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Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott
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PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY, MICHIGAN
by Florence McKinnon Gwinn
Huron County Pioneer & Historical Society, 1922

[page 32]

CHAPTER III
EARLY TOWNSHIP HISTORY
BINGHAM TOWNSHIP

      Bingham township dates back to 1856 when JOSEPH
 FRANTZ and JOSEPH DEACHIN made a location here.
 
      JOSEPH FRANTZ was born in Alsace, France, and at
 the age of 23 years came to America.  He went first to
 Canada where he was engaged in agriculture for three
 years and then decided to go to Michigan.  On going
 to the state land office at Detroit, he met PHILIP LINK,
 of Minden, who told him of the very promising pros-
 pects and outlook of Huron County although not yet
 organized.  He purchased 160 acres on section 31,
 Bingham, under the Graduation Act.  He set out to look
 at his property and found that it lay in the depths of
 an unbroken forest with no roads of any kind.  This,
 however, did not discourage the young Frenchman but
 with all the courage and energy of his race he deter-
 mined to locate his land.  Finally he reached the place
 and laid the foundations of a home.  He was the first
 permanent settler in Bingham township and had to
 carry all his provisions and supplies from Forestville, a
 distance of 24 miles.  One time he carried a 100 pounds
 of flour in on his back, making the trip in one day.  The
 organization of this township took place in 1863 with
 ROBERT SCOTT as the supervisor.  It was named after Gover-
 nor BINGHAM, who was in power when the township was
 first settled.  ROBERT SCOTT settled on section 11 in the
 year 1857, locating four eighties and by industry and
 perserverance was able to overcome the trials and dif-
 ficulties of pioneer life.  Another man who came the
 

[page 33]          PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
 
 same year was ALEXANDER McKENZIE, a Scotchman.  He
 purchased 160 acres of land in section 17 Bingham.  Six
 families had moved in by this time.  JACOB MILLER being
 one of these and JOSEPH DEACHIN who came the same
 time as his cousin JOSEPH FRANTZ.  They cut a trail
 through the forest for eight miles but like his cousin
 Mr. DEACHIN was determined to have a home for him-
 self under a free flag and the privileges of a republic.
 C. F. HATHAWAY came in and settled on section 20 in
 1867.  At that time the little settlement numbered 12
 or 15 families.  There were no roads to speak of and
 only one or two wagons in the entire township.  An-
 other familiar name was that of JAMES McALLISTER, who
 bought 400 acres of government land in 1859, on which
 he was actively engaged in lumbering for several years.
 
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