Bears the name of the immortal old "Hickory"--the hero and statesman--the man of brains and both physical and moral courage. The township was formed in 1844; is fifteen square miles in area, and was taken from the original township of Plymouth. It once had only game and a grand old forest,  that thirty or forty years ago gave employment to its nine sawmills cutting it into lumber; then there were three gristmills, and in the entire township was but one old-time country tavern. Its oak, hemlock and pine forests have faded away before the strokes of the woodmen's axes, and the people sought out ever spot to make farms and homes. It lies in the hills, much of it broken and rough, and everywhere the sweet waters of the mountain springs suggested dairying to the thrifty inhabitants, and the township at one time bid fair to lead all others in the county in this respect.

The first white man to make this a permanent home was Palmer RANSOM in 1795; leading the way for the soon coming of John LEMEREAUX, Jesse BROWN, Maj. B. FULLER, and a few others. The increase for fifty years was very slow, the permanent settlements uncertain, in 1850 it contained a population of 592; in 1880, 661; in 1890, 657; forty years showing a total increase of 69, and the last decade a loss of 4.