1884~ Jacob Burnham, one of the oldest living pioneer settlers in Gratiot County, resident at St. Louis, was born April 22, 1805, near Coburg, Canada West, and is a son of Nathan and Joanna (Ferguson) Burnham. He was reared on a farm and bred to the calling of an agriculturist. On reaching his majority he bought a farm and entered upon active, independent life with every prospect of smooth, safe progress to prosperity, but, in an unfortunate moment, he signed obligations of other parties, whose failure to discharge their own indebtedness involved him in a loss of $5000.00, by which he became disposed of his farm. The next four years he worked at carpenter work and in a saw-mill and again bought a farm, located in Reach Township, Ontario, Canada. On this he resided until the fall of 1856, when he came to St. Johns, Clinton Co., Michigan. A year later he came to St. Louis and entered the employ of Richard Hillyer in management of a saw-mill. Mr. Burnham conducted the business of the mill 17 years.
The marriage of Mr. Burnham with Nancy Brown occured September 16, 1827, near Grafton, Canada. She was the daughter of Edward and Rachel (Cole) Brown, and was born May 4, 1810 in Brockville Canada. She died January 14, 1860 at St. Louis. Of the nine children born to this union four are living: Julia A., wife of Alexander Chisholm, a farmer of Lafyette Township; Phatima B., wife of Moses Thompson, a farmer in Dickinson Co., Iowa; Ursula, wife of Elijah Going, a miller in Salt River village, Isabella County; Sophronia, wife of Herbert L. Lord, a builder, resident at St. Louis with Mr. Burnham.
The old house first occupied by Mr. B and his family on coming to St. Louis was the first house built on the present site of the village. At the date of Mr. Burnham's purchase, the town contained less than a dozen families, and everything was in the most primitive condition. No streets had been opened and he assisted in opening the first thoroughfare. The old home, which was purchased by him, together with one and a quarter acres of ground, has been recently torn down. It was situated on the bank of the river on Main Street in block 46. The first grave was dug in the garden attached to the house, and it received the remains of a young girl, Alice Clark. They were afterwards interred in the St. Louis cemetery. Betsey Campbell, sister of Miss Clark, was the next to require a final resting place, and her body was also buried in the same garden, but was sent after some time to Salt River village, Isabella County.

Note: Above information was provided to me by courtesy of Don Curtis.