USA > Michigan > Washtenaw County > History of Washtenaw County, Michigan : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships...and biographies of representative citizens : history of Michigan > Part 120
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 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135 | Part 136 | Part 137 | Part 138 | Part 139 | Part 140 | Part 141 | Part 142 | Part 143 | Part 144 | Part 145 | Part 146 | Part 147 | Part 148 | Part 149 | Part 150 | Part 151 | Part 152 | Part 153 | Part 154 | Part 155 | Part 156 | Part 157 | Part 158 | Part 159 | Part 160 | Part 161 | Part 162 | Part 163 | Part 164 | Part 165 | Part 166
John Young, M. D., Dixboro, was born in Scotland in 1846, and is a son of John and Margaret (Spier) Young. He received his preliminary education in the parish schools of his native land. He emigrated to the United States in 1865, and followed agricultural pursuits until 1870. He then commenced the study of medicine, and in 1872 entered the medical department of the University of Michigan, from which he graduated in 1874. He had fully determined to be a thorough master of the profession, and his present success is a fitting reward for his former diligent and laborious duties. He practiced two years in Tuscola, Mich., and in 1876 removed to Dixboro, where he is now following his chosen profession. He was married in 1880 to Fannie N. Atherton, an adopted daughter of Ransom , Townsend, a resident of Superior tp. Mrs. Young's father was a Lieutenant in the Union ranks during the late war and was killed in battle.
YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP.
PHYSICAL AND TOPOGRAPHICAL.
" The township of Ypsilanti forms one of the most delightful dis- tricts of this county, and therefore of the State. The Huron river, or the Giwitatigweiasibi of the Northern Indians, enters the town- ship in section 5, flows southeast through sections 4, 9 and 16, and at the southeastern limits of Ypsilanti begins its tortuous course through sections 15, 22, 23 and 24, and enters Wayne county at the village of Rawsonville. The Seine-like windings of this beautiful stream and the picturesque valley through which it flows, earned for it the unrepeatable name conferred by the " simple-tongued " abo- rigines. Paint creek, Willow run and several minor streams course through the township. There is one small lake or pond in the northwestern section, which may be termed Tompkin's lake. The city of Ypsilanti occupies the S. E. quarter of section 5, the southern half of section 4, the western portion of section 3, all sec- tion 9, with fractional sections 8 and 10. The southern limits of the city extend into sections 15, 16 and 17. Rawsonville village is prettily situate on the eastern confines of section 24. The M. C. R. R. runs from east to west through the city and northern town- ships.
AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES.
The township of Ypsilanti contains 19,517 acres of land, of which 14,803 are improved, and 4,714 unimproved. This land is laid off into 169 farms, which, equalized, would give 115.49 acres to each.
The area under wheat in May, 1880, was reported to be 3,341 acres, which compares very favorably with the acreage, 2,727, of the former year. The product of this cereal in 1879 was 53,548 bushels, or 19.64 bushels per acre.
The oats crop of 1879, grown on 1,126 acres, was 43,010 bushels; the product of 1,862 acres of corn fields was $137,250; 779 acres of rye yielded 1,357 bushels; 65 acres of barley produced 1,449 bushels; 171 acres of potatoes gave 15,840 bushels; and 2,781 acres of meadow land produced 3,588 tons of hay.
FIRST GRANTEES OF FERTILE LANDS.
The first settlers west of Detroit may properly be said to be Gabriel Godfroy, Francis Pepin and Romaine de Chambre, the French owners of the Otawewigamig or Indian trading house,
(1092)
1093
YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP.
which was located on or near the place of George Hill's resi- dence on the west side of the Huron. The lands in the vicinity, subsequently known as " the four French claims," containing 2,363 acres, were parceled out in tracts and deeded to the traders. Sec- tion 690, a tract of 612 acres, was granted to Godfroy; one of 622 acres to Romaine de Chambre, forming section 691; section 680, containing 556 acres to Godfroy's children, and the south claim known as 681, comprising 562, to Francis Pepin. The date of this wholesale deeding was June 11, 1811, two years after the first set- tlement of the French traders. The first lands sold by the general Government, after the United States survey of 1818-'19, were por- tions of sections 9 and 10, in town 3 south, range 7 east. The first purchaser was Eli Kellogg, to whom letters patent were issued July1, 1822, for 132 acres, forming the south part of section 9.
Augustus Brevoort Woodward purchased the northwest quarter of sec. 10, comprising 80 acres of land, the deed duly registered Ang. 16, 1862. Major Benjamin J. Woodruff arrived in April, 1823, entered the west half of the northwest fractional quarter of sec. 15, on the 22d of that month, and six days later was registered owner of 114 acres in sec. 15 and 22. This tract took the name of " Woodruff's Grove." John Thayer, Robert M. Stitts, David Beverly and Titus Bronson arrived at the same time as did Ben. Woodruff, and settled or located tracts of land one mile southeast of the business center of Ypsilanti, where Chester Yost subse- quently made a home, and now the property of Addison Fletcher. To follow up the names of settlers who arrived in the township up to the year 1834, and notice each fully, is impracticable, but the record may be given correctly in an abridged form; therefore in the following list, is given the names of those who made the first purchases of the lands here, and their locations:
SECTION 1.
Calhoun, John, e h sw qr. Harwood, William W., e h nw qr. Gilbert, John, w h sw qr and w h se qr. Spencer, Theron, w h ne qr.
Brown, Ann, e h ne qr.
Bowen, Zolva, w h nw qr. Crouse, George G., e h se qr.
SECTION 2.
Emrick, Jacob, w h se qr.
Spencer, Theron, w h sw qr.
Bowen, John, e h qr and e h sw qr.
Pettybone, Milton, w h nw qr.
Ira Merrill and Ashley Pratt e h nw qr. Pratt, Oliver, w h ne gr. Merrill, Harvey W., e h ne qr.
SECTION 3. Every, Abraham, nw qr. Moss, Joseph, sw qr. Spencer, Theron, e h se qr.
Ira Merrill and Ashley Pratt w h ne qr. and sh se qr.
Merrill, Jeremiah C, e h ne qr.
SECTION 4. wives Bought x Oakman, Walter, nw frac gr .- 123.31. Jeht- 6, Mead, Ezra, ne qr. Ahvit 25: 1425, 160 acres Rosencrantz, Josiah, sw frac qr. 113.08. Huy 16 Burlingame, Henry, n pt of se frac qr. 80.50. May Burlingame, Henry, s pt of se frac qr.79 . 37
SECTION 5.
Jones, Hiram W., frac of nw frac qr. 5.70-vlug. 2
SECTION 6. 1
Stewart, Taylor, se gr. 16Caro 3ch May 19:
Brown, Joseph, e h sw qr. Suacres : lui, 31"- Dickerson, John, ne frac qr.
Orren, David W., w h sw qr. Dickerson, Silas, nw qr.
SECTION 7.
Brown, Joseph, se frac qr.
Turner, Josiah, ne frac qr. Smith, Eleazer, w h nw qr. Rice, Asa, e h nw qr.
Martin, John, e h sw qr.
1094
HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
SECTION 8.
Morton, Jonathan G., frac.
SECTION 9. Kellogg, Eli, s pt. Jones, Hiram W., n frac of frac. SECTION 10.
Woodward, A. B., w h nw qr. Sackrider, Thomas, w h sw qr.
Bryan, John, e h sw qr. Price, Dewman A., e h nw qr. Gilbert, John, se qr and wh ne qr. Bryan, John, e h ne qr.
SECTION 11.
Donelson, Obed, e h ne qr.
Emrick, Jacob, wh ne qr.
Becker, Christian, nw qr.
Saltphew, Jacob, e h se qr. John Gilbert and John H. Coon, sw qr and w h se qr.
SECTION 12.
Derby, Ezra, w h nw qr.
Gilbert, John, w h ne qr and e h nw qr.
Emrick, Jacob, sw qr.
McMath, Archy, e h se qr.
Fleming, James, w h se qr.
Richards, Daniel, ne qr of ne qr.
Hodges, Russel, se qr of ne qr.
SECTION 13.
Millington, Abel, s h. Norton, Elias, nw qr and ne qr. SECTION 14.
McCord, David, w h se qr.
Guilford, Erasmus, sw qr.
Bryan Jacob B., w h ne qr.
Hubbard, George, e h nw qr.
Nash, David, e h ne qr.
Mckinstry, Andrew, e h se qr. Freeman, Adam, w h nw qr.
SECTION 15.
Woodruff, Benjamin J., w h nw qr and frac.
Bronson, Titus, w pt of se frac,
Grant, Orenti, e pt of se frac.
Cross, Daniel, e h nw qr.
Noyes, George W., w h ne qr.
Woodruff, Benjamin J, sw frac. Norris, Mark, e h ne frac qr.
SECTION 16.
Hall, Willard, se frac qr. Woodruff, Benjamin J., ne frac and e frac.
SECTION 17.
Trotter, John, frac.
SECTION 18.
Brown, Joseph, n pt of ne frac qr. Forbes, John, s h ne frac qr. Trotter, John, nw qr. Stiles, Ezra, e h se qr. Avery, John H., sw qr and w h se qr.
SECTION 19.
Watling, John, ne qr.
Etchels, Peter, w h nw qrand wh sw qr.
Rundell, Josiah, e h sw qr.
Rundell, Josiah, w h se qr.
Cooley, David, se qr of nw qr and ne qr of nw qr. Smith, James, e h se qr. SECTION 20.
Churchill, Cyrus, se qr.
Barnhart, Martin, ne frac qr.
Kilpatrick, Samuel, sw qr.
Watling, John, nw frac qr of frac.
SECTION 21.
Shaw, John, e h ne qr.
Shaw, John, w h ne qr.
Morton, Jonathan G., e h sw qr.
Wilson, John, se qr.
Crosby, Solomon, w h sw qr.
Hosmer, William and Wheaton, e pt of nw frac qr. Stiles, David, w pt of nw frac qr. SECTION 22.
Bronson, Titus, frac of ne frac qr.
Woodruff, Benjamin J., frac pt.
Shaw, John, nw frac qr.
Persons Samuel, e pt of ne frac qr.
Rosencrantz, Josiah, sw qr and e h nw frac qr. Brown, Jonathan, w pt of ne frac qr. Tuttle, Hiram e h se qr.
Stillman, Jared A., w h se qr.
SECTION 23.
Tuttle, Hiram, n pt of nw frac qr.
Sutton, Benjamin, e pt of ne frac qr.
McCord, David, e h se frac qr.
Kamiski, Michael, s h nw frac qr.
Cross, Daniel, w h se qr.
Kittridge, William, w h ne frac qr.
Price, Dewmon A., e h sw frac qr. Guilford, Erastus, w h sw frac qr.
SECTION 24.
Fleming, Robert, w h se frac qr and e h nw frac qr.
Snow, Henry S., e h ne frac qr.
Price, Dewmon A., w h sw frac qr. Moss, Joseph, e h se frac qr.
Larned, Samuel, w h nw frac qr. Losa, Francis, w pt of ne frac qr. Carpenter, Powell, e pt of sw frac qr.
1095
YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP.
SECTION 25.
Carpenter, Powell, nw qr. Ballard, Asa N., e h ne qr. Compton, Hugh, w h ne qr. Torrey, Joseph W., e h sw qr. Limbacker, Harry S., eh se qr. Moon, William L., nw qr of sw qr. Canovan, John S., w h se qr.
Udell, Samuel, sw qr of sw qr.
SECTION 26.
Huff, Hiram, w h ne qr.
Train, Jonathan, e h ne qr.
Olmstead, Israel, eh nw qr.
Young, John, w h nw qr.
Compton, Hugh, ne qr of se qr.
Canovan, John S., ne qr of se qr and w h se qr. Benhain, Milo, sw qr. SECTION 27.
Kelley, Christian, w h nw qr.
Clapp, Nathan B., e h nw qr.
Hurd, Alanson M., w h sw qr.
Perry, William, e h ne qr.
Pierson, Daniel, ne qr of se qr and sw qr of se qr.
Wilson, William, w h ne qr.
Baldwin, Benjamin F., se qr of se qr.
Grant, Elijah, e h sw qr and nw qr of se qr.
SECTION 28.
Graves, Lyman, e h nw qr and w h ne qr.
Morton, Jonathan G., w h se qr and e h ne qr.
Graves, Lyman, e h sw qr and w h nw qr.
Gorton, Job, jr., w h sw qr.
Gorton, Richard L., se qr of se qr.
Hurd, Alexander M., ne qr of se qr.
SECTION 29.
Avery, John H., w h sw qr.
Witherell, Benjamin F. H., w h ne qr.
Witherell, James, e h ne qr. Densmore, William, w h se qr.
Densmore, William, e h sw qr.
Strong, Amos, nw qr.
Gorton, David, e h se qr.
SECTION 30.
Avery, John H., eh ne qr and w h sw qr.
Strong, Amos, se qr of se qr. Pratt, Alvah, w h nw qr.
Benedict, Chloe and Albert C., w h se qr Spencer, Norman, e h nw qr and nw qr of ne qr.
Cady, Dennis, se qr of sw qr. Glover, Melvin, ne qr of se qr. Reed, Samuel, sw qr of ne qr.
SECTION 31.
Strong, Hiram, e h se qr.
Densmore, Hiram, e h ne qr.
Wait, Stephen, e h sw qr.
Reed, Samuel, nw qr and w h sw qr.
Craig, Robert, w h se qr.
Hall, Joseph, nw qr of ne qr.
SECTION 32.
McIntyre, Alexander, nw qr.
Allbright, Henry, e h sw qr.
Williams, Ebenezer, w h se qr.
Wadham, Ralph, w h sw qr.
Densmore, Hiram, e h ne qr.
McIntyre, Alexander, w h ne qr.
Melbs, Jeremiah, e h se qr.
SECTION 33.
Peck, Watrous, n h.
Gorton, Job, e h se qr.
Williams, Ralph, and James, w h sw qr.
Williams, Rachel, ne qr of sw qr.
Densmore, George, w h se qr.
Grant, Elijah, se qr of sw qr.
SECTION 34.
Aray, James, e h nw qr.
Aray, Jacob, w h ne qr.
Carpenter, John, e h sw qr and w.h se qr.
Camp, Henry C., w h nw qr.
McCauley, William, w h sw qr.
Comstock, Nathan, e h se qr.
Gorton, Richard, e h ne qr.
SECTION 35.
Wing, Job, w h sw qr.
Comstock, Nathan, nw qr.
Rogers, Samuel S., ne qr.
Willetts, Micajah, w h se qr.
Willits, Stephen, e h se qr.
Allen, Lemuel, e h sw qr. SECTION 36.
Sterns, Samuel, e h ne qr.
Rogers, Samuel S., nw qr.
Thomas, Allen B., sw qr of ne qr.
Camburn, William, e h se qr.
Comstock, Nathan, w h sw qr.
Spalding, Ephraim H., nw qr of se qr.
Lafferty, John, nw qr of ne qr.
Spencer, Grove, e h sw qr. Spencer, Grove, sw qr of se qr.
Before passing from the subject of the first bona-fide buyers of the lands of this township, it is just and proper to quote from the memoirs of John Geddes. In 1824 there were 14 purchasers, com- prising John Calhoun, W. W. Harwood, Walter Oakman, Abram
1096
HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
Avery, Taylor Stewart, Joseph Brown, Benjamin Sutton, David McCord, Ben. J. Woodruff, John Trotter, John Forbes, John Shaw, Daniel Cross and Michael Kamiski. They are probably all dead. Three of them died in Ypsilanti. Thirty persons purchased lands in 1825; of them Jonathan G. Morton is the sole survivor. Lyman Graves died in January, 1880.
Benjamin J. Woodruff was the first settler on land purchased from the general Government. He built a house and moved his family into it July 6, 1823. Woodruff started the first village in Washtenaw. He was the first justice of the peace, the first post- master, first sheriff and first mill builder in the county. He came from Ohio to Ypsilanti.
On the first day of June, 1825, the road from Detroit to Chi- cago was surveyed by the United States commissioners, beyond Woodruff's Grove; so the village perished. Woodruff moved to Ypsilanti, where he and his wife died. He was social and accom- modating, and made a good landlord. His grave is not marked.
The next purchaser was Titus Bronson, who bought two fractions in Ypsilanti in 1823. On May 5, 1824, he purchased 160 acres in section 32, Ann Arbor township, adjoining section 29, which was first platted for that city. He exchanged with John Allen for the N. W. quarter of section 17, in Pittsfield township. He disposed of this land to Leonard Morris, and went on a visit to his birth- place in Connecticut. Bronson returned the following spring to Tallmadge, Ohio, and subsequently settled at Kalamazoo, which he named Bronson. A vote of the citizens changed it afterward to its present title. Returning East in 1853 he died, and a headstone marks his grave in the quiet church-yard of a Connectiont valley, bearing the words, " A Western pioneer has returned to sleep with his fathers."
Thomas Sackrider was the third occupying purchaser. He built a house on his land and opened a wheat field in 1824. In the fall of 1825 he sold 15 bushels of wheat to Robert Geddes at $1.25 per bushel. Subsequently he sold his property, migrated to Lenawee county, and died there some years ago.
Oronte Grant was the fourth grantee. He settled here with his family in April, 1824. John Bryan and family arrived at "the Grove " Oct. 23, 1823; in 1824 purchased land, erected a house, and moved into it Dec. 31, the same year. He was a carpenter and the builder of the first bridge over the Huron in Washtenaw, dur- ing the fall of 1827, at Ypsilanti. He built the county court-house in 1834, and after the completion of this work moved to Constan- tine, St. Joe county, where he died years ago. ITiram Tuttle, the sixth purchaser in order of time, arrived with Major Woodruff, set- tled on the banks of the Huron below " the Grove," and died there. Hiram Johns, the seventh purchaser, located on the east side of the Huron, adjoining Eli Kellogg's land. David McCord and Robert Fleming bought lands at the same time; the latter built the first saw-mill in this county on section 25, Ann Arbor township, in the
-
Cornelius Cornwell
1099
YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP.
summer of 1824. It was located on a little creek running through that portion of the county, subsequently named Fleming's creek. He was a non-resident. Harvey H. Snow was the tenth buyer, and the owner of " Snow's Landing," now called Rawsonville. This settler disposed of his interests to Abel Millington in 1825 or 1826, and emigrated. Erastus Guilford was the 11th purchaser; Daniel Cross, the 12th buyer of Government lands, sold out in 1825 and emigrated to Saline, where he resided for a time, afterward changing to Manchester and ultimately returning to Ypsilanti, where he died, Feb. 15, 1875. George W. Noyes was the 13th purchaser in Ypsilanti township. He moved to Ann Arbor in 1824 and two years later was the principal actor in building the first grist-mill there. While assisting at the raising of Andrew Nowlan's house, Nov. 23, 1826, he was accidentally killed.
THE STORY OF THE FIRST IMMIGRANTS.
Among the names in the list of land purchasers are those of Oronte Grant, Ben. Woodruff, William Eiclor, Hiram Tuttle, David Stiles, Willard Hall, George Hall and Captain Fair. The four last named were settlers of Monroe for some years previous, and formerly neighbors of Grant and Woodruff; so that when the first named men arrived in Michigan, they found acquaintances to receive them. Stiles, Fair and the Hall brothers were fishermen in 1823; they carried their operations up the Huron as far as God- froy's trading post. They knew the country well, and advised the new comers to settle near Godfroy's on the Pottawatomie trail. In accord with such advice the immigrants and their friends of Mon- roe left en route for Godfroy's, Wm. Eiclor alone remaining at Monroe in charge of the cattle and provisions. They arrived at Godfroy's, located their farms and then returned to Monroe for the purpose of bringing forward their cattle and provisions. This they accomplished June 1. 1823. On the same day the party entered upon the erection of a house for Benjamin Woodruff.
A few days later, Grant and Woodruff left for Ohio, with the intention, on the part of the latter, to return with his family by July, so that the anniversary of Independence might be celebrated in the first home of an American pioneer. He and his friends did not arrive until the sixth of July, so that the proposed celebration did not take place until 1824. The date of settlement by the Woodruff family, consisting of Benjamin and Mrs. Woodruff, six children, with Mrs. Snow, is July 6, 1823. Immediately Mr. Woodruff waited upon the Governor of the Territory, who named the settlement " Woodruff's Grove."
.
Early in 1824, Mrs. Grant, Mrs. Tuttle, Jane Johnson, and Mrs. Alvin (Eiclor) Cross, arrived. At that time, Daniel Cross, John Bryan, S. Noyce, and J. Brainard were located near the Grove; while the Hall brothers and Beverly had their log-cabins built on the opposite banks. Godfroy's trading post was deserted then,
64
3
1100
HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
1
-
nothing remaining of it save a few logs and remnants of the bark which formed its roof. The post was near the "Spring well " of the village of later days, almost on the site where John Stuart built his first house. The first banquet given in the township or county was at the Grove, July 4, 1824. The party included Arden H. Ballard, Judge Fleming, Capt. Fair, Orange Crane, Wm. Eiclor, W. W. Harwood, Benj. Woodruff, Oronte Grant, Hiram Tuttle, Thomas Sackrider, David Stiles, Leonard Miller, Sanders Beverly, David McCorrel, J. Mahen, H. Mallett, John Brvan, J. Stoddard, Mrs. Woodruff, Mrs. Grant, Mrs. Bryan, Mrs. Tuttle, Miss Johnson, Miss Mallett, and Miss Eiclor, with the children of Woodruff, Tuttle and Bryan. John Phillips and Walter Oakman, two Irishmen, are said to have gone to Detroit to celebrate the day there. The season of chills and fever arrived in August following. Oakman died. Nothing less than the attention which Mrs. Wood- ruff bestowed upon the ailing members of the little community, warded off death in many other instances. This lady prepared por- ridge for the sick, and appointed Miss Eiclor (Mrs. Alvin Cross) the distributor of such food in the homes of the sufferers. Rev. John Baughman is said to have preached the first sermon in the Grove, in the house of Brooks, in 1825. The same year Woodruff erected the first grist-mill, a half mile south of the Grove. Mallett was the first violinist, or " fiddler," who performed for the Terpsi- choreans of Washtenaw, long before it was organized as a county, July 4, 1824. The first school without the village was taught by Catharine Rosencrantz. Walter Oakman died in 1824 and David Beverly in 1825, being the two white men for whom the first graves were excavated. The first marriage was that of Eliza Cross to Andrew Mckinstry, contracted in November, 1825; and the first birth, that of Alpha Washtenaw Bryan. The first regular store was opened by Jonathan G. Morton and Aretus Belden, where now is the office of the Commercial, N. W. corner of Huron and Pearl. Morton employed blacksmith Elmer and started him. If the trading post of Godfroy, which was located nearly opposite, is con- sidered as a store, that of Morton's must lose precedence; yet it must be conceded that Mr. Morton was the first American mer- chant of this township as well as of the county. The first field of wheat was sown in 1824 by Win. and Alvin Cross. Benj. Wood- ruff kept the first hotel as well as grist-mill at the Grove. Robert Fleming built the first saw-mill in 1825, in what is now Ann Arbor. John Bryan constructed the first bridge over the Huron in 1827. Abel Millington constructed a saw-mill at Snow's Land- ing, or Rawsonville, in 1826. Lyman Graves erected a saw-mill on Paint creek in 1829.
Jonathan G. Morton, referring to his early settlement here, differs from the generally accepted opinion, that Major Woodruff was the first settler. If the first house-builder and first resident constitute a first settler the honor belongs to Woodruff and not to John Bry- ant. He says :-
1101
YPSILANTI TOWNSHIP.
" In the month of August, 1824, I came to Ypsilanti from De- troit. At that time there was no road between these places, and I traveled on foot by way of Flat Rock, following an Indian trail. The first settlement in the township of Ypsilanti was at a grove about a mile below the present city, and it was called Woodruff's Grove. When I arrived, there were six log houses at the Grove, oc- cupied by the following persons: Benjamin Woodruff, Robert Stitt, Leonard Miller, Jason Cross, John Bryant and John Barney. Where the city now stands there were two shanties constructed of poles and occupied by George Hall and John Stewart.
"John Bryant and Daniel Cross were the first settlers at the Grove, and I think were the first in this county. The first white child born in the county was a son of John Bryant, and he being the first was named Alpha. The first death was a young Irishman from Ireland, who died in 1824, at the Grove. I brought some dry-goods to Detroit in 1824, and in the spring of 1825 transferred them to Ypsilanti. They were taken down the Detroit river to the Huron river, and poled up the Huron in a small boat. I think these were the first goods brought into this county, except such goods as were brought in to sell to the Indians when there was an Indian trading-post at this place. I opened a small store in com- pany with Aretus Belden, who came to Ypsilanti with me. I had previously purchased two village lots for $5 each.
" The next day after my first arrival at Ypsilanti I came to Ann Arbor on foot, and followed an Indian trail. There were then only two log houses in Ann Arbor, situated near the creek that crosses Huron street. Walker Rumsey and John Allen occupied these houses. Oliver Whitmore and Mr. Maynard (father of Wm. S. and John W. Maynard) then lived at Mallett's creek, between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. About that time Deacon Carpenter, Mr. Parsons and Samuel McDowell settled there.
" The first party with dancing that occurred among the earliest settlers of Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor combined was at Mr. Rumsey's, in Ann Arbor. The young people of Ypsilanti, on or about the 1st of January, 1826, got up a sleigh-ride for the purpose of making Ann Arbor a visit. It was good sleighing, but there was only one sleigh in the vicinity, and this had been brought from the State of New York. The balance of the company went in 'jumpers ' made of poles. This company, on arriving at Ann Arbor, stopped at the log house occupied by Mr. Rumsey, who then kept a public house. It was soon proposed to have a dance, if the necessary music could be obtained. It was soon ascertained that John Allen's father was the man for the occasion. He owned a violin, and could produce the music in good style. He was then an old man, with locks as white as snow. He was induced to come over to Rumsey's and play for this party. Among others, there were present at the party: William and Alvin Cross and their two sisters, Olive and Almira Gorton, Catherine and Hannah Rosencrans, Aretus Belden, Andrew Mckinstry, Jonathan G. Morton, J. Whitmore and his sister Ve-
1102
HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
nus, and Mr. Dexter, afterward well known as Judge Dexter. The latter had been to Dexter and was on his way back to Detroit, and had stopped at Mr. Rumsey's for the night. A number of the set- tlers of Ann Arbor were present, and a good, jolly time was had. All felt that it was good for them to be there. Society was then a unit, and everybody was welcome. There were no fashionable cliques, and people were esteemed rather for their good deportment and industry, than for the value of their wardrobes and the number of flounces they wore. The dancing was up stairs; a long table, upon which was spread an excellent supper, monopolized most of the room below. A lasting impression was left on the guests from Ypsilanti, that Mrs. Rumsey was an excellent landlady and cook, and that Mr. Rumsey was a man of more than ordinary intelligence, and that he knew how to keep a hotel."
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.