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Addison Township Population: 2000(6439) 1990(5142) Change(1297)
The extreme northeast township of Oakland County is called Addison. It is a full congressional town, described as town 5 north, range 11 east, and, until 1837, formed a part of Oakland township. The surface of Addison is greatly diversified - generally level in the east, broken by lakes and marshes in the center, and hilly in the west.
The pioneer did not enter the bounds of Addison as soon as some of the adjacent towns. The first entry of land of which we have any record was that made by Henry Connor, January 1826.
Addison is purely an agricultural township. The chief industry of its people has always been the cultivation of the soil; but it has some manufacturing interests that deserve a place in this connection.
Immediately after Sherman Hopkins had built his cedar-pole shanty, he began work on a sawmill, and built a dam across Stony creek, on section 27, near the outlet of Lakeville lake. This was in the summer and fall of 1830. When Addison Chamberlain bought the milling privileges at that point the property passed into his hands, and was very successfully operated by him for a number of years. The sawmill was subsequently destroyed by fire.
Addison was effected in April, 1837. Until then it was annexed to Oakland township, and had a fair representation in the meetings of that town, electing several of her citizens to prominent offices. The name Addison was bestowed on the new town as a compliment to one of these, Addison Chamberlain, and the first town meeting was held at his house, the small frame building already mentioned as the first one in the town.
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