Early History of Oakland County

By O. Poppleton

Read at the annual meeting Jun 5, 1884

From the Michigan Pioneer and Historical Society

Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen at the State Pioneer Society; some months ago since I gave encouragement that I would prepare a paper on the early history of Oakland County, for the annual meeting of the State Pioneer Society, to be held here in June. At that time and did not realize the difficulty in obtaining the necessary data for such a paper, or I should have hesitated in giving such encouragement.

In my research for early historical facts which would be of interest to the society and meeting, prior to the first surveys and settlements of the county by the whites, I have unable to find but little which is authenticated by French or English writers, but more the traditionary and theoretical.

When the whites explored and settled in the county we find evidence of prior occupation, semi-civilization and tillage of the soil by unknown agriculturalists of a very remote period.

Many rude agricultural implements been found by the tillage of the soil and excavations, thus definitely demonstrating that the county had once been occupied by a people who subsisted wholly or in part by the telling of the earth.

In many locations in the county it was no uncommon occurrence for the early settlers to find large areas which he been killed and hoed crops, as was evident from the regular and well-defined hills and rose upon which were growing the largest oaks of the forest, in which my actual count and computation of the early growth, must have been long prior to the discovery of this continent. The Indian traditions without a corn, beans, and other crops, were grown upon these lands, and that they had sustained a numerous population.

Stone axes, hammers, knives, mortars and pedestals, flint arrowheads, pottery, etc. together with copper utensils and ornaments have frequently been found during and since the early settlement of the county by the whites.

At what period those people occupied the county is difficult even to approximate a date. Yet from the modified barbarism which is indicated by this county hasn’t occupied by a race long since extinct, who were undoubtedly connected with the early civilizations of Europe.

In the early explorations of the Great Lakes by the French, commencing in 1534 -5, they found the descendants of the Algonquin tribes of Indians occupying a county to the north end of the west of Detroit, with whom they held social and commercial intercourse, yet but little of the French and early Indian history has been preserved. It is known that the fur traders a major annual fixes to this region to the rivers Huron, Raisin and Clinton for the purpose of bartering with the Indians for first skins.

One Micheau , a French and Indian trader, who died about the time of the early settlement of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, and it advanced age of 115 or 116 years, relates that one of the traditions of the tribes with a great sanguinary battle occurred between the boxes and the Chippewas upon the plains Northwest and adjoining the village of Birmingham, now known as the Willet, Dr. Swan and Capt. Blake farms and sections 24 and 25.

Their principal villages located near the present site of the cemetery, in Birmingham, and informed the nucleus from which they sallied forth upon their hunting, fishing and warlike expeditions, with a varied success, with game, skins, and scalps of their hated foe, the Foxes. Between these tribes are existed a deadly feud for many moons, until culminated in an attack by the Foxes upon the village of the Chippewas. How many were engaged in that conflict tradition has failed to enlighten us. Nap there are many braves engaged on each side is evident from the number of dead bodies to have been found in the track of the retreating Chippewas, and on the battlefield. The Chippewas were defeated after desperate struggle, and their village destroyed. They retreated along the trail toward what is now the city of Detroit, closely pursued by their foes, 700 dead bodies were said to have been found along the line of retreat, while on the battlefield there were too numerous to count. The pride and strength of this once powerful tribe was humbled, and thenceforth they began to decline in influence and numbers.

There is one other notable Indian tradition of an event which occurred in the county, that of a hostile meeting between the great chief Pontiac and another tribe, which occurred under and around a large white oak tree, and the township of Royal Oak, and section 16, from which the Township derived its name. At the time I first saw it, 1825, it bore many marks of the tomahawk, arrows and bullets, but at what date or what tribe was opposed to him I have never been able to learn.

Orchard Lake, situated in the Township of West Bloomfield, was one of the homes of Pontiac, and was so-called for the reason that on an island in the lake, containing about 38 acres, there was, when first known by the whites, and Apple Orchard contain trees of large growth, and from which my friend, Hon. B. O. Williams, tells us, he borrowed many trees for planning at Silver Lake. Orchard Lake was said to be a favorite resort for the great chief. It and the numerous other lakes, rivers and streams supplied these red-skins with an ample stock of fish and waterfowl, while the forest and the plains were well-stocked with wild game. During the siege of Detroit by Pontiac, from May 1763, to August 1764, 15 months, this chieftain drew many other supplies from this locality. One Col. Rogers, a Provincial officer of the colonies, under orders of his British Majesty, proceeded to take the possession of the chain of forts on the great lakes and rivers, surrendered by France at the close of the French and English war in 1760, arrived near the mouth of the Detroit River, Pontiac, being aware of is coming, have gathered together as warriors from this region and stood sullenly in his path and demanded to know how we dare to enter his country without his permission.

From the date of Pontiac’s abandoning this easy Detroit, and 1764, to the time of the order another survey the county by the surveyor general, in 1815, I find my research but little of authoritative historical interest. But in my investigations of yearly surveys in the state and county, I find it replete with interest.

From the old records I learn that the first surveys are made in the territory of which we find many public records is made by Aaron Greeley of “Private Land Claims” and St. Clair, Detroit and Rouge rivers in the winter of 1809 and from July to November, 1810.

The first surveys upon the Meridian line were made by Benjamin Hough in the fall of 1815, from the north line of town 3 west, and Jackson County, south of the Ohio State line. The first surveys in the baseline were east of town 5 E., in Livingston County, to Lake St. Clair, by Alexander Holmes, in 1815.

The earliest subdivisions of townships were given any order as surveyed, viz., in March 1817, town 1 N., Range 10 the East, Southfield; in April 1818, towns 1 and 2 N., Range 11 E., Royal Oak and Troy, by Joseph Wampler in May 1817, town of 1 N., Range 9 E., Farmington, by Samuel Carpenter. Entries under the “Credit System” or the “Two Dollar Act”, were made in the following townships of the county as follows: Waterford, Independence, Southfield, Bloomfield, Pontiac, Orion, Troy, Avon, Oakland and Royal Oak, of the southwest quarter, section 32, the first location of the land in the county.

The third was made by Joseph Watson of the District of Columbia, of the East ½ and Northwest ¼ of section 35, in Pontiac. November 30, 1818, Stephen Mack, who has had credit for this first entry in the Township, did not locate until December 19, 1818, 19 days after that made by Joseph Watson.

The fourth location was made by John Montieth of the southwest quarter of section 3, and Southfield, December 15, 1818.

The fifth was made by Austin E. Wing of the Northeast ¼ of section 29, in Bloomfield, December 23, 1818. Mr. Wing was afterwards elected a delicate in Congress from the territory to the 19th to 20th and 22nd congresses. Mr. Wing accompanied Gen. Cass on one of his explorations through Oakland, Genesee and Saginaw counties. Passing through Bloomfield that they The banks of Wing Lake, which now bears his name and where he located the land mentioned

The six location was by Archibald Phillips, of the East ½ and Southwest ¼ of section 29, in Independence, February 6, 1819.

The seventh was by William Thurber, of the Northwest ¼ of section 6, and Royal Oak, February 4, 1819.

The eighth was by John Hamilton, J. W. Hunter, Lemuel Castle, and Joseph Fairbanks, of the Northwest ¼ of section 19, in Troy, February 12, 1819.

The ninth was by Ephraim Williams, of the North ½ of section 13 and Waterford, February 18, 1819, bordering on the banks of Silver Lake, being a homestead of Major Oliver Williams, father of Ephraim S., Gardner D., Alfred, Alpheus, Benjamin O., James, Mrs. Stephens, and Mrs. Mary Hodges, and Mrs. Harriet Walker.

The tenth was by Benjamin Woodworth and William Russell and section 33, Oakland, February 13, 1819.

No doubt there are people in this audience who knew uncle Ben Woodworth as “mine host” of the Steamboat Hotel on Woodbridge Street, in Detroit, in the early days. Numerous other locations are made in the 10 townships under the “Credit” or “Two Dollar Act” until July 1820, when a law passed by Congress reducing the price to $1.25 per acre advance payment took effect.

The first entry made under this act and account it was that by David Standard, July 3, 1820, in the North East ¼ of section 4, in Bloomfield.

Col. Standard was a proper hotel keeper in the early days of pioneer life and dispensed to the traveling public with a liberal hand choice venison, fresh fish, Ohio hog and Kentucky bourbon, and later in life imbibed too freely himself for weak eyes. When remonstrated by his attending physician for so doing and told if you must stop drinking any stimulant or lose his eyes, he replied: “then goodbye eyes.” There are two pioneers here today who knew the Cromwell, and no doubt have partaken of his good cheer, not omitting old bourbon.

The following table gives the names of the townships in the county the dates of the surveys of the exterior lines and subdivisions, the date of the first entry, the date of the first settlement, and by whom, in each:

It has now been 67 years since the first permanent settler is located in the County of Oakland. The first were John Hersey, James and Alexander Graham and Christopher Hartsough, in the Township of Avon, with their families, on March 17, 1817, who spent their first night on a plat of ground between the junction of the Paint Creek and Clinton River.

These families came by way of Mount Clemens, following the course of the Clinton River, there being an impenetrable swamp between Detroit and their new home, so reported by the commission sent out by the Surveyor General. The report demonstrates how little was known to the interior of the territory and the county at that time. 66 years ago Moses Fallon entered the first land in the county at United States land office at Detroit at October 24, 1818, being a Southwest ¼ of section 32, in Orion.

These early reminiscences and recollections which I have been given bring me to the time of the surveys and the earlier settlements the county, and I view need the narrative of the early history of the settlers and settlements to be continued at some future time. I hope by some more ready and versatile pen.

Thanking you all for your kind and courteous attention I wish you many re-occurrences of these pleasant and agreeable meetings.

In conformity with requirements concerning the duty of the Vice President of the Society, I submit the following memorial reports of pioneers who were members of the Oakland Pioneer Society, who have died during the year closing June 1, 1884:

David Allison, born in Orange County, New York, in 1794, settled in Troy in 1836, died in Pontiac, October 1883, aged 89.

Elizabeth M. Andrews, born in Canada in 1802, settled in Pontiac 1836, died in April 1884, age 82.

Alonzo Barbour, born in Whitehall, New York, in 1801, settled in Pontiac in 1832, died September 1883, aged 82.

John L. Brownell, born in New Lisbon, New York, in 1810, settled in Farmington in 1826, died September 1883, age 73.

Benedict Baldwin, born in Branford Connecticut, in 1787, settled in Oakland Township 1825, died January 19, 1884, age 97.

Sally Ann Beatty, born in Seneca County New York, in 1805, settled in Waterford in 1824. Died in January 1883, age 78.

Frances C. Butterfield, born in Scituate, Massachusetts, in 1811, settled in Pontiac in 1844. Died March 23, 1884, 73 years.

Henry Carpenter, born in Hardiston, New York, in 1813, settled in Bloomfield in 1832, died in 1883, age 70.

Jeddiah Durkee, born in Williamston, Massachusetts, 1799, settled in with Bloomfield 1825. Died July 1883, age 84.

Wilson Fener, born in Oxford, New York, in 1812, settled in Avon 1837. Died August 1883, age 71.

Jane W. Green, born in Farmington, Michigan, 1829, died in Farmington, December 1883, age 54.

Laura Hamlin, born in Covington, New York, 1809, settled in Avon 1822. Died July 9, 1883, age 74.

Thomas Pinkerton, born in Ovid, New York, 1802, settled in Novi 1825. Died August 12, 1883, age 81.

Pomeroy Stiles, born in Georgia, Vermont, 1800, settled in Bloomfield 1825. Died July 31, 1883, age 83 years

Hiram Walton, born in Ogden, New York, 1817, settled in Orion 1832. Died December 1883, age 66.

John Waters, born in Chatham, New York, 1807, settled in Southfield 1830. Died August 1883, age 76.

Almeron Whitehead, born in Newburgh, New York, September 20, 1808, settled in Waterford 1840. Died October 15, 1883, age 75.

Lorenzo Washburn, born in Bennington, New York, 1828, settled in West Bloomfield. Died September 1883, age 55.

Lucy Phelps, born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 1798, settled in Pontiac 1828. Died May 26, 1884, age 86.

Thomas Flinn, born in Canada, April 26, 1817 settled in Royal Oak 1823, died July 6, 1883, age 66.

Robert Crawford, born in Greenfield, Saratoga County, New York, 1787, settled in Farmington 1828, died May 31, 1884, age 97.

William Yerkes, born in Woodland, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, September 29, 1794, settled in Novi 1826. Died January 5, 1884, age 89. Member of the first State Legislature, 1837, again elected 1856.

I have below a few names of the deceased pioneers not members of the society, whose deaths have come to my notice during this past year:

Dinah Smith, born at Wickenham, England, 1800, settled in Waterford 1836. Died 1883, age 83.

Thomas S. Bird, born in Ogden, New Jersey, 1810, settled in Independence 1837. Died September 1883, age 74.

Mrs. J. R. Corson, Senior, born in Scipio, Cayuga County, New York, June 11, 1813, settled in Bloomfield 1836, died April 2, 1884, age 71.

Adin Washburn, born in Franklin, New Jersey, 1825, settled in Pontiac 1842. Died February 1884, age 60.

Judge M. E. Crofoot, the well-known lawyer of Pontiac in Detroit, died at his home in the former city, Sunday morning, May 11, 1884. Mr. Crofoot was born March 14, 1822, in Florida, Montgomery County, New York. He studied law with General H. L. Stevens, of Rochester, in 1845 followed the latter to Pontiac, Michigan. In the winter of 1846 he was admitted to the bar in Oakland County, and continued in the regular practice of law up to within the last two years. He served eight years, beginning in 1838, As Probate Judge of Oakland County, and for Years, beginning in 1862, as Prosecuting Attorney. He won a great reputation as a trial lawyer, and stood nearly at the head of the profession in this state. For a number of years he had an office in Detroit, though we always retained his residence in Pontiac. He was in 1878 a member of the board of Building Commissioners of the Eastern Asylum for the Insane at Pontiac and afterwards a member of the Board of Trustees in the same institution. About two years ago his health became shattered in his mind impaired.

Samuel P. Ferguson, of Milford, died May 19, and his funeral occurred May 24, being conducted by the Masonic order, of which he been a member for over 60 years, he being 84 years of age in March last. Mr. Ferguson in his early life was a contractor on the Erie Canal, and resided at Whiteszoro, New York from which place, when 24 years of age, he wrote a horse the Council Bluffs and returned, stopping for a time in Chicago, then a hamlet of Five Houses. He had resided in Michigan 32 years, was a prominent citizen of Milford, and proprietor of the opera house.

Dr. William Pulford, diet Milford, age 93 years. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, January 17, 1791; a pensioner of the war of 1812, the listing is a Fife Major and mustered out as a Lieutenant of Artillery. A resident of Michigan since 1848. For a number years he was a resident of Canada, and built the first hotel and Chatham. He settled in Birmingham, Michigan, and died in Milford. I’m one occasion, while artillerymen were firing a salute in honor of the Queen’s birthday, he thought to show how the piece would be handled, and the careless domain of the vent resulted in his left arm being blown off and the right one being badly shattered.

Mrs. Marie, wife of George Hopkinson, of Pontiac Township, died at her home in Pontiac of inflammation of the lungs, at the age of 75 years, and on the 53rd anniversary of her marriage. She had lived 44 years in Pontiac and was one of our earliest pioneers.

There have been 30 deaths of old pioneers in Oakland County during the past year, whose total age is 2,304, or an average of 75 years each. Nine of those were born before the year 1800 or during that year. Their total ages were 708 years an average of each with 89 and ¾ years. Of these, to attain the advanced age of 97 years, being Robert Crawford of Farmington and Benedict Baldwin of Oakland Township.