2023.10.430

Orra Shead, Early Allegan Settler This year there's been a special SDHS focus on Great Lakes ship wrecks. The June monthly meeting featured the 1895 loss of the Chicora. A visit to the Old School House reveals displays and student art on many such wrecks, dating back to 1842. It seems appropriate to take a look at how a ship wreck on Lake Erie in 1838 brought tragedy to one pioneer Ganges family. By the time New Yorker Orra Shead's purchase of 640 acres of land in Allegan County was recorded on May 1, 1839, he was already dead. He had drowned almost a year before while on his way back to New York to bring his family to their new home. Like Moses, he was not to enjoy his promised land, but his family did. Orra Shead had been born about 1788 and was a resident of St. Lawrence County, NY. In 1814 he moved from nearby Russell, NY and built a grist mill at a place which originally was called "Shead's Mill" in his honor. Five years later, he added a saw mill. In 1819 Mr. Shead is shown as being a Lt. in Major James Howe's One Hundred and Eighty-fourth regiment of infantry. The town was incorporated in 1827 under the name "Edwards" and Orra Shead was elected its first supervisor and postmaster. Orra married about 1816 to Nancy Shipman (b. c1796 in Vt, daughter of William Shipman and Molly Wilder). One record names Orra's father as having been a Daniel Shead (b about 1760). Orra and Nancy were to have the following children: ​Cornelia Shead Goodrich b. 2 Jul 1817 d. 5 Dec 1891 m. Dr. Chauncey Goodrich, Jr. both bur. Loomis Cem, Ganges, Allegan Co, Michigan ​Mary b. c1819 ​Franklin O. Shead b. 1823 d. 18 Aug 1850 bur. Loomis Cem, Ganges ​Rhonda Shead 1825 ​Louis Ashman Shead b 1830 d. abt 1915, Oakland; Alameda; Berkeley, California, USA, m. Lucinda H. Burns Mar. 17, 1852 and m. Lucy C. Goodrich Sep. 7, 1863, it also appears he had a daughter out of wedlock by Elnora T. (Plummer) Weed - Sarah Cornelia b. Jan. 17, 1853 (she married Charles Talbert Lee, died Jan 1, 1903 and is buried at Plummerville Cem.) ​Daniel Lindsey Shead 1833 d. ? m. Lucinda Kenneda Jan. 9, 1858 ​Laura Amelia Shead Jewett 30 Nov 1837-22 May 1906 Allegan Vill., Allegan, Wife of Nathaniel Jewett, both buried Oakwood Cem, Allegan. Mr. Shead came to Newark Twp (now Saugatuck Twp) in 1837 and bought his land. He was on his way back to New York to bring his family when the great lakes steamer Washington caught fire and sank in Lake Erie Jun.16, 1838. We can thank "Find A Grave" volunteers Linda C. Arthur (Orcutt) and Karen Kennelly for going to the Evans Center Cemetery in Erie County, NY, and taking this photo of Orra's now broken stone. The 1840 census shows the widow and family still living in St. Lawrence Co., NY, but the family is in Ganges by 1850, listed two enumerations away from Harrison Hutchins. It seems the Shead acreage was located just east of the section on which the Loomis Cemetery is located today on 112nd St in Ganges Township. Nancy Shipman Shead, died Apr. 9, 1852 and is buried in the Loomis Cemetery. Her stone there, like her husband's in New York, lies broken, but thanks to the efforts of descendants Ron Lee of Bella Vista, Arkansas and Aaron Plummer of Ganges, is soon to be repaired. Aaron has already been working on the Goodrich stones in Loomis, see photograph. The Sheads were to be joined here by other New York neighbors. When Edwards, NY was incorporated, Asa Brayton Jr. was one of the town assessors. John C. Hale (Haile) was town clerk and held several other offices. Both of these folks were to have Allegan County connections. Asa's sister Hannah (c1780-1857) was married to Dr. Chauncey B. Goodrich of Fowler, NY who was to become the first physician in Saugatuck. He began his practice in 1842. Both Hannah and her husband are buried in the Loomis Cemetery. Their son Dr. Chauncey Jr, was to marry Cornelia, daughter of Orra Shead and his wife Nancy. John C. Haile's younger brother James C. Haile came to the lakeshore, south of Douglas, in the early 1830s and built a sawmill. He may have been the first of the Edwards, NY area folks to live in Ganges Twp. John and James were the sons of War of 1812 Brigadier General James B. Haile and Lucy Campebll. Kit Lane provided these added facts about the Shead family: "According to HH Hutchins, Dan and Louis Shead were the inspiration for the first band in Ganges township, one played cornet and one the baritone horn. Lew Shed (Uncle Henry's spelling was erratic), was a partner in a shingle mill, and Dan Shed was a great pigeon hunter according to his nephew, H. H. Goodrich"

Family History1830 Settlement, pioneer era

Winthers, Sally

05/26/2026

05/26/2026