History of Burdell Township 1884 Portrait & Bio Album
Burdell Township was set off from LeRoy Township by order of the Board
of Supervisors. The first election was held on the first Monday in
April, 1871, at the house of Calvin Woodworth, on section 34. The
Inspectors of Elction were Calvin Woodworth, M.B. Holton and W.J.
Townsend. Enoch Starks was elected Supervisor, George W. Somers, Clerk,
and Wellington Starks, Treasurer. Daniel Hewitt, Stephen Allen and
George Arnold had the honor to be the first Trustees, with Lee Alden as
Constable.
This township is located in the northwest corner of the county, and is
numbered 20 north, of range 10 west. Its boundaries are, Wexford County
on the north, Sherman Township on the east, LeRoy on the south, and Lake
County on the west. It is very liberally supplied with school
districts, having seven school-houses, which are located as follows:
School District No. 2, on section 27, District No. 3, on section 25; No.
4, on section 31; No. 5, on section 23; No. 6, on 9; No. 7, on section
17. Fractional No. 1 is located in LeRoy Township.
The first school meeting was held by the Inspectors April 30, 1872, at
the residence of George W. Somers, in Tustin; and the second meeting was
held at the house of Walter Tank, on section 13, May 2, 1872.
The surface of the land is rolling, and in some parts it might be called
hilly. The soil is generally a sandy loam, with clay sub-soil. Elm,
maple, birch and hemlock are the principal timber, which is interspersed
with some pine. Pine River and its branches water this township, which,
with the rolling nature of the land, affords ample facilities for
drainage. In these streams there is excellent fishing, grayling, bass,
and other fish being plentiful.
Philo Newberry has the credit of being the first settler in what is now
Burdell Township. He located on section 36, in 1865. The settlers who
came in before 1870 were Stephen Allen, Henry Comings and John Byers,
locating also on section 36; Patrick Downey, on section 34; Calvin
Woodworth, William R. Simington, on section 28; S. Hewit and Enoch
Starks, on section 20.
W.J. Townsend was the first man to bring a horse into the township.
Miss Ida Jones opened the first school, in a log school-house on section
24, in 1871. Following this lady's efforts to impart knowledge to the
young, came the Rev. Mr. Miller to administer to the religious wants of
the older settlers, which was in the winter of 1871-2, holding his
services at the house of John Mitchell, on section 26.
At one time quite an extensive lumbering business was carried on in the
township, the lumber going out by the way of Lake County. Its means of
transportation has been and is by the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad,
which runs along the eastern line of the township, and which was
completed through it in the early part of 1872. The trading place of
the people is Tustin, which is also their postoffice.
The census of 1884 gives the population at 840, and the assessed value
of the property in 1883 was $192,000.
There are a few pretty well cultivated farms here, and the soil is
regarded good for vegetables and grain. Hay and potatoes are the best
crops. Fruit has not been cultivated much. This part of the county
being very heavily wooded, it required a great deal of hard work to
clear up the lands and make them tillable.
In the early days there were some pretty "slashing" feats performed.
John Lindburg, who located on section 30, in 1871, "slashed" 49 acres
during the first twelve months, the timber of which was mostly hardwood!
As to business in this township, outside of Tustin, Henry S. Kelley has
a saw-mil and shingle mill located on section 1. William Bullock has a
saw-mill on section 12; and a water-power grist mill is operated on
section 21 by McHugh & Bros. James E. Bevins has a saw-mill and
shingle-mill on section 32. Section 7 has a shingle-mill owned by Mr.
Slat; and section 36 a saw-mill by Allen & Bros.
The following named Supervisors have had the honor to look after this
township's financial matters:
