Name/Title
Drain Commissioner's Ledger 1887-1893Entry/Object ID
2023.10.100Scope and Content
Photographs of the pages from the Saugatuck Township Drain Commission ledger with handwritten notes. The Drain Commission book has four sections: Proceedings, Accounts, Reports and Memorandum. Proceedings records the granting of permission to build drains and the details of these infrastructure projects.
Accounts records payments for services to maintain the drainage around roads and bridges.
The first record is from 1887, the last from 1893.
The book includes information about the Knikelbine Drain, Wadsworth Drain Canal, General Highway accounts, Bridge Account, Lake Shore Road Account, North Holland Road, Hooter Road, Chase Road, Townline Road, Par Road, Goshorn Road, Barragar Road, Welch Road, Richmond Road, Peach Belt Road, River Road, Simmonson Corner Road, Kibby Road, Rosemont Road, Purdy Road and the Kerr Drain.
Book is believed to be at the Saugatuck Township Office and was photographed by Aaron Sheridan. A sampling of the photos is attached to this entry. The complete set of images can be found at [AWS address]
This information was copied off the SDHC website in August 2023 in preparation for a new website.Context
from: https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/what_does_a_drain_commissioner_do
While the drain commissioner is an often forgotten elected official, they are the one elected official in Michigan that can levy taxes and borrow money without a vote of the people or approval from the county commission or state legislature. This fact led former Shiawassee County Drain Commissioner Robert Tisch to say that the drain commissioner is more powerful than the governor.
Historically, Michigan had a lot of land that was too wet for farming or building. Although wetlands have many benefits for wildlife and the environment, they are not ideal for construction or crops. Without a good drainage system, land could not be developed. Deciding which areas of a county were drained first, or drained at all, would financially benefit the property owners in those areas and could be a very politically charged decision. About 75 percent of Michigan’s original wetlands have been drained.
The job of the drain commissioner is to oversee the county’s drains. In Michigan, this can be a natural or artificial creek or ditch or a pipeline for carrying storm water. The territory served by a specific drain, known as its watershed, is organized as a drainage district. It is in these districts that the commissioner levies tax assessments and directs construction or maintenance of drains and culverts. Most counties have many drainage districts.
The authority to levy taxes comes from the Michigan Drain Code of 1956, which authorizes drain commissioners to assess the cost of drain work to land owners in the drainage district. In addition to levying taxes, the drain commissioner is also responsible for general management of drainage districts, including keeping historical, financial and easement records, requiring permits for activities affecting the drain, responding to service requests, and scheduling maintenance.Collection
1830 Settlement, pioneer era, Transportation: highway and road infrastructure, Utilities and public infrastructureCataloged By
Winthers, SallyAcquisition
Accession
2023.10Acquisition Method
Found in CollectionLocation
* Untyped Location
Digital data in CatalogItRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Newnham, Richard B. 1819-1908/9Create Date
August 3, 2023Update Date
March 24, 2024
