Some early Hillsdale pioneers,

Some of those early pioneers such as the Pixley’s , Britten’s Silvernails all related by marriage also included a number of other early settlers, one of those noted families where the Kelly’s from Seneca NY and points East, who came to southern Michigan through Detroit at the urging of friends preceding them who also came from NY a year previously, all becoming some of the first settlers in Michigan, these families later coming into Hillsdale County locating in and around Pittsford township at Mallory lake during the early 1830’s, where they became prosperous farmers. It should be noted during that journey to southern Michigan there where many hardships to overcome moving a large distance with families and livestock through treacheries terrain and in many cases across the waters of Lake Erie to reach their ultimate goal where these crossings were a great struggle to survive.

Abraham being the eldest and patriarch of the family had also been and become fast friends with the local Potawatomi’s and their Chief Baw Beese where he often entertained the chief and many of his tribal elders at the family home.

[Referencing some Kelly family history in the Hillsdale Compendium page 280 attached]

Becoming successful farmers on that land which they had settled in Pittsford, as well as becoming community leaders, they resided at that location for a number of years till the late 1890’s at which time most of the family had relocated into Hudson, Lenawee County Next Door to Hillsdale where they again became profitable business owners.  Upon vacating their homestead in Pittsford, to honor and preserve their family and that of the early settlers in that area, the Kelly’s counted amongst them, the family farm including the area surrounding Mallory Lake was declared a state park, unfortunately in the 1990 as reported by Elizabeth Kelly Hart some vandals who had never been identified destroyed the structure that was to be preserved then no longer available for the public to enjoy.

On another note the Kelly family continued to be a force in Hillsdale where the son of Abraham, Oliver Perry Kelly married Serepta Silvernail in 1841 later fathering five children who would go on to further contribute in a significant way to the this community as successful farmers, one Justice of the Peace and another a Civil War veteran of note Oren C Kelly.

Oliver Perry Kelly the father of Five, was grounded in good ethics in governments and daily life professing his strong religious beliefs throughout the areas of southern Michigan including Hillsdale County where ever there was an opportunity, that fact mentioned briefly in an obituary printed in the Hillsdale Daily News marking his many good deeds and friends within the community, further introducing his son Myron and other family members to the Republican Party where Myron became an active member and partook of many campaigns supporting their effort. 

Orin Kelly another son of Oliver’s born and resided on the family farm in Hillsdale who later became the president of the 11th Calvary Association, and a member of the 11th Regiment Company D Michigan Volunteers and saw action in many major battles, and within that time of enlistment was one of several credited in capturing the military escort for the Confederate President Jeff Davis.

Another person born in Hillsdale, one of Oliver Kelly’s  great grandsons , Benjamin Irving Kelly born and raised in Pittsford at the Kelly residence enlisted in the Army then after that enlistment in the Army became a Speed boat and race car mechanic then went on to became employed by TAT one of the for runners of TWA and continued that employment until retirement in 1965 where his efforts were reward by the admiration of 100’s , inventing a number of improvements and devices including trim tabs that would prove invaluable to advance commercial aviation as we know it, and knew on a personal level and had friendships with many notable and well known aviators such as Eddie Rickenbacker and Howard Hughes, Jack Fry, Clair Chennault, and many in-between.

George Kelly 2020