Reminiscences Of Northfield

Tbe following interesting reminiscences on the early scttlement of the township of Northfleld, was read by Mr. Geo. Sutton, at a meeting of the Northfield grange. "One pleasant evening in the month of June 1830,in company with my father and mother, brother Isaac and his wife, sister Nixon and her hu&band, and their two daughters, we arrived at the house of my brother, Benjamin Sutton, in the town of Northfleld. At this time Northfield and other townships north of range 84 east, belonged to Ann Arbor for municipal purposes. The sun was setting in the west with its golden tinged canopy. The cattle and horses carne up to be yardedfor the night; the mosquitoes werc holding a carnival in the open air to the annoyance of the poor bovinos, and sheep had to be put in folds for safety from wolves. My brother bought his farm from the general government in the year 1824, and had lived here about six years. His family consisted of wife and six children, and I think one or two children had been bom here. The oldest was about 19 or 18 years old. He lived in a doublé log house one and a half stories high. The logs were hewned inside and out.and .here was only one chimney, and that was built of sticks, and mortcr, made of clay. The fire place was very large. It was then and for several years thereafter the custom to cook biscuit in bake kettles. The flower or meal was mixed with saleratus and buttermilk. then moulded out in rolla and put in an iron bake kettle. The kettle was put between hot coals and the breador biscuit baked.and thenserved on the table with wild honey and fried deer gteak. This was my first nupper in Notrhfield. The first newspaper I saw here was the Emigrant, a paper published in Ann Arbor by Samuel W. Dexter, of Dexter village. It was anti-masonic in principie, and was the only county paper in fiirculation here for many years. It supported Hon. William Wirt for president. I thinkit was in the fall or winter of 1832 that the people of Northfleld, and the adjoining town nortb, intheir wisdom thcy thought they had been issociated long enough in municipal government, and feit anxious to separate. According ly a meeting was called at my father's houao, and measures of secession were agreed upon. A petition was drawn up and signed; asking the legislative council to pass an inabling act for self Government. The act was passed during the coming winter, and they were authorized to form a gorerninent of their own, to be called Northfield. The next spring township ofücers were to be chosen. A cali was made for a nominating caucus to be held at the house of Harry Semour, at Whitmore Lake. The meeting was called to order and the chairman and secretary chosen. The flrst man nominated for supervisor was Rufus Matthews,' Mr. Steven Lee being president, appeared to be very much excited at the name of Mr. Matthews. He juinped up on a large stump standing m the yard, and offered a resolution, that all the anti-inasons ghould withdraw, and make out a ticket to be supported at the coming election. A good many went with Mr . Lee, and an antiraasonic ticket was presented for the sufferage of the people of Northfield at their first township meeting, and by that act twp tickets were placed in the field at the first township meeting held on the first Monday in April in the year 1833. The records show that the election was held at the house of Benjamin Button, and that Rufes Matthews was chosen moderator, and Geo. Sutton clerk pro tem. A. F. Shoff , and James Barr were elected clerks, and J. G. Leiand justice of the peace, which formed the board. The following offlcers were elected for the ensuing year; John Ren wiek, supervisor; Geo. Sutton, township clerk ; Frederick Smith, Gilbert A. Gardner, and Abiga Shoff, assessors; Kicholas Groves, and Joseph Lora, overseers of the poor; Philander Murray, Aschel Hubbard, and Joseph Lora, commissioners of highway; Joshua G. Leland, Abiga F. Shoff, and Aschel Hubbard, committee on schools; Gilbert A. Gardner.Frederick Smith, and Thomas J. i Tetti9, school inspectors; Thomas J. Tettis, Marville Secord, constables." (Additional Local on Sscond Page.)