One Of Washtenaw's Pioneers

The following sketch of one of the old pioneers of this county was prepared by Mrs. R. C. Whiting, of this city: Mrs. Abby Warner Hayes Smith, was born in the seaport town of Gloucesier, Massaeuusetls, in tueyear 1811. Her falher, Klias W. ilayet,, was captain of a brlg sailing the ucean, heilig a prlvateer in the year of 1812- Osptarlng luauy prizes from the eneray. heinc tw. ce taken prisouer by pirutes, sometí mes goue lour yeurs at a time. Iu nis fltty-nlUi year lie removed with his larally to Mlchlgaii locatlug on a larm about two miles east ui Dexter. where he llved for tliree years wheii ba removed toohio for ashortperlod im.i ivturued to Michigan maklug his home with the subject of tlns sketch ; lie and his wlfe both dylug at her home Her grandtather, John Tucker, was a captain In the revolullouary war, under General Lafayette. In 18J4, a cousin of Miss Hayes, inarrled Captaih Johu Dlx.of Lowell, Massacliuset's, wlio liad previously com to Michigan and bougüt ot the goverument four hundred acres of land at ten shllilngs-$1.25 per acre embraolng'tb! portiou nained In lionor of Inm Dixboro, and of whioh he was post-masler nl e years. Mrs Dix.wliun sue loft os a brido to cume to her lur off lióme, extraoled a promise of Miss lavistnal she would come and malee lier borne witli her, but lier iather fur alouir time objected, uot caring to have lier leave her ii. ...ie „ho boiiig a great pet-but Abby, fond ol adventure, would give him no rest Uil she hadobiamed his consent; so embraclng Ihe nrst favorable opportuuity, at the age of fourte.u- although so p-tite she was taken lor ten- In company with Mr. Lewls Cook and wlie ol Uetiolt, who had been east on a vislt, and also the brother of Mrs. Dlx she set out on her jjerllous. tedlous jouruey. In the '.ij0,11'11,,,01 Mlircl'. tí36, arrlvlng here June 27ih. Ihe way was iraught wllh many dilllcultles- most of the way by stage and at Umi day the roads especlally alter reaching Michigan, were rough crossways. some in process ut construí llon- so that Miss Hayes olten alighted and walked In prelerence to riding. About Uiteen miles this slde of Detroit, it oocupylng two days to accompllsh the Juurney, they stayed at a tavern over uignt, theoccupants uumberlng thirty wlth ouly one room below and another above llie ladies who numbered about half slept below and the gentlemen above. Iu tho inurniug, when the ladies wished to make iheir touet, the gentlemen were politely Invited to repair to the bar-room, whlch. of course. was out uuder the shade of umbrageous (rees on the lovely June mornlng. Ulu Hayes made her home witli hercousln tlll she marrrled. sevefi years subsequently tJ.?..11 'M1s8 Mary "'ter of tne Rev. Wllilain Fage, pastor of the Presbyterlau cliurch, opeued a select school for young ladies in Anu Arbor.and Miss Hayes availed herself ot ihe opportuuity of attendiug. bpardlng the nrst ihrue months wlth Lawver Maren Lane and his sister, who afterwards married itobert Ueddes, well-known to many ot ourcliizeus. ïhey llved near Justice Ed ward Clurk.with whose daughter. Lucy Ann aflerwards Mrs. Judge Kingsley, sbe was yery Intímate. Mrs. J5r. Dentón. Mrs. Olnev Mawklus, and Mrs. John Mayuard werë ainong her schoolmates. The second quarter she boarded at John Allen's. Judge Dexter. who carried the mail ou horseback to and lrom Dexter to Arm Arbor, stopped at Mr. Allen's. and frorn time to tune while waillng to refresh hlmself and luirse, belng a good mathematiclan, lielped Miss Hayes solve many a dlfflcult problein Wheuevcr Miss Hayes wished to go home she had to ford the Hurón, many times tumultuous aud boisterous, and lt was usuullyon hoiiseback. THe lourtü ol July after lier arrlval, was the flrst public celebratlon in Ann Arbor, and she witb her couln s husband, Mr. Dix, went horseback, she ridlug behlnd, wlth her arm about his walst to secure safety. She said 'On ! how my arm ached next day.1' A bower of bushes was erected in whtch an oratlon was dellveied, a table spread and a good subl stanllal dlnner laid and partaken of with gusto by about flfty or sixty celebran ts Her version of the naming of Ann Arbor is, that lt was nained lor Mrs. John Vllen whose namewiis Anti mul Arbor added because the whole place was an arbor, H belnit oak openings and prairie, whlch would confllct wlth the story of the three Anns lukini' tea in tbe arbor tbeory In 18.il, a cumpany of thlrteen went over to Jackson on bonbaack to celébrate the 4lh of July. Among whom were Colonel Jewett ("lonel Wllcoxsou, Judge riark. Captain l)tr and 11 is cousin, Sherman Dix, Miss Hayes and Miss Francés Trask. Col. Wilcoxson' delivered tlie oratlon. Ou tlie way over Col Wllcoxaon In fordlng Spoon creek, rldlne a sraall horse, and he belng tall wlth lonit Ilinlis wet hlsleet. so the party halted on a biuir or rise of uround near by to take reIrt'slimentsRnd elve the Col an opportunitv for drying his socks. He took thern off. ruñe tlii'in mu an.l innig Ihemona bush todry but probably üld not walt to glve them á long enoueh sunnlng; at any rate, he took a severe colcl, resultlug in hls death soon afier Tlie p:irty rode over on the tbird. remalned' over the fourth, relurDing the fllth a rlghi inorry cilvacade. The tavern, a log oue at whlch tliey stopped, was pul upjuet before to accommodated expected guests There was one house whlch they passed between Ann Arbor and Jackson, and that was about eigbt miles out from Ann Arbor. The party thonght the locatlon of Jackson wns low und impiomlslng, but the morning of ihe fourth they mounted thelrsteeds and took a scamper of about eighl miles' circuit aud declded the country was very pleasant. On Ihe way (lome, lt being a very warm day Miss Trask became quite thlrsty, and seeing some ehllIr.n oarrylDg a pall of water, drank so pro usly tliat ilangerous llln -ss ensued but from whlch, more fortunately than the Colonel, she recovered. Jacksou was tlien caïled Jacksonburj;. Miss Hayes was marrled to Earl Sydney Smlth.at tbe heuse of Captain Dix, on the flrst dav of May, 1832, a young farmer near Sclo vlllage. wliere tbey llveü 2S years and reared a lamily of slx chlldren, then went to túllalo where tüey remalned three years hen removed to Canada, Mlddlesex countv' where they llved 25 years. Unally returnlriii and settling near Reed Clty.celebrating their Kolden wedding about one year prior to Mr. milh s death. Hlnee hls decease, Mr. S a lale. hearty, old lady of seventy-four as fïill as ever of actlvltks, cheirful as a young peron, known and beloved as Grandina Smlth lasultiriiatid between her chlldren's homes' iaylng part of the time wlth Mrs. Foster' .llohfleld, of Dexter, and wlth ber sons ames and Will am Hmith near Kecd Cltv her ouly survlving childreu. Wk notice tliat Hon. C. P. Black, of Caro is a candidato tor U. 8. district atorney for tho enstern district of Michian. Well, Mr. Black, is not near as lack as liis name would indícate. In et he is a pretty wlilte man fora demorat, and bis party would honor itself by ïaking so excellent a cholee.