Spalding Township

This division of the county was organized by order of the Board of Supervisors Dec. 30, 1858, and the first meeting held April 5, 1859. The following described territory formed the township:

Section 36, and the east part of section 36 in town 12 north, of range 4 east; the east part of section 2; the east part of section 10; east part of section 9; east part of section 8; east part of section 17, lying eastward of the Shiawassee river; the south part of section 18; all that part of section 19 lying east of the Flint river; all that part of sections 30 and 31 lying east of said Flint river; all that part of sections 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 lying north of said Flint river; entire sections 1, 11, 12,13,14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29, being in town 11 north, of range 4 east; also east part of sections 13 and 24, lying east of the forks of Shiawassee and Flint rivers in town 11 north, of range 3 east.

The first meeting was held at the school building near A. L. Griffith's dwelling house, the first Monday of April, 1859, with Aaron K. Penny, Phineas Spalding and Jesse H. Quackenbush, Inspectors of Election. The officers chosen at this meeting were: Jesse H. Quackenbush, Supervisor; Aaron K. Penny, Clerk; Horace Hubbard, Treasurer; H. B. Hubbard, Wm. Needham and Phineas Spalding, Justices of the Peace.

The following roll of township officials since organization is taken from the town records:

SUPERVISORS.

CLERKS.

TREASURERS.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.

THE SCHOOLS.

The western sections of the township are unorganized. The districts are known as No. 2 and No. 3, the latter comprising the 11 southern sections with the south half of sections 21, 22, and 23. District No. 2 comprises the northern half of these and section 25, all sections 24, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 10, with portions of 9 and 11. George Wright is director of No. 2, and Francis J. Cole of No. 3 district. No. 2 has 46 children of school age; one school-house, frame, which with ground is valued at $750; one teacher; total resources for the year, $423; and total expenditures, $414. No. 3 has 62 children of school age; one school-house, a frame, worth $700; one teacher; resources for the year, $449, and expenditures the same.

RESOURCES.

The population of the township, as shown in the census returns of 1880, is 413. That its agricultural and mineral resources will be fully developed within a short period, is to be reasonably supposed. Of the 15,860 acres of land in the township there is comparatively little under cultivation. With the increase of cultivated lands, the population will increase and reach the full number which the land is capable of sustaining.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

The remaining portion of the history of Spalding township consists of personal sketches of several of its most prominent citizens, which we here give:

Joseph Armstrong, farmer, sec. 24, was born near Dublin, Ireland, Sept. 11, 1829; parents, Robert and Julia Armstrong; settled at London, Canada, in June, 1832, where the father died in August, 18—, and the mother 20 years later; subject went to St. Clair Co., Mich., in 1842, and engaged in lumbering; was in the employ of N. Holland & Co., of Buffalo, N. Y. (formerly known as Sears & Holland, East Saginaw), for 19 years, and represented the 5th ward of East Saginaw in the Common Council in 1861; enlisted in Co. K, 2d Mich. Cav., and was an uncommissioned officer for some time; was discharged Sept. 2, 1861; settled on present farm of 80 acres, in April, 1879; is a Royal Arch Mason and a Republican; was married Feb. 4, 1852, to Eliza J. Belknap; they have 3 children—Fanny, wife of Watson Boyden, born Feb. 28, 1853; Eveline, wife of Frank W. Wheeler, born Sept. 28, 1855, and Byron, born Oct. 28, 1857; subject and wife are faithful members of the M. E. Church.

John Barter, a prominent pioneer of Saginaw county, was born in Somersetshire, Eng., Aug. 22, 1825. His parents, James and Leah (Edgar) Barter, came to Montreal, Canada, when he was three years old, where his father was engaged in mercantile trade for three years. He then removed to London, Ontario, and pursued farming until his death, which occurred Oct. 20, 1865. Mrs. Barter died at Montreal, Sept. 24, 1834. Mr. Barter came to Saginaw City in 1850, and followed his trade of millwright until 1858, when he removed to his present farm. He is a Republican; has been Justice of the Peace 12 years, Drain Commissioner six years, and Supervisor 14 years, serving his 8th year as Chairman of that body. On July 30, 1879, he was appointed agent of the State Board of Charities, by Gov. John J. Bagley. Mr. Barter was married Jan. 1, 1854, to Mary Spalding, the first white child born in Spalding tp.—date, June 15, 1837. Her parents were Phineas and Belinda Spalding, natives of New Hampshire: father born Aug. 25, 1804; mother, May 31, 1811, Windsor, Vt. They were married Dec. 29, 1834, and settled in Spalding tp. immediately after. Their home was a log structure, 18 feet square, on the Detroit and Saginaw Indian trail, and is still standing. The tp. was named after Mr. Spalding, who departed this life, after a long siege of pioneer labors, Aug. 20, 1878. Mrs. Spalding resides with her daughter.

When Mr. and Mrs. Spalding first came here they received their supplies from Detroit by a little schooner once a year. The old Territorial road was laid by Mr. Spalding; township line road was laid out under John Barter in 1871. To Messrs. Barter and Spalding is due the existence of South Saginaw and its enterprises. Too much credit cannot be given Mr. Barter in the enterprise he exhibits for the advancement of his community. In 1880 he was elected President of Saginaw County Mutual Fire Insurance Co. His home consists of 208 acres; having commenced life with only $400; never gave his note individually.

Of the 5 children given to Mr. and Mrs. Barter, 4 are living—Leah, born Sept. 24, 1854; James, born June 5, 1862; Belinda, born June 20, 1864; and Annie, born Sept. 19, 1866. Mary was born Aug. 6, 1860, and died Sept. 6, 1862.

John F. Hill, farmer, was born in Worcester Co., Mass., June 2, 1838; is a son of James and Sophia C. Hill; subject of sketch learned salt-making at Syracuse, N. Y., when 14 years of age; came to this county in 1861; was the first man to manufacture salt at Carrollton; was engaged in this business in Bay and Huron counties, and in boring salt wells along the Saginaw river until October, 1879, when he located on his present farm; he was United States Marshal in Huron county during the civil war, and Sheriff one term; has also been Justice of the Peace and Tp. Clerk; is a Republican in politics; was married in July, 1863, to Ellen Malone, who gave him 2 children—James B., born in June, 1864, and Nellie, born in February, 1869; wife died, and he was again married, on Thanksgiving day of 1879, to Louisa, widow of George Dollar, deceased, and daughter of Ephraim Whitcomb, a pioneer of this county.

John Loomis, farmer, sec. 13; P. O., South Saginaw; was born in Hampden Co., Mass., Nov. 24, 1827; parents were Josiah and Eunice Loomis; his father was a soldier in the war of 1812, and died in Barry Co., Mich., Dec. 1, 1852; his mother was born Aug. 10, 1799, and is still living; they came to Calhoun Co., Mich., in 1836, and thence to Barry county, in 1845; subject of sketch came to this county in 1863, resided two years at South Saginaw, then removed to his present farm of 40 acres; is a member of the Democratic party; was married Aug. 7, 1849, to Margaret Hartom, who was born in Otsego Co., N. Y., April 18, 1832; parents are Robert and Elizabeth Hartom, natives of East Hill, N. Y.; 2 children have been sent to them—Orada, wife of George Hosmer, born Jan. 28, 1858, and Kittie, wife of Augustus Dochstader, born Oct. 25, 1862.

Dallas M. Pendleton, farmer, sec. 1; was born in Orleans Co., N. Y., Dec. 1, 1844; parents were Henry and Hannah Pendleton; his mother died when he was young, and in 1855 he accompanied his father to St. Joseph Co., Mich., where the latter died, Oct. 20, 1870, aged 70 years; subject of sketch was educated in Eastman's College, New York, and Hillsdale College, Michigan; came to Saginaw county in 1869; was Justice of the Peace one term, Tp. Treasurer five years, and Clerk two years; is a Democrat; owns 47 acres of land, valued at $200 per acre; was married, March 3, 1869, to Maria, daughter of D. L. C. Eaton, a prominent lumber dealer of the Saginaw Valley; wife was born in Orleans Co., N. Y., July 15, 1845; 5 children—Mary C., born March 10, 1870; Dallas C., born Sept. 10, 1871; Lucy M., born May 5, 1874; Charles E., born Dec. 30, 1875; and Sarah E., born Sept. 16, 1878.

Richard Trevidick, farmer, sec. 25, was born at Cornwall, Eng., Jan. 20, 1831. In 1838 he accompanied his parents; John and Elizabeth Trevidick, to Upper Canada, where he grew to manhood; in 1860 went to East Saginaw, and was head sawyer in Warner & Eastman's saw-mill for two years; held same position in Mead, Lee & Co.'s mill three years. In 1865 himself and brother Henry, with two others, purchased a mill, which they operated for six years. A stock company was then formed, but the mill was subsequently destroyed by fire; subject lost $2,000 by this fire. He located on his present farm of 80 acres in March, 1879; was married in October, 1857, to Elizabeth Grandchamp, who died in April, 1858; was again married in September, 1858, to Harriet Sutphin, born in Macomb Co., Mich., July 3, 1840; parents were Elias and Margaret Sutphin, who settled in Michigan in 1839; father was a native of New York, and died June 5, 1874; mother was native of New Jersey, and departed this life Sept. 17, 1874. Subject and wife had 6 children born to them, 4 of whom are living—William L., born April 9, 1870; Eva L., born Jan. 13, 1865; Alma A., born April 1, 1867; and Melvin S., born Sept. 17, 1874.

Charles Ready, farmer, was born in County Mayo, Ireland, in 1830; parents, David and Elizabeth Ready, came to Canada in 1856, where the father died Dec. 25, 1867, and the mother in 1876. Subject of sketch, while in Ireland, was agent for the Board of Fisheries, and connected with the Internal Revenue service, but resigned the latter position when he came to America; in April, 1865, located in Franklin Co., Pa., and in 1868 came to East Saginaw, where for a year he was in the employ of the United Petroleum Farm Association; he then removed to present farm; is a Republican; was married March 1, 1858, to Martha A., daughter of John and Jane Lewis, born in Canada in 1839. Of their 4 children, 3 are living—John L., born Jan. 20, 1859; David A., born Dec. 6, 1860; and Jennie, born May 14, 1863; Martha L. was born March 24, 1874, and died April 7, 1880. Subject and wife are members of the M. E. Church; former was member of building committee, and is one of the Board of Trustees.

BACK TO LIST OF TOWNSHIP HISTORY 1881

Source: History of Saginaw County Michigan, By Michael A. Leeson, Damon Clarke, Published 1881 Chas. C. Chapman & Co., Chicago pages 896-900.

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