thereof, to provide a suitable place for holding courts in said county, at or near the county seat, until public buildings shall be erected for that purpose.

Approved April 3, 1848.

County seat, Lexington, an incorporated village on the shore of Lake

Huron.

SCHOOLCRAFT COUNTY.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan:

SECTION 4. All that portion of the State embraced within the limits hereinafter specified shall be laid off as a separate county, to be known and designated as the county of Schoolcraft, to wit: beginning at a point in Lake Superior, north of the line between ranges twelve and thirteen west, thence west along the margin of said lake to the line between ranges 23 and 24 west, thence south along said line to the north boundary of township 41, thence east to the line between ranges 12 and 13 west, together with Grand Island on Lake Superior. Approved April 3, 1848.

Seat of justice for Schoolcraft county, Onota, a village on Grand Island harbor, on the south shore of Lake Superior.

SHAWONO COUNTY.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan:

SECTION 17. The portion of the state embraced in towns 25, 26, 27 and 28 north, of ranges 1, 2, 3 and 4 west, shall be laid off as a separate county, to be known and designated as the county of Shawono. Approved April 1, 1840.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan:

SECTION 8. The name of the county of Shawono, as now organized by law, is hereby changed to that of Crawford.

Approved March 8, 1843.

SHIAWASSEE COUNTY.

And I have thought it expedient to lay out the following county, that is to say:

All the country included within the following boundaries: beginning on the principal meridian, where the line between the eighth and ninth townships north of the base line intersects the same, and running thence south to the line between the second and third townships north of the

base line; thence east to the line between the sixth and seventh ranges east of the principal meridian; thence north, to the line between townships numbered eight and nine north of the base line; thence west to the place of beginning, shall form a county, to be called the county of Shiawassee.

Given under my hand at Detroit, this tenth day of September, A. D., 1822, and of the Independence of the United States, the forty-seventh. LEW. CASS.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Michigan, That the county of Shiawassee be and the same is hereby organized for county purposes; and the inhabitants thereof shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges to which by law the inhabitants of other counties of this state, organized since the adoption of the constitution, are entitled.

SEC. 2. All suits and prosecutions in law pending at the time of the taking effect of this act, between inhabitants of Shiawassee county, or inhabitants of any other county and inhabitants of Shiawassee, shall be prosecuted to final judgment and execution; and all taxes heretofore levied and unpaid shall be collected in the same manner as though this act had not taken effect.

SEC. 3. The circuit court for the county of Shiawassee shall be held at the county seat if practicable; and if not, at such other place as the sheriff of said county shall provide, until county buildings shall be erected.

SEC. 4. The county of Shiawassee shall belong to the second judicial circuit, and the terms of the circuit court shall commence on the first Monday of June and December in each year.

SEC. 5. There shall be elected in said county, on the second Monday of May, and the next succeeding day, all the county officers, which by law the organized counties are entitled to elect, and the terms of all said officers shall expire at the same time that they would, provided they had been elected at the annual election in November last; and the said election shall be held and conducted, and the returns made and certified, in all respects as is provided for in the act organizing the county of Ionia, and providing for the election of county officers in that county.

SEC. 6. The county of Clinton shall be attached to the county of Shiawassee for judicial purposes, and all suits touching the rights of the inhabitants of Clinton county, pending in any court, and all taxes unpaid at the time of the taking effect of this act, shall be continued and proceeded upon in like manner as though this act had not taken effect.

Approved March 18, 1837.

SHIAWASSEE-An Indian name signifying "straight running."
County-seat, Corunna.

EARLY SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN OF WOODHULL, SHIAWASSEE COUNTY.

BY JOSEPHUS WOODHULL.

The township of Woodhull derived its name from the settlement of two families of that name. Josephus Woodhull, born on Long Island, 1764, and his two sons, John and Josephus, born in Ontario county, N. Y., were pioneers in the town, John having located land on section 9, and Josephus on section 4, the 16th November, 1836. It is a fractional township and contains about 27 sections, or 17,300 acres, and is situated in the southwest corner of Shiawassee county.

It was organized by an act of the Legislature in the spring of 1838, embracing townships number five and six north of range one east, and by a subsequent act of the Legislature, township six was organized into a separate town by the name of Sciota.

Josephus Woodhull commenced the first work of improvement in town, on section 4, the 2d December, 1836, and during that month built a log house, 16x20 feet. The whole material was taken from the standing trees, except the door which was made from a dry goods box. Between Christmas and New Years, John and family, with his aged father and mother, arrived in the unbroken wilderness, where they found in the log house a warm and comfortable shelter from the inclemency of a long and severe winter.

The surface of the town is undulating, embracing plains, openings, timber lands and marshes, with a variety of soil, sandy, gravel, clay and muck. It is watered by the Looking Glass river on the north part, and Vermillion creek, running through the south and west parts of the town, and also several small lakes and their outlets; the most noted of these is the Colby's and Graham lakes.

The inhabitants are engaged exclusively in agriculture. Excellent crops, both in quantity and quality, of the different varieties of wheat, corn and oats are grown, also many vegetables of various kinds. Fruit is grown with much profit, and may include apples, peaches, plums, pears, quinces, cherries, and grapes.

The raising of stock has claimed the attention of some farmers, and much improvement has been made in horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs.

Red and write clover, timothy, red-top, and June grass are adapted to the various soils.

The town was organized into three school districts May 10th, 1838 (including township six), school district No. 1 embracing the whole of township 5, section 32, in town 6. The first school house was built in the fall of 1838, on section 5 in school district No. 1, by the volunteer labors of the inhabitants of the vicinity, among whom was Robert Colister, Benjamin Lewitt, Terry Parshall, and J. Woodhull. The first teacher was Oliver B. Westcott, of East Bloomfield, N. Y. At the present time, 1876, there are five districts with a total number of 280 scholars between the ages of 5 and 20 years.

The first religious meeting was held at the house of Josephus Woodhull in the fall of 1837, by the Rev. Mr. Jackson, a Methodist preacher. Elder Silas Barnes, a Baptist minister, held a series of meetings, in the old log school-house, and organized a Baptist church with 12 members, April 3d, 1840.

A Presbyterian church was organized by Rev. Wm. G. Smith, about the year 1844, with 8 members. Elder Smith was the first Presbyterian minister who settled in the county, being in the year 1842. The town has been continuously supplied with Presbyterian preaching since 1843, by Rev. Mr. Smith, Rev. Mr. Harnor and Rev. Richard Kay, a highly esteemed christian minister, who has been a resident of the town for the last 24 years.

Two Methodist societies have been organized several years; preaching is now supplied by Rev. Mr. Blood.

A Roman Catholic church was organized in 1847 by Father Godiz, a Hungarian by birth. It had about 30 members, who built a meetinghouse of logs. In 1873 it gave place to a new frame building which gives good accommodations for their religious services.

Masons, Odd Fellows, and Good Templars are well represented, but have no organization within the town. A Grange of Patrons of Husbandry was organized January 29th, 1874, and has been incorporated under an act of the Legislature, and has a membership of 78, who claim to have received much benefit in their social, educational and pecuniary interests.

The nearest postoffice for nearly a year after the first settlement by the Woodhulls was at Howell, a distance of forty miles, which was traveled many times for letters belonging to the few families of the settlement. And on one accasion made urgent by the failure of provisions which could not be had without money which was expected from N. Y. State, Josephus Woodhull traveled the distance on foot, and thinking to make the route some shorter, went through the woods without a road to the first settlement, in what is now the township of Antrim, where Allen Beard, one of the first settlers, still resides, at a distance from Woodhull of 14 miles. The next settlement was about the same distance, and known as Sanford's, who kept a tavern for the accommodation of the hungry and weary traveler. Woodhull returned home after a journey of three days, with the letter and much needed money.

In the fall of 1837 a postoffice was established at Laingsburg, now in the town of Sciota, and Peter Laing was the first postmaster. In 1849 a postoffice was established within the present limits of the town of Woodhull. David J. Tower was first postmaster.

The line of the Chicago and Port Huron Railroad runs through the town. That portion between the cities of Flint and Lansing is unfinished. Several thousand dollars of pledges have been made and subscriptions paid by citizens of the town, the right of way secured, and a quantity of ties delivered on the line of the road, the point for a depot has been established in town, and the people are assured of its early completion.

The first town meeting was held on the 30th April, 1838, at the house of Peter Laing. John Woodhull was elected supervisor; Oliver B. Westcott, town clerk, Josephus Woodhull, Peter Laing, Henry Leach and John Graham, were elected justices of the peace. Among the most successful attorneys who appeared in behalf of their clients in justices' courts were Hon. Andrew Parsons, Hon. Sanford M. Green, and Hon. Amos Gould.

Among the ministers of the gospel who preached for some time to their respective churches in town was Elder Benjamin Brigham (Baptist), formerly from the State of New York, who settled in the county early in 1836. For some time he made it his regular business to travel over the county, through marshes and streams, preaching in different settle

ments, and talking to families and individuals on the subject of religion. In 1838 he came to fill an appointment which had been made for him in the Woodhull settlement. After preaching an excellent sermon, which occupied two hours in its delivery, to an attentive and interested audience, he was invited to the house of Josephus Woodhull for dinner. After dinner, a friendly chat commenced between the elder and the mother of Josephus, in regard to other days in their eastern homes, and the deprivations incident to a new country. He finally became very inquisitive and desirous to know something of the character of the people and neighborhood,-if there were any disturbances of their peace and harmony, etc.? In answer Mrs. Woodhull replied that we had excellent neighbors, and all seemed united and happy; when the elder raised himself suddenly in his chair, exclaimed, "What! all happy and united in going the broad road to death?" then repeating a text of scripture, he preached one full hour on Christian duties, to the family.

ST. CLAIR COUNTY.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas, The inhabitants residing within that part of the Territory included within the county of St. Clair, as the same was laid off by an act of the Governor of this territory, Bearing date the 28th day of March, 1820, have requested that the same should be organized;

Now, therefore, I do by virtue of the provisions of the Ordinance of Congress, of July 13, 1787, determine the limitation of said act of the Governor of this territory, and I do hereby declare the inhabitants thereof henceforth entitled to all the rights and privileges, to which, by law, the inhabitants of the other counties of this territory are entitled.

And I do further declare, that the seat of justice of the said county, in conformity with the report of the commissioners appointed for that purpose, is temporarily established at the town of St. Clair, and that as soon as the building, contracted to be built by the proprietor of the said town, for a court house and goal, is completed agreeably to contract, the seat of justice of the said county shall be permanently established at the town of St. Clair.

In testimony whereof, I have caused these letters to be made patent, and the great seal of the said Territory to be hereunto affixed. Done at the city of Detroit, this eighth day of May, A. D., 1821, and of the Independence of the United States, the forty-fifth.

By the Governor:

LEW. CASS.

WM. WOODBRIDGE, Secretary of the Territory of Michigan.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas, A petition has been presented to me, signed by a number of the citizens of the said Territory, requesting that the boundaries of a new county, and the seat of justice thereof, may be established by an act of the Executive, which shall not take effect until the arrival of a period when its population may require such a measure.