"...to plant the first colony..." The Ancestors of Arthur Raymond Comer

Arthur Comer's family history is also the history of Michigan's Thumb. It is the story of the Comers, Halleads, Lamimans, Sculleys, Swartouts, Willsons, and others, most of whom crossed the St. Clair River at Sarnia, Ontario, during the middle years of the 19th century and settled Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac, and Tuscola Counties. Patrick Sculley was the first to arrive in 1837 and Lewis Miller was the last in 1872. For the most part, it is a happy story of pioneers clearing the land, farmers tilling the soil, and succeeding generations prospering. But, as with all human stories, there are tragedies; in this family suicide, rape, murder, and the Thumb Fire of 1881.