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

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PIONEER HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY

Concerning District No. 2 I know very little. Russell Trefry
settled there in the forties on the farm now owned by Frank
Younglove; a man by the name of Taylor owned a place farther
east, and Chris Laycox owned near there in 1859.
In District 13, or Kinnieville, we find William Hutchings on
the place now owned by Arthur Bentley.
Homer Wilkinson, in 1856, on the place now owned by his
daughter Elizabeth.
Hiram Cranson, whose father took land from the government
in 1834, deeded it to him in 1844. IIe started for California in
1849 and died on his way. His wife and two childrel, Jane, now
Mrs. Robert Iyon, and John, deceased, continued to make their
home on the old place.
Mrs. Cranson, or Mollie as she was familiarly called, was known
as the best lady dancer anywhere in the country, and it was
nothing for her or her mother, who lived in Jackson, to go on foot
to visit each other.
Old Rue Perrine was a rather eccentric old fellow who lived on
the county line. He once hitched his team to a boat to attend
the town meeting. He also was considered a great dancer.
The Abbey's, Hiram and Fred, settled in District No. 10.
Hiram on the place now occupied by Earle Frye and Fred on the
one owned by Isaac Mosely. Mr. Mosely came to Onondaga
when a young man and later married Jane Abbey.
Stephen Van Kenney came to this county from Nova Scotia in
1844 and took up a large tract of land which is now owned by Clare
and Ray Trefry, great nephews of his, and where the village of
Kinnieville now stands. He laid out a village for which he had
great hopes, giving it the name of Nova Scotia, but Kinnieville
has always been the familiar name.
He was rather short-sighted, for a chance came to have Olivet
College come there, but he refused the location, fearing that it
would make a "nigger settlement" of the place. Mr. Van Kenney
built a dam across the river with a saw mill on the east end of the
dam, just when is not known, but probably about 1844, and a
grist mill on the west end of the dam. Joseph Pierson was the
head carpenter, and this mill stood and was run continuously for
over forty years, and was known as the best grist mill anywhere
in the country. As late as 1890 people from far and wide took