The true northerner., 1900-07-20
LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP.
HAsKIN BEFORE THE COUNTY PIONEER
ASSOCIATION.

Town 3 south, range 10 west, is the
designation applied in the original gov
ernment survey to the township now
known as Lawrence. 1t embraces 36
full sections and fractional section in
the northeast corner On the north Of
the township is Arlington, on the south
Hamilton, on the east Paw Paw, and on
the west Hartford.
The country, originally timbered with
beech, maple, whitewood, Eastwood, elm,
ash, black walnut and butternut, covers
region of gently rolling lands whose
rich soil makes the townships agricul-
tural interests exceedingly profitable,
both for grain and fruit.
Excellent water power is gained from
Brush creek, 4 he most important tribu-
tary of the Paw Paw river in Lawrence.
The river itself flows through the north
ern part of the township, which is watered
also by numerous other tributaries and
half dozen lakes scattered through the
town, which afford good fishing.
The township contains one village,
way with the Michigan Central at Law
ton on the east, and with Hartford on
the Chicago q West Michigan, now
called Pere Marquette, on the west, and
with the lake at South Haven.
Some traces of Indian mounds were
found on sections Z and s, IN and around
which were found many relicks of the
| e.. ,,,l l.. Tn1
Although the early settlements con-
centrated in and around the site OF Law
renee village, the first in the township
was made on the west shore of Prospect
lake, on section 21, by one Stephen Foun-
tain, bachelor, in June, 1880. Very
little can be said of Fountains repre-
sentation as a Lawrence pioneer, for he
tarried in his new quarters but a short
time, and when he left traces of his ex-
istence in Lawrence disappeared with
/ him. 1t was also in June, 1885, that
John Allen founded the village of Mason,
now Lawrence.
In 1880 there also came to Lawrence
John r. Haynes. Geo. and John Rey-
nolds, James Gray, wife and six children,
and Eaton Branch and wife.
In1S36cam Orrin Sutton Thomas Price,
Ephraim Taylor, Joseph Haynes. r. b..
Danks Thomas S. Camp, Samuel Gun
ton and others.
i a 1897 j. Il. Monroe settled on section
2, where he lived until short time be-
fore his DEATH which occurred at South
Haven in October, 1870 Watson Poole
also settled in Mason village in the same
year, 1887.
The first birth in Lawrence was Sarah,
daughter of John and Jane Reynolds,
March 2l, 1886. She died in her youth.
William r. Williams and Elizabeth
Gibbs were the pioneer welded couple
from Lawrence; as the township had
no squire they had to 90 to Schoolcraft to
have the ceremony performed. Ephraim
Taylor and Emeline Gibbs were the first
couple married in Lawrence, in the fall
of 1887, by j. r. Monroe.
The first death was that of Mrs. Dex-
ter Gibbs, in April, 1888.
Lawrence township was organized in
1897, and included at that time the ter
ritory now occupied by Lawrence, Airing
ton and Hartford. Hartford was set oil
IN 1910 aud Arlington in 1871.
The first township meeting of the town
of Lawrence was held at the house of
Horace Stimson on the 81 day of April,
1887, at which time the following persons
were elected, to-wit; John r.. Haynes,
supervisor; Orrin Sutton, clerk; Hiram
Hilliard, collector; Joseph Haynes, John
Reynolds, Horace Stimson, assessors;
John ID. Freeman, James Gray, Eaton
Branch, commissioners of highways;
Hiram Hilliard, VIM. Il. Williams, con-
stables; Geo. S. Reynolds, Dexter Gibbs,
directors of the poor.
Resolutions were passed at this meet
ing as follows:
Resolved, that there be a bounty of
five dollars on each wolf scalp taken in
this town the present year, and five dol
lars on each panther scalp caught in this
town the present year.
At special meeting held April % in
the same year, Geo. S. Reynolds, Dexter
Gibbs, Richard b. Danks and Alyin
Harris were elected justices of the peace,
and Nathaniel b. Starkweather, Hiram
Hilliard and John Reynolds school in
spectors.
The first school house erected in the
township was built 10y James Gray in
the spring of 1887, and the first teacher
was Elizabeth Camp and the second
Truman Foster, since which time we
have had many teachers who, since the
days of their pedagogy, have become
noted men: for instance, our honored
president, j. j. Woodman, and our pres
ent circuit Judge, j. Il. Carr. Since 1869
we have had graded school from which
many young men and women have gone
out into the world who are now fill
ing important and honorable positions
in life.
The first township road was laid out
in 1887, and was known as the Watervliet
road James Gray and Eaton Branch be
ing highway commissioners and H. r.
Barnum surveyor 4 road from Mason
village toward Keelerville, surveyed in
1896 by Jesse l.. Church, was laid out in
| 1897: other roads were also laid ont in