1836 In the Beginning of Livingston County

We are taking a one-day break from the articles I've been posting of Charles Gehringer, a ball player from Fowlerville, to go back to the beginning of Livingston county.

My husband and I recently took a road trip to King's Book store in Detroit, mostly because I just needed to see it after hearing how the four-story old building was crammed to the rafters with books.  It is all true; everything I ever heard or read about it.  After making sure I checked out each of the floors, I headed back to the first floor and found the stacks holding numerous books on Michigan history.  I ended up purchasing a book of the history of Michigan up to 1950 -- at some point, I may even use some of the information while working this website.  Here's a picture of King's Book store:

Just before leaving, I found a small book on the beginnings of each county in Michigan.  I immediately checked out Livingston county and was disappointed to see Fowlerville was not listed.  It would have seemed to me ANY mention of the Grand River Trail should have mentioned Ralph Fowler's contribution to making it a thoroughfare with the building of the plank road.  Oh well, such is the forgotten history of this village.

Here's info on Edward Livingston -- click here.

Back to Charley Gehringer tomorrow.

1880 Birth Announcements

M.J. Dunn is happy over an eight-pound boy that came into his possession one day last week.

The tallest man in town is Marshall Tanner -- it's a girl and made its appearance last Saturday.

For many years during the mid-to-late 1800s, the population of the village hovered around 1,000, sometimes reaching 1,200. Mr. Adams of the paper celebrated many of the births in the newspaper mentioning the proud dad but seldom how mother and child were doing, and rarely the baby's name.

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 21

Now in conclusion, my old friends and pioneers who with me have braved the wilds and hardships of this county, endured the perils and privations consequent in the settlement of a new country, let us remember that where we now stand rehearsing these incidents, half a century ago, no echo answered to the voice of civilized man, where for ages the majestic forest trees undisturbed had waved their heads and clasped their hands, where the merciless savage freely roamed and the wild beasts found a happy home.

However wonderful indeed now to behold on every hand the work of a civilized and enlightened community, to see the face of this fair county beautifully adorned with fine orchards, splended barns and magnificant homes. Now if we have opened the way for the consummation of such splendid results, may the fruits of our efforts be duly appreciated by those who have succeeded us and a priceless inheritance be ours in the land of the blest.

With the hope that our country may go on prospering and to progress, we leave it to those who shall continue the work we so thoroughly began, with the aid and blessing of that Divine Architect in whose hands the destinies of all things are dependent.

The End.

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 20

Mr. C.T. Powers and B.P. Vealy came from Brighton and built a part of the Reason House -- they frequently had from 15 to 20 teams, and sometimes more to stop all night and their collections usually ran in the mornings from $35 to $50.

This state of things was of short duraction, as the building of the Detroit and Milwaukee and the Jackson and Saginaw Rail Road shut the travel from our plank road as suddenly as the closing of a door.

Several years of dull times and hauling produce from 25 to 30 miles to Rail Road towns, together with our rebellion, all helped to injure our progress. Soon after the close of the rebellion commenced the contemplation and successful building of our present rail road and many of the towns along its line, as well as Handy, will remember their anxiety for its consummation when called upon to pay their taxes for several years to come; yet today our town is rapidly progressing and increasing in wealth and population.

Tomorrow, the conclusion.

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 19

The plank road from Lansing to Howell was in contemplation, there being one from Detroit to Howell already commenced. This road was commenced in Lansing in the year 1849 and completed between the years 1852 and 1853, this improvement created a great interest in our town. I took the job to furnish the plank from the Cedar river to Howell - 1 1/2 million feet. They were sawed by Samuel G. Palmerton, who then had bought the mill and still owns it. They were delivered on the road by Levi Munsell and Jeremiah Nichols, for 75 cents per thousand feed from Fowlerville to Howell.

The plat of Fowlerville then consisted of 19 lots as above mentioned. A store was built on the corner by myself where the store of Glenn & Co. now stands and forms the east part of the same. It was occupied by the plank co. for the years 1852 and 1853, then by the Hon. Josiah Turner, and was the first store in town.

Mr. Amos Adams having taken a seeming interest in this place, came on and added a new survey of a plat of 40 acres, and says to me, 'You give to any one who will build a respectable house, each alternate lot,' which was done. The plank road being finished at this time from Detroit to Lansing, it became one of the most busiest thoroughfares of the state, lined with teams from end to end.

With a four-horse coach each way twice a day, frequently carrying from 16 to 20 persons, our village began to grow and our town commenced to rapidly populate.

Beginnings of the Reason House tomorrow.

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 18

This was done in order to get the mail route changed from the north route to the line of the Grand River road, which first named route ran from Howell to Okemos, north of the north bend of the Cedar river leaving Fowlerville and Williamston off the line several miles. Mr. Seymour, of Lansing, myself and Geo. Curtis, of this place and K.L. of Howell, put on the line of the Grand River road a stage from Howell to Lansing -- out one day and back the next.

We left no man to go the old route for want of money or low prices. We run this stage over one year. It consisted of a pair of horses and a lumber wagon. After we had accomplished our boject and got a post office at Fowlerville and Williamston, we sold out and settled up. I kept a man and team on the road over one year; I lost one horse that cost me $125, and owed the company $10 -- I came off far the best of any one of the company.

This was during the year 1842 to 1847, and during those years, our town continued to settle very rapidly and we had from 80 to 100 voters.

Tomorrow the beginnings of the plank road.

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 17

A continuation of progress within the village and township area in the 1840s . . .

I donated as a site six acres of land where the mill now stands and boarded the hands gratuitously, and the people of the township scored and hewed the timber for the frame gratis. The man getting sick of the mill business, owing to a disappointment in marriage, sold the same to me and I completed it.

The first grist mill was built by Messrs. Fish & Palmerton, in the years 1855 and 1856, I donating the land for the same.

In the spring of 1849, Mr. O.B. Williams and myself went on the line of the Detroit and Grand River road and solicited subscription for opening said road from Fowlerville west. The improvements made by the small appropriations of lands nearly 10 years before, and the road being but little traveled, it had in many places grown up to brush and became impassable.

We got in dry goods and subscriptions some $600. There were extra town meetings called along the line of the road in the towns of Leroy, Wheatfield, Phelps and Meridian, and there was raised in each town from $200 to $250. The bridges were built over the two cedars and the streams west of the Meridian line. Mr. Williams commenced at the Meridian line with three hands and two pair of oxen and I commenced at Fowlerville with the same amount of help. We cleared the brush and bailed the wet and mirey places. We worked between two and three weeks and met near Williamston.

More to come tomorrow on the roads.

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 16

Now in this connection, we will enumerate some of the first events and improvements connected with our township. The first steam saw mill that was built here was in the years '46 and '47, on Section 18, by Mr. Spafford and others. The first frame barn was built by Elijah Gaston, on Section No, 1. The first framed house was built by Richard P. Bush, on Section 12, in the year 1853.

The first log school house was built in 1839, on Section 11. The first frame school house was built in the years 1843 and 1844, on Section 11. Mr. Calvin Handy owned the first oxen and cow in the township. Mr. Martin W. Randall the first team of horses. Mr. Alonson Church the first hog. Mr. Peter Mitchell the first hens. Mr. Ruel Randall bought the first cat of Mrs. Walker, of Farmington, for 50 cents, and brought it to town.

Chas. Fowler was the first white child born in the township, in the year 1838, in the month of June. The first death was in the year 1838, it being Mrs. Ruel Randall. The first sermon was preached by the Rev. John Cosort, a Methodist, in the year 1839. The first saw mill built in Fowlerville was in the year 1849, by Mr. Russell Fuller, of the state of New York.

More improvements and donations tomorrow . . .

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 15

During these years, everybody sold out that could and our town almost depopulated. Some left their lands, some went back to the state of New York, their former homes. Sixteen families went from our town to Norvavoo, Ill. and joined the Mormons. Our people had the fever and ague and other fecers and many of our friends died, and we were generally discouraged, still we had the Sharone, besides the bank of Shiawassee. This latter bank would have been one of the big guns of theh 100 'wildcat' banks had it not been that their bills were badly executed, with a lever attached to a big stamp; that their promises to pay could not be read nor theh representation of characters and its face distinguished -- they could not be determined between a monkey and a wildcat.

The bank of Kensington also made a mistake which very much lessened the value of her circulating medium; some of the village lots in the village of Kensington which were pledged as security for the bell holder lay along the bank of the Hurton river and it finally appeared that many of them through some mistake had been appraised, (and became a part of the bank funds) as high as 500 dollars each, some of them not having enough land upon them clear of water to build a house upon, consequently this bank with hundres of others failed. Still with this sad and depressing state and condition of things, our hopes and energies were somewhat revived, knowing the time had near arrived when the constitution of our state provided for the permanent location of the state capitol.

We could hardly expect that it would be taken from Detroit and placed in Lansing, yet he had learned to hope against hope. Feeling that justice and the great interest of the state would locate it at Lansing, knowing such an event would greatly add to the interest of our town, we put all our efforts to work for the accomplishment of said obtain.

Tomorrow some of the first improvements.

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 14

During the coming years things began to change somewhat; it began to appear certain that our hoped for canal would fail to be built. All kinds of produce went down, and no sale for nothing could be obtained, even the staple wheat.

For the purpose of giving you some idea of the condition of affairs from 1841 to 1847, I will now give you some of my experience. During the years 1844 and 1845, by John A. Tanner and others, besides myself, there was raised 4,500 bushels of wheat upon our farms. I bought a threasher and threshed the crop on the ground, cleaned and stored it the best we could, but there was no market for wheat. I had two pairs of horses and when ever I could get any loading back from Detroit, we went with wheat and stored with Wm. Newberry.

We finally had delivered 400 bushels of wheat, and in the fall they began to buy wheat at 44 cents in 'St. Clair' and 50 cents in 'Wildcat' money. No doubt many remember the many wildcat banks, so called. Finally sold for 44 cents per bushel in 'St. Clair' money. This bank had stood all the wildcat pressure and was considered the best bank in the state.

The night before I left the city, the St. Clair went down. I sold my money for 50 cents on theh dollar, thus netting me 22 cents per bushel in Detroit, with the expense yet to be deducted.

This state of things made rather blue times. The balance of crop we sold in Howell to Bush, Harman & Hewett, for 35 cents per bushel, delivered. You could not sell the best fat cow in town for live dollars in money.

Tomorrow, how the village was 'depopulating.'

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 13

The first wheat crop was threshed upon the ground and winnowed in the wind, in the fall of 1837. Mr. Calvin Handy started for mill and went to Ann Arbor or Dexter with his oxen and put in his bell, ax and auger, with quilts to sleep upon. He followed tracks and trails, and at night, there being no settlers upon the road he turned out his oxen and slept under the wagon. At the end of five days he came back and we all had a feast of Michigan wheat biscuits.

From '38 to '40 were years of hope and prosperity. Newcomers were slowly adding to our number. We done most of our logging by bees, logging from 10 to 20 acres per day. During the years of '41 and '42, the State Legislature made a small appropriation of lands from 5,000 acres for the completion of the roads above mentioned, and were expended by Mr. Mullet of Detroit, in opening the road from Fowlerville to Lansing for the first time. This gave us additional hopes and our town now numbered about 60 voters. Mr. Adams desiring to see the fulfillment of his predictions at this point came with his compass and surveyed 19 lots, locating them on three of the four corners of the said village, free of charge.

Much more to come -- stay tuned!

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 12

The previous eleven portions of the Pioneer Sketch by Ralph Fowler were printed in one week's issue of The Fowlerville Review. Today begins another segment of his remembrances, verbatim as published.

Our township had so populated that during the winter of '38 we organized and called it Handy, after Calvin Handy, the first settler. Our town then numbered 14 voters and we had a blacksmith shop, the first in the town, kept by Elizer Tucker.

The first officers of the township were Ralph Fowler, for Supervisor; John B. Fowler and Wm. Benjamin, for Justices of the Peace; Howell H. Briggs and Dennis Conrad, for Commissioners; Richard P. Bush, for Town Clerk; Ruel Randall, for Constable and Collector.

Tomorrow, crops, prosperity and hope.

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 11

Yesterday portion of the Pioneer Sketch by Ralph Fowler, published in the local newspaper, spoke about dogs in the area. Today's part 11 continues:

Soon after Mr. Bush came to town, he came over to Mr. Fowler's, and several of us were there. He had his dog with him. The dogs soon began to bristle and growl. All who had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Bush can realize how quick he was to notice the growl of a dog. He says to Mr. Fowler, 'You had better look a little to your dog; my hound is a fighter, and very sharp bitten.'

Mr. Fowler says, 'Never mind; he is not worth much; let them work.'

Soon the battle began, and the hound handled the bull dog with seeming ease. Mr. Bush remarked that it would be better to take them apart, as the hound had whipped two such bull dogs at one time in Ithaca; but Mr. Fowler said let them go; if his dog could not take care of himself he ought to be killed.

Soon the bull dog began to play his part, and got a dead hold on the hound, and closed his eyes. The result was that the hound soon began to cry for help. The bull dog was choked off and the hound went for hom, yelling lustily. Charles stood for a moment, then said, 'By jiminy, boys, this is the first time that hound was ever whipped.'

We must leave the pedigree of the bull dog with Dr. Wells.

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 10

The years '37, '38, '39 were enthusiastic years for us. The state having been admitted into the Union in the winter of '36-'37, and an appropriation of land from the general government of 5,000 acres for the completion of the Detroit and Grand River and the Detroit and Saginaw roads, which the government was then at work upon, and the great system of internal iprovement instituted with the $5,000,000 loan, the Central and Southern railroads, and the notable Clinton and Kalamazoo canal. The line of said canal was surveyed through our township, which, together with the newcomers, gave us great hopes and anticipations.

At the arrival of newcomers, we all made it a point to make their acquaintance as soon as possible -- anxious to know all about their teams, wives and children, and their money, as well as their dogs; also their skill with the axe -- and some had to know which was the best man to at square hold or pulling stitches; also the grit and speed of their dogs.

Our ever respected and ever remembered Charles P. Bush had a greyhound called 'Soap,' which he brought with him. Mr. J.B. Fowler had a bull dog, raised by our friend Mr. Wells, now of Howell. He was brought from Geneseo, N.Y.

Tomorrow, more about the dogs.

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 9

In the morning, we got some more corn, venison and tea. We found we were on Mr. T's land, it being the north half of section 22. By this time, he was not so very particular about lines; his land had nearly lost its value. We started for home, concluding to take the trail on the north side of Cedar river. We traveled until setsun; came to an Indian camp some three miles east of Williamston, and stayed over night with the Indians, and got home the next day about noon.

As we entered the house, Mr. T. threw off his coat and hat, and said, 'Mrs. Fowler, give us something to eat, for the Lord's sake, and I will go to bed.'

She did so, and we went to bed and slept till the next morning. He got up in the morning and says, 'Mr. Fowler, if you will give me government price for my land, on ten year's time, it's yours.'

His toes were out of his cloth shoes, and he was generally used up. He did not come to see his land again until the capitol was located at Lansing, then I think he sold it to Bush, Thomas and Lee for $9,000.

Tomorrow, Mr. Fowler speaks of some of the next few years.

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 8

Arriving at Williamston, I asked him to show me the hotel and mills. He says, 'Is it possible that people will thus deceive a man?' there being nothing there but a little shanty on the north side of the river, and that desolate. We sat down and ate a little bread and meat, and then started for Okemos, found nothing there but the camp of old Okemos.

We went on to Grand River, where the Cedar empties into it, arriving there a little before sunset. We found an Indian camp in the forks of the rivers, and made our way across to it by the help of their canoe. The old squaw, with whom I was somewhat acquainted, got us some boiled corn and venison, and a good cup of tea, of which I partook heartily. Mr. T. only drank a little of his tea and ate his meat and bread.

The squaw spread down two large bear skins and a white blanket, and says, 'Shemokemen sleep there,' and we laid down. About midnight, the wolves began to howl. Mr. T. soon got up and began to shake me, saying, 'Don't you hear those terrible animals?'

I told him to lie down; they would not hurt us, but he walked the tent, and looked out often to see if the wolves were not in sight.

Tomorrow, the next morning's activities . . .

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 7

In connection with this history, I will relate a little incident, showing the wildness of the country and the difficult transit to the capitol west. During the month of May, Mr. Townsend, of the city of New York, coming from Detroit to our place on horseback, wishing me to accompany him to his land, located on section number 22, where the city of Lansing now is. I objected somewhat, knowing the wildness of the country and the distance, but he insisted upon my going. I told him I could stand it if he could, so we agreed to start and he went for his horse. I told him that he must go on foot, as there were no bridges, and no roads except marked trees and a trail. He remonstrated and said, 'You don't know anything about your own country.'

Then taking from his pocket some papers, he says: 'Look here; there are two villages between here and my lands,' showing me a map of Williamston and Okemos, with hotels, mills and mill ponds. I told him they were paper villages, as there were no hotels or villages in that part. This rather stumped him, still he was very anxious to see if he was so badly deceived.

He had on a pair of heavy, high cloth shoes. I offered him a pair of thick cow hide boots, but he refused them, saving he had the shoes made on purpose for the trip. We put some meat and bread in our pockets -- all we could conveniently carry -- and took the line of the Detroit and Grand River road.

Tomorrow, their travels.

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 6

During the first few years of our settlement in Handy, the bears, wolves and deer were very thick. During the first winter I have looked out of the door of my log house and counted eight or ten deer browsing on the timber. The bears frequently killed and carried off our hogs. The first sheep in the town I bought of Lawson Gordon, I think in the year 1839 -- some 13 in number. I built a pen at the end of our log house, of which the house formed one end, and put the sheep into it every night. One night, forgetting to shut up the gap or entrance, the wolves got among them and killed all but one. This one got among the cattle, who protected it. About this time we had raised some four or five calves. The wolves got among them, near the house, in the night-time.

We heard the calves bleat and ran out as quick as possible. We found three of them kicking and bleeding to death. Z.B. Fowler had three calves in a lot a short distance from there. The wolves went directly to them, and killed two before we could drive them off. There is one more little feature that I wish to mention. The first year we mowed our marsh land, we killed 125 massaugers, besides black snakes measuring from three to eight feet in length.

Tomorrow, in part 7, more about the wildness of the area.

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 5

The Pioneer Sketch was published in The Fowlerville Review. Part 5 continues with information regarding Mr. Conklin.

During the summer, Mr. Conklin shopped some three acres of land and sowed it to wheat, carrying his seed wheat from the Cedar river on his back to his place, a distance of some three and a half miles. In the fall of 1837, Mr. Handy with his ox team, brought Mr. Conklin's goods from his house to the river crossing above mentioned. The water was about three feet deep over the marsh. Six of us carried his things across, wading 40 or 50 rods in the water. Now how to get his wife across was a conundrum. Finally Martin W. Randall and myself took a board about six feet long, one at each end, set Mrs. Conklin in the middle, one hand on each of our shoulders, and carried her across. Mr. Knickerbocker came with his oxen on the west side of the river, and carried them to their place.

Tomorrow's part 6 will be more about bears, wolves and deer!

1878 Pioneer Sketch - Part 4

The first of June, 1837, Mr. Chas. Bush, Richard P. Bush and John Bush came from Panby, Tompkins county, New York. Charles P. Bush settled on the northwest quarter of Sec. 11, Rich. Bush on the southwest quarter of Sec. 1 and John Bush on the north part of Sec. 2, Handy.

During the summer, several other families came to town among whom were Alson Church, Alanson Knickerbocker, Seymour Norton and Samuel Conklin. Mr. Conklin was also from the state of New York and he and his wife on their arrival here stopped with Mr. Calvin Handy. They owned land on Sec. 18, in the west part of our town, and as we considered it no task to go five or six miles to a log house raising, and Mr. Conklin having followed the section line from the Cedar river to his land, and cut the logs for a house.

We started -- nine of us in number -- with two pairs of oxen, to draw the logs and raise the house. We followed the section line, which crossed the river where the railroad bridge now is. In going around some wet places on the section line, we missed our direction and got our oxen into the big swamp on section 17, got our oxen mired in the mud, got tired out -- especially the oxen.

We got back to the section line the best we could, not reaching his land. After the lapse of three or four weeks, we tried it again, and succeeded in reaching his house.

Tomorrow we will continue with the experiences with Mr. Conklin.