The territory now included in the township of Williamstown "was without a white inhabitant until the spring ot 1834, when Hiram and Joseph Putnam left their home in Jackson County for the purpose of making a settlement upon the banks of the Cedar River. In passing through the township of Stockbridge they found David Rogers building the first house in Ingham County. From there the Putnams cut a road some twenty miles, most of the way through heavily timbered land, to Cedar River on section 35, which track was known for may years after as the Putnam trail, -- not the Putnam road. They took possession of an Indian planting-ground of some fifteen acres, lying on the north bank of the river, it now being in the corporated limits of the village of Williamston. There they built a small log cabin, twelve by sixteen feet, and covered it with shakes, this being the second white man's roof in Ingham County. They fenced, plowed, and sowed the Indian clearing to oats. They met with many privations, difficulties, and losses, . . . one of which was the loss of their team, which strayed away in the yoke. When they were found, after many days' search through the dense forest into which they had gone, one was dead, and the other reduced to a mere skeleton in his efforts to drag his mate in search of food. And then they imagined that the Indians were quite too numerous, wild, and uncivilized to make agreeable neighbors. These difficulties were somewhat magnified by their desire to mingle again with wives, friends, and civilization at home; and also being disheartened with the prospects before them, they went back to Jackson County and stayed until harvest, then came back, cut, stacked, and fenced their oats, and left not to return, leaving the grain to be fed to the Indian ponies and land-lookers' horses.
* From an article in the spring of 1874, and now in Pioneer Records.

The second improvement in the township was made late in the fall of 1839, when Simeon clay "rolled up" a log house. He returned to Dearborn to spend the winter, and while he was gone the land formerly owned by the Putnams was purchased by three brothers named Williams,+ from Batavia, Genesse Co., N. Y., who built the second house in town (the habitation of the Putnams having been but a shanty). They were not long without neighbors, for Mr. Clay returned, and new settlers came in the persons of Dillucene Stoughton, James Tyler, and the Loundsburys. Okemos was the nearest settlement on the west, and the nearest house to the eastward was eleven miles distant. In the fall of 1840 the Williams brothers had a dam and saw-mill in operation on the Cedar River. The smoke of ten or twelve Indian wigwams could be seen from the mills as the 'Twas, to the number of 30 to 150, "occupied and planted the farm now owned by J. M. Williams, and, for lack of better, they were considered very friendly, sociable, and acceptable neighbors, supply the settlers plentifully with many articles of food, which to-day would be considered luxuries, such as venison, fish, and fowl." It was the custom of the Indians for some time to return to the locality and indulge in a feast at a certain full moon in the spring, not forgetting to give a portion of the food to the departed.
+ O. B. Williams, J. M. Williams, and H. B. Williams

In 1842 the Messrs. Williams erected a grist-mill known as the "Red Cedar Mill," containing a single run of stone, which in 1874 was occupied by Mead & Fleming. An additional run has since been added.

Simeon Clay and Sophrania Stoughton, daughter of Dillucene Stoughton, were the first couple married in town, the even occurring in 1840, and the ceremony being performed by Clab Carr, a justic of the peace from Locke township. The first white child born in the township was Amaziah J. Soughton, son of Dillucene and Sophrania Stoughton, his birth occurring in 1840. The first death was that of Oswald Williams, father of the Williams brothers, who died, in 1842, while on a visit from New York. At the time the nearest mill and physician were at Dexter, Washtenaw Co.; the nearest post-offic was ten miles away and goods were packed from Detroit, Dexter, or Ann Abor on the backs of Inidan Ponies.*
* Inventory of one pony-load: One box of seven-by-nine glass, one pail, one iron kettle, ten pounds of coffee, one pound tea, one axe, ten pounds nails, four window-sash, six splint-bottom chairs, one tin reflector-oven, and, to complete the load, the owner sitting in the midst.

George B. Fuller, a native of Fishkill, Dutchess Co., N. Y., moved to Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Co., Mich., in June, 1834, and was married at that place in January following. In December, 1836, he removed to Leoni, Jackson Co., and in December, 1844, to his present residence in Williamstown, Ingham Co., arriving on the 19th of the month. No improvements whatever had been made upon his place, and there was no traveled road by it. Mr. Fuller's wife died in March, 1873, and in January, 1874, he was married to the widow of Egbert Grattan, and daughter of David Gorsline, the first settler of the township of Wheatfield.

Nathan C. Branch, from Worthington, Hampshier Co., Mass, settled in Williamstown with his family in September, 1846. His wife's parents, Uriah M. and Lydia Chappell, came at the same time; both are now deceased. Dec. 1, 1846, Mr. Branch became lost in the woods and remained out all night, but was fortunate enough not be eaten by wolves or bears.

The winter of 1842-43 was known as the "the hard winter," and the voters at the spring election in 1843 traveled on a hard snow-crust above a layer of two feet of snow, which melted on that day for the first time sufficiently to be made into snow-balls. During the preceding winter the cattle were mostly compelled to feed on browse, as the supply of marsh hay was exhausted in a short time. The settlers were obliged to break the heavy crust with poles to enable their cattle to get at the fallen tree-tops. The severe weather was fatal to the deer, which became so reduced that they were easily taken with dogs upon the snow-crust, though they were so lean as to be comnparatively worthless for tood. They straw covering of sheds and hovels was in good demand for fodder, and the period willlong be remembered by those who were then "pioneers."

For a number of years the settles were dependent upon marsh grass for hay, which they cut mostly along the borders of the Looking-Glass River, in Shiawasse County. This was of course cut by the common scythe, and the loss of the implement was a serious misfortune. In the season of 1840 one man engaged in cutting marsh grass accidentally broke his scythe. The nearest trading-point was at Dexter, in Washtenaw County, more than forty miles away. A man was mounted on an Indian pony and started at once for Dexter, but when he reached the place found that every scythe was sold. Hearing that a few were seen packed in a load of goods for Pickney, Livingston Co., the day before, he visited that place, but was again disappointed. From Pickney he was sent to a place familiarly called "Hell," where a man by the name of Reeves owned a store and a distillery. There he found one scythe, which he purchased and started on his return, and arrived at home at daylight the following morning. The pony snatched his lunch by the wayside as he passed along, nipping the weeds and shrubbery.

Taken from:
"History of Ingham and Eaton Counties Miichigan", by Samuel W. Durant
Published by D. W. Ensign & Co.; Philadelphia, 1880.
Pages 334 - 335