Livonia Township's History

The first settlement in Michigan was at the Soo in 1669, closely followed by a small mission at St Ignace two years later; but the history of Michigan primarily begins with the settlement of Detroit in 1701. Because of its position on the river, it controlled traffic to the upper Great Lakes regions, and became a fur trading center of the Northwest. With an influx of settlers in the 1820's and 1830's, Detroit became the starting point for the pioneers in their search for a better life.

Beginning about 1790, Americans started moving westward. Crossing the Alleghenies and settling in Kentucky and Tennessee. With the defeat of the Native American's by Anthony Wayne in Greenville, the dangers from the Native American's had vanished and by 1800, over 50,000 settlers had moved into the Northwest Territory. But due to its geographical location, Michigan did not benefit from this early population boom. Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois all became part of the Union before Michigan was admitted as a state.

Although some of the early settlers entered Michigan from Ohio, many crossed from Niagara to Windsor and then to Detroit from Canada, most however came by way of the Erie Canal, which was completed in 1825. A farmer could load his supplies, machinery, household goods, and family aboard a vessel on the canal, and travel in comfort to Buffalo, New York and then by lake boat to Detroit. In Detroit, one could buy a team of oxen or horses, a wagon, and a few supplies and set out for his new home in the wilderness.
He could reach his home in just a few days over old Native American trails or some rare Territorial Roads. Since many people had been there before, looking over their lands, a temporary homesite may have already been built. Now there remained the job of a permanent home, cultivation of the land, planting of his crops, and building a barn for his farm animals.

The soils in the Livonia area were good for farming. They ranged from sand to clay, with most of the area having a rich loam. As the land was fairly level, but poorly drained, there were often swampy areas from the River Rouge. The roads too, were poor, being almost impassable in the spring each year. The native trees consisted mainly of tamarack, oak, maple, beech, and elm.

Livonia (portions at times referred to as Nankin) is located about 20 miles from Detroit. Although Detroit was founded in 1701, the first parcel of land purchased in Nankin was not sold until over a century later, in 1818. By 1825, there was still only one house, with one family living here.

On November 7, 1818 Dennison Palmer, purchased the southeast quarter of Section 1. The adjoining quarter section was purchased about two months later by William Woodridge, who was later governor of Michigan, and a Senator of the United States. Two other quarter sections were purchased in the same year, so that by 1820 only four farm sites had been sold, but only one of them was lived on. The first home erected in Livonia belonged to Henry J. Hunt, who later went into partnership with two other men, and built a saw mill on the Rouge River. His home was located on the southwest quarter of Section 33.

In the spring of 1825, the Reverend Marcus Swift and Luther Reeves, left their homes in Palmyra, New York, in search of land in Michigan. They travelled along the Erie Canal to Buffalo, and then took a steamer to Detroit. They followed the banks of the River Rouge on foot, reaching present day Dearborn , where they took the west branch to present day, City of Westland. They each purchased 160 acres of land, and returned to Detroit for payment of $1.25 per acre. They then returned to New York, having planned to move to Michigan in the fall. Later, Luther Reeves had a change of heart, and sold his acreage on Section 3 to William Osband. (Reeves later arrived in Michigan, and settled in what was Nankin Township, however not until a few years later.)
On October 1, 1825, the Swifts and Osbands boarded a boat on the Erie Canal and set out for their new homes. They boarded the steamboat Pioneer and a week later arrived in Detroit. They left their families in the frontier outpost, until some sort of shelter could be erected on their lands. Several days later, they transported their household goods and families to the west end of Dearborn, and settled them in the home of Benjamin Williams.

By January 5th, the Osbands were able to move into their log house, though it lacked doors and windows. They eventually hung a battened door in the center of the south side of the cabin, making this the only means of entrance. Later one window with nine panes was installed. There was a fireplace and hearth made of brick, with served as heat and cooking. (About six years later, Dr. Micah Adams had acquired the first tin stove in the area). Most cabins were one room, and measured about 18 feet by 24 feet. This room was used as a livingroom, kitchen, dining area, and bedroom. The Osband family had dug a cellar under their logcabin house for storing fruits and vegetables. A ladder led to an attic loft, usually used as a bedroom and storage place for items not used all the time, such as spinning wheels, cradles, and trunks.

By the mid 1820's other settlers had arrived in both Nankin and Livonia such as; Salmon Kingsley, Silas Dean, and Jeremiah Klumph; all Revoluntionary War veterans. Others, such as Norton Noble, Peter Kator and John Norris were veterans of the War of 1812. Some were business men, looking for an opportunity to invest such as General J.E. Schwarz, H.J. Hunt and Amos Gordon, who built the first saw-mill in Livonia. Still others came to preach the gospel like Nehemiah Lamb, a Baptist Missionary who arrived in 1824, Reverend Caleb and Reverend Aroswill Lamb both missionaries for Wayne and Oakland Countys. And others such as John B. Thayer of New York, were just land sellers, who bought 80 aces in 1828, and sold them two years later to William Riddle also of New York. And although, never a resident of Livonia, Major Thompson Maxwell was the chairman of the meeting which organized Bucklin Township that would later become parts of Livonia and Nankin. Maxwell, was born in Bedford, Massachussetts in 1742. He had stated he was a ranger in the French and Indian War from 1758-1762, and claimed to be present at the siege of Detroit and the Battle of Bloody Run, where the British were ambushed by the Native Americans. Later, he stated he was one of the 40 or 50 men that John Hancock choose to dress in Native American costume and throw tea into the Boston Harbor. He fought in 23 battles of the Revoluntion, including Bunker Hill. He was then chosen as a member of the Massachussetts State Constitutional Convention. In 1800, he moved to Ohio and sometime later to Michigan. He fought in the War of 1812, at the age of 70, rising to rank of Major, before being taken prisoner by the British. He is buried in the Wallaceville Cemetery with other members of his family.

Other Area Pioneers

Pioneer, Joshua Simmons, settled in Michigan in the hopes of providing a better life for his children. Born in Massachusetts in 1801, he moved to Michigan from Ontario County, New York, with a land patent signed in 1824. During his 57 years as a Livonia resident, he raised six children, cleared 120 acres of land, took an active part in city politics, and helped to establish the Union Church of Livonia in 1860. His son, Richard was the first white child born in Livonia on November 18, 1827.

Dexter Briggs came to Livonia from Niagara County, New York, in 1826 and was followed over the next four years by his five brothers; all of whom purchased land and became successful farmers.

The first piece of land sold in Livonia was on June 17, 1824 by Nathan Aldrich, who purchased all of Section 5. Aldrich had moved from Berkshire, Massachussetss in 1790 to Farmington, New York, and later to Michigan, where he joined a large group of Quakers. In the early 1830's they built a meeting house near the Seven Mile Road and Farminton Road area. The building was later replaced in 1846 and known as Quaker Acres, about a quarter of a mile from the original site. Later, some of the Friends of the Quakers, became Mormons including Aldrich's son, M.M. Aldrich who moved to Beaver Island and built a store and dock.

Most typical is the story of pioneer, David Ryder, a tenant on the estate of Stephen Van Rensselaer, near Albany, New York. The Ryder family left their home in late October 1826 and arrived in Detroit on November 3rd. Ryder then found a house for his family and with a companion, Amos Pickett, they both traveled westward in search of land. They walked along the Detroit River, as many others had, and traveled along the Rouge River, west. They made a "base camp" in the community of Plymouth while searching for the property they wanted to purchase for their own.
After several days of searching, Ryder discovered 80 acres of land in Section 29. He followed his same trail back to Detroit purchased a wagon, and team of oxen. Loading on the farm equipment, he had brought from New York, he and Pickett made their trip back to Livonia. On March 20, 1827, twenty pioneers and their families all gathered to help build the future homes of Ryder and Pickett, under the direction of Joseph Kingsley, who was an expert in this line of work.
It wasn't until April 10, 1827, that Ryder with his wife, Polly his 13 year old son, George, and the rest of the Ryder children, moved into their new home. With the family under a new roof, a few cattle or pigs penned in the yard, and a small blaze in the fireplace; the family was ready to settle into their new home.

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