Beaver, Michigan

The township of Beaver was organized by an act of the Legis¬ lature in 1867, and comprised all that part of Bay County known and described as townships Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen, Eighteen, Nineteen and Twenty, north of Range Three east. The first town¬ ship meeting was ordered held at the house of Levi Willard, on the first Monday in April, and Levi Willard, Josiah L. Wellington and Oscar H. Kellogg, appointed inspectors of election.

Passage source: History of Bay County Michigan, published 1883.

The town of Beaver is located fifteen miles from Bay City - ten miles west and five miles north; the land is as good as can be found in the state; we raise the very best of crops; our hay crop was rather light this year on account of the dry weather; there is a large amount here, how T ever, for which we can get a higher price, at our own doors, than we can. get in Bay City, as there is a large amount of lumbering done near by and the lumbermen are glad to buy of us, thereby saving themselves the trouble and expense of a journey to Wenona or Bay City.

Passage source: History of Bay County Michigan, published 1883.

Levi Willard was born in Portage County, Ohio, in 1825. His father was a native of Maryland; born of Danish parents on their route to settle in the United States. Mr. Willard lived to age of sixteen in Summit County, Ohio. He then worked by the month on a farm for three years. He then learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed for twelve years. At the age of twenty-nine he married Miss Sarah Ingraham, of Medina County, Ohio. In 1856 he came to Michigan and bought land on Section Thirty-three, Town Fifteen north, Three east, being now in the township of Beaver. The following year he settled thereon, and commenced improve¬ ment. He remained the only settler in the township for nine years. About 1865 settlers began to come in, and in 1867 the township was organized. Mr. Willard was elected the first supervisor in 1868, and has held the office for six years since that term. Also the office of justice of the peace nearly all the time since the organ¬ ization of the township. He has been identified with all the improve¬ ments of the community. During the time of his services as super¬ visor he was on important committees, and did his work well. As a pioneer, few have had more hardships to endure or more obstacles to overcome, but with a determination to succeed he has remained. He now has fifty acres improved; a good brick residence, extensive barns and a fine orchard of various fruits. He has had four sons and four daughters. The eldest son takes to farming. Two are carpenters. Three daughters are teachers. All have a good, prac¬ tical education.

Passage source: History of Bay County Michigan, published 1883.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Beaver Township - it names this place 1 more 1 time.