HISTORY OF TUSCOLA COUNTY

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ENTRIES OF LAND

The following entries of land are taken from the abstract books of Richardson & Wheat, at Caro:

TOWNSHIP 12 NORTH, RANGE 9 EAST.

SECTION 1 James L. Ketchum, December 17, 1857
James L. Ketchum, December 26, 1853
James L. Ketchum, April 12, 1858
James L. Ketchum, December 7, 1858
James L. Ketchum, August 10, 1858
James L. Ketchum, December 11, 1858
Appleton Stevens, January 2, 1863
A. Welch and A. Weldon, June 12, 1863
James L. Ketchum, March 19, 1864

SECTION 2 D. and S. Johnson, September 14, 1847
Paschal Richardson, February 21, 1848
Abijah H. Thompson, Thomas Whitney
and Frank E. Coit, October, 12, 1850
James L. Ketchum, June 25, 1852
Henry P. Roberts, June 25, 1852

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Henry P. Roberts ct al. June 25, 1852
James L. Ketchum, November 30, 1853
Robert Law, May 1, 1855
Aaron D. Emory, December 26, 1855
Townsend North, April 8, 1861
H. C. Ripley, September 25, 1869

SECTION 3 D. and S. Johnson, September 14, 1847
Paschal Richardson, February 21, 1848
Samuel P. Sherman, September 8, 1852
Samuel P. Sherman, December 1, 1852
Edwin Anderson, April 30, 1852
Abner Randall, October 30, 1854

SECTION 4 Samuel P. Sherman, September 9, 1852
Samuel P. Sherman, January 5, 1853
Charles H. P. Maxwell, September 1, 1851
Samuel Goes, September 14, 1852
Edgar Sheldon, October 22, 1852
Aaron Dickinson, November 9, 1852
Augustus Neers, December 13, 1852
Aaron Dickinson, Jr., July 8, 1853

SECTION 5 Samuel Gunsolly, June 30, 1851
Matthew S. Dickinson, April 19, 1853
William A. Heartt, June 23, 1853
Hiram Allen, July 9, 1853
John N. Brock, December 24, 1853
William A. Heartt, July 11, 1854

SECTION 6 Augustus Howell, August 3, 1852
Abraham Van Gieson, August 24, 1852
Daniel Dunn, October 6, 1852
Abram Van Gieson, September 14, 1852
Amos Andrews, Jr., November 2, 1853
Abram Van Gieson, July 6, 1854

SECTION 7 Edward Howell, April 31, 1851
David Foote, June 16, 1851
Franklin Fairman, February 19, 1853
Franklin Fairman, April 11, 1852

SECTION 8 Edward Howell, April 3, 851
Martin Watrons, August 16, 1852
John T. Law, February 3, 1853
Jacob Gould, May 10, 1852
Jacob Gould, September 10, 1852
Samuel F. Dickinson, April 19, 1853
Hannah E. Dickinson, April 1, 1853

SECTION 9 Michael Bloomsberg, January 1, 1852
Abel Snyder, March 6, 1852
Oliver A. Dickinson, June 24, 1852
Isaac N. Crane, August 25, 1852
Isaac N. Crane, October 8, 1852
James L. Ketchum, April 28, 1853
Walter M. Holmes, June 8, 1853
David G. Slafter, September 13, 1853

SECTION 10 James Eldridge and Curtis Emerson, April 2 1847
Richard Guest, January 31, 1852
James L. Ketchum, April 28, 1853
Samuel T. Atwater, July 1, 1854
Gardner D. Williams, September 4, 1854
Aaron D. Emory, December 27, 1855

SECTION 11 Thompson, Whitney and Coit, October 12, 1850
Thomas Whitney, March 20, 1852
Gardner D. Williams, February 24, 1854
Edmund H. Hazelton July 7, 1856
Hermon Camp, August 4, 1856
Leonard Grade, September 28, 1872

SECTION 12 Edmund H. Hazelton, July 7, 1856
Melvin Gibbs, September 29, 1859
A. H. and S. Gates and Joshua D. Smith, March 19, 1860
James Tolbert, May 8, 1867
Appleton Stevens, January 2, 1863
William W. Delling, September 28, 1853
Edmund Hall, November 16, 1877

SECTION 13 Charles Merrill and Charles D. Farlin, April 24, 1856
Charles Merrill and Charles D. Farlin, May 1, 1856
James McLaughlin, March 1, 1858
Charles Merrill, March 8, 1858
Frederick Dunn, August 25, 1858
Gates and Smith, March 19, 1860
M. Watrous and D. G. Slafter, November 17, 1869

SECTION 14 Gardner D. Williams, February 24, 1854
Gardner D. Williams, May 10, 1854
Charles Merrill and Charles D. Farlin, April 24, 1856
Charles Merrill and Charles D. Farlin, May 1, 1856
Herman Camp, August 4, 1856
Charles D. Farlin, October 29, 1858
Gates and Smith, March 19, 1860

SECTION 15 David and Sol. Johnson, September 4, 1847
David and Sol. Johnson, September 29, 1847
Eleasar T. Pettis, December 6, 1850
Volney Chapin and Francis Andrew, January 3, 1851
Eleazar T. Pettis, February 4, 1851
Eleazar T. Pettis, March 14, 1851
William H. Green, June 19, 1850
Curtis Emerson, February 23, 1851
Emily M. Ingersoll, July 29, 1856
Lewis Van Winkle, October 10, 1871

SECTION 16 Jacob Gould, April 23, 1856
Joseph Gamble, March 17, 1859
James W. Spencer, May 9, 1861
Lewis Van Voinde, January 20, 1873
William Tilly, July 31, 1865
Lincoln R. Spencer, October 16, 1865
Jesse Wilson, March 9, 1871
Lewis Van Voinde, November 17, 1871
Charles Montague, November 19, 1877

SECTION 17 Curtis Emerson, February 5, 1850
William A. Heartt, July 15, 1852
Daniel D. Dopking, June 17, 1852
William Wilkins, September 30, 1851
Edward Phelps, September 30, 1851
Charles Stuck, July 15, 1852
William A. Heartt, November 13, 1852
William A. Heartt, July 11, 1854
William A. Heartt, September 14, 1855
Ezra G. Goddard, May 30, 1864

SECTION 18 D. and S. Johnson, September 29, 1847
Amos Andrews, June 18, 1851
Richard D. Slitor, September 19, 1851
John C. Rowland, January 2, 1852
William A. Heartt, November 13, 1852
Townsend North, December 1, 1852

SECTION 19 Jacob Light, September 30, 1851
Abraham Clawson, September 30, 1851

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William A. Heartt, July 11, 1854
William A. Heartt, September 14, 1855
Henry D. Braddock, November 14, 1855
Herman Camp, August 4, 1856

Herman Camp, August 9, 1856
Townsend North May 18, 1861
Lorenzo Mosher, September 25, 1865
William A. Heartt, April 26, 1869

SECTION 20 Charles Stuck, June 6, 1851
Charles Stuck, May 17, 1851
William A. Heartt, July 15, 1852
Charles Stuck, July 15, 1852
Barney Harper, October 18, 1854
William A. Heartt, March 14, 1856
Joseph Colman, June 6, 1859
Joshua D. Smith, March 19, 1860
Joseph Colman, March 19, 1860
Townsend North, April 8, 1861
William Fenner, October 21, 1863

SECTION 21 Charles Stuck, January 6 1851
James Vanderbilt, January 6, 1851
Barney Harper, October 18, 1854
Martin Watrous, June 9, 1858
Reuben A. Miller, December 25, 1858
Amasa Rust, March 19, 1860
R. A. Miller March 19, 1860
William R. Newkirk, March 14, 1871
Henry C. Ripley, November 15, 1871
William A. Heartt, March 10, 1869
William A. Heartt, July 21, 1869
T. North, January 28, 1864

SECTION 22 Gardner D. Williams, May 10, 1854
Hezekiah W. Whitney, July 7, 1856
Hezekiah W. Whitney, July 10, 1856
Herman Camp, August 4, 1856
Charles Merrill, March 8, 1858
Darius Hodges, May 5, 1859
William Fenner, October 27, 1862
William M. Canfield, May 21, 1863
Henry C. Ripley, November 15, 1871
T. North, January 28, 1864

SECTION 23 Charles Merrill and Charles D. Farlin, April 24, 1856
Charles Merrill and Charles D. Farlin, 21, May 1, 1856
Moses Sutton and James A. Bailey, July 12, 1856
Herman Camp, August 4, 1856
William M. Canfield, May 21, 1863
William M. Canfield, August 3, 1863

SECTION 24 Charles Merrill and Charles D. Farlin, April 24, 1856
Charles Merrill, July 14, 1856
Archibald H. Gates, September 28, 1859
Gates & Smith, March 19, 1860
William M. Canfield, August 3, 1863
James Tolbert, October 22, 1868
Oscar and Lafayette Wilder, December 24, 1863
John Stuart, September 16, 1875

SECTION 25 James A. Bailey and Moses Sutton, December 8, 1855
Charles Merrill and Charles D. Farlin, April 24, 1856
Moses Sutton and James A. Bailey, April 28, 1856
Gates & Smith, March 19, 1860
William A. Heartt, June 15, 1868

SECTION 26 Amy Fuller, January 15, 1857
James McLaughlin, March 8, 1858
William M. Hayford, January 24, 1859
Archibald H. Gates, Canal Co., May 25, 1855
Sault Saint Marie Canal Co., May 25, 1855
Charles Montague, November 19 1879

SECTION 27 Hezekiah W Whitney, July 7, 1856
Hezekiah W. Whitney, July 10, 1856
Amy Fuller, January 15, 1857
Archibald H. Gates, July 5, 1859
Gates & Smith, March 19, 1860
S. Gibbs, November 26, 1868
William R. and L. N. Newkirk, April 20, 1869

SECTION 28 William A. Heartt, July 15, 1852
Hezekiah W. Whitney, January 14, 1857
John Johnson May 24, 1860
Joseph Colman, March 19, 1860
William A. Heartt, February 14, 1865
Reuben Miller, January 31, 1865
Oscar and L. Wilder, December 2, 1865
William A. Heartt, June 15, 1868
Henry C. Ripley, November 15, 1871

SECTION 29 John Johnson, May 24, 1860
Lorenzo Mosher, September 25, 1865
Samuel Townsend, November 19, 1869
William A. Heartt, June 15, 1868
Alson Greenfield, November 13, 1863
William A. Heartt, July 15, 1852

SECTION 30 Elijah Smith, December 8, 1851
Lorenzo Mosher, September 25, 1865
John T. Chambers, November 9, 1865
W. H. Raymond, May 13, 1867
Dennis Murphy, October 17, 1870
Samuel L. Jones, November 7, 1868

SECTION 31 William Fenner, May 10, 1864
William Fenner, January 18, 1866
Peter Donnelly, November 7, 1868
William R. Newkirk, March 15, 1871

SECTION 32 John Johnson May 24, 1859
Joshua D. Smith, December 8, 1860
Edgar W. Allen, December 7, 1871
Wesley G. Wilber, December 28, 1868
William A. Heath, June 15, 1868
David T. Davis, March 9, 1872

SECTION 33 Hezekiah W. Whitney, January 14, 1857
Gates & Smith, March 19, 1860
William M. Canfield, February 26, 1866
W. N. Canfield, January 5, 1867
William Fenner, June 18, 1866

SECTION 34 Hezekiah W. Whitney, January 14, 1857
Gates & Smith, March 19, 1860
James Tolbert, May 8, 1867

SECTION 35 William J. Cornell, September 25, 1852
James McLaughlin, March 8, 1858
Gates & Smith, March 19, 1860
Jane Wells, August 10, 1866
Lewis Van Winkle, December 12, 1866
Wills & Green, January 10, 1868
S. Gibbs, November 26, 1868

SECTION 36 James McLaughlin, March 8, 1858
Joshua Witherald, December 9, 1858
Jane Wells, January 25, 1865

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James G. McCormick, June 23, 1866
William A. Heartt, April 4, 1867
Sault Saint Marie Canal Company, May 25, 1855
T. North, June 23, 1866

FIRST SETTLEMENT

The first settlers of the town of Indian Fields were Charles Stuck, Isaac Crane, Walter Holmes, Orville Williams, Oliver Dickinson, Elonza Bigelow, Daniel Dopking, Franklin Fairman, Samuel P. Sherman, Amos Andrews, Sr., David H. Andrews Leman Andrews, William A. Heartt and David Gamble.

Mr. David H. Andrews speaks of the early operations as follows:

“In the year 1851, November 12^th, Charles Stuck, of Ypsilanti, Mich., came to this town and commenced on section 20, the northwest quarter, to build a house for himself, being aided by Samuel Barlow who came with him. On the 15^th of November of the same year Daniel Dopking arrived, Mrs. Dopking being the first white woman in this town. The roads being very bad and teams hard to get, Mr. Stuck on the 17^th of November made a raft and went to Vassar for the purpose of rafting lumber up the Cass River to his place. On the 18^th he started up-hill business, and was obliged to abandon the undertaking. Simon Caster, wife and child and brother, came on the 20^th on November, 1851, Mrs. Caster being the second white woman in the town.

“On January 3, 1852, Mr. Stuck resumed his work on the house which he had previously commenced, this time proving successful.

“In 1853 William A. Heartt formed a partnership with Mr. Stuck, and notwithstanding the many difficulties under which they were obliged to labor, succeeded in building a mill and making various other improvements which none but energetic pioneers could have accomplished. Mr. Heartt afterward bought Mr. Stuck’s interest, and remains proprietor of the place at the present time. Being an enterprising man, he has been a great help in opening up and settling the township and surrounding country. It will not be necessary to relate the trials of the early settlers, for none but the pioneers can relize them.

“The first death among the actual settlers was that of Amos Andrews Sr., who was away on business in Ohio, where he died on the 31^st of August, 1853, aged seventy-two years. He purchased his land in 1850, it being the north half of section 18, in the town of Indian Fields.

“The first marriage was Orville Williams to Amanda Bigelow the ceremony being performed by Isaac Crane, justice of the peace.’

“The first minister sent by conference was T. J. Joslin, a Methodist, who formed a society of eight members The names of the members of the class were D. H. Andrews and wife, Leman Andrews, G. Kile, Henry Russell, Mrs. Hiller and David Kesler and wife.”

POSTOFFICES

The first postoffice in the present town of Indian Fields was at Wahjamega, established in 1859; the

Next was Tuscola Center, established at Centerville in 1866. A history of each is given on another page.

A BIT OF EXPERIENCE

Some experiences of the late Daniel D. Dopking and wife illustrate life in the early days, which for

several years was lonely beyond description. Their nearest neighbor was Isaac Crane, nearly two miles

distant. The improvement of new farms required too much hard labor to allow of much recreation, and

neighborly visits were not frequent, unless it was necessary to borrow some groceries to last until a trip

could be made to Vassar. Christmas and New Year’s were seasons of enjoyment, and upon such

occasions those who lived many miles apart would unite in the homely festivities.

Owing to the lack of fences, farmers had to “bell” their cattle when they were turned loose, and in

buying a “sounder” a farmer endeavored to get one as unlike in tone to that of his neighbor as possible.

In the summer of 1854 Mr. Dopking lost track of his oxen, and in hunting for them he was misled by the

bell on an ox belonging to Curtis Emerson, of East Saginaw, who was then lumbering on the Cass River.

After much tramping, however, Mr. Dopking found his cattle, and started for home, as he supposed. In

the course of an hour he realized that he was lost, and hallooing brought no response from home. His

oxen finally grew tired and refused to go any farther, so he tied them to a tree with beech withes, and

lay down to sleep. None of the wild animals then so numerous disturbed his slumbers and when

morning broke he started on a prospecting tour. He struck a road leading somewhere, and as it was

blazed a little above breast high (the usual height for section line blazes) he knew that travel on it would

bring him to some point from whence he could reach home. Accordingly he untied his cattle and

traveled on this road until he struck the Indian Fields and Sebewaing trail. Here a new

difficulty presented itself: which was should he go? It was a knotty question to decide, but finally

he start toward Sebewaing and traveled some distance; after going far enough, as he thought, to reach

some point the would indicate his whereabouts, he made up his mind that he was on the wrong track

and consequently retraced his steps along the trail. He finally struck a small clearing that now forms

part of the county poor farm, and then he know where he was, as a lumber road led from this point

direct to Wahjamega. He arrived home about 11 o’clock in the forenoon having been absent from home

all the previous day, and found his wife in a state of anxiety bordering on distraction. All through the

long night the poor woman had kept her lonely vigil every half hour or so blowing a mammoth tin horn,

in hopes that her husband would hear its sounds and thus be guided home. Occasionally she would

imagine that she could hear the ox bell, but the hope thus raised died out in despair when Mr. Dopking

did not make his appearance. Her greatest fear was that some wild beast had made him its prey, and

that no trace of him would ever be discovered. The nearest house was a mile and half, and a night walk

of that distance through woods infested with wild beasts was not at all desirable. So the night wore

away and morning dawned without a sight of him who was so near and dear to her, and the forenoon

passed as did the night. About 11 o’clock the welcome and familiar sound of the bell apprised her of the

approach of the cattle, and on looking out she beheld he husband coming up the road. The strain upon

her nerves for the twenty-four hours had been so great that the reaction from fear thoroughly

prostrated her and rendered her as feeble as a babe in arms, and it was hours before she completely

recovered self-possession.