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- Newspaper Article - Thursday, July 23, 1925 Sandy Creek News - Our Early Families - The Howlett Family - Sketch of One of the Pioneer Families of Sandy Creek - In the year 1817, Luther B. Howlett, (great grandfather of Mrs. B. S. Porter and Miss Coral Howlett, of Lacona) with his wife, Priscilla Barrett Howlett (Dolly Carpenter, Priscilla was the mother), and two children, William and Julius Augustus, traveled over: land with horses from the state of Connecticut, finally arriving, in the town of Sandy Creek. Such a journey, for any of the present generation, would more than exhaust and discourage them, but not so with these Howletts. They builded a log house in which to live and took up their tasks with the spirit, courage and ambition of true pioneers. At this, time this section was but a wilderness with no rail road nor public highway yet put through, and when the road was laid out it brought their dwelling just west of the old Howlett homestead, now on the Ridge Road. The only other dwelling house in that vicinity was the Titus home, later owned by Jackson Newton and which was, a number of years ago, destroyed by fire. Life in those days was far different from our present day mode of living. They had no electricity, gas nor city water. Their cooking was done mostly with the crane and fire place mid all the light was from tiny oil lamps, as they were called, but which looked more like a candle stick and held not more than two or three tablespoons of oil. Two of the lamps were on exhibition at the Centennial display of antiques on the fair ground. Mr. Howlett was a school teacher and later taught in what is now the Seeley district. School, was in session every day in the week up to Saturday noon and every Saturday afternoon he went the rounds, mending the shoes of all the children that they might be able to attend school the coming week. Being a musician he also taught music and held singing schools, Mr. Howlett played a clarinet, fife, flute, violin and bass viol, all of which were shown at the Centennial. When the Ridge Road was put through, he built a house and moved his household belongings into it, but on a Sunday, while the rest of the family were attending church, a daughter, who remained home, took the ashes from the fireplace and emptied them near the house. A coal which was in them coming in contact with the wooden structure, set it on fire and it burned to the ground. Another house was soon erected with more modern improvements, which, with its great white pillars, still stands on the Ridge Road as a monument to the memory of this pioneer. Being a carpenter, Mr. Howlett had a shop and in it the family resided while the last house was in the process of construction about ninety years ago. The families of the early settlers were larger than the families of our present day. Nine children were born to this family: William Elliott, Julius Augustus, Andalusia Maria, Caroline Louisa, Gilford Dudley, Algernon Sydney, (the latter three dying in infancy), Mary Jane and Frank Deploy. Mr. Howlett was a Congregationalist and assisted in the erection of the present edifice of that denomination, which was the first building erected for religious worship In the town of Sandy Creek. One of the sons, William Elliott, was father of Frances, Coral and Ardell Howlett, more familiarly known as the Howlett girls, the latter of which is Mrs. B. S. Porter. These girls were all born at the Howlett homestead and lived there until they moved to Lacona village, into the house now occupied by them where they have for a number of years conducted a very successful millinery business and dress making establishment. The millinery part of the business has long since been discontinued.
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1789 - 1842 (52 years)