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

HISTORY OF HILLSDALE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

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used as a school-building, is an unpretentious wooden structure, with nearly 200 sittings, which has been erected about
four years. Its present pastor is Miss Mary Garard, who
resides in Hillsdale while pursuing her studies and preaches
at Bankers' on Sabbath.
STEAM BURG
is a small settlement on the east side of the township, and
takes its name from a steam saw- and planing-mill located
there, owned by Chauncey W. Ferris. It has also a blacksmith-shop, Mr. Lamb being proprietor, and school-house,
and a few private houses, but no post-office.
Thus we have given a brief history of one of the fairest
townships that Hillsdale County boasts. With a soil
remarkable for fertility, a geographical location affording it
every advantage, and a population whose intelligence and
moral character are universally conceded, it may with reason
look forward to a continued growth and prosperity as the
reward of its enterprise.
The following are the officers elected since the organization of the township:
1841.-Jacob Hancock, Supervisor; Nathan H. Frink,
Township Clerk; Ira Mead, Treasurer; Warren Smith,
Collector; Job A Smith, Samuel Orr, Barron B. Willets,
School Inspectors; Potter G. Card, James Wilson, Directors of the Poor; Lorenzo Riel, Pardon Aldrich, Silas
Doty, Highway Commissioners; Pardon Aldrich, Ira Mead,
Samuel Orr, Lorenzo Rice, Justices of the Peace; Alanson
W. Van Vlack, Job A. Smith, Abel Bailey, Assessors;
Alanson Van Vlack, John Ferguson, Albert Dresser, Warren Smith, Constables.
1842.-Lorenzo Rice, Supervisor; Nathan H. Frink,
Township Clerk; Pardon Aldrich, Treasurer; Pardon
Aldrich, Justice of the Peace; Daniel Weaver, Jacob
Clark, Job A. Smith, Assessors; Alanson Van Vlack, I.
P. Wheeler, Job A. Smith, Highway Commissioners; Job
A. Smith, Ira Mead, Jacob Clark, School Inspectors; Potter
Card, Gaylor Dowd, Directors of the Poor; Warren Smith,
Albert Dresser, Henry Sanford, Constables.
1843.-Lorenzo Rice, Supervisor; Nathan H. Frink,
Township Clerk; Lorenzo Rice, Justice of the Peace;
Pardon Aldrich, Treasurer; Jacob Clark, Barron B. Willets,
Assessors; Joseph A. Smith, Isaac P. Wheeler, Moses
Willets, Highway Commissioners; Samuel Orr, Job A.
Smith, School Inspectors; Jacob Clark, Ira Mead, Directors of the Poor; Luther Finney, Constable.
1844.-Lorenzo Rice, Supervisor; Nathan H. Frink,
Township Clerk; Pardon Aldrich, Treasurer; Barron
B. Willets, Jacob Clark, Assessors; Thomas H. Stewart,
Alanson Van Vlack, Elijah G. Salsbury, Highway Commissioners; Barron B. Willets, School Inspector; Ira
Mead, Jacob Clark, Directors of the Poor; Mesbach Terry,
Alexander Vinicore, Jonathan Willets, Constables.
1845.-Lorenzo Rice, Supervisor; Nathan H. Frink,
Township Clerk; Jacob Clark, Justice of the Peace; Samuel Orr, Treasurer; Pardon Aldrich, Barron B. Willets,
Assessors; Levi L. Lane, Thomas S. Thompson, Jonathan

Willets, Highway Commissioners; Pardon Aldrich, Ira
Mead, Directors of the Poor; Nelson Chittenden, William
D. Stout, School Inspectors; Thomas Shall, Constable.

1846.-Pardon Aldrich, Supervisor; Nathan H. Frink,
Township Clerk; Pardon Aldrich, Justice of the Peace;
Ira Mead, Treasurer; Barron B. Willets, School Inspector;
Charles Burr, Frederic Van Tyle, Highway Commissioners;
Oliver Walkley, Nelson Chittenden, Assessors; Ira Mead,
Austin T. Stone, Directors of the Poor; Jonathan Willetts, Alexander Vinicore, Leander L. Lane, Constables.
1847.-Ira Foster, Supervisor; Elijah J. Salisbury,
Township Clerk; Peter Beam, Treasurer; Jacob S. Hancock, Addison H. Mack, Assessors; Alanson Van Vlack,
Keith Aldrich, John Swegles, Highway Commissioners;
Ira Mead, Pardon Aldrich, Directors of the Poor; William
G. Foreman, School Inspector; Leander L. Lane, Daniel
Chapman, Edmund Van Vlack, Horace Starkweather, Constables.
1848. —Ira Mead, Supervisor; Nathan H. Frink, Township Clerk; Peter Beam, Treasurer; Lucius H. Gridley,
Justice of the Peace; Alanson Van Vlack, George T.
Baron, Assessors; Frederic Van Tyle, Horatio Bates,
Highway Commissioners; Lucius H. Gridley, John McDermid, School Inspectors; Henry Wilcox, Almond Bird,
Directors of the Poor; Lemuel Howe, Amos Marston,
John Stuart, Wesley Burgoyne, Constables.
1849.-Daniel Weaver, Supervisor; Ira B. Card, Township Clerk; Peter Beam, Treasurer; Calvin Smith, Wilks
L. Stewart, Justices of the Peace; Jacob S. Hancock, Andrew J. McDermid, School Inspectors; E. C. Barnes, Henry
Wilcox, Highway Commissioners; Christopher Brock, Director of the Poor; Jonathan Willets, Thomas S. Hall,
Wesley Burgoyne, Constables.
1850.-Daniel Weaver, Supervisor; Nathan H. Frink,
Township Clerk; Jonathan Willets, Treasurer; Nelson
Chittenden, Peter Strunk, Justices of the Peace; Henry
Wilcox, Austin T, Stone, Commissioners of Highways;
Barron B. Willets, John Swegles, Jr., School Inspectors;
Nathan Rich, Levius A. Carner, Directors of the Poor; S.
B. Paylor, Alexander Vinicore, Jonathan Willets, Richard
Rice, Constables.
1851.-Ira Mead, Supervisor; Nathan H. Frink, Township Clerk; Jonathan Willets, Treasurer; Richard Willets,
William French, Highway Commissioners; John Lamb,.Nathan Rich, Justices of the Peace; Andrew J. McDermid,
William French, School Inspectors; S. B. Paylor, Lorenzo
L. Lane, Thomas Hall, Russell Seaman, Constables.
1852.-Daniel Weaver, Supervisor; Nathan Frink, Township Clerk; Kent Aldrich, Treasurer; Horatio W. Bates,
Justice of the Peace; Jacob S. Hancock, Warren Smith,
Highway Commissioners; Barron B. Willets, Ira B. Card,
School Inspectors; Joseph Orr, William French, Assessors;
John H. Stephens, Wesley Burgoyne, Directors of the
Poor; Jeremiah Sabins, Thomas Stuart, Josiah Levitt, John
H. Dunkel, Constables.
1853.-Daniel Weaver, Supervisor; Nathan H. Frink,
Township Clerk; Keith Aldrich, Treasurer; Wilks Stuart,
Justice of the Peace; William French, Nathan Rich,
Highway Commissioners; Barron B. Willets, Bani Bishop,
School Inspectors; Jacob Clark, Christopher Brock, Direc

tors of the Poor; Solomon M. Barron, Josiah Levitt, Thomas
H. Stuart, Carlisle Smith, Constables.
1854.-Barron B. Willets, Supervisor; Nathan H.

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