The plat: Lots A–F, and no dedicator named

1857–1859

Howard's account is the whole of the reached plat record — and it names no one for the original plat. Howard (1907), read first-hand in two carriers that agree on every plat fact: the town "is located on the east half of the southeast quarter of section thirty-four, and the west part of the southwest quarter of section thirty-five" — the township numeral in his sentence is its own conflict, printed in the survey article below — and "receives its name from a number of small lakes south of the town, the chief of which is Riddle's lake." The original plat, "consisting of Lots A. B. C. D. E. & F., on the west side of the Michigan road, is first shown on record as lying north of and adjoining Coquillard's addition to the town; which addition was platted August 18, 1857, by Alexis T., Alexis and Frances C. Coquillard… The original plat was itself afterwards placed on record December 23, 1859; but again in connection with the Coquillard addition." What Howard does not give, he does not give anywhere reached: no dedicator or proprietor for the original plat, no surveyor for any Lakeville plat, and no date for the original's laying-out apart from its record appearances. Chapman (1880) has no plat statement at all — his village is "located about the center of the township," its business counted whole in the Story of Lakeville section. The recorded plat itself, in the County Recorder's plat books, is the settler for the dedicator, the surveyor and the date, and the want is banked as a named gap rather than filled by inference from the addition beside it.