About the 1st of February, 1824, a party of pioneers set out from Farmington, New York, for the purpose of making a settement in Michigan on lands which they had entered the year before.
Their conveyance was a sleigh drawn by a good span of horses, and they headed their team westward with light hearts and no lack of courage. Crossing the Niagara River they took their course through upper Canada, and meeting with no adventures more exceting than such as arise from extremely bad roads and worse lodgings and fare, they arrived at Windsor oppsite Detroit on the 15th of February, having been fifteen days on the road. They traveled by the Saginaw road to Royal Oak, thence to Birmingham. From there the proceeded to their place of destination, which they reached late in the afternoon. not much time was lost, as the gret forest trees were all around them, which the pioneer always recognises as his enemy. Soon the old woods rang with the strange sound of axes, until before the sun had set then old giant which had stood for a century unharmed, trembled, swayed, and fell, crashing to the earth.
This was the first tree in preparation for white settlement in Farmington, and one of the pioneers was Arthur Power, grandfather, of John Power, who lives in Farmington at the present time.
With him came his five sons, John, Ira, Nathan, Abraham L., and William. The later lived in the village of Farmington for many years. many other immigrants came soon after the avent of the Power company. Among them were Norton Lapham, his wife, his brother Luther, Alfred Lapham, cousin, Norton Worthy Blanchard and the Bradners. Goerge and Jane Wilber, Levi and Huldah Pettibone, parents of the late John Pettibone, Joseph Walton and wife, Cynthia Lapham, James Allen and wife, Abraham Lapham and wife, Benjamin and Austin Chillson, Elisha Roberts and wife, Ethan Lapham, father to Nathan, the Bronsons and John Briggs.
Most of these located in Farmington, a few in the adjoining town of Livonia, and were connected with the Society of Friends.
About this time great excitement ws caused by the Fox sisters of New york, claiming to have comunication with departed spirits through the medium of raps and table tipping.The curiosity and interest of the whole country was arounsed, and people everywhere began to hold wat was called "circles" for developing mediums, with more or less success.
The pioneers whom I have mentioned in Farmington and vicinity, very readly embraced the mysterious phenomena that was then being developed through the revelations of Spiritualism as the foundation of their religious faith and hope.
They began to hold seances in the different homes, that of William Powers being a good place, where rappings were produced and communication with the spirits of the departed was established. To the spirit rappings were added turning, automatic writing and trance speaking, etc., and the person who developed these received the name "Medium." Sometimes the table refused to move, and then they knew there was an unbeliever among them. As soon as he of shr was removed the table began to dance and rappings were heard.
They were in great need of a hall or churc in which to hold lectures, and the town just built Union Church so called was in frequent use for their Spirit Meetings and lectures. They often held two day meetings and had speakers from abroad, men and women. And the interest or curiosity was so great that the house was always well filled.
Often somone would be controlled by anIndian spirit and speak fluently for an hour in an unknown tongue which was very interesting I presume.
On one occasion the speaker was Henry C. Wright, a great orator. The lecture was to the young people, and the night was dark and rainy, but the boys all came out with their best girls to hear something good. His talk was principally on Love and marriage. It became so rank that the young people began to leave,when he stopped and said he would wait until all had left who wanted to, and that he had always noticed a wounded bird always fluttered.
Other speakers were Giles B. Stebbins, Selden J. Finney of Ohio, etc. Mrs McCain from Milford often came and gaveseances.
Years have come and gone since then, and only three of the younger members of that band of Spiritualist are left, Mrs. Daniel Lapham and Mr. Collins, of Farmington, and Mrs. Abraham Lapham of Detroit. each are as strong in their faith as ever. Mrs. Lapham of Detroit is something over eighty years of age, but she has what she calls a ouija board which she uses to communicate with departed spirits, asking it questions which it answers, etc. Mr. Collins often goes to the city to communicate with his departed wife, to gain happiness and consolation in his declining years.