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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 83]

CHAPTER III
EARLY TOWNSHIP HISTORY
GRANT TOWNSHIP

      South of Oliver is Grant township, named after Gen.
  GRANT.  It was organized in 1867 by an order from the
  board of supervisors.  LEVI WILLIAMSON was not ony the
  first supervisor but the first settler, coming in 1863.
  Other names inseparably connected with this township's
  history are those of the LAMBKINS, EAMLEYS, BODEYS,
  BRACKENBERRY'S, TELLERS, PARKERS, HALLOCKS, O'NEALS, HIN-
  TONS and the PROUDFOOT family.  This township is drained
  by the Pigeon river and the Sheboyonk Creek.  The timber
  was largely maple, beech, pine, elm and hemlock.  The
  soil is clay loam in some parts and in others sandy with
  clay as a subsoil.  There is some choice farming land
  here.  It is estimated that there were at least 6,000
  acres of swamp land in this township.
  
      The first post office was at Canboro with Mr. PARK-
  ER as postmaster.  He also had a general store.  This
  post office was established in 1870 with semi-weekly
  mails from Sebewaing and Bad Axe.  The office was dis-
  continued when the rural free delivery took its place
  with routes extending from Gagetown in Tuscola county
  and from Owendale, a village on the Grand Trunk railway
  and situated in Brookfield.  This village was named
  after Mr. OWEN, who was the principal factor in its
  early history.
  
      Many of the men who settled in Grant township in
  the '60's had served in the Civil War, hence the name,
  Grant.
  
      The eastern part of the township was the first to
  be settled.  Here we find two families of the KEATINGS.
  A member of one of these families was among the earliest
  preachers in this locality.  The ALDRICH family built a
  home on the town line and an odd character by the name
  
  
[page 84]          PIONEER HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY 

  of MINER lived on the bank of the Pinnebog river.  Many
  of these early settlers traveled on foot to Caseville to
  purchase supplies.  On one occassion WILLIAM YOUNG-
  LOVE and Mr. STRETCHER made a trip to Caseville together.
  They carried their purchases home in bags and when
  they came to a creek or river would throw the bags over
  and then follow the best way they could.  One of these
  men had several dishes which his wife had ordered in
  his sack.  On coming to the river he tossed it over, for-
  getting all about the frailty of his ware.  Too late he
  realized what would happen.  He found but one cup in-
  tact when he reached the other side.
  
      JAMES PROUDFOOT'S father moved from York State
  to Grant, just before the great fire of 1871.  Came from
  Caro to Georgetown by stage and made the remainder of
  the journey in a lumber wagon.  The next day started
  to Bay City for his household goods, going from Sebewa-
  ing in the boat, the Mary Mastina.  Shortly after leaving
  there the boat ran on to a sand bar and it was several
  hours before the crew could get her off.  In the mean-
  time the great fire had swept into the vicinity of his
  home in Grant and all that night his family fought for
  their lives and home.  They succeeded in saving every-
  thing after a strenuous struggle.
  
      The first teacher in District No. 1 was Mrs. GAGE
  in 1872 and BELL RANDOLPH taught the next term in 1873.
  
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