Person:Philander McLain (1)

Notes taken from History of Genesee County, Michigan. "Philander McLain, from the town of Fleming, Cayuga Co.,N.Y., came to Michigan in June, 1836, and purchased the farm on section 2, in Gaines, where he now resides. In the summer of 1838 he moved his family to Oakland Co., Mich., where they remained until December of the same year, when they moved into the house he had made ready for them."

From Gaines Area Bicentennial 1875-1975 "Philander McLain, of Cayuago County, New York, was the next to enter land in Gaines township, for the purpose of settlement. His choice was a parcel of land with a stream and sugar bush in section 2. McLain walked to the government land office in Detroit to stake a claim to his homestead. His feet were so swollen from his walk, that he had his boots cut from his swollen feet. McLain returned to Gaines in 1838 to build a log home and in December he brought his family here. His wife, Cornelia A., was then a pioneer wife and mother, aged 16."

Genesee Co., MI -- General Land Office Records - 1807-1907 PATENT_L_N PATENT_F_N PATENT_M_I SECTION_NR TOWNSHIP RANGE TOTAL_ACRE L_O_CODE DOCUMENT_NR SIGN_DATE MCLAIN PHILANDER 2 6 N 5 E 93.91 02 21464 1837/08/05 MCLAIN PHILANDER 2 6 N 5 E 94.23 02 21503 1837/08/05

In 1842 was elected as a Justice of the Peace for Gaines Township.

1850 Census of Genesee County, Michigan p. 246 Clayton Township

    Name           Age  Sex  Occupation     Born

306-306 McLain, Philander 38 M Farmer N. York

         Cornelia       28   F              N. York
         Charles        11   F              Mich
         Martha         9    F              Mich
         Emily          7    F              Mich
         Lovina         3    F              Mich
         Samantha  1    F              Mich

1860 Gaines Township, Genesee County, Michigan Census p. 350

    Name           Age  Sex  Occupation     Born
    McLane,   Philander      49   M    Farmer         NY
         Cornelia       37   F              NY
         Charles        21   M              NY
         Martha         19   F              MI
         Cemantha  10   F              MI
    Hutchinson,   William    13   M              MI

1870 Census of Genesee County, Michigan p. 6 or 250 Gaines Township

    Name           Age  Sex  Occupation     Born

43-42 McLain, Philander 59 M Farmer New York

         Cornelia                  47            F              Keeping House       New York
    Helner,    Ferdinand                11            F                                             MI (parents foreign born)

1880 Gaines Township, Genesee County, Michigan Census Name Age Sex Occupation Born FB MB McClain, Philander 69 M Farmer NY NY NY

    Delia          57   F    Keeping House  NY   NY   NY

O'Dell, Seamen 48 M House carpenter NY NY NY

               Samantha                30           F               Keeping House       MI            NY           NY

McClain, Hurbert Gson 19 M Works on farm MI NY NY

1900 Gaines Township, Genesee County, Michigan Census p. 164A

              Name                              Sex    Birth         Age   Married    Kids  Live   Born  FB   MB

45-46 McLain, Charles Head M May 1839 61 39 yrs MI NY NY

               Francis                Wife    F      Feb 1841    59    39 yrs        4        4       MI    NY    NY
               Philander          Father    M     June 1811  88      wd                               NY   NY   NY
              Ernest                Brother  M     Dec 1868    31                                         MI    MI    MI
              Charlie               nephew M     Sept 1896    3                                          MI     MI   MI

From the book "Going Up the Swartz" History of Swartz Creek Area by Yutha Hayes. Found in the Lansing State Library, Lansing, Michigan.

    "With the opening of the Michigan "wilderness" and improved modes of transportation, Eastern pioneers began flocking to the former Sauk-Chippewa maple sugar camp.  There were the Cargills, Fletchers, Darts, Rynos, Burtons, Perkins, Baldwins, Judsons, Miles, Gilkeys, Calkins, Christlers, Nelsons, Dibbles, McLains and Millers - families who had sold their farms and homes in the East to stake themselves to a new beginning on a parcel of land that just a few years before had belonged to one of the most powerful Indian tribes in the Michigan territory and had been dismissed as worthless swamp.
    One such individual was Philander McLain who, with a group of other men, came upon a choice spot of land near what was to become Swartz Creek.  Hearing his fellow travelers plotting to cut him out of the land claim and beat him back to the land office in Detroit, McLain waited until after they had gone to sleep before slipping away - on foot.
    Arriving in Detroit ahead of his former partners, McLain filed a claim.  It was only after he was assured that he land was his, that he allowed someone to cut the boots off his swollen feet.
    A native of Fleming, New York, in Cayuga County, McLain returned there to fetch back with him his 16 year old wife.  Arriving back in 1838, he constructed a log shanty for them on his property which extended east of School Street, west and south of Miller Road to the Swartz Creek and almost to Seymour Road.  The log shanty was replaced in 1860 by a frame domicile as the McLains found themselves rising in the communities social hierarchy.
    Philander remained on good terms with his neighbors and nearby Indians who used him as thier dentist, veternarian and, oft times, their doctor."

Carolyn Hubbard has that Philander died March 27, 1890.

According to the book "History of Swartz Creek Area 1836-1976" The Mary Crapo School is located where the McLain Farm Orchard stood. The main buildings of the farm were on the land between McLain and Fairchild streets.

1. ↑ Letter from Uriah McLain's Pension File.
2. ↑ Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck. Revolutionary War Bounty Land Grants
   p. 356.
3. ↑ 1850 Census of Genesee County, Michigan.
4. ↑ 1870 Census of Gaines County, Michigan.
5. ↑ Copy of Swartz Creek Cemetery Record.
6. ↑ Copy of Swartz Creek Cemetery Record.
7. ↑ Copy of Swartz Creek Cemetery Record.
8. ↑ 1840 Census of Genesee County, Michigan.
9. ↑ 1850 Census Index of Michigan.
10. ↑ A copy of a letter that Carolyn Hubbard sent having to do with Aaron Decker.