Since the first white settler in 1828, the early settlers had first to build homes for themselves and their families. Then they set to work clearing fields for crops and future livestock. Barns and fences would be built as needed. Of course some were more skilled than others, and might help some of their neighbors, but for the most part, every man improved his own property, and every woman set up housekeeping as possible. I have been looking for evidence of the first contractors, who helped with these tasks for pay, but have not found them yet.

The first major type of paid work for the early settlers was laying out and building roads. The area had no roads, besides rough Indian trails, not passable by horse, and impossible by wagon. The compensation for this work was often in the form of land.

In 1827 William ALLEN and his son, G. W. ALLEN, along with James THORINGTON and the hunter and guide Levi WASHBURN, of Washington Twp, Macomb County, cut a road northward through the center of Almont. This road was at least 10 miles in length, since it crossed Bruce Twp, Macomb County, and passed through the future location of Almont village, and beyond. It must have been approximately where Highway 53 is today. The earliest settlers in Lapeer County lived along this road.

In 1832 there were 6 families living at the future site of Lapeer village. This was to be the location of the county seat. On 26 Jun 1832 the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan ordered that "a Territorial road shall be laid out and established, running from the village of Rochester, in the county of Oakland, on the most direct and eligible route to the county seat of the county of Lapeer". Rochester is about 25 miles south of Lapeer village. This road would allow a traveler from Lapeer to go halfway to Detroit. Presumably, other roads would go the rest of the way.

Three new "state roads" through Lapeer village were authorized in May 1836. (I've named these roads based on their endpoints.)

The Mt Clemens-Flint road, about 68 miles, was to start N from Mount Clemens to Romeo, both in Macomb county, and continue N into the SE corner of Lapeer county, in Bristol, which is now Almont and Imlay townships. From there it would turn W, through Lapeer village, and continue W to Flint, Genesee county, to intersect with the US road from Detroit to Saginaw. One of the commissioners for this road was Silas D. MCKEEN, of Lapeer.

The Huron-Grand Blanc road, about 66 miles, was to start at the mouth of the Black River, in St CLair county, where now lies the city of Port Huron, at the S tip of Lake Huron. The road was to proceed W to Lapeer village, then continue W to Grand Blanc, a place which had recently gone from Lapeer to Genesee county. So the whole road was E-W. One of the commissioners for this road was Joel M. PALMER, of Lapeer.

The Lapeer-Saginaw road was to connect Lapeer village to Saginaw, in Saginaw County, about 45 miles NW. Henry M. LOOK, Samuel MURLIN and Oliver B. HART, all of Lapeer, were appointed commissioners.

Most businesses in 19th Century America were farms, and most workers were farmers or farm laborers. Where do I begin?

By 1828, some of the names and boundaries were still unsettled, but most was divided up into 6x6 mile blocks, which later became townships, and these were further divided into square-mile sections. The sections in each block were numbered from 1 to 36, in the usual way. Most of this land was offered for sale by the government, at $1.25 per acre. An 80-acre plot would cost $100.

The first purchase of land in what is now Almont Township was made on 1 Feb 1828, by Lydia CHAMBERLIN. She bought 80 acres, the east half of the northeast quarter of section 4 or 5. She was probably a land speculator, as she does not seem to have resided on the property. On 16 Oct 1828 James DENEEN purchased 80 acres in Almont, the west half of the northeast quarter of section 9. He actually settled on this land, and became the first white settler in lapeer county. For 2 years he was the only one.

The land rush of 1833-1838 was frenetic, paused only briefly by the great financial panic of 1837. The population of Michigan about doubled in this 5-year period. There was often resentment against land speculators who did not live on their land. In the fall of 1836, the land office was removed from Detroit to Flint. In both places it was thronged with speculators, in a mad scramble to select and purchase land from the government.

Noah H. HART was one of the original 6 settlers who brought his family to Lapeer village in 1832. He was a leading citizen, and one of the wealthiest, thereafter. On 25 Aug 1837 he started the Lapeer Land Agency, in Lapeer village.

The first saw-mill in Lapeer county was built in 1831 by the Pontiac Mill Company, on Farmers Creek, near the future site of Lapeer village. Col. J.R. WHITE purchased an interest in the mill, and was later owned by J.R. WHITE and Phineas WHITE.

The second saw-mill was built by Alvin MCMASTER, the third by Estes HIGLEY, and the fourth by Martin STILES, north of Lapeer village. These must have all been built in 1831-4.

In 1834, WILCOX and HOVEY built a saw-mill in Bristol (later Imlay) Township, later owned by the Imlay Mill Company. [7, p. 26]

The Bank of Lapeer was authorized by the state legislature on 15 Mar 1837, and by Lapeer county officers 9 Dec 1837.
Lapeer county officers who signed:
Oliver B. HART, Treasurer of Lapeer county
Noah H. HART, Clerk of Lapeer county

About 1836 several stores were established in Almont. Philo FARNUM was a shoe maker, with a small shop. Charles B. KEELER's store with a general stock of dry goods and groceries. About 1836 Lewis ALVERSON started a grocery store. Albert SOUTHWELL started a blacksmith shop. The Exchange Hotel was erected by Hubbard HALL, and was immediately purchased and run by Henry WING.

There was a general, but not sharp distinction between hotels, roadhouses, inns, public houses, restaurants and taverns. All provided food and drink, livery for horses, sleeping quarters, and sometimes music, dancing and gambling. The proprietor and family, if any, usually lived on the premises.

"As early as the winter of 1834, Mr. [Daniel] Black kept a sort of tavern in his log house [in what is now Almont]. He had to go to Pontiac and take out a license at a cost of $18, and then had to keep two extra beds and stabling for two spans of horses in order to comply with the law. He had several dances and the young people used to come to them from Rochester and Utica. Considering the state of the roads in those days, this certainly showed a great deal of enterprise in the pursuit of pleasure under difficulties." [7, p. 33]

In Metamora, Daniel AMMERMAN built the White Horse Inn (a.k.a. The Hoard House) in 1850. [9]

Earliest Physicians in Lapeer County, in roughly chronological order: [7, p. 24]
Dr. Minor Y. TURRILL came to Lapeer with his wife, and his aged parents in the winter of 1831-2. They were one of the first 6 families in Lapeer village.
Dr. Caleb CARPENTER came to Almont in 1834.
Dr. LEETE, left before 1839.
Dr. M.Y. TURRILL was in Lapeer village by 1839.
Dr. J.S. COMSTOCK came to Farmers Creek, near Lapeer village, in 1839. He was born on 2 Apr 1813, near Providence, RI. His home in Farmers Creek was struck by lightning in May 1880, and he received a shock which disabled him, and forced him to retire.
Dr. POWERS from Oxford stayed in Lapeer about 1 year, shortly after 1839.
Dr. MILLER took POWERS' place in Lapeer, stayed about two years.
Dr. JONES came to Almont, didn't stay long.
Dr. BAILEY replaced JONES in Almont, also didn't stay long.
Dr. TROWBRIDGE was next in Almont.
Dr. LOUD came to Lapeer, but soon went to Romeo, Macomb Co.
Dr. KENNEY came to Lapeer, and stayed at least until 1884.

American Newspapers in 1830 to 1850 were usually open about their affiliation with one of the two major political parties: Democrats and Whigs. Politics at the time was extremely divisive and acerbic, and Michigan was no exception.

In 1839, A,N. HART and others in Lapeer, purchsed printing material, and started a Democratic paper, the Plain Dealer, with editor E.H. THOMPSON, and later J.B. BENNETT, and then H.E. PURDY.

About the same time, perhaps 1839 or 1840, a Whig paper named the Sentinel was initiated, with editor W.H. WILLIAMS, later K.W. JENNY.

"The editors of these rival organs carried on a brisk warfare, often emphasizing their utterances with ludicrous caricatures." [7, p. 64]

Other papers, the Tocsin with editor Bill RYAN, and the Democrat, founded by Murvin TINNY, appeared briefly.

Very little survives of these early papers, except when they were quoted in other papers, that were better preserved.

From 1832 to 1840, several lawyers were active in the rapidly growing Lapeer county, working with wills, mortages and land sales. Silas D. MCKEEN and Noah H. HART appeared often in newspaper notices. However, there was no formal bar association for the county until about 1841.

The first members of the Lapeer County bar, about 1841, were Silas D. MCKEEN, Noah H. HART and Col. Jonathan E. WHITE.

Moses W. WISNER was practicing law in Lapeer in 1842, but only stayed a few years, before returning to Pontiac. He later became Governor of Michigan. H.W. WILLIAMS, editor of the Sentinel in 1840, also practiced law for a short time, then removed to St Louis. William T. MITCHELL practiced in Lapeer for a few years, but went to Romeo before 1846. J.N. WATTLES practiced law in Lapeer from 1846 to 1876, and was also involved in banking.