NINTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE EATON COUNTY PIONEERS, Eaton County, Michigan Copyright © 1999 by Jan Sedore. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ Report of the Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan Vol. IV 1881 Lansing Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., State Printers 1906 page 236 EATON COUNTY NINTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE EATON COUNTY PIONEERS Pursuant to a call issued by the officers, the Society met at 10 A. M., on June 9, 1880, on the fair grounds of the agricultural society. After picnic refreshments the large attendance assembled in floral hall for the business meeting and was called to order by the President, George N. Potter. M. L. Squire, Treasurer, and E. A. Foote, Secretary, were present. The meeting was opened by an appropriate prayer by the Rev. Mr. Doust, pastor of the M. E. Church at Charlotte. The record of the proceedings of the last meeting was read and approved. The Secretary reported the following deaths of members of which he had received information, viz: MRS. CLARA Z. BAKER, wife of Alonzo L. Baker, died at Charlotte, Mich., Feb. 13, 1880. She came to this State in May, 1836, and in March, 1841, moved with her husband into this county and settled three miles south of Charlotte. ALONZO L. BAKER, aged about 70 years, died in the city of Charlotte, March 8, 1880. Born in the town of Bovinia, county of Suffolk, State of New York, May 14, 1809. Settled in East Bloomfield, Oakland County, Mich., May 1836, and in this county three miles south of Charlotte in March, 1841. WILLIAM L. LOVE, of Carmel, was a member of this Society, but the usual data for a record entry has not been furnished to the Secretary. He died in Carmel, Sept. 24, 1879, aged fifty years. He had resided forty years in that township. ALVAN D. SHAW, one of the early and most prominent of our pioneers, died in the city of Charlotte, Dec. 17, 1879, aged 72 years. He was born in the town of Warren, county of Herkimer, State of New York, Nov. 1, 1807. He first settled in Homer, Calhoun County, in this State, in March 1838. On the twentieth day of February, 1840, he settled in the township afterwards organized and named Carmel; the settlement contained five men, R. T. Cushing, S. N. Dunton, John Dunton, H. Wood, and Mr. Shaw, and one woman, Mrs. Shaw, his wife. Upon the next town meeting day, he, with his neighbor voters, went seven miles to Hyde’s mills in Kalamo, which they supposed to be the place for holding their town meeting. On reaching there they learned for the first time that their town had been set off and organized by itself. But they could not learn the name of their township or the place appointed by the Legislature for holding their first election. Mr. Daniel Barber, of Vermontville, had represented the county at the last session of the Legislature and could give them the desired information. They therefore passed the hat, raised a dollar, and hired a boy by the name of Charles Herring to go post haste through the woods to the Vermont colony. The boy, anxious to earn his money, divested himself of coat, hat, shoes, and stockings, and with head up started on a run through the woods. After about two hours’ absence he returned with a line from Mr. Barber informing them that the name of the town was Carmel and that the first election was to be held at the house of Robert Dunn. They returned into Carmel and found the house, which was a low built pioneer shanty, shingled with hollow logs split in two, with hollows laid alternately up and down, so as to run off the water. Mr. Shaw, a six footer, had to take his stand where the roof was highest in order to stand erect. These pioneer sovereigns of the newly made town at once held a nominating convention, made a ticket, and then made a ballot box. They organized an election board, and soon had their election fairly under way. By four o’clock in the afternoon they had in every vote in the township (18 in all) and closed the polls. They then counted the votes, made certificates according to law, and returned to their homes to safely sleep under the aegis of their young town government. Mr. Shaw was elected one of the county commissioners, who then governed the county instead of the present board of supervisors. He was afterward several years supervisor of Carmel, and after his removal into Eaton he held the same office from that township. He held the office of county clerk, and subsequently that of register of deeds. No man was more generally known and respected throughout the county as an upright and valuable citizen. “Probably no man ever lived in the county who could count such a large proportion of its inhabitants as his staunch and enduring friends.” I have lived here long enough to hear our public men thoroughly canvassed by friends and opponents, but I do not recollect of ever hearing a word of fault found with A. D. Shaw, and yet he was remarkably frank and outspoken, never saying “between you and me” and never disguising or compromising his sentiments. It was publicly said of him at the time of his death: “that although as an extensive dealer in tax titles and real estate he had ample opportunity to oppress those in his power, he never took the slightest advantage of any man.” His memory seems to render appropriate the oft quoted line of the poet: “An honest man’s the noblest work of God.” After reading this report the secretary was informed of the death of Mr. B F. Mills, of Eaton Rapids, February 1, 1880. No further particulars were given, and his record as a pioneer had not been furnished to the society. The report of the departed pioneers was followed by the singing of a piece entitled the “Gloom of Autumn” by Mr. And Mrs. Johnson Montgomery. It was well received and a motion prevailed to place a copy of the song among the records of the society. A recess was now had for the purpose of enabling new members to sign the constitution and old members to pay their annual dues of fifty cents each. NAMES OF MEMBERS SIGNING John C. Sherman, Nellie M. Sherman, E. R. Ingledue, Mary Ingledue, W. C. Foster, L. O. Smith, Mrs. Alvina F. Pray, Almira G. Munson, George W. Griest, Mary Griest, D. M. Baker, Lucinda Jessup, Jane Mitchell, James G. Ford, Mrs. L. J. Ford, Priscilla H. Ford, Mrs. Emily Strickland, Mrs. Ada Williams, John Strange, Mrs. Orinda Strange, Mrs. N. McArthur, Curtis Scott, J. V. Johnson, Henry Baughman, Catharine C. Baughman, Maria L. Richards, Allen Cunningham, R. W. Shriner, Mrs. M. A. Shriner, Mores F. Bailey, Alathea Waldron, Wm. A. Vickery, Mrs. Phebe A. Vickery, Egbert, Bickford, Ursula W. Buck, Lillay A. Barnet, Luther B. Bosworth, O. C. Buck, H. M. Towsley, E. W. Hunt, Jonathan Dean, Jr., D. W. Driscoll, Mrs. Alcesta B. Driscoll; total 43. Some of the above had formerly joined but had not signed the constitution. M. L. Squire, treasurer, here made his report, which was, on motion, accepted and placed on file. It showed a balance in the treasury of $30.77, after paying $8.15 as the expenses of 1879. ELECTION OF OFFICERS On motion, the president appointed the following committee to nominate officers for the ensuing year, viz: Jonathan Dean, Jesse Hart, and Johnson Montgomery. The committee reported the following as its nomination of officers: President, Robert Nixon, Oneida; vice-president, T. D. Green, Charlotte; treasurer, M. L. Squire, Vermontville; secretary, E. A. Foote, Charlotte. The committee recommended that the officers appoint three members of the society to constitute with them an executive committee. Report adopted. On motion of Jonathan Dean it was ordered that hereafter, to avoid consuming the time of the meeting, the secretary and treasure open office in the forenoon of the day of the annual meeting for the receipt of dues and new memberships. On motion of J. C. Sherman, the officers were directed to procure the attendance of some person to deliver a regular address before the society at its next annual meeting. HISTORICAL SKETCHES Mr. P. A. Durant, who is now engaged in preparing for publication a history of Ingham and Eaton Counties, appeared by invitation before the society and read an historical sketch of the organization of Eaton County and the location of its county seat. This paper contained much new and valuable information. Jonathan Dean, Jr., read an historical sketch of the first settlement of the township of Kalamo. TERRITORIAL PIONEERS On motion, those pioneers who had lived in Michigan previous to its admission as a State, were requested to assemble near the platform, when 41 persons gathered in a venerable appearing group and gave their names and date of their arrival in the territory as follows: Benj. E. Rich………...1834 John Strange…………1836 Weltha A. Dunton……1836 Asa Fuller……………1831 Johnson Montgom’ry..1836 Lucius H. Dunton…….1836 Mrs. A. Slosson………___ John Tyler……………1829 Nathan H. Pray……….1825 Mors H. Bailey………1836 Wm. E. Richards…….1834 Henry M. Hall ……….1836 Mrs. Charlotte Bailey..1836 E. W. Hunt…………...1828 Mrs. M. A. Hall………1837 Martin Fox…………...1836 Fred Spicer…………..1836 Jennie M. Johnson……1836 B. I. Clafin……………1836 Sol C. Perrine………..1834 H. M. Towslee………..1837 Robert Nixon…………1836 Samuel Preston……....1835 Ruth Cogswell………..1836 Ashbel Tyler………….1836 Mrs. Rebecca Preston..1835 Maria Bohannan………1836 Mrs. Lovina Ion………1830 Benj. Covey………….1835 Diana Potter…………...1830 Mrs. Rebecca Preston ..1835 Mrs. Ard’lia D. Covey 1835 Mrs. J. F. Carman ……..1830 Alatha Waldron ………1836 B.L. Bentley …………1826 Geo. N. Potter…...…….1830 Jane Grant ……………1835 Philinda Knight ………1833 Chas. H. Mills ……...…1826 William Searles……….1836 Mary Quantrell ……….1836 The meeting, on motion, adjourned. E. A. FOOTE, GEO. N. POTTER, Secretary President MEMORIAL REPORT, BY D. B. HALE Geo. W. Knight died very suddenly on the evening of February 20th, 1878, while on his way home in Eaton Rapids, from Charlotte, where he had been to attend a meeting of the superintendents of the poor, of which board he was chairman. His death was the result of paralysis of the heart. Mr. Knight was born in West Windfield, Herkimer County, N. Y., Aug. 27, 1822. He came to Eaton County, Mich., in the fall of 1839 with his father, who settled in Tyler township (now called Hamlin). In 1843 he was married to Miss Philinda Hamlin, who still survives him. After his marriage he settled in Brookfield township, where he resided for two years. In 1845, he purchased the old homestead, and continued to reside there until the time of his death. Mr. Knight was foremost in every movement looking to the interests of the community, town, and county in which he lived. He figured prominently in bringing our railroads to this place. Mr. Knight, although an unflinching Democrat, has enjoyed the confidence of both political parties. He has filled three terms as supervisor of Hamlin township, as treasurer four terms. He was one of the pioneers of Eaton County, and was at the time of his death secretary of the organization. At the annual meeting of the stockholders of Eaton and Barry County Farmers’Mutual Fire Insurance Company, held at Hastings, Feb. 19, 1878, Mr. Knight was elected president of the company. He has filled the office of superintendent of the poor in a highly satisfactory manner; the only fault which could be found with him in regard to the latter was that he was possessed of two generous a nature, and could not withstand the appeals of the great number who came to him for aid. In 1876 he was Democratic candidate for probate judge, and such was the esteem in which he was held that he gained many Republican votes. He was a gentleman of strictly temperate and moral habits, and of marked decision of character. On account of his known integrity and business ability the deceased was often appointed executor in the administration of estates, and always performed his duties faithfully and well. Mr. Knight previous to his death had expressed a wish that when he died his funeral services be held at his home. His wish was complied with. A large number of his friends and relatives gathered at the house of the deceased on Friday afternoon, Feb. 22, to pay their last tribute of respect to the departed dead.