History of Branch county, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers . l to this township he was aboutfifty-five years of age, and when the subject of a newtownship was discussed his name was given to it becausehe was the oldest and most experienced man then living init. Mr. Matteson was a person of much influence in thetownship while he lived, and those who knew him wellrevered his memory after death. He died a short timeprevious to the breaking out of the great civil war, and hisremains rest in the cemetery near his old home. Theorchard o
History of Branch county, Michigan, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers . l to this township he was aboutfifty-five years of age, and when the subject of a newtownship was discussed his name was given to it becausehe was the oldest and most experienced man then living init. Mr. Matteson was a person of much influence in thetownship while he lived, and those who knew him wellrevered his memory after death. He died a short timeprevious to the breaking out of the great civil war, and hisremains rest in the cemetery near his old home. Theorchard on the Matteson farm is yet to be seen, locatednear the west shore of the lake. He chose a most pictur-esque situation for his home, and his days were passed inpeace on the shore of one of the loveliest of lakes in thisregion, abounding in such gems of nature. EARLY SETTLEMENTS. Although the township was named in honor of , he was not its first settler, notwithstanding hecame before a road had been cut through the town, andbefore it had become of much importance in the estimationof the pioneers of the HISTORY OF BRANCH COUNTY, MICHIGAN. 317 The first entry of land in what is now ]\ town-ship includod the soutli half of the southwest i|uarter ofsection IS, and was made in November, 18154, by RobertWatson, who still resides upon tlie place. He had comehere at that time on a land-inspecting trip, and afterh)catin^ the above-described lot returned East, to his homein Vcnan<;o Co., Ia., in the midst of the since-famous oilre};ion. In Sci)tcniber, 1835, he brouiiht his family, con-sisting of his wile, two sons, and two daugliters, to theirMichigan home. A log house, one and a half stories high,was soon built and occupied ; it .stood west of his presentframe dwelling, where the orchard is located, and was 18by 20 feet in dimensions. On their arrival, Mr. Watsonwent to Colon, St. Joseph Co., purchased some lumber,returned with it, and built a small tempor
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