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References To Highland Township In Early Population,
Health And Similar Reports
Arranged chronologically

1860 Federal Census Statistics

1884 Michigan State Census Statistics

1891 Disease, Accident And Health Statistics

1893 Complaints Re: Clyde Hog Pens

1898 Consumption Case

Statistics Of The State Of Michigan Compiled From The Census Of 1860, John A. Kerr & Co., Lansing (1861)

Census Of The State of Michigan, 1884
Volume I, Thorp & Godfrey, Lansing (1886)

pp. l, lii

STATE CENSUS OF 1837

The first State census was taken in October, 1837.  The original returns of this census are not in the office of the Secretary of State, but the figures are taken from the Legislative Manual of 1838.  It is given in full by townships and counties:

OAKLAND COUNTY

...
Highland    440
...

pp. clxxxvi, cxcii

TABLE 33 - Population of Townships as returned at the Censuses of 1884, 1880, 1874, and 1870

pp. cxcix, cci, cciii

TABLE 36 - Population of Unincorporated villages as returned at the Censuses of 1884 and 1880

pp. 1, 116-117

TABLE 1 - Showing the Total Population, Total Number of Each Sex, and Number at Each Period of Age, and the Number of Families and Dwellings in the State, and in Each County, Township, Incorporated Village, City, and Ward, in Michigan, June 1, 1884

pp. 178, 236

TABLE IV - Showing by Sex, the Color and Civil Condition of the Inhabitants of Michigan, and of each county, township, incorporated village, city and ward in the State, June 1, 1884

pp. 258, 318

TABLE V - Showing, by Sex, the Nativity and Parent-nativity of the Inhabitants of Michigan, and of each County, Township, incorporated Village, City, and Ward in the State, June 1, 1884

Twentieth Annual Report Of The Secretary Of The State Board of Health Of The State Of Michigan For The Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1892, Robert Smith & Co., Lansing (1894)

page 158 [Re: Diptheria In Michigan In 1891]

TABLE 6.—First, second and third localities, where the second locality was infected with diphtheria from the first, and the third was infected from the second; and the numbers of cases and deaths from diphtheria in the first, second and third localities. (Compiled from reports of health officers who were able to trace the source of con- tagium to other localities.)

page 199 [Re: Scarlet Fever In Michigan In 1891] 

TABLE 8.—First, second and third localities, where the second locality was infected with scarlet fever from the first, and the third was infected from the second; and the numbers of cases and deaths from scarlet fever in the first, second and third localities. (Compiled from reports of health officers who were able to trace the source of con- tagium to other localities.)

* This outbreak was not reported to this office by the Health Officer of the "first" locality at the time it occurred.

Page 310 [Alleged Nuisances In Michigan In 1891]

SLAUGHTER-HOUSE REFUSE AN ALLEGED NUISANCE.

J. J. Smith, a resident of Clyde, Highland township, Oakland county, wrote to this Office, Sept. 19, 1891, as follows:

" Herewith I enter complaint against T. P. Arthur, hotel landlord and butcher of this place, for making a public nuisance of his property, by leaving on his premises the refuse matter from his slaughter pen, and leaving it there to be eaten by his hogs or to decay in the sun, all within 25 feet of my door.  I have made complaint twice to our supervisor E. B. Wilhelm, but nothing has been done; and therefore place this my third complaint before your honorable body.  Please attend to same and oblige."

In reply to Mr. Smith's letter the Secretary of this Board wrote to him, Sept. 21, 1891, informing him how to proceed to obtain the abatement of the alleged nuisance.  On the same date the Secretary wrote, also, to Mr. Eugene B. Wilhelm, supervisor,of Highland township, informing him of the complaint made by Mr. Smith, calling his attention to §§164:0 and 7965 Howell's Statutes, which explain how nuisances may be abated and the duties of local boards of health relative to nuisances.    The Secretary at the same time sent Mr. Wilhelm pamphlets published by this Board on the subject of nuisances.

In reply to the Secretary's letter, Mr. Wilhelm wrote, Sept. 23, 1891:

"Your letter of the 21st received.  We held a meeting of the board of health this morning and took action in the matter.  I would like to explain that last spring I was called to Clyde on the same complaint and found that the real cause was a bitter quarrel between this J. J. Smith and T. F. Arthur and where one party could do anything to cause the other trouble and expense it was being done.  At the time I notified Arthur he would have to take care of the offal from his slaughtering in better shape, and not long ago I asked Smith if it was all right and he said it was.  The fact of the matter now is this.  The pen where the hogs are kept and the offal is fed, is between Arthur's barn and his house, and there is a yard and barn between Smith's house and the pen complained of, and Smith is located west of it all, so if there is any smell Arthur gets the most of it himself."

page 319 [Injuries And Losses By Kerosene In Michigan In 1891]

Twenty-Second Annual Report Of The Secretary Of The State Board of Health Of The State Of Michigan For The Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1894, Robert Smith & Co., Lansing (1896)

pp. 421-422 [Re: Alleged Nuisances In Michigan In 1893]

HOG YARDS AND PENS AS ALLEGED NUISANCES.

Proposed Hog Yard in Highland Township

April 1, 1893, Joel W. Powell, justice of the peace, and a resident of the unincorporated village of Clyde, Highland township, Oakland county, wrote to this Board as follows: -

"The Creamery Company is fixing to have a hog yard right in our village.  It will be within two or three rods of some dwellings and the passenger depot, and will scent the whole village, and if there is any way to stop it before they have completed it, the people would do it, and not have trouble all summer getting rid of it.  Please send me instructions by return mail."

In accordance with Mr. Powell's request, the Secretary of this Board April 3, 1893, sent him copies of sections of Howell's Statutes and the pamphlet publication of this Board, -" The work of Health Officers and of Local Boards of Health in Michigan" - which said sections and pamphlet, treat of the subject of nuisances and the proper legal procedure necessary to their prevention and abatement; and consequently contained the information Mr. Powell desired.

On the same date, April 3, 1893, the Secretary wrote to C. B, Wilhelm, supervisor of Highland township, advising him of the purport of Mr. Powell's letter and asking his attention to the matter.

July 10, 1893, Mr. Fred Wheeler, another resident of Clyde, wrote as follows to this Office, relative to this alleged nuisance: -

"I wish to call your attention to the Creamery Co.'s hog yard, located in Clyde, township of Highland, State of Michigan.  This I consider a private, as well as a public nuisance, as it is only about 65 or 70 feet from my house and joins my property.  This matter has been referred to you before, also I have notified the Town Board of Health.  They have been here to investigate the matter; but have done nothing further than to order said Company to keep the yard clean.  The stench is becoming simply unbearable, and I consider my family in great danger of sickness, arising from such a nuisance.  When the Board of Health was here, instead of coming and talking with those that were injured by the nuisance, they went and were probably bulldozed by the parties interested in the hogs.  Aside from the hogs, there is a large tank of sour milk, which is run from the creamery down to troughs, to feed hogs.  This, in connection with the smell from hogs is very offensive.  Now Gentlemen I would be pleased to know what can be done in this matter.  I am a hard working man, have saved enough to get me a little home here, and [Begin page 422]would like to know if there are not laws that will give myself and family pure air.  If this nuisance is not removed immediately, I shall be obliged to move my family.  Would you please refer this matter to the Town Board, as your influence might be of some help."

July 12, 1893, the Secretary of this Board sent the following reply to Mr. Wheeler's letter: -

"Replying to your letter of July 10, in which you make complaint of an alleged nuisance in the un-incorporated village of Clyde, Highland Tp., where the hog pen belonging to the Creamery Co. is so offensive to the residents in that vicinity that it is dangerous to the public health, as is also the tank of sour milk which is used to feed the hogs, I would suggest that you consult the prosecuting attorney or some other attorney relative to this nuisance.

"Section 1640, Howell's Statutes, requires the local board of health to examine into all nuisances, sources of filth, and causes of sickness that may, in their opinion, be injurious to the health of the inhabitants, and destroy, remove, or prevent the same as the case may require.

"Section 7965, Howell's Statutes, gives the circuit court equity jurisdiction in all matters concerning nuisances where there is not a plain, adequate, and complete remedy at law; and authorizes the court to grant injunctions to stay or prevent nuisances.  If the court is not in session, application should be made to the circuit judge.

"If the Local Board of Health refuses or neglects to make the proper complaint for the abatement of a nuisance injurious to health, any person injured or annoyed thereby may make complaint and prosecute a suit for the abatement of the nuisance as a public nuisance, or for damages by reason of the nuisance as a private nuisance, and for the abatement of the same.

"Herewith I send you a copy of our pamphlet, 'Work of Health Officers and of Local Boards of Health in Michigan,' on pages 9 and 10 of which are paragraphs bearing on the subject of nuisances, and some other publications of this office bearing on the same subject.

"I some time ago asked the attention of the President of the Local Board of Health to this subject.  If this office can be of any further service to you in this case, it will give me pleasure.

"Herewith I enclose a stamped envelope, and after reasonable time I shall be glad to learn what is done to abate this alleged nuisance, and with what result."

Twentieth-Seventh Annual Report Of The Secretary Of The State Board of Health Of The State Of Michigan For The Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1899, Robert Smith & Co., Lansing (1900)

page 204 [Re: Consumption In Michigan In 1898]

W. I. St. John, M. D., Health Officer of Highland Township, Oakland County, in his final report relative to a case of consumption in his jurisdiction, relates the following facts in regard to the case:  The patient, a young lady teacher aged 23 years, entered Grace Hospital for treatment of her eyes.   While an inmate of said hospital she associated with other patients who were suffering from tuberculosis.  About three months after leaving the hospital she became sick and ultimately died of consumption.

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