In April, 1837, George Miller came to this State, walking
the entire distance from his home to
Lockport
,
N.Y.
, where he took the canal boat to
Buffalo
, and the steamer to
Detroit
. He then resumed his
journey on foot to his new home in
Independence
Township
."
|
At the
end of the War of 1812, the federal government set aside six million acres
of homestead land for soldiers returning from the war with
Britain
, two million of it was to be located
in
Michigan
.
In preparation for land distribution to the soldiers, the
territory
of
Michigan
was to be surveyed. Initial reports from the Surveyor-General
indicated that Michigan "...to all appearances, together with
information received concerning the balance, is so bad (swampy) there would
not be more than one acre out of a hundred, if there should be one out of a
thousand, that would in any case admit of cultivation." A result
of this report was the temporary abandonment of the survey, and the
subsequent distribution of homesteads to the soldiers. By 1816, the
survey was re-instituted, due in large part to the persistence of Lewis
Cass, the territorial governor of
Michigan
.
In the
early years, emigration into
Michigan
was slow. With the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, the numbers
of settlers arriving in
Michigan
significantly increased. Prior to the opening of the canal, travel to
Michigan
from the east was primarily by stage coach over the Mohawk and Genessee turnpike, and by covered wagons and
horses. Although this method would generally take less time than
traveling by the canal, it was also more costly. In addition, it did
not allow for the livestock, wagons and household goods that the emigrants
would need to take with them to settle their land.
The
first settlers arrived in
Independence
Township
in the mid 1820s and
early 1830s, primarily from
New jersey
and
New York
.
The first settler to purchase and settle land in the township was John W. Beardslee, from Sussex County New Jersey. Beardslee purchased his tract of land in section 35 in
1826, and settled on it five years later in 1831.
By 1834
nearly every section in the southern half of the township had been purchased,
while only a few settlers had ventured north into sections 14 and 15.
The lower sections of the township, characterized by flat plains, were
generally more conducive to farming. The Sashabaw Plains, located in the southeastern corner of the township, were the most
notable plains. They extended north and south nearly three miles, and
east and west about two and one-half miles. this is the area where
many of the earliest settlers first purchased land.
The rest
of the township was a mix of flat plains, rolling hills and numerous lakes
- connected by branches of the
Clinton
River
. There
was considerable marsh surface in the vicinity of these lakes, and nearly
all were bordered by swamps.
In 1840
there were eight hundred and thirty people in the township. Among the
adult men in the township, the primary occupation was farming. Two
hundred and twenty-five men declared themselves as farmers on the 1840
Federal Census, while only seventeen were reported as associated with
manufacturing and trades, and two in commerce. By the 1850 Federal
Census, the population had increased to well over twelve hundred people,
and farming remained the dominate occupation. While there was a
slight increase in the number of farmers (two hundred and sixty-one), there
was a tremendous increase in the number of other professions, due largely
to the growth of
Clarkston
Village
.
Professions listed on the 1850 Federal Census included: carpenter,
cooper, blacksmith, wagon maker, shoe maker, merchant, cabinet maker,
physician, preacher, teacher, and ten others. The most prevalent of
this group were the carpenters, with twenty-four located in the
township. This was undoubtedly due to the significant number of
houses being constructed during the mid 1800s.
While
the most significant number of settlers is reported in the 1850 Federal
Census originated from the New England states, there were also emigrants
from
Canada
,
Ireland
,
England
,
Scotland
and
Germany
,
with the number of English settlers being the highest at forty-six.
By 1877,
nearly all of the swampy "waste-land" had been put into
agriculture, with the help of artificial drainage. The 1880 Federal
Census reported that there were sixty-nine farmers in the township, and
fifty-three farm hands, the distinction being that farmers owned the land
that they farmed. Many of the larger farms had multiple farm hands
living on site.
While
the township was primarily agricultural in the late 1800s, the numerous
lakes were beginning to draw vacationers out of
Detroit
in the hot summer months.
Several inns located throughout the township were the initial destinations
for travelers, who would arrive by railroad and disembark at the township's
railroad depot, just south of Clarkston, By the early 1900s, travel
to the township was made even easier with the convenience of the personal
automobile. Small summer cottages began to be built within the
township, and farms - especially those around the lakes, began to be sold
and subdivided. This trend continued until the early 1930s, when the
depression put a temporary end to further land developments
| |
