History of Hartwick Township 1884 Portrait & Bio Album
Hartwick Township was organized under authority by the Board of
Supervisors dated January 5, 1870. Acting under this authority the
citizens assembled together at the house of Smith Hawkins the first
Monday in April of the same year. Smith Hawkins and W.D. Welch had
been appointed by the Board to preside as Inspectors at this meeting.
Everything being ready, the polls were duly opened, and the ballots
for the township officers were received. When the polls were closed,
and the votes canvassed, it was found that the following named
citizens had been elected: For Supervisor, Smith Hawkins; Clerk, W.D.
Welch; Treasurer, Charles Peel; Highway Commissioners, J.W. Ricketts
and L.C. Clark; School Inspectors, Smith Hawkins and J. Cail;
Constables, J. Hoesfull, L. Ricketts and A.J. Mapes.
This township is numbered 19 north, of range 8 west. Highland lies on
the north, Middle Branch on the east, Osceola on the south, and Rose
Lake Township on the west. Hartwick is watered by the Middle Branch
and the little streams putting into it, all of which head in the
township. Besides these streams, there are several pretty little
lakes - Long, Hicks, Goose and Heart Lake. There is considerable flat
land in the township, but the major portion of it is rolling, and
often quite broken. The soil is clay loam, and sandy. It is regarded
as good lands for farming purposes. Originally it was heavily
timbered, with pine and the hard-woods. A great deal of this timber
has been carried off by the lumbermen, but their yet remains extensive
forests of pine timber awaiting the ax and the saw of the lumber
operators.
Smith Hawkins is credited with being the first settler here, which was
as early as 1866. Following him came J.W. Ricketts, W.D. Welch,
Charles Peel, J. Cail, L.C. Clark, A.J. Mapes and J. Hoesfull.
The first child born in this township was Emma, daughter of L.C. and
Sarah Clark, which occurred March 25, 1867. The event was regarded
with considerable importance at the time, and Mrs. Clark was the
recipient of many calls, which were made to see the "first" baby.
Births were not so common in those days as to be received with
indifference, and consequently, the mother of this child was the
object of no small degree of attention. Its gentle, sweet face, its
soft cooings, may have seemed out of place out here in this
wilderness, and not altogether in consonance with the wild
surroundings; the fittings of nature, its unerring arrangement in
properly blending in harmonious order all things, may have been
seriously questioned by these people; this infant's cry may have
startled the wolf as he was prowling around the cabin during the dark
hours of the night; nevertheless, here this little stranger was, here
it came to stay, and must be cared for and protected.
Hartwick Township has four school districts, in each of which is
erected very good school buildings. These buildings are located
respectively on sections 23, 8, 2 and 22. School-house in District
No. I cost $600; number of pupils in attendance, 68. In District No.
2, cost, $500; number of pupils attending, 41. In District No. 3,
cost $225, number of pupils in attendance, 9. In No. 4, the building
cost $200; number of pupils in attendance, 14.
It is estimated that this township has about 1,500 acres under
improvement, with 60 farms; and with a production in the year 1884 of
2,500 bushels of wheat. Average yield per acre, 15.11. Population
in 1884 was 427, showing an increase of 188 since 1880.
The nearest railroad station is Le Roy, on the Grand Rapids & Indiana
Railroad.
There is one postoffice in the township, located on section 8. Alfred
Davis is Postmaster, who also has a store here, and deals in general
merchandise.
C.L. Gray & Co. have a lumber and shingle manufactory in this
township, located on section 35. Capacity of shingle-mill, 40,000 per
day. On section 36 they have another mill, with a capacity of 40,000
shingles and 5,000 clapboards per day. C.L. Gray & Co. also operate
Cox's lumber and shingle mill on section 29; capacity in shingles
40,000 per day.
A.J. McCarn has a lumber and shingle mill on section 35, with a
capacity in lumber of 8,000 feet, and shingles 20,000 per day. C.L.
Gray & Co., of Evart, handle their stock.
The names of the Supervisors, with the terms served are given below:
SUPERVISORS.
Smith Hawkins 1870-3
D.S. Shadley 1874-6
Smith Hawkins 1877
D.S. Shadley 1878-9
N.O. Pettibone 1880
S.D. Shadley 1881
John Cockerton 1882
D.S. Shadley 1883
John Cockerton 1884
