History of Branch county, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers . ten or fifteen yearslater he removed from the town to some point farther West. Shirlock Cook came to Michigan in company with theShay family, the party in all numbering seventeen persons,and having one wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen. He atthat time went to Oxbow Prairie, Ind., and lived a coupleof years, returning to this town and settling on section 28in the summer of 1835. The lake to which his land ranwas named after him. He died in this town about thirty-two years ago


History of Branch county, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers . ten or fifteen yearslater he removed from the town to some point farther West. Shirlock Cook came to Michigan in company with theShay family, the party in all numbering seventeen persons,and having one wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen. He atthat time went to Oxbow Prairie, Ind., and lived a coupleof years, returning to this town and settling on section 28in the summer of 1835. The lake to which his land ranwas named after him. He died in this town about thirty-two years ago. The spring of 1836 brought in other settlers. Amongthem were Timothy Miller, who settled on section 26, nearLime Lake ; John M. Chapin, on the east half of the south-east quarter of section 29 ; Benjamin Olmstead, on section27 ; and Philo Porter, on a farm of 120 acres, lying in .sec-tion 27. Timothy Miller died while still a resident of this town,some twelve or fifteen years ago. Benjamin Olmstead, whowas a prominent Methodist, and ever active in the cause ofreligion, and who was regularly the candidate for, and as. HISTORY OF BRANCH COUNTY, MICHIGAN. 269 rc-;^ul;u-ly elected to, tlie olliee of ]i(ioriuiiSter for severalyears, died here about twenty-seven years ago. John was a single man when he came here, but was mar-ried in July following his arrival to Miss Barthena Smith,a niece of Martin Olds, who was living with her unclesfamily. Ho remained here hut a few years before he movedto Illinois. He returned to this town several years later,and died here about 1845. Ihilo Porter came here fromthe town of Alexander, (lenesoe (o., N. Y. He once (in1834) came West to lonk n\< a lueation, and traveled mostof tlie way on foot. He had heard much said about thebeauty of the country near the Coldwater River, and alsoabout the beauty of the river itself. He reached the riverbank weary, footsore, , and, seeing the rank-growing flags and rushes that covered its


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookidhistoryofbra, bookyear1879