Past and present of Shiawassee County, Michigan, historically; with biographical sketches, Part 18

Author:
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Lansing, Mich. : Hist. Pub.
Number of Pages: 580

USA > Michigan > Shiawassee County > Past and present of Shiawassee County, Michigan, historically; with biographical sketches > Part 18

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The northern half of the township re- ceived no settlers until 1839, when James McCarty and his son, with their families, ventured to section 3. William McCane fol- lowed a few years later. He chopped about eight acres on section 4 and then retired in disgust, declaring that the "wolves were so thick in the infernal country that no white man could live there."

In 1843 Roswell and Nathan Herrick set- tled near the Slocums, Nathan afterward moving to section 28. William Rideout lo- cated on section 27 in 1844 and about the same time John Flanagan came to section 22. James Kenney and William Badgerow were also settlers of that year.

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Middlebury's pioneer blacksmith and car- penter in one person was B. F. Tobey, who settled on wild land, in 1848, and opened a blacksmith shop. In 1849 Tobey assisted in the erection of a school house on section 23. There was then no saw mill in the township. Some years afterward Coon & Kline built one, on section 16, but until after 1850 a builder in Middlebury was compelled to go to Owosso for lumber. Other settlers of the same time were Garrison, Lounsbury and Bushrod Warren. In March, 1847, George and David Warren located on section 33, each entering eighty acres of land. Will- iam Tubbs also made a location in that year.

In the '50s Middlebury settlers became so numerous in the southern portions that a complete list can scarcely be given in a limited account of the township's develop- ment. In the northern sections, however, the progress of settlement was very slow until 1860, when the tide of emigration turned that way.

The first white child born in the town- ship was Joseph, son of Obed Hathaway, his birth occurring in June, 1838. The first death was that of Silas Potter, in Au- gust, 1843. A legislative act, approved March 21, 1839, organized Middlebury as a separate township. Until January 4, 1854, its territory included the present township of Fairfield. The first town meeting was held April 1, 1839, at the home of Moses Clark, Jr. Only seven voters being present, it was found necessary to elect several of them to as many as four different offices each. William Palmer was chosen as the town- ship's first supervisor. At the election'in 1842 there were ten voters; in 1843, only

six, but in 1845 the number had increased to twelve.

Although the township was organized in 1839, no school districts were organized until 1845, for the very good reason that there were scarcely any children of school age in the town. The first school house was built in 1849 and in it the first school was taught by Miss Mary Sherman,-a term of three months.

Middlebury had at one time two post- offices, though in the days of the earliest settlement the people received their letters at Laingsburg. The first was established in 1845, with the name of Middleburg, and George W. Slocum was appointed post- master. Mail was received once a week over the route from Owosso to Ionia. Maple Valley postoffice was established in 1850. Ira Stimson was postmaster until 1854, when Harton Warren received the appointment. Upon the establishment of Ovid postoffice, in 1857, both of the Middlebury offices were abolished. The township now has, in com- mon with the rest of the county, rural de- livery of the mail throughout its entire territory.

Among the early preachers in Middlebury were several of the Baptist and Methodist denominations, who conducted services at school houses and in settlers' homes. Sev- eral societies were organized in different lo- calities, but no church building was erected until 1872, when two Methodist classes-the Warren and Sciota classes-joined in build- ing a handsome edifice on section 34, the church being connected with the Laingsburg circuit.

Middlebury has ever been distinctly an agricultural township. The Maple river,

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flowing through the central part, with a smaller branch entering from the south, has furnished an excellent drainage for the land. Extensive improvement of the course of the Maple is now in progress, which, it is be- lieved, will greatly increase the productive- ness of a large portion of the township's soil.

NEW HAVEN TOWNSHIP

New Haven was among the earliest in point of settlement of Shiawassee's town- ships. In 1837 it was probably the extreme northern limit of civilization in the Shiawas- see valley.

The township at that time was well tim- bered with maple, oak, beech, and elm, ex- cept in an extensive area of swamp land where tamarack abounded. This, however, was not long allowed to lie in its natural state. By careful drainage it was soon con- verted into the most fertile land in the town. The Shiawassee river runs through the

northwestern sections. Six Mile creek, which rises-in the central part of Caledonia, enters New Haven in section 33 and flows into the river in section 18, where an excel- lent waterpower has been utilized since 1869 in running one of the large furniture fac- tories of the Estey Manufacturing Company. Another stream of considerable size flows through the eastern portion of the town. The surface of New Haven is generally level and the soil is very productive. Its earliest highway was known as the "State Road." This ran north from the city of Corunna, entering New Haven at the middle of section 33 and continuing to the center of section 27, whence it angled eastward to the line between sections 15 and 16, and again ran due north to the Saginaw boundary line.

The first settler in the township was Hor- ace Hart. He came from Monroe county in 1836, and was accompanied by four sons, some of whom then had families, and three of whom became permanent residents, the fourth, after a time, removing to Caledonia. Mr. Hart entered four hundred and eighty acres of land and gave each of his sons eighty acres, retaining for himself one hun- dred and sixty on section 35, where he set- tled. The first marriage in New Haven was that of his daughter, Nancy, to Mr. Thomas R. Young. In his family also occurred the first death, that of his son, Robert C., in 1848.

The second of New Haven's pioneers was Richard Freeman, who came from England to the forest solitude of Shiawassee, first clearing a farm for Peter Reid, of New York city, and then locating one for himself, on section 21. He afterward became a resident of Rush, but in time returned to New Haven.

Humphrey Wheeler, with his family, came to the township in the spring of 1838, hav- ing previously spent two years in Oakland county, on his way west from his former home in Chenango County, New York. Mrs. Wheeler's father had given her an eighty- acre tract on section 15, and there the family settled after building a cabin twelve by six- teen feet in dimensions. The first year they were the victims of chills and fever and con- sequently did not accomplish much in the way of clearing land. Water for household use was procured four miles from home. The depredations of wolves and bears among the live stock were the cause of much an- noyance, and the long journeyings to Detroit or Pontiac for provisions were among the

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hardships experienced. Conditions, however, improved with time, and in 1855 Mr. Wheeler built a large frame house on the state road which ran past his farm. This became familiarly known throughout Shia- wassee and Saginaw counties as the "Wheeler Tavern" and was one of the most famous of the chain of taverns which ran across central Michigan and continued to do a thriving business until the railroads absorbed the traf- fic which formerly passed over the high- ways. Mr. Wheeler remained the genial host of the tavern until his death, in 1860. His son, James B. Wheeler, was a well known business man of the county, residing at Corunna until about 1890, when he repeated the family experience of pioneering by set- tling in . the new territory of Oklahoma- under modern conditions, however, which can scarcely be compared with those of Michi- gan's pioneers.

In 1839 Spencer W. Stout came from New York and located on section 4, and shortly afterward married Miss Rosanna Hart, a daughter of the first settler. John Dunlap was the earliest settler of 1840, locating on section 33, where he remained until the end of his life. William Durkee, a brother-in-law of Mr. Wheeler, also came in that year but in 1850 returned to Oakland county.

Roswell Spencer, in 1842, located upon section 23, where he remained for some time, though he afterward removed to Caledonia. In the same year Walter R. Seymour set- tled on section 18, the whole of which was afterward purchased by Lewis Findley, an early resident of Owosso. Among the set- tlers of 1843 was Czardus Clark, who lived here until his death, in 1875, and a number of his sons who remained permanent resi-

dents of the township. Another was Jesse B. Amidon, who later removed to Hazelton. Francis R. Pease also located here in that year. At his house early religious services were held, being conducted by Elder Patter- son.

In 1844 the number of resident tax payers was twenty-one. In that year Dwight Dim- mock came from Owosso and located on sec- tion 28. John Pope also was a settler of that year. George Ott came to the township in 1847 and erected a saw mill, on Six Mile creek, which for some years was operated profitably. The Dumond family, consisting of father and sons, made their advent in 1849.

In 1852 Rev. William Cochran purchased of Warren Hart eighty acres on section 23. After living there a number of years he re- moved to Corunna. He was one of the earliest preachers in that part of the county. The same year Daniel Young located on sec- tion 15, one mile from Humphrey Wheeler's. To the north there were no white neighbors for a distance of twenty miles. Indians of the Fisher tribe, however, were numerous and were frequent visitors. They were great beggars and did not maintain the es- tablished reputation of the race for honesty. Among other settlers of the fifties were S. H. and J. Alliton, grandsons of Roswell Shipman; Chester Cram: James H. Des- brough; Phineas Burch, an early carpenter ; and J. J. Garner, a "circuit preacher." Sam- uel P., and Daniel Conklin, Patrick Riley, Jesse D. Hanford and Edward Murray also came about this time.

After that time the township settled more rapidly and conditions had improved so that the newcomers were not obliged to experi-

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ence the hardships endured by the real pioneers, although they doubtless felt that they had a sufficient share. While several roads were surveyed at an early date, as late as 1852 there were none that intersected the state road that were in a condition to travel.

New Haven was organized a separate township March 20, 1841, but included the territory of the present town of Hazelton until March 25, 1850. The first township election was held at the house of Richard Freeman on the first Monday in April, 1841. Among the officers chosen for the year were the supervisor, Humphrey Wheeler; clerk, Joel A. Hart; treasurer, Lewis Hart.

Although the first settlement was made in 1836 no one neighborhood became sufficiently populated to need a school house until 1843, when one was erected in the southern' part of section 21. This was a log structure, of course, as were nearly all of the earlier school buildings, and was succeeded in time by a frame building, which in its turn grew ancient and came to be called "the old red school house." In the original log building Ira W. Rush was the first teacher, and among the early preachers who held re- ligious services there were Noah Peters and Elder Patterson.

A number of church societies were organ- ized in the township at a comparatively early date, the first being the Wesleyan Methodist, in 1851. A Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1859, and a German Evangelical church in 1860. There was also a church of the Disciples organized in 1875.

About the year 1900 the Six Mile Coal Company began to develop the coal industry, the output giving evidence of a good vein of coal. The mine has been operated very

successfully and the product finds a ready sale. There are indications of coal else- where in the township and, in fact, through- out the county, and new shafts are being opened at frequent intervals.

OWOSSO TOWNSHIP .

This township, which originally embraced the northern half of Shiawassee county, now occupies the territory of a single survey township, designated as No. 7 north, of range No. 2 east.

Originally this was a heavily timbered township having beech, maple, oak, ash, cherry, hickory, butternut, walnut and other deciduous trees common to this climate. Pines of small size were found scattered over various sections. Along the Maple river and in the swamps of the northern por- tion were tamaracks and black ash in abun- dance. It is impossible now to read without regret of the waste of this wonderful timber supply incident to the clearing of the land. One does not begrudge the pioneers the enormous amounts consumed in the great fireplaces for fuel was the one thing among the necessaries of life of which they were not stinted. But the sheer waste of the burning log heaps! It is painful to imagine that. And again one wonders why the early fathers did not leave the new roads they laid out, well shaded by the magnificent trees which grew along their borders.

The surface of the township is compara- tively level, but sufficiently elevated to admit of good surface drainage. The Shiawassee winding on its graceful course through the northeastern part and the Maple creeping slowly across its southwestern corner, hav- ing also numerous springs and wells whose

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waters are strongly impregnated with iron, the township may be considered well watered. Agriculture furnishes the chief occupation.

The history of Owosso as a township be- gan in the year 1823, when deputy United States surveyors threaded these wilds and commenced the toilsome work of mapping out townships. The field notes of the sur- veyors would be interesting to those living here eighty-three years later could they be quoted at length, which space forbids. They range all the way from "Land first rate; soil good," and "Fine Indian sugar or- chard" to "Land miserable; not fit even for wolves to inhabit." The hardships of a sur- veyor's life are indicated by the annotations, "Waded river seven times to-day," and "Three miles from camp and just dark." On the line between sections 9 and 16 was found a white oak "fifty links in circumfer- ence seven feet from the ground; sixty feet to the limbs. It' is sound and we judged it would make one thousand rails."

Alfred L. and Benjamin O. Williams en- tered the first land in the township, August 2, 1833. No other entries were made until the year 1835. The first settlement in the township of Owosso outside of the village was made by Reuben Griggs and Abram T. Wilkinson, in June, 1836. In traveling to their wilderness homes they cut out the first road leading west from the present city of Owosso.

Apollas Dewey, a native of Vermont, seems to have been the next settler in the rural portion of the township. He settled in the southwest part, in the spring of 1839, and soon became one of the most prominent and successful farmers in Owosso. His son, Thomas D. Dewey, also became one of the

best known business men in the young city of Owosso. Being first a merchant, he later started an extensive milling business in con- nection with John Stewart. They also had large farming interests and engaged exten- sively in breeding fine horses.

Ezra L. Mason and his brother, Albert B. Mason, with their families came to Owosso in September, 1839, and settled on section 8, on lands which had been purchased three years before. E. L. Mason's son, also named Ezra, whose birth occurred Novem- ber 9, 1839, was the first white child born in the township, outside the village. Mr. Mason was an experienced surveyor and per- formed much work of that character in the early days.

The settlers known to have located here in 1840 were Samuel Shepard, Francis Mitte- berger and Waterman Perkins. However, settlements were not made rapidly, and in 1844 only twenty-four names were in the list of resident tax-payers. The total tax levied on the township and village in that year was one thousand and twenty-one dollars and thirty-nine cents. In 1850 Owosso town- ship contained but seventy-six dwellings and three hundred and ninety-two inhabitants.

Much that is of interest in the early his- tory of the township was closely connected with the history of the city of Owosso, which is reviewed in succeeding pages. Burton, a station on the Detroit, Grand Haven & Mil- waukee Railroad, is situated near the west border of the township.

By an act of the state legislature, approved March 11, 1837, the township of Owosso was formed and included the northern half of Shiawassee county. The first township meet- ing was held at the house of Daniel Ball, on

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May 1st, and the following officers were elected: Lewis Findley, supervisor ; Alfred L. Williams, clerk; Daniel Ball, Samuel N. Warren, Abram T. Wilkinson, assessors; John B. Griswold, Henry S. Smith, Jchial 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, con- stables; Henry S. Smith, Samuel Wilkinson, Lewis Findley, poormasters. Owosso town- ship was not reduced to its present limits until 1854, when Fairfield, the last of those taken from its territory, was organized into a separate township.

Prior to 1850 but two school districts were formed; after that time others were formed and the boundaries of all contracted or en- larged as circumstances required. Among the early teachers mentioned as receiving certificates were Charles P. Parkill, May 4, 1844; Drusilla Cook, 1847-8; Sarah Pratt, 1848; J. W. C. Blades, Euphrasia Parkill, Clarissa Ingersoll, Sylvia Guilford, 1849; Amanda Guilford, Lucretia Griggs, 1850; Uretta Chase, Annette Wilkinson, C. F. Shepard; Miss R. Cook, 1851.

PERRY TOWNSHIP

The township of Perry, which bounds An- trim on the west, was originally the south half of Bennington. The first settlement in the township's present limits was made by Josiah Purdy in the fall of 1836 upon land described as the west half of the northwest quarter of section 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 tlie house of Alanson Alling, in Antrim. The rude dwelling which he soon completed was the first built by a white man in the township of Perry. An Indian trail passed near the door and over it long lines of the red men often traveled in their peculiar single file.' Evidently their moccasined feet had trod the trail a great many years, for in places it had been worn a foot deep.

The Indians were at first totally oblivious to the presence of their white neighbors, but in time Mr. Purdy gained their entire con- fidence. They would frequently stop at his house during a storm and sometimes spend the night with him in such numbers that the floor of the little front room would be covered with their sleeping forms. In the morning they would silently go away and sometimes, without a word of explanation, would leave their guns standing in the cor- ner of the room, where they might remain unclaimed for several weeks. In the spring of 1837 Mr. Purdy plowed a small piece of ground for a garden and although in the meantime several other settlers had located in Perry, this, it is thought, was the first land plowed in the township. Mrs. Purdy died in 1866 and her husband two years later.

Many new settlers made their appearance in the early part of 1837, some of whom re- mained, others becoming discouraged and returning to parts of the country that were more advanced. Among those who remained were Horace Green, with his wife and six children, who located on the southwest quar- ter of section 15. They later removed to Kent county. With them came Dr. Joseph

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P. Roberts, who was the first physician to settle in the township. He, however, gave his attention principally to farming, only practicing his profession in cases of emer- gency and near home. He died after living here about eight years.

Among other settlers who came to Perry in 1837 was George Reed, a native of Eng- land, who located on section 8 and with his wife remained a resident of the township until his death some time in the '70s. Jesse Whitford came in the latter part of the year and located on the northwest quarter of section 3. His daughter, born in 1838, was supposed to have been the first white child born in the township. William Lemon entered the southwest quarter of section 1, but did not remain long in Perry.

William Morrice, from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, came in March and with his family located on the southeast quarter of section 2. Mr. Morrice died in 1873. Phineas Austin was another settler of that year. He had previously entered land on section 4. In the same year Ebenezer Turner located on sec- tion 2.

The only permanent settlers known to have come to Perry in 1838 were the three brothers of William Morrice, John, George and Alexander Morrice. John located land on the northeast quarter of section 2. He died in 1848. George located on the south- west quarter of section 2. Alexander, how- ever, did not remain long, but settled in Ionia county. The village of Morrice re- ceived its name from this family, a number of whose second and third generations are still living in the vicinity.

In 1839 John P. Shaft located a large tract of land on sections 19, 20 and 29. He re-

mained a resident of Perry until 1846, when he removed to Woodhull township, where the village of Shaftsburg was named for him. In 1840 John Spaulding came from New York and purchased a part of section 19, where he settled. Lyman Bennett was an early resident who settled on section 5; also Levi Harmon, who located on the south part of section 25.

March 15, 1841, the township of Benning- ton was divided, the south half being organ- ized under its new name of Perry. The first township meeting was held at the house of Dr. Roberts, the ballot boxes being "a coffee pot and an old tea kettle." Dr. Roberts re- ceived five of the offices, no other person re- ceiving more than four. Lyman Bennett was chosen supervisor and was elected to the same office eight years in succession.

Among the well known names which ap- pear in the later records of the township is that of Judge Amasa A. Harper. . He was elected township clerk in 1865 and in sev- eral successive years, was treasurer for two years, and then supervisor from 1874 to 1880, when he was elected judge of probate for Shiawassee county and removed to Co- runna, where he still resides.

The total valuation of real estate and per- sonal property in the township in 1841, as shown in the assessment rolls, was $63,978; in 1905 it was $1,186,000.

November 14, 1837, the school commis- sioners in the township of Shiawassee, in · which Perry and other townships were still included, held a meeting at the "Exchange" for the purpose of dividing the townships into school districts. Township 5 north, range 2 east (now Perry), was divided into four districts.

MAIN STREET, MORRICE

CORUNNA JOURNAL

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The first school was taught by Miss Julia Green (who afterward became Mrs. M. L. Stevens), in 1839. A room in the house of her father, Horace Green, served as a school room and the number of pupils who attended was from seven to ten. For twelve weeks the teacher received the sum of six dollars from the public-school fund. It was the custom in those days for pupils to pay a tuition fee or assessment, but it appears not to have been done in this case. Most sur- prising facts have been discovered in con- nection with the remuneration received by the early teachers, but this is believed to be a record of the minimum of wages paid.

VILLAGE OF MORRICE.

Morrice is one of the thrifty villages of the county, is situated near the east line of Perry township, on the main line of the Grand Trunk Railroad, and has a population of four hundred and fifty. The site was plotted by Isaac Gale, in 1877. The land had been settled on in 1836 by Joshua Purdy, who had built a cabin just east of the present site of the school house and near an Indian trail that had evidently been in use for a great many years, as it was worn nearly a foot deep in places. In the spring of 1837 Mr. Purdy prepared a small garden near his home, which was the first land plowed in the township. Many families settled near Mr. Purdy's claim, notably William Morrice, who came from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, with his brothers John, George and Alexan- der. It was from this family that the village of Morrice took its name.

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Past and present of Shiawassee County, Michigan, historically; with biographical sketches, Part 18

Author: Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Lansing, Mich. : Hist. Pub. Number of Pages: 580

Author:
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Lansing, Mich. : Hist. Pub.
Number of Pages: 580