USA > Michigan > Clinton County > History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan > Part 63
USA > Michigan > Shiawassee County > History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan > Part 63
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125
SECTION 21.
A. L. and B. O. Williams, Oakland Co., Mich., Aug. 2, 1833. Elias Comstock, Oakland Co., Mich., June 18, 1835. Peter A. Coudery, New York City, October, 1835, E. Comstock and Seth Beach, Oakland Ca., Mich., November, 1835.
262
HISTORY OF SHIAWASSEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Henry Dwight, Ontario Co., N. Y., February, 1836. Silas and Daniel Ball, Monroe Co., N. Y., March, 1836.
SECTION 25.
Joseph Pitcairn, New York City, February, 1836. Silas and Daniel Ball, Monroe Co., N. Y., March, 1836.
SECTION 26.
Marcus Culver, Oakland Co., Mich., March, 1836.
Gideon Lee, New York City, April, 1836.
Newbold Lawrence, New York City, May, 1836.
A. L. and B. O. Williams, Shiawassee Co., Mich., Jane, 1836. Ilarriet L. Williams, Oakland Co., Mich., Jane, 1836. Catherine Brown, Shiawassee Co., Mich., September, 1836.
Ira Merell, Shiawassee Co., Mich., March, 1854.
William Ingersoll, Shiawassee Co., Mich., October, 1854.
SECTION 27.
Gideon Lee, New York City, April, 1836. David P. Bunnell, Washington Co., N. Y., June, 1836. Ralph R. Smith, Genesee Co., N. Y., June, 1836.
David D. Scott, Seneca Co., N. Y., June, 1836.
SECTION 28.
Daniel Scott, Sencca Co., N. Y., June, 1836. James M. -- , Ontario Co., N. Y., June, 1836. Beebe Truesdell, Monrve Co., N. Y., Jane, 1836.
Abraham F. MeCarthy, Shiawassee Co., Mich., April, 1854.
SECTION 29.
Abigail Dewey, Oakland Co., Mich., December, 1835.
llamlet Harris, Oakland Co., Mich., April, 1836.
Gideon Lee, New York City, April, 1836.
Aaron B. Patterson, Monroe Co., N. Y., July, 1838. Lucias G. Hammond, Shiawassee Co., Mich., July, 1840. George Galloway, Shiawassee Co., Mich., September, 1812.
SECTION 30.
George W. Williams, Oakland Co., Mich., January, 1836. Gideon Lec, New York City, April, 1836.
Daniel lland, Augusta, Ga., April, 1836. Calvin Wickham, Oakland Co., Mich., October, 1836. Ezra P. Blackman, Oakland Co., Mich., November, 1836.
Chauncey F. Shepherd, Shiawassee Co., Mich., March, 1836. James Aitkio, Genesee Co., N. Y., October, 1854.
SECTION 31. Gideon Lee, New York City (whole section), December, 1836.
SECTION 32.
Abijah Dewey, Oakland Co., Mich., December, 1835.
Ilamlet Harris, Oakland Co., Mich., April, 1836.
Gideon Lee, New York City, April, 1836.
James B. IInnt, Oakland Co., Mich., June, 1836.
SECTION 33.
Apollos Dewey, Jr., Oakland Co., Mich., November, 1835. Abijah* Dewey, Oakland Co., Mich., November, 1835. Abner Davis, Oakland Co., Mich., November, 1835. Charles C. Nlascall, Oakland Co., Mich., November, 1835. William Garrison, Oakland Co., Mich., June, 1836.
SECTION 34.
Lemuel Castle, Oakland Co., Mich., December, 1835. Iliram A. Caswoll, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., June, 1836. William S. Brown, Monroe Co., N. Y., June, 1836. Beebe Traesdell, Monroe Co., N. Y., Juno, 1836. Herman R. llowlett, Monroe Co., N. Y., July, 1836. George W. Williams, Oakland Co., Mich., March, 1837.
SECTION 35. Newbold Lawrence, New York City, May, 1836. William I. Hanford, Monroe Co., N. Y., June, 1836.
* Perhaps Abigail.
John Hagaman, Monroc Co., N. Y., June, 1836. E. and B. Fisher, Monroe Co., N. Y., June, 1836.
SECTION 36.
Benjamin F. Larned, Wayne Co., Mich., March, 1836. Silas and Daniel Ball, Monroe Co., N. Y., March, 1836. Newbold Lawrence, New York City, May, 1836.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
The first settlement in the township of Owosso, outside of the village, was made by Reuben Griggs and Abram T. Wilkinson, in June, 1836. They were brothers-in-law, and came from Henderson, Jefferson Co., N. Y. Mr. Griggs' family consisted of himself, wife, and three children, named Ezra, Lucelia, and Lucretia, an adopted daughter. Mr. Wilkinson's, of himself, wife, and children,-Annette and Alfred. These families traveled with their own con- veyance from Henderson to Oswego. At the latter place the horses and wagon were sold, and the remainder of the journey to Detroit was accomplished via the Erie Canal and Lake Erie. They then hired a eonveyanee to take them to Novi, in Oakland County, where they remained about one week, meantime purchasing from the general government the lands in Owosso township upon which they finally settled.
From Novi another man was hired to bring them here, and in traveling to their wilderness homes they cut ont the first road leading west from the present city of Owosso. In July, 1836, Mr. Griggs hired an ox-team and returned to Detroit for the purpose of bringing out his household goods. The trip consumed one week's time. Both fami- lies oeeupied the same building the first winter, and at that time their nearest neighbors to the westward were the people composing the " Rochester Colony," sixteen miles distant. During that winter Mr. Griggs hired another ox- team and traveled sixty miles in going to and returning from mill. Mr. Wilkinson died about sixteen years ago. Deacon Griggs still resides upon the land he first began improving in 1836.
Apollos Dewey, a native of Vermont, seems to have been the next settler in the rural part of Owosso township. Ile removed from Chili, Monroe Co., N. Y., to Bloomfield, Oakland Co., Mich., in 1821, thus becoming one of the earliest settlers in what was then termed the interior of Michigan Territory. He purchased lands situated in the southwest part of this township in 1835, but did not settle here until the spring of 1839. He soon became one of the most prominent and successful farmers in Owosso. Not given to offiee-holding, he, however, served as an early justice of the peace and in various other positions accept- ably.
llis son, Thomas D. Dewey, now one of the most prom- inent and active citizens in the city of Owosso, was born in Oakland County in 1823. He began his business career in 1841, by engaging as a salesman in the store of Charles L. Goodhue, where he remained some five years, In 1846, with John L. Goodhue as a partner, he began merchandising in the village of Owosso. This copartnership was dissolved by the death of Mr. Goodhue. In 1850 he started his present extensive milling interests in connection with John Stewart. The firm has been very successful. Besides
263
OWOSSO TOWNSHIP.
their flouring and other mills, farming is carried on on a large scale, and they are also extensively engaged in breed- ing fine horses. Mr. Thomas D. Dewey has filled many positions in the gift of the people. (See list of township, city, and county officers.)
Ezra L. Mason, a native of Rochester, N. Y., accom- panied by his wife and two daughters, his brother, Albert B., and the latter's wife, arrived in Owosso in September, 1839, settling upon lands on section 8 which had been purchased by him in December, 1836. He was the first settler in all the northwest quarter of the township, and does not remember that any families other than those already mentioned, viz., Messrs. Griggs, Wilkinson, and Dewey, preceded him in the township proper. The broth- ers built a cabin of small poles, such as two men could handle, and this was occupied by Ezra L. for two years. A good substantial log house succeeded it, which in turn gave place to a commodious frame dwelling in 1854. An early frame barn was built by him in 1847, and possibly his son Ezra, whose birth occurred Nov. 9, 1839, was the first child born-outside the village-in the township.
Mr. Mason was an experienced surveyor and performed much work of that character in the early days. He is now a resident of the city of Owosso, and relates that in 1839 he paid thirty-two dollars to have a load of household goods hauled from Detroit to his home in Owosso. Conse- quently a barrel of salt worth two dollars in Detroit cost him eight dollars when delivered. Here, as elsewhere in the wilds of Michigan, bears were very troublesome, and if the many encounters had with them by the Mason broth- ers, Billy Scott, Calvin Ilunt, and William Badgerow could be fully described, they would form a most amusing chapter.
Samuel Shepard, from Monroe Co., N. Y., settled upon the premises now owned by his son, Francis M., in the fall of 1840, and among other settlers of that year were Francis Mittleberger, a tailor, upon section 28, Waterman Perkins, upon section 32, and perhaps others. However, settlements were not made very rapidly, for we find that in 1844 those named as resident tax-payers in the present township were the following :
Acres.
William Berry,# section 1
80
William Badgerow, sections 14, 15 ..
240
" James Bogue, section 25.
25
Apollos Dewey, sections 32, 33 400
John W. Dewey, sections 29, 32 2.10
Lewis Findley, seetion 13. 160
Reuben Griggs, sections 21, 23. 210
William B. Jlopkins, scetion 11. 240
Abel Lamannion, section 21. 80 Franeis Mittleberger, section 28 160
Ezra L. Mason, sections 8, 17
255
Albert B. Mason, section 8. 10
Waterman Perkins, section 32 80
Samuel Shepard, sections 17, 20.
Lewis Simpson, section 19 .. 383
Charles Stimpson, sections 14, 23. 160
Ira Stimpson, personal.
Abram T. Wilkinson, section 22
160
Samuel Wilkinson, section 28
80
Horton Warren, sections 28, 29.
200
Bushrod Warren, seetion 28.
SO
Henry Hunt.
William Jackson
4 Charles Stimpson
The total tax levied on the township and village during the same year was one thousand and twenty-one dollars and
thirty-nine cents, and the aggregate valuation of real and personal estate, including resident and non-resident lands, was forty-nine thousand four hundred and seventy-one dollars and twenty cents.
In 1850, Bradford Bradley, Nathaniel Powell, Elisha B. Halstead, Frank MeCarty, Franklin P. Guilford, Heury Crooks, Maleolm D. Bailey, Chas. Parker, Samuel Wheaton, Edward Wood, Henry Ackerman, Isaac Secord, Ezekiel Salisbury, and William M. Norris were additional residents. At this time, with the village, Owosso township contained but seventy-six dwelling-houses and three hundred and ninety-two inhabitants.
In 1860, with that portion of the surveyed township now embraced within the corporate limits of the city of Owosso taken out, it had one hundred and twenty dwellings and five hundred and seventy-three inhabitants. Accord- ing to the last State enumeration (1874) it then had one thousand and fifty inhabitants. With three hundred and fifty voters, it has a present population of about seventeen hundred.
The greater portion of the township was held as non- resident lands until within a period quite recent. This retarded population and improvements to such a degree that it is still comparatively a new township, susceptible of great changes for the better.
Owosso, as village and city, having always been the chief trading-point for its inhabitants, the place where were es- tablished the first schools, stores, mills, post-office, etc., no other commercial eentre has ever been attempted within its confines. Mungerville, a station on the line of the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad, is situated near the west border of the township. Here was formed a Protestant Methodist church in March, 1880, of which, by the articles of incor- poration, Elihu W. Mason, George T. Mason, Myron Big- nall, William Wright, and Nelson Ackerman were named as trustees. For much else of interest regarding the past history of Owosso township, the reader is referred to the history of Owosso City.
CIVIL AND POLITICAL.
By an act of the State Legislature, approved March II, 1837, the township of Owosso was formed from Shiawassee, and included the northern half of the present county of Shiawassee. Section S of said aet reads as follows :
" All that portion of the county of Shiawassee known as townships seven and eight north, of ranges number one, two, three, and four east, be and the same is hereby set off and organized into a separate township by the name of Owosso; and the first township-meeting therein shall be held at the house of Daniel Ball in said township."
Pursuant to the foregoing act the electors of the town- ship assembled at the houset of Daniel Ball, in the village of Owosso, on Monday, May 1, 1837, and organized by choosing Joel North moderator and Samuel N. Warren clerk, who, together with Elias Comstock, a justice of the
f Tho towaship election of 1838 was beld at Williams Bros. store : in 1839, at the office of Ball, Green & Co. ; in 1810, at Could, Fish & Co.'s storo ; and in 1841, at the school-houso.
* The first eolored man to resido in the township.
264
HISTORY OF SHIAWASSEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
peace, constituted the inspectors of the election. After these officers had taken the required oath, on motion the meeting was adjourned to the store of Daniel Ball, where balloting commeneed. At its close, and after the cauvass had been completed, the following officers were declared elected : Lewis Findley, Supervisor ; Alfred L. Williams, Township Clerk ; Daniel Ball, Samuel N. Warren, Abram T. Wilkinson, Assessors ; John B. Griswold, Ilenry S. Smith, Jehial Dunning, Highway Commissioners; Daniel Ball, Elias Comstock, Alfred L. Williams, John Davids, Justices of the Peace ; Elias Comstock, Alfred L. Williams, Samuel N. Warren, School Inspectors ; Henry S. Smith, Jehial Dunning, Abram T. Wilkinson, Constables ; Henry S. Smith, Samuel Wilkinson, Lewis Findley, Poormasters.
At the elose of this meeting it was " Resolved, That the next annual township-meeting be held at the school- house in the village of Owosso, if there should be one at that time ; if not, then at the house of Daniel Ball, in said village."
The highway commissioners at their first meeting divided the township into two road districts, described as follows : " The Second District shall comprise all the land lying south of the River Shiawassee, and east of a north and south line drawn between sections nineteen and twenty, twenty-nine and thirty, and thirty-one and thirty-two in township number seven north, of range number three east. The First Distriet shall include all the remaining lands of the township.'
Caledonia and Middlebury were formed as separate town- ships, in 1839; New Haven, in 1841; Venice, in 1843; Rush and Hazelton, in 1850; and Fairfield, in 1854; and all comprise territory which belonged to the old township of Owosso during the years 1837-38.
In 1859 sections 13 and 24, and the east half of sections 14 and 23, were set off and placed within the corporate limits of the city of Owosso.
The following is a tabulated statement of the supervisors, township clerks, treasurers, highway commissioners, and justices of the peace elected* annually for the years from 1838 to 1880 inelusive :
Supervisors.
Township Clerks. Ebenezer Gould.
Treasurers.
183S. Elias Comstock.
1839.
18.10. =
1841. Lewis Findley.
1842. Sanford M. Green.t Daniel Gould.
1813. Alfred L. Williams. David D. Fish.
1844,
Charles P. Parkill.
1845. Amos Gould.
1846.
Thomas D. Dewey.
Erastus Barnes.
1847.
1848.
18-19.
1850. = 66
Isaac M. Chiman.
Lueins G. Hammond.
1851.
Charles L. Goodhue.
Erastus Barnes.
1852. Daniel Lyon.
Anson M. Chipman. Joseph Hedgos.
William A. Carr.
1853.
1854. David Ingersoll.
66
4
1855. Alfred L. Williams. Jay L. Quackenbush. David Gould.
* All resignations, vacancies, and appointments are not shown.
f Resigned ; A. L. Williams elected in November, 1842, to fill va- canoy.
Supervisors.
Township Clerks.
Treasurers.
1856. Alfred L. Williams. Jay L. Quackenbush. Whitney A. Tillotson.
1857. A. B. Chipman.
Randolph L. Stewart. Charles M. Moses.
I85S.
1859. Ezra L. Mason.
1860.
186I.
1862.
1863. 4€
1864. .6
Francis M. Waldron.
1865.
1866. =
O. F. Wilkinson. George L. Hall.
IS67. Ira W. Rush.
11. C. McCarthy. John S. Gates.
1868.
46
1869.
66
G. W. Chase.
1870. Ezra Mason.
G. G. Doane.
T. M. Templeton.
1871.
1872.
Wm. P. Steadman.
Elihn W. Mason.
1873.
"
66
66
1874. Loren Hopkins.
George T. Mason.
Moses Mix.
1875. Ezra Mason.
Andrew Love.
1876.
1877.
66
Earl S. Hall.
George T. Mason.
1878. 16
I879.
=
=
Andrew Love.
ISSO. Elihn W. Mason.
F. M. Shepard.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
1838. Elias Comstock.
1859. Isaac G. Culvor.
1839. Daniel Gould. Harrison II. Carson.
Apollos Dewey. IS60. John S. Chase.
1840. Apollos Dewey. 1861. Francis M. Waldron.
1841. Sanford M. Green.
Daniel Brooks.
1842. Apollos Dewey. 1862. Sidney S. Morse.
Ezra L. Mason. Philander Munger.
Ebenezer Gould. 1863. Philandor Munger.
1843. Anson B. Chipman. 1864. Ira W. Rush.
Benjamin O. Williams. Lewis E. Rice.
1844. Renben Griggs. 1865. No record.
1845. Elias Comstock. 1866. Thomas J. Jones.
1846. Charles M. Moses. 1867. T. M. Templeton.
1847. Anson B. Chipman. 1868. D. S. Munger.
1848. Samuel Shepard.
1869. Gilbert G. Doane.
1849. Ira Merell. 1870-71. Erastus B. Knapp.
1850. Mathew N. Tillotson.
1872. William B. Launstein.
1851. Joseph lledges. Thomas D. Dewey.
1874. Erastus B. Knapp.
1852. Josiah B. Parks. 1875. Ira W. Rush.
1853. David Ingersoll.
1876. John W. Dewey.
1854. Daniel Lyon.
1877. Orlando F. Wilkinson.
1855. Anson B. Chipman.
1878. Erastus B. Knapp. Frank P. Guilford.
IS57. John F. Miller. Isaac W. Burke.
Ezra L. Mason.
1879. Charles W. Wadsworth.
IS5S. John L. Van Doren.
ISSO. William Price.
1859. Channeey F. Shepard.
HIGHWAY COMMISSIONERS. .
1838. Daniel Gould. 1844. Ira Stimpson.
John B. Griswold. 1845. Henry Rush.
llenry S. Smith. Lewis Simpson.
1839. Austin Griffis. Apollos Dowoy.
1840. Apollos Dewey.
Benjamin O. Williams.
1846. David F. Tyler. IIenry Rush. Benjamin O. Williams.
1841. Apollos Dewey.
Benjamin O. Williams.
Avery Thomas.
Daniel Gould.
1842. Charles M. Moses. 1848. Apollos Dewey.
Austin Griffs.
1843. Sprague Perkins. Avery Thomas. Ezra L. Mason.
Ezra L. Mason. IS49. Robert Ireland.
Ezra L. Mason.
llenry Rush.
1850. Joseph Whitlock.
64
Austin Griffis.
Georgo Parkill.
Daniel McGilvra.
Mathew N. Tillotson.
Auson B. Chipman. Dwight Dimmiek.
Loonard F. Kingsley.
1847. Ezra L. Mason. William B. Hopkins.
184 1844. Sprague Perkins.
Jay L. Quackenbush. Daniel Lyon. Gilbert G. Doane. George L. Hall.
William H. C. IIall. =
I. W. Burke.
W. Love.
"
66
1856. Josiah B. Parks.
1873. Orlando F. Wilkinson.
Sanford M. Green. David D. Fish.
Elias Comstock.
265
PERRY TOWNSHIP.
1851. William II. Keytes.
Winfield S. Ament.
1852. L. Mason.
1863. John Wiley.
Samuel Shepard.
1864. Ira W. Rush.
1853. Thomas D. Dewey.
IS65. No record.
1854. William Hf. Keytes.
1866. W. Davis.
Horton Warren.
1867. F. M. Shepard.
1855. Josiah B. Parks. Ira Merell.
1869. Frank P. Guilford.
1856. Anson B. Chipman.
1870. John H. McCall.
1857. William H. Keytes.
1871. T. M. Templeton.
Gilbert G. Doane.
1872. Ira W. Rush.
1858. M. W. Quackenbush.
1873. John It. McCall.
1859. John S. Gates.
1874. Erastus B. Knapp.
Franklin P. Guilford.
1875. William P. Steadman.
Daniel Brooks.
1876. William J. Lewis.
1860. Joseph I. Newman.
1877. William B. Launstein.
1861. William C. Van Doren.
1878-80. John W. Dewey.
1862. Earl S. Ilall.
EDUCATIONAL.
For matters pertaining to the first school in the township in district No. 1, see history of eity. School district No. 2, the Griggs and Wilkinson neighborhood, was organized in 1843. From the fact that the early school inspectors' reports have not been preserved, and the failure of those living to remember, we cannot determine who taught the first school in the latter distriet. It seems that but two distriets-1 and 2-had an active state of existenee for ten or twelve years after the organization of the township. Sinee 1850 other districts have been formed, and the boundaries of all contracted or enlarged at various times. It is impossible to follow or describe their history.
Among the early teachers mentioned as receiving eer- tificates were Charles P. Parkill, May 4, 1844 ; Drusilla Cook, in 1847 ; Sarah Pratt and Drusilla Cook, 1848; J. W. C. Blades, Euphrasia Parkill, Clarissa Ingersoll, Sylvia Guilford, 1849; Amanda Guilford, Lueretia Griggs, 1850; and Uretta Chase, Annette Wilkinson, C. F. Shepard, Miss R. Cook, in 1851.
A summary from the school inspectors' report for the year ending Sept. 1, 1879, shows as follows:
Number of districts (whole, 3; fractional, 3) ...... 6
.4
children of school age residing in the
township. 295
children attending school during the year ... 256
frame school-houses. fi Value of school property. $4150
Number of male teachers employed. female ‘ 3
Paid male teachers .. $245
* female « $578.75 Moneys received from all sources during the year $1218.50
CHAPTER XXXVIII. PERRY TOWNSHIP .*
Location, Boundaries, and Early Settlement-Township Organization and List of Officers-Schools of Perry-Old Perry Contre-Village of Morrice-Village of Perry.
THE township of Perry, designated in the United States survey as town 5 north, of range 2 west, is situated on the south border of Shiawassee County, and bounded on the
west, north, and east respectively by the townships of Woodhull, Bennington, and Antrim.
The first settlement in this township was made by Josiah Purdy in the fall of 1836, upon land which had been en- tered for him by a Mr. Howe, and described as the west half of the northwest quarter of seetion 13, and the west half of the southwest quarter of section 12. Upon the northern half of this land now stands the village of Morrice. While Mr. Purdy was building a cabin he left his family at the house of Alanson Alling, in Antrim. The rude dwel- ling which he soon completed, and to which he soon after brought them, was the first built by a white man in the township of Perry. It stood just east of the school-house now in the village of Morriee. An Indian trail, which to all appearances had been used for ages (for in places it was worn nearly a foot deep), passed near the door, and over it at times, in their peculiar single file, long lines of Indians would pass. They were at first totally oblivious to the presence of their new neighbors, but gradually became acquainted, and before leaving the township became very friendly. They would sometimes stop during a storm, or spend the night with him. At such times they would sleep on the floor of the little front room, which was often covered with them. Without a word of explanation they would sometimes go away, leaving their guns standing in one corner of the room, and be absent several weeks in sueees- sion. As Mr. Purdy never touched them, or allowed any one to interfere with them, he gained the entire confidenee of the Indians. In the spring of 1837, Mr. Purdy plowed a small piece of ground for a garden, and although in the mean time several other settlers had located in Perry, this, it is thought, was the first land plowed in the township. Mr. Purdy died in 1868. Mrs. Diantha Purdy, his wife, died in 1866. The son, who came with them to Perry, is living on the south part of the farm which his father en- tered.
During the spring referred to many new settlers made their appearance,-some to buy land and remain, but most of them soon became discouraged and returned to the older settlements. Among those who remained were Horaee Green and Joseph Roberts. The latter was a physician, the first in the township. They built a house and lived under the same roof for three years. Mr. Green entered the southwest quarter of section 15. He brought a wife and six children, some of whom still remain in the town- ship. He and his wife are now living in Kent Co., Mich.
George Reed, Jesse Whitford, William Lemon, and Wil- liam Morriee came to Perry about the same time. Mr. Reed, who was a native of England, located one hundred and sixty aeres on section 8, and with his wife remained in Perry until his death, which occurred a few years since.
Jesse Whitford eame to Perry in the latter part of 1837, and located the west half of the northwest quarter of' see- tion 3. He had a wife and five children. His daughter Minerva, born in 1838, is supposed to have been the first white child born in the township. William Lemon also came in 1837, and located the southwest quarter of section 1. The next summer (1838) he married in Washtenaw County, and did not remain long afterwards in Perry.
In March, 1837, William Morrice, from Aberdeenshire,
* By G. A. MeAlpine.
34
1862. John Wiley. Edward B. Brewer.
1868. Il. H. Carson.
266
HISTORY OF SHIAWASSEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Scotland, located with his family on the southeast quarter of scetion 2. His brothers, John, George, and Alexander, came to the township the next year. George located the southwest quarter of section 2. Part of this land had been entered by a Mr. Patten. John Morrice located the east half of the northeast quarter of section 2. He died in 1848. Alexander did not remain in Perry, but went to Fonia County. The village of Morrice took its name from this family, a number of the members of which are still living in the vicinity. William Morrice died in 1873. His wife is yet living.
Phineas Austin came to Perry in 1837, having previously entered the laud on section 4, where his son now lives.
Lyman Bennett settled on the northeast quarter of sec- tion 5. Levi IIarmon, also one of the early settlers of Perry, located on the south part of section 25. His daugh- ter Polly was married to Lewis Ward (whose father was a pioneer of Antrim) in September, 1839. This is said to have been the first marriage in the township. Ebenezer Turner came to Perry in 1837, and bought part of the northwest quarter of section 2.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.