History of St. Clair County - Berlin Township

[St. Clair County Marriges & Deaths]

Extracted from
History of St. Clair County, Michigan
by A.T. Andreas

History of St. Clair County

Berlin Township.

[767] Berlin Township forms the southwest corner of upper St. Clair. Like the adjoining towns in Macomb and Lapeer counties, it possesses a fertile soil, and forms one of the richest agricultural towns within St. Clair. The equalized valuation of Berlin in 1882, was $397,240. In 1845, it contained a population of 476 souls; in 1850, 538; in 1864, 963; in 1870, 1,131; and in 1880, 1,283. The township contains 22,935 acres, watered by Belle River and a number of minor streams. Among the first permanent settlers were: Elihu Granger, A. Doty, T.R. Halleck, A. Smith, Cyrus Stoddard and Joseph Sweet.

The first purchasers of the United States lands in this township were Theodore Romeyn, L.A. Spalding, A.S. Richard, Delos Davis, F. Bruce, J.C. Vanchoonhoven, John Skinner, Cyrus Stoddard, Olive Northrup, Hosea Northrup, H. Porter, D. Alverson, Emmons Russell, A. McDuff, Sylvester Warner, Jesse Norton, Benjamin Durfee, Chloe Franklin, Joseph Durfee, Christian Lefevre, Benjamin Howard, Ephriam Chamberlain, Henry Frost, Alph Finch, Ezra Finch, Asahel Bailey, S. Livermore, Calvin Bateman, Isaac A. Arnold, Henry Stone, H. Abiel, Chauncey Rice.

SUPERVISORS.

Elihu Granger, 1842; Sylvester Warner, 1843; T.R. Hallock, 1844-45; F. Locke, 1846; H. Healey, 1847; Frederick Locke, 1848; Horton Healey, 1849-51; D.E. Frost, 1852; Mr. Hamilton, 1853-54; John Allen, 1855-56; D.E. Frost, 1851-61; John Allen, 1862; Albert Doty, 1863-67; Charles Hebden, 1868; Albert Doty, 1869-70; V.P. Granger, 1871; Albert Doty, 1872-75; A.C. Draper, 1876; Albert Doty, 1877; William O'Connor, 1878-80; Adam C. Draper, 1881; William O'Connor, 1882.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

Hosea Northrup, 1839; Sylvester Warner, 1839; Rives Hallock, 1839; S.A. McGeorge, 1839; Henry Stone, 1840; Sylvester Warner, 1841; Thomas R. Hallock, 1842; Rosellas E. Gould, 1843; Horton Healy, 1844; Elbert Doty, 1845; C.P. Stone, 1846; R.E. Gould, 1847; Horton Healy, 1848; Frederick Locke, 1849; Albert Doty, 1849; Thomas M. Gould, 1850; Frederick Locke, 1851; George W. Pond, 1853; Amos N. Freeman, 1854; Moses Lamphire, 1856; D.D. Kimball, 1857; M.J. Arnold, 1857; David McCrossan, 1858; Darwin D. Kimball, 1859; William S. Ingraham, 1860; Daniel S. Frost, 1861; George Hall, 1861; Parker Bennett, 1862; Albert Sperry, 1862; Nathan Hurd, 1863; Oliver Dodge, 1863; Charles Hebden, 1864; John B. Frost, 1865; Elihu Granger, 1865; Nathan Hurd, 1866; F.F. Barber, 1867; Charles Hebden, 1868; C.A. Snover, 1869; J.B. Frost, 1870; Nathan Hurd, 1870; F.F. Barber, 1871; Alvin D. McGregor, 1872; Hiram Ingraham, 1873; John B. Frost, 1874; F.W. Barber, 1875; George A. Morrison, 1876; A.D. McGregor, 1877; Hiram Ingraham, 1878; C.D. Bryce, 1879; George S. Sharrard, 1880; Albert P. Wheeler, 1881; Garrison E. Smith, 1882.

The township meeting, April, 1882, resulted in the election of the Republican ticket, excepting Supervisor, Highway Commissioner and one Constable, the first two being Greenbackers and the latter a Democrat, as follows:

Supervisor - William O'Connor, G.B.
[768] Clerk - Warren P. Wilson, Republican
Treasurer - Schuyler Jones, Republican
Justices of the Peace - Garrison E. Smith, Republican, full term; John Tibbitts, Republican, to fill vacancy.
School Inspector - Marshall F. Smith, Republican, one year; Robert Wilson, Republican, two years.
Highway Commissioner - Amos N. Scott, G.B.
Drain Commissioner - John L. Shepard, Republican
Constables - Jesse Trover, Democrat, Daniel O. Welch, George B. Berk, Alphius Dulmage, Republicans.

The Berlin Grange, No. 463, P. of H., adopted articles of association July 14, 1875. The original members were A.D. McGeorge, William O'Connor, D. Granger, J.A. Lown, C.T. Gillam, L.D. Hulbert, Amanda Gillam, Phoebe Granger, C. Edgerton, Levi Lockwood, Angeline Granger, S.L. McGeorge and Ann R. Hugget. The association of P. of H. was incorporated in January, 1873. The Berlin Grange was chartered July 21, 1874.

Belle River Village, in Berlin Township, is about twenty miles west of Port Huron, fifty north of Detroit, and about four and a half miles south of Capac.

Berville, known as Baker's Corners, is an old settlement in Berlin Township. It is distant twenty-six miles from Port Huron, and ten miles south of Capac.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

Charles Hebden

William C. Huggett

Nelson Pratt

Sherman Sharrard