Source:  http://www.geocities.com/histmich/vanburenhist.html

Excerpts:

The township of Van Buren contains a total of 23, 131.10 acres of land, or approximately 26.690 square miles. All of this land was originally taken up by just 172 people. The first land purchase in 1820 was made by Cabel Marsh, and the last was made by Frederic Spawn, on October 30, 1838. Among those who recieved a land patent were six women: Sarah Sterling, Margaret Punches, Eliza Smith, Sally Kipp, Helen Ferguson and Mary McMath.

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In 1831, township land patents issued were to Henry Frain, Clark Horner, Ira Merrill, Thomas Robinson, John Allen, William Crawford, Daniel Douglass, Harvey Douglass, Abraham Soop, Scott Vining, George Earing, John R. Farnsworth, Roswell Pratt, Charles Russell, Jeremiah Nottingham, Chauncey L. Crouse, Benjamin Bearley, Samuel Baldwin and David Dalrymple.

Henry L. Frain came to Michigan from Seneca County, New York, and first settled in Washtenaw County. Other family members settled and Frain's Lake was named in their honor. Henry L. took up land on what is now Tyler Street. Here he cleared the land and erected his home; raising a family of 9 children. He was an active leader in religious activities. Frain was born November 26, 1804, and married Mary Ann Punches was born in New York April 16, 1806. Their children were as follows: George, Henry, Mary, Sallie, Michael, Priscilla, Louisa, Samantha, and Maria.
 

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The following year in 1833, the land grants were issued to: Silas Carpenter, John Huffman, Solomon Frain, William Frain, Ephriam A. Shaw, Russel Hidges, Michael Frain, Anson Horner, Clement Loveder, Nelson Barnum, Margaret Punches, Philip Reynolds, Richard Bugbee, Elias Vreelandt, Louis Stoflett, Alfred Collins, Woodman W. Maxson, Nathaneil D. Atherton, John Camburn, Arba Ash, Oliver Morton, William Jenkins , Alex Buchanan, Simeon A. Dunn, George Jewett, Asahell Baxter, Charles Ferguson, James McIntosh, John Buchanan, David Ferguson, Joseph Standry, John Baxter, Richard Willets, Andrew Layton, Amos Willets, Andrew J. Squire, Samuel Whittaker, Thomas McIntosh, Wilkinson Dean, Luther Throop, Dexter Carlton, Henry A. Hubbard, Warren Smith, William Atkinson, John Lickiss, Jehiel Burt, Ambrose Alexander, Able Craine, and Thomas Robison.

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Margaret Punches came to Michigan with her parents from Vora, Ontario County, New York, at the age of 23. She located and purchased 80 acres of her own, and later married Edward Strong who had come here from Massachusetts in 1832. Margaret's sister, married James Warren.

Henry Post settled on Tyler Street, and had family members also marry into the Frain and Hubbard familys.
 

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