EARLY SETTLEMENT

Amaziah WINCHELL,
 a native of Plattsburgh, essex Co., N.Y., wrote as follows in 1875:

"My first remembrance is the burning of the barracks and arsenal at Plattsburgh. Soon after my father moved to Ticonderoga, and in 1816 to Shoreham, Addison Co., Vt. In August, 1833, I was married to Rhoda Arvilla ABBOTT and came to Michigan; landed at Detroit, Sept. 8, 1833; settled in the town of Lima, Washtenaw Co.; resided there until November, 1835, then moved to Pinckney, Livingston Co. Located my present home in Ingham County in 1836, it being the southeast quarter of section 13, town 2 north, of range 1 east. I have five children, - three sons and two daughters, - all living. I have never had over nine months' schooling. The first pair of shoes I had was in the winter of 1824. I was one of ten children in my father's family, - four boys and six girls. My first hat cost me one bushel of wheat, which I picked up or gleaned after the reapers. I have voted at every election and town-meeting, except one, since I have resided in the State. I was orderly sergeant in the Washtenaw regiment during the Toledo war; have been sheriff of Ingham County four years; superintendent of the county poor five years; member of the Legislature one year, and held several of the town offices. Am now (1875) drain commissioner for Ingham County. I was the first barber in Ingham County that cut hair after the fashion of the country."

Thomas CLOUGH
came from the State of New York in 1836, and settled at Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich., on the 14th of July in that year. December 2d, following, a son, Albert B. CLOUGH, was born. Mr. CLOUGH removed with his family to Ingham County, and settled in the township of Ingham, March 20, 1842. The family then consisted of himself, his wife, and three children. The lived in a log house, with a clay hearth and stick chimney, and bears, wolves, and other wild animals were daily and nightly visitors. Mr. CLOUGH died Aug. 29, 1878.

Marcus BEERS,
a native of Darby, New Havens Co., Conn., settled at Ann Arbor, Mich., in September, 1833. About the last of May, 1836, he settled on section 13, in the township of Ingham, Ingham Co. He writes:

"I hired two teams to move to  my new home, and got to our cabin the third day noon, all right and in good spirits. When I moved in Ingham there were but three families in the four townships, and our first organized town contained what are now Ingham, Wheatfield, White Oak, and Leroy."

Mr. BEERS' wife, Mrs. Lucinda BEERS, who was a native of Dryden, Tompkins Co., N.Y., died in 1879.

Abner POTTER,
from the State of New York, settled in this town with his family in 1839. He is now deceased. Several of his sons are residents of the county, - Allen, living in Aurelius, Edmund in Leslie, and Elijah in Bunker Hill. Daniel, who also lived in the latter town, died Sept. 26, 1880. William, who settled in Gratiot County, is also deceased. The family came to Ingham County in very destitute circumstances, but its members who are living are now all independent.

Reuben TORREY,
who was born Jan. 7, 1789, in Guilford, Windham Co., Vt., settled in Lenawee Co., Mich., May 23, 1837, and removed to become a resident of Ingham township, Jan. 15, 1841. He died Oct. 31, 1875, at his residence in Ingham, in the eighty-seventh year of his age; his wife's death occurred Dec. 29, 1864, when she was seventy-eight years old.

Martin A. SWEET,
a native of Slippery Rock, Mercer (now Lawrence) Co., Pa., came to this township and settled in May, 1844; removed afterwards to Mason.

Andrew HUNT,
a native of Naples, Ontario Co., N.Y., settled in Ingham township in May, 1846, and says the first time he went to Mason he found but one mud-hole, and that extended the entire distance from Henry A. HAWLEY's to the village.

John POTTER,
from Saratoga Co., N.Y., settled in the township in the fall of 1837, his parents having located in the township of Ingham, on section 29, where his father died in 1842, and his mother about 1850. Mr. POTTER removed to the township of Alaiedon about 1853.

Bowen HICKS,
a native of Homer, Cortland Co., N.Y., emigrated to Michigan in the spring of 1836, and settled in the town of Sharon, Washtenaw Co., where he lived until 1840, when he removed to Ingham County, and settled in the township of Ingham on eighty acres of land he had purchased in the summer of 1836. Mr. HICKS died April 1, 1876, aged nearly sixty-nine years.

Jabez W. BROWN,
who was born at Norfolk, England, came to America in 1827, and in 1836 became one of the first settlers in the township of Ingham, Ingham Co., Mich. His death occurred April 22, 1838, of heart disease, while visiting a sick brother in Oakland County.

Joshua DOAN
and his son, John D. DOAN, in company with Amaziah WINCHELL and Jedediah BENNETT, came to what is now the township of Ingham  in the winter 1835-36, and purchased lands on sections 13 and 24. Mr. WINCHELL employed one man to assist him, and early in season of 1836 built on his place the first shanty erected in the township, remaining in it for several weeks, while the two chopped perhaps ten acres. BENNETT also built a shanty at nearly the same time. He removed, after ten or twelve years, to Kalamazoo County, or some other locality in the western part of the State. The first of the men named to bring his family to the township was Joshua DOAN, who came from Franklin Co., N.Y., about 1831, and settled at Dexter, Washtenaw Co., Mich., whence they came to Ingham in March 1836. Snow lay quite deep on the ground, and Mrs. DOAN was at the time suffering with the ague. Her illness necessitated a stop for rest and recuperation while on the way from Dexter. Mrs. DOAN was the first white woman who came into the wilderness of Ingham to locate. Her death was caused by an accident about 1860-62; Mr. DOAN died about 1848. A small shanty was built for the accommodation of the family after their arrival in the township, and on the place was cut some of the first timber felled by settlers in town. The old farm is now occupied by Mr. DOAN's son, Joshua DOAN, Jr.

Alonzo DOAN, another son of the above, was a young man when his parents moved to this county. He visited them here in 1837, and about 1841 returned to Franklin Co., N.Y., where he remained ten years. During that time he was married, and in 1851 came back with his family to Michigan, and settled in the township of Wheatfield, where he at present resides. His brother, John D. DOAN, is now a resident of Dexter.

Benjamin AVERY,
from the town of Palmyra, Wayne Co., N.Y., settled with his family in Ingham about 1836-37, immediately south of dansville, and is now living in the village, at the age of nearly eighty years. His son, Sylvester AVERY, is one of the firm of DOAN & AVERY, fruit-dryers, at Dansville.

In the southwest part of town is a locality known as "Meadville," which at one time was filled was filled with the hope of becoming a metropolis. A man named MEAD, from Milan (Unadilla), Livingston Co., built and conducted a hotel for several years, but finally, as his schemes were realized to be hopeless, he left the place, and it is now considered only a small store.

Marvin GEER,
from Lyons, Wayne Co., N.Y., settled in 1837, on section 24, near his present location, and the township has been his home most of the time since. His wife, a son, and a daughter accompanied him here. At that time there was living in the neighborhood, with their families, Marcus BEERS, Shubael WALDO, Caleb CARR, and a man named DAVIDSON; WALDO and DAVIDSON are now deceased. DAVIDSON lived on the farm now owned by Henry WALKER.

Hubbard DAKIN,
from from Alleghany Co., N.Y., came to this county and settled at Dansville about 1843-44.

Daniel LEBAR,
from the same locality, settled in the township in 1849. His son, Charles LEBAR, is now a resident of the township of Bunker Hill.

Ephraim WALKER,
from Broome Co., N.Y., came to Ingham Co., in April, 1842, and settled on a farm north of Dansville. He at present resides in the village, and at the age of seventy-eight years appears as young as many men of fifty.

Zenas ATWOOD
came with his family from Cayuga Co., N.Y., in October, 1836, and settled on the west half of the northeast quarter of section 24, in Ingham, having purchased the land the previous spring. The family consisted of Mr. ATWOOD and his wife, four sons, and two daughters, two other daughters having remained in New York. Mr. ATWOOD died in October, 1850. His son, Marcus M. ATWOOD, who practiced law for thirty years in the township, is now living at Dansville, where he located in September, 1858.

Elias J. SMITH, Esq.,
now of Dansville, came to Michigan with his parents, in 1829, from Genesee Co., N.Y., and settled in Washtenaw County. In 1836 he purchased land in Stockbridge, Ingham Co., to which town he removed in 1848. Has lived in Dansville since November, 1862.

Henry L. STRONG,
from Senate, Cayuga Co., N.Y., settled on a farm at what is now Dansville, in May, 1842, with his wife, who is a daughter of Samuel CROSMAN, at which time there were but four log houses on the site of the village, and possibly only three of them were occupied.

VILLAGE OF DANSVILLE

Samuel CROSSMAN
(name originally spelled Crosman), from Cayuga Co., N.Y., purchased 400 acres of land on sections 14 and 15, in the town of Ingham, in May 1836, and his son, John S. CROSSMAN, settled on section 15 in September, 1840, and cleared forty acres. He taught school in the winter of 1839-40. He lived on the land until February, 1843, and during the years 1843-44 was in Jackson County. In the fall of 1845 he returned to Dansville, where he remained until November, 1852, when he went to California. His wife died at Dansville in June of that year. In 1854 he was married again, in the State of New York. He resided in California and Nevada for twenty-three years, finally settling in Williamston, Ingham Co., Mich., where he is now living, as are also two of his brothers. All are prominent business men.

Samuel CROSSMAN settled at Dansville with his family in November, 1845, and remained ten years, finally removing to Ann Arbor, where he now resides, aged eighty-four years. In May, 1842, when Henry L. STRONG came to the vicinity, the only persons living at Dansville were John S. CROSSMAN, Samuel SKADAN, William B. EVERTS, and possibly Dennis ROBINSON, although the latter moved away about that time. Their houses were built of logs, the only frame structure at the place being John S. CROSSMAN's barn.

Lonson HILL,
from Ontario Co., N.Y., came to Michigan in May, 1846, and located at Dansville, which has since been his home. At the time he came Samuel CROSSMAN had the frame of a new house up and inclosed, but the building was not yet completed.This was the first frame house in the place.

Simon P. HENDRICK,
from Mumfordville, Monroe Co., N.Y., came to Michigan in 1839 or 1840, and located, with his parents, in Hamburg, Livingston Co. In 1851 he removed to Dansville, which is now his home. 

The first business establishment in the place was a small store, with a general stock, opened by Samuel CROSSMAN about 1847.

Village Plats
The original plat of the village of Dansville was laid out May 26, 1857, by Samuel CROSSMAN and Ephraim HILLIARD on part of the southeast quarter of section 15 and the northeast quarter of section 22. "Crossman's complete plat," acknowledged Oct. 26, 1866, is on sections 15 and 22, and embraces the original plat, D.L. CROSSMAN's addition, and DAKIN & OTIS' addition.

Village of Dansville Incorporation
The village of Dansville was incorporated, by act of the Legislature, March 9, 1867, and the charter was amended in 1869. The first charter election was held Monday, May 6, 1867; the following officers were chosen: President, Daniel L. CROSSMAN; Recorder, Marshall HAWCROFT (resigned, and Z. RANSOM appointed); Treasurer, Lemuel K. STRONG; Trustees, Henry L. STRONG, Martin V. JESSOP, Joseph KEENE.

From 1868 to 1880, inclusive, the officers of the village have been:

HOTELS

The first hotel in the village was the present "Union Hotel," which was commenced in the fall of 1856 by David D. FOX, and completed in 1857. Mr. FOX kept it for several years, and sold to Mr. HARRIS. The present proprietors of the house are the OWEN Brothers. Messrs. COY and ANDREWS conducted it at different times.

The "National Hotel" was built in 1860-61 by HENDRICK & WIGGINS, and is now the property of William TELFORD, who has owned it several years.

POST OFFICE

In 1846 a post-office called Ingham was kept in the southeast part of the township by John B. LOBDELL, who was post-master several years. The office was subsequently moved to Haynes' Corners, one and a half mile south of Dansville, and Henry DENSMORE was postmaster. It was finally moved to Dansville, and the name changed to correspond. Dr. Daniel T. WESTON was the first postmaster at the village, about 1855. The present incumbent is L.K. STRONG.

ORIGINAL LAND ENTRIES
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1844 TAXPAYER LIST

The following resident taxpayers appear on the assessment-roll for the township of Ingham in 1844:

INGHAM TOWNSHIP OFFICERS

The original town of Ingham, as organized by act of the Legislature approved March 11, 1837, included the present townships of Ingham, White Oak, Wheatfield and Leroy, the latter  three having been since set off and organized as separate townships. The act organizing Ingham provided that the first township-meeting should be held at the house of Caleb CARR, and from the township record is taken the following account of said meeting:

"At the annual town-meeting, held at the house of Caleb CARR, for the purpose of electing town officers, on the 2d day of April, A.D. 1838, the following number of persons received the following number of votes set opposite their several names: For supervisor, Henry LEE, 53; for town clerk, H. FERGUSON, 23; Marcus BEERS, 30; for justice of the peace, Cyrus POST, 60; Caleb CARR, 37; Henry LEE, 35; James HUFFMAN, 31; Amaziah WINCHELL, 24; David GORSLINE, 24; H.H. SMITH, 20; for constable and collector, John CLEMENTS, 24; Jonathan THOMAS, 23; for assessors, Ephraim MEECH, 44; James RATHBUN, 36; Andrew STEVENS, 47; J.L. HENDEE, 28; John DAKIN, 32; William CARR, 20; William A. DRYER, 26; for school inspectors, John CLEMENTS, 47; Lucius WILSON, 30; William POST, 29; H.H. SMITH, 17; Caleb CARR, 17; for highway commissioners, Daniel COUNTRYMAN, 61; Lucius WILSON, 59; John CLEMENTS, 32; Uriel SMITH, 29; for directors of the poor, Zenas ATWOOD, 46; James RATHBUN, 27; Jacob DAKIN, 17; for constables, E.H. JUBB, 46; Thomas STEVENS, 47; for town treasurer, J.B. LOBDELL, 15."

At a special meeting, held June 6, 1838, John CLEMENTS, Lucius WILSON, and William A. DRYER were elected school inspectors. At a regular election in 1839, Caleb CARR was elected supervisor; William A. DRYER, town clerk; Hezekiah FERGUSON, treasurer; and Cyrus POST, justice of the peace. In March, 1839, the township was divided, and, at a special election, Hezekiah FERGUSON and Jacob OLDS were elected justices of the peace, and George Q. WATKINS town clerk. May 1, 1844, a license was granted to John B. LOBDELL to keep a public-house on the east half of the southeast quarter of section 26, and he was authorized to "keep and entertain travelers; to retail rum, brandy, gin, and other spirituous liquors; also, ale, cider, beer, and other fermented liquors, and to have and to use al the privileges granted by the laws of the State of Michigan to keepers of public-houses."

Following is a list of the principal officers of the township since 1840:

MANUFACTURES

A steam saw-mill was built about 1864 by Martin V. and Daniel R. JESSOP, and some time later a planing, matching, and moulding department was added. The establishment is now owned by Daniel R. and George JESSOP. When the mill and shops are running with full force from three to five persons are given employment therein.

Ephraim and Elisha HILLIARD erected a steam grist-mill about 1855, which is now the property of a man named HERSHEY, living in the State of New York. It contains three runs of stones, and does only custom work. A twenty horse-power steam-engine is in use, and two men are employed. The capital invested is about $3000.

A.M. HALL is the present proprietor of a carriage-factory in the village, having purchased it in the spring of 1879, and succeeded W.W. HEALD. Four to six men are employed, and the annual business amounts to $5000 or $6000. This is the only manufactory of carriages in the place, other shops make repairs alone, which branch of the business Mr. HALL is also engaged in. He has resided in the county since 1860, when he came to the township of White Oak with his father, G.M. HALL. The latter, a native of Vermont, had resided fourteen years in Jackson County before moving to Ingham.

In 1877, Messrs. DOAN & AVERY built a fruit-drying establishment on the ALDEN plat, and are the present proprietors. For two years the business has not been very brisk, but during the present year (1880) it had greatly revived, and a large amount of fruit will be dried during the season, which lasts about two months. The daily capacity is about 250 pounds of dried apples. Several persons are given employment.

SOCIETIES

Dansville Lodge, No. 160, F. and A.M., has been organized nearly twenty years. Its first Master was Marcus M. ATWOOD, who held the position four years. The present membership is about seventy-five, and the officers are Joseph KEENE, Worshipful master; L.C. CHASE, Senior Warden; W.H. DANIELS, Junior Warden; A.M. HALL, Sec.; Samuel SKADAN, Treas.

Dansville Lodge, No. 102, I.O.O.F., was instituted Sept. 21, 1866, with eight or nine charter members. The first Noble Grand was Charles B. DEAN. The present membership is about fifty, and the officers are D.V. MILLER, Noble Grand; Fred L. MILLER, Vice-Grand; Elias J. SMITH, Rec. and Per. Sec.; Lemuel K. STRONG, Treas.

BAND

A coronet band was organized at Dansville, Wednesday night, Sept. 15, 1880, with thirteen pieces, under the auspices of the village corporation. Some of its members belonged to a band which formerly existed in the place, but most of the players are novices. New instruments have been purchased. The teacher and leader is J.W. LORANGER.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES

In 1846 there were no church buildings in town. A Baptist Church had been organized very early, but had been disbanded on account of some trouble. A Baptist Council was organized in June, 1842, and in the following winter it was recognized as a church. Elder John W. COE was the first pastor, and the original membership was about twenty. The pastors since have been (perhaps not in the order given): Elders ___BABCOCK, Elijah K. GROUT, who came on horseback and preached once in four weeks; A.A. KINNE, H.B. FULLER, A.B. KINNE, a second time; Ezra RUMERY, L. BATH, Henry TIBBITTS, J.L. SMITH, J.C. LEMON, Charles PURRETT, C.B. ABBOTT, Alexander McLEARN, James R. MONROE, I.W. LAMB, Williams A. KINGSBURY, and the present pastor, J.C. LEMON, filling the pulpit of this church a second time.The frame house of worship now in use was built in 1860. The membership of the church, Sept. 18, 1880, was ninety-six, and the Sunday-school had then an average attendance of sixty; H.L. STRONG is superintendent of the latter.

A Methodist Church has also existed for a number of years at Dansville, but repeated efforts to obtain facts regarding its history have not availed.

The Protestant Methodist Church at Dansville has been organized more than thirty years, but the precise date of its formation is not recollected. Elder KILPATRICK was its pastor as early as 1850, when meetings were held in the school-house. The society is at present (September, 1880), building a neat and commodious brick church, on the site of the old frame school-house, to cost about $3000. The organization has not been continuous from the start. Its present pastor is Rev. E.S. CLARK.