As the title of this blog suggests, not only are these family stories but the trail of a genealogical journey into the past. In this case, it is about a book that for years was the basis for what our family knew about their Mulholland ancestors who were prominently featured in the 1881 History of Washtenaw County. But, as the saying goes, just because it is printed doesn't make it so.
Our Proud Heritage Documented in a Book
Did you know that our ancestors are listed as distinguished citizens living in Superior Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan in the early 1880s? Here's what the 1881 History of Washtenaw County has to say about my great-great grandfather who is listed in the Superior Township section:
Samuel Mulholland was born in Ireland in 1812, and is a son of Samuel and Jane (Bullock) Mulholland. He received his education in his native land, and in early life learned the weaver's trade. In 1831 he emigrated to the United States, and the same year to Dixboro, Superior tp., having only means enough to reach his destination. He immediately went to work at odd jobs and anything he could get to do, and before long, he rented a farm to work on shares. In a few years he purchased his present farm on Section 5, comprising 160 Acres, the greater part being in cultivation. He was married in 1840 to Elizabeth Pounder. Of their 10 children, 9 are living, 3 boys and 6 girls – Mary Jane, Margaret, Ann, Eliza, Sarah, Phoebe, Samuel, John, William and Ada...an infant is deceased. Mrs. M. died May 12, 1868, loved and respected by all with whom she had acquaintance. (p. 1086)
We learn even more about the family from the entry in the 1881 History about Sam's younger brother, William.
William Mulholland ranks among the honored and aged pioneers of the fertile valley. He was born in Ireland in 1816 and is a son of Samuel and Jane (Burlock) Mulholland, who emigrated with their family to America in 1835. He settled in Superior tp. the same year, where William grew to manhood. In 1845 he married Mary Pounder. The fruits of this union was the birth of 10 children, 9 of whom, 3 sons and 6 daughters are living. Mrs. Mulholland departed this life in 1880. The names of the children are - Eliza, Margaret, Mary Jane, Anna, William H., Elceba, Josie, John J. and Samuel L. Mary died September, 1880. Mr. M is a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church. His wife was a faithful and consistent member of the Episcopal Church. Mr. Mulholland is Democratic in politics, and has served the citizens of Superior tp. in various official positions. He has many warm friends in this country, who desire to see him prosperous in life. (p. 1086)
My grandmother, Minnie Mulholland Hoffman (Samuel's granddaughter) had a copy of this book. She marked in various places the references to her family, of whom she was quite proud because they had been included. The book was inherited by her son Stanley Hoffman and is now in the possession of his daughter.
In the broad outlines, the story as portrayed in the biographies is right even if a few of the dates are skewed and names are misspelled. Verification of the early Mulholland story comes primarily from official documents rather than oral tradition within the family. Here is what we now know about Sam and his family.
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| County Monaghan, Ireland |
Samuel Mulholland jr. Arrives in Superior Township
Samuel J. Mulholland Jr. was born in 1812 in Drumhirk, County Monaghan, Ireland. A weaver by trade, Samuel sailed from Belfast, Ireland in April 1831, arriving in Quebec, Canada in June, then traveling on to Washtenaw, Michigan (today's Superior Township but at that time called Panama Township).
Eighteen-year-old Sam traveled with his older brother John Mulholland, then 29. They were joining their brother James and family who had arrived in Michigan territory about 1826. John went to live with James in the emerging town of Dixboro, while Sam worked odd jobs then rented farmlands on share (the rent was paid in produce) further out in the township. (See the Dixboro Ghost postings for the full story of John and James Mulholland).
The 1881 History shows younger brother William and sisters along with his parents joining Sam jr. in 1835 (likely a typo as they arrived in late 1833). Sam and William signed a petition in January 1834 sent to the U.S. Congress urging road improvements in southern Michigan. Based on the 1834 Michigan census and 1840 U.S. census, Sam jr. was living with his extended family and continued farming. In 1837, Sam joined his father and brother William in purchasing original land patents in Livingston and Ingham counties, although they never lived there and later sold off the acreage to other settlers. Interestingly, many Mulholland descendants would move to these counties in later years (see the Dixboro ghost entry about Michigan land patents).
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| 1856 Superior Twp. plat map with farms of Samuel and William Mulholland |
Initially Sam sr purchased land from son James in Section 20 of Superior Township as shown in land records dated Jan. 1834. Land in section 17 was transferred from his mother Jane's estate to William in 1845. Sam purchased farm land in Section 5 of Superior Township, and was living there in 1856 when an early plat map of the township was published. In later years, Sam would purchase additional farmland in Section 17 but lived on his original farm until his death. By 1856, brother William was farming his own land he obtained from his parents in Section 17.
The farms were located outside the present town of Dixboro (just northeast of Ann Arbor). Dixboro was a thriving community in the early 1800s, with hotels and tavern, general store, mills, and blacksmith shop. At the time it was larger than the backwater of Ann Arbor, but declined after the mid-1830s when the railroad bypassed it, going through Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti.
In December 1840, Sam married Eliza Pounder almost immediately after her family came to Michigan. Like the Mulhollands, the Pounder family emigrated from Ireland, arriving in Washtenaw County sometime after their July arrival in the U.S. The Pounders do not appear in the 1840 census collected mid-year. Eliza's older sister Mary Pounder married Sam's brother William in December 1844 (not 1845 as listed in the 1881 History).
Building a Family and a Farm
Sam and Eliza had a large family, with their first child born in 1842, a year and a half after their marriage. They had nine more children over the next eleven years:
- Mary Jane Mulholland (Martin) 1842-1907
- Margaret Ann Mulholland (Marsh) 1844-1905
- Eliza (Lil) Jane Mulholland (Parker) 1847-1922
- Sarah B. Mulholland 1849-1925
- Phebe A Mulholland 1851-1883
- Samuel J. Mulholland III 1853-1930
- Johnnie Mulholland 1855-1857
- John H. Mulholland 1858-1881
- William B. Mulholland 1860-1942
- Ada B. Mulholland (Winney) 1863-1949
Eliza died at the age of 45 in 1869 of consumption (known today as tuberculosis) when her youngest child was only six, and Sam never remarried. Sam lived many more years, dying at 75 in 1888. He continued to occupy his original farm with his younger children, Sarah B. who returned home to help with the house, and William B. who inherited the farm when his father died. Son Samuel III (my great-grandfather) was already living on the farm in Section 17 by about 1883 and that farm became his when Sam died. The surviving daughters shared equally the cash and non-land property according to Sam jr's will.
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| A view of the land where Sam farmed in Section 5 as seen in 2004 |
No stories have come down about Sam jr and Eliza beyond those in the county history and other official documents. We have photos of his children taken in the mid-1800s but none of Sam or Eliza. His life suggests he was a hard worker who carefully accumulated wealth through farming to purchase land, something that had been unattainable in his native Ireland. We know from the 1870 agricultural census that about half of Sam's 160 acres were "improved," with the following description:
- Improved land 80a; Woodland 70a; Other unimproved land 1a.
- Present value $8600; Farm $400; Amt. wages pd $200.
- Horses 3; Milk cows 2; Other cattle 1; Sheep 30; Swine 2; Value all livestock $525.
- Winter wheat 150bu; Indian corn 100bu; Oats 50bu; Barley 100bu.
By the end of his life, Sam Mulholland jr. was indeed an esteemed member of the Superior Township community as a wealthy farmer and early settler as suggested in the 1881 History of Washtenaw County.
Sam jr. and Eliza Mulholland are buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Superior Township among the earlier residents with tombstones there, surrounded by the graves of family members and descendants. They are noted on the historical sign at the entrance as township pioneers.
Today, none of their descendants remain in Superior Township and all have given up farming for other professions. Sam's farmland is slowly being encroached by development as the suburbs of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti extend further into formerly rural Washtenaw County. But their legacy lives on through the many great-grandchildren and beyond.
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| Descendants of Samuel jr and William Mulholland gathered about 1929-30, almost 100 years after they came to Michigan |
Why the Book Might be Wrong
As the above story shows, at least some of what was printed in the 1881 History of Washtenaw County about Samuel Mulholland and family was right. But dates and other details are wrong, sometimes because such books were meant to show those profiled in the best light and because, to some degree, precise dates for things like births, deaths, and marriages just weren't as important to many people back then.
The 1881 History of Washtenaw County is a huge tome of almost 1500 pages with a brown leather cover. The text was compiled by the county Pioneer Historical Society, with local committees throughout the county including one in Superior Township, where Samuel and William lived. These historical society groups carefully put together and edited the copy which they had contracted with a publisher to print. The final book remains a mainstay for historians and genealogists because of its vivid descriptions of the life and times of the county.
These days, of course, the book itself is still a beautiful antique but anyone can view the content through the various electronic reproductions online. And you don't need Minnie's notes, although they remain useful, as there is even an index created in 1960 to help find people and events.
About County Histories
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| Cover of the 1881 History of Washtenaw County |
When reading the preface about the historical society members who edited the book, it would appear that the 1881 History of Washtenaw County was a carefully developed book. But knowing more about county histories of the time and the economics of their publishing is quite revealing. These books made money by selling subscriptions, and often were not even printed until enough people committed to buying sufficient books to cover the costs. Of course, the best way to get people to buy was to put their names in the book. Longer entries and even lithographs could be included for more subscription fees.
Think of a county history as a way of selling advertising but instead of featuring businesses (they could be included as well), the histories have biographies and more about the people who will buy the book and had the money to do so. You can become a prominent citizen just by putting together your biography (or having the local committee write it based on the "facts" you choose to include) and paying your subscription price. Although not mentioned, but guessing by Sam's inclusion, the more prominent citizens in a community were also likely to be pressured to be included and therefore contribute to the funding.
It would be hard to get lots of people to buy an expensive book with just these biographies of people who had the money and thought they should be included, although the historical committees editing powers encompassed who was invited to submit a story. The books also have rich details of social life including grand parties and celebrations as well as amusing anecdotes and silly stories. For example, the Superior Township section mentions a gang of horse thieves operating in 1837 and a man killed by a falling tree. And of course, it has a long account of the Dixboro Ghost. These minor catastrophes liven up a history and can still make us pay attention today.
In 1963, historian Louis Doll wrote a review paper, "Victorian America: A Study of Chapman & Co.'s History of Washtenaw County, 1881," in the Washtenaw Historical Society Newsletter, Washtenaw Impressions. This short paper tells of the amusing anecdotes and biographies as well as showing the prevailing attitudes of the editors in the History. As Doll noted:
In 1963, historian Louis Doll wrote a review paper, "Victorian America: A Study of Chapman & Co.'s History of Washtenaw County, 1881," in the Washtenaw Historical Society Newsletter, Washtenaw Impressions. This short paper tells of the amusing anecdotes and biographies as well as showing the prevailing attitudes of the editors in the History. As Doll noted:
This history is probably better than most county histories for the reason that Washtenaw County contained the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and the Normal School at Ypsilanti, of both of which institutions of higher learning the citizens of the county were so proud. The editors drew on the talents of the educated men there.…The whole book is certainly influenced by the fact that the community contained a large number of people of exceptionally high intellectual caliber and with excellent education. The distinctive flavor of the book makes it intensely interesting in spots, and good reading in others, while it is a rare piece that is wholly lacking in readability.
He notes the book is uneven and incomplete, having been based solely on human memory rather than careful historical documentation. But it remains an interesting read for anyone interested in life in the county from its early years in the nineteenth century.
In a study of American county histories, Harold Ways noted:
In a study of American county histories, Harold Ways noted:
There still remain problems with editorial integrity, especially with the older subscription-based “mug-book” oriented publications. However, in many cases these are the only generally available surviving records. So the adage “some information is better than none” is true, but should be coupled with appropriate researcher caution and an understanding of how and why many of these publications came into being. (Ways, H., 2010, A White Paper: American County Histories: Their Uses, Usability, Sources and Problems with Access)
Link to download and view data sheet for Samuel J. Mulholland jr. (PDF)
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