Written by Sandy Kinter, from Waterford Genealogical Society E-Newsletter Volume 17 Number 8
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.
David Day Olmstead
Jenette Reid/Reed
Reported in the Waterford Township 1870 census, on page 592, is William Olmsted, age 25, farm laborer, born in Michigan, and his wife Elizabeth, age 21, born in Pennsylvania. This entry is followed by William’s father, (2) David Olmsted, age 47, carpenter, born in New York; wife, Janette, age 44, born in New York; and children, Mark, age 18; Susan, age 16; Josephine, age 13; Herman, age 8; Charles, age 7; Ida, age 5; and Samuel, age 2, all born in Michigan. It’s hard to see on the 1872 plat map, but in the northeast corner of the intersection of Cooley Lake and Lockhaven Roads, is a small black square. This was the residence of David Olmstead.
David Day Olmstead was born in 1823, in Washington County, New York, the son of Jabez Olmsted and Anna Warren. (1)(2) His entry on Find A Grave gives an exact birth date of 16 March 1823, but has no proof for that date. (3) By 1837 David was a resident of Commerce Township, Oakland County, moving to Michigan from Ontario, Canada with his mother and step-father, Anna and James Olmsted. (10)(11) On 7 October 1841, Oakland County, Michigan, David Olmstead, of Commerce Township, married “Janet” Reid, of White Lake Township. (4)
Jenette Olmstead purchased seven acres of land, 1 October 1849, in Section 32, Waterford Township, from Nathan R. Colvin. (5) The family resided in Waterford Township until 14 December 1871, when Jenette sold he property to Levi B. Colvin and the Olmstead family, including son William and wife Elizabeth, moved to Reno County, Kansas. (1)(6) David’s obituary says he was a justice of the peace in Michigan and he was known as Judge Olmstead after the move to Reno County. (1) David Day Olmstead died 25 August 1884, in Reno County, Kansas. (1)(2) He is buried in the Wildmead Cemetery, Nickerson, Reno County, Kansas. (3)
Jenette/Jannett Reid/Reed, was born 7 March 1826, in Yates County, New York. (7) She moved to Michigan in 1836. (7) Online research has not found proof of Jenette’s parents, but they maybe the Charles and Susanna Reid who are residing in White Lake Township in the 1840 and 1850 censuses. (8)(9) David and Jenette Olmstead named children Charles and Susan. Jenette died 5 August 1878, in Reno County, Kansas. (7) She is buried with her husband in the Wildmead Cemetery, Nickerson, Kansas. (3)
Sources
- Obituary, The Nickerson Argosy, Nickerson, Kansas, Wednesday, 3 September 1884, page 2,
Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com - Genealogy of the Olmsted Family in America, Henry K. Olmsted, M.D, and Rev. George K.
Ward, A.T. De La Mare Printing and Publishing Co., Ltd., New York, 1912, 1978 reprint,
pages 546 and 678, Hathitrust, www.hathitrust.org - Wildmead Cemetery, Nickerson, Reno County, Kansas, Find A Grave, www.findagrave.com
- Oakland County, Michigan, Record of Marriages, Volumes A-C, 1827-1849; Volume C,
page 102, Image 355, FHL #0973979, FamilySearch, www.familysearch.org - Oakland County, Michigan, Deed Records, Volumes 54-55, 1855; Volume 54,
pages 146-147, Image 80, FHL #0975585, FamilySearch, www.familysearch.org - Oakland County, Michigan, Deed Records, Volumes 105-106, 1871-1873; Volume 105,
1871-1872, page 173, Image 96, FHL #0975457, FamilySearch, www.familysearch.org - Obituary, Weekly Interior Herald, Hutchinson, Kansas, Thursday, 15 August 1878, page 3,
Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com - 1840 Census, page 41, White Lake Township, Oakland County, Michigan
- 1850 Census, page 161, White Lake Township, Oakland County, Michigan
- “Doreen Dolleman’s Research”, Newsletter of Jabez Olmstead of Ware, Volume 5, Issue 1,
November 2001, Olmste(a)d Family, www.olmsteadfamily.org - Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office Records, James Olmsted,
www.glorecords.blm.gov