This collection consists of 87 legal documents pertinent to land transactions conducted by Edward Petit (1812-1875) and his family in the Port Huron area of St. Clair County, Michigan, 1840-1902.
The documents include warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, tax records, receipts, contracts, leases, mortgages, executor's deeds, and other types of land records. A few examples include:
- Multiple partially printed documents pertaining to Saginaw, Michigan, lands granted by Congress for militia service in the War of 1812 and Seminole Wars.
- Section of State Tax Code, dated May 4, 1869.
- Account statements for the Edward Petit Estate (April 1, 1875-July 18, 1878).
- Probate Court filings related to the Edward Petit Estate, including the St. Clair Tunnel Company vs. [Petit Family Estate], dated March 11, 1890.
- Contract of Purchase between the [Edward Petit Estate] and Port Huron Marble & Granite Works, dated May 21, 1891.
- Circuit Court filings related to the Edward Petit Estate.
Anselme Petit (1776-1862) was a French-Canadian settler credited as being one of the first settlers in what would become Port Huron, Michigan. His son Edward Petit was born February 7, 1813, to Anselme and his wife, Angelique (née Campeau). Edward married Henriette Victoria Stephens (1814-1873) on June 20, 1836. The couple had several children together including Victoria Louisa (1841-1921), Marshal (1849-1939), Benjamin "Frank" (1855-1910), and Jean "John" Baptiste Petit (1857-1917). Edward died on March 17, 1875, in Port Huron, Michigan.
Edward acquired a significant amount of land in the Port Huron area. According to the Federal Census of 1860, his real estate was valued at $20,000. Besides being an early inhabitant of the Port Huron area, Edward founded the village of Peru in St. Clair County, Michigan, in 1835. It was incorporated into the Village of Port Huron in 1848.
