▁village ▁grew , ▁D ex ter ' s ▁house ▁became ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁activity ▁for ▁the ▁community . ▁ ▁D ex ter ▁established ▁a ▁post ▁office ▁in ▁the ▁house , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁place ▁of ▁worship ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁different ▁denomin ations . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 6 , ▁D ex ter ▁was ▁appointed ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁of ▁Was ht en aw ▁County ▁by ▁Lewis ▁Cass , ▁a ▁post ▁he ▁served ▁in ▁until ▁ 1 8 3 3 . ▁ ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁his ▁saw mill , ▁he ▁also ▁built ▁a ▁gr ist ▁mill ▁and ▁a ▁board ing ▁house . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 9 , ▁he ▁established ▁the ▁first ▁newspaper ▁in ▁Was ht en aw ▁County , ▁the ▁Western ▁Im migr ant , ▁published ▁in ▁Ann ▁Ar bor . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁ran ▁for ▁Congress ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 1 , ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁Reg ent ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Michigan ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 7 , ▁a ▁son ▁was ▁born ▁to ▁D ex ter ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Susan ; ▁however , ▁soon ▁after ▁both ▁Susan ▁D ex ter ▁and ▁the ▁infant ▁died . ▁In ▁ 1 8 2 8 , ▁D ex ter ▁married ▁his ▁third ▁wife , ▁six teen - year - old ▁Mill is ent ▁Bond , ▁whose ▁wid owed ▁mother ▁had ▁recently ▁settled ▁in ▁Michigan ▁after ▁moving ▁from ▁Massachusetts . ▁ ▁The ▁couple ▁had ▁eight ▁children : ▁Mary ▁( born ▁