The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1885-01-30
SHIAWASSEE COUNTY.
The Hon. M. Shoemaker. of Ia,

son, recently placed in our hands
an old work, entitled Gazetteer O.
the State of Michigan, in lhrce parts
containing general view oflhe S'a' {
description Of the face Of The com
Try, soil, productions, public lands
internal improvements, commerce
government. climate, education, re.
lgious denominations, popu'ari'...
antiquities, Sc Sc, with a succ;.t
history of The State, from the elrlirs'
period TO the present time; also a
particular description Of the counties,
towns. villages, post offices, water
courses, lakes. prairies, &C.; alphabet
ically arranged; with an appendix
containing the usual statistical tables,
and directory for emigrants, &c y
by Ohm +. Blais. Published in d..
troit, by Sidney l.. Bood & Co., New
York, by Robinson, Pratt & Co., in
1898.
AT that time Detroit was the State
Capital with population of o,e78.
while the total population of the
State was only IFS. 1000, of which 679
were colored. AT this time Stevens
/. Mason was Governor; Edward
Mundy, Lieut.. Governor; John Nor
veil and Lucius Lyon U. S. Senators,
and Isaac E. Crary Representative in
Congress.
OF ShiawaSsee county the compiler
speaks as follows:
"hiaWassee Comfy is bounded on
the north by Saginaw east by Genesee
south by Livingston and west by Gin.
ton. 1t was organized in 1887 and
has surface of 544 square miles.
Seat of justice, Corunna.
Water C0H,yeS-Shiawassee. Look
ing Glass and Mishtegoyock rivers.
Organized 7oz0nShibs-Antri,p. Ben
nington, Burns. Owosso, Shiawassee,
Vernon and Woodruff.
NlAages--Shiawassee, Cornnna,
Owosso and Byron.
The ISU,1aee is rolling in the CEN
trail and southeastern part but in the
western and northern part it is level.
The soil is admirably ada pied to ag-
ricnlture in The south east and central
part, consisting of oak al timber
openings of superior quality. In
the south west is a large prairie; and
in the north large body of flat and
somewhat swampy country well odap-
ted to the raising of cattle. Large
crops of corn, rye, oats, barley and
potatoes are raised, especially on the
bottom lands Of the Shiawassee river
and its branches. There is a good
quarry of stone near the center of the
county and mine ofstone coal which
may be valuable. Mills OF various
kinds have been and still are cree ing
in different parts of the county. A
great number of -rill sites are to be
found on the Shiawassee, Looking
Glass and Maple rivers which could
be profitably employed either in the
the manufacture of -four or lumber
For two or three years past there
has been great flow of emigration
to this county. There is yet, much
excellent land which is not entered.
The south tier Of townships belong to
the Detrot-the rest belong the Sag
inaw Land District.
.Shiawassee in conjunction with
Genesee and Clinton sends one Rep.
resentative to the Legislature and
belongs 10 the third Senatorial
district which elects three Senators.
Population. 1874"
Owosso township at that time in.
cluded townships seven and eight
north, ranges one, two, three and four
east, being the present townships OF
Middlebury, Fairfield, Owosso, Rush,
Caledonia, New Haven, Caledonia,
Venice and Hlzelton. The poPula-
ton is not given. Of the present
| city of Owosso is as follows:
"Owosso, a small settlement in
Shiawassee county on the Shiawassee
river in the northern part of the
county, contains a banking associa
ton store and few mechanics. 1t
is newly settled and hourishing."
At the head Of this banking asso
citation was Hon. Amos Gould, SO
long identified with the financial
prosperity of this city. Among the
settlers are TO be found the names OF
Hon. B. o., and A. l.. Williams, and
Judge Comstock.