Macomb County MI


HISTORY
of
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

Contributed by Patti Wulff
From Leeson's History of Macomb County, Michigan, pp. 806

The meeting to organize the township of Washington was held at the house of Alvin Nye (where Emulous Stone lived in 1877) in April, 1827. Daniel Thurston was called upon to preside, and Otis Lamb was chosen Clerk. It was then proposed that some one would propose a name: many names were given and passed over, until at length the Chairman said: "I move that we name the town in honor of the father of our country." The name was accepted enthusiastically, and confirmed by act of organization. At that time there were not over forty families in the township.

Washington Township, comprising Towns 4 and 5 north, in the twelfth range east, was erected under powers given in the act of April 12, 1827, and the first town meeting was ordered to be held at the house of John Holland, the last Monday in May, 1827. The first town meeting was held at the schoolhouse, near John D. Holland's, May 28, 1827. Gideon Gates was chosen Moderator, and Isaac Andrus, Clerk. The election resulted in the choice of John A. Axford, for Supervisor; John D. Holland, Clerk; Daniel B. Webster, Collector and Constable; Asahel Bailey, John Bennett and Nathan Nye, Assessors; Alexander Tackles, John Bennett, James Starkweather, Commissioners; Albert Finch and Joseph Miller, Overseers of the Poor, and Alvin Nye, Constable; Asahel Bailey, Elon Andrus, Edward Arnold, Poundmasters; George Wetson, Otis Lamb, Robert Townsend, Nathan Nye, Daniel Hayden, William Allen, Philip Price, Albert Finch and Isaac Skillman, Overseers of Highways, appointed by the County Commissioners in March, 1827.

Washington Village contains 225 inhabitants. The locality was first settled in 1818. The village is sixteen miles northwest of Mt. Clemens and thirty miles north of Detroit, with which cities it is connected by the Michigan Air-Line and Grand Trunk Railroads. Formerly, its nearest shipping point was Utica, seven miles south, on the D. & B.C.R.R., and with which it was connected with a daily line of stages. It has Methodist Episcopal and Union Churches, a graded school, express, daily mail, east and west.

Mt. Vernon is a small post office village in Washington Township, Macomb County, seventeen miles northwest of Mt. Clemens Court House and five northeast of Rochester, on the D. & B.C.R.R., its nearest shipping-point connection therewith by semi-weekly mail. In the immediate vicinity are two churches --Baptist and Methodist-- and district school. The business men of the village are named as follows: Alpheus Baldwin, Constable; Jeremiah Cole, blacksmith; J. N. Fangboner, painter; Mark Fangboner, wagon-maker; Joseph McCluer, live stock; John Major, live stock; E.J. Mann, painter; Rev. W.H. Mills, Baptist; J.J. Snook, Notary and Justice; M.L. Townsend, live stock dealer