This place in those olden days was called the White Oak
Flats. Now it has been three score and ten years since the
first settlement was made within its borders. I will relate a
few incidents. Soon after the Hon. Brewster Higley settled
with his family near the mouth of the middle fork of Leading
creek in the spring of 1799, and not far from the mouth of
Great run, which drains the water of this little valley into the
channel of that little creek, Mr. Levi Stedman had estab-
lished himself on Shade river at a point where Chester now
stands and had built a mill for the grinding of wheat for the
settlers. It became necessary that a road should be opened
between the two places. Accordingly, it was agreed that Mr.
Levi Stedman and a party from Shade river and a company
from leading creek, under the direction of Mr. Brewster
Higley, should meet near the place where little George Russell
lived at the forks of Thomas creek. The parties having met,
proceeded to mark out the road to their respective homes.
The Leading creek party marked the way very near where it
is now established. When they passed through a very thick
wood on what is now the Stow farm and on through the low
gap to a place by the west line of the McGuire land, it being
in June and night had overtaken them, the darkness was in-
tense, not a gleam of light to direct them, when one of their
number thought of an expedient, which was to get into the
channel of that little stream, exceedingly crooked as it was,
and to follow its meandering to the mouth, which was open
ground, so they all got safely home. This occurred in 1804
or 1805.
The first settler in this valley was Abel Larkin, who moved
into his cabin April 1st, 1808, on the northeast corner of
Section No. 7, in Rutland township. The second settler was
Joseph Richardson, a little west, in 1809, who sold to Samuel
Danforth in 1811. Mr. Danforth resided there until his death
in 1845. The place has been occupied by different families
until now, 1878, it is owned by John F. Stevens. Richard
