This township which is reckoned as agriculturally one of the good townships of the county, was organized in 1871, and is Township 12, north, Range 15, west, being a complete six mile township. It is traversed by the Muskegon & Big Rapids R. R. from its southwest to near its northeast corner, passing through Holton village, which has one newspaper printed at the Forum office, Whitehall, and known as the Holton Banner. There are a few lakes in the southeastern portion, of which Deer Lake is the largest. The southern part drains into the Muskegon Lake, the north in the White River. Cedar Creek passes through Holton Village and thence through the east of Cedar Creek Township, and thence into Muskegon Lake. It is the most northeasterly township of the county, and is bounded on the north by Oceana County, on the east by Newaygo, south by Cedar Creek, and west by Blue Lake. Two thirds of the township is of a sandy loam. The northeastern part was first settled. From Holton Village to Muskegon City is nearly 15 miles, from Whitehall, about 13 miles. The population in 1870 was 620, 339 males.
    The village of Holton owes its start to the firm of Blodgett & Byrne, and was so named in compliment to Ex-Gov. Holt. It was not called Holt because of another postoffice of that name in Ingham County.
    The east and northeast portion of the township is very good soil and heavily timbered.

    The settlement of Holton presents some features different from those of the other townships of this county. It was originally an Indian reservation for the Ottawa, who were settled in this vicinity, and was popularly known as "Indian town." The aborigines made very little attempt to take possession, and the great mass of them moved away to the north, where they still reside, abandoning the gift of Uncle Sam. Gradually white men selected the best sites. and settled down to the number of a dozen or two, improving their places, and, in some cases, planting orchards. The land being in most cases good for agriculture, they had no desire to abandon their claims, as had been done in the sandy soild of some towns in the county. Some were squatters, but the most of them had gone to the land office in Ionia, and, through some misapprehension on the part of the officials, had secured pre-emption rights or had bought outright. These proceedings, when reported to Washington, were, of course, cancelled as null and void. In the meantime a man named John R. Robinson, of Ada Township, a son of the noted early Indian trader, Rix Robinson, by a lady of half French and half Indian blood, spied out the land, went to Washington, and by setting up his claim as an Indian, secured a United States patent for 4,500 acres of splendid timbered land on good soil. This he disposed of for several thousand dollars to the late Ransom E. Wood, of Grand Rapids, but as soon aa the latter became aware of the lively opposition on the part of the settlers, he re-conveyed the property to Robinson, who afterwards sold it about twelve years ago to Messrs. Blodgett & Byrne for $15,500. Of course the settlers murmered, but the just, liberal, and honorable course of this enterprising firm gradually disarmed opposition, by paying for improvements, and, where desired, by selling the land at wild land prices, and by their enterprise in developing the resources in the town, and giving remunerative employment to the settlers, and affording a home market for their products. They erected a fine saw mill, which ran until the close of the season in 1881, and is now being removed, and also a large mercantile establishment.
    Joseph Troutier, Indian store keeper on Sand Lake, was the first man having any white blood in his veins, that settled on Muskegon River. He was a French half-breed. William Badeau was one of the first settlers in the village.
    The present Clerk of the town is a teacher at Twin Lake school, Mr. N. R. Dwyer.
    A. Steinberg was a very early settler, as was a Mr. Campbell, who selected a mill site at Twin Lake and put up a portable mill, at the same time cutting a road to Whitehall.
    The first store in the village was that of Blodgett & Byrne, which is still the most extensive concern of the kind. Thomas McLaughlin (deceased) was the first manager of the store.
    The second store was started by John Glade, now of Howard City, up the river, who commenced in a very humble way- with a couple of barrels with boards on them as a counter. The store on the same site now is Rand & Jennings'.
    The first church was the Methodist Episcopal, of which Rev. Mr. Jackson is now pastor.
    The first white settlers were the present Supervisor, Rufus W. Skeels, and Norman Cunningham, now deceased. At that time there were none in Blue Lake. Voters had then to go to the Wheat settlement to vote, as the town was first, along with five other towns, a portion of White River, and then set aprt with Cedar Creek.
    The town is clear of debt and has money in the treasuery. The tax is 41/2 per cent, on the assured valuation, including school tax, which is 21/2 per cent. The two saloons of the village, which now pay $200 each, and, under the new law, will pay $300 each, contribute more than enough to pay the contingencies of the town.
    About 1864 there came in a colony of Norwegians and Danes, who settled in the south of Holton and north of Cedar Creek. The first christening was in 1866, on a child of Capt. H. Aslakon. They number now about thirty families, about two-thirds of whom are in the church. They built, in 1881, a $500 church, and have preaching once a month, by the Rev. A. Andersen, of Muskegon. They had, before this, worship in private houses and school houses. Rev. J. E.. Bergh was the first pastor, and used to travel from Muskegon on foot, but his health gave way under chills and fever, and he went to Minnesota. Next came Rev. Mr. Floren, who could get in by rail, as the railway came in 1872. There is no debt on their church, of which the present trustees are Capt. Aslakon, O. C. Olson and O. Trygstad.
    Isaac Casady, blacksmith in the village, is one of the early settlers, having come to work for Blodgett & Byrne. Among other early settlers was Jos. Dobe.
    There are eight saw mills in the town, including Blodgett & Byrne's, which is undergoing removal to some other point. In the northwest portion of the town there are the portable mills, those of Wm. Coon and Eugene Husted, which are of recent erection. East of Holton village Isaac Meriom & Brother have a large mill, which was burned in October, 1881, and was immediately rebuilt.
 
 

    is a thriving little village fifteen miles Northeast of Muskegon, on the M. & B. R. Branch R. R. It has a population of about 500, and was platted by Blodgett & Byrne in 1871, they having large landed interests in and around there. After laying out the town, their first move in the line of manufacturing enterprise as to start a sawmill with a cutting capacity of about 10,000 feet of lumber per day. After running that for about one year they tore it down and in its place put up a fine lumber and shingle mill, with a capacity of about 50,000 feet lumber and 90,000 shingles, which was afterwards burned, together with about 2,000,000, and on which was no insurance. It was rebuilt and ran until 1881.
    The first store was put up by Blodgett & Byrne, the goods having to be hauled with teams from Muskegon, there being no railroad at that time. The first blacksmith shop was put up by Isaac Casady in 1872. John Glade located there and built and opened up a general store. The first wagonshop was opened up by Geo. E. Allen. The next  to start was a grocery by Thomas McLaughlin. The first shoeshop was built by Theodore Schmeiling. The first saloon was built by John Keifer. The first hotel and meat market by Richard Lindsey. The first justice of the peace was his honor, Charles Comstock; the court room was in the meat market, and the prisoner was locked up in a box car. The village as well as the township was named in honor of ex-Gov. Holt, of Muskegon, a gentleman kindly remembered by the people of Holton for his kind attention and liberality towards the little village in its infancy. Its chief business places are as follows: Blodgett & Byrne, saw and shingle mill and general store; Geo. E. Allen, general store and grain elevator; general store and furniture, Rand & Jennings; wagon and carriage shop, Thompson Bro's; boots and shoes, Wm. Apel; hotel and saloon, Chas. Tyson; blacksmith and wagon shop, Isaac Casady; jeweler, John Hawkey; boots and shoes, Ensign & Son; wagon and carriage shop, M. J. Crahen; saloon, Wm. Badeau; livery stable and barber shop, James B. Rhodes; drug store, Dr. D. A. McDonald; photographer, Mr. Membroe. It is surrounded by a good farming country for grain, hay, fruit and stock, and is now quite a shipping point for lumber, shingles, tan bark, railroad ties, grain, hay and stock, and is destined to be one of the finest villages in Northwestern Michigan. It has also a fine M. E. Church, the bell for it being a present from ex-Gov. Holt, a good school house with school ten months a year.

    is about two miles and a half North of Twin Lake, on the Big Rapid's Branch of the C. & W. M. Railway. It is in the Southeast of Holton, on Section 32, at the junction of two branches of Ceadr Creek. George Badeau has a shingle mill there, built in 1878, cutting 45,000 a day. Burrows & Blythe have another shingle mill, cutting 70,000 a day. It also cuts lumber off the side of logs, and cuts it with a citcular for shingles. There is little else at the station but boarding houses.