Taken from The History of Tuscola County, Biographical Sketches and Illustrations, H. R. Page Co., Chicago, 1883. Thanks to Bonnie Petee.

EARLY HISTORY

The first purchase of land in Tuscola County, for the purpose of immediate improvement, was made by Dennis Harrison, of Lewiston, New York, in October, 1835. A company, consisting of R. S. Hurd, E. W. Perry, and Dennis Harrison, of Lewiston, New York, was organized for the purpose of pioneering. The articles of co-partnership are dated November 17, 1835, and state that each partner contributed the sum of four hundred and fifty dollars to the capital stock. This amount was subsequently increased.

December 14th, following, R. S. Hurd, accompanied by Edwin Ellis and Charles Hayes,

arrived at the Cass River, having made the journey with an ox team and lumber wagon.

In an old account book, kept by Mr. Perry: is an entry of "tavern expenses of Edwin Ellis and oxen to Tuscola, $36.88." In the same book is a statement that Mr. Perry left Lewiston for Tuscola November 24, 1835. He remained, however, but a short time, when he returned to

Lewiston, and did not come back until the following year. He was back and forth several times, and settled here permanently, late in 1837.

Upon arriving at the Cass River, the party made a shelter of boughs, which was their habitation until a log house could be built. Mrs. R. S. Hurd was the first white woman that came into the county anticipating a permanent home. Her husband and herself became disheartened and returned home the following year.

Mr. Hayes afterward went to sea, and all trace of him has been lost.  Mr. Ellis went away in 1837, but returned about two years later and settled permanently.

When Messrs. Hurd, Ellis, and Hayes arrived here the country was then coverec with a forest which they immediately attacked with their axes, and in a short time had made considerable of a clearing.  There were plenty of Indians then who roamed over the country in undisturbed freedom, and but little less wild than the wolves whose howlings made the welkin nightly ring, yet they were civil and peaceable and never made the citizens trouble.  The three men put up a log cabin, 8 x 10 feet in dimensions, in which they lived while getting out timber for a saw-mill.   They also cleared up the land in the little "chopping" they had made, and planted it with corn, potatoes, and other vegetables.  While these were growing they were obliged to go to Saginaw City for their provisions, bringing them back in little canoes, which often took them several days.  During the nights they were obliged to camp out on the banks of Cass River, but between the howlings of the wolves and the depredation of the mosquitoes, they obtained but little rest.  The wolves were very numerous and ravenous as may be seen from the following incidents.  During the winter of 1835 as Mr. Charles Hayes was returning home from Bridgeport, toward evening, he was pursued by a pack of howling wolves. He was all alone and unarmed, and his condition was a fearful one, as his bloodthirsty foes were rapidly approaching. To attempt to escape by running would be folly, so he took to a tree, and had but just time to reach a high limb, when they appeared at the foot of the tree, no doubt much disappointed in not obtaining a warm meal. He remained in the tree until the enemy retreated, when he descended and made for home.

Upon another occasion as Mr. Hayes was on his way from Bridgeport he got lost and having a piece of pork with him, the smell of it attracted the attention of wolves. For three days he wandered about at the mercy of those animals, and the no less blood thirsty mosquitoes, where he at last succeeded in reaching his home.

Such incidents as the above were not of unfrequent occurrence in this section, at the time of which we write, yet the hardy pioneers were not to be intimidated and today the country is reaping where these men sowed.

In December, 1835, Martin L. Miller came to locate land, and went away again, but subsequently returned, and became a resident.

In 1836 and 1837 came with their families, Ebenezer Davis, Thomas Cavil, Dennis Harrison, Nathaniel Moss, Lovira Hart, Jarvis Freeman, John Miller, Samuel H. Downs, Calvin Lee, Alfred Tivy, with perhaps a few others, the rank and file of the early pioneers.

The period between the years of 1837 and 1848 was a silent one. The ten or eleven families who had settled in Tuscola were the sole inhabitants of the county. This period began in the time of "wild cat money" and continued through the demoralization and prostration. In 1848 the Richardson’s came, followed soon by the Slafters; the operations of North & Edmunds, at Vassar, started the tide of immigration, and an epoch of general development began.