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

LEROY TOWNSIIIP AND ITS HISTORY

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tween Williamston and Fowlerville, a distance of eleven miles,
there was no village on the line of road that could be used as the
nucleus for a town or market, except Podunk, two miles east of
Williamston.
The farmers of Locke, Leroy and White Oak wanted a market for
their timber, grain and stock. The railroad company informed
them that they would build a depot, grain elevator, also a stockyard if some farmer along the line would donate land for a site.
Hugh Webber, one of the largest land owners in the section, offered
to donate a narrow strip of land between the Plank Road and the
railroad track, but its shape and size prevented its being platted for
a village. However, George H. Galusha, a builder and contractor, bought land of Mr. Webber, platted a few lots and built
a house on the proposed village site. Mr. Webber owned a hotel
or road house, and there was also a school house and saw mill on
the site. For a tine it looked favorable, and Mr. Webber was
ready to plat a village and sell lots, when a competitor stopped
him, and McPherson Brothers of Howell, larger land owners than
Mr. Webber, who owned land in the east, became interested in
the project.
They saw their opportunities to sell their timber and land, so
offered the company a better site and more land to plat a village,
and this accounts for the station being one-half mile east of the
first plat laid out.
Part of the ground at that time was virgin forest, but the McPherson's cut streets through the brush and timber, laid out the
site for the public buildings and platted one hundred and fortythree lots. They also built a store on the corner of Main and
Grand River streets. This store was afterwards burned, but was
rebuilt with brick instead of wood, and is standing today.
The plat was recorded in 1872 as "McPherson's Plat of the Village of Leroy." It was called by this name but a short time, for
there was another village by that name in the state. The mail,
express and freight for this village was sent to the other town,
and wandered around from two to three weeks before it was delivered to its owners. This caused so much confusion that the name
was changed to Webberville, as a compliment to Mr. Webber.
The village will retain its name, and will be the only thing to