Written by Sandy Kinter, from Waterford Genealogical Society E-Newsletter Volume 17 Number 6
Hospital Road makes up the western boundary of Section 32, Waterford Township. The southern boundary is partly defined by Cooley Lake Road, which angles northward through the old Four Towns Post Office on it’s way toward Elizabeth Lake. The rest of the boundary is shared with West Bloomfield Township. North is Section 29 and east is Section 33. Lockhaven Road wiggles it’s way north from Four Towns to it’s conclusion at Elizabeth Lake Road. Today the Section is mostly residential with single family homes and some apartments. There are a few
businesses along Cooley Lake Road.
On the eastern side of the section is a 166 acre farm identified by surname of Colvin. This was the farm of Nathan R. Colvin. Across the section on the western side is a 20 acre property marked R. Colvin. This property also belongs to Nathan R. Colvin. To the north and east of this property are two parcels marked 20 acres. There are no owners given for these two properties. South of R. Colvin is property just identified by the name Hoxie. The Hoxie family will be reported on in Section 33.
The Colvin Family
A study of Section 32 on the 1872 plat map of Waterford Township soon reveals that the largest landowner in the section is the Colvin family. The surname of Colvin is on most of the eastern half of the section. The 1870 census reports one household is Nathan R. Colvin, age 78, farmer, born in Vermont, and his wife Margaret, age 73, also born in Vermont. After Nathan and Margaret Colvin, is their daughter, Lucinda and her husband Frederick Hoxie, who will be reported on with the Hoxie family in Section 33. (1) The next household is Levi B. Colvin, age 47, farmer, born in New York, wife Keziah, age 45, born in New York, and children, Emma, age 22, teacher, Homer, age 20, Hester, age 18, Evangeline, age 17, Nathan, age 13, and Hiram, age 4. All the children were born in Michigan. Residing with the family are Billings J. Hodge, age 72, and Eleanor, age 70, both born in New York.
Nathan Robinson Colvin was born 11 December 1792, in Clarendon, Rutland County, Vermont. (2) He is very likely the son of Jeremiah Colvin and Zilpah Robinson of Clarendon, Vermont, although this could not be proven with any reliable sources found online. Nathan was married twice. His first wife was Rosannah M. Ormsbee, married 2 January 1812, in Clarendon, Vermont. (3) Rosannah died 31 March 1814, in Rutland County, Vermont. (4) After the death of his wife, Nathan moved to Niagara County, New York. Nathan married secondly, probably in Niagara County, Margaret Batchelor/Batcheldor, 24 March 1816. (2)
The family of Nathan Colvin is found in the 1820 and 1830 censuses residing in Hartland, Niagara County, New York. (5)(6) In June 1833 Nathan R. Colvin of Niagara County, New York, is acquiring two land patents in Section 32, Waterford Township. (7) On the 1872 plat map, in Four Towns P.O., is a small black square marked School No. 2. In 1866 Nathan donated the land for the school. (8) The building was used as both a school and a church and is now the Four Towns Methodist Church. (8) Nathan Robinson Colvin died 20 May 1873, in Waterford Township. (2)(9) He is buried in the Four Towns Cemetery, Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan. (10)
Margaret Batcheldor was born 29 March 1797, in Vermont, the daughter of Stephen Batcheldor and Anna Richardson. (2)(11) The Batcheldor family has been traced to Rev. Stephen Batchiler who settled in New Hampton, New Hampshire in the 1650’s. (2) Margaret Colvin died 14 January 1887, in Waterford. (2)(11) She is buried with her husband in the Four Towns Cemetery. (10)
The other Colvin reported on the 1872 Waterford plat map is L.B.C. or L.B. Colvin. This is Levi B. Colvin, son of Nathan and Margaret. He was born 6 July 1822, in Niagara County, New York, and moved to Waterford Township, Oakland County, Michigan with his parents. (12)(13) Levi married Keziah Emeline Hodge, 27 November 1845, in Commerce Township, Oakland County, Michigan. (14) The Colvins spent the rest of their lives residing in Waterford Township. Levi died 31 March 1911, in Waterford, and is buried with his parents in
the Four Towns Cemetery. (10) (12)
Keziah Emeline Hodge, was the daughter of Billings J. Hodge and Eleanor Borden, born 12 February 1825, in New York (15), probably in Schoharie County since that is where her parents are residing in the 1830 census.(16) The Hodge’s are residing with their daughter and son-in-law in the 1870 census. Keziah died 26 December 1903, in Waterford Township (15), and is buried in the Four Towns Cemetery. (10)
Billings J. Hodge and his father, John Hodge, were early residents of Commerce Township, Oakland County.(17)(18) John Hodge’s first parcel of land in Commerce Township was purchased in September 1831, and Billings J. Hodge, of Genesee County, New York, purchased land in Commerce Township in September 1832. (18) Both John and Billings J. Hodge are buried with their wives in the Commerce Village Burying Ground, Commerce Township. (19)
Sources
- Michigan, County Marriage Records, 1822-1940, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com
- Batchelder, Batcheller Genealogy, Frederick Clifton Pierce, W.B. Conkey Co., Chicago,
1898, pages 217-218, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com - Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954; Marriages, Image 2423, FamilySearch,
www.familysearch.org - Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954; Deaths, Image 2449, FamilySearch,
www.familysearch.org - 1820 Census, page 163A, Hartland, Niagara County, New York
- 1830 Census, page 358, Hartland, Niagara County, New York
- Certificate #6000, Nathan R. Colvin; Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office
Records, www.gloreords.blm.gov - Four Towns Methodist Church, Michigan Historical Marker Website,
www.michmarkers.com - Obituary, Nathan Colvin, Pontiac Weekly Gazette, Pontiac, Michigan, Friday, 30 May 1873,
page 3, Digital Michigan Newspapers, Central Michigan University,
www.cmich.edu/library/clarke/Pages/Michigan-Digital-Newspaper-Portal.aspx - Four Towns Cemetery, Waterford, Oakland County, Michigan, Find A Grave,
www.findagrave.com - Obituary, Margaret Colvin, Pontiac Gazette, Pontiac, Michigan, Friday, 21 January 1887,
page 1, Digital Michigan Newspapers, Central Michigan University,
www.cmich.edu/library/clarke/Pages/Michigan-Digital-Newspaper-Portal.aspx - Death Certificate, Levi B. Colvin, Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952;
Monroe-Osceola, 1911, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com - Portrait and Biographical Album of Oakland County, Michigan, Chapman Bros.,
Chicago, 1891, pages 707-708, Hathitrust, www.hathitrust.org - Oakland County, Michigan, Record of Marriages, Volumes A-C, 1827-1849,
Volume C, 1839-1849, pages 365-366, Images 498-499, FHL #0973979,
FamilySearch, www.familysearch.org - Death Certificate, Keziah Emiline(sic) Colvin, Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952,
Midland-Ottawa, 1903, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com - 1830 Census, page 107, Sharon, Schoharie County, New York
- Oakland County, Michigan, Records of Deaths, Volumes 1-2, 1867-1902,
Volume 1, 1867-1886, page 56, Image 105, FHL #0973983,
FamilySearch, www.familysearch.org - Certificate #4010, John Hodge, and Certificate #5464, Billings J. Hodge,
Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records, www.glorecords.blm.gov - Commerce Village Burying Ground, Commerce Township, Oakland County, Michigan,
Find A Grave, www.findagrave.com