Pioneers of Bean Creek Country, Lenawee Co, Michigan; James J. Hagaoam; published by Jas. M. Scarritt, Hudson, MI, 1876 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Mary Teeter ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgenwebarchives.org *********************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Page 41 they were split out of a large or small tree, or was the first or last riven out of the bolt. The shakes were laid on poles flattened to the rafters and held in place by other poles, the poles, underneath and top, being fastened together with hickory or blue beech withes. But, notwithstanding these aristocratic notions, Mr. Knapp was compelled to have a stick and mud chimney, because there were neither brick or stone to be had. The house stood near where Allen's tavern, in Medina village, now stands. The land bought by William W. Walworth was that on which the Canandaigua mills now are. He built a house a little northwest of where the old saw mill was afterwards built. Charles A. Prisbey, October 4th, purchased the northeast fractional quarter of the northwest quarter of section two. Samuel Fincher bought the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section two, October 5th. Both these men built houses on their lands in the summer and fall of 1834. During that summer the following named persons purchased lands in the township: Section 1- William M. Wadsworth, June 3d; Samuel Sweeney, Jr., Nov. 5th. Section 2- Amos S. Knapp, Nov. 4th. Section 3- Nathaniel Moore, Aug. 25th. Section 5- Andrew McFarland, March 1Oth. Section 6- James Barns, Nov. 1Oth. Section 11- William P. Hobbs. Section 12- Hiram Lucas, Oct. 3d. Section 23- Benjamin Rodgers, Sept. 24th. Section 24- Chester Savage, Aug. 4th; Thomas Hawley, Oct. 28th. Section 25- Horace Garlick, March 1Oth; George Bennett, June 9th; Dennis Wakefield, Aug. 29th; Charles M. Hewitt, Sept. 8th; James Wilson, Nov. 14th. Section 26- Joseph Hagaman, May 27th; James Jackson Hannah, Nov. 8th; William Yerks, Nov. l7th. Section 27- Samuel Chambers, Dec. 30th. Section 34- Justus Coy, Oct. llth. Section 35- Dennis Wakefield, Oct. 6th; Ira Clark, Oct. 9th; Archibald Purdy, Oct. 9th; Thomas Tadman, Nov. 17th. Section 36- Charles M. Henry, July 5th; Dennis Wakefield, Aug. 24th; Samuel Sweeney, Nov. 5th. In town nine south, on section 1- Calvin King, June 17th; Dennis Wakefield, Aug. 29th; Albert Davis, Aug. 23d; Horatio Wilson, Aug. 29th; Amos Franklin, Sept. 16th; Section 2- Dennis Wakefield, Aug. 29th; Levi Goss, Sept. 4th; Amos Franklin, Sept. l6th; Dennis Wakefield, Dec. 18th. Section 3- Orville Woodworth, Sept. 3d; Levi Goss, Sept. 3d. Section 4- Orville Woodworth, Sept. 3d; James Farley, Dec. 8th. Sections 6 and 7- William Clark, Nov. l4th. Section 8- David Meech, Dec. 24th. Section 9- Miles Baker, Nov. 1st; Justus Cooley, Nov. 1st; John Farley, Dec. 8th; David Meech, Dec. 24th. Sections 10 and 11- Hiram Farwell, Oct. 25. Section 12- Uriah E. Wright, Oct. 29th. By consulting the map, the reader will see that sections 8,9, 10, 11 and 12 are now in the State of Ohio, but at that time Ohio had not attempted to exercise jurisdiction over the disputed territory. Land looking and land locating was the principal business of that year, and guides through the forests and to the most desirable unlocated lands were in great demand. There were also land centers from which land explorations usually started. From Canandaigua the northern part of Medina, southern part of Hudson, and the township of Wright were reached, while Jacob Baker's house in Seneca was the point from which southwestern Seneca, southern Medina, Royalton, Chesterfield and Gorham, now in Ohio, were explored. A good story is told of Levi Goss and Orville Woodworth. They were strangers to each other, but came to Bakers' land-looking at the same time. Arnold H. Coomer was detailed to guide Goss, and Garlock performed that service for Woodworth. They carried on their explorations separately, and pretty Page 42 thoroughly scoured the country. Coomer and Goss, having finished, came in late one afternoon, and found that Woodworth had preceded them. Mr. Goss was already somewhat advanced in age, and was considerably fatigued. He had written the description of land selected on a slip of paper thus: S. E. half sec. 3, T.9 S., 1 E., &, and placed the slip in his hat, which on coming in he sat on the floor. Woodworth sat where he could see into the hat, and was observed to be earnestly looking in that direction. All at once Woodworth started up and inquired, "How far is it to Hagaman's?" "Five miles," was the reply. "Then," said Woodworth, addressing two fellow travelers, "we have time to reach there before dark; let's go." And immediately they started. Their sudden departure was a cause of wonderment to Baker, his household and guests. Goss sat demurely contemplating the movement, when his eyes resting on the slip of paper in his hat, he exclaimed: "He has gone to enter my land." After a moment's further thought, he asked: "Is there no way of reaching Adrian tonight? He will go no further than Hagaman's tonight, and if I can reach Adrian I may save my land yet." Baker told him there was no way, unless he could make some arrangement with Coomer. Said he, "I have two horses in the barn; maybe you can make some arrangement with Coomer to bring them back." The hint was acted on, and without waiting for supper, the horses were mounted, and away went the adventurers towards Hagaman's, through thick woods, with nothing but a bridle path to follow. It was dark early in the forest, but Coomer had provided himself with a tin lantern and candle, which lighted, enabled them to pursue their journey with tolerable speed. When they reached Hagaman's it was dark in the clearing, but beyond the house were some log heaps burning. To prevent discovery the candle in the lantern was put out and the house passed as noiselessly as possible. At the most remote log heap tthe candle was relighted and the journey pursued. They now had a wagon track to follow and they traveled more expeditiously, and reached Jordan's somewhat past midnight. Mr. Jordan was aroused to get the travelers something to eat. It was here arranged that Coomer should go no farther, but that Jordon should take Goss on as soon as light appeared. Jordan was to remain up to insure an early start, but so great was Goss' anxiety he could not sleep, so the two were up the entire night. With the appearance of light they were off for Adrian, and from there to Blissfield. It will no doubt occur to the reader that via Adrian was not the shortest route from Jordan's to Blissfield, but on the more direct route there was no road through the wilderness. At Blissfield, Goss hired a man to take him to Monroe in a wagon (the journey had so far been made on horseback), but it was stipulated that the driver was to let no man pass him, and away they went towards Monroe. Coomer, sharing none of Goss' anxiety, slept soundly at the house of Jordan until long after the departure of the others, but at last awakened, and breakfast procured, he set out on his return to Baker's. A tittle way out he met Woodworth on foot, who recognized him, and at once asked "Where's the old man?" Boy like, Coomer desiring to worry him, sang out, "He's in Monroe by this time." Woodworth probably suspected that that could not be true, but Goss was ahead, and something must be done. He traveled on at as quick a pace as possible until, somewhere eastward of Jordan's he found a man plowing in his field. Woodworth walked up to the team and connnenced unharnessing one of the horses. While unfastening the harness he told his story, and as he sprang upon the horse's back, he said, "I have no intention of stealing this horse. If you want him, follow me". The other horse was stripped and mounted, and away the pair went over the road traveled by the otther party in the gray of the morning. At Blissfield the horses were changed, and Woodworth and his new companion proceeded towards Manroe. Expecting to pass Goss on the road, Woodworth attempted a sort of disguise by by changing hats and coats with his companion. Towards evening, as Godd and his driver were jogging along near the end of their journey, two men appeared riding along in the distance. One of the men appeared to be better mounted than the other, as he neared the wagon much more rapidly. "Are you afraid of that man?" said the driver. "No," said Goss, "he lives hereabouts I think," and the man rode by. Woodworth, for it was he, rode rapidly forward, while his companion jogged leisurely along, some way behind the wagon, seemingly in no hurry. Riding up to the door of the land office, and thrusting his hand into his pocket, he called out, "I want to enter ___" but alas! his memorandum was in the pocket of his own coat, on the other man's back. Giving rein and whip to his horse he dashed away, met and passed the wagon, rushed up to his companion, secured his paper, and turned again towards the land office. The driver of the team seeing the same man coming again, apparently very anxious to pass, said "There is some deviltry there," and put whip to his horses. Woodworth passed, however, and as he passed, Godd recognized him. Away they went towards the land office, where they arrived almost at the same instant. "I want to enter..." said Woodworth. "I want to enter..." cried Goss, at the same time jumping, but his foot caught on the wheel and he fell heavily to the ground, knocking the breath from his body. When Goss recovered consciousness, Woodworth had entered his land and was quietly chewing his quid, chuckling over the success of his scheme. Goss cared little for his bodily injuries, but mourned pitifully over the loss of his land. The receiver tried to comfort him by suggesting that perhaps some other land in the immediate neighborhood would answer as well. "Let me see your description," said Miller. The paper was produced, when 10! it appeared that Goss' land was not the Woodworth land at all. Woodworth had selected and entered the southwest quarter of section three, and Goss had selected and now was but too glad to enter the southeast quarter of the same section. And thus it came about that after an exciting race, each man had secured his own land, and neither man had any intention of getting the other's land. Looking with suspicious eye at the slip in Goss' hat, Woodworth had confused the southeast with the southwest, and hence the race. The two men settled on their land, where they lived and died, respecting each other, and each enjoying the respect and esteem of their neighbors. THE LAKE SETTLEMENT. Early in January 1834, the little settlement near the south shore of Devil's Lake was reinforced by its fourth family, that of Mr. William Beal. These four families and Ephraim Sloan are believed to have constituted the entire population of the territory now embraced in the township of Rollin in the winter of 1833-34. The spring of 1834 brought many settlers to the Bean Creek Valley, and a large proportion of them concluded to make their home in this township. David Steer settled on land he located in 1833, on section 5. John T. Comstock and James Sloan located land and settled on section 7, Orson Green on section l0, Levi Jennings and Salem Vosburg on section 22, John R. Hawkins on section 20 Matthew Bennett on section 24, James Macon and Joseph Allen on section 27, Jonathan Ball, Warner Ayelsworth and John Upton on section 28, and Roswell Lamb on section 29. Besides those above named, the following persons purchased land in the township during 1834: Cynthia C. Aldrich, Elmer Cole, Elvira Cole, Darius Cole, John Tingley, William Hathaway, Elijah Bennett, Elkenah Bates, Silas Orcutt, Mayhew Steward, Cyrus B. Packard, Joshua Packard, William Godfrey, David Crout, John Crout, Jacob Foster, Asa R. Bacon, James Bacon, Phoebe Foster, John Belcher, Daniel Russ, Sylvester Boody, Justus G. Newcomb, Ira Sly, John Hunt, John Haskins, Barnabas Bonney, Alden Gregory, Luther Evans, Jonathan C. Freeland and James Wescott. The first marriage in town six south, one east, occurred this year (1834) and it may be that it was the first in the Valley. There was a marriage on the Chicago road this year at the house of Cornelius Millspaw, within the territorial limits of the township now called Woodstock, and another at or near what is now called Gambleville, in the township of Somerset, but the time of year is at present unknown. The only other marriage in the Valley, th s year, was that of Mr. and Mrs. Sprague, of Pittsford, on Christmas day. This Rollin marriage took place at the house of Mr. William Beal. Hiram Aldrich and Eliza Titus were the parties, and John Comstock, a justice of the peace of the township of Logan, tied the knot. The wife of John Upton died in June 1834, and was buried on the farm of her husband. Mary Vosburg, daughter of Salem and Lydia Vosburg, was born on the 27th day of August, 1834. She was the first white child born in that township, and still lives on the old homestead. Thus there was a birth, marriage and death, within the limits of the township during the first year after the settlement of its first family. MILLSPAW'S: In the year 1833, there were two families residents of town five south, one east -Cornelius Millspaw and Jesse Osborn. Quite a number of persons bought land during that year, but the larger part were persons who lived or afterwards lived in the neighboring townships, and it was held for speculative purposes only. In 1834 a large number of other persons purchased lands, and some of them settled on their lands. Among the latter was Nahum Lamb, who arrived in the township on the first day of September, 1834. Mr. Lamb remained an inhabitant of the township until his death. When Woodstock was organized as a separate township in 1836, Mr. Lamb was electedits first Supervisor. During this year, 1834, Mr. Jacob Lair settled in the township. Besides those already mentioned, the following named persons purchased lands in the township: Section 4, Moses N. Davenport, June 23d. Section 8, Bartholomew Johnston, June 19; Matthew Bushberry, Dec. 24th. Section 9, King De Betls, July 21st. Section 10, Willard Joslin, July 3d. Section II, Abner Graves, Jr., Elisha Benedict and Charles Benedict, May 27th. Section 12, Theodore J. Van DenBrook, May 22d; Thomas McCourtie and William Powers, June 13th. Section 18, Edward S. Bascom, Oct. 27th; Charles S. Cleveland, Nov. 5th. Section 22, Martin Case, May 20th; Stephen Perkins and Jedediah Raymond, July 14th. Section 25, Charles White, June 7th; Nelson Crittenden, Feb. 4th. Section 33, Isaac Titus and David Binns, March 3d. Section 34, David Steer, Aug. 27; Alexander Ellsworth, July 14th; Samuel Skinner, July l0th. Section 36, Nehemiah Hands, June 24th. The first wedding occurred this year at the house of Cornelius Millspaw, and the bride was Mary Ann, the daughter of that worthy pioneer. The bridegroom was Thomas Jolls, and the officiating clergyman was the Rev. Mr. George, a Universalist minister of Philadelphia. GAMBLE'S: On the ninth day of March 1834, Thomas Gamble, the senior, bought out James Van Houvenburg and settled in town five south, one west, where he continued to live until his death. Jonathan Haynes settled in the township. He was afterwards for many years a preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he was a good neighbor and a zealous Christian until his death. The other settlers of 1834 were: Amos Hixson, Lewis Carrier, Samuel Mills, Elias H. Kelley, Hezekiah Griswold, Jeremiah Loucks, Daniel Strong, Samuel O. Clark, Eli Bugbee, George Oncans, Arza Finney, David Binns, William Welch, Rufus Gilford, David Catelle, Benjamin D. Bond, Stephen Darlington, Gideon Harkness, David Harkness, Zachariah Van Duzer, Jabez II. Jackson, William Gallop, Stephen Vail, Welcome Graham and William T. Webster. It is probable that some of these did not become actual settlers of the township. During the winter of 1833-4, David Herrington died, the first death in the township. On the 8th day of April 1834, Mrs. Griswold departed this life, a few days after giving birth to a daughter. The child died about two weeks later. Sophia Pratt was the first school teacher of the township. She was married the following winter to Samuel Clark. It is related, concerning this marriage, that an itinerant Baptist Elder, named Bodley, was expected around about that time, but on account of the lack of roads, the coming of itinerant ministers was so uncertain, they could not be depended on in an important matter like this, so a justice of the peace was brought from Jonesville to perform the ceremony. The Elder was on hand, however, but the majesty of the law triumphed and the 'Squire married the couple. The first church in the township was organized in the spring of 1834. It was a Baptist church at or near Gambleville. Mrs. Gay tells an amusing story concerning her first attendance at religious meeting in the territory. She had latterly lived in Albany, where people dressed up to go to church, and to her it seemed a necesary concomitant to church going. She had brought her apparel with her, of course, and nothing was more natural than for her to wear it to church. Arrayed in her silk dress, leghorn bonnet and lace shawl, silk stockings and morocco slippers, she entered the extemporized sanctuary. The contract was so great as to at once carry a pang to her heart. Her sisters of the settlement were there in calico dresses and sun-bonnets, coarse shoes and woolen stockings, and at least two had no stockings at all. The services were not interesting to Mrs. Gay. How earnestly she wished for her calico dress and sun-bonnet, that she might be at ease and unobserved. So true it is that propriety is essential to happiness, that good and harmless, and even the useful and valuable things of earth in unseemly surroundings will give pain to a sensitive and cultivated mind. Silks and furbelows, leghorn and morocco, were out of place among the homelier but more appropriate attire of backwoods life. Mrs. Gay realized all this in an instant, hence the acute misery she endured during the services of that day. MOORE'S SETTLE11ENT When the winter of 1833 closed in, there was but one family within the territorial limits of township six south, one west, and that was Silas Moore's. Three other men had purchased land, viz: Mahlon, Jacob and Edmund B. Brown. The next information of the town we have been able to obtain is of the date of June 1834. In that month Mr. Stephen Knapp, of Clarkston, Monroe county, N.Y., visited the township and lodged at the house of Edmund B., commonly called Burrows Brown. Brown told Knapp he had some excellent land, which he would show him. The next morning he took Knapp out and showed him two lots on section fourteen. One was what is known as wind-fall, the other was handsome timber. Knapp had intended to purchase two lots, and had brought three hundred dollars with him for that purpose, but Brown asked four hundred dollars for these two lots. It was finally agreed that Knapp should buy the land, pay three hundred dollars down, and the other one hundred when he returned to settle on the land. The contact was put In writing by Timothy Gay, of the next township north, now called Somerset. Mr. Knapp afterwards learned that at the time he made the contract, Brown had no title to one of the lots, but purchased it of the government afterwards. This Brown was a land-shark, and perpetrated his little joke on quite a number of settlers. One of his Intended victims was warned by Brown's wife, and escaped his clutches. Some time in the month of September following, Stephen Knapp and family left Clarkston, Monroe county, N.Y. for their new home In Michigan. Their departure had been delayed more than a month by an expected domestic event. Their goods were shipped by canal to Buffalo, from there by steam to Detroit. James Knapp, the eldest son, accompanied the goods; with his wife and three other children, one of them a month old Infant, Stephen Snapp came by wagon through Canada. The trip through Canada consumed eleven days' time, and on their arriving at Detroit they found James there with the goods. The family came on by the Chicago road, which they found very soft, and the traveling was very slow. From Clinton they turned southward, through Tecumseh and Adrian, to the house of Zebulon Williams, then residing in the township of Madison, three miles, or thereabouts, south of Adrian. Here the wife and smaller children were left for a time, until a house could be built, and the household goods could be brought from Detroit. The drawing of the goods, owing to the almost impassable condition of the roads, was a tedious operation; ten miles a day with a load was all the distance the team could make. Perry Knapp says he remembers to have heard this yarn spun in a Chicago road hotel while hauling those goods: "A traveler saw a hat lying on the surface of the thin mud; he attempted to pick it up, when he heard in sepulchral tones, 'Let go my hat'. The finder Inquired, What are you doing there?' 'Traveling on the Chicago pike.' 'Do you want any help?' 'No, I have a good horse under me.' At length, however, despite the bad roads, the last load of goods was in, and on the 3Oth day of November 1834, the family of Stephen Knapp took possession of the house which had meanwhile been built. This family made the fourth in that township. The others were Silas Moore, Anson Jackson, and Burrows Brown. During the winter Mr. Knapp fenced twenty acres of his wind-fall land. Eli Eastman entered his land June 16th, 1834, but did not move onto it until the next year. Other persons entered lands during the year, viz: Hiram Hatfield, May 16th; John H. Converse, April 22d; Seaton Hoxie, May 6th; Manly Holmes, May 2Oth; William Holmes, Dec. 13th; Thos. Farmer, May 6th; Stephen Vail, June 19th; Job A. Moore, Aug. 23d; Hiram Graham, Oct. 8th; Stephen K. Deddings, Oct. 2Oth; John Jackson, March 27th;.Jabez H. Jackson, April lOth; Burton Lamphere, Nov. 2Oth; Myron McGee, Dec. 9th; Jesse Hill, June 2d, Achsah Eastman, June 16th, Frances Hill; George W. Brearly, May 3Oth; Israel Pennington, June 7th; Orange Latourette, June 9th; John Bryant, June 11th; Clarinda Cook, June 16th; John Howell, April 18th; Jacob Brown, June 12th, Closinda Cook, Nov. l5th; Jesse Hill, Jan. 2d; Marshal Alvord and Joseph Alvord, June lOth; John O'Brien, June 12th; Robert August, Nov. 2lst; Zebulon Williams, Dec. 17th; Amos Hare, May 3Oth; Robert Cox, June 5th and 13th; John Pennlngton, June 7th; Lorenzo Church, July 14th; Joseph W. Ashley, Oct. 6th; L. Church, July 14th; Walter Culver and William Culver, Nov. 26th; Burr S. Northup, June 2d. None' of these except Farmer settled on their land that year. Silas Farmer must have settled on his land In the month of December, 1834. Perry Knapp says he was not there when their family came. November 3Oth, and Eli Eastman says he was there when he came in January, 1835. In town five south, two west (Moscow), there was quite a large increase in population during 1834. Among those who settled that year were Aaron Spencer, Peter Atwell, and William Benson. Mrs. Brown, mother of Mrs. Daniel Aiken, died this year. In the summer of 1834 Delilah Blackmar taught a school in a private house. In the winter of 1834-35 Seth Kempton taught the school, the first part of the term in the same private house, and the remainder of the term in the first school house, which was finished during that winter . 1835, AND TO MATCH 1ST, 1836. In the winter of 1834-5 the Legislative Council broke up the Valley into smaller organizations. Town six south, one east, was organized and named Rollin. Towns five, six, seven, eight, nine and fractional ten south, range one west, were organized into a single township and named Wheatland; and towns five, six, seven, eight, nine and fractional ten south, range two west, were organized into a single township and named Moscow. At the close of the session of 1834-35, town seven south, one east (Hudson) remained a part of the township of Lenawee; towns eight, nine and fractional ten south, ranges one and, two east (Medina and Seneca in Michigan, and Gorham and Chesterfield in Ohio), remained a part of the township of Fairfield. Townships now named Somerset, Wheatland, Pittsford and Wright constituted the township of Wheatland, and townships now called Moscow, Adams, Jefferson, Ransom and the east part of Amboy constituted the township of Moscow. ROLLIN The first township meeting was held on the sixth day of April 1835, at the house of Joseph Real, so says the statute; but for Real we should evidently read Beal, for there the meeting was in fact held. Matthew Bennett was elected moderator, and William Beal, clerk. Matthew Bennett was elected supervisor; William Beal, township clerk; David Steer, James Bacon and Joseph Beal, assessors; Elijah C. Bennett, collector; David Steer and John T. Comstock, directors of the poor; Warner Aylesworth, Asa R. Bacon and Joseph C. Beal, commissioners of highways; Elijah A. Bennett, constable; Joseph Gibbon, Orson Green and Joseph Steer, commissioners of common schools; Joseph Gibbons, Orson Green, Joseph Steer, Elijah C. Bennett and James Boodery, "school inspectors of common schools." It was voted that "our cattle, hogs and sheep, run at large the ensuing year." and "our pathmasters be fence-viewers." The record does not state the number of votes polled at the township meeting, but at the general election, held on the fifth and sixth days of October 1835, there were fifteen votes polled for Governor, three votes for Lieutenant Governor, nine votes for Senator, fifteen votes for Representative in Congress; three votes were given for "Representative of Michigan". Of the votes given for Governor, Stevens T. Mason received three, and John Biddle received twelve; Edward Mundy received the three votes for Lieutenant Governor; Olmsted Hough, Edward D. Ellis, and Laurent Durocher, each received three votes for Senator; William Woodbridge received thirteen votes for Representative in Congress, and Isaac E. Crary received three votes; Allen Hutchins, Hiram Dodge, James Wheeler, and Darius Meed, each received three votes for "Representative of Michigan." There were also twelve votes cast against the ratification of the Constitution of Michigan, and one for its ratification. The reader will notice, perhaps, a discrepancy between the statement of the whole number of votes given for the office of Representative in Congress and the aggregate of votes stated to be given to the two candidates. Fifteen is said to be the whole number given for the office, while Woodbridge is said to have received thirteen, and Crary three. From a careful review of the vote it seems plain that Woodbridge only received twelve votes. The reader will also have noticed, perhaps, that at the township meeting no justices of the peace were elected. That meeting was held under the territorial laws, and by these laws justices were appointed by the- Legislative Council. That position was held, no doubt, by Joseph Beal, whose name appears as one of the inspectors of the election. In May, this year, Dr. Leonard G. Hall settled in this township, and has ever since been a resident of the Bean Creek Valley. For several years his ride extended over a vast extent of territory. He was kind, skillful and attentive, and nearly all the earliest settlers have had occasion to call down blessings on his head. In the same month Daniel Rhodes and his son William came into the township, and in June John Foster located land on section twenty-seven, and immediately commenced operations there. Barnabas Bonney settled on section thirteen,. and Samuel Comstock, having purchased an interest in the lands of the Rollin Mill Company, built a house and moved into it in the month of July. In April of this year, work was commenced on the saw mill in Rollin. Mr. William Beal was made superintendent of the work, and for that purpose left his farm and dwelt on the mill property. The mill frame was raised in the fall of that year, and in November of that year the sawing of lumber commenced and enabled the settlers to make their cabins more comfortable for the approaching winter. The saw mill finished, preparations were at once commenced for the building of a grist mill. In the fall Bishop Van Wert, Jacob Foster and the three Haskins settled in the township. Sometime during the summer of this year a post office was established at or near the mill property, and William Beal was made postmaster and Porter Beal mail carrier. Before that, the settlers of all the northern part of the Valley had to go to Adrian for their mail matter, which was no small task. From the western part of the Valley a day and a half was required to go to the post office, and each letter cost the recipient twenty-five cents,--compulsory prepayment was not then in vogue. Thompson, who had opened a small trading establishment south of the lake, attempted to sell whisky;;to settlers and Indians. He was cited to appear at Adrian, which effectually squelched the business in that township for some time. Among the purchasers of real estate in 1835 were these: Erastus Farnham, July 3d; Elijah Brownell, July 11th; John Talbot, May 11th; Amos Steer, June 25th; Oliver Griswold, Nov. 6th; Darius Cole, Feb. 2Oth; Leonard G. Hall, June 22; Stephen Vail, Barnabas Bonney, June Ist; William Godfrey, June 3d; James Kenly, June 18th; Harvey Houghton, May 27th; Joseph Webster, Nov. 2lst; Abraham P. Vosburgh, William Campbell, Nov. 2lst; J. Warner Aylesworth, Ezra Lord, July 1Oth; John Haskins, Matthew Bennett, Abijah S. Clark, Phebe H. Clark, May 11th; Luther Evans, July 3d; Lydia Howland, June 4th; Calvin Jenks, June 13th; Samuel Comstock, July 7th; Hiram Hitchcock, Jared Comstock, June 19th; Rachael S. Beal, July 18th; Sylvester White, Oct. 2Oth; John Foster, June 1st; Lorenzo Sheldon, Thomas Kealey, June 9th; Edward Knapp, May 26th; Daniel Peck, May 26th; Rufus Peck, Ira Jones, June 26; Moses T. Bennett, July 16th. LENAWEE TOWNSHIP. At the township meeting, held on Monday, the sixth day of Apri 1, 1835, William R. Porter was elected Supervisor, Jeremiah D. Thompson, Township Clerk, and Calvin B radish, Lyman Pease and Stephen Perkins, Assessors. The wolf bounty--three dollars per head-- was continued. During the year William Mills received bounties for eleven wolves slain, Bart White for six, Edward Bassett for four, Jacob Jackson for three, David Bixby for four, Joseph Cerow for one, and Robert Johnston for four,--making a total of thirty-three wolves killed. We are more especially interested in that part of the township of Lenawee lying within the valley of the Bean, and we therefore will turn our attention to town seven south, of range one west. During the winter, axes had been wielded by busy hands in and around the Lanesville settlement, and in the early spring time preparations for clearing began. The mill dam was repaired and the mill started; the maple was tapped and the year's supply of sugar and vinegar provided. But before sugar could be made kettles suitable for boiling must be provided, and Simeon Van Akin relates that he took Mr. Lane's oxen and drove to Adrian in search of kettles. He found none there, and went thence to Tecumseh and Monroe. In the latter place he procured two--one for himself and one for Mr. Lane. In the spring of 1835 Michael Dillon came in and commenced chopping on his land entered the year previous. He was accompanied by his brother Dennis. Sometime in the summer Michael returned East for his family. In the month of Apri 1, 1835, Mr. John Rice and Mrs. M. K. Douglass were united in the bands of wedlock by Oliver Purchase, a justice of the peace. Mrs. Douglass was a widow, a sister of Mr. Lane. This was the first marriage in the territory which now constitutes the township of Hudson. In the month of May, probably the third day, Mr. Lane organized a Sunday school at this house. In a published statement, Mr. Lane said it occured May seventh; but as the almanac for that year makes the seventh fall on Thursday, there is a strong probability that Mr. Lane is mistaken. On the lOth day of June, 1835, Noah Cressey and wife settled on section thirty-two, adjoining land of Michael Dillon. Mr. Cressey, as well as the Dillons, came to the Valley by the southern or Canandaigua route, and because the lands of northern Medina were well culled, drifted over into Hudson and commenced a settlement. Between them and the Lanesville settlement there was an unbroken belt of timber, which effectually cut off intercourse, while the Medina settlements were comparatively easy of access. Therefore for many years that neighborhood traded and visited with the Medina people, and were, for all business and social purposes, indentified with them. July 27th, Mrs. Davis, the mother of Reuben and Samuel Davis, died. It was the first death in the township. On the 28th, same month, George Salisbury opened the first Lanesville store. The stock comprised groceries and notions. During the spring and summer the Kidder mill was kept in constant motion, sawing out lumber, with which to finish the log houses of settlers in the township and also in the townships of Rollin and Wheatland. These two saw mills possessed great powers of civilization, and through their agency puncheon floors and bark roofs and gables began to disappear, and new houses were now finished with shake roofs and sided gables. It marked a new era in the settlement of the Valley. On Saturday, the 8th day of August, the citizens of town seven south, one east, met to consider the propriety of petitioning the new State Legislature, which, if the new constitution was adopted at the October election, would convene for its first session on the ninth day of November, to organize town seven south, one east, into a separate township. The question was decided in the affirmative, and on the suggestion of Hiram Kidder it was named Hudson, after Dr. Daniel Hudson, of Geneva, N. V., who was the senior partner of the company that purchased the first land in the township. The Legislature only continued in session six days, and took no action in reference to organizing townships. The State was not yet admitted into the Union, and the Legislature only took action in reference to a transfer of jurisdiction when the State should be admitted. Among the items of expenditure mentioned in the appropriation bill of that session were the following: To Mrs. Warren and daughter, for making carpet, the sum of eight dollars; to Levi Skinner, three dollars for polishing stoves for Senate chamber, Representatives; hall and Governor's room; to Wright & Solomon, for two mahogany tables and desks furnished Senate chamber, the sum of eighty dollars; to McArthur & Hurlburt, for candles, two dollars and nineteen cents. No petroleum! No gas! The primitice capitol of our State was lighted with tallow candles. On Sunday, the ninth day of August, the first religious meeting was held in the township, at the house of Mr. Lane. About this time William Frazee came and bought out Reuben Davis. The premises now occupied by William Ocobock, on the southwest corner of section nineteen, was a part of his farm. Salmon Trask, wife and daughter, and also a Miss Abigail Dickinson came from Massachusetts and settled on section eighteen. In November Mr. Lane built a frame house where the Comstock House now stands. It was the first frame house bui It in the township, and was occupied by Father Nathaniel Lane and wife and their son Erastus. The same month Mr. Alexander Findley came and cleared a part of the Cobb land, and built a log house in anticipation of the arrival of Harvey Cobb and family. During this month (November) the settlement in the south part of the township received some recruits. On Monday the second day of November, Father Elisha Brown and fami Iy arrived at the house of h1s son-in-Iaw, Noah Cressey. The Brown party consisted of Father Brown and wife, his son Lorenzo L. and wife, and his other sons, Clement, David, Lewis, George, William and Noah, and Dolly Elwell, a niece of Mr. Noah Cressey. Miss Elwell afterwards married Dr. Stephen Caner, and is now the wife of Mr. Oliver Kelly, of Pittsford. Father Brown had purchased his lands of Robert Huston, and there was the body of a small house, roofed, but otherwise unfinished, on the land. About two days after, Michael Dillon arrived with his family, and on Sunday evening, November eighth, the Rev. William E. Warner and family arrived at the cabin of Father Brown. He had bought his land of second hands without having seen it, and he was now in search of it. His land proved to be on the north side of section four, in town eight south, about two miles from the Brown domicil. Mr. Warner was invited to make his home among the Browns until he could build a house, and he accepted the invitation. During his stay there were no less than twenty persons fed and lodged at the Cressey and Brown small, one-roomed cabins. It was rather crowded, but then, they were not lonesome.