HISTORY OF TUSCOLA COUNTY

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TOWN OF VASSAR

An act of legislature approved March 2, 1851, provided that township 11 north, of range 8 east, and townships 11, 12, 13 and

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14 north, of ranges 9, 10 and 11 east, be set off from the township of Tuscola, and organized into a separate town by the name of Vassar. It will thus be seen that when first organized, Vassar covered an area of thirteen townships, but was relieved two years later by the organization of Indian Fields which took form it nine townships.

The present boundaries of Vassar are as follows; north by Denmark and Juniata; east by Fremont and Watertown; south by Millington and Tuscola, and west by Tuscola. The Cass River runs in a southwesterly direction across the northwest corner of the township.

The territory of the town was enlarged and its boundaries slightly changed in 1865 by the annexation of two half sections from the township of Tuscola. This was done to bring the village of Vassar wholly in Vassar Township. This change was authorized by act of legislature approved March 9, 1865, which read as follows: That the east half of sections 1 and 12 of the township of Tuscola, in the county of Tuscola be and the same hereby is detached from the township of Tuscola, and is annexed to the township of Vassar in said county; and that the boundaries of the said township of Vassar are hereby so changed as to include the said half sections above described.

Provided, That the said detached territory shall still be deemed a part of the township of Tuscola for the purpose of filling the quota of said township under the call of the president for volunteers made in December, 1864, and for the further purpose of paying all bounties heretofore pledge by said township to volunteers and remaining unpaid; and to these ends said territory shall be liable precisely as it would have been had this act not passed.

The settlement of the town has been confined almost wholly to the northwestern portion, in the vicinity of Vassar village. The early history of the town is entirely comprised in that of the village.

ENTRIES OF LAND

TOWNSHIP 11 NORTH, RANGE 7 EAST

SECTION 1. Abram Warren, October 3, 1849
Ebenezer Morse, May 2, 1850
Leonard C. Miles, October 8, 1849

SECTION 12 Douglass Houghton, April 26, 1836
Paschal Richardson, November 2, 1848
Ebenezer Morse, May 2, 1850

TOWNSHIP 11 NORTH, RANGE 8 EAST

SECTION 1. Douglass Houghton, May 10, 1836
Albert Finton, May 30, 1855

SECTION 2 Douglas Houghton, May 10, 1836
Henry H. Alvord, January 8, 1855

SECTION 3 Martin S. Miller, February 1, 1836
Seth C. Huston, June 22, 1836
James M. Baldwin, et al., August 4, 1853
James M. Baldwin, et al., November 28, 1853
James M. Baldwin, et al., October 20, 1854
Henry Raymond, December 20, 1854

SECTION 4 Douglas Houghton, April 26, 1836

SECTION 5 Douglass Houghton, April 26, 1836
Seth C. Huston, June 22, 1836
Frederick Bourns, September 11, 1854
Matthew D. North, November 28, 1854
Benjamin F. Leland, December 19, 1854
Benjamin F. Leland, December 22, 1854

SECTION 6 Orrin A. Gibbs, October 4, 1849
Loren C. Miles, October 30, 1849
Robert Edmunds, February 6, 1852
Lewis H. Sturges, August 20, 1852
Elizabeth North, July 6, 1854
Lewis H. Sturges, December 11, 1854
Poland S. Stoddart, May 7,1855

SECTION 7 Trumbull Cary, October 20, 1835
Seth C. Huston, June 22, 1836
Gardner D. Williams and James Fraser, February 11, 1837

SECTION 8 Trumbull Cary, October 20, 1835
Douglass Houghton, April 26, 1836
Seth C. Huston, June 22, 1836
Edward W. White, July 20, 1853
Orrin A. Gibbs, December 12, 1854
Alvarus T. Hosner, December 16, 1854

SECTION 9 Douglass Houghton, May 10, 1836
Cummings & Carson, November 23, 1850
David Slafter, Joshua D. Smith and James M. Baldwin, August 9, 1853.
Alvarus T. Hosner, December 16, 1854
Wm. R. Hubbard December 26, 1854

SECTION 10 Douglass Hougton, May 10, 1836
Cummings & Carson, November 23, 1850
James M. Baldwin, David G. Slafter and Joshua D. Smith, August 4, 1853
Wm. R. Hubbard, December 26, 1854
John A. Putnam, January 13, 1855

SECTION 11 Douglass Houghton, May 10, 1836
Royal C. Remick, January 29, 1853
John A. Putnam, January 12, 1855

SECTION 12 Douglass Houghton, May 10, 1836
James M. Edmunds May 22, 1854
Isaiah J. Spencer, January 17, 1855
Philip Fraser, February 9, 1855

SECTION 13 Henry Sherman, January 17, 1855
Jacob Tallman, January 10, 1855
David Edwards, February 3, 1855

SECTION 14 Remos Disbrow, January 9, 1855
Henry Sherman, January 17, 1855
John C. Westervelt, February 2, 1855

SECTION 15 Jacob Phillips, December 26, 1854
Samuel Lewis, January 17, 1855
Frederick B. Dains, January 18, 1855

SECTION 16 George Miller, February 16, 1855
John Chadwick, November 21, 1855
Oliver Lambert, June 3, 1871
C.S. Dymond, May 25, 1872
A. Harris, May 25, 1872
W. H. Hocknell, November 12, 1873
Samuel Day, March 12, 1874
Persis Elizabeth Chadwick, November 7, 1879
Ellen Tough, October 27, 1879
Geo. S. Kennard, January 15, 1880
Jonathan Newman, August 9, 1878

SECTION 17 Henry Young, December 2, 1854
Zery W. Hoyt, December 12, 1854

SECTION 18 Ira C. Kibbe, February 21, 1853
Ira Davenport, September 13, 1853
Ira Davenport, September 19, 1853
Geo. L. Bartlett, November 30, 1854
Townsend North, December 12, 1854
Chas. H. R. Wood, January 5, 1855

SECTION 19 Isaac Miller, April 3, 1851
Isaac Miller, April 17, 1851
Henry Engel, June 14, 1851
Isaac Miller, April 16, 1852
Reuben A. Miller, July 23, 1852
Ira Davenport, September 13, 1853
Hannah A. North, July 6, 1854
Samuel North, July 6, 1854
Geo. L. Bartlett, November 30, 1854
Merrit Johnson, November 29, 1854

SECTION 20 Samuel Lake, September 21, 1853
James R. Slausson, October 18, 1853
Henry Young, Jr., December 2, 1854
Ira C. Kibbe, December 14, 1854
Erastus Call, December 28, 1854
Ira C. Kibbe, January 13, 1855

SECTION 21 Ira C. Kibbe, December 12, 1854
Ira C. Kibbe, December 14 1854
Stephen D. Trowbridge, December 25, 1854
John Algoe, December 38, 1854
Wm. Holston, March 7, 1855

SECTION 22 John W. Putnam, December 21, 1854
Stephen D. Trowbridge, December 25, 1854
Samuel Lewis, January 17, 1855
Fred. B. Dains, January 18, 1855

SECTION 23 Edward Perks, January 17, 1855
Fred. B. Dains, January 18, 1855
Margaret Harrold, February 17, 1855
John E. Covert, April 10, 1855

SECTION 24 Nicholas Lake, February 3, 1855
Sally Covert, February 5, 1855

SECTION 25 Chas, Rhodes, January 20, 1855
Jas. A. Peters, January 20, 1855
Jeremiah T. Williams, February 6, 1855
W. Irving Beardsley, March 18, 1855

SECTION 26 Shepard Wheeler, December 26, 1854
Henry Ball, January 17, 1855
Lambert L. Bouck, February 24, 1855

SECTION 27 Shepard Wheeler, December 25, 1854
Geo. W. Enders, December 27, 1854
Peter All, December 28, 1854
Geo. Titsworth, December 28, 1854
Jacob J. Titsworth, December 28, 1854

SECTION 28 Chester Baxter, October 6, 1853
John Algoe, December 28, 1854
John Nelson January 18, 1855
Jesse Carey, February 6, 1855
Alonson Reynolds, March 3, 1855

SECTION 29 Chester Baxter, October 6, 1853
Frederick Bourns, December 16, 1854
Wm. Johnson, December 16, 1854
Erastus Call, December 27, 1854
Frederick Bourns, January 8, 1855
Philip Devoe, January 2, 1855

SECTION 30 Reuben A. Miller, February 12, 1853
David G. Slafter and Joshua D. Smith, August 23, 1853
Ira Davenport, September 19, 1853
Willard Lambert, August 7, 1854
Willard Lambert, August 1, 1854
Frederick Bourns December 16, 1854
William Johnson, December 16, 1854

SECTION 31 Owen Logan, January 16, 1852
Daniel Griggs, June 22, 1854
Alden M. Pease, November 28, 1854
Johann H. Dehmel, February 6, 1855
Henry Wood, April 5, 1855

SECTION 32 Chester Baxter, October 6, 1853
Henry Van Petten, December 21, 1854
Nelson Babcock, December 21, 1854
Chas. Goucher, December 25, 1854
John Johnson, January 17, 1855
Darius Watkins, July 2, 1855

SECTION 33 Chester Baxter, October 6, 1853
Henry Hudson, December 6, 1854
Jesse Carey February 6, 1855
Daniel C. Davis, May 15, 1855
Wm. E. Burch, June 2, 1855

SECTION 34 Chester Baxter, October 6, 1853
Samuel M. Axford, December 18, 1854
Smith Line, January 18, 1855

SECTION 35 Chas Seymour, Horace R. Jerome and Francis G. Macy, March 27, 1837
Samuel M. Axford, December 18, 1854
Nathaniel Call, December 26, 1854
Wm. Hicks, February 8, 1855

SECTION 36 Royal C. Remick, February 7, 1853
Wm. H. Rhodes, January 20, 1855
Chas Rhodes, January 20, 1855

The early records of the town clerk cannot be found, and the early civil history is therefore meager.

The first town meeting was held at the store of North and Edmunds. Nine votes were polled.

September 10, 1867, the township board delivered to the president of the Saginaw, Vassar & Sanilac Plank Road Co., bonds to the amount of $3,000, being bonds donated to said company to aid in the construction of a plank road from Vassar to East Saginaw.

The highest number of votes polled at the spring election in 1868, was 139.

In 1870, $1,000 was raised for highway purposes, and $300 for contingent purposes.

At the spring election in 1871, the highest number of votes polled was 148.

In 1872, there was raised for highway purposes, $500; interest on bonds, $300; contingent fund, $400; library, $50.

January 28^th, 1873, a special township meeting voted on the question of borrowing three thousand dollars, to be secured by the bonds of the town, for the purpose of building a new bridge across Cass river in the village of Vassar. Thirty-six votes were polled, all of which were in favor of the proposition. At the annual meeting it was decided by a vote of 107 to 50 to raise an additional amount of three thousand dollars for the purpose of building a wrought iron bridge. A combination bridge was finally built.

School District No. 2 was formed out of Sections 1, 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 23, 24, and north half of 25 and 26, at a meeting of the board held April 25, 1875.

School District No. 3 was organized November 13, 1875, out of the following described territory: Sections 3, 4, 9, 10, 1, 16, east half of 8 and 17, north half of 21 and 22 and northeast quarter of 20.

There are four school districts in the town of Vassar, one of which is fractional. The directors are E. H. Taylor, John S. Kilbourn, Chester S. Dymond, and Freeman W. Titsworth. There are four school buildings, one of which is brick, two frame and one log. Whole number of children of school age in the town and village, 599; number that attended school during the year, 484.