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NORTH SIDE OF GRAND RIVER STREET, HOWELL, MICH,




A HISTORY
OF THE TOWNSHIP AND VILLAGE OF
HOWELL, MICHIGAN
- BYA. RILEY CRITTENDEN
Author of
Judson Vane's Revenge
The Electric Wedding
Phantom of Hallowe'en "
One Large Turnip
Etc., Etc.
HOWELL, MICHIGAN
Livingston Tidings Print
1911







Irtroductioro
-  HE son of pioneers of Howell, my first recollections were associated with early days here.
These pioneers are gone. Only a few remain,
last leaves clinging to the tree of life.  With
their deparLure go the stories of their lives, the
foundation period of our local history.
More than twenty years ago when the writer was
publishing the Livingston Herald, I conceived the
idea of publishing a history of Howell and had the
work well under way when that paper was sold. The
fire soon after burned up all but one copy.
Nearly four years ago the present work was commenced, the matter running in the Livingston Tidings
as fast as prepared. Every possible effort has been
made to verify the facts and details, but some errors
have crept in.  The work of time too, has made
some changes in the four years since the first chapters were printed. We believe however that     the
subject matter is nearly all correct history. It has
been an honest effort to preserve that which would
otherwise have been lost.
THE AUTHOR







CHAPTER 1
Before the Settlement
That portion of the history of Howell township
which is of interest to us is mainly included in the
years which have elapsed since the white man found a
home here, still no history would be complete without
at least a passing glance at the territory when under
the domain of the red man alone. This township was
border territory between the domains of the Pottawattomies and Saginaw Chippewes although more especially within the territory of the latter tribe. No special feuds seem to have existed between these nations
and in fact this territory was little more than their
summer hunting ground where temporary villages
were erected near which the squaws raised their corn,
maize, beans and pumpkins. As fall came on they
mostly left this section for their more permanent villages in the vicinity or Flint and Shiawesseetowh.
The tribe was scattered and badly broken up as a result of their alliance with the English in the war of
1812, and early settlers found only roving bands of
the tribe who had been the principal occupants of
this territory. According to traditions of the Chippewas, this section was occupied previous to their
ownership, by the Sauks, a warlike tribe which was




8          HISTORY OF 11OWELL
much hated by them and who were completely destroyed by an alliance of the Chippewas, Pottawattamies and Ottawas, by a series of irassacres following
a gieat massacre of their principal village on the Saginaw river, from which only twelve women were
spared. The only warriors to escape the tommahawk
were a few who fled to their canoes and paddled across
the lake. An indian burying ground on the farm of
Ira Brayton, probably used by the Sanks was thus
described by Elisha H. Smith, in 1868: "On the
north-west quarter of section twenty-two there are
reveral places of bural. Judging from the appearance
of the mounds where they were interred, they conmmenced burying their dead at the top of the ground,
covering the corpse with earth. They then placed
oth[er bodies above this one, until the mound was several feet high. Several of these mounds have been
opened for phr(nological observation. Their traits of
cl-haiacter were found similar to those who lived here,La time time of the settlement by the whites. They
n erc buried with their heads in a south-easterly direction. The Indians who lived here at the time the
niounds were opened, had no knowledge of then.
On the exposure of the bones to the atmosphere, they
would soon decompose." The poor Chippewas were
ii.- constant dread of the spirits of the exterminated
Snuks. If misfortune befel them, if their traps failed
t;, hold the game or if their rifles failed to shoot accwrately, it was the spirits of the Sauks and nothing




IIISTORY OF HOWELL                9
could they eacomplish until the medicine men had
been brought antd the poor spirits either set at rest or
otherwise quieted.
Several Indian trails ran in this section, the most
important of which was the Grand River trail which
took much the general directioa of the gravel road
in after years, except that north of this place it; bore
a little more northerly. A fork of the trail joined it
near the present village of Howell, running in from the
Indian village near Shiawasseetown. It was mostly
along the trail frn Detroit that the early pioniee.
found th ir way to Howell and neighboring points.
Early claim to dIhis sec(tion passed back and fouith
Sith the claims of French and English   to Detroit
and Michilmackinae. At the close of the Revolution,
Enfglish officers were instrumental in seecring an alliance of most of the Indians of the nortlh- rest and an
effort was made to hold the territory under English
rule. General Antony Wayn:e was sent with a body
of troops, into what is now Ohio and after a few vietories, he succeeded in bringing the Indians to terms.
His treaty of Greenville, in )3695, was the first
agreement betN een the United, States and Indians,
relative to the land which now forras Howell. By this
treaty the Indians simply became subjects of the
United States, acknowledged their territory a part of
the United States, and placed themselves under the
protection of this government. In June, 1796, the
forts of Detroit and ýMackinaw were surrendered and




10

HISTORY OF HOWELL

English rule over this territory ceased except for a
short time during the war of 1812. The Northwest
Territory embraced this section from that time until
1800 when it became part of the then new territory of
Indiana. In 1805 the territory of Michigan was organized and William Hull was made its first governor.
The township of Howell, with all the land in this
section of Michigan, was embraced in the territory
ceded by the Indians to the United States government
by a treaty at Detroit, on November 17th, 1807, and
its remaining so long without settlement is no doubt
owing to the fact that a government surveyor sent to
Michigan in 1815, with an idea of giving one hundred
and sixty acres of land to each soldier of the Revolution, reported that "not one acre out of a hundred, if
there would be one out of a thousand, that would in
any case admit of cultivation."  Governor Lewis Cass
failed to believe this report and having secured the
proper assistance, in 1819 made an exploration which
largely quieted the bad impression which prevailed.
Several townships of this county had white settlers
before Howell; Putnam leading with the man whose
name it bears, in 1828.
This township formed a part of Wayne county, after its organization until January 15, 1818, when it
became a part of Macomb county. It was a part of
Oakland county from January 12, 1819 until September 10, 1822, when it was placed with Shiawassee
county where it remained until the laying out of Livingston county, March 21, 1834, but the organization
of this county was not perfected until March 24, 1836.




CHAPTER II
The First Settlement
The year 1833 may almost be set down in this township as a period of exploration. The recently erected
but unorganized county drew many parties who went
over this township in search of homes. Among
these were John D. Pinckney, S. N. Warren, George
T. Sage, Moses Thompson, Orman Coe. Checkly S.
Palmer, C. C. Trobridge and John J. Eaman. The
four last named have the honor of being the first to
locate land in the township, the last two selecting
eighty acres on section thirty-five and thirty-six respectively, or a part of the present village of Howell.
It is in the exploration of Messrs. Pinckney and Sage
and their party however that we are most interested
as the first settlements in the township resulted from
their trip. Mr. Pinckney was an energetic butcher
of Hughsonville, N. Y. Not being entirely satisfied
with his advantages he determined to emigrate to the
then undeveloped west to which his father and brothers had preceded him. A trip by the Erie canal and
Lake Erie landed him   in Detroit, from  where he
went to Salem, Washtenaw County, which was then
the home of his people. George S. Sage who was upon the same errand as Mr. Pinckney, joined him at his




12         HISTORY OF HOWELL
father's and in company with Mr. Pinckney's brothers they set out together along the Grand River trail,
for the new unorganized county of Livingston, as the
most promising government territory upon which to
build a home. They built a temporary hut with a
bark roof, about where the palacial home of Thorne
& Farnsworth now stands, and spent a week prospecting. The timber was mostly oak openings and the soil
although not so strong as that of heavy timberd land,
was of good quality and because of the lighter timber,
was quicker available to the pioneers for homes.
Along the creeks and low places coarse grass grew
more luxuriently than after fire had burned over the
ground in early day. Often growing to the height of
a man's head, to these marshes seeming blemishes
upon the face of the country, the pioneers were glad
to go for sustenance for their stock, finding them
truly blessings in disguise. The beautiful lakes and
complete wildness of their surroundings made up a
a series of picturesque scenery for those early pioneers over which the artists of Howell to-day would go
completely wild.
Mr. Sage selected a homestead alittle west of their
prospector's cabin and Mr. Pinekney one near Thompson's lake at its southeast extremity. After making
their minutes of the land selected for themselves and
several other tracts, they returned to Salem   and
Messrs. Pinckney and Sage went at once to the laodoffice at Detroit, and located their land, after which




HISTORY OF HOWELL               13
they returned to their homes and began active preperations to move to their new land. On May 14th,
3834, Mr. Sage and his father James Sage came with
their families and settled upon the land selected by
(eo. T. Sage as noted above. James Sage's log house
was erected upon the site now occupied by the elegant
residence of Wm. McPherson Jr., while George T.
Sage's was across the Grand River trail to the south,
or nearly in the center of what is now Grand River
street. This was the first settlement in the township. Mr. Sage Sr. only lived about five years after
settling here. He died June 29th, 1833. The children of James Sage were George T., James R. and
Chester A. George T. Sage died in Marion township,
August 21, 1852. He was married to Miss Louisa
Austin (later Mrs. Rev. G. W. Genks of Brighton,)
a short time before settling in Howell. Mrs. Sage's
father, David Ausin, and family came from Salem and
settled on section 35, on land selected by his son-inlaw, in June of 1834. Mr. Austin lived upon his
farm until February 1, 1847, when he died. His wife
followed her husband about a year afterwards. The
oldest son of David Austin, David Jr., did not come
to Michigan. Mr. Austin's other children were
Johnathan, Louisa, wife of Geo. T. Sage, Melvina,
afterwards Mrs. George Sewell, and Sally T., afterwards Mrs. Merritt S. Havens. Johnathan Austin
who came with his father, located what iE now the
Gilks farm and lived there for a long time, but after



14         HISTORY OF HOWELL
wards moved to the Upper Peninsula, He was very
prominent in school and other local matters.
John D. Pinckney settled business matters in the
east and bringing his family as far as Salem left them
with his people there while he came with two men he
had employed, to erect a house for them, and arrived
here soon after the others. He was in much    better
shape financially than most of his contemporaries in
Howell, and his capital soon made him very comfortable as compared with those about him although his
house was the regulation one room cabin of pioneer
days. He brought with him a team of horses, the first
to come to this section. His family came on in December of that year. In 1842 Mr. Pinckney moved to
the village of Howell, from his farm, and died here
Feb. 11, 1861.
The trials to be met and difficulties to be overcome
by these first settlers are not to be estimated by us,
Occasional trips into new sections of our country at
the present day may furnish the basis of an estimate.
With ox teams, little capital and very few conveniences
of life, they commenced the work of civilizing  this
wilderness, Elisha H. Smith described the situation
in the following words. "The nearest inhabitants
from the center of the township, at the settlement of
this place, were eighteen miles away. In a westerly
direction, it was about forty miles to the nearest settlement. The nearest mills were eighteen miles distant."




RUINS OP THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Built in 1838.     Torn Down In 1908.

HOWELL'S FIRST SOHOOL HOUSE
Butlt In 1837.         StIll Standing.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                15
As the year 1833 could be set down as a period of
exploration for Howell township, so the year 1835
should be classed as the year of settlement. The
rush for homes in the new county was fairly on by
opening of spring and the township was full of prospectoi's and the settlers coming to the land located
in the previous two years.
The first new settler was a bouncing boy who came
into the home of George T. Sage on January 23, 1835
announcing himself to be the first white child born
in the township of Howell. A pointer of the hardships in the life of these early pioneers is a little remembrance of Mrs. John D. Pinckney in connection
with the event of Mr. Sage's birth as told by her in
after years. Johnathan Austin a brother of Mrs.
Sage, was sent to Kensington, after a doctor for the
event. Mr. Austin stopped at Mr. Pinckney's to
borrow a horse to make the journey but the team were
away and he was obliged to go afoot to secure the
services of Dr. F. Curtiss of that place, who was
physician to every family in Livingston County at
that time. It would take a good walker about half a
day to make the journey through the January snow,
over the Grand River trail, and the doctor nearly the
same time to return.
Among the earliest settlers of 1835, to arrive in the
township from the east, were Villeroy E., John W.
and Elisha H. Smith, three brothers who came from
Ontario county, New York, in May of that year. The




16         HISTORY OF HOWELL
last named lived here until quite an old man. For
many years he was active in the county pioneer society
and took great delight in recounting his experiences
in the early days here. He wrote a history of Howell
which had quite a local circulation about the time of
its publication.
Probably the next to arrive in 1835 was Moses
Thompson and Ezra J. Munday. Mr. Thompson
with his son Lewis and daughters Rachel, (afterwards
Mrs. Houghtaling, later Mrs. Preston) and Lucinda,
(Mrs. Ezra Frisbee), left Herkimer County in April,
traveled through Canada in a double buggy drawn by
the second team  of horses brought to Howell, and
reached Detroit, on May 25th. The remainder of
the family, Mrs. Thompson, Morris, Edward and
Maria, Elizabeth and Jane, afterwards Mrs. Clark,
Mrs Slader and Mrs. Crittenden, respectively, with
Mr. Munday, left Herkimer County about a month
later and after a trip of over a week by the Erie Canal
and lake Erie, landed in Detroit, on the 7th of June,
Three days later the entire party left Detroit, with
their horse team and five yokes of oxen which Mr.
Thompson had bought in Detroit. The family stopped
several days at Lyon while Mr. Thompson came on
and commenced his house. Part of them  arrived on
June 23 and stopped at Geo. T. Sage's until their
own house which stood just up from the bank at the
north end of what is now known as Thompson's




CENTRAL SCHOOL




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 17
Lake, was ready for them, which was about July 4th.
The rest of the family came about that time.
By this time the settlement inside of what is now
the village of Howell, or rather the home of John D.
Pinckney, had come to be called Livingston Center,
and as a matter of almost necessity, Mr. Pinckney's
house had come to be almost a hotel for prospectors.
On the 2nd of July, 1835, Alexander Fraser the
the father of Mrs. Pinckney, sold from the land located by Mr. Pinckney for him, the west half of the
southwest quarter and the southwest quarter of the
northwest quarter of section 36, to David Wetmore
and Edward Brooks of Detroit, Later in the same
year, after two or three deeds, the title to these tracts
rested one-third in Flavius J. B. Crane and two-thirds
in Edward Brooks. These gentlemen proceeded at
once to plat this 120 acres into the village of Howell,
The old public souare was reserved in their plat for
public use, it being the idea of the founders of the
village to have the county buildings located upon it.
The prospective village was named Howell. Mr.
Crane cited as his idea for the name, his friend
Thomas Howell, son of Judge Howell of Canindagua,
N. Y., but his most intimate friends were sure that
Mr. Howell's pretty sister was the real person whose
name the town bore. The name of Livingston Center
was applied to the village for some years afterward.
As noted above, the house of John D. Pinckney had
become almost the primative hotel and Mr. Pinckney




18          HISTORY OF HOWELL
secured a contract from Cane & Brooks that they
would erect a hotel upon their plot. Consequently they
commenced drawing lumber from Woodruff's saw
mill in Green Oak, soon after their plot was recorded,
in November, 1835, and erected a two story frame
house, 20x40 feet in seze, the first in the township,
on the site now occupied by the Opera  House. On
December 1, 1835, Amos Adams came in         from
Geneseo, N. Y., and opened the hotel under the name
of the "Eagle Tavern." F. J. B. Crane, and Alexander Fraser at once became boarders at the tavern
who with Mr. Adams' family became the first settlers
within the original village plot as it existed before
the additions were made.
The Eagle Tavern at once became the center of
population for all business matters of the pioneer
settlement. It was there that religious services in the
township commenced. Alvin Crittenden, a young
man afoot and alone, arrived in Howell before a door
was hung in the village and on Nov. 24, 1835, hired
to Geo. T. Sage for a year. It is largely to remembrances of this pioneer, father of the author of this history, as he was wont to tell them in his latter days and
to copious notes of a series of most interesting visits
with the late William McPherson sr. that the events
herein contained are due. Among others of these
remembrances was the story of the first religious services which my father told as follows:
"Deacon Branch who had settled in Marion, thought




HISTORY OF HOWELL                19
he could not live without religious meetings, even in
the wilderness, and hence he took it upon himself to
commence them. He went to Esauire Adams our
noble landlord who kept the hotel in the village-for
by this time the house was nearly finished, and Amos
Adams occupied it for a hotel-and obtained consent
to have religious meetings held in the sitting room.
At that time the hotel was the only building in the
village.  Notice was accordingly given, and on
Sabbath morning, I cannot give the date but I think
it was in the month of December, 1835, the people
assembled, some coming four or five miles, and the
sitting room was pretty well filled. Deacon Branch
conducted the meeting, reading one of Dr. Payson's
sermons. At the close of the services be called for a
volunteer to close by prayer. No one came to his
help but the deacon was not discouraged and gave
notice for a meeting the next Sabbath. On the second
Sabbath I volunteered to close the meeting with prayer
Thus it happened that I was the second person who
took part in a religious meeting in Howell. After
that, if the deacon had to be away from the meeting
any Sabbath, he brought to mne a volume of Payson's
sermons with a request that I should conduct the
services which I did several times that year. On one
of these occasions I read a sermon from Wesley instead of the one Deacon Branch had selected and he
never called upon me to perform the service again."
Several others who afterwards became prominent in




20          HISTORY OF HOWELL
local matters, arrived during that year. Elisha H.
Smith in his History of Howell published in 1869,
summed up the settlement at the close of 1835, as
follows:

Section.

Section.

Joseph Porter........ 7
Samuel Waddel..... 17
Whitely Woodruff... 17
David H. Austin....20
Villeroy E. Smith... -21
Elisha H. Smith.... 21
Nathaniel Johnson... -23
Alvin Crittenden... 23
Merrit S. Havens..... 23

Francis Field........ 23
Moses Thompson..... 25
Lewis Thompson...... 25
Morris Thompson...... 25
Edward Thompson.... 25
Ezra J. Munday...... 25
Amos Adams........ 36
F.J. B. Crane...... 36
Alexander Fraser... 36

All of these earliest pioneers rest from their labors,
and we to-day enjoy the blessings which their hardships have secured to us.




CHAPTER III
Early Developments
No sooner had Crane & Brooks secured an     occupant for their Earle Tavern, the only building in
their new plot of 120 acres for their town of Howell,
than they begau work to secure a post office, which
was located here on January 15, 1836 and Flavius J.
13. Crane appointed post master. His office was in
the Eagle Tavern as a matter of necessity for there
was no other place. Previous to the location of the
office, the few settlers in this vicinity receivni thei,
mail at Detroit, Ann Arbor, Plymouth and Kensington
Land in fact continued to do so for some time  afterwards, as no provisions were made for carrying  mail
to and from  the new office, until March 20, when
Lewis Thompson took the contract to make weekly
trips to Kensington, on horseback, for that purpose.
Soon after that date a mail route was established
from Howvell to Grand Rapids, and James   R, Sage
undertook to find his way over the Indian trails,
through the wilderness, to carry the mail, a feat that
he accomplished successfully after his first trip when
he got completely lost and and was obliged to spend
the night in the Woods.
An event occured on the same date with the loca



22         HISTORY OF HOWELL
tion of the post office, which must not be forgotten.
While they were surrounded with the hardships and
privations of pioneer life, cupid was a pioneer too.
His first victory was the celebration of the marriage
of Merritt S, Havens, the first carpenter in the township, to Sally T. Austin. The marriage ceremony
was performed by Esq. Bingham, afterward Governor
of Michigan. The second wedding was that of Alvin
L. Crittenden and Jane Thompson which occurred
August 27 of that same year. Their wedding was
made a social event, They were the first couple in
the county to be married by a minister, Rev. John
Cosart performing the ceremony. Mr. Crittenden
borrowed a rig and drove to South Lyon the next day
for a wedding trip, the first taken by any couple from
Howell. Their wedding feast was right up to the
very highest point of luxury in those days. Its central dish was a young pig nicely roasted and standing
on a platter.
That following winter Mr. Crittenden got out the
lumber and built a house on a farm bought with the
savings from his year's work at Sage's.. He would
get out a hardwood log at home, draw it to the saw
mill at the foot of the lake just east of the head of the
present flume, and go on to the pinery west of what
is now the town, where he would cut a pine log to be
left at the mill on his return. By the time the oxen
had made the round trip it was night. During the
evening he would saw the two logs into lumber and




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HISTORY OF HOWELL                23
get ready to repeat the round trip the next day. The
old house stood up the bank from the little lake on
the McPherson farm in the north part of this township and was torn down only a year or two ago. Mr.
and Mrs. Crittenden only lived in it a year or two
when they bought the farm which has been in the
family since and is now owned by W. W. Crittenden
and Mr. and Mrs H. D, Kirtland. They lived there
until 1854 when Mr. Crittenden joined the M. E. conference, He served regular pastorates for twenty-six
years when he and his wife returned to Howell to live.
The meetings commenced by Deacon Branch in 1835,
at Eagle Hotel, were soon held from house to house.
Some time in January, 1836, a Presbyterian clergyman named Wm. Page, stopped at Deacon Branch's
and word was sent out for services which were held
at the Deacon's house in Marion. This was the first
sermon in this vicinity but it remained for Rev.
Johnathan Post a Baptist clergyman to preach the
first sermon in this township, which he did sometime
in Feburary at the home of George T. Sage. In
April or May of the same year the second sermon in
this township was preached  at Moses Thompson's
and was by Rev. Mr. Kanouse, a Presbyterian clergyman. Some time in April or May A. L. Crittenden
walked to Ore Creek, (now Brighton) to attend a
Methodist meeting which he heard was to be held
there. While at this meeting he arranged for Rev.
John Cosart to come to Howell in four weeks and




24         HISTORY OF HOWELL
preach and form a class. By some mistake the notice
was given a week to soon. The people assembled
but as no preacher came, they decided, after a prayer
meeling, to organize, and elected Pardon  Barnard
chairman and A. L. Crittenden secretary of the meeting. No class book was to be had so A. L. Crittenden who was elected leader, folded a sheet of writing
paper to make a book, ruled it and entered the names
of members therein. The origonal book is now a
keepsake of the family and contained the following
names as the origional class: "Alvin L. Crittenden
Pardon Barnard, Eliza Ann Barnard, Peter Brewer,
Dorcas Brewer. Sylvester Rounds, Polly Rounds,
Asahel Rounds, Mary Sage, Nathaniel Johnson," Rev.
Cosart came the next Sunday, probably early in June,
and preached the third sermon in the township, the
first by a Methodist minister. He acknowledged the
procedings of organization and reported it to the Ohio
conference who sent Rev. Washington Jackson as a
missionary to Livingston County, during that fall.
This was the first church orginization in the township. Pardon Barnard and A. L. Crittenden were
licinsed as exorters by this class, November 4, 1836.
Although Livingston County was laid out in 1833,
the act to organize it was not passed until March
24, 1836, The act erecting the township of Howell,
was approved the day previous. The torritory included in the township by that act was the present
townships of Howell, Oceola, Deerfield, Handy, Co



HISTORY OF HOWELL                 25
hoctah and Conway. The first town meeting was
held in April, 1836. A caucus was called of which
A. L. Crittenden was clerk and he was therefore
given the work of writing the tickets, in which he
was assisted by John W. Smith. On the evening before the election someone suggested that there would
be no fun without two tickets and so another was
nominated nearly like the first, except that F. J. B.
Crane was nominated for constable. The last nominated ticket was also written by the same two gentlemen and was victorious in the election.. Nearly if
not all the white voters in the tonwship as organized
turned out to the election which was held at the Eagle
Tavern. The board consisted of Amos Adams, F.J.
B. Crane, John W. Smith and Johnathan Austin,
with A. L. Crittenden as clerk. A tea pot and sugar
bowl were borrowed from the landlady, to serve as
ballot boxes and thirty-six votes were cast. Officers
elected  were  as follows:   Supervisor  Philester
Jessup;Township Clerk. F. J. B.Crane; Justices of the
Peace, Ezra Sanford, Harleigh H. Graves, John W.
Smith; Collector, Francis Field; Assesors, Justin
Darfee, David Austin, George T. Sage; School Inspectors, Joseph Porter, F. J, B. Crane, Johnathan
Austin; Highway Commissioners, John Sanford, Justin Durfee, George T. Sage; Constables, John D.
Pinckney, F. J, B. Crane, Francis Field, Elisha H.
Smith. Some of the work of these township officers
was very crude. The assessment was written upon




26         HISTORY OF HOWELL
half sheets of writing paper which were fastened togather at the ends with wafers. When completed, it
was fifteen feet long. Justice John W. Smith had a
case commenced before him but after the points of
law were argued, the case was discontinued by the
plaintiff withdrawing his suit and paying costs.
This was the first law suit in the township.
At the time the county was organized a strong effort
was made to locate the county site at Ore Creek, (now
Brighton) and the adherents to this project did not
give up entirely until the county buildings were built
in the present location. This opposition delayed the
county election a few weeks until the three commissioners appointed by the Governor, to locate
county sites in counties where there were none, could
be brought to this county when they located it on the
old public square of the Crane & Brooks plat now
occupied by Schroeder's hardware, the Episcopal
church, etc. The first county election was held on
the first Monday in May, 1836, and resulted in the
election of the following officers: Sheriff, Justice J.
Bennett; County Clerk, F. J. B. Crane; Register of
Deeds, Ely Barnard; Treasurer, Amos Adams; Coroners, John W. Peavy, John Drake; Associate Judges,
Elisha W. Brockway, Elnahan Noble. Only a pait
of the county officers were residents of Howell and
that fact made little difference. Even the judge of
probate did no office business during his entire term.
The board of supervisors held their first meeting in




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Howell, October 4, 1836, and organized by election
of Eli Lee of Hartland, moderator. The Democrats
recieved 142 votes in Livingston County, at the
election in November, 1836, and the Whigs, 73.
This was the first division along party lines in the
county and many of the pioneers feared that it would
break up the good feeling which prevailed. The
democrats held a meeting and raised a pole near the
Eagle Tavern. The whigs were much incensed at this
and shortly after the close of the campaign, someone bored it down with an auger, on a dark night.
In June of 1836 a heavy freshet swelled the Shiawassee River beyond what it has ever been known
at any time. Among other damage done was the
washing away of the log bridge at the Grand River
Road crossing, This item is noticed only as a sample of how lumber was secured before the date of
mills. To rebuild the bridge two men sawed the lumber with a pit saw, one standing above the logs which
were rolled upon the buttments and the other below,,
the one below wearing a veil. Win. McPherson and
family arrived on September 17, while this bridge
was being rebuilt, and he bought the slabs from the
bridge for the floor to his house.
Originally what is now Thompsons lake was three
little lakes with a tamarack swamp between. Mr.
Thompson noticed the excellent mill site when he
prospected in 1833, and located at the foot of the lake
to secure it. His original log house stood just back




28         HISTORY OF HOWELL
of the old house near the foot of the lake and was
connected with it for years. The old house was one
of the first frame houses in this county. It is now
quite a ways back from the road, When it was built
the road ran by it. The place is now owned by Mrs.
Sherman. He also located the tract of pine in the
western part of the town, to work in his prospective
mill. A dam was accordingly built and by its influence the water raised to about its present level.
thus uniting the three lakes. The saw mill was finished and commenced running in September, 1836,
the first logs sawed being made into a chamber floor
for Win, McPherson's house. So many of the settlers were in need of chamber floors that Morris
Thompson who had charge of the mill, would not saw
more lumber for any one man than enough for his
chamber floor, until all the settlers had had a chance
to avail themselves of those much needed conveniences
for their homes.
The fist store in the village was opened by F. J.
1K. Crane, in a room in the Eagle Tavern, but it was
not a success and after two or three months, the
goods were packed up and stored in the attic of the
building. The first blacksmith shop was rather more
successful. Andrew Riddle, father of Mrs. McPherson, came from Scotland in the spring of 1836 and
built the shop before the arrival of his family who
came with WmPherson's family in September. Mr.
MePhetrson's house was built adjoining the shop and




HISTORY OF HOWELL                29
he and Mr. Riddle commenced work in the shop soon
after his arrival, Mr. Riddle moved to Oceola, during the next year and Mr. McPherson continued the
business until 1841 when he engaged in mercantile
business in partnership with Judge Turner with
whom hlie continued but a short time. In 1845 he
bought a half interest in business with E. B. Taylor,
the firm doing business under the name of Taylor &
McPherson for about two years when he bought MIr.
Taylor's interests, and continued the business in his
own name until ]852 when he formed a partnership
with Win. Riddle, which continued until 1856. when
Win. McPherson Jr. bought Mr. Riddle's interest and
the business was continued until 1864 under the firm
name of Wmn. McPherson & Co., it being changed to
the present name at that time, and as his sons were
becoming men he took them one by one into the firm.
What is now the front portion of the main store was
erected in 1857. As the old building grew to small,
additions were built upon its rear from time to time
until it is now 120 feet deep with two additional stores
west of the old one. With little change the firm continued until the close of 1887 when Win. McPherson,
Sr. retired and a new firm was organized composed of
M. J. McPherson, E. G. McPherson and H. T.
Browning, who continue the business under the old
name. Mr. Browning retired Jannary 1, 1898.
The McPherson bank was started in April, 1865,
with Alexander McPherson in charge. He remained




30         HISTORY OF HOWELL
in that position until 1890 when he engaged in banking business in Detroit, William McPherson jr. took
charge of the bank here at that time, and is still
in that position. There have been some changes in
the firm among members of the family, but the name
has always remained as it started, Alexander McPherson & Co.
Preperations were made for a school in the fall of
1836 and a building was commenced but no record remains to show positively whether it was occupied that
year or early in 1837. Justin Durfee was the first
teacher.
The wolves which infested the country were among
the terrors of pioneer life and many are the stories of
narrow escapes from these dreaded terrors. When
young fellows went to see their best girls the young
ladies were often called upon to listen with beating
hearts, to the howling of the wolves which beset their
beaus on their way home after bidding them adieu.
The girls learned the direction of their fellow's homes
and guessed them sefely there when the sound of the
wolves' howling reached that direction.
Two Germans by the name of Shrafts, came to
Howell in 1836. A little before night they broke
their wagon. One stayed to guard the load while the
other went to Moses Thompson's with the team, to
stay all night. When he returned in the morning
with two of Mr. Thompson's sons, Shrafts was nearly
tired to death and complained bitterly of the settlers'




HISTORY OF HOWELL:31
big burley dogs. "Why." said he, "the big burley
dogs were so saucy. They would put their paws clear
up on the wagon and snap and snarl at me, and I
could hardly drive them off with my club." The
mystery was soon solved by the Thompson boys as
part of the load was some fresh meat. The poor G(erman was nearly scared to death when he found that he
ht.d been fighting wolves all night.
The village as it appeared about this time was
nicely described by Edward F. Gay who prospected
here in the fall of 1836 and settled with his family in
1837. After detailing his attempt to reach Livings- -
ton Center as the village was then called, and losing
the trail two or three times, he described his success
in an address to the pioneer society in 1872, as follows: "Though now becoming anxious to reach the
Center I was doomed still to wander on the verge.
I was ou the trail, though among brush, and meandering the lake. Beholding a light, hope revived, but
it was again extinguished for before it was reached
the light disappeared, for the very good reason that
Mr. Moses Thompson and family had retired to bed.
Not being willing to be thwarted in this, my second
day's attempt to reach Livingston Center, I hallooed
for light under difficulties. The old gentleman soon
put me on the right trail again, saying that after
crossing a ravine and again rising the bluff I would
behold the light at the Center, which had so often
guided the lost and weary traveler. I found it as lie




32         HISTORY OF HOWELL
had said. and soon beheld Livingston Center, in the
person of that noble landlord and life-long hotel
keeper, Amos Adams. One single frame building
as a hotel, without a barn, together with three or
four log houses, constituted Livingston Center. My
horse was fastened to a small oak tree against which
a log was lying, with troughs cut in the side to feed
the grain. The only families, which I now recollect,
then residing in Howell or vicinity, besides the
Adams family, were Mr. McPherson, Watson G.
Thomas, Mr. Sage and son, David Austin, Sardis
Davis, Herman Bristol, and Moses Thompson. The
single men were Lewis, Morris, and Edward Thompson, Mr. Critenden, Mr.Frisbee, Ely Barnard, John
Russle and Conrad Woll."
Imediately after settling here in the spring of 1837,
Mr. Gay hunted out the remenant of F. J. B. Crane's
stock of goods from the attic of the Eagle Tavern,
and with about $1,600 worth of goods from New
York, opened the pioneer store of the village which
maintained an existence for any great length of time.
His store building was the second frame building
in the town, being preceded only by the Eagle Tavern.
At various times in its existence this building was
used for a store, lawyer's office, post office, shoe shop,
place for holding meetings, minister's residence and
family residence, and in its earlier history it often
did duty for two or three of these purposes at once.
The old building, modeled over, was for years the




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HOWELL'S CARNEGIE LIBRARY




HISTORY OF HOWELL                33
upright of a tenant house on Sybley St., owned by J.
I. VanDeusen and some of the material is now part
of the newly erected tenant house of W. W. Kenyon
on the old site at the corner of Sybley and East streets.
occupied by Glen Brown and family.
Probably the third frame building to be erected in
Howell was the school house. This building was
erected on a lot donated to the village by F. J. B.
Crane, for that purpose. Some provisions were made
for it in the previous year but as Moses Thompson's
saw mill was soon to be set in motion, the building
was left until lumber could be secured from that
Ssource. It was occupied early in the summer, probably
some time in June, and Miss Abigal Adams, daughter of the landlord, was the first teacher in a regular
school building. The building was never satisfactory
to the district and numerous resolutions to build
new ones are found upon the records. It was finally
sold in 1848, and a room rented for school purposes
for several years. This old building served as the
frame part of the old Curtis foundry for some years.
It has been occupied by Snedicor's poultry and egg
business for several years past. The original site of
the old building was about midway between Chris.
Schaffer's cement residence and Bernard Walker's
barn.
The friends of Howell as the county seat of the
new county, felt that quite a victory had been achieved
when Judge Fletcher held the first term of court here,




34         HISTORY OF HOWELL
commencing November 8, 1837. It was held in the
old school house which was used for that purpose for
some time afterward, also for holding church services
and other public meetings.
Richard Fishbeck who came to Genoa with his family in 1835, moved to Howell the following year and
opened the first shoe shop in the town. He continued
in that business until his death in 1875. The business
descended to his sons, S. G. and L. N. who are still
conducting it under the firm name of Fishbeck Brothers, on the same site where their father started it in
1836. Mr. Fishbeck built the third frame dwelling
house in Howell. It is still standing on Walnut street
near the Ann Arbor depot. Their old furniture yet
remains there just as Mrs. Fishbeck left it, probably
the only case of that kind now in the county.
James White, the first cabinet maker in Howell,
also arrived in 1836.
In the spring of 1837, Esq. Adams arranged to
build a log barn for his Eagle Tavern, which was
raised in May of that year. Samuel Waddell, father of
the late Andrew D. Waddell, was injured during the
raising of this barn, so that he died from the result of
these, injuries, on May 30, 1837, the first death in the
township.
The food of the pioneers in addition to what they
raised on their farms, was largely venison and honey
both of which could be had in abundance by hunting.
Francis Monroe sr. used to laughn about how, in his




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 35
younger years, the pioneers used to flock to eachother's houses to visit, if anyone had beeif to the outside
world, that they might get a taste of salt pork, dried
apples or other similar luxuries. Among the pioneer
stories which C. G. Jewett remembers from  his parents, is the fact that they brought with them when
they came to Howell in 1837, a quantity of salt pork
and that neighbors used to send in for a piece when
anyone was sick and needed some little delicacy to
tempt their appetite, Another early pioneer food was
a flour made by grinding sweet acorns which had been
gathered and dried, and it wasn't at all bad to eat
either.
With the organization of the state, county and
township, each offered a bounty for killing wolves and
several pioneers made that enterprise almost their entire business for a time, t/he $17 for the scalp of each,
proving quite a fortune in those times. Prominent
among these was Francis Monroe who earned quite a
reputation in the winter of 1837, for a fight with a big
black wolf which he had caught in his trap and in the
killing of which he nearly lost his own life.
The board of supervisors at its fall meeting in 1837
submitted a proposition to the county to borrow
$1,000 to build a jail, but it was voted down as was a
similar proposition in 1838, and prisoners from this
county were confined at Ann Arbor.
On the 14th of April 1838, Rev. Thomas Baker
of Highland, met at the village school house with




36         HISTORY OF HOWELL
Silas Dibble, Gardner Mason, Justin Durfee, Joseph
A. Dibble, Sardis Davis, Sarah Field, Sarah Durfee,
Lydia Austin and Hannah Austin all of whom held
letters from or were members of Baptist churches
in the east, and after relegious 'services, they proceeded to plan for the organization of a Baptist church
in Howell. Silas Dibble, Gardner Mason and Justin
Durfee were appointed a committee to prepare Articles of Faith and Practice and Church Covenant. This
committee reported at a meeting held in the same place
May 12, their report being adopted, Rev. Thomas
Baker, the f@under of the church, was called to the
pastorate at this meeting, a position which he filled
until the close of the year when he was succeeded by
Rev. E, Mosher. It was arranged to call a council of
recognition which met at the school house, June 21.
It was organized by the choice of Rev. E. Weaver as
Moderator, and A. Kemis, Clerk. The records of
this council show a representation of four churches by
delegates; Highland, E. Lee, J. Tenny; Hartland, A.
Lamb; Walled Lake, Rev. E. Weaver, J. Coe, N.
Daniels; Kensington, Rev. A. P. Mather, D. Seely,
E. Cole, A. N. Kemis.
The church records show the following names received by letter on that date, and organized into a
regular Baptist church: Silas Dibble, Aaron Sickles,
Fanny Dibble, Hannah Austin, Joseph Dibble, Justin
Durfee, Rachel Dibble, Lydia Austin, Daniel Case,
Anna Dibble, Sarah Durfee, Laura Monroe. The




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HISTORY OF HOWELL                37
usual service of recognition was held on the same day.
The sermon was preached by Rev. Weaver, from
Psalms xxvi, 8. The address to the church and hand
of fellowship were given by Rev. Lamb.
During its first year eleven were added to the church
membership by letter. At the close of the second year
the membership numbered thirty-two. Of the nine
who joined during that year, six were by letter and
three by profession of faith. The first person received
by baptism was Harriet M. Sickles who was baptized
April 14, 1839. During that year the church was
attached to the Michigan Association.
Hon. Milo L. Gay described the organization of
the Presbyterian church as follows: "My first recollections of attending meeting in the then new
town date to a year and three months prior to the
foundation of this church. In the spring of 1837, I
remember following along after my father in a winding path which led through the woods from the farm
known as the Reed farm, down to the Center, then
winding northward by another path through the woods
to the Thompson log house on the bank of the pond,
where meetings were held once in four weeks, by
Elder Post who came on horseback, I think from
Plymouth. Also in a fortnight thereafter we followed
another trail westward to the small log house of James
Sage, situated on the identical spot where William
McPherson jr's. house now stands. There I think we
occasionally listened to a Methodist preacher; and the




38         HISTORY OF HOWELL
particular impression there made upon my mind was
the peculiar and quaint style of starting the tune by
old Mr. Sage who, although himself a Universalist,
consented to act in the capacity of choirister, and also
to accommodate the neighbors with a place in which
to hold meetings. Another impression was in regard
to the peculiar bent position required to be maintained
by the taller persons when standing, to prevent their
heads coming in contact with the crossbeams above.
The sixteenth and seventeenth days of June, 1838,
are still fresh in my memory, as they were memorable
days in the history of the little hamlet then known as
Livingston Center. Those days fell on Saturday and
Sunday and the meetings were held in the loft of a
one-and-a-half story building which my father had
recently erected for a store. The floor of the room
above was of rough boards and the ceiling was nothing but the roof-boards and shingles, in close proximity to the heads of the adults; and the rough tamarack rafters, with their knotty projections, were a
constant reminder that all should humble themselves
in the business in which they were about to engage."
The main portion of the old building discribed by
Mr. Gay, is now the upright of Mrs. Burbank's residence. Some of it's material is in W. W. Kenyon's
tenant house, as stated elsewhere.
The business of the meeting referred to by Mr. Gay,
was the organization of the Presbyterian church by
Rev. Henry Root    The following were the origonal




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HISTORY OF HOWELL                 39
members: David H. Austin, Josiah P. Jewett, Horace
Griffith, Artemas Mahan, John T, Watson, George W.
Jewett, Edward F. Gay, Price Morse, Andrew Riddle,
William McPherson, Charles Clark, Lucretia Jewett,
Catherine Griffith, Polly Ann Mahan, Hila Mahan,
Julia Mahan, Sarah Mahan, Harriet L. Watson,
Anise P. Jewett, Clarissa L. Gay, Elvira Morse,
Elizabeth McPherson, Margaret Thompson, Matilda
Clark, Mary Clark, Three ruling elders were elected
who also held the office of deacon. They were as follows: For one year, George W. Jewett; for two years,
John T. Watson; for three years, Edward F. Gay.
The legal organization was effected on the 7th of July
following. Meetings were held in the school house
during the following year.
Garrett S. Lake having worked at brickmaking in
New York, commenced the manufacture of brick near
Fleming, in 1838, and it is from his yard that the
brick in many of the oldest chimneys in town came.
About this time Amos Adams ceased to be proprietor
of the Eagle tavern, it having been sold. He formed
a partnership with Joseph Porter and built a saw mill
on the Shiawassee river on section 27. This site was
afterwares used for a carding mill and cloth factory
by Joseph M. Gilbert. Soon after starting his saw
mill Mr. Adams built a hotel on the south side of the
Grand River road, west of the river. This building
was afterwards moved across the road and was torn
down about twenty years ago. Among a large col



40         HISTORY OF HOWELL
lection of pioneer relies owned by Fishbeck Brothers,
is the old dinner bell brought from New York and
used by Mr. Adams at the Eagle tavern.
The first horses, cattle, hogs and fowls came with
the earliest pioneers but the first sheep were brought
here in 1838, by Ira Brayton.
The "wild cat banking" scheme of those early days
affected Howell with the other towns of the young
state. Messrs. Gay and Whipple enjoyed a very large
trade. Money was plenty and everyone bought all
they wanted. Sometime afterward, in describing these
times, Mr. Gay said: "I found it easy to take $100
a day, but I was not so easily sure that the wild cat
money would be worth one dollar the next morning
and was quite sure it would not be when Lewis
Thompson arrived with our weekly horseback mail."
At one time Mr. Gay paid $40 to a  hotel between
here and Detroit,. The amount of the bill in good
money would have been   $2.50. A proposition was
made to organize a wildcat bank in Howell and the
initiatory steps were taken but before it was perfected
those institutions in other places began to crack and
Howell therefore escaped.
In the fall of 1836 William Riddle was taken very
sick and lay apparently at the point of death, for some
time. This led the settlers to think of a burying
ground and land was given for the purpose by Alexander Fraser, John D. Pinckney and Moses Thompson.
It was located near the south-east part of the lake.




S  HISTORY OF HOWELL                 41
Mr. Riddle recovered and the first burial there was
that of Miss Davis, a sister of Mrs, Johnathan Austin.
The site of this burying ground was never satisfactory
to the people. After it had been used for some time
it was abandoned and a new burying ground was laid
out where the Ann Arbor railroad crosses Bernard
street. The swing of the town to the east by the location of Court House square, sent the settlement
clear around this burying ground. When it was
filled a new one was secured on the bank of Thompson' s lake.
In moving from the first burying ground to the
second, everyone did the work for their own friends.
The ground was soon dug over in such a way that it
was impossible to find several graves. The oldest
daughters of Rev. and Mrs. A. L. Crittenden and Mr.
and Mrs. Richard Fishbeck were among those which
could never be located to transfer.
The first lawyer Wellington A. Glover, settled in
Howell in 1838 and opened his office in the store of
E. F. Gay. He was an ardent Whia and that fact no
doubt injured his practice somewhat in this stronghold
of Democracy, but it helped him to the office of postmaster to which he was appointed in 1841. In a few
weeks after the lawyer came a doctor in the person of
Dr. Gardner Wheeler who at once commenced the
practice of his profession and continued to do so in
this vicinity for more than twenty years, during which
time he was generally respected by all who knew him.




42         HISTORY OF HOWELL
His office which stood where the Sabin block now
stands, was moved in later years and is now a part of
the first house south of Parshall's mill. His residence
which occupied the site of M. J. McPherson's home,
was moved up the Byron road and is now owned by
John Owen.
The first land located in Howell township was the
east half of the south-west quarter of section 27, on
May 20, 1833. It was where the Grand River road
crosses the Shiawassee river. Amos Adams flowed
this land when he erected his saw mill a little further
down the stream, and considerable of it was in a mill
pond for years.
The old home of John D. Pinckney which was torn
down to grade Library park, was built about this time
and was one of the most pretentious houses in the
village. It had a brick oven built in the side of the
fireplace, a decided luxury which Mrs. Pinckney uned
to take great delight in loaning to her neighbors who
had no such convenience, to use for their baking.
When Mr. Pincknev's family were coming to Howell
they were given some apples where they stopped at
Ann Arbor. The seeds were planted and produced
the old apple trees which were cut when the house
was torn down. While not in this township, Wm. C.
Rumsey's saw mill in Oceola, furnished so much of
the lumber in Howell buildings that it should be
noticed.
There has been considerable change too in the topo



ANN ARBOR R. H, DEPOT




HISTORY OF HOWELL                43
graphy of the village. C. G. Jewett remembers sneaking around a pond for ducks, about where William
Whitacre is now building a home, and many of the
boys and girls of other days remember a favorite
place to slide down hill a little ways this side of the
P. M. depot, which has all been graded away.
In these early days pigeons were so thick that it
was no fun to hunt them. A big tree which stands in
Mrs. Dollie Butler's yard was one of their favorite
haunts. If anyone wanted a mess of pigeons to eat
they would go over there and shoot what they wanted
and leave the rest
There are so many things of interest for this period
of our history that we are loth to leave them. It would
be wrong however for us to pass to a new period without a word of that sturdy class who settled here to
create homes, the real foundation of any good civilization, but who, while backing every worthy enterprise, were more quiet in their way of doing things.
Two representatives of this class will always be remembered for their honesty of purpose and solid worth
They were Rev. E. E. Gregory and William Smith.
_During previous years the scanty crops which the
pioneers had been able to gather had only sufficed to
keep them during the severest of privations. By
the harvest of 1838 sufficient land had been put to
crops to secure enough and to spare and the ingathering that season marked an advance of no little importance.




CHAPTER IV.
Hotels and Fun
In his first address to the county pioneer society
Judge Turner discussed the first settlers in a social
way, He could not remember any extensive colonization but said that "there were to be found among
the early settlers men from Ireland, Scotland, England
Wales, New England, New York, Ohio and the Canadas, They had never seen or heard of each other before. This sort of mixed settlement was as pleasant
as any. The mormon is doomed to see the hated gentile climb his fence ere it is scarcely built. The most
carefully consorted communities can scarcely preserve
their exclusiveness for an hour, I conclude therefore
that Livingston county made as much progress and
had realy as much amusement as any other."
Hon. Jerome W. Turner once said: "Howell was a
town from the start with a grin on its conntennuce,
which never relaxed but continually flowed into guffaws." In 1839 Shubael B, Slitter emigrated to Howell
from Ann Arbor, where he had moved from New
York four years before, and bought of Simon P.
Shope the tract east of the village on the Grand River
road as it was by this time called, about where it is
crossed by the Ann Arbor railway. On this land there




SOUTH SIDE OF GRAND RIVER STREET, OPPOSITE COURT HOJSE




HISTORY OF HOWELL                45
was a house built by Alexander Fraser for a residence
to which Sliter added a log and a frame addition and
opened a hotel. To this hotel and its proprietor is
largely due the reputation for fun which Howell soon
gained abroad.
In an impromptu address to the pioneer society in
1873 Judge Turner told this story: In these early
days court week was the great occasion of the new
county  Everybody was at court. The crowd that
gathered at Sliter's at such time was far beyond all
his limited sleeping accomodations. His bar room
floor was literally covered with jurors and witnesses
during the nights.
One night when the floor was about as densely populated as it could be with sleepers two lawyers named
George Danforth   and Olney Hawkins from     Ann
Arbor, crawled out the back way, and by inducements
in the shape of Indian corn, succeeded in calling two
large hogs to the bar room door and getting them inside. Then they started a bulldog Slitter owned after
the hogs and quietly but swiftly retired to their beds
in a rear passage. If Slitter's dog ever had any failings they could not be urged against his persistency
as a biter, The scene that followed would baffle discription. The squealing of a captured hog is always
very thrilling but when dinned into the ears of sleeping men at the dead of night, and it is accompanied
by vicious kicks and thumps on their bodies it is
alarming.




46         HISTORY OF HOWELL
The condition of affairs in these days is best described by two gentlemen who were here at the time. We
quote from Judge Turner and his son above quoted.
"Men from the east who had no design of settling
here, staged it out from Detroit, or over from Dexter,
to spend a few days in laughing. One man I know,
who resided in the city of New York, who has since
told me that he was accustomed to travel through almost every town in the United States large enough to
hold a meeting house without finding one that could
equal Howell for fun. There was an abandonment
about it, too, that gave it zest; men laughed in hearty
deep-chested tones here in the back woods, and assembled to see the perpetration of a practical joke in
more numerical strength than they did at a funeral.
Nobody was in a hurry, no one was careful or
troubled about many things; we had actors and an
audience. Men forsook what little business they had
for simple sport. One man I knew-Elijah Coffren,
a carpenter and joiner by trade,-who would come
down from the roof of a promising job to join in a
little hilarity, and not be able to get away from it so
that he could return in a month. The super-urgent
business was fun; that was a complete plea to any
declaration for damages on account of any delay in
work. Even shows which were supposed to carry
about with them a sort of stereotyped humor which
can make an hour passable, were tame concerns here
in those early days and it was two to one that some



HISTORY OF HOWELL                47
thing laughable would happen to them before th(y
left the place. Subjects of mesmerism underwent
copious inundations of cold water; the magic lantern
cuirass suddenly grew cloudy with ink, and the return
of pewter and tin sixpences astonished the showman
when he counted up after the performance. Apropos
of this there were at an early day, organized in Howell, companies of squirters who were armed with pint
and quart squiit guns with which they deluged all
bibulous individuals. A man could get on a drunk
in the daytime but he had need to watch the sun very
closely and not be seen around after nightfall.
"Some of the subjects of this sport were somewhat
ugly; for instance Levi Bristol, a square fighter, a man
who wou:d have been known as an athlete among the
Thebians, but who usually got cornered when he came
to town. He was emphatically an ugly customer and
he asserted in all sorts of forcible inelegance, that
'the first man who squirts any water onto me'll get
his head knocked off.' I remember as though it were
but yesterday, his standing one afternoon nearly in
front of Kellogg & Austin's store-present location
-and he looked like one of Dumas' 'colossal wrest
lers' in the olympic ring, as he dared the whole town
to furnish him an antagonist who should come bearing
a tin squirt gun. Boy as I was I had read the story
of Goliath of Gath, and when I saw a single person, a
stripling in size emerge from a building on the street
with a quart squirt gun at 'present arms' and advance




48         HISTORY OF HOWELL
toward this gawk, I must confess I thought I could
see a complete repetition of that historical incident.
I do not know that I was certain then or that I am
entirely positive now, who the lad was who went out
against him, but he had a wonderful similarity to one
Leander Smith, who once lived in Howell, so similar
as to puzzle people as to the question of identity. A
fine stream from the youth's gun struck Bristol fair
and square in the eyes! Bristol plunged down like a
kingfisher, and whirled himself along in knots and
spirals through the dirt of the street uttering the
most abominable yells that ever issued from  human
lips. He did not seem to know where he was going
or to have the least care. He burst through the front
door of Elisha Hazard's grocery, knocking over a
counter and roaring like a bull of Bashan! Well,
whisky and pepper-sauce in equal parts is not a very
pleasant eye lotion, and Bristol's visits to Howell became more and more infrequent and of a less turbulent
character.
"The general store was a rendezvous and its mammoth stove became somewhat of a social shrine. There
the people gathered and there they brought out their
jewels, like the toads, after dark. These jewels served
our purpose then, let us hope that they may not be
entirely unregarded now."
"There lived here, a good many years ago, a man
who was familiarly called 'Old Cuff Simons,' of genial
good-nature, but he was prone to take to much liquor.




METHODIST EPISCOPAL PARSONAGE.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.




HISTOR'Y OF HOWELL              4,9
The boys, on certain occasions of his intoxication,
woul~d deluge the old man with water to an extent
which would satisfy any reasonable Thompsonian.
One evening they were engaged in this pastime in a
hotel kept by George Curtis in this place, and an elderly stranger, who happened to be present thinking
it to be an imposition on the old man, strongly remonstrated with the boys against what he termed
' such shameful conduct.' But what was his surprise
when Simons turned upon him with open jack-knife
saying: 'You're a transient person (hic) mind your
own (hic) business; the boys are going (hic) to have
their sport.' In New York or Boston such interference might have been regarded as timely by a besieged drinker, but at Livingston Center it was resented by the victim with far more warmth than by
his persecutors"
One day the boys secured an old crate in which
dishes had been shipped, and got it ready for Simons
when he should get on a drunk. It wasn't a great
while before they had use for their cage. "Old Cuff"
thought the joke a good one when they coaxed him
out on the public square and got him into the trap.
He roared and bellowed for awhi~le, imitating a wild
animal. After awhile he tired of it and wanted to
get out but the old crate was fixed up too strong and
it was half a day or more before he was released.
About 1840 the land was full of prospectors and adventurers and these numerous hotels did a much larger




50         HISTORY OF HOWELL
business proportionately than they would today.
Although Sliter's was some distance from town and a
long stretch of corduroy road lay between the village.
and the hotel it was a popular resort. It came to be
understood however that the man who stopped there
must expect to become the victim of some joke before
he left and few got away without an experience more
or less funny.
Sliter afterwards settled in Deerfield where his wife
died. After that he went to Kent county and started
another hotel but lost it in a trade for land which only
existed in the mind of the speculator who beat him
out of his property.
Allen C. Weston started some kind of a stage line
between Howell and Detroit, in 1838 and in 1840 began the erection of a hotel. Before it wvas finished
his eyesight failed and he traded the property and
stage line to Benjamine Spring for land on section 15.
Spring completed the hotel and built a new  stage
which was probably as odd as the odd character who
ran the line. It was painted red and named the "Red
Bird." It was not only a vehicle for land traffic but
carried passengers safely through the rapids near
Detroit where it served as a boat.
Spring wvas a worthy contemporary of Sliter. It is
said that he had a boarder who was more prompt to
meals than he was to pay his bill. Spring met him
at the dining room door as he wvas coming out with
several boarders one day, and handing him some




HISTORY OF HOWELL                51
money, told him "for pity sakes when you come next
time, stop and pay for what you eat." Spring acknowledged himself beaten when the boarder took him
cash and calling the crowd with him,went over to the
bar of another hotel and set-em-up.
Spring was a great admirer of General Cass. The
old vetran stopped at his hotel when campaigning here
and Spring went into the dining room himself to see
that his noted guest was properly cared for. Judge of
his consternation when he saw the general pu.1 a hair
out of the butter. But Spring was not to be daunted
and called out to his wife, in a voice which could be
heard all over the room, telling her to go over to
Gay's store and see if she couldn't find some butter in
which the hairs were better rotted.
One summer night in 1844, when a party of men
were busy with cards at Spring's hotel their bottle
was left so near the window that some boys reached
in and stole it. The effect upon them was as a live
coal which had roused Edward F, Gay who had dedecided to try and better the condition by building a
temperance hotel. Accordingly he talked the matter
over with his neighbors and decided to buy the lot
where the Goodnow block now stands, at the corner
of Grand River and Division streets. Unfortunately
he told some of his neighbors of this decision and the
opposition attemped to head off his temperance movement. Hezekiah Gates hurried off to Detroit the day
before Gay was to go, and bought the lot. As soon as




52         HISTORI     OF HOWELL
he returned he began arranging for the erection of a
hotel which afterwards became Union Hall and was
prominent here for years.
Mr. Gay learned of the Gates scheme just before
leaving for Detroit, and selected another site which
was the lot upon which stands the buildings occupied
by the First State and Savings Bank and Barron &
Wine's drug store. This hotel was the first brick
building in Howell and the first temperance hotel for
miles around. The brick for its erection were burned
on Mr. Gay's own farm in Marion, now occupied dy
Eastman's dairy farm, Z. M. Drew furnished the
lime from a kiln he had established near the Marion
town line. Hon. C, C. Ellsworth afterwards a prominent lawyer here, was the first landlord. Mr. Ellsworth surely was Daniel like for he opened the hotel
with a flag flying to the breeze upon which was inscribed "Liberty and Temperance."  Mr. Gay kept
the hotel for many years and then sold it; It was
purchased after a while by Mr. Pebbles and its name
changed to Livingston Hotel. It remained a temperance hotel until torn down when John Weimeister
built the present block in 1869.
Superstitious ones were not at all surprised at.the
fate of Hezekiah Gates and his project. The building
of his hotel proved too great a project for his financial
resources. Before its completion he was obliged to
go into bankruptey. The property was acquired by
Taylor & MePherson and changed bands a number of




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HISTORY OF HOWELL                 53
times until 1871, when Union Hall as it was then
known, was burned.
Shaft's hotel which was built a little later than the
others mentioned, really belonged to this period. It's
first owner was Williamu C. Shaft who was Spring's
opposition in the stage business   to  Detroit. It
changed hands several timies until 1865, when it was
purchased by Benjamine H. Rubert who added a
third story and ran the house successfully until his
death. His son Seth B. Rubert ran the house a number of years. It has changed hands two or three
times since Mr. Rubert died but still bears his name.




CHAPTER V.
Not All Fun
In 1838 the Legislature created a board of county
commissioners. But little is left of their records.
Emery Beal, Charles P. Bush and Orman Holmes
constituted the board.
The County Commissioners ceased to have authority after the Legislature of 1842 and the board of
supervisors was reorganized. It has met regularly
ever since that time.
Judge Kingsley S. Bingham the first Probate Judge
of this county, had no official business to perform.
His office was at his residence in Green Oak. The
next, Judge James W. Stanbury, lived in Pinckney
and held his court there. The first will he admitted to
probate was that of James Sage, the first white settler
of Howell, who died June 29, 1839. His will was
dated January 15 of that year and was officially witnessed by Dr. Wellington A. Glover and wife and 0.
J. Pinckney. Mr. Sage's son-in-law, Joseph H.
Pinckney. was appointed executor.     The legatees
were Mrs. Sage widow     of the deceased, and her
children, George T. Sage, James R. Sage, Chester A.
Sage, Mary A. W. Pinckney and Hannah A. Walker.
The date of record is quite badly faded but it was
sometime in July, 1839.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 55
Judge George W. Kneeland who was elected in
1810, moved the office to Howell. His first business
was on February 8, 1841, when letters of administration were granted in the estate of Josiah P. Jewett.
The Presbyterian society held most of its meetings
in the village school house, as did both the other denominations, until the year 1840, In 1839 the society
began the erection of a church building which was
completed the following year. This church originally
stood a little north of the Central School Hous square
and fronted to the south, amidst what was then a
growth of underbrush. The site proved to be a bad
one as in muddy weather, the church was almost inaccessible, and it was moved to nearly the present site
of the Knapp shops. Sometime afterward the society
became involved by too extensive repairs to the building and it was sold at forced sale, to the highest bidder. It was afterwards moved to Division street and
occupied by Staley's wagon shop for a good many
years. Its old ruins, about twenty feet from the first
school house, still remain.
When the church was first organized it adopted the
union plan but on September 21, 1839, by resolution
it became Presbyterian and remained so until July 29,
1843 when it changed to Congregational, but returned
to Presbyterian October 27, 1845 and has been in that
connection since that date.
As before referred to there was a determined effort
made to move the county site to Brighton and the




56          HISTORY OF HOWELL
matter was brought before the Legislature in 1837
but was defeated by the determined efforts of F. J. B
Crane and others. This agitation however had the
effect to defeat all projects to build sutiable buildings
when presented to the people as heretofore detailed
in these pages. The earliest officers who had office
in Howell, all made their offices at the Eagle Tavern.
F. J. B. Crane built a one story building of two
rooms near the site of Mrs. Amos T. Slader's present
residence, in 1837 and the county offices were soon
moved to it, the building being rented by the county.
It was aftcrwards purchased as will be noted further
on. In 1842, the board of supervisors contracted
with Benjamin Spring, for the use of his ball room in
his hotel in which to hold conrt. for fifteen dollars,
he to furnish wood. This arrangement only lasted
for a slort time and the Presbyterian church was
leased for holding court and all coun-ty tumeetings.
The Tental was twenty five dollars per teram of court
for a time, and later, forty dollars per year, for all
county purposes. This latter arranguemennt continued
for about three years, until what is now known as
the old court house, was completed  In the spring of
1845, a vote was taken at each town moeting, to build
a court house and jail, and the board of Supervisors
elected a building committee who advertised for the
recieval of plans and spe-ifications. By the time the
board met in October of that year, they had taken legal counsel and decided that tl.ey had not a legal




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  57
right to levy a tax for the same and so resolved.
In the following year the Legislature passed an enabling act and the board at a special meeting in June,
1846, arralnged for the building of the old court house.
After sonme delay, the contract was let to Emos B.
Taylor whe completed the building late in the fall of
1847. The total cost including extras, was $5,928.
By a resolution of the Board, the belfry was erected
upon condition that the people of Howell should raise
a suitable sum  to purchase a bell. When the old
court house was torn down, the bell was saved by
Fishbeck Brothers and others. It has since been
properly mounted and stands just inside the bar railing in the circuit court room.
When it came to building the court house, the location became an iniportant issue. No one had cared
particularly where the commissioners should locate the
county site except that it should be in Howell but
when the buildings were to be commenced that was
another question and especially so to Peter Cowdry
and Edward Thompson who had platted additions to
the village and were sure that if they could get the
buildings located upon their land it would prove a
boom to their additions. After a proper effort they
succeeded in so doing and the connty site was changed
from the old public square south of Grand River street
and west of Walnut street, to its present location, the
front part of the present square being donated to the
county by M.r. Cowdry and the north half by Mr.




58         HISTOR-Y OF HO0WELL
Thompson, the land presented including the streets
Clear around the present sqnare. The lots of the
origrinal portion of town had many of them been purchased by speculators who were non residents and this
fact, with the moving of the county site, had much to
do with changinz the. principal part of the town to the
new additions. With the procuring of the new site,
the old county office building was moved to the new
square in a position about midway between the present front of the court house and the west side of the
square. When the, brick office building was erected
on that site it was moved to the north side of the
square and was later sold to William B. Smith who
moved it a block east, on the south side of Grand
River street west of Bernard street, where it became
part of the residence recently purchased by Oscar
Hesse. It has been rebuilt several times. Immediately after the court house was finished the board of
supervisors passed a resolution to allow all religious
denominations to hold services there and the proposition was accepted by all but the Presbyterians who
already had their chureh built.
The jail and sheriff's residence occupied the ground
floor of the old court house and the court and jury
rooms the second story.
In 1849 a contract was let to George W. and Frederick J. Lee to build an office building west of the
court house, on the site occupied by the wooden office
building. This building was completed that year and




Hi rT( &t  OF 110 WýLilt
idpidby the supervisors at thcir January mepting,
It cst,-545.9t).J. T'iiý 1-mi'ld i-, ~c -,rvedl Its purlo~ -PO(' L1111 -tit 1873 Wvh~n it ýVas`(Tein~li'he'd an~T a 1)etter one, took
t 'a  for' the& oit~~k1a       ~~s&    of' 'Deedsr
Ifi1t3~ Imbiltlin'g' whJs eý-iecte~lf,-Uel -of the,,Jndg
of P'rbb~ate ~hnd (.,o ''Ai i  -T~ rfre,, ýu t ei et!st' 6f' flio lcohiýt
Whnei- tile qucito' WA6 cleaed't6mk ia6oo5n for *t e
flal o~d~~eo ~  igWting( in (f;h6s(, days as w ell as
nioikT a nd abo~it thh til's "t id 'al~iYe \1;'cý p` r61jettecT foAi~
tiroia 'to KeiWgo~hnrtdlo"         \ 1 liM 9nd A&heiiec'
to 8iivisi~evi'i "a' 1-iWne'x.4lhMh 'w(%LId 'S&areey he
hvded -A~ ex,6e~Vng;ly  WosMgIoA~
~'bef~r 6e Mfeind f'a' eeniefery was located Acar,
thieý'6tft&ea~t 'part of 'the laV-,', T'nt the sItd Axraý not en-,)
ýi-eS" ti~gfadaoy 1t a] f an'd ahother w*as located heari~r
litikI' 'Te mfAttr -iVas Aona')V ie"Wtted b'y'the'pu"C'h'aSle"
6 %f ffid old C'metnid   o,y f 1: (1 a~d 'Thelmn~sonl in  18940.
PL45, ffsbicn  a,h  of 1-ebry W-h'eeter a youliiý
man who was just entering manhood.     The site of the
old cemetry is now part of the Toledo Ann Arbor and
North Michigan    Railway) grounds whure they arel
croese~qd by Barnard Street and run a liteeast of the




60          HISTORY OF HOWELL
street where S. B. Rubert's lumber and coal yard is
now located.
About this time or a little before, the village acquired its first resident pastor. Rev. Henry Root
who had been employed by the Presbyterian church,
moved to Howell as its pioneer in that profession.
The people of this county were of a literary taste and
in 1843 organized a Union Lyceum which became very
popular in those early days.
About this time the Fleming post office was established. J. W. Smith was its first postmaster and the
office was located in his residence which stood nearly
opposite to the present farm residence of Frank Hecox, on the Grand River road. It was afterwards
moved to six corners where it was maintained until
some time after free rural delivery was established.
The Marr buring ground was also established in the
early '40s.
The old general training days were seasons of revelry more or less important from the first, but their
amount in this county were of a comparatively small
importance before 1843, As far back as the days of
Amos Adams there were some things accomplished in
this line and that gentleman painted a flag for use on
these occasions, which is still in existence, a treasured
relic in the home of George W. Monroe. In 1843 a
regiment was organized in this county with Col. Timothy R. Allison of Pinckney, in command.    By   an
order dated Feb. 7, 1843, he divided the county into
company beats, Handy and Howell being assigned to




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HISTOR'Y OF HOWELL                61
one beat. The company from this beat was comparatively well organized with Ralph Fowler of Fowlerville, as captain. The troops were mustered in on
old public square, but a portion of the forty sold to
M. J. and Alexander M,:Pherson, by Mrs. A. L. Crittenden soon after her husband's death was prepared
for training purposes. The general poor success of
trainings of this character, to secure the desired results, caused the repeal of the law soon after the above
date and ended all extensive efforts of that character
in Howell.
The early pioneers were patriots as strong as many
who have come after them. The first Fourth of July
celebration in this city was held under temperance
auspices, in 1844, in the grove where the Presbyterian
church now stands. No attempt was made at fireworks or other evening demonstration.
Manufacturing in a pioneer way, took quite a boom
about this time. Andrew L. Hill opened a wagon
shop in 1842. Mr. Hill made the first cutter in town
for Philander Glover. It was afterwards purchased
by Judge Turner who located here in 1840. In 1846
W. K, Melvin and James Lawther opened the "Areade shops" and put up the building which years
after, was built over into the Commercial Hotel. In
1844, Hickey and Galloway erected a foundry on the
site ofMrs, L. V. D. Cook's residence south of the
tunnel. They not only manufactured all kinds of
agricultural implements, but all kinds of stoves, kettles, etc. The shops were successively owned by




62         HISTORY OF HOWELL
Lemuel Spooner and Edward Thompson, W, O. Archer
and lastly by Abigal W. Smith and Dexter Filkins, They were burned while the latter gentlemen
owned them. Dr. Z. H. Marsh settled here in 1847.
The shores of time in this vicinity are lined with
wrecks of select schools and other private educational
institutions. The earliest of these was by Theodore
Bridgeman who opened his Howell Select School in
1845, in the old Presbyterian church. The school
lived only a little while and died in time to make room
for the Clasical Select School which was started in
December of that year by Rev. G. F. McEwen, but
this ent erprise soon kept company with its predecessor.
Mrs. M'ariah L. Charles was the next and her select
school was quite an institution in the summer of 1846.
The Howell Academy was opened April 1, 1846, and
premised to be quite an institution but the promises
were never realized. The failure of the academy led
to the organization of a stock company of $10,000, composed of Josiah Turner. F. C. Whipple, Elijah F. Burt,
Alvan Isbell, Gardner Wheeler, George W. Lee,
John Kenyon Jr., Almon Whipple and Edward E.
Gregory. This firm never did anything beyond the
procurement of its charter.
The old frame school house proved entirely inadequate for the growth of the town and early in the
forties agitation for a new one began to grow. An
appropriation for a new building was made in  845,
but was reconsidered. A fight between sections north
and south of Grand River street was fully developed




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 63
and lasted several years. The north side was never
strong enough to secure the location although they
managed to secure south-siders enough to change
every location decided upon from 1845 to 1849, and
kept the ball rolliDg from the old public square, the
present site of the M. E. Church, and others, until its
final location on the present site of the central scoool
building, December 15, 1848. The question of location would no doubt have continued much longer had
not a resolution been passed in September, 1848, instructing the district board to sell the school house
which they did and rented rooms in the Stage House
for school purposes, John Dickson being employed to
teach there. The first proposition was to build a two
story brick school house, thirty-eight by forty-eight
feet in size but a resolution to this effect created considerable opposition as the proposition to build a
"castle"  The size was changed to twenty-six by
thirty-six feet and the building built for $10,000, by
Elijah Coffren. Willis Wills was tho first teacher
in the new building,
In 1849, a dissolution arose in the Presbyterian
church  and Charles Clark, Mrs. Mariah      Clark,
Zebulon M. Drew, Edward F. Gay, Mrs. Clarssa L.
Gay, Benjamine W. Cardell and wife drew     out of
that church and organized a Congregational church.
The Bible society was organized in 1842 and did
considerable work until 1846. A   new society was
organized in 1849 which has been allowed to lapse al



64         HISTORY OF HOWELL
though a small stock of Bibles still remained in the
care of J. L. Pettibone Esq. until his health failed a
few years ago.
About this time the prevailing epidemic of fun making took a setback. The wife of a blacksmith named
Rorabacher died. Her bereaved husband failed to
wait a sufficient time after her funeral, to suit his
neighbors ideas of propriety, before he married his
second wife. One result of this condition of affairs
was the arrangement for a regular old fashioned
horning. The late Dr. Huntington who was always
ready for fun was solicited to captain the horning
party but he declined the honor and decided to present a counter attraction. Accordingly he arranged
with a couple of confederates and the three crawled
up near Rorabacher's house unobserved by its occupants who were all unconscions of what awaited
them. In time the horning party arrived, led by
Benjamin Spring who was literally covered with sleighbells. As he approached at the head of his crowd,
the doctor and his party opened upon them     with
double barrelled shot guns. Spring cut and run, nor
would he go back. Some little noise was started however, but word came from the house that the bride
14ad been scared into hysterics and the doctor had a
patient on his hands. It took very little coaxing to
send the crowd away for the joke was so badly on
Spring because of his scare, that everyone pulled him
back to his hotel to liquor up at his expense. The




F al~:;.. --I--~- -- ~-- -1

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 65
whole thing figured out so hard against him that he
was never anxious to lead again in anything of that
kind and as Sliter moved to Deerfield the two leaders
were out of it and things quited down a bit.
There were great tracts of land all around, which
were unfenced and cattle were allowed to run at large
during the days. Occasionally one would come up
missing and the theory usually was that it had wandered into some of the marshes and mired out of sight.
Johnathan Austin lost a cow and after awhile, gave
it up as lost. Some months later a neighbor told him
that he had seen his cow pasturing on the public
square. Mr. Austin went to the square and finding a
cow which looked Jike his, drove her home. Then Z.
M, Drew's cow was reported lost. In time it was reported to Mr. Drew that Johnathan Austin had his
cow and he went to claim it. Both men were sure
the cow was theirs and a law suit was the result.
Both were leading members of the Presbyterian church
and there was quite a little row kicked up in church
circles over the matter. The trial created no end of
interest. Both sides presented leading citizens who
positively identified the cow and everything looked like
an even strength for both sides of the case. Shortly
before time for adjournment for supper, Dr. Huntington who was one of the jurors casually asked witnesses on both sides as to the milking qualities. Austin's
witnesses agreed that his cow was a hard milker, while
Drew's witnesses testified that his cow was a very




66         HISTORY OF HOWELL
easy milker. The case went to the jury in the evening and they returned a verdict in a few minutes,
unanimous for Drew. During the intermission the
doctor quietly went and milked the cow. As soon as
they reached the jury room he told his companions
what he had done. The fact that she was an easy
milker settled the case. In those early days however,
it didn't settle the row.
Another case about that time will remain a standing
joke of the county as long as the pioneers remain. A
man had been arrested for stealing and was taken into
Circuit Court where he stated that he had no money
and Attorney Hawkins was appointed to defend him,
11r. f-awkins told the court that he did not want to
go to trial without talking with his client and was
allowed to go into a room alone with him. He is said
to have asked the fellow if he was guilty and was answered that he was. To his enquiry as to whether
they could prove it his client said that he guessed that
they could for they found the stolen property with him.
Hawkins asked him how much money he had and took
half of it. He then pointed to a window and told the
prisoner to "git."  He "got" and Hawkins went off
over town. After awhile the sheriff hunted him up
and told him the judge wanted to see him, Hawkins
is said to have sauntered leisurely into the court room.
When he entered alone the judge enquired where the
prisoner was. Mr. Hawkins replied courteously that
he was not the prisoner's keeper and finally said that




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  67
the last he saw of him he went through a window.
The judge hurried officers after him but he was free.
Another law suit which is still told of by the old
citizens was one in which Ira Brayton was defendant.
He had become indebted to one of the early pioneers
in the sum of twenty dollars and had given a mortgage
on three fine yokes of cattle worth several times that
amount, but was not able to raise the money and his
creditor expected to take the cattle. So sure was he
of securing them that he solicited jobs of "breaking
up" new land expecting to do the work with these
cattle. Ezra Frisbee finally decided to help Mr. Brayton out. Constable Durfee who was long remembered
because he always went barefooted, was the officer in
the case and learned of Mr. Frisbee's intentions. As
soon as the bidding reached the amount of the debt
and costs, he struck the cattle off to Mr. Frisbee who
left them with Mr. Brayton. In his efforts to save
himself Mr. Brayton had acquired a judgement which
another man held against his creditor, and had placed
this with Constable Durfee for collection. As soon as
Mr. Frisbee placed the money on a table to pay for
the cattle the constable levied upon enough to satisfy
this judgment and the grinding creditor got out of the
whole transaction considerably in the hole.
While most of the pioneers made the best of things
and put up with privations, there were those who
missed the luxuries of the outside world. Among
these was a man named Betts who settled in the north




68         HISTORY OF HOWELL
west part of town in the early forties. He came from
New York and was always lamenting the fact that
he could not enjoy what his neighbors put up with.
One morning it was found that he had taken poison
and was dead. This was the first experience of this
character and was quite a shock for the pioneer
settlers.
Dr. Gardner Wheeler's location in Howell as the
first physician here was noted in a previous chapter.
He was followed in 3839, by Dr, Charles A. Jeffries
who remained here until 1843 when he moved to
Washtenaw county. Dr. William     Huntington succeeded to his practice when he left Howell and remained here until his death. His son Dr. Wm. C.
Huntington practiced with his father for many years
and succeeded to the extensive practice which he built.
Dr. Nichols Hard located here in 1841 and remained
for two years. Dr. E. F. Olds moved here in 1813
but never practiced a great deal. He was a fine penman   and taught writing school while here. Dr.
William Dowlman came here from   England in 1846,
but never practiced a great deal. He was a Methodist
local preacher and did considerable work in that line
in the western part of the county. He served as
regular pastor at Stevenson in the upper peninsula
in the latter '70s and as far as known never came
back here. Dr. Thomas R. Spence located in Howell
in 1846 and had an extensive practice for about six
years, when   he moved to Detroit. Dr. Andrew




i. I

I 4                                                           <N.1

ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH AND RECTORY




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 69
Blanck settled here in 1848 and held a leading place
in his profession for a good many years. Dr. Wmi. L.
Wells settled in Howell in 1849 and enjoyed a very
extensive practice for the rest of his life.
Attorney Wellington A  Glover, Howell's first lawyer, was about two years alone in his profession here
and then Josiah W, Turner came in 1840. Soon
after  settling here Judge  Turner was   appointed
master in chancery. He also became deputy (ounty
clerk under Jesse Mapes who held the office at that
time, and did the work of the office. Mr. Mapes re
signed in Februrary, 1842, and the young lawyer was
appointed to the position. That coming fall he was
elected to the office and again in 1844. In November
1846, he was elected county judge and re-elected in
1850. In 1856 he was elected Judge of Probate. In
May, 1857 he was appointed, Judge of the Supreme
Court. In the November election of that year he
was elected Circuit Judge to which he was re-elected
three times. In 1860 Judge Turner moved to Owosso,
to be nearer the center of his circuit. He continued
to make that his home until his death in 1907. iHe
held several important governmental positions after
moving to Owosso. In his early years in Howell, he
attended to the duties of his official positions, engaged in other lines of business, and built up a nice
law practice. Soon after coming here he built the
office building just south of the city building, and a
residence on the lot now  vacant, opposite Fishbeck




70          HISTORY OF HOWELL
Bros. shoe shop. He afterward built the house at the
corner of Fleming and Hubbell streets, now occupied
by R. C. Reed, which was his home for a good many
years.
Fredrick C. Whipple who settled, in Brighton in
1841 and was the founder of the Livingston Courier,
moved to Howell with the paper, in 1846 and practiced law here for twenty-two years. He served the
county as Circuit Court Commissioner, Prosecuting
Attorney and Judge of Probate at various times.
He was a brilliant lawyer and was recognized as a
leading jury lawyer of the state.
Lauren K. Hewett settled here in 1842 and practiced law for about fifteen years. His brother Lewis
H. Hewett was associated with him here for some
years. Richard B. Hall practiced law here from 1843
to 1848. He afterwards went to California where he
became a detective of some considerable note.
James H. Ackerson became a lawyer here in 1843.
His practice has the reputation of sharp dodging rather
than profound law. A story is told that he was employed to defend a man who was guilty of larceny.
Ackerson saw defects in the papers and arranged with
his man to break them and then run him    off while
they were drawing new ones. For this purpose he
rode one horse and led another when he went out to
the country justice's for the examination. The scheme
worked and the prisoner got safely away on the extra
horse.




HISTORY OF HOWIiELL               71
41ohn1 B. biillingh'lin coimmenced the practie of law
h]ere about 1845, and Ibad a good business for about
fo.rteen years. THe moved to Sagina w in 1859. While
he,'re on a visit and business trip sometime later, he
was taken suddenly sick and died.
4ustin Lawyer settled here to practice law in. 1846
but only remained a few year., moving from here to
LUnion City, Branch c4ounty, from where he afterwards
moved to Coldwater. 1He died very suddenly a few
years ago, leaving a ha, ndsome property. His widow
who is remembered here as a, moest eccettric character,
never admits anyone insidi. the door of her palacial
home and never leaves it in the daytime if she caln
possibly avoid doing so. Practically all her connection with the outside world is done with; her telephone..Charles C, Ellsworth, first landlord of Gay's temperance hotel, studied law with Judge Turner and was
adimnitted to the bar here in 1848. fHe married a daughter of Mr. Gay and moved to (_reenviile in 1851,
whýere lie became prominent in his profession and in
politics.  He seirved that district in Congress with
some little distinction. Another of Judge Turner's
students was John F, Farnsworth who after-wards bea.ame a CGongressman from an Illinois district,
William  A  Clark moved here from     Brighton,
while  prosecuting attorney, about 1851. In    the
early '60 s he moved to Saginaw.
As noted previously Rev. Edward E. Gregory settled in Howell in 1839-. He lived for some time in.




72         HISTORY OF H(VOWlEiJLL
Rev. Henrv Root's unfinished house and as ]e used
1to say, "Cooked by a stump in the st.reet,''," at that
time he tried farming on his farm three miles. awa-y.
In 1845 he became pastor of the- Presbyterian church
here and served faithfully in that position for two
years. With the exception of a short time in 0wosso,
Mr. Gregory continued to reside in Howell until, his
dloath in 1884. He was of a quiet and unasuming nalure but of sterling Christian character. His name
was associated with all the organizations for moral
uplift in the early days of this community.
oloseph B. Skilbeek opened a shoe shop in Howell
about 1840. -Iis butsiness was graindually developed into a general store whiceh lie carried on for a number
of years, aoequiring a good property which kept, him
in plenty in his deeliing years.
John R. Neely camiee heie about the same time as
Mr. Skilbeck. He was a mason by trade, the pioneer.
in that line of business to live here. Several of the
older buildings are monuments of his labor.
Joseph Rowe the pioneer tailor was another to arrive about that time.
The Livingston Courier, a five column folio paper,
was the first published in the county. Its first issue
was at Brighton on Janiuary 10, 1843. Nicholas Sullivan was its first publisher and Frederick C. Whipple
was its first editor. Early in October, 1843, it was
moved to Howell by its publisher and Lewis H.
H1iewett was em'plroyed as editor. Its first issue in




Howell was OQtoher II. About three years ofter
moving to Hlowell, MAr. Sullivan sold the Courier to
E, R. Powell and it was afterwards owned by William8
B. Smith and Aeorge V. Root. Under Mr. Root's
management the paper died in 1856. A     few  advertisements from the Conrier of May 10, 1848, may he
of interest:
"The Livingston Courier will be issued every Wredpiesday morning, at the village of Howell, Livingston
County, Michigan, E. R, Powell editor and proprietor.
Terms: One dollar and fifty cents per anum in advancee
otherwise two dollars will be required in every case.
'' Hewett & H0l-l, Attorneys and Conneellors at La w
and Solicitors in Chancery, office over Lee's store(,
Howell, Livingston county, Mich. iL     H. Hewett,
Prosecuting Attorney. R. B. Hall, Notary Public.''
"L. K. Hewett, Attorney and Counselor, Circuit
Court Commissiener.     Office opposite the Public
Square, Howell."
"''Z. H. Marsh, M. t., Physician and Surgeon,
Office one door. east of the Post Office, Howell, Liv,
Co. Michli."
'A. S. Hollister, Watch Maker, Clocks, Watches, Jewelry, &e., of every     description, cleaned,
repaired and warranted. Shop one door east of the
Livingston Hotel."
''John WV. Smith, Justice of the Pea'ce, Office one
d(oor west of the Post Office, over W. TRiddle's store,
IHlowell, AMich."




74         HISTORY OF HOWELL
"Livingston Hotel, by N. Sullivan, Howell, Livingston County, Michigan."
"Union Hall, by N. Smith, Howell, Mich."
"New Harness Shop, opposite the Court House,
kept by A. Hiscock."
"Physic &   Surgery.   The undersigned having
formed a partnership for the purpose of practicing the
above profession, will be ready at all times, (unless
engaged in professional business) to attend such as
may require their services. Gardner Wheeler. Thomas R. Spence."
Advertisements also appeared for Clark & Hopkins
and W'. A. Buckland, general merchants; Bush & Co.
grocers, and L. K. Ilewett, wheat buyer. The only
item of local news in the whole paper read as follows:
"Going Ahead. Our village is progressing with
rapid strides; building after building is arising on
either hand, while the hand-saw and hammer of the
carpenters almost deafen one. Tearing down, drawing off and rebuilding, is the order of the day.
Messrs. Hinmnan & Bush and Hewett & Huntley have
commenced the cellar for a large two-stor.y brick block
to be occupied as stores and offices. Onward is the
march of empire.. We are creditably informed that
the entire stock of the Plank road from    Detroit
through this place to the capitol, will soon be taken
and finished to this place. We opine such good luck
for the present."




C}JAPTER VI1.
For Early Tra 'vXe.
Indian trails were the first r'-,ads in this section.
They formed the highways over which the pioneers
came to their wilderness homes. Occasionally thel
wa1gonIs would,.ome up against the trees which grew
so near together that one must be eiut before they
could get through. The beginnings could hardly be
detailed as such, but somehow the mnarch of p)rogress
turned these indian trails into roads,
July 4th, 18:32, Congress passed:tn act directing
the president to appoint three conunissionrs to lay
out a road for military and other purpo3'es, from Detroit through Shiawassee county to t the  outh of the
I-rand river, The,um   of $2,500   was expended
during the next two years, in opening and grading
the first ten miles out. In 1835, (ongress apportioned
$25,000  more, which opened the road one hundred
feet wide through the timber, and built bridges as far
as the Cedar river. A grant of five thousand acres of
land was also secured for the (4raund river and Sagi-naw roads, of whilch our road received  its share.
While the work thus provided for was in   progress
Michigan became a state. Soon after.Judge Turner




76         HISTORY OF HOWELL
came to Howell il 1840, he became interested in the
project. The road, which he found opened to Brighton, was gradually worked through Howell, and nearly to Fo-wlerville, largely by his efforts for state
appropriatio'nzs and other ways of securing funds for
that purpose. In thfe spring of 1841, $5,000  was
transferred by the State Legislature from the "Northern Wagon Road," to the "Grand River Turnpike,"
with which it was opened to Lansing. This nppropriation was increased by the addition of "non resident taxes" for all land within two miles of the road
along the line of the improvement. The legislature
of 184~, passed an act providing that, 10,000 acres of
internal improvement lands be appropriated to improving the Gand River road from Howell to what
is now Lansing. then the village of Michigan, six
thousand acres in Ingham county and four thousand
acres in Livingston county. With the aid of a large
number of private subscriptions which were secured,
this appropriation added to what had gone before,
put the road west of Howell in fairly good condition.
Before this time the stage lines heretofore mentioned, were doing a. thriving business from Howell
to Detroit. About 1842 or '43, Ralph Fowler who had
become very much interested in the road west of town
because of his connection with it as commissioner,
and C. B. Williams of Williainston, put a line of
lumber wagons to running between Howell and Lansing, whic.h rapidly developed into another stage line
in that direction.




LIVINGSTON COUNTY COURT HOUSE




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 77
The first Legislature of Michigan went on record for
roads. Acts were passed for state roads everywhere
where any one suggested them. If a very small percentage of those provided for had come to be roads,
the pioneers would have vied with present day tax
conditions. Among those which would have come to
Howell was a road from     Allegan to Hastings, to
Charlotte, to Mason, to Howell, to intersect with
the Grand River road here. F. J. B. Crane of flowell, was one of its commissioners. The next Legislature seems to have insisted that something be done
for this road for another act was passed for the same
line. Guy C. Lee was named as commissioner in
this act in place of Mr. Crane. In  1838 the same
line was again provided for except that in describing
it, the line was reversed, the description commencing
at Howell. George W. Jewett was one of the commissioners named in this act. It seems to have been
a case of three times and out however, for the road
was never built.
In 1840 an act was passed providing for a state
road  from   Milford to Howell out it was never
opened,
While the proposed line failed to touch Howell the
canal fever which swept through this section about
1837 should be noted in this connection. The Legislature appropriated $20,000 for the surveys. Three
lines were proposed which touched the county, The
one which promised most was to commence at Mt,




78         HISTORY OF HOWELL
Clemens on the Clinton river and ran to the mouth
of the Kalamazoo river.  It crossed Crooked lake in
this county. A  branch canal was promoted from
Crooked lake along the Huron river to Dexter, and
a company was chartered for its construction. As
late as 1845 the agitation for these water routes had
life but they too died in the paper stages of the enterprise.
In 1843 a rail road project was started but farmers
all along the line strongly opposed it on the ground
that it would injure their teaming trade and make it
unprofitable for them to keep so many horses, thus
forcing them  back to oxen for their farm  work.
Partially as an outgrowth of this rail road agitation
there grew up a sentiment for a plank road which
materialized the next year when the Legislature
passed an act appointing Charles P. Bush and Ely
Barnard of Livingston county and Levi Cook, John
Blindbury aud David Thompson of Wayne County
as a board of commissioners to solicit stock to build
the "Detroit and Grand River Plank Road."  Quite
an amount was secured but no where near the $50,000
which the charter provided for and the project was
given up.
In 1850 another plank road enterprise was started.
George W, Lee, Josiah Turner, B. W. Dennis, F. S.
Prevost and Noah Ramsdell were appointed commissioners by act of the Legislature, to solicit stock
for the building of a plank road from  Howell to




H.-ISTORY OF HOWELL               79
Byron. The next year the act was amended by jmaking  Nathaniel Turner and Harvey T. Lee cimmissioners in place of B. W. Dennis and F. J. Prevost.. The $30,000 required by their charter was
never secured but enough was raised to ma.ke the
promoters sure that it would pull through and their
company was organized by electing George W. Lee,
president, Josiah Turner secretary and treasurer.
April 3, 1848, a company was incorporated with a
capital stock of one-hundred and twenty-five thousand
dollars, to build a plank road from  Detroit to Howell, also from a point on this road to Waterford, also
from some other point on the line, to Milford. The,company was empowered to increase its stock twentyfive -thousand dollars at some future time, and thejn
to extend its main line from Hlowell to "the village of
Michingaa," now Lansing. A commission was selected to solicit stock, as follows:- tHenry Ledyard
and A. S. Bagg of Detroit, Joseph M. Mead of Plymouth, Augustus C. Baldwin of Milford, and Josiah
Turner of Howell., By 'ts charter this company was
empowered "to enter upon and take possession" of
the Detroit and Grand River road.
Ilon. C. C. Trowbridge of Detroit, became president
of the company and Henry Ledyard, also of Detroit,
secretaryv and treasurer. The commission made a
vigerous canvass and soon had enough money to warant commencing work. During the year 1850 the
plank was laid to Howell and the great enterprise be



80         HISTORY OF HOWELL
came a fact. The financial success of the Detroit
and Howell road was assured long before the planks
were all laid, This caused the organization of another company which secured its incorporation in
the spring of 1850. James Seymour,      Hiram  H.
Smith, Ephraim  B. Danforth, George \V. Lee and
Frederick C. Whipple were the commission to solicit
sixty thousand dollars of stock. Their company was
given the Grand River road from  Lansing to Howell. They had raised enough to commence work by
that fall and two years later, had the road completed.
In these days it is hard to grasp the value of such
a road to the developemenat of all this part of Michigan. It opened the way for the hundreds of teams
which daily passed over it. The old stages which
were little more than lumbor wagons, gave place to
four horse vehicles which carried from twelve to
twenty persons each.
When the planks wore out and rotted away     the
company filled the gaps with gravel which became
more and more substantial until the early "70s when
public sentiment against the tollgates became so great
that everyone could see that they were not to stand
much lounger. The companies took off their repair
forces and allowed the 'road to run down gradnally, until the people would stand it ino longer, and
in 1881 they ceased to collect toll here. They hung
on in other parts of the line until some years later,
The old tollgate houses were moved back and sold




EAST WARD SOHOOL AND ATHLETIC FIELD




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 81
for residences. Charters of the companies provided
for gates every five miles. As Howell was the end
of both roads, each company maintained a gate here
the one just in the east( rn part of town and the other at the brow of the hill just west of the village.
This arrangement made it impossible for anyone to
get in or out of town without paying the cent per
mile they traveled on that road, for eaeh horse they
drove, It seems a nominal amount but it was a big
enterprise in the early day and paid a large income on
the investment before the railroad came here.
In this connection it may be well to review the rail
road projects and development h ere. A few miles
beyond Brighton is a little settlement of very old
houses and a one-story brick building. This old
town is Kensington. In the very early days it had
a few aggressive men who sought to build a city
there. The brick building was their "Wild Cat"
bank, It's failure with the consequent loss to people
all through this section, was their death blow. In
whatever  enterprise their  names appeared   after
that, the people turned against it. In 1837 a rail
road was projected from  Detroit to Farmington, to
Kensington, to Howell, to Byron, to Shiawassee village. It is noticable that the charter provided that
the company should not only have the right to propel
cars by steam  power, but by animals or a combination of any power they should decide upon. The
'commission to solicit stock for this enterprise had two




82         HISTORY OF HOWELL
members from Kensingt6n who were prominent in the
work, and the people refused to take hold with them.
Even the names of such thoroughly reliable men as
Ely Barnard of Howell, and others along the line who
were members of the commission, did not suffice to
give the people confidence and they would not take
hold.
In 1847, there was another railroad project here.
George W. Lee, L. K. Hewett and E. F. Burt were
the Howell portion of the committee which worked
it up. They created quite a sentiment and raised
considerable money here. Other paits of the line
failed to bring up their portion however and the company I:ever went far enough to even organize.
June 17, 1864 a meeting was held at New Hudson
in response to a sentiment which had long been growing, and the Detroit and Howell Railroad Company
was organized. The board of directors elected at that
time contained the names of John H. Galloway, E. F.
Burt, R. C. Rumsey, Joseph H. Wilcox, Ely Barnard,
William McPherson and Marcus B. Wilcox of Howell.
The directors organized by electing Theodatus T.
Lyon, president; E. F. Burt, secretary; William  Me
Pherson, treasurer and Marcus B. Wilcox, attorney.
The capital stock was placed at $400,000 in shares of
fifty dollars each. Hiram Newman, Isaac W. Bush,
P. B. Holdridge, Giles Tucker and J. M. Swife were
appointed a commission to secure the stock.
There was a unity of purpose in Howell at that day




HISTOtRY OF HOWELLA
which surmounts eve ry obstacle. Led by William Me
Phercon, who was more active in the work and imor(
ready to sacriffice his time and labor thanf probably VUNy
other, the people went after the great projeet they hal
undertaken. A y.ear later $250,000 had been suibseribed, and in September, 1866, President t3lyoi
announced that $300,0b0 had been secured. This wa
the sumi agreed upon when work should begin.
It required another year to secure the surveys and
preliminary entineering and then grading commeinced.
Many will remember that day when the crowd gathered ne(ar a low place of ground not far from  where
the water tank at the Howell station ow stands, b
see the first dirt move for the new railroad. William
McPherson wheeled the first load; Janmes Donelly the
second arnd George Greenaway the third. A  number
Of Hlowell people followed, one after another, It wis,
a standing subject for talk that Mr. McPhersmn
wheeled his load easier than any other of the older
men who tried it.
Some stock subscriptions failed to rmaterialize but
the company pushed on with all the money it could
secure. When about $240,000 had beein expended
their funds gave out and they were obliged to quit.
They had accomplished enough however to insure thei
building of the road and that was what they wanted.
In 1868 another. company was organized to build at
railroad from  Howell to Lansing. Howell peophl
were bendinig all their energies for the Detroit road




84         HISTORY OF HOWELL
and ouly a few became financially interested in the
new line. Joreph H. Wilcox was one of its board of
directors however. They secured most of the franchises and right of way and had accomplished considerable of the preliminary work when the other
company was obliged to suspend its operations.
The work accomplished on the Detroit and Howell
line had already attracted considerable attention in
financial circles. When the company was obliged to
quit, James F. Joy and other Detroit capitalists interested themselves. Learning that all the old company wanted was the construction of the road, they
proposed to enter into bonds to do this if the old company would give them what they had, and they eould
also acquire the holdings of the Lansing and Howell
company. These terms were accepted. Mr. Joy
and his associates at once organized what they called
the Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan R. R. Company, and took up the work under their contract. A
newly opened road from Lansing to lonia was also
acquired by the company shortly after they commeneed operations.
True to their agreements the new  company went_
vigorously to work at both ends ofthe line. In May,
1871 the eastern end was opened to Brighton, and
three months later this whole county turned out to a
great celebration at Fowlerville, addressed by Dennis Shields of Howell, which celebrated the advent of
the iron horse in that village. August 22, 1871 the




'I~ZI~

`i;:e:~f~S~~3~:..:~t~
~~;~~ ~i~:

BROWN'S GREENHOUSE, HOWELL




HITBTORY OF IHO WELL             85
line was formally opened with an excursion train from
Detroit to Keywood five miles beyond Greenville.
The Detroit Post in reporting the trip said:
"At Howell the train was received with something
of an ovation. A six-pound cannon had been brought
into service and fired a salute as the train moved up
to the depot, where were assembled an immense concourse of people.who testified their gratification at
the arrival of the party by vheers and waving of
handkerchiefs. Ladies distributed  boquets. The
people are enthusiastic over the arrival of the iron
horse in their town and though the assemnlage rwa
impromptu, it clearly indicated the joy which they
feel over the completion of the railroad for which
they have worked and waited for so many long years.
Their enthusiasm is pardonable. The town has a
population of over two thousand, is one of the handsomest in the state and next to Lansing, probably the
most important on the line of the road."
The road like most business projects, has seen its
ups and downs, but has nearly always been a paying
property. Its name was changed to the Detroit, Lansing and Northern, not long after it commenced
running.   It was acquired by the Pere Marquette
system a few years age, and is now operating under
that name.
As far back as 1869, Ex-Governor Ashley of Toledo,
proposed the construction of a railroad through
Howell from that city, to the north. His company




86         HISTORY OF HOWELL
was organized in Ann Arbor, Oct. 28 of that year
and about $20,000 of capital stock was secured in this
county. Right of way was secured from Toledo to
Ann Arbor, but as only about five per-cent of the
amount subscribed north of that place, was paid in,
the road left its original line and ran to South Lyon
which was its northern terminal for a number of years.
Gov. Ashley was one of- those men who never give up
however, and with his sons, Harry and James M.
Ashley, kept at the project of extending northward.
In 1888 their work was crowned with success and the
Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan R. R. was
completed through Howell to Frankfort on Lake Michigan. A few years later a system of large transfer
steamers was established across Lake Michigan  to
Menominee, and the road became a leading trunk
line to the northwest, adopting as its trademark the
claim that it was the "Key to Michigan."  Its name
has been changed a number of times as its owners have
changed but for several years past it has been known
as "The Ann Arbor Line"'
When tkis road sought to cross the old road just
south of Howell, they were refused the right of way.
The tracks were laid up to the old road's right of way
on both sides and one stormy Saturday night, a large
gang of men were brought in from the south. By
daylight Sunday morning a hole had been dug under
the old road and their tracks were united. The next day
an armed guard was posted there and a bridge which




HISTORY OF HO WELL               87
had been prepared for the place, was put in. Offielals
of the two roads held a conference Sunday evening
and seemed to get together. The new company was
thrown off its gtmrd and withdrew its forces. Early
Monday morning the work train of the Detroit, Lansing and Northern appeared on the scene with a load
of necessary material, and filled the cut under the
bridge. Then ensued a series of digging out and filliug up lasting for some time. A  compromise was
finally affected whereby the new road was" moved to
the west several rods and a grade c-rossinw with a station which for years was known as Howell Junction,
was secured. It is now known as Ann-Pere.
A very spirited indignation meeting of Howell citizens was held at the court house during the quarrel.
The first train north from here carried a party of
Howell. businessmen wbo paid two dollars, apiece and.spent the afternoon in Owosso.




CHAPTER VII
Before the War
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows antedate all
other secret orders in Howell, as their old lodge was
instituted by N. B. Nye, D. D. G. 2M. of Ann Anbor,
on September 5th, 1849. Its first officers installed
were: N. G., Josiah Turner; V. G., L. K. Hewett;
Secretary, J. B. Dillingham; Treasurer, Lemuel
8pooner. The lodge had quite a prosperous existance
Tor a number of years, but finally ceased to exist.
That same year, a dispensation was granted fronm
the grand lodge by the power of which the Howell
Masonic lodge began working. It was not chartered'
until January 10, 1850. Its number is 38. The
lodge home has been successively in the Einman
block where the Hubbell block now stands, Lee block
where Topping block now stands, old Greenaway
block, Weimeister block, old W1,inans block and the.
present Masonic temple. The early Worshipful Masters were   consecutively, Amos Adams, Gardner,
Wheeler, Henry H. Harmon, Frederick C(. Whipple,
Sardias F. Hubbell, Frank -Wetllh, Sardias F. Hubbell,
Milo L. Gay, Joseph T. Titus, William  C. Rumsey,
Joseph T. Titus, Albert Riddle, Sardias F. Hubbell,
Albert Hfathaway, Sardias F. Hubbell, Walter D.
Whalen. John W. -Wright, and Rollin H1, Person.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 81)
DI)rring ir. Hath)away's term  he lmoved away and
William L. Knapp Senimor Warden, tilled out the term.n
The Howell?ouudry long- managed by John M. and
c-eorge L. Clark, wNas built in 1849, by Stephen Clark,
for the imanufiacture of stoves and agricultural castings. In 1859, it was purchased by George U. Taylor
and George L. Clark. Taylor sold his interest to Geo.
L. Clark, who sold a hal toU Johln 11. Galloway, in
1864. F. S. Wykoff and Ri. B Blackman were taken
into the firm in 1867, and William  Williamson soon
after bougaht Mr. Galloway's interest, the firm becornknown as Wyk-ff, Clark & Co., which it continued,
until 1874, when it was chancged to Wykoff, Clark &
Immnen. In December, 1876, the whole plant, which
had become at thatm time the most important nmanufacturing enterprise of the town, was purchased by
Josiah M. Clark, who afterwards died and it was then
owned by Jo. M. Clark & Co., who 1did a general iron
and wood manufacturing business. Their trade in.
the Howell hand car became world wide, a large nimher having been shipped to other eountries. Their
manufacture of the Howell tubular axel wagon was
also quito extensive. They gradually ran out however, and finally quit for want of finances. The buil-.dings were torn down to clear the sq4uare for the
Carnegie Library.
The Howell grist mill at the foot of Thiompson's lake
was commenced by George NW. and Fredrick J. Lee
in 1849 and eompleted during the following year.




90         HISTORY OF HOWELL
A few years later George W. Lee became sole owner
He sold to William Williamson and it has since been
owned by Zebulon M. Drew, Thomas Birkett, William Y. Munson and Calvin Wilcox, Thomas Hoyland,
Thomas Hoyland & Son, and George Hoyland. The
present proprietor is A. O. Hutchins. The mill has
always done a good business and is now shipping a
large amount of flour in addition to its custom trade.
In 1850 Shubael B. Sliter commenced the erection
of a steam saw mill on the site of the present City
Mills. He soon sold part of the business to D. D.
Chandler and George W. Kneeland who aftervwards
became sole owners. The mill was burned in 1851.
The mill sawed quite an amount of the plank for
the two plank loads when they were built. After the
fire Judge Kneeland became sole proprietor and rebuilt it. The engine put in after the fire was built by
B. C. and H. B. Curtis, and was the first one built
in Howell. Aiken Holloway, John Hoyt, J. Rt. Axtell, J. I. VanD)usen, Taylor & VanDuen uand VanDusen & Whipple, were succeessive proprietors. Under the management of the last firm the mill was remodeled into a grist mill, and soon after that change
became the property of Latson & Wright. It was
afterwards purchased by E. C. Wright & Sons who
made an assignment in July, 1888. The mill was
bought by John Birkhart, who rebuilt it and put in a
full outfit of new machinery making it one of the best
in this section. It has been owned by C. A. Parshall




iISTOIIY OF 13HOWELL
for some' years past and is (doling a  lairge usins. Mr.
PaIrshall bas contiuied the spirit of inipro'vemnent Sifnce
he 1became the owner, and has put in a laarge amunt
of new nmachine'v.
The Phoenix Foundry and Machtine Shop,. at th.e
soluth-west Corner of Division amd Sibley strees, was
built by A. W. 8mith & Co,, after. the buninig of thv
old (3alloway foundry in  1857. The foundry WfaS
burned Pebrunary 22, 1860, at a loss,-f *7,200. B. C.
aud H. B. Curtis built new shops on the saime site
after the fire, The Curtises sold ti Floyd S. Wykof
and the works were afterwards owied by Johin I1.
Galloway, Henry1 B. Curtis and Cfurtis & Sorn. The
business stopped while the last unamed firm  had it.
The '-irst Howell school0 building vwas purchared by
Mr. C-urtis and moved to the south-iwest eorner of his
plant where its still stands. The buildings are now
occu-pied by WI  N. Snedicor & Sots poultry and eggo
business.
In 1845, an. M. E. celass was forilmed at West Howell, with ten members. It was mainly supplied by
pastors from Howell. It continued with maore or less
prosperty, until 1865, when it became crippled by the
muoving away of several of its members, and soon
ceased to exist. Another M. E. class was organized
during the pastorate of Jessie Kilpa trick at Howell)
bIut only ran a few years.
About this inIe, the four corricns tV 'hev wvers called,
bega1 to rSsume to bt Ei town. Soilemlon Sly built




92         HISTORY OF HOWELL
what has long been called the Four Mile House, on the
grade west of town, and opened it in 1851. He was
afterwards succeded by Mortimer Townsend who was
followed by Thomas Gilchrist who was landlord for a.
number of years. The old building still stands but
long since ceased to be a hotel. The cemetaries on
sections seventeen and twenty-two belong to this
period, the first having been established in 185h and
the other in 1858.
As previously noted in this history, the district
found itself in the winter of 1848-49, without a school
house, and a long and tedious fight ensued before final
location of the site now occupied by our fine central
school building, which was done at a school meeting
held on December 15, 1848. It was then resolved to
instruet the board to build a school house 38x48
feet in size, two story, at a cost of $1.,000. This
proposition met so much opposition by citizens who
called the proposed building a 'castle," that anothet
meeting was called and the size of the building cut
(dowrn to 26x36 feet. The building was erected durring the coming summer and fall, and was occupied
in the winter, William Wills being the first teacher
theLe. In less than a year it was found that the
building was too small and  rooms were rented for
school purposes, outside. This continued until 1856,
when by vote of the district, additions were made to
the building, larger than its original size.
Cowdry's second addition to the village emobraced




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HISTORY OF i\HOWELL s1
the eaist hfid of the n1orth-West quarter of s4ection
thirty-fve. It contained forty-nine acrea neiar the
Byron road. The plat was filed by the ad.iiiiniitrator of the P. A. Cowdry estate, October 26, 1853.
In the very early days there -xas an agricultnral sooiety in this county, the Livingy-ton County Agricultural Society, but none of the early pioneers whom
we have intervimwed, know anything about such an
organization. A meeing was held at the court house,
Thursday February 24 1853, which proceed&ed to organize a Livingston Cont ty Agrict.iultural Society with
Ira Jennings, of Green Oak, as president, and a vice
president from each township, the one from  ILowell
being Odell J. Smith. Wmn. A.       Buckland was
treasurer and Elijah F. Burt, secretary. The first
fair was held at such town as -would raise the most
money to defray expenses, and by those terms went to
Brighton. Th. next meeting was held on the old public square in Howell, this tho wnship having pledged
$200 toward expenses. For a few    years it rotated
bAck and forth from Brighton to Howell, but in 1860
the society purchased grounds east of the old toll
gate, in Howell, and the first fair held upon tbs
society's own grounds.was in September, 1860.
When the Ann Arbor railroad was complete iw
1888, it ran between the buildings and race track, thus
spoiling the old fair grounds for fair purpoSe. The
association was awarded quite heavy damagoes from
t;he railroad company and Charles Fiebbeek bought




94         HISTORY OF HOWELL
the grounds. New grounds were purchased on the
Byron road just outside the village limits and new
buildings were erected there. The fair continued anin aally there for six or eight years and ran out.
Some years later, McPherson    Brothers  took  the
grounds on a mortgage. William and 34. J. McPher-,ou   jold their interests to Alexander, and he sold the
nrouds to W. W. Crittenden.
Iu 1898, [lowell businessmen organized and held a
Atreet fair, a leading feature of which vwas a ladies
florald parade. Miss Nellie Brooks was elected queen.
Two years later, Miss Julia Benedict was queen. A
third was two years later. The latter was much of
the e1 iCaA oDdNr, anfd has lbeen followed by a carnivial 'I- Wixom Bros.
The Livingston R-epublican was started by Il. and
L- M. Smit-h, April 27th, 1855. Their succes was
so-mewhat of the up and downI order for about four
years at the end o? which it vwas consid erably on the
down grade,   George W. Lee was thesn induced to
take hold of it and with his brother Fred Lee and
several others, fixed up a-sort of stock compalny arraugement, which gave ite phtubica.tiou (a good ttUancitl backing. George L. Sage became: the editort at
that time. George W. Let gmadually bought. out the
interest cof the others and '1Y 186G2, had tlhe paper well
cstablished. It was t(hen sold to James Blowers, wio
udited it until be died in 1866. After Mr. Bowers
death, the paper was sold to A. D. Waddell and J.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  95
1). Smith. Mr. Smith bought his partner's interest
in 1868. He afterwards took Frank H. Marsh as a
partner and later successively George W. Axtell, Sol1omon T. Lyon and E. B. Vanderhoef. In 1877,
Smith & Vanderhoef sold the paper to L. C. Miller.
After some years he sold to E. D. and Orrin Stair.
In 1889, Stair Brothers sold the    Republican  t,
George Barnes who has lately associated his son AlbePrt with him in the publication. In all its list of
editors and publishers, Republicans of this coundty
have been fortunate in having at the' head of their
county organ, men of fearless charact:er, true to their
party principles, and good writers.
It was while he was editing the Republican that E.
D. Stair wrote "Trixie," which h, soon after staged.
and which at once became a popular hit, laying the
foundation for the handsome fortune which he has
acquired by a long runn of success in the theatrical
world.
The evolution which has developed sonte of our
present business houses forms interesting parts of
Howell's history. Take Monroe Brothers for example. In 1845, G'eorge W. and Fred J. Lee started a
general store in the old Whipple block, on the site of
Monroe Brothers' present store. Two years later,
George W. Lee built the first brick store in Howell, a
two story building which stood on the ground where
Johnson's drug store is now, and their store was
moved into it. In 1852, Fred J. Lee sold out to his




96          HISTORY OF HOWBELL
brother and built a new  store the next door wIest..
The brothers tunited a for third story over both stores,
wbich was rented to the Masons for a lodge room.
As sooln Las his new store w'4s  completed, Fred J.
Lee formed a partnership with Lemuel Spooner and
they opened a new store there. After a few    years,
they sold their business to E. B, Taylor, who, later
sold an intierest to Fobes Crossma)n. William    1.
Jewett also acquired aCn interest there for a time.
G)eorgWLe W7. Lee finaily bought this firm  out, when
'fr, Taylor went to California. He cut an archway
between the tw-,o stores and ran them  together for
some time.  When Mr. Le beecaa(le quarterlmaster in
the armY, he left his business in charge of Alexander
McPherson, who had been a clerk there for some
lime. 2Mr. McPhers-on    bongtht an interest in thb
store about that time.
Henry II. Mills formed an acquaintance with Mis
Isabelle McPherson, in college. They were marrici.
in 1854, and lived near Kalamazoo for about three,
years. They came to Howell in 1857 and Mr. Mills
1began clerking for William McPherson. Soon after
Alexander McPherson bought an interest in the business Mr. Mills bought the rest of Mr. Lee's interests.
Their stock was moved into the west store. Leander
C. Smith rented the corner store and used the west,ide for the post olfee, the east side being rented to
other partics.
About a year later, Mr. Mills bought his partner's







HISTORY OF HOWELL                  97
interests and conducted the biusiness alone for some
years when he associated his sovn wi6ht him. The firm
of HI H. Mills & Son  was a leading one here for
many years. William Mills went to Topeka, Kansas,
in the late '70s, and laid the foundation for -kwhat has
developed into the largest general store in that eity.
His father followed himn a fvew years later.
In 1882, Mr. Mills sold the bnuiness ta tweo enterprising young men, who were clerking for him    at
that time, Dwight D. Monroe and Will J. Carl. A
new firm wa-s organized under the name of Monroe,
Carl & Co., Mr. Mills remaining in the butsines as a
limited partner to the amount of his intere.st, which
was purchased by the young men after the big fire of
1888, which destroyed the two old store buildings.
For a few months after the fire the firm did business
in the Opera House block.  They made a lease for the
new Greenaway block as soon as cinpieted, and have
been on that site since.
About the time of the second big fire in 1892, Geo.
L. Monroe bought Mr. Carl's interest in the   firm.
and that gentleman went into businsess at 1Muskeegon
Heights.
In 1901, the general stock was closed out, and the
firm have since dealt solely in shoes and wall paper.
Politics were very warm in Howell in   the  '50s.
When Prof, F. W. Munson was employed to superintend the schools here in 1856, there was quite a question whether the board would employ anyone but a




98         HISTORY OF HOWELL
democrat. Prof. Munson had     not yet graduated
when he came heie, and went back to Ypsilanti for
that purpose in June. The subject of his oration
was "Locks and Keys."    After discussing  various
locks and keys in other countries, Mr. Munson said:
'But we need not go to foreign countries In our
own south land there are nearly four million human
beings, who send forth the cry, 'Unlock, unlock."'
A Detroit Free Press reporter complimented Mr.
Munson on his oration, but criticised that sentence.
The papers reached Howell, before Mr. Munson returned, and were the cause of quite a warm welcome
when he stepped from the -stage here. Tie was charged
with making a black aboliti~n speech, and some
people wanted him turned out of school for doing so.
A good story is told by several men who were little
boys in the latter part of Prof. Munson's school work
here. Frank Whipple had been guilty of something
which promised him a whipping, and was shut up in
Mr. Munson's office. Several little boys from one. of
the lower rooms, were out to play. Henry Wilbur
ran near enough for the pris:oner to call to him and
ask him to get him out, before Mr. Munson got back.
A hasty consultation was held. One little boy knew
where there was a ladder, four or five blocks away,
and they Went after it. So careful were they that
that carried the ladder way around another block, so
as not to pass the windows of their own room, or to
let their teacher see its shadow, as they raised it.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 99
Frank Whipple got out all right, and the ladder was
put back. So well did the boys work it, that no
teacher could learn how the escape was made and
they never knew until long years after, when the
little boys were men, and old school days were talked
over.
One day in 1854, a young colored man alighted
from the stage at the old Union Hotel. His barber's
chair was on top of the stage and he said he was going through to Lansing, to start a barber shop.
Sentiment a good ways from the colored race, and in
the presence of an escaped slave, was two different
things. George Wilbur coaxed the young man to
unload his chair and go to work in his bar room.
He did so, and by genial ways, courtesy and strict
honesty, made a host of friends here. This first colored man, Abraham   Losoford, paved the way for
that cordial sentiment toward his race, which has always made them welcome in Howell. Ho lived here
to a good old age.
Another colored man was here for a few months before Mr, Losoford came but he remained for so short
a time that to Mr. Losoferd belongs the title of Howell's first colored man.
As previously noted in this history the Livingston
Courier suspended publication in 1857. The office
was in a demoralized condition, much of the type pied,
and generally run down. During the summer the
material was purchased by Joseph T. Titus, then a




100        HISTORY OF HOWELL
young man recently moved here from Jackson where
he had been running the Jackson Patriot, On the
fifth of August, 1857, he issued the first number of the
Livingston Democrat, then a six-columned folio, but
afterward enlarged. His first office was in the second
story of the building now occupied by the Livingston
Tidings, which had also been the office of the Livingston Courier. Mr. Titus was a man of ability as a
writer and his paper soon became one of the leading
advocates of his party in this section. He associated
his son John P. Titus, with him in the publication,
some years afterward, and they continued as owners
until February 7, 1890, when they failed in business.
Leading Democrats of the county at once formed a
stock company and purchased the office. John Ryan
who was just retiring from the county clerk's office,
was placed in charge and Mr. Titus was given employment on the paper. A few years later he went to
Toledo to live with his daughter Mrs. James Wing
with whom he went to California a few years ago.
Shortly after assuming the management of the Democrat Mr. Ryan purchased the stock held by other
members of the company and has been the sole owner
for several years past. Under his management the
Democrat has maintained its high standard as a county newspaper and an ardent advocate of the party.
A meeting was held in the Congregational church,
ou the twelfth of December, 1857, to organize an
Episcopal churahb., Among thibse present were I'Kev.




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HISTORY OF HOWELL                 101
Henry Ban well, Abel F. Butterfield, Joseph T. Titus,
H1, C. Briggs, George Greenaway, George R. Hoyt,
William A. Clark and M. Labouter. The church tool
the name of "Al) Saints Church of the town of Howell."  Rev. Henry Banwell was its first rector. Be
was followed by Rev. George 0. Blackman who resigned April 17, 1865. Rev. Albert C. Lewis became
rector in in 1866 and continued as long as the church
existed, which was until 1868, when the organization
was changed. Part of the time this church was in
existence its services were held in the Congregational
church and part of the time in the court house.
The ehaLging of the organization referred to was
the formation of St. John's Episcopal church which
was effected on Tuesday, April 14, 1868. The articles
were signed by Milo L. Gay, Joseph T. Titus, Mark
J. Staley, L. D. Smith, Silas Beardsley and Albert C.
Lewis, pastor, and were filed in the county clerk's office the following day. This church practically ceased
to exist after a short time, largely because some of
its most active members moved away.
In 1878, the church having been strengthened by
two or three active men, principally by Walter B.
Brown who had moved to Howell and engaged in the
drug and book business, the Board of Missions of the
Eastern Diocese of Michigan, sent Rev. R. H. Dennis
here as pastor, and St. John's church was revived.
Services were held in the court house until their church
was erected. The plan was for quite an imposing




102        HISTORY OF HOWELL
structure to front on Sibley street, with a chapel which
should unite in an L and front on Walnut street. The
chapel was erected first and no more has ever been
done about the building. The removal of Mr. Brown
again crippled the church and it has never been as
prosperous as could be desired. It is now connected
with Brighton and Hamburg as one parish, of which
Rev. Harvey Kerstetter of Brighton, is rector.
The first building burned in Howell township, was
the house of Michael Brenner, situated on Section 25.
This fire occurred in 1840.
The first fire which inflicted severe loss upon the
village, occurred in the evening of Monday, Sept. 28,
1857, and swept the Eagle Hotel, the first building
erected on the original plat of the village in 1835, and
nearly the entire line of buildings on the South side
of Grand River Street, between Walnut and East
Streets. The account of this fire, given by the Democrat in its next issue, was as follows:
"A destructive fire broke out in this village at
about seven o'clock Monday evening. It commenced
in the 'livery barn,' near Hnntley's Eagle Hotel,
which was soon wrapped in flames. The wind was
blowing strongly from the unrtlhvwest. Mr. Huntley's
barn caught next, then his hotel, then Palcom's saloon, then Treadwell's saloon, and then   the 'Old
Stage House.' All of these buildings were consumed
by the flames, in about one hour and a half, in spite
of the efforts of the citizens. The progress of the fire




HISTORY OF HOWELL                103
cou1d not have been arrested here, had they not
pulled down the four small buil digs tOhat stood on
the east part of the same block. Owing to. tbhe bigh
winds, there was great d auger of a large portio-n of
the village being swept away. The burning einderie
set fire to buildings nearly alt a rile distant. whrich
were happily extinguished. Nearly all the busines
men on the south side of G(rand River Street, as far
down as Vaunderhoof's Hotel, removed their property
into the street, which afford ed a fine opporhtnity for
thieving, and this th.e tbievet CDployed.
No one can account for the- origin of the fire. The
heaviest loss occnrs to Mr, Hnmtley, who lost his all
His loss is estimated at $5 000. Balcom's saloon was
worth about $300, Judge Kneeland's building about
$800, and the four small buildings pulled down  >re
w-orth about $1000. The barn  where the fire originated was owned by Mr. Green, of Detroit; loss ahout
$200. There was no insurance on any of the buildings. Most of the personal propert y was saved much
of it in a damaged state fromb the rashness of the
men."
The winter of 1853-54 was a very hard one here.
At one time the snow went above the record of just
ten years before that date, which, too, was an extremely hard winter. It was a trifle over twentyseven inches deep upon the level, probably the deepest ever known here. All the hay which had been
cut, was used up long hbefore spring, and the sefttlers




104        HISTORY OF HOWELL
were obliged to maintain their stock by browsing,
that is, by chopping trees, and allowing  the stock
to be fed upon their tops. The writer remembers
hearing his father often tell of chopping a tree every
day, all through the latter part of the winter, and of
how hungry the poor stock became in spite of the best
he could do for them. When they heard a tree begin
to fall they would rush for it and several farmers had
stock killed'in that way. The last day he cut browse
my father's best cow ran under the falling tree and
was killed. One day along in the spring, he was
some distance from home when he found a good sized
lock of hay which someone had lost from a load. He
gathered it up carefully and carried it over three miles
to give his stock a taste of hay.
Nor did people fare much better than their stock.
The general need for provisions became so strong before the harvest of 1854 that a  citizens' committee
was organized with Henry Smith, father of the present Howell postmaster, as chairman. This committee
made a vigorous canvas of the whole township, as
then organized, including Cohoctah. Samuel Bush's
wheat, on what is now the Peavy farm, was decided
to be the ripest, and he was told to harvest it or jtlie
committee would. Mr, Bush readily consented, and
his wheat was soon in the Bogue mill, from  where
flour was dealt out on a ration basis to the hungry
people.
Whenever   the  liquor element gets to running




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 105
things all its own way, a reaction sets in and something is sure to follow. Such a condition was experienced in Howell in 1855. In March of that year,
about thirty leading ladies of the town became so excited over the unrestricted sale of liquor, that they
took the matter into their own hands. Marching to
the saloon of Samuel Balcom, they proceeded     to
smash bottles and casks, until no liquor remained.
Long drawn out litigation followed, and Mr. Balcom
finally secured a verdict for $540 against several of
the leading women. Only a part of it was ever collected. The moral effect was to stiffen the backbone
of those in authority, and resulted in a much better
enforcement of law.
One of Benjamine Spring's retorts about this time
is still told by our oldest residents. A man died who
had long been one of his special friends. As the funeral procession was passing his bar room, Mr.
Spring and others stood watching it, when one of
them noticed that he was crying. Upon rallying him
about it, Spring replied: "I tell you boys, this is a
pretty solemn occasion. It's the first timelin a long
while when he has gone by without stopping to take
a drink."
The first fight in this township, which resulted
seriously, occurred in October, 1856, when Henry
Hollis is alleged to have struck George Obert with a
neck-yoke. Obert lived but a few days  and Hollis
was arrested, charged with murder. The jury disa



106        HISTORY OF HOWELL
greed and Hollis was released on bonds. le was
ever brought eto trial again.
On July 20, 1857, John Lagran'ge, while intoxioated, picked a fuss with Sanford S. Moore, and war
killed during the quarrel. Moore plead self-defense
ainxd the coroner's jury so iound.
Howell was represented at Lansing, quite early in
its history. In 1850 George W. Kneeland was repIesrentative from this district. C harles A.. Wilber
sas elected to that position in 185.
Of the physicians who settled here in this decade,
hr. Henry e). RumEey began practico in 1853. He
had been in mercantile businesi bere for a short time
previous. He died here in 1858.
Dr. Robert C. Hutton corn 2a:cea practice here r
1857. In his latter years he mvoved to Detroit.
Dr. Hieniry N. Spencer whot ifeme to Fowlerville
in 1853, gradually extended his pr'actice to Howell,
and moved here in 1869, he haviwg been electeod judge
of probate in 1868. After his term of office he continued to practice in Howell.
Henry H. Harrmon studied law in the office of
HioweCt Brothers while teachiw' in the Howell schools,
smnd was a-dmitted to practwe In 1849. He held the
offices of circuit court counnissioner, prosecuting attorncy and probate judge3. He became one of HowiP's1
lkead in lAawyears ad ncoetinued so until his death. Of
hWgh moral ideas, he did much tsward the establishrlent of that tentiment which so lone prevailed here,




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 107
the trial of cshes upon their merits riather thfan by
tricks and subterfuges.
Mylo L. Gay was a student with F. C. Whipple
and was admitted in 1853. HLe maintained an office
in the rooms now occupied by The Livingston Tidings for a number of years, but transacted a general
loaning and real estate business more than a law business. Ile engaged in banking at Fowlerville, for a
number of years.
In the early '   M0s., Marcus B. Wilcox moved here
from Pinckney. He serv-ed as prosecuting attorney
for two terms.
Sardias F. Hubbhll was the first law student in this
county, in the office of Wellington A. (Glover, in 1840
and 1841. He practiced in Oakland county about
fourteen years, end returned here in 1854. He
served as circuit court commissioner and three terms
as prosecuting attorney. He had a large legal praetice here until his death.
Andrew D. Waddell, who lived here with his parents in a very early day, returned with his family to
New York, after the death of his father in 1855.
After a year in the office of John B. Dillingham, he
was admitted to practice, He servedt two terms as
circuit court conmmissioner and two terms as irosecuting attorney. A leader in his profession and as
a citizen of this community, his death was mourned
as a public calamity.
Another early lawyer was Jerome Turner, son of




108         HISTORY OF HOW-ELL
Judge Turner, who was admitted to practice in 1857,
He only practiced here a few years when he moved to
Corunna.




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CHAPTER VIII
Hlowell in the War
Tbhe arrival of the stage on the evening of April 14,
1861, will never be forgotten by many  in Howell.
The dark cloud, which had hung so heavily upon our
national horizon, had burst, and Sumpter had fallen.
The news came like a thunderbolt to this vicinity.
Old men burst into tears, and many were the homes
where sleep failed to enter that night  Among the
earliest to go to his place of business the next morning, was Joseph T, Titus, who was soon joined  by
Frank Marsh, then a type on the Livingston Democrat. At Marsh's suggestion, a flag was borrowed
and the first to fling the stars and stripes to the
breeze in Howell, after the fall of Ft. Sumpter, was
Mr. Titus, who raised it over his office, then in the
wooden building, now occupied by the Livingston
Tidings and Hopper's insurance office, on Grand
River St., opposite the Court House. The flag was
soon joined by many more, and when President Lincoln's call for seventy-five thousand men arrived in
Howell on the 15 of April, it created the wildest excitement. A.very large and enthusiastic "Union
Mass Meeting" was held at the court house, April
30. The court house, proving too small, the meeting
was adjourned to the public square, where two bands




110        HISTORY OF HOWELL
played national airs, and speeches were made by seviral citizens. A set of resolutions were adopted, of
which the following was the last:
".Resolved: That we devote as an oblation and
willing sacrifice upon the alter of our common country, all political party prejudices and  animosities, and by obliterating all party distinctions, to
unite as patriotic American citizens in defence of the
perpetuity and prosperity of the American Union;
and to such a line of conduct we dedicate ourselves,
and pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred
honor to the cause of our country, and to the maintenance of the Constitution and Union bequeathed to
us as a precious heritage of freedom, by our heroic
ancestors."
The state had no money with which to equip soldiers
and a popular loan was inaugurated. George W. Lee
furnished $500 toward this fund and accepted a position in the quartermaster's department.
Two companies were soon in the field. One raised
by Capt. John Gilhxly, became Company I of the Fifth
Michigan Infantry, and its history will be noted with
that regiment, The other was raised by Lieut. Jas.
Mulloy, and became part of Company K      of the
Fourth Infantry, and were the first in the field of
Howell soldiers. The names of Howell men in this
company were; Second Lieut, Jas. Mulloy, Sergt,
Jonathan S. Sharp, Sergt. Edgar Noble, Henry
Boothby, B. 0. Demming, Julius D. Smith, William




HISTO:RY OF HOWELL               111
Bennett, D. A. Wilson, Calvin Wilcox, Stephen G.
Fishibeck, John Dorn, Americus Totten, Ira Holt and
Giles Donely.
These mej), with quite a number of others from
this county, making in all about half a company,
marched away from Howell, May 21, 1861, amid the
wildest excitement. At Dexter they were united
with men from that section, to make a company, and
proceeded to rendezvous at Adrian, and June 2, 1861,
were mustered in, the regiment numbering 1025 officers and men. Five days later, they left Adrian, and
moved by the way of Toledo and Cleveland, to Harrisburg, Pa., where they remained until July 1, when
they moved to Washington, where they were armed
with Springfield muskets. They helped to build the
defences around Washington, for a short time but
Swere soon transferred into Virginia, and.some of
them took part in the first battle of Bull Run, the
Fourth being among the few regiments who succeeded
in retiring in good order from that field. The portion of the company, not in Bull Run fight, were stationed at Fairfax Court House, under command of
Lieut. Mulloy, who resigned his commission immediately thereafter, and his company never saw  him
again. It will be remembered that this company had
enlisted under the first call for three months, but
when they were mustered, the term of service was for
three years, but no medical examination was made
until after the first battle of Bull Run. The result of




112        HISTORY OF HOWELL
this examination was the discharge of B. O. Demining and Americus Totten, for disability, and they
were soon followed by Henry Boothby and D., A. Wilson, for the same cause.
Calvin Wilcox, who was in the Fairfax Court
House division of the company, was taken sick soon
after the battle, and with Julius Smith and John
Dorn were soon after taken with typhoid fever and
after terms in the hospital, were discharged, Smith
weighing legs than 100 pounds, on his arrival home.
Dorn died in a New York hospital. This left J, S.
Sharpe, Win. Bennett, Edgar Noble, Ira Holt,1 Giles
Donelly and Stephen (&. Fishbeck as the only Howell
members of the company. They spent the winter of
61-62 in camp at Miners 1Hill, Va., and during the
next year, went with M.Clellan to Yorktown and
thence up the peninsula. On this campaign Sharpe
was captured and the tale of his suffering is told
amid the horrors of life and death in Miilersville
prison. Giles Donelly was transferred to the invalid
corps, When Capt. DePuy of Ann        Arbor, was
killed in the battle of Gaines Mill, Ftephen Fishbeck
saw him fall, and secured his sword and other things
and had them sent home to his wife, who has them
now. From the peninsula, the regiment went north
withitbe army of the Potomac, and took part in the
second battle of Bull Run and Antietam. After that
battle, Stephen Fishbeck was transferred to the U.
S. gun boat (Iladiulus, and Win. Bennett to the




HISTORY OF HOWELL                11.3
f&ur'h R. I, Battery, leaving Edgar Noble and Ira
Holt, the only Howell soldiers with the Fourth Michigan Infantry. Their next experience, was a mar:ch
through the mud and snow of Virginia, in December,
1862, and taking part in the Battle of Fredericksburg,
where Holt was wounded and soon after discharged.
Then came a long and Utireome march to Gettysburg.
The Fourth took part in the pursuit of the enemy, and
spont the following winter in camp at Belton. Camp
was broken, April 30, 1864, and May 5, 6 and 7 saw
Mr, Noble with his regiment, in the Battle of the
Wilderness, and through the days that followed in
that long drawn out conflict. Our Howell soldier received a wound in the leg, which laid him  up for a
time, The regiment's time expired June 19, 1864.
Of the regiment who enlisted, only 223 were then
mustered out, and 129 of these re-enlisted as veterans,
Mr. Noble beingc9among them. Nearly 200 of. the
original regiment had been killed or died of wounds,
The new regiment opened its career by taking part in
the battle of Decature, Ala. The rest of its service
was principally guard and picket duty, but in the hot
sun was very hard on the men.
Mr. Noble has the distinction of being the only
Rlowell soldier, and with Mr. Carpenter of Pettysville,
the only ones from this county, who enlisted on the
first call, served all through the war and returned
home.
The second body of men to go out from H-owell as




114        HISTORY OF HOWELL
above stated, became a part of Company I of the Fifth
Michigan Volunteer Infantry. It was credited to
Brighton but was known as Livingston Company.
Its Captain was John Gilluly of Brighton; First Lieutentant, Hudson B. Blackman, of Howell and Second
Lieutenant Charles H. Dennison. Lieut. Dennison
who was in command of an advance picket line near
Alexandria, was the first member of the company to
be hit by the enemy. He was wot nded through his
head. The regiment was in camp at Ft. Wayne,
near Detroit, for several months, perfecting its organizatihn and drill. A  great many people believed
that it would never go to the, front but the disaster
at Bull Run changed that idea and on Sept. 11, 1861,
it left for Ceveland on the steamer " O3ean."  From
there they went by rail to Washington.
In the regimental organization  Lieut. Blackman.
became quartermaster in which position he served
during the war and was brevetted Major on his discharge, Nov. 3, 1866.
During its stay at Ft. Wayne the regiment made
many changes in its membership, several leaving to
join other organizations or to come home, and a good
many enlisting there. When it left for the front it had
the following Howell soldiers in Company I: Sgt.
J. Ashley Pond, Corp. John V, Gilbert, Corp. William Pullen, Privates Alexander C., Wilcox, Lyman
A. Wilson, George W. Wells,.Emerson Soule, Alva
W. Scofield, Milton Hitchcock, Henry C. Goodrich,




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 115
Merritt F. Pullen and Albert Peckens besides many
from various towns of this county, among    whom
were George Dudley and E. C. Wright, who were
residents of Howell for many years.
When the regiment was mustered into service Lewis
C. Tupper was in the hospital at Detroit, from where
he was not able to be released until February, 1862.
He left at once for the front and was mustered as soon
as he arrived, February 24. He was taken prisoner
October 27, 1864, but was returned to the regiment
April 19, 1865.
Although participating in a number of slight skirmishes the Fifth did not get into battle until it reached
Williamsburg, on May 5, 1862, when it was in Gen.
Berry's third brigade of (ten. Kearney's division
which reached the battle ground about the middle of
the afternoon, and was in the hottest of the fight
from that time until dark, closing the day with a
heroic charge which showed the splendid fighting qualities for which it was afterwards noted. The regiment went into this fight about 500 strong of whom
it lost 153 in killed and wounded. Among the
killed were Sgt. Ashley Pond, Albert Peckens and
Merritt F. Pullen of Howell.
-John Gilbert was wounded. He was the first
wounded soldier to arrive home in Howell. After
about two years of recruiting health he enlisted in
in the Sixth Michigan Cavalry with which he served
to the end of the war.




116        HISTORY OF HOWELL
To follow the history of the Fifth would be to go
with the army of the Potomac in all its trials and
and final triumphs. On Dec. 13, 1862,- Lt. Col.
Gilluly who left this county as captain of company
I. yeilded up his life, while cheering the regiment on.
Maj. Blackman secured his body and brought it home
for burial.
Lyman A. Wilson was wounded in July 1862, and
was lost to the records from that time forward.
Alexander C. Wilcox found the soldier's life too
strenuous. He was discharged for disability    at
Alexandria, in December, 1862.
George Wells was sick August 7, 1861, and there
is no record of what became of him.
Emerson Sowle was discharged for disability at
Fortress Monroe, Va.. May 1, 1862, after a term in
the hospital.
Milton Hitchcock was taken sick early in 1862 and
died at Alexandria, Va., Feb. 2 of that year.
Henry C. Goodrich came home sick in the spring
of 1862.
When the spring of 1863 opened with its new commander. Gen. Hooker, the Fifth moved up the Rap
pahannock. During that year the regiment made a
number of forced marches the most wonderful record
being on July 2 when it moved ten miles in thrse
hours, reaching the Gettysburg battle ground at 4
p. m. An hour later it had lost 105 men. By the
following winter the regiment was so reduced in num



HISTORY OF HOWELL                 117
bers that it was returned to Michigan, arriving in
Detroit on January 4. The men were given a veteran
furlough with their friends at home.
When it was determined that the regiment was
coming home Andrew D. Waddell, Solemon T. Lyon
and Fred E. Angell webt to work for recruits. To enlist then meant more than at any other time during
the war. The reality of all that awful strife was upon
them, but new men were secured. Messrs. Waddeil
and Angel were commissioned lieutenants of Company
I. Lieut. Waddell's health would not stand the strain
upon it and he was obliged to rcsign and come home
after four months service. Lieut. Angell only stood
up under the strain a few months longer than his comrade in.office. Mr. Lyon became second lieutenant
of Company E, and was soon after promoted to first
lieutenant of Company B, of which he became captain
September 15, 1864, where he served until the close oi
the war.
Because of the shattered condition all along the
lines it was thought best that the new men should be
divided among the various companies instead of forming one new company as several had expected when
they enlisted.
Of the Howell men who enlisted at that time:
Wm. N. Saunders was discharged Dec, 10, ]863.
Win.. H. Scriver died of disease at Brady Station,
Va., March, 24, 1864.
Edwin H. Smith was wou~ded at Hatchers Run, Va.,




118        HISTORY OF HOWELL
Oct. 27, 1864. He was taken prisoner at Petersburg,
Va., Feb, 26, 1865, and is supposed to have died at
Richmond.
Joseph Pruden Jr. was killed at the battle of the
Wilderness, May 6, 1864.
David Robinson was wounded at the battle of the
Wilderness, May 5, 1864, and was taken prisoner Oct.
27, of that year. He was returned to the regiment
May 17, 1865.
George Newton died of disease at Baltimore, Md.,
Nov. 21, 1864, and is buried in the government cemetery there.
Geo, Pennell died of disease at York, Pa., Aug. 9,
1864.
Silas M. Perry was wounded in May, 1864.
Jerome G. Phillips was wounded May 6, 1864.
Thomas G, Marr was wounded and taken prisoner
in May, 1864, and died at Anersonville, where his remains lie in grave No. 2976 in the government cemetery.
Abraham Neely was killed at Petersburg, Va., in
J uly,1864.
Charles L. Neely was wounded Oct. 27, 1864, and
died of disease in Washington, in July of the following
year.
John Hilderbrant was wounded May, 6 1864, and
died of disease at Alexanduia, Va.. Jan. 5, 1865.
Howard E. Glover was wounded at Hatchers Run,
Va., March 27, 1865. He was sent to Harper ios



HISTORY OF HOWELL                 119
pital where he was discharged two months later.
Christopher Haynes was killed in the battle of the
Wilderness, May 5, 1864.
Charles Culver was wounded in the battle of the
Wilderness, May 5, 1864, from the effects of which
he was discharged at York, Pa., June 27, 3865.
Phile Curtis was killed at the battle of the Wilderness, May 5, 1864.
Wm. H. Curtis died of disease at Washington, D.
C., April 22, 1864,
Isaac Felter was killed in the battle of the Wilderness, May 7, 1864.
George W. Cooper was killed at the battle of the
Wilderness, May 5, 1864.
Wm. Cooper Sr. was wounded and taken prisoner
at Petersburg, Va,, Oct. 27, 1864. He was returned
to the regiment May 17, 1865.
Wm. Cooper Jr. was wounded Oct. 27, 1864.
Cyrus L. Carpenter was wounded May 6, 1864 and
discharged at Pt. Lookout, Md., June 5, 1865.
Sidney 0. H. Carpenter was wounded May 6, 1864
and again on Oct. 27 of that year when he was taken
prisoner. He was returned to the regiment April
22, 1865 and sent to a hospital at Columbus, O.,
where he was discharged on May 27.
Wm. G. Clayton was discharged at Philadelphia,
Pa., June 9, 1865.
James Canfield was wounded at the battle of the
Wilderness May 6, 1864, and died at Alexandria, where




120        HISTORY OF HOWELL
he is buried in the government cemetary.
Andrew J. Carl died in a hospital in New  York,
Aug. 24, 1864, from wounds at Petersburg, Va. He
was buried in grave No. 1435 of the National Cemetery at Brooklyn, N. Y.
Henry Carl was discharged at Washington, D, C.
Nov. 9, 1864, because of wounds received in the battle of the Wilderness.
Noah Boothby was wounded May 5, 1864 and transfered to the Veteran Relief Corps eight months later.
He was discharged at Washington, July 20, 1865,
Elias R. Brockway was wounded in the battle of
the Wilderness, May 5, 1864, and taken prisoner at
Hatcher's Run, Va., Oct. 27, 1864. He escaped March
16, 1865 but was so badly broken down when he
reached the regiment that he was sent to Washington
where he was discharged in June following.
George Bronner was wounded May 12, 1864.
George W. Axtell was wounded through his month
and neck at Hatcher's Run, Va., Oct. 27, 1864 and
discharged May 13, 1865.
George Barnard was wounded and missing May 13,
1864.
Wm. J. Barrett was wouuded May 5, 1864.
Frederick Zeitz was wounded May 13, 1864.
Andrew J. Whitaker was wounded May 13, 1864.
Wm. L. Whitehed was taken prisoner May 12,
1862 and lost to the records at that time.
Ezra Whitaker was wounded May 5, 1864.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 121
Edwin Ware was taken prisoner June 22, 1864 and
returned to the regiment in January following.
John Wehner was wounded May 5, 1864.
Orin J. Wells was discharged Jan. 26, 1864.
Henry Pate, Charles Hilderbrant, Samuel P. Lord,
Marion Hart, Wm. Brooks, Asa Wilson, and Andrew
J. Allen were the only ones who escaped without being wounded or taken prisoners.
February 10, 1864 the reorganized Fifth regiment
left Detroit, to return to the Army of the Potomac.
By the fifth of the following June the Fifth was so
badly cut to pieces with  the hard fighting it had
undergone, that the Third Michigan which was also
reduced to a mere skeleton, was merged with it. The
next years record shows 546 killed, wounded and
missing. It was in the hottest of the last days of
fighting and took its place in that never-to-be-fogotten gtand review in Washington.
June 10. 1865 the Fifth lelt the vicinity of Washington moving toward home. By July 4, it had
reached Jeffersonville, Ind. Where it was mustered
out. On July 17th it arrived in Detroit where the
men were paid off and discharged.
The Ninth Michigan Infantry was raised in the
latter part of the summer and early autumn of 1861.
It also rendezvoued at Ft. Wayne, Detroit. William W. Duffield was its Colonel but was to have been
promoted to Brigadier General about the middle of
the following sunmmer. A severe wound prevented this
0




122. HISTORY OF HOWELL
and soon after compelled him to resign. John    G.
Parkhurst its Lieutenant Colonel, was promoted to
the command.
The regiment moved from Ft. Wayne, Oct. 25, 1861
and was the first IMichigan regiment to join the Western Division. An epidemic of measles broke out
that fall and sent a large per cent. of the regiment
to the hospital. On July 13, 1862 five companies of
this regiment which were encamped in a grove near
Mufreesboro, Tenn., were suddenly attacked     by
Forest's rebel cavalry in force fully ten to one of the
strength of the Ninth. Col. Parkhurst and his brave
men, although surprised in the onslought, witheld the
enemy in such a way that Gen. Forest withdrew
and went over about two miles where he easily captured the Third Minnesota regiment and a battery of
artillery which were sent to the rear.
A single company of the Ninth which had been
stationed at the court house in Mufreesboro, held Gen.
Forest for two hours before they surrendered.
Returning in the afternoon Gen. Forest succeeded,
after another hard fight, in capturing the five companies which had driven him  off in the morning.
The rebel commander recognized the valor of his
prisoners by issuing an order that all members of the
Ninth should be mounted. This was easily done on
the horses they had emptied of their riders during
the fight. On the other hand the Minnesota troops,
including the Colonel and staff, were compelled to




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 123
march, when the column started for the rear.
During the confusion after the surrender, several
members of the Ninth succeeded in escaping. No report could be made of them by their officers and their
names found their way to the, deserters' columns.
Believing that the Ninth would never be reorganized
some of them at once joined other regiments and did
good service. They have had the trouble of securing
the proofs to clear official records nevertheless.
Many of the enlisted men were soon after parolled
and in time the officers were exchanged. When Col.
Parkhurst was exchanged in December, 1862, he set
about reorganizing his regiment. Gen. Thomas issued an order especially commending the regiment
for its heroism in the fight at Mufreesboro, and appointing Ccl. Parkhurst as his provo officer. The
Ninth then became the provo guard of Gen. Thomas'
division and continued so until the close of the war.
There are many duties which devolve upon the provo. Among others it takes a position in the rear
during battle, and drives those who would run back
into the fight. In the discharge of this duty there is
often call for cool bravery. Its men must hold their
heads when the whole army are panic stricken. If
the provo breaks in a crisis, all is lost. The history
of Gen. Thomas' division shows that he made no
mistake in selecting the Ninth for this important place.
In more than one occasion they held the army to
business and turned a panic into a charge,




124        HISTORY OF HOWELL
Individual history of Howell men with  the Ninth
is as follows.
Charles P. Lake, enlisted Oct. 16, 1861, re-enlisted
Dec. 7, 1863 at Chattanooga, Tenn. Appointed corporal Dec. 7, 1863, sargeant, Oct. 29, 1864. Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 15, 1865.
Henry LaRowe, enlisted Feb. 12, 1864. joinedregiment at Chattanooga, Tenn., Feb. 29, 1864.
Discharged for disability at Nashville, Tenn., Aug,
10, 1865.
James P. LaRowe, enlisted Feb. 27, 1864, Mustered
out at Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 15, 1865.
Jerome G. Buckland enlisted as corporal, Sept.
25, 1861. Died of disease at Tullahoma, Tenn.,
Aug. 25, 1862.
Lyman Carl enlisted Oct. 1, 1861. Died of disease
at Mufreesboro, Tenn., Jan, 16, 1863.
Henry L. Lake enlisted Oct. 16, 1861, re-enlisted
Dec. 7, 1863. Parolled and sent to Camp Chase, O.,
July 13, 1862, corporal. Discharged   at Jackson,
Mich,, Sept. 28, 1865.
Andrew J. Allen enlisted Oct. 24, 1861. Sick in
hospital at West Point, Ky., in January, 1862.
Wm. E. Bennett enlisted Oct. 1, 1861. Re-enlisted
Dec, 7, 1863. Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn, Sept.
15, 1865,
Winton B. Brooks enlisted Oct. 9, 1861, re-enlisted
Dec. 7. 1863. Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn,
Sept. 15, 1865.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 125
John H. Mills enlisted Oct. 5, 1861. On dutv with
Eleventh Infantry from  Dec. 28, 1863, to March 24,
1864. Discharged at Atlanta, Ga., Oct. 14, 1864.
Henry Musson enlisted Sept. 26, 1861. Parolled
July 13, 1862. Sent to Camp Chase, O., Jan. 1863.
On duty with Eleventh Infantry from Dec, 28, 1863
to March 24, 1864. Discharged at Atlanta, Ga., Oct.
14, 1864.
James Reed enlisted Feb. 1, 1864. Joined regiment March 4. 1864. Mustered out   at   Nashville,
Tenn., Sept. 15, 1865.
Everett Sargent, enlisted Oct. 7, 186,. Wouided
in action July 13, 1862. Regimental color bearer
from July, 1863, to Dec. 1863. Appointed sergeant
Oct. 15, 1864; first sargeant Oct. 15, 1864. Discharged to accept promotion, Dec. 31, 1864, Commissioned Second Lieutenant, Nov. 24, 1864. Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 15, 1865.
Chauncey Shearer enlisted Oct. 3, 1861. Mustered
Oct. 15, 1861. No further record.
Barnard B. Smith enlisted Oct. 24, 1861. Parolled
and sent to Camp Chase, Ohio, July 13, 1862. Discharged by order of War Department,
Gardner E. Smith enlisted Oct. 5, 1861. Died of
disease at Mufreesboro, Tenn., June. 1862. Buried
in grave No. 2495 in National Cemetary at Mufreesboro.
Reuben C. Smith enlisted Oct. 7, 1861. Died of
disease at West Point, Ky., Nov. 30, 1861.




126        HISTORY OF HOWELL
Vernon C. Smith enlisted Oct. 5, 1861. Discharged
for disability at Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 27, 1862. After the battle of Mufreesboro joined the Fourth Michigan Cavalry.
George Stafford enlisted as corporal Sept. 27, 1861.
Re-enlisted Dec. 7, 1863. Appointed sargeant Dec.
7, 1863. Mustered out at Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 15,
1865.
Ezra Whitaker enlisted Sept. 25, 1861.
Joseph Duffy enlisted Sept. 30, 1861. Died of disease at West Point, Ky., Oct. 28, 1861.
The Fifteenth Michigan was raised and organized
in the fall of 1861, by Col. J. M. Oliver. Its rendezvou was at Monroe. On MIarch 27, 1862, it left for
the front and went right into action at Pittsburg
Landing where its initiation saw thirty-three officers
and men killed, sixty-four wounded and seven missing.
Most of the work of this regiment was in Mississippi and Alabama until February, 1864, When- it-was
sent home on a veteran furlough. The greater portion
of the men re-enlisted and went with Gen. Sherman
marching through Georgia and to the sea.
It was the fate of this regiment at least four times
to hold the position of greatest danger and importance
in battles and each time it proved true to the selections made by its commanding officers, for these positions of trust and honor. It was returned to Detroit
in August, 1865 and mustered out Sept. 1 of that year.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                127
Howell men with the Fifteenth were as follows
Edward Allen enlisted March 17, 1862, Re-enlisted
Feb. 2, 1864 at Scottsboro, Ala. Wounded in action at
Atlanta, Ga., July 22, 1864. Mustered out at Little
Rock, Ark., Aug. 32, 1862.
Elisha F. Allen drafted April 4, 1865. Deserted
at Louisville, Ky., June 3, 1865.
Samuel Axtell enlisted Dec. 3), 1861. Died April
24, 1862, Burried at Spring Grove cemetery, Cincinnatti, Ohio.
Horace E. Barbour enlisted Dec. 6, 1861. Sargeant.
Wounded in action at Corrinth, Miss., Dec. 1862.
Discharged on surgeon's certificate of disability, at
St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 19, 1863.
Nelson Beardsley enlisted Dec. 19, 1861. Killed in
action at Corinth, Miss, Oct. 3, 1862.
Andrew J. Bishop enlisted as Second Lieutenant
Company B, at organization, Dec. 5, 1861. Commissioned First Lieutenant. Oct. 1862, Acting Adjutant, Oct 1864. Acting Regimental Quartermaster, Nov. and Dec. 1864. Commissioned    Captain,
Jan. 12, 1864. Discharged at expiration of term  of
enlistment, Jan. 28,1865.
Spencer Bowen enlisted Jan. 4, 1862. Deserted at
Pittsburg Landing, Tenn., April, 1865.
William P. Briggs enlisted Dec. 9, 1861. Died of
disease in Howell, July 18, 1862.
Charles Brockway enlisted as corporal, Dec. 9, 1861
Died of disease at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., May 15,




128        HISTORY OF HOWELL
1862. Buried in National Cemetary at Jefferson Barracks.
Elias E. Brockway enlisted as drummer, Dec. 9,
1861. Re-enlisted Feb. 15, 1864, Mustered out at
Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 13, 1865.
George F. Brockway enlisted Dec. 9, 1861. Reenlisted Feb. 15, 1864. Mustered out at Little Rock,
Ark. Aug. 13, 1865.
Isaac Countryman enlisted Nov. 6, 1861. Wounded in action at Shiloh, Tenn., April 6, 1862. Discharged for disability, Aug. 19, 1862,
John Daniels enlisted Nov. 17, 1861. Re-enlisted
Feb. 2, 1864. Corporal. Mustered out at Little Rock,
Ark., Aug 13, 1865.
Marcellus Dickinson enlisted from  Handy, Dec.
7, 1861 discharged on surgeon's certificate of disability
at Corinth, Miss., June 12, 1862. After regaining
his health he re-enlisted in the Ninth and served there
unlil the close of the war. He has since lived in Howell
Albert G. Dorrance drafted April 4, 1865. Mustered
out at Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 13; 1865.
William Dorrance drafted April 4, 1865. Mustered
out at Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 13, 1865.
Daniel A. Ellingwood substitute for Wm. McPherson drafted May 21, 1865. Mustered out at Little
Rock, Ark., Aug. 13, 1865.
George W. Fox substitute for Charles B. Damon
drafted Feb, 13, 1863. Sargeant 'March 16, 1865.
Mustered out at Little Rock, Ark., Aug. 13, 1865.




---- -I - --

HOWELL OPERA HOUSE




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 129
Cornelius C. Helms enlisted Dec. 9, 1861. Discharged on surgeon's certificate of disability at Chewalla, Tenn., Aug. 9, 1862.
Henry C. Helms substitute for William Stewart
drafted Feb. 10, 1865. Corporal Aug. 30, 1865.
Mustered out at Little Rock, Ark., Aug 13, 1865.
Jerome D. Helms substitute for John Hubtbard
drafted Feb. 10, 1863. Mustered out at Little Rock,
Ark., Aug. 13, 1865.
Nicholas J. Holt dratted April 4, 1865. Mustered
out at Little Rock., Aug. 13, 1865.
Leonard Hook drafted April 4, 1865.
Charles H. Lonsbery enlisted Jan. 25, 1862. Discharged on surgeon's certificate for disability at Chewalla, Tenn., Aug. 3, 1862.
Clark Lcunsbery enlisted Jan. 25, 1862. Missing in
action at Petersburg Landing, Tenn., April 6, 1862.
William E, Pixley enlisted Jan. 12, 1862. Discharged on surgeon's certificate for disability at Chewalla, Tenn., Aug. 9, 1862.
George W, Place drafted April 4, 1865. Deserted
at Lousville, Ky., June 21, 1865.
Silas S. Richmond drafted April 4, 1865. Deserted
at Lousville, Ky., June 23, 1865.
Theodore R. Staley drafted April 4, 1865. Discharged at Alexandria, Va., July 3, 1865.
Theodore Washburn enlisted    March 31, 1864.
Killed in action at Atlanta, G(a., July 28, 1864.
Jacob Zely enlisted Dec, 5, 1861. Died of disease
at Monterey. Miss., May 8, 1862.




130        HISTORY OF HOWELL
Recruiting for the Twenty-second Infantry commenced July 15, 1862. Two months later it was mustered into service, the men comimg from Livingston,
Oakland, Macomb, St, Clair, Lapeer and Sanilac
counties which then composed the fifth congressional
district, Ex-Gov. Moses   Wisner became its first
Colonel and served faithfully in that position until his
death from typhoid fever, Jan. 4. 1863, at Lexington,
Ky.
Col. Ezra C. Hatton for many years recognized
leader in soldier circles in Howell, was captain of
Company A, enlisting from Farmington.
Col. Henry S. Dean who was in command during
some of its hardest service, enlisted from  Green Oak,
as captain of Company H.
On leaving Michigan the Twenty-second was sent
to Kentucky. As soon as it reached fighting ground
Col. Wisner ordered it out to the front some distance
in the lead of other regiments already there, and proposed to move right on to Richmond if the rest would
only follow. An orderly soon presented the compliments of the commanding general and Col. Wisner
narrowly escaped a court martial for a start in his
soldier career.
its brave commander did not live to see much of
the hard fighting before the boys in blue marched on
to Richmond, but the Twenty-second had its full
share. Its loss on the second day at @hicamauga was
372 out of the 584 officers and men who went into




HISTORY OF HOWELL                131
that fight. It was the work of the Twenty-second in
this fight which made the foundation for that beautiful poem  "The Rock of Chicamauga." With cartridges all gone the Twenty-second kept on fighting.
They made two charges with fibed bayonets but empty
guns, which will go down in history. All their acting
field officers went down and the little remnant remaining that night, was commanded by a captain.
The Twenty-second was detailed to the work of engineers and mechanics for some time, and for months
served with the Ninth as reserve brigade to the army
of the Cumberland,   doing   provo duty considerable of the time. It participated in  the advance
on Atlanta. It was serving at Nashville, Tenn,,
when the orders came to muster out on Jume 26,
1865. The next day it left for home.
Howell men with the Twenty-second were as follows:
Lewis Brown, enlisted as second lieutenant, July
31, 1862. Promoted to first lieutenant Jan. 5, 1863,
and to captain, April 1, 1965. Mustered out June 26,
1865.
David Hiscott enlisted Aug. 14, 1862, Died Oct.
11, 1863, at Chattanooga, Tenn., from wounds received at battle of Chicamauga. Corporal. Jan. 5,
1863. Buried in National Cemetery at Chattanooga,
grave No. 1,107.
Peter A. Rorabacher enlisted from  Cohoctah. Aug.
20,1862. Mustered out Jan. 26, 1865. Has lived in
Howell for several years past.




132        HISTORY OF HOWELL
Mark S. Smock enlisted Aug. 14, 3862, Corporal.
Mustered out June 26, 1865,
George Bush enlisted Aug. 11:, 1962. Mustered out
June 26, 1875.
John G. Ferguson enlisted as corporal, Aug. 5,
1862, from Unadilla. Discharged for disability at
Louisville, Ky., May 8, 1863. Lived in Howell until
his death in 1902.
Norton M. Monroe enlisted Aug. 14, 1862. Discharged at Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 8, 1863, on account
of wounds received at battle of Chicamauga.
Lemuel D. Polly enlisted as waggoner, Aug. 12,
1862. Deserted at Snow's Pond, Ky., Sept. 16, 1862.
Freeman Rorabacher enlisted as corporal, Aug. 15,
1862, from Lyons. Discharged at Detroit, June, 26,
1865. Has resided in Howell for a number of years.
Nearly every township in this county had men in
the Twenty-second, many of them enlisting at Howell
but as far as we can learn, the above were the only
Howell men in that organization.
In the latter part of July 1862 John C. Culver of
Hamburg. afterwards Captain, with one or two others,
commenced the work of recruiting a company to join
the Twenty-second. When    they reached  Pontiac
they found that regiment all filled and after some deliberation, proceeded to Jackson where they became
Company E of the Twenty-sixth. Another company
of this regiment was recruited in the south part of
this county. The regiment 900 strong, left Jackson




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 133
on December 13, 1862. Its first real duty was about
four months service as provo guard in the vicinity of
Washington.
May 26 of the following year the regiment saw its
first fighting at Suffolk, Va., but it stood its ground
like veterans and repelled a strong charge. Capt.
Culver received a wound in this his first fight, from
which he died a few days later.
Shortly after this the Twenty-sixth was again in
luck in being assigned to the duty of quelling the
draft riots in New York. When they arrived there
however they were made a reserve force and the fact
of their presence did the work while the men enjoyed
life in camp.
October 13, this life of comparative ease was broken up and the Twenty-sixth became part of the
Army of the Potomac, arriving in Virginia in time
for Mine Run. It was often in the front skirmish line
and won many enconiums as the best skirmishers in
the Army of the Potomac, Probably its heaviest
fighting was at Spotlsyvania although it participated
in the heavy work of the Army of the Potomac during all those memorable days from Mine Run to the
surrender of Gen. Lee. On that eventful day, the
Twenty-sixth was in the skirmish line and the flag of
truce passed through its lines.
For some days after the surrender the Twenty-sixth
was detailed to guard the captured artillery and other
arms. It participated in the grand review at Wash



134        HISTORY OF HOWELL
ington and arrived home on June 7. It was a week
later howevei before it was paid off and disbanded.
Howell men with the Twenty-sixth were as follows:
Fred N. Galloway enlisted Aug. 15, 1862. Discharged to accept promotion, November, 1862
Harris A. Hickok enlisted Aug. 8, 1862. Corporal,
Sept. 10, 1862. First lieutenant and adjutant, July
29, 1864. Captain June 9, 1865. Mustered out at
Alexandria, Va., June 4, 1865.
George W. Lake elisted Aug. 8, 1862. Died Sept.
8. 1864, at City Point, Va., of wounds received in
action at Ream's Station, Va., Aug. 25, 1864.
Newton T, Kirk for three terms county clerk and
a resident of Howell for many years, enlisted from
Hartland, as Corporal, Aug. 11, 1862. Seargent
July  3, 1863. Wounded     in  action and taken
prisoner at Spottsylvania, Va., May 12, 1864. Returned to regiment Dec. 15, 1864. Discharged to accept promotion, Sept. 5, 1864. Mustered as captain
of colored troops, Sept. 6, 1864. Discharged Jan 30,
1865.
Andrew J. McKean enlisted Aug. 15, 1862. Discharged at Philadelphia, Pa., June 10, 1865.
- Rbbert S. Mountain enlisted Aug. 17, 1862. Sick
at Alexandria, Va., Aug,25, 1864.
Herman Preston enlisted as corporal, Aug. 14, 1862.
Reported Sargeant Major, Dec. 12, 1862. Second
lieutenant, March, 30, 1863. Discharged on account
of disbility, Dec. 3, 1863.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 135
Eli Rambo enlisted Aug. 14, 1862. Killed in action at Spottsylvania, Va., May 12, 1864.
John W. Thompkins      enlisted Aug. 22, 3864.
Discharged for disability at Rochester, N. Y., May
15, 1865.
Martin Wall enlisted Aug. 8, 1862. Transferred to
invalid corps Sept. 30, 1863. Discharged at Elmira,
N. Y., July 2, 1865.
Philo B. Wines enlisted as corporal, Aug. 8, 1862.
Discharged at Detroit, June 3(0, 1865.
Harvey P. Wing enlisted Au g  8. 8. 1862. Wounded
in action May 24, 1864. D)ischarged at Baltimore,
Md., May 26, 1865.
(4eorge E. Wright enlisted Aug. 8 1862. Wounded
in action at Spottyslvania, Va., May 12, 1864. Discharged for disability at Portsmouth Grove, R. I.,
Jan. 2, 1865,
In addition to those already named there were a
good many Howell soldiers scattered through other
organizations as follows:
Bracket J. Allen enlisted from Mundy, in the Twenty-third infantry, Aug. 11, 1862, at Flint. Discharged
at Alexandria, Va., June 28, 1865. Has lived in
Howell for a number of years.
George Barnes, ~ubstitute for his father John
Barnes who was drafted at North Shade, Oct. 5, 1864
Discharged at Raleigh, N. C,, Oct. 17, 1865. ExStiperintetdent of Schools a.d publisher Livingston
RepuPblica at Howell.




136        HISTORY OF HOWELL
Azel Carpenter enlisted in Company K, First Engineers and Mechanics, Nov. 21, 1861, as artificer.
Discharged for disability at Nashville, Tern,, June 3,
1862.
Harvey Devereaux enlisted in Company K, First
Engineers and Mechanics, Nov. 23, 1861. Died of
disease at Nashville, Tehn., Peb. 20, 1863. Buried
in National Cemetery, Nashville, Tenn.
Jared L. Cook enlisted as sergeant in Company D,
Sixth Cavalry, Sept. 5, 1862. Transferred to invalid
corps, March 31, 1864. Discharged by order, July
18, 1865.
Franklin Goodrich enlisted in Company K. First
Engineers and Mechanics, Nov. 27, 1861. Discharged
at Naahville, Tenn., May 28, 1862. Re-entered service in Company K, Second Thfantry, March 26,
1864. First Sergeant. Discharged at St. Mary's
Hospital,  Detroit, April 26. 1865, by reason of
wounds received in action.
Benjamin B. Head, enlisted as teamster in sixth
Cavalry Oct. 2, 1862. Discharged    for disability,
March 24, 1863.
Asa MeFall enlisted in Battery C. First Light Artillery, Oct. 11. 1861. Discharged for disability,
Feb. 9, 1862.
Reuben McFall enlisted in Battery C, First Light
Artillery, Dec. 1, 1861. Died of disease at Luka,
Miss., Sept. 3, 1862
George H. Miles enlisted in Battery C, First Light




HISTORY OF HOWELL                137
Artillery, Dec. 8, 1861, Discharged for disability,
Nov. 6, 1862.
Allen C, Stearns enlisted in Battery C, First Artillery, Dec. 12, 1861. Veteran   Dec. 28, 1863.
Sergeant. Mustered out July 22, 1865.
Stepher D. Steadman enlisted in Battery H, First
Light Artillery, Dec, 2, 1861. Discharged for disability, February, 1863.
Peter Cameron enlisted in Company F, Second
Infantry, March 28, 1864. Mustered out July 20,
1865
Franklin Goodrich enlisted in Company K, Second
Infantry, March 26, 1864. Discharged for disease,
James Barnhart enlisted in Company G. Seventh
Infantry, March  3, 1863, Transferred to Invalid
Corps, Feb. 15, 1864.
Oliver Lampman enlisted in Company K, First Engineers and  Mechanics, Nov. 21,    1861. Taken
prisoner between Huntsville, Ala., and War Force
Tenn., May 20,1862. Artificer. Dischaged at Columbus, 0., F3b. 4, 1863.
David Wright enlisted in Company B, First Engineers and Mechanics, Dec. 5, 1861, Died Oct. 2,
1862. Buried   is Nathional Cemetery, Nashville,
Tenn.
Simon Dolph enlisted in Company B. Eighth Infantry, Feb. 29, 1864. Died in Andersonville prison,
Aug. 14, 1864.
Edward A. Hart enlisted in Company A, Tenth




138        HISTORY OF HOWELL
Infantry, Oct 21, 1861. Discharged July 2, 1862.
Sherwood Hart enlisted in Company A, Tenth Infantry, Oct. 27, 1861. Died of disease at Nashville, Tenn., Nov. 17, 1862.
Hugh McKeever enlisted in Company A, Tenth
Infantry, Oct. 27, 1861. Discharged for disability,
June 21, 1862.
Edward Haney enlisted in Company B, Fourteenth
Infantry, April 19, 1864. Mus.tered out July 18,
1865.
Peter Malosh enlisted in Company B, Sixteenth
Infantry, March 23, 1865. Mustered out July 8,
1865.
James Barney enlisted in Company E,_ Sixteenth
Infantry, March 29, 1865. Mustered out July 8, 1865.
Charles Moore enlisted in Company G', Sixteenth
Infantry March  28, 1865. Mustered,, out July 8,
1865.
John Carney enlisted in Company I, Sixteenth
Infantry January 2, 1862. DischargeR for disability
Aug. 24, 1864.
William Robinson enlisted in Company 4, Sixteenth Infantry, March 18, 1865. Mustered out July
8, 1865.
George  Reed   enlisted in Compay I, Sixteenth
Infantry, Dec. 10, 1861. Dicharged Feb. 18, 1863.
Stephen D. Harrington enlisted in Company H,
Twenty-third Infantry, Sept. 9, 1862. Mustered
out June 28, 1865.




HISTORY OF HOWELL               139
Henry Hagadorn enlisted in Company G, Twentyseventh Infantry, Feb. 10, 1863. Died of disease,
June 9, 1864.
William Campbell enlisted in Company K, Twentyeighth Infantry, Sept, 22, 1864. Mustered out Sept.
13, 1865.
George W. Lincoln enlisted in Company K, Twenty-eighth Infantry, Sept. 22, 1864, Died of disease
at Nashville, Tenn., July 10, 1865.
William Mershon enlisted in Company E, Twen ty
eighth Infantry, Sept, 20, 1864. Mustered out June
13, 1865.
Aaron Selleck enlisted in Company A, Twentyeighth Infantry, Sept. 12,  1864. Mustered out
June 5, 1865.
Myron Simpson enlisted in Company K, Twentyeighth Infantry, as corporal, Sept, 22, 1864. Mustered out June 6, 1865,
Palmer G. Tripp enlisted in Company F, Twentyeighth Infantry, Sept. 24, 1864. Mustered out May
30,1865.
Alfred Wright enlisted in Company F, Twentyeighth Infantry, Sept. 26, 1864. Mustered out June
5, 1865.
John Walker enlisted in Company K, Twentyeighth Infantry, Sept. 26, 1864. Mustered out June
5, 1865.
Leverett J. Wood enlisted in Company H, Twentyeighth Infantry, Aug. 30, 1864. Mustered out June




140        HISTORY OF HOWELL
C, 1865.
Edwin A. Burch enlisted in Company B, Second
Cavalry, Nov. 19, 1863. Killed in action at Oxford,
Ala., April 28, 1865.
Joseph Krozier enlisted in Company E, Second
Cavalry, Nov. 20, 1863. Mustered out April 22 1865.
Francis Crandall enlisted in Company E, Second
Cavalry, Nov. 20, 1863. Mustered out Aug. 17, 1865
Levi Bush enlisted as buglar in Company K, Tenth
Cavalry, Sept. 5, 1863. Died of disease at Knoxville,
Tenn,, Jan. 7, 1865. Buried in Government Cemetery at Knoxville.
Herbert H. Glass enlisted in Company K, Tenth
Cavalry, Aug. 29, 1863. Mustered       out Nov.
11, 1865.
John Swanger enlisted in Company K, Tenth
Cavalry, April 26, 1864, Died of disease in North
Carolina, Jan. 17, 1865.
Renben H, Warren enlisted in Company K, Tenth
Cavalary, Sept. 9, 1863. Mustered out Nov, 11, 1865.
Samuel Warring enlisted in Company K, Tenth
Cavalry, Oct. 16, 1863. Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps, May 1, 1865.
Luther H. Frink enlisted in Company I, U, S.
Sharp Shooters, Dec. 14, 1864.
Adelbert F. Peavy enlisted from Hamburg, Sept.
3. 1863, in Company K, Tenth Cavalry. Mustered
out Nov. 11, 1865. Has lived in Howell nearly all
the time since the war.




CHAPTER IX
In War Times
The east line of the original plot of the village of
Howell crosses Grand River street about at Barron &
Wines' drug store. As previously noted the fight for
the location of the court house ended in the selection
of the present square, half of which was rpon land
donated by P. A. Cowdry and the rest by Edward
Thompson,
Mr. Thompson was first to formally plot his addition to the village which extended north from the
line marking the center of the section, which would
cros Divison street just south of the Wilcox block,
and the Ann Arbor Railroad at the northeast corner
of the Rubert lumber yard. The plot was about two
lots wide at its eastern side, and four at its western,
and includeb much of what is now considered very
choice residence property. The Cowdry addition inciuded nearly all the town south of the Thompson
addition to the Pere Marqietbe Railroad. All the
eastern portion of the bus iness sectioa of Grand River
street is on this addition.
Mr. Cowdry arranged for a seeoand addition to the
village which was surveyed Nov. 16, 1852. It embraced forty-nine acres hetweeu  Wetmore street and




142        HISTORY OF HOWELL
Byron   road, and   north of  Grand  River street,
north west of the original plat. Mr. Cowdry died
before this addition was advanced very far. The
plat was filed by the administrator of his estate Oct.
26, 1853.
Joseph H. Wilcox was the next to enlarge the village. He platted thirty-two lots south of Livingston
street, near where the Pere Marquette railroad now
runs. His plat was filed for record Aug. 1, 1867.
Almon Whipple's first addition was east of the
Cowdry addition to the old fair ground, and north of
Grand River street. The ploi is dated on January
27, 1868. Mr. Whipple's second addition, which was
platted in the fall of 1871, lies east of that part of
the Cowdry addition, which is south of Grand River
street.
Heirs of George W, Jewett platted sixty-four lots
south-west of the original village plat, and began selling lots in 1868. Their plat was recorded on May 23
of that year, The tendency of the town to grow  to
the east acted against this addition for years. Its desirability has come to be more fully realized of late
and houses are going up there more rapidly,
The McPherson family caught the general idea
which prevaded Howell in 1868, that the town was to
boom, and laid out an  addition from  Thompson's
addition north, with Division street as its westeru
boundry. Aug. 24, 1874 they followed with a sec
ond  addition east of their first, to Thompson's lake.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  143
During 1874 they also plotted their two Prospect
Place addition's. The first of these is north of
Grand River street and west of the Byron Road;
the second embraces a small territory south of Grand
River street, opposite the first.
Cardell's addition  embraces the land    between
McPherson's Second Prospect place addition and the
original plot.
In 1875 T. W, Mizner platted the hill south east of
town which he named Washington Heights addition.
It contrius  nineteen blocks. Quite a   number of
houses have been built there but it is largely vacant
as yet.
FredrickJ. Lee and L. S. Montague       platted a
small tract in the south eastern portion of town, between Cowdry's and other additions in that part, and
it became Lee and Montague's addition.
In 1871 Alexander and William McPherson platted
an addition west of Pinckney road and south of the
Pere MarDuette railroad  Joseph B. Skilbeck platted
an addition which was recorded May 30. 1874. It
included quite a tract east of Pinckney road and
south of the Pere Marquette railroad. Quite a settlement grew up on these additions but it did not
become a part of the corperation of Howell until the
granting of the last village charter by the Legislaure in 1891. They are in Marion township.
There is quite a large  tract in the northwestern
part of town, including  the milk factory and resi



144        HISTORY OF HOWELL
dence lots near there, which has never been platted
and is still described by metes and bounds when
transfers occur.
By act of the State Legislature approved March
14, 1863, "all that tract of country situated in the
township of Howell, in the County of Livingston, in
the state of Michigan, which is known and discribed
as tollows, to wit: seetion 35, section 36, the south
half of section 25 and the south half of section 26, in
township No. 3 north, of range No. 4 east, be and the
same is hereby made and constituted a town corporate,
by the name, style and title of the village of Howell"
The first charter election was held May 4, 1863.
Sardias F. Hubble was the first village president;
Andrew   D. Waddell, recorder; Asa     VanKleek,
treasurer; John H. Galloway, assessor; Marcus B.
Wilcox, William R. Melvin,,William McPherson Jr.,
Johu Hoyt and Philo Curti.s were the trustees.
Up to 1870 the village officers elected were as follows:
1864-President, Joseph M. Gilbert; Recorder,
Mylo L. Gay; Treasurer, Frederick J. Lee; Assessor.
John  H. Galloway; Trustees, John     Cummiskey,
Nathan   T. Hickey, George L. Clark, Luther M.
Glover, V. R. T. Angel.
1865-President, Sardis F, Hubbell; Recorder,
Mylo L. Gay; Treasurer, Frederick J. Lee; Assessor,
John H. Galloway; Trusteeb, James Bowers, William
R. Melvin, George L.  Clark, William E. Huntley,
Marcus B. Wilcox.




SOLDIERS MONUMENT




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  145
1866-President, Mylo L. Gay; Recorder, James
Bowers; Treasurer, William R. Melvin; Assessor,
Isaac W. Bush; Trustees, George Taylor, John Jones
William E. Huntley, Frederick J. Lee, Sardius F.
Hubbell.
1867-President, Sardus F. Hubbell; Recorder,
Joseph T. Titus; Treasurer, William R. Griffith;
Assessor, Orrin H. Winegar; Trustees, Andrew     D.
Waddell, William R. Melvin, Leander C. Smith,
William E. Huntley, Geo. S. Clark.
1868 President, Andrew   D. Waddell; Recorder,
Mylo L. Gay; Treasurer, R. H. Rumsey; Assessor,
Oren H. Winegar; Trustees Leander C, Smith, William E. Huntley, (eorge L. Clark, Alexander McPherson, Henry H. Harmon.
1869.-President, Mvlo L. Gay; Recorder, Joseph
T. Titus; Treasurer, Royal H. Rumsey; Assessor,
Orrin H, Winegar; Trustees, William    E. Huntley,
Edward    McGunn,    Sylvester Andrews, Henry P.
Wheeler, Levi D. Smith,
Our readers will remember the story of Howell's
first school house built in 1837, which is yet standing, This school house was never satisfactory to
the district and in 1845 it was sold. The old Presbyterian church was rented for school purposes for
awhile as was the "academy building" which stood
nearly where the Republican block now   stands. It
was three years before the location of a school house
was determined, after the old one was sold. The




146        HISTORY OF HOWELL
fight on this question was one of the most stubbornly
contested of any which Howell has ever seen. Five
different committees were appointed at as many
school meetings. The northwest corner of the old
public square, near where the  Knapp shops now
stand, the site of the Methodist church and other
sites in that neighborhood were chosen at various
times by the committees, only to be turned down
by school meetings. The present site of the Central
School was finally adopted Dec. 12, 1848. A two
story brick building 38x48 feet in size was at first
determined upon but the opposition called this a
"Castle" and on Feb. 29, 1849, succeeded in getting
the size cut down to 26x36 feet. Promoters of the
larger building kept up their contention and were jubilant when in 1850 it became necessary to rent more
room. In 1851 it was voted to enlarge the building
but it was not brought about until 1856. This too soon
proved inadequate and in 1866, Sardits F. Hubbell
offered a resolution in the annual school meeting,
which resulted in the erection of the splendid building which is now occupied by the Central School.
The bonds provided for erection of the Central
school building were for $15,000 at seven per cent,
$1,000 of principal to be paid annually. The building
committee selected was H. C. Briggs, Sardias F. Hubbell, Wm. McPherson Sr., J. I. VanDeusen and
Joseph M. Gilbert.
This committee went over plans and decided the




HISTORY OF HOWELL                147
amount to be too small for the purpose so nothing
more was done until after the next school meeting
when $5,000 more was voted. The contract was let
to R. B. Rice of Detroit, for $15,650 with $700 additional for finishing the third story which was not centemplated at first. In addition to this the district
furnished brick and other materials from the old
building and quite an amount in addition to that.
By the time the building was finished and ready for
use, which was for the winter term of 1869, the total
cost was $31,000.
It may be interesting in this connection to speak
of teachers in the old building. The old records are
defective but as nearly as they can be learned the
principals were as follows:
W. Mills, 1849-50; 'John S. Dixon, 1850-52; Seth
Beden, 1853-54; J. S. Houston, 1855-56; F. W.
Munson, 1857; L. Barnes,     1858-59 D. Cramer,
1859-60; Charles W. Bowen, )860-62; Rufus T.
Bush, 1862-63; Michael McKernan, 1863-65; S. S.
Babcock, 1865-66; Joshua S. Lane, 1866-67; L. S.
Montague 1867 for twenty weeks until the old building was torn down.
There were several steps toward a graded school
during the nineteen years the old building was used.
The greatest of these steps was made during the
administration of Prof. Bush who prepared the first
course of study.
Since moving into the present building superinten



148        HISTORY OF HOWELL
dents have been as follows: S. S. Babeock, 1869-70;
T. C. Garner, 1870-73; M. W. Schreeb, 1873-74;
W. Carey Hill, 1874-77; Elihu B. Fairfield, 1877-80;
Geo. Barnes, 1880-88; S. G. Burkhead, 1888-90;
W. H. Hawks, 1890-94; R. D. Briggs, 1894-99; W.
D. Sterling, 1899-1901; H. E. Agnew, 1901-02
J. K. Osgerby, 1902-1908; Fred Fullerton, 1908.
E. D   Galloway graduated in   1869 and was the
first from the Howell schools. The total number of
garduates to date is 526 of whom twenty-two were in
the last class. Thorough work has always characterized the schools and this fact has attracted a large
list of foreign pupils. The High School -ow numbers about 150 of whom over half are foreign students. The total school   enrollment is now 595.
The total cost of running the schools last year was
$12,561 of which $8,457 was for teachers' salaries.
The schools received $1,144.37 for tuition of foreign
pupils last year.
Howell has always recognized the importance of a
good school board, and elected its best citizens to
membership there. The present board with time of
service of each, is as follows: Thomas Gordon Jr. 20
years; W. P, VanWinkle, 16 years; E. A, Stowe, 8
years; Lyman Thompson, 1 year; Dr. C. E. Skinner,
1 year. E. K. Johnson and E. C. Shields, who retired from the board at the last school meeting, had
both served for several years.
The present corps of teachers is as follows; Super




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 149
intendent, Fred Fullerton, mathematics; Grace Bailey, science; Alma Sharp, Greek and Latin; Lois
Bach, English; Lillian Andrews, session and librarian; Alice Johnson, German and History; Kate Ruen, music and drawing. Eighth grade, Leona Morton; Sixth and Seventh grades, Mae Marshall and
Carolyn Pierson; Fourth and Fifth grades, Mable
Woodward and Bessie Lane; Second and Third
grades, Blanche Crandle, Alma Hetchier and Mary
Itsell; Beginners and First grade, Goldie Holt, Susie
Barron and lone Parker.
In 1886 the Central building had become so crowded
that the basement had been utalized for school rooms,
a condition which was not admired by parents of
children who were quartered there. Everone agreed
that a new building was a necessity but the question
of location was a source of much division. It was
settled a year later, by the agreement to build two
four room buildings. The east ward building was
erected in 1888 and Miss Emma Lamb who had taught
for several years in the Central building, became the
first principal there. The total cost of the building
was $4,867.85, not including grading, side walks,
wells, out building, etc. The West Ward building
was erected in 1890 and cost a few dollars more than
the East Ward building.
In1863 a young man named Embury, who had just
graduated from a business college at Fenton, was
backed by his father to come to Howell and start a




150        HISTORY OF HOWELL
bank. He was associated with other gentlemen under the firm name of Brockwav Embury & Co. and
their bank was called the Exchange. The young gentleman led a very fast life here and is remembered
by older settlers for his hunting outfit, high blooded
hounds, etc. It did not take him a great while to
run through with his property and he soon passed off
the scenes here. This bank was started in a building
about where H. K. White & Co. are nowv doing business. In 1865 the building now   occupied by the
McPherson bank was erected for its use.
As previously detailed in this history, Alex. McPherson & Co. opened a bank in a small office partitioned in one corner of the building which stood
where Parker's drug store now stands, in 18r5. In
1868 this bank purchased the building, fixtures aud
business of the Exchange bank and has done business there since that time.
About a year ago a former resident of Howell who
had occasion to travel across the pine barrens of
Northern Michigan found Embury there, struggling
for a mere existance on one of those sandy forties,
After an exchange of stories of the old life in Howel, Embury said: "Now I'm up here on forty acres of
land trying to raise white beans to live on. There's
one thing I've got to console myself. I lived while
I lived."
Had John Weimeister died a month before he did,
his name would have gone down in history, as one of




HISTORY OF HOWELL,              151
the most aggressive and public spirited citizens, who
has ever boosted for Howell. Born in Germany, in
1824, hP came to this country in 1854. His first business enterprise was a boot, shoe and grocery store in
Genoa, where what has long been known as the
"Dutch Grocery" now   stands. Later he ran the
mills at Oak Grove. In 1863 he associated himself
with Neil O'Hearn, and they opened a bank in Howell. Mr. Weimeister at once commenced the erection
of the block which long bore his name and which includes Hotel Livingston and the Whitacre building
just east, which was their bank building. Several
other buildings about town are monuments to his enterprise. Among them is the building which was occupied by A. J. Prindle's department store for many
years. In this building the firm  of Weimeister &
O'Hearn ran a large general store during a good
part of the 'ime they did business together. Along
in the '80s his health gave way and when the crisis
came after the dissolution of the old firm of Weimeister & O'Hearn, which occurred August 14, 1889, and
he had associated his son Albert with him in business
the condition of his health prevented that activity
which would have saved the financial crash, and the
doors of his various business enterprises were closed.
His failure came like a thunderbolt to the community
and was followed in about ten days by his death,
Thursday, October 3, 1889.
Mr. Weimeister's property was invested largely in




152        HISTORY OF HOWELL
real estate, which went at very low prices at the
forced sale and the various creditors, including bank
depositors, were heavy loosers.
When Edward P. Gregory was nine months old
his father the late Rev. Edward E. Gregory built
a house which is now a part of the house in which
Mr. Gregory has his office, and the family became
residents of Howell village.
As a young man Mr. Gregory studied law     with
Wilcox &  Waddell and took lectures at the State
University. He was examined and admitted with
Dennis Shields, For a year he practiced law at Corunna and would probably have continued in that line
but for the changes brought about by the war, and
the fact that he became part of the provost marshal's
force in the sixth congressional district, with head
quarters at Flint.
When the war closed Mr. Gregory returned to Howell and formed a partnership with F. N. Monroe in
the hardware business, under the firm name of Monroe & Gregory. Soon after engaging in business the
firm bought the building which occupied the site at
the corner of Grand River and State streets, where
they continued until 1872 when Mr, Gregory sold his
interests to Mr. Monroe who continued the business
until the big fire of March 12, 1887, when the building and stock were the first of the many burned.
A year or so after that Mr. Monroe moved to the upper peniusula.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 153
After retiring from the hardware business Mr.
Gregory engaged in real estate, He, also served the
town as justice of the ueace for eight years, when
he was identified with the movement in the erection
of the milk factory in 1892 and became superintendent there. He held this position for nine years,
four of which he was also superintendent of the
Lansing factory. During his superintendency the
business of the Howell factory was developed from
nothing to seventy-five tons of milk per day.
Since leaving the factory Mr. Gregory has built up
an excellent herd of Holsteins upon his farm, looked
after his real estate and loaning interests and secured
what enjoyment he could from life. In an interview
recently he said "I am approaching the allotted years
of man. I have enjoyed my life and I have never
seen a time when nature looked brighter. The song
of the birds never sounded sweetor. My friends are
dearer to me than they ever were before."
At various times -Mr. Gregory berved as township
clerk, councilman, village president and circuit court
commissioner. He bas always been a leading worker
and held official positions in the Presbyterian church.
He was chairman of the citizens committee which secured,'.Ohe Sanitorium for Ho well and has always been
an energetic and loyal citizen for the town. He has
often been tendered high political positions but hag refused them. His candidacy for elector to vcte for
Taft and Sherman, was over his protest.




154        HISTORY OF HOWELL
The "Know Nothing" movement or Native American Party as it called itself, grew up along in the
'50s, in the form of secret lodges. Its existence in
Howell was not generally known until early in the
60's, when the lodge was occupying a hall in the second story of the building where Parker's drug
store is now. At that time the entrance to the second story was by way of a stairway which led up to
a porch on the front. There was also a stairway at
the back end of the building. The strength of the
"Know Nothings" became an important one in that
political campaign and George Wilber undertook to
find out by counting how    many men went     up
to their meeting. In some way it got to the men of
the organization what was going on and a plan was
quickly fixed up so that the members would go up
the front stairway and then  down the rear way.
They would then walk around a block or two and go
up again. Wilber's count ran up into the hundreds
and the strength of Howell's lodge of "Know Nothings" not only scared local politicians but got to the
ears of state political worker. who were set very
much to wondering if the new party had as many
followers in other towns. It was not until after election and the new party showed up with only a small
vote that the affair leaked out in detail.
Mr. Wilber seems to have been a regular pessimest.
He ardently opposed all railroad agitation with the
argument that there would not be enough people who




HISTORY OF HOWEL.L                155
could afford to travel between here and Detroit, to
pay expenses He predicted that at the greater expense for running the railroad they would have to
charge so much more than the stage coaches that
they wouldn't carry as many passengers as were then
riding on those vehicles.
John   W. Wright built the first planing mill
in Howell in 1869, on Clinton street between Center
and Walnut streets, It was burned April 27, 1875.
Mr. Wright soon after built the planing mill south
of the Pere Marquette railroad, which is still managed
by his son Frank Wright.
Along in the '60s Howell citizens began to make
themselves felt in the political world. George W.
Lee was a presidential elector in 1860. John H. Galloway was State Senator in 1861, and William A.
Clark in 1863. Henry H. Harmon was Representative in the State Legislature in 1863, and Milo L.
Gay in 1869.
Dennis Shields was born Sept. 19, 1836 and came
to Howell early in 1859. Re studdied law with H.
H. Harmon and was admitted to the bar Dec. 31,
1861, settling in Howell for the practice of that profession. He rapidly advanced and for several years,
there were very few cases of importance which weie
tried in this county, ii, which he was not upon one
side or the other. H is popularity is attested by the
tact that at eight different times ha was elected prose
cuting attorney. Be was president of the village at




156        HISTORY OF HOWELL
one time and served in several other official positions.
In 1872 he formed a partnership with John C. Shields,
which lasted for three years. During all his life Mr.
Shields was a leader for all laudable public enterprises,
a good citizen in the community. He died Aug. 30,
1898.
Edmund C. Shields, his son was admitted to practice in 1896 and his brother Francis J. Shields was
admitted in November, 1898. They succeded to the
practice of their father which they have maintained
and built up, under tne firm   name of Shields &
Shields.
Another who settled in Howell about the same
time as Mr. Shields, was H. G. Briggs who arrived
here in 1856. Soon after coming Mr. Briggs engaged
in the jewelry business which he followed until his
death, a few years ago, earning the title which he
carried for several years of the pioneer jeweler.
Mr. Briggs was strong in argument and for several
years was one of the leading speakers for the Republican Darty, in every political campaign in this county.
Asa VanKleck came to Howell in 1853 and worked
as contractor and carpenter, considerable of the time
some years, with Frank Kelly. When the Presbyterian church was built, they bought the old church
and used it for some years as their shop. In 1863
Mr. VanKleek formed a partnership with George L,
Sage under the firm name of Sage & VanKleek, and
started a grocery store. This firm lastel but a short




HISTORY OF HOWELL                157
time when Mr. VanKleeck tried farming on the old
Charles P. Bush farm in Genoa. In 1883 he purchased
the furniture stock of Wm. Griffith after that gentleman's death. He continued in the furniture business
until about five years ago, when he sold that business to Schnackenberg Bros. who added undertaking
to the line. When the First State and Savings Bank
was organized he became a director, a position which
he has continued to hold. He has been vice Dresident of the bank since the death of Charles Curtis.
A list of persons who have held offices is given below, but it is incomplete for the yv ars between 1836
and 1850, for the reason that the old township record
covering those years has been lost or destroyed, and
onlv a partial and defective list of officers elected
during that period has been gathered from   other
sources. Such as are given, however, are known to
be authentic, viz:
1837.-Supervisor, John W. Smith; Town Clerk,
Jonathan Austin; Justices of the Peace, George W,
Kneeland, John W. Smith.
1838.-Supervisor, Rial Lake; Town Clerk, John
W. Smith; Justices of the Peace, John T. Watson,
Odell J. Smith, Wellington A. Glover.
1839.-Town Clerk, Morris Thompson; Justice of
the Peace, Allen C. Weston.
1840.-Town Clerk, Morris Thompson; Justice of
the Peace, Gardner Wheeler.
1841.-Town Clerk, Morris Thompson; Justice of
the Peace, John W. Smith.




158        HISTORY OF HOWELL
1842.-Super isor, George W. Kneeland; Town
Clerk, M. S. Brennan; Justice of the Peace, Josiah
Turner.
1843.--Supervisor, G(eorge W. Kneeland; Justice
of the Peace, Odell J. Smith,
1844.--Supervisor, Rial Lake; Town Clerk, Gardner Wheeler; Justice of the Peace, James H. Ackerson; Treasurer, William McPherson; School Inspector, Edward E. Gregory; Directors of the poor, Derastus Hinmon, Vicrory Curtis.
1845,-Supervisor, Odell J. Smith; Town Clerk,
Gardner Wheeler; Justice of the Peace, John W.
Smith, Nelson G. Isbell; (to fill vacancy caused by
resignation of Josiah Turner)
1846.- Supervisor, Gardner Wheeler; Town Clerk,
Lauren K. Hewett; Justice of the Peace, William
Lewis.
1847.-Supervisor, Odeli J. Smith; Town Clerk, L.
K. Hewett; Justice of the Peace, Richard B. Hall,
Samuel M. Yerkes (to fill vacancy).
1848,-Supervisor, Frederick C. Whipple; Town
Clerk, D. D. T. Chandler; Justice of the Peace, Lauren K. Hewett, George W. Kneeland (to fill vacancy)
1849.--Supervisor, William  McPherson;    Town
Clerk, Henry HL. Harmon: Justice of the Peace, John
W. Smith.
1850.-Supervisoi, Gardner Wheeler; Clerk, Henry
HI. Harmon; Treasurer John B. Kneeland; Justice
of the Pencie, He"ry Lake; Commissioner of high



HISTORY OF HOWELL                 159
ways, Edward Thompson; School Inspector, John A.
Wheeler; Directors of the Poor, Richard P. Bush,
Josiah Turlner,
1851.-Supervisor, Derastus Hinman; Clerk, John
A, Wheler; Treasurer, John B Kneeland; Justices of
the Peace, John H- Galloway (full term), William
More (to fill vacancy); Highway Commissioner, David
Carl; School Inspector, Gardner Wheeler; Directors
of the Poor, James M, Murray, William L. Wells.
1852.-Supervisor, Richard P. Bush; Clerk. Mylo
L. Gay; Treasurer, John B. Kneeland; Justices
of the Peace, Gardner Wheeler (full term), William
Moore (to fill vacancy);   Highway Commisioner,
Elisha H. Smith; School Inspector, William A. Clark;
Directors of the Poor, John D. Gifford, Josiah Turner.
1853.--Supervisor, Richard P. Bush; Clerk, Mylo
L. Gay; Treasurer, John B. Kneeland; Justice of
the Peace, L. K. Hewett; Highway Commissioner,
Samuel M. Yerkes; School      Inspector,  Gardner
Wheeler.
1854.-Supervisor, Gardner Wheeler; Clerk, Mylo
L. Gay; Treasurer, John B. Kneeland; Justice
of the Peace, William More; Highway Commissioner,
Daniel Case; School Inspector, William A. Clark.
1855,-Supervisor, Willim C. Rnmsey; Clerk, Mylo
L. Gay; Treasurer, John B. Kneeland; Justice of the
Peace, Odell J. Smith; Commissioner of Highways,
Dexter Filkins, Wm. Lake- School Inspector, Wm.
B. Jewett.




160        HISTORY OF HOWELL
1856.-Supervisor, William H. Rumsey; Clerk, E.
Rollin Bascum; Justice of the Peace, Mylo L. Gay;
Treasurer, Nathan Pond; Highway Commissioner,
Charles Root; School Inspector, George P. Root.
1857.-Supervisor, John B. Kneeland; Clerk, E.
Rollin Bascom; Treasurer, Andrew Blanek; Justice
of the Peace, Daniel Case; Highway Commissioner,
David Lewis; School Inspector, John Huston.
1858.-Supervisor, John H. Galloway; Clerk, Henry
C. Briggs; Treasurer, John W. Richmond; Jurtice
of the Peace, Andrew D. Waddell; Highway Commissoner, Dexter J, Filkins; School Inspector, B,
Howard Lawson (full term), William B. Jewett (to
fill vacancy.)
1859.-Supervisor, John H. Galloway; Clerk, E.
Rollin Baseom; Treasurer, John W. Richmond; Justice of the Peace, John Marr; Highway Commissioners
Charles Root, Stephen S. More; School Inspector, J,
A. Pond.
1860.-Supe-rvisor, John  H. Galloway; Clerk E
Rollin Bascum; Treasurer, John W. Richmond; Justice of the Peace, Mylo L. Gay (full term), William
Lake (to fill vacancy); Highway Commissioner,
Stephen S. More; School Inspector, Andrew Blanck,
1861.-Supervisor, William C, Rumsey; Clerk. E.
Rollin Bascom; Treasurer, Henry C. Briggs; Justice
of the Peace, Daniel Case; School Inspector, Jabez
A, Pond; Highway Commissioner, Solomon Hildebrant,




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HISTORY OF HOWELL                  161
1862.-Supervisor, William   C. Rumsey; Clerk E.
Rollin Bascom; Treasurer, Giles Tucker; Justice of
the Peace, Dennis Shields; Highway Commissioner,
George Wakefield; School Inspector, Henry H. Harmon (full term), J. Bruce Fishbeck (vacancy.)
1863.-Supervisor, Giles Tucker; Clerk, E. Rollin
Bascom; Treasurer, Leonard B. Wells; Justice of the
Peace, William Lake (full term), William More (vacancy; Highway Commissioners, Stephen More George
Wakefield; School Inspectors, Ebenezer Bunnell (full
term), George Wilber, (vacancy).
1864.-Supervisor, Giles Tucker; Clerk, E. Rollin
Bascom; Treasurer, Leonard   B. Wells; Justice of
the Peace, Mylo L. Gay; Highway Commissioner,
Solomon Hildebra-t; School Inspectors, Elijah F.
Burt (full term), Dennis Shields (vacancy)
1865.-Supervisor, Almon Whippl,; Clerk, E. Rollin Bascom (died during this term, which was completed by Wallace W. Carpenter); Justice of the
Peace, Daniel Case; Treasurer, Leauord B. Wells;
School Inspectors W. W. Carpenter (full term),
Dennis Shields (vacancy).
1866-Supervisor, Isaac W. Bush; Clerk, Royal
H. Rumsey; Treasurer, Lorenzo B. Sullivan; Justice of the Peace, Wallace W. Carpenter; Highway
Commissioner, Stephen S. More; School Inspector,
Dennis Shields
1867-Snpervisor, Oren H. Winegar; Clerk, Royal
H  Rumsey; Treasurer, Elbert H. Bush; Justice of




162        HISTORY OF HOWELL
the Peace, Frederick H, Whipple; Highway Commisioner, Solomon Hildebrant; School Inspector, Wallace W. Carpenter
1868-Supervisor, Oren H. Winegat; Clerk, Henry
T. Clark; Treasuier, Elbert C. Bush; Justice of the
Peace, Nicholas Lake; High way Commissioner, Jesse
Marr; School Inspector, Philander Bennett.
1869-Supervisor, O. H. Winegar; Clerk, Royal
H. Rumsey; Treasurer, William   B. Smith; Justice
ef the Peace, William More; Highway Commissioner,
S. S. More; School Inspector, Ferdinand W. Munson.




CHAPTER X
Midst Blessings of Peace
On July 4, 1871, a meeting was held at the Melvin
House, to organize a Pioneer Society. After discussing the proposition, an adjournment was taken to M.
L. Gay's office in the rooms which are now Tidings
office. William C. Rumsey was elected chairman and
M. L. Gay, secretary. A committee was selected to
draft a constitution and bylaws, and arrangements
were made for a public meeting, which was addressed
by Judge Turner at the Court House, on Wednesday
evening, September 27, 1871. The committee failed
to have its constitution ready, but M, L. Gay had anticipated such a situation, and prepared one which
was adopted. It provided that all persons, who were
residents of the county previous to July 4, 1845, were
pioneers, and elligible to membership. At the annual
meeting in 1877, this was changed to 1850, and in
1880, it was changed so that all who resided in the
county previous to 1855, were considered as pioneers,
and entitled to membership.
In 1871, A. G. Blood & Company started a five col
umn quarto weekly newspaper, which they named the
Howell Independent. It never paid expenses, and after nine months, was sold to J. D. Smith and Charles
E. Cooper. Mr. Smith took part of the material to




164        HISTORY OF HOWELL
the Republican office. Mr. Cooper continued the paper for a couple of months longer, and then gave it
up.
In the early '60s, William McPherson &  Sens developed a merchant tailoring department, in which,
in 1874, George Hornung was employed, and in
which Arthur Garland became cutter, about a year later. This department did quitP a little manufacturing for the clothing store of the firm. In 1879, Messrs. Garland and Hornung, then young men, formed
a partnership and bought the denartment in which
they were employed. By energy and skill, they succeeded in building up a large business with two or
three men on the road, and their's soon became the
leading industry of the town. In fact, there has been
no time since they first went into business, but that
the tailors, whom they employed, formed one of the
largest bodies of working people in Howell.
After some years, Owen W. Kellogg. who was an
experienced clothing salesman with William McPherson & Sons, entered the partnership with Garland &
Hornung, the new firm being named, Kellogg, Garland & Company, and a stock of ready made clothing
was put in. Mr, Garland withdrew from this firm in
1892, after which it was known as Kellogg &  Hornung, continuing for another year. Mr. Hornung
then engaged in merchant tailoring in his own name,
and has done a prosperous business for the past fifteen years. Mr. Kellogg went west.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 165
After withdrawing from the old firm, Mr. Garland
engaged in merchant tailoring, in which he has built
up a large trade. In addition to his store here, he
maintains one at Jackson and several agencies in the
west, doing all the manufa'turing in Howell. He also ran a macintosh factory here, for some years.
Thirteen years ago, Mr. Garland purchased the Opera House, which he has since managed, He became
a partner in the Bennett Hardware Company, which
bought out Benedict & Ratz in 1907.
Howell was visited by Catholic Priests as early as
1836 or '37. Rev. Fr. Kelly of Northville, was probably the first to hold services in Howell. The erection ot country churches not far away, in different directions probably centered their worshipers there and
made a long delay before the organization in Howell.
Along in the '70s Rev. Fr. Daugherty of Brighton,
who is remembered as an energetic worker, well liked
by everyone, started the work here and St. Joseph's
church is the result. The original church, 40x70
feet in size, was commenced iu August, 1878, and
completed the following year. It was enlarged and
greatly improved about six years ago. With the
comodious rectory and beautiful hrick church, the
society has a fine property. Under the most efficient
leadership of Rev. Fr. Thornton, its prospects for a
growing future are excellent.
Fobes Crossman came to Howell in the early '50s
and soon after became a partner with F. J. Lee and




166        HISTORY OF HOWELL
Alex. McPherson in their general store. This firm
lasted but a short time, after which Mr. Crossman
prospected for business in Detroit, Chicago, St.
Louis and other places but returned to Howell in
1858 and formed a partnership with Wm. B. Jewett
in the general mercantile business. May 1, 1873,
Mr. Crossmau bought his partner's interests and continued the business until his death Dec. 1, 1876.
In the settlement of his estate Mrs. Crossman who
was administratrix, sold the business to Frank J.
Hickey and Charles M. Goodnow.
Frank J. Hickey was born in New York state and
came to Howell with his parents, N. J. Hickey and
wife, when a small boy. When a young man he
clerked three years for Wm. McPherson and afterwards formed a partnership with James B. Wing in
the grocery business. After some years Mr. Wing
purchased his interests in that firm and Mr. Hickey
was out of business at the time of the death of J. F.
Crossman heretofore noted, and the forming of his
partnership with Mr. Goodnow.
Charles A. Goodnow    came to Howell in 1875.
For some time he clerked for Mr. Jewett and later
for J. F. Crossman. He was in the latter position
when Mr. Crossman died.
The firm of Hickey & Goodnow, which was organized in 1877 was at once one of the leaders in the
dry goods line and continued in that position until the
death of Mr, Hickey which occured in the great fire




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 167
of 1892. Mrs. Hickey and the estate held their interest
in the business until 1899 when they sold to Homer N.
Beach and the firm has since been known under the
name of Goodnow   & Beach, their business holding
up and increasing as the years go by.
When the war broke out Birt Parsons of Brighton,
wa. under age. That made little difference to one
of his get there qualities and he skipped out to enenlist. That he found a place in the First Michigan
Cavalry a part of Custer's brigade, indicates that he
was not very long in making up his mnind to get into the great conflict and that he saw something of
the war in its awful reality. Soon after mustering
out in 1865, Mr. Parsons became a clerk for Wm.
McPherson & Sons, where he remained until 1871
This history has heretofore told the story of the
pioheer shoe shop of J. B. Skilbeck one of the first
in Howell   This business developed until in the latter '60s it was quite a factory, located just west of
the McPherson stores and employing over twenty men
When Mr. Skilbeck's son Pearley, became of age,
he entered the business with his father, the firm being known as J. B. Skilbeck &   Son. About that
timr they purchased the brick building now occupied
by Sweet's grocery, and moved there. In 1871 Mr,
Parsons bought an interest in this firm which was
then known as J. B. Skllbeck & Co.
About six years later Homer N. Beach united with
Mr Parsons in buying the Skilbeck interests and the




168          HISTORY OF HOWELL
firm became Parsons & Beach. A stock of groceries
had been added to the shoe line and the factory discontinued some time before this.
When Mr. Parsons became vice president of the
Michigan Condensed Milk Co. and went to New York,
nearly twenty years ago, this firm was dissolved and
Mr. Beach continued the business until about the
time of his partnership with C. A. Goodnow, nine
years ago, to form the present firm  of Goodnow  &
Beach.
Feb. 22, 1860, Howell experienced its second large
fire. It originated in the foundry and machine shop
of A. M. Smith &     Co. which was totally destroyed. Wm. R. Melvin's carriage and  blacksmith
shops and the stage company's barns, owned by E.
E, Hazzard, were also burned. The total loss was estimated by the Republican at that time, at $16,425
which was quite a sum for those days and awakened
the people to the ned of some organized method of
fighting fire. The matter soon took form for March
6, 1860, a meeting of citizens was held to consider the
matter. It was nearly ten years however before anything defina-e was done.
January 18, 1868 an ordinance was passed defining
a certain district down town in which no wooden
buildings should be erected. This district has been
changed several times.
January 24, 1870: a resolution was adopted by the
Common Council providing for the purchase of a hand




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  169
fire engine known as the Fire King, provided it should
prove satisfactory, but it did not  Four years later,
on January 3, 1874 the Champion Fire Extinguisher,
the old chemical engine, was purchased for $2,000, of
which half was was paid that year and the other half
the year following.
Having an engine it became necessary to organize
a fire company. It was at first composed of the following members: John Neary, John McCloud, William
F. Griffith, Patrick Hammill, Thomas Clark, Leonard
Fishbeck, George Harrington. Perley Skilbeck, Frank
Ackerman, Frank Archer, Charles G. Jewett, Mark
Rubert, Homer N. Beach, Theodore Huntley, E. A.
Young, Thomas McEwen, Henry Wilbur. Peter Clark,
Birt F. Parsons, Edward Waldron, H. T. Browning,
Edward Greenaway, F. (4. Hickey, H. (G. Sellman,
William Beattie, George L. Clark, G. S. Burgess, R,
H. Brown, Cassius Austin and Thoms G. Switzer.
The first fire company was organized by electing
the following officers:
Foreman, John Neary; First Assistant Foreman,
Thomas Clark; Second Assistant Foreman, Edward
Waldron; Pipeman, R. H. Brown; Second Pipeman,
John McCloud; Superintendent of Chemicals, E. A.
Young; Assistant Superintendent of Chemicals, Henry
Wilber; Secretary, William  F. Griffith; Treasurer,
Patrick Hammill.
Over a year later, May 24, 1875. the Council took
action for a suitable house for the fie engine and




170        HISTORY OF HOWELL
company. The lot was purchased for $875, of Wm.
McPherson & Sons, and the building was erected by
Frank Kelly for $2,917.52.
It is worthy of note that this building was only
what was considered necessary for use of the fire
department at that time, with the addition of a Council Room. Since then the department's facilities
have doubled and more; the street commissioner's
tools and supplies are stored in the building; the
electrical shop has driven the fire department out of
its hall for meeting purposes; and several other
tings have found a headquarters there. The result
of this crowding has developed a feeling on the part
of the department that it is not properly appreciated
and its condition is one dangerously near disorganization. As no ground can be purchased for an addition to the present building, there is a growing sentiment for the sale of the present building and the
erection of a new  one adequate for present needs.
The erection of the water works system in 1894
made a complete revolution in the department's equipment, It still keeps the chemical engine however,
for use in two or three districts which are not yet
reached by the water mains,
Charles G. Jewett is a Howell production,   Until about four years ago he slept in the room where
he   was    born.    Descendant of a       pioneer
family   he   has   seen  Howell's   developement
and has always been a   leader along the   line of




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 171
its improvement. Nov. 1, 1870, Mr. Jewett became
a Howell businessman by the purchase of the old
Andrews &   Winans hardwaie. Two years later he
built the block which long bore his name but is now
known by the name of Goodnow.
About twelve years ago he moved his business to
the Cros.sman building which he occupied for about
eight years. Four years ago he left the general hardware trade to engage in plumbing and steam fitting
in which he is a heavy contractor and a leading member of the state association  He has done the work
in his liLe at the State Sanitorium. A year ago he
added electrical supplies to that line and is now  enjoying a large business with a number of regular
employees.
As heretofor noted the Howell post office was
established Jan. 15, 1836, Flavius J. B. Crane was
the first postmaster and the post office was in the
Eagle Hotel.
Ely Barnard was appointed to the office June 13,
1839, He first located the office in the building near
where Schroeder's hardware now stands, but later
moved to E. F. Gay's store.  John Curtis was his
deputy and conducted the office,
Almon Whipple was appointed Feb. 9, 1841.   He
held the office four months and continued it in the
Gay store.
Wellington A Glover was appointed May 31, 1841,
and continued the office in the Gay store.  S. F.




172        HISTOIRY OF HOWEl1
Hubbell then a law student, acted as his deputy.
Almon Whipple was re-appointed Sept. 1, 1843,
and moved the office to his store on the site now
occupied by the Detroit Mercantile Co.
George W. Lee became postmaster April 14, 1849,
aid located the office in Lee Bros. store, on the site
now occupied by Mouroe Bros.
Derastus Hinman was appointed June 7, 1853, and
moved the office to his store on the south side of
Grand River street.
Frank Wells was appointed postmaster Feb. 25,
1855.   His office was in a drug store a few  doors
east of where Tidings now is.
Leander C. Smith was appointed March 16, 1861.
For four years he maintained the post office in the
Lee store where Monroe Brothers now are. He then
moved the office to the site now occupied by the Por
ter Clothing Co.
Henry T. Clark was appointed March 8, 1866, and
reappointed June 1, 1868. He continued the office
where Mr. Smith had kept it until the building was
burtled, and then moved to a building where Hotel
Livingston now stands.
William W. Kenyon became postmaster August 20,
1868, and was re-appointed December 10,1873. Under
his management the office was elevated to the presidential class. Mr. Kenyon at first maintained the
office one door west of the McPherson store. He
imouved from there to the site now occupied by Mar



HISTORY OF HOWELL                  173
vin's jewelry store, later to the Cardell block, anrd
still later to the store now occupied 1,by Schlacken
berg Brothers.
Julius D. Smith became postmaster Dec, 14, 1877.
He moved the office to the site now occupied by Mi's,
Williams' millinery store.
When Char-ies E. Beurmann became postmaster
December 15, 1881, quite a struggle was on as to
whether "Peanut Row" as the buildiugs facing State
Street were called, should keep the office. Mr. Beurmann had leased the Greenawayv building and paid
$25 of rent, on condition that he received the appointment. When this became known the "Peanut
Row" forces worked hard against his appointment.
So confident were they that Mr. Beurmann would not
receive the appointment that Mr, Greenaway leased
his store to Henry P. Spencer's drug store and
Charles H. Brown's jewelry store. They were hardly
settled however before the appointment came and(l
they had to move out.
Isaac W. Bush was appointad postmaster January
20, 1886, and moved the office back to "Peanut Row."
The big fire spoiled that place and he then moved to the
room noweccupied by the bar room of Hotel Livingston.   The old fight for "Peanut Row"   was compromised by Dr. W. J. Mills building a new building
especially for the post office, where the Livingston
Democrat has been since its present management tooK
charge. Mr. Bush moved the office there




174        HISTORY OF HOWELL
January 16, 1890, Thomas G. Switzer succeeded
Mr, Bush and soon after moved the office to the room
now occupied by Goodnow      &   Beech. After the
second big fire, Mr. Goodnow desired to occupy his
old quarters and the post office was moved to the
Opera House block.
Henry D. Wilber became postmaster March 9, 1894,
and moved to the store now occupiel by the Whipple
saloon.  During the latter part of his administration George Barnes secured a contract with the government for a lease in the presen.t quarters, and
erected his building with the post office idea for its
ground floor (occupant. Mr. Wilbur moved the office
there just before he retired from  the position and
there it has since remained.
Timothy Smith became    postmaster May 5, 1898.
During his administration the rural delivery has been
worked up to nine routes and a complete new  outfit,
up-to-the-minute in design, has been put in. The
office has been running just too low but very near
to the line for second class for some time past, and is
booked for that change July 1st.
June 28, 1876, a meeting was held at the Council rooms and a county medical society was organized
Howell names on the roll were Z. Hawley Marsh,
Wm. L. Wells, Robert C. Hutton, Cyrus Mather,
Charles G. Cruickshank, Casper V. Beebe, Henry
N. Spencer, Andrew   Blank and Horace R. Hitchcock. Other physicians of town, who were obliged




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  175
to be absent from that meeting, afterwards gave theii
names to the secretary, but this was nearly all there,
was to the life of this organization.
Medical societies of the country were considerably
mixed up for several years but straightened out il
1902. The piesc-nt plan calls for county   mediceal
societies affilliated with each other, forming district,
state and finally the American Medical Society. A
meeting was held in Howell, in 1903 andthe Livingston County Medical Society was organized. It now
includes all physicians of the county. Dr. Irwin of
Oak Grove, is now   its president, and Dr. R. H.
Baird of Howell, its secretary-treasurer. The executive committee is Drs. Brown and Brigham of Howell.
Dr. Claud Irwin of Hartland, Dr. Claud Sigler of
Pinckney and l)r. Cohen of Brighton. Howell members are Dr. Wni. C. Huntington, Dr. R  II. Baird,
Dr. E. H. Bailey, Dr. Janette Brigham, Dr. J. E
Browne and Dr. C. E. Skinner.
Howell had a Good Templars lodge along in the
'60s, which did excellent work. Its records are lost
however and little tangible can be learned. Another
lodge was organized at the close of a meeting in the
Presbyterian church, Oct. 8, 1874, by Charles P.
Russell, then Past Grand Worthy Chief Templar of
that order in  Michigan. Julius D. Smith was its
first Worthy Chief Templar and Mrs, H. G. W. Fry
its first Worthy Vice Templar. This lodge was for
many years ene of the strongest social organizations




176        RISTOIY OF HOWELL
in the town and did a good work for the cause. Quite
a number of those who had felt the curse of liquor
were induced to take its obligations and became useful citizens through its influences. Several of the
most active of HIowell's temperance workers at the
present day received their early inspiration for the
cause in the teachings of this order.
Among its active workers was Mrs. T. B. Knapp,
whom the author of this history had the privilege of
nominating successively, as District Secretary, Grand
Vice Templar, and Grand Superintendent of Juvenile
Temples, to each of which positions she was elected.
She was elected one of the delegates from  the Grand
Lodge of Michigan to the Right Worthy Uranu Lodge
which met in Edinborough, Scotland, in 1891, and to
the sessions at Des Moines Iowa, C(hicago  Ill., Saratoga. N. Y., Washington, D      C., Toronto, Ont.,
and Richmond, Va.
Nov. 19, 1886 the Livingston Herald was established
by the author of this history who was then a student
in the law office of Hon. Rollin H. Parson then
pract:iing law in Howell. As is the custom with
young lawyers, we were then dabbling as a ieal estate
agent and wanted an advertising medium. Uncle
Sam was not as particular in entering second class
pn)blications in those days, and the little Herald,
composed of four pages of two columns each, and
forming a sheet 8x10 inches in size when opened, was
'e aily admitted to the mails even if its th ird page was







HISTORY OF HOWELL                 177
filled with advertising for its publisher. By the
fourth issue Andrew Whitaker then a Howell grocer,
wanted advertising space. Stephen Pratt, then a
Howell druggist, soon followed. By the seventh week
it became necessary to enlarge to a three-column size.
After the big fire in March 1887, the Herald
business had grown so that it beca we necessary to
abandon either that or the legal profession and the
Herald was chosen. At the end of four years its
first publisher sold the paper, a buecessful 6-column
folio, to accept a' position on the Toledo Evening
News where he remained foi ten years.
Messrs. J. L. Pettibone & Son who purchased the
paper, published it but a few months and then sold
to Thomas W. Brewer who has maintained it as a
6-column quorto, since that time.
The old court house was for many years an honor
to the County. Then its surroundings outgrew the
building and it became an eyesore to everyone. It
was several times a subject for discussion however,
before action looking toward improvement could be
secured from the board of supervisors. They finally
submitted a proposition  to build a new sheriff's
residence and jail at an expense of $8,000, which was
voted upon in the spring of 1887. The townships
of Brighton, Deerfield, Green Oak, Hartland, Handy,
Iosco, Putman and Tyrone gave decided majorities
againist the project a total of 961 but the rest of the
county gave a majority of 1,305 majority in its favor,




178        HISTORY OF HOWELL
thus leaving a net majority of 344 in the county,
for the project. The Superviscrs took the necessary action at their next meeting, and the present
sheriff's residence and jail was built the following year.
With the jail out of the old court house, sentiment
for the new one was more rapid in forming. The
supervisors submitted the question to voters, at their
January session in 1889. The townships of Handy,
Putnam, Hartland, Deerfield, Brighton, Green Oak,
Tyrone and Unadilla rolled up a majority of 1059
against the project, but the other towns gave a majority of 1470 for the building, thus giving 411 majority
in the county, and the new building was authorized.
The Board of Supervisors met April 2) of that
year, and elected a building committee consisting of
L. J. Wright of Howell, George W. Barnes of Tyrone, Vincent Parshall of Oceola, Thomas Howlett of
Unadilla, and Daniel Sabin of Conway.
The corner stone was laid August 10, 1889, by
Judge Turner. General R. A. Alger of Detroit,
made the leading address, which was followed by a
five-minutes address from a representative selected
from each township.
W. P. VanWinkle was president of the day. Calvin Wilcox was marshall of the parade which preceeded the exercises. There were vice presidents
from each township.
The building was not completed until the following




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  179
year. The Opera House was rented for Circuit Court
until the new building was ready,
In the fall of 1886 two young ladies came to Howell
under orders of the American Salvation Army to establish a corps here. They were Capt. Carlson and
Lieut. Brownell. The old     Masonic hall in   the
Weimeister block had been leased before they came,
and benches had been fitted up for the prospective
audiences. From the start church people of Howell
rallied to assist the army, and the meetings took on a
strong swing trom the very first. By the third night
the two officers had one recruit to go with them  on
the march and others rapidly followed. In time as
the corps became more prosperous, the skating rink
was leased and its meetings there, from night to
night, were probably the most largely attended religeous meetings which have ever been held in -lowell.
The audience was often counted as it left the building and its average number was about 685. During
the summer of 1887, Gen. Moore who was the head
of the organization, visited Howell. The occasion
was one of general recognition and brought several
thousand people from this and neighboring counties.
A concerted movement was made by the army, the
city churches and businessmen, to so favorably impress Gen. M eore that he would establish their state
headquarters here, which was done. Two or three
Howell people became officers and went out in the
work, from   here. In   time however, new officers
were appointed here, and the work lagged. Capt.




180        HISTORY OF HOWELL
Carlson became Mrs. Nelson     Yelland and Lieut.
Brownell became Mrs. Will Fishb  Both have always
been respected ladies by all who haye known them
here.
Some time after the American Army ceased to exist in Howell, the oranization headed by Gen, Booth
secured a foothold here and continued with varying
success for some years. Among its officers was Mrs.
Ben Porter who for several years past has done excellent work with her husbaid who      has been a
Methodist pastor and successful evangelist.
On Saturday evening, March 12, 1887, as Andrew
Whitaker and Burr Montague were going home after
business places were shut up, they discovered the
Monroe block at the corner of Grand River and State
streets to be on fire. Mir. Montague ran to the side
window which he had just reached when an explosion
took place which threw him back across the sidewalk
and over the hitching post, but not seriously injuring
him. The inside of the building was torn from  the
basement to the roof and fire was thrown three stories,
and onto adjoining roofs. In an instant the entire
M'ontoe block was in flames and the fire spread very
rapidly to adjoining buildings. E..P. Gregory who was
then village president, telephoned to Ann Arbor and
Lansing for help, and both of those cities responded
promptly with steamers. Before they arrived however, the Greenaway block which stood at the west
end of the square where the fire started, fell inward




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HISTORY OF HOWELL                  181
with a crash, thus making it possible to confine the
fire to one square which could not have been done
if it had fallen outward. The burned district covered
the entire square of business blocks, except four small
two-story buildings in the north-east corner. The
loss was a very large one and divided among over
thirty people and firms.
Just as the fire Qngine was pulled to the scene someone in the Court yard called "Tom C(lark" and added
some epithet, and fired,    The shot just grazed
Mr. Clark's clothing, glanced from the engine and
hit Al. Fishbeck but its force was too much spent to
do much damage. The crowd rusheJ across the street
but failed to find the shooter in the darkness. The
shot, with the fact that Mr. Monroe who was an active temperance worker, had received a letter threatening to burn him out if he didn't stop bis prohibition
work, caused considerable excitement at the time,
but no one was ever brought to justice.
Tuesday, May 24, 1887, occurred the death of Jay
Corson. Mr. Corson was born in Green Oak, and
was always known to Howell people. After graduating from the law department of the University of
Michigan in 1880. he was given such a welcome to
Howell as few  young Luen receive. After a few
monThs he tied life in Alpena and Detroit, qnd returned to Howell in 1883, He was elected Circuit
Court co.mmissioner in the following campaign, and
was village president in 1885, declining the honor of




182        HISTORY OF HOWELL
a second nomination. In 1886 he was nominated for
prosecuting attorney in the Republican county convention, by acclamation. His health failed so that
he was not able to make a vigorous campaign, but he
received more votes than any other candidate upon
his ticket, and all but five votes in his native town of
Green Oak. At the age of twenty-nine years, just as
great prospects seemed to open before him, Jay Corson's life story closed here, to open in the hereafter.
Two or three efforts were made at -various times
to organize a   Livingston  County Sunday school
association. A meeting was held in the Presbyterian
church in 1888, and an organization was perfected.
Frank Holden of Green Oak, was elected president
and R. C. Reed then of Oceola, was secretary. The
first county convention was also held in the Presbyterian church, on April 16 and 17 of that year, and
was very successful. County Sunday school conventiouns were held regularly from that time forward,
for a good many years and much good       was accomplished. It was finally allowed to lapse however.
A convention was held at the M. E. church last year
and the or.anization was revived.
When the first organization was perfected each
township in the county was reorganized by electing
a president and secretar). A. Riley Crittenden was
president of the Howell association  and Mrs. Sarah
T. Lyon    secretary. The Howell association was
active in the work during their term  of office. The




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  183
officers which followed them allowed it to lapse.
In the early '80s, Profs. George Barnes and Thomas
(4ordon Jr. conducted a normal training school for
teachers, in Howell, during the summer vacation.
About fifty young people of the county availed themselves of the opportunity for review and preparation
for the fall teachers' examination. The school proved
such a complete success that a  similar school was
held by these gentlemen or other local educators for
some years. The central school building was leased
for the purpose and the Howell summer schools attracted considerable attention, drawing students from
quite a territory beyond the county lines. They
proved to be quite an enterprise too for the town, as
the young people had to be mairtained here, and
quite a trade in all lines resulted.
Thompson's lake has always contained a number
of springs from which flow very cold water. These
form currents which often catch swimmers who attempt long distance swimming and dangerous cramps
result. This has led to a number of drownings.
Another cause of these catastrophies is the closeness
to town and its temptation when the ice is iLot yet
strong enough in the fall. One of the saddest of
this latter was the drowning of Clifford Culver a
bright, promising boy of twelve years, on Thursday,
Nov. 22, 1888. For over half an hour the heroic
boy hung to the ice and waited for the help which
was vainly trying to reach him. At last benumbed




184

HISTORY OF HOWELL

by the cold water called out his good byes and let go
to sink out of sight, until the ice was broken to the
spot and the body was recovered, about thee hours
later.
The last drowning in Thompson's lake, Thursday
June 28, 1906, was also a peculiarly sad one. The
victim was Kern Beurmann, a popular and promising
young man who graduated from     the Howell High
School three years befoie, and had just completed his
law course at the University of Michigan. Re went
to the lake for a swiL,. The day was very warm and
he was without doubt attached with cramps which
took him down. His body was not in the water a
great while but it was impossible to resuscitate him.
In December, 1888, three or four cases of small
pox devolved in Howell and one in the country near
town, Georgia Fishbeck who boarded with his uncle
Murry Fishbeck, died of the dread disease. When the
first cases developed every precaution was taken to
head off a further spiead of the disease and it was
confidently expected that this had been accomplished,
All three papers then published in Howell had items
to the effect that there was no further danger. The
day after they were issuec C. J. Cook who was clerking in one of the stores came down with  varioloid.
Rumor confounded him witn C. L. Cook the wellknown grocer. The Pinckney Dispatch sounded a
warning to keep away from Howell, and alleged that
the papers and people here were misrepresenting the




HISTORY OF HOWELL                 185
situation. The scare worked and it was spring before
it was over and business resumed its normal condition. There have been two or three similar scares at
various times, but this one was probably the most severe the town has ever seen. During two or three
weeks, at the height of the scare, only four teams
went down Grand River street.
Late township officers are as follows:
1880-Supervisor, George W. Fitch; clerk, William F. Griffith; tieasurer, Thomas G. Switzer;
school inspector, Charles A, Phillips; superintendent
of schools, Hugh Conklin. He resigned December 7,
and Thomas Gordon Jr. was appointed; highway
commissioner, William J. Walbran; drain commissioner, Harvey R. Durfee; Constables, Nelson A.
Eckler, George B. Raymour, Charles E. Beurmann
Jr., C. Franklin Dorrance,
1881-Supervisor, Timothy Smith; clerk, Henry
D. Wilber; treasurer, William R. Miller; superintendent of schools, Thomas Gordon Jr. He resigned
and Frank O. Burt was appointed; school inspector
Horace P. Bump; highway commissioner, Eugene E.
Latson; constables, Andrew J. Rounds, R. H. Rumsey, Edgar Noble, W. H. White.
1882-Supervisor, Albert Riddle; clerk, Seth B.
Rubert; treasurer, William R Miller; school inspector, two years, Harry J. Havens, one year, Sidney H.
Burt; highway commissioner, David P. Lake; constable, William Brower, appointed by town board.




186          HISTORY OF HOWELL
I883-Supervisor, Homer N. Beach; clerk, Seth B.
Rubert; treasurer, Leslie E. Woodruff; highway
commissioner, David P. Lake; constables, Amos
Winegar, P. McManus.
1884-Supervisor, Homer N. Beach; clerk, William C. Spencer; treasurer, Leslie E. Woodruff;
school inspector, David D. Harger; highway commissioner, Wesley W. Crittenden; drain commissioner,
Isaac W. Stowe; constables, H. H. Clark, Benjamin
H. Perkins.
1885-Supervisor, George W. Axtell; clerk, Seth
B. Rubert; treasurer, Frank P. Archer; school inspector, Lewis C. Miller; highway commissioner,
Thomas Hale; constables, H. H. Clark, S. D. Anderson, Jerome Wilber, Edwin Smith.
1886-Supervisor, Albert Riddle; clerk,     Amos
Winegar; treasurer, Louis J. Wright; school inspector, Frank D. Filkins; highway        commissioner,
Thomas Hale; drain commissioner, David P. Lake;
constables, John Roustin, Rooert A. Chambers, Alfred Copeland.
1887-Supervisor, Newton T. Kirk; clerk, William
M, Force; treasurer, Timothy Smith; school inspector David L1 Harger, vacancy, Jay Corson; highway
commissioner, George Howard Jr.; constables, Walter S, Papworth, Charles H. White.
1888-Supervisor, Lewis J. Wright; clerk, Judd
Yelland; treasurer, Timothy Smith; school inspector,
Perry G. Burdick; highway commissioner, David P.




:ISTOEY OF HOWELL                   187
Lake; drain commissioner, James Canfield; constables, George Lown, Will Peavy.
1889-Supervisor, Lewis J. Wright; clerk, Judd
Yelland: treasurer, Frank Crandall; school inspector
Andrew B. Fishbeck; highway commissioner, Edwin
W. Smith; drain commissioner, George Lown,
1890-Supervisor, Lewis J. Wright; clerk, B. L.
Walker; treasurer, Frank Z. Hubbell; school inspector, Edward J. Drewery; justice of the peace, George
B. Raymour, vacancy, David Robison; highway commissioner, Richard Hale; drain commissioner, William Line; constables, George Lown, E. D. McKinley
John F. Marr; board, of review, Frank     O. Burt,
Gilbert L. Wolcott.
1891-Supervisor, Lewis J. Wright; clerk, George
C. Allen; treasurer, Frank Z. Hubbell; school inspector, Charles Gilks; justice of the peace, E. P.
Gregory; highway commissioner, Richard Hale; constables, Vernon C, Smith, George Lown, Julius B.
Whitaker; member board of review, Gilbert L. Wolcott.
1892-Supervisor, Homer N. Beach; clerk, An"
drew B. Fishbeek; treasurer, James Ryan; school inspector, Vernon C. Sm-ith, vacancy, Henry E. Wineb;
highway commissioner, Eurias Marr; drain commissioner, William  Line; constables, L. J. Wright,
George L. Lown; board of review, Gilbert L. Wolcott, David P. Lake,
1893--Supervisor, Homer N. Beach; clerk, An



188          HISTORY OF HOWELL
drew B. Fishbeck; treasurer, James Ryan; sel ol inspector Joseph 8, Brown; justice of the peace, Vernon C. Smith; highway commissioner, Eurias Marr;
member board of review, David P. Lake.
1894-Supervisor, Homer N. Beach; clerk, Frank
J. Holt; treasurer. Amos Winegar; school inspector,
M. L. Carpenter; justice of the peace, Eugene A.
Stowe; highway commissioner, Richard Hale; drain
commissioner, William Line; board of review, David
P. Lake, Solomon Hildebrant.
1895-Supervisor, Homer N. Beach; clerk, Frank
J. Holt; treasurer, Amos Winegar; school inspector,
Roy Fitch; justice of the peace, Dwight H. Fitch;
highway commissioner, Richard Hale; member board
of review, Daniel Bergin.
1896-Supervisor, Amos Winegar; clerk, Frank J,
Holt; treasurer Walter'W. Knapp; school inspector
G. Clyde Brown; justiceof, the peace. Robert R.
Wakefield; highway commissioner, Eurias Marr;
constables, Lemuel A. Wight, Frank Durfee, Patrick Devlin, Stephen G. Fishbeck; membel board of
review, David P. Lake.
1897-Supervisor, Amos Winegar; clerk, Frank J.
Holt; treasurer, Walter W. Knapp; highway     commissioner, Enrias Marr.
1898-Supervisor, Walter W. Knapp; clerk, Frank
J. Holt; treasurer, Richard  E. Barron; highway
commissioner, James E. Filkins.
1899-Supervisor, Walter W. Knapp;- clerk, Frank




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HISTORY OF HOWELL                  189
J. Holt; treasurer, Richard E. Barron; school inspector, Benjamin J. Wessinger; highway commissioner, James B. Filkins; constables. David P. Lake,
Stephen G. Fishbeck; member board of review,
Thomas Lamoreaux.
1900-Supervisor, Walter W. Knapp; cl-rk, Frank
J. Holt; treasurer, John B. Barron; school inspector
C. E. White; justice of the peace, David D. Harger;
highway commissioner, William H. Peavy; constable, Stephen G. Fishbeck; member board of review,
Eurias Marr.
1901-Supervisor, W. H. S. Wood; clerk, Frank
J. Holt; treasurer, John B. Barron; school inspector
Samuel M. Yerkes; justice of the peace, Richard D.
Roche; highwvay commissioner, William   B. Peavy;
constables, Frepman Rorabacher, S. David Anderson;
member board (f review, Laverne D   Brockway.
1902-Supervisor, W. H. S. Wood; clerk, Frank
J. Holt; treasurer, Plin G. Henry; school inspector,
R. Bruce Satterla; justice of the peace, Glenn   S.
Mack; highway commissioner, William     H. Peavy;
constables, Samuel D. Anderson, Freeman Rorabacher, Henry H  Collins.
1903-Supervisor, John Kirk; clerk, Frank J.
Holt; treasurer, P. J. Henry.
1904-Snpervisor. Tim P. Stowe; clerk, Frank    J,
Holt; treasurer, Wilbur B. Johnson; school inspector, R. B. Satterla; justice of the peace, David D.
Harger; to fill vacancy, Andrew J. Brown; highway




190          HISTORY OF HOWELL
commissioner, Richard Hale; constables, Henry H.
Collins, Stephen G. Fishbeck; member board of review, Eurias Marr.
1905-Supervisor, Tim P. Stowe; clerk, Frank J.
Holl; treasurer, Wilbur Johnson; school inspector,
Howard    Warner; justice of the peace, Richard
Roche; highway commissioner, Richard Hale; con
stables, Stephen Fishbeck, F. Rorabacher, Roy Jubb,
William H. Peavy; member board of review, Gilbert
Sargent.
1906-Supervisor, E. Miller Beurmann; clerk,
Frank J. Holt; treasurer, James H. Miner; school
inspector, R. Bruce Satterla; jnstice of the peace,
Alfred E. Papworth; highway commissioner, Frank
M. Miner; constables' H, H. Collins, Freeman Rorabacher, William J. Culver, Harry L. Williams, iember board of review, Frank R. Crandall; librAry directors, Thomas Gordon Jr., M. J. McPherson, W
H. S. Wood.
1907-Supervisor, E     M 'iler Beurmann; cler k,
Frank J. Holt; treasurer, James H. Miner; school
pinsentor, Howard C. Warner; vacancy, John Earl;
justice of the peace, Herbert Satterle; highway commissioner, Eugene E.     Howe; constables, Fred
Sttrcker, William J. Culver, Henry H. Collins, Fr(d
Satterla; member board of review, Adelbert F. Peavv;
lidrary  directors,  George   Barnes,   Albert  D.
Thompson.
1908- Supervisonr, E   Miller Bcurmarin; clerk,




HISTORY OF HOWELL                   191
Frank J. Holt; tieasurer, Andrew J. B-rown; school
inspector, Winm. R. Whitaker; justice of the peace
David D, Harger; library directors, R. Bruce McPherson, Geo. H. Chapel; Highway commissioner,
Eugene E. Howe; constables, Wm. J. Culver, Albert Satterla, iHenry H. Collins, Freeman Rorabacher;
member board of review, Frank R. Crandall.
1909--Supervisor, E. Miller Beurmann; clerk,
Frank J. Holt; treasurer, Andrew J. Brown; justree of the peace, Richard D. Roche; highway commissioner, Jobiý F. Lockwood; highway overseer,
Charles Melentine; constirles Win. F. Culver. Ray
E. Latson, Henry H. Collins, Freeman Rorabacher;
library directors, Louis S. Brooke, Martin J. McPherson; member of review, Adelbert F. Peavy.




CHAPTER XI
Up to Now
In 1880 Hunter & Holmes then building   contraei.
tors here, commenced   the erectitn  of an opera
house.  The building was opened   in  1881, with
Joseph Jefferson. It was at once a convenience for
the town which was fully appreciated and has always
enjoyed a loyal patronage from  Hoowell people for
public meetings.
As a play house the patronage has been of the
streaked order, sometimes strong and then  not so
good, but usually pretty fair for a town the size of
Howell.
The buildina enterprise proved to heavy for tbe
builders and te bj ilding went on the mortgage. It
was owned for awhile by Detroit parties and was
then purchased by Arthur Garland who has since
managed it and condcted his nbusiness there,
October 2, 1892, fire broke out in the basement of
Isaac Bush's groceer, on Grand River street, between
Division and State streets, The flue stop had. Tlien
out of the chimney) in the basement. People in the
store adjoining, burned out some papers and truck,
in their stove, The fire was drawn down through the
chimney, with the resnlt already  given. It had a




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  1921
good headway before disc-overed, and was soon beyond control. Akll thc buildings in that block,
fronting on Grand River strt.et, except the east store,
were burned. The loss was estimated at $75,000,
Among the heavy loosers were Hickey &  (4oodnow
who occupied a double store. The building collapsed
before anyone expected and several people had very
narrow escapes. Oliver Cook had to be pulled out.
Mrs, F. G. Hinkey was caught by one foot, and
called loudly for those near to get an axe and cut off
her foot. Crowbars were secured and she was finally
pried loose, with great effort.
Frank G. Hickey and Darwin    Wines were very
soon missed. Their remains were found in the ruins
as soon as the fire was sufficiently under control so
that the anxious ones could search for them. Mr.
Hickey was senior member of the firm. Mr. Wines
was a contractor and builder.
In the fall of 1890 Hon. Charles Fishbeck who was
soon to retire from office of Judge of Probate, took
steps to organize a second bank for Howell, J. A.
May who had had some experience iij the business
was secured to lead ir, the enterprise and several good
men were soon interested. Preliminary meetings
were held in Fisbbeck's office. The application for a
charter was filed Nov. 28 of that year. The charter
was granted Jan. 12, 1891.
Miller Bros. who had for years run a saloon and
cigar factory, about that time bought the block where




193        HISTORY OF HOWELL
they have since been. The room   they vacated was
fitted up for the bank which took the name of First
State and Savings Bank of Howell, Michigan. The
first officers were Charles Fishbeck, president. Frank
G, Hickey, vice president; J. A, May, cashier; directors, Charles Curtis, Frank G. Hickey, Charles
Fishbeck, Asa VanKleek, J. A. May, *John Ryan,
S. B. Rubert.
The bank opened for business Jan. 13, 1891.
The present board of directors are Charles A,
Goodnow, Arthur Garland, Asa VanKleek, George
Barnes, John Ryan, F'. O. Burt, W. P, Van Winkle,
The officers are, president, 'N. P. VanWinkle; vice
president, Asa VanKleek; cashier, A. L. 6mith;
assistant cashier, L. It, ilanning.
George H. Hazelwood who was the first agent
here for the Ann Arbor 1  RR intie-resLed himself in a
factory project and raised the necessary money to secure A. A. and Fred Piatt and Edward Porter who
moved here from Hudson with tjheir bending works,
The company took the names ol The Howell
Manufacturer Co., and manufactured quite an extensive line of bent woodwork. In 1891 their works
which stood near the present mill factory site, were
burned, They were rebuit uwoc,n a much smaller
scale but were burtred again in 1893, By this time
they had worked up about all the available, tim! er in
this section and the works were never rebuilt here,
The Piatts moved to Lansing.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  194
Along in the '80s James M. Turner of Lansing,
organized a milk factory there, taking the name of
Michigan Con densed Milk Co. In time he casually
asked Wmin. McPherson ot.e day, if he knew where a man
could be secured to take hold of their business in New
York, to look after sales. This talk led to the employment of Birt F. Parsons who closed out his business here and moved to New York, for that purpose. Shortly after this James F. Joy arnd C, H.
Buhl of Detroit, acquiied  the business from  Mr.
Turn er,
Largely through Mr. Parsons' personal efforts the
business grew until the company required more milk
than one factory's capacity. Mr. Parsons remembered his old home town and took the matter up
here. -A meeting wa, held in the Opera House in
1891 and the required bonus of $5,000 was raised to
secure the factory.
For soime time milk was shipped. to Lansing. By
the time the factory was ready there was milk enough coming in to start work here.  It was opened
in 1893, with E. P. Gregory as superintendent. He
resignu-d in 1901 and Winm. 8, Sanderlands succeded
him to that Dosition, Ma) 8 of that year.
The factory has for years received an average of
90,000 pounds of milk per day. It has averaged
paying the farmers $360,000 per year for milk, and
over $40,000 per year to help. Other factories have
paid in cheeks at panicy times but the Howell factory




195        HISTORY OF HOWELL
has always provided the cash without a single failure,
The value to the whole community, by having this
stream of money flowing in iegularly. winter a nd
summer, is beyond competion
In 1881, W, K. Sexton who then lived on his farm
in Marion, bought some Holstein cattle at St. Clairville, N. Y, He was so weil pleased with them  that
when the man from    whom he pnrchased imported
from Holland in 1882, Mr. Sexton ýecured some to
come    with   his. At that time     this  sectiou
was considerably noted for Durlham  cattle and Mr.
Sexton's black and white stock created all Kinds of
comment when he showed them    at the county fair
that fall. FIe had carefully studdied his hreed however and given them a severe test, and pinned his
faith to the Holsteins. For his carefnl work in
those days the industry here has much to be thankful. In  that first importation  was a noble cow.ith the characteristic Holland name of Houwtje.
Recognizing her value Mr, Sl.xto, moived his operations largely toward her family. He has lived to see
them among the countrv's leaders.
Frank Metz who worked for Mr. Sexton, caught
his arlor and enthusiasmn, and was the second Ho)stein man here. Horace Norton soon followed. All
of these were in Marion but they laid the foundation for what has become, beyond any question,
Howell's greatest and most paving erterprise,
The advent of the milk factory had much   to do




;IN




I111'TORY OF HOWELL                196
with the developement of the Holstein industry. R.
C. Reed, now of the firm of Reed & Knowles;' Frank
Crandall, The McPherson Farms Co., Dr. W. C.
I-Huntlngton, F. W. Alunson, W. W. Crittenden,
J. W. Worhington, E. 9, Gregory and other Howell
farmers are extensively engaged in Holstein breed
ing. The A, R.. 0. movement which requires record
of production before registry, has found hearty support here, and the fame of H1owell cattle, including
several farmers in other towns, is as wide as this
country. TNessrs. R-eed and Cras dall  have been
officersof the state and national Holstein  breeders
associations, Car load lots of th'roughbr'eds are
regularly shipped from this market to breeders every
whore, Howell being the only place where choice
specimens of this breed can regularly be purchased
in such quautities. The trade in Holstein grades too
is very large. So many buyers come from all parts
of the country that D. M. Beckwith has made it his
regular business for some time past to act as a  sort
of broker to bring these buyers in contact with the
cattle available for sale on farims in this county.
In the matter of records, Howell cattle are right
at the front. Houwtje K. Pietertje DeKol. No.
61,543, leads with a record of 99.6 pounds of milk in
one day and 675   pounds in seven days. Her butter record in seven days was 18.98 pounds. She is
owned by McPherson Farms Co. The 90 pound
class has a large number of cows hereabouts.




197        HISTORY OF HOWELL
Going p ices paid to farmers for thoroughbred
Holsteins run around $250, with     choice animals
more than doubling thobe figures. For grades the
farmers are receiving $60 to $80.
Year after year, in the state medical society, the
question of establishing a state sanitorium  for the
treatment of tuberculosis, was discussed. Committees
were often appointed, only to be turned down by the
Legislature. In 1905 the matter was brought on
again by a paper in the state medical society, by
Dr, Hartz of Detroit  It was decided to make another trial and Dr, Hartz became chairman of the
committee to take the matter up at Lansing. Some
local physicians became interested and brought the
matter to the attention of Senator Rumer and Representative VanKeuren of this district, and posted
them as to the need and value of such an institution,
When the bill reached the Legislature, they were
both    among its stronoIest  supporters  When it
passed with an appropriation of $30,000 to establish
the institution and maintain it for (he coming two
years, Dr. W. C, Huntington, to use a modern expression, got busy.
Dr. Huntiunton's son Harry had recently returned
from treatment in a similar institution in the east.
He and his father, at once beran a search of property
in this vicinity for the most available site. They
picked the grounds weich  were afterwards decided
upon.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  198
Dr. Huntington then called a meeting at the "engine house", and the matter was taken up, It was
decided to go after the institution and committees
were appointed accordingiv. E. P. Gregory who was
chairman of the meeting, became chairman oC the
general committee, Everyone pulled together and
the institution was secured. The first board, was
Dr. Hartz of Detroit; Hon. Geo. W, Teeple of
Pinckney; Frank B. Leeland of Detroit; Dr. Lohnson of Grand Rapids; Dr. Gray of Clare and Dr,
Copeland of Ann Arbor.
Dr, Kennedy of Detroit was its first superintendeLt.
The local committee raised the money to present
the site to the state, as an inducement to locate
here.
Dr, Pierce is now  superintendent. The present
board is as follows: Dr. Hartz of Detroit; Dr. Johnson of Grand Rapids; Hon. Geo. W. Teeple of
P'inekhey; Dr. Gray of Clare; Dr. Hinsdale of AnnArbor, and Dr, F. B. Leeland of Detroit.
In 1898, E. A  Bowman opened a little bazaar
store in the Cardwell block  It wasn't a very large
institution and while Hlowell has a welcome for large
and small alike, no one thought a great deal about it
anyhow. In Mr, Bowman's desk is a little brown
envelope lab~led "First sale, March 15, 1898."  It
contains five creas.
While the stock was small, its owner possessed in



199

HISTORY OF HOWELL

domitable will, courage, courtesy and hustle. These
qualities didn't show up on the first invoice, but they
went right into the business with the little stock.
After awhile, the store moved to a more central -location and then to one of the largest stores in town.
Then caie a balcony, a basement fitted up for additional departments, a commodious store house erected
in the iear and an annex in another building. At
the start, Mr, Bowman and a boy took care of all the
trade and had lots of time. Now, seven clerks are
regulacly employed, more on Saturdays antd in   the
holiday season, as high as twenty-eight have been required to take care of the trade. The little store has
grown to be the leader in its lines. It.s a marvelous
development.
In the early '80s. Frank R. Bush built Howell's
first greenhouse. It stcod on the ground now    occupied by john Kingquest's house. For two        or
three years he did a good busines, and then having
engaged in the news and confectionary business allowed his greenhouse to go down. By the way
this youn  man's confectionary business was in the
room   now  occupied by  Kirk's millinery rtore on
State street  His peanut roaster was a new thing in
HI-owell, and gave hinm a big' busines, and this in
turn gave to the row of two story business places,
then lately ereptcd, the name of "Peanut Row',
which it has since held.
About twenty years ago, Mrs Geo. B. ]Lake who




tRISTOR,   OF HOWELL              200
was then living with her father, Dr. Z. 1H. Marsh,
built a small greenhouse adjoining her home. About
that time a yonng man named Samuel D. Chaney
arrived in  Howell and arranged to work for Mrs.
Lake for his noard, and go to -chool, The greenhouse became largely his care. Chaney afterwards
became an operator on the Chicago Board of Trade,
where he made a handsome fortune. He retired a
few years ago and built a splendid home at Joliet,
Ill., and has a fine summer home at Chautauqua
Lake N. Y.
Soon after Mr. Chaney gave up his job of working in the greenhouse for his board, J. Albert Brown
was employed by Mrs. Lake. He worked for her
about seven years, and thirteen Nears ago, purchased
the property. Under Mr. Brown's skilfal management the business of flower culture has developed to~
one of the best i-, this section of the state, calling for
several large houses, well equipned with the very
latest appliances.
The idea of raising vegetables under glass was new
here when Lee Chamberlain tootr it up with Howell
people in 1906. He succeeded in iuteresting capital
with him and nrganized the firm of Lee Chamber
lain & Co. Arrangements    were   made with    the
Water Works and Electric Lirht Board to run waste
steam from their works for heating purposes and
the green houses were built. In 1907 the eld firm
was changed to an incorporation uader the name




201        HISTORY OF HOWELL
of Howvll Greenhouise Co., Mr. Chamberlain  remain
ing in the general management. At this writing two
houses each two by twelve rods in size, have been under cultivation since the company began operations,
and a third is to be erected in the very near future,
The leading products are lettuce, tomatoes and cucmbers which find ready market at home and in the
cities, all through the winter.
Another greenhouse was built by Walter Papworth,
in connection with his market garden business, some
years ago. It has laid the foundation for quite an
extensive  industry, Every spring, tomatoes and
other plants which are started there, are shipped to
towns all through this part of the state.
When William     McPherson first established his
store in Howell, a few drugs were among the sto2k
as they are in all country stores. Later, when he
formed the partnershio with William    Riddle and
moved to the corner now occupied by O. J. Parker's
drug store, the drues became a main stock, gradually
develoning, until a few years later, a fully equipped
drug store wa- to be found there. In time the late
H. P. Browning came here to clerk in this drug
store, and for some Nears managed it for Mr. McPherson and Son.
Later this stock was owned by Henry D. Wilber
who rai it for a good many years, finally moving
to the old Winans block, where crockery, etc, was
added, and where it went out in the first big fire
which. swept that block,




HISTORY OF HOW       L],LL         202
Another early drug store was run by EW A. Youngs
who gained quite a reputation with his nmediines.
Mr. Youngs sold out to W. F. WGriffith who ran the,
store for a short time and sold it to O. J. Parker
twenty- five yeaxrs ago. Mr. Parker moved to the AM.
J. McPherson bloci when it was completed and has
been there since, but is soon to move to the (Greenaway blook.
Another early drug store was Dr. Bla i(k' s. It
was located in the Green block, afterwards known as
MeKeever block. Dr. Blanchk sold to A. H. Phinney
who moved the stock to the Va.nKleek block, where
it was sold to Tim P. Stowe and E. K. Johnson.
They were together for seven or eight years, when
Mr. Johnson, in 1880, bought his partner's interests.
When this was done, the stock was in what is now
known as Monroe Brothers' block. It was moved
from there, to the Gregory block in 1909..
Sometime after selling his interests in the firm  of
Stowe & Johnson, Mr. Stowe started a new     drug
store, which he ran for some time and then sold to
Batrron & Wines,
Drs. Spencer & Hutton carried a growing stock of
medicines in their offices. When these were united
in the formation of their medical partnership, it pretty nearly made a drug store of itself. They were
leaders in their line for some years, and were succeeded by fHenrv P. Spencer, who sold to E. Herendean,
who afterwards failed and the stock was largelv sold




208        HISTORY OF HOWELL
at auction, the balance beine stored for some years,
in a barn.
Another very early drug store was that of Frank
Wells. He moved from here to Lansing     where he
was prominent in business circles for several ycars.
In 1901 W, H. S. Wood was elected Supervisor
and he proposed a petition for a vote on the proposition of not to, exceed a one mill tax for the purpose of establishing and maintaining. a township
library, and among the first signers thereof were M.
J. McPherson, Wmi. VanWinkle and K. S. B. Holt.
Meanwhile Mr. Wood also wrote to Andrew Carnegie
who offered $10,000 for a library building if sight
and ten percent or $1000 was promised for annual
maintenance. The vote was taken at the April election in  1902, no great effort being made to influence voters, except some quiet arguments and
letters in the press by members    of the; Howell
Woman's Club, Mr. Wood havinv stated that he desired the voters and taxpayers to exercise a careful
and consistent choice in supporting or rejecting it,
but it carried by a vote of about two to one. The
Township, Board then appointed suitable committees
and the plans of archetect E.E. Meyers of Detroit,
who was also the archetect of the State Capitol at
Lansing, and those of Texas, Colorado and Illinois
were accepted.
Meanwhile, the sons of William  McPherson, viz.
Wmi. Jr., E. G., M. J. and Alex. secured and pur



~Ci~::~i
~'"
r::
B,u:: j
~-:~:.~~::~.:~;~L: t::~::
4:~:1:~:Ij::j:ji jib ~::liii
ri~i~X
L:li:If~~i~
~:~ ~~:,~::i:~~:~::
~?1~:~I:C~: j ` t,:I::: a

SOUTH SIDE OF GRAND RIVER STREET, HOWELL




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  204
chased the entire block    on Grand River street
formerly occupied by the old foundry and presented
it for a site, the ueLtrel front where the building
stands being accepted by the township and the remainder of the block by the village as a park.
It was decided to build the library of field stone or
glacial granite, found in fields near here and it has
certainly made as fine an appearing library building
as there is in the state and being on the best thoroughfare, is generally noted and remarked about by
all strangers passing in automobiles, etc
The contract was let to G, Kuehnle, he being the
only bidder on the entire building and it was commenced in the spring of 1903, but after getting the
walls up and roof boards on, the contractor failed and
it so remained until Mr. Carnegie was induced by M.
J. McPherson, to make a further appropriation of five
thousand dollars, by which it was completed and the
ouiiding was opened for use Thursday, November 19,
1906, with an address by Rev, Dr. J. H  Barkley of
Detroit.
The first Board ot Township Library Commissioners, elected in 1903, consisted of M. J. McPherson,
W. H. S, Wood, Rev. Brooke. Thomas Gordon Jr.,
George Chapel and George Barnes and since then, R.
B. McPherson, A, D. Thompson and Rev. Cooper
have acted thereon.
Miss Lucy Chapel was appointed librarian. The
books of the Ladies Library Association, were trans




205        RISTORY OF HOWELL
ferred  to  it. The   children  of  Mrs. Williani
McPherson Jr., presented five hundred dollars worth
of new books, the late Solomon Hildewrant and Dr.
W. J Mills and others gave books and W, 11. S.
Wood gave about two. thousand law and government
reports.
When Miss Chapel resigned February 14, 1910,
Mrs. Myrtle Wilkinson was appointed to the position.
The library is opened every weekday from two to
five p. m. and on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday
evenings from seven to nine p. m.. It iow has about
6,000 volumes, and is much used and appreciated by
tne public, and especially the pupils in the public
schools. It belongs to the entire township of Howell,
is a free circulating library, books being allo-ve" to
be kept two weeks, except reference books.
A  law was passed in 1905. drawn by W. H. S.
Wood and introduced by Senator George Barnes, allowing adjoining towns to join with Howell in its
support and use, but it h-s not as yet been availed of
by them.
In January, 1907, Prof. D. F, Clark established the
Howell Business College, affilliated with the Bliss
Business College of Flint, Prof. F. M, Dye was
placed in charge for the first year. Prof. W. A, Clark
became the head of the school the following fall and
is still in that position, The college took a high
grade for its work, from the start, and has maintained it. Its list of students ijas been larger each
year than the year before.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  206
Oh May 9th, 1909, A. Riley Crittenden learned
that a Detroit factory was looking for a location with
more capital. The business looked good and he soon
arranged to bring the parties into contact with Howell people. Before neon the next day the matter was
practically cinched and on May 20th a contract was
signed which resulted in the establishment of the
Wickman Wire Works here. The compauy is incorporated for $12,000 with H. J. Wickman, Robert S.
Layman, Wm. McPherson Jr, R. B. McPherson, M.
J. McPherson, H E. McPherson, O, J. Parker E.
C. Shields, Jay C. Walton and Fred P. Schroeder as
stockholders. Its first officers were:
President-R. B. McPherson.
Vice President and General Superintendent--H. J.
Wickman.
Secretary-Treasurer-H. E. McPherson.
The company manufactures a line of wire specialties with a twisted wire eavetrongh holder as a leader.
Its first season was highly sucessful and prospects
are bright for a material increase in business.
Wm. H. Wenk developed a genius for mechanics as
a small boy, on a farm in Deerfield. He gradually
developed a saw mill and cider mill and made quite
a line of cider mill machinery. Early in 1908, he
outgrew his country facilities and bought a site from
A, M. Wells on the bank of Thompson's lake. There
he erected a building in the upper portion of which
he placed his Deerfield business. In the basement




207

RISTORY OF HOWELL

he eouipped a first-class creamery. Capital was interested in this change and the Howell Manufactuing Co. was the result. It was incorporated       at
$15,000: The new    industry was opened   for business Sept. 15, 1909 and seems to be enjoying a prosperous and growing patronage.
City officials of late years have been as folows:
1870-President, Henry H. Mills; clerk, Dennis
Shields; assessor, Wm. Curtis; trustees, Albert Riddle, Win. C. Rumsey, Francis N. Monroe, Calvin
Wilcox, Andrew D. Waddell; marshall H. C. Briggs,
street commissioner, Solemon T. Lyon; nound master,
James Fitzgerald; treasurer, H. C. Briggs.
1871-President Sardias F. Hubbell; clerk, Andrew D. Waddells assessor, Wm. B. Smith; trustees,
Neil O'Hearn, George I. Cooper, Floyd S. Wvkoff,
Charles G, Jewett, and George Greeniaway; marshall,
Leonard N, Fishbeck; street commissioner, William
E. Huntly; treasurer, Leonard N, Fishbeck.
1872-President, Sardias F. Hubbell; clerk, Andrew D. Waddell; assessor, Calvin   Wilcox; tiustees,
John W. Wright, George L. Sage, Robert C. Hutton,
John M. White, John Jones; marshall and treasurer,
Henry A. Whipple; street commissioner, Wm. E.
Huntly.
1873-President, Niel O'Hearn; clerk, Edward B,
Gregory; assessor, Harry J, Haven; trustees, F. N.
Monroe, Asa VanKleeck, Wm. Beattie, Sylvester
Andrews, Albert Riddle; marshall and       treasurer,
Hiram Hopper; street commissioner, Wm. C, Rumscy.




HISTORY    OF HOWELL                208
1874-President, F. N, Monroe; clerk, Royal H,
Rumsey; assessor, Benj, Rubert; trustees, Wm      W.
Finton, James A. Preston, Vviliiam E. Watson,
Hor-ce G, W, Fry. (Gfeorge Bush; Mr, Fry       never
qualified and E. B. Gregory was elected to yacancy;
street commissioner, C(harlts Br i gham;   marshall
and treasurer, Win. Pai nayd,
1875-President, Horace    Halbei.rt; clerk, E. P.
Gregovy; assessor, F. J. Hickey; Irustees, Wmin   B.,Jewett, J. M, White. Frederick B, Ihown, Roswell
Mott, ErastAus Watrous; mari-hall and treasurer,
Wm. F. Barnard; street coimmissioner, C,   Brigham.
1876-President, Harry J. Haven; clerk, Rollin
H. Person; assessor, Albit Riddle; trustees, Asa
VanKleeck, Robert A    Chambers, William L. Knapp,
John W. Wright, N-il O' Hearn; marshall and treas:
urer, Geo. IHush; street comnmissionier, John Lee.
1877   President, Asa VanKleeek; elerk, Rollin H,
Person   assessor, Wmi. B. Smith; trustees, R. E.
Rumnssey7 L. N. Fishoeck, Stephen S, Moole, R. A,
Chambers, J, W. Wrighi; marshall and        treasurer
Arthur F. Pield:   street commissioner, Thomas J.
Winegar; pownd master, John lIouston.
1878-  President, Neil O' Hearn; Royal H. Rumsey; assessor, Williamn B. Smith; trustees, Wm. H.
Gilkes, Leonard N. Fishbeck, Harry J. Haven,
Frank Kelly, George H. Warren; street commissioner,
Thomas J. Winegar; treasnrer, Thomas Ulark; health
officer, W. L. Wells.




209         RISTORY OF HOWELL
1879-President, John H. Galloway; clerk, R. H.
Rumsey; assessor, Benj, H. Rubert; i,rustee, Asa
VanKleeck, Mylo L. Gay, Win. B. Smith, F. N.
Monroe, Leander C. Smith; street commissioner, T.
J. Winegar; marshall, Thomas Clark; health officer
H.R, Hitchcock.
1880-President, Leander C. Smith; clerk, Royal
H. Rumsey; trustees, F. N. Monroe, Theodore B.
Knapp, Wm    McPherson Jr. Asa VanKleeck, W. W.
Kenyon; sssessor, Albert Riddle; street commisioner.
Charles Brighiam; treasurer, Thomas Clark; health
officer, R. C. Hatton.
1881-   President, Win. B. Smith; clerk, Charles
H. -Brown; asessor, Albert Riddle; trustees, Wm.
W. Kenyon, Robert A. Cbambers, Theodore B.
Knarp, John M, Clark for one year, Homer N.
Beach, F. N. Monroe, Charles L. Collier, L. N. Fishbeck for two years; street commissioner, Alonzo
Teasdale; treasurer, Thomas Clark; hoalth    officer,
Henry N, Spencer.
1882-President, Harry J. Haven; clerk, Frank
0, Burt; assessor, Albert Riddle; trustees for two
years, Henry D. Wilber, Edward Greenaway, Lorenzo
H. Sulivan, to fill vacancy, Leslie E. Woodruff;
street commissioner, A. Teasdale; marshall, Thomas
Clark; pound master, John Herbert; health officer,
Henry N. Spencer.1883-President, Wm. W. Kenyon, clerk, Patrick
J. Hammel: assessor, H, G. W. Fry; trustees, John




RISTORY OF HO WELL                  210
V. Gilbert, John W. W\right, Edwin C. Sweet
Theodore B. Knapp; vacancy, Charles A. Wood;
street coimmissione2, A. Teasdale; treasurer, Thomas
Clark.
18M4-President, George P. Dudley; clerk, George
H. Chapel; u.-sessor, Homer N. Beach; trustees,
Fraek P. Archer, Charles Flitz, Alfred E. t'apworth,
Lorenzo H, Silivan, vacaacy, Winton      B. Brooks;
niihit watch, Thomas Clark.
1885-President, J&y Corson; clerk, George      H.
Cbhapel; assessor George W. Axtell; trustees, Thomas
G. Switzer, Edger Noble, iFracnk   J. iHolt, Calvin
WIlcox; health officer, E. B  Pratt; street commissioner, Char'es Brigham.
1886-Pr sident, E.    G. MIcPherson; clerk, Will.
Force; assessor, Alvert    Riddlel; trustees, F. G.
Hickey, William    Switz, A, E. Papworth,    W. B.
Brooks; vacancl, L. J. Wright; health officer, R,
W. Colfmarn; marshal and tieasurer, S. B. HRubert;
street co ~rmmissicnar, Charles Brigham; lamp lighter,
Edgar Carpenter.
1887-PresidE-t, Edward P. Gregory; clerk, William IM. Force; sesssor, Newt-on Kirk; trustees. H.
C. Wriaht, vanuancy, George     W    Axtell, Charles
Fritz, Charles L, Collier, William H. Monroe, vacancy, Frel P. Schrood--r; marshall and treasurer, Seth
Ii. Rubert; nigi-ht watch. Walter S. Papworth; street
comwissioner, Winton B. Brooks;       health officer,
John A. Wessinger




211         HISTORY OF HOWELL
1888-President, Dennis Shields; clerk, Bernerd L.
Walker; assessor, Thomas B. Clark; trustees, Cyrus
S. Sweet, Amos Winegar, Wallace W. Barnard,
George H, Chapel, marshall and treasurer, Jerome
Wilber; lamp lighter, Jarvis Miller; night watch,
Thomas B. Clark; health officer, Robert B. Bell,
building inspector, L. J. Wiight
1889-President, W. P. VanWinkle; clerk, A.
Riley Crittenden; assessor,Lewis J. Wright; trustees,
Henry C. Wright, Thomas O'Connor, Rbert B,
Bell, Andrew B. Fishbeck, vacancy, Edward IVlanne
street commissioner, A. S. Cooper; marshall, night
watch and treasurer, Thomas B. Clark; health officer,
Will C. Spencer; building inspectors, C. L.  Collier,
L. J. Wright, Charles Johnson.
1890-President,    Wm. P.     VanWinkle; clerk,
Edward J. Drewery; assessor, Lewis J. Wright;
trustees, Amos Winegar, Edward Manne, Frank Z.
Hubbell, Chas. E. Marston, vacan:cy John Biekbart;
marshall and treasurer, Lyman V. D. Cook; health
officer, Robt. B. Bell.
1891-President, Wm. C. Huntington; clerk, Edison Wilber; assessor, Lewis J. Wright; trustees,
Thomas J. Winegar, P. D, Skilbech, Thomas Barron, Daniel Purkey, vacancy, Charles Arnold; street
commissioner, A. S. Cooper; marshall and treasurer,
L. V. D. Cook; health officer, Dr. R. B. Bell.
1892-Pres. John Wright; clerk, Andrew Fishbeck;
assessor, H. N, Beach; treasurer, James Ryan;




HISTORY OF HOWELL                  212
trustees, Jerome Sherman, Henry Jones, Sylvester
Andrews, John Bickh-rt; health oficer 0. N. Moon;
night watch, Thomas B. Clark; attorney, W. P.
VanWinkle; street commissioner, John Farnsworth;
marshall, T. J. Winegar; pound master, John Herbert, Mr. Winegar only served a short time as marshall and resigned. Byron Phipps was elected t0
vacancy.
1893-Presiaeut, J hn W, Wright; clerk Edison
J. Wilbur; assessor, Homer N. Beach; treasurer,
James Ryan; trustees, Fred F. Hubbell, Henry D.
Wilber, Edward C. Sweet, R. Bruce McPherson;
marslhaill, Stephen G. Fishbeck; health officer, Alex
O'Neil; night watch, T. B. Clark; street commissioner, John Farnswort'".
1894-Prsident, Arthul Garland; olerk, Edison
J. Wilber; assessor, George  P. Dudley; treasurer,
Miller Heunrman; trustees, Herbert J. Ackley, A. D,
ThonIpson, C'arence J, Cook, Hugh A. McPherson,
vacanicy John E. Gilmore; marshall, M. J, Dempsey;
night watch, Byron D. Langworthy; water trustees,
Thomas Gordon Jr. Miles W, Bullock, W. C. Huntingrgon; water clerk and inspector, Geo. P. Dudley.
1895-President, J. C. Walton; clerk, Henry H.
Wines; assessor' Homer N. Beach; treasurer, E.
Miller  Beurmann; trustees, C. E. Burns, S. M.
Armstrong,    Geo, W. Axtell, Albert Thompson,
Hugh A. McPherson, Frank Frieund: marshall, M.
J. Dempsey: street commissioner, John Farnsworth:




213         RISTORIt   OF HOWELL
health officer A, O'Neil; attorney Luke S. Montague:
resigned July 15, Dwight Fitch appointed: night
watch, B, D, Langworthy.
1896-Presidrent, Iobert B. Bell; clerk Henry H.
Wines; tceasurer, Walter W. Knapp; assessor Amos
VWinegar; trustees, Andrew    B. Fishbeck, Frank
Freiund, Hugh A. McPherson; attorney Dennis
Shields; night watch, Will R. Knapp; marshall,
Henry Petibone; health officer, Alex, O'Neil; fire
warden, L, N. Fishbeck; street commissioner, John
Farnsworth; pound master, John Hernst; scavenger,
Abram Van Blaricum.
1897-President, A. D, Thomuson; clerk, Ara L.
V. D. Cook; assessor, Amos Winegar;       treasurer,
Walter W. Knapp; tiruotee-, Calvin Wilcox, Daniel
Ratz, David L. Young; street commissioner, Jos.
Gibouloug; niht watch, Edgar Corson; marshall,
Jerome Wilber; health officer, Dr. J. E. Browne; attorney, Claude Brayfon; fire warden, Fred Hopper,
superintendent and clerk of water works, W       P.
Govier.
1898-President, Louis E. Howlett; clerk, Bernard L. Walker; treasurer, R. E. Barion; assessor,
Walter   W. Knapp; trustees, Ernest L. Avery,
Frederick P. Enler, Homer N, Beach; street commissoner, John Daliels; night watch, Henry Pettibone;
atrtorney, W  H. S. Wood; marshall, Eli L. Snyder,
health officer, Alex. O'Neil; fire warden, L. N. Fishbeck; board of assessors, Everett D. Sargent, Julius




HISTORY OF HOWELL                    1i4
Hesse, Fred F. Hubbell; surveyor, Miles W, Bullock; superintendent water works, George S, Durfee.
1899-President, Louis E. Howlett; clerk, Bernard L. Walker; treasurer, Richard E. Barron:
assessor, Walter \V. Knapp; trustees, Calvin Wilcox,
C. Frank Shields, Amos Winegar
1900- President,    Louis  E.   Howlctt;   clerk,
Charles P. Adams, treasurer, John      B. Barron;
assessor, Walter W. Knapp; trustees, Byron Kells,
Electus Hadden, Charles W. Sharp; water clerk, E.
J. Wilber; electric light and water commission, Fred
P Schroeder, O. J. Parker, Calvin Wilcox.
1901-President Thomas Gordon Jr.; clerk, Charles
P. Adams; treasurer, John B. Barron; assessor, W.
H. S. Wood; trustees, John T. Emmett, Charles F.
Shields, T. O. Newcomb; attorney, F. J. Shields;
surveyor, M. W. Bullock; scavenger, Charles Ackley;
pound master. Charles Baboock; fire warden, L. N,
Fisbbeck; water clerk, Edson J. Wilber.
1902-President, E. P. Gregory; clerk, James I.
VanKeuren; assessor, W   H. S. Wood; treasurer. A.
K. Tooley; trustees, Byron Kells, Adolph G, Kuehnl
ueorge W. VanVerst; street      commissioner, John
Farnsworth; surveyor, M. W. Bullock; night watch,
Wm. Culver; st:avenger, A. VanBlaricum; pound
mastr, Jacob Held; fire warden, L. N. Fisbbeck;
Mr. VanKeuren left Howell during his term   and L.
R. Manning was elected clerk.
1903-President, David D, Harger; clerk, L. R,




215         RISTORY OF HO WELL
Manning; treasurer, Albert K. Tooley; trustees, for
two years, Edward A. Garland, Wmn. Whitaker,
Charles Sharp, for one year      CLarles Granger;
assessor, W. H. S, Wood; attorney.       James A,
Greene; health officer, H. H, Baird; night watch,
Wm. J. Culver; street commissioner, John Fainsworth; marshall, Thomas Clark; fire warden, L. N.
Fishbeck;   surveyor, M. W. Bullock; scaveLger,
Alonzo B. Johnson; pound master, Thomas R, Clark;
members board of review, Wm. Whitaker, T. P.
Stowe. Mr. Clark's health failed during this year
and Freeman Rorabacher was appointed his assistant;
building inspector, Robert Chambers, Asa VanKleec.
1904-President, Amos Winegar; clerk. Luther R.
Manning; treasurer, George A, Wimbles; trustees,
Henry Jubb, Charles L. Granger, John Ienry     Helmer, assessor, Timothy  P. Stowe; secretary water
works end electric light commissioner, D. Hartnell;
pound master, Geo. B, Raymour; fire warden, L. N.
Fishbeck; marshall, H. H, Collins; health officer,
R. H. Baird; night watch, William  Culver: scavanger, Alonzo B. Johnson: attorney, James A. Greene:
street commissioner, George H, Dieterle.
1905-President. Electus Hadden: clerk, Luther
R. Manning; treasurer, Wilber B. Johnson; trustees
Edward A. Garland, Andrew 0. Hutchins; assessor.
Tim P, Stowe, Alfred Copeland; marshall, Freeman
Rorabacher; health officer, R, H. Baird; night watch
William Culver: attorney, David D. Harger: street




RISTOR{    OF HOWELL                216
commissioner, John    Farnsworth: nound      master,
George B. Raymour: fire warden, L, N. Fishbeck:
scavenger, Charles Aekley: member electric light and
water commission, W, P. Govier, 14 rank Wright.
1906-President, Chester A. Parshall: clerk, William  E. Beach: treasurer, Wilber B. Johnson:
trustees, Harry L. Williams, F, Elmer Mills, Emmett
J. Whalian, to fill vacancy, Eugene A. Stowe: asses
sor, E. Miller Beurmann: street commissioner, James
Riley: attorney, W, P. VanWinkle: health officer,
J. E. Browne: night watch, W. J. Culver: fire warden, L, N, Fishbeck: member electric light atd water
works commission, Jay C. Walton: members board
of review, Asa Van Kleeck, E. P. Gregory,
1907-President, Hugh      A, McPherson      clerk,
William E. Beach; treasurer, James H, Miner; trustees, Edmund C. Shields, Claude B. Culver, William
E. Sunderlands; assessor, E. Miller Beurmann; street
commissioner, James Riley; health    officer, J. E.
Browne; attorney, R. D. Roche; night watch, W. J,
Culver; marshall, W, J. Culver; fire warden, L. N
Fishbeck; members beard of       review, Homer N.
Beach, E. P. Gregory; member      electric light and
water works commission, E. A. Bowman; secretary
commission, L. P. Melendy.
1908-President, Amos Winegar;- clerk, William
E. Beach; treasurer, James    H. Miner; trustees,
Walter W, Knapp, George        W. Wright, Joseph
Frank; assessor, E, Miller    Beurmann; marshall,




217         HISTORY    OF HOWELL
Freeman Rorabacher; night watch, W       J- Culver;
health officer.J. E. Browne; member electric light
and water commission, Calvin Wilcox; fire warden,
L. N. Fishbeck; street commissiontr, John Farnsworth; attorney, Richard D. [Roche; members board
of review, Daniel Ratz, E. P. Gregory; se&,r'tary
electric light and water commission, L. P. Melendv,
1909-President, (:alvin Wilcox; clerk, John  Hagman; treasurer, A. J. Brown; trisTees, F, J. Fishbeek, ueorge J. Payne, W. J. Larkin; assessor, E.
Miller Beurmann; memioas electric light and water
commission, to fill vacancy, A. J. P;irker; full term,
David' Young; members board of review, Daniel
Ratz, John Kirk; attorney, Louis Howlett; health
officer, E. H. Bailey; fire warden, b. N  Fishbeck;
street commissioner, George Brigham; sewer inspector and surveyor, Robert Long: marshall, Freeman
Rorabacher: secretary electric light and water com
mission. L. F. Melendy.
1910-President, Thomas Gordon Jr: clerk, John
A. Hagman: treasurer, A. J. Brown: trustees, E.
J. Drewery, Elmer Smith, Joseph Frank: assessor,
E. Miller Beurmanu,: street commissioner, E. E.
Howe; marshall, Daniel Ratz; night watch, Wm. J.
Culver; member electric light and water commission,
E. A. Bowman: fire warden, L. N. Fishbeck; sewer
inspectorand surveyor, Grant Dunning; secretary
electric light and water commission, L. P, Melpndy,
members board of review, C, A. Parshali, James
Miner.




HISTORY OF HOWELL               218
June 28, 1906, A. Riley Crittenden returned to
Howell and established a small weekly paper named
Livingston Tidings. In a few weeks it was changed
to twice a week, and that fall to three times a week.
It has been a prosperous publication from the start,
as a result of hard work by the publisher and his
wife. In November 1910, the Herald having pre
viously gone into the hands of its creditors, it acquired that publication and amalgamated the two
plants.
Largely through the influence of    Tidings the
Howell Commercial club was formed in 1910. Its
birth commemorating the visit of Grand     Rapids
wholesale dealers who were entertained  by Howpll
business men at the Womans club rooms. Its officers
were; President, R. B McPherson; Vice president,
E. A. Stowe; secretary L, R. Manning; treasurer,
D. L. Young; executive committee L E. Howlett,
E. A. Bowmau, O. J. Parker, C. A. Goodnow, F. P.
Schroeder. When Mr. Manning moved away A. L,
Smith was elected in his place. The club secured the
Ewer Wrench and Tool Mfg. Co. for which $15000
of local stock was raised, the old company holdine
$10,000 ot stock in the new company here. It has
built a building and is just fairly getting under
headway.




HISTORY OF HOWELL                   219
INDEX
Page
A dam s' M ill.............................................39
Advertisements Early............................73
All Saints Church.............................100
Ann Arbor Rail Road...................................85
Assessment Roll, First............................  26
Bank, First..................................149
Baptist Church Organized..........................35
Bending Works...............................193
Bible Society...............................63
Bingham  Kingsley..................................55
Blacksmith Shop, First........................... 28
Bowman,   E. A.................................. 198
Brickmaking...................................39
Bridgebuilding in Pioneer Days..........................27
Brigg., H. G................................ 156
Burying Ground, First...............................40
Canal Project.................................. 77
Cardell Addition..............................143
Carnegie Library....................................203
Cemetery Located...............................59
Central School Building..............................146
Characteristics of County...........................12
Charter Election, First................................144
Circuit Court, First............................33
City Grist Mill.................................90
Commercial Club............................. 218
Condensed Milk Co,...............................168
Congregational Church........................63
Corporation officers;
Early.......................................144
Later........................................207




HISTORY OF HOWELL                    220
Corson, Jay.........................181
County Agricultural Society......................93
County Commissioners...............................54
County Election, First............................. 26
County Fairs..................................93
County offices;
At  Eagle Tavern............................56
First  Building  for............................. 56
Buildings Erected.............................. 58
County Seat;
Brighton Agitation..........................    55
Location of............................... 26
County Sunday School Association........................182
Court  House......................................   178
Contract Places for,..........................56
First Building............................. 56
Old  Bell  for............................57
Site for Located.............................57
Used for Religous Services.......................... 58
Cowdry's Addition............................. 92-141
Cow Lawsuit...................................65
Death, First in Howell................................34
Detroit and Grand River Plank Road.................. 78
Detroit and Howell Plank Road.....................79
Detroit and Howell R. R............................ 59 81
Doctor, First......................................... 41
Domestic Animals..............................40
Drowning in Thompson's Lake.......................183
Drug Stores....................................... 201
Eagle Tavern, First Hotel........................... 18. it        Burned................................  102
Ewer Wrench and Tool Mfg. Co......................218
Excursion, First to Owosso..............................87
Factories, Early...................................61
Fair Ground Changed................................ 93
Fires
First Building Burned...........................102
Fire Company............................. 168
Second   Large Fire..........................168




221         HISTORY,OF HOWELL
Great Fire of 1887............................180
Fire  of  1892.................................192
First State and Savings Bank.........................192
Fleming Post Office................................60
Food of the Pioneers...................................34
Four Mile House........................91
Fourth of July Celebration....................61
French and English Claims...............................9
Fun, End of the....................................64
Garland, Arthur.................................164
General Traiing..................................O60
Goodnow & Beacb..................................168
Good Templars......................................175
Green.ouses....................,............199
Gregory, Rev. E. E................................71
Gregory E. P.....................................152
HIicakey & Goodnow..............................16
Holstein Cattle Industry...................195
Horses, First in Howell...............................14
Howell and Byron Plank Road..........................79
i Business College......................205
4 Foundry................................... 89
Howell Grist Mill...............................89
Howell,How Named...................................17
Howell Independent................................163
Howell Masonic Lodge............................88
HowellTownship Organized...........................24
Howell Village Platted..............................17
Howell Village Incorporated........................144
Indian Burying Ground............................8
Indian Owners Here.................................7
Indian  Territory...................................10
Indian  Trails.............................9
Indian Treaty,First Here..............................9
Jail, Proposition Voted Downo..........................35
Jewett Addition................................... 142
Jewett, Chas. G....................................170
Know Nothings....................................... 154
Land, First Located....................o.............42




HISTORY OF HOWELL                        222
Lansing and Howell Plank Road....................... 80
Ladies' Liquor Raid..................105
Law yers  Early........................................... 69
"    In  H owell..................................... 106
"    F irst.......................................... 41
Law  suit  First...........................................26
Liberty Pole, First............................... 27
Livingston Center, Appearance in 1836-37................. 31.... 4 so called....................... 17
C4       County, Laid  Out........................... 10.... t Organized...............  10
"4      Courier..................................... 72
D em ocrat..................................  99
H erald..................................... 176
Republican.................................. 94
Tidings.................................... 218
Losoford, A braham....................................... 99
M acom b  Co, Part of..................................... 10
M ail Carrier,:First...................................... 21
Mail, where Before Post Office Here..................... 21
Marr Burying    Ground................................. 60
M edical  Society....................................... 174
Methodist Church............................... 24
M ilk  Factory............................................ 194
M ills,  H. H.  and  Son....................................96
M onroe  Bros............................................ 95
M unson  Prof. F.  W..................................... 97
M urder  Trial,  First............................... 105
M cPherson   Addition.................................... 142
Bank...................................29-150
W  m, Arrival............................... 27
&  Sons.................................29
N ewspaper, First......................................  72
Normal Training   School................................. 183
Northwest Territory................ 10
Oakland County, Part of................................     10
Odd  Fellows Lodge,   First................................ 88
O pera  H ouise........................................... 192
Parker 0. J.........................201




223         HISTORY OF HOWELL
Parsons & Beach..................................67
Parsons, Birt F...................................194
Pere Marquette R. R.................................85
Phoenix Foundry and Machine Shops..................91
Physicians, Early..................................68
S  In Howell..............................106
Pinckney Home.....................................42
Pioneer Society....................................163
Politicians, Early....................................155
Political Parties, First"Election by..................... 27
Postmaster, First....................................21
Post Office Sec ired Here.............................21
Post Office and Post Masters...............            171
Pottawattomie Indians............................. 7
Presbyterian Church
Early Conncetions....................I.......55
First Church Built.............................55
First Pastor..................................60
Organization  of................................54
Prisoner Escaped.............................66
Probate Judge, First..................................55
Early................................54
Public School Building..............................62
1,,      First......................................30
Rail Road, First Project...........................,...78
F,,  irst Built........................... o.....84
Crossing War.............................86,   Indignation  Meeting........................  87
Red Bird Stage.......................................50
Religious  Service,  First..................................18
Reported  Land  W orthless................................10
Representatives,  Early.........................,.....  106
Rowe, Joseph...................................72
Rubert Hotel......................................53
Saginaw Chippewe Indians.......................7
Salvation Army...................................179
Sauks, Former Owners................................7
Saw Mill......................................... 28
School Board and Teachers........................148




HISTORY OF HOWELL                   224
School Site Located..........................146
Schoolhouse, First............................... 33
School Teachers, Early.........................147
Select Schools...................................062
Sermons First...................................23
Settlements, First............................10 1S
Settlers, First................................11
Settlers, List of Early............................20
Shaft's  Hotel................................53
Sheriff Residence and Jail........................177
Shiawassee County, Part of..................:..... 10
Shields, Dennis............................... 155
Shields & Shields..............................156
Shoe Shop, First................................34
Skilbeck, Joseph H.............................72
Sliter's  Hotel.......................................  44
Sliter's Saw Mill................................90
Small  Pox..................................184
Springs  Hotel.................................50
Squirters....................................47
Stage Lines..................................76
Stair, E. D..................................95
State Roads.........................        75-77
State Sanitorium................... -.- 1............. 197
Store, First................................ 28
1First Permanent..........................32
Street Fairs......................          -.......94
Suicide, Early........................................ 67
Sullivan, Nicholas..............................72
Superintendents of Schools..............................148
Supervisors, First Meeting of Board......................27
Supervisors, Permanent Organization..................54
St. John's Episcopal church.........................101
St Joseph's Catholic church........................165
Temperance Hotel..................................52
Temporary Building, First.......................12
Thompson's Addition...................140
Thompson's lake..........................28
Toll Road, End of..................................80




225         HISTORY OF HOWELL
Town Meeting, First.................................. 25
Township  Officers, First................................. 157
L ater................................. 185
Township Sunday School Association................... 182
Train, First in Howell............................85
Travel, Early..................................75
Turner, Judge..................................75
Twisting of Lawsuit................................ 67
Union Hall....................................... 52
U nion  Lyceum.......................................... 60
Union  School  Building............................... 92-145
V anKleeck, Asa........................................ 156
W ard  Schools........................................... 149
Washington Heights Addition.....................14
W ater  W orks.........................    170
Wayne County, Part of.......................... 10
W eddings, First......................................... 22
Weimeister & O'Hearn............................. 151
W enk, Win. H,  Creamery.............................. 206
W est Howell M.  E.  Church.............................. 91
W hite  Child,  First.................................... 15
W hipple  Addition....................................... 142
W ickman  W ire  W orks.................................. 206
Wilcox Addition............................... 142
W ill, First in  Probate.................................... 54
Wildcat  Banks........................................... 40
W inter, Very  H ard.................................... 103
Wolf Bounty.................................35
W olf  Stories........................................... 30
W right's  Planing  M ill................................. 155













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