The town 4 north, range 9 east, of the United States surveys, received its local name at the suggestion of Joseph Van Syckle, who came from the town of Independence, in New Jersey, and wished this name bestowed upon the town of his new home in honor of the old. It is a full congressional township, having an area of twenty-three thousand and forty acres. The surface is somewhat diversified, being in general hilly in the northwest and centre, and level in the southeast. The famous Sashabaw plains are in this region, extending north and south nearly three miles, and east and west about two and a half miles. Smaller plains are found in the northern and western parts of the township, and the greater portion of the elevated lands is comparatively level. There are several well defined local elevations. Pine Knob, on the northwest quarter of section 23, is about a hundred feet in height above the general level, and covers about sixty acres, much of which is tillable. There are also hills of considerable magnitude on sections 29 and 32, as well as on sections 17 and 20. The general slope of the country is south and west, with very fine natural drainage, afforded by the Clinton river and its tributary streams. There is a series of small lakes, having a general southwesterly course, extending from the northeast corner of section 3 to the middle of section 20, when it assumes a southerly course. The main branch of the Clinton river is the outlet of these lakes, and has the course indicated until it reaches the town-line, along which it deflects eastwardly. It has a branch from the west, entering the town at the middle of section 19 ; thence flows southeast through Deer lake to a confluence with the main branch on section 29. The Sashabaw creek rises on section 25, and flows west and south to the eastern part of section 35, where it takes an easterly course. The most important lakes are Park's, Deer, and Green, in the southwestern part of the town, and in connection with the river produce water power, which is well improved. Other lakes are in the northeast, the largest being Bailey lake, on sections 3 and 1O, whose area is about one hundred acres. Round lake, on section 2, is nearly circular in form, without visible inlet or outlet. There is considerable marsh surface in the neighborhood of these lakes, and nearly all the lakes in the township are bordered by swamp surface. Nevertheless the proportion of waste land is comparatively small, and much of it has been redeemed by artificial drainage.

Nearly the entire area of this township was originally timbered, chiefly with oak, splendid forests of this wood yet existing in the northwestern part of the township. In sections 3, 25, and 29 were fine bodies of pine, and this timber is still found in limited quantities in those localities and in other portions of the township. The soil generally is fertile, although it is more productive in some localities than in others. On the plains especially it is very readily cultivated, and yields fine returns. The uplands of the township are noted as a fine wheat producing region. The farm improvements of the township are excellent, indicating an intelligent, industrious class of citizens.

To Alpheus Williams belongs the credit of making the first land purchase in the township. The Williams family was then living in Waterford township, and this entry, made October 10, 1823, was, perhaps, not with a view of settlement. John W. Beardslee made the next entry, in 1826, on the Sashabaw plains, and this was the first purchase settled by the original owner. He moved on to his land five years later. In 1831 a number of purchases were made, and mostly by actual settlers, by Melvin Dorr, Butler Holcomb, Thomas Beardslee, and others.

They had come the year before, in 1830, and squatted on section 20, without making more than a claim to the land. Linus Jacox, a native of the State of New York, first broke the stillness of the forest by hewing down trees for a home in its wilds. He built a cedar pole shanty on the southwest quarter of that section, roofing it with boards and finishing it in a rude manner. He spaded up some ground for a garden, and planted potatoes among the trees. In 1831 he sold his claim and improvements to Butler Holcomb for fifty dollars. He now located on a tract of land in the southwestern part of the town, where he lived several years, James Cronk came with Mr. Jacox, or soon after, and settled near him, on section 21. He did not purchase land, and soon sold what interests he had there to Butler Holcomb

In the summer of 1831, Marvin Greenwood and Roswell Holcomb moved into the cedar log house on section 20, and commenced improving for Butler Holcomb, clearing ten acres and seeding it with wheat that fall. This was the first substantial improvement made in that part of the town.

Mention has been made of the land purchased by J. W. Beardslee on the Sashabaw plains, in 1826. In the summer of 1831, Mr. Beardslee worked on this land, cutting hay on the marsh bordering the creek, and made other preparations for moving that fall. In October, J. W. Beardslee and family, Thomas Beardslee and family, and Marcus Riker moved to this locality, and built a shanty on J. W. Beardslee's land, on section 35, near the Sashabaw creek, which they occupied as soon as finished, and in which J. W. Beardslee lived all winter. The Beardslees were natives of Sussex county. New Jersey, and Biker of Chemung county, New York. The latter located on section 26, where he lived many years, on the farm now owned by D. Cook. He then become a resident of Pontiac. John W. Beardslee improved his land to its present condition, and still resides there, near the spot where his pioneer shanty was built. Thomas Beardslee located in the northern part of section 26, where he built a log house eighteen feet square in the early part of the winter, employing laborers to raise it from Dayton plains. At that time this was the best building in the township, and was the first one really entitled to be called a house. The next spring he cleared considerable land, and sowed wheat in the fall of 1832. This was the beginning of the settlement of the fertile plains, which were soon after dotted over with the humble homes of the hardy pioneers. Thomas Beardslee had a family of half a dozen children when he moved into the county. Of these, a son, Ebenezer T., was then ten years old. He grew to manhood on his father's place, and now resides on the old homestead.

In 1832 a number of immigrants were added to the Sashabaw settlement, William Stephens, from Sussex county. New Jersey, locating on section 25 ; Peter D. Vorheis, from New Jersey, but had lived in New York for several years, located on the plains, on section 36 ; William and John Beardslee, also natives of New Jersey, settled on section 24 ; and Archibald Ayers, from Sussex county, New Jersey, on section 27. Bildad Phillips, and his nephew. Bine Bathrick, natives of New York, come into the country, with a view of purchasing land, in the fall of 1832. They stopped at Thomas Beardslee's, and took one of his little boys, a lad about eight years old, with him, to show a certain piece of land which had been recommended to them. Leaving the lad at an old camp, they went to look at the land, but, on desiring to return, found that they were disagreed as to the direction which would lead them back to the camp, one claiming exactly the opposite of the other as right. Finally, Bathrick yielded to the older judgment of Phillips, and they started out. Mile after mile was traveled only to find, if possible, that the forest was more dense than any they had yet seen, while not a trace of the camp could be discovered. Alarmed for the safety of the boy, who they feared would wander from the camp if they did not return by evening, they redoubled their efforts to reach him. It soon became apparent to them that they were lost, and that they did not have the remotest idea of the location of the camp. Thus they wandered on, until they finally reached the house of a settler, with not a hope of finding the boy that night. The lad had meanwhile become apprehensive that the men had lost their way, and had started in search of them, going several miles in different directions, but always returning to the camp. When it began to grow dark he made preparations to pass the night as comfortably as he could. It proved to be one of those bitter frosty nights which sometime succeed a warm day, and, as he was barefooted, it was only with the greatest difficulty that he kept from freezing. When the parents of little Charles found that their son and the men did not return, they alarmed the neighborhood, and instituted a search for him. The next morning he was discovered at the camp, apparently not much astonished at the experience which attended him through the night, all alone in the woods infested by wild beasts. Both Phillips and Bathrick made selections on section 23, and moved on to their places early the next year.

In the mean time, Butler Holcomb, from Herkimer county, New York, had purchased six hundred and forty acres of land, located on sections 20 and 21, embracing the claims made by Jacox and Cronk. In the summer of 1832 he brought his family to this land, taking up his abode on section 20, on the present site of Clarkston. Among the Holcomb children were Daniel, aged fifteen, and William, then eight yeare old. The latter is now a resident of Clarkston, and has lived in Independence since 1832. Butler Holcomb was a man of considerable energy and enterprise, as was shown by the improvements he made soon after he came into the country. Isaac Davenport located on the northeast quarter of section 29 about the same time. He was also a New Yorker. Jeremiah Clark, from Onondaga county, New York, came to Detroit in 1831. In the fall of 1832 he located on section 7, building a log house and seeding ten acres to wheat that year. Among Jeremiah Clark's children were three boys, Edwin, Milton, and Newton, who are now citizens of the township. The improvements made by Mr. Clark were very substantial, and did much to encourage the settlers who came soon after. His connection with some of these enterprises will be noted hereafter. Mr. Clark was held in great esteem by his neighbors, and was elected judge of the county years after he made the first settlement in that part of Independence.

There was an increase of immigration in 1833, the favorable reports of the settlers having induced many to join their friends living in the "land of promise." Aaron Beardslee, from Sussex county. New Jersey, was one of the first to venture farther north than the Sashabaw plains. He located on the elevated lands of section 13, making the usual improvements. He had several children when he came to the township, but Orsamus is now the only surviving member of the family he then had. Farther north, on section 1, William Wyckoff, from Warren county, New Jersey, and Jacob J. Perry, a native of the same State, opened farms and made the beginning of a settlement, which has prospered from that time. Adam Fisher, from Warren county, New Jersey, came all the way from that State by wagon, reaching the plains in June, and locating on section 35. The Davis brothers, John, Allen, William, and Arthur, whose nativity is traceable to the green shores of Ireland, were among the incoming ones of this period, and settled in the central part of the township. John and Arthur became prominent in the history of the county ; the former was a legislator two terms, the latter sheriff of the county. Isaac D. Coon settled in the Davis neighborhood, on section 22; Charles Cohoon came from Auburn, in this State, and located on section 26. Peter Voorheis, from Sussex county, New Jersey, came to Independence in 1832. He remained in the "Sashabaw plains" neighborhood with his father until the year following, when he located lands on sections 22 and 23, which he improved to a considerable extent that year and the one following. Leander Taylor, a New Yorker, settled south of Mr. Voorheis, on section 27 ; Jacob Petty, Jonathan Petty, and Henry Gulick, all from the State of New Jersey, settled on section 21 ; Stephen Bishop, of Herkimer county. New York, came in the summer of 1833, and settled on section 21 ; and Charles and Elisha Steward, natives of Warren county, New Jersey, also came this year, and settled on sections 35 and 36.

There was no diminution of the number of settlers coming to Independence in 1834 and 1835. It was found to be a "goodly heritage," whose praise was beard in many home in New York and New Jersey, prompting their owners to join those gone from their midst years before. On every hand was seen the preparation for the wayward journey ; and stern winter had scarcely raised his embargo on the lakes before the advance of immigration pressed on their shores, eager to be conveyed to the Peninsular State. Ebenezer Clark came from Onondaga county, New York, and located on sections 7 and 8. Levi Walter, an Englishman, settled on section 8. A widow, Mrs. Vouels, with her family, found a home on section 17. John Green, from the State of New Jersey, opened a farm on section 29. Thomas McGuin, an Irishman, following the Saginaw road in search of a home, was tempted by the lands on section 30 to abide there ; and William Daniels, a native of Wales, also came to this part of the township. Not finding government land to suit him, he purchased a tract of Thomas Drake, located on section 30. He now applied himself with great energy to make a home on American soil. Being without capital, he was obliged to seek work wherever it could be found, and often walked four miles to his labor, returning every evening. In the winter of 1835 he split fourteen thousand rails for a merely nominal sum, but was glad to get work at any price. Mr. Daniels has prospered, as he deserves to, and now lives to enjoy the fruits of his early industry. Eastward, in the same tier of sections, Samuel Curl and Joseph Tindall found locations on section 28, and Kichard Bray, from New Jersey, settled on section 26. North of these, Thomas Johnson, a New Yorker, bought a tract of land of John Davis, on section 15, where he cleared a farm. On the east line of the township, on section 13, William Loop, from the State of Ohio, began work on a new home, and Clarkston Shotwell, from New Jersey, settled on section 12 a little later. Farther north, Daniel Burrows and Robert Bailey, natives of the State of New York, settled on lands on section 2 in 1834. Joseph Van Syckle, a prominent settler, from New Jersey, cast his lot on section 27 in 1834. Daniels Wells, a New Yorker, settled east of him, on section 26, and Nicholas Homler found a home on his south, on section 34 ; while a year later James Brown, also from New Jersey, located on section 25.

The additions to the several settlements were now so numerous that it is difficult to classify all who came prior to the organization of the town in 1837. But among those who came early in 1836 was Nelson W. Clark, from the State of New York, who afterwards became one of the most prominent citizens of the township, inaugurating some of the most noteworthy improvements, and taking a conspicuous part in every public enterprise. William Dunstan, an Englishman, settled on section 5, where he was soon joined by Job Urch and John Derick, fellow countrymen, who located on the same section. Patrick Tully, also from the British realm, from Erin's Isle, settled on section 5 about the same time. A year later, and on section 8, two more British subjects, but now already Americanized enough to seek this as the land of their adoption, Jacob Walter and James Clark, located lands and opened farms. The former died in 1863; the latter survives, and still lives on his old place. In the extreme southeast. Rev. Oliver Earl settled on section 36 about 1836. Other settlers of an early date were Asa Walter, John C. H. Woodhull, James McKinner, William Gulick, Moses Cross, Andrew Freeman, Nathan Hammond, the Church brothers, Horace Robinson, William and John Axford, William Vleit, Patrick Gallaghan, Myron Cobb, and William Malby.

Among the first, if not the first, frame houses built in the township were those of Adam Fisher and Marcus Riker, both on the Sashabaw plains, in 1834. Marcus Riker also erected the first brick house, which is now used as a residence by D. Cook, on section 26. This was built about 1850.

In 1834, Jeremiah Clark built a frame barn on his place, on section 7, forty by fifty feet, with basement. He had to procure hands at Pontiac to raise it. The building is at present in use as a barn on the Reese farm. The same summer Marcus Riker erected a thirty by forty feet barn, on what is now known as the Cook farm, where the building still stands. In July, 1835, Butler Holcomb raised a barn, whose dimensions were thirty-five by forty-five feet, and covered it with cedar shingles. The original roof yet remains, leaking but slightly.

Jeremiah Clark planted the first apple trees, getting one hundred from Buffalo, New York, in 1833. Nearly all of the trees grew finely, and the greater portion of the original orchard is yet in a fruitful condition. Independence is especially adapted for fruit growing, and much attention is paid to this branch of farming. Some large orchards exist, one of the largest, belonging to Harrison Walter, having two thousand trees.

William Holcomb, William Dunstan, and John Derick introduced the first blooded stock, purchasing a small herd of Durhams and Devons. Since that the stock of the township has been much improved, and there are now some fine herds. Ezekiel Dennis is at present one of the foremost breeders, having some unusually fine stock.

The Territorial road, or what is now better known as the Saginaw turnpike, was built through the southwest of Independence in 1832. In October the first bridge was built across the Clinton river. When the turnpike was projected it followed this road closely, varying but very little from its general course. It makes the diagonal of five sections in that locality. The Detroit and Milwaukee railroad was constructed through the township in 1851. It passes across the southern half of section 31, and has a station at Clarkston, which is the principal shipping point of the township. The Midland railroad was projected through the northern portion of the town, but there is no probability of its early completion. The highways are generally in a good condition, considerable attention having been paid to them since the formation of the town, when there was already provision made for twelve road districts.

The first post office in the township was established on section 15, and Thomas Johnston was the postmaster. The exact date cannot be given in this connection. A few years later it was moved to Clarkston, where it has remained ever since. The mail was carried from Pontiac on horseback. Clarkston now has daily mails carried by the Detroit and Milwaukee railroad to Clarkston station. An office was established on section 6 in 1862, with Guy Selden as postmaster. This position he held until 1870, when Miss Sarah P. Selden received the appointment. The mail route was from Clarkston to Hadley, and Joseph Phipps was the carrier, making semi-weekly trips. The office was discontinued on the 18th day of May, 1877.

About 1837, Bruce and Merrick, store keepers for the New York company, at New Philadelphia, in Waterford township, had a store on section 33, just on this side of the town line. Subsequently the store was moved to Waterford township. A year or so later two Irishmen, John O'Roke and Hugh Quinnan, opened a store on section 29, in a frame house which still stands, as the property of N. Cummings. They were excellent judges of goods, and kept a better stock than could be gotten in any of the neighboring stores. After some years the store was closed, and, in 1849, John Hertwig kept a tavern at that point. This public house was much frequented by a certain class of people who often held high carnival there, drinking such enormous quantities of whisky that it seems almost incredible in these days of temperance tendencies and aversion to Bacchanalian feasts. The place is now a quiet farm house.

William Gulick, a son of Peter Gulick, had a small store at the Sashabaw Corners, on section 35, about 1835. He conducted it but a short time. About the same time John Cole opened the first blacksmith shop in that part of town. He carried on his trade for several years at that point. No other trading points have existed in the township outside of Clarkston.

In 1833, Butler Holcomb built a saw mill on the east branch of the Clinton river, bringing the water to the mill in a ditch nearly half a mile long. It did quite an amount of work. Boswell Holcomb was the sawyer. This property and at the milling privileges at this point, now Clarkston, was sold to Jeremiah and N. W. Clark in 1838. The Clark brothers immediately began work on a dam two hundred feet long, near the mill, which enabled them to get a fall of twenty-two feet, with water enough to propel an overshot wheel twenty feet in diameter. They also sawed the lumber this year for a grist mill, which they completed in 1839. The building was forty by fifty feet, two stories and basement, and was supplied with two run of stones. Thomas Farmer, an Englishman, was the pioneer miller, and the flour he produced brought joy and happiness to many a home. For many years after he left it was a well-known plaint of the housewife, "If we could only get such flour now as Tom Farmer used to make!" A few years later another run of stones was supplied, giving the mill a capacity of about three hundred and fifty bushels per ten hours. In 1849 an addition of twenty feet made the dimensions of the mill forty by seventy feet. In later years the mill was still further enlarged and improved, but in essential features it is now the same as when erected

A second saw mill was built by Judge Melville Dorr, on a branch of the Clinton river, on the northwest quarter of section 19, in 1834. It has been remodeled and enlarged, and is still operated. In 1873 a small feed mill was built in connection with the saw mill. The property is now owned by Moses Grarter and son. A third saw mill was built by Jeremiah Clark, at the outlet of Crooked lake, on section 3, but on account of the insufficiency of the water power the enterprise was soon abandoned

In the winter of 1831 there was a birth in the family of J. W. Beardslee, a son, who was named Townsend. He was, without doubt, the first white child born in the township. Having attained his manhood, young Townsend adopted law as his profession, and applied himself with energy to the prosecution of that calling. Upon the breaking out of the Rebellion he enlisted in his country's service ; was appointed captain of Company D, Twenty-second Michigan Infantry and discharged his duties there with credit and distinction, until his death in the service.

Cupid claimed his own at an early day. Stephen Bishop had wooed and won Maria Holcomb in the State of New York, but their vows were not consummated until the gallant Stephen had followed his lady love to Michigan, in 1833. Instead of taking an extended wedding tour, they sensibly settled down to a pioneer's life on section 21, and commenced at once to clear a farm. In the eastern part of the town, on the Sashabaw plains, love's young dreams were sweetly dreamed by a number of couples. In the balmy Indian summer days of the fall of 1834, young Peter Voorheis won Maria Fisher, marrying her in November of that year. Before the winter had fairly come, in December, 1834, John Terry and Ellen Gulick pledged to each other the troth of man and wife ; and while the following year was yet in its infancy, in January, 1835, John Demond and Catherine Voorheis concluded to share life's battles together.

The voice of lamentation for the dead was soon heard in several homes, where but a short time before all was gladness. In 1836 the family of William Wyckoff, on section 1, was bereaved of an infant. It was interred in what is now known as the Union burying ground, on section 2. Here half an acre has been neatly fenced, and is kept in good order by an association, of which David Dunn is president, Chester Wyckoff secretary, and Moses Case treasurer.

In the eastern part of the town, a Mr. Beetle died in 1836. He was buried at the school house, on section 26. A year later Aaron Beardslee was also interred at this place. This was the beginning of the Sashabaw cemetery, now perhaps one of the finest country cemeteries in the State. On the 19th of May, 1849, it passed under the control of the Sashabaw Burial Association. Its first officers were: President, Peter Voorheis; Secretary, Joseph Van Syckle ; Collector, John Maybee ; Treasurer, Thomas Bird ; Sexton, Marcus Biker. Adam Fisher donated one acre of ground, which was subsequently enlarged by another acre, donated by John C. Fisher. This lot, located on section 35, was enclosed with a neat fence and otherwise improved. Subsequently the grounds were surveyed and graded in a very fine manner. Since its opening there have been several hundred interments. The present officers of the association are: President, H. C. Voorheis; Secretary, J. D. Maybee ; Treasurer, Luke Voorheis.

The first grave yard in the western part of the town was in the eastern part of section 20. Among the first interments was a man named Singer, a Canadian, who froze to death in the winter of 1839. This was used for several years, but, not being deemed a good location, three acres of ground on section 29 were secured from the farm of William Van Syckle. This passed into the hands of an association organized July 20, 1850, and the burying ground received the name of Clarkston Union Cemetery. In 1870 six acres of ground were added to the original three, and the whole has been well improved. A Mr. Greenleaf was first interred, in 1851. The original officers of the association were: President, James Bartlett; Secretary, Horatio Foster. It is now officered by : President E. Stiff; Secretary, H. H. Howe ; Treasurer, John H. Dresser.

Jacob Petty was a Revolutionary soldier, and claimed to have been a member of Washington's body guard. He died in 1838, and was buried on his farm, his grave being now unmarked.

Adam Drake was a soldier of 1812. He died in 1874, at the advanced age of ninety-seven years. The honor of his residence is claimed, in part, by Oxford township

The first school taught in the township was in a small board shanty built on section 26, in the spring of 1834. Here, the following summer, Miss Eliza Holden endeavored to teach the younger members of the Beardslee, Riker, and other families of that neighborhood. A log building soon superseded this primitive temple of wisdom, which was, in turn, replaced by a frame school-house.

About 1837 the second, school house was erected, on section 29. It was a small frame, made by Horatio Foster, one of the pioneer carpenters. The early teachers were Frank W. Fifield and William Stokes. Among the children who attended were Wilson and William Freeman, Jesse Maybee, Elizabeth and Margaret Green, The place was known as the "pinery school-house."

A year or two later a frame school house, of fair size, was built on section 20, near its centre. Clara C. Anderson was the first to assume the teacher's position at this place. Her pupils were the Holcomb, Vleit, and Wheeler children. Cynthia Tallot and Robert Thompson also wielded the pedagogical rule at an early day.

Independence has a number of fractional districts whose school buildings are located in adjoining towns. Some of these houses are remarkable for their architectural beauty and completeness of arrangement.

The Methodist missionary was, perhaps, the first to preach the gospel in the present bounds of Independence, their ministers being the "circuit-riders" of all the country between Detroit and Saginaw. They were followed, in 1834, by Revs. Davidson and Cansar, who continued the work begun by their predecessors, and laid the foundation of the Methodist church at Clarkston. At that time services were held in school houses and in barns, while often the private house was thus used. Meetings were sometimes held at the houses of Adam Fisher and Peter D. Voorheis, and it mattered not what denominational name they bore, so that they were characterized by a Christian spirit, all were welcome. The Baptists looked after the interests of their church at an early day by sending Eldere Martin, Keith, and Tupper among this people, and that faith found lodgment in the hearts of many, who afterwards aided in forming the society at Clarkston. That devoted pioneer minister of the Congregational church, Eev. J. W. Ruggles, also preached to the people of this region of the country, and was largely instrumental in building up one of the oldest societies. In 1845 the eastern part of the town was the scene of a remarkable revival, held first in the school house, and afterwards in Marcus Riker's barn. For the time being all denominational differences were forgotten, and men of every creed united in the effort to bring the "glad tidings" to the eager congregations assembled there day after day. Unlike the guests bidden to the "marriage feast" of old, the settlers excused themselves not, but came with eager haste, leaving the plow and the harvest field to attend to their spiritual interests. As a result of this effort seventy persons professed conversion, and the moral tone of the community was entirely changed.

Following the missionary efforts of Rev. Ruggles was Rev. Philander Barber, who organized a society on the Congregational order in the northwestern part of Orion, near the Independence line, in 1840. Meetings were then held at the Block school house and at the Sashabaw school house, in the morning and afternoon of every Sabbath appointed for services. In 1841 the society called Rev. Albert Worthington to the pastoral office, which he filled several years. Rev. George Hornell succeeded him, and remained until 1845. It was at this period that there was so much diversity of opinion concerning the orthodoxy of the "Oberlin Profession" and other creeds, which were thought to be at variance with the doctrines enunciated in the Westminster Catechism. The discussion of these questions induced the withdrawal of Rev. Hornell, with a portion of the members, while the remainder made an expression in favor of Presbyterianism. The membership at that time was about fifty. The society now became known as the "Church of Orion and Independence," and selected an official board, composed of Thomas Beardslee, Philip Losey, Peter Voorheis, and Asa Walters. Rev. Andrew Govan was chosen pastor, and served them faithfully until 1848. In 1849, Rev. S. A. Clayton was called as his successor, and came, rendering good service for two years. For several years the society was without a pastor, and was served in connection with other charges. The Rev. Clayton returned in 1854, and urged the members to build a house of worship.

The proposition met with favor, and a church building society was organized, January 20, 1855, which chose the following as a board of trustees: Peter Voorheis, John C. Fisher, J. M. Fair, E. T. Beardslee, and George Beardslee. It also passed a resolution instructing the trustees "to use immediate and efficient measures to raise the requisite funds and build a suitable church, for the accommodation of the society." These instructions were carried out as expeditiously as possible, the trustees advancing the money to begin the work. A very fine location was secured on the northwest quarter of section 35, and in the summer of 1855 the work of building was begun, by Pratt and Tuttle, of Pontiac, who had taken the contract for this purpose. The church is a neat frame, surmounted by a spire, and has sittings for three hundred. It was built and furnished at a cost of about three thousand dollars. Rev. S. A. Clayton, the pastor, dedicated it in June, 1856, and remained with the society until 1859. The Michigan presbytery had been in the mean time petitioned to change the society's name to that of "The First Presbyterian church of Independence." This request was granted by that body in 1856, and the church thus recognized became independent of the connection it had in Orion township. In 1861, Rev. L. Leonard was called to the pastorate, and remained with the society two years, when, in 1863, Rev. J. W. McGregor became the pastor, remaining in this connection until 1865.

Another critical period in the history of the church followed. The question of accepting the doctrines of the new school caused the withdrawal of some of the members who could not subscribe to those doctrines, and yield to the practices which the new school required. For several years the church was without a head, then Rev, Geo. Winters came, the latter part of 1866. He had served the society in its pioneer existence, walking many miles to keep his appointments. In 1871, Rev. S. Lord became the pastor, and served three years. He was succeeded, in 1874, by Rev. E. G. Bryant, the present pastor. The present membership of the church is forty.

A Sunday school was organized soon after the church was built, and has been conducted, with some intermissions, ever since. Gideon Gates is the superintendent of the present school, which has sixty-five members.

As per proclamation of the governor, the electors of Independence assembled at the house of Arthur Davis, in April, 1837, for the purpose of holding their first town meeting, having up to that time been connected with Pontiac township. Daniel Burrows was chosen moderator, and Arthur Davis clerk. The following list of officers were then chosen : Supervisor, Jeremiah Clark ; Town Clerk, Arthur Davis ; Justices of the Peace, Jeremiah Clark, Peter D. Voorheis, Thomas Johnston, William Wyckoff ; Assessors, Jacob Walter, Thomas Johnston, Stephen Bishop ; Commissioners of Highways, Asa Walter, Peter D. Voorheis, Joseph Tindall ; Commissioners of Schools, Asa Walter, John C. H. Woodhull, Peter Gulick ; Overseers of the Poor, William Stephens, Thomas Beardslee ; School Inspectors, Thomas Johnston, Joseph Van Syckle, Peter Voorheis ; Collector, Linus Jacox ; Constables, Moses Cross, Linus Jacox, James McKinner.

At this meeting it was voted "that a lawful fence be four and one-half feet high, and sufficiently tight to turn all hogs weighing over fifty pounds." A bounty of five dollars was voted for every wolf scalp, worn by a full grown wolf, caught in the town. Marcus W. Riker was paid the first bounty for a scalp thus obtained. On auditing the accounts on the 26th of September following, it was found that the expenses of the town had been sixty-six dollars and forty-one cents, of which amount the clerk received nearly one-fourth. The second meeting was again to be held at Arthur Davis'. The principal officers elected for constitutional terms since 1837 were as follows:

Supervisors; Jeremiah Clark, 1838-39, 1843-44 ; Horace Robinson, 1840 ; Joseph Van Sickle, 1841 ; Daniel Burrows, 1842, 1848; Bildad Phillips, 1845-47 ; William Axford, 1849-52, 1854, 1859-60, 1868 ; Enos Church, 1853, 1856 ; Peter Voorheis, 1855 ; Nelson W. Clark, 1857 ; Charles Allen, 1858, 1861-65 ; Ezekiel Dennis, 1866-67 ; Orsamus Beardslee, 1869-72, 1877 ; Edwin G. Clark, 1573-76.

Town Clerks; Arthur Davis, 1838-42 ; John Fisher, 1843, 1845 ; Cyrus O. Pool, 1844 ; Morris Abernathy, 1846-47 ; Warren N. Briggs, 1848-50 ; John E. Martenis, 1851 ; John Davis, 1852 ; Jonas Edmondson, 1853 ; Enos Church, 1854 ; John H. Dresser, 1855-56 ; Nicholas B. Smith, 1857, 1859 ; Jeremiah Brown, 1858; Lee Bingham, 1860-62,1864-66; Benjamin Campbell, 1863; Moses G. Spear, 1867-68 ; James G. Demarest, 1869-70 ; John S. Fletcher, 1871-72 ; John H. Dresser, 1873-77.

Justices of the Peace; William Wyckoff, 1838, 1842, 1847 ; Thomas Johnston, 1839 ; Peter D. Voorheis, 1840 ; William Axford, 1841, 1852 ; Arthur Davis, 1843, 1848; John C. H. Woodhull, 1844 ; Jeremiah Clark, 1845 ; Levi L. Totten, 1846 ; Enos Church, 1849, 1856, 1863 ; Horatio Foster, 1850, 1854, 1860; Joseph H. Linabury, 1851, 1855; Michael G. Hickey, 1853; Charles Allen, 1857 ; Jacob J. Young, 1858 ; Erasmus E. Sherwood, 1859 ; Morris Green, 1861 ; Waldo F. Wait, 1862; E. G. Clark, 1864, 1868, 1872; William Holcomb, 1865; John H. Dresser, 1866, 1874; Moses G. Spear, 1867 ; Ezekiel Dennis, 1869, 1873, 1877; John Baker, 1870; Benjamin F. Ellwood, 1871; Harvey Fleming, 1875 ; Howard Polhemus, 1876.

Excepting a few houses at Clarkston Station, the shipping point of Clarkston, and distant about two miles, there is no other village in the township. Clarkston is beautifully located at the head of several small lakes, and on the Clinton river. The situation is elevated, and broken by several hollows, affording splendid drainage. The general healthfulness of the place is not excelled by any other point in the county. The Clinton river divides the village into two unequal parts, the main portion being east of that stream, on high and sloping ground. South and west of the village is a chain of beautiful hills, at whose base nestle many cozy homes. The river affords water power at this point, which has been well improved, and the place is noted for its excellent mills, and as being a fine trading point. There are many neat and pleasant homes in the village, and the entire place presents a prosperous appearance. The population of the village is about five hundred.

The first house erected within the bounds of Clarkston was the cedar pole shanty of Linus Jacox, in 1830. It remained as built for several years, and was the home of nearly every family coming into the country until a new home could be provided.

Butler Holcomb built the second house, in 1832. The first saw mill was built by Holcomb, the same year. In 1838 he sold his interests to Jeremiah and Wilson W. Clark, who at once began to build a grist mill. The place now began to improve, and was called Clarkston a few years later.

In 1842 the Clark brothers platted a tract of land on section 20 for a village, and gave it the above name. Additions were made to this plat in 1854 by M. G. Cobb, and in 1858 by John Derrick. Further additions were made by William Holcomb and N. W. Clark

About 1838, William and John Axford erected a shanty, hastily making a clearing by cutting away the brush and young trees, and put in a stock of goods, which was the first store at Clarkston. Soon after, the Axford brothers built a frame house for a storeroom. This building is now used for a dwelling.

In 1842, Nelson W. Clark opened a store in a large frame building, which is at present used as a store by the Howe brothers. Milton H. Clark built a store in 1844, on the site now occupied by him. It was used for mercantile purposes until 1872, when his present store took its place. Mr. Clark is the oldest merchant in the place, having been in business nearly all the time since 1844

Abbey & Robinson were the first to engage in the drug business. Their store was on the corner now occupied by Smith's drug store.

Albert Birdsell built the first blacksmith hop, about 1838, where the Demarest House now stands. It was simply a board shanty, with a ground floor. He carried on his trade several years, having a good reputation as a workman. In 1840 he and Philip Foy formed a partnership to manufacture fanning mills, and to carry on general blacksmithing. A new shop was built near where Smith's store now stands. Ebenezer Lawrence and a man by the name of Smith were also among the early blacksmiths.

Nelson Rundel had the first wagon shop, in a small frame building, about 1840, where he worked at his trade about six years

William S. Blake was the first to engage in shoemaking. His work was fair and square, and Mr. Blake lived here many years, highly respected for his good qualities and worth as a citizen

Horace Foster opened the first harness shop. He kept a fine grade of goods, and did a fair business.

In 1840, John Hertwig, a German, built a small frame house on the present site of the Johnson House, where he opened a tailor shop, working at that trade several years. Hertwig abandoned the tailor's goose in 1842 to open a tavern, being among the first to offer accommodations to the traveling public; John H. Pratt having had, perhaps, a public house, for a little while, a short time previous. Hertwig conducted the business several years, then the building was enlarged, and Jacob Walter succeeded as hast. Other keepers were John H. Dresser, Wood Brothers, N. E. Deuell, John Campbell, and David Johnson. It is not used for hotel purposes at present. The Demarest House was erected in 1872, by J. G. Demarest.

The legal profession was represented in 1843 by Cyrus O. Pool, who opened an office at Clarkston, and practiced law several years. He is now an attorney in Brooklyn, New York.

The sick were first healed by Dr. Samuel C. Allen, who practiced medicine at Clarkston about ten years. Dr. Nelson Abbey located here about 1845. He was an excellent physician, having an extensive practice, and remained here until his death, in 1873. There was also Dr. Robinson, who practiced in the township, living at the time of his death at Clarkston, His death was invested with a tragic interest. It appears that he had gone into the woods to hunt wild turkeys, adorning his cap with the feathers of that fowl, and using a decoy whistle to tempt their near approach. Thus arrayed, he hid himself in a cluster of bushes and used his whistle. Another hunter hearing this approached, and seeing the feathers in the bushes, mistook them for a turkey, fired, and mortally wounded the doctor.

The present business interests of Clarkston are represented by the following firms and establishments : Blacksmiths, Herbert Lewis, Vincent & Brother, Yeager & Son ; boots and shoes, Charles Seymour ; cooperage, George Green ; dressmaker, Mrs. Calvin Green ; drugs and groceries, N. B. Smith, Bower & Sons, R. N. Clark ; dry goods, Howe Brothers, Allen, Bruce & Co., M. H. Clark ; express, B. F. Ellwood ; furniture, W. Y. Vliet; hardware, M. H. Clark; harness, Reed & Mills; hotel, Captain Cook; insurance, J. H. Dresser; jewelry, Alexander Young; livery, B. F. Ellwood ; meat market, Croup & Brown ; millinery, Mrs. E. Frank J. N. Haight, M. A, Root ; physicians, J. Goodenough, O. J. Perkins, E. A. Romig ; post office, Mrs. Phoebe J. Abbey ; tin ware, J. N. Haight ; wagon makers, George Vliet, Richard Broomfield.

The Clarkston telegraph is a private line from the village to the station, constructed in 1877 by the citizens of Clarkston. Messages are forwarded to the station, two miles distant, where they are transmitted in the regular manner.

Bingham Hall, a commodious brick block, has seats for four hundred.

The Clarkston mills, erected in 1839, by Jeremiah and N. W. Clark, have three sets of burrs, with a capacity of four hundred bushels a day. The power is furnished by the Clinton river and a fifteen horse power engine. The plaster mills adjoining are operated by the same power. E. Stiff is the present proprietor.

The first iron foundry was erected by Arthur Davis, in 1845. It was conducted by him about five years, when it became the property of John Davis, since then the property has changed hands several times, and the works have been materially altered. The present foundry is operated in connection with the Clarkston carding mills. This enterprise was inaugurated in 1847, by N. W. Clark. The power was furnished by water conveyed in an underground trunk from Park's lake. For some time woolen goods were manufactured, but subsequently it was operated only as a carding mill. This property, as well as the foundry, is at present owned by Clarence Paddock.

About 1850, Nelson W. Clark erected a large two story frame house, on a spacious and beautiful lot, on the west shore of Park's lake, which he designed for an academy. This building became the property of Professor Isaac C. Cochran shortly after, who opened a select school in it, which he continued for many years. In 1862 it was sold to the public for district school purposes, A graded school was commenced that year, with O. S. Ingham as principal. It is an excellent school, well attended, and is at present conducted by Professor Hagle, assisted by the Misses Walter and Drake.

Cedar Lodge, No. 60, was chartered on the 13th of January, 1852, with ten members. Horatio Foster was the first Master. The Masters since then were Enoch Church, Henry F. Hirst, N. B. Smith, John P. Peter, and John H. Dresser, the present incumbent of that office. The membership at this time (1877) numbers seventy.

Following the missionary efforts of Elders Martin and Grow was the organization of a Baptist society in 1843, by the Rev. Asahel Keith. The meeting was held at the school house at Clarkston, and twenty-one persons, ten men and eleven women, united in membership. Regular services were now sustained with such gratifying results that it was determined, in 1847, to build a house of worship at Clarkston, the society in the meantime having held its meetings in the school house. A neat frame church, thirty-six by forty-six feet, with a belfry, was erected at a cost of three thousand dollars. This has been the home of the society ever since, and here it has grown from its humble beginning to its present respectable condition. There have been several seasons of revivals, which have greatly affected the history of the church, the one resulting from the labors of Professor Van Dorn, in 1873, being especially marked by a number of conversions and many accessions to the church membership, which is at present sixty.

Since the formation of the church, in 1843, fourteen pastors have ministered to it, in the following order : Revs. Asahel Keith, William Tuttle, A. R. Tupper, T. H. Facer, O. E. Clark, Aaron Potter, A. R. Tupper, John Ross, Strong, David Hill, Hickey, W. R. Northrup, W. H. Serviss, and Professor Van Dorn, who is the present pastor.

A Sunday school was organized in the church about 1850, and is maintained as part of its work. John B. Harris is the present superintendent, and has filled that office for a number of years. The school has seventy-five members, and supports a library of one hundred and sixty volumes.

The history of this society dates from the early missionary efforts made in the years 1834-37, classes of the Methodist faith having been formed in that period in the eastern and western parts of the township. In the former section, there is a record of what was then known as the "Sashabaw class," of which William Curl was the leader in 1842. The membership at that time was eighteen, which was increased, in 1843, to thirty-one. In August of that year, Rev. Salmon Steele, then in charge of the circuit, organized another class of nine members, in the Johnson settlement, of which John W. Bird was the leader. In 1836 there was a small class in the vicinity of Clarkston, comprised of Arza Crosby and wife, John Merrill and wife, and William Malby and wife. Mr. Crosby served as leader. About 1840 this small band received a valuable addition, in the person of Silas Smith, who also served as a local preacher. He induced the members to begin the erection of a church, and as he was a carpenter, and lumber was cheap, the project was undertaken about 1841. A fair sized frame house, which took two days to raise, was built on the site of the present church, not, however, being finished until about 1847, the poverty of the society preventing it from buying glass for the windows. This unfinished building was used, to some extent, when the weather permitted, otherwise the meetings were held in the school house until the later mentioned period.

In 1848 the Clarkston class had thirty-five members, led by Harris Stilson, and the Sashabaw class had about the same number, under the leadership of J. C. H. Woodhull. Flavel Britton was at this time preacher in charge. In 1850 the membership of the Clarkston class was fifty, and the work of the church was going on at an encouraging rate. Then followed a season of diminution of interest, in which the membership dropped to thirty. Jonathan Petty was the class leader. This depression was followed, in 1857, by a gracious revival and many accessions to the church. The membership increased to sixty-five, with Jonathan Petty as leader, and Rev. Ira W. Donelson as the pastor. The church enjoyed another notable revival under the preaching of Rev. J. A. Bancroft, in 1872, when thirty were added to the church roll.

The old building had meanwhile become too small and dilapidated for the growing wants of the society. It was decided on the 14th of January, 1873, that a new and more commodious edifice be erected. E. Stiff, J. T. Peter, and M. B. Vliet were appointed a building committee, which began its work at once, so that the corner stone was laid about the 1st of June of that year. A very fine brick edifice, forty by sixty feet, two stories high, surmounted by a stately spire, was erected upon this foundation that summer. It was finished in modern style at a cost of nine thousand dollars, and was dedicated December 14, 1873, by Dr. Ives, of New York. There are sittings for three hundred persons, which can be increased to five hundred.

The present membership of the church is seventy-five, and its official board is composed of E. Stiff, Thomas Carran, Clark Seymour, Clark Crosby, R. F. White, Robinson Beardslee, and R. N. Clark.

The following reverend gentlemen have had pastoral connection with the society since 1839 : Silas Smith, O. F. North, William Mothersell, Salmon Steele, Horace Hall, R. Pengilly, Flavel Britton, Hiram M, Roberts, Andrew Bell, S. Calkins, Ira W. Donelson, G. N. Belknap, C. T. Mosher, Lewis Mitchell, H. Hood, William Henner, B. F. Pritchard, J. A. Bancroft, Gr. W. Owen, A. B. Wood, J. R. Cordon, and J. S. Joslin, the present incumbent.

The early records of the Methodist Sunday school are missing. The present school has a membership of one hundred, with E. Stiff as superintendent. A library of two hundred volumes is maintained by the school, which is in a flourishing condition.

The beautiful plain in the southeastern part of the township is invested with traditionary history of unusual interest. But fifty years ago it was still a famous hunting ground of a tribe of Indians, of which Sashabaw was a chief. Hither he led his braves, from year to year, to hunt and fish, for nowhere else in all the country round was there a greater abundance of everything which would make the red man happy than in the many pretty lakes of Waterford, and the country which borders on them. The plain in Independence especially delighted the old chief, and it was a tract of land which would evoke praise from any one, however obtuse to the sense of the beautiful, and he bestowed his name upon it and the little stream which meanders through it, as an expression of regard for the place. This name has been retained in its purity, for the early settlers had learned to love the forest nobleman whose integrity was above reproach, and whose every action was stamped with the die of honor. Sashabaw looked upon the white man not as an intruder upon his domain, but as a brother with whom he would share the bounties which nature had so profusely spread over the land. He lived among the whites, their friend ; and his presence was a sense of protection which dispelled every fear. For Oliver Williams this chief had conceived a special friendship. He regarded him as an elder brother, to whom he loved to come for advice, and whom he counseled, in turn, about those things in which the craft of the Indian surpasses the wisdom of the white. Thus he lived near his pale brother, realizing that his race was nearly run, and that his earthly sun would continue to illumine his forest pathway for but a brief period. An incurable disease had fastened upon the noble Sashabaw, and, after a lingering illness, his spirit was released from his crumbling tenement, and his body was interred on the peaceful banks of Silver lake, near Oliver Williams' home.

Sashabaw had a half-brother, Wa-me-gan, a young giant in size, yet whose every movement was grace and beauty, and whose nature, though seemingly stern, was gentle as a woman's, and brave as ever a man that lived. He never knew fear, and, relying upon his prowess as a hunter, little racked that a lurking danger would someday overtake him, and that the beasts of the wild, over which he seemed to hold absolute sway, would triumph over his valor and unnerve his strong arm of power. One day, in early winter, he came in contact with a huge bear ; he fired upon him, without succeeding in killing him. Determined upon his capture, the brave hunter attacked him with his knife. Now ensued a mortal combat, unwitnessed by human eyes, but which, judging from the fearful manner in which the Indian was lacerated, must have been terrible. Day followed day, and Wa-me-gan returned not to his home, although the storms of the season had now set in. Alarmed for the safety of their father, his three sons, Ke-o-qum, Mashquet, and As-a-bum, aided by Alfred L. and Benjamin R. Williams, began search. For some days they looked in vain, as the drifting snow had covered up his tracks, until they found evidence of his pursuing some wild animal. The indications were soon unmistakable, and ere long they found tracks of blood. Following these, they at last came to the lifeless form of Wa-me-gan, reposing against the trunk of a tall pine in the Sashabaw plain. He had dressed his wounds, and then, exhausted, had drawn his blanket over his head to await the death which was sure to follow his injuries. The young men bore his remains to Silver lake, where they laid them by the side of Sashabaw, and then returned to the plains to avenge their father's death. After a long hunt they found his destroyer in a marsh, whither he had gone after the conflict, wounded, but still able to offer resistance. They succeeded in killing the bear, and triumphantly brought him to the Indian settlement, where they feasted many days upon the meat thus taken.

Wa-me-gan's sons inherited many of the traits which had characterized their father, being bold and skillful huntsmen, but they were not able to resist the demoralizing influences of the white man's civilization, and, becoming intemperate, soon dissipated so much that they lost all the pride and dignity of their noble family. Their dissolute habits unfitted them for the place won for them by their parents, and they soon became common drunkards.

Even after the settlement of the whites, the Indians were accustomed to make visits to the grave of their beloved chief, and engage once more in the hunt and sports of their younger days, when the stillness of the plain was unbroken save by their own exclamations of delight and unfettered joy. And for many years after they were gone game was very plenty and beasts of prey were frequently seen. Occasionally a black bear would venture into the settlements, causing havoc in poultry yards and pigsties. Sometimes the Indians would capture a cub and present it to some of their white friends. These animals, although half tame, would yet prove dangerous customers when turned loose. On one occasion, in August, 1833, such a bear, about two-thirds grown, slipped the noose over his head, and, finding himself free, made his way to the house of John Davis, which he reached about midnight. The men were away from home, cutting hay in the Big meadows, in Brandon, leaving Mrs. Davis, her sister (Emily Green, who afterwards married Arthur Davis), and a lad, Francis Davis, all alone. Mrs. Davis, hearing a prowling noise, awoke her sister, telling her that there was a bear about. Emily was slow to believe this, and was only convinced when she heard the bear give unmistakable evidence of his presence by a series of grunts so peculiar to that animal.

The house in which they lived at that time was made of logs, with holes cut through the walls for windows, which had been left open, the weather being warm. The boy slept overhead, and the women were afraid that the bear would climb up the sides of the house, enter one of the holes, and kill the lad. To prevent this purpose, Emily hunted up some victuals and threw them into the yard to tempt the bear from the house. The smell of the food induced Bruin to come down, when the boy was awakened, and preparations made to kill the animal. Procuring an axe, they all sallied forth, and the boy aimed several blows at the head of the bear. Instead of killing him, this was only the means of thoroughly enraging him. His growls frightened Mrs. Davis and the boy into the house, leaving Emily alone with the now maddened beast. Something must be done, and that quickly. Grasping an old-fashioned hoe, which she chanced to see, she plied it about the head of the bear with such effect that it killed him. She now retired to the house, and there, for the first time, realized the danger to which she had exposed herself.

Wolves abounded, and often became desperately fierce, especially in winter. One night, in December, 1835, as Arthur Davis was returning home from his neighbor, Greenwood's, he was startled by the howl of a wolf in the marsh near by. This was answered by another, and another, until the woods resounded with the demoniac yells. Mr. Davis knew too well what it meant, and being on foot he ran for his home, soon pursued by the entire pack. He had barely reached his cow shed and climbed on to its roof before they were on hand snappingly springing after him, howling like a legion of furies. Their noise alarmed the cattle so that they added their bellowings, making the night fairly hideous. The wolves, thirteen in all, ran around the stable several minutes, vainly endeavor ing to reach Mr. Davis, then, at a signal from their leader, left the place, keeping up their infernal yells. That night they destroyed nearly the entire flock of sheep belonging to a neighbor, which appeased their hunger, and no more annoyance was caused by them.

Acknowledgments for assistance rendered and information given are gratefully made to Guy Selden, A. H. Cross, Hon. E. G. Clark, N. B. Smith, M. H. Clark, William Holcomb, William Daniels, N. J. Clark, J. S. Fletcher, Harrison Walter, E. Stiff, Deacon Riste, E. N. Clark, J. H. Dresser, Moses Case, Mrs. Malby, Peter Voorheis, E. T. Beardslee, Orsamus Beardslee, Arthur Davis, Mrs. Arthur Davis, and Mrs. M. A. Hodges, from whose recollections and personal accounts this history of Independence was largely compiled.