THE LAND BUYERS.

For the purpose of the county history proper, the names of those who patented the lands of the county between the years 1822, the date of the garrisoning of Fort Saginaw, and 1837, are here given. Of the entire number of buyers named in this list, only a few left for other scenes; so it may be stated with a degree of certainty that the men whose names follow were among the old settlers of the county. In the histories of the various townships the names, locations, and dates of purchase of all lands bought from the general Government, situated within such township will be given. This list is confined to the term between 1822 and 1837, the last 10 years of which may be considered the pioneer period, as by that time the valley was well known, and the troubles which usually beset the new settler partially removed.

Hugh Quin,

Thomas Crickals.
Samuel H. Fitzhugh,
James M. Williams,
Joseph T. Tromble,
Silas Barns,
David Kirk,
Peter Kemp,
Thomas Barger,
William Renwick,
James Marsac,
Thomas Townsend,
Henry H. Le Roy,
Benjamin McLellan,
Moses P. Butler,
Eurotas P. Hastings,
Philander R. Howe,
John T. Tallman,
Samuel Noyes,
Benjamin F. Town,
William H. H. Elliot,
John Tallman,
Chauncey Metcalf,

A RETROSPECT.

To

What a change has come over the land since they first saw it! The metamorphosis from the sickle and the cradle to the modern harvester is not more wonderful than other changes which have been wrought; and he who brings up sad remembrances of a hard day's work, and a lumbago caused by the swinging of his cradle or scythe, smiles, when he thinks of that semi-barbarous period that could neither produce a harvester nor a mower. day he mounts into the seat of one of these machines, as he would into his phaeton, and with the assurance that, no matter what the condition of the grain, whether tangled, lodged or leaning, he masters a quarter section of wheat field more thoroughly and with greater economy than he could have managed a five-acre field 25 years ago.

The change is certainly material. They realize it; but yet they look back to the never-forgotten past, when contentment waited on the work of the old cradle, plow, and spade-to that time when the primitive character of all things rendered all primitively happy. Then contentment reigned supreme, and continued so to do until knowledge created ambitions, and those ambitions brought in their train their proverbial and numerous little troubles.

The change has been revolutionizing indeed! Then political meetings were called by messages passed from mouth to mouth, from neighbor to neighbor; now the columns of the great daily journals of the city, and of the weekly papers, supplemented by glaring posters call the attention of the people. Well organized cornet bands are sometimes employed to aid all that printers do,

and even this has a satellite supplied to it, in the shape of a band of small boys, with a base drum, a snare drum and a dozen tinwhistles. The latter organization is solely the creature of a great political campaign, and discourses its peculiar music only previous to the quadriennial election. On very special occasions the cornet band is called out, and oftentimes a quartette party accompanies the candidate in his round of the townships. Change is stamped on everything. Progress accompanies it to the end.

CHAPTER V.

GERMAN SETTLEMENTS.

The history of the county was in the main, undoubtedly, made by the American pioneers. They had just opened up the new settlements on the Saginaw, advertised the resources of their land, and prepared as it were a way to peace and prosperity for the toomuch-governed, industrious, and sedate German. Within eight years after the admission of Michigan into the Union of the States, and nine years after the organization of Saginaw county, the people of Central Europe began to direct their attention to the land of great forests, and to contribute their quota to its settlement. early as 1845, the Kremer settlement was made here, and within the year's immediately subsequent a representative of all the countries from the Rhine to the Russian frontier could be found beginning a new life on every section of the lands of this county. Great numbers of the Germans, who came here between 1845 and 1859, made this county their home, and have contributed, in a high degree, to raise it to its present prosperous condition.

As

That such a people should claim pioneer honors will not be denied. In peace and war the German citizens of Saginaw have acted a patriotic part, and there is every reason to presume that, with their knowledge of all the evils which a monarchical form of gov ernment entails, they will stand by the Republic, and teach their children to honor a land dedicated to Liberty and marked out as the true home of manhood.

Of the German citizens of this county the following may be classed among the pioneers, the date of arrival and place of settlement being given:

1847-M. Huber, Blumfield; J. Meyer and M. Herbst, Saginaw.

1848-Carl Dhrele, Salina.

1849-Dr. M. C. T. Plessner, A. W. Achard, M. Ziegler, F. Herig, and C. Ulrich, Saginaw; F. Dieckman, E. Saginaw; F. Lepsch, Buena Vista; M. Ulrich, Frankentrost; and F. Vanfleet, Blumfield.

1850-J. Nerreter and Charles Langlass, E. Saginaw; E. Barck, J. Liskow, Wm. Fischer, Charles Wapler, Z. T. Schoerner, J. Bauer and H. Bernhard, Saginaw; J. Schaberg, Blumfield; and C. Hage and Val. Simon.

1851-Anton Crane, Blumfield; Ernst Franck and L. and E Bloedon, Bay City; Henry Miller, Saginaw City; Wm. Seidel, Saginaw; and Wm. Grandjean and J. C. Spaeth.

1852-Fred. Koehler and Wm. Zwerk, E. Saginaw; R. Scheurmann, L. Zagelmeier and Charles Babo, Bay City; J. Backus, Saginaw; F. Fischer, Joseph Elderer, John Leipold, Peter Schneizer, M. Heubisch, John Stroebel and F. W. Roenicke.

1853-John Foetzinger and H. Romeike, Saginaw; J. Bechrow, E. Saginaw; and M. Riedel and John Ruff.