Denmark Twp. History

The first settlers of Denmark located in the southwest and southeast corners of the town. In the spring of 1850 Gottleib Amman, Michael Schourtz and possibly one or two others, who had emigrated to America, arrived in the southwest corner of the township and began making an opening in the wilderness for a German settlement that soon followed. The first minister in the present town of Denmark was Rev. Donidorfer, who arrived in 1851, and used to hold meetings in Mr. Amman’s house. In 1852 he organized a church with six members, which was the first in that township, and one of the earliest in the county.

In March, 1850, Mr. Joseph Selden entered 160 acres of land in section 25, and accompanied by his son, Charles R. Selden, now treasurer of Tuscola County, came from Wayne County, Mich., that spring and laid the ax at the root of the tree. They built a log cabin, cleared what they could, and that fall put in a crop of wheat.

About this same time John Freeman, who afterward became a resident of the town, did some chopping for Townsend North. Mr. Freeman was then an unmarried man and was in Mr. North’s employ.

In the spring of 1851, Mr. Selden removed his family from Wayne County to the wilderness of Tuscola. The journey was made with two wagons, one drawn by horses and the other by oxen, and from Vassar to their cabin the only road was such as had been marked out by lumbermen. The family consisted of Mr. Selden and wife, and four children: Charles R., present county treasurer, J. G., not of Vassar, Mrs. James Saunders, and Mrs. John Johnson, also now living in Vassar. Mr. Selden, senior, was practically the father of Denmark, having been the leading spirit in its organization and in the early management of its affairs, as was also Mr. Charles R. Selden.

After becoming established in their rude home they built a frame barn, the first one built in Tuscola County, outside of Tuscola Township. The raising of this barn was the "event of the season." North & Edmunds shut down their mill at Vassar, and people gathered from all the region round about to assist in the miracle of frontier enterprise. Mr. Selden assisted in the development of that part of the county until 1860, when his life labors ceased, his death occurring in December of that year. His age was sixty-one years. He was earnestly opposed to the institution of slavery and had strong faith that good would result from the election of Mr. Lincoln to the presidency. About the last interest he manifested in worldly affairs was in the result of the election, which was the fruition of his political hopes.

A strip of land along the south part of the township was settled by Englishmen, and in consequence came to be known as the English Line. Among those settlers were Joseph Wells, Robert Whittacker, and Samuel Garner, all of whom are still residents of the township. They located their lands in 1853. Benjamin F. Ormsby, an old Revolutionary soldier, located on section 19. In November 1853, John Baker and family, nof of Vassar, arrived and took up their abode on section 18. Other settlers followed the trail which had now become distinct, and in the spring of 1854 the first town meeting was held and Denmark appeared upon the map of Tuscola County. The Carrs, Gaunt, Chamberlain, Mallory, and Hicks were also among the early comers.

The life of these early settlers was not unlike that of pioneers generally. They had erected their family altars in the wilderness for the purpose of securing homes and comforts for after years. They expected hardships and were prepared to brave them. Their nearest markets were Flint and Saginaw, both of which were thirty miles away. To these places they went for supplies. The journeys were made with horses or oxen, and generally required three days for the round trip. The average larder was supplied with flour, pork and potatoes, and many a wealthy dyspeptic of the present day would give his fortune to be able to eat one meal with the comfort and relish experienced by those who sat down to the homely fare of these pioneer homes.

A few years after the settlement began in Denmark this whole region was visited by a severe frost early in the summer, that cut off everything unable to cope with the freezing power. This occasioned serious loss and some suffering. There were instances where some of the settlers were obliged to subsist for several days upon roots and berries. As a general rule, however, people in this section did not want for food. People were generous and hospitable. The first water-melons belonged to the whole neighborhood, no matter upon whose land they grew. Borrowing and lending was both a custom and a necessity.

After the farmers began to raise a little grain they took it to Vassar to be ground, and when water was top high or mud too deep to go with teams, they would take a half bushel of wheat or corn in bags upon their shoulders and "go to mill."