Written by Sandy Kinter, from Waterford Genealogical Society E-Newsletter Volume 16 Number 4
Located in western Waterford Township, Section 30 has changed from a neighborhood of farms to residential, with homes surrounding Pleasant Lake. The section is bounded on the west by Williams Lake Road and White Lake Township. On the east side of the section is Hospital Road and to the north is Elizabeth Lake Road. The quiet of the farms has been replaced by the occasional roar of a jet taking off from Oakland County International Airport, located a little more than a mile to the north, the roar of busy traffic traveling on Williams Lake Road, and even the roar of a boat engine on Pleasant Lake.
In the southwestern corner of Section 30 is a tiny slice of land owned by L. Hathaway. Linus Hathaway resided
in Section 31 and the Hathaway family will have its own story with that section. The southeastern corner of
Section 30 contains a 40 acre piece of property owned by F.O. Jones. Franklin O. Jones was reported with the
biographies of Section 29.
Harry Smith
Lovisa Allen
Ranson Reynolds
The 1872 plat map of Waterford Township, in the northeastern corner of Section 30, has the 110 acre property of R. Reynolds. The 1870 census entry for Ransom Reynolds was rather odd. The census taker reported that the head of the household was Ransom Reynolds, age 39, born in New York. Residing with him are Harry Smith, age 67, born in New York, wife Lovisa, age 69, born in Canada; and Harriet E., age 32, Lovisa, age 27, and Homer, age 10, all born in Michigan. The property clearly belongs to Ransom Reynolds for he is the one who has $5,000 of real estate and $600 personal property. Harry Smith has no value given for real estate or personal property.
The property owned by Ransom Reynolds was acquired by a land patent, dated 2 August 1837, by Harry Smith. (1) In the 1860 census, Harry Smith is the property owner, with $3000 real estate and $1000 personal property. (2) Ransom Reynolds is residing in the Smith household and had only $200 worth of personal property. (2) It appears that sometime between 1860 and 1870 Henry Smith had transferred his farm over to Ransom Reynolds.
The 1880 census and a marriage record helped to explain some of the mystery. Harry Smith married Lovisa Reynolds, 24 January 1836, in Oakland County, Michigan. (3) The death certificate for “Ranson” Reynolds says his parents were Reuben Reynolds and Lucisdy (?) Allen. (4) In the 1880 census Ransom Reynolds is the head of the household and Harry Smith is recorded as his step-father. (5)
Harry Smith had married the widowed Lovisa/Lovica/Lovicy (Allen) Reynolds in 1836, (3) which explains the children in the 1850 census who are older than the marriage. (6) Among those children is Ransom. The census taker gave them the surname of Smith when they were really Reynolds children from Lovisa’s first marriage. The transfer of the property, and when that occurred, has not been fully explained. A search of Oakland County deed records between the years 1860-1870 did not find any deed transferring the property either under the name of Smith or Reynolds.
Harry Smith was born about 1803, in New York. (6) He died 28 September 1883, in Waterford Township, Oakland County. (7) His parents are unknown. Lovisa Allen was born about 1801, in Canada. (6) Her parents were not found. She died 15 March 1874 and is buried in the Waterford Center Cemetery under the name of Lovicy Smith. (8) There was no cemetery record for Harry Smith, but he is probably also buried in the Waterford Center Cemetery.
Sources
- Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records,
www.glorecords.blm.gov - 1860 Census, page 369, Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan
- Oakland County, Michigan, Record of Marriages, Volumes A-C, 1827-1849;
Volume A, 1827-1837, page 234, Image 127, FHL #0973979, FamilySearch,
www.familysearch.org - Death Certificate, Ranson (sic) Reynolds, Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1950,
Montcalm-Ottawa, 1906-1908, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com - 1880 Census, page 422D, Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan
- 1850 Census, page 118, Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan
- Oakland County, Michigan, Record of Deaths, Volumes 1-2, 1867-1902;
Volume 1, 1867-1886, page 255, Image 320, FHL #0973983, FamilySearch,
www.familysearch.org - Waterford Center Cemetery, Waterford, Michigan, Find A Grave, www.findagrave.com