Blumfield Township

This section of the county is inhabited by an industrious class of agriculturists, who may be said to have raised the wilderness to the condition of a beautiful garden within a few years. The township is watered by three streams, the principal of which is the Cheboygan creek, rising in section 8, and flowing southeast through the village of Blumfield.

The Detroit & Bay City railroad runs through the northeastern sections, while the line of the proposed St. Clair railroad has been surveyed through the southwestern sections.

The land is a rich sandy loam, capable of producing any of the crops known in this latitude. The village of Frankentrost, or Trostville, is the main center of population in the township.

Toward the close of 1852 the freeholders inhabiting that portion of the county known in the United States survey as township 12 north, of range 8 east, made application to the Supervisors' Board for its organization into a separate township. This application was granted Feb. 9, 1853, in the following terms: "That the above described territory be, and the same is, hereby duly organized into a township, to be known and designated by the name of Blumfield, which said township is described as being within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the county of Saginaw, in the State of Michigan; and be it further resolved that the first annual meeting for the election of township officers for the further organization of said township, be held at the house of John G. Edelmann, situate in said township of Blumfield, on the first Monday in April next, and that the following named persons, to wit: Frederick Vanfliet, Theodore Lillotte and Bernhard Haack, being three electors of said township, be, and they are hereby, duly designated and appointed to preside at said township meeting, and to perform all the duties required by the statute in such cases made and provided.

The vote on the resolution to grant the application was unanimously in the affirmative, all the members voting.

The first township meeting was held at the house of J. J. Edelman, April 4, 1853. The officers elected were: Charles Post, Supervisor; Bernard Haak, Clerk; S. P. Schenck, Treasurer; F. Vanfliet and Andrew Moll School Inspectors; J. Schaberg and C. Munker, Directors of the Poor; J. Hetzner and C. Grabner, Assessors; J. Leidlein, J. G. Meyer, L. Rohrhuber and M. Schnell, Justices of the Peace; C. Reitter, L. Rohrhuber and M. Leidlein, Commissioners of Highways; M. Schnell and T. Flues, Constables; J. S. Schury, Poundmaster; T. Schmidt and J. Leidlein, Overseers of Highways.

Theodore Lillotte was justice of the peace while still the township was attached to the township of Buena Vista, and completed his term of office as justice of the new township. The names of the principal township officers from 1853 to 1881 are given in the following table:—

SUPERVISORS

CLERKS

TREASURERS

JUSTICES

The other township officers for 1881 are Chr. Kupp, Commissioner of Highways; Geo. F. Vanfliet, Superintendent of Schools; Adolph Zwerk, Inspector; Daniel Cole, Wm. Hill, A. McLachlan and Franz Moll, Constables.

LAND BUYERS

Among the early purchasers of the United States lards in this township, the following corporations and individuals figure:

THE SCHOOLS.

of the township are well attended. There are six frame buildings, with other property, valued at $3,000. Six teachers are employed. The school census is 513; but the actual attendance is only 301 pupils. The amount of salary paid to teachers for the year 1880 was $1,351. The expenditures for school purposes during that year were $2,430.

THE CHURCHES.

comprise a Catholic Church, and one German Evangelical Lutheran, both claiming large congregations.

THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY.

is represented in this township by the saw-mill of Geo. Seitz, erected in 1876 b y the present proprietors on the site of the former mills, which were burned.

The population of the township, taken from the census returns of 1880, is 1,369. During the past year, however, new settlers have made their locations, large clearances have been effected in the forest, many dwelling-houses erected, and a general advance made evident everywhere.

PERSONAL SKETCHES.

The following biographical sketches of some of the prominent families of Blumfield township add materially to the interest and value of this history:

F. A. Gunther was born in Prussia in 1822; his school days were passed at Goldlauter, near Suhl, after which he entered the mercantile and manufacturing business, which previously had been conducted by his father. In the spring of 1855 he emigrated to America, and in the fall of the same year located in this section of the State, where he again engaged in his old pursuits, continuing until 1884. Then he deposed of his business and bought the property upon which he now resides, in Blumfield tp. He was married to Miss Mary A. G. Spreckel, who died in May, 1878.

B. Haak was born in the Rhenish Province of Prussia; emigrated to the United States of America in 1849; worked at his trade of carriage-making in New Jersey until April, 1850; selected Michigan, especially Saginaw county, for permanent location; found a desirable location in what was then a dense forest, and is now the well-cultivated tp. of Blumfield; acquired a good home, which he still occupies; was married in 1854, at St. Louis, Mo. Two children have been born to them-1 son, who died in his eighth year, and 1 daughter, now the wife of one of Thomastown's respected citizens. Mr. H. is one of Blumfield's most benevolent and trusted citizens.

Michael Huber was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1827. His father was by trade a tailor, in the old country. In 1847 they emigrated to America, coming directly to Saginaw county, first renting a farm in Tittabawassee, where he remained a short time. In 1854 he bought the 80 acres upon which he now resides, to which he has added 40 acres near by, in Buena Vista tp. Mr. H. has been a hard-working man, having cleared four farms; today he enjoys the result of his hard labor, having accumulated four improved farms, well stocked, all from a capital of $6, that being the amount he had when he arrived in Saginaw county. Mrs. H. was once lost coming from East Saginaw to her home, a distance of about seven miles, wandering about three days, when she came out at Bay City, an Indian returning her to her home. Mr. H. was married in 1848, to Maggie Eidleman. Their family consists of 10 children, namely: John, Kate, George, Leonard, Mike, Mary, Charlie, Fred, Lena and Willie. Mr. H. is School Director, which position he has held for eight years; three years Director and Superintendent of the Saginaw & Vassar plank road; has been Justice of the Peace for the second term of four years; was also Clerk of St. John's cemetery six years.

John G. Maeder was born in Saxony, Germany, in 1821. Godfried, his father, was a tradesman in the old country. John S. was married in Saxony; in 1847 he emigrated to this country. Mr M. is an economical, hard-working citizen, who now can look out upon 80 acres of well-improved land as the result of his industry. His family consists of 2 sons—Leonard and John.

Geo. Seitz, one of the live, energetic men of Blumfield, was born in Bavaria in 1818; in 1848 he came to America, landing in New York city; from that point he came direct to the Saginaw Valley; after arriving here he found employment with the well known pioneer of this county, Curtis Emerson, as head sawyer in his mill. In 1854 he moved to his present home of 160 acres, to which he has added 110 more; upon this he has shown his old proclivities, that of milling, having erected a large sawmill, to which he contemplates adding a flouring mill. Mr. Seitz was married in 1853 to Miss Caroline Kuhn, a native of Austria, and his family now consists of 7 children, 4 of whom are living—Otto, George, Albertina, Emish. Many are the incidents told by this old pioneer which cause a smile to light the face of his friends of former days.

Adolph Zwerk was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, in 1831; was educated at one of the leading seminaries of that country for a teacher, which profession he followed up to 1852, when he sought a home in the New World, arriving in Saginaw county, Aug. 28, the same year; that fall he bought his present farm of 100 acres, which he has cleared and improved. Now, in his declining years, he enjoys the fruits of his hard labor. In 1858 he was married to Miss Jane Letting, a native of Germany. Mr. Z. has held different offices of trust in his tp., and ranks as one of the first men of his community.

Frederic Zwerk was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, July 4, 1835; his early days were passed at school in his native country. In 1852 he emigrated to America, locating in Blumfield tp., where he bought a farm of 175 acres, which he has developed, placing thereon as fine improvements as can be found in his tp. He was married in 1861 to Miss Mary Kruger, whose parents are residents of Tuscola county. His family consists of the following named children: Matilda, Rudolph, Henry, Emma and Fred., all at the old homestead.

Source: History of Saginaw County Michigan, By Michael A. Leeson, Damon Clarke, Published 1881 Chas. C. Chapman & Co., Chicago pages 734-738.

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