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Early history in Wayne

The area in what is now Wayne a pioneer settler was not easy, as
was covered by at least six different they had to clear their land of trees,
glaciers over the past million years, plant crops, and get a farm going
with the last glacier melting about from scratch in a harsh and some-
12,500 years ago. Interestingly the times unforgiving environment.
great lakes used to be much larger at Neighbors could be miles away, and
that time and the shoreline was actu- the town of Wayne was only a few
ally at Wayne. Evidence shows Wayne dozen people.
road actually follows the ridge of the Bears and wolves still populated
old beach, with the east side of town Americans in 1807. In 1824 the first this area of Michigan, and the low
being underwater. It was during this cabin was built in Wayne by George swampy nature of the eastern land in
time that the first humans entered Johnson as a stagecoach stop on the Wayne led to a lot of malaria spread
Michigan, but then there is a gap Chicago road (Michigan Avenue). In by mosquitoes. We have letters from
until about 1000 years ago when the early 1830s the Indian removal early settlers that were bedridden 6
modern Native Americans settled the acts forced many remaining Native months of the year with malaria, Ezra Derby
area. The Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Ot- Americans to move west, move north which they called "Ague". In 1832
tawa and Wyandot were the major to reservations, or integrate. In 1825 Ezra Derby bought the tavern and Farms also usually had fruit trees,
tribes in Michigan when French trap- the Erie Canal was opened and early built the first blacksmith shop, gen- grapes, vegetable gardens and some
pers began exploring in the 1600s. steamboats had come online causing eral store, and a sawmill. Using this livestock. Raising sheep in this area
Its estimated there were about a flood of east coast settlers to come lumber he built he first frame house was quite popular until dairy cows
15,000 Native Americans in all of to Detroit and eventually move in- in Wayne in 1834, also on Michigan took over in the 1890s. Wayne re-
Michigan, and the unfortunate land to Wayne and beyond. Many of Avenue. He plotted a small settle- mained a small agricultural hamlet
spread of disease from Europeans these people had been living in New ment and sold lots, sparking the be- through to the 1920s when factory
reduced this population by half York or other states for generations, ginnings of a town. However, by the jobs began to take over. More about
within 30 years. but by the 1840s and 50s Wayne 1860s there were still fewer than this history can always be enjoyed at
Through many wars, rebellions, began to see immigrants straight 300 people in Wayne. Common the Historical Museum, or on our
and unfair treaties much of the land from western Europe, especially Ger- crops grown in the area include Facebook and Instagram, come give
where Wayne is was ceded by Native many, Scotland and Ireland. Life for beans, sugar beets, corn and wheat. us a visit.

4 · May 2024 · The Wayne Dispatch