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

33

The first entry of lands was made by Col. Stephen Mack for the
Pontiac Company. On the 6th day of November, I818, he entered section 29, and the northeast quarter of section 33, soon after the north
half and the southwest quarter of 28, and finally the southeast quarter
of 20, on which the company laid out the village in I818.
On the south side of the river and on the west side of the Saginaw
road, was the great Indian camping ground, where all the Indians used
to stop on their way to and from Detroit.
In town 2 north, range II east, called Troy, the first lands were purchased by Castle, Hunter, Hamilton and Fairbanks. On the i2th of
February, I819, they bought a part of section 19. On the 22d of October,
1819, Ezra Baldwin entered a part of section I8; Michael Kemp on the
25th of November, I819, a part of section 3, and on the 7th of December, I819, Michael Beech a part of section 8.
In the years 1820, 1821 and 1822, John Prindle, George Abbey, Joshua
Davis, Ebenezer Belding, S. V. R. Trowbridge, Jesse Perrin, P. J. Perrin,
Luther Fletcher, Aaron Webster, Stillman Bates, William Wellman, A.
W. Wellman, Silas Glazier, Guy Phelps, Johnson Niles, John Waldron,
Edward Downer, Ira Jennings, Humphrey Adams and S. Sprague, became purchasers, and were among the early settlers. The second lot,
which was entered under the "ten shilling act" was by Joel Wellman, in
Troy, a part of section 3.
The gentle sloping surface of the country-the majestic growth of
timber, the dark, rich soil, attracted many settlers to that town, and the
whole was settled with unrivalled rapidity. And now the nicely painted
houses, and well cultivated farms show how accurately the pioneer
judged, and how well the earth has repaid him for his labor.
AVON AND WHITE LAKE
In town 3, north range I I east, now called Avon, the first lands were
entered on the 29th of October, I818. In 1819, A. E. Wing, T. C. Sheldon, Solomon Sibley, James Abbott, Daniel LeRoy, Alexander Graham,
William Williams, J. Baldwin, D. Bronson, J. Myers, Ira Roberts,
Nathaniel Baldwin, George Postal, William Thompson, John Miller and
Isaac Willetts entered land; in 1821, Cyrus A. Chipman and Frederick
A. Sprague; in 1822, Champlin Green, Gad Norton, William Burbank,
and Smith Weeks. It was in this town that the seeds of civilization
were first planted in the county of Oakland, as has previously been narrated at some length.
In town 3, north of range 8 east, now called White Lake, the first
entry was made by Harley Olmstead, of Monroe county, New York, on
the 7th day of October, 1830; he entered a part of section 36. In 1832
Joseph Voorheis and Jesse Seeley purchased. Thomas Garner, John
Garner, C. C. Wyckoff and John Rhodes also bought land and were
among the early settlers in that town. "In 1829," says Judge Drake,
"while searching for the headwaters of the Shiawassee river, I traveled
over the most of the town, visited the shores of that beautiful sheet of
water from which the town derives its name, and the charming plain on
which now stands the village of White Lake, then clothed in the gorgeous
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