The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-12-29
Burton Farmers Club.

Mrs Charles r. Woodin.
! The meeting was called TO order bout eleven
! O'Clock and the forenoon session was spent in
the general discussion of questions which were
: given out at the meeting four weeks before.
After dinner the'roh call showed that another
of our members Mr.. Taorpe had answered the
= last roll call
The committee to draft resolutions on the
death of Mr.. Bignall reported as follows:
Whereas. IL has pleased the Almighty in His
WISDOM 10 take iron US our friend aud brother,
Resolved, by the Burton Farmers Club that
we IN view OF his great aftiicJon, long suffering
ana his re signatlon 10 mis- Masters Will &C
| knowledge the goodness OF God With thus
dealing wiihps, and that we deeply sympathize
with his family and friends
hesolved That we send a COPY of these reso.
buttons be sent TO The OwOssO rIMEsfor publ
cation. And hata copy be sent 10 the family
| OF tne deceased. CHAs II. WoODIN,
The ladies' subject, "Do the surroundings of
a MN or woman AFFECT the cha acter," was
discussed by nearly all present
Four weeks ago G. T. Mason was appointed
to give us n a short paper on the early history
of owosso township. The CLUB votei to have
the paper published, which was as follows:
| "owosso township originally consisted OF the
north one half of Shia wassee county, what is
now the townships of Fairfield, Rush, New
Haven, Hazalton, Middlebury, owosso Gale.
dona and Venice, eight townships in all. 1t is
nov known as TT, N Of RE,
Deputy Unlted States sSurveyor joseph
Wampler ran out the township boundary lines
Ia the summer Of 1923, and on Saturday Nov.
9Th of the same year William Brookheld who
was also deputy United States surveyor be.
gan the work OF sub dividing. la sub dividing
a township surveyor commences;n the south.
east corner OF section 80 and works north and
west. That Is the eason the fractional sections
come on the north and west OF township.
Mr.. Brookfeld completed his work in this
| township on section in the north-w corner
on Sunday, Nov. 23d. rs years ago last month.
fMr Brookleld made many entries in his field
| notes in regard to this township
| In one place he says that he found large
| Indian sugar bush on the line between sections
rs and ", land first rate. This line is between
Frank Weidman's, Mr.. Barber's. Mr. Loves
and Mr.. Deitrick's
| Another Indian sugar bush he notes on tie
| line between sections " and %. This is on the
| line running south from the five corners He
also states that running the lines between Sec
lions 2S and 33, and % and 10 the compass was
tattracted by minerals This is on the line run
ming west from Leonard Bowles' and the line
! running west from the tive corners. He also
says that on the line between sections IS and
he found large white oak fifty links in cir.
conference seven feet, from the ground. This
would be thirty three feet IN circumference or
| eleven feet in diameter seven feet above the
ground 1t was sixty feet to the first limb
This tree stood about 100 rods east of the north
| east corner OF my farm, and remember well OF
seeing the tree many times. The tree was cut
| and made into slaves about SO years ago
| In running the line between sections and
he wrote 10 his field book, "Wretched swamp,
not even fit for.woves to live i'm This is on the
| line running from the Matthias farm to the
| Cook farm west
|, A. L. and b. o. Williams took up the first
land In the township Aug. I'd, 1885, No other
entries were made until 1885 when Trumbeli
Cary, William Rood, James Tilson, Kildburn
Bedell, Lewis Ficley, Elias Constock Apolros
Dewey and Abel Millington bought land in the
| township.
In 1886 lands we're purchased by So different
parties. OF this number only five moved on
| their lands.
Reuten Griggs Abram Wilkinson, Samuel
Wilkinson, A. Il. Mason, and Ezra l. Mason.
all remained on their farms and improved them.
The first settler OF the township (outside the
city, were Reuben Griggs and Abram Wilkin.
sen, In June, 1886. The next was .Apollos Dewey
who settled on his farm in the spring of 1882
Ezra L. Mason. wife and two daughters, A. b.
Mason and wife came TO Owosso and settled on
their farm in September 1889. Ezra Mason (my
brother) is recorded as being the first white
child oorn In the township
In 1870 Samuel Shepard, Waterman Perkins
and Francis Mittleburger settled on farms in
the township.
Settlements In the township were not made
very fast at this time, for we fad that the resi-
dent tax payers IN 1914 were as follows: VIM
Berry, VIM. Badgero James Bogue Apo!los
Dewey, J. W. Dewey, Lewis Finley. Reuben
Grlggs. w. o. Hopkins, Abel Lamunyon. Fran
els Mittleburger. L. L. Mason. A. b. Mason
w. Perkins Samuel Shepard, Lewis Simpson,
Charles Stlmson, Ira Stimson, A. r. Wilkinson
Samuel Wilkinson, Horton Warren, Bushrod
Warren. Henry Hunt and VIM. Jackson. In
1899 Caledonia and Mlddlebury we're formed as
separate townships. New Haven in 1871, Ven
ice in is4S, Rush and Hazelton in 1850 and Fair
field in 1854. All Of this comprised territory
which originally belonged to the old township
of Owosso.
During the years OF 1887 and 1888 the first
township meeting was held at the homo of
elected supervisor. Nearly every township
officer was elected to two Offices The township
has now a population OF about two thousand.
There are only four persons now living in this
township (outside OF the city, who lived here
in 1912, viz: J. w. Dewey r. M Shepard, e. w.
Mason and G.. T. Mason.
We hardly realize the changes that are taking
place in the township from year to year OF the
improvements and OF the people who have
lived here and are now gone to return no more.
For instance on the main road where lived, In
a distance of two miles ninety eight people who
have lived there have died since my recollec
ton. and perhaps others whom have forgotten
Some day I may tell you something about the
Indians and wild animals which were very
numerous fifty years ago."
The club adjourned to meet the first Thurs
day in January at r. @. Shepard's.
M. MN
Birth. marks which mark and mrr the
outside Of the body are a grief to every