1884 Portrait & Bio Album
| 1884 Portrait & Bio Album | |
| The territory that is now embraced by Osceola County was attached to Mecosta County for judicial purposes by act of the Legislature passed in the year 1859. The Board of Supervisors of Mecosta County, by resolution passed Jan. 2, 1861, organized, this territory into a township which was called "Richmond." Richmond was the maiden name of D.A. Blodgett's mother, and the township was named after her on account of her son, who, with commendable regard had requested it.The election was held under the order of the Board, April 1, 1861, at the residence of D.A. Blodgett, in said township. Alex McFarlane and D. A. Blodgett were appointed Inspectors of Election. Sixteen votes were cast at this meeting, which resulted in electing D.A. Blodgett for Supervisor, J.G. Robbins for Clerk and Benj. F. Gooch, William Berger and Alex McFarlane, JUstices of the Peace; William Berger and Joseph Ryan, HIghway Commissioners; JOhn McBride, charles Broth, anson Berger and T. B. Haynes, Constables. Richmond is located in the southwest corner of the county, is in number 7 north, of range 10 west, and is bounded on the north by Lincoln, on the east by Hersey, on the south by Mecosta, and on the west by Lake County. Benj. F. Gooch takes precedence as the pioneer of this township, who located for himself a home on section 25, in 1855. After him came J.G. Robbins, Anson and Wm. Berger, Alex McFarlane, T. B. Haynes, Joseph Ryan and John McBride. Richmond Township has nine school districts and two graded schools, - one at Reed City and the other at Hersey. Distict No. 1 is located on section 34; No. 2, on section 30; No. 3, on section 6; No. 4, on section 17; No. 5, on section 24; No. 6, on section 3; No. 7, on section 16; No. 8, on sections 22 and 27, and No. 9, on section 11. The land in this township has an undulating contour, with some very fine level fields. The soil is clay loam, and in parts sandy. It was well timbered with the hard-woods, with pine, hemlock and basswood. Red cherry is quite abundant in some portions of this township, which is held in reserve by its owners for future demands. It is drained by Hersey River and its branches. The Flint and Pere Marquette and the Grand Rapids & INdiana Railroads pass through the township; the former enters from the east about the middle and passes out westward on section 7; the latter comes in about midway from the south, and runs northward nearly parallel with the county line, going out on section 4. Good highways are built on nearly all of the section lines, and many of them are well graded. It ranks the first in improvements and in production. It is estimated that there are 7,500 acres improved, with about 175 farms. The statistics of 1882, the latest, gives 1,444 acres of wheat, with a yield of 23,700 bushels. The estimated number of acres planted last year (1883) in wheat, os 1,700, with a production of 67,250 bushels. The hay lands in 1882 numbered 1,393 acres, with a yield of 1,344 tons. The stock business is quite extensively carried on. In 1883 the number of cattle on hand was 907, and 353 horses. The production of wool this year was 4,752 pounds, which was sheared from 974 sheep. In 1884 the population of the township was 3,150, and has an assessed valuation of $820,000. The first school taught in the township (and the first in the county) was by Alice Jones, on section 25, in 1862, and The first child born was Mary, daghter (sic) of J.G. Robbins. In those early days, as well as at the present time, there were people who liked to take what did not belong to them, particularily if they could get it on a dark night. They wished to reap whether they sowed or not, and with them, as with people from time immemorial, stolen fruit tasted much sweeter than any other. Mr. Gooch planted and cultivated with a good deal of care an orchard. But little benefit, however, did he derive from it. Orchards and fruit were scarce in those times. He set his wits at work finally, after many tedious nights of watching, and devised a plan which he executed. This was to string wires about and around his orchard, and connecting them with a wire running into his house. To this wire was attached a bell, which was placed over the head of his bed. This scheme worked admirably; and it was not necessary either for him to go out after the bell rang to fire off his shot-gun, for the fruit thieves fled with parcipitate haste. Though this was before the days of dynamite, yet those moonshiners thought these wires connected with some infernal machine, and after that he had the pleasure of gathering his own fruit.There are many fine farms in this township, with farm buildings about the average. Usually the farmers are out of debt, with their lands all paid for, and many of them in independent circumstances. It has two very thriving towns, Reed City and Hersey, where the people do their trading, carry their products and get their mails. The history of these two villages contains many incidents connected with Richmond Township, to which the reader referred. Richmond Township has been represented in the council halls of the county by the citizens named below: SUPERVISORS. D.A. Blodgett 1861-5 Rufus E. Morris 1866-8 S. E. Lane 1869 William Stiege 1870-2 Nathaniel Clark 1873 Stephen Kissinger 1874 R.W. Page 1875 William Stiege 1876 M. O. Green 1877-80 C.B. Dean 1881 Nathaniel Clark 1882-3 W.W. White 1884 |