The township was originally organized as Phelpstown, March 22, 1839, and included what are now the townships of Williamstown and Locke. The first town-meeting was held at the house of David Phelps, after whom the township was named, on the 15th of April, 1839.* At this meeting Moses Park acted as moderator, and David Phelps as clerk, and Caleb Carr, Jefferson Pearce, and Moses Park were chosen as inspectors of election. The total number of votes polled was eleven, and as they were twenty-two offices to fill, it follows that they must, if the offices were impartially distributed, have had two apiece.
The following are names of the officers elected at this first town-meeting: Supervisor, Caleb Carr, eleven votes; Town Clerk, David Phelps, eleven votes: Justices of the Peace, Moses Park, David Phelps, Caleb Carr, Jefferson Pearce, eleven votes each; Assessors, John Merchant, Cornelius Coll, Edmund D. Hall, eleven votes each; Commissioners of Highways, Caleb Carr, Jr., Watson L. Boardman, Stephen Avery, Eleven votes each; Town Treasurer, Watson L. Boardman; School Inspectors, Cornelius Coll, Edmund D. Hall, Jefferson Pearce; Collector, Stephen Avery; Constables, Stephen Avery, Edmund D. Hall, Cornelius Coll; Overseer of Poor, Moses Park. All eleven votes each.
| The following list shows the names of the principal township officers from 1840 to 1880 inclusive: |
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| 1840. - Supervisor, Caleb Carr; Town Clerk, * David Phelps; Treasurer, Archibald Ten Eyek; Justices of the Peace, Hiram Tooker, Cornelius Coll.** *O. B. Williams appears to have been deputy clerk in 1841-43. ** In September, 1840, at a special election, D. J. Tower and Stephen Avery were elected justices in place of Hiram Tooker and Jefferson Pearce. |
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| 1841. The township record does not show any election of officers for 1841 | |||
| 1842. - Supervisor, Lewis H. Lounsbury; Town Clerk, James M. Williams ***, Treasurer, Dillucene Stoughton; Justices, Jacob Easty, Caleb Carr, Simeon Clay, Stephen B. Olds. *** The first ballot-box used at the town election in 1840 was a stand drawer covered with newspaper, which was lifted up and the ballots deposited underneath. There was no ballot-box stuffing in those days. At the general election in the fall of 1840 the box used was one made by David J. Tower frm split bass-wood, and divided into five compartments for the different votes. This box is still in a good state of preservation, and is the property of J. M. Williams, Esq. Lock township ws set off from Phelpstown, and organized Feb. 16, 1842. |
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| 1843. - Supervisor, James M. Williams; Town Clerk, Jesse P. Hall; Treasurer, Dillucene Stoughton; Justice, A. H. Blandon. | |||
| 1844. - Supervisor, James M. Williams; Town Clerk, Horace B. Williams; Justice, S. B. Olds. * * No record of the election of any treasurer; fifty votes polled. |
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| 1845. - Supervisor, James M. Williams; Clerk, Horace B. Williams; Justices, Joseph C. Watkins, Jesse P. Hall. | |||
| 1846. - Supervisor, James M. Williams; Clerk, Horace B. Williams; Treasurer, D. Stoughton; Justice, Nathan W. Capen. | |||
| 1847.- Supervisor, James M. Williams; Clerk, Jesse P. Hall; Treasurer, Lewis H. Lounsbury; Justice, Isaac E. Everett. | |||
| 1848. - Supervisor, James M. Williams; Clerk, Joseph Carpenter Tuttle; Treasurer, Lewis H. Lounsbury; Justice, Stephen V. R. Church. | |||
| 1849. - Supervisor, Alfred B. Kinne; Clerk, David Currier; Treasurer, L. H. Lounsbury; Justices, John S. Vanneter, Stephen Smith. | |||
| 1850. - Supervisor, L. H. Lounsbury; Clerk, Stephen V. R. Church; Treasurer, Uriah M. Chappel; Justice, Jesse P. Hall. | |||
| 1851. - Supervisor, L. H. Lounsbury; Clerk, John C. Taylor; Treasurer, Eli Loranger; Justices, Jesse P. Hall, William Tompkins . | |||
| 1852. - Supervisor, James M. Williams; Clerk, Jesse P. Hall; Treasurer, Lewis H. Lounsbury; Justice, Isaac E. Everett. | |||
| 1853 .- Supervisor, L. H. Lounsbury; Clerk, Eli Loranger; Treasurer, Nelson Loranger; Justice, Thomas W. Colby. | |||
| 1854. - Supervisor, Charles T. Murray; Clerk, Eli Loranger; Treasurer, Nelson Loranger; Justice, William Tompkins. | |||
| 1855. - Supervisor, Charles T. Murray; Clerk, Lewis C. Loomis; Treasurer,George B. Fuller; Justice, Jesse P. Hall. | |||
| 1856. - Supervisor, Charles T. Murray; Clerk, Moses Foster; Treasurer, Edwin S. Harger; Justices, S. V. R. Church, John B. Haynes. | |||
| 1857.* - Supervisor, Charles T. Murray; Clerk, Eli Loranger; Treasurer, E. S. Harger; Justice, Jesse P. Hall. * The name of the township was changed from Phelpstown to Williamstown, by act of Legislature, Feb. 17, 1857. |
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| 1858. - Supervisor, Charles T. Murray; Clerk, E. S. Harger; Treasurer, John F. Brown ; Justice, Nathan Leighton . | |||
| 1859. - Supervisor, Nathan Leighton; Clerk, L. H. Lounsbury; Treasurer, John F. Brown ; Justice, Eli Loranger. | |||
| 1860. - Supervisor, Charles T. Murray; Clerk, Egbert Grattan; Treasurer, Charles M. Paddock ; Justices, J. F. Brown (four years), Charles S. Carr, (vacancy) . | |||
| 1861. - Supervisor, John S. Vanneter ; Clerk, L. H. Lounsbury; Treasurer, Chas. M. Paddock; Justice, Chas. T. Murray . | |||
| 1862. - Supervisor, John S. Vanneter; Clerk, Eli P. Loranger; Treasurer, William L. Brown ; Justices, Stephen P. Meade (four years), Ezekiel W. Riggs (vacancy). | |||
| 1863. - Supervisor, John S. Vanneter ; Clerk, James W. Waldo; Treasurer, Willliam L. Brown ; Justices, Jesse P. Hall (fou years), Thomas Horton (vacancy) . | |||
| 1864. - Supervisor, John E. Brown ; * Clerk, James W. Waldo; ; Treasurer, Artemus G. Newman ; * * Justices, Charles S. Car (four years), Stephen V. R. Church (vacancy) * Resigned Aug. 16, 1864, and John B. Haynes appointed in his place. * * Resigned, and Jerome B. Waldo appointed in his place. |
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| 1865. - Supervisor, John S. Vanneter ; Clerk, Eli P. Loranger; Treasurer, Orlando S. Fuller; * * Justices, John J. Passage, Hiram L. Siegfried. * * Removed fromt the township, and W. L. Brown appointed. Charles E. Webb was elected, but did not qualify, and Murray held over to 1879. |
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| 1866. - Supervisor, James M. Williams; Clerk, Eli P. Loranger; Treasurer, Nathan Leighton; Justice, Aaron Botsford. | |||
| 1867. - Supervisor, L. H. Lounsbury; Clerk, Eli P. Loranger; Treasurer, Nathan Leighton; Justices, Salmon M. Goodrich, Cornelius Dietz. | |||
| 1868. - Supervisor, Hugh H. Spaulding; Clerk, Eli P. Loranger; Treasurer, Nathan Leighton; Justice, Geroge L. Wilson . | |||
| 1869. - Supervisor, Charles T. Murray; Clerk, Eli P. Loranger; Treasurer, L. H. Lounsbury ; Justice, Nathan Leighton. | |||
| 1870. - Supervisor, Charles T. Murray; Clerk, Joseph M. Tompkins; Treasurer, L. H. Lounsbury; Justices, Philander F. Alger, Eli P. Loranger . | |||
| 1871. - Supervisor, Charles L. Murray; Clerk, Hiram B. Tompkins; Treasurer, Jonathan B. Taylor; Justices, James W. Waldo, John J. Passage. | |||
| 1872. - Supervisor, Daniel L. Crossman; Clerk, William S. Humphrey; Treasurer, J. M. Williams; Justices, William A. Simons, Aaron Botsford, N. C. Branch. | |||
| 1873. - Supervisor, Daniel L. Crossman; Clerk, Dwight A. Harrison; Treasurer, James M. Williams; Justices, Jesse Randolph, Daniel H. Truman. | |||
| 1874. - Supervisor, James W. Williams; Clerk, Joseph M. Tompkins; Treasurer, L. H. Lounsbury; Justice, Charles T. Murray. | |||
| 1875. - Supervisor, Charles T. Murray; Clerk, Quincy A. Smith; Treasurer, L. H. Loundsbury; Justices, John H. Forster, Thomas Wilson. | |||
| 1876. - Supervisor, Charles T. Murray ; Clerk, Quincy A. Smith; Treasurer, L. H. Lounsbury; Justices, Nathan Leighton (four years), Joseph M. Tomkins (three years), Jesse P. Hall (vacancy, one year). | |||
| 1877. - Supervisor, Charles T. Murray; Clerk, Quincy A. Smith; Treasurer, Nathan Leighton; Justices, William H. McEnally, Anson L. Simon . | |||
| 1878. - Supervisor, Charles T. Murray; Clerk, Robert M. Porter; Treasurer, James E. Webb; Justice, George Porter . | |||
| 1879. - Supervisor, Samuel W. Taylor; Clerk, Robert M. Porter; Treasurer, James E, Webb; Justice, George Porter. | |||
| 1880. - Supervisor, George Porter; Clerk, Eli P. Loranger; Treasurer, Samuel W. Taylor; Justice, William L. Brown; Superintendent of Schools, Andrew J. Fuller; High Commissioner, William M. Lamb, Drain Commissioner, Simeon Clay; Constables, A. J. Smith, Silas E. Vanneter, Joseph Youngs, B. F. Plotts. |
Taken from:
"History of Ingham and Eaton Counties Miichigan", by Samuel W. Durant
Published by D. W. Ensign & Co.; Philadelphia, 1880.
Pages 336 - 337