(P.42)   Villeroy E. Smith settled in the township in May, 1835. He was interested in literature, and was a school teacher by profession. He died in the town of Marion, December 30th, 1851, while engaged in this business.

     Moses Thompson, by occupation a farmer, settled (P.43) in the township in June, 1835. He was a man who was generous and humane. He died the 2d of December, 1841.

     Edward Thompson, a farmer, settled here the same year, and died April 16,1842.

     Nathaniel Johnson, a man of respectability, and a farmer, settled in the township in the autumn of 1835. He died January 25, 1852.

     Amos Adams settled in the village in November, 1835. He was a man who was industrious and enterprising--a very valuable person in a new country. He died the 14th of May, 1855. He was buried with Masonic rites.

     Joseph Tucker settled in the village in 1836. He was by trade a carpenter. Died in 1862.

     Victory Curtis settled in the township in 1836. He was a farmer and a person of integrity. Died August 13th, 1848. George Curtis and John Curtis, sons of Victory, came with their father to Howell. Subsequently they moved to the village. George Curtis kept a hotel, and his brother John embarked in the mercantile business. The former died October 4th, 1848, and the latter, December 7th, 1841.

     Benjamin J. Spring settled in the township in 1836. Subsequently he removed to the village and was the proprietor and keeper of a hotel. He was also a mail contractor, and was the first person who established a line of commodious stages on the Detroit and Howell road. He was very humorous and witty, and the old citizens will not soon forget the many facetiæ of their quondam neighbor. He died December 25th, 1853.

     Hiram Bennett settled in the township in 1836. He was accidentally killed by the falling of a tub (P.44) while engaged in digging a well. He died June 9,1855.

     Clement Stebbins settled in the township in 1836. Died November 11th, 1861.

     Job Case came to the township in 1836. Died October 9th, 1854.

     Odell J. Smith came to the township in 1837. He was an enterprising farmer and held several important local offices. Died January 23d, 1861.

     John, James and Aaron Lagrange settled in the township in 1837. James died May 9th, 1857, and Aaron, December 9th, 1853.

     George W. Jewett settled in the village in 1837. In 1840 he was elected register of deeds for Livingston county. He was also county treasurer one term. In 1845 he was appointed Clerk of the House of Representatives of Michigan. Died, February 12th, 1851.

     Ebenezer West, a farmer, came to the town in 1837. Died about the year 1849.

     Mathew West, also a farmer, came the same year, and died about the same year.

     Rial Lake, a farmer, settled in the township in 1837. He had a collegiate education, and was industrious and enterprising. Died December 29th, 1851.

     John Marr settled on section 8 in the township in 1839. He died February 6th, 1860.

     Lemuel Monroe, came into the township in May, 1849, and lived with his son, Francis Monroe. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and died April 29th, 1854, at-the age of ninety-five years, one month and twenty-nine days.

     Richard P. Bush settled in the township of Handy (P.45)  in 1837. He removed to the village of Howell in 1844. He died August 28th, 1853. He was twice elected Sheriff of Livingston county.

     Daniel Case settled in the township in 1836. He has been honored with several local offices, and still lives.

     In the month of June, 1836, Henry Lake settled in the township. He is now the owner of a large farm in the western part of the same, and is in easy circumstances.

     Geo. W. Kneeland settled in the township in November, 1836. In 1810 was elected judge of probate--reelected in 1844. In 1849 he was elected a member of the House of Representatives. In 1851 he removed to the village of Howell, where he still resides.

     Giles Tucker settled in the village in 1836. He was a carpenter by trade. He has been sheriff of Livingston county two years. He is at present in the grocery business.

     William McPherson migrated from Scotland July 23d, 1836, and came into Howell village September 17th of the same year. He at first followed the business of blacksmithing, and afterwards entered into mercantile pursuits, in which he has been eminently successful, and has become affluent.

     Joseph H. Steel settled in the village in 1836. He bought Crane & Brooks' hotel in 1837. He moved to the town of Oceola in 1840, and returned to the village in 1843. Afterwards, he again removed to Oceola, and staid there till 1848, when he again returned.

     E. F. Gay settled in the village on the 1st day of April, 1837. He is a gentleman of enterprise and intelligence. (P.46) 

     Almon Whipple settled in the township of Handy, Livingston county, in 1836. He removed to Howell in 1837, and went into the mercantile business, which he followed until 1859. He was elected County Clerk in 1837, and County Treasurer in 1839. He was also Post Master six years. Mr. Whipple has become wealthy.

     Francis Monroe settled in the township on the 1st day of June, 1837. He still retains the same land he purchased of the Government, and has become rich.

     Abraham A. Van Nest settled in the township in 1837. He also, is a substantial farmer.

     Josiah Turner, an attorney and counselor at law emigrated from Vermont and settled in the village in April, 1840. He was appointed County Clerk, to fill a vacancy, in 1842, and was elected to the same office the same year. He was re-elected in 1844. Was elected and re-elected County Judge in the years 1846 and 1850. He was elected Circuit Judge for the Seventh Judicial District of the State of Michigan, in April, 1857, for the term of six years. By virtue of this office he became one of the Justices of the Supreme Court of the State. He was reelected in 1863, and is still on the bench. Mr. Turner removed to the city of Owosso on the 9th day of July, 1860, from the fact that all the parts of his district were more accessible from that point.

     Sardis F. Hubbell, Esq., came to reside permanently in Howell, in the year 1854. In the same year he was elected Circuit Court Commissioner for the county and was elected and re-elected Prosecuting Attorney, in the years 1862 and 1864.

     John H. Galloway settled in the village in 1844. (P.47) He has been a prominent Republican, and was elected to the Senate in 1860.

     George and Frederick J. Lee settled in the village in 1845. Both have become wealthy.

     Frederick C. Whipple, an attorney and counselor at law, settled in the village in 1846. He was elected Judge of Probate in 1848, and re-elected in 1852. He is a lawyer of acknowledged learning and ability.

     Henry H. Harmon, another attorney, settled in the village in 1847. He studied law in the office of Lewis H. Hewitt, and in the month of May, 1848, was admitted to the bar. He was appointed Circuit Court Commissioner, by John S. Barry, in 1851. In 1852 he was elected to the same office. In 1854 was elected Prosecuting Attorney. In 1862 be was elected a member of the House of Representatives, and in 1864 was elected Judge of Probate.

     There are many more persons whom we would like to enumerate, but our space forbids. We can call up the names of Coffrew, Spring, Gates, Steel, and others, who in their days of prime, constituted a coterie of fun, such as few towns have produced. The clubs of Johnson, Burke, Boswell and Goldsmith are nowhere in comparison. Men of rare susceptibilities for sport, used to come far out of their way to Howell, even in its pioneer days, just for the, sake of laughing a little flesh on to their bones. They were never disappointed. For instance, who can fail to recollect that time, when General Cass stopped at the unpretending hotel of Benjamin J. Spring, a man, who as the sequel shows, could not restrain a joke, even in trouble.

     While the General sat eating, Benjamin, of course, stood over him, ready to anticipate his wants, and seeing the "old hero " pull a long hair out of the butter, Spring caught it up as quick as thought, and quietly ordered the servant to go to the store and get some in which the hairs were better rotted. Societies, however, are continually changing, and many of the wonted faces are gone from us forever. We will not mourn, them, but we will cast now and then, a backward glance through this little history, and be glad to reflect, that we have had even a short time in our lives in their society.