History of Hillsdale county. Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers.

HISTORY OF HILLSDALE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

191

Jackson stayed in this town but a short time, finally removing to Indiana.
Silas Carmichael, the father of Charles, died in 1840, at
the age of sixty-six, and his widow lived with the son until
her death. The other sons, Bradford and Henry, were
neither of age when the family came to the township, but
each owned a farm here afterwards. Henry is now residing
south of Hudson, Lenawee Co., and has accumulated a
handsome property. His possessions when he came to this
region were an Indian pony, a saddle, and a bridle.
When Charles and Bradford Carmichael built their pole
shanty-October, 1835-they were somewhat fearful of
sleeping in it, as the wolves howled around them in such
chorus that Charles Carmichael says " it seemed as if there
were a thousand of them." His brother was much fiightened, but the elder told him to take the rifle and shoot among
them and disperse them, while he lay snugly in his place,
pretending not to be alarmed. These animals were of
the large, gray variety, known as "timber wolves," and
abounded in great numbers throughout the then Western
wilds. Bears were also plenty enough, and were extremely
unscrupulous about making off with stray pigs, sheep, or
calves. An old sow belonging to Charles Carmichael unfortunately came in the way of a huge black bear one
morning, soon after sunrise, and Bruin coolly captured her
and carried her off. Mr. Carmichael was milking at the
time, and when the porcine victim squealed forth her signal
of distress he told his little son to go and see what was the
matter, for he was afraid a bear had got after her. This
frightened the boy so he dared not go, and the bear was
therefore allowed to feast sumptuously on pork which could
illy be spared.
Anson Jackson, one of the first settlers in the township,
lived on section 1, and Silas Moore, who preceded him a
short time, lived a little farther south. Mr. Jackson, whose
death has but recently occurred, has a son-Andrew Jackson-living in Hillsdale.
Abram A. Van Alstine settled in Wheatland, probably
in the spring of 1835, near what is now the line between
Wheatland and Somerset townships, and the following year
(1836) removed to section 21, in the latter.
James Westcott, from Hartland, Niagara Co., N. Y., settled on section 5, in Wheatland, with his family, as early as
1835-36. He died in August, 1878. Three of his sons
are now living in the county,-Andrew, in Somerset; William, owning the old farm in Wheatland; and James, also
residing in Wheatland.
G. S. Wells, originally from Caledonia Co., Vt., emigrated
to Michigan from Orleans Co., N. Y., in the fall of 1837,
and located temporarily in the town of Rome, Lenawee
Co. He purchased his present place in Wheatlandwest half of northwest quarter of section 15-Jan. 1, 1838.
In April of the same year he came to the place, did some
clearing and put in crops, moving his family in the following August. While he lived in Rome he worked at his
trade (that of a carpenter and joiner), and purchased his
farm of Marshall Alvord, who had cleared a couple of acres

and built a log house. The latter was burned down before
Mr. Wells occupied the place, and he was obliged to begin
anew. This has been his home since he first moved here.

[

Zebulon Williams, from Monroe Co., N. Y. (a native of
Rockland County, on the Hudson), moved with his wife and
six children to Adrian, Lenawee Co., Mich., in 1834, reaching that place July 3. He subsequently purchased 600
acres of land in Wheatland from the government, and 80
acres of school land from Messrs. William Timms and Ira
Barnes. The latter had improved 35 acres and the former
about 20; Mr. Barnes had a log house upon his place.
Mr. Williams built a log house in April, 1836, and when
in April, 1838, he moved his family to this town he had
some 40 acres imnproved. The elder Williams died in November, 1872, after a residence of thirty-four and a half
years in the township. Five of his children are living,all in Wheatland. Richard W. occupies the old homestead,
and John and Zebulon are near by. The daughters are
now Mrs. Charles Fowler and Mrs. C. A. Pease.
Ephraim Nokes was among the early settlers in this town,
and was living in Mr. Williams' log house when the latter
moved in with his family. Nokes "squatted" in several
localities-always on government land-and never owned
any himself. The Williams' began building him a shanty
on section 16, opposite their log house, the day after they
came.
William Patrick, who settled in the fall of 1838, took
up 40 acres opposite the present residence of John L.
Williams, and built the log house now standing. He finally
sold his place to Chailes C. Fowler, and is now living in
Montcalm Co., Mich.
Ira and Lorenzo Barnes and George and Munson Barron (the former the one from whom Zebulon Williams had
previously purchased land) settled about 1841-42. None
of them are at this time residents of the county.
Daniel Livermore, from Canandaigua, Ontario Co., N. Y.,
settled in this township in the fall of 1840, on the southwest quarter of section 16, where he still resides. He
brought a family of three children with him. A daughter,
born on the old place in April, 1841, is now the wife of
Richard W. Williams.
Isaac Lamb was one of the pioneers of the township,
coming in 1835, or early in 1836.
Stephen Knapp, of Monroe Co., N. Y., married a sister
of Zebulon Williams, and emigrated to Michigan in 1835.
He left his family with that of Mr. Williams, south of
Adrian, while he came to his place in Wheatland and built
a log house thereupon, into which he moved the family
the same season. His sons, James and Perry Knapp,
are yet living in the township, the latter on the old homestead. The remaining children were small when their
parents located.*
The first wheat in the township was raised by Anson
Jackson, whose residence on section 1 has been mentioned.
The first frame barns were built, in the summer of 1838,
by Stephen Knapp and Harvey McGee, that owned by the
latter having been erected probably a short time before Mr.
Knapp's. In 1839 one was built by Zebulon Williams.
Among the early frame houses in the township were
those of Lyman Pease and Zebulon Williams; the latter

* Information by R. W. Williams. In Pioneer Society Records,
Perry Knapp states that he settled in November, 1834. He was for
eighteen years a mechanio, and has since followed farming.