Written by Sandy Kinter, from Waterford Genealogical Society E-Newsletter Volume 16 Number 8

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 The quiet of the farms has been replaced by the occasional roar of a jet taking off from Oakland County International Airport, located a little more than a mile to the north, the roar of busy traffic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.
James Reid
The northwest quarter of Section 30, on the 1872 plat map of Waterford Township, is owned by J. Reid. This property is located at the intersection of Elizabeth Lake Road and Williams Lake Road, and includes most of Pleasant Lake. The 1872 plat map does not have the little black square which shows the location of the residence, and there probably was no house located on the property. James Reid, owner of the farm, resided across the intersection in White Lake Township. The plat map has a little black square diagonally across Williams Lake Road from the property. That is the residence of James Reid and it is now the site of a 7-Eleven store.
The Waterford property, and land in Section 24, White Lake Township, were originally purchased by James’ father, William Reid, on 2 August 1837. (1) William and wife Susannah sold the property to sons Alexander and James Reid, on 28 October 1839. (2) This is a very unusual sale, for in 1839 Alexander would have been about six years old and James would have been three years old. Perhaps the answer may be found in Oakland County Probate Court. In December 1847 there is a Petition for the Appointment of a Guardian, for William Reid, an insane person. (3) Could the 1839 deed be a desperate attempt to hold on to the property of William Reid? The 1872 plat map of White Lake Township shows the western part of the original William Reid property is owned by A. Reid and the eastern part is owned by J. Reid. William Reid’s probate file contains entries by his guardian, Asa L. Kelly, up to 3 March 1854 indicating that he was still living up to 1854. (3)
James Reid, owner of the property in Section 30, Waterford Township, is reported in the 1870 census as a resident of White Lake Township. The entry is under James Reade, age 34, born in New York, wife Phebe, age 26, born in Michigan, and daughter, Stella age 2, born in Michigan. With the family is Harriet Smith, a servant. The following census entry is for James’ mother, Susan Reid, age 75, born in New York. James and Phebe “Ried” sold their properties in White Lake and Waterford Townships to Moses G. Spear of Clarkston, Michigan, with a deed dated 15 July 1873. (4) Nothing further is known about James Reid.
Sources:
- Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records, www.glorecords.blm.gov
- Oakland County, Michigan, Deed Records, Volume 21, pages 283-284,
Images 162-163, FHL #0975569, FamilySearch, www.familysearch.org - Oakland County, Michigan, Probate Calendar, Volume 1,1822-1856, William Reid,
Case #660, Image 179, FHL #0956871, FamilySearch, www.familysearch.org - Oakland County, Michigan, Deed Records, Volume 109, page 462, Image 204,
FHL #0975459, FamilySearch, www.familysearch.org