Sometimes it is the research I do on a location, rather than the people, that leads me to a piece of interesting information. My plan for my next blog post was to write about a letter that was written by William Faught to his brother George Faught in 1871. While in the process of my research, I found something else interesting. So, don't worry, I will share the letter as promised, however, I would like to share the other information I found first.
For a little background, William Faught, my 3rd great grand uncle and the brother of my 3rd great grandfather George Faught, was living in Alpena County, Michigan in 1871 and, by the sound of his letter, owned a growing and prosperous logging business in the area. My goal was to do some additional research on the logging industry in Alpena County during this time period, in order to provide some background to the letter I previously mentioned.
During my research, I found something both new and something that I already knew... I know that sounds a little crazy, but as a genealogist, it happens all the time because sometimes you are given a reason to look at previously found evidence from a different perspective or for a different purpose.
This time, the interesting find was made in a book by the name of The History of the Lake Huron Shore. My goal was to find information about the logging industry in Alpena County. What I found instead was an unknown family connection. This section of the book was written about the founding of Long Rapids Township in Alpena County.
This section describes the subdivision of Alpena Township into three distinct townships, including; Alpena, Long Rapids, and Wilson Township. This took place on March 15, 1873. Although this historical event is worthy of sharing in its own right, the part that caught my attention is in the next few paragraphs.
This section lists the men who signed the application for the erection and organization of Long Rapids Township, which includes; William E. Jones, William Faught, Joseph Robinson, Florence Crowley, W. H. Marston, Patrick Burns, B.D. Atwood, John Martin, Henry Hodgins, Chas. Kesting, G. Elsworth, Lucius Mills, David Redie, James A. Case, Wm. Hawley, and John Keating. They are described as resident freeholders of the township of Alpena and are petitioning for the erection and organization of a new township. The Township of Long Rapids.
As you will notice, there are a couple of names that I have highlighted, they are William Faught and Wm. Hawley. William Faught is my 3rd great grand uncle, the brother of George Faught. William Hawley is my 2nd great grandfather. I have read a version of this historical account several times before. I have even used a similar account as a source for the residence of William Hawley in the early 1870s. Now, I find that two of my ancestors, one from my father's father's line (The Faught Family) and the other from my Father's Mother's line (The Hawley Family) were a part of this historical event. Both of these men and their families played a part in not only the creation of a new township but also in the growth of a community. William Hawley through homesteading and farming a previously untouched piece of land and William Faught through the logging industry, which helped Alpena become the county it is today.
One of my favorite parts of researching my family history is finding the connections that bring my ancestors to life. The connections that allow me to share just a little bit more of their story.
