Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2013, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= U.S. Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. ========================================================================= Formatted by U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY, MICHIGAN by Florence McKinnon Gwinn Huron County Pioneer & Historical Society, 1922 [page 64] CHAPTER III EARLY TOWNSHIP HISTORY COLFAX TOWNSHIP Colfax township is located near the center of the county and joins Verona on the west. It was or- ganized in 1868 by an order of the board of superivors, METZAR GRANGER was the first supervisor. The first set- tler in this place was ELIJAH BROWN, who located on section 21. Shortly after this FRANCIS NASH, M. W. FARNSWORTH and JOHN PEACOCK came with their families. The first school was opened in 1869 with 13 pupils in attendance. ELIJAH BROWN brought the first mail into the township. It was but a brief period until the whole section was swept over with the fire of '71 and then again by that of '81. The people had difficulty in even saving their lives as the terrific blaze came rushing along like the waters of a great sea, destroying every- thing in its course. The "slashings" with the heaps of dead limbs and knots, the results of lumber camps were regular tinder boxes and the flames rolled from 20 to 50 feet in height. In may places trenches were dug, the women and children placed in them, covered over with boards and wet blankets while the men fought the fire to save their lives. It is impossible to describe such a scene. Only the participators can have any adequate idea of what it was really like. The late Col. BOPE, of Bad Axe, described his thrilling experience in this fire [page 65] PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY at a meeting of the Pioneer and Historical Society. He said it was so dark at mid-day that the people thought the day of judgment had come. Everything had such a wierd look amid smoke and flame. Such experiences were the lot of all who chanced to be in the track of the fire monster. The county poor farm is located in this township near the eastern line and about one mile west of Bad Axe. It consists of about 200 acres of land for which the county paid $600. The site at the time was all wild land. THOMAS MORROW was appointed the first overseer and by 1876 had cleared off 25 acres of the land. The following year the house was built. Mr. MORROW resigned in 1882 and WILLIAM TAHASH was his succes- sor for a few years then WILLIAM STORY was appointed overseer. Among the pioneers of this section of the county we find W. H. McDOWELL, who bought 720 acres of land in 1878, and OLIVER HALEY, who came in the spring of 1866. D. H. T. WILLIAMS was another resident who secured a grant of 160 acres of land under the Homestead law. Mr. WILLIAMS served in the Civil War, enlisting in 1861. He came to Colfax in 1873. The township was named after the running mate of President GRANT. The first school house here was built by FRANCIS NASH. In the spring of '71, Hon. J. C. WATERBURY, then a member of the State Legislature, obtained from the state an ap- propriation to build the Sand Beach and Sebewaing highway, and also succeeded in getting GEORGE W. PACK appointed as commissioner. RUDOLPH PAPST, of Lexing- ton, conducted the survey. At that date the whole in- terior of the county was an unbroken forest, the fa- vorite resort of sportsmen and trappers, who made the beautiful spring north of Bad Axe their tenting ground. Here GEORGE MARTIN and JEROME SHARP built a shanty and furnished it with articles necessary for the chase. When in the progess of their work Messrs PACK and [page 66] PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY PAPST reached this vicinity they visited this cabin in which they passed the night. Here they found the now historical axe which was old and broken by use in re- moving the horns of elk and deer. One of the party took the axe, made a drawing of it upon a large tree at a point where the road crosses the line between the town- ships of Verona and Colfax. He then drove the axe into the tree writing underneath the present name of the city, Bad Axe. This spot was called Bad Axe corners for a number of years. This record of naming the place is taken from an old paper of that date. ===========================================================================