By an act approved March 15, 1838, the four townships comprising the northeast quarter of the county of Ingham were set off and organized into a separate township by the name of Alaiedon, and the first township-meeting was directed to be held at the school-house at the village of Jefferson. From the territory thus set off have since been organized the townships of Delhi, Lansing, and Meridian, leaving Alaiedon to include 3 north, in range 1 west.
The early records of Alaiedon are missing, and it is impossible to give an accurate account of the first elections held in the township. It is stated that at the first township-meeting the following officers were elected, - viz., Supervisor, William Lewis; Township Clerk, Jacob Lewis; Treasurer, James Phillips; Commissioners of Highways, Nicholas Lewis, Joel B. Strickland, Adam Overacker; Justices of the Peace, William C. Leek, Jacob. Lewis.
At this meeting fifteen votes were cast. The next record found shows that Edwin D. Tryon, who was elected supervisor in 1843, died before the expiration of his term, and Daniel W. Morse was appointed, Jan. 1, 1844, to fill the vacancy, and elected, but resigned, and Peter Longyear was appointed. In these years Nathaniel Blain, formerly of Mason, was treasurer.
No other record from which definite information could be obtained was found until 1867, since when the following have been the principal officers of the township:
SUPERVISORS.
1867, Joseph Scudder; 1868, Orlando B. Stillman; 1869, Joseph Scudder; 1870, Charles Goodwin; 1871, O. B. Stillman; 1872, Charles Goodwin; 1873, O. B. Stillman; 1874-70, Ernst Dell.
TOWNSHIP CLERKS.
1867, William G. Lamb; 1868, David C. Kelley; 1869, William G. Lamb;1870, Henry J. Haight; 1871-74, Harrison M. Taylor; 1875, Henry J. Haight; 1876-77, H. M. Taylor; 1878-79, John Keeler.
TREASURERS.
1867, William F. Kennedy; 1868-70, Ernst Dell; 1871-74, Jesse M. Tyler; 1875, Leonard Osborn; 1876, Calvin Preston; 1877-78, Jeduthun B. Blake; 1879, John S. Doyle.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
1867, J. Q. Thompson, Nelson Leyland; 1868, J. B. Blake, D. C. Kelley; 1869, Nicholas Taylor; 1870, Perry Stevens; 1871, D. C. Kelley, John Spears; 1872, J. B. Blake, J. Darling; 1873, Tobias Holden; 1874, Nelson Leyland; 1875, Isaace Drew, 1876; D. M. Strickland, D. C. Kelley; 1877, A. J. Parker; 1878, N. Leyland, T. Holden; 1879, M. T. Laycock.
1880, Supervisor, Henry J. Haight; Township Clerk, Elliot J. Moore; Treasurer, Ezra Black; Justice of the Peace, Jeduthun B. Blake; School Inspector, Nathaniel Mitchell; Superintendent of Schools, Charles S. Guile; Commissioner, Jesse M. Tyler; Constables, G. P. Lindsay, William E. Manning, John Stevens, Frank Drew.
Taken from:
"History of Ingham and Eaton Counties Michigan, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Their Prominent Men and Pioneers", by Samuel W. Durant.
Published by D. W. Ensign & Co., 1880.
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