(transcribed by: L. Johnson)
The early organization of the townships is an important feature of a reliable history of the county. It will
to a large extent show where the first and principal settlements were made and will mark the early development
of the different sections of the county; for where the white man planted himself and family there were sure to
follow others to help lighten the burdens of living in a wilderness wild, with none of the luxuries or pleasures of life
unless you could wring them out of the solitary woods, out of the ring of the axe as it sunk in the side of the stalwart
oak or maple; the crack of the rifle as it sends its missle after the bounding deer; the bark of the wolf as he prowls
about your log cabin and sniffs through the chinks in the wall; or the squeal of the last pig as bruin has appropriated
it and hies off to his lair.
Coe township was the first on organized by the Legislature by act No. 151, “An act to organize the township of
Coe in the county of Isabella.
“Section I. The People of the State of Michigan enact, that the surveyed townships described as towns 13 north,
of range 3 west, and 14 north, of range 3 west, in the county of Isabella, be and the same are hereby organized into
a township by the name of the township of Coe, and the first township meeting therein shall be held at the house of
Mr. Campbell, on section 17 in town 13 north, of range 3 west. Approved February 13, 1855.”
William B. Bowen was elected the first supervisor, in the spring of 1856. Isabella county not having yet been
organized, Bowen was forced to go to Midland county seat to attend the sessions of the board, a distance of some
sixteen or eighteen miles as the crow flies, but any distance you may desire through the woods, swamps and marshes.
At the general election, 1856, there were sixty-six votes cast, all of which had to be written with pen and ink.
After the organization of Coe, and about 1857, the balance of the county was organized into a township called
Isabella. Charles A. Jeffries was the first supervisor. He lived at the center of the county, where the county seat
was first located. He was also obliged to go to Midland to meet with the board of supervisors, which was not a task
to be sought for the pleasure there was in it. It will be seen that he was much farther from the place of meeting than
the supervisor of Coe, who was located in the southeast part of the county, while Jeffries was at the center. Jeffries’
constituents were mostly Indians, as the Indians had just commenced to move to Isabella county and settle upon the
lands set apart for them by the treaty of 1855. Up to this time there was no settlement in this part of the county save
possibly one settler at the center, John M. Hursh, who had located just south of where Mt. Pleasant now is, and A.M.
Merrill, located on section 32, township 14 north, range 4 west.
Afterward, and on or about the 12th day of October, 1858, the township of Chippewa was organized out of
township 14 north, range 3 west, and the election to be held on the first Monday of April, 1859, at residence of
William Payne and Langdon Bentley. William F. Payne and John Fraser were inspectors of election. At the first
election Norman C. Payne was elected supervisor. These were the three townships organized at the time of the
organization of Isabella county in 1859.
Union was the next township to be organized, which was done by the board of supervisors at their session
March 11, 1861, on petition of Langdon Bentley and others, asking that the following territory be organized into
a township, to be called Union, to wit: Commencing at the southeast corner of section 12, in township 14 north,
range 4 west, running thence west to the southwest corner of section 5, in township 14 north, range 5 west, thence
due north to the north-east corner of section 4, in township 16 north, range 5 west, thence due west to the northwest
corner of said county of Isabella, thence south to the southwest corner of township 14 north, range 6 west, thence
east to the southeast corner of township 14 north, range 4 west, thence north to the place of beginning. The first
township election to be held in the school house in school district No. 1, on the first Monday of April, 1861, at eight
o’clock in the forenoon, and Hiram Sherman, Andrew J. Goodsell and Albert G. Ferris to be inspectors of the election.
At this meeting W.R. Robbins was chairman and Douglas H. Nelson, deputy county clerk. At said election Langdon
Bentley was duly elected supervisor. The school house referred to was a log school house, and stood on the ground
about where the residence of William Crowley is now situated, on the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of
section 27, township 14 north, range 4 west.
The south part of the county was beginning to settle quite rapidly on account of the passage by congress of the
Homestead bill, which gave to the settler one hundred sixty acres of land substantially free, only requiring of him
a small entry fee and a settlement and residence upon the said land for the term of five years; when he had performed
that and had improved the same in good faith, he was to have a patent in fee simple of the said land. The Homestead
act was passed by Congress and approved May 20, 1862. Section 2289, United States statutes, provided,
that every person who is the head of a family, and who has arrived at the age of twenty-one years and is a citizen of
the United States, or who has filed his declaration of intention to become such as provided by law, shall be entitled to
enter one quarter section or a less quantity of unappropriated public lands.
As soon as it was known that there were tracts of land in Isabella county that could be taken under the homestead law, settlers began to flock into the county, and the lands were eagerly sought for and settled upon. This brought in many
permanent settlers and they spread through the south and west part of the county. On the 10th day of January, 1860,
the board of supervisors being in session and notice having been given in due form, a resolution was passed detaching
from the township of Isabella and attaching to the township of Coe, township 13, range 4, 5 and 6west, thus giving to
Coe the four south townships of the county.
Fremont Township
At the October session of the board of supervisors, in 1863, a resolution was passed organizingtownship 13 north,
ranges 5 and 6 west, into a township to be known as the township of Fremont. The first township meeting was to be
held at the residence of Jerome Bachelder, on section 11, township 13 north, range 5 west; William Tiffany, Jerome
Bachelder and James C. Caldwell were to act as inspectors of election, said election to be held on the first Monday of
April, 1864.
The election was held as directed and William Tiffany was elected supervisor, William H. Harrison, clerk, W. Winters,
treasurer, and Norton Skinner, justice of the peace.
At the same session of the said board of supervisors and on the 16th of October, the township of Lincoln was duly
organized, to consist of township 13 north, range 4 west, the first annual township meeting to be held at the house of H.N. Griswold, on section 15 in said township, and W.J. Griswold, Wesley Corbus and F.I. Williams to act as inspectors of the
election. The township meeting was held on the first Monday of April, 1864, and F.I. Williams was elected super-
visor of said township.
Vernon Township
Vernon township was duly organized by the board of supervisors June 11, 1866, on application of Cornelius Bogan,
Simon Haggerty, James M. Stough, John Herring, B.C. Farnham, George R. Pease, O.H. Farnham, George W. Stine,
Patrick McLaughlin, Duncan Carmichael, Abel Bywater, William Phinnisey, George Williams, Jacob E. Shaffer, John
O’Neil and W.L. Turbush.
Said township was to consist of township 16 north, range 4 west, with townships 17 and 18 north, ranges 3 and 4 west.
The first election to be held at the residence of George W. Stine, on the second Monday of July, 1866, with William
Phinnisey, Cornelius Bogan and James M. Stough as inspectors of election. William Phinnisey was elected supervisor
at the first election. There were seven votes cast.
Rolland Township
At the October session of the board of supervisors, held October 9, 1866, on application of W.B. Goodwin,
Granderson Norman, William M. Peterson, Aaron F. Norman, Levi P. Beardsley and several others, township 13
north, range 6 west, was erected into a town to be known as the town of Rolland, and the first election to be held
at the lumber camp of John Bailey, on the first Monday of April, 1867, William M. Peterson, S.E. Chapman and
Daniel Robinson to act as inspectors of the election. In April the election was held and William M. Peterson was
duly elected as supervisor.
Broomfield Township
Afterward, on the 3d day of March, 1868, the application of L.C. Griffith and thirty others was
presented to the board of supervisors, then in session, for the erection of a township to be known as the township of
Broomfield, and to consist of township 14 north, range 6 west. After investigation, it was decided to grant the petition,
and Broomfield township was set up, with authority to hold an election on the first Monday of April, 1868, at the lumber
camp of E. Hall, located on section 16 in said town; Elijah Cole, J. Hutchinson and George L. Hitchcock were appointed
to act as inspectors of election. At such election William Broomfield was duly elected as supervisor, which was very
appropriate action, for the reason that the township was named after and in honor of their town man.
Coldwater Township
On the same day that Broomfield was organized, an application was made by S.S. Smith and thirty-five others,
for the organization of a town, to be known by the name of Coldwater, and to consist of township 16 north, range 6 west;
the inspectors of election to consist of H.A.
Brubaker, H.B. Roberts and W.W. Ryerson; the first election to be held on the first Monday of April, 1868, at the store
of H.B. Roberts. At the time appointed the said election was held and J.J. Colley was elected its supervisor.
Sherman Township
October 13, 1868, the board of supervisors, on the petition of Milo T. Dean, Cyrus Dunbar and others, praying for
the erection of a township out of township 15 north, range 6 west, to be known as the township of Sherman, by resolution
offered by P.H. Estee, the prayer of the said petitioners was duly granted and the time for the first township meeting for
the election of town officers was fixed as the 29th day of October, 1868, at the house of Cyrus Dunbar, and Cyrus Dunbar,
Milo T. Dean and Aaron Osbern were duly appointed as inspectors of said election. At such election John T. Cohoon
was elected to the office of supervisor.
Gilmore Township
April 13, 1870, the application of citizens of township 16 north, range 5 west, having been presented to the board of supervisors and having been duly considered, John Maxell, then supervisor of the township of Lincoln, offered a resolution ordering the erection of such a township, which was adopted, and named Gilmore, after General Gilmore, which name
was suggested by Rufus Glass, the first township meeting to be held at the residence of Rufus Glass, on the north-
east quarter of section 24, he being one of the first settlers of that town; said township election to be held on the 28th of
April, 1870, and Rufus Glass, Amos F. Albright and Jessie Wood were made inspectors of the election. At which election
Rufus F. Glass was elected supervisor.
Wise Township
Wise was the next township to be erected, and to consist of townships 15 and 16 north, range3 west. Such a petition
was presented to the board of supervisors at their session on January 4, 1872, and was duly granted, the election to be held
on the first day of April, 1872, with George W. Wise, Benjamin L. Loyd and Cornelius V. Hulburt as inspectors, said
election to be held at the school house in the village of Loomis, which resulted in the choice of Isaiah Windover as
their supervisor.
Deerfield Township
Deerfield was next added to the list of organized townships and was composed of township 14north, range 5 west, and
was authorized by the said board of supervisors on the 14th day of October, 1874, pursuant to a petition of William M.
Peterson and others, after an investigation and report of a committee of said board, duly appointed to investigate the legality
and sufficiency of the proceedings. Such report being favorable to the organization of the township, on motion
the said town was duly organized, to be known as the township of Deerfield, the election for township officers to be
held at the house of Joseph S. Brazee on the 5th day of April, 1875, and William M. Peterson, Frederick M. Sanderson
and Malden R. Beach to be inspectors of election. A supervisor demanded the yeas and nays on the adoption of the resolution. The result of the vote was yeas, Messrs. Bogan, Bown, Brodie, Broomfield, Davis, Doxie, Estee, Fordyce, Grinnell, Mattison, Richardson and Voorhees; nays, none. At the April election for town officers
William Peterson was chosen as supervisor.
Nottawa Township
On January 8, 1875, a petition was presented to the board of sypervisors for the organization of the township of
Nottawa, to consist of township 15 the yeas and nays was demanded, and on roll call resulted, yeahs, Messrs. Bogan,
Bown, Brodie, Broomfield, Doxie, Estee, Fordyce, Wooden, Mattison, Richardson and Voorhees; nays, Mr. Davis.
The first Monday in April, 1875, was fixed for the first election in said township and to be held at the house of Eli Ford;
Eli Ford, Michael McGehan and John Hyslop were to act as inspectors of election. At said election Michael McGehan
was elected their supervisor. There were thirty-three votes cast, five White and twenty-eight Indian. This township is
named after an old Indian chief of the Chippewas of Saginaw, Swan Creed and Black River Indians.
At the same session a petition was presented by H.H. Graves and eighteen others, asking that the board detach from
the township of Isabella sections 1 to 12 inclusive, in township in township14 north, range 4 west, and attach the same to
the township of Union. Also a petition to the same effect by Peter Jackson and thirty-six others from the township of
Isabella. Said petitions were duly referred tot he proper committee and after due consideration the said committee reported
in favor of granting their request, and by a resolution offered by Supervisor Bogan the request was granted.
This action left the county duly organized into townships of one full township of land of thirty-six sections each, except
the township of Wise.
Denver Township
Centennial year is at hand. The board of supervisors are in session. A petition is presented to said board for the
organization of the township of Denver, which was at that time a part of the township of Wise. They asked that the
territory known as township 15 north, range 3 west, be detached from Wise township and be organized into the township
of Denver, which after due deliberation, was granted, the first meeting to be held at the house of Robert Pearson, on the
3d day of April, 1876, with James Render, Anson Fitchet and Robert Pearson as inspectors of election. At said election
Robert Pearson was elected supervisor.
This rounds out the full list of township organizations for the county and gives to each its full quota of sections of land,
namely, thirty-six sections, or approximately twenty-three thousand forty acres of land, to the township, or three hundred
sixty-eight thousand six hundred forty acres in the county.
For ready reference, commencing at the southeast corner of the county, and following the township and range, we
have first the township of Coe, named after Lieutenant Governor George Coe. He was lieutenant-governor at the time
of the organization of the township.
The next one west of Coe is the township of Lincoln, named after the martyred President. The next one west is
Fremont, named after General Fremont. Next is Rolland. Then returning to the east side of the county and north of Coe
lies Chippewa, named after the river of that name passing east and west through the said township. Next west is Union,
and west of that comes Deerfield, deriving its name from the prevalence of deer in the early days of its settlement. West
of that comes Broomfield, named in honor of one of her earliest and most respected townsmen, William Broomfield,
a citizen of the town when organized and still living near his old home.
Returning again to the east side of the county and north of Chippewa, is located Denver; west of Denver is Isabella,
of the same name as the county; next in order is Nottawa, named after the old Indian chief Nottawa. West of this lies
Sherman, named after General Sherman. Returning again to the east side of the county and north of Denver, we have the township of Wise, named after the pioneer of the town, George W. Wise. Going west, Vernon is the next, and next to that
is Gilmore. And finally the sixteenth and last one is Coldwater.
The First Settlers
The first settlers went into the township of Rolland under the Homestead act of Congress, 1862. The settlers were Granderson Norman, who took his location January 9, 1863, Charles D. Robertson, William B. Goodwin, Amos A. Norman,
John Martin, Daniel W. Robinson, Paul Smith, S.E. Chapman, William Cowden, William M. Peterson, Daniel Doxy,
A. Sanderson, A. Geer and others.
In this township there were in 1876 about sixty colored people and they were among the best settlers. They were
industrious and honest and were in all good citizens. The first grave was dug on section 6, near the center, and contains
the remains of Amos A. Norman (colored), who died of insanity.
The first settler in the new township of Broomfield was Doraville Whitney, who came in the fall of 1860, and the
first school house was built on section 31, and in this school house the first quarterly meeting was held by Rev. F.B. Bangs,
in 1866, but the first sermon was preached by one Aldridge at the house of William Broomfield, the minister coming into the county barefooted. We understand that some good Samaritan furnished him a pair of boots to preach in, but allowing
him to take them off before he left the county. The first Sunday school formed in this part of the county was in Rolland,
at the first school house built there and was in 1876.
Loomis was first started by Messrs. Wise and Loomis, they building the first mills. In March, 1871, George W. Wise,
with thirteen men, landed where Loomis now is and commenced to build a saw mill, and on the tenth day they had a portable
mill running and on the twentieth commenced making shingles also. Their mill was kept running most of the time day
and night, cutting lumber in the day time and shingles nights. The mill burned in May, 1875, but was soon replaced by
another. Wise & Loomis with others built and stocked a store. The Flint & Pere Marquette railroad built a depot and a
hotel was built, called the Hursh House. There was also another shingle mill built, which was run until 1874, when it blew
up, killing one man. In 1872 a company was formed and built a hemlock extract factory at a cost of fifteen thousand dollars,
and it has manufactured a large amount of extract. Afterward a shingle mill was put into the factory. Fletcher Tubbs
opened up the first farm in the township. The first religious services were held in the mill of Wise & Loomis by C.V.
Hulbert some time in June, 1871; a bible class was formed about the same time. In May, 1871, a school district was
formed, a school house built and the first school was taught therein by Miss Allen. Mr. Cardy was the first man to
introduce that grand curse to human society, a saloon. The first cause tried was for assault and battery.
Cities And Villages
The organization, growth and development of cities and villages in a county is an interesting subject. In a very early
day in the history of Isabella county, in fact before there was very much of a population in the county, and very soon
after the tide of emigration of the Chippewa Indians commenced toward their reservation in Isabella, there were two
parties, John S. Eastman and Francis C. Babbitt, who migrated to what was afterward known as Isabella City, and they,
in connection with A.M. Fitch, then Indian agent, platted a part of sections 2 and 3 in the now township of Union, and
caused the plat to be recorded in Volume I of Deeds on page 156, the same being recorded on January 23, 1861.
This was the first plat recorded in the county. It flourished for a few years, and then it began to decline, as Mt. Pleasant,
the county seat, had been located and was only one and one-half miles distant.
Eastman & Babbitt opened a general store there. William H. Nelson, afterward judge of probate, built and conducted
a hotel. In 1857 the Indian mills were built consisting of a saw mill, the old sash-saw make, with a capacity of about four
or five thousand in twenty-four hours. A grist mill, with one run of stone. The power was from a dam across the
Chippewa river. Major James W. Long also settled there and carried on business, built a store and afterward moved it to
Mt. Pleasant. Babbitt & Nelson also moved their buildings and business to Mt. Pleasant and the city of Isabella ceased to
be a city, and only a few houses now remain to mark the spot once noted as headquarters for the Indians of the tribes
of Chippewas of Saginaw, Swan Creek and Black River.
Duncan Carmichael homesteaded the first eighty acres that was settled upon in Vernon township. This was on
June 6, 1865, and was located on section 22. He was piloted into the town and upon the land by the writer of this article
and at the time he settled there he was the only white man north of the Indian reservation. Soon thereafter William
Phinnessy, William Turbush, J.M. Stough, G.W. Stine, C. Bogan, Peter Alger, John Baker, John Herring moved in and
settled upon land and made them good homes. Dr. J.H. Maynard was the first physician settling in the township, he settling
on section 10 in October, 1867, and doctored and kept “batch” for four years. The first child born in the town was Isabella Carmichael, born August 19, 1866, and was named after the county. The first death was Murdock McSwain, who was smothered in a well.
The first marriage was B.B. Bigelow to Kittie Stough, on the 4th of July, 1867, who were married by old Father Sheldon, Methodist Episcopal minister. Everything that was used at that time had to be brought in on the back of a man or an
Indian pony, and from ten to fourteen miles. Pork was then twenty-five cents per pound (a little ahead of present prices),
flour twenty-three dollars per barrel, groceries in proportion, and then to be carried ten to fourteen miles over a trail and
through the forest.
The first sermon was preached by Rev. Keith at the house of Mr. Shrope, one mile south and one mile west of Clare,
in 1867, and the first Sunday school was organized at the same place and in the same year. John Armstrong was elected superintendent.
Salt River
The village of Salt River was platted by Elijah Moore on the 5th day of September, 1866, and consisted of two blocks
and twenty-two lots, and is located on the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 9, township 13 north,
range 3 west. On this plat the same Elijah Moore built a hotel which for many years was the only tavern in that part
of the county. In 1867 George W. Miller, one of the old settlers of the place, platted Miller’s first addition to Salt River,
consisting of three blocks and divided into forty-five lots. This plat was considerably built upon in the early days of the
village, and there are some very good buildings on a portion of it at the present time. The principal business of the place
has moved farther west where the village and the railroad is located.
Later, in 1870, on March 9th, Miller laid out another plat on the southwest quarter of the south-west quarter of
section 9, township 13 north, range 3 west, called Miller’s second addition. It consisted of one block and twelve lots.
But little building has been done on this plat.
On the 26th day of April, 1870, Elijah Moore laid off another plat, consisting of one block and five lots. This was
located just south of his first plat and was adjoining the highway running north and south, which street is called Chippewa
street.
Vernon City
Vernon City was established by John L. Markey in the year 1870, when, on the 31st day of October, he platted
the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 3, in township of Vernon. There were one hundred and
eighty-four lots in sixteen blocks.
Quite a little village sprung up, but as Clare City was just across the line, it did not obtain any great dimensions.
It is situated on a fine elevation overlooking the city of Clare, and makes a desirable place for one desiring a quiet abode.
Longwood
Longwood was established on February 30, 1871, by Major James W. Long and John P. Hawkins. It was located
on the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 11, of Union Township, and just across the Chippewa river
from Isabella City. Not much was done by the Major to establish a city. He did, however, build a small factory for
the making of “Monarch Bitters” and at one time offered to do something toward the building of a court house for the
county, provided the county seat would be moved to his burg. The people did not seem to take kindly to the proposition
and the scheme failed for want of cheerful support. And soon after the Major moved all of his buildings and belongings to
Mt. Pleasant and became a part of the city, Erecting a very large hotel on the spot now occupied by the Commercial block.
Loomis
The village of Loomis was laid out by Erastus G. Loomis, George W. Wise and E.F. Gould November 21, 1871, and
being situated a part on section 9 and a part on 10. There were platted three hundred and ninety-one lots, in thirty-five
blocks, surely a sufficient amount of land platted to warrant a good sized town. The village thrived for some time and
became quite notorious as the toughest place in the county. It was at first a lumbering and saw-mill town. In the early days
of the town, it was made up largely of lumber laborers, many of whom were reckless and disposed to drink and carouse,
spending all of their earnings in the saloons. Very soon after the mill was established one Cady opened a saloon, which
was soon followed by one Long Tom with another and which proved to be the roughest kind of a place. This man dealt
out death and destruction in unstinted quantities to all that called. It soon became a menace to all good government, as
well as to the safety and good order of the community. For all that the place grew to be quite a village, until the lumbering
ceased and the town was forced to depend upon its agricultural resources and then, being new and but little land cleared,
there was not much to support a village and as the mill was closed the laborer sought work in other places. The hotel and boarding house closed for want of patronage. There is now left only a couple of stores, a post-office, school house and few
other concomitants that go with a small community, with good rail-road facilities, the Pere Marquette running through the
center of the village. The people can now live in peace and quietude. The saloon has long since ceased to annoy the good citizens of the village, and the church and school house are steadily repairing the waste places.
Sherman City
Sherman City, Cahoon’s plat, was laid out September 1, 1873, by John Cahoon and wife and was located on the
north half of the northeast quarter of section 6, in the township of Sherman, and consisted of seventeen blocks with
one hundred and thirty lots. It was located on the Chippewa River with the principal part on the east side. It was a
good place to build a city. He had a mill site. A few dwellings were erected, when Johnson & Ellis conceived that there
was sufficient room and prospects for a larger city than Mr. Cahoon had realized, and they platted a part of the south half
of the southeast quarter of section 31, in Sherman township, also a part of the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter
of section 31 and part of the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter and a part of the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 6, in Sherman township, in all twenty-four blocks and one hundred and fourteen lots. The public high-
way was located on the section line between section 31, Coldwater, and section 6, in Sherman, so that the Johnson plat had the advantage of being along the highway and equally well situated. Everything being equal, it had the greater natural advantage
and the village gravitated along the section line and most of the business was located there. The town thrived for some years, grew and became the headquarters for that portion of the county. Being upon the river, it was a central point for lumbering operations in that portion of the great lumbering district of the northwest Chippewa. Thus, while in its prime the village grew.
A hotel was built, dry goods and grocery stores were opened, hardware was put in, especially building and lumbering
hardware supplies.
So long as the lumbering continued it was a thriving village, but at last the lumberman was seen no more on her streets and
the logs had ceased to sail down the raging Chippewa on the high tide of the spring freshets. The farmer could no longer
depend upon the men of the camp for his market nor find employment during the winter months for himself and his teams,
so he was forced to change his occupation to that of a farmer indeed and to clear up his farm, subdue the soil, put out his
crops in the spring and reap in the fall. Under the change wrought by conditions beyond the control of the settler, the
township has put on a new garb; the fields have been cleared of the brush and stumps and there are now to be found some
of the most fertile fields in the county, some of the finest buildings to be seen anywhere in farming countries and the farmer
is now prosperous to what he was when he depended upon the labor he could secure in the lumber camps. The village has reduced somewhat its size and some of its strenuousness, but those that survived the ordeal are still there and doing business.
Dushville
Dushville is the next to be considered. It was platted on October 25, 1876, by William Wiley Dush and embraced the norhtwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 15, in the township of Fremont, consisting of fifteen blocks and
about one hundred and twenty lots. It thrived, several business buildings were built and several good stocks of goods were
put in and sustained. It is situated in a fertile section and good farms are continuous to the village. The greatest draw-
back to its development was the cedar swamp lying along the west side of the place, but that has graded and graveled so
that it is now a very good highway and very generally traveled. It holds its own as well as any of the small villages in the
county for the reason that they have some very live and substantial business men, men that would be an honor to any burg.
Blanchard
Blanchard is a village in the southwest part of the county. It was laid out and platted July 17, 1878, was on the
northwest quarter of section 18, township 13 north, range 6 west. It is composed of forty-two blocks and about one
thousand two hundred lots. It was a lively city in its palmy days, when lumbering was in full blast. They built saw and
shingle mills, with everything that accompanies such an industry. While the lumbering lasted the town was very prosperous. There was a large amount of timber tributary to the village and it lasted for quite a number of years. At last it was exhausted
and then the inhabitants were obliged to turn to agriculture or move to other parts. A sufficient number of merchants and business men remained to supply the wants of the community and they now have a bright little village and have a very
good country about them.
Winn
On November 21, 1885, one Samuel C. Williams laid off a plat consisting of eight blocks of eight lots each, it being
on the north half of the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 15, township 13 north, range 5 west, and
being an addition to the village of Dushville, Which is now called Winn.
In 1885, when the Ann Arbor railroad was laid out and built through the lands of I.N. Shepherd, west of the village of
Salt River, it was thought that it would be a proper thing to do to build up a burg between the railroad and the old village,
so A.W. Wright, I.N. Shepherd, J.M. Kenter, Sidney Clark, E. Gruber, James Campbell, W.E. Wessels and John V. Struble platted a large tract of land and divided it into some twenty-four blocks and about four hundred lots, there being about
eighty acres of land on either side of the section line between sections 8 and 17 in the township of Coe.
The result has shown their foresight, as they now have one of the finest little villages in the state. The main street has
grown up with first-class business houses and with good mills. They have a fine farming country about them, with many
of the most prosperous farmers found in the county. Everything about the burg indicates thrift and prosperity.
Oscar T. Brinton, in 1887, platted seventeen and one hundred and forty-four one-thousandths acres of the southeast
quarter of the southeast quarter of section 15, township 16 north, range 6 west. This plat was afterward vacated. Again
in 1889, on the 25th day of February, O.T. Brinton, Joseph Gerard, Lewis George, with their wives, platted a portion of the
same forty acres into four blocks and seventy-two lots. This was first started as a home for those that had congregated
there to work at the coal kilns. This part of the county was at that time covered largely with hard wood timber. The
timber was several miles from any market and Mr. Brinton conceived the idea of cutting the timber and converting it into charcoal, which at that time bore a good price. The industry was carried on as long as there was any timber that could be reached and be made available. The Pere Marquette railroad built a spur from their main line into the village, principally to
carry out the charcoal and such other commodities as were there to convey. The charcoal business lasted for several years,
but was finally exhausted and then the little village declined until the farmers could get a start. A considerable of the village
went out, but enough were left to form a center of trade in that vicinity, and now they have a few business houses. The unfortunate feature is that the railroad company removed their track and all of their belongings,
leaving the village without a permanent and substantial market.
Other Villages
Delwin, a small burg located on the Pere Marquette, between Mt. Pleasant and Coleman, about eight miles out of Mt. Pleasant, was platted February 18, 1888, and consists of five blocks and forty-four lots. It has a station and a few buildings.
It has a very good country around the place; has good railroad facilities and will grow some as the country shall develop.
Rosebush was platted by James L. Bush on the 28th day of December, 1888, and was laid off . One with twelve and
one with thirty-six one-hundredths acres of land on the south half of the south half of the southeast quarter of section 10,
township 15 north, range 4 west, and is near the line of the Ann Arbor railroad and is accommodated by that road. It
consists of four blocks and fifty-four lots.
Calkinsville is an addition to Rosebush and was platted by Elias B. Calkins, January 12, 1890, and consists of four
blocks and fifty-three lots. This is located on the southeast corner of section 11, township 15 north, range 4 west.
The two places really form but one village. It is a good smart little place with a hotel, bank, elevator, hardware and dry
goods stores, with all other kinds ofshops and places for business, is located in a first-class farming country, well improved,
and are now awake to the building of good gravel and macadam roads, which, with their railroad facilities, will make it an
ideal place for a farmer to buy and hold farming land.
Elm Grove addition was platted November 8, 1894, and is laid off in the form of outlets, is situated on the west side
of the railroad and depot. It is fine land and may some time become part of the village, but it is probably some time in the
future. It is what its name indicates, elm bottom lands, very rich and productive, but not enough as at present to warrant
much of a city built upon it.
The village of Weidman is another of these burgs that sprung up when lumbering was the principal industry in the county.
The village was platted September 15, 1894, by J.S. Weidman and E.F. Guild. It lies in two townships, a part in Sherman
and a part in Nottawa, on section 18, and the balance on section 13 in Sherman. It consists of some thirty-four blocks,
divided into about four hundred and fifty lots. There are sufficient lots to warrant a good sized village. They have already
a fine nucleus for a considerable of a town. They have a good, safe bank, with several moneyed men at their back. Have
a good flouring mill, elevator and the usual number of thrifty stores. It also has had to pass through the ordeal of changing
from a lumber town to a farming village and they have passed the ordeal much better than most of them have. The railroad
is still there to give them a good outside market for their surplus products and to bring anything they may need from the
outside world.
Bissell’s addition to the village of Shepherd was platted by Electa M. Bissell. It contained sixty-seven and one-quarter
acres of the southwest quarter of section 9, township 13 north, range 3 west. This was platted in the form of outlots. It is
a good piece of land and if the village of Shepherd shall grow very fast, in time this property may be used for building
purposes. It seems to be quite a distance from the business portion of Shepherd.
Lawrence addition to Brinton was platted by George Lawrence January 3, 1890, consisting of two blocks of thirty-three
lots in all. It lies on the south side of the principal street in the burg and has its share of business and business houses.
Beal City is another small hamlet of a few houses, store and post office, a Catholic church and parochial school. It is
in the center of one of the very best of farming communities. It is settled largely with Germans, a thrifty, prosperous and intelligent class. This is one of the places in the county that you can stand on a raise of ground and count from one spot
nine large oval roofed farm barns, a sight that is seldom witnessed anywhere in the state, or in any other state. It speaks
volumes for their industry and thrift.
Caldwell is another little hamlet, the lands sold off by metes and bounds. It is located just east of the Chippewa river
on section 7, Deerfield. It also has the usual concomitants of a small village. It is away from any general thoroughfare
save a common highway and is located about ten miles west of Mt. Pleasant and about six miles from Weidman.
Leaton is another of the small places that have sprung up along the Pere Marquette railroad, and is located about six
miles northeast of Mt. Pleasant. It has a station, stores, a school house with two or three churches; has a wonderful fine
farming country west of them and a fairly good soil on their east. It is a thriving little place, with good railroad facilities,
and nothing but good work required to make them a happy and prosperous people.
© 1999 - 2009
by Donna
Hoff-Grambau
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Volunteers hold copyright to the material they have donated for this site. Not to be copied and used in any format to any other site or in any other media.
THIS SITE IS PART OF THE MIGENWEB PROJECT
MIGenWeb Official Notices and Disclaimer
This server space page is provided by Michigan Family History Network genealogical server.