History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

SAGINAW CITY.

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intent of settling here, from carrying out their purpose. However,
the organization of the township and the assurances of men, who
explored the wilderness, tended to attract attention once more to
the Valley; the people flocked hither in large numbers, so that the
district was organized as a county only a short time when every
section of the land now comprised in the township may be said to
have been in possession of an occupying tenant or proprietor. The
change which has taken place even since the last. S. patent
issued, granting the last acre of Government lands within the township, viz., a portion of section six, to Louis Trombley, Oct. 19,
1854, is remarkable; the change since the main portion of the land
was purchased in 1836, extraordinary. In the latter year the people lived in the shade of the great pines; clearances were few and
small; green fields were not to be seen, except where the meadowmarsh appeared ---where the lakes of spring extended; houses were
few, and primitive in appearance; the people saw surrounding
them a great and valuable forest,'and were just beginning to utilize it when the financial crisis cast its shadow of gloom over the
land; two saw-mills were in operation, one of which contained a
run of stone or corn-crackers, and both machinery for sawing lumber; Indians of a truly barbarous character were everywhere;
nature was still uncultivated, save where the pioneers made their
central village; everything was wild and rude. A few more years
and the face of the country presented wide fields and happy homesteads; the central village grew important in the character of its
buildings; the remembrancer of the forest-the trading-post-disappeared; the Indians died away, or were transferred to their
reserves; everything assumed alook of importanee, and men's minds
were directed to great enterprises andhighhopes. Thelands hitherto
purchased were being stripped of their heavy timber clothing,
saw-mills sprung into existence, and thus was the farm cleared, and
the river valley capped with industrial concerns.
Many of the first land-buyers were ranked among the most industrious and enterprising citizens; the greater number of them
remained in the district where they settled, and taking an active
part with the leaders of the commercial movement, shared with
them in the honors of old settlership. In the following list the
names of the patentees of all the lands in the township, sold by
the general Government, are given, with the section and date of
entry:
Isaac Van Olinda, sec. 1, July 15, 1836. Francis Anderson, sec. 3, Sept. 1, 1854.
Daniel Johnson, sec. 2, Oct. 19, 1854. Alexander Lee, sec. 4, March 23, 1837.
Joel B. Bennett, sec 2, Nov. 21, 1836. Joseph Adams, sec. 4, July 15, 1836.
Roger P. Birdwell, sec 2, Oct. 11, 1854. Andrew Middleton, sec. 4, Sept. 15,1837.
Isaac Van Olinda, sec. 2, July 15, 1836. Isaac Frost, sec. 4, Feb. 15, 1836.
John Barton, sec. 2, Nov. 10, 1836. Elias H. Herrick, sec. 4, Feb. 15, 1836.
Ralph Wright, sec. 3, Nov. 22, 1836. Elias H. Herrick, sec. 5, Feb. 5, 1836.
William Smith, sec. 3, Nov. 21, 1836. Zenas D. Bassett, sec. 5, June 24, 1836.
Francis Anderson, sec. 3, Jan. 16, 1837. Mathew Cobb, sec. 5. June 24, 1836.
Silas Leighton, sec. 3, Oct. 13,1836. Joseph Adams, sec. 5, July 15, 1836.
George W. Brace, sec. 3, Oct. 18, 1854. Ira Cuther, sec. 6, Oct. 18, 1854.
Alfred B. Lane, sec. 3, Sept. 1, 1854. T. M. Howell, sec. 6, Aug. 24, 183'.
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