History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of their prominent men and pioneers.

178

HISTORY OF SHIAWASSEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

site now occupied by the house of Mr. Adams, the best in
the township up to that time. Mr. Harmon remained but
a few years.
Horace B. Flint reached the township about the same
time as Almon Harmon, and bought forty acres of Mr.
Ailing on section 7, the same now owned by E. Goodburn.
Of the family which he brought, but one is now living.
Harvey Harmon came in the winter of 1836-37, and
settled on section 28, having also bought land on section
29. He remained but a few years.
Chauncey Harmon and Daniel Harmon came in 1839.
Daniel located the land on which the saw-mill now owned
by Isaac Wright stands. On this site he built the first
saw-mill in Antrim, in 1840. In 1848 he sold to
Thomas Munger, who, after running it but a short time,
sold it to Walter and I. S. A. Wright. Chauncey Harmon bought the land now owned by Chauncey Case, being
forty acres on section 29.
On June 2, 1836, Mortimer B. Martin, with a friend
named Townsend, came to the northeastern corner of the
township of Antrim. He, too, followed the usual line of
travel, coming first to the house of Dyer Rathburn, whence
he went north, striking the Shiawassee in the vicinity of
Knaggs' trading-post. From this place Mr. Martin went
to the hill on which his residence now stands, and although
up to that time he had scarcely thought of farming, he was
so delighted with the scene that he at once determined to
locate a tract, which he did on the 6th of July, 1836.
Mr. Townsend was not so enthusiastic and did not purchase. Mr. Martin was the first settler in the northeastern
quarter of the township.
John Ward came to Antrim May 2, 1837, and settled
on the northeast quarter of section 7, taking up forty acres.
His family consisted of a wife and eight children. Mrs
Ward died in December, 1839. Hers is believed to
have been the first death in the township. Lyman Melvin
died in 1850, and was buried in the mound just in the rear
of the orchard on his farm, to which we have already
alluded. His wife married again and went to California.
The farm is now owned by A. Dippy, also an early settler.
Allen Beard lives on the farm he located more than
forty-four years ago. His first wife has been dead many
years. Nathaniel Durfee, one of the early settlers of Antrim, is still living. His settlement is referred to in the
biography which-will be seen in another part of this work.
The nearest post-office through which the earliest settlers of Antrim received their mail was at Howell, twentyfive miles distant. When the office was established at
Shiawasseetown it made it much more convenient, as the
settlers could then get their mail and "go to mill" at the
same time. The most embarrassing feature of the case
was the difficulty at times of getting the necessary twentyfive cents to pay the postage on a letter. The next office
was established at Hartwell.
The first post-office located in Antrim was established in
1849, and opened at the house of John Near, who was

the postmaster. When he resigned, Allen Beard was
appointed. The name was then changed from Antrim to
Glass River, and Joseph Blinson succeeded to the office,

after whom the present incumbent, J. C. Adams, was
appointed.
The first road opened in Antrim was the north-and-south
road which passes through the western tier of sections. It
was located in the fall of 1839, as was also the road leading
east, connecting with a road established the year before in
Burns, running to Byron. These roads were the main
lines of travel for many years. But when Owosso and Corunna grew to be of importance trade and travel gradually
shifted to that quarter.
The mill used by the settlers in an early day was situated
at Shiawasseetown. The farmers from the southwestern
part of Antrim usually went with a yoke of cattle, and if
the roads were favorable, could make the trip in two days.
Before this mill was built they traded in Detroit or Ann
Arbor.
Although the lands of the entire township were taken up
soon after the first entry was made (with the exception of a
few tracts at that time considered worthless), there were
but few permanent settlers, and these were in the western
and southwestern parts. In these localities were all those
(with one exception) to whom we have referred, who came
in in the summer and fall of 1836.
From the assessment-roll of the township for 1841, given
below, it will be noticed that there was but one taxable inhabitant east of a line drawn north and south through the
centre of the township. At this time large tracts of land
were held by speculators, and some of it was retained by
them for many years. There is now, however, but little
non-resident land in the township.
RESIDENT TAX-PAYERS IN 1841.
Following is a list of the resident tax-payers in Antrim
in 1841, as shown by the assessment-roll of that year,
signed by Harvey Harmon, assessor. All of these, with
two exceptions, were assessed on personal property:

Names. Sections.
Mortimer B. Martin..... 1, 12
Alanson Ailing........... 7, 18
John Ward.............. 7
William Ward............ 7
Charles Locke............ 7
S. S. Sheldon.............. 4
Horace B. Flint..........7
Peter Cook................ 18, 17
Harvey Harmon......... 29, 28
Joshua S. Saddler........ 29
Lyman Melvin............ 19
Hiram Van Natter...... 19
George Abbott.......... 20
Daniel B. Harmon......21
James Colborn............ 32
Sylvester Colborn......... 32
Amos Colborn............. 32
Guy Lyons............. 30
Allen Beard.............. 19, 30
Chelcy Tupper............ 28
Nicholas Walbarer....... 25, 26

Acres.
640
200
80
160
80
160
40
320
120
40
80
80
160
200
40
40
80
120
160
80
80

Value of Personal
Real Property. Property.
$2,560.00 $90.75
696.50 62.00
280.00 40.00
560.00 40.00
280.00 40.00
560.00 106.00
160.00 68.00
1,120.00 52.00
420.00 67.00
140.00 10.00
400.00 92.00
280.00.......
560.00 65.00
800.00 104.00
140.00........
140.00 30.00
280.00 40.00
360.00 40.00
800.00 104.00
280.00 57.00
240.00 56.00
$11,056.50 $1163.75

Totals..............

ERECTION AND ORGANIZATION OF ANTRIM.
Antrim was taken from the territory of Shiawassee township (of which it had previously been a part) and erected
a separate civil township by act of the Legislature approved