By the mid 1850s many of the settlers coming to the area had immigrated from Germany.  Among these were carpenter/farmer Henry Becker, born 1831 and his wife Margaret and John, a farmer, born 1834.  It will be assumed they are brothers since they have the same town of origin, Willofs and came to the United States as young men in 1854.

Three brothers and a sister remained in Germany.  Henry and Margaret purchased 160 acres just south of Brighton from Daniel L. Marsh in 1856 and 1873.  It was intersected by Rickett Rd. and later the railroad.  Their children were Lewis, born 1862 and Elizabeth, born 1868.  John’s obituary indicates he lived in Genoa Township and later moved to Howell.

We’ll assume another John Becker, a blacksmith, born 1835 in Germany and Edwin H. Becker, a farmer, born in 1839 in New York, were brothers who probably came with their parents before 1839.  There also were three sisters: Mary Sibley, Carrie Corrigan and Mrs. A.M. Blakely of New York.  This John Becker came to Brighton in 1858 and soon after married Louisa Dorr of Genoa.  It seems likely that the Beckers in paragraph two and those in paragraph three might have been cousins.

Edwin H. had married Martha Beebe in New York prior to coming to the area in 1867.  They bought 200 acres in Section 9, Green Oak Township from Locklin Clark, November 19, 1872.  A structure is shown at the corner of Academy/Placeway Roads in 1859.  (A half brother, Col. Vanderlip owned property to the north including the southern edge of Island Lake.)  Much of this land was high and level; the Huron River flowing through the southeast corner.  By 1900 L. (Lewis )A. Becker, (Henry and Margaret’s son) is owner of the property and the acreage under cultivation.  One can assume that much of the produce raised was purchased for use by the Michigan National Guard to supplement supplies of those training at nearby Camp Eaton.  The name, SUNNYSIDE, would have been appropriate since most of the virgin timber would have been lumbered.  This land is now part of the Michigan State Island Lake Recreation Area.

Edwin H. and Martha moved onto the south west corner of W. Main and 7th St. (c. 1903) on two acres in Genoa Township.  At the time of his father’s death, August 14, 1926, Edwin D. (B. 1863) is located in Virginia, Minnesota.  Sister, Elizabeth (b. 1869) is in Brighton, married to William Standlick c. 1889.

Compiled by Marieanna Bair, thanks to writing of Bill Pless; 1880 Federal Census for Livingston County, edited by Kernie King; Early Land Owners and Settlers and copies of early obituaries by Milton Charboneau.