History of Saginaw County, Michigan; historical, commercial, biographical, profusely illustrated with portraits of early pioneers, rare pictures and scenes of olden times, and portraits of representative citizens of today, [Vol. 2]

CHAPIN, MARION AND LAKEFIELD
TOWNSHIPS
Slow Development of - Chapin Township Organized- Early Settlers - Organization of Marion Township — Schools - Lakefield Township-Good Roads -Trunk
Highways Through Saginaw.
T HE territory now comprising Chapin, Marion, and Lakefield Townships, lying on the west front of Saginaw County, was the last to be
set off and organized into separate towns. By reason of its location
far from the early settlements, and devoid of any communication with
the outside world, few settlers broke into the wilderness until the other parts
of the county were fairly well taken and farms were displacing the forests.
It was the steady march of progress and the rapid development of farming,
due to the great expansion of the lumbering and salt industries, that induced
more hardy spirits to face all the difficulties and privations of life in that
district. The chances of failure overbalanced the chances of success, but by
supreme effort and perseverance the pioneers turned the scales of fortune,
and eventually made rich farms.
Chapin Township Organized
The question of organizing this fractional township was agitated immediately after the close of the Civil War; and the few settlers living there
petitioned the county board to create the twenty-four southwestern sections
of the county into a township, to be known by the name of Chapin. The
petition was favorably acted upon, and fractional township 9, North, of
range 1, East, thereby erected into a township so named.
Acting on the authority thus granted, the electors of this district met
on the first Monday in April, 1867, at the house of Joseph G. Taylor, in
section 14, for the purpose of electing the first township officers. Ferdinand
F. Smith, Austin Chapin and Joseph G. Taylor, three electors of the township,
presided at the meeting and carried out the formalities prescribed by the law
in such cases. No record exists of the results of the election thus held, nor
of the proceedings for several years after, but it is safe to say that the affairs
of the township were in the hands of honest and competent men, who
zealously guarded the interests of all the inhabitants.
Early Settlers
The first settler of Chapin was Joseph G. Taylor, who broke into the
wilderness of this district in the Summer of 1855. He purchased forty acres
of land in section 14, and later forty acres more adjoining, and soon had a
good portion under cultivation. Aided by his son, William B. Taylor, he at
length made a valuable farm; and in his later years resided on improved
land in section 1.
Ferdinand F. Smith, who was born in New York State on May 6, 1813,
came to Chapin in 1864, and purchased a half-section of land in sections
13 and 14. He was township treasurer for three years and justice of the
peace for eleven years. In 1871- his home was destroyed by fire entailing a
loss of two thousand dollars. He was married May 11, 1843, to Clarissa
Baird, by whom he had two children, Gilbert A. and William J. Smith.
David V. Bell, a native of Ohio; born January 10, 1842, came to Chapin
in the Spring of 1866. He purchased eighty acres of land in section 35. The
following year he was married to Calista A. Thompson; and they reared a