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LEROY TOWNSHIP
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Township Hall 8156 4 Mile Road East Leroy, MI 49051 Phone: 269-979-9421 |
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Cemeteries Click on hyperlink for more information |
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Brief History of LEROY From the Leroy Township Website |
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Creation of the Township
The congressional township of Leroy is designated as town 3 south, range 8 west, and is bounded on the north by Battle Creek township, on the east by Emmett, on the south by Athens, and on the west by Climax township, Kalamazoo county. It originally belonged to the township of Athens, from which it was constitutionally divided in the spring of 1837. As to soil, no township in the county possesses a greater diversity, being aptly described as containing good, bad and indifferent. On the west are fine burr-oak plains, and what was formerly heavily-timbered land, the soil of which is of the best and admirably adapted to agricultural purposes. There is some marsh land, no considerable streams, but three small lakes, which, besides affording fine facilities for procuring pure water, also plentifully abound with all kinds of fish generally found in the smaller lakes. The marsh land originally extended through the center of the township, which caused its normal division - East Leroy and West Leroy. A large portion of it has been redeemed and is now practically under cultivation. We are credibly informed that this marsh at an early day used to subject the settlers to great difficulty and annoyance. Indeed, it is said that oftentimes the pioneers had to take their oxen from their wagons, tie their legs together, and roll them over, then disjoin their vehicles and carry them across piecemeal. Besides this, the miasmatic effuvia emanating from its stagnant waters caused a great deal of sickness, such as ague, and other bilious ailments. These disagreeable results were, however, partially recompensed by the pasturage which the marsh afforded the early settlers. The name "Leroy" for the new township was suggested by Mrs. David C. Fish to Silas Kelsey, who circulated the petition for the division of old Athens; not, as has been erroneously stated in a recent publication, for the reason that Mr. Fish and family came from a place of that name, for we are assured by this venerable couple that they were never in or ever heard of a place called Leroy prior to the naming of the township; and hence, in honor of the event, she, with a mother's pride in her first-born son, suggested that the township be named in his honor. The fact remains, however, that her son was not the first child born in the township, and as there has been considerable dispute as to the priority of birth of Leroy Fish and Charles E. Baker, we have taken extra pains to ascertain the facts, which we submit as follows: Charles E. Baker, born June 17, 1836; Leroy Fish, born August 26, 1836. |
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