HISTORY OF TUSCOLA

THE VILLAGE OF HURD’S CORNERS

This village lies on both sides of the line between the towns of Dayton and Wells. Its origin as a village was in the general merchandise store of George Sorter. He was succeeded in business by Lorenzo Hurd, form whom the name of the village was derived.

A glimpse of Hurd’s Corners in the fall of 1867 may be obtained from the following sketch written at that time:

“Hurd’s Corners is located between the townships of Dayton and Wells, on the south line of the latter township, and on the Port Sanilac and Bridgeport State Road.

“Three years ago there was but a single residence at this place, that of Mr. Hurd’s from whom the appellation (Hurd’s Corners) is derived. Now there are a number of buildings, some of them valuable, substantial, and a thriving little business is sustained.

“G. W. Sorter has a fine store, 40x20, two stories high, which is adorned with a finer appearing front than any building in the county, and is claimed to be one of the best stores this side of Saginaw. It is well stocked with a good general assortment of goods.

“This past summer Mrs. Curtis Hall erected a substantial hotel 56X42 feet, with a hall above, 42x20 feet.

“Franklin Goodale, a soldier in the late war who lost a leg in his country’s service, is doing a living business in a boot and shoe store.

“A company, just in from Ohio, have erected a portable sawmill at the Corners which is now in complete operation. The mill owners intend to erect several dwelling-houses the coming summer.
“Another store, built by J. Johnson, which has heretofore been occupied as a dry goods and grocery store, is now vacated, but will doubtless soon be used again. This store is 30x18 feet. A fine white school-house is close at hand, and altogether the place wears the appearance of a healthy prosperity.
“The post office is as yet called ‘East Dayton,’ but we understand that it is the purpose of the inhabitants to have it changed to the name of the place. G. W. Sorter is postmaster, and the office is in his store.”
Being comparatively remote from railroad communication, and therefore not being a point of shipment nor to any considerable extent of manufacture, Hurd’s Corners is simply a point of supply for the adjacent country, to which it also furnishes mail facilities.

TOWN OFFICERS.
YEAR SUPERVISOR CLERK TREASURER
1883 Frank L. Wait James Garner Jess Hunt
1882 William McKay James Garner F. L. Wait
1881 William McKay James Garner F. L. Wait
1880 William McKay James Garner
1879 William McKay John H. Bates Jesse Hunt
1878 William McKay John H. Bates William G. Frisbie
1877
1876 D. Jarvis Samuel B. Perkins William G. Frisbie
1875 Lorenzo Hurd Samuel B. Perkins William G. Frisbie
1874 Samuel B. Perkins Milford M. Jarvis William Randall
1873 Samuel B. Perkins John Snover William Randall
1872 Lorenzo Hurd Hiram V. Manser William G. Frisbie
1871 Lorenzo Hurd Samuel A. Perkins William G. Frisbie
1870 Lorenzo Hurd Franklin A. Goodell William G. Frisbie
1869 Lorenzo Hurd Franklin A. Goodell Lyman Belknap
1868 Lorenzo Hurd Daniel L. Phipps Lyman Belknap
1867 Lorenzo Hurd Daniel L. Phipps Lyman Belknap
1866 Lorenzo Hurd Daniel L. Phipps Lyman Belknap
1865 Lorenzo Hurd Daniel L. Phipps Lyman Belknap
1864 No Record
1863 No Record
1862 A. B. Clark Nelson D. Phelps John R. Hamilton
1861 R. A. Wightman Nelson D. Phelps John R. Hamilton
1860 William Hamilton Michael Lynch John R. Hamilton
1859 Lorenzo Hurd Michael Lynch John R. Hamilton
1858 Lorenzo Hurd Edward Goodell George W. Spencer
1857 Lorenzo Hurd Jonas P. Weaver George W. Spencer

BIOGRAPHICAL

DANIEL T. BATES, deceased, was born in Vermont in 1822, and came to Detroit in 1837. He learned the mill-wright’s trade, and was also a civil engineer. Removed to Canada in 1844, came to Dayton March 10, 1861, and built a saw-mill and grist-mill on section 17, which he operated until his death, January 4, 1874. He was married in 1846 to Miss Sarah E. Putnam, and had one child. Mrs. Bates died in 1848, and in 1849 he married a second time—Miss Clarissa Brown, by whom he had one son and one daughter—now Mrs. Frances E. Baker, whose husband is at present running the saw-mill.

A. S. SNOVER was born in Oakland County, Mich., in 1849, and came to Dayton in 1879. He located on section 234, where he has since resided. In 1880 was married to Melinda Snover.

ALFRED FRYERS was born in the Province of New Brunswick in 1828, moved to Canada in 1856, and came to the township of Dayton in 1865, locating on section 20, where he cleared up a farm upon which he has since resided. He was married in 1853 to Miss Sarah Walker, and has six children. Mr. Fryers is a justice of the peace.

Page 173

LYMAN BELKNAP, farmer, is one of the first settlers in the township of Dayton. He was born in Savannah, Wayne County, N.Y. Came to Michigan in 1858 and bought land in section 15, town 11 north, range 10 east. For the first two years was a hunter and trapper, but after that devoted his time to clearing up and cultivating his farm. Since his residence in this county he has killed sixty-seven wolves, 104 bears, and countless other wild game. Held the office of township treasurer three years and director of the schools for fourteen. Was married to Elizabeth Dodge in March, 1852, who died in 1879. A family of six children survives her.

WILLIAM MEAD was born in England in 1824, and in 1851 came to Michigan and had charge of a gang of men on the construction of the Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee Railroad. He came to the township of Dayton in 1855 and settled on section 30, where he has since resided, being the first person who purchased a farm in the township. He was married in 1846 to Miss Martha Chapman, who died in 1867, and by whom he had five children. Was again married in 1868 to Miss Esther Emmett. Mr.Mead served in the war of the rebellion in the Army of the Tennessee, participating in several engagements, and was wounded at Decatur, Alabama.

LYNES L. RICE was born in Wolcott, Wayne County, N.Y., in 1828, and come to Dayton November 20, 1859. Moved to his farm March 20, 1860, where he has since resided, and which he has cleared up from the forest, not a stick having been cut previous to his purchasing it. July 12 1849, he was married to Miss Cordelia Whitbeck, and has three children. Mr. Rice has held the office of township clerk and school director.

JAMES R. PERRY was born in Berkshire, England, in 1844, and emigrated with his parents to Erie County, Pa., in 1847. In 1864 he came to Dayton and purchased a farm on section 21, where he now resides. He was married in 1869 to Miss Mary E. Phelps, and has four children. Mr. Perry enlisted April 17, 1861, at Erie, Pa., and served three months, when his time expired. After being discharged he re-enlisted in the Eight-third Pennsylvania Infantry. And was wounded at the battle of Gaines Hill, Va., June 27, 1862. Was in Bellevue Hospital, New York City, until February, 1863, when he was discharged; but again re-enlisted in the Veteran Reserve Corps, and received his final discharge November 5, 1864.

RUSSELL GILMORE was born in Stamford, Vermont, in 1808, moved to Wisconsin in 1858, and came to the township of Dayton in 1860. He purchased land on section 16, and has cleared up a good farm. He married his first wife, Miss Elmira Corbit, in 1842, by whom he had four children She died November 23, 1853. Married his second wife, Miss Elizabeth J. Whitbeck, April 17, 1854, by whom he has two living children.

GEORGE WOOD was born in Scotland March 23, 1812, and came to Canada in 1833. He resided in Prince Edward County, Ont., till 1861, when he came to Michigan and located at Grand Blanc, Genesee County, remaining there until 1864, thence to the township of Fremont, Tuscola County, and in 1878 to Dayton to reside with his daughter, Mrs. Stokes. During his residence in Fremont he cleared up a fine farm, held the office of justice of the peace four years, and commissioner of highways ten years. He was married in 1837 to Miss Elizabeth J. McTaggart and raised a family of ten children.

ROBERT WOOD was born in Canada in 1838, came to Genesee County in 1860, and to the township of Dayton in November, 1974. He settled on section 20 and cleared up the farm where he now redies. He has been twice married, first to Miss Abigail Gardiner, who died May 14, 1877, leaving a family of six children: and second, to Miss Rebecca A. Cone, January 24, 1878. She was a native of Royal Oak, Oakland County.

E. W. GOODELL is a native of Conquest, Cayuga County, N. Y., and was born March 20, 1832. In the spring of 1856 he came to Marathon, Lapeer County, Mich., and the following year to the township of Dayton, when he located on section 15 and remained until 1864, when he removed to his present home on section 17. Mr. Goodell is engaged in farming and carrying on a nursery, and has put out eigt hundred trees on his place for an orchard. He was married in 1852 to Miss Laura Jan Rice. They have had nine children. He was the first township clerk in Dayton.

STEWARD GOODELL was born in Conquest, Cayuga County, N. Y., in 1836, and came to Dayton in 1855, purchasing the farm he now lives upon for 50 cents per acre. It is located on section 16 and contains upwards of 100 acres of cleared land, the result of Mr. Goodell’s labors, which is but a small part of the land he has helped to clear since coming to the township. He was married in 1860 to Miss Amelia Smith, and has twelve living children.

N. D. PHELPS, the subject of this sketch, was born in Homer, Cortland County, N.Y., in 1820, and moved with his parents to Canada in 1827. Came to Sanilac County, Mich., in 1856, and removed to Dayton in 1857. He settled on section 16, where he has since lived, having cleared up the land and built thereon a substantial stone house. He has held the office of township clerk. Was married in 1846 to Miss Rebecca Ostrader, a native of Canada, and has ten children.

JABEZ B. RICHENS was born in 1842, and is a native of England. He emigrated to America with his parents in 1845, stopping first in Erie County, Pa., thence to Kalamazoo County, Mich., and in June, 1866, to the township of Dayton. He engaged in farming and lumbering till 1870, when he purchased the farm he now resides upon on section 32. He was married 1870 to Miss Clarissa Phelps, and has two children. Mr. Richens enlisted in the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Pennsylvania Militia, and served in the Army of the Potomac three months.

ANDREW BELLES is a native of Canada, born in 1830, moved to Illinois in 1860, and came to the township of Dayton in 1863. He settled on section 26, where he now resides; but lived ten years on section 22. Since coming to the State he has been engaged in farming and lumbering, and has just finished cutting and hauling the last pine timber in his section of the country. He was married in 1857 to Miss Lucinda Bailey, who died in 1861, leaving a family of three children. Was again married in 1865 to Miss Annie Hall, a native of Canada, by whom he has two sons. Mr. Belles enlisted in 1864 in the Tenth Michigan Infantry, and served to the close of the war. He has held the office of commissioner of highways several years.

ROBERT E. PEET was born in Canada August 14, 1841, and came to Dayton in 1870. He settled on section 15, where he has cleared up a farm and has since resided. He was married in 1864 to Miss Anna Bennett and has two children.

S. MCLEES was born in Canada in 1836. He came to Dayton in 1856 land looking, and in 1857 moved to his present farm on section 33, of which he now has eighty-five acres cleared, and upon which he has erected fine buildings. For several years after his arrival he could kill deer in the vicinity of his house with very little trouble. He is now quite largely engaged in keeping bees, having now upwards of eighty swarms. In 1861 he was married to Miss Emily Whiteside, and has eight children.

D. W. SNOVER was born in Oakland County, Mich., in 1848, and came to Dayton in 1877. He settled on section 23, has cleared fifty acres of a fine farm set out an orchard, and otherwise improved it. He was married in 1877 to Miss Emaranda Miller, and has three children.

WILLIAM H. MYERS was born in Ohio in 1841, and came to Dayton in 1868. He owned and operated a saw-mill in the township

Page 174

for twelve years, settled on section 10 in 1878, and is clearing up a fine farm of 120 acres. He married Miss Elizabeth Dryden in 1868, and has six children.

SAMUEL B. PERKINS was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, in 1812, and came to Dayton in 1869. He has lived at East Dayton since that time, of which he has been postmaster about twelve years. He has served the township in the capacity of supervisor two terms and clerk several years. Was married to Miss Mary Sholto, and they had seven children.

S. A. PERKINS was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, in 1842, came to Dayton October 6, 1880, and is engaged in running a sawmill on section 3. Has been twice married, first to Miss Maggie Allison in 1865, by whom he had four children; and second to Miss Martha Gibney in 1880, by whom he has one child.

S. M. SNOVER was born in Sussex County, N. J., in 1844, and came to Oakland County, Mich., with his parents in 1847. March 7, 1882, he moved to Dayton and purchased the farm on section 27, where he now resides. He was married in 1870 to Catherine Snover.

JAMES GARNER was born in White Lake, Oakland County, Mich., in 1841, and in February, 1866, came to Dayton. He settled on section 22, cleared up a farm, and has since resided upon it. Has held the office of justice of the peace fifteen years. He married Miss Mary Dibble, of Genoa, Livingston County, March 12, 1863, and has six children.

S. M. ROBINSON was born in New York in 1838, and came to Barry County, Mich., with his parents, in 1842. In 1852 he came to Dayton and settled on section 26, but now resides on section 23; has cleared a large farm, and speaks of having slashed twenty acres of heavy timber in twenty-eight days, and at another time fifty acres in one hundred days. He was married in 1861 to Miss Elizabeth Gilam, and has a family of five children.

J. F. SNOVER was born in Sussex County, N. J., July 7, 1840, and came to Oakland County, Mich., in 1847, with his parents. He removed to Dayton February 14, 1869, and settled on section 25, where he has since resided, and has cleared up a fine farm. He was married April 15, 1868, to Miss Elizabeth E. Austin, and has one child. Mr. Snover has been township clerk and school inspector.

JAMES M. FRISBIE, deceased, was born in Stenben County, N. Y., in 1809. He came to Oakland County, Mich., in 1836, and to Dayton in the spring of 1864, where he purchased a farm on section 26, remaining there until his death, which occurred in July, 1879. He married Miss Ann Gardiner, December 30, 1831-they had five children. Mrs. Frisbie died April 11, 1881.

WILLIAM G. FRISBIE was born in Pultney, Steuben County, N.J., in 1832, came to Oakland County, Mich., with his parents in 1836, and to the township of Dayton in 1863. He settled on section 11, and cleared up a farm, remaining there till 1879, when he purchased a grist-mill on section 17, where he has since been engaged in milling business. He was married in 1854 to Miss Parmelia Baker, and has four children. Mr. Frisbie has held the office of township treasurer nine years, and commissioner of highways three years.

JOSEPH BANBURY was born in Somersetshire, England, in 1834, and in 1843 came to Canada with his parents. In 1860 he came to Dayton and settled on section 27, removing in 1864 to section 33, where he has since resided. Since he came to the township he has chopped the timber from 100 acres of land, beside cutting 4,000,000 feet of pine logs. He was married August 12, 1860, to Miss Eliza Mitchell, and has a family of five children.

WILLIAM RANDALL, deceased, was born in Canada in 1815, and came to Dayton in 1865. He purchased a farm in section 29, where he resided until his death, which occurred November 8, 1882. He made great improvements on his farm, which contained 160 acres, and was a man universally respected by all who knew him. He was married in 1850 to Miss Harriet Penrose, and had four children.

H. O. RANDALL was born in Canada in 1863, and came to Dayton with his parents in 1865. Since his father’s death he has managed the farm.

OBADIAH B. WATT was born in Ohio in 1822, and in 1867 came to Dayton and settled on section 2, where he has cleared and otherwise improved a fine farm, and has also been engaged in the practice of medicine and lumbering. His farm contains 520 acres in a body, lying on sections 1 and 2. Mr. Wait was one of the early settlers of Dayton, there being but few people in the township at the time of his arrival. Years before making Michigan his permanent residence, he frequently visited the State for the purpose of hunting bear, deer, and other wild game. He was married in 1843 to Miss Melinda Carpenter, who died in 1875. They had seven sons.

F. L. WAIT was born in Summit County, Ohio, May 9, 1854. Came to Dayton with his parents in 1867, remaining until 1870, when he returned to Ohio, and the following year went to California. In 1872 he again returned to Ohio, and in 1875 to the old home in Dayton, where he has since resided engaged in farming and wool growing. His present flock of sheep contains 370 head of fine wools. An incident worthy of remark occurred to Mr. Wait in the fall of 1880. Returning from market in the dusk of the evening where he had sold his wheat he was stopped in the road near his home by two men who presented revolvers and demanded his money. As resistance was useless, he submitted to their demands, and delivered into their hands $600 in cash, and his watch, which was never recovered, as no trace of the robbers was ever found. Mr. Wait is the present township treasurer, and has held the office of superintendent of schools. Was elected supervisor spring of 1883. He was married November 1, 1873, to Miss Adeline Webster. His second marriage occurred April 22, 1877, to Miss Charlotte Moyer. They have one child.