On July 14, 1829, Elisha purchased property in Section 4 of Almont Township. The property is on what is now Webster Road (named for Elisha), west of Van Dyke Road. The purchase records show he was living in Macomb County at the time of the purchase. It is highly likely that Elisha came to Michigan with his older brother Noah and was probably working for him. It is also likely that it is at this time that Elisha’s siblings, Mariah and Milton, came to Macomb County. Roswell Green, Mariah’s husband, is on the 1830 U. S. Census for Ray Township, Macomb County, Michigan.
Elisha was married to Julia Harriet Thompson on January 26, 1831 in Bruce Township, Macomb County, Michigan. Elisha and Harriet came to Michigan the same year (1826) and to the same area, northern Macomb County. They met, courted, and married.
Elisha and Harriet remained living with or near Noah after their marriage. Their first child, Martha was born in Bruce Township on June 9, 1832. They may have been living in the log cabin on Webster Road at this time but gone to Noah’s before Harriet went into labor with Martha.
Histories tell us that Elisha did not start building on the property on Webster Road until 1831. He would construct a home, a saw mill and grist mill. At that time there were very few settlers in Almont Township (James Deneen, Jonathan Sleeper, Oliver Bristol, Bezaleel Bristol, Ben Taggart, Elijah Sanborn, and a couple of others). The mills were of particular importance to the growth and success of the community. The saw mill provided the materials locally to construct buildings and roads. The grist mill allowed the local production of flour for cooking. Prior to Elisha construction of the saw mill and grist mill, township residents had to haul their lumber and grain to mills in Macomb County; possibly ones owned by Elisha’s brother, Noah.
