Brandon Twp.- A small piece of the community stolen last year has been found.
An 80-year-old brass plaque identifying Tunis D. Hummer (1789-1863) and wife Francina (Swayze) Hummer (1793-1878) and their family members as one of the township’s pioneer families was recovered last week. The plaque had been removed by vandals in June 2010.
In 1932, descendants of Tunis D.and Francina moved a rock (known as Hummer Rock) and attached the plaque to the stone located on the north side of Granger Road between Perry and Hadley roads to remember the family. The couple raised 12 children and traveled via the Erie Canal in 1825 on a covered wagon to the township site. The Hummer family later constructed a farmhouse and barn on the property which were later destroyed in a fire. The original foundation logs from the (Hummer) cabin are still under the ground.
Dean Salley, president of the Ortonville Community Historical Society said the plaque was recovered last week by an Oakland County Sheriff Deputy from the Brandon Substation at the Great Lakes Recycling Company, 2051 Bristrol Road in Flint Township.
‘The plaque had been hidden away for the past six months at the recycling center, ‘said Salley. ‘There was some damage included a dent and about a three inch cut to one side. But that can be repaired.?
The rock and plaque which were placed on the Granger Road property in 1932 will now be relocated to the Old Mill museum. A replacement plaque has been ordered to be placed on the family rock.
According to the OCSO report, a suspect in the case has been identified from information obtained when the plaque was submitted to the recycling center. The case remains open.