Gravesite of Jesse Towns in Towns Cemetery
This MCP Great Lakes History Blog is presented by Filer Credit Union and the Mason County Historical Society.
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
AMBER TOWNSHIP — Amber Township maintains two cemeteries, Rickey Cemetery, located on Conrad Road, and Towns Cemetery, located on Johnson Road. Before either of those cemeteries were developed, the township owned a cemetery known as the Evans Cemetery, located quarter mile southwest of Amber station, about quarter mile west on modern First Street, on the south side of the road. About 25 people were buried in the cemetery.
Grave of Willie Dahn in Rickey Cemetery
After the two new cemeteries were laid out the bodies were moved from the Evans Cemetery to the new cemeteries.
One of the first bodies moved to the Rickey Cemetery was Willie Dahn, the son of Charles Dahn (1832-1904) and Mary (Tarnow) Dahn. Willie died in the fall of 1871 and was originally buried in the Evans Cemetery. The Dahns came to Amber in either 1862 or 1864 and built a log house across the road from where the Rickey school was located. In 1870, they moved to a farm on what became Dennis Road, between Conrad Road and First Street.
The Dahns had two other children who lived into adulthood: Charles J. and Hannah.
One of the first bodies to be moved to the Towns Cemetery was that of Cyrus Towns, the 1-year-old infant of Sarah and Jesse Towns, who died in 1864.
Jesse (1833-1910) and Sarah (1834-1920) Towns moved to Amber Township from Ohio in 1858, homesteading on land that runs along modern Johnson Road east of Stiles Road (the western half of the modern Alway farm).
Jesse and Sarah had two children before moving to Michigan. Son Lewis Clarkson Towns (1858-1936) was born on April 14, 1858 in Ohio and son Daniel J. Towns (1859-1936) was born in Bourbon Township, Marshall County, Indiana. The rest of their children are listed as being born in Amber Township, Mason County: Cyrus B. Towns (1862-1864), Jesse Melvin Towns (1864-1947), Arthur W. Towns (1866-?), Robert O. Towns (1869-1913), Laura B. Towns (1871-?), Mary E. Towns (1874-?), and Blanche Towns (1877-1962).
Towns Cemetery is located on Johnson Road.
The decision to develop new cemeteries happened in September and October of 1871. On Sept. 3, 1871, the Amber Township board of health met at the Rickey schoolhouse (along what is now Conrad Road) and decided to purchase land from George Martin, adjacent to the schoolhouse, for $30.
Charles Hackert Sr. was appointed the cemetery’s first sexton. A committee consisting of Valentine Parker, W.A. Bailey and Eli Chinnery, was appointed to layout the cemetery.
On Oct. 14, 1871, the board of health met again at the Rickey schoolhouse and agreed to purchase an acre of land from Jesse L. Towns, who owned 80 acres of land. Valentine Parker, who live on the “River Road” (Conrad Road) was authorized to visit Towns and buy the land.
At the October meeting, it was decided the names of the cemeteries would be North Cemetery and South Cemetery. The names were eventually changed to Towns Cemetery and Rickey Cemetery.
Rickey Cemetery is on Conrad Road.
On Oct. 6, 1872, Towns and his neighbor, Daniel Prindle, who owned property adjacent to the cemetery land, along with John L. Arnold and C.W. Jones, met at the cemetery and laid out the lots. The four northwest corner lots were reserved for transient burials. Towns was appointed sexton and Prindle was assistant sexton. A fence was built around the cemetery and anyone wishing to help build the fence could pay for their lots, which were sold for $3 each.
While the majority of townships in Mason County were named after Civil War-era figures, events, or movements, or for nearby geographical highlights, Amber Township’s name remains a historical mystery. One historical account states it was named after a town in Indiana. However, no such town of Amber ever existed in Indiana. Another account stated it was named after one of the settler’s daughter. But, Amber Township, more than other townships, seemed to attract a significant amount of Civil War veterans. Towns Cemetery alone is the final resting place of 14 of them. Read more about several of the veterans here.
Editor’s Note: Technically, Brookside Cemetery, located west of Gordon Road along US 10-31, is in Amber Township. However, the cemetery is owned by the City of Scottville and therefore the city has jurisdiction over the property.
The Mason County Historical Society is a non-profit charitable organization that was founded in 1937 that does not receive any governmental funding. It owns and operates the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum in Ludington, Historic White Pine Village in Pere Marquette Township, and the Rose Hawley Archives and the Mason County Emporium and Sweet Shop in downtown Ludington.
For more information about donating to and/or joining the Mason County Historical Society, visit masoncountymihistory.org.
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