Excerpt From:
THE HISTORY OF
OUR CHURCH AND ITS
PEOPLE
By Laura E. Barnhart
In the years between
1850 and 1858, our territory was called Brant and Marion. Brant is said to have been named for Joseph
Brant, a chief of the Mohawk tribe whose Indian name was Thayendanga. During these years, twenty-two families
migrated to this territory called Brant.
The earliest family
to settle here seems to have been the Benjamin Colvin family from New
York. Benjamin was 32 years old and his
wife, Arvilla, 28. They came with three
children: Charles, age 12, Alice, age 9,
and Hannah age 7. He built his log cabin
along the banks of the North Branch of the Bad River.
Alpheus Oliver was
another of the first landowners in the Township (1851) and he was also listed
as a school inspector in 1858.
Evidently, he was not at home when the census was taken because he was
not listed as a resident in the Township.
The Adams family came
along in 1854. There were Adam Adams,
age 60, from Vermont and his wife Nancy, age 48, with their two children, Nancy
age 15, and Melonaton age 9. Also from
Vermont were John Adams, age 24, and his wife Celista, age 24, and their
daughter, Nola, age 1. Bradely Adams was
very active in the political side of our community; however, the writer could
not locate any information about his family.
Albert A. Aldrich,
age 26, was listed as a farmer from New York.
Timothy Ingersoll,
65, years old, came as a farmer from New York with Peter, age 37, Amanda, age
21, and Alice age 1.
Orinton Babbitt, age
22, came from Delaware and his wife Celista, 44, came from Canada. There were eight children: Levi, age 32, Franklin, age 22, Phebe, age
19, Harriet, age 14, James, age 11, Fanny, age 9, Jackson, age 6, and Ambrosia,
age 3.
Austin Blackmore, age
25, came from New York, but his wife, Sylvia, age 19, came from Michigan.
Another family coming
here in 1854 was the Cogswell family.
Ezra age 55, was from New York, and his wife, Laura, age 51, was from
Connecticut. Two children were listed in
the census: Charles H., age 25, born in
New York, and Frederick, age 14, born in Michigan.
William N. Crandel,
age 55, came from New York and was listed as a Ship Carpenter. His wife, Louisa, age 55, came from
England. They had six children. Two of their children were born in Ohio: Julia, age 24, and Eber, age 20. The other four children were born in
Michigan. Their names were: Sylvester, age 15, Louisa E., age 12,
Wealthy, age 11, and Maria, age 9. Also
there were Albert G. Mellager, age 14, and Perry Crane, age 22. Perry was listed as a Carpenter from Canada.
Isaac Dibble, age 43,
and Polly, age 41, came from New York with their five children: Willis, age 15, Lydia, age 13, Cornelia, age
12, Maria, age 8, and Eddie, age 4.
Isaac worked as a farmer.
Jason Eldredge, 25
years old, was a farmer from New York.
He came with his wife Rachel, 23 years old, and their daughter, Laura E.
age 2. Laura was born in Michigan.
Phillip Frazer, age
26, came from New York with his wife Elizabeth, age 23. He, too, was interested in clearing land to
plant crops in the fertile land.
Purchase R. Hill, 44
years old, was a farmer from New York.
He came to Brant with his wife Eliza, age 42, and their eight
children: James, age 19, Siris, age 17,
Jeffrey, age 14, Emily, age 13, Eliza age 11, Safrona, age 8, William, age 6,
and Florence, age 4. Purchase had been
in Pennsylvania, as well as Canada, before coming to Brant.
Talmon Jennings, age
61, and his wife, Elizabeth age 63, came from Vermont and New York.
B. W. Lamb, 69 years
old, came from New York to buy land in 1854 but the census lists him as a
resident between 1860 and 1870.
Columbus Luther, age
37, came from New York, with his wife Maria H., age 26. James Hinkley, 8 years old, was listed as
part of their family.
Thomas Perry, age 38,
came from New York; and lived in Canada before coming to Michigan with his wife
Eunice, age 32, and their children:
Elizabeth, age 16, Isadore, age 10, George, age 8, Eunice, age 5, and
Thomas, age 2.
Elanson Roads, age
29, and his wife, Elizabeth Roads, age 37, came from New York, as did the
Benjamin Sliter, age 22, family. His
wife Margaret, age 30, and their 10-year-old son William B., accompanied him.
These were the
“first” families to face, not only the many rigors of pioneer life, but also
the responsibility of establishing a community.
How they must have labored to clear land with the primitive tools; and
to build log shelters for their families.
Yet, they had their lighter moments, when they got together after
finishing a log home, with a potluck supper, prayer meeting and talk of future
plans. Can you imagine getting your mail
once or twice a month, eating only what you raised, a few dollars and cents in
your pocket, making all your clothes from materials you may have brought with
you, knitting your own stockings, mittens and no place to shop?
These strong pioneers
had dreams of better days to come for their children, as well as
themselves. They were willing to make
sacrifices at the present for their dreams of the future.
