rafted it down, drew it out to the claim and built the cabin. The father died in Walker, March 4, 1873; the mother, May 29, 1875. In 1840 Mr. White bought 80 acres on sec. 10, at $25 per acre. He now owns 120 acres with 75 under cultivation. He was married in Walker, Sept. 12, 1811, to Temperance, daughter of Luther and Jemima Mudge, born in New York in 1820. Their seven children were born in Walker-Charles, Lydia, Adelaide, Florence, Mary, James and Nellie Mr. White has been Highway Commissioner eight years, and Overseer of the Poor four years. Samuel White, brother of the foregoing, was born in Canada in 1829. Indians were plenty and Mr. White, jr., became a proficient in their language. He was married in Ionia county, in 1852, and again in 1877 to Mrs. Mary J. Schill, born in Canada in 1838. Mr. White has two children-Isadore M. and Frederick E. He bought 80 acres in Walker, 14 of the State in early life, and has 35 of his father's estate all improved. He enlisted at Grand Rapids in 1861, in the old 3d Reg. M. V. I., Capt. Borden; was the first volunteer from Walker; was discharged in April, 1863, for disability, and in June following re-enlisted in the 10th Mich. Cav., Capt. A Stevenson; served nearly two years, when the regiment was discharged. Mr. White attained the rank of Second Lieutenant. He is running a large steam cider-mill on sec. 23. Warren Willard, son of John H. and Fidelia (Cleveland) Willard, was born in Ohio July 14, 1829. His father was born in Pawlet, Rutland Co., Vt., Oct. 8, 1790; his mother was a native of the same place, born June 9, 1793. In 1837 they went to Shalersville, 30 miles southeast of Cleveland, and bought 50 acres of land, which they exchanged eight years after for 80 acres on sec. 6, this tp. It was in the midst of the forest, and worth $2.50 per acre. The family lived with Mr. S. Fuller two weeks, while their log house was being built, and they had the same privations and perplexities to endure that marks the history of the pioneers of Kent county during the early years. The senior Willard died July 30, 1872, and his wife July 26, 1877. They left two sons -Warren and Henderson. The former purchased his brother's interest in the homestead, and now has 60 acres under improvement. He was married in Orleans, Ionia Co., Mich., June 19, 1854, to Miranda C., daughter of Samuel and Elvira (Maine) Bement, born in Cortland, N. Y., Feb. 27, 1831. They have two children, born in Tallmadge, Ottawa Co.-Melvin W., Oct. 22, 1857, and Bertha L. Oct. 21, 1859. Benjamin F. Woodmin, son of D:. Joseph and Sarah (Wright) Woodman, was born in Jefferson Co., N. Y., Dec. 13, 1822. His parents came to Novi, Oakland Co., in 1837, and were among the earliest pioneers of that section. Five years later he bought 120 acres of timber land in Ionia county, of which he cleared 80 acres, selling in 1853, when he bought 120 acres on secs. 9 and 4, in Walker, of which 90 acres are in tillage He was married in Ionia county in 1847, to Rhoda B., daughter of Asa and Electa (Strong) Lee, born in New York, Feb. 16, 1820. They have four children, two of whom were born in Ionia and two in Walker, as follows: Lewis C., Sept. 25, 1847; Sarah A, Sept. 25, 1849; Eva L., April 9, 1859; and Carrie A., Nov. 5, 1864. Mr. Woolman's second marriage was June 2, 1874, to Lydia L. Crumb, born in Otsego Co., N. Y., in 1836. He has been School Inspector six years, Highway Commissioner two years, and is a member of the Masonic order. Dr. Joseph Woodman was born March 5, 1785, and died Aug. 15, 1838. Mrs. Woodman, his wife, was born Sept. 29, 1795. They had six children, Mr. W., of this sketch, being the fourth. The mother was a native of Deerfield, Mass., and lived there at the period of the Indian massacre, in,which her father was involved. Ephraim Woodard, son of Joshua and Sophia Woodard, was born in Genesee Co. N. Y., May 29, 1827. His parents moved to Orleans Co., N. Y., when he was seven years old, and one year later to Erie county. In the fall of 1836 they settled in Oakland Co., Mich., and in 1845 bought 80 acres of wild land in Walker, on sec. 7. Apologies for roads were in existence, but so poor that the Highway Commissioner himself lost his way, and on one occasion was found half a mile south of where the route was laid, and the Woodards had to clear two and a half miles to their farm. Mr. Woodard has a fine farm with 50 acres improved. He was married in Tyrone in 1850 to Abigail, daughter of Ephraim and Abigail Brott, born in Genesee Co., N. Y., in 1833. They have six children, born in Walker-Charles, Dulcey B., Frank, Bertha A., Fred and Winnie. Mr. Woodard has been Highway Commissioner six years, and is a Granger. His father, Joshua Woodard, died in 1852, and his mother married Frank Blood, a pioneer of Walker, and died in January, 1869. Jeremiah S. Wright, deceased, son of Solomon and Mary Wright, was born in Wolcott, Wayne Co., N. Y., in 1828. His parents are among the first settlers in Alpine, where they located in 1837. Mr. Wright was engaged for a period of 16 years in the sale of agricultural implements on Bridge street, Grand Rapids, and owned 80 acres on sec. 27, in this tp. He married in 1878 Mrs. Mary Patterson, daughter of Joel and Margaret Churchill, born in Cayuga Co., N. Y., in 1844. Mr. Wright died Jan. 26, 1880. Mrs. Wright's parents came to Grand Rapids when she was nine years old. Her father was born in 1813, and lives with her in Walker; her mother was born in 1826, and died in 1839. She has one son by her first husband, William A. Patterson, born in Grand Rapids, Aug. 28, 1863. Mr. Wright had four children by a former marriage-Andrew, Addison, Valeria and Estella. Mrs. Wright is in possession of 50 acres of her husband's estate, all improved. Noadiah C. Wright, son of Solomon and Mary (Boyce) Wright, was born in Wayne Co., N. Y., April 5, 1822. His parents came West when he was 14, and stopped several months in Toledo, O., where his father bought a team and employed it profitably during the winter, making his way Westward in the spring. He left his family in Jackson county, near Jacksonburg, and proceeded with his household goods and 50 bushels of potatoes on a scow down the Grand river, and landed at North's Landing, now Plumb's Mills. In September Mr. Wright came across the country with an ox team. His father had pre-empted 480 acres for himself and sons, Solomon and Benjamin, on the line between Walker and Alpine, on secs. 32 and 33 Alpine tp. The Baptist and Congregational churches are situated on this tract. The senior Wright sold 160 acres to P. F. Covell, and moved across the road into Walker tp., and bought 120 acres on sec. 4, where he died in June, 1845, and his wife three years later. Mr. Wright took possession of his present farm in 1865. He owns 212 acres on secs. 22 and 15, and 20 acres of woodland on sec. 33, Alpine tp., with 195 acres under cultivation. He has three houses, four barns and two large orchards on his homestead. His property has been acquired by his own unaided efforts, and he values his farm at $200 per acre. His residence, with barn, cost $3,300, and the place is well watered with springs. He was married at Grand Rapids, Oct. 11, 1842, to Ann, daughter of Eleazer C. and Ann (Walbridge) Tabor, natives of Ithaca, N. Y. Mrs. Wright was born in the same place April 3, 1830. Three of four children, born in Walker, are living -Milo, April 6, 1852; Emmagene, in August, 1854; and Parker, in October, 1856. Mr. Wright was a resident of Grand Rapids a number of years, was Constable nine years, and owns two houses and lots, corner of Leonard and Scribner streets, valued at $2,500. Wyoming, or township 6 north, range 12 west, is diversified in its soil, surface and timber. The Grand river passes through its northwest sections. The swail on sections 17 and 18 is liable to inundations as far back as the base of the great bluff. In the southwest sections valuable tracts of timber exist. In the northeast sections the oak openings and plains are common. In section 2 the plaster rock outcrops in the bed of Plaster creek. An important feature of this township is a plateau or second bottom extending almost across the township, and varying in width from one to two miles. This was largely covered originally with burr and white oak timber, with a gravelly soil, and regarded as among the very best in the county. The present river bottom is generally much lower than this plateau, and generally from one-fourth to one-half mile in width. This burr oak plateau was first sought, and is now almost entirely occupied with farms, and largely devoted to wheat culture. East and southeast of this plateau is a large swampy tract but partially reclaimed, and on the higher lands to the south are belts of fine timber, some of it originally quite heavy, but now mostly cut off. Probably onefourth of the town was originally pine lands. Wyoming is without lakes, and its principal stream after Grand river, which forms its northern boundary for four miles, is Buck creek, which runs diagonally across the township from southeast to northwest. entering the river near the village of Grandville. This is a valuable mill stream, and was improved as such at an early day. Plaster creek also passes through the northeast corner of the township, and furnishes power for running the plaster-inills erected on its banks. Several smaller streams are also found in the town tributary to these, or following directly into the Grand river. One of the chief features of the township is its immense beds of plaster, probably underlying most of the township, found out-cropping into beds of the creek, known to the Indians before the advent of the white man, and for many years extensively worked in half a dozen places. EARLY SETTLERS. David Tucker and Gideon H. Gordon are reputed to have been * In 1834 came Carlos A. Abel, D. C. Britton, Cyrus Jones, Roswell Britton, Julius C. Abel, Ephraim P. Walker, Abraham Bryant, and Josiah McCarthy, and settled at or near the present site of the village of Grandville. Geo. Thompson, Robert Howlett, and Alvah Wanzar also settled within the town during that year. In the next year Edward Feakins, Charles H. Oakes, I. A. Brooks, Thomas Buxton, Ransom Sawyer, Richard Moore, Justus C. Rogers, Eli and Erastus Yeomans, and Manly Patchen were added to the list of settlers, many of them locating at Grandville. In 1836 Dwight Rankin, Hiram Osgood, Orrey Hill, James Lockwood, Nathan White, Jacob and Charles J. Rogers located in the town. LAND PATENTEES. Among the early settlers and others who purchased lands in this township from the general Government, the following names appear: Alvin H. Wansey, sec. 1, May 23, 1834; Luther Lincoln, sec. 3, March 22, 1833; Stephen Tucker, sec. 7, Sept. 25, 1832; Charles C. Trowbridge, sec. 9, Dec. 1, 1832; Caroline Goodwin, sec. 13, Dec. 25, 1834; Sylvester Sibley, sec. 17, Oct. 2, 1832; Henry West, sec. 20, Sept. 15, 1835; Joseph B. Copeland, sec. 22, July 13, 1833; Norman Mack, sec. 27, Nov. 11, 1835; John Wright, sec. 28, Dec. 4, 1833; Eli Yeomans, sec. 32, Aug. 25, 1835; and Philo Bronson, sec. 34, March 14, 1836. ORGANIC. This town, under the name and style of Wyoming, was organized in 1848, although under the name of Byron; for 12 years the headquarters of the town had been at Grandville. In fact, within the present limits of Wyoming was for several years nearly all there was in population and improvement of the town of Byron, so that strictly speaking, Wyoming was organized in 1836 under the name of Byron; and the new town organized in 1848 was given the old name. The first meeting of the electors of the township of Wyoming was held at the hotel of Dwight Rankin, on Monday, April 3,1848. Lewis Moody was chosen Moderator; Chas. Edgerly was chosen Clerk. John Temmons and Jacob Rogers were chosen Inspectors. The following officers were elected: Supervisor, Wm. R. Goodwin; Clerk, Joseph Blake; Treasurer, Chas. Edgerly; Commissioners of Highways, N. Shoemaker, Dwight Rankin, James B. Jewell; School Inspectors, L. D. Abbott, J. C. Rogers; Justices, Erastus Yeomans, Roswell Britton. The total vote at the first general election appears to have been 101, 16 years after the settlement of the township had begun. The following list gives the names of the principal township officers elected since 1848: |