1874, and is buried in Memphis cemetery. Reminiscences of ancestry: Mrs. Lovejoy thinks she is a grand-daughter of Gen. Lee, of the Revolution. Her mother's name was Hildah Lee, youngest daughter of Gen. Lee. Soon after coming to Michigan, their house and all its contents, including family records, was burned, leaving the family, consisting of parents and three children, destitute, and as there were only ten or fifteen families within a radius of ten miles, they commenced life again alone, and by dint of close economy and hard labor and suffering privations, have succeeded in securing a good home and comfortable living. A. LUTTENBACHER. JOHN S. PARKER, P. O. New Haven, son of John U. Parker, who was born in Mansfield, Windham Co., Conn., and Harriet (Sandford) Parker, born in Coventry, Tolland Co., Conn. John U. Parker emigrated from Connecticut to Homer, Cortland Co., N. Y., in 1817. John S. was born in Mansfield, Windham Co., Conn, May 17, 1810, and was married to Delia Palmer January 18, 1832; was born in Coventry, Tolland Co., Conn., December 13, 1811. They removed to Michigan in September, 1835, and located in Clinton, now Warren, on Sections 21 and 22; from there to Columbus, St. Clair County, on the Gratiot Turnpike, in 1838; one of the first County Commissioners elected in St. Clair County, and for three years held the office. He cleared up two good farms, one of which he sold in 1866, and bought a hotel in New Haven, which he still conducts for the good of humanity, without the aid of liquor. CALVIN A. SMITH was born in London, Canada West, June 13, 1847, and is a son of Thomas G. Smith. The elder Smith was born in the State of Vermont, and moved with his family from London, Canada, to this country in 1854. Our subject, C. A. Smith, spent the younger part of his days on his father's farm, and received a good education. He worked in his father's stave-mill for several years. This mill was burned in 1871. He began work for Mr. H. R. Hazelton, of New Haven, in 1874, at scaling and measuring timber. He is the chief stave cutter, and when his time is not occupied at the mill, he is salesman in Mr. Hazelton's extensive store. He was married November 14, 1869, to Miss Mary E. McNellie, by whom he has five children-Rettie J., Lilly May, Hattie Bell, Burt A. and Gertrude L. Mr. Smith is now serving his second term as Treasurer of Lenox R. P. He is one of the Village Council, and is a member of the New Haven Cornet Band, and a member of the K. of H. ABNER W. STEPHENS P. O. New Haven, is the son of John Squire Stephens, of Richmond Village, of Irish descent, and Anna (Woodruff) Stephens, who was born in Connecticut. They were married January 5, 1793. Abner W. was born in Canaan, Litchfield Co., Conn., June 26, 1801, and emigrated to Pompey, Onondaga Co., N. Y., in March, 1807. He had a very limited education, but plenty of hard work, in a new country. He was married to Abigail Resseguie October 5, 1825, in Verona, Oneida County. He soon removed to Van Buren, Onondaga County, where they resided until they came to Michigan. He came and took up 240 acres of Government land on Sections 1 and 12, Town 4 north, Range 14 east, Lenox. He came with his family in 1836. There was not a farm taken up within three miles. He and his brother John lived in a turnpike shanty while building his first house. The shanty was burned while they were at work on the house, and their provisions, watch, rifle and most of their clothing, and some money, amounting to $70, were consumed. They had to go to Mt. Clemens, fifteen miles, for supplies. The town was called Ray. He was so far from town-meeting that he never voted until Lenox was organized. He voted for the first town officers, when no political lines were drawn. He voted the first Republican ticket in the town, and has continued on that line. He was one of the first Highway Commissioners; served one year as Assessor, and eight years as Justice of the Peace, from 1840. He says they had to use all the basswood in town to fill the offices. In the fall of 1836, his money and provisions were all gone and nothing raised. With a family of a wife and six children to care for, the future looked gloomy. As the only resort, and by request of A. I. Baird, lumberman of St. Clair County, and some of his neighbors, he consented to open a public house on the Gratiot Turnpike. He was furnished his first barrel of flour for it by Lyman Granger, of Lenox, and forty bushels of potatoes by Mr. Simons, of Lenox, eight miles away. He had to be trusted by a stranger. After navigation closed, he had plenty to do, and succeeded in living and rearing a family of nine children, five of whom are living. He cleared up a good farm, and is now retired and enjoying the fruit of his toil in peaceful old age. CHAPTER XLI. HARRISON TOWNSHIP. In the chapters of the general history, the early settlement of this township is very fully treated. So, also, is the story of the dead city of Belvidere. Here it will be merely necessary to review its organic history and perhaps make a few special references to its present inhabitants The first meeting was held May 28, 1827, in accordance with the terms of the act, with William Meldrum, Moderator; Francis Labadie, Justice of the Peace, and Henry Taylor, Clerk. The first officers elected were: James Meldrum, Clerk; Jacob Tucker, Collector; Charles Tucker, B. Thomas and F. Labadie, Commissioners of Highways: Charles Pletier, Sr., Overseer of the Poor; John B. Chapman, Constable. A tie vote was given for the office of Supervisor. A special election was held June 9, 1827, which resulted in the choice of Henry Taylor to fill that office. The principal township officers since 1827 are named below: TOWN ROSTER. Supervisors-Henry Taylor, 1827-29; Jacob Tucker, 1829-38; David Lyon, 183839; George Kellegg, 1839-40; Heman Beal, 1840-41; Henry J. Tucker, 1841-42; Henry Teats, 1842-45; William J. Tucker, 1845-48; Antoine Chortier, 1848-49; Alonzo A. Goodman, 1849-50; Robert Teats, 1850-55; William J. Tucker, 1855-61; Alonzo A. Goodman, 1861-63; Edward Teats, 1863-64; William J. Tucker, 1864-68; Edward Teats, 1868-73; Frederick C. Forton, 1873-75; John Filler, 1875-77; Edward Teats, 1877-82. Clerks James Meldrum, 1827-33; Valorous Maynard, 1834-35; Robert Meldrum, 1835-38; A. C. Hatch, 1839; A. W. Flagg, 1840: Henry Teats, 1841; Henry J. Tucker, 1842-43; Robert Teats, 1844-46; Alonzo A. Goodman, 1847-48; Robert Teats, 1848; Jacob Tucker, 1850; David Tucker, 1851-53; Henry Van Allen, 1854-56; Randolph Stiger, 1857; Robert Teats, 1858-59; Edward Teats, 1860-62; Simon Rackham, 186366; Dositee Chortier, 1867-70; John Feller, 1871-72; Henry Fries, 1873-74; Lemuel M. Sackett, 1875; Henry Campau, 1876-77; Stephen Lawton, 1878-80; Francis Chortier, 1881-83. Justices of the Peace-David B. Conger, David Lyons, 1837; Henry Teats, Asher Wilcox, 1838; A. C. Hatch, Alfred C. Hatch, John Connor, Nelson Oviatt, Aaron W. Flagg, 1839; Asher Wilcox, 1839-40; George Kellogg, 1840-41; Henry Teats, Robert Meldrum, 1842; Thomas Lough, Robert Meldrum, 1843; Asher Wilcox, Edward Tuckar, Homen Beal, 1844; Thomas Rowse, 1845; Henry Teats, 1846; Edward Tuckar, 1847; Joseph Dematressa, 1848; Samuel Shear, 1849; Nathan Mosher, 1850; Jeremiah Johnson, 1851; Sam Shear, Homer Beal, Henry Van Allen, 1853; Alonzo A. Goodman, 1854; Sam Shear, Henry Van Allen, 1855; Robert Teats, Henry Frege, 1857; Alonzo A. Goodman, Henry Frege, Samuel Shear, 1858; Henry Teats, Samuel Shear, 1859; S. Rackham, 1859-60; Joshua Dickinson, 1861; Samuel Shearer, 1862; Henry Teats, 1863; Robert Meldrum, 1864; Joshua Dickinson, 1865; David Tucker, 1866; Richard Chotier, 1867; Sam Shear, John Fuller, 1868; Philip Ballard, 1869; David Tucker, John A. Fries, 1869–70; Sam Shear, 1870; Fred Finton, Henry Teats, 1871; Philip Ballard, William J. Tucker, 1872; Robert Meldrum, 1873; Andrew Mayhew, 1874; Richard Tremble, 1875; David Tucker, 1876; Thomas J. Shoemaker, 1877; Jacob Hazenbuhlen, William J. Tucker, 1878; Joseph P. Ballard, 1879; Thomas J. Shoemaker, 1880; John J. Reimold, 1881. In this township two tickets were run in 1882, the Union and Township, with Henry Campau at the head of each. The Union ticket was successful except for Clerk, Frank Chortier, on the Township ticket, being elected over Thomas J. Shoemaker, by one majority. Jacob Hetzenbuhler was elected Treasurer over John Campau by one majority. ORGANIZATION. In acquiesence with the prayer of citizens of Macomb County, the district which lies east of a line between a tract of land confirmed to John Tucker and James Connor, and extending to the Saline River on the north side of the River Huron, and all the country which lies east of a line between a tract confirmed to Lewis Peltier and a tract confirmed to Pierre Phenix, on the south side of the River Huron, including the settlements northeast of the base line, near Milk River on the lake shore, to the mouth of the said River Huron, was erected into a township under the name of Harrison. This act was approved August 12, 1818. Harrison Township, as erected under legislative enactment, April 12, 1827, comprised all the country between the county line of Macomb and St. Clair, on the town line between Town 4, Range 13, and Town 4, in Range 14, running south to the lake, near the farm of Joseph Sansfacon, so as to include his farm in the town of Clinton, which includes Towns 4, 3 and a part of 2, in Range 14, was named Harrison, and the first town meeting was ordered to be held at the house of Charles Peltier, Jr., the last Monday in May, 1827. The first house of worship erected in the county was the Catholic Church, in 1775. This old house stood on the south bank of the Clinton, about four miles below the site of Mt Clemens, in Harrison Township. The first marriage among the white settlers is supposed to be that of Nicholas Patenaude, in 1758 or 1759. The second that of Richard Connor, or O'Connor, and Mary Myers, the Indian captive, in 1781. The first white female child born in the county was Susanna Connor, daughter of Richard Connor, who married Elisha Harrington. The first white male children were the sons of Patenaude and the son of Richard Connor, who was claimed by the Indians as their adopted child. The first school organized in the county was that under Joseph Rowe, in Harrison in 1794. A room in William Tucker's dwelling formed the school-room. Rowe remained ten years in the settlement, leaving in 1804. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS. Harrison contains a sufficient quantity of the best varieties of timber, including white and black oak, black walnut, hickory, beech and maple. The land is about equally divided between rolling and level. Near the mouth of the river it is inclined to be flat, and, in some places, swampy, but, on the whole, very little irredeemable land exists within its boundaries. The Clinton divides the township into two equal parts. The creeks known as Tucker's and Ventre de Bœuf drain the southern sections of the town, while a small creek flowing northeastward into the lake, waters the northeastern sections. As an agricultural region, Harrison ranks with the foremost townships in the county. In all of the staple agricultural productions it shows a fair proportion. The site of the fallen city of Belvidere is an evidence of the progress of agricultural science. Here, where once a city was drowned out, the model farm of Messrs. Campbell & Sackett exists. The importance and value of land in Harrison Township is greatly enhanced by its close proximity to the county seat. It is bounded on the west by Clinton Township, and the corporation limits of Mt. Clemens also touch its western boundary. Its citizens generally are an industrious class of people, hospitable and good farmers, under whose guidance the prosperity of the township is assured. East of the mouth of the Huron River, commencing at the now site of the "ruins of Belvidere," and between that point and St Clair River, the only two Canadian families had settled. These men had "squatted" at a point near the bank of Salt River, and had possessed themselves there of a salt spring. This salt spring was regarded by them as the future source of considerable wealth. The salt spring is now well known by our people as the one in the little glen where the plank road bridge crosses Salt River, about four miles up the stream from the lake. The spring was looked upon as of great value and importance by the agent of the United States Government, who was sent out to investigate and survey the Government interest here in 1804, and, in a communication to Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State, we find mention made of this "Salt Interest" by C. Jouett, the then Indian agent at Detroit. In this report the agent says: "From experiments that have been made, I am justified in saying that this spring deserves the public attention. It was wrought some time by a couple of men, who, owing to their want of capital, were incapable of conducting the business on an advantageous plan. By those men I have been assured that a quart of water did with them turn out a gill of salt; and in all their trials with greater quantities it never failed to produce a like proportion. There is a suffi cient quantity of water to supply works to any extent." This salt spring was claimed by a firm whose names are recorded in the State papers at Washington, as Meldrum & Parks, and whose title had been obtained from the Indians in some such manner that the Government refused to recognize their claim as of any validity, affecting, as it did, so important an interest. FIRST EVENTS. The first settlers were the Sauks up to 1520. The Otchipwes came in 1520, and drove out the small bands of Wyandots and Miamis. William and Joseph Tuckar and Mary Myers are supposed to be the first Englishspeaking visitors to the district now comprised in Macomb County. They were carried into captivity by the Otchipwes from their homes in Virginia, while yet the elder brother, William, was only eleven years of age-about the year 1754. Joseph Tuckar died on a desolate island in the upper lake region some time after his arrival here, and must be considered the first white man known to the Indians of the Huron who deceased. The first actual white settler was Nicholas Patenaude, who acquired and improved Claim 273, fronting on Lake St. Clair, in 1758. In his testimony before the United States Land Commissioners, in 1808, he substantiated his statement under oath and by witness. The literary privileges of geous footing for many years. west of this county, were far LITERARY AND EDUCATIONAL. the early settlers were on neither an exalted nor advanta- manifold privations debarred the pioneers of our county from erecting either the primitive log schoolhouse or the equally original sanctuary. But when the harassing circumstances of their situation would permit, they exerted every energy toward the development of intellectual and moral culture. At first, very little concert of action could be obtained, partly because of the strangeness of the new situation, and partly because many entertained doubts as to whether they would permanently remain in their new homes. Yet those who had families with them manifested a praiseworthy and zealous regard for the future of their offspring. Doubtless the first schools taught in the county were those taught by the Moravian missionaries, those brave and heroic champions of religion and learning, justice and piety, whose works have left an indelible impress on the history of every settlement in this Western country. The first school taught in the English language of which we have any definite authority was under the teaching of Joseph Rowe, in the house of William Tucker, in Harrison This was eighty-one years ago. Edward Tucker was one of the scholars in the primary department. The teachers' wages were $10 per month, with board, washing and mending included. Mr. Rowe acted in the capacity of a savant whenever an occasion offered. He frequently read the Episcopal burial service. at funerals, as there were none present to conduct any other exercises. He remained about ten years in this vicinity. After peace again pervaded the settlement, the families residing on the river east of Mt. Clemens built a log schoolhouse a few rods from the site of the residence of Lafayette Tucker. This was the first schoolhouse in the county. Benjamin P. Dodge, a British Tory, was one of the first teachers who occupied it. Richard Butler taught school in it as early as 1824, and Dr. Henry Taylor in 1827. The school drew scholars from the distance of five miles. Henry Harrington was one of Dr. Taylor's pupils. Robert Tate, a Scotchman, taught school in this county as early as 1806. It was a family school, gathered at the house of William Clemens. After he had fulfilled his mission here as a pedagogue, he returned to Canada, whence he came. After the war, Ezra B. Prescott employed his spare time in advancing the interest of education. He built a house just below the residence of John Stockton. To show his versatility of talent, he lived the life of a bachelor and kept house for himself. The school was a literary center for the settlers, aud, for want of artificial carriages to reach it, the children resorted to those which nature afforded. John Hays, then a lad, would mount his pony, take on two of his sisters behind him, and away to school, giving his pony the limits of ranging through the hours of study. When their daily task was done, they returned by the same conveyance." PRESENT SCHOOLS. There are three district schools in the township, now under the direction of David Tucker, James Perry and Edward Teats. The buildings are frame, valued at $1,700. The total expenditure of the township for school purposes, during the year ending September 5, 1881, was about $1,100, $292 of which were paid to the teachers. The number of children of school age in the township is 235, of which number 170 attended school regularly during the year. The primary school interest fund amounted to $283; the 1 mill tax to $292.52, and the balance derived from other sources. BIOGRAPHICAL. The history of this township is continued in the personal sketches of its most prominent citizens, given in the pages devoted to that branch of local history. CHARLES BOOTZ, P. O. Mt. Clemens, Box 159, was born in Northern Germany, September 7, 1824; he was raised on a farm and received the education which the common schools of Germany afford; he lived with his parents until 1846, when he bought a farm for himself, and the same year married Miss Anna Kunstman, May 27; there were |