Franklin Township

Franklin Township

Franklin township is located in the northeastern portion of DeKalb county, in the northern tier. It is bounded on the north by Otsego township, Steuben county; on the east by Troy township; on the south by Wilmington township, and on the west by Smithfield township. It is watered and drained by the tributaries, headwaters, of Cedar creek and Fish creek, and along the northern border are two small lakes. There are no railroads in Franklin township, consequently no town of great size. Butler, on the Michigan Southern, just below the southern border, is the nearest trading point. The highways of this township, however, are excellent, and provide swift intercourse with distributing centers. The land is good and well suited for agriculture.

Organization

The first act of the first board of commissioners of DeKalb county, on July 25. 1837, was, aff-er appointing necessary officers, to provide for the organization of Franklin township, with the following boundaries: "Commencing at the northeast corner of said county (DeKalb), thence west to the corners of ranges 13 and 14 east, townships 35 and 36 north, thence south six miles to township 34 north, ranges 13 and 14 east, thence east on the town line to the east line of the said county, thence north to the place of beginning; the above shall constitute the first township in DeKalb county."

The board, Peter Fair and Samuel Widney, then appointed "Peter Boyer for Inspector of Elections for township No. i in said county of DeKalb, and do order a writ of election for one justice of the peace for said township on the first Monday of August next (1837), and do also appoint Isaac T. Aldrich for Constable of said township, to serve until his successor is chosen and qualified, and do also appoint John Houlton for Supervisor of said town- ship No. I, and district No. i, in said county of DeKalb." The limits thus provided made Franklin to include what is now Troy township, in addition to its present territory ; but some years afterward Troy was organized, leaving Franklin six miles square.

At the first election in August, 1837, Abram F. Beecher was chosen commissioner, and Luther Buck as justice of the peace. At the next election, held at the house of George Firestone, on the first Monday in April, 1838, Judge Linsey was made justice of the peace. Irregularity in making the returns prevented the receipt of commissions, and it was not until the spring of 1S39 that first legal election was held, at the house of M. L. Wheeler, he being chosen justice of the peace, and George Firestone, constable.

Early Settlement

In point of settlement, the same as organization, Franklin township was the first. John Houlton, the first man in DeKalb county to build a home, constructed his rude log house on the bank of Fish creek, in the northeastern part of the township, in the year 1833. For quite a time he was the lone resident in the forest, but after a period of two years he was joined by John Smith, who settled on section 4.

In 1836 many pioneers came in, among them being: Abner Smith of section 9. Abram Beecher on 4, Luther Keep on 8, Charles Grain, Willis O. Hyde, Peter Boyer, Jacob Myers, Michael Boyer and Mr. Deming and Gorwright. George Firestone moved in in October, 1836, hauling his goods by ox-team, and settled on section 23, a part of which he cleared. While building his cabin he lived at the cabin of Michael Boyer.

Supplies of wheat and corn were obtained by the pioneers from Jackson prairie. The wild meats of the forest were used extensively by the pioneer, his trusty rifle being the earner of much of his provender. The Pottawatomies were also ever anxious to trade meats for such trifles as the settlers could procure for them. The heavy timber of the land was speedily cleared away and the planting of com, potatoes and buckwheat begun. Tn the spring of 1837 grists were taken to the Union mills in Lagrange, a distance of thirty miles, several days were required to make the journey, and it was fraught with many hardships. The first roads laid out in Franklin township were the Defiance and Lima state road and the Fort Wayne and Lima state road, forming a junction a half mile east of Hamilton.

Matson, Elisha Waterman and John Farley. Later came Jason Hunnell, Daniel AlcEntarfer, William Letz, Levi Nelson, John and Edward Jackman, Preston Bowman, Cyrus Bowman and James Bowman.

"When I lirst moved into Franklin my nearest neighbor was at Denmark, ten miles off. My next neighbor on the west was on Jackson Prairie, twenty-two mile's away. I had to buy my grain on the prairies, and take it to \^'hite Pigeon prairies to get it ground ; and with the many mire holes I had to struggle through, and with the vast number of times I had to unload and pry up the wagon, and take a bag at a time on my shoulder through creeks and sloughs often breast deep in water, and frequently ice to break at that, it generally took me from two to four days to make the trip. Often while away from home, I had fears lest some blackleg might murder my wife and child, and little sister-in-law, ten years old, and rob the house. But they were never disturbed.

"I came in with the very best of constitution, but I am now very much broken, and afflicted with rheumatism, so that I have to get help to put on my clothes. Of the four of us robbed by the Indians, I suppose I am the only one alive. Avery died in Fort Wayne ; Samuel Houlton died at the mill on Fish creek in May, 1839; Hughes left \^'ayne in 1839 for the West.

First Officers

Early justices of the peace were : M. Wheeler, L. Buck, J. Kink, John McCurdy, George Beard, George Firestone, T. M. Mitchell. Early constables were : G. W. Jeffords, Miles Waterman, Cyrus Jackman, David Clark, John Shock, Abner Slentz, John R. Ball, George Firestone, William Oberlin; and the trustees prior to i860 were: G. Beard, B. Smith, Jabez Hubbell, Miles Waterman, G. Shultz, H. Slentz. A. Baxter, J. T. Aldrich, J. Jackman, H. Smith, Joseph Boyer. A. Baxter and E. H. Taylor were early assessors.