http://www.oldsettlersreunion.com​​

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​​The "Old Settler" families arrived in Michigan from different places. They came from Canada through "The Underground Railroad," and from Payne's Crossing in Ohio as "free" people. The draw was to homestead land made available through the Homestead Act of 1862 which allotted homesteaders 160 acres. The Underground Railroad was the most dramatic nonviolent protest against slavery in the United States beginning in the Colonial Era and reaching its peak between 1830 and 1865. An estimated 30,000 to 100,000 slaves used the "railroad" to get to Canada and eventually came back to the States and Mexico.  A large settlement stayed in Ontario, Canada.​​

Doraville Whitney was the first Black settler to Isabella County in 1860, and in Mecosta County, Michigan was James Guy. His deed was signed by Abraham Lincoln. He obtained 160 acres in Wheatland Township on May 30, 1861. Lloyd & Margaret Guy were the first Black settlers in Montcalm County in 1860. The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed each settler up to 160 acres in Michigan. By 1873, African Americans owned 1,392 acres in the three counties of Isabella, Mecosta, and Montcalm. In the 1860s most of the land in Remus was owned by the Old Settlers.
The Old Settlers
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Dedication

The website was created to remember our ancestors who were the trailblazers making us who we are. We have become enriched, enabled, and elevated because of the ample regard and gratitude for the work of our ancestors. This site is dedicated to the Old Settlers.

NOTE: The Old Settlers Reunion Website appears in the archives of the U.S. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS--which includes a Local History and Genealogy Web Archive and is part of a larger collection of historically and culturally significant websites that are designated for preservation.

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NOTE: The Old Settlers Reunion Website appears in the U.S. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS--archives which include a Local History and Genealogy Web Archive and is part of a larger collection of historically and culturally significant websites designated for preservation. The Old Settlers Reunion Website won the Michigan Humanities Outstanding Organization Award 2022  [Humanities Award 2022]
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Other Old Settler Videos:  https://osrw.org/videos
Federally Recognized Old Settler ID Badges (Available at http://www.osrw.org)
Click on the book to order through PayPal 


Read Articles about Old Settlers who appeared in the Lakeview Area, Pioneer, and Morning Sun Newspapers

The Old Settlers of Isabella, Mecosta, and Montcalm Counties in Michigan
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Visit:  www.OSRW.org to purchase the Old Settlers History Book​
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