History of Oakland County, Michigan, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories, Part 85

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 85

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Mr. Garter came in July, 1854, from Orleans county, New York, where his father settled in 1812, and where Mr. G. lived for forty years. He purchased his

present property from Benjamin Cochran, to whom Mr. Fuller had sold. Mr. Garter brought his wife and one son with him from New York. His father was a musician, and was called out with the militia in 1812, but saw no hard service. Moses Garter also trained under the militia law in the State of New York, where he commanded a company. He is a native of Herkimer county, New York, as was also his father.

Edward Parkinson, from Niagara county, New York, settled in 1838, with his wife and eight children, on section 35, in Springfield, where he now resides. He located government land. He is a native of England, and emigrated to the United States in 1830. After his arrival in Springfield he built a small log shanty, which stood nearly on the spot occupied by his present frame house. Seven of his children are now living. The only neighbors Mr. Parkinson had were two families living on the west and one on the east, all of them some distance away. He says it was such hard work to secure provisions, that if a family " could get a woodchuck or a johnny-cake" they thought themselves extremely fortunate.

Horace Green settled in Springfield in 1832, having come from South Livonia, Livingston county, New York, where his parents moved from Seneca county in 1815. They were originally from Middleburg, Schoharie county, and settled in Scipio, Cayuga county, in 1811. His father, Levi Green, was a native of Rhode Island, and a soldier in the Revolutionary army, afterwards drawing a pension for his services. Horace Green was killed by the fall of a tree, in February, 1833. His brother, Zephaniah R. Green, settled in West Bloomfield township. A son of the latter, Addis E. Green, mentions having been present at the raising of Griswold Bishop's barn in Springfield, in 1833 (?), where he saw a huge Indian shoulder two of the largest rafters-made of tamarack logs-at once, and thinks the savage could have out-jumped any man there if he had been sober.

I. K. Grow, a native of Homer, New York, settled in Springfield in 1835, with his parents ; J. H. Landon, from Salisbury, Connecticut, settled in 1836; William Jones, native of Middlebury, New York, settled in 1836.

Of the original settlers of Springfield, many have removed to other localities, and a considerable number of them have been summoned away from earth. The work they began has been unremittingly continued by those who have come after them, and the township to-day rests under the influences of prosperity, where but a comparatively short time ago all was a wilderness.

SCHOOLS.

In 1834 a frame barn was built by Arza C. Crosby, on section 13, having a granary in one end. The first school in the township was taught in this building by Sarah Pratt, and was attended by the children of Mr. Crosby, John J. Merrell, Robert Perry, and others. The next year (1835) a frame school-house was built. The first term in it was taught by Miss Sophia Paddock, who was a sister of Mrs. Merrell and Mrs. Crosby. She afterwards married Ira Dayton, of Grand Blanc, Genesee county. The old barn on Mr. Crosby's place is still standing. The school-house stood a short distance east of Mr. Crosby's dwelling, near where Edward Perry now lives. The frame of it was removed to section 12 and a new cover put on, and the building is now in use in district No. 1. The frame school-house at Springfield post-office-now district No. 6-was built some time afterwards.

A frame school-house was built at the Anderson settlement (district No. 5) as early as 1838, and stood on the ground now occupied by the new frame school- house. Among the first teachers were Lucy and Lois McQuigg, the latter now the wife of Henry Elliott, of Pontiac, and the former the widow of George Peek, of Springfield township. Miss Clarissa Anderson, now the wife of P. A. Tuttle, of Highland township, was perhaps the first teacher in this school. She taught before the McQuigg girls, and was very early, if not the first.

A log school-house, the first in the neighborhood, was built on the corner of Robert Pepper's farm, section 19, about 1843-44. This was the first school building in the western part of the township, and the first teacher was a young lady named Corinthia Elliott. The first term was a summer school, and the chil- dren who attended were all small. A young lady named Hadley also taught here early. The building was occasionally used for religious purposes.

About 1839-40 a school-house was built of logs on section 9, in district No. 2. A summer school was first taught. Eli H. Day, now of Davisburgh, was one of the first teachers, and many of the older class of citizens now in the village and neighborhood attended under him. The present house is a frame building, standing on the southeast corner of section 5.

THE FIRST MARRIAGE LICENSES

were issued by Jonah Gross, township clerk, and were as follows: December 20, 1837, to Ira Dayton, of Grand Blanc, Genesee county, and Miss Sophia Paddock, of Springfield ; January 15, 1838, to Thomas Lapham, of White Lake, and Miss

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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

Henrietta Pelton, of Springfield; August 11, 1838, to Pearson G. Cochran and Ann Oliver, both of Springfield ; September 25, 1838, to Nathaniel Dorr, Jr., and Miss Sary Hoyt, both of Springfield. Thus it will be seen that the " little winged god" was busy at an early period, even in the midst of sterner realities.

FIRST TOWN-MEETING.

We copy the following from the township records :

" According to the statute of Michigan, the people convened at the house of David Stanard and organized by electing the following officers for the township of Springfield.

" April 3, 1837, David Stanard, Esq., was chosen moderator, and John J. Mer- rell chosen clerk, and both qualified, then proceeded to business." The following were the various officers elected, namely :

Supervisor, Melvin Dorr; Township Clerk, Jonah Gross ; Assessors, Cornelius Davis, John W. Pratt, Griswold Bishop; Constable and Collector, Lyman Hub- bard ; Constable, Edward E. Perry ; Overseers of the Poor, Orange Powell, Caleb P. Merrell; Commissioners of Highways, Arza C. Crosby, Asahel Johnson, Isaac Anderson ; Justices of the Peace, Daniel Jones, David Stanard, Jonah Gross, Cornelius Davis ; Path-masters, David Stanard, Charles Husted; Pound-masters, Nathan Jones, Asahel Johnson.

". On motion, it was voted that this town shall pay for every wolf that is caught in this town and the scalp delivered to any justice of the peace ; and on oath that it is in his opinion over one year old shall receive three dollars."

"On vote. it was agreed that the next town-meeting be held at the house of David Stanard. Esq., in Springfield."

At a special election held November 18, 1837, the following persons were chosen school inspectors : Daniel B. Wakefield, Daniel Jones, John J. Merrell.

At the regular election in 1838, Daniel B. Wakefield was elected supervisor, Jonah Gross town clerk, and Russell Bishop justice of the peace.

At a special meeting held August 11, 1838, D. B. Wakefield and Simeon L. McQuigg were elected justices of the peace, to fill vacancies.

At a special meeting held November 3, 1838, the following officers were elected to fill vacancies : Supervisor, Milton Peters ; Justice of the Peace, David Stanard; School Inspector, Milton. Peters; Highway Commissioner, Gifford Nash; Collector, Griswold W. Bishop; Constables, Samuel C. Thomas, George R. Putnam.

The following is a list of supervisors from 1839 to 1877, inclusive: 1839-42, Milton Peters (supervisor and assessor in 1842); 1843, Augustus S. Johnson ; 1844-48. Alexander Ter Bush ; 1849, Nolton Bigelow ; 1850, James B. Simon- son ; 1851, Alexander Ter Bush ; 1852, James B. Simonson; 1853, Alexander Ter Bush ; 1854-55, James B. Simonson ; 1856-65, Alexander Ter Bush ; 1866-68, Jefferson K. Tindall ; 1869, Alexander Ter Bush ; 1870-73, Jefferson K. Tindall ; 1874-77, Alonzo H. Losse.

Township Clerks .- 1839, Jonah Gross; 1840-42, John J. Merrell; 1843, Peter Best ; 1844-46, Nelson Abel ; 1847, Alvin D. Simonson ; 1848-49, Theo- dore R. M. Gross; 1850, Caleb Gardner; 1851, T. R. M. Gross ; 1852-63, Ed- ward Bartlett; 1864-65, H. C. Burnam; 1866, James E. Pepper ; 1867-68, Alexander Ter Bush ; 1869, William J. Pepper; 1870-73, Alonzo H. Losee ; 1874. Harvey G. Monroe; 1875, Daniel L. Davis; 1876-77, Henry G. Rohm.

Justices of the Peace .- 1839, Daniel T. Wilson, Noah Beach ; 1840, James Stalls : 1841, George Bigelow ; 1842, Hiram Trim ; 1843, Philip S. Frisbie ; 1844. James Stout; 1845, James B. Simonson ; 1846, Eli H. Day ; 1847, Philip S. Frisbie; 1848, Hiram Trim ; 1849, James B. Simonson, James Stout; 1850, Eli H. Day ; 1851, Philip S. Frisbie; 1852, Horatio Foster, Sr .; 1853, James B. Simonson, Nolton Bigelow ; 1854, Israel Swayze, John J. Merrell; 1855, Alexander Ter Bush, John W. Anderson ; 1856, John J. Merrell, George W. Stinson ; 1857, S. L. McQuigg, Eli Brondige ; 1858, James P. Wheeler; 1859, Farley Craw ; 1860, John G. Reed; 1861, William H. Elliott; 1862, James P. Wheeler; 1863, Farley Craw ; 1864, John G. Reed; 1865, Anthony J. Swayze; 1866, George M. Lyon, A. J. Swayze; 1867, John C. Clark ; 1868, John G. Reed, Henry C. Burnam ; 1869, A. J. Swayze, E. Bartlett, Phineas Reed ; 1870, Phineas Reed, George Stafford; 1871, no return on township records ; 1872, Amasa C. Kenyon, Monroe Wheeler, Calvin L. Paddock ; 1873, Charles Cavel ; 1874, Norman Ellis, Michael G. Hickey, Jackson Voorheis ; 1875, Jackson Voorheis, George C. Potter ; 1876, Roswell Burt, John Vincent ; 1877, J. G. Hutchins.

SPRINGFIELD POST-OFFICE.

The neighborhood of this village witnessed the first settlement made in the township, and here for a long period was the most important hamlet. A few vil- lage lots were laid out by Milton Peters, May 21, 1840.

While the stage-line was running business was brisk along the old Detroit and Saginaw turnpike, on which the village is located. Asahel Fuller, the first settler in the township, built a hotel here at an early day, and carried it on for some time,

but finally sold out. It was a two-story frame building, and was subsequently burned down while under the management of David Stanard.

At one time there were two taverns, three stores, and numerous shops in full operation here, and Springfield was a busy burg. The stage-horn frequently scared up deer along the route, the frightened animals fleeing in dismay before the sound as though it were the note of the huntsman's horn and they expected a pack of hounds in full cry to appear immediately following.

The first store was opened by two young men, named Milton Peters and Peter Best, who conducted a general establishment, carrying such goods in stock as were needed by the settlers,-dry goods, groceries, clothing, etc.

A second store was established by A. S. Johnson, now of Detroit. In 1844, James B. Simonson located here and opened a general store. He emigrated from Roxbury, Delaware county, New York, in 1835, with his wife and one child, a son, and settled in Royal Oak township, where he resided until 1841, when he removed to Birmingham. In 1844 he came to Springfield. During his stay here he held the office of postmaster some twelve years. He finally sold his store to John J. Merrell and started one at the Anderson settlement, where he stayed but a short time. He removed from the Anderson settlement to Holly, where he now resides. He is president of the First National bank at the latter place.

The post-office at Springfield was established about 1835-36, and David Stan- ard was probably first postmaster. Mr. Simonson held the office for twelve years, as above stated, and A. S. Johnson was in for some time. The present postmaster is Dr. Edward Bartlett, who has been in office six years.

Dr. Bartlett settled with his father, James Bartlett, near the site of the village of Clarkston, in 1838. They were from Cayuga county, New York, and the family consisted of James Bartlett, his wife, and six sons. Of the latter, but two are now living,-the doctor and H. J. Bartlett. James Bartlett died in Decem- ber, 1874, aged seventy-four years. His wife died in 1843. The doctor removed to Springfield in 1850, and has since been a resident of the place. He practiced one summer at Clarkston previous to coming to Springfield. He is a physician of the allopathic school, and a graduate of the Cleveland university.

A physician named Briggs located here in 1849, but only lived about a year.

In 1833, John J. Merrell and Arza C. Crosby removed from New York and settled in Springfield together, early in the month of September, purchasing land on section 13. Merrell was from Onondaga county, and Crosby from Cayuga. Mr. Merrell had a family of six children-three sons and three daughters-be- side his wife, and two daughters were born afterwards. Of the ten children, eight are now living. Mr. Merrell died April 6, 1866, aged sixty-nine years.

Mr. Crosby was accompanied by his wife, four sons, and two daughters; the children are all living but one. Mr. C. died February 3, 1857, at the age of sixty- two. The old place where he settled, on section 13, is yet occupied by his widow. Mrs. Crosby and Mrs. Merrell are sisters, and natives of Onondaga county, New York.

These estimable ladies are yet full of the vigor of youth, and despite the trials they were subject to in the settlement of a new country, they look back with pleasure on the " days that are gone," and by their very interesting and pleasing conversation are able to while away many hours in recounting tales and adventures of "ye olden time." It is a pleasure to listen to them, and as in talking of past scenes and events they become animated and warmed to their subject, the listener feels himself almost enabled to recollect the time when the country was but little better than a wilderness, even though he be yet in his youth.

People "in those days" were wont to make journeys to Pontiac, and often to Detroit, to buy pork, which it seems was considered a necessary article for family use, and would return with it on a pack-horse, balancing a barrel of pork by a barrel of flour. Very often the pork was so lean and thin that it did not possess " grease" enough to fry itself in, and it became necessary to put venison in with it in order to accomplish this object. It must be borne in mind that the deer were very fat, and it was unnecessary to do more than place the venison in a fry- ing-pan over a fire and attend to it with care in order to have it done to a turn.

Mrs. Crosby says that in her life of forty-four years in Michigan she has never moved her household goods, except " out of the old house into the new." The two families, for four years after their arrival, lived in a large double log house, and then Mr. Merrell erected a dwelling, into which he moved with his family. Mrs. Merrell and Mrs. Crosby now say they " never took as much comfort in their lives as in the old log house."

At the time they settled, or soon after, there were about nine families in the township, and if they failed to see each other less than once a fortnight they deemed themselves almost forsaken.

Mr. Merrell and Mr. Crosby each kept a hired man, and with their large family their house was pretty well filled up. These men were brothers, and were named George and Levi Perry ; the former working for Merrell and the latter for Crosby. Levi Perry was a great hunter and killed large numbers of deer, which were very

DAVID A. WRIGHT.

MRS. HARRIET E. WRIGHT.

RESIDENCE OF MRS. HARRIET E. WRIGHT, SPRINGFIELD TP, OAKLAND CO., MICH

James Neal

Arm Veal

RESIDENCE OF JAMES NEAL, SPRINGFIELD TP., OAKLAND CO, MICH.

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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

plenty, and, as we have said, exceedingly fat. The meat was delicious, and was the staple article of food almost, while the fat was tried out and made into candles.

It has been said, and truthfully, that " necessity is the mother of invention," and nowhere can be found a better illustration of the fact than in the lives of the early settlers. With a market many miles away, and affording but meagre accommodations at best, everything was turned to account that was of any use whatever, and in many instances only a rigid system of economy, closely adhered to, and a faculty for making the most of everything, saved families from extreme want. The field was one in which they could exercise their ingenuity to the utmost, and the lessons learned in those early days were by no means unheeded in after- years, for by their constant requisition the pioneers became at last possessed of competence and wealth, and the tasty farms and well-kept institutions of to-day speak volumes for the perseverance and self-denial of the fathers of the land.

In certain seasons people with an ordinary stock of provisions were beyond want and deemed themselves rich beyond measure, for wild crab-apples, plums, cranberries, huckleberries, etc., were in many localities in abundance, and those living in such neighborhoods never wanted for preserves or sauce. This was notably the case in the eastern part of the township. Mrs. Merrell and Mrs. Crosby, with some of their children, one day picked seven bushels of huckle- berries, all black, rich and ripe, and considered that they had done a fair day's work.

The Indians in the vicinity were always very peaceable and friendly, and made the Merrell and Crosby families their particular friends. The whites learned to speak much of their language, and remember even now many words of the Indian tongue.

A short distance southwest of Springfield post-office is a small lake, known from the quality of its water as " Soft Water lake." Here the families in the neighborhood were wont to congregate and do their washing on its shores. This was truly a " Godsend" to them, for it was before the days of cisterns, and hard water is not an excellent substitute for soft for laundry purposes.

Mr. Merrell and Mr. Crosby, with their families, stopped when they first came to the township at Bishop's log tavern, previously mentioned. This institution was always full, and had it been twice or three times as large the rooms would have been easily kept filled. It was peculiarly an establishment for the time, a real " backwoods tavern," and its proprietor was undoubtedly a true philosopher and a genius in his way. The spot where this old tavern stood knows it no longer, and nearly on its site is a neat residence, bearing the stamp of greater improve- ment and the appearance common to buildings of a later day. Could the soil whereon the old log building stood talk, it would undoubtedly be able to relate many interesting tales of pioneer life.

The stage-line was long ago discontinued ; the primitive taverns are among the things that were ; the deer no longer bound in affright from the rich tones of the driver's horn, nor does the " traveler on a dusty lea" wend his way along the broad turnpike, now a simple " road;" the glory of the early times has departed, and where once all was stir and bustle, and the busy sound from a thriving village " re-echoed o'er valley and glen," a Sabbath quiet reigns, and to the tourist over the iron track the once famous village of Springfield is almost unknown. So passes away earthly glory. In the ceaseless round of time the past is eventually buried in oblivion, and future generations have little interest in what was passing years before they were born on the ground they tread. The stranger comes and possesses himself of the home built up by years of toil and patient endurance, and recks not of the changes that have been wrought since the locality began to have a history. He lives for the present; yet the children and grandchildren of the bold pioneers will ever contemplate with great respect and admiration the hardy spirit which prompted their ancestry to do battle with the wilderness and build up homes and institutions for those who should come after.

ANDERSON SETTLEMENT.

As early as 1833-34 the land on which the hamlet bearing the above name is located was settled by John Husted and family, and the place was long known as the " Husted settlement." He was the first to locate here, and Charles and Harry Husted came to the same neighborhood.

In 1836 the number of settlers was increased by the arrival of Isaac Anderson and family, from Attica, Genesee (now Wyoming) county, New York. The family consisted of Mr. Anderson, his wife, and five children,-two sons and three daugh- ters. In the spring of the same year Mr. Anderson had been to the place and purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land on sections 22 and 27; part of it he procured from government and part from second hands. A portion of the land was taken in the name of his son, John W. Anderson, who is now living upon it. The family was brought in during the month of October. At the same time Mr. Anderson located his land a married daughter, Betsey, came with her

husband, and stayed at the place from that time. On the trip from New York, Mr. Anderson brought two teams with him. The voyage from Buffalo to Detroit was made on the steamer " Commodore Perry."

Mr. Anderson's children are all living, but he died on the 17th of January, 1860, aged nearly seventy-four years. His wife died October 9, 1862.

The neighborhood finally became known by custom as the " Anderson Settle- ment," and that name it still retains. When the Detroit and Milwaukee railway was first completed a station was established here, but was finally discontinued, and there is none at present. Perry Trim and Sylvester E. Anderson each at one time carried on the blacksmithing business, and an institution of that kind is now in a flourishing condition, kept by John Alexander.

The same season the railroad was completed, or soon after, Mr. Simonson estab- lished a store here, containing a general stock. He afterwards removed to Holly, and the store was operated by J. B. Billings and Frederick Anderson.

Ogden Gaston erected a building in which he manufactured matches and did a small business, principally with local customers. He peddled his matches around the country, and made a living in that manner. He is now a resident of Detroit.

In the cemetery, on the hill in the eastern part of the settlement, the first burial was that of Nancy, a young daughter of John Husted, her death occurring in March, 1835. Seven little girls were buried in this lot before an adult person was interred, nearly all of them dying with the whooping-cough. The cemetery contains about one and a half acres of land, the original lot being taken from the farm of Isaac Anderson, afterwards the property of his son Sylvester.

The first apple-trees were brought here by Isaac and John W. Anderson, and the first hens by Isaac Anderson. Charles Husted and John W. Anderson were the owners of the first sheep. The first frame house in the vicinity was built by Isaac Anderson, about 1840, and is still standing. In the spring of 1837 two frame barns were raised the same day, one by Isaac Anderson and the other by Charles Husted. They were the first in the neighborhood.

The Husteds are nearly all removed, and their property is in other hands. J. W. Anderson owns a fine farm on the beautiful plain upon which the village is situated.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SPRINGFIELD.

This society was organized February 14, 1858, with thirteen members from the congregation of the First Presbyterian church of White Lake. Sixteen others were added a few days after, making twenty-nine in all. These were as follows : Isaac Anderson, Catharine Anderson, Lyman Hubbard, Betsy Hubbard, John W. Anderson, Ann Anderson, Sylvester E. Anderson, Almira Anderson, Martha Boutwell, Urania Boutwell, Sarah P. Hubbard, Louisa M. Hubbard, James J. Hubbard, these from the White Lake congregation. The others were Orra Simp- son, Margaret O. Starker, Lydia F. Simonson, Fanny Powell, Alice Arnold, Jona- than B. Billings, Mary J. Billings, Ira L. Simpson, Elizabeth Gillespie, Clarissa A. Boutwell, Mary J. Boutwell, Josephine P. Anderson, Sarah A. Anderson, Isabel Hagerty, Henry M. Billings, Anastatia Stark.

Isaac Anderson was elected deacon, and Sylvester E. Anderson clerk. The first pastor was Rev. W. P. Wastell, who organized the church. In April, 1859, the membership was increased to fifty-one. The first elders, elected March 31, 1860, were J. W. Anderson and C. W. Valleau, and at the same time William Jones was elected deacon.

The second pastor was Rev. N. Tucker, whose name first appears on the records January 31, 1863. He stayed until February, 1868, and was succeeded by Rev. L. Chandler, who ministered to the congregation until November, 1869, when Rev. J. S. Lord was settled as fourth pastor, and stayed three years. Mr. Chandler has had charge since, with the exception of six months during the winter of 1876-77, during which time the church was supplied by Rev. Mr. Bryant, it being too severe a task for Mr. Chandler to come from White Lake during the snow and cold weather. The latter gentleman is the present pastor of White Lake and Springfield.

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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 85

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