Searls, Jonathan, 1791-1841.

Searls, born in 1791, was a War of 1812 veteran. A member of McClure's NY Militia, he was wounded near Kingston, Canada, and carried the bullet for the rest of his life. In 1834 he and his brother, Samuel Searls left Erie County (NY) to move to what became Charlotte (Eaton County, Mich.). They bought property, chopped the first road from Bellevue to Charlotte, and built the first home on the edge of Charlotte. Samuel married Ruth. Jonathan married Sally and had eleven children. They brother were champion woodcutters. Jonathan was appointed postmaster in 1838, probably serving until 1841. He died in 1841, buried on the farm as there was as yet no town cemetery. Sally died in 1877 at nearly 80 years of age. Their home was located on Searls Road. (For further information see the finding aid and the History of Ingham and Eaton Counties, Mich.) William Austin Burt was a Michigan member of the Legislative Council from Macomb County, 1826-1827 and Representative from Macomb County, 1853-1854. He was a surveyor in Michigan and nationally, and was appointed U.S. Surveyor. He developed and improved the solar compass and discovered iron ore in the Upper Peninsula while surveying the land there. (For further iformation on Burt see Michigan Biographies, v. I and materials by Burt in the Clarke Historical Library.).