Muskegon, Casnovia, MI 1870 NOTES FILE Copyright 2000 by Muskegon county team. ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the transcriber, or the legal representative of the transcriber, and contact the USGenWeb Census Project File Manager via the email address with proof of this consent. ========================================================================= Transcriber's notes: CASNOVIA, Muskegon County: when founded by tavern-keeper Lot Fulkerson in 1850, it was in Kent County; Daniel David Bennett became its first postmaster on Oct. 9,1851; platted and recorded by J.H. Sanford for R.H. Merritt, John More, R.H. and S. Topping, Richard Hawkins and Harmon Hamilton, on July 13, 1862; pioneer merchant Milton L. Squier served as postmaster from July 5,1867, to 1886, incorporated as a village in 1875; the name is from the Latin (casa, home, and nova, new), our new home; in some records it was also spelled Casinova and Cazenovia [Chapman; Charlotte Hervey, g.d. of Lot Julkerson] The book is called MICHIGAN PLACE NAMES (subtitled "The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities") Authored by Walter Romig, L.H.D. (1905- ) Originally published in 1973 by Walter Romig, 979 Lakepointe Road, Grosse Pointe, Michigan, 48230. Copyright 1986 by Wayne State University Press, Detroit, Michigan 48202. ISBN 0-8143-1837-1 ISBN 0-8143-1838-X (pbk) Information submitted to the transcriber by Susan Lemble Perry of Ann Arbor, Michigan ========================================================================================= CASNOVIA NOTES: The enumerator for this census criss-crossed back and forth between post offices, sometimes changing post offices in the middle of a page with no notation. I have found family numbers skipped, women and children marked as "Male Citizens", errors overwritten making the record unreadable, and individuals duplicated from page to page. ========================================================================================= EGGLESTON NOTES: The enumerator's handwriting changed from the previous townships to a more floral, elegant writing which blurred many of the letters together or made them unrecognizable. He changes back and forth from using a "ss" to the older style "fs" or "leading s" style. Also noted were skipped family numbers and many instances of obvious errors in entering the sex of the individual. ========================================================================================= 1st WARD OF CITY OF MUSKEGON NOTES: TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES 1870, 1st Ward, MUSKEGON CO., MICHIGAN The enumerator's handwriting continually changes throughout the entire 1870 Muskegon County census. In some townships he attempts and elegant script while in others, especially the larger townships, the penmanship deteriorates into a barely legible scrawl. In this particular township the "L"s, "S"s "T"s are almost identical. When combined with the faded writing, what appears to be "Saxonbury" may in fact be Luxemburg, etc. Page 260A, line 5 shows Witherell, Fanny living with Witherell, Julia, her mother. At the time of this transcription Fanny's actual surname was Shepard, having married James Shepard in 1861. James died in 1863 but Fanny retained the Shepard name until her death in 1909. For additional information on this family visit the obituaries section at http://www.rootsweb.com/~mimuskeg/ ========================================================================================= NORTON TOWNSHIP NOTES: Beginning on page 334B, Line 3, the dwelling number and family number are incorrectly numbered. What the enumerator entered as Dwelling number 22 and Family Number 22 on this page should be Dwelling Number 23 and Family Number 23. On page 335B, Line 29 the error is corrected when he skips Dwelling Number 48 and Family Number 48. By skipping 48 the enumerator is back to the correct Dwelling and Family number. On page 338B, Line 6, the enumerator skips Dwelling and Family number 83. On page 339A Line 7 the enumerator lists the Dwelling and Family number as 105 even though 105 was on the previous page. The next several Dwelling and Family numbers are partially overwritten. I have found females listed as Farm Laborers and Working in Saw Mills and infants listed as male citizens over 21 yrs. old on this transcription. There are no occupations entered by the enumerator at all on page 335B. ========================================================================================= TRANSCRIBERS NOTES: 1870, Ravenna Township, Muskegon County, MI THE FORMATION OF RAVENNA TOWNSHIP, MUSKEGON COUNTY, MICHIGAN "Ottawa County, Michigan was organized by act of Legislature approved December 31, 1837, and consisted of three townships: Ottawa, Muskegon and Tallmadge. Public Act of 1839 designated Ottawa County as five townships: Ottawa, Muskegon, Tallmadge, Norton and Georgetown. What would eventually be Ravenna Township was then part of Muskegon Township and remained under that jurisdiction until 1849 when Town 9 North Range 14 West was named Ravenna Township, Ottawa County. Public Act 177 of 1850 added Town 10 North Range 14 West to Ravenna Township, Ottawa County's boundaries, then totaling 72 section. The boundary remained the same until Act 55 of Public Acts of 1859 severed Ottawa County and created Muskegon County as a separate entity. It was at that time that Town 10 North Range 14 West was severed from Ravenna Township, to be named Moorland Township, Muskegon County, Michigan. The new boundary of Ravenna Township, Muskegon County, Michigan was Town 9 North Range 14 West and has remained the same since, consisting of 36 sections." Source: "Ravenna Township, Michigan, 150 Years 1840 – 1999". Used by permission obtained from Ruth Balcomb, President of the Ravenna Area Historical Society on October 4, 2000. When I began transcribing this township I noticed surnames that I recognized from my own genealogical research had been miss-spelled by the enumerator. I have noted these names below along with the correct spellings and the source of my information. Although the County Atlas is from 1877 many of these families have lived in the Ravenna area for years. Using the atlas I was able to track the enumerator as he went from house to house. SOURCES: 1. "Ravenna Township Michigan 150 Years 1849 – 1999" Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 99-70191 Available from: Ravenna Township Office Ravenna, MI 49451 2. County Atlas of Muskegon, Michigan - 1877 In possession of the Ravenna Area Museum 12278 Stafford Street Ravenna, Michigan Pg. 357A, Line 16 – shown as Eddy, James…….Eadie, James (1 & 2) Pg. 357A, Line 34 – shown as Kridener, John…..John Cryderman (shown owning property next door to Mrs. S. Anderson and had a son named Perl) (1 & 2) Pg. 358A, Line 39 – surname shown as Tibbett….spelling is actually Tibbetts ( 1 ) Pg. 359A, Line 8 – Shinme, Jacob….possibly Jacob Shimmel (1 & 2) Pg. 359B, Line 3 – Riswell, George…..Roswell, George (in later years changed surname to Rosel/ Rosell) ( 1 & 2) Pg. 360A, Line 30 – Williams, Bridget…..Wellman, Bridget ( 2 ) Pg. 360A, Line 37 – Harkass, Joseph…..Harkness, Joseph (S.) ( 2) Pg. 361B, Line 7 – Odonnell, Hugh…..O'Donald, Hugh ( 2 ) Pg. 362A, Line 9 – Hoogstraat, Trinty……Hoogstraat, Trientje (surname was originally Von Hoogstraaten and later shortened.) (1 & 2) Pg. 362A, Line 19 – Pattison, William…..Patterson, William ( 2 ) Pg. 364A, Line 14 – Germiquet, Sylvester…….Germiquet, Celestine ( 1 ) Pg. 367A, Line 25 – Fidgeet, Joseph….Fitchett, Joseph ( 2 ) =========================================================================================== BREAKDOWN OF MUSKEGON COUNTY: DIVISION TRANSCRIBER/EMAIL PROOFREADER/EMAIL Blue Lake Twp. Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Elizabeth Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Casnovia Twp. Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Sandy Onbey(sangen@usit.net) Cedar Creek Twp. Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Mary Ellen Smith(Msmith3874@aol.com) Dalton Twp. Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Eggleston Twp. Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Fruitland Twp. Pat Bigsby(Scoot.Scoot@gte.net) Pat Bigsby(Scoot.Scoot@gte.net) Laketon Twp. Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Lovell Twp. Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Moorland Twp. Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Muskegon Twp. Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Muskegon City (1st Ward) Linda Talbott Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Muskegon City (2nd Ward) Linda Talbot Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Muskegon City (3rd Ward) Linda Talbot Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Norton Twp. Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Oceana Twp. Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Ravenna Twp. Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) White River Twp. Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Village of WhiteHall Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) Linda Talbott(pandora@ncats.net) ===========================================================================================