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Chesaning Township (1877)

Having covered what the village of Chesaning looked like in 1877, let’s move out into the township and see what we can find.

Our source is, once again, the Atlas of Saginaw Co., Michigan: From Recent and Actual Surveys and Records, which was published back in 1877 by the New York-based firm of F. W. Beers & Co.

The first point of interest lies just south of the village limits, and alongside modern day Corunna Road.  This was once the home of George W. Chapman (1812-1881), who was one of the original founding fathers of Chesaning, having first settled here all the way back in 1842.

His first home was a modest frame structure that was built in such a rush that the doors and windows were still missing when the family moved in. They spent their first night there with shawls and blankets covering the openings.

The original home of George W. Chapman.

The original house was apparently still standing in 1877, but by then the Chapman family were living in a newer, and much more impressive residence.

The George Chapman residence as it appeared in 1877.

Further south along Corunna Road, about halfway between Ferden Road and Ditch Road, are two more points of interest.

The home of Charles Smith (top) and Westfall School (bottom).

The northernmost site is the former residence of Charles Smith (1836-1876), who was the victim in the notorious Chesaning Murder that occurred here on September 13, 1876.

The barn that had once stood behind the house was burned down in an attempt to conceal the crime, but as far as I can tell the farmhouse itself was still there in 1877.

The Charles Smith Residence (1876).

Just to the south was Chesaning Township District No. 5 school, a small schoolhouse that was later named Westfall school in honor of Elihu Westfall (1830-1905), a neighboring farmer who had presumably donated the land on which it was built.

If we continue south along Corunna Road, and take a left turn at the next intersection, we’ll be heading east along Ditch Road. Halfway between Corunna Road and Stuart Road is the farm of Rufus Whitney (1829-1890).

Rufus Whitney’s ashery (left) and Albert Doane’s “shop” (right).

At the edge of his farm was an ashery, a building that was was used to process wood ash into lye, potash, and pearlash. These substances were used for a wide variety of different purposes, including the manufacture of soap and fertilizer.

The interior of a reconstructed 19th-century ashery, located in Kirtland, Ohio.

Right next door was the farm of Albert Doane (1841-1918), who had arrived here in Chesaning back in 1873.  Doane owned a building on the corner of Ditch Road and Stuart Road that the 1877 map of the township labeled a “shop”.

Doane was, at one time, a partner in the lumber manufacturing firm of Caster & Doane, so the shop may have been somehow connected with the lumbering business.

Heading east on Ditch Road, you will come to where it intersects with Amman Road.  Here there was Chesaning Township District No. 10 school, later known as Mills School.

Mills School

To the north, just west of Amman Road along Peet Road (M-57) was Chesaning Township District No. 3 school, also known as Frink School, in honor of local farmer Elmore B. Frink (1836-1921).

Frink School

Back on Amman Road, if we go north to the next intersection at Volkmer Road, there was Chesaning Township District No. 9 school, later known as Ginter School after farmer Jacob Ginter (1843-1905).

Ginter School

Continuing north on Amman Road once again, we come to Gary Road, which forms the northern boundary of Chesaning Township.

Turning left, we soon come to the former site of Chesaning Township District No. 9 school, which was just east of where Gary Road crosses over Bear Creek.

The school later became known as Dutchtown school, and I suspect that this locality was named Dutchtown due to it having a large number of German settlers.

Dutchtown School

Heading west towards the Shiawassee River, the map indicates that there was already a bridge crossing here in 1877.

Just before the bridge, on the north side of Gary Road, was Tufts’ mill, and even though it is technically in St. Charles Township, its proprietor was living just across the road in Chesaning Township, so I’ll cover it here.

This steam-powered sawmill was owned by Francis Tufts (1831-1918), who seems to have arrived in Chesaning sometime around 1874.  His occupation is usually listed as farmer, and there are few historical references to Tufts’ mill.  This leads me to believe that this wasn’t an especially large operation and more of a side business for Francis.

Tufts' Mill

Just across the river, at the corner of Gary Road and Sharon Road, was Chesaning Township District No. 4 school, also known as Morleytown School.

Morleytown School

Continuing west on Gary Road, if we turn left onto Frandsche Road heading south, we eventually come to the corner of Frandsche Road and West Brady Road, about one mile west of the village.

Here was located Chesaning Township District No. 7 school, which later became known as Dyer School.

I believe the school was named in honor of Jerome Dyer (1826-1898), and early pioneer who once owned a farm at this corner.

Dyer School

That’s it for the important landmarks, but there is another interesting detail that the map can help shed some light on.

Many of the country roads in the area are named after early Chesaning pioneers, and the 1877 map has several of them still living along the thoroughfares that later came to bear their name.

Our first location is the farm of David Peet (1829-1919), which started just west of railroad tracks on Peet Road, and ran all the way to Frandsche Road.

The Peet Farm

David and his wife Mary Peet (1830-1919) were early arrivals to the Chesaning area.

When my husband and I came her thirty-eight years ago, the nearest railroad station was at Corunna. On arriving there we went to a livery stable to get a conveyance to take us to Chesaning. We hired a horse and buggy on the condition that they were to be returned as soon as convenient. To one accustomed to a hilly country the low swampy places of Michigan were dismal indeed.

As we went “bumpity bump” over the logs I said to my husband, “This is the longest log bridge I ever saw. How much longer is it?” He said that the road from there to Chesaning was mostly like that and what is known as a “corderoy road.” After riding awhile, we would walk for a rest. We finally arrived at Chesaning and soon turned off the main road on to what is now known as the Peet road, then a narrow wood road so narrow and wet, a house could hardly wade through. I asked my husband what he was going in there for. He replied: “Our new home is in here, a mile or two ahead.” I was inclined to disbelieve him, but he declared that it was certainly true. I expected to live in the woods, but near a traveled road.

After awhile we came to a little clearing within which were two board houses, one a neighbor’s and the other our new home. Our only near neighbor and his two boys came to meet us and were very glad to see us…

MRS. DAVID PEET

The Chesaning Argus, April 25, 1896.

David’s son George Peet (1861-1942) opened a butcher shop in downtown Chesaning (Peet’s City Market) in 1885, which later evolved into the Peet Packing Company.

The next location is Niver Road, a relatively short stretch of road that runs from Parshallburg to Sharon Road. This intersection is located on land that was once owned by a man named Damon Niver (1826-1903).

Damon was a farmer from New York who had brought his family to Michigan back in 1855, and soon settled near Chesaning. His parents also moved here, along with several of his siblings, including brother William Niver (1835-1884).

This brother is the same William Niver who operated a pharmacy in Chesaning for many years. William was also married to Lemira Parshall (1840-1906), the daughter of Israel Parshall (1815-1865), the man who was the original founder of Parshallburg.

The Niver Farm

Running east from the village of Chesaning is Volkmer Road, named in honor of Phillip Volkmer (1831-1908).

Phillip was born in Prussia and came to the United States as a teenager. He first settled near the city of Buffalo, New York, before arriving in Chesaning shortly before the outbreak of the Civil War.

He enlisted in the Union Army during the fall of 1864, and served until the end of the war.

You can read more about Philip Volkmer’s military service HERE.

The Volkmer Farm
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3 Responses

  1. Karin Smith says:
    August 28, 2024 at 12:35 am

    I can not thank you enough for all the research and time you took to bring this information to light. I really enjoyed reading your research.
    Sincerely
    Karin Smith

    Reply
  2. Carol Otte says:
    March 14, 2025 at 1:47 pm

    I love your descriptions. I knew exactly where each place was! Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Randy Neumeyer says:
    March 14, 2025 at 5:09 pm

    I think Frandsche road was named after the grandfather or geat grandfather of Larry Frendscho . When I was a kid , I believe they still called it Frendscho Rd. It seems near Gary and east its Frendscho.

    Reply

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