History of Lapeer County, Michigan : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers.

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HISTORY OF LAPEER COUNTY.

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by many of his associates of former years, evincing their sorrow and
high respect by.kindly aiding in the services.
THORNVILLE.
The venerable Benjamin Thorne died at Thorn ville in 1882, at
the advanced age of eighty-nine years. He was a native of Milan,
N. Y., and came to this county in 1839, and settled on the land
now occupied by the village of Thorntville, clearing it from its primeval state. He built mills-still in operation there-and was an
active, industrious and thrifty business man, until the infirmities of
age necessitated well earned rest and repose. He was the father of
nine children —five girls and four boys-seven of whom, with his
wife, aged eighty-three years, still survive. William Thorne of
Thornville, and Gilbert Thorne of this city, are his sons.
The mills are now owned by John Morton.
Dr. Caulkins, Samuel Dirstine and John and William Steele,
also settled in this part of the town. Dr. Caulkins and John Steele
are the only ones left of the early settlers of Thornville. Benjamin
Thorne was the first postmaster here. The present postmaster is
Thomas Revnolds.
AN AFFLICTED FAMILY.
LUMAN SQUIERS and family were pioneers of Dryden, and few
families have suffered severer afflictions than was their lot. In the
spring of 1855 their oldest son, who was at the time away from home
at work, was brought back sick, and to all appearance with some
malignant disease. Drs. Strowbridge and Caulkins attended him.
In a few days the disease developed in a true case of small-pox.
As might well be imagined, the family and community were very
much alarmed. There were ten children, not one of whom had
ever been vaccinated. As soon as the case was fully known the
children were all vaccinated, with but little hopes that it would
avail anything in warding off the much dreaded disease. For a few
days the prospect of the recovery of the young man was quite probable; everybody kept aloof from their dwelling, and the family with
the help of a heroic young lady to whom the young man was
pledged in marriage, were left to their fate by the much affrighted
neighbors. In a few days, however, the disease put on a malignant
type, became confluent and in about eight days, on a, gloomy and
dark night about eleven o'clock, the young man died-no one pres
ent but the family and the young lady. The father went to the
house of a near neighbor and called to them and announced the sad
news that his boy was dead. The neighbor responded. Mr. Squiers requested him, Rev. Mr. Bartlett, to secure and send a coffin to,
or near the house and get some one to dig a grave back on the farm
on a certain rise of ground. Mr. B. did as requested, and in about
two hours Mr. Squiers was notified by some one calling to him that
the coffin, or box, was ready and the grave prepared. He called for
them in this, the most trying hour of his life, for help, but was refused; asked them to let him have the use of the horse and light
wagon that had brought the box, but this was refused. The men
who dug the grave stood at a respectful distance and explained as
well as they could, where the father might find it, but utterly refused
to let him come near them. He says to them, "You must help me.
I cannot perform this last duty to the departed boy." But all to no
purpose. They left him, and the father and two younger brothers
performed the triple duties of undertaker, sexton and mourners.
After placing the body in the coffin or box, the father and two

brothers carried it, a few rods at a time, a dist ance of some one
hundred rods. The men who dug the grave, not understanding Mr.
Squiers as to the spot indicated by him, had prepared it some twenty-five rod* beyond. When they came to the spot where they expected to find the grave, it could not be found; for nearly an hour
they traversed about in the dark before it could be found. The

burial services over, the three returned to the sorrow-stricken family
to alone talk over their sorrow. Nothing was more natural than to
expect that all the family would, at the proper time, come down
with the same dreaded disease; strange to say, not one was attacked
with it. The vaccination for the kine worked in each and all, showing the efficiency of vaccination beyond a doubt, and that it will
work in the system faster than the virus or contagion of the smallpox.
A few years later a younger son, on his thirteenth birthday,
had made all arrangements for a birthday party and supper. During the fore part of the day he had accompanied his father into the
woods where lie was felling trees for wood. As one of the trees was
about to fall, the father saw the boy in what he thought a dangerous position and called to him to get out of the way of the falling
tree. The tree fell and the boy was killed. A small limb at the
extreme end of the tree struck him on the head and the result was
almost instant death. The festivities of the birthday were changed
to the drapery and sadness of a charnel house. It were idle to attempt a faint portrayal of the grief of the deeply stricken parents,
brothers and sisters. Another son fell while in defense of his
country.
SCHOOL REPORT.
The annual report of the school inspectors of the town of
Dryden for the year 1882, shows the number of school children
to have been 559; number of school buildings, nine. The school
inspectors for the ensuing year were J. W. Cole, Lyman Talmage, Robert Booth, Timothy UJtley, Win. B. Sutton, Samuel
Ellsworth, Jason Allen, R. C. Ellsworth, Wm. M. Lawrence.
] DRYDEN VATILLAG-E.
The village of Dryden has but little history distinct from the
town. It is located on sections 11, 12, 13 and 14, and surrounded
by the finest agricultural country to be found in Lapeer County.
A short time prior to 1840, Jonathan Sweet built a store at this
point and carried on a mercantile business. The old red building is
still standing in the village, and of late years has served a variety
of purposes. About 1846 the late John MA. Lamb purchased the
property of Mr. Sweet, and his business operations laid the foulldation of the village. For some time the place was designated as
Lamb's Corners. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ltamb were representative
pioneers, and their biographies constitute an important part of this
chapter. Both did their work and did it well, and have gone from
this earth.
MR. AND MIRS. J. M. LAMB.
JOHN MERRITT LAMB was born August 11, A. D. 1808, in the
township of Springfield, Burlington County, New Jersey, of Quaker
parents. His grandfather was an Englishman and settled on a tract
of land in the State of New Jersey, deeded to him by King George
the Fourth prior to the war of the Revolution. Three brothers,
John Lamb, Jacob Lamnb, and Joseph Lamb, settled on this
tract of land, improved farms, raised families, and were loyal subjects
to the British crown, which then held dominion over the people of
its Americlan provinces.
John Merritt Lamnib in his youth was' noted for his candor,

modesty and sobriety, being of a mild disposition, and in youth
gained many dear friends; was very obedient to his parents and
loved his mother with an affection that left this sphere only when
lie dropped to lifeless clay. He had the advantage of a common
school education, and profited well by its privileges. Later in
youth he attended a select school, where he finished, but finished
well, a common course of studies. He was married in 1831 to
ElizLbeth D. Manwaring and lived in Juliustown, New Jersey, for

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