History of Highland Township 1884 Portrait & Bio Album
Jan. 5, 1870, the Board of Supervisors made an order for the organization of
Highland Township, and appointed George
Stump, W.W. Stewart and J.P. Gould Inspectors to preside at the election,
which was held in the school-house. S.C.
Jones was elected Supervisor.
Highland is situated in the northern tier of townships, in number 20 north, of
range 8 west. It is bounded on the north
by Missaukee County, on the east by Marion, on the south by Hartwick, and on
the west by Sherman Townships. The surface
of the land is rolling, and the soil is sandy loam. It is watered by the
Middle Branch River and several streams which
empty into it, and the west branch of the Clam River.
The first settler in this township was s.C. Jones, who came in the fall of
1866 and settled on section 18. He put up a
cabin and the following winter devoted himself to trapping, at which he was an
experienced hand. He followed his
favorite pursuit that winter on the Middle Branch, Clam, Pine and other rivers
and branches, and on Muscat Lake. His
route was regularly laid out with stations, where he would have his shanties.
He would time it so as to reach these
stations about nightfall, visiting his numerous traps, killing his animals and
taking off the fur, which he would put
into his sack, throw it over his back and travel on. In order to make these
stations he would often travel 50 miles a
day.
In those early days trapping was a very profitable business. The principal
fur caught was marten, beaver, mink, and
sometimes they would take in a bear.
As other early settlers, Anthony Duddles, George Stimp, Edgar Blaidell, Joseph
Holmes, located in 1867. Duddles on
section 8, Stump on 18, Blaidell on 20, and Holmes on section 30.
Highland is divided into seven school districts, with the school buildings
located consecutively from district number 1
up, as follows: section, 18, 4, 25, 27, 30, 12 and 7.
No. 7 is frame and the rest are all log buildings. P.W. MItchell teaches the
school in district NO. 5, and has nine
pupils. This township is heavily timbered with maple, rock elm, black and
white ash, beech, bass-wook, hemlock and some
pine, which is being cut and sent to the different markets. Rodas have been
and are being, built to meet the wants of
the settlers, and schools are opened where there is sufficient number of
pupils to make it worth the while. The
township lies a little out of line of the rapid settlements, yet its
population is gradually increasing, having,
according to the census of 1884, 311 souls, an increase since 1880 of 123.
Assessed value of the property, $140,000.
Fruit, as far as it has been cultivated, is reported to do well. Potatoes are
the best crop for vegetables, and oats
the best crop for grain.
Highland is remarkable for its production of that medicinal plant known as
gentian. HUndreds of pounds of the root of
this plant are marketed annually.
Raymond Beebe has a saw-mill located on section 34.
The township has two postoffices, one located on section 26, called Milburn,
and the other on section 4, which is known
as the Freelingville postoffice. The trading point for the people is Tustin,
in BUrdell Township, and this place is
their nearest railroad station.
In religious matters Highland has been quite progressive, it having
established two churches.
The Methodist Church has two organizations, with services held in the school-
house of Districts Nos. 1 and 2. The
meetings are presided over by Rev. Mr. Green, from Wexford County; preaching
every two weeks.
The Baptist Church has one organization in school District No. 1. Services
are held every month at the school-house,
and are presided over by W.P. Squiers, of Reed City. The society was formed
in 1871, by Rev. Mr. Stillwell, and
services have been held pretty regularly since. It has now some 15 members.
Highland Township, from its organization to the present time, has been
represented by the following named:
SUPERVISORS.
S.C. Jones 1870-2
M.W. Stewart 1873-5
George W. Culver 1876
M.W. Stewart 1877-82
P.W. Mitchell 1883-4
