History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

391

life on his own hook. IIe struck an Indian trail and went several miles
further into the primeval forests and located on eighty acres in what is
now Holly township, and which was then a section of a vast territory
called Copmeconic. He built a rude hut to shelter himself and his stock
during the coming winter.
"Young Rood found the life a rather lonely one. He might ramble
for miles in any direction without seeing the face of a civilized being.
He was the only white man in that section, which was a wilderness. Yet
the young man was not dissatisfied. He did not have time to fell
trees, so he girdled them and next spring he planted and raised his first
crop of corn in the shade of their leafless branches. The Indians stole
half of his crop before it was gathered, but they were inclined to be
friendly, and Alonzo did not kick. There were wolves in plenty, but
they did not cause the young man as much fear as did the wild hogs.
"Once or twice a year Rood would go to Pontiac with a grist or
two to pay his taxes. His father died and Alonzo became the possessor
of a herd of more than fifty cattle. He was now a rich man, indeed.
Other settlers were coming into his section of the wilderness, and becoming tired of his hut he determined to build himself what he called
a mansion. This consisted of a frame dwelling one and a half stories
in height, sided up with real sawed lumber. Its dimensions were fifteen
by twenty feet. In order to build this house Mr. Rood hauled logs
twenty-two miles to Pontiac and had them sawed into lumber which he
drew back. He acted both as architect and carpenter. Nails were worth
twenty cents a pound. Rood bought one pound with which to put his
doors together, and for the rest of his house he used wooden pegs.
"This house, more than sixty years old, yet stands. It has the distinction of being the oldest building in Holly township. The outside
boards are worn as thin as paper in some places from the action of the
elements. Its most striking features are its windows which are six
inches wide and very high. It was necessary in the days when the
house was built to construct windows in this shape to keep the Indians
out while the family were in the fields. The house is a great landmark
and is being carefully preserved. His (laughter, who is married and
resides in Detroit, being desirous of securing possession of the old
homestead on her father' death, has entered into an agreement whereby
she is to pay him a certain sum of money each year as long as he lives,
and at his death the place descends to her. From the present indications she will pay dearly for the property, for if serious accident does
not befall him, the old man is certainly destined to see the century mark.
"\r. Rood has been married four times. His first wife died after
a few years of happy married life. 'My second wife,' said Mr. Rood.
'was young, and did not like my ways, and finally left me. A third followed in the footsteps of the second. Wives, you know,' continued the
old man, 'are somewhat like cattle —they like a change of pasture. So
I let them go. My present wife is the best of all.' _Mr. Rood believed
that a wife should remain at home all the time unless she was working
with him in the fields.
"Mr. Rood has one of the finest apple orchards in the county. The
trees all grew from seeds planted in the ground where they now stand,