DAVISON TOWNSHIP.

Davison township became a part of Genesee county, march 9, 1843, six years after receiving its first settler. Since its organization in 1840 it had been a township of Lapeer county. Its settlement began in the year Michigan was admitted to the Union, when Andrew and Alson Seelye and their sister, Debby, settled on section 31. They came from Charleston, Saratoga county, New York. In September, 1837, the father, Abel Seelye, accompanied by his wife and four sons, came from Saratoga and settled near the other children. Miss Debby Seelye married Seth J. Wicker, who, in 1852, erected the first hotel in the township and sold the first goods in the same building.

About a mile from the Seelyes, on section 35, settled Christopher Miller in 1837. Mr. Miller later claimed to have settled first. He and his sons came in from Chautauqua county, New York. He built the first frame house in the township in 1839 and the first school was taught in his vacated shanty about the same time by Miss Sabrina Barnes. In 1838 Ira Potter, a native of Vermont, later residing at Rochester New York, and near Port Huron, Michigan, brought his family to Davison township, settled on section 1.

Mr. Potter's family did not suffer the wants and privations so common to the lot of many pioneers, as he purchased in Detroit and brought here with him sufficient flour and pork to last one year. Still for many years they were far from markets, Pontiac being the principal point and but little money comparatively was received from farm products. Ira W. Potter recalls the fact that he very frequently made the journey to the latter city, hauling with an ox-team thirty bushels of wheat, for which he received five shillings per bushel, the journey occupying three days' time. All other early residents here can relate the same experience and recall with great animation the terrible condition of early roads and the consequent struggle to obtain a few dollars in money at far-away markets.

In the years immediately following Mr. Potter's arrival came Justice Henry and William Sheldon, from Erie county, New York; Abelino Babcock, from Oakland county, Michigan; jacob Teachout, Harrison G. Conger, Samuel Crandall and Goodenough Townsend. Mr. Townsend was a native of Wheelock, Caledonia county, New York. His ancestors served in the American Revolution. He was the first supervisor of Davison township and later served in many official capacities. He was the first postmaster, from 1849 to 1852, and established the first Sabbath school in 1842.

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