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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 75]

CHAPTER III
EARLY TOWNSHIP HISTORY

                     GORE TOWNSHIP
                     
      The next township to which we wish to direct at-
  tention is that of Gore, so named because it resembles
  in shape that part of a lady's dress.  It was organized
  from Rubicon in 1862 with JOHN H. TUCKER as supervisor,
  GEORGE ALLEN, clerk, and ROBERT HUNTER, treasurer.  It
  is a small township and the history of the people's early
  life is one with Rubicon and its soil and advantages are
  about the same.  The fire of '81 caused much suffering
  and the entire township was burned over.  Port Hope
  was the market for all produce from the farms.  It's
  long shore line affords superior water facilities and
  makes the site of the township an attractive one.
  
  
                     SIGEL TOWNSHIP
                     
      Directly west of Sand Beach township lies that of
  Sigel.  It was organized some time prior to 1864 with
  WATSON ROBINSON as the first supervisor on the records.
  He took up 80 acres of land under the homestead act
  that same year.  In the fire of '81 all of his buildings
  and crops were destroyed.  He found himself in the morn-
  ing after the fire without a hat or shoes and practically
  destitute of clothing of any kind.  With his accustomed
  energy and enterprise he began at once to rebuild and
  repair as far as possible the damage done by the fire.
  
  
[page 76]          PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY 

  The first settlers in this township were FRED JURGESS,
  JOSEPH LAKOWSKI and WATERHOUSE WHITELAM, who came
  in 1859.  SAMUEL WILLIAMS was another pioneer in this
  section of the county.  In the early lumbering days he
  had worked for PACK, WOODS & Co., at Harbor Beach and
  later at Port Crescent.  He moved on to his farm in
  Sigel soon after the fire of 71 and by diligence and hard
  labor transformed this piece of land from the wilderness
  that it was in 1874 to the modern country home of the
  present day.
  
      The land in this township is flat except in the west-
  ern part.  The soil is sand and clay mixed.  This section
  did not develop or increase in population in proportion to
  other townships.  The three early schools were located
  on sections 24, 22 and 7.  The Lutherans were the first
  to establish churches here.
  
      Running through the township is the east branch
  of Willow Creek.  The fire of '81 (sic) passed over the entire
  township and that of '81 burned the northern part. The
  original timber was pine, cedar, hemlock and hard wood.
  Bad Axe was the nearest railway station and the nearest
  port, Sand Beach, now Harbor Beach.
  
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