History of Oakland County, Michigan, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories, Part 97

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 97

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Justices of the Peace .*- 1836, Isaac I. Voorheis, Egbert Van Buren, Charles W. Harback; 1837, Isaac I. Voorheis; 1838, William Terry ; 1839, John Osmun; 1840, Harvey Seeley ; 1841, I. I. Voorheis ; 1842, William Terry ; 1843, John Osmun; 1844, Caleb Horton ; 1845, I. I. Voorheis; 1846, James Gow ; 1847, Stephen Besley ; 1848, Caleb Horton; 1849, John K. Dewey; 1850, James Gow ; 1851, Wm. Besley; 1852, Michael G. Hickey ; 1853, Francis W. Fifield; 1854, Josiah C. Gaylord, Augustus W. Leggett; 1855, Henry Mead ; 1856, George Robertson ; 1857, Judah Herrington, Israel Osmun ; 1858, Richard Brownson ; 1859, Israel Osmun ; 1860, F. W. Fifield; 1861, Judah Herrington ; 1862, Richard Brownson ; 1863, Frederick Bradley; 1864, Harvey C. Judd ; 1865, Levi B. Colvin; 1866, George Robertson ; 1867, Carlos B. Plumb ; 1868, Harvey C. Judd; 1869, David B. Olmstead; 1870, George Robertson ; 1871, A. G. Allen ; 1872, Isaac Voorheis, Ira Stowell, Judah Herrington ; 1873, H. C. Judd, Henry Birge; 1874, Benjamin H. Warren, A. G. Allen, C. E. Dewey; 1875, Charles Wager; 1876, Charles E. Dewey ; 1877, Harvey C. Judd, George Robertson.

SCHOOLS.

The first school taught in the township was in the loft of Major Williams' sheep- house, in the fall of 1821. The teacher was a man named Brett. The pupils numbered seven. The first school-house was built in the Williams settlement in 1822. School taught by a Miss Stevens with twelve pupils. The house was built of logs.

The second school-house in the township was built in 1827 or '28, and stood on section 26, on the site of the present fine brick school-house in district No. 1. A summer term was first taught, the teacher being a young lady named Anna Tucker. The winter following the school was taught by Ira Donelson. This school-house was built for a temporary residence by Thaddeus Alvord, who settled the land. It was a log building, and long ago succumbed to the touch of " decay's effacing fingers."

In what is now district No. 3, a school was taught by Miss Harriet Allen, in the summer of (probably) 1833. This was in a building erected for a dwelling by Jacob Carman. The first school-house in the district was built about 1837-38. It was also constructed of logs, and stood on the northeast corner of section 23. Its first teacher was Miss Mary Galloway.

In district No. 2 the first school-house was built in 1838, and is yet standing. It is a frame building. The lumber was furnished by Almeron Whitehead; also much of the work in building. The school in this building has always been well conducted. Among the earliest teachers in it, and possibly the first one, was Mrs. Holden, a young married woman, who boarded, while teaching, with Mr. White- head's family. The school-house is becoming considerably dilapidated, and will no doubt soon be replaced by a new one.

A school-house was built in district No. 4 somewhere in the neighborhood of 1840.

The third school-house in the township was built in 1828 or '29, on the site of Chester Parshall's present residence, on section 11. This and the first and second ones were built before the school districts were established. In this third house the first winter term was taught by Charlotte Stevens, a sister of Rufus and Sher- man Stevens, the former of whom settled in Genesee county, and the latter in Pontiac, where he built a house on the place now owned by Augustus Baldwin. Rufus Stevens was a son-in-law of Major Oliver Williams.

THE FIRST ROAD

in the township was the turnpike from Detroit to Saginaw, which followed the old Indian trail between those points, and was completed as far as Mount Morris, north of Flint, Genesee county, in 1834. Work was done upon it at odd times until as late as 1836.

A POST-OFFICE

was established on the north shore of Elizabeth lake in 1834-35. It was called " Lake Elizabeth post-office," and was kept by William Terry, who was the first postmaster at that place. The office was kept up eight or ten years and finally abolished. Mr. Terry was afterwards appointed light-house keeper on one of the islands in Thunder bay, Lake Huron, and died in that service.

The office at the south side of Waterford township, called " Four Towns post- office," was originally established in White Lake township, about 1854, and after- wards (November 12, 1857) removed for the sake of convenience to its present location on section 32 in Waterford. The office took its name from the circum- stance of its location, it being near the corner of the four towns,-Waterford, West Bloomfield, Commerce, and White Lake. The postmaster when the office was first established was Solon Cooley. The present postmaster, Judah Herring- ton, has held the position since the removal of the office to Waterford township. The business is small, although considerable for the location.

VILLAGE OF WATERFORD.

The first settlers on the ground where Waterford village now stands were Alpheus Williams and Captain Archibald Phillips, who both came in 1819. Williams was from Charleton, Worcester county, Massachusetts, and was accom- panied by his wife, four daughters, and two sons. The sons were Harvey, the elder, now residing in Bay City, and the only member of the family living, and Oliver, the younger, who died in 1820. He had been to Detroit with an ox-team for a load of goods, and died soon after with a congestive chill. The oldest daughter (and oldest child), Nancy, married Edwin Edwards, and died in 1826. Lusannah was married to a man named Voorheis, and is since deceased. Harriet was married to Jacob Eilert, and Emeline to a Mr. Davis. Both Harriet and Emeline are dead.

Captain Phillips had come to Detroit as early as 1817, and while living at that place kept a small grocery and a bakery. When the settlers began to come into Oakland County, he came with Williams, and the two built a dam and a saw-mill on the Clinton river, at Waterford. When they built the dam and raised the pond much sickness resulted, and people died rapidly. The place now, however, is quite healthy.

Williams and Phillips built the first houses at the place in 1819. The Phil- lips house stood on the spot now occupied by George Robertson's store, and Williams' on the north side of the river. The latter was built of logs, while Phillips had a more pretentious frame dwelling. It is now standing three-fourths of a mile west of the village, on A. Windiate's farm, though remodeled and made over.

Mr. Williams died July 9, 1828, at the age of sixty-two years, and his wife, Abigail, died September 5, 1826, aged fifty-eight.

After the death of Williams his property, including the saw-mill, was rented to Asa Fuller. It was afterwards purchased by Henry Sanderson, Sr., who died in the village. His son, H. Sanderson, Jr., sold it to Merrick & Bruce. These gentlemen opened the first store in the village, about 1837-38. The establishment was sold to Horace Stevens, then to Johnson Jenness, who died here, and finally to George Robertson, Esq., to whom it still belongs.

Merrick was the capitalist of the firm of Merrick & Bruce, and after they purchased the Williams property they kept it for a while, and finally disposed of

* The first justices in the township were Harvey Seeley, Isaac I. Voorheis, and William Terry, appointed at Detroit, in 1834, just previous to the organization of the township.

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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

it to Elizabeth Windiate, after which Merrick went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he died. About 1840-42, Mrs. Windiate sold a small portion of the property to Richard Bronson, who built a carding-mill, which he operated for some time. Since then the building has had several additions, and been transformed into a sash- and blind-factory, but the machinery is now all taken out and it stands idle.

Village lots were laid out by Mrs. Windiate's husband, William T. Windiate, February 22, 1845. Additions have since been made by Nathaniel M. Martin, one in 1849 and the other in 1851.

After the death of Mr. Merrick, Dr. George Williams came to the village in 1844. and built the grist-mill now standing, and one at Clintonville at the same time. The one at Waterford contained three run of stone, as it does at present. Williams died while building it. He was no known relative of Alpheus Wil- liams. He was from the State of New York. His wife and son, George Wil- liams, are now living in the township. The mill is now the property of Francis W. Fifield.

Dr. Williams was the first physician in the neighborhood, although he never really settled in any one locality ; so that the first actual resident physician was Dr. Charles Robertson, now of White Lake township.

The first hotel was kept by Captain Archibald Phillips, somewhere in the neighborhood of the year 1830. The bar-room of this hotel is now standing, used as a doctor's office and drug-store. Phillips also built a barn, which is yet standing. It was said at the time to have been the best barn in the State (then Territory 1.

The present hotel, known as the Waterford Exchange, was built by Stephen Besley. in 1841, and before it was quite finished he sold it to James Young. Young disposed of it to Daniel R. Lord, and he in turn to William Bradt, the present proprietor.

Blacksmithing was done previous to 1840 by Henry S. Andrews, who opened the first shop of that kind. He manufactured and fitted much of the iron-work in the grist-mill.

The first shoe-shop was kept by Charles W. Harback, who first built in the village and then moved to a farm just west, where he continued the business, and also kept tavern for some time.

The saw- and plaster-mills now standing are the property of Francis W. Fifield. A foundry was established about 1871, by Daniel R. Lord. Plows, cultivators, and general castings are manufactured. Two hands are employed.

A part of the present village of Waterford was laid out by Josiah H. Cobb in 1836. and bore the high-sounding title of " New Philadelphia." It included the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 5,-forty acres. The lots were sold at auction, principally in the east, and the proprietor undoubtedly made money off his speculation. Those who were victimized undoubtedly soon learned how they had been trapped, and did not consider " New Philadelphia" as impor- tant a place as maps and posters gotten up for the occasion showed it to be. New Philadelphia is now extinct.

A school was taught southeast of the village in 1840 and subsequently. Meet- ings were also held in the school house by the Episcopalians. In 1848 a frame school-house was built in the village, and is now used for church purposes by the Methodist society. The present substantial two-story brick union school build- ing was erected in 1871 or 1872, at a cost of about five thousand dollars, including the lot.

The first religious meetings of any consequence were held in the village by the Methodists as early as 1838. Previous to this time a Presbyterian preacher named Ruggles held forth about once a year, but that denomination held no regular meet- ings. Ruggles came and preached funeral sermons whenever his services were required.

The Baptists have the latest organization. They held meetings some thirty years ago, although at that time they had no settled pastors. They convened in the old school-house now used by the Methodists. The present fine brick church was built by the Baptists in 1869, and is surmounted by a neat spire. The mem- bership at present is small, and Professor Van Dorn, teacher of the high school at Fenton, Genesee county, preached to them ( April, 1877). He is not a regularly ordained minister. The church will seat about three hundred persons comfortably.

The Waterford cemetery lot was deeded by Archibald Phillips to Governor Lewis Cass ( for the State of Michigan), for burial purposes, in 1826. The first burial in it was that of the remains of Oliver Williams, son of Alpheus Williams. He died September 3, 1820, aged seventeen years, and his was the first death in the township. The second interment was that of the body of Mrs. Nancy Ed- wards, wife of Edwin Edwards, now of Holly township, and daughter of Alpheus Williams. Her death occurred April 22, 1826,-the same year the cemetery was laid out. Alpheus Williams and wife are both buried here. The oak-tree stand- ing by the grave of young Oliver Williams was a small sapling when he was buried, and is now two and a half feet in diameter near the ground.

Some trouble arose finally over the ownership of the cemetery lot, owing to its having been deeded to Governor Cass. The trouble occurred after his death, and George Robertson, Esq., who has charge of it, applied to the legislature and se- cured the passage of an act making it the property of Waterford township.

George Robertson came originally from London, England. For a number of years he lived in Glasgow, Scotland, and in March, 1835, when twenty-two years of age, he went back to London. On the 23d of April of the same year he left London for America, and came directly through to Detroit. In June he located land on sections 2 and 3 in White Lake township, where he lived most of the time until 1849, when he removed to Waterford village, where he is at present en- gaged in the mercantile business. His father's family came from England a year after he left, and he lived with and took care of them. His father-also named George Robertson-died in 1837, a year after he came. Andrew Robertson, brother to G. Robertson, Jr., died while a member of the State senate, in 1863. He assisted in drafting the present constitution of the State. Another brother, Dr. Charles Robertson (previously mentioned), lives in White Lake township. A sister, Violet, is now the wife of Livingston Axford, of Holly. Another sister, Mary, is the wife of Frederick Lewis, publisher of the Saginawian, at Saginaw city. The other sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Fishpool, is also living in White Lake township. These five are the only ones living of a family of eleven children. One son, Andrew, died in Scotland, and the other five children in England.

Old Mrs. Robertson died early in April, 1877, at the advanced age of eighty- five years. " And we all do fade as a leaf."

Jervis Tuller came from Genesee county, New York, with his wife and one child,-a daughter,-and arrived on the site of Waterford village on the 16th day of October, 1830. At that time the only other families living here were those of Captain Phillips and Asa Fuller. Alpheus Williams and wife were dead and their children had removed. Phillips had been captain of militia, and derived his title from that fact. He finally died at Waterford.

Mr. and Mrs Tuller are the parents of ten children, of whom seven are now living,-two sons and five daughters. Mr. Tuller and his wife are yet living, at an advanced age.

When the few families who settled at Waterford had been there a time, they received mail from their friends and relatives in the east. Captain Phillips had one or two shelves at his house, whereon he kept a few necessary articles for family use,-a store in a primitive way,-and, as the most important man at the place, the mail for the settlers, after reaching Detroit, was directed to him, and he in turn distributed it among those to whom it was sent. Very seldom were there more than four or five letters, and the " mail" usually arrived about once a month. Major Oliver Williams also received mail at Silver Lake in the same way. These missives were usually sent through from Detroit by a French boy, and the carrier sometimes followed the trail as far as Flint and Saginaw. These were the first steps towards the system of postal-routes which is now in vogue. Phillips probably received the mail at Waterford until the post-office was estab- lished, and was then appointed the first postmaster. This was not, however, until the Detroit and Saginaw turnpike was completed and a mail-route established over it, and must have been as late as 1834-36. The present postmaster at Waterford is F. W. Fifield.

VILLAGE OF CLINTONVILLE.

The first settler on the site of this village was Samuel C. Munson, who came probably as early as 1830, and built a grist-mill and a saw-mill. In the fall of 1835, Israel Osmun came to the place, and in the spring of 1836 his brother, John Osmun, followed him. They were from Lansing, Tompkins county, New York, and their father, John Osmun, Sr., who never settled here, but purchased considerable land in the vicinity, bought the mill property for his sons in the fall of 1835. They owned it until 1844, when they sold to Dr. George H. Williams, who built a new mill, and also erected one at Waterford. As has been previously stated, he died while building the latter mill. He is said to have been an excel- lent physician by those who knew him best, and always very conscientious with his patients, working hard and long with them, and instilling new life into them by his manner.

Mr. Munson's house, the first one in the place, was a diminutive log structure, and in 1833-34 he erected a small frame dwelling. The second house was built by General James Ten Eyck, a veteran of the war of 1812, and is still standing. He was from New Jersey, and his house was also a frame building.

The first store was kept by Isaac Osmun, about 1840-42. The next was by James Gow, a son-in-law of Dr. Williams. Gow and William Stiff operated the mill several years.

The first blacksmith-shop was opened by Frederick Barkman, as early as 1838- 39. He sold his shop finally, and removed to a farm in Rose township, where he afterwards died.

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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

311

Edward Millholland started the first shoe-shop.

William Drewatt, now living in White Lake township, was proprietor of the first wagon-shop. 1

In 1838 a cabinet-shop was established by Dodge & Sheldon, and Eaton Dewey worked at the business about the same tinie.

James Swartz built a hotel in 1838-39, and carried it on a number of years. There is none now at the place.

Several years before the village was regularly laid out the ground was divided into small lots and built upon. In 1847 the site was surveyed, and cut into uniform lots, by John and Israel Osmun. The place has a small population, and but little business aside from its mills.

VILLAGE OF DRAYTON PLAINS.

The first settler on the beautiful plain which stretches northwest and south from this village was a man named Foster, who must have been here as early as 1822- 23. Jonathan Perry and Harvey and Austin Durfee also came at an early day, the Durfees being the first settlers on the ground where the village now stands. They lived near the bridge across the Clinton river, and on the west side of the stream, and finally moved to Plymouth or Nankin, in Wayne county. None of them are now living in Waterford. A cousin to them also lived near by.

Daniel Windiate came from England in 1835, and settled just west of the present site of the village. Mr. Windiate and his son-in-law, Thomas Whitfield, built the hotel now standing, known as the " Drayton Plains hotel," in 1838-39. This is the second one in the place, as Whitfield had previously kept tavern in a small frame building, which had been erected by some other person. It was found inadequate for the purposes of a hotel, and the present large frame structure was subsequently built.

In 1836-37 the grist-mill now standing was built by Windiate & Whitfield, and originally contained three run of stone, the same as at present. The dam is now standing which was first constructed, and, with the exception of necessary repairs from time to time, is about the same as originally. The fall is four or four and a half feet.

Mr. Windiate had been a miller in England, and his mill there was called the " Drayton mill." When he built the one at Drayton Plains he gave it the old name, and from that the plain itself derived its name. Windiate owned a little over a section of land. He and his son-in-law, Mr. Whitfield, and one or two others, built a small cluster of houses, including the hotel ; but no village lots were laid out until 1860, when the ground was platted by Lewis L. Dunlap, now of Pontiac. An addition was made by Elizabeth C. Linabury, September 19, 1867.

Daniel Windiate died December 11, 1843, aged fifty-six years, and is buried in the cemetery on section 10, northwest of the village.

The first store at Drayton Plains was started by William Besley (or Beasley), a son-in-law of Daniel Windiate. He possibly may have been in partnership with Thomas Whitfield. The store contained a general stock, such as is usually found in country establishments of the kind.

The first blacksmith-shop on the plains was opened by Moses Southard, a short

distance west of the site of the village, probably very soon after he settled. He was from near Bridport, Addison county, Vermont, and came to Michigan in 1835. He was accompanied by his wife and three children,-one daughter and two sons. One son, Milo Southard, died shortly after they came. The other son, Alvin A. Southard, has lived at Drayton Plains since 1835, with the exception of eleven years spent in Wisconsin. Moses Southard died in the winter of 1872-73, in his ninetieth year.

The first boots and shoes were made by James Swartz, about 1840-42.

The first school in the district (No. 8) was taught by Lewis M. Covert, in the winter of about 1837-38, in a frame school-house which stood east of the ceme- tery, on section 10. Simon Van Nortwick, the man who built this school-house, was the same who had just previously finished building Windiate's mill. He afterwards went to Illinois, where he died.

William Van Ostrand came from Wayne county, New York, with his wife and seven children in 1836, and for some time lived in Drayton Plains. He afterwards removed to Swartzburg, Wayne county (?), and worked at milling. He died at Plymouth, Wayne county, within a year or two afterwards. His daughter, Phebe Van Ostrand, is now the wife of A. A. Southard, of Drayton Plains, to whom she was married January 1, 1837. The other children are all living. except one daughter, who died a number of years ago.

J. H. Linabury came from Warren county, New Jersey, and in June, 1836, located land in Independence township. He brought his first wife and two chil- dren with him, and for eight years lived in Pontiac, where he had charge of H. N. Howard's grist-mill. He afterwards removed to his farm in Independence, and lived there until 1865, when he came to Drayton Plains, and purchased the " Drayton Plains hotel," together with thirty acres of land. He has resided in the village ever since.

ADDITIONAL NAMES OF SETTLERS IN TOWNSHIP .*

J. W. Leonard, a native of Ovid, New York, settled in Waterford in 1843. L. G. Cole came from New York in 1832. C. P. Kellogg, a native of Marion, New York, settled in 1834. Thomas Grow, from Homer, New York, settled in 1835. William J. Davis, native of Llangibby, Wales, settled in 1835. Dinah Smith, born in Wickenham, England, settled in 1836. Robert Stanlake, born in Devonshire, England, settled in 1836. Harriet L. Hiller, born in Riga, New York, settled in 1835. Hannah S. Kellogg, born in Romulus, New York, set- tled in 1836.

To the following-named persons we are indebted for much valuable information regarding the history of Waterford :

Mrs. M. A. Hodges, Pontiac; B. O. Williams, Owosso ; Isaac Voorheis, A. B. Donelson, John K. Dewey, Judah Herrington, Almeron Whitehead, A. D. Chap- man, Daniel M. Judd, J. H. Linabury, Mrs. A. A. Southard, William Whit- field, Henry Birge, George Robertson, Esq., Mrs. Jervis Tuller, and many others in the township; also D. B. Horton, at Davisburgh.

# From "Old Settlers' Record."

WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP.

THIS township is joined on the north by Waterford, and on the east by Bloom- field ; its southern and western boundaries being respectively the townships of Farmington and Commerce.

A strongly-marked feature in the topography of West Bloomfield is the num- ber, extent, and beauty of the lakes which thickly stud its surface, particularly in the northern part. It is the lake township of Oakland County ; about one-fifth of its area being covered by these bodies of clear fresh water. There are Pine, Black Walnut, Long, Cranberry, and Lord's lakes in the eastern part; Cass and Pick- erel lakes in the north ; Orchard, Upper Straits, Woodpecker, and Morris in the central portion ; and Union, Scotch, Green, Pleasant, and Lower Straits in the western part of the town, besides numerous smaller lakes, many of which are nameless, though beautiful and romantic.

The largest of these, Cass lake, discharges its waters through Pickerel and Tim- ber lakes and the Clinton river into lake St. Clair; Lord's, Long, Black Walnut, Cranberry, Woodpecker, and Morris lakes discharge through small branches into the river Rouge ; while Upper and Lower Straits, Green, Scotch, and Union lakes

send their tribute westward through the township of Commerce to the Huron river. The Pine lake has the greatest altitude, being very nearly four hundred feet above the level of the river at Detroit. ·

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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 97

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