Lost Ground Found

Lost Ground Found.

Is it the School Playground of Manchester?

The Ownership of a Piece of Ground Not Hitherto Claimed For Fifty-Five Years.

The fact of the ownership of a piece of land in Washtenaw county being forgotten by the real owners is unusual. Such a fact was recently discovered by Titus F. Hutzel, of the firm of Hutzel & Co. Last week Titus F. Hutzel was looking over some old papers belonging to his father August Hutzel. Among these was a deed that fixed his attention as it contained something that he had never heard of. His father August Hutzel had been in business with Emanuel Wildt. They dissolved their partnership Sept. 4, and in closing it up. Mr. Wildt transferred certain real estate to Mr. Hutzel. The second parcel described was what struck Titus Hutzel's eyes. It was as follows: "All that certain parcel of land, situate in township of Manchester, known, bounded and described as follows vizs: Being part of section 1, in town number 4 south of range 3 east; beginning at northwest corner of land owned by David Chadwick on Clinton road, thence northerly on the line of said road 31 feet thence easterly parallel with said Chadwick line 50 feet, thence southerly parallel with said road 31 feet to said Chadwick line, thence westerly on said line 50 feet of the place of beginning. " Mr. Hutzel had never heard of his father owning this land. He asked his older brother and mother and they had never heard of the land. He examined the abstract books of the Washtenaw Abstract Co.'s and found that his father had never sold this land. The supervisor rolls of 1842 to 1845 don't indicate that the land was ever assessed to Mr. Hutzel. The whole matter became so interesting that he called on Attorney E. B. Norris, one of the best posted local historians of the village of Manchester. The Argus representative also called on Mr. Norris who kindly gave the following information. "I think I know where this land is located. It is adjoining to the school building located in what is known as Soulsville, in the south part of Manchester. The land is now probably that used as a play ground by the school children. This part of the village of Manchester in au early day was the business center and adjoining the 31 by 50 feet. were a number of stores and a hotel stood opposite. The probabilty is that Mr. Wildt purchased this lot with the intention of building a store on the land."