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Michigan Towns Select Towns
Thomas W. Wells settled in the township of Marshall in 1838, purchased and cultivated a beautiful tract of land. Although farming was-a new business to Mr. Wells, he having been educated to mercantile pursuits in the city of New York, he nevertheless was a good farmer. His own experience and success demonstrates the fact that brains and education are no set-back to a farmer. Mr. Wells did not follow the plow, for he had too delicate an organization, but he gave direction and personal attention to all his farming operations, and was, of course, successful. On the 8th of April, 1842, he entered upon the duties of acting commissioner of internal improvement, and creditably filled its responsible duties for two years. He retired from office at his own request, on account of impaired health, on the 8th of April, 1844. Some idea of his
responsible and arduous labor may be inferred from a survey of the various enterprises pertaining to his office, to wit: The Michigan Central railroad; the Michigan Southern, (now called Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana;) Clinton and Kalamazoo canal; improvement of Grand and Maple rivers; Northern railroad, or turnpike; Saginaw canal; canal around the rapids of Grand river, at Grand Rapids; Detroit and Grand river road ; improvement of Kalamazoo and St. Joseph rivers, etc. In the conduct of his business, spread out as it was over the entire state, he handled hundreds of thousands of dollars, or rather land warrants and state scrip, representing that amount. In his report to the legislature, December 16th, 1842, he says he has received from the Michigan Central railroad $11,106.74 in specie and bills of specie paying banks, which has enabled him to make change, etc. How fortunate that the cash accumulations from the Central railroad for nine months enabled the commissioner to make change!
Michigan
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