SPRINGVILLE MICHIGAN
A History from the files of Mrs. Leo Dowling, of Onsted
Approximate date written September 1968
Springville is a village located in the northwest corner of Lenawee County on the road now known as M-50, was settled in the early eighteen thirties. In and around this Village settlers cane and put up log houses and began to clear land. It was a very hard life, but they were determined to make a new life for themselves, and with plenty of perseverance, carried on. Then, in 1832 the LaPlaisance Bay road was laid out.
Immediately after, more settlers came. This road opened a route for the stagecoaches. In 1832, Abram Butterfield built the Butterfield Tavern. Stages could travel only eight or ten miles a day, so it was necessary to build taverns this distance apart for the traveler’s shelter for the night. The Inn still stands and is still being used. It has had many owners over the years. At one time, Frank Groger and family lived there. He was sent to the State Legislature as State Senator about 1913 or 1914. It was in this Inn that the first meeting of prominent citizens was held in 1835 to give the township a name.
Those attending the meeting were, Mr. Abram Butterfield, Isaac Powers, William Blackmar, N. S. Wheeler, Joseph Smith, Joseph Achine, John Pawson, Paul Geddes, John Stephenson, and John Smith. It was decided on the name Cambridge. In 1836, Abram Butterfield was appointed the first postmaster. The first post office was located in the Butterfield Inn. The first mail route went over LaPlaisence Bay Road in 1835. The first mail route, it is reported, started in 1831 on the Great Sauk Trail. In 1836, the first store was opened by Hart and Thomas Mosher, selling all the items that the people needed at that time.
Mr. Mosher was no ordinary man-he had great vision. He foresaw the need for the first grist and flourmill. His flour was known throughout the nation, and he had a very extensive business. The mill was run by waterpower. The dam was washed out on two different occasions. The last time was around 1903. Mr. Joe Marsh ran the mill at that time. He was the father of the late Emmet Marsh. He then went to work for the Haden Milling Co. of Tecumseh. He then sold the mill to H.P. Crocket of Battle Creek Michigan. Mr. Crocket repaired the dam, which took a lot of work. You can still see where dirt was taken out of banks on each side of the dam to rebuild it.
When the old dam was washed away a cooper shop was washed down into a little lake below. It was called Swift Lake, now it is part of Cambridge Lake. Mr. Crocket overhauled the mill and started to make flour, but competition was getting too great by bigger mills. For quite a few years, a man by the name of Pete Stock ran the mill. Later the mill was sold to a Mr. Gillmore, who used it for a machine shop. Finally it was sold to the Adrian Water Board. They now have certain water rights and can control water level.
In 1834, the schoolhouse was built just east of Springville, on the very land now occupied by the third school building. A two-room structure now part of the Onsted Community Schools. The first school was made of logs and had a huge fireplace, which smoked very badly on many days. The school has been sold to L.M. Hubbard and has been converted to living quarters.
Springville at one time had a population of two hundred. It had three taverns; one was located at the east end of the village on land now owned by L.M. Hubbard. It was built of brick by Andrew Ayers, and Aunt Ruth Ayres as she was called by everyone. That tavern burned down around 1908. Mr. Ayers preceded his wife in death. She lived alone for many years being over ninety when she passed away. Everybody knew Aunt Ruth. At one time she owned a lot of land and was looked upon as a very rich person.
Election day was a big day back in those days. They had horse races in the street, and it was said some would get too much to drink, and sometimes fights would occur.
In 1834, Dr. A. N. Moulton opened his office in the west. We don’t have any record of how long he was here but probably later. About 1850, a Dr. Julius Vaughn opened his office in Springville. It was located in his house just west of the village. It was the house where Harry Fellers lived. Mrs. Fellers and daughter still live there. The Dr. used to call on patients with a horse and cart, and could be seen all times of the day or night on the road. He was here up into the 1900’s.
At one time there were two blacksmith shops here. One was located where Frances Fox’s house now stands, and one was located on the corner now owned by Hebert Emery. William Smith had a hotel and sold farm implements. By 1840, Springville had three hotels. William Queal was a shoemaker and also Justice of the Peace. Chas. Jessup’s General Store was on the corner where Gertrude Nicholis now lives.
There is a little story told about Mr. Jessup. It seems they had a parrot in the store and every time a woman came in the store it would call her all kinds of vile names and tell her to help herself so they had to keep it out of the store.
At one time a township Library was housed in the house newly owned by Robert Wallace.
In 1883, when the railroad was built and went south of Springville, more houses and businesses began to be built near it. The Post Office was moved to Onsted, the railroad drew business. The railroad was an outlet for the shipping of livestock and grains.
When we look back, and now see the changes that are being made, we get lost with imagination. Some of the changes that have taken place are: The two lakes that lay north of the village of Springville, Ayres and Swift Lakes were dammed to make Cambridge Lake. It has a beautiful setting with woods boarding the east and rolling hills on the west. It has about two miles of shoreline. This lake was promoted and built by Mr. Arthur Pratt who owned the land. It was a great improvement and a betterment to the community.
We have many in this community who deserve to be mentioned:
Mrs. Eleanor Secor, who was the daughter of Isaac Powers, the first settler of Cambridge Township. She lived one half mile south of Springville on part of land that her father took up from the government in 1827. Her sister, Harriet Powers, was the first white child born in Cambridge Township. Mrs. Secor in her interview with Frances Dewey commented on the names of the chain of lakes in the area. Mrs. Secor said the lake on the Wakins farm was called Wakins Lake, today it is called Allens Lake. While the lake on the Kerr farm was called Twin Lake, it is now known as Wolf Lake. South Meadow was then called Parrish Lake. There are six lakes connected by small channels ending at the old milldam where it forms Wolf Creek. On Killarney Road is a bridge once known as Fishtrap Bridge, where many fish were caught that way. Today it would be against our Conservation Laws to trap them that way.
Others we want to mention are, John Stafford who lived on Groger Road, and held many offices in the township. He was the father of the late Dr. Lee Stafford.
Mr. Benny Lewis who lived east of Springville was quite ingenious and had many labor saving devices on his farm. He had a windmill on his barn and took power from it to run machines. And ground all the grain to feed his stock. The farm was sold to Judge J.N. Sampson in 1925 who lived there until his death. Mr. and Mrs. Fay Dowling first tenants.
Rob and Ira Rogers were also big farmers. Ira Rogers had a large peach orchard of many acres.
James Brainerd was also a big farmer and the John Kerr farm a quarter mile south of Springville Highway. And William White was a big farmer, and there were many others that helped to build this community and make it a better place to live.
SPRINGVILLE CEMETERY
From the files of Mrs. Leo Dowling
Written September 1968
The Springville cemetery is located ½ mile east of Springville on M-50 formerly known as LaPlaisance Bay Road. It was first located north of the Village on land now owned by Paul Toland, and moved to its present location later.
In 1881, the farm now owned by Claude Cool, was purchased by Edgar Hubbard of Henrietta, Jackson County, from Norman and Caroline Giddes. A record of this transfer can be found in ledger 127, pages 350-351, Lenawee County.
It was from this farm that cemetery property was purchased. In 1927, a meeting of friends and relatives who were interested in the cemetery were requested to meet at the cemetery for the purpose of organizing a Springville Cemetery Association. And to transact any business as deemed advisable. At this meeting Athol Brainard was elected president, Robert Smith vice president, and Percy Hubbard secretary and treasurer. Also five directors were elected which constituted the organization.
Meetings were to be annually Jan 1. A list of rules were made. At each meeting all items of business shall be presented by the president and acted upon by a vote. Records shall be kept of all proceedings during the year. But as the years have passed, the organization is no longer functioning. The township of Cambridge has paid for the cleaning of the grounds every year, mowing and cleaning up debris. Contributing $100. for this.
There are some very old headstones in the cemetery. Here is a list of some…
Jessie Neal - September 1816
Joseph Carpenter - 1861
Ann Pawson - 1835
John Libester - 1843
Wm. Bridge - 1860
Some later ones are Anson Ayres, his wife, Frances Ayres 1915-1916
John Bennet, his wife Laure Bennet 1916-1919
Henry Lewis, and his wife Nellie Lewis 1920-1925
Williams Ayres and his wife Elizabeth Ayres 1932-1944
William Ayres was the last burial in the cemetery. Graves of Daniel Hubbard 1860 and his wife Louise 1892 can also be found. There are many other that the names and dates cannot be made out.
The above two articles were donated by Lin Bailey, October, 2008
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