Lawson A. Van Aukin came among us in the autumn of 1831. He bought of the government the northwest 1/4 of section 10, November 1, 1831. He built a small cabin of poles with a shed roof, in which he resided a year or two, when he replaced it with a substantial log house of larger dimensions. He spelled his name Van Aukin when he settled here, but after a few years he spelled it Van Akin. He was a man of great energy and perseverance in matters of personal interest. By his energy and economy he succeeded within a few years in placing a large part of his farm under cultivation. During most of his years his principal product was peppermint, of which he distilled hundreds of pounds of the essential oil annually. In habits he was a temperance man, using neither whisky nor tobacco. At the time of his coming among us he was one of the most profane men I ever knew, but in after years he joined the Presbyterian church and was never heard to utter profane oath after that. He was ambitious for official position and personal honor. He was captain in the militia at one time, and subsequently reached a military grade by which he was called general. In later years he became justice of the peace. He was extremely selfish and nothing enlisted his interest that did not in some manner affect him personally. He was an element of discord, and his persistent efforts for personal favor antagonized so many of his neighbors as to defeat all his efforts for higher political positions. In 1846 he traded his farm with Alanson Knickerbacker for the east 1/2 of northwest 1/4 of section 1, where he resided the rest of his life. His former home was Phelps, Ontario county, N.Y.
Archibald Brink bought the east 1/2 of northwest 1/4 of section 15, of the government in May, 1834. His family stopped with Marcus Swift while he built a house on his land. He had little or no money after he paid for his land and built his house. He chopped four acres of land for my father for his first cow, and paid for all his team work for two or more years by his own labor. He and his wife were very hard working people. She did many hard days’ work for my mother. They soon got their farm cleared and under good state of cultivation. They had no children. In 1850 or thereabouts he built a good brick house and was soon in condition to live in comfort. He was one among the very few who escaped the ague, which was the more remarkable in that he was surrounded by swampy lands. By rigid economy he accumulated property, and in his later years he became a money lender. He was honest in deal, though called a hard man on his creditors. He was conspicuous for his boastful and exaggerated opinions of his own importance and his inappropriate use of big words in conversation. He died December, 1875, aged 67 years. His wife, who was Abigail Swift, sister of Marrison Swift, still survives at the age of 77 years, and is the only surviving pioneer residing on the land purchased of the government in the vicinity.
Morrison Swift was a son of Elisha Swift of Ontario county, N.Y., and came to Michigan in 1830. He bought the west 1/2 of southwest 1/4, section 3, and in the winter of 1830-1, hired John Westbrook, and they chopped ten or more acres of his land adjoining the road that ran through it. I was but a little boy but I remember distinctly that after the felling of every large tree they both yelled with all their strength, and it was no feeble voice they sent forth. We were half a mile away, but we always expected to hear them as much as to hear the felling of the trees. The next season Mrs. S. returned east, but in 1834, he returned with a wife. He had sold his farm and for a year he did the shoemaking for the neighborhood. In September, 1835, he bought in his wife’s name (Louisania Swift) the northwest 1/4 of northeast 1/4, and the northeast 1/4 of the northwest 1/4 of section 23. he built a log house thereon and settled there soon after. The usual result of industry and economy brought prosperity, and in 1848 or ‘49 he built a brick house finished in the best style of modern construction. He health failing him, he in 1854 sold his farm and moved to Detroit. There he lost some money by bad loans. He afterward moved to Rochester, Oakland county, where he died many years ago. His wife died more recently. The were people of the highest respectability.
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