The Nankin Township Historical Society

Detroit Free Press , October 21, 1848 Following the lead of this brief advertisement for Mr. Buel's Appointments turns up some interesting information. Of course, the impetus for the search was Schwarzburg, which was a stop on Alex W. Buel's speaking tour in support of his Democratic nomination for Congress, which he eventually won, as all Democrats running seemingly did in the 1848 election, save for General Cass in his Presidential bid. The speech was October 28th at 7PM. Other stops included Dearborn, Redford, Northville, Plymouth and Wayne. Detroit Free Press , June 13, 1848 Gen. John E. Schwarz's connection with Buel, apparently both Germans and Democrats, extends beyond his stop. In a June 13th Ratification Meeting of Germans at Hickory Hall both Schwarz and Buel spoke to the gathering. Seeing as both were prominent political players it's likely their connections go beyond 1848 but I'll leave that to another time. Detroit Free Press , November 15, 1848

Democratic Free Press , November 1, 1837 This Whig Party meeting in Nankin is treated with the same ineffectual snobbism by the Free Press as a Rawsonville write-up 11 years later was. Which shows that not only has politics been a great divider but that newspapers have always been bitter partisans. For shame! Anyway, some of the prominent Whig party members of Nankin are listen under abbreviated names save for congressional candidate Bates. Those included S. H. Aldrich, Mr. Bunnell, Dr. Hume, Mr. Joy, George C. Bates, Mr. Trowbridge. Bates eventually lost to his Democrat rival Alex W. Buel in a sweep for local Democrats save for the Presidency.