Shelby
Township
The first American settlers of the township were
Nathaniel Squier, George Hanscom,
Elias Wilcox, Joseph Miller, Ezra Burgess, Elder Abel Warren, Peleg Ewell, Ira Preston,
Joseph Lester, the Axfords, Owens and others, whose
names are recorded in other pages of this work.
Thomas Squier was the
first white inhabitant who died in the town of
Shelby
. He was a brother of Hiram Squier, by whom he was buried. Joelamy Squier, a half-sister of Thomas Squier,
was the first white child born in the township, her birth occurring in July,
1817. She married James Muir at an early day, and is now known as the Widow
Muir, of Almont, where she still resides.
The township of Shelby was erected under
authority given in the legislative enactment of April 12, 1827, and the first
town meeting ordered to be held at the house of Perez Swift, the last Monday
in May following.
Shelby
originally comprised Towns 2 and 3 north, in the twelfth range east.
The first meeting of the inhabitants of
Shelby
for the purpose
of electing town officers was held at the house of Perez Swift. Calvin Davis
presided, with Abijah Owen, Clerk. The result of
this election was the choice of Joseph Lester, for Supervisor; Abel Warren,
Clerk; Solomon Wales, Jedediah Messenger, William
A. Davis, Assessors; Eleazer Scott, Amasa Messenger and Russell Andrus, Overseers of the
Poor; William Arnold and Isaac Russ, Constables; Nun Moe and Elias Wilcox,
Overseers of Highways; Enoch Huntley, Isaac Russ, Elon Dudley, Orison Withey, Road Commissioners; Eleazer Scott and George Hanscom,
Pound-keepers; Joseph Lester, Abel Warren, Solomon Wales, William A. Davis
and Jedediah Messenger presided as Inspectors of
Elections.
The present
village
of
Utica
was named
Harlow
by Joseph Stead. In 1833, a number of Americans who had settled in the
neighborhood, assembled at Elias Scott's house to adopt a name for the village,
when Gurdon
C. Leech proposed the name
Utica
,
which name was adopted. Among the settlers in 1831 were John James,
Gurdon C. and Payne
K. Leech, William A. Davis and family, William Smith, Ethan Squiers, Elias Scott, Joseph Stead, George E. Adair, E.
P. Adair, Lyman Wentworth, ---- Sparks, the Chapel brothers, B.L. Watkins, B. Kittridge, Peter Moe, Lyman T. Jenny, Job Hoxie, Jedediah Messenger, Amasa Messenger, Asa Huntley, Jonathan Allen, Joseph
Lester, Luman Squiers and
Anthony King. In 1832, a large number located in the neighborhood.
The hamlet of Disco was platted in 1849.
The owners intended that the place should become an academical town, and carried out that intention. The men interested in this
laudable enterprise set apart ten acres of land and an endowment fund of
$1,000. In 1850, the academy building was erected, and Alonzo M.
Keeler appointed Principal. Subsequently, the common school of the
district was taken under the academical wing, and
so the building continued in the service of high and primary education until
1864, when the lower floor was given to the School Trustees and the
upper to the religious societies of the neighborhood.
The village is located on the Middle Branch of
the
Clinton
River
,
fourteen miles northwest of the county seat and four miles north of
Utica
, its
shipping-point. Its population is 110.
The principal industries of the village are
comprised in a wooden bowl factory, feed-mill, cider-mill and planing-mill. Among the business and professional
men are A.E. Bacon, physician; G.T. Darby, grocer; J.H. Bell, bowl
manufacturer; John C. Adams, dealer in produce; George Brown, wagon-maker;
James Cole, lumber manufacturer; Cross & Payne, wagon-makers, cider
manufacturers and planing-mill operators; M.J. Monfore, agricultural implements; H.N. Orcutt, James Ray and ---- Selfridge, blacksmiths.The first settlers of Disco were John
Keeler, Alonzo M. Keeler, Isaac C. Cross, James B. Fry and Henry Skerritt. John Russell, the temperance lecturer, is named
among the first settlers. Mrs. H.J. Salter had charge of the post
office until the appointment of Miss Emma A. keeler.
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