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.

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HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

Michigan was at Mount Clemens, Macomb county, which township his
son, Benjamin, assisted to survey in I8I6, under Colonel Wampler. On
the 17th of March, I817, which happened to be St. Patrick's day, the
elder Graham, his son Alexander and Christopher Hartsough, with their
families, arrived on the banks of Paint creek and proceeded to plant the
seed which has grown into the flourishing village of Rochester. James
Graham made a squatter's claim on the northwest quarter of section 21,
a short distance southwest of the present site, but he had already thrown
up a log shack at a point where it now stands, so that Rochester was
founded for all practical purposes. The original Graham claim was
the farm afterward located by Dr. William Thompson, and the sons,
AVON TOWNSHIP HALL
Benjamin and William, bought the southwest quarter of section 23 to
the east, to which the veteran and ex-soldier of the Revolution finally
moved to spend his last days.
Alexander Graham settled on the east side of what afterward became Main street, in the house built by himself and father, where was
born his eldest son, James, in I818. The latter was the first white child
born in the county. The proprietors of the village subsequently gave
the lot on which James Graham was born to him while he was still a
youngster, and he owned it until his decease.
Christopher Hartsough married one of the daughters of James Graham, the elder, and after stopping a short time with his brother-in-law,
Alexander, settled near Plymouth, Wayne county, where he died shortly
after.
THE HERSEY-RUSSELL-GRAHAM COM,INE
The first entry of land in the county was made by John Hersey, on
the 29th of October, i818, his claim being the south half of section Io,