A Brief History of Pulaski

In order to obtain a full and succinct account of the settlement of this township and a partial history of it to the present time, it may not be inappropriate to give a short account of the organization of the county which finally culminated in the organization of this the southwest corner township of the county.

Jackson County was first known in a legal manner by an act of the territorial legislature in 1829, and by said act was attached in the county of Washtenaw for judicial purposes. On the 30th day of July, 1830, the territorial legislature passed an act providing that a township meeting should be held at the home of J. W. Bennett on the third Tuesday of August, of that year, for the purpose of electing township officers for the township of Jackonopolis, which then included all the territory of what is now Jackson County. On the 18th day pf February, 1831, the territorial legislature changed the name of the township to Jacksonburg. On the 26th day of June, 1832, township one, two, three and four south, and rage one and two east, were set off by themselves anamed Grass Lake. On the same date the two western rows of townships in the county were set off and named the township of Spring Arbor, On the 6th of March, 1836, the name of Jacksonburg was changed to Jackson by an act of the legislature. The township of Concord, which included also the present township of Pulaski, was organized, and on the 30th day of December. 1837, the state legislature passed an act organizing the township of Pulaski and provided for a township meeting to be held at the house of John Wilbur for the purpose of electing township officers. In pursuance of said act the first township meeting was held as directed, and James Cross was elected Supervisor; Warner L. Hodge, town clerk; and James Cross, John M. Chatfield, Sylvester Chesebro and Henry Turner were elected justices of the peace. The first township meeting was held the 2d day of April, 1838. James Cross who was elected supervisor, having removed from the town temporarily, a special meeting was held October 1,, when the Rev. J. B. Burroughs was elected to fill the vacancy. The names of the supervisors of the township from its organization to the present year, 1890, are as follows: John M. Chatfield was elected and acted as supervisor in 1839; Warner I. Hodge in 1841, 1843, 1844; Eijah Dixon i 1842; John P. Hitchings in 1845, 1846, 1847, 1848; Byron L. Harlow in 1849, 1864, 1875; Jas A. McMillen in 1851, 1852, 1858; George W. Tyler in 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1847 and 1859; Adam Orr in 1860-1-2-3; Luther L. Tyler in 1866; Isaac P. Wheeler in 1867-8-9, and in 1879-1-2-3-4-6; Thomas Goffe in 1877-8-9 and in 1880-1; Simoon King in 1882-3; and Robert C. Brail in 1884-5-6-7-9; and in 1890. The township clerks have been as follows: Warner L. Hodge in 1838-9 and 1840; Michael Nowlin in 1842; Byron L. Harlow in 1834-4; Isaac P. Wheeler in 1845-6-7 and in 1850-3-4-5; Luther L. Ward in 1848; James H. Nowlin in 1849; Alexander G. Bell in 1851, Adam Orr in 1852; Alem J. Huthings in 1855-6-8; Levi Nowlin in 1857; Thomas Lambert in 1862 and 1873-4-5-6; George D. Dixon in 1866-7; William H. H. Snow in 1868 in 1868; Lorenzo Nowlin in 1869; James C. Shaw in 1870-2; James A. McNair in 1877-8; Hiram L. Mason in 1879, 1880-1; Lovel Sevarance in 1882; Robert C. Brail in 1883; Samuel Center in 1880 and Newton J. Ackley in 1884-5-6-7-8 and 1890. Of the early residents who have been elected to the legislature are the following: John P. Hitchings aerved one term in the house of representative of the State Legislature; Isaac P. Wheeler one term and Hiram C. Hodge one term in the House and one term in the Senate; and was once elected to the house from Clinton and Gratiot counties, but the seat was given to his contestant.

The township of Pulaski has a sandy loam soil and was what is called "oak openings." The soil produces well. The land is mostly high and rolling, and the surface well covered with boulders and small deposited during the drift period, and the same has well utilized in the building of stone fences, it being asserted that the township has more stone wall than any other in the State.

The first permanent resident of the town was John Howard, who settled there in 1834. He came from the state of New York, and had two sons, John B. and Lewis T. Howard. In 1835-6-7, the following named persons settled in the town and took part in the election of officers in the first township election April 2, 1838, viz; John Wilbur and family, who came from New York. The Wilbur's were formerly from Adams, Berkshire County, Mass. Col. Luther L. Ward and family from New York, and Joel Fish and family the same, also W. D. Severance, Sykvestger Chesbro and Daniel Chesbro, with their families from Springwater, Livingston County, New York, both of wheom were formerly from Adams, Berkshire County, Mass. Charles Guilen and family from Adams, Berkshire County, Mass.. Warner L. Hodge and family from the same place; Curtis Guiles and Isaac P. Wheeler, single men from Boston, Mass.; Isaac N. Swai from New York; Michael Nowlin, James R. Nowlin and Harry Nowlin, and their families, from New York; James Cross, Henry Turner, Rev, Jesse B, Burroughs Barney Dixon, John Lang, Asher Grover, John Thorn, George Williams, W. D. Severance, Byron l. Harlow. Cyrus Daniels, George Huntington, Joshua Allen, Reuben Luttenton, Isiah Green, Henry Wooden and David Carr with their families, all of whom were from New York, Matthias Enoch and Joseph Fisher, were from Pennsylvania also Benjamin Stooley and family. The first child born in the town was Goodel Wilbur, son of John and Lucy Wilbur, and the first death in the town was Joseph Wilbur, a son of of John and Lucy Wilbur who was killed by the accidental discharge of a gun carried by an elder brother on a hunting excursion; his age was 13. Goodel Wilbur, the child first born in the townid now over 50 years of age and is a successful farmer in Iowa. But few of the first residents of the town are now, 1890; most of the adults of 1835-6-7-8 are dead. Some of the younger are living. Among those yet living are W. D. Severance, Allen W. Grover, a son of Asher Grover, Isaac P. Wheeler, Byron L. Harlow, Milton H. Hodge, son of Warner I. and Sarah Hodge; a number of the descendants of the Lutterton, Fisher, Dixon and Nowlin families; all of whomreside in Pulaski. George Huntington and Hiram C. Hodge, son of Warner L. and Sarah Hodge, reside in Concord, Jackson County. Descendants of other old residents are scatterd far and wide, north, south and west.

The south branch of the Kalamazoo river runs through the western part of the town and unites with the north branch at Albion, in Calhoun County. There are quite a number of lakes in the town, the largest of which are Swains lake, Wilburs lake, Goose lake, etc. There are quite a number of fine springs in the town, mostly on or near the Kalamazoo river. The largest aaand most noted is on section thirty-three, on the farm first settled by Benjamin Stookey and discharges a large body of water and makes a permanent brooklet which runs for a quarter of a mile westerly course and discharges into the Kalamazoo river. The citizens of the town have always been noted for their energy and enterprise, having good roads, good schools, and one church edifice located on the southeast corner of section seventeen. There has never been but one hotel in the town and that was many years since. The town has never had a whiskey saloon. The town is very hjealthful and has no physician living there.