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WATERTOWN THIRTY YEARS AGO 1854 by the Hon. Enos Goodrich
The speculating epoch of "wildcat days, " which ran wild over the southern counties, had just dipped over the border and taken three small tracts in, Watertown near North lake. On the 19th day of December, 1836, Calvin C. Waller, had made a small entry of land on sections 32 and 33, and the 23d day of January, 1837, Alva Bishop invaded the township by making a location on 33. But who Calvin C. Waller and Alva Bishop may have been are facts not known to the writer. Whether they have gone to join the majority of the pioneers of that early period in the better land, or still live in other climes must remain for others to tell. And now the wilds of Watertown enjoy a long season of unbroken repose, until John McCartney invades the very heart of the township by a location on section 21 under the date of October 18, 1851. During the next succeeding three years quite extensive tracts of land were located for their timber. Principal among the locators are the names of Chester Baxter, who, I think, was a Vermonter, and Royal C. Remmick and Enoch J. White, both citizens of Michigan, both widely and favorably known to our early pioneers, and both of whom, after a long and successful career, have years ago passed from the scenes of earth. Of those who purchased lands in Watertown not far from thirty years ago, I present an imperfect list of such as are known to be living and such as are known to have passed away.
Among the living are Nathaniel M. Berry, Charles Dickinson, Joseph Colling, Thomas Duncan, James Docherty, Samuel P. McNeil, Franklin. Wright, James McCartney, Jacob W. Brown, Patrick O'Neil, Nathan Potter,. Nathan N. Wilson. The ford; Edward H. Thompson, Flint; John H. Mar-kell, James H. C. Blades, Fenton; Jasper Johnson, Curtiss Coffeen, Samuel Salein, Oakland Co.; James L. Cain, Enos Goodrich. Among those known to have passed away we have to record the names of George Turner, Ira S. Begel, Alphant J. Glynn, Charles Merrill, Benjamine Decker, Samuel McNeil, Amos L. Hinney, Ira Davenport, Merrill Henry.
Michigan
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