CHAPTER V

 

                                              Organization of Isabella County 

                                                             

 

     The lands comprised within the boundaries of Isabella county were duly laid off by an

act of the Territorial Council in the year 1831, by “An Act to provide for laying off into

separate counties, the district of country adjacent to Grand River, and for other purposes.

     “Be it enacted by the Legislative Council of the Territory of Michigan.  “Section 13.

That the country included within the following limits, to-wit:  west of the line between

ranges 2 and 3 west;  east of the line between ranges 6 and 7 west;  south of the line be-

tween the townships 16 and 17, and north of the line between townships 12 and 13 north,

containing sixteen townships, be and the same is hereby set off into a separate county, by

the name of Isabella.

     “Approved March 2, 1831.”

    

     The county at this time was an unbroken wilderness of timber, devoid of inhabitants,

white or Indian;  up to this time not a tract of land, great or small, had been entered by any-

one.

     In the year 1853 an act was passed attaching Isabella county to the county of Saginaw

For certain purposes, to-wit:

     “Section 1:  The people of the state of Michigan enact, that the counties of Midland,

Arenac, Gladwin, Isabella and Iosco, be and the same are hereby attached to the county of

Saginaw, for judicial and representative purposes.

     “Section 2.  The counties of Gladwin, Arenac and Isabella be and the same are hereby

attached to the township of Midland for the purposes aforesaid, and for the purposes of

taxation, until set off and organized into other townships;  and that the county of Iosco be

and the same is hereby attached to the township of Hampton, in the county of Saginaw, for

like purposes. 

     “Approved February 3, 1853.”

   

     In this act there is no provision made for the return of any vote on any subject, and it is

evident that there were no settlers in the county at that time.  Further that no township had

been organized in the county.

 

     The Legislature of 1855, by act No. 98, “An act to attach the counties of Isabella and

Gladwin to the county of Midland for judicial and municipal purposes.

     “Section 1.  The people of the state of Michigan enact, that the counties of Isabella and

Gladwin be and the same are hereby attached to the county of Midland for judicial and

municipal purposes.

     “Section 2.  All acts or parts of acts controvening the provisions of this act are hereby

repealed.

     “Section 3.  This act shall take effect immediately.

     “Approved February 12, 1855.”

 

     The same session of the Legislature organized the township of Coe in Isabella county.

“No. 151, an act to organize the township of Coe, in county of Isabella.

     “Section 1.  The people of the state of Michigan enact, that the surveyed townships

 

 

described as town 13 north, of range 3 west, and 14 north, of 3 west, in the county of

Isabella, be and the same are hereby organized into a township by the name of the township

of Coe, and the first township meeting therein shall be held at the house of Mr. Campbell,

on section 17, in town 13 north, range 3 west.

     “Approved February 13, 1855.”

 

     In 1859, by act “No. 118, to-wit, an act to organize the county of Isabella:

     “Section 1.  The people of the state of Michigan enact, that the county of Isabella shall             

be organized, and the inhabitants thereof entitled to all the rights and privileges to which

by law the inhabitants of other organized counties of this state are entitled.

     “Section 2.  Provides for an election of county officers, to be held on the first Monday

of April, 1859, such officers to enter upon their duties on the first Monday in May, 1859.

     “Section 3.  Board of canvassers to meet at the house of John M. Hursh on the second

Tuesday of April next after the said election, to canvass and declare the result of said elec-

tion.”

     In the same act the county of Clare was attached to the county of Isabella for municipal

and judicial purposes, and to the township of Isabella for township purposes.

     Approved February 11, 1859.

 

     An election was held as provided in section 2, the board of canvassers met according to

requirement and canvassed the vote and declared Richard Hoy elected as county treasurer,

Irving E. Arnold, clerk, Charles H. Rodd (Indian), sheriff, James Wilsey, judge of probate,

Malcolm D. Davis, county surveyor, and Nelson Mosher, prosecuting attorney.

     The first meeting of the board of supervisors was held at the house of John M. Hursh,

on May 9, 1859.  Supervisors Perry H. Estee, of Coe, N. C. Payne, of Chippewa, and A.G.

Ferris, of Isabella, were present, they representing all of the then organized townships. 

I.                    E. Arnold, county clerk, was clerk of the board, and P.H. Estee was elected chair-

man.

     Their first official act was to approve the bond of Richard Hoy, county treasurer;  the

second act was voting to bond the county for one thousand five hundred dollars for the

relief of the destitute of the county.  William R. Robbins, of Coe, was appointed agent to

negotiate said bonds and purchase provisions, to be sold on time to the suffering and needy

settlers.  He was not to sell said bonds for less than seventy-five cents on the dollar, and by

his report he used but five hundred dollars and returned the balance into the treasury; 

Robbins was instructed to take security, either real estate or approved notes, for the provi-

sions he distributed, to be made payable on or before two years.  There was turned into the

treasury in notes the sum of four hundred ninety-eight dollars and ninety-eight cents.  After

allowing wolf bounties to Isaiah Ah-pwa-qua-naw, John Pe-boom and Abram Ah-ne-mah-

hong, and a few minor accounts, they proceeded to fix the salaries of the county officers, as

follows:  The county treasurer, from May 1^st to January 1^st, fifty dollars, and from January

1, 1860 to January 1, 1861, three hundred and fifty dollars.  County clerk, from May 1,

1859, to January 1, 1861, three hundred dollars.  Prosecuting attorney, for his full term,

one hundred and fifty dollars.  The board then fixed the time for a meeting with the board

of Midland county for the purpose of making a settlement on account of Isabella county

having been annexed to the county of Midland for municipal and judicial purposes and for

the purposes of taxation.  The time set for such meeting was December 13, 1859.  A meet-

ing was heldas provided, which resulted as follows:  “Midland City, Michigan, January 4,

1860.    Minutes of a joint meeting of the supervisors of the counties of Midland and Isabella,

at the treasurer’s office of Midland county.  The board came to order at one o’clock p.m.;

 

 

present from Isabella county, Coe, P.H. Estee, Chippewa, N.C. Payne;  from Midland

county, Charles D. Searrin, Samuel D. Gaskill and Sylvester Erway;  chairmen, Charles

D. Searrin and P.H. Estee.  At five o’clock the board took a recess until after supper.  The

board came to order at seven o’clock, members all present.  It is hereby agreed and resolv-

ed by the board of supervisors of Midland and Isabella counties, now in joint session, that

for the purpose of effecting a settlement in full of all accounts and demands between said

counties to this date, that the county of Midland shall account to the state for all of the state

tax liable to be paid by Isabella county for the year 1859 and 1860, and that the above shall

be in full as a settlement by and between said counties.  Provided, the above resolution shall

in no way effect a settlement between the said county of Midland and the several towns of

Isabella county, but the same shall be accounted for and paid over by the said treasurer of

Midland county to the several towns of the county of Isabella according to law.

     “Dated at Midland City, January 4, 1860.

                                                                        “Charles D. Searrin.    (L.S.)

                                                                        “Sylvester Erway.        (L.S.)

                                                                        “Samuel D. Gaskill.     (L.S.)

                                                                            “In behalf of Midland County.

                                                                       

                                                                        “P.H. Estee.                  (L.S.)

                                                                        “N.C. Payne.                 (L.S.)

                                                                                   “In behalf of Isabella County.

 

     “Upon motion, the board adjourned without day.

                                                                        “Irving E. Arnold,

                                                                                   “Clerk of Isabella County.”

 

     The place selected by the commission appointed by the governor was at the geographical

Center of the county.  There was no settlement there whatever, not so much as an Indian,

the nearest settlement being on section 22, township 14 north, range 4 west, just on the south

side of Mt. Pleasant.  The land on which the county seat was located was not bought from

the United States until December 15, 1855.

 

                                                   Removal of County Seat.

 

     On October 10, 1859, the board of supervisors met in regular session at the center and,

after transacting the October business, adjourned until the second Tuesday of January, 1860.

     On January 10, 1860, they met pursuant to adjournment, and after transacting some busi-

ness, adjourned to the 20^th of February.  After allowing some bills and a couple of wolf

bounties, they adjourned till the next day, when the following resolution was offered by

P.H. Estee;  “Resolved by the board of supervisors of Isabella county, that the following

described piece or parcel of land be and hereby is designated by this board for the location

of the county seat of this county, as proposed to be removed, as provided by law, to-wit: 

beginning at the center of section 15, in township 14 north, range 4 west, state of Michigan,

from thence running northerly forty rods, along the state road running from John M. Hursh’s

to the Indian Mills, and bounded westerly by said road, thence east twenty rods, thence

southerly forty rods, and bounded easterly by a line running parallel with said state road,

thence west to the place of beginning, containing five acres of land more or less.  Said

resolution was duly carried by a two-thirds vote.  After the passage of said resolution, it was

then provided that the proposition should be submitted to the qualified electors of the county

 

 

at the April election of 1860.  The county clerk was directed to post notices of such election

and the purpose of the same in all of the townships in said county.

     “After the election a special meeting of the said board of supervisors was called to meet

at the Isabella center for the purpose of canvassing the votes.  The board met on the 10^th day

of May, 1860.  The board then consisted of William R. Robbins, of Coe, N.C. Payne, of

Chippewa, and Charles H. Rodd (Indian), for Isabella.  The canvass resulted as follows:  For

the removal, Isabella, yes, 86, noes, 87;  Coe, yes, 54, noes, 14;  Chippewa, 16 for and 2

against, making a majority in favor of removal of fifty-three votes.  The following resolution

was unanimously adopted:  ‘Resolved, by the board of supervisors of Isabella county, that

the county seat of said county is hereby removed, and by this act is established and located

at the point designated by the board of supervisors of this county, February 21, 1860, said

point being near the center of section 15, in township 14 north, range 4 west, state of

Michigan.

                                                                                        “W.R. Robbins, Chairman.

     “Irving E. Arnold, County Clerk.”

 

     The census of the county at this time, as taken by M.D. Davis, was one thousand four

hundred and forty-one, about one-half American and one-half Indian.  The number of votes

cast at the said election for and against the removal of the county seat would indicate that

nearly the entire vote was cast.  David Ward, the person who owned the lands on which the

county seat was located and on which the city of Mt. Pleasant was afterward located, had

much to do with the removal from the center of the county.  He donated to the Indians

seventeen and one-half acres of land on the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of

section 15, town 14 north, range 4 west, the place where the south half of the city park is

now located, and also several lots to different Indians who were supposed to have consider-

able influence with the Indians.  It was a good scheme, for the reason that the present loca-

tion of the capital of the county is much better than the one at the center, where there is no

river, lake or stream of any kind;  whereas the present location has a very desirable water

privilege on the Chippewa river, has fine boating facilities, and the plat is comparatively

level and of a light sandy soil, most of it easy of drainage and devoid of mud.  Mr. Ward

further promised that if the county seat was moved to his lands at Mt. Pleasant, he would

build a court house and donate it to the county.  It was built according to promise and was

completed.  On the 12^th day of July, 1860, the board of supervisors met at Mt. Pleasant and

after organizing, they proceeded to inspect the court house and accept the same, also to

accept the job of clearing and grubbing one and one-half acres of land on the court square,

which had been let to W.H. Nelson at one hundred and forty dollars and one hundred and

fifty dollars for measuring one and one-half acres.

     At the same session I.E. Arnold was paid for transcribing the records affecting this county

which had been made at Midland county when Isabella was attached to that county for

municipal and judicial purposes.  The first payment was sixty-six dollars for transcribing six

hundred folios of records and afterward thirty dollars for completing the same.

     The first county order was issued to M.D. Davis for services in drawing a jury;  the

amount was seventy-five cents, written on legal cap paper, and was as follows:

     “$00.75.  Treasurer of Isabella county, pay to M.D. Davis or bearer 75-100 dollars out of

money in your hands raised for incidentals.  Isabella Center, October 11^th, 1859.

                                                                               

                                                                                 “P.H. Estee,

                                                           “Chairman of the Board of Supervisors.

                     

                                                                           “I.E. Arnold, Clerk.”