Re: JUSTIN/CRIPPS/HOLLENBECK/GARDNER/
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In reply to:
JUSTIN/CRIPPS/HOLLENBECK/GARDNER/
Don JUSTIN 11/11/00
You may find your Chaffee line in NW Midland Co and southern Gladwin Co. The Cripps line extends into Bay Co around Linwood (Parrish Rd area). You'll probably find most of them migrated north after 1880 when the Bay City-Vassar-Port Huron Rd (now M-15) was opened. They would leave St. Clair Co and head up through Lapeer and Tuscola Co's for Bay City. Once in Bay City, they'd follow the logging routes north and west, leading them into Midland Co. There were a dozen little towns back then which popped up to give mail drops and general stores to these loggers. Once the land was clear cut, it was sold very cheaply to anyone with the perseverence to pull out all of those massive stumps. Prof. Jeremy Kilar published a number of books about the region which you might find very interesting.