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But, for minor local differences the early history of Albion, Homer,
Clarendon and Eckford is essentially the same. The rugged pioneers in
each and all of these townships were young men and women, largely from
the state of New York. They were generally possessed of courage,
enterprise and thrift. It was these qualities that enabled them to pull
out from the old home settlements in the east, brave the dangers and
hardships of the long and tedious journey, and settle down with all the
attending discomforts and privations of a new and isolated country and
slowly but surely clear the forests, fence the fields, plant the
orchards and vineyards, build and improve the highways, construct the
houses and barns, the school houses and churches and rear their children
in comfort and in a moral and religious atmosphere, leaving not only
worthy descendants but leaving the world better for having lived and
wrought in it. All honor to the pioneer fathers and mothers who left us
so good an inheritance.
The Doolittles, the Cooks, the Keeps, the Balentines, the Rogers, the
Flints, the Humestones, the Perines and many equally worthy to be
enumerated, whose united efforts have served to make Clarendon one of
the best townships in Calhoun County deserve to be remembered.
Although Anthony Doolittle came in May, 1832, and settled in the
northeast corner of the township, and David L. Hutchinson in the fall of
the same year; Loren Keep and Erastus B. Enos, Alonzo H. Rogers, Timothy
Hamlin, who married Elizabeth Doolittle (theirs being the first marriage
in the township), Calvin Rogers with his wife and five children, Calvin
Heath, A.B. Bartlett, George W. Hayes and a number of others who came
during the four or five years after Doolittle’s arrival, it was not
until 18838 that the township was organized, and given the name of
Clarendon; it is said because so many of the early comers were from the
town of Clarendon, Orleans county, New York.
According the United States government sureveys, the township is town 4
south, range 5 west. Except in the northeast part, the township was
generally ccovered with a thick growth of heavy timber of various kinds,
the maple being in abundance and affording an annual supply of sugar and
delicious syrup. The soil is of excellent quality, comparin favorably
with that of the best townships in the country. The St. Joseph river
enters the town from the south on section 36 and flowing in a
north-easterly direction nearly to Homer, turns west and leaves it on
section 18 by way of Tekonsha. This stream is small and narrow but in an
early day afforded power for one or more saw mills. There is
comparatively little marsh or waste land in the township. The “Air
Line†a branch of the Michigan Central Railroad completed in 1870,
traverses the north central part of the town from east to west.
Clarendon Station is located about two miles northeast of the center of
the town and from which lmuch of the surplus prodcuts of the fine farms
are shipped.
The first town meeting was held in 1838, of which Aaron B. Bartlett was
chosen chairman and Timothy Hamlin, clerk. Truman Rathburn Hayeswas
elected supervisor; Timothy Hamlin, township clerk; Horace B. Hayes,
John Main and Ira Sumner, assessors; Charles B. White, collector; Samuel
Blair and Cornelius Putnam, directors of the poor; Alonzo H. Rogers,
George W. Hayes, and Elijah Andrus, commissioners of highways; John
Main, Ira Sumner and Horace B. Hayes, school inspectors; Truman
Rathburn, William Cooper, John Main and Ira Sumner, justices of the
peace. The first school in the township was taught on Cook’s prairie
in 1833. The first religious society was organized by the Presbyterians
in 1838. Meetings were held in school houses until a log church was
built on the southeast quarter of section 18, which was used for a
number of years. The Methodists organized in 1840 and held services in a
log house built by Lewis Benham. A frame church was built some time
between 1840 and 1850. The young men of Clarendon responded nobly the
call of their country during the Civil War, leaving a record of which
the township wll ever be proud. |
