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

HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.

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an opportunity, those courageous men who entered the fastnesses
of the Chippewas and battled successfully with all the obstacles
which life in the wilderness presented, would not have risen to the
highest grades in military affairs and carved for themselves a
name as proud as any which pertains to citizens of the United
States. Providence ordained another life for the pioneers, many
of their fathers fought the good fight for Liberty and won the battle, leaving Peace and Freedom to their children, and bequeathing
to them the greatest land the world ever knew, to be cultivated
and guarded.
If the pioneers of Saginaw were denied participation in the contest which gave to the world a great Republic, and again prevented by age from guarding it when treason threatened to destroy
the Union, their ancestors won honor for them in the firstinstance,
and many of their children supplied their places in the second.
They were born to open up the land and possess it. This accomplisted, their mission was fulfilled. Labor, alone, has wrought
this change. There are many whose names deserve mention in
this connection, many to whom special honors are due, and whose
names shine in the records of the county. Here we will speak of
a few of them:
Eleazer Jewett, born in Massachusetts in 1799, arrived at Saginaw City in 1826 and died Feb. 18, 1876. His daughter, Mrs.
Lee, was the first white child born in the county. She it was who
planted the seed of the two trees which grow opposite the dwelling
house numbered 407 Washington street. Mr. Jewett served two
years under the American Fur Company. On Oct. 24, 1831, he
married Miss Azubah L. Miller, and a few days later led her to
her home on the Saginaw. He was the principal surveyor of the
valley even before the organization of the township of Saginaw,
and on its organization as a county, he was appointed
county surveyor. He held the office of justice of the peace for 30
years and judge of probate for 14 years. On the death of Mr. Jewett, Hon. Albert Miller succeeded to the name which he enjoyed
of being the senior of the surviving American pioneers of theYalley.
Mr. Jewett's name has come down to us unstained by even the
least word of scandal. To-day his memory is revered, his labors
in the interest of this county well remembered.
Gardner D. Williams was descended from a Welch family. His
ancestor, Robert Williams, settled in Roxbury, Mass., in 1638. being
18 years after the arrival of the Mayflower. The branch of the
family from which Judge Williams descended, remained in Roxbury for five generations down to Oliver Williams, the father of
Judge Williams, who removed to Concord, Mass., about 1794,
where Gardner D. was born Sept. 7, 1804. Oliver Williams
came to Detroit in 1807, leaving his family in Concord. He
engaged in business as a merchant, and was one of the largest
dealers in Detroit, bringing at one time $64,000 in goods from
Boston. About the year 1811, he built the sloop "Friends' Good
Wlli," on board which he visited Mackinaw in 1812, and at that