and in 1864 located 160 acres in this county, which is now the property of Mr. Smith of this sketch. The father died Jan. 20, 1872; the mother, Matilda McConnell, of Irish birth, died July 7, 1880. Both were members of the M. E. church. Mr. Smith was reared on his father's farm and received a common-school education. He was married Oct. 7, 1863, to Julia E. Yost (born June 12, 1847, in Erie Co., Pa. Of nine children, seven are living, Carlos J., Lowella, Chas., Wilson, Lillie C., Harrison and Maude. Of 160 acres owned by Mr. Smith 130 are cleared; it is situated on sec. 15. He is a member of the Grange. P. O., Bowne Center. William H. Stewart was born Oct. 4, 1814, in Delaware Co., N. Y. His parents, Chas. and Isabel (Gordon) Stewart, were natives of Scotland, and died in New York. Mr. Stewart began life with no aid but his willing hands and tireless energies, and he worked by the month for 11 years. In 1843 he settled in this tp. and engaged in the improvement of his place-a slow process, as he was obliged to exchange work with his neighbors to secure a team, and manage cautiously to get along. Aug. 10, 1842, he was married to Jeannette Mc Gregor, of New York. She died, and Mr. Stewart was again married Oct. 10, 1848, to Mary E., daughter of Jacob and Eleanor (Stark) Truax. She was born in Otsego Co., N. Y., Oct. 6, 1830. Of seven children six are living-Chas., Leander J., William, Theodore, Alva and Eva. Mr. S. owns 84 acres of land in sec. 5, this tp. Alto P. O.

Sylvanus D. Thompson was born Feb. 25, 1810, in Bennington Co., Vt. His father, Orrin Thompson, died in New York, and his mother, Rachel (Kemble,) in the village of Lowell. Mr. Thompson went to Lowell in 1855 and four years after came to this tp.,. where he died April 26, 1876. He was married Feb. 13, 1831, to Orra, daughter of Livius and Anna (Bushnell) Barney. She was born Feb. 9, 1814, in Bennington, Vt. Of 14 children born to them 12 are living-Erin, Helen, Adelia, Sarah, Edward, Martha, Alice, Marion, Bishop, Laverne, Blanch and Harry. Mr. Thompson was a zealous member of the M. E. Church. Mrs. Thompson manages her husband's estate. Alto P. O.

L. B. Tyler was born Dec. 23, 1815, in Madison Co., N. Y. His father and mother, Roswell, and Arzuba (Foster) Tyler, were natives of Connecticut, came to this tp. about 1837, and resided until their death. Mr. Tyler was reared to manhood on this farm, and was married Nov. 23, 1836, to Abigail M., daughter of Dayton and Lyndia Squires, both natives of New York, now deceased. She was born Feb. 26, 1816; four of seven children from this union are living-Hewett E., Adam S., Louisa M. and Edward L. At an early day the mother of Mr. Tyler requested his wife to invite the entire population of Caledonia, which then included Bowne, to an entertainment. She did so, and 25 were present, all the people of the town but three. This was about '37. Mr. Tyler set out the first apple-trees in the tp., in 1839. He has held the position of Commissioner of Highways. Keller P. O.

John S. Walton was born July 19, 1815, in Steuben Co., N. Y. His parente, Zara L. and Christinia (Vrieland) Walton, were born respectively in Connecticut and New York. They settled in Washtenaw county in 1834, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Mr. W. was reared in his present vocation of farmer. He was married Nov. 16, 1841, to Ann Babcock, born Sept. 26, 1823, in Cayuga Co., N. Y. Of seven children born to them five are living -Ransom, Volney C., Mary, Estella and Christinia. Mr. W. first settled in Gaines in 1858, and in 1862 in this tp. His first investment comprised 80 acres, but by cautious management he has increased his landed possessions to 260 acres, most of which is under improvement. Freeport P. O.

Burtis White (sec. 11, Lowell P. O.) was born March 3, 1835, in Wayne Co., N. Y. His parents, Leonard and Hannah V. (Hoag) White, were natives of Massachusetts and New York. They settled in Hillsdale county in 1843, and seven years later took up their residence in Lowell. At 16 Mr. W. began work as a carpenter, which business, in connection with farming, he has followed since. He was married Dec. 28, 1856, to Miss Delilah Robinson. She was born Feb. 18, 1839, in Vergennes. Her parents, Rodney and Mary (Shaw) Robinson, natives respectively of New York and Pennsylvania, settled in Ottawa county in 1835, and two years later in Vergennes. The former died in 1874; the latter in 1859. Mr. and Mrs. W. have two children-Rodney A. and Charles L. They have a farm of 80 acres.

Benjamin B. Wright, farmer and stock breeder (sec. 14, P. O. Lowell), was born June 15, 1815, in Wayne Co., N. Y. He is the son of Solomon and Polly (Boyce) Wright, pioneers. They probably located in the county in 1835 (in Walker tp.), where they died about 1852-23. Mr. Wright settled in Alpine tp. where he selected a farm which he afterward bought of the Government when it was thrown upon the market. As he had improved it somewhat by his labor he received a small compensation. He worked in the first mill-race constructed at Grand Rapids. After 15 years' residence in Alpine tp. he removed to Lowell village, and five years later to his farm in this tp., where he has since lived, with the exception of four years, which he spent in the improvement of town property in Lowell. He married for his first wife Cleantha Inglesbee, and they became the parents of four children, but one of which, Eber, survives. Mrs. W. died and Mr. W. was married Oct. 10, 1850, to Martha Scadin. She was born Sept. 15, 1828, in Niagara Co., N. Y. Seven of their eight children are living, viz.:Rosa W., Esther C., Charles F., Buel W., Amy C., Edith M. and Heulett C. Julius, the deceased son, died from the effects of confinement in Libby prison. Mr. Wright owns 160 acres of tinely located and improved land.

BYRON TOWNSHIP.

Byron, or township 5 north, range 12 west, is still a timbered land. The western feeders of Buck creek rise in a small lake near Ross Station, in section 26, and one mile northeast in a pond in section 25. A number of other streams course throughout the township, including the eastern feeders of Rush creek. Tamarack marshes and spring swails are numerous, the former from section 11 to section 31, with branches outcropping in the northeast quarter of section 19.

The arable land is rolling and admirably adapted to all the purposes of agriculture. The forest covers a large area of the township, containing many tracts of heavy and valuable hard-wood. The marsh land, when reclaimed, will constitute the most fertile soil in the county.

The following description of the township is taken from the "Memorials of the Grand River Valley: "

"The land for some miles from the river was of the class called openings; further back, on either side were timbered lands. As the character of the openings has changed, so that nothing of the kind is now seen in the settled parts of Michigan, and as the generation of those who have grown up in the region have seen nothing of the sort, it may not be considered amiss to give a description of the 'openings' lands.

Looking at any piece of oak woods, two distinct growths will be observed; one of very scattering large trees, and the other a thick growth of smaller ones. The large trees were all that was on the land when the region was first occupied. The land was open; no fallen timber, and nothing but the very scattered oak trees to obstruct the view. A wagon or load of hay could be driven any

where.

"The settler had only to cut down or 'girdle' the scattered oaks, put in the plow with a strong team; and sow his ground.

"Neither the openings nor the prairies were natural. They were the result of the Indian practice of burning over the lands, with the double object of making them more open, so that they could see their game, and rendering the region more healthy. "Where the fires killed the whole of the wood, the result was a prairie. Where they only killed the young growth, it was an 'opening, just as good for Indian purposes. Where the under-growth was oak or hickory, the fires killed only so much as was above the ground, leaving the root to sprout up again. This gave rise to what received the name of 'grubs,' that is, strong, heavy roots, with only an insignificant bush growing from them. The root of

a shrub an inch in diameter would be sufficient for a tree of several inches, and would have a spreading top, like a mushroom. A fire running through would kill all these young bushes. In a year or so all would be clear. In general there was nothing which could not be cut with the brush, scythe, or torn up by the plow.

"There were two ways of preparing the ground for a crop. The first has been indicated: with a strong tean break the land, and pull out the roots, partly by the harrow, and partly by hand. The other way was to grub the ground, or dig out each root with an instrument made for that purpose.

"This was the more laborious and better way, as it left the land in a better condition to receive the crop. A breaking team of three or four yoke of oxen could break an acre in a day, but there was still all the labor of pulling out. A stout man would grub with his mattock and ax, an acre in a week. A class of men in early times owned teams and made a business of breaking." Those who could not pay the breakers, or who wished their land earlier under good culture, grubbed. The openings are a thing of the past; therefore, this explanation.

"Again, the early settlers had not been backwoodsmen. They came from a region, cleared by their fathers, and were little accustomed to the use of the ax. To them a heavy standing growth of timber, and the great fallen trees, were formidable. A tree was not then, as now, a little mine of wealth, but it was a nuisance-to be got rid of, and that, too, by the hardest labor. Therefore, we will not censure the wisdom of the pioneers for their preferring the openings to what they well knew would prove to be the better timbered lands.

"It required a little nerve to push into South Byron; a few settlers were early there. It is not now known that any one located before 1836, when several came into the northern part of the township. Three brothers-Nathan, Jerry and William Boynton; another three brothers- Justus C., Jacob and Charles Rogers. It is generally conceded that Nathan Boynton was the first. He proceeded to put up his 'palace'-split logs for roof and floor, with clay and sticks for a chimney. We have called it his palace,' and not without reason, for every old pioneer confirms the fact, that his first rude shelter had more attractions in his eyes, than any house that subsequent good fortune enabled him to build; and we believe them. Go into the woods yourself, camp under trees until you can get up a 12x20 log house, with a fire-place in it, and then see if your dreains the first night you are in it, are not of a palace-your own home. Ah! my dear sir, or madam, log houses were before painted verandas, and sand was used before carpets."

ORGANIC.

The first town meeting was held May 2, 1836, at the house of Charles H. Oakes, in Grandville, when the following officers were chosen: Supervisor, Gideon H. Gordon; Clerk, Isaac A. Allen;

Assessors, Eli Yeomans, Ephraim P. Walker and Justin Brooks; Justices, G. H. Gordon, Robert Howlett and E. P. Walker; Collector, L. French; Commissioners of Highways, G. H. Gordon, Eli Yeomans and H. Pitts; School Commissioners, Joseph B. Copeland, Sanford Buskirk and James Lockwood; School Inspectors, G. H. Gordon, Isaac A. Allen and Eli Yeomans; Overseers of the Poor, E. P. Walker and Justin Brooks; Constables, L. French and Sanford Buskirk. The principal township officials, elected annually since that time are named in the subscribed list: