Michigan historical collections. [Vol. 17]

428

ANNUAL MEETING, 1890.

here. From this time on, the remaining lands in the township were
rapidly bought up and settled upon and measures were taken for a
township organization. A legislative enactment of April 12, 1827, gave
-authority and the first town meeting was ordered to be held at the
house of Perez Swift, on section 21, the last Monday of the May following. This was a double log house which probably accounts for the
selection.
The township of Sterling, adjoining on the south, was for many years
associated with and a part of the township of Shelby. At the first
town meeting held, a few of the familiar names of our early land buyers
appear as among the chosen for town officers. Calvin Davis presided
at the meeting, Abijah Owen was clerk, and Russel Andrus, William
Arnold, Elias Wilcox, Elon Dudley and George Hanscom were selected
-to fill the various offices for that year.
Our township was now rapidly progressing in material development.and our people continued to keep fully abreast with the advanced progxess of the day in educational and religious improvement. At the
present writing we have in the township six houses of public worship
and many district school buildings, of easy access to all the youth of
the town who desire to attend, while the fine union school at Utica
village meets all the demands made upon it, leading on to a university
education. The "press" is represented by the weekly "Sentinel," a
local paper of large circulation published at Utica.
The Detroit & Bay City railroad crosses the southeast portion of the
town and the Michigan Air Line division of the Grand Trunk the northwest part, thereby giving the people excellent railroad facilities. The
'Clinton and Kalamazoo canal, of which at one time great things were
-expected, was constructed along the line of the Clinton river. It
proved to be of no material public benefit and is now used as a race-way
affording water power for mills at Utica. As a rural community, quietly
engaged in farming and kindred pursuits we still may entertain a
pardonable pride as having contributed, in an unusual degree, to all
the demands of public requirement. During the civil war our township
furnished its.full quota of soldiers and made a most honorable record
in that memorable contest for the preservation of the union.
In the legislative halls of the State we have been largely represented,
as the following roster of seventeen names and dates of election will,show: In the territorial legislature we find the name of Jacob Summers, elected 1835. In the house of representatives Isaac Monfort, in
1837; Ephraim Calkins, 1838; Orison' Sheldon, 1838; G. C. Leech, 1841;.Samuel Axford, 1842; Harleigh Carter, 1845-50; Payne K. Leech,