According to Cutler’s History of St. Joseph County, “The first permanent settler in what became Fabius was Garrett Sickles, who came with his family in 1830, locating on Johnny Cake prairie in Section 13. Although there were a number of settlers during the succeeding year, no one arrived to materially assist in the progress of the township until October 1832, when William F. Arnold, in company with his father’s family, located on the west half of the southeast corner of section 26. This was in the southeastern part of the township, and at the time of the coming of the Arnolds there were only four families within the present limits of what became Fabius Township.” (Preceding the Arnolds were the families of Thiam Harwood, Herman Harvey, and Samuel Newell.) About 1833-34 came Deacon William Churchill, with his family, who also settled on section 26; also, J.W. Coffinbury, Andrew Burritt, Benjamin Smith, Charles Rice, Alonzo Hunt, Michael Beadle, Alfred Poe, Solomon Hartman and Benjamin M. King.” The Arnolds and the Churchills, who were neighbors in Section 26, each had a son and daughter. These two pairs of young people accounted for the first marriages in the township as well as the first births – Lydia Arnold was born on February 28, 1835, and her cousin Thomas Churchill, four days later.