Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

336

P1IONEER HISTORY OF INGIIAM COUNTY

O'Brien claimed to have attended the first township meeting and
to have been the only Democrat there. He said that the Whigs
thought it would be a good time to kill him so there would be no
Democrat seed in the town, and said, "Faith, and I think they
would, but I went home." I think he was mistaken about his
being the only Democrat here then, for a number of those first
votes were afterward identified with the Democratic party.
There was only one ticket nominated, and they were mostly
Whigs. School District No. 1 on section 7, and District No. 2,
with house on section 29, were organized in May, 1840. District
No. 2 was organized first, but owing to some negligence on the
part of the officers in the district first organized, and a little sharp
practice with the second, No. 2 got recorded first and captured the
number, and now stands as No. 1.
Louisa Ann Woodruff taught the first school in No. 1, and Mary
Jane Smith was the first teacher in No. 2.
The first religious society was formed through the influence of
David Fuller at his house by the Baptists about 1838. In 1842
there was a Presbyterian society organized at the Dean school
house in District No. 2, and about the same time there was a Methodist Episcopal class formed at the Fuller school house now
called Felt's school house in District No. 1. Soon after this followed the organization of the Roman Catholic church in 1844 at
the house of James Markey on section No. 10. The Catholics
would never use a public school house for religious service, so
held their meetings at private houses until they built their church
about 1859 or 1860. This was the first church edifice built in
Bunkerhill township, and stands near the middle of section 10.
This church society grew very rapidly, and soon outnumbered all
the other religious societies in membership. Their membership
extends over an area of ten to twelve miles from the church and
numbers over two hundred communicants.
The first post office was established in 1848. Chester Tuttle
was postmaster on section 10. The mails were brought to this
office from Henrietta, Jackson county, Mr. Prescott being postmaster there. He went to Jackson every Saturday for the mail
for his office and ours. Then Mr. Tuttle would go on foot, following cattle trails a large portion of the way, often across marshes
and through swamps, generally on Sunday, and bring the Bunkerhill