Supervisor, Alexander Galloway; Township Clerk, Andrew D. Voorheis; Magistrates, Maxfield Ludlow, Daniel Arthur, Ira Stowell ; Assessors, Cornelius G. Wyckoff, James H. Gould, Erastus Hopkins; Commissioners of Highways, Daniel Arthur, Harley Olmsted, Cornelius G. Wyckoff; Constable and Collector, Hozial Howland.

At a special meeting, held on the 3d of May, 1836, Noah Gould was elected constable and collector, and A. D. Voorheis township clerk. Directors of the Poor, Jesse Seeley, Erastus Hopkins; Commissioners of Schools, Maxfield Lud- low, John R. Howland, Andrew D. Voorheis.

A special meeting was held August 24, 1836, at which John Slattery was elected township clerk, in place of A. D. Voorheis, who had removed. Daniel Arthur was chosen overseer of common schools.

The first petit and grand jurors whose names appear on the township records were chosen May 12, 1841, and were as follows : Petit Jurors, Laban Spencer, Daniel M. Baker; Grand Jurors, Jesse Seeley, Nathaniel Powell.

From 1837 to 1877, inclusive, the following is a list of the supervisors :

1837-39, Jesse Seeley ; 1840, Embra Fergason ; 1841, Daniel Arthur; 1842, Embra Fergason ; 1843-44, Seebring Voorheis; 1845-46, Calvin Ellenwood ;

t Another authority says 1836.

# Probably the mill belonged to John Jenkins.

186

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

1847, George Robertson ; 1848-49, Michael G. Hickey ; 1850-52, Calvin El- lenwood ; 1853, Seebring Voorheis ; 1854-55, Michael G. Hickey ; 1856-58, Sebring Voorheis ; 1859, Michael G. Hickey ; 1860-62, Alanson J. Webster ; 1863-64, George H. Lee; 1865-69, Alanson J. Webster. Mr. Webster re- signed after his election in 1869, and a special town-meeting was called, at which Sloan Cooley was elected to fill the vacancy. 1870, Sloan Cooley ; 1871-72, Alanson J. Webster; 1873-74, L D. Morehouse ; 1875, A. J. Webster ; 1876, Sebring Voorheis ; 1877, James Fair.

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History of Oakland County, Michigan, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories, Part 49

Author: Durant, Samuel W Publication date: 1877 Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts & co. Number of Pages: 553

Author: Durant, Samuel W
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia, L. H. Everts & co.
Number of Pages: 553