History of Fairgrove Township, Tuscola County, Michigan Copyright © 1998 by Sherrye L. Woodworth. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. ___________________________________________________________________ Fairgrove Township Tuscola County, Michigan ****************************** TOWNSHIP OF FAIRGROVE Fair Grove is said to embrace one of the best townships of farming land in Tuscola. The surface is very nearly level and there are several small creeks which assist in the work of drainage, but before a thorough system of ditching was inaugurated the land was decidedly wet, and the mud of Fair Grove had a county reputation. The history of progress in Fair Grove dates from June, 1852, and the first settler was Amzy Clay, now a resident of the town of Ellington. In September, 1852, Edward Howel came in, but remained only until about the following Christmas, when he returned to his former home in Wayne County. There was no further settlement in the town until about the 5th of October of the same year, when Zepheniah Wilber and family arrived. The day after came David P. Hinson and family, his brother-in-law, Nelson Vickery and family, and Mrs. Hinson's father. In the fall of 1852 Robert McFarland and his son John entered land, and the next spring Mr. McFarland and his son Andrew and step-son Charles E. Fonda came in and commenced improvements. The first marriage that was solemnized in the town, was that of Miss Elizabeth Clay to John P. Wilber, son of Zephaniah Wilber, at the house of the bride's brother, Amzy Clay, November 2, 1853, the ceremony being performed by Lucius S. Marvin, Esq. In the spring of 1854 Mathias Ringle and his wife settled in section 21, and his brother-in-law, Romanzo E. Goodnough and wife, in section 28. September 22, 1854, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Ringle, a son, David, believed to have been the first birth in the township. The second birth was October 2, 1854, William, son of John P. and Elizabeth Wilber. The first death was Mr. Calhoun, living on section 16. The first school district organized was No.5, or Hinson District, which was organized while the township was attached to Rogers. A school-house was built in this district in the spring of 1856, and the first school was taught in it that summer by Caroline E. Stoddard, of Rogers, and during the next winter school was taught by Amzy Clay, as also during the winter term of 1857-58. In June, 1856, Amzy Clay received his commission as postmaster of Fair Grove. Extracted from History of Tuscola and Bay Counties, Mich., H.R. Page and Co., Chicago, 1883, page 131- 133. ***************************** dz