The unorganized counties of Kalkaska, Otsego and Crawford were attached to Antrim County for municipal and judicial purposes.
Apart from the fact that county officials could now be elected and that collection of vital records at the county level finally began in 1867, the act provided for the creation of Banks Township (see below), adjusted the boundaries of the then Milton Township, changed the name of the Township of Megesee to Elk Rapids Township and called for its organization.
At the first county election on April 6, 1863, a total of 66 votes were cast. The population in 1864 was 382, taking Antrim, Kalkaska, Crawford and Otsego all together.
Banks Township - organized under the same act that organized Antrim County, the first meeting was scheduled for the first Monday in April, 1863 at the home of Gurdon Geer with James Orr, Thomas Flanigan and Rock W. Geer as inspectors of election.
Central Lake Township - organized by the legislature in the winter of 1873. The first town meeting was held the first Monday of April, 1873. John Acker (later the Sheriff of the county), Daniel Blakely and Lyman S. Russell were the first inspectors of election.
Chestonia Township - set off from Forest Home Township by the Board of Supervisors at the October session in 1874. The first meeting was held at the home of William E. Stephens on the first Monday of April, 1875. Thomas R. Van Wert, Peter T. Baldwin and Edward Holm were the first inspectors of election.
Custer Township - organized by the Board of Supervisors at the January session of 1875 and embraced territories detached from Helena Township. The first annual meeting was held at Maddock's school house on the first Monday of April, 1875. William B. Rush, D. P. McGuirk and Theodore Mead were the first inspectors of election.
Echo Township - organized by the Board of Supervisors at the January session in 1875 with the first meeting held on the first Monday of April, 1875
Elk Rapids Township - see "organization of Antrim County." The description of the land embraced by the township was simple ... all the land in the county not contained in any OTHER township. The first name held by this township was Antrim, later Megesee and finally Elk Rapids Township. As Antrim, its first meeting was held April 25, 1853 at the house of Abram Wadsworth. There were 13 voters: John S. Barker, John B. Spencer, Jarrett Stocking (who probably lived in Whitewater Township, Grand Traverse Co.), Enoch Wood (who definitely did in 1860), James McLaughlin, Jerome B. Stocking, Samuel K. Northam, Orselas Evans, William H. Case, Amos Wood, William Slawson, Charles G. Walker, William Wells.
Forest Home Township - organized by the Board of Supervisors in January, 1871. The first annual meeting was held at the house of James Cummings on April 3, 1871 with Charles W. Ball, John Willis and Joseph Turner elected inspectors of election.
Helena Township - a township called Milton was organized by the Board of Supervisors of Grand Traverse County on March 3, 1857. At this point, Antrim County had not been organized. It was attached to Grand Traverse County for administrative purposes. The first meeting was held at the home of Chancellor Hall on the first Monday of the following April. In 1865, the name of the Township was changed to Helena, honoring Helen Thayer who, with her husband Lucius, had settled here in 1859. Thayer Lake also bears their name.
Jordan Township - organized by the Board of Supervisors at the January session of 1875, embracing lands detached from Central Lake. The first annual meeting was held at the home of W. H. Jacquays, on the first Monday of April, 1875. W. H. Jacquays*, Gilbert H. Green and Charles Cunningham were the first inspectors of election. Mr. and Mrs. Jaquays first settled in Norwood in 1866 and acquired 80 acres in Antrim Co. in 1869. The Jaquays home, modernized and with additions, is on Wooster Road and is still lived in.
The first of the Bohemian families also arrived in 1869; the area around M-32 and St. Johns Road has long been known as the Bohemian Settlement.
* The correct spelling is Jaquays.
Kearney Township - set off from Forest Home Township by the Board of Supervisors at the January session of 1875. The first annual meeting was held at the home of Z. B. Macherman (should this be Mocherman??) on the first Monday of April, 1875. J. L. McKeen, J. E. Glines and S. S. Drake were the first inspectors of election.
Mancelona Township - actually two townships rolled into one, this township was organized by act of legislature, approved Jan. 18, 1871 and comprised one township from Otsego County as well as one from Antrim County. The first meeting was held at the house of Perry Andress on the first Monday of April, 1871. Perry Andress, C. S. Brink and W. H. Bonney were inspectors of election. If Brink lived in the Mancelona area, it was only briefly. He does not appear on the 1870 or 1880 censuses for Antrim Co. However, it is noteworthy that as one drives south from Gaylord on I-75, one passes over Charles Brink Road.
Milton Township - in October, 1865, when the original Milton changed its name to Helena, the Board of Supervisors ordered the organization of a new Milton Township. The first meeting was held at the house then occupied by Truman Hawley on the first Monday of April, 1866 with Alexander Campbell, George Lukes and David F. Parks as inspectors of election.
Star Township - organized by the Board of Supervisors at the October session in 1881. The first town meeting was held at the home of John H. Zigler on the first Monday of April, 1882. A. J. Clark, L. M. Dibble and W. M. Wylie were inspectors of election
Torch Lake Township - organized by the Board of Supervisors in March, 1866 with the first meeting scheduled for the following April at the home of Murdock Andress with Cyrenius Powers, Cicero Newel and L. G. Wilcox as inspectors of election.
Warner Township - organized by act of legislature, approved March 22, 1883. The first town meeting was held at the home of L. D. Gardner. L. D. Gardner, W. B. Moore and Frank Sweatman were inspectors of election.
Primary Source: The Traverse Region, H. R. Page and Co., Chicago, 1884 as reproduced under the sponsorship of the Grand Traverse Historical Society by Unigraphic, Inc., Evansville, Ind., 1978
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Margaret Pecar Fallone / Harrison Township, Michigan / MFallone@aol.com