Bronson Township

Bronson Township

Bronson township still retains its original name. In the spring of 1817, Norwalk and Bronson were incorporated as a township for business and held their first election at Hanson Reed's.

The township, while generally level, is diversified by the branches of the Huron in the western part. In this portion of the township the soil is a loamy clay mixed with gravel, while the eastern half is mostly clay. Sandstone of the newer formation anderlies a considerable portion of the township, and is quarried in some portions to a considerable extent. The varieties of timber were whitewood, hickory, beech, white ash, black walnut, the oak in several varieties, butternut, basswood, elm, sycamore, chestnut, and some other kinds of less importance. Several of the eastern branches of the Huron river run through the township, their general course being northwest. The stream called East branch crosses the southwest corner of the township, and another crosses the northeast corner, while High Bridge creek flows from the southeast part to the northwest.

The animals of the forest were the bear, deer, wolf, wild cat, fox, raccoon, opossum, etc. The wild turkey was the principal bird, and was quite abundant. Bears were not infrequently seen, but were not often killed. Deer were numerous, and venison was a common article of food with the earlier settlers. Their skin was an article of clothing, as well as of trade. Two deer skins would suffice to make a pair of pantaloons, and one would face a pair. The facing was done by sewing the neck of the hide on to the seat, and the half of the balance on the front of each leg, with a strip around the bottom.

The woods abounded in wolves, and they were a great annoyance to the farmer. It was usual to pen their sheep up at night, in rail pens, built near the house, for to leave them out at night was to insure their destruction,

The first habitation erected in Bronson, for the abode of civilized people, was the log cabin of the squatter, John Welch, built in the summer of 1815. He came from Pennsylvania with his family and located west of the creek, opposite Mr. Kellogg's. His parents and his brothers came in soon after, some of whom located in Peru, but none of the family made a permanent settlement.

Olena Village

In the southeast part of the township, on the Hartland line, is the village of Olena, the first house in which was built by William H. Burras, in 1832. He purchased sixteen acres of land on the southeast corner of the cross-roads, and put up a log house. He married Ruth Palmer, daughter of Abijah Palmer, of Fitchville, September 22, 1835, and moved into his log cabin, previous to which he had occupied with his parents.

Samuel Burras, an older brother of William, came with his family from the state of New York a short time afterward, and first located on the old State road. but soon after bought a short distance southeast of Olena and erected a log house, which was one of the first buildings in the place.

Among the earliest houses built at Olena, besides those mentioned, were those of Joel Wooley, on the southwest corner of the cross-roads; Hiram Allen, on the northwest corner, and John Moore a short distance west of Allen.

The first tavern at Olena was kept, in a small way, by Benjamin Drake in a log house some twenty rods south of the corners about the year 1835. In 1840, Daniel Angell bought out Drake, and his son, Ephraim Angell, continued the tavern about two years, when he bought the sixteen acres of William H. Burras and erected a framed hotel on the southeast corner of the cross-roads and kept a tavern there for ten years. Andrew Godfrey built a frame tavern on the southwest corner and kept the first postoffice there. The tavern business at this point, in the olden times of wagon trade was something immense. Mr. Angell reports that he used frequently to keep over a single night more than a hundred teams and teamsters. The rate was fifty cents, including supper and breakfast for a man and four-horse team.

The first store at Olena was occupied by Noah Close, but at what date we unable to determine. The business, however, was not extensively carried on until about 1850, when C. W. Manahan and Courtland Cannon established a store the southeast corner in the building formerly occupied as a hotel by Mr. Angell. They continued some two years and until the death of Cannon when Lewis Manahan became a partner of his brother. The village was formerly called Angell's Corners and continued to be so called for several years, when, at a public meeting of the citizens, the name was changed to Olena.

We date the actual settlement of the township from the arrival of Benjamin Newcomb and family, who moved in in the winter of 1815-16 and settled on lot number four, section number three.

The first white child born in Bronson was Timothy T. Newcomb, son of Benjamin and Stata Newcomb. He was born July 6, 1816, the next day after the burial of his father, who was killed by the kick of a horse.

The first school in Bronson was kept by Lola Sutliff, in the log barn of Martin Keilogg, in the summer of 1818. Her scholars were Maudane, Lucy, Rebecca and Polly Kellogg ; Lucy, Jane, Tina, Eleanor and John Ammerman; Peggy and John Welch. The teacher received seventy-five cents per week, her wages being paid by the parents in proportion to the number of children sent.

The first school-house was built of logs on the north part of Nathan Sutliff's farm in the fall of 1819. Martin Kellogg taught the school in it the next winter and was the first male teacher in the township. The house was unfinished at the time he opened his school, and he and William W. Beckwith put it in condition for occupancy. He had about twenty scholars and received fifteen dollars per month.

The earliest religious meetings were held at this school-house, and a remarkable revival occurred there in the winter of 1823-24 when twenty-one heads of families were converted and afterwards united with the church.

In the early settlement of the township the settlers obtained their grinding usually at the grist mill of David Mack, at Macksville, sometimes at Carkhuff's mill in Greenfield, and occasionally even at Mansfield.