PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — On the side of the road in Plainfield Township, a rusty, wrought-iron fence tells the story of a Civil War-era family that worked the ground until one day, they returned to it forever.
The century-old history — and alleged human remains protected by the fence — were nearly lost to time and progress until a local historian separated myth from recorded fact.
"If you don't know history, you're not going to deal with the future," said Norm VanSoest, a director at Hyser Rivers Museum in Plainfield.
While VanSoest drove past the fence for years — located on the east side of West River Drive near Buth Drive — he "never realized" it marked a burial site until he received a phone call from an Ohio woman. She was researching her family tree, trying to find out where in the township her great-great-great-great grandfather had been buried.
Despite never meeting her in person, VanSoest said, "We became best friends on the phone."
Combing through census data and plat maps, the two found a match for the woman's mystery relative: Michael Smith and his wife, Ellen.
“By accident, really, I got involved in it," VanSoest said. "[I was] delighted I had a part in salvaging that [history]."
Both from New York, the Smiths settled on a patch of land near the Grand River, bought from the federal government in 1838 by their son, Tom.
In 1850, their real estate was valued at $500, according to historical data. In 1860, however, that amount had increased to $1,500 with the family farming 500 bushels of corn on 55 acres of land. They also raised $500 worth of livestock, including four horses, six milking cows, two oxen, six swine and one "other cattle."
"When you get my age, you look back and you think, ‘Well, that wasn’t too many years ago,'" VanSoest said. "Then you realize it was."
During or shortly after the American Civil War, Michael and Ellen both died and were buried on the property. In the years that soon followed, grandchildren Little Ellen and Little Hiram were buried alongside the couple, succumbing to typhoid fever and a scalding by steam, respectively.
In 1874, Michael and Ellen's son, Hiram, sold the property to a buyer unrelated to the family but noted that the family burial site was to remain untouched. To this day, VanSoest has seen to it, honoring Hiram's wish.
"I said, 'Uh-uh. Can't be done,'" said VanSoest, recalling a failed attempt by a former property owner to remove the fence. In the end, the company sold the land to its present-day owner, DJ's Landscape Management.
Whether the Smiths are actually buried directly beneath the fence, VanSoest can't be sure, but the family history he and others have uncovered is undeniable.
“To uncover it like we did was a really great feeling of satisfaction," VanSoest said. "[It] made me feel great that it hadn't been forgotten.”
Author's note: Hunting Down History also contribued to this report.
