The History of EMMET COUNTY, 1884Page 135-137 |
CHAPTER XX
EMMET ANDCHARLEVOIX COUNTIES LAID OFF-CHANGE OF NAMES-COUNTY ORGANIZATION IN 1853-EARLY TOWNS-REORGANIZATION IN 1855-EARLY CIVIL HISTORY-COUNTY OFFICERS-ORGANIZATION OF TOWNS-TOWN OFFICERS
In 1840 the county of Tonedagana was laid off, consisting of that part of the state north of Township 36 north, and west of Range 4 west, and the county of Kishkonko, consisting of that part of the state between Tonedagana on the north and Township 32 of the south, and west of Range 3 west.
In 1843 these names were changed to Emmet and Charlevoix; the former in honor of Robert Emmet, the eloquent Irish patriot, and the latter in honor of Pierre Francois Xavier Charlevoix, one of the early French explorers and missionaries. Delta and Michilimackinac were cut off on the north, leaving their northern boundary along the northern boundary of Green Bay and Lake Michigan. These counties remained unorganized and attached to Michilimackinac until 1853.
In 1847 the township of Peaine was erected, embracing the territory of the Beaver Islands. In the course of that year three meetings were held to elect town officers, but did not succeed in effecting a regular organization. In 1851 the Mormons elected all the officers and had full control of affairs.
In the winter of 1853 James J. Strang, the Mormon leader, was a member of the state legislature and succeeded in seeing the passage of a bill uniting the counties of Emmet and Charlevoix and organizing them under the name of Emmet. The act so far as it related to county organization is as follows: "The people of the state of Michigan enact: That the county of Emmet shall be organized and the inhabitants thereof entitled to all the rights, privileges and immunities to Michigan law the inhabitants of other organized counties of this state are entitled.
"There shall be elected in the said county of Emmet, on the first Tuesday of May next, all the several county officers to which by law said county is entitled; and said election and the canvass shall in all respects be conducted and held in the matter prescribed by law for holding elections and canvasses for county and state officers: Provided, That the canvass shall be held at the village of St. James, in said county, on the Monday next following said election; and said county officers shall immediately be qualified and enter upon the duties of their respective offices, and their several terms of office shall expire at the same time that they would have expired had they been elected at the last general election; And provided further, That until such county officers are elected and qualified, the proper county officers of the county of Mackinac shall perform all the duties appertaining to the said county of Emmet, in the same manner as though this act had not passed.
"The board of canvassers of said county, under this act, shall consist of the presiding inspectors of election from each township therein, who shall organize by appointing one of their number chairman, and another secretary of said board, and shall thereupon proceed to discharge all the duties of a board of County canvassers, as in ordinary cases of election for county and state officers.
"The county of Emmet shall have concurrent jurisdiction upon Lake Michigan and Green Bay with the other counties continuous thereto.
"All the islands, bars, rocks and lands under water contiguous to the said counties of Emmet and Charlevoix, and within the state of Michigan, not heretofore, by any legislative enactment, included within the body of any county in said state, together with so much of Range 4 west as was heretofore included in Cheboygan County, are hereby annexed to said county of Emmet and shall for all purposes be deemed and taken to be within and a part of said county.
"The county seat of said county shall be fixed by the board of supervisors of said county.
"The register of deeds of the county of Emmet shall, on the request and at the expense of the persons interested, copy from the records in the Office of the register of deeds at Mackinac, all records of deeds and instruments in writing conveying, or in any wise limiting or affecting the title to any real estate in the county of Emmet as hereby organized, and the copies so made shall be made and deemed and taken to be original records for all purposes whatsoever."
The act was approved Jan. 29, 1853, and was to take immediate effect.
At the same time the towns of Peaine, Galilee and Charlevoix were organized.
The township of Peaine extended so as to include rocks, bars and land under water contiguous to Beaver Island.
Galilee included all that part of Peaine in Towns 37 north, of Ranges 10 and 11 west, and south half of Town 38 north, of Ranges 10 and 11 west. The first election was appointed at Ludlow Hill.
The township of Charlevoix included all of the county of Charlevoix, and the first township meeting was appointed at the house of Galen B. Cole.
The history of the next two years contained nothing of local interest outside of the Mormon history already given. In 1855 it was determined to secure better protection to interests on the mainland, against the Mormons. To accomplish this Theodore Wendall, late of Mackinaw, and John S. Dixon, now of Charlevoix, went to Lansing and succeeded in securing the passage of a bill reorganizing Emmet County so as to include its former territory except the Beaver group and north and south Fox and territory west of same. The first election was held at Little Traverse on the first Tuesday in June, 1855.
Under this act the towns of Little Traverse, La Croix, Bear Creek and Old Fort Mackinaw were organized.
Little Traverse embraced all the county south of township line between Townships 36 and 37 and embraced by Ranges 5, 6 and 7 west. The first township meeting was held at the Indian schoolhouse at Little Traverse, on the first Tuesday in May.
La Croix embraced all the county north of the township line between Townships 36 and 37 north, and west of range line between Ranges 4 and 5. The first town meeting was held at the Indian schoolhouse in the village of La Croix. Bear Creek embraced Township 84 north, of Ranges 4, 5 and 6 west. The first election was held at the house of Andrew Porter.
The town of Charlevoix embraced Township 34 north, of Range 8 west, and Township 33 north, of Range 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 west. The first town meeting was held at the house of John S. Dixon.
Old Fort Mackinaw was intended to include all of the county north of township line between Townships 36 and 37, and embraced by Range 4 west. The first town meeting was appointed at the house of Francis Lalond. This town, however, was not organized, there being no white inhabitants in the territory at that time.
The county seat was established at Mackinaw City, but the county business was transacted at Little Traverse until 1867, when the county seat was removed to Charlevoix, and in 1868 the supervisors met at that place. There was strong opposition to the county seat being removed to Charlevoix, and in 1868 the county seal and some other property mysteriously disappeared. Dennis T. Dowling was county clerk and was supposed to be instrumental in their removal. An action for embezzlement was brouht against him, but in 1869 the county of Charlevoix was organized and the county seat of Emmet returned to Little Traverse, where it still remains. The circumstances connected with the Dowling case are told in the early history of Charlevoix County.
That part of Emmet County north of the line between Townships 36 and 37 north, and embraced by Range 4 west, was originally a part of the unorganized county of Cheboygan, and was attached to Emmet County when Cheboygan County was organized in 1858.
The first meeting of the board of supervisors was held in October, 1855, but there is no record of it among the county documents. The first election was not observed in any township but Charlevoix, where Galen B. Cole was elected supervisor, and of course he constituted the board of supervisors. In the following autumn this board of one man proceeded to construct several new townships in the county. The record, which looks innocent on the face of it, is found in the appendix to the session laws of 1857, where Galen B. Cole, as chairman of the board, and George T. Preston, as county clerk, certify that the several acts for the organization of the new townships were passed by a majority of votes of all the members elected to the board of supervisors, upon due notice and application according to law, at an adjourned sitting of the annual meeting, of the board of supervisors the 22d day of October, 1855.
The first supervisors' meeting recorded in the journal was held Oct. 12, 1857, but only two of the three supervisors were present, and no business was done. The principal business transacted by the early supervisors was the equalization of assessment rolls.
In 1869 the territory was divided and Charlevoix County organized, but no new towns were organized in Emmet County until 1876.
The officers of Emmet County elected for the several terms since 1855 have been as follows, as nearly as can be learned
from the records. In some instances there have been special elections for some reason, and at other times vacancies
have been filled by the board of supervisors. In 1883 the office of treasurer became vacant and J. L. Morrice was
elected by the board of supervisors to fill the unexpired term of E. J. Palmer. The list is as follows:
1855:-Clerk, C. R. Wright; register, A. J. Blackbird; probate judge, J. G. Turner; sheriff,
Thomas Smith. Highest number of votes cast at this election was forty. This was a special election held in November.
1856:-Clerk, Michael Kewa; register, Joseph G. Turner; treasurer, Lewis Petoskey; sheriff, John Anman; probate judge, Andrew Porter. 162 votes cast.
1857:-Clerk, A. J. Blackbird; register, J. G. Turner; treasurer, Lewis Petoskey; sheriff, John Newman; probate judge Andrew Porter. Twenty-seven votes cast.
1858:-Sheriff, Joseph Pyant: treasurer, Louis Meshinim; register, Horace Hall.
1859, special election in April:-Clerk, Augustin Hamlin; treasurer, Louis Meshinim.
1860:-Clerk, Dennis T. Downing; register, Francis Tabasash; treasurer, Louis Meshinim; sheriff, Joseph Pyant; probate judge, Henry G. Graverat.
1862:-Clerk, Joseph Succon; register, Paul Wasson; treasurer, Louis Meshinim; sheriff, Joseph Pyant; prosecuting attorney, Richard Cooper; 225 votes cast.
1864:-Sheriff , Alexander McGulpin; - register, Joseph Pyant. This was a special election held in April.
1864, general election:-Clerk, Dennis T. Downing; register, Joseph Pyant; treasurer, Louis Meshinim; sheriff, Alexander McGulpin; probate judge, Dennis T. Downing.
1868:-Sheriff, Joseph Pyant; clerk, Dennis T. Downing; treasurer, Louis Meshinim; registers Andrew J. Blackbird; probate judge, Dennis T. Downing; prosecuting attorney, Edward H. Green.
1870:-Sheriff, B. F. Ingalls; clerk, Henry A. Rollins; register, A. T. Burnett; treasurer, John Wagley; probate judge, Dennis T. Downing.
1872: -Sheriff, B. F. Ingalls; clerk, Henry A. Rollins; register, A. T. Burnett; treasurer, Charles Davidson; probate judge, John S. Shurtleff.
1874:-Clerk and register, Henry A. Rollins; treasurer, John Wagley; sheriff, Liberty J. Ingalls; prosecuting attorney, Charles R. Ford.
1876:-Sheriff, B. F. Ingalls; clerk and register, Henry A. Rollins; treasurer, James M. Burbeck; prosecuting attorney, Charles J. Pailthorp; probate judge, John S. Shurtleff. 1878:-Sheriff, A.W. Aldrich; clerk, William R. Bowser; register, James Buckley: treasurer, Israel Canby; prosecuting attorney, Clay E. Call.
1880:-Sheriff, George W. Dickinson; clerk, William R. Bowser; register, James Buckley; treasurer, Israel Canby; prosecuting attorney, Andrew L. Deuel; 1,415 votes were cast. 1882:-Sheriff, George W. Dickinson; clerk, Albert L. Hathaway; register, Thomas Quinlin; treasurer, E. J. Palmer; probate judge, William Crosby; prosecuting attorney, J. G. Hill.
TOWN ORGANIZATION
The present territory of Emmet County was originally divided into three town organizations, viz: Bear Creek, Little Traverse
and La Croix. The name of La Croix was in 1875 changed to Cross Village. New towns have been organized from time to
time as follows:
The town of Friendship, comprising the territory of Township C, 36 north, of Ranges 6 and 7 west, was organized by the
board of supervisors in the winter of 1876, and the first township meeting was held the following April. The petition to the
board was signed by the following persons:
Charles Tanner, I. Canby, Oliver Bortmiss, Thomas Hised,
Michael Kewog, Lewis Kewog, Marion L. Bidwell, Sylvester W. Ingalls,
Tbomas F. Cook, John M. Coots, J. L. Morrice, George W. Peterman,
E. A. Harding, Solomon Lewis, John K. Stutesman, F. C. Lamphere, William Clark, Lewis Garven, and John Jackson.
The town of Maple River was organized in 1876, and the first election held April 3. Horace M. Wilcox was the first Supervisor, F. L. Powell, clerk, and A. S. Weil, treasurer. The territory of Maple River comprises Township 36 north, of Range 4 west, and Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, north half of 10, and west half of 15, 16, 17, 18, in Township 35 north, of Range 4 west.
The town of Bliss was organized by the board of supervisors at a meeting held Oct. 9, 1876. The territory embraced was Town 38 north, of Range 5 west. The first annual meeting was appointed at the house of John Leatherman, on the first Monday in April, 1877. Charles S. Barton, Luther A. Bliss and Charles Eastman were appointed inspectors of election. The town was named in honor of Mrs Bliss, wife of the first settler in the town.
The town of Pleasant View was organized by the board of supervisors in the winter of 1876, and the first election held the following April. It comprises the territory of Township 36 north, of Range 5 west. The names of freeholders who signed the petition are as follows:
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Eli Culler, Enos M. Warble, Jonathan Mellot, Henry Augden, Thomas Ellis, William Huston, | J. M. Lett, Web Hickmon, William Thompson, William Dunnom, V. G. Connor, C. D. Hampton. |
The town of Littlefield was organized by act of legislature, approved March 22, 1877, and comprised the territory of Township 35 north, of Range 4 west, and Township 34 north, of Range 4 west. The first annual meeting as appointed aŠat the house of Squire Phillips, on the first Monday of April, 1877. In 1881 Sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17 .tnd 18, and the west half of Sections 10 and 15 in Township 35 north, of Range 4 west, and so much of Sections 20 and 21 in said Township, lie north of Crooked Lake, was detached from Littlefield and attached to Maple River.
The town of Center was organized by the board of supervisors, at the January meeting in 1878, upon petition of W. W. White and sixteen others. The first election was held at the house of Clark Harkins, in April following. The inspectors were Isaac Palmer, M. B. Reynolds and Samuel Midgley. The territory of Center comprises Township 37 north, of Range 5 west.
The town of Carp Lake was organized by the board of supervisors in October, 1879. The application was made by Alpheus B. Hendricks, Octave Terrien, Samuel Ells, and nine others, freeholders of the township of Cross Village, in the county of Emmet for the organization or erection of the territory comprising Towns 38 north, of Range 4 west, and 39 north of Range 4 west, being now a part of the township of Cross Village, in said county, into a new township to be called the township of Carp Lake. It was provided that the first township meeting thereof shall be held at the house of Jacob Ells, on Monday, the 5th day of April, in the year Of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty, and Alpheus B. Hendricks, Hugh Kilpatrick and James Ball were appointed inspectors of election.
The town of Egleston was organized by the board of supervisors in March, 1884. The description of territory and names of petitioners were given in the petition as follows:
To detach Township 37 north, of Range 4 west, from Cross Village Township of said county, and erect and provide for the organization of a new township to be called Egleston, and to embrace the following described territory, to wit: Township 37 north, of Range 4 west. Dated this twenty-eighth day of January, A. D., 1884.
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Allen C. Wright, J. M. Morris, W. W. Loomis, John Wachtel, Soren Olson, Charles A. Watters, L. S. Jennings, W. A. Shephard, A. B. Sperry, E. J. Town, Robert Shideler, A. McLachlin, A. M. LeBaron, |
J. St. Peters, E. M. Cole, James A. Hough, Louis La Croix, A. M. Hall, 0. H. Shurtleff, Samuel Morris, A. L. Burnett, N. G. Burtt, W. M. Shurtleff, John Shurtleff, Allen Du Paro, John Wagley. |
TOWN OFFICERS IN 1883.
Center: --- Supervisor, Charles H. Swartout; clerk, Samuel Midgley; treasurer, Charles Cook.
Cross Village: ---Supervisor, James E. Wagley; clerk, Francis Tobasash; treasurer, A. Jones.
Bear Creek: --- Supervisor, James Buckley; clerk, A. J. Huntley; treasurer, 0. B. Finlay.
Bliss: ---Supervisor, Frank Keiser; clerk, Joel Stearns; treasurer, Henry C. Garber.
Carp Lake: ---Supervisor, J. D. Rawdon; clerk, Joseph Sanders; treasurer, Conrad Schmalzried.
Friendship: ---Supervisor, James L. Morrice; clerk, Jesse F. Carmien; treasurer, David S. Kaylor.
Pleasant View: ---Supervisor, George 0. Richardson; clerk, Augustus C. Willis; treasurer, John Warren.
Little Traverse: ---Supervisor, Henry Bechtel: clerk, Alva Thompson; treasurer, Fred Main.
Maple River: ---Supervisor, Scott Williston; clerk, Titus B. Snyder; treasurer, George W. Green.
Littlefield: ---Supervisor, George W. Drake; clerk, Henry L. Drake; treasurer, M. J. Bolen.
Readmond: ---Supervisor, Job Rohr; clerk, Eugene Foote; treasurer, Andrew McCourt.
In the town of Friendship, James L. Morrice was appointed treasurer of the county, and
Philo H. Budlong was appointed supervisor to fill the vacancy.
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