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.

34

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

dye of autumnal flowers, presented one of the most magnificent views of
uncultivated landscape."
SPRINGFIELD AND GROVELAND
In town 4, north of range 8 east, now called Springfield, on the g9th
of July, 1830, Daniel LeRoy made the first entry. He purchased on
section I9, including the Petit Lafountain or Little Springs. This place
had a wide renown. It was the resting place of the trader and trapper,
of the red man as well as the white man when on his journey to and
from Saginaw and other places in the northern wilderness. Immediately
after the LeRoy purchase the place was occupied by Asahel Fuller. In
1833 Giles Bishop, O. Powell, John M. Calkins and Jonah Gross purchased.
In town 5, north of range 8 east, now called Groveland, on the 3d
day of September, I829, William Roberts, then of the county of Oakland, made the first purchase. On the 29th of May, I830, John Underhill, E. W. Fairchild and M. W. Richards bought land. In I830 Henry
W. Horton purchased at a point then known as Pleasant Valley, and in
1831, Franklin Herrick, Alexander Galloway and Constant Southworth
became land owners. Mr. Southworth settled on a famous spot on the
old Saginaw trail known in those days as the Big Springs. Those who
have taken the trouble to descend from the roadside to the spring of
water will bear testimony to its great beauty. It was ever held in great
veneration by the Indians, and they seldom passed it without refreshing
themselves. Those who have looked into that crystal fountain and beheld the sparkling water as it came bubbling up from the secret chambers
of the earth, will not wonder that the redman saw in the aqueous mirror
the Chemanito, or Great Spirit.
FARMINGTON AND WEST BLOOMFIELD
In town I, north of range 9 east, now called Farmington, Eastman
Colby, of Monroe county, New York, made the first entry; on the I2th
of October, 1822, he entered a part of section 14. In January, I823,
Arthur Power purchased. In the same year G. W. Collins, William B.
Cogshall, Peleg S. Utley, Benjamin Wixom, Timothy Allen, Leland
Green, Abraham Aldrich made purchases and among them were the first
settlers in that town.
In town 2, north of range 9 east, now called West Bloomfield, James
Harrington, of Cayuga county, New York, made the first purchase on
the I5th of May, 1823, entering the entire section 36. The same year
Rufus R. Robinson, Erastus Durkee, John Huff, Benjamin Irish, Edward
Ellerby, Benjamin Leonard and William Annett purchased, and John
Huff bought a tract on the south side of Pine lake and erected the first
house in that part of the town. William Annett purchased a part of
section 22, his wife died at an early day, the old gentleman lived on the
farm and cultivated it until his death. It was long afterward owned by
his only child, Mrs. Hartwell Green.